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TITLE : Gentlemen's Agreement
8 - When Tides Turn
Everything's
so blurry, everyone's so fake May 29th 2003 The summer night air was thick and humid, the whisper-quiet breezes scented like honeysuckle as Lee Chun-Soo stood by the open window of the two-person quarters he'd been assigned to, listening in on the silence outside. Behind him, Yoo Sang-Chul was busy checking his luggage and making sure everything was ready for their morning flight to Japan the next day. "Feels just like last year.." Chun-Soo muttered. "Huh?" "Last year..before we relocated to Busan for our opening World Cup match with Poland." Chun-Soo said. "The air feels exactly the same way..thick, hot, heavy.." Sang-Chul nodded as he wiped sweat from his brow. "It's summer, all right." "When I was small my brother and I used to stay up late in summer nights and watch the ships come into port..you know, from our porch." Chun-Soo said. "When the heat became unbearable, sometimes we'd sleep out there, our scrawny little butts on this old, dilapidated sofa that smelt like something died between the cushions." Sang-Chul chuckled. "Why, your air conditioning broke often?" "We didn't have air conditioning." Chun-Soo said. "Couldn't afford it." The older man frowned. "You couldn't afford air conditioning?" "We couldn't afford a lot of things." Chun-Soo said wistfully. "My brother's highschool education, for example." Sang-Chul remained silent. "That's why he quit school and got a job at the dockyards, telling me that if I don't get my ass through highschool and into college after all his hard work, he'd kill me." Chun-Soo recalled with a smile. "Thank God for football scholarships, because academically I was..shall we say, hopeless." "Well, he must be very proud of you now, I imagine." Chun-Soo nodded, striding across the room towards the cupboard where he kept his stuff during their brief stay in Paju, opening it to check if all his belongings had been packed and none were left inside. "Now I can afford pretty much everything.." he said. "A house, a car, clothes, entertainment, hideously vibrant hair dye.." Sang-Chul chuckled. Just before leaving for Paju, Chun-Soo had decided to change his haircolor yet again, this one making him an instant eyeball-popper everywhere he went. His hair was colored a combination of vibrant red, white and blue, the red and blue each occupying roughly half of his hair and bisected by a streak of white shaped like an S-curve.. Already there was intense media coverage-and ridicule, and speculations about whether he was being patriotic or had signed an endorsement deal with Pepsi. "Chun-Soo, I have to be honest.." Sang-Chul said. "It's not all that pretty." "Of course it isn't." Chun-Soo shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not meant to be pretty. I was hoping maybe the Japanese players would be so revolted they'd keep their distance." "Good point. In two days we'll know if it works." Sang-Chul said. "You all packed and ready?" "Yeah.." Chun-Soo moved to sit on one of the beds, pulling his knees to his chest. Sang-Chul sat down on the bed across from him, and regarded him with a serious look. "I heard..about Chong-Gug." Chun-Soo lifted his head slightly to look at the older man. "Where?" "It was on television a few days ago..just the briefest mention." Sang-Chul said. "Seems like it's going to be one big party." "It is." Chun-Soo nodded. "He told me." Sang-Chul raised his eyebrows slightly. "He told you?" "Yeah, he did. Called me a few days ago and told me all about it." Chun-Soo said, trying to look casual about it all. "He said he felt he had to tell me personally rather than have me find out from someone else." "How thoughtful of him, then." Sang-Chul said. "Did he tell you anything else?" Chun-Soo shrugged. "Like..what?" Sang-Chul looked like he was about to say something, but decided against it. "Well, I don't know.." he muttered. "I thought you two would have a lot to talk about." Chun-Soo sighed and rested his head against the wall behind him. "He said he hopes we'll be able to talk once he gets back here." Sang-Chul nodded thoughtfully. "You'll have all the time in the world. The team will be together for almost a week in Paju." "Yeah, I know." Chun-Soo said. "I just think..hey, it's about time we get this over with." Sang-Chul got off his bed and walked towards Chun-Soo, sitting down beside him. The older man embraced him across his shoulder and brought their faces close together-clearly the haircolor didn't revolt *him*. "Are you okay?" he asked gently. "About this?" "I am." Chun-Soo nodded, and sniffed lightly. "Not sure how I'll feel on the day, but I know that this is what I want for him." "Is it?" "Yeah, it is." Chun-Soo said. "I was the one who told him to move on, to find someone else. Now he's done just that." "Well, if that's the case..then I don't have anything to worry about." Sang-Chul said, squeezing the younger man's shoulder lightly. "Sang-Chul.." "Yeah?" "It's the *other* wedding I'm worried about." Sang-Chul took and released a deep breath. "Me, too." "I had a chance to talk to Uke this morning..it seems like I guessed correctly." Chun-Soo said. "Young-Pyo had never even mentioned it to him, not until the invitation arrived in his mail." "What?" Sang-Chul could not hide his surprise. "It gets better.." Chun-Soo muttered. "Apparently, Tae-Young knew beforehand that this..situation was there, but Young-Pyo never informed him that the decision had been made, and he found out just the same way we all did-the invitation." "You have got to be kidding me.." "I wish I were." "Why would he do that? How..how could he do that?" "Beats me." Chun-Soo shook his head. "I don't understand it. You'd think that even if he didn't want to tell Uke, he could've at least told Tae-Young..he should have told Tae-Young." Sang-Chul got off the bed and began pacing around, his face looking bewildered. "This is..absurd." "That's one way to put it." Chun-Soo muttered. "I don't see how Young-Pyo could..do something like that! I mean, to suddenly decide to get married without letting his lover or his best friend know?" "Now you understand why Uke's hardly smiled at all ever since we got here.." Chun-Soo said. "He told me his and Nam-Il's primary concern right now is to look after Tae-Young, but I can tell he's just fuming underneath, Sang-Chul." Sang-Chul set his hands on his hips. "This can get really ugly once Young-Pyo gets back.." "Oh, it sure will." Chun-Soo stood up and walked over to him. "Young-Pyo had better have an explanation ready for all of them, lest I fear he's not going to survive the week." Sang-Chul shook his head. "What an opportune moment. Leading up to two important friendlies, in the middle of the season.." "Sang-Chul.." Chun-Soo circled his arms around Sang-Chul's waist, getting his attention. "I am telling you this..because I'm afraid of what might happen." Sang-Chul looked down at him. "Chun-Soo.." "You're our captain. I just thought that you should know-things might get out of hand, and if it starts to disrupt the team instead of staying as a personal matter between them.." "I'll know when to step in." Sang-Chul nodded. "Thanks." "We're all adults, right? We're sensible, we know that if more people find out what's really going on between them, it's only going to make things worse." Chun-Soo said. "It can destroy them, it can destroy us." Sang-Chul nodded. "Who else do you think knows about this?" "Everyone knows about Young-Pyo's wedding plans." "Who else knows that Young-Pyo and Tae-Young are..were..together?" Sang-Chul asked again. Chun-Soo thought about it. "Nam-Il and Uke, for sure. You and me, Ji-Sung, no doubt..Chong-Gug too, I'd imagine." "Who else?" "Jung-Hwan probably knows..I'm not sure about Doo-Ri and Seol, though. The others are pretty much in the dark." "Good. Let's try and keep them that way." Sang-Chul said determinedly. "I'm gonna need your help-you and anyone who's willing to help me keep things civil." Chun-Soo nodded. "I'll talk to some people." "Talk to Uke, most importantly." Sang-Chul said. "He's the one I'm most worried about." "Why?" "Tae-Young is much older, wiser. Yes, he may bear the worst of the pain, but I don't think he's going to be as vocal in his expression compared to somebody as young and as volatile as Uke." "What about Nam-Il?" "Nam-Il..he'll probably have to do double duty, looking after Tae-Young as well as trying to keep Uke under control." Sang-Chul said. "I'm not sure he'll have any time to voice his own frustrations." Chun-Soo placed his head against Sang-Chul's chest and exhaled deeply. "These coming weeks are gonna be hell.." "We'll get by." Sang-Chul assured him, then pulled him along until the older man was seated on one of the beds, Chun-Soo landing on his lap. "Besides, you don't have them to worry about them just yet." With that, his fingers began expertly undoing the buttons on Chun-Soo's shirt, keeping their bodies in close contact throughout. Chun-Soo eased himself into the moment, enjoying the slow building of heat that began to permeate his every sense. Sang-Chul was, no doubt, the most experienced partner Chun-Soo had ever been with, his moves tailored to a level of finesse that would be hard for anyone to match. It didn't take long until they were both horizontal on the bed, clothes lying in a messy heap all over the floor, and Sang-Chul's hand skimmed over the flesh of Chun-Soo's back, still marred by the last remains of the scars the older man had carved onto it not that long ago. "Do these still hurt?" Chun-Soo shook his head. "Did I go too far?" Sang-Chul asked, his voice closer this time. "You took my offer, I took my chances." Chun-Soo said. "That's all there is to it." "Well.." Sang-Chul's hand took hold of his left hip, grasping him there. "I'm going to make it up to you tonight." Chun-Soo put a smile on his face and let his arms go around the older man's neck. "Be my guest.."
