The Swimming Emperor(1) A Reasonable Doubt
I, who had recovered remarkably fast enough for Manager Seo Hye-joo to be amazed, returned to being an athlete in just one day.
"Although I heard the report, Moon-soo's stamina is really good. It seems like you could compete with a dolphin in lung capacity."
"Thank you."
"It would have been nice if Seon-young was half as good as Moon-soo. She thinks being fast is all that matters."
"Ha, ha..."
Coach Jang Seon-young grumbled that her daughter nagged too much.
As for me, who couldn't take either side of Song Seon-young and the coach, it was awkward.
‘How did things turn out like this?’
No matter how much I stretched and massaged, I felt like I knew why the muscles in both of my shoulders wouldn't loosen.
"That's strange."
"What is?"
"Your record. Although 4000m is your main event, with this trend, it seems like you could try 2000m too. But can you suddenly become this fast?"
"It's all thanks to your good teaching."
"Thanks for saying it nicely, but I know there's no way it could change so dramatically in just a few days."
"Well..."
It was too short.
"Besides, my aptitude is not as a swimming coach but as a swimmer. I guess Moon-soo was just born with it."
"If you say that, then my aptitude is not a swimmer either?"
"Then I guess a shaman has to be good at swimming too."
"Uh... Yes."
I had no choice but to agree with the coach’s simple and clear logic.
"Today, we're going to measure the 10km marathon that was postponed because Moon-soo collapsed."
"Finally..."
"A lifeboat will be on standby nearby. So you don't have to worry too much."
"I'll do it right away."
I had too many dangerous experiences recently to be worried.
'It was really reckless!'
I swam across the dark ocean where a typhoon raged and I couldn't see an inch in front of me, and I couldn't even breathe properly in the midst of the enemy's territory.
Compared to that...
Splashing~
Clear sky, calm waves, relatively close destination, and even a lifeboat prepared for accidents!
There was no reason to worry.
"Moon-soo, you can't be careless. The ocean is different from a 10km pool."
"Yes."
"...It's amazing. No matter how strong an athlete is, they usually get scared and hesitate at first."
"I'm not afraid."
Anyone would be like me after experiencing being trampled like a bug without anesthesia and having their arms and legs torn off.
"Really? Let's see. Start!"
Splash!
As soon as the coach gave the signal, I charged straight for the cruise ship that I could see far away.
'Easy.'
The 10km swimming marathon didn't exceed my expectations.
If anything, the ocean was much more comfortable for me than the narrow pool where I had to change direction every 100m.
The freedom of the open sea!
I swam to my heart's content, reminiscing about the world of the romance fantasy novel <I Became the Youngest Daughter of the Count’s Family>, where I was called 'Sea God'.
Thump.
'Already?'
It didn't feel like I had swum much, but I had already reached the cruise ship that had stopped in the middle of the ocean.
Vroom~
The lifeboat with the Coach and the safety officer followed.
"Coach, where should I go now?"
"This... it doesn't make sense."
"Coach?"
"Swimming 10km in less than 2 hours! It means you hardly got tired in 2 hours!"
"It wasn't that hard."
I didn't wear a watch that would interfere with my record, so I didn't know how long it took to swim 10km.
However,
'Less than 2 hours?'
Considering the world average record is 'less than 3 hours', it's a truly unbelievable result.
Chaa-!
I climbed into the lifeboat and saw the coach's face, looking like a young lamb that had witnessed a divine miracle.
"Do you really have a nuclear power plant in your body? How can you not get tired in 2 hours?"
"I don't know that either."
I can't ask my parents who made me since they are not around.
"As long as you take care of your health, you're definitely the number one in the world... no, the universe for the 10km freestyle marathon. Congratulations in advance. The gold medal pension I never got to touch!"
"Ha, ha..."
I laughed off Coach Jang Seon-young's fuss that was getting ahead of itself.
However, on the outside, I seemed calm, but deep down,
'Oh yeah! Olympic pension...!'
My heart was pounding with anticipation of receiving the pension that all athletes dream of.
An hour's difference from the world record!
At this rate, shouldn't I be worried about being suspected of using drugs or being an extraterrestrial?
It seemed Coach Jang Seon-young had a similar thought.
"Moon-soo! Let's try the 100km marathon on land with this momentum!"
