As soon as Jihong got into the car, he immediately dialed Jaekyung's number. But everything was the same: the answering machine reported that the subscriber was out of the network coverage area. And, throwing the phone into the passenger seat, he started the engine.

According to Cha Sung-hyun, he had taken him home two days ago, so one could only hope that Jaekyung was there. After typing the address into the navigator: "Nonhyeong-dong, Seoul", Jihong checked the travel time, which would be 12 minutes. As he covered this short distance, all sorts of thoughts crept into his head. But each of them ended in regret: it was necessary to make more efforts, it was worth paying attention to improving relations with the Federation, because if he had sweetened the situation, then everything would not have ended so badly.

"I shouldn't have entered into an argument with him at all. If I had persuaded him to attend the closing ceremony, then there would have been one less vile article. No, the problem is the contract that Jaekyung signed with our company. If he had started working with Kava, everyone would have supported and loved him now. After all, this is what he deserves," when Jihon woke up, he realized that he was crying.

Jihon parked in the parking lot and buried his face in his hands, gripping the steering wheel. The last time he cried was when he decided to quit swimming. And now what? After all, because of this situation, the past will not disappear, and the future will not be shaken.

"Maybe a side effect of the drugs? Is the parasympathetic nervous system naughty and now also affects the lacrimal glands? Fucking pheromones," Jihon muttered and pulled napkins out of the glove compartment to clean up. And then he took a cigarette from the dashboard. As soon as he put it in his mouth, he lit a cigarette and opened the window. In such a broken state, he couldn't meet Jaekyung. After smoking two cigarettes until the traces of tears completely disappeared, he got out of the car.

Fortunately, Jaekyung was at home. He wasn't too surprised by the sudden visit, as if he had expected it. However, it seems that he had no idea what Jihon was talking about.

"Don't you have any events today?" Jihon asked from the doorway.

"Events..." he muttered quietly, laughing at himself. "Perhaps there will be no more of them at all."

As he took off his shoes and entered the house, he noticed Jaekyung looking at him questioningly. Without answering, Jihong went to the kitchen and sat down at a large table, inviting him to sit next to him.

"You haven't seen the article yet, have you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Now in search queries, the first place is: "Resignation of Kwon Jaekyung".

"Did Spoin publish them?"

— Of course not.

Jihong, taking his phone out of his pants pocket, added, "Most likely, Kava planted a pig on us. All of them have a critical content. Obviously, those guys didn't do it with the best of intentions."

"Yes?" replied Jaekyung indifferently.

— You can already understand a lot from the headlines.

Jihong opened the news section of the portal and entered a name. The page was instantly filled with provocative publications. Although Jihong wanted to show them to him, he hesitated when he saw all these lines filled with anger and hostility.

Yes, Jaekyung claimed that he did not care how others reacted to him. But the guy is unlikely to cope with so many negative opinions.

"What's there?"

While he hesitated, Jaekyung grabbed his cell phone and immediately began to scroll down. In the end, Jihon let out a short sigh and said, "Don't delve into the contents, just look at the titles."

"Wow, they really made up all sorts of nonsense," Jaekyung cursed after reading just one article, and turned off the screen.

"What are you going to do?"

"Mmm...?"

"If you leave it like that, you'll really end your career in disgrace.

"What's the difference?" He was going to leave anyway.

"It's important how you do it.

"I don't care.

The lack of emotion on his face almost confirmed his words. And in general, there is nothing surprising here, Jaekyung has always been like this.

Jihong knew perfectly well what kind of person was sitting across from him, and decided to immediately seize the initiative, gathering all the harshness in his voice: "Even if you don't care, I can't be indifferent. After all, you will be remembered only as an athlete who chose material benefits, using his popularity and the Federation."

"I'll say it again: I don't care.

"Jaekyung-ah!"

"Okay, what do you suggest?" said Jaeyeon, brushing his hair away from his face. "Make excuses? The fact that I resign and appear in advertising is true, and the statement of the representatives of the Federation is slander. But people are not interested in how it all started and what the reasons are."

— That's right. Therefore, in no case should you say that you no longer plan to swim.

Jaekyung glared at him sternly, as if asking, "And what then?"

– You need to declare that you have already discussed everything with the Olympic Committee and are preparing for the selection for the Olympics next year. Be indignant that the Federation used you, and when you changed agencies, they lost their source of income, so they began to destroy your reputation. Tell them you won't tolerate rumors and fabricated lies.

"And if I don't take part, I'll immediately become a fraud or a madman." Everyone will think that the federation was right. Which will blow up a scandal of a huge scale.

