Chapter 2

< Chapter 2: He is Kwangdeok (2) >

Chapter 2: He is Kwangdeok (2)

Because of the situation, Byungho scolded Jinho fiercely.

"Damn it! There's a limit to how much you can mess around with fireworks! Making gunpowder? Who's going to lose their head? Damn it! Not just my head, but everyone's heads will fly off in all directions!"

"But... it's hard to get gunpowder..."

"There are fireworks overflowing at stationery stores, so what are you talking about?"

"There are impurities..."

"Damn it! Tear it up right now!"

After a series of scuffles, Jinho promised to plow the field. Before leaving, Byungho warned Jinho again.

"I'll come back the day after tomorrow to check, so make sure you plow it up! Got it?"

"Got it!"

Byungho, who received Jinho's reaffirmation, grumbled as he started the engine.

"Damn otaku freak..."

* * *

'Otaku freak'

This was a nickname given to Jinho not only by his relatives like Byungho but also by his parents.

From a young age, Jinho's various accidents due to his otaku tendencies made everyone in the family worry that he would eventually cause a major accident.

'Kwangdeok'

This was a nickname given to Jinho by acquaintances who met him through SNS and online hobby cafes.

Initially, they used the character '廣' (broad) for Jinho, who was passionate about various fields, but later changed it to '狂' (mad) after seeing the various incidents he caused.

From a young age, Jinho showed extraordinary traits. He demonstrated superior concentration and memory compared to his peers.

"He doesn't seem like an ordinary child!"

Hearing this from his kindergarten teacher, Jinho's parents' expectations for him grew higher and higher.

When Jinho's parents had his IQ tested around the time he entered elementary school, the doctor gave them the following response.

"His memory, concentration, and comprehension are all above average. His IQ is at the level of a near-genius."

"Thank you!"

Jinho's parents were overjoyed and filled with hope after hearing the doctor's explanation.

However, their hope soon turned to disappointment.

Jinho's outstanding concentration, memory, comprehension, and intelligence were not being applied to his studies.

He remembered his parents' dark past from their arguments when he was just 3-4 years old and used it to silence them, and his memory of his own dark past from kindergarten and elementary school made him kick his blanket even in college. His concentration, which led him to watch his favorite American TV series non-stop and be rushed to the emergency room for skipping meals, was nowhere to be seen in his studies.

"What a smart kid!"

Despite sending Jinho to cram schools and using both carrot and stick to make him study, Jinho's parents were furious when they received his report card. Jinho's grades were always average, whether he was in the advanced or remedial class.

He excelled in Korean, history, and other memorization subjects, but his English and math, which were at the bottom, held him back. Jinho was also frustrated by this.

"I can't visualize it..."

Jinho complained to his friend.

"Visualize?"

"In Korean, history, and other memorization subjects, when I read the textbook or problems, scenes come to mind like a movie. So, I remember them clearly and understand how to solve them quickly, but damn math, I can't do that..."

In the end, Jinho had no choice but to choose a humanities major.

Stressed by various issues, Jinho became even more engrossed in his hobbies. From the fourth grade of elementary school to the time he entered middle school, he was deeply immersed in a famous robot anime—becoming a hardcore supporter of the Universal Century and a die-hard Federation supporter—and enthusiastically engaged in online activities and made friends.

Jinho's hobby became 'Kwangdeok' starting from his second year of middle school.

After getting hooked on a steampunk drama set in the 19th century, Jinho started enthusiastically searching for and watching the series. Since it was a highly niche drama, he had to go through 'dark channels' and even overseas to find it, and with no subtitles, he translated the scripts he found online and became addicted to the drama.

Seeing Jinho's obsession with the drama, his parents were angry, but at least his English grades improved rapidly, allowing him to watch the series until it ended.

The impact of the drama on Jinho was significant. He transformed from a 'passive otaku' to an 'active otaku.'

