Chapter 194

<Slowpoke (4)>

Even someone with a double-digit IQ can get results by following the instructions in a book. Creative development might be tough, but if you just follow the examples, it’s a piece of cake. Still, Jin-hyeok starts coding with this example every time.

「Hello, World!」

‘Hello.’

A new sentence every time.

Is there a more thrilling and romantic greeting for someone starting a new life?

Now, let’s leave the romantic talk behind…

Instead of lazing around, he’s self-studying with a C++ textbook.

He has friends and a younger sibling, but it didn’t seem right to wander around alone all day while they were busy. This was Jin-hyeok’s way of trying to stay in the same space as them.

It was also a warm-up for later use.

Not knowledge, but his brain.

‘My brain isn’t working right.’

It doesn’t feel like his brain is aging, but it feels softer, and his thinking has become clumsier.

A few months ago, his concentration started to waver, and recently, it feels like ink has been poured into his head. He keeps having to reread sentences he just read. At one point, he even suspected he might have dementia.

“Jin-hyeok, when do you think Damhwa-rin and Han Bi-gwang will get married?”

Now lying down completely, even covering herself with a blanket, Choi Mi-kyung asked without moving her gaze. The comic book she held in her outstretched arms looked like a roof.

“Hmm…? Maybe in 30 years?”

Jin-hyeok, who was staring at the monitor, answered half-heartedly.

But it wasn’t a baseless answer.

“Eek! 30 years? Hey, just curse them instead!”

Choi Mi-kyung, you jellyfish. What do you know?

He hadn’t kept up with the latest chapters, but he had checked the developments occasionally. He even read from volume 1 when he was younger.

‘I didn’t get to see the ending either…’

He couldn’t remember the stock market trends, but he could remember the comic’s story. Anyway, that comic hadn’t ended back then either.

Tap tap tap.

「#include 」

I’m dying to know the ending. As he created a new file and typed the first line, Jin-hyeok muttered.

“Jin-hyeok, you keep typing that. What does it mean?”

“It’s a header file that contains standard library function macros, constants, and various input/output functions.”

It’s in the book. Jin-hyeok scratched the side of his head with the index finger he was using to point at the book.

Reading directly from the book is the best way to explain to someone who doesn’t understand.

“Do you have to use it?”

“Hmm-. Think of it like a warehouse.”

Jin-hyeok pointed at the monitor.

“If you input this, you can get the desired output with simple commands. Like, in a warehouse, there are sickles, shovels, and mortars. It’s like pulling out what you need.”

Jin-hyeok, who was explaining as kindly as possible, closed his mouth.

Choi Mi-kyung wasn’t listening.

She was lying down, blankly flipping through her comic book.

‘That jellyfish…’

Why even ask?

Jin-hyeok turned back to the monitor.

Wait, what was I doing?

‘Ugh-. I forgot because of that Mi-kyung.’

*

Although it’s become a temporary hangout for teenagers, the molehill is still the workplace of SSS employees. It’s not just Jin-hyeok, his siblings, and Choi Mi-kyung.

[Ooh ooh- ooh- ooh ooh- ooh-.]

“-Bbarryu shutto soldatti-.”

Sniff-.

Jang Jin-nam, who was singing along to an unknown song, shrugged his shoulders.

Yoo Jin, who was peeling tangerines next to Choi Mi-kyung, quickly crawled over on all fours.

“Uncle, are you crying?”

“Am I trembling?”

What’s with him?

Dramas aren’t just ruining housewives.

Ah, can Jang Jin-nam even be considered a housewife?

“Why did Kang Woo-seok do that?”

“Did Choi Min-soo get the death penalty?”

Choi Mi-kyung, who was flipping through her comic book, responded.

Jang Jin-nam just nodded, not taking his eyes off the TV.

It’s hard to understand people who record dramas and rewatch them multiple times, but those who get too immersed are also…

“Go Hyun-jung had it so rough. She has to live alone. Who would even look at her? Park Sang-won is such a jerk. He acts all righteous but kills his friend. He even married Jo Min-soo. Park Tae-soo and Go Hyun-jung…”

Blah blah blah.

Huh-, even Choi Mi-kyung.

Jin-hyeok also watches dramas with his parents sometimes.

Not because they’re fun, but because his parents like them.

Still, excessive immersion negatively affects one’s sense of reality…

“Hmm-, hmm-. If you fought with Park Tae-soo, who would win?”

Ah, Yoo Jin. You too.

The child asked with a serious expression, tangerine juice dripping from her mouth.

Jang Jin-nam wiped Yoo Jin’s lips with his apron and shrugged.

“I’d win. Definitely.”

Jin-hyeok, who was typing on the keyboard, nodded.

Judging by the subtle aura, he’s someone who surpasses the combat power of two mastiffs.

‘Uncle Jin-nam would win, both in the drama and in real life.’

He said he couldn’t understand people who get too immersed, but Jin-hyeok secretly joined their conversation.

It’s better than nothing.

He’s already rewatched it over ten times.

Every time Jang Jin-nam looks at the hourglass, Jin-hyeok’s clock ticks too.

***

One day near the end of February, Choi Mi-kyung didn’t come to the molehill.

She had preparations to make before starting high school.

A guest also arrived.

“Wow-, oppa’s uniform fits Jin-hyeok so well!”

“It’s a bit loose though…”

“Just wear it. My oppa spent more time in just pants and a loincloth than in a uniform, so it’s practically new.”

“That’s true.”

He inherited not just books but also the uniform.

It’s a joyful experience. It’s not too burdensome for Jin-hyeok, but uniforms are expensive, so he saved money.

Yoo Jin, who was leaning against Choi Tae-yang’s back while he lay watching TV, tapped his shoulder.

“Oppa, how old are you?”

Yoo Jin still called Choi Tae-yang “oppa.”

It’s a habit from when she was a baby that’s hard to break.

“I’m about to turn 22.”

“Are you going to be the strongest man this year too?”

“Hahaha-. It’s not up to me. I was lucky last year.”

“Uncle Yong-rak said luck is part of skill, right?”

Choi Tae-yang lay back, resting his head on his hands.

He blinked, pondering Yoo Jin’s words.

“I think luck isn’t part of skill. Absolutely not.”

He said that, but his face showed deep thought.

“Why?”

“Hmm… How should I put it? If luck influences the outcome, doesn’t that mean the skill was lacking? People who aren’t fully prepared hope for a stroke of luck.”

“Hmm…”

Yoo Jin narrowed her eyes and pinched her forehead, seemingly memorizing Choi Tae-yang’s words. Maybe she’ll use them in front of her friends.

Jin-hyeok looked at Choi Tae-yang with surprise.

He’s always cheerful and dislikes using his brain for anything other than sports, but seeing him ponder like this made him seem more mature.

‘Everyone has a moment when they grow up.’

Maybe this is Choi Tae-yang’s moment.

Watching someone change in real-time is always a fresh experience.

“Hey-. What are you doing? Take off the uniform and let’s pack some books. Did you bring the acetate sheets?”

“Yeah-.”

Choi Mi-kyung brought out the wall calendar, and Jin-hyeok took out the thick, plastic-like acetate sheets he had prepared.

They’ve been doing this together every year, so their division of labor is clear.

“Eek! Why do you have so many books?”

“Ah, these? I’m packing the books I inherited from my sister too.”

It’s a shame to waste them.

The calendar Hwang Ga-young used was tattered and worn from flipping through it so much.

“You used to throw them away after they got worn out, but now you realize how precious things are, huh?”

Jin-hyeok just blinked.

It’s not exactly like that, but it’s not wrong either.

And some things just grow on you.

“You’re always so slow.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know what I mean.”

Choi Mi-kyung just shrugged, not bothering to explain.

‘Who’s the one who can’t even run fast?’

Swish swish-.

Choi Mi-kyung skillfully cut the calendar and folded it to fit the books. Yoo Jin handed over the pre-cut tape with her tiny hands.

Then Jin-hyeok wrapped the books in the acetate sheets.

Well, double-wrapping keeps the books clean for a long time, but that’s not really the point.

‘This must be what they mean by giving affection.’

If it weren’t for Choi Mi-kyung, he might have never learned to take care of books like this.

“Whew-. Hey, Son Jin-hyeok, why are your hands so slow?”

“Uh, uh. I’m working hard. You take a break.”

