Chapter 363

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So that was how the worst scenario—running around busily in the morning and taking classes with exhausted bodies in the afternoon—came into existence.

'They should have either just held Sports Day events or just let us take classes!' Whether the kids welcomed Sports Day or not, they tore their hair out with a groan and stood up from their seats to head toward the gym.

That was when Yoon Jung In's last announcement flew over to us.

"Oh, and the snacks will arrive at eleven o'clock. It's on me!"

WOW! Loud cheers and whoops resonated around the classroom. It was the only happy news I had heard today.

* * *

Since Eun Jiho's uncle was the chairman of the board in So Hyun High School, our school wasn't just one of the wealthiest academic institutions in the nation but also had a very huge gym. This dome structure had seats on the second floor. It was capable of accommodating every student in the school and still had enough vacant spots.

The fact was never so regretful until now. If the gym was compact enough that it would not fit all the students in this school, we could have had Sports Day events extended to the afternoon or just take classes for the whole day. Anyway, it was too late to resent that.

Sports Day began, at last, amid the most subsided atmosphere I had ever gone through. No matter what sports match it was, those participating in the games were almost fixed. Yoon Jung In, Lee Mina, Yi Ruda, and Shin Suh Hyun were the major participants with no questions asked. The Kim twins and I had to take part in the cheering section for the entire event.

That wasn't so bad. Hmm, anyway, I became less interested in dodgeball ever since I had the incident with Class 1-1.

"GO, GO, Class 1-8! GO, FIGHT, WIN!"

We began to support our class at the top of our lungs from the second-floor seats. Loud voices also showered from both of our sides. 'GO, Class 1-7! Fight for Victory, Class 1-1!' The gym was roaring with all kinds of chanting as if we were inside a speaker.

Six games were ongoing simultaneously in each divided section on the gym floor, so it was difficult to grasp the overall situation. However, there was still an outstanding class among them.

Due to the narrow gap between the bleachers, I could hear other classes talking, "Which class is having the dodgeball match with Class 1-1 right now?"

"Class 1-4."

"Whoa, that's unfortunate for them! They're gonna get eliminated immediately, aren't they?"

Listening to their conversations, I knitted my forehead. The gap between their athletic performances was too overwhelming that I could hardly tell them not to say such things in the early stages of the competition.

Various vibrant hair colors got the attention of many people... They didn't even move. Once the ball came toward them, they simply caught and tossed it back. Whenever they threw the ball, two or three people would be hit so effortlessly. As if they had calculated the angle, the ball bounced off the people returned to Class 1-1. Someone snatched it, threw it again to the opposite side, and another batch of players got out at the same time.

Someone else uttered again, "They should get nerfed; that's a bit OP, isn't it? Too unfair."

"So insane! Do you think that's a match?"

Listening to their complaints, I rested my chin on my palm apathetically.

I totally agreed to what they had just said while thinking, 'Exactly. They must definitely get nerfed; however, they aren't game characters, which turns out to be the problem.' Then I turned my head upon Kim Hye Hill's remark that came over from behind me.

"They're your friends, but I bet they scare you too sometimes."

"Huh? Oh..." I replied bitterly while taking my hand off my chin instinctively. Kim Hye Hill, who switched her gaze to me, narrowed her forehead in wonder.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Huh? Uh, nothing. Yes, I get scared of them sometimes."

Ahaha... Once I started to laugh awkwardly, Kim Hye Hill, Kim Hye Woo, and kids from other classes began to look at me enigmatically. Diverting my gaze back onto the court, I darkened the look on my face.

It had already been two weeks since I stopped having any proper conversation with the Four Heavenly Kings. Once we got split into different classes, they would unexpectedly drop by my house at least once a week. Our relationsh.i.p.s were that much close. However, we haven't spoken to each other for two weeks already.

I suddenly came up with the event that happened on a Sunday afternoon during the first semester. I couldn't even remember who was the first person who discovered the old digital camera at my house.

However, the faded video on the TV screen that first started showing the faces of Jooin and Eun Hyung, who was wearing an apron, entered my head.

The camera took the view of Yeo Ryung's back and Eun Jiho's straight face, and lastly, Yoo Chun Young, who was solving math problems on the workbook, sitting beside me. I still remembered his smile when I encountered it while rewatching that video.

Suddenly, I became frightened, wondering, 'Actually, maybe all my memories are wrong, aren't they? Were they really standing in our kitchen? Maybe it's filmed somewhere else? Had someone actually filmed that video? Is the camera still in my house? If I connect it to the TV, can I still watch that video? Wouldn't it be gone already?'

The rain was still pouring from the clear sky on the dome ceiling of the gym. My head had some surreal thoughts alongside the surreal weather. Clenching my fist out of the blue, I hit my head. It felt like I was torturing myself.

At that moment, someone gently grabbed my wrist. I raised my head in surprise.

"Donnie?"

"Ah, Ruda."

Rubbing his wet hair with a towel, Yi Ruda looked at me in astonishment with his blue eyes. He dropped the towel and perched on the seat right beside me. The boys behind our seats booed at us.

"Hey, Yi Ruda, do you still have a crush on her?"

"Ah, just shut the fu*k up!"

Looking back, Ruda flipped off to the kids, which seemed so natural of him. He finally looked like a mischievous boy his age. 'Geez, how could I have mistaken his gender?' I wondered in a daze. Ruda turned around and flung a question to me.

"Did something happen?"

"Huh? No, nothing," replying that way, I flinched. Ruda was the only person who knew the truth about my relationship with Yeo Dan oppa. He was also clearly aware of the Four Heavenly Kings.

Thus, this was my chance to confess my agonized mind; however, I felt reluctant to reveal that the Four Heavenly Kings and I had grown apart, so I just lied instinctively.

Why did I think that way? I soon understood my reason, though.

If I spoke out that my relationship with the Four Heavenly Kings had turned worse, I was afraid that it would hit me, at last. If it happened, the time and days I had spent with them would scatter away and disappear like a mirage in the desert.

Dropping my gaze at the floor, I lifted my eyes and smiled shortly.

"Rainy day puts me in a bad mood."

As if he had grasped something, Ruda frowned and uttered, "Ah..."

"Huh?" Wondering why he was reacting that way, I soon realized something. Did he recall the incident that happened at the beginning of the first semester? I cried under the rain; thankfully, he was getting it wrong then.

"Never mind. Anyway, just chill here. I'm gonna go grab the victory for you."

Speaking that way to me with a gentle smile, Ruda stood up from his seat. Once he got up, the boys behind us began to boo again.

"Dude, stop acting cool. The train left already; you have no chance even if you keep chasing."

"Ah, shut up! Just please shut the fu*k up!"

Throwing the towel he was holding to their faces, Ruda forced them to keep their mouths shut once and for all before flaunting a smile at me so nonchalantly. Without saying that I started to get frightened of his grin these days, I returned a smile to Ruda. He descended the bleachers ploddingly and headed into the first floor.