# Chapter 103
During break time, the class president and the physical education representative were struggling to carry boxes through the door of the otherwise empty classroom. It was an eye-catching sight as they each had one or two large boxes cradled in their arms.
Approaching the teacher’s desk, they both groaned and immediately set the boxes down with a thud. Their actions drew the attention of all the students in the class.
Before some of the curious students in the classroom could approach, the class president straightened his back and shouted loudly toward the class.
“The class shirts have arrived, so check your size and take one!”
At the president’s words, the students brightened up and quickly rushed forward. The three boxes were placed side by side, apparently separated by size, and the gathered students moved around frantically trying to find their sizes.
One student who had been pushed back by the crowd shouted to a friend in front, “Get me an L size!” In response, another student pulled out a sealed shirt from what appeared to be the L-size box and threw it back. There were quite a few students doing this, so even from my seat at a distance, I could tell which box contained which size.
The crowd of students began to thin out a bit. Feeling like I should go get my share too, I slowly stood up, and Moon Seoheon beside me also rose.
Sitting on the outside, Moon Seoheon went out first and gave me a brief glance. He gestured with his eyes as if telling me to follow him properly, then walked ahead. Watching his back, my eyebrows slightly raised and then lowered.
I scratched my temple absentmindedly as I followed behind. Moon Seoheon, who had walked ahead, stopped right in front of the box with M-sized shirts and pulled out two black shirts.
“Here.”
“Ah, thanks.”
Taking the shirt he handed me, I slowly raised my head to look at Moon Seoheon. As he seemed to be inspecting the shirt by opening the packaging and examining it, I casually asked.
“You’re playing in the preliminaries today too, right?”
“Yeah. Against Class 4.”
“…You’re playing against Byeon Seungha’s class?”
“Yeah. Since Seungha’s class won yesterday.”
Apparently satisfied that there were no defects in the shirt, Moon Seoheon casually slung it over one shoulder. Then, as if his limbs were stiff again, he bent his left arm and rotated his shoulder in circles. Remembering how he had been massaging his knees that morning on the way to school, complaining about the pain, I looked at him with a slightly concerned expression.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“A little. Even though I stretch frequently, it’s been hurting constantly these days, so I’m trying to get used to it now.”
He grimaced, met my eyes, and then laughed it off as if it were nothing. I wanted to tell him not to overdo it and to take it easy, but with the sports festival right around the corner, I couldn’t say that.
Shifting my attention, I tore open the vinyl packaging just as Moon Seoheon had done and examined the shirt inside. Though the plain black shirt had quite a bit of dust on it, it would be fine after washing, so that minor flaw didn’t matter.
When I roughly held the shirt against my upper body, the size seemed to fit perfectly with no major issues. I threw the packaging into the box, which had now become a makeshift trash bin, and returned to my seat with Moon Seoheon.
“If you win today, you’ll have to play again tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re also participating in the relay race. This week is going to be extremely busy for you.”
While winning the soccer match would be a good thing, the continuous games day after day would surely accumulate considerable fatigue. But then again, with Moon Seoheon on the team, I was confident they would win not just today, but also in tomorrow’s semi-finals.
And Moon Seoheon, who had been selected for both the class relay and the grade representative relay, would remain after school for practice even the day before the sports festival. Considering the schedule he had to manage throughout the week, with sports practice on top of everything, I couldn’t help but stick out my tongue in amazement.
As I looked at Moon Seoheon with natural admiration and respect, he chuckled.
“We haven’t even played today’s game yet. Who knows what will happen.”
That’s true, of course, but it wasn’t just me—the other students in the class had already guaranteed that our class would secure a spot in the finals of the sports festival. The fact that they were playing against Byeon Seungha’s class was a bit concerning, but I wasn’t particularly worried.
“Is Byeon Seungha also playing in today’s match?”
“Yeah.”
“Uh… well, you can win, right?”
Even if Byeon Seungha had good athletic abilities, how could our team lose when we had the soccer club’s ace? Conveying that sentiment, Moon Seoheon shrugged his shoulders. Though his gesture suggested he wasn’t certain of victory, the corners of his lips were slightly raised.
Seems like he’s confident. Or maybe he’s just in a good mood.
Without sitting down, Moon Seoheon stood still and gestured for me to go in first, just like when he was making way for me. I nodded in gratitude and sat down firmly in my chair.
Moon Seoheon, like me, pulled his chair back and sat down, resting his elbows on the desk as he spoke.
“The preliminary match is after school today. You’re coming to cheer, right?”
“Huh?”
“Like you said, we need to be motivated to win.”
So what, what am I supposed to do? I momentarily made an absurd expression, but as Moon Seoheon continued with a meaningful tone, raising the corners of his lips, I could only stare blankly at his face.
