After the homeroom teacher dropped the mega bomb...

A considerable amount of time passed. It was just before lunch.

"Here."

The teacher looked at the iPad I handed over and gave a small smile.

I’m not really fond of seeing men smile, but something about that smile made me feel warm.

"Thanks. She really looks just like my daughter. Maybe because it's a drawing, she looks even prettier."

"I might have beautified it a bit."

"Yeah. Good job."

The teacher chuckled and saved the picture.

He said he would print the picture out and hang it at home, but...

Honestly, that’s not the best idea.

Just like how the dead shouldn’t stay in this world,

I believe that things from the deceased, like their appearance or belongings, shouldn’t exist either.

Remembering and missing someone isn’t nostalgia or longing—it’s loneliness and pain.

“Mom used to say that.”

In our house, the only thing related to my older sister that remains is a drawing I made.

The rest, everything else, went to Yoon.

It was originally supposed to go to my sister.

“…Fuck.”

I felt that nasty feeling rising, but I didn’t let it show.

The teacher kept staring at the picture for a while, then tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey, hey. Can I show this to my daughter?"

"Sure, if you want to."

"Thanks. I’ll just send it through KakaoTalk, I guess."

...?

Wait, what?

"Teacher?"

"What?"

"You said your daughter went far away..."

"Oh? Yeah. She’s in Uzbekistan now, with my wife."

"......"

Wait, so I’ve been overthinking this for no reason?

Give me back my sadness, damn it.

I suddenly couldn’t help but burst out a laugh, feeling totally ridiculous.

"Hey, hey. What’s going on?"

The teacher asked, clearly concerned, but I felt embarrassed and didn’t want to look him in the eye.

"No, it’s just... you said she went far away, so I..."

"You idiot! You trying to send my daughter to the afterlife or what?"

"No! It’s just... you made it sound like..."

Thwack.

"Ouch."

I rubbed my forehead where the harmless flick hit me.

"Enough of the nonsense, let’s just go eat."

The teacher chuckled and walked out.

sigh... I’ll get him back for this someday.

I walked out feeling a bit aggrieved, my face scrunched in a fake pout.

I could see the other students coming back. Class 1 was first, then Class 2—my class, followed by Ha Soo-Yul and Choi Ye-Seo.

After them came Classes 3 and 4, one by one.

Our class president was sweating buckets as he walked toward the teacher.

From their perspective, a teacher skipping out to care for a single student probably looked pretty awful.

But that didn’t happen.

Everyone was so tired and drained that no one even had the energy to complain.

I waved my hand as I approached Ha Soo-Yul and Choi Ye-Seo.

"How was it?"

"Ugh! Someone’s chilling in a nice air-conditioned room while we’re out here."

"How’s your body, Eun-A?"

When I asked, Choi Ye-Seo raised an eyebrow, while Ha Soo-Yul was concerned about me.

"I’m fine... But are you two okay?"

When she asked with some hesitation, Ha Soo-Yul nodded.

"I’m a physical education scholarship student."

"Oh, right. I keep forgetting."

With her athletic build, I kept forgetting she had that scholarship.

"You’re an idol trainee, and that’s your stamina?"

I said, teasingly.

"...I’m dying."

"Sorry."

I briefly looked up at the sky, taking in her outfit.

"I can see that."

Wearing military uniforms and doing training in this heat... I can already feel my face scrunching just thinking about it.

"So? What did you do there?"

But that was then. Now I needed to satisfy my curiosity.

"Nothing much. Just crawling on the ground like a dog."

It was probably a crawl training, but if I’d done it, I’d have probably passed out from exhaustion.

"So that’s why everyone’s clothes are covered in dirt."

"Yep. But it was fun."

Ha Soo-Yul answered, her eyes sparkling.

Choi Ye-Seo looked at her in admiration.

"Soo-Yul is really amazing. She got first place!"

Choi Ye-Seo hugged Ha Soo-Yul, still excited despite the heat.

"Ugh, it's hot. Get off me."

"Meanie..."

Choi Ye-Seo kept describing Ha Soo-Yul’s impressive training.

"She really was like a bug."

"What?"

"No, no! That’s not what I meant! Listen."

Crawling on the ground, moving with just arms and legs.

Ha Soo-Yul said she used her protective gear and crawled at an incredible speed.

It didn’t even hurt, and it was so fast it was actually fun...

What a scary girl.

Our conversation didn’t continue much further.

We had to follow the adults’ orders and head to the cafeteria.

I dusted off the dirt from behind them.

"Hey~. Sweet guy~."

"That’s enough."

"Do more."

"I already dusted it all off."

Choi Ye-Seo gave a sly smile, and Ha Soo-Yul leaned in, asking for more.

"Watch where you’re walking, you two."

At the teacher’s command, we had no choice but to turn around, but the way their shoulders were shaking...

I should have just given them a light punch.

