Chapter 65

#65 <The Joyous Mission (4)>

***

Jin Hyuk and Hong Soo-jung returned home after failing to catch any fish and just playing in the water. Jang Gun-i, who had slept soundly and whose swelling had gone down quite a bit, was with them.

The hysterical laughter of the Seoul kids still seemed to echo in their ears.

‘Ugh, playing with kids is the most exhausting thing. Couldn’t even catch any ingredients.’

Luckily, no one cared since the house was full of food.

The octopus caught by the dads was tenderly boiled and dipped in soy sauce, and it tasted amazing. It was fresh octopus, something you could only enjoy in the summer. There was also chicken soup, but it seemed like they’d only touch it after finishing all the octopus.

As always, Yoo Jin was the star of the meal. Everyone burst into laughter at her wild charm as she held the boiled octopus and tore into it.

“It’s delicious.”

Yoo Jin, who had been hanging out with Hong Soo-jung, had noticeably changed her way of speaking. Humans really are creatures of learning and adaptation, huh? It was a remarkable change in such a short time.

‘With Yoo Jin hogging all the attention, it’s so peaceful.’

Not being asked a million questions felt so freeing.

Even Hong Ki-jun, who used to ask about dreams every vacation, just smiled like a proud dad while looking at Yoo Jin.

“Oppa, it’s delicious, right?”

“Mhm-.”

However, Yoo Jin’s attention was directed toward her brother, and her speech hadn’t completely changed yet. That was something time would fix, and Jin Hyuk was grateful for how things were.

“Ahhh, so refreshing!”

Son Kwang-yeon let out a Seoul-style exclamation.

Watching his dad chugging soup like it was hangover soup, Jin Hyuk also took a sip of the spicy seafood soup.

Ahhh-.

‘What did they put in this?’

He examined the ingredients in the soup where the octopus had been. He wondered what kind of magic his mom had worked.

Leek, onion, minced garlic, whole garlic, radish, cabbage, water parsley, crown daisy…

‘Is the color like this because of soy sauce? Or is it octopus ink?’

Anyway, the soup was top-notch, sliding down his throat and warming his chest. It wasn’t even spicy, but just one sip made his pores open and the heat escape his body.

The only side dishes were radish kimchi and regular kimchi, but he managed to eat five bowls of rice.

He usually ate lightly, but after his body grew, his appetite had skyrocketed like wildfire.

Many might question how this counts as eating lightly, but Jin Hyuk had his reasons.

– “Does Jin Hyuk eat as much as a wolf or a bear?”

Even Jo Il-hun, the know-it-all, had to agree with that. He had a knack for crafting clear, intuitive sentences.

*

“Soo-jung, Dad will catch a lot for you!”

After dinner, Hong Ki-jun clenched his fist.

The dads headed toward the darkening waterway with fishing rods slung over their shoulders, determined to catch catfish. They had set aside the chicken innards from earlier, probably to use as bait for the catfish. Jo Il-hun had explained that cutting the chicken innards and tying them into knots made excellent bait.

‘Will those dads really catch any catfish?’

Jin Hyuk mentally bet 500 won that they wouldn’t.

They’d probably scare all the fish away with their chattering.

‘They might even come back early, scared of bullfrogs.’

The moms headed to Han Yu-young’s rooftop garden. Yoo Se-ra had been pestering them to teach her knitting, saying she’d been waiting for the vacation.

With the adults pairing off, the kids naturally grouped together.

Hong Soo-jung opened a picture book in the living room and taught Yoo Jin some words.

As Jin Hyuk sat on the porch, enjoying the feeling of fullness, he heard the clear voices of the two kids through the living room’s mosquito net.

“Bidoodi.”

“Pigeon.”

“Bottua.”

“Peach.”

“Goyai.”

“Cat.”

Somehow, Yoo Jin seemed better at it.

Jin Hyuk closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. A slight tension crept into his brow.

Lately, a series of mysterious events had been happening, and while he tried to brush them off, a part of him felt uneasy.

‘Why do these things keep happening around me?’

The back pain, the snake attack—it was all strange.

His past life had been a barren wasteland, devoid of even coincidences, let alone miracles. But now, all sorts of strange encounters seemed to be helping him. Yet, these encounters felt intangible.

