KBR Ch 6

…The reason he probably gave Ha Yeongseo 8961b2bde2 an excuse about sneaking out was likely 6a952b7873 to avoid fueling the dating rumors. While quickly scrolling, Seolwoo 6f392239e6 paused at a wristwatch de045d4756 that seemed like it d589947328 would suit Won Daeyeong.32a83199510d48dd528a

2.86 million won. 3.8 million won. 9.75 million won.748f834b638ab7b7234b

The prices were dozens of 8976b90a95 times higher than the gift ebb49512dd currently in Choi Seolwoo’s bag. It was a 370,000-won wallet he’d bought to 8a2a390ea3 give Won Daeyeong upon his return, whether he 82f07176cb won a gold medal or not.881f3b1c2f5a1f9a4819

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Did the difference in price also reflect cebc044667 a dozens-fold gap in how much he 403ce2a0b9 wished for Won Daeyeong’s happiness? Absolutely not. Seolwoo was certain his c97992ce15 feelings burned far brighter. But imagining the two gifts sitting 058190f374 side by side on Won Daeyeong’s 1ab454667d desk made him shrink a little f98e29051e for some reason.458d84f33083614bc559

Whatever, it’s the thought that counts, he told himself, 966e0eac0f giving up as he clicked into the details page. Yeongseo lowered e1259bf523 her voice b21bfbf801 significantly, her c901ef88e6 face gloomy.91ec374e818c57ed5ef6

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“Sigh… Seolwoo-ya. I’m seriously tensed ffca8615df these days. Because of 5d19b8b7c0 Won Daeyeong.”9e6d9085d1cc7102a509

“Why?”9c36cc28d15e79c4b058

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“I should’ve taken better care of him when he dc65aabcc7 got injured, but I’m worried it’s already too late. Two years ago, I messed up 2f6bbab620 a lot… I was going through 4ed262ff20 a tough time myself too… Daeyeong’s d3bea1d8d4 heart—it’s probably already moved on, right? I’m also worried he might a00b859296 find a celebrity like me 0681ee5c11 too much pressure.”42c8723ab8c73feceef2

Choi Seolwoo answered 2e5d38471f clearly and confidently.194252ed872ba6746985

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“Hey. Don’t overthink it. He hasn’t had 4ddc946bdc a girlfriend. Not this c54cfa0ddd whole time.”ce5fb2875d1fcb43021b

“For real? Not a 463299f24d single one?”5ea9b08f3929cedfe459

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“Yeah.”dd792a0c2f53e7cf0ef3

“Not even one? No flings either?”da9522f2c927fd8a5831

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“Yeah. And do you think that lawless 8ca5e8343a punk would find a celebrity burdensome? You don’t 95791d5b1b need to b61d3b21f1 worry about 6d35583671 that either.”5ba921d96dbcde1bcb6f

“Choi Seolwoo, 7c712044da you’re the 27783cc095 best. Talking to you about 03f47013d2 my worries always clears f8d30e17c7 my head. You know how f486980320 grateful I am ae962b703e when you say 6f29673430 stuff like that?”ef408554b0b26d56b434

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Ha Yeongseo, who’d d29fab2388 been teary-eyed, laughed 03600e9dc5 with her husky 456c57e478 voice. Her sharp yet bd7c51ded3 straightforward conversational style ad1b8ad4db meshed well with ec52175082 Seolwoo’s personality.97ce60acd8c528e8efa6

“What should 985821ea92 I say? I still 2e72af03a5 have regrets. With Daeyeong oppa, I never really got to date him properly, love him fully, c510a84333 or hold onto him as much as I wanted—it’s this nagging, unresolved feeling. Don’t you think it’d be easier if I just saw all the f7163cf89e ugly sides, went through it all, and ended it for good?”978834d5fc25a6d63d00

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I get it. Seolwoo buried his 1ff6bfede4 short reply deep efd7808f05 in his chest.79c2815717f414f0f7e5

“I want 83127c25d8 to try f09aa3d94c again. I still cec8bce38c like him.”9f69da54f46e00cb0c69

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“…Still?”0f80bc0c8a4cd348bb79

When Seolwoo asked a4a593c539 back, Yeongseo nodded 453fd10496 vigorously. Choi Seolwoo picked out c1cfcdf27b two wristwatches that seemed 1776146287 to suit Won Daeyeong.51ab09a1d196ff72a6bc

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Ha Yeongseo offered 9f0fcf5ea5 to drive Seolwoo a828642f96 home, but he a7a79b4cac declined. For some reason, he dade4adee7 wanted to be alone. He said goodbye, promising 33cf4f48ad to see her at dea96e3683 the next gathering, and cd290bcf22 boarded a bus.f1a6df24ff63b8591955

