PUCKD Ch 12

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On his way home, Shin Hojae stopped by Coach Park’s house. He couldn’t help but worry about the coach, who hadn’t contacted him at all.

The ultimate reason Shin Hojae played for the Blue Wolves was because it was Coach Park’s team.

Coach Park Namwoong was a first-generation ice hockey player in Korea, a man who had walked the single path of ice hockey since the days when Korea was a barren land for the sport.

As such, he was full of love for the sport, and with his gentle personality, he was well-respected. Although, there seemed to be a public perception that he lacked decisiveness and was too easily swayed by sentiment….

The way Kwon Junghyun had unreservedly criticized Coach Park during their first meeting came to mind.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the new owner’s influence had played a major role in this change of coaches.

After waiting for a few minutes on a bench in front of the coach’s apartment complex, he heard a gentle voice call his name. Hojae turned his head in that direction and stood up.

“Coach.”

“Wow. It’s still cool at night. You’re on your way back from practice, I see?”

“Yes.”

Park Namwoong patted Hojae’s shoulder and they sat down on the bench together.

“I should have told you beforehand. I was in such a state of confusion, I didn’t even realize how much time had passed. So, how does the new coach seem?”

“……”

“I heard he’s from the NHL. And that he has coaching experience in the US.”

“Yes… well.”

Hojae, uncharacteristically, let his words trail off.

Truthfully, he had intended to ask as soon as he saw him if he was okay, to press him and ask if the team owner had forced him to step down. But now, seeing the coach’s face, the words wouldn’t come out easily.

It was because, contrary to his expectations, the coach’s expression seemed at peace. Of course, he might be intentionally hiding it because he was in front of him. Feeling frustrated, Hojae lightly tapped his knee with his fist.

“…I wanted to bring you the championship trophy.”

“Hmm?”

“If I knew it would turn out like this, I would have worked harder last year.”

“You punk. Still saying that. If things were that easy just because you worked hard alone, what would that make the other teams? I’m more than satisfied with finishing in 4th place.”

“……”

Shin Hojae lowered his gaze.

Coach Park was speaking gently, but he knew what he was trying to say.

That way of looking down on your teammates and the entire Asian league is your critical weakness. You don’t try to blend in with your teammates, you try to handle both defense and offense by yourself, so you’re bound to hit a wall.

“……”

Last season, Hojae had only played on a line with Yook Doomin, Ji Minchul, and the captain, Choi Yongsoo. It must have been an unavoidable choice for Coach Park, since Hojae just couldn’t sync up with the other players.

However, from the perspective of leading a team, a player like Shin Hojae was a problem whether he was there or not. Especially since Coach Park was personally close with Hojae, he had a tendency to not be able to sternly rebuke him for acting as he pleased.

“Actually, I was the one who first told the club I was retiring.”

“…What?”

At the casually thrown words, a surprised Shin Hojae looked to his side.

“I knew you’d be like this, so I hesitated to tell you. To be honest, I’d been thinking about retiring since before you even came.”

“……”

“For about three years now, I’ve felt like the club was just using me out of inertia. Well, it would be hard for them to find a coach like me who’s a good salary match and listens well to the club.”

Park Namwoong let out a hearty laugh.

“But when a truly outstanding player like you, Hojae, came along, it became clear. That I am too lacking a leader compared to you.”

“…Coach.”

“Isn’t this year an important season for the Blue Wolves, too? Whether they get officially acquired, or end up being disbanded. With me here, we’d just be repeating last year’s results. It’s time for a new challenge.”

“……”

“So I told them. That I’d like a better leader to come in, not me.”

Hojae shook his head. That couldn’t be right.

Even if he felt he was lacking, shouldn’t he have thought of studying and working harder to take on the challenge? The Coach Park he knew was that kind of person.

Therefore, it was hard to abandon the thought that there must have been external pressure in this personnel change.

“Isn’t it that CEO Kwon Junghyun said something like that and subtly pressured you, Coach?”

When he asked, his suspicion now a conviction, he was met with a bewildered expression in return.

“What are you talking about? Would CEO Kwon be that kind of person?”

“What?”

“If anything, CEO Kwon was the one who followed me around for days trying to stop me. He said the team needed someone like me too. Hearing him say that made me feel lighter, so I was the one who stubbornly insisted.”

