Chapter 165

< The Last Festival (3) >

Lee Byeong-se’s face turned red as if it were about to explode at any moment.

No one tried to stop or calm him down. There was nothing to gain from getting close to someone on the verge of exploding, whether it was a bomb or a person.

“Come out! I’ll smash your head with a hammer! Do you know who he is? He holds the national junior record, that kid!”

Oooooh-.

As if in unison, the crowd’s murmurs grew louder, and their gazes turned to player number 94.

The player, puffing out his cheeks, was deliberately ignoring the supervising teacher.

To the spectators, it looked like he was focusing on the upcoming race.

At Lee Byeong-se’s unfinished shout, the crowd’s attention shifted back to the center of the commotion.

“Ah, damn it! Who the hell dared to accuse my athlete of doping? Come out, you bastard! I’ll kill you! You bastards, have you ever bought Pocari Sweat for these kids running in the heat? Have you ever bought Guron-san for them, you damn fools?!”

Lee Byeong-se’s booming voice echoed through the stadium, making it seem like it wasn’t a dome stadium.

Min Yong-rak nodded inwardly.

He had seen firsthand how hard the kids had worked to get here.

Even Lee Byeong-se, who had visited during the break to encourage them with energy drinks, had stayed to watch their training without saying a word. Feeling ashamed as a teacher who couldn’t help much, Lee Byeong-se had simply handed Min Yong-rak a box of drinks, asking him to take good care of the athletes.

‘It sounds more like a chant than swearing.’

Even though it was just words, perhaps he used the word “damn” twice because there were two opponents. Amidst the excitement of the harsh language, Min Yong-rak tilted his head in confusion. But neither Lee Byeong-se, who was fuming, nor the crowd, who were trying to suppress their laughter, seemed to care.

Despite the ongoing upheaval in the school sports world, with abusive and violent teachers being replaced, Lee Byeong-se was someone who, though not violent, was second to none when it came to swearing. His voice, as loud as a thunderstorm, was something else.

Of course, when such a person is on your side, the swearing somehow sounds beautiful.

Hmm-hmm-.

Even though the swearing wasn’t directed at him, Min Yong-rak’s face flushed, but his heart raced, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

He glanced back subtly, not bothering to hide his exposed teeth. There, like bees drawn to honey, reporters were avoiding Lee Byeong-se’s gaze, pretending to be busy. Judging by their attire and equipment, they seemed to be local journalists.

The emcee holding the microphone turned his gaze toward Lee Byeong-se.

[The stadium is in chaos, delaying the event. Since young students are watching, we ask leaders and guardians to use polite and kind words-.]

Lee Byeong-se’s finger-pointing also turned toward the officials.

“Ah, damn it! Just shut up! Why are you messing around and causing trouble?!”

[If the event is further disrupted, we may have to take measures to remove individuals-.]

“Damn it, the management is a mess! You let those bastards spout nonsense, but you kick out a coach who’s just protecting his athlete? Oh my god! The Athletics Federation is oppressing Korean teachers!”

Kkkkkkkk-.

Hahahaha-.

People in the audience and waiting areas started shrugging their shoulders one after another.

In the midst of the heat, a bit of comedic relief was welcome.

Shouting and swearing happened at least once a day during these events. If no one backed down here, it could lead to physical altercations, event boycotts, and operational chaos. Ultimately, the athletes would suffer.

The athletes, the true stars of this sacred event, couldn’t be sidelined by verbal spats. In the end, the emcee stepped back.

[Ahem-, we kindly ask for your cooperation in maintaining order.]

The sound of snickering continued throughout the stadium for a long time.

That’s why the swearing didn’t just sound unpleasant.

Sometimes, spectators or audience members would spout all sorts of nonsense, and from a leader’s perspective, it often required not just three but thirty times the patience. Physical altercations were frequent, but among the troublemakers, there was hardly anyone who could match a physical education teacher in strength or skill.

Thus.

Leaders, protecting their pride as sportsmen and their athletes, often ended up in lawsuits and paying fines. Standing still and taking hits wasn’t in their nature.

Anyway, their important consensus was that, as leaders, they sometimes had to shout and discipline, but no one should speak lightly of their athletes. It was a rage that only those who knew how much they had suffered to get here could express.

“Damn it, these bastards compare here and talk nonsense there. I’ll kill those little brats-.”

Kaaah- Ptoo!

Lee Byeong-se concluded the pre-race ceremony with a dramatic spit.

It was enough that he wasn’t pointed at by other leaders.

With his hands on his hips and still fuming, Lee Byeong-se turned to Jin-hyeok with a smile. He was basking in the feeling that the world was on his side, intoxicated by the victory of protecting his athlete.

