Chapter 17

#17 <The Wind Blows (2)>

Choi Mi-kyung, who had been about to scold me, turned pale as she saw Jin-hyeok’s sudden change in expression. Though she grumbled inwardly about being treated like an old lady, wasn’t he her childhood friend? Son Jin-hyeok had always looked out for her more than her own brother, never once fighting with her.

“What! What is it! Hey! Yook Seong-chan! You little brat, come here. What did you say to Jin-hyeok?”

“N-no! It’s not like that!”

“What’s not like that! Are you not going to talk?”

“I said no! You stay back, you troublemaker!”

It was a fork in the road. Yook Seong-chan quickly pushed his bike and fled down the path leading to the inner village. He could have ridden it, but he was probably afraid of being caught the moment he got on.

From Seong-chan’s bag, the sound of a spoon clattering echoed from an empty lunchbox. Even on a day with no afternoon classes, Seong-chan had brought his lunchbox only to forget to eat it. The hollow sound spread across the empty field, casting a shadow over Jin-hyeok’s heart.

Choi Mi-kyung glanced at Jin-hyeok with worried eyes.

“Jin-hyeok, what’s wrong?”

You don’t need to know.

Listen, Seong-chan. It’s better if you don’t know.

Jin-hyeok silently walked on, pulling up his collar as his throat felt cold.

“Jin-hyeok, what is it? Huh? I’m dying of curiosity.”

Kids, go away.

You don’t understand a man’s heart.

***

After breakfast, he carried Yoo-jin on his shoulders.

Babies are usually afraid of heights, but Yoo-jin loved riding on his shoulders. Maybe it was because she liked her brother so much.

“Hahaha!”

Smack-smack!

Yoo-jin, excited, slapped his head repeatedly, but Jin-hyeok didn’t mind. He just thought, “Are baby hands always this strong?” Life is full of bumps and bruises, but that’s how you grow, right? His little sister was like an angel helping her brother grow stronger.

‘Hit me harder! This brother is tough!’

By the way, his parents sitting on the living room sofa drinking tea seemed suspicious.

They were chatting away like insects nibbling on leaves. Normally, they spoke clearly, but now, no matter how hard he strained his ears, all he could hear was the rustling sound. Had they turned into herbivores?

“Jin-hyeok.”

His father’s gentle voice.

His mother just sipped her tea, giving him a subtle glance. Her slightly curved eyes didn’t seem upset. What was this unease? Even though the heater was running, a cold wind seeped into his chest.

Could it be what Seong-chan had mentioned?

“Do you want to go out for tonkatsu for lunch?”

Thud!

His heart sank. Oh no, it’s happening.

If this were his first life, he would have been excited to ride in the new luxury car to a fancy restaurant in town and eat premium tonkatsu. He would have bragged about it in his diary and to his friends.

But no. Son Jin-hyeok was no ordinary 12-year-old.

‘What do I do?’

His parents’ kind expressions hadn’t changed.

Yet, it felt cold. A dagger had flown into his chest.

He carefully set Yoo-jin down on the floor.

“Uh-oh! Oppa! Up! Pa!”

Yoo-jin rolled her big eyes and stretched out her arms. She bounced her buttocks, jumping around. Seeing her struggle not to be separated from him, Jin-hyeok felt like crying tears of blood. He bit his lip.

‘I’m sorry, Yoo-jin. Now’s not a good time.’

Jin-hyeok slid backward toward the front door, his skills rivaling Michael Jackson. He felt his slippers on his toes. No, this isn’t it. Don’t rush.

He fumbled again and found his sneakers on his big toe. That’s it.

I don’t like tonkatsu, I don’t like tonkatsu.

It might be delicious, but I still don’t like it.

He rehearsed countless lines in his hot, confused mind.

His father asked with a puzzled look.

“Jin-hyeok, where are you going? Tonka—”

“I said I don’t want to!”

It was his first act of rebellion.

It could be called a hormonal command.

Afraid his father might catch him, he dashed out, followed by Jang Gun-i, the dog. Jang Gun-i was the best.

“Let’s go! Jang Gun!”

In search of freedom. No, in search of freedom!

He climbed the hill with vigor. Swinging his limbs, he engraved the cool winter-like image in his heart. It must have been the influence of his rapidly blooming sensitivity during summer vacation. Oh ho! Now I understand the poets’ emotions. This is how they leave behind such poignant verses.

「Title: Tonkatsu.

Class 5-1, Number 15, Son Jin-hyeok.

I wash every day.

I don’t need to peel it.

If left alone, it peels itself.

It was like that before.

There was no need to peel it.

