My Alpha Era Began with Gongjindan Chapter 62

“Where did you hear that I’m going on a blind date?”

“Hah, I have my sources. But is it for real?”

“….”

“Oh, come on. I won’t tell a soul.”

Moon Yeonghwa didn’t believe Kim Miyoung’s “I won’t tell a soul” one bit. No matter how reliable a colleague, there’s always a reason not to trust them completely. The saying about making soybean paste with red beans was far more believable.

“Director, you don’t trust me?”

Of course I don’t.

Maybe if it were Nam Jungyoon, but Kim Miyoung’s mouth was way too loose.

That said, he didn’t fully trust Nam Jungyoon either. Anyway, if he told Nam Jungyoon something, there was a ninety percent chance Kim Miyoung would find out too.

If he answered yes here, Kim Miyoung would likely tattle not only to Nam Jungyoon but also to Jung Pureum.

Moon Yeonghwa racked his brain as best he could. He didn’t mind Nam Jungyoon finding out. But it would be a bit problematic if Jung Pureum found out.

Originally, the reason Moon Yeonghwa had decided to go on a blind date was because of Jung Pureum. He’d resolved to go on a blind date to confirm whether his fondness for Jung Pureum was simply an attraction caused by the trait change.

It was unfair to Jung Pureum, but Moon Yeonghwa didn’t want to become anything more than a familiar hyung to Jung Pureum. To be precise, he was afraid of becoming that kind of relationship.

He was scared it might stand in Jung Pureum’s way, and he worried that Jung Pureum might be mistaking his feelings because he was used to Moon Yeonghwa, when there were so many better people out there. He thought it would be too heartbreaking if Jung Pureum later regretted having liked him.

Most of all, the worst-case scenario was that if they became something more and then broke up, they wouldn’t be able to return to the relationship they had now.

“It’s a secret.”

Kim Miyoung looked at Moon Yeonghwa, who answered evasively. Her wrinkled eyes narrowed with suspicion. Moon Yeonghwa took that gaze head-on, pretending not to notice, and busied himself decocting herbal medicine.

“I see. So you are going on a blind date, huh?”

“I said it’s a secret. Assistant, go back to your work.”

“Alright. It’s not just anyone’s secret, it’s the director’s, so I’ll keep it safe.”

Kim Miyoung internally thought that Moon Yeonghwa was hopelessly bad at lying. Saying it’s a secret here—how is that helpful? It was practically the same as admitting he was going on a blind date.

Anyway, Moon Yeonghwa was exactly the type who’d get swindled if he went anywhere. Kim Miyoung looked at her director with pity. Oh dear, our innocent director. I’ll just have to look after you for life.

At the same time, Jung Pureum sat in the athlete’s waiting room, listening to his coach’s nagging like it was a sutra. It was called a waiting room, but it was actually a wide-open space, so the other athletes were also being mentally assaulted by the coach’s nagging along with him.

One might think the coach would show some discretion by now, but his nerves were focused solely on Jung Pureum. The coach looked at Jung Pureum, who was showing signs of quite a bit of tension, with a satisfied expression.

Jung Pureum’s success was the coach’s success. Now Jung Pureum was an Alpha, not a Beta, but that didn’t mean his past as a Beta disappeared.

If he became a national team member and achieved excellent results, opportunities would open up for Beta athletes too, more than before. Unlike the other athletes bustling around, the coach meticulously observed Pureum, who sat with a straight posture, looking only at the lane.

If he’d stayed a Beta, it would have been easier to control and manipulate him. Still, it was a bit disappointing that he could no longer say, ‘But you’re a Beta, after all.’ Because aside from his trait, there were hardly any factors to tear Jung Pureum down.

Still, it was a relief that he wanted to become a national team member. He had the skill, but the coach had thought he lacked ambition. The coach opened his mouth for his habitual gaslighting.

“Listen carefully. You might be first among mediocre guys, but here, there are plenty of guys just as good as you.”

There are lots of kids better than you. You’re a player who can be replaced anytime. Kids who majored in arts and sports would crumble helplessly at such words. The coach himself had been deeply hurt by such words during his own athlete days.

A wound from someone who’s been stabbed cuts deepest. Only then did Jung Pureum lift his gaze to look at the coach.

“One slip and there’s no next chance. Got it? This could be the highlight reel of your life.”

“….”

“In this field, twenty isn’t even that young anymore. You’re already behind. So….”

“Coach.”

Jung Pureum rarely interrupted the coach.

He himself was fine, used to such talk, but he could see the other athletes around him frowning at the coach’s words. No matter how well-connected the coach was, standing out like this wasn’t a good thing.

“Coach, you know I don’t get hurt by those kinds of words anymore, right?”

He’d heard it so many times that it no longer stirred any emotion. The coach looked down at Jung Pureum with a peculiar expression.

“Instead, just cheer me on to do well and come back.”

What exactly is a trait, anyway. Jung Pureum sometimes felt sorry for his coach, who said such harsh things to him. It was a sentiment that would make people call him crazy if they knew.

Jung Pureum didn’t like his coach either, but it was still hard to just stand by and watch someone run headlong toward negativity like that.

He understood why the coach acted that way, which made it even more so. What he envied, what he regretted… it was mostly circumstances that ruined people.

However, apart from sympathy, Jung Pureum had no intention of staying with the coach for long. If the opportunity arose, he planned to get rid of his coach first.

Anyway, it was foolish to waste emotional energy on a connection that wouldn’t last long. Jung Pureum thought so. No matter what results he produced, the coach wouldn’t be genuinely happy for him, so why dwell on his words?

“…Fine. Go and do well.”

When Jung Pureum had received his Beta designation, the coach had grabbed him with trembling hands and said this.

