By Zephyria 
After finishing the warm-up exercises and light stretching, each class, under the direction of their class president and homeroom teacher, headed to their pre-assigned locations. I followed the group like a part being moved along a conveyor belt.
“Wait a minute, Hae-jun!”
“Jjuni-yaaa~!”
“Ah.”
As we were about to move, Seong Hae-min stopped me by grabbing my shoulder. I only realized I was about to leave without hearing my name called when my shoulder was grabbed. Beside Seong Hae-min, as usual, were the Four Heavenly Kings.
“I told you this morning, but I thought you might forget. I brought it for you.”
“Ah, thanks.”
Seong Hae-min held a class t-shirt that the class had made for the sports day. He accepted the t-shirt, which was an almost overwhelmingly pink color. He didn’t react to Min Si-hu babbling beside him about how it was a color that suited Jjuni.
“And this. I’ve packed ice water, a sports towel, and a fan inside…”
As if that wasn’t all, Seong Hae-min handed over a paper bag he had been rummaging through, explaining its contents. He hadn’t even thought about it, but the other had packed so much. What a thoughtful guy.
For a moment like this, he wished he could forget the truth that this was a novel.
“Thanks. Don’t get hurt.”
“Yeah, Hae-jun, you too! Do your best!”
He let the chatter of the Four Heavenly Kings beside him go in one ear and out the other, took the items, and headed towards where the other classmates were. The paper bag in his hand swayed with his steps.
Thanks to the class president’s good luck in drawing lots, our class had a spot that was lightly shaded. Considering he’d be running around in the blazing sun all day, it was a very good position. While acknowledging the class president’s great ability, when he arrived at the designated spot, the first to greet him were not the class children, the class president, or the homeroom teacher.
It was Yeon Su-hwan, who had appeared out of nowhere.
“Hi, Hae-jun.”
“…Hello.”
“We’re on the same team.”
“Ah. Yes.”
Why is Hyung here…?
This school’s sports day was conducted by grouping one class each from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades, making a total of three classes per team to earn points. For example, 1st grade, class 1; 2nd grade, class 5; and 3rd grade, class 10 would be grouped as one team, and the total points earned by each class would be added up. The team with the highest total would win, and all three classes would be awarded.
But out of so many classes, why was he on the same team as Yeon Su-hwan’s class? It seemed like this sports day was going to be unlucky.
“What events are you participating in, Hae-jun?”
“None.”
“Really? That’s a shame. I could have cheered you on well.”
Yeon Su-hwan, his eyebrows furrowed as if disappointed, followed him closely. He could feel the gazes of the surrounding students darting towards him. They were probably wondering who Yeon Su-hwan was following around like that.
I want to be alone…
“Instead, I have a volleyball match just before lunch. I’d appreciate it if you could cheer for me then.”
“Ah… if the situation allows…”
He had no excuse to refuse. To send Yeon Su-hwan back to the 2nd-grade area, he vaguely nodded, saying yes, yes.
“If I hear Hae-jun cheering, I feel like everything will go well.”
“Aha…”
Yeon Su-hwan winked. Having nothing to say, he just faked an awkward smile. He lacked the ability and the leisure to flatter people so smoothly. It didn’t suit his disposition either.
His eyes, curved into a gentle arc, looked down at him.
“If I could…”
Yeon Su-hwan, who slowly closed his mouth, smiled broadly with a good-natured expression and murmured, eerily quietly. It was at a volume only he, standing close by, could hear.
“Hae-jun… I don’t want to show you to anyone. Right?”
“……”
What kind of nonsense is ‘right’?
“Then I’ll be going.”
It wasn’t the first or second time the Four Heavenly Kings and other delinquents had acted like that. He buried Yeon Su-hwan’s attitude in the graveyard of his thoughts and left the spot, heading towards the back where his classmates were gathered.
The vast sports field was divided into countless pieces, becoming stages for various games. He stayed in the cheering section assigned to his class, zoning out all day. He wasn’t participating in any events anyway, and he didn’t want to run around cheering with the others like they were.
The class children were busy participating in events, cheering for them, or, if not doing either, playing water fights at the sinks.
Wow, everyone’s so energetic.
There were only a few people sitting in the cheering section assigned to his class. Even those who were there were gathered in small groups, chatting or playing cat’s cradle. He was the only one sitting alone, with nothing to do.
Normally, he would have been sitting peacefully, enjoying a portable mini-fan… but this was the past, within an internet novel, so there were no such things. Seriously. At least he was saved by the sports towel and the straw hat Seong Hae-min had packed. The straw hat, which was loose and kept trying to slip askew, was adjusted frequently. It was better to sit in the shade without sweating.
The day was gradually getting hotter. It was a day with a cool breeze and good sun, but sitting by the edge of the field, eating dust, made his throat feel dry.
Screech-!
