Hanbit Academy, Class 1-B, Choi Dabin.
She had been troubled lately.
Recently, her best friend had been lovesick.
Look at her now—staring blankly out the window while gazing at Kim Dohyun with lovestruck eyes.
‘This is so frustrating. They even watched a movie together, so why are things still like this?’
Choi Dabin grabbed Seo Yuna and dragged her to the restroom.
“Hey, instead of just spacing out, why don’t you just ask Kim Dohyun to team up for the three-legged race?”
“What if he doesn’t want to team up with me…?”
“Ugh, come on! Do you think he would’ve watched a movie with you if he didn’t like you? He’s totally interested in you.”
“Really…?”
Choi Dabin sighed as she looked at Yuna.
It was hard to believe that her famously beautiful friend was so flustered over a guy.
Even Dabin had to admit that Seo Yuna was stunning—so much so that even as a fellow girl, she felt no jealousy.
And then there was that figure, topped with an impressive bust.
Her body was practically flawless.
On the day of the entrance ceremony, the number of boys who asked for her number could have filled an entire class.
“Yuna, I’m telling you, just go for it! It’s a 100% chance.”
“But… what if he rejects me…?”
“Reject? Do you really think Kim Dohyun would reject you? Get a grip, Yuna!”
Yuna blushed, hesitating as she muttered.
“Then… should I try asking him?”
***
“Hey, Kim Dohyun!”
A voice interrupted my peaceful basking in the sunlight.
I turned toward the source of the sound to see Seo Yuna shifting nervously, rocking side to side.
“What?”
“Have you decided who you’re doing the three-legged race with?”
Three-legged race, huh? Ugh, I should’ve signed up for soccer instead.
These days, the girls in class were all obsessed with this event since it was a mixed-gender activity.
Apparently, the hot topic was who would team up with whom.
“I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet.”
“Really? Then… would you like to team up with me? You don’t have any friends anyway.”
‘What the hell? Why did she have to hit me where it hurts?’
‘She wasn’t wrong, though.’
The only people I really hung out with in class were Jinyoung and Yuna.
Still, seeing her nervous face and flustered expression made me want to tease her a bit.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already found someone I want to team up with.”
I gave her a meaningful smile, and Yuna’s face stiffened.
I turned to look at her friend standing next to her and grinned.
“Hey, Choi Dabin.”
“Huh? What?”
“Do you want to team up with me for the three-legged race?”
“W-What…?”
Yuna’s eyes widened in shock as she looked back and forth between Dabin and me, her expression like that of a startled hamster.
See? That’s why I told you not to try and compete with me for control.
“Why Dabin all of a sudden?!”
I smiled leisurely.
“You just said I don’t have any friends. So I found one—a new one.”
Choi Dabin, caught off guard, blinked blankly before slapping her own cheek and shaking her head.
“Kim Dohyun, aren’t you and Yuna kind of… you know, a thing?!”
“We’re not. We’re just friends.”
Next to us, Yuna bit her lip, her face beet red, unable to say anything.
Dabin placed her hands on her hips, looking flustered.
“Hey! What’s wrong with you? Don’t you feel bad for Yuna?”
“For what? We’re not anything. Isn’t that right, Seo Yuna?”
Suddenly dragged into the conversation, Yuna widened her eyes and stammered.
“Oh? Oh… yeah… we’re nothing…”
But anyone could see she looked like she had lost her soul.
“See? Yuna says so herself.”
I grinned nonchalantly and added, “So, Dabin, let’s team up.”
I stood up and walked over to Dabin, who was still standing next to Yuna.
“Why… why are you doing this, you crazy guy?!”
“Yuna said I don’t have friends. I’m just trying to make one.”
I said it with a teasing smile, and Dabin fidgeted with her fingers, looking unsure of what to do.
‘Should I stop teasing them now?’
Yuna, staring blankly, looked utterly drained.
I guess it’s time to end the joke here.
“Ah, it looks like you don’t want to. I guess the only person willing to team up with me is Yuna after all.”
At that, Yuna’s eyes widened.
The dejected look on her face was gone, replaced with an intense stare that was almost overwhelming.
“Really… you’ll team up with me?”
Her voice trembled slightly.
‘Did I take the teasing too far?’
“Why? If you don’t want to, just say so.”
I said it bluntly on purpose, and Yuna shook her head vigorously.
“No, no! It’s fine! Since you don’t have anyone else, I’ll go with you!”
Again with the power struggle.
I almost gave in to the temptation to tease her more but held back.
I smirked and nodded.
“Sure.”
***
The field was bustling with energy.
The sunlight was warm, contrasting sharply with the vibrant red track and the lush green grass.
Students were scattered all over, practicing for their events with enthusiasm.
Among them were Yuna and me.
Yuna looked down at the rope tied around our ankles, fidgeting nervously with her hands.
“Are you sure you’ve tied it properly?”
“I’ve tied stuff before, you know. Like hair ties.”
Contrary to her confident words, Yuna’s hands trembled as she tried to tie the rope around her ankle.
“Hey, if you tie it like that, it’ll come loose while we’re running.”
I grabbed Yuna’s hands, moving them aside, and she let out a startled sound.
“Eeek-!”
Someone might think I was some kind of creep.
I tied the knot firmly and said, “See? You have to tie it like this so it won’t come loose.”
“…Okay.”
Yuna nodded quietly.
“Alright, let’s practice walking in sync. Start with the left foot, okay?”
“Left foot? Got it.”
As I stepped forward with my left foot, Yuna stepped with her right, then burst into laughter.
I stared at her in disbelief, shaking my head.
“Again. Let’s get it right this time. Left foot first, okay?”
“Okay! Left foot, right foot. I’ll get it right this time!”
Just as we were about to try again, Yuna lost her balance and stumbled.
I quickly grabbed her arm to steady her.
From this close, I could see her cheeks flushing pink.
“Be careful, will you?”
Yuna, looking embarrassed, fiddled with her hair.
“…Th-thanks.”
The worst thing about the three-legged race is that if one person falls, the other falls too.
Which meant that if Seo Yuna fell, I’d fall with her.
“If you fall, I’ll go down with you.”
“Yeah… sorry.”
We adjusted our posture again and began walking in sync, slowly at first.
Left foot, right foot.
At the start, it was clumsy, but we gradually got into rhythm.
Hmm, this should be fine.
No need to worry about falling now.
“Hey, just keep this up during the sports festival.”
“Right? I’m doing well, aren’t I?”
Her proud smile looked oddly cute.
“Not bad.”
“Then let’s try speeding up a little!”
She clenched her fists with determination, her enthusiasm unmistakable.
We began picking up the pace, stepping faster and faster.
The rope tightened as we gained speed, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d expected.
“At this rate, we might actually win first place.”
“See? I’m good at sports. You’ve seen me run before.”
“Yeah, you’re great. Like a charging dinosaur running straight into me.”
At my comment, Yuna pouted.
“If we raced during gym class, I’d have beaten you.”
“Sure. No one can outrun a headbutting dinosaur.”
“Ugh…!”
Frustrated, Yuna poked my side.
“Just wait! I’ll prove it during the three-legged race!”
I glanced at her and held back a laugh.
***
After changing into my sweats at home, I headed to the gym, now part of my routine.
The moment I opened the door, the humid, sweat-filled air hit me.
I stretched out a little, getting ready, when I noticed Jinyoung slumped in a corner.
“Hey, what are you doing sitting there instead of working out?”
At my question, Jinyoung slowly raised his head.
His usual confident expression was nowhere to be seen.
“Oh… Dohyun… We had a soccer practice match against Class A today.”
“And?”
“We got destroyed. Totally crushed.”
I sat on the bench, pulled out my water bottle, and took a sip while looking at him.
“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be the ace? You’re good at soccer, right? So why’d you lose?”
At that, Jinyoung scowled.
“Ugh, it’s not the kind of ‘good’ you’re thinking of. The Class A guys are on a whole different level.”
“How different can they be?”
“Dribbling, passing, shooting… everything they do is like art. It’s insane.”
He grabbed his head with both hands and let out a deep sigh.
“Ugh, our class’s morale hit rock bottom after seeing that. I was a striker, but I don’t even remember taking a single shot. We couldn’t do anything and just got wrecked.”
He looked so deflated that he reminded me of a jellyfish.
I patted his back.
“Come on. How good could they really be? If you work hard, you’ll catch up.”
Hearing that, Jinyoung gave a bitter laugh.
“To be honest, I’m fine, but the rest of the team sucks.”
‘Wow. Now he’s blaming the team? How low can you go, Jinyoung?’
“Then just forfeit.”
At my blunt remark, he shook his head firmly.
“No way. A real man doesn’t give up. But honestly, in our current state, it’s hopeless. The guys are practicing as if they’ve already accepted defeat to Class A.”
“Well, if your team’s mental toughness is as soft as tofu, it’s no wonder.”
At my jab, Jinyoung snorted and lightly poked my side.
“Hey, if you were playing soccer, you’d be just as bad.”
He sighed and shook his head as I smirked and headed toward the punching bag.
“Go hit the sandbag or something. Best way to blow off stress.”
He stared at me for a moment before nodding and standing up.
“Alright! Class A? I, Jinyoung, can totally take them down!”
His eyes sparkled with determination, his energy visibly restored.
Hearing his outburst, I held back a sigh.
‘What is he, the protagonist of a shonen manga?’