Chapter 251

Ordinary People

Behind Jo Il-hun, a few more tractors appeared.

“Rice planting is just around the corner, and we need to plow the fields, but the farming is going to ruin! Let’s have a good old-fashioned brawl for the first time in a while, you damn brats!”

“Where the hell have these brats gone? I can’t see them anywhere!”

“Let’s show them the taste of the Vietnam Tiger Division!”

Even the neighbors were on Son Gajang’s side.

The reporters’ mistake was not knowing that this neighborhood was a place even Yoo Myung-sun couldn’t control as he pleased.

Too closed-off, you say?

Those who haven’t seen the madness in the eyes of a farmer who missed his timing wouldn’t dare to gauge that anger.

Nonfiction always surpasses fiction. If the farmers, busy with their livelihoods, overlook the unexpected situation of a surprise visit from the press out of altruism, that itself is fiction with zero plausibility.

After the commotion, Kim Sang-ho rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension in his trapezius muscles.

“Can’t you just give us an interview?”

“It seems like there’s some complicated calculation involved.”

“Calculation?”

At Yoo Tae-hwa’s words, Kim Sang-ho’s eyes lit up.

Yoo Tae-hwa, who closely assists Han Yu-young.

Psychological warfare or political calculation, they say? There must be something hidden that ordinary people wouldn’t understand, and this person must know it.

“The reporters came because they wanted to, but someone also pushed them.”

“Who are you talking about?”

Yoo Tae-hwa chuckled.

It should be okay to say this much.

“Our chairman.”

If it’s people sent by the chairman, isn’t it normal to meet them?

Behind his sunglasses, Kim Sang-ho’s eyebrows twitched.

“Think of it as tempering. That’s all you need to know.”

“Yeah, well, that’s how it is.”

Curiosity killed the cat. Even if you maintain a close relationship with influential families, as a bodyguard above bodyguards, it’s better not to delve into the private matters of VIPs.

Watching Kim Sang-ho step back without any complaint, Yoo Tae-hwa recalled last night.

***

While talking to Hong Ki-jun in the study, Son Kwang-yeon didn’t dismiss Yang Gang-wook and Yoo Tae-hwa.

It was his intention to let them know the inside story.

Jin-hyuk also sat across from his father with his arms crossed.

– Many reporters will come. Half of them are the ones I sent.

“I get what you’re aiming for, but don’t send too many.”

– It’s something that needs to be done. You said to raise and use them, right? Then you have to acknowledge some discretion on my part.

“What are you talking about, man! Do you think I’m ignoring you? If there are too many, the narrow neighborhood will be in chaos! Do you want to see the neighbors rise up?”

– Ah, is that what you mean?

When the youngest Jeong Won-i had his first birthday party, the neighborhood was paralyzed because of visits from Seoul, the town, and local politicians. It was summer then, so it was relatively quiet, and since all the villagers attended the party, it wasn’t a big issue.

When Yoo Myung-sun returned to the countryside, reporters swarmed in, paralyzing the neighborhood during the busy farming season. Back then, the villagers tolerated it because Yoo Myung-sun had contributed significantly to the region with medical centers, training institutes, and donations.

– A gem shines on its own, but it needs a skilled craftsman to polish it to be valuable. I respect the privacy of other families. That’s something the head of the household should handle well.

“Respect, my ass-.”

As usual, Son Kwang-yeon was about to speak but glanced at his wife sitting beside him.

Hmph-.

If Son Kwang-yeon gave the word this time, the neighbors would endure it.

It’s not that Son Kwang-yeon doesn’t want to.

“I’ll kick them all out-. It’s to get used to attention, not to cooperate.”

– Yeah. Who do you think you are that I need to explain in detail? Tell Jin-hyuk to film the documentary well, though I don’t know when the broadcasters will use it.

“Did you send the documentary filmmakers too?”

– No comment.

No comment, my foot.

“End it!”

After hanging up, Son Kwang-yeon gave Han Yu-young an apologetic look.

His wife, who wanted to live in obscurity, is now being harassed by reporters.

Jin-hyuk was also concerned not for himself or his father, but for his mother and siblings. Whether they respond to the press or not, there’s no guarantee that the lives of family members who aren’t the main characters won’t be consumed. It’s not an exaggeration to expect the world to see it that way. That’s just how ordinary people are treated.

That’s why he wanted to minimize the family’s exposure.

Han Yu-young, who understood what the father and son’s gazes meant, spoke first.

“It’s okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“They say there’s no peace without conflict. If we respond once or twice, requests will come from everywhere, and our lives could be greatly disrupted, right? Even if it’s a bit noisy and we get some criticism, we need to clearly express our stance to prevent it from repeating.”

