Chapter 283

The first three days after arriving in Atlanta were long and tedious.

Unfamiliar land, different security conditions from Korea. The only places to go were the training ground and the dormitory, so even Jin-hyuk, who doesn’t like wandering around, felt suffocated.

“Oppa, have a safe trip~.”

“Oppa, have a safe trip.”

“Okay. Have fun, Soo-jung and Yoo-jin.”

After being seen off by his siblings, he got into the van.

Mingling with the U.S. national team athletes and adapting to the local environment, time flew by in the blink of an eye.

The four days after the opening ceremony were also long.

Thanks to Yoo Se-ra’s support, he spent time cheering for other events like archery and shooting, but time tends to pass slowly when you’re not actively moving.

He filled the cup of time with meaning by training at the football stadium, making bets with American athletes, and building friendships.

From the 100m preliminaries to the finals, the two days were short and intense.

But it will likely remain in his memory as a longer period than any other.

‘Probably because I was more focused.’

And the medal.

It was the moment Jin-hyuk, who had always considered time spent with family more important, began to assign meaning to other times as well.

Even if it’s the same two days, the reason it feels heavier is because the heart acts like gravity on the object called time.

“We’re here.”

“Thank you.”

He greeted the SSS agent from Dallas driving the van and got out of the car.

During the three days spent training to manage stamina and adjust breathing for the 200m event, he often thought of the family he left behind, and his heart wavered.

Because of that, he discovered a softer, more emotionally honest version of himself.

“Wow, it’s still as hot as ever today.”

But having Jin Seon-kyu around helped him pull himself together.

The 200m training took place at the track where he had done his initial adaptation training. The U.S. national team didn’t propose joint training this time, likely trying not to reveal their secret weapon.

Having seen the 100m final record firsthand, it was only natural that the U.S. team would be on high alert for the 200m.

Jin-hyuk could understand them.

“Ah-, I feel a bit disappointed.”

Jin Seon-kyu, who had to assist in training under the scorching sun, seemed regretful.

“Shoot and run~.”

“Welcome, medalists.”

Still, he could see other athletes besides the U.S. national team.

Linford Christie, preparing for his last 200m competition before retirement.

And Frank Fredericks and Ato Boldon, also strong contenders in the 200m.

“Young friend, do you have any advice for me this time?”

“Not really, Lin.”

Someone his age should know what to do without needing advice.

“Ah-, I feel a bit disappointed.”

The language was different, but the tone was similar to Jin Seon-kyu’s.

He really seems disappointed.

“Run from the start. Don’t save your stamina.”

“Okay!”

Linford answered cheerfully, but a shadow lingered in the corner of his expression.

He knows it himself. The 200m is harder for Christie than the 100m.

Frank Fredericks left a light smile and focused back on his training. It’s surprising that someone so reserved would approach him first at the training ground to greet him. Smileman, truly consistent.

Ato Boldon, whose original nickname was “Ostrich”… From an observer’s perspective, he really does look like an ostrich. Zoom zoom zoom-. Even though he runs so fast, his head stays slightly fixed forward. Whoever gave him that nickname did a good job.

‘His running style is similar to Michael Johnson’s, but maybe it’s just the wide stride?’

Because of his large stride, his upper body shakes more compared to Michael Johnson.

Thump! Thump! His breathing was so intense it was visible.

‘Sorry, but you’re not my opponent.’

No one is.

Maybe in about 20 years, a baby born this year will grow up and become a rival.

Records are meant to be broken, and Yoo Se-ra suggested aiming for a different record.

– “How about six consecutive wins in the 100m and 200m?”

Are you crazy?

– “Six consecutive wins in sprinting is a record that will never be broken.”

I’ll give you that.

– “I think Jin-hyuk could do it.”

Well.

Everyone gets old.

***

“I’m back.”

When he returned to the dorm after training, it wasn’t just Yoo-jin who came running.

“Welcome back.”

