* * *
Reaching out first after cutting off all contact might seem ridiculous, but considering he had disappeared without a word, if Sejin had tried to contact him during that time, the message saying the number was no longer in service must have left a strong impression.
Sejin might have assumed he had changed his number.
While Taehyun nervously tapped the bezel of his phone with his fingers, the dark screen suddenly lit up.
“Oh.”
Hurriedly unlocking and opening the screen, his anticipation deflated.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the text he had been waiting for.
Ahn Jimin: What are you up to? (2:54 PM)
At the fitness center now? (2:54 PM)
He was a rowing athlete doing his best to improve his performance ahead of the national team training camp.
Was his name Ahn Jimin?
He was four years younger than Taehyun, in a different major, but they were from the same university and had some familiarity.
He had been competing as part of a local government team without corporate sponsorship, but after achieving an outstanding result at last year’s World Championships, he had gained recognition.
Despite being in an unpopular sport, he had already built a solid fanbase thanks to his impressive height and good looks, and now, after nearly reaching the medal zone at the World Championships last year, he was being hailed as a promising rookie.
The world of sports is essentially part of show business.
Appearances are important, and whatever is visible can either be an advantage or a disadvantage.
Whether it’s excellent performance, personal charm, or whatever catches the eye, it inevitably helps. Looks were no exception.
Although he often complained about people always talking about his looks, the reality was that, by using his appearance to attract attention, he was able to land sponsorships and make a living.
Though the circumstances were different, Taehyun was one of the first to gain attention for his looks, so perhaps out of a sense of camaraderie, Ahn Jimin would frequently contact him.
Yeah (2:54 PM)
Letting out a sigh, Taehyun sent a reply, and a response came back almost immediately.
Ahn Jimin: I’m about to arrive. (2:54 PM)
Want to do some interval training together? (2:54 PM)
Unfortunately, Taehyun had already finished his cardio for the day.
No (2:55 PM)
Just doing some stretching before heading out (2:55 PM)
If their timing matched, they might just bump into each other.
As Taehyun casually replied, the screen that had turned off lit up again.
Was he going to whine about doing it together until he was done?
He wasn’t a kid who couldn’t go to the bathroom without a friend; he was 24 and still whining about doing basic training together.
Whatever he said, Taehyun was ready to respond with a curt “No,” but at that moment, the notification wasn’t from a messenger app but a text message.
Oh, right. This was the one he had been waiting for.
The messenger notification still showed that a new message had arrived, but Taehyun ignored it and opened the text message screen.
Joo Sejin: 7 PM, training ends. (2:56 PM)
Luckily, it seemed Sejin had understood exactly who it was.
Or perhaps he had already received Taehyun’s new number from his agency.
Taehyun felt a moment of annoyance that the agency hadn’t told Sejin who it was despite the strict confidentiality, but he quickly gathered his thoughts.
7 PM… Taehyun checked if his personal training routine would be done by then and sent a reply.
Then I’ll drop by your place around 9 PM. (2:56 PM)
Since it’s not exactly a wholesome conversation, it might be better to talk at home or in a car rather than in a café or public place.
The time passed slowly as I anxiously waited for a response.
One minute, two minutes… then three.
Even though the time on the clock at the top kept changing, there was no reply from Sejin.
What is this?
Is it hard to check the phone because he’s in training?
I don’t know where he is or what he’s doing, but since he’s expected to “of course” secure a gold medal, he must be devoted to training even at this very moment.
“Well, it can’t be helped.”
It’s impossible to keep holding onto a phone while in the middle of intense focus.
Taehyun took a deep breath again and wiped the sweat, which had long since gone cold, with a sports towel.
Entering training with muscles stiffened due to slight tension could easily lead to injuries.
I need to warm up again quickly. Just as he was about to leave the meeting room, the screen lit up.
Joo Sejin: Yes. Please call me when you’re nearby. (3:09 PM)
Taehyun gave a wry smile at the hard-earned message. The curt, almost inhuman tone was very much like Joo Sejin.
Okay. (3:10 PM)
Having received a definite answer, he needed to focus on stretching again.
As he shoved the phone back into his pocket and was about to head to the fitness room attached to the stretching room,
“Hey! Why aren’t you checking your messenger?”
A familiar face wrapped an arm around Taehyun’s neck with a cheerful laugh.
Recognizing the person who had suddenly come upon him, Taehyun immediately shrugged off the shoulder hold with a smile.
“What else? If I check, you’re just going to nag me to run more. I’m done with cardio today. I’m going to do some stretching before heading to event training.”
If it were a group training session organized by the national team, he could spar one-on-one with backup athletes, but this was a period of personal preparation for the upcoming event-specific training camp.
Right now, what he could do was practice individually to correct his posture and master his movements to aim for his target quickly, accurately, and without wavering.
When Taehyun waved his hand in annoyance, the guy placed his hand on Taehyun’s shoulder and asked,
“Can I help you? It’s better to stretch together than alone, isn’t it?”
Having an assistant wouldn’t be a bad thing, but it wasn’t really necessary right now.
Taehyun removed Jimin’s hand from his shoulder again and said,
“No, thanks. My partner today is the foam roller. You go focus on your intervals before I tell Coach Kim.”
Jimin flinched at Taehyun’s playful threat and quickly stepped away from him.
Even if they were in different sports, there were plenty of ways to build connections—same school, same local team, same agency, or even just using the same floor at the dormitory during training camps.
It was the same with Coach Kim In-sik, Jimin’s coach.
They could become close just because their seats were near each other while waiting for the closing ceremony after a big event.
Jimin, who had probably the widest social network among active athletes, was startled by Taehyun’s threat and backed off.
“Ah, come on. Alright. But next time, let’s run together, okay?”
Running on a treadmill with someone next to you doesn’t really make a big difference since each person runs at their own settings anyway.
Taehyun scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. Soon, as more athletes, still focused on personal training, started to join one by one, Taehyun gave a quick wave and headed to the stretching room.
The sturdy yet soft mat on the floor provided firm support to his feet.
Bending down to stretch and slowly loosening the tense muscles from running, he gradually felt his body heat up again.
Gently rubbing the tense spots from the tips of his toes up to the inner thighs, his body became limber once more.
“Alright, that’s better.”
As Taehyun finished stretching and stood up, the guy who should have been focused on his own running was watching him through the translucent window.
Geez.
As Taehyun frowned, signaling he’d really go tell on him if he didn’t focus, Jimin hurriedly turned his head away.
Is it because he’s an alpha?
Up until today, he had been taking suppressants to keep his pheromone levels down to the point where he could enter the stadium, so it wasn’t like Jimin could have sensed he was an omega.
Maybe it was a natural attraction, or perhaps he was just personally leaning on Taehyun, but at this point, it was getting hard to ignore.
“Should I just change my facility usage time?”
It might be difficult to change his waking hours since waking up early and going to bed early was best, but perhaps finding a personal facility or reducing their encounters would be better.
Even though he was keeping his messages dry and impersonal, this guy kept crossing the line more and more.
Many people had feelings for Taehyun beyond just friendship.
Regardless of his game results, a handsome, kind, financially well-off guy who also appeared in various commercials and variety shows was naturally popular wherever he went.
Moreover, if such a person was inclined to help others and couldn’t stand leaving a tough job to someone else, misunderstandings were bound to happen.
* * *
