chapter 4
chapter 4
Translated by POWERPUFF
Transfer Student
Before regression and after regression, there was almost nothing I could call a hobby.
Studying had become more like a habit I kept up out of thinking about the future, and when I was younger I think I used to enjoy drawing, but that was so long ago I can barely remember it now. In the first place, I’m not someone with enough leisure to calmly enjoy art.
Anyway, the one thing I do enjoy to some extent is exercise.
It wasn’t like that from the beginning.
At first, the idea was simply that if my body got worse for no reason, it would only lead to hospital bills, so I should keep myself healthy.
But over time it became a habit, then something I enjoyed, and before I knew it, I had built a decent physique.
……
That body is gone now. Regression took care of all of that.
Even so, the year of training after regression brought significant results.
I naturally build muscle easily, I had already learned how to exercise properly before regression, and I had a certain talent for it, so it was possible to build a good body in no time.
Now that I’ve ended up in a world like this, there’s no one to show that body to anyway, but seeing broad shoulders and well-defined muscles still feels good.
Anyway, I’ve rambled on longer than necessary. What I really mean is just that I like exercise a bit. I also enjoy physical education class.
However, today’s PE class isn’t as enjoyable as I had hoped.
The reason is…
Because of a woman who is gently tossing an already dull and soft softball with very little force.
I don’t think it’s due to a lack of skill on her part.
She holds a position that sounds impressive, the “head of the physical education department,” and she seems to genuinely like sports.
Even from a quick glance at how she throws it, it’s clear.
Her throwing form isn’t ordinary, and the ball is being sent to positions that are easy for me to catch. This isn’t something you pick up after just trying once or twice.
So… considering this is a reverse world, she’s probably going easy on me.
The reversal of roles must be part of it, and my appearance likely plays a role too.
I’m the type of person who has been told the most in my life that I “look kind” and “look like a good student.”
Setting aside the kindness that doesn’t match my appearance, this kind of consideration is completely unnecessary for me.
I appreciate the thought, but fourth period PE is a very special time for me.
I can move freely and exercise, and if I go to the cafeteria a bit late after class, I can get more food.
I can also expend energy without pressure.
I caught the slowly flying ball and adjusted my stance slightly.
I don’t have any particular skill in baseball, but I’ve seen enough in my life to at least mimic a decent form.
The ball I threw with all my strength made a rather fierce sound for a softball as it flew forward.
With a thud, it slammed straight into Min Arin’s glove.
……
Was that too strong?
Her expression looks a bit strange.
I hadn’t been paying much attention, but her face is definitely intimidating.
Whoa.
Hmm. Whoa. Huh.
What is this.
Honestly, I was quite surprised.
Not because I thought he might be bad at sports because he’s a guy…
It just seemed obvious at a glance. Someone who had nothing to do with sports.
Look at that loose PE uniform.
If he really enjoyed sports, he wouldn’t be wearing something that doesn’t fit his body like that.
But now I realize I had clearly been wrong.
Thinking about it, assuming that a model student would take PE lightly was also a mistake.
A model student wouldn’t slack off even in PE class.
Anyway, after playing simple catch for a while and suddenly throwing a ball like that, maybe it was his way of signaling that it was okay to throw a bit harder.
Playing boring catch like this wouldn’t improve skills anyway, it would just kill time.
For me, this was a happy situation, so I put a bit more strength into my throw than before, and a fastball came back again.
In that way, the strength of each throw gradually increased.
I could feel the corners of my lips rising on their own.
Up until now, since I didn’t have many male friends, I had mostly played catch with female friends.
One of them had quite good athletic ability and regularly went to the gym, so playing catch with her was enjoyable in its own way.
But this felt different.
Compared to when I used to throw a hardball with all my strength, the power might be lacking, but there was a different kind of enjoyment.
Both of us were now using fairly serious pitching forms that no longer looked like simple catch.
This was my first time experiencing something like this.
Well… it wasn’t bad at all.
In fact, it was quite good.
Since I hadn’t expected anything, the unexpected situation felt even more refreshing.
This… should I ask to do this together again next time?
I usually paired up with HyunA, but she’ll probably handle things her own way.
She’s popular with guys anyway, so she’ll figure it out on her own.
After a long time passing while exchanging throws with Han Seunggi, I finally snapped back to reality after hearing the whistle signaling ten minutes before class ended.
From ten minutes before the end, free time is given during PE, and normally I would play soccer with friends during that time.
Over there, I could already see friends casually tossing gloves and bats and calling out to me.
Those idiots. How many times have I told them I’m the one who has to clean that up.
Suppressing a subtle irritation, I caught the ball from transfer student Han Seunggi.
"Are you going to clean up now?"
It seemed he had noticed my friends, as he said that.
His glasses were slightly crooked, and he was sweating quite a bit, so it looked like I might have pushed him too hard.
There’s a difference between trying hard and being good.
Han Seunggi was probably someone who simply took PE seriously rather than someone who excelled at or enjoyed sports, so I should have adjusted a bit.
