Chapter 65: Sports Day (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65: Sports Day (8)
"Ssshh..."
Ji Nuri, Lee Sol, me, and Shin A-young were sitting side by side in that exact order.
However, not a single word passed between us.
The atmosphere was suffocating. Usually, when the four of us were together, Ji Nuri or Shin A-young would lead the conversation. With both of them silent, things had devolved into this.
— “Did something happen between those two?”
Shin A-young was merely reading the subtle tension between them, trying to gauge the situation.
“...”
Should I try to fish for what happened?
I stole a glance at Ji Nuri, who was sitting next to Lee Sol.
“Ahem.”
I let out a small, fake cough toward Ji Nuri.
“...!”
When I sent her a meaningful look, Ji Nuri jumped in surprise and shook her head vigorously.
— “Ah, not right now...!”
“?”
— “I managed to hide it so well so he wouldn't find out. If he looks at me like that, he’ll realize we were talking about anime earlier!”
Ji Nuri desperately averted her eyes.
“...”
Seeing her almost desperate plea, I turned my gaze back.
Whether it was about anime or something else, I didn't know. But it was certain that something had happened between the two of them. At the very least, looking at Lee Sol’s Mini-Me, it was clear that regardless of what happened with Nuri, Sol had a bone to pick with me as well. That much seemed obvious.
“Oh, right.”
That was when Shin A-young moved.
Perhaps trying to lighten the mood, she reached into the eco-bag she had left in the corner. With a rustling sound, she pulled out a bag of snacks.
“If you liked the ones from before, I have others. Want to try this too?”
She tore the bag open with a playful air. A savory aroma wafted out. She took my hand and poured some snacks into my palm.
“...”
At that sight, Lee Sol’s Mini-Me’s brow twitched. Her expression grew even darker than before. I felt the situation spiraling downward.
Fortunately, A-young made sure to include the others as well.
“Here. You guys try some too.”
Shin A-young held the bag out toward the other two.
“...”
Seeing that, Lee Sol’s expression gradually settled. She seemed to calm down a little.
“Here, take some—”
Since we were sitting in a row, Shin A-young leaned her upper body far across me. I felt a weight on my left shoulder. To keep her balance, she had naturally rested her hand there.
“...”
“...”
My eyes met Shin A-young’s. We were practically nose-to-nose.
— “...Ah.”
A short sound escaped her. Her Mini-Me realized what she was doing.
“...”
She looked down at her own hand resting on my shoulder. Immediately, she turned her head the other way and practically hopped back to her original spot.
“Ahem, ahem.”
She tried to look nonchalant, but her Mini-Me was in a total state of panic.
— “---------”
Then, Noise erupted.
It was a static-filled sound that conveyed her embarrassment, as if she were shocked by her own actions. She wasn't the only one.
— “---------”
Lee Sol’s Mini-Me watched the scene with trembling eyes. Noise erupted from her at the same time. The noise hammered into my eardrums from both left and right. Just listening to it made me feel drained already.
Boong—
I put in my earphones and turned on the Noise Canceling function. The static became almost inaudible. Only then did I feel like I could breathe.
“...”
However, the suffocating atmosphere showed no signs of breaking. The subtle psychological warfare continued.
‘What do I do now?’
I wondered where the problem even started and how I was supposed to fix this.
— “Wow, what is this? It’s really good.”
Ji Nuri crunched on the snacks along with her Mini-Me.
— “...Is there any more?”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me shifted only its eyes, stealing glances at Shin A-young. It licked its lips, clearly not satisfied with just one.
“...”
I narrowed my eyes slightly as I watched her. I had never envied Ji Nuri’s nonchalance as much as I did right then.
But I couldn't just sit here like this. Is there some way...?
“Hey, hey! Lee Seung-ho!”
I heard a voice and looked down from the bench to see the Vice Class President.
“Can you come here for a sec?”
He seemed to be in quite a hurry.
“...?”
What is it?
Full of questions, I stood up.
*
She was in a bad mood.
That was the only way to describe Lee Sol’s current state.
“...”
Her lips pursed and shifted. Her fingers, neatly gathered on her lap, fidgeted restlessly. It was proof of the anxiety she was feeling.
Things couldn't go on like this. She was feeling that more keenly than ever today.
“Sol.”
“...Yeah?”
“...What were you talking about with Nuri earlier?”
At the whispered question, Lee Sol’s eyes went wide.
Wait. Is she really asking that out loud with everyone here?
That was her first thought, but...
“?”
When she looked around, no one was there. Not only was Lee Seung-ho gone, but Ji Nuri was nowhere to be seen either. Before she knew it, only she and Shin A-young were left on the bench.
