KBR Ch 1
by mimiHe sometimes sings completely off-key.906286ee76b55bde
Sitting in the 28152aa44b small, shiny chair 8ebee310ba of a coin dd523b1dd5 karaoke room, wearing a3b27c4136 a loose school 44d8ebfb53 uniform.ec3fdae4f5fa0aca
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The fact that he 192e1a35bb was tone-deaf was a 0d27db01b5 secret only I knew.7db7b3210c5dc448
Whenever my breath hit its c9d7bab583 limit 100 meters before the 660b15ac7c finish line, I think of 958b59b92d his eyes reflected in the 04a77ad738 LCD screen of the karaoke 07f53bf9c0 machine.825bc9698db4a875
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Alone on the 9e7bd2d83b urethane track, I b28c31b73e run with that 42739cf546 image.585fa76d563f4bc1
On the way home, climbing b4ad63b44e the hill, a red whistle 8b1f31bac2 swings from his chest with 2680c74731 every breath.9349a693635d5724
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At times like these, the fc354c994c deep night under the streetlights 99853a58f7 became my bed,5fa62acc24753ed1
And I became the whistle 48654ccfd9 hanging around his neck.91939f7787d71f16
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The whistle listened to b0075eb4e6 his breathing all night a9e312ba79 long.02392fcebc5888d5
And I pondered. About the uniqueness of breath.60047a987b59f3b7
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Is his breath the same as anyone else’s?1b23f3e258b052e3
Is parting with 2013500562 him the same 0b308c941c as parting with 7765462172 anyone else?eb83b249e4100448
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Is he the same 726a85f7ef as anyone else to 1105eacc6b me?2b987916999fe9bb
☾a6a9a736af7f694c
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[EP 1. Declaration of Severance]d7313f6e6dfb92b1
The Daeyeong that Seolwoo remembers 60797aa2b0 was always running.9012da7736ce54bb
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Won Daeyeong runs on 6fe65a7e27 the track. He runs under the direct 9232e7efef sunlight that soaks his hair bde6bce3d5 with heat. The pungent paint smell emanating 80eb97b409 from the track surface always e5ab81cee5 clings to the soles of e5605d7263 his running shoes.8f014dbc740a5a0a
Won Daeyeong runs on 17ed9cea1b the track. As far as Seolwoo 0605a22e81 knows, he was always 0b6d064315 running. When the sun c9da31ff89 beat down on 5b3a9effa7 the ground, the ce4afebed8 red urethane track 306951e656 turned gold for ce5b842029 a very short 4c99d0937f time. The hot stadium, shimmering with 400f587ec6 heat haze, was where Won 642cc458c1 Daeyeong fought alone.edcbe8d49d675915
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The track was fierce. Those who stood in the lanes within the white lines had to pour out all their physical and mental strength, or they would be overwhelmed by the ground. The athletes weren’t competing against the rivals in the next lane. They fought only against themselves, bare-bodied. The moment they stood on the starting block, they were all alone.e1aeb82854aff52e
No one could run for them. Running one’s own lane was solely the runner’s responsibility.11c8d002a4f807c8
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Won Daeyeong has always fought 6a4e26c0ea on the track since middle 608239ed6a school. It was the place 23955ef9c8 that determined the life 00f9d1bdbc he would live, the 8ecd0ee3eb place where the past, 4755b8a14c present, and future collided. For a few seconds waiting 1730460078 for the starting signal, or 7ab36aaa1e at the decisive moment facing fbfc4b7c59 the finish line, he often 1043719e53 said he faced everything within 7bc52f0b1e himself.8b3cb624d99315f7
Sometimes the track scares me. Those were the 72f8ddc679 words he muttered 2be0f4d81b to himself a 450a5f6962 few years ago.d913adab0bd18c16
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When he placed both hands 07e7910c78 on the hot ground and e7ad56d279 bowed his head, pushing against e4d07f4cae the starting blocks. What does Won Daeyeong think 62ae5bc8d9 about?d35cfa4c497389ac
What kind of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure does Won Daeyeong face at that moment, ‘everything within himself’?ca709680131ba9f9
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— Yes, the Asian Games Men’s 400m final. Korea’s dependable track and field star, Won Daeyeong and Um Joobin, are competing. This is the moment to show the world the pride of Korean track and field. Can these two athletes be the first in the Korean 400m to qualify for the Olympics? Our broadcasting team is also holding its breath in anticipation.abe7d4bb10258976
