CCS Ch 5
by soapa“Hyun Yooho’s prospects for the Asian Games can be summed up in one word: ‘unrivaled.’”
A commentator, a former famous athlete himself, spoke confidently to the camera during the interview.
“Especially in Yooho’s main event, the 1500m freestyle, his record from the last Asian Games still stands. At least within Asia, I don’t see any athlete who can threaten Yooho’s gold medal…”
It sounded as though Yooho was already guaranteed the medal, and the other athletes were merely unwelcome guests hoping to steal it unfairly. Yooho stared up at the small screen hanging from the locker room ceiling for a moment before turning away.
“What do you think, Hyun?”
Myunghoon appeared from behind a closed locker door, his fist extended in the shape of a microphone. Yooho wordlessly kicked him lightly in the back of the knee.
“You crazy bastard, that hurts!”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
“Heh, you’re in good shape today. Let’s officially time you tomorrow. I think you can shave off a bit more time before we head to Jincheon.”
“Okay.”
“Where were you yesterday?”
Yooho hesitated, about to answer truthfully without thinking. Myunghoon, arms crossed, was grinning. He looked eager to catch Yooho in something interesting. After a brief deliberation, Yooho spoke casually.
“The director’s brother was hospitalized, so I went to visit.”
“Huh? Hospitalized? Why? What happened?”
“…He was just sick.”
“Just sick? How sick does someone have to be to get hospitalized? Was it like the flu? You shouldn’t have gone if it was contagious!”
Myunghoon seemed to find it hard to believe that someone would be hospitalized without a sudden accident or a serious illness. Yooho gestured for him to lower his voice and gave a vague explanation.
“I didn’t ask for details. Anyway, it’s not contagious, so don’t overreact.”
There was no need, nor did he want to, repeat to Myunghoon what Sungmin had told him. Especially since Semin had mentioned he didn’t want people to see him sick.
“How did you even know he was sick enough to visit him?”
“It’s… why are you so curious?”
“How can I not be? It’s not just anyone, it’s Lee Kang’s youngest son.”
“It just happened. There’s no grand story. I couldn’t just ignore it after hearing he was hospitalized, could I?”
Only after Yooho deliberately gave a perfunctory reply did Myunghoon nod, saying, “I guess.” Yooho couldn’t help but feel uneasy. While the most famous person associated with Lee Kang Dairy was Director Kang Sungmin, there was no reason why Kang Semin wouldn’t be dragged into the same spotlight.
Semin had never been exposed to any media. Even when family photos were released, Semin’s face was always blurred beyond recognition. Having met him, Yooho could easily guess why. It was probably to protect their frail youngest son, both physically and mentally.
Even though Semin was living a normal life now, as the son of Lee Kang Dairy, even the smallest incident could quickly become public fodder. There was no guarantee that Yooho wouldn’t become the spark. The friendship between a chaebol heir and a famous athlete. Yooho could practically see the various headlines that would irresponsibly appear, latching onto this juicy gossip. He stopped walking and called out to Myunghoon.
“Myunghoon.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t tell the coach or anyone else about Kang Semin.”
“Kang Semin? Oh, the young master? Why? Is it a secret that you’re a fan?”
“I don’t want people poking around. It’ll be annoying if the word spreads and everyone starts adding their two cents. I’m just being considerate because he’s in a difficult position. We’re not even that close.”
“Really…? I guess so.”
Myunghoon nodded readily. Yooho knew better than anyone that Myunghoon wasn’t actually that interested in Semin. It was just an excuse for casual small talk. Myunghoon was a conscientious person, always prioritizing Yooho’s condition. As if he’d never asked about Semin, he casually changed the subject.
“They’re serving ginseng chicken soup tonight. I can’t wait.”
“Do they have chicken porridge too?”
“Isn’t ginseng chicken soup with rice chicken porridge?”
“Really? I thought they cooked it separately.”
Their trivial conversations after training were important. They helped them drag their exhausted bodies back to the dorm. They were leaving the gym, exchanging meaningless words, when Yooho’s phone vibrated in his pocket.
“…”
He had a feeling it was Semin. Yooho gestured to Myunghoon to go ahead. Myunghoon gave him a suspicious smile but obediently walked away.
“Hello.”
Yooho answered the phone only after he was far enough away for Myunghoon not to hear. He could hear Semin take a sharp breath.
― Sir, dinner… I mean, hello.
“Hello. I haven’t had dinner yet.”
He felt a little more accustomed to Semin’s way of speaking now. He seemed to get tongue-tied when he was in a hurry. When Yooho gave a concise reply, Semin hesitantly asked,
― Are, are you going to eat now?
“I have to. Kang Semin, have you been discharged?”
― Ah… No. I think I’ll be discharged tomorrow. I asked my sister to bring me my phone.”
Did that mean his fever hadn’t gone down yet? Yooho felt uneasy as he recalled Semin’s flushed face. As if reading his mind, Semin quickly added,
― My fever has gone down a lot, but the doctor told me to get a checkup since I’m already admitted.
“Is that so?”
His voice certainly sounded better than yesterday. When Yooho fell silent, Semin started rambling in a slightly anxious voice.
― It’s nothing serious, I usually get checkups quarterly… and it was about time… So…
“Why did you call?”
A vague, almost petulant feeling arose. Semin quickly closed his mouth at Yooho’s teasing question. Yooho could practically picture him racking his brain for an answer. Leaning against the gym wall, Yooho looked away. The sun was setting.
“I told you to call me when you were discharged, but you haven’t been discharged yet.”
― …
“You didn’t have anything particular to say?”
― No…
The dejected voice tickled his ears. Semin was probably fidgeting, wondering if he’d done something wrong. Yooho quickly remedied the situation.
“I’m kidding.”
― …Ah.
