Real Man

Chapter 687

Meanwhile, the phone kept ringing.

Yoo-hyun only got up and picked up the phone after receiving a clear answer from Jeong Da-hye.

He tilted his head as soon as he saw the name on the screen.

‘Why is the director calling me?’

It was morning in Korea time.

He could call to say hello in the morning, but the director was not that kind of person.

Yoo-hyun answered the phone with a sense of doubt.

Then he heard a frantic voice from the other side of the line.

-Yoo-hyun! Where are you right now?

“Huh? I’m in the US.”

-Where in the US?

“Jacksonville. Why?”

Yoo-hyun answered, and the director asked bluntly.

-Is it close to New York?

“Not too far. What’s going on?”

-There is. Go and help Jang-woo right away. Right now!

Maybe it was because the director’s voice was so serious.

Jeong Da-hye, who had gotten up, perked up her ears.

Yoo-hyun also straightened his posture.

“Okay, tell me what’s going on.”

-Those damn agency bastards messed it up. Ha! I get so angry just thinking about it, really.

“What? What did they do?”

-They stabbed us in the back. Jang-woo’s opponent for the match changed suddenly, you know? But those bastards decided it on their own and then got stood up this time…

The opponent for the match changed?

There were only 10 days left until the match day.

Yoo-hyun couldn’t understand it at all, but he listened to the director’s rambling for now.

There was one key point in the long sentence.

“So you’re saying that only Tae-soo hyung and Jang-woo are in New York?”

-Yeah. They’re there alone without an interpreter. They have to meet with the UFC officials, but they don’t know the process. Ha! Jang-woo is already sensitive because of the weight loss…

The director’s words were cut off before he finished.

Chiiing.

The sunroof closed.

Jeong Da-hye, who had winked at Yoo-hyun, approached the driver’s seat.

She seemed to have figured out the situation right away.

Yoo-hyun focused on the director’s voice for now.

He heard a lot of explanations, but there was nothing significant to catch.

The director didn’t know the details either, since he was in Korea. He just repeated the serious situation.

“I got it. I’ll contact Tae-soo hyung.”

-Thanks. I owe you one. Help me out until I get to the US.

Yoo-hyun didn’t know how to help or what part to help with.

But this was not the time to argue about that.

“Don’t worry. I’ll do whatever I can.”

Yoo-hyun, who brightened his eyes, hung up the phone and quickly headed to the driver’s seat.

Vroom.

Jeong Da-hye had already started the car and cleaned up the surroundings.

She then asked Yoo-hyun, who was approaching, to confirm.

“You’re going to help the junior fighter you care about, right? He’s in New York now, right?”

“I think so, but wait a minute. I haven’t confirmed it yet.”

It was a dark night with little light.

The director’s words might not be true, so it was too risky to move right away.

But Jeong Da-hye thought differently.

“Here. Look at this.”

Swoosh.

Yoo-hyun picked up the phone she handed him.

There was an internet article that had just been posted.

The director’s words were true.

“Damn it.”

While Yoo-hyun was dumbfounded, Jeong Da-hye moved the gear.

She had already made up her mind to move.

Yoo-hyun reached out to her, who was always impatient.

“Da-hye, driving at night is dangerous.”

“You know I’m the best driver.”

“Still. I’ll do it.”

“No. I’ll start first, and you find out more about the situation. That’s more urgent.”

Vroom.

Jeong Da-hye said that and moved the car.

It was a quick decision she made while Yoo-hyun, who was a friend of Lee Jang-woo, hesitated.

Yoo-hyun put aside his gratitude for now and called Kim Tae-soo.

It was better to check with Kim Tae-soo, the coach, than with Lee Jang-woo, who was sensitive because of the weight loss.

The phone rang for a while before Kim Tae-soo answered.

It would be better for Jeong Da-hye to listen as well, so Yoo-hyun switched to speakerphone.

“Hyung, are you in New York?”

-Yeah, I just arrived. What’s up?

“I heard there was a problem. From the director.”

-Ah. He must have called you because you’re good at English.

“I’ll go. Maybe tomorrow…”

Yoo-hyun hesitated a little and winked, and Jeong Da-hye quickly understood and opened her mouth.

“I think we can get there by lunchtime.”

-Don’t push yourself. It’s not something that can be solved by you coming.

“I’ll decide that after I hear it. Tell me what’s going on.”

-It’s all because I’m stupid.

“Don’t blame yourself.”

It was the first time Yoo-hyun heard such a weak voice from Kim Tae-soo, who was always straightforward.

‘It must be a big mess.’

Yoo-hyun guessed the situation and waited, and Kim Tae-soo explained reluctantly.

-Ha! What happened is that Smack Sports…

Yoo-hyun listened to his explanation through the speaker.

Smack Sports was Lee Jang-woo’s US agency.

They managed Asian fighters, and they had been connected with Lee Jang-woo since his US debut.

There was a stake issue with the Number One Gym, but the director made a big concession.

Instead, he added a condition that they would not force any external activities other than fighting.

It was to let Lee Jang-woo focus on the match in a good environment.

That’s how Lee Jang-woo had been training using Smack Sports’ infrastructure.

Everything from training to coaching, securing sparring partners, etc. was done by Smack Sports.

Lee Jang-woo’s two wins in the UFC were also thanks to this support.

Yoo-hyun, who knew the overall background, asked.

“So you’re saying that Smack Sports confirmed Jang-woo’s changed opponent without notifying him?”

-Yeah. We only found out after it was decided.

“But how can the opponent change so arbitrarily?”

