Chapter 64 – Swimming Emperor (8)
[Chapter 4 – Verse 4] You Really Are Greedy
Anthropologists, sociologists, and mathematicians all differ slightly in their opinions, but without using P’s aptitude tester, what are the odds of finding your own true aptitude?
Anyone who knows even a little math would come up with something like this formula:
1 / (number of professions) × 100
The most crucial variable here is “the number of professions,” and that’s where scholars start to disagree.
Take teachers as an example.
Kindergarten teacher, elementary teacher, middle-school teacher, high-school teacher, university professor…
Already split by the age of the students taught. Then further subdivided by subject.
Physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, foreign languages, history, physical education, art, music, math, Korean, ethics, home economics, technology…
Just combining age group and subject already far exceeds 100 possibilities.
Meaning that even if we only count “teacher,” the chance of discovering your exact aptitude is less than 1%!
Add in every other profession, and the conclusion is clear:
Without P’s aptitude tester, it’s absolutely impossible.
“How is this kind of record even…!”
“Good heavens! This is ridiculous…”
“Is he really human…?”
Thanks to winning the marathon, I finally got the chance to have my times measured at the athletes’ village swimming center.
And the result?
Overwhelming.
I couldn’t beat the first-string monsters whose aptitude was literally “swimmer,” but against normal humans? I couldn’t lose even if I tried.
It felt like the last-place student from a top university transferring to a second-tier school and immediately taking first place.
I wasn’t particularly happy.
“Would any coach here be willing to teach me the other strokes?”
“Molang?”
To become the Emperor of Swimming, I have to sweep gold in butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, and individual medley too.
“Gasp! I’ll teach you!”
“What nonsense! Learn from me!”
“I’ve got forty years of coaching experience!”
The desire to recruit a talented athlete is the same in the old era as in the modern one.
The swimming coaches were past mere rivalry—they looked ready to fight.
The condescending attitude they’d shown me before was nowhere to be found.
“This is awkward~”
“Molang~”
Was it because I didn’t like any of them?
I was seriously considering drawing lots when—
“Mr. Kang Moon-soo, how about learning from me?”
“Uh… are you a coach?”
She was an extremely young woman to be called a coach.
“I competed as a national representative in the last Olympics.”
“Wow! That’s amazing. But why suddenly…”
It didn’t make sense.
“I’m planning to retire after yielding this Olympics to the juniors. My form isn’t what it used to be.”
“Ah, I see.”
The current coaches weren’t exactly to my taste, but learning from someone who had never coached before felt even less appealing.
“You can refuse, of course. Actually… the reason I spoke to you is that I was hoping you could meet my little sister one more time.”
“One more time?”
“Yes. Do you remember the girl who handed you the water bottle at the marathon finish line?”
“Ah! I do. I felt awkward because no one else congratulated me. I was really grateful to her.”
She looked like a high-school girl a little younger than me.
“Could you tell her that personally? She’d definitely be happy.”
“Of course.”
I took out my smartphone and asked for her number.
“My sister’s name is Park Han-hee. She’s loved running since she was little and is preparing to become a track athlete. She loves marathons too, but her health hasn’t allowed her to participate.”
“……”
“Mr. Kang Moon-soo?”
“…Ah! Yes. Park Han-hee, right? Park Han-hee. Saved.”
Park Han-hee.
The moment I heard that name, it felt like I’d been struck in the head with a club.
‘That’s Nam Hae-soo’s wife’s name!’
It could just be a coincidence of names, but I immediately dismissed that possibility.
Why?
Because I know the story of how Nam Hae-soo got married.
He courted a fellow university athlete’s younger sister for seven full years before they finally wed.
The younger sister of a national representative—Park Han-hee.
The fact that she was younger than her husband, Nam Hae-soo, matched perfectly too.
‘No doubt about it.’
Just the common points alone made it impossible for this to be a different person with the same name.
Tap tap.
Having organized my thoughts, I immediately sent a text to “Nam Hae-soo’s wife.”
