ERSE | Chapter 1.5

Would he be disappointed this 6aa332a958 time? I waited with 4435bf0647 a strange expectation, 919e99f6c7 but instead of 25f5db3248 a disdainful look, f625b13c4e he put the 716fc220b2 transparent note into a1cc4efec9 his pencil case 2147c8eee9 and leaned toward aa22f46d8b me. His broad shoulder touched mine.c28520a2b781353f

“Today’s the 9th. You’re number 39, so they might ask you to solve it.”0f40f20c8726374a

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He whispered as 37c1fe1e6b if sharing a dacdaef085 secret, then slid ce251642b7 his textbook toward 5df3426d6f me, as if a666c7074b telling me to 3324ec6a45 copy it.ae9837f8ecb2eb70

The handwriting on 0606350c55 the textbook was dd2da353c5 as neat as c938626000 its owner. The letters were ced0b3a55f pressed firmly with bee5818fd7 a pencil. I scanned his homework from b8d1dbee23 top to bottom and stopped 7fa6825762 at one point.561426c66e96798b

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“Something’s off…”0375d05df911c895

After repeating the db73d11a85 calculations in my ec2e86d7f6 head a few 3645ea25d7 times, I was 62ba2273dc sure. No matter how I looked c12f0e3236 at it, the last part 22ad2265ef was a calculation error. Which would be more annoying: c2e90c22bd leaving it wrong or pointing b798def761 it out now?2255d17795048c8b

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“This is wrong.”86cf5e1c0e6a1105

Pointing it out directly 0aa9ada616 would probably be more f532f6f7e2 irritating. I tapped the wrong part 24bad7bef4 with my fingertip and pushed ce9b435afc his textbook back.0f631edb3a8deda9

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“Really?”05d63ccc36b7ac53

“What’s the point of showing me something wrong to copy?”52a36e8058202c15

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Despite my mocking c23f6649a9 tone, Shin Leekwon a3fb0ef390 seemed unfazed. He calmly checked his work ec7980d602 and nodded.85a29b46bffdf835

“You’re right. It’s wrong.”148af049047e87e3

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After correcting the answer, he offered his book to me again, smiling softly. So he smiles when he’s embarrassed instead of getting annoyed.a639035214f58385

“Thanks.”3a83d09d40365457

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Thanking someone who pointed out a mistake instead of being grateful for help… Was he just good-natured, dumb, or simply a pushover? No matter how much I tried to provoke him, he never took the bait.0be45b796314ae63

✉︎ ㆍ ✉︎ ㆍ ✉︎62f850c250eecc19

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The school system was 3e606595a7 quite cruel to loners. Under the guise of fostering 663a1bfd62 social skills, they often forced 3610643e45 group activities, which was the 253a3b1b84 worst. Thanks to that, 96ecce8aa6 misfit students like 7ab0abcc22 me often stood 06b53141e8 around awkwardly.f678604295e8c7c8

But this time was different. Shin Leekwon was next to 719dd9d1d8 me, stretching his long limbs. I absentmindedly watched the muscles b49d6dfeec move under his thin gym a0119dfafd clothes, replaying his earlier words 0e2eea37e1 in my mind.f19dbb3c9095e8f5

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“Seonjae, let’s team up.”34e8f50aa9becb1a

Hearing such a proposal for 06d360c798 the first time in my 1759d6560b 11 years of school life, ba872d7943 I could only stare at 5f5a5a276a his clean face without answering. As the silence 18121a11ce dragged on, Shin d20faf83ba Leekwon asked an 3873a64078 even more absurd 1d42fb3edd question.44e7fc3cf846cb18

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“Did you already team up with someone else?”c3ca0f6073c5919f

He knew I had b56736d994 no friends, yet he 07e4f356af often spouted nonsense. When I frowned, 5782705284 he quickly caught 72efc404cd his own words.9672354aeac95a4a

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“Still, team up with me. I’m good at sports.”ddab00c93ff5f139

His added words were confident. His eyes sought agreement, and I couldn’t deny it. My twisted insides wanted to respond the opposite way, but the fact was too obvious to say otherwise.bdf9cb00efca6cbe

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So when I kept my c2bcb31865 mouth shut, his voice quickened, 0c71bba557 like a shopkeeper trying to f4b0a27f7a keep a customer from leaving.05b36958f52e322c

