Chapter 37

#37 <New Future (2)>

***

One day before July.

They had a training camp in Gongju with athletes from other regions.

“Yeah, I’m doing fine. Training is the same as always, you know.”

Jin-hyuk called home every morning and evening from somewhere in Gongju.

Hearing the voices of his dad, mom, and younger sister Yoo-jin made him happy, so it was something he couldn’t skip even for a day.

On the other hand, training wasn’t enjoyable.

To be precise, it was regrettable.

“Hey! Jang Pil-won! Are you not paying attention to your ankles and toes? Get down, you brat!”

The head coach, Lee Joo-keun, was the track and field coach from another elementary school in the city. He had no interest in the kids’ camaraderie and was solely focused on getting results. If anything seemed off, he would swear and hit them.

‘I miss Mr. Kim Young-tae.’

Jin-hyuk enjoyed running, but the training camp with Lee Joo-keun made his blood boil. He even started doubting the whole camp training when he heard that the 400-meter relay team for this competition was selected from another school’s track team. It was a school that had been eliminated in the regional semifinals, and no one explained why they were chosen.

‘Was the school’s name Daesung?’

It was just a formality to have the sprinters from Chungnam train together as one team, but there was no other reason. Every evening, Lee Joo-keun would drive off and return at dawn reeking of alcohol.

‘What kind of teacher is this…?’

If he acts like this during a training camp with students from other regions, he must be worse in his usual routine. The thought that the beatings, irresponsible absences, and drunk driving were probably even worse normally made Jin-hyuk nauseous.

‘I want to hit him.’

He heard that this would be the last time they’d select regional representatives for competitions. Starting next year, schools would compete in national-level competitions, but Jin-hyuk, who wouldn’t be participating next year, wasn’t interested.

“Hey, you brat! Why are you lifting your chin?”

“Hey, you bastard!”

“Ugh, that idiot!”

Except for Jin-hyuk, the other athletes were students coached by Lee Joo-keun. They were participants in various events like the high jump and 800 meters, and Lee Joo-keun would swear at them as a basic routine, often slapping them. The kids, who had been in sports since they were young, seemed used to it and didn’t even show signs of resentment.

‘If he lays a hand on me, I won’t let it slide.’

I’ll tell my dad. Jin-hyuk muttered while watching from afar.

In fact, Lee Joo-keun didn’t even glance at Jin-hyuk.

No matter how well Jin-hyuk performed, he wasn’t his student. Jin-hyuk stretched alone, warmed up alone, and didn’t even expect his times to be recorded. Lee Joo-keun’s attention was only on the athletes he usually coached.

“You’re just too good, that’s why.”

Kim Hee-nam, the 100-meter representative, said to Jin-hyuk while lying in bed. Kim Hee-nam’s cheek was still swollen from being hit during the evening training.

Jin-hyuk just nodded without answering. Seeing the boy’s swollen face made him uncomfortable.

‘Should I teach that coach a lesson?’

Even in his past life as an adult, sports violence in academies was an issue, but coming back to the past, the reality was even more horrifying. Kids who endured this kind of abuse while playing sports might grow up to accept violence as normal, repeating the cycle as seniors or coaches.

‘Even if I report it to the media, I doubt they’d cover it.’

He knew the media’s power to control issues, but he had no idea how adults of this era would react to the rampant violence in school sports. Coming back to the past, he still didn’t know much. His chest felt heavy, and he let out a sigh.

“Hee-nam, Jung Hyun-woo, Jang Pil-won.”

Jin-hyuk, who had been quiet for two days, called their names, and the kids looked up at him. It was like a butterfly poking its head out of a cocoon, cautiously observing the outside world.

Jin-hyuk asked the kids,

“Are you going to keep doing sports?”

“Yeah. I’m going to physical education college.”

“I’ll switch to baseball. I’m planning to go to a school with a baseball team.”

“I’m going to play soccer.”

Right.

Jin-hyuk held back from calling their parents. It was a time when most parents didn’t question their kids being hit by teachers at school. If the kids themselves wanted to keep doing sports, there was no point in stirring up trouble with their parents.

‘I’ll just live selfishly too.’

