It was an extremely sunny day.

‘A clear day without a single cloud.’

The blazing sunlight was scorching to the point that it didn’t even feel like spring anymore.

The playground was filled with blue skies and flying dust. Children were chattering excitedly. It was May.

I shaded my forehead with my hand and looked around.

‘Already exhausted.’

I felt like I was suffocating from the energy exuded by the high school kids. How could they be so excited? They sure have a lot of energy.

I sighed and went over to our class area to sit down.

Well, now let’s take a little break…

“Lee Ju Eun!”

“Ah!”

At that moment, someone suddenly pushed my back from behind. An excited, high-pitched voice. No need to check, it was Yoo Hee Na.

I turned around, rubbing my pushed back.

As expected, Yoo Hee Na was standing there with a big smile.

“What, why aren’t you wearing the class t-shirt?”

Yoo Hee Na, who said that, was buried in a dinosaur-shaped animal pajamas.

That’s right. Our class t-shirt was animal pajamas.

I smiled awkwardly.

‘I’ve never worn that even as a baby…’

Although I’m seventeen on the outside, my inner self is an adult. I couldn’t muster the courage to walk around wearing that.

So I tried to stay as quiet as possible… But since Yoo Hee Na openly pointed it out, I guess I can’t just let it slide.

I mumbled, avoiding Yoo Hee Na’s gaze.

“…I just prefer the gym uniform.”

“There’s no such thing! We all got matching class shirts, so we have to wear them together.”

I timidly protested.

“Those kids aren’t wearing them either.”

“They are them, and you are you! You can’t! You’re my friend!”

But it was no use.

In the end, I was dragged away by Yoo Hee Na. We arrived at our classroom.

“Hurry up and put it on!”

I had no strength to resist the vicious follower3. I sniffled inwardly and quickly put on the animal pajamas.

‘As expected, it doesn’t suit me.’

These things are only cute when little and adorable kids like Yoo Hee Na wear them. If someone like me who blatantly looks like a villain wears it, it will only cause disharmony.

‘Sigh.’

I let out a deep sigh.

I turned my head and looked at my reflection in the mirror. A woman with fierce eyes was glaring at the mirror, covered in dinosaur skin.

I’ve never had a problem with my face, but this really doesn’t work.

I stuck my tongue out at the mirror briefly, then followed Yoo Hee Na back out of the classroom.

“Ahem, so the proud students of our Jeil High School…”

The principal’s opening speech under the scorching sun was annoying. I yawned widely and made eye contact with the homeroom teacher, promptly shutting my mouth. Darn it, being a high school student is hard.

But even the long speech had an end. Hooray, now I can finally sit down. I walked towards the bleachers in the playground with a happy heart.

After sitting down, I read the paper listing the order of events for the sports day, flapping it around.

‘Let’s see, what do I have to participate in…’

As I mentioned before, I don’t participate in most events, so I only had to do the individual required ones. Like the 100m race and such.

‘Our class is up soon.’

We run by class, and unfortunately, class 3 had an early turn. No, maybe it’s a good thing? I can just rest after this.

‘Alright, let’s relax for now.’

And not long after, Yoo Hee Na approached me.

“Lee Ju Eun, let’s go!”

It was our class’s turn.

The rules were simple. Teams of 5 run together. Then they rank based on who comes in first. The end.

Finally, our turn came and I ran hard.

The result was 3rd out of the five who ran together.

A truly ambiguous number.

‘That’s fine, this is just right for me.’

I don’t need 1st place. What’s the point of running well?

With that self-consolation, I returned to the bleachers and sat down.

While I was diligently resting in the shade, the sports day progressed steadily. Soccer finals, tug-of-war, group jump rope, and so on. I didn’t have any more events to participate in, so I just pretended to cheer enthusiastically.

“Lee Ju Eun!”

It was right when the tug-of-war ended. Yoo Hee Na, who had been cheering loudly, suddenly called out to me.

“What?”

“You have nothing to do now, right?”

“…No, I have a lot to do.”

“Don’t joke around! You’re not doing anything!”

Yoo Hee Na nagged me, saying I lack social skills and whatnot. I listened with one ear and let it go out the other while pretending to listen with a serious expression.

Realizing it was like reading scriptures to a cow’s ear, Yoo Hee Na shuddered and waved her hand dismissively.

“Ah. Forget it, forget it. I won’t say anything. Anyway, you’re not busy now, right? Can you go to the classroom for me?”

“The classroom? Why?”

“There’s something I need to get.”

According to her explanation, there were still a few cheering tools left in the classroom. She said she had diligently prepared them since a week ago.

‘…It already looks sufficient, what more does she want to bring?’

I looked at Yoo Hee Na and her friends decorated with all sorts of cheering tools and pondered seriously.

“Okay, I’ll go and come back.”

I had nothing to do if I stayed here anyway, and I was bored, so I readily agreed to go to the classroom.

Contrary to my worries that I might not find it all at once, the items were prominently placed on Yoo Hee Na’s desk.

‘She prepared a lot.’

Yoo Hee Na must have had really high expectations.

Seeing the box full of cheering tools and other miscellaneous items, I could feel Yoo Hee Na’s dedication. Should I call this pitiful? I felt somewhat sympathetic.

