However, as the opening ceremony gradually approached, he realized. The nervous one wasn’t Jeong Minha but himself. Even during phone calls, Jeong Minha’s voice was always equally calm, but Seo Sihan’s voice started trembling more. Unable to stand listening anymore, Jeong Minha said.
―Hyung, are you really okay?
“Y-yeah. I’m fine….”
―You don’t look okay? You’re not sick, are you? The last time I saw you, you were like that…. I keep worrying.
Jeong Minha had been contacting him on purpose with random conversations because he was worried about Seo Sihan. Learning that fact, Seo Sihan answered with an even more moved voice.
“Minha-ya… thank you. I’m really fine. I’m not sick, I’m just excited…. It starts tomorrow.”
―That’s a relief then…. But what, is hyung competing? Why are you trembling more than me, the athlete….
“But…. I’ve really only been imagining it every day… seeing Minha at the Olympics again….”
―…Ah, I get it. Well… mm. Hyung, then do you want to meet tomorrow?
“Huh? Really? Can we meet?”
Seo Sihan adjusted his phone while listening to Jeong Minha’s explanation. After the athletes entered at tomorrow’s opening ceremony, they’d have time in the evening, so let’s meet then.
“Yeah, that sounds great…. Where should we meet?”
―I saw there’s a small waiting room-like place at the end of the central hall…. Let’s meet there. Do you know where it is?
“……”
―Hyung?
“…Ah, yeah. I know.”
―Great, see you tomorrow.
“Yeah….”
He looked at the disconnected call screen along with a voice saying sleep well.
‘Waiting room….’
Since it was the Olympics held in a different country from 4 years ago, it wasn’t that place from back then. Still, being in a similar space somehow made him feel strange.
He remembered the time after Jeong Minha disappeared when he waited every day in the waiting room. Back then, he didn’t even know if he could meet him, and in fact, they didn’t meet.
But now it was different. They could definitely meet.
* * *
The next evening, a splendid opening ceremony was held and the Olympic stadium became a festive atmosphere.
Athletes from each country entered along with all kinds of broadcast cameras. Seo Sihan sat in the spectator seats anxiously waiting.
And finally, he could see the familiar Taegeukgi waving down below.
The Republic of Korea national team athletes were entering in order. With many people gathered wearing the same clothes it would be hard to distinguish them, but Seo Sihan recognized Jeong Minha immediately. From Seo Sihan’s perspective, Jeong Minha shone the brightest among the numerous people.
After the opening ceremony ended, Seo Sihan hurriedly moved his steps to the waiting room Jeong Minha mentioned.
Arriving first and sitting down, it was really similar to the old situation. His heart beat so very fast. Of course, back then it was from anxiety, and now the big difference was that it beat fast from happiness.
A while later, the sound of the door opening came.
Seo Sihan immediately raised his head to look at the entrance. Jeong Minha was poking just his head in.
“Ah, it was here?!”
“Minha-ya….”
Seo Sihan got up from his seat and hugged Jeong Minha who was approaching. Jeong Minha also hugged back while patting his back.
“I was waiting in a different waiting room.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I told you about it but I went into the wrong one, right?”
As Jeong Minha smiled awkwardly, Seo Sihan smiled back too. A face he was seeing after 2 weeks felt like he was seeing it after 2 years.
“Minha is really….”
“Hm?”
Seo Sihan looked at Jeong Minha hugging him in his arms. He was dressed just as cool as at the airport interview, opening ceremony, etc., but the feeling that reached him was different.
Just like when Seo Sihan first met Jeong Minha and misunderstood his personality, Jeong Minha seen from afar was just calmly expressionless. He didn’t particularly talk much either.
“Hyung?”
But Jeong Minha when he was with him was different. He didn’t know if he had rose-colored glasses on, but it definitely felt like he was more comfortably relaxed. The way he stared up asking why he stopped talking mid-sentence was really cute. Laughter naturally came out.
“Ah, what is it!”
“Mm, just…. Minha is really cool and cute….”
“…Ye, yes?”
It was also cute how he turned his gaze away embarrassed when praised. He couldn’t believe that such a cool athlete had this side. He wanted to brag to other fans while also wanting to keep it to himself.
Seo Sihan enjoyed the feeling of a successful fan and briefly pondered something else.
“If Minha was a hyung older than me… would it have been a bit different?”
“Huh? Suddenly?”
Is it because he’s younger that he seems cute? Seo Sihan imagined Jeong Minha being older than him. Then, not hyung but…….
―Sihan-ah.
“……”
It was such a better imagination than expected that Seo Sihan turned his head away flustered. If it had really been like that, daily life would’ve been impossible from an overdose of coolness.
Whether he did or not, Jeong Minha also seriously pondered it himself before answering.
“Then I don’t think I would’ve met hyung?”
“…Huh?”
