Chapter 189

<The Coward (6)>

The more you look, the more you realize what a gentle person he is.

Jin-hyeok thought that as he watched Hwang Ga-young scratching her slightly dry hair.

“Did you finish your workout?”

“Yes. You came out early again today, huh?”

“You’re a student preparing for exams. Here, this is jujube tea. Drink it.”

“Thank you.”

Hwang Ga-young has been busy lately playing the role of an older sister.

Even though she’s a student preparing for exams, she doesn’t focus on studying.

Every day, she brings a thermos filled with sweet tea, and Jin-hyeok, who loves food, couldn’t bring himself to refuse. After workouts, all he had was orange juice and bananas, so having more options was a welcome change.

‘Can’t ignore her sincerity.’

*Sip*. *Ahhh*—this is killer.

The fragrant, sweet jujube tea, steaming with warmth, smoothly slid down his throat. It warmed his stomach and raised his body temperature—nothing beats this as a recovery potion when it’s cold.

Hwang Ga-young, wearing a slightly outdated brown tteokbokki-colored coat, sat down next to Jin-hyeok.

“Aren’t you going to have some?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

Hwang Ga-young said she doesn’t like sweets.

She made a promise with her older sister when they were young to not crave snacks or toys because their mom was struggling. It seems like the years of that sisterly bond have made her naturally indifferent to greed. It’s like seeing a child who grew up too fast due to their environment. Just like Jo Seol-chan.

“The exam is a little over a month away.”

“Yeah. I’m so happy.”

“You like taking exams?”

“Huh?”

Hwang Ga-young turned her head sharply, her eyes laughing like a mischievous kid.

“It’s almost over. Ahhh—I was so sick of it.”

“Have you decided on a school?”

“What about you? I’ll decide after I get my scores. I’m not like someone who gets first place every time I take an exam, so I have to adjust based on my scores.”

Hwang Ga-young laughed heartily.

Ah, that makes sense. Jin-hyeok nodded.

Since getting to know her, Hwang Ga-young has been the most realistic and rational person Jin-hyeok has met since returning. Surprisingly, they communicate well too.

Hong Ki-jun’s family felt like they were from another world, and his dad was too complicated.

His mom was the most level-headed, but maybe because of her age, there was a generational gap.

And his friends who relied on him in various ways—no need to even mention them.

“But still, I think I can get into the school my older sister goes to.”

Hwang Ga-young has the skills to get into a top university in Seoul.

But because of tuition fees, she’s aiming for a national university in the provinces.

“What major are you thinking of?”

Even though it’s not a big deal, asking the question made him feel a refreshing breeze in his chest.

Probably because it’s a topic typical of their age.

Usually, Yeom Byeong-taek, who’s always talking about Japanese sisters from adult magazines, and Lee Seung-hoon, who’s worried about rising oil prices, are the ones who at least don’t rely on Jin-hyeok for conversation. But their topics are outside Jin-hyeok’s interests and aren’t problems that need solving.

“What do you think I should do?”

Hwang Ga-young’s face darkened as she asked the question, almost like she was talking to herself.

Has Son Jin-hyeok ever listened to someone’s worries and given advice?

Even if he tried to recall, nothing plausible came to mind.

He got along surprisingly well with people older than him, but they never came to him for advice, and the younger friends he met in society weren’t any different.

‘Is this older sister emotionally dependent on me or something?’

People who’ve built a bond probably share their worries like this.

Hwang Ga-young’s environment, where she can’t easily pursue what she wants, must have influenced her too.

When Jin-hyeok turned his head, Hwang Ga-young looked like she really didn’t know what to do.

“My older sister wanted to be a fashion designer, but she just went to a school that matched her grades.”

Hwang Ga-yun was in a better situation. At least she had a dream.

But Hwang Ga-young said she doesn’t even have a dream.

“I feel like I don’t know much about the world. It’s just school and home, back and forth…”

That makes sense. Jin-hyeok nodded.

She didn’t even go to a study room, and after becoming a student preparing for exams, she just locked herself in the attic and studied.

“What about aerospace engineering or robotics? Software development or materials engineering, metallurgical engineering could be good too. There’s also mechanical engineering.”

“Wow! Just hearing that sounds so cool!”

He didn’t know her expressions could be so varied.

Sometimes she makes even more childlike expressions than Yoo Jin.

“But I didn’t go to academies, so I don’t even know how to use a computer.”

“What would you learn at an academy? Studying is something you do on your own anyway.”

Oh—. Hwang Ga-young’s lips formed a small ‘o’.

Since he also relied on textbooks and past exam questions rather than school classes or reference books, it sounded somewhat plausible.

