MY 29

“Where in soccer is there such a thing as ‘carefully’, carefully? You say that after that whole mess happened last time? Why, why don’t you just say you broke your ankle on purpose back then as a ‘crack’ ceremony?”

Won Wooje snapped. Han Seolwoo pressed his lips together at the quite irritable tone.

It was true he got hurt while playing soccer, but having to wear a cast like that was an exceptional case. Besides, it wasn’t broken; just a few ligaments were stretched. He had only limped around for a short period, yet the other was speaking as if he had become some kind of critical patient.

“So. Seolwoo, are you going to do it? Or not? You decide.”

The physical education department head asked Han Seolwoo. Han Seolwoo, lost in thought for a moment, moved his red lips. Everyone’s attention was focused on whether he would participate.

“…I’ll do it.”

As expected. The kids nodded their heads in agreement. Excluding the aces of Grade 2, Class 3, Won Wooje and Han Seolwoo, from the soccer match would be a national loss. They were kids who easily did the work of two or three people on their own.

“Okay.”

It was the moment the physical education department head was about to write the first character of Han Seolwoo’s name. A beat late, words followed quietly.

“I… won’t do it.”

His voice grew smaller. The physical education department head, who had been writing the name, turned his head and arched his eyebrows. Han Seolwoo avoided his eyes.

“You’re not doing it?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“…I’ll do something else.”

“Tsk.”

Clicking his tongue, he wiped the chalkboard with an eraser, swish-swish. Ah, what the—? The other kids grumbled too. Then they shouted lustily.

“Then call out the names of people who want to do it! First come, first served!”

As if they had never been grumbling, the kids started shouting and raising their hands here and there as if they had been waiting. Han Seolwoo, his mouth pouting slightly, stole a glance at Won Wooje. Won Wooje, already leaning his back against the wall, was looking at him in a cocky posture. The corners of his neat mouth were turned up. By the look of it, he had a completely satisfied face.

“Right, right. Good call.”

“…”

“Since our Seolwoo listens so well, he’s damn pretty, isn’t he? Is he freaking lovely?”

Heave-ho, Won Wooje stretched out his arm and put Han Seolwoo in a light headlock. At the touch that ruffled his hair wildly, Han Seolwoo quietly blinked his large eyes. Deep in thought, he slowly raised his gaze. He looked at Won Wooje, who was laughing while hugging him.

“Am I not pretty if I don’t listen?”

“Huh?”

“…Nothing, keep going.”

Shaking his head, Han Seolwoo leaned his head against Won Wooje’s shoulder again. It didn’t matter, since there were plenty of things he could do besides soccer anyway.

୨ৎ

Physical education class. Preparations for the upcoming sports meet were in full swing. Students were running around busily under the pouring sunlight.

“My, my! Over here!”

Won Wooje, who blew a whistle, shouted loudly. Thump, the sound of the ball being kicked and the footsteps of several people running at once echoed noisily. In the midst of it, Won Wooje breathed raggedly and moved fiercely after the ball.

Thud—. The ball, flown just in time, landed at the tip of Won Wooje’s foot. His sharp gaze quickly scanned the ground. Having gained an attacking opportunity, he lowered his upper body and began to drive the ball with quick steps.

“Wow, you bastard! Won Wooje!”

“This is crazy, he’s damn fast.”

The mouths of the students sitting side-by-side on the stone steps next to the playground gradually fell open. Dozens of pupils moved following Won Wooje’s aggressive dribbling. They focused with sweaty palms like extremist fans watching a Pre-mier League match in person.

“Oh, oh. There he goes.”

One student’s eyes widened. In front of Won Wooje, who was breaking through the center like a soaring eagle, the defensive team members were bounced away like Go stones in a game.

The goalpost was right in front of him. The goalkeeper, who confirmed Won Wooje’s position, lowered his upper body and took a defensive stance. The tense Han Seolwoo also could not take his eyes off the scene.

Thwack—! Along with a rough bursting sound, the airborne soccer ball drew a parabola. The goalkeeper leaped high, but the ball, which lightly brushed past him, rolled vigorously into the net.

“Nice!”

“Crazy!”

“Wow, I really have to acknowledge this one.”

The children’s cheers were heard. Tweet! The physical education teacher’s whistle blew. The match ended with a victory for Won Wooje’s team.

Won Wooje, who threw his hands up in the air, ran around the playground laughing. It was a mischievous but refreshing, bright smile. Since it was a laugh one didn’t usually get to see, the corners of the watching Han Seolwoo’s mouth also turned up automatically.

Rising from his seat, Han Seolwoo cheered with his hands cupped around his mouth. Even though he wasn’t the one who scored the goal, he felt overjoyed and proud.

Won Wooje, with his hands on his waist, was pulling at the hem of his gym shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Beneath the raised top, well-defined, sturdy abs were briefly visible.

