Clearing My Mind
Seon Woo-hyun's gaze naturally drifted toward the center of the gym.
Even now, the remaining students were in the middle of a badminton match.
"We're just going to watch from here on out and be done with it."
The lingering dissatisfaction in her tone was unmistakable.
Hearing that bitter remark, I asked her,
"Are you still regretting it?"
"A little."
"The messy girls don't get any popularity."
"It's fine. I have plenty of popularity."
"Whoa. The tomboy went wild."
"...But what can I do? I lost because of me."
"It's only for performance evaluation. It won't be weighted that heavily."
"...Yeah, that's right. Mm."
It's just a fun game anyway, meant for practice.
She paused for a moment before speaking again.
"Will they even score performance evaluation this way?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"If they do it as doubles then, let's do it together."
"You and me?"
"Why? Don't you want to?"
No. It was too unexpected.
I didn't expect her to say she'd do it with me again.
When she realized my genuine surprise, Han Si-a puffed her cheeks and blew out a breath.
"You know, I have to admit it. You really are better at badminton than me."
The earlier part was fine, but there was so much emotional weight behind that one little word.
But the rest... was she really saying she couldn't admit I was better?
Anyway.
"So next time, if there's another match, let me make up for my mistakes."
"You hate me being so bad at it."
"Hey."
"It was a joke. Just a joke."
Watching the real Han Si-a get riled up, I let out a soft chuckle.
There was something fun about poking the spot that made her scratch her head.
It was a different feeling from Yu-ri, who got embarrassed and flustered like a kid.
"Yeah. If they do it as a match again, let's do it together."
"...Mm."
"We have to win next time. Especially that Kim Yoon-seong guy."
"Ha. Why are you so competitive?"
You're not the only one with that drive.
I want to win too.
Smiling, I watched Han Si-a's face.
While her hair was tied up, I couldn't help but steal glances at her snow-white neck.
Noticing my dazed stare, Han Si-a muttered irritably,
"Why are you staring like that?"
Just as I was about to turn my head and say it was nothing,
A loud "Whoa!" sounded behind me as someone grabbed my shoulder.
"What now~? You two look like you're having a good time."
"Here comes another one. This 'woo-jul' sunbae."
It was none other than Yoon Tae-jun.
He appeared like a ghost, suddenly popping up out of nowhere.
And beside him stood smiling Yu-ri as well.
The two of them were looking at us with an inexplicably warm smile.
"What is this strange look?"
Seeing my confusion, the pair turned their heads as if nothing was wrong and started chatting.
"You know what? The whole class is going crazy."
"About what?"
"You know, some girls were saying Seon Woo-hyun is cool. Like a scene from a drama."
"..."
"They said he sacrificed points to take the hit for Si-a. It's not like he got hurt or anything! Crazy."
"Eh? Really?" Yu-ri chimed in from the side.
Why are you joining in too?
"I didn't say anything about 'it's not like he got hurt or anything' like some cheesy drama line. Don't make that up."
"Even so, the vibe was totally that."
It was completely different.
That line was from the male lead in a romance drama.
Mine was like a teacher scolding a kid.
"Hey, Si-a. Say something too. You were noisy earlier, why so quiet now?"
The guy she was supposed to tease had his face red and was staring at the ground without a word.
Why is he acting like that again?
"Hehe. So what did you two talk about when you were alone?"
"We didn't talk about anything."
"Really?"
"I'm curious too. Woo-hyun-ah?"
That's why high schoolers...
Get distracted by romance gossip. They should know better. Ugh.
Watching Yu-ri help me out from the side, I shook my head.
"There was really nothing to talk about. Stop thinking nonsense. Stop forcing us into a couple act."
You know, it's because Si-a likes you. Idiot.
I just sighed while watching Tae-jun try to force us together like he always did.
---
The final bell rang.
"Everyone, bow to the teacher."
"Thank you~"
With Yu-ri's perfect etiquette, the students finished greeting the teacher and headed out of the classroom.
Si-a quickly packed her bag and walked toward the hallway.
Most of them were probably heading to the academies.
But she had to go to the agency.