But Yoo Hee Na would probably dislike being sympathized with even more. I shook my head to escape from my sentiments.

‘Well, whatever. I just need to do what I’m told.’

I picked up the box and left the classroom.

As I was diligently walking to return to the playground…

‘Huh?’

I spotted a familiar figure at the first-floor entrance.

It was Seon Woo Jin.

‘What is he doing here?’

I thought he would be off somewhere skipping class as usual.

Passionate events like sports day and Seon Woo Jin didn’t match at all, so it was a natural assumption. I approached him to greet him.

No, I tried to approach him.

‘…Who is that?’

I hesitated and observed the situation for a moment.

Seon Woo Jin was not alone.

‘I’ve never seen that girl before.’

In front of him stood a girl I didn’t know. Judging by the fact that they were wearing the same class t-shirt and soccer uniform as Seon Woo Jin, they seemed to be in the same class.

I couldn’t hear what they were talking about because of the distance. But Seon Woo Jin had his usual expressionless face, while the girl was laughing with slightly flushed cheeks.

I felt strange. It was the first time I saw Seon Woo Jin so close to someone other than the three musketeers, and a girl at that.

My expression stiffened without me realizing it. I wasn’t simply surprised by the situation, but felt a more unpleasant, disgruntled emotion.

Pondering the nature of that emotion, I shook my head, not wanting to think about it anymore.

At that moment, Seon Woo Jin turned his head and looked in my direction.

I think our eyes met. Recognizing me, Seon Woo Jin said something to the girl and approached me.

Seon Woo Jin called out to me.

“Lee Ju Eun.”

“…Ah.”

Still unable to shake off my thoughts, I reacted a beat late.

“What are you doing here?”

Instead of answering, I glanced behind Seon Woo Jin. The girl from earlier was still lingering there, peering this way.

“Ah, Yoo Hee Na asked me to bring this.”

I lifted the box to show him. I tried to speak casually, as if nothing was wrong.

“Why did she make you do that?”

“Well… I guess because I wasn’t doing anything.”

Seon Woo Jin slightly frowned.

“Don’t do everything Yoo Hee Na tells you to do. Say no if you don’t want to.”

“It’s not that I particularly dislike it. I just volunteered to do it.”

Even while conversing, my attention kept going to the girl who was talking with Seon Woo Jin.

It seemed their conversation wasn’t over yet. She kept waiting for Seon Woo Jin.

Perhaps sensing that I kept glancing behind him, Seon Woo Jin also looked back. But it didn’t seem as important to him as I thought, as he soon looked at me again with an indifferent expression.

“Should I carry it for you?”

I avoided his gaze and spoke.

“No, it’s okay. By the way, weren’t you in the middle of talking with her?”

At my words, Seon Woo Jin raised his eyebrows as if displeased.

“I’m done talking.”

“Ah… I see.”

It doesn’t seem like it.

But arguing about it seemed silly, so I just nodded my head appropriately.

“Still, it’s fine. It’s right in front of me, you don’t need to carry it for me. Then I’ll get going.”

I quickly wrapped up the conversation, trying to leave the scene. As I was about to leave, Seon Woo Jin grabbed me.

“Are you sick somewhere?”

“What? No, why?”

When I asked back, puzzled, Seon Woo Jin said with a serious face.

“But why are you acting like that?”

Was it that obvious that I was shaken up? I spoke, feigning composure.

“Like what? What about me?”

Instead of answering, Seon Woo Jin silently stared at my face for a moment.

“…Never mind then.”

Then he practically snatched the box I was holding and said.

“It’s okay for me to carry it if there’s nothing wrong, right?”

I was at a loss for words at his bold attitude. I was about to say it’s fine, but taking it back from him would also seem strange, so I just said okay.

Seon Woo Jin told the girl behind him that they’ll talk again later, then walked out to the playground with me.

“What, why did you two come together?”

Yoo Hee Na, who spotted Seon Woo Jin, asked with a puzzled look. I shrugged.

“We just ran into each other.”

Seon Woo Jin grumbled as he put the box down next to Yoo Hee Na.

“Don’t make others do these things. Do it yourself.”

“Whether I make someone do it or not, what’s it to you?!”

Their bickering was nothing new, so I returned to my seat before getting involved in the pointless argument.

‘By the way, what are the other two musketeers doing?’

I began looking around for Ban Ha Min and Sung Ji Chan.

Ban Ha Min was leading the cheering squad in his class. He looked like a total attention seeker, wearing flashy cheering squad clothes from who knows where and jumping around excitedly.

‘…It suits him well.’

It’s obvious, but I felt truly fortunate that we’re not in the same class.

‘Found Ban Ha Min. Then where is Sung Ji Chan?’

Unlike Ban Ha Min, Sung Ji Chan wasn’t with his class. I thought he would definitely be with them since he seemed to get along well with his classmates after losing his memory. Where did he go?

I expanded my search range to the entire playground. Although there were many kids, Sung Ji Chan tends to stand out, so I thought I could find him quickly if he was here.

As expected, I found Sung Ji Chan right away.

But Sung Ji Chan wasn’t alone.

‘…Huh?’

Why are they together…?

That’s right.

The person with Sung Ji Chan was none other than Han Ye Won.