Unfortunately, soccer was being played nearby, causing a commotion. It was good that it was shaded, but it was a shame that it was a spot directly exposed to dust. He fanned himself with his hand, trying to push the dust away. Even with the help of the shade and the straw hat, he was slowly getting warmer; it was unavoidable given how good the sunlight was.
Should I just go back to the classroom?
He rested his chin on his hand, looking at the sports field heating up under the scorching sun. Volleyball was being played next to him… and basketball far in the distance.
Following his gaze, he looked up at the school building adjacent to the field. The school building looked shaded from this angle. The temperature wasn’t extremely high, so it would be cool inside.
If he were in the classroom, he wouldn’t be called to cheer. On days like this, there wouldn’t be many students in the classroom, so it would be quiet too… It would be better to be in the classroom? Maybe just come out briefly during lunch to eat…
Lost in his own thoughts, drowsy from the heat, he was deep in thought when…
“Where are you kicking that?”
“Whoa! Watch out!”
“There! The straw hat!”
“Hey!”
Thwack-.
“Aaaah-!”
“What’s going on over there!”
Suddenly, what was this misfortune? With a sound like a watermelon splitting, his vision swayed.
A soccer ball, which had flown in an instant, hit him directly on the head. He toppled sideways. For a moment, his vision blurred.
“Isn’t that Seong Hae-jun?”
“Oh no, what do we do…”
“What’s happening?”
“Someone’s hurt!”
“Students over there, clear the way!”
Ting, roll, roll… He heard the sound of a soccer ball, its white hexagon and black pentagon shining, rolling away.
Screech-!
“Seong Hae-jun-!”
The sound of murmuring from the surroundings. The sound of teachers’ whistles. The sound of someone calling his name and running quickly.
“Huff, huff, are you okay?”
“Ugh…”
“Seong Hae-jun!”
As Lee Beom, who had already run over, looked down at him with a bewildered expression, his hazy vision turned completely dark.
As expected, if I’m going to be unlucky, I’m going to be unlucky.
❖ ❖ ❖
The next place he opened his eyes was the infirmary. He blinked, looking at the white ceiling tiles, and then, seeing the curtains drawn around him, he knew. A moment later, the clean smell of disinfectant entered his nose.
“Sigh.”
It wasn’t like he fainted once or twice… Lying on the bed, opening his eyes was now familiar.
As he tried to sit up, his head, hit by the ball, suddenly throbbed. He scowled and clutched his head.
“Ah, damn…”
“Are you okay?”
Startled by the voice suddenly coming from beside him, he turned his head. His temple area was buzzing. He opened his eyes blearily and saw Jeon Jae-hyung. Their eyes met with the guy who was sitting quietly on a folding chair next to the infirmary bed, holding a Bboongyi doll.
“……”
“……”
A moment of silence followed. Only the legs of the Bboongyi doll, held preciously in Jeon Jae-hyung’s arms, dangled.
“Why are you here?”
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
“To look after you…”
“What about Seong Hae-min?”
“In the class-vs-class basketball game…”
“…Right.”
Hearing the answer, his spirits sank. He didn’t know why.
His head was still throbbing. He pushed his body, which he had tried to sit up, back onto the bed and checked the clock. It wasn’t even lunchtime yet.
He let out a long sigh and rested one arm behind his head. His head still hurt, and he had plenty of time, so he decided to lounge on the bed. The infirmary bed was softer than he expected.
Jeon Jae-hyung, hesitating, added an explanation.
“If I skipped the game because of you… you’d hate it…”
Even the reason was so Seong Hae-min-like. He understood him perfectly.
“Should I call him?”
“No.”
“Mmm.”
Jeon Jae-hyung, who readily agreed, didn’t add anything else.
Right, this is why Jeon Jae-hyung was comfortable. He turned his head and looked out the window. He was always a man of few words. The curtain fluttered in the breeze that seeped through the slightly open window.
In the infirmary, where the smell of disinfectant flowed gently with the silence, there was only him and Jeon Jae-hyung. The school nurse, who usually stayed in the infirmary, was in a tent set up separately on the field for today’s sports day. This was to immediately treat students who came in with injuries.
The infirmary was located in a hallway separate from the sports field. Beyond the window, which didn’t face the field, the trees lining the street, bathed in sunlight and wind, swayed. Beyond the faint shade created by the translucent curtains, sunlight repeatedly pierced and then glanced off the deep tree shadows. With the regular ticking of the second hand, the distant cheers of people could be faintly heard.
It was a comfortable atmosphere. Languid and quiet, like a scene from a movie…
He asked softly.
“Are you not participating in anything? Is it okay for you to be here?”
“Yeah.”
“Why aren’t you participating?”
“I don’t like physical contact…”
Jeon Jae-hyung was compliant. Listening to his gentle answers, a wave of leisure washed over him. Was being with a taciturn person this comfortable?
“Okay.”
There was silence again for a while.
But strangely, the quietness wasn’t uncomfortable or awkward. Rather, it felt comfortable…