Melting Point — Chapter 13

LOOK, WE'RE ALREADY MILES OUT OF SEOUL NOW. CAN I HAVE MY RING BACK?

I'M NOT GONNA DITCH YOU AFTER COMING ALL THIS WAY, OKAY?

GIVE IT BACK!

I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE IT WASN'T YOUR SIZE.

GIMME...!

IT'S YURA'S.

MY EX-WIFE.

!!

WHY ARE YOU STILL CARRYING AROUND YOUR EX-WIFE'S RING?

BECAUSE SHE GAVE IT BACK TO ME.

HEY, I SAID GIVE IT BACK!

WERE YOU WITH HER BEFORE YOU SAW ME THAT DAY?

IS THAT WHY YOU HAD A PANIC ATTACK? BECAUSE OF HER?

LOOK, I DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT.

C'MON, LET'S GO IF YOU'RE FINISHED.

WHERE ARE WE GOING, ANYWAY?

IS IT AN EVENT SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF CHEONAN? ARE WE GOING TO THE SPORTS CENTER?

CHEONAN

WELCOME TO CHEONAN!

NICE CAR. IT'S THE LATEST MODEL, ISN'T IT?

DID YOUR AGENCY LEASE IT FOR YOU?

YOU'RE STILL NOT OVER HER, THEN?

HUH? OVER WHO?

YOU ENDED THINGS LEGALLY, BUT EMOTIONALLY...

DID THAT BRING YOU CLOSURE? WHEN SHE RETURNED YOUR RING?

WOW...I NEVER TOOK YOU FOR SUCH A ROMANTIC, SUNBAE.

DON'T JUDGE ME.

THAT REALLY PUTS THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE.

ALL I DID WAS HOLD YOU WHILE YOU HAD A PANIC ATTACK, GIVE YOU A MASSAGE...

...JERK YOU OFF...

HEY! WATCH YOUR MOUTH!

I THOUGHT YOU GOT HARD BECAUSE OF MY FANTASTIC MASSAGE SKILLS.

TURNS OUT YOU WERE FANTASIZING ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE THE WHOLE TIME-

NOT ANOTHER WORD OR YOU'LL CRASH YOUR CAR AND WE'LL END UP ON THE NEWS.

GOT IT??

HUH?

ARE THOSE...TEARS?

Am I Seeing Things...?

...I NEVER HAVE THE TIME.

IT'S SO UNFAIR.

WHAT-

YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT YOUR DESTINATION. ENDING ROUTE GUIDANCE.

AH, THERE YOU ARE! WELCOME!

HUH? THIS LOOKS LIKE...

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TODAY! IT WAS A LONG DRIVE, WASN'T IT?

NO, NOT AT ALL.

...A SCHOOL? AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?

THE ICE RINK YOU BUILT FOR OUR SCHOOL IS A REGULAR LANDMARK IN CHEONAN THESE DAYS.

WE HAD SO MANY KIDS SIGNING UP FOR TODAY'S CLASS. IT WAS TOTAL CHAOS!

Cheonan Indoor Ice

IAN PAID FOR THIS?? I GUESS HE REALLY DID MAKE IT BIG...

WE DIDN'T WANT TO TIRE YOU OUT TOO MUCH ON YOUR VISIT TO YOUR ALMA MATER.

OH, THANK YOU.

SO HE'S VOLUNTEERING AT HIS OLD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HUH?

THIS IS MY CONTACT AT AEROS, MY SPONSOR.

THEY WANTED TO DONATE SOME ITEMS TO THE KIDS TODAY.

OH! NICE TO MEET YOU.

ATLANTIS

NICE TO MEET YOU, TOO! THAT'S VERY GENEROUS OF YOU.

SHALL WE GET STARTED, THEN? THE KIDS ARE ALL WAITING INSIDE.

OKAY.

HEY, UH...MR. RYU!

CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THE...?

We Need To Take Them Inside...

OH, OF COURSE!

WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT.

OH, THANK YOU. I JUST NEED A HAND.

What's With Him?

Haedam Elementary School Alumni Association One-Day Ice Hockey Class With Ryu Ian

NO, PUT YOUR HANDS THE OTHER WAY AROUND. TRY AGAIN.

FIRST HE PRACTICALLY KIDNAPS ME TO GET ME HERE...

AND NOW HE'S GIVING ME THE COLD SHOULDER.

WHAT TICKED HIM OFF JUST NOW?

SO WHAT IF I HAD SEEN YURA BEFORE BEFORE SEEING HIM?

lass

CL

DOES HE FEEL LIKE ALL HIS HARD WORK WAS WASTED OR SOMETHING?

OR DOES HE HAVE SOME KIND OF WEIRD PRIDE IN HIS HANDJOB SKILLS?

