TL cheev4  •  ED pomegranad
Read 4t bigbutad0rable . bl0gspot. c0m

It was funny. I thought Suho was a girl back then.

And when I finally found out that Choi Suho was a boy, I was so shocked I even refused to eat. No wonder Mom's expression was somewhat wicked when I told her I wanted to marry Suho.

My family was so mean. I knew I once insisted that Suho was a girl when Dad first brought the subject up. I wanted to believe that he was not a boy. They all knew, but they didn't even bother telling me.

What if Choi Suho was a girl? Would I have kept liking him?

I was distracted. Thoughts flew around inside my head as I worked out. So, instead of doing rope drills, I leaned against the rope. It's easy to get hurt if I move too much when I have a lot of thoughts.

"Jiwon-noona, what do you think about homosexuality?"

"What?"

Jiwon's fist, which was hitting the speed ball hard, stopped.

"If a woman confesses to you, how would you feel?"

"W-wait, wait! Do you actually like me, Yeol? Pretending to ask something else?"

I scoffed.

"Let's just work out."

"Why so serious? Are you embarrassed?"

"Well, I. Asked. You. Seriously."

"Really? I thought you were just playing around. Hmm...I don't really care to be honest. Though I like men better, I'm pretty confident I'll be shaken if an older rich woman like Kim Hye-soo said she fell in love with me," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "And if they were the opposite gender, Suho is the man I’d want to go out with."

Jiwon-noona giggled. Oh, how lucky that she was blissfully ignorant  of my situation. I was the one who got asked out by Suho!

"Why are you asking me that all of a sudden? What's the matter?"

"No, nothing."

"Something's happened? Is it something important? Why not ask your brother?"

"It's not that important... And why would I ask my brother anyway?"

"You haven't talk to Manager?"

"......"

"You’re still at Cold War with him?"

"It's not like that."

We didn't really fight. I just felt...uncomfortable.

I couldn't talk to my brother like we used to since that time he cried opposing my dream to continue boxing. I was beyond mad and raised my voice for the first time in life at him. It's been months already.

In the past, asking my brother for advice was common sense. But now, it was impossible. I was alone now.

"Sometimes brothers fight. Cheer up, Yeol!"

Jiwon-noona patted my back hard. Oh, this woman was only nice to be with when she wasn’t smacking the life out of  me. She was very good at boxing. Her footwork and swings to dodge fists are amazing. I wanted to master my boxing like that as well.

"Oh, someone is here. Is it the manager?"

Jiwon-noona, still touching my upper back, nodded toward the entrance. I also stopped my wandering thoughts and focused my eyes at the door.

A huge man stepped into the gym.

As soon as the face of that someone appeared, I straightened my back. So did Jiwon-noona.

"Director!"

It was not my brother.

"What brings you here?"

The person in front of me was a familiar face. Anyone interested in boxing would know this face.

Korea's only heavyweight world champion, Olympic gold medalist, WBA lightweight and heavyweight champion, WBC cruiserweight champion, and IBF super-middleweight champion. A living legend of Korean boxing who had won in four weight classes. "Monster Cheon Sookwan."

"Oh, it's been a while since I saw you, Yeol."

He is Director Cheon.

"I guess Jin isn't here right now? I just dropped by to talk to him. Yeah, he told me to come early...I bought some snacks by the way. Do you want some?"

Director Cheon smiled and lifted the plastic bag in his large hand.

His droopy eyes creased upwards as he laughed. He looked like a giant teddy bear. A huge one at that, nearly 2 meters tall, but somehow, he did not exude a threatening aura.

He was still the same.

I used to see him every day.

"Are you training?"

Director Cheon put the plastic bag down next to the shoe rack, stepping closer to me. It had been half a year, but I did not feel awkward as he talked to me so friendly as if we just met yesterday.

"Just for fun."

Director Cheon furrowed his brows.

"It's a waste to do it just as a hobby."

"Nothing I can do, I quit."

"I know you can't live without boxing. Won’t it be too much of a waste to stop at a young age? You won the international junior team medal."

"It was fun back then."

"Yeah. The tension at the game was too much."

I remembered. When I went to the Olympics as a youth national team. The tension in international matches was different, each round was exhausting. Oh, I remember it were yesterday.

"The last uppercut was perfect!"

"Yes! Yes! And your opponent's coach was making fun of you just because you're an Asian. They are the loser!"

Director Cheon swung his fist in excitement. He smiled, then grabbed my hand. He was still the same.

"Yeol, I worked real hard teaching you boxing. Why won’t you go  pro and insist on gaining experience from these amateur games? I raised you and Jin like my real children. You know that, right?"

"Yes, you raised us with love."

It was not an exaggeration. Director Cheon would sometimes abandon his own work to feed and put my brother and I to sleep when we were kids. My brother and I followed him like a real father. To the point that almost made my Dad upset.

But it was all a long time ago now. Everything had changed since last year.

"But you must be busy raising other kids now?"

Somehow, my voice sounded a bit disappointed not like what I intended. It was normal for Director Cheon to do that. He was really keen on fostering talent for this country's sake.

"You and Jin are the only ones who did it."

"My brother and I don't have a common impression."

"When I first saw your brother, I thought God really existed. I thought He was giving me his blessings. Two of them."

"Please don't be too much."

His eyes were tearing up, about to cry.

"It's not a mere dream anymore to become a world champion now. I'm sure of it. There's no talent like you in the welterweight class right now. You have skill."

"You're being too much again."

"You only say that because you don't know how I feel. I can't even sleep these days. I keep seeing you and Jin in my dreams."

That was so like him. When my brother collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, Director Cheon cried as much as my mother did. He was such an emotional person.

And despite my brother's accident, he did not give up and went to the hospital. He said he would pay for the surgery and the huge rehabilitation treatment fee. Director Cheon wanted my brother to return to the ring.

But my brother had changed since the accident.

"Can you please continue boxing?"

I still couldn't get used to seeing this big man crying.

"I know your brother won't do it, but I'm still hoping for you to continue."

The rock-like hand that clutched my arms put firm strength. Oh, how I longed for this fist. I wanted to go to that shining stage that this hand had once pointed to, the fierce ring I saw in the movie, and the place where I can only think about myself and my opponent.

"You'll keep going, won't you?"

I had to say no, but I was silent. I couldn't open my mouth.

Director Cheon waited, patiently. As he had been doing until now.

"He doesn't do it anymore, sir."

DROPPING THIS 'CUZ IT'S SUPER DUPER BOOOOORING!





PREV  •  TOC  •  NEXT



RELATED NOVELS: