Kiss the Ground

To someone who knew nothing, it felt like committing a very bad deed. Suppressing faint feelings of guilt and betrayal, Chahyun mentally counted the time. How much time had passed? Maybe 5 minutes, or 6 minutes… He might even make it in time for the mid-meeting he had brushed off. Yoon Chahyun turned his body sideways and unlocked the door with his hand.Now, there was no choice but to do it alone somehow. If he didn’t win, all of this would be meaningless…“What’s this?” Saying so, the figure behind him reached out over Chahyun’s shoulder and pushed the door closed with a thud.When Chahyun turned around, Misha stepped forward and turned the lock that Chahyun had opened again. In the dimly lit shadow cast over his face, it was hard to read his expression.“What does ‘wait’ mean?” Misha approached Chahyun step by step. Pushed by the presence in front of him, Chahyun took a few steps back. It was an unintentional reflexive movement.“Misha…”“Yoon.”With Misha’s subdued call, Chahyun stopped in place. Suddenly, his back touched the wall behind him. Misha’s voice made this space feel strangely narrow.Is he angry? Chahyun looked up at Misha’s backlit face and took a deep breath. Just as Chahyun had done moments ago, Misha leaned against the wall with one hand, tilted his head slightly, and spoke.“I don’t really understand you, Yoon.”As Misha spoke, a faint glint flickered in his gray eyes. Caught in the subtle sense of danger mingling in the air, Chahyun unconsciously raised his hand.“Misha, this is…”“I tried not to do what you hate anymore. I’ve been trying. Thinking about how you would see me…”Misha calmly continued.“Every time, you pushed me away, and sometimes you pulled me back in. Without any set rules.”“…”“But now, I really don’t know what you’re thinking.”Chahyun couldn’t say anything and just stood there quietly. Misha looked at Chahyun’s silent face for a moment, then slightly lowered his body and whispered softly.“If you’re playing a prank on me…”“That’s…”“I don’t mind.”With that unexpected statement, Misha smiled. Chahyun involuntarily opened his mouth wide as he watched Misha’s gentle eyes. Ignoring Chahyun’s bewildered expression, Misha continued speaking softly, like water flowing.“You can do whatever you want with me. As long as you let me stay by your side.”“…”“But I don’t know how far you’re prepared to go, Yoon.”And suddenly, Misha turned his arm around and wrapped his waist around Chahyun’s. Before Chahyun could even turn his wet body around, Misha firmly grabbed his chin and forcefully collided their open mouths together.Their teeth clashed fairly hard against each other in the heat of the moment. Chahyun tried to pull his head back instinctively, but his resistance was futile against the tiled wall behind him.“…Wait…”Chahyun managed to mumble a few words from the corner of his mouth, but Misha pulled him closer and swallowed them up into his mouth. Thud, thud, Chahyun’s elbows and the back of his head hit the cold tiled wall in various places. Following those movements, Misha slowly pushed his tongue into Chahyun’s mouth. The pressure of their tongues rubbing against each other from tip to base entered like a suffocating squeeze.Ah, it was supposed to be like this.It was something he could have easily anticipated. Unable to endure the sensation overwhelming his mouth and brain, Chahyun lifted his head upwards. Without missing a beat, Misha raised his head and licked the roof of Chahyun’s mouth sharply.The sensation of scraping against the rough surface made saliva pool beneath his tongue. It felt as if the inside of his cheeks were stinging, just like when he put a sweet candy in his mouth. Chahyun twisted his head.“No…”“What’s wrong?” There were very, very complicated circumstances, things you probably wouldn’t care about if you knew… I wanted to say that, but Misha, while inquiring about Chahyun’s intentions, instead blocked his throat, preventing any response.The arm wrapped around his waist from behind seemed to both support and restrain Chahyun. The moisture-soaked functional fabric of his uniform clung tightly, making it impossible to resist the touch.Misha licked Chahyun’s mucous membranes incessantly, swallowing saliva continuously. The relentless movement caused ripples of discomfort to echo up and down his delicate throat. The sensation of Misha persistently sucking at the narrow gap in his mouth sent shivers down Chahyun’s spine. It felt as if he was being drained, like the foolish idea he once compared Misha to some sort of cleric…“…”His breath was becoming labored, and his throat kept feeling dry. It was as if he lacked oxygen, like when running several laps on the track. With his head clouded, Chahyun groped for Misha’s shoulders, clutching onto them tightly. It felt as if he might fall into some low, deep place if he didn’t.But the body that had just been in the midst of vigorous exercise couldn’t endure the stimulation. His trembling knees gave way like a snapped twig. It was a sensation so unfamiliar. As his body was about to slip and fall flat on the bathroom floor, Misha held him in place.“Ah… Yoon.”