Chapter 266

Jin-hyeok dislikes conflict. Not because he’s scared, but because it’s annoying.

‘All you get from dealing with fools is fatigue.’

But he wasn’t the type to avoid a fight that came his way.

Even during his uneventful first round of adulthood, he’d snap at anyone who got on his nerves like a sharp needle. Looking back, it was probably just his innate temperament.

He stared emotionlessly at a Japanese journalist who was flapping his mouth like a goldfish, as if cursed by silence, and spoke clearly.

“I’d bet a million dollars that I’ll make it to the finals.”

Not “fainal.” Pfft, it’s “final.” You’re supposed to slightly scrape your lower lip with your upper teeth, but they can’t even do that.

If it were just an insult directed at him, he might have let it slide.

But that journalist crossed the line.

By disrespecting the country where his family, friends, and neighbors lived, he had insulted them all.

Realizing the enemy’s existence triggered his sense of belonging, activating his defense mechanism.

“How much would you bet?”

Like white blood cells burning with determination against an invading virus.

The room buzzed.

What did that kid just say?

That’s not Korean.

Isn’t that the slang those jabbers use?

Even if viruses are sometimes helpful, that doesn’t mean they’re indispensable.

“You must’ve understood, so why are you silent? Speak. How much would you bet? Shouldn’t you bet on the athletes you’re rooting for to win? You’re a journalist from such a great country, after all.”

Jin-hyeok stared straight at the Japanese journalist, who avoided eye contact and rolled his eyes instead of confronting him directly.

“When provoking the enemy, make sure you’re superior in at least one way.”

Whether it’s money or skill.

Your ancestors at least had numbers on their side.

But even that got crushed by the great general, and they ran away in their underwear—no, fundoshi. (Hashiru はしる: to run away)

He swallowed those words because it was the Olympics, a festival of harmony and peace.

He could’ve thrown all sorts of contemptuous remarks, but hitting a knocked-out opponent is unsportsmanlike.

He enjoyed watching the journalist’s face turn red but decided to stop the humiliation there.

Still, he had to deliver the final blow.

“I hope all four athletes you’re rooting for get to face me.”

I’ll show you the difference in class.

Japan had two athletes each in the 100m and 200m for the Olympics.

If luck is on their side, they’ll meet in the preliminaries.

But I plan to turn that into misfortune for them.

“Let’s go.”

Without looking back, Jin-hyeok told the interpreter and calmly left the press conference, heading to where Yoo-jin was.

“Son!”

“Sun!”

Some journalists raised their pens, but Jin-hyeok lightly raised his hand to apologize.

The press conference was over.

He pointed at the Japanese journalist with his finger.

It’s over because of that jerk.

‘Why does that guy talk like that? So annoying.’

That journalist would not only face Jin-hyeok’s humiliation but also the scorn of other journalists.

‘Anyway, I won. I used informal speech, after all.’

No matter what happens next, he felt relieved knowing he had taken the upper hand.

Winning a fight is what matters.

There’s even a saying: win first, then start.

*

Elsewhere in the airport, Son Yoo-jin was talking to Han Yu-young on Yang Gang-wook’s phone.

“Really? Is it really Haengun-i?”

– Yeah. Jang Gun-i brought him.

“Jang Gun-i brought him? So Haengun-i died? What do we do-.”

Son Yoo-jin stomped her feet.

– No. He brought back a hurt bird that was crouching somewhere. Cheon Gil-ryong grandpa applied some medicine. The wound hasn’t festered yet, so it should heal soon.

Yang Gang-wook, who saw Jin-hyeok leaving the press conference and heading toward his sister, gently pushed Son Yoo-jin’s back.

“Yoo-jin, let’s talk while walking.”

Holding Yang Gang-wook’s hand with her free hand, Son Yoo-jin continued the call.

“Mom? Where’s Haengun-i now?”

– He’s scared of people, so we put him in the nest. But Haengun-i has been taking care of him.

“Oh? How does he take care of him? How do you know?”

– I think Haengun-i has been catching bugs and feeding him. He’s not skinny; he’s plump. So, don’t worry about us, just have fun there-.

Wow-.

So Haengun-i didn’t leave home; he got hurt and couldn’t come back!

Listening to her mom’s explanation, it made sense why Haengun-i had been leaving the nest so often.

