Chapter 26

#26 <Out of the World (4)>

“Phew!”

He exhaled the air he had been holding in his lungs with all his might and pulled his knees up.

He never had the chance to learn track and field separately or the time to practice.

But Jin-hyeok was confident.

He had been racing with Jang Gun-i every morning and evening, and playing games where he threw stones at the aggressive rooster Johnson and ran away. The explosive power he honed while being pecked on the buttocks by the rooster shone brilliantly.

He also recalled the time when Kim Eun-jung’s fierce dog broke its leash and charged at him. The dog, which had broken its chain and charged at Choi Mi-kyung, and Choi Mi-kyung, who turned pale as if her soul had left her body. Without realizing it, Jin-hyeok had thrown a stone to draw the dog’s attention.

Remembering the moment when he could have died if bitten, he put even more strength into his legs.

“Phew, phew.”

In his previous life, he had watched a documentary about Usain Bolt that left a deep impression. In the past, there were techniques to hold one’s breath while running “just” 100 meters, but in modern track and field, they breathe quickly to supply fresh oxygen.

Jin-hyeok opened his mouth wide, puffing out his cheeks and then sucking them in repeatedly. His head felt a bit dizzy. But his arms and legs were full of energy. How many steps had he run? He had just gotten into his stride, and the finish line was right in front of him.

“Phew!”

He puffed out his chest and stretched his arms out like wings. He had seen athletes do this in sports highlights.

Click!

Click, click, click.

All four runners crossed the finish line.

The referee was momentarily stunned. The gap between first and second place was significant. It was a common occurrence in short-distance heats where the skill levels varied greatly. But something was off about Group 4. The runner who crossed the finish line first was too fast.

The referee snapped out of it when the record keeper behind him urged him.

“Referee, please call out the times.”

“Huh? Oh, yes! Calling the times, starting with first place.”

The referee at the finish line called out the times in order.

His vision was blurry, perhaps from dust or the shock.

After rubbing his eyes, he checked the stopwatch.

“The first-place time is—”

“Yes—”

The record keeper, about to jot it down, paused.

He looked up at the referee. The referee, who had been mechanically reciting the times, finally realized the number he had read was unusual and quickly checked the stopwatch.

‘12.09 seconds?’

He had been measuring speeds on sandy grounds at many schools for a long time.

It was a record he had never seen before.

He quickly checked the athlete’s information in the file in his left hand. The preliminary time was 12.12 seconds. Preliminary times could have large margins of error. The only reason there was no dispute was that the same official had measured it.

‘The preliminary time is also impressive.’

He examined the shoes of the first-place runner.

They were ordinary sneakers. Meaning he wasn’t a track athlete.

‘Has he been training for about two years?’

His physique was too good.

No, that couldn’t be. The competition criteria were based on age, not grade. He had already checked Son Jin-hyeok’s birthdate.

He checked the school name.

‘Eodong Elementary School?’

A school he had never heard of or seen before.

The runner was suspicious, but there was nothing suspicious to find.

“Referee, is there something wrong with that runner?”

Kim Young-tae, a teacher from Taeyang Elementary School, who had become familiar through many competitions, pretended to know the referee. He noticed the referee’s gaze lingering too long on Son Jin-hyeok’s athlete information.

Teachers from other schools, who had watched Jin-hyeok’s sprint, also crowded around, curious about the record.

The referee, who had rechecked Jin-hyeok’s athlete profile, cautiously opened his mouth.

“No… well, he’s ordinary.”

This time, both the referee and Kim Young-tae tilted their heads.

Was the word “ordinary” this strange?

It wasn’t a strange word, but it sounded strange.

***

He wasn’t particularly attached to winning or records. He ran because it was fun, and running with other athletes made Jin-hyeok even happier. He just ran.

Since he was a child, whether it rained or snowed, he had been running around every day. Was it finally paying off? Or did he have a natural talent for running but couldn’t show it earlier because he didn’t eat well and lacked strength? Thinking back, he had gained quite a bit of strength in high school and built steel muscles when he joined the special forces. That body had stayed with him until the last moment of his previous life.

As Jin-hyeok rested his hands on his hips and reminisced, the referee’s announcement came.

“The finals will start in 30 minutes. Son Jin-hyeok, Park Ji-beom, Yeom Byeong-taek, Jo Seol-chan. That’s all four.”

He had to run again. Jin-hyeok relaxed his wrists and ankles, shook them lightly, and walked to the starting point. The other called athletes followed. One friend approached Jin-hyeok.

“Wow, you’re crazy fast!”

It was Yeom Byeong-taek. Except for Jin-hyeok, the other three were all wearing blue uniforms with “Taeyang” marked in white on the tops.

They had attended the same school in the past, so they should have been familiar, but with so many students and classes, their faces were vaguely familiar.

“I’m Son Jin-hyeok.”

Jin-hyeok extended his hand.

Yeom Byeong-taek gave an awkward look but soon shook Jin-hyeok’s hand. Well, it would be funny for elementary kids to shake hands and introduce themselves upon first meeting. But there’s no better way to greet.

“I’m Park Ji-beom.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jo Seol-chan.”

He also shook hands with the other kids.

The finalists sat on the ground to rest.

‘What were elementary school athletes like in my time?’

Probably stretching their legs while walking the track or having a dedicated coach massage their tense muscles. Jin-hyeok realized he was alone as he watched the Taeyang Elementary kids stretch each other’s shoulders and legs. Then, a large, rough hand landed on his shoulder.

“I didn’t know our Jin-hyeok could run so well. Rest a bit, run once more, and then let’s go eat jajangmyeon with the teacher, okay?”

