Chapter 102: The Line Between Us

Playing volleyball with Woojoo, exchanging childish arguments.

Those were the things that made Ji-tae feel emotions and gave energy to his life, a kind of driving force.

Because of that, he naturally came to understand how to deal with Woojoo and how to get closer to him.

Woojoo was interested in his rival, Won Ji-tae.

So Ji-tae simply made even more use of that.

Because of it, he could finally breathe, even if only a little, in his life.

As his father’s business prospered, his father stopped coming home, and his mother grew increasingly dry and distant, yet even in such neglect from his parents, he managed to act like it didn’t bother him.

And one day, when he returned after finishing training as usual, he saw an unfamiliar pair of shoes in the shoe cabinet.

Ji-tae paused while taking off his sneakers and stared blankly at the living room.

Unlike usual, the lights were on.

“Oh my, Ji-tae, you’re back?”

His mother greeted him with an unusually bright smile.

Her lively expression, so different from usual, caught his attention.

When Ji-tae shifted his gaze inward, he saw the back of a man sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper.

It was Won Ji-hyuk, Ji-tae’s father.

“Your father came back from a business trip after a long time. Go on, you should greet him.”

Ji-tae slowly walked toward the sofa and bowed his head.

Then, indifferently, he said, “You’re back.”

His mother hummed as she went into the kitchen.

The delicious smell of food spread all the way to where he stood.

“Hmm, you seem to have grown taller.”

His father folded the newspaper and placed it on the coffee table.

The sharp gaze behind his rimless glasses irritated Ji-tae, making him turn his head away.

At that moment, his father quickly scanned the sports bag Ji-tae was carrying.

“Are you studying well? If you have any report cards, bring them all to me.”

“I don’t study. I play sports.”

“Sports? What sports does a student do! You should be studying!”

At that moment, as if turning suspicion into certainty, his father shouted.

He went on to lecture him about how he would survive with sports, how he needed to study and go to a good university if he wanted to inherit the family business someday.

“Quit the sports club immediately and focus on studying starting tomorrow. I’ll tell your mother to arrange academies or tutors for you.”

“…Don’t you think that’s shameless?”

“What did you say?”

“Don’t you think it’s shameless for someone who shows no interest in the family to suddenly talk about a child’s education?”

Hearing the tense exchange, his mother hurried out of the kitchen.

“You… you brat! How dare you speak like that to your father?! He’s saying all this for your sake! Do you think your life can succeed with just that useless sport?!”

That useless sport.

At those words, Ji-tae’s brows twisted sharply.

It wasn’t something that could be dismissed like that.

Hearing someone who abandoned his family for money belittle the sport that brought him life and led him to meet someone precious made it feel as if something inside him was being tainted.

“Be honest. The only reason you’re trying to take care of me now is ultimately for yourself, isn’t it?”

At that, he heard his mother shout, “Won Ji-tae!” from beside him.

His father now turned his anger toward her.

As he criticized how she had raised their child, Ji-tae kicked off from the living room and ran out of the house.

The emotions that parents should have taught him, Ji-tae had learned late through volleyball, and he came to understand them after meeting Woojoo.

That was how precious volleyball was to him, and he didn’t want to bother explaining that to his parents in detail.

At that moment, a message from his mother appeared on his phone.

[Are you not coming home right now? Come back and apologize to your father immediately. If he stops coming home because of you, will you take responsibility?]

Ji-tae turned off his phone and walked aimlessly.

He couldn’t go to school, and he didn’t have a friend he could rely on even temporarily.

His gaze drifted toward one direction.

The direction where Woojoo’s house was.

“……”

But he soon turned his head and kept walking.

Before he realized it, he had arrived in front of a very familiar building.

It was none other than the Green Tree Gymnasium.

Even just a few years ago, it had received support from the city and hosted various programs, attracting many people, but now it seemed deserted.

Ji-tae walked inside the gym.

At the practice court on the first floor, there was a sign saying it was open at all times except weekends.

When he entered, it was completely empty, whether just for today or because no one used it at this hour.

Ji-tae raised the net and pulled over a cart filled with balls.

Since things had turned out like this anyway, he decided to practice hard on his own.

In a few days, there would be a big match.

