The fact that the personal best for the butterfly fell more than for the others, this indicates that some specific part of the body involved in it may have been pinched. Jihon, after a little thought, began to gently press on his back somewhere in the middle: "The areas that are often tensed during the butterfly are the lats, rhomboids and large round... and, probably, trapezoidal?"

Remembering all the materials of the lectures, Jihong pressed on these places with his palm, but the tie continued to interfere. Even putting it in his shirt pocket was useless: he would easily fall back at the slightest movement.

"Wait

Jihong casually tossed it on the table, then returned to find Jaekyung's eyes watching him.

"Are you worried about something?"

— No, I don't

Jaekyung replied curtly, then lowered his head again, burying his face in his hand.

"If you feel pain or discomfort, be sure to let me know

"Your careful pokes will definitely not hurt

The harsh remark made Jihoon chuckle embarrassedly.

"Come on. This is the first time I've done this since graduating from college. What if I cut it?

He almost expected Jaekyung to say something like, "Why are you even offering a massage then?" but to his surprise, the guy calmed down and relaxed his body as much as he could, allowing Jihong to do whatever he wanted. Then, quite suddenly, he asked a question as Jihon approached him again.

— Why did you attend manual therapy classes?

"Perhaps this may be useful?"

As Jihong slowly pressed his fingertips to the center of his spine, he tried to explain, "The elective was part of the general course of sports rehabilitation. I used to plan to finish it as well, as an additional education."

"What else did you learn there?"

Well, I tend to focus more on the practical aspects than on the theory. I mainly paid attention to things that can be used anywhere: taping, injuries, nutrition, and the like

"Hyung, are you a good cook?"

— No, I don't. Not at all

Jaekyung muttered, "Really? Your testimony is somehow too different."

– Yes, I meant athletes. My role is to help and take care of them. Profession and I are different things.

After Jihong said this, he froze for a moment before adding, "I don't want to bring my personal life into work, and I don't want work to invade it either."

Jihong hoped that the guy would be able to give a subtle hint and still take his heart back.

However

"What are you talking about? That's all you do. Right after you heard my story, you gave up on your duties the next day."

Kwon Jaekyung was not one to take a mature approach. And the one who spoke without choosing expressions, regardless of whether the interlocutor was beating around the bush or not.

"Why, despite all the efforts made, it seems that everything is slipping down the path of no return?" Initially, he intended to openly change the subject, but restrained himself. After all, then Jaekyung would simply hook him. He is well aware that Jihon is not able to give a direct refusal. It was extremely stupid to get into such a situation at all. And what now: lie or apologize?

"That's why I'm trying to fix it now, so stop being angry, Mr. Kwon Jaekyung," he snapped sarcastically, deliberately putting more pressure on his lats, which were probably a little sore. After all, they play a decisive role in all four styles of swimming. But the muscle tissue was so hard that his fingers sprang back.

"Wow, that's serious. It looks like muscle stiffness...

"Why would you?"

Jaekyung looked genuinely puzzled.

"Then why did your lactate levels rise so much?" retorted Jihon. He wanted to stir up the guy so that he would not let his guard down and become overconfident. However, before he could get to that point, Jaekyung said, "He never got up."

"What?"

"My lactate level has not increased

"What are you talking about?" It was 11 mmol today

Is the guy trying to downplay the problem out of embarrassment, or is he deceiving himself because he can't come to terms with it? As soon as Jihon's anxiety escalated, Jaekyung finally reacted.

"I lied

—... A what?

Jihong mechanically withdrew his hand.

"A lie?"

Jaekyung turned his head and calmly confessed.

— Yes. I made it all up

"No, damn it... Minu said clearly...

Jihon's words fell silent. He was struck with a delay by the fact that Ming's voice was trembling throughout the entire phone conversation. At the time, Jihong believed that it was because Minu was confused. He suggested that the young man was worried about the sharp deterioration of the athlete's condition.

"I asked me to call you and give you convenient information. Moreover, in the current conditions, it is extremely difficult to accurately record the time.

Jihon's jaw slammed into the floor. He muttered, "Oh, what madness." He just couldn't believe it...

"Hey, what the hell were you thinking...

"I did it for you to come

"You...

As Jihong struggled with the absurdity of what was happening, Jaekyung calmly continued, still lying face down, "To be honest, I wasn't in the best shape. If I had actually taken a blood test, it would probably have been around 8 or 9 mmol."

