Chapter 53

#53 <Two Fools (3)>

Jin Hyuk’s eyes lit up as he observed Hong Ki-jun’s reaction.

“At this point, wouldn’t this answer the question you asked before the accident? If you were that person, wouldn’t you naturally notice?” Jin Hyuk’s gaze was filled with anticipation.

However, Hong Ki-jun’s reaction that followed was disappointing.

“Hmm… I see. If that’s the case, aren’t you already enjoying it enough?”

“Yeah, that’s right…”

Jin Hyuk’s response carried a hint of regret. It felt similar to the disappointment of a fisherman who didn’t get a bite. He had held his breath and spoken at length, but was this man really different from that old man? When he suggested betting on Olympic rankings, Jin Hyuk had secretly been pleased, thinking Hong Ki-jun might be a regressor, but now he felt inexplicably sad.

On the other hand, he could understand.

If such a miraculous encounter happened to anyone, it wouldn’t be called a miracle.

“In that sense, it’s a relief.”

Perhaps because he had listened to Jin Hyuk’s lengthy and detailed thoughts, which he usually didn’t share, Hong Ki-jun’s expression was brighter than ever.

“I was worried you might be wandering, so I wanted to see you. If that’s the case, this uncle has plenty of ways to help. I’ve been brainstorming something too.”

Jin Hyuk nodded absentmindedly as he listened.

It was a habit when he was deeply immersed in something.

‘If I ask directly and it’s not him, what kind of fool would I look like?’

He even considered asking like Yoo Jin.

Hehehe, I’m from the future, right? Chairman, you came too, right? Hehehe.

No, Jin Hyuk shook his head.

Exaggerating a bit, it was the perfect line to get sent to a mental hospital. In reality, people like Hong Ki-jun or Son Kwang-yeon had the power to do just that.

‘If things go wrong, I’ll be the one getting caught.’

Even Yook Seong-chan’s father and Jo Il-hun had almost been admitted to a mental hospital after claiming to see ghosts. Jin Hyuk wasn’t the type to joke around or talk much, so he had to avoid asking under the guise of a joke.

This new life he had obtained—he couldn’t let it rot in a mental hospital.

‘Whether it’s kids or adults, people who boldly speak in front of difficult situations are only in dramas.’

Reality is heavy.

It takes great courage just to say a word. Jin Hyuk swallowed the words that wouldn’t come out.

And even if Hong Ki-jun believed in Jin Hyuk’s regression, it was still a problem.

‘Since I don’t know this man’s true intentions, it’s better not to reveal anything.’

No matter how trustworthy Hong Ki-jun seemed, who knows how he’d react if he knew the truth? Well, there might be room for misuse, but if he saw me as a competitor, it could become a headache.

‘Let’s wait and see.’

Having concluded this, Jin Hyuk nodded.

Had he been thinking too long?

Alone, he furrowed his brows, shook his head, and then nodded, causing Hong Ki-jun to look at him with strange eyes. There was also a hint of disappointment.

“Aren’t you curious about what I’m brainstorming?”

“…I am curious.”

Jin Hyuk pouted his lips. He now understood why Choi Mi-kyung’s lips protruded when she talked to him. It was because she didn’t get the answer she wanted. This was another lesson about the world and people.

“I’m thinking of helping you live the ordinary life you talk about.”

Why?

Even without you, our family is doing well.

“How much do you know about your mom?”

I know enough. Jin Hyuk wanted to say that, but he had nothing to add.

Both his mom and dad acted like they had their own stories. Believing that a happy present was more important than a painful past, Jin Hyuk didn’t dig deeper.

He knew all too well how cruel it was to dredge up painful memories.

Since he couldn’t act like a child forever, he swallowed his curiosity and lived on. He didn’t want to hurt his parents, and he didn’t want to be rude by satisfying his own curiosity at someone else’s expense. If he was curious, he could just endure it. He was more patient than anyone.

“This is a secret, but I’ll tell only you. Hahaha, your mom asked me to look into something, it’s not like I did a background check. Don’t misunderstand.”

So…

Does that mean she told Hong Ki-jun things she couldn’t tell her own son? While understanding the parents’ concern about their teenage son’s worries, Jin Hyuk also felt sorry for Hong Ki-jun.

