[No Title Provided]
Those two are utterly useless as references. Is this what they mean by "a frog dies from a stone thrown without thought"? To snap Lee Seo-yeon out of her sudden silence and back to her usual bubbly self, Yoo Seol-ah started desperately pouring out words.
"They wouldn't even drink together if there wasn't any attraction from the start, right?"
"That's for sure."
Only after hearing from Park Harin, the outsider to our club, did Lee Seo-yeon's eyes finally refocus. But if she's this smitten now, why didn't it seem like she had feelings before? I was awfully curious, but Seol-ah and I tend to think alike on a lot of things anyway.
"So, when exactly did you start liking him? You used to just seem like friends."
"It wasn't like some specific incident or anything..."
Lee Seo-yeon paused, lost in thought at Seol-ah's question. It took a good while for her answer to come.
"...Looking back now... I think I've actually liked him for a long time..."
"Heh..."
"But realizing it was the kind of like where I actually wanted to date him? That only hit me pretty recently..."
Seol-ah grinned, fists clenched tight. Was she suffering or happy? Hard to tell. I felt pretty much the same, though. And I think I get why Seo-yeon always goes soft whenever romance comes up. She's probably just never really known love firsthand. She's watched tons of romance stories, picks up on other people's relationships just fine, but her own emotions? Not so familiar. Love's a pretty vague feeling, after all. She must've been confused whether it was just fondness for a good colleague. She says there's no real difference, but her upbringing is a bit different from ours, so that probably plays a role too.
"...I'm really full now, though?"
"Hey, Seol-ah, you've been saying that since earlier...!"
As Seo-yeon raised her hand toward the smirking Seol-ah, she let out a little "Kyaa!" but stubbornly kept talking.
"...No, for real this time... I'm actually getting full."
Half of it was teasing, sure, but Seol-ah meant it too. ...When did she eat all that? Like snacking during a movie or drama, the tonkatsu and curry had each dwindled by about half. I pulled the curry plate closer and started sampling it.
"So, you two talked and then passed out?"
"Guess so... That's why oppa piggybacked me all the way to my place..."
Thorough last service there, Doyun hyung. I figured Seol-ah would complain about why he didn't come inside, but that wasn't quite it.
"...Yeah, one step at a time, right."
"Whoa, what's that supposed to mean."
One step? The guy who leaped a hundred steps in one bound says that? I shot her a glare, and Seol-ah fired right back, looking all aggrieved.
"God, Baek Sion, you pick fights with me every damn day...!"
She seemed to want the other two on her side, but they looked pretty indifferent to our bickering from the start.
"Everyone's got their own pace, so just go at yours. Sounds like there's real potential from what you're saying."
"Harin-ah... You're the only one for me."
"Those two are pretty much useless for relationship advice, honestly."
...Even without knowing the full story of us, can you just tell our dynamic's all jumbled up from the outside? Well, our fights haven't dropped off even after becoming a couple, so fair enough. Seo-yeon gazed at the calmly advising Harin with sparkling eyes. Spotting that, Seol-ah immediately pouted.
"...I said the exact same thing, though... Why just me?"
I popped another piece of tonkatsu into Seol-ah's nonstop grumbling mouth. She took it naturally, and while chewing, her complaints finally stopped.
Enemy of yesterday, friend of today? The second Seo-yeon had something to gripe about, Seol-ah stopped sniping at me. Her simplicity's a real gem sometimes.
We wrapped up our satisfying meal and chatted a bit more, time flying by before we knew it.
"Shall we head out? The tennis courts are right nearby."
The restaurant near the grad research building was super close to the courts. With some digestion from all the talking, Seol-ah and I headed over first. The other two had brought spare clothes and went to change in the locker room.
There was still plenty of time before class, but the doors were open, so we went inside.
"Wow, it's huge?"
"Yeah. Looks like over ten courts? And more down below."
Clay and grass courts, probably? We were admiring the well-equipped setup when we heard balls bouncing from below and headed that way. A woman in full tennis gear spotted us and waved hello.
"Hi there~ Are you students for today's class?"
"Ah, yes. Hello."
"You're early! Tell me your names, and I'll check you off attendance ahead of time."
Her outfit was so pro—it clicked that she was the instructor. After she marked us on her phone, we started chatting.
"First time playing tennis?"
"Yes, for both of us."
"Any reason you picked tennis?"
"We both like sports... Chose it from ones we haven't tried. Looked fun."
The childish Seol-ah from moments ago vanished, replaced by her mature, professional mode. It felt like old PE class, so she seemed genuinely excited. The instructor smiled brightly at her words.
