GBH 122

In the schoolyard below, tourist buses were parked, and between them, first and second-year students in gym uniforms were all out chattering.

Wondering what was really going on today, after seeing the quiet school store and now the sight of first and second-years all wearing gym uniforms, Song Yi-heon’s eyes darted around curiously.

“Which class are you in, first-year? Why are you still wearing your uniform pants? Don’t you have gym pants?”

The teacher who had called Song Yi-heon to help move drink boxes, who was also the second-year PE teacher, abruptly pointed out Song Yi-heon’s pants. The PE teacher believed he was a first-year based on the gym uniform top he was wearing.

“Yes?”

There are various types of ‘yes.’ Depending on whether you stretch the final sound flatly or raise it, the meaning can change drastically, causing confusion in conversations like now.

The physical education teacher, who interpreted the ‘yes’ that was asking to repeat because Song Yi-heon didn’t hear well as an affirmative ‘yes,’ clicked his tongue. Misunderstanding that Song Yi-heon was wearing his uniform pants because he didn’t have gym pants, he handed over a spare set of gym clothes.

“Who forgets to bring their gym uniform on Sports Day? You’d probably forget your gun if war broke out. At least wear these when we get to the stadium. Return them to the second-year staff room tomorrow.”

Being the second-year teacher, the gym uniform he handed over was for second-years with green stripes on the calves.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and get on the bus! The buses are leaving!”

Sports Day.

Encountering this unexpected phrase, Song Yi-heon’s train of thought was interrupted. In that gap, Kim Yeon-ji’s chatter flashed through his mind.

She had said that third-years don’t participate in Sports Day. Only first and second-years have Sports Day, and because the school grounds are too small, they rent an external stadium for it. There was also the justification that holding Sports Day at school would be too noisy and disrupt the third-years’ studies.

So, in short, the tourist buses filling the schoolyard were for going to Sports Day.

As he grasped the situation, Song Yi-heon’s eyes widened dramatically. He should return the gym pants and clear up the misunderstanding, but somehow his mouth wouldn’t move, and to make matters worse, his hands stubbornly clutched the gym pants.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

‘I want to go to Sports Day.’

Unlike the school festival he could attend as a bystander, he had completely given up on Sports Day, but now the buses going to the Sports Day venue were right beside him. If he sneaked onto a bus, he could go to the stadium where the Sports Day was being held.

But what about school? He needed to maintain perfect attendance. In the blink of an eye, the college entrance exam would be the day after tomorrow. There was a mock exam to solve today, final workbooks to grade, and pork cutlet for lunch…!

‘But still, it’s Sports Day…!’

His lips gradually swelled as he chewed on them while deliberating.

He knows how he should behave. Having lived as Kim Deuk-pal, no, even without living long, anyone with common sense woxuld know that the right course of action is to return the gym clothes, clear up the misunderstanding, and go back to the classroom.

‘Go back to the classroom. I should go to the classroom. I should go study in the classroom…!’ 

Song Yi-heon, who had been trying to persuade himself, raised his head. His eyebrows were unnecessarily solemn in a straight line, while his hands tightly gripped the second-year gym pants like a child doing something naughty.

Life is practice, and opportunities come only once.

“Phew-“

As he took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly changed. His gaze, following his longing, keenly surveyed the surroundings like a predator eyeing its prey. The skill he had acquired through years of experience shone through. As if he had never hesitated, he nonchalantly walked between the buses and quickly boarded one that met his conditions.

It was a bus with all the front seats empty on both sides of the aisle. The homeroom teacher of that bus was at the back checking attendance, and other students couldn’t see Song Yi-heon boarding because of the seat backs.

Song Yi-heon sat in the seat behind the driver, took off his gym uniform top to cover his face, and pretended to sleep.

Meanwhile, the homeroom teacher who returned to the front seats sighed heavily as soon as he sat down. Tired from dealing with the children and finishing the headcount, the teacher didn’t bother to recheck the front seats or lift the gym uniform to check the face of the sleeping student. He assumed that a student prone to motion sickness had fallen asleep before the bus departed, and it was also time for the bus driver to board and leave.

“Driver, all of our class is here. We can depart now.”

“Alright, let’s go then. Everyone, fasten your seatbelts.”

Song Yi-heon, pretending to sleep with his head against the window in the seat behind the driver, also felt around his waist and fastened his seatbelt. As the door closed, the tourist bus’s wheels began to roll heavily.

Only when the bus had gone far enough that it couldn’t return to school did Song Yi-heon slightly lift the gym uniform to look out the window. His pale face looking down at the ordinary road was full of innocent excitement.

* * *

As the first period bell rang, the large tour buses left the schoolyard one by one. Unaware that a crazy third-year student had gone along to the first and second-years’ sports day, classes began in the third-year classrooms. The Korean language teacher who entered the third-year class 1 first woke up the students sprawled on their desks like peppers drying in the autumn sun.

“Everyone, get up! How can you sleep from the morning when there’s so little time left until the college entrance exam! The exam will be here in the blink of an eye. You need to adjust your biorhythm to the exam schedule from now!”

“Ah~ Teacher~”

Mentioning the college entrance exam first thing in the morning. The students, now wide awake and even getting goosebumps, rubbed their arms and whined. Ignoring the students’ exaggerated reactions, the Korean teacher looked around the classroom and motioned for Se-kyung, who was about to stand up for greetings, to sit down.

“Never mind the greeting. Whose empty seat is that?”

“Song Yi-heon’s~”

The class chorused. The Korean teacher raised his bushy eyebrows and flipped through the attendance book. He checked Song Yi-heon’s name and face on the front page where ID photos were attached. He remembered him for his excellent study attitude this year. Although it was unfortunate that his grades didn’t reflect how much he studied, he was a good kid who at least greeted well.

“Song Yi-heon didn’t come to school today?”

“He was here during roll call. He said he was going to the school store.”

“Should I go look for him?” Se-kyung asked, already half-risen from his seat.

This kid, such a sense of responsibility as class president. The Korean teacher inwardly praised Se-kyung’s character but made him sit back down.

“It’s fine. He’ll come if we wait.”

Thinking he’d come on his own when it was time, the Korean teacher opened the workbook, planning to wait at least 10 minutes. Isn’t constipation one of the chronic problems of third-year high school students who sit most of the day? To avoid the embarrassment of running into him in the bathroom while searching, the Korean teacher deliberately didn’t look for Song Yi-heon.

“Class is starting! Wake up!”

The class that started with the teacher’s intentionally loud voice to wake the students soon passed the 10-minute mark, and the Korean teacher, absorbed in teaching, forgot about Song Yi-heon.