One of the gains from returning was the luxury of contemplation. It was a different aspect compared to when I focused solely on immediate tasks for independence. Whether walking, running, commuting by bike or bus, Jin Hyuk always lived immersed in philosophical thought.
Yes, that crappy philosophy.
“Yu Jin-ah, whoa-whoa. Be good-.”
“Wuaaaaaah······.”
If someone lacks mental leisure and thinks only of one goal, they can’t help but immerse themselves in a single subject. But Jin Hyuk now had leisure. The ingrained habit of a crappy philosopher allowed flexibility to subdue his younger sibling while contemplating strength.
‘If the body doesn’t support, it merely serves as an energy source.’
Because my body supports, sometimes crazy records come out. Like in Yu Jin’s case, if the vessel is small, the usage and amount are limited.
‘Seeing Yu Jin use it, it’s probably not a power granted only to me, but it’s not easy to use as intended.’
It’s excessively huge power; if unleashed, it rages like crazy, and the pressure is so strong that even a slight opening causes it to pour out like water. Yes, like a dam.
I’ve tried to use it sparingly, like Yu Jin. The method was to hold a little in the heart and then release it. But even releasing a handful of power, the moment I breathed, a cold yet warm energy rushed rapidly into my heart. It felt like the term ‘priming water’ existed just for Jin Hyuk’s heart.
When filled, the pressure increased, and it burst out again. It was an unintended cycle.
‘Thanks to that, I learned a lot.’
Fearing an accident due to imperfectly controlled power, Jin Hyuk closed the floodgates and dried up the river. Ultimately, becoming skilled at emptying wasn’t a futile effort.
It’s funny. A shackle and a booster at the same time.
Even if it’s a power that a criminal wouldn’t wish for, relying on delusions, if it becomes an obstacle to the ordinary and peaceful life Jin Hyuk has chosen, it’s just an appendage.
Today, another insight was gained through crappy philosophy. Struggling so much that the upper body was exposed, holding the exhausted sibling in a ‘hooray’ pose.
“Uwaaaah-. Heuk-heuk-.”
The nameless power only supports the effort to struggle hard, but Yu Jin’s power doesn’t get stronger, nor do the limbs flap faster. Even when running away from her brother, she couldn’t show any remarkable speed.
“Yu Jin-ah, stop. Stooop-. I’ll stooop-? Your chest is showing-. Over there, sister is watching.”
No matter how much support from the mysterious power, Yu Jin couldn’t overcome her brother’s strength no matter how hard she tried. After all, it’s Jin Hyuk, who years ago sent a wild boar to the underworld with just arm strength.
“It’s okay, Yu Jin-ah. Yu Jin-ah isn’t a machine that goes ‘weeeeng’ like dad.”
“Heuk-heuk-. Ah, really?”
Jin Hyuk did his best to soothe his sister, who might have been more scared because of the machine noise.
Anyway, dialogue is prioritized over strength to reach a compromise.
“If you touch it with your tongue, it hurts, drool falls, and it’s sticky.”
“That’s true. Heuk-heuk-.”
When teeth start to wobble, focusing on school becomes hard because of poking with the tongue. Even while eating, a moment of carelessness can stimulate and only increase the fear of pain.
I didn’t know before, but now I do. Jin Hyuk wished for his sister to solve her troubles quickly and enjoy daily life.
Though still learning much about human nature, hoping to pass on the knowledge and experience he has to his sister for a less conflicted life might be too grand.
“But it’s still scary?”
“Quickly removing it means you can eat more delicious things.”
“Ooh-?”
Eye-level conversation is this important.
After days of discomfort from chewing, Yu Jin seemed to be swayed by her brother’s words.
But persuasion wasn’t always easy.
“Ugh- Aggrororo-.”
Son Kwang-yeon, the Seoul man who vowed to show his spirit, was still with his arms raised, only showing his Adam’s apple.
‘Sigh-. Dad can’t even endure scaling as a man.’
Anyone seeing would think he got an electric shock.
Flailing limbs like a patient in a seizure, more like a catfish.
Han Yu-young, who closed her eyes, and Jin Hyuk, who barely soothed Yu Jin and turned her around, both shook their heads.
A black knight stepped forward to convince that it doesn’t hurt at all, but with such exaggeration.
“Kahaha! Daddy’s silly waaah-!”
Only the comfortable Jeong Won enjoyed dad’s fainting dance with a happy heart.
Han Yu-young had no choice but to nominate the next black knight.
