75. Unchanging, Even in the Second Year (1)

“Woo-joo, what’s gotten into her?”

“Who knows, what could it be…?”

“……Huh?”

Seung-woo tilted his head, all confusion.

I *could* tell him, I suppose, but that would just ruin the fun, so I pretended not to know and changed the subject.

“Anyway, that’s for later. So, what brings you here? Got some business with me or something?”

“Ah, it’s nothing major. Just that the guys in the basketball group chat were talking, and you’re the only one who hasn’t responded yet, Woo-joo, so I came to check if you were busy.”

“Really? What’d they say….”

Hearing Seung-woo, I pulled out my phone to check and, sure enough, the group chat was blowing up. Dozens of messages.

[Basketball after school today?]

[I’m in]

[I’m in]

[In in]

[Grandma’s memorial service, so I can’t]

[Ji-hoon’s out, Seung-woo’s in?]

[In. But got plans tonight, so can’t stay late]

[Okay, so that’s five? Who else hasn’t replied?]

[Joo Woo-joo hasn’t replied yet]

[@Joo Woo-joo]

[@Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo]

[@Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo @Joo Woo-joo]

[What’s this b*stard even doing?]

[Probably talking to his girl again, that damn show-off]

[Anyone in his class, tell Joo Woo-joo something, will ya? This punk never reads his messages even when we tag him to hell ㅅㅂ]

[Everyone but Joo Woo-joo’s at the cafeteria lol can’t tell him]

[Just call him then]

[What’s with you calling each other? You a couple of queers?]

[Ah, shit.]

[Guess I’ll just go ask him myself~]

[OK]

[Tell him if he says no, Sungmin’ll twist his ankle off.]

“…Ah.”

Seungwoo was the one who sent that message saying he’d ask himself. So that’s why he came all the way to Class 3.

If Sungmin or the other guys were in the classroom, they would’ve given him the answer while grumbling about why he didn’t just tell them. But I guess everyone was at the cafeteria, and there was no one to tell him.

I quickly stuffed my phone back in my pocket and said,

“If only me, it would be exactly 3 on 3?”

“Yeah, that’s why the guys are freaking out. If you don’t, Sungmin said he’ll break your ankle.”

“Breaking someone’s ankle just for not playing basketball….”

I guess you wouldn’t have to go to the army if you were really crippled.

I glanced at Aki while having such pointless thoughts.

The boys had asked if I wanted to hang out after school, so I was asking her for permission to go for a bit.

“…Heh, sure.”

However.

“I can come cheer you on, right?”

Maybe she misunderstood my gaze. Aki gave me a beautiful smile, like she understood everything, and linked arms with me.

It’s not like she’s done it once or twice, so I should be used to it by now, but my breath caught in my throat when something soft and squishy touched my arm.

“What would our Woojoo~chan do without me? Heheh….”

“Huh? No….”

“Let’s go together after school. I’ll cheer you on hard, my boyfriend~♡”

“…….”

It seems like going together is already set in stone.

I smoothly turned my gaze to look at Seungwoo.

‘Is it okay if Aki comes too…?’

‘……Well, I guess it’s alright?’

Seungwoo seemed a little bewildered as well, his reaction was lukewarm, but he didn’t say not to come.

Well, there’s no help for it now.

Only option’s to take her with me for real.

“Oh, should we buy some water before we go? Might get thirsty.”

“…Uh-huh, sure.”

I haven’t the courage to speak the truth.

So I just nodded.

* * *

And so, the school basketball court.

The original plan was just for the basketball crew to meet up, but when I brought Aki, my girlfriend, and asked, “Mind if she watches?” everyone was taken aback.

But when Aki passed around bottled water and electrolyte drinks – like, Powerade, basically – one for each person, the initial awkwardness vanished and the atmosphere turned to welcoming her.

In this regard, Aki seems several times better at social graces than I am. Honestly, there’s no way I could’ve pulled that off.

Actually, I wouldn’t have even considered coming here in the first place…

Anyway, Aki, having become a welcomed guest instead of an uninvited one, cheered us on with fervor as we split into two teams of three and played.

When I got the ball, she’d shout, “Kyaa, Woo-joo~chan, so cool!”

When I lost the ball, she’d call out, “You can do it, Woo-joo~chan! Hang in there!”

And when I happened to score a basket, she’d chirp adorably, “My Woo-joo~chan is the best! I love you~!”

Fueled by that support, I even pulled off a dunk – something the guys told me not to do. Twice, in fact.

For the record, Aki practically lost it when I dunked. She was muttering unintelligible exclamations of, “Whoa, super cool…! Woo-joo~chan, so manly…!”

“…….”

“……Life.”

“…….”

“……Hey.”

Thwack.

Sung-min grabbed my shoulder.

And without saying a word, just stared at me, conveying his thoughts with his eyes alone.

‘If you bring your girlfriend here even once more, I’m twisting your ankle a full 360 degrees….’

“……The drinks are appreciated, but you can’t just do this.”

“Yeah, sorry….”

I acquiesced to that fierce glare.

No, I didn’t expect Aki to cheer with such passion.

Considering Aki is a baseball fan, and a Lotte fan at that, I really should’ve seen this coming. My oversight, plain and simple.

‘It’s like…teabagging all the single guys.’

From now on, I need to placate Aki properly and come alone, or something.

Resolving to do just that, I approached Aki during a short break after the game.

As if she’d been waiting for me, Aki patted the seat beside her, signaling me to sit.

“Uju~chan, you’ve worked up quite a sweat, haven’t you…? Should *atashi* wipe it off for you?”

“I didn’t bring a towel… Do you happen to have one?”

