Chapter 175

<The Unchanging (6)>

***

The scorching summer has passed, and the season of crickets chirping every night has arrived.

For Jin Hyuk, no two days are the same.

Every day still feels new, and even the seasons, which slyly change their clothes while mocking human limitations, can’t hide their sneaky steps from Jin Hyuk. Just as he feels the end of summer through the temperature of the groundwater and detects the beginning of autumn through the scent of the wind.

‘The smell of dust is gone.’

The damp wind tickled his heart.

Squeak-.

Arriving home, he squeezed both brakes, and a sound that made him cringe rose up. He’d have to fix the bike brakes again.

‘The brakes wear out too fast.’

The bike he bought when he entered middle school has been through many seasons, crying out in pain here and there. The brake pads have been replaced over ten times, and the tire punctures, which he patched himself, surpassed twenty, making him give up counting. The chain has snapped and been fixed with pliers more than ten times.

“Did I ride it too roughly?”

He just held the handlebars and pedaled. It’s a bike, after all.

Maybe bikes are more complicated machines than they seem. They’re not like cars, where the coolant runs out or the cylinder gasket wears out, but sometimes smoke rises from them.

After giving it a thorough fix this weekend, if it still acts up, he’ll have to buy a new one.

Even the grating sound seemed welcome as Yoo Jin greeted him with a smile.

“Oppa, you’re home early today-.”

“Yeah. Did you have a good day at kindergarten? What were you up to?”

“I played with Jeong Won-.”

Standing in the yard, he peeked into the living room and saw Jeong Won kneading something in a tray. Probably making juice from black nightshade.

“Aya- babababa-! Kahaha-!”

He slapped the tray with his palms as if beating it, and the tray was filled with purple liquid from the baby’s mischief, but Mom just smiled and continued knitting. Her generosity is always admirable.

“Oppa, are you going to exercise-?”

Turning his head at the question, he finally noticed his sister’s appearance.

Yoo Jin’s face and hands were stained purple, and her clothes had yellowish stains from who knows what.

“Ugh, you messy kid.”

Even though she’s a mess, he can’t help but smile like a dad.

Jin Hyuk hugged Yoo Jin and rubbed her cheek.

“Gurgle-.”

A life so lovable just by existing.

Pretty when clean, and pretty when messy because it’s endearing.

That’s why Mom never scolded the kids for being dirty.

– “It’s okay. Jin Hyuk was worse.”

Back then, they lived in a shabby house, so maybe it was natural, but that’s just a cowardly excuse, a pitiful justification. If appearances were determined by wealth, it would only reinforce a world divided by class.

Anyway, this oppa will upgrade your messiness.

“Hey, do you want to go pick some black nightshade with me?”

“Let’s pick black nightshade and ride the bike!”

Yoo Jin jumped up and down, raising her arms in a rare cheer.

Hehe-.

Of course.

If my sister says let’s go.

Jin Hyuk picked up a basin from the water tap.

‘When did that little troublemaker grow up so much? So proud.’

Yoo Jin has taken over a part of Choi Mi-kyung’s daily life.

*

Even after school ended, he wanted to hang out with friends while preparing for midterms, but realistically, it’s difficult. Ever since his face and name were plastered all over the newspaper, people have been coming to see him.

Taeyang High School students, Taeyang Middle School students, coaches from schools with sports teams.

Having experienced it in his first year, he’s less flustered now, and the neighborhood is guarded by SSS, giving him some breathing room. Yesterday, a journalist from a daily newspaper came but fled after Yoo Tae-hwa’s polite warning.

“Yoo Jin, why is black nightshade called ‘black nightshade’?”

Black nightshade is resilient.

Just breaking a leaf or stem releases a bitter smell, showing a vitality that delicate edible plants can’t match.

“Hmm-, Mom says it’s called black nightshade because it grows from the ground.”

Oppa learned that when he was young too.

A grateful fruit that helped poor, hungry rural kids get through the autumn harvest.