‘Naturally, I’m the only one who can be suspicious.’

As far as Jin Hyuk knew, the strangest, most inexplicable being was himself.

There was no one to confide in, and worrying alone wouldn’t solve anything. So, he decided to let it go. But the nagging thoughts wouldn’t leave his mind.

In short, it was unsettling.

‘I’ve been hit full force by this damn adolescence.’

Brain breathing, dantian breathing—call it whatever you want.

Jin Hyuk entered a meditative state, clearing his mind from head to lungs to dantian.

It was a method he’d used to maintain calm and manage his condition since returning to the past. Doing this often brought back hazy memories and gave him a sense of looking deep within himself.

Grrr-.

Jang Gun-i let out a warning growl, making Jin Hyuk perk up his ears, thinking someone was coming. But there wasn’t even the sound of footsteps.

“Jang Gun-i, quiet.”

At first, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven. He realized that wasn’t the case after just one day. Since then, his life had been the ordinary, happy daily routine with the family he’d always longed for. He’d held onto the bluebird that had flown into his arms and lived like that for years.

Even though he had no intention of harming others, he found himself using force unintentionally, and he realized that anger, like magma, was coiled around his heart.

‘Family, my trigger.’

It was a clear fact. The magma within Jin Hyuk seemed to boil, ready to swallow anyone who dared throw even the smallest stone at his family.

Grrrr-.

Jang Gun-i started again. Jin Hyuk found it uncooperative but also fascinating. It wasn’t just Jang Gun-i; other dogs in the neighborhood would growl for no reason too.

“Ugh! Troublemaker!”

Jin Hyuk exhaled sharply and opened his eyes. His vision cleared, and Jang Gun-i’s growling stopped.

“Hey, what’s your problem?”

He snapped at Jang Gun-i but immediately felt bad. Whether he liked it or not, Jang Gun-i was his closest friend, always by his side. He playfully ruffled Jang Gun-i’s head, which had noticeably less swelling.

“Who’s a good boy?”

Back and forth.

Even Jin Hyuk was surprised by his own mood swings.

Hehehe-.

Jin Hyuk’s face twisted comically as he petted and brushed Jang Gun-i.

‘Is this menopause, not puberty?’

Considering his age from his past life, it wouldn’t be unnatural to say he was hit full force by menopausal storms.

There weren’t many logical reasons he could think of as a human.

‘Maybe it’s because my body’s been feeling better lately.’

That’s why the nagging thoughts won’t leave. He’d heard that exercise helps during menopause.

Jin Hyuk nodded and grabbed a jump rope.

As he adjusted the rope for his taller height, the front door opened. The kids appeared, chattering away. A sense of foreboding washed over him.

“Oppa.”

“Oppa.”

“Let’s go watermelon stealing.”

“Watermelon. Let’s go.”

That’s illegal. Jin Hyuk swallowed his words.

That sly Seoul kid must’ve tempted my innocent sister Yoo Jin. If I refuse, she’ll be upset. And I’ve decided to be nice to Soo-jung.

Jin Hyuk had no choice but to leave the yard and head toward the stream.

‘During vacation, we always go to the stream at least once a day.’

Sometimes, like today, we go twice.

It was a path he ran every day in elementary school, but after starting middle school, he only went there to play in the water or catch fish.

A dark, secluded spot, quite a distance from the houses.

No streetlights, just the sound of flowing water.

The perfect place for mischief.

The bright moon made the four figures and their shadows clearly visible. But, well, the mood is what matters, right?

As Jin Hyuk was about to pick something, he froze at the chant coming from behind.

“Oppa, like a real thief-.”

“Oppa, like a real thief.”

Jin Hyuk sighed.

Nothing is ever easy.

‘Ugh, my head.’

The internal headache that had been subtly nagging him for days finally hit him hard.

But if the kids want a realistic watermelon heist, what can I do?

I have to take responsibility for creating their childhood memories.

‘Then I’ll gladly show them my FM crawling.’

I’ve crawled over mountains!

The pride of a reservist knows no time, place, or audience.

Jin Hyuk lay flat and crawled into the watermelon patch. It was a perfect low crawl posture. The thick watermelon vines completely concealed his body.

