Chapter 12. In March, the night breeze in Seoul still carried a chill...
The streetlights along the river weren't very bright, but enough to illuminate the road. The city lights in the distance were reflected on the river, shattering into a shimmering patchwork of light. Random music played in her headphones; she wasn't listening carefully, simply creating the atmosphere. She mechanically pedaled, feeling her muscles engage, controlling her breathing. The night breeze brought tranquility.
A bicycle suddenly swerved past her on the left, followed by a sudden stop. The cyclist, wearing a black baseball cap and a mask, with only his eyes showing, bends towards her.
"Hey, aren't you afraid of getting hit by the person behind you while riding like that?"
His voice was muffled by his mask, but his tone was light and slightly teasing.
Ren Xiyao paused for a second before realizing who it was. She stared at the figure in front of her for two seconds before finally confirming, "...Kwon Ji-yong?" The person in front of her, supporting himself on one foot, turned to look at her. He pulled his mask down, revealing half his face, and smiled smugly, "You recognized me?" She was speechless, "What are you dressed like? What are you doing so late at night? Do you have road rage?" He laughed, shifted his bike back a little, and rode alongside her, "Riding alone so late at night, aren't you afraid of running into bad guys?"
"The security is alright," she replied casually, then glanced at him again: "But you, aren't you a singer? Acting so arrogantly, aren't you afraid someone will recognize you?"
"That's why I wore a hat and a mask." He shrugged nonchalantly: "Besides, there aren't many people by the river at this time. If they recognize me, they'll just run away."
Ren Xiyao didn't respond, but continued pedaling. Quan Zhilong didn't try to start a conversation either, just rode alongside her, occasionally passing a few pedestrians taking a walk. The night breeze passed between them, lifting the hem of his coat.
After riding for a while, he suddenly spoke up: "Why are you suddenly in the mood for riding a bike? You finished training so early today."
"Huh?" She paused for a moment before saying, "I'm training. Cycling is part of my regular training to work my leg muscles."
Kwon Ji-yong was somewhat speechless: "I thought you were finally willing to rest early today."
"And you? Why aren't you sleeping at night? Out riding your bike?"
"I was feeling a bit down, and for some reason, I suddenly felt like going for a walk."
Kwon Ji-yong didn't elaborate, and Ren Xiyao didn't press for details.
After riding for a while, he suddenly exclaimed, "You athletes really work hard. Just watching you spin around on the ice makes me dizzy."
She chuckled: "It's alright, we all just do big spins. Would you throw up if you watched a figure skating competition?"
“That’s different,” he shook his head, saying meaningfully, “Besides, I don’t watch it.” He paused, then suddenly seemed to remember something: “I tried ice skating once and was almost scared to death.”
"You can ice skate too!" Ren Xiyao was surprised.
"I tried it once when I was a kid. I almost fell to my death. My legs were shaking when I got off. I never went again after that." He shook his head with a smile, a hint of something in his eyes, and glanced at her again: "But you ride quite steadily, athletes have such good balance."
"This has nothing to do with balance; even little kids can ride a bike."
"I'm not very good at it."
Ren Xiyao turned her head to look at him: "Weren't you riding pretty fast just now?"
“Going straight is fine, but turning makes it easy to fall.” He said seriously, “So I usually only ride in a straight line.”
Ren Xiyao was speechless: "Didn't you turn the corner just fine up ahead?"
"Isn't this just following you?" His reply was so matter-of-fact that she didn't know how to respond, so she simply ignored him and focused on the road.
Kwon Ji-yong didn't mind and continued to follow her slowly, occasionally passing her by half a car wheel, then deliberately slowing down to wait for her.
However, it wasn't entirely unfounded; she was riding the bike rather erratically, but thankfully there weren't many people on the roadside at this time. When she reached a fork in the road, Ren Xiyao slowed down and looked left and right.
Kwon Ji-yong also stopped, supporting himself on one foot: "What's wrong?"
"Is the road ahead blocked?" She squinted at the distance and pointed to a sign in front of her, which said something about the road, but she couldn't quite understand it.
"Ah, right, it says 'road repair' on it." He glanced at Ren Xiyao and teased, "Your Korean isn't very good. You can't even recognize all four characters. Let's take a detour."
"It's good enough as it is. Where do we go?" Ren Xiyao glanced at him.
“Go through that side path, and you can get back to the main road.” He pointed to a narrow path on the right: “But there are few streetlights, so it’s a bit dark.”
Ren Xiyao hesitated for a moment. She glanced at her watch; it was already quite late. Taking the long way back might mean missing her rest, but returning the way she came would take a long time by bicycle.
Kwon Ji-yong noticed her hesitation and suggested, "I know that route well."
Ren Xiyao glanced at him: "Are you sure you won't get lost?"
“I’m a local, after all.” Kwon Ji-yong nodded confidently.
"Okay, local, lead the way."
