♥︎ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 7♥︎

𝐿 𝑂 𝑉 𝐸❦⊹܀𝑆𝐼𝐶𝐾❦⊹

ဣ𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓ဣ____

⊹܀☙❦☙܀܀💌🌹ೄྀ𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍ೄྀ

𝐍a-hee walked back to her class after changing into her PE uniform again. Her body was still sore from yesterday's PE class, and Coach Kang had decided to have another session today. She rubbed her neck in pain. "Why do we have PE again today?" Na-hee groaned as she slowly walked down the hallway.

Na-hee wasn't particularly athletic, but she wasn't unathletic either, she was somewhere in between. One of her advantages was her speed when it came to running, which made her feel pleased, especially when Gwi-nam was around.

Suddenly, she heard a "pst" sound that she recognized. "Ya! Kim Na-hee!" a voice called out, getting louder as the person approached her. Na-hee didn't care much, she felt unbothered by Gwi-nam. She yawned and scratched her head. Gwi-nam then nudged her shoulder to get her attention.

"What do you want again?" she asked him, feeling annoyed.

"I keep calling you, and you wouldn't answer me." Gwi-nam replied, sounding frustrated.

"Why would I answer you? I have a lot of things going on" she shot back, brushing his hand off her shoulder as she continued walking toward her classroom. But Gwi-nam stopped her.

"I saw you with that freak, Cheong-san, yesterday" he started, making a tsk sound. "Who the hell is he anyway?"

"He's my friend" Na-hee answered, trying to keep her cool.

"Friend? He was all over you, like a magnet!" Gwi-nam said, his voice rising with anger.

"Why do you care anyway?" Na-hee tilted her head, genuinely curious.

"I don't!?" Gwi-nam yelled, shoving her shoulder again, clearly frustrated. Na-hee rolled her eyes, knowing this was just another one his issues.

"Ya, you should really answer me! Jin-su must be tired of my punches and kicks." Gwi-nam said to Na-hee. She raised her eyebrows and shoved his shoulder harder.

"What are you doing?! Are you bullying someone again?" Na-hee yelled at Gwi-nam, feeling frustrated. "Stop with your issues!" she finished, clearly annoyed. Of course, who wouldn't be? Just because she wouldn't go out with Gwi-nam didn't mean he should take it out on another student, especially since he seemed to have taken a liking to Jin-su.

"Don't you see I'm doing this for you?!" he said, stepping closer to her, while Na-hee instinctively backed away. Gwi-nam pulled out his phone from his pocket, and Na-hee noticed that he had her picture as his wallpaper, which took her by surprise.

Then, Gwi-nam showed her a video of him and his friends bullying Jin-su. Na-hee was about to grab his phone, but Gwi-nam pulled it away just in time. "YA! Why are you bullying an innocent person? You're a monster!" Na-hee shouted at him.

Both of them were interrupted when Su-hyeok stepped into the scene. He quickly moved to stand in front of Na-hee, shielding her from Gwi-nam while glaring at him fiercely. "Back away, Gwi-nam. No one wants you here" Su-hyeok told him, his voice steady.

Gwi-nam laughed, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Just because you left our group doesn't mean we're scared of you. You're just like them." he retorted, trying to sound tough.

Su-hyeok didn't pay him any mind. "You should back off. Why can't you realize Na-hee doesn't like you? Just back off" he insisted, which only made Gwi-nam angrier.

"You should mind your own damn business" Gwi-nam shot back.

"You should mind hers." Su-hyeok replied calmly.

Gwi-nam peeked behind Su-hyeok and saw Na-hee giving him the middle finger, which only fueled his anger further. "YAH! KIM NA-HEE, YOU STUBBORN!" he yelled at her.

Both Na-hee and Su-hyeok took off running away from the furious Gwi-nam. Na-hee kept her middle finger up as they ran, feeling a mix of defiance and amusement. Gwi-nam scratched his head in disbelief at Na-hee's childish act and at Su-hyeok's protective stance.

Na-hee blinked and suddenly found herself surrounded by some of her classmates. I-sak gently nudged Na-hee to move a little on her seat as she flopped down, the two were sitting very close together.

"Na-hee, we need your help!" I-sak said to her, practically in a rush. Na-hee blinked at her and the others, surprised by their urgency.

