We lost in the basketball game today.
Yoo Sanghoon’s prediction that the basketball match will go to game three is correct.
The MVP of this game was the military academy’s power forward, but the thing I hated the most was Do Sihoo.
How cheekily he defends Yoo Sanghoon is the best compliment he received from the other team.
“The guy marking Sanghoon is your friend, right Euishin? Maybe that’s why he’s so good!”
“Isn’t the Sanghoon guy also your friend, vice president? I think I saw you eating bread once, the one that Bbang Shuttle delivered to you… I didn’t know he plays basketball.”
After the game, Saeum and Min Geurin took their turn speaking.
I’m only here for Yoo Sanghoon, but since Do Sihoo makes it a point to wave at us before the start of the game, the other thinks he’s my friend.
He’s only an acquaintance at best, and I hope my classmates understand that.
“Well, VP’s friend is playing good defense.”
On the other hand, Song Daesok, who was immersed in the game, couldn’t hide his regret as he said so.
My playable character and I are on the same page.
Anyway, Do Sihoo really did defend well and he deserves the compliment.
“It’s the closing ceremony tomorrow, but things aren’t settled with the basketball game yet. What happens then?”
The closing ceremony for the first sports exchange exhibition between Eungwang High and the Player Military Academy is tomorrow.
I answered Min Geurin’s question by showing her a hologram containing the schedule of events.
“The closing ceremony will be held at sunset. Games will be settled before that.”
“Looking at the scores today… It seems like basketball and ice hockey are the only ones left without a winner.”
I had a little chat with the other kids as we looked at the scores of the other events.
Except for basketball and ice hockey, all the other games already have a winner.
‘Park Seunhyun’s friend won the MVP title for soccer, and the MVP for American football belongs to the military academy’s quarterback.’
The scoring highlights of each game were stored as video clips.
The spectacular plays of the players with great physical abilities stood out.
After we watched the videos, Saeum couldn’t hide his awe, while Min Geurin started to move her fingers as if she were sketching the players.
Song Daesok still looks sulky, but when he saw the highlights of the other games, his face gradually became brighter.
He seems to have completely felt better when Min Geurin invited him to the basketball game tomorrow.
Knowing that all the other kids are in a good mood, I also confidently headed to the place where I was supposed to go.
* * *
At a study café in front of the school.
It’s the place where Cheon Dongha and I played several chess games.
I came here to meet two people; Cheon Dongha and Yeom Junyeol.
When I knocked into the study room that I reserved, I saw two people facing each other over a chessboard.
It doesn’t seem like they’re in the middle of a match, rather they’re reviewing a previous game seeing that there’s a hologram beside the board showing a completed game, and it seems like the two were scribbling some things.
‘This looks like a game between Cheon Dongha and me.’
Seeing the two reviewing one of my games made my heart flutter.
There are many great games from professionals, but why are they reviewing my game?
Well, it’s also Cheon Dongha’s game after all.
“Euishin, come in. We’ll be done in a few. Can you wait for a while?”
“Sorry. I thought we’d be done before you arrived, but this is taking longer than I thought.”
The two had sorry expressions.
Anyway, it was me who called the two busy people here for an interview, so there’s no need for them to feel sorry.
I looked at the two’s empty coffee mugs and spoke.
“It’s alright. Should I bring you some more coffee?”
The two refused at first, but when I said that I intend to get my own drinks too, they agreed.
There’s a coffee machine and a refrigerator in the study room anyway, so it’s not really a big deal.
“Then I’ll have an espresso lungo. It’s in the capsule dispenser closest to the machine.”
Yeom Junyeol looked at where the capsule machine was.
Cheon Dongha glanced at the electric pot next to it.
“Just give me some hot water.”
Maybe he wants to prepare his own mixed coffee?
It seems like Cheon Dongha drinks mixed coffee every time I see him.
When I finished preparing our drinks, the two had already finished reviewing the game.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“No, thank you for preparing the drinks. Reviewing your game was also interesting.”
Yeom Junyeol arranged a seat for me.
The interview was supposed to be a brief one about the sports exchange match at first.
However, when I heard that my good student will run for student representative, I suggested that we meet with Cheon Dongha to conduct an interview about it.
My kind playable character made time for his junior who was in the newspaper department, so I don’t mind waiting at all.
“Which game did you watch today?”
“American football. It went to overtime, but unfortunately, we still lost.”
Since then, the conversation went to his thoughts about the sports exchange exhibition as a whole, and the interview naturally started.
The flow of the interview was generally led by Yeom Junyeol and Cheon Dongha, and I only need to ask some additional questions.
Seeing the comfortable conversation between the two made me think that they know each other well.
They were chess rivals and academic rivals, but it seems like they were classy friends in private.
“The most impressive thing about the sports exchange exhibition? I don’t think it was the games.”
“I think so too. I was quite flustered when the schedule for the opening ceremony was personally adjusted by the chairman.”
“It was the chairman who adjusted the schedule?”
