Melting Point — Chapter 4

WAS I SUPPOSED TO ASK YOUR PERMISSION, THEN?

LET GO, YOU'RE HURTING ME...!

SORRY.

YOU'D THINK I'D ASKED YOU TO SLEEP WITH ME OR SOMETHING...*

WHAT?

DID HE JUST CUSS ME OUT IN ENGLISH?

I Need To Brush Up On My Listening Skills...

YOUR LITTLE BROTHER, EUNPA...

HE'S INJURED, RIGHT? HE DIDN'T MAKE IT ONTO THE NATIONAL TEAM AND ENDED UP BEING BENCHED FOR BACKUP ON THE PRO TEAM THIS SEASON.

HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT...?

TWO HOURS A SESSION, TWO TIMES A WEEK.

I'LL PERSONALLY TRAIN HIM UNTIL HE GETS BACK ON THE NATIONAL TEAM.

I'VE HAD THE SAME INJURY. I KNOW WHAT IT TAKES...

TO GET OVER IT AND GET BACK IN SHAPE AGAIN.

THIS IS THE REAL BENEFIT I'M OFFERING YOU.

YOU CHOOSE.

IF YOU'RE TOO PROUD TO DO IT EVEN FOR YOUR BROTHER'S SAKE, I WON'T BOTHER YOU ANYMORE, EITHER.

EUNPA! BREAKFAST!

BAEK EUNPA!

HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO CALL YOU TO THE TABLE?

YEESH.

I'M COMING, OKAY?

ISN'T IT TIME YOU GREW UP? YOU'RE IN COLLEGE NOW.

I MAKE BREAKFAST BEFORE EVEN GOING TO WORK AND YOU-

UGH!

WHAT'S THE MATTER? ARE YOU HURT?

I THINK I MAY HAVE RABIES.

WHAT?! FOR REAL??

OF COURSE NOT. I JUST PULLED A MUSCLE.

EAT YOUR BREAKFAST.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TODAY?

NOTHING SPECIAL...

PRACTICE BY MYSELF.

I SEE...

IF YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME, JUST SPIT IT OUT.

LIKE AN OPEN BOOK.

UH...

I WAS WONDERING...

HUH?

HOW CAN YOU TELL??

DO YOU STILL LIKE RYU IAN?

I MEAN, YOU USED TO WATCH HIS GAMES AND STUFF BACK IN THE DAY...

I STILL DO.

I JUST DIDN'T TELL YOU 'CAUSE I KNEW YOU WOULDN'T LIKE IT.

MY COMPANY...

MIGHT START WORKING WITH HIM.

REALLY?!

UH-HUH. AND...

THIS IS A BIG IF, BUT...

...WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF RYU IAN OFFERED TO PERSONALLY TRAIN YOU?

HYUNG, HAVE SOME COFFEE OR SOMETHING. I THINK YOU'RE STILL DREAMING.

I SAID WHAT IF.

DO YOU HAVE TO ASK?

'COURSE I'D DO IT. HECK, I'D SELL MY SOUL.

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT?

DON'T YOU HAVE ANY PRIDE AT ALL?!

HOW MANY YEARS DID DAD ABANDON US BECAUSE HE WAS TOO BUSY CHASING AFTER THAT GUY?

YOU WERE A TEENAGER AND HE WASN'T THERE FOR YOU. EVEN THAT TIME YOU GOT INJURED, HE PUT RYU IAN FIRST...!

I DON'T MIND SO MUCH.

I'M NOT LIKE YOU. I NEVER EXPECTED THAT MUCH OF HIM ANYWAY.

'COURSE I KNOW WHY YOU FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT DAD...

BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO BE ANGRY FOR ME. I'M REALLY OKAY.

YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR ME WHEN DAD WASN'T.

C'MERE, YOU.

HEY, I’M EATING HERE!

KNOCK IT OFF!!

I’LL SUCK IT UP FOR YOUR SAKE. I GOT THIS.

GOT WHAT?

WHY’D YOU BRING UP RYU IAN, ANYWAY?

UGH, CAN YOU PLEASE LET GO OF ME NOW?

THIS MARKS THE BEGINNING OF AN EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AEROS KOREA AND RYU IAN.

Aeros Korea + Ryu Ian Sponsorship Agreement SNAP

AEROS

ALL OF US AT AEROS KOREA LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH RYU IAN...

AEROS

...AN INTERNATIONAL STAR AND TRAILBLAZER FOR ICE HOCKEY IN KOREA.

IAN, OVER HERE! LOOK THIS WAY, PLEASE!

CAN WE GET A FIST PUMP?

LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE'S HAVING FUN.

WHY THE LONG FACE? COULD IT BE GUILT FROM NOT TIPPING OFF YOUR JOURNALIST BUDDY ABOUT A SCOOP LIKE THIS?

I TOTALLY DIDN'T SEE IT COMING, EITHER.

YEAH, WHODA THUNK, RIGHT?

I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE HE WENT WITH YOU GUYS WHEN ALL THE BIG BRANDS WERE AFTER HIM.

DID YOU JUST DISS MY COMPANY?

I'M JUST SAYING WHAT A TRIUMPH IT IS FOR AEROS.

FEELS STRANGE TO SEE OUR HOOBAE BECOME THE POSTER BOY FOR HOCKEY IN KOREA.

DAMN STRAIGHT...

DID YOU SAY HI?

TO IAN? NAH.

LIKE HE'D REMEMBER ME. I ONLY PLAYED A YEAR WITH HIM.

I DON’T EVEN COMPARE TO YOU.

WHAT’S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?

YOU WERE PROBABLY THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WHOLE SCHOOL THAT HE ACTUALLY TREATED LIKE A HUMAN BEING.

I WAS?

YEAH, WE WERE ALWAYS CRACKING UP ABOUT HIM FOLLOWING YOU AROUND LIKE A PUPPY.

REAL MATURE, GUYS...

WE WERE JUST KIDS.

NOW I'M THE PROFESSIONAL TAGALONG.

THE GUY ONLY STARTED HOCKEY RIGHT BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL.

HE MUST'VE BEEN DESPERATE FOR ANYONE TO GIVE HIM ADVICE.

AND WHO BETTER THAN THE COACH'S SON?

SO YOU WERE JUST BEING NICE TO THE LATEST TENDERFOOT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?

WHAT ELSE?

OH, WELL.

CALL IT A WRITER'S INSTINCT...

...BUT I'VE GOT A HUNCH WHY IAN REALLY SIGNED WITH AEROS.

YOU'VE GOT A HUNCH? WHAT IS IT?

TELL ME.

WHAT IS THAT GUY REALLY...

...THINKING-

C'MON, SUNBAE.

WE'VE GOT ANOTHER STOP TO MAKE.

HEY...!

YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO COME THIS WAY.

YOUR EXIT IS THAT DOOR OVER THERE, REMEMBER?

Aeros Korea + Ryu Ian Sponsorship Agreement

I FORGOT.

MR. RYU! CAN YOU JUST ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS...?

IAN!

WOW...I ONLY TOLD HIM A MILLION TIMES AT REHEARSAL...

WHY'D HE CHUCK HIS FLOWERS AT ME?

JUNHUI, I GOTTA GO.

OH, OKAY!

SEE YA.

HMM...

OH, IAN. I CAN STILL READ YOUR FACE LIKE A BOOK...

JUST LIKE BACK IN THE DAY.