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Today will be the first time Hawks play against the Flyers, also known as the team with Jinyoung’s long lasting best friend, Im Jaebum.
To say that the few korean players with enough talent to go to NHL knew each other was not surprising, but the fact that they knew each other since they were little kids still learning how to play hockey is something, to say the least.
Differently from Jinyoung, who was born in South Korea and raised for the most part in it (until he had to leave to Canada to go after his dream) Jaebum is from a korean family of a rural city in Minnesota. Their meeting happened because every summer Jaebum’s family would go back to Korea to visit the rest of the family.
Being hockey obsessed kids, both of them couldn’t spend any time of the year without playing it at all, so their parents found them a rink to play at even during summer. And it just happened to be the same. The first time they interacted was over a faceoff, which is still something they fight about - who won it (Jinyoung says it was him and, of course, Jaebum says it was himself), that was followed by a hard check in the boards and since then, they met again uncountable times.
It was like that check in the boards was the thing missing for their paths to become intertwined, after that they met not only in Korea, but also in Canada and USA - so, of course, a special friendship was made.
And now here they were, about to play a professional hockey game against each other. From a small rink in South Korea, to high school and junior league games in Canada and USA, to a game in the NHL. Something they had dreamed about since they were little kids - sharing it as a secret in the followup dinner they would have after a game in the korean rink, Jinyoung with his anxiety over being so far way from the league and just somewhere he could play with everything he had and not worry about the parents of the other kids hating him; while for Jaebum, it was about his family’s financial conditions and his capacity being good enough to do it.
It felt like yesterday that Jaebum was the one being drafted top 5 in the league and calling Jinyoung in disbelief over what was happening, that a kid like him was enough and that he was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers, can you believe it, Jinyoungie? While Jinyoung was in his room in South Korea for the summer, still waiting for the following year when it would be his time (and for him to be drafted as 3rd overall).
The media, of course, was going crazy about it - the long best friends, Jinyoung Park and Jaebum Im, were finally going to play against each other in the big league after all the talk about them in juniors and the fact that Jaebum had talked about him and how much he was looking forward to it just put more fire to it.
Jinyoung was shaking with excitement.
He got his hockey bag which was laying on the floor of the apartment and headed to stadium, anticipating the game ahead of him.
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“How are you feeling?” Jackson asked as he finished rolling the tape on his stick, he always did this after the warm up, it was one of the few superstitions he had - always put on the tape after the warm ups. Although, most of the time, Jackson didn’t talk, he prefered to be alone and concentrate before the game started but Jinyoung must have been really jittery.
Finishing tying his skates, Jinyoung looked up at Jackson before giving him a tight smile, “Giddy.”
Jackson laughed and taped Jinyoung’s leg with his stick, “I bet.” He leaned back and stretched his legs, “You are finally going to play against your boy.”
Jinyoung frowned at the word used and shook his head before answering and also leaning back, “I wouldn’t call him that exactly, but yeah. We have known each other since we were kids.”
He felt Jackson nodding, while he tapped his stick on the floor, “I think I played a few times against Im, but I don’t know much about him.” Before continuing, Jackson stopped tapping his stick and looked at Jinyoung with a serious look in his face, “He has a fucking hard check though.”
The laugh Jinyoung gave out after that comment was so loud that all their teammates turned to look at them, Jinyoung put his hand over his mouth and tried to conceal his laughter, his shoulders still shaking, “Yeah,” Jinyoung got up and turned to Jackson’s stall offering him a hand to get up, “One of the first things he did when he met was to check me so hard in the boards I fell.”
Jackson accepted Jinyoung’s hand and laughed at him, imaging a tiny Park Jinyoung being smashed on the ice (something hard to imagine currently because of how strong Jinyoung’s on his skates) by a tiny Jaebum Im, “That doesn’t surprise me.” Getting up and clapping Jinyoung’s shoulder Jackson added, “I can’t wait to play against him.”
Jinyoung snorted, “Just you wait.”
They didn’t have to wait much, in fact. The first face off consisted of both Jinyoung and Jackson, and Jaebum and the guy called Tuan that Jaebum talked so much about - Jinyoung didn’t know he was that small though, Jaebum had mentioned it but it was a second thought over all the things Jaebum said to him about Tuan.
This time Jinyoung won the faceoff (and they would have proof for it! This was televisioned!) but he was still checked hard in the boards by Jaebum, though not falling on the ice. It would be a fun game.
