episode_0025

“… … Basketball?”

Kim Seung-woo muttered as if he was suspicious and looked at me quietly.

Nothing much was said, but why did you come all the way to me and make this suggestion? . It seemed like he was only saying this with his eyes, so I stuttered and explained our situation.

“Well, normally there are six of us playing basketball? But one of them injured his ankle while running in the cafeteria. My name is Kwon Byeong-jae. Seungwoo, you know that too, right? A kid with long hair like this.”

“Ah, Kwon Byeong-jae… .”

“Ugh, that’s right. Hey, there’s Ande sitting in the middle of our class… . As I just said, I can’t play basketball because I’m injured. So, since one person is empty, if it’s okay with you, how about we do it together?”

After finishing speaking, I glanced at Kim Seung-woo’s gaze.

To be honest, it hasn’t been long since we were in the same class, but he seems completely unmotivated in everything. I thought he would be annoyed or reject me.

“Really? Well then… .”

Kim Seung-woo showed a surprisingly moderate response.

I don’t know if it was my imagination, but it seemed like he had a slightly happy face.

“Uh, really? Are you going to play basketball?”

“Yes, I heard there is no one… . Let’s do it together, okay.”

‘… … Oh, this works?’

“Where should I go?”

“Huh? Ah, after the warm-up, you can come to the basketball hoop later. I’m going to make a team there, right?”

Since we were in the same class, we could just get together normally, but I suddenly answered that we should go separately.

But Kim Seung-woo didn’t seem to mind, ‘Basketball… ‘.’ he muttered and nodded.

“Okay, I’ll go to the front of the basketball hoop. … … Why?”

Kim Seung-woo awkwardly asks if he was staring too closely.

“Oh, it’s nothing. See you later in gym class.”

With those last words, the conversation ends.

After getting a clear answer from Seungwoo Kim, I returned to where my friends were.

The kids who were far away didn’t really hear me talking to Seungwoo Kim, so as soon as I arrived, they tapped my arm and shoulder and asked me questions.

“Hey, how did it go?”

“You said you were going to play basketball?”

“Yes, they say they do it?”

I answered as I sat down.

Then, my three friends, including Jaehyun, were surprised as if it was unexpected.

“What, are you really doing this? Real?”

“Uh, really. We asked to meet in front of the basketball hoop later after the warm-up.”

“, isn’t it a bit surprising? Of course I thought I wouldn’t do it.”

“So, what kind of basketball is this? I thought you were going to tell me to go away, but you did this?”

“Maybe he actually wanted to play basketball too? But I couldn’t speak.”

“Why can’t I speak?”

“Well, is it because we seem too close? It’s a bit like that in the first place. If they look close to each other, they won’t be able to approach you easily.”

“Well, that could be true… .”

My friends talk about Seungwoo Kim among themselves without me.

I quietly listened to those words, then glanced at Seungwoo Kim.

Kim Seung-woo, who had been holding his head up just a moment ago, was now lying still with his head on the desk again.

“… … .”

Seungwoo Kim.

Although he looks a little scary, he might not be a bad person… … ?

* * *

PE class.

Among the physical education classes held twice a week, Monday’s physical education class is a little special.

First-year classes 1 and 2 come out to the playground together because their physical education classes overlap. This is because it is a time when so-called ‘joint sports’ take place.

Well, even if we talk about joint sports, it’s still the beginning of the semester, so we don’t do anything together. It’s a difficult time to even try to hang out with the kids in the class next to you because you’re not close to all your classmates.

As always, there are exceptions.

The second week of March, it was difficult to talk to girls in the same class, let alone girls in other classes.

Here, in the small auditorium next to the basketball hoop where half of the boys from Class 2 were gathered, Aki Fujiwara, a girl from Class 1, a few of her friends, and several girls from Class 2 were sitting together.

The reason is: a male student from Class 2, for whom rumors are already spreading. To see the face of the main universe.

“Wooju~chan, fighting! I’ll be watching from here~!”

“Uh, yes… .”

Aki, who was wearing gym clothes instead of her usual school uniform, raised her hands and waved them left and right.

Her childhood friend, Joo Woo Joo, smiles slightly shyly and accepts the greeting.

“… … Fuck.”

“I’m suddenly in a bad mood.”

“You bastard, are you okay? uh? Is it good?”

“A guy who doesn’t have a girlfriend is so sad that he plays basketball? Universe, you deceiver… .”

The four men in class 2, excluding Kim Seung-woo, became one with one mind and began to curse at Joo Woo-ju.

The reason is simple.

I just play a game of basketball with my friends to promote friendship. I’m jealous of my girlfriend not only coming down in person, but also waving cutely and cheering me on… … !

“Time is 10 minutes, and the team that scores 21 points first wins. Everyone agrees, right?”

“Juju, you really fell behind today.”

“Turns this baby’s ankle and makes it impossible for him to walk properly.”

“No, it should fit the waist, not the ankles. Doesn’t that mean you won’t be able to do anything later?”

“I’ll help you get out of the military, so just fix the cruciate ligament, Joo Woo Joo.”

“… … You guys got together to play basketball, right?”