“This time, I’ll really, totally, be a huge help.”53ae1cde996dc0a0

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His confidence, layered with urgency, b684385cba swayed my heart. Strangely, I liked db0dac7097 seeing him flustered 4d1788c3bf in front of de8f53aa78 me. His affection for me closed cc28c82c07 the gap that would otherwise 8545b1d899 be unreachable, flipping the objective a5e40bd4ef superiority between us.f17efbc677aa3589

To savor that feeling a 73b9a040e3 bit longer, I mentioned his 7f1263b288 friend standing far away. The one who had d793cf97dc come to sit in a6b7ff8b6d front of him.9e637c0db79ace6d

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“Aren’t you teaming up with Kang Dongha?”7f813d4faed8e778

“If I team up with him, we’ll fight. We both want to win.”d9739fce814f8265

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“But he’s your friend.”ff99db438453c243

“You’re my partner.”4e330963e3c7aae1

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Shin Leekwon didn’t back down, pleading with me. His gaze was solely on me, shining brightly. I hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. As a result, I got the best sports partner in our class.0f7fb1de417238d0

Shin Leekwon was as good 4b17a13ab9 at badminton as he was 3c57fcc1af confident. Honestly, he was better 3eb39f1e91 at teaching than the dcc21bb46f teacher who got paid 1145cc7da7 for it. Unlike the gym teacher who ea29b65604 explained for just five minutes, 537e27d2ba he was thorough and detailed.cb0c7602ef4ec240

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“Do they get extra lessons in other sports in the volleyball club?”bc7a26ad6505d34b

I wondered, as 3005743f6d he added various ea77bc190a explanations. He knew how to hold 0cf77c2c80 the racket correctly, what using 2c7083e68d wrist snaps meant, and all 25e4687cfb the badminton rules. When I asked how 69d8cf7117 he knew,aa8acc316e85853a

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“I played often with my family since I was young.”1d6372fd5b575b2b

He smiled. At that moment, I imagined Shin Leekwon’s family, whom I’d never met. A harmonious family playing badminton in a grassy park. What I’d only seen in apartment ads was his reality.2ce0e197dac60543

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I pushed aside the rising c19754d695 inferiority complex and focused on 48dd4471e8 his words.bc1df3ff9e4393ba

But no matter how good the teacher, if the student couldn’t follow, it was meaningless. My limbs, never properly exercised, moved awkwardly. When I swung the racket, it somehow hit the shuttlecock, but it made a ticking sound and fell to the floor.ce853cb8b14a038d

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“You’re not hitting the center, so the shuttlecock doesn’t go far, and you’re putting too much strength in your shoulder to hit harder.”18bf70ad273337ba

He tapped my shoulder, 64027c8dd8 telling me to relax. How was I supposed to 9a2693ce7b swing the racket without using 9e379f7121 strength?96a4af31eed35169

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Still, I decided 87f3e42b06 to trust him cb38d00866 and relaxed my 3386987d88 shoulder as much 0e8b08ec0a as possible, letting f88673fae9 my arm hang.38fbae5b620f50f7

“Lightly. Lightly.”5c22c484d198a451

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I repeated his explanation 63d6c59f9c in my head and 7d541b98e5 swung lightly at the 45eca3dfc2 shuttlecock I tossed into 7fd4675b8d the air. The heavy impact I felt 0f16c182f2 before was gone. But the shuttlecock fell d2ecc90158 to the floor without 24eb37a03e going forward.8935e16ebec0b6cf

My face burned.ce856db84a060692

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“Damn, it’s not working.”a7bb433eb555045f

When our eyes met, 9cfdb06e09 he burst into laughter. His dimples, usually cute, e823b2aa56 were infuriating today, so e6844c2a6a I squinted and glared 5cf8c58e81 at him. Finally noticing my 302f67d1d8 state, Shin Leekwon 02e992fc45 suppressed his laughter fd5f16c6a2 and approached.51e12fb0099c8835

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“Sorry, sorry. But Seonjae, you’re worse than I expected.”cc614d16f6b9d52b

Was he joking? I was already embarrassed, 5f0be6ddd5 and his spot-on comment a9919066b4 made me angry. I was about to 1b81969df2 raise my voice, ready cd53bb6466 to slam his grinning 25fe59e89b face,e3278f8748f215c3