“I was a little disappointed though. I thought you were better, but you haven’t been discharged.”
― I’m, I’m better. Really.
“That’s good then.”
― And the reason I called…
When flustered, his words would speed up, but he’d pause to compose himself every now and then. Yooho knew that his thin shoulders would rise slightly every time he did so. That was why Semin was generally restless when they sat face to face.
― I just wanted to… call.
“…”
― I wanted to talk to you…
A little over two months remained until Yooho’s departure for Jincheon. He wiped his mouth and leaned his head back against the wall.
“What are you doing next week?”
― What?
“Next Sunday, I have a photoshoot from 9 AM to 6 PM. Want to come watch?”
― A photoshoot?
“A Lee Kang Dairy ad. A print shoot.”
Only then did Semin laugh, saying, “Ah, that’s next week.”
― But is it okay for me to go? Can outsiders just…
“It’s fine if you say you’re my friend.”
The lightly teasing remark was an extension of the petulance he’d been harboring. He was curious to see how Semin would respond. After a long pause, Semin asked in a bewildered voice,
― Me?
A short cough followed. It was a reaction that was difficult to interpret. As Yooho waited silently, Semin repeated himself in disbelief,
― I’m… Sir’s friend?
Just then, a loud crashing sound, like something shattering, came from the other end of the line. Yooho, who had unconsciously moved the phone away from his ear, quickly raised his voice.
“Kang Semin?”
― Oh…
“Kang Semin, are you okay?”
― I’m, I’m okay. I’m okay. I dropped something…
Before Semin could finish, another dull crashing sound echoed. Yooho called Semin’s name again and slowly soothed him.
“Just stop moving and stay still. What did you drop?”
― First, a cup… A rinsing cup.
“And? Did it break?”
― Yes… The second time, I knocked over the IV pole while trying to avoid the shards…
“Are you hurt?”
― I… I think I’m okay.
Sighing, Yooho rubbed his forehead. Now he was startling people during phone calls.
“Hang up and call someone. Are you alone?”
― The housekeeper is usually with me, but she went out for dinner.
“Check your ankles carefully. You might not notice if you’ve been cut by a small shard.”
― Yes, yes. But, Sir…
As Yooho tried to end the call, Semin quickly interrupted him. Yooho was about to reply curtly when he suddenly turned his head. Myunghoon was gesturing for him to hurry up.
― So are we… really friends now?
“…”
― Are you… becoming friends with me?
…When was the last time he’d heard such a question? It must have been before elementary school. Yooho finally frowned in deep thought.
“Kang Semin, by any chance…”
Does he not know what he’s doing right now?
“…”
However, he quickly changed his mind and shook his head. Considering Semin standing in the middle of a messy hospital room, clutching only his phone, it was a worry best left for later.
“If that’s what you want.”
― I want… I want to!
Semin blurted out loudly at Yooho’s ambiguous answer. He was so excited that his voice cracked slightly.
“…Okay. I understand. Call someone.”
― Yes, I’ll, I’ll call. I’ll definitely be there next week!
“I said, okay…”
He ended the call rather abruptly. Only then could he hear Myunghoon shouting from afar.
“Hyu—Sir—The ginseng chicken soup—is getting cold—”
Yooho stared down at his phone, pretending not to hear. He’d thought that Semin’s interest was clearly different from typical affection, but was he just naive because he was young? No matter how much he pondered, there was no immediate answer unless he could see inside Semin’s head.
“He’s confusing…”
Yooho pocketed his phone and slowly started walking. A forgotten hunger surged through him like a tide.
Title: Our boy’s recent whereabouts
Last week I saw our boy in the lobby of the K Hotel when I was going to eat at the buffet. I only got a picture of his back, but he’s super tall and much more handsome in person lol
Comments
ㅡㅡ: Yooho aren’t you supposed to be practicing
GoldHyun: ㄴIgnore the troll// Thanks for the pic! Was our boy alone?
ㅇㅇ: Yeah he seemed to be calling a taxi, he got in alone
PoopHyunGallery: He must’ve been going to relax alone on the weekend. The K Hotel’s VIP floor has a VIP-only swimming pool
ㅡㅡ: Yooho are you dating?
ㅡㅡ: Who did you go meet at the hotel Yooho
ㅡㅡ: lol Hyun Gallery ghosts collectively experiencing cognitive dissonance right? You’ll believe he went alone no matter what right?
ㅡㅡ: Let’s see your qualifying time Yooho Barely-made-it-National-Team go bury your head and practice
PuppyLove: ㄴ힝 I wish you’d shut up and bury your useless squishy brain carrier or washbasin in shame ㅠㅅㅠ
Title: I deleted the post.. Sorry
I wrote it because it was okay to share sightings, but I didn’t know it would attract trolls ㅠㅠ;; If any gallery users saved the photo, please delete it. I’m sorry
Comments
PuppyLove: Don’t worry about it!!
PoopHyunGallery: ㄴYou should ignore the trolls too ㅅㅂ
PuppyLove: ㄴOkay sorry!! >_<
Title: K Hotel Buffet Lunch 154000 won
Is our boy rich
Comments
GoldHyun: The muggle who posted the sighting ate the buffet
GoldHyun: But what do they serve at lunch that costs 150,000 won?
ㅇㅇ: Snow crab
GoldHyun: Snow crab sounds delicious
Title: How many snow crabs do you think our boy can eat
He can get his money’s worth, right?
Comments
PuppyLove: Our boy loses weight if he eats less than 8,000 calories a day. Crushing a weak hotel buffet is totally doable
Title: Ah f*ck an article came out lol
Lunch at K Hotel, even Hyun Yooho is hooked? Taste of a 2-Michelin-star chef. Special discount for Family Month #link
Whatever, go eat snow crab. 50% off lunch starting next month
“…Was it not enough?”
