Chapter 90: Sports Day (4)

“You’re supposed to be having a sports festival, so why are you having a body festival?”

“Shut up, man.”

This was the afternoon schedule of the sports festival that had resumed after lunch break.

Sitting next to me just like in the morning, Juho was making these annoying comments with an impish expression.

With Juho’s help, we had escaped from the sports storage shed. As soon as we managed to get out and looked back, we saw the student helpers entering the shed. It had been a hair-trigger situation.

Afterward, So-yul and I returned to our respective places without exchanging a single word.

Of course we felt shy and embarrassed. For a moment, desire had surged up and I’d almost done something outrageous. As her boyfriend, I had no excuses to offer.

And now, as soon as the afternoon schedule began, I was being tormented by Juho.

“Well, at least you had some fun during this boring sports festival.”

“I can’t hear you. No, I can’t hear you at all.”

“Fine. Don’t listen. I’m still going to talk anyway.”

Juho was openly taunting me, looking at me with half-closed eyes. I felt the urge to hit him rising inside me. Specifically, I wanted to drive my elbow into his back.

This situation was all because we’d been caught by him, of all people. Of course, if someone else had caught us, it would have blown up into a major incident. Right now, I just regretted being witnessed by this guy.

As I crossed my arms and made it abundantly clear I didn’t want to listen, Juho smiled slyly and said:

“What’s the big deal? It’s fine. There’s no need to be embarrassed. You’re at that passionate age, so I completely understand—ack!”

I didn’t even let him finish before jabbing my elbow into his back.

My attack must have hurt because Juho kept rubbing his back. Yet he still didn’t lose his smile, which showed how much he was enjoying this. I resolved to split his lip if he teased me one more time.

As if he’d read my thoughts, Juho eventually smiled and said:

“I’m not teasing you, so hear me out till the end.”

“That is teasing, idiot.”

“My goodness, then don’t do things at school that would get you teased.”

“…”

I was left speechless by his all too reasonable point.

Looking at me, Juho laughed out loud, then:

“Anyway, I’m not trying to tease you. I’m sincerely telling you there’s no need to be embarrassed.”

“To me, that still sounds like teasing.”

“Then interpret it however you want. I’ll say what I want to say.”

Juho dismissed my response with a single line and stuck his hands in his pockets.

His expression as he continued seemed quite serious.

“I understand. When you love someone, you naturally want to do all sorts of things. Isn’t it actually more abnormal if nothing happens between two people who like each other?”

“Well, I guess you did say before that love is something you can’t resist.”

“What? You still remember that?”

Juho raised the corner of his mouth as if surprised, then gestured with his chin toward me:

“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I would understand even if you couldn’t hold back and did something, that’s all.”

“…We didn’t actually do anything.”

“Stop denying it when you were clearly about to.”

Well, that was true.

“So I’m not going to report you to the school or spread rumors or anything like that. I teased you a bit today for fun, but I won’t mention it again in the future.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. So just relax, that’s what I’m saying.”

Juho smiled nonchalantly as he said these incredibly kind words.

As if he completely understood our feelings. As if he was telling us not to worry about this incident.

Man, I really did have a good friend.

Without Juho, we would have been caught by the sports festival helpers and been completely busted by now.

No, we might have even received disciplinary action and broken up when we were caught in the club room earlier.

He had saved us from various crises multiple times. And even after witnessing a scene like the one today, he was understanding. He didn’t even demand anything from me in return.

By this point, I should genuinely be grateful. I regretted attacking his back with my elbow.

As I was gazing at him with such respectful feelings.

Eventually, Juho gave me a benevolent smile and met my eyes:

“But separate from this, there’s just one thing I’d like to ask.”

Then with a refreshing smile:

“…You two will act in my film next semester too, right?”

“…”

I take back what I said about him not wanting anything in return.

I guess the world really does run on give and take.

At any rate, this year’s sports festival came to a successful conclusion.

I don’t know the results. Our class might have won first place, or we might have been disqualified for some reason. I would have known if I’d checked the scoreboard at least once, but I wasn’t really curious to begin with.

I preferred to spend that time watching So-yul immersed in enthusiastic cheering.

In the afternoon too, So-yul stood up from her seat and energetically cheered for our classmates.

Despite the chilly weather, she gave it her all without giving in, which was simply adorable. She was so enthusiastic that beads of sweat formed on her forehead and nape.

Whenever she grabbed a friend’s hand and praised them for doing well, smiles naturally appeared on the faces of our classmates.

The reason for the faint flush on So-yul’s face… was probably noticed by no one.

◎

And that night, at the path bench.

“…”

“…”

So-yul and I sat quietly without moving our lips.

It was only natural. After what had happened during lunch break. We had come to the bench according to our unspoken agreement, but we couldn’t face each other.

At that time, I had been consumed by passion as if possessed. The peculiar atmosphere, the smooth touch, the dizzying scent—everything about So-yul seemed to shake my reason.

I had tried to resist by gritting my teeth, but it was impossible. In the end, I had barely stopped just before crossing the line, or rather, just after crossing it. No wonder we were both shy.

But we couldn’t stay frozen like this forever.

To break the suffocating silence, I cleared my throat with a “ahem.”

So-yul’s small shoulders, which had been lowered, shook violently.

I let out a small voice.

“Um, hey.”

“Y-yes…!”

At my hesitant first words, So-yul responded with a startled voice.

By this point, she seemed more frightened than shy.

Whatever the case, it was my fault. As the guilty party, I didn’t even deserve to look her in the eyes. Avoiding her gaze, I kicked the innocent ground repeatedly and parted my lips.

