KBR Ch 2

— Lane 3! South Korea, Won Daeyeong.

He lightly shakes his fist towards the camera with a grin. Seolwoo, who barely touched his breakfast or lunch, forcefully stuffed Won Daeyeong’s smile into his empty stomach.

‘He’s so relaxed all by himself. Someone’s so nervous they can’t even eat.’

After the camera moved to the next athlete, he looked towards the distant coaching staff. He seemed to be checking on Choi Seolwoo, who was watching via video call, so he stared at the camera for a moment.

— Nah, no way. There’s a reason why his rehab took so long. No matter how fully recovered he is, there’s no way he’s breaking the Olympic qualifying record in one go at a major competition like the Asian Games.

— Still, it’s Won Daeyeong. But what if he loses to Um Joobin? How embarrassing would that be? Won Daeyeong, ranking 2nd or 3rd domestically? Wouldn’t that be ridiculous? If he fails this time, I don’t think he’ll run again.

— It’s not that he won’t run, it’s that he can’t. How could he run with his pride shattered?

— All he’s ever done is train; he’ll run. Sigh, it really takes a moment to fall from grace.

Choi Seolwoo was vaguely aware of the gossip circulating within and outside the federation during the two-plus years of rehabilitation. While his perennial rival, Um Joobin, thrived, Won Daeyeong was completely pushed aside. While Um Joobin was invited to exchange events hosted by the Athletics Federation and the Sports Council, wearing a suit, competing in the World Championships, and standing in front of press cameras, Won Daeyeong poured out his sweat alone on the track.

No one paid attention to an athlete who couldn’t produce results due to injury. What people wanted was the glory of victory, not endless rehabilitation training with no end in sight.

Twenty-nine. Considering the Olympic cycle, it was the end of the road as a track and field athlete. If he didn’t produce results in today’s final, Won Daeyeong might never regain his past glory.

— Lane 6! South Korea, Um Joobin.

“Oh… I’m nervous…!”

“……Is Won really done with his rehab? Fully recovered?”

Um Joobin’s relative, also a federation official, asked probingly. Everyone he met talked about the rehabilitation. Even Choi Seolwoo was sick of it, so how annoying must it be for Won Daeyeong himself, and how much pressure must he be under for today’s competition? Thinking about it made Seolwoo feel suffocated.

“Ask him yourself. Don’t make me play spy.”

Choi Seolwoo’s barbed reply made the man’s expression harden. Soon after, a faint murmur escaped his lips.

“Well…. He’s competing, so he must be fully recovered. I’m looking forward to it, a revenge match….”

He said it deliberately to get on Seolwoo’s nerves. As the start approached and the office fell silent, the attention of those around them focused on them. Unfazed, Choi Seolwoo questioned the man.

“Revenge?”

“Well, Won’s last competition result before his rehab…. It was a shock that the top track and field prospect finished 7th.”

“It wasn’t 7th, it was 6th. The KBS Cup National Athletics Competition.”

“Was it? It’s been so long since I’ve seen him at the stadium, I got confused. It’s been a while for you too, kid.”

Choi Seolwoo, turning his head indifferently towards the TV, replied.

“It’s been a while for me watching the broadcast too. Track and field was boring without Daeyeong-hyung, so I didn’t watch. Everyone got eliminated in the World Championship preliminaries.”

“…….”

As the man’s expression hardened, the managing director of the sponsor company shouted a loud “Fighting!” Following suit, cheers erupted from everywhere. The atmosphere, filled with shouts of “Won Daeyeong! Um Joobin! Fighting!” buried the nerve battle.

— Now. Preparing for the start.

Under the bright lights, Won Daeyeong raised his chin high and looked towards the far end of the track. Then, his gaze briefly swept over the coaching area again. It was clear he was looking at Choi Seolwoo, as usual, just before the start. Choi Seolwoo stared into the phone camera lens.

— 400m final, starting now.

The starter loudly called out the commands.

— On your mark.

Eight athletes placed their hands on the ground and their feet on the starting blocks. Their shoulders and arms supported their weight. The stadium on the TV fell silent as if doused with cold water.

