Water was crashing against the gutters while the team swam their evening laps. The whistle pierced the air, and the echo bounced off the tiles. 

The swimmers were preparing for the national team qualifiers. The coach stood at the edge of the deck and tracked the times.

Soo-bin was racing another boy in the middle lanes. He tore through the water with steady power. He hit the touchpad at the finish line and broke the surface immediately. He rested his forearms on the wet concrete and dragged air into his lungs.

"Good job, Soo-bin," the coach said. "You shaved a second off your time."

"Thank you, sir," Soo-bin said.

He left the water and headed for the benches.

The coach checked his clipboard before he addressed the team.

"Hyo-bin and Seung-ho," he said. "Get on the blocks. Hundred-meter freestyle."

Hyo-bin was leaning against the bins with his ankles crossed. He folded his arms over his chest.

"I don't wanna race him, sir," he said. "He can never beat me anyway."

Seung-ho was sitting on the tiled edge on the opposite side. He dragged his hand through his wet hair while he watched the clock.

"I'm not doing it either," he said. "Beating you isn't even part of my life plans anyway."

Then the coach's clipboard slapped the wet floor. The plastic cracked, and the sudden noise killed the chatter across the room. The rest of the team stopped moving entirely.

"Get over here," the coach said. "I'm really fed up with both of you now."

The two boys walked along the pool and stopped in front of the man. The coach pointed his finger directly at Hyo-bin's face.

"Do you wanna lose your full scholarship?" the coach asked. "Because I will revoke it today."

Hyo-bin kept his eyes on the water and did not answer.

The coach looked at Seung-ho.

"And you," he said. "If you love swimming, stop ruining everyone's peace. It will affect your future sports career. I don't care about your personal issues outside this building. You are athletes in my pool. You will race, and you will give it your all. Now get on the damn blocks."

He picked up his cracked clipboard and returned to the starting line. 

The two boys moved to their lanes and stopped behind the blocks side by side.

Seung-ho stared at the water.

"Like I give a fuck about my future sports career," he muttered.

His voice was low, but Hyo-bin caught the words over the noise of the pool. He looked at him. 

Seung-ho pulled his goggles over his eyes and stepped up onto his block. He ignored the stare. 

Hyo-bin shook his head and snapped his own goggles into place before he climbed onto his block.

"Take your marks," the coach said.

Hyo-bin bent his knees and grabbed the front of the block. He lowered his head and loaded his weight into his legs.

The whistle blew. Both swimmers pushed off the blocks and launched into the air. 

They hit the water at the same time and glided under the surface. Hyo-bin broke the water first and started his stroke. He tore through the water while his legs kicked hard. His lungs burned immediately, and he maintained a brutal pace.

Seung-ho matched his rhythm in the next lane. 

Their arms cut through the water aggressively, and they threw spray into the air while they reached the halfway mark. Hyo-bin hit the wall for a flip turn and pushed off with his feet. Seung-ho lost a fraction of a second during his turn.

Hyo-bin pushed his body to the limit during the final fifty meters. He extended his arm and touched the pad first. He broke the surface and gasped for air. 

Seung-ho hit the wall a moment later.

Hyo-bin ripped his cap off and threw it onto the deck. 

Seung-ho climbed out of the pool and ignored the timer entirely. He walked to the rack and grabbed a towel. 

The race meant absolutely nothing to him.

—

Steam was rolling across the ceiling after the rest of the team had cleared out of the facility. The room amplified the sound of dripping water and zippers. 

Hyo-bin stood in front of his locker and pulled a t-shirt over his head. Soo-bin occupied the space next to him. 

"I'll give you a ride," Soo-bin whispered. "Wanna grab food first?" 

"Okay," Hyo-bin whispered. "Thanks, Soo-bin, I really don't wanna go home. My dad is probably a mess and I'm not in the mood." 

"What do you want? BBQ?" Soo-bin asked. 

"Just give me protein," Hyo-bin said. He was not guarded around Soo-bin, but he wanted Seung-ho to hear nothing.

Soo-bin was pulling the zipper of his jacket up when the door opened.

Kwon Ji-woong walked inside and carried his bag over his shoulder. He crossed the wet tiles until he spotted Seung-ho by the wall. Then he stopped near the benches and bowed his head toward the other side of the room.

"Good evening, Park Soo-bin," he said.

Soo-bin turned around and bowed from his waist.

"Good evening, Kwon Ji-woong," Soo-bin said.

Hyo-bin bowed to Ji-woong. Then grabbed his bag and walked toward the exit. Soo-bin followed him out the door. 

The metal latch clicked shut, and the space grew quiet again. 

Ji-woong dropped his bag onto the bench.

Seung-ho shoved his towel into his bag and threw the strap over his shoulder.

"Let's go," he said.

The cold air hit their faces immediately after they walked out of the building. The wind was cutting through their jackets while they crossed the asphalt. The engine started after they got inside the car, and the headlights illuminated the concrete wall ahead. The heater blew warm air into the cabin.

Seung-ho checked the rearview mirror and tilted his chin back while he inspected his reflection. A bruise ruined the line of his jaw. Hyo-bin had caused the mark during their fight in the water two days ago.

"Bitch," he said.

Ji-woong fastened his seatbelt and looked at him.

"What's going on between you two?" Ji-woong asked. "When are you gonna tell me the truth?"

"There's nothing going on, he's just a psycho," Seung-ho said. 

He drove them out of the lot and merged into the traffic. 

—

Seung-ho dropped Ji-woong off at his apartment complex before he headed toward his own neighborhood. 

The iron gates opened automatically, and he parked his car near the outdoor pool. The wind disturbed the surface of the water while the terrace lights reflected on the ripples.

The house was completely dark when he stepped through the front door. His mother was not home, and the large space swallowed his footsteps. He walked straight to the kitchen and cooked his dinner. The beef sizzled loudly in the hot iron pan while he seasoned the meat with salt and pepper. He avoided sugary sauces for his strict diet and tossed fresh asparagus into the oil.

He ate his food on the sofa while the television played a sports recap. The news anchor was talking in the background, and the house stayed completely silent otherwise. 

He picked up his phone from the glass table. 

Then opened a chat with a contact named Poor Bastard and typed.

Wait for me at Lane 9 cafe 

Tomorrow morning at 8