Semin muttered with a serious face, holding his phone. He couldn’t hide his perplexity at the article claiming that swimmer Hyun Yooho had visited the K Hotel restaurant alone last weekend. Had the food been too meager? He had taken care to adjust the portions so Yooho would receive enough calories, even though it was the same course meal, so he was worried.
After poring over various community sites for a while, lying on the sofa, he finally found the source of the rumor. It seemed someone had taken and uploaded a picture of Yooho calling a taxi in the lobby that day. The users on the bulletin board were emphasizing and clarifying several times that Hyun Yooho himself hadn’t even been to the restaurant mentioned in the article. Semin breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, a chill ran down his spine as he wiped his face.
‘A post that briefly appeared and disappeared like this can cause completely baseless rumors to spread.’
And even lead to an article. Semin put down his phone and rubbed his dry face.
‘I should have taken him home…’
Hadn’t he caused Yooho to become entangled in an unnecessary controversy before an important competition? The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, nibbling at his thumbnail. Did Yooho already know about this? Was he upset…? There would be no answer if he kept it bottled up inside. Glancing at the time approaching 7 PM, Semin cautiously opened his messenger app.
[6:58 PM Sir]
[6:58 PM Have you eaten?]
The “read” notification popped up immediately, and a call followed right after. Startled, Semin quickly grabbed his phone with both hands before he could drop it and brought it to his ear.
“H, hello.”
― I just finished eating and I’m on my way home.
“…Ah.”
― What about you, Kang Semin? Have you had dinner?
“Y-yes, I’ve, I’ve eaten.”
Yooho’s voice was low and resonant. It sounded even more so on the phone. For some reason, Semin felt like he shouldn’t be caught talking on the phone, so he curled up for no reason.
― What did you eat?
“I…uh…Soup.”
― Soup?
“Yes, mushroom soup…”
― Is that a meal?
“W-well, I don’t usually eat a lot for dinner. I had rice for breakfast and lunch.”
At that moment, he made eye contact with Housekeeper Kim, who was bringing a plate of fruit. She smiled and gave Semin a slightly sideways glance. He’d barely touched his breakfast and lunch, which had been liquid meals. Semin quickly placed his index finger to his lips and made a pleading expression. Please keep it a secret.
― You’re coming on the weekend, right?
The sound of car horns came from the other end of the line. Semin nodded unconsciously before quickly saying,
“Yes, yes. I have to go. I’ll go.”
― Yes.
“B-but, Sir…”
When Semin hesitated, Yooho responded with a “Yes?”. Did you see that weird article? I’m sorry it happened because of me. Semin swallowed the words that came to mind. If Yooho didn’t know, it would be better that way.
“…No, I was just wondering if I could bring my camera…”
― I don’t know, will it be okay? Bring it anyway. You can just not take pictures if they say no.
“Okay…”
Semin answered weakly and lay down sideways on the sofa. It was still noisy on the other end of the phone. Amidst the crackling noise created by countless people and cars cutting through the air, only Yooho’s voice stood out clearly.
― What time are you coming?
“Oh, I’ll, I’ll match it with when you go…”
― Then let’s meet out front by 8:50. We’ll go up together.
“Yes, th-thank you.”
― Okay. Good night.
Good night to you too…, the call ended abruptly before he could finish his greeting. Semin put his phone down and turned to face the back of the sofa. He knew. For someone who slept at 10 PM, 7 PM was the middle of the night. Long conversations were impossible. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
Perhaps it was because phone calls always ended more quickly than messages. Semin rolled over on the sofa and sighed deeply.
“Dear, we were going to have some fruit, weren’t we?”
Housekeeper Kim, approached and gently wrapped her arms around Semin’s shoulders. He hugged her waist and slowly replied, “Yes…”
“Why are you so down again? You were excited a while ago.”
“Just…”
“Don’t you like apples? Shall I cut you something else?”
“No, I’ll eat it.”
His conversations with Yooho were enjoyable. He was filled with anticipation at the thought of seeing him, and he didn’t want to part when he saw his face. Yet there were times when his heart felt heavy. Semin forced himself to sit up and took a bite of an apple.
Is this what making friends is like? Do other people also put on smiles while soothing their turbulent hearts like this? The apple he’d forced himself to chew and swallow was dry and crumbly like sand.
His body, gripped by a vague fatigue, showed no signs of readily shutting down. The more he thought he should sleep, the clearer his mind became, and all sorts of memories he wanted to forget began to surface on the quiet ceiling. Semin finally sat up and picked up his phone. The time was just past 1 AM.
‘If I want to go out Saturday morning, I have to sleep early now.’
Falling asleep past 3 or 4 AM and waking up around noon was a bad habit he’d developed after dropping out of school. Semin fiddled with his phone and bit his lower lip. He actually knew why he couldn’t sleep. He was still bothered by the rumors about Yooho he’d seen earlier.
It wasn’t strange that people were interested in Yooho’s every move, but irresponsible gossip was a different matter. He was suddenly afraid of the mouths that had irresponsibly spread rumors that weren’t true. Even as he told himself not to, Semin opened an internet browser and brought up the search bar. The three letters ‘Hyun Yooho,’ automatically filled in the search bar, promised a flood of information.
Perhaps because the AG season was approaching, there were a lot of recent posts. Especially numerous were posts from the anonymous bulletin board where the hotel buffet story had first spread. As Semin scrolled through the posts, his eyes stopped on a post with a particularly large number of comments.
Title: Is this our boy’s couple ring?
