Chapter 187

< Coward (4) >

***

Son Yoo-jin is happy.

Finally, today! Dad told me I’m going to be on the news.

“Hahaha! Oppa! Try to catch meee-!”

“Hongshi! Bring the plate!”

“Acku-, did my little brother poop a lot?”

After riding bikes with oppa, playing with Hongshi, and changing Jeongwon’s diaper, I took a warm shower.

Sitting on the couch using oppa’s lap as a pillow, my neck cracked and drool dripped from my mouth.

‘What time is it-?’

There’s still 15 minutes left before the 9 o’clock news starts.

Oppa was right, my eyelids feel so heavy.

But what’s simplification and what’s equivalence?

I remembered some difficult words from Dad and oppa’s conversation and used them, and it worked well. My friends looked up to me.

[It’s time for the 9 o’clock news.]

Oh! It’s starting.

Yoo-jin focused her eyes.

[- Today’s first news. Amidst the record-breaking heatwave······ a theft ring stealing large dogs to supply to dog meat restaurants, and restaurant owners knowingly buying stolen dogs······.]

That man’s voice is so sleepy.

The 9 o’clock news is for bedtime, so the sleepy-voiced man is doing the news.

Kids, go to sleep.

[It turns out the student who caught the thief is a promising middle-distance runner who holds the Korean record for middle school sprints and recently signed a contract with Saint Sports and Management-.]

Contract, signing.

I’ve heard those words often from Dad and oppa’s conversations, so they’re easy.

Someone who looks like oppa is on TV, but not quite.

My oppa’s face isn’t that pale.

「Son Jin-hyeok (15)」

[I had a feeling the criminals were scouting the area, so I stayed alert. Our Jang Gun-i surrounded the thieves and signaled to me······. Jang Gun-i caught them all. Jang Gun-i- Jang Gun-i-.]

Jang Gun-i, gurgle gurgle-.

Tch. Not a single word about our Yoo-jin.

Yoo-jin’s eyelids slowly closed.

Kaa-.

“Wow, our son looks good on screen.”

“Our Jin-hyeok speaks so well.”

“Yoo-jin looks pretty like a doll.”

What? Did they just call me a doll?

Why is everything going dark?

[The police plan to award Son Jin-hyeok the Brave Citizen Award.]

Oppa’s getting something, so he’ll share a bite with me, right?

I hope it’s not spicy······.

If possible, give me meat-.

[The village where the dog theft ring was caught is also home to wrestler Choi Tae-yang, whose house was reportedly burglarized. Reporter Kim Yoo-duk has the story.]

The sleepy man’s voice faded again.

“Aww, our son’s interview was so short.”

“Dad, it felt like it went by really fast.”

Jin-hyeok comforted the disappointed Son Kwang-yeon.

“Really? Did it feel like our son appeared and disappeared quickly?”

Jin-hyeok thought Dad’s words made sense.

Happy meetings are short, unfamiliar encounters last longer.

Is that relativity theory? Jin-hyeok scratched his cheek, lost in thought.

“Ha-, still, it’s good. Three of our family were on TV.”

Son, daughter, Jang Gun-i.

With Dad’s voice, Yoo-jin lost consciousness.

[We’ll now meet with Choi Tae-yang’s mother, a victim.]

Jin-hyeok, unaware Yoo-jin had fallen asleep, gaped.

Seeing Kim Soon-bok on TV was more surprising than seeing himself.

「Kim Soon-bok (45, Choi Tae-yang’s mother)」

[Nooo-. The thieves came to the kitchen and left footprints all over-. They didn’t touch the golden calf my son won, but they took all the dog food I made for our yellow dog-. Aigo-, the neighbors even fed our yellow dog, but he’s so gentle, he wouldn’t follow anyone. So those thieves took him-.]

A white object, likely Choi Mi-kyung’s hand, tugged at Kim Soon-bok’s clothes, but she brushed it off and continued.

[Ah, why’s she like this? Let go-. Anyway, those thieves deserved it for stealing our dog’s food-. If they were hungry, they should’ve eaten the food instead of stealing the dog-. Why steal a dog and end up in handcuffs-.]

[Ah, mom-. Stop it-.]

Choi Mi-kyung’s pleading voice sounded pitiful.

Kim Soon-bok was all dressed up.

Choi Mi-kyung must’ve helped her for the interview.

Her hair was freshly permed, shiny and bouncy.

“She looks good.”

Han Yu-young covered her mouth and laughed.

She seemed to be holding back words, her face red and nostrils flaring.

[- Authorities are investigating charges of home invasion and special theft······.]

