The Swimming Emperor(8) - You're so Greedy
Anthropologists, sociologists, and mathematicians have slightly different opinions, but what are the chances of finding one's aptitude without using P's aptitude test?
If you know a little bit of math, you'll probably come up with this formula.
1/number of jobs x 100
The most important variable here is the 'number of jobs', and this is where scholars' opinions differ.
Let's take a teacher as an example.
Kindergarten teacher, elementary school teacher, middle school teacher, high school teacher, college teacher...
Jobs are distinguished by the age of the students they teach. And from here, it's further divided into specialized subjects.
Physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, foreign languages, history, physical education, art, music, math, Korean, ethics, home economics, technology...
Just by the age of the students and the subject they teach, there are already over 100 different cases.
In other words, the probability of discovering one's aptitude as a teacher alone is less than 1%!
What if you include other jobs in the probability calculation?
The conclusion is that you'll never find it without P's aptitude test.
"How can this record be...!"
"Heh! It's impossible..."
"Is he really human...?"
After winning the marathon, I had the opportunity to measure my record at the athletes' village swimming pool.
So what were the results?
Overwhelming!
I couldn't beat the monsters in Team 1, who were all born with swimming aptitude, but I couldn't lose to any human opponents.
It was like being the last in a top university and then transferring to a second-tier university to be the top student.
It wasn't satisfying.
"Is there a coach who can teach me other swimming techniques?"
"Molang?"
To become the emperor of swimming, one has to sweep the Olympic gold medals in breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke, and individual medley.
"Gasp! I'll teach you!"
"What are you talking about! Learn from you!"
"I have 40 years of coaching experience!"
The desire to recruit excellent players was the same in both the past and present.
Swimming coaches who were ready to fight beyond psychological warfare.
Their past demeanors, looking down on me, were nowhere to be found.
"It's difficult~"
"Molang~"
Is it because I have to choose from coaches I don't like?
It was when I was seriously considering drawing lots.
"Kang Moon-soo, how about learning from me?"
"Uh... Are you a coach?"
She was a very young woman to be called a coach.
"I participated in the last Olympics as a national representative."
"Wow! You must be an amazing person. But why suddenly..."
I didn't understand.
"I'm planning to retire after giving way to my juniors in this Olympics. My skills aren't the same as before."
"Ah, I see."
Although I don't like the current coaches, I was even more reluctant to learn from a player with no teaching experience.
"You can refuse. Actually... I just wanted you to meet my sister again, so I approached you."
"Again?"
"Yes. Do you remember the girl who handed you the water bottle at the marathon finish line?"
"Ah! I remember. I felt sorry that no one thanked her. I was really grateful."
She looked like a high school girl a little younger than me.
"Can you tell my sister directly? She'll be delighted."
"I will."
I took out my smartphone from my pocket and asked for her phone number.
"Her name is Park Han-hee. She's been preparing to be a track and field athlete since she was young because she loves running. She also likes marathons, but she couldn't participate because her health wasn't good."
"......"
"Kang Moon-soo?"
"...Ah! Yes. Park Han-hee, right? Park Han-hee. I've entered it."
Park Han-hee.
As soon as I heard that name, I felt like I'd been hit hard on the head with a blunt weapon.
'It's Nam Hae-soo's wife's name!'
It could be just the same name, but I dismissed that possibility.
Why?
Because I know the story of Nam Hae-soo's marriage.
He married after courting the younger sister of a colleague from the same sports university for seven years...
National representative Park Han-hee.
The fact that she was younger than her husband, Nam Hae-soo, was also the same.
'There's no doubt.'
Even considering only the similarities, it couldn't be someone else with the same name.
Tap tap.
Having organized my thoughts, I immediately sent a text message to 'Nam Hae-soo's wife' from my smartphone.
「Kang Moon-soo: Hello. This is Kang Moon-soo. I got your contact from your sister and am leaving this message.」
「Kang Moon-soo: Please feel free to contact me when you have time.」
Just because Nam Hae-soo put on a different human disguise doesn't mean his heart isn't Nam Hae-soo.