"Yes, that's why you have to go."

Jaekyung fell silent for a while. And after a short pause, he asked: "What are you talking about?"

"Jaekyung-ah."

"I'm not going."

"But...

"I don't want to.

"Whether you like it or not, you're going to go."

Because of his opponent's insistence, Jaekyung frowned for the first time that day.

"Please...

Jihon almost begged, "You don't deserve such rude treatment of yourself. You are the most diligent and hardworking swimmer. I will not allow them to belittle your merits."

"I don't care," Jaekyung barked, and then said coldly, "Neither their words nor accusations will nullify my contribution. Let them talk, titles are not going anywhere."

In desperation, Jihong involuntarily raised his voice: "Titles are not everything! A sports career is much shorter than the decades that you still have to live! Many people determine their future path in advance before leaving. That's why your mother talked about advertising!"

At the mention of "advertising", Jaekyung immediately clicked his tongue, clearly hinting at dissatisfaction.

But Jihong wasn't even going to slam on the brakes: "With the release of the new video, society will point a finger at you, squealing: 'The thirst for money knocked out the last of his brains, he threw everyone for dubious fees.'" And groundless accusations will fly from all sides. Are you really ready for this?"

The piercing silence made him think that the stubborn man had seen the real state of affairs after all. But...

A couple of minutes later, Jaekyung opened his mouth and said something absolutely incredible: "Are you behaving like this now because of the roller skates?"

"What...?"

"Are you worried that the denigration of my image will affect my income?"

— …

Jihon stammered, barely finding his expressions, "Y-Are you serious now?"

"Am I wrong?" retorted Jaekyung in a dismissive manner, resting his chin on the back of his hand. "You've always been obsessed with ads or records. That's why he even signed that ridiculous memorandum."

"Hey, you...

Studying the stunned Jihon, the guy added, "Well, then why would such despair come from?"

"Really, why am I...", Jihong grinned.

All those times he had reproached himself and cried in the car on the way here seemed silly to him now.

But remembering that pain, Jihon felt endless disappointment, and tears welled up in his eyes again. He gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "I don't want you to regret, that's why!"

"That is unlikely to happen," Jaekyung replied without hesitation.

"How do you know? Look at me!" - Jihong slammed his fist on the table. "I ran away, surrendering in advance, although I could still fight! And I have been paying for this choice for 10 years!"

At that moment, an old wound opened. The grief of the old loss pricked in my heart again. It's terribly lonely and painful to throw away what you've cherished so much. Jihong didn't want an outstanding athlete next to him to face something like this. After all, the higher a person flies, the more crushing the fall will be.

After the end of his career, only a soulless shell remained of Jihon. Such is the fate of irresponsible cowards. But Jaekyung is completely different. He must become a winner and shine at the very top. Always.

"It's none of your business," Jaekyung blurted out, resting his chin on the back of his hand.

"Very much so!" It's our job to prevent hasty decisions and plan things so that you won't regret ten or twenty years from now, okay?!

Jaekyung suddenly sneered, "Haaa... Work..."

He muttered it with a laugh and raised his head again, "For you, I'm just a job, right?"

— ...

Jihon was speechless, unable to find a suitable answer. But if it were just a "job", he wouldn't be in open war with the Federation. Instead, he would have followed his colleague's advice: issue a formal statement and wait until everything calms down.

But if he now changes his own words, thrown earlier: "taking care of you is my duty", Jaekyung will consider what is happening to be empty chatter.

In addition, Jaekyung would not be satisfied with such arguments. The only thing he wants is a sincere and concrete confession. Everything else is beautiful but useless phrases: "special athlete", "dear brother", "younger comrade".

"Is this question so difficult for you?"

Jihon still couldn't answer, as if his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth.

Jaekyung watched him silently, and then stood up and slowly walked towards the sink.

"Everyone thinks I'm capricious, but in fact, I made my choice a long time ago, back in Australia.

And he immediately clarified that it was not because of an injury, so that Jihong would not make false assumptions.

"I realized that I wouldn't last long. And in order not to give up everything in the middle of the way, he set himself a goal: to achieve a Grand Slam.

Jaekyung took a glass from the shelf and began to pour water into it from the filter.

"I don't hate swimming. Just the opposite. When I started training with you, I felt like I fell in love with my job even more.

"Then why?..

"But...," interrupting Jihon, he returned to the table and placed the glass in front of him. "It was because of you that I decided that it was better to leave."

Jihong looked at the water in front of him, then raised his head again and looked at Jaekyung, who was already seated across from him.

