# Chapter 52
Whether I adapted or not wasn’t important. Before I knew it, the PE teacher appeared with a whistle around his neck—I’m not sure where he heard about the soccer game.
“Since we’re short on time, the match will be 30 minutes without dividing into halves. Everyone to your positions.”
The PE teacher held the whistle in his right hand and waved his empty left hand. Following his signal, the students who had been standing in the center scattered.
As the match was about to begin, the cheers dominating the field grew even louder. It was deafening enough that I blocked my ears with my index fingers. Thinking this level of noise would surely disrupt classes, I looked up toward the classrooms and saw most windows were open.
I couldn’t help but laugh seeing several students crowded at each window looking down at the field—it was like a scene from a drama. So this is what it’s like experiencing it in a novel world.
“Kyaaaa! Dojin-nim and Baek Han-nim are competing in soccer!”
“How did they end up playing? They usually don’t participate in sports at school!”
“Does that matter? Hurry, get your cameras! We need to record this! Check if the special room on the second floor is open, quick!”
“Where’s the video team?! Secure positions now!”
“Wow…”
What a mess.
I have no idea how students in the classrooms found out about Kwon Dojin and Baek Han playing soccer. Do their fan clubs have some kind of communication network?
My ears hurt even more as students in the classrooms were causing just as much commotion as those on the field. I had no choice but to put in the earphones I habitually carry.
It seems the teachers aren’t planning to stop this despite classes being in session. Maybe this is something that’s allowed in this novel world.
I felt disconnected from everyone else in the heightened atmosphere. While others were screaming with joy, I watched the field with dazed eyes.
The PE teacher finally put the whistle to his mouth, perhaps deliberately waiting until the atmosphere was fully charged. Everyone instinctively sensed the game was about to start and fell silent.
Peeeet-!
The moment the sharp whistle sound echoed across the field, the momentarily paused cheering erupted again—incomparably louder than before, making me flinch reflexively.
I clutched my racing heart, startled. Being such a scaredy-cat, my heart has suffered frequently since possessing this novel character.
“To think we can watch the two of them play from such a close distance!”
“I’m so lucky to be in the same class as Dojin-nim!”
“Does anyone have a camera? Phones can’t capture this properly.”
Besides the cheering, some were taking photos while moving in the direction Kwon Dojin and Baek Han ran across the field. There were even groups waving phone flashlights in rhythm as if they were lightsticks—it was ridiculous.
I thought about watching Kwon Dojin and Baek Han play soccer, but it was difficult in this atmosphere. Students from the classrooms started coming outside, and before I knew it, the area around me was packed.
Disliking the crowding with strangers, I removed my earphones, gathered Baek Han and Kwon Dojin’s belongings, and stood up. It felt wrong to leave after encouraging them, so I went down from the stands to stand closer to the field.
I thought it would be difficult to find space due to the crowd, but everyone moved aside to make room. I slightly bowed my head to express thanks and looked toward the field. Just then, Kwon Dojin and Baek Han were struggling for the ball near where I was standing.
I came here thinking it would be better to give some sort of encouragement before leaving rather than disappearing without a word. Of course, regardless of my thoughts, I was too embarrassed to speak and debated countless times whether to open my mouth. But the moment my eyes met Kwon Dojin’s, words escaped involuntarily.
“Win this if you can.”
My voice wasn’t loud and likely got drowned out by the surrounding noise. Since the words came out without my realizing, I touched around my lips.
After blinking once and looking back toward Kwon Dojin and Baek Han, I saw Dojin smiling with his eyes while looking in my direction.
‘I’ll definitely win.’
Though we were far apart and he spoke only with his lips, somehow I had a baseless certainty that I’d interpreted correctly.
It was the same smile he always showed me. The round, curved eyes, the slightly raised corners of his lips, and that face that was both kind and faintly mischievous. Everything was the same yet different.
Was it because the season had changed? Or because a warm breeze had just passed by? Everything around me turned white. Only Kwon Dojin remained clearly visible—this alien scene somehow felt natural.
In the time it took to blink once more, Kwon Dojin, who had been matching gazes with me, belatedly ran after the ball.
“Oh my god.”
“What did I just see?”
“…Photo, did anyone take a photo?! Nobody?!”
“Me! I got it!”
Lost in thoughts as Kwon Dojin’s image lingered before me, the commotion around brought me back to reality. I stepped back while covering my unusually flushed cheeks.