A photo taken at a fan meeting two years ago, right index finger lol
Comments
ㅡㅡ: Yooho are you dating
PoopHyunGallery: It’s a rosary ring, idiot
SnowCrabHyun: He said in an interview like a million times that it was a rosary ring from his maternal grandmother. He seems to have stopped wearing it because people kept asking
ㅡㅡ: It’s the same ring as Yoon Doa, Yooho
ㅡㅡ: Why did you take yours off alone? Doa must be sad
ㅡㅡ: Yooho aren’t you training?
PuppyLove: ㄴThis bastard’s having a seizure again. When will he die?
PoopHyunGallery: ㄴAh, please, just ignore him whether he’s having a seizure or not, you clueless idiot
“Yoon…Doa.”
Rolling his eyes as he repeated the strangely familiar name, Semin busily moved his thumbs. He’d heard it somewhere before. He was about to unconsciously type the three letters into the search bar when he hesitated. I will not infringe on the athlete’s privacy. The remaining phrase felt like it was suddenly stuck in his throat.
“…”
However, if humans were creatures capable of rejecting primal curiosity with willpower alone, humanity would still be in the Stone Age. His hesitant fingertips began to type in the name he’d heard, letter by letter. Glamorous photos and a profile popped up immediately.
Yoon Doa, 26 years old
Film actress, Talent
Hills Entertainment
172cm
She hadn’t built up a large filmography, but she frequently appeared in commercials. Tall with a healthy physique, she often advertised health supplements or outdoor apparel. She wore the same ring as him? Pondering, Semin revised his search query and typed it in again.
Hyun Yooho Yoon Doa
As soon as he saw the search results, he gasped. Hyun Yooho and Yoon Doa, wearing matching rash guards, stood side-by-side in one frame. His phone slipped from his hand and fell onto the edge of the bed, then to the floor. Semin sat up with a start and frantically picked it up. Fortunately, it had landed on the rug and was undamaged.
“Th-th-this. What is this.”
Semin blinked rapidly and caught his breath, his shoulders gradually relaxing. Looking closely, it was a magazine advertisement.
“Ah, a commercial photo…”
His deflated body slumped sideways. Judging by the date, it seemed to be a photo released three years ago in the summer. The black rash guard with navy raglan lines accentuated Hyun Yooho’s broad shoulders. Yoon Doa had her arms wrapped around Yooho’s waist, standing close to him. Her other hand was playfully pulling down her sunglasses, and her bright smile looked refreshing.
Did they date…? Semin’s gaze unconsciously scanned Yoon Doa’s figure. Her small face with distinct features, her straight back and toned arms, the faint abs on her exposed stomach – there was nothing to add or take away, she was perfect.
“…”
His deliberation didn’t take long this time. He lay on his stomach with his phone in both hands and meticulously scanned the search results. Before long, he found what he was looking for.
It was a compilation of photos of Hyun Yooho and Yoon Doa taken at different locations, with circles drawn around their hands. Zooming in on the right index fingers, he could see similar-looking rings. He squinted and stared for a long time, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t be sure if they were exactly the same ring.
Fortunately or unfortunately, it didn’t seem to have been a major scandal. It appeared that fans who knew they had filmed a commercial together had murmured amongst themselves, wondering if it meant anything, and then let it go. Semin had been interested in Hyun Yooho at the time, but since it was before he started photography, he hadn’t encountered such gossip.
Title: Irrefutable evidence of Hyun Yooho and Yoon Doa
The title, both intriguing and repellent, drew his fingertips in. The post he clicked on contained excerpts from a print interview with Hyun Yooho.
Q. You’re rapidly emerging as the ideal type for many women. We can’t help but ask about Hyun Yooho’s ideal type.
A. I don’t think I have a set ideal type. I prefer relationships that develop slowly.
Q. Then, just one. If you had to choose between someone older and someone younger?
A. Actual age isn’t important, but I like someone mature and composed.
Q. Between someone who prefers indoor activities and someone who prefers outdoor activities?
A. You said just one? (laughs) Hmm, if possible, someone who likes outdoor activities. It would be nice if they could scuba dive with me.
It seems like this guy has an older girlfriend who likes scuba diving
I’m not the only one who thought of someone specific, right?
Comments
PoopHyunGallery: ―――Ignore―――
ㅡㅡ: Yooho you like older women?
ㅇㅇ: D..a..mn.. if it’s real, I’m so jealous… What would it feel like to date a man like that…
ㅡㅡ: He has time to date when he should be winning gold
ㅡㅡ: Yooho is free, huh?
ㅇㅇ: Our Yooho is so capable, dating Yoon Doa
lol: It’s not just Yoon Doa, he could probably date any woman he wanted
ㅇㅇ: I want to date him too
ㅇㅇ: I want to date Hyun Yooho ㅠㅠ
ㅇㅇ: Yooho can’t we just do it for one day? ㅠㅠ
ㅇㅇ: F*ck it’s not like I’m asking for marriage ㅠㅠ
The screen he’d been staring blankly at went dark. Semin unconsciously tried to put his phone down, then opened the search bar again.
Yoon Doa scuba diving
He hoped there wouldn’t be any results, but unfortunately, articles promoting a TV show popped up. It was a pilot variety show where celebrities of the same age lived in Jeju Island for a week with a limited budget.
Yoon Doa, a mermaid of Jeju Island… Even the haenyeo were impressed with her diving skills
‘Successfully hunted dinner’ Yoon Doa’s past as a scuba diving instructor becomes a hot topic
‘Jeju Girl’ Yoon Doa wins the hunting competition with pride
In the captured broadcast image, Yoon Doa was smiling brightly with only her head above the water. She held a large sea cucumber in one hand. She looked dazzlingly beautiful, even brighter than the sunlight. Staring at the photo, Semin suddenly muttered,
“She kind of looks like my sister…”
A clear and firm vitality, an intense energy that didn’t seem to back down anywhere. She would be noticed, loved, and respected wherever she went. Just like his sister.
