Strategic Mating Partner Chapter 70

There were no issues with training. Practicing matches with the reserve athlete who joined the camp and steadily building up his pace went smoothly. Aside from a slight rise in body temperature, his pheromone levels were also fairly stable. Even if they reached 30, it was highly unlikely anyone would notice unless an extremely sensitive person was nearby. Still, he needed to make a decision within a few days. While grappling with complicated feelings and delaying the decision, he woke up one morning to find a missed call from Sejin at an odd hour in the early morning.

“What…?”

At that ambiguous time, too.

Missed Call

Fencing Joo Sejin 010-XXXX-XXXX

Three in the morning was a time when any sane national team member preparing for the Olympics should be fast asleep. Considering Sejin’s usual lifestyle, he wasn’t the type to be up doing nonsense at that hour. He didn’t even have friends to hang out with until that time. So why was he awake then, and why did he call Taehyun? Not knowing how to start a conversation with Sejin and having avoided it all this time, Taehyun forgot his hesitation and immediately called back.

“…….”

His heart felt uneasy the entire time the call was connecting. It kept pounding with a bad feeling. He was worried that something bad might have happened. Could Sejin have been affected by him, maybe drank too much and gotten into an accident…? Taehyun’s mind spiraled into endless ominous thoughts before he shook his head.

Don’t worry about useless things. He might have accidentally dialed while tossing in his sleep. If it was something serious, he would’ve left a text or message when Taehyun didn’t pick up. Maybe he didn’t even know he’d called. Trying to stay optimistic, Taehyun waited for Sejin to answer. But even until the call went to voicemail, Sejin didn’t pick up.

“…….”

Taehyun thought for a moment. Is this guy protesting because I ignored him and left that day? But another voice in his head quickly countered. Would he do something like that? Taehyun immediately dismissed the idea. Sejin might be a bit quirky and tactless, but he wasn’t the type to express his displeasure by ignoring Taehyun in such a petty way. Then what was it? Taehyun anxiously stared at the call log, which now showed over ten attempts to reach Sejin.

“What’s going on that he’s not picking up like this?”

Taehyun glanced at the time on his phone screen. 6:20 AM. Morning stretching, that cursed routine, was set to start at 7. It was a time when they split into groups by number and went to the designated field for light warm-up stretches. It was a good opportunity to interact with athletes from other sports, and though a bit annoying, it wasn’t a bad way to start the day, so he usually didn’t complain. But right now, it was incredibly irritating.

“Pick up already, damn it.”

Taehyun saw that the missed call attempts had reached fifteen and started scrolling through his contacts again. If something had happened to Sejin, the only ones who could help him now were his agency. Unlike other athletes who were part of local teams or corporate-sponsored teams, Sejin didn’t have an affiliated team.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t get one, but since he mostly lived in France, his lifestyle differed from Korean-based athletes, so he declined team affiliations while accepting sponsorships or ad deals. Though it was early, Taehyun called Hoyong on a hunch. After a moment, Hoyong answered with a groggy, sleep-heavy voice.

What? Calling me at this hour?

He clearly hadn’t even gotten out of bed, let alone gone to work, his voice muffled. Taehyun hurriedly spilled his words.

“Hyung, have you heard anything from Joo Sejin? Like if he’s sick or something…”

Starting off by mentioning an accident might freak Hoyong out, so Taehyun asked indirectly. Hoyong responded casually.

Huh? What’s that about? Is Sejin sick or something?

Taehyun was momentarily at a loss for words. But he couldn’t stay silent.

“No, it’s not that, but when I met Sejin last week and we parted, he didn’t seem in good shape.”

Hoyong was one of the few insiders who knew about Taehyun and Sejin’s relationship. He also knew about their mating partnership, so if needed, Taehyun could mention they didn’t properly exchange pheromones during their last meeting, but he really didn’t want to. If asked why, it was because that fell into the realm of personal life, separate from their partnership. At Taehyun’s response, Hoyong let out a groan, gathering his thoughts, and spoke after a pause.

He took leave starting yesterday. Didn’t say why, just said he wanted a few days off and told me to tell the coach not to come to his place.

Leave? It was so sudden that Taehyun was speechless. With less than a week until entering the athletes’ village, what kind of leave was this? Sejin wasn’t the type to go wild and indulge in reckless behavior right before camp. It was beyond strange.

“He’s not training? And no set duration either?”

Taehyun asked in disbelief, and Hoyong replied promptly.

Yeah. Said he’d contact us again. Why? Did you two have a fight or something?

Taehyun breezily ignored Hoyong’s question and ended the call.

“No, it’s not like that. Go back to sleep.”

Hey, you wake me up this early and—

Click. Taehyun didn’t even think to apologize for disturbing someone’s morning sleep, raking his hair in frustration. The bad feeling wouldn’t go away. Knowing it was a nuisance, he couldn’t help but search for another number in his contacts.

Fencing Kim Seoyoung 010-XXXX-XXXX

Among the current fencing national team members, she was probably the closest to Sejin. Though their genders differed, they shared training programs and facilities, making her the most likely to be in close contact with him now. Taehyun took a deep breath and pressed the call button. Just before the call was about to drop, Seoyoung answered.

Yes, sunbae-nim? What’s up?

She seemed puzzled, probably because Taehyun’s number was saved. Taehyun cautiously asked about Sejin.

“Uh, sorry for calling so early, but have you been in touch with Sejin?”

Well… We’re not exactly close enough to casually call each other.

“Could you maybe try calling Sejin after we hang up?”

Seoyoung responded in a tone that suggested it was odd.

Suddenly? Why not call him yourself?

Taehyun’s mind went blank again, unsure how to explain. Right… Normally, you’d call directly. Asking someone else usually meant there was a reason. But there were too many things holding him back from being honest. If he said there was a missed call at dawn and Sejin still wasn’t picking up, it wouldn’t end there. Are you still in touch with Joo Sejin? He might not pick up, he’s got his own life. Or, if he’s not answering your calls, why would he answer mine? Did you two fight? Questions like that could pile up. After a moment’s thought, Taehyun decided to check if Sejin was okay first and explain later, so he told Seoyoung.

“I tried earlier, but he didn’t pick up. I checked with his agency too, and they said he’s not answering. I’m worried something might’ve happened.”

Hmm… Alright, I’ll try.

Thankfully, Seoyoung didn’t press further and hung up willingly. About five minutes later, she called Taehyun back.

Sunbae-nim, he’s not answering.

“Ah…”

Taehyun’s mind went blank for a moment. It was probably nothing. It had to be nothing. He held his forehead and stayed silent.

Sunbae-nim?

Only when Seoyoung called him again did Taehyun snap out of it, ending the call with a sentence he barely remembered.

He immediately called the head coach.

“Yes, coach-nim. I’m really sorry, but I need to request a day pass today. I have to visit my family for an urgent matter.”

His heart stung as he lied without hesitation.