Chapter 158

<Summer Camp of Chaos (6)>

***

As soon as I got back from my walk, I made a phone call. Every time I called Yoo Myung-sun’s house, I often heard the familiar voice of Kwon Je-hak, who had gotten used to chatting.

“Hello, sir. It’s Jin Hyuk. Yes.”

Luckily, I was told to wait for a moment.

Yoo Myung-sun, who said he would get sick and die if he stopped working, was always looking for something to do. It was similar to what Jo Il-hun had once said about how elderly farmers who had spent their whole lives farming would quickly age and wither away if they moved to the city to take care of their children.

So, Yoo Myung-sun rarely answered the phone directly when he was focused on something. It was because it was significantly harder for him to regain his focus compared to when he was younger.

After tapping the desk with my index finger for about thirty seconds, a surprisingly energetic voice for an old man greeted me from the other end of the phone.

“I went to the village today and heard some interesting stories.”

– Hahahaha!

I could hear the sound of someone gasping for breath on the other end.

Wait, I hadn’t even started the story yet. Was it really that exciting?

“······There was a woman picking herbs nearby. ······But then······the chili pepper······yes, yes, that’s right. Oh my, how should I put this? She, she stood up······.”

– HAHAHAHAHA!

The old man’s reaction was so intense that I was worried he might pass out.

Just from the sound of his laughter, I could vividly picture Yoo Myung-sun’s face turning bright red.

Finally, after the story ended, Yoo Myung-sun sighed as if he had resolved a lifelong regret.

– Hahahaha! I never could have imagined such a story. It’s not something you hear every day.

But there was a strange sense of regret in Yoo Myung-sun’s voice.

“It would probably be better if Grandpa Cheon told you the story himself.”

– You seem to understand the flavor of a good story. Who tells it is also important, isn’t it? I can’t help it. I’ll have to visit him soon.

The story was just an excuse. He must have missed the person.

Maybe he wanted to see Cheon Gil-ryong, who treated him like a friend or younger brother without any pretense, despite being a group chairman.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

– When I was young, I traveled all over Korea selling hydrochloric acid and alcohol. That distance is as easy as a walk in the park.

Men, whether young or old, can’t seem to live without a bit of bravado.

But it wasn’t a habit for him, so his occasional boasting made him a charming old man.

“I thought you might be busy.”

– Hahaha. You’ve grown so much, worrying about this old man. I’ve already sorted everything out, so there’s no need to worry.

“Ah······.”

I wish he wouldn’t talk about dying so much.

It seemed like elderly people mentioned death more often than what they wanted to eat. Was it a sign that they had let go of their desires and were ready to accept the approaching darkness? Or was it just their way of clinging to life? It seemed to vary from person to person.

– By the way, how are they doing now?

“Ah, they’re not here anymore. Their son is already forty-seven.”

– Oh, I see. Is he doing well?

“He’s getting married to a town office employee this fall. They’ve already moved in together.”

– Ah, I see. Come to think of it, I remember someone named Jo Ga at the youngest’s first birthday party. It must have been him. I clearly remember hearing about his father that day, but my memory is failing me in my old age.

“Yes. But my dad calls him ‘hyung,’ and he tells me to call him ‘hyung’ too. He even tells the neighborhood kids to call him that. He gets mad if they call him ‘uncle’······.”

Blah blah blah-.

Jin Hyuk kept rambling on about things I hadn’t even asked.

‘Why am I like this?’

From teasing Jang Gun-i to becoming more talkative.

It seemed like a habit that had developed from meeting and interacting with so many people, more than ever before.

– Hahahaha! You’re such an interesting person.

Even though I tried to cut it short, Yoo Myung-sun was having too much fun, so I couldn’t stop in the middle.

Sweat dripped from the ear I had the phone pressed against.

But it was a heartwarming time.

‘Strangely, I feel good.’

*

I wiped the sweat from my ear and boiled some water.

‘Even with the AC on full blast, it’s still hot. When will fall come?’

Two spoons of creamer, two spoons of sugar.

I poured boiling water, stirred it well, and mixed in some cold water to make it just warm enough.

As I was about to taste it, I locked eyes with Yoo Jin, who had her hand on her waist.

