Chapter 28

#28 <New World (2)>

Upon hearing that someone had cursed at the kids and even laid hands on them, Mom’s hand holding the spoon trembled violently. Dad’s face also hardened with anger. Hong Ki-jun’s eyes were sharper than the first day he had visited.

“I wrote down the car’s license plate number.”

Son Kwang-yeon, holding the note, walked over to where the phone was and sat down calmly.

Dad started making calls here and there, so Jin-hyuk perked up his ears.

He was curious about who Dad was calling and where.

“Chief Kang, it’s been a while. This is Son Kwang-yeon. Recently, in our neighborhood—”

Ah, the police chief. That makes sense. He’ll be helpful. Over the phone, the excited voice of the police chief could be heard. He seemed quite pleased. But his name is unusual. Does it mean he’s available?

“Hey, Ki-jun? How’s your wife and Soo-jung? Yeah, yeah. Everything good? Lately, I’ve been—”

No idea why he’s calling Hong Ki-jun, but when it comes to venting frustrations, nothing beats a good friend.

“Is this Congressman Song Tae-geun’s residence? Ah, Congressman. This is Son Kwang-yeon.”

A congressman must have a wide network.

The longer Dad’s calls went on, the more Jin-hyuk’s curiosity grew, and Mom’s expression returned to calm.

“But why is he calling the county governor and the agricultural cooperative head?”

He could hear who Dad was calling, but not the details of the conversations. That was just Dad’s style—cheerful and lively when greeting, calm and quiet when discussing business. Dad was never one to get overly excited. Except when catching flatfish and sparrows.

“Battalion Commander, it’s been a while.”

Huh?

Is he planning to mobilize the military or something?

Dad’s a strange guy.

When did he build up such connections?

Watching Dad’s expression brighten, Jin-hyuk thought the fat guy might soon be on the wanted list.

He clenched his fist under the table. It felt solid, like it could crush something. He hadn’t lifted the fat guy earlier, but he felt like he could do it easily.

He’d been living cautiously, not even arm-wrestling with friends, so he hadn’t used his strength much. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t realized how strong he was. Even when he effortlessly lifted a millstone and pulled out kudzu roots whole at nine years old, he should’ve been suspicious. But he just let it slide.

“I’m so dense. I should practice controlling my strength.”

Crack.

There was no friction in his joints, but a strange sound came from his fist.

***

Son Kwang-yeon finally took the wheel.

It was the day they were going to Taeyang Elementary School for relay race practice.

“Dad, I can just take the bus by myself.”

“It’s fine. Riding in Dad’s car is more comfortable and faster than the bus.”

True that.

The speed and comfort of a car on paved roads can’t be compared to a bus. Plus, Dad’s car is top-notch.

“Living the good life thanks to Dad.”

Even if it’s something you’re entitled to by blood, you should still be grateful.

Having lost it once, he didn’t take this luxury for granted.

Jin-hyuk stuck his arm out the window, catching the air, a bright smile on his face.

“At 80 km/h… if you cup your hand like you’re scooping water, you can feel the air resistance.”

Choi Mi-kyung, a married woman from Seoul, had told him that.

It feels similar to touching a B-cup.

Come to think of it, why did she tell him that?

Was it out of pity for a guy living alone, giving him a virtual experience?

“What the heck…”

Jin-hyuk’s bright smile twisted into a confused frown.

Even if he tried it as she said, he couldn’t tell if the feeling was the same.

When would he have ever touched one…

*

When the luxury car entered the school playground, Kim Young-tae and the kids’ eyes widened. They never expected a kid from a rural school to show up in such a car.

“Did you bring your spikes? Your sports clothes? Do you have money? Buy hot dogs and tteokbokki with your friends.”

More like a mom than a dad.

Son Kwang-yeon stuffed four 10,000-won bills into Jin-hyuk’s pocket before driving off. Was he supposed to eat 10,000 won worth of tteokbokki?

“My dad’s sense of money…”

Even a big eater like Son Jin-hyuk could be satisfied with 500 won per plate, and 1,000 won would fill him up. A king-sized hot dog costs 100 won.

Still, Jin-hyuk’s lips curled into a smile.

“I’m genuinely touched.”

Life had changed, but maybe it had changed too much.

This was how life should’ve been. Jin-hyuk didn’t change it. He just returned to where he belonged.

Thinking that, Jin-hyuk waved to the new kids he’d befriended.

They weren’t quite friends yet—it still felt a bit awkward.

Teacher Kim Young-tae greeted Jin-hyuk.

“Did you bring your spikes, Jin-hyuk?”

“Yes.”

The track spikes felt both unfamiliar and familiar. The fit reminded him of rock climbing shoes or soccer cleats. Though they were cheap shoes, they held his feet firmly, so he adjusted quickly.

“I end up walking on my toes.”

Whether playing soccer or running, Jin-hyuk always ran on his toes. His heels never touched the ground. He knew, without being taught, that running like that could explosively increase speed.

“You don’t just hand over the baton! You push it firmly into the next runner’s hand!”

Kim Young-tae demonstrated, raising his voice.

As the track and field coach, he was more motivated than ever. All because of Son Jin-hyuk. In sprinting, one second makes a huge difference. And Jin-hyuk was over a second faster than the other kids. Before Jin-hyuk, the fastest was Park Ji-beom, who was only a second ahead.

“If we do well in the relay, we might even place.”

In elementary school relays, a smooth baton pass could overcome a 2-3 second difference. Kim Young-tae’s eyes sparkled as he watched Son Jin-hyuk change into the blue Taeyang team uniform.