"As long as I remain a swimmer, you will be constantly fixated on records and worry about my condition. For example, like the day before the competition: you were afraid to tell me something.

"Hey...

Jaekyung, ignoring the exhausted look of his interlocutor, continued: "I planned to play fair... but..."

"Are you really for such a minor reason...?"

«Insignificant?! By what right do you determine what is important to me and what is not?" hissed Jaekyung quietly, smiling weakly and not raising his voice. But this calm tone made Jihon feel his mistake even more acutely.

"Who are you to set my priorities?"

"Jaekyung-ah...

— Do all agents work according to a similar scheme? They themselves establish what is a trifle for an athlete, and what is not?

"Jaekyung-ah...

"Yes, for you, the Olympics in a year is more important, but for me... The most important thing was you here and now, and not the future in ten or twenty years."

He spoke in the past tense. Which made Jihon exhale heavily, either from relief or from disappointment.

"That's why I wanted to get out of this stupid relationship between an athlete and an agent. I am disgusted to hear how you are always talking about my performance and health... How about you... You want to keep that boundaries at all costs, don't you?"

«......»

"To perceive me only as a valuable player and to be subordinate is the only thing you need? Have you even thought about trying on other roles for us?" he insisted quietly.

Because of the lamp turned on, the brown eyes seemed unusually bright and transparent. So transparent that you can find a reflection of your own soul in them.

"No...," Jihon said at last, turning away. Through the silence he heard a sound that could have been mistaken for a laugh or a sigh.

– Will we still be just an athlete and an agent?

Jihong still didn't turn around, feeling a burning gaze.

"Okay...," Jaekyung said, tapping his fingers on the surface of the table. "I'm going to the Olympics."

Jihon turned around mechanically. But at this moment, Jaekyung, as if avoiding eye contact, stared at his palm.

"To tell the truth, it's hard to understand why I should go there, but since you're so insistent... I agree. But with one condition.

Jaekyung raised his head, and their eyes met, "You can't make a single mistake of mine that I might regret."

— ...

"Do you understand what I mean?"

— ...

"Answer."

— What mistakes are we talking about?

Resting both elbows on the table, he leaned forward and whispered, tickling both Jihon's nerves and ears, "If I don't sleep with you now, I'll regret it in ten or twenty years... And maybe for the rest of his life."

In his glass-clear eyes, Jihon saw his reflection, and the true motive of what was happening was revealed to him.

"Come on...

Jaekyung smiled, as if anticipating that he would refuse.

"Answer me!"

Jihon was actually speechless. However, the reason was different now: he had only one possible option. Jaekyung cornered him.

If he says no, the stubborn man will sneer, growling sarcastically, "Which is what I had to prove," and it would be all over. He won't take part in the upcoming selection, much less look back, at least for now. If Jihong agrees, then the relationship that Jaekyung despises so much will continue, but with the addition of an intimate component, which will no longer allow him to call it ordinary...

In any case, it was exactly what Jaekyung wanted.

"Why are you silent?" If you are going to drag me to the Olympics under this pretext, then other "regrets" must also be prevented. And what about the duties of an "agent"?

Yes, Kwon Jaekyung is exactly such a person. In the end, he always wins. Whether it's a "dirty game" or a fair competition.

"What is your answer?"

But Jihong has long accepted his true feelings: he is not afraid of being a loser, because Jaekyung must always remain at the top.

If it required sacrificing himself, he was ready. [1]

"Okay, let's go." If you are sure that in ten or twenty years you will not begin to regret, then go ahead. Do whatever you want.

The smile immediately disappeared from Jaekyung's face.

But it didn't matter. Half of the victory is still a victory. Therefore, he did not bother to take care of the intermediate stages. He was attracted only by the final goal.

"I'm definitely not...", Jaekyung said, putting on a new smile.

He slowly stood up, suddenly becoming huge, and leaned across the table: "But you will regret what you said today for a long time...."

And on the fragments of the last sentence, their lips met in a warm kiss.

Like many swimmers, Jaekyong has an elevated body temperature. Naturally, the lips are also hotter than most. This made fleeting touches more gentle.

However...

Although the tongue was not included in the process, there were only lingering caresses. Instead of trepidation, excitement bordering on anxiety settled somewhere inside. My heart was pounding wildly, and it was breathtaking. For Jihon was well aware that this was only a harbinger of an approaching act of passion.

In a lingering kiss they joined and then separated. Thanks to this, breathing became common for two. The guy finally raised his head and ran his thumb over Jihon's wet lips, and then whispered softly: "... I will do everything for this."