Melting Point — Chapter 23

HUU... SHOW ME YOUR PHONE. I WANNA SEE WHAT TYPE OF THINGS YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING.

IT'S ALL ON MY LAPTOP...AND MY LAPTOP'S IN CANADA.

ARE YOU TRYING TO KISS ME?!

DID YOU ALREADY FORGET WHAT YOU JUST HAD IN YOUR MOUTH??

...I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE'S...

GO BRUSH YOUR TEETH...OR ELSE NO MORE KISSING TODAY.

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET HARD WITHOUT ANY LIP ACTION?

LOOK AT YOU, ACTING ALL TOUGH.

UNNGH...

YOU'VE BEEN HARD THIS WHOLE TIME.

...WHY DOES IT LOOK EVEN BIGGER THAN LAST TIME...?

MAYBE 'CAUSE I'M NOT DRUNK THIS TIME AROUND...

SO HOW FAR AM I ALLOWED TO GO TODAY?

I CAN'T DO WHAT YOU DID TO ME, SO YOU'LL HAVE TO BE HAPPY WITH THIS.

HNNGH...!

SPLURT

NNGH, WAIT...!

NNGH!

HAA...

"WAIT?" PSHH...LOOK AT YOUR BACK ARCHING LIKE THAT.

HNGH...

...SUNBAE...

AHH! TH-THAT HURTS...

WE'RE BASICALLY...

I LIKE YOU...

I LIKE YOU SO MUCH...UNGH...

...HAVING SEX.

HIS SKIN FEELS SO...

...HOT...

SUNBAE...!!

YOU LITTLE...

A LITTLE WARNING WOULD'VE BEEN NICE...

I GUESS...

...WE WON'T BE GETTING MUCH SLEEP TONIGHT.

Ice Arena

OKAY, FASTER NOW! FASTER!

DON'T SLOW DOWN!

THAT'S GOOD. YOU CAN DO IT! FASTER!

THREE, TWO, ONE!

THAT'S IT FOR TODAY.

HAA, HAA...

GOOD JOB. YOU'RE IN GREAT SHAPE TODAY.

YOU JUST HIT A NEW PERSONAL RECORD!

HEY, IS IAN DONE FOR THE DAY?

THERE'S A BUNCH OF REPORTERS WAITING FOR YOU OUTSIDE. LET'S GIVE THEM A QUICK INTERVIEW BEFORE WE LEAVE.

OH, RIGHT. YOU'RE THE BIG BOSS NOW, AREN'T YOU??

MR. RYU, YOU'VE JUST BEEN APPOINTED CAPTAIN OF THE NATIONAL TEAM. HOW DOES IT FEEL?

IT'S A BIG RESPONSIBILITY. I'LL DEFINITELY NEED TO STEP UP MY GAME.

YOUR FIRST GAME AFTER SUMMER TRAINING IS A PRACTICE MATCH WITH KHAZANISTAN. HOW DO YOU THINK IT'LL GO?

WHAT'S YOUR GOAL AS TEAM CAPTAIN?

OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS TO WIN. I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE.

WHEN CHOI MIN-HYEONG STEPPED DOWN AS CAPTAIN DUE TO INJURIES, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE EXPECTING KIM JAEWON TO STEP IN.

THIS DECISION HAS COME AS A QUITE THE SURPRISE TO MANY. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT?

WELL...I'M SURE A LOT OF FACTORS WERE CONSIDERED BEFORE THEY LANDED ON ME.

SEONG JUNHUI FROM REAL SPORTS.

IS IT TRUE THAT YOU AND VICE CAPTAIN KIM JAEWON HAD AN ALTERCATION AT YOUR LAST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH?

IF SO, THAT'S A SERIOUS BLOW TO YOUR TEAMWORK BEFORE YOU'VE EVEN GOT STARTED.

HOW DO YOU PLAN ON RECTIFYING THIS ISSUE?

SORRY, WE’VE GOT TO MOVE ON NOW. NO MORE QUESTIONS.