"Na-hee, can you explain this math problem again? You make it sound so easy!" I-sak continued, leaning so close that she was practically sitting on Na-hee's seat.

"W-Why? You all are crowding me?" Na-hee replied, a bit flustered.

"They forgot to pass their assignments to Mr. Song, so you're their only choice to help them out" Joon-yeong said, crossing his arms and adjusting his glasses as he looked at Na-hee.

Na-hee laughed lightly. "I assume you did yours?" she asked him.

"Of course" Joon-yeong replied with a smile.

"Of course he did! He keeps bragging to me about it and scolding me not to copy his assignment" Dae-su chimed in with a scoff as he slowly copied I-sak's work. I-sak noticed and hit him on the head with her notebook.

Na-hee started explaining the math problem, but she couldn't help but notice how intently her classmates were watching her, their faces filled with admiration.

"How do you make it sound so easy?" I-sak complained, her head spinning from the math. Despite her frustration, her admiration for Na-hee only grew.

"Honestly, I don't even study" Na-hee mumbled to herself with a shrug. She knew that if she tried harder, she could be even smarter, but sometimes she was just too lazy to put in the effort. She only studied when there was an upcoming exam, that was it.

"That must be nice! You're good at math and running!" I-sak exclaimed.

Wu-jin, who had been watching Na-hee intently, nodded in agreement. "Yesterday, you were running so fast that none of us could catch you except for Cheong-san" he said, resting his arms on Na-hee's desk. Na-hee felt her cheeks flush at his words.

"O-Oh really? I didn't even notice" she replied, resting her chin on her hand, deep in thought.

As she looked around, she wondered why Nam-ra was absent today. Could she be sick like Na-yeon? Na-hee felt a little more focused today because she wanted to hand her notes to Nam-ra. She knew how passionate Nam-ra was about studying, so she took the time to write down her notes, even though Na-hee didn't particularly enjoy it.

The others were excited because today was also their PE class, but some of them were worried about the math homework they hadn't turned in. Luckily, Na-hee was there to help them pass it to Mr. Song.

However, Na-hee sometimes felt uncomfortable with the favoritism Mr. Song showed her. All she wanted was to pass his subject, but there were moments when she caught him looking at her in the hall and even while he was teaching. It sent shivers down her spine, but she tried to ignore it, thinking he was probably dozing off. She sighed, realizing that if she had focused more on his subject that day, maybe he wouldn't have developed such favoritism towards her.

Na-hee just wanted to do average in school and not draw any unwanted attention. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Coach Kang peeked inside the classroom. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.

"Good afternoon, everyone! Let's take our PE session outside and play a game of dodgeball!" Coach Kang announced as he walked away. The classroom erupted in cheers at the exciting news.

"Dodgeball? Finally, something interesting!" Dae-su exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement.

Wu-jin nudged him playfully. "But can you actually play?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dae-su looked at him with a mock sad expression, pretending to be hurt. "You think so little of me, brother-in-law" he replied with a grin.

Wu-jin rolled his eyes and shot back, "I told you, don't call me that!" The playful banter continued as the students gathered their things, ready to head outside for a fun game of dodgeball. The sun shone brightly, and everyone was eager to show off their skills and enjoy the friendly competition.

Coach Kang blew his whistle to get everyone's attention. "Alright! Everyone is on a team now! I'll blow the whistle when the game starts" he announced.

Na-hee quickly tied her hair into a ponytail, not wanting her hair to distract her during the game. When it came to dodgeball, she was very competitive, it was one of her favorite games. She felt lucky to be on the same team as Cheong-san, but she was a bit worried about the other team because they had Su-hyeok. She knew that the charming guy was really good at throwing.

Gyeong-su, who was standing beside her, admired the way she tied her hair. He moved a little closer and said, "Na-hee, you're really taking this game of dodgeball seriously!" He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Na-hee nodded with a smile. "Of course! I love dodgeball!"

"Oh really? Then I'll cover you!" Gyeong-su replied, flashing her a cheeky grin.

"Really? I appreciate that, Gyeong-su" she said, feeling grateful for his support.

As the game began, they were the first ones to dodge, and Na-hee was filled with excitement. Coach Kang blew the whistle, signaling that the game had finally started. Almost immediately, Su-hyeok started targeting Na-hee, catching her by surprise.

