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Park Moondae leaned back in his seat, thinking to himself that Lee Sejin had better made the three hour drive here worth it.
It wasn’t like Sejin had invited him outright—although he really should’ve as his boyfriend—it was more of an insinuation. A bet that was made between the two of them about how he would fare in today’s swim competition. Although being a school athlete meant that Sejin had the luxury to ride the rented team bus the night before competitions, Moondae had no choice but to fight through traffic to make it to the aquatic centre.
He idly flipped through the informative brochure he was given when checking into the venue. The event was truly a big one—a national competition to see which university athletes could represent South Korea in the international level university games. The stakes were extremely high. It was no shocker that Yeonhee University, which fostered Sejin’s swim team, could qualify this time around—Sejin was easily one of the strongest backstroke swimmers in Asia and all of Korea, at least in theory.
“Don’t you dare destroy my faith in you today…” Moondae muttered to himself under his breath. He was a great boyfriend when he needed to be, but a cynical one too.
The stands were beginning to fill up, with aquatics fans and students alike squeezing their way to their seats. Moondae was beginning to hear some chatter behind him, bets being made on which swimmers would move onto the next stage. He scoffed. Bias aside, it had to be Lee Sejin. He had seen the way the guy trained day in and night out, it was like his stamina was infinite so long as he was in the water. In any case, Moondae couldn’t help but wonder about the other bet that was made—between his partner and himself.
It was cryptic, to say the least. Sejin simply said one thing, “If I win my backstroke event, grant me a wish.” When asked what the wish was, he wouldn’t answer. Being as indifferent as he was, Moondae agreed, and thus he was led to this point. He was here watching a swim meet as a business major with an amateur level of sports knowledge, driven by a soft spot(?) for the student athlete who constantly gets on his nerves for the hell of it (and best believe he sees right through Sejin whenever he does so).
A young woman’s voice spoke, her words drifting through the air and finding a way right to Moondae’s all-knowing ears, “Yeonhee University seems to be on a losing streak today…”
Her friend, presumably, responded with a dejected sigh, “I know right, their swim team isn’t prestigious or anything so I guess they can’t compare...”
‘Be a little more patient,’ Moondae’s internal annoyance seemed to say, tapping his finger on his crossed arms, face devoid of emotion.
A groggy announcement was made through the loudspeaker and soon thereafter, the main event was about to begin. After sitting through a couple of the prior heats, Moondae was ready to regard Sejin’s show of expertise. The backstroke matches were about to begin and if he was correct, with Lee Sejin’s entry time, he should’ve been placed within the middle three lanes.
The first swimmer walked out, his baggy jacket, swim cap, and goggles seemingly shielding his identity. However, judging from the athlete's height, Moondae could tell that it wasn’t the guy he was looking for.
His gaze swept over to the next person, with his rich blue zipped up jacket, a black swim cap, and earbuds snug in his ear, confidently striding into the arena. Now that was Lee Sejin. Even with goggles on, Moondae made immediate eye contact with him—the interaction eliciting a wide smirk from the latter and a grumble from his audience member.
‘Hey, focus on your competition, you bastard… Don’t look this way.’
Despite the cold reaction, Moondae’s eyes were glued to Sejin nonetheless. He watched as he put away his belongings, stripping away his jacket and sweats to reveal nothing more than his tight jammers. It wasn’t the first time Moondae had seen Sejin so bare (after all, was he supposed to swim with clothes on?), but every time he did, he couldn’t help but get jealous at his impeccable body. Only with as much training as him could anybody sculpt a figure like that. His chest could probably collect water with how much dimension there was and of course, true to his swim style’s name, his back and shoulders were so broad and sturdy that it made his waist look small despite the guy having a full set of defined abs. It was disgusting just how blessed he was to be built like that to the point that Moondae couldn’t help but feel like his eyes were being assaulted from the muscle overload.
It didn’t take long before all of the swimmers in the heat had gotten ready, stretching their arms and legs, splashing their own torsos before hopping into the water. Lee Sejin was undeniably assigned to one of the centre rows, lane number four, clinging onto the edge of the pool with his fingers and toes up against the wall. Moondae held his breath as the referee began to count down.
