Chapter 242

***

In front of a spicy soft tofu stew, Moon Seok-il fell deep into thought.

He had always known that Jin-hyeok was extraordinary, but the guy who used to be clumsy and often did strange things had suddenly become calm and serious.

On his days off, he would sit little Yoo-jin on his lap and chat with her. Though his storytelling skills were lacking and not particularly entertaining, you could sense a childlike purity in him. That’s probably why he got along so well with Yoo-jin.

When Cheon Gil-ryong visited the house, both siblings would listen with wide rabbit-like eyes, looking no different from two kids sitting side by side, just differing in size. Sometimes, Jin-hyeok would even get more startled or scared than Yoo-jin.

But now, he had turned surprisingly cold.

‘It must be because of his friend.’

That’s the reason Jin-hyeok has changed like this.

He remembers Jo Seol-chan, who participated in the summer camp.

Despite complaining about muscle pain, he never stopped spouting nonsense, making his training buddies laugh.

Chomp chomp chomp—.

“Ouch—.”

He glanced at Jeong Sang-tae, who was greedily slurping down the soft tofu stew beside him.

He used to scold him for eating so messily, but today, for some reason, it felt endearing.

‘Could I be like Jin-hyeok too?’

Probably.

After all, they were friends who had been through thick and thin together.

That’s why he could understand the coldness emanating from Jin-hyeok. If he had shown his usual peaceful demeanor, it would have been more concerning.

That monster-like guy now seemed more human.

“Ugh—, this place makes great soft tofu stew! Hyung, should we get moving after eating?”

“Let’s make a plan first.”

After answering Kang Heon-chang’s question, he picked up his spoon.

It seemed like there would be a lot to do for Jin-hyeok from now on.

He also felt like he could finally start earning his keep. After all, buying incubator parts, picking peaches for little Yoo-jin, gathering acorns, and carrying Jeong-won on his back were all high-level tasks.

“After eating, we’ll head to the office.”

After purchasing the building where Kim Eung-nyeo’s tea house used to be, they tore down the old structure and built a five-story building. Of course, it was done at Jin-hyeok’s request, executed by Hong Ki-jun.

The first floor was rented out as a clothing store, the second as an academy, the third housed the SSS branch office, and the fourth was Moon Seok-il’s personal office. All of this was approved by Hong Ki-jun. Why the building was registered under Son Jin-hyeok’s name, no one knew.

“Is Jin-hyeok going to school?”

With his mouth full of food, Jin-hyeok simply nodded at Kim In-rang’s question.

Seeing his cheeks puffed up like a squirrel’s, Moon Seok-il’s lips curled into a smile. It reminded him of Yoo-jin, the gluttonous big-eyed kid.

No matter how extraordinary, strong, or changed he was, a kid was still a kid.

But he had to confirm the mission.

After all, he’s the boss.

“What should we do if we find him? You’re not thinking of handing him over to the police, are you?”

If he had wanted to hand him over to the police, he would have reported it already.

But that would be pointless. Who knows how long it would take from filing the report to the investigation?

Jin-hyeok, who had been scraping the bottom of his rice bowl with a blank expression for the fourth time, stiffened his face. Slowly, he put down his hand and stared at Moon Seok-il.

“Those guys…”

He thought Jin-hyeok would hesitate.

After all, even Moon Seok-il and his crew couldn’t harm that kind of character.

“If the culprit is confirmed and resists…”

He ran his tongue over his gums.

It seemed like he had chewed too much rice, leaving grains stuck everywhere.

“You don’t have to hold back.”

This was Jin-hyeok, who never wished for anyone to get seriously hurt or killed, even when dealing with gangsters.

The same applied to those who tried to harm him directly.

It wasn’t a kind of generosity anyone could imitate.

“Accidents are unavoidable.”

Unlike before, Jin-hyeok is no longer generous to everyone.

“Do we even need to hear the story?”

“Listening to their stories tends to lighten their guilt.”

It sounded more like he was saying not to bring them at all.

Jin-hyeok, who had been focused on eating, stopped and let out a light sigh.

“I haven’t lived long, but—, please understand, those who say things like ‘let’s keep it peaceful, good things are good’ usually have something shady going on. They’re the type to do wrong and then try to sweep it under the rug. They’re irresponsible and selfish compared to the power they hold. I wouldn’t want them as neighbors.”