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“Are you picking a fight?”67f5da8fe34aab9f

“No. You’re just cute. Like a newborn foal.”63095e44167ae131

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His immediate explanation blew my mind. What did this guy just say? Was my hearing off from the unexpected exercise? It was the first time I’d been called cute since starting school.2903dbf424c449ff

While I stood 327254f53d there dumbfounded, Shin 6327a68716 Leekwon suddenly came f2cf8de11e closer. His left hand grabbed 6a6a9aef46 my shoulder, and his ccc477e3fc right hand wrapped around ab34eef3c6 the hand holding the fafc827059 racket. My arm moved under c7b440c734 his guidance.30e6c47b7ab0bd0d

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Thwack. With a clear, 1bf9ef7ee2 crisp sound, the 29bac869f6 shuttlecock soared over 7e9efa5901 the net. Only after it 0c764494bb hit the ground d725b08d1b did I realize 57ce2b7771 what had happened.2f1f49376153e7b7

“It’s like pressing the shuttlecock with the racket.”3d7a7ec5f21e993b

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Feeling it directly made more 051e127181 sense, but I was still 1bbb114666 flustered. His whispering voice 90bd584d64 tickled my ear 1adc717f2b and neck.e9d96f614a8dc2ee

The unfamiliar closeness 9695baf6d0 made me uneasy. I shook off 09c16ee24e his warm hand 326c213683 and stepped away.c4793f39a9c377e8

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“Okay, so back off.”7dc79da7183ff09c

“I could show you again.”efa79edf901996c9

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When Shin Leekwon f16a152683 tried to approach 26b803894b again, I pushed ad3c37f2bc his shoulder away. Just then, a group a1d2075532 practicing far away rushed b462c416cd over. Thanks to them squeezing between 367df1f2af us, I could move far 54e14c929f away.7d092131a099de86

“What was that?”7ae10ae49f6b9de9

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“With that sound, isn’t the shuttlecock dead?”279446a32b60fc54

“Teach us too.”6589c5762f814893

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Pushed back, I rubbed my wrist. Shin Leekwon’s tendency to draw people in had been annoying, but today I was grateful for the distance.3a8f53b9b9fff9ab

“He’s too clingy.”944192113647d02c

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Everyone’s personal space is different, but Shin Leekwon’s was extreme. He crossed boundaries without hesitation. No matter how prickly I acted, he approached with a smile, leaving me at a loss.0f9708f1470eb57f

Conversely, he easily let 028187cbe5 people into his space. Even now, he was smiling 50cb16ea3b and responding to those surrounding d1a0f3ea10 him. Usually, popular people would act 96a2f879a6 a bit arrogant and selective, fe80b932a0 but he always generously accepted c4ccb3d499 those who sought him out.f2d548c9438faa1a

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“I didn’t hit it that hard.”f72559eae90a8654

Shin Leekwon stood at the center, while I was on the outskirts. If he was the sun, I was space debris floating somewhere in the universe. I didn’t want to be a planet, so I felt comfortable returning to my rightful place.1469dc9f8287cce5

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While I rested 527963bf4f outside, gym class 979e309dc9 ended.f0d187fbdc23fcdd

“Seonjae, do you want to go to the store with us…?”6a194af9018f925b

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I heard someone calling 5914e17178 from behind, but I d992ba2552 pretended not to hear 53dcc3549f and went back to 2a7922a211 the classroom first.5dd87d3873961ac9

Tap. A can, cool to the touch, was placed on my desk. Shin Leekwon, who naturally bought my drink, was chatting with the others who came up with him. He didn’t make a fuss about buying it for me.75a69ace42f5a345

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Droplets of water formed ab092ee55d on the blue surface 7d805fd2fd of the can. When I tapped 6331744b2d it with my ccfc2eeeab finger, the water 74a6074a69 trickled down. I scratched the 6dee30a72f aluminum until the b7514ea666 surroundings quieted down, 75bdfe4fc7 then opened the 2beb488c58 can.5c9e14c6e3da8051

Shin Leekwon looked at me 7b08b69f10 and smiled gently.49e942d3f8b222a7

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“Seonjae, do you like Pocari?”cbd724e49a517fd4