Three…
Two…
One…
The screech of a whistle filled the stadium as cheers broke out from the audience. The swimmers launched themselves from the starting point and began moving with synchronized aqua splashes erupting from the pool.
The race was exhilarating. The rhythm of each swimmer’s strokes were pumping up in speed as the stands got rowdier with screams of support. Moondae found himself standing up from his seat and craning his head past the people in front of him to get a better look. Lee Sejin was definitely fast, but because it was still the first lap, he was pacing himself in a sweet spot. He was quick enough to take the lead, but his competition was creeping up behind him.
Moondae wasn’t one to yell, so he kept his words of encouragement to a minimal. Things like ‘Hurry up, you bastard’ or ‘Don’t embarrass me, idiot’ were better off kept to himself anyways. In any case, there was no way Lee Sejin would throw this event—he had an entire bet riding on his victory.
Sejin was continually thrusting through the water, propelling himself along his back in long movements. When he had reached the end, he gracefully flipped himself around, using the momentum from kicking off the walls to cover a greater distance. In a 100m race like this one, he had to traverse the lane just one more time, back to where he started, to conquer the event. Moondae didn’t want to admit it but even the adrenaline was getting to him. He was fully indulged in the thrashing of water and the overwhelming cheering. Immersed in the sport, his eyes drawn to Lee Sejin and nothing else. It was like Sejin was the only swimmer there and that he was swimming for Moondae alone. A show worthy of an S-tier performer rather than a swimmer.
As the distance to the finish line began to close, most of the swimmers were beginning to look neck in neck. They were going so fast that Moondae had no time to process before…
A loud buzz filled the venue, causing Moondae to shift his gaze to the scoreboard. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest at what he saw. Lane four, first place. No, wait, he couldn’t celebrate yet because just below it…
Lane five, first place. The exact same finish time was posted up on the board.
Some murmurs began to fill the stands. This wasn’t a first, but it was most definitely a rare occurrence to see a tie happen right before their eyes. Moondae himself was so fixated on his boyfriend that he hadn’t realized that the swimmer next door had caught up so quickly near the end. But what now? Which of the two could stand on the international stage?
Moondae looked back to Lee Sejin with a concerned expression. He must've had a sixth sense for Moondae’s gaze because he returned the sour look with a reassuring smile. Whether he was disappointed or not by the outcome—had he just swam one millisecond faster—was something only Sejin himself knew. He was putting on a positive demeanor for Moondae, but what about himself?
The event quickly came to a close and Moondae ran out of his seat. He made a beeline straight for where he knew Sejin would be, just outside the change room with his duffle bag over his shoulder, fitted in his jacket and shorts, and dark hair damp from the shower. It was a usual sight for Moondae yet his chest tightened as he dragged his feet along the carpeted floors towards him.
Sejin was the first to greet him with a bear hug. “Moondae-Moondae, shouldn't you look happier for your cute and handsome boyfriend who just narrowly won first place?”
“Shouldn’t you look a little sadder?” Moondae mumbled into his shoulder. “You weren’t the only one who ‘narrowly won first place.’”
“Awww were you worried about me?” With his arms still around his partner, Sejin averted his eyes awkwardly. “But honestly, I am a little upset.”
‘There it was.’ There was no use in hiding it from Moondae of all people. Sejin would’ve preferred an absolute victory where he annihilated everybody than narrowly win (or in this case, tie). Moondae frowned as he pulled away from the embrace. “They’re only letting one of you onto the team. You might lose your chance.”
“Hey, do you really have no faith in me?” Sejin sulked.
“That’s not it.”
“And don’t worry, the swim-off is tomorrow.” The athlete suddenly beamed, thumb and index finger under his chin in a dramatic and confident manner as if to highlight his bright smirk. His emotional turnaround time was impressive. “Just one more match and my team spot is secured.”
The rematches were set to happen after events wrapped up in a day. Sejin was already a rational person so he was quick to accept that another race was necessary. However, Moondae still had a tinge of doubt upon hearing Sejin’s words—the guy still sounded unhappy. With the rematches being scheduled for tomorrow, was he feeling anxious?
