Chapter 62: Sports Day (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 62: Sports Day (5)
The sophomore soccer finals.
The score was 1–0.
The match had entered the final minutes of the second half.
“Run! Get moving!”
I could hear the kids from the opposing class screaming at the top of their lungs.
An attacker was sprinting toward me, expertly dribbling the ball. This was likely the opposing team’s final chance to equalize.
“Hup!”
The guy drew his right foot back. It was a clear wind-up for a shot—anyone could see it coming.
— “Psych!”
Thump!
Instead of a shot, the ball rolled quickly to the side. It was a clever pass to the left attacker who had been trailing the play.
It wasn't offside.
Our defenders had retreated too deep toward the goal in their desperate rush to get back.
And then...
Wham!
The ball, met perfectly from the flank, was struck with brute force.
It was a precise strike. It flew exactly where I predicted it would.
— “It’s in—!”
The Mini-Me’s expression, which had been brimming with premature joy, froze.
The ball was stopped dead by my palms. I’d blocked it with so much force that my hands stung, but...
It didn't go in.
I quickly scrambled to pull the rebounding ball into my chest, hugging it tight.
“Whew...”
A heavy sigh of relief escaped my lips.
That one was a little too close for comfort.
Tweet— Tweet— Pweeeet!
At that exact moment, the whistle blew.
The match was over. Our class won 1–0. It was a hard-fought, narrow victory.
— Waaaaah!
The cheers from Class 1 erupted, the sound reaching all the way to the goalpost.
“Whoa, Lee Seung-ho!”
Shin A-young looked genuinely thrilled. She came running over, cheering loudly. She thrust both her hands forward for a high five.
I raised my hands to meet hers. A crisp smack followed.
Seeing her this happy, I realized she was actually quite the competitor.
“...”
Then, Shin A-young slowly pulled away. She took a few hesitant steps back.
“...?”
What was it?
Just as I wondered, her thoughts flickered.
— “I-I don’t smell, do I?”
The Mini-Me backed away, sniffing her own clothes. Her pupils trembled with anxiety.
‘...It’s fine, though.’
It was only natural to smell a bit like sweat when you exercised. She was being overly self-conscious.
‘It’s not a bad smell, anyway.’
There was a scent, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was like warm lavender... a subtle fragrance that made me wonder if she’d put on perfume before the match.
*
The junior section.
Lee Sol was lounging on the grass.
“Yawn...”
She had found a comfortable spot, using Senior Min-ji’s lap as a pillow. Since everyone else had gone out to compete, there was nothing for her to do. She had come to visit the older girl and ended up getting "captured."
Somehow, she’d ended up nestled among the third-year girls, receiving the full brunt of their affection.
“Want to eat this too?”
“Thank youuu.”
She was handed a handful of gummies. Lee Sol stuffed her mouth full, chewing away contentedly. Every time she did, the seniors giggled, clearly finding her adorable.
“...Hmm.”
This... wasn't too bad. Being here actually felt okay.
— Crackle.
— Cr-cr-crackle.
The sound of the speakers turning on echoed across the field.
— Ah. Ah. Attention, please. The obstacle race will begin shortly. Will the athletes from each class please gather in the center of the field.
Ugh...
As soon as Lee Sol heard the announcement, her face scrunched up as if she’d bitten into a sour lemon.
“Oh, you said you were in that, right?”
Park Min-ji playfully squeezed the cheek of the girl still lying on her lap.
“...Somehow, yeah.”
She couldn't help it. Everyone had to participate in at least one event, and her name had been signed up before she could protest. Honestly, she didn't want to do it at all.
“...Sigh.”
Lee Sol’s expression turned listless. She looked like everything was a chore, as if she were about to fall asleep right there.
Seeing that, Park Min-ji chuckled and poked her cheek again. “Do you hate it that much?”
“...” Lee Sol gave a small, miserable nod.
“Why? It’s fun.”
“...I’ll get sweaty. It feels gross.”
If she sweated, there would be an unpleasant smell... Yeah, the smell. Lately, that had been bothering her more than usual. That was the biggest reason.
“Hmm...” Park Min-ji nodded as if she empathized. “Well, the obstacle race is more fun to watch than to run. There are those weird notes in the middle, too.”
“...Weird notes?” Lee Sol looked puzzled.
By notes, she must mean the ones used in the ‘Borrowing Race’ segment—the part where you have to bring the object or person written on the paper to the finish line.
But for them to be "weird"...
“You know, those kinds of things,” Senior Min-ji grinned. “Like, ‘Bring the person you think is the prettiest.’ Or ‘Bring your crush.’”
Notes with those kinds of romantic prompts were mixed in. If you really couldn't do it, you were given a chance to draw again, but there was a penalty where you had to redo the previous obstacle.
“...Really?”
Lee Sol bolted upright. Now that was an interesting piece of information.
“You didn't know? It was like that last year, too. Apparently, the reaction was so good they’re doing it again.”
“Ah...”
No wonder she was hearing this for the first time. “I barely came to school last year.”
