Jeong Eun-ji Crumbles
As the sports day drew near, the entire atmosphere at Jinsu High grew incredibly heated. The boys' primary concern was obviously soccer, but conversations about various other events were buzzing as well. Among them, the hottest topic was the Borrow-an-Item Race.
"How many couples do you think will come out this time?"
"It'd be nice if they told us what the notes say this time around."
"No way they will. They never do."
"If I join the student council now, could I be a judge during the sports day?"
"Dumbass, you'd really slave away in the student council just to see that once?"
The Borrow-an-Item Race. On the surface it was just running one lap around the track, but this time they'd mixed in obstacle-course elements to make it more entertaining. There were sections where you had to jump and bite donuts hanging from structures without using your hands, and the main highlight was, as the name suggested, "borrowing an item."
You drew a slip and had to borrow whatever "something" was written on it from anyone, then present it to the judge to cross the finish line. Apparently the possibilities were endless. And according to Jinsu High's long-standing tradition, one of those slips always contained the words "the person you like."
The problem was that revealing the contents meant disqualification, and the judges would never tell you what it said. Only the person involved and the judge who confirmed it would know. Because of that, whenever a girl borrowed something from a guy or vice versa, everyone assumed it had to be "the person you like." And regardless of what was actually drawn, it led to a lot of couples forming.
Everyone who saw that the Borrow-an-Item Race was included in this sports day immediately started speculating about who might end up together. Most people who volunteered for the event were those hoping to connect with someone, regardless of gender.
Just as the excitement about the upcoming sports day was reaching its peak, the teacher who walked into the classroom killed the mood.
"Hey, you punks. Sports day is all well and good, but shouldn't you be worrying about the test first, huh?"
"Teach, the sports day's right around the corner. Can't we just go outside and practice for it?"
"The test is in two days and all you idiots can think about is playing around. Open your books. Now."
"Ehhhh~"
"What the hell do you mean, 'Ehhhh~'!"
Just like the teacher said, although the May sports day was almost here, the May test was even closer. It was basically the same as the April test except for the material covered, but for me and Jeong Eun-ji it carried a slightly special meaning.
Jeong Eun-ji, who had caused an incident so massive that no one could handle the fallout and nearly destroyed her own life, seemed to have learned her lesson. This time she kept insisting we settle things with just the two of us without stirring up any more trouble.
Of course, the penalty was... especially the one Jeong Eun-ji would receive if she lost again. It was absolutely enormous.
When Lee Yu-ri heard we were having another match, she sighed and said, "I don't even know anymore. Do whatever you two want," before giving up on mediating. And so we entered round two. This time, without any help from Yu-ri or Choi Su-yeon, relying solely on our own power.
And when the test results came out...
......
"Haa... Do you two really have to take it this far every single time? You didn't even tell me what you were betting on this round..."
Before checking the score tags, Lee Yu-ri sighed and looked back and forth between me and Jeong Eun-ji. From her perspective, it was completely understandable that she couldn't comprehend why we were doing something so stupid.
"After suffering that kind of humiliation last time, I can't live like this! This time I'll definitely win and get my revenge!"
"But what if you lose again..."
Lee Yu-ri voiced a perfectly reasonable concern, but Jeong Eun-ji, who clearly belonged in the gambling addiction risk group, simply pounded her own chest.
"I'm Eun-ji! Jeong Eun-ji! When I decide to do something, I do it right! I studied like crazy this time, you know? I'm confident!"
"Seong-jin, you should stop this too. Are you two seriously going to keep fighting over test scores all year?"
"I was just sitting there. She came charging at me first. And by the looks of it, she has no intention of backing down."
"You know it! So Yu-ri, check them for us. Here, this is my tag."
"Haa... Next time I'm really not checking these for you. Compare them yourselves or whatever. Give them here."
Lee Yu-ri took the tags from both of us, sighed, and unfolded one.
"Eun-ji's average score is 69 points."
"See? It went up a lot! That's how hard I studied!"
"And Seong-jin... uh..."
Lee Yu-ri unfolded my tag and glanced at Jeong Eun-ji with an expression that said she had no idea what to do.
"Seong-jin's... average score is 70 points."
"!!!"
"Nice! That's what I'm talking about! See? I told you that you can't beat me!"
Jeong Eun-ji's eyes widened as she snatched the tag from Lee Yu-ri's hand and scanned it frantically. Then those same eyes and her entire expression rapidly flooded with despair.
Two consecutive losses. And to lose twice in a row to me, Han Seong-jin, the biggest idiot among idiots and a hopeless delinquent thug at that, meant that whatever pride Jeong Eun-ji had left was destined to be shattered into pieces.
"Hey, remember that you were the one who suggested this bet? You remember what I put on the line, right? Don't even think about trying to back out."
"......"
I ruffled the hair of the half-catatonic Jeong Eun-ji and gave her a bit of teasing, but she couldn't even muster the will to shake me off. She just kept muttering the same words like someone who had lost her mind.
"This can't be... It's only a one-point difference... Just a one-point difference... This can't be..."
"But the first digit is completely different. You're in the 60s. I'm in the 70s. I'll be counting on you from now on, got it?"
"Ugh... Uuuu... Uk..."
When Jeong Eun-ji's body began to tremble uncontrollably, Lee Yu-ri read the room and pulled me away to give her some space. Unable to contain her frustration, Jeong Eun-ji stayed behind alone in the now-empty classroom after everyone else had gone home and finally burst into tears.
