“Shi-dan, hurry up.”
I chased after In-sae. It felt like it had been a while since I walked home with In-sae.
The way home wasn’t dark anymore. The sunset was just beginning. As expected, long daylight is nice. It really feels like spring.
I tried blocking the slowly setting sun with my hand. When I lowered my hand again, the sunlight pricked my eyes sharply.
I stopped briefly while looking at the red traffic light like the sunset. After the light changed to green, I crossed the intersection.
I stopped in front of the alley leading to my house. In-sae needs to go straight a bit further to his house. I prepared to say goodbye in advance.
“You!”
A clear girl’s voice stabbed precisely into my ears. A silhouette of what looked like a middle schooler came running from the alley. It’s my younger sister Dan-a.
“Five Great Kings-nim, huff. You saw the fight in person, right?”
Dan-a spoke while catching her breath.
“Tell me quickly. How was it? How was it?”
Dan-a grabbed and shook me as she spoke. In-sae next to me casually dropped a comment.
“Photos of the Five Great Kings-nim fighting, 4,000 won each.”
With immediate reaction speed, Dan-a turned around. She immediately rummaged through her pockets and waved money around.
“Give me one right now.”
In-sae pulled out a photo from his chest with business-like kindness. By the way, fan club members bought those for 2,000 won.
“In-sae. You sold photos too? Since when exactly?”
“When I said I’d give you a photo last time.”
“Ah, the ribbon photo. Since then? That wasn’t long ago.”
While we briefly chatted, Dan-a snatched my bag and whispered in a rough voice.
“Photos are photos, but you have to tell me the story separately. Tell me in detail down to 0.1-second intervals.”
That day, Dan-a persistently interrogated me about the Five Great Kings all day long.
On Friday, the sky was gloomy from morning. The sky, cloudy as if covered in dust, repeatedly walked a tightrope as if it would rain at any moment. Perhaps dust had accumulated in my eyes too, because my eyes opened late today.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a very late time. Blinking numbers shone in the digital clock. I checked the time and barely dragged my drooping body up from my seat. Still, time-wise, I shouldn’t eat breakfast. I opened the door and asked.
“Is it supposed to rain?”
“The weather forecast didn’t say anything like that.”
Father spoke while watering the flowerpots. He put down the spray bottle on the table next to him and straightened his back. Then he stuck his head out to the veranda. Father also frowned while looking at the murky-colored sky.
“From the color of the sky, it does look like it might rain.”
***
“Everyone, we’re doing recreation during the school trip.”
The class president came in during break time carrying a pile of papers and shouted. At the same time, all the kids went quiet as mice. The class president sighed while watching the kids rolling their eyes around and reading the room.
It seemed they’d completely forgotten about the school trip with exams and everything. And of course they wouldn’t have thought about recreation on top of that. The class president put down the pile of papers on the teacher’s desk. He took out one sheet from the pile and showed it.
The kids sitting in front informed us it was the school trip itinerary paper. The class president spoke with a seriously hardened expression.
“We need to decide who will participate.”
“Naturally it should be the Five Great Kings-nim, right? If they just say one word, it’s a pass.”
At someone’s point, fan club kids answered noisily from here and there. Even though the Five Great Kings themselves were in the back, the kids were cheerfully exchanging opinions. They’re fine even hearing praise right in front of them.
“Let’s at least try asking them.”
I interjected subtly. The kids seemed to want it so much that I had no choice but to interject. Their heads turned at once and the kids swarmed toward me.
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
“Let’s all ask them together!”
Lee Seung said while hitting his desk. But besides that, I don’t know why everyone’s swarming around my desk. Being stuck in the second row, I felt stuffy caught among the kids who had gathered. Hee-ae also seemed flustered and was shrinking back.
Then In-sae naturally redirected attention and spoke.
“They’re right next to us. Say it now.”
“Um…”
Each one shyly averted their eyes and stammered. It seemed like they couldn’t say anything at all, so unable to watch any longer, I started it off.
“Will you come out for the school trip recreation?”
Once I spoke, the kids’ words burst forth like a flood. They all chattered away at a distance that was neither too far nor too close. No matter how you looked at it, the twins who were born for the stage showed a reaction first.
“Han-gyeol is good! I’ll dance with Ye-gyeol!”
“Um, um. Nam-hwi… nim too.”
Hee-ae bravely asked a question first. It was remarkable progress from the entrance ceremony. I looked at Hee-ae with admiring eyes. That Hee-ae who used to tremble so much has become much braver now. Nam-hwi deliberated on Hee-ae’s question for a while.
“I’m so lacking, would it be okay?”
“If that person is lacking, then what am I?”
