Sports Festival (4)
Pulkkot High School was in the thick of preparations for its own sports festival. Even after classes ended, participants lingered at school, practicing for their events or running preliminaries. The cheerleaders were no exception.
"Ugh..."
"Again—"
"Hayan, why don't you practice the steps first if it's tough?"
"Sorry, everyone."
The atmosphere was full of encouragement, but Kim Hayan's heart wasn't at ease. Taeyang had helped her so diligently, yet she hadn't improved at all.
"Let's call it here for today. Everyone, make sure to drill the moves at home."
In the end, group practice wrapped up early again, leaving individual sessions for later. As the others packed up, said their goodbyes, and left, Hayan stayed behind in the classroom.
"Hoo~ Just a bit more."
In the empty classroom filled only with sunset light, music played softly as Kim Hayan moved alone, trying to match the choreography.
It wasn't long before the classroom door slid open.
"Ah..."
Hayan paused and turned around. Choi Seonwoo was walking in, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Still practicing?"
"Yeah, I think I need a little more."
"By yourself?"
Hayan gave a wry smile at Seonwoo's question.
"Yeah. I'm way behind the others, so I need the practice."
"I see."
"I've been dragging everyone down... Hehe, you just finish too?"
"Yeah, my free throws aren't landing."
"Gotcha."
An awkward silence settled over the empty classroom with just the two of them. Unlike the plot of Love Chain, Kim Hayan and Seonwoo had barely any flags raised between them. They'd been friendly enough in class, but never alone like this. So Hayan figured he'd just grab his bag and head out after a quick greeting.
But Seonwoo pulled out a chair in front of Hayan as she practiced her routine and sat down.
"I'll help."
"What?"
"You need feedback for this stuff."
Seonwoo flashed a bright smile.
"Can't just leave a friend struggling, right?"
The sunset bathed the room, highlighting Seonwoo's handsome features—enough to capture any girl's heart. Hayan met his eyes for a moment and smiled back brightly.
"Thanks. But I gotta head out soon anyway."
"Ah, it's getting late. Then starting tomorrow—"
"Tomorrow's fine too. I just finished early today and squeezed in some extra practice."
Seonwoo looked a bit put off by Hayan's refusal and added pointedly,
"Wouldn't feedback help you nail it?"
"My little bro's already stepping up to help."
"...Taeyang?"
Seonwoo tilted his head at the unexpected answer.
"Yeah, he's been coaching me hard from the side. So we practice at home every day."
Kim Hayan burst into laughter, recalling the first time Taeyang had demonstrated the cheer routine. Seonwoo, clueless about the context, just looked puzzled.
"But Taeyang's really good at it, right? He nailed it on his first try and went so hard—it was hilarious. Gave me a real boost, though."
"Y...yeah."
As the conversation lulled, the door burst open. In walked Min Iri, fresh from track practice.
"Hayan~!"
"Huh? How'd you know I was still here?"
"You didn't pick up, so I figured you were practicing."
Only then did Hayan grab her phone from the floor. Missed calls from Gahee and Iri.
"Ah, Gahee must be waiting. Better get going."
"Gahee was muttering something about filming no matter what today. What's up?"
Hayan shared her suspicions with Iri.
"Probably trying to film Taeyang?"
"What'd Taeyang do now?"
Iri's eyes sparkled with anticipation. The moment she heard the story, she insisted on heading straight to the Kim house. Choi Gahee, who'd joined them on the way home, was just as eager.
"Gahee, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Not long. Just finished relay practice. But you're practicing with Taeyang again today?"
With Kim Taeyang at the center of the talk, Seonwoo, who had nothing more to add, quietly chimed in from the side before parting ways with them.
After that, Kim Hayan and Choi Seonwoo never stayed late practicing together again.
"We're home!"
"Coming in! Taeyang! You here?"
"Pardon the intrusion."
A commotion erupted from the entryway. I could already sense the headache coming.
"Taeyang's already here."
"Yeah, sis."
Iri sis approached me first. Gahee sis hesitated behind her before following.
"Taeyang, they say you're killer at dancing?"
"What're you talking about? I just helped sis out a little."
"No way, you're definitely good!"
Gahee sis insisted fiercely, as if denying it was unforgivable.
Well, I'd half-expected this ever since I demoed the cheer routine up front.
"Looking forward to today."
Iri sis gave me a thumbs-up and clapped a hand on my shoulder.
"Um... m-me too."
Gahee sis swallowed hard, hesitated, then gingerly placed her hand on my other shoulder. Her cheeks flushed a bit.
I flashed a big grin at their expectant gazes.
"You're in the way. Wanna leave?"
"That's mean!!"