Hearing the shocking answer, Seo Sihan looked at Jeong Minha with a dumbfounded expression.
“Why, why…?”
“No… thinking about when I first met hyung…. Then it would be someone younger than me now covering all my living expenses and cheering me on? This goes beyond burdensome to a reality check on my entire life……”
“……”
As Seo Sihan just opened his mouth and closed it again, Jeong Minha said in a teasing tone while smiling.
“And hyung, if you were younger than me, you’d be in big trouble.”
“Why…?”
“I’m being this polite because you’re my hyung. If you were a younger sibling, I would’ve bossed you around.”
“How?”
“Well, making you bring me water, or calling you saying it’s urgent then asking you to turn off the lights….”
“……”
“……”
Jeong Minha, who was an only child, explained the kinds of bossing around younger siblings he’d seen on the internet. Then he suddenly stopped talking. Thinking about it again, these were all things he’d already done to Seo Sihan.
“…I’m sorry.”
As Jeong Minha apologized mid-teasing, Seo Sihan finally burst out laughing.
“Ah, it’s okay. I’d rather want to do everything Minha tells me to….”
“E-even so! If you were really a younger sibling……”
“Yeah.”
Soon Jeong Minha delivered the final blow with a determined expression.
“No more words, just follow me—I would’ve taken you to the gym every day.”
“……”
As expected, when Seo Sihan’s expression hardened, Jeong Minha nodded satisfactorily.
“Be grateful you’re a hyung.”
“Y-yeah….”
Having talked like that for a while, it had already become late. He could see Jeong Minha getting sleepy too.
“…Minha-ya, go rest now.”
“Ah…. If I go now, we can really only meet during the competition….”
“It’s okay. There’s only two days left…you know.”
As he spoke, he realized there really wasn’t much time left. It was the day the finals would be held along with preliminaries in just two days.
Seo Sihan started trembling again. As he was quietly calming down while clutching his chest area again, Jeong Minha hugged him.
“Right, this is why I came….”
“Hu, huh…?”
“Hyung…. Don’t worry too much.”
“It’s not worry….”
“You don’t have to be nervous either.”
“……”
“I can really do well.”
“That’s why I’m excited….”
“……”
They just met eyes silently. Jeong Minha slowly blinked his sleepy eyes, then pushed Seo Sihan weakly.
“Ah, I can’t stand it. Why are you so cute, hyung….”
“…Th-thank you…?”
As Seo Sihan just smiled bashfully, Jeong Minha finally turned around and flung the door open.
“Hyung, just wait obediently! Once I win the gold medal, I’ll do whatever I want so be prepared!”
“…! Yeah, I’d love that….”
After declaring boldly, Jeong Minha opened the door and went out.
Just when Seo Sihan was only looking at the closed door, the door suddenly opened again.
“…I forgot something important.”
“Hm?”
Soon he walked back toward Seo Sihan and took out a small sky-blue wrapper from his pocket. Seo Sihan, who immediately recognized what it was, just widened his eyes and asked.
“This is….”
“It’s what I eat when I’m nervous, and I wanted to give it to hyung. I almost forgot this.”
“……”
“This is really effective… hyung? What’s wrong?”
He could never forget the moment when an athlete he met in the waiting room gave him some candy telling him not to be nervous. It was the first meeting with Seo Sihan that Jeong Minha didn’t remember.
If he had only watched the competition without that incident, many things would be different from now. He would’ve just thought he did well and quickly erased it from memory—Seo Sihan could say for certain.
But in the end, Seo Sihan could never forget Jeong Minha.
“Hyung, don’t tell me you know what this is?”
“…Yeah.”
It was because of one small candy that was bitter to the point of disgust.
After that, Jeong Minha just gave him the candy and went out again. Actually, because Seo Sihan said he knew about it, Jeong Minha said if you know, it won’t be effective… and tried to take it back, but because Seo Sihan said it was fine and he wanted to have it, he handed it over with an absurd look.
“But you know about it. This is bitter, you know? Are you going to eat it?”
“…Because Minha is giving it to me, I want to have it.”
“Do as you like, then.”
After Jeong Minha left first, Seo Sihan also left a few minutes later. While returning to the hotel, he took out the candy he’d put in his pocket. It was really the same wrapper.
Of course, he had no intention of eating it. He still vividly remembered that bitter taste. Thinking of Jeong Minha carrying this around and eating it for years made him laugh.
‘Really strange….’
Still, it was his own way of relieving tension in his own way, so it also felt amazing.
* * *
Two days passed faster than expected.
Various broadcasters and the internet worked hard promoting while explaining the events that would unfold. Naturally, the news of the former silver medalist’s return spread quickly. Time passed quickly watching the past highlight videos uploaded on SNS.
……And so finally, Sunday, July 27th, 4 PM.
The men’s 10m air pistol finals began.
