DASH

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Novel’s keywords: BL, Omegaverse, Sports, First Love, Reunion, Contractual Relationship, Age Gap, Slow Burn.

TOP: Kwon Jaekyoung (21)

BOTTOM: Jeong Jiheon (27)

Note:

Dash (대쉬) is an award-winning BL webnovel originally published in 2020 on Ridibooks with over 12.5K star reviews averaging 4.8/5. It has won the 2021 Ridibooks Award in the category Best Prize (Daesang) for BL e-book. So far, the novel has been adapted into an audio drama by AudioComics.kr, but no webtoon adaptation has been confirmed. (EDIT: webtoon adaptation is confirmed to be released on July 20 2024)

(EDIT 2: I changed the spelling of the names according to the webtoon)

(EDIT 3: This translation will be removed from Novel Updates in mid / end of July 2025. Support the author by purchasing the official English translation on Mullebooks or Publang)

Chapter 1

♦ This novel takes place in an Omegaverse world, where the names of individuals, titles, and organizations mentioned are entirely fictional. The historical events portrayed in the story differ from reality, and the ethical standards within the sports society, as well as the nature and regulations of all sports, are also fictionalized.

prologue

‘Of all things,’ Jiheon thought.

Yet, he remained uncertain whether misfortune had conspired against him or if it was simply a string of coincidences. It felt more like a minor twist of fate rather than a streak of bad luck.

Wasn’t this the case? After all, the timing couldn’t be ignored—it all unfolded on the very day of the new employees’ welcome party.

｢The upcoming event is the men’s 200m individual medley final at the Cairo Olympic Swimming Stadium. Representing our country, athlete Kwon Jaekyoung is set to compete in this highly anticipated final. Oh, the swimmers are making their entrance into the pool as we speak.｣

As the announcer’s voice resonated through the air, the swimmers made their way into the designated area. The camera slowly panned away from their jersey tops, capturing the presence of eight individuals from a distance. Eventually, it zoomed in, offering a close-up of a swimmer heading towards the middle lane.

Inside the bustling restaurant, a sizable panel on one wall displayed a montage of familiar faces. The atmosphere was electrified as a group of female patrons erupted in cheers. However, it was the table where college students had gathered that drew attention, their enthusiastic screams and foot stomping resonating throughout the establishment.

“Hey, if anyone hears you screaming like that, they’ll think he’s already snagged the gold.”

“I know, right? Seriously, I thought Kwon Jaekyoung just smashed a new world record!”

“If he doesn’t end up with a medal, your hype is to blame, girls.”

The boys booed at them, but the girls remained unfazed.

“No worries. His face alone deserves a gold medal.”

“Absolutely! If we were ranking them based on their looks, Jaekyoung would’ve won 24 times already.”

“He’s the true MVP after all.”

Laughter erupted from the other tables at the girls’ words.

｢The camera has been on athlete Kwon Jaekyoung for quite some time now.｣

Even the host on TV spoke in a laughing voice. Of course he wasn’t laughing at the conversation here. There was a separate reason why the host was so happy.

｢Without a doubt. He is considered the frontrunner for the gold medal in this event.｣

The commentator kindly explained why. He couldn’t hide his proud feeling either.

｢Our athlete Kwon Jaekyoung secured the top position in the preliminary round, setting a remarkable new Asian record…. Currently on the screen, athlete Noah Kenny from Australia claimed the second spot. Although he also improved his personal best by 0.4 second, he still trailed behind athlete Kwon Jaekyoung.｣

｢The two athletes trained together in Australia, didn’t they?｣

｢Yes, that’s right. Since the Asian Games last year, Kwon Jaekyoung has been training in Australia, specifically at the Aquatic Center where Noah Kenny also trains. To the best of my knowledge, these two athletes share a similar age and have fostered a close friendship with one another.｣

The commentator went on with his verbose commentary, adding unnecessary phrases like “shaving mate” and other superfluous remarks that needlessly prolonged his own comments. Occasionally, he even tried to create a sense of closeness by referring to Kwon Jaekyoung as “our Jaekyoung,” as if he had forgotten the proper title of “athlete Kwon Jaekyoung.” Jiheon couldn’t help but smile as he listened to the commentator’s attempts to showcase his connection as Kwon Jaekyoung’s former coach.

