Chapter 32 Ren Xiyao sharpened the ice blade…
Ren Xiyao sharpened her skates and glanced at the TV in her dorm room. The Shanghai leg of the competition started next week, and after the two American legs, 2014 would be drawing to a close. The two Asian legs were also about to begin, this year in Shanghai and South Korea. Training volume was usually a little less during the season, focusing mainly on relays and adjustments. At this moment, she was idly flipping through the remote control when it suddenly stopped on a music awards ceremony being broadcast live.
"2014 MAMA Asian Music Awards..." she read the subtitles at the bottom of the screen. She remembered that Kwon Ji-yong had told her about the various award ceremonies they would be attending at the end of the year. This was one of them. Just then, a familiar figure appeared on the stage.
Kwon Ji-ryong.
He was dressed in a fur coat, wearing a black baseball cap and sunglasses, and holding a gold microphone. The moment he stepped onto the stage, the screams from the entire audience almost lifted the roof off. Ren Xiyao unconsciously sat up straight and turned the volume up a bit.
The moment the music started and Kwon Ji-yong's voice rang out, Ren Xiyao, despite struggling to understand the rap due to her limited Korean vocabulary, was overwhelmed by its sheer power. Every movement he made was precise, like a blade; even with sunglasses on, his gaze was so sharp it seemed to pierce through the lens. Especially at the end, when he raised his hand, followed by backup dancers showering the audience with banknotes, the entire venue erupted in cheers.
"Wow... wow!" Ren Xiyao exclaimed unconsciously. Kwon Ji-yong had such a bad boy charm. She wasn't unfamiliar with Kwon Ji-yong on stage, but she was still amazed. This man's ability to become a top star on his own, his stage presence, his aura—it was truly incredible. His sharp eyes, standing on stage, were like a drawn steel blade. That rebellious spirit overwhelmed everyone watching.
On stage, Kwon Ji-yong commanded the entire audience with ease, every movement precise as if rehearsed a thousand times, yet brimming with improvisational exuberance. When the intro to "Good Boy" began, their perfectly synchronized dance moves captivated Ren Xiyao. The perfectly timed shout-out further amplified the overall energy of the performance.
The ten-minute performance ended, and Ren Xiyao found her palms were sweaty. She mechanically turned off the TV, her heart still pounding. She sat there on the bed, stunned. The shock hadn't subsided. She didn't know how to describe the feeling. Suddenly, she felt like laughing. She thought many people would fall in love with him tonight, and being his fan should be quite something. But she also felt a secret joy. The sudden ringing of her phone pulled her back to reality. She quickly checked her phone; the screen displayed…
Kwon Ji-yong
She tried to calm her racing heart. But her hands still trembled slightly when she answered the phone.
"Are you done with training?" His voice came through the phone, slightly hoarse from the performance.
"Um," Ren Xiyao tried to make her voice sound normal, "You...have a performance today?"
A low chuckle came from the other end of the phone: "You saw it?"
"I just... happened to see it when I was changing channels." She clutched the bed sheet, reluctant to admit that she had been staring at the screen for a full ten minutes.
"Just right?" Kwon Ji-yong drawled, "Have you finished watching it?"
"I didn't finish reading it, I only glanced at it." Ren Xiyao felt her cheeks burning and quickly changed the subject: "Your voice is a little hoarse, drink more water."
“Ren Xiyao,” he suddenly called her by her full name, his voice tinged with amusement, “Has anyone ever told you that when you’re embarrassed, it’s very obvious that you try to change the subject?”
"I don't!"
"Furthermore," Kwon Ji-yong continued, completely ignoring her protest, "during my performance, the director cut to the audience, and there was a girl in the Chinese team uniform who looked very familiar..."
Ren Xiyao almost threw her phone away: "What nonsense are you talking about! I'm in Beijing!"
A burst of laughter came from the other end of the phone. Kwon Ji-yong seemed to enjoy teasing her: "Just kidding, the director doesn't have that kind of eye." He paused, his voice suddenly softening: "You really watched it? What did you think?"
Ren Xiyao bit her lip, the image of him commanding the entire stage flashing before her eyes again: "It's... alright."
"Just okay?" Kwon Ji-yong sighed dramatically, "I practiced the dance steps for more than two months, and my voice is hoarse from singing, and all I get in return is 'just okay'?"
"You're great, you're handsome, okay?" Ren Xiyao buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled. "Especially handsome, are you satisfied now?" She didn't understand why she was so nervous. They had already kissed in Canada, so why was she embarrassed to just say "you're handsome"?
Kwon Ji-yong deliberately pushed his luck: "What? The stage sound effects were too loud just now. I didn't hear clearly."
Ren Xiyao couldn't help but laugh: "Stop it. Um... what was that song about? It was too fast, I didn't understand some of it."
Kwon Ji-yong raised an eyebrow: "Want to know?"
"Just asking." She tried to act nonchalant.
Kwon Ji-yong said thoughtfully, "That's not right. I remember there being translations on Chinese TV. Didn't you watch it?"
Ren Xiyao opened her mouth, too embarrassed to admit it. She had been so focused on him on stage that she hadn't spared a single glance at the subtitles. So when Kwon Ji-yong called her out, she was somewhat annoyed and embarrassed: "Fine, don't tell me then!"
“I’m saying,” Kwon Ji-yong suddenly became serious and repeated in English, “'A year has passed, MAMA. A grand banquet has been prepared, and to prevent the children from fighting, I personally distributed the food to them.' Do you understand?”
Ren Xiyao narrowed her eyes: "Are you the organizer of the Yin-Yang event at the awards ceremony?"
