Melting Point — Chapter 38

YEAH, I'LL BE HOME TOMORROW. DON'T GO SKIPPING MEALS, OKAY?

AND IT WOULDN'T KILL YOU TO RUN THE VACUUM CLEANER FOR ONCE.

...HUH?

RYU IAN'S IN SOKCHO?

OH, YOU SAW IT ON THE INTERNET...

AT THE HARLTON...?

NAH, I'M STAYING SOMEWHERE ELSE NOW.

YEAH, YOU TOO. BYE.

WHY ALL THE SECRECY?

OH, I DON’T KNOW. MAYBE I JUST DON’T FEEL LIKE TELLING MY BROTHER THAT I’M JUST NOW HAVING ROOM SERVICE BECAUSE I WAS TOO BUSY BOINKING RYU IAN ALL DAY?

YOU COULD JUST TELL HIM THAT WE’RE HANGING OUT TOGETHER.

EUNPA WAS ASKING ME YESTERDAY...

...IF I WAS OKAY WATCHING YOU PLAY WHEN I DON’T EVEN LIKE YOU.

I WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN EXPLAINING ABOUT US. IT'S EASIER JUST NOT TO TELL HIM--

UGH, DON'T...!

OH, WHATEVER. IT CAN'T BE WORSE THAN EATING MY CUM...

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

HAVEN'T YOU EVER LICKED FOOD OFF YOUR GIRLFRIENDS' LIPS?

NO, THAT'S JUST GROSS. THAT'S WHAT NAPKINS ARE FOR.

I WOULD'VE BEEN DISAPPOINTED.

...I DON'T NEED DATING ADVICE FROM MR. I-JUST-USED-TO-BE-A-VIRGIN.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO NOW? WANT TO GO TO THE BEACH?

NO, I'M NOT WALKING A SINGLE STEP OUT OF THIS ROOM. I NEED TO REST IF I'M GOING TO WORK DAY AFTER TOMORROW.

YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO DO THE DRIVING TOMORROW, TOO. I CAN'T FEEL MY BACK ANYMORE.

OKAY. SHOULD I CARRY YOU TO BED, THEN? WANT TO SLEEP SOME MORE?

NO, I'VE SLEPT ENOUGH...

Ah!

...YOUR OLD PLAYS.

LET'S WATCH YOUR OLD PLAYS ON THE INTERNET.

YEAH, IT LOOKS LOADS BETTER LIKE THIS.

...DO WE REALLY HAVE TO WATCH THIS NOW? YOU CAN WATCH THEM AT HOME.

YEAH, BUT MY SCREEN ISN'T THIS BIG.

FOR PETE'S SAKE...

WOW, LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THOSE GUYS.

YOU'RE JUST AVERAGE WHEN YOU'RE WITH WESTERNERS, I SEE.

THAT WAS MY FIRST PRO TEAM, THEY WERE FAMOUS FOR THEIR HEIGHT.

I THINK THEY'RE PROBABLY THE TALLEST TEAM ON AVERAGE IN THE CANADIAN LEAGUE.

YOU'RE EVEN TALLER NOW, RIGHT?

YEAH, I MUST'VE BEEN AROUND 190, 191CM THEN?

SO UNFAIR.

OH, IT'S YOUR ROOKIE LAP!

CAN'T WE WATCH SOMETHING ELSE?

THAT'S MY DEBUT MATCH, I'M SO BAD.

YEAH, THAT'S WHY WE'RE WATCHING THIS.

JUST LOOK AT YOU, SO NERVOUS.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAKING HIS NHL DEBUT TONIGHT, PLEASE WELCOME NUMBER 86, IAN RYU!

REMINDS ME OF YOUR FIRST TIME PLAYING WITH THE TEAM IN HIGH SCHOOL.

YOU COULDN'T EVEN KEEP THE PUCK THEN, AND LOOK AT YOU.

SHOULD I LOOK UP YOUR TEAM NOW? THE TORONTO BLAZERS...

BEEP

WOO HOO

YEEAAH

RYU SHOOTS!

OH, THAT'S A FAKE.

RIGHT?

HOW DID YOU KNOW?

YOU ALWAYS MAKE THIS FACE.

YOU TUCK YOUR CHIN IN LIKE THIS WHEN YOU'RE REALLY ABOUT TO SHOOT.

...NO WAY.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS NERVES OR WHAT, BUT WHEN I SAW YOU DOING THAT I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO SHOOT.

IT'S TRUE. EVER SINCE HIGH SCHOOL.

I Don't Know If You Still Do It, Though.

THAT'S HOW I COULD BLOCK ALL YOUR SHOTS WHEN WE PRACTICED TOGETHER.

...GOOD THING YOU DON'T COACH THE OTHER TEAM.

STILL, YOU'D BETTER TRY NOT TO DO IT ANYMORE. SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT CATCH ON.

YEAH.

YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF SETTLING IN SO QUICKLY. STARTING LINEUP AS SOON AS YOU GOT INTO UNIVERSITY, THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.

HEY, SINCE WE'RE NOT EXACTLY STRANGERS, CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING?

