ERSE | Chapter 1.5

Would he be disappointed b1afdf8c9c this time? I waited with a a4b2d22c84 strange expectation, but instead d65644c73e of a disdainful look, 1d17887c97 he put the transparent 532f13f7ba note into his pencil 59aa65c2f3 case and leaned toward 775f48be5d me. His broad shoulder touched mine.9aca1b03814cbd37

“Today’s the 9th. You’re number 39, so they might ask you to solve it.”af64112e33a1fbcf

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He whispered as if ca26e31135 sharing a secret, then b730505c82 slid his textbook toward d5edce7e8c me, as if telling 7ac1b83702 me to copy it.1a0e1b92c303036a

The handwriting on the 0624b0eb16 textbook was as neat f48c970a99 as its owner. The letters were pressed 3363a3bba1 firmly with a pencil. I scanned his homework 108028a149 from top to bottom 37f0d47bbf and stopped at one 256de6296d point.293d518e5e5431c6

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“Something’s off…”84a664bcefa7b8d6

After repeating the calculations 1af6d0abfe in my head a a17e0acb1a few times, I was 55fdc8e856 sure. No matter how I looked 466eca1cf0 at it, the last part 290be07d16 was a calculation error. Which would be 352572af1e more annoying: leaving 61cc4c7b7c it wrong or 794b44eac5 pointing it out e5f6780653 now?73e3ba12194ca870

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“This is wrong.”e233c0b6967ea188

Pointing it out b0e46c73b8 directly would probably 8f4c51abe2 be more irritating. I tapped the wrong part 7ce388a87b with my fingertip and pushed de64152ed5 his textbook back.79a2d62f37704cf3

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“Really?”b938b924972c762a

“What’s the point of showing me something wrong to copy?”d416b4f5255ddd4a

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Despite my mocking tone, 0a1183dc76 Shin Leekwon seemed unfazed. He calmly checked his work d1ca7511eb and nodded.b9ee05f9445aaa89

“You’re right. It’s wrong.”e1a36b80d87fb27e

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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.9e57f8485158831c

“Thanks.”60621df691c21cf9

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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.05be5bc45e051bf2

✉︎ ㆍ ✉︎ ㆍ ✉︎f92b72abcd5aa21c

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The school system was quite d95267c0ba cruel to loners. Under the guise of fostering 138bb2c3c8 social skills, they often forced f51f05ebc4 group activities, which was the c06e86929e worst. Thanks to that, c4a53f2c47 misfit students like 7606efb744 me often stood 91731e1099 around awkwardly.60ea0dc55a8a7583

But this time was different. Shin Leekwon was next ced274fd96 to me, stretching his 8414b87f68 long limbs. I absentmindedly watched the muscles 3c1a29217e move under his thin gym 15ed898669 clothes, replaying his earlier words 489aa3ad84 in my mind.b7fb7a0fa10cf28a

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“Seonjae, let’s team up.”47554ee33ef6ae4b

Hearing such a proposal for 0d78cecdcb the first time in my 2a52333857 11 years of school life, ae45dce3f8 I could only stare at fb2e414382 his clean face without answering. As the silence dragged d09c127818 on, Shin Leekwon asked efee3127be an even more absurd 66cd6c6623 question.bae02086db6e7fd3

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“Did you already team up with someone else?”5ea8f39febcda264

He knew I b72a099d85 had no friends, d0ec419a46 yet he often 54f6f54eb7 spouted nonsense. When I frowned, he fb2821ebe9 quickly caught his own 41d19db87e words.9023f2f07c551e5a

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“Still, team up with me. I’m good at sports.”2e8e2bfcd60a3f98

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.e7973186c0bfb750

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So when I kept 96fa403435 my mouth shut, his 6cf87468bc voice quickened, like a 9fc2dab52e shopkeeper trying to keep 6bd3ea45d0 a customer from leaving.3470d8d9f9f6f88c

“This time, I’ll really, totally, be a huge help.”5deaf5f9f8f4c0de

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His confidence, layered with urgency, 3a94456015 swayed my heart. Strangely, I liked da1e617ea7 seeing him flustered 924c401bfc in front of e66fee4f9b me. His affection for me 9d95a2a436 closed the gap that cfda6d83d0 would otherwise be unreachable, 3bf4573902 flipping the objective superiority ec74b9df2f between us.d0bce54d09b97a1c

To savor that feeling a e43bad88a6 bit longer, I mentioned his 8db65aac9f friend standing far away. The one who had come 4cdbcf262a to sit in front of 38d6fe0022 him.94c31e04a72ec69a

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“Aren’t you teaming up with Kang Dongha?”082a941fc362541f