「Kang Moon-soo: Hello. This is Kang Moon-soo. I got your number from your sister.」
「Kang Moon-soo: Feel free to contact me whenever you have time.」
Just because Nam Hae-soo is wearing someone else’s skin doesn’t mean his heart isn’t still Nam Hae-soo’s.
‘If he’s still a man…’
There’s no way he’d allow the woman he loves to end up in another man’s arms—let alone get married.
“Please take care of me.”
“Oh my! You’re really going to learn from me?”
Even if Nam Hae-soo himself doesn’t show up, his wife definitely will.
And when that happens—
I’ll be right there waiting.
“Yes. I was really touched by Miss Park Han-hee’s actions.”
No matter who coached me, Olympic gold was already guaranteed.
To her—who had zero coaching experience or achievements—I was practically a savior.
Proof: the moment I agreed, her face visibly brightened.
“I never imagined the day would come when I’d be thanking my little sister!”
“Please take good care of— hmm?”
Bzzz!
Right then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
‘Already?’
It was a reply.
「Park Han-hee: Mr. Kang Moon-soo, are you free tomorrow?」
「Park Han-hee: I’m free anytime after classes end at 3.」
「Kang Moon-soo: How about 5 p.m. at the athletes’ village plaza?」
The athletes’ village plaza.
A meeting place that showed zero consideration for the other person.
If it were mere curiosity, she’d refuse or suggest changing the location.
「Park Han-hee: Sounds good. See you at the plaza at 5 tomorrow.」
“…She really seems happy.”
I couldn’t understand why.
Her older sister looked a little troubled, hesitated, then said,
“Actually…”
“Yes?”
She trailed off before continuing.
“Please keep what I told you a secret from my sister.”
“Of course. My lips are sealed.”
“My sister has a track-and-field senior who forced her into a relationship the moment she entered university.”
“Forced…? Why…”
“She’s always been ridiculously popular with guys. To the point of being annoying.”
“Ah, right.”
I’d momentarily forgotten that the wife of Nam Hae-soo, Emperor of Swimming, was a former model.
“That water bottle? Her senior actually forced her to prepare it—for himself, to hand to him when he crossed the finish line.”
“What the—! Isn’t that dangerous for me?”
“It’s fine. He collapsed from exhaustion midway and was taken to a nearby hospital.”
“…”
I suddenly felt dragged into some annoying drama.
***
My goal is to find Nam Hae-soo, who’s trapped in this dream, and convince him to wake up.
His wife, Park Han-hee?
I only knew her name, age, job, and face—plus the kids they had after marriage.
Anything beyond that I’d judged unnecessary.
‘I got played!’
I had researched only Nam Hae-soo in detail, yet here we were in the absurd situation where Nam Hae-soo didn’t even exist in this dream world!
Even the martial-arts novel knowledge he supposedly loved was completely useless.
“Hi there!”
The girl sitting on a bench in the athletes’ village plaza spotted me and greeted me brightly.
Despite her youthful face, she was a university freshman—same age as me.
“Oh no, I made you wait.”
“Not at all! The weather was so nice I left early on a whim. It’s not even 5 yet.”
Because of the deeply pulled-down hat and mask, I could only see her eyes and eyebrows, but every little gesture radiated femininity.
Her shy voice put the perfect period on it.
“Thank you so much for the water bottle. I was really thirsty.”
A lie—I hadn’t sweated a single drop, so I wasn’t thirsty at all.
But Park Han-hee went along without suspicion.
“Thank me? I was the one shocked—no one was congratulating the guy who just broke the marathon world record.”
“Everyone was probably stunned by the unexpected result.”
Ever since getting rejected by Song Sun-young, girls my age had become mysterious creatures to me, but I had no choice but to dive in.
Valentine?
She was my escort knight who matched me perfectly in everything, so she didn’t count.
“Molang molang~”
“…”
Be quiet.
“I’ve been curious since earlier—what’s that on your head?”
“This? It’s a hat that prevents hair loss. The molang texture soothes the scalp and pores.”
“Molang~”
She didn’t have to believe me. Even I thought my explanation lacked—
“Um… do you have hair loss?”