A rather long speech flowed from the mouth of someone who rarely expressed his thoughts.

Except for Kim In-rang, who was still munching away, everyone sat up straight and listened intently.

“They’ll probably say they did it to survive. I’ll listen to their stories only if it’s before they do something bad or if nothing has happened yet. It’s a luxury I can afford only in situations where I can stop them.”

It was a declaration that he had no intention of showing mercy for what had already been done.

Everyone except the clueless Kim In-rang nodded subtly. It felt like he was talking about them. ‘You guys almost died too if you messed up.’ Jin-hyeok’s voice seemed to echo in their heads.

“If they tried to kill someone who couldn’t even resist just to survive…”

Jin-hyeok rinsed his mouth with water.

“They have no right to complain if they die.”

Moon Seok-il nodded and started scooping up the soft tofu stew from the pot.

‘This place is delicious.’

The kill order had been given.

It was an order he had only heard from Hong Ki-jun before.

***

As he walked down the school hallway, friends who had heard the news brushed past him, patting his arm. The comforting touches made Jin-hyeok smile awkwardly.

Lee Seung-hoon and Shin Woo-sung also appeared, their footsteps echoing through the hallway.

“President! Is Seol-chan okay?”

“Yeah. He’ll be fine.”

“Class president, wanna visit him together later?”

“Let’s call the hospital and decide.”

But what class president?

He couldn’t even keep his seat on the first day because he was late. Just call him president like usual.

“Have you guys eaten?”

As always, food was important to Jin-hyeok.

These guys wouldn’t be starving, but it was the most important thing to ask.

“I was so worried about Seol-chan, I only ate twice.”

Shin Woo-sung, the glutton, only ate twice? He must have been really worried.

“I’ll go see the teacher first.”

“Alright, alright. Ong-ae is a good person, so don’t worry too much—.”

Escorted by Lee Seung-hoon, he headed to the teachers’ office.

The second-year homeroom teacher was the ethics teacher, who had a bulging belly and a face that somewhat resembled a toad. Hence, his nickname was ‘Ong-ae.’ As far as Jin-hyeok knew, Ong-ae was a regional dialect for toad.

“Hmph—. Oh, I heard the news. You must have been really shocked, class president?”

His nasal voice and tone somehow resembled a toad.

That’s why it felt oddly familiar.

But class president?

“Hmph—. Kim Eun-jung from class three is your neighborhood friend, right? She came barging into my office with your bag, and— ugh—. Even Choi Mi-kyung from the general class and Lee Seung-hoon are like that. Sigh—, should I say you have good friends or scary friends?”

The homeroom teacher shook his head so hard his cheeks wobbled.

“What do you mean…?”

“Hmph—. Kim Eun-jung said, ‘Ong-ae teacher! Son Jin-hyeok said he’s leaving, so make sure you elect him as class president!’”

Gulp—. Jin-hyeok made a sound like he was choking.

It was even funnier because it was so far from the truth.

“‘If that jerk Jin-hyeok doesn’t become class president, I guess I’ll have to do it myself since it’s fate.’ That’s what she said.”

Choi Mi-kyung wasn’t that bad, but why was Kim Eun-jung like this? Did she get abducted by aliens and brainwashed or something?

Anyway, the boldness to confront other homeroom teachers might just be a trait of the neighborhood girls.

“And did you teach Lee Seung-hoon Japanese?”

“Ah… just a little.”

“He brought a Japanese newspaper and said, ‘In Japan, a dead person ran for office and got elected.’ How am I supposed to know if that’s true? I can’t read Japanese. But I couldn’t just ignore the words of a smart kid, so I was in a tough spot.”

These guys… they’re something else, really.

“Choi Mi-kyung took it even further. She said that in the Sun Army, they named a dog Son Jin-hyeok and ran it for the National Assembly election, and it would win—. Oh my, I’ve been teaching for so long….”

Ong-ae let out a disbelieving laugh and rubbed his forehead.

Jin-hyeok, barely holding back his laughter, let out a sigh through his nose.

It wasn’t even about running for office, just straight-up election pressure. Pure intimidation.

“Hmph—. Anyway, it’s a good thing. You had to leave your seat unavoidably, but you deserve praise. Kim Eun-jung registered as a proxy candidate early and became class president, so just know that.”

“Other friends might find it unfair….”