WHAT IS IT?

WAS YOUR DAD AN ATHLETE, TOO?

I MEAN, WE BOTH KNOW THAT IT'S 99% GENES WHEN IT COMES TO SPORTS AND THE ARTS.

JUST LOOKING AT YOUR PHYSIQUE, AND YOUR TALENT...

...I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE THAT COMING OUT OF NOWHERE.

HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD ANYTHING FROM YOUR MOM? OR SEEN ANY OLD PHOTOS?

...I DUNNO. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PHOTOS.

TOO BAD. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN SO PROUD OF YOU IF HE'D BEEN ABLE TO SEE YOU PLAY.

AT LEAST HE LEFT SOME GOOD GENES BEHIND.

"GOOD GENES..."

OH, RIGHT. I JUST REMEMBERED YESTERDAY...

DO YOU REMEMBER HOW YOU CAME TO MY HOUSE RIGHT BEFORE YOU LEFT FOR CANADA?

I WASN'T REALLY PAYING ATTENTION THEN...

BUT WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT WATCHING YOU FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS-

NGH...

WHY ARE YOU SHIVERING ALL OF A SUDD-

HEY, RYU I...

?!

HEY, WAKE UP!

RYU IAN!

EMERGEN

IT'S ACUTE GASTRITIS.

SINCE THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE BEEN ANYTHING WRONG WITH HIS LAST MEAL...

IT'S LIKELY STRESS-INDUCED.

HE'S STABLE NOW, SO MAKE SURE HE STICKS TO A BLAND DIET FOR THE TIME BEING...

AND TRY TO MANAGE HIS STRESS LEVELS.

YES, THANK YOU, DOCTOR.

...HEY!

HEY, YOU!

YOU OKAY? HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

...AM I AT THE HOSPITAL?

YOU GOT HERE IN AN AMBULANCE, MAN. THIS IS THE ER.

YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE... I COULD'VE JUST SLEPT IT OFF.

WHAT'S THIS...?

HEY, DON'T TOUCH THAT!

YOU NEED TO WAIT FOR THE DRIP TO FINISH, BOZO.

I'M FINE NOW.

SHUT UP. YOU WERE AS PALE AS A GHOST JUST AN HOUR AGO. HELL, YOU WERE CONVULSING.

TAKE THAT OUT AND I'LL KILL YOU.

THE DOCTOR ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING STRESSING YOU OUT.

HE THINKS IT'S STRESS-INDUCED GASTRITIS.

NAH, I'M GOOD. MUST'VE EATEN SOMETHING OFF.

BY THE WAY...

...I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU WEARING YOUR SHIRT LIKE THAT.

...AH.

I WAS IN SUCH A RUSH TO GET DRESSED...

YOU SEE HOW STARTLED I WAS?

...YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH ON THE WAY HERE.

I WAS WONDERING IF IT WAS MY FAULT, MAKING YOU WATCH YOUR VIDEOS WITH ME.

Ugh, This Collar.

YOU GOT ALL SNIPPY WHEN I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT YOUR HOCKEY STYLE, COME TO THINK OF IT.

COMPLAINING THAT I ONLY CARE ABOUT YOU AS A PLAYER...

NO, NOT AT ALL. I LOVED IT, ACTUALLY.

IT TOOK ME BACK...

...TO THOSE DAYS BUSTING MY ASS OFF TO GET YOU TO NOTICE ME.

I THOUGHT THAT...

...I WAS JUST ONE OF A BUNCH OF EXTRAS ORBITING AROUND YOU...

...BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT I WASN'T.

TURNS OUT THAT I WAS SPECIAL TO YOU, AT LEAST WHEN I WAS PLAYING HOCKEY.

SPECIAL ENOUGH FOR YOU TO NOTICE HABITS THAT EVEN I NEVER REALIZED.

HOCKEY WAS MY SPECIAL POWER ALL ALONG.

SO I FIGURED I'LL JUST HAVE TO BECOME THE BEST FUCKING HOCKEY PLAYER I CAN, THEN.

SO YOU'LL KEEP GLOATING OVER MY PLAYS.

WHO-

WHO SAYS I EVER GLOATED OVER YOUR PLAYS?

YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG IDEA-

DOES THIS FINISH FASTER IF I PRESS IT? I WANNA GO HOME.

STOP THAT, YOU IDIOT!

KIDDING.

THAT'S A LOAD OFF MY MIND IF YOU SAY IT WASN'T ME, BUT...

WHAT IS IT THEN? WAS IT JUST FATIGUE AFTER THE FRIENDLY?

KOREA

NEROVA

@edgdsd275 16 hours ago Ryu Ian is KOREAN Reply

@Escback23 16 hours ago The man who couldn't...lose... Reply

@minju0211 16 hours ago It's good that Ryu Ian has gotten peopl interested in ice hockey, we need the government to make a long-term commitment to the sport now.

Jeez I'm so tired of the Ryu Ian hype...just gonna watch this 30 more time Reply

@Rce5Tu223 58 minutes ago Ryu Ian's bio dad is alive Reply

...HUH?

WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?

SporTV