It was the CBS Cup Volleyball Tournament hosted by the Korea Secondary School Volleyball Federation.

In reality, it was his final official middle school game.

As he immersed himself in practicing serves, the number of balls he slammed onto the floor kept increasing beyond count.

Before he knew it, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Even so, the feeling that had sunk to the ground didn’t rise easily.

He never expected full support from his parents in the first place.

If they couldn’t give that, he just wished they wouldn’t become obstacles.

Just as Ji-tae picked up another ball—

“Huh? What?”

With the creak of the metal door opening, Woojoo walked in.

The ball slipped from Ji-tae’s hand and dropped.

“This is my hideout. How did you find it?”

“…You’re probably the only one who thinks a public gym is a hideout.”

“You always have to say things so annoyingly.”

Grumbling, Woojoo slowly approached Ji-tae.

“You threw a lot.”

Woojoo muttered while looking at the balls scattered across the floor.

Ji-tae stared at his side profile.

Just having that one person beside him made everything feel full.

“Practicing serves?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, your spikes are strong and well-placed, but your serves are a bit weak.”

“I don’t want to hear that from someone worse at serves than me.”

“What did you just say?”

Woojoo glared at him sharply, flaring up.

Yet the way he couldn’t properly refute it was oddly cute, making Ji-tae almost laugh.

Unaware of Woojoo staring at him, Ji-tae played with the ball in his hands.

Then Woojoo walked over to the opposite side.

“Hit it. I’ll receive.”

Without saying much, Ji-tae picked up the ball.

He tossed it high, jumped, and slammed it down with force.

Woojoo managed to receive it, though the power made him stumble slightly.

Still, Woojoo gestured for him to continue.

Ji-tae hit, and Woojoo received.

There were plenty of misses, and sometimes Ji-tae’s shots went out past the end line.

But neither of them stopped, continuing to hit and receive the ball.

“Haah…”

Eventually, after all the balls in the cart were gone, the two collapsed onto the wooden floor.

With the net between them, Woojoo and Ji-tae lay in their respective areas, catching their breath.

“Is it okay to go easy on me like this when we’re rivals?”

Ji-tae asked.

“Idiot, rivals are supposed to do this. Help each other out, steal techniques, stuff like that.”

As Woojoo lay spread out, catching his breath, Ji-tae gazed at him quietly.

Watching the sweat trail down his forehead, along his cheek, and gather beneath his chin, Ji-tae unconsciously licked his lips.

“Kang Woojoo… what are your parents like at home?”

“What do you mean?”

“About you playing sports.”

Well, of course they must support him, right?

Woojoo had talent, sense, and worked hard.

His passion for volleyball was on par with a professional player.

“My parents don’t really like it.”

“…What?”

Woojoo suddenly sat up, placing his hand on the floor and looking up at the high ceiling.

“My mom’s a teacher. So she wants me to choose studying over sports.”

It was unexpected.

People often say you can tell someone’s home environment just by looking at them, and since Woojoo was always so bright, Ji-tae had assumed he was supported just as much at home.

“Have you ever thought about quitting?”

“Are you crazy? Quit volleyball? I told them how much I want to do it, so they don’t say much anymore. But that doesn’t mean they support me either.”

Sitting under the dazzling lights, Woojoo spoke calmly about himself.

It was so comfortable that Ji-tae wished this moment would last forever.

“No matter who they are, it’s my life. I should do what I want so I won’t regret it later.”

“…You sound like an old man.”

At that, Woojoo nodded, saying his younger sibling often told him the same thing.

“If I want to do it, because I like it, then I do it. Simple, right?”

At that moment, Woojoo, who had been looking up the whole time, turned his head and met Ji-tae’s eyes.

As if asking whether he felt the same, those brown eyes spoke.

“No matter how close someone is, no one has the right to judge your choices.”

“Yeah.”

Ji-tae nodded softly.

“So, do you feel a bit better now?”

“Huh?”

“Just… you looked pretty down. And you were asking weird questions too.”

Woojoo dusted off his clothes and stood up.

“I don’t know what happened, but I like playing volleyball with you.”

Then he stepped over the net and walked straight toward Ji-tae.

“I like that feeling of facing you across the court and fighting it out.”

Crossing the white line without hesitation, he reached out his hand toward Ji-tae.

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