Huh?

That happened?

[You brat, why do you keep interrupting me-.]

[Ah, just do it like we practiced-.]

[The real thing is important-. Look at your oppa-.]

[Oppa practiced a lot-.]

The quiet conversation between Kim Soon-bok and Choi Mi-kyung went on air unfiltered, almost like a broadcast accident.

[- News-, this was Kim Yoo-duk.]

Jin-hyeok bit his lip, witnessing his friend’s black history moment.

‘I’ll preserve Mi-kyung’s moment.’

I’ve got it all recorded, you brat.

This footage will come in handy when the internet gets better.

As Yoo-jin fell endlessly into her dreams, Son Kwang-yeon, eyes fixed on the TV, clicked his tongue.

“So that happened at Tae-yang’s place. I’ve been too busy to check on them.”

“It’s a good thing no one was home. Who knows what could’ve happened if the thieves turned violent.”

“That’s true.”

Jin-hyeok, who had laid his sleeping sister on his lap, nodded along to his parents’ conversation. He didn’t know about the dog food theft either.

‘But is this really 9 o’clock news material?’

No matter how I think about it, it’s over the top.

Well······.

Someone once said.

The world is a circus.

***

Another weekend passed.

Class 3, Grade 3.

Jin-hyeok wandered the high school hallway.

High school students glanced at him. Among uniformed students, he stood out in jeans and a loose shirt. If not for his youthful face, his tall frame might’ve gotten him kicked out as an outsider.

“Jin-hyeok, who are you here to see?”

A male teacher passing by with an attendance book asked.

“Ah······. Yes. Someone.”

“I saw the news. Good job.”

“Thanks.”

The teacher, about Jin-hyeok’s height, patted his back and left.

Jin-hyeok was here to meet Hwang Ga-young.

He was to receive high school textbooks.

Though textbooks aren’t worth much, Jin-hyeok wasn’t here for financial reasons.

Jin-hyeok envied Choi Mi-kyung.

Seeing her study with her oppa’s old textbooks and reference books made him want to do the same.

– “Eww-. Look at the drool stains on my oppa’s book. He must’ve slept through class.”

Sniff sniff-. Ugh-.

Why are you smelling it? Are you a dog, Mi-kyung?

– “How little did he study for the book to be this clean?”

She muttered, embarrassed.

Mi-kyung used to wear her oppa’s oversized clothes like a cloak, running around fields and beaches. Wearing his clothes made her feel strong, like he was protecting her.

‘Now it’s my turn to inherit.’

Asking Hwang Ga-young, who’s different in build and gender, for clothes would be weird.

So, he thought of books.

He asked at the funeral, and Ga-young nodded readily.

– “I don’t have reference books, is that okay······?”

– “Yes. I only need the textbooks.”

Probably to avoid burdening Kim Eung-nyeo, she only offered textbooks.

Jin-hyeok found even that thought endearing.

Ga-young emerged, struggling with a bundle of textbooks.

Jin-hyeok quickly took the bundle.

“Hehe, hi?”

Despite her recent loss, her face was bright. Smiling at Jin-hyeok, there was no shadow in her expression.

“Since it’s my sister’s books, some subjects might differ. From 2nd year, we have revised textbooks. Oh! And boys study agriculture, but we study home economics.”

“It’s fine.”

He planned to apply for new textbooks when he entered high school, so old or different subjects weren’t an issue. The experience of inheriting was what mattered.

“Studying ahead, impressive. It’s heavy, need help?”

It’s funny how someone who looks like they’d fly away in the wind is worried about others.

“I can carry it. I’ll take good care of them.”

Jin-hyeok balanced the two bundles in his hands.

Behind Ga-young, a group of senior girls swarmed.

“Ga-young, do you know him?”

“I saw him on the news the other day.”

“Hey! What’s a middle schooler doing here?”

“Why’s a boy in the girls’ classroom?”

Giggle-.

The shy girls, who couldn’t speak one-on-one, found courage in numbers.

Knowing it was just teasing, Jin-hyeok felt like he’d faint.

He quickly bowed to Ga-young.

“Thank you. I’ll go now.”

“Okay. Take care.”

Ga-young, behind her glasses, waved with a regretful look. Even that gesture was cautious.

“Are you two dating?”

“How do you know a famous kid?”

“Ga-young, what’s your relationship?”

“Ah······.”

Jin-hyeok stopped.

He could picture Ga-young’s awkward expression among her friends.

Half-turning, the girls’ gazes fixed on him.

