This happened a few days before the winter holidays.

According to the news, they reported destruction in the capital area due to a sudden blizzard and strong winds the day before. A window at Jaekyung's grandparents' house in Seonbuk-dong was shattered by a storm, so his mother went to join them. She gave Jaekyung money for a taxi so that he could get to the pool on his own. For this reason, he arrived at the swimming center later than usual.

There was some kind of chaos around, perhaps due to the harsh weather conditions. Even the front door of the center building was slightly skewed, but Jaekyung didn't pay attention as he was very worried about being late. He casually pushed the glass door, but for some reason it did not budge. Jaekyung tried to pull her back again, but she didn't move at all, "What is this?"

In a panic, he pushed the door inside, pulling and pushing it, but it was all to no avail. Suddenly, Jaekyung heard someone's voice coming from inside: "Oh, wait a minute. You can't push like that."

A guy in a dark blue training suit was sitting on one knee on the floor, probably tying his shoelaces. Seeing Jaekyung struggling, he dropped all his current worries and walked over to help him.

"I think the door frame is a little broken from yesterday's snowstorm," he explained, though in truth, Jaekyung didn't ask.

The stranger then lifted the door slightly and pushed it in the other direction so that Jaekyung could enter. Jaekyung was about to raise his head to thank him, but suddenly froze. The face he had only seen on the screen was now right in front of him.

"Are you a high school student?" Did you come here despite the cold? This is worthy of respect.

When their eyes met, that hyung gave him that sweet smile. Which made Jaekyung completely confused that he could neither thank nor object, because he hadn't even finished elementary school yet. And, in the end, he just ran away.

Flying into the locker room, Jaekyung began to change clothes. However, when he caught his reflection in the mirror, he was no less surprised: his face and neck were covered with a thick blush. For the first time in his life, Jaekyung was happy with his mother's instructions. She forced him to constantly wrap himself up because of the cold. Thanks to this, the scarf completely hid the traces of embarrassment.

As a result, he was never able to concentrate on the lesson. You only remember some fragments of the events of that day and the scolding of the disgruntled coach. And even more so at home: it was impossible to concentrate on watching the video at all. Everything seemed strange and unreal to him.

Even hyun looked somehow different on the screen. Not in a bad way. He's still like a flower, magnificent. However, now Jihon was smiling too brightly. After all, the soft and reserved smile he gave Jaekyung today suits him much better. Even the voice was perceived somehow differently.

What Jaekyung saw and heard from him personally was strikingly different from what was in the video. Hyun in real life turned out to be even cooler: more mature and kind.

"Is his swimming the same? Will it be even more impressive than in the video?" "How amazing will it be if I see it live?"

Watching that hyun glide through the water, fixing every new smile on his face, listening to his voice, and communicating with him more often was all that Jaekyung now dreamed of.

Throwing away his phone, Jaekyung buried his face in the pillow. Closing his eyes, he imagined the hyung walking out of the dark building and opening the door for him with his shoelaces still untied, talking to him with a sweet smile.

"How is this even possible?" thought Jaekyung. "If I were him, I would indifferently pass by, not paying attention. I would wonder why someone would try to open a broken door, and I would even smile."

But Jihong did not do so. He dropped what he was doing to help, explained why she didn't open, and in addition to that, he praised her enthusiasm.

Most likely, the rest are also easily friendly. But the fact that it was Jihong who showed him this kindness was of great importance to Jaekyung.

His mother advised Jaekyung to learn from him not only technique, but also manners. However, this is impossible. Jaekyong will never be able to become like this.

Jihon is unique. And it was wonderful. He is not just a master of his craft, but also a worthy person by nature.

And for the first time, Jaekyung was curious to know more about him: what kind of food he liked, what songs he listened to, whether he went to morning or afternoon classes at school, whether he wore a uniform or what kind of sportswear he preferred. Roughly speaking, I wanted to know everything about him and even more. And also make friends with him.

But Jaekyung didn't know how to achieve it. He didn't even know when he would see Jihon next.

Such uncertainty worried him terribly.

Videos no longer brought the same pleasure. All he could think about was meeting the hyung. Therefore, during the holidays, Jaekyung forgot about his phone and trained hard in the pool.

A few days passed.

As usual, he performed a 400-meter swim in different styles and took off his glasses. Suddenly, he noticed that someone was sitting on a bench at the edge of the pool and looking at him. Judging by the swimsuit, it was not a parent or administrator, but a swimmer waiting for his workout.