Hong Soo-jung, Yoo Jin, and Jang Gun-i followed suit. The two clueless kids had their butts sticking up, and Jang Gun-i, with his short legs, didn’t need to but still lifted his rear, following Son Yoo-jin.

Dirt on clothes and fur? Who cares? In the countryside, worrying about that means you can’t do anything.

‘Why is my heart racing?’

Is it because we’re doing something bad? My heart’s pounding without permission.

“Thump thump-.”

“Thump thump-.”

The two kids seemed the same. How scared must they be for their heartbeats to be audible? Jin Hyuk completely understood the thrill of adventure the kids were feeling.

Mosquitoes bit their necks, arms, ankles, and ears relentlessly. But they endured. If you mind mosquitoes, you can’t live in the countryside.

He picked a ripe watermelon with a twisted stem.

“Success!”

“Success!”

The kids cheered.

Jin Hyuk, with a serious expression, raised a finger to his lips.

Shh, be quiet. I’m so embarrassed.

Why are they so excited about this? For kids, even this will be remembered as an adventure.

They washed the watermelon in the stream and settled down, with the little accomplices sitting around Jin Hyuk. Their faces, hands, and arms were covered in dirt and debris, looking like little beggars.

The beggar king struck the watermelon.

Thud- Slice-! With a swift chop, his hand sank into the watermelon. If you can’t chop a watermelon with your hand, don’t even think about stealing watermelons in the countryside.

Effortlessly, he split the watermelon and divided the juicy, ripe fruit among the kids and Jang Gun-i.

Munch munch-.

“Ah-, so good.”

“Ah-, delicious.”

Hehehe-.

Watching them devour the watermelon, juice dripping everywhere, Jin Hyuk felt a pang of guilt. A regressor dreaming of an ordinary life is one thing, but using his trained body to steal watermelons with kids? Ridiculous.

And that wasn’t all.

‘Is there anyone else besides me who steals watermelons from their own field?’

He sighed bitterly and took a bite of watermelon.

‘Oh-.’

It was heavenly sweet.

Jin Hyuk buried his face in the watermelon.

‘Mmm-. So delicious.’

The nearly full moon hung in the sky, larger than a half-moon.

The watermelon thieves’ bellies were also growing round. Under the blue moon, with watermelon juice dripping from their mouths, they resembled vampires feasting.

Next year, watermelons will probably grow in Jang Gun-i’s bathroom.

Jin Hyuk licked the sweet juice from his lips and turned his gaze toward the bright moon.

‘How can it be so dazzling?’

They say the moon symbolizes yin energy. If there really was a ghost attached to me, wouldn’t it cause more trouble on a night like this? Maybe that’s why I’ve been experiencing strange things lately, coincidentally at the right times.

Seeing himself unable to let go of these thoughts, he seriously suspected he was going through menopause.

The moonlight was dreamlike.

The soft glow of the stream under the moonlight stirred extraordinary emotions.

Like a legendary figure’s cloak, it made his eyes sting.

The sound of the flowing stream beside him seemed distant, and the kids’ chattering quieted down. Even the tiny flapping of a mosquito’s wings was captured within Jin Hyuk’s vision.

A cool, pale light seeped in, and he watched it with his heart. It resembled the shattered brilliance of a blue moon in the fog. The moonlight pierced through his skull, reaching his heart, then his lower abdomen, awakening his senses.

Jin Hyuk clenched his jaw.

If not for his youthful appearance, anyone would see him as a mature young man.

Even without placing a hand on his chest, he could feel the strong pulse of his heart.

A blue flame of pure emotion ignited.

All his scattered thoughts converged into a single, sharp point.

The nagging thoughts cleared, and the turmoil settled, leaving his mind serene.

‘It’s new. Both body and mind.’

A bolt of lightning struck Jin Hyuk’s mind.

In that moment, like flipping through a forgotten history book to confirm a secret, a singular figure emerged. Someone often mentioned in the conversations of the neighborhood elders.

Jin Hyuk’s eyes sparkled as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

‘I need to meet that grandfather.’

The unusual phenomena, the eccentric psychology that couldn’t be blamed solely on hormones, and the sudden calm that seemed to mock him.

He was the only one who could provide answers in this bizarre situation.

He finally remembered the living legend that even the grandmother at Seonnyeo Rock had mentioned.

The shaman grandfather.