“What kind of basketball is this? They gathered here to kill you.”

“Okay, how are you going to live a social life since you’re so clueless?”

“… … .”

Basketball will take a backseat and there will be physical fights and explosions.

Joo Woo-joo, who had this intuition, glanced at Kim Seung-woo, who was on the same team as him.

‘I’ll take all the aggro from my side, so you go and score a goal.’

‘uh… . I?’

‘Yes, you can do it, right?’

‘… … ‘Okay, why not give it a try?’

Seungwoo Kim nodded.

“Anyway, are you ready? Let’s start?”

“Uh, let’s start.”

“Hey, go ahead and block only the main universe. This guy just makes it boring!”

“… … Seungwoo, throw the ball.”

“Ah, yes. … … Ready, let’s go!”

Since it is neighborhood basketball and not an official 3-on-3, it starts with a jump ball rather than one side going first.

Kim Seung-woo threw the ball high, and immediately Joo Woo-joo and Nam Jae-hyeon, who made a sergeant jump, stretched out their hands at the same time.

Tuk-!

“… … Okay!”

“Ah, Jooju is so tall!”

The first right to attack belongs to the team of Juju, which has an advantage due to its height.

Joo Woo-joo, who hit the ball toward his teammate, immediately ran away, and Nam Jae-hyun clicked his tongue and quickly followed behind.

“Hey, pass. Pass!”

“Nam Jaehyun, blocking! Don’t follow the ball, just block the main universe!”

“Where are you going, Wooju… !”

“Ah, why are you like this… ?!”

“Zooju, take the ball!”

“Huh? Hey, why are you doing this to me now… .”

“Throw it this way, universe!”

“… … Now, take it!”

“Huh? Hey, stop there! Play with the ball!”

The ball that was thrown to Joo Woo-ju to try to get into trouble went to Kim Seung-woo, and Kim Seung-woo pretended to break through, then turned around and passed the ball to Joo Woo-joo, who was free from blocking.

Joo Woo-ju did not miss the opportunity and shot toward the goal from outside the 2-point line.

The ball was launched with great force, drawing a parabola… … .

slam-!

I scored with flying colors.

“Ah, you crazy fool. What kind of 3-point shot do you shoot from half court?”

“Yeah, you guys didn’t stop it, right? If there is no blocking, you can insert it with your eyes closed, right?”

“Wow, look at this kid provoking me just because he scored a goal? okay. You really fell behind. Perfect for ankles.”

“Uh, try it if you can~”

“… … Wow.”

Be cute.

Aki, who was sitting in the audience seat a little away from the basketball hoop, where the green paint was peeling off, chuckled.

This is because the conversation between my childhood friend, Joo Woo-ju, and that friend, heard from far away, sounded friendly and a little strange.

‘They say you don’t do that when you’re with me. He gets a little cute when he’s around boys… ?’

The reason for doing that is, um. Maybe it’s because it’s comfortable with men?

I find the familiar yet slightly unfamiliar appearance of the main universe cute, so I watch it quietly and think about various things.

Tuk-tuk.

Someone tapped Aki’s forearm.

“You know, Aki.”

That someone is Aki’s classmate.

It is no exaggeration to say that the girl who became closest to Aki during the first week of the new semester was Lee Ha-ram.

“Huh? Yeah, why?”

“Hey, that kid from class 2 named Joo Woo-ju and you… . Are you dating?”

“… … Huh?”

Aki’s cheeks turned slightly red.

“When it’s break time, we visit the class next to us, and we just smile and say hello to each other. I haven’t said anything in a while, but honestly, it’s all obvious when you look at it from the side, right?”

Lee Ha-ram’s eyes are full of confidence.

Lee Ha-ram, who only said with her eyes, ‘If you two aren’t dating, then my head is wrong-.’, looked at Aki intently, demanding an answer.

“Oh, what… .”

“You’re dating, right? right? That’s right, huh?”

“… … Well, well.”

Aki himself thought that, in fact, they were almost halfway through dating at this point… … .

But to be honest, the two weren’t dating yet.

What should I say? Just before we started dating. So, isn’t it the stage right before dating, or somewhere around there… … ?

“It may be so, it may not be… ?”

Aki deliberately trailed off.

If you say you’re dating, you’d be lying. I don’t like it when I deny it’s true.

In response to Aki’s ambiguous answer, Lee Ha-ram twitched his eyebrows.

“Ah, I don’t think so… ? From what I can see, it seems certain that they are dating.”

“… … Why, why do you think that?”

“Why? You’ll know it when you see it. Honey just drips from each other’s eyes. If you don’t know it even after seeing it, you’re just a fool, an idiot.”

“… … .”

‘Well, that tidyer…’ … ?’

I had that thought in my mind, but I couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from raising.

“… … Ugh.”

Hijuk-.

When I heard that it was clear to others that they were dating, Aki smiled without even realizing it.

Lee Ha-ram looked at Aki quietly and said, ‘Well, it’s true that these two are dating…’ !’, I was confident, I made up a coy voice and tried to hint.

“… … You know, how far have you two gone?”

“Huh? Well, what… ?”