The office was also enveloped in a suffocating silence. As the barrel of the starting pistol pointed towards the sky, even the live commentary held its breath. Overwhelmed by tension, everyone closed their mouths and focused their eyes on the starting line.

— Get set.

Hearts raced. The moment Won Daeyeong lifted his waist, a deep breath escaped Seolwoo’s lips.

— Go!

Bang, the starting signal rang out.

The moment the gunshot echoed in his ears, his breath hitched.

People reacted differently, unable to handle the tension. They covered their mouths or clenched their fists, concentrating on the broadcast screen. Choi Seolwoo pretended to be indifferent, but he couldn’t stop his heart from pounding, so he deliberately covered his face with his hands.

— They’re off! Yes, the start. Good start, they’re going strong! Um Joobin, Won Daeyeong!

Hey, fighting. Okay? It’s okay even if you lose, really. I’m proud of you no matter what place you get. You persevered for two years to stand here today. Even Um Joobin couldn’t do that, could he?

I know how hard you worked on your rehab. So, it’s okay to lose. Saying ‘it’s okay to lose’ over and over… is that weird? Then win. Whether you win or lose, I’ll think you’re amazing.

No matter what anyone says, you’re the best sprinter in the world.

The cheers Choi Seolwoo chanted inwardly were a little different from those of the people in the office. They chanted “Go, go, go!” in small voices, wanting a victory intertwined with their own interests, but Choi Seolwoo wanted only one thing: Won Daeyeong’s happiness, regardless of the result.

The athletes’ feet kicked the track at a dazzling speed. Their feet, applying tremendous pressure to the ground, gained acceleration from the elasticity and pushed the ground backward.

— If you straighten your back right after the start, you won’t accelerate. That’s why it looks like you’re running with your back bent for the first few dozen meters, right?

The words Won Daeyeong had once explained to him on the subway echoed in his head.

The bulging muscles in the athletes’ bodies radiated extreme energy. Fighting spirit surged from their arms and legs. Their spikes kicked the ground with all their might, and their arms powerfully cut through the air, adding to their speed. Their wildly fluttering hair showed their velocity.

— 400m is all about power. You have to maintain that muscle-bursting power for an entire lap. If you gather all your strength in the first 100m and explode, you won’t be able to sprint at the end. If you run the 400m like the 100m, fuck, you’ll immediately tear a muscle.

Enthusiastic cheers filled the stadium. The athletes had already passed the straight and entered the curve. Because Won Daeyeong started in lane 3, he was behind Um Joobin and a few other athletes. Seolwoo felt dizzy. He bit his lip, covering his face with his palms.

“You need to push more, Daeyeong! It’s already been 100m!”

“Go, South Korea! Please!”

Desperate voices erupted from everywhere. There was no time to glance at them. Choi Seolwoo didn’t take his eyes off the broadcast screen. Even the time it took to blink felt precious. The positions of the athletes sprinting forward moved forward by several meters at a time.

Won Daeyeong caught up with the athletes in the next lanes with his wide strides. The leading group, having quickly rounded the curve, entered the second straight.

— In the lead, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Um Joobin! Won Daeyeong is behind them! The gap is widening as they pass the curve. Won Daeyeong still looks like he’s recovered well from his injury, right? He needs to make his move now…!

Seolwoo felt his eyes burning. He sighed inwardly. In Won Daeyeong’s shoulders and legs, which were running forward with fierce momentum, a dark side, just like his true self, blazed.

On the distant straight, the athletes further accelerated with the maximum strength they could muster from their entire bodies. They needed to widen the gap before entering the curve. The Saudi Arabian and Japanese athletes in the lead maintained their 1st and 2nd positions at a frightening speed.

Won Daeyeong’s head surged forward alongside them. Roars and shouts could be heard. At the same time, the loud sounds of chairs and desks being hit erupted. Even the PD shouted. Everyone with their eyes on the track was heading towards the climax.

— He’s catching up, he’s caught up. Won Daeyeong. He’s moving up to 3rd!

