#62

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The funeral ended without incident, and my father was laid to rest in a small columbarium.

Two weeks later, the doctor gave Shin Ho-jae the opinion that it would be no problem for him to play in games.

Considering the doctor had said it would take more than four weeks during the initial examination, it was a remarkably fast recovery. It was the result of focusing solely on recovery after the funeral.

Facing his first day back at work in two weeks, Shin Ho-jae showered and opened his wardrobe. He always felt a sense of solemnity at this moment. It felt as if he were choosing a combat uniform before a war.

Of course, what he wore during actual games was a uniform, not a suit, but that was the nature of a suit. Its lack of comfort had a power that automatically forced the body to stand straight and upright.

Shin Ho-jae’s hand naturally bypassed the worn-out suit he wore every day. Instead, he pulled out a dress shirt and jacket he had never worn before.

A navy jacket that was nearly black, a white dress shirt, and a tie in a blue similar to the Blue Wolves uniform.

As he had felt during the funeral, the texture against his skin was indescribably good. Accordingly, the fit was exceptional. He felt almost unfamiliar with the reflection of himself in the mirror.

Ho-jae took some wax in his hand and groomed his hair. It would be drenched in sweat once the game ended anyway, but for some reason, he felt he had to do it when wearing these clothes.

“Oh, Ho-jae! What’s with today? Why did you get even more handsome? Is your body okay?”

“You sent your father off well, right? You’ve been through a lot.”

On the way to the locker room after arriving at the Ice Arena, he encountered more people than usual. Not only the players but also the club staff all offered a word of greeting. Ho-jae expressed his gratitude each time.

As he finished descending the stairs to the first basement level where the locker room was located, a certain face caught his eye. It was Kwon Jung-hyun. After giving brief answers to the coaches who spoke to him, Ho-jae turned his gaze back toward him.

He remembered burying his face in Jung-hyun’s shoulder and sobbing like a child.

That day, Jung-hyun had remained at the funeral hall and accompanied him through the funeral procession and to the crematorium. Since Jung-hyun had arrived close to the time of the procession, the procession itself was expected, but Ho-jae had been inwardly very surprised that he would stay until the cremation.

Belatedly, Jung-hyun’s gaze shifted toward Ho-jae. His eyes were slightly lower than Ho-jae’s face. Then, as if realizing what suit Shin Ho-jae was wearing, he smiled faintly.

For some reason, the area below his cheeks felt hot. He had simply worn the clothes gifted to him, but did it always feel this ticklish when the person who bought them recognized them?

Feeling awkward, he rubbed the back of his neck, and Jung-hyun stepped closer and asked.

“How is your condition?”

“It’s good.”

“If you feel dizzy or get a headache during the game…”

“I’ll come out without overdoing it.”

At the flawless answer, a small chuckle returned.

“I wish you all the luck.”

Leaving those words behind, Jung-hyun nodded as if telling him to go inside. Ho-jae also gave a polite bow and stepped into the locker room.

Then, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked back. It was because he felt a sense of déjà vu.

Kwon Jung-hyun had already disappeared from sight.

“…….”

I wish you all the luck.

Where had he heard those words before? A crease formed between Ho-jae’s brows.

“Ho-jae, Ho-jae, are you listening? I said I invited CEO Jung-hyun to my housewarming party.”

“Huh?”

At Yuk Du-min’s words, Ho-jae belatedly turned his head. He hadn’t heard a single word of the preceding sentence.

“…Who are you inviting where?”

“This bastard didn’t hear a thing, did he? I’m really letting it slide because you had a head injury. I moved, remember? I told you I invited CEO Jung-hyun to the housewarming party this week.”

During the two weeks Ho-jae focused on recovery, Du-min’s contract for his original studio apartment ended, and he had to move.

Calling it a contract expiration was generous; in reality, it was no different from being kicked out. This was because the landlord had become noticeably uncomfortable after seeing news articles about Du-min.

“Of course, you have to come too. After the game this Sunday.”

“Why would the CEO come to your housewarming party…”

“Ho-jae, Ho-jae. What did I tell you last time? My owner, call me Yuk Du-min. Okay?”

“…….”

“And we’re super close. We talked a ton in the car to the crematorium. The CEO said he’d definitely come.”

“…Alright.”

The owner attending a mere player’s housewarming party. People from other teams would think it was absurd, but since that owner was Kwon Jung-hyun, it didn’t feel particularly strange.

He was already someone who showed immense interest in the club, to the point of following them to training camps and away games. He frequently attended team dinners with Peter, and since his age was similar to the players, he was quite close to them.

Shin Ho-jae ended the conversation and put on his protectors one by one. Finally, he turned to put on his uniform top.

The number 86 was printed largely on the back of the blue uniform. Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, Ho-jae pulled the uniform off the hanger.

