Chapter 214

***

Middle school students Shin Min-seong, Noh Kyung-ho, and Kim Yo-han.

Two of them were from Taeyang Elementary School, and Kim Yo-han was from Eodong Elementary School. Last year, when they were in 6th grade, they were unfamiliar to Jin-hyeok because he hadn’t seen them before.

‘Were those kids who came to the princess back then 5th and 4th graders?’

He should’ve paid more attention. He only answered their questions without even introducing himself. At the time, he thought he was being considerate, but looking back, it was a mechanical approach. His ingrained interpersonal skills were so dry that it couldn’t be helped.

He just observed them for a few weeks.

The kids watched Jin-hyeok train alone, and Jin-hyeok noticed them sneaking peeks.

‘I can see you, you little rascals.’

This time, he stopped from a distance and gestured for them to come over.

They ran over as if they’d been waiting, but why were they hiding in the first place? Their behavior reminded him of Jang Gun-i, who would stick out his tongue and run over every time he was called, making Jin-hyeok laugh.

“You don’t have to run so fast.”

I’m not a scary person, you know.

“See that bag on the bench? There’s chocolate milk in there. Have one each.”

You can’t have two. One’s mine.

*

As he watched the kids sitting on the bench drinking chocolate milk, he recalled something from a while ago.

Lee Byeong-se, who had returned from training, had earnestly requested:

“There’s a world of difference between someone who only has knowledge in their head and someone who’s physically trained. I’ll learn from you too, so please help me out a bit. Things are different now. We need to properly take care of the kids in the track and field team. They’re only first-years, so it’s not urgent, but we should start preparing. Just get them into the habit. The habit of exercising.”

How many people could refuse when a teacher humbly asks for help like that? Unless there’s a serious flaw in their character, that is.

Back when Son Jin-hyeok was a team leader recruiting members, he focused on three qualities:

Character, emotion, and intellect.

Absolute indicators that couldn’t be objectively measured.

He just observed their eyes like a fortune-teller, listened to their reputations, threw out a few keywords, and listened to their thoughts. Then he judged them based on his own standards.

He thought to himself that these were qualities Jin-hyeok himself lacked. Perhaps Jin-hyeok tried to fill his own deficiencies through others. Maybe that’s why he wanted to live among people.

Even if it was an unverified method, what could he do?

The only person he could trust was himself.

He couldn’t even remember if he had chosen well back then, but his former team members were kind, always helping others, recommending books they found inspiring, and had their own value judgments that weren’t swayed by trends. Even if their values differed.

Using the influence they had on him as a stepping stone, Jin-hyeok is slowly learning step by step, like a baby learning to walk.

‘To teach is to learn twice.’

That’s what Joseph Joubert said.

The context or why he said it doesn’t matter. A famous saying is just something you can pull out and use when the situation calls for it.

It was hard to ignore Lee Byeong-se’s request, and he also felt the need to bridge the gap with the kids who were still scared of him as their senior. If that’s the case, teaching what he knows wouldn’t be so bad.

By teaching, he could learn once more.

*

He slapped his thighs with his fists and moved to the bench where the backpacks were.

“Want to gather around?”

There was a forecast that the rainy season was coming, but our weather bureau never fails to defy the public’s expectations. The rain didn’t come, but the humidity was high.

It was the kind of humidity that could turn a dried squid left outside into a semi-dried squid.

Jin-hyeok, fooled by the notorious weather bureau, brought an umbrella that would make even a British gentleman cry.

As he waited for the kids to gather, he tapped the soles of his sneakers with the umbrella.

Maybe it was because of his widened perspective or his brighter personality. Even the trivial sight of sand falling out of the grooves in his soles was amusing.

“Whew-. It’s so humid now that it’s July. Right?”

“Yeah-.”

Kim Yo-han fluttered the collar of his T-shirt and smiled.

They had kept a reasonable distance, but frequent eye contact had made them more familiar.

Wondering what to say first, Jin-hyeok rolled his tongue in his mouth for a moment, then looked at his juniors with the warmest eyes he could muster and spoke.