What’s the point of whale hunting after 50?

Dad, you really don’t understand my heart.」

Whoosh.

Sea wind, reservoir wind, mountain wind, wind blowing across the empty field.

For Jin-hyeok, who runs every day, the wind is not an obstacle. Rather, it’s a helpful presence that aids his breathing and gives wings to his meditation.

Achoo!

It’s a bit cold in winter, but it’s bearable.

No way, I can’t trade a plate of tonkatsu for the freedom to run. And it’s embarrassing. If they see me walking awkwardly, how much would Mom laugh? Hae-won and Eun-jung would tease me, asking to see it just once. Mi-kyung, being my childhood friend, might even ask to see it twice. Those brats. Did Seong-chan do it well? Is it very painful?

‘When Jin-soo did it, the classroom was in chaos…’

It was early last year.

Jin-hyeok shook his head, recalling the classmates who had rushed at Jin-soo. He closed his eyes tightly. Out of thirty students in the class, twenty-four were girls. One boy had transferred, and a girl had come in his place.

‘If I do it, I’ll really be in trouble…’

They’ll say, “Jin-soo showed us, so you have to too,” pushing their strange logic of fairness.

Whimper-whimper. Jang Gun-i let out a pitiful dog sound.

Even the dog was cold, but Jin-hyeok bravely endured. It was good he had dressed warmly. Still, his buttocks were cold, so he decided to end his meditation there.

Just as he was about to get up and dust off his buttocks.

Jin-hyeokaaaa.

An echo. It was his mother’s voice.

Hearing the echo, he remembered when he was nine, on a moonlit night at the beach.

‘Ah, Mom… Our mom.’

His throat tightened, and his chest heaved.

They are so precious. Should I just give in and do it once?

He walked the familiar path with his hands deep in his pockets. Is fate this cruel to a lonely winter man?

The wind blew in Jin-hyeok’s chest as he transitioned from a child to a teenager.

‘Just close my eyes and pull down my pants once.’

Is this how a condemned man feels?

Having a home really makes you the boss. If it were summer, I would have held out as long as possible. Ah, is that why they prefer winter? They say it’s because of infections and such, but maybe it’s the adults’ trick to minimize runaways.

The effect of meditation was truly insignificant for a soul wrapped in worries colder than starlight.

His steps toward home were heavy.

***

“Hahahahaha!”

“Oh my! Ohohohoho!”

His parents laughed until tears streamed down their faces.

Jin-hyeok was serious, but they were laughing too much. It’s making me upset.

“Ha, you brat. We were going to treat you to hot tonkatsu, but you misunderstood.”

“You said just the two of you were going…”

“Mom has to watch Yoo-jin. She’s still young and can’t catch a cold, so that’s why.”

Ah, so that’s how it was. He nodded in understanding but remained inwardly cautious.

In the end, his father went alone to the town restaurant and brought back packed tonkatsu.

The food had cooled, but the family enjoyed it together, and most importantly, the misunderstanding was cleared.

Mom usually doesn’t eat much, and Dad got up first, saying he was full. Jin-hyeok scraped up the leftover tonkatsu from his parents’ plates. The premium tonkatsu with sauce was incredibly delicious.

He heard the sound of insects rustling, but he was too busy licking the plate to notice.

‘I’ll have to try this again next time.’

‘Yes. Our son is too weak.’

‘Ah, this kid is too fast. Can we catch him?’

‘Isn’t Oppa faster?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘If we catch him before he runs away, it’ll be fine.’

‘Jin-hyeok is strong.’

‘Oppa, should we call a doctor to the house?’

Somehow, Mom seemed more proactive.

However, Son Kwang-yeon and Han Yu-young’s schemes all fell through.

It was because of Jin-hyeok’s fast feet.

He must have run so much in his past life to avoid this. The cuckoo must have cried so much since spring to warn of today’s danger. Thoughts flooded his mind.

For a week, Jin-hyeok’s desperate cries stretched across the winter sky like contrails.

“If you leave it alone, it peels itself, I tell youuuu!”

***

Rustle-rustle.

That sound alone made Jin-hyeok’s hair stand on end. Even though it was just Yoo-jin nibbling on an apple with her baby teeth, he couldn’t help but clench his legs.

The couple’s worries deepened.

It was already late, and as Jin-hyeok grew older, it would only get harder.

‘Oppa, does it really peel itself?’

‘Ah, sometimes it does…’

‘Shouldn’t we take him to the hospital? You did it too, Oppa.’

Ah, now that you mention it.

Son Kwang-yeon also had no one to take him to the hospital.

‘Come to think of it, I never went to the hospital either.’

