Chapter 58: Sports Day (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 58: Sports Day (1)
Ji Nuri’s eyes darted around the room.
Wary of the people nearby, she scanned the classroom before hesitantly approaching me.
“…Thanks for yesterday.”
She held out her hand, her voice barely a whisper.
What she handed me was a chocolate bar—the kind packed with nuts.
A nutty chocolate bar. It wasn't expensive, and it was easy to eat on the go. It was one of my favorites.
“This is what you meant yesterday, right?”
I gave a small nod.
She had texted me yesterday asking what I liked; I guess this was what she had settled on.
— “Did something happen between those two...?”
Shin A-young’s Mini-Me tilted its body left and right as it watched us. It had a subtle, searching look in its eyes.
...Well, something did happen. Though it was probably in a completely different direction than what she was imagining.
“...?”
I was about to sit down when I caught sight of Lee Sol and squinted. For some reason, Lee Sol’s head was hanging low.
“...What is it?”
“...It’s nothing.”
She waved her hands dismissively, her gaze still fixed firmly on the floor.
— “...What if I look weird?”
Lee Sol’s Mini-Me fidgeted with its hands timidly.
What did she mean, look weird?
“......”
As I studied Lee Sol, I noticed something different about her. Come to think of it, her vibe was strangely different today.
“...Did you put on makeup?”
Twitch—
Lee Sol flinched. She started acting stiff and awkward, like someone who had been caught red-handed.
“...Why? Does it look weird...?”
She stole a glance at me, checking my reaction.
“No... it’s just that you don't usually wear any.”
“...I just felt like it today.”
“By yourself?”
“Nooo... Nuri helped me.”
I see. I thought she had done a surprisingly good job for a first-timer.
“......”
I stared at her quietly. Once I realized she was wearing makeup, the change became much more apparent. Her already delicate features looked even more radiant. If her usual look leaned more toward 'cute,' she now looked decidedly more feminine.
“I guess a model really is different.”
The makeup was so subtle it was hard to tell she was wearing any; it blended in perfectly with her natural features.
“Really...?”
The tension in her stiff shoulders finally began to melt away. Lee Sol looked relieved at my words, but then—
— “......?”
Her expression suddenly soured.
— “...Wait... is that it? Just 'like a model'?”
Lee Sol’s Mini-Me furrowed its brows. It was technically a compliment, but she looked like she hadn't actually heard one. It was a complicated expression.
From my perspective, I thought I was giving her a natural compliment. I guess it wasn't quite what Lee Sol wanted to hear.
“......”
But then again, if I forced myself to make a big deal out of it, the awkwardness would probably show.
‘Besides...’
To be honest, it was true. You only get shocked when an ugly person suddenly becomes beautiful. When someone who is already pretty puts on a bit of makeup, it’s not exactly a heart-stopping transformation. Maybe it would be different if a professional did it, but a typical high schooler’s makeup routine couldn't produce such an extreme change in appearance.
— “...Is it because of Seung-ah...? His standards are unnecessarily high.”
The Mini-Me clenched its fists as if frustrated. I had nothing to say to that. I couldn't deny it.
“......”
...Anyway.
I let my gaze drift downward toward my desk.
— “...Should I try wearing makeup too...?”
I saw Shin A-young’s Mini-Me lost in thought. Her behavior had been strange lately. It had become even more pronounced recently.
Since when was it? Was it after the noise spiked? It felt like our psychological distance had narrowed significantly compared to before.
“......”
My head was getting a bit messy.
*
“The day after tomorrow is Sports Day, right?”
““Yes!””
The kids answered the teacher’s question energetically. They sure were loud at times like this.
A short Sports Day was scheduled right before the final exams began. It was the last bit of fun before the exam period.
“The class T-shirts are here, so everyone check your size and take one. The Class President will lead the discussion on which events to enter. Submit the list before the end of the day.”
With that, the teacher left the classroom. It was a short and sweet morning assembly.
“You all remember the sizes you ordered, right? Come up and grab yours.”
As the Class President opened the delivery box, the students lined up. The class T-shirt was a standard basketball uniform. Apparently, they originally wanted soccer uniforms, but another class had already claimed them. This was the alternative they chose.
‘Not bad.’
I turned the plastic-wrapped uniform over in my hands. It looked easy enough to wear without any glaring issues. At least this was better than dinosaur onesies or cosplay outfits.