Kwon Ji-yong clicked his tongue: "It's not being sarcastic, it's a direct diss. It's their doing that's funny."
Ren Xiyao raised an eyebrow: "Aren't you afraid of offending people?"
Kwon Ji-yong shrugged: "I'm more afraid of making boring music than offending people. Some awards are rightfully given to certain people. Winning more is a result of their good music, their achievements, and their hard work. Now it's really like they're being exploited." He paused, then suddenly asked: "You really think it's cool?"
Ren Xiyao didn't expect the topic to circle back to itself. The heat that had just subsided returned to her cheeks. She took a deep breath and, in a fit of self-pity, exclaimed, "Handsome, handsome, handsome! You're so handsome! If you went over tonight, even more people would fall in love with you! No wonder you're a top star! You're so charming!"
Kwon Ji-yong was laughing unrestrainedly on the phone. Ren Xiyao covered her face as she listened to the laughter. It didn't stop for a while, until she finally couldn't help but say, "That's enough! Aren't you going back to the scene? Hurry up and go back. Bye!"
"No, no, I won't laugh anymore." Kwon Ji-yong finally managed to control himself and said, "Wait a bit, I'll call you back when I get back to the hotel. Soon!"
"Alright, you should go back now!"
Ren Xiyao hung up the phone, grabbed her earphones, and rushed out of the dormitory, only to bump into Lin Shan, who was walking back towards her: "Where are you going so late?"
"I'm going downstairs for a couple of laps. To clear my head!" He dashed off like the wind, ignoring Lin Shan's bewildered expression behind him.
The December wind in Beijing stung her face. Ren Xiyao ran ten laps around the dormitory area, finally managing to suppress the fluttering in her heart. Her phone rang. The ringtone sounded just like her heartbeat, faster and faster.
At 10 p.m., Kwon Ji-yong's phone rang precisely on time. She was tempted to hang up, but couldn't bear to. After hesitating for a while, she finally answered: "Just finished, finally back. Where are you?"
She found a bench downstairs in the dormitory and sat down: "Downstairs, I came out...I came out to buy something. Shouldn't you be resting earlier?"
"Let's take a look at the new song." The sound of pages turning came from the other end of the line: "The group is making a comeback next year. They're preparing a new album and would like to hear the opinions of professional athletes."
Then an audio clip played. Ren Xiyao listened, and G-Dragon's voice came through her earphones. She didn't understand the lyrics very well, especially the rap parts. But the strong rhythm made her unconsciously nod along.
"How is it?" Kwon Ji-yong asked expectantly.
Ren Xiyao honestly replied, "I don't understand it, but the rhythm is really catchy."
“Then I’ll teach you,” Kwon Ji-yong said enthusiastically, “Sing along with me:”
Ren Xiyao hesitated for a moment, then softly sang along: "."
Kwon Ji-yong couldn't help but laugh before he even finished listening: "So cute! The way you rap!"
“Stop laughing,” Ren Xiyao said, feeling both amused and exasperated by his laughter. “I don’t understand rap at all.”
"Okay, okay, I won't laugh," Kwon Ji-yong said, but his voice still held amusement. "But seriously, your sense of rhythm is excellent. I remember you mentioned before that you studied music."
Ren Xiyao hummed in agreement: "I'm embarrassed to tell others that I've studied music. I just know a little bit."
"Why?" Kwon Ji-yong suddenly became serious: "Because someone said your musical taste is terrible."
Ren Xiyao paused for a moment before saying, "No. It's just that I really don't have any talent in this area."
Kwon Ji-yong said, "I think your rhythm is great. No wonder you're a top athlete."
"I skate short track, not figure skating. If I were figure skating, I might believe your praise."
"Short track is the same, of course, because you have a very good grasp of the rhythm of the race, and the rhythm of the music is also connected to all your rhythms..."
Ren Xiyao listened quietly to him. Whether what he said made sense or had any basis was unimportant; she simply listened and felt his presence. Something inside her was touched and filled. She remembered the stage she had seen, where Kwon Ji-yong's every movement was unbelievably perfect, like the perfect arc she had been pursuing on the ice.
“So,” Kwon Ji-yong concluded, “we are actually the same.”
Ren Xiyao couldn't help but laugh: "The same?"
"Isn't it the same?" Kwon Ji-yong retorted, "My music might require revising a single chord more than ten times, while in your training, you might practice a single exertion of force many times. Isn't that the same?"
Ren Xiyao thought for a moment and had to admit that she was convinced by him: "...I guess you're one of them, right?"
"Just 'barely'?" Kwon Ji-yong pretended to be angry: "Ren Xiyao, you're too strict."
They chatted until late, from music to training, from the stage to the competition. Ren Xiyao found herself becoming more and more comfortable talking to Kwon Ji-yong so naturally, as if it were breathing.
"It's time to sleep," she said, glancing at the time; it was almost 11:30.
Kwon Ji-yong remained silent for a long while, then spoke again in a much lower voice: "I want to see you."
Ren Xiyao's heart skipped a beat: "We'll meet soon." Soon indeed. After the Shanghai competition, she would go to South Korea. She said this to comfort Kwon Ji-yong, and also to reassure herself.
"Go for it," Kwon Ji-yong's voice was incredibly gentle, "My champion."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Sorry everyone [clasped hands][clasped hands][clasped hands] I don't know if it was an operational error or a system bug. I had planned to post the draft tomorrow, but I hadn't finished revising it, and it was posted directly. It'll be tomorrow morning, so I'm so sorry everyone. [clasped hands][clasped hands][clasped hands]
Thank you everyone, enjoy reading! [heart emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
