The Sports Festival – Part 2
After lunch we sat in our class tent for a bit to let everything digest.
“Siwoo, what are you doing?”
“Bored out of my mind.”
Sunghoon and Donghyuk came over to our tent.
Sunghoon was wearing those farmer’s outfit clothes and… Donghyuk had on a red-moon set.
“Yo… aren’t you two overheating?”
“Even though these are long pants, surprisingly it’s refreshing. Compared to me, Donghyuk must be roasting alive, right?”
“Don’t say that. It’s black, so it traps the heat even more.”
“Then just take your clothes off?”
“I said that, but what do you think I’m gonna say?”
“Then you guys are both tough, huh?”
“My face is already burned, so adding more won’t hurt much.”
“That’s crossing a line.”
“Later, when the relay comes, are you gonna tie your arms behind your back and run?”
“Haha, relay isn’t a joke, you know.”
“Right?”
“Instead, I’ll cast some illusion magic.”
“…What a shameless line.”
We traded those pointless remarks until something clicked in my head.
“You guys have friends in your own class, right? Why did you come to ours?”
The two of them answered with totally confident faces.
“None.”
“None, we go play by ourselves.”
“It’s a brag. That’s why you showed up?”
“Yeah, I got bored so I came over.”
“What were you doing?”
“Just… sitting with Sia.”
“Aha…”
They both turned their heads and looked at Sia, then gave awkward smiles.
“Hi…”
“Hi.”
“Hello.”
Somehow their relationship with Sia felt off, but that had been the case since middle school.
At first I was worried there might be some tension, but…
‘There’s just this heavy pressure that makes it feel awkward.’
‘If they’re just friends with you it’s fine, if you weren’t friends you probably wouldn’t even be able to talk to each other.’
I just figured these guys were awkward around her now.
After watching them walk into our tent,
“Oh, but what about Minseong?”
“Minseong? I talked to him, he said he didn’t want to intrude since you guys are already here so he didn’t come.”
“He was super sulky and still didn’t show up.”
“Really?”
I wondered if he was just being stubborn about the thing he said to me earlier, but… we had played together yesterday so it probably wasn’t that big a deal.
“But… you two still came to us even after hearing what Minseong said to you?”
“It’s more fun this way, right? Let’s have a drink.”
“Original intuition is the most entertaining part.”
“What intuition?”
“Original is still the best taste.”
“What are you even saying…”
“Anyway, what rank is your class right now?”
“Ours… probably third?”
“We’re sixth. We’ve already given up.”
“Then what about yours?”
“I heard it’s barely second place now.”
“We tried hard in the other events too but the scores got docked so we dropped to second.”
“Oh… so you guys must do really well in the relay.”
“Yeah…”
“Why? You’re quitting?”
“I told you I was quitting before.”
“What? You only said Sia was quitting.”
“Oh… I see. Sorry.”
“Well, fine. So both of you are dropping out then?”
“Yeah?”
“Well… you, sure. But I saw Sia run earlier and she seemed like a dark horse.”
“For real? She was cheering on the other guys? Anyway, she’s gonna win on the girls’ side.”
“Then you’ve gotta win, right?”
“Relay order?”
“It’s random.”
“Whoa… random? That sounds kinda fun.”
“Normally I was in the middle and Sia right after me, but later they said the starter was fixed and the order would be random.”
“That back-and-forth sounds even more exciting.”
“Oh oh… that sounds fun too.”
“Yeah, so you two get lost already.”
“No way.”
“This place is way more fun.”
“What? Why?”
“I told you watching the original is the most entertaining part, right?”
“What original? Get out of here already.”
“Isn’t there a real variety romance show right in front of us? You gonna sit through the VIP seats for this?”
“I can’t just leave.”
“Sit and then get out, you two.”
“Yeah, we don’t want to.”
“Why should we leave if we can watch you guys do whatever?”
The two of them kept sniping at each other so I was about to punch one, but my fist froze in the air.
Swoosh. Boom.
“Eh…?”
“Eh…?”
“Huh…”
Sia had lain her head on my knee.
The three of us just stared blankly, unable to say a word.
Sia lay on my knee and squirmed a little to find the perfect spot.
The two of them watched the whole thing until Sia suddenly looked at me at the same time.
They opened their mouths like they wanted to say something but only managed to make a silent “ah” without any words.
But I could tell exactly what they were trying to say.
Just looking at their faces showed the “what is this situation” look, the shocked look, and finally the strong will to kill me.
I wanted to say something too but when I saw Sia lying on my knee…
“Just… go.”
