Enthralled || Liskook

Chapter 73

A throbbing pain flared in Jungkook's shoulder, an unwelcome echo of his old injury. He grimaced, cutting short his practice session and hurrying to the team doctor. 

The third day dawned, the final day for the billiard competition. The morning kicked off with the men’s singles snooker match. 

Jungkook and Yoongi both secured convincing victories against similarly skilled Asian players in their respective group matches. They'd made it to the finals, a formidable duc ready to challenge for gold. 

As they stood poised by the table, the glint of gold medals in their sights, a voice grumbled from the back. Namjoon. “If it weren't for this surgery," he muttered, "Those two wouldn't stand a chance.” 

Some scoffed, calling it a brag. But Namjoon's words held a sliver of truth. 

Namjoon, a flicker of regret in his eyes, lamented missing the rare Asian Games singles competition. 

He turned to Sehun, who also sat out the event, and remarked, “Remember saying if the three of us don’t retire, you wouldn't stand a chance to play? Looks like our careers stretched on a lot longer than expected. Those others all retired in their forties, but you,” his voice trailed off. “You'll have your chance twenty years from now.” 

Hoseok, confused, leaned toward Jimin and murmured, “Does he have a grudge against Sehun?" 

Jimin, a knowing smile playing on his 

lips, whispered, “He's Lisa's childhood sweetheart, remember? Maybe enjoying some friendly ribbing, or maybe still chasing after her. Didn't Yoongi mention that New York hotel incident last year?" 

Understanding dawned on Hoseok's face. "That explains Namjoon's leniency towards Sehun, then.” 

At 10:00 AM, a surprise unfolded: Min Yoongi, against all odds, clinched the first gold medal of the day, the men's snooker singles title! 

Jungkook, putting up a valiant fight, secured the silver medal in a close match. 

While Yoongi's ranking boasts higher numbers than Jungkook's, his recent performance hasn't been stellar. Both commentators and fans were aware of this. 

In fact, from the very first shot of the final, Yoongi sensed Jungkook's struggle. 

With the weight of international scrutiny on their shoulders, even a hint of slacking from Jungkook could be misconstrued as a ‘Fake match.’ 

Thankfully, Jungkook had reported his injury to the Asian Organizing Committee during yesterday's treatment with the team doctor, acting as a safeguard. 

Despite battling a resurgent injury, Jungkook persevered and finished the snooker finals. 

However, the afternoon brought a fresh challenge and his injury flared up badly. 

By lunchtime, Jungkook's shoulders were heavily swollen. He spent the break icing them, bracing himself for the upcoming 10 ball match at 2:00 PM. 

The group stage opponents weren't much of a challenge, and Jungkook cruised to the semifinals. There, he faced a renowned Indian player, the odds-on favorite for the 10-ball championship. 

Jungkook excelled in 9 ball and snooker, and most 9-ball players also appear on the 8 ball list. So, these three disciplines were his specialty. 

Due to a lack of strong players, Jungkook and Yoongi were paired together for the 10 ball competition. 

Normally, Jungkook could compete fiercely, but his arm was now a dead weight, the pain creating a vast gap in their skills, 

He began the third inning, occasionally switching the cue to his other hand to alleviate the pain. Despite a poker face that masked his suffering, everyone on the South Korean team knew their captain hadn't been himself since the previous night.