Jin-hyeok straightened his neck and spoke, staring into Ga-young’s eyes.

“She’s······ my noona.”

He’d used the term before, so it came out naturally.

Still, everything about Ga-young felt unfamiliar.

Her shy yet bright smile, even more so.

Not that it’s a bad thing.

Jin-hyeok, holding the bundles, nodded slightly, and Ga-young waved her small hand brightly. Her smile outshone the girls’ commotion.

‘Noona······.’

Not bad.

Noona.

Well, she’s not a hyung.

***

Most bikes don’t even have mudguards, let alone carriers, but Jin-hyeok’s bike has a sturdy carrier. Thanks to that, he safely brought home the textbooks from Ga-young.

Sitting on the porch, he examined each book, tapping Jang Gun-i’s head with his toes.

Jang Gun-i dozed off, enjoying it.

“Oppa, is it heavy?”

“Did you ride your bike, baby?”

“Yes. It’s tiring-. My calves hurt.”

Yoo-jin sat next to oppa and picked up a 2nd-year high school textbook.

She pointed at the subject name with her index finger.

“Math. Two. Aiai?”

“Math Two.”

“Ah, Two.”

Come to think of it, this noona is in science?

Jin-hyeok was in arts in his past life.

‘Why did I choose arts?’

Ah, right.

In 1st year high school, my aptitude test suggested a judge, so I chose it without much thought. No one to discuss with, no need to debate, so I just went with it.

‘Hmm. Should I try science this time?’

Only math will be a bit different. Other subjects won’t change much.

Looking through the textbooks, the 1st-year content wasn’t hard.

I remember the 2nd-year stuff too.

Memories once etched in the brain come back easily with a little hint.

But.

‘What the heck is this?!’

Ulala-!

「Français」

The second foreign language is different from my past life.

‘Ah, I’m good at Japanese.’

Does this mean I’m screwed?

My private high school taught Japanese, but Taeyang High teaches French.

But I can’t change my path now just because of a second language. I chose this school for its proximity.

‘Damn······.’

······Wait. Hold on.

It’s not even a subject for the college entrance exam, why am I stressing?

‘When have I ever repeated the same thing?’

Life after returning is different from my past life.

Isn’t it? I only referenced some memories, but I haven’t lived the same day or repeated history.

“I’ll just learn French, no big deal.”

Jin-hyeok shrugged nonchalantly.

Yoo-jin, flipping through the Politics•Economics textbook, followed suit.

“Yeah, whatever-. No big deal.”

Luckily, Hwang Ga-yun and Hwang Ga-young’s handwriting was neat, with no doodles.

Probably influenced by Ga-yun, who kept the books clean for her sister.

Even in textbooks, their lives seem distinctly different from my past life, which is satisfying.

“Umm-. A B C D E F G-. G? Hmm. G. ······Eh, ah? Ah? It’s not R?”

Ahahahahah-.

Without a teacher to demonstrate, he mimicked the phonetic symbols and pictures.

“Hihihihihihi-. Oppa, you’re funny-.”

Funny? I’m going crazy.

“Un deux trois quatre? Quatre? Cinq-. ······Huit, neuf? Neuf? Like in ‘pomme neuf’?”

Phew- puff puff-.

A heavy sigh escaped, almost flipping his lips.

‘When did I suck honey?’

Did some idiot say you suck honey when you regress?

I’m going to kill him.

‘No. Good thoughts. Good thoughts. I’m already happy enough.’

Facing a new challenge, but no need to be scared.

It’s a subject the whole school studies, and learning something is fun.

If it’s too hard, I’ll just memorize the textbook. It’ll take time, though.

“Mont······? Like in ‘Mont Blanc’? Mont Martre?”

“Oppa, Mont Martre?”

Hey, stop it.

Yoo-jin looks like mom but acts like dad.

For smooth pre-study, I’ll have to memorize the French textbook for now.

‘My head hurts.’

With more family and friends, my interests have grown, making it harder to focus on books like before.

But if it doesn’t work, I’ll make it work.

Pages rustled as they turned.

“Montmartre tout de suite-.”

“Hahahaha!”

Yoo-jin rolled on the porch, laughing at oppa’s babbling.

The unfamiliar sounds must’ve seemed funny to her.

Or maybe she just reacted to the word ‘poop’.

‘Damn it-. French is hard-.’

But I’ll memorize it in a month.

The letters are similar to the alphabet, so words shouldn’t be too hard.

“Il était une fois······ Hé- Héloïse? Héloïse?”

“Héloïse! Hahaha-!”

What’s with Yoo-jin, weird and French is scary.