“Let’s go back to the hotel.” Moondae brushed off his doubt and began walking towards the exit.
Sejin caught up and slung an arm over his partner’s shoulder. “Is Moondae-Moondae already tired?”
“You wouldn’t believe just how many times I almost dozed off in traffic on the way here.” It was ridiculous just how many bastards had no clue how to drive the moment their vehicle left the big city, holding up the traffic. Moondae had cursed more than enough times during the road trip.
“I’ll drive us back when we’re done here.”
“All three hours?”
“All three hours.”
--
“What’s with the bruise on your thigh?”
Moondae had just walked out of the hotel shower, succulent drops of water falling from his bleached hair. He had changed into a pair of comfortable shorts that barely covered his injury and a cotton purple t-shirt to match the bruising. Sejin was unpacking his belongings on the floor, elated that his coach didn’t mind letting his boyfriend use his room (under the promise of no ‘funny business’ before his important competitions).
“It was from yesterday. I hit my leg on the shoe rack before you left.”
Sejin seemed to have remembered the scene. It was right before he walked out the door, complaining that he couldn’t go a night without being with Moondae. They kissed and hugged much too roughly and for much too long in the cramped narrow entrance, causing Moondae to unintentionally slam his leg up against their plastic shoe rack. The throbbing had settled but what was left was a blue-ish splotch concentrated on his thigh.
Moondae slumped onto the bed and sighed, recalling the same memory. “You really can’t go anywhere without me.”
His boyfriend shrugged. “We’ve been together for so long I guess it was just awkward to imagine being apart.”
He wasn’t sure if one night alone was enough to warrant the desperate bombardment of affection before leaving for his swim comp, but Moondae understood the sentiment. They’ve been practically inseparable since the day they met—from middle school classmates to university colleagues to roommates to lovers. Sejin was a big guy with a whole lot of love to give. Although he was plainly rational, he was also much too emotionally attached to dear old Moondae.
“You’re going to have to live without me when you compete abroad.”
“If I qualify,” Sejin huffed, stopping what he was doing.
Moondae’s expression turned grim. “You will. Don’t let today get to you.”
A bitter smile rose from his lips. Sejin got up from his spot and moved to the bed where Moondae laid before engulfing him with his long arms and legs. He hummed, delighted. “Moondae-Moondae really knows me well.”
“I don’t want you to leave this place with any regrets. We graduate in less than a year, this might be your last chance to compete in any university competitions.” Moondae muttered into his partner’s chest, the latter’s shirt soaking up the water from his blonde locks.
“I do want to win the 100m backstroke more than anything. I’m not giving up.” He held him tighter. Pressing his lips, he added, “Not because of recognition or anything, but I would have even more regrets here if you couldn’t grant my wish.”
Before Moondae could ask what he meant by that—just how important this wish was—he was interrupted by Sejin’s next thought.
“I’ll do as you say and do my best in the rematch so don’t worry, okay?”
Moondae nodded in agreement albeit slightly defeated. He let himself relax in Sejin’s arms. Sejin reached over to Moondae’s head and ruffled his hair playfully like a puppy as he let it happen, even leaning into his touch unconsciously.
“Hey, are you hungry yet?” Sejin asked.
“Let’s just stay like this and get room service later,” Moondae mumbled sleepily, unable—or rather, unwilling—to push his heavy boyfriend off him. “I’m cold.”
Sejin leaned down and whispered with a mischievous glint in his eye. “I have to rest up tonight for my race tomorrow so you better not be trying to seduce m—Ow!”
Moondae kicked the guy’s shin before he could finish his sentence. ‘What a load of bullshit.’ He was back to his playful self which was a good sign, but there was still so much going on in that mind of his that Moondae had yet to figure out.
--
It was no surprise seeing how easily Lee Sejin had woken up the next morning. He slipped out of bed, making sure not to rattle Moondae awake and got dressed for a light jog all before his alarm had gone off. Perhaps it was due to his strict athlete’s regimen that he was accustomed to such a high degree of self-discipline.