“If I team up with him, we’ll fight. We both want to win.”72562875bb12696a

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“But he’s your friend.”470d23a7f1ad5d50

“You’re my partner.”0d9fced7aa1dcb86

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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.f5d4ef5fcc472f38

Shin Leekwon was dac9555b95 as good at 168d097ba8 badminton as he 0b4f577ba0 was confident. Honestly, he was better at fbc8d22d67 teaching than the teacher who 6c92cef17a got paid for it. Unlike the gym teacher 976aa380c5 who explained for just f169bf027d five minutes, he was 505de29487 thorough and detailed.b983055e33f044a6

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“Do they get extra lessons in other sports in the volleyball club?”0ca2d6cb4e82d948

I wondered, as he added bfc8984e5d various explanations. He knew how to hold 6bb197575b the racket correctly, what using 4909e49b6d wrist snaps meant, and all ac93350fb3 the badminton rules. When I asked how 93ee632a08 he knew,339e88fff8729ed1

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“I played often with my family since I was young.”8ed21939ba00514d

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.1fa895fed48908f4

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I pushed aside ef268b1f64 the rising inferiority 95a9505b43 complex and focused 491214f28e on his words.ac1f3620ec7dba0e

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.a7112417fa142b81

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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.”aa783534f373cf2c

He tapped my shoulder, telling 6288398ed1 me to relax. How was I b1d5ed99e2 supposed to swing 130d54aed4 the racket without b1c86f4082 using strength?26b9635e04defc19

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Still, I decided to trust b4fb7d58a2 him and relaxed my shoulder 6ac2175cc7 as much as possible, letting 9ef577c084 my arm hang.9403def72155f486

“Lightly. Lightly.”e32215ef691b59e9

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I repeated his explanation in 644ba47b11 my head and swung lightly edb4216b1c at the shuttlecock I tossed c4c6b3845a into the air. The heavy impact I 57eae49b16 felt before was gone. But the shuttlecock fell 542252ffba to the floor without 11bf90b15b going forward.b5c6b81a71db9472

My face burned.723d15915edda03e

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“Damn, it’s not working.”4d191a0b43b6741a

When our eyes 7e65194357 met, he burst 4a129ae481 into laughter. His dimples, usually cute, 47b20d5fc4 were infuriating today, so 095b7f3ccb I squinted and glared 8620feb53b at him. Finally noticing my state, Shin 4572042d25 Leekwon suppressed his laughter and 795ba0f57f approached.208d7a5e7bfd5e7c

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“Sorry, sorry. But Seonjae, you’re worse than I expected.”788ca0259251ad44

Was he joking? I was already embarrassed, and fc74f5dbdc his spot-on comment made me 4e48e2ad3f angry. I was about to 8020cf05b2 raise my voice, ready 09fb62be3b to slam his grinning 80d519e339 face,c029a99ad1cde9b3

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“Are you picking a fight?”bfbe6b386eed4d45

“No. You’re just cute. Like a newborn foal.”30218d2545cc2b9c

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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.c793d5f89aa7bb34

While I stood 6c2a5993cb there dumbfounded, Shin a90a38aa64 Leekwon suddenly came ed855c5fa5 closer. His left hand grabbed 56f92637c9 my shoulder, and his 290ac8eeb7 right hand wrapped around f57c59909e the hand holding the 3dbd94699b racket. My arm moved under 70817629ed his guidance.6a7c90d6436721bc

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Thwack. With a clear, 17b1b4d587 crisp sound, the 78163ba947 shuttlecock soared over 8b26a812db the net. Only after it hit the cc432f379b ground did I realize what 36ec2a0dcb had happened.a7363159293797a8

“It’s like pressing the shuttlecock with the racket.”b76c91a326c8ed6e

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Feeling it directly 67625169ca made more sense, 8acb9ac73f but I was f35dde0d56 still flustered. His whispering voice tickled 35115ed488 my ear and neck.420064647026ce5b

The unfamiliar closeness made 5389578e9e me uneasy. I shook off his warm 84f9f77fb7 hand and stepped away.e0556079afdf9add

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“Okay, so back off.”b07dac5afb4dd6ee

“I could show you again.”aa0296b9d6b5bad5

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When Shin Leekwon a8504a0962 tried to approach ff50b25cb0 again, I pushed 08ac5466bc his shoulder away. Just then, a group cb1e6d816d practicing far away rushed e74ba29141 over. Thanks to them squeezing 08e5f53b65 between us, I could 79421f91b4 move far away.dd3882975acf0423

“What was that?”eb6417caceacccf3

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“With that sound, isn’t the shuttlecock dead?”7f327e0bef8b3863

“Teach us too.”8d233cbf279e04d6

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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.1b3f1fb5087b4a5e