"Go to sleep, Tae-Young.." "I can't." "You have to. We're out of here first thing in the morning, and we're catching the first flight out of Incheon." Tae-Young made a scoffing noise. "It's not like we're gonna get jet-lag in Japan.." "True, but you need your rest just the same." Nam-Il said. "Go to sleep." Tae-Young was sitting on his bed, his back against the wall, while Nam-Il and Uke were across from him, in the other bed. Uke was asleep, his head cradled in the crook of Nam-Il's shoulder, who had waken up not long ago, evidently sensing that Tae-Young was restless. The room was Tae-Young and Nam-Il's assigned room, though of course Uke had chosen to encamp himself in it for the night. Tae-Young had offered to let them have the room for themselves, but of course they declined. So he kept his bed, while Nam-Il and Uke crammed themselves onto the other bed. He'd actually managed to fall asleep sometime during the night, but it did not last for long. "I keep seeing his face when I close my eyes.." he muttered. "And when I fall asleep, it's always him I dream about.." Nam-Il remained silent, his hand stroking through Uke's short black hair. "I used to think that the best thing about nightmares is that when you wake up, you're filled with this relief that it was just a dream.." Tae-Young said. "Not in this case." "Tae-Young.." "I dreamt about him leaving me. I dreamt about him walking away to someplace where I'm not welcome." Tae-Young said, his breath heavy. "And when I wake up, I realize that it's not a dream at all..it's exactly what's going to happen." Nam-Il shook his head. "You're not making this any easier on yourself.." "I don't know how to, Nam-Il." Tae-Young said tersely. "I don't know if that's even possible." Nam-Il looked down upon his sleeping lover and kissed Uke's cheek lightly. "I wonder what he'd say if he were awake.." "I'd much rather watch him sleep." Tae-Young said. "This has been just as difficult for him.." "I know." Nam-Il's said, his eyes fixed on Uke as he traced a finger down the bridge of the little striker's nose. "He can't let this affect his game, because right now he's really starting to take off, you know? All those friendlies, all those games with the U-23 team..he's really starting to come into his own." "Yeah, and I'm real proud of him." Nam-Il said, then sighed deeply. "You know..Young-Pyo was right about one thing." "What?" "About Uke being scared by all this." Nam-Il said. "He hasn't asked me the question, but I can see it in his eyes. It's there, and it's going to stay there from here on out." "Nam-Il.." "He wants to know..is this going to happen to us, too? To him and me?" Tae-Young leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. "You know what, I don't mean to be negative, but unless the world undergoes a radical change in the next few years, I think it will happen to you, too." Nam-Il nodded. "And I think he knows it." "You're Young-Pyo's age, Nam-Il.." Tae-Young said, keeping his voice low to not wake up the sleeping Uke. "Have your parents ever-" "Not even a word." Nam-Il said. "Maybe it's because I'm their youngest child, and my older brothers are married..and my parents are both healthy and well. It's not that important for them that I marry soon." "But will they eventually ask you to, you think?" Nam-Il shrugged, his eyes still fixated on Uke. "I didn't date much during highschool, and the few girlfriends I had I rarely brought home. For the past few years my focus has been in the game, so in their minds I'm probably still a kid who's out for fun and nothing serious." "Do you think you can..tell them?" "The truth?" The older man nodded. "I don't know..I really don't." Nam-Il said. "I've thought about it several times, but it's a difficult decision." "Of course it is.." "And besides, would it be fair to him?" Nam-Il said, holding Uke against himself just a little tighter. "What about his parents, his own family? Would he tell them?" Tae-Young laid back on his mattress and stared up at the ceiling. "Only time will tell.." "How much time do we have?" "As much as you're willing to fight for." Tae-Young said. "If I can give just one advice to you, Nam-Il..don't waste your precious time wondering when the day will come. Just make the most of what you have." Nam-Il nodded, his head coming to rest beside Uke's. "I don't want to lose him.." "I don't want to lose Young-Pyo, either.." Tae-Young said. "..but it's not always our decision to make, is it?" Nam-Il's voice withered down to a bare whisper as he replied. "No, it isn't."
May 30th 2003 Narita Airport VIP Arrival Lounge Ahn Jung-Hwan loosened the tie around his neck, dreading the obligation for formal wear on such a sweltering, hot day. At least the lounge was equipped with air conditioning, because he only had to glance sideways through the darkened glass to where a throng of fans waited outside in the humid weather, eager for a glimpse of the arriving Korean national team. Beside him stood Choi Yong-Soo, the veteran striker who played for JEF United Ichihara. Both players had not joined the training camp in Paju for practical reasons, because they were both based in Japan and the trip back-and-forth was seen as unnecessary. They would, however, be going back home along with the team two days later to prepare for the upcoming friendlies with Argentina and Uruguay. On Jung-Hwan's other side stood his wife, dressed smartly and looking unbothered by the heat-perhaps that sort of poise and grace was what made her a Miss Korea finalist. Around them stood officials from the Japanese FA, the Korean embassy, and a few schoolchildren carrying flags of both nations and flowers to welcome the team-all in all, the usual formalities. Korea and Japan were both friends and rivals, the uneasy history between the two nations creating a tense and competitive atmosphere every time sports teams from the two countries met in a friendly match or a competition. The J-League, with its wealthy teams and loyal public support, had attracted many Korean players in the years since its inception, most notably the Kashiwa Reysol success story of Korea's legendary trio, Hong Myung-Bo, Hwang Sun-Hong and Yoo Sang-Chul. Jung-Hwan's own career had been salvaged when he signed a deal with Shimizu S-Pulse, saving him from the agony of going through numerous FIFA procedures before he could be declared free of Perugia's clutches. While he was still aiming for a European career, for the time being Shimizu would have to do. Yong-Soo had been highly successful with Ichihara, after transferring there from Anyang Cheetahs shortly after he was named K-League MVP some years ago. Park Ji-Sung had been a vital part of Kyoto Purple Sanga, before being bought by PSV Eindhoven. The Japanese league had, he had to admit, built the careers of many of Korea's brightest stars to date, and if Korean football wanted to show that its homegrown stars were just as good, the time to do it was now. Their 0-1 defeat to Japan in Seoul last month came by way of a fluke goal in the ninetieth minute. Everyone knew that, but it was a defeat nonetheless. Here, on Japanese soil, they were going for payback. "How long has it been since their plane landed?" Yong-Soo asked, evidently not all that comfortable as well. "Ten minutes." Jung-Hwan said. "Enough time to get them through immigration and baggage claim.." "I see something.." Hye-Won said. "Is that them?" Jung-Hwan looked at the direction she was pointing. True, a crowd of people were approaching the door to the VIP Lounge, with intermittent flashes of light that could only be camera flashes. "I think it's them." Jung-Hwan said. Moments later the main doors opened, and familiar faces began filtering in. The press were held at bay by airport security, allowing only the players and officials inside. Jung-Hwan's smile widened as he saw a small figure with wildly-colored hair entering the room, bag slung over his shoulder. "Chun-Soo!" "Hey, Jung-Hwan!" the Ulsan striker said, formalities cast aside as he went and hugged his friend, Jung-Hwan relishing the feel of that youthful, exuberant body in his arms. "Chun-Soo, my friend.." he said as he pulled back, then regarded the youngster's hair and smiled even wider. "You look absolutely hideous." "I know!" Chun-Soo positively beamed, as if it were the greatest compliment he'd ever received. "Isn't it cool?" Jung-Hwan laughed. "You have not changed one bit. Hye-Won, you remember our little Lee Chun-Soo?" "How can I forget?" Hye-Won extended her hand. "How was the flight?" "Short." Chun-Soo said as he shook her hand. "Uneventful. We're waiting for the real action down here." "Can't wait to get started, can you?" Yong-Soo said. "Payback time." Chun-Soo leaned in conspirationally. "Jung-Hwan! Yong-Soo!" came another voice from the crowd. Jung-Hwan was soon engulfed in many more embraces and handshakes with his friends, some old and some new, some he barely knew and others he'd known and loved for years. He shared a long hug with Nam-Il, the tall midfielder looking a lot calmer and more serious than last he'd seen him. But, just as last he'd seen him, Nam-Il still had Choi Tae-Uk hanging off his arm. "Good to see you again, my brother.." he whispered against Nam-Il's ear. "..and him." Nam-Il's smile when he pulled back was not an entirely happy one. "We have a lot to talk about." Realizing that the venue wasn't suitable for further questions, Jung-Hwan merely nodded.
