Chapter 59: Sports Day (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 59: Sports Day (2)
*
Monday morning. Before homeroom began.
Shin A-young was speaking with the vice class president, who had approached her with a favor regarding Sports Day.
“We’re short on players for the soccer match. A-young, could you fill in?”
It was a somewhat burdensome request. Normally, she would have come up with an excuse to turn it down.
“Sure. I’ll do it.”
The answer came immediately. She nodded readily, accepting the proposal without a second thought.
“Oh? Really?”
“Yeah. You said you were short on people.”
If they were short on players, it meant Lee Seung-ho would be playing soccer too. That thought alone was enough to make her agree instantly.
The vice class president looked surprised for a moment, then quickly thanked her and hurried off before she could change her mind.
“...”
Shin A-young propped her chin on her hand, letting the cool breeze from the open window brush against her face. Looking back, she felt a secret flush of embarrassment at her own behavior.
Sigh...
Lately, she felt like she was discovering a completely new side of herself. She hadn't realized she could be such a proactive person. It was the same last weekend, and it was the same now.
Whenever it involved him, she found herself worrying less about what others thought. Like a stream following its natural course, her actions were beginning to align with her heart.
Except... it was a bit different when Lee Sol was around.
Sol is watching...
She felt awkward about being too forward with Seung-ho in front of her. Knowing how Sol felt made it even harder. It was difficult to approach him openly when she was right there.
That was why she had agreed to play. She wanted to create some kind of connection with Lee Seung-ho—just the two of them.
Perhaps this would be the chance to finally get closer to him.
*
— My ball! Mine, mine!
During PE class, the soccer preliminaries were in full swing. Since only the finals would be held on the actual day of the event, the preliminary rounds were being played in advance.
Ji Nuri sat on the bench with the other girls from her class, watching the match.
“Go, Class 1!” Nuri shouted toward the field. If they were going to do this, they might as well win.
“F-fight... on...!”
Caught up in the atmosphere, Lee Sol joined in with a tiny, timid cheer. Her voice was as soft as a chirping chick.
She’s surprisingly good...
Ji Nuri thought as she watched Shin A-young. A-young was actually holding her own among the boys.
— Pass! Pass!
She wasn't exactly a star player, but compared to the girls on the opposing team, she was definitely pulling her weight. At the very least, she had no trouble clearing the ball away.
The others are doing well, too.
The score was currently 2-0. It was the 35th minute of the second half, and they were leading by two points. Her classmates were quite skilled.
“...”
In fact, Lee Seung-ho was just standing in front of the goal, watching the game blankly. He didn't have much to do, which meant the opposing team had barely managed any shots on target.
As the game became one-sided, Nuri’s tension faded, and her mind began to wander.
Come to think of it...
Looking at Seung-ho standing by the goal reminded her of last weekend. It had started as a chance encounter, but thanks to that, she had made a good connection with Lee Seung-ah.
There had been a few heart-stopping moments, but all in all, it had been a meaningful weekend. Plus, it had been proven beyond a doubt that Lee Seung-ho was an otaku.
So...
It would be nice to be friends with Seung-ho...
It would be great to be close to someone who shared the same "hobby." They could geek out together as much as they wanted. In theory, anyway.
...But her situation wasn't as simple as it sounded. This unique relationship of theirs couldn't be untangled so easily.
I’d rather...
If he would just confess, she could finally settle things, no matter how it ended.
Seung-ho isn't a bad guy...
In fact, he was a good one. He had helped her quite a bit—during the school trip and even this time. He was definitely a good person.
It was just that she saw him as a friend, not a man. For her first relationship, Ji Nuri wanted a romance that made her heart flutter.
“Oh, oh?!”
Suddenly, Lee Sol raised her voice.
— Get back! Get back!
The field became noisy. Nuri looked up to see what was happening.
— Block him! Defense!
The opposing team had suddenly broken through the center line and reached the goal. It was the aftermath of a failed attack by her class.
“...!”
A nimble boy from the other team swung his right foot with all his might.
Thwack!
The ball shot forward like a bullet.
“Hup.”
Seung-ho was already diving toward the ball.
