DASH

"Don't do that. Please, just calmly go through training and come next week with the national team. I got it? Nothing that you have to worry about will happen, so categorically do not do anything stupid and stay there. You know that you can't leave without permission in the middle of training, right?

Jae Kyung still didn't answer.
- Jae Kyung-ah. Answer.
Ji Hong spoke in an anxious voice.

- Kwon Je Gyong.
[I'm listening.]
Finally, Jae Kyung answered. Ji Hong breathed a sigh of relief.

-Hey you... If you listen, you have to answer.
When he asked why he was silent, Jae Kyung said:
[Just wanted to hear Hyung talk to me.]

"Oh, what the?..
Caught off guard by the unexpected answer, Ji Hong faltered.
"Hey, are you daring?

Jae Kyung laughed merrily and then said,
[I know. I know that hyun is not that kind of person.]
- Then why were you looking for plane tickets?

[yes, it's just because I wanted to see you.]
As if to say - what is incomprehensible here?
[Hyun kept his phone off all the time, so I thought I could use this as an excuse to quickly come, see you, and come back.

"So you were going to fly six and a half hours here just to catch a glimpse of me, and then another six and a half hours back?" Damn, what kind of nonsense?
Ji Hong laughed at the absurdity of the situation. But Jae Kyung didn't laugh. On the contrary, he didn't seem to understand what was funny about Ji Hun's words.
[Why is this nonsense? Six and a half hours is like driving from Gangwon Province to Jeollanam-do. If you want to see each other, you can go there.
Jae-kyung said in a serious tone that he could rush around like he would go to work at least every day.

[Flying back and forth quickly is not a problem at all, really. But I didn't, because it's obvious that they will start talking about leaving the training camp without permission again.
"It seems that he really gave up on this idea so as not to cause trouble for hyunwoo."
Jae Kyung has always been the type of person who doesn't care about other people's opinions and reactions. No matter what others say - if he wanted to do something - he did, if he did not want to - did not do. But after signing with Spoin, he began to do a lot of things he didn't want to do and refrain from doing a lot of things he wanted. Ji Hong knew that it wasn't about the contract, but about what he thought about his position.

"Yes, I know that you endure a lot for me. Thank you.
Ji Hong said this with a smile.
[Oh, come on. That's not what I meant.]

Seemingly embarrassed that his words sounded like an attempt to increase his value, Jae Kyung hurriedly added.
[Just stating a fact, not that it's because of hyung.]
"Yes, I understand. But I'm still grateful to you. I am also just stating a fact.

Ji Hong replied with a straight face.
"Anyway, since you're there, try to give it your all."
Ji Hong, pouring water into the glass, cheered Jae Kyung up.

- If nothing changes, Coach Shin will again be the coach of the Olympic team. You don't need to curry favor, but there is no need to conflict either, so cooperate if possible.
I just reported to the coach that I was going to the pool, and I went.]
"Oh, really?" Did you just swim? At a time like this?

[Just warmed up a little, the building is next to me anyway, and I didn't feel like sleeping.]
Although Jae Kyung was talking about it as a trivial matter, it was already past midnight. Usually he is used to going to bed around ten in the evening and getting up at five or six in the morning. Now, during the training camp, he should have collapsed from fatigue even earlier due to the day's loads, so insomnia at such a time was not a good sign. In addition, tomorrow is another training session from early morning. Apparently, he even went swimming on purpose to somehow fall asleep faster...
- Listen, were you really so worried about the fact that I didn't pick up the phone?

Ji Hong said this jokingly, expecting Jae Kyung to say "Oh well, nothing like that" in annoyance, but...
[Yes, really.]
Jae Kyung replied that this was all he was waiting for. And then he seriously added that the hyun should never turn off the phone again, with such pressure, as if next time he was really ready to get to Korea by swimming.

"Understood, understood. I won't do it again.
Ji Hong hurriedly apologized.
"But you really don't feel sleepy?"

[I don't feel like it now.]
Realizing that with the phone in his hands, it would be even more difficult for him to fall asleep, Ji Hong still said:
"Okay, then let's talk some more."

