Afternoon

National Team Dormitory

After checking through IYTT application form, Eunjung put it back into the envelope. Just when she was about to leave her dormitory for lunch, she heard two of her teammates talking outside.

“I heard Lee Rin isn’t going to participate in IYTT this year.”

“Jinjja? Why?”

“It seems like she injured her leg. It’s her right leg somemore. She can’t even walk properly so she won’t be participating.”

“Such a waste! I have watched a few of her tournament videos. Her way of fighting is pretty unique and I even thought of keeping a close watch on her…”

When the voices were gone, Eunjung came out from her dormitory, feeling complicated.

She looked down at her own legs. In order to enhance the strength of her legs, she has been wearing baggy track pants because she has the weights tied to her legs most of the time.

After a moment of pondering, she took her phone out to call Boram.

---

The sunlight was sipping through the leaves.

“… 75, 76, 77…”

Rin was doing slow squat with her hands on the tree trunk. During this period, Jaejoong didn’t allow her to visit him and he told Dongwook to take over her physiotherapy. After her constant pestering, Dongwook has finally allowed her to do some basic restorative trainings.

Everyday she would sit at the side of the bed whereby Dongwook would tie a sandbag on each of her ankle, and watched her straighten her legs slowly until she completed 100 sets. Everytime she tried to do more, Dongwook would remove the sandbags.

“… 85, 86, 87…”

Ever since Jaejoong was admitted to the hospital, Kris has been there to look after Jaejoong. Dongwook had also taken over the daily trainings.

“… 99, 100. Done!”

Dongwook came over to her side and helped her to the long bench to sit down. He handed a towel at her to wipe her sweat before he squatted in front of her to massage her right leg.

“Your swell has reduced a lot.” Dongwook smiled.

“Told you guys that I am tougher than anyone else.”

“Still! Don’t act tough!” Dongwook knuckled her head lightly. “Your healing needs at least a month. I would suggest you not to participate in the tournament.”

“Sunbae…” Just before Rin could reply him, another voice spoke from behind.

“Rin-ah!”

Rin turned around to see Jiwon and Byung Hyun walking towards her direction.

“Omma? Appa?”

She was about to stand up but Byung Hyun signalled her to sit back down. “Sit down, young lady.”

“Coach Choi! Byung Hyun ahjussi!” Dongwook greeted the two.

“Dongwook-ah.” The two acknowledged back.

“Why are you here?” Rin asked.

Jiwon gave Byung Hyun a look and the latter nodded his head. “Jaejoong gave me a call and told me not to register you for IYTT. As your mother, I really don’t want you to participate in the tournament. But as your coach, I need to listen to your opinion.”

“I want to do it.” Rin answered almost immediately.

“See! Told you so!” Byung Hyun commented. “She is just like you.”

Jiwon shot him a glare and turned back to her daughter. “I have already expected you to say this.” Jiwon sighed. “Rin-ah, have you ever thought if you were to get injured again, you may not be able to do Taekwondo anymore?”

“Omma, will you give up your dream because of an injury?” Rin asked back.

“Yes. I still want to walk a longer road in the Taekwondo.” Jiwon answered.

“Omma, you are not answering this truthfully.” Rin said.

“Yes Yes! You always read my mind.” Jiwon sighed.

“Rin-ah, appa hope that you should consider this properly.” Byung Hyun said.

“Appa, I have considered it very thoroughly. I want to participate in IYTT. Even if my leg were to be crippled, it would still be my choice.”

Both Jiwon and Byung Hyun let out a sigh but Jiwon still took the form out and handed it to her daughter. “I knew you would make this choice. I have already filled the form for you so you just have to sign on it.”

“Gomawo, omma! Gomawo, appa!” Rin smiled and then she took the form from her mother to sign on it. “Omma, please don’t let Jaejoong oppa know about it.”

“Araso.”

---

Three days after submission of the application form, the newspapers started reporting the news of Rin participating in IYT despite her injury.

“Lee Rin will be fighting for the slot to participate in the International Youth Taekwondo Tournament!”

“Will Whirlwind Lee Rin be able to show her power again?”

“The Battle of the Queens: Lee Eunjung and Lee Rin!”

Rosie’s mouth dropped open at the various headlines. “Senpai, didn’t you tell Coach Jiwon not to announce your participation?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I should call omma.”

“No, don’t do it!” Rosie snatched Rin’s phone from her. “Probably it’s Coach Jiwon’s idea. You know she loves to make use of the media to promote the training base. Maybe this is to motivate you to strive for better result?”

Rin was speechless.

“Wait a minute!” Rosie said. “Nowadays reporters are pretty efficient! They have spies planted everywhere so they could have been informed the moment you submitted your form. Let’s just hope that Jaejoong sunbae won’t know about it.”

Rin let out a sigh.

“Oh! I know! I can give Kris a call and tell him to keep all the newspaper away. Don’t turn on the TV. We just need to keep mum about this and he won’t know about it!”

“You really think that he is dumb?”

The moment Rin finished her sentence; Rosie’s phone started ringing. Rosie picked it up and saw Kris’ name on it. “Holy !” Rosie gasped and a bad premonition hit both Rosie and Rin.

“Hello?” Rosie answered the call with a shaky voice.

Before Rosie could say anything else, Rin could already hear Kris’ voice roaring from the other side of the line. Rosie was holding her phone away from her eyes and looked back at Rin, seeking for help.

Rin went over to take her phone. “What’s the point of scolding Rosie? He want to scold me, I’ll go over to the hospital to let him scold.” With that she hung up the call, grabbed her clutches and left the room with Rosie trailing after her.

---

Rin was walking along the hospital corridor in her clutches.

“Senpai, don’t worry! I’m sure Jaejoong sunbae is not going to scold you.” Rosie said.

As if sensing their arrival, the door was open and Kris was looking at Rin with a worried look. Rin walked into the ward and saw the person lying on the bed. She has already forgotten how long had she not seen him and he seemed to lose a lot of weight.

Her heart was twitching in pain but when she saw his eyes were fixated on the TV, she turned to look at the TV only to see the reporter was interviewing Eunjung.

“Heard that your junior, Lee Rin, is going to participate in the selection round. Is there something that you want to tell her?”

“I hope that her injury will recover soon so that it won’t affect her performance in the selection round.” Eunjung said with a gentle smile.

“Lee Rin had already beaten you thrice. Is it true?”

“Yes.” Eunjung smiled.

“Lee Rin is rising up very quickly! She is being titled as the KO Queen and the public is seeing her as the rising Taekwondo star. She is also your biggest opponent. Since you will be facing her in the upcoming selection round, how are you feeling about fighting with her again?”

“In a tournament, people care about the result and not the names you gained.”

Rosie rolled her eyes at Eunjung’s reply but she didn’t dare to make a single sound.

Jaejoong took the remote control to turn off the TV before he shifted his gaze to Rin. “You had submitted your application?”

“Yes.”

“Good! Very good!” A cold look spread across Jaejoong’s face. “Since you don’t want to listen to me, you can leave Sung Bok.”

Both Rosie and Kris paled out at Jaejoong’s reply. Rin continued to keep her silence.

“Why are you so quiet?” Jaejoong asked.

“Is there any use to defend myself now?” Rin questioned back. “You