‘Our chairman got played by mom and dad. He’s too nice.’

No doubt, dad, who sticks around every vacation, was even worse than mom.

Still, to think that the once-called group owner, the boss of bosses, is now playing the role of a bamboo forest for a farming couple. It somehow seemed pitiful. Perhaps that’s why Hong Ki-jun’s eyes were filled with melancholy, and his shoulders were slumped.

“Your mom was talking about the false accusations against the elderly, and I happened to hear…”

Jin Hyuk learned about Kim Eung-nyeo’s past actions that he hadn’t heard from his mom.

“…Now, it’s impossible to prove the damages, and what they took were just trinkets. Things like hairpins or pre-currency reform bills… Even if there are victims, we have to consider the statute of limitations. The elderly man even registered his stepdaughter in the family register, making it hard to define them as robbers or thieves. He must have been a very generous person.”

Jin Hyuk sighed involuntarily.

Ah! They haven’t harmed me yet, but they’ve already done something unforgivable to my mom. Even when I lived with a law book in high school dorms, I realized how harsh the statute of limitations is… Briefly recalling criminal procedure law, Jin Hyuk shook his head. That’s not important right now.

Some of what Jin Hyuk vaguely knew also came up.

“I don’t think someone who taught in a village where they rode ox carts would be involved in such things. According to your mom, the elderly man mainly interacted with kids and villagers.”

That seemed plausible.

Even in Jin Hyuk’s neighborhood, until a few years ago, outsiders rarely visited. He heard that where his mom lived was even more rural.

“The only reason he was taken away must have been someone’s tip. Back then, even more sensitive than now, a single letter or phone call could get anyone accused of being a spy. Unfortunately, I don’t have connections in that area yet. So, I can’t guarantee any results.”

Jin Hyuk felt like he had been given homework.

Well, even if I have to cheat my dad’s land for my brother, as an ordinary son, shouldn’t I try to ease my mom’s burden?

“At first, I wanted to see you because I was worried about you, but I ended up saying all sorts of things. Sorry. Hahaha.”

Hong Ki-jun looked too relieved to be sorry.

He must have been frustrated with no one to talk to.

Former executive Hong Soo-jung used to have the same relieved expression. With a pimply, yellowish face, she would go in and out of the bathroom, finally blooming like a bright moonflower.

‘She was beautiful…’

Jin Hyuk quickly pulled himself back from drifting into a tangent, rubbing the floor with his sneakers.

“Are you saying I should look into it later?”

“Huh? What?”

“The story about my grandfather.”

“No? No way?”

Hong Ki-jun blinked his eyes as if asking what he was talking about.

“I need someone to confide in too, don’t I? Jin Hyuk, you’re still young and probably don’t understand, and among the people I know, you’re the most reserved. Right? Aren’t you still young? Do you know everything?”

Hong Ki-jun scratched his cheek. He rolled his eyes, avoiding Jin Hyuk’s gaze. Now that he looked, they were about the same height, but Jin Hyuk was more built. He was too well-developed to be called young.

‘Have I… been played by this man?’

Ah- the weather’s nice. Hong Ki-jun looked up at the sky like an old man.

The weather is nice. It had been frowning heavily, about to rain.

Perhaps feeling the weight of Jin Hyuk’s narrowed eyes, Hong Ki-jun smacked his lips and changed the subject.

“Anyway, it’s a relief! I thought you might be wandering. The moment you take the wrong path, talent turns into a weapon for evil deeds. That’s why I wanted to ask about your future.”

“I’ll do whatever I can. I don’t have to choose just one thing, right?”

“Hahaha. I got hit hard. That’s right. No need to stick to just one.”

Jin Hyuk took a deep breath and strengthened his voice. His gaze was directed at the middle school students running around the playground.

“I hope nothing happens.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“They’re still kids. Yoonsung-dong too. I hope they get a chance.”

It sounded like a mere wish, but there was no need to explain in detail.

Hong Ki-jun silently nodded. The corner of his mouth twitched upward in a direction Jin Hyuk couldn’t see.

‘Let’s do that for now. For the kids.’

Hong Ki-jun genuinely looked pleased.

