episode_0098

“Mr. Eugene, just a little bit more! Just jump a little bit higher!”

The first runner, Shin Ha-kyun, safely cleared the hurdles and arrived at the next point in third place out of six teams.

And the long-awaited bread eating.

Looking at the blank expressions on my teammates’ faces, I could see why Baek Yu-jin was named the bread-eating athlete.

A new employee who usually seems stiff and cool is jumping up and down to eat a donut.

Moreover, since Baek Yu-jin was not that tall, the donut hanging on a string had a hard time entering her mouth.

“Fighting, Eugene!!”

Team members who support Baek Yu-jin with one mind and one heart.

As the players passed by, the impatience on Baek Yu-jin’s face grew, and the speed of her running began to get faster.

Seeing that, I felt like I got to know Baek Yu-jin a little bit.

A person who is honest but lacks cunning.

Although at first glance you might think she doesn’t care about others, Baek Yu-jin is strict with herself and tries to meet other people’s expectations.

So, I guess you do your best even in sports competitions that are not work-related.

“Ms. Baek Yu-jin, there’s no need to rush! Take your time, take your time-!”

It’s not because we’re a team. For some reason, I feel like cheering on Baek Yu-jin as an individual.

So I impulsively shouted with all my might, and when I finished speaking, all the players standing in the same line were looking at me.

“Ahahaha… .”

In times like this, it’s best to just laugh it off.

“Ah, thanks to the cheers of her teammates! Receptionist Baek Yu-jin finally succeeded in eating bread!”

When I turned my gaze back to Baek Yu-jin with a faint smile, Baek Yu-jin finally landed with a piece of bread in her mouth.

Baek Yu-jin runs at full speed with her eyes tightly shut.

“Phew… .”

At the same time, laughter could be heard here and there.

Slow… … .

Although it wasn’t revealed in the two-person triangle, Baek Yu-jin was hopelessly slow on her feet.

Still, the sight of him running slowly with a bread in his mouth and a solemn expression on his face was enough to give his teammates something more valuable than winning.

“You did a good job picking… .”

Of course, boosting the morale of the team members is also an important role. However, the next runner, Hanna Yeon, didn’t seem to be very interested.

“Oh my, ugh… I’m late, sorry… .”

In the end, Baek Yu-jin, who arrived at the next point the latest, handed over the baton to Hanna Yeon without even having time to catch her breath and apologized.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Hannah Yeon snatched the baton with a short word of encouragement and without a moment’s hesitation, she started spinning around with her elephant nose up.

This one was the opposite of Baek Yu-jin.

Hanna Yeon, who had been chained in a two-person triangle, shined when she was alone.

In an instant, Hannayeon circled the elephant’s nose 10 times and then ran straight towards me as if she wasn’t even dizzy.

It’s a terrifying speed.

One, two.

Hanna Yeon, who had beaten three people and made it to the middle ranks, arrived at an absurdly fast pace and handed the baton over to me.

“Cheer up.”

“Okay, I’ll work hard.”

I am heartened by Hanna Yeon’s support.

He holds the baton firmly in his hand and runs to get the note with the item he wants to borrow.

As for the speed… I don’t think it’s much different from Baek Yu-jin’s.

“Haa, haa… .”

I took a moment to catch my breath and unfolded the note on the makeshift table.

[Bring your most valuable item from the playground!]

The most precious thing…?

And to find it inside the playground.

The players who arrived first also looked around with bewildered expressions, so it seemed like the notes all had the same content written on them.

The only chance to turn things around is now.

Precious thing… most precious thing… .

I didn’t bring any special items from home. In the first place, just having a body is enough for the sports competition.

It seems like it would be difficult to even carry the items in the tent… .

While I was hurriedly looking around, I noticed Hanna Yeon, who had passed the baton to me and stepped aside.

If it’s definitely Hanna Yeon…

I ran to Hanna Yeon without looking back.

“Hey, Haru… No, Iharu Receptionist! Why are you going back the way you came? There’s nothing but playground dirt behind you! ”

Leah’s voice mixed with absurdity echoed throughout the playground, and people’s eyes turned to me as I returned the way I came.

“Let’s go. There’s no one else but you.”

And when he reached the place where he had received the baton, he grabbed Hanna Yeon’s wrist and ran back the way he had come.

“What’s the content?”

“Heh, heh… Rain, secret, secret!”

Although I was running with all my might, Hanna Yeon followed along leisurely and even spoke to me.

Of course, I couldn’t give you an answer.

How can you say such embarrassing things?

“Yes, the union of the folding screen! We will rise from last place to second place!”

“The third runner’s amazing speed and the fourth runner’s quick judgment were effective. However, the results are not out yet, so I think we’ll have to wait and see a little longer.”

What, you didn’t end up in second place?

In the end, I was barely able to arrive, dragged along by Hanna Yeon, when the commentator’s meaningful voice struck my ears.

I don’t know. Anyway, let’s just rest for a bit… .

“Ugh… Phew… .”

I ate too much for lunch.

Besides, since it had been a while since I last ran, my stamina wasn’t up to par.

“… Are you okay?”

As I was trying to calm my upset stomach, Hanna Yeon came up to me without saying anything and patted my back.

That’s why I brought Hanna Yeon, who is so precious.

