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The packed Châteauroux Shooting Sports Center was echoing with a stressful cacophony. Seo Heesoo wasn’t one to mind crowds, not when she herself was one of the top Korean actresses of her generation. There were always crowds around her, people always trying to get a piece of her. However, that couldn’t be said for her little son, the young Hajoon, who was only one year and three months old.
Her baby was wearing headphones and had a teether in his mouth, but his attention was on everything and everyone. They were both sitting in the front row, and Heesoo knew she was very exposed. She could feel her compatriots recognizing her, taking pictures, after all, few knew of Hajoon's existence until now. But it was the Olympics in Paris, the city of love, and there was no better place to make that revelation.
The cacophony grew louder and quieter; Heesoo realized the competition was about to begin. Silence fell, and even Hajoon noticed the tension, her baby standing on her lap to watch what was happening inside the booth. The contestants entered the arena, and Seo Heesoo gave a small, pleased smile when she saw who she wanted. The other woman had a serious, collected expression, and even when their eyes met across the arena, she didn’t react.
The announcer announced who would be the first to shoot, and the woman Heesoo had come to celebrate would be one of the last. The competition wasn't long-term, it was more specific, but Jung Seohyun had spent hundreds of days shooting at the poor target in the backyard of their home in Gyeonggi, and Heesoo knew that the minutes she would spend at the range had to make up for the woman's effort.
Hajoon recognized the woman from afar as well, and began to mumble loudly, clapping his hands excitedly. The people around him looked at him with adoration, and Heesoo knew that it wasn't just because her baby was beautiful; they were also wondering what would drive someone like her to bring such a young baby to the loudest competition of all.
As the shots started ringing out, each competitor trying to get a better shot, Heesoo finally started to feel nervous. And not because she was finally going to do what she had always wanted to do, but because she saw Jung Seohyun's turn coming. The woman was calm, sitting on a chair, her legs crossed and her cap backwards, with a relaxed expression. She wasn't wearing any equipment, just a pair of glasses, because she swore that equipment only got in her way.
Seohyun used to be in the Special Forces, and she spent over twenty years serving in the Korean Army before retiring. Heesoo had been one of the most vocal people urging the woman to use her shooting talent for something good, and after much convincing, Seohyun agreed. Less than two days ago, the woman had become a phenomenon on social media, thanks to her relaxed expression at the last World Cup. Heesoo was more than happy to share all the videos of the teenagers on TikTok, even though Seohyun had threatened to block her on Kakao.
“Seo-hyun Jung.” The announcer called out, and Heesoo’s hands began to tremble. The other contestants had all scored excellently, and Seohyun would have to be extraordinary to surpass them. She laughed at the thought as she saw the fire in her wife’s eyes as she stepped onto the stand.
“Eomma?” Hajoon exclaimed, jumping on Heesoo’s lap when he saw Seohyun’s face on the big screen next to them. She laughed, ignoring the looks around her, even more so when her son started talking louder and louder. Heesoo did nothing to stop him, especially because Seohyun didn’t show any reaction when she heard her son, and maybe she wasn’t even listening.
The woman seemed to be taking a deep breath and then she raised the pistol, a serious look towards the targets before finally firing. Heesoo gasped, almost standing up with Hajoon. From what she understood, that shoot was perfect. Seohyun didn't show any reaction, just continued her sequence of shots, until it finally ended.
The announcer quickly announced that the scores would be out soon and Heesoo couldn't help but feel euphoria take over, making her stand up with Hajoon and lean on the railing. A moment later, the scores were presented on the screen. All of her compatriots began to scream, but none more than she did when she saw Jung Seohyun's name in first place.
Hajoon felt her happiness and also started to scream, making her laugh out loud, excited. She pressed herself even closer to the fence, trying to get closer to Seohyun, who was being hugged by her teammates and coaches. The woman gave them a loving look, but didn't come closer until the medal ceremony began.
On stage, a few minutes later, Jung Seohyun took the main seat, one hand on her chest and a gigantic smile as the Korean anthem played for the entire city of Châteauroux to hear. She was an Olympic champion, something she had never imagined in her life. And Heesoo, still on the fence with her son, could only feel the tears streaming down her face. She was amazed, happy, and the warmth she felt in her chest was something she only felt when it was about one of the people she loved most in the world.
The moment the Korean anthem stopped playing, Jung Seohyun jumped off the stage. Heesoo was confused, until she saw the woman running towards her, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Seohyun jumped up onto the railing, leaning dangerously, and leaning towards Heesoo and Hajoon. The younger woman pulled her close, tears flowing even more furiously, which made her sob into her wife's chest.
Seohyun stepped back a little, pulling the medal from her own neck with one hand and placing it directly on Hajoon, who began to laugh happily, trying to bite the item. Heesoo stared at him in wonder, feeling her chest tremble with so much happiness.
“You did it, my love,” she murmured emotionally, leaning towards her wife. Seohyun looked at her lovingly, cupping her face with her only free hand, and pulling her close. Heesoo let go, her lips meeting Seohyun’s calmly immediately.
The feeling of home when kissing Seohyun would never dissipate. The woman was her home, and her soft, cherry-flavored lips brought her a sense of belonging in a way nothing else in her life could. Even when Seohyun pulled away, Heesoo brought her close again, their lips pressed tightly together. She felt the euphoria, heard the comments behind her back, but more than that, the set of events felt like she was in heaven.
“It was for both of you, aegi,” Seohyun replied with a smile on her face, when Heesoo finally let her go. They smiled at each other, the noise of the flashes hardly bothering them.
“No, my love. You did this for yourself and you deserve all the glory that an Olympic champion should have. Even if you did it with just a pair of glasses and a dream,” Heesoo teased, making her wife laugh.
“So you’ll give me the glory of being a mother again?” Seohyun teased back, receiving a pat on the shoulder. Heesoo looked at their son, who had the medal in his mouth, and smiled.
“We’ll have to make sure Hajoon doesn’t get sick after biting your medal first,” she commented and that made Seohyun laugh out loud, throwing her head back.
Watching her, Seo Heesoo was certain that she would love this woman for the rest of her life and beyond. And she knew that she would face the world if necessary to have her family happy like that forever.