Chapter 31

# 31 < New World (5) >

***

Jin-hyeok’s events are in the following order: 100 meters preliminaries, long jump, 200 meters, and then the 400 meters relay race.

Originally, the preliminaries and finals for each event should be held on different days, but who remembers how things were done in the old days? The Chungcheongnam-do preliminaries and finals had to be completed in two days, and the results had to be sent to the national competition committee. By mail and fax. Because of this, not only the committee members but also the coaches and athletes seemed overwhelmed.

“Jin-hyeok and Ji-beom, take care of your physical condition. Did you eat breakfast?”

“Yes, teacher.”

“Oops-.”

“Teacher, what’s wrong?”

Kim Young-tae slapped his forehead.

There was something he hadn’t thought of. Until last year, no athlete from Taeyang Elementary School had ever passed the preliminaries in an athletics competition. Even when Park Ji-beom was in 5th grade and represented the school, it was clear how scarce athletic talent was.

But this year, there’s Son Jin-hyeok.

If he passes the preliminaries, he’ll have to compete in the semifinals in the afternoon. The 100 meters preliminaries are the first event in the morning. It’s almost certain he’ll pass. And with Jin-hyeok’s skills, it’s also certain he’ll make it through the semifinals.

‘If that happens, we’ll have to stay another day.’

Just yesterday, we barely had any pork belly to save on food costs. As he sighed at the thought, he felt the sharp gazes of several pairs of eyes. Their innocent eyes were always the same.

Sensing the kids’ stares, Kim Young-tae quickly composed himself.

“No, no. Jin-hyeok, just take care of your physical condition. You have a lot of events, so it’s okay to give up if it’s too much. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Yes.”

I’ll cover the lodging costs.

Just make it to the finals.

Kim Young-tae, anticipating the waves Jin-hyeok would make, happily thought of his emergency fund.

Beeeeep-.

The microphone screeched, casting a spell that made everyone’s necks shrink.

[The boys’ elementary school 100 meters preliminaries, heat 1, will begin shortly. Athletes participating in this event-.]

Following the announcement, Park Ji-beom stepped up to the starting line.

“Park Ji-beom, fighting!”

“Taeyang Elementary School, fighting!”

Bang-!

Whoaaa-!

With the sound of the gun, the passionate cheers of teachers and students erupted. People shouting at the top of their lungs. Though the cheering squad consisted only of school staff and participating athletes, it was a moment filled with their excitement and anticipation.

‘Well…, this is pretty cool.’

Jin-hyeok’s heart swelled.

Even in his past life, as an adult, he had spent time learning various sports, but he never imagined running alongside others and shouting like this could be so thrilling. It wasn’t as intense as the Olympics or world championships he watched on TV, but the excitement of witnessing competition right before his eyes was no less moving.

‘I’m glad I came.’

A new world was opening up to Jin-hyeok once again.

Park Ji-beom crossed the finish line in first place.

“Wow! Ji-beom, 12.98 seconds!”

“Ji-beom’s going to the semifinals!”

Though there were fluctuations year by year, 13.00 seconds was a rare record even for elementary school regional competitions. With this condition, if he makes it through the semifinals, he could aim for the finals. Though he didn’t show it, Ji-beom must have been grinding his teeth watching Jin-hyeok. Kim Young-tae scolded himself for underestimating an athlete’s competitive spirit and momentarily sidelining Ji-beom.

‘Ah, sorry about that.’

But what can you do? Jin-hyeok is just that good. Kim Young-tae defended himself and turned his attention to the next athlete.

“Jin-hyeok, pace yourself. You have other events, so don’t push too hard.”

“Yes.”

He had no intention of giving it his all anyway.

He was well aware of the attention that comes with being too outstanding.

On the other hand, he was confident that even if he pushed hard, it wouldn’t strain his body.

‘Even a full sprint doesn’t feel that hard.’

His recovery training had been as intense as his running.

Jin-hyeok lightly stretched his shoulders and stepped into the starting area.

He had already checked out the track yesterday. It wasn’t a dusty dirt field but a proper athletic track. The starting blocks were shiny and new, which lifted his spirits.

“On your marks-.”

