Rugerfield’s critique, conducted with elegance and grace.
“That’s the perfect description.”
He never raised his voice or lost his manners. He was respectful to all the students’ drafts and always started by finding something to praise.
“Of course, it did help that all of Pete’s top students were enrolled, so the overall level was high.”
Most impressive was how he could look at a draft and immediately offer advice suited to the student’s level.
Even Jessie, who had been quietly listening, was amazed.
“The Rugerfield you see in the media seems a bit aloof and picky, but he’s not like that in person?”
“Not at all. His goal isn’t to rank students but to genuinely nurture future talents.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. No wonder Suji unnie was bad-mouthing you so much.”
Hyunsoo asked back with a baffled expression.
“I don’t even know who she is?”
“Well, Suji unnie’s never seen you either. Just think that every student at Pete hates you, except for the twenty in that class. Actually, even those twenty might not like you very much.”
“…Well, probably.”
Even though he didn’t take anyone’s spot, many would have doubted his qualifications.
“Still, after the first class ended, I got some contact info. They said they wanted to work on assignments together?”
Jessie scoffed.
“And nothing happened in New York? A non-art major student attended a class and got recognized by Pete’s elite students? No, got a collaboration proposal from Ralph Rugerfield?!”
She shivered with betrayal.
“Isn’t this enough suspense? What made Mr. Rugerfield so taken with you? Was your design that amazing?”
“It turned out better than I expected.”
Rugerfield was quite pleased after seeing his mother’s design.
Having also started designing later in life, he empathized and rooted for her, though he knew he shouldn’t play favorites. Finally, he received Hyunsoo’s design.
…
The smile that never left his face disappeared. For a long time, with a very serious expression, he stared at Hyunsoo’s draft.
For a whole 5 minutes, he didn’t move or say a word.
The atmosphere was heavy as the students held their breath and watched.
“I was worried if there was a problem. Did he not like it?”
“Wow, you really know how to keep people on edge. So, what happened?”
“So… should I tell you?”
“…Do you want to die?”
Jessie waved her small fist.
‘Should I really tell her exactly what he said?’
Feeling a bit embarrassed to say it himself, but Jessie’s threatening eyes left him no choice.
-Before leaving Coco, I desperately wanted to redesign the 1954 line once. It’s such an iconic model and my first success, so I’ve been holding onto it. But as I’ve aged, my mind has stiffened and I couldn’t think of any solutions.
-But the answer was right here. Not just for the 1954 handbag, but the direction Coco should take is encapsulated in this single draft. It’s astonishing, remarkable, and thank you.
Jessie’s face was filled with shock.
“Gosh, I got goosebumps. Even hearing it second-hand from you gives me chills. Has any designer ever received such high praise from Ralph Rugerfield? How did you feel?”
“Of course, it was an honor. He just appreciated a project I completed without much thought.”
“Oh, so you didn’t put in much effort but got good results? Sure, sure.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Anyway. So, he proposed a collaboration? Isn’t that an incredible opportunity? With Coco, the 1954 line, and Ralph Rugerfield’s name. A new star in the design world is born…”
“That’s why I should decline even more. While learning design is fun, such an honor should go to someone who will continue to pursue it professionally.”
“…”
Jessie admired Hyunsoo’s humility.
“Still, wouldn’t it be a good experience for you, whatever you do in the future? It could be great exposure in the media and beneficial in many ways.”
“Not really. Right now, I just want to focus on a normal student life. There’s so much I want to learn, and I still don’t know what I like the most. What I’m best at.”
Jessie suddenly became serious and spoke earnestly.
“You know, sometimes you’re incredibly annoying?”
“…”
“No, actually, you’re mostly annoying but occasionally cool.”
‘There’s no need to mention that Rugerfield decided to buy my design, right? Even if my name appears, it’ll just be in the Thanks to section.’
He briefly pondered before starting to pack his things.
“I have to go now. It’s time for the basketball tryouts.”
“I’m going too.”
“…? You’re trying out for the basketball team too?”
“No. Everyone goes to watch the basketball team tryouts. Even if the league record is poor, the star coach raises expectations. Almost hundreds of people will come.”
“…”
Suddenly, Hyunsoo didn’t feel like going anymore.
In the basketball team’s coach office.
“Alright, gather around.”
Alonzo Russell, the head coach and main coach, was preparing for the basketball team tryouts with the assistant coaches.
“As you all know, please review the list again. These are the students to watch closely during the tryouts.”
The hefty defensive coach spoke with a disapproving face.
“Wow, 100 students? That’s a lot. Isn’t this too much effort just for tryouts?”
All the coaches knew that tryouts were more of a show.
Potential recruits who could immediately contribute to the team were already approached and recruited during middle school.
In contrast, the tryouts, open to anyone, were just a tool to secure the budget from the board.
“Coach O’Connor, why bring up matters already decided?”
“We can’t skip the tryouts, but does every coach and player need to be involved? The beginning of the semester is crucial for establishing routines with the starters… Bringing players here seems like a waste of time.”
Coach Russell took a deep breath to control his anger.
‘I can’t just fire him.’
He was always like this.
Coach O’Connor was a holdover from the previous head coach and maintained his position through close relationships with senior players and the board.
He wasn’t like this initially, but after last year’s disappointing performance despite high expectations in Russell’s first year, he started challenging him at every turn.
Constantly undermining the head coach’s authority, he aimed for the next head coach position.
“I don’t understand how sticking to the purpose of the tryouts is a waste of time. High school students grow rapidly; someone lacking last year might bloom this year.”
“Yes, sure. But testing 100 students? Just basic drills will take half a day. When do we play practice games and conduct evaluations? What’s this?”
Coach O’Connor burst into laughter upon seeing the list.
