Knowing Brother-Chapter 24

I packed two bags of today's medication deep inside my bag. By the way, what does it mean by “brace yourself”? Are we going to ride some amusement park attraction?

The filming team picked me up near the subway station, and I was able to comfortably make my way to Jamsil. Once on the van, Choi Seolwoo greeted the PD.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Choi Seolwoo."

"This is the first proper greeting! I’m looking forward to working with you. These are the writer and assistant PD who will be helping you during the five episodes."

Originally, one PD was in charge of both planning and filming, but this time, two short-term staff members were added to the set. The three of them asked questions in a way that made the atmosphere inside the car light and friendly, making sure not to make Seolwoo uncomfortable.

The staff members excitedly held their smartphones up, their faces full of excitement.

"Seolwoo, have you seen this? It’s so provocative!"

"Yeah, I thought ‘Really?’ when I «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» saw it."

[00 Sports News]

Saudi Track Champion, Asian Record Holder 000 000,

At the last Asian Games, narrowly losing by 0.2 seconds to Won Daeyoung, winning a silver medal.

On SNS, the gold medalist, Won Daeyoung, is publicly targeted.

"I’ll restore my honor before the Olympics."

"We’ll meet at the next evaluation event, the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships."

“Damn.”

Is this some kind of attention-seeking behavior? Why does he have to make a public declaration like that in such a boastful manner?

After reading the news, I also looked up his SNS account. It bothered me that he chose to provoke in English rather than Arabic, and on top of that, Won Daeyoung went a step further.

In a short video, Won Daeyoung replied as follows:

"I’m excited. I can’t wait to see him delete that post out of embarrassment."

The crowd cheered on as the two males engaged in a battle of egos, fighting for the top spot.

To maintain contracts with advertising agencies and sponsors, performance in competitions before the Olympics was crucial. Whether Daeyoung could maintain his records after returning from rehab was also a key factor.

Seolwoo replayed the 8-second short of Daeyoung again. He watched it a few more times while the staff chatted with the PD. Daeyoung’s confident smirk as he looked at the camera while mocking his rival... His overwhelming presence made Seolwoo feel heated, even though Daeyoung wasn’t physically there.

“Seolwoo! This is the preliminary questionnaire we talked about!”

“Ah, okay.”

Seolwoo quickly hid his surprise. The staff handed him a flat A4 sheet, explaining that the same questionnaire had been given to Daeyoung, albeit with some questions changed.

Seolwoo pondered deeply as he wrote the answers. Once he completed the responses and handed them back, the PD, who was holding the steering wheel, spoke up politely.

"Uh... This is something I’ve also discussed with Daeyoung. We were thinking it might be a good idea to talk about the bullying incident from high school around episode 3 or 4. It’s a well-known fact, but ignoring it might feel awkward."

"......."

"If you’re okay with it, I think it would be fine to briefly touch on it with you too... I’ve already gotten permission from Daeyoung, but he said if you’re uncomfortable, we don’t have to."

"...So, Daeyoung... Daeyoung-hyung is okay with it?"

"He said it was fine. You can talk about what you know. If it makes you uncomfortable, we can skip it!"

Once Seolwoo realized that discussing it might help Daeyoung, his hesitation disappeared. He responded without delay.

"Yeah, it’s fine. I’ve seen everything that happened, so I can talk about it."

"Got it. I’ll make sure to incorporate that. How do you feel about the questionnaire?"

The PD casually asked the staff members. The two staff members were now bursting out laughing loudly.

Q1. What is Won Daeyoung to me?

A. My greatest rival in life.

Q2. A Saudi athlete recently made a public challenge. As his close friend, what would you say to him?

A. Damn it (please tone it down).

Q3. When your ex appeared nearly naked on the cover of a men’s fashion magazine, what did you think?

A. Who would buy this?

Q4. Secrets of Won Daeyoung that others don’t know.

A. He’s surprisingly careful with his lower body and doesn’t watch where he’s going, so he bumps his head a lot.

A. He’s definitely not a prince.

A. He lied a lot when he was younger and constantly played pranks.

A. Constantly makes sexual jokes (deleted).

Q5. Our common traits.

A. Non-smokers.

A. Morning people.

A. We’re both idiots (deleted).

Q6. Our ideal types. Do they overlap?

A. Not even if I die, come back to life, or change bodies. No overlap.

Q7. I’ve fallen for someone. Friendship vs Love?

A. First of all, not Daeyoung.

Q8. If Daeyoung and his wife fell into the water, who would you save first?

A. I’m not playing this meaningless balancing game... I’d tell Daeyoung to climb over his wife since he seems like he could swim all the way to the afterlife with his physical strength.

Q9. Favorite race?

2012, 00 month, 00 day

2016, 00 month, 00 day

2022, 00 month, 00 day

Q10. Most memorable school days episode?

Q11. What was the most grateful moment?

Q12. What would you say to your friend?

As the questions got more difficult, Seolwoo answered them all, feeling he’d done his part. The Jamsil Stadium track was quite crowded. Since it was the first shoot, it seemed like some officials from the federation were also present.

