Chapter 40

#40 <New Future (5)>

*

By the babbling brook, the cheerful Hong Soo-jung disappeared, leaving only a girl filled with sorrow. She seemed upset for some reason, so while Yoo Jin was taking a nap, I tried to coax her into catching minnows. But Hong Soo-jung just hugged her knees and stared blankly at the clear stream.

“Soo-jung, let’s catch fish with me.”

“Mm…”

Why is she like this?

Hong Soo-jung just kept staring at the stream with vacant eyes, not moving a muscle.

‘Did I do something wrong?’

I thought peace would come if the noisy kid stayed quiet, but the only thing peaceful was my eardrums. So this is what it feels like to have emotions—it’s quite uncomfortable. While Jin Hyuk felt uneasy about the ordinary human emotions growing inside him, he was also secretly pleased.

Anyway.

‘The Great Magician is acting like this, and it’s making me really uncomfortable.’

Jin Hyuk, who had waded into the stream up to his shins, sat down next to Hong Soo-jung. Up close, her eyes sparkled brilliantly, reflecting the sunlight off the stream. But her unfocused gaze and expressionless face were clearly saying, “I’m sad right now.”

‘Looking at her like this, she really does seem like that person.’

Those were the same eyes I’d seen before.

Hong Soo-jung, sitting alone in the executive office, staring blankly. Whenever Jin Hyuk entered for a report or meeting, her eyes would hurriedly regain focus. Why had the Great Magician of the past been sitting there with such sad eyes?

The Great Magician of the past life couldn’t do anything about it, but the current Hong Soo-jung could be comforted by Jin Hyuk. No, he wanted to comfort her.

“Soo-jung, if you don’t want to play in the water, should we go home?”

“……”

Hong Soo-jung still had her chin resting on her knees and remained silent.

Seeing the little one acting like a puppy made me wonder if she was hurt somewhere.

‘Is she acting like this because of the kiss?’

Son Jin-hyeok wasn’t a fool, and the only thing he could infer was that.

“Soo-jung, are you upset because I didn’t ask for a kiss?”

At the word “kiss,” Hong Soo-jung quickly turned her head toward Jin Hyuk. The focus that had been missing from her eyes had returned. Her gaze was slightly accusatory.

Jin Hyuk felt relieved inside. So that was the reason.

“That kind of talk isn’t for when other people are around. It’s our little secret.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Of course. It’s our special, secret… thing.”

Jin Hyuk stumbled over his words, not really knowing what he was talking about.

I guess experience really is important.

By the way, this feels like early education. Is this what it feels like to be a trainer taming the Great Magician?

“So, will you ask for it when we’re alone?”

Taming? What?

She’s so bold.

“Uh, well…”

“See? You don’t like it.”

“That’s not it.”

“No? Then you do like it?”

What kind of terrible teacher taught her such extreme logic?

Once again, Jin Hyuk was at a loss for words.

Before Jin Hyuk could respond, Hong Soo-jung’s face lit up.

Looking at her face, Jin Hyuk could be sure.

‘Isn’t it obvious to anyone that I’m the one being tamed here?’

While Jin Hyuk was lost in this absurd thought, Hong Soo-jung’s face came closer.

Ah, no. I’m not your oppa, I’m an ahjussi! No, what am I even saying?

As Jin Hyuk’s thoughts tangled, the cat-like eyes in front of him tightly closed. Soon after, a soft “chu~” sound echoed.

‘Gasp! I let my guard down!’

It was a shocking blow. The internal damage was that severe.

The sound of the flowing stream was loud, but the friction sound hitting his eardrums was even more intense. There was no excitement or joy. It was a familiar sensation, thanks to his younger sister Yoo Jin, who would often come looking for him and plant kisses on him.

If I had to compare, it still felt a bit uncomfortable because she’s a girl.

‘What is this! Getting taken down by a kid!’

While Jin Hyuk was flustered, not knowing where to direct his frustration, the little hands of Hong Soo-jung grabbed his cheeks. It was a finishing move. The kid even made a satisfied sound.

“Umm~.”

I can’t run away.

If I push her away, the Great Magician will become the Great Magician again. But why do I feel like crying? It feels unfair, and I’m frustrated. Seoul girls are really scary. Just let me go now!