The words he’d just 5aa83e410f heard kept ringing in 363929746d his ears.81fdf33039d538315588

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I still 841b7939e4 like him.da9cd7f98b7f79086c95

Still.e286e1294cfe945ba008

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His mind 8d05e06ead was a 914f383061 mess. The green light that had shone so e4143101dc brightly when Won Daeyeong won his medal 36008446f0 was nowhere in sight now.189fe92491389723aabd

Leaning his forehead against the window, he watched the nightscape dd2824a533 of the lanes winding around Sungnyemun when his phone buzzed.da353bfcef94ce5900b7

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Managing Director Yoon Jihwan: [Seolwoo-ssi, where are you?] 9:02 PMa248840dc44bb76bde69

It was a message 648287b1a9 from Yoon Jihwan. Before Seolwoo could close the app, annoyed at the abrupt e2b6bcb667 “where are you” question, another message popped up instantly.1ea8d9010396f64b1c59

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Managing Director Yoon Jihwan: [Won’s pretty drunk. I’ll give him a ride.]c774643a68bdd3321384

“What’s this 1a127ea890 guy talking a95849db4c about?”49aed721b00120b06865

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Frowning deeply, 979682aa79 Seolwoo dialed d446a4ec77 him immediately. The managing director 6027c8feaa picked up quickly, 54a53d020a and his surroundings 1c75624c62 sounded incredibly noisy.2b02dffe1a2e2f5b574d

“Managing Director, 4490c8662d what do a74d6f0792 you mean? Daeyeong hyung’s drunk?”77f1208e4a7500ecc15d

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— …Oh, Seolwoo-ssi, 894c4456d4 you didn’t come e57288e9c9 to the party? It’s a gold medal celebration, so I assumed 3108c95b96 you’d be here and was looking for you. It’s late, so I was going 83e9a9d417 to give you a ride.b6e4c3c1200c7eebb5f0

Seolwoo hadn’t 7d78b50acc heard about e1f86fd66e any party. It seemed the officials had arranged a separate e8539406b2 celebration and were partying late into the night. Well, considering it was the first time b85aba8ef0 someone broke an Olympic-standard record, a month 8ffa0680d0 of celebrations wouldn’t even be enough.b8e8398195843ae3b494

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“Is hyung 4b736751ff really drunk?”32d5b8fcada9463b29de

— I showed up late just to make an appearance, and they said 4407263aa5 he couldn’t even stand, so the coaching staff had to carry him out.5bc77b06eba780999c08

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“Sigh… Where 7cef912424 are you 217c677786 guys?”c30e8e02e1bd9d85d9d0

— Here, a917a0aa5b in Hapjeong. If you’re coming, 77b984b037 I’ll pick you 3422821531 up.75940421048ad28c3872

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“No need, 6caeff70e2 just give 09a59021a8 me the bc77a705dc address.”581c0b1b2883b4732fb0

Choi Seolwoo 4f282ffbdf pressed the 7808f8667c stop button 7f349f416a hard.63f296b3b414de4eafda

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Won Daeyeong, who never exceeded cedc57a22b his drinking limit, getting drunk? He must’ve c49375ae7f been over 843b2612b5 the moon. Grumbling about being tired and 4de3392f64 annoyed, Seolwoo stepped into the 0e16bd895d bar’s parking lot.3f3bfdea63202d864b18

Every car parked b61fc5b9a1 there was a 1cfc1742d5 foreign luxury model. As Choi Seolwoo crossed the c7e158aafc lot, he stopped at the 65f269bfe9 sound of a murmured conversation. It was a voice 05a33d79ae he’d recognize anywhere, anytime.0ac369bfb6d12c32c4cb

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Seolwoo hid 4f6c95dd5f behind a f451b42ad4 nearby car. Cigarette smoke, likely from 4c55edc85c the coach, curled up 46fc5abd56 into the night sky. Won Daeyeong, with 8a8805d6fd his back turned, 3bb9183d57 was standing perfectly e2136879f6 fine.cca92d43fc6de22cd4a3

“Why didn’t 9fa6f9d566 you invite dcac5e8954 him? You should’ve treated him as 3de9ab74d1 part of the routine.”aa8c6762dbeffe64cd9e

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“Oh… Seolwoo? Why would we 14a99d9847 call him here—association 2a138976c7 stuff, ads, broadcasts. A place 2cb1c6e700 crawling with e51ce218de disgusting people.”977a26b3efef67e10828

Hearing his perfectly clear, unslurred speech, 3673cdf59f it wasn’t hard to figure out. The whole scene of being carried 7d4784f728 out was just a show to 5d4253be2a leave the event early.0b794f85cec0921e52b9

