Stained reputation

Ji -wonInside the coach's office, the air was thick with the smell of old trophies and medicinal rub. Tae-oh stood in the center of the room, his shoulders tense.

"You know why you’re here, right?" Coach asked, leaning back in his chair with a heavy sigh.

Tae-oh didn't say a word. He remained silent, hanging his head, his gaze fixed on the scuff marks on the linoleum floor.

"I know you didn't do anything," Coach continued, his voice softer now. "But you should have reported them to me. If you had just come to me first, this wouldn't have blown up. Now..." Coach paused, looking at the paperwork on his desk. "Are you still friends with them? Those boys behind the gym?"

Tae-oh closed his eyes in disbelief. The unfairness of the question stung more than the accusation itself. He had been trying to stop them, and now his loyalty was being questioned by the one person who was supposed to trust him.

"Now, what do we do?" Coach muttered. "This rumor is everywhere. It’s going to affect your eligibility for the next tournament if we don't handle it."

Tae-oh stayed silent, his jaw locking so tight it ached.

"You’re going to clean the entire sports ground for the next fifteen days," Coach announced. "I can’t let it go simply because the whole school heard the rumor. In these fifteen days, you have to prove to everyone that you’re not at fault through your actions. I’m sorry, Tae-oh. I can’t do anything else. It’s the system... even if I know you did nothing."

Coach stood up, patted Tae-oh’s shoulder once, and left the room.

The door clicked shut. Alone in the office, Tae-oh gritted his teeth, his breath coming in sharp, jagged bursts. He clenched his hands into white-knuckled fists, the rage simmering just under his skin. He had played by the rules, worked harder than anyone else, and yet he was the one holding the broom while the "perfect" students watched from the windows.

The Coach sighed, his shadow stretching long across the office floor. "It’s not just the grounds, Tae-oh. Because the rumor reached the principal’s office, I have to officially suspend you from the next two matches."

Tae-oh’s head snapped up. His eyes, usually so steady, flared with a mix of shock and betrayal. "Coach, the scouts—"

"I know," Coach interrupted, his voice heavy. "I know the scouts are coming for the next game. But my hands are tied. Until this blowback dies down, you’re off the roster. You'll spend that time cleaning the entire sports ground. Fifteen days. Every afternoon until the sun goes down."

Tae-oh gritted his teeth, his jaw muscles bulging. He clenched his hands into white-knuckled fists, the skin stretched tight over his knuckles. He had worked his entire life for those scout matches, and now they were slipping through his fingers because of a "perfect" boy’s guess.

Just as Tae-oh was about to storm out, a frantic knock sounded at the door. Ji-won stumbled in, his face pale and eyes wide. He had been listening from the hallway, his guilt finally reaching a breaking point.

"Coach! It was me!" Ji-won blurted out, his voice cracking. "I’m the one who started the rumor. I... I misunderstood what I saw. Tae-oh wasn't smoking, he was stopping them. It's my fault, not his."

The Coach looked from the trembling "Mr. Perfect" to the vibrating, silent rage of Tae-oh. He tapped his pen against the desk for a long, agonizing minute.

"Is that so, Ji-won?" Coach asked. "Then if you're so responsible, you'll share the burden. The suspension for Tae-oh stands—because the school board has already seen the report—but you will join him on those grounds. Every day. For fifteen days. If I see one leaf out of place, or if either of you misses a minute, the punishment doubles."

Ten minutes later, the two of them stood at the edge of the massive, dusty sports field. The sun was beginning to dip, casting long, orange shadows.

A heavy, rusted wheelbarrow sat between them, filled with heavy rakes and brooms.

Tae-oh didn't look at him. He didn't say "thank you" for the confession. Instead, he grabbed the heaviest rake with such force the wood creaked.

"Two matches," Tae-oh whispered, his voice like a jagged blade. "You just cost me the two biggest games of my life. Do you really think picking up some trash next to me makes us even?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He began to rake the gravel with violent, sweeping motions, ignoring the blisters already forming on his palms.

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