How nice would it have been if he could have been born like that?
Semin put his phone down and buried his forehead in the crook of his arm as he lay on his stomach. His stomach ached, and he felt like he couldn’t sleep at all.
* * *
“Oh, it’s Doa noona.”
Myunghoon muttered absentmindedly, looking up at the TV in the locker room. Yooho, drying his wet hair, glanced at the screen. Doa, holding a bottle of vitamins, was walking with long strides, a confident smile on her face.
“Hey, I heard that noona is dating Yoon Ichae. Is it true?”
Myunghoon asked, as if suddenly remembering something. Yooho shrugged.
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything like that.”
“Aw, I don’t really like Yoon Ichae… I don’t think she’s a good match for our Doa noona…”
“Anyone listening would think you two are siblings.”
“I do want to be family… Through marriage registration.”
Yooho chuckled. This was just another part of Myunghoon’s small talk routine. All he had to do was play along and let the day’s fatigue melt away.
“Is she your cousin?”
“Not a first cousin, a second cousin.”
“Second cousin? How close is that?”
Right, how close is that? Yooho closed his locker door and thought for a moment.
“So… My mother and Doa noona’s mother are first cousins.”
“Is that distant…? I feel like I only see up to first cousins during holidays.”
“I don’t see her every holiday either, but we were close when we were young. Noona lived in Jeju Island, and I used to spend my vacations there.”
Doa, who grew up in Jeju Island until middle school, was scouted by a modeling agency in her first year of high school and moved to Seoul alone. However, contrary to the agency’s expectations, her growth spurt stopped, hindering her chances of working overseas, and she started training to be an actress.
‘The director saw you with me back then and said everyone in your family is incredibly tall. He probably thought you’d grow to at least 180cm, so he snatched you up quickly.’
Doa had said, twirling the rosary ring on her index finger. It was a ring Yooho’s grandmother had bought her when she decided to go to Seoul.
‘It worked out well enough. I couldn’t go to the Paris Collection, but things aren’t bad now.’
Was she being sincere? He was curious but didn’t bother asking. Not many people achieve everything they desire. Everyone makes compromises and gives up on things to some extent. And even what they gain through ‘compromise and sacrifice’ is something others may never achieve even with all their might, so they can’t even voice their regrets freely.
“…”
Come to think of it, he’d had a similar conversation.
‘What were you thinking about when you took the pictures?’
He remembered the way Semin’s eyes had momentarily crumbled at his question. Like a lake unexpectedly struck by a stone. Flustered by the intrusive question, Semin had still desperately scraped at his inner thoughts and revealed them.
‘Everyone has a place they want to belong…’
What could be easier than mocking someone who is struggling? What could be more satisfying than lecturing them to be content with what they have, to not be greedy?
‘I’ve always been frail. My lung function is poor, and my immunity is low.’
Yooho suddenly remembered Semin’s body as he’d seen it at the swimming pool. The neat scars were probably surgical scars.
A life born weak, enduring major surgery that required opening his abdomen. He hadn’t experienced it, but he could imagine.
When he woke up from anesthesia after his shoulder surgery, he thought he might never be able to enter the water again. His whole body ached heavily, as if weighed down by mud, his voice wouldn’t come out properly, and his shoulder was so painful he couldn’t bear it without painkillers.
Those who haven’t experienced it don’t know. The greatest power of pain is its ability to disable. Each day spent trapped in a broken body felt agonizingly long, yet when he came to his senses, an immeasurable amount of time had passed. Twenty-two years old. The time he should have been at the peak of his athletic career had flowed away like rainwater. How many times had he despaired?
‘He looked like someone who wanted to return to the water.’
He should have asked. A vague regret flickered through him.
What about you? Where did you want to belong?
“Come on out. The coach gave me his card. He said to get you some meat.”
“I’m sick of meat now…”
“There you go again, talking like you’re full.”
He wasn’t lying, he really was sick of it. Because of the enormous intake, the athletes’ meals were designed for maximum efficiency within a limited budget. In other words, as long as the essential nutrients and calories were sufficient, taste didn’t matter. Just thinking about the dry, tough texture made his throat tighten.
“What do you want to eat? We can go to a different restaurant.”
“It’s fine. Everything around here is pretty much the same…”
Just as he was leaving the gym entrance, Yooho stopped. He saw a small, familiar car. Then, he saw a familiar profile getting out of the car. Without hesitation, Yooho nudged Myunghoon’s shoulder.
“Hey.”
“Huh?”
“Sorry. I had a prior engagement, I completely forgot.”
A prior engagement? Myunghoon made an exaggerated expression, as if he’d heard something unbelievable. Ignoring him, Yooho zipped up his tracksuit and adjusted his bag. Myunghoon, with a suspicious look on his face, quickly followed.
“You said you were tired. Shouldn’t you eat some meat and rest early?”
“I’m going straight back after dinner.”
“No, but suddenly a prior engagement…”
Myunghoon, who had been chattering busily, suddenly closed his mouth. A slender figure was approaching from the direction of Yooho’s gaze.
“Oh, hello.”
Semin, meeting Yooho’s eyes, quickly bowed his head. Myunghoon’s gaze flitted between Semin and Yooho.
“…Your prior engagement was…?”
“Go ahead. I’ll be back soon.”
Yooho nudged Myunghoon’s thigh with his knee. Myunghoon finally forced a smile at Semin and left, looking uneasy.
“…”
“…”
Even after nodding a greeting to Myunghoon, Semin avoided eye contact with Yooho. Even though the sun was starting to set, his round cheeks were clearly flushed. After a brief deliberation, Yooho offered the safest opening line.
“What brings you here?”
Semin, startled, widened his eyes and quickly parted his lips.