“Haa, haa…”“That was close.”It wasn’t just an injury; it was almost death. Yoon Chahyun breathed heavily with a lukewarm, flushed face. It was time to stop. Before anything became irreparable…“Misha, I… need to…”Chahyun tried to grab Misha’s arms and get up. That was all he could think of doing. Misha, as if trying to help with that, pulled Chahyun’s waist closer. Chahyun unintentionally looked up at his face. It was the moment when he felt an unexpected crisis.Misha, while still supporting Chahyun, had a far from relaxed expression. His face, reddened enough to be visible even in the darkness, was fixedly staring at Chahyun’s face with furrowed brows. It resembled not affection, but hunger or thirst.“We have to go now. We’ll talk later. Promise…”Accompanied by the blaring alarm in his head, Chahyun tried to put his foot down, but Misha lifted him up. Then, sitting on the toilet lid, he placed Yoon Chahyun on his lap. His muscular thighs scraped against the unimpressive floor.“Hey… seriously.”His thigh, wrapped in thin shorts, pressed firmly against Misha’s leg. Due to the weight, his lower body was tightly pressed against him. It made him panic and twist his body, but Misha, with both hands freed, hugged Chahyun’s waist tightly. Misha rested his chin on Chahyun’s chest, looking up with sunken eyes, and whispered softly.“Did you think about this when we kissed earlier?”Then Misha kissed Chahyun again. This time it was more solid, slower, and deeper. As the mass of Misha’s tongue pushed into his mouth, Chahyun exhaled through his nose with a stiff breath. It wasn’t his first kiss, but he had never experienced such a passive one.It was over. Yoon Chahyun felt like his entire life was crumbling to pieces.Misha didn’t even close his eyes but stared intently at Chahyun’s face, which clearly seemed to have lost something. It was showing an expression that was far from being bashful, which was embarrassing, but there was no other choice. Feeling as if he was being pricked by a knife, Chahyun grabbed Misha’s hair tightly.“Misha, Misha, Misha…”Misha’s breath against his cheek was rough. Instead of responding to Chahyun’s urgent plea, he brought the hand that was holding Chahyun’s waist up to his exposed thigh and knee. Even so, he only lightly touched his skin with his fingertips, as if afraid to do something without permission. It was like groping around the precarious boundary between being out and safe… Each time, Chahyun’s thighs tensed and relaxed repeatedly.Saliva swirled around their lips and chins, and as Misha’s lips, which had been lingering near his jaw and cheek, slid down to Chahyun’s lips with hardly any force, Chahyun clung to Misha’s shoulders with all his might.As if scratching a nerve exposed, a very unpleasant thrill began to flow down his spine. The delicate sensation tormented Chahyun, creeping stealthily within his soccer shoes. Rubbing his aching thighs against Misha’s legs, Chahyun tried to endure the sensation.And it seemed Misha was doing the same. The light shining in his eyes, which seemed to intoxicate, became even more intense. It was as if he was becoming drunk on the sensation.To think of himself as someone who knew nothing… Yoon Chahyun cursed his own foolish reminiscence. Could there be another human as overt and faithful to desire as Misha Asplund? Of course, the sin of impulsively provoking that was on Yoon Chahyun, but…His sense of time kept getting blurred. How much time had passed exactly? After the bone-chilling kiss ended, Misha slowly pulled his lips away and murmured.“Your body is too cold, Yoon.”ought him back to reality. The only person who could regain composure here was Yoon Chahyun himself.“…Misha, I have to go.”As they were still locked in a kiss, Chahyun’s muffled words escaped. Although Misha heard Chahyun’s words perfectly well, he didn’t respond. Chahyun grabbed Misha’s hair in his hand, pulling slightly harder. Only then did Misha release his grip on Chahyun. Transparent saliva dripped and broke between their mucous membranes.“I really have to go. You know that.”Misha looked at Chahyun with wavering eyes. For a moment, it seemed like he might say, “Don’t go.” But instead, he looked at Chahyun with pity and whispered softly with his moist lips.“I promised I would explain.”“Yeah.”“Don’t run away.”“Okay, okay…”Yoon Chahyun nodded slightly and hesitated for a few more seconds. It was completely overtime. Watching Chahyun, who was struggling to get up from his lap, Misha left tender kisses on Chahyun’s jaw several times.His legs trembled. Without even thinking about fixing his disheveled appearance, Chahyun opened the door first. The bright light outside reminded him that just a moment ago, everything was enveloped in darkness. Walking out of the surreal sensation into reality, Yoon Chahyun turned away.Misha sat there quietly, watching Chahyun intently with excited eyes. Chahyun stared at his stockings, which had slipped down below his calves, feeling Misha’s gaze. Then, pointing his finger at him, he spoke quickly.