Snow and Ice || 태국

Flowers for you

Jungkook did not dare to hug Taehyung for too long and released him after patting him gently. When he lowered his head and saw the tears in Kim's eyes, he felt his heart twinge and asked, "There's still a chance, right?"

"It'll depend on the judges." Taehyung was extremely embarrassed at how Jeon saw him crying and raised a hand to scrub his face. "I wonder if the recording managed to capture everything. I don't know if they'll say that I impeded."

At the point of the accident, the two of them were too close and going at a high speed. Taehyung could not remember clearly if his arm had obstructed the other party when the boy tried to cut into the inner lane. Sometimes, the fouls committed on the rink were merely unintentional actions and it was up to the judges to decide. However, the judges were human after all. Different judges could have different evaluations of the same circumstances.

As Taehyung waited next to the rink, his heartbeat in nervous apprehension while his hand rubbed his butt subconsciously. Seeing him like this, Jungkook felt his heartache but at the same time had the urge to laugh. He wanted to share Kim's burden but was scared of being beaten up.

It did not take long for the judges to finish reviewing the recording. After some analysis, this was the conclusion: Taehyung was obstructed from coming in second place and could advance to the next stage of the competition directly.

Taehyung let out a huge sigh of relief.

Jungkook curved his lips and raised a hand to rap Taehyung's helmet. "Good job."

Taehyung was going to reply to Jungkook when he saw Jimin walking in front of them towards the "B" semi-finals of the 500 meters event. When he passed by them, Jimin glanced at Jungkook.

Jungkook was still playing with Taehyung's helmet.

Taehyung told Jimin, "Good luck, you."

For once, Jimin did not roll his eyes, stare in annoyance or laugh at Taehyung. Instead, he replied with a soft "okay". His voice was gentle and bashful, absolutely befitting a young lady from a noble family in ancient times.

Taehyung was shocked. "Park, did you take the wrong meds? Feel your chest and tell yourself that you're a man!"

Jimin's leaving figure stumbled and Taehyung seemed to hear the sound of grinding teeth.

Taehyung withdrew his gaze and found Jungkook looking at him. Kim pointed at Jimin and said, "That's the newest lackey I took in from the speed skating team. How's he? Isn't he obedient?"

Jungkook patted his hand on Kim's helmet. "Way to go."

All you know is how to take in lackeys—take in a husband if you can.

——

Jimin successfully entered the finals. With this, RCU had two participants who managed to enter the finals of the 500 meters event. Eunji was greatly satisfied with this outcome.

When it came to assigning the lanes, Jimin was placed on the innermost lane as he had the best result. As Taehyung was sent into the finals by the judges' decision, he was placed on the outermost lane disadvantageously. This handicap was clear from the get-go. Though he was not any slower than the other contestants, he was ranked last.

Jungkook's gaze traced the figure on the ice bringing up the rear. He commented to Eunji, "Being able to achieve this level of performance within three months is already an accomplishment."

"Yes," Eunji nodded, "I did not expect him to enter the finals."

Jungkook set aside his worries silently.

Eunji was still a little mournful. "He's too inexperienced."

For a sport like speed skating, one needs not just the speed but also the skills to surpass other contestants. It could be seen that Taehyung was trying to advance persistently but three rounds had passed and he had yet to do so.

In the fourth round, Eunji no longer held any requirements for Taehyung and was satisfied as long as he managed to complete. In any case, Jimin was showing a stable lead and the gold should be theirs if there were no unexpected accidents.

However, Taehyung suddenly went all out and his speed increased explosively. He was like a missile as he found the appropriate opening to cut into the inner lane from the outer lane. His burst in speed was too sudden and the two opponents he sped past had no way to guard against it. They could only watch in vain as a figure dashed past them in less time than it took for them to blink.

Your mom's egg! Give chase!

But they couldn't catch up...

Just like this, Taehyung completed the remaining distance while maintaining the third place. Though he did not stop attempting to overtake even in the final half lap, he ultimately did not succeed.

However, obtaining bronze for his first battle was still pretty impressive!

When he left the podium and returned to the lounge with his flowers, he saw Jungkook watching him as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Thinking of the hug he gave Kim earlier, Taehyung felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

Thus, he held out the flowers in his hand to Jeon. "Victory spoil, for you."

As Jungkook took the flowers, his eyes landed on Taehyung's face. His face had a hint of a smile and his gaze was bright and clear.

Taehyung began to feel a little awkward and shifted his sight away.

Jungkook held the flowers up to his nose and inhaled. At the same time, in his right pocket, his hand clutched a piece of raw amber. He rubbed the stone lightly and hesitated. Finally, when he was almost about to take it out, his hand loosened and the amber fell back into his pocket.

Now's not the time yet. I can't alarm him, he thought.

For some people, stewing gently is the way to go.