“An Asian student? Is this to prove racial equality in today’s world? Haha, fine, but they’ve got three stars? A must-pick…”
Some coaches seemed to recognize the student.
“Hyun Lee. I know him. He was on a special physical management program last year. Like most Asian international students, he was out of shape and had poor athletic skills.”
“Oh? Did you see the M-Tube video last week? He was playing circles around Lloyd. I’m personally looking forward to it.”
“M-Tube videos can make anyone look like Michael Jordan or Shaquille O’Neal with editing.”
Coach O’Connor, listening to the others, rechecked the profile just in case.
‘Tall for an Asian, but well below the average high school basketball player. Other metrics are below expectations.’
No middle school basketball experience and not even elementary school league experience, which anyone could join.
“What’s this? Are you testing us? Filter out those who only look at profiles. Smart brains save the body from hard work, right?”
“No. I believe this student can be a starter with a little coaching. Other promising students are marked with stars.”
Coach Russell’s firm response made Coach O’Connor’s eyes gleam.
“Oh. With the head coach’s judgment, there’s no doubt. I’m highly anticipating this tryout.”
“…”
An embarrassingly quick change of stance. From then on, Coach O’Connor actively participated in the meeting without any further complaints.
‘What a simple-minded person. Tsk.’
Coach Russell found him distasteful but didn’t pay much attention.
Whatever O’Connor planned, it would become irrelevant over time.
‘This season will be truly different.’
With determination, he ended the meeting.
Hyunsoo arrived at the basketball court in light workout clothes.
‘There are really a lot of people.’
Jessie had hinted, but it wasn’t just hundreds.
At least a thousand students filled the seats.
Strangely, it felt like most of them were looking at him.
‘Is it just my imagination?’
-Hyun’s here! Over there!
-Wow, amazing. They say he’s really good at basketball? Isn’t he the first Asian player at our school?
-There might have been some on the bench, but never a starter. Actually, if he’s that good, he could be a starter right away. Our school’s point guard has always been weak.
-Who is he that everyone likes him so much? Is he a freshman? Did he play basketball in middle school?
-You missed it. He played some intense gambling basketball… Check it out on M-Tube later. Hyun’s the real deal.
-Um, I think it’s just hype. Gambling basketball is lightweight. Basketball among players is entirely different… A starter is too much, he’ll just train for now.
With his greatly improved hearing, Hyunsoo was quite surprised by the students’ reactions.
Despite many participants in the tryouts, most attention was on him.
“Hey, nephew!”
“…”
Angela was even there with a large camera, filming from the closest courtside seat.
“Please get 3 million views this time!”
‘She’s so consistent.’
She kept blowing kisses from afar, which Hyunsoo ignored and warmed up lightly.
“Alright, gather around.”
The coaches started organizing as it was time.
About 100 students participated in the tryouts.
After checking the names, the coaches divided them into 10 groups.
Hyunsoo was in the last group, J.
“First, there will be a basic fitness test, then participation in the regular team practice, and finally, a practice game. All aspects, including attitude, will be scored, so do your best.”
“Yes!”
Before starting the tryouts, the coaches led some stretching to prevent injuries.
“One, two, three, four!”
Hyunsoo followed along, watching others.
‘Let’s keep it moderate. My goal is to make the team, not to become a starter. Not that I have the skills for that anyway.’
He knew he was already halfway into the team thanks to his agreement with Director Rockwell.
But he wanted to earn his spot on his own to avoid any talk.
‘But I shouldn’t overdo it.’
While he found basketball fun and wanted to play more, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to commit to regular league games.
Given this mindset, it was better to yield to other players who had dedicated their lives to basketball.
‘Luckily, I’m in the last group.’
Hyunsoo decided to gauge the level of the earlier groups and aim for just above the cutoff.
…But not everything went according to his plan.
Given the large number of participants, the coaches adopted a faster way to filter them out.
‘They’re testing the limits of human endurance.’
Just watching the earlier groups was exhausting.
“First, 50 burpees!”
Infamously known as a brutal exercise, burpees involve doing a push-up followed by a jump with hands raised. Repeating this 50 times is tough even for athletes.
“Next, 30 suicides!”
Immediately following, they had to do suicides.
Suicides involve sprinting to the court’s end and back, repeated 30 times. After burpees, this relentless cardio made many students vomit.
“Finally, 10 sets of 3-point shots, free throws, and layups. That’s the end of the basic fitness test.”
-Crazy. How can anyone do that? Watching it makes me tired.
-Wow, this year’s tryouts are different. Can we expect more this season?
15% of students dropped out during burpees, 35% during suicides. The rest who maintained stable shooting forms were few.
“Am I dead, Hyunsoo?”
Charles, who had played in the same team before, lay on the floor panting.
“Um, you’re not dead yet. But you might die of embarrassment when Angela uploads the high-definition video on M-Tube later.”
“What?!”
Charles hastily turned around.
“Last group, J, come forward.”
Just as Hyunsoo’s turn came, Charles, aware of the camera, put on a cheesy movie-like expression and gave a thumbs-up.
“Good luck. Come back alive.”
“No, seeing you makes me think dying out there might be better.”
“…”
Hyunsoo chuckled and headed to his spot.
“50 burpees, go!”
And so, the J group’s test began.
Ten students started the burpees enthusiastically.
Hyunsoo began at a moderate pace.
Not too fast, not too slow. At this rate, he thought he could complete it without much trouble, but…
He hadn’t considered one aspect of the exercise.
‘This is too fun.’
Imagine giving a paralyzed patient for 30 years a perfect, vigorous body.
The adrenaline rush from intense exercise!
Once in an environment where he could use his body vigorously, the excitement made him lose control.
“Huh?”
Just like Hyunsoo right now.
What’s with him?