As always, Mom is a contradictory existence, timid yet bold.

No peace without conflict…

Nodding involuntarily at Mom’s words, Jin-hyuk silently listened to his parents’ conversation.

“I’m not good with words, so I can’t explain in detail, but people’s hearts can go from dislike to like, and once they like something, their greed knows no bounds. Such people will keep creating false things to get attention. And then they’ll get into scandals… Especially, young Yoo Jin or Jeong Won-i might get carried away by some nonsense…”

“I understand what you mean.”

Son Kwang-yeon, who had been leaning on the table, stood up and placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder.

Then he looked at Yang Gang-wook and Yoo Tae-hwa in turn.

“Please take care of it.”

Jin-hyuk kept his words to the end.

He thought it was nothing, but as he listened to the conversation, he realized Mom wasn’t wrong. To prevent potential harm to his siblings, he even chose a regular high school instead of a specialized one.

Facing the media is enough for me alone.

‘Uncle Ki-jun seems to be subtly trying to feed the reporters.’

He could tell from the mention of feed and sticks in the email.

It must mean training.

Then we should cooperate.

Honestly, if I were just an ordinary, powerless high school student, it would be normal to be intimidated by the reporters’ authority. That’s just how the world works.

But does Son Jin-hyuk, backed by Hong Ki-jun, need to care about their feelings?

‘Nope.’

The reporters have no place to criticize Jin-hyuk’s actions.

Thanks to the outdated internet, portal news services are being delayed.

If they write an article whining about being slighted, they’ll just be told to go to the entertainment department.

***

The reporters, who gained nothing, loitered around the school, but it was a pointless challenge.

The school had gatekeepers who had been seasoned in power struggles with reporters since Son Jin-hyuk was in middle school. The guards closed the school gates, stood with their hands behind their backs, and exuded calm. Even if someone hadn’t paid them a hefty sum, they wouldn’t allow reporters in without prior approval. They’re professionals, after all.

“Can’t you just call the student out for a moment?”

“Did you make prior contact? For school publicity, if you want to film, you need to send a cooperation request via official document first-. But we haven’t received anything-. Why are you doing this?”

“The more educated they are, the more they tend to ignore laws and rules-, that kind of thing-, that’s what they’re like-.”

The guards casually chatted in front of the swarming reporters.

“Ah, really. You don’t get it. There’s no such thing in reporting!”

“That’s right-. You’re ignorant, so step back. But that’s your problem. You have that too-.”

“If we let you into the school, it’s our necks on the line, you bastards-. If our necks are on the line, who’s going to pay for our youngest daughter’s college tuition, you jerks-.”

This is strange.

The reporters felt like they had landed in a strange neighborhood.

Wherever they went, showing their press cards or business cards would get them through, but here it didn’t work.

“We just want to have a quick chat!”

“Why didn’t you call first to arrange a meeting?”

“These weirdos don’t even keep promises-.”

One spoke politely, while the other muttered curses. The reporters were already full from the runaround.

But they couldn’t start a physical fight with the guards.

“Please just pass on a message that we want to have a quick chat!”

“How can we pass on a message? We’re not your messengers, and you’re asking for too much on first meeting-.”

“Ah, also, without a pass, you can’t go outside the school during lunch-. It’s all for student protection, so everyone does it-. It’s the procedure at any school in Korea! Stu. Dent. Pro. Tec. Tion. Got it? Anyway, no, no-.”

The guards’ arm movements were ridiculously dismissive.

Even flies would chase more earnestly.

Somehow, reporters who entered the school through the back gate and holes were caught by Lee Byeong-se and Seong Bu-hyeon.

“Oh-, our reporters are here? Take some nice photos of our middle school athletes-.”

“Our school is famous for the ssireum team, so take a look-. I came from Seoul, so I’ll treat you well-.”

The reporters also had to endure the onslaught of middle and high school students who swarmed in during break time to watch. At this point, the offense and defense have switched.

“Uncle, is that camera Japanese?”

No, it’s made by Sein-.

“Japanese? A pro-Japanese traitor has appeared! Long live Korean independence!”

“Hey! Look at that! The camera’s red light is on!”

“A communist has appeared! Long live Korean independence!”

Are these kids crazy…?

“Are you here to see Jin-hyuk? He’s busy signing autographs-. Other broadcasters are following him around, why can’t you get in?”

“Why don’t you say something to the country?”

“How much money do you have in your pocket?”

“What brand of cigarettes do you smoke?”

“A Pilot fountain pen. My dad uses that too.”

“Do you have to go to journalism school to become a reporter?”

“I’m in science, can I become a reporter?”

“Uncle, you don’t look Korean, but you speak Korean really well!”