Since this person came at such a time, most likely, he studies individually.

Clearing his throat, Jaekyung accidentally caught his gaze. And at the same second he dropped his glasses.

It was Jihon. He did not wear a swimming cap, and black glasses hung on his wrist.

The angles of his head and the direction of his eyes made it clear that he was looking at Jaekyung.

"He's watching me swim," the thought made Jaekyung's heart beat faster. He felt both embarrassed and happy.

He quickly put on his goggles and plunged into the water, showing off his skills and speed.

Even when his training was coming to an end, he continued until the clock showed exactly four.

And then he left the pool, and Jihon got up at the same time, warming up.

To return to the locker room, Jaekyung had to walk past him. Worried that his face was red again, he tried to keep a decent enough distance between them. But just as he was about to carry out his plan, Jihong spoke first: "You're a very good swimmer!"

Jaekyung was surprised by the unexpected compliment, causing him to reply dryly, "Not really..."

"No, you're really good," hyung repeated with a smile. "You're an elementary school student, aren't you? And already so tall and large, in the future your physical shape will be amazing."

The constant words of praise made Jahon embarrassed, and his already restless heart was about to burst. He sincerely wanted to say something, but was speechless. Therefore, lowering his head, he hurriedly left the pool, as if running away.

All the time Jaekyung was taking a shower, he banged his head against the mirror and scolded himself, "Why didn't I answer anything? I just had to thank him, and I was silent like an idiot!"

This shyness disappointed him, and he swore that this would not happen again next time. But it was not so easy to implement. He promised himself to become more sociable with the hyung, but as soon as Jaekyung saw him, his body almost froze, and his mouth simply did not move. All he could do was blurt out a word or two and run away.

Because of this, Hyun stopped talking to him, and strange rumors began to circulate around the swimming center:

"He seems to be very jealous of the new guy. His training starts much later, but he comes in early on purpose to watch that kid swim."

"Oh, he's always pretended to be so calm, and now he seems to be nervous because there's a talented boy."

"Of course, he is nervous. It is said that the child swam 100 meters in 55 seconds. And when he was in high school, he set a record of 55 seconds, and he was called a genius. And now the junior schoolboy has essentially caught up with him."

"Of course. Probably, that boy, most likely, will also compete in the 100-meter freestyle. And he, apparently, is afraid that his records will be broken."

When the parents of the swimmers bumped into each other in the hall, they were constantly whispering among themselves. Jaekyung didn't like the way they made up stories, calling them "he" or "that kid/boy" and then pretending to be friendly. That hyun was a good person, so he didn't react to attacks.

But Jaekyung was not going to tolerate such an attitude: they were not just making up tall tales, but talking nonsense about Jihong. Therefore, when these people tried to communicate with him, Jaekyung ignored them and pretended to bite off their heads.

"Jaehyun, please watch your words. Why are you so intolerant of others?" his mom eventually chimed in. She scolded the stubborn man every time he began to snap. But Jaekyung didn't give in at all: "I wasn't lying, so why bother?"

"It's important how you pronounce it. You cannot make the interlocutor feel bad.

"No, I don't want to. Why should I care about their feelings?

Jaekyung sincerely did not understand why he had to put up with the hypocrisy of others. Why can't you say what he thinks? All this was more like sycophancy.

"This is not sycophancy, but politeness. Even if you don't like it, you still have to show respect. Try to be at least neutral. Look at Jihon, without whom you cannot live. Does he listen to all these people because he likes it? Of course not. But he knows how to be polite.

At one point, she started mentioning that hyung, because she noticed that her son immediately began to listen: "Take an example from him."

"They say his father is a military man. Before high school, they lived in a service apartment near the city hall. It is not surprising that he is so well-mannered and completely unlike modern children.

His mother clearly wanted Jaekyung to behave the same way. But Jaekyung was too busy thinking, imagining Jihong humbly sitting in front of his military father.

"His father is a military man. If he hadn't chosen sports, would he have become a soldier? Yes, he would look good in a military uniform and would be very cool," Jaekyung reasoned, until he realized that his mother was aware of even such details. And if the mother knows, then everyone in the pool too.

This place is completely devoid of secrets.

