Jihong really believed that Jaekyung and the camera were completely incompatible. It's not that he looks bad, on the contrary, the guy is ridiculously attractive. But Jihong didn't expect that makeup and lighting could completely change perception. Seeing the athlete on the monitor was more than just beautiful... or rather, he is very courageous... no, Jaekyung has always been like this. But now there was a subtle savagery around his image...

Five years ago, when the rising star first began to gain attention after winning the Asian Games, the media often compared him to a young beast. The sight of a heavily breathing high school student among adults impressed absolutely everyone. Even then, he was tall and strong, like adults, but his young face made the audience perceive him as a brother or a son. Many still considered him a child, and Jihong is no exception. And no matter how big and mature Jaekyung became, he always treated him like a little brother. But everything has changed. The familiar boy seemed a complete stranger... the embodiment of a real male, although it sounds quite rude.

"yes, this beast is no longer a child," Jihong silently stared at the screen as he watched Jaekyung run his hand through his wet hair with a relaxed movement.

The new, unexplored vibes around the guy were really amazing. And that phrase: "I won't let you fall, hyung"...

Jihon had never experienced anything like this before. Anyone who sees and hears in his place would be agitated, embarrassed. Of course, the direction of such arousal will be different depending on a number of factors such as gender, age, personality traits, sexual orientation, etc., but in Jihon's case, it definitely contained sexual overtones, which he did not even think of denying. After all, Jaekyung was a man in his twenties with strong energy, and he preferred men more than women... After all, they are omega and alpha...

"Is it normal, cowardly to hide behind your peculiarities? It's strange to attribute everything to the effect of pheromones," Jihong crossed his arms over his chest and smiled.

Secondary sex doesn't matter much in an era when every omega used chips. So, it is stupid and hypocritical to justify yourself with the secondary sex. The reason why Jihong tried to calm the storm of emotions by deceiving himself is simple. It doesn't matter what Jaekyung looks like or how old he is. He will always be a younger comrade at 30 and 40 years old. At the moment, they are just an athlete and a manager. Jihong was not thrilled with the situation. And he hated himself for his own reaction. And if it was a fleeting clouding of his mind, he wasn't going to go through it again.

"Am I really so lonely? I haven't met anyone for a long time. Should I find someone?" smirked Jihong as he lowered his head.

"I thought he would reject everything right away

Jihong, who was drowning in inappropriate thoughts, belatedly replied to the manager's comment: "What?"

"The first shooting was surprisingly easy. I'm going to the office now, and you?

"Oh, I need to take Kwon Jaekyung to the hotel

The director was quite pleased with the result of the work. Although at the time of shooting the second scene, he was biting his lips and breathing heavily, and his gaze seemed to scream that he would never mess with swimmers again, but now he was beaming with happiness: "Kwon Jaekyung is incredible. I heard that he plans to end his career after the championship. Then send it to us. With a face like that, it doesn't matter if he's going to be an actor, a model, or whatever."

The director then mentioned that he has several films in development next year and is looking for new talent. He hoped that Jaekyung would agree to further cooperation. And if Jaekyung only spoke Korean, he would still send the film with it to the Cannes Film Festival.

"Mr. Jang likes to show off commercials with Kwon Jae-kyung. After all, at present, 90% of all videos are created by models

However, Jihong could not share all the joy with his colleague. All he was feverishly thinking about was, "How the hell did Mr. Chan know?"

No matter how firm Jaekyung's decision to end his career is, it must still remain confidential. Especially given that officials, including the federation, were desperate to prevent his resignation, they tried their best to keep the news out of the way, shutting everyone's mouths. Everyone was terrified that some third-rate tabloid could sniff out and publish all the information. There is not the slightest chance that they will be the first to spread rumors. So, the only one who is potentially capable of such a thing...

                                                                                                  ***

"Of course, no one but Kava," CEO Kang concluded, making Jihon sigh quietly.

"Those bastards are pretty good at playing dirty games. They will do everything they can to reduce the value of the athlete.

"No, I know, sir. If they wanted to break the rules, they should have done it before Jaekyung signed with us. I don't understand why now.

If they had other swimmers, Jihong would have understood. And even if this is a war for spheres of influence in the market, most of the companies that came to Jaekyung wanted him. And the probability that they will refuse in favor of another athlete is too negligible. Advertisers are more likely to choose a celebrity or actor as popular as Jaekyung.

"They're just trying to make holes in persimmons they can't eat[1]. This is nothing short of grandiose retribution.

The problem is that the trick turned out to be quite effective. In a media world where a model's image meant everything, any slight hint of a strange rumor can scare off sponsors. As the news of Jaekyung's departure came to the surface, Spoin continued to receive various requests. The brands, even before signing the contract, asked for official confirmation, asking: "There is talk that Mr. Kwon Jaekyung will retire from the sport, is it true?"

But Spoin behaved as if nothing had happened, ignoring any gossip.

— It is not known how and when the article will appear

General Manager Kang tapped his fingers on the armrest of the sofa. He then turned to Jihong, who was sitting across from him, "By the way, is Kwon Jaekyung going to hold a press conference to celebrate his departure?

"Definitely not, sir. If he does give an interview, it may be very brief, like after the Pan-Pacific Championship. And all communication with journalists will end with a few formal phrases.

Jihong couldn't help smiling. Knowing Jaekyung's personality, it is obvious that he will consider the idea crazy.

"Haa... Oh my god. Even if he is not interested in the Olympics, I just want him to postpone his announcement.

Mr. Kahn sighed. He agreed to resign and drew up a contract based on it, but now that everything turned out this way, the man had already regretted what he had done a hundred times.

Jihon felt the same way, although he did not flatter himself with hopes initially. He was concerned about the ensuing problems for the company and advertising. But the biggest regret is that Jaekyung will no longer swim.

– Why won't he go to the Olympic Games? That is, if he takes part, he is practically guaranteed two titles in a row. What the hell?

The general director did not understand the reasons at all. After repeating "oh my God" several times, he finally turned to Jihong and said in a low voice, "Try to talk him into it, Mr. Jeong"

Jihon shook his head.

"Why not?" Are you sure it won't work?

— Я не знаю, сэр.

The man furrowed his brows as if asking, "But why not?"

Jihong thought for a moment before replying, "It's a matter of trust. If we try to convince Mr. Kwon Jaekyung, we will immediately lose face. To tell the truth, he agreed to cooperate with us because he didn't want to participate in the Olympics, but if we try to change something..."

"How are we different from Kava then?" the words stuck on the tip of his tongue.

"That's right, if we don't keep our promise, we'll be just like them.

Director General Kang said something that Jihong never said.

"yes... We cannot change course. We shouldn't even mention it

CEO Kang finally gave up, sighing sadly, and added, "However, Mr. Jeong, inform Kwon Jaekyung to reconsider his retirement statement immediately. Everyone will know if he misses the selection next year, so ask him to remain silent until then."

"Yes, sir

                                                                                          ***

[1] The phrase "trying to make holes in persimmons they can't eat" is an idiom in Korean. Describes a situation where someone tries to criticize or devalue something they cannot have or achieve.