Melting Point — Chapter 27

IT'S BEEN SOME TIME SINCE YOUR LAST VISIT, I SEE.

Emergency Medical Center

WHICH IS GOOD, OF COURSE.

I'D LIKE TO RENEW MY PRESCRIPTION MEDS. I'VE BEEN TAKING THEM LESS LATELY, BUT IT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER TO HAVE THEM ON HAND.

YOU'VE BEEN DOING GOOD WITHOUT THEM?

IS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE HAVING LESS EPISODES OF HYPERVENTILATION, OR BECAUSE YOU'VE IMPROVED SO MUCH YOU DON'T NEED MEDICATION ANYMORE?

HMM...BOTH, MAYBE?

COULD YOU ELABORATE ON HOW YOU MANAGED THOSE EPISODES WITHOUT YOUR MEDICATION?

AH.

PAUSE

W-WELL.

I THINK I JUST GOT THE HANG OF HOW TO MANAGE MY BREATHING...

I'VE BEEN SO BUSY THESE DAYS, I HAVEN'T HAD MUCH TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE PAST, ACTUALLY.

BUSY HOW? WITH WORK? OR WITH OTHER PEOPLE?

I'VE STARTED WORKING WITH A HOOBAE OF MINE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

BUT WE END UP CLASHING A LOT OVER PERSONAL STUFF...

"CLASHING?"

IT'S LIKE...

I DON'T FEEL LIKE I CAN HANDLE ALL OF HIS EMOTIONS.

IT'S LIKE THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH I CAN DEAL WITH, BUT HE COMES AT ME LIKE A WRECKING BALL.

HE CAN'T BE REASONED WITH, BE IT ABOUT WORK OR WHATEVER.

I JUST GET SWEPT ALONG WITH IT TO THE POINT THAT I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DWELL ON THE PAST, BUT...

HONESTLY, THAT ITSELF MIGHT BE A WHOLE NEW KIND OF STRESS...

BASED ON OUR SESSIONS SO FAR, YOUR EPISODES SEEM TO BE TRIGGERED...

BY WHAT YOU PERCEIVE AS MISTAKES FROM YOUR PAST.

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FATHER...

WITH YOUR EX-WIFE...

...YOUR GUILT TOWARDS YOUR BROTHER, YOUR REGRET OVER GIVING UP HOCKEY. THE LIST GOES ON.

YOU’RE MUCH TOO HARD ON YOURSELF, EUNSAN.

RELATIONSHIPS ARE A TWO-WAY STREET, BUT YOU BLAME EVERYTHING ON YOURSELF.

YOU TRY TO SHOULDER EVERYTHING, AND DON’T CONFIDE IN ANYBODY. NOT EVEN WITH ME, YOUR COUNSELOR.

IN THAT SENSE, I DON’T THINK THIS HOOBAE OF YOURS IS A BAD INFLUENCE AT ALL.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER HEARD YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMEBODY.

YOU ARE SUCH A CAPABLE PERSON, EUNSAN.

YOU PUT YOURSELF DOWN, BUT THAT'S YOUR PAST REGRETS TALKING.

EXIT

DON'T TRY TO FIGHT THE NEW EMOTIONS THAT YOU'RE FEELING. LET THEM WASH AWAY THE PAST.

I SHOULD HAVE NEVER BROUGHT HIM UP...

IT JUST GIVES ME A BIGGER HEADACHE.

... SPEAK OF THE DEVIL.

Just finished this morning's training. What're you having for lunch?

...YOU'RE SUCH A LOSER. HAVE SOME SELF-RESPECT.

SENDING MESSAGES AND SELFIES EVERY DAY, EVEN THOUGH I NEVER ANSWER...

On my way to training. Didn't get much sleep.

First again this morning. Haha

IT'S BEEN A WEEK SINCE IAN LEFT TO TRAIN AT THE ATHLETES' VILLAGE...

...MEANING THAT I'VE BEEN LEFT TO COPE WITH THESE FEELINGS BY MYSELF FOR A WEEK NOW.

UNLIKE SOMEONE WHO JUST UNBURDENED HIMSELF OF YEARS OF SECRETS AND PENT-UP AFFECTION...

I'M JUST THE OPPOSITE.

SELFISH JERK...

I SPENT THE ENTIRE WEEKEND IN BED, CLUTCHING MY SORE BACKSIDE...