I gave them the rejection they wanted. Of course, I couldn't actually kick them out, so I just told them to chill on the couch.
"Then, Teacher Kim Taeyang. Mind helping out again today?"
"For sis? Obviously."
"Ugh... I should've been that sis."
"Taeyang's still such a siscon."
I ignored the mutters from the couch and set up for practice. Hayan sis, hyped up, insisted on changing into her cheer uniform. While waiting, I reiterated to the two: this was Hayan sis's cheer practice, not Kim Taeyang's talent show, so focus on helping her.
"Duh! Just leave it to us!"
"Yeah, that's why I brought the camcorder."
Yeah, they weren't even blinking. Gahee sis had hauled a pro camcorder—way overkill for feedback footage. A phone would've sufficed.
"All set."
"Ooh, looks good on you?"
"Really?"
"If I were a guy, I'd have confessed already."
Iri sis, seeing the cheer uniform for the first time, lavished praise on Hayan sis. Hmm... is that the level you gotta go to compliment a girl's outfit? I was still thinking the skirt was too short.
Hayan sis stood before me with a determined look.
"Then, Teacher Kim Taeyang, shall we begin?"
"Yeah."
Practice started. Hayan sis ran through the routine solo first, based on the video. No real improvement.
"Hmm... you're overthinking the steps. Wanna drill those basics first?"
"W...would that be better?"
"Yeah, it's not that hard. Get the positioning between people down early, and you won't get mixed up."
"Like this?"
"Nah, like this."
As I guided sis's footwork, useless chatter drifted from the couch.
"Gahee, Taeyang's really good at teaching, huh?"
"Yeah, must be talented."
"Hmm... think he'll become a dancer?"
"At that level, idol material."
"What? Taeyang?"
"What's wrong with our Taeyang?!"
Gahee sis's voice rose enough to carry over.
"Excuse me, you two..."
They gave sheepish grins and waved me on.
"Haha, ignore us and keep practicing!"
"Right, Taeyang! Oh yeah, didn't we say you'd dance together?"
Gahee sis slyly grabbed the camcorder.
"Yeah! That's why I came!"
"What?"
"N-no, I mean... following your lead might help her get the positioning."
Iri sis backpedaled blatantly, but it wasn't a bad idea, so I went with it.
"True. Wanna try together, sis?"
"Yeah."
"You're on the left, so I'll take right."
Hayan sis and I lined up side by side. Before starting the music, I asked Gahee sis,
"Gahee sis, you filming?"
"Well... feedback video's best, right? You can check if you're teaching wrong too!"
Desperate plea from Gahee sis. She'd always been so gentle and quiet... kinda bittersweet.
"Fine, whatever."
I knew her state, but it'd sort itself later. One video wouldn't spike her yandere symptoms.
Hayan sis and I danced to the music. She nearly missed beats a few times but managed to follow my moves, clumsy as they were. Gahee sis gripped the camcorder tight, holding her breath as she filmed.
Tan— We finished the last pose and returned to start position, exhaling.
"Let's check the footage?"
If Gahee sis had zoomed only on me or something, rendering Hayan sis invisible, it'd be pointless.
Luckily, the video captured us both well.
"Nice shot, Gahee sis."
"Hehe, thanks."
During our cheer demo, one person had been unusually quiet.
"Iri sis?"
Turning to her, she looked serious. Lost in thought, like something was bugging her.
"Sis? Iri sis."
After a few calls, she glanced at Hayan sis, Gahee sis, then me.
"Something's... missing."
"Huh? What?"
We were still practicing, so sure, flaws aplenty. But instant feedback like this?
Iri sis delivered.
"Wouldn't it be perfect if Taeyang wore the teddy bear costume?"
"Get out."
Before long, it was deep into the night. Gahee replayed the Kim Taeyang footage on her camcorder over and over.
"Ugh... too perfect."
Finally calming her frenzy, she paused the video.
In the dark of Gahee's room, a printer hummed on her desk, spitting out photos. She gazed at them fondly. Her cheekbones refused to go down.
"No matter how many times... it's driving me crazy."
The photos were screenshots from today's cheer practice—Hayan cropped out, Taeyang close-up. She'd printed them by pose.
"Ah..."
Gahee froze, remembering something.
"Taeyang said he hates obsessive types, right?"
She recalled him sharing his ideal type at the cafe last time. Pondering, she gave an awkward smile.
"Gotta be careful not to get caught for a while."
Resolved, Gahee took the photos to her bedside. Next to the wall-hung pic of Taeyang in the teddy bear outfit, she pinned the new prints.
"Haa~ so cute~"
In the dead of night, moonlight filtering through the window lit up Choi Gahee's yandere glare.