“Count to ten and come out. If you come out now…”“But I can’t walk right now.”Misha shrugged with a frown. Without waiting for a response, Chahyun rushed out of the bathroom. It was a completely insane situation, but there was nothing more to undo. Racing down the corridor alone, which he had just walked with Misha, Chahyun cleared his mind.***“Hey! Yuan!”Jude screamed as Chahyun burst out of the corridor. Startled by the almost scream-like sound, everyone around turned to look at Chahyun. It was Yoon Chahyun who wanted to scream.Chahyun rubbed his face and looked down at the ground. The players who had finished their halftime preparations were gathering back onto the field from the locker room. It couldn’t have been worse timing. As Chahyun looked at the stadium, Jude stuck to his side like a shadow.“Isn’t this crazy? Are you crazy? Are you? Did you just come back from resting at home?”“Hasn’t it started yet?”“Can’t you see it’s starting now? Blue thought you were dead and was trying to replace you with someone else! Where on earth have you been?”In just a few minutes, the evening sky, where the rain had stopped, was sparkling with stars. It seemed like it would never stop, but it was truly unpredictable. Chahyun quickly straightened his clothes and tapped his foot in place several times.“I have to go. Thanks for worrying, Jude.”“You’re not going to say why you were late?”As Chahyun jumped into the outline, Jude yelled behind his back. Chahyun took a few steps back to join the group. Jude stared at his back with wide eyes. It seemed like his anger wouldn’t subside if he didn’t get an answer. Chahyun rounded his hands into circles and moved his lips slightly so only Jude could see.Doping.Turning away from Jude, who was gaping with his mouth wide open, Chahyun ran to the other players. It might not be a wrong word. Although the effect was still unknown, it was already spilled water. Feeling the lingering sensation on his lips, Chahyun stood up on the grass.The whistle announcing the start of the second half echoed through the air.Halftime 1 ― [Champions League – Football Cake Winchester United FC Bulletin Board]76760: [Oh my god] This is insane.76800: [Winchester confirms advancing to the quarter-finals]76821: [Hey, isn’t it crazy? Yoon Chahyun] He scored a hat-trick, seriously changed his underwear three times in the second half.└ Scored one goal and changed one underwear, huh?76827: [Birmingham Match 1:3 Insane] Yoon Chahyun, raise your value, shoot kekekekekekekekeke76830: [(Breaking) Light Chahyun scored a hat-trick in the second round (1st)] East Sea and… Baekdu Mountain… Dry up and… Wither…Let it be known that God acknowledges the brightness.76833: [I never thought I’d see a compatriot scoring a hat-trick in the Champions League tournament] This world is beyond prestigious.76834: [How did those goals go in like that?] Almost every 5 minutes, for real??76835: [Korean pride – explosive – burst] Coming after a makgeolli shower.76836: [Even in FIFA Online, if you play like that, you’ll be called a hacker]God-Chahyun76838: [Wow, those guys who said Chahyun’s form has dropped recently should reflect]When Chahyun kneeled, it was to gain momentum.76844: [Did Yoon Chahyun really score three goals alone earlier???]I was watching the game in my dad’s living room, and suddenly he screamed and ran out onto the veranda;└ kekekekekekkekekkekkekkekkek└ At 5 in the morning kekekekekekkekkekkekekekke└ But what’s funny is that not everyone’s asleep.76850: [It’s Tuesday morning, but no one’s sleeping, right?]It’s so noisy in the apartment… Every time they score, I get spoilers 2 seconds beforeㅠ so annoyed└ People are so loudㅇㅇ└ Will anyone go to work tomorrow kekekekekekkekkeke└ Is the problem the company even though they made it to the quarterfinals??└ Yoon Chahyun went to the quarterfinals, not them.76866: [Ah, it’s so annoying, after the first half ended, he went into the roomㅅㅂ so annoying]I was just banging on a drum for 40 minutes during the first half, then I got fired up seeing Jude being substituted… So pissed off, what’s going on with Chahyun in the second half└ There were probably a lot of people like you kekekekekekkekke└ That’s why you don’t know until the end of the underwater war.. The environment is so different from usual, so when it rains, you have to watch until the endㅇㅇ76868: [Raise your head, Birmingham]Umberto De: It’s not shameful to lose to a strong team..└ kekekekekekekekekekekeke cool kekekekekekekeke76870: [Are Birmingham players cryingㅠㅠㅠㅠ] It’s so touchingㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ└ It can’t be helped, it’s the world of competition,, Winchester could have been like that in the next gameㅠ Almost happened today too└ Is Villa CF the opponent in the quarterfinals??└ Yeah└ They’re gonna get beaten up so bad76872: [Is Winchester’s quarterfinal opponent that strong??]Isn’t Villa just a pushover? Even if you sneakily tackle from behind, they all fall down└ Aren’t Winchester players the same?76878: [Did you see the chaos after the game ended?? Winchester coach looked like he fainted]It was really staggering, I’m not sure if it’s okay lol. Other guys weren’t in their right minds either, they’re all going crazy lol. It’s been a few years since we’ve made it to the top 8, so I guess that’s why, but still, what a mess in the group stage. └ Yoon Chahyun was buried under others so couldn’t be seen lol.76880: [But Yoon Chahyun doesn’t seem to like it that much] Feels a bit dazed… scoring three goals should feel great, but seems like his mind is elsewhere, judging by his expression.