“Now we need to decide who’s competing in what—”
The Class President continued, looking down at a sheet of paper. There were various events: tug of war, soccer, relay race, group jump rope, three-legged race, and so on.
“Does anyone have an event they’re confident in? Raise your hand.”
At those words, several kids raised their hands.
“......”
I generally didn't raise my hand. I preferred watching over actually running. Since we were required to participate in at least one event besides the group ones, I was waiting for the other options.
“Okay, that’s done. Next is—”
The process continued like that. Finally, it was time for the last event: soccer. This was the one I had been waiting for. Even though it wasn't a group event...
“We’re short on people for soccer. What are we going to do?”
Just as one guy said, we were short-handed, meaning some people would be forced to participate. There were ten boys in our class. We were exactly one person short.
“Are we just playing with ten?”
“No, they said to fill the gap with girls. They’re matching the gender ratio for every match,” the Class President replied. “Oh, A-young said she’d do it for our class.”
At those words, I glanced back slightly. Her eyebrows jumped; she looked like she hadn't expected me to turn around so suddenly. Soon, she gave a faint, triumphant smile. It was a confident look.
“...Are you going to be okay?” I asked, leaning my chair back slightly.
Shin A-young gave a small nod. “Yeah, I volunteered. I can at least play as a defender.”
“Really?”
When I checked her inner thoughts, Shin A-young’s Mini-Me also looked unbothered, simply brushing back its hair.
— “If I have to do something, soccer is probably the best. Seung-ho is there too...”
It seemed she hadn't been forced into it. I recalled that she was naturally athletic and had picked up ice skating very quickly last time. It didn't seem like something to worry about.
“Then, can the people playing soccer come over here for a second? Let’s decide positions quickly.”
The Class President gathered everyone. Perhaps because there were prizes on the line for the soccer tournament, everyone was taking it seriously. I stood up and headed over with Shin A-young.
‘Maybe I should just be a defender too.’
I figured I’d just take whatever was left. But as always, things moved in an unexpected direction.
“Seung-ho, you be the keeper.”
“...Me?”
“Yeah.”
The Vice Class President made the request. He was the type who went to play soccer with the guys every single break.
“Just this once, please. There’s no one else who can do it.”
The Vice Class President’s eyes sparkled. It was a bizarre feeling having a guy look at me like that.
‘But...’
Why was he asking me? I didn't recall ever playing with them.
‘Ah.’
Then I remembered. Come to think of it, I had played once during PE class.
— “I saw him blocking everything last time... If he doesn't do it, I’ll have to...”
The Vice Class President’s Mini-Me muttered. It seemed he really didn't want to be the keeper himself.
“Fine.”
I nodded. I was more confident in my ability to do this than in getting physical with the tall guys on the field.
“Sweet! Okay, so the keeper is set?”
He gleefully scribbled my name down on the paper.
Lee Seung-ho and Shin A-young. Two names written side by side.
“...”
Seeing that, Shin A-young’s expression brightened noticeably.
*
“Want to go try them on?”
Ji Nuri called out to Lee Sol, clutching her uniform. Sol was the only person she could ask. Shin A-young had disappeared to sort out the soccer positions.
“The class T-shirt?”
“Yeah, just in case the size isn't right.”
“Okay.”
Lee Sol, who had been leaning languidly against her chair, stood up. She agreed surprisingly easily. Nuri had expected her to find it more of a chore. Maybe she secretly wanted to try it on.
“Oh, it’s empty.”
When they entered the changing room, not a single other student was in sight. Nuri shed her school uniform and threw the basketball jersey over her white T-shirt. She pulled the hairband over her forehead and tied her hair back.
“Hmm...”
Ji Nuri fell into thought. Looking in the wall mirror, it felt a bit plain. She decided to change it up a bit. She pulled the shirt up and tied it so that her midriff was slightly exposed.
“......”
She turned this way and that. Yeah, this looked okay.
“How do I look?”
Lee Sol, who had been struggling to change, looked at Ji Nuri and her eyes went wide.
“......!”
She rushed over and reached out to cover Ji Nuri’s stomach.
“T-that’s scandalous...”
Lee Sol’s gaze wandered, unsure of where to look. Nuri wondered if Sol never wore clothes like this despite being a model.
“What? It’s fine. It’s fashion. Fashion.”
“......”
There was no reply. The expression Lee Sol wore as she looked at her was a complex mix of emotions.
Hmm. I wonder why.