Follow the journey of Haneul, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, as she battles not only her opponents in the quest for victory but also the conflicting emotions of a budding romance with her fellow athlete, Sung-Bin. Amidst the adrenaline-fueled rac...
HANEUL'S EYES opened to a bright light, temporarily blinding her. Realizing she hadn't closed the blinds the night before, she cursed herself for not doing so in her state of exhaustion. She closed her eyes again, taking a moment to mentally prepare herself for another day of intense filming. After a few deep breaths, she mustered the energy to sit up, only to find herself in an unfamiliar room. Panic surged through her as she scanned the unfamiliar furnishings. This wasn't her home.
Then, her gaze landed on a pile of clothes at the foot of the bed and a note placed neatly on top.
You fell asleep, so I drove you to mine. I hope you don't mind.
Please feel free to use the bathroom and these clothes to freshen up.
Sung-bin :)
A warm smile spread across her face as she read the note. Sung-bin had taken care of her when she had fallen asleep. It was a thoughtful gesture that filled her with gratitude. She quickly glanced at the clothes he had left, realizing they would be a bit big for her petite frame. Nevertheless, she was confident she could make them work. With a sense of appreciation, she made her way to the ensuite bathroom and turned on the shower, relishing the warmth that enveloped her tired muscles. Her morning routine was swift since she didn't have any of her own products, but she managed to towel dry her hair as best as she could, leaving it slightly damp but still presentable.
As she examined the shorts he had left for her, she decided to skip them. The oversized t-shirt he had left was long enough to act as a dress, and she wasn't entirely sure the shorts would even stay up on her. With a final glance in the mirror, she composed herself and opened the bathroom door, ready to face the day.
Walking into his open-plan living area, Haneul admired the neatness of Sung-bin's apartment. On a shelf, his collection of helmets, including the famous Ironman one, was displayed prominently.
"Good morning," he greeted her warmly from the kitchen, where he was cooking breakfast. His eyes admired the top that covered her body.
"Good Morning," she replied, offering a grateful smile as she joined him by the kitchen island and peered into the frying pan.
"Don't worry; I'm sticking to your diet plan," Sung-bin assured her.
"Thanks, for taking care of me..." she replied, a touch of sincerity and sadness in her voice.
"Don't be silly; I need you to win gold for us again."
"No, I mean, thank you for looking after me. It was really sweet of you to do that," she clarified, appreciating his kindness.
"I wasn't going to leave you there, was I?" Sung-bin scoffed as if it were a foregone conclusion that he would take care of her.
"No, but you could've woken me up," she pointed out.
"Yeah but you look cute when you're sleeping. I didn't want to disturb you," he admitted with a playful grin, his gaze locked onto hers, their connection sparking with unspoken emotions.
Haneul wasn't quite sure what to do next, her eyes scanning the collection of helmets displayed on the shelf. She pointed toward them, a curious expression on her face. "Are these your actual helmets?"
Sung-bin's face lit up with enthusiasm. "Yeah, they're cool, right?" His helmets were a source of pride and joy for him, and he loved sharing his passion for them.
"Super cool. I remember seeing you wear the Ironman helmet for the first time," she reminisced with a smile.
"Oh, yeah? What did you think of it?"
"That you were a big nerd," she chuckled playfully, her attention shifting back to the plate he had prepared with eggs, potatoes, and vegetables.
He raised his hands in mock surrender, his cool facade giving way to a more genuine expression. "Ooo, you got me there."
"You're in luck, 'cause I like nerds, they're cute" she responded, the words slipping out of her mouth almost involuntarily. Her eyes remained focused on the plate, unwilling to gauge his reaction. She couldn't believe she had let that confession slip, especially when things between them had been going so well.
For a moment, the air felt charged with tension as Sung-bin seemed to hesitate. Then, without saying a word, he walked out of the kitchen and headed toward one of the other bedrooms, leaving Haneul alone at the kitchen island.
Did she say something wrong? Had she read all his signals wrong because what the fuck just happened? She had believed there was something special between them, but now, with a careless remark, she feared she had ruined their friendship beyond repair. She let out a sigh and looked at the food in front of her before rubbing her face out of frustration.
When it was drawing closer to 1 p.m. she let out a sigh. He hadn't reappeared from his room for over 30 minutes. Standing up from her seat where her breakfast lay untouched she grabbed her phone.
Iron Man:
Haneul: Thanks for taking care of me. I'll see you at the set.
She opened his apartment door and made her way to the lobby, where the doorman hailed a cab for her. The journey to work felt painfully slow as her brain went into overdrive, replaying the comment she had blurted out. Was it really that bad? Was it that cringy that he wanted to cut all contact with her?
Thankfully, she was one of the first to arrive at the studio, and her car was still parked in the lot. She opened the trunk and retrieved her emergency night bag, which contained a few essentials. With the bag in hand, she hurried to the costume department to pick up some fresh clothes to change into. One of the friendly hair stylists helped her fix her hair and makeup, ensuring it matched the scenes they had shot the day before. Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she felt more like herself—a two-time gold medal Olympian. However, that thought led her to another dilemma: quitting the Olympics rat race.
Euddeume wasted no time finding her friend Haneul, who sat at a back table, lost in her own world with her headphones on. It took a vigorous shake and the removal of her headphones to bring Haneul back from her trance, her wide eyes fixed on Euddeume, clearly expecting some sort of telepathic connection to reveal her thoughts. Realizing she wasn't a mind reader, Euddeume sighed in exasperation and asked, "So what happened last night?"
Haneul's shoulders tensed, and she instinctively shifted her gaze toward the distant figure of Sung-bin. Her voice wavered as she replied, "I, uh, would rather not talk about it..."
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Euddeume let out a playful sigh, a mischievous grin forming on her lips. "Oh no, I thought something good was going to happen. Well, never mind. Maybe he'll get beat up in his fight today."
Euddeume's words were humorously laced with venom, but it was all in jest. She knew that the strange encounter between Haneul and Sung-bin had affected her friend, and she tried to lighten the mood with a bit of teasing. Haneul, despite her mixed emotions, couldn't bring herself to wish harm on Sung-bin, even though he had rejected her in a rather convoluted way.