└ Was he hearing the sound of money coming into his account?└ Sometimes when you’re too happy playing soccer, you zone out lol. It feels like a dream and doesn’t feel real, right? Because it’s a Champions League hat-trick.└ Despite that, he seemed really zoned out lol.└ Seems cold and tiredㅠ Be careful not to catch a cold..76885: [But even while zoning out, he managed to get the ball. So cute.]Does he usually bring the ball?└ Yeah, usually, after the game, he should pass it on, but for a hat-trick, he can keep it, it’s a tradition.└ Ah, that’s why he cherished it so much. Thought he was appreciating its value.76889: [How should I go about marrying Chahyun???]I feel like I’m going crazy, I’m so happy. My heart is really pounding, I was so excited today, watching him wipe sweat with his jersey after scoring multiple goals, damn. It’s such a trivial scene, but I felt really good, like seeing my true love. How should I proceed?└ Get in line..└ What should I do lol, sing the national anthem? └ Let’s only date idols from now on, if they’re not above average, no chance lol. Gender doesn’t matter.76890: [Seriously… I want to be Yoon Chahyun’s pet dog.] ( ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ ) Please raise me, woof woof. └ Yoon Chahyun already has a dog, there’s no place for you.└ ( ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ ) Can’t I be the second one?└ The first one is already a huge large breed.└ ( ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ ) You’re such a dog.76991: [Yoon Chahyun is so handsome.] Isn’t he the type that drives girls crazy? He’s got a great body and proportions, a bit quiet so boring, but even his voice during interviews is low and nice. He looks so sexy when he’s all wet from the rain during the game, damn. Winchester’s away uniform being a light color is just divine lol.└ Yoon Chahyun’s skin is also great.└ His personality is fiery tooㅠ I love it when he’s pissed off.└ You guys would probably say it’s cool even if Chahyun crawled on all fours barefoot, right?└ Isn’t that actually nice? └ Wow, you’re obsessed.76992: [Yoon Chahyun, a man who has it all..] But I, Choi Junhyuk, the 56th descendant of the Gyeongju Choe clan, haven’t got it all.└ Go in and grow up, Junhyuk.76994: [Yoon fans are getting overly excited lol, all these nationalistic folks who’d praise anything Korean have gathered here lol.] My left thumb is mine, hehe.└ It’s so scary,,76996: [This is exactly when you shouldn’t get arrogant, in my opinion.] Just because we say “Yoon Chahyun” doesn’t mean we can get a little arrogant. We should calmly make efforts while watching the game progress. In the current state, it’s just a roller coaster of conditions, the problem is that morale keeps fluctuating.Even if it’s bothersome, you should keep thinking and studying on your own. Self-reflection seems necessary.└ ?? You’re doing well on your own, why do you have to time it like this??└ Read it vertically. └ This guy’s real, I lost, you take it.76997: [But I admit Yoon Chahyun has good taste in idols.] He only dates idols, they usually don’t last even two months, but seems like he values their looks when there’s a scandal.└ Isn’t he dating Seong Minju now??└ I heard that’s just a rumor.. Isn’t he meeting Im Rina now?└ Seong Minju and Im Rina were last year’s news, and the most recent one was he dated Gyurin (his college friend) (Fact-checked)└ Isn’t it all unverified gossip?? Heard it from Katara, so confident.77000: [Is it possible to have five dating rumors in a year?? He’s really something;;] Seong Minju, Im Rina, Gyurin, and Misha, those are the only ones I know lol.└ I get the first four, but who’s Misha??└ Misha is a player for Winchester United FC…77002: [What kind of girl group is Misha??] ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ└ This is hilarious, lol.└ The name is pretty thoughㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㄱ77004: [Why does the camera keep focusing on Misha???] Why does Misha keep appearing during crowd shots???ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Every time it’s the right timing for crowd shots, Misha appears and it’s hilariousㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ└ Every time he appears, the exposure suddenly increasesㅋㅋㅋ The screen gets brighter.└ He’s stealing the spotlight.77006: [Watch Misha in the crowd throughout the game.] Yoon Chahyun holding the support scarf upside down is so cuteㅠㅠ └ I watched it 300 times, it’s not that addictive hehe.└ He was said to have a facial injury, but it’s not visible. It’s not about being handsome, he’s just incredibly beautiful.└ Plus, he’s cute…77010: [But is Misha also involved in Yoon Chahyun’s dating rumors??] Why isn’t he treated as a rumor?└ Hey, neither Seong Minju nor Im Rina left a live kiss in front of 60,000 people.