Chapter 16
‘No, no.’
The heat flower began to bloom again. The monster was trying to devour him. He had been managing his emotions well for a while, but as soon as he started to waver, it appeared like a ghost. Taekyung curled his body up, unable to do anything about the monster releasing heat as it tried to reveal his will. He was so scared. Should he call his fathers? What should he do? His fathers had told him that if he felt sick when many people were around, it could cause trouble for them, so he should call them at the slightest sign of physical discomfort… Taekyung took out his phone and was about to press the call button when he remembered the faces of his fathers and brothers cheering him on before he came to the waiting room. I don’t want to disappoint them. I don’t want them to worry anymore. If I endure a little longer, won’t it go away? If I win over it this time too, won’t the monster disappear? Taekyung staggered up from the chair, went to a corner, and sat down, wrapping his body tightly. It was a childish thought that this way, he might have less impact on other people.
‘Don’t come out. I’m scared. No, I’m not scared. So don’t come out. If you come out, I won’t let you get away with it.’
He fought fiercely in his mind. His body was growing limp and hot. Hot enough that it wouldn’t be strange if he exploded right now. Because of this, his breathing became rough and his heart felt tight.
‘Is this it?’
Just then, the waiting room door swung open and a voice was heard. Someone had come in. This wasn’t good.
‘What? There’s no one here. No, shouldn’t this instructor at least tell me exactly where the waiting room is before running off to do registration or whatever? How am I supposed to find—’
The boy standing at the door with his hands on his hips, grumbling, looked much bigger and stronger than Taekyung. While Taekyung’s taekwondo uniform was still too big and kept slipping down, the boy’s uniform fit him perfectly, and his belt was neatly tied, making him look cool.
‘Should I check the next room? Hmm?’
As the boy turned around, he spotted Taekyung in the corner and his eyes widened.
‘There is someone here. Hello?’
A greeting? To whom? To him?
‘Me…?’
Taekyung questioned. The boy nodded, smiling.
‘Yes, isn’t there only you here?’
‘Yes…’
When Taekyung nodded, the boy tried to approach. Taekyung quickly stretched out his hand to stop him.
‘No, don’t. If you come closer.’
‘Why?’
‘…You’ll get sick because of me.’
‘Huh? I’m fine though! I’m strong. Rather, you look like you’re in pain. Are you sick?’
Despite being told he would get sick, the boy approached without concern and sat down in front of Taekyung. Then he reached out and felt Taekyung’s forehead for a fever.
‘Wow, you’re really hot. Are you okay? Don’t you need to go to the hospital? Should I call someone?’
Taekyung quickly shook his head. Why wasn’t this boy affected by his fever? Because he was a child? Or was he pre-presentation? They said that those who had presented would be 100% affected.
‘Are you… pre-presentation?’
‘Presentation?’
‘Yes…’
‘Ah, I haven’t presented yet. But they say I’ll likely be an alpha.’
I see. So that’s why… he can’t see my red pheromones filling this room. That’s a relief. Taekyung relaxed a little, feeling reassured. Though his pheromones were now reaching all around the boy, he didn’t seem to notice anything.
‘Have you presented?’
‘Yes… That’s why they say I’m sick.’
‘How old are you?’
‘Eight…’
‘We’re the same age?!’
‘Huh?’
‘I’m eight too.’
No way… Though he was a child, he looked much bigger and stronger than Taekyung, so it was hard to believe they were the same age.
‘What’s your name?’
‘…Han Taekyung.’
‘I’m Seo Igeon.’
‘Seo Igeon…’
‘That’s right. But are you really okay? Your face is red and you look like you’re struggling. Should I call an adult?’
‘No. I’m fine. If I stay like this, I’ll get better.’
‘…Are you competing today?’
‘Yes… If I’m sick, I have to give up, right? I can’t do that.’
‘But your health is more important. What’s the point of competing when you’re sick? The risk of serious injury increases… It’s dangerous.’
‘But… I have to do it.’
‘Why?’
‘If I don’t, many people will be hurt. My fathers will be sad too.’
‘…Aren’t you doing taekwondo because you like it?’
‘Huh? I don’t know. What about you? Are you doing it because you like it?’
‘Yes, I love taekwondo. I love it so much. I couldn’t sleep for days because I was so excited about competing today. My heart’s been pounding.’
Seeing the boy speak with genuine enthusiasm, his eyes sparkling, Taekyung somehow felt ashamed. How nice it would have been if he could speak like that too. If even a little of his own will had been present here.
‘I… do it because I have no choice. That’s why I came here too, because I had no choice.’
