NHL 12

Once you start getting swept up by people trying to escape into the web-like network of alleyways to avoid the surging crowds, it was common to find yourself pushed all the way to a quiet lane at the edge of the market before you knew it.

Even so, nearly a million visitors found their way here every year. It was an effort to overcome the bleakness and gloom of a seemingly endless Canadian winter with the vitality of a festival.

Since Joeon had visited a few times before, he remembered the way clearly. After passing through Union Station and heading out the main exit, you go one block east to find the bus stop, where the bus heading near the Distillery District passes by. Otherwise, there is also the way of walking to King Street and taking a streetcar.

Instead of being picky about the route, Joeon decided to just go along with his coworkers this year. His colleagues chose to walk to King Street through the underground shopping center and take the streetcar.

The underground shopping center was tightly packed with various shops, from clothing stores and accessory boutiques to telecommunications agency offices. Joeon, who had been scanning posters promoting discount events in conspicuous red lettering with soulless eyes, suddenly came to a stop.

In front of a telecommunications store widely known as one of the sponsors for the hockey team, there was a poster large enough to monopolize an entire window, and there was a very familiar face on it.

Tyler, who deftly noticed that Joeon had fallen behind the group, approached and stood silently by his side. When Joeon looked up at the presence, Tyler asked while stroking the mustache he had been painstakingly growing since autumn like a sage.

“Hmm, Dylan McClain. He’s an indispensable player for the Polar Bears.”

“Is he that great?”

“Of course. Kevin Matt is holding down the first line powerfully, but Dylan is always eyeing that spot. Fans even say there’s no big difference between the first line and the second line, and from what I see, that’s correct. The power play they run together is really…. Whoa! The synergy is incredible. I wish they would play on the same line.”

“Is that so?”

“For reference, they place more skilled attackers on the first line. So, even though they keep switching lines during the game, the first-line players have longer playing time. That’s when most of the goals are scored, too.”

Joeon didn’t understand even half of what Tyler was saying properly, but he clearly understood that Dylan was an incredible player. Coming from someone who has played hockey for a long time, it was believable.

“Dylan’s strength is that he is still very young. But since his market value has skyrocketed in just a few years since his debut, considering his potential, it is certain that he will be a player who makes a mark in the history of the Polar Bears—no, the NHL.”

“His market value… has risen that much?”

As he asked cautiously because it was a sensitive subject to ignore, Tyler’s gaze, having seen through his worldly intentions, filled with mirth as if teasing Joeon.

“Oh, indeed. People like us could never earn that amount in a lifetime unless we won the lottery.”

Tyler, who wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, turned his body to catch up with the group moving away. Then, he turned his head toward Joeon and added one word.

“Ah, and that’s per year, too.”

Though they say a person’s true worth cannot be measured by money, the abilities players possess are stripped bare and quantified under the name of statistics at every moment they participate in a game, even being ranked. And this is linked to the value of their annual salary. What’s more important is that all those salaries are publicly disclosed. It goes without saying what the scale of criticism would be for a player deemed not worth that much.

No matter how much the labor market functions by prioritizing meritocracy and performance-based systems, some degree of flexibility usually exists, but the world of professional athletes was not like that.

Joeon could not even dare to fathom how heavy the burden must have been to survive in a cutthroat world where even one’s childhood performance is picked apart, only to rise as a core starting member.

However, Dylan seemed pure and innocent for someone who had survived such a brutal jungle. Just like a young child who simply loves to glide freely on the ice. As he recalled Dylan’s blue eyes, which would curve softly and be dyed in warm light, a faint smile bloomed on Joeon’s face as well. Just then, a faint vibration rang from his pocket.

A name he hadn’t even thought of appeared on the screen. It was someone who had only left a polite remark about contacting him, but had not once followed through in several days.

「Hello」

When Joeon sent a return message saying 「Hello」 to Dylan, who had sent only that simple greeting, a “typing” indicator appeared soon, as if he had been watching the screen too.

「How have you been?」

「So-so. Have you been well, Dylan?」

「I’ve been so-so, too.」

「What were you doing?」

「Thinking of you.」

Joeon sent a reply that was the plain truth without thinking, then shouted “You crazy idiot!” and added a follow-up.

「I saw you while I was getting off work」

「Where are you now?」

With no other choice, Joeon went back to the path he had walked until just now, took a picture of the poster, and sent it to Dylan.

「I’m on my way to the Distillery District now.」

“Joeon! Tyler! Don’t get lost!”

Angie called the two from far away. She must have been worried they would fall behind.

“Coming!”

“The streetcar is arriving in one minute!”

“Oh, boy. Let’s run!”

Joeon and Tyler, who had been lagging, hurried their steps to join the group. Thanks to the pedestrian light changing right as they left the underground walkway and climbed up to King Street, they had to hurry to get across the street and board the streetcar.

“We almost missed it.”

“Perfect timing, right?”

“Perfect. Though I don’t want to experience it twice. I’ve been feeling heavy lately, so I don’t like running.”

Joeon, who stood huddled with his colleagues in one car, melted into the small talk they were sharing without knowing that the phone in his pocket was ringing.

By the time he confirmed that he had a missed call, he was already inside the event hall. Joeon thought about leaving him a message, but seeing there were no messages arriving separately after the missed call, he put his phone back into his coat pocket.

🏒🥅

“One coat and one bag. That’s number 58.”

“Thank you.”

Joeon received a small number tag from the coat check staff at the event hall entrance and turned, rubbing his forearm with his palm.

The event hall seemed to have the heater turned on to the maximum, but it was still full of a chilly vibe. Because it was built in a loft style with high ceilings, the warmth had not spread completely. The bleak and cold interior, which made it hard to expect the coziness of a hotel banquet hall, made the cold felt visually.

Looking up at the dizzying height, Joeon looked around to scout for a seat. Fortunately, his team members were gathered in a spot not too far away.

“As expected, our team members are all smart. We picked a table furthest from the entrance.”

“It feels just as cold, though.”

“Still, it’s better than the entrance. Don’t you think?”

Peter praised his team members and took a seat across from Joeon. A moment of embarrassment flashed across Joeon’s face, but since moving seats suddenly would be like openly avoiding him, he had no choice but to sit facing Peter.

It’s not that he dislikes him or feels uncomfortable with him. It’s just that dealing with a boss is difficult in any country.

Not long after nearly two hundred headquarters employees were all seated, the event started right on time. The executives came out in order and began to announce the year’s performance.

“As you can see on the screen, compared to the target set last year, this year’s performance achieved more than 3.5% as shown in the graph. It is all thanks to your hard work. Of course, some areas remained stagnant. However….”

Most of the materials shown by the executives were prepared by Joeon’s department, which is in charge of financial management. The supplementary explanations were not much different from what the team members had written. While listening to the presentation that felt feignedly boring, Joeon, who was yawning secretly, belatedly thought of the phone he had put in his coat pocket.