A kid right next to me whispered. Who are you again to whisper in my ear, I was really startled.
“But if it’s okay, I’ll do it.”
At the finally spit-out answer, the kids shouted in joy. No one approached Han Yeo-wol because he looked like he’d chew someone up, and Ban Eun-gyeol surprisingly agreed easily.
“Will Han Cho-yeon-nim participate?”
Given Cho-yeon’s personality, he won’t be able to refuse if the kids ask like this. The kids who I thought only knew how to cheer in front of the Five Great Kings are now making direct requests too. I shed tears of emotion with a parent’s heart.
The kids now looked at Cho-yeon with even more confident faces. Cho-yeon speaking awkwardly had his eyebrows drooping down a bit.
“What, what do I do?”
You’re sitting behind me so you heard everything…
The kids competed to explain at Cho-yeon’s words. Several eyes sparkling with excitement rushed at Cho-yeon. He quickly blushed his face, befitting the original male lead. How does he do that, it’s fascinating. Cho-yeon was hesitating and couldn’t easily piece together the words.
“Um, um. Ah.”
“If it’s okay, please don’t say anything!”
Who just said that? You’ve got Han Cho-yeon’s personality down perfectly.
“…”
As expected, at those words Cho-yeon’s mouth twitched and he ultimately fell silent. At the kids’ happy expressions, Cho-yeon covered his face with his hands. I turned my gaze from staring at Cho-yeon to the kids and smiled refreshingly. I feel proud.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
Again, who knows when he came, a short boy screamed in a high-pitched voice from the hallway. The crowd noisily swarmed. Even though the hallway was completely noisy, the teachers calmly walked out. Amazing.
The kids belatedly calmed down from their excitement and their complexions worsened one by one as they touched their foreheads or necks. The kids quietly murmured that they felt like they were going to collapse. Someone sobbed that they dared to make such a request to the Five Great Kings-nim and even experienced receiving their consent.
I sighed while feeling my ears go numb from the pouring cheers. I handed tissue from my bag to a crying fan club member. The class president standing next to me suddenly said.
“If the Five Great Kings-nim hadn’t accepted, I was going to make you do it. What a shame.”
No? Why is it a shame? I don’t know what you heard.
“That would have been fun too though.”
“Right, it would have been good if Shi-dan went out too.”
“Me?”
I barely squeezed that out in bewilderment. The kids still gathered around spoke with faces full of amusement. Our kids who I thought were angels suddenly look evil.
“We were going to put a wig on a kid like you, dress you in a skirt and send you out.”
“If we told you about a day before, you wouldn’t have had a choice either.”
How did they know? That guy who asked about Cho-yeon earlier with sharp accuracy, it’s you. The kids patted my shoulder and spoke brightly.
“Even if not as much as the Five Great Kings-nim, you would have been worth watching.”
“Just sit still this time. Be prepared for next time.”
Can’t you not do it next time either, not just this time?
“Know that it’s your turn for the second semester school trip.”
The kids added one comment each. I tried to process what I just heard. In the midst of it all, planning to tell me when there are only a few days left is intelligent. How did they know I wouldn’t be able to refuse if they did that? I barely asked one question.
“Worth watching?”
I don’t know what “a kid like you” means either. In the midst of this, did they just announce they’re going to send me out in the second semester? The kids returning to their seats looked at me at the question and fell into a brief silence. I flinched at the gaze that seemed to slowly sweep over me.
“Yeah. A bit.”
In-sae answered dryly. In-sae, I trusted you. Hee-ae quietly took out chocolate from the side and pressed it into my hand.
“Originally, putting a skirt on a handsome kid rather than a pretty kid…”
At someone’s muttering to themselves, I shrank greatly. I timidly objected.
“Wouldn’t In-sae be better for a handsome person?”
“We can’t persuade him.”
I looked around at the kids with a delicate expression and asked.
“Are you really going to make me do it in the second semester?”
“Then do you want to do it now?”
“I’m sorry.”
Han Cho-yeon, don’t make that ‘not bad’ expression behind me. I saw everything while looking around at the kids. Even if you make an expressionless face now, you’re already caught. I tried to resign myself while eating one of the chocolates Hee-ae gave me, then asked once more.
“I’m going to run away then. Then there’s nothing you can do, right?”
“In-sae. You know, right?”
Lee Seung exchanged glances with In-sae. Don’t do that. In-sae is so good at finding me, it’s scary because running away seems useless.
“I know.”
In-sae, don’t waste that good voice.
“Hee-ae…”
Even Hee-ae avoided eye contact. Are you in favor too? Hee-ae, I trusted you too.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
Possible Shi-dan crossdressing???? I’M IN
Oh, boy hahahaha good luck 😁