‘Really? How did it happen?’

Then maybe it’s okay not to go and not to do it.

I don’t know why their faces turned red while talking, but they were strangely serious.

Vroom-vroom.

The sound of a motorcycle entering the yard was heard.

The male insect, who had been rustling peacefully, opened the front door.

It was Yook Seong-chan’s father from the inner village.

“Jin-hyeok’s dad, have you seen our Seong-chan?”

“Seong-chan? Hmm, I haven’t seen him since he came to play during Chuseok. What’s wrong, Seong-chan’s dad?”

“Ha, this brat ran off when I said we were going to eat tonkatsu. It’s cold, where did he go, this rotten kid.”

Yuk Young-gu took out a cigarette, so Son Kwang-yeon closed the front door and went out to the yard.

“But Jin-hyeok’s dad, that Jin-hyeok…”

“Yes.”

Yuk Young-gu paused to exhale cigarette smoke.

“Did he do it?”

“Haha, we’re just leaving it be. Jin-hyeok washes well morning and night…”

Dad, hooray!

Listening to the dads’ conversation from his second-floor room, Jin-hyeok cheered inwardly. It was the moment of victory in the seven-day war of intense tactical battles.

‘It’s all over.’

Soon, Hong Ki-jun’s family would come down for the vacation. As couples who shared their children’s growth stories, their whale-hunting adventure would surely reach the ears of Seoulites. Then Hong Soo-jung would have begged to see it. She’s still a kid. Just thinking of Hong Soo-jung grabbing his pant leg and begging to see it made Jin-hyeok feel like he might faint.

‘I’m dizzy.’

It’s Jin-hyeok’s victory.

Now he can let go of all his worries and breathe easy.

Jin-hyeok quietly closed the window.

“Ah, this brat doesn’t even wash properly. Where did he go, this kid…”

After a long rant, Yuk Young-gu got on his motorcycle and started the engine.

“I’ll be going now?”

“Yes. Take care. Don’t worry too much. He’ll come back soon in this cold.”

The sound of the motorcycle faded into the distance.

Jindo dog, dismissed.

“Friend, your dad’s gone.”

“Phew, that was a decade-long ordeal.”

Yook Seong-chan, who had been hiding in the corner of the bed with shoes in his arms, crawled out.

Seong-chan, hungry, grabbed a handful of snacks from the desk and stuffed them into his mouth.

“Wow, Jin-hyeok’s room is so nice. You even have a computer. When did you get this?”

“Last year, my uncle from Seoul bought it for me.”

It was an XT-class desktop PC gifted by Hong Ki-jun.

The model that was heavily advertised on TV as faster than a taking-off airplane. Pro Elite. When you press the power button, it rattles and beeps as it starts up.

Prince of Persia, Invaders, Raccoon, etc. Curious about games, he inserted a floppy disk given by a classmate named Lim Hyung-seop, only to end up fighting the Jerusalem virus. It was so pervasive, it made him suspect the antivirus creator was also the virus spreader.

If they couldn’t even catch the virus, why did those crusaders cause such a fuss?

Seong-chan tapped the keyboard and looked at Jin-hyeok. He seemed eager to play games.

“Can I come over to play anytime?”

“Sure. Come over.”

Jin-hyeok hardly used the slow PC anyway. Letting his friends play with it would earn him some goodwill. He didn’t eat snacks, so he should let his friends have them. Living again, he found joy in such things.

Seong-chan went out through the window to the terrace and quietly disappeared down the outdoor stairs, careful not to be seen by Jin-hyeok’s parents.

……And he didn’t come back to play for over ten days.

Little Seong-chan had become a “peeled one.”

He received a sad phone call saying he had been caught by his father and peeled.

Seong-chan added that he couldn’t even sit on his bike seat anymore.

– Jin-hyeok, a man cries three times in his life. Sob sob. When peeling onions, when peeling garlic…

Seong-chan, the peeled one, couldn’t finish his sentence.

Jin-hyeok didn’t need to hear the rest to know.

‘And when peeling chili peppers.’

That sad echo was colder to Jin-hyeok than the winter wind.

Even though he was inside, a cold breeze brushed the back of his neck.

Winter man Son Jin-hyeok pulled up his collar.

With his hands in his pockets, he firmly resolved.

‘I’ll only cry twice.’

He meticulously locked the doors and windows. It was a watertight defense. He remembered Jin-soo’s words about waking up to find himself peeled.

The sobs of Seong-chan, the peeled one, lingered like a ghost’s wail.

He turned his gaze to the sound of tapping on the window.

In an unusually warm winter, even the sky was crying.