Chapter 14 – Time Flows – Part 2

Chapter 14 – Time Flows – Part 2

Mom and Dad blinked as if they hadn’t heard correctly.

Dad asked again.

“What kind of… university?”

“An ordinary university.”

A soulless voice came from Dad’s mouth.

“Ah… our Woojin wants to go to an ordinary university.”

Was he talking about a university everyone goes to?

An ordinary university with no competition, one that everyone can get into?

“What, what major?”

“I haven’t thought about it yet.”

“Okay, you still have time to think, so take your time.”

Mom smiled kindly.

“Mom wants Woojin to go to the university he wants.”

Woojin could feel the emotions in Mom and Dad’s words.

‘Family…’

Infinite love that expects no compensation or anything in return.

“Yes.”

Woojin went into his room and looked up Doctor or Prosecutor, as Dad had mentioned,

and the eight major specialized professions.

He knew them, but he wanted to visualize them more concretely in his mind once again.

-Patent Attorney, a profession that handles or appraises matters related to patents, utility models, and trademarks.

-Lawyer, a profession that argues manuscripts and handles various legal matters.

-Judicial Scrivener, a profession that drafts documents to be submitted to courts, prosecutor’s offices, etc., at the request of others.

-Appraiser, a profession that can assess the value of assets such as real estate.

-Tax Accountant, a profession that manages and processes tax-related work on behalf of others.

-Accountant, a profession that specializes in handling appraisal, calculation organization, planning, and other such tasks as an assistant manager.

-Labor Attorney, a profession that can handle labor management for companies and provide guidance and consultation on workers’ rights relief.

-Architect, a profession that handles tasks such as architectural design, supervision, and construction.

There is a pattern in the eight major professions.

It’s the law.

There was an algorithm more closely connected to the law than other professions.

Could it be called ordinary?

Woojin searched for the profession of prosecutor.

This time it was personal information. He looked up the university he attended.

In addition, he searched for information on all the people with the professions his dad had mentioned.

‘Most of them came from S University.’

Woojin slowly nodded his head.

‘Then, could this university be called the most ordinary?’

***

The next evening.

Woojin’s dad was sitting with his friends at a samgyeopsal restaurant.

The empty bottles piled up on one side already numbered over eight.

“Hahahaha! Hey, you guys know about the perfect CSAT scorers in the news, right? They say the difficulty this year was the worst. Three people achieved it. Three people! And one of them is our Woojin, isn’t he?”

Seong Munjin, Woojin’s dad’s friend who works at Shinhwa General Trading, also congratulated him as if it were his own achievement.

“I knew it! That Woojin, he’s incredibly smart. I recognized it a long time ago!”

“Yes, they all take after me. But Jaeseok, you seem quiet today?”

He was the type to subtly belittle others while boasting about his children at drinking gatherings, but today he was just sipping his drink like a cat that got the cream.

“Huh? Quiet? Congratulations. Which university are you sending him to?”

“I’ll send him wherever he wants to go.”

“If he got a perfect score, shouldn’t you send him to a prestigious university?”

Dad shook his head.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to send him to a prestigious university.

When he said he wanted to go to an ordinary university, he felt a twinge of disappointment, but that thought vanished from his mind in less than a day.

Because as long as Woojin was happy, that’s all that mattered.

His son’s happiness was more important than his own desires.

Then.

Seong Munjin suddenly spoke as if something just occurred to him.

“Hey, there’s a rumor going around our company, isn’t it related to Woojin? This is something. Hahahaha!”

Woojin’s Dad’s eyes widened.

“What? Why is our Woojin involved with your company? You jerk, did you do something weird when you gave our son a tour of your company back then?”

“Dude, an emergency suddenly came up back then, so I couldn’t even give him a proper tour.”

“Then what’s the rumor?”

Woojin’s Dad and his friends’ gazes fixed on Seong Munjin.

No matter how they thought about it, there was no reason for Woojin to be involved with the large corporation Seong Munjin worked at.

“Our company’s CEO has a daughter, you know? Not an only child. But there’s a rumor that she’s been following Woojin around.”

“What?”

“It’s true! More than one or two employees have seen her with Woojin.”