Fascinated by steam engines, Jinho and his friends built a scaled-down model of Watt's steam engine and a connected generator and entered it in a science fair.

The scaled-down model, made mostly from easily available items except for the pressure-resistant inner cylinder and a few driving parts, showed enough performance to light an LED lamp when heated by an alcohol lamp and won an excellence award.

"Jinho, thank you! This isn't much, but use it as pocket money."

"What's the point of a humanities student winning an award? You should memorize math formulas instead! Honey! Don't give this kid any pocket money! He'll just make something weird again!"

While the parents of his science-major friends, whose awards helped with college applications, thanked him and gave him pocket money, Jinho received a scolding from his own parents. However, the following year, he made his parents even more worried by building a scaled-down model of a steam locomotive that actually moved using steam pressure.

Despite the challenges, Jinho did his best for college entrance exams and passed the worst possible hurdle, the regular admission, to enter the 'in Seoul' university's public administration department, just below the SKY level.

On the day Jinho's admission was confirmed, his parents invited the family to celebrate.

"Now that you're in college, don't cause unnecessary trouble and focus on your studies!"

"Public administration? You should work hard to become a civil servant."

"Stop daydreaming and study! You know how much your parents have suffered for you!"

The relatives gathered for the celebration all gave Jinho a mix of threats and advice.

Even after entering college, Jinho's 'active hobby' continued.

In his first year of college, Jinho used the money he earned from a summer job to build a 'human-powered seaplane' and successfully flew it at the Han River estuary.

"It's flying!"

"It's flying?"

The police and 119 emergency personnel, who were present for safety reasons, looked at Jinho's human-powered seaplane in the sky with strange expressions.

Jinho's flight became a hot topic, even making it onto TV news.

He was featured in a segment with titles like 'Talented College Inventor,' but Jinho's parents had to suffer.

"He's not a son but a curse..."

"What sins did I commit in my past life..."

This was the 'First Kwangdeok Incident' as described by relatives and acquaintances.

Thanks to the TV news, Jinho became known as a peculiar character at school.

His eccentric behavior continued. After watching a historical drama and deciding to make authentic leather armor from the Three Kingdoms period, he wrestled with leather. He spent his summer break living and working at a traditional swordsmith's workshop to learn how to make a Joseon-style sword. During the semester, inspired by a movie about the Crusades, he spent weekends hammering away to make Western full plate armor.

"What can we do with this kid..."

To stop Jinho's eccentric behavior, his parents even beat their adult son. Despite this, seeing their son continue his eccentric behavior, Jinho's parents were deeply frustrated.

"If he couldn't study at all..."

During the semester, except for weekends, Jinho studied hard and achieved excellent grades, making it even harder for his parents to give up on him.

Every time Jinho caused trouble, Jinho's parents had to recall what his high school career counselor had said.

"Jinho is very smart, but not in an academic sense. To put it simply, he's suited to be an inventor."

"Inventor... Isn't life itself hard these days?"

"That's why it's a shame. If Jinho had been born in 18th or 19th century Europe, he would have been a famous inventor in history."

* * *

By the time Jinho entered his third year of college, he caused a major incident. It was due to an email from an American acquaintance he met online.

The acquaintance was gathering people to build a frigate from a famous pirate movie using traditional methods. Although it was a 1/4 scale model, everything was to be built according to actual historical records, which caught Jinho's attention.

Jinho immediately submitted a leave of absence and flew to the United States.

This was the 'Second Kwangdeok Incident.'

Jinho's mother once again clutched her head in despair, and his father erupted in anger.

"You brat! I'll disown you!"

Jinho's stay in the United States lasted longer than initially expected. The reason was a wealthy otaku from the Arab world who funded the project.

Pleased with the completed result, the Arab tycoon made a proposal to the participants.

"I happen to need a cruising yacht. How about building it in full size? I'll provide the construction funds and pay you a salary. Deal?"

"Deal!"

The participants unanimously agreed to the Arab tycoon's offer.

