“Danaa, are you okay?”
“Your complexion has been really bad lately.”
“I feel like I could skip rope with my dark circles.”
It was an everyday occurrence where I was so busy searching for gates to enter that it was no surprise my dark circles had dropped down to my chin.
On the way home from school, I responded to my concerned friends’ remarks about my current state, saying that I was just tired from not getting enough sleep, and then I resumed walking.
“Unnie!”
Yeon Hyeong-kwang, who was visiting our class more and more each day, waved both hands wildly from a bench on the playground.
Our steps paused as we crossed the yard, and I turned my creaky head and waved back at her.
“Yeon Hyeong-kwang! Aren’t you supposed to be heading to the auditorium to clean up?!”
It seemed like she was on her way to do a cleaning task, and it was impressive that she could still be so cheerful.
In the later parts of the original story, Yeon Ha-yeon’s bright and eccentric personality must have come from her family background.
It was surprising how similar the siblings were.
I exited the school gates, separated from my friends, and leisurely walked in the opposite direction.
The farther I got from the school, the lighter my steps felt.
On the way home, I paused for a moment in front of a dark alley.
This was the place where the original story’s turning point took place.
It was the place where Ban Eun-hyeol had first fallen for Yeon Ha-yeon’s hidden charms.
As I looked at the long, dim alley, I realized again that the events of the original story were about to unfold soon.
It hadn’t been long since the school year began, yet the fall sports festival was already just around the corner.
This meant that soon, the event that would bring the main characters together for the first time was about to happen.
‘Will it happen just like in the original?’
Yeon Ha-yeon’s unexpected charm, which Ban Eun-hyeol had already fallen for, was now public knowledge.
There was no longer the quiet, studious Yeon Ha-yeon from before.
I decided to wait and see how the original story might change, and then continued walking home.
***
[Fall Sports Festival Events]
On the chalkboard, written in bright yellow chalk, were the words and the figures of Eun Bada and Yeon Ha-yeon standing in front of them.
Yes, today was the day for selecting events for the fall sports festival.
“Everyone, of course, our class’s goal is to come in first place, right?”
Eun Bada, holding a white chalk, stood in front of the teacher’s desk and looked at us with a warm smile.
Despite the cloudy sky outside, with no sunlight coming through, her smile felt like the sun itself had entered the classroom.
“Of course! Our class has the Four Heavenly Kings and the Guild Leader of the Blood Scent Guild!”
A boy, known for his loud voice, shouted boisterously.
Although he immediately shrank under Yeon Ha-yeon’s sharp glare, his words were enough to ignite the class’s competitive spirit.
“Let’s do our best, everyone!”
With Han Ji-bin’s energetic cheer added on top, the class was filled with excitement.
“Now, let’s decide the events. First up, the relay race. Who’s good at running?”
At Eun Bada’s question, everyone’s gaze turned to the three people sitting in the last four seats by the window.
“The relay needs four people, so it’s obvious the Four Heavenly Kings should do it.”
“Right! That way, our class will definitely come in first!”
It seemed like they had expected awakened individuals to be prohibited from participating in the sports festival, since they had physical abilities far beyond that of regular people.
“If awakened individuals participate, it’ll make the sports festival more exciting, don’t you think? I’m really looking forward to this year’s event, haha.”
The principal, who had made such a statement during the morning assembly, had continued to laugh with excitement before leaving with a word of encouragement.
Though there had been some backlash from the class because of the high-level awakened ones gathering in our class, it didn’t have any effect.
“Of course! Ji-bin, you’ll definitely win first place in the relay!”
Encouraged by the class, Han Ji-bin immediately climbed onto his chair and struck a Superman pose, speaking in the third person.
“Then I’ll participate.”
With Ban Eun-hyeol nodding in agreement and Ji Gang-han giving a final approval, the class’s eyes burned with determination as if they were ignoring Eun Bada’s words.
“Let’s smash everything!”
“Woooh!”
The students, who were sure that victory was certain, cheered loudly, making animal-like sounds as they got even more pumped up.
‘Fine, I guess Ji-bin’s mouth should be the first thing to break…’
“Ji-bin really looks like Superman! Our class could totally have him as a hero!”
“Look at that fist he’s holding, it’s so cute!”
Amidst the loud commotion, hearing the word “hero,” Han Ji-bin landed the final blow.
“Make me one! The honorary hero of Class 3, Year 2!”
***
After deciding the relay, the process of selecting participants for other events proceeded smoothly.
Most of the recommendations were for Yeon Ha-yeon and the Four Heavenly Kings, but since they couldn’t participate in every event, everyone else in the class had a chance to take part as well.
“Alright, now for the three-legged race. Who wants to join?”
Trying to avoid Yeon Ha-yeon’s gaze, which had been directed at me since earlier, I kept my eyes fixed on the classroom’s front door.