“Eh?”
“I was busy with work.”
“Oh, right. You were, weren't you?” Park Min-ji remembered. Sensing Lee Sol’s slightly gloomy mood, she cleared her throat. “...Anyway. It’ll be fun to watch.”
“She ran really hard last year, too,” the Counseling Club President, Kim Yisu, added with a chuckle from the side. He had a teasing glint in his eyes.
“That’s because we weren't dating yet...!” Min-ji raised her voice defensively and slapped his back.
“...”
Lee Sol shot them a flat, unimpressed look. She wished they’d take their lovey-dovey antics somewhere else.
Heave-ho.
She stood up. It was time to get moving.
“...I’ll be back.”
Her steps were surprisingly light. At any rate, she had picked up some very useful information.
*
In the end... it turned out to be these three.
“...”
Lee Sol rolled her eyes, checking her left and right. The three participants from their group gathered on the field.
“Let’s do our best.”
“Yeah.”
Ji Nuri said as she warmed up, stretching her limbs. Shin A-young replied with a beaming smile.
Including herself, it was these three. Whether it was a coincidence or fate, the group that always hung out together had ended up in the same race.
‘Will this be okay?’
She felt a bit uneasy. Lee Sol kept a close eye on the other two.
“Whew...”
Ji Nuri kept her breathing steady and stared straight ahead. Her will to win was palpable. It felt like that was all she cared about.
‘...This side seems fine.’
Lee Sol soon lost interest in Ji Nuri. That side didn't seem like much to worry about. Ji Nuri just seemed close to Lee Seung-ho; there was no sign of her trying to make a romantic move.
‘Rather...’
The problem was the other side. Lee Sol observed Shin A-young.
“...”
Shin A-young was twirling the ends of her hair. Whatever she was imagining, a faint heat lingered on her cheeks.
“Sssip...”
It was certain. She understood the essence of this race. She was a girl who hated standing out in front of people, yet she had volunteered for two races. That alone said everything.
Clap clap—
Ji Nuri clapped her hands lightly to gather their attention. “Tell me if it’s hard. I’ll help you from behind.”
“Okay,” Lee Sol answered half-heartedly.
The obstacle race they were doing was a team event. The goal was for the entire team to cross the finish line before the opposing team. Ultimately, it was a race where teammates had to support each other.
However...
Pweeeet—!
The whistle blew. The race began.
“Hup!”
Shin A-young and Lee Sol scrambled forward.
“...”
“...”
Their gazes locked for a split second. They were likely thinking the exact same thing.
They ran side-by-side along the track. The first obstacle appeared quickly: the hurdles.
Lee Sol hopped over them diligently. Perhaps they had lowered the height on purpose, because it wasn't difficult. She passed through smoothly.
‘Good.’
Lee Sol’s competitive spirit burned bright. She roughly brushed back her bouncing twintails.
‘This is fine.’
She saw hope. Passing obstacles wasn't that hard for her. Running under hula hoops, crawling through nets—because she was small and could crouch low, she actually passed through some sections faster than the others.
“Ugh...!”
Shin A-young, trying to rush ahead, banged her forehead on a hula hoop. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
“...”
Lee Sol sprinted past her in that opening. She kept going.
But as the race dragged on...
“Haaah!”
Lee Sol began to look miserable, panting heavily. Her legs were shaking. She kept running even as her thighs wobbled, but she gradually fell behind. The other two were already far ahead.
Sweat poured down her face.
“Hah, huff...”
Right now, she cursed her frail stamina. She should have exercised more. Regret flooded her mind, but it was a useless thought in the heat of the moment.
“Huff... huff...”
Gasping for air, she finally reached the ‘Borrowing’ station. Several slips of paper were laid out on a desk.
Wheeze.
Lee Sol rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Wiping sweat away with her sleeve, she scanned the desk.
‘Why are there so many?’
There were dozens of slips. Which one should she pick?
“Whew.”
Her hesitation was brief. It was all luck anyway. Lee Sol followed her gut and snatched a random piece of paper. She unfolded the crumpled note.
[Bring the person you feel closest to.]
It was a subtle prompt. A bit disappointing, perhaps, but not bad in its own way. It would have been a disaster if it had been something more aggressive.
“Hmm...”
She knew for a fact her face would have turned bright red if she’d had to approach him with something more blunt. Even now, a subtle embarrassment was rising.
‘Now...’
Where was he? Lee Sol whipped her head around, searching for Lee Seung-ho.
‘Ah, found—’
The moment she was about to head toward him, she froze.
She saw a hand suddenly grab Lee Seung-ho’s arm.
“Hey, hey! Run!”
It was Ji Nuri.
“?”
Lee Sol’s expression went blank. Lee Seung-ho didn't look much better. He stood up awkwardly, looking completely bewildered as he was dragged along behind her.
The two of them were running while holding hands. To be precise, she was just gripping his wrist and pulling, but...
“...”
In Lee Sol’s eyes, it was one and the same.
Her lips parted slowly at the sight. A single bead of sweat trickled down her cheek.