Tokyo National Stadium
The weather in Tokyo was not all that different compared to what they had to endure back home. If anything, it was even worse. The air was thick and humid, and the ominous clouds hanging overhead as the Korean team went through their afternoon training session told Nam-Il that it was going to rain. If not today, then tomorrow. Out on the pitch, several players were practicing their dribbling skills, weaving through other players who challenged them for the ball. Nam-Il saw Uke dancing around Seol Ki-Hyeon and Cho Byung-Kuk, nimble as a gymnast, getting past the two very big men as if they didn't even exist. "He's getting very good, isn't he?" Jung-Hwan said from beside him. "I haven't kept up with the news here, but seeing him now..he's remarkable." "Give him a ball and a few defenders to run at, and he'll amaze you." Chun-Soo piped in from Nam-Il's other side. The three sat in a secluded corner of the stadium's running track, part of the group that was taking a five-minute break before resuming their training. "That's my Uke, all right.." he sighed. "Lucky bastard." Chun-Soo muttered. Nam-Il chuckled. "You can say that again." "Lucky bastard." Chun-Soo repeated. Jung-Hwan snorted with laughter, while Nam-Il shook his head-though he could barely keep the grin off his face. Despite the weather, the team was in relatively good spirits. Many of the World Cup 2002 veterans were here, except for the Holland contingent, which would be joining them back home before taking on Uruguay and Argentina. Nam-Il only had to look one direction to see Cha Doo-Ri engaged in a wrestling match with Choi Sung-Yong, both laughing boisterously. "How is Tae-Young, Nam-Il?" Jung-Hwan asked, his voice lowered so as not to travel beyond the vicinity of the three players. "He's holding up well.." Nam-Il said, immediately spotting the older man, who was giving tips on defensive tactics to some of the younger players. Tae-Young seemed to relish his mentor role, and the youngsters were clearly eager to learn from him as well as looking up to him in awe, a man not so imposing in physical stature for a defender but renowned for his fighting spirit, his tenacity, his determination-and yes, that red face mask. Perhaps he also relished the chance to busy himself with matters other than the one currently troubling his heart, and the difficult week that was looming ahead of him. Jung-Hwan had never been explicitly told about Tae-Young and Young-Pyo, but he'd long sensed there was something between them, especially after his last two trips to play with the national team. So when Nam-Il broke him the news, he wasn't that surprised. He was more surprised by the nature of Young-Pyo's decision to marry other than anything-the same can be said for everyone who knew what was really going on. Chun-Soo, on the other hand, had known about it right from the start, thanks to Uke. "Has he..has Young-Pyo made any contact at all?" Chun-Soo asked. "Since the invitation arrived, I mean." "No.." Nam-Il shook his head. "I have a feeling he wants to explain everything in the flesh.." "And explain it he should." Chun-Soo said. "Truth be told, I don't know who's feeling worse.." Nam-Il said. "Tae-Young, or Uke." "Uke?" Jung-Hwan asked, looking puzzled. "Young-Pyo is his best friend. They've shared so much together, and yet, in this very important matter, Young-Pyo didn't let him know. Young-Pyo didn't *want* him to know, even.." Nam-Il said. "He specifically instructed me not to tell him." "Yeah, Uke's told me about it.." Chun-Soo muttered. "Nasty shock for him." Nam-Il could only nod mechanically. He'd not failed to notice that over their brief stay in Paju and here in Tokyo, Uke had steadily gravitated towards Chun-Soo. He shouldn't have found it strange at all, really-he knew Uke and Chun-Soo were pretty much kindred spirits, their minds sharing the strange, unorthodox wavelength that oftentimes defied explanation or logic. Uke had told Nam-Il that he should devote his efforts to looking after Tae-Young, and Nam-Il knew he had reason to tell him that. Still, he couldn't feel that odd pang of jealousy inside him. Though as sure as grass were green Chun-Soo and Uke had no romantic interest in each other whatsover, it still didn't help him feel slightly neglected by his normally attentive and doting lover. But perhaps he was merely acting like the spoilt brat he knew lived somewhere inside his twenty-six year old body. Perhaps Uke was being sensible. How wise would it be for them to be constantly smooching each other in front of Tae-Young, at this moment? "Nam-Il! You awake?" Chun-Soo's voice jarred him out of his momentary lapse. Nam-Il blinked furiously and looked around, noticing that he was now alone with Chun-Soo. Jung-Hwan had taken a keen interest in Cho Jae-Jin, who was trying to learn to angle a ball into the goal with the outside of his right boot, and had walked over to give the young striker some tips. "I'm..I'm okay." he said, though he only half-believed it himself. "Something you want to talk about?" Nam-Il took a deep breath, relased it, and turned around to look his teammte in his eyes. "Chun-Soo..I say this with a heavy heart, I must admit..but I need you to do me a favor." Chun-Soo's expression did not change one bit. "Does this involve Uke?" Clever as you-know-what, Nam-Il thought. "Listen..I understand that the two of you share this..bond, this understanding or whatever, something that makes it easy for him to make sense of the things you do, while I just can't get it through my thick head." "No thicker than mine, I guarantee that." Chun-Soo said flatly. "This matter..about Young-Pyo I mean, it's really starting to affect him. He's spent a lot of time talking to you these past few days, so I guess you know what I mean." "I know." Chun-Soo nodded. "I've never seen him this upset before, so I know it's really serious." "It can get worse, Chun-Soo." Nam-Il's voice took on an ominous tone. "Young-Pyo will already be in Korea by the time we get back, and from then on we're all going to be cooped up in Paju, for more than a week, and things might get-" "Out of hand? Violent?" Chun-Soo suggested. "God forbid, but yes, it's a possibility." Nam-Il said. "I don't know if I'm just being paranoid about this, but I don't want this to disrupt the integrity of the team." "More than that, Nam-Il.." Chun-Soo said calmly. "You don't want anyone else who doesn't already know to realize what's really going on. Young-Pyo and Tae-Young, you and Uke." Nam-Il nodded. "And what exactly, do you want me to do?" "Help me with Uke, Chun-Soo." Nam-Il said, the words rolling heavily out of his tongue. He didn't want anybody's help with Uke. He wanted to say that he could manage his volatile young lover's temperament on his own, but he knew it was a load of crap. "Help..how? Talk to him? Rein him in if he gets out of line? Stash him somewhere he won't come across Young-Pyo?" "Anything of the above, depending on the circumstances. At best, we'll have a pretty heated argument in a-hopefully-secluded spot and that's it. At worst..I don't even want to think about it." He heard Chun-Soo making a sniffing sound. "Well think about it. Because it's coming up real soon." "It shouldn't have to be this way." Nam-Il said. "Well, that's up to Young-Pyo to explain, isn't it?" "That's what I'm worried about." Nam-Il sighed. "If he doesn't give us a solid reason to why he's doing this, I don't know how he's going to survive the week. Which is why you *must* talk to Uke, Chun-Soo." Chun-Soo did a double take on him. "Nam-Il, what goes on between Young-Pyo and Uke.." "..is none of our business." Nam-Il finished for him. "But I don't want him to make rash decisions." "Uke isn't one to make rash decisions." Chun-Soo sounded rather offended by the idea. "He's got a lot more brains than most of us has balls. And he has balls, too." "I know that, but I'm not sure he's entirely in control of his emotions right now. He is seriously, seriously considering turning his back on Young-Pyo if he doesn't get a good, believable explanation from him." Chun-Soo looked terrified by the idea. "Turn..turn his back?" "You know what I mean, don't you?" Nam-Il said bitterly. "He'll sever his ties with Young-Pyo, and not consider him as a friend anymore, let alone his best friend." "Yikes." Chun-Soo said. "That *is* bad." "In which case he'll most definitely turn to you." Nam-Il said. "I'm really, really hoping you can talk him out of making such a decision. I'm not sure Young-Pyo deserves it." "Not until Young-Pyo does his bit of explaining, that is." Chun-Soo said. "Look, you're right. If that were to happen, it would be terrible. I don't want them to stop being