PUCKD Ch 33

—Shin Hojae?

“Ah.”

—What are you doing? Can’t you focus?

But to talk about seeing Yook Doomin that day, he would have to explain why he was there himself. The tailor shop, and Kwon Junghyun.

Minchul and Doomin knew better than anyone that Shin Hojae would never go all the way to that tailor shop by himself. But he didn’t feel like lying either.

After the Yook Doomin incident, Ji Minchul would dig in relentlessly if he sensed someone was trying to hide something, so it was nearly impossible to just mention seeing Doomin without revealing the details.

“…What are you going to buy? Was there anything Yook Doomin said he wanted recently?”

—Uh, hey, remember how Doomin said he wanted noise-canceling headphones before? I got a department store gift certificate as a prize, so with that—.

So Shin Hojae chose to just bury what he saw of Doomin that day.

It was probably just another friend. He might have briefly seen a friend who works nearby before meeting his girlfriend. Or maybe it was a different day. It must be.

He never wanted the two of them to find out about his dealings with Kwon Junghyun.

Shin Hojae had never done anything in his life that he wasn’t proud of. But nothing about what happened with Kwon Junghyun could be proudly revealed.

He only realized that after seeing Yook Doomin’s face outside the window. Just how deep he had stepped into filthy muck.

The muck gave off a disgusting smell that would make anyone frown. Just a tiny bit of it was enough to get pointed at by others.

The practice match against the HI Tigers was held at the Tigers’ home stadium in Gangneung.

The players, who arrived a day before the game, stayed overnight at a tourist hotel near the stadium after a light adaptation training.

The Gangneung Hockey Centre was a place they came to so often it could be called their second home stadium, so a long adaptation training wasn’t necessary.

And on the day of the game.

Hojae, who came to the cafeteria used by the Tigers players as well for breakfast, saw Doomin with a somewhat gloomy face.

Since Yook Doomin’s birthday was the very next day, every player who passed by congratulated Doomin. Each time, Doomin would smile broadly and respond brightly, but there was no way Hojae couldn’t read the expression of his friend of ten years.

“It’s your birthday week, why the long face?”

“Ah, dating is so damn hard.”

“I think Doomin’s boyfriend got mad that he’s going on a one-night trip with us.”

“Why?”

Doomin sighed as he piled white rice onto his tray like a mountain.

“Well…. He’s the type to get a bit jealous.”

“He gets jealous? Over a trip with friends?”

It was a statement that was hard to understand.

“It’s my birthday. I guess he thought I’d naturally spend it with him.”

“Wasn’t it him who said he wasn’t available?”

“I feel like I shouldn’t have taken that at face value? Maybe he wanted me to go and kneel before him. Ah, it feels like I’m solving a riddle. Actually, this isn’t the first or second time. We fight all the time about my broadcasting too. He says I flirt too much with my subscribers.”

Hojae laughed lightly.

“You do flirt pretty intensely.”

“Do I? Is it a no-go in your eyes too?”

“But what’s the big deal? He liked you after seeing you broadcast, didn’t he? Isn’t that something he should understand?”

“Haa…. I don’t know. Sometimes it’s a bit much. I guess you could say he seems too obsessive….”

“But you’re still dating him because you like him.”

“That’s true, but lately, it’s a bit….”

Minchul, who had been listening quietly to Hojae and Doomin’s conversation, said a word as he scooped up his rice.

“Then should we invite your boyfriend too? There are two rooms there. You two can use one. I don’t mind.”

“…Huh?”

“It’ll be a good chance to meet him. Hojae, you’re okay with that too, right?”

As Hojae nodded as if it were obvious, Doomin’s round eyes blinked rapidly.

Doomin bit his full lips and was silent for a moment, then ladled his bowl full of spicy stir-fried pork and opened his mouth.

“No. It’ll be more fun if it’s just us. I’ll talk to him first. It’s not right for me to walk on eggshells just to meet my friends. For now, let’s just eat well and get ready for the game. We only have a few hours left.”

And so the conversation ended.

Hojae also got his food and sat down. While Park Hyonghoon and the rookie players, who had entered the cafeteria late, loudly celebrated Doomin’s birthday, the phone on the table vibrated several times.