“This won’t do. Jin Hyuk-ah, can you show them how?”
No, whyyy-. I’ve already persuaded, what more demonstration is needed!
And mom can do it!
“Our son, can you do it? To make Yu Jin-ah not scared, her brother should step up. Do it well, like a brother.”
Arguing was hard with mom’s bright smile and her neat, dazzling teeth.
Besides, being told to act like a brother, refusing would make me a bad guy, wouldn’t it?
‘Because of dad, what is this for me.’
No choice now. I’ll show the spirit of a real man.
Sssk-.
After running his tongue over every corner of his teeth and gums, Jin Hyuk steadied his heart.
‘Not scary. Did this a lot before.’
Whoo-.
Even in past lives, I often visited the dentist, why so nervous now.
All because of the exaggerating dad.
Giiiiing-.
Giiii-.
The tartar remover stopped, and finally, dad’s scaling was over.
Tearful Son Kwang-yeon staggered down from the chair. Whatever major surgery he thought he underwent, supported by Yang Gang-wook, he looked like an old tycoon appearing in court.
“Shall I help the young master with scaling?”
Clenching his teeth and fists, Jin Hyuk boldly headed to the chair.
Jin Hyuk’s sharp gaze made them flinch momentarily, but the nurse or dental hygienist started in the same tone.
“Raise your hand if it huuurts-?”
The mechanical staff’s voice brought out fear.
Such a tone that makes you feel like a lab experiment.
‘Fear is an illusion, an illusion.’
Something covered his face, and his vision turned white.
Blurgh, can’t see! Medic!
“It might bleed, but it’s okaaay-?”
Is it okay, or are you asking if it’s okay?
Anyway, a unique way of speaking.
Hmph, this noble body doesn’t allow injuries.
Jin Hyuk snorted internally and relaxed his body.
Giiiiing-.
‘Oops! I’m bleeding too.’
Because that strange power isn’t active.
Even got pinched by high schooler Choi Mi-kyung.
But can’t show weakness in front of my sister.
As comfortably and peacefully as possible.
Kiiiiing-.
“Ugh! Eurgrrr-.”
It hurt.
So different from the past feeling!
Raised his hand, and someone grabbed Jin Hyuk’s hand. Not that Jin Hyuk’s arm would go down, but the grip was quite strong, must be dad or Yang Gang-wook-.
“Ugh-, our son is becoming a man too-.”
It’s dad.
Why the sudden dialect.
Becoming a man from one scaling, feels somewhat unfair.
Even with the hand raised, the tartar remover’s intensity, sweeping between teeth and gums, causing tingling, showed no sign of decreasing.
Raise your hand if it hurts!
“Ughrrr-, eurgrr-.”
Minimizing groans, but like father, like son.
Jin Hyuk’s arm also went up. Because it hurt.
There’s hardly any tartar, what kind of ordeal is this for my sister.
I can somewhat understand why dad screamed.
The reason is strange, but forming mutual empathy is what’s important, right?
Anyway, that’s how you become a man.
“Ughhh-, eurk-, eurgrr-.”
Meanwhile, even the trusted brother groaned, and the contemplative Yu Jin quickly headed for the exit.
Mom holding Jeong Won couldn’t react fast enough.
‘Please, walking, save me.’
Must escape!
But couldn’t overcome the wall of Myeong Hyun-woo blocking the door.
Standing tall like a terminator, slowly shaking his head in rhythm, Yu Jin’s leg strength also faded.
***
Clatter- clatter-.
Chomp chomp chomp-.
“Sssk-, it’s nice to eat out together.”
“Maybe because of the tartar removal, the taste feels better. Sssk-.”
Finally becoming men, the two competed with knives and forks.
The Western-style tonkatsu is delicious.
Even in past lives, I often ate Japanese tonkatsu near the company, but it’s distinctly different in flavor.
Chomp chomp chomp-.
“Don’t ma-, my teeth. Ow-. Just drink it-.”
Yu Jin, who also had other wobbly teeth extracted, focused on the tonkatsu.
Four upper and lower front teeth were gone, but eating didn’t seem too inconvenient. Though tilting the head like a dog to chew looked a bit odd.
At the dreaded dentist, Yu Jin bravely completed the extraction.
– “Sister-, it doesn’t huuurt-.”
Even tried to escape at the last moment, but couldn’t ignore little brother Jeong Won pointing at the treatment chair and babbling. As a sister, I’ve shown too much of a bad side.
Can’t ignore the doctor uncle who talked to the child at eye level, joking.