The two pushed the bike and turned onto the alley. Sure enough, the streetlights were sparse, the light was dim, and there were no pedestrians at all. They could only barely see the road by the moonlight and the faint glow of the distant city. Kwon Ji-yong rode in front, occasionally turning back to make sure she was keeping up.
Halfway through his ride, he suddenly braked. The sharp sound was particularly jarring in the otherwise quiet lane, startling Ren Xiyao so much that she almost fell. She quickly regained her balance: "What are you doing? You scared me!"
“There’s a dog.” He lowered his voice.
She looked ahead and, sure enough, there was a big yellow dog squatting by the roadside, watching them warily.
"Speed up and ride over there," she whispered.
What if it catches up with us?
"Hurry up and ride!"
"I told you my skills aren't good enough."
Ren Xiyao's expression was truly colorful upon hearing this, and she simply rode ahead herself, saying, "You follow me."
She slowly walked around the dog, which just tilted its head and looked at her without moving. Ren Xiyao then sped up and started riding.
Kwon Ji-yong followed closely behind her, muttering to himself, "It didn't bark, did it? It didn't follow, did it?"
"No, hurry up and ride." Without turning her head, she said, "You're a grown man, why are you afraid of dogs?"
“It’s not fear, it’s caution.” He corrected very seriously: “A dog bite hurts a lot. And the follow-up treatment is also a waste of time.”
She didn't bother to argue and continued riding. Kwon Ji-yong caught up with her, his tone much more relaxed: "But you're pretty brave."
“When I was a child, I would go back to the countryside. There were dogs everywhere in the village. The more afraid you were, the more they would chase you.”
"The countryside? Is your home in the countryside? It doesn't seem like it."
"My maternal grandmother's family lives in the countryside. We used to go back there for Chinese New Year."
Kwon Ji-yong smiled and said, "Your childhood was quite colorful." He paused for a moment and then asked, "And now?"
"What do you mean 'now'?" Ren Xiyao was stunned for a moment before she realized what she meant and sighed, "They're probably still angry with me."
"Why are you angry?"
"A stubborn and headstrong attitude."
"To be an athlete?"
"More or less."
"Why? Because I'm afraid you'll get hurt."
"Not entirely. By the way, how long is this road anyway? Are you sure we're on the right track?"
"Right?"
"Aren't you familiar with me?"
"..."
The two chatted casually until they finally circled back to the main road. The streetlights came back on, and Kwon Ji-yong breathed a sigh of relief: "Finally out. I always feel like I'm going to get lost on that road."
"Didn't you say you were familiar with them?"
"I often drive through the parking lot, and it's not me who drives there."
Ren Xiyao ignored him and glanced at the time: "I have to go back. I have morning training tomorrow."
Suddenly, a notification popped up on her phone. It was from Coach Kim Seon-hoon, saying that drug tests might be required in the near future. She was told to remember to report her whereabouts and not to wander off. Ren Xiyao frowned. She hadn't had any international matches last season, yet she'd already undergone four drug tests. Why so frequently?
Kwon Ji-yong looked at her furrowed brows. He narrowed his eyes, leaned closer, and looked at her phone. The silver necklace around her neck slipped off. Ren Xiyao looked up, instinctively reaching out to grab the chain. It was no longer the crystal-shaped titanium steel necklace she wore during their previous chance encounters; the pendant had been replaced by a metal plate shaped like an ice skate. "Where did this come from?"
“Custom-made.” His Adam’s apple brushed against her hand, whether intentionally or not: “Doesn’t it look like a short track speed skating blade?” Ren Xiyao’s eyes met his, where a net was spread out, almost trapping her.
When Ren Xiyao subconsciously let go, the chain bounced back against his collarbone through his clothes. Kwon Ji-yong touched the pendant and smiled, "Next time... let's ride bikes together?"
The last note of the sentence was drawn out after a long pause.
Ren Xiyao instinctively sensed danger and turned to leave. She hurriedly replied, "Whatever you say."
I heard a whistle behind me: "Shall I give you a ride?"
"No need, I know the way."
"Alright then." He didn't insist, but the smile on his lips was impossible to hide: "Be careful on the road."
Kwon Ji-yong remained where he was. When she turned around, he raised his hand and waved. His hat and mask, combined with the darkness of the night, completely concealed him. But Ren Xiyao inexplicably felt that he was smiling.
She turned her head and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips. The rate of her heartbeat was even higher than after she finished the Super 3000m, but at this moment she couldn't hear her own heartbeat. What echoed in her ears was the tremor in Kwon Ji-yong's voice as he spoke, so close to her.
For some reason, she suddenly remembered that night they first met at the bar. Hidden beneath the bright lights and revelry, everyone's faces were distorted, except for Kwon Ji-yong's earrings and necklace, made of some unknown material, which shimmered brilliantly. They completely captivated Ren Xiyao's gaze. In that chaotic revelry, Ren Xiyao remembered only Kwon Ji-yong.
A note from the author:
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