“What nonsense…”

“It’s true! Hahahaha! Ugh!”

Crash!

He laughed with his whole body, then fell backward.

“Hey, that bastard must be drunk. Go home.”

“Believe it or not, that’s up to you.”

Seong Munjin, who had sat back down, poured a drink for Woojin’s Dad and said,

“Woojin said his dream was to live an ordinary life, right?”

Woojin’s Dad nodded and accepted the drink.

“In my opinion, Woojin is a special guy. No matter where you put him, he’ll be the same. Like an awl in a sack. Woojin can’t be ordinary, even if you try to hide him and keep him close by bringing him lunch. A sharp awl, you see, can’t help but poke out.”

The drinking party grew livelier, and the smile on Woojin’s Dad’s face showed no sign of leaving.

When it was 8:30, Woojin’s Dad got up.

“I’m leaving first.”

“Yes, you should go. You should go all the way.”

“Hey, we’re going all the way today. Where are you going?”

Woojin’s Dad, whose face was red from alcohol, grinned.

“I miss our Woojin. Boss! Bring more alcohol and pork belly, no, beef! Give us more beef!”

No one stopped Woojin’s Dad from paying the bill.

How proud he must be that his son, who returned after decades, is adapting like ordinary children, or rather, even more extraordinarily.

“Hey! I’m leaving!”

Woojin’s Dad immediately got on the bus and sat down.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and then.

[This stop is…]

Woojin’s Dad’s eyes snapped open.

It felt like he had only closed and opened his eyes for a moment, but he had already arrived at the bus stop in front of his house.

Woojin’s Dad got off the bus and trudged home.

“Ah… I forgot to buy rice cake skewers.”

Just then, a taxi sped past Woojin’s Dad. No, it stopped next to him.

The woman who stepped out of the taxi was on the phone with someone and seemed to be in a hurry.

“Yes, Team Leader, I’ve arrived. I think I found the right place this time.”

She began to walk briskly ahead of Woojin’s Dad.

The conversation was audible, even though I didn’t want to eavesdrop.

“Isn’t 2,000 too little? Last year, EO Study asked for 3,000, didn’t they?”

Woojin’s Dad shook his head and laughed.

20 to 30 million won isn’t just some random amount to throw around.

Suddenly, she, who had been looking around in front, approached Woojin’s Dad.

“Excuse me, sir. Do you happen to know of a place called Daeyeong Villa nearby? I put in the location, but there are so many alleys that it’s confusing.”

‘That’s our villa…’

“Yes, you turn right up ahead.”

“Thank you.”

Her steps quickened.

Arriving in front of the villa, she looked up at the red brick building.

“Excuse me, I’m just going in for a moment.”

Woojin’s Dad said to her, who was blocking the entrance.

“Sir, do you live here?”

“Yes, I do.”

Her eyes sparkled with interest.

“By any chance, do you know which building the student Shin Woojin, who got a perfect CSAT score this time, lives in?”

“Huh? Yes. I’m his father…”

Her eyes widened.

“Oh! Shin Woojin’s father?”

Was her voice a little too loud?

The reporters who had been waiting in the car rushed over.

Questions came like a tsunami.

“This is Kim Byeongmo, reporter for KBB. Father, how do you feel?”

“What do you think is the secret to your son’s perfect CSAT score?”

“Has he decided on his career path?”

“They say it was the most difficult ever. What kind of room study method did you use to teach him?”

“What is your profession, sir?”

Woojin’s Dad, who had been standing there bewildered, suddenly came to his senses and scrambled up the stairs.

At that sight, the woman who had first asked for directions urgently shouted,

“Father! The 30 million won scholarship…”

But her words didn’t reach his ears.

He slammed the door shut and entered the hallway, where Mom and Woojin greeted him.

“Honey, what’s going on outside?”

Because quite a commotion could be heard.

Dad’s gaze naturally fixed on Woojin.

Munjin’s words came to mind.

‘Like an Awl in a Sack…’

Woojin, who had analyzed Dad’s face in a flash, opened his mouth.

He was surprised by something.

“I’ll call the police.”

“Huh?”

“The police.”

Dad put his hand to his forehead and said,

“Hahahaha! Our Woojin is the best!”