“A close uncle of mine said that what you need for company work, you learn at the company. If they wanted people who were good from the start, why would they hire new graduates every year? If that were the case, they’d just hire experienced people.”

“That sounds like a good company.”

“He said that nurturing and developing people is society’s role. A good company should be able to turn someone into an expert as long as they understand the terms and can follow instructions. Whether it’s people or companies, acting like a coward and overthinking everything just makes you fall behind.”

“It must be nice to know someone who says such good things.”

I get what he’s saying, but isn’t that too idealistic in a world where companies come before people? Hwang Ga-young muttered as she scratched her short hair.

That uncle is Son Jin-hyeok.

He was a naive idealist. But under the group owner’s tacit approval, he was able to conduct various experiments and even develop his own philosophy on personnel management.

That doesn’t mean he succeeded every time. No matter how much the company or those around him supported him, people who lacked basic skills eventually fell behind. But one thing was clear: if the reward is certain and attractive, even the most clueless person will try to step up.

“But… will that get me a good job? Space—what was it?”

You have to make a living… Hwang Ga-young sighed softly.

The teacher said the world is ruled by liberal arts.

“That’ll get you a great job. In the future, companies like Sain Electronics or Technica will offer high salaries. They’re only hiring STEM majors now.”

Other companies were hiring management and sales positions in large numbers, taking advantage of the booming economy, but the top-performing Sain Group was going all out to secure engineers. They didn’t care about academic background and had an internship system to pick the best.

Right now, liberal arts might be doing well.

But except for special cases, when has your major ever been that important? For people preparing to run the race from the same starting line, individual capability is everything. If you want to add something, maybe a hard-to-get certification.

“Really? But it’d be hard if it’s too far from home. There aren’t any companies like that around here.”

Probably because of her mom.

From their conversations, Jin-hyeok realized that Kim Eung-nyeo was at the core of all Hwang Ga-young’s thoughts and actions.

Just like how Jin-hyeok is.

“Auntie said she’s going to stop working and rest now.”

“That’s true. But I have my older sister too…”

Ah, Hwang Ga-yun might settle down in this neighborhood if she marries Kim In-rang?

Since Kim In-rang is so into the countryside, it seems likely.

Meeting again, I keep realizing new things.

How much these three sisters care for and rely on each other.

‘I’ll help you.’

Jin-hyeok hesitated, unable to say it out loud.

No matter how special the relationship, life is ultimately lived individually. Once you start depending on someone, the balance is bound to break.

Someone leans, someone carries the weight.

Jin-hyeok’s hesitation isn’t out of fear of responsibility.

Hwang Ga-young flipped her clasped hands and stretched her arms.

“The sun’s coming up. Ugh—. Sitting all day with books is making my joints stiff.”

“Want to take a lap around the field with me?”

“Sure.”

Hwang Ga-young brushed off her buttocks and stood up, and Jin-hyeok followed suit.

The reason he didn’t promise to help.

He just wanted to walk beside her.

Without depending on each other.

And continue to do so.

In this hard-won connection, he hoped she would stay by his side as a sister, as a friend.

***

The unseasonable cold has disappeared, and the autumn weather of previous years has returned.

With winter just around the corner, it feels oddly warm.

Yoo Jin went out to spend some alone time with her dad after a long time.

Dad still enjoys admiring the neighborhood scenery, so he goes for walks whenever he has time. Yoo Jin is probably begging for a cola at the store at the village entrance, as usual.

Just like Yoo Jin, Jeong Won was fearless.

Even on the airplane ride that Jin-hyeok, with his long legs, was giving, Jeong Won wasn’t scared at all—he was having fun, shouting loudly.

“Dadadadadada—!”

Jeong Won was so excited, floating high above the living room, flailing his limbs.

It sounded like he was saying something about his dad, but what it meant was beyond comprehension.

‘When will Jeong Won start talking?’

Yoo Jin started talking before she was even 24 months old.

Whether that’s early or late, Jin-hyeok doesn’t know. Yoo Jin was the first baby he watched grow up.

“When did I start talking?”

“I don’t remember.”

Han Yu-young, who was knitting with her glasses perched on her nose, scratched her head with a knitting needle.

Straightforward. Not just straightforward—this was the kind of straightforwardness that would make things bland if it went any further.

Mom sometimes seems to live without much worry, but maybe she sees Hwang Yeong-mo’s misdeeds as just background noise of the times not because she’s realistic, but because her memory is bad.

Sigh—.

Gwak Hyang-rim, sitting across the table from Mom, suddenly sighed. Judging by the way she glanced at Jin-hyeok, it seems she regrets marrying late.

“Still, Jin-hyeok’s mom is lucky. She has a grown-up son too.”

“That’s because she married early, I guess.”

