Streetlights washed over the windshield as the sports car sped down the road.

"You guys need to knock it off," Soo-bin said angrily. "You're driving everyone crazy."

Hyo-bin rested his head against the window. "Please, Soo-bin-ah. I really don't need a captain's lecture right now."

Soo-bin hit the brakes when they reached a red light and tapped one finger against the steering wheel. "I'm not lecturing you. I just want you to get it. Your whole life's on the line here. Nothing's gonna happen to Seo Seung-ho. He's gonna be fine even if he never swims or studies again. But you don't have a choice. You gotta make the national team and finish school."

Hyo-bin turned toward the driver's seat. "Soo-bin!" he yelled. "I've got enough going on right now. Don't start."

The traffic light turned green. Soo-bin hit the gas and pulled into the parking lot of a barbecue restaurant. "No. We're gonna keep talking about it while we eat."

Thick smoke hung near the ceiling exhaust fans inside the crowded restaurant. The clatter of metal chopsticks and the smell of roasting garlic filled the air.

Soo-bin claimed an empty booth near the back and ordered beef from the waitress. Hyo-bin added a few side dishes before she walked away.

Soo-bin turned his attention back to his friend. He opened his mouth to speak, but a loud chime cut through the noise.

Hyo-bin read the new text message on his phone.

Wait for me at Lane 9 Cafe

Tomorrow morning at 8

The message ruined his mood. He left the phone on the table and looked up. The waitress had already brought their raw food.

Soo-bin placed the meat on the hot grill, and the beef sizzled immediately. "I'm hitting the sports store during the free period tomorrow. Wanna come?"

"What do you need to buy?" Hyo-bin asked.

"Goggles, a cap, and some weights," Soo-bin said. "Come on, tag along. We'll grab what you need too."

Hyo-bin dropped a piece of meat onto Soo-bin's plate. "This one's done. You eat first. My goggles are fine, but can we get a new swimsuit? Both of mine are shot. Feels like it's gonna tear off and show my ass in the pool."

Soo-bin threw his head back and laughed. Then he put more meat and mushrooms on Hyo-bin's plate. He picked up a piece of green lettuce and placed the hot beef inside it. After adding a piece of roasted garlic and spicy paste, he folded the leaf into a neat bundle and held it out to him. "Let's get you two new ones, Hyo-bin. Eat this."

Hyo-bin stared at the food, then looked up. "Thanks, Soo-bin-ah. You always have my back. I'll pay you back one day."

Soo-bin put down his tongs and pushed his mushrooms around with his chopsticks. "Don't feel like you owe me anything. We're good friends. You help me out all the time too. If you weren't always there for me, I wouldn't be a swimmer getting ready for the national team tryouts."

He looked directly at Hyo-bin. "Besides, you're a good guy. Seung-ho is a good guy too. I don't even get why you two fight like dogs."

Hyo-bin leaned back against his seat. "We've been at it since high school. How many times do I have to say it?"

"Yeah, but you never say why," Soo-bin said. "It's a miracle you haven't killed each other in three years."

"We had one fight in high school, and it's been like this ever since," Hyo-bin said. "It's on me that I'm stuck at his fancy high school on a scholarship."

Soo-bin raised his hand and called the waiter before looking back at the table. "Just hang in there a bit longer, please. At this rate, he has zero chance of making the national team anyway. Give it one more year, and then you won't even have to see him again."

"I'll try," Hyo-bin said.

"Seems like there's no other way for you guys to work on the project together anyway. Be cool to each other."

"Enough, I get it. I told you I'd try, Soo-bin." Hyo-bin grabbed his phone and typed a quick reply.

I'll be there

Luckily, Soo-bin's phone vibrated, bringing the conversation to an end. He picked it up and read the message. His face brightened immediately as he began typing a reply.

While his friend focused on his phone, Hyo-bin looked around the crowded room. Smoke rose from the hot grill between them. He reached across the table and grabbed the tongs. "Soo-bin-ah, the meat is burning."

Soo-bin lifted his head. "What?"

"Is that your girlfriend messaging you?" Hyo-bin asked with a laugh.

Soo-bin's face brightened too. "Yeah, it's her. Sorry, Hyo-bin. She gets mad at me if I don't reply." He put his phone down.

Hyo-bin grabbed a piece of beef with the tongs and placed it on Soo-bin's plate. "You've been dating this girl for almost a year, and you still haven't introduced her to any of us. She hasn't even come to a single practice, let alone the races."

"Yeah, because she has no time," Soo-bin said with a chuckle. "I told you before. She studies in Busan."

"Do you like her a lot, Soo-bin?" Hyo-bin asked.

"Yeah," Soo-bin said. "Saying I like her doesn't even cover it. I really love her, Hyo-bin-ah. She's a great person and super pretty. We get along really well."

Hyo-bin sighed. "It's really good if she doesn't get mad about you being an athlete or seeing each other so rarely."

Soo-bin looked directly at him. "Do you have anyone you like?"

Hyo-bin shook his head. "I don't have the luxury of liking anybody when I can barely feed myself, Soo-bin. Honestly, I'm really scared someone might like me and get into my head. I gotta focus on school and the tryouts."

—

A talk show played on the television while Seung-ho sat on the sofa and scrolled through his phone. The cleaning staff had left the house hours ago, and the room was completely quiet.

He was putting his phone down for the night when the front door unlocked and his mother walked into the foyer.

Kim Ji-hye took off her high heels in the sunken entryway, and the hard shoes landed on the tiles. She dropped her bag onto the console as she crossed the floor in her black dress. After slipping her feet into her indoor slippers, she entered the living room.

"You're not asleep?" she asked.

"Hello to you too." Seung-ho stood. "Since you're finally home, it's time for me to sleep."

"How was practice?" Ji-hye asked.

Seung-ho walked toward the hallway. "It was just practice. How else could it be?"

"Did you stop taking your meds again?"

Seung-ho stopped and turned around. "Practice went well. Can I go to my room now?"

"You can go."

He entered his bedroom and shut the door. After crossing the dark room, he lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time.

"I fucking hate you," he whispered.