Chapter 206

< Luck (3) >

*

Once again, they found the waterway and set afloat a boat made of bamboo leaves.

Yoo Jin didn’t scream like before but sat quietly, gazing with a contented look at the leaf boat drifting peacefully along the gentle breeze and the slow-moving ripples.

The little one’s blissful smile resembled that of a kind mother.

“Oppa, look at that. The leaf looks like an airplane.”

The water surface, so clean it was hard to believe it was an irrigation ditch, reflected the sky, and the leaf boat shyly created ripples as it floated through the slowly drifting clouds.

“It’s really pretty. It looks just like a boat.”

Jin Hyuk, crouching next to Yoo Jin, spent more time looking at his sister than at the leaf boat.

“Right? If you float it on the stream, it’ll drift along with the current. When I was your age, I used to sit and watch like this too.”

“With Mi-kyung unnie?”

Yoo Jin turned her head toward her brother.

Jin Hyuk placed his hand on his sister’s small head and gently stroked it.

“Yeah. Now I’m watching with you. It’s really nice.”

“I wanna ride that. If I could just shrink—poof—I could ride it.”

Such a childlike imagination.

‘I used to think like that too.’

Imagining shrinking like Thumbelina, or even smaller, to ride that boat, reach the sea, and sail across the ocean. Then, encountering a storm, landing in a land of tiny people, and suddenly embarking on an adventure to save a princess and slay a dragon.

Now, knowing that’s impossible, it’s become a wistful dream.

“Later, if we make a boat, let’s follow the waterway and visit Soo-jung unnie’s grandfather.”

“Let’s do that.”

An adventure to the sea might be tough, but that much is possible.

The end of the waterway reaches the embankment, and if you walk along it, you’ll find the training center.

“Yoo Jin, have you been visiting the training center often lately?”

“I went today with Kim Ho-jin. Grandpa gave us snacks and juice, so we ate and came back. We also watched Jang Gun-i and Pomi play.”

“Good job. Make sure to greet him often.”

Yoo Myung-sun came down and brought Pomi with him.

One morning, when he first saw the retriever, who looked exactly like a persimmon, entering the yard, he thought he was seeing things. What was a fancy-looking dog doing in the countryside, wearing a pink ribbon? But when he saw Jang Gun-i running around like crazy, he realized it was Pomi.

Yoo Se-ra had sent Pomi to live in the countryside, where the air is good and there’s plenty of space to run around.

It was a funny and surprising sight.

Seeing the big dog Jang Gun-i acting playful in front of another dog.

It was like witnessing a cold office boss shyly flirting in front of a man she liked. If you borrow the stories Jin Hyuk’s former team members told, that’s how it was.

‘It’s a good thing.’

Sometimes, seeing Jang Gun-i whimper in his sleep, it seemed like he missed Pomi, which made him feel bad. So, he had planned to ask Hong Ki-jun’s family to bring Pomi when they came for vacation. But for years, their vacation plans had fallen through, and it remained just a vague idea.

But now that Pomi was in the countryside, the two seemed destined to live close together.

‘It’s been a while since I last saw Soo-jung.’

It felt like they’d done so much, but in reality, they hadn’t spent much time with Hong Soo-jung.

Since Yoo Myung-sun had come down, maybe they’d see each other during this vacation.

***

After a whole day of reviewing approval documents, meeting with the board and executives, and meeting with government officials who wanted consultations, Hong Ki-jun’s day felt like it needed 48 hours.

But he couldn’t neglect his physical training. To prepare for the approaching middle age, it was a daily routine he couldn’t skip.

Huff-. Puff-.

Sitting awkwardly, he took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then slowly stretched his legs and exhaled.

In the first-floor gym of the mansion, Hong Ki-jun’s squats were interrupted by the sight of Yoo Se-ra.

Thanks to the darkened garden, the glass wall acted like a mirror, revealing her pouting face.

‘What’s got her like that today?’

Yoo Se-ra making a sour face wasn’t new, but seeing the usually lively woman like this at home made the sharp Hong Ki-jun concerned.

Bang-!

The loud noise of weights being placed on the Smith machine startled Yoo Se-ra.

Hong Soo-jung, who was jumping rope with bandaged hands, let out a yelp.

“Ah! You scared me! Dad! Put it down gently! You’ll make me fall!”

