After sending Mina to the office, Jihong waited for the athlete alone. Soon, Jaekyung got out and walked towards the car. Carelessly opening the door, he got into the cabin. Jihong deliberately threw away the cigarette only after he had settled down.

"Oh, I'm sorry

Because of the lingering smell, he opened the window completely.

"Now you don't even see the need to keep your own promises," Jaekyung muttered impassively, fastening his seatbelt.

"Hey, I warned you from the beginning that giving up a bad habit is an uphill fight," Jihong said grumpily.

— I'm not talking about smoking now

Jihon immediately shut his mouth and started the engine. As soon as he checked the space behind him, he reversed without hesitation and added, albeit belatedly, "Jaekyung-ah. I agreed to join the management team, but I never swore that I would be there all the time. I didn't break my promise and did my job at the company."

"yes, thank you

Jaekyung's words were full of sarcasm: "Should I kneel or bow? Thank you for your valiant efforts?"

"Jaekyung-ah," Jihong sighed. "I'm not here to swear, but because I was worried."

"You're not worried about me, you're worried about the medals

Jaekyung snapped back without a smile on his face. Jihon was about to get angry at his harsh tone, "What the hell?" but restrained himself.

"Think what you want."

He grinned. I don't care about the conclusions that this guy has built in his skull. But still, it is impossible to ignore it any longer. Tension and discontent seemed to fill the entire cabin. Jihon, watching the road exclusively, felt its heavy presence with virtually every cell of his skin.

"At this rate, we can really get into an accident," Jihong silently clicked his tongue and eventually took the initiative.

"Yes, of course, I am concerned about the results. But you're still capable of winning, even if you're not in your best shape, right? You'll manage somehow. You will win gold in freestyle or in any other style and still achieve your goal. In truth, we're selling your title for these endorsement deals. So, even if you don't take five gold medals, nothing will change. Do you understand what I mean, Kwon Jaekyung?" explained Jihong, pressing the gas pedal. As the car smoothly entered the road leading to Yangjae, he slowed down and continued, "I'm here because I'm genuinely worried. Otherwise, I could have asked Mina to stop training immediately and take you to the hotel."

Jaekyung didn't comment in any way and didn't look at Jihon anymore. His body, which was facing the driver's seat, unconsciously turned in the other direction. He was contemplating the scenery as he whizzed by, and suddenly said, "Close the window, hyung. A hot wind is blowing."

—... Let it air a little

"It's all right. Your cigarettes don't stink that much

«…….»

Jihon immediately complied with the request, setting the air conditioner to a cooler mode, and asked in a relaxed manner.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," Jaekyung replied without any hesitation.

"Really, what else could he say," Jihong agreed with himself and increased his speed.

"Take a break today

"I don't have any business to do."

Jaekyung has already met all his standards, and manual therapy sessions ended last week. And no matter how crazy Cha Sung-hyun was, he didn't call Jaekyung anymore because there were five days left before the competition. So, now he can only rest. But if Jihon just agreed with him, then their conversation would definitely end. In this situation, silence is more painful than swearing and accusations.

— What do you do on weekends?

"I'm sleeping

"And when are you awake?"

"Nothing

Jaekyung was still indifferent. He then quickly explained, as if realizing that his tone was too harsh: "Sometimes I listen to music or watch a movie."

Jihong was a little surprised. In fact, this is how most people around the world spent their leisure time, but hearing it from Jaekyung's lips seemed like something completely new.

— What films do you like?

— About disasters or action movies, blockbusters

"And you prefer things on a large scale

— By the way, what's the fun of such films? Yes, it's all fiction, but watching a lot of people die and buildings collapse is a little uncomfortable. At least for me personally.

"That's why I watch them," Jaekyung said calmly.

"Seeing houses crumbling, earthquakes or tsunamis occur, I feel freer, or something. As if I am dust in our vast universe.

« … And you like it?" asked Jihon in confusion. For the first time today, Jaekyung really smiled.

"yes, all worries and burdens disappear. It is not known when the world will end on Earth, which makes it seem that you should stop thinking about things that only cause headaches and just do what you want.

"What the hell. This is an extraordinarily pessimistic but positive way of thinking

"It doesn't matter

Jaekyung leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Seeing him like this, Jihong laughed softly, and then, turning his gaze back to the road, concluded, "I didn't expect that he was also under tremendous pressure. Well, of course, it is. He is a man, not a robot. Naturally, he will experience a variety of emotions, just like anyone else. Whether it's pressure, pain, disappointment, or sadness."

«…….»

He tried to strike up another conversation, but somehow he missed the right moment, and in the end, an awkward silence reigned. The way to break it is quite simple: contact Jaekyung. All he needs is not to let the silence take over. However, Jihon found himself unable to string a word together. And, strange as it may seem, he was seized by a certain melancholy.

Getting out of the car, they went to the room. Jiheon planned to report everything to Mrs. Shim and ask her to provide Jaekyung with a good rest, but when they arrived, she was nowhere to be found.

"Where is your mother?"

"I don't know. Looking for furniture, probably

Ever since the preliminary decision to retire Jaekyung, Mrs. Shim has been looking for a new home to finally settle in Korea. She was going to sell her house in Ilsan and move to Seoul altogether. While Jihong was debating whether to call Mrs. Shim or leave it as it was, Jaekyung was the first to move towards his bedroom. Jihon pondered for a while before finally following him. Jaekyung took off his jacket and settled down on the bed, now wearing a white T-shirt.

He looked at Jihon meaningfully, as if wondering what he was up to.

"You're feeling good, aren't you?"

— Yes. And even if I don't, there's not much I can do about it right now

He's right. It would be nice to undergo a course of manual therapy to relieve tension in the body, but last week the contract for these services ended. Finding a place for a rehabilitation massage is unrealistic due to the high demand. And rush hour: many office employees return home, so the traffic is crazy. After thinking about it, Jihong finally suggested, "Do you want me to give you a massage?"

—... Can you do it?

Jaekyung stared at him in surprise. Taking this as a sign of approval, Jihong loosened his tie.

"I learned some of the basics back in college and even practiced. So lie down.

"Can I trust you?"

— Absolutely not

The guy turned and glared warily at Jihon.

"I'm kidding

Jihong assured him with a smile. Jaekyung lay down on the bed with a worried look. Jihon began by gently pressing his palm on his back. To be honest, it would have been easier to saddle the guy, but Jihong didn't want to risk and multiply misunderstandings.