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It was such a fun game that in almost every faceoff had with Jinyoung in the ice Jaebum seemed to be there, sometimes they would face against each other and sometimes they would just stand besides each other waiting to see who would win the puck, Tuan or Jackson.
In the latter occasion, there were many pushing and shoving - it got so bad that Jinyoung happened to hit Jaebum’s stick away while trying to get in position which, of course, caused Jaebum to flip his helmet making the referee get between before continuing with the play.
Even though none of them could be considered fighters, they both ended up in one anyway. It was such a close knitted game, both Jaebum and Jinyoung were giving their 200% to the game because they were playing against other but it was like they contaminated all the other players. Jackson and Tuan were playing as hard as them - they were almost at each other’s throat like Jaebum and Jinyoung were, sharing comments in cantonese and hits.
The game was tied when after a particular strong hit by Jinyoung on Jaebum, a shuffle was caused, with Jaebum shoving Jinyoung away. Before they knew, the two benches were hitting their sticks on the boards and the crowd was yelling at them while they circled each other while a referee watched.
Jaebum got the first hit but Jinyoung left on top. Both were going to leave the ice with a few more bruises.
And it seemed like after that particular fight Tuan got more pesty, he was already a scrappy guy but he was just everywhere in the ice, giving all the hits he could during his shift. Jackson and him had a particular shuffle before a whistle that even had to be separated by one of the referees before they could continue with the game. The game continued like that until the last minute.
There were 30 seconds left in the third period when, after a particular bad line shift by Flyers, Hawks were able to get a 2 on 1 and score, gaining the lead. Hawks won the first game against the Flyers in the season, but they would still have one at Philadelphia and Jinyoung couldn’t wait for it already.
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Like other times, Jinyoung waited for Jackson to finish getting ready for both of them to leave the stadium together, the difference this time was that they were not the last ones to leave - they were actually the firsts. As soon as Jinyoung left the locker room, he was greeted by Jaebum and Tuan leaning on the wall in front of the locker room.
They were standing close together, with shoulders touching, but there seemed to be some kind of tense air between them, Jinyoung raised a questioning eyebrow at Jaebum when Jaebum lifted his head to look at them. He thought Jaebum and Tuan were close - after all the talking Jaebum had done about him.
“Nice game.” Jaebum said walking to Jinyoung and Jackson, shrugging his shoulders in answer to Jinyoung’s question. He was also sporting a good shiner in his right eye, just like Jinyoung was sporting a bruised cheek.
“Nice black eye.” Jinyoung replied while he enveloped Jaebum in a hug, they hadn’t seen each other since summer and Jinyoung hadn’t been able to talk to him much, what with the training camp and NHL actually happening. He felt a strong stare on them but before he could tell from where it was coming, Jackson snorted next to them, which seemed to be the cue for Mark to start walking to them and nod in greet.
“You guys are ridiculous.” Jackson said to Jaebum and Mark, when Jinyoung and Jaebum separated patting each other in the back, and shook his head with a smile in his face, “That was one of the most intense games I’ve played.”
Jaebum laughed and nodded his head at Jinyoung, “It is always like this with this guy.”
“He has always been like this?” Jackson asked putting his hand on Jinyoung’s arm. Jinyoung groaned, he didn’t like where this was going.
Clearing his throat, Jaebum straightened himself before saying with a high-pitched voice, “You shouldn’t have passed there, Hyung. I was free in the other side of the ice.”
“I don’t talk like that.” Jinyoung tried to defend himself but Jaebum and Jackson were having none of that. Jackson looked like Santa had come earlier and he had a millions presents for him and they all came in embarrassing Jinyoung stories. Jinyoung wanted to die. “The first time Jaebum tried a spinorama, he lost control of the puck and fell so hard he almost cried.”
A high loud laughter sounded on the hallway and Jinyoung jumped not expecting that, it was coming from Tuan who had finally made a sound. Jaebum gasped at loss of words, “It is not funny. That did not happen.”
“We can ask your mom.”
“I like him.” Mark said stilling his giggles and nudging Jaebum. Jaebum looked at Mark embarrassed and with a frown on his face but Jinyoung could tell he was fond. He saw how it was.
“This is fun and all,” Jackson said, “And I want to hear more embarrassing stories, but can we go to the bar? I’m hungry.” Which received no complaints from any side.
