Kiss the Ground

At this moment, it was truly fortunate that he wasn’t Cahill. If throughout the interview, Chahyun’s concern for Misha had aroused his suspicion, it would have surely lingered, unable to be dismissed. If he had found himself in such a perilous situation, what followed afterward would have been unpredictable.But was Jude currently someone Chahyun could relax with? Not really. Wasn’t he the one just a few days ago, casting doubt on Chahyun’s excellent form, rolling his eyes like a lizard? If he were to be exposed to Misha’s insane contract terms by his closest friend… then surely, more than just a tongue-lashing would be needed.“I used the shower before training. Do you want to use it too?”“Nah, I came out here thinking of grabbing a drink.”“Ah, here you go.”Chahyun promptly fetched a drink from the nearby bar. Jude probably wouldn’t even realize there was another player hiding behind this bar even if he woke up dead. Chahyun handed the drink to Jude, subtly scanning the hidden space beside them.“Jude, did you come alone?”“Did I come as a couple?”There was nothing to say. Jude, who had been mumbling, seemed to ponder something briefly, then scratched his cheek.“Well… Cahill was standing in front of this corridor just now. I thought he came out from here.”“Cahill?!”“Why are you so surprised?”“Oh, it’s nothing, just…”Was it just a passing coincidence? Anyway, Chahyun swallowed hard, thinking how lucky he was. Then, smoothly, he slipped away from the space, casually draping an arm over his friend’s shoulder.“So, Jude, are we done here? Shall we head straight to the ground?”“Yeah, sure.”“Then let’s go quickly. Did you write an excuse? Nowadays, if you’re late for training without prior notice, the fine is huge.”“I did write one. It’s a hefty fine if you don’t.”“I heard they pool all those fines and buy a helicopter for the Blues.”With light banter, Chahyun led Jude towards the exit of the dressing room. Aside from Jude’s slightly suspicious gaze, likely due to the sudden kindness, it was generally a smooth resolution. If they were to leave the dressing room now with this unexpected intruder, everything would be over.Chahyun resolved firmly. He must never entertain the thought of doing anything in the locker room again. Truly, there was no doubt about what had gone wrong. How could he repeatedly commit such insane mistakes, ones he wouldn’t even consider under normal circumstances? Why did he keep slipping up whenever Misha was involved…?Feeling like his lifespan had suddenly shortened by ten years, Chahyun stepped forward and pressed the button to open the exit of the dressing room. Just as he was about to step outside, Jude’s hand grabbed his shoulder from behind.“Hey. Just wait a moment.”“Huh?”Jude’s gaze piercing through Chahyun was eerie, as if he were seeing a ghost. His eyes seemed to belong to someone facing a strange puzzle or realizing something terrifying.“What? Is there something else?”With a strange feeling, Chahyun withdrew the leg he was about to push outside and stood back in place. Jude suddenly raised his finger and pointed to the back of Chahyun’s training top. His lips slowly parted in a questioning manner just after.“When did you become number 18?”“Huh?”“As far as I know, you’ve been number 12 since you joined. Haven’t you?”“Uh…”In response to the sudden incomprehensible words, Chahyun blurted out nonsense. Jude, seeming not to miss Chahyun’s change of expression, stared at him intensely. Meeting that piercing gaze, Chahyun slowly pondered over the words that had entered his mind.Number 18… Number 18 on our team.“…”A very unpleasant feeling prickled Chahyun’s frontal lobe like ice picks. Slowly, Chahyun turned his body to the side. Next to the entrance of the locker room was a full-length mirror provided for players to check their appearance after changing. Standing stiffly in front of it, Chahyun turned his shoulder slowly, illuminating the back of his training top.18The clearly printed number was undoubtedly Misha’s unmistakable back number.…The clothes were changed.It felt like tears would burst out. To avoid breaking down, Chahyun tightly shut his eyelids. This rascal is number eighteen too! What flashed through his mind was the memory just before hiding behind the drink bar.At that moment, Yoon Chahyun and Misha were both holding their respective training tops, ready to change clothes. However, due to Misha’s reckless approach, they ended up tangling with each other, eventually… falling to the floor mixed together. Chahyun’s actual training top would probably be left forlornly somewhere in a corner of the drink bar by now.In the narrow darkness, Chahyun had no way of knowing if the clothes he barely managed to grab were his own or belonged to the guy behind him with the number eighteen. Everything from color to design, even the texture, was identical. The only difference was a slight extra room in the chest and shoulder area… But in the rush of a split second, he hadn’t even had the luxury of considering such things.But Jude didn’t give Chahyun a chance to breathe. Reflected behind Yoon Chahyun, he spoke ominously like a detective who had grasped the key to the case.