Melting Point — Chapter 12

HAVE YOU HEARD FROM YURA YET?

HOW DID YOU KNOW?

EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT IT IN THE GROUP CHAT YESTERDAY...ABOUT HOW HER BOYFRIEND PROPOSED.

I FIGURED SHE MUST'VE WANTED TO TELL YOU HERSELF.

I SAW HER ON THE WEEKEND. SHE GAVE ME HER RING BACK.

I CONGRATULATED HER.

SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SO DOWN IN THE DUMPS TODAY.

HAA... I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE I DIDN'T SEE IT COMING...

RIGHT, THAT HAPPENED, TOO.

I HAD A PANIC ATTACK BECAUSE I WAS SO SHOCKED...

...BUT I TOTALLY FORGOT BECAUSE I WAS TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT IAN JERKING ME OFF!

I NEVER KNEW I WAS SO SUSCEPTIBLE TO TEMPTATION.

WHY DIDN'T I JUST STORM OUT OF THE PLACE?

Ooh, Cuttlefish.

I GUESS...I LET MY GUARD DOWN...

I REMEMBER FEELING SO HIGH ON LIFE AFTER THAT BATH AND MASSAGE...

WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING, PUTTING HIS HAND ON ANOTHER GUY'S JUNK LIKE THAT?

Mmm, That's The Stuff.

Totally Worth It.

HEY, YOU REMEMBER SENIOR YEAR...

...WHEN...WE WERE FOOLING AROUND IN THE LOCKER ROOM...

PAUSE

...AND SORT OF DID IT WITH OUR HANDS?

JESUS. WHAT BROUGHT THAT ON?

OH, SORRY...

YOU DON'T THINK ANYONE SAW US THEN, DO YOU?

NO WAY. IT WAS ONLY THE TWO OF US.

...ARE YOU SURE?

'COURSE I AM. WE WERE THE LAST ONES BECAUSE WE CLEANED THE RINK THAT DAY.

AND STRICTLY SPEAKING, WE DIDN'T GO ALL THE WAY. YOU BAILED OUT AT THE LAST MINUTE.

WHY, DID SOMEONE SAY THEY SAW US?

N-NO...

THAT'S RIGHT. WE DIDN'T EVEN GO ALL THE WAY.

IT DIDN'T FEEL ESPECIALLY GOOD, AND I FELT WEIRD ABOUT IT. SO I TOLD JUNHUI I WANTED TO STOP...

BUT WHY DID IAN ACT LIKE HE SAW US, THEN? COULD HE BE MIXING US UP WITH SOME OTHER PEOPLE?

OR DID HE JUST SAY THAT TO MAKE ME CUM...?

DO YOU STILL REGRET IT?

HUH?

IT’S BEEN MORE THAN TEN YEARS. I JUST WONDERED IF YOU WERE THAT BOTHERED BY IT...

OH...!

NO, I HAD TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT IT. SOMETHING HAD JUST SPARKED MY MEMORY, THAT’S ALL.

IT WAS JUST A ONE-TIME THING, ANYWAY. TEENAGE CURIOSITY AND ALL.

YEAH...

A ONE-TIME THING...

DID I JUST RUIN YOUR APPETITE?

SORRY, THIS ONE’S ON ME. EAT UP.

NO, YOU DON’T NEED TO DO THAT...

...BUT IF YOU INSIST, I'LL HAVE THE BEEF TARTARE SUSHI.

SURE, GO AHEAD.

KIDDING. IT'S ON ME TODAY, JUST DO ME A FAVOR.

WHAT IS IT?

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA...

WHY RYU IAN REALLY SWITCHED TO THE KOREAN TEAM?

I THOUGHT HE TOLD YOU HE WANTED TO PLAY IN HIS MOTHERLAND.

I'M SURE THAT'S JUST WHAT HE TELLS PEOPLE.

MY SPIDEY SENSES ARE TELLING ME THAT HE MUST HAVE ANOTHER REASON.

C'MON, HE'S LIVED IN CANADA WAY LONGER THAN HE'S EVER LIVED IN KOREA.

DON'T YOU THINK HE FEELS MORE AT HOME OVER THERE AT THIS POINT?

I KNOW THIS IS A BIT HYPOCRITICAL...

BUT WOULDN'T YOU FEEL MORE PATRIOTIC PLAYING FOR A HOCKEY POWERHOUSE LIKE CANADA WITH ALL YOUR BUDDIES...

