Actually, the Korean team didn't perform too well at that Worlds.

It wasn't that they swam badly, per se, but Korea has never been a dominant country in swimming, and the athletes from the other countries were just too good; it was, of course, another level altogether.

Yunho did come away with a medal, a silver in the 200-metre backstroke – and that was the only medal for the entire team that year.

Changmin competed in only one event, the 200-metre freestyle. He actually did very well, especially for this being his first Worlds and his first international meet. He came in sixth overall – in fact, Yunho was really impressed.

The coach was less impressed.

Once they got back to Korea, the failure of a World Team was really put through the paces, the coaches assigning extra workouts as punishment and really pushing them to their absolute physical and emotional limits.

Yunho was exempt from the punishment thanks to his silver medal, but chose to go through the grinds, because he couldn't just watch Changmin suffer.

Yunho was questioning his decision by the end, when they weren't allowed to go to bed that night until two in the morning (which already promised an awful next day on top of everything else). Yunho had done this before, and although it didn't get any easier, at least when he stumbled into the room, he wasn't covered in tears and sweat like Changmin was.

Changmin barely even made it to his bed before collapsing on it.

"This can't be legal," muttered Changmin.

"You did well today," said Yunho apologetically.

"I don't know what it is about being forced to exercise, but I ing hate it," said Changmin. "It's so weird because during the day, I actually don't even mind exercising."

Yunho got up, grabbed a towel and walked towards Changmin's bed, and sat down next to him on the bed. He put the towel in Changmin's hand so that he could wipe his face with it. "Here."

Changmin muttered a word of thanks but his arms didn't seem to want to move. Yunho began to massage him, but Changmin jumped as soon as Yunho touched his thigh. "God. I'm so sore. Don't touch me."

Yunho patted Changmin's back instead. "We'll do better in the next meet."

"I'd rather not go if this is what it means," muttered Changmin, and Yunho couldn't help but lightly slap Changmin's shoulder.

"Don't say that."

"Don't hit me, I got enough of that today," said Changmin flatly.

"You're going to do really well at the next Worlds. I can see it. You were so, so good already this year."

Changmin groaned and buried his face into the pillow.

"They all want to make the Worlds Team knowing this?"

"Yeah. They're all still super jealous of you," said Yunho.

"," mumbled Changmin, shaking his head. "If I make the Olympic team, I'll make sure to retire before they can do anything to me if I come away from the Olympics without a medal. They'll probably really kill me then."

Yunho sighed.

"Didn't you enjoy travelling though?" asked Yunho.

Changmin actually made the effort to lift his head towards Yunho and and made a face.

"…We didn't get to see anything except the hotel and the pool."

Yunho didn't have a reply to that.

"You should sleep," he said.

Changmin just grunted in response.

Worlds were the end of every "season", even though there was really no such thing in elite swimming, as in most elite-level sports.

With that said, just after Worlds, there was a month that they called "off season", when all of the athletes were permitted to go back to their own swimming clubs to train before returning to the athlete's village the next month. Of course, all the athletes took advantage of this; they did the minimum to stay in shape. This was their longest holiday of the year, and everyone looked forward to it – but Yunho wasn't sure about Changmin.

Yunho took note of Changmin's hardening face when the announcement was made among a sea of claps and cheers.

"Will you… be going back to the group home for break?" asked Yunho later that night.

Changmin winced, but shook his head.

"I can't. I've already given up my bed there," said Changmin, wringing his hands.

"They… won't give you a new one?"

Changmin shrugged. "I don't know if they'll take me back, I was on the wait list for that group home for months before I got a spot when I first moved in. I think they'll let me stay here, that way I'll have somewhere to train too. The pool I used to train at wasn't a standard Olympic-sized pool."

Yunho watched wordlessly for a moment, then spoke.

"Do you… want to come stay with me at my house? You could train with me at my swimming club and –"

"No," said Changmin quickly even before Yunho finished his sentence. "No."

"Why not?"

"Why would I? I don't live with you."

"I know, but it's nice to stay with, you know, the people who care about you for holidays."

Changmin looked startled. He seemed to think it over, then looked up for a second uncertainly. "…You live alone?"

"With my parents," said Yunho, and as soon as he said that, Changmin shook his head vigorously.

"No."

"Why not? My parents are really nice. I know they'd love to have you."

Changmin picked at his blanket over his lap and shook his head. "No. I don't want to… intrude."

"You wouldn't be intruding," promised Yunho. "My parents really –"

"No," repeated Changmin much more decisively, looking right into Yunho's eyes. "I'm going to be fine. This isn't going to be anything new for me."

"But… it's supposed to be a break."

Changmin smiled confidently. "It'll be a break for me here as long as the coach goes home too, which he will."

Yunho wasn't really sure, but he nodded slowly.

Changmin was allowed to stay at the Village after all, and he looked visibly more relaxed after that, and Yunho understood; otherwise, Changmin would have been kicked out on the streets. And so, the day their break started, Changmin was lounging on his bed on his phone as Yunho finished up packing just before leaving for home.

"God, I love when I get those texts from the boys in school that used to bully me," said Changmin with a snort. "'I'm sorry for what I did to you. Can we make up?' Uh, how about no, you son of a ." He stabbed at his phone screen with his finger violently.

Yunho chuckled. He then eyed Changmin and spoke carefully.

"Changmin… come over to my house."

"No, God, no means no," snapped Changmin. He then glanced at the clock. "You have to hurry, or you're going to miss your train."

Changmin then got up from his bed and stretched his arms out.

"I'm gonna get some breakfast and then I think I'm going to go for a run."

"Oh," said Yunho stupidly. "Um… well… I'm going to be gone when you get back from that."

"Then I'll see you when you get back," said Changmin.

The smile he gave Yunho as he waved and left the room was so bright that Yunho convinced himself, Changmin is going to be okay.