Even in Australia, this feeling did not go away. He trained hard, but as soon as he sat down and looked at the pool, tears began to flow. Australian coach Oliver, who noticed this, once called Jaekyong and, sitting next to him, asked: "Do you want to return to Korea? Do you miss ho?"
Oliver thought that Jaekyung had sothing akin to nostalgia, being away from his holand at such a young age. He offered to talk to his mother if Jaekyung didn't make up his mind.
But he just shook his head and spoke in his still broken English about the Korean athlete he admired, and how lonely he had beco after he retired from the sport.
Oliver listened to Jaekyung's story with great attention, and then nodded in understanding.
"The pool itself is such a place. When you swim, you don't think about anything, but as soon as you stop, all your thoughts pile up at once. Water has this property because we first encounter it in the womb. We spent long hours there just thinking. Therefore, when we plunge into it again, reflections co upon us with renewed force. That is why many swimrs suffer from depression," he comnted.
"But I don't have depression," Jaekyung hastened to object.
"Of course not," Oliver agreed. "But I'm not sure you should continue training here. It's up to you to decide. If it gets too hard for you, I'll tell your mother."
But Jaekyung imdiately shook his head. He could not give up swimming.
"So you want to continue?"
Oliver asked in a soft tone, and Jaekyung nodded, "Yes, I want to reach the Grand Slam. I need it."
Oliver did not ridicule the ambition of the fourteen-year-old boy. He just patted him on the shoulder with his massive hand and said, "This is a great target. As I said before, many swimrs struggle with depression. "So people feel better when they retire from the sport, but so don't. You have to find a path that works for you."
Oliver was right. There is no guarantee that giving up swimming will bring relief. Probably, everything will only get worse. Jaekyung experinted and tried different thods to deal with loneliness, and eventually found the one that worked best for him.
During training, he did not feel this oppressive feeling, because he was absorbed in the process. And the problem arose at the ti of rest.
During the breaks, he just tried not to look at the clear surface of the water. Lying on the floor, Jaekyung covered his eyes with a towel and breathed deeply, focusing on his recovery. The main thing is not to think about anything else while you are recovering. To make this possible, you need to spend maximum energy.
He exhausted himself to such an extent that there was no energy left for reflection.
This regin paid off: his fitness beca excellent, and after three years in Australia, he was on par with any local swimr.
As a result, the fight against loneliness made him stronger.
Jaekyung's only goal is the Grand Slam. He dread at night about how he would achieve his task.
Many successful athletes often appeared on television. Every ti Jaekyung saw them, he wondered if he would also be invited to such interviews. Then he would have publicly declared that everything he had achieved was thanks to Jihon.
Thinking back to Hyun, Jaekyung regretted that he had never been able to communicate with him properly. In the end, he decided that if they t again, he would talk about his feelings.
It was for this reason that he beca the winner at the Asian and Olympic Gas and even took part in the World Championships. The last stage on the way to the Grand Slam was approaching - the Pan Pacific Gas, and before that, a competition took place in Taiwan. Although Jaekyung saw no reason to participate, he nevertheless agreed after the Federation's insistent requests.
On that day, the final for 200 ters in the individual dley took place. After the competition, Jaekyung went to a press conference.
The previous team's press conference was not over yet, and he was told to wait in the break room. Fortunately, there was no one there, so Jaekyung lay down on the largest sofa behind the partition. He was exhausted and wanted to get so sleep.
Suddenly, the door opened, and he heard the voice of a young, enthusiastic guy chattering: "When I first saw you in the office, I thought you were already married."
The tone was so loud and harsh that it annoyed Jaekyung.
They didn't seem to know that there was anyone here.
"Well, you can't sleep," Jaekyung cursed to himself, rolling his eyes.
Then, another man's voice, calr and more reserved, rang out: "Really? Do I look so old?"
— No, you just have a certain detachnt and coldness, which are characteristic only of newlyweds. You almost shout with all your appearance: "I have a wife, don't co up."
"What nonsense," Jaekyung chuckled to himself. - "Is he an idiot?"
The man laughed and added, "Hmmm, then I'll continue to dress like that so that everyone thinks I'm busy."
Judging by his answer, he understood that they were rolling up to him, and subtly defended himself against further encroachnts.
"Co on, hyung, don't you want to date soone?"
"I don't want to.
He answered firmly, almost as if he were openly denying the possibility. But the frivolous guy continued to flirt, either not noticing or pretending to be a fool: "Oh hyung, you can't be that serious! By not dating, you limit yourself in joy.
— I had a lot of fun at the university.
