Blackboard Duty and Freshman Boot Camp
He stared at Yoo Sera as if to say, What the hell does that mean? But she didn't say another word and just went back to her seat. Soon, other classmates started filing into the room, so I couldn't ask. Her words kept swirling in my head. I barely slept through first period, unable to tear my thoughts away whether I was staring out the window or at the blackboard. Finally, the class ended.
And then Yoo Sera approached my desk.
"Jeong-ui."
"Yeah?"
Is she finally gonna tell me?
"See how dirty the blackboard is?"
I glanced at it in a daze and muttered, "Uh... yeah, it is."
She said it so casually: "I'm usually on duty to clean it, but I think you should do it since you messed up."
I was speechless for a second.
"Huh?"
"Wipe it."
Before I could even protest, I was on my feet. I started scrubbing away at the board covered in red, blue, and black marker scrawls.
Ah... I'm such an idiot.
I hadn't even confirmed properly and jumped to conclusions, confessing like that. Recalling her words—"I heard your confession loud and clear"—I remembered exactly what I'd said: I like you. Crystal clear.
Damn it, she's using this as leverage to make me do her bidding... But I couldn't refuse. As long as Lee Seung-min and Yoo Sera weren't dating, I couldn't hate her. From now on, I was thoroughly the submissive one.
Look at me. Even forcing myself to do Sera's chores, it didn't feel bad at all. Hell, I felt good that she'd asked. That one command—or request, whatever it was—had me moving, and it didn't suck.
Before I knew it, the board was spotless, pure white.
Oh crap! I snapped myself out of it. No, this wasn't the time to get lost in that. I'd decided to get serious about baseball. Nothing could shake that resolve. Baseball was priority one. But... I could like Yoo Sera while doing baseball, right?
I headed straight to the guy who helped me after first period—the biggest dude in class.
"Help me out again today."
"Oh! You're here."
He grinned like it was routine and let me take his weight. I started squatting with him on my back. Thanks to his 0.1-ton frame, the burn hit my thighs hard.
* * *
Thankfully, I slept fine from second period on, and I stuck to my workouts every break. After afternoon classes ended, I could finally focus on Yoo Sera again.
As everyone headed home, I quietly stuck to her side on her way back.
"Sera."
I opened cautiously: "That... last thing you said this morning, what did it mean?"
She glanced at me calmly. "Exactly what I said—I heard it."
Huh? It was so straightforward I had to ask, "That's it?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't someone say they'd focus on baseball from now on?"
Ah... Cold sweat trickled down my back at those words. It was something I'd said, so I couldn't deny it.
"No, I mean, like..." I scrambled for an excuse. "I didn't know the situation back then."
She eyed me suspiciously. "So, you won't work hard at baseball?"
No, Sera! That's a trap question. You know it is. That's too much! If I said yeah, no more baseball, she'd be disappointed for sure. I had to say I'd keep at it.
I shook my head. "Nah, that's not it. I will work hard, but..."
She cut me off. "Jeong-ui. After over a month of being cold and hurtful, you think one 'sorry' fixes everything?"
...I got nothing to say to that.
I couldn't respond. She continued, "Don't you think you need to put in at least that much effort for me to start seeing you in a better light?"
Hm...? Not a bad sign. There's potential. But it hit me square—my position was crystal clear. Ah, this wasn't a one- or two-day fix. At minimum, a month of groveling. Time to adjust my mindset. I wasn't just the submissive. I was the sicko below the submissive. Because I'm a damn idiot!
Why'd I say that without confirming? No, even before that! If I'd just acted normal even after, it wouldn't be this bad. I had hurt her, so I couldn't snap back.
Seeing my dumbstruck face, she pouted. "Whatever. You have to focus on baseball anyway, so no need. Just do baseball."
That stung even more. I blurted, "No! Uh... see you early tomorrow morning."
She nodded, then asked again, "You're coming tomorrow morning? Didn't you say you'd run then from now on?"
"Nah, I'll run even earlier like usual. And... listen to music. I never lied. I like hearing your violin."
She snorted. "Hmph. You just like me. Not the violin."
She started walking off again.
"I like that too."
Thinking she'd leave, she suddenly came back to my side.
Eh...?
"Then bring chocolate." She whispered so softly in my ear. "They say sweets in the morning sharpen your mind. One chocolate's not hard, right? I'll be expecting it."
With a wink, she headed home. I could only stare at her smiling back, dazed.
Hm... this kind of routine might not suck.
* * *
Afternoon practice time. My head was a mess from the morning's chaos. Body at the field, mind wandering. Then I glanced at Lee Seung-min, and curses boiled up inside.
Ah, that bastard's lie is why I'm in this mess...
Haa... Irritation surged. Things were patching up with Sera, but he didn't have to screw it up. All his fault. Heat rising, I needed to vent.
That's when the freshmen entered my view. Post-game, practice was chill, mostly self-directed. They were laughing, loosening up casually. It grated on me extra hard, thanks to Sera and Seung-min.
I marched over. "Hey, you guys having fun?"
They froze at my sudden bark.
"What the hell are you doing? Why such half-assed training?"
The mood iced over. They exchanged panicked looks but had to listen to a second-year.
Seeing that fueled me. "You play in games? If not, shouldn't you train hard today too?"
My voice grew rougher. "No, train to surpass us second-years. Already slacking?"
This was bullshit-picking, but... it was right. No one could argue.
"Nah. Third-years leave soon, few second-years, so you think you'll just fill spots lazily? All you want is the sweet life? You punks are hopeless!"
Their faces hardened.
"You guys suck. Line up. First-year catcher? You, get in position. Rest, grab bats and line up. I'll pitch to you—anyone strikes out or gets out runs to that cone and back. Got it?"
"Yes..."
I hopped on the mound. Hwang Jae-uk, watching, tilted his head at Kim Na-seong. "Na-seong, what's up with Jeong-ui? Suddenly drilling freshmen?"
Na-seong thought, then: "Oh, that? Probably 'cause of what I said yesterday."
"What'd you say?"
"Like... if you're gonna do it, do it right. Since you're good, even think captain. Looks like he's jumping straight to controlling the freshmen. For real."
Vice-cap Hwang chuckled. "Oh yeah. We need a captain and vice from second-years soon. Seung-min's okay but lacking... Jeong-ui's way better."
He nodded. "And dominating with skill's the fastest way."
Then my pitch slammed into the mitt. The freshman's bat whiffed big.
Na-seong's eyes widened. "Whoa, I couldn't hit that either. That break's nasty..."
Hwang tracked the trajectory. "He's putting real power into it... Even third-years couldn't touch that. Freshmen are screwed. They'll run laps all day. Wonder if any hit."
"Good for them—intense workout. Helps the team."
"True. That's how you whip 'em into shape. Captain Seok-hyeon gets a break."