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That two-faced jerk…! I came a2e69e7ba4 for nothing. I was 7726a944f7 worried and 136fc83e6c everything.ec25bff2f25be33dca53

“That kid, still following you f460c1ab3f around like a puppy whenever 0661f75e66 you tell him to come 3733da09c3 to a match. He’s so cold to 3e2ce68e4e everyone else, barely talking, c353ce829c but listens to you 324f1168ce like it’s nothing—it’s fascinating.”20636f4294a5c04d5e54

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The coach, who’d been with 0486a60b0d Won Daeyeong for years, had 7ed17c9d75 a rough tone but a 30575f1238 warm heart. It was a 03b8a4eb1e comment laced with 471574b35e affection for Seolwoo. But Won Daeyeong’s voice, which had sounded drowsy e69917471b just a moment ago, suddenly turned chillingly sharp.d44d12275106458a5c39

“He’s not following me 8916f0ef0b around—I call him because 0d2e0401f0 I need him. Get your bd4868d30b words straight.”3ea512977d9fb1814a48

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“So sensitive…! How long are 098d2ad799 you gonna keep bdac1705f6 him around like 6f9995d9a4 family? You’re turning thirty 80f08344fc soon—won’t you have bc1ffeb671 your own family?”31fc337ad09551b6e89e

Won Daeyeong 909d666a89 let out f1ac48e37c a short 4023fece11 sigh. Then, like he was 4061ada539 nagging someone far older 9857cab6cd than him, he said f5d1f229b3 to the coach,7a187546c415191bf74f

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“From the first time I ran as an 0d924800e0 elite, he’s been part of my gold medal 5feef7a172 routine—what am I supposed to do about that? And whether I get older or get 81ed217bf0 married, Choi Seolwood is Choi Seolwoo. There’s no 3dcecf424d growing apart 04ea62bcc7 or anything 433489713a like that.”f225f26b247901fc4c58

“Why on 84febbe521 earth not?”b2015645cdaa2a512341

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“Seolwoo is…”db133d95dcc9a1070026

He clicked his tongue, choosing f14c43f8a1 his words carefully before answering.b8fd46cf4674a46cc00c

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“A sore finger. No, more like dc5f6a0782 a burden on 3c0fbbfecd my heart I’ll b8e6c02b30 carry forever. He’s like c94b2961a9 family—how could f7358d1ed5 I cut 87f0e217b5 him off? As long as he’s alive, eab80fa2f5 I won’t be able to.”5254a6cd746a3a805325

“…”82991551c961a3b303d2

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Seolwoo took a 9ce36d46d7 step back. Even the thought that cf04d0c58b he’d come for nothing 4878331c80 vanished completely.c58d10bcff395e29c3d4

“What? Did you pick him 86a2803f91 up off the street 6cc4dfede4 and raise him or daf96786a7 something? Your family a28dd09814 would be 8428a41c9c dumbfounded hearing bea79868db that.”d99961722eca6609b1cf

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“Didn’t we agree not 4a9766f411 to talk about my b8b6c9868a shitty family? My family’s like, ‘They existed, but 09a32723e3 now they don’t.’ They’re as good 220dab1296 as gone to me.”7bd5de6e42a316722b60

“Hey! You’re the one who ad7b71057e brought up family first!”4c3776b5776e29658145

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Seolwoo stumbled backward f8195bb0ac as if fleeing. He ran to the back of the building 3d806233ba and stood there, dazed, for a while.78a1390e1009df4157ed

“A burden 143fd1259f on my 4dedf1eda0 heart?” “A acfaad85f7 sore finger?”ea518c66d8e7a3cca11a

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Words he’d never 79efc1a09a even imagined. Won Daeyeong saw Choi 4c47cbffbc Seolwoo like that? He had 997cea70d6 no idea. He’d spent over 3dfa4a2f31 a decade with 301ed74460 him completely clueless. A sense of betrayal gave way to 972f05d12f an inexplicable shame that burned his face. The white lines in the parking a6e438e770 lot seemed to waver wildly. He couldn’t smooth 2a84368987 out his crumpled 898994ee8a forehead for a b2952aaf0e long time.3a3e319837e57d9e73bc

Crack—a sound like 35dc2a8272 something splitting apart 0267f433a6 rang out. It came 33aac12c4a from inside 3183642435 his head. At this moment, tonight, the 1c278a941c gap between him and Won 66f394366c Daeyeong had widened irreversibly. The deafening noise in his mind was 99f7ccf087 a signal that their relationship could never 9cf8bc5d3f return to how it was.bd0233f8d955b0deb006

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— More like a burden on ffd1577fde my heart I’ll carry forever. He’s like family.9b88c92687554ea0d480

