Once they were back to the hotel, Dongwook began to remove the bandage on Rin’s right left. Rosie, Boram and Taeyeon were shocked when they saw how swollen Rin’s leg was.

Rosie’s tears couldn’t stop falling. “Ottoke? Ottoke?” She grabbed Boram’s arm and shook it. “I knew there was something not right. Senpai, how could you still act like nothing happened? I’m sorry, senpai! It’s all my fault!” Rosie burst out crying. “If not because of me, you wouldn’t be injured…”

“Whatever happened had happened! There’s no point saying such thing!” Taeyeon sighed. “I’m more worried about tomorrow’s matches.”

“Ya…” Boram sang along.

Although Rin looked extremely normal in front of her opponents, it was obvious that she has problem boarding the bus.

“Why don’t you back out?” Boram asked.

“What?” Rosie looked unbelievably at Boram.

“It’s hard for her to continue tomorrow! Let alone getting the championship.” Boram analysed.

Rosie went silent at Boram’s reply.

“I’m fine.” Rin said. “I was just trying to reserve my energy. My leg will recover by tomorrow morning…”

A frown appeared on Dongwook’s face.

After spraying the pain relief spray, he went on to put some pain relief ointment on Rin’s swollen knee. Although there wasn’t any additional injury, her injury inflammation has worsened due to the matches.

During Rin’s matches, Dongwook had received several calls from Jaejoong but because Rin had warned him not to tell Jaejoong about her injury, he only told him the good news instead.

Once everything was settled, the group headed down to the restaurant for dinner. “What did Coach Jiwon say?” Taeyeon asked Rin when they were at the restaurant.

Rin kept silence and thought back about the things her mother told her during her earlier matches.

**Flashback**

“Rin, your leg is not suitable to continue with the tournament anymore. Even if you were to continue with the tournament, you would be facing Do Jungmin and Lee Eunjung. Given your current condition, you wouldn’t have any winning chance.” Jiwon told her daughter when the last preliminary round ended. “But it’s still your choice to decide whether to continue or give up the tournament.”

**End Of Flashback**

“She said I could continue with the match.” Rin said. “No matter I could get the championship or not, I must give this a try.”

---

After dinner, Rin couldn’t even stand properly. It was only with Rosie’s help then she was able to take a quick shower.

Lying on her bed, Rin was staring at the photos in her phone, which she had taken with Jaejoong. A happy smile appeared across her face and she started keying in the numbers.

The stars were twinkling brightly in the sky.

Jaejoong was sitting on his bed, listening to the doctor’s explanation on his surgery tomorrow. He voiced out a request at the end of the briefing but the doctor rejected it immediately.

He threatened to stop the surgery if the doctor were to reject his request so the doctor has no choice but to accede to his request.

Once the doctor left, Kris and Jaejoong were watching the sports news when they reported that both Eunjung and Rin had advanced successfully to the semi-final.
Jaejoong’s eyes were fixated on the screen, not wanting to miss a single of Rin’s shot.

“Told you right! Rin’s injury isn’t that serious! Hyung, you should rest now.” Kris said.

Because the preliminary rounds didn’t get telecasted so Jaejoong has been worrying about her for the whole day. Even Dongwook told him that everything was proceeding smoothly; Jaejoong didn’t feel relieved at all.

Jaejoong kept quiet at Kris’ reply until his phone started ringing.

He saw the phone and Rin’s name was on the screen.

“Yeoboseyo?” Jaejoong answered.

“How are you?” Rin asked.

“Good.”

“I have gotten into the semi-final.”

Jaejoong went silent at her reply.

“Oppa…”

“Have you applied the special-made ointment?”

“Yup. Has your surgery being confirmed?”

“Yes, tomorrow 9 am.”

“Okay. You should sleep early tonight.” Rin reminded.

“Don’t worry! The surgery will be smooth and successful.” Jaejoong assures his girlfriend.

“Yes yes!”

A smile spread across Jaejoong’s face as he imagined how Rin answered from the other side of the line. “Because I am still waiting for your answer.”

“My answer?”

“Have you forgotten what you had said to me the day before your departure?”

“Ahhh!” Rin chuckled. “I will wait for your question so that I can answer you.”

“Okay. Wait for me.” Jaejoong said, staring at the huge pomegranate on the drawer. “I want to see you in good condition so that I could ask you that question.”

“I promise you.”

After the call, Jaejoong stared at his wallpaper. It was a photo of Rin kicking her leg in the air. He wanted to ask her the question even though he knew that they have yet to finish their degree and he has to make sure that he had made it through the surgery and possessed the ability to protect and look after her before he could formally ask her parents for her hand in marriage.