“Um, I’m sorry about lunch.”

“Sorry? What for…”

“I should apologize. Being your boyfriend and trying to do something inappropriate.”

That was my honest feeling.

So-yul was more fragile than me. Even without considering gender, it was clearly evident just from her physique.

Whenever I hugged her, I worried I might break her. I could even trap her in my arms if I wanted to. That’s how much of a strength difference existed between us.

And I had tried to do something completely inappropriate to such a So-yul.

I had almost committed a terrible act against a girlfriend who might not be able to refuse even if she disliked it, who might not be able to push me away even if she wanted to escape.

At the time, I’d felt that So-yul didn’t seem to dislike it either, but I wondered how she really felt.

Eyes burning with desire often create illusions.

Therefore, I needed to apologize to So-yul.

I turned to look at So-yul again and opened my mouth.

“In a dark, enclosed space, to my girlfriend who’s much weaker than me, doing something inappropriate… I must have been crazy at that moment. I’m really sorry.”

“N-no.”

When I apologized again, So-yul shook her head and hands simultaneously.

Her hair, which was flowing loosely as usual, fluttered around, spreading the scent of shampoo. Her fair skin caught my eye, as if she had just finished showering. …I felt pathetic for trying to repeat the same mistake even in this situation.

But my girlfriend’s feelings seemed different.

Facing my apologies, So-yul tilted her head slightly and said:

“I… wouldn’t have minded if you did.”

With these words, she began to shake my patience once again.

“You wouldn’t have minded?”

“…Yes.”

When I asked back, dumbfounded, So-yul nodded very slightly and said:

“N-nothing too inappropriate, but if you wanted to touch a little… no, I guess there are places that are okay and places that aren’t. Umm, hmm…”

Her voice gradually grew fainter, as if she was too embarrassed to say it herself.

She even found it impossible to finish her sentence, ending with a small groan.

Her distinctly reddened cheeks perfectly conveyed So-yul’s shy feelings.

As I looked at her like this, the emotions I had felt during lunch slowly came back to life.

Her hot breath on me. Her looking up at me with half-closed eyes. Her sweaty body emitting a strange fragrance.

How her waist was so slender. How her skin was unbelievably soft…

…What kind of thoughts was I falling into again?

I almost got swept up in strange impulses once more. I shook my head vigorously to dismiss all kinds of temptations.

So-yul was watching me with somewhat puzzled eyes.

I took deep, repeated breaths.

Only after emptying my mind completely was I finally able to speak.

“It’s not that I want to touch you at all costs. Just being with you makes me happy enough.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I just like you. I’m not after your body. Those kinds of things should happen in the right place, following the proper steps.”

As I continued speaking, a hot sensation bloomed. I felt like my face was turning bright red from embarrassment. I belatedly sympathized with what So-yul must have felt earlier.

Of course, it was all excuses without exception.

It’s natural to want to touch someone you like. Each time she accepted my touch and reached out to me, I was overwhelmed with immense happiness. Anyone who claimed not to have such desires was a liar.

But I couldn’t be honest about it either.

Because So-yul was too kind. Because she would participate in anything if her boyfriend wanted it. The moment I expressed my true feelings, she would undoubtedly say it was okay to approach her, breaking down my reason.

That scared me. I couldn’t become someone who took advantage of So-yul. To cross the line, one should first be able to maintain what’s inside the line. And I was still far from capable of that.

I believed So-yul would understand these feelings.

“…B-but I.”

But So-yul instead leaned her upper body slightly toward me and said:

“…I’m not completely uninterested in that kind of thing.”

She really said something so completely unexpected.

With a face flushed red. With trembling lips. With eyes holding just a little expectation.

My breathing gradually became labored. My head was already dizzy, making even my vision blurry.

An indescribable impulse was welling up, seemingly about to burst out at any moment.

But I couldn’t do that here and now.

Using every method I could, I suppressed the impure emotions.

I bit my lip and pinched my thigh, forcibly pushing myself.

In the space where the suddenly grown feelings subsided, a funny feeling filled in.

With a slight, almost hollow smile, I poked So-yul’s cheek.

An incredibly hot sensation was transmitted directly through my fingertip.

Feeling that heat, I casually said:

“…Really, my girlfriend must be a tremendous dummy.”

“W-what? Why am I a dummy?”

Perhaps unhappy with the sudden accusation, So-yul puffed her cheeks and pushed away my finger.

She didn’t even know why she was a dummy. I wondered if there could be another dummy like her in the world. She might be good at playing the piano, but she seemed to lack sense in this area.

Then I had no choice but to teach her through this opportunity.

With this resolve, I slowly brought my face closer to So-yul.

Blowing a soft “hoo” into So-yul’s bright red ear, I said:

“You don’t seem to know what happens when you keep shaking a man’s reason.”

And then.

I placed a very light kiss… on her small, cute ear.

“Ah…”

I heard So-yul’s voice as she drew in a sharp breath.

Her trembling body still emitted a fragrant scent.

Her tiny earlobe had turned as red as it possibly could.

After a moment, I pulled away and faced So-yul again.

Her eyes were shaking intensely, her gaze unable to find its place. Her lips held a delicate tremor. She looked visibly flustered.

“How about now? Do you understand a bit?”

When I asked in a low voice, So-yul slowly looked up at me.

Her face had been flushed red all this time. Her breathing was slightly rougher. A mysterious heartbeat came from somewhere. All of it pierced straight through me.

Then So-yul, with an infinitely embarrassed and ticklish expression:

“…Dummy.”

Being called a dummy by my dummy girlfriend.

Even this felt nothing but cute to me.