#105

Kyung Seung-hee sank to the floor with a vacant expression, staring blankly at Jung-hyun. Leaving him be, Jung-hyun picked up the remote control that had flown far away.

“……Don’t go, Jung-hyun. I don’t know what I might do.”

Jung-hyun glanced at him and pressed a button on the remote in his hand. A clunking sound echoed as the lock was released.

“The incident involving you that was covered up at my house—I could ask my sister to dig deeper into that. Are you sure you’re okay with that…?”

Jung-hyun walked toward the exit, limping slightly. Kyung Seung-hee’s desperate, screaming voice followed behind him.

“Jung-hyun!”

“Assault, intimidation, and attempted rape. At this point, I don’t think there’s any need for me to pay alimony.”

“I never wanted a few pennies anyway. I only need you, Jung-hyun…!”

Jung-hyun turned his head toward Kyung Seung-hee.

“You’ve lived your whole life getting everything you wanted, Seung-hee. That’s why you’re so anxious. Because you feel like I’m the one thing you can’t get your hands on.”

“……What do I have to do for you to come back? Should I apologize?”

“But Seung-hee. If it was the Beta Kwon Jung-hyun, the one praised by everyone, that you liked—that person is already gone.”

“…….”

“You were chasing a phantom. You too, Seung-hee.”

As he turned the round doorknob, it rotated without a single hitch.

Kyung Seung-hee could only stare helplessly at Jung-hyun’s receding back with a devastated face.

＊＊＊

Title: Did anyone see Coach Peter in the stands today? lol

I rubbed my eyes because I thought I was seeing things.

The veteran fan sitting next to me told me with tears in his eyes that the players pooled their money for flight and hotel costs to bring him here for the finals ㅠㅠ Isn’t that amazing?

But Coach Peter is seriously loyal… Honestly, being fired mid-season? That must have been such an unpleasant experience. If it were me, I think I’d be traumatized, but he just said OK immediately at the players’ request ㅠ

Comments

└ For real?? That’s insane

└ I saw him lol I went to ask for an autograph after the 1st period, but he gave me a cold rejection, saying he had to have a meeting with his players via video call lol └└ Holy shit lol A fired coach managing his players via video call during every break ㅠ

└└└ Lmao that’s a level of class I’ve never heard of before

└ Did you see the photo on Peter’s Insta of him doing video analysis + strategy meetings and eating chicken and beer with the players at the lodging? Choi Yong-su and advisor Park Nam-woong, who are out for the season, were there too lol It looked so wholesome…

└└ That’s my tear-jerker ㅠ

└└ But why are they doing strategy meetings at a lodging??

└└└ Because the club blocked them from using the club facilities ㅇㅇ

└└└└ ????? Are those bastards insane?

Title: MJ, go ahead and try to interfere all you want lol

You’re just strengthening the bond between Coach Peter and the Mad Dogs ㅋㅋㅋ

Yuk Du-min does lives every day, and he says Peter is currently homestaying at the players’ houses and getting served full 9-dish traditional meals every day. Peter looks like he’s gained some weight…? He looks so happy ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Comments

└ No, but seriously, I don’t understand—why is MJ interfering?? Isn’t it good for them if the kids do well and get results?

└└ There’s a rumor that MJ is trying to quit the sports business because it’s not making money └└└ Crazy bastards… Try all you want lol The more you do that, the more our Mad Dogs will run wild └└└└ I hope the Blue Wolves just take the trophy home lol And I hope they grab a bigger corporate sponsor than MJ and put MJ in their place

Title: What’s happening with the Asia League Playoffs right now?

Can someone summarize please ㅇㅇ

Comments

└ The laziness is real… Blue Wolves beat Red Falcons and are playing the finals against the Tigers ㅇㅇ Game 1 ended yesterday, and they win the trophy if they get 3 wins. Happy now?

└└ thx thx

└└ Is this guy a tsundere? lol

Title: There are no seats? Is this for real? (Subject: Watching Blue Wolves live) I just thought it was interesting while browsing the boards, but yesterday on Yuk Du-min’s YouTube live, the players were talking about their feelings while preparing for the finals, and my heart was honestly breaking and swelling at the same time ㅠ

I decided I absolutely had to see this final, so I went to the ticket site…

Every single seat for the Tigers vs. Blue Wolves match in Gangneung this week is sold out… Is this for real?

I thought people said nobody watches ice hockey?

Then why is there no seat for me?

Comments

└ Ah, yesterday’s live was seriously so good… ㅠㅠ Everyone’s faces were red from having a drink and they were all teary… ㅠ I cried with them…

└└ Did you see that MJ cut the flight support, so the kids played the playoff deciding match without their own equipment? I wondered why Alexei was out then; └└ Yeah… It makes me so angry. It was even more heartbreaking because the players talked about it with smiles, like it was just a funny episode └ Honestly, at this point, I’m starting to think the current owner is the villain, not the former owner Matt-gap lol └ (OP) No, guys, so is there no seat for me…

└└ lol Sometimes on-site tickets pop up. Try going there on the day of.