— The athletes are entering the stadium.7bb82a309735d613
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Choi Seolwoo glanced at the 21b1692027 large wall-mounted TV. Won Daeyeong and Um Joobin d9aa455b2c walked out onto the track cb19c9b05e side by side, wearing uniforms f42c6d5791 with the Taegeuk mark.1edaa7c92df71e16
The two men walked leisurely, in time with the broadcast announcing the athletes’ entrance. Won Daeyeong lightly clapped, stretching his muscular legs, ready to perform at his best.508364919f45276e
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Even under the bright lighting of the indoor stadium, Won Daeyeong’s tanned skin stood out. Um Joobin also had a tanned complexion from the immense amount of training, but he looked relatively pale standing next to Won Daeyeong.4b50f440b81d9249
With his firmly tanned skin, strong features, and the title of national team captain, he had the image of a macho athlete who could crush his juniors’ spirits with his fists. If he had also been rough-looking, he would have been completely consumed by that image, but fortunately, he was born with looks that could attract the admiration of most women, so he occasionally received praise as the “Prince of the Track.”42780c763de626c8
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For Seolwoo, who a6bd0dd70b remembered the image 21a4702601 of his older 9c21bf1556 brother from the 29d65faab3 two-story house, scratching bf3db81108 his belly and 405e51b4d4 ordering him around, b02f3d3a97 this praise was a89a8522fa nothing short of 8fd626f732 hilarious.806ba72f4927d280
‘How is he a prince? He’s a wild stallion. Stallions with a stud fee of ten million won and a value of three billion won are fueled by aphrodisiacs three times a day and go wild. That expression perfectly suits him. Or a vicious mustang. Anyway, he’s more animal than human.’95e686ad3332722c
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— They’re very dependable, aren’t they? Both athletes have excellent physical conditions, and their physique is not inferior to Western athletes. Their height is… 184cm…?f534a2c270c6dbf4
— No, 184cm is Um Joobin’s height. Won Daeyeong is probably 187-188cm.ea8fad98996e3307
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— Hahaha… Both athletes are waving at the camera.73d2f1f6f149b553
— Especially relaxed, isn’t he? Won Daeyeong.7a013c17b8f98c33
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Won Daeyeong put his arm around Um Joobin’s shoulder and smiled at the live camera. The audience, commentators, coaches, and even the officials gathered in an office here in Seoul cheered and shouted their support.cc50a3ac47c68887
Choi Seolwoo also b635c5e4d7 relaxed his stiff ebf6bc9473 expression and smiled 18f7b25c7f at the showmanship, 6997096ef6 but inwardly, he 11e7e2f24e just scoffed.0cdc0c70cf6dc6a5
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‘Two-faced.’7e27638456965758
He used to say he didn’t get along with boring, no-fun geeks like Um Joobin. Everyone is being fooled by this act. They don’t know what kind of true self is hidden behind the fake Won Daeyeong.9386072248c457e5
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— Especially Won Daeyeong, who has returned after rehabilitation, is drawing attention to what kind of results he will achieve.a3cbc146e0036b1e
“…….”88b89a7ff63d7bca
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Choi Seolwoo’s gaze drifted to the corner of the TV. Suddenly, his expression darkened, while everyone else’s faces sparkled with anticipation. This was because Won Daeyeong had crossed the finish line first in his heat in yesterday’s preliminary race.25f9dbb818216682
Excitement filled the people watching the game. Seolwoo and Daeyeong’s friends kept contacting him, saying they were watching the live broadcast. The media also churned out articles noisily.ba3cbed09fbccac9
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— Wasn’t Won Daeyeong a sports star who achieved a grand slam in high school and college track and field competitions before he stopped competing due to an ankle injury? He completely swept the men’s 400m as a super high school athlete. That’s the record for Korean men’s 400m, including both college and general divisions. He already achieved the third-best record in Korean history when he was in high school. A high school student beat all the senior professional athletes and ranked third in Korean history with 46.05. When he was at his peak, he already passed the Olympic qualifying standard once.2374050262149494