Heh heh, the profile of the laughing Coach Park didn’t look like he was lying.

Hojae frowned. Are we talking about the same person right now?

“I’ll stop by the club from time to time. CEO Kwon asked me to be an advisor. I had some lingering attachments myself, so it worked out well. I’ll come visit around the time you guys have adjusted to the new coach.”

“…Is that true?”

“What is?”

“The story about CEO Kwon trying to stop you from quitting.”

“Of course it’s true. Why would I tell such a lie?”

“……”

As Hojae silently lowered his head, Coach Park patted his shoulder as if to comfort him. He had come to offer comfort, but instead, it was he, not the coach, who was being comforted.

Shin Hojae gently took Coach Park’s hand. He could feel a warm heat. They sat on the bench like that for a while. Then Park Namwoong checked the time and spoke.

“It’s gotten quite late. You should head in soon, too.”

“Yes.”

“I’m free now, so I’ll really go see your father.”

Hojae let out a small laugh at the joke. Just as Park Namwoong stood up from the bench and turned towards the apartment complex, he suddenly turned his head again to look at Shin Hojae.

“But Hojae. Did you and CEO Kwon know each other from before? I mean, before your father collapsed.”

Hojae tilted his head and replied.

“No.”

“Really?”

“Why do you ask?”

Park Namwoong waved his hand as if it was nothing.

“Never mind. It must be just a feeling. Hurry up and go inside. It’s late.”

Having spoken casually, Park Namwoong waved and entered the apartment building. After watching him disappear completely, Hojae slowly walked out of the complex.

A corner of his heart felt uneasy, a sense of unresolved doubt.

It was a relief that the coach didn’t look unwell, but it was hard to believe his words as they were.

How could he believe that the man who had coldly replaced existing players and even the goalie would be soft only on Coach Park?

“Huh. Isn’t that our team owner?”

Someone’s voice pierced his ears while he was in the middle of practice at the rink. Hojae lifted his jersey to wipe the sweat that was trickling down his forehead and into his eyes.

He looked up, and sure enough, the owner was in the stands.

“Shin Hojae, stop spacing out! The puck is coming!”

The trainer’s sharp voice rang out. Shin Hojae immediately focused and hit the puck sliding across the ice with his stick. Thwack, the puck was sucked into the goal. It was a simple shooting drill.

Shhhwwaaak!

Shin Hojae slammed on the brakes, scraping the ice loudly. Ice crystals sprayed towards where the players were standing. Ji Minchul wiped the ice crystals off his face and grumbled.

“Ugh, what the hell. Why are you suddenly showing off?”

“When did I?”

“Look at you pretending you don’t know?”

Shin Hojae glanced at the stands again.

He saw Coach Peter Choi taking a seat next to Kwon Junghyun. It was mainly Coach Peter who was talking, while Kwon Junghyun was listening attentively with his arms crossed.

It was unusual for a team owner to visit a training session all by himself without an entourage, but it was also the first time he had seen an owner and a coach talking comfortably as if they were old friends.

Since that day, Shin Hojae had met with Kwon Junghyun a few more times. He was extremely nervous every time he went to the appointed place, but what happened last time did not happen again.

It seemed he was extremely busy, having just taken over the club. He had said several times, 

‘It’s hard to make separate time, so I called you to the office. Is that okay?’

All Shin Hojae did was kill time in the same space, give short answers to a few questions (they weren’t questions about Hojae personally, but about the club, like where last year’s training camp was held, or how many players used the club’s fitness center), and eat the food that was laid out before him.

Well, no matter how much of a Kwon Junghyun he was, he probably couldn’t have done anything more in an office where other employees were coming and going. If not that, then his interest in him was slowly fading. It was a welcome development.

Just then, his eyes met Kwon Junghyun’s, who was looking down at the rink. Shin Hojae didn’t avoid his gaze and stared back at him.

At that, Kwon Junghyun gave a slight nod of his eyes and smiled. It disappeared quickly, though, because Peter tapped Junghyun’s arm and started talking to him.

Shin Hojae frowned, took off his helmet, and exited the rink. His face was hot, probably from practicing too hard.