Not only today, but there were so many things that happened between the time I spent with Hanna Yeon.

From the first meeting to the second meeting.

On the day Hanna Yeon left for France, she ended up crying at the airport.

Like when you bring back the future, or the day you were kissed by the future.

The person who was the first to come to me was always Hanna Yeon, and the person who silently stayed by my side and comforted me was also Hanna Yeon.

“It’s okay… .”

He looked at Hannah Yeon and smiled brightly.

So, Hanna Yeon also had a faint smile that was barely visible.

It’s always fun to be with Hannah Yeon.

It’s fun to find expressions in a blunt face, and I like the fact that I’m one of the few people who can find those expressions.

Also, when I see Hanna Yeon’s face, I feel relieved without realizing it.

Is this why everyone tries to make friends?

Anyway, I thought it was fortunate that Hanna Yeon was a precious person to me.

“Then, the long-awaited verification time will come!”

Verification time?

I didn’t think there wouldn’t be any, but the excited expression on the branch manager’s face in front of me made me feel uneasy.

“Okay, Mr. Park Cheol-min from the search team that came in first place. What is your precious item?”

Search team.

The search team, which is mostly comprised of incompetent people, all members have monstrous physical abilities.

The most outstanding of these is definitely reflexes.

As expected, no one followed the search team in the running race, and no upsets occurred that turned the game around.

“Ah… This is the pendant my wife and I got for our wedding anniversary.”

Kim Cheol-min took out a small silver pendant from inside his T-shirt, raised his muscular arms, and scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed.

No one disputed its pure appearance.

“That’s great. I hope you continue to have a beautiful love in the future.”

“, thank you! ”

The branch manager who is giving warm words of wisdom and Mr. Kim Cheol-min who is bowing at a 90-degree angle and answering loudly.

The branch manager smiled faintly at him and approached me, who was next in line.

“Um… ….”

The branch manager’s sharp gaze made me feel an inexplicable tension, and I unconsciously grabbed Hanna Yeon’s wrist.

“The joint union will be put on hold for now.”

You’re putting it on hold?

Without even being able to express any doubt, the branch manager passed us by and went to the crisis management response team that came in third.

“Im Seol-gi from the Crisis Management Response Team. What is your precious item?”

Lim Seul-gi, a former receptionist colleague who moved to the crisis management response team for a higher salary.

The crisis management response team, whose main job is monitoring, was not able to achieve great results in sports competitions, but borrowing items acted as a variable and led them to third place.

“Ah, this! This is the hairpin my boyfriend gave me as a 10-day gift. What do you think? Isn’t it pretty? He kept praising how well it suits me.”

As expected of someone with experience, Im Seol-gi appealed to the branch manager in a relaxed tone.

What about 10 days, not 100 days?

“Hehe… Well, it’s refreshing and nice to see. I hope this feeling lasts a long time.”

Somehow, I felt like there was a thorn in the branch manager’s words.

Do your wife and boyfriend feel different?

Surely my boyfriend is just a ‘friend’… .

I don’t know the branch manager’s true feelings, but based on his behavior up to now, it was an extremely reasonable suspicion.

“Incineration Team’s Kang Sang-yeon, what is your precious item?”

The rest of the team followed suit with a similar feeling.

Most of them held out accessories they originally had on them, and only the last player to enter held out snacks they had brought from the tent.

“Well, sweets can be precious things too. You shouldn’t eat too many of them just because they’re good.”

“, I’ll keep that in mind! Hehe… .”

And it was recognized.

Even snacks are allowed, so why are we holding back?

“Okay, Mr. Iharu from the last union. Is that the precious thing you’re holding in your hand?”

“Ah, ahh… Yes! Th, th… .”

What he was holding in his hand was Hanna Yeon’s wrist.

I held Hanna Yeon’s wrist out in front of me with confidence and continued speaking hesitantly.

“We’ve been friends since high school, and you’ve always been there for me when I’m having a hard time… .”

“And?”

Ugh… It’s embarrassing… .

“I guess it’s fun to be together… I feel at ease… .”

This is not the appeal of preciousness.

There is a definite reason why I felt and thought what I did today.

“That, and… I don’t want to hand it over to anyone else! T, isn’t this good enough…?”

I screamed in embarrassment, and at that moment, silence filled the surroundings.

“… … .”

There was no one moving, no one making a sound.

Even Hannah Yeon, whose hand I’m holding.

“Put… Please confess at the Miss Easty Contest that will be held later.”

The branch manager is laughing quietly inside.

“Okay, I’ll announce the winners starting from 6th place.”

The branch manager began writing something down in the thin copy holder he was carrying around and announcing the final rankings of the obstacle course race.

“The last is the folding union!”

“Yes?”

Oh, no, why are you in last place?

I, who had undoubtedly come in second place, looked at the branch manager, suppressing my resentment.

“Chef Hanna Yeon isn’t an object, right? It must have clearly said to bring ‘the most precious object in the playground’. Haha, of course the affection for Chef Hanna Yeon was conveyed well. Are you looking forward to Miss Iscon?”

“Eh, ah, ahh… .”

I don’t think I can hold out.

Even the mission details that I tried to hide were found out by Hanna Yeon.

“Ugh… I want to die… .”

In the end, my heart gave out, and I sat down on the playground for a long time after the results were announced.