---

The second day, Rosie looked exceptionally worried. Although Rin’s knee wasn’t swollen anymore, she could still see that Rin was just bearing pain quietly. How would she be able to fight her subsequent matches in this condition?

She couldn’t understand why would Jiwon agree to let Rin continue her tournament in this condition.

“No! Since senpai had already made her decision, I must support her to the end!” Rosie told herself mentally.

But when Rosie and gang arrived at the stadium, they were surprised by the change of atmosphere in the stadium. Yesterday, they were the only cheering team but there was a new cheering team in the stadium today. They were here to support Eunjung.

Their number was twice of Rin’s cheering team, and they were sitting right next to Rin’s team.

“Lee Eunjung! Fighting!”

“Lee Eunjung! Fighting!”

The entire atmosphere has turned around to become Eunjung’s home ground match.

“What the!” Rosie was fuming. “Is this a sneak attack?”

“If one needed so much cheering support for the preliminary rounds, one must be very weak!” The leader of Eunjung’s cheering team snorted, as if she heard Rosie’s inner voice.

“Haaa! Only strong athlete could fight every match like a classic match. It is the process that is important not the result!” Rosie shot back.

The leader’s face went frozen at the instance.

Rosie stood up and started swinging her pom pom. “Lee Rin! Fighting! Lee Rin! Sure win!”

At the resting area, Rin was about to do some warm-up but Jiwon made her sit down to rest. Dongwook checked on the bandage to make sure it was fully secured. “Keep your energy.” Jiwon said. “Your quarter final and semi-final will be going to be a tough one. You need to keep your energy to lat you till the final.”

“Araso.”

Rin looked at the clock in the stadium. 8:50am. “The surgery is going to start soon right?” Rin thought.

---

Seoul, hospital

The nurse was wheeling Jaejoong to the operation theatre. Kris and Mrs Lee were accompanying him by the side. Jaejoong didn’t have much expression on his face but his mind was on Rin. “Her match is going to start soon right?”

---

Jeonju Stadium

“Lee Rin! Fighting!”

“Lee Rin! Fighting!”

“Lee Eunjung! Fighting!”

“Lee Eunjung! Fighting!”

The two teams seemed to be battling who could do the loudest cheer.

Eunjung was the first to appear in the quarterfinal and her cheering team was exceptionally passionate in their current job. True enough, Eunjung didn’t disappoint then. She managed to be in the lead in the second round with a score of 6:2.

Rosie’s face was exceptionally dark because of Eunjung’s outstanding performance. When the score went up to 7:2, Rosie couldn’t help but to make sarcastic remark. “Psssh! What so great about her? She can score as many points as she want but she just cannot KO her opponent! I thought her strength had improved tremendously? If it were to be senpai, she would have KO-ed her opponent and won her match!”

“She is probably reserving her energy.” Baekhyun analysed.

“Yup! Eunjung didn’t seem to perspire at all.” Taeyeon added. Although she didn’t want to admit and ever since Eunjung betrayed them to join the national team, she wanted Rin to win the tournament more. “In the first place, Rin would have higher winning chance against Eunjung. But now that her leg is injured, Eunjung would focus all her attention on Rin...”

“Rin, you must bluff it through. I hope Eunjung won’t be able to notice your leg has yet to find out that your injury has yet to recover.” Taeyeon muttered.

When Eunjung won her third round with a score of 9:3, Boram and Rosie’s faces darkened. Eunjung waved and left the mat gracefully with a smile on her face.
Rin’s match began after the second match.

“Lee Rin! Sure win!”

“Lee Rin! Fighting!”

Rosie decided to pick herself up and started cheering for Rin.

Rin didn’t win this match brilliantly. Basically, she had ditched the attacking strategy and used a full defense strategy in this match. Other than the loud cheering, the entire match was rather a boring one. The spectators started moving around. In the end, Rin won with a score of 3:2.

---

“Lee Rin seems not to be in her top condition since the end of her match earlier on.” A voice of the commentator was coming out from the radio in the operation theatre. Jaejoong was lying on the cold surgical table and listening to the radio telecast of the Taekwondo tournament. “Lee Rin had missed a lot of chances to attack. I wonder if it is because there is something wrong about her strategy or her stamina isn’t as good as before. In contrast, I would think that Lee Eunjung seemed to perform much better than Lee Rin…”

The doctors were preparing the machine for the surgery. The anesthetist has already inserted the needle into Jaejoong’s arm. This was his first time seeing a patient requesting to listen to radio telecast during a surgery, and this patient had already signed the corresponding consequential document.

His family would not hold the hospital responsible if something were to happen to him during the surgery.