UMM...

I MEAN...HE IS GOOD WITH HIS HANDS...

I CAME FASTER THAN USUAL BECAUSE HIS GRIP WAS SO STRONG...NOT THAT I WOULD ADMIT IT-

HEY, KID. AREN'T YOU HERE FOR THE HOCKEY CLASS?

WANT ME TO TAKE YOU OUT ONTO THE ICE?

OH...I'M NOT SOME RANDOM STRANGER...

YOU KNOW RYU IAN, RIGHT? I'M HIS SUNBAE.

HIS HIGH SCHOOL SUNBAE.

I CAME TO HELP OUT TODAY.

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO PLAY ICE HOCKEY TOO, THEN?

HUH?

YOU SAID YOU WERE HIS SUNBAE. SO DON'T YOU PLAY ICE HOCKEY?

UH, I...

I'M NOT REALLY GOOD MYSELF.

MY MOM SIGNED ME UP FOR CLASSES...

...BUT I CAN'T EVEN SKATE.

I KEEP FALLING DOWN, SO MY BUTT'S ALL BLACK AND BLUE.

WHY DON'T YOU TELL YOUR MOM YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT, THEN?

MOM LIKES IT WHEN I FINISH LATE BECAUSE OF ICE HOCKEY.

SHE GETS HOME AROUND THE SAME TIME.

WOW...THAT'S REALLY THOUGHTFUL OF YOU.

YOU KNOW, IAN WAS JUST LIKE YOU.

HE WAS REALLY BAD WHEN HE FIRST STARTED HOCKEY.

HE MUST HAVE FALLEN DOWN, LIKE, A MILLION TIMES.

RYU IAN FELL DOWN WHILE TRYING TO SKATE, TOO??

NO, HE WAS A REALLY GOOD SKATER, ACTUALLY.

YOU KNOW HE'S FROM CANADA. LEARNING TO SKATE THERE IS LIKE LEARNING TO WALK HERE.

BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A GOOD SKATER TO BE GOOD AT ICE HOCKEY.

YOU COULD JUST BE A LATE BLOOMER, YOU KNOW. HE WAS LIKE THAT, TOO.

HOW OLD ARE YOU NOW, LITTLE BOY?

I'M NOT A LITTLE BOY. I'M IN THE THIRD GRADE.

OH, IS THAT SO? YOU'RE A THIRD-GRADER, HUH? DID YOU KNOW THAT RYU IAN STARTED PLAYING HOCKEY SIX WHOLE YEARS LATER THAN YOU, IN THE NINTH GRADE?

REALLY??

YEAH. BUT HE PRACTICED EVERY SINGLE DAY WITHOUT FAIL...

AND WORKED OUT AT THE GYM WHEN HE WASN'T AT PRACTICE...

AND LEARNED FROM WATCHING HIS SUNBAES PLAYING. JUST LOOK AT HIM NOW!

WHAT ARE HE AND THAT KID TALKING ABOUT...?

DON'T BE AFRAID OF FALLING ON THE ICE.

THAT'S JUST HOW YOU LEARN.

DID YOU TEACH RYU IAN HOW TO PLAY HOCKEY?

WELL, I CAN'T SAY I DIDN'T. I DEFINITELY HAD A HAND IN WHERE HE GOT IN HIS CAREER.

CAN YOU TEACH ME TOO, THEN?

...HUH?

THE OTHERS WON'T LET ME PLAY WITH THEM BECAUSE I CAN'T SKATE.

UH...WELL, YOU SEE...

...I'M ACTUALLY A BIT...

WHAT? DID YOU FORGET?

YEAH...

OH, THAT'S ALRIGHT...

I'LL JUST HANG OUT HERE UNTIL IT'S OVER...

JUST A SECOND.

ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?

OH, HEY. AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE TEACHING...?

YOU'RE NOT COMING IN HERE. WHAT IF YOU COLLAPSE AGAIN?

I'M NOT GOING INTO THE CENTER, ANYWAY.

I WAS JUST GOING TO STAY ON THE EDGE AND KEEP AN EYE ON THIS GUY.

DON'T BE RIDICULOUS... I'LL DO IT. YOU GO BACK.

I CAN TELL YOU'RE ALREADY STRESSED OUT.

Wow...he's So Tall...

OH, I WAS GOING TO CALL YOU OVER FOR A MINUTE BECAUSE OF THAT.

I THINK I NEED A LITTLE OF YOUR THERAPY...

CAN YOU GIVE ME A HUG?

I...DON'T HAVE MY MEDS WITH ME...

YOU JUST KIDNAPPED ME HERE.

YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT?

IF YOU'RE STILL MAD AT M-

YOU...

...ARE SO EVIL, SUNBAE.