Why’s she nagging?

Is she showing off because it’s her house and her oppa is here? Is she showing off?

While Jin-hyeok fumbled with the books, Choi Tae-yang lay back down to watch TV, and Choi Mi-kyung flipped through her new textbooks with satisfaction.

“Bonjour.”

“Oh-. Yoo Jin is speaking French?”

“My oppa taught me. Before Christmas.”

“Christmas? Why?”

Why what?

It just means they looked at the French textbook together around that time.

Choi Mi-kyung, who doesn’t have a younger sibling, seemed to not fully understand the kids’ language.

‘Hehe-. Who’s the slow one who can’t even understand that…’

Why does this feel so satisfying?

Jin-hyeok chuckled and kept moving his slow hands.

“Unnie, this is read as ‘monsieur.’”

“Ah, so that’s monsieur. The spelling is weird though? Why is it M-O-N? Oppa, oppa.”

Choi Mi-kyung slapped Choi Tae-yang’s butt.

He had dozed off while watching TV and jumped in surprise.

“Huh? What?”

“Why is this read as monsieur?”

“…Just because. That’s how it’s read.”

It was an accurate answer, but Choi Mi-kyung didn’t seem convinced.

Son Yoo-jin crossed her arms and put on a haughty expression.

“I know. My oppa and Cheon Gil-rong Habiji told me.”

“Really? Why is that?”

“Unnie, do you know where the capital of France is?”

“Paris?”

“Right? Then what do Americans call Paris? You learned that in English class, right?”

“Paris?”

“Oooh-.”

What’s with the oooh?

What to do with that bratty Son Yoo-jin.

Still, Choi Mi-kyung didn’t seem too upset.

“Ah, I think I get the gist.”

“Listen more. Do you know what French people call Paris?”

“What-, something similar?”

“Pah-ree.”

Oh-. Jin-hyeok, who was watching, couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.

It was similar to the pronunciation he heard on the French conversation tapes Min Yong-rak got for him.

“This is what Cheon Gil-rong Habiji said-, it’s not perfect, but Hangul is the only script that can perfectly represent pronunciation. And this is what my oppa said-, memorizing words by pronunciation is a good method, but you shouldn’t interpret the meaning differently just because the pronunciation is different.”

“Hmm…, Yoo Jin, aren’t you saying something really smart?”

Choi Mi-kyung stared at Yoo Jin as if she were looking at a strange creature.

But Yoo Jin wasn’t done yet.

“Like Hollywood or Hallyu, the same word can be read differently depending on the region, culture, or person. Overemphasizing pronunciation is a stupid habit of narrow-minded people who think English is the center of everything.”

Even as he pretended to focus on wrapping the books, Jin-hyeok felt a thunderous shock in his head. That little kid is spouting everything her oppa explained. But does she even understand what it means?

Ignoring Choi Mi-kyung’s furrowed brow, Yoo Jin chattered excitedly.

“People who half-learned English roll their tongues without knowing anything, and they impose English standards on all languages that use the alphabet. Every country has a different language, and even the same English word can have different pronunciations depending on the country or person. It’s all just pretentious people showing off. What’s the point of being good at English? What’s more important is data analysis, logical thinking, and the ability to speak as intended.”

Ah, Yoo Jin.

You didn’t have to go that far.

Still, it’s not wrong.

‘I did teach that data analysis, logical thinking, and situational judgment are important.’

But Yoo Jin’s memory is incredible. She memorized all that? Even Jin-hyeok doesn’t have that ability.

Though her situational judgment seems lacking.

Or maybe she just has no tact. Ah, is that the same thing?

Ahem-.

Choi Mi-kyung cleared her throat.

Choi Tae-yang pretended to sleep, shrugging his shoulders.

Like a ten-year-old constipation being relieved, the pain of being looked down on by his younger sibling for not studying well was instantly resolved.

Hmm-.

Choi Mi-kyung, with her flounder-like eyes, also crossed her arms like Yoo Jin.

It looked like two women glaring at each other, ready to fight.

‘Yoo Jin didn’t say anything wrong, so why are they like this?’

Jin-hyeok blinked like a calf.

Every time he’s with Choi Mi-kyung, he ends up blinking a lot.

Anyway, go Yoo Jin!