“Ah, that’s…”
His voice, strained from gathering his short breaths, cracked unpleasantly. Semin hurriedly cleared his throat and continued.
“I’m sorry to bother you so suddenly…”
“You are. You should have called.”
Yooho deliberately teased him playfully. Semin’s shoulders slumped further.
“What if we’d missed each other?”
“…”
“Did you come to see me?”
As Yooho leaned down and asked, Semin gave an almost imperceptible nod.
“I, um… There was something I wanted to ask…”
“Yes?”
“…But thinking about it on the way here… I thought it would be better not to ask…”
“…?”
“But, since I’m already here, I thought I’d at least say hello if I saw you…”
What in the world…? Yooho blinked a few times as he listened, then chuckled.
“So now that you’ve said hello, are you going to leave?”
“…Ah.”
His hastily raised eyes wavered anxiously. Staring at his face, Yooho erased his playful smile and asked,
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh! No…! It’s nothing like that…”
After barely managing a few words, Semin closed his mouth again and fidgeted with his fingertips while repeatedly wetting his lips. What was so important that he had to go through all this? Yooho, suppressing his growing curiosity, waited patiently for his next words.
“If… Sir, if you haven’t had dinner yet…”
The voice that finally emerged after what seemed like an eternity was trembling.
“Would…would you like to have dinner…with me? I’ll pay…”
After stammering out the words, he wiped under his chin with the back of his hand. He seemed to be sweating from the effort. Yooho asked casually, pretending not to notice.
“You’re paying again, Kang Semin?”
“M-meals… are supposed to be paid for by the person who invites… That’s why.”
“Is that so? Well, whatever, where are we going?”
Color finally returned to his pale face. Just as Semin, taking a deep breath, looked back at his car and was about to say something…
“Oh, Yooho. Why are you alone?”
An unwelcome voice came from behind. Turning around, he saw the father of a fellow national team athlete. Yooho sighed inaudibly and gave a slight bow.
“Hmm? Oh, you’re not alone? Yooho is so tall I couldn’t see.”
The man, spotting Semin, laughed heartily. He’d known the man for a long time, whether he liked it or not. He’d often run into him at the swim club since elementary school, but this was the first time the man’s son had been selected for the national team.
“Are you going to dinner? Let’s go together. I’ll pay.”
“No, thank you. I have company.”
“Come on, your friend can come too. I have something I want to talk about. This is our first time at the Asian Games. It would be great if Yooho could give some advice and guidance, although it would have been better if he had competed in the Olympics first.”
“…”
“How valuable an experience it is for an athlete to just breathe the air of such a big competition… Right? That’s why you went even though we tried to stop you back then.”
Yooho didn’t answer. He just stared at the man and waited. Semin glanced anxiously between the man and Yooho. After enduring the silence for a while, the man gave Yooho a friendly smile.
“No, I’m not saying Yooho did anything wrong. You know what I mean, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Actually, you gained Olympic experience thanks to the sacrifices of your teammates. So what I’m saying is, shouldn’t Yooho lead and help the other athletes a bit more at the Asian Games? Instead of selfishly focusing only on his own training, as a senior…”
He could feel Semin gasp in surprise. Yooho desperately tried to come up with an excuse to escape the situation. Meanwhile, the man, seemingly enjoying this opportunity to vent without interruption, started chattering excitedly.
“A spot on the team isn’t just about whether you can compete and get results. You have to look at the bigger picture… Right? If you’re just going to throw it away by withdrawing… It would be better to let more athletes gain experience…”
“Didn’t Sir need Olympic experience too?”
The man and Yooho froze simultaneously at the clear voice that suddenly cut through the seemingly endless lecture. Yooho, who had only been blinking, slowly turned his head. He wondered if he had misheard, but looking at Semin’s expression, he couldn’t think so. He was panting with his cheeks flushed, looking like a squirrel preparing for a territorial fight.
“…N-needed it. Sir also… needed Olympic experience.”
If his injury was serious enough to withdraw before the finals, he should have given up the national team qualifiers in the first place. This was the main argument repeated by the athletes who had participated in the Olympic qualifiers against Yooho.
They spoke as if Yooho’s misjudgment had robbed them of their precious opportunity, but every time Yooho wanted to ask them: What is so important and meaningful about that damn experience? What’s the point of experiencing the Olympics with your records, when you wouldn’t have even made it to the finals anyway?
“Uh… No, that’s not what I meant…”
Of course, he had never said that. That’s why Yooho could observe the man’s reaction with amusement. The man quickly flushed and gave an awkward laugh.
“Oh dear, I seem to have upset Yooho’s friend. Yooho, I’m sorry. Okay?”
“…”
“Well, dinner… will have to wait. Enjoy your dinner, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The man left flustered. Yooho understood his embarrassment. It was because Yooho had never reacted to similar remarks before. The man must have thought he could just spout his piece and leave feeling refreshed. So how surprised he must have been by the unexpected counterattack.
“…”
Semin sighed deeply, now alone with Yooho in the dark parking lot. Yooho, hiding his surprise, leaned slightly towards Semin. Semin finally made eye contact, then hiccuped.
“…S-sorry.”
“For what?”
“I’m not good at fighting…”
“…”
Yooho, who had expected an apology for presumptuously interfering, burst out laughing.
“What would you have done by being good at fighting in that situation? Fight that ahjussi?”
“Still…”
Semin slowly caught his breath. His flushed face had turned pale as a sheet. Yooho looked Semin up and down, then grabbed his thin wrist. Seeing his slender fingers trembling, he couldn’t help but laugh more.
“Are you trembling because you’re scared after picking a fight?”
“…No.”
“Then what?”