Emergency Medical Center

...TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF I REALLY MISSED IAN OR NOT.

IT COULD HAVE JUST BEEN THE SHOCK OF THE EXPLOSIVE SEX, IAN'S TATTOO, AND THE SIGNED PUCK ALL ROLLED TOGETHER.

OR MAYBE IT WAS THE WAY HE LOOKED AT ME LIKE A SCOLDED PUPPY...

...AFTER FINALLY REVEALING THE SECRET OF HIS TATTOO TO ME.

IT STARTED OUT CASUAL ENOUGH, BUT NOW THAT HE'S BROKEN THE RULES... I NEED TO FIGURE OUT MY NEXT MOVE.

DO I KEEP DATING HIM OR NOT?

WITH IAN GONE FOR THREE WEEKS, IT SEEMED LIKE THE PERFECT TIME TO MAKE THAT DECISION.

I NEEDED TO GO BACK TO HOW THINGS WERE BEFORE IAN CAME CRASHING INTO MY LIFE. TO LOOK AT THINGS WITH A CLEAR HEAD.

AND IF THAT THOSE THREE WEEKS WEREN'T UNBEARABLE, I'D CALL IT QUITS.

AND IF I MISSED HIM SO MUCH I COULDN'T BEAR IT...

I'D HAVE TO OWN UP TO THE FACT THAT IT WASN'T JUST A FLING FOR ME, EITHER.

I NEED SOME TIME TO THINK. I SHOULDN'T TALK TO HIM FOR A WHILE.

...ARE YOU MAD?

I TOLD YOU. I WON'T ASK YOU TO LIKE ME BACK.

>> STAFF LOUNGE >> CONFERENCE ROOM >> MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TEAM

I'M NOT MAD AT YOU.

I REALLY JUST NEED SOME TIME TO THINK.

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED? ARE YOU STILL COMING TO THE MATCH?

YEAH, I'M COMING.

CAN I STILL MESSAGE YOU?

...YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT.

I REALLY SHOULD HAVE SAID NO MESSAGES, TOO...

...BUT I STILL NEED TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH HIM FOR WORK REASONS, AT LEAST-

Curry at the cafeteria for lunch today.

HE REALLY SENDS ME EVERY LITTLE THING...

it's not as good as yours

...SHOULD I BLOCK HIM?

What's With The-dirty Talk?

Athletes' Village

GOOD WORK TODAY!

GOOD JOB!

MAN, I'M BEAT.

COACH REALLY PUT US THROUGH IT TODAY.

Curry at the cafeteria for l it's not as good as yours

Read

STILL NOTHING...

IAN!

COME OUT WHEN YOU'RE READY. THE INTERVIEWER'S HERE.

OKAY.

WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH RYU IAN, THE NEW CAPTAIN OF THE NATIONAL ICE HOCKEY TEAM.

I'M SURE ALL THE FANS OUT THERE WILL APPRECIATE YOUR MESSAGE, CAPTAIN.

MAY I ASK YOU JUST ONE MORE QUESTION BEFORE WE WRAP UP TODAY?

IT'S SOMETHING A LOT OF FANS HAVE BEEN WONDERING ABOUT.

CAN YOU TELL US IF THERE'S ANY SIGNIFICANCE TO YOUR JERSEY NUMBER, 86?

IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'VE HAD IT FOR A LONG TIME.

I'M SORRY, BUT WE AGREED ON NO PERSONAL QUESTIONS...

OH, SHOULD WE CUT THIS ONE, THEN?

MY NUMBER...

YES. IT IS SIGNIFICANT.

13 YEARS AGO...

IT WAS A DAY LIKE ANY OTHER.

Ryu Ian

I'D ALREADY BEEN IN THE COUNTRY 5 YEARS BY THEN...

BUT MY PEERS STILL TREATED ME LIKE AN OUTSIDER. SPARRING WITH THEM WAS THE ONLY WAY I COULD FEEL LIKE I EXISTED...

SO HOT...

...ON THAT SUFFOCATINGLY HOT SUMMER DAY.

COOL AIR...

Ice Arena

Ryu Ian

GO HANKUK!

GO YONGHWA! YONGHWA!

LET'S GO HANKUK!

JUST ONE MORE!!

IT'S COOL IN HERE...

...FEELS NICE.

I'LL JUST REST FOR A WHILE...

MMM...

NGH, WHAT-

OH.

YOU'RE UP.