Regardless of its origin, it’s indeed something to be thankful for. It became a good snack for rural kids who didn’t have many treats.

When Jin Hyuk was young, he used to harvest black nightshade with a rice bowl.

Seeing the piles of black nightshade, he learned the joy of harvest and felt like he was becoming rich.

“Don’t eat the stink bugs.”

“I know that much. Don’t eat centipedes either.”

Yeah, you know a lot.

But the kid who knows so much just plucked an unripe black nightshade and put it in his mouth.

“Ewwww! Ptooey-! Green ones are bitter.”

“Yoo Jin, look here. If you pluck it like this- pop, this part is black, right?”

“Ooh-? Only that part is black.”

The fruit was green, but the part attached to the stem had turned black like a thin line.

“Want to compare it with another one?”

He picked another clearly unripe green fruit to compare.

“See the difference between this one and this one?”

“Yeah. This one has a black belly button, and this one is green.”

Yoo Jin, crouching next to her oppa, watched with shining eyes. Every time her oppa shows her something, she learns something new, so she can’t take her eyes off him.

Jin Hyuk popped the first fruit he picked into his mouth and chewed.

“This one’s not bitter at all?”

“Then I’ll try-. Ooh-, this one has a black belly button too.”

Watching Yoo Jin pick a similar fruit and eat it, Jin Hyuk thought.

She trusts people so much, it’s easy to tease her.

Of course, Jin Hyuk isn’t lying right now.

“Ooh? It’s really not bitter! But it’s a bit sour.”

“Right. The fully ripe black ones are sweet.”

Mom and Dad knew Jin Hyuk loved black nightshade since he was little, so they always preserved it when weeding. They carefully used the sickle to avoid breaking the stems and left some weeds near the black nightshade to prevent it from falling over.

“Jang Gun, come here. You like black nightshade too, right?”

Hehehe-.

Sharing the surviving black nightshade with Jang Gun, the next year, black nightshade grew all around the house. The following year, even more grew, and the year after that, even more sprouts appeared. The neglected hill, too awkward to plow, became a black nightshade field.

“Jang Gun made this black nightshade field.”

“Really-?”

No one systematically researched it, but the theory of Jang Gun being a farming dog was being proven everywhere. Without interference or guidance, it just happened naturally.

“If it’s too sour, you can sprinkle sugar on it.”

“Sugar is bad for you.”

She’s really grown up, talking like an adult.

At an age when she should love sweets, what could make her oppa happier than this?

‘Brat.’

Well, Yoo Jin also disliked sprinkling sugar on tomatoes or watermelon.

Does eating too much sweet stuff make her stomach hurt?

“Cola is good for you.”

But that same kid loses all reason at the sight of cola, just like Jang Gun, which is also amusing.

*

Splash splash- splash splash!

“Why are you washing it in the yard?”

“Just because it’s convenient.”

Even washing the harvested black nightshade in a basin made Yoo Jin curious.

“The yard is groundwater, right? Wash it inside.”

“Well….”

What’s that supposed to mean? It’s groundwater whether it’s there or here.

Maybe Yoo Jin needs to hear the groundwater pump near the utility room while doing dishes to believe it.

“Washing in the yard means you don’t have to clean the kitchen if water splashes everywhere.”

“Ooh-, that makes sense.”

She really trusts easily.

While SSS agents, hooked on fishing, went to the sea and reservoirs, Jin Hyuk has been engrossed in a new hobby lately.

“Yoo Jin, let’s go ride the bike now.”

Sister comes before exercise.

“When will Jeong Won ride?”

“Jeong Won is still too young for a tricycle. Maybe I bought it too early.”

His feet don’t even reach the pedals, and Jeong Won is more obsessed with tasting the handlebars than sitting on the seat. The tricycle had to be wrapped in plastic and stored in the shed.

“You have to wear a helmet.”

“Okay!”

Although the risk of tipping over is significantly lower compared to a regular bike, a four-wheeled bike isn’t completely safe. Jin Hyuk put a child’s helmet on Yoo Jin. Elbow and knee pads are also essential.