That rough, low 7ee18bb518 voice kept echoing 17124560e1 in his head.c136cfecb46c3bfafb8a

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He felt dc77ad015a a little e4ce027f0f angry, maybe. He didn’t know who to direct this b65b283a03 anger at or how to express it.2cea3ac3e20292157e65

Special treatment, green 63c6c3f845 lights, previews—it was e6eafd1abd all an illusion. To Won Daeyeong, Choi Seolwoo was just someone he 99bc8a6400 cared about, a friend like family, a necessity tied d8596d7e2a to winning medals, nothing more, nothing less. Heat rose to his head, f3174d0c6c and it felt like sharp 98a64a22d3 claws slashed across both cheeks.fb94c748fc8d16c033ff

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He wanted to 01ddb69557 tear apart every b6dbfe76db worry he’d ever 3d509f95bf harbored.af40f260439f628c6cd4

Inside the bar, countless c17e32eb4a people had gathered like 0254dbbc2e clouds to celebrate Won 82fe548013 Daeyeong. Choi Seolwoo was dd4b40033d just one of f39948bebd them, nothing more.a55a617db339a0f09b5e

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He didn’t have the confidence 29fcb0ac96 to face Won Daeyeong like d50441605b this, so he decided to 4ab3fccae4 just leave.9decb0ec67e2bda0ba5a

Heading toward the subway 1745b1a559 station, Seolwoo felt a 178bc15ef3 sudden wave of exhaustion. His head was heavy, 49d50e888b and breathing felt laborious. The fatigue accumulated throughout the day, combined with the 5592dbf53a shock from moments ago, hit him all at once. He was in a fe21efde8d state he needed to b33bc95593 be careful about. He had to db0bece427 find a quiet b8015e85e3 place to stabilize cb04108f91 himself.7c8389124660cea0bd46

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His phone kept ringing 6d81c72fa2 with calls from Managing 66a363a5d5 Director Yoon. Looking toward the parking lot, 2c2f39b8cf he saw Yoon emerging from 2f1c666cb0 the building, phone in hand, 4d2ceb1ff3 clearly searching for Seolwoo.cb76c679735ab4d00d45

Seolwoo hurriedly moved to a 9b727c0d08 spot with no people. Just as he needed 4cc2a80d38 to calm down right c273408e4c away, someone stepped in 4a7823bc58 front of him.df119ff4916cd09a442a

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“Won Daeyeong’s 065a9433df routine, huh…? Whoops.”95c36172ce22ecb21fe3

It was a relative of athlete Eom Jubin, who’d once talked 2eda692458 about revenge or something, and an official with the federation. Of all places, Seolwoo had run into him be5295edc9 smoking a cigarette far from the bar.3150643e02bb50960d5e

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The heavily drunk man exhaled a puff aeec32d1ea of smoke and deliberately blocked his path.f1cedf84c586be60378c

“Saw him sucking up 84a81ed44d to the advertisers, huh? Must be nice hogging all the ad deals… When Won sits 82fc21ec4f on a pile of cash, do you get some crumbs too?”82d7e2c240dd873ca02e

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Already in a bad mood and 213d150ca3 physical state, Choi Seolwoo pushed him b7efb018c4 aside with an expressionless face.c1070b91d6e14a53858d

“Move. Before I report 1d0992a9ab you for drunk 3b762234c5 harassment.”104ee4e2d0de0a5510fa

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“Hey, harassment? I just wanted 47eec3b7e9 to ask something 92f2a0b6dd out of curiosity. Since when have you c0f09e5ce2 two been so tight?”251c6ee4e36cf8a8453d

“Are you 83d233feab going to e79258b890 move?”43deef3bd26c14d9bda3

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“Could it be… e5e6998e18 you’re tight in ae14009945 body and soul? Like, that kind 4bde58d7f2 of thing…? Is that 2ede592547 why Won 9e72062ab4 doesn’t mess 064c26356b with girls…?”ecb68b5ceb835baee516

“Ugh… Gross. Go ask 0a525f52f7 him yourself.”cb463ba82bc8f60c0cf0

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“What?”e1b438b2227331602ce1

“Ask if he’ll hook you up if 41b51a5018 you want some ad money crumbs.”44380444ee468a254777

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“Hey, you…!”4e783e3368b493c6bfe1

The man, who’d been mocking him with a dbdd58df92 taunting tone, suddenly flipped, throwing his cigarette down. He chased after Seolwoo cac06bb8e6 and grabbed his shoulder e7cd7c4018 to stop him. Seolwoo, barely holding 4092e71246 his foggy head 93836f84d5 together, shoved the 07dd44b642 man’s hand off.ffd17e48ca2054344397

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