The stadium stands now became a jungle as fierce as the track itself. Piercing cheers, shouted names, and support intertwined and battled. On the track, the two athletes far ahead were getting closer and closer to the curve.

— The leading group is not easy. They’re fast. Their speed is incredible. They’re not giving up the lead easily, are they?

— Um Joobin is making his move now! He’s pushing forward!

— Ah, he needs to control his pace. He needs to conserve his speed for the final sprint. Both Won Daeyeong and Um Joobin are too fast right now, they need to be careful not to overpace! This pace at the 200m mark is almost using up all their energy!

Um Joobin! Won Daeyeong! Um Joobin! Won Daeyeong! Shouts mixing the two names filled the office. Even the official next to him, who had maintained an indifferent attitude, clenched his fists in excitement. On the ground where joy and sorrow, victory and defeat were at stake, ferocious speed pierced through the lanes, intertwining and biting at each other.

Won Daeyeong bites at Um Joobin. The silent exertion was close to a murderous intent to devour and swallow his opponent. In the middle of the curve, Won Daeyeong caught up right next to Um Joobin.

“No!! Joobin!!! Run! Run, Um Joobin!”

Someone shouted at the top of their lungs. The two men were still running side by side, competing for 3rd and 4th place. The leading athletes continued to sprint forward at the same speed. Their powerful movements neared the finish line. Um Joobin’s head pulled slightly ahead. He winced in pain.

Choi Seolwoo, not to be outdone by someone else’s shouts, cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled,

“Won Daeyeong! Fighting!!”

Even though it wouldn’t reach the stadium across the ocean. Even if Won Daeyeong couldn’t hear it. Seolwoo shouted, gathering his low voice with all his might.

“Daeyeong-hyung!! Run!!”

“South Korea! Let’s go!”

It was the production PD who united the subtly competitive cheers. Now with the hope of reaching the medal positions, people burned even hotter with support.

As the 300m mark approached, pain surfaced on the athletes’ faces. There was almost no oxygen left in their bodies. In that state, they had to draw out endurance and explosive power from every muscle in their bodies and pour it all out.

As Won Daeyeong and Um Joobin entered the final straight, the stands were engulfed in a turbulent wave. People screamed. Shouts erupted from everywhere.

— Ah…! 2nd, 2nd. He’s moving up!! Um Joobin…!

Um Joobin overtook Won Daeyeong again, pushing him back to 3rd. Seolwoo couldn’t stay still in his seat and fidgeted.

— In the 400m, the winner is decided in the final sprint! Who will be the victor in this battle of willpower!

At this crucial moment, the people standing in front were jumping up and down, blocking his view. Choi Seolwoo yelled at them.

“Ah, sit down! Sit down!!”

In the briefly obscured screen, the first thing that caught Choi Seolwoo’s eye was short-cropped black hair and a smooth forehead.

— Won Daeyeong, he’s coming out!!

— Won Daeyeong, sprinting in the last 100m! Amazing sprint!! Look at his breathing, he’s breathing, gaining speed! Gaining speed…!

Seolwoo’s fingertips were parched. Both Um Joobin and Won Daeyeong breathed rapidly, hoo, hoo, under their fluttering hair. Their tenacious arm movements powerfully punched the air.

“Crazy bastard. Look at the record. Fuck. Look at the record!”

Someone muttered as if they were out of their mind. The commentators’ voices rose sharply.

— Yes, he’s overtaking! He’s pulling ahead, the finish line, maintaining his speed to the finish line…!

Won Daeyeong sprinted at full speed on the empty track. With his body upright, he winced once, his muscles screaming in pain as he dashed towards the finish line.

He powerfully pushed off the ground, moving forward.

Watching Won Daeyeong soar, Seolwoo knew. He knew that Won Daeyeong’s future, after crossing the finish line today, would also explode and soar.

He felt a sense of relief.

The injury and mental burden that had held his ankle captive for over two years,

The submerged past. It was the moment they finally broke free.

— Won Daeyeong, he’s crossing! 1st place! South Korea, crossing the finish line in 1st place!