“Welcome back.”

“Good job.”

You can’t forget the people helping behind the scenes.

The reason Jin-hyuk could focus solely on training and his inner self, even when it felt boring.

There were people who took care of schedules, meals, bedroom management, and even laundry, allowing him to focus on training and achieve the best results.

At home, his mother took on that role.

“That’s why athletes marry early. Even abroad, it’s no exception. It shows how important support is.”

Yoo Se-ra, wearing glasses as big as marbles, chewed on an orange in the mansion’s living room.

Jin-hyuk, who had been comforting Yoo-jin after a full day of swimming, responded.

“Thanks to you, I don’t have to worry about that.”

“Do you think managing is easy? Supporting someone to focus on their role is what an agency does.”

When an athlete performs well, it promotes the agency’s capabilities and raises its status. The more the agency’s positive aspects are exposed, the more talented athletes flock to it, and then the athletes perform well again, and so on…

Yoo Se-ra pushed a stack of documents across the table. A sense of dignity emanated from her smooth movements. But why is she in crazy mother mode at other times?

“Want to review the sponsorship proposals?”

…The cycle of sponsors lining up continues.

For that, the agency’s capabilities and scale are important.

“I’ll leave it to the agency.”

Mutual trust is, of course, essential.

“Do you trust this mother? I might sell you off.”

“You can’t sell me.”

Heh-. This kid’s too smart for threats. Yoo Se-ra stuck out her tongue and laughed like a fool. Dignity revoked.

“Mom, I want to see.”

Sigh-.

No trace of dignity, just a silly cat-like grin.

“Should I take a look~?”

“Sure.”

Power is so tempting.

Even Hong Soo-jung, who was like an angry cat, became docile.

‘Pretending to be well-behaved is cute.’

There are treasures you should never sell, even if you’re ruined.

Yoo Se-ra, strong on the outside but soft inside, isn’t a fool who doesn’t know that.

You have to secure talent you can’t afford to lose and treat them generously, even if it means giving up some profit distribution. So they don’t feel disappointed. It’s impossible to completely remove emotions from human actions. Most managers just talk big and realize too late after losing great talent.

Anyway, Yoo Se-ra, with her husband’s solid support and no financial worries, was ahead of any agency in that regard. Not just capital, but her connections with Jin-hyuk were also a formidable weapon.

“Seon-kyu said he’ll join right away. He wants to stay active until he’s thirty.”

“That’s good.”

“Exactly. After completing basic military training back home, he’ll be a founding member of our team.”

A professional team.

While seeing Yoo Se-ra every day in Atlanta, Jin-hyuk was ordered to move for the future.

It was a proposal and demand to establish a professional team under civilian qualifications, currently concentrated in city halls, provincial offices, and military offices.

“I’ve already dropped some hints to my senior about the Yeouido training ground.”

Jin-hyuk went all out.

Something he hated doing even while working at a company, but this time he secretly hoped for recognition.

“Oh my~, well done. Whose child are you, so smart~. So cute~.”

Yoo Se-ra’s baby talk, reminiscent of a mother and child, made Hong Soo-jung make a face as if she’d seen something disgusting.

Crazy. Luckily, Hong Soo-jung’s muttering didn’t reach Yoo Se-ra’s ears.

“Do you think there are companies that could sponsor my senior too?”

“Plenty. I plan to match them as soon as Seon-kyu signs the contract. It’s good if it aligns with the athlete’s personality, right?”

Lacking in dignity but has a sense of style.

Jin-hyuk emphasized to Yoo Se-ra that it was time to dive into the business of attracting sponsors, using the Olympics as a springboard.

The team name is still undecided, but he presented a blueprint for the soon-to-be-launched team, where athletes with personal sponsor logos, in addition to official sponsors, would perform well. A single photo of the athlete on the podium would be enough advertising for the sponsor.

“I’m also thinking of creating a swimming team. Some middle school in Suwon? They say there’s a female athlete with potential there.”