And people did not hesitate to rummage in very intimate details: for example, they tried to find out the genetic characteristics of families. Someone's father is a beta, someone's mother is an alpha, but not dominant, an older sister is most likely a beta, so the child is probably a beta. They predicted and watched each other. The sports environment was very sensitive to the secondary sex. It wasn't just sensitivity; They hated and envied the Alfa, considering them privileged. Shortly after Jaekyung started going to the pool, rumors spread that his father was an alpha. Many asked the mother directly: "Is your son an alpha?"

And each time she replied dryly: "They haven't done the test yet," but no one listened to her.

"If the father is an alpha, then he will also be an alpha. Look how tall he is for his age. It will grow even more." - And then they added: "They need to compete with each other separately from the rest."

They were constantly snide, arguing and attacking each other. Even Jaekyung's older brother called the alphas vile and cowardly, and their existence is contrary to social justice. Of course, Jaekyung ignored him.

He didn't dare to spit bile in front of his father or grandfather, who were also alphas. If he really thought so, he would say it to adults. But he clung only to Jaekyung, posing as a warrior of justice.

Jaekyung periodically lost his temper, sarcastically remarking, "Why are you telling me this? Tell your father or grandfather that you don't want their dirty money. Give up pocket money and inheritance."

Back then, Kwon Jae-jung's face turned red and he kicked Jaekyung, saying, "Don't be cocky, puppy."

In truth, Jaekyung could have hit him, but his mother always asked him to refrain from beating him. Because it is difficult for my brother now, and we need to try to put ourselves in his position. Therefore, Jaekyung endured not to hear these annoying lectures. In any case, Zhe Zhong's pokes were like a tickle for him.

Jaekyung decided to ignore him, but after moving to Ilsan, it became more difficult. When they were moving, his mother suggested that he stay with his father in Seoul, but he insisted on going with them: "Why should I? I'm not an orphan."

From then on, Jaekyung became angry more often due to the constant attacks, but he was even more annoyed that Jae-jung had befriended the hyun before him.

Once, Zhe Zhong cursed at the alphas right in front of him: "Alphas are vile, cowardly, their existence is unfair."

And Jihong, having listened to him, replied: "Well, your point of view has the right to exist. Alphas have really different physical characteristics. But if you're alluding to your brother, then I don't agree. He will be a successful athlete regardless of whether he is alpha or not. In my opinion, he trains the most in our center. And among national athletes, his training can be called one of the most intense. Of course, his stamina and physical fitness play a big role, but even among alphas with the same credentials, not everyone can reach the same level."

After saying that, Kwon Jae-jung immediately shut up, only adding, "Well, I'm not just talking about Jaekyung..."

"Yes, I understand. Sometimes I feel offended too. But what can you do? Once you were born a beta, you need to learn to live with it. Besides, Zhe Zhong, you're tall and smart, no one will guess your secondary gender unless you report it directly.

"Well, that's right," he muttered.

Although his words sounded uncertain, after talking to Hyung, he stopped harassing Jaekyung for at least a couple of days.

However, Jae-kyung would be happy if Jae-joon even fought him, as long as he didn't communicate with Hyun.

But Jae-kyung was pleased with the fact that Jihong had always supported him, and did not fall for Jae-jung's pitiful crying.

Therefore, as soon as they started talking to each other, Jaekyung would stand outside the door of the break room, waiting for the hyun to engage in dialogue.

This man was an adult beyond his years and always condescending to others. He always listened to his interlocutor and softly expressed his opinion, without criticizing.

Perhaps this is why when Jihong advised him to change his technique slightly due to the possible consequences in the future, Jaekyung did not take it with hostility. And if it was insincere, it didn't matter to him.

The ability to gently communicate with others was already an important and attractive trait in the hyung character. In fact, Jaekyung also wanted to be like that: to be kind to at least Hyun or to be the first to greet him and actively maintain a dialogue.

But he was not good at it.

Jaekyung knew that he was not particularly eloquent. And according to people, when he opens his mouth, he immediately begins to anger everyone. He was simply afraid to show the hyung this shameful and embarrassing side of himself. Therefore, Jaekyung preferred to remain silent instead of spewing out all sorts of nonsense from himself. And his rough voice, which broke due to adolescence, sounded idiotically comical. Jaekyung wanted this withdrawal to go away as soon as possible. And its timbre will be just as pleasant and deep.

In fact, Jae-kyung's dreams were vast and multifaceted: he saw himself and Ji-heong as part of the national team, imagining them training side by side, sharing the same bed and chatting at night at a sports camp.

But the clearer his desires became, the farther they escaped from reality.