'If he's a man too...'
There's no way he would allow his beloved wife to be embraced by another man. Not to mention getting married.
"I look forward to working with you."
"Oh my! Are you really thinking of learning from me?"
"Yes, I was moved by Park Han-hee's actions."
I'm guaranteed an Olympic gold medal regardless of who the coach is.
So, for her, who has no coaching experience or achievements, I'm like a savior.
As evidence, her expression brightened noticeably as soon as she heard my acceptance.
"I never thought I'd be grateful to my sister!"
"I look forward to working with you- Hm?"
Woo-woong!
At that moment, my smartphone vibrated in my pocket.
'So soon?'
It was a reply.
「Park Han-hee: Mr. Kang Moon-soo, are you available tomorrow?」
「Park Han-hee: I'm available any time after 3 pm when my class ends.」
「Kang Moon-soo: How about meeting at the Athletes' Village Square at 5 pm?」
Athletes' Village Square.
A meeting place that didn't consider the other person at all.
If it's just simple curiosity, they would either refuse or want to change the location.
「Park Han-hee: Okay. I'll see you at the square tomorrow at 5 pm.」
"...She really seems to be happy."
I don't know why.
Park Han-hee's sister looked as if she was struggling with a slightly troubled face,
"Actually..."
"Yes."
She hesitated and hesitated to finish her sentence.
"Please keep what I told you a secret from my sister."
"Yes, I'll keep it a secret."
"My sister has a senior from the track and field team who started dating her forcibly as soon as she entered college."
"Forced? Why..."
"She's been very popular with guys since she was young. To the point of being annoying."
"Ah, I see."
I forgot that Nam Hae-soo, the emperor of swimming, has a wife who used to be a model.
"Actually, the senior also forced her to prepare that water bottle. He asked her to give it to him when he crossed the finish line."
"Ah! That's a bit..."
Isn't that dangerous for me?
"It's okay. He collapsed due to exhaustion during the marathon and was taken to a nearby hospital."
"......"
I feel like I've been caught up in some annoying business.
* * *
My goal is to find and persuade Nam Hae-soo, who is captivated by the dream.
His wife, Park Han-hee?
I only know her name, age, job, and face. This includes the children they had after getting married.
I decided that any more information was unnecessary.
'I got tricked!'
I thoroughly investigated the character Nam Hae-soo, but he's not in the dream world! It's a ridiculous situation!
Even the knowledge of martial arts novels that he enjoyed reading was completely useless.
"Hello!"
The girl sitting on a bench in the Athletes' Village Square greeted me cheerfully as soon as she saw me.
Contrary to her youthful appearance, she is a freshman in college.
We are the same age.
"Oh! I made you wait."
"No, the weather was so nice that I came out early. It's not even 5 pm, our appointed time yet."
Her face was barely visible due to the deep hat and mask, only her eyes and eyebrows were visible, but the femininity in every little gesture?
Her shy voice put the finishing touch to it.
"I was really grateful for the water bottle. I was so thirsty."
That's a lie. I wasn't thirsty because I didn't even sweat a drop.
But Park Han-hee went along with it without any doubt.
"I should be thanking you. I was surprised back then, too. There was no one to congratulate you even though you set a new marathon world record."
"Everyone must have been taken aback by the unexpected result."
Since being rejected by Song Seon-young, girls my age have been a difficult species for me, but I had no choice but to face them.
Valentine?
Since she was a knight who escorted me, she adjusted everything from one to ten for me, so she should be excluded.
"Molang, molang~"
"......"
Be quiet.
"I've been curious since earlier, what is that on your head?"
"This is... a hat that prevents hair loss. The soft touch of Molang makes the scalp and pores comfortable."
"Molang~"
It doesn't matter if you don't believe me. Even I think it's not very persuasive-
"Do you... have hair loss?"
You believed it?!
"No! I don't! I just wear it on my head because it feels good. If you don't believe me, would you like to try it?"