"Tennis is so fun... I've been teaching here for years, and most people love it. Couples sign up a surprising amount too."
She glanced at us and added that. ...Do we look like a couple to everyone now? Just as I thought Seol-ah was getting used to hearing it, I noticed her twirling her hair furiously. Her exposed nape was flushing pink. Still gets embarrassed, huh.
"We've got time—want to try holding a racket?"
"Yes, sure!"
No surprise from the athletics girl Seol-ah—she nodded eagerly. The instructor clearly loved tennis, so this enthusiasm must thrill her.
"Rackets are pricey, so they're not easy to pick up casually..."
"How much?"
"Beginner ones around 50,000 won, but for serious play, it jumps a digit."
Yeah, priciest racket sport. Needs the most space compared to ping-pong or badminton.
"These are the best for starters—this one's for Seol-ah student, this for Sion student."
As we marveled at the rackets, a familiar voice called from afar.
"Hello!"
"Hi."
With Seo-yeon and Harin arriving, the instructor's eyes lit up again.
"Whoa, it's massive..."
"Gonna be fun. Been a while for tennis."
One a national badminton champ, the other a PE major—they looked pumped too. The instructor, brimming with anticipation, suddenly looked deflated. Seo-yeon, mid-greeting, panicked.
"Are you... okay, instructor?"
"...Ah, yeah, I'm fine."
She spoke with sad eyes.
"...Some people take PE electives because they want to, but tons just do P/NP for easy credits... I try to give good grades anyway, so some game the evals..."
"Ah..."
"Seeing students actually interested like you? It just makes me so happy..."
She looked like she'd bottled up a lot. Probably an adjunct, and young too. Real passion for tennis.
"I was a pro player once, quit for personal reasons, but kept at it."
"Whoa, you competed?"
"U-14 Asia championships, decently... Sorry, too personal. Got carried away."
I wanted to hear more, but she smiled awkwardly and stopped. Feels like chatting with a peer, even as the instructor—early twenties vibe.
"As a welcome for arriving first, here's a gift. Pressure balls—real match ones."
"Really? I can take it?"
"Yeah, thrilled you're into tennis."
...She's dead serious about this. Soon, Seo-yeon and Harin gripped rackets, postures already forming.
"...It's heavier than I thought."
"Didn't you do badminton, Seo-yeon?"
"Yeah, a bit as a kid."
"You all seem athletic."
We had ping-pong confidence, but the racket size difference felt off. Play styles similar, though—we'd pick it up quick.
"You all have good motor skills, so let's taste a serve? It's brutally hard at first, and serves are 90% of tennis."
Quick grip lesson, then she demoed a super-slow serve from the baseline. Barely using shoulder, just tapping.
"Even this is tough starting out. Miss the ball or net? Fine—just swing confidently!"
First up: Harin, with experience. No hesitation—she tossed the ball high, mimicked perfectly, and sent it over.
...Felt like she held back on purpose.
"...H-have you played tennis?"
"A few times."
Stunned, the instructor moved to Seo-yeon next. Quick posture tweak, toss—and a textbook serve.
"...W-wait, this isn't supposed to be easy..."
"Badminton racket feel's close... I can connect."
Now outright baffled, she came to me. Racket wasn't heavy; swings adapted distance sense fast. My body control's leagues better now—no mis-hits without enhancement. I swung confidently: toss high, hard racket whip.
Tang! Crisp sound echoed as the ball spun to the opposite court. Off my aim spot, but spin was spot-on.
"Whoa... Baek Sion's got killer reflexes..."
I turned at Harin's praise, but the instructor stayed silent, clutching her forehead like dizzy.
"...You said first time...? How'd you do a... slice serve?"
"Yeah. Ping-pong has a similar side-spin one."
Obscure serve, but yeah. Her expression was an unreadable mix as she adjusted Seol-ah's form last.
Seol-ah's eager swing followed—but no hit sound.
She was weakest in badminton too.
"...Ugh, way harder than I thought..."
"R-right?! It's not easy— I give P if serve hits a level, since good serve means the rest's done. Underhand's normal to whiff at first..."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Once serve's solid, game's over."
Seeing Seol-ah's regret, the instructor finally perked up, diving into excited coaching. We three "weirdos" chatted off-court.
"...Should've flubbed it a bit?"
"Swing's so like badminton, harder to miss on purpose..."
After heated coaching, Seol-ah nailed her serve and returned. Harin complimented coolly.
"Seol-ah, you pick it up crazy fast."
"...What? You mocking me?"
Flabbergasted Seol-ah, but Harin seemed sincere. Instructor praised her speed too. Problem is, the world's all relative.