"From an early age, his communication style was not particularly friendly, but Jaekyung always chose his words wisely. However, everything changed when he started swimming, especially after we moved to Ilsan. Perhaps because of the excessive attention that was paid to him, you know? But, it's no secret that the sports industry is a little...", Ms. Shim's smile took on a bitter tone as she looked at Jihon. She spoke rather veiledly, but he seemed to immediately understand what she was talking about.

"If you look like a good person in their eyes, then people won't bother you by pretending to cheer you up and smile. Each time they hinted at joint training. And if you refuse, then curses and condemnation will fly at your back," the woman shuddered, as if reliving an unpleasant memory. Jihon sympathized with her. After all, he also faced inappropriate attention and envious looks. And, of course, Jaekyung was much more exposed to this than he did.

"I'm used to dealing with people, but he's very different. How can he cope?" she pointed to her son, who was sitting next to her. Of course, Jaekyung was not in the least interested in his mother's story, but only butchered a chicken. Unexpectedly, the silent man preferred wings to legs.

"When Jaekyung first came to the swimming center, he was polite. However, unable to endure it for long, he began to show his short temper, which is why people quickly branded him arrogant. He does everything at his own pace. But how can you work calmly when you are constantly being pulled? That's why I asked my son to answer only with silence, no matter what anyone says. And he hasn't said a word since.

"So that's the reason... - it seems that now Jihong realized why the athlete treated everyone in the pool as invisible. Mrs. Shim's advice to remain silent given his character was indeed wise. However, it seems that this also backfired. People are usually introspective and learn from their own mistakes. But not Jaekyung. Even when others were gossiping about him while nearby, he would pretend not to hear and pass by.

"What I liked most about Australia was the way people behaved. Competition within the country is the fiercest, so no one worries about international students like Jaekyung. Unlike our country, where parents show excessive guardianship over the child."

— Yes, our community has such a feature. This is due to the fact that sports are not perceived as a hobby. Children grow up and, naturally, begin to build a career in this industry. Parents can't help but fuss as they have made the decision to raise them as athletes from the very beginning. And the role of guardians is especially significant in adolescence. In such an environment, parents have no choice but to compete with each other.

"They go back and forth to get at least some information. I understand, because I did the same," Ms. Shim noted that she did not want to curse anyone. She seemed to know perfectly well that even if she cursed them, she would only spit in her face.

"But I don't know what it means to beat around the bush. Also, why are they so absorbed in other people's affairs that have nothing to do with swimming? Everyone knew that my eldest son would not play professional sports, but they were persistently curious," she mentioned him for the first time.

"How is Jaejoon, ma'am?"

"Wait, was that the guy's name?" asked Jihon. Fortunately, she smiled and confirmed that he was doing well.

"I can't express how grateful I am to you for taking care of him, Mr. Jihon. At that time, he had just moved to Ilsan, and he was as if restless. But after meeting you, Jaejoon said that waiting for the end of training is not as boring as it used to be.

«… Did I really take care of him so well? Usually, we exchanged a few phrases," Jihon thought, sighing a little. All this was more like flattery.

"Jaejun is very kind and friendly. It's always fun to hang out with someone who is so smart." - An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and praise for praise. Jihong showered Mrs. Shim's eldest son with a lot of compliments.

"Maybe because Jaejoong is about the same age as my sister, I treated him the same way I treated her," he expressed his sympathy for his son from a strange family, whose name he still hadn't remembered, and shared how great it would be to have such a younger brother.

Suddenly, Jaekyung abruptly put down his chopsticks and stood up.

"What happened? Have you eaten?" the woman asked in surprise, but Jaekyung didn't answer.

"Oh my god," it was only after the guy went to his room and closed the door that Mrs. Shim took a deep breath. She muttered something about his stubbornness and, as if embarrassed, quickly apologized to Jihon, "I'm sorry. Jaekyung can sometimes be extremely selfish."

"It's okay, ma'am," while Jihong was thinking about what to say next, she spoke first, "You may find out from the documents later, but I've been divorced from the father of our children for a long time."

"That's right...

— Yes. This happened when Jaekyung was 15 years old. We divorced shortly after he started training in Australia."

To help the child achieve success, one of the parents often had to quit his job and deal only with him, and traveling abroad is more of a necessity, especially for less popular sports that lacked domestic infrastructure. And discord in the families of athletes is generally a frequent occurrence.

"Jaejun lives with his father and sometimes calls me. But Jaekyung... It's a little embarrassing to admit, but the boys never really got along with each other. They haven't talked much since I got divorced.

"I understand.." said Jihon, feigning confusion, even though he had expected something like this. It would be much more surprising if Kwon Jaekyung was still close to him.

"You probably had a hard time taking care of Jaekyung alone while in a foreign country, ma'am

— No, not really. In Korea, it is much more difficult. In Australia, it's different.

Ms. Shim chuckled, noting that it was much better there, except for the language barrier.

"The most difficult thing for parents is when the results of children deteriorate or when they get injured. But Jaekyung had never faced such problems. In Korea, he succeeded, but after a trip to Australia, it became more interesting to watch him. After all, he continues to break all records. As for the cost of training... The father took care of the alimony, so there is no reason to worry.

From what Jihong had heard, their paternal family was quite wealthy. And Mrs. Shim worked as a high school teacher before her marriage. And her relatives were more in the middle class.

"When the deal with Kava fell through, I thought all was lost. But I'm very happy that Jaekyung has signed a contract with you. In addition, he agreed to advertise various brands. It's all thanks to you... no, I mean thanks to you, Mr. Jeong.

"No, ma'am. I didn't do anything special

"God, don't say that. If it wasn't for you, Jaekyung would never have known about your company

"What does this mean? Could be... Does she know about the receipt?" Jihon, a little dumbfounded, couldn't say his question out loud, but only looked away.

But Ms. Shim continued, "It's really true. He didn't even listen to me when I mentioned the agency, but as soon as I said your name, he jumped up. It was Jaekyung who insisted on that meeting."

Jihon finally relaxed. But in a way, it was also quite unusual.

"I see... You've put a lot of effort into convincing him.

"No, he would have simply ignored all my attempts. He originally planned to cooperate with you, otherwise the briefing would not have taken place.

And it made sense. Mrs. Shim had mentioned something like that before she hung up. But Jihong was still confused by what was happening: "It turns out that he wanted to meet first."

As Jihong stared at his hands, not knowing how to continue the dialogue, Mrs. Shim repeated again, "Jaekyung has always liked you very much. When I asked him about classes, he almost never mentioned the coach. And he said the following: "Today I met Jihon-hyun" or "I did not see him today" or "He watched me swim for a long time."