Sports Day (2)
U Hana came to a halt as she was running toward where Lee Seol was sitting. Seo Jae-hyun, who had been following behind her, stopped abruptly too.
U Hana spun around in place. She grinned and said,
"I'm not telling. Just kidding."
"Phew..."
Seo Jae-hyun finally let out a long sigh of relief. He scratched his cheek as the tension drained from him, then added sheepishly,
"Anyway, sorry."
It was an apology for casually tossing out something that could be sensitive in front of a girl, even as a joke.
At that moment, a voice popped up from behind U Hana.
"Sorry for what?"
It was a question laced with pure curiosity. Lee Seol had gotten up from her seat and approached without them noticing.
Instead of the flustered Seo Jae-hyun, U Hana spoke up.
"He said something dumb to me. No big deal."
Another sigh of relief from Seo Jae-hyun. U Hana glanced at him, her lips curling subtly, then turned to Lee Seol.
"It's about Jae-hyun. Curious?"
"...Don't do that. I'm already stressed out enough these days."
U Hana and Seo Jae-hyun exchanged a brief look at Lee Seol's grumpy response, then shrugged at each other.
U Hana sidled up to Lee Seol and naturally draped an arm around her shoulders like an embrace.
The two slowly walked away from Seo Jae-hyun.
It was only after they'd put a few steps between them that U Hana whispered,
"What's up? Something going on?"
"It's because of you."
Lee Seol blurted it out like the thought had just popped into her head. U Hana's eyes widened.
"Me? Why?"
"..."
Lee Seol, the one who'd thrown out the words, clamped her mouth shut.
U Hana peered intently at her face before murmuring slyly,
"No way..."
"Huh? No."
But when U Hana actually seemed to catch on and started leading into it, Lee Seol got even more flustered.
"It's really not because of you."
"Having a change of heart?"
"W-what change."
"Well, seeing Jae-hyun trying so hard..."
"..."
Lee Seol's panicked expression settled back to normal. She let out a bored exhale.
"I said no."
"Then what is it?"
"...Nothing."
Lee Seol just sighed and shook her head.
*
I found out that same evening why U Hana thought she looked fat in a tank top.
Yeah, I got it completely. And that only girls like U Hana would worry about stuff like that.
Then, as we were texting back and forth, a new message popped up on the screen.
It was from Jin-su hyung, my newly assigned manager. I called him right away.
"Yeah. Yeah. Looks like you were resting. Anyway, we've got a pictorial shoot proposal this time..."
Jin-su hyung kept explaining.
I knew he wasn't the type to bring up stuff like this aggressively, so it probably meant he thought it was a solid opportunity for me too.
The offer was from Emileur Korea, a men's fashion magazine with 1.8 million Instagram followers. Pretty well-known in the industry, and they'd launched a few rookie actors with solo pictorials first.
Jin-su hyung said it'd be good to knock one out before the buzz from Eighteen's Temperature died down after it wrapped.
"It's a solo pictorial. Not the magazine's main cover... online exclusive. But the terms aren't bad."
"Pictorial shoot. Simple interview. Mentions will cover the full show since it'll drop after Eighteen's Temperature ends."
"Concept's boyish charm mixed with sophistication."
I said yes. He was right— I hadn't locked in my next project yet.
*
Sports day proper.
Class 2-4 got assigned to the bleacher stairs with a clear view of the field.
It would've sucked in midsummer with no shade, but the cool weather made it prime real estate.
Lee Seol was sitting there in the bleachers.
Still morning. Only the 100m dash and free throws had gone down so far.
U Hana had just stepped away a bit ago, and Yoon Seo-ha had vanished even earlier. Lee Seol hadn't even thought to go look for them. She'd been low-energy lately, and it was subtly rubbing off, so the others left her alone.
In the midst of that, she overheard some kids from the back row.
"Min-woo's match is starting."
"Ooh, gotta see this."
"No wonder everyone's gone."
Arm wrestling prelims.
The kids who'd been sprawled out on the stairs shot up like they'd planned it.