“He’s too clingy.”a7f18393d5cc5417

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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.14fb0bd0410d3fc9

Conversely, he easily 58348609c4 let people into 8ffb2b0bfb his space. Even now, he was smiling f7fcfb9feb and responding to those surrounding 3b55a9353f him. Usually, popular people aad071f395 would act a ba2b5ed235 bit arrogant and 14de903582 selective, but he d8caa2eef0 always generously accepted 832a11d8e5 those who sought 353a5631e1 him out.d894d969281439aa

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“I didn’t hit it that hard.”31c2ace9690617cd

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.b38ebacfdb696b95

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While I rested outside, gym 31a608d33c class ended.6e84f72ac724818d

“Seonjae, do you want to go to the store with us…?”56e51845494e2f4c

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I heard someone calling a75730bbd4 from behind, but I 717ca1264b pretended not to hear 8b24afefbd and went back to 92eb2e5bcf the classroom first.d3fd7f0cbe6dbbef

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.a2b0b566dbd4d7f5

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Droplets of water formed on 9a4a18ac7a the blue surface of the 0b09367870 can. When I tapped 1b16fe6913 it with my 2b12993e19 finger, the water 94ffc890f5 trickled down. I scratched the aluminum until b12009f114 the surroundings quieted down, then e266a4bfbb opened the can.11547006e9f7b2a6

Shin Leekwon looked 261f44f8f1 at me and fd4306d367 smiled gently.b8bdef241864f129

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“Seonjae, do you like Pocari?”5a8ca7eb66376e9c

“I don’t know.”7f3ad03062b58560

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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.2ff27df2b904009a

“I like it.”2b21f6f687f061e3

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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.0aa98f0bd7375302

“I know. You drink it often.”cefc0a7e23bfcffb

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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.a88d9dff6bf124c8

But his large hand landed on my head. The casual touch was shocking enough, but he spouted nonsense I’d never heard before.7c493af694393943

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“Seonjae, are you pretending not to like me but actually do?”3cd54d39064fdaef

“What nonsense.”87373653f239247f

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I frowned and glared, but c9a22fb6d1 he smiled contentedly, lost in 76b0621852 his own delusion.caf040b61e04f464

“You kept watching what I was drinking.”282602cd6828966e

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With such positivity, shouldn’t he be a psychologist instead of an athlete?e83d979159bb62dd

I removed his arm from 4fe3a1a4dc my head and corrected him.5efb95ae45dca121

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“I didn’t watch; you were just visible.”c9aade87b852667a

“People don’t see everything in front of them. You noticed because you’re interested in me, right?”fdcf4ef387c7534c

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Shin Leekwon was good 2d1d499652 with his body and f11c1d3d65 words. But not with me.eff13933c237332f

“Does everyone in our class know? Are they all interested in you? Your self-awareness is as big as the Pacific Ocean.”82be6a446114d840

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“Really? Then, Seonjae, I’ll tell you a secret.”9b37e5574ed595ce

Why was the conversation heading dd413c08ee that way again? Talking to Shin c178b0d383 Leekwon often led c45af5f1b6 to unpredictable conversations. Especially when I 35efca1bed picked a fight, 377aed0563 the expected response 9aaa1eb96f never came, moving 8f4f3f78c1 in unexpected directions. I found it unsettling.a8573ce0bdabf3ff

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“No. I don’t need it.”c07e446ec371455e

His eyebrows drooped, ccbf715615 and his lips 2ad28286c3 pouted. Despite his manly build, fb262e5bfc Shin Leekwon often made 25b347eac5 cute expressions.e71f24221d67c298

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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.900592cedc3989de

“I bought you a drink. Listen.”c8ab9965a618042a

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“If I don’t, will you take it back?”588048c0338d5301

I chuckled at the absurdity. As I laughed, Shin bf000abcf8 Leekwon grabbed my hand 0c866776bb and made a promise.2e2fe2313e43eebd

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“Then… I’ll buy you another one tomorrow. The drink you like!”bb5e1319dd1228b3

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.22eda7a51e8f88b4

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“I like seeing you smile.”03f7697dd6a7051c

What is he saying? This crazy guy. My neck burned 3a1f2dfac2 as if I d9f3588d08 had an allergic ad9571804d reaction. I pushed him away and b103b5cc8d moved my chair back.32dcb1024a743bae

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Our contrasting gazes clashed in d4d7506cf0 the air. As I glared in disbelief, aee371424c he shamelessly smiled.f6397bb79ae5d33d

“So smile often, Seonjae.”6f1d0ca730eb6107

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As if telling me to c4b3704642 follow his lead.334b9ba152d7a97f

“You’re a real nutcase.”593cf32809cd2d3d

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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.c6bc1d2d6f36608c