Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Three-Legged Race Victory
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(La)
The student teacher stretched out his arm.
Just from that simple stretch, cheers erupted from the girls around us. Were all the girls in our school planning to lose their voices today?
Jeong Eun-seong and Seo Jae-kyeom, puffing out their shoulders to look taller, trembled beside me, but there was no other way.
Grow taller, you teenagers.
"Alright, Teacher, we're counting on you! Da-hye, sorry about this!"
"Yes, just leave it to me..."
I sent our pale-faced homeroom teacher to the bathroom and stepped forward with the student teacher. As I slipped the sponge band for the three-legged race around our ankles that PE had handed out, I glanced up at him cautiously.
This feels uneasy.
Our homeroom teacher and I were about the same height... but this guy and I had nearly a 30-centimeter difference.
Sensing my gaze, the student teacher smiled brightly.
"Nervous?"
"A little...?"
I couldn't afford to trip again. My knee was already scraped.
"It's fine. We don't need to go fast. As long as we don't fall, we'll win."
"But I feel like I will... Our strides don't match."
"It's fine. You won't fall."
"......"
Was this the confidence of a Korea University student?
"What's with the pants?"
"Oh. I fell during the relay earlier."
He must not have seen while preparing for the talent show. I shrugged as I looked down at my bloodstained gym pants.
"And you're still running?"
"Seo Jae-kyeom exceeded the limit for events per person. If I don't go, we'll have to forfeit."
"Just forfeit."
Don't say it so easily! Instead of yelling, I pointed to the pile of prize boxes in front of the teachers' tent.
"I want those."
"Culture vouchers?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"To buy workbooks."
"Of course. I love that goal-oriented attitude. Just like my future junior."
"Yes."
"The first-years' events still have a bit before they finish. Want to practice?"
"Sure."
I pressed my body against the student teacher's and circled the track. Despite the awkward, uncomfortable feeling, our breathing synced perfectly. Our speed was pretty good too.
This might actually work?
Walking silently felt too weird, so I started chatting.
"Teacher, what was it like when you got into Korea University?"
"I cried. My homeroom teacher back in senior year was Mr. Na Mun-gwa. I was sniffling at home and called him, but he already knew. He said he logged in with my info the moment results came out."
"Argh... He should've told me...!"
"Right?!"
Silence.
"Don't you want to know if I went regular admission or early, or what my CSAT grades were?"
"Sure, whatever."
Did it even matter asking a Korea University student about grades?
Besides, at his age—old enough for student teaching—he'd probably forgotten when the CSAT even was.
"Korea University's tuition is cheap."
"Yep. National university perks."
"Getting into Korea University really is the best way to repay your parents."
"Exactly. Tutoring gigs come easy too."
"Really?"
"Yeah. The office gets calls asking to connect them all the time."
"Wow."
As we chatted about this and that, the first-years' events wrapped up.
"Ready to go?"
"Yep."
"Kang Da!"
Seo Jae-kyeom, who had snapped his own baton in half, waved along with our now thoroughly dejected Class 1 homeroom teacher and Ji-su, whose legs were already tied.
"Who's your class president?"
"Stomachache."
"Did she maybe drink that canned coffee from the school gate truck?"
"How'd you know?"
"Kang Da-hye! I'll have revenge for my baton, got it?"
Our neighboring class's homeroom teacher, standing far off, pointed alternately at Seo Jae-kyeom and me with a glare.
"How tense."
I nodded and took my place at the starting line.
Here we go.
The final leg for those vouchers.
"3, 2, 1..."
Bang!
What followed was me grunting and struggling so pathetically that I'll just skip it...
Ji-su's homeroom teacher recovered from her stomachache—why was she so fast?!
Seeing them tumble right next to us made me panic, and my feet tangled on their own. Let's just say the student teacher basically carried me across.
"Waaah!"
"It's okay. We crossed the finish line."
"Really?!"
"We won."
"Oh!"
I looked up at the scoreboard.
⚙ SCOREBOARD ⚙ Yeon: 360 Go: 340 ⚙ SCOREBOARD ⚙ Go: 390 Yeon: 365 "Wow!"
"It actually worked!"
I shot my hand up in excitement but nearly toppled over because our legs were still tied.
The student teacher steadied my wobble and grinned.
"Thanks to me, right?"
"Yes! Thank you so much!"
If anyone asks who saved our class! Just point them to the Korea University guy!
Seeing how pleased I was, the student teacher tilted his head playfully.
"Glad it worked out. Nice way to end on a high note."
"Huh?"
