Chapter 72

#72 <Hong Ki-jun>

***

Time in the countryside flows slowly, yet quickly.

No one has been able to logically explain why.

As the evening grew dark, Jin-hyeok lit a mosquito-repelling fire for Jang Gun-i.

After setting fire to pine needles and branches, he mixed rice husks and mugwort on top. This way, the mosquitoes wouldn’t bother people or animals, and the smoke would rise into the sky. The smell was pleasant, and sitting next to it made you feel good.

Yoo Se-ra came out to the yard with coffee.

“Jin-hyeok, wanna go on a date with your mom?”

The world is vast, and people are many. Some even call themselves “mom” out of their own mouths.

She’s a fascinating and amusing woman in many ways.

“Sure.”

It wasn’t like they were going anywhere special. The “date” was just sitting on the porch, watching the fire, and chatting.

“You said you wanted to compete in track and field, right?”

“Yes. I don’t need to join a sports club separately.”

Just register as an athlete for each competition. That’s what Lee Byeong-se confirmed.

Yoo Se-ra glanced at her notebook and replied.

“Yeah. I checked, and that’s how it works.”

Jin-hyeok peeked and saw the notebook filled with tiny, densely packed handwriting.

There were traces of hard work, even something resembling bloodstains.

“So, you’ll compete in two years?”

“Yes. I plan to compete in my third year.”

“What about training?”

“I train every day, but the only proper training ground is the school sports field.”

Yoo Se-ra sighed with a serious expression.

How can proper track and field training happen on a sandy field with no track?

Maybe they’ll drag tires or do partner training. She thought about recruiting a star player while establishing a basic sports foundation. But the training environment is too poor.

“Do you want to transfer to Seoul?”

“Seoul?”

“Yeah. There are indoor gyms for rainy days, and schools with tracks.”

Jin-hyeok hesitated for a moment.

Yoo Se-ra’s serious expression and tone made it hard to refuse.

“As I mentioned before… I like living here. With my family.”

Cheon Gil-ryong also said it was good for Jin-hyeok to live in this neighborhood.

Maybe it’s a good match?

As if expecting this answer, Yoo Se-ra nodded.

She placed a hand on Jin-hyeok’s shoulder and muttered to herself.

“Then we’ll have to bring the training ground here.”

“Is that necessary?”

Track and field is something you might not stick with forever.

Even if you like it now, there’s no guarantee you’ll feel the same later. It’s an unpopular sport, so it’s just for fun.

“Don’t you want to compete in the Asian Games? Even if it’s not track and field, winning a gold medal would be great.”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“You’d get exempt from military service.”

Huh?

He hadn’t thought of that.

But if he had to go, he’d go. In the past, Jin-hyeok felt most at ease in the military. Now, with a family, it’s different.

“Men have to go to the military when they come of age. It’s an obligation.”

That thought hadn’t changed.

Yoo Se-ra sighed deeply, looking at Jin-hyeok’s blank face.

Some guys go to great lengths to avoid it.

‘Ugh, this old man.’

Even her dad and brother in Seoul aren’t this stubborn.

Where did this old-fashioned guy come from? He’s a self-imposed strict old man, so you can’t blame him.

“Son, listen…”

Yoo Se-ra, who had been biting her lip, forced a smile.

“You said you like living with your family. If you go to the military, you’ll have to be apart.”

“Ah…”

That’s true.

Jin-hyeok awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. No matter how much he loves his family, he’ll have to live apart when he goes to college or the military. He’s too happy now to worry about the future.

“If building a training ground here is too much, let’s decide based on your performance in your third year of middle school. Whether to continue or not.”

“Okay.”

Yoo Se-ra might seem clumsy and naive, but at times like this, she reminds him of Executive Hong Soo-jung. She doesn’t act on impulse but makes cool-headed decisions. He thought she’d be a good person to work with.

“They say just because you were good at sports as a kid doesn’t mean you’ll maintain that form as you grow. Over 99% of athletes fade away. Even including those who become coaches or work in related institutions.”

Talent without effort makes success hard in any field.

Jin-hyeok agreed with her.

And one more thing.

‘Luck.’

Jin-hyeok was a lucky person.

