Knowing Brother-Chapter 1

※ The characters, organizations, and events in this novel are all fictional and bear no relation to real life.

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He sometimes sings songs that are completely off-key.

Wearing a loose school uniform and sitting on the narrow, shiny chair of a coin-operated karaoke booth.

The fact that he’s tone-deaf was a secret known only to me.

When my breath comes to its limit, 100 meters before the finish line, I think of the boy’s eyes reflected on the karaoke machine’s LCD screen.

Alone, on the urethane track, I run alongside him.

On the way home, climbing the hill, the red whistle shakes with his breath at his chest.

At those times, the dark night under the streetlamp in the alley becomes my bed,

And I became the whistle hanging around his neck.

The whistle listened to his breath through the night.

And I thought carefully about the uniqueness of breathing.

Is the boy’s breath the same as anyone else’s?

Is parting with him the same as parting with anyone else?

Is he the same as anyone else to me?

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[EP 1. Declaration of Separation]

Seolwoo remembered Daeyoung always running.

Won Daeyoung runs on the track. Under the direct sunlight, which drenches his hair in sweat, he runs. The smell of the paint from the track surface, pungent and sharp, always clings to the soles of his running shoes.

Won Daeyoung runs on the track. As far as Seolwoo knew, he was always running. When the sun shines down on the earth, the red urethane track briefly turns golden. The hot stadium, where heatwaves rise, is the place where Daeyoung fights alone.

The track is fierce. On the lane within the white lines, if a person doesn’t pour out all their stamina and mental strength, they will surely be overwhelmed by the ground. The athletes do not fight their competitors in the adjacent lanes. They only fight themselves with their bare bodies. The moment they stand on the starting blocks, they are all alone.

No one can run for them. Running their lane is solely their own responsibility.

Won Daeyoung has fought on the track since middle school. It was the place that would determine the life he would lead, a place where the past, present, and future collide. In those few seconds, waiting for the starting signal, or in the decisive moment just before crossing the finish line, he often said he faces everything inside himself.

“Sometimes, the track is scary,” he had muttered years ago.

When he pressed both hands on the hot ground, bowing his head to push the starting blocks, what would he think?

What kind of joys, sorrows, and passions would Daeyoung face in those moments when he meets everything inside himself?

Yes, the men’s 400m final at the Asian Games. Korea’s proud track and field star, Won Daeyoung, and Eom Joo-bin are competing. This is the moment that will show the world the pride of Korean track athletics. Will these two athletes manage to secure an Olympic spot in the men’s 400m for the first time in Korea’s history? The tension is palpable among our broadcasting team.

The athletes are entering the stadium.

Seolwoo glanced at the large wall-mounted TV. Won Daeyoung and Eom Joo-bin, wearing uniforms with the Taegeuk mark, walked side by side toward the track.

The two men walked leisurely, matching the announcement of their entry. Daeyoung, stretching his muscular legs that would bring out his best performance, clapped lightly.

Even under the bright lights of the indoor stadium, Daeyoung’s bronzed skin stood out. Eom Joo-bin, though also tanned from extensive training, appeared relatively pale next to Daeyoung.

With his muscular, well-formed physique and the added title of team captain, Daeyoung exuded the image of a macho athlete who could crush his juniors with a single fist. If his appearance had been more brutish, he would’ve been consumed by that image, but fortunately, he was born with a look that made most women admire him. It seems that the title “Prince of the Track” was sometimes thrown his way.

Seolwoo, remembering his brother, who used to order him around while scratching his belly in their second-floor house, couldn’t help but chuckle at the title.

“How is that a prince? He’s a wild stallion. They say stud stallions worth 30 billion get riled up after taking energy pills for every meal. That description fits him perfectly. Or maybe a vicious wild horse that can’t be tamed. Either way, he’s more animal than human.”

Quite the strong presence, right? Both athletes have impressive physiques, and they’re not behind Western competitors. Their heights... is it 184cm?

No, 184 is Joo-bin’s height. Daeyoung is about 187-188cm.

Ahahaha... They’re waving at the camera together.

Especially relaxed, Daeyoung.

Daeyoung draped his arm over Joo-bin’s shoulder and smiled at the live broadcast camera. Cheers and applause echoed from the stands, the commentary booth, the coaching staff, and even from the office here in Seoul, where the stakeholders gathered.

Seolwoo also broke his stern expression and smiled at the showmanship, but inwardly, he only sneered.

“Two-faced bastard.”

He used to say he didn’t fit with a boring, no-fun loser like Joo-bin. But now, everyone was being fooled by that act. They didn’t know what true nature was hidden behind the fake Daeyoung.

Especially with Daeyoung returning from his rehab, it’s anyone’s guess what result he’ll produce.

“......”

Seolwoo’s gaze shifted to the corner of the TV. Everyone else’s face, except his, shone with anticipation. That was because Daeyoung had passed the preliminary round in first place just yesterday.

There was excitement among the people watching the game. Seolwoo kept receiving messages from Daeyoung’s friends, who were watching the live broadcast. The media also poured out articles.