In his previous life, Jin-hyuk went to school with bruises and cuts on his face. Some teachers and friends were curious, but it was only to satisfy their own curiosity—no one truly cared about the pain he was going through.

Jin-hyuk covered himself with the blanket up to his head and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, we’re going to Daegu.

***

The payphone booth near the competition venue was packed.

After waiting for a long time, he finally got to insert a coin.

“Mom, I arrived safely in Daegu. Today, I’ll do the 100-meter and long jump preliminaries, and the 200-meter is tomorrow.”

– Did you get motion sickness?

“No, I’m fine.”

– Did you meet Dad?

“Dad came to Daegu?”

– It’s been six hours since he left.

Jin-hyuk’s heart sank.

It’s been six hours, and he’s still not here? That means he left at dawn! What if he got into an accident? No matter how hard he tried to shake off the thought, he couldn’t help but be consumed by ominous feelings.

“Hey, let’s go.”

Lee Joo-keun urged in a stern tone, so Jin-hyuk couldn’t wait for his dad, who might not even show up.

Wandering around anxiously, Jin-hyuk ran into some familiar faces. They were people who deserved a warmer greeting.

“Teacher?”

“How’s your condition, Jin-hyuk?”

It was Mr. Kim Young-tae, Park Ji-beom, and Yeom Byeong-taek.

They said they often came to observe national competitions for experience. Jin-hyuk said his condition was fine and asked something more important than his own state.

“How long did it take you to get here?”

“Us? Almost six hours.”

Only then did Jin-hyuk feel a little relieved.

It’s a time when road conditions aren’t great. It makes sense that it would take that long to get from home to Daegu. Still, he’d feel better if he could see his dad’s face.

“We met Jin-hyuk’s dad at the rest stop. He even bought us udon.”

Thanks for letting me know, Byeong-taek.

Jin-hyuk walked into the stadium with lighter steps.

‘If I have to deal with teachers like Lee Joo-keun, this will be my last track and field competition.’

What’s wrong with not doing track and field?

I’ve decided to live an ordinary life, and my dad’s rich.

*

〈12th National Intercity Track and Field Competition, sponsored by the Minister of Sports and Youth〉

The wind was strong.

A banner as long as the competition’s name fluttered on a balloon.

Day 1.

In the morning, the 100-meter preliminaries took place.

After easily passing the 100-meter preliminaries, Jin-hyuk saw his dad talking to Mr. Kim Young-tae.

‘He arrived safely.’

The lingering anxiety washed away like sediment.

Seeing his dad’s face after a few days made his nose tingle for no reason.

Smack-!

It was after Kim Hee-nam finished the 100-meter preliminaries. True to his nature, Lee Joo-keun still managed to hit a student in a corner of the competition venue. He probably thought it was a less noticeable spot, but there was no secluded place in the venue.

To Jin-hyuk, it seemed like the student performed as usual, but maybe the teacher was just consumed by inferiority?

“Hey, you brats! All you do is eat and train, and you can’t even run better than a kid from the countryside?”

Lee Joo-keun’s voice was filled with intense anger.

He seemed to be in pain over Jin-hyuk’s skills. Many people were watching, and some frowned at Lee Joo-keun’s behavior, but no one stopped him. The coaches from other cities and provinces weren’t much different. Students were seen in push-up positions everywhere, and many of them were girls.

‘Dad, I didn’t get punished.’

He deliberately waved and smiled brightly at his dad, but seeing his dad’s darkened face made Jin-hyuk uneasy.

***

Day 2 of the competition.

The 200-meter preliminaries and long jump finals took place.

The long jump wasn’t hard once he got the rhythm. During the training camp in Gongju, he practiced stepping on the board as much as possible and jumping. There were days when he practiced running up and stepping on the board until the sun went down.

‘I’m not feeling it.’

His movements were almost mechanical, devoid of emotion.

“6.10 meters.”

A gold medal for Chungcheongnam-do in the long jump.

Whoa-!

Cheers erupted. It seemed like they were cheering for the 800-meter athletes who were still in the preliminaries.

“Number 165, Chungcheongnam-do.”

People in white hats were running around busily, but Jin-hyuk didn’t pay attention. He was indifferent even to the gold medal around his neck.