Although the frigate was modified to be a motor-sailing ship with an engine and modern conveniences, the hull structure and appearance remained true to the Age of Exploration. It was reborn through the hands of otakus from various countries.

After the construction was completed and the launching ceremony and trial voyage were successfully concluded, Jinho returned to Korea with a copy of the frigate's design.

Jinho's parents, who welcomed him back, said briefly.

"Go to the military. We've prepared everything."

"Yes."

Faced with the parents' stern command, Jinho immediately bowed his head.

After returning from the military, Jinho continued his studies diligently.

Studying earnestly and preparing for the civil service exam, Jinho passed the 5th-grade open competitive examination one year after graduation.

On the day it was decided that he would become a civil servant in the central government, specifically in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Jinho's parents once again invited the family to celebrate.

"Good job!"

"Finally, we can breathe a sigh of relief! Well done!"

The relatives praised Jinho's parents more than Jinho, knowing the mental anguish they had endured because of him.

With these twists and turns, Jinho began his civil service career.

When Jinho started his civil service career, his parents breathed a sigh of relief, but Jinho himself faced a problem.

"Feeling stifled..."

While dealing with daily tasks, Jinho suffered from mental dryness. To alleviate this, he made model kits, played online and smartphone games, and participated in cycling club activities on his days off. However, the mental dryness only worsened, and he eventually received a diagnosis of depression and had to take medication.

With the situation deteriorating, Jinho's parents had to make a decision.

"Do what you want."

"Thank you."

The day after his parents made the decision, Jinho submitted his resignation.

After submitting his resignation and becoming unemployed, Jinho immediately got a job at a blacksmith's shop run by a master craftsman.

After three years of living and working at the blacksmith's shop, the master called Jinho.

"Open your own shop now. You've learned everything you can from me. What you need now is experience, which only time can provide."

"Thank you, Master."

Thus, Jinho moved to Yangsan. Using the money he saved during his four years as a civil servant and some support, he bought an empty house and the attached field and set up a blacksmith's shop.

* * *

After seeing Byungho off, Jinho scratched his head and grumbled.

"The fireworks from stationery stores have too many impurities and can cause rust in the barrel..."

Commercial fireworks contain various impurities to produce different colors and reduce the explosive power of the gunpowder. These impurities can severely corrode the barrel, which is why it's essential to clean it thoroughly after a test firing.

"Anyway, I have to plow it, so I'll have to borrow a tractor from Mr. Hwang tomorrow."

After deciding what to do the next day, Jinho entered the warehouse.

"Let's see..."

Jinho rummaged through the shelves in the warehouse. Moving aside the steam engine models he made in high school, he took out a small box.

"If this had been discovered, I would have been in jail by now."

Muttering to himself, Jinho opened the lid and examined the contents.

Inside the box were two small glass bottles buried in cushioning material. Sighing deeply, Jinho looked at the brown liquid in the glass bottles, which were about the size of a pinky finger.

"Why did I make this..."

The liquid in the glass bottles was nitroglycerin.

After examining the glass bottles for a moment, Jinho closed the box and pushed it back into the depths of the shelf.

Boom!

Just as Jinho was about to leave the warehouse, the ground began to shake.

"Huh? Where are they construction?"

Jinho, who was puzzled by the small tremor, suddenly screamed as the shaking intensified.

"That's impossible! It's an earthquake!"

Realizing it was an earthquake, Jinho rushed outside. But before he could take five steps, he had to turn around and run back to the warehouse.

"If that damn thing explodes, I won't get the insurance money!"

Boom!

Despite the increasingly violent shaking, Jinho ran into the warehouse, grabbed the box, and ran outside.

Click!

Opening the box, Jinho took out the two glass bottles and threw them into the field.

Boom!

"Done..."

Just as Jinho was relieved to see a large explosion in the field, the ground split open and swallowed him.

< Chapter 2: He is Kwangdeok (2) > End

ⓒ National Pride

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