Before Daeyoung had to stop due to his ankle injury, he was a sports star who had won the Grand Slam in high school and college athletics. He dominated the men’s 400m in high school. His record, including the college division, put him in third place in Korea’s history. As a high school student, he surpassed all the pro athletes with a record of 46.05, making him the third best in Korean history. At his peak, he had already passed the Olympic qualifying standard once.

That’s right. But due to his injury, he had nearly two years of rehab...

Yes, how tough must that have been? I’ve been following his career for a long time, and I have a personal connection. He’s always polite, mature, and fiercely competitive.

During that time, Joo-bin, a peer from the same university, led the national team to relay medals. They’ve always been rivals and teammates.

Yes. Both athletes have taken their marks.

Daeyoung, after long rehabilitation, showed great performance in yesterday’s prelims! We’re all excited to see if he can show the same level in the final!

Today’s game was important for various reasons. Besides the question of whether Korea’s men’s 400m would secure its first Olympic spot, it was also a chance to verify Daeyoung’s rehab results. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

The stakeholders gathered at the association’s office were all excited. National team reserves, officials from the Athletics Federation, and the athletes’ families were all watching the live broadcast together. Everywhere, athletes in sportswear filled the room.

Moreover, a filming team from XTube was also capturing the event, making the office crowded.

Our athletics world is buzzing these days. Great athletes ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) have been emerging, and if these two athletes perform well today, Korea’s sprinting world will be able to compete for an Olympic spot in the 400m for the first time in over a decade!

It really feels like a dream.

Track and field was a neglected, unpopular sport in Korea. Yet, the entire nation was fervently watching today’s Asian Games athletics live broadcast because Daeyoung and Joo-bin, the two flagship stars, were competing for Olympic spots after several years.

The fact that even the general manager from the Athletics Federation’s sponsor came to the office shows how important this game was. The young manager approached Seolwoo with a gentle smile and spoke.

“Seolwoo, I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you were in Japan. Are you watching remotely today?”

“Yeah. I took half a day off.”

“Half a day? You’re working now?”

“I wish I were a regular employee, but I’m an intern.”

“An intern is still an employee. Wow, congratulations. I should buy you a drink to celebrate.”

“Thanks for the congratulations.”

Seolwoo answered half-heartedly while maintaining the video call. It was a call with Daeyoung’s personal coach assistant. On the screen, the assistant’s chaotic coaching staff appeared, with Seolwoo’s face in the corner. The coaching staff in Japan would be showing Seolwoo’s face on a big screen to Daeyoung, who was about to start.

The sight of Seolwoo’s face appearing on video call for Daeyoung, of all people.

Everyone seemed accustomed to this scene, which would be surprising to anyone. Among the athletes gathered in the office, no one found Seolwoo’s live video call strange.

Only one person, the content producer, stared curiously at Seolwoo, who had set up the tripod on the desk, and asked.

“Is that person a medical staff? Couldn’t they go with him?”

“No, this is part of Daeyoung’s routine.”

“Routine?”

The general manager of the sponsor responded instead.

“Opposite of a jinx. It’s like a ritual that athletes do before a competition to get a good result. Daeyoung has a routine where he has to see Seolwoo’s support to perform well.”

It was an accurate explanation. Because of this routine, Seolwoo had to be brought into the audience or perform such ridiculous filming as today. It would’ve been easier just to go to the stands, but doing a self-cam shoot like this really didn’t sit well with him. But as a newly hired intern, he couldn’t afford to take vacation days and go all the way to Japan.

“Are you two friends? You must be pretty close.”

“Yeah, we’ve known each other for 15 years. So when there’s a big domestic meet, there are plenty of people who come to the stands just to see Seolwoo.”

The female national track team athlete added, not taking her eyes off the broadcast screen. The producer clapped his hands.

“Is that so? Oh! I should film Seolwoo later. Daeyoung’s routine reveal! 1 million views guaranteed.”

“That’s going to be difficult. It’s a bit uncomfortable with all the talk at the company.”

“There’s nothing to hide! The national team captain with both brains and brawn has a unique routine....”

“Huh? Brains and brawn?”

Seolwoo smirked at Daeyoung, who was stretching on TV.

“Forget the ‘brains’ part.”

The producer laughed loudly. By now, all the athletes had finished entering the stadium, and every athlete had begun warming up at their starting positions.

Daeyoung also stretched his legs alternately. It was a stretch to prevent hamstring injuries. Seolwoo had heard enough about it to know that.

Daeyoung has not had the opportunity to accumulate ranking points (*the process of consistently setting records at international athletics competitions to earn Olympic spots). He must break the qualifying time of 45 seconds 00 to advance to next year’s Olympics!

The live broadcast camera scanned each athlete on their starting blocks. The office was filled with a strange tension. The return performance of Daeyoung, as well as the interest of his teammate Joo-bin’s coaches and family, was of utmost concern.

Olympics aside, Daeyoung has to beat Joo-bin’s record today. If not, it’s going to be a problem. His rehab was too long. If he can’t recover now, he might really be sidelined. He might even have to give up his position as team captain.

It was a sigh of desperation from his coach, shared just yesterday. That was why Seolwoo had to reluctantly agree to this video call, which felt humiliating.

Daeyoung had to have known how everyone around him was burning with anxiety. Yet, when his name was called, Daeyoung smiled slyly, like a snake.