“Even if it’s stuffy, bear with it.”

“Okay!”

No matter how much healing ability one has, if someone gets a head injury or loses consciousness from a serious injury, who can guarantee safety? Safety first, second, and third.

With the helmet on and the chin strap fastened, she looked as cute as a cartoon character. Jin Hyuk pinched his sister’s chubby cheeks and laughed like a fool.

“Hehehehe- my baby! How can you be so cute?”

“Let’s go!”

Yoo Jin pedaled vigorously onto the bus road.

The four-wheeled bike, with a beige basket and a frame resembling the autumn sky, raced against the autumn sunset, looking light and cheerful.

Rattle rattle-.

Perhaps worried she couldn’t hear her oppa’s footsteps over the noise of the training wheels, Yoo Jin raised her voice while keeping her eyes fixed ahead.

“Oppa-, are you following?”

“Of course!”

Jogging gently, Jin Hyuk followed closely, within arm’s reach of Yoo Jin.

Even though it’s an open road, you never know when a car might come, and with the harvest season, tractors and trucks are parked along the roadside, so caution is needed.

They could have taken the riverside track, but Yoo Jin loves riding along the road to see the village, so her oppa accommodates her.

“Eun Jung’s family is already harvesting ginger.”

“Yeah. It’s hotter this year, so the bulbs formed earlier, and they’re harvesting sooner than last year.”

“Is it because they’re early varieties?”

Where did you learn that? Kids these days are really quick.

“Mr. Jjorang said that over there used to be Mr. Park Dae-soon’s field.”

“Yeah. That’s the land he farmed.”

Before leaving his hometown, Park Dae-soon grew medicinal herbs.

On hot days, the smell of angelica carried by the wind would give him a headache.

Young Jin Hyuk really hated that smell.

‘Why do I miss it?’

Human emotions are tricky.

Doubt turned into resentment, and the emotions teetering between resentment and pity leaned toward compassion.

Probably because nothing happened.

Anyway, he thought his own emotions were complicated and cunning.

“Should we go to the mill today?”

“Sure. The more I run, the better.”

Yoo Jin, who has been running around fields and mountains since she was little, has strong legs, but to Jin Hyuk, she’s as slow as a chick. The exercise effect is minimal, but this time with his sister is the most anticipated part of Jin Hyuk’s day.

It’s the same for Son Yoo Jin. Riding the bike until her chest heaves and talking with her oppa in the early evening is the happiest time.

“Today at kindergarten, we had curry rice, and it was a bit spicy.”

Ah, so the stain on Yoo Jin’s clothes was curry sauce.

“How did it taste?”

“It was really, really delicious! I had two servings.”

The small school’s cafeteria.

They hired a nutritionist and a few local farmwives as cooks. Following Jin Hyuk’s suggestion, they held a pre-application process, so everyone was qualified.

“Hmm-, you know what? During winter break, they’re going to build another floor at our school.”

“Yeah. That’s great.”

With the increasing number of students, Eodong Elementary School plans to expand for after-school care.

Unlike before, the school won’t close, and Yoo Jin will graduate from the same school her oppa did, taking a commemorative photo together at the main gate. That day will come soon. Nothing is faster than time.

Arriving at the mill, they watched the sparrows causing a ruckus in the granary, giving Yoo Jin time to catch her breath. Exercising non-stop is as tedious as repetitive labor. To keep the easily bored kids interested, a short break is essential.

For his sister, whose face was flushed red, Jin Hyuk rummaged through his pockets.

“Ta-da-.”

“Ooh-! It’s a picnic!”

“Wait, let me put the straw in.”

To keep the kid’s engine from tiring, timely hydration is crucial.

For times like this, apple juice is the best.

Like parched land soaking up water, Yoo Jin sucked up the juice without even breathing, her eyes fixed on her oppa.

As he smoothed her messy hair, he wished in his heart.

‘I hope it never changes.’

Just like when she was a baby, may she always look at her oppa with sparkling eyes.