As the initial uproar subsided and attention began shifting to me, I knew I had to leave quickly.
I pulled Kwon Dojin’s jacket up to my face and left. The cool breeze passed through my hair but failed to cool the heat in my face.
Walking with my head down in the opposite direction from where everyone else was going, I found myself behind the school building without having time to think. It was quiet here with no one around, likely because the field wasn’t visible. Looking around, I sat down on a low stone wall.
“What was that, really…?”
We didn’t exchange any special words, nor did he behave differently than usual. So why-?
I buried my face in my knees. The sounds from the field drummed in my ears. Though not small noises, they felt distant, muffled by my crowded thoughts.
Various thoughts almost surfaced then sank again. Only the image of how Kwon Dojin had just looked at me remained vivid.
Why?
Was it because he’s handsome? But I’m already sick of knowing how good-looking Kwon Dojin is. Then was it what he said that made me feel embarrassed? It seemed like a similar emotion but was fundamentally different.
Then what was it?
My thoughts wouldn’t connect. It was like a thread that keeps breaking and tangling. This is all Kwon Dojin’s fault. Everything is because of Kwon Dojin.
Frustration welled up and I clenched my fists tightly. I squeezed hard to feel my sharp nails, but instead became more aware of Kwon Dojin’s jacket in my right hand.
The soft fabric wrinkled in my hand. I reflexively opened my fist, then squeezed it tightly again as if venting anger.
I could smell Kwon Dojin’s scent from the jacket, which made me inexplicably irritated. I was annoyed at how he maintained his presence even when I was alone.
What’s so great about you that you invaded my space? How can you remain so composed after crossing the line without warning? As if I’m the strange one for being affected, like that-
Like a statue waiting for someone’s return, I sat there unaware that the commotion from the field had died down and that the bell signaling the end of class had rung. I only became aware of time passing when a familiar warm hand landed on my shoulder.
“Habin. Are you feeling unwell?”
Though his voice was light like flower petals scattered by the wind, the concern it carried didn’t feel lightweight. After exhaling a rather hot breath, I slowly raised my head.
Kwon Dojin was crouching in front of me, matching my eye level. His face, which I naturally met, had a different light than usual. His eyebrows drooped at the ends and his lips were pursed.
“Habin?”
“…I’m fine.”
My voice cracked at the end, probably from not speaking for a while. Looking more worried, Kwon Dojin reached out and cupped my cheek.
“Should we go to the infirmary?”
“No. I just haven’t spoken for a while, that’s all.”
After clearing my throat a couple of times, fortunately my normal voice returned when I spoke. Seeming relieved, Dojin removed his hand from my cheek and gave a faint smile.
“So, did you win?”
Though I had no basis for it, I had a feeling that silence shouldn’t continue right now. Unable to completely ignore this premonition, I asked about the outcome—something I wasn’t particularly curious about—to keep the conversation going.
“Umm…”
Kwon Dojin hummed, lowering his eyes from mine to the ground. Watching him filled with awkwardness, I bit my dry lips.
I could guess the result without hearing his answer. I closed my eyes tightly, opened them again, and deliberately cleared my throat.
“You lost, right?”
“I didn’t lose. I didn’t… exactly lose.”
He scratched his cheek with his index finger, looking embarrassed. The unfamiliar sight of him filled my vision.
“Then? Did you win?”
“…I couldn’t win either.”
His voice grew increasingly smaller. Unlike his confident declaration that he would definitely win, he seemed ashamed of achieving a result that was neither a win nor a loss.
“So it was a tie.”
“Yeah. It was a tie.”
Kwon Dojin sighed and nodded in confirmation. Soon, he moved his lips slightly. After a brief silence, having made up his mind, he spoke.
“If we had gone into overtime, I would have won. We just didn’t have enough time—”
“That’s all just excuses.”
He quickly added, his pride seemingly hurt. Whether it was his competitive spirit or his slightly flustered appearance—somehow I found it amusing and let out a small laugh.
Kwon Dojin looked down with a dissatisfied expression. The fact that he didn’t continue speaking suggested he knew that the more he said, the more desperate he’d sound.
“…I’ll definitely win next time. Because I promised Habin.”
“Really? Can you win next time?”
“Yes.”
As Kwon Dojin whispered once more for me to trust him, I nodded as if hypnotized. The moment he saw my response, given before I could even think, he smiled brightly, crinkling the corners of his eyes.
That smile, which seemed no different from usual to me, settled in my heart.