“Yes.”

A simple rural elementary school teacher.

It was a touch he hadn’t experienced before. There were teachers who patted his head when he got good grades, but a massage just for running? It seems treatment changes after death.

“Are your legs okay?”

“Yes. They’re fine.”

It was just running as usual. He didn’t feel fatigued from one sprint. His breathing even stabilized quickly. Still, Jin-hyeok massaged his calves and thighs with both hands. He also stretched his arms and shoulders, not neglecting his upper body.

‘I should meditate and breathe.’

He didn’t need to sit cross-legged.

He exhaled the air he hadn’t managed to release while breathing quickly. Then, he slowly filled his lungs with fresh air. A shiver rose from his waist, through his chest and neck, tickling his cheeks.

The Taeyang Elementary kids tried to talk to Jin-hyeok but turned away when they saw the inexplicable killing intent in the eyes of Park Jae-seung, who was protecting Jin-hyeok. Dealing with adults at that age was already hard, and this man from the countryside had a face as dark as a Vietnam War veteran.

‘With a coach that scary, no wonder he runs so well. How much must he have been whipped?’

Jo Seol-chan whispered, and the other two kids nodded seriously.

They didn’t forget to send sympathetic glances toward Jin-hyeok.

Then, they were shocked to see Jin-hyeok’s ordinary sneakers.

The Taeyang Elementary athletes were all wearing spikes.

***

The final race ended uneventfully.

“The short-distance representatives are Son Jin-hyeok and Park Ji-beom. For the 400-meter relay, Yeom Byeong-taek and Jo Seol-chan are added.”

Jin-hyeok’s final time was 12.05 seconds.

Though unofficial, it was said to be a new record for the Chungnam elementary division. The referee added that no one had broken the 12-second barrier yet.

Park Ji-beom, the ace of Taeyang Elementary, had a time of 13.03 seconds, showing just how fast Jin-hyeok was. The other runners must have gritted their teeth as they watched Jin-hyeok’s back pull far ahead. Maybe they saw his buttocks. The three roosters, Johnson.

‘Running with others makes me faster too.’

It seems the other person’s speed also affects me. Jin-hyeok realized the importance of a running mate. Even though the final four times were already recorded, they ran the final again to push the records further. And if they didn’t meet the standard time, they couldn’t go to the regional competition.

After the elementary division competition, the middle school athletes’ races followed.

Jin-hyeok shook his head after watching the first heat.

They were three years older, but there was nothing to learn from them, and they weren’t faster than him.

Kim Young-tae, the physical education teacher at Taeyang Elementary, found Jin-hyeok.

“We need to practice the relay. Can you come to Taeyang Elementary every Friday afternoon?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t know why he agreed, but he couldn’t refuse.

If Choi Mi-kyung had seen it, she would have patted his buttocks and said he did well.

The tourism development boom was starting.

The roads had expanded and been paved unrecognizably in just a few years. Six buses a day now came to Jin-hyeok’s village. All the neighborhood friends took the bus to school, so Jin-hyeok felt the change physically. Of course, Jin-hyeok still ran around.

Anyway, it was now a world where you could reach the town in about 30 minutes by bus.

He should do some individual practice too.

It’s a bit disappointing not to have a running mate. Choi Mi-kyung and Yook Seong-chan seemed to dislike running, perhaps lacking motivation.

‘Jang Gun-i is fast, but he cheats too much.’

When he’s overwhelmed, he cuts through the fields, whines as if he’s hurt, and when you run over worried, he suddenly bolts.

He seems to have thrown fair play spirit to the dogs.

Well, it’s hard to expect sportsmanship from a Shih Tzu.

‘Thug.’

Jang Gun-i has many nicknames.

***

Jajangmyeon. In his previous life, he only got to taste it when a friend bought it for him in high school. He had tried it once when he was six, holding his mom’s hand at the market, but it was hard to get when he lived in the attic.

“Jin-hyeok, do you want a large portion?”

Teacher Park Jae-seung’s sly smile seemed to grow on him. His white teeth contrasted with his dark face, making him look scary, but knowing his warm personality made even that endearing.

“Regular is fine, teacher.”

“Why? You’re a big boy, you need to eat a lot to grow.”

“Then I’ll have a large portion.”

Grateful for the teacher’s kindness, he readily ordered a large portion.

The aroma wafting through the Chinese restaurant stimulated his appetite. His stomach seemed to protest, demanding the savory, oily jajangmyeon immediately, threatening to tear through his belly if not fed.

Slurp, slurp.

The chopsticks danced over the jajangmyeon.

The noodles and sauce mixed, gleaming so brightly they seemed radiant.

Slurp.

‘Wow, this is amazing!’

Was it because his body was different? The taste was vastly different from what he remembered as an adult.

Munch, munch.

He focused solely on eating, sauce smeared around his mouth or not.

“Jin-hyeok, do you want some of this too?”

“Why—”

He answered with his mouth full of jajangmyeon.

Jin-hyeok’s family was rich enough to be unmatched anywhere in the region. But Jin-hyeok refused to transfer to a town school, so they continued to live in the countryside. His mom was afraid of going to town, so eating out like this wasn’t easy.

‘It’s so delicious.’

His mom Han Yu-young’s cooking was so good that he never craved eating out, but in his previous life, he had eaten restaurant food to the point of disgust. But now, his thoughts changed. As he slurped down the jajangmyeon.

‘Can Yoo-jin eat jajangmyeon now too?’

He wanted to go out to the market and on picnics with his parents and younger sister. Son Jin-hyeok, who had spent much of his time alone, trapped in his own world, now wanted to go out with his family.

Out of the world.