Jin Hyuk’s legs gave out, and he plopped down, losing his balance.

Splash~!

He fell beautifully, headfirst into the stream. His legs must have given out without him realizing it. His face, which had been burning, cooled down in the stream water. At the same time, relief washed over him. The Great Magician won’t be sad anymore. I did my best.

“Pah~!”

He exaggeratedly lifted his head from the stream.

This should make the Great Magician laugh. A laughing Hong Soo-jung is the prettiest in the world. It’s a sign of the future Hong Soo-jung.

But there was no sound or movement.

“Soo-jung?”

Hong Soo-jung was gone.

Could it have been a dream brought on by lingering regrets from a past life? Or an illusion created by longing?

As Jin Hyuk wandered between the boundaries of dream and reality…

“Mommyyyyy~.”

A child’s voice echoed from afar. The sound trailed off, growing distant from Jin Hyuk.

Turning his head toward the sound, he saw a little Seoul kid running frantically toward the house on short legs.

“Mommyyyyy~! This is a secretttt~!”

That kid…?

***

How much time had passed?

After staring blankly at the stream for a while, Jin Hyuk brushed off his butt and stood up.

The four-legged beast watching from the bushes also quietly moved away. Its long tongue dangled as it tilted its head.

Hehehek~?

Humans don’t lick their tails? I was hiding, thinking I’d see something interesting.

Huu~. Jin Hyuk sighed. He thought he’d be punished.

Hadn’t he done something bad to the precious guest from Seoul? How scary would her kind parents be if they got angry? He didn’t even want to think about it.

With a guilty conscience, he climbed the hill, and Hong Soo-jung’s voice filled the yard, recounting heroic tales.

“Oppa did this, this, grabbed my face like this, umm~.”

Hong Soo-jung was pretending to grab her mom Yoo Se-ra’s cheeks and kiss her. Her lips, turned inside out, looked like a wrinkle-free chicken butt.

Even in his unfair situation, Jin Hyuk tilted his head.

That’s strange, I don’t remember doing that.

“Oh my, really? So our Soo-jung liked it?”

That guy?

I thought she’d be shocked, but Yoo Se-ra responded to her daughter’s playful reenactment with a bright smile. Maybe it’s because they’re still kids, so there’s no need to look at them with inappropriate eyes?

“Ah, it was nothing, Mom.”

Huh?

Even as she said that, she clasped her hands together and stretched them downward, twisting her body as if she were really embarrassed. Seeing her face turn red and smile brightly, Jin Hyuk thought.

‘That’s a relief. She must not have disliked it.’

Tsk. Who would’ve thought my first kiss would be taken so defenselessly? No wonder she’s the Great Magician. Even now, it was an unpredictable sneak attack. I’m sure Hong Soo-jung would do well if she joined the special forces. Especially in rear disruption and VIP assassination missions.

Jin Hyuk silently pleaded with his mom through his eyes.

‘Mom, I’m wronged. I’m really wronged.’

There were no words, but the corners of the moms’ eyes turned downward, and the corners of their mouths turned upward. At the end of their gaze stood Jin Hyuk with a desolate expression. Rather than explaining, Jin Hyuk thought it was his own fault and headed inside.

‘Because I was too soft…’

It was the karma of Jin Hyuk, who had felt emotions and been faithful.

Strangely, his body felt tired.

‘I should take a nap.’

In his sleep, Jin Hyuk felt someone coming and going from his room on the second floor. And each time they came, the Great Magician’s breath lingered on his lips and cheeks.

Chu~, chu~, chuaap! The intense and clear friction sound couldn’t be left out.

In his deep sleep, Jin Hyuk thought.

‘Just eat it already…’

Stop drooling on me.

***

It was while eating watermelon as dessert on the porch after dinner.

Hong Ki-jun asked.

“Jin Hyuk, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

Why does he keep asking this every time we meet? It’s like he has a desired answer in mind.

“Well…”

Jin Hyuk, who was cutting small pieces of watermelon for Yoo Jin, scratched his cheek.

My dream is to live peacefully and happily with my family like this. He answered in his heart. Even as his parents, Hong Ki-jun, Yoo Se-ra, and Hong Soo-jung waited for his answer, the words didn’t come easily. Precious dreams aren’t something you want to show to just anyone.

“You’re good at sports, right? Want to go to a sports middle school? I’ll help you.”