‘That kind of person must be protected no matter what. Even if he’s a troublemaker, he knows how to take care of himself. Protecting him is also part of the job.’

Lee Byeong-se was a swearer who knew exactly what needed to be done.

That’s why he survived the vice-principal’s scolding and the reshuffling.

His gold teeth, replacing his molars, shone brightly under the August sun.

*

The official at the starting line held the electronic signal gun and grabbed the microphone.

[Ahem, athletes to your positions-.]

Oops, the commotion in the stadium had been so enjoyable that he made a mistake.

Then, from various parts of the audience and waiting areas, voices criticizing the official came one after another.

“Hey, that’s not how you do it!”

“Do it properly! Do it again, do it again!”

“Hey! Are you mocking Chungnam?”

“I’ll flip you over!”

“I’ll beat you all up!”

Amidst the continuous protests, the official put down the microphone and bowed deeply.

It was clearly an attitude of admitting fault and apologizing.

If he showed even a hint of displeasure, the hot-blooded sports leaders might rise up in unison. Even if that didn’t happen, it was a mistake made by an official who was supposed to be as neutral as an inanimate object.

No matter how important any event is, this was the final race, and laughter and comments that weren’t part of the regulations had slipped in, so it was only natural for a professional to take responsibility.

After giving the athletes time to stretch and catch their breath outside the starting area.

He picked up the microphone again.

[To your positions-.]

It was a tense moment for the official too.

The leaders holding stopwatches felt the same.

The athletes, indifferent, tapped their starting blocks and entered their lanes.

Even after witnessing the adults’ commotion, the athletes’ expressions were rather detached.

It seemed that the stars of the festival needed not only mature bodies but also mental strength to surpass the audience.

[Ready-.]

As if showing off the muscles on their thick thighs, the wild horse-like athletes lifted their buttocks. The sight of them all opening their eyes wide and stretching their legs was majestic.

The audience held their breath and focused on the blue-uniformed athlete in lane 4.

Even without any sudden movements or fooling around with friends like other kids, this athlete had been catching attention since the preliminaries.

Sometimes, there are people who captivate you just by their presence.

It’s not just about physique or speed.

[Bang-!]

Finally, the gunshot signaling the 20-second race rang out.

***

In a past life, I used to enjoy watching sports broadcasts with a can of beer after work.

Sometimes, I wondered what the athletes in those situations were thinking, how they felt.

For example, when a baseball player made an error and his mouth shape said “haircut”… Well, he should have gotten a haircut on time.

Now that I’ve become a track athlete, even in the briefest moments, my thoughts run endlessly. It’s not just Jin-hyeok’s experience of feeling dissatisfied because his strength didn’t burst forth.

Until reaching the finish line, it was a long and tedious time for everyone.

Distracting oneself from boredom with random thoughts was quite useful.

‘Deer deer deer deer deer deer-.’

I repeated it over and over while maintaining a regular breathing pattern.

Of course, I only shouted it in my head. It would be embarrassing if someone heard. Jin-hyeok wasn’t the type to confess love like Park Sang-ki.

Grandpa Cheon Gil-ryong once said.

Rabbits run while looking at obstacles, so their heads get smashed, but deer run while looking only at where they’re going, so accidents don’t happen.

‘Deer deer deer deer-.’

It wasn’t just about imprinting the image of a deer in my mind for a suggestive effect. Out of all the athletes who run 200 meters every day, how many would actually veer off their lane?

I was counting my steps for future scientific analysis.

‘Deer deer deer-.’

Besides counting steps, the deer effect had another benefit.

Giving rhythm to the deer and aligning my breathing with it, the so-called deer-breathing.

Of course, breathing naturally follows the movement of the legs, but it was a small game Jin-hyeok chose, being someone used to analyzing things with his head.

[Bang-!]

With the gunshot signaling the finish line.

‘Damn, how many was that? I only chanted deer again.’

All those deer disappeared.

It was the mistake of someone who only chanted deer without counting.

But it’s okay.

Min Yong-rak probably recorded it with a camcorder, and I roughly counted too.

‘That’s why I prepared Plan B!’

Jin-hyeok is a smart athlete, so he prepared for that too.

***

Kim Young-tae and Park Jae-seung pressed their stopwatches simultaneously and compared the records.

With a nearly one-second difference between the second-place athlete and the first, the rankings were already out of their concern.

“Twenty-two seconds, right?”

“Yes, that’s right-.”

Somehow, they had become official track and field coaches for the junior team, guiding elementary school kids. Though the elementary school events were over, they were staying longer to observe the middle school events. It was something that wouldn’t have been possible without the financial support of Sain Group and General Farm.

One of Kim Young-tae’s students spoke up excitedly.