Since her mother had been driving her to practice every day, Si-a had to head home first.
Around the time we left school and the kids scattered,
She finally let out a complaining sigh.
"Why... seriously."
Thud.
Si-a kicked a rock lying on the sidewalk.
Clink.
It rolled away and slammed into the wall.
...This doesn't feel right.
Ever since the fourth period, Si-a had been in a daze.
She wasn't usually super attentive in class,
But even so, none of the lesson content was sinking in.
'What? Why was I staring at Seon Woo-hyun the whole time. What the heck.'
She couldn't understand it herself.
Of course she had made a mistake during PE.
But she thought it was just a can of soda that fixed it.
Even after class ended, she kept looking at him without realizing.
Fifth period. Sixth period. Seventh period.
And right up until the final bell.
Si-a kept sneaking glances at him.
The guy who was acting completely carefree, as if nothing had happened, while studying hard.
'Why does he get to be all relaxed? It's infuriating.'
Her words came out full of resentment.
There was nothing wrong with him acting normal.
According to him, it wasn't a big deal, and it was strange that she kept worrying about it.
At first, she hadn't even known she was staring.
...But she could at least act awkward.
Yet he looked completely unfazed.
He acted exactly like usual toward Si-a, as if nothing had happened.
He threw the same teasing jokes and laughed when she got angry.
The more she did that, the more she hated him.
'What's this feeling? Why is it so annoying.'
The real problem was that she didn't know why.
She didn't know why she felt this way toward him.
She didn't know why her eyes kept drifting back to a finished incident.
It wasn't magic, and the prayer period had passed.
It couldn't be hormones either.
She struggled to accept her own emotional shift.
Unconsciously thinking about him, the earlier scene flashed in her mind.
'You not getting hurt is what matters. You idiot.'
'Are you a badminton player? Here? You'd risk your life? If you twist your ankle today, what's your practice gonna be like?'
'I like the competitive spirit. But it's good to work hard too. But winning here isn't what matters.'
The scene where a high-school sophomore was acting like an adult and lecturing her.
And the moment she fell, his hand grabbing her waist to catch her.
Thinking about it made her heart race.
"That's... when his attitude changed so suddenly, people change, it's distracting."
So she turned the conversation by complaining out loud.
It was all his fault.
The dumb, thoughtless face he used to have was gone, replaced by that mature expression.
The thought cycle was once again centered on Seon Woo-hyun.
Realizing that, Si-a let out a long sigh.
...How long have I been thinking about him?
Si-a shook her head.
If this continued, she would stay in the same state as before.
She needed to clear her head and head to practice now.
Otherwise, all day she'd be stuck thinking about him.
Then what was the point of him helping her not get hurt?
"...I guess he feels sorry. He said he was fine, but I can't let go of my own burden."
It had to be that.
Otherwise, there was no reason for her to keep worrying about him.
Si-a was never cool.
People might think she was carefree, but inside she was incredibly sensitive.
In childhood, one word could hurt her badly.
Especially if she caused trouble or inconvenience, she would replay it all day.
She'd always thought it was the same this time too.
"So what should I do? A gift... that sounds weird. Should I buy him lunch?"
A meal on the weekend wouldn't be too bad.
She could also lighten her mental load while talking to him.
Buying friends food didn't seem strange.
It felt a bit like an excuse to pull him outside, but she shook her head, thinking it couldn't be.
'It's not like I want to meet him separately. It's just clearing my mind. Clearing my mind.'
Moreover, there were plenty of guys who wanted to hang out with her.
She was always busy rejecting them, which was compensation for him.
Dating a girl like her... well, not actually dating.
Thinking that, Si-a took out her phone.
She opened the saved contact for him and started typing a message.
[Hey. Seon Woo-hyun. Got time tomorrow?]
What if this creates a misunderstanding?
Still thinking that, she sent the message and stared at the screen.
Her face reflected on the clear screen strangely felt like it belonged to someone excited.
Another strange thought.
No more unnecessary thoughts from now on.
She sent the message to him for that reason.
...Somehow, gradually, Yoon Tae-jun was slipping further from Si-a's mind.