PART III - (1/3)

Mexico City, CDMX, MEX (1968)

The third time they met was both Wheein's favorite and, at the same time, one of her most painful memories. It was when everything changed.

Unlike last time, Wheein didn’t look for Hyejin - although she definitely suggested a trip to Italy, where she knew the other woman would be three months after their last meeting in Germany, which could not be done due to her own service schedule. She also didn't ask Williams where Hyejin was or whether they would be able to see each other again due to work in the future.

The only thing she did was tell her longtime best friends, Moonbyul and Yongsun, all about Hyejin. It happened months later on a drunken night when the girls were celebrating the end of the war and with that, the end of their services to the Alliance. They were sitting by a bar table at their favorite pub in London, The Holborn, and after singing and drinking to the Nazis’ defeat as they were talking about their favorite missions, Wheein, without a second thought, slipped Hyejin's name and the whole story in one breath. A few minutes later Moonbyul and Yongsun were aware of everything, from the first time they met on that busy night in Illinois to their last contact at that chaotic afternoon in Leipzig.

Despite being scolded for not sharing all of this before - that’s from Yongsun, of course - and hearing countless jokes about how whipped she was - courtesy of Moonbyul, obviously - the two of them were very supportive and understanding. Moonbyul even suggested that they should look for Hyejin again, but Wheein felt in her heart that she shouldn't do that. She was sure that if they were to meet each other again, the reunion would happen naturally. And it did, more than twenty years later.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Jung Wheein, representing South Korea."

Wheein enters the arena for her first match on a particularly hot afternoon after hearing her name echoing through the loudspeakers. She’s ready, confident and thirsty for some competition. Today is the day the general qualifying matches will take place to define the last ranked teams and who each one will face in the next phase. Wheein watched several matches until her own turn came, which is the last series of the day. Her name is also the last one to be called and her five other opponents are already at their own lanes when she comes in greeting them with a respectful bow before stopping at her post, waiting for the match to start. 

Wheein has always had a special passion for sports, for as long as she could remember. From football to basketball. From volleyball to ice skating. She has always loved watching every sport she could and one of her favorite hobbies in recent years had been to personally watch competitions around the world, until one day she decided to participate herself.

It all started as a summer joke between her and Yongsun, much to Moonbyul’s dislike, since she was never good at any kind of sport. They were involved in a series of small competitions - a mini Olympics, if you might - during a lively summer some years ago. The hype of their own games was so big that they ended up in Finland, 1952, to watch their first Olympics together. After that, the three of them made a promise to watch every edition of the summer games live, which led them to the beginning of Wheein’s journey to become an Olympic athlete.

In Rome, 1960, Wheein developed a huge crush on one particular athlete, Seo Soojin, a Chinese archer who won the gold medal in the 70 meters Women's individual games that year. Wheein made a point of congratulating her personally, therefore she was invited to the celebration party at the Olympic village with the rest of Soojin’s winning staff. And as expected, Wheein woke up the next morning on the other woman's bed  after a private celebration the two of them had the night before. She doesn't quite remember how it all happened, - she had way too much to drink - but she vaguely remembers Soojin putting the gold medal around her neck and pulling her closer, telling Wheein how beautiful she looked and how well it fitted her. She also still remembers how excited she was with that piece of gold around her neck.

One thing led to another and after that night they found themselves in a brief but intense relationship that lasted over a year. Soojin taught Wheein everything about archery. In the beginning it was only for fun, just a way so the two of them could spend more time together. But during the war Wheein had received several praises about her impeccable aim, - not that she had ever told Soojin about that - which turned out to be a real talent since she became a really great archer as well. She fell in love with the art of archery, but she never really managed to fall in love with Soojin.