"That's completely different!"
"What else? It's all the sa," the man concluded with a smile.
Listening to them, Jaekyung understood why that noisy guy continued to persist. A soft tone and a smile did not sound like a refusal.
"But Yeonho, why do you call
'hyung' instead of 'chief'?"
"There's no need for formalities!" And "hyung" sounds closer and more pleasant. I like it.
"I don't. Address
correctly.
Jaekyung closed his eyes and frowned. - "I should have said with a serious face sothing like: "Are you an idiot? Do you think I'm going to buy your hyung? If he keeps smiling and talking so softly, the guy will beco even more persistent."
"No, no way. You'll like it soday, hyung. And I don't behave like that with everyone, only with you, hyung.
"Definitely an idiot," Jaekyung sighed, still trying to relax sohow.
Suddenly, the door swung open with a loud noise, and soone shouted, "Jung Jihong, Youngho, it's ti for us to go. The car has arrived."
The stupid and gachy hero-lover exclaid: "Oh, finally," but it was clear that he was sorry that they were interrupted.
When the door of the waiting room closed, the surroundings beca quiet. Now Jaekyung could sleep, but that idiot brought down the whole mood with his love antics.
In the end, Jaekyung clicked his tongue and sat down. Through the window, he saw people getting into the car: "It's them."
The mont Jaekyung saw the man's face sitting in the passenger seat, he involuntarily jumped up.
"It's hyung. No, not like that. He looks a lot like that hyung. Before Jaekyung knew it, he was already standing at the window, frantically searching for the man's face with his eyes.
But the passenger seat door had already slamd shut. And as soon as the car left the parking lot, it was called out: "Kwon Jaekyung, let's go!"
The interview began imdiately, but Jaekyung did not rember what questions he was asked or what he answered. Because his thoughts were already sowhere far away. Over ti, he gradually ca to his senses, but he was still excited. He ca up with the idea that the person he saw might not just look like that hyung. Perhaps it was hyung himself.
Many athletes remained in the industry after the end of their careers. If that hyung was also doing this, there was nothing surprising about his presence here. After talking to the press, Jaekyung imdiately began to question the people from the federation.
But everyone was talking so incoherent nonsense: "Jung Jihon? Of course, I know him. How can you not know? He's your senior. Isn't he the most handso swimr in Korea?"
And Jaekyung still didn't know anything about what that hyun was doing now. Because of this, he returned his return ticket and decided to stay in the athletes' village. If it is really him, then he will certainly appear at the ceremony and the subsequent party. Jaekyung needed to see for himself. He will not rest until he gets the truth.
Jaekyung's presence at the party caused quite a stir. So people ran up to him from all directions, pretending to be close friends: "Our Jaekyung, our Jaekyung!"
Everyone offered him a drink and bothered him. But he could not make a scandal, so he had to endure, gritting his teeth. Jaekyung suddenly understood why he had always avoided all activities, including closing. It was simply unbearable for him to be in crowded places. He had co, in spite of all this dislike, because he wanted to find out. But Jaekyung never saw not only the person he was looking for, but even soone like him.
"Did I make a mistake?" he suggested. "Maybe he doesn't look so much like him, and I just confused him when I saw his height and physique? Maybe I think too much about him, and now everyone seems to
to be one?"
Suddenly everything seed aningless to him. To cancel a flight for such a reason, to stay here and endure all this fuss - what an absurdity.
Jaekyung felt discouraged and irritated. Out of desperation, he decided to forget himself in alcohol. Which happened to him for the first ti in his life.
Jaekyung knocked over glass after glass. The champagne wasn't very intoxicating, so he began to mix everything until he felt dizzy. It was only when his vision began to blur that he realized that he was drunk. After making sure that there was nothing to do here, Jaekyung tried to get up, but swayed and fell back into the chair. The man from the next table, seeing this, walked up to him and excitedly said in English, "Is everything okay?"
Jaekyung stood up abruptly and looked at him. And in the next second, he impulsively grabbed his hand and shouted, "Hyung!"
The man opened his eyes in surprise and quickly spoke in an incomprehensible language. Which made Jaekyung belatedly realize that he was mistaken. Concentrating, he looked at the man's face again.
It's not hyung.
But there was sothing in his features that reminded him of him, especially his thin face and neat mouth.
"Chinese?" suggested Jaekyung. "No, it doesn't look like it... Hong Kong?"
The athlete, catching his confusion, said: "Taiwan."
"Ah, Taiwan. Sorry... You look like the sa person...
Reviews
All reviews (0)