└ She wasn’t treated as a rumor, she was talked about… There were 60,000 witnesses.77012: [I heard Misha was called the nation’s daughter-in-law at Essen S.] Why nation’s daughter-in-law??ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ└ Isn’t Yoon Chahyun the nation’s son?└ Ah, I see.77016: [But really, looking back, it was weird.] It wasn’t right after he scored a goal.. It was a while after he scored, and then they hugged and kissed; Is there usually this much physical contact in sports?? I thought there wouldn’t be any of that because it’s a foreign country,,└ There’s more than you’d thinkㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It’s probably because it’s a foreign country.└ Well, in the midst of the same game, there’s a lot of physical contact, but honestly, mouth-to-mouth kisses aren’t common.77020: [??? : H…I’m excited.] Go see Yoon Chahyun’s 30-year-old embarrassing photo.└ This gif is so versatileㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ└ I saw him being this flustered for the first time during an interviewㅋㅋㅋㅋ He always answers like a cyborgㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ└ Misha came for the kiss, but the excitement was all him, according to witnesses.77023: [Now, even if Chahyun plays well or poorly, the kiss gif will always be there.]Like when the water bottle gif came out back in the day.. even the kids└ A controversy of nostalgia lol.77024: [Become Misha who kisses Yoon Chahyun vs. Become Yoon Chahyun who gets kissed by Misha] ㅇㅇ└ If I could just kiss Yoon Chahyun once, I’d die happy.└ I admit it.77025: [But were Misha and our guy close from the beginning?] I thought they got along well during the game, but did they really get along to that extent?? I knew they were close with Jude Ingram, but I honestly didn’t expect Misha. Almost lost my eyes seeing the kiss in real-time.. Mom and Dad were speechless.└ It was embarrassing to watch with family.└ Didn’t actually see it, but did they really get along that well?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅅㅂ So funny.└ It was like watching a family movie and suddenly an inappropriate scene comes upㅋㅋㅋ77026: [Hey, that kiss was real instinct] The audience was shocked, it was so funnyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ The ultimate romanceㅋㅋㅋ└ Locals loved it, Koreans were shockedㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ There are a lot of fan cams.77029: [But even if you don’t know, it seems like they were close. Did you see the documentary ad they did together?] It’s still a long way from airingㅋㅋㅋ But seeing the advertisement, it’s no joke. They’re playing with a ball on the grass for about 2 seconds, It was the first time I saw Yoon Chahyun looking so happy in front of the camera. Almost like seeing the truth for the first time since he was exempted from military service…└ I saw that too, thought it was an insurance commercialㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ└ Are they not dating?77031: [Are they dating? (No subject)] Seriously?└ Because of their open-mindedness.. (No subject)└ Chahyun wouldn’t have hesitated└ Whether he hesitated or not, no one will know.77035: [What? Living together? (No subject)] Seriously?└ Creative loveㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ77036: [What? Getting married? (No subject)] Seriously?└ Where should we send the congratulatory money?77107: [But what I really feel like a true football fan is] I hope Misha marries Yoon Chahyun and naturalizes to Korea Then he plays for the national team, damn. Then we’d have a European recruit too└ This guy really prioritizes football over values└ That’s not a recruit, it’s a husband and wife player duoㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ77118: [But Misha’s eyes look weird] When looking at Yoon Chahyun, seems like he’s slightly arrogant.. I felt it from almost the beginning, even from his debut days. I kept an eye on Misha and Cahill because Aloys is my pick.. Something’s fishy.└ What the…77130: [Honestly, we don’t know the personalities of the players just by their appearance]How did you know that he would like Chahyun so much just because he looks neat?└ The quiet Misha is first,,77142: [I’m really looking forward to the documentary haha]Today’s game scenes will be included, and probably that insurance commercial-like thing tooㅋㅋㅋHonestly, Chahyun has been through a lot recently,, because of that terrorist jerk, and he’s already thin-skinned..I hope everything continues to go well without any setbacks, huhu it’s me, Yoon-fan hereBe happy, Yoon Chahyun.. I’ll support whoever you date└ What about Misha?