A voice in the back of her head kept telling Wheein that her heart already belonged to someone else but she ignored it as much as she could. Hyejin has been a continuous thought in Wheein's head for a long, long time, way more than she would like to admit. But she knew she couldn't live just waiting for someone to come or not come back to her life, so she didn’t. She kept living her life at it fullest. It wasn't as if Wheein had forgotten about the other woman - it was definitely impossible - but she also didn't let the idea of Hyejin dominate her life. Soojin, on the other hand, although she really loved Wheein, she knew that those feelings were not as reciprocal as they should be. And better than prolonging a relationship that had no future, causing a great amount of distraction in their professional lives (Soojin’s number one rule is no distractions!) they decided to put an end to it.

However, her relationship with Soojin didn’t end badly. It was a mutual decision that did not create much headache, or even heartache, for that matter - at least not for Wheein. They followed different paths and Wheein invested in her archery career. She even went back to her hometown, in South Korea, where she spent the last years training to get to where she’s today.

Moonbyul and Yongsun have always been very supportive. They’ve traveled much more than Wheein in past years - Wheein accompanied them at least once a year, so they could spend more time together - but they were around most of the time. When Wheein didn't qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 64 she was heartbroken. She almost gave up, but her friends wouldn't let her stop. She took a gap year to relax and travel in the company of her best friends and returned for training soon after. She came back feeling so much better that she was able to feel the improvement in her performance as soon as she got home. She felt ready and confident for the next one.

"In your marks..." The narrator's voice echoes through the loudspeakers once again, letting them now that the match is about to start.

In theory the game is really simple: each archer shoots three arrows per series; after each series the shooter waits for the next opponents to shoot their own series; at the end of 10 series, totaling 30 arrows each, there is a ten minutes break and after that each athlete shoots another 30 arrows divided into series just like in the first period of the game. In the end, as expected, the athletes with the most points qualified to the next phase, and this is what Wheein really likes: the knock-out stages. She finds it much more interesting. The 1x1 competitions, only one opponent to keep an eye on, only one person to beat. It’s all way more personal, just as she likes. 

The sound of a loud horn indicates that the game has just started. It’s her turn now and Wheein has tweety seconds to shoot each arrow once she removes it from the quiver - that way each series lasts a maximum of one minute. Wheein takes her arrow carefully, places it on the bow and raises it slowly, aiming at her target. The sling is firm on her arm and she gently pulls the bowstring further as she feels the cold material touch her own nose. Wheein closes her left eye and aims precisely at the 10 mark, taking one last deep breath before letting the arrow go. Once it flows straight to her target she can hear the crowd vibrating around the bleachers. 

Usually Wheein manages to block out all the noises around her when she’s playing. It’s a skill she learned from Soojin, one of the first things she’s taught her. She blocks out all of the external things - all of the distractions, as Soojin always says - and focuses all of her energy and attention on the arrow in her hands. Eventually she lets herself get carried away and pops the bubble she created just for a few seconds so she can hear her teammates, coaches and of course, the fans.

Hours after that first perfect arrow, Wheein leaves the arena a little upset but still forces a smile in response to the congratulations she received on her way back to the locker room accompanied by her teammates. She got the best ranking of the South Korean team, booking herself the 7th overall position, but even so she was not satisfied with her performance since she didn't get into the top five. There are three categories divided by distances: 30, 50 and 70M and Wheein is disputing the most difficult of them all, the last one, so she’s well aware of the big challenge she’s facing.

She reaches the locker room and once again is hit by a wave of congratulations and pats on her back. After a brief but necessary meeting that included a lot of advices and tips from their coaches on how to improve their performances - more for the rest of the group than for Wheein herself - Wheein is released of her athlete  obligations for the rest of the day. Now she only has to meet with her team again on the next day for training, since the next phase of the competition will be only in two days. She gets out of her white uniform, takes a shower and says her goodbyes as she leaves the locker room behind.

Moonbyul and Yongsun are waiting in the lobby. They agreed to watch a wrestling match later that day and Wheein was particularly excited for it this morning, but now she no longer feels the same enthusiasm. Deep in thoughts, Wheein lets her feet guide her out of the arena when she feels two strong arms around her neck.