Until now, that’s how it was. Surrounded by capable people, he just had to blend in and live an ordinary life. But now, he has a goal to work toward.

“By the way, Mom.”

“Huh? That almost hurt my feelings. Oh-ho, what is it?”

“If my grades are good, what happens after that?”

“I’ll tell you then.”

This person, that person, they all drive you crazy.

But Jin-hyeok had an idea.

After last year’s Daegu competition, he had a conversation with his dad. The content likely flowed from his dad to Hong Ki-jun, then to Yoo Se-ra. No need to confirm; the two uncles’ mouths were as loose as if they were competing.

‘Hmm, if I do well in sports, I’ll get an agency, right? I’ll have to think about the military too.’

For the first time, the word “future dream” settled in Jin-hyeok’s mind.

Being a farmer isn’t exactly a future dream if you live here.

Yoo Se-ra’s business idea didn’t seem out of sync with the times or the country. Without relevant knowledge, he didn’t know what was right, but whoever introduced it first would establish the system.

“If you establish an agency, will you manage it yourself?”

“Directly? No, I’ll hire capable people to support.”

Oops, Yoo Se-ra’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s. She said it was a secret, but this guy’s mouth is too lively.

A victorious smile spread across Jin-hyeok’s face.

‘Just like Soo-jung, can’t keep a secret.’

Good. If he were to join, they’d have to go together. He was worried about potential inconveniences. Nothing’s certain yet, but you never know.

***

A few days passed after the vacation.

Today, after finishing his morning workout, Jin-hyeok was the first to enter the classroom and unfolded the newspaper.

「Seokyoung to Return Mobile Communication License. No-Kim Conflict Resolution.」

「Seokyoung Abandons Second Mobile Communication Business License to Sain Communications.」

「Hong Ki-jun, CEO of Sain Electronics, Appointed as CEO of Sain Communications, Concurrently.」

「Sain Electronics Announces Acquisition of Daou Communications. Sain Group Rises to Second in Business Rankings.」

A month ago, Jin-hyeok might have fainted, but he calmly scanned the headlines again.

Seokyoung, which grew into a top company through its mobile communication license, is now abandoning it and handing it over to Sain.

Not only that. Sain acquired Daou Communications, the third-largest electronics company, and rose to second place in the business rankings.

‘This is really strange…’

Even without future knowledge, Jin-hyeok knows the major corporate histories.

He suspected Hong Ki-jun’s regression, but he never expected such aggressive expansion.

He grabbed his chin and shook his head.

“So that’s how it is…”

Somehow, Hong Ki-jun has clear future knowledge. But he doubts it’s a regression. If it were, he wouldn’t act like this.

That was Jin-hyeok’s conclusion.

Even Jin-hyeok himself doesn’t have the same personality as before.

Hong Ki-jun differs from Jin-hyeok in both character and the precision of his knowledge. Jin-hyeok has no knowledge to speak of, despite his hard work.

‘Can’t just ask how he knows.’

A kid having business conversations with a conglomerate chairman or CEO is only possible in fiction. And they’re usually connected by blood or see each other often. Jin-hyeok is someone who stammers even in casual conversations with Hong Ki-jun.

‘Anyway, the chairman isn’t like this.’

The Hong Ki-jun Jin-hyeok knew was conservative in the dictionary sense. Safety first, second, and third. How many executives had begged Jin-hyeok to persuade the chairman in the past?

But now, he seems to be gambling beyond adventure. How he convinced Seokyoung to give up its golden goose is almost impossible. Did he hold a knife to their throat? Did he buy the goose that lays golden eggs? It doesn’t make sense.

Did he use his youthful vigor and future knowledge to carry out threats? Jin-hyeok, as usual, traced the situation backward to form a hypothesis. He was purely curious, almost academically.

‘Threats are the only way.’

But who would threaten the family of a military-backed president in this era?

It would be easy to brainwash them into thinking the mobile communication business is rotten and make them abandon it themselves.

And Daou Communications.

‘Did they have the money?’

It’s a group affiliate and a major corporation. Acquiring it, securing business licenses, and expanding affiliates require massive funds. Sain has a solid financial structure, but that means low debt, not high cash. So, the funds for the acquisition must all be debt.

