After the fitness test, a small change came to Yeoncheong, who had been living an ordinary life no different from anyone else. It was because Yeoncheong had acquired a new image.
“Is your head okay?”
“Yeoncheong, don’t run around recklessly. You’ll fall again.”
Lately, those were the words most often exchanged whenever Ha Yeoncheong was mentioned. And they were the words Yeoncheong heard most often.
Having taken a spectacular tumble in the monotonous early days of the semester, Yeoncheong became an excellent target for teasing. Of course, this was only possible because Yeoncheong had recovered safely.
The transfer student who was acquainted with the chairperson had become the number one person on the PE teacher’s and school nurse’s watchlist.
It was nice to be rid of the title of “the transfer student who felt distant,” but it wasn’t something he could simply laugh off.
Some people said that if you ignored such things, they would naturally die down. Yeoncheong thought so at first, too. But he often found himself snapping at Hasol, who teased him while walking the line with infuriating precision.
Since his reactions were so good, the other classmates joined in one by one, and for a while, Yeoncheong became Class 1 of the second year’s most satisfying punching bag.
Even Yeoncheong, who had tried to stop it at first, quickly gave up. They were at an age where even a falling leaf could make them laugh. There was no way high school students like that would stop doing something this amusing.
The wave of a trend that swept through the classroom was not something Yeoncheong could stop alone.
***
During end-of-day homeroom, among the things he was letting in one ear and out the other, a word unlike the usual slipped in.
“You all know club activities start again tomorrow, right? Basically, you should be registered for the same clubs you were in last year, so if there are any changes, you need to tell me quickly. If you miss it, you can change in the second semester.”
When the classroom remained quiet, Teacher Jisu looked around the room once.
“Answer me.”
“Yes.”
Homeroom ended, and the students began getting ready to leave one by one.
Only Yeoncheong looked around with an expression that said he had no idea what was going on. Having prepared for his transfer in a hurry, Yeoncheong did not have much information about the school. And his wandering gaze landed on Seoha, who was closest to him.
Seoha took Yeoncheong to the teacher.
“Teacher.”
“Yes, Seoha. What is it?”
Seoha’s gaze turned toward Yeoncheong beside him.
“Did you tell Yeoncheong too?”
“Hm...?”
Teacher Jisu’s voice rose at the end. Then came a silence. The homeroom teacher’s face slowly darkened. After a moment that felt like an eternity, Teacher Jisu met his eyes.
“I’m sorry!”
In the now-quiet classroom, the teacher apologized. Startled by the teacher apologizing right off the bat, Yeoncheong repeatedly said it was fine.
Transfers themselves were rare, and the teacher, who was serving as a homeroom teacher for the first time, had completely forgotten about Yeoncheong’s matter.
Having done what he came to do, Seoha went back. Teacher Jisu went to the faculty office and handed him a club application form that had been buried among a pile of documents.
“This is the list of clubs currently operating, and this is the club application.”
Yeoncheong’s eyes widened at the list of clubs that filled the paper. As his homeroom teacher, Teacher Jisu pointed at the paper and explained.
“Thanks to the chairperson, our school is more active in club activities than other places.”
You shouldn’t only study. Your school days should be enjoyable. It was a club system created under the leadership of Chairperson Yurim, who believed just that.
At first, there had been many voices worrying it might affect college admissions, but the result was that the school maintained its advancement rate while only increasing student satisfaction.
Naturally, this had a positive effect on the school’s recognition, and now it had become one of Hwaryeong High School’s points of pride.
Teacher Jisu spoke proudly about the school. Yeoncheong nodded along appropriately.
He had vaguely sensed it from his classmates’ reactions, but it was to the point where he wondered if the chairperson really was the same person as the friend of his parents he knew.
‘Isn’t it just someone else with the same name? How could this be the person who put Father in a chokehold every time they met...’
Yeoncheong’s thoughts could not continue. His homeroom teacher, having finished explaining, called him.
“Yeoncheong, Ha Yeoncheong?”
“Yes? Yes, Teacher.”
“You can decide by the end of this week and give me the application. If there’s a club you’re curious about, let’s have you go observe it in person. I’ll let them know in advance.”
Stopping Teacher Jisu, who apologized once again, Yeoncheong hurried out of the faculty office. Perhaps because she was a young teacher, she was full of passion and kindness.
After returning home, Yeoncheong dealt with dinner and the housework, looked over the club list the teacher had given him for a bit, and then went to sleep.
***
Most club activities at Hwaryeong High School made use of the time after school.
They were not compulsory.
Self-study, which had been implemented at his previous high school, was also possible, and in the case of students attending academies, they could leave school right away as long as they submitted the necessary documents.
However, it was said that some students chose the high school for its clubs. The students themselves were serious about enjoying their youth.
The day after Yeoncheong had his club consultation with Teacher Jisu, after school.
The two most energetic people in Yeoncheong’s class—in other words, Class 1 of the second year—were standing before him.
“You two were the ones who were going to guide me?”
“Why? Are we not to your liking?”
Hasol and Suyeon, both with their hands on their waists in the exact same pose, glared at Yeoncheong.
“No, that’s not it. I only heard about Suyeon.”
Receiving both of their gazes, Hasol said,
“As class president, I can’t ignore the difficulties of a transfer student.”
“Hasol, you’re just doing this because you think it’ll be fun.”
At Suyeon’s sharp point, Hasol flinched and pretended not to know. Hasol pushed Yeoncheong’s back and left the classroom as if fleeing.
“Then where should we go first? We’ll tell you as much as we know.”
“There wasn’t really anything that made me think, ‘This is it’...”