And suddenly, a blurred memory flashed through his mind.

I wish you all the luck.

The words that felt familiar were a sentence he had seen on social media. Words that ’86’ always added at the end.

The reason he hadn’t recognized them immediately was likely because he had always seen them as text, but had now heard them as a voice.

“…….”

Shin Ho-jae’s heart began to thumping wildly.

Normally, he might have dismissed it as a coincidence. But was it possible for coincidences to overlap this much?

Jung-hyun’s comment that he first saw him at a Canadian youth tournament. The statement that he was a fan. The timing of his return to Korea and the timing when the ’86’ account stopped. The number 86 embroidered inside the jacket…

The scraps of paper scattered in his memory suddenly clicked together like puzzle pieces.

He heard the sound of clapping to draw attention. At the entrance of the locker room, he saw Peter, Coach Yoo, the General Manager, and Jung-hyun.

『As I mentioned yesterday, there is a new unit. Yong-su, Ho-jae, Moon, Du-min, Park. The five strongest attackers on our team.』

While listening intently to Peter’s words, Ho-jae stared piercingly at Jung-hyun’s face, who was standing further back.

『As you know, the Ratsum are rough. But that makes it just as easy to induce penalties. The moment one of those rats enters the penalty box, you go in. That’s where you make your move.』

Coincidentally, Shin Ho-jae’s return match was the third game against the Sakhalin Ratsum.

Since they had lost both games two weeks ago, the current league rankings had shifted. Ratsum was 3rd, and the Blue Wolves were 4th.

A Power Play (PP) situation, where the opposing team’s numbers are reduced due to a penalty, was a golden opportunity to score more easily.

To make this opportunity even more advantageous, Peter devised a strategy to remove the defenseman from the ‘Power Play Unit’ and instead put in Shin Ho-jae, Choi Yong-su, Moon Seung-yeol, Yuk Du-min, and Park Hyeong-hun.

At Peter’s gesture, everyone gathered in the center of the locker room and put their hands together.

『Now! Blue Wolves, let’s win!』

“Let’s win!”

The players, having finished their preparations, grabbed their hockey sticks lined up against the wall and walked confidently down the long corridor.

Above the rink, bathed in blue lighting, the arena announcer’s voice echoed.

—Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting! The MJ Blue Wolves are entering!

From the mouth of the Blue Wolves’ mascot, a blue wolf installed on the ice for the opening show, blue smoke and white flames erupted.

On game days, the rink becomes similar to a concert hall. The woofer sound vibrating the floor, the laser show, the DJ’s flashy mixing, and the cheers of the crowd.

Ho-jae scanned the stands through his helmet visor. The crowd had increased noticeably compared to two weeks ago.

According to Du-min, the Blue Wolves had recently gained unexpected popularity in online communities as ‘crazy dogs in a street fight.’

Following the incident where they were kicked out en masse during the practice game against the Tigers, and then causing a bench-clearing brawl in the game against Ratsum two weeks ago, it seemed they had earned a certain kind of notoriety.

Banners with somewhat rough slogans like ‘Kill them’ and ‘Land a punch’ were visible here and there.

Since today’s game was a revenge match against Ratsum, there was an underlying atmosphere of anticipation for something similar to happen again.

The players’ eyes sparkled as they saw this. For athletes in an unpopular sport, nothing boosted morale more than an increase in spectators.

The announcer began calling the names, starting with the captain, Choi Yong-su.

When it was their turn, the players gave high-fives to the coaches, the General Manager, the head coach, and the owner standing at the entrance before entering the rink.

Soon it was Ho-jae’s turn. He felt as if his entire body was thumping. He couldn’t tell if it was because of the music echoing through the arena or the sound of his own heart.

Ho-jae gave high-fives to the coaches, the General Manager, and the head coach in order, and then stood before the final person, Jung-hyun.

Kwon Jung-hyun held up his palm with a slightly flushed face. Ho-jae met his hand with his gloved hand and gripped it tightly.

When Jung-hyun’s eyes met Ho-jae’s, Ho-jae asked impulsively.

“Do you still take photos where 86 appears?”

Jung-hyun’s eyes widened.

At that moment, Shin Ho-jae’s name echoed through the arena. Ho-jae let go of his hand and immediately glided onto the ice, cutting through the rink.

Why? He no longer thought it was a misunderstanding or just a feeling.

Rather, everything pointed to a single answer, to the point where he wondered why he hadn’t realized it sooner.

Ho-jae ran across the ice, gripping the stick in his right hand. The cold air hitting his face and the sense of speed were exhilarating. His condition was perfect.

After the national anthem ended, the players of both teams stood facing each other in their respective zones. The referee dropped the black rubber onto the ice. The puck drop.

63 – Puck Drop