‘I want to go home.’

The school name wasn’t announced. It was natural given his affiliation, but he felt sorry for Mr. Kim Young-tae, who had come all this way to cheer for him. If it weren’t for Mr. Kim Young-tae, he wouldn’t have even tried the long jump. Ignoring the murmurs, he only focused on the expressions of his dad and Mr. Kim Young-tae in the distance.

Seeing the two adults shaking hands and smiling brightly made him feel a little reassured.

‘I’m really holding onto unnecessary emotions. It’s tiring.’

In his previous life, he couldn’t feel pity because he thought no one was more pitiful than himself, and he preferred being alone, so no matter how pretty a girl approached him, he felt nothing. But now, returning to his childhood, even the smallest things seemed to weigh on his mind.

‘Is this also because of hormones?’

Maybe. He had been noticing that his clothes were getting tighter day by day, and his joints were itching, so he was adjusting his exercise routine to maintain body balance and coordination.

***

Day 3.

The kids hadn’t spoken to Jin-hyuk since yesterday, wary of the coach.

Jin-hyuk, disgusted by Lee Joo-keun, kept glancing toward where his dad was.

Being alone in a crowd was something he was used to.

In the afternoon, the 100-meter finals took place.

‘Dad! I’m here, here!’

Still, having someone who watches over you is such a joy.

Jin-hyuk smiled brightly, waved at his dad, and stepped onto the track.

The headwind was strong.

Hot wind hit his forehead. The track was scorching from the sun that had been blazing all day, and the summer air was hot. The pressure from the atmosphere and the track couldn’t be ignored, so the athletes, who had been managing their condition in the shade, puffed up their cheeks at the starting line.

‘Should I run like Johnson one last time?’

He decided not to do track and field anymore after seeing Lee Joo-keun. There were plenty of things Jin-hyuk was good at besides sports. His decision to live an ordinary life also played a part.

The command came through the speakers.

[On your marks.]

This was Jin-hyuk’s last 100-meter race.

‘Let’s do this without regrets.’

At the “on your marks” signal, he placed his feet on the starting blocks. The hardness of the aluminum frame supporting his feet felt new again.

He placed his fingers on the starting line and knelt down. The heat of the track against his skin synced with his heartbeat. Despite the hot weather, the tension of it being his last race sent shivers down his neck. He clenched his teeth, making his jawline stand out.

[Set.]

At the “set” signal, he took a deep breath and closed his lungs. He lowered his head as if he might collapse and lifted his hips.

After the “set” signal, they don’t give much time. But for the athletes, it feels strangely long. It’s also the most terrifying time.

But without exception, before that fear grows, the gun fires.

[Bam-!]

He tightly closed his lips and puffed up his cheeks. He deliberately didn’t exhale. At the same time, he powerfully struck the air with his left arm and right leg.

Whoosh-! The headwind made the sound of the wind rushing past his ears even louder. Although there were quite a few spectators, the cheers were drowned out by the wind. The stands were blurry, and only the white lines marking the 1.25-meter lanes were visible.

It was an eternal moment.

In that ironic sense of time, the finish line drew closer.

He clenched his abs and lifted his legs, stretching from his toes to his thighs as he hit the track. It was like a leaping frog, unifying his body. His legs, which had stretched out, hit the ground at a right angle again.

‘Ah, running feels good.’

One moment like this, another like that. It was an emotion he couldn’t quite grasp himself. They say people leave jobs not because of the work but because of the people. Office workers and athletes aren’t so different after all.

Huff-huff-! Running as if his heart would burst, squeezing his lungs to burn the last bit of oxygen, made Jin-hyuk feel exhilarated. He added a sense of tragedy to his regret. He didn’t want to hold back.

‘I’m alive.’

Thud-.

Son Jin-hyuk was the first to cross the finish line with his chest.

A moment later, the results appeared on the scoreboard. It was immediate—national competitions had a different level of operation.

Whoa-!

The officials and families who had come to the venue all cheered in unison. There was a significant gap between him and the second-place runner, so they expected it, but not to this extent.

Startled by the cheers, Jin-hyuk turned to look at the scoreboard, his eyes wide open.

「Boys’ 100m Korean National Record」