章 39: Preparing for the Match (2)
A week passed quickly. The recent controversy surrounding the runaway family incident showed no signs of abating. Yu Jung-ak's name was frequently mentioned online, but he didn't pay much attention to it as he went about his business.
Yu Jung-ak was primarily practicing mitt work with Rumsak Noi. As time passed, the movements Rumsak Noi demanded became more diverse. Above all, whenever there was a large movement or a mistake, Rumsak Noi immediately pointed out the balance issues, ensuring that Yu Jung-ak's movements remained precise.
Rumsak Noi was having extremely busy days lately. It was because four athletes from Team Silence were participating in one tournament. Yu Jung-ak intentionally did most of his training alone, except for mitt work.
He wanted the trainers to pay more attention to the other team members. Although Yu Jung-ak wasn't particularly generous, he felt indebted to his teammates because of the Spirit FC incident.
As Yu Jung-ak was training alone, hitting the sandbag, Cho Yong-il approached him. Cho Yong-il called Yu Jung-ak to the office.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"You'll have to train alone here anyway."
"I train with Rumsak hyung."
"Is an hour enough? Now that you're in decent condition, go to Bang's gym for striking training. I've already talked to him. He'll refine your punch skills and give you space for autonomous training."
"Do you want me to commute there every day?"
"Train there on weekdays, and train with Rumsak here on weekends. You can manage your weight on your own anyway, right?"
"I don't need to start weight control yet."
"When are you planning to start?"
"It's enough to start 4 weeks before."
Cho Yong-il chuckled at Yu Jung-ak's words. He was undoubtedly a good athlete. By "good athlete," he meant one who wasn't difficult to manage. Yu Jung-ak controlled his weight on his own and trained diligently without needing instructions from trainers.
"Anyway, I'm sorry about this time. You're the main event, but..."
"I've benefited enough before. Besides, I like learning striking from Mr. Bang. Even though I've only learned a few times, there was a clear improvement. It's good for me to go there every day and learn. I'll take this opportunity to refine my punch skills properly."
"Alright then. I've spoken properly with Mr. Bang. He'll teach you rigorously. Learn well, okay?"
"Understood. I'll learn well. But aren't you overworking Rumsak hyung?"
"I'm worried about that too. I'm thinking about hiring another trainer, but they won't be much use when there are no matches."
"Why don't you teach striking directly, uncle?"
"Kid, do you think I only manage this place? I manage three gyms. I also have to manage the center."
"You said the other places run well without much attention."
"Tch. You talk too much. And here's this." Cho Yong-il handed Yu Jung-ak a car key. He thought it was Cho Yong-il's car, but it wasn't.
"It's the center's car. You can use it for a while."
"I've never really driven properly. I've only practiced a few times with uncle's car."
"You should learn soon. The manager is going up to Seoul anyway. Go with him. If it doesn't work out, switch. He'll teach you well."
"Can I just sleep at the gym?"
"This is the center's card. Stay at any nearby hotel and charge it with this. It'll be more convenient in many ways to commute from a hotel. Bang said he'd bring you to his home, but I urgently dissuaded him. It would be uncomfortable for both of you."
"That's better for me too."
Yu Jung-ak finished only the morning training and left for Seoul before lunch started. Although Yu Jung-ak had received occasional lessons from Cho Yong-il, he was still clumsy at driving. Fortunately, he was already acquainted with Manager Kim from the center, so even though his driving was sluggish, Manager Kim responded with a kind smile saying it was okay.
Yu Jung-ak stumbled a bit at first but gradually became more proficient at driving. He wasn't exceptionally good, but he could manage to drive without problems.
"Jung-ak, you're quite meticulous, unlike your build."
"It's tough. Driving."
"You won't feel tired at all once you get used to it."
Yu Jung-ak was driving slowly and safely, which might seem tedious to others. When he arrived at Bang Yong-pal's gym, Yu Jung-ak dropped off Manager Kim and met Bang Yong-pal.
"Today, just greet and find your accommodation first. This is the key to the gym. I thought about leaving it open since there's nothing to steal, but just in case. You see that door in the morning? Just open that and come in. Don't clean. The kids here take care of everything. I'm giving you the key because you said you exercise early."
"Yes."
"And I heard you get up early for jogging."
"Yes."
"There's a park nearby. You can exercise there. But Seoul has a lot of fine dust. It might be better to come to the gym, turn on the air purifier full blast, and do jump rope."
"Yes, sir. I'll do that."
"Turn on all the air purifiers here. Seoul's air isn't good. Incheon probably isn't much better."
"That's why I wear a mask on days with high fine dust."
"That yellow dust mask? You should wear a good mask."
"I wear a good one."
"Anyway, let's do that today."
"Yes."
Yu Jung-ak received the gym key and headed out to the nearby area. He turned on his smartphone and searched for nearby hotels.