└ Totally possibleㅠ77245: [Anyway, great job today, it was really touching]They’re probably celebrating by nowㅠㅠㅠ Who’s going to upload the locker room video laterI really have to go to bed now, only got an hour of sleep and I have to go to schoolㅠㅠ└ Me too; I’m a teacher└ Me too, working all night and then going to work ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ77270: [Yoon Chahyun, I love you…]Don’t get hurtㅠㅠ I’ve been cheering for you since your Seoul Youth days77290: [Please, if you’re Korean, support Winchester]ㅇㅅㅇ77300: [Win. Che. Ste. R.]Go to the quarterfinals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ㅠㅠ Let’s give it our all, wailing wailingHalftime 2 – [KBC Headquarters, Entertainment Division, 1st Editing Room]Raising Kim as a writer is 80% overtime.It was good to confidently pass one of Korea’s four major broadcasting companies shortly after graduating from college. However, the joy of wielding an employee ID like a victory flag in front of adult relatives on holidays lasted only a few months. Thanks to lectures at the academy and part-time video editing experience, I had some confidence in my portfolio, but when it came to practical work, they were all just scratching the surface.It’s been weeks since I slept on the small bed in the duty room, filled with endless tasks and a schedule as tight as can be. Nutrient drinks flow through Kim’s veins instead of blood, and his parents’ faces have long since faded like old photographs.Will I survive until I can fill my three-year gap? When Kim, who has lost 5kg of weight, worries more about the present than the future, that project approached.“Documentary Yoon Chahyun ― Record of Champions League Entry, Final Title <Together, Cha-Cha-Cha>.”As Kim rolled his eyes alone while looking at the proposal, the meeting ended warmly and pleasantly. Even if there was an extra hour, in the warm atmosphere where no senior or colleague dared to raise objections, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Because criticizing is the duty of a newcomer. So Kim didn’t say those words.I don’t know much about soccer.Actually, I knew just as much as everyone else. There are 11 players on each side, the total game time is 90 minutes, and if you put the ball into the opponent’s goal, you win, but I don’t know the rule of offside. (It’s crazy to think that the same shot can sometimes be a goal and sometimes be invalid.) Actually, even up to here, there wouldn’t be a problem watching the World Cup, but if you were to make a documentary about a soccer player, wouldn’t the story change?And isn’t Yoon Chahyun the hottest person right now? Even Kim, who has no interest in foreign leagues or game progress, knows which club Yoon Chahyun is currently affiliated with and how many points he’s earned. Yoon Chahyun, who is said to have been born with a football spoon in his mouth, with legendary forward and trainer parents……Now that Winchester United FC is on the brink of reaching the Champions League round of 16, participating in a broadcast about him was a burden beyond anything else for Kim.Can I do well? To Kim’s complaint as he leaned on his senior colleague’s shoulder and drank, the senior colleague responded casually.“Haven’t you read the proposal? Not much about soccer comes out in that broadcast. Nowadays, there’s no one who doesn’t watch Winchester games, so analyzing anything anew would be ridiculous. The fan service like player self-cams and teammate interviews is all there is.”Seeing the still sulky junior, the senior colleague emptied a glass of soju coolly and continued.“You can start preparing after the self-cam arrives. There’s nothing to be nervous about…. And where’s the person who knows exactly about the offside? They just cheer when the goal goes in and quiet down when others do too.”Ah…… I wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Above all, comforted by the senior’s response, Kim writer swallowed his inner thoughts along with the fiery soju.***It’s been three days since the first leg of Winchester FC’s Round of 16. Kim, pulling his chair up to his work desktop, double-checked the notification on his phone.The camera delivered to the player through the media agency automatically uploaded the recorded videos to the broadcasting station’s cloud storage, and the notification was set to go straight to the responsible youngest, Kim the writer. And the first time he received that notification was exactly an hour ago from now. It was on the morning of the third day since he heard that the camera had been delivered to the player.“Shouldn’t our youngest get some coffee before diving into work? You couldn’t even pull yourself together past midnight, but you seem fine today.”“Sunbae, the first self-cam for ‘Cha-Cha-Cha’ arrived. I think we should check it.”“What?”Senior writer Choi, who had been slouched in his chair like a fish cake, suddenly sat up straight. There was an unmistakable anticipation in his eyes, hidden beneath the exhaustion from working alone.“Really? Yoon Chahyun’s?”“Yes, that’s the one.”Senior writer Choi, who occasionally watched the Premier League, showed considerable enthusiasm for producing content about a person named Yoon Chahyun. It seemed even more so if it was personal footage shot by the subject. Senior writer Choi hurriedly ran to the break room and stood behind Kim with two cups of coffee.“Is this the first time we’re opening this?”