33 Chapter 33 - He’s Nearby 1 (1/2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
Seo Kwang reached the finish line soon after and collapsed onto the ground. He, too, was quick to reach for a pen, but it wasn't long before he stopped writing. It couldn't have been a long sentence.
”I won't lose next time,” he said as he gasped for breath.
”I'll be ready.”
”No, don't be.”
Juho couldn't afford to indulge in the moment of victory. He had beaten Seo Kwang by a hair, probably by less than a step.
”It's kind of refreshing actually,” Seo Kwang said as he stood up.
”It's been a while since I ran like this.”
It had been different from running to measure endurance in P.E. They ran with everything they had. They didn't let anything hold them back. An innocent competitive spirit sprung out of their hearts.
Juho looked at his paper with the single phrase written on it. The result hadn't been so great.
As the two were panting, Sun Hwa and Bom prepared for their race.
”Hyah!” Sun Hwa shouted.
The two girls had already passed the midpoint and were headed toward Juho and Seo Kwang. Juho watched them running desperately as their bangs flapped to and fro.
When they were about three steps away from the finish line, they slowed down. They had already reached a finish line in their minds.
There was a contrast between them and Juho and Seo Kwang, who only slowed down well past the finish line.
In the end, Sun Hwa came in first and grabbed her side as she coughed.
”Oh, my! I'm dying,” those were the first words that came out of her lips.
Bom staggered her way toward her piece of paper. However, she couldn't start writing. Instead, she had her hands on the ground, catching her breath.
”Ah! I'm dizzy,” Sun Hwa said as she rubbed her side. Bom nodded.
”You guys are terribly out of shape,” having caught his breath by the time the two were running toward him and Juho, Seo Kwang said mockingly.
Perhaps he wasn't aware of the fact that what went around, came around. 'Who was it that had gasped for breath just a moment ago?'
”I saw you crawling,” Sun Hwa mocked him back.
As he was about to speak out of annoyance, Juho calmed him down and said. ”I'm beat. Can we do this later?”
”It's Baron's turn.”
At his words, everyone turned their eyes to the starting line. His determination could be felt all the way from the finish line. He almost looked like a predator that had spotted a prey.
”Ready, go!”
As soon as the whistle blew, Baron strode ahead. Just watching him run felt refreshing. He was fast, really fast.
”He's so fast!”
”What the heck? Since when was he so athletic? Didn't he used to be in the Art Club?”
As he ran past them, the four who kept their eyes fixed on Baron followed him. A wind followed Baron as he ran past Juho. His hair flapped.
”He's already here!”
As if he wasn't even tired, Baron calmly walked toward the other club members. He put his hands up and posed for his victory, and the freshmen looked at him with respect.
The sole artist in the club not only had the writing skills to win an award for the essay contest, but he was also an impressive runner. He was multi-talented.
”Baron, that was amazing!”
”I see why you wanted to run by yourself.”
Juho pulled a piece paper for Baron as he walked toward him.
”You should write too, Baron.”
He stared at the paper for a brief moment and responded with a confident face, ”Write this down for me. 'He resembled a gust of wind.'”
It wasn't long before the adulation turned into jeering.
---
”Baron, let's go get some tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes).”
”Tteokbokki?”
”All that running is making us hungry.”
All the first years had already agreed to the idea, so Baron was the only person who had to be informed. He nodded willingly, and they decided to meet at a snack stand in front of school.
”What if I get sick tomorrow? I hardly exercise, so my muscles are probably not used to working so hard.”
”You should've exercised more.”
”Look who's talking.”
”It is true that you're out of shape.”
”Baron!? You too??”
Everyone chimed in at Seo Kwang's exaggerated remark. Amid it all, Bom spoke up, ”You'll feel better if you massage your legs with a warm towel.”
At that, Seo Kwang answered as if he had met his savior, ”I knew I could count on Bom. She's always the first to clean up at the end of the day.”
From the snack party to the fried chicken party, Bom had always been the first person to pick up the trash. It was like a habit.
At his compliment, she waved her hand in denial. She was the only person who wasn't aware that Seo Kwang was getting a kick out of seeing her uncomfortable.
”There she goes again.”
”I'm serious. I just have a peculiar personality. If I see a mess, I have clean to it. It bothers me otherwise.”
”You're so modest.”
Seeing her face flushing bright red, Sun Hwa spoke up. She said as she slapped Seo Kwang on the back, ”We all know Bom's nice, so you should stop talking about it now.”
Juho saw Seo Kwang twisting his body in pain and chimed in, ”I knew this was going to happen.”
Baron responded, ”Why didn't you do anything to stop them?”
”They're not going to listen anyway. Besides, it looks good.”
”What about it?”
The fact that they were able to play around with each other meant that they had gotten that much closer. It wasn't common in a club for the members to grow closer with one another as a whole. Being small in numbers definitely had its advantages.
”They seemed to be having fun too.”
Nobody complained about how Mr. Moon taught them. Everyone enjoyed writing.
Juho remembered him saying that he had brought back the Literature Club to make school more fun, but there was no way a Literature Club could be fun.
”I'm so hungry.”