Rabbit Hole Chapter 19

At first, Unha was with them. When Go Unha and Go San’s family paid off the money from the vicious loan sharks, Geumseo’s debt was transferred over to them. The interest rate was lower than the bank’s, and they never pressed him for payment, but still, Geumseo was always embarrassed and grateful. It was Unha, too, who told him about the method of renouncing inheritance. Even though it couldn’t stop the loan sharks’ illegal debt collection, it gave him at least a sliver of hope.

‘Geumseo. Don’t be sick. I’m not pressing you. I called to tell you this because I was worried you’d overdo it.’

The drinking session that day had roughly this kind of atmosphere. Geumseo, feeling sorry and grateful, had sipped his drinks one after another, and that seemed to be when things went wrong.

“Maybe because the sofa was cheap, you cried that your back hurt, and trying to soothe you, I thought my dick was going to fall off.”

So that was when Go San had eaten him. And then moved him to his place. The hole in Geumseo’s memory was finally filled.

“It was Unha hyung who called you?”

“Yeah. That bastard was busy doing other stuff that day.”

Why had hyung called Go San? He could have just sent him off to drink moderately and go home. He even knew my usual drinking capacity.

But Geumseo decided not to think any deeper about something that had already happened and had come this far. Before he knew it, he had been led by Go San’s hand all the way down to the street. Go San called a taxi and gave the name of the neighborhood where Geumseo had once been born and raised. Even as the taxi heading for the landmark department store of that area passed familiar streets, Geumseo felt neither fluttered nor nostalgic.

∞ ∞ ∞

Go San bought Geumseo a padded jacket. And then, saying they should go out because he was hungry, he picked out a muffler for him. On the way, grumbling that his stomach had shrunk so much he must have lost 3 kilos, he bought gloves too. All of it was for Geumseo. At the way Go San tore off the tags on the spot and wrapped them around his neck and put his arms through, Geumseo thought, this guy is half naked right now where one zip down would show his nipples, and he should be buying his own T-shirt instead.

“Aren’t you buying a T-shirt?”

In the end, it was only thanks to Geumseo saying that just before they left that Go San remembered. He wasn’t very sensitive to the cold, and on the rare occasions he wore a padded jacket in winter, he wore short sleeves underneath, so he was actually more particular about it. This time too, he bought a shirt that was too expensive for a short-sleeved T-shirt. Go San tore the tag off with his teeth, then took off his padded jacket to reveal his bare torso.

“Aren’t you even worried about someone seeing? You have fans in Korea too.”

“How many fans could I have. Not many.”

Go San replied, popping his head out through the T-shirt.

“Really…?”

“It’s not like I’m a Korean athlete.”

At those words, Geumseo nodded, thinking that certainly made sense. Since the only times he himself, having no interest in sports, ever showed even a modicum of attention were the Olympics and the World Cup, he figured how many fans could an American swimmer, not even a Korean athlete, really have.

But that was a thought shared only by Go San and Geumseo. That evening, Go San’s department store sighting and blurry photos were posted on SNS and internet communities.

HOT Swimmer whose physique was spotted today, according to eyewitness accounts.jpg

[Photo]

[Photo]

[Photo]

And today’s direct shot level

[Photo]

Note: Not a Korean athlete

Comments

Anonymous 1. Fuck, put him in a red uniform right now

└Gotta take his passport away

└2222 Hide his passport

└If we hide it, will he become Korean?

└└He’d stay in Korea at least ㅜ fuck

Anonymous 2. Then what country is he from?

└America!

└Our ally nation is so unfair, hoarding a player like that all to themselves

└└Fuck, ally nation LOL

└He’s not Korean???

Anonymous 7. As expected, big countries are different, everything’s big

└What’s big

└Get your dirty mind out

└Comments like this, seriously;

Anonymous 51. American athlete! Born there! Not Korean! Stop asking about his nationality now! The thread’s gonna get ruined

└Tell us his height, shoe size, weight, hair color, blood type, and ideal type too

└└Why his ideal type though lol

Anonymous 52. Isn’t the person caught next to him a civilian? Is it okay to post his face like that?