Height: 165 cm.

Among the 6th-grade wrestling team, some were over 180 cm, but for a track athlete, Jin-hyuk’s height was rare. Plus, as far as Kim Young-tae knew, Jin-hyuk didn’t even train professionally. It was just natural talent.

“Was his body made in America?”

His deltoids screamed that he was born for sprinting, reminiscent of Carl Lewis, and his powerful thighs brought to mind a wild horse. They reminded Kim Young-tae of Jang Jae-geun, who won gold in the 200 meters at the Asian Games.

“Jin-hyuk, do you do weight training?”

“No.”

I just run, do pull-ups, sit-ups, and push-ups.

It’s not good to lift weights during growth spurts. Jin-hyuk had read up on it while exercising alone.

“I hope I’m taller than in my past life.”

Even in his past life, Jin-hyuk was well above average height. If he’d eaten well during his growth spurt, he might’ve been even taller. His parents were tall for their time.

“Right, don’t do weights. Just use your body weight for exercise. Got it?”

“Yes.”

It was Kim Young-tae’s affectionate advice.

In Korea, a wasteland for basic physical education, if Jin-hyuk could harness his explosive start and relentless sprint, he might even represent Chungnam in the 100 meters. Of course, that’s assuming he performs well on synthetic tracks.

But still.

While talking to Kim Young-tae, Jin-hyuk brought up a long-standing question.

“Why do P.E. teachers always wear tight tracksuits?”

It was a mystery that remained unsolved, then and now.

It’s understandable that a P.E. teacher would wear sportswear, but why the skin-tight pants? Do they know how hard it is for girls, especially during their sensitive years, to handle the sight during P.E. class?

“They probably do it on purpose. Perverts.”

Who can stop the pride of Korean men? Even Jin-hyuk, in his past life, felt proud in public baths. Even though no one was looking. And even though he never used it.

Thinking that far, he suddenly sighed.

“What a waste of a life.”

***

Hong Ki-jun, busy with work, received an unexpected call.

“Hey, Kwang-yeon! What’s up, calling at this hour?”

Hong Ki-jun realized his voice was too loud. He was that happy to hear from his friend. They usually avoided calling during work hours out of respect. This was unusual. As an apology, he raised his hand to his colleagues and spun around in his chair.

Over the phone, his friend was excited.

“Hahaha! My son—”

Hong Ki-jun sighed through his nose, closed his eyes, and listened.

A man without a son can’t help but feel lonely. Every call is just bragging about his son.

“Oh, really? He’s entering a track meet? Is there anything he can’t do? He’s good at fighting too—”

“Fighting? What are you talking about? Who’s my son fighting?”

“Ahaha, my bad. I was thinking about him playing with the rooster.”

Hong Ki-jun pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead.

Maybe it was the sunny office, but he was sweating for no reason.

He nodded to the employee who brought him coffee and continued the call.

“So, if he wins the regional competition, what’s next?”

“Win? The point is to represent the region. I’m worried he might get hurt. Competing with such strong athletes, he’ll feel the gap. We’ve been through that, right?”

Hong Ki-jun nodded, recalling his college days with Son Kwang-yeon.

Back then, just getting into college was considered a success, but the prestige of a top university didn’t leave much room for campus romance. Thanks to his friend, Hong Ki-jun also threw himself into studying.

And thanks to that, he met Yoo Se-ra. Looking back, it was the best thing that could’ve happened.

“Kwang-yeon studied even harder for scholarships.”

Son Kwang-yeon used to feel sorry that someone might miss out on a scholarship because of him. Despite coming from a difficult background.

Thinking about it, Hong Ki-jun felt that his friend, now living a peaceful rural life, might have finally found peace. It was a comforting thought.

“But the coach says his times are competitive. I don’t know much about it. If he wants to keep running, how can I help him?”

Over the phone, Son Kwang-yeon’s voice calmed.

“As always, you’re the only friend I have.”

“Of course. I’ll look into it. Take good care of him. Let’s meet during the kids’ vacation.”

“Thanks. Take care.”

“You too—”

Click.

“Ah, this guy…”

Hong Ki-jun didn’t get to hang up first.

He vowed to strike first next time and gestured to the new employee outside his door.

“Min Yong-rak?”

“Yes, Manager!”

“Is the report I asked for ready?”

“The one on Korean academy sports?”

Hong Ki-jun smirked.

He’d hired someone who failed the HR document review just based on their name, but they turned out to be sharp and hardworking.

“Rejecting someone just for being exempt from military service…”

Hong Ki-jun shook his head.

He resolved to clean house soon, getting rid of those abusing their minuscule power.

Min Yong-rak quickly pulled the report from the bookshelf.

Manager Hong Ki-jun was an interesting guy.

He’d heard that he became a manager shortly after being promoted to deputy manager. There were even rumors he’d be appointed as president without going through senior management.

“Being the chairman’s son-in-law helps.”

Everyone used titles like “Mr. Min” or “Ms. Lee,” but Manager Hong called people by their names. Maybe because he’s young. It didn’t sound bad.

Min Yong-rak brought over a stack of documents with a yellow file cover.

“Here it is!”

“Okay, thanks—”

As Hong Ki-jun opened the documents, the corners of his mouth lifted.

It looked like the smile of someone who’d been waiting for the right moment.

“Whatever you do, I’ll help you.”

Properly.

Live happily, doing what you want.

“Small birds don’t curse the storks.”

They just don’t understand.

It’s time to start moving.