"YOU WERE AMAZING!!!" She doesn’t have to look to know it’s Moonbyul.

"She's right." Yongsun appears shortly after, hugging her animatedly. "Congratulations!" Wheein feels a little better in her best friends' sandwich hug. 

"Let go of me, I can't breathe." Wheein fights to break free once she is satisfied.

“Do you guys know my friend here? Robin Hood wishes he had her talent! She's a beast!!!” Moonbyul yells at the people around them at the same time she points at Wheein. The smaller girl blushes deeply and glances desperately at Yongsun, who is looking very, very amused and clearly holding back a laugh.

"Yong, do something." Wheein pleads.

"Fine. Okay, Byul, stop embarrassing her!" Yongsun takes one of her hands to shut Moonbyul’s mouth as she tries to restrain her with the other, successfully shutting her up.

"I'm just trying to be a good friend." She bites Yongsun's hand so she can speak freely. “Did you see us at the bleachers? I screamed as loud as I could.” She’s still trying to break free but Yongsun is stronger.

“I didn't see anything because I was way too focused on getting the job done but I'm sure you were great. Now stop screaming.”

"Ungrateful!" Moonbyul shoots but the smile on her face betrays her words. "We are so proud of you, Puppwhee." Yongsun finally releases Moonbyul and they stand side by side.

"Yes, we really are." Yongsun agrees and Wheein's eyes are suddenly filled with tears, hearing the sincerity in their voices. 

“Thank you, really.” Wheein says. “But I could have done better, I could have been in the top five. I should have, actually, if I’d just-." She never loses the habit of pushing herself too hard, but her friend doesn’t let her finish the sentence. 

"Oh, shut up." Yongsun puts a hand on her shoulder. “You got an excellent position. There are sixteen competitors, Wheein, and you’re facing the 10th in the next stage, that’s awesome. You’ll be great, like always."

“Yeah and you know what? We all know that you are much better in the knockout stages. You’ll be great.” It actually comforts Wheein’s heart a little bit. “Oh, and Soojin got what? 14th? 15th? I thought she would do better, actually.” Moonbyul points.

"And so the student becomes the master." Yongsun jokes. 

“Oh, no.” Wheein explains. “She always takes it easy at the beginning because she likes to face the strongest competitors right at the start. It's her strategy. This way she will be facing the second or third place, I guess.“ Wheein has a slight flashback of the Chinese athlete telling her about this on a date, when they were still together: ‘just enough to qualify and take out the best opponents first.' She could hear Soojin’s voice saying the words in her head. Wheein, on the other hand, likes to give her best right from the start, that’s why the 7th position upset her. But Moonbyul is right: she is much more confident in the 1x1 clashes. Giving it a second thought, she believes that’s not as bad as she thinks, so she gets excited again.

"Whatever." Moonbyul interrupts her thoughts. "Let's go before we’re late for the match."

"You don't even like wrestling." Yongsun points as they reach the sidewalk, looking for a cab.

"I like the players, not the game" She responds with a wink earning a rough poke from Yongsun as Wheein tries to hide her laugh.

The rest of the day is incredible. After watching the wrestling match they go to a volleyball game. The advantages of having an all access credential at the Olympics is something that Wheein plans to take full advantage of. When the night comes they decide to head home after having dinner at a local restaurant. Yongsun loved the burritos; Moonbyul regretted asking guacamole (avocados should never be used like that!, she complained) and asked for mixiotes instead; Wheein opted for her familiar and simple tacos. After that, Wheein, by cab, left Moonbyul and Yongsun at the hotel they’re staying at with the promise of meeting them again at the same place on the next day, after her training session. The cab headed back to the Olympic village which was built right next to the arena where the archery competitions are taking place.

