[No title provided]
Tae-il was a light eater.
Not because of diets or health issues, but because the bloated fullness after overeating wrecked his focus.
Without focus, composition stalled completely. Practice dragged too, since getting immersed took forever.
He always ate just enough to avoid that post-meal slump.
It was Tae-il's ironclad rule.
Plus, his Korean habit of rushing through things balanced out the light eating.
Eating fast delayed the brain's fullness signal, leading to mindless overeating.
But starting light meant his stomach filled naturally over time.
That was how Tae-il stayed in shape without much exercise.
Though when Ayane cooked, he forced himself to finish it all out of politeness.
"Shin Tae-il, you sure you don't want more?"
"Yeah."
"You eat so little for a guy. Oh, any shrimp tempura left...?"
Tae-il exchanged a glance with Ayane, then slid the tray of side dishes right in front of Iris.
"Thanks!"
Iris lit up and popped a shrimp tempura straight into her mouth.
"Mmm!"
She loved fried stuff.
Watching her devour it so savoringly made him feel full just by looking.
Apparently, he wasn't the only one—before he knew it, everyone except Iris had set down their chopsticks and was staring at her.
"Ayane's getting full now too. You still going, Iris?"
"She always eats a ton."
"The young miss has that metabolism where she never gains weight, no matter how much."
"The enemy of women...!"
No wonder Rena called her a pig.
"Where the hell does all that food go in this pig...?"
"Where d'you think?"
"Ahem!"
Tae-il yanked his gaze away from Iris's chest with a forced cough as Rena and Kiriko bantered.
Iris, still munching tempura, mumbled a retort.
"Mmmph!"
"Miss, finish eating first."
Iris swallowed and protested indignantly.
"I work out too! If anything, you're the one who doesn't gain weight, Rena-chin!"
"I don't eat like a pig, pig."
"I'm not a pig!"
Iris started fuming, then remembered Tae-il was there and sneaked a peek at him.
Reacting like she did with Rena alone had brought an unfamiliar wave of embarrassment.
Luckily, Tae-il had both hands clamped over his ears, head buried in the table.
Ayane patted his back, whispering it was okay now.
"Anyway, Iris works out too?"
"Y-yeah... sorta."
"What kind?"
"Uh..."
Ayane's question left Iris glancing nervously at Tae-il.
Figuring it was guy-unfriendly talk, Tae-il stood smoothly.
"Gonna grab drinks from the vending machines. What do you all want?"
"Afternoon tea."
"Ayane wants banana milk!"
"I'll just have what Kiriko brought."
"Ahem. Then I'll... Ow!"
"Ssh. Read the room."
"Hiiing."
Tae-il chuckled at Kiriko's pout.
"Coffee okay for you, Kiriko?"
"Of course! Ow!"
"Hrmph."
"I'll pay for it. Me!"
"Fine, whatever."
"I'm the adult here! I don't mooch off kids!"
"Nah, I figured you hadn't kicked the delinquent habit yet."
"I told you, I wasn't one!"
Leaving the art room in uproarious laughter at Kiriko's expense, Tae-il stepped into the hallway. The comfy AC gave way to muggy heat that hit like a wall.
"Miss morning already."
Mornings had been cool enough.
Forcing his heavy legs against the oppressive warmth, he headed on.
Flapping his shirt for air, Tae-il checked his phone while passing the quiet hall.
He'd been too busy practicing to look, but results should be out by now.
No need for communities or news sites.
He opened Sakuya's private message.
"Finals tomorrow already, huh..."
Which also meant day four of break.
Time flew.
The girls' volleyball Interhigh finals and closing ceremony spanned four days from Saturday, wrapping Tuesday.
Yuuma High, chasing a three-peat as powerhouses, had crushed every opponent to reach finals.
Today's semis were basically the real finals, people said.
But the score was a total Yuuma domination.
"Gotta send that congrats I missed earlier."
Texting finals congrats, Tae-il worried inwardly.
'Would Sakuya even be happy with something this basic?'
Victory was expected, yet never guaranteed. Don't take the expected for granted, or arrogance slips it away—that was a line from the chairman's speech.
But this year's Yuuma girls' team was hailed as a miracle generation even by youth sports mags, with insane feats.
Even non-fans took finals for granted, if not the win.
'Sakuya's got that massive pride...'
A plain congrats probably wouldn't land.