“If you cheer for me, I can be more motivated.”
So he was asking me to stay and cheer for him. A small, hollow laugh escaped me, but the look in Moon Seoheon’s eyes seemed somewhat serious, so I couldn’t immediately say no.
As if sensing my internal hesitation, Moon Seoheon quickly added.
“If you come and cheer, I’ll do one thing you want in return.”
“…There’s nothing particular that I want.”
Somehow I ended up expressing refusal, but I didn’t correct myself since I genuinely didn’t feel like staying. As if he had expected that response, Moon Seoheon gave a strange smile and tapped his finger on the desk.
Then, shifting his upper body slightly toward me, Moon Seoheon whispered softly.
“I’ll make sure the drawing model job you got from Hyoin ends in just one session. And I’ll make sure we don’t gather frequently for the performance practice.”
It was a definite and radical proposal, as if he knew exactly what I wanted. Before I could even be surprised by the words coming out of his mouth, my eyes narrowed, wondering what his ulterior motive might be.
Above all, I was a bit puzzled how Moon Seoheon could make decisions about Jung Hyoin and the performance.
“How are you going to do that?”
“Well… if I tell him to do it that way, he probably will.”
His casual tone made me momentarily dumbfounded. Right, I guess since you’re the main character, if you say so, the others will just accept it. But considering The Four lately, I was concerned whether it would really be that simple.
Seeing that my skepticism was showing, Moon Seoheon added.
“The performance practice just needs one day where we all adjust to each other. It’s not a concours, just a small concert like a festival, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
“Hmm.”
“And being a drawing model is annoying, right? Hyoin also dislikes troublesome things, so if I talk to him properly, he’ll say no.”
It was true, and I let out a low sigh. My eyes widened at his confident tone, as if he had completely exposed all of my thoughts. Even if he knew I found it annoying because I showed it, Jung Hyoin didn’t seem like the type who would easily listen if someone just talked to him.
Seeing my expression of complete incomprehension, Moon Seoheon rolled his eyes upward as if considering what to say. Soon, he met my gaze and lightly tapped the desk twice.
“Hyoin has been wavering lately.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s the type whose curiosity rises but then quickly fades.”
It seemed like he was trying to explain in a way I could understand, but I had no idea what he was talking about. He seemed to be telling me that Jung Hyoin was a curious person, but what did that have to do with anything? Was he trying to say that using me as a model was something that happened out of curiosity?
My eyes narrowed as the conclusion I reached seemed plausible. Indeed, as Jung Hyoin had told me on that rainy day, it seemed half in jest. Someone like him probably didn’t even know what he was thinking himself.
As I was lost in thought for a moment, the muscles concentrated on my face relaxed, and my expression turned blank. In any case, the original discussion about whether or not to stay and cheer today had drifted to an unexpected place, and my attitude was changing to one of rough understanding.
Just a soccer game. It would take a few hours at most, and it wasn’t like I couldn’t cheer. Just as I was about to open my mouth to indicate I had conceded, Moon Seoheon beat me to it.
“So, will you come and cheer?”
“…Fine. Alright. I’ll go, I’ll go.”
I spoke as if swallowing and then spitting out a sigh, and Moon Seoheon grinned. Shaking my head inwardly, I decided to prepare for the next class.
While I was taking out textbooks from the drawer, Moon Seoheon rested his chin in his hand and quietly watched me. Wondering if he had more to say, I glanced at him.
Then, with his eyes half-lowered, he spoke quietly as if sharing something important. Despite the soft voice, the heavy emotion underlying his words was conveyed clearly.
“After the sports festival, I have something I want to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you when it’s over. So, let’s hang out together that day.”
This time, I didn’t even laugh in disbelief, but again, I couldn’t respond right away. Somehow, I felt an uneasy feeling. It sounded more cautious than his words asking me to stay and cheer.
It seemed like I shouldn’t take this lightly, but an alarm bell was ringing wildly in my head, warning that if I took it seriously, something critical would happen.
As I closed my mouth tightly without saying anything, Moon Seoheon pouted his lips. It wasn’t noticeable unless you looked closely, but his expression wasn’t so much displeased as it was complicated. No, perhaps it was a resigned expression.
Anyway, as I averted my eyes with the instinct to avoid, Moon Seoheon reached out his hand. A strong force grabbed my hand.
“I’m not just saying this casually. Don’t brush it off like last time; this time you need to listen properly.”
At his somewhat coercive tone, I bit my lip and then nodded as if in agreement. Only then did Moon Seoheon release my hand.
As I rubbed the back of my hand where we had touched, I felt a small heat. My chest felt tight again.