“Hey! You’re so small, why do you talk like that?”

“I’m not much shorter than Mom!”

Here we go again.

“Dad, you always slam the weights down when you bench press! How many times have you scared me? And your chest is bigger than Mom’s, why are you trying to make it even bigger?”

“Oh my, this kid! There’s nothing she won’t say!”

Yoo Se-ra, hands on her hips, glared at her daughter as if she wanted to devour her.

That’s right.

Even if it’s puberty, this is when Mom needs to lay down the law.

Show her that menopause comes after puberty, Yoo Se-ra!

Though menopause is still far off, you get the idea.

Hong Ki-jun, sipping his sports drink, silently watched, leaving it to his wife.

“Hey! You, you—! Mom’s chest is bigger than Dad’s!”

Hah, of course.

Shouldn’t have left it to her.

Wiping the sweat from his face with a towel, Hong Ki-jun stepped forward.

“Enough. Soo-jung, don’t talk back to your mom like that. And you, don’t fight with your daughter so much.”

“Yes, honey.”

“Yes, Dad.”

The two lionesses, who had been growling, quieted down at Hong Ki-jun’s words.

As if they’d been waiting for him to intervene.

Hong Ki-jun chuckled as he glanced at his wife and daughter.

Yeah, this kind of fun makes all the hard work worth it.

In my past life, I lived just to please these two, but now it’s different.

Yoo Se-ra, arms crossed, glared at her daughter once before approaching Hong Ki-jun.

“You’re not a bodybuilder, why are you lifting so heavy?”

“You increase the weight as you get used to it. Do you have something to tell me? What is it?”

“Did it show?”

Hehe.

Cute. Pretending not to be the one standing there saying, ‘Look at me.’

“Tell me.”

“Sigh-, oppa. I have this—.”

She suddenly pressed her forehead and called him oppa.

This woman’s about to say something disappointing again.

*

They moved to the living room.

The sound of Hong Soo-jung jumping rope and her heavy breathing made it hard to focus on the conversation.

“So, in short, you want to mess with the athletics federation, teach them a lesson?”

“No, well… Not so much a lesson as just giving them a little tap.”

As she said this, Yoo Se-ra threw a jab into the air. A move she picked up from watching Hong Soo-jung box.

Feeling awkward after saying it, Yoo Se-ra twirled her hair with her finger.

Still flushed from his workout, Hong Ki-jun crossed his arms.

‘It’s a tricky issue.’

The point was simple.

Son Jin-hyeok had been selected as a junior national team member and was notified to join the national team training before the Asian Games. But Jin-hyeok expressed reluctance because it overlapped with his final exams.

To an outsider, it might seem like a simple problem.

Just take the exams and compete, right?

“Ah, you see—. I looked into it, and it’s not just track and field; other sports are the same. They’re just a bunch of idiots!”

“Same reason?”

“Yes!”

Yoo Se-ra nodded vigorously. She might sprain her neck.

“Athletes have to prioritize their sports rights! What kind of nonsense is that? Sports rights? That’s not a right; it’s coercion. Name one athlete from an unpopular sport who gave up their school years to train and is now living large. There isn’t one. Not a single one in this country.”

At best, they might appear on TV doing aerobics. Yoo Se-ra, startled by her own loud voice, trailed off.

At Yoo Se-ra’s outburst, the close security and household staff glanced over, but Hong Ki-jun calmly stroked his chin.

“Ugh, seriously.”

Yoo Se-ra rubbed her jaw.

She must have slept awkwardly at her desk during the day, as her jaw felt slightly misaligned.

“Honestly! What changes just because they train together? Do track and field or swimming athletes improve their records or get better after training camps? When they join the national team, they’re bombarded with coaches and managers pushing their own styles. And then, um, well….”

“They’ll try to mold him, thinking it’s an opportunity. And they’ll favor their own factions.”

“Yeah, exactly!”

“It’s thoroughly political.”

That’s why Hong Ki-jun found it ambiguous.

Compared to Hong Ki-jun, they were insignificant, but they were already a power-driven interest group. Their very existence had become a political force.

“Well…? I’ve heard that the sports association has ties to that side, but I wasn’t trying to talk politics.”

Yoo Se-ra, well aware of Hong Ki-jun’s dislike for politics, hesitated.

“Yoo Se-ra.”

“Yeah?”