It wasn’t long before we arrived at the cafeteria, not far from the training hall.

My mind kept drifting to the thoughts of the school cafeteria, but I ignored it and followed them inside.

"Two lines, please."

With that, Class 1 started entering slowly.

They were picking up their food on the sides. It wasn’t really served to them, they just grabbed what they wanted.

When it was our turn, Ha Soo-Yul and Choi Ye-Seo made faces that said “we survived.”

"Ah~ finally, lunch."

"I'm starving."

Our middle school girls, with their healthy appetites, already started salivating.

I was okay since I’d just had coffee.

I grabbed my tray, filled it with just enough food, and sat down with Ha Soo-Yul and Choi Ye-Seo.

They sat on either side of me.

...There’s space in front, why aren’t they sitting there?

It wasn’t unusual to see them act like this, so I just let it slide.

Thankfully, our class president and vice-president sat in front of us.

Choi Ye-Seo, happy that her friend was here, started talking first.

The conversation continued smoothly.

I ate my food while listening to their chatter.

But, as always, something happens when the setting changes.

Clang!

The sound of a tray dropping echoed through the building.

Everyone’s eyes immediately shifted to the cafeteria line.

Honestly, with everything going wrong, I might as well be Conan. Though, this isn’t a murder case.

Why does something always happen wherever I go?

"Hey! Are you crazy?!"

A girl’s high-pitched voice was the first to be heard.

"Shit! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

A deep voice retorted back.

It sounded so familiar...

"Hey, what’s going on over there?"

Luckily, the situation was quickly resolved.

Our soldier appeared right away. Yeah, that’s what should happen.

We turned our attention away and continued chatting.

"So? What happened?"

"And then that guy just went aaagh!"

Laughter lightly echoed around the table.

Most of the students had finished eating, and we were about to get up when I noticed someone in my line of sight.

At first, I didn’t recognize them because they were too far away, but up close... they were huge.

Eating alone seemed pitiful.

Not my problem.

I’m not a volunteer. I don’t need to force myself to talk to someone.

But it seems I wasn’t the only one who noticed something odd.

"Wasn’t that person from Class 1?"

At the vice-president’s words, everyone nodded, except for me.

"Class 1 should’ve gone already. What’s going on?"

"It’s not our concern. Let’s go."

Let’s not get involved in unnecessary problems, okay?

Ha Soo-Yul and Choi Ye-Seo nodded and followed.

The other three watched with concern.

"The class president. The others are waiting."

"Yeah, yeah! I’m going."

It was our class that went first, and then the other three followed right behind.

After that, we had some free time, and then we had to gather on the field again.

We went back to our dorms for a break.

"Was the meeting at 3 o'clock?"

"Yeah, but the break is a bit long."

"Wait... are we really calling it a ‘meeting’? We’re all here for fun, aren’t we?"

One of the male students complained about it feeling like a forced gathering.

Other complaints were heard here and there, but the class president, vice-president, and I stayed quiet.

"Lee Ha-Eun. Come out for a bit."

While I was lying down on the bed, resting for a bit, the homeroom teacher came in and called me.

"Can’t we just talk here?"

"If I say come out, you come out, idiot."

It was a hassle to get up.

...Did my kind of student contribute to the decline of teaching authority?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I sat up quickly.

"They said we’re going to play sports games later."

"Yeah, there’s no way I’m doing that."

"Right? Just thought I’d let you know."

The teacher really just said that and turned around.

"But teacher, what about the reward?"

"Reward? Ah, I’ll give it to you when we get back to school. Wait for it."

Guess they can’t give it to me right now.

The teacher disappeared, and I returned to the dorm.

Everyone looked worn out but still seemed full of energy.

By 3 o’clock, the announcement came, and students gathered on the field.

"...What’s this?"

But as soon as everyone went out, they froze.

"Why is there a net in the middle of the field?"

A huge net was spread out. The thickness of the rope was about half the size of my arm.

The class presidents from each class grabbed an end of the net, looking confused.

A giant hexagonal net.

And six classes.

"Hmm..."

I think I get what this is.

"Each company will choose one representative."

The instructions were given, and the students murmured.

Most didn’t know what kind of sport it was yet.

I mean, can we really call this a sport?

According to the schedule, it says "sports," but...

"Crawling sports? Like the thing we just did?"

"Yeah! Hey, really!"

"Soo-Yul!"

Dozens of eyes from our class landed on Ha Soo-Yul.

She seemed to get nervous and ran behind me.

"Come on, give it a try. You said it was fun."

I ruffled her hair, and she nodded.

"I’ll do my best."

"Just don’t get hurt."

"Yeah. I’ll win and get the prize."

That’s not necessary.

When I told Ha Soo-Yul I’d buy her something from the store when we got back to school, her eyes lit up.

‘Yeah... Winning in a sport where there’s only honor? Food is the best prize.’

Koreans really think food is the best reward.