It was clear that the commentator did use to be Kwon Jaekyoung’s coach, although he had only taught him for a year during elementary school before being replaced. Kwon Jaekyoung’s parent had raised a complaint, alleging that the coach frequently entered the swimming pool drunk. Jiheon distinctly recalled witnessing the coach dozing off in the lounge on a few occasions, the smell of alcohol wafting around him.

Initially, Jiheon had believed that the coach was passionate to teach Kwon Jaekyoung due to the young prodigy’s exceptional talent. However, it became apparent that the coach’s reckless behavior and inability to overcome his habits had caught up with him.

Now, that same coach, dressed in a suit, had taken up the role of a commentator. It was said that when a star emerged, even people from their neighborhood and kindergarten teachers would be sought for interviews. However, Jiheon couldn’t help but find the coach’s actions shameless for accepting such an opportunity.

Jiheon raised his beer glass, a smile playing on his lips, as the TV host reiterated the unfolding events once more.

｢Here it is, the Cairo Olympic Swimming Stadium. The highly anticipated men’s 200m individual medley final is about to take place. Our country’s swimmer, athlete Kwon Jaekyoung, is aiming for gold. Mr. Lim Myeongjin, could you kindly enlighten us on the details of the individual medley event?｣

｢Of course. In competitive swimming, we typically associate specific strokes like freestyle or butterfly with particular races. However, the individual medley swimming event incorporates all four strokes in a specific order.｣

｢Is it butterfly - backstroke - breaststroke - freestyle, in that order?｣

｢Exactly. The swimmers must perform these strokes in that precise order. While there are 400m and 200m individual medley events, our athlete Kwon Jaekyoung will be competing in the 200m event.｣

｢So, each stroke covers a distance of 50m?｣

｢Correct. Typically, swimmers specialize in a specific stroke. Freestyle specialists focus on freestyle events, while backstroke specialists participate in backstroke events. However, the individual medley demands proficiency in all four strokes. It is considered the most challenging event for swimmers, as it requires a combination of strength, endurance, technique, and flexibility. Winning a medal in the individual medley holds great significance for these athletes.｣

“Ah, that sounds difficult.”

Sitting across from Jiheon, a member of the general affairs department muttered to himself. He sounded as if he never knew of such an event’s existence.

This lack of awareness was not surprising, considering swimming had always been an unpopular sport in South Korea. There was a time in the past when a single stroke event had garnered attention by producing a medal, but that was just one time. Individual medley events had never yielded an Olympic medal, and Korean athletes rarely made it to the finals in the World Championships or Summer Olympics. Only a handful of broadcasters bothered to air the finals of these less popular events live, resulting in a majority of Korean people being oblivious to the existence of individual medleys in the realm of sports.

Nonetheless, it was a bit astonishing that even an employee of a sports agency company remained ignorant of such a significant competition.

‘Well, it’s not surprising since he’s from the general affairs department,’

Nonchalantly, Jiheon picked up a piece of puffed rice in front of him and brought it to his mouth.

Suddenly, the screen turned a vibrant shade of blue, capturing a bird’s-eye view of the 50-meter swimming pool. The calm water beneath was now accompanied by the continuous flow of voices from the host and commentator.