WAIT! JUST ONE MORE QUESTION, PLEASE!

DON’T WORRY. THAT GUY ALWAYS GOES FOR THE NEGATIVE ANGLE.

I DON’T KNOW WHAT RUMORS HE’S BEEN HEARING...

WELL, IT’S NOT EXACTLY A LIE.

BUT STILL, HE’S MAKING IT SOUND LIKE IT’S YOUR FAULT WHEN THE OTHER GUY GRABBED YOU FIRST. CAN’T EVEN GET HIS FACTS STRAIGHT..

DON'T PAY HIM ANY ATTENTION. YOU WERE MADE CAPTAIN BECAUSE YOU DESERVE IT.

WE'RE MONITORING THE KIM JAEWON SITUATION TOO, SO DON'T WORRY.

I'M NOT WORRIED.

...HYUNG.

I GOTTA TAKE THIS CALL.

AGAIN?!

IT'S THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY.

WHO IS IT, HUH?!

BE RIGHT BACK!

Ice Arena

HEY SUNBAE. WHAT’RE YOU UP TO?

CAN’T YOU TELL? I’M HAVING A COFFEE AFTER LUNCH.

YOU CALLED A LITTLE LATER THAN USUAL TODAY.

I HAD A LATE LUNCH.

I HAD TO SCARF IT DOWN, TOO, SINCE SOMEONE SAID WE HAD TO CALL EACH OTHER AT LEAST ONCE A DAY.

ARE YOU FINISHED WITH TRAINING FOR TODAY?

YEAH. I'M GOING TO SHOOT AN AD NOW.

AREN'T YOU GOING TO EAT? WHO'S THE CLIENT?

IT'S FOR AN ENERGY DRINK. ORANGE BULL.

THEY'RE GOING TO PUT MY PICTURE ON THE CAN.

REALLY? TOO BAD. GUESS I'LL HAVE TO SWITCH TO MONSTA, THEN.

...WHY?

I SEE YOU ALL THE TIME ALREADY. WHY WOULD I WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE ON MY DRINKS, TOO?

I WAS STARING AT YOUR FACE ALL MORNING, GOING OVER THE FINAL CUTS OF YOUR LAST SHOOT...

OH, HANG ON.

HEY, I GOTTA GO NOW, SOMETHING CAME UP.

SUNBAE, ARE YOU FREE THIS-

...EVENING...?

HEY, EUNSAN. THANKS FOR CALLING.

OH, I'M WORKING. I'M JUST A CORPORATE SLAVE, YOU KNOW.

YEAH, I'M FINE. I FELT LIKE I WAS GONNA DIE YESTERDAY, BUT I'M A LOT BETTER NOW.

HAA....

NAH, NO POINT IN COMING ALL THE WAY.

I DON'T NEED A DOCTOR. ALL I NEED IS SOME REST. YEAH, YOU TOO.

HI, HOOBAE. YOU DON'T MIND IF I CALL YOU THAT WHEN WE'RE NOT WORKING, RIGHT?

I WASN'T STAKING YOU OUT, HONEST.

I WAS ALREADY HERE WHEN YOU CAME ALONG.

...I'LL LEAVE YOU TO IT, THEN.

YOU HAVING FUN WITH EUNSAN?

I NOTICED YOU TWO DISAPPEARED TOGETHER AFTER THE AEROS COMMERCIAL SHOOT.

I GUESS YOU'RE BUSY LIVING OUT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DREAMS...

BUT LET'S NOT GET CARRIED AWAY.

THE HELL DO YOU KNOW-

ACTUALLY, I'VE KNOWN EUNSAN FOR A LOT LONGER THAN YOU.

SO TRUST ME WHEN I TELL YOU IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN. HE'S NOT GOING TO FALL FOR YOU.

HE WAS LIVING LIFE JUST FINE. DON'T GO AROUND CAUSING CHAOS.

...JUST WHEN HE WAS GETTING BETTER, TOO.

