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~1~
Na Heedo was someone that Coach Yang had many questions about. First and foremost, she was a bit worried for the girl's sanity. She wasn't sure she had ever seen someone as desperate and reckless as this girl who begged her over and over again to coach her. Truthfully, Coach Yang actually admired her determination, not that she'd reveal that fact so easily.
She had other questions, too. Such as how her old best friend had become so estranged with her own daughter that Coach Yang sometimes felt as if she was taking on more than just a mentoring role when it came to Heedo (of course, she would deny this too, and would especially deny that she found joy in it).
She questioned how Heedo was both so similar and yet so different from her mother. That brutal honesty and straightforwardness was genetic, for sure, but that spark of life and unwavering bravery was something Heedo had somehow found for herself, Coach Yang concluded.
She also wondered how Heedo was always able to remain so positive. She never seemed to let the hard days win, and she hadn't once given a sign of giving up.
Mostly, she just pondered how this girl's life had intertwined with her own. It was ironic, really, that she had stayed so far away from her ex-best-friend only to end up coaching her daughter. Even more ironic that they seemed to share a mutual... disappointment, when it came to Shin Jae-Kyung.
However, Coach Yang decided, she was happy with how things ended up. She's glad Na Heedo wandered into her life (more like barged in, but she can forgive her student for that), and is glad she can help a girl as unique as Heedo shine brighter than she already did.
So maybe she'd stop questioning all things Heedo, and just keep supporting her from the sidelines.
~2~
Ok, Coach Yang had told herself she'd stop questioning Na Heedo. But yah, what is up with her and Ko Yurim?! First, they had been so cold to each other that she had to stop herself from shivering every time she entered the training room. But she'd brushed it off because anyone with eyes could see they would become rivals, and she couldn't exactly blame them for acting the way they did. But now they were acting like they had been best friends since birth and it was making her head explode.
"Yah! Na Heedo! Ko Yurim! If you guys have the energy to talk, that means you still have the energy to run more laps. Go on!"
The two girls looked at each other and broke into a fit of giggles, and got up and did as told.
Coach Yang sighed, bringing her hand up to massage her forehead. She wasn't sure what was worse, the times when the girls ignored each other and made the rest of the team feel awkward, or now when they're always stuck like glue to each other's sides making it more difficult for her to train them. What were they, bipolar or something?
(If asked, she'd say she'd rather them hate each other and that it'd make her life easier. But in reality, she was glad that the two girls had found the support they lacked in each other.)
(And if she secretly smiled every time she saw them laughing together, no one had to know.)
(And if, far in the future, she shed a few tears when she watched the two girls embrace after the match in Madrid, no one had to know either).
Yeah. The two girls drove her insane sometimes. But they needed each other. That was something she would never dare to, or want to, challenge.
~3~
Coach Yang loved gossip. One of the highlights of working at a high school was the juicy tidbits she got to hear here and there. So of course, she had heard of class seven (or was it class three, now?)'s pretty boy. But one day, when she heard a girl walking past on the field say to her friends, "Did you hear? THE Ko Yurim FINALLY agreed to go out with Moon Jiwoong!", it was all she could do to not scream in shock right then and there.
Rather than grill Yurim about it as she had originally planned to however, when she saw her student, she decided to pretend to not know anything and decided she would try eavesdropping on her conversations with Heedo to see if she could find out anything. After all, she had to make sure Pretty Boy was worthy of one of her star pupils, right?
While the students warmed up, Coach Yang pretended to take a nap on the bench. As the girls stretched, she silently cheered as the two girls' voices carried over.
"Are you happy?" someone asked. Heedo.
"Very," came the response. Coach Yang could hear the smile behind the words.
"He's good to you," Heedo acknowledged. "At first, I thought he wasn't good enough, but... I can tell how much he cares about you. And if you're happy, that's all that matters. I'll beat him up if he ever breaks your heart, though."
"Don't worry," Yurim said. "He won't. I think he'd break his own first."
They both started laughing, and a smile floated onto Coach Yang's face.
Fine, then. Maybe she wouldn't have to worry too much about Yurim. It seemed like she was in good hands. Even if she didn't completely understand what Yurim saw in someone who skateboards in the school hallways. Oh, well. At least he was decent looking.
~4~
This was the first time it wasn't one of her students that she was questioning. Instead, it was just someone who seemed to be close with two of her students.
Baek Yijin.
At first, she hadn't spared him a second thought, believing he was just the random person who had been assigned to filming the fencing documentary. Her first sign that her initial belief had been wrong was the fact he seemed. so. invested. NO ONE these days was that interested in fencing. For heck's sake, she'd heard reporters at the Asian Games complaining that they wanted to be covering anything but fencing. And yet here he was, this young reporter, who seemed like he couldn't be more interested in what he was doing.
The second sign was how well he seemed to know his two subjects, Yurim and Heedo. Yurim and Yijin often teased each other like siblings, which made her wonder how they had become this close. However, when she overheard Yurim say, "Yah, I'll tell my mom about this", and heard Yijin reply with, "And you know she'll side with me", she came to the conclusion that they were family friends.
What continued to intrigue her, though, was his relationship with Na Heedo. She remembered him covering several of her matches, so at first she assumed that's how they already knew each other. But this led to the third sign. Because a reporter and their reportee was never this close if that's all they were.
