Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Sports Festival (1)
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A bright, sunny day in May.
A pleasant spring breeze wafted through the open classroom windows, but from the morning, a tense and heavy atmosphere hung in front of the blackboard in Class 1-1 of the first-year students.
"Alright, everyone pay attention. Quiet down. We're deciding the events for the upcoming sports festival. First, hands up if anyone wants to volunteer for something."
The class president of Class 1 tapped the blackboard sharply with his chalk.
On the blackboard were listed soccer— the pride of the boys— followed by tug-of-war, group jump rope, and various entertainment events.
"Soccer, I'll pick the team later with Juwon after careful selection. No complaints, right?"
The kids nodded without protest at the class president's words.
It was only natural, since Juwon and Park Geon had gained fame right after enrollment for their overwhelming physical prowess and athleticism.
The real problem came after all the flashy, popular events were taken.
What remained were the so-called entertainment events that no one wanted to step up for.
"Ah... Anyone for the mission relay? No volunteers?"
A heavy silence fell over the once rowdy classroom.
Mission relay.
It was a horrific event where you drew a slip from the mission box and had to perform the ridiculous task written on it in front of the entire school.
Siwoo desperately kept his head down, pretending to count patterns on his desk while gripping his mechanical pencil.
'Please... just not me. I just want to hide and do tug-of-war...'
He already hated being the center of attention, so the mission relay, where all eyes from the school would be on him?
There was no event more harsh or burdensome for him.
But Juwon, who had been staring down at Siwoo— who was hiding his desperate plea by burying his head— raised his hand high with the corners of his mouth lifted in a grin.
"Class prez! Can we nominate instead of volunteering?"
In that instant, a chill ran down Siwoo's spine, and an ominous premonition flashed through his mind.
'No way. It can't be, right? We're friends. Please...'
"Who is it? Speak up."
"There's this dark horse in our class who's been rising fast lately. Trains every day to build stamina."
Juwon's gaze locked precisely on Siwoo's hunched back.
"Nam Siwoo! I strongly nominate him as our class rep for the mission relay!"
"Wha?! Hey! I, I'm..."
Siwoo shot his head up in horror, but the class mood had already shifted to gleaming like they'd found the perfect sacrifice.
"Whoa~ Siwoo, you work out? No wonder your shoulders look broader!"
"You're perfect for it! Let's snag first for our class!"
"Siwoo! Siwoo!"
In an instant, the classroom turned into a festive chant for Nam Siwoo.
"Okay. No objections? Siwoo's in, then. He's been working out, so he'll run great."
The class president, looking satisfied, wrote Nam Siwoo's name in big letters on the blank spot on the blackboard.
"That's settled. Siwoo, no extra practice for you. Just train your running."
"..."
Siwoo glared resentfully at Juwon beside him with a face like he'd lost everything, but Juwon shamelessly flashed a thumbs-up and a wink without a hint of guilt.
Lunchtime, on a tree bench by the sports field under the fresh May sunshine.
The seven friends gathered in a huddle after eating, each with an ice cream in their mouths, grumbling about their own complaints.
"Ugh, so annoying. The girls in Class 2 have zero unity. No one for dodgeball, so we did rock-paper-scissors."
Jiyoon from Class 2 crumpled her milk carton irritably as she complained.
Next to her, Iseol leaned back crookedly, hunching into the shade to avoid the harsh sun, chewing her straw while staring into space.
"I'm tug-of-war. Ha... I hate sweating and straining. Guess I'll just hang on loosely."
Iseol sighed languidly, and Park Geon, standing opposite, smirked as he cut in.
"Isn't tug-of-war just the girls? If Baek Iseol's on it, the other team..."
As Park Geon trailed off smugly, Iseol's cool gaze, which had been on the sky, narrowed.
"Park Geon, wanna die?"
"Eek! Joke, joke!"
Park Geon hurriedly scooted away from Iseol and slyly glanced at Juwon beside him to change the subject.
"Anyway, our class has soccer win locked in."
Park Geon puffed out his chest arrogantly, but Juwon scoffed.
"Hilarious. Make it to the finals first."
"Huh? Cocky much?"