Remembering the failed video call, he asked:
- Do you want a video call? Should I dial?
Jae Kyung thought for a while and replied.

[No.]
"Why, don't you want to?"
Ji Hong, who did not expect a refusal, asked in confusion, to which Jae Kyung replied dryly.

[If I see Hyung's face now, I'll definitely want to go to Korea.
He spoke with an uncharacteristic despondency, but his tone was completely indifferent, so that Ji Hong was dying to see the face with which he said such words.
"But I want to see your face."

In response to the request to show himself, Jae Kyung stubbornly snapped.
[I don't want to.]
"Hey, you're really stuffing your price.

[Remember what you did yourself. At least I give you a voice to listen to.]
He answered sharply, and it seemed that the turned off phone really hit him hard.
Realizing how anxious and sad he was, he went swimming once in the middle of the night when he couldn't fly away, Ji Hong said conciliatorily.

- Yes, I apologize for that. I won't do that again.
[And why isn't hyun sleeping?]
Apparently finally relenting after repeated apologies, Jae Kyung asked in a softer tone.

[If hyung is sleepy, let's just finish, we can talk tomorrow.]
- No, I can't sleep now either, so I was thinking of drinking something warm.]
Ji Hong, remembering this, opened the upper kitchen cabinet. Out of habit, I rummaged inside, although I knew better than anyone that there were only green tea bags and instant coffee. Ji Hong had developed a tolerance to caffeine, so no matter how much coffee or green tea he drank, it wouldn't interfere with his sleep. Therefore, at home, he drank them instead of water, right up to bedtime. However...

[By the way, what did the hospital say?]
And Jae Kyung should have started talking about the hospital. Ji Hong closed the cabinet door.
- Nothing special, they say everything is fine.

Sitting down at the table with just hot water without any additives, he added:
- However, some indicators came out ambiguous, so in a few days we will need to do another analysis.
[Which indicators are ambiguous?]

"Do you think if I say you'll understand?" he said with a laugh, but Jae Kyung confidently demanded.
[I don't know, but tell me anyway.]
- I don't really know myself, I didn't really listen.

[Why don't you even hear about your own body? If these were my tests, I'd Google everything right there and find out exactly what it means.]
"Are you and I the same?"
[Hyung... You promised to kiss me every time you say that.]

Although Jae Kyung said it in a feigned angry tone, hinting if he actually wanted to kiss, Ji Hong was so surprised by the sudden word "kiss" that he didn't even hear the end of the sentence.
- Hey, no one can hear nearby?
[Can't hear. I have a separate room.]

"Oh, exactly. You told me.
Ji Hong belatedly caught his breath. Since athletes almost never lived in single rooms at training camps, he constantly forgot about it.
"It's usually a double room, but you're allowed to live alone?"

[Yes. We can even have phone sex.]
- ...
He wanted to say that since they gave a single room to an athlete who is not the senior in the team and even joined later, it means that the training staff was very happy about his arrival, and it was necessary to live up to expectations. But after Kwon Jae Kyung's unexpected words about phone sex, all thoughts flew out of my head.

Ji Hong replied after a long pause.
- Are we not going to do this?
[Oh, I didn't suggest it.]

Jae Kyung quickly objected.
[I'm just saying you can, in the sense that there's such a level of privacy here.]
Jae Kyung once again emphasized.

-Okay. The Korean Sports Association takes good care of you. Let's thank you {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} with hard training.]
[...]
-A what?

When he asked if he wanted to say something, Jae Kyung muttered, "No..."
"He refuses a video call, but he talks about sex on the phone - it's funny," Ji Hong grinned and drank hot water. Then suddenly, with a serious face, he put down his cup.
"Wait, is it possible to have sex during pregnancy? Probably not?.. Isn't it dangerous? Then... Ten months you can't do anything at all?"

At this moment, Jae Kyung asked again.
[Why did you date your younger sister?]
He was confused by the fact that the conversation about family arose just when he was thinking about such things. Ji Hong hurriedly chased away the lewd thoughts and replied.