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“The media is gonna have a good time with your fight.” Mark said over his hamburger, they had decided to go to more secluded place with good food because not only Jackson was hungry but the others were also starving - so they decided to go to this place that him and Jackson went often to eat burgers after practice. They were quite regulars now.
Jaebum snorted in his fries and shrugged, “They were going to have a field day with anything. They wouldn’t stop asking about Jinyoungie.”
Jinyoung sipped his drink as he watched Jackson steal another one of his fries, he didn’t know why he kept doing that, Jackson had his own fries, “I didn’t know it was that bad.”
“It is not,” Mark cleaned his mouth and looked at Jinyoung, “He is just dramatic.”
Jaebum scrunched his face and looked at Mark like ‘who? me?’ causing everyone to laugh, even Jackson who had just met him. Mark looked at a Jaebum with a tiny smile and nodded, before Jinyoung could kick Jaebum’s shin he saw Jackson going for his burger.
“Hey,” Jinyoung caught Jackson’s hands, “You have your own.”
“But I want this.” Jackson whined at Jinyoung, “I have never tried this one before.”
Jinyoung looked at Jackson but Jackson kept looking at Jinyoung with that face, and before he knew he was letting Jackson’s hand go and his own were settling back to the back of Jackson’s chair while Jackson got his burger and nudged him as thanks.
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They had decided to part ways after Jaebum took a look at his phone and saw it was almost midnight, saying that they had an early flight to catch back to Philly the next day. Jaebum had promised to text Jinyoung when he could and Jinyoung had just bid Jackson goodbye when he received not just a text but a call from Jaebum.
“You let him eat your food.” Said the familiar voice, in korean, he had heard since they were 10 and Korea playing against each other in Korea.
“Hello to you too, hyung.” Jinyoung replied as he kicked his shoes off and closed the door from his apartment.
“You don’t even let me eat your food and we have known each other forever.”
Jinyoung laughed and dropped on the uncomfortable couch that had come with the place, “He’s not you.”
Jaebum might not have expected that answer because he stayed quiet for a while, Jinyoung leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes thinking of the game, all the things that could have gone better or worse, while waiting for Jaebum’s reply, “Touché.”
At that answer, Jinyoung snorted and pushed his hair back trying to get more comfortable in the couch, “What about you and Tuan?”
The silence this time wasn’t as long as the last one but there was an edge to it, “What about it?”
“Aren’t you guys close as well?”
“Yeah, well. I have known him for a few years now.” Jaebum said offhandedly and coughed, clearing his throat, “Anyway, I’m glad you guys are doing well. The stadium looked fuller than last season.”
Jinyoung smiled at the comment, “Yeah, more people keep showing up at every game. It’s good.” The promise him and Jackson had made before the season began had seemed so far away then but now they were almost halfway in the season and the empty seats were becoming less and less. They were slowly bringing hockey back to Chicago, him and Jackson.
“You guys are playing good hockey.”
“Yeah,” Jinyoung yawned, “Jackson is so good.”
Snorting Jaebum added, “He was an annoying guy to play against.”
“You are a pain in the ass too,” Jinyoung offered back, “Tuan is a scrappy little player, I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting that. He is so fast.”
“Yeah,” Jinyoung didn’t need to see Jaebum to know that he had a smile in his face, he could tell just by the tone of his voice, “Go to sleep, Jinyoungie. It’s late.”
Yawning Jinyoung got up and stretched before walking to his room, “Yeah, good night, hyung. It was good playing with you again. I missed it.”
“Me too,” Jaebum seemed to have gotten up from somewhere before continuing, “See you in a few weeks in Philly.”
Jinyoung hummed before ending the call, it was probably past midnight now, he was lucky he had already showered at the stadium so he could head straight to bed without worrying about being dirty. He changed into his pajamas and dropped in the bed like death, the game had taken a handle in him. Games with Jaebum were always like this.
He was lucky he was so tired he were about to fall asleep already and didn’t need to think about the comments and looks Jaebum had given him because of Jackson, Jinyoung knew he had gotten close to Jackson ridiculously fast and that wasn’t so easy to him but he hadn’t even questioned it - it was just something that had happened and clicked between them, like they had known each other for so long, like they had been playing with each other forever.
But these thoughts would be something to meddle with at another time. Right now, Jinyoung would just go to sleep and think of ways to score against Jaebum’s team in the next game - they might have won but Jinyoung could still find better ways to play and win against Jaebum.