"Are you going on a business trip?" Jaekyung asked, dumbfounded, standing on the threshold.

— I don't know yet.

"And for how long?" He asked, although Jihon had already told him everything.

"Maybe for a few months." If I go, I will probably return after the Olympics.

Somehow justifying himself, Jihong continued: "And what are you going to do?

"What else can I do?" I'll drop out of the race," Jaekyung replied as a matter of course.

Jihong stared at him silently, and then the obviously annoyed guy hissed, "What? Do you think that if you break your promise, I will keep my word to the end? Do you take me for an idiot?

Seeing that he was determined and not going to compromise, Jihong sighed heavily: "I don't want to break my promise either.

And he leaned slightly, resting his elbows on his knees: "I'm not going on a whim. Besides, there's no one else to do it but me.

"That is, there is no one?!" Jaekyung exploded. "Do you work alone in the company?"

"I tell you, there is, but... But only I can go.

"If you don't go, will you be fired?"

"Well... Could be.

"Then quit, hyung," Jaekyung said without a trace of irony. "It'll be better that way.

— … 

Jihon leaned even lower and clasped his head in his hands. To which Jaekyung silently looked at him and clicked his tongue again. And then he approached, threw his bag on the sofa, and sat down.

"All right," he grumbled. "Unless you run away yourself, I won't jump off." How can I stop halfway? I have to do it. At least I have some pride. I will win gold in the four-hundred-meter swim and look at the faces of those cultists and their leader. I dream of enjoying the picture when they are dying of addiction. I will definitely win the Olympics for the second time in a row. Once he has taken up the case, he must win at any cost.

Yes, that was Jaekyung. No matter what others said, he took swimming seriously. At first, he forced himself to prepare, but then he set himself a new challenge, and his training began to be even more enthusiastic. He loved to be in a leading position, but he hated losing even more, so Jaekyung wouldn't give up one way or another. And he will probably return as a champion.

"I guess I'll want to die more than once during my preparations," he said casually.

Jihong frowned, but Jaekyung continued calmly, maintaining eye contact, as if he wanted him to hear him well: "I'll give up a hundred times a day. And every time you ask yourself: "Why not this, if he is not around?" I will regret that I connected my life with swimming. And roar at the sight of the pool.

"What... roar? Jihong asked, unable to hold back a nervous smile.

But Jaekyung didn't even smile, "I'm serious. I used to cry a lot.

"Why... And why? Jihong said belatedly, but still surprised.

Jaekyung looked at him thoughtfully, "Because I'm lonely.

At the unexpected answer, Jihon's heart trembled treacherously: "Not because the training was hard or tiring, but because this guy was tormented by loneliness? Did Jaekyung feel the same way I once did?"

While he was drowning in his own thoughts, Jaekyung, leaning back on the couch, quietly continued, "When I'm alone in the pool, the feeling of no one being around becomes so excruciating that I want to die. Hyun, don't you know that?

"Familiar...

He understood better than anyone else. He hated the oppressive silence that filled the empty pool, so he tried to swim as vigorously as possible, cutting through the water, but the empty sounds echoing from all sides only added to the loneliness. He wanted to escape, but he did not know whether he would feel better outside the sports complex, which is why he was in limbo for a long time. Jihon thought that this was the cup of despair that he was destined to drink to the dregs. He certainly assumed that the rest of the swimmers had also encountered something similar, but definitely not Jaekyung.

After all, he is the very man who always strives for heights. He basks in the rays of glory, and so it will be until his career ends. It is difficult to imagine that Jaekyung suffers from the same ailment.

"And how long have you had it?"

— A long time ago. Even before Australia, it began.

These words reminded Jihon of a recent conversation. Jaekyung then said that soon after moving to Australia, he planned to quit swimming, but still did not dare, because his main goal was the Grand Slam.

– Did you want to end your sports career as soon as possible because of this?

To which Jaekyung only shrugged his shoulders.

"Are you okay now?" Jihon asked anxiously, straightening up. "Aren't you depressed?"

"No," Jaekyung snapped his tongue, throwing his legs over his legs, as if he was freezing stupidity. "It's not that scary. Now I'm already coping. But the difference between when you're around and when you're not is huge, hyung.

"Really?"

"When I was preparing for the championships, I was extremely glad that you came to swim with me," Jaekyung muttered with a smile, remembering that time. "I felt really happy then...

He thought for a moment, and then sighed briefly, "If you're not trying to get rid of me and you really have no other choice, then..." Well, there is nothing to be done. But the truth is, I'm already mad about the possible separation. I'm afraid to imagine what will happen later... I guess I'll start to boil with anger even more.

— …

"But of course I will not back down," he added.

To which Jihong grinned, and the stubborn guy repented again: "But all my thoughts will be occupied only with you. And regret and resentment will only increase.

"Uh-huh.

– But I will go to the Olympics anyway.

"I know.

"But damn, I'm going to miss you madly anyway.

"Yes, I understand, I understand. Enough already," Jihon laughed.

"But I'll take the gold medal anyway," Jaekyung said firmly.

— ...

"I'll do it for you." No matter what.

Jihon could neither take his eyes off nor connect the words into a sentence.

Suddenly, Jaekyung broke the silence again: "Hyun.

"What?"

"Aren't you cold?"

"It's cold.

"Then why don't you sit here?" Jaekyung asked, pointing to the seat next to him.

"No," Jihon blurted out immediately, causing the bulldozer's eyebrows to meet at the bridge of his nose, and on his face the question: "Why?"

"You'll get infected."

"Come on," Jaekyung muttered, as if he was talking some nonsense. "It's not so easy to get infected. The main thing is not to kiss.

"You can't do it anyway. Don't come close. Sit there.

Normally, Jaekyung would say, "Okay, I'll do what I want," and immediately ran up to him. But this time Jihong spoke so seriously that he, almost resigned, only fidgeted impatiently on the sofa: "I don't like it. It's terribly strange to sit so far apart. This is real torture!

"What kind of torture?"

"For me, it's torture. You're there, but I can't hug or touch. If this is not torture, then what ? It would be better if you weren't here at all.

"Then hurry home," Jihon persisted.

Offended, Jaekyung glared at him as if he wanted to swear, "How nasty you are!" and then clicked his tongue and turned away.

Which made Jihong involuntarily laugh as he looked at how cute he sulked. And, making himself comfortable, he gently called to the grumbler: "Jaekyung-ah.

But he was meaningfully silent.

— Kwon Jekyong.

When he finally turned around, Jihon, breaking into a soft smile because of the disgruntled in front of him, said: "Let's date?