“That’s good. The more diverse the events, the more external interest will grow. Anything else?”

“That’s all for today. The rowing team is still under review, so it’s not time to talk about it yet.”

Yoo Se-ra smiled happily.

“Thank you for your hard work. Well then-.”

Jin-hyuk carefully laid Yoo-jin, who was nodding off, on the sofa.

As he picked up a thick, comfortable hooded jacket to go out, Yoo Se-ra made a puzzled face.

“Where are you going? It’s getting dark soon.”

“To compete in the quarter-finals.”

“Ah?”

Out of 82 participants in the Olympic men’s 200m, Jin-hyuk had easily passed the preliminaries held in 11 groups that morning.

There was nothing particularly memorable or noteworthy.

The only thing worth mentioning was that he met Chen, the Chinese athlete he had faced in the 100m preliminaries, again in the 200m preliminaries. This time, Chen wasn’t saved and packed his bags. He finished 8th out of 8.

He didn’t assign any special meaning to it, so he just let it go.

A phoenix and a sparrow… Ah, using “sparrow” in a derogatory sense because of Haengun-i would be problematic. Anyway, there’s no reason to care about the Chinese athlete. First impressions and connections are that important.

“Ah, so that’s why you didn’t train today?”

“You watched the preliminaries at the stadium this morning.”

“That’s… right. I watched too many games, so I got confused.”

What’s there to be confused about, mom?

Jin-hyuk chuckled and put on his hooded jacket. It’s a way to moderately raise and maintain body temperature.

“I’ll go ahead and prepare.”

“Okay, sure.”

Watching Yoo Se-ra scratch her head, he thought.

‘Impressive.’

With a memory close to short-term amnesia and such scattered focus, how did she lead a sports foundation in the past? Surely, someone Jin-hyuk doesn’t know must have helped.

Here, there.

Only people who require a lot of attention.

Does using hands make you a hand?

Yoo-jin said it.

Because it’s a hand, it’s called a medicinal hand.

“Yoo-jin, are you going to sleep?”

“Umm~, umm~. I can’t sleep~.”

Yoo-jin, who hadn’t missed a single one of her brother’s matches, shook her head. Rubbing her eyes.

“Oppa will go first, so come later with Uncle Seon-kyu and the others.”

“Okay~, hehe~.”

As he stepped out the front door with a federation employee and closed the door, he heard Hong Soo-jung’s voice asking something.

“Mom, isn’t this person that person?”

“I don’t know. Even if I know, I don’t know.”

Her obsession with honorifics is impressive.

“…Isn’t that person~?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

It’s a good thing Hong Soo-jung is quicker on the uptake than her mom.

Click-.

But…, that person?

Ah, that guy-.

Jin-hyuk nodded as he moved to the van.

*

Hong Soo-jung, who had lived with a secretary and bodyguard since her study abroad days, regretted not having done many things.

Travel, adventure, hobbies, etc. One of them was dating.

Jin-hyuk, who had voluntarily avoided dating, couldn’t understand that feeling.

According to his friends, no matter how strict the surveillance, dating was totally possible.

In some countries, people even date in prison.

Of course, it wasn’t Shin Woo-sung, who remained single until his last day, or Lee Seung-hoon, who lived with his father, who said that.

Probably a daughter of a well-off family among his college peers, a comment that came up casually during a meal.

‘Who was that again?’

They didn’t interact frequently, and their relationship wasn’t deep, so he only remembers the conversation. When and where it took place is unclear. Gossip is always like that. Hearsay-.

Hong Soo-jung’s case is different, so it shouldn’t be generalized, but he wondered why she couldn’t, and why she still couldn’t after that.

Don’t call when you’re drunk. You’re such a mess.

Anyway, Executive Hong Soo-jung hated her father, Chairman Hong Ki-jun, for that.

Couldn’t even date, got married at almost thirty under her father’s pressure.

