Chapter 126: Chapter 126
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A moment after, Kim Hye Hill and the other girls went up to my room and called out my name. With a nod, I wore my shoes roughly before leaving.
The lights of the building weren’t entirely open, so the bottom of the stairs was pitch black like I was looking at a lump of enlarged coal from out of a monster’s mouth. As I slowly descended the staircase while feeling each step I took with the sole of my feet, the brightly glowing auditorium over the yard came into my sight.
Scattered stars shone in the lilac evening sky. The breeze was cold enough for summer.
I, then, furrowed my eyes when I saw the person on stage.
‘What the… why is that b.a.s.t.a.r.d over there?’ When those thoughts came into my mind, Yoon Jung In, who was on the stage, saw me and yelled at the mic.
“Latecomers! Go run five laps on the track!”
The burst of laughter around us reached the high ceiling of the auditorium. Most of the students already arrived and gathered inside.
The girls seemed to be running late since they picked me up. Kim Hye Hill, who was wearing the same baseball cap that she wore yesterday, lifted her hand then flipped it off to Yoon Jung In. People then burst out laughing again.
“Dude! Is she your girlfriend?! Mad pretty!”
Someone shouted those words from among the boisterous laughter. Before I joined the queue of Cla.s.s 1-8, I glanced around. There I saw a fuss over a boy at Cla.s.s 1-4. I turned my head to look back at the stage again.
Wearing the same comfortable outfit as before, Yoon Jung-in, who was holding the mic, looked well-suited for his role as a host since he was handsome and decent-looking. It was indeed a novelty to be able to amuse the beholders just by standing there.
When a pale light poured down with a thud, Yoon Jung In smiled playfully and bowed 90 degrees to this side. He then stood up straight again and spoke to the people in the auditorium.
“Good evening. This is Yoon Jung In, the host for tonight’s retreat talent show.”
When he finished his introduction, mysterious roars burst out from everywhere. As I stepped back in surprise, Kim Hye Hill, in front, grinned. Kim Hye Woo was also standing beside her before I even knew it.
Someone then placed their hand on my shoulder, so I looked back. It was Yi Ruda. She stared at me with a smile.
“Hey?” I said.
“Everything good?”
“Uh-huh. We don’t need to rehea.r.s.e anymore, do we?”
“Dude, please no more. We’re gonna puke again,” kids in the