Melting Point — Chapter 19

Ice Arena

I'VE ONLY GOT ONE JERSEY...

AS LONG AS IT'S NOT TOO SMALL.

DO I REALLY NEED TO WEAR ALL THIS GEAR?

IT'S NOT LIKE I'M GONNA BODY CHECK YOU OR ANYTHING.

I'm Suffocating.

YOU NEVER KNOW. WHAT IF YOU FALL DOWN?

I'M NOT MADE OF GLASS, OKAY?

CAN I PASS ON THE HELMET? I REALLY CAN'T DO ONE MORE PIECE OF PROTECTIVE GEAR.

ALRIGHT... JUST DON'T PUSH YOURSELF TOO HARD.

RELAX, I WON'T BLAME YOU IF I GET HURT.

WHAT...ARE YOU DOING?

I THOUGHT YOU NEEDED THERAPY BEFORE GETTING ON THE ICE.

NAH, I BROUGHT MY MEDS TODAY.

I BASICALLY ALWAYS HAVE THEM ON ME. I JUST FORGOT THEM THE PAST FEW TIMES.

COME ON!

SHOULD WE DO A FEW LAPS FIRST? JUST TO WARM UP.

OKAY.

OKAY, LET'S START SLOW-

HEY, YOU DON'T NEED TO HOLD ME.

I WANNA TRY BY MYSELF. THERE'S NO WAY I'LL HURT MYSELF IN ALL THIS GEAR, ANYWAY.

FINE. HAVE IT YOUR WAY.

I'M TRYING TO LIMIT MY CONTACT WITH HIM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT...

...IS THIS REALLY A GOOD IDEA?

MY FEET FEEL SO HEAVY...LIKE DEATH'S GOT A GRIP ON THEM...

NO LOOKING DOWN.

I CAN STILL GIVE YOU A HAND IF YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND.

I'M FINE, OKAY?

YOU CAN DO THIS.

THINK OF ALL THOSE YEARS OF PRACTICE-

FUCK, I'M SICK AND TIRED OF BAEK EUNSAN SCREWING UP ALL MY CHANCES.

I NEVER GET TO PLAY BECAUSE I'M HIS BACKUP, AND NOW I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDN'T MAKE THE NATIONAL TEAM!!

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? HIS DAD'S THE COACH.

THE GUYS ON THE NATIONAL TEAM SAY THAT HE DOESN'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT HIM, THOUGH.

OF COURSE HE'S NOT GONNA GIVE HIM SPECIAL TREATMENT IN FRONT OF THE OTHERS. I BET HE TRAINS HIM IN PRIVATE, THOUGH.

YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY GETS ME? HOW HE ACTS LIKE HE DOESN'T REALLY CARE ABOUT BEING A HOCKEY PLAYER.

LIKE HE KEEPS GOING TO THE LIBRARY TO "STUDY."

SAYS THE GUY WHO'S ABOUT TO GET PUT ON PROBATION.

MAYBE I COULD JUST END HIS CAREER RIGHT NOW.

HOW?

I COULD PRETEND TO BODY CHECK HIM AND SLICE HIM UP WITH MY SKATE OR SOMETHING.

YOU PSYCHOPATH! CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOU GOT CAUGHT?

HAA...!!

AH!!

HAA...

HAA...

ARE YOU OKAY?

...LET GO.

I CAN DO IT BY MYSELF.

I TOLD YOU NOT TO LOOK DOWN.

I'M JUST SO ANXIOUS... I CAN'T HELP IT...

YOU SHOULDN'T BE. THINK OF ALL THE YEARS YOU PLAYED BEFORE YOU TOOK A FEW-YEAR BREAK.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON MY FACE AND FOLLOW ME.

WHAT...?

I'LL CATCH YOU IF YOU STUMBLE AGAIN, SO DON'T WORRY.

COME ON.

SERIOUSLY?

YOUR FACE ISN'T ALL THAT, YOU KNOW.

GOOD. USE YOUR STICK FOR BALANCE.

OKAY, TURN THE CORNER-

I GOT IT.

IAN RYU 86

BUT IF I STUMBLE AGAIN LIKE BEFORE-

BAEK EUNSAN!

?!

"BAEK EUNSAAAN...?"

I TOLD YOU NOT TO LOOK DOWN.

WHO SAID...

YOU COULD CALL ME BY MY NAME LIKE THAT??

86 KOREA

IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, GET OVER HERE AND WHOOP MY ASS.

HA! I'M GONNA SHOW YOU THAT THIS STICK AIN'T JUST FOR HITTING THE PUCK, BUDDY.

HEY!

NO RUNNING AWAY!!

DID YOU NOTICE?

YOU JUST DID A PUNCH TURN.

...I HAD NO IDEA...

I DID IT WITHOUT EVEN THINKING!

WAIT, LEMME TRY AGAIN.

OOPS, NO LOOKING DOWN.

YOU JUST STAY RIGHT THERE.

...I'VE ALWAYS BEEN RIGHT HERE.

AN RYU

I DID IT AGAIN.

T-TOSS...

ME A PUCK.

ISN’T IT GREAT?

SO, DO YOU STILL NOT LIKE HOCKEY ANYMORE?

I NEVER...

...REALLY WANTED TO QUIT.

I WANTED TO KEEP PLAYING NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAID, ALL THE WAY UNTIL I RETIRED...

...I REALLY DID.

I WOULD HAVE IF YOU HAD STAYED.

YOU'RE THE ONE WHO BROKE OUR PROMISE. YOU JUST WENT OFF TO CANADA BY YOURSELF.

SUN-

IF YOU HAD BEEN BY MY SIDE, I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY...

YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME BACK THEN...

...NOT TO GO...

IF I HAD...

...WOULD ANYTHING HAVE CHANGED?