GBH 45

 When Choi Se-kyung was young, people called him a prodigy, and he was recommended for gifted education and studying abroad. However, for some reason, Choi Myung-hyun opposed this, leading him to attend a regular high school. But even in a regular high school, he wasn’t at a disadvantage. Choi Se-kyung, who came from a good family, received ample support in terms of college entrance information, and he generously shared the knowledge and expertise he had accumulated.

Unlike the straightforward Kim Deuk-pal, Choi Se-kyung had a cunning nature and a knack for studying. He was adept at finding ways to achieve maximum results with minimal effort. He tore a page from his notebook to draw a line graph that easily visualized Deuk-pal’s mock test grades. He placed the notebook on Kim Deuk-pal’s study room desk and explained point by point for easy understanding.

“Look at this. When you look at the study time, the subjects you studied less actually got better grades. And the period it took to improve was shorter. The period it took for the grades to improve is shorter. You should focus on raising the grades of other subjects before math.”

Se-kyung didn’t stop there; he overlaid a bar graph of average study time onto the line graph. Kim Deuk-pal’s eyes lit up as if a blind man had regained his sight. He could finally understand why people turned to pseudo-religions and sympathized with the desperation of someone clutching at straws. Visualizing his progress with specific numbers and graphs made hope feel tangible.

Studying diligently didn’t mean he didn’t get tired. To Kim Deuk-pal, who was exhausted from grades that wouldn’t improve, Choi Se-kyung appeared like a ray of light.

“Instead of trying to study everything, it’s better to focus on your weak areas.”

Se-kyung wished that Kim Deuk-pal had a specific academic in mind so they could devise a concrete entrance exam strategy. But in the absence of that, he listed the subjects with the highest potential for grade improvement. Kim Deuk-pal, who had only seen Se-kyung as a cute kid before, now had a look of admiration in his eyes.

As Se-kyung explained while writing in the notebook, his upper body gradually leaned over the desk divider. The study room desk was too narrow for two grown men to sit shoulder to shoulder. Normally, Kim Deuk-pal would have complained about the lack of space, but he was so focused that he too leaned over the notebook. Their shoulders not only touched but pressed against each other.

Kim Deuk-pal gradually synchronized with Se-kyung and became immersed as if stepping into a new world.

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The clear Sunday morning sunlight swept across the artificial turf of the soccer field. The atmosphere at the early morning soccer club’s field, where the final match of the high school seniors’ soccer tournament was being held, was tense. Students, divided into teams by wearing black and white sports headbands, eyed their opponents warily. At the whistle blow from the early soccer club coach who had been asked to officiate, the students simultaneously burst into action.

“Mark Song Yi-heon first!”

It seemed questionable whether such seriousness was necessary for what was essentially just a small soccer tournament among students from the same school. Even the students participating in the match were also surprised to find themselves competing in the finals on an outdoor soccer field when they had expected the tournament to be a casual event on the school grounds.

“Losing means death! Don’t let them take the ball! Run!”

However, they couldn’t bear to lose and were determined to win. As planned, the midfielders focused on marking Song Yi-heon, making it easier to steal the ball. The main striker of the opposing team shot the ball towards the goal of Class 3-1. Fueled by his obsession with scoring the first goal, he sprinted with his bulging calf muscles.

It was no longer about the prize money. This was a battle of pride. And it all stemmed from Song Yi-heon…

After being shocked to learn that third-year students at Song Yi-heon’s high school were excluded from all events such as sports days, retreats, field trips, and festivals, Kim Deuk-pal became obsessed with the soccer tournament. He added to the prize money from his own pocket, rented the soccer field, and even bought headbands to use instead of uniforms for both teams. Crucially, he deliberately held soccer matches during lunch breaks, winning and then provoking the opposing team.

The male students who felt disrespected by Song Yi-heon cheered for the opposing team, hoping that Song Yi-heon would lose in the final and be humbled.

Their determination was admirable. The only mistake was that the opposing team focused solely on checking Song Yi-heon. While Song Yi-heon was being closely marked and unable to run freely, he shouted:

“Choi Se-kyung!”

Just hearing that name caught the opposing striker off guard as he glanced to the side. In the moment he thought he saw the smiling face of the tall, well-built Choi Se-kyung, the ball was already stolen. As Se-kyung drove the ball towards the opposite goal, not only midfielders but even strikers tried to catch up to him.

“Block Choi Se-kyung!”

“Protect Choi Se-kyung!”

The opposing team trying to block Se-kyung and his teammates trying to help him reach the goal became entangled. Se-kyung maneuvered the ball while fending off tackles and shouldering through collisions. Even under the scorching sun, with solid shoulders colliding and sweat pouring like rain, Se-kyung didn’t lose the ball.

“Huff, huff…”

As the goal drew near, even the defenders moved to block Se-kyung. The blazing sun and the heat radiating from the boys made it hard to breathe. The goal was right ahead. But the defense was intense. Se-kyung shook off the sweat clinging to his eyelashes, looking for an open spot to pass.

The players who had been focusing on marking Song Yi-heon now rushed towards Se-kyung, leaving Song Yi-heon running alone. For a split second, their eyes met through the gaps between the oncoming attackers. It was just a moment. There was no other sign or strategy. But Se-kyung trusted that moment and passed the ball.

The kicked ball curved as it flew through the air.

“Song Yi-heon!”

As Se-kyung belatedly called his name, Song Yi-heon leapt with the sun at his back, his instep connecting with the ball and driving it into the goal net.

A dazzling cheer erupted.

The first goal belonged to Class 3-1.

The soccer tournament, which concluded successfully with early soccer club members and spectators gathered, ended in victory for Class 3-1. With the prize money they received, they held a team dinner at a pizza place. From noon on the weekend, part-time workers at the famous franchise pizza restaurant were busy replenishing the salad bar as sweaty high school boys arrived.

More than ten of them occupied two large tables, ravenously eating to replenish the energy they had spent running around the soccer field since morning. Only after decimating the salad bar and pizzas did they calm down, catching their breath while sipping carbonated drinks.

A boy chewing on his straw stole glances at Song Yi-heon. Wearing a white sports headband that accentuated his oval face shape, Yi-heon was still intently forking food into his mouth, face close to his plate. Having taken the soccer tournament seriously, his attire was also professional. Wearing soccer shoes with knee-high socks, shorts from a sports brand known for excellent ventilation and sweat absorption, and a T-shirt with the logo of the foreign soccer team he supported, he exuded a sporty charm as if he had stepped out of a sports fashion magazine.

He was the type girls would like. The boy who had been feeling inferior comparing himself to Song Yi-heon finally made up his mind to ask a question, only after chewing the end of his straw flat enough that he could no longer drink through it.

“Song Yi-heon, are you dating Kim Yeon-ji?”