"Suddenly?!"
It was out of the blue.
“The more pensions you have, the better, right? Trust me for once.”
"Ah... now that you mention it, that's true."
The pension increases as you win more Olympic medals.
"The reason athletes are obsessed with Olympic medals isn't because of the pension. It's not enough for living expenses."
"Really?"
It's similar to the salary of a part-time job at a convenience store.
"It’s not enough. With that money, it's hard to even afford diapers and baby powder, let alone a newlywed house."
"Ah..."
Marriage! And two children!
I, who had always struggled with living expenses, had never thought about it.
'...Maybe not.'
The ‘Baron Amolang', who had no money worries, spent dreamlike times with his escort knight and imagined the future.
Valentine.
As soon as I thought of her, who cried and broke up, my heart felt heavy.
"The reason athletes strive to win medals is because appearance fees and advertising fees skyrocket."
"Do they increase a lot?"
“At least 100 times.”
"Wow!"
"Unless you're a medalist who won a medal at the Olympics, you can't even be selected as a sports goods advertising model."
"What about Seon-young?"
Song Seon-young is a swimsuit model.
"Bikini swimsuits that get stripped off if you swim just a little faster are not sports goods."
"I, I see."
Is it because she’s a former athlete, not a pure coach?
Coach Jang Seon-young knew a lot of useful information for athletes.
"If I had become a medalist, I would have raked in the money! Beautiful medalists are not common~"
“That’s true...”
The P's aptitude test doesn't pick athletes by their faces.
"It seems to be true."
"What is?"
"I was trying to test whether it's a man's bluff or not by continuing to talk. But your breath is still even. You're not tired at all."
"Yes. I could run another 10km right now-"
Gurgle!
As if to cut off my enthusiastic words, thunder struck in my stomach.
“Is your body being honest?”
"......"
"Let's go up to the deck. We arrived an hour earlier than expected, but if we wash up and get ready, it should be about right."
"Yes."
A luxurious buffet was waiting for us, befitting a luxury cruise ship.
* * *
'I'm so happy!'
In the world of the romance fantasy novel <I Became the Youngest Daughter of the Count’s Family>, I had tasted many luxurious dishes while living as a noble, but it was far from surpassing the variety of modern ingredients and advanced cooking techniques.
Grilled cheese crayfish, smoked salmon, eight-treasure vegetables, sushi, crab soup, pork ribs, sea cucumber vegetable stir-fry, tropical fruits...
My tongue screamed in happiness in real-time.
"A 10km marathon in an hour? That's impossible...!"
“A person swam for 2 hours and didn’t get tired? Ha!”
"Come on! You have to bluff moderately to be believable!"
"Coach Jang Seon-young? Let's not do manipulations that get caught right away!"
The coaches at the table next to us were making a fuss, but it was far from enough to disturb my happiness.
'Wow! The 1st team is treated differently!'
I thought that the second team, who mainly trained at the sports university’s swimming pool, was good too, but compared to the first team, they were quite humble.
However, I could confidently say that the happiness index of the athletes was lower than that of the 2nd team.
'Why do they look like this?'
Watching them eat these delicious dishes mechanically, my appetite was dropping as well.
Still, we're going to train together for a while, right?
I decided to try talking to them.
"Hello. It's an honor to be with the first team players I've only heard about. My name is Kang Moon-soo."
"......"
"......"
The eyes of the 1st team players naturally gathered, but no one came forward to accept my greeting.
‘How rude!’
I didn't even expect a greeting, but I wished they would at least react.
"You don't have to tell me your name. Here, the results are everything."
"Ah, yes."
A completely unexpected, very refreshing response!
The female player who talked to me had a relatively better expression among the 1st team players sitting at the same table.
She asked me bluntly.
"What's your event?"
"10km and 4000m. I'm also aiming for 2000m."
"All three?"
"Is that not allowed?"
"I understand. You just came up from the second team, so you might not know."
"......"
I feel like I’m being ignored for some reason.
"The first team consists of two male and female players who are the best in each event. If their performance is poor, they are immediately replaced with a second team player."
"Aha! So..."
The male players' expressions were extremely divided when they heard my main event.
Relief or tension.
Apart from that, the athletes began to open their mouths one by one.
"I'm in the women's 100m."
"Men's 300m."