“Is it ready?”

Her tone sounded a bit informal, but Jin Hyuk didn’t make a big deal out of it.

‘I should let it slide.’

It was because of the coffee incident.

I didn’t get scolded by my parents, but I didn’t miss the look of disappointment in their eyes. It was a moment of mixed emotions—feeling both hurt and ashamed.

Whoosh-.

After checking the temperature and taste first, Jin Hyuk handed the mug to Yoo Jin.

“It’s ready-. You can have it.”

“Okay-.”

If I keep saying okay, she’ll cross the line······.

But it’s just for now.

Yoo Jin only seemed to get into role-playing situations like this when she was offered milk.

‘My cute little sister.’

Jin Hyuk patted Yoo Jin’s head once and then checked on Jeong Won, who was sleeping in the crib.

The sweet Jeong Won occasionally opened his mouth and twitched his eyebrows as if dreaming, but he slept soundly without flailing his limbs.

‘It’s amazing every time I see it.’

Adults called it the “soft spot.”

It’s the part of a baby’s skull that hasn’t fully hardened yet. Cheon Gil-ryong called the front and back soft spots the “great fontanelle” and “small fontanelle.” If you carefully placed your hand on it, you could feel the pulse, and it would expand and contract with the baby’s breathing.

Jeong Won’s soft spot had narrowed significantly after his first birthday, and it looked like it would close completely in a few months.

“Mom said not to touch that.”

Yoo Jin, who was drinking milk, scolded her brother for quietly placing his hand on the baby’s head.

“Hmm-. I was just praying.”

“Brother doesn’t go to church.”

“You can pray even if you don’t go to church.”

“What did you pray for?”

“For him to grow up healthy.”

Yoo Jin, with white milk all over her mouth, tilted her head.

She couldn’t remember, but it felt like she had heard those words before.

It must have been a voice similar to her brother’s.

***

Kang Heon-chang used the electronic signal gun, and Min Yong-rak recorded the results as they conducted the start training.

Jin Hyuk repeatedly checked the sheets Min Yong-rak had recorded.

He needed to review a few plans.

Who would take the lead for the best results?

They had fixed Yeom Byeong-taek, who had good straight-line speed, as the second runner, and were debating between Jo Seol-chan, who had a slight advantage on curved tracks, and Park Sang-ki, who had good initial speed, for the starting position.

‘Maybe Byeong-taek should do it.’

Jo Seol-chan’s reaction time to the signal gun was slow.

Park Sang-ki wasn’t much better. He could kick his leg at the same time as the signal, but his shoulders would unconsciously hunch. It was like a soccer player shrinking at the sound of the referee’s whistle after committing a foul.

‘We should try switching the order.’

Jo Seol-chan seemed to prefer the familiar third position, and Park Sang-ki’s eyes said he was fine as long as he wasn’t the starter.

They were friends and kids before they were athletes. If I forced them into roles they didn’t want, how would I be any different from those one-way leaders? Even if we got good results, it’s not like their lives would change dramatically.

‘Yeah, let them do what they want.’

The deeper Jin Hyuk’s worries, the harder the problem, the more he tried to remember the basics. Kim Young-tae always taught with that in mind.

“Kids, take a break and then we’ll practice baton passes.”

Jo Seol-chan, who knew the pressure of the signal gun, scratched the back of his head.

“I keep wanting to look at the gun for some reason.”

“That’s why you keep fouling in the 100-meter races.”

When Yeom Byeong-taek pointed it out, Park Sang-ki, with a blank expression, analyzed his own problem.

“······I think my auditory reaction is slow.”

“It’s okay. Let’s find the best order through practice.”

While the desire and motivation for the best results were important, above all, the kids had to have fun. Min Yong-rak’s objective analysis had already shown that the regional preliminaries would be tough. The regional competition, which would start right after the vacation, would be their last journey together.

‘If we don’t get first place, so be it.’

***

After dinner, Jin Hyuk’s lecture began.

The kids focused on the lesson while eating boiled duck eggs.

The eggs were laid by ducks that floated in the water during the day and returned to their pens at night to avoid predators.

