World Rank 0, Please Stop! - Chapter 96

After that, nothing particularly special happened until it was my turn to run.

I sat in the stands, watching my classmates participate in competitions and dance club members perform.

‘They sure have a lot of energy.’

I yawned, fully feeling like an exhausted old person despite not having done anything.

I was blankly sitting alone like that for a while.

“You’re participating in the mission relay race?”

The class president asked, and I replied.

“Yeah.”

The class president looked at me as if surprised, then soon nodded.

“Well, we did need one more runner anyway.”

Whether by coincidence or the system’s arrangement, the person who was originally supposed to run suddenly said they couldn’t, so a spot opened up. Thanks to that, I was able to participate in the mission relay race.

I briefly wondered if this happened because I accepted the quest, but knowing I couldn’t get an answer anyway, I just let it go.

In the spot where the class president disappeared, Yoo Hee Na tilted her head in amazement.

“Lee Ju Eun, what’s going on? You’re participating in all the events?”

I responded appropriately.

“I just felt like I should do something too.”

Yoo Hee Na then chattered happily.

“Yeah, good thinking. Seeing you always sitting there like a grandma who’s lived through everything was really frustrating, so I’m glad you finally came to your senses!”

… Was I really that bad?

I kind of thought that myself, but hearing it from someone else’s mouth was somehow shocking. Having taken unknown damage from Yoo Hee Na’s words, I slightly turned my head.

Anyways, as we were like that, soon it was time for the mission relay race.

‘Phew, is it starting?’

I took off the dinosaur skin I was wearing, threw it aside, and went out to the field in a t-shirt and shorts PE uniform to lightly stretch.

I’m not particularly good at running… but the mission relay race relies more on luck, so maybe I can get 1st place?

‘I just need to be the fastest out of the six people, not 1st in the whole school, so it should be fine.’

[Go Lee Ju Eun!]

Receiving encouragement from the system, I stood imposingly at the starting line.

The rules of the mission relay race were simple. Run straight, receive a mission partway through, complete the mission, then run to the finish line.

‘Please let it be an easy mission. Please.’

I desperately prayed inwardly as I waited for the starting signal.

But I was overlooking something.

That my luck wasn’t just on ‘that’ level.

“Start!”

Beep!

At the sound of the whistle, the kids dashed off from the starting line.

I ran without falling behind too. At least my start wasn’t late compared to the others.

However.

Thud!

“Ah!”

I tripped and fell on the ground before running very far.

‘Ouch!’

I fell really hard. Checking where I hit as I fell, my knee was scraped and about to bleed. A scab would probably form after some time.

‘Ugh, so embarrassing.’

Dashing out so spiritedly only to fall right away, darn it. I buried my face in my palms.

‘No, I can’t stay like this.’

Having made a decision in that brief moment, I jumped up from my spot.

‘I’ll die at the finish line even if it kills me.’

I felt like I could see the quest window shimmering before my eyes, so I couldn’t just stay still. In the end, I ran to the place giving out missions while blood flowed from my knee.

The teacher distributing missions asked me in a worried tone.

“Oh my, are you okay?”

“I’m fine!”

I almost snatched the mission paper as I received it. And I quickly unfolded it.

The most handsome person in our school!

“Ack?”

I contorted my face.

‘What’s even the criteria for a handsome person.’

Can they put in something this subjective?

No, if they’re going to give a mission, shouldn’t they give a problem with an objective answer that anyone can see!

I was already in a panic from falling at the start, and the mission being like this made me feel like I was going crazy.

‘But I have no choice. Let’s go for now.’

I tightly grasped the mission paper in my hand and headed solemnly towards the field stands.

Now I had to find the ‘most handsome person’ among all these people.

‘What do I do now?’

My mind went blank. Then by chance, when I turned my gaze towards the teacher giving out missions, I saw a kid bringing someone only to be sent back.

It seemed the teacher sends them back if the answer is incorrect in their judgment.

‘Then I really need to bring a handsome person?’

I was going to just bring the principal and try to flatter him!

No matter how generously you look at it, the principal was not objectively a pretty boy.

Of course, I don’t know if the mission teacher would have the boldness to send back the principal for this question… Anyways, now wasn’t the time to attempt such an adventure. I absolutely had to get 1st place.

‘Then who’s a handsome person?’

At that moment, I heard someone’s voice.

“Lee Ju Eun!”

I turned my head in that direction. Seon Woo Jin was approaching me.

“Are you okay?”

His expression was serious as if something had happened. I dumbly asked back, not knowing why.

“About what?”

Seon Woo Jin’s face contorted even more.

“You’re bleeding.”

Only then did I realize what Seon Woo Jin was talking about. I was so focused on the mission that I didn’t even know it hurt.

“Ah, I’m fine.”

“Fine? Even though you’re hurt like that?”

“Uh… No, now’s not the time for me to do this.”