“Yes. It’s my part of the work……”“Unbelievable. Turn it on quickly.”Senior writer Choi said in an excited voice. Kim, feeling oddly tense at the sight of the excited anticipation that seemed to be tingling with the sound of a pounding heart, knew that once they started this, they’d be editing late into the night again.Kim logged into the cloud and opened the folder. Inside was only one file that had arrived from London far away. The arrival time was exactly an hour ago, the same time the notification had woken Kim from his short sleep. If freshness existed in data, this was like a freshly harvested file.“Let’s begin.”Kim took a sip of coffee from the cup senior writer Choi had brought. As the hot liquid flowed down his throat, the file finished loading, revealing the screen. The first thing that appeared was a large, brightly lit indoor space filled with various exercise equipment. The sound of rain faintly flowed through the speakers.“Where is this? It’s a bit dim?”“I don’t know. It’s not difficult to brighten the screen…. Looks like it’s raining. Probably because it’s the UK……”The camera slowly scanned the interior like a CCTV. After a few seconds, it was clear that it was some kind of exercise space like a gym. But the person holding the camera remained silent. Well, they should at least say something like ‘I’m so-and-so and this is where we are’ at this point.“It’s really quiet…..”“He’s not a player who talks a lot even on normal days. This seems a bit eerie though……”The dimly lit screen accompanied by the sound of a pattering rain somehow created a stifling atmosphere. Senior writer Choi bent over with a worried look from behind. It seemed like he was examining the screen closely. The moment when someone’s face filled the screen was when it happened.“Whoa, shit!”“Ouch, hot!”Senior writer Choi jumped back in surprise, taking a few steps back. A few drops of coffee splashed onto Kim’s neck from the movement. They both shivered as they convulsed.“You scared me, senior!”“Oh, that’s hot!”Senior writer Choi, embarrassed by his surprised reaction, brushed off the droplets that had splattered on Kim’s neck with his hand. Whether someone thousands of miles away was shocked or not, the video continued unaffectedly. The shaking screen, as if the image stabilization function hadn’t been applied yet, naturally swayed and focused on a foreign player in sportswear. The figure holding the camera and the subject seemed to exchange some words, but the murmuring sounds were indistinct. Gradually, the video spun around once and quickly returned.“Oh, it’s Yoon Chahyun!”“He’s finally here.”Senior writer Choi exclaimed the player’s name with an excited voice reflected on the screen. Kim, too, quickly pressed the arrow keys to raise the volume, but the sound still wasn’t very audible.To the public, Yoon Chahyun, who was more familiar outdoors than indoors, also looked somewhat awkwardly at the screen. Perhaps the person holding the camera had accidentally changed. Moving slowly over the mat on the floor, the stiff movements of his body were strangely unfamiliar and awkwardly amusing. Whatever the case, it was a scene that could be very useful.“Maybe they’re filming him exercising. Like stretching?”“Yeah, we need scenes like that. Definitely…”Senior writer Choi and Kim gathered their heads together and leaned in close to the monitor. Tick-tock, the sound of the second hand of the clock on the wall in the editing room could be heard. That meant there wasn’t much inserted sound in the video. It seemed like the person holding the camera had accidentally covered the microphone hole. Yoon Chahyun on the screen remained focused on his workout without saying a word. It was when the two writers’ gazes began to converge, thinking about the exercise routine of a supposed football player.The angle that had been showing Yoon Chahyun’s entire body suddenly zoomed in on his upper body.“Oh…”“Uh.”The Yoon Chahyun on the screen looked momentarily surprised. Without paying attention to him, the screen gradually zoomed in even closer, toppling him onto the mat and changing the angle to focus on his upper body.“…”“…”Yoon Chahyun, suddenly zoomed in, looked somewhat puzzled. His thick, distinct eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes, which seemed deeply set, squinted in confusion.“…”“…”Kim and Senior writer Choi pressed the space bar simultaneously to pause the screen. Click. With a stiff sound, the screen froze.They both spoke at the same time.“What is this?”“What is this?”“I asked first.”“I’m your senior.”“…”“…”A very cold silence flowed between them.They had seen something they shouldn’t have. The shock lingered faintly in the air. Kim slowly turned to look at Senior writer Choi behind him. Their eyes met chillingly, and their pupils shook like dice. It was Senior writer Choi who spoke first.“What did this person film…”“I have a really bad feeling about this. Can I say it?”“What is it…”“Could it be that the cloud connection went wrong?”“What are you talking about?”“No. …This might be a personal, private video from the player.”Another silence fell.“It can’t be. There’s only one connected terminal…”“Then did they mistake the camera? Changed the device they were trying to record with…”“Mistaking it for a brand new model that hasn’t even been released yet?”“…Then what is this?”Another silence fell. Senior writer Choi muttered softly.