“Unfair? There were no other candidates. If you were you, would you want to compete against yourself?”

What couldn’t he do?

They all spoke the same Korean, went to the same school, and ate the same food.

The only things Jin-hyeok could boast about externally were his 100m and 200m Korean records. He also had a gold medal from the Asian Junior Championships.

Ah, come to think of it, those are pretty significant achievements.

“Quite selfless. You know that saying, right? We learned it last year.”

Ong-ae suddenly brought up a profound saying.

Quite selfless諸法無我…, as expected of an ethics teacher, bringing out such a difficult phrase.

“Hmph. ‘I’ do not exist solely by my own will or intention. The ‘me’ that others perceive is the true ‘me.’ That’s what it means. If your friends acknowledge you to that extent, it’s fine to accept it graciously.”

That’s what he remembered learning…

The textbook also mentioned something about the universe and all things. Regardless of the book’s interpretation, Jin-hyeok’s thoughts weren’t far from Ong-ae’s.

“Hmph. No matter what awards you’ve won or what great things you’ve done with your skills, it might not resonate much with your friends. How you’ve behaved in daily life is more important from your classmates’ perspective. No matter how much a talented guy brags about being great, it’s no match for getting along well with your friends.”

“Yes. I understand what you’re saying.”

He answered and tightly closed his mouth. Not being scolded for an unexpected absence was already something. He wanted to escape the nagging that was about to start.

‘Well…, maybe it’s for the best.’

Now, if only Seol-chan and his grandmother could wake up safely.

As he was about to leave, Ong-ae held out a sketchbook.

“Hmph, sign one more before you go.”

“I already gave you one last year—.”

“Hmph. This one’s for my daughter.”

“Hmph, okay.”

Oh, he unconsciously followed along.

*

He managed to attend two afternoon classes.

Since they were already ahead in the curriculum, the classes themselves weren’t important. Just sitting in the classroom chair gave him a sense of belonging. It felt like soothing his tired heart.

There’s no night self-study at the beginning of the semester.

After confirming with the hospital, Jin-hyeok headed to the bus stop with light steps.

His grandmother had woken up but fell back asleep, and Seol-chan had cried, saying he was too hungry.

‘After all, hunger is the saddest thing in the world.’

Despite the moisture in his eyes, a smile appeared on his lips.

Rustle—.

Choi Mi-kyung and Kim Eun-jung followed beside Jin-hyeok, with Lee Seung-hoon, Shin Woo-sung, and a few other friends who were close to Seol-chan trailing behind.

Still, being a student, walking with his friends made Jin-hyeok feel at ease. The sense of belonging and stability from being where he should be brought an indescribable satisfaction.

Kim Eun-jung, who had taken Jin-hyeok’s right side, started spouting nonsense.

“Jin-hyeok, I raised you.”

What kind of nonsense is this?

“She’s right.”

Oh no, even Choi Mi-kyung agreed.

Seeing Choi Mi-kyung side with Kim Eun-jung’s nonsense, it must have been because of the class president election.

What’s so great about being class president anyway?

“Alright. Thanks, Eun-jung. But shouldn’t you be heading home? Your bus is different, right?”

Having regained some peace of mind, Jin-hyeok teased, mimicking Kim Eun-jung’s tone, but she didn’t seem to care. Or maybe she was just indifferent to others’ opinions.

“It’s not like I’m raising cows, and even if I go home early, there’s nothing to do. I’m thinking of visiting the medical center. There’s definitely a UFO buried 200 meters underground, tilted at about ten degrees.”

Kim Eun-jung even demonstrated the angle of the so-called ‘UFO’ with her hand. It looked more like 30 degrees. Maybe it’s the limitation of being an arts student.

Anyway, when nonsense gets this detailed, it’s hard not to believe it. Multi-level marketing or cults probably operate like this. If Kim Eun-jung ever brings jade tablets, he’ll have to buy a couple. After all, she’s a friend. She even pressured Ong-ae to make Jin-hyeok class president.

Seeing Jin-hyeok’s furrowed brow, Kim Eun-jung, thinking he was seriously considering her words, got excited and leaned in closer.

“It’s the logical conclusion. Otherwise, there’s no way so many doctors could be stationed there.”

Yes, of course.

Jin-hyeok’s expression as he boarded the bus was much brighter than in the morning.

Now it’s time to meet his friends and return to his daily life.