“…”
Semin remained silent, his head bowed. The trembling soon spread from his stick-like spine to his earlobes, delicate as newly sprouted leaves. After a moment of thought, Yooho put his arm around Semin’s shoulders and started walking. He opened the car door and ushered Semin inside, who obediently sat in the driver’s seat.
While the car looked small from the outside, the interior was surprisingly spacious. It also helped that Semin had pushed the passenger seat all the way back. Yooho folded his large frame into the seat and closed the door.
“Kang Semin.”
At Yooho’s call, Semin hesitated and looked back. His round forehead was deeply furrowed.
“Why? What are you so upset about?”
“…”
“Hmm?”
“…Sir.”
He opened his mouth with difficulty and took a breath. His round cheeks puffed out slightly before deflating.
“Because you just stayed quiet…”
“…?”
“He was saying such mean things to you out of nowhere, but you just listened quietly, and that’s…”
“Were you upset?”
So you squeezed out those words with all your might? And now you’re trembling like this? As Yooho stared at him, his unspoken words reflected in his eyes, Semin nodded firmly, as if pressing his head down.
“Anyone listening would think he cursed at me. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”
Yooho leaned closer and gently pressed his thumb between Semin’s eyebrows. Relax your face. Semin tried to relax his expression for a moment, then pouted his lips.
“It was worse than cursing…”
“…”
Yooho looked at his face silently, then slowly turned his head. Semin sniffled and started the car.
Yooho looked out the window at the receding gym and cleared his throat for no reason. This is a mess. He’s becoming cuter and cuter.
* * *
Two whole marinated eels were placed on the spotless grill. Yooho unconsciously glanced up at the menu. The price of 90,000 won per eel was boldly displayed. Semin, however, didn’t even glance at the menu and said to the waiter,
“After this, please add two more, salt-grilled.”
“Yes, certainly.”
The waiter, with a friendly smile, flipped the large eels, glancing at Yooho every now and then. He seemed to recognize him, but Yooho ignored him and asked Semin,
“Do you come here often?”
“Not often… Just sometimes, because my sister likes it.”
Semin’s hands were placed on his lap. He didn’t seem to have any intention of picking up his chopsticks. Yooho persistently ignored the increasingly obvious stares and asked again,
“You don’t like it that much?”
“Me? I…uh, do y-you not like it either, Sir?”
When Semin’s voice suddenly dropped at “Sir,” the waiter looked even more certain. He now clearly seemed to be looking for an opportunity to talk to Yooho directly.
“No, I like it. I can’t get enough of it.”
“That’s good… Noona said this place is the best.”
Semin smiled bashfully, placing his hand on his chest. Meanwhile, the sizzling eels began to release a savory aroma. The waiter cleared his throat and spoke to Yooho.
“Excuse me, are you… Hyun Yooho?”
Yooho, pausing as he was about to pick up his water glass, nodded. “Ah, yes.” Despite the indifferent reply, the waiter smiled brightly.
“I’m a big fan, so could I possibly get an autograph later…”
“Excuse me.”
Semin, hesitating but firm, interrupted and leaned closer to the waiter. The startled waiter quickly turned to Semin.
“We’re…dining right now… so could you ask later?”
“Oh, yes. I apologize, customer. Excuse me.”
The waiter quickly gathered his things, bowed repeatedly, and left the room. It all happened so fast. Yooho, bewildered, looked at the closed door, then turned to Semin. Semin, who had been stiff with his lips pressed together, soon sighed deeply.
“Ugh… Sorry, I was a bit nervous.”
His right hand, which he was shaking slightly, was still trembling. Yooho tilted his head and crossed his arms.
“Why? It’s not like you said anything wrong.”
“Th-that’s true, but…”
Lowering his voice, Semin glanced at the closed door. He looked worried.
“He must be upset…”
“If you were so scared of that, why did you say anything?”
“I just…did it without thinking…”
Even if he hadn’t meant to, that situation must have been a huge event and a source of stress for Semin. His breathing seemed labored, as if his heart was pounding. Yooho stared at Semin’s face and whispered,
“Are you scared of saying things that make others uncomfortable?”
“…”
There was no answer, but it was written all over his face. ‘Would he think I’m pathetic if I say I’m scared?’ Yooho smiled slightly, his eyes crinkling.
“You endured that fear and covered for me?”
Twice today, at that. Semin opened his mouth wide, then blushed.
“That’s touching.”
At Yooho’s added remark, Semin held his breath, his lips twitching. His ears were now flushed red as well. Yooho chuckled silently and picked up the tongs.
“Eat. Even though I’m not paying.”
“…Ah.”
“Can you not eat it at all? Some people are like that.”
“No, no. I can eat it. It’s just… not something I really like.”
Semin wiped his forehead and fanned himself briefly. His breathing seemed to be getting faster. He’s going to hyperventilate if he gets any more excited. Yooho calmly steered the conversation.
“Why don’t you like it? Is it because it’s fishy?”
“It’s a bit too rich for me… I can only eat a few pieces.”
“Then we should have gone to a different restaurant. I eat anything, so we could have gone somewhere you enjoy.”
“It’s just… trying to make a reservation last minute… this was the only place that wasn’t fully booked. And I had a late lunch, so I’m not that hungry…”
Yooho unconsciously glanced Semin up and down. The outline of his collarbone was clearly visible beneath his light blue sweatshirt. Come to think of it, he’d never seen Semin eat a proper meal when they were together. Was he frail because he didn’t eat much, or did he not eat much because he was frail?
“So what was it you wanted to ask me?”
When Yooho abruptly changed the subject to avoid asking what he really wanted to know, Semin’s eyes widened.
“You said you came to see me because you had something you wanted to ask.”
“…”
“What was it that you decided was better not to ask?”
Yooho deliberately looked away and put a piece of well-grilled eel in his mouth. The properly seasoned fish melted softly on his tongue. It was expensive for a reason. As he savored the taste, Semin remained silent.