She didn’t marry early and have kids early—she had me before getting married. Jin-hyeok fought the urge to jump into the conversation and proudly won. Lately, his mouth has been reacting faster than his brain.

‘I’ve discovered the fun of chatting by talking with Ga-young every morning.’

Indeed, conversations with someone who shares your level and taste are truly enjoyable.

He can have conversations with Dad or Hong Ki-jun on the same level, but the inherent constraints of those relationships create an invisible pressure, making it hard to enjoy the fun of hanging out with peers.

“Do you have plans for a baby, sis? Dr. Jo is getting older—is he okay with it…?”

Gwak Hyang-rim is about eight years younger than Jo Il-hun.

Next year, he’ll be forty in Korean age. Even if he’s lived healthily and taken care of himself, it’s not a young age in the 21st century. Of course, it varies from person to person.

“Yeah. We’re trying. Even though my husband is older—.”

Gwak Hyang-rim, who had been busy knitting, stopped and glanced at Jin-hyeok before leaning toward Han Yu-young. She must have something important to say. Han Yu-young also leaned in closer.

*Whisper whisper*.

‘He’s strong.’

‘Oh, really?’

Hey—, I can hear you.

Back then, I couldn’t hear my parents whispering, so I couldn’t prepare for the tonkatsu incident in advance, but now my hearing is much better.

But he’s strong? Is Il-hun taking Cheon-ma powder these days?

While lying in the living room, giving Jeong Won an airplane ride, Jin-hyeok pricked up his ears.

‘Is there a secret? Jin-hyeok’s dad has been—.’

Wow—. My mom says things like that too.

He didn’t let out a gasp of shock, but Jin-hyeok’s eyes widened even more than Jeong Won’s.

Indeed, having a conversation partner in a similar situation and level is important.

Well, it’s not like she could consult her son or complain to the teenager next door, Choi Mi-kyung. Kim Soon-bok probably just told her to eat a lot of rice. He remembers laughing with Mom after hearing that Choi Tae-yang was made from eating three bowls of barley rice.

‘What secret? He just carries a shovel and walks around all day. That’s all men’s thigh strength.’

‘So it’s because his physique changed from running the business?’

Oh-ho.

So he was useful before?

‘Ah! Jin-hyeok’s mom. That’s good.’

“That? What?”

Han Yu-young’s voice grew as big as her eyes.

Oh my, Mom. Is it really that exciting?

‘Sea anemone.’

‘Sea anemone?’

Sea anemone?

That tentacled monster?

Both Han Yu-young and Jin-hyeok’s eyes widened at the same time.

Han Yu-young, who had eaten sea anemone, was surprised to hear about its effects, while Jin-hyeok was shocked that people ate that monster.

“Dadadadadada! Yap-da!”

As his brother’s concentration wavered, Jeong Won shouted.

In the commotion, baby drool plopped onto Jin-hyeok’s face, but he didn’t care. Yoo Jin used to drool on his back too—whatever. Right now, giving Jeong Won the best flight experience is what matters.

‘Someone said sea anemone is good for men, so I told him to catch some when we go to the sea.’

Silence fell over the kitchen and living room.

At this moment, anyone who speaks besides Gwak Hyang-rim will become a criminal.

‘I just caught a little bit and cooked it for him. And then…’

‘And then?’

*Gulp*.

Jin-hyeok swallowed. His eardrums sharp as razors.

Gwak Hyang-rim, who had put down her knitting needle, thrust her thumb toward Han Yu-young.

‘It’s gooood—. Kills—, totally.’

Whoa—. Han Yu-young’s mouth hung open like she had just discovered a great secret. Her big eyes didn’t even blink.

Gwak Hyang-rim’s ‘good’ sounded as thick as glutinous rice paste.

Han Yu-young, sensing Jin-hyeok’s gaze, sat up straight.

“It’s Sunday today—what’s Dr. Jo doing? Isn’t he going to the sea?”

“Where’s Sunday for a farmer? He went to the next village to plow the fields. The sweet potatoes are growing so well that the vines are like kudzu stems. It’s impossible to walk through them by hand—.”

“Jin-hyeok?”

While Gwak Hyang-rim was talking, Han Yu-young called her son in a soft voice.

Jin-hyeok turned his head toward his mom while making sure Jeong Won didn’t fall.

“Should I catch some sea anemone?”

“Huh?”

Oops! I was in eavesdropping mode.

Han Yu-young and Gwak Hyang-rim sat up straight like startled rabbits.

They talked so quietly—did he hear everything?

*Ahem* *Ahem*.

Only the women’s fake coughs broke the silence.

An awkward and embarrassing situation.

“Dadadada! Dada—boo!”

Only Jeong Won, babbling “Dada boo,” was excited.

Yeah, Dad’s a bit of a fool.