Even before she was brought to attention the surprising fact that they were close enough that Yijin knew Jae-Kyung was Heedo's mom, she had already guessed that they were much closer than they tried to let on. They talked constantly, throwing barbs back and forth, and everyone could tell how comfortable they were around each other. The real question was what it meant.
For Na Heedo, it was obvious. Coach Yang didn't even need to wonder about how Heedo felt towards Yijin. The girl may be subtle enough with her fencing, making it hard for her opponents to read her, but when it came to emotions, she was about as subtle as an elephant. Besides, with the way Heedo constantly whisper-yelled at Yijin about how infuriating he was, the entire team was bound to figure it out soon if they hadn't already.
But with Yijin, it was harder to tell. Maybe it was because he was older, more composed, professional. He didn't wear his heart on his sleeve like Heedo did. Coach Yang couldn't tell if he simply saw her as a friend, or if he felt something more.
So she started to pay more attention. After all, it wasn't only Yurim she felt obliged to look out for when it came to relationships (or when it came to anything, really.)
And that's when she realized even though it may not be as obvious as Heedo, she should've realized earlier his feelings were as strong as hers were.
It was the way he would bring banana milk on days he came to film them training. It was the way he would constantly ask if she needed a break and then quickly emphasize that no, it wasn't that he thought she was weak, he just couldn't help but worry. It was the way he would smile gently across the room at her while they were filming. Most of all, it was the way he looked at her. The way his eyes were always filled with affection and admiration. The way that when he looked at her, it was almost as if she was all he could see.
Sure. She was still a bit concerned about the fact that he was a reporter. But the eyes don't lie. So she isn't nearly as worried as she was before. Someone who looks like Heedo like that won't let go of her easily. She's sure of it. And everyone knows that Heedo wouldn’t let go of what she wants, either.
Yeah. She could stop worrying for now.
~5~
Her girls were all grown up now.
First it was Ye-ji, who decided to move on from fencing. Coach Yang did give her a hard time, but that was just because she wanted Ye-ji to be sure about her choice before she gave it all up. But she would continue to support her past student in whatever she does next. (and if it did indeed turn out to be baking, she hoped for some free treats).
Yurim was headed off to Russia, for the sake of her parents. Coach Yang's heart ached for her, for all she was sacrificing, but at the same time was so proud of the young woman her student had become.
Hedoo had advanced so far so fast that Coach Yang knew her student would be surpassing her soon, if she hadn't done so already. And now she was starting to pave her own path, her own future, in the fencing world.
It was bittersweet, seeing them all grown up. She had practically raised them, in a way, and she loved them as if they were her children. Seeing them so successful was all she could hope for.
No, she didn't worry about them anymore. They knew how to take care of themselves now.
She just hoped that they knew no matter what, they could always fall back on her.
~+1~
"Na Heedo!"
Coach Yang gasped as her student passed out after sparring with her teammate. Running over, she kneeled down, placing Heedo's head in her lap, and checked for injuries.
"What happened?!" she demanded.
"I-I-I don't know", the teammate Heedo had been sparring with sniffled, eyes wet with tears of worry. She seemed a bit off today, and then she just suddenly collapsed.
Another teammate spoke up. "I just called for an ambulance. They'll be here soon."
Coach Yang nodded in gratitude. "Does anyone know if anything happened?" Her eyes caught the fidgety movements of Heedo's roommate. Jerking her head in her direction, she said sternly, "Spit it out."
Her roommate stepped forward nervously. "Um. She didn't want to broadcast it to everyone at first because she didn't want anyone worrying it would affect her training. But she broke up with her boyfriend last night."
Everyone froze.
Not just because it was a breakup. They had all had breakups, and all carried on training as normal. It shouldn't be anything new. But... this was different. Because it was Heedo and Yijin. The person Heedo would always rush to go watch on the TV after training and would always giggle and squeal on the phone with. The person they had all come to see as Heedo's person.
Coach Yang cursed under her breath.
Later, after Heedo had already been delivered to the hospital, Coach Yang first called Heedo's mom. Surprisingly, she picked up immediately, and promised to head straight to the hospital. Huh. Maybe old dogs can learn new tricks.
Then she sits in silence for a few minutes, contemplating whether to make a second call.
She had promised herself she would stop meddling with her students' lives, didn't she? Heedo was an adult now. She didn't need her Coach dictating her life.
But. Her Coach knew that everyone got lost at times. And she knew that their relationship had been lost for a while. She had watched as Heedo slowly lost her signature spark that made her stand out. And Coach Yang knew it was because of the distance from Yijin.
And so, Coach Yang found the phone number she still had from the fencing documentary days.
"Baek Yijin? This is Heedo's coach. She passed out at practice. She's in the hospital."
No hesitation from the other side.
"Thank you for letting me know. I'm on my way."
So what if she had said she'd stop worrying? She still felt like she had a responsibility to help Heedo be her happiest. She had seen Yijin bring out the best sides of Heedo, and wanted to try and see if she could help reignite that light within Heedo. She didn't think they were ones who gave up easily. Maybe they just needed a little push.
After all, she was still Heedo's coach. And it was, and always would be, a Coach's job to worry about her students.