-The other side got injured.

“Still. Then what’s the point of all the training Jang-woo did?”

-It’s unfair, but there’s nothing we can do. Jang-woo is a champion in Korea, but he’s just an Asian outside the rankings in the UFC world stage. And…

From the UFC’s perspective, they couldn’t change the schedule for a low-impact match.

It was the first event to be held in New York, so it was also more sensitive.

Apart from these factors, this was not a disadvantage for Lee Jang-woo on the surface.

Anyone could see that it was more unfavorable for the person who was suddenly put in, than for Lee Jang-woo who had been practicing for months.

Yoo-hyun also agreed with that.

“It’s an unavoidable problem.”

-Yeah. I understand that. I could also forgive and forget them not telling us. But there’s a bigger problem.

“What is it?”

-The UFC side held a press conference to announce the change of opponent. That’s why we came to New York.

“And Smack Sports bailed on you?”

Yoo-hyun mentioned what he had heard from the director, and Kim Tae-soo nodded without a long explanation.

-Yeah. They canceled everything, from the practice schedule to the place, that was set up in New York.

“Why?”

-I don’t know. They suddenly made an unreasonable demand, and when I said no, they said they couldn’t work with us anymore. And they threw it at us like that, after sending us to New York.

It sounded like a problem with complex interests involved.

But it was already done.

Yoo-hyun decided to focus more on the current situation, rather than digging into the background.

“How is Jang-woo?”

-I put him in a hotel and told him to rest. I’ll order his diet while we’re here. The problem is the press conference that’s happening tomorrow. He’s too stressed to handle it.

It was understandable that he was having a hard time, with everything going wrong before a big match.

“What time is it?”

-2 p.m. Just in case, I’m planning to be there an hour before.

“Okay, wait for me.”

-Like I said, there’s nothing you can do even if you come.

“You know I’m better at English than you.”

-That’s true, but. Sigh. Well, it would be better to have you than no interpreter.

Whether it was interpreting or anything else, Yoo-hyun was willing to help his junior in any way he could.

Lee Jang-woo was that precious to him.

Yoo-hyun, who was pondering the situation, asked with a hint of doubt.

“What are you going to do after the press conference? There’s no way without Smack Sports, right?”

-I’m looking around.

“But you said you don’t even have a place to practice.”

-I’ll take care of that, so don’t worry about it. And don’t let Jang-woo know if you can. He wouldn’t want to show you this side of him.

“Okay. Please take good care of Jang-woo.”

Yoo-hyun hung up the phone after asking him to take care.

He didn’t intend to contact Lee Jang-woo right away.

He learned from Jeong Da-hye that when someone was having a hard time, it was better to be by their side than to comfort them with words.

Solving the tangled problem was more important.

How do I do that?

As he was thinking, Jeong Da-hye, who was holding the steering wheel, asked.

“Is Smack Sports a big company?”

“Not really. They’re mostly focused on Asians, so they’re kind of marginal.”

“What about the agency of the new opponent?”

“I don’t know. Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering. Maybe there was some kind of deal between the agencies.”

“A deal?”

Yoo-hyun was surprised by the unexpected word.

Jeong Da-hye speculated based on her experience.

“Yes. I don’t know the details, but it’s weird, right? Making a unilateral decision and ditching the fighter.”

“It is weird. Are you saying that Smack Sports took some money and abandoned Jang-woo?”

“It’s just a guess. I’ve been hit in the back of the head so hard.”

Jeong Da-hye said it jokingly, but it wasn’t a baseless story.

Yoo-hyun picked up his phone right away.

“I’ll have to check it out.”

“Check it out and then switch with me.”

“Okay. You must be tired, so take a break.”

It was close to midnight, so the road lights were poor.

It wasn’t easy to grab the steering wheel without being prepared.

Yoo-hyun thought so, but Jeong Da-hye said something completely different.

“No, I have a colleague who used to consult for a UFC agency. I thought it might help, so I wanted to check it out.”

Yoo-hyun was speechless for a moment.

“How do you do that?”

“What?”

“You’re too smart. I really want to hug you.”

“Stop talking nonsense and check it out first.”

Jeong Da-hye smiled and waved her hand.

Yoo-hyun put aside his regret and opened an internet page.

The camper kept moving forward as he searched.

New York was about 1,500 kilometers away from Jacksonville.

It was a distance that could be reached in 14 hours without stopping, along the Atlantic coast.

Since it took a lot of time, the two took turns driving.

Yoo-hyun drove until dawn, and then Jeong Da-hye took over.

Vroom.

When Yoo-hyun woke up from a short sleep, it was bright outside.

He could see the sparkling Atlantic Ocean through the right window.

A blue sign passed by.

-Washington D.C.

It was only 8 a.m., but they were already in Washington.

The estimated arrival time on the navigation was 12 o’clock, which was an hour earlier than before.

It meant that Jeong Da-hye had driven that fast in a short time.

Zing.

Even now, when a large truck passed by, there was no shaking.

Yoo-hyun had to admit it.

‘She’s the best driver.’

She was so focused on driving that she didn’t even notice Yoo-hyun coming out.

When Yoo-hyun sat in the passenger seat, Jeong Da-hye was surprised.

“Yoo-hyun, why did you wake up so early?”

“I slept well. Are you not tired of driving?”

“I am. But if you’re going to ask me to switch, forget it. I’m in the zone.”

“Okay. I prepared some coffee for you. Full of ice, right?”

“You really know my taste.”

Jeong Da-hye smiled and took the coffee that Yoo-hyun handed her.