“Right, it’s hard to decide just by looking at the names.”
Hasol and Suyeon nodded as if they understood.
“Should we start with the sports clubs outside?”
“That sounds good. Yeoncheong seemed to like exercise more than studying.”
“We just have to avoid sports that involve jumping high.”
“Guys...?”
Hasol and Suyeon giggled as they led Yeoncheong away. Yeoncheong vowed that someday he would show them his proper athletic ability.
Outside, where Hasol and Suyeon had dragged him, was completely different from the day before. It was full of energy.
“The main sports clubs are futsal, volleyball, basketball, and tennis. Among them, volleyball and tennis are pretty famous for placing in competitions.”
“Of course, there are also kids who just enjoy them casually.”
Liking PE class and choosing a sports club were completely different matters. Seeing Yeoncheong’s reluctant expression, Hasol tilted her head.
“Why? Is there nothing you like?”
“It’s not that...”
“That’s good, then. Let’s go for now.”
Hasol took Yeoncheong’s hand and headed to the field first. Startled by the unexpected contact, Yeoncheong could not even say it was fine and was dragged along.
Though he could have simple conversations, Yeoncheong, who had attended an all-boys middle school and an all-boys high school, still had a hopelessly low tolerance for girls his age.
***
The three of them observed the futsal club. Hasol and Suyeon were busy holding back laughter. Yeoncheong glared fiercely at the two of them.
“That’s why I said I wouldn’t do it.”
“No... I didn’t think you’d be that bad.”
“Right. You definitely kicked it forward, so how did the ball go sideways... pfft.”
Hasol and Suyeon naturally continued into a topic Yeoncheong wanted to forget.
“You’re good at running, though. I guess being able to run well doesn’t mean you’re good with your feet.”
“Definitely... Even when you fell last time.”
“Hey!”
At Yeoncheong’s shout, Suyeon, unable to hold it in any longer, burst into laughter, and Hasol followed suit. Yeoncheong trembled as a fact he had wanted to hide was exposed.
‘I worked so hard in high school to hide that I had two left feet.’
The futsal club had readily allowed them to observe. Perhaps because it was a club where people moved around directly, they recommended that he try kicking the ball himself along with a simple introduction.
Yeoncheong adamantly refused, but when Hasol and Suyeon also told him to try it, he could not simply back out.
Suyeon, barely managing to catch her breath, said,
“Volleyball and basketball are in the gym, so let’s try tennis first.”
“You’re going to tell me to try again?”
The fitness test, the incident where his foot caught on the net and he fell flat on his face, and now futsal. Yeoncheong needed time to recover his fallen confidence.
“Have you ever tried it?”
“No.”
“Then you should try it now that you have the chance.”
Defeated by Hasol’s smile, bright as the sun, Yeoncheong was dragged along again.
“Wow.”
Yeoncheong let out a small exclamation as he looked at the court filled with yellow tennis balls. Perhaps it was true that they placed in competitions, because even the atmosphere was different. It felt more organized and serious.
“Teacher!”
PE teacher Min Hayoung was teaching the tennis club. Unlike the others training on their own, they seemed to be first-years.
“Hasol and Suyeon? The transfer student... Ha Yeoncheong. You’re Yeoncheong, right?”
The teacher remembered Yeoncheong’s name and face after just one class. Behind the two who ran over cheerfully, Yeoncheong nodded.
“Come to think of it, Teacher Jisu said you might come observe.”
Teacher Hayoung looked over the three of them and accurately grasped why they had come.
“That’s right. We came because of that.”
“Hmm...”
Teacher Hayoung pondered. Since he had once taken a big fall, it was natural for her to hesitate. Suyeon persuaded the teacher.
“He should try it at least once. You’ll be watching him the whole time anyway, Teacher.”
“All right. Go change.”
“We’re just observing, though?”
It had been the same with futsal too. Yeoncheong began to wonder if he had misunderstood the meaning of observation.
“It’s a club where you move your body. How can you just watch? Go change into your PE clothes.”
When it came to sports, there was no compromise. She was a born PE teacher. But Yeoncheong did not want to do it. Sports were about momentum and flow, and he did not feel like he could do well even if he tried now.
Fortunately, Yeoncheong had gone home wearing his PE uniform last time, so he had no clothes to change into.
“That’s too bad. I don’t have my PE uniform right now. I’ll come back later.”
“Really? Then it can’t be helped.”
With the most regretful face he could manage, Yeoncheong devoted himself to controlling his expression and was about to leave.
At that moment, one of the members who had been training on her own approached. She was not wearing a PE uniform, but clothes with quite a serious air to them.
“I have a spare set I haven’t worn. Want me to lend it to you?”
Yeoncheong’s attempt to naturally slip away was stopped. Hasol asked back if that was really okay.
“President, is that okay?”
“Of course. It’s not like it’ll wear out just because someone else wears it.”
“President?”
Hearing Yeoncheong mutter to himself, Suyeon said,
“She’s Senior Lee Seoyun, the current student council president. Usually, people only do student council, but she’s also in the tennis club.”
Seeing her happily conversing with Hasol, he could tell they were of the same kind. Before he knew it, the president, having finished her conversation, looked at Yeoncheong.
“Come on, I’ll lend you the clothes. Let’s go change.”
“You really don’t have to go that far.”
“Since you came all this way, it’d be nice if you tried it out before leaving. And it’d be even nicer if we got one more junior in the club.”
The number of people with a similar atmosphere had increased from two to three. They did not seem likely to let him go easily, and a flicker of anxiety passed through him that if he simply left, they might come find him in person.
Yeoncheong had no choice but to accept the president’s offer.