Han Seolwoo swallowed his dry spit without realizing it. In the moment his slowly raised gaze met his, a buzzing sound was heard. Won Wooje’s head turned to the side. Han Seolwoo, who was looking at him, also turned his head accordingly.

“What is it?”

“Did someone get hurt?”

The kids sitting next to them whispered. One by one, they began to gather in a circle in the middle of the playground. The buzzing sound gradually grew louder. Only then, between dozens of feet, was a child seen fallen on the ground.

Han Seolwoo, his eyes wide, approached the center. When he peered through the crowd, he saw Bae Junhyeok hunched on the ground. He was likely one of those who had been bounced away like Go stones during Won Wooje’s dash earlier.

“Where are you hurt?”

“Junhyeok, are you okay?”

Kids asked one after another. Bae Junhyeok, with his eyes squeezed shut, groaned and rolled around. At the face that looked painful, Han Seolwoo frowned without realizing it. It was because he saw his own past image perfectly overlapping.

“What’s this.”

A low voice was heard from behind his back. When he turned his head with a start, he saw Won Wooje with beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He looked down at the still groaning Bae Junhyeok while breathing raggedly. He had an indifferent face, as if it were a nuisance.

“They say he’s hurt?”

“…Seems so.”

Han Seolwoo answered hesitantly. Since the person hurt was Bae Junhyeok of all people, he felt unnecessarily concerned.

“Seems like he bumped into you during Wooje’s fantastic dribble, are you okay?”

Choi Sangyoon, who appeared from somewhere, asked. Won Wooje looked down at Kim Chanju and Park Seongbin, who were stuck to Bae Junhyeok, and nodded noncommittally.

“I’m damn fine.”

“Anyway, Wooje, that shot earlier was killer.”

An uncomfortable silence flowed through the exaggerated praise. Han Seolwoo glanced at Won Wooje’s expression. He was looking down at Bae Junhyeok with a face that was displeased about something. He looked like he didn’t like the situation that had unfolded.

“Now, now, move aside. Move aside.”

The physical education teacher, who ran over late, crouched down and examined Bae Junhyeok. Suddenly, someone grabbed Han Seolwoo’s wrist, snap.

“Let’s go drink water.”

Won Wooje, who met his eyes, tilted his chin toward the washstand.

“I said let’s go drink water.”

“Ah, o-okay.”

Han Seolwoo took a step following Won Wooje and looked back once more. Bae Junhyeok’s face, distorted with pain, kept weighing on his mind.

୨ৎ

In the end, Bae Junhyeok got a cast. Whether it was a coincidence or not, it was a half-cast on the left leg, just like Han Seolwoo’s. They said it wasn’t broken either, but the ligaments were stretched. Because of that, he was dropped from the soccer roster for the sports meet.

The person involved, Won Wooje, didn’t even care about him, let alone apologize. It was because he was certain that Bae Junhyeok’s behavior was all a complete show.

He said he saw the whole thing—how the guy came over unnecessarily, bumped into him, and then rolled around overreacting. He was annoyed, saying the intensity wasn’t enough to get hurt, that it was a bluff, and that the attention-seeker was throwing a fit. He even got irritable, saying since he was the guy who made you like that, he deserved to go through the same thing, and told him not to pay unnecessary attention since it wasn’t like he was the one who got hurt.

When he said he wasn’t sure if the guy was okay and that he looked like he was in pain, it came back as one thousand one hundred and twenty words. Even when he tried to stop him, telling him not to think like that, he was completely headstrong, asking if he couldn’t tell just by looking.

The conversation was back to square one, a repeating refrain. At Won Wooje’s gradually hardening face, Han Seolwoo also shut his mouth. He didn’t want to ruin a good relationship over something like this. He naturally had that much tact.

During break time, Han Seolwoo, after confirming Won Wooje was gone, slinked over to Bae Junhyeok. When he placed a strawberry-flavored My-Chew from his pocket on the desk, Bae Junhyeok raised his head with questioning eyes.

“You understand.”

He didn’t add any other words and just gave an eye-smile. It seemed like the guy would understand perfectly even if he just said it vaguely.

Thinking about it, since the fact that Won Wooje treated Bae Junhyeok so rudely also started from him, his conscience pricked at the thought of just ignoring it. He felt like his heart would be at ease only if he said even one word like this.

“I’ll enjoy it.”

Bae Junhyeok nodded. It was a face without the slightest smile. Since they usually got along quite well and warmly even if they weren’t close, it was a bit of an unexpected reaction.

It was the moment Han Seolwoo, who had finished a lukewarm eye-greeting, turned his back.

“Seolwoo.”

“Yeah?”

“Go to the bathroom with me.”

He gripped the desk and stood up hesitantly. At the out-of-the-blue request, Han Seolwoo’s actions stopped for a moment.

“If it’s difficult, I’ll go by myself.”

“Oh, no. Let’s go.”

Han Seolwoo shook his head. And he lightly held Bae Junhyeok’s elbow.