Getting antsy, Tae-il logged into Amazon, topped up a gift card for a famous ice cream maker, and sent it.
"Money just keeps vanishing. Vanishing..."
No quick reply—probably busy—so he pocketed the phone and bought the drinks.
Arms full, passing the staff room, cheers erupted inside.
"This locks in the girls' three-peat and gives the boys a two-peat shot!"
"Jackpot! Jackpot!"
Teachers' shouts echoed down the hall.
Looked like the boys' team had clinched finals too.
"Tomorrow's gonna be epic!"
"Kuh! Mizuhashi-sensei, you're on duty tomorrow too, right?"
"Ah, forgot! That's cruel!"
"Kuhahaha! I'm going live. Jealous?"
"Damn you!"
Double finals clinch for both teams. More staff talk of attending live.
Tae-il's fiddling fingers grew urgent on his smartphone.
"Shinkansen first..."
Closing at 5 PM, but girls' finals—less hyped than boys'—started morning.
"Of all times, morning..."
Tae-il clicked his tongue.
Sakuya, sports superstar, was playing.
Couldn't they bump girls' to afternoon?
No car meant public transit to Gunma—his head spun with plans.
Parents' vacation ended yesterday; back to grind.
Unless miraculously assigned Gunma, no dropping him off en route.
Station drop-off at best.
"Maybe get a license..."
Couldn't drive car yet, but motorcycle? Possible now.
Assuming Sakuya reached finals, he'd hit Gunma four times total.
'Shinkansen: Kanagawa to Fujioka, min 4,000 yen, max 6,000. No Shinkansen: mid-2,000s but 3+ hours...'
Station-to-station only.
Venue trek added more.
One-way tickets: four round trips easily topped 10,000 yen.
'...'
Tae-il seriously pondered a license and bike.
"No school group cheer for finals...?"
Scanned messenger friends tagged "school." Empty.
Chilly void.
"..."
Shin Tae-il had few friends.
Looking back, he'd grabbed all the high school glory but skipped kid bonds.
Just now, he'd thought it didn't matter.
Middle school drama maybe reinforced it.
Above all.
Recalling his past life, he'd dismissed school ties as worthless.
Wrong.
Tae-il sighed self-mockingly.
Silence.
The moment Tae-il left, laughter died in the art room, noise vanishing.
Eerie.
Like a pact, no one spoke.
All paused, eyeing each other.
Silence ruled the air.
"Um."
In the suffocating quiet, Iris broke it first.
She, who'd chased him off, forced a smile at the other two.
"Hey, isn't it too quiet? I got chills just now."
Like a horror flick scene.
Heavy, awkward—like someone might die, shoving it off on another.
Subsurface psych war, unseen.
Either way, gut-twisting, breathless.
"Huh, weak reactions. I really got goosebumps?"
Iris rolled up her sleeve, showing her arm.
"See? Right, Kiriko?"
"Looks silky smooth to me. Jealous-making."
Thud.
"Guh!"
"Nope. Stay quiet."
Kiriko teared up emotionally at Iris's quiet fury, nodding.
Rena snickered at the live foot-stomp comedy.
"Kiriko, you have it rough."
"R-Rena...!"
Iris scolded Rena for babying her—it'd spoil her.
"What? Spoil me? You think I'm some kid who can't tell right from wrong!?"
"Weren't you?"
"Now I know exactly how you see me, thanks!"
"Yeah. Sorry. My bad this time."
"Eh? Apology out of nowhere...?"
Not what she wanted. Kiriko dazed at the non-duo-comedy; Rena smirked at Ayane.
Coincidentally.
Ayane stared back. Eyes met; Rena spoke.
"How's it going?"
"Better than expected."
"Congrats. Don't look thrilled."
"Yeah, thanks. Ayane's not thrilled either."
Rena's blank gaze clashed midair with Ayane's near-expressionless eyes.
Weird.
No emotions shown, yet sticky hostility oozed between them.
'Wh-what...?'
Friends and bandmates radiating thick enmity confused Iris, who'd tried lightening the mood.
'They got some secret...?'
Study group? Barely talked.
Iris floundered between them.
"Keep at it, gloomy girl. You know me—no cheering from afar."
"Don't need it anyway. Or you."
No answers for Iris; they wrapped it themselves.
Missing middle, just intro-conclusion—Iris pouted.
"Come ooon. What's with you two...?"
"We just clash weirdly."
