When a scream, not a roar, escaped from Jeon Kwang-in, who was always fighting and bright, the stadium cooled down in an instant. ‘Best friend’ Seo Jae-deok’s expression was full of guilt and regret. It was a truly tragic twist of fate.

Seo Jae-deok and Jeon Kwang-in are ‘soulmates’ representing the volleyball world. The two players, who were two years senior and junior at Sungkyunkwan University, joined KEPCO45 (currently Korea Electric Power Corporation) side by side in 2011 with Seo Jae-deok and Kwang-in Jeon in 2013, so they became pros. The two players played a big role together, turning a team that had been in the bottom of the ten thousand years into a competitive team, and their friendship gradually grew stronger. In the 2016-2017 V-League All-Star Game, he even wore a uniform with the words ‘Envy Seo Jae-deok (Jeon Kwang-in)’ and ‘I’m not envious Jeon Kwang-in (Seo Jae-deok)’ respectively.

Even though Jeon Kwang-in moved to Hyundai Capital in 2018, Seo Jae-deok and Jeon Kwang-in are so inseparable that each other is always mentioned in each interview. When KEPCO and Hyundai Capital face each other, the two players always exchange greetings before the game, chatting or joking around.

The same was true ahead of the Dodram 2022-2023 V-League Men’s Round 6 match between Hyundai Capital and KEPCO, which took place on the 9th at Yu Gwan-sun Gymnasium in Cheonan. Before the match, the two players had a friendly conversation. However, once the match started, the two players faced each other fiercely. The heat on the court was very hot as it was a head-to-head confrontation between Hyundai Capital and KEPCO, who were in an all-out battle to reclaim first and third place, respectively.

During the exciting first set, an unexpected accident occurred. With KEPCO leading 19-17, Seo Jae-deok used a light quick open and Jeon Kwang-in tried to block. The ball hit by Jeon Kwang-in’s hand was narrowly digged by Jo Geun-ho and the moment when the rally wanted to continue, referee Nam Young-soo hurriedly raised his hand and declared a replay.

The reason was Jeon Kwang-in’s injury. In the process of landing after the attack, Seo Jae-deok’s right foot slightly crossed the center line, and Jeon Kwang-in, who was landing after blocking, stepped on it with his right foot and broke his ankle. Jeon Kwang-in screamed and collapsed onto the court, and referee Nam Young-soo quickly called the medical team.

Cheonan fans chanted Jeon Kwang-in’s name and waited for Jeon Kwang-in to wake up, but Jeon Kwang-in continued to complain of pain and couldn’t get up, so a stretcher was brought into the court. Seo Jae-deok’s expression as he watched this was full of guilt and regret, and as Jeon Gwang-in continued to groan in pain, Seo Jae-deok wrapped his head around his head and shook his head.  

After a while, Jeon Gwang-in stood up without relying on a stretcher, supported by his teammates, and exited the court with a determined expression. In the appearance of Jeon Kwang-in, who called Kim Myung-gwan and delivered what he had to say until the last moment, his sense of responsibility and desire to win were conveyed intact.

Hong Dong-seon was put in Jeon Kwang-in’s place and the game resumed, and Jeon Kwang-in did not return to the court until the end of the game. The game ended with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-22) victory for KEPCO. On this day, Seo Jae-deok performed well. He posted 14 points with a 68.75% attack success rate and scored 3 serves.  

However, Seo Jae-deok could not laugh at his team’s victory or his own great performance. Seo Jae-deok suffered from the guilt that Jeon Gwang-in, who was more than just a friend, was injured because of him. Even after the game, Seo Jae-deok had a firm expression, and his eyes seemed to be reddened as if his emotions had become complicated. Seo Jae-deok, who was mentally shocked, was in a state of difficulty responding to interviews with reporters after the game, and in the end, the honored player interview was conducted by Tais Leul Host (registered name Tais) alone. 카지노

After the game, the coaches of both teams expressed their regret for Jeon Kwang-in’s injury. Director Choi Tae-woong said, “Right now, I am more worried about Jeon Kwang-in than anything else. He has not yet been informed of his condition. He is undergoing an MRI scan at the hospital,” he explained the situation. Seungjang coach Kwon Young-min also said, “(Former) Kwang-in got injured, so I feel sorry for him. (Seo) Jaedeok and Gwangin are really close, but Jaedeok is having a hard time too. I hope that Kwang-in will recover quickly so that he can compete in the game.”

On the other hand, an official from the Hyundai Capital team said about the confirmation of Jeon Kwang-in’s injury status, “Because the time is late, it is not clear whether we can complete all the tests necessary to check the condition today (9th). I think it will be possible to finish the test and confirm the results tomorrow (the 10th) afternoon.”

For Hyundai Capital, winning the regular season or escaping from a losing streak is not important anymore. The recovery of Jeon Gwang-in is their only interest and desire. It will be the wish of not only Hyundai Capital, but also all volleyball players and fans, including this reporter. I look forward to seeing ‘Captain’ Jeon Kwang-in return to the court and smile brightly.