The barbecue restaurant was loud and full of smoke. Seung-ho sat across the metal table from Ji-woong.

He looked completely unhappy and restless as usual. He looked around with no interest, and he listened to Ji-woong without paying much attention. While the meat sizzled on the hot grill, Ji-woong was talking about his day on the volleyball team.

"Yaa, I'm serious, I'm getting sick of it," he said in a tired voice. "They were arguing again, and I had to deal with all of it as captain."

He looked at Seung-ho. He watched his hand move over the grill as he flipped the meat.

"They don't listen half the time," he said. "I swear, being captain just means I gotta babysit grown guys."

Seung-ho reached for the soju bottle and poured a shot for himself when Ji-woong kept going.

"Anyway," he said, "you crushed Choi Hyo-bin out there."

Seung-ho picked up his glass and drank when the words settled in his head.

"Poor bastard asked for it," he said.

Ji-woong picked up the metal tongs to flip the meat.

"He doesn't have anything else," he said calmly. "He has to make the national team. You didn't have to crush him like that."

Seung-ho set the glass down and wiped his mouth with his hand.

"Yeah," he said. "He can't live off his friends forever. Maybe he should stop messing with me and focus more on swimming."

Ji-woong looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

Seung-ho leaned back in his chair and stared at the grill when the fire kept moving under the meat.

"If Park Soo-bin didn't keep helping him," he said, "he'd probably starve in a few days or freeze on his way to school."

Ji-woong turned his head to look at him.

"Park Soo-bin seems like a good guy."

Seung-ho laughed and poured more soju into both glasses.

"I think Soo-bin's in love with Hyo-bin," he said. "No one does that much for someone otherwise."

Ji-woong watched his hand fill the glasses when he flipped the meat again.

"When did you get like this, Seung-ho?" he asked. "You get more annoying every day."

Seung-ho grabbed the green bottle from the table and poured a shot of soju for both of them. Then they raised the small glasses and drank the clear liquid.

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe I'm like my mother. Everything's genetic, right?"

Ji-woong looked at him.

"When was the last time you went to your dad's grave?"

Seung-ho reached for the bottle and poured another round when he tilted his head toward the glass.

"Drink," he said, then picked up his own. "It's been a while."

Ji-woong looked down at the soju in his hand.

"Don't you have practice tomorrow?" he asked.

"I do," he said. "What does it matter?"

"I'll come see you after," he said.

Seung-ho picked up his phone from the table and checked his messages. His texts to Hyo-bin had still not delivered.

"The bastard probably blocked me," Seung-ho said.

After he dropped the phone back onto the metal table, he sighed.

"I wish I didn't have to go to practice tomorrow," he said.

Then he grabbed his small glass and drank the soju.

—

As Seung-ho walked into the locker room, guys were talking by the benches while water was running in the showers. He changed into his gear and headed out to the pool.

He stepped to the edge and looked across the lanes. He didn't see Choi Hyo-bin.

As the last minutes were passing, the coach walked in and raised his voice.

"Alright, everyone in the water."

They got in and started swimming when ten minutes went by and the door opened.

Hyo-bin walked in and bowed his head.

"Sorry, coach," he said, then got into the water.

He pushed off and swam when Park Soo-bin moved next to him, and they kept pace side by side.

Seung-ho stayed in his lane and watched them. He followed them as they moved down the pool.

As Soo-bin climbed out of the water, Seung-ho turned and swam straight toward Hyo-bin. 

When Hyo-bin saw him coming like a crocodile, he got annoyed and narrowed his eyes.

"Why haven't you been answering my messages?" Seung-ho asked angrily.

Hyo-bin looked at him.

"My phone broke. I didn't even see your messages."

Seung-ho stayed close in the water.

"Wanna race?" he said, almost smirking.

Hyo-bin gave him a hard look. Fucking idiot, he thought.

"When are we doing the project?" Seung-ho asked this time.

Hyo-bin kept staring at him.

"I don't think we are, Seo Seung-ho," he said. "I'm sick of you. Do your own project."

"What?!" Seung-ho yelled. "We made a deal! If I beat you, we were going to do it together!"

"Don't yell at me," Hyo-bin said, swimming away.

Seung-ho sighed and swam after him. "Where do you think you're going?" he called out loudly. "I can swim too." He swam faster and reached out to grab Hyo-bin's arm.

"You're going to do that damn project with me," he said.

"Aish, let go of my arm, you psycho," Hyo-bin said. "I'm not doing it."

Seung-ho kept holding on.

"No!"

Slowly, everyone started watching them.

"Shut up!" Hyo-bin yelled. "I said fuck off!"

And at that moment, the last thing anyone expected happened. Seung-ho let go and punched Hyo-bin right in the face.

"Ya! YA! Stop it right now!" the coach shouted.

They went at each other in the water as it was splashing around them, and teammates were swimming over to pull them apart.

Soo-bin jumped back in and rushed to them to break it up.

As three teammates grabbed Hyo-bin's arms, another three pushed Seung-ho against the plastic lane ropes. They still kicked and struggled in the deep water to get free. The coach walked right to the edge of the deck.

"Both of you, get out of the pool!" the coach yelled over the loud splashing. "Right now!"

The guys held them tightly and dragged them through the water toward the concrete edge. The coach looked incredibly angry. The green veins pushed out on his forehead.

"I'm sick of both of you," he said. "I don't know what your problem is, but you're suspended until you sort it out."

"What?" Hyo-bin asked.

"But Coach—" Soo-bin started immediately.

"Shut up!" the coach yelled. "Take your showers and get out of my pool. You're not coming back until this is fixed. Now get out of my face. You too Park Soo-bin."