And on top of that, he’s a guy.
That part was my mistake.
"Are you okay? Did I throw too hard?"
"It wasn’t hard enough to call it overdoing it. I’m just sweating because it’s hot."
His face looks gentle enough to belong to a saint, yet he has a subtle sense of pride…
No, it is getting warmer these days, and he’s wearing long sleeves. Maybe he really is just hot.
"That’s good then. Anyway, that was fun to throw. You were really good."
"I just watched a few games in the past."
I didn’t expect he had watched baseball games before.
While feeling a slight sense of surprise,
I arrived near the stands and casually tossed the ball while it was still in my glove.
That would be cleaned up by me anyway.
After exchanging a brief farewell with Han Seunggi, I ran off and joined a game already in progress.
I didn’t really know how the teams were formed, but I could just kick wherever.
Disrupting the game?
This is the fate of those who leave the stands in a mess.
After sending Min Arin off, I sat loosely on the stands.
It was the hottest part of the day, and perhaps due to global warming, the weather already felt unbearably hot.
Wearing the winter PE uniform had probably been a terrible choice.
I must have been out of my mind.
Even standing still, I could feel sweat soaking my hair and clothes.
It’s not that I dislike sweating itself.
But still.
The reason I put effort into PE class isn’t just to sweat aimlessly. It’s for my health.
Looking at the middle of the field, I could see Min Arin running around in her summer uniform.
……
Ah.
I really want to wear that. Why does it look so cool.
Sitting still made it feel even more tiring, so I decided to move a bit.
My target was the box containing PE equipment.
I moved over to the box and, still sitting on the stands, began slowly organizing the items.
Not much different from before, but it still felt slightly cooler.
While I was at it, a shadow fell over me.
The owner of the shadow was, of course, Cheon Sejun, the large-built male student I had gotten close to today.
"Uh… Seunggi, what are you doing? Why are you cleaning this up?"
"Ah. Well, just sitting around made me feel hotter."
"Hmm. Then want to go for a walk with me? Min Arin will clean this up later anyway. She just left her glove lying around too."
"No. I actually enjoy organizing. I’ll just stay like this."
"Wow… you’re really kind…."
"No…."
I actually quite like this kind of menial work.
It’s something where I can just move my body slowly without thinking.
To me, it was just an honest answer, but hearing something like that for something so ordinary.
Even after regression, the power of my appearance still seems strong.
At this point, I can confidently say there’s probably no one in Korea who has heard the word “kind” as often as I have.
Anyway, as I sat there talking with Cheon Sejun, other male students I had spoken with earlier gathered around us.
They asked the same questions about what I was doing, gave the same response about how kind I was, and then started taking over my work.
No, seriously, I’m doing this because I’m hot.
Everyone in this class seems generally friendly and kind, but this could be called a tragic incident caused by an asymmetry of information.
Before I knew it, the work had been finished in an instant.
Ah. I’m still hot though.
This feels a bit unfair.
And there’s nothing I can really say about it.
PE class somehow came to an end.
Since I ended up sitting still and talking with friends almost forcibly, I did eventually cool down.
And now it was lunchtime.
I entered the school cafeteria when lunchtime was already well underway.
There were almost no lines, and not many people either.
Why deliberately choose this time to eat?
Because there is always leftover food, and the staff serving meals tend to give out whatever is left if you ask.
I couldn’t make my friends wait just so I could eat more, so I entered the cafeteria alone.
But then, right in front of me was yellow hair.
Considering this is a reverse world, he probably just finished exercising with the others and came here late.
"Min Arin?"
"Huh? Oh? Han Seunggi? Why are you eating now?"
"If you come at this time, they give you more food."
"Ah…"
"Why?"
"Just… I was surprised."
"I hear that a lot."
“Surprised” is also something I’ve heard many times in my life.
After a brief conversation with Min Arin, it seemed just as I expected—she was late because of exercise.
The downside of this time slot is that the tastier dishes are often already taken, so there may not be much left.
Looking at today’s menu, it seemed like there were quite a few good items.
Well, that’s something Min Arin has to deal with. I’m fine eating even with just kimchi.
While thinking that, Min Arin brought up something.
"Ah, by the way, the PE equipment was all cleaned up earlier. Do you know who did it?"
Judging by her surprisingly gentle personality despite her appearance, maybe she intended to thank them.
I answered honestly. There was no reason to hide it.
"Cheon Sejun and some other guys gathered and did it."
"Sejun? He’s not the type to help me… I should thank him later. Anyway, enjoy your meal."
"Yeah. You too."
After finishing her words, Min Arin left with other female students ahead.
Thinking about it again, this still feels unfair.
Cleaning up those supplies actually made things feel a bit cooler.
Why are people here all so kind?
Still, looking at my tray, I feel a bit energized.
The soup bowl is full, and the rice is piled up like a hill—always a beautiful sight.
I should go back for more later.