friends, not after the long history they had together." "I sense a 'but' coming along.." "Well, you sensed right. Nam-Il, make no mistake about it. I *will* talk to Uke. I will do what I can to encourage him to keep his friendship with Young-Pyo. But other than that, I can't do much else." Chun-Soo said, his voice calm and steady. "Uke is his own man. His decisions, his actions, they are of his own making. You know that better than I do." Nam-Il reluctantly nodded, sensing that he'd pushed the issue just about as far as he could go. He knew what Chun-Soo was telling him was true, but the scenarios that were popping up in his head were all far from pretty. "Just so you know.." he said. "I have no suspicions or objections or whatever about your closeness with Uke." "Thank you." Chun-Soo said. "That wasn't very convincing, but your effort was commendable." Nam-Il glared at him for a moment, then broke into a bitter chuckle. "Can't lie to you, can I?" "No more than you can lie to him." Chun-Soo said. "Oh come on, you think I wouldn't expect it?" "I thought you wouldn't care." "That's a reasonable concern, but in Uke's case, I do care." Chun-Soo said. "That's why you're asking me this favor, as you put it, with a heavy heart." Nam-Il nodded. "Not because you worry something might happen, which it won't, I assure you.." Chun-Soo added quickly. "But because it's unsettling for you to admit that you might not be able to get through to your beloved as well as someone else can." Nam-Il let out a resentful sigh. "You're getting in my head almost as well as he does." "Your apprehension is understandable." Chun-Soo said. "Are you angry at me, still?" It was Nam-Il's turn to do a double-take. "Angry at you? About what?" "What else?" Chun-Soo shrugged. "Chong-Gug." Cursing his slow mind, Nam-Il frowned. "What about Chong-Gug?" "I caused him a lot of pain-unintentional, but painful nonetheless. And you were there to witness it." "Oh..right. That." Nam-Il said, his mind recalling the match with Brazil back in November, where Chong-Gug nearly broke down after seeing Chun-Soo with Sang-Chul. "You should know, Uke was staunchly defending you even then." He knew his voice sounded a tad unpleasant but he was sure Chun-Soo would not take it to heart. "I've told Uke about this, so assuming he's told you about it as well, then you know of my situation with Sang-Chul." Chun-Soo said, his voice slightly defensive. Nam-Il thought long and hard about what he should say next. To the best of his knowledge, Chun-Soo still didn't know about the incident where Sang-Chul, acting on his rage, had sent Chong-Gug a videotape containing scenes of the veteran midfielder and Chun-Soo together, in various sexual encounters. If that was the case, it would be best if Chun-Soo never found out-what was inside the videotape would strip him of his dignity if he knew someone else had seen it. "I know." he said tersely. "I'm not asking you to understand." Chun-Soo said, his voice equally tense. "It would be difficult for anyone to. That includes Uke." "Chun-Soo, what you do with Sang-Chul or anyone is none of my business." "But when it concerns Chong-Gug's feelings, you make it your business." "Is that wrong?" "No. Not at all." "He's getting married, too." "I know. He told me himself." Chun-Soo's voice became slightly saddened. "He must have told you when you were still in Rotterdam." "He did." Nam-Il said, ignoring the painful knot in his chest when he heard the word 'Rotterdam'. He'd almost forgotten his own troubles, lost amid the whole slew of other problems that were affecting him and the people around him, the people he loved. "Nam-Il, I hope you'll forgive me for this..but I took the liberty of letting Sang-Chul know about the situation we're dealing with right now." Nam-Il's head snapped in his direction. "What?" "For the good of the team." Chun-Soo said, looking unfazed even as Nam-Il glared at him. "Mind you, he'd always known something was up between Tae-Young and Young-Pyo, so that part was no surprise to him." "Does..does he know..about me and Uke?" Chun-Soo frowned at him indignantly. "Of course he does! Ji-Sung, remember?" "Ah.." Nam-Il said as realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Silently cursing himself, he rubbed his face with his hands. "God, my mind is slower than a snail these days.." "Because you have so much in it." "Right, right." Nam-Il straightened back up. "So before I shutdown altogether, explain to me why you think it's for 'the good of the team' that Sang-Chul knows." "Isn't it obvious enough? He's our captain now. This team is his responsibility. Think of him and me what you may, but he takes this job very seriously." Chun-Soo said. "True, he's not Hong Myung-Bo, and he's not trying to be Hong Myung-Bo. But he knows that it's his job to hold the team together." Nam-Il chewed on his bottom lip, still somewhat revolted by the idea that Sang-Chul knew what was going on and would, no doubt, stick his nose into it with that captain's armband as his justification. It was a thought that did not please him at all. While-at Uke's request-he'd worked through his mixed feelings towards Chun-Soo, he'd been happy to let his resentment of Sang-Chul fester because of that videotape. That had been the action of a man who had hurtful intentions, and Nam-Il hated it. "Does Sang-Chul think that he's going to need to interfere?" Nam-Il didn't even bother to hide his displeasure. "He hopes not. Really, Nam-Il..he'd be happy to let you guys sort this out quietly and discreetly, so he can just focus on his captaining job on the pitch, but you said it yourself, didn't you?" Chun-Soo said. "Things just might, emphasis on might, get out of hand." "Chun-Soo.." "And if that were to happen, God forbid, if as you put it, the 'integrity of this team' is at risk, then as captain he will have the right to step in." Nam-Il shook his head. "He won't be even half the captain Hong was.." "You think he doesn't know that? He knows, believe me." Chun-Soo said. "He has nothing but respect for Hong. He also has respect for Tae-Young, and the rest of you who's involved in this..which is why he will not, he insists, not interfere unless he absolutely has to. And he would dread having to do so, I assure you." "So the man has respect..well, good on him then." Nam-Il said. "I wonder, though, Chun-Soo..how much respect does he have for you?" The young striker's face hardened into a steely expression, and his small eyes glimmered with what Nam-Il could only interpret as guilt-edged indignation. "Whatever Sang-Chul has done to me, Nam-Il..he has done so only because I allowed him to." Chun-Soo's voice was colder than ice. "So with that in mind, your question should be how much respect do I have for myself. And that, my friend..is a very, very good question." "Chun-Soo.." "I don't blame you for your feelings towards Sang-Chul, or myself. I've never blamed anyone for resenting me in one way or another because I know I've given them enough reason for it." Chun-Soo continued. "That's old news. So if you'd rather perceive me as a dirty little whore who sleeps with a rich older man in return for expensive trinkets and gifts, you're welcome to do so." "I did not say that!" Nam-Il raised his voice slightly. "Chong-Gug did!" Chun-Soo said. Nam-Il was stopped short of his next sentence by the pain he heard in Chun-Soo's voice. Looking up, those normally mischievous small eyes had grown dim and watery, and his expression was one of anguish. "And he believed every word, too.." he went on, his voice wispy. "..I could see it in his eyes." "Chun-Soo..I am not Uke. God, I wish I were. But you have to believe me, I never thought that way of you, and neither did Chong-Gug." Nam-Il said. "He knew you weren't the things that he called you-he knew. If you don't believe me, then believe Uke. He heard it, too." Chun-Soo brushed a stray tear from the corner of his eye and tried to maintain his composure. "I make my own way in this world, Nam-Il.." "That's true. And I respect you for that. I really do." Nam-Il assured him. "And if you're willing to give him some of your time, I'm sure Chong-Gug will tell you the same thing." Chun-Soo's eyes drifted skywards, where the clouds still hung over their heads like a shroud of gray. Then, as if deciding on something, he stood up, brushing dirt off his shorts as Nam-Il stayed on the ground and watched him. "One of these days, Nam-Il.." he said. "You should ask Uke about the poor boy from Incheon. Ask him, and perhaps after that you'll understand just a little bit better." Before Nam-Il could ask him what he'd meant by that, Chun-Soo had walked away, leaving him with an odd sense of guilt lingering in his gut.