‘…Does someone force you to do it?’
‘…No, not that.’
‘It’s complicated.’
The boy plopped down on the floor and stared intently at Taekyung’s face.
‘If no one’s forcing you to do it, but you’re still here, doesn’t that mean you like taekwondo at least a little bit?’
‘I don’t dislike it. It’s just… I don’t know. I started because I wanted to defeat the monster inside me… But coming here, I feel like I don’t deserve to be here… But then the monster realized that. It came out to devour me, and that’s why I’m here.’
He didn’t know what he was saying. He had never called this heat flower a “monster” in front of his fathers. Because he thought they would think he was strange… But now he was telling everything to this boy he had just met. Would this boy believe him? Would he understand?
‘I don’t understand what you’re saying.’
Of course… That reaction is natural. Even he thought it was strange. Taekyung curled up his body more and buried his head between his knees.
‘But I get this. You started taekwondo to defeat the monster, but now you’re struggling alone? The monster is too strong, right?’
Surprisingly, the boy seriously pondered and thought about it. Taekyung was so surprised that he lifted his head and stared at the boy for a moment before nodding.
‘Then I’ll fight with you. Of course, I haven’t been doing this long, so I’m not that strong, but won’t it work if we fight together?’
‘Together?’
‘Yes! Fighting together might defeat the monster faster than fighting alone.’
‘Ah… How?’
‘Huh? That’s true. How do we fight? Hmm… Let’s think about it.’
‘How?’
‘We’ll meet every day to think and consider together. And as we spar together and get stronger, we’ll defeat the monster. Wouldn’t that work?’
How could they meet every day? Taekyung wasn’t sure how that would be possible, but the boy in front of him spoke as if he was certain it would happen.
‘It might be hard right now, but I think you’re here not because you hate taekwondo. Rather, I think you’re here because you like taekwondo and chose it as the only way to fight the monster.’
I chose taekwondo to fight the monster.
Hearing those words, it seemed right. He had tried many sports, but taekwondo was the one where the monster appeared less. He could control it better.
‘So don’t be afraid. You’ll win. Of course, I’ll help too.’
While Taekyung lacked confidence in himself, this boy he had just met confidently told him that he would definitely win. As if it were a given.
‘Seo Igeon!! Where are you?!’
A man’s booming voice was heard from the corridor. The boy jumped up.
‘Oh, it’s my instructor. So this wasn’t the right place after all. I have to go. I think we’re in different weight classes, so our matches will probably be different, but shall we meet here after they’re over?’
‘Yes…’
‘Don’t push yourself too hard, and if you’re sick, make sure to go to the hospital. If the monster keeps attacking, threaten it by saying, “Soon my friend will come and defeat you!”‘
‘Will it go away if I threaten it?’
‘Of course. Do you know how skilled I am?’
Just as he finished speaking, the voice calling “Seo Igeon!” was heard again from outside. How could he protect anything when he was trembling at his instructor’s voice? Still, the heat flower seemed less frightening than before. The boy said goodbye and left, and as Taekyung heard him being scolded by his instructor and sensed his presence completely disappear, he looked at his own hands. Then, instantly withdrawing the red pheromones that filled the waiting room, he clenched his fists.
‘I’m not afraid.’
The trembling in his body that had been there until just a moment ago completely disappeared. He felt a sense of calm in his heart. Just by having a nonsensical chat with a boy he had just met, his mind had become at ease. That boy felt like a hero. It really seemed like he could defeat the monster inside him. No, he had said they would do it together. For that, Taekyung would need to become stronger too, right? Thinking this, Taekyung closed his eyes. He murmured dozens of times that he wasn’t afraid.
However, Taekyung couldn’t compete that day after all. When Instructor Kim returned, Taekyung had collapsed in the waiting room and was immediately taken to the hospital. When he woke up after being sick for several days, his fathers naturally advised Taekyung to quit taekwondo. They regretted sending him to the competition and were in pain over it. But Taekyung said he would absolutely not quit taekwondo. When his fathers asked “Why?”, he said, “I think I can win with taekwondo.” And because that boy had come and said he would fight together with him. He said he really thought it would be okay.
Still, his fathers were extremely opposed and recommended other sports to Taekyung, but he didn’t let go of taekwondo. He practiced hard and built up his strength through sparring. When he became a taekwondo prodigy and started winning medals in various competitions, his fathers could no longer stop him from doing taekwondo.
And from the moment Taekyung thought he had become a little stronger and could face the monster, he began searching for the name “Seo Igeon.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