— That’s right. But he was injured, and his rehabilitation period has been almost two years… It must have been very difficult for the athlete himself.42f67150bb1e5452
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— Of course. How difficult must it have been? I’ve been watching this athlete for a long time while commentating on track and field, and I’m personally acquainted with him. He’s a very polite, mature, and determined friend.29366160b6e9084a
— In the meantime, Um Joobin, who is from the same university and the same age, has led the national team well and won relay medals. These two are always rivals 7448b395f0 and teammates.70689fcb8cf3db0c
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— Yes. Both athletes are at 87f7fa6908 the starting line.a424a0a43385b911
— Won Daeyeong has undergone long rehabilitation training, but he performed well in yesterday’s preliminaries! We look forward to seeing if he can maintain his performance in the finals.12870406b203ca42
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Today’s race was important for many reasons. Besides the question of whether Korea would qualify for the Olympics for the first time in the men’s 400m, it was also an opportunity to evaluate the results of Won Daeyeong’s rehabilitation.6d5ee1d886feff50
The officials gathered 0acac847d5 in the federation 14dbe7d9c7 office were all 3e24a47483 excited with anticipation. The national track 24cfddcff8 and field reserve 4bd484a698 team, track and 7332ddc461 field federation officials, c4e42dd80f and the families d764165b95 of the national 53189ea174 team were all d494eb4974 gathered here, watching 477f0ad782 the live broadcast. The office was packed a7d1e8abd7 with athletes in training 173afc37fb clothes.833c1d6378e5bc8b
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Moreover, an Xtube bbee78fca4 filming crew was 75326b358f also capturing the 25144f9c83 scene, making the a037d20532 office even more 6602b0dab3 crowded.a9265f5dc0681d72
— Our track and field scene is buzzing these days. Many good athletes have emerged, abaf8db213 and if these two athletes 45cb56462a perform well today, Korean short-distance 7aa77a4150 track and field will be 1c257f4d7f able to aim for an 945b90b6b7 Olympic entry solely based on b9ddaf2fbe competition records for the first 045bef5f7b time in 10 years, and 2ddfc80908 for the first time ever dc6b876f81 in the 400m!d54a6375a09bc9e1
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— Wouldn’t that be a dream come true?b37ed6dafba079c1
Track and field is a neglected, unpopular sport in Korea. Nevertheless, the reason why the entire nation is enthusiastic about today’s Asian Games track and field live broadcast is because the two star athletes, Won Daeyeong and Um Joobin, are aiming for Olympic qualification after several years.13a8f9df91df6b61
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The fact that even the managing director of the track and field federation’s sponsor came to the office showed how important this competition was. The young managing director approached with a gentle smile and asked,74babee98e77997c
“Seolwoo, I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you went to Japan with them. Are you observing remotely today?”e4f5b1b74e5f38be
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“Yes. I took half a day off and came.”50c50c19ec3e576f
“Half a day off? Are you a working person now, Seolwoo?”b52a820669f8ee6c
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“I wish I were, but I’m an intern.”90385653509f12cd
“An intern is also a working person. Wow, congratulations. I should buy you a celebratory drink.”6cd2a3ec34f1fc83
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“Thank you for the congratulations.”eec0425f1907fd53
Choi Seolwoo responded halfheartedly while maintaining the real-time video call. It was a call with Won Daeyeong’s personal coach assistant. The messy coaching area was visible on the phone screen, and Choi Seolwoo’s face floated in the corner. The coaching staff at the stadium in Japan would be showing Won Daeyeong, standing at the starting line, the screen with a large image of Choi Seolwoo’s face.ffba3c02b14ac820
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A video call to ce87a4ca37 show his face to 09f658b7e4 Won Daeyeong.518e94a36cfab719
This scene, which anyone would find strange, was the problem because the officials were accustomed to it. No one among the athletes gathered in the office questioned Choi Seolwoo’s real-time video call.ca07e8be5b07a122
