It's Overwhelming!!!!
An ordinary, peaceful everyday life had always been the hope I clung to during my days as a hero, and before I knew it that ordinary, peaceful everyday life had ushered in autumn, dyeing the leaves a deep crimson.
October was approaching, and our class had come out onto the wide athletic field during PE to practice the various events for the sports day scheduled in November. Of course I was on the cheer squad again this year, just like last, so I had nothing special of my own to prepare, but I still helped Ryu-yeong and the rest of my classmates get ready.
Several classes gathered and ran mock sports-day matches a few times, yet Ryu-yeong and our class always won by overwhelming margins. Because I had taught every single one of my classmates how to handle their superpowers one by one, our class had grown far too strong compared to the others; there was simply no one left in our grade who could seriously compete with us. The girls in my class giggled and squealed with delight at becoming the strongest class, but Ryu-yeong’s face and mine alone stayed less than bright. Ryu-yeong was disappointed that she had no real rival left in the same year, and I was unhappy that a sports day meant for everyone to enjoy together was turning into a one-sided victory parade.
In the end I secretly went to the teachers and asked if it would be all right for me to help the other classes. They smiled brightly and nodded at my suggestion. After that, every time I went off to coach another class I had to endure about ten minutes of cheek-pinching from my own classmates, who teased me for “betraying” them—yet I could see the other classes growing a little stronger overall. Of course the difference in the time they had spent with me meant they still wouldn’t beat our class, but at least the crushing, one-sided defeats would stop happening.
And Ryu-yeong, who had declared that everyone in the class should pinch my cheeks as “punishment,” I would never forget. I would definitely get my revenge.
Once the sports day began, it was only natural that Se-ah floated up in my mind. Last year it had been at the sports day that I finally understood her pure confession, and it had also been the first and last time I ever made her cry.
Just like last year I was wearing the red cheer-squad uniform, standing in the middle of the second-year boys and blowing a whistle as I led the cheers. I could even see the faces of the boys who had been in the same class as me last year, even though we were in different classes now.
The second-year matches ended in Class 1’s victory as a matter of course, yet the process itself was far from simple. Naturally it couldn’t be compared to the first-years, but even measured against the third-year classes our second-year strategies and tactics were outstanding—and the fact that every one of those strategies and tactics was my handiwork left me feeling a little proud.
From the fourth year upward the density of superpowers became so high that class-versus-class battles were impossible, so everything switched to individual matches; it was a little disappointing that I couldn’t compare our results with Seol-hee noona’s class.
Then came the final event of Cheondaram High’s sports day, the one everyone called the highlight: the inter-class superpower relay. Ryu-yeong took the baton in third place and, with an overwhelming gap, turned it into first before handing it off to the first-year. The first-year from Class 1 ran hard, using her ice superpower, but she slipped and fell once in the middle and, despite the huge lead, finished second.
While everyone was still sighing in disappointment, Ryu-yeong strode straight toward the first-year who had come in second. Even though her personality had softened a lot lately, she still had a bit of that mercenary edge, so I hurriedly ran after her, half-expecting her to start yelling at the younger girl.
“Hey, you crying?”
“Little Dragon! Don’t be too hard on the kid—”
I heard Ryu-yeong’s voice and dashed over to stop her, but her hand rose faster than I could reach her. My eyes went wide—was she actually going to hit her?—yet instead of striking, Ryu-yeong’s hand gently patted the first-year’s head the way Cheon Sa always did, and she kept talking.
“Cry more and try harder. Get as strong as the tears you shed.”
“…Little Dragon, I didn’t know you could say stuff like that…”
“Hey! I’m trying to look cool in front of the underclassman! Damn it! Anyway, don’t beat yourself up too much! Harang! Follow me!!”
I smiled faintly, a little surprised by the sight of Ryu-yeong comforting the still-teary first-year. She must not have noticed me approaching, because she jumped at my voice, whirled around, shouted, then scooped me up in one motion and started walking back toward our class’s waiting area.
Draped over her shoulder like a sack of rice, I looked back and saw that tears were still falling from the first-year’s eyes, yet a small spark of determination had appeared—Ryu-yeong’s words must have reached her. I lifted my upper body a little and stroked Ryu-yeong’s head as I spoke.
“Our Little Dragon… when we first met you were a full-blown mercenary, but look how kind you’ve become.”
