"yesss, i did it!" sunmi squealed, barely catching her breath. she had just finished running 8 laps nonstop in under 15 minutes. her goal was 14 minutes, but she still felt a rush of pride.
coach kim stopped his stopwatch and showed it to her. "15 minutes!" he yelled, enthusiasm radiating from him.
sunmi had a bet with her coach: if she ran 8 laps in 14 minutes, he'd buy her new running shoes. if she failed, she'd have to do 100 pushups.
sunmi plopped to the ground, her legs giving way. "that's unfair! i'm only a minute late," she whined.
"life is indeed unfair," coach kim replied with a teasing grin. "now, go do your pushups."
sighing, sunmi positioned herself on the ground and began her pushups. but she wasn't just any athlete; she was a national taekwondo champion for korea. she had been part of the team since she could walk, earning her black belt at the age of 10. her prowess earned her the nickname 'gold stealer' after securing first place in nearly 85% of her competitions.
when the media caught wind of her achievements, she became a rising star in the athletic world, brand endorsements poured in, managed meticulously by her agency, pledis entertainment. it was only recently when pledis joint hands with hybe, they had established a department for managing athletes, and sunmi's team was among the first to be scouted.
now, she faced her biggest challenge yet:
the olympics.
her coach pushed her and her team to the brink, training non-stop from monday to saturday. sundays were her only respite, her cherished cheat day, the day she gets to do exactly nothing.
adding to her already packed schedule, sunmi's a master's student in engineering at anyang university. in her final year, she's just a footsteps away from her graduation.
two days stood between her and her favourite day of the week. her entire body ached for the rest sunday promised.
"sunmi-ya, if you're done resting, come to the gym. we're starting upper body core strength training," her coach called out from the track, waving as he headed to the gym.
sunmi stood up, grabbed her things, and trudged to the gym.
"remember, no carbonated drinks, oily foods, or chocolate. stick to this routine, and the results will be worth it," her coach reminded her. sunmi had been on a strict diet for what felt like forever, though she occasionally indulged in ramen and tteokbokki. she always burned off the extra calories with intensive anaerobic exercises.
without arguing, she bowed and forced a determined smile. "yes, coach."
"oh, and your manager texted me. you're off from training for the next two days, starting your rest early. but duty calls for the artist version of sunmi~~" her coach teased, winking and making a finger-gun gesture.
sunmi groaned inwardly. she'd rather run 10 more laps than play the public figure. despite being a star athlete, she is an introvert at heart, her only passion taekwondo. the thought of brand endorsements and public appearances made her anxious.
arriving home, she called out, "i'm home!"
"our ddal (daughter) is home!" her mum echoed from the kitchen. sunmi could hear her dad's gasp from the living room.
closing the front door, sunmi walked in to find her dad beaming from the couch and her mum busy in the kitchen.
"why are you back home?" her dad asked, eyebrows slightly furrowed. inside, he missed her deeply.
her dad got up and hugged her, with her mother joining in seconds later.
it had been ages since sunmi stayed at home. the training centre was closer to her dorm, making it more convenient. but with the semester break approaching, she decided to spend a few days at home.
"hehe, i miss my eomma and appa very much~ that's why i'm home," sunmi giggled, earning a tsk from her dad.
"its been so long since our baby's homeee" said her mum while gently patting her bum.
"sit, sit," her dad said, guiding her to the couch. sunmi insisted on sitting on the floor, not wanting to ruin the furniture with her sweat.
she plopped down and lay back, smiling at the comforting scene of her dad laughing at the tv and her mum cooking. she cherished these moments, reminders of simpler times.
her dad excused himself to bed—it was already 9 pm, past his usual bedtime.
"what are you doing?" sunmi asked her mum, who was busy prepping side dishes.
"making some side dishes. have you eaten yet?"
sunmi sat up, leaning against the coffee table. "it's okay, eomma. i'm not that hungry."
"how's training and school?" her mum asked.
sunmi hummed, gathering her thoughts. "school's okay. i'm on semester break soon and just finished my final exams last week. results should be out in a month. training... i ran 8 laps today but missed my goal by a minute."
her mum was impressed by how sunmi managed her dual commitments. sunmi never complained about the endless tasks in her life, though her schedule left little room for free time.
despite the constant pressure, sunmi thrived on it. it gave her a sense of purpose. when idle, her anxiety spiked.
in the midst of their conversation, her phone rang. expecting her coach, she was surprised to see hoshi, her best friend, calling.
hoshi and sunmi had been inseparable since meeting at a dance academy when sunmi was 7 and hoshi was 10 years old. despite their busy lives, they always made time for each other. now, both being part of pledis made it even easier.
hoshi is sunmi's safe space and vice versa.
"what's up, sun? how are you? what are you doing? are you busy?" hoshi's rapid-fire greeting made her smile.
"hoshi, hosh~ i just got back from practice and i'm at my parents'. why?"
"come eat dinner with me, please. my treat," hoshi pleaded.
sunmi was about to decline, her calves sore and cramp-prone, but hoshi quickly added, "i'm buying wagyu beef."
she could never say no to beef.
"eomma, i'm going out to meet hoshi for a while, okay? don't wait up for me," sunmi said, kissing her mum's cheek.
"ah reallyy? okay go and have fun. tell soonyoung-i eomma said hi, okay?" sunmi giggled, nodded, and went out.