Schiphol Airport Gate B-19 Departure Lounge Park Ji-Sung made a final check on his documents, passports, and boarding pass before stuffing them back into his shoulder bag, ready to be produced when he was required to. Beside him sat Lee Young-Pyo, drumming the heel of his right foot repeatedly onto the carpeted floor. Ji-Sung only had to look to see the morose expression on his teammate's face, eyes staring out the windows to where the KLM Boeing 727 that would fly them back to their homeland waited, undergoing final inspections. Chong-Gug was not with them. The Feyenoord player would be leaving the day after, accompanied by his brother and sister-in-law. Ji-Sung's parents, who'd accompanied him for the early part of his stay in Holland had also returned early, so Ji-Sung and Young-Pyo would make this flight alone. On arrival at Incheon, they could expect to be welcomed by family members, fans, representatives from both the KFA and their player agencies, and yes, Young-Pyo's bride-to-be. "Have some cheer on your face," Ji-Sung said. "She'll want to see you happy." Young-Pyo's grim look did not change. "I have many hours until then. Allow me to be unhappy for now." Ji-Sung sighed, relenting. With every day that brought them nearer to Young-Pyo's wedding day, the Eindhoven midfielder had become more and more nervous and edgy, and Ji-Sung knew it wasn't cold feet. Young-Pyo was dreading the inevitable confrontation with the people who were doubtless feeling betrayed by him, most notably of all Kim Tae-Young. Ji-Sung felt sorry for his teammate-never mind the fact that his conscience knew Young-Pyo had not exactly acted in Tae-Young's best interests. He was faced with an unenviable task, one that was very much his own making, but difficult nonetheless. Ji-Sung could only imagine how Tae-Young was feeling right now, and all that was left for him to do was hope that once they were all back together, things would stay under control. "When's our boarding call?" Young-Pyo asked listlessly. "Ten minutes from now." "We're flying first class, right?" "Yes. Why?" "They serve alcohol in first class." "Oh." "I could do with a nice glass of red during the flight." "Make that two." "Are you of legal age?" Ji-Sung fixed him with an icy stare. "I hope that was a rhetorical question.." "Well, are you?" "I'm twenty-two." "Oh, good then. Twenty-two." Young-Pyo repeated, then he fell back into his detached, contemplative manner. "Twenty-two.." Ji-Sung chose to leave him alone to his mumbling, aware that there was little he could do to help. Though even as he turned away, he was sure he caught Young-Pyo muttering the name 'Uke' quietly.
Tokyo Hilton Hotel Room 312 Nam-Il loosened his clothes and sat down on one of the single beds in the room. This was supposed to be Uke and Chun-Soo's room, but the latter had, predictably enough, chosen to stay with Sang-Chul. The captain, because of his senior status and his exemplary career history in Japan, had been given a room all to himself. Nam-Il's original room assignment was with Tae-Young, but the older man had gone to bed early and Nam-Il wanted some time to be with Uke. The little striker emerged from the showers a little later, toweling his hair as Nam-Il absently flipped through the unfamiliar channels on television. Most of them were Japanese, the others standard international fare such as CNN, ESPN, and the like. There was probably a blue-movie channel lurking somewhere in the circuitry but he decided not to pursue it. Thank God, the hotel service included several Korean channels as well, so he was able to find something in the language he understood. "Catching up with your favourite teledrama?" Uke said as he threw the towel aside. "Shinhwa's latest music video, maybe?" Nam-Il snorted. He turned off the television off, convinced that there was nothing there to properly entertain him. What he had standing right before him, on the other hand.. "You look absolutely gorgeous when you're wet.." he said. It was Uke's turn to snort. "You'd say I was gorgeous regardless." Nam-Il snarled and pulled Uke in by his waist, letting him topple right onto the taller man's lap, in a fit of giggles. "I want to stay here tonight.." Nam-Il whispered in Uke's ear. "I've missed you." "Is it wise to have sex the night before a match?" Uke asked, but his voice was playful. "We have very good stamina. We'll recover." Nam-Il said. "Besides..we've never had sex in another country before." Uke smirked. "That's a definite plus. Is Tae-Young asleep?" "Yes." "Good, then." Uke turned around to cup Nam-Il's face in his hands. "We won't have to worry about him tonight." And before Nam-Il could say anything else, the little striker had planted his lips on him, and knocked them both over down onto the mattress.
The noise of metropolitan Tokyo filtered through the window into the room where Chun-Soo and Sang-Chul slept, engines of mass-produced vehicles and their blaring horns, reflections of a thousand neon billboards that could be seen through the glass. Chun-Soo closed his eyes briefly, opened them again, and resigned himself to his apparent insomnia for the night. Not that the bed was uncomfortable or the noise bothered him-he was used to sleeping in far worse conditions. Sang-Chul's body was just an arm's reach away from him, but he didn't reach for it. He knew it wasn't what he needed. Instead, he reached for where his cell phone lay on the bedside table, retrieving it and squinting as the blue light coming from the screen was activated as he pressed a button. He scrolled through his recent messages until he came across the one he was looking for, reading it. GOOD LUCK TOMORROW. I'LL BE WATCHING. SUNG-KUK. Chun-Soo smiled. He'd only realized how much he missed Sung-Kuk when that message came through earlier that evening. Making sure his phone was set to its silent setting, he began typing a message. ARE YOU AWAKE? He sent it, his mind following it through the air and across the sea to where Sung-Kuk was, probably in his apartment in Ulsan. The phone gave him a vibrating alert that the message had been delivered, and not long after another one to signal that a reply message had arrive. Chun-Soo felt a surge of elation within him, something that surprised even himself. YES. WHERE ARE YOU? Chun-Soo typed in SOME HOTEL IN TOKYO and sent it. He didn't have to wait long for another reply. WHERE'S THE OLD BASTARD? Suppressing laughter, he checked over to see if Sang-Chul was still as fast asleep as he was the last Chun-Soo'd seen him. He was. SLEEPING BESIDE ME. Chun-Soo didn't have to wait long for Sung-Kuk's reply. WHY ARE YOU STILL AWAKE? Chun-Soo typed I CAN'T SLEEP and sent it. He knew he was probably going to run up a fantastic bill if he kept this up, but he didn't care. The short messages somehow made him feel a lot less lonely, as it were, here in the company of his friends but feeling like something was missing. Well, looks like he knew what was missing now. ARE WE GONNA DO THIS ALL NIGHT? ONLY IF YOU WANT TO, Chun-Soo replied. I WISH YOU WERE HERE, SUNG-KUK. A slightly longer interval followed before Sung-Kuk's short reply came. SO DO I.