“I’m not an outstanding person. I’m not as perfect as you might think.”

The three middle schoolers sitting in the shade just rolled their eyes. They fiddled with their empty milk cartons.

In the kids’ eyes, there was no better athlete or role model, but hearing him say otherwise left them at a loss for words.

“Posture and breathing. I can give you advice on that. Other exercises, you’ll have to do on your own.”

It might seem like drawing a line, but Jin-hyeok had to be careful.

Everyone’s body is different, so he couldn’t just impose his own methods.

Their ways of thinking were also different, so their ways of enjoying things would naturally differ.

“I might look like a successful person to you, but I’m not a finished product either.”

At his sincere words, the somewhat distracted kids began to light up.

“Don’t neglect your studies. Tired from exercising? Then take a break from exercising, but don’t skip studying.”

Tsk-. As he said that, Yeom Byeong-taek and Jo Seol-chan came to mind, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He should’ve taken care of them sooner.

“You never know when you might get injured or when you might get tired of exercising and quit. You need to keep other paths open.”

He thought of Lee Seung-hoon and Shin Woo-sung, who hadn’t been able to fully realize their talents.

“Do I need to explain in detail?”

The kids all shook their heads.

“If you understand, that’s enough. You’ve heard it before, right? That athletes are dumb, that they’re messed up, that they have no manners.”

“Yeah.”

Kim Yo-han nodded without avoiding Jin-hyeok’s gaze.

“At least make sure I don’t hear that about my juniors.”

Noh Kyung-ho and Shin Min-seong chuckled.

He was still a tough person, but his calm and logical demeanor didn’t seem as scary as the rumors suggested.

*

He took the juniors to the Ssirum Club training ground.

“Coach, can we have a meeting in the training room? It’s too hot outside.”

“Oh, sure. Are you starting to get the middle school track and field team going?”

Seong Bu-hyeon, who had been eating chocolate pies and reading the Slam Dunk manga in the training room, smiled kindly and made way.

Jin-hyeok pointed the kids to chairs and then sat on the desk.

“I have a few questions for you.”

Alright, let’s start the interview.

The juniors straightened their backs.

“Why do you exercise? Do you enjoy it? Most people find it tough.”

He looked at each of them in turn to hear their answers.

“It’s fun. I like being able to run faster than others.”

“I think Min-seong’s right. I’ve been fast since I was little, and I started because I was told to, but now I get excited when I get to compete.”

Kim Yo-han’s answer was different from the other two.

“It’s hard. You know how it is. When you’re pushing yourself, it feels like your breath is going to give out, your chest hurts, and it feels like your heart is going to burst through your ribs. But when you push through that, suddenly you get this surge of energy. It’s so thrilling.”

Kim Yo-han was a 3000-meter long-distance runner.

Is this kid a masochist?

No, that’s not it.

‘Does that really happen?’

Jin-hyeok only expressed his doubt internally.

Even when he pushed his body to the limit, to the point of vomiting, he never reached that point.

“When you run middle or long distances or marathons, that happens a lot. The other kids are sprinters, so their races are over quickly, so they might not know. But even sprinters probably feel it during training. Oh, what’s it called? Teacher Park Jae-seung had it written on a paper he carried around, it was in English…”

Kim Yo-han scratched his head.

‘Dead point.’

Jin-hyeok vaguely recalled the term.

It’s a term that appears in middle school physical education textbooks.

“When you’re gasping for breath, and you just need to push through that moment, but Teacher Park Jae-seung tells you to stop, it’s so frustrating.”

It seemed like something worth researching.

Whether it was Kim Yo-han or the dead point he mentioned.

“Alright. Since you enjoy exercising, you pass for now. Now it’s your turn to ask questions.”

That was Team Leader Son Jin-hyeok’s interview style.

He placed more weight on the attitude and content of their questions than on their answers.

The relaxed kids eagerly raised their hands.

***

Son Yoo-jin has many companions.