“A towel? No… But *atashi* has a handkerchief. Come here…”

Aki rummaged through her skirt pocket, pulling out a small, folded cloth.

I didn’t want to dirty Aki’s handkerchief with my sweat, so I said it was alright, really, she didn’t need to bother. But Aki, oh so earnestly, said, “Uh-uh, if you don’t wipe away the sweat, you’ll get troubles later…!” and meticulously dabbed at my face.

“There, all done. Make sure you wash your face properly later, okay? We can’t have blemishes popping up on that handsome face of yours…”

“Thanks, can I have the handkerchief?”

“…Eh? Why do you want the handkerchief?”

“It’s dirty with my sweat. I’ll wash it and return it to you.”

I reached out to take the sweat-soaked cloth.

But, *whoosh*—!

Aki snatched it back with a ‘gasp…!’ and clutched the handkerchief in both hands, as if it were some precious treasure.

“No! A- *Atashi* will keep it…”

“Eh, why? Just give it to me.”

“W-Well… Ah, it has to be hand-washed, that’s why. The fabric will get ruined if you put it in the washing machine…”

“Ah, is that so?”

If it’s a handkerchief that needs to be hand-washed…well, that’s a little… I’m hesitant to say it, but I’m not very good at hand-washing. I haven’t done it much, you see.

Aki’s better at housework than I am, so it’s probably best to leave it to her. I nodded in understanding.

“Okay. Then you can keep it, Aki. Sorry.”

“Ah, no. You don’t need to apologize. *Atashi’s*… actually happy about it.”

“……?”

Why is she happy about taking a sweat-soaked handkerchief?

“…Ah, but. Uju~chan, what are you going to do after basketball?”

“Hmm? I haven’t really thought about it yet. What about you, Aki?”

“*Atashi’s* studying. The mock exam is coming up soon in March, you know.”

“Oh, studying. Looks like you’re really serious about hitting the books now?”

“Uh-huh, gotta work hard. Gotta get into the same university as Woo-joo~chan, right?”

“……”

Wow.

That’s…kind of touching.

Aki looking up at me like that, saying that, made my heart clench a little.

If this wasn’t the school basketball court, and if my friends weren’t over there glaring daggers, I probably would have just grabbed Aki and k*ssed her.

“Hey, Joo Woo-joo. You gonna play or what?”

“We said ten-minute break, it’s only been five?”

“You’re two people, so we gotta double the time. Hurry up, you’re leaving me to play alone. You traitor.”

“Tsk, that’s why they say don’t take in a black-haired beast. Look at him, abandoning his friends to just talk to his girlfriend.”

“Joo Woo-joo’s getting to me, I gotta bring a girlfriend to the court when I get one.”

“Yeah, good luck with that~”

“Seung-woo’s not here, where’s this bald-eagle b*stard getting off?”

“Hey, goddammit, I’m not bald. Just a little thinning at the crown, that’s all!”

“……Woo-joo~chan, shouldn’t you go?”

Aki glanced at me, a flicker of worry in her eyes as my friends’ voices got louder. They always acted like that, it was just their everyday routine. I smirked and shook my head.

“Leave ’em. They’re always like that.”

“Ah, is that so…?”

“Yeah.”

“……Heh, Woo-joo~chan’s friends play like that, huh.”

“Why? Surprised?”

“Uh-huh, a little…?”

It’s a sight I see every day, so it’s not really anything special to me, but I guess it might seem that way if you switched places. My friends can get a little rough when they’re fooling around.

“……But, what’s more surprising is Woo-joo~chan.”

“Uh-huh? What’s that?”

“Your body’s really solid. Like, you poke it and it feels like it won’t even budge…”

*Poke*

Aki pokes my bicep, clad only in a short sleeve, with the tip of her finger.

I’d been unconsciously tensing, what with Aki being so close, and maybe that’s why her finger bounced right off without sinking in much at all.

“Whoa…”

“Shall I let you in on a secret?”

“Eh, what is it…?”

“Guys’ muscles, right? They’re not normally this hard. If you don’t flex, they sink right in.”

“Huh, really? Sounds like a lie…”

“Not a lie. Wanna try pushing?”

I offered my arm.

Aki looks at me with an expression of slight doubt, as if unable to tell if what I said was true or a jest.

*Plunk.*

“…Eh?”

She prods my unflexed bicep, and when it sinks right in, her eyes widen in surprise.

“It really *does* sink in?!”

“Yeah, I told you. It’s squishy when you’re not tensing.”

“Wow, wow…”

Aki pokes and prods my bicep this way and that, seemingly captivated.

“It *is* squishy, but there’s still a difference…”

“What kind of difference?”

“Hmm, well, it’s basically harder than *my* arm to begin with. When I press mine, it feels like fat, but with Uju~chan’s arm, it feels like muscle squishing in?”

“You can tell the difference?”

“Try touching my arm. Then Uju~chan will understand too, probably.”

As Aki instructed, I gently touched my own arm, then lightly felt Aki’s.

Before I knew it, I let out a quiet “Huh…?” as the difference became remarkably clear.

“What, it’s true?”

“Heh, right? I told you it’s different…”

“Hey, Ju Uju! Ten minutes is up!”

Sungmin yells then, calling me.

His voice is loud, like he’d been waiting for the ten-minute break to end. I chuckled softly and got up.

“Aki, I’ll be back. Let’s study together at my place after school.”

“Mmh, understood… Ah, but.”

Aki followed my lead, rising gently.

And, on tiptoes.

“Before you go… Mmh.”

At an angle hidden from the others, she stole a k*ss.

Then grinned bashfully.

“Heh, all done now. Do well…?”

“……”

Should I ask her to come cheer me on next time too?

I seriously considered it.