Sports Festival (8)
"Alright, everyone should already know the dodgeball rules, but I'll explain them again anyway."
The teacher serving as referee started the explanation. It was just the standard dodgeball rules anyway—don't cross the line, hit players go behind the opponent's line to help with attacks, that sort of thing.
The rule about not hitting faces too hard had both Yuyeong and Eunju clicking their tongues in disappointment.
'As long as we don't hit the head, it's fine, right?'
And both of them were thinking the exact same thing.
"Game on."
Tweet-!!
———
"Taeyang, you not going to watch the dodgeball game?"
"Eh?"
"It's Yuyeong and Eunju's match."
The classroom was nearly empty during lunch because of the dodgeball semifinal. Especially the guys—they'd all vanished. Probably because Eunju was playing.
Well, as their friend, maybe I should go watch? They'd both be bummed if I didn't. Plus, they'd all prepared so hard.
"Yeah, let's go."
I headed to the gym with the class rep. They were just deciding who served first.
"Oh, perfect timing. It's starting."
We grabbed some empty seats in the bleachers and settled in to watch the dodgeball game.
Tweet-!!
——
The dodgeball match kicked off amid tense suspense. As teams that had made it to the semifinals, neither side seemed superior. Players from both teams got eliminated at an even pace.
"They're both holding out pretty long."
"Yeah."
And the team captains, essentially Ha Eunju and Lee Yuyeong, survived in their own styles. Eunju's aggressive attacks and Yuyeong's solid defense refused to yield control to each other, locked in a fierce stalemate.
"This is gonna be a brutal fight."
I brushed off the class rep's extra-like commentary as a spectator and alternated glances between Yuyeong and Eunju.
"Guess things finally soured between them, huh?"
Honestly, even from my perspective, their relationship had been on thin ice. Yuyeong was openly wary of Eunju, and Eunju put on an extra fake act around Yuyeong. I'd figured it'd blow up soon, and sure enough, yesterday Yuyeong had called her out, sparking the conflict.
"Taeyang, who do you want to win?"
The class rep's question got a what-kind-of-dumbass-ask from me.
"Obviously our class, right? Gotta cheer for them."
"But you're tight with Eunju too. Looks like you two might even be flirting."
The class rep grinned wide, slyly steering toward romance talk. She'd basically dragged me here to probe, after all.
"Flirting? What the hell are you on about?"
"Oh, come on~ Word's already spreading among the girls about your love triangle drama."
"Love triangle? No way... You're kidding, right?"
The only girls close to me were Eunju and Yuyeong.
"Who knows? Maybe they made a bet over this game—with you as the prize?"
"...No way that's happening."
I denied it outright, but I eyed the court uneasily, watching the two girls hustle hard. Fine, Yuyeong's prone to wild delusions anyway, so maybe. But Eunju? No way she'd pull some idiot stunt like that. What's a school idol like her lacking that she'd cling to me? The only thing that came to mind was her invite to join the baseball team... but she wouldn't obsess like this over that. She's not some Yuyeong.
"Love triangle bullshit."
"Aw, lame."
"Class rep..."
I shot her an exasperated look when cheers erupted from the bleachers.
"Ooooh!!!"
"What the...?"
"No way, she blocked that?"
By the time I whipped my head around, Yuyeong was already clutching the ball tight with both hands. Somehow, only Eunju and Yuyeong were left standing.
———
The last player on Yuyeong's team got hit, leaving one on each side.
"Haha, you hung in there surprisingly well."
"Yeah, guess you're not all talk after all."
Eunju smirked, gripping the ball and stepping up to Yuyeong.
'Head-on showdown?'
No sooner had Yuyeong thought that than Eunju lifted one leg—like a pitcher's windup from a baseball game.
Eunju figured this fight favored her. Dodgeball was thrown with hands, after all. No way a soccer manager raised around soccer kicks could beat a baseball manager who'd begged the pitchers to teach her how to throw.
She tensed her forearm and hurled the ball. Bigger than a baseball, so harder to throw fast, but still a hand throw.
The ball flew, and Yuyeong stood frozen in place.
"Heh."
Eunju smirked. Now wasn't the time to just stand there and take it. Because her throw was a breaking ball—looking straight but curving unexpectedly. Tough to catch without focus.
Sure enough, it veered not toward Yuyeong's outstretched arms but her left thigh.
"It's over...!!!"
She thought it was. Thud—
But Yuyeong snagged the breaking ball with both hands.
"What? So this is your big secret weapon... just this?"
Eunju blanked for a second but snapped back quick. No time to slack.
Yuyeong fired it right back.
"Ugh... haha, isn't that a bit too hard?"
It was heavy. Eunju forced a grin despite her inner shock.
"Go easy on me~"
"What?"
But that smile didn't faze Yuyeong. Her voice came out chillingly cold.
"Why pretend you're weak all of a sudden?"
"Y-Yuyeong?"
Yuyeong tilted her head. Her eyes gleamed strangely.
The class rep in the bleachers piped up.
"Yuyeong seems off today, huh?"
"Probably just locked in."
"Locked in?"
"When Yuyeong gets super focused, her eyes change."
"Oh?"
The class rep didn't seem convinced by my explanation. But I knew. I'd seen that look before.
Last time we played darts, she'd pretended to suck then nailed the bullseye dead center. Different from her yandere glare. It was her hyper-focus mode kicking in.
Probably imagining this game as some life-or-death crisis in her head. I swallowed hard.
"What the hell's really riding on this match?"
Gut churning, I refocused on the court with dread. Eunju barely caught Yuyeong's throw, sweating bullets.
'What now? Taunt her?'