"Don't be ridiculous

As he remembered how his heart sank after the phone call, it seemed that the curses were about to fly out of his mouth. After taking a few deep breaths, Jihong said listlessly, "You're serious... Why lie like that?"

When he tried to regain his composure, Jaekyung's response looked like he was just waiting for such a reaction.

"Hyung, you're the same, your job is just a ridiculous lie to escape again..."

"Hey, what do you mean by 'escape'?" I was very busy...

"If you're so busy, then what are you doing here now

He was not mistaken.

Not even having the strength to object, he slowly walked towards the exit, taking his tie from the table. But Jaekyung quickly grabbed him by the shirt from behind.

"Don't leave

"Let me go

Jihon tried to shake him off, but he wouldn't let go. Instead, he tightened his grip, pulling him closer.

"Don't go. If you leave now, it'll be over

In the midst of all the booth, Jihong couldn't help but wonder.

"What the hell is going to be 'over'? Gold medals? Or maybe a contract with a company? Or......

"Don't go. I made it clear

Jihon doesn't have a choice anyway, so it doesn't matter.

— Хён

His body was lying on his face, and only one hand was tightly gripping his shirt. Even if Jihong broke out now, he would still never be able to escape. And it's not just about strength. He knew that he would never be able to defeat Jaekyung, not only in terms of physical characteristics, but in every way.

«.......»

—... Ok

In the end, Jihong took a short breath.

"I will not leave. Can you let me go? You'll ruin my shirt," Jihon promised, trying to scare me by hinting that it was expensive.

Of course, Jaekyung wasn't even going to listen to him.

"Hey, it's all crumpled

In the end, Jihong gave up and moved closer to the bed. He believed that this was enough to convince Jaekyung. But it was all in vain, he continued to pull Jihon by the fabric in his direction.

It wasn't until Jihong sat down that Jaekyung finally calmed down.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I'll buy you a new one

Jaekyung replied, moving back a little to give Jihon more space.

"It's all right. I don't need a shirt, but please don't lie in the future. Do you have any idea how worried I was?

"Why?" Are you afraid that I won't win a medal?

"Hey, Kwon Jaekyung

Jihong clicked his tongue in irritation. Ignoring it, Jaekyung stood up, leaning back against the pillow.

"Anyway, I'll get it no matter what. If I miss this opportunity, I'll have to wait another three years."

"What?" Grand slam?

Indeed, the Pan-Pacific Championship was held every three years.

– I thought that you came here because you go through all the international competitions one after another. And you didn't do it for the Grand Slam.

"What makes you think so?"

"Hmm... You're not too attached to titles.

"All I care about is the Grand Slam tournament

"Grand Slam" is a term that included victories in the Olympics, Asian Games, Pan-Pacific Championships, and World Championships, so an impending victory would naturally mean that he won all of those competitions. However, Jaekyung could add a few more achievements to the piggy bank.

– What about two Olympic titles in a row?

"I'm not interested

That was what Jaekyung had to prove, and he flatly rejected the idea.

"Why?" It's just as great as a Grand Slam

"You never told me to strive for something like this

"What...?"

Jihon wondered if he had imagined it.

"I've never done anything?"

– You never asked me to win two Olympics in a row

No, he heard right.

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

Jihong was extremely puzzled, which is why he even grabbed the guy by the legs.

"The federation and even the Korean Sports Council are constantly putting pressure on us to send you to the Olympics next year. Even Chairman Cho brought up this topic.

He met Jihon's confusion with a blank stare, followed by a bittersweet smile that made his heart skip a beat.

He recognized her. It was a rare case when Jaekyung's normally harsh lips curled softly, but unfortunately not from happiness, but rather from self-hatred.

"Hyung, you really don't remember a single thing you've ever told me

He had always wondered who could evoke such emotions in Jaekyung? Jiheon even harbored a slight grudge against the unknown guy, because he made Jaekyung's life so difficult. But now everything is clear. The culprit turned out to be Jihon himself. And all bitter feelings have always been dedicated to him. The belated realization only intensified the regret. Why hadn't he understood it earlier? But he was also unable to change something because of an accidental discovery, which made his soul feel even worse.

"I... Did I really say that?

Jihon pulled himself together and asked in a calm tone.

Jaekyung fell silent and just smiled deeper than before. Jihon's heartache intensified when he faced a reaction he didn't expect.

«.......»

"It's okay, hyung, go," he broke the silence and lay down on the bed again.