Rena propped her chin, glaring.
Ayane raised a brow.
Ice-cold blank twisted to displeased with crooked lips.
"Not my place, but you're exactly my type I hate."
"Same, Ayane. Honjo's kinda trash."
Minds aligned.
No positive spark.
Tribal hate.
Outsides differed like East-West, but insides eerily similar.
Clinging obsession to stalkerish persistence. Expression styles varied slightly.
Hence the mutual dislike.
Ayane had leeway—she held Rena's leash, her way.
Rena, leashed by another? Ayane grated hugely.
'Tch. Learn drums quick.'
Master drums, earn Iris's nod—no more Ayane glances.
Surveillance?
Jealousy?
Not her business. Nothing more annoying than meddling in romance.
But then.
'Gonna take this lying down?'
'Not regretting it?'
'To that gloomy girl, not even Iris?'
Her can't-be-pushed side whispered temptations.
'Revenge.'
'Make tears gush from those haughty amber eyes.'
How?
'Snatch what gloomy girl treasures most!'
What did gloomy girl treasure most?
A pathetic guy's face floated in Rena's mind.
'Right. Zero confidence. If you're that worried Iris'll snag him...'
Why not snag Shin Tae-il herself?
Absurd even to her; near-laugh escaped.
But mulling it... not terrible.
First, she could make him happy if she wanted. Less womanly charm? She had capital to cover.
'Even today's chat...'
He'd freaked at her spending, worried—pocket change to her, backed by Arisugawas and exhibitions.
'Why adults obsess over money...?'
Rena smirked.
She'd been mean; helping him would satisfy her payback urge.
Bonus: Iris, Ayane-wary, would cheer pure romance—Rena's wish.
Ayane blocked Tae-il-to-Iris too; promise kept.
Win-win for all.
'Hilarious just thinking.'
She knew it was nonsense.
But no other revenge on Ayane popped up.
Tae-il wasn't her type—far off, still doubted his motives.
But his attitude, sincerity? Starting to trust a bit. That gaze? Familiar—she'd obsessed once.
Plus, the new world he showed shook her values more than expected.
So.
So.
Tweak attitude slightly...
'Seeing him positively...'
Impossible, but 'what if'—Rena imagined.
Dating Tae-il future.
First: Her in his arms, drumming.
Next: Quit art, full doujin author.
References all...
Thud!
Fantasy veered indecent; Rena slammed the table.
Pain cleared the filth.
Iris grabbed her hand worriedly.
"Rena-chin? Hand okay?"
"F-f-fine..."
"Rena-chin's broken!?"
Um.
Zero hiding.
Fantasies bias to wishes.
Back to hentai doujins lately? Rena clutched her head, hand throbbing.
"J-jeez..."
Defeat stung.
Briefly, dating Tae-il seemed okay.
Slight tilt from Iris to him—self-betrayal hit hard.
'This is...'
Just swapping anchors?
Rena shook head wildly, swept bangs back, reassured Iris.
"Fine. Just a bit..."
Creak.
Door opened; Tae-il returned, arms loaded with drinks.
"Back."
Rena froze; Ayane's icy face melted smilingly, rushing to hug his arm with drinks.
"Shin! Heavy?"
"Nah. Here's your banana milk, Ayane."
"Thanks!"
She took it, handing him cola—perfect for him.
He nodded thanks, approached Rena.
"And afternoon tea for Honjo."
"Th-thanks..."
Same flavor as last time—her fave.
"This for Kiriko."
"Thank you. I'll pay later..."
Kiriko bowed gratefully.
"Just wanted to treat you—no need."
"I'll take the thought. Or miss kills me..."
Tae-il nodded helplessly.
Last: Iris.
Glad he nuked the awkwardness, but pride stiffened her neck.
Chilled drink widened her eyes.
"For Arisugawa too."
"Eh? I said I was fine."
"Feels left out if you're the only one."
Iris eyed the drink.
BARD CM song, Izumi ad model—sports drink.
Laughter bubbled.
"How'd you know I like this?"
"Lute."
"Hmph. Stocking points for that day?"
"Haha."
Tae-il just laughed.
Chill thawed to normal warmth.
Rena, still fantasy-shaken, sipped tea head-down; Ayane claimed his arm smugly.
Iris, finally.
"Got leader vibes despite the looks."
"Huh?"
She inwardly conceded to his baffled gaze.