Chirp chirp-!

Where am I, who am I.

As the reporters experienced an out-of-body experience, a girl appeared through the sea of students.

“Move aside, you brats.”

Looking into the girl’s eyes, which seemed hazy for some reason, the reporters suddenly felt a sad premonition.

And as always, sad premonitions never miss.

“Have you seen a UFO, reporter? An alien tried to artificially inseminate our family’s yellow bull but got bitten by our guard dog and left an arm behind. Skynet took that arm. That’s why the movie Terminator was made. But why aren’t you writing this down?”

The reporters had no choice but to turn back.

Someone muttered.

“It’s clear…”

“What is?”

“Looking at the students, this neighborhood is strange.”

“Hey, Reporter Ahn. Do you think Seoul is any different? We were like that in our school days too.”

Another person who had been quietly listening chimed in.

“We were worse back then. These kids are normal.”

Was that so…?

“At that age, they’re doing well.”

“If there are two thousand students, less than fifty would turn out like that. Those troublemakers become reporters later. They just say whatever they want without caring about others.”

Heh heh-.

They shrugged their shoulders in unison.

*

The Athletics Federation issued a statement.

“A Warning to Media That Infringes on Students’ Right to Learn”

It urged the media not to disrupt the peace of schools and families by showing up unannounced and causing disturbances. The tone was conservative and roundabout, almost pleading.

Yoo Se-ra wasn’t one to stay quiet when even the federation stepped in.

Yoo Se-ra was someone who consistently responded firmly to rude opponents.

“We Will Not Provide Any Press Releases to Uncooperative Media”

Despite issuing an official statement through post-competition press conferences and press releases, the tone was firm, criticizing media that excessively invaded the privacy of minor athletes. At the end of the statement, there was a cute, indirect threat to her husband to cut off all advertising and sponsorships.

They temporarily shifted from trying to make the athlete famous for reflected benefits.

To create a more favorable future, following her husband’s advice.

***

A few days passed.

The public broadcasting documentary team, which had been following Jin-hyuk around like a shadow, withdrew, promising to return for the next competition.

In the rare free time, Yoo Jin leaned back against him.

“Hehe-, this is comfortable.”

She likes leaning on her brother’s back, so what’s the big deal about giving her some back?

Beep-! Beeeep-!

Haengun-i has been busy lately.

Jin-hyuk and Yoo Jin sat on the hill behind the house, watching Haengun-i build a nest. Jang Gun-i and his underlings were also mesmerized by the strange sight.

“Haengun-i is a male.”

“Seems so. His tail is longer than his mate’s.”

Haengun-i started building a nest on Yoo Jin’s windowsill instead of the reed beds by the reservoir like other sparrows. He carried reeds and small twigs, but even when Yoo Jin shook bugs to call him, he didn’t come.

“He must be in a hurry.”

“Yeah. They say they lay eggs right after building the nest.”

They’ll lay beautiful, jewel-like turquoise eggs.

And from there, Haengun-i juniors will hatch.

“Haengun-i is smart.”

“Will cuckoos come here if he builds it here? Cuckoos are quite fierce. They’re scary birds.”

“I think he trusts me to protect him.”

Even speechless animals communicate through the heart.

Sometimes, looking at Jang Gun-i or the other dogs’ eyes and expressions, you can understand what they’re saying. Not sure if it’s accurate, though.

“Brother, why do you avoid reporters? Are you scared of them? Are they like cuckoos?”

“I’m not avoiding them. I’m not scared of anything in the world.”

If there’s anything scary, it’s the safety of my family, but it’s better not to say that out loud. Loose lips sink ships.

“What the reporters want isn’t about my sports.”

“Then what?”

“Fantasy.”

“Fantasy? What’s that?”

“Something like that.”

Deep at night, a dog barks, unable to cross a stream swollen by rain, and a baby who hasn’t even been weaned walks boldly across the stream to save the dog… Well, that’s fantasy. It was a masterpiece I submitted as a summer vacation assignment, but Dad got suspected of writing it for me. Still unfair to think about.

“Anyway, I’m not scared of anything.”

Jin-hyuk gently combed Yoo Jin’s messy hair.

It’s amazing that Haengun-i didn’t build the nest on Yoo Jin’s head, given how messy it is.

“Princess, what’s with this hair-.”

“Hehe-, they say I take after Mom with this messy hair.”

He ran his fingers through her hair like a rake.

Yoo Jin, who had been nodding along with her brother’s touch, suddenly asked.

“Really, truly, you’re not scared of anything-?”

“Nothing, I said.”

Hey, she’s interrogating me?

“Ouch-!”

Oops, I put too much force, and her head jerked back.

So, please comb your hair properly…