Smack!
He reached out and caught the ball cleanly.
“Whoa...!”
Nuri was slightly impressed. It looked like a certain goal, but he had actually caught it.
“Whoa, did you see that?”
“I thought it was going in. Seung-ho’s good...!”
The girls around her whispered in genuine admiration.
“Tsk...”
Lee Sol seemed uncomfortable for some reason, wriggling her body like a caterpillar. She had a pouty look on her face.
“...?”
Seeing this, Ji Nuri looked around and whispered softly.
“Do you... need the bathroom?”
“No.”
The sharp reply came back instantly. Ji Nuri was unintentionally intimidated by her tone and shut her mouth.
...Was it that time of the month? It was about that time.
*
“...”
I walked down the hallway looking perfectly fresh, without a drop of sweat on me. The match had ended quickly, and as a goalkeeper, I didn't have much running to do.
We won the match easily, 2-0. Maybe because there weren't many classes, but even with just one win, we were already in the semifinals. If we win tomorrow's match, we’re straight to the finals.
“Oh, you’re here?”
When I opened the door to the club room, the seniors greeted me.
“Hmm?”
Senior Min-ji looked around behind me.
“Where are the others?”
“They went to the classroom to drop off their books. They’ll be here soon.”
...However, I found myself at a loss for words when I looked at the two of them. Their outfits were quite eye-catching.
“...Is that your class T-shirt?”
“What do you think? Pretty cool, right? It’s the Red Moon outfit.”
Senior Min-ji swirled her cloak. It was a black cloak with red clouds on it. Rather than a "Red Moon," the design was much closer to red clouds.
“That’s from Maruto, isn't it?”
It was the outfit worn by the villains in that anime. I recognized it immediately since I’d seen it a few times at events.
“What, you know it?”
“I know that much.”
It’s incredibly famous, after all. Even if I haven't watched it, I know the iconic scenes.
“...But why a Maruto cosplay?”
That was what I was curious about.
“Huh?”
“There are plenty of other pretty clothes.”
There were so many options for class T-shirts. Why a sudden cosplay? It seemed a bit too conspicuous.
“Since it’s our last Sports Day, everyone wanted to do something unique. There were a lot of options, but... this one won the vote.”
According to Senior Min-ji, their class had a lot of art students, so they tended to lean that way.
“...It’s a huge relief the maid outfits didn't win.”
The Club President added with a serious face. His eyebrows furrowed as if he didn't even want to think about it.
“...That was an option too?”
The Club President nodded.
“Wow...”
That was a relief indeed. Just imagining the whole school seeing them like that made me shudder.
Slide—
“We’re here.”
“Hello...”
The door opened, and the two who had gone to the classroom walked in.
“You guys are her—ee...?”
Senior Min-ji’s voice trailed off.
“...?”
Min-ji stared at Lee Sol, blinking blankly. She closed and opened her eyes several times.
After a second or two... she naturally looked away.
“Hmm.”
She ripped open a bag of chips and popped one into her mouth. She looked calm on the outside, but...
— “...Is she... wearing makeup...?”
The tiny hands of her Mini-Me, holding a small potato chip, were trembling. Her large eyes darted around, unsure where to look.
— “Sol is?”
Senior Min-ji glanced sideways. Pretending to check the time, she turned her head and took another look at Lee Sol.
— “She really is.”
Her Mini-Me crossed its arms.
— “Hmph...”
She let out a short groan.
— “...Is there someone she wants to look good for?”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
— “...No, maybe not.”
But since it was Lee Sol, she didn't seem entirely sure.
— “Oh?!”
At the same time, Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me raised its voice. Whether Senior Min-ji was surprised by Sol or not, Nuri was currently preoccupied with something else.
— “It’s the Red Moon outfit!”
As expected, she recognized it instantly. It was only natural.
“...”
Ji Nuri silently looked down at our class T-shirt, then...
— “I’m jealous...”
The Mini-Me’s eyes drooped. She looked genuinely envious.
“...”
In the midst of this confusion, only Lee Sol walked over with her usual demeanor.
“...Want some?”
She held out a potato chip to me.
“...”
Well. It did taste good.