"Chong-Gug, I'm going to have these carried over to our apartment so the shuttle pickup and grab it all in one go." Song Chong-Hwan said to his brother. "Are you sure nothing's left behind?" Chong-Gug, who was staring around the living room area of his apartment suite, nodded silently. Around him were his suitcases and other things he would be carrying home for his summer holiday-that included his electric guitar. A special carrying bag had been summoned for his expensive wedding outfits, which would be handled, he was sure, with extra care by his older brother, the wedding planner. "Do you think Jung-Ah will like it here, hyung?" He asked. "Well, you could do with a little more decorating." Chong-Hwan commented as he looked around. "Women, you know..they like things to be neat and pretty." Chong-Gug smiled at that. "Maybe some plants, or flowers on the table, a painting or two, little ceramic things, you know that kind of stuff." Chong-Hwan said as he placed one heavy arm around his little brother's shoulder. "But yes, I think she'll like it here." Chong-Gug swallowed hard into his throat. The next time he would be coming back here, he would be doing so with his new wife. Kim Jung-Ah, a beautiful but very young bride at just twenty, would have to take the challenge of her brief lifetime by following her husband across the continent to a foreign land, away from family and friends. "You'll still be here, won't you?" he asked Chong-Hwan. "You and Ji-Yeon.." "Of course we will." Chong-Hwan squeezed his shoulder. "We've agreed that it would be best for us to stay here while Jung-Ah tries to adapt. Since you're going to be away in training most of the time, she should have someone she can talk to, someone who can show her the sights." "Hyung, I'm sorry if I sound selfish about this-" "Selfish? Nonsense!" Chong-Hwan said dismissively. "Chong-Gug, we *want* to stay here. Ji-Yeon and I like this place very much. It's a lot more peaceful than back home, much safer..and besides, I'm not ready to leave my baby brother alone in this land." Chong-Gug leaned heavily against his older brother and sighed. "I have the best brother in the whole world.." Chong-Hwan smiled, ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead lightly. "Now, don't you worry about anything. It's all going to be just fine.." "I hope so, hyung.." Chong-Gug said. "I really, really hope so."
It wasn't until he'd almost drifted off to sleep that Nam-Il remembered about his conversation with Chun-Soo, and decided to tell Uke about it. They were still holding each other in the aftermath of lovemaking, still quivering in breath when Nam-Il slowly related his story, gauging Uke's response every now and then. He held back nothing, overstated nothing, and even those parts he couldn't convey that well he knew Uke understood. When he was finished, Nam-Il exhaled deeply and glanced at his lover. "Well..are you angry with me, then?" Uke shrugged, his expression unchanged throughout the whole storytelling. "Why should I be?" "I don't think I was exactly fair to him." Nam-Il admitted. "I might have gone too far." Uke shook his head. "The fact that you already realize it makes my anger unnecessary." "I have nothing against him, Uke." Nam-Il said. "I might question his decisions from time to time, but-" "You were just being your usual self, Nam-Il." Uke calmed him down with a knowing smile. "Bold, to-the-point, uncompromising.." the little striker traced a finger down his nose. "..reminds about why I fell for you in the first place." Nam-Il's smile was riddled with a tinge of unease. He had not, in fact, pointed out to Uke the purpose of his conversation with Chun-Soo. He hadn't told his lover that he'd asked Chun-Soo's help in dealing with whatever situation may rise in the coming week out of Young-Pyo and Uke's strained relationship. He felt that bringing up that subject would only darken Uke's mood, which was at a relative high compared to the gloom he'd had on him the last few days. "Uke..why did he tell me to ask you about the poor boy from Incheon?" he asked. "What does that mean?" Uke's face became serious, and he laid his head back on the pillows. "The poor boy from Incheon..that was what we, the other members of the team, used to call Chun-Soo way back in high school." "Oh..I see." Nam-Il had not neglected the fact that Uke and Chun-Soo had come from the same high school, Boo-Pyung Academy, known perhaps not as much for its academic excellence as for its advanced youth football program, with scholarships handed out to children from financially unprivileged backgrounds who was judged to have talent in the sport. Nam-Il himself was a Boo-Pyung graduate, but since he was four years older he was already in college by the time Uke and Chun-Soo entered the school. Upon leaving Boo-Pyung, Uke was immediately picked up by Anyang talent scouts and signed onto their youth team, while Chun-Soo took the more traditional route of entering Korea University before finally signing for Ulsan Tigers. "Mind you, Chun-Soo wasn't much of a footballer to look at back in those days.." Uke said. "He was speedy, very speedy, but lacked any basic technique whatsoever. We had a joke running around the team that they only gave him the scholarship because they took pity on him and his family." Nam-Il felt an uneasy knot in his stomach, but Uke continued on. "Honestly I didn't know him at all back then, I never made an effort to and I never really paid much attention to him." Uke shrugged, looking a little guilty. "But every so often, during training, I could see that he was watching me. Like, watching my each and every move with so much intensity I could feel his eyes burning a hole through me." Nam-Il's brows furrowed. "He was learning from you. Learning your technique." Uke nodded. "That's when we realized what a quick learner he was. He caught on faster than anybody on the team, and by the end of junior year he'd clawed his way up from the reserves into the starting lineup.." a rueful sigh followed. "..unfortunately, the name stuck." "The poor boy from Incheon?" "I guess the other guys in the team just couldn't let it go." Uke said. "I think they were pissed that this unknown, scrawny little kid could rob them off their place in the starting lineup. And he was loud-mouthed even then, so he made few friends. In the team, that is." Nam-Il's lip twisted. "Was he..really that poor?" Uke nodded. "Father had a job in the port of Incheon. Never really made much, I guess..he and his older brother were just born into it. There was little they could do about their situation." "I've heard stories before, but I thought they were exaggerations.." Nam-Il muttered. "How bad was it, if you can tell me?" "Bad enough that his brother had to quit school and find a job in the docks so that Chun-Soo could continue his education." Uke said. "Bad enough that when the shipping company where his father worked as a labour went bust during the economic crisis, and he was laid off, the family went hungry for days." Nam-Il looked up at the ceiling, his throat dry. He'd never given Chun-Soo's past much thought before-he never felt that he had any reason to. While his own family had never been exactly rich, their restaurant business was fairly stable and he never felt that they were ever in any sort of economic difficulty, much less having to go without food because they couldn't afford it. "Why do you think he was playing football as a kid, and not baseball like most other children in this country?" Uke asked. "His parents couldn't afford to buy him a bat or a glove." Nam-Il's mind traveled back in memory, to the ceremony where the players were handed their World Cup bonuses. While he had merely accepted his envelope and decided that the money should go to his father's account, he remembered clearly Chun-Soo's expression as he received his. The youngster had been shaking, his small eyes going as wide as they possibly could as his trembling hand held the thick, white envelope in his hand. Now he knew why. "That's why he's trying so hard, Nam-Il. That's why he knows he has to succeed, that's why he works so hard to get people's attention, one way or the other, that's why he's so determined to break into Europe." Uke said. "Because if he fails, he has nothing to fall back on. In fact, his family's livelihood is depending on his success." "His burdens are far greater than I'd ever imagined.." Nam-Il muttered. Uke nodded slowly. "Granted, ever since he broke into the national team and gained fame back in the Sydney Olympics, their quality of life has improved dramatically, but he still has to guarantee their future. He can't let up now-not with so much still at risk. He wants to get his brother a college education, to make up for what he sacrificed in the past, he wants his parents to have medical insurance, life insurance, a good home..the list goes on." Nam-Il didn't know how he would react if his entire family's life was suddenly placed upon his shoulders. Most likely he would've broken down under the pressure, unable to hold