---

“Can you continue?” Dongwook asked the moment Rin came back to the resting area.

“Can.” Rin panted and she was already sweating profusely from the pain.

Her right knee was already in such great pain that she couldn’t even exert any force out of it. She was glad that Jaejoong wasn’t here to watch her match. If not, he would feel disgraceful about her cowardly fight.

“Good job, Rin.” Jiwon consoled. “You just need to win another round and you will get into the final.”

For the subsequent semi-final, Eunjung continued to win her match gracefully with a score of 4:2. And Rin’s semi-final match was still as stumbling as her earlier matches. Her pace has gotten slower and strenuous.

It was the third round now.

“Haaa!” Do Jungmin let out a powerful yell and swung her left leg down at Rin’s head. This kick wasn’t fast and just when Do Jungmin was about to raise her leg, Rin’s body had already made her move to the right. Although it was just a small movement, Rin could feel a tearing pain at her right knee. Her vision went black for a second and fell forward.

“Ahhhh!” Rosie shrieked.

“… Lee Rin didn’t stand properly…” The commentator’s voice emitted out from the radio and Jaejoong’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Under the bright light, the surgeon picked the scalpel up and began the surgery.

---

Just before she hit the mat, Rin held her hand out to support herself and flipped back up to her feet. Although she didn’t fall to the mat, her shoulder still got hit.

“Bam!” Do Jungmin’s leg hit her left shoulder.

3:3.

Rin’s match went into an extended round where Rin managed to win Do Jungmin with a roundhouse back kick. Although she was walking very normally, Rosie and gang’s hearts had already dropped into a bottomless pit.

The others may not be able to see it but Rin’s pace was very much slower than usual. Rin’s face looked exceptionally pale under the red headgear and wet with her sweat.

Rosie was already tearing at her seat. She has never felt so complicated before; she wanted to cheer for Rin so that she could get the championship but she didn’t want her to continue with her match.

Her leg…

There were a few times during the third round when she almost felt down. Now, she could finally understand why was Jaejoong so insistent to stop Rin from taking part in the tournament. As compared to the tournament, Rin’s health was more important. Moreover, her upcoming match with Eunjung would the toughest battle ever.

While the bronze medal match was taking place, Rin was sitting at the resting area. She was extremely silent and she was breathing deeply to regulate her body condition back.

Because of the earlier extended round, she tore her injury and hence she couldn’t even stand properly. Every step she took was like hell to her.

This was why she didn’t dare to let Dongwook remove the bandage on her leg because she knew he would definitely stop her from going further.

She was only left with one more round, and if she were to win Eunjung, she would become the champion and also get the chance to represent South Korea in IYTT. This would realise Jaejoong’s wish as well.

“She cannot continue her tournament anymore!” Dongwook told Jiwon.

Even though Rin didn’t let him check on her injury, he could already tell from her pale face and she was running a fever now. And when he wanted to remove her bandage by force, Jiwon stepped forward to pull him to the side.

“Please stop Rin! You are her mother! All the more you should stop her! If you don’t, I will apply directly to the tournament committee to get her out of the tournament.”

“She can do it.” Jiwon replied calmly.

“But can’t you see that she is having problem to even stand properly? She can’t even walk properly! Let alone executing those kicks!” Dongwook retorted. “You should know Eunjung very well! It’s impossible for Rin to even win her!”

“Yes, I have to admit that I know Eunjung’s strength very well but why are you doubting Rin? If Jaejoong were to be here, he wouldn’t think that Rin is unable to defeat Eunjung.”

Dongwook went stumped at her reply.

“If Rin could only win Eunjung when she’s in her top form, why would I forgo Eunjung and recommend Rin for this tournament?” Jiwon asked. “I know you are worried about her injury but just like what Rin has always said, she couldn’t possibly forgo a chance just because of one injury. She might be sick or injured the next time too, so how is she going to get the championship? As her coach, I don’t think I should stop her. Moreover I am her mother, I can’t thrash a child’s dream when she is already so determined to take part in this tournament.”

Dongwook went silent.

Yes, he knew Rin was not going to back down.

Closing her eyes and trying her best to regulate her breathing, Rin tried to throw all thoughts aside. “Forget about Jaejoong’s surgery! Forget about your injury! Forget about what happened during the semi-final!” She told her.

Unsure of how long had passed, Rin had already forgotten about the pain at her right leg. And the sound of the opening door snapped her out of her reverie.

A group of people came out from the VIP lounge and one of them stopped in front of her.

She could recognise the footstep so when she opened her eyes, she saw Eunjung standing in front of her. But her gaze wasn’t on Rin. It was on Dongwook.
Dongwook gave