“Don’t pretend not to know, but be honest… ! … … Our Aki, how far have you gone with your boyfriend? Wow, maybe… !”

“Ho, by any chance… ?!”

When Lee Ha-ram pretended to be surprised, Aki looked around in surprise.

I looked around to see if someone might misunderstand what I heard, but Lee Ha-ram smiled brightly, perhaps interpreting Aki’s behavior differently.

“Aki, did you do it?”

“Do it, did you do it, what do you mean… ?”

“Whatever, of course it is like that. Hot, huh? What you do in bed… !”

“… … What are you doing in bed? Atashi (me), I don’t know Korean very well.”

“Uh, look at this guy. You’re going to be stabbed right now, so you’re pretending to be a foreigner, huh?”

“Am Japanese, A Don’t Know Korean… !”

“Aki, you got a level 2 in Korean on the mock exam. You speak Korean better than me… !”

… … Just like that, the two female students were having a cute, bickering conversation.

Not far from where the two were, a group of female students from Class 1 were sitting in the top row of seats.

So, Ham Ji-eun and her friends. I said these words while looking at the boys in class 2 who were engrossed in basketball.

“Jieun, have you seen Instagram? Did another space photo come up yesterday?”

“Ah, yes. Did you see the picture of the two of you sitting together in the cafe in front of you?”

“… … .”

Upright.

Aki’s ears perked up.

‘… … ‘Insta?’

Why is a picture of our universe posted on Instagram?

Aki wanted to ask questions right away, but first he calmly overheard the conversation.

“Yes, that’s right. When I saw that, I was so obsessed that I bought it right away.”

“The universe is a bit intelligent, so don’t you think it would be a good fit to be a coffee advertising model or something?”

“Why, like the advertisement that appeared on YouTube before, he held up a mug and asked, ‘Would you like to have a drink together?’ I think it would look really good like this… !”

“Wow, then it’s really… . You can buy not just one drink, but even a hundred drinks. Please have a drink with me.”

at that time.

slam-!

Joo Woo-joo ran past the defender, jumped high in place, and hit the basketball vertically into the goal.

“Ah, the universe! Please don’t dunk!”

“This guy said he liked this? If you tell me not to do it, I’ll do it more.”

“Uh, you guys do it too~”

“Sergeant should be within jumping distance, you deceiver!”

“… … Wow, awesome. Did you just see it?”

“Because I’m tall, I can do things like that… .”

“It’s amazing, it’s my first time seeing him jump that high.”

“… … .”

Shrug-.

As the girls praised her man, or still her childhood friend, Joo Woo Joo, Aki stretched out her chest as she felt herself becoming proud.

‘You saw it, didn’t you? This is our universe… !’

In fact, Jooju’s dunk shot was technically immature, so it was difficult to say it went well. Even though it was covered with a bean bag, it was tightly wrapped, and in the eyes of Aki, who didn’t know much about basketball, it was just like a perfect picture.

“Ah, it’s hot. Hasn’t it been 10 minutes yet?”

“Wait a minute… . uh? It’s past. Hey, 10 minutes have passed, let’s take a break.”

“Okay, rest for 5 minutes and try again.”

“Hey, let’s mix teams this time. Seungwoo Kim, this guy is really good at basketball.”

The boys in class 2 seemed to have become close friends as they enjoyed playing basketball together and were exchanging light swear words.

All that Aki could see was Joo Woo-ju wiping sweat with his gym top.

“… … Phew.”

I like the sight of him studying, I like the sight of him dozing off a bit, and I love the sight of him sitting still and idly zoning out.

After all, after all, a man looks most attractive when he is slightly sweating.

‘They say that our universe is sexiest when it sweats… … ?’

Aki was staring at Joo-ju, who was catching his breath with a slightly heated face, while imagining something a bit naughty.

“… … Seup.”

He quietly ate his food without anyone noticing.

“Akiya, why? Are you thirsty? I brought some water, would you like some?”

“Ah, uh… . Thank you.”

Aki accepted the tumbler offered by Lee Ha-ram.

I wasn’t particularly thirsty, but since it was offered to me, I didn’t feel like turning it down, so I just took a sip.

“Well, now that I think about it, Jieun. What happened to what you said then? The universe will do it?”

“Oh, that? No, I haven’t heard back yet. I’m going to ask again later after school.”

“Please ask me to be a model, so I can take a video and save it.”

“It looks like you don’t wear any makeup at all, but don’t you think you’ll look really handsome with just a little bit of makeup?”

“… … ?”

At that moment, coincidentally, I heard a noise like a noise coming from the other side.

Aki stopped swallowing the water and unconsciously listened again.

OK.

“Yes, yes, that’s right. So, when I said I wanted to be a cosmetics model, I tried to take her to my house and give her a full makeover.”

“I heard there is a studio provided by the agency, so why bother calling it home? … … Oh, is it really you, Ji-eun~?”

“Ah, I wonder what… . It’s not like that.”

“I don’t think it’s true? Jieun, tell me honestly. Don’t you have some thoughts on that too?”

“No, it’s not really like that… … .”

“… … ?!”

Grumble-.

Water poured out of Aki’s mouth.