As the boys' childish rivalry played out, Dasom asked Siwoo, who was slumped in the corner lost in thought.
"What're you doing, Siwoo? Juwon said something about Class 1 ace earlier?"
"Huh? Me...? Uh, mission relay..."
Siwoo's mumbling reply made the kids burst out laughing all at once.
"Puhaha! Dude, that's straight-up an entertainment event, right? Whole school watching, and you're going solo?"
"Draw a bad slip and you gotta dance? We definitely gotta snap pics if it's weird."
Chaerin and Dasom laughed till they could barely breathe, and Siwoo's shoulders slumped even more, his face darkening.
A bit later, the raucous laughter died down and the topic shifted, but Siwoo stayed quietly at the end of the bench, tapping the ground idly with his toe.
'Ha... Should I really fake food poisoning and go home early on the day...?'
Swoosh—
Then, amid the noisy vibe, Iseol— who had been quietly chewing her straw— stood up unnoticed and plopped down right next to him.
"Hey, scoot over a bit."
"Oh? Uh, yeah."
Startled, Siwoo hurriedly shifted his butt aside.
Iseol propped her chin, staring straight through her glasses at Siwoo's utterly dejected eyes.
They were so close he could see his own dumbstruck face reflected in her dark pupils.
"Heard you've been dragged off to work out every day lately."
"Juwon and Geon help, so I'm doing a little..."
"Then why're you so down? It's killing your vibe."
She brushed back her swaying bob impatiently and added indifferently.
"Mission or whatever, it's basically running at the core. What's to be embarrassed about? Just bolt and take first. Wasted effort otherwise?"
"True, but still, how could I get first..."
Despite his subtly changing physique lately, Siwoo trailed off in his usual unconfident voice.
Iseol, who had been watching him quietly, furrowed her pretty brows as if pondering something, then blurted out casually.
"...But Siwoo, why don't you ever call me by name yet?"
"Huh?"
Siwoo's head tilted at the sudden off-topic question that dove in from left field amid the running talk.
"Everyone else calls me 'Seol-ah' or 'Iseol-ah.' Just you sticking to 'you' or 'hey.' Am I still that scary?"
It hit right on the mark.
Siwoo panicked, his eyes darting wildly.
Truth was, to Siwoo, the name Iseol felt so special that even saying it seemed too precious, something to handle with care.
Like the moment he called her name casually like the others, he'd fall into this massive delusion that he was really close and special to her.
He feared getting drunk on that illusion and crossing lines he shouldn't.
"I... didn't wanna make you uncomfortable..."
At Siwoo's brutally honest, self-deprecating answer, Iseol's dark eyes wavered faintly.
Fiddling with the hair that fell over her ear, she avoided his gaze, looking off into space as she muttered.
"Get first, and call me like the others."
"Huh? How..."
"Cough. Call me Seol or Iseol. Whatever you want."
With that tossed out, Iseol turned away and shot up from her seat.
"H-Hey, where you going?"
"...Snack bar."
She strode off without looking back, and Siwoo— frozen dumbly on the bench— jumped up too.
His face, which had been dark with sports festival worries moments ago, showed no trace of anxiety now.
"Wait up! I'm coming too!"
Siwoo's footsteps chasing after the receding Iseol looked much lighter than before.
And from the stands, the other four watched the incredible duo's backs, their expressions shifting to various shades of shock.
"Whoa... insane. What're those two? Gonna make it real soon?"
Juwon stared after them, muttering in disbelief laced with admiration.
Even Jiyoon, who always played games indifferently, set her phone down and eyed them with a strangely intrigued gaze.
"Yeah. Has Baek Iseol ever let a guy get that close first in her life?"
"Nope... Her ears turned a bit red just now, right? Totally nuts."
In their eyes, cracks were forming in Baek Iseol's sturdy walls.
Coming from friends who knew her best, the weight of that scene was no light matter.
Except for one oblivious Park Geon.
"Wait, what? Why'm I always left out? What're you guys talking about? Tell me!"
Park Geon's indignant shout echoed emptily.
Under May's dazzling, vibrant sunshine, the shadows of the two crossing the sports field toward the snack bar gradually overlapped into one.