I KNOW IT SOUNDS HARSH, BUT IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, TOO...

NOT THAT I WOULD EXPECT YOU TO TAKE MY ADVICE AS A SUNBAE.

SO DON'T FREEZE ME OUT THE NEXT TIME I ASK YOU A QUESTION, OKAY?

THE FUCK WAS THAT ABOUT...?

CUT!

EVERYONE, TAKE FIVE!

EXCUSE ME. YOU’RE IAN’S MANAGER, RIGHT?

CAN I HAVE A WORD?

AH, OF COURSE!

I’LL SHOW YOU TO YOUR DRESSING ROOM.

WHAT’S GOING ON?

YOU WERE IN A GREAT MOOD JUST THIS MORNING!

THE DIRECTOR'S PISSED! APPARENTLY YOU'RE NOT TAKING DIRECTION VERY WELL.

...I COULDN'T FOCUS.

I'LL TRY HARDER NEXT TIME. MY BAD.

...GET SOME REST.

I'LL BE BACK IN A BIT, OKAY?

HAA...

"SO TRUST ME WHEN I TELL YOU IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN. HE'S NOT GOING TO FALL FOR YOU."

...I KNOW THAT.

THAT HE'S ONLY PLAYING ALONG BECAUSE I WOULDN'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.

I KNOW THAT, OKAY?

BUT A GUY CAN DREAM.

I MEAN, HE SEEMS OKAY WITH ALL THE STUFF WE'VE DONE SO FAR...

"I SEE YOU ALL THE TIME ALREADY. WHY WOULD I WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE ON MY DRINKS, TOO?"

SO MEAN... HMPH!

IAN! LUNCH BREAK.

MR. BAEK FROM AEROS DROPPED OFF SOME FOOD FOR YOU.

I GUESS HE KNOWS THAT YOU NEVER TOUCH THE CATERING, NOW THAT HE'S BEEN ON A FEW SHOOTS WITH YOU.

HE SAID THAT YOU WERE PROBABLY RUNNING ON EMPTY AND BROUGHT YOU THIS.

WOW, WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT? ALBALONE AND STEAK AND-

HE CAME HERE?! WHERE IS HE NOW?!

HUH? UH...

IN THE PARKING LOT, LAST I SAW...

SUNBAE!

...DANG. I WAS TOO SLOW.

I TOLD HIM NOT TO TELL...

YOU ALMOST KNOCKED ME OVER!

HOW'D YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME?

WHAT D'YOU MEAN, "HOW?" YOU TOLD ME YOU HAD A SHOOT THIS AFTERNOON.

I WAS OUT AND ABOUT ALREADY AND I HAD SOME TIME...

I ASKED YOUR MANAGER WHERE THE STUDIO WAS AND IT WASN'T TOO FAR, SO...

I THOUGHT YOU WERE TIRED OF SEEING MY FACE. IS THAT WHY YOU WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE WITHOUT EVEN SEEING ME?

OH, YOU KNOW I WAS JUST TEASING YOU. I DIDN'T WANT TO BOTHER YOU WHILE YOU WERE BUSY.

OH, AND ABOUT BEFORE...

...I HUNG UP ON YOU BECAUSE I GOT A TEXT FROM MY FRIEND. I HADN'T HAD ANY NEWS FROM HIM SINCE HE SAID HE WAS SICK YESTERDAY-

I DON'T CARE. YOU MADE ME SICKER BY HURTING MY FEELINGS.

CALL ME SELFISH...

...OR A NUISANCE, I DON'T CARE.

DEAL WITH IT.

YOU SET THIS IN MOTION 13 YEARS AGO, WHEN YOU FIRST WOKE ME UP.

SORRY. I'LL TRY TO BE MORE CAREFUL.

IF YOU REALLY WANNA MAKE IT UP TO ME, YOU'LL GO ON A DATE WITH ME BEFORE I GO TO THE ATHLETES' VILLAGE THIS WEEKEND, THEN.

HONESTLY...

You Never Give Up, Do You?