Jeon Jungkook is Korea's next gymnastics hopeful, preparing himself for the 2012 London Olympics. With the competition months away, Jungkook's coach pushes him into an American training camp in the state of Arizona where he will train alongside only...
My taste in music lies in classic rock. Something about guitar riffs, drum sets, and the urgent cries of the lead singer have always empowered me. Before all of my competitions, I listen to my iPod to get me prepared. To fire me up. Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Linkin Park, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden...the list goes on. I've always wanted to learn guitar, but have been too busy to do so because of gymnastics. Someday, when I can no longer flip to get a high, I'll take up guitar.
Someday...
But now I should get going for bed. Drink my red ginseng tea and do my night ritual. I'll have to purify my aura extra tonight, else Costa might get to me.
And he can't get to me.
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Feet bounce against the springs of the floor, launching gymnasts into the air. The heavy thump thump thump from the padded carpet apparatus is like an erratic heartbeat being revived by the energy of its arteries. In this case, the blood pumping during the Road to London camp is fiery, competitive, and filled with longing.
Jungkook jogs and bounds across the floor for warmups. The other men travel along the length of the floor in a straight line, following the commands of the lead trainer. Their personal coaches sit off to the side, watching intently. They do not chat with each other.
"Punch front tucks!" The order rings out into the empty space, filtering into the ears of the leotard-wearers.
Jungkook is wearing his normal blue warm-up leo with a pair of shorts. Some of the other gymnasts wear full length pants around their lower halves, depending on their personal preference. Like Costa, Jungkook likes to have his legs bare for class, revealing his bulked up, powerful legs without the blockade of fabric.
In tandem, the gymnasts hop once and explode into front flips. Even in warmups, they're expected to stick each flip cleanly, with their chests up and knees glued together. The pressure of several pair of eyes on them builds the heavy presence of nerves in the gym. Jungkook can feel the other men around him buzzing with judgment as they front tuck down the strip of floor, side-eyeing the others not so subtly.
"Good. Line up in corners. Round off handspring layout full."
The gymnasts nod their understanding, jogging over to the corners. Jungkook leads the east side of the floor to a corner while their hawk eyes settle on his back, picking apart his every movement. Costa leads the west portion of the floor to the other corner with a bit larger following than Jungkook. Although unspoken, the gym has already created their hierarchy around the two highest scorers, allowing the best to go first.
Costa and Jeon, the kings of the hill.
They stand in corners, staring at each other to determine who tumbles first down the diagonal. Jungkook has been avoiding looking at Costa the entire warmup, afraid that he might lose his focus if bombarded by red. But now he's forced to. And the other male, once again, sprouts that fiery red from every pore of his body.