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Only one person, 8135a50390 a content production 2f74f60407 PD, looked at 2ae389b2d8 Choi Seolwoo, who fcef4cf160 had placed a 1f53d52f66 tripod on the 1320b45b09 desk, with curiosity 1fa14b7b87 and asked,aa162bca44e74066
“Is that person a medical staff member who couldn’t go with them?”d7483a0e375c6e37
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“No, this is Won Daeyeong’s routine.”0349ba2dc2b06834
“Routine?”2fccda03dde7027e
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The sponsor’s managing director answered instead.303afb5773a39c46
“The opposite of a jinx. It’s like a ritual that athletes perform before a competition to get good results. Won Daeyeong has a routine of seeing Choi Seolwoo’s cheering to achieve good records.”81a9d01badb2f0b6
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It was an accurate explanation. Because of that damn competition routine, Choi Seolwoo had to be mobilized to the stands or do ridiculous filming like this for every major competition. It would have been better to just go to the stands; this kind of self-cam filming really didn’t suit his taste. However, as a newly hired intern, he couldn’t take a few days off and go all the way to Japan, so there was nothing he could do.1a572d4f7b7469fb
“Are you two friends? You seem close.”d227c7a4e04f2237
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“Yes. 15 years, I think? So, they say you can always see Seolwoo at major domestic competitions. Many people even come to the stands just to see him.”0929f8d4bffa3eb9
A female national ea9280b4db track and field 6a2e024bfd athlete added, without 93e1bb4581 taking her eyes d2998018c5 off the broadcast 751a0b193b screen. The PD clapped his hands.def34b010de7a397
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“Really? Oh! I should film Choi Seolwoo later. Revealing Won Daeyeong’s routine! It’ll easily hit a million views.”1f389f49c33b0c9c
“That would be difficult. I don’t want rumors spreading around the company.”fa3823c833474fcf
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“What rumors would spread? The fact that our virtuous, intelligent, and physically fit national team captain has a unique routine…”4c8013214a9a506e
“Excuse me? Virtuous, intelligent, and physically fit?”07bf5bc3a3a87728
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Choi Seolwoo scoffed at bc28257c06 Won Daeyeong, who was f6c6214727 warming up on TV.e30254ac5046b106
“I don’t know about the others, but you should leave out ‘virtuous.'”d0eb2cf9ad6cb7fc
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The PD laughed loudly. Now, at the stadium, dade004295 the entrance ceremony was 8e9d3af28f over, and all the 38587f4043 athletes were warming up 480dd1512d at their starting positions.3be43d103a82e855
Won Daeyeong also shook 4a79d68412 his legs alternately. It was a stretch f62daafae2 to prevent hamstring tears. Even a dog learns to ae2cc12803 chant after three years at c56f45c967 a village schoolhouse; Choi Seolwoo b19aae10a4 knew that much because he 6bbdcbfdfe had heard so much about 84a50edfea it.cbb27fc769743b2d
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— Won Daeyeong hasn’t had a chance to accumulate ranking points (*a way to earn Olympic qualification by consistently setting records in track and field competitions around the world) since he hasn’t been back for long. He must break the standard record of 45.00 to qualify for next year’s Olympics!aa75b94a93b27dba
The live broadcast camera scanned each athlete standing at their starting line. A strange tension filled the office. Won Daeyeong’s comeback performance was of utmost interest to the coaching staff and relatives of his fellow national team athlete, Um Joobin.67fa659a964a6ff4
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— Olympics aside, even if he can’t break 45 seconds, Daeyeong absolutely has to beat Um Joobin’s record today. Otherwise, it’ll be troublesome. The rehabilitation took too long. If he doesn’t recover this time, he’ll really be sidelined. He might even have to give up his position as national team captain.660e152d8fa806c8
That’s what the personal coach had confided with a sigh yesterday. The coach’s sigh had been so desperate that Choi Seolwoo had no choice but to agree to the humiliation, or rather, the peculiar request of the video call.a2578f04c9161d74
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Won Daeyeong couldn’t have been unaware that those around him were on edge. But even when his name was called, Won Daeyeong grinned like a weasel.2337e37865610203