Title: This is crazy crazy crazy, it’s so damn fun

Wow

The Tigers’ comeback goal today was insane ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

I went to see the Blue Wolves, but honestly, I have to admit that was impressive Comments

└ Tigers are good ㅇㅇ They aren’t a 3-time consecutive champion team for nothing. It was weird that they were 2nd in the regular season this time ㅇㅇ

Title: I’ve been waiting for the Korea Derby~! (Game 3 Review) Today the Mad Dogs are gritting their teeth to stop the Tigers…. Wow…

Honestly, most sports games get boring once they reach the playoff finals Usually, the 1st place team from the regular season has a huge advantage ㅇㅇ

But for the Blue Wolves, who barely made it to the playoffs, to be at this level…

I’ve always only seen the Tigers go to the finals with Japanese or Russian teams, but since it’s two Korean teams facing off, there’s something different—it’s more thrilling and grand ㅠ

Currently, it’s Tigers 2 wins, Blue Wolves 1 win, but seeing how they played today, I don’t think the Blue Wolves will lose Game 4 easily lol They were running like their lives depended on it…

My prediction is this goes to a 5th game…

Comments

└ Fuck, so you have a spare ticket? ㅠㅜㅠ

└└ Scalpers are all over it ㅋㅋㅋ You can probably get one if you pay extra └ But seriously, isn’t this damn fun? Both teams are really good ＊＊＊

Shin Ho-jae ended a phone call, not knowing for the nth time.

He couldn’t get in touch with reporter Park Ha-na.

It started when the news wasn’t reported on the date she had promised. At the time, he didn’t worry much, thinking it was just a slight delay.

However, a while ago, he tried to contact her to share some suspicious information about Kwon Ki-hyuk, only to find that her phone was turned off.

And for three weeks now, the scoop she promised has appeared nowhere, and she remains unreachable.

Ho-jae bit his lip anxiously, staring at the black, dead screen.

『Ho-jae.』

Ho-jae looked up at the sound of Peter’s voice. He approached, strolling along in comfortable clothes.

『I heard you’ve been staying at Sang-gon hyung’s house lately.』

『Yeah. Gon’s place is way better than most hotels. He commutes in a FerrarX. Anyway, you said you had something to ask? Shall we talk over some drinks?』

Ho-jae nodded and gestured toward the convenience store.

It had been Shin Ho-jae’s idea to bring back Peter, who had left Korea after being fired.

At the players’ desperate request, Peter had come to Korea without hesitation. It was a relief.

He was only saying this now, but at the time, it hadn’t occurred to him that Peter might feel uncomfortable with the players’ contact or might refuse the request. He had been certain that Peter would naturally want to be with them.

It was only later, after seeing the comments on Du-min’s YouTube, that he realized how difficult a decision it must have been for a fired coach to return to the same team. In the end, Shin Ho-jae’s prediction had been correct, but if he had been a Korean coach who had to walk on eggshells around the association, it likely wouldn’t have happened.

Ho-jae and Peter picked out beer, water, potato chips, and sausages from the convenience store and sat at a table.

『There’s something I want to ask about CEO Jung-hyun.』

『About Hugh?』

Peter asked as he carefully unwrapped a sausage he had heated in the microwave. Shin Ho-jae nodded.

『Even if it’s old news, could you tell me anything about the CEO’s family?』

『Hmm, Hugh wasn’t the type to talk much about himself. All I know is that he seemed incredibly wealthy, unlike a typical international student… and that he was a free-love enthusiast who didn’t stop people from coming or going?』

“…….”

『Even though he was a Beta male, he was popular regardless of trait or gender. There were always kids in school and at clubs who wanted to date Hugh.』

Shin Ho-jae unconsciously narrowed his eyes.

At that, Peter burst into loud laughter.

『Haha! I’m kidding. To be precise, what I said is true, but I just said it because I was curious about your reaction.』

With the laughter still on his face, Peter devoured the moderately cooled sausage in two bites, gulped down his beer, and crushed the can.

『You like Hugh, don’t you?』

Then, he asked with a smirk.

『I’ve lived long enough to see this. To think that guy’s unrequited love would come true. Ah, but did Hugh say he was getting married soon? Hmm. Well, his family seemed complicated.』

Peter shook his head slightly and opened a second can. Ho-jae spoke as he watched Peter open the potato chip bag vertically to flatten it.

『…Could you tell me more about that.』

『I don’t know much either. Four years ago, his grandfather passed away, and he said he was going to Seoul, but he never came back. I cleaned up his place for him.』

Peter gave a small shrug of his broad shoulders.

『He was unreachable, just like now. I actually thought he had died.』

“…….”

『Then suddenly, last year, he contacted me. Offering me the head coach position for the Blue Wolves.』

As he spoke, Peter smirked.

『After that, well, it’s a story you already know, Ho-jae…. Ah.』

Peter looked into the air as if remembering something, then turned his head.

『Come to think of it, he did mention something. When I asked if the reason he suddenly returned to Korea four years ago was to study management, he said MJ wasn’t his.』

“…….”

『And that his ten years of living in the US had been like an exile.』

The hand Ho-jae had resting on the water bottle tightened silently.

106 – PUCK DROP