“Wearing someone else’s clothes here wouldn’t be easy. Everyone has their number prominently displayed on the back of their neck.”“Umm…”This is a curse. The curse sent by the founders of Winchester United FC in 1882 to their crazy juniors who dared to cause trouble in the club center locker room… Such misfortune couldn’t happen without some spiritual intervention. Jude’s gaze flickered once again.“Wait, if you’re wearing that, what is Misha wearing for training right now?”Misha isn’t wearing anything at all. He’s probably still stuck in that corner half-naked, listening to this conversation. Jude was keen on odd details. Moreover, if it’s Misha, he might jump out of that corner right now to rescue Yoon Chahyun from this urgent situation. The danger is right in front of him even at this moment.Watching Jude’s expression change from doubt to suspicion, Chahyun bit down on it and strengthened his mind. Stay calm. It’s not a big deal. Just stay calm and calmly explain that there was a mistake.“W-what is this?”But his attempt at calmness failed miserably as his voice trembled too much. Chahyun cursed his fragile mental state and forced himself to steady his voice.“It didn’t quite feel like mine… because it really isn’t mine.”“No, it’s not just a feeling. It looks like you’re wearing someone else’s clothes, doesn’t it?”It was a fair and justified suspicion. Trying to appear serious only made Chahyun’s eyebrows slightly tremble.“Uh, I was in a hurry and didn’t realize. Now that I see it, this is Misha’s.”“You didn’t know? It’s so big though.”“It’s not that big.”Despite the urgent situation, Jude’s words grated on his nerves. Chahyun lost his composure for a moment but quickly regained his wits.“Anyway… we’ve been in this club for more than just a day or two, making a mistake like this is a bit too much.”“The staff accidentally switched your clothes?”“Uh, seems like it.”The only consolation in this unnatural moment was the fact that occasionally, after laundry, players’ training gear or football boots might end up mistakenly placed in someone else’s locker. Unlike uniforms, neatly hung to display each player’s number prominently, other items were neatly arranged on shelves.But the problem lay in Yoon Chahyun’s acting skills hitting rock bottom. His Korean League of Legends teammates all knew the reason he had retired from all advertisements, including shaving razors and telecom commercials. He could only hope Jude would interpret his anxious demeanor and wooden gestures naturally.Jude slowly scanned Chahyun from head to toe, with a sharp gaze reminiscent of a private detective.“So, then… Misha is now…”“Perhaps Misha is wearing mine?”Pretending to speculate, Chahyun loudly called out towards the inside of the dressing room. Listen carefully, Misha, this is the scenario. We accidentally ended up wearing each other’s training gear due to a mistake by the equipment staff. There was no intention, but faced with circumstances beyond our control, we had to switch numbers for a day.In the silence of the dressing room, Chahyun hoped his intentions had reached Misha well. For now, leaving this room was the top priority.“Uh… I think I’ll have to say something to the manager next time we meet. It’s becoming unbearable seeing this happen every time.”“It’s something people do, so it can happen.”“But still, number eighteen is a bit much, isn’t it?”Feeling guilty for blaming the distant guy, his chest tightened, but there was no other way. Whether Jude bought into Chahyun’s feeble acting or not, he seemed to have some suspicions. However, he quickly diverted his attention elsewhere.“It’s not about your uniform being changed, it’s about it being the number eighteen uniform.”“Huh?”“The problem is Misha being involved… hmm.”At Jude’s ominous words, Chahyun held his breath. Jude approached the exit of the dressing room, keeping his gaze fixed on Chahyun. His expression was enigmatic, with an unpredictable demeanor.“Well… I shouldn’t really meddle, but regardless, we should avoid anything affecting teamwork. Misha will be back on the field for the next game, and if you’re playing together, you need to separate personal and professional matters.”“…”“Isn’t that right?”“Y-yes, of course.”Unconsciously, Chahyun acquiesced to the sharp tone. Jude briefly glanced at Chahyun’s perplexed face, then turned his head as if dismissing him.“Alright, let’s head to practice if you understand. Time’s pressing today. If you’re any later, Blue will be upset again.”Was Jude interpreting Yoon Chahyun and Misha’s strange behavior as discord? Technically, if one were to be precise, it wasn’t discord but rather the opposite… However, if that misconception was true, ironically, it was serving as a decisive factor melting the tense heart of Yoon Chahyun at this moment. Chahyun nodded hurriedly.