Chapter 300

How to Not Be Devoured by Darkness (3)

***

“Mommy’s daddy, bye-bye~.”

“Hehe, alright. See you tonight, our puppy.”

Hong Soo-hyuk, who calls his grandfather in a strange way, climbed onto the boat while being held by Choi Mi-kyung.

Yoo Myung-sun waved his hand with a kind smile.

Despite correcting him several times, the nickname stuck in Hong Soo-hyuk’s mouth remained unchanged.

Well, it’s not exactly wrong… It’s true, mommy’s daddy.

Hong Ki-jun also boarded the boat, leaving Yoo Myung-sun behind.

The father-in-law, who lightened the son-in-law’s heart by saying they’d visit Son Kwang-yeon’s house in the evening, was still appreciated.

Yoo Se-ra, who is afraid of boats, hesitated even when seeing the straight waterway, more so than an ice rink.

“Mommy~. Wow. Wow~. Bye-bye~.”

“Let’s go, let’s go.”

Hong Soo-hyuk, who boarded the boat first, gestured, and there was no reason not to go.

He moved his shaky legs on his own.

“Mommy, don’t say bad things~.”

“Mommy’s legs are tired, that’s why.”

“Don’t say it again~.”

“Stop it!”

“Uh-oh.”

When mom got irritated, Hong Soo-hyuk buried himself in Choi Mi-kyung’s arms.

Hehehe.

Everyone chuckled watching Yoo Se-ra having a conversation at eye level with her young son.

The calm and intelligent image she shows in the media is no different from Choi Mi-kyung in real life.

“Full speed ahead! Fire!”

As the boat started moving at the captain’s signal, Hong Ki-jun’s lips twitched.

Huff huff.

Jin Hyuk, who was pedaling with his tongue out like Jang Gun-i, looked quite amusing.

‘Hehe, this guy. Even if fate changes, it seems the hardship remains the same.’

I knew he was devoted to his family, but to willingly suffer like a dog?

It’s so absurd that I can’t help but laugh.

“Row, row, row the boat, gently down the stream~!”

She doesn’t know the lyrics either.

Son Yoo-jin’s loud singing also made everyone smile.

Even though there were many eyes watching, Son Yoo-jin acted as if she were the king of the sea, without any hesitation.

‘It’s nice that she doesn’t care about others’ opinions and has no shadows.’

My daughter Hong Soo-jung used to have many shadows.

Even when I suggested doing something, she would just nod vaguely, rarely smiling or speaking first to her dad. It probably started after she went abroad.

‘Our daughter has changed now.’

As if adolescence were someone else’s business, she hugs her dad every day when he comes home from work and chatters nonstop when they’re together. She even massages my shoulders, saying I’ve worked hard, and her touch is more refreshing than any masseuse.

That alone makes it all worth it.

Even when I’m sick and tired, I gain the strength to live from others.

‘Jin Hyuk must be like that too.’

Siblings, friends, neighborhood seniors, dogs, even the elderly.

His will to live was remarkable, but he must also gain strength from his connections.

Look at him now.

Huff huff, panting.

Even though his thighs, calves, and temples are strained from pedaling, he’s still smiling. Watching Son Yoo-jin singing, Choi Mi-kyung holding Hong Soo-hyuk steady from behind, Choi Tae-yang holding Son Jeong-won, the dogs running around the boat, and the two friends who are clearly in love.

Then, when his eyes met Hong Ki-jun’s, he smiled awkwardly.

‘This guy.’

He said he’s in the process of regaining his memories.

He even made Dugu Elil, a big shot, run errands for him.

Not only did he escape the darkness, but he also used it to his advantage. Son Jin-hyeok is something else.

Whoosh.

He took a deep breath of fresh air.

His head cleared, and he felt like he could fly, feeling so good.

“Ah~. The scenery is beautiful, the air is fresh. It was a good idea to come here for a break. Right, Soo-jung’s mom?”

“Uh-huh~ Uh-oh!”

Yoo Se-ra, who was nodding, grabbed the side of the boat and started headbanging violently.

Morning sickness?

But… it hasn’t even been a day yet?

Ugh.

Splash.

Yoo Se-ra threw bait into the water.

It dissolved so well that it could serve as baby food for young fish without needing to be mixed with water.

Kim Eun-jung, who was nearby, quickly approached and patted Yoo Se-ra’s back.

“Ma’am, are you okay?”

“Ugh~.”

Yoo Se-ra stretched her arm back, waving it off. I guess she’s fine.

Jo Seol-chan, who stood up as well, scratched his cheek and muttered.

“Even though it’s not the sea, someone’s getting seasick~.”

“Hahahaha!”

Hong Ki-jun burst into laughter until tears came out.

Hahahaha!

“Ooh my see~ Ugh~!”

Yoo Se-ra glared and waved her cat paws, but the laughter didn’t stop.

Hahahaha!

The waterway echoed with his hearty laughter.

‘Yoo Se-ra, I live for you.’

I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt and tears came out.

*

As if she hadn’t been seasick at all, Yoo Se-ra landed a liver shot on Hong Ki-jun’s abdomen as soon as they stepped on land.

“Ugh!”

“Does the wife feel better now that she’s seasick?”

Yoo Se-ra, the lioness.

After learning boxing from Hong Soo-jung, she knew exactly where the liver was.

“Hahahaha!”

“Bastard~. You must be feeling good.”

Oh my body~. I don’t know why my whole body aches after being seasick.

Yoo Se-ra gave a sharp look and then ran across the lawn.

*

“Jin Hyuk’s mom, what skincare do you use? How do you not age at all?”

“Oh my~. If a CEO who gets skincare treatments says that, it just sounds like mocking country folks.”

Yoo Se-ra and Han Yu-young sat on the bench, becoming one.

Even sisters might not be as close as them.

“Soo-hyuk, if you need to poop while playing with Jeong-won, come to mommy, okay?”

“Okay~.”

Hong Soo-hyuk, who was once a stubborn and greedy baby, had grown into a gentle child.

Thanks to Hong Soo-jung’s strict yet caring upbringing.

“How come he doesn’t act like a rich kid?”

“Don’t even say it. Soo-jung is so strict that Soo-hyuk doesn’t dare move. The funniest part? Even when he gets scolded by his sister, he doesn’t come to mommy.”

“Oh my, how~. He must really love his sister.”

“He’s completely attached to her. If Soo-jung even goes to the bathroom, he begs her to open the door. It’s hilarious, really.”

“Our Yoo-jin was like that too. She used to stick to her brother day and night, and she still does.”

“Feeling left out?”

Han Yu-young hesitated before answering, glancing around.

No one’s listening, right?

“It’s so~ comfortable······.”

The two mothers narrowed their eyes and chuckled.

They had heard that having a big age gap with the youngest sibling was good, but experiencing it firsthand was truly wonderful.

While the mothers chatted, Jeong-won and Hong Soo-hyuk held hands and wandered around the lawn. Jang Gun-i followed them like a bodyguard.

“Jang Gun-i.”

“Jang Gun-i? Doggy.”

“Doggy~. Jang Gun-i~.”

When the sun became too hot, they played tag under the plum tree.

“Dadadada~!”

“Run~! Catch~!”

Their waddling resembled two raccoons, making everyone smile.

Woof! Woof!

The excited dogs joined the playing children, filling the yard with energy.

After making sure the kids were playing well, Jin Hyuk moved his steps.

Towards the lonely figure sitting under the cherry tree, looking down at the waterway.

*

Indigo.

The word “indigo” doesn’t do it justice.

The sky, without a single cloud or bird, gave the illusion that time had stopped.

‘It’s similar.’

It resembles the world Jin Hyuk once lived in.

The color of the sky, the water, the lively voices of people.

When designing the garden and the waterway, Jin Hyuk’s opinions were heavily reflected.

He had told the construction workers to consult with his son since Son Kwang-yeon was busy, and Jin Hyuk unconsciously created a land resembling the world he once lived in.

‘Come to think of it, he also interfered when building the house, right?’

Son Kwang-yeon’s house isn’t the typical concrete structure called a Western-style house.

Both the exterior and interior are unique, unlike any other house in Korea.

‘I was too busy drinking with friends to notice.’

It’s good that I realized it, even if late.

Dugu Elil had said Jin Hyuk would return with his memories, but Hong Ki-jun didn’t remember that at all.

Even after Jin Hyuk told him, he couldn’t recall it. The wind blowing through the rift in space-time can even erase one’s self, but Hong Ki-jun protected him and eventually regained his memories with Dugu Elil, so it’s fortunate.

‘I also brought a world I saw elsewhere.’

While Jin Hyuk only changed his house and neighborhood, Hong Ki-jun is transplanting an entire world.

Stocks, real estate?

That’s for ordinary people to dream about.

With technology from another world that was unimaginable, why bother with such things?

One revolutionary technology is enough to bring wealth and fame on its own. And Hong Ki-jun’s technology has no end. It’s so vast that it would take generations to fully realize.

Of course, right after returning, it was overwhelming to grasp the world’s flow and establish a foundation. He worked so hard to gain recognition from his father-in-law.

Moreover, the changed history turned the simple records he had kept into scraps of paper.

‘I was really panicked back then. I couldn’t predict anything.’

It was unnecessary worry.

When the world is watching only you, there’s no need to follow its flow.

From then on, it was just a matter of staying ahead.

‘Thinking about all this clears my mind and feels good.’

Laughter, thoughts, what else?

A way to not be devoured by darkness.

‘Ah, desire.’

······ Hehe.

There must be something else, right?

I should ask him when he comes.

Muttering to himself, he heard footsteps.

He told SSS not to be seen, so the one approaching must be him.

What should I say first?

“I thought I could keep moving forward···.”

Hong Ki-jun tapped the seat next to him without turning around.

The grass under the tree was soft and comfortable.

When Jin Hyuk sat down, he continued.

“···It wasn’t easy.”

Industrial espionage.

Despite strict control and security measures, technology leaks couldn’t be stopped.

Domestic and foreign competitors began copying the advanced technology.

Even quadcopters are being developed in the US and Japan. A few people died in crashes, right?

“Only then did I understand what you said. Whether you run fast or walk slowly, the gap remains similar. That must be an insight you gained firsthand.”

Jin Hyuk nodded silently.

Everything in the world is like a race.

If there’s a talented person, the competitors inspired by them will also rise to the occasion. Whether they use fair means or cheat, they will catch up.

Conversely, if there’s no talented person, everyone becomes complacent, and the race becomes boring.

Here, the term “talented person” can be replaced with “revolution.”

Neolithic Revolution, Iron Age Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Information Revolution, and all the revolutions Hong Ki-jun brought.

“Even if languages differ, technology monopoly can’t last forever. Machines can be disassembled, codes can be decoded, materials can be decomposed and melted to figure out how they were made···.”

He sighed and looked at Hong Ki-jun.

“You don’t need to blame yourself for not being able to stop industrial espionage. Thanks to you, human civilization has advanced several steps.”

“Right. Hearing that makes me feel better. You’re the only one who can say that to me.”

Sharing secrets must be this comforting and intimate.

Even if they weren’t that close, Jin Hyuk was the only one.

The only one who could evaluate and comfort Hong Ki-jun.

It was the same in the past, and it’s the same now.

Who else would dare say such things to Hong Ki-jun?

Those concerned about their positions would be cautious not to upset the chairman, fearing they might lose their heads. No matter how gentlemanly the chairman is, he’s still a man of power.

“I thought you deliberately leaked technology information to broaden the base.”

“Hehe, as if······.”

Hong Ki-jun wiped the cold sweat from his sideburns.

There were technologies mixed with errors like sand in rice, but those were limited to outdated technologies.

“You’ve achieved a lot. You’ve created a completely different world.”

Jin Hyuk, who used to hole up and study, didn’t know much about the outside world. But he knew that the past and present were completely different from what he indirectly experienced through newspapers.

Cars are different, planes are different.

Mobile communication, PCs, phones are different, and the news frequently reports what South Korea’s geostationary satellites have detected.

North Korea’s provocations at the armistice line and spy infiltrations have disappeared, and Japan’s provocations over Dokdo, which used to be frequent, have stopped since last year. Rumors started circulating that a few Japanese submarines snooping around Dokdo’s seabed sank in the East Sea. Of course, Jin Hyuk confirmed it through internal reports.

“That’s why I’m worried. Should I keep coming up with new things?”

“Ran out of ideas?”

“Hehe, as if.”

Hong Ki-jun laughed and patted his chest.

It was clear what was stored in that thick area.

‘That’s where he wrote it all down.’

He had transcribed it by hand, and that’s why there were piles of handwritten reports when he went to Seoul to meet Chairman Yoo Myung-sun.

“The problem is whether the human vessel can fully contain it, not the lack of ideas.”

Hmm.

Jin Hyuk let out a sigh, half-understanding.

What kind of incredible technology did he bring that even human technology has limits in realizing it?

It made him curious.

“Can’t you tell me? Just roughly, what kind of technology is there······.”

“What kind of technology? Hmm~, how about a light-speed engine?”

Jin Hyuk’s eyes widened.

In contrast to Hong Ki-jun’s playful gaze.

“Really? There’s something like that?”