Melting Point — Chapter 5

OH, YOU WANT YOUR FLOWERS BACK?

WHAT?

HYUNG, I'M GOING IN MR. BAEK'S CAR.

HUH? WHAT FOR?

HE COULD JUST BE SAYING THAT. WHAT IF HE DITCHES US?

RYU IAN! GET BACK OVER HERE!

YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH HIM, MR. BAEK.

OH, THAT'S ALRIGHT. THERE'S NO PROBLEM...

...IF HE WANTS TO COME IN MY CAR.

CRAZY TRAFFIC, ISN'T IT? THAT'S SEOUL FOR YOU.

YOU ALRIGHT? YOU WANT TO SWITCH CARS AGAIN?

I'M FINE. IT'S NOT TOO BAD.

I DIDN'T KNOW YOU LIKED CRAMPED SPACES THAT MUCH.

HE'S TOO PROUD TO BACK DOWN NOW...

WELL...I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO SQUEEZE INTO A-

...TIGHT-

AGH!

OH, SORRY. I WAS TRYING TO BEAT THE RED LIGHT. WHAT WERE YOU SAYING AGAIN?

NEVER MIND, JUST HURRY UP.

Oh, By The Way...

EUNPA SAYS ANY TIME IS FINE WITH HIM.

HE SAYS HE'LL DO WHATEVER WORKS BEST WITH YOUR SCHEDULE.

OKAY. I'LL LET YOU KNOW THIS EVENING WHEN MY MANAGER GIVES ME MY TRAINING SCHEDULE.

HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT EUNPA'S INJURY, ANYWAY?

DON'T TELL ME YOU FOUND OUT WHILE YOU WERE COLLECTING MATERIAL TO BLACKMAIL ME WITH.

I ASKED THE COACH BECAUSE I NOTICED HIS NAME WASN'T ON THE LIST.

I KNOW HE'S GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE THE NATIONAL TEAM, SO I WONDERED...

WE MIGHT HAVE DONE BETTER AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IF HE HAD BEEN ON THE TEAM.

HE'S A PRETTY GOOD DEFENSEMAN.

I KNOW, EUNPA'S GOOD.

HE'S GOT STAMINA, UNLIKE ME.

DON’T SAY THAT.

YOU WERE SO MUCH BETTER.

...HEY.

I WOULD HAVE NEVER STARTED HOCKEY IF IT WEREN’T FOR YOU.

WHEW, THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS TAKE SO LONG HERE.

THAT GUY NEVER HOLDS BACK.

I DIDN’T REALIZE YOU THOUGHT OF IT AS BLACKMAIL, THOUGH.

COME ON!! YOU THREATENED ME WITH MY FAMILY!

I OFFERED YOU A DEAL, THAT'S ALL.

YOU COULD'VE JUST SAID YES THE FIRST TIME.

ANYWAY, YOU'D BETTER KEEP YOUR WORD ABOUT EUNPA.

I SAID I'LL SIGN A CONTRACT IF YOU WANT. WHEW, THAT'S BETTER.

WHO NEEDS A PIECE OF PAPER WHEN I CAN JUST PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE?

WOW, I'M SO SCARED...

Ice Arena

88, 89...

...90, ALRIGHT!

ALMOST THERE NOW, GIMME 10 MORE!

91, 92...

OH, MY. SHOOTING IAN WORKING OUT IN AEROS GEAR WAS THE BEST IDEA EVER.

...93, 94...

I KNOW, RIGHT? IT'S GREAT EXPOSURE FOR US.

NO, I DON'T MEAN THAT...

I MEAN JUST LOOK AT THAT BODY. WHAT A MAN.

THE BABY SEEMS TO LIKE HIM, TOO.

DON'T TELL ME THAT'S WHY YOU INSISTED ON COMING TODAY...

YOU JUST DON'T GET THAT SORT OF PHYSIQUE AND THAT HEIGHT IN THE SAME PACKAGE, YOU KNOW?

I THOUGHT ONE OF HIS PARENTS MUST BE CANADIAN WHEN I HEARD HE WAS BORN OVER THERE, BUT THEY SAY HE'S 100 PERCENT KOREAN.

YES, I THINK SO.

HIS DAD PASSED AWAY WHEN HE WAS JUST A KID, APPARENTLY.

HAVE YOU BEEN FIGHTING AGAIN? CAN'T YOU GIVE IT A REST?

THE KIDS WOULDN’T STOP MAKING FUN OF ME FOR NOT HAVING A DAD.

AGAIN?

JUST IGNORE THEM. DON’T LET THEM GET TO YOU LIKE THAT.

PLAYER

THEY STARTED TRASHING MY MOM, TOO...

WHAT THE FUCK?!

SAID THAT I WAS A BASTARD.

YOU DIDN'T JUST SIT THERE AND TAKE IT, DID YOU?!

'COURSE NOT. I WHOOPED THEIR ASSES.

HE WAS STILL PRETTY CUTE BACK THEN...

NOW HE'S THIS LUMBERING JOCK...

WHAT?

HE'S ALL OUT OF BREATH...

WHAT'S WITH THE DIRTY LOOKS? I'M FOLLOWING YOU AROUND LIKE YOU TOLD ME TO, AREN'T I?

I TAKE IT BACK THAT YOU WERE EVER A CUTE KID.

OH, WOW, REALLY?

'SCUSE ME? IAN HERE SAYS YOU GUYS USED TO PLAY HOCKEY TOGETHER.

IT'S IAN'S RINK TIME NOW.

WHAT DO YOU SAY YOU SHOOT A FEW PASSES WITH HIM?

HUH?

I GOT THIS.

DON'T FREAK OUT. THIS IS NOTHING.

IT'S JUST A PRACTICE DRILL. I'VE DONE IT A MILLION TIMES.

IT'LL ALL BE OVER IN A FEW MINUTES.

GO, EUNSAN!

WOO-HOO!

BAEK EUNSAN. WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO DISAPPOINT ME?

HAA...

...?

YOU THINK HOCKEY IS A JOKE?

YOU'VE HAD EVERY ADVANTAGE. CAN'T YOU DO BETTER THAN THIS?

YOU'LL NEVER BE THE BEST WITH THAT ATTITUDE.

BAEK EUNSAN?

HE'S ONLY CAPTAIN BECAUSE HIS DAD'S THE COACH.

HE'S NOTHING WITHOUT HIS DAD.

I'LL EAT MY HAT IF HE MAKES IT PRO.

HAA...

HAA...!

JUST LOOK AT IAN. AREN'T YOU ASHAMED OF YOURSELF?

HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF A SUNBAE?

YOU'RE USELESS.

HAA...!!

JUST A SECOND.

SUNBAE?

IF YOU HAD HALF THE TALENT IAN HAS...

HAA...

HAA...!

SUNBAE!

MR. BAEK!

EUNSAN!

IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU.

IF ONLY YOU HAD NEVER SHOWED UP...

BREATHE, SUNBAE. IT'S OKAY.

CAN WE GET A DOCTOR HERE, PLEASE!

I JUST PUT ALL THAT STUFF BEHIND ME.

HOCKEY...

... AND YOU.