Melting Point — Chapter 3

I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!! TERRIFIC JOB!!

SORRY, I'M AFRAID WE DIDN'T-

THEY'RE ACTUALLY OFFERING US A BETTER DEAL THAN THE CONTRACT WE PROPOSED! YOU MUST'VE REALLY WORKED YOUR MAGIC OVER THERE!

I'M SORRY... ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE RYU IAN DEAL?

THEY WANT TO SIGN WITH US?

YES! I JUST GOT THE CONFIRMATION.

THEY WANT TO FINALIZE THE CONTRACT THIS WEEK.

THAT'S WEIRD, THERE MUST BE SOME KIND OF MISTAKE...

OH, BUT THERE'S ONE CONDITION.

THEY WANT YOU TO BE IN CHARGE OF ALL OF IAN'S AEROS EVENTS.

WHAT??!!

Ice Arena

NO WAY!

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE KIM SEONWU'S ACCOUNT.

I ONLY HELPED WITH THE PROPOSAL. I'VE ALREADY GOT ENOUGH ON MY PLATE.

OF COURSE YOU DO. IT'S JUST THAT THEY'VE TAKEN A REAL SHINE TO YOU.

THAT'S...NONSENSE. I'M TELLING YOU, THIS IS A SETUP.

I DID GET THE GIST FROM SEONWU. SOUNDS LIKE IAN WAS BEING DIFFICULT.

MAYBE HE FEELS SORRY NOW?

THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY HE TWEAKED THE REVENUE SHARING IN OUR FAVOR.

YOU TWO USED TO KNOW EACH OTHER, DIDN'T YOU?

WHATEVER IT IS, YOU CAN'T LET YOUR PERSONAL LIFE GET IN THE WAY OF A CONTRACT LIKE THIS.

YOU KNOW WHAT THIS DEAL MEANS TO THE COMPANY, RIGHT?

LET ME TALK TO HIM FIRST.

MAYBE I CAN GET HIM TO TAKE BACK THE CONDITION.

OH, BOY...

NEVER THOUGHT I'D SET FOOT IN THIS PLACE AGAIN... DARN...

Ice Arena

CREAK

YOU CAME TO SEE ME?

WHO ELSE?

Duh...

IT'S BEEN AGES SINCE I'VE SEEN YOU AT THIS RINK. WHAT'S IT BEEN, 10 YEARS?

DID YOU KNOW THAT HANKUK HIGH STILL PRACTICES HERE?

THAT'S WHY THEY LET ME USE IT FOR SOLO TRAINING.

Hmm...

WHAT'S IT CALLED IN KOREAN? WHEN YOU GET BENEFITS FOR BEING ALUMNI...

"HAKYEON."

THAT'S THE WORD.

I'M NOT ACCEPTING YOUR CONDITION.

WHY NOT?

BECAUSE I REFUSE TO PLAY YOUR GAME.

DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M PLAYING GAMES?

BECAUSE I'M NOT.

DO YOU HAVE SHORT-TERM MEMORY LOSS OR SOMETHING?

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT HOW YOU HUMILIATED ME IN FRONT OF YOUR CEO JUST A FEW HOURS AGO?!

I CHANGED MY MIND, THAT'S ALL.

YEAH, YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND ALL RIGHT.

THAT CONTRACT'S OUTRAGEOUSLY BIASED IN OUR FAVOR.

I KNOW. I PROMISED THE CEO...

I'D MAKE UP THE LOSS WITH OTHER BRANDS.

OH, RIGHT. I CAN TELL HIM IT'S BECAUSE OF "HAKYEON."

I GAVE YOU THOSE PERKS FOR BEING MY SUNBAE.

LOOK.

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I'M SO DONE WITH HOCKEY NOW...

AND YOU COULDN'T MAKE ME WORK WITH YOU IN A MILLION YEARS.

WEREN'T YOU PAYING ATTENTION? THE ORIGINAL DEAL WAS-

I DON'T AGREE TO THOSE TERMS, SO YOU CAN SAVE YOUR BREATH.

I'M GOING TO WORK WITH YOU, SUNBAE.

THIS JUST MIGHT BE MY LAST CHANCE.

HAH... I THOUGHT SO.

YOU’RE TRYING TO GET REVENGE, AREN’T YOU?

YOU STILL HAVEN’T GOTTEN OVER TAKING THAT PUNCH AT DAD’S FUNERAL, RIGHT?

THAT’S WHY YOU’RE PUTTING THE SCREWS ON ME...

I FORGOT THAT THAT TOTAL LACK OF SELF-AWARENESS IS PART OF YOUR CHARM, SUNBAE.

BUT IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER...

GO ON THINKING THAT.

WHY WON’T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE, THEN?!

TELL YOU LATER.

OBNOXIOUS IDIOT...

JESUS CHRIST.

IT’S LIKE TALKING TO A WALL.

COME AND PRACTICE WITH ME IF YOU’RE JUST GONNA LOITER AROUND LIKE THAT.

YOU REALLY DON’T LISTEN, DO YOU? I SAID I’M DONE WITH HOCKEY.

NEAT, HUH?

SINCE WHEN DO YOU PLAY BASEBALL?

TRY NOT TO DO THAT IN A REAL GAME. YOU'RE GONNA HURT SOMEONE.

YOU TAUGHT ME THAT TRICK.

I DID?

I WAS PLAYING A PRACTICE GAME FRESHMAN YEAR...

IT WAS WHEN I HAD JUST STARTED PLAYING HOCKEY AND KEPT GIVING THE PUCK AWAY.

YOU CAME UP TO ME DURING THE BREAK AND TOLD ME TO SWING IT LIKE A BAT, AT LEAST I MIGHT SCORE THAT WAY.

YOU WERE TOTALLY WORKED UP ABOUT IT, TOO.

I MUST HAVE FELT REALLY SORRY FOR YOU.

TRUE. I MEAN, I WAS BULLIED BY THE WHOLE SCHOOL, AFTER ALL.

THERE'S LITERALLY NOTHING I CAN SAY TO THAT.

HEHE YOU DON'T HAVE TO. GET OUT HERE INSTEAD.

CAN WE-

I'M OFF.

I CAN SEE THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO TO CHANGE YOUR MIND, SO...

...I'LL JUST MY QUIT MY JOB INSTEAD.

YEAH, FUCK IT...

THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO WANTS TO HIRE ME, RIGHT?

YOU’RE QUITTING?

SAYS WHO?