"Oh, because of a family trip. My sister is going to take my parents on a trip for the Lunar New Year, and I can't go, so I wanted to help at least with money.
[When I look at the hyung family, it seems that you have a very good relationship.
There was a sense in his tone that this was something unthinkable for him.

-Yes? In my opinion, they are ordinary. It's just that my sister lives with her parents, so she has a better relationship with them than I do.
[But hyung, you often talk to your parents. I'm surprised every time I hear your conversations. And I only talked to my father on the phone a couple of times after my parents' divorce.]
"Well, I'm the eldest son. If I were the second, I wouldn't call either," Ji Hong said in a deliberately matter-of-fact tone.

- In fact, I call because I'm too lazy to drive. It's not far from Ilsan to Seoul, I could visit often, but every time I make excuses for being busy and rarely go. Because of guilt.
[Hmm... Is this really a reason for guilt?]
Jae Kyung spoke in the tone of a person who doesn't quite understand.

[Isn't it enough to just live normally without causing trouble, even if you rarely see each other?]
-Faithfully. In fact, I think so too.
Ji Hong nodded with a smile.

- But this is our point of view as children, and parents may have a different one.
Jae Kyung muttered under his breath.
[Respectful son...]

"Oh, no. I'm really only like that. That's why I always end conversations in a minute.
[That's why I say - respectful son, I can't do that] - Jae Kyung cut off.
[Even when the mother said, "Your father divorced me instead of cutting ties with you, why are you acting like this? Call your father", I replied "Why?". I know he'll be happy if I call, but I don't really want to do it.]

- Well, each family has its own situation and its own circumstances.
When Ji Hong said that if he were him, he would probably do the same, Jae Kyung retorted.
Hyun believes that this is a filial duty, and until he fulfills it, he will not calm down, no matter what arguments are given.]

These words were reminiscent of what Ji Su had said today. Ji Hong began cautiously.
"Jae Kyung, I want to ask you something. My sister said today that I'm a perfectionist who pretends to be indifferent.
[Yes, there is such a thing.]

Jae Kyung replied instantly.
"Oh, really?"
Ji Hong was confused. The answer came even before he had time to ask if he thought it was so.

"Maybe Jae Kyung is also tiring my temper? Although, if it's hard for me myself, what about those around me?"
[But I think it's inevitable. All athletes have this trait to some degree.]
-Hmm... Really?

When Ji Hong bowed his head, surprised at the thought that it could be due to professional characteristics, Jae Kyung explained:
[In sports, it is believed that only the first place is important. Everyone has been striving for the first place all their lives, so it is inevitable. Therefore, in other things, you think "once you have taken it, you have to do it properly, to the end."
"Hey, why are you below average in everything?"

Ji Hong deliberately retorted.
- For starters, the face and body are above average. What else does a man need?
[Ah, that's right.]

Jae Kyung replied confidently.
[And to be honest, I think I'm also in the top 1 percent in terms of penis size.]
Jae Kyung took up sexual self-promotion as if nothing had happened. Ji Hong wanted to say that with this size, it was more like 0.01 percent, but he was afraid that he would start talking about phone sex again, and pretended not to hear.

"I don't think you're trying in other fields because you've already achieved the championship in swimming. Having become the best in your field, you do not feel the need to strain in the rest.
[Ah, yes, well... it may be so...]
Whether it was because his spectacular hint was wasted, Jae Kyung's voice drooped slightly. But in the next moment, he said in bewilderment:

[But if you think like that, hyun has also won a lot in swimming.
"Oh, yes, me too.
Ji Hong laughed.

[But you are good in everything besides swimming. If you compare it with the report card, you are "excellent" and "good" everywhere, and I am only "excellent" in swimming, and otherwise "satisfactory".]
-Yes? But at least "satisfactory"? Not "failure"?
After Ji Hong's joke, Jae-kyung fell silent for a while. Then he continued:

[... Well, it's not that bad, to be honest.]
He muttered after a long pause, clearly slightly annoyed.