I kept looking around for the sake of the mission. Then suddenly, my gaze fell on Seon Woo Jin’s face again.

“Ah.”

Come to think of it.

‘Wouldn’t a third generation chaebol-level person be acknowledged by the teacher too?’

He’s our school’s poster boy anyway.

If the male lead’s friend isn’t the world’s top pretty boy, then what is he?

I stared intently at Seon Woo Jin’s face for a moment to make a judgment on what to do. Seon Woo Jin was looking at me with a frustrated expression. But he was still handsome.

‘Okay, let’s bring him.’

I finally reached a conclusion.

But what do I say to Seon Woo Jin later? That I brought you because you’re handsome? That’s a bit weird.

‘Whatever, it’ll work out somehow.’

I opened my mouth to tell Seon Woo Jin to come with me.

Right then.

“Chun Ja!”

A yell was heard from somewhere.

‘Darn it.’

Before even confirming who the owner of the voice was, my head started throbbing. I held my forehead and lowered my head.

“Chun Ja! Are you okaaaay?”

Ban Ha Min, who ran over in an instant from far away, grabbed me and shook me while sobbing.

“I saw you fall earlier. Does it hurt a lot?”

I’m really grateful for your concern, but my head throbbing because of you hurts more than my injured leg.

I held onto my departing spirit with effort and spoke to Ban Ha Min.

“Uh, well… I appreciate your worry, but I have something to do right now.”

“Something to do?”

Ban Ha Min widened his eyes and tilted his head. Then he soon snapped his fingers.

“Ah! The mission?”

Yeah, that.

I need to bring Seon Woo Jin, so could you quickly move out of the way?

I didn’t even want to deal with Ban Ha Min as I was in a hurry.

But not knowing how I felt inside, Ban Ha Min laughed and clapped his hands.

“Mission! Mission! I want to do it too!”

Then suddenly, Ban Ha Min snatched the mission paper out of my hand as if hooking it.

“Ah!”

“But Chun Ja, what’s your mission?”

Ban Ha Min unfolded the paper and read the contents written inside in a loud voice.

“The most handsome person in our school!”

Yeah, the most handsome person.

“Is that me?”

What?

I contorted my face.

While I was doubting my ears wondering if I heard wrong, Ban Ha Min excitedly pointed to himself.

“Chun Ja, Chun Ja. Handsome person. Me! Me!”

What nonsense are you spewing?

I denied reality with a rotten face. But Ban Ha Min had already firmly made up his mind.

“Let’s go! Chun Ja!”

And he cheerfully pulled me.

I spoke with a perplexed look.

“No… You’re the handsome person?”

“Of course!”

Ban Ha Min slightly raised his voice as if annoyed, then soon looked at me with a surprised expression and covered his mouth with his hand.

“Gasp, that’s right. Chun Ja, you’re hurt right now?”

No. I’m not particularly hurting…

“This won’t do. I’ll piggyback you.”

“What?”

While I was flustered, Ban Ha Min turned his back to me, kneeled on one knee, and stubbornly said.

“Chun Ja, get on! I’ll take you to the finish line!”

“No need!”

“Hurry!”

After bickering like that for a bit, I noticed another kid who ran with me going to the mission spot. I was in danger of 1st place being snatched away if I messed up.

“Argh, fine.”

I got on Ban Ha Min’s back.

“Hey, run!”

“Okay!”

And the result was.

“Wow! We’re 1st!”

I ended up getting 1st place together with Ban Ha Min.

“Chun Ja, we got 1st! 1st!”

“Uh… Yeah…”

Why do I feel so uneasy even though we got 1st?

Something inside me didn’t want to acknowledge the fact that Ban Ha Min was our school’s top pretty boy.

“Chun Ja, why do you look like that? Aren’t you happy we got 1st?”

I’m happy… I’m happy, but…

I looked at Ban Ha Min with just a complicated gaze, unable to laugh or cry.

‘Anyways, does this mean the quest is a success?’

Still, it was fortunate. Despite this and that, thanks to Ban Ha Min, I was able to complete the quest more easily than I thought.

[Lee Ju Eun!]

I couldn’t react much to the system since there were other kids around. I slightly nodded my head. Then a quest window appeared before my eyes.

[SYSTEM] [QUEST] [〈Fun Sports Day〉] [Details: The highlight of school life, sports day has dawned! Let’s participate in sports day enthusiastically! Actively! Like a student.] [Clear Condition: Get 1st place in the mission relay race.] [Reward: Jin Hae Yul’s current location]

And once again, a window popped up.

[Quest Clear!] [Check your reward!]

I did it.

Finally, quest success.

It was a very easy success compared to how nervous I was. I inwardly let out a scream of joy.

“Ban Ha Min, thanks!”

“Kyaa! Chun Ja!”

I shared the joy of quest success with Ban Ha Min like that and returned to my class’s spot.

And.

“Lee Ju Eun.”

Seon Woo Jin was waiting for me there.