"Yah! Su-hyeok, why are you targeting me?!" Na-hee yelled, a mix of confusion and determination in her voice.

"Why not? You're a threat to our team!" Su-hyeok laughed, clearly enjoying the challenge.

"You'll regret that!" Na-hee shouted back, focusing on dodging the throws coming her way. She was ready to show everyone just how good she was at dodgeball

"Why not target Cheong-san instead?!" Na-hee yelled out to Su-hyeok as a ball whizzed past her, nearly hitting her in the process.

Cheong-san, overhearing her, looked bewildered. "Na-hee? Why!? I thought we were on the same team!" he exclaimed, moving closer to her in a mix of confusion and concern.

"Cheong-san! Why did you come closer to me?! We're both going to be out if you do!" Na-hee shouted, dodging another ball that was thrown in their direction. Her heart raced as she narrowly avoided the impact, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"That's exactly why I came here!" Cheong-san replied, a playful smirk spreading across his face, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"I will kill you!" Na-hee threatened, her voice a mix of frustration and amusement.

"I'll drag you down with me!" Cheong-san shot back, his grin widening as he leaned in closer, clearly enjoying the banter amidst the chaos of the game.

Meanwhile, Su-hyeok seized the moment and threw the ball at On-jo, who looked stunned as she registered what was happening. A small smile crept onto Su-hyeok's face as he called out, "Sorry, On-jo!"

On-jo, feeling a mix of surprise and annoyance, stubbornly crossed her arms and stepped to the side to watch the unfolding drama, her expression a mix of disbelief and determination.

"Su-hyeok, you can't go for us, so you're targeting our other team instead?!" Na-hee exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief.

"Yes, of course!" he replied, a mischievous glint in his eye, clearly enjoying the friendly rivalry that had ignited among them. The game continued, filled with laughter, playful threats, and the thrill of competition, as the bonds of friendship only grew stronger amidst the chaos.

Na-hee looked around carefully, fully immersed in the game of dodgeball. She noticed Joon-yeong on Su-hyeok's team, and unlike Su-hyeok, Joon-yeong struggled with his throws. In fact, he accidentally hurled the ball at his own teammates, causing Na-hee to stifle a laugh at his clumsiness.

On Na-hee's team, Dae-su suddenly collapsed onto the ground, groaning in pain and drenched in sweat. The other teammates, seeing him down, couldn't resist the temptation to throw balls at him, quickly getting him out of the game. "That's not fair! I'm struggling to breathe!" Dae-su complained as he stood up with the help of his teammates, who had already been eliminated.

"It's okay, we're surprised! I thought you were going to be out first!" Cheong-san chimed in, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yah! Cheong-san, I hope you fall!" Dae-su shot back, a playful glare on his face. Cheong-san shook his head in amusement, clearly enjoying the banter.

Meanwhile, Wu-jin held a ball tightly in his hand, aiming it directly at Cheong-san. With a swift movement, Cheong-san dodged the ball, a teasing smile spreading across his face as he taunted Wu-jin. Wu-jin's fist tightened in frustration, determined to get his revenge.

At this point, half of Na-hee and Cheong-san's team had been eliminated, leaving them to carry the weight of the game. Hyo-ryung, who had already been knocked out, scratched her head in frustration. "Ya, I want to be good at dodgeball too" she lamented, standing next to On-jo.

On-jo shook her head, a hint of resignation in her voice. "Sports aren't for me." she replied, her gaze drifting to Na-hee and Cheong-san. They looked so confident and skilled, and while On-jo should have felt happy that the two were growing closer and that Su-hyeok was acknowledging her, there was something about Na-hee that made her heart throb with an unfamiliar feeling. It was a mix of admiration and jealousy, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why it affected her so deeply.

Hyeon-ju launched a ball aimed directly at Na-hee, who was blissfully unaware as she faced the other way. Just as the ball was about to hit her, Gyeong-su rushed in to save her, taking the impact instead. Coach Kang blew the whistle sharply. "Gyeong-su, out!" he announced, his voice echoing.

Gyeong-su felt the hard ground hit his body as he fell, and for a moment, he just sat there, catching his breath. "Are you okay, Gyeong-su?" Na-hee asked, still scanning the area for any incoming balls she needed to dodge.