She believed it?!
“No! Of course not! I just wear it because it feels nice. Want to try it on if you don’t believe me?”
“Oh my! Is that okay?”
“Sure.”
“Molang.”
Park Han-hee took off her deeply pulled-down hat and placed the slime on her head.
‘She’s a beauty.’
I’d need to see her without the mask to be sure, but Nam Hae-soo must have saved a country in his previous life.
“Wow! It really is squishy~!”
“Molang~!”
Thanks to the slime settling on her head with miraculous ease, the awkward atmosphere between us vanished in an instant.
But perhaps because I’d heard the story from her sister first?
Everything Park Han-hee did felt… performative.
‘Nothing I can do about it.’
To lure out Nam Hae-soo, who was wearing someone else’s skin, I had to get close to his wife.
So that her enraged husband would come running… wait.
Only now did I realize I didn’t need to play the villain myself.
“Miss Park Han-hee, can I ask one question?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“…Yes. Why?”
Surprisingly, she admitted it without hesitation.
‘Maybe her sister got it wrong?’
Siblings don’t have to share every detail of their private lives. The older sister’s claim that her little sister was being forced into a relationship with a track senior could just be a biased misunderstanding.
Evidence:
“I actually got dumped by two girlfriends in a row recently.”
“Oh no! How did that happen?”
“The first one dumped me because I kept saying things she didn’t like, and the second was a coworker… we broke up when I quit the company.”
I felt depressed again.
“You’re about the same age as me, Mr. Kang Moon-soo, and you already worked at a company? What kind?”
“For security reasons I can’t go into detail, but I was an advisor at an investment firm.”
I had been a strategist for the ducal house that swallowed an entire empire.
“Wow! So you’re an office worker who’s also amazing at sports?”
“I wanted to be a swimmer, but they wouldn’t let me in, so I had no choice but to join the investment firm.”
“I see~”
“Molang~”
Park Han-hee’s current boyfriend was not Nam Hae-soo.
Because the Emperor of Swimming’s true aptitude was track-and-field athlete. If he had planned to become a runner in this dream world, there would be no reason to abandon the body of “Nam Hae-soo.”
‘This is strange.’
Does he really not care if his future wife dates and marries someone else?
Thinking that way brought me right back to square one.
“Um… Mr. Kang Moon-soo.”
“It was nice meeting you too, Miss Park Han-hee. Take care on your way ho—”
“No, no! That’s not what I—”
“…”
We had walked the athletes’ village paths together, even had coffee at a café. Quite a bit of time had passed; the sunset was visible now…
Was there more she wanted to say?
If we were lovers, we might keep going from here, but I had zero intention of that.
“Mr. Kang Moon-soo… do you like running?”
“I’m good at it, but I don’t like running with no purpose.”
“I see…”
Park Han-hee’s shoulders drooped as if the world had ended.
To score points with her, I should’ve lied and said I loved running, but I didn’t want to get any more involved, so I answered honestly.
No need to get close!
If Nam Hae-soo, who started a new life in someone else’s body, has no attachment to his “former” wife, then I have no reason to care about her either.
“It’s getting chilly.”
So, time to go home?
Sensing my intention, she hurriedly got to the point.
“This might sound weird, and I know it is, but… have you ever considered becoming a track-and-field athlete?”
“Yes.”
“I know you’re already swamped with swimming training… wait, what?”
Park Han-hee, who had clearly expected a refusal, froze in shock.
“I already signed up. I’m very greedy for Olympic medals. Track, fencing, swimming, cycling, canoeing, taekwondo, wrestling, judo, boxing…”
“W-wait a second! You’re joking, right? You’re going to do all those events?!”
“Yes. If the records come out well, there’s no reason I can’t.”
To catch up to Nam Hae-soo’s medal count in the shortest time possible, I have no choice.
“Good heavens…”
“I hope you make it to the Olympics too, Miss Park Han-hee.”
“…”
“See you then.”
I left an empty well-wish and turned away.
“Where are you going?”
“To the track. To do something cruel.”
Just like the Emperor of Swimming once did.