“No.”

A firm answer came back to Yoo Se-ra’s rare question.

“Jin Hyuk’s dream is to live with his mom and dad in the same house for a long, long time.”

“Eh~, that’s your dream?”

Yoo Se-ra laughed as if it was absurd, but it wasn’t an unpleasant laugh, and her reaction was understandable. At that age, kids usually dream of becoming scientists, politicians, or at least rich people or athletes.

“If you say you’ll live with your parents, no girl will marry you, you know?”

“I don’t plan on getting married.”

This ahjumma is trying to make a pointless threat. If I get married, I’ll get married, but for now, I just want to live with my family. Adults have a bad habit of skipping several steps at once. Even though Jin Hyuk had the soul of an adult, this kind of conversation made his chest feel tight.

Despite Jin Hyuk’s somewhat bold and blunt tone, the adults didn’t seem uncomfortable. They probably thought Jin Hyuk was just going through puberty.

But Hong Soo-jung was different.

Watermelon juice dripped from the mouth of the kid with a lost expression.

“Hey, you bad guy!”

Hong Soo-jung threw a watermelon rind at Jin Hyuk and ran off into the dark path.

Waaah~! I’m going to get twisted!

The short-legged kid disappeared into the darkness in an instant.

‘Ah, that’s not what I meant.’

The stone thrown by the mom had ricocheted to the daughter.

The one who deflected the stone, Jin Hyuk, felt guilty again and went to find the kid.

“Soo, Soo-jung~. That’s not what I meant~.”

Maybe it was because of his past life memories, but he had decided to treat Hong Soo-jung well, even though she was still just a kid.

Jang Gun-i ran after them, not wanting to be left behind.

The adults’ cheerful laughter filled the summer night.

“Huhu. Looks like my daughter is thinking something terrible.”

Hong Ki-jun’s muttering, like an old man talking to himself, was drowned out by the laughter.

Hong Soo-jung was sniffling at the dark bus stop, saying she’d tell her grandfather. The bold Seoul kid only returned after Jin Hyuk gave her a piggyback ride.

“Oppa, did you promise me?”

“……”

The excited kid’s short legs dangled on Jin Hyuk’s back.

Former Executive Hong Soo-jung’s memory wasn’t particularly good.

Jin Hyuk, relying on that, hastily made a promise. He even pinky-swore.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“Uh……”

She’s a persistent kid.

Maybe she’ll remember it for a long time.

‘Peace like a river to me.’

***

“Oh my, the balsam flowers bloomed so beautifully. Should we dye Soo-jung’s nails with balsam water?”

“Tsk~, Mom uses expensive nail polish, but you want me to use balsam water?”

Hong Soo-jung pouted.

After the kiss and the declaration of non-marriage, her mood had been up and down between heaven and hell.

“They say if the color doesn’t fade until the first snow, your first love will come true? You didn’t know that, did you?”

“Really?”

Hong Soo-jung’s cheeks turned as red as if they’d been dyed with balsam water.

Then.

“Oppa~!”

She went inside and dragged Jin Hyuk out.

“Come out, quick~.”

Jin Hyuk, who had been coloring with Yoo Jin, was pulled out without knowing why. Seeing the moms’ meaningful smiles and the balsam flower placed on his pinky, he understood the reason.

‘Hmm~, it seems like I’ve been caught by the Great Magician.’

Whatever.

It’s only for a while.

‘She’ll go abroad for school in middle school, right?’

Hong Soo-jung will soon go abroad for school, and as she grows, her taste in men will change, so what’s the harm in playing along for a bit? Besides, they’re precious guests who come every vacation to make Mom and Dad happy.

“Oppa, you can’t cut your nails until the first snow, okay?”

“But the kids at school will tease me…”

“Can’t you take some teasing for Soo-jung?”

“Uh, sure. I guess?”

Strangely, it felt like I was being taken advantage of.

I decided to let the kid win one more time, pretending to be angry with her hands on her hips. No one would dare tease Jin Hyuk unless they were crazy.

“Bye, Oppa~. Yoo Jin, I’m leaving~.”

When Hong Soo-jung, now an elementary school student, left after her vacation, she didn’t cry anymore.

Instead.

She smiled brightly, showing her brightly dyed fingers through the car window as she left.