“Oh… I remember who this player is now. The Winchester captain. What… Love, I think his name was.”“His name is… Love?”Kim inadvertently blocked his mouth. It could be Love, but somehow, in the current situation, it was shocking. Along with the close-up of the world-class player’s upper body, the situation was sinking into a very strange atmosphere. Into a whirlpool of chaos where one couldn’t speak anymore… It was then that Senior writer Choi shook his head once and reached out his hand.“No, look again! Could it be something weird? Don’t panic!”Senior writer Choi’s hand, striking the space bar boldly, was trembling. Without a chance to pause, they were drawn helplessly back into the replayed video. Even though they knew they shouldn’t look, they couldn’t help it. Eventually, Senior writer Choi spoke with a trembling voice.“Look closely! If you look closely…”“…”“If you look closely, he’s exercising.”At the senior’s words, Kim narrowed his eyes like a needle’s eye and straightened his turtle neck. Looking closely, very closely, at the corner of the screen, they could see a large hand pressing on Yoon Chahyun’s bent knee. Even though the regular movement didn’t exactly look like exercise, it somehow did. It both seemed like exercise and didn’t. Perhaps it could be exercise, perhaps not, but looking closely, it seemed like exercise but not quite like exercise…After staring at the screen for a while, it suddenly shook back and forth. What’s this? As Kim furrowed his brow faintly, another person’s face appeared on the screen.“Oh, crap!”Kim’s spine warmed up in an instant. Perhaps Senior writer Choi had spilled coffee on his back. But this time, there was no blame even in his mind.The third person suddenly appearing and glaring at them on the screen was the protagonist of a recent viral topic that had swept through the internet. His name didn’t come to mind, but with his thick brown hair and well-sculpted face, he was unmistakably the lead actor in that public drama.“He’s… handsome.”“Is that the problem right now?”He looked furious no matter who saw him on the screen, sharply glaring at the two people beyond the screen. Of course, he was probably looking at the camera lens, but Kim couldn’t help feeling like a frog in front of a snake and held his breath. A very fierce and piercing gaze, as if warning them. Even though he knew they didn’t speak Korean, it felt like he was glaring at them, demanding answers… After a few seconds, the video abruptly ended, just like it started.What on earth did they just witness?As the playback ended and only the faces of the two people with wide-open eyes were reflected on the monitor, Kim felt a damp discomfort behind him and stared blankly at the screen.“What should we do?”“…”Kim and Senior writer Choi sat in their chairs, silently facing each other.With a towel draped over his back, Kim leaned his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his hands. Then, with a bursting conscience, he slowly raised his head.“Let’s ask.”“We have to.”Senior writer Choi rolled his lips into his mouth and nodded. Desperate silence lingered between them.Afterward, they watched the video about ten more times. Ultimately, it was confirmed that it was indeed an exercise video. However, the shape of it boasted the same shock as when they first saw it. It wasn’t due to excessive overtime-induced caffeine addiction or accumulated fatigue hallucinations.Therefore, it wasn’t usable footage. It could be that the concept they were supposed to capture was miscommunicated, or that Yoon Chahyun misinterpreted the meaning of self-camera for entertainment purposes as some kind of strength exercise. However, the conclusion reached by the two people with ties to the public broadcasting station was that videos that seemed like they were exercising when looked at closely were not acceptable.To be broadcasted on public television, it had to look like they were exercising in just 2 seconds of viewing. Moreover, if it was the most talked-about person’s video at the moment. He was a figure who made headlines just by shaking hands with someone at a local specialty product festival.As if making up his mind, Senior writer Choi took a deep breath and said in a low voice.“Let’s take this video to the grave. You know, just between the two of us.”“Yes.”“Move it to a portable disk or something, keep it out of reach. Contact the agency saying the shooting concept was misunderstood… As a fan, I have to protect him.”“I understand what you mean.”With Kim’s solemn reply, Senior writer Choi sighed heavily and got up from his seat. After patting his junior’s shoulder once, the back of the departing senior was heading towards the duty room. It seemed like a well-thought-out decision. It was certainly a moment of desperate longing for sleep.Kim bid him farewell in his heart as he watched him leave. Please, next time, let Yoon Chahyun send a less provocative video. And then he closed his eyes with fervent prayers for his wish to reach London…Kim receiving a uniform fashion show video from Winchester FC’s midfielders Aloys Pfuuni and Winston Williams was a story not too far from this.