"You weren't a fan of me, Da-hye."
"......"
Was it that obvious?
"Did I redeem myself a bit?"
He winked as he personally untied the sponge band from my leg.
He was handsome, sure.
No. Snap out of it. Looks aren't everything.
"It wasn't that bad..."
Just a suspicious adult getting too friendly with a minor on first meeting...
There are too many weirdos these days...
As I hemmed and hawed, he smiled like he knew exactly what I meant.
"I like hardworking people. Makes me want to help out."
"You, Teacher...?"
You don't seem the type to care about others.
"You wouldn't know, Da-hye. I've got a huge nosy streak."
"Oh..."
"It's been a while since I met a future junior with a similar vibe, so I got overly excited. Good thing we cleared up the misunderstanding at the end."
"Ah... Today's your last day, right?"
"Yeah. Glad it ended well. ...That offer to contact me when you get to Korea University? Dead serious. I'll buy you a meal."
"Hmm..."
You won't even be at the school...
"Nah, with all the sunbaes and unnies lining up to treat you to meals, I might not even get a turn. Still, say hi if we bump into each other on campus, okay?"
"Sure."
Fair enough. I nodded.
Any more pushing and I'd really get suspicious, but he wrapped it up neatly.
How beautiful the back of a student teacher who knows exactly when to leave.
"Teacher!"
"Don't go!"
"We'll miss you!"
"Will you give me a school tour if I visit?!"
I parted from the crowd swarming him and headed to the stands.
"Kang Da-hye!"
"Da-hye!"
"I knew you could do it! Our class president!"
Comebacks must feel thrilling. The kids were going wild—even the apathetic ones flushed with excitement.
As I watched, I turned to the scoreboard.
🏆 FINAL RESULTS 🏆 Gogogo High School 26th Unity Sports Festival Results Winning Team: Go Team Today's MVP: Ye-su-a (2-1) Popularity Award: Seo Jae-kyeom (2-1), Jeong Eun-seong (2-1) Cheering Award: Yeon Team (All Members) Hmm.
It felt a bit like that part in Harry Potter where the headmaster shoehorns points into Gryffindor to force a first-place win...
But we won!
"The winning team receives 50,000-won culture vouchers and a special sponsored math workbook set for this occasion..."
"Woo!"
Exciting!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "The closing ceremony will follow shortly..."
💬 KakaoTalk Do Ha-jun You okay? ㅠㅠ
>Bandage on a girl's leg is no good ㅠ
>15:32
"Ha..."
Should I block him?
"Where'd Jang Ji-won and Park Su-hwan wander off to? Sports festival isn't over yet."
"Kang Da-hye."
I asked Seo Jae-kyeom, who was returning after handing in the flag.
"Seen Jang Ji-won or Park Su-hwan by any chance?"
"They were holding hands and heading out earlier."
"......Not going home, right."
"Nah, they had their bags. Anyway."
"Yeah?"
"Your leg okay?"
"Oh."
Definitely—the bandage had peeled off from running too hard and was dangling.
"Gotta fix this up before I go."
We're heading to Se-in's place to hang out today. Can't show up like this.
"Go on. If homeroom asks, I'll say you left because of your leg."
"Thanks."
Oh, and grab the books from my locker too. I headed to the classroom.
Slide.
I tried closing the door without looking, but someone grabbed the frame from behind with a thud.
"Eek."
"Why jump?"
It was Jeong Eun-seong.
"Why'd you come up?"
"To re-bandage you."
"Oh."
Being indebted twice felt a bit much...
"I'll do it myself."
"I wasted my precious knee joints climbing all the way here just for this?"
He pointed at the desk like sit already, then knelt on one knee in front of me again.
That crown of his head, without the usual part, was visible once more.
"I'm really fine..."
"You put ointment on my sprain before too. Consider it payback. A handsome guy repaying a favor."
"Sigh."
Emphasizing handsome, Jeong Eun-seong cut the gauze swiftly and peeled off the bandage. His touch was more deft than last time, experience showing.
"So, happy about the vouchers?"
"Yeah. Super."
"What for?"
"Workbooks."
"More ones to buy?"
"Yep. Planning to tackle every single workbook out there at the bookstore."
"Classic. Rooting for you."
"Thanks."
"All done. Hurt if I press?"
Jeong Eun-seong carefully covered my knee with his hand and looked up.
Our eyes met, and I unconsciously swallowed hard.
That's when...
"Kang Da-hye, you forgot your ointment..."
Seo Jae-kyeom froze in the doorway, holding a bandage and ointment tube in one hand.