Son Yoo-jin let go of Yang Gang-wook’s hand and stopped.

She automatically stood on her tiptoes.

This calls for a cheer! It’s not like I got a new sibling, but who cares!

The prodigal daughter-in-law has returned, and it’s not even the season for sardines!

“Man-.”

Just as she was about to shout, Son Yoo-jin’s body was lifted high into the air.

Her brother had hoisted her onto his shoulders.

“Yoo-jin, are you that happy to be in America?”

Son Yoo-jin placed one hand on her brother’s forehead for balance and asked.

“They found Haengun-i! Can I cheer?”

“Sure.”

Clutching the phone tightly, she stretched out both arms.

As Son Yoo-jin’s body swayed, Hong Soo-jung quickly supported her butt.

I guess I should say it in English here?

“I am Son Yoo-jin!”

Kyaaaa-!

Click-, clickclickclick-.

The roar startled everyone briefly, but the journalists, displaying remarkable professionalism, all snapped their shutters at once.

*

The next day, Son Yoo-jin’s photo, riding on the shoulders of the rising star of sprinting, graced the front pages of newspapers in several countries.

The latest model phone, shining brightly under the camera flashes and lights, stood out vividly.

「Don’t trust futurists.」

– 「Here’s proof they’re wrong. The world always laughs at them.」

「The girl who holds the future, her name is Son Yoo-jin.」

– 「A single photo encapsulates the future, technology, sports, and Hong Junior.」

「Three futures arrived in Atlanta. From the world.」

– 「The person supporting Son Yoo-jin was surprisingly revealed to be the daughter of Raymond Hong, chairman of the Sein Group······.」

Japanese newspapers ran a completely different photo.

It was Son Jin-hyeok, looking down at the journalist with a haughty expression, hands in his pockets.

「Why don’t you show respect?」

– 「The disrespectful attitude toward the journalist reveals Korea’s bleak future······.」

Blah blah blah.

There’s a saying for a reason: get slapped in Manhattan, take it out on the Hudson River.

“Pathetic fools.”

If you want another nuke, keep messing around. Hong Ki-jun’s lips curled into a sinister smile.

He had wanted to deploy submarines from the Sakkō海底 several times, but he left it alone because the land served as a breakwater against earthquakes and tsunamis.

Secretly, they possess a warhead with 1,000 times the power of the Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima 50 years ago and are developing even more powerful ones.

It’s fortunate that while world history has changed, the recipe for weapons and technology remains unchanged.

‘Not that I made it for that purpose. But what can’t I do?’

The scientist who invented the rocket probably didn’t expect bombs to be loaded on it.

The future is like a riddle that allows no predictions, not even for regressors.

‘Every day is new history.’

Looking at the newspaper photo again, Hong Ki-jun’s cheekbones stood out handsomely.

“I like the expression.”

The face of Team Leader Son Jin-hyeok, which had been a faint memory from so long ago, came alive.

Even the gaze that suffocated opponents in silence.

‘That guy. His personality hasn’t changed a bit.’

***

Yoo Se-ra is Yoo Se-ra.

She seems to have poured her fiery personality into finding accommodations.

“Wow! This is like a hundred times bigger than our house!”

It wasn’t that big, but it was certainly grand.

Even Yoo-jin and Hong Soo-jung were left speechless.

The three-story mansion had eight rooms on each of the first and second floors.

The first floor was reserved for the foundation and federation staff, as well as the broadcasting team, while the security team that came from Korea would stay split between the first and second floors. The third floor had two rooms, one assigned to Yang Gang-wook and the other decided to be used as a meeting room by Yoo Se-ra.

“Mom? Who lives in such a big house?”

“Actually, this is a hotel. A secret private hotel, you know?”

“What?”

“Middle Eastern royalty or people like me with lots of money and followers······ Hey, I’m talking, where are you going?”

As she led Yoo-jin to the second floor, Hong Soo-jung shook her head.

“······Followers? More like entourage. Showing off is fine, but private? Secret? What’s that?”

*

Jin-hyeok and Jin Seon-kyu unpacked in a second-floor room with a double bed and an attached bathroom.

Jin Seon-kyu looked dazed, unsure of what to do.

“This is really nice. The athletes’ village has a bad reputation. The advance team’s reviews were terrible. That’s why some of our athletes are looking for hotels near the main stadium. But even those are fully booked and hard to get.”