The village is made up of several buildings of typical Mexican architecture built especially for this event. All of the housing is composed of a large bedroom with a bathroom and a closet bigger than Wheein would ever need for just a month's stay. Also, the rooms on the first floor have the privilege of having a private balcony, which luckily was Wheein's case. She’s staying at the second building, right at the entrance, which is very convenient for her. When the cab leaves her at the concierge, Wheein identifies herself at the entrance and walks in fast, but once she arrives at the empty room she makes a decision without thinking twice: she changes her clothes, picks up her equipment and returns to the now empty arena to train on her own.

The arena is almost completely empty but she can’t help but notice that some other people had the same idea as her. Not only archery but also some wrestling and artistic gymnastics athletes are training all around the place, taking advantage of the space since it's the closest one to the village. She chooses a lane  - the same she competed on today -, sets her equipment, turns the timer on and gets ready in the first shot. One beep every twenty seconds, one arrow at a time.

She starts a series of five shots hitting four of them right in the middle of the target and cursing the one she missed. An hour went by and the other athletes left the place without her even noticing. Wheein just kept going, walking back and forth to the target to get the five arrows off, just to make room so she could shoot them again. She starts to feel her fingers tingling but she doesn't want to stop. In the last try she took, her tired fingers accidentally let an arrow escape before the right time and it ended up going in an extremely wrong direction, but fortunately with no danger to anyone.

"!” Wheein curses aloud as she lightly drops the bow on the floor and starts to massage one hand with the other in order to stop the tingling in her fingers.

"It's the first one you miss tonight." A voice says from behind her. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

Wheein freezes right at the spot, completely motionless, not moving even the aching hand she was massaging just a second ago. She knows exactly who that unmistakable voice belongs to but she can’t believe her own ears. She had already heard that same voice in her own head so many times before that she’s afraid she could be just imagining it once again.

"You’re pretty good, already." The familiar voice keeps talking behind her. "I think you deserve some rest."

No, there is no way it’s all in her head. She is really there. She is really here. Wheein turns around and sets her eyes on her.

“So you’re an athlete now, Jung Wheein? An archer, nonetheless? You really are full of surprises.”

Hyejin is sitting in the lowest set of seats of the bleachers, just a few meters away from Wheein's lane. She has a light posture, legs crossed and her elbows propped up on the back seats, looking casual and carefree. She’s wearing a red sundress that looks like it was made especially for her and she also has a beautiful flower - a white one - in her hair which unlike the last time they had seen each other, is also red. She looks stunning and Wheein suddenly feels underdressed in her white training uniform. Wheein tries to hide the surprised expression on her face but she knows it’s too late for that. She bites her lips as she looks for the right words but she can't think of anything good enough. It’s almost like she hadn’t imagined this reunion a thousand times before, but, if she’s being honest, none of the scenarios she created in her head were so random like this one. 

"Apparently I have a natural talent for shooting." She finally says and bends down to pick up the bow she had dropped on the floor.

"Should I be concerned?" Hyejin asks, raising an eyebrow. Wheein can see that she’s holding back a smile.

"Only if you say that you're a better shooter than me again." Wheein remembers the past event and can't help but smile smugly.

“Oh, no, I wouldn't dare. Especially now.” Hyejin nods towards the four arrows on the target, the last ones Wheein had hit before the pain got in the way.

"Don’t worry." Wheein takes a peek at the target behind her and looks back at Hyejin. "I'm sure you can disappear before I can even aim."

"Ouch." Hyejin shrinks and Wheein feels a little bad because of her harsh tone, but the words had left before she could even think. "Okay, I deserve this one."

“What are you doing here, Hyejin? I mean, If that's even your real name, I never got a chance to ask.” Wheein puts an impassive expression on her face and crosses her arms, still holding the bow.

"It is. Ahn Hyejin." She answers promptly.

"Whatever." Wheein slowly walks towards the stands, arms still crossed like she wants to protect herself. "So, why are you here?"

"I came to see you." She says it as if it's obvious.

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