‘What’s the plan for five years from now? If he knows the future, he wouldn’t overextend.’

The administration and financial sector are business-friendly now, but how will he handle the impending crisis? When the money dries up and there’s no dollar, what then?

Hong Ki-jun’s background is undeniable. Yoo Se-ra bragged endlessly about her husband during vacation. He became CEO just a year after being promoted to department head. With the chairman’s full trust, such projects are possible.

‘Sain’s PC was suspicious too. Now mobile communications?’

Making pagers and announcing mobile phones?

To Jin-hyeok, it seemed like Sain Group wanted to dominate everything.

‘Why not make cars while they’re at it?’

As he thought this, his eyes continued to scan the newspaper.

「Asia Motors to be Sold to Sain Group.」

Cough. Thud.

Jin-hyeok banged his head on the desk. His calm heart rapidly thawed.

‘Are they sane?’

Is this what it feels like when the world goes mad? The normal world, the world that should be, has completely disappeared. He barely suppressed the nausea rising in his stomach.

Jin-hyeok felt lonely for the first time in a long while.

Half the page seemed filled with the word “Sain.”

Honestly, it’s not like he doesn’t know Hong Ki-jun. If he succeeds, Jin-hyeok wouldn’t be jealous. There’s another reason this middle schooler is reacting this way.

‘Damn it, I was thinking of making some money later, not a lot, just a little…’

When he grows up and saves some seed money, he wanted to… do something.

Originally, he had no such intentions, but after Yoo Jin was born, he wanted to be a cool, rich older brother. Once, he thought using future knowledge to make money was cowardly, stealing others’ fate. From his perspective, it was a very mundane and unimpressive reason. But in a capitalist world, what desire is more honest than money? It also shows how much Jin-hyeok values his sister.

Thinking of Hong Soo-jung in his past life, his iron-like resolve wavered. Acting all manly.

‘It’s all ruined, damn it.’

But now, even the vague stock market trends he knew are useless. Because of Sain. With one group owning most sectors, the impact on the stock market is unimaginable.

At least they haven’t touched semiconductors and new materials, so that’s something.

Anyway.

‘Hmm… Is there a way to get information without going back?’

Jin-hyeok, having reached a conclusion, nodded with narrowed eyes.

If that person had returned, he wouldn’t act like this. There’s something else.

Because of this, it’s hard to gauge how and where the world has changed.

‘Of course, he doesn’t know I’ve returned.’

Separately, his suspicion that Hong Ki-jun knows the future turned into certainty. But there’s a big concern: the actions of a rural middle schooler and a major corporation’s CEO have different scales of impact and aftermath.

If someone like Hong Ki-jun flaps his wings, the future will change drastically, making it hard to predict the next step.

As far as Jin-hyeok knows, Hong Ki-jun isn’t good at financial games. He’s diligent but not a brilliant strategist. So, there’s only one thing to suspect.

‘Probably, I saved my dad, and my dad advised Ki-jun on various things.’

As far as Jin-hyeok knows, the best strategist around Hong Ki-jun is Son Kwang-yeon.

They talk daily and are together 24/7 during vacations. Most conversations are about business. If Jin-hyeok’s guess is correct, the current changes are ultimately brought about by him.

‘The world is turning interestingly.’

Jin-hyeok’s eyes shone sharply, like Team Leader Son Jin-hyeok of old.

But it’s a pity he can’t do anything.

Being a rural middle schooler is holding him back so much.

Then, he’ll have to find something else to do.

Something he can do.

Thud, thud.

As he organized his thoughts, he banged his head on the desk. This strange habit wasn’t there before, but after returning to the past, he does it whenever he concentrates.

Chae Kyu-ho, who was entering the classroom, jumped back into the hallway.

After banging his head for a while, Jin-hyeok organized his thoughts and let out a long sigh. He stroked the heart-shaped mark left by the toothless Great Magician’s spell.

‘What do I need to do to become a famous rich person in that interesting world?’

He neatly folded the newspaper and put it in the drawer.

He wanted to tear it up, but today is his group’s turn to clean the windows.