Anonymous 83. Let’s mosaic the civilian

└OP: It’s a repost so I can’t edit it ㅜㅜ

└└Then delete the post

└Why are your comments so aggressive? lol

Anonymous 91. But is he really a civilian? Isn’t he some kind of idol? Honestly, he’s fucking cute. I don’t like the rough-around-the-edges type so I prefer the one next to him

└Rough-around-the-edges? lol There are fans here, watch your mouth a bit

└Still hasn’t edited their comment, the fight is unreal

Anonymous 101. Day 1 of hitting the government petition until Go San makes an SNS

└2222

└He doesn’t do SNS? Fuck, for the public good, please do it

└(Deleted comment.)

└└The link above was posted wrong! Don’t click it!

Anonymous 103. But why is there so little info? Is it because he’s a foreign athlete?

└He hasn’t competed in a year, they say he’s in a slump ㅜ

Anonymous 104. Honestly, I tried being his fan once, but his personality is a bit ^^;;;; Let’s not promote his personality, in good conscience. I see a few comments; still, his skills and looks are good. I’ll promote that instead… But honestly, his personality is terrible

└Comments like this are also terrible

└└I heard Go San fans are rabid, guess it’s true

└If you don’t agree with my opinion, just go your own way lol;; I just said something because it seemed a bit like a malicious comment, and now what?

└I’m the one who wrote the original comment, did I write a malicious comment? Because of you, anonymous commenter, Go San’s fandom gets called a bunch of drama queens. Honestly, everyone knows his personality is terrible

└Aren’t athletes supposed to just speak with their performance?

└Fuck, I’m saying this because I’ve left the fandom, but honestly, his performance hasn’t been good lately either, that’s why he’s not competing, fuck, what performance lol

└It’s embarrassing, so don’t go around saying you were a Go San fan. Leave the fandom quietly. Making a scene in random places, jeez

└(Restricted comment)

Anonymous 311. Thread’s ruined

Anonymous 312. Yep~ He’s not a Taegeuk Warrior anyway~ Not interested in his personality~ Just make an account and take your top off or something k

Anonymous 313. San Go, listen carefully. This time only, I support you. Next time we meet at the Olympics… you are the “enemy.”

└Fuck lollol

└lollol

└lollol For real, the Olympics can’t be helped

└This time only I support you; at the Olympics, please be 1 second slower than our country;

└Ah, I was wondering what the hell “San Go” was lol Is it “San Go” because he’s American? Fuck lol

∞ ∞ ∞

The problem that confronted Geumseo right now wasn’t the small stir caused by their photos on the internet. It was Go San. To stop Go San, who kept pushing food toward him, Geumseo asked a pointless question.

“Don’t you manage your diet?”

“I try to eat mainly protein. But still, swimming is aerobic, so filling up a lot is the priority.”

And Go San’s body was also naturally athletic to begin with. If Go San had just a little more dedication and a little more passion, his records would have been different. But perhaps because Go San had been born without lacking anything, he lacked dedication or obsession. Even if he paid some attention to his records, compared to other athletes, you couldn’t exactly say he put in a great deal of effort. If he was like this with his records, how much worse must he be with objects, people, and attachment relationships.

“What. Why are you picking at your food like that. Should I order you juk?”

And that very un-dedicated Go San was nervously nagging Geumseo about the amount he was eating.

“I have no energy.”

Geumseo slumped in his chair and poked at the salad with his fork. Go San snatched the salad over to his side and pushed forward a fusion risotto with an abalone pot rice motif. It was the most expensive item on the menu here.

The truth was, the reason Geumseo had lost his appetite wasn’t because he was sick, but because of his household ledger, which was about to spring a leak from being fired, and his one and only winter blanket, which was out of commission to cover him tonight. If he bought a new blanket, his ledger had no room for it, and if he slept without covering himself, the drafts were severe. On the other hand, if he went to Go San’s place like he said, it would be like taking off his clothes, washing up spotlessly, seasoning himself, and walking right into the lion’s mouth of his own accord.

Go San stood up from his seat and plopped down next to Geumseo. His body was already big, but with the padded jacket on, he practically blocked Geumseo, who was sitting against the wall, completely from view. When he propped his head on his hand to the side, he was entirely hidden. Go San lifted the spoon and held it to Geumseo’s mouth.

“Here I am feeding you in front of everyone, too. I’m a bit soft-hearted. Aren’t I?”

“…”