Moondae shuffled in the bed. He was a light sleeper so sensitive that he was lucky if he even got any sleep. Over time he grew used to Sejin’s morning routine, but he was so on edge these days that he sacrificed going back to sleep to take a little peek at his boyfriend’s actions across the room. He was fidgeting with a suspicious item in his hand before storing it away, wrote a short text message on his phone, then slid into a pair of sneakers and stepped out the door.
The door shut with a click. As if on cue, Moondae slipped out of his blanket and reached for his phone. Sejin had sent a text to him right before he left letting him know that he was out for a jog and would return with breakfast. He estimated that it gave him just over thirty minutes to snoop around.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Sejin, rather, Sejin was strategic in what he shared and what he didn’t. Moondae, on the other hand, being a self-acknowledged control freak, hated being left in the dark about anything and everything.
He decided to check the top of the dresser by the door first. This was where Sejin put away the unusual item and had all of his sparse belongings out. Trudging towards the dresser in his pajamas, Moondae did a quick scan of the surface. There was nothing unusual nor small enough to match what Sejin was holding earlier. He sighed. ‘He did leave his wallet though…’
The door swung open.
“Ah, I forgot my wallet—”
The guilty Moondae with his unkempted ‘I just woke up’ bedhead locked eyes with Lee Sejin who barged through the entrance. Was it obvious that he was going through his stuff? Moondae gulped nervously at being caught red-handed.
“Moondae-Moondae, did I wake you up just now?”
“Kind of.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I couldn’t sleep well anyways.”
“Sorry.” Sejin’s gaze shifted to the top of the dresser where his things were. His tone was stiff and he wore a blank expression. “I’m gonna go for a jog and then come back. What do you want for breakfast?”
“Anything’s fine.”
“Hmmm, okay. See you.” Sejin reached for and tucked away his wallet, then walked out.
There was a heavy silence after the door locked.
‘Fuck, is he mad?’ It wasn’t like Moondae and Sejin never fought before, but it was hard to tell if Sejin was quiet out of consideration for Moondae having just woken up or genuine disappointment with him for searching his possessions. ‘No, but wasn’t he seriously being secretive?’
Moondae bit down on his thumb, pacing back and forth with pitter-patter steps. To the average eye, it was probably a seemingly normal interaction, but Moondae had become hyper-aware about his own boyfriend’s every move. There wasn’t a single ray of sunshine energy emitting from him. Pushing back his hair in frustration, Moondae threw himself back onto the bed after his unsuccessful attempt at getting answers. Not only that, he now had even more questions left unsolved.
Sejin arrived back later than expected with sweat matting his skin and a brown paper bag in hand. He kicked off his shoes and slipped into the room where Moondae was watching videos on his phone with his blanket pulled up to his chin.
“I’m back.”
“Welcome back.” Moondae’s response was absent-minded but Sejin simply attributed it to him being too focused on his phone.
“I know you’re not a picky eater but I got you something sweet regardless.” Sejin sat on the edge of the bed and rummaged through one of the paper bags. He pulled out a glazed apple twist bun.
“Thanks.”
Sejin frowned at Moondae’s nonchalance. He held the bread up to his boyfriend’s lips. “Open up.”
Moondae bit into half of the pastry, his teeth grazing the tips of Sejin’s fingers and sucking on them slightly, leaving frosting coating the sides of his lips. Looking up from his screen, he glanced up at his partner’s expression. Usually, Sejin would return the teasing or tease Moondae for being a tease. Either way, the expression he bore hinted nothing of the sort happening. He was no longer cold nor faking his confidence—just a bitter grin on his face.
“Shit, don’t make me even more scared.”
Moondae jumped at the opportunity to question him. “Scared? For your swim-off?”
Taken aback, Sejin brushed him off with a sigh of relief. “Sure, something like that.”
Moondae knew that in Sejin terms, that meant it was nothing like that. He slumped back into the sheets, having given up. Whatever was bugging Sejin, there was no way he could confront it out of him now—not when his next event was so soon.
“I need to head down to the pool now and get ready.” Sejin’s composure finally relaxed, revealing an inkling of his usual self. He put the half-eaten bun back into the paper bag and rose from his seat. “You’ll come, right?”