Lee Seol reflexively looked up too. Then it hit her. Ah, so that's why U Hana went to watch Lee Min-woo's match.
"Seol-ah. Wanna go watch?"
"Huh? Yeah..."
The arm wrestling setup was off to one side of the field, right by the tents. A few kids from other classes had already gathered. Other events were happening too, but this spot was packed— obviously because of Lee Min-woo.
The PE teacher on the mic called out the next prelim participants.
Lee Min-woo emerged from the crowd just as his name was called.
He stood out even from afar.
Not because of the tank top— he just had this singular presence that drew the eye.
Square shoulders, long limbs stretched out straight. Even something as iffy as a tank top looked solid on him.
U Hana and Ji Hyun-su were there too, where he'd come from.
Looks like he'd been chatting with them before slipping out.
"He's so handsome."
"That's Lee Min-woo."
"Whoa, celebs are really different..."
"Min-woo was always different, even before."
More whispers from around her.
Lee Seol just watched silently, without any urge to head toward U Hana and Ji Hyun-su.
Lee Min-woo sat at the chair. A guy from another class was already at the opposite side of the table. He looked pretty built.
"Even his hands are pretty."
"You can see that right now?"
"It's arm wrestling— of course you look at hands."
"You're ridiculous."
Lee Min-woo placed his elbow on the pad as the teacher explained.
She wasn't close, but the faint veins on the back of his hand and the line from wrist to forearm caught her eye clearly.
His frame wasn't just skinny. It didn't show much in his usual uniform, but the short sleeves made his arm muscles pop more than expected.
...Pervert.
Lee Seol snapped to and cringed inwardly at how intently she'd been staring.
Was she going nuts? Next she'd be imagining him naked. Her ear tips burned.
"Ready!"
The PE teacher's voice boomed, and nearby kids hushed up, focusing in. Even those watching other events glanced over.
"Go!"
Both arms tensed at once. Kids cheered their class reps' names, but the deadlock quickly tipped.
Lee Min-woo's arm slowly pressed his opponent's hand down. The guy gritted his teeth and resisted, but his knuckles hit the table soon enough.
"He won!"
Our class kids went nuts like he'd already clinched the finals.
Lee Min-woo released his arm and stood, but our classmates were already swarming, slapping his back and hollering.
Dealing with all of them sounded exhausting.
Then his awkward gaze drifted this way. Specifically, to Lee Seol, standing awkwardly on the outskirts of the crowd.
She suddenly wanted to hide. It was embarrassing.
She'd just been ogling his physique and veins, after all.
More than that, she hated how out-of-place she looked, standing alone like a misfit.
Then Lee Min-woo headed her way.
...Don't come over, please.
But against her wishes, he wove through the crowd and stopped right in front of her.
"Seol-ah."
"...Yeah?"
"Aren't you doing the shuttlecock kicks? Right after arm wrestling prelims."
"Oh."
Lee Seol blinked blankly. Right— shuttlecock kicks. She'd signed up earlier but totally spaced.
*
"Whew."
Finally, some alone time.
I thought things had quieted down as time passed, but with sports day as an excuse, kids swarmed me like wild horses— no breathing room.
A word here and there after every match was standard, and even more acquaintances kept popping up to say hi. No respite.
Only now, nearing lunchtime, did I catch a break.
Thanks to practically fleeing out the back gate.
The field's racket faded a layer behind me. The area near the back gate was quiet for sure. Tucked behind the main building, not much foot traffic.
Then I spotted someone over there.
Yoon Seo-ha. I knew it was her just from the neat black hair flowing down her back.
I remembered her leaving earlier with the homeroom teacher and vice class rep to pick up lunch bentos. Her parents provided them— Yoon Seo-ha came from money.
But why was she out here alone?
Wait, not totally alone.
A unfamiliar guy was standing next to her. The vibe was off for just a chance encounter.
Yoon Seo-ha kept subtly stepping back a pace at a time, and the guy pretended not to notice, closing the gap each time.
I stopped walking and watched the scene.