"Huuueeeeng! Uwaaaaaaaaang! Huuuk, I'm so pissed... Uheeeooong!"
......
A little time passed. While Lee Yu-ri headed back to the student council room for last-minute sports day preparations, I returned to the classroom. Jeong Eun-ji was still sitting there with her face buried in her desk.
I walked up behind her and began massaging both of her shoulders. The moment she felt my hands, she knew it was me. Still refusing to lift her head, she muttered,
"Don't touch me."
"I'm the one who gives the orders around here. You're not in any position to be telling me what to do."
At that, Jeong Eun-ji's head shot up. Her eyes, slightly swollen from crying, glared at me fiercely.
"Orders? Fine, give them then! Do whatever the hell you want! What, are you going to make me strip like last time!? Or should I dance naked for you right here?!"
"Hmm. That's actually a pretty good idea. Maybe I'll make you do that later."
"Kuh..."
"We'll think about that later. Come with me."
I took Jeong Eun-ji out to the sports field. The sun was still bright, but since it was well after school hours on a Friday afternoon, hardly anyone was around.
Jeong Eun-ji, who had very bad memories associated with "doing something on the sports field," watched me nervously with a slightly frightened expression.
"What... are you planning to do?"
"Nothing special. I just want to work out together."
"...... What?"
"The sports day's coming up soon, and I'll be playing soccer and all sorts of stuff. Figured I should build up at least a little stamina beforehand. So let's work out together. You're on the track team, so you've got good endurance and you know the routines, right?"
"...That's really all?"
"What, were you expecting me to strip you naked out here or something?"
At those words, Jeong Eun-ji wrapped both arms around her chest and took a step back.
"W-who said that?! It was just too normal, so it felt weird! That's why!"
"I'll make you do the not-normal stuff later, so look forward to that separately."
"Damn it..."
"Instead, don't complain or get annoyed while we're working out. Treat me like you're teaching Gong Yeong-bae. Be gentle about it. This is an order."
"Haa? No matter what, there's no way you're the same as Yeong-bae!"
"Well, I'm way more fit, manly, and better-looking than him, right?"
Jeong Eun-ji's expression grew even more contemptuous than before.
"Alright then. Shall we receive some close and personal training from our cute but foul-tempered Eun-ji?"
"W-what are you saying! Don't say such disgusting things!"
"I told you to treat me like Gong Yeong-bae, didn't I?"
"Damn it, damn it, damn it..."
After that, I started after-school workouts with Jeong Eun-ji. It was Friday, so I had no part-time shift, and we had plenty of time. Jeong Eun-ji initially looked suspicious, but since it was basically just adding one more person to her usual routine, she quickly regained her composure.
"Your posture is completely wrong. You'll strain your lower back like that. How can someone as big as you have such terrible workout form?"
"It's natural talent. I never learned properly. Stop talking and just teach me. If possible, it'd be nice if you taught me in a more intimate, thiccc kind of way?"
"That's not teaching! You were the one who suggested working out together, so I'll only do exactly that!"
"Oh? So if I'd asked you to teach me perverted exercises from the start, you would've done it?"
"T-that's not possible! Even if I lost, there's still a line!"
And so the workout continued for a while longer. By the time the sky began to take on a reddish tint, we finished. In the warm yet slightly cool spring evening air, we wiped away our beads of sweat.
"Whew. Good work, Jeong Eun-ji."
"Huu... I don't have much experience teaching guys how to work out..."
I pulled out the handkerchief I'd prepared in my pocket beforehand and walked over to her. Jeong Eun-ji, who had been catching her breath with both hands on her knees, suddenly flinched and hunched her shoulders when I reached out to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
"Kyaaak?! W-what are you doing?"
"Wiping your sweat."
"Why are you... I-It's fine, just stop it."
"Stay still. This is an order."
"Uuu..."
Jeong Eun-ji seemed extremely awkward with me treating her affectionately. She twisted her body, clearly not knowing how to react. Our relationship had been so bad, yet if you looked at just this moment, it looked like we were incredibly close... maybe even like a couple.
After wiping the sweat from Jeong Eun-ji's forehead and the nape of her neck with the handkerchief, I pulled my hand back and asked,
"Hey. Do you know why I made sure it was just the two of us?"
"How would I know that."
Her voice was a complicated mix of embarrassment, shyness, and her usual hostility toward me, though it lacked the same intensity as before.
I brought up the thing that had been bothering me ever since I first heard about it.
"Don't get angry and just listen. That friend of yours from middle school, the one I supposedly got pregnant and forced to have an abortion... I've thought about it every single day without missing once since then, but I genuinely can't remember anything. Back then I blew it off as old news, but no matter how I think about it now, that doesn't feel right. I don't remember it, but I still think I should apologize. If I kneel and beg, does your friend have any intention of meeting me? I'm not planning to do anything weird when we meet, so please believe that much at least."
"Uh..."
Jeong Eun-ji seemed flustered by my words and could only open and close her mouth. From her perspective, someone who knew all about my middle school days, the image of me begging for forgiveness was naturally unimaginable... or so I thought.
But the words that came out of her mouth were something I could never have imagined.
"...... She says it wasn't you."
"What?"
"That... I only found out recently too, but the one who got my friend pregnant back then... it wasn't you. The one who told her to abort it wasn't you either..."
"...... Huh?"