up. But Chun-Soo, four years younger, was holding up just fine. If only he knew.. "Now, do you understand?" Uke's voice was gentle with just a hint of a reprimand. And Nam-Il had no objections to it this time. Nam-Il nodded. "Would that also explain..why he takes all those expensive gifts Sang-Chul gave him?" "I would think so." Uke said. "You see, Chun-Soo isn't one to disregard money, even though now he has plenty of it. His past makes it impossible for him to be careless with it, even if he could afford to. Sang-Chul, on the other hand.." "Would think nothing of it." "True, but the point is that Chun-Soo could afford all these fancy things himself, if he wanted to, but to have someone bestow them upon him as gifts.." Nam-Il's eyes widened as realization dawned upon him. "That's a different thing altogether." "Exactly. How could he reject? Coming from Sang-Chul, or from anyone, a gift is something he really likes. To have someone think that he's worth spending money on, never mind lots of money, that must make him feel oddly good about himself.." Uke shrugged. "..despite what others may think." "Despite what Sang-Chul may think, too?" Uke smirked deviously. "Sang-Chul can stroke his ego all he wants, but the reason Chun-Soo accepts all those gifts-and wears them so often, is not to please him in anyway. Chun-Soo just likes it when he can get nice things for free." "Considering what he's been through, I can't blame him." Nam-Il muttered. "Well, that's the whole point of him telling you to ask me this, isn't it?" Nam-Il gave his lover an evaluating stare. "How did you know all this?" "My famed intuition, of course." Uke said haughtily. "No, I mean the bit about Chun-Soo's family." Nam-Il said. "Oh, that." Uke looked slightly doubtful about whether he should go any further. "Well, I remember one time during freshman year in high school, I got called to the principal's office for some..disciplinary problems." Nam-Il's eyebrows raised in mischievous interest. "Disciplinary problems? You?" Uke scowled at him with narrowed eyes, his expression suggesting that he was about to share something rather embarrassing. "One of the teachers caught me and my girlfriend kissing in a corner of the school." Nam-Il could practically *hear* his own mouth snapping into a wide grin. "Why, Uke..I never knew-" "I don't even remember her name, okay? It was just a high school thing." Uke cut him off, clearly embarrassed. "The principal then went on to lecture me about manners, propriety, 'safety' and whatever-" "He didn't spank you?" Uke completely ignored him. "-but after a few minutes, he had to go out of the office to take a call or something. I stayed." "And?" Nam-Il asked eagerly. "And..there were some papers sitting on his desk. I saw a folder with our school's footballing program logo on it, and that interested me." Uke shrugged me. "We've heard rumors about this new kid transferring from some low-level highschool in Incheon, so I wanted to find out more about this." Nam-Il could hardly hide his amazement. "Improper conduct *and* snooping around the principal's office? All in one day?" Uke shot him a dirty look before continuing. "The folder contained Chun-Soo's documents. His scholarship, his transfer papers, recommendation from his previous school, and of course, a brief family history to show just how much he needed the scholarship." "Oh." "I read the documents, put them back, made them look like they were never touched..when the principal returned, he didn't notice anything." "Did he spank you after that?" "If you don't shut up I'm going to spank *you*." Uke snapped. "Well, the rest of the details about Chun-Soo's family I got out of Chun-Soo himself over a period of time-casual conversations, that kind of thing." "Are you sure the principal didn't spank you?" Uke glowered at him. "What is it with you and all this spanking business?" "Well, everything you just told me gave me a very wicked idea.." Nam-Il leaned it with a mischievous smile on his face. "Do you still have your high school uniform?" The response he got was a pillow smacked across his face.
Tokyo National Stadium 18.30 p.m. The excited buzz was palpable throughout the dressing room. The players were in their away strips, the red jersey and blue shorts, their faces showing determination. Outside it was raining, and they'd been told that the pitch had become very slippery in some spots. Ahn Jung-Hwan smiled to himself. This was going to be dirty. He was halfway pulling down his jersey over his chest when Chun-Soo suddenly appeared beside him, the ridiculous haircolor popping into Jung-Hwan's eyesight and nearly causing him a startled jolt. But Chun-Soo was interested in something else. "Wow, that's cool! Can I look?" He was pointing at Jung-Hwan's chest-more accurately, the tattoo on Jung-Hwan's chest that was only weeks old. Shruggin, Jung-Hwan pulled up his jersey so Chun-Soo could lean in for a closer look. The stylized characters made it slightly more complicated to read, but Chun-Soo understood well enough. He looked up and gave Jung-Hwan a smile. "How romantic.." Jung-Hwan scowled at him. "You should see Seol's." "I've seen Seol's." Chun-Soo said matter-of-factly. "Very..Beckham." Jung-Hwan had to laugh. Seol's tattoo was on his lower back, bearing a stylized yin-yang symbol struck through with the names of his soon-to-be wife and his son. "Jung-Hwan.." "Hmm?" "Can I lick it?" He nearly choked. "What?" "Can I lick it?" Chun-Soo batted his eyes innocently. "Why would you want to?" "Why not?" Jung-Hwan shook his head. "Have you licked Seol's?" "No, his tattoo is a little too close to his ass for my liking..but yours is convenient." "Is this a new pastime? Licking tattoos?" "It's for luck." "Oh. I see." And how does one argue with that, really? "Has she seen it?" Chun-Soo asked. "Of course she has." "Has she licked it?" "Of course she has!" Jung-Hwan said without thinking, then a moment later realized what he'd just implied, and instantly he could feel himself going red with embarrasment. But Chun-Soo didn't seem to care for his reaction. "Well, if she's had the privilege of doing it first that means it's okay for me to do it, right?" Jung-Hwan didn't even realize that he was nodding. "Whatever. Make it quick." Chun-Soo smirked, lowered his head, and Jung-Hwan felt a flick of his tongue across the area of his chest where the tattoo was. Then Chun-Soo straightened back up, licking his lips. It lasted no longer that a fraction of a second. "Well?" Jung-Hwan asked. "Sweaty." Chun-Soo said. Not sure whether to be amused or offended, Jung-Hwan opted to laugh and throw his arm around the younger man's neck, just a little harder than he normally would, his fingers ruffling through the red, white, and blue on Chun-Soo's head. "You know, sometimes I think 'crazy' doesn't even begin to describe you." "That's true..but I was under the impression that holding up standards of sanity is no longer requisite for survival in this world.." "Well," Jung-Hwan sighed. "That's also true."
The goal was a beauty. It was an absolute piece of ingenuity, if Jung-Hwan could call it that. Coming so late in the match, where a nil-nil draw was almost a foregone conclusion, after ninety minutes of toil on a slippery pitch in the pouring rain and deafened by the thunderous support for their opponents, the vengeance was theirs. A midfield maneuver initiated by Chun-Soo had won them the ball, and it was swiftly given over to Lee Eul-Yong, who was playing wide left. Eul-Yong then put his deadly crossing ability to good use, his pass landing perfectly inside the penalty area, where Seol Ki-Hyeon was waiting. But the Anderlecht striker had a trick of his own. Facing the wrong direction and instantly closed down by the Japanese defenders, the big man decided not to take the ball. He made a decoy move with his feet, suggesting that he was about to take it, but in fact he let it continue along its course, to where Jung-Hwan was, onside and unguarded. From then on, the goal was wide open for him and he had no difficulty putting it to in the back of the net. The goal brought silence to the stands-except for the corner where several thousand Red Devils stood, screaming and cheering in their crimson attire, and Jung-Hwan ran towards them first, his fists clenched to the air. Then, in a gesture that was commonly seen in other goalscorers but not Ahn Jung-Hwan, he took off his shirt and ran towards the section of the crowd where he knew his wife was sitting. Instead of merely kissing his wedding ring, like he usually did, he let her know-and everyone else who was watching-that the goal was for her and her alone, his fingers held against his heart and indicating the words that were now blood-etched onto the skin of his chest. Hye-Won. Love Forever. He saw her, saw her smile in both love and gratitude, and for that one moment, nothing else seemed to matter. Then Seol was on his back, Sang-Chul was flinging an arm around his neck, Chun-Soo's red-white-blue head was jumping all around him, and he knew that their job here was done.