Gyeong-su managed to give her a thumbs-up, a grin spreading across his face despite the sting of defeat. "I told you I'd cover for you!" he replied, his voice filled with determination. He finally stood up, brushing off his clothes.

"Thank you, Gyeong-su! I'll treat you after this!" Na-hee promised, her eyes sparkling with gratitude.

"Really? Thanks!" Gyeong-su exclaimed, feeling a warm flush creep up his cheeks as he slowly made his way to the sidelines. He glanced back at her, noticing that only Cheong-san and Na-hee remained on their team.

"You two can do this!" Dae-su yelled from the sidelines, his voice full of encouragement.

"We're the only ones not eliminated? That's cool!" Cheong-san said, a hint of excitement in his tone as he turned to Na-hee.

"I know, it's awesome!" Na-hee replied cheerfully, her spirits lifted by the unexpected turn of events.

As the game continued, they focused on dodging the balls being thrown at them with impressive agility. Na-hee and Cheong-san moved in sync, their chemistry evident as they worked together to evade the attacks. Surprisingly, even Coach Kang seemed impressed by them, raising an eyebrow as he watched them hold out for so long.

Then suddenly, a ball hit Na-hee in the head, making her head spin and hurt from the impact. She quickly put a hand on her forehead and fell back into Cheong-san, who was behind her. Both of them tumbled onto the soft grass. Cheong-san quickly sat up, looking worried as he checked on her.

"Na-hee? Are you okay?" he asked gently, shaking her arms a little to wake her up. Na-hee felt dizzy as she lay on Cheong-san's lap, his warmth making her feel a bit better despite the pain.

Soon, the others came over to see what had happened. "What happened?" Coach Kang asked, his face showing concern.

"I'm alright" Na-hee said, her voice shaky. "A ball just got thrown into my head." She slowly sat up next to Cheong-san, who was still close, ready to help her.

"What do you mean 'just'? That looked like it hurt a lot!" Dae-su said, his eyes moving between Na-hee and Wu-jin, who stood nearby, his face full of worry.

"Yah! Wu-jin, your wife is in trouble!" Dae-su teased, half-serious. Wu-jin quickly shutted Dae-su's mouth, quickly turned his attention back to Na-hee, worry creeping onto his expression.

"Hey, help me stand, Na-hee!" Cheong-san said, and the group carefully helped her to her feet.

"See? I'm fine! You guys need to stop overreacting!" Na-hee insisted, but the slight wince on her face showed she was not completely okay.

"Na-hee, if Na-yeon were here, she'd be mad at us for letting you get hurt. You're not fine." Su-hyeok said softly, gently holding her hand. Cheong-san noticed this and felt a pang of jealousy, but he pushed it aside, focusing on Na-hee's well-being.

"Na-hee, I'll take you to the nurse" Cheong-san offered.

"Move!" Gyeong-su interjected, his tone scolding but laced with concern. "Are you okay, Na-hee? You were caught up in the dodgeball!"

"Gyeong-su, stop," Joon-yeong said, placing a hand over Na-hee's head as if to check for any signs of injury.

Cheong-san shook his head, determined. He turned to Coach Kang. "Coach, I'll take her to the nurse," he stated, and Coach Kang nodded in agreement, recognizing the seriousness of the situation.

"You can't make me go!" Na-hee protested, her stubbornness shining through despite the evident discomfort in her eyes.

Cheong-san just shook his head at her. Without waiting for her to argue more, he gently picked her up in his arms, ignoring her protests. The others were surprised by his sudden action, feeling a mix of admiration and jealousy.

Meanwhile, Gwi-nam, who had been watching the scene unfold from the window of his classroom, felt his fists tighten in frustration. Unable to hold back his anger, he slammed his fist on the table, making a loud noise that drew everyone's attention.

"What are you all looking at?" he snapped, his voice angry, but inside, he couldn't shake off the feeling of jealousy and anger that bubbled up inside him.

The jealousy was growing, and their admiration for Na-hee became stronger than ever. What started as simple admiration was turning into an obsession, and Gwi-nam was the first to feel it. He couldn't stop thinking about her, replaying every moment they shared in his mind. He wanted to be near her all the time, trying to understand everything about her. His friends noticed how different he was, how his eyes lit up whenever her name was mentioned. They felt a mix of worry and curiosity as they watched his feelings for her become more intense.

⊹܀☙❦☙܀܀