Her husband, ten years older, was taken away by the police on their wedding day, turned out to be a drug addict at home, and without some side effect medication… Ah, forget it.

Because of that, Hong Soo-jung ran away from home. How embarrassing must it have been?

‘Useless kid, now I’m reminiscing about the past again.’

The runaway Hong Soo-jung was crouched in the corner of the underground parking lot of the apartment where Jin-hyuk lived.

The person who should shine the most beautifully in the world, on the day she should be the happiest.

‘I messed up back then too.’

In the end, wasn’t it your choice? Dry and neutral, he spoke bluntly and made her cry.

‘You were a zero-empathy jerk.’

But who in the world would worry about a chaebol?

To a young man busy making a living, they were as unreachable as the moon.

The moment Jin-hyuk left the mansion, the newspaper Hong Soo-jung was reading probably had an article about Park Hyun-soo.

Top news about the third son of a prominent Korean business family being urgently arrested by U.S. drug authorities.

Jin-hyuk had already confirmed it.

Not just confirmed.

He got crucial information from Moon Seok-il, who had been in constant contact since arriving in Atlanta.

The reason Park Hyun-soo delayed his return after the Olympics was because of drugs.

Jin-hyuk made the decision immediately, and the U.S. responded with a newspaper article.

“Anonymous tip, factual and specific, authorities urgently arrested.”

The anonymous tipster was someone Moon Seok-il had arranged, and the drug was cocaine.

He might not be completely out yet, but neither the U.S. nor the Korean government will be able to intervene. Korean media won’t be able to try to divert attention by talking about human rights violations or rescue movements by U.S. authorities.

Just keeping an eye on the Sein Group will be overwhelming.

This time, their opponent is too unfavorable.

Blocked by an invisible, non-existent wall, they won’t be able to do anything.

‘How many years will he survive? In the U.S….’

Regardless of the duration, Park Hyun-soo will have a tough time.

Park Hyun-soo, who had only held a wedding with Hong Soo-jung in a past life and became strangers again, won’t have a connection this time. No, a bad connection.

It’s better for villains to disappear from life without a trace, without anyone knowing they existed. Without harming anyone.

Just by appearing on the world stage and strutting in the center, people will feel fatigue and unhappiness. Jin-hyuk thought so.

The crimes already committed are enough reason for severe punishment, but you can’t let them ruin someone else’s life, whoever that might be.

‘I hope Park Woo-jung’s blood pressure rises too.’

For him, it would be more honorable to leave before facing Jin-hyuk.

Park Woo-jung has no idea what kind of punishment is being planned.

“…Jin-hyuk, the athlete?”

Though Jin-hyuk silently planned and executed it, there was no room for guilt in his heart.

Reporting someone who broke traffic laws without special circumstances wouldn’t make him feel sorry at all, let alone for a drug crime…

A federation employee shook Jin-hyuk’s shoulder.

“Jin-hyuk, we’re here. Let’s get out.”

“Ah! Yes!”

“Were you nervous? I called you several times-.”

“Ahaha-, sorry.”

…Far from feeling sorry, he somehow feels lighter.

His body feels lighter too.

Goodbye, druggie.

Farewell.

*

The men’s 200m event preliminaries usually form records between 20-22 seconds, quarter and semi-finals between 20-21 seconds, and finals between 19-21 seconds.

The only opponent Jin-hyuk needs to be wary of is Michael Johnson, but they were in different groups for the preliminaries and quarters. His record of 20.55 wasn’t noteworthy.

‘More than a second slower than my best practice time.’

Worrying about a record that doesn’t spark any challenge is a waste of energy.

Huff, huff.

While lightly warming up, a Japanese athlete from the same quarter-final group approached and bowed his head.

“Annyeonghaseyo. My name is Ito Koji desu.”

Huh?

A new version of “Handle Ippai Kkeokkeo”?

Jin-hyuk’s head tilted to the side without him realizing it.

As if someone had pressed it.