--
Sporting his boyfriend’s jean jacket and his boyfriend’s black baseball cap, Park Moondae was ready to watch his boyfriend’s swimming.
There weren’t many swim-offs occurring, so the stands were mostly empty save for supportive family and teammates of the respective athletes who were getting their second chance. Moondae returned to the venue with concession food and took a seat near the edge of the balcony, an unobstructed view of the pool.
Rematches were occurring at the same time in different pools. It took Moondae some effort scouring the venue before he found Sejin’s location. He was watching the athlete get warmed up earlier—swimming leisurely laps to get his muscles going—and he could say with certainty that the Sejin in competition had a different kind of aura to the version of him from warm-ups. There must’ve been a weight lifted off his shoulders before arriving at the pool because Sejin actually seemed determined and optimistic, on top of his competitive and focused self when in his element.
When he spotted Moondae standing isolated in the audience, he waved at him with a look of endearment—a stark contrast from his distant attitude just earlier today. Moondae shook his head. His partner was truly hard to understand sometimes with his mood swings and all, but he could finally calm down now that their frigid tension was swept under the rug so quickly.
It was hard to hear the situation over all the clamour from the other matches, but Moondae could fill in the blanks when he saw Sejin strip off his jacket and position himself inside the edge of the pool in the lane next to his competitor. It should start any moment now…
The whistle went off and with the heavy splashes from either athlete, Moondae’s eyes were glued to the competition. Sejin made the slower start, however, he was still following close behind his opponent in the first streak. He could still catch up. The way he pushed through the water was like a shark chasing its prey. His arms swung faster with each passing millisecond, as did the kicking of his legs. Just a couple meters from the end of the pool, Moondae intently watched each agile movement from his boyfriend as he flipped himself around for the home stretch. Compared to the athletes’ previous race just the day before, the thrashing of water seemed even more violent with desperation from either party. With Sejin taking the lead after his turn, the odds were in his favour.
100m races were fast, leaving Moondae no time to process his growing anxiety as the swimmers got closer and closer to the finish line. Although he hadn’t expected to get so emotional during the match, he couldn’t help drowning in his thoughts during the duration of the event. He wanted Sejin to win for Sejin’s sake, that was all he knew at that moment.
In the blink of an eye, both players had made contact with the edge of the pool. Sejin ripped off his goggles and cap and whipped his head to Moondae first. His expression was hard to read from the distance, but there was a glimmer in his boyfriend’s amber eyes. Moondae seemed to notice the look in his direction and returned Sejin’s earnest gaze with an assuring nod.
Before he had even confirmed his score on the board, Sejin was already grinning from ear to ear. He turned to the backside of the pool and there it was. Lane 3, a time just two mere seconds faster than his opponent’s. Sejin shared congratulatory greetings and handshakes with the other swimmer and the surrounding coaches, then hoisted himself out of the pool. Chlorinated beads of water formed puddles where he stood. He couldn’t wait to get out of here and share his victory with Moondae.
Moondae had already walked out of the arena and stood awaiting his boyfriend by the change room exit once more. Lee Sejin of Yeonhee University, representing South Korea in the 100m backstroke event—there was an appealing charm to it. He was already wondering how they should celebrate, be it with a grand meal or some rest at home. It would be nice if Sejin’s family had come too, then they could’ve congratulated him together. It was a shame that Moondae was the only one to see it happen in real time with his own two eyes.
Sejin finally emerged from the door, fully aware that Moondae knew where to find him. He rested his chin on the latter’s shoulder. “I’m so tired…”
“You really swam like there was no tomorrow. I’m impressed.”
Sejin jumped backwards, then stared at him wide-eyed. “There really would’ve been no tomorrow, Moondae-Moondae! My wish! You need to grant it now.”
“Ah, right.” Honestly speaking, with all that had happened in the last 24 hours, Sejin’s wish was the last thing on his mind. Feeling relieved that Sejin had at least made the team, Moondae wasn’t worried in the slightest about what he could possibly demand from him—though his “no tomorrow” statement was a little extreme. “Out with it.”
