Melting Point — Chapter 30

HEY, MAN.

ISN'T THAT KIM DAJEONG?

KIM DAJEONG, WHO'S ON THE SHORT-TRACK NATIONAL TEAM? SHE'S GOING OUT WITH THE CAPTAIN??

WHAT, DIDN'T YOU KNOW?

PRETTY COOL, HUH? I HEARD HE DATED AN IDOL TRAINEE LAST YEAR.

SICK. I’M GONNA ASK HIM TO SET ME UP.

IN YOUR DREAMS.

?!

WANT ONE?

YOUR SKATES ARE TOO TIGHT ON YOU, AREN'T THEY?

YOU'VE GOTTEN TALLER THAN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED. YOUR FEET MUST HAVE GROWN, TOO.

DON'T THEY HURT? YOU MIGHT GET INJURED.

IT'S NOT TOO BAD.

...IS IT OKAY FOR YOU TO BE DATING, AS TEAM CAPTAIN?

...WHAT?

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR EVERYONE ELSE.

WHY?

IS EVERYONE TRASH-TALKING ME BEHIND MY BACK?

NOT EXACTLY, BUT...

SOMETIMES I JUST NEED A BREAK, OKAY?

THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN JUST HOCKEY.

...STILL.

OH, RIGHT. I NOTICED YOU REALLY IMPROVED YOUR SHOOTING FORM.

YOU MUST PRACTICE A LOT. I HEARD YOU'RE ALWAYS HERE ON YOUR OWN AFTER TEAM PRACTICE.

THE SECURITY GUARD WAS COMPLAINING TO ME THAT HE CAN'T LEAVE BECAUSE OF YOU.

IT'S GREAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW, BUT DON'T PUSH YOURSELF TOO HARD. YOU MIGHT GET HURT.

YOU ESPECIALLY NEED TO BE CAREFUL SINCE YOU JUST STARTED-

...I'M GOING TO MAKE IT ON TO THE JUNIOR TEAM, TOO.

I WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU.

HEY, YOU'RE STILL LIGHT-YEARS AWAY FROM THAT.

THIS YEAR IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. MAYBE NEXT YEAR-

BUT THEN YOU WON'T BE HERE ANYMORE.

WHAT'S THE RUSH? THERE'S ALWAYS COLLEGE.

I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THEN...

I ADMIRE YOUR SPIRIT.

I'M OFF. TOSS THIS FOR ME, WILL YOU?

THERE'S STILL SOME LEFT.

I CAN NEVER FINISH ONE OF THOSE.

THEY'RE TOO SWEET.

YEAH, WHATEVER...

WHAT FOR??

HEY!! I TOLD YOU TO WAIT UP!!

...WHAT THE HELL?

MEN'S SHOWER

OW! I GOT SHAMPOO IN MY EYES.

HEY, WHO SWIPED MY HAIR LOSS SHAMPOO?! 'FESS UP.

YO.

HEY-

HEY KIM, PASS THE SHAMPOO.

I'M BLIND NOW, YOU TAKE IT.

IT'S RIGHT THERE.

EWW, YUCK!! I JUST TOUCHED HIM!

GROSS!!

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF, SHITHEAD!!

IT'S YOUR FAULT IF MY HAND FALLS OFF.

FUCK OFF, BAEK EUNSAN.

IT HIT ME THEN, LIKE LIGHTNING.

I'D NEVER FELT ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE, BUT...

...I KNEW INSTINCTIVELY THAT IT WAS ATTRACTION.

AND ALSO...

EUNSAN BAEK 21

...THAT IT COULD NEVER BE RECIPROCATED.

THAT'S WHEN I STARTED AVOIDING SUNBAE LIKE MY LIFE DEPENDED ON IT.

WHO WANTS FRIED CHICKEN? COACH'S TREATING US TODAY!!

LISTEN UP, GUYS. SOMETHING TOTALLY FAR OUT HAPPENED TO ME...

I NEED YOUR OPINION-

I JUST COULDN'T BE AROUND HIM KNOWING THAT I NEVER EVEN HAD A CHANCE.

THAT'S IT FOR TODAY!

GOOD JOB, EVERYONE!

RYU IAN.

WE NEED TO TALK.

HEY.

WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU THESE DAYS?

...I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

YOU'VE BEEN AVOIDING ME LIKE THE PLAGUE. DON'T THINK I HAVEN'T NOTICED.

A FEW DAYS AGO, IN FRONT OF THE CROSSWALK. DID YOU SEE ME OR NOT?

...I DIDN'T SEE YOU.

BULLSHIT.

YOU DEFINITELY SAW ME. I CALLED YOUR NAME BUT YOU JUST IGNORED ME.

JUST PRETEND I'M NOT THERE, THEN.

...WHAT?

...YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR ME.

I'M JUST YOUR BRATTY HOOBAE, REMEMBER?

WHAT ARE YOU-

EUNSAN! LET'S GO HOME!

YOU GO AHEAD.

HUH?

I'M NOT FINISHED WITH THIS GUY YET, SO GO WITHOUT ME.

...THAT GAVE ME CHILLS.

OKAY...

I JUST HAD THIS FEELING...

What's So Funny?

...THAT I'D NEVER STOP CRAVING THAT GAZE.

...WHAT'S THIS?

OPEN IT.

YOU HAVE HANDS, DON'T YOU?

I GOT THEM FROM A SUNBAE I KNOW.

YOU'RE JUST GONNA KEEP GROWING. NO NEED TO BUY NEW ONES EVERY TIME.

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET OFFENDED THAT THEY'RE HAND-ME-DOWNS, ARE YOU?

I WORE MY SUNBAE'S OLD SKATES, TOO, WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE.

Those Are In Pretty Good Shape.

SO HE FINALLY DEIGNS TO LOOK AT ME.

WHAT IS THIS, A PHASE? YOU FEELING REBELLIOUS LATELY?

...CAN YOU KEEP GETTING THESE FOR ME?

UNTIL I FINISH GROWING?

AND WHAT IF I DON'T? ARE YOU GONNA RUN AWAY?

I MIGHT, IF YOU'LL COME AFTER ME.

WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO...

PERFECT. THEY FIT ME JUST RIGHT.

...MEAN?

...DID YOU JUST USE ME AS A HAND RAIL?

Have You Forgotten I'm Your Sunbae?

ACK-

YOU GET OVER HERE, IMMA TEACH YOU A LESSON.

I WAS JUST HOLDING ONTO YOU FOR BALANCE! U

OW!!

IF I COULDN'T HAVE HIS LOVE, THERE WAS ONLY ONE WAY I COULD STAY IN SUNBAE'S LIFE.

OKAY, NEWBIES.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE A JERSEY NUMBER YET, YOU NEED TO PICK ONE BEFORE THE SEASON STARTS.

LET ME KNOW WHAT NUMBER YOU WANT. ANYTHING'S FINE, EXCEPT THE ONES THAT I'VE MARKED ON THE SHEET.

DIBS ON 53. THAT'S MY NUMBER!

I'M GONNA USE THE BACK NUMBER OF MY FAVE NHL PLAYER.

HEY, IAN. THIS IS YOUR FIRST NUMBER, RIGHT?

MOST GUYS USE THEIR BIRTHDAYS OR A SPECIAL DATE. 85 IS OPEN, YOU WANT IT?

NO, I WAS THINKING...

BY BRANDING HIM ON MY BACK...

...AUGUST 6TH.

...AND BECOMING HIS RUNNING MATE IN THE RACE TOWARDS HIS DREAM.

I'LL TAKE 86.