The autumn sunlight was more golden than the summer’s harsh rays. Daeyoung’s black hair was tinted with the golden sunlight. The national team’s four members were lined up in their national team windbreakers, performing skip-strengthening drills.

The physical education students, who were juniors to Daeyoung and Joo-bin, and the reserve players joined the training with discipline. Their eyes were sharp with envy, hoping to absorb every move of the national team.

Outside the track, Seolwoo noticed a few people he didn’t know. Some officials or acquaintances of the athletes seemed to have come to watch after hearing about the filming. They glanced curiously between Daeyoung, Joo-bin, and the camera.

"Uh... I guess we’ll have to wait until it’s over?"

The PD and staff nervously glanced at Daeyoung, who was in the middle of training. The staff, especially those meeting Daeyoung for the first time, looked somewhat tense. It seemed Daeyoung was difficult to approach.

The coach noticed the camera moving toward him and kindly blew the whistle to stop the training. Daeyoung was the first to stop running before the whistle even blew.

"XTube’s here!"

The four athletes ran across the field. Daeyoung approached Seolwoo with aggressive steps. Wiping his face with his tanned hand, he changed his expression.

His gaze locked onto Seolwoo with a sly smile. However, Seolwoo was fully prepared not to be swayed by him. Thanks to yesterday’s phone call, he decided to act decisively, avoiding any awkwardness. He’d braced himself for the warning to “brace yourself” and was thoroughly prepared.

Daeyoung greeted the PD and staff and suddenly smiled widely, showing off his dimples.

"Wow, look who it is. It’s Seolwoo."

Seolwoo knew. That was Daeyoung’s fake smile. But before he could even avoid it, Daeyoung, with a serpent-like voice, grabbed Seolwoo’s cheeks with one hand.

"Isn’t that really cute?"

"......?"

"You know, the white sable? Known for its aggressive temper, the ferret? Its eyes are half its face. Looks like that, right?"

"......?"

The teammates, who were forced to agree, couldn’t hide their sour expressions. Seolwoo tried ventriloquism with his tiny lips.

Ughh? - Are you crazy?

Uhh! - Stop it.

Ugh! - Get lost!

With his eyes wide open like a demonic doll from a horror movie, Seolwoo glared at Daeyoung. The camera had been running since earlier, and the staff’s faces were full of amusement.

"Is he a person or an animal?"

"Yeah, a pet."

"Ooh, a pet guy! Keyring guy!"

"Ah, right. That’s it."

Their act of pretending to be friendly was a bit much. This wasn’t pretending to be close; wasn’t this just acting crazy?

After Seolwoo’s cheeks were squeezed and shaken by Daeyoung, Daeyoung sat in the back and suddenly gave him a back hug.

"See? I’m the only one who’s happy. It’s a one-way street. He always chases me, but ignores my texts."

"I said I wouldn’t...!"

"You don’t know how much I begged for this shoot? I had to call him first and beg him to meet me. It got worse once he got a girlfriend."

"Stop... what...!"

His words were interrupted. Daeyoung, who had pulled Seolwoo into a tight hug from behind, whispered.

"If you’re going to resist, do it. The more you struggle, the more I like it. ...Oh, I’m not talking about anything perverted..."

At the end of his sentence, Daeyoung chuckled and pressed his face closer. He rubbed his cheek against Seolwoo’s while teasing him so that everyone could hear.

"Did you miss me? Do you like it better now that I’m dating someone instead of abandoning you?"

The sensation of being in a roller coaster ride after not eating all day made Seolwoo’s stomach churn.

Much more so.

Much, much more.

His back felt Daeyoung’s chest, his ears heard the low voice, and his cheek was brushed by his warm breath. The goosebumps signaled the warning. I shouldn’t like this. I can’t tremble.

In response to the crisis, a violent reaction came out. Seolwoo swung his elbow hard, pushing Daeyoung away. Daeyoung executed a roll, falling dramatically like in a Hollywood action scene, and only Seolwoo remained in the camera’s frame.

Thanks to that, the camera captured Seolwoo’s face, full of disgust and discomfort. The genuine aversion and discomfort were clear on his face!

Not realizing that this moment would become a meme online, Seolwoo muttered.

"Can I go home?"

[Knowing Brother - Preview]

00:00:15

<Today, Seolwoo runs away from Daeyoung once again>

"Ah, just stay away! You crazy bastard!"

<He tries to run away, but there’s no way he can escape the fastest man in Korea>

<As he gets older, the playful teasing from his best friend becomes more burdensome>

"C, I knew I shouldn’t have done it."

"Crazy. Total crazy."

<True. Friends. Recognized.>

"I’m going to cut ties with him."

"Ah, don’t film this."

"Tch, I want to stop being friends with him now."

"You have to know his true side."

"He cheated me in rock-paper-scissors when we were in middle school to steal tteokbokki from me... gulp!"

<Curious about the school days of Asia’s Track Prince, Won Daeyoung?>

Knowing Brother EP 1. Premieres next Monday!

--- Part 1 ends ---