“Shit, I'm so nervous…” Sejin rubbed his palms against the fabric of his shorts. He looked around to make sure that nobody was watching. Bending down, he whispered in Moondae’s ear, “Remember when I said that I couldn’t imagine us apart.”
“Mhm.” Moondae raised a brow, uncertain of where Sejin was going with this setup.
“Well, I seriously thought really hard about it and I couldn’t imagine the thought of leaving you here while I’ll be competing abroad so I—Wait.” Sejin frantically dug through his bag and pulled out his leather wallet. “Okay. My wish is that you’ll accept and use what I’m about to hand you, promise?”
“I promise.”
“Okay, close your eyes.” He pulled out a slip of white paper. Hesitantly, he placed it lightly into Moondae’s hands. “You can open them now.”
Moondae’s eyelids fluttered open and it took him a couple seconds to analyze the object between his fingertips before he realized. “A plane ticket?”
“Well, that piece of paper is just a printed mockup, I haven’t booked it yet but,” Sejin flashed a confident smile, “you’re coming with me this summer. No take backs.”
“W-Wait, but your competition is in Europe! I’ve never left Korea before.” Moondae sounded as if he was protesting, but the overwhelming gift from his boyfriend was just too large to calmly accept. How was any of this even real?
“That’s why you’re not going alone. I’ll be there with you.” Despite his bright expression, Moondae could see Sejin’s hands shaking in the pockets of his grey hoodie. Was he awaiting confirmation? Moondae had already promised that he would accept it, but the nervous look on Sejin’s face made it clear that he was still worried about asking too much from Moondae.
Moondae wasn’t sure if this guy’s clinginess was a blessing or a curse but he appreciated it nonetheless. “You know, you didn’t need a wish for me to accept a gift from you.”
“But if I didn’t win the backstroke event, there was no reason for me to need to ask you to come with me.” The swimmer shrugged, pulling his hood up to his head. He had a slight pout as he averted his eyes. “Since I would still be in Korea and all.”
Moondae laughed. Of course, Lee Sejin had it all planned out. He pulled Sejin closer and kissed him square on the lips. Sejin’s hood managed to hide the fatal blush on his face but Moondae was satisfied enough with the reaction. He pulled him into a warm hug. “Thank you, I love it.”
--
“You know… Something’s been bothering me since a couple days ago.”
“What is it?” Sejin’s eyes were on the road ahead but he tilted his head slightly towards Moondae slumped in the passenger’s seat. He made a smooth right turn at the intersection.
“After you went for a jog, I thought you were acting weird because you were nervous for your rematch but that turned out to be wrong the more I paid attention to you that day.” Moondae recalled how Sejin’s anxiety subsided after he had made the wrong guess about his fears. “I doubt you were mad at me either.”
“Ah… No, I wasn’t nervous about the match nor was I mad at you.”
“Then what was it?”
“I saw you standing next to my belongings on the counter and I thought you found the ticket in my wallet.” Sejin sighed, remembering how he had forgotten his wallet in the hotel before leaving. He hated himself for making such a lethal mistake right before the big race. “If you had expectations that I would give you the ticket but I had lost my match then my plans were ruined."
Moondae smiled. Since he had no clue that Sejin could be hiding plane tickets of all things he hadn’t thought that that was the reason. He felt a rush of calm after figuring out the puzzle.
“But once I realized that you knew nothing about it, my focus was back all-in to the competition.”
“That’s a relief. It all worked out in the end.” Hugging his bag, Moondae dug his face into it.
“You know, you were acting weird too.”
Moondae shot his head towards the driver. “What? What did I do?”
Sejin laughed out playfully. “The apple bun. You were definitely flirting!”
“T-That…” Could Moondae really tell him that he did that to get information out of him? It was embarrassing enough that he resorted to plain old seduction tricks but even more embarrassing to admit that he thought it would work.
“I almost had trouble focusing in my match because I kept replaying that moment in my hea—”
Moondae slapped a hand over his boyfriend’s mouth. “Hey, focus on the road, you bastard.”
The rest of the long ride was filled with banter and giggles and although Moondae would hate to admit it, Sejin had definitely made the whole tedious journey from start to end worthwhile.