Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Sports Festival #2
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Everyone's bursting with energy...
My own energy, recharged from yesterday's rest, seems to have completely drained away during this morning's activities.
The battery capacity of my mind... Isn't it a bit too small?
Though, on the plus side, it does recharge pretty efficiently.
Afternoon practice time for the sports festival team events.
Aside from students like me with similar temperaments, the field was filled with the blazing passion of ordinary high school boys and girls.
The afternoon classes being replaced with team event practice wasn't just for our class, of course.
Our school is impressive enough to have both a soccer field and a track within its grounds, so not every class was gathered in one spot.
Still, with parents absent, it was basically a preview of the crowd that would gather on the actual sports festival day.
You could even say this practice was half a mini sports festival in itself.
There are seriously so many people.
It was a student body size befitting a school famous on a national scale.
That's how many there are—they can't even finish the sports festival in one day, so they split it across multiple.
I'd already passed by the track, hot from practice sessions for various events.
"I saw it at the entrance ceremony, but still, there are so many people."
"Right? And this is just the first-years—it's insane."
The familiar faces from my class next to me were chatting about the exact same thing.
For reference, the girls had gone off to dodgeball, so they weren't with us.
Not everyone participates in dodgeball, but they were sticking together for now.
And I was heading to the soccer field to play soccer.
Truth be told, I didn't really want to, so I'd stayed quiet during volunteer sign-ups. So why was I here?
Back then, Yoon Jiu had made a huge fuss and, along with a few Dawn Middle School kids who knew me from back in the day, actively recommended me.
Was I going through that middle school phase or something? I'd acted way out of character, showing off a bit.
Still, once I was picked as a player, slacking off didn't sit right with me, so I was putting real effort into the matches themselves.
Mental fatigue aside.
"Class C, red vests. Class D, blue vests. Line up in single file."
Under the guidance of our young PE teacher, we grabbed vests handed out by the soccer club seniors helping out and gathered in the center of the soccer field.
"Time's short, so stretch while you wait. Match rules are the same as before: 25 minutes each half, 10-minute halftime, full hour game. We'll call offsides, but borderline ones we'll let slide. And don't dribble around showboating just 'cause you think you're good—got it?"
"Yes, sir."
The PE teacher glanced at the youth tournament standout in our class.
Word was he was the ace freshman on the soccer team.
Also our team captain.
I remembered him because our chemistry clicked well during practice games.
Not that I'm at his level—I was barely keeping up, focusing on feeding him passes.
Even that seemed to impress him, though; he kept trying to recruit me to the soccer club.
Of course, sorry, but no interest whatsoever.
After a quick personal stretch session, we agreed to a friendly match with Class D and dispersed to positions.
Since getting picked for the class soccer team after enrollment, we'd played practice games often, but with so many classes, it was always new opponents.
Class D, our matchup this time, was no different.
They were from one of those classes you rarely crossed paths with on the schedule, so we were only meeting now because of the full afternoon dedicated to sports prep.
Too bad everyone's busy—no real cheering section.
Just the guys from our class who'd come along.
I tapped my cleats against the grass to settle them in.
...These were the ones I'd bought with Yoon Jiu after joining the team.
I subtly glanced at Yoon Jiu, positioned as midfielder.
There he was, chatting and laughing with classmates, his usual nothing-special expression.
Who knows what's really going on inside...
Still, I hope we can get back to being on good terms. He's not a bad guy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ All in all, the first half ended with everyone focused on warming up.
Score: 1-0, Class C in the lead.
Around the 10-minute mark of the first half, a foul by D Class's striker during their attack chance gave us a counterattack opportunity.
Right after, our front three—including me—dashed forward, shaking their defense. Even the one-on-one with the keeper was faked out by the ace captain, who rattled the net.
"Hey, Seo Ijin! Nice pass, dude!"
"Yeah, thanks."
Thanks to that, I'd notched an assist.
"Second half, let's nail a dagger goal and wrap it clean. Their attack's decent, but defense has holes. Just tighten up ours."
"Got it. Let's hype it up and go!"
Yoon Jiu, our class's social butterfly, added some fire to the captain's orders.
Figures—he's good at this stuff.
Short halftime over, and Class D's players shot us fierce glares as we faced off.
They weren't going down easy.
I tilted my head back, cracking my neck.
By the way, things had gotten pretty rowdy around us lately.
"Kyaa~ Class C fighting!"
"So cool~"
Huh. Dodgeball must've wrapped up; the girls were gathering in the stands.
Well, factoring in all the miscellaneous time, the first half alone took about 40 minutes, so plenty of time for them to finish and come cheer.
Naturally, familiar faces were among them.
I waved to the ones I saw every day, and they waved back.
This isn't half bad.
One odd thing: Class D's girls seemed pretty interested in our side too.
Probably because of Yoon Jiu.
Kids heading into broadcasting/entertainment or modeling tracks are pretty famous anyway.
And Yoon Jiu especially stands out visually, so he's got even more buzz.
...Come to think of it, I heard some rumor somewhere.
Something about me having rumors too? From the club president, maybe?
A ridiculous false rumor that was turning into truth.
Prophecy now, I guess...
6 minutes into the second half. After buildup play, Class C's attack flowed.
The captain's flashy dribble lured two defenders out of position.
"Pass!"
His play unintentionally isolated me. I actively created space from the defender and raised my hand.
Even in the chaos, the captain spotted my signal and sent a low line pass. I broke forward, took it cleanly, and slotted it into a trajectory the keeper couldn't reach.
"Ah! You're supposed to mark the winger!"
As their center-back got breached and their wing-back, momentum carrying him downline for cover, got chewed out by the keeper, I flashed a thumbs-up to the captain for the assist.
"Nice play."
"You too."
Heading back on the whistle, the others swarmed with praise.
One perk of being born with athletic talent:
You get tons of compliments as a kid.
Probably same for academics or arts. But sports? It hits you right in the face.
I accepted the team cheers one by one, finally locking eyes with Yoon Jiu last.
"...Not bad."
"Thanks."
His ever-smiling face stiffened a bit, offering formal praise.
How'd we end up this awkward?
Watching his back as he turned away,
I sighed inwardly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Kyaaak! Class C's killing it!"
"So awesome! Oppa~!"
Hey, you—why the formal speech?
It's still class time, so no elementary kids here. Girls call cool guys 'oppa' and cute ones 'unnie,' huh?
Guys who are good at games are 'hyung,' cute ones 'noona.' Something like that?
...Why do guys become 'hyung' for being good at games, not for looks?
Good-looking guys are the enemy. Not 'hyung.'
The rest of the match was anticlimactic.
Most of Class D had lost the will to fight, just defending desperately. We didn't need to force through aggressively, so we ran out the clock passing around.
I saw their striker, frustrated, chuck his captain's armband to the ground. Sorry, but unavoidable.
Amateur soccer favors the team that grabs momentum first—overwhelmingly.
Low morale's inevitable.
That's why strong offense matters in amateur play.
In that sense, our class is a solid team.
We'd won most practice matches.
We gathered by the water station, chugging to replenish fluids, then cleaned up.
Not like fixing divots or washing vests—that's for the soccer club freshmen. Yeah. Good luck.
Cooling down, I headed to where the class was regrouping.
Sports festival practice wasn't over yet.