No. Too many kids around for overt trash talk. One slip and it'd tank her image. But could she beat this psycho in her current state?
'Wait, why am I freaking out?'
Eunju pitied her own fear for a sec. Nah, she had the edge here. Yuyeong looked zoned out, reason frayed. No reason to lose to that. Plus, no need for a straight clash.
"Guys, help me out~"
Eunju lobbed the ball not at Yuyeong but beyond—to her teammates outside the line.
"Tch."
Now Yuyeong faced attacks from three sides. The teammates passed it around, trying to scatter her focus.
Enemies everywhere.
-Haha, you think you can go after Taeyang?
-If you can, try it.
-But you'll never beat me, no matter how many times.
-'Cause you're an o.t.a.k.u.
Eunju's snide voice echoed among them.
"Tch—using shadow clones, huh."
Yuyeong muttered under her breath. In reality, the teammates were just silently drawing her eyes, but hyper-focused Yuyeong interpreted it as battling her clones.
Seemed like Yuyeong's clones surrounded her, taunting nonstop.
-Should I spread the rumor?
-You couldn't handle it.
Soon the clones gossiped about Yuyeong's rumors. Darkening, they morphed into faceless harassers.
-Whoa, you hear that rumor?
-No way~ That pure manager senior?
-Senior, is the rumor true?
-Yuyeong... no, right?
-A filthy otaku.
-She even has figures at home?
-Eww!
"This is getting dangerous," the class rep fretted from the bleachers.
Not that she could see the clones too—just objectively, one vs. a team looked grim.
"She might lose like this?"
"...Isn't Eunju the one in danger?"
"Huh?"
My unexpected words drew stares from the class rep and others.
"Why stare like that?"
"Just... doesn't make sense."
"It's just my hunch."
Hard to explain in detail, but something felt off. I knew Eunju was kinda fake, and Yuyeong wary of her. They clearly didn't vibe. People clash sometimes, so I'd let it slide. But hanging with both, I'd sensed it: Yuyeong was way more dangerous than Eunju.
Yuyeong was no pushover.
"Maybe Eunju just woke the monster."
Right then, cheers exploded from the bleachers again.
"What? What happened?!"
The class rep checked, but all they saw was Yuyeong's back.
———
Before the cheers...
Fighting Eunju's teammates and her own bottled anxieties, Yuyeong zeroed in on the ball. But hyper-focus made the clones overwhelming. Rumor fears shook her mentally.
-The rumor’s already spreading among the kids...
Her immersion cracked. Heart wavering.
At this rate, any blindside would be unstoppable.
And it came—a surprise ball from an unexpected angle.
'No! If I lose Taeyang...'
[You like anime? Japanese anime.]
[Huh?]
[Do you like anime too?]
It was a warm March spring day. Unlike insecure Yuyeong hiding her hobby, Taeyang smiled brightly.
Like he didn't care what anyone thought... That confident vibe she lacked drew her in. He'd listen patiently to her ramblings, block others prying. His smile was a ray of sunlight piercing her lonely heart.
———
As cheers faded in the bleachers, Yuyeong stood.
"The ball? Where?"
She held it in both hands. She'd snatched a teammate's sneak attack throw flawlessly.
"Yeah!!!"
"Lee Yuyeong, fighting!"
Cheers surged. Yuyeong calmed her heart amid the noise.
'Right, just think of Taeyang now.'
Yuyeong awakened.
"Yuyeong, pass to us!"
"Yeah! Let's end this quick!"
Her teammates urged a momentum pass.
"Tch."
Eunju clicked her tongue. She'd started the team assault first, so Yuyeong's side would counter with teamwork.
But Yuyeong stood dazed, staring one spot: Kim Taeyang.
"Yuyeong's looking this way?"
"......Yeah."
"Huh? Taeyang, why the cold sweat?"
".........Eunju really..."
Woke the monster.
Yuyeong stared piercingly at Kim Taeyang. The hyper-focus fire in her eyes slowly died.
Replaced by cold, murky air. Her eyes had shifted to Yandere Stage 1 mode.
"Hey, class rep, doesn't Yuyeong look weird right now?"
The class rep just tilted her head. Others too. No one clocked her yandere eyes.
"Ah, maybe she wants your cheer, Taeyang?"
"N-No, that's not..."
"Yuyeong! Fighting!!"
The class rep grabbed my hand and hoisted it up.
"Taeyang's cheering for you!!!"
"Hey!"
"Wait, were you cheering for Eunju?"
"......Not that..."
Publicly cheering Eunju here? If Yuyeong heard, her pent-up jealousy might hit Stage 2. From afar, I avoided picking sides lest she hear.
"Yeah! I'll do my best!"
Ignoring or not, Yuyeong beamed at the class rep's words and my forced raised hand, refocusing on the game.
Murky eyes, bright smile—creepier.
"...Hoo~"
My legs shook. Sitting back, the class rep grinned.
"Better pick a side quick."
'That's not the issue!'
Eunju glanced at us, pouting like she was miffed, then flashed a cheery smile.
"Ahaha, Yuyeong, you're pretty good!"
"Taeyang... mine..."
"Huh?"
"My... Taeyang..."
"What~ Game's not over yet~"
Eunju brushed it off cutely, but Yuyeong kept murmuring.
"Class rep... can't forgive..."
"Huh? Why the class rep?"
"Daring to touch... my Taeyang..."
The game was one thing, but Yuyeong fixated on my raised hand—and the class rep gripping it.
"Class rep... we're done."
"Huh?"
Oblivious Eunju just tilted her head.
"Oh, and you—this one's gonna hurt."
With that, Yuyeong threw the ball.