"Here is the locker room," Jihon mused, pulling up the curtains. He went to the gym for about ten days in a row, but this was the first time he was here, as he always entered the pool through the waiting room. The locker room was no different from the usual one: the room was filled with rows of cabinets, one wall was decorated with a mirror, and opposite was a dryer and a large bottle of toner for the skin. A little further away was a bench. After examining the empty space, Jihong ventured inside. Sitting down, he stared absently at the ceiling, but soon Jaekyung burst in.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, a little dizzy

Jihon answered, pressing his fingertips to his forehead.

"Don't make it up, you felt great before lunch

«…….»

— Why do you rule out the possibility that in a short period of time the condition can worsen?

Although in reality everything was completely different.

"Jaekyung-ah." Can you change your request to something else?

Eventually, Jihong let out a pitiful plea, "Hey, what's the point of me going to the pool?"

He tried to look carefree, but Jaekyung didn't even pretend to hear.

"You said you'd do whatever I asked." You must keep your promise

Jaekyung opened one of the lockers and, taking off his tracksuit, threw it into the far corner. He casually threw off his white T-shirt. Jihong, after watching for a while, finally stood up and said, "If you have a spare swimsuit, please lend me glasses and a hat too."

"I don't mind, but why not just buy it for yourself?"

"I'll wear them once anyway, I don't want to waste money

"What makes you think that this will happen only once?"

Instead of unbuttoning his shirt, Jihon looked at the guy puzzled. Jaekyung just smirked.

"I have swimming trunks, jammers and leggings, which do you prefer?"

— Jammers

In the end, Jihon chose convenience and, after undressing, stuffed his shirt into an empty locker. He loosened his belt to take off his pants, but Jaekyung suddenly made an unexpected remark with a slight surprise.

"Hyung, your waist is thinner than I thought.

"Maybe you'll just say that I have broad shoulders?"

"Well, the shoulders are really wide and the waist is thin

"Yes, yes, thank you

Jihong snatched the swimsuit from Jaekyung's hands, a rare smile appearing on his face. He put a bathing cap on Jihon's head.

"I'll give you glasses later." I need to find them. Only they are without diopters, okay?

"Oh, of course. I have perfect eyesight

Jiheon was somewhat shocked by Jaekyung's unexpected behavior. Given his usual condition, it is more typical for him to casually throw things at his feet or put them nearby. But this time he gave it away in such a friendly manner.

"What... Is he in a good mood?" - Jihon reasoned.

Jihong did not know the reasons, but it was better for the company if the athlete showed favor. If he tried to keep Jaekyung in good spirits in the future. Jihong did make such a decision, but as soon as he was at the water, the opportunity to think about the athlete's condition immediately evaporated somewhere. He couldn't get used to the deafening silence that he hadn't felt in a long time, as if it had crashed and scratched his skin. This is not even his first visit here. Just a few days ago, he followed Jaekyung to capture the record, and just recently even shot a video on his mobile phone. And yet, today, the feeling of a complete vacuum seemed extraordinarily strange and new. Was it because he tried on a different role, or...

"Hurry up and get in, hyung."

"Come on

Eventually, Jihong took water in his hand and splashed it on his chest a few times before entering.

"What is this? Where is your energy?" - Jaekyung was stunned when he saw him slowly descending the stairs.

"Don't you see?", Jihon pointed to a large sign: "No Diving" attached to the wall.

"You're just following the rules," Jaekyung grumbled. He stepped onto the starting block right in front of Jihon and then easily jumped into the water, entering which beautifully, he dived, covering a considerable distance. Appearing shortly before the mark of 15 meters, it cut through the resulting waves with energetic strokes. With freestyle being his main style, he sought to not only maintain speed, but also impeccable technique. As the name suggests, there aren't many restrictions in freestyle. Although everyone studied the same thing, the height of the arms and the angle of the shoulders often deviated over time.

Athletes often choose the most comfortable movements that help them increase their speed. Some do not use the standard way to eliminate muscle tension in the arms, for example, lowering them, spreading them a little to the side, or moving the whole body up and down, as in a butterfly. Even among Olympic medalists, there are a significant number of those who have their own unique feature. Jaekyung's skill stood out from the crowd especially brightly. And commentators spoke with animation about his "beautiful style" and "perfect hand movement" when he appeared on foreign broadcasts. The turns of the shoulders when the arms came out of the water were exactly as in the manual, which is a rarity in modern swimming. With each powerful blow, Jaekyung rushed forward. Jihon was fascinated by his every move. Jaekyung was so handsome that Jihong couldn't take his eyes off him. He covered about 100 meters in the blink of an eye and, taking off his glasses, asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking at you," but Jihong never voiced his words, answering with feigned ignorance: "What are you talking about?"

"Why don't you swim?"

"Why?"

With frank honesty, Jaekyung's face took on a comical expression as he began to argue, "Then why are you here? Give it a shot. It is enough to do at least one freestyle circle. Demonstrate the skills of a former World Championship medalist."

– In front of a four-time Olympic medalist?

Jihong laughed and added, "You should start practicing right now. Let me know if you need to measure the pace," and deliberately tapped his forearm, signaling him to surrender, but Jaekyung remained indifferent.

"You promised to do as I want

"So I fulfilled your request

When Jihong asked what the problem was, Jaekyung muttered, "Just don't tell me that swimming in the pool and being in it are different desires?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Hyung, are you a crook?"

The deceived guy's facial expressions hardened, to which Jihong almost laughed. Despite their struggle, he maintained his composure.

"Don't you know the play The Merchant of Venice? Cutting flesh and shedding blood are two different things. If you decide to cut the flesh, you should do so without spilling a drop.

"So, since I've asked you to join me, you're only going to stand? I'll have to sign my next commercial contract as soon as possible," Jaekyung laughed, apparently at a loss for words, and wiped his face with a wet hand.

"Really?" Then the next should be an advertisement for underwear

"I wanted to swim with you, hyung

"How do you imagine it?" You have to train individually

"You don't understand what I mean.

"Hmm, do it already

Jihon came out of the water and, turning around, nodded, hinting to stop. Jaekyung looked after him for a moment, then turned away as if he had given up. As soon as he put on his glasses, he quickly disappeared under the surface of the water. And Jihong sat down on the edge of the pool, and he naturally shivered slightly from the cold. Cross-legged, he watched the swimmer in calm silence, experiencing unknown feelings. The echo of the splashing water, on the surface of which the sun's rays flickered, filled his ears. It was as if he had gone back ten years.