｢Individual medley has historically been dominated by Western athletes, right?｣

｢Yes, as I mentioned earlier, while skill plays a significant role, physical strength also plays a crucial part. Swimming is a sport where physical attributes greatly impact performance. It’s no surprise that American and Australian athletes have excelled in the individual medley event. Everyone is 190cm tall and even 2m tall.｣

｢Haha, that’s quite impressive. However, haven’t Asian swimmers also achieved remarkable records?｣

｢That’s right. Ye Shiwen from China secured two gold medals in the women’s individual medley at the 2012 Olympics in London, instantly becoming a swimming hero in China. She even broke the world record at the time. Furthermore, a Japanese swimmer won a gold medal in the individual medley at the World Championships, creating huge buzz.｣

｢Is it because such achievements are rare?｣

｢Exactly. People thought that athletes from the United States or Australia would claim the gold, but it was an Asian athlete who did.｣

｢However, our country has yet to secure a gold medal in the individual medley, neither in the Olympics.｣

｢That’s correct. However, there is great anticipation this year. Our athlete Kwon Jaekyoung has made it to the finals for the first time and emerged in first place during the preliminary round.｣

｢Let’s not forget that he already won the men’s 200m individual medley gold medal at the Asian Games last year. At only 17 years old, athlete Kwon Jaekyoung is currently attending Ozford High School in Australia and stands at an impressive height of 188cm. …But he’s still growing, is he not?｣

When the host asked, the commentator responded with a proud tone, as if he were talking about his own kid.

｢I heard that he was 186cm tall last year. Quite a growth spurt considering he was only 183cm tall during the Asian Games when he was in the 3rd grade of middle school.｣

｢Our athlete Kwon Jaekyoung is getting taller and taller, and his record is getting better and better. In this Olympics alone, he has already secured gold medals in the 200m and 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke, and a silver in the 200m butterfly. If he manages to claim the gold in this individual medley event, he will accumulate an impressive total of four gold medals. Ah, it seems like the competition is about to start.｣

Before the host could even finish speaking, the buzzer blared and the swimmers hopped onto the starting blocks. The camera swiftly switched back and forth, capturing glimpses of the swimmers and the enthusiastic crowd in the stands. Just as the starting list popped up on the screen, the host resumed his commentary in a cool and collected tone.

｢Athlete Kwon Jaekyoung of South Korea is in lane 4.｣

As the starting list disappeared, the swimmers were already lined up and ready to go. With a quick buzz, they all dove into the water at the same time.

｢Starts! ｣

In an instant, a hush fell over the room, enveloping everything in silence. Even those who were previously engaged in laughter and idle chatter turned their attention towards the screen mounted on one side of the restaurant. Jiheon’s table mirrored the scene, with some of his colleagues swiveling their chairs to face the screen, their expressions filled with captivation.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Jiheon didn’t need to readjust his position as his chair had been facing the panel from the start. He tightly gripped his lukewarm beer glass, his gaze fixated on the screen. Was it the sudden stillness that amplified the sound? With a gulp, the sound of the beer sliding down his throat reverberated loudly in his ears.

｢The swimmers race in butterfly first. Athlete Noah Kenny of lane 5 takes the lead as soon as he starts.｣

｢This athlete’s specialty is butterfly. He also won gold medals in both the 100m and 200m butterfly in this Olympics.｣

｢Athlete Kwon Jaekyoung’s specialty is freestyle, right?｣

｢Yes. But he is also good at butterfly. He won a silver medal in the 200m butterfly again this time.｣

｢And now, touchpad! Athlete Noah Kenny in lane 5 was the fastest. Followed by athlete Kwon Jaekyoung in lane 4, and athlete Phil Abramson of the United States in lane 3.｣

｢Athlete Abramson is the world record holder of 200m backstroke. He also won a gold medal in the 200m backstroke yesterday.｣

｢But in the 100 meters, he lost to athlete Kwon Jaekyoung by 0.05 seconds and won the silver medal, didn’t he?｣

｢Yes, athlete Kwon Jaekyoung’s rush was scary with the last 10 meters left.｣

As the host and commentator provided a detailed account of the ongoing race, the swimmers swiftly advanced past the halfway mark of the 50-meter swimming pool, executing powerful backstroke strokes. Then, in an instant, the three swimmers in the middle lanes reached the touchpad, their hands making contact with near-perfect synchronicity.

｢Athlete Noah Kenny in lane 5, athlete Kwon Jaekyoung in lane 4, almost simultaneously reaching the 100m touch pad! The position…… has changed! Athlete Kwon Jaekyoung in lane 4 is taking the lead!｣

next (chapter 2)

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