Hojae’s expression cracked as he casually touched the screen.

It was a message with a copied and pasted internet article headline.

[Exclusive] MJ Blue Wolves’ Shin Hojae, the reason he abandoned his home country Canada for Korea is because of his brain-dead father?

“…Shit. What is this.”

At the quietly uttered curse, Yook Doomin and Ji Minchul, who were drinking cold seaweed soup, both looked surprised at the same time.

“What is it?”

“What’s wrong?”

When he followed the link and checked the article, a familiar reporter’s name appeared.

Daily One’s Kim Injoong.

Shin Hojae pushed his chair back, stood up, and searched for the contact in his phone. He thought he had saved it after unknowingly answering a call before, but the contact was nowhere to be seen.

“Send me reporter Kim Injoong’s contact info.”

“Huh? The reporter from Daily One? I have it.”

“…What is this.”

Doomin quickly sent the contact, and Minchul, who seemed to have searched for the article on a portal site, furrowed his thick eyebrows.

Shin Hojae left the cafeteria with a single, “I’m going to make a call,” and left. The long dial tone was finally cut off just before the voicemail announcement came on.

—Oh? What’s up, Player Shin. Giving me a call and everything. Isn’t it a game day today?

“Take the article down. Are you allowed to just publish unconfirmed content like this?”

—Whaat? What’s this, all of a sudden.

“I saw the article. I’m telling you to take it down because I, the person involved, don’t want it. Not to mention, my father isn’t even brain-dead.”

—What are you talking about, I checked several times. No but, Player Shin. I’ve covered up for you being rude and boring in interviews, and only wrote good articles, but you forget all that and now you’re turning the tables on me because you don’t like one article?

Shin Hojae let out a scoff.

Covered up? Good articles?

Is writing a ridiculous article saying I requested a private jet from the team owner considered covering up?

“I’m the person involved, so I’d like to know who you confirmed it with.”

As he spoke in a stiff tone, barely suppressing his anger, a familiar figure walking from the end of the hallway came into view. It was Coach Peter and Kwon Junghyun.

Their eyes met. Shin Hojae didn’t look away and continued his call. Kwon Junghyun was also looking at Hojae. His expression was calm, as if nothing had happened.

—Who do you think? At the drinking party a while ago, huh? I heard it loud and clear from Coach Yoo and CEO Kwon.

“…Who?”

—Right, I think it was CEO Kwon.

In that moment, he snapped.

That would be the most accurate way to describe it. His memory of the moments between hanging up the phone and approaching Kwon Junghyun was completely gone. His eyes stung with a boiling rage.

To Shin Hojae, family was a sacred ground that no one was allowed to touch. And Kwon Junghyun had touched it twice, in the worst possible way.

“I need to have a word with you.”

Shin Hojae stood tall in front of the two men and murmured quietly. Besides Coach Peter, there were staff and players passing by in the hallway.

In that moment, Shin Hojae did his best to not make his relationship with Kwon Junghyun seem strange in front of them.

The two moved to a terrace space on the second floor of the stadium. It seemed to be used as a smoking area by staff, as there were cigarette burn marks dotted on the table.

In the two or three minutes it took to find a quiet place to talk, the rage that had boiled up to the point of blacking out his vision had somewhat subsided.

The Tigers’ home stadium was located in a quiet city center near the beach. Beyond the open terrace, gentle mountain ridges and sparsely located apartment complexes were visible.

Shin Hojae regained some composure and watched Kwon Junghyun’s side profile as he closed the terrace door. His face was placid. As always, relaxed and composed. His anger surged.

How could he wear such a brazen face after messing with someone’s entire family to his own liking?

“So, what is it.”

“Do you think I’m a joke, CEO-nim?”

“…What?”

“Right, in your eyes, I and my family must have looked like toys on standby that you can play with as you please.”

At the torrent of accusations, Junghyun’s brows narrowed.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d stop getting worked up on your own and explain things so I can understand.”

Hojae clenched his fists to control the anger that was about to erupt again.

“Do I look worked up? I’m being as polite as I possibly can right now.”

“…….”

“Because you’re the team owner who holds the life of our team in your hands.”