THAN PLAYING FOR A TEAM LIKE KOREA THAT CAN BARELY PASS THE OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS?

YOU GOT A POINT THERE.

DON'T YOU GUYS EVER TALK ABOUT STUFF LIKE THIS?

NOPE.

WHAT DO YOU TALK ABOUT, THEN? YOU SEE QUITE A LOT OF HIM.

J-JUST WORK, I GUESS.

NOT MUCH TIME FOR A LOT ELSE.

HE RARELY TALKS ABOUT HIMSELF, ACTUALLY.

HE'D MUCH PREFER TO SPEND HIS TIME TRYING TO BUG THE CRAP OUT OF ME.

YEAH? LIKE HOW?

LIKE CONSTANT NAGGING, INSISTING ON HAVING HIS OWN WAY ALL THE TIME...

...LOOKING DOWN AT HIS SUNBAE WITH THIS LOOK ON HIS FACE.

THE MOMENT YOU GO...

HEY, MAYBE HE'S NOT SO BAD AFTER ALL? HE TURNS AROUND AND DOES SOMETHING CRAZY...

WAY TO GO, SQUIRT. GOOD ON YOU.

HUH?

NOTHING. ANYWAY, JUST SOUND HIM OUT IF YOU GET A CHANCE, OKAY?

HE COMPLETELY IGNORES ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS PRIVATE LIFE.

SURE...I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO.

I'M ACTIVELY AVOIDING HIM AT THE MOMENT...

...BUT THINGS SHOULD FEEL LESS AWKWARD AFTER A WHILE, RIGHT?

HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY EVENTS WITH US FOR THE TIME BEING...

월드컵경기장 World Cup Stadium

HEY.

DID YOU HAVE A NICE LUNCH?

OH, MR. BAEK!

IAN'S HERE TO SEE YOU!

SO YOU WANTED TO KNOW IF WE COULD SPONSOR THE ONE-DAY ICE HOCKEY CLASS YOU'RE DOING TODAY...

IN THE FORM OF AEROS GOODS?

YES. IT'S MOSTLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, BUT I HEARD THERE ARE SOME MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, TOO.

I WAS THINKING CLOTHES OR SNEAKERS...

I'LL NEED TO RUN IT BY THE TOP BRASS, BUT IT SHOULD BE FINE.

I'D HAPPILY COVER THE COST MYSELF, SEEING HOW DEAR THIS CAUSE IS TO YOU.

I WOULD HAVE COVERED IT MYSELF, THEN.

THE REASON I'M ASKING YOU IS BECAUSE I WANT IT ON THE RECORD THAT AEROS SPONSORED THESE KIDS, EVEN IF IT'S NOT OFFICIAL.

OH, MY GOODNESS...! AREN'T YOU SOMETHING?

ARE YOU LEAVING RIGHT AWAY?

LET ME JUST CHECK WITH INVENTORY TO SEE WHAT I CAN GET FOR YOU.

SURE. AND...

...SINCE THIS IS AN AEROS EVENT NOW...

I CAN TAKE MR. BAEK WITH ME, RIGHT?

WHAT??

THAT'S THE LAST ONE.

GET IN.

IF THE MOUNTAIN WON'T COME TO MUHAMMAD...

...MUHAMMAD'S JUST GOTTA GO TO THE MOUNTAIN, HUH?

BEEN A WHILE, HUH?

I'LL ASK THEM TO CHANGE THE SHEETS. JUST A SEC.

WHAT THE...?!

HI, THIS IS ROOM 3521.

I NEED SOME NEW SHEETS FOR THE BED, PLEASE.

SUNBAE, YOU WANT ME TO ORDER YOU SOMETHING FROM ROOM SERVICE-

...SUNBAE?

YOU'RE NOT GONNA RUN AWAY AGAIN, ARE YOU?

WE'RE GOING TO WORK NOW.

YOU MIGHT BE SORRY IF YOU MISS THIS.

LOOK, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU...

...BUT I'M THIS CLOSE TO DYING OF EMBARRASSMENT.

IT'S NOT LIKE YOU REALLY NEED ME TODAY.

I'M NOT SAYING I'M GOING TO AVOID YOU FOREVER, I JUST NEED SOME TIME-

ISN'T THIS...

...PRETTY IMPORTANT TO YOU?

I'LL GIVE IT BACK IF YOU GET IN THE CAR.