“...Where are Seung-ho and Nuri?”
Lee Sol whipped her head around, looking for the two of them. Had she been too lost in thought? She hadn't even noticed them leave.
Did they disappear to go hang out together again?
Just as that anxiety began to crawl up her spine...
“The Vice Class President called Seung-ho away a bit ago. Nuri said she was going to the snack shop to get something to drink.”
Shin A-young replied casually while tapping on her phone. She was sending a text to Ji Nuri at the snack shop. Seeing that, Sol felt a little relieved.
“...So, what did you talk about with Nuri?”
“It was nothing spec—”
Lee Sol debated whether to tell her or not. Then she decided to open up. The reason was simple: it was because the person asking was Shin A-young. While they were rivals, A-young was also the only person who could truly empathize with her feelings.
“The way I see it...”
“Yeah.”
“...I think Nuri is interested in Seung-ho.”
“Nuri is?”
Shin A-young blinked at the remark. She didn't look particularly surprised. It was likely something she had considered herself.
“Why do you think so?”
“If you just look at her...”
“Uh-huh.”
“She’s similar to you.”
“...”
Shin A-young’s shoulders flinched. Her eyes darted around awkwardly. Her lips parted and closed as if she were about to speak, then...
“...Sorry.”
A short apology escaped her. Lee Sol turned her gaze toward her and asked flatly.
“...So, are you going to give up on him then?”
As she spoke those words, Lee Sol felt a weight in her chest. Even as she said it, she felt the question was a bit too harsh.
“...”
A moment of silence followed. Shin A-young didn't answer. She kept taking sharp, shallow breaths. Instead, she furrowed her brows slightly. A hint of guilt was visible there. From the silent gaze directed her way, Sol could sense her state of mind.
‘I figured as much.’
Lee Sol turned her gaze back toward the field. A-young had no intention of backing down. Perhaps it was an answer she already knew. It was just a process of confirming it one more time—a useless process, if one were to call it that.
“Then forget it.”
Lee Sol didn't accept her apology. If that was her conclusion, it was a meaningless word to offer now.
“...”
Shin A-young didn't mention it further either. With an awkward smile, she looked up at the empty sky.
“But...”
Shin A-young straightened her back.
“Is Nuri really like that?”
She was asking if Ji Nuri was truly interested in Lee Seung-ho.
“It didn't seem that way to me...”
“...”
Lee Sol partially agreed with Shin A-young’s assessment. She was probably right. She felt almost no romantic interest coming from Ji Nuri toward Lee Seung-ho. At least, that was how Lee Sol felt. At most, she seemed to be keeping to the line of being just a friend.
‘...Though she does seem to step over that line occasionally.’
Regardless, her guess was that Nuri didn't like him. Lee Sol had no disagreement there.
Of course, that was the case for now. There was no telling how things might change later. At first, it was just her, then one became two... then three... She was worried about what would happen if the number grew even more.
“Sigh...”
A sigh escaped her lips involuntarily. She looked at the spot where Lee Seung-ho had been sitting. Only an empty drink bottle he had left behind remained.
Had he said the Vice Class President called him? It was obvious without even looking. He had probably disappeared to help someone again.
“...”
The corners of Lee Sol’s eyes drooped. She felt a sense of resentment toward him. The fact that he was kind to everyone made her so uneasy.
It wasn't his fault. He had always maintained a consistent attitude, and it just so happened that many people were drawn to that.
‘But still...’
Being upset was being upset. To say otherwise would be lying to her own feelings. If only emotions followed one's will. Emotions aren't rational. That’s probably why they’re called emotions.
“...”
Lee Sol stared sullenly at the ground. Her chest felt tight, as if she had indigestion. She just wanted him to pay attention only to her. That greedy desire rose within her.
But since reality wasn't like that, she felt cranky. She found herself feeling grumpy toward Lee Seung-ho for no reason.
“Huh?”
Shin A-young, sitting next to her, raised her voice.
“...? What is it all of a sudden?”
Sol was startled by the sudden reaction. Wondering what was going on, she turned her eyes toward where A-young was looking.
“...?!”
Lee Seung-ho was running toward them across the field, drenched in sweat. In one hand, he held a white piece of paper. Was it for the scavenger hunt?
“Huff, huff...”
He stopped right in front of them, breathing heavily. And then—
“Lee Sol, let’s go.”
“...Huh?”
Her wrist was lightly caught.
Whisk—
She was pulled away just like that. Her feet followed him automatically.
‘...Ah.’
She didn't need to see her own face to know exactly what it looked like. Heat rushed to her head. Beads of sweat broke out. Unable to look at him, she could only stare down at the dirt ground.
She simply ran, step by step, following the wrist he held in his hand.