The buzz in the dressing room was no longer one of excitement. It was one of victory. Though a 1-0 scoreline might have given them little else other than bragging rights until the next friendly with Japan, this was their first victory under Coelho and that itself was cause for considerable relief, if not celebration. Nam-Il's eyes took in the rain-soaked, smiling faces all around him and he could not help but produce a smile of his own. His first match ever since his premature return from Europe, and he had done well. He knew it. And he wasn't the only one who had done well. Tae-Young had successfully managed to organize the very young and inexperienced defenders for a full ninety minutes, giving them confidence going into the tougher matches against Argentina and Uruguay. Uke and Chun-Soo, deployed as attacking midfielders rather than strikers, had shown great cooperation and creativity in providing inch-perfect passes to Jung-Hwan and Seol. Their finishing still left a lot to be desired, judging by the number of missed opportunities and clear-cut chances that somehow got fumbled, but Nam-Il was confident that given time and training, the goal-poaching instincts of their strikers would return. Sang-Chul was speaking at the front, beside Jung-Hwan, who was the center of attention for his game-winning goal. The former Perugia player looked calm and composed, far removed from the ecstatic, energetic figure he was after he'd scored that beauty of a goal. "Now, I believe our goalscorer has something to say to all of you.." Sang-Chul said, gesturing at Jung-Hwan to step forward. "Well, first I'd like to say that the goal was thanks to all of our hard work, and it's yours as much as it is mine." Cheers erupted among the players. "But I also have something else to tell you..which may be a little bit of bad news." Drawing a deep breath, he continued. "I will not be joining you for the matches against Uruguay and Argentina." Nam-Il heard a collective gasp go around the room, and soon realized his voice had been one of them. "I've consulted my schedules, and it would seem that my one-month military training can no longer be put on hold." Jung-Hwan said. "When I went to Perugia, I did so by postponing my two years in the military, promising them that I would sign up as soon as the World Cup was over. Well, as you all know that mandatory service was then cut down to one month following our success in the World Cup, but even then I postponed it even further, because I had to take care of difficult matters concerning my transfer, which I'm sure all of you have heard of." There was a murmur of understanding around the room, but not many could hide their disappointment. To lose a striker such as Ahn Jung-Hwan, just when they were about to take on opponents who were, on paper at least, superior to them. "Some of you also still have your one month's worth of training ahead of you," Jung-Hwan continued, his gesture indicating Chun-Soo and Uke, and Nam-Il was sure Jung-Hwan caught his eye. "While some of you have already completed your two years." This time his glance took in the senior players such as Sang-Chul, Tae-Young, and goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae. "And yet..some of you may be exempted from it altogether, depending on how this team performs in the next few years." Jung-Hwan said, his gaze now indicating the youngest of the players. "I'm sure that this training will benefit me, physically and otherwise, and I will return to you a stronger and better player than before." "Does that mean you're going to cut your hair?" Chun-Soo asked. Everyone laughed at that, and Jung-Hwan himself smiled. He'd always been known as the poster boy of Korean soccer, with his handsome face and long, flowing locks that had been styled into as many different coifs as anyone could imagine. "I've tried just about everything, Chun-Soo..curls, straight, wavy, shaggy.." Jung-Hwan said. "About time I add military crew-cut into the list, don't you think?" The laughter grew louder, and Nam-Il joined along. Deep inside he still felt very disappointed that Jung-Hwan would not be returning to Paju with them, but he knew that duty was duty, and Jung-Hwan was not one to run from his responsibilties. And yet, Nam-Il suddenly had an ominous thought that their matches with Uruguay and Argentina had just become that much more difficult.
"Is that..what I think it is?" "It's sake." "Where'd you get it?" "Well, I didn't live here for years without making some friends, you know.." "Are we going to drink it? Now?" "Don't you think we should celebrate? How can you be in Japan and not drink sake?" "Well, I was thinking more like octopus cakes and sushi.." "Chun-Soo, we've already had dinner." "Is it..like soju?" "I think it's not as strong as soju, this variety." "Oh, good." "Why?" "Sang-Chul, when I go in an airplane cabin I only carry my hand luggage and my shoulder bag. I *don't* want to complement it with a hangover." "Ah. I understand now. Cabin pressure." "You've been there." "I have." "It sucks." "It does." "So..do we drink it straight from the bottle or use those ceramic cup thingies?"
Narita Airport Boarding Lounge 13.00 p.m. Nam-Il watched a crew of mechanics checking the landing gear on the Korean Airlines jet that was going to take the team across the strait and back to Incheon. Their boarding call was still twenty minutes away, and the players were seated sparsely throughout the boarding lounge, in small groups and clusters. Some were chatting, some were keeping to themselves with Discmans plugged to their ears, and some even took the opportunity to catch a nap. Uke was one of them, his body lying horizontal across four or so chairs while his head rested on Nam-Il's lap. Nam-Il didn't feel uneasy doing this in full view of the other players since such behavior, as well other forms of physical closeness were very common in the national team and would not be regarded as anything out of the ordinary. Tae-Young was standing next to Sang-Chul by the window, discussing something, but from their relaxed gestures Nam-Il knew it wasn't about Young-Pyo. Several chairs away sat Chun-Soo, who was busy talking into his cell phone. He was smiling and seemed to be in very good spirits, though his eyes looked slightly tired. The conversation seemed to be very light and casual, judging by the intermittent laughter coming from the Ulsan striker. Nam-Il wondered who he was talking to that had him in such a pleasant mood. Chun-Soo then transferred his phone to his other hand, and Nam-Il could hear the words he was speaking now. "Well, have you checked our room assignments? You have? And what-they put us in as roommates? How nice!" Nam-Il frowned. Chun-Soo was talking about rooms and roommates, which clearly referred to the room assignments in their Paju training camp, which could only mean that he was talking to a member of the national team that wasn't part of the squad here in Japan. "Yes, yes, I'll be sure to stay with you. Every night? Why not!" The words being spoken would've struck him as totally innocuous, were it not for the way Chun-Soo said them. His voice had taken on a soft, musical quality, and the perpetual smile on his face was accompanied by a manner of speaking that was playful and affectionate at the same time. Nam-Il had never heard Chun-Soo talk like that to anyone before. Whoever the person at the other end of the phone was, it was someone Chun-Soo was very fond of. "We're going in the plane in about..twenty minutes or so. Yeah. Yeah, I'll see you there. Goodb-" Chun-Soo looked like he was about to hang up, but the person he was talking to seemed to remember to say something else, which cut Chun-Soo's farewell words. Nam-Il watched as his teammate's face gradually became serious, a stark contrast to his almost clown-like haircolor. "I see. Thanks, thanks for telling me. Yeah, I think we do need to know that. I'll see you when I get there." A slight smile returned to his lips. "Yeah, I know. Bye-bye." With that he hung up, and Nam-Il watched as Chun-Soo stuffed his cell phone back into his pocket, his expression thoughtful. Realizing that he'd been staring for a good minute or so, Nam-Il quickly looked away. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he could see that Chun-Soo had started walking towards him. Immediately Nam-Il felt his stomach knotting-had Chun-Soo noticed him listening in on his conversation? When he felt a pat on his shoulder, Nam-Il tried to feign nonchalance on his face, knowing that it could only have been Chun-Soo. Turning to look, he was right. "Yes?" he tried to sound as casual as he could. "Had a call..someone's been watching the news back home." Chun-Soo said with a low voice, mindful not to wake Uke. "And?" "Ji-Sung and Young-Pyo's plane landed safely last night. Chong-Gug is expected to land within the next few hours. They'll be give the night to spend with their families, and they will join us in Paju tomorrow afternoon." Nam-Il's eyes went wide. "So soon?" "They don't want to lose any training time. We only have one week until Uruguay, and I think they want the Holland contingent to mesh in with the team as soon as possible." Nam-Il swallowed hard into his throat. Tomorrow? He looked down at Uke, so peaceful in his sleep, and wondered just how much longer that peace would last. More importantly, he wondered how long would it be before they would be in a state of peace again. A long time, said a voice in his head. "I thought you'd..want to know." Chun-Soo said. Nam-Il nodded. "Thank you, Chun-Soo. I really needed to know that." He patted Chun-Soo's hand as gratitude, not sure if there was anything else he could say. Chun-Soo didn't wait for him to think of anything, though, he offered Nam-Il a rather fixed smile then went back to his chair, sitting down on it to resume waiting for their boarding call. "Tomorrow.." Nam-Il muttered, never knowing that he could dread such a simple word so much. Ji-Sung, Young-Pyo and Chong-Gug would be at Paju tomorrow afternoon. And would continued to be there for the better part of two weeks. Nam-Il looked down at Uke, then looked up to see that Tae-Young was now standing alone by the window, looking out of it with a contemplative look on his face. Tomorrow, he would have his answers. Tomorrow, he would see Young-Pyo again, and would finally be able to say everything that was on his mind. Tomorrow, Tae-Young would know why his lover had chosen to tear his heart out and fling it in the dirt. For better or for worse, the day was coming. Taking a deep breath, Nam-Il strengthened his will and held Uke against his lap just a little tighter. "So it begins.."
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