“Yeah. The night before the opening ceremony, the chairman himself contacted the student association…”
Both picked White Tiger’s sword dance ritual performance of the opening ceremony as the most impressive thing throughout the whole sports exchange event.
Yeom Junyeol, a member of the student association, explained how the schedule of the opening ceremony was changed, and he mentioned that he was curious about the student who performed the sword dance.
Meanwhile, Cheon Dongha mentioned Eungwang High’s cheering squad as another impressive thing.
“I was impressed when Myungsoo hyung used his light skill Shintan’s Shooter and shot dozens of fireworks in the air. It was perfect.”
“I was surprised too because he never did that during our practice. I’m glad it went well.”
“…That was Myungsoo hyung’s adlib?”
I was surprised by what Yeom Junyeol said too.
I can’t believe the fantastic scene that the Eungwang High cheering squad showed during one of the soccer matches was an adlib.
I was surprised to see Ji Myungsoo suddenly use his light skill during the performance, and it’s even more shocking to know that it was an impromptu decision.
As expected, Ji Myungsoo is a bold playable character of mine, and Ahn Dain was also excellent for responding tactfully to the adlib.
With the two saying they look forward to tomorrow’s performance at the closing ceremony, the topic ended.
The next thing we need to talk about was the student elections.
“Come to think of it, there’s a chance that I might fail.”
“Still, you’ve revealed your ambition as a candidate.”
Unlike the head of the student council, who is elected by the ministry itself, the position of the student representative is in the hands of the whole studentry.
The results are unknown until the elections are held.
A case in point is Sung Gukeon, who was elected student representative fifteen years ago.
No one was sure that he would the student representative although his competition for the position was a famous troublemaker from Class Zero.
There were many people who treat the elections like a game, and there are some who run for positions for purpose of inflating their own ego.
To prevent that from happening, a candidate should present a student recommendation letter containing signatures from fifty other students before they are eligible to run for a position.
Sung Gukeon managed to meet that requirement by collecting signatures from Class Zero of different years.
Even if the times were different back then, it seems like the bond of Class Zero has always been strong.
‘Class Zero cares about each other, and it shows. GeumChanWangChan pays special attention to our class too compared to the other freshmen classes.’
Sung Gukeon’s speech and pledge shook the voters of Eungwang High, and he won the elections with overwhelming votes.
Still, I don’t think Yeom Junyeol will fail here.
No, there may be some competition in the eyes of the two sophomores.
I decided to ask the question.
“Do you have any candidates that you’re worried about?”
In a second, the two’s expressions changed.
Yeom Junyeol’s expression looked drawn while Cheon Dongha looked bored.
It seems like someone came to their minds.
“Jinseung tried to register as a candidate. I guess he’s fueled by a sense of rivalry with Junyeol.”
It seems like Ma Jinseung is up to something.
“Maybe he will use a slogan. Hmm… Didn’t Hongryong almost turn the second-year building into a sea of fire?”
Don’t tell me Ma Jinseung will use a slogan that sounds something like “Down with the Hongryong”?
If so, Yeom Junyeol’s promotional posters need to counter that.
“I should put up a fight.”
Yeom Junyeol’s voice showed hostility toward Ma Jinseung.
If Ma Jinseung becomes nominated as a student representative with that repulsive slogan, the second-year building might really be buried in a sea of fire.
“You don’t need to worry. I don’t think Ma Jinseung will receive fifty signatures. I told everyone around me.”
Cheon Dongha spoke straightforwardly.
The idea of Ma Jinseung being unable to get recommendation signatures looked a little pathetic.
“If I become student council president, I’ll have Ma Jinseung as my vice president.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Yeo Junyeol looked somewhat displeased, but he seemed to have hardened his resolve.
“I hope Jinseung doesn’t go to the student association. Anyway, even if he runs for the position, he’s not going to succeed.”
Cheon Dongha was willing to make Ma Jinseung his vice president, but his evaluation of him was cold.
Indeed, Ma Jinseung could never beat Yeom Junyeol in his current reputation.
All of them were my playable characters, but the voters of Eungwang High will be cold in their judgment.
“Shall we end the interview here? Do you have more questions?”
“No, it’s all good.”
It was difficult to include Ma Jinseung in the article, but I already secured enough amount of content with this interview.
“Alright, let’s go have dinner. What do you want to eat, Euishin?”
Yeom Junyeol gently asked me when we got up from our seats.
After the feisty talk about Ma Jinseung, Yeom Junyeol returned to his kind and gentlemanly self.
I tried to remember what dishes Yeom Junyeol and Cheon Dongha liked from the PMH game.
While we walked, I suddenly remembered a figure mentioned by Cheon Dongha in the past.
“How’s your younger sibling doing? They should be preparing for entrance exams by now.”
Yeom Junyeol reacted first.
“Dongha, you have a younger sibling? I thought you were an only child.”
From his reaction, it seems like Yeom Junyeol wasn’t aware of it.
Cheon Dongha looked like he was choosing what words to say.
“…He’s doing fine.”
Why did he speak with that kind of expression?
I chose not to mention it again after that.
