Mr Mermaid | LK Adaptation

Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Hospitality and Verbal Abuse

The focus of the pre-match press conference still remained on Jaehyun.

This was a very interesting phenomenon. In Chinese sports, although women have earned more world championships in various events than the men, the men were always the ones who received more attention. For example, Jaehyun was the only one in the Chinese men's swimming team to have achieved an Olympics gold, while the female candidates had obtained 3 gold medals in the last Olympic Games. Moreover, Nana had managed to defend their champion status in the female 200 mixed medley. And yet, in the eyes of the common folk, the leader of Chinese swimming was not Nana, but Jaehyun.

Right now, Jaehyun was being besieged on all sides due to his "irresponsibility" —— he had only signed up for one event this time, the men's 100-metre freestyle.

A reporter asked, "Why didn't you sign up for an event you're better at, like the 1500-metre free?"

Jaehyun blurted out in response, "The opponents are too ——" his words cut off with a sharp inhale. His eyebrows knitted together, his face scrunched up in a twist.

The opponents were too what? Tell us!

Jaehyun decided to say no more. Because the woman beside him was currently pinching him with all her strength, as punishment for his outburst of nonsense. Only another Olympics champion would have the guts to treat an Olympics champion this way.

That's right, the one pinching him was Nana. As the coaches were seated with other coaches for the press conference this time, with the athletes being seated together with other athletes, Jaehyun's coach, Tiffany, was not close enough to keep him under control. He could only task Nana to watch this fool's mouth.

Jaehyun sullenly shut up, but the reporter continued to press, "What about the opponents? Were you trying to say that the opponents are too weak?"

"Guess."

"I won't ..."

The sharp-eyed reporter saw Tiffany moving towards his microphone, obviously planning to take over and answer this question.

He could not let a coach answer! Coaches were the slickest in the world ... far less cuter than athletes who dared to say anything.

And so, he turned decisively to Jungkook. "Jungkook, regarding Jaehyun's decision to only compete against you in this entire competition, what do you think?"

These words were obviously trying to set off some gunpowder into the air.

As such a minor player, Jungkook had not expected to be called on. He pursed his lips and replied, "Brother Jaehyun is not like me. I'm gravely lacking in competitive experience, and so need to participate in all kinds of competitions as much as possible to accumulate experience. But Brother Jaehyun has already participated in many international competitions. His results in the 1500-metre free is very good. With that kind of results, it is already very hard for him to gain experience in national competitions. Besides that, I personally think that competing under the premise of assured victory too often will foster a sense of complacency. And so I think that Brother Jaehyun's decision is extremely wise. I don't understand what is confusing about it."

He spoke surely and sedately, and the entirety of his speech could be boiled down to this basic idea: The opponents are too weak.

However, his words were articulated so well and so perfectly that it was impossible to pick out any thorns from it. The reporter was rather disappointed. Are athletes these days also this slick now? Not cute at all!

Still somewhat reluctant to let it go, he asked, "So, the opponents are too weak, right?"

Jungkook looked at him with some censure. "We athletes do not have it easy. Please be kind with your words."