‘From now on, you have to work even harder. No matter what anyone says, no matter who mocks you, you have to give it your all. Got it?’

Jung Pureum, the one actually involved, was fine, but everyone around him acted as if someone had died. The coach was the most dramatic of them all.

From that moment on, Jung Pureum intuitively knew that the coach was projecting his own past onto him. It wasn’t surprising, considering the only person who had actively celebrated Jung Pureum’s Beta designation at the time was Moon Yeonghwa.

‘Still, you should fall after reaching the very top. That’s your only way to survive, relatively speaking.’

‘If you can’t do it, quit now. Among Betas, you might be the best. But among Alphas, there are tons of kids like you.’

At first, Jung Pureum was quite hurt by such words. They sounded like criticism wrapped in objective evaluation and twisted facts.

His parents’ silence—they had been so sure their son would be an Alpha—and his Alpha older sister, who was already achieving results in her own field. It’s true that those things affected Jung Pureum, albeit very briefly.

But Jung Pureum recovered very quickly. His nature was thick-skinned, and besides, there was someone close by who believed he would do well anyway.

With just that one person believing in him, Jung Pureum bounced back quickly. Just one small cheer was enough for him to start over anytime.

‘Don’t ever give up, because it’ll hurt your pride.’

‘….’

‘If you think you can do it, then you really can.’

Jung Pureum sometimes wanted to ask Moon Yeonghwa. How could he believe in Jung Pureum so much, when he didn’t even believe in himself?

People who failed to love themselves usually acted like Jung Pureum’s coach. They wanted to hurt others as much as they had been hurt.

But Moon Yeonghwa didn’t believe in himself, yet he believed in Jung Pureum. He thought Jung Pureum would succeed, and he hoped for it. Whenever he felt that solid faith from Moon Yeonghwa, Jung Pureum remembered the first time he breathed underwater.

The very first time, cutting through the currents, feeling like he could do anything. Moon Yeonghwa was always the person who reminded Jung Pureum of that ‘first time.’

That’s why he came to like him.

Because he was someone who gave his all to the present for a better future. Because he was someone who believed that instead of tearing others down, he just had to work hard himself.

“He’ll be happy if I become a national team member….”

If Jung Pureum was selected for the national team, Moon Yeonghwa would be happier than anyone. Just thinking about Moon Yeonghwa smiling at him with pride always made Jung Pureum confident he could produce good results.

This time was no different. Even before the starting whistle echoed through the pool, Jung Pureum had already sensed his victory.

And usually, such intuitions were never wrong.

∞ ∞ ∞

Jung Pureum was clearly born under a star of talent. There’s no way such results would come out otherwise.

It’s just that the auntie next door, unlike my own mother, had a stoic personality; if it were my mom, she’d have hung a banner in front of the house by now. Congratulating Gangnam’s son Jung Pureum for qualifying in the 100-meter freestyle, 800-meter freestyle, and 1,500-meter freestyle.

Is this insane? I can understand the 800 and 1,500 meters, but the 100-meter was beyond everyone’s expectations.

As far as I know, even within the same sport, sprints and long-distance events are as different as heaven and earth. Jung Pureum’s main event was originally long-distance, so his selection for the 100-meter was even more surprising.

The muscles used for the 100-meter and the 1,500-meter must be completely different, yet he was selected as a national team member in every event he competed in. As expected, talent doesn’t discriminate between muscles.

It truly felt like an Olympic gold medal was within reach. If he performs like this in the main competition, even military exemption wouldn’t be a dream.

“You’re so impressive.”

“Hyung, that’s the twelfth time you’ve said that.”

“But you’re really impressive.”

“Now it’s thirteen.”

What can I do if he’s impressive? Hey, neighbors! Our kid is a swimming genius!

The auntie next door would stay quiet, so I had to make a fuss for him. This kind of thing requires enthusiastic celebration to boost self-esteem. I ruffled Jung Pureum’s hair vigorously. Whose neighbor’s little brother is this amazing?

I rubbed him like I was petting a dog that had done a trick, but Jung Pureum didn’t resist at all and stayed docile. He even laughed, hehe, and clung to me as a bonus.

“The time has finally come for me to buy you a meal. Today, eat as much as you want. Hyung will buy you the assorted beef platter.”

So impressive! So proud!

I was about to take him to a nearby barbecue place and stuff something into Jung Pureum’s mouth, but he grabbed my wrist.

“Hyung, instead of meat….”

“Ah, are you still on a diet?”

“I want to go on a date with hyung.”

“….”

“Is that not okay?”

If our Pureum wants it, of course it’s okay! I wanted to say, bring up a date course… but it was a bit awkward.

Because I had a blind date scheduled for three days later. Going on a date with a younger guy I knew, and especially the one who had indirectly prompted me to agree to the blind date, didn’t seem like the right thing to do as a human being.

When I subtly averted my gaze, Jung Pureum immediately looked deflated.

“I won three gold medals so I could watch a movie with hyung, have tea at a nice place, take a walk together, go for a drive….”

“Uh….”

“I endured all the tough training because I thought hyung would play with me, and I worked really, really hard….”

“Hmm….”

But should I really uphold human decency now?

I was conflicted. Since Jung Pureum had worked that hard, it didn’t seem right to say no.

“Alright. How could I refuse anything for a three-time gold medalist?”

“Wow!”

“Let’s go.”

Seeing Jung Pureum giggling and saying it was his first date in a while, my already threadbare conscience screamed in pain.

If he finds out about the blind date, he’ll whine and cry again, won’t he?

Thinking about Jung Pureum, who would openly show his disappointment, left me with an uneasy feeling. I absolutely must not let him find out about the blind date.