“Yeah, I’ve read articles about how poor the athletes’ village facilities are.”

The Atlanta Olympics, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympics, saw the most participating countries and athletes in history. The victims of the commercialism that didn’t miss this opportunity were the athletes.

Witnessing the commercialism of companies at the Olympics is something you can see in any host country. Sponsors wearing the hat of support engage in marketing that borders on coercion, and it’s a relief if the IOC’s support budget is used solely for the Olympics. Governments don’t hesitate to take a big bite either.

In the first round of history, 25 years later at the Summer Olympics, didn’t they use the IOC’s support budget to make bear soup and create beds out of cardboard? This kind of behavior, swallowing money with no owner, isn’t new.

“Baseball and football teams get their own hotels, with chefs and team doctors, but what about the support for unpopular sports? Even at Barcelona, some track and field athletes from South America slept on the streets.”

“What about volleyball?”

“It varies by country, but ours isn’t that great. Maybe they’ll stay in the athletes’ village?”

“What about handball?”

“I don’t know about that. I don’t have any friends in that sport.”

Jin Seon-kyu, with a gloomy face, changed his clothes and pretended to be fine, raising his voice.

“Let’s go stretch our legs.”

Jin-hyeok and Jin Seon-kyu walked barefoot on the lawn.

Nothing beats barefoot walking for relieving physical fatigue.

“Why did you do that at the airport?”

“Just a common argument, really.”

“Not everyone can do that.”

“Any ordinary Korean would’ve done the same.”

At least, that’s what everyone’s thinking deep down. Nodding, Jin Seon-kyu picked at the calluses on his heels.

“The coach and assistant coach will come soon to watch the training.”

“Why didn’t they come together?”

He had an idea but asked out of courtesy.

He felt bad asking on the plane.

“You know. Pride, I guess. I was invited too, but Director Yoo Se-ra sent a car, so I could come.”

Once again, he marveled at Yoo Se-ra’s efficient work.

It’s hard to fully understand unless you’re in that position, but from the athlete’s perspective, it’s like being kidnapped.

“But the coach said he’s looking forward to training with you.”

“He’s probably just saying that.”

“No, he said it’s textbook. Honestly, it’s a specimen not even in textbooks. The assistant coach was wondering if you had some hydraulic device in your joints.”

Kikikik-.

When two young men get together, jokes just flow.

Jin Seon-kyu’s mood, eroded by the sorrow of unpopular sports, seemed to improve.

“If we just win a bronze medal, it’ll become a popular sport······.”

“Right?”

“I’m sure of it. The event itself is short and intense. Isn’t it the only event without physical contact but full of tension?”

Nodding, Jin-hyeok slowly rotated his shoulders.

He lightly twisted his arms and waist to loosen his joints, and with his entire foot, he gently stepped on the grass, circling the garden several times. Dressed in a suit, Liam Miller and in sportswear, Yang Gang-wook came out of the mansion.

“The security isn’t great. When you go out, always go with Triple S.”

“Sure.”

Watching them, Jin Seon-kyu whispered.

“What are they talking about?”

“He said to be careful when going out. There are guys who target foreign tourists with guns and rob them.”

“You’re good at English too.”

“I’ve been learning since middle school. There’s a British conversation instructor named Evans at my school, so I go out of my way to talk to him. It’s fun.”

“Schools these days are so different from our time.”

Jin Seon-kyu smiled happily, seeing Jin-hyeok suddenly become more talkative.

While talking to Jin Seon-kyu, Jin-hyeok kept an eye on Yang Gang-wook.

Seeing him discussing the paper in Liam’s hand, it seemed to be a schedule.

Yang Gang-wook sometimes asked questions and nodded, looking like he was receiving reports from a subordinate.

‘As expected, he’s reliable.’

Feeling satisfied watching him, a crow’s call came from the second floor.

“Brother-!”

When Jin-hyeok waved in response, the crow made a hand trumpet and shouted.

“Can we swim in the pool? Sister said she’ll join too!”

“Yoo-jin, you should ask Team Leader Yang about that now.”

One of his nicknames is Water Bear.

He’s probably better at swimming than Cheon-ma or Hong-shi.

And since Dugu Elil is also attached, it should be fine.