“Danaa, you haven’t decided which event you’re going to join yet, right?”
Noticing where Yeon Ha-yeon was looking, Eun Bada glanced at the names written on the chalkboard, then pointed to me and asked.
“Hmm? Oh, uh…”
I had been deliberately sitting still, not intending to participate, but unexpectedly my name was called.
“Then how about Danaa joining the three-legged race? If you want to participate in another event, just let me know.”
I looked over the remaining events.
Most of the events already had names written down, and none of them seemed like something I could participate in.
“No, I’ll join the three-legged race.”
“Alright, I’ll write your name down.”
My name was written first under the three-legged race, followed by Nabi and the other students’ names.
‘I guess I’ll team up with Nabi.’
It felt easier to team up with someone I talked to every day, so I sighed in relief.
But then, at the very end, Yeon Ha-yeon wrote someone else’s name down.
“Ha-yeon, you’re joining the three-legged race too?”
“Yeah, I just felt like joining.”
Is it because I’m joining?
Even though I knew the answer, I tried to deny it, but Yeon Ha-yeon started connecting the names with chalk to pair them up.
Nabi was paired with someone else, and I…
“Danaa, let’s do our best!”
Yeon Ha-yeon.
While I tried not to show my sense of despair, the rest of the events were quickly filled with participants, and soon the only one left was the ‘Bridge Crossing.’
“Who should go up first? It should be someone light, right?”
“It definitely needs to be someone light!”
“Who’s the lightest in our class? Everyone, say your weight!”
“Is there even any question? It’s obviously her.”
At those words, the students who had been looking for the “lightest person” turned to the direction indicated by the gesture of the person who had spoken.
“That’s right, Danaa looks the lightest!”
I had expected this.
I was the smallest and lightest person in the classroom, even I could tell that.
Next, we needed to choose the people who would hold us up.
“They should be strong, right?”
“They should be tall for more stability.”
“If possible, it’s better if they’re about the same height.”
Then, the students all quietly turned their heads in the same direction.
It was a unanimous moment.
“What? You want me to go?”
With Ban Eun-hyeol’s sharp response, the others turned away as if they hadn’t looked in that direction.
Even though Ban Eun-hyeol wasn’t participating in as many events as the other Four Heavenly Kings, I didn’t think he was annoyed just because he wasn’t in a lot of events.
‘Of course he’s acting like this because he’s the one who has to hold me up.’
“Uh… Well then,”
‘I don’t want to hold your hand either.’
I rolled my eyes and pretended to hesitate, raising my hand slowly.
My arm was raised halfway, and my voice was just a tiny bit louder than usual, trying to make it sound like I was shy.
“How about Bada and Kang-han holding me up?”
At those words, Ji Kang-han, who had been resting his chin on his hand and staring out the window all day, turned his gaze to the chalkboard for the first time.
“Then, should we go with that?”
Eun Bada smiled with satisfaction, showing her pretty smile, and wrote her name and Ji Kang-han’s name on the board.
My opinion.”
“Let’s do it together, Kang-han.”
“Sure.”
Ji Kang-han, who had been speaking in a dry tone, almost unsure whether he was protesting or not, quickly shifted his stance with just one word from Eun Bada.
He then turned his gaze back out the window.
‘What’s up with that? Why is he glaring at me?’
I could feel the sharp gaze from Ban Eun-hyeol on the back of my head, but I did my best to ignore it.
“Alright, that’s it for the events. Now, let’s pick the class t-shirts.”
The decision for the class t-shirt was largely influenced by the girls’ preferences.
Most of the suggestions were based on what they thought would look good on the Four Heavenly Kings, and the options were narrowed down to two main types: cute or weird.
The final candidates, after surviving the fierce competition, were written neatly on the chalkboard:
[1. Military uniform]
[2. Hospital gown]
[3. Animal pajamas]
‘In the end, we’re going back to the basics.’
All of these were the kinds of clothes you could often see during sports festival season in local schools.
“Everything would look so good on everyone, what should we do?”
“The military uniform would look the coolest, don’t you think?”
“No, the animal pajamas would be so cute!”
Amid the heated discussion between the girls, a boy suddenly chimed in without any awareness.
“I think the hospital gown would be best.”
“If Ji-bin wore the animal pajamas, it would be unbearably cute.”
“Why don’t we just buy all three?”
And then, he was completely ignored.
With the difference in opinions not narrowing at all, Yeon Ha-yeon brought out her final card.
“Let’s decide by majority vote.”
The students who had been supporting the various options cheered or sighed depending on the result.
Once the class t-shirt was chosen, the sports festival felt like it was suddenly right around the corner.
As October drew near, the cool autumn breeze gently blew through the open windows, helping to cool the lingering summer heat.
“Alright, everyone, starting today, we begin practicing for the sports festival.”
And thus, the real practice for the sports festival began.