There were some places he liked, but they were too expensive. The cheaper places were more like motels than hotels, which didn't appeal to Yu Jung-ak. There were some motels that were reasonably priced and appealing, but they were too far from Bang Yong-pal's gym.
He might have to move by car, but just then, he got a message from Yeom Yun-ho. They had planned to meet for dinner to celebrate Yu Jung-ak's arrival in Seoul.
'Wait. Wasn't Yun-ho hyung's place near here?'
Yu Jung-ak decided to call Yeom Yun-ho. The duplex studio he had seen before was quite spacious, so it wouldn't be a problem to stay for a few days. The issue was Yun-ho's willingness, but he figured Yun-ho would say he could stay anytime.
As expected, Yun-ho said it was fine and he could stay as much as he wanted. When he checked the distance, it was only about 20 minutes from Bang Yong-pal's gym to Yun-ho's house. Yu Jung-ak agreed to commute to the gym from Yun-ho's place.
"Hyung, I'm not here to play."
"I know, kid. If it were any other time, I would have told you not to come. But I'm rarely at home these days. There's been some progress with what I was making, so I'm staying at the office most of the time."
"Did you rent an office?"
"It's more like a club room. But something interesting might come out."
"That solar thing?"
"It's solar lighting, but simply put, the existing ones weren't bright enough. And they didn't last long either. It was about half a day of charging for half a day of use, but this time a venture in the U.S. has developed technology that can be used for about 6 months on a single charge."
"But?"
"But, kid. But our guys developed technology to amplify the brightness. Instead, the battery drains faster. What do you think about combining that technology with the new charging technology from overseas?"
"Oh, that sounds pretty good. So you can charge it in sunlight and use it like a regular light?"
"It's not quite that bright yet, but it's usable. I think we can make it brighter. So now I'm talking via email with people overseas. We're also trying to get investment. It costs a bit to file for patents."
"Is that why you're busy? Going around to get investments?"
"Investment isn't a problem. If worst comes to worst, I can talk to my father. It might be a bit awkward, but. These days, I'm busy developing that."
"Oh, you're amazing, hyung. But does it cost a lot to patent?"
"It's quite a large sum for people in their 20s. We have to file overseas too."
"Oh, what happens if someone invests?"
"Anyone investing now is blessed. If it goes well, it could be a huge hit."
"Can't I invest?"
"You?"
Yeom Yun-ho had a blank expression at Yu Jung-ak's words.
"Do you have money? How much can you invest?"
"I can invest about 100 million won."
"100 million?"
"Yes."
Yeom Yun-ho's expression suddenly changed at the mention of 100 million won.
"Kid, don't joke around. I'm talking about this nicely, but it might not work out. If things were this easy, everyone would succeed in ventures. Right?"
"I think it'll be fine. It looks promising. And you're not trying to scam me, so what's wrong with investing a bit? If it goes well later, I benefit too, right?"
"That's true, but... 100 million isn't a small amount. I saw you getting beaten up badly last time. Is that how you earned the money?"
"Actually, I have more. I also received tournament prize money recently. But I think I should keep about half of it on hand."
Yu Jung-ak had saved a considerable amount. He had money from tournament prizes, from matches he had fought, and a significant amount from training Yoon Ji-yun.
Celebrities don't skimp on lessons. Especially singers, who invest hundreds of thousands to millions in vocal lessons per month.
Of course, the amount invested varies by individual, but it was worth it for celebrities. Even with such investments, they could earn it all back from a single event.
"Are you really okay with this? This isn't a joke. You could lose it all."
"From what I've heard, it sounds good. Using solar power for lighting is environmentally friendly and good, right?"
"That's true, but it's not as bright as the regular lights we use yet."
"You said you're developing it?"
"That's right. It's definitely brighter than existing products. But it's still not enough. We need more time."
"So what do you think? Be honest. Are you not confident?"
"Of course I'm confident."
"Then do it. Show me later too."
"Let's talk about that later. You know the password, right? Use the house like it's yours, but don't clean up. I have to go now. Anyway, think carefully about this."
"Okay."
Yeom Yun-ho seemed busy and left immediately. Yu Jung-ak roughly tidied up Yeom Yun-ho's slightly messy house and unpacked his things.
After unpacking, he looked at the clock and saw it was 3 PM. It would soon be time for dinner. Lunch was just a quick meal he had with Manager Kim on the way to Seoul.
"Come to think of it, I need to cook too."
Yu Jung-ak thought maybe he should have just gone to a hotel. But he felt more comfortable at Yeom Yun-ho's house than at a hotel. Yu Jung-ak checked the refrigerator, but there wasn't much proper food. There were a few eggs, mostly instant foods, and beer.
"But didn't we say we'd have dinner together?"
Yu Jung-ak then remembered that he had originally made dinner plans with Yeom Yun-ho. But from the looks of it, Yeom Yun-ho seemed to have completely forgotten about it. Yu Jung-ak unpacked his things, changed into casual clothes, and headed to a nearby supermarket.
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