“Teacher! Isn’t that the fastest guy over there our school’s senior?”

“No way-! That guy is from their school! He was the president when I was in first grade! Who are you to bring up lineage?”

Gasp-.

If it were a dog, it might have made that sound.

The athlete quickly hid behind Teacher Kim Young-tae.

According to the guy who made the fuss, Son Jin-hyeok was the president when he was in first grade, so he must be in fourth grade now, but like Teacher Park Jae-seung, he was dark and tall, which was quite intimidating.

‘I’m in fifth grade. This little kid’s audacity…’

While the Three Bonds and Five Constants bowed to appearances, Kim Young-tae and Park Jae-seung looked toward where Jin-hyeok was.

Lee Byeong-se handed him a sports drink from the icebox, and a young man with a bulging belly like a tadpole handed him a file, engaging in some conversation.

Jin-hyeok nodded, listening to Min Yong-rak, while Lee Byeong-se opened the icebox again and placed a frozen towel on Jin-hyeok’s head.

‘So that’s how it’s done.’

Coaching centered around the athlete rather than the leader is the true path to nurturing talent. The two teachers, who had observed every move, nodded seriously.

Lee Byeong-se’s earlier outburst was also impressive.

Though mixed with unrefined language, it clearly showed a leader protecting and caring for his athlete.

The two teachers inwardly repeated Lee Byeong-se’s swearing. It didn’t stick to their tongues, but with practice, it wouldn’t be hard to replicate.

Even young students swear all the time, so how hard could it be?

Park Jae-seung, with a hand shaped like holding a cup, twisted his wrist and looked at Kim Young-tae.

“Will you watch too?”

“Hahaha-, of course. Let’s have a drink tonight.”

In many ways.

Kim Young-tae and Park Jae-seung felt they had made the right decision to observe.

***

After happily reuniting with Park Jae-seung and Kim Young-tae.

Jin-hyeok was surrounded by juniors from Eodong Elementary School and Taeyang Elementary School, demonstrating proper posture.

He kindly answered the kids’ chaotic questions.

“Your back leg must fully extend to generate propulsion. When running, think of pushing off only with your toes.”

“But it’s just a short run, how does posture matter that much?”

“If it doesn’t work, make it work. Start slow, gradually increase speed, and eventually, even at full speed, maintain that posture. That’s why we train.”

Judging by the dialect, he must be from Eodong Elementary School. Jin-hyeok patted the kid’s head and smiled brightly.

A kid from Taeyang Elementary School, curious about something, grabbed Jin-hyeok’s finger and shook it.

“But-, some seniors don’t extend their back legs. Why is that?”

“Hmm…, I can’t really judge. It might be due to body type or training issues. But those can be fixed.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

There are athletes with scoliosis who set world records within 20 years.

Yeom Byeong-taek and Jo Seol-chan’s postures were also corrected in a short time.

Yeom Byeong-taek’s time improved, and Jo Seol-chan grew a finger’s width taller.

While spending time surrounded by the kids, Lee Byeong-se approached, pushing a cart.

“Hey-. Move, move. He’s my athlete.”

Because Lee Byeong-se stepped in to protect his athlete, Jin-hyeok’s time with the kids ended quickly.

It wasn’t particularly burdensome, but Jin-hyeok, sensing Lee Byeong-se’s mood, didn’t push his luck.

‘Juniors…’

It was a word he had never held close to his heart.

The relationships Jin-hyeok cherished were limited to a few close friends and military comrades.

In a world where everyone is born as strangers and lives as others.

When connections break, that’s it. Why cling to relationships?

The harm caused by forming all sorts of factions based on school, region, or military ties and causing trouble wasn’t insignificant, and as someone who frowned upon such cases, he avoided even minor socializing.

But in this life, little kids claiming to be his juniors were eagerly showing their affection.

‘Well, it’s not bad.’

Jin-hyeok’s impression after meeting these rough yet bright kids.

The kids’ eyes and smiles were filled with excitement, as if they had seen a living idol. Though he had no experience idolizing anyone, he could foresee how his actions might influence the kids in some way.

Someone might use Jin-hyeok’s name to do bad things in the future.

But on the other hand, it was also possible to have a positive influence.

‘I seem to have become a bit famous. I should live well.’

Even if I can’t be an idol, I shouldn’t be a bad influence.

Jin-hyeok looked around the wide track.

The athletes who had advanced to the relay race final were preparing for the last festival. Each one was an outstanding track and field genius.

‘I need to show them that it’s possible.’

He hoped the festival would be a success for his friends and juniors.

Even if the reality, as shown by the records, wasn’t easy.

The 100-meter final tomorrow morning wasn’t even on his mind.