Melting Point — Chapter 28

YOU CAME IN DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME AND STARTED NAPPING, RIGHT?

I SAW IT ALL.

THAT UNIFORM'S FROM YEONGSHIN MIDDLE SCHOOL, RIGHT? MY FRIEND WENT THERE.

WHO WERE YOU ROOTING FOR? US? OR YONGHWA?

HUH...?

HEY, WAIT A SECOND!

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?

DO YOU REALIZE YOU'RE OOZING PUS?

DOESN'T IT HURT?

DID YOU GET THOSE FIGHTING? YOU'RE NOT A BULLY, ARE YOU?

AREN'T YOU A LITTLE YOUNG TO BE FIGHTING LIKE THAT? YOUR PARENTS MUST BE WORRIED.

...YOU PLAY ICE HOCKEY?

WHAT, YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT MATCH WAS GOING ON?

I TOLD YOU, I JUST CAME INSIDE BECAUSE IT WAS COOL.

AT LEAST YOU KNOW WHAT ICE HOCKEY IS. IT'S NOT THAT FAMOUS IN KOREA.

'COURSE I KNOW, I USED TO LIVE IN CANADA.

CANADA?

YOU'RE FROM CANADA?

HEY, MY FAVORITE PLAYER'S CANADIAN!

YOU KNOW LOGAN? HE'S A FORWARD FOR THE VANCOUVER-

I DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH.

YEAH? TOO BAD.

ARE YOUR PARENTS CANADIAN, THEN? OR YOU IMMIGRATED-

Ryu Ian

DO YOU ALWAYS ASK SO MANY QUESTIONS TO SOMEONE YOU'VE JUST MET?

GEE WHIZ...

SORRY FOR ASKING.

EXIT'S THAT WAY.

BYE, THEN.

HEY.

WHAT ABOUT...YOU, HYUNG?

AREN'T YOU LEAVING, TOO?

ME?

I'M GOING TO PRACTICE, SINCE THE RINK'S RESERVED, ANYWAY.

FUNNY YOU ASK, WE JUST MET.

...CAN I WATCH?

WATCH WHAT?

ME PRACTICING? WHY?

BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY STILL HOT OUTSIDE.

OH, WELL...IN THAT CASE...

WHY DON'T YOU PLAY HUMAN OBSTACLE INSTEAD OF JUST WATCHING?

HEY!!

AGH!!

GOAL!

YES!!

I DIDN'T EVEN BRUSH AGAINST YOU AND YOU FELL DOWN?

YOU DID! AGAINST MY SHOULDER!

OOPS, SORRY. I DIDN'T NOTICE.

Ryu Ian

I DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY GEAR...

OF COURSE YOU'RE GONNA FALL DOWN IF YOU JUST STAND THERE.

LOOK, STAND LIKE THIS, WITH YOUR CENTER OF GRAVITY DOWNWARDS.

THAT INTIMIDATES YOUR OPPONENT. ICE HOCKEY'S A CONTACT SPORT.

Ryu Ian

I THOUGHT YOU JUST WANTED ME TO BE AN OBSTACLE.

MIGHT AS WELL DO IT PROPERLY.

YOU'VE GOT PRETTY GOOD FORM, YOU KNOW.

AND...

WH-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

HMM...I THOUGHT YOU WERE SKINNY, BUT YOU'VE GOT PRETTY BIG BONES.

PLAY ANY SPORTS?

NO.

THEN YOU'RE JUST BORN WITH IT? IS YOUR DAD TALL?

OOPS, DID I ASK TOO MUCH AGAIN?

I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW MUCH YOU'RE GONNA GROW. DID YOU ALREADY KNOW HOW TO SKATE?

THERE WERE RINKS EVERYWHERE WHEN I WAS IN CANADA.

WHAT ABOUT HOCKEY? YOU WEREN'T INTERESTED?

CANADA'S THE LAND OF HOCKEY.

9TH GRADE IS KIND OF LATE TO START.

A LOT OF KIDS START BEFORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, EVEN.

BUT YOU'RE ALREADY A GOOD SKATER...

AND WITH YOUR BONE STRUCTURE-

NEVER MIND. I'M NOT INTERESTED.

...HUH?

I'M NOT INTERESTED IN HOCKEY.

HEY. IT'S FUN, YOU KNOW!

I'M HERE EVERY WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY AT 3PM. TEAM PRACTICE. YOU CAN COME WHENEVER YOU WANT!

Ice Arena

IAN, I'M SORRY BUT CAN YOU ASK YOUR TEACHER IF I CAN HAVE JUST ONE MORE DAY TO PAY FOR YOUR SUMMER CAMP?

Ryu Ian

I MANAGED TO GET AN EXTRA JOB TONIGHT.

TELL YOUR TEACHER I CAN PAY TOMORROW, OKAY?

Ice Arena

Ryu Ian

Wednesday 6 August

WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS...

GET A MOVE ON, WILL YOU?

CAPTAIN SLOWPOKE!

I'M COMING.

You're The One Who's Always Late.

I WANT TO PLAY...

...HOCKEY, TOO.

WHERE DO I SIGN UP?

HEY, YOU CAME. I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T INTERESTED.

MY FAMILY'S POOR, THOUGH.

CAN I STILL PLAY IF I CAN'T PAY?

WELL...HOCKEY'S KIND OF AN EXPENSIVE SPORT.

BUT THERE MIGHT BE A WAY IF YOU GO TO MY SCHOOL.

HANKUK HIGH OFFERS SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS, YOU SEE.

THEN YOU CAN RENT ALL YOUR GEAR, AND THE SCHOOL PAYS FOR YOUR TRAINING.

THERE'S ONLY ONE SPOT FOR EACH YEAR, THOUGH. SO YOU'D BETTER BE A GENIUS AT HOCKEY.

YOU NEED TO APPLY TO HANKUK HIGH, AND TRY OUT FOR THE TEAM...

HMM

I WANT TO TRY OUT.

SAN BAEK

YEAH, RIGHT. YOU THINK WE LET JUST ANYONE TRY OUT?

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?

Ryu Ian

FOLLOW ME.

WE'D BETTER ASK COACH IF YOU HAVE ANY TALENT OR NOT.

NOW, WHERE IS HE...

...WHAT IF HE SAYS THAT I DON'T? WILL THEY KICK ME OUT?

THAT'S FOR SURE, BUT...

...YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. HE'LL AGREE WITH ME.

HE'S MY DAD.

WHAT MADE YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND, THOUGH?

I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T INTERESTED.

WELL, IT'S...

COOL INSIDE HERE.

IS THAT ALL?

YOU'D BETTER NOT SAY THAT TO COACH. YOU WON'T LAST A SECOND.

OH, RIGHT. I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOUR NAME.

I'D BETTER FIND OUT IF I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE YOU.

RYU IAN?

JESUS...

Ryu la

COOL NAME. NOT AS COOL AS MINE, THOUGH. HEHE

I'M BAEK EUNSAN.

HANKUK HIGH, 11TH GRADE.

...NICE TO MEET YOU.