Rolling up his sleeve to check his watch, Hong Ki-jun started another story.

“Uncle isn’t a genius like your dad. I just had a knack for studying. But even that, I couldn’t surpass Son Kwang-yeon. That guy did manual labor, tutoring, and even drove a taxi. He worked part-time and never fell behind. Ugh, what a creepy guy.”

Even as he said this, Hong Ki-jun looked happy. The memories he shared with his dad must have been that deep.

‘Dad really had a good friend.’

Hong Ki-jun chattered on for a while, but Jin Hyuk didn’t hear any of it. He was preoccupied with how to repay what Kim Eung-nyeo had done to his mom and how to live his future life. Listening to Hong Ki-jun’s stories felt like his ears might start bleeding.

“…Just live as you please without worrying about this and that. Just don’t cause trouble. Are you listening?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Perhaps sensing Jin Hyuk’s serious expression, Hong Ki-jun didn’t forget to advise him, as if peering into his thoughts.

“There’s no need to struggle over what to do. They’re living beings too, so they have to live, right? She said she didn’t want to disadvantage them. Seeing that, your mom is like Jang Gun-i, no, a true gentleman.”

Hong Ki-jun quickly corrected his expression. Wondering why he named the dog that.

“Frankly, if your mom had such intentions, she would have already told your dad. If she had, would your dad have stayed quiet?”

Jin Hyuk thought there was some truth to that.

With his dad’s connections, he could harm even those beyond the reach of the law. At least for people living in this area. Without knowing the full story, maybe mom intended to carry the burden alone.

‘After all, the top adult in our family is mom.’

If that’s mom’s wish, it’s better to leave the past buried.

Forgiveness and revenge are mom’s to decide.

For now, that’s how it is.

As if uninterested in Jin Hyuk’s reaction, Hong Ki-jun’s mouth started running again.

“Where were we? Ah, right. Your dad was peeing in the mudflats, and this guy aimed at a crab hole—bubbles were rising, was it crab foam or pee foam—bahahaha!”

“…”

This time, Jin Hyuk looked at his watch. Hong Ki-jun had been talking nonstop for 20 minutes, a first.

This story, that story.

Wasn’t it too much to drain someone’s soul?

In Jin Hyuk’s time, they called it a brain melt.

‘When is this man leaving?’

I can’t organize my thoughts.

It feels like he’s trying to disrupt my focus by endlessly pouring out stories.

***

“Huh? Mom? Dad? You’re still here?”

Returning to the classroom, Jin Hyuk found his parents touring the school. Of course, Yoo Jin and Jang Gun-i were with them.

Son Kwang-yeon, with somewhat dazed eyes, hesitated.

“We were waiting for you to leave.”

“I promised to help Tae-yang with his training.”

Jin Hyuk occasionally helped Choi Tae-yang, Shin Woo-sung, and Lee Seung-hoon with their personal training.

Today, Choi Tae-yang had come up with some strange logic, saying he had messed up badly and needed help with wrestling training. Seeing this, Jin Hyuk thought Choi Tae-yang was definitely Choi Mi-kyung’s older brother.

“Then Ki-jun will take the car, and we’ll go first.”

“Uncle already left.”

“Huh?”

“He was talking to some detectives and then left.”

“Ah, damn it. That jerk. He came in my car.”

Hong Ki-jun’s revenge was unexpectedly fulfilled.

It was like he had avenged being played in one blow.

Son Kwang-yeon could picture Hong Ki-jun laughing heartily while driving.

“You bas—”

Catching his wife’s glance, Son Kwang-yeon shut his mouth.

The Seoul man had shown too much of his unimpressive side today.

Son Kwang-yeon had no choice but to hail a taxi.

He had planned to take the bus, but Jang Gun-i whined and refused.

Actually, with his wife and daughter, he was also reluctant to take the rural bus because of the smokers.

The taxi driver looked displeased at Jang Gun-i.

“Sir, the dog—”

“Oho-, don’t taxis these days turn off the meter? Strange? Is it because it’s a rural taxi? When I lived in Seoul—”

“Shut up—!”

The taxi driver, about to say something, was hit by a joint attack from Son Kwang-yeon and Son Yoo-jin and shifted to first gear.

He had to come out empty. Grumbling.