Yoo Jin, who seemed to understand something, handed Jin Hyuk a duck egg.

“Brother, eat this. It’s delicious.”

“Should I?”

Jin Hyuk stared at the egg he had taken.

He had eaten them often, but today it felt special.

‘It must have been my aunt. The person who sometimes left boiled eggs on quiet nights.’

When the attic door creaked open, a round tray would slide in.

There were always three boiled eggs, a glass of water, and a bit of fine salt.

As the misunderstanding about Kim Eung-nyeo cleared up, the forgotten kindness came back to him in full force.

He took a big bite of the duck egg, which was larger than a chicken egg.

The duck egg wasn’t as dry as a boiled chicken egg, so it didn’t stick in his throat, and the yolk was chewy. Its size made it a great snack to fill the stomach, which was why Jin Hyuk and Yoo Jin enjoyed it so much.

‘Why does my throat feel tight today?’

After patting his chest, he resumed the lesson.

Park Sang-ki said Jin Hyuk taught better than the school teachers, and the lessons stuck in his ears. Yoo Jin, who sat among the older brothers and listened to the lesson, also nodded in agreement. She was eating the boiled duck eggs that Jo Seol-chan had peeled for her.

Yeom Byeong-taek and Jo Seol-chan sighed and scratched their heads.

“Why is Jin Hyuk so good at English?”

“I memorized the textbook.”

Jo Seol-chan, who was about to mumble something, shut his mouth. Jin Hyuk was good at everything. Even the annoying stuff.

As it got past eight, some of the kids’ eyelids grew heavy, but Jin Hyuk kept the pace fast so they wouldn’t get bored.

“That’s it for today. Tomorrow, we’ll do math, earth science······.”

Korean, English, and math were important. But if I left them to self-study other subjects, they would obviously get distracted. They were at an age full of energy, and they were athletes too. So, I included other subjects in the schedule appropriately.

“Ughhhh- I’m so sleepy.”

Whoosh-.

Yeom Byeong-taek stretched and accidentally let one rip.

After eating more than five duck eggs during the lesson, he finally had an accident.

“Ughhhh-!”

“Gas! Gas! Gas!”

As the kids all covered their noses and tried to escape, Jin Hyuk instinctively sounded the chemical warfare alarm with a practiced motion. It was a good thing they were using the room Jo Seol-chan and Yeom Byeong-taek used.

“Uh-oh- Yoo Jin!”

Move aside, you brats!

Jin Hyuk went back in, grabbed Yoo Jin, whose face had turned yellow as she covered her nose, and carried her out under his arm. He scolded himself for leaving his sister behind to save himself.

*

It was past ten when everyone went to bed.

“Ahhhhhhh-! Byeong-taek is taking a dump!”

Jo Seol-chan screamed as he ran out of the room.

“Hihihihihi-!”

Yeom Byeong-taek, who had released more gas, was clutching his stomach and giggling.

Jin Hyuk decided to sacrifice himself for Jo Seol-chan, whose face had turned yellow.

“Let’s sleep together in my room.”

Jo Seol-chan sighed deeply as he lay down on the bed.

“This is the most fun, yet boring, longest, yet shortest vacation ever.”

“What do you mean-.”

Snore-.

Before I could ask what he meant, Jo Seol-chan had already passed out, leaving behind what sounded like his last words.

Ah, but this guy snores.

When he came over to play before, he didn’t snore. It must be because the training is so tough.

Jin Hyuk grabbed a pillow and went down to the living room.

Even during company workshops, he would lose sleep because of snoring teammates. Just thinking about those sleepless nights still made his teeth grind. Maybe I should have given them a lower performance review.

‘Appetite comes right after sleep!’

Sleep must never be disturbed.

The sound of the fridge compressor was a bit annoying, but the sound of the aquarium bubbler was close to white noise, so they canceled each other out.

‘Ahhh- peace like a river.’

Jin Hyuk had also had a tough day.

Just as he covered himself with the blanket and closed his eyes…

Thud- thud- thud-. Swoosh-.

A strange, eerie sound made his nerves stand on end.

‘What is that······.’

A chill ran through Jin Hyuk’s calm eyes as he turned to find the source of the sound.