"Hello. Women's 300m."
"I'm also in women's 300m."
"Men's 1000m freestyle."
"......"
"......"
On the other hand, the players who were expected to overlap with my main events were silently focused on their meals.
Excessive competitiveness!
That's why Song Seon-young hated her aptitude as a 'swimmer'.
"Moon-soo."
"Yes!"
I gladly responded to Coach Jang Seon-young's call.
"Today, don't think about anything and rest well on the ship. Tomorrow at 9 am, there's a 10km promotion match."
"...Yes."
Promotion match.
Among the three players, including me, one must go down to the 2nd team.
Tomorrow's promotion match is a game to determine that one player.
There was no tension, thanks to the overwhelming confidence based on my record. Just a slight awkwardness of having to push others down for my success.
“But don’t be too arrogant. Just stay still.”
"Ha, ha... I will."
I scratched my head at the coach's pointed words.
* * *
Seo Hye-joo, who had gone on an overseas business trip to help Kang Moon-soo, was waiting for her plane at the airport.
Muscle loss, physical function decline...
The reason why Kang Moon-soo, who had woken up from his dream, was able to quickly shake off these after-effects was largely due to her efforts.
"Excuse me."
"What is it?"
Seo Hye-joo, who was sitting in an airport café sipping coffee.
She glanced at the strange man who was talking to her. Obviously showing that she was annoyed!
"I came from here."
Swoosh-
However, the man placed his business card on the café table with a friendly smile.
The head of the entertainment business department of a famous company...
He seemed to be asking if she would still be so arrogant.
Seo Hye-joo smirked as if amused,
"I'm a doctor."
"Ah! You are a medical student!"
"I'm a practicing doctor."
"Ah, I'm sorry. I mistook you because you look young. It's even better if you're a practicing doctor. Many doctors do broadcasting to promote their hospitals."
"Take a look."
"Great opportunity to catch... Huh?"
Thud.
Seo Hye-joo placed her business card on the café table.
Elmorangs Hospital.
It was a world-renowned medical company with endless patients despite its notorious medical expenses.
"Are you still thinking the same way?"
"I'm sorry..."
"Leave the business card and go. It's not for showing off to just anyone."
"Yes, yes!"
It was a common experience for Seo Hye-joo to be in a crowded place, so she didn't feel any excitement.
She sipped her cold coffee and passed the time...
Ring♪
"......"
It was an unknown phone number.
It was very unusual for her, as she didn't give out her business card with her work contact to just anyone.
‘Could it be an acquaintance of my patient?’
There was a high possibility. However, Seo Hye-joo, whose work had been delayed due to her hastily arranged business trip, wasn't happy about the new patient...
"Hello."
She picked up the phone with the intention of just listening.
(Are you Seo Hye-joo, the head of the Department of Neurosurgery at Elmorangs Affiliated Hospital?)
"That's correct."
Although she also held positions in genetic engineering and biochemistry departments, on the surface, she did.
(This is the International Swimming Federation.)
"If you need auxiliary personnel to manage the health of a swimmer, I can connect you to another department."
(Do you know the swimmer Kang Moon-soo?)
"I'm well aware."
That's the reason she flew all the way here.
(The federation is suspicious of his misconduct.)
"Is it because a shaman swims better than a swimmer?"
Seo Hye-joo asked with blatant sarcasm.
(...We're just making a request because the record is too unrealistic.)
"How much did he achieve?"
(He shortened his record by an hour in the 10km marathon, where the ranking is determined by an average 1-second difference.)
"......"
She apologized in her heart for the federation's reasonable suspicion.
Even so,
'It's strange.'
Because it’s common sense to ask a doctor who is close to the athlete if the athlete is suspected.
(And there's a patient I'd really like you to see.)
As expected, there was another purpose.
"I will introduce you to a good doctor."
There were many excellent doctors at Elmorangs Hospital besides her.
Moreover, if more work piled up here, it would not only damage her skin but also cause overwork!
(We need a doctor who treated Choi Kang-min.)
"......"
(Manager Seo Hye-joo. The emperor's life is in your hands.)
"The emperor...?"
(Yes.)
"...When is he coming?"
She had no choice but to cancel her flight.
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The fact that my extremely rough math was even close to being right shows that I am either detrimentally autistic or a misunderstood genius.
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