– “Here we go-, in it goooes-. Swooosh-.”
– “Kahaha-.”
– “Ta-da! Pulled it-.”
– “Wuaaaah-.”
– “Going in again-. Boooosh-.”
– “Kahaha!”
The brother happily chomping on tonkatsu is still hard for Jin Hyuk.
Why resist so much when it could be pulled so easily.
Kids are hard to understand. That’s why talking to them can be frustrating.
While the daughter chewed on tonkatsu, Han Yu-young cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and placed them on her daughter’s plate.
“Feeling relieved after pulling the wobbly teeth? Doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“Yeeeah-, hehehe-.”
As if never crying or making a fuss, Yu Jin smiled, revealing her gum where the front teeth were gone.
“Ugh! Just for a moment. Make a decision, close your eyes, and it’s over.”
Han Yu-young quickly turned her head to hold back the bursting laughter.
Taking care of Son Jeong Won, who had sauce all over his face, was also important. Being a self-reliant baby, he used a fork to eat but didn’t know how to manage his face, so mom had to help.
Wiping the baby’s mouth with a napkin, she suddenly remembered something and chuckled.
“Who’s Jin Hyuk’s sister, running away so well.”
Ahem-.
Why bring up the dark history.
Mom must be talking about the teeth, but Jin Hyuk’s heart ached remembering that winter’s run.
Raise your hand if it hurts.
“One more tonkatsu, please.”
“Me toooo-.”
Yu Jin also raised her arm high.
Is she in pain too?
***
The dentist commotion was safely concluded.
To embrace the sister who felt betrayed by her trusted brother, they went to the riverside at dusk.
Rustle- rustle-.
Autumn had descended, and the reeds and bulrushes, having changed their clothes, quietly brushed against each other.
On the water surface were ducks, and in the water, carp, maintaining mutual indifference, rode the gentle current.
Yu Jin pointed at a duck rummaging through the planks with its beak.
“Brother, that’s a mallard, right?”
“Yes, it’s a mallard.”
There were times when the phrase ‘runs fast’ was understood at the level of absoluteness.
The attention and admiration surrounding Jin Hyuk’s records must have played a part.
“The male is more colorful, right?”
“Yes, males are generally more colorful among animals.”
Striving to become human, valuing growth and walking together, yet obsessing over records alone might seem a complete contradiction, but isn’t it a kind of paradox? Being relatively fast enough that no one can catch up, yet showing obsession.
“Brother is also colorful-. Like a two-cut or something.”
“Brother is?”
Of course, records are important when considering the greater goal.
A high ground that must be challenged and finally ascended.
“Um-, like-, really fast, right?”
“Being fast makes you look colorful?”
“Yeeeah-. Very colorful-.”
As if stating the obvious, Yu Jin widened her eyes.
Not just competing among similar level athletes, but leading confidently. Can the word ‘colorful’ fully capture that presence?
“Really, the most colorful-.”
“Then should I run faster? More colorfully?”
“No one! Um-, what’s that called?”
The pronunciation was awkward, but the serious look with the chin held was no joke.
“A record? Want no one to run faster than brother?”
“Yes!”
“Until when?”
“For twenty-five thousand years!”
Yu Jin even spread her arms wide to express twenty-five thousand years. Wanting her brother to remain a colorful person for that long, Jin Hyuk shook off his internal conflict.
‘Whatever, keep striving. Since I’ve started.’
Started for fun, but good results are the icing on the cake.
Came out for a walk to care for my sister, but ended up receiving comfort and encouragement, that’s why family is good.
“Our Yu Jin-ah, does your tooth not hurt anymore?”
“Yes! Doesn’t hurt-.”
“Did you hate brother?”
“Nooo? Not really?”
Yu Jin said so, shaking the hand holding her brother’s hand.
Looking at the toothless seal, Jin Hyuk burst into a hearty laugh.
“Don’t hate? Even though brother betrayed Yu Jin-ah?”
“It’s okaaay-. I can betray you too. Hehehehe-!”
Yu Jin, preemptively declaring betrayal, laughed like a fool and ran on the track.
Though caught quickly due to short legs.
Ugh-. Carrying my sister in one arm, turned towards home.
“The tonkatsu was delicious, right?”
“Yeeeah-, hehehe.”
Yu Jin smiled at her brother. As if there’s no room for anger inside her.
‘Must have eaten two plates because it was delicious.’
That aside.
‘Only international competitions?’
A stage to leave a colorful record unbroken for twenty-five thousand years.