Yoo Se-ra, scratching the back of her head, looked puzzled.

“I’m not talking about politicians in suits. Everything—eating, sleeping, breathing—is politics. If you don’t look into its essence and pay attention, you’ll end up buying cheap things at high prices, sleeping in the rain, breathing dirty air, and drinking sewage without knowing whose fault it is.”

The fierce lioness Yoo Se-ra straightened her posture.

Her husband was saying something profound, something she could use later.

“Business is politics, sports is politics. It just looks different depending on the purpose. When it strays from its original purpose, noisy conflicts arise, and then it’s criticized for becoming a political force. Any group.”

“You live detached from politics, yet you know so much about it?”

“You have to know to avoid it, and you have to know to fight and win. Those who don’t know but only complain always cry about being betrayed after the fact, but I use it appropriately.”

“This is getting too complicated for me.”

It feels like I’m living with my dad, not my husband. Yoo Se-ra scratched her forehead, her eyes looking pitiful.

Not sad, just a headache.

“When the pure purpose of nurturing athletes is lost, factions form, and favoritism begins. Conflicts arise between leaders and athletes, and repeated friction makes people resentful.”

“Ugh, so what’s the point? My head hurts.”

“Jin-hyeok shouldn’t get involved in that.”

“Why?”

Because he has to remain unique. Hong Ki-jun swallowed his words.

“Then what do we do!”

Frustrated by her husband’s silence, Yoo Se-ra raised her voice.

It wasn’t just about promoting the foundation and management through the athlete’s success.

“He has to compete in the Asian Games and win medals. If he gets on their bad side, they might never select him again. Are you going to send him to the military?”

Yoo Se-ra raised her voice even as she saw Hong Soo-jung returning from her workout.

“Would you like Jin-hyeok oppa to go to the military?”

“Who’s that?”

Hong Soo-jung shrugged and disappeared.

“That, that ungrateful brat. Who does she take after?”

Yoo Se-ra, fuming, received the final blow from Hong Ki-jun.

“That’s not a bad idea. By the time he’s back from the military, Soo-jung will be an adult.”

“Hey! Hong Ki-jun!”

Hahahaha!

Hong Ki-jun laughed heartily.

Quiet one moment, fiery the next. Yoo Se-ra’s charm was her unpredictability.

“The military? If he wants to go, let him. But there’s the Armed Forces Athletic Corps.”

“Don’t joke.”

Yoo Se-ra looked straight into her husband’s eyes, speaking firmly.

Hong Ki-jun’s expression wasn’t serious.

Still sipping his hot coffee, Hong Ki-jun’s face hardened.

“In this country, the richest man pulling strings to keep one person out of the military wouldn’t even make the news. Even those with less power do it.”

“You don’t like that kind of thing.”

“That’s why you need to work hard. If you don’t want to see me doing things I hate.”

“Wh-what are you talking about? What more can I do?”

Don’t get too excited, don’t be swayed by other forces, and support the athlete in what they want to do. Hong Ki-jun couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud. At that moment, his wife would lose her independence as a representative.

Hong Ki-jun’s very existence already had a significant impact on human affairs.

His wife wouldn’t understand his intention to minimize that influence. She shouldn’t.

He draped a towel around his neck and downed the rest of his coffee.

“Ahem! Anyway, there’s nothing I can do to help now, nor can I help. You and Jin-hyeok have to overcome this on your own.”

“Okay….”

Yoo Se-ra scratched her head vigorously.

She looked tired, but there was no trace of disappointment.

‘Hong Ki-jun, you’re saying you’ll help only after we’ve tried everything and still can’t solve it, right?’

Though she growled at her daughter over trivial matters, Yoo Se-ra wasn’t a foolish lioness.

Ugh, I tried to take it easy, but all I got was a lecture. And a headache to boot.

Coffee is the quick fix for headaches.

I’ll do it like Hong Ki-jun, one shot. Cheers-.

Pfft-!

“Ah! Hot!”

She smacked her lips and got up. She needed to check her plans for immediate action.

As an active foundation chairwoman and CEO of a department store and hotel, she had a lot to do.

‘Should I secretly pour cold water on her?’

First, I’ll go to my daughter, who’s probably showering, and vent my frustration.

Just imagining it makes my heart race and adrenaline surge.

This is the joy of life.