“Y-yeah. Let’s go quickly.”Then he followed Jude’s back as they hurried out into the corridor. Just before the door closed, he glanced back at the faint darkness leaking through the gap.“Oh! Yuan, did you decide to change numbers? How refreshing.”“Forget about the number, it seems like you got the size wrong. Aren’t you overestimating your size a bit?”As they stepped onto the field with uncertain steps, their teammates, who were already immersed in training, raised their hands to greet Chahyun. They each commented on the numbers engraved on Chahyun’s chest and back. Most echoed Jude’s sentiments, questioning where he had picked up someone else’s clothes. Leroy, who was nearby, spoke as he stretched his body a bit.“We’re starting training videos from today. What about the clothes, Yuan?”“Training videos? You mean the ones that go on our SNS?”“Yeah, there aren’t many games left, and these days a lot of people watch that kind of thing… We did it before the round of 16. They say we’ll start live streaming from the quarterfinals. Look over there.”Live streaming. It wasn’t a phrase that held good memories for Chahyun. Less than two months had passed since he had received criticism disguised as concern while enthusiastically kicking the ball in front of the camera during a training video shoot. Of all times, it had to be now… As he looked around, he couldn’t help but notice several cameras closely filming the players in action.“Well, we can’t help it. It happened for a reason. We can’t even change now.”“But Yuan, doesn’t it fit stylishly? It’s oversized.”A coach who was observing the players’ postures chuckled and spoke. Was it really that big? How much of a difference was there? Chahyun gently touched his chest, which was now clad in Misha’s clothes.Of course, it was true that Misha hailed from a country with body conditions far above the world average. Compared to Yoon Chahyun, there were significant differences in extremities, height, and skeletal structure. However, Yoon Chahyun had never heard anyone say he was small, even if he was towering. Despite these thoughts, the slight deviation of the seam of the clothes under his shoulders inevitably left a subtle mark on his pride.‘Wait, then how much…’But Chahyun’s thoughts stopped there. However, that ominous imagination soon became a reality before his eyes.“Yuan.”Chahyun turned around at the tap on his shoulder. In front of him stood Misha wearing Yoon Chahyun’s training top. He understood my words. Despite wanting to feel proud of that realization, the sight in front of him was too overwhelming.“Misha…”“What if you go out wearing my clothes? You disappeared too quickly, so they couldn’t catch you.”“…”“And your acting skills were so bad that I was genuinely surprised.”Despite the blunt and rude observation, Chahyun couldn’t offer any rebuttal. Yoon Chahyun’s training clothes were tightly wrapped around Misha’s arms and shoulders, exposing his slender frame without reservation. The fabric, snugly clinging to his upper body, revealed tight and precarious creases around his chest and waist, as it was tailored for a different body shape than its original owner’s. The sight of him wearing a size smaller than what he should have been was not only comical but somehow poignant. Even Chahyun’s number 12 engraved on the chest seemed oddly…Chahyun, somewhat dazed, finally spoke after witnessing the scene. The words that came out were stumbling and hesitant.“I-It’s… not, not that small, right?”“It is. Uncomfortably so. It’s too tight around the chest, waist, and the sleeves are too short.”“…”“How am I supposed to train in clothes like this?”Misha grumbled with a dissatisfied expression. What drove the final nail into the silence for Chahyun was his following words.“Yuan, maybe you should consider gaining some weight.”Guess you’ll have to eat more delicious food from now on. Saying that, he affectionately leaned against Chahyun. Who knows why he’s losing weight… Chahyun couldn’t bring himself to say anything while looking at the slightly swaying brown hair from a slightly higher place, so he quietly gripped his shoulder.“Sit down, let’s loosen up your body.”It had truly been an exhausting day. Chahyun gently guided Misha’s elbows, who stood beside him, onto the mat. Then, regardless of whether there were any groans or not, he pressed down on Misha’s back with all his strength. Looking down at his brown hair shining in the natural light from above was a strange feeling. He was an irresistibly cheeky rascal, no matter how much he might resent him.So, it was inevitable that Yoon Chahyun, caught up in exacting revenge through stretching, completely forgot about the live cameras filming them from a distance.