As the qualifying for the nationals comes to an end, all the swimmers are gathering up for a massive group picture. The third years in the middle, then the second years and finally, the first years.
It's been like this since the competition started so that everyone gets a chance to be the center in the photo.
The man in the middle is one of the writers and editors from a sports magazine called JW Sports. Along with him is the photographer, who is obviously taking the photo and an interviewer to get our thoughts.
JW Sports Publication was a company that I had to watch out for.
JW Sports isn't a big company, nor is it a small city magazine. It's an medium-large sized publication that mostly reports on highschool and middle school sports news.
If small is 5 employees, medium is 20 employees and large is 100 employees, JW Sports has 65 employees. That's a little scale for you.
Due to them only ever reporting on highschool and middle school sports, not many people read them, save for appreciating highschool girls and boys.
Besides those readers however, are the scouts.
JW Sports has been the favorite choice of magazine for scouts who don't know when to start because JW Sports are masters at reporting.
They are concise with all of the proper stats, their magazine is well designed and the details of every single athlete they interview is on point.
From their weight to their height and sometimes, even the athlete's training hours.
They started out as a small publishing company, but they got their big break when they got Park "Dolphin" Won-shik on the front page.
They had a promotion contract with Won-shik all the way until he was 23.
By that time, he had won his first gold medal for Korea in the Olympics and JW Sports was in the limelight as the engine that powered him there.
If Won-shik was the chassis, driver and the seat of the car, JW Sports was the engine. Most of the training camps have mentioned before that if they had not read JW Sports, they may have missed amazing talents.
With this, JW got favors upon favors from important people and now, they have fairly famous athletes promoting them. This is just a scale of how powerful JW is.
They are a medium-large company with the power of a large company, in summary. This is great. Why? They will obviously contract me.
Who wouldn't? Just look at me. Hel-lo~? Yeah, anyways...I can see from here that the editor and writer is looking at me with sparkly eyes.
Not like a pervert. Well, maybe a little bit. A pervert for money, that is.
I'm sure that he can hear the beautiful bank cashier telling him to have a nice day with a coquettish tone as he deposits his multi-million won check into the bank.
I'm good-looking, I'm a good athlete and from their scouting, my behavior outside of competition isn't destructive or something that can be bad for PR.
With the parents of the competitors on the side taking pictures, we all give our best smiles.
"Then, sayyyyyy kimchi!"
""Kimchi~""
The photographer takes a couple of photos and after only a couple of seconds, he finally wraps it up and lets up go. Since we are all middle schoolers, our parents barely trust us to hold a pair of scissors properly.
However, just for today, most of the parents allowed us to go eat out for dinner all together to celebrate the qualifying.
So, with everyone going to home to dress up for this get together, I just went home, took a the closest clothes in my closet and started watching TV with Jung.
"...so, you going to the dinner thing right?"
"Yup...."
"....."
"....."
Needless to say, me and Jung didn't really have much to talk about. I mean, we have lived together for 15 years. By the 13th year, you'll run out of topic to talk about.
It's insanity.
Thankfully though, mom saves us this awkward silence by picking me up and after waving my farewells to dad and Jung, I sit by my mom in the front seat.
As my mom, she is naturally chatty and can pull a conversation out of thin air and act as if I was the one who started talking. It's a special trait that only women have.
They are usually better at talking than men...or maybe just better at talking than I am.
"You did so well, Min-chul ah"
"Yes, thank you mom"
"...did any scouts approach you or anything?"
'Wow. I would have needed at least a minute to think of that topic. She took mere seconds! What a talent my mother is!'
"Uhhh, not today. I'm sure they are waiting for my 400 meter and medley qualifying next time. I'm not doing it though since my hip was a little bruised"
*krruruuuucccc*
When mom heard that no scouts approached me, she was a little sad that they didn't come up to her son. Look at him! He is the best swimmer there!
Her attitude completely changed however when she heard the phrase "hip was a little bruised".
Her eyes went bloodshot, her feet straining and her grip on the steering wheel tightening. So tight in fact, that when she let go a few seconds later, it have fingerprints.
"Uhhhh...mom?"
"Bruised? How'd that happen, my dear sweet boo-boo baby boy Min-chul?!?!"
"I don't really know either. Maybe it was from overexerting myself? It's all good. I'm still in the 100 meter and 200 meter"
"Really?"
When we reached a red light, she immediately turned her head to me and looked at me with wet eyes like a little child. Did I take your legos? Why are you tearing up???
She asks me if I'm really telling the truth and as a good son, I don't lie.
"Really"
"Really really?"
"Yes, really really"
With my constant reassurance throughout the entire 3 minute red light, she breaths a sigh of relief and returns her attention to driving while moving her body to the radio song.
Just from looking out the window, you can tell the class difference. I'm not a poor person by any means, but we aren't Gangnam money.
Like a gradient of money, the closer we got to the dinner location, the nicer the cars. We are in a regular 3 year old gray sedan, but the cars here are even more amazing.
The cheapest car I've seen on the road was a brand new black luxury sedan that would easily burn a hole through my father's pocket and then straight to the center of earth.
Easily 100 million to 125 million won. These damn rich people...
When mom pulls up to the restaurant, I can tell immediately that we don't fit in here. Just imagine a 3 year old, bland car next to cars easily costing at least 7 times as much.
If some random person passed by this, they'd think that we were a paparazzi spying on a celebrity meet-up or some famous athletes celebrating a win.
"This is the place mom. Thanks lots"
"Ahhh, no problem. Wait, before you go..."
With one foot out the door, she stops me with her hand and looks down with a blushing face...I know wha the wants, but the hell is wrong with her?
Dont blush at me! I came from your crotch! Don't do make this some sort of weird thing! It's familial love!
...and by that I mean...not the thing- oh whatever.
"Mwuahh. Bye bye mom! Drive safe!"
I lean over the center console of the car and give mom a kiss on her cheek. Ever since I stopped going to their rooms every night to say good night, she has been requesting this.
"Bye bye Min-chul!"
As she drives away, I start walking into the building with the words "Grills of Love" on the front. Sounds fun.
Hopefully the food is just as interesting.
I near the entrance of the building and since it's a crosswalk I'm walking on, it's still technically on the street. Right in front of me pulls up a white luxury car, cutting me off and almost running me over.
Just as I'm about to yell my heart out and get rid of some stress, I look at the car once more.
'...this car is 200 million won. Right, seems like I gotta be nice. Be nice be nice'
However, the person that steps out of the car is someone that I never expected.
"Hoy! You wanna die, huh? Standing in the middle of the street, you idiot- hey! Seems like it WAS an idiot!"
"...hello Yeon-min"
Yeon-min, the lanky and slightly unpleasant looking man stares me down, presumably to intimidate me.
This man, well, if he is even considered a man, is my "love rival".
——————
(A.N) yo! Another chapter for you beautiful readers and I hope you enjoyed this one and that you have a great day! Thanks for those who continue to support me as well!
As usual, if you really enjoyed this chapter and are currently enjoying this novel, consider dropping a review with your thoughts, voting ro me with your powerstones and commenting on this chapter.
Thanks so much and really, peace ✌️! Love ya! See ya when I see ya!