Jeong-won, holding her left hand and toddling along, Haengun-i perched on her right shoulder, and the dogs Jang Gun-i and the large breeds following behind.

Son Yoo-jin is always spirited, but today she walked with even more energy.

It’s Saturday, so she’s in a good mood, but also because Uncle Jang Jin-nam told her that moving her body more makes her feel even better.

“Hello, Mr. Kim Chun-sam.”

“Ahttehtteoh-.”

Jeong-won, following his sister, waved his hand at the man raising cows.

He even resembled Son Yoo-jin in the way his eyes disappeared when he smiled.

“Eh-? Yoo-jin, it’s so hot, where are you taking the little one? But I’m Kim Chun-sik-.”

The man, who had been cleaning up cow dung and watering the cowshed, wiped his sweat and laughed.

“Ah? You’re Mr. Kim Chun-sik?”

Ah, I got confused.

They’re not twins, but these men look exactly alike.

Dark faces, two eyes, one nose, one mouth.

Even the sharp Son Yoo-jin frequently got their names wrong.

It would be better if they wore different clothes, but they’re always in checkered shirts and chest waders.

“Why don’t I see Jang Gun-i and that other one, Cheon-ma today?”

“Cheon-ma is weak. Jang Gun-i is with Cheon-ma.”

“Why is that strong dog weak? Is it because of all the fur? It’s a tough season for dogs with this heat-.”

Huff huff huff-.

Hong-si and Gwang-ma, who had been sneakily eating cow feed, stuck out their tongues as if to say, “Look at us.”

It’s less than last year, but July is a humid and hot season that’s tough for both people and animals. If the only problem was the scorching sun, you could just find shade, but the high humidity made bodies feel as heavy as waterlogged cotton.

“Uncle, do you have cow bones? I have money-.”

Son Yoo-jin struggled to put her hand in her shorts pocket.

She had brought five reddish bills she had saved up. Five thousand won was a fortune for an eight-year-old.

“Cow bones? What do you need bones for?”

“Cheon-ma likes cow bones.”

Kim Chun-sik wrinkled his nose.

This little kid came to get precious cow bones for her dog friend?

“But you should get cow bones from the butcher-. Wait a minute······. I might have some stored in the freezer. Hey, let me ask Chun-sam. Chun-sam!”

Kim Chun-sik, stretching his neck, called out to his younger brother who appeared at the cowshed entrance.

“I’m Chun-seop!”

“Oh my-, I keep getting confused-. You guys look exactly the same-.”

Kim Chun-sik was the eldest of three brothers, and Kim Chun-seop was the youngest.

*

Even though she had walked a long distance in the heat with her little brother, Son Yoo-jin was happy to get cow bones for free. She marched home triumphantly, holding her brother’s hand in one hand and the cow bones tied with a string in the other.

“Jeong-won, do you think Cheon-ma will like this?”

“This. Cheon-ma. Like-.”

Seeing Jeong-won babble while pointing at the cow bones, it seemed he agreed with Son Yoo-jin.

‘I hope Cheon-ma feels better after getting this.’

Son Yoo-jin didn’t know why Cheon-ma was feeling down.

Her brother told her that Cheon-ma was older than Jang Gun-i. He said that in human terms, Cheon-ma would be a grandfather. Still, even if it’s hot and he’s old, it didn’t sit well with her that such a spirited dog was feeling unwell.

Son Yoo-jin had been keeping an eye on him but hadn’t found anything particularly wrong.

Her brother, not being an expert, just shook his head, saying he didn’t know, and every time Son Yoo-jin encountered something her brother didn’t know, she felt a pang of fear.

– “I’ll call the vet after school. It might just be old age.”

He was drooping with excessive nasal discharge, but there were no other symptoms.

That’s why it’s even more frustrating and upsetting.

Listening to the adults in the neighborhood, they said old people often get sick like that before passing away.

‘You can’t stop aging.’

Worn out by the heat and worry, Son Yoo-jin’s eyes wavered sadly.