“You… youuu… you!”
“Hey hey, just go. We lost.”
“No… ah… my neck is killing me.”
The two of them left but kept glaring at me the whole time.
I waved them off while thinking maybe that was the famous killing intent.
Then I looked at Sia.
“Ehehe…”
Sia was awkwardly lying on my knee and looking up at me.
“You…”
“Get up right now…”
Sia tried to sit up but I gently pushed her back down with my hand.
“Stay lying.”
“But…”
“Everyone important has already seen, so it’s fine.”
“Ah… ggh… sorry…”
“Why?”
“Just… I was worried you’d feel burdened…”
“How can someone this bold do something like this?”
“No… it’s… I was just jealous…”
“Jealous? What’s there to be jealous of here?”
I could understand if it was about other girls, but these guys are guys so…
The thought crossed my mind that maybe their tastes were… different.
“No… I was right there with you… you didn’t even give me any attention…”
“Ah…”
So that meant Sia was jealous because I was with her but those two showed up and she didn’t get the attention she wanted from me.
That’s why she had lain on my knee to steal my focus.
Her expression was way too cute.
She kept leaning on me and showing off, so no one could ever find her unattractive.
I pulled a fan out of my bag and waved it for her.
“My arm’s getting tired, stop…”
Sia worriedly told me not to, but
“I’m fine, so rest a little.”
“Mmm… okay.”
After she answered, her face relaxed.
“How’s it? Good?”
I asked if she liked it.
“Yeah… I really like it…”
She answered that she really liked it.
I wasn’t sure if she meant the cool breeze or something else, but I could tell what her “I like it” meant.
Sia stayed lying on my knee until lunch ended.
I kept my knee steady the whole time until she finally sat up.
Next was the dance club performance.
The dance club members from our school went up on the stadium stage.
Then the speakers started playing songs.
Sia and I watched people dance.
But Sia’s reaction was a bit flat.
“Hey Sia.”
“Hm?”
“You never wanted to join the dance club, right? Why are you staring so hard?”
Sia answered,
“Ah… back then if we danced together in the club I was worried you wouldn’t like me.”
“Eh……”
“So now it’s fine even if I don’t join.”
“…I see…”
Thinking back, when Sia lit up she was watching the girls’ dance club, not the guys’.
We watched the entire dance club performance with slightly raised shoulders.
The remaining events were two individual races and one relay.
Our class was trailing the top two by almost half a position.
So…
“Everyone! Fight!!”
“Fight!!”
We pumped up our spirits but it was impossible to flip the score with just two individual events.
And then the big relay started.
“You guys! We’re counting on you!”
“Please beat class 1!”
“Fight!!!”
With the whole class cheering us on, we stepped forward.
“Everyone, draw lots and tell me the order.”
We drew for the boys’ and girls’ groups…
“Eh…”
“Ah…”
Both Sia and I ended up as the last runner.
The important part was that Sia would hand me the baton and it was over, but I was the last one.
“This…”
Suddenly I felt the weight of responsibility hit hard.
“Come on! Everyone, fight!”
“Just do what you practiced!”
We all got ready at the starting line.
And…
“Ready…!!!”
BANG!
When the starting gun went off everyone took off running.
The two classes that broke through first in the chaotic middle were class 1 and our class.
Our class touched the baton with class 1 but…
“Ahh… we’re a tiny bit late…”
The gap didn’t shrink fast.
Plus class 3, who had been in third, suddenly jumped to second.
And now it was Sia’s turn.
I was nervous even though Sia would be fine, but Sia was just swinging her legs and stretching.
A moment later she took the baton and started running in earnest.
“Waaah! Who’s that?!”
“She already caught up!”
Sia with her full speed overtook the second-place guy in one breath and climbed to second.
She also started closing the gap on class 1.
When she handed me the baton I was already almost caught up.
I grabbed the baton while running with her. At that moment…
“Siwoo! Do your best!!”
“…Yeah!!”
Sia smiled brightly and cheered me on.
I moved my legs as fast as I could to repay her.
The last runner still had to do a full lap so there was still time.
At first there was a gap with class 1, but when I turned the second corner…
“…!”
I had reversed the lead.
All that was left was to cross the finish line, but class 1 was starting to catch up.
Just as we neared the finish line I felt my strength fading.
“Siwoo! Do your best!!”
Sia’s shout rang out.
With one more step thanks to her cheer…
“Class 3 wins!!”
““Waaaaaaaaaah!!!””
I had crossed just barely faster.