Chapter 63: Sports Day (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 63: Sports Day (6)
I ran, following Ji Nuri’s lead.
Thanks to our quick start, we were the first ones to cross the finish line.
Of course, according to the rules, the entire team had to cross for it to count, but we had certainly made a strong opening.
“Here. I brought him.”
“Let me check.”
A student council staff member took the slip of paper Ji Nuri held out.
“...Yes, confirmed.”
The staff member handed the paper back with a look that suggested they’d seen something they shouldn't have.
— “Sigh... Who on earth came up with this prompt?”
The Mini-Me grumbled, clicking its tongue.
Seeing that reaction only piqued my curiosity.
“What was written on the paper?”
I looked down at the slip in Ji Nuri’s hand. She subtly unfolded it to show me.
[Someone you share a certain secret with.]
“Something like that...”
I wondered if we actually had a secret like that between us.
...Now that I thought about it, we did. I recalled what happened at the animation event. That was a secret if I ever saw one.
“Heh.”
Ji Nuri let out a faint snort—a triumphant, smug little laugh. She seemed genuinely happy to have a friend who shared her niche interests.
“Huff, puff...”
Not long after, Shin A-young reached the finish line.
She was clutching a bag of snacks she’d scavenged from somewhere. It seemed the list of things to find included normal items like that as well.
“...”
Shin A-young caught her breath, her gaze shifting between Ji Nuri and me.
— “...What’s up with those two?”
Her Mini-Me spoke in a distinctly dissatisfied tone.
Step, step—
She slowly approached us.
“You guys got here really fast. I had to go find a bag of snacks.”
Shin A-young showed us her paper. Ji Nuri let out an impressed "Hooo—" sound.
“Oh—you pulled a tricky one, but you found it pretty fast.”
“I got it from the Korean teacher.”
Shin A-young pointed behind her. I could see the Korean teacher sitting on a bench, casually snacking on some chips.
“But what was written on your paper?”
“Wh-what?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Ji Nuri couldn't hide her flustered emotions for a split second.
“...I mean, since you brought Seung-ho. I was just wondering what the prompt was.”
Shin A-young gave off a subtle aura as she naturally closed the distance between them.
“No, it’s just...”
Ji Nuri’s pupils darted around frantically.
— “---What do I do!?”
The Mini-Me, unable to contain its panic, emitted a burst of mental noise.
“It—it was nothing much...!”
Her voice cracked.
Realizing this, Ji Nuri froze like a statue. She forced a "Haha—" smile, but anyone could see she was panicking.
“...”
The sweat trickling down her forehead looked more like a cold sweat now. Actually, it probably was.
— “Hmm...”
At that vague excuse, Shin A-young’s Mini-Me took on a suspicious expression. Her brow furrowed slightly.
“Come on~ what was it?”
“...”
“If it’s nothing much, just show it to me. Only me. Okay?”
She smiled brightly. With a subtle curve to her eyes and a soft voice, she made her request.
— “...What on earth is she hiding?”
Her inner thoughts were far different. Shin A-young’s Mini-Me was already brimming with suspicion.
That expression... it was a reaction I’d seen many times before. Mostly from Lee Sol. The vibe was different, but it was the exact same brand of suspicion.
“...”
Watching this made me feel suffocated. The cause was clearly Ji Nuri and me.
I wondered why she was reacting this strongly. Personally, I didn't think I'd done anything to warrant this. It felt like I was getting a reaction far greater than the actual distance between us justified.
‘...I’ll think about that later.’
I pushed the thought aside. There was something more urgent.
First... I had to help Ji Nuri. She looked like she was about to faint like a fragile sunfish at any moment.
“It was nothing special.”
I stepped into their conversation, my mind racing.
“Huh? What was it?”
“It said to bring a boyfriend.”
I spoke as nonchalantly as possible.
“What??”
Shin A-young’s expression froze instantly. At the sudden mention of that word, her gaze lost its focus and wandered through the air.
“I think it meant a male friend... but, you know, the phrasing is a bit awkward to just say out loud.”
I added the excuse that that was why Ji Nuri had hesitated to speak. I figured this was the best cover I could come up with on short notice.
“Ah...”
Shin A-young glanced at Ji Nuri for a moment. Then, she nodded as if she understood.
— “Right, since it’s Nuri. I figured it wouldn't be anything serious.”
Shin A-young’s Mini-Me showed an understanding attitude, nodding its head with a series of "Mhm, mhm."
— “Phew...”
Seeing that, Ji Nuri let out a sigh of relief internally. She wiped away her cold sweat, thinking she’d somehow resolved the situation...
— “...Seriously, of all the excuses to make. He’s making it so obvious.”
She muttered to herself. The Mini-Me fanned itself with its hand as if embarrassed.
“...”
...I felt a little annoyed.
“Ugh, huff...!”
The last one to arrive was Lee Sol.
Lee Sol crossed the finish line with a precarious jog. The person she brought with her was Park Min-ji. Caught off guard by the sudden situation, Min-ji was the only one she’d scrambled to bring. Among the people she could find, Min-ji was the only one she could even remotely call a friend.
“Haa... huff...”
“Whew... huff...”
Lee Sol and Park Min-ji were both panting heavily, drenched in sweat. Both were severely lacking in exercise.
— Class 2-1! Arriving in 3rd place!
The voice of the Student Council President, who was hosting, echoed through the speakers. Since Lee Sol was the last one, Class 2-1’s rank was determined the moment she reached the finish line.
“...”
Wiping her sweat with her sleeve, Lee Sol brushed back her damp bangs. Through the gaps in her hair, she saw Ji Nuri looking happy.
“Good job, everyone. We did pretty well!”
Ji Nuri nodded, crossing her arms as if satisfied with the result. On the surface, she looked genuinely happy. Normally, Sol would have taken that at face value, but...
The moment the person she brought turned out to be Lee Seung-ho, she couldn't stop the imaginations swirling in her head.
“...Senior Min-ji, are you okay?”
“Ughhh.”
Lee Seung-ho handed a sports drink to the collapsing Park Min-ji.
“...”
Lee Sol hovered near Ji Nuri. She was so bothered she couldn't keep her body still. She checked to see if Nuri was holding a slip of paper.
Unfortunately, she wasn't. There was no trace of it.
“? What is it?”
Ji Nuri noticed her and met her eyes.
“...Um.”
Lee Sol looked away. She shook her head, saying it was nothing.
‘That paper.’
What on earth had been written on the paper Ji Nuri pulled? It bothered her immensely. But with Lee Seung-ho right there, she didn't have the courage to ask openly.
‘Besides.’
If what she was imagining was true. If even Ji Nuri was like that... honestly, she didn't have the confidence to keep a straight face.
.
.
.
The Sports Day continued.
“...”
Lee Sol sat quietly on the bench, staring blankly at the field. In the distance, two people stood on the artificial turf: Lee Seung-ho and Ji Nuri.
They were waiting to start the Co-ed Relay Race. Lee Seung-ho was already a good runner, and Ji Nuri was on the faster side among the girls. So, those two ended up together again.
‘What are they talking about?’
Lee Sol’s eyelashes lowered.
“...”
“...”
The two of them chatted about something. Then, Ji Nuri let out a small burst of laughter. She looked excited for some reason. Because of the distance, Sol couldn't hear their conversation, but the atmosphere was clear as day.
“...”
Lee Sol wiped her damp palms against her thighs. A sense of crisis washed over her. Did she have any memory of Ji Nuri looking that excited?
...No, she didn't. At least not recently. Not at school. The most she’d seen was during the school trip.
It was hard to tell if there was romantic interest. But it didn't look like there wasn't, either.
“Hmm.”
No matter how she looked at it, that was the case. She didn't feel the same certainty she had with Shin A-young, but a strange sense of urgency rose in its place. She agonized over what to do.
‘...And she’s not reacting at all.’
Lee Sol looked at the girl sitting next to her.
“...”
Shin A-young was casually munching on potato chips.
‘What is she thinking?’
Had she not noticed? Or was she taking a wait-and-see approach? As usual, she was observing the two of them with a neutral face.
‘I can’t take this.’
As soon as the relay race ended, Lee Sol jumped up from her seat. If Shin A-young was going to stay still, she would take action herself.
“Where are you going?”
“To Nuri.”
Lee Sol gave a brief answer to Shin A-young’s question and moved.
Tramp, tramp, tramp.
She went looking for Ji Nuri. Her gait was stiff. Finding her wasn't hard; she was a girl who stood out, after all. Lee Sol found her gulping down water in front of the water dispenser.
“Ji Nuri.”
“...?”
At the call, Nuri’s eyes widened. It was surprise at the way she was addressed; Sol usually didn't use her full name like that.
“Ahem... Nuri.”
Lee Sol corrected herself. Acknowledging that she was a bit agitated, she tried to calm her nerves.
“Yeah?”
Ji Nuri gave a casual smile.
“Nuri. Do you happen to...”
How should she ask? She had already thought about it. Even though she had decided beforehand, the words wouldn't come out easily. Her lips were pressed into a tight line. Her gaze dropped to the floor.
...She felt strangely hesitant. Her eyes followed the lines on the tiled floor.
“...”
...But still. She felt she had to say it. Lee Sol snapped her head up.
“Are you interested in Seung-ho?”
Finally. Impulsively, she spat the sentence out.