“Tell me. I’ll answer even if it’s a weird question. You’ve done me a big favor today.”
Glancing over, Yooho saw Semin biting his lower lip. He looked as if he were holding back words that were about to burst out. What is it? As Yooho’s curiosity grew, he took a sip of water. It was then that…
“…Girl.”
A raspy voice escaped from his parted, plump lips.
“Girl-friend, Sir, do you have a girlfriend…?”
“…”
It was a silence fit for a scene in an old cartoon, where crows would fly overhead. He just threw that out there so suddenly? Yooho put down his glass and asked naturally,
“Why do you ask?”
Semin, who had been looking at his feet with his lips sealed, suddenly lifted his head.
“You…you said you’d answer.”
“I will, but I’m curious why you’re asking.”
“…”
“Are you going to sell it to a reporter?”
“I-I wouldn’t do something like that!”
Semin exclaimed, sounding genuinely offended. Of course he wouldn’t. The joke didn’t land. Yooho scratched the side of his head and crossed his arms again.
“…Are…are you still…dating her?”
“Who is ‘her’?”
“The one you filmed the swimsuit commercial with before…”
Swimsuit commercial? Yooho frowned and searched his memory. More importantly, what did he mean by ‘still’ dating? What did he hear?
“I really don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“Her name… I think it was Yoon Doa…”
“…”
At Yooho’s involuntary chuckle, Semin flinched and shrugged his shoulders. The redness instantly drained from his face as he made eye contact with Yooho, his voice trembling.
“S-sorry… It’s… Sir’s private life.”
Come to think of it, there had been a misunderstanding a while ago. It hadn’t become a big deal, so he hadn’t bothered clarifying their familial relationship. This was because Doa’s agency wanted to avoid the “dating rumor” keyword altogether.
But it was years ago, and they hadn’t met since then. Had Semin been digging through old internet posts? Yooho quietly put another piece of meat in his mouth and chewed slowly. It wasn’t something he couldn’t answer, but he wanted to stall for time. As expected, Semin started fidgeting and rambling.
“I was just… worried. Because… you’ve been seeing me a lot lately, and you said you’d take me to the commercial shoot, so… I was worried that I might be preventing you from seeing your girlfriend… But then I thought it was presumptuous of me to worry about that, so I decided not to say anything, but then…”
“Ah, worried.”
“…”
“Worried that I can’t see my girlfriend because I’m seeing you?”
After a moment of thought, his small head finally nodded. He’s really bad at lying. Yooho pushed the side dishes like fried foods and japchae towards Semin, who didn’t seem to have any intention of picking up his chopsticks.
“I-I’m okay…”
“Where did you hear about Yoon Doa?”
“…What? Ah… someone just told me…”
He shifted his gaze from side to side and bit his lower lip, which seemed to be his habit when lying. Yooho pretended to look away but persistently followed Semin’s subtle facial expressions.
“The director?”
He added a touch of petulance to his words. Semin, chewing over what he’d heard, took a deep breath.
“N-no!”
A look of dismay flashed across his face as he opened and closed his mouth slightly. His round eyes were filled with deep regret. Yooho pushed down the rising feeling of pity.
“That’s strange. Then who would know about Yoon Doa?”
“My sister… doesn’t spread rumors like that. She’s not that kind of person.”
“Is that so?”
Yooho asked indifferently, taking a sip of water. In the ensuing silence, Semin finally seemed to realize his self-contradictory situation and made a dejected face. Sungmin wasn’t the “kind of person” to dig up and spread rumors about a celebrity’s private life. That meant he had to invent someone who was “that kind of person” who had told Semin this.
“…”
Yooho put down his empty glass and looked at Semin’s crumpled face. Oh dear, he’s going to cry.
“She’s my relative.”
He blurted out. Semin’s anxious eyes lifted. A question mark seemed to float above his round head. Yooho refilled his empty glass and calmly added,
“Not very close, second cousins.”
“…What?”
“Yoon Doa and I. It’s not publicly known. I thought I might have to clarify if an article came out, but her agency stopped the article itself. They didn’t want a dating rumor attached to a rookie, whether it was true or not.”
“…”
“They said that, but well, they might have thought I wasn’t good enough for her.”
Of course, there was another reason. The man who had introduced himself as Director Woo had smiled affably and earnestly asked Yooho not to take any action, saying that they would handle everything.
‘Yooho has a very masculine image, you know. Even if there was a dating rumor, Doa would suffer a lot mentally… To be honest, the sexual harassment gets too much.’
Of course, he didn’t need to tell Semin all that. Yooho raised his right hand and opened his palm.
“I didn’t know such a fuss would be made over a ring. It’s a rosary ring my grandmother bought for each of her relatives. I don’t wear it much anymore because it’s too small for me now.”
The ring mark that had been deeply etched when he wore it regularly hadn’t completely disappeared. Semin’s face was reflected in the gaps between Yooho’s long, sturdy fingers. He had delicate features, as if sculpted. From his slender chin to his rounded forehead, it seemed like his face would fit perfectly in Yooho’s hand.
“So that part is a misunderstanding…”
Just as Yooho was adding to his explanation, slowly closing his fingers, Semin spoke with seeming determination.
“Then n-now.”
“…”
“Do you have one…now…? A g-girlfriend…”
The implication behind his words, spoken through gritted teeth, couldn’t have been clearer. You said you’d answer. Yooho finally chuckled.
“If I don’t? Are you going to introduce me to someone?”
“…”
Semin didn’t answer for a moment. Yooho waited patiently. Tick, tock, he could hear the sound of a second hand ticking away somewhere. When he still didn’t speak, Yooho sparked the embers under the grill with a snap. Semin finally lifted his head and took a slow, deep breath.