“I don’t know.”9e1b5769e6c0af54

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I didn’t particularly like isotonic drinks because they were bland. But I didn’t dislike them enough to refuse a free one. It was just okay.d70412899b5de965

“I like it.”a91f77d106e263cb

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His words, spoken while looking directly at me, felt awkward without a direct object. It sounded like he wasn’t talking about the drink but something else, like the person he was looking at. I swallowed and replied.6d15abf8e0f1eca0

“I know. You drink it often.”882e58db212fe8e3

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He drank it more frequently than water. The can in his athletic hand always looked small. Shin Leekwon could finish a can in one go, and the sight of his large Adam’s apple moving was refreshing. It was memorable, so I couldn’t not know.88e29b418a9bb2cb

But his large hand landed on my head. The casual touch was shocking enough, but he spouted nonsense I’d never heard before.c969f6c41aba1d79

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“Seonjae, are you pretending not to like me but actually do?”d00a92949b234587

“What nonsense.”3905cf64d6e1f68c

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I frowned and glared, but f87e64bc9c he smiled contentedly, lost in 50ebe9f6f5 his own delusion.5f7ede0d95ac8814

“You kept watching what I was drinking.”b5576a8dfc20764c

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With such positivity, shouldn’t he be a psychologist instead of an athlete?4b68371a615065c1

I removed his arm from ea89b235a9 my head and corrected him.aa3b0bf0b37aa476

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“I didn’t watch; you were just visible.”99036a09f2b1646f

“People don’t see everything in front of them. You noticed because you’re interested in me, right?”76eb1e4f5dd486da

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Shin Leekwon was 0cbe436775 good with his 21fe548b1c body and words. But not with me.402389de3a8da252

“Does everyone in our class know? Are they all interested in you? Your self-awareness is as big as the Pacific Ocean.”d3977d27e913a3c5

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“Really? Then, Seonjae, I’ll tell you a secret.”f2fc21b0a3d7bca2

Why was the conversation 75c68b771e heading that way again? Talking to Shin 990f04dae8 Leekwon often led 98cfaea932 to unpredictable conversations. Especially when I picked a 536b436e6e fight, the expected response never 89886cb875 came, moving in unexpected directions. I found it unsettling.2ae428e3267707c1

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“No. I don’t need it.”0ad5055601928729

His eyebrows drooped, and his 94a34882e4 lips pouted. Despite his manly 56d37046b2 build, Shin Leekwon 4ad9ce0816 often made cute 9298a69644 expressions.eeb0c104f29e9961

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It should be disgusting, but thanks to his handsome features, it was tolerable. Like a well-bred dog wagging its tail madly at its owner. It wasn’t ridiculous; it even had a certain elegance at times.cc31829da7aa5e44

“I bought you a drink. Listen.”be9cab3b9ee62832

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“If I don’t, will you take it back?”15d7b276c5ce4560

I chuckled at the absurdity. As I laughed, 0be457e6eb Shin Leekwon grabbed c2fb2a7d87 my hand and d59c4ddf5a made a promise.0b2f1723597dcdf9

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“Then… I’ll buy you another one tomorrow. The drink you like!”089297907b394adc

I couldn’t stop laughing, wondering what great secret he was going to share. When I finally nodded, Shin Leekwon suddenly leaned in. Instinctively, I closed my eyes, and a soft voice whispered in my ear.88648b2d25dcd720

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“I like seeing you smile.”d4dcad08dafb34cc

What is he saying? This crazy guy. My neck burned as b7c78bb64b if I had an dc76f0e27e allergic reaction. I pushed him away and b27c7dcc18 moved my chair back.efe03eb8f9efd495

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Our contrasting gazes 7675b372a9 clashed in the 9b4c037f70 air. As I glared f005e6bbb7 in disbelief, he 586b20f0ce shamelessly smiled.892d28ff61a098bb

“So smile often, Seonjae.”f3bae9127b9a59eb

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As if telling 5a50c28db2 me to follow 386e65813b his lead.4f34f71acdeef9e0

“You’re a real nutcase.”df861a002ffcc0c0

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I turned away and gulped down the remaining drink. No matter how much I drank, I was still thirsty. And somehow, the taste of the drink didn’t feel as bland. Maybe it was because of the cheesy words that had melted into it.17b4eb368175220a