“What?! Who’s a mercenary!! Hey!! Somebody catch this brat!!!”
Her face flushed red as she yelled and tossed me into the middle of our classmates. Sadly this was far from the first or second time, so they caught me with practiced ease.
Ryu-yeong was still red-faced and huffing, but I felt a quiet, genuine warmth: in a little over half a year that same Ryu-yeong had grown this kind and upright. If a child goes astray, it is only because there are no adults around who believe in her and hold her up. I walked over to the still-blushing Ryu-yeong and gave her a big grin. She hesitated a moment, then grinned back, and while she grumbled “What are you smiling about?” she started pinching my cheeks all over as we waited for the final sports-day results.
In the second-year division Class 1 had scored an overwhelming victory, yet in the high-year tournament that carried the most points Seol-hee noona took first place, so Class 3 claimed the overall championship. Standing on the podium, Seol-hee noona toyed with the gold medal around her neck and looked straight at the second-year Class 1 section where Ryu-yeong and I were standing. Ryu-yeong must have felt that gaze too, because she looked up at Seol-hee noona on the podium and grinned. Even if they fought right now Ryu-yeong would still lose, but I was glad they had become good rivals for each other.
The tournament began. Until summer vacation the teachers and my classmates had always told me to enter, and I had only found it annoying. I would rather have spent that time playing with my little brother or eating the lunch Dad packed. But after summer vacation my thoughts changed.
I was strong. I was still strong, and I would keep being strong. Yet I had lost to my little brother’s friend. At the resort during summer break I tasted defeat for the first time. After those two losses I never lost again, but every time we sparred I felt it: I could no longer face her the same way. Whenever I took one step forward, my brother’s friend took two. Whenever I ran, she chased me at a speed just a little faster. With Mom and my little brother’s help I could now take two steps myself, but eventually it felt like she would overtake me completely.
Fourth-year Class 1, Han Seol-hee!!!! Once again she has crushed her opponent at lightning speed!!!!
Everyone I met in the tournament was weak. Even the sixth-year senior I faced in the semifinals was weak. She couldn’t even track my wires with her eyes, and her attacks were slow. It took a little longer than against my brother’s friend, but in the end it only meant more time—I still won. And so even the final match…
“Hah… I surrender!! I surrender!!!!”
…they could not beat me. At first, after watching my earlier matches, she tried to close the distance before I could form a lightning spear, but I had originally fought with my fists, not wires. The wooden sword the sixth-year senior held shattered with a thunderclap the moment it met my lightning-wreathed fist. I seized her collar with one hand and, without any help from the wires, formed a lightning spear at point-blank range and drove it into her. A flash of lightning brighter and louder than the one that had broken the sword slammed into her body; in only two exchanges she cried surrender and admitted defeat.
My victory was decided, yet I felt no satisfaction. If it had been Harang’s friend, even with her weapon broken she would have kept swinging her fists at me. Standing on the podium and receiving the medal, I felt empty rather than happy. I had hoped the sixth-year seniors might help me grow stronger, but they had been completely useless.
I toyed with the medal and looked toward the place where Harang and Harang’s friend would be. I could see Harang’s friend wrapping an arm around Harang’s waist and grinning.
Crack.
I ground my molars without realizing it. That friend of Harang’s had bullied him at first, yet the moment Harang helped her a little she stuck to him like glue. Even when she was pinching Harang’s cheeks at the Erosion Control Center—outside the sparring arena—I wanted to hurl lightning at her. Harang is my little brother, yet that girl clung to him as if they had been close since childhood. Se-ah was at least sweet and cute, but that one only became nicer after meeting Harang; her original personality wasn’t good, she was tall, her hair was a mess, and she wasn’t cute at all. And the thing that bothered me most was the future in which a girl like that would become stronger than me.
I stepped down from the podium and poured lightning into the gold medal in my hand. It crackled and scorched in places. The once-glittering golden surface turned black and mottled. Looking at the beautiful medal now stained and ugly, I felt a small, spiteful satisfaction, shoved it irritably into my bag, and followed the closing broadcast toward the spot where Mom and Dad were waiting.
Then I spotted Harang’s friend walking along brightly while holding Harang’s hand, and even though I had eaten my fill earlier my stomach started growling again. I would eat more, train more, and definitely pry that hand away from Harang’s.