"Oh my! Can I?"
"Yes."
"Molang."
Park Han-hee took off the tightly worn hat and put the slime on her head.
'She's beautiful.'
I can't be sure until she takes off her mask, but there's no doubt that Nam Hae-soo saved the country in his previous life.
"Wow! It's really soft~!"
"Molang~!"
Thanks to the slime that moved on so simply and amazingly, the awkward atmosphere between us disappeared in an instant.
But was it because I heard the story from her sister first?
All of Park Han-hee's words and actions felt pretentious.
'Still, there's no other way.'
In order to lure Nam Hae-soo, who is wearing another human's disguise, I need to get close to his wife.
The angry husband is coming... Huh?
I belatedly realized that I didn't need to volunteer for that villainous role.
"Park Han-hee, can I ask you just one question?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
"...Yes, I do. Why?"
Surprisingly, she admitted to having a boyfriend without hesitation.
'Is it her sister's misunderstanding?'
There's no law that says siblings must share all aspects of their private lives. The sister's claim that her younger sister was forced to date a senior from the track and field team could be a wrong prejudice.
As evidence,
"I recently broke up with my girlfriend twice in a row."
"Oh my! How did that happen?"
"The first girlfriend broke up with me because I said a lot of things she didn't like, and the second one was a coworker... We broke up when I quit the company."
I became depressed again.
"It seems like you're not much older than me, Mr. Kang Moon-soo. Have you already been employed at a company? What company?"
"I can't tell you the details due to security reasons, but I worked as an advisory board member for an investment company."
I was an adviser to a noble family that swallowed a huge empire.
"Wow! So you're good at both office work and sports?"
"I wanted to be a swimmer, but they didn't accept me, so I had no choice but to join an investment company."
"I see~"
"Molang~"
Park Han-hee's current boyfriend is not Nam Hae-soo.
Since the emperor of swimming, Nam Hae-soo, was meant to be a track and field athlete. If he wanted to be a track and field athlete in the dream world, there's no reason to abandon 'Nam Hae-soo's' body.
'It's strange.'
Does it mean that he doesn't care if his future wife dates and marries another man?
When I thought about it, it felt like I was back to square one.
"Um... Mr. Kang Moon-soo."
"I also enjoyed meeting you, Park Han-hee. Be careful on your way home-"
"Oh, no! That's not what I meant...!"
"......"
We walked along the trail in the Athletes' Village together and had a cup of coffee at a cafe. A considerable amount of time has passed, and the sunset is visible...
Is there anything more to say?
If we were a couple, we might continue from here, but I didn't feel like it at all.
"Mr. Kang Moon-soo, do you like running?"
"I'm good at running, but I don't like running without a purpose."
"I see..."
Park Han-hee, whose shoulders drooped with disappointment.
I should lie and say I like running to score points with her, but I honestly answered because I didn't want to be involved any further.
There's no need to get close!
If Nam Hae-soo, who started a new life as another person, doesn't obsess over his 'ex-wife,' then I don't need to worry about her either.
"It's getting chilly."
So, why don't you go home now?
She quickly brought up her purpose as if she had noticed my intentions.
"I know this is a strange question, but have you ever thought about becoming a track and field athlete?"
"I have."
"I know it's exhausting just from swimming training, but... huh?"
Park Han-hee was taken aback, thinking I would obviously refuse.
"I've already applied. I'm very ambitious about Olympic medals. Track and field, fencing, swimming, cycling, canoeing, taekwondo, wrestling, judo, boxing..."
"W-wait a minute! Are you joking? You're doing all those events?!"
"Yes. As long as my records are good, there's no reason I can't."
I have no choice but to catch up with Nam Hae-soo's medal count in a short period of time.
"Oh my goodness..."
"I hope Park Han-hee also competes in the Olympics."
"......"
"See you then."
I left an insincere compliment and turned away.
"Where are you going?"
"To the track and field stadium. I'm going to do something cruel."
Just like the emperor of swimming did.
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