He kicked the starting blocks a couple of times to make sure they were secure.

Hoo-, he took a deep breath, filling his lungs.

“Set-.”

He raised his hips and leaned forward smoothly.

The warm spring sun made the back of his neck itch.

Hoooop- Hoo-, he inhaled deeply, exhaled about a third, and held his breath.

The gun would fire soon.

Bang-!

The atmosphere of the public stadium was torn apart by the sharp sound.

Puhak-!

Son Jin-hyeok, with his knees and elbows raised high, exhaled a rough breath like a roar.

***

“Eh, Chungcheong-do is slow.”

“What are you talking about! Since the old days, Chungcheong-do has been number one in speeding! You came here to pick a fight, didn’t you?”

Someone once said that because their speech is slow, their actions are fast. Speeding is rampant on the roads and even in bed, they say? It’s funny to divide such a small country by regions, but it’s not entirely baseless.

“Well. Bong-soo, you’re the witness.”

Just look at Jeong Bong-soo. He speaks slowly but his legs are fast.

From elementary to high school, then university, and even the pro leagues. He was always the number 11 on the soccer field. If only his footwork and accuracy were better, he could’ve been a national team player.

‘If it weren’t for that injury, he could’ve played longer.’

Now he’s a middle school soccer coach in Daejeon.

Who would’ve thought he’d meet Lee Hae-dong, a middle school soccer coach from Suwon, in Gongju after so long.

“Did you transfer any students?”

“Ah, forget it. They all got snatched by the baseball team.”

There’s a consistent belief among sports coaches.

‘You can teach skills, but you can’t teach speed.’

They came to Gongju to scout elementary school 6th graders with good physique and fast feet for track and field, but there were no standout athletes. Even if they found someone, most were lured by the financially rewarding baseball teams, and those who couldn’t get financial support chose soccer, which is cheaper than baseball.

And so, the foundation of Korean sports was cut short by the logic of money.

Bang-!

“Huh?”

At the sound of the gun, Jeong Bong-soo turned his head to the track, pulling Lee Hae-dong out of his thoughts.

Whoaaa-!

The stadium erupted in cheers as if on cue.

With no audience, how could the cheers be so loud? But Jeong Bong-soo and Lee Hae-dong soon joined in.

“Whoa whoa whoa-! What’s this, what’s this!”

It was an overwhelming sprint.

Compared to other athletes, and especially for an elementary school student, his height and broad shoulders stood out. But most of all.

Speed.

His running style reminded one of Ben Johnson from the 1988 Seoul Olympics. But more precisely, it was even more dynamic. The relentless sprint of his legs, and his upper body pushing forward as if someone was pushing him from behind.

With that physique and that speed, one could only imagine the strength in his ankles.

Jeong Bong-soo pointed at the athlete who had just finished first.

“Hey! Play soccer!”

Strong ankles that can generate powerful kicks even from a standstill are a blessing for soccer players, and speed is the second hardest thing to develop.

Jeong Bong-soo shouted in frustration.

“Damn these countryside scoreboards!”

If there were a scoreboard, the record would’ve been up in no time. They were curious about the record, but the track and field record was just written on a whiteboard, so the audience couldn’t see it.

Jeong Bong-soo and Lee Hae-dong rushed to the track, pushing each other.

‘We have to catch him.’

Shoving each other.

“Stop pushing, you jerk!”

The two middle school soccer coaches showcased their wrestling skills honed during their soccer careers. Behind them, baseball coaches from Cheonan and Gongju walked leisurely with their hands in their pockets. True to their baseball coach style, they wore stylish sunglasses.

[Ah-. Please don’t come down. Only competition officials- Beeeep-.]

***

Thud-.

A red flag went up.

“Number 91, foul.”

It was Son Jin-hyeok’s number.

It was his first time doing the long jump. Just running hard wasn’t enough.

‘Ah, I missed the timing again.’

A 20-centimeter takeoff board and a 10-centimeter clay board.

At first, it felt like his toes went over the takeoff board. There was a slightly elastic sensation at the tip of his toes. So, he knew it was a foul the moment he jumped.

The second attempt felt good to him. From the run-up to the takeoff, mid-air posture, and landing. But it seemed the tip of his running shoe stuck out a bit.

“Sigh-.”

Maybe it was because he sighed.

Teacher Kim Young-tae encouraged Jin-hyeok.

“Jin-hyeok, it’s okay. You did well. You can jump one more time.”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t disappointment, just catching his breath, but Teacher Kim Young-tae tried hard to keep Jin-hyeok from feeling discouraged. Kim Young-tae had all the qualities of a good teacher.

As Kim Young-tae patted Jin-hyeok’s back, he glanced at the landing spot. Just then, Jin-hyeok’s buttocks touched the sand, and the dent was being smoothed out by the officials.

‘6 meters?’

Did I see that wrong?

***

Number 91.

Jin-hyeok is the last, ninth jumper.

There weren’t many participants, so there were no preliminary records; it was just a sign-up event. Since it was done in order of sign-up, he ended up last, but the pressure of being the final jumper weighed on him.

But being last had its advantages.

‘Ah, the run-up isn’t a full sprint from the start.’

One last chance, the final jumper.

Despite the tension, he could observe the other athletes’ movements. Jin-hyeok quickly picked up what he needed from their techniques with his sharp eyes.

Tap tap tap tap tap-!

Another long jumper made a powerful run-up.

‘They reach top speed two or three steps before the takeoff board.’

It was the athlete from Gongju with the best record so far. Observing his movements from the first attempt had been helpful.

‘Speed up, then straighten the upper body two steps before takeoff, and keep the upper body upright during the jump.’

It was a sudden decision to participate, but he didn’t want to regret it. Like programming his body with logical steps, Jin-hyeok immersed himself in the long jump.

‘It’s an individual event anyway. I’ve never done anything as well as when I’m alone.’

No need to worry about someone tackling him or being disappointed by a teammate’s performance. He didn’t care about the competitors’ records either. In the end, it was a battle with himself.

‘I just need to do my best.’

It was Jin-hyeok’s turn, and he stepped into the starting area.

He recalled what he had learned from watching international competitions in his past life. Slightly bending his knees to match the rhythm. There were no audience members to match his rhythm, but he swayed his upper body to his own beat and breathed.

As others looked at him curiously.

Tap-!

Tap-ta-ta-tatap-!

Jin-hyeok, running the approach, became like a gamecock. He stretched his neck and chest forward as if chasing a pesky kid. Of course, to onlookers, it looked like he was keeping his upper body upright.

Papapap-!

He quickly reached top speed.

He straightened his upper body and took a deep breath.

Now, the takeoff board.

Thud-!

He knew. This time, he left plenty of room before the board.

Running fast and pushing off hard, he defied gravity and soared high and far.

Whoooosh-, as if flying through the sky, a strange wind brushed his ears.

Jin-hyeok tilted his head and rolled his eyes down to find the landing spot. The audience seats flashed in his vision, and he saw the track. Did he jump too high? His legs felt awkward. Should he push off the air? He flailed one leg. If one leg fell behind, it would be trouble. He tightened his thighs, and his legs pulled forward. He brought his feet together neatly.

Fine sand came into view.

His feet were about to touch.

He pulled his chest forward with all his might.

Gritting his teeth, he twisted his shoulders. Falling backward would be a disaster.

Swoosh-!

Fine sand sprayed forward and to the sides.

After landing, Jin-hyeok rolled to the side once and looked at the official sitting by the takeoff board.

A white flag!

He tried to estimate the record.

‘Is it a good record?’

Without knowing the other athletes’ records, he couldn’t tell.

Brushing off the sand, he stepped out.

Jin-hyeok put his hands on his hips and watched as two officials measured the sand pit with a tape measure. Teacher Kim Young-tae and his friends gathered around Jin-hyeok with excited expressions. Participants from other schools started whispering.

The official announced Jin-hyeok’s record.

Murmur murmur-.

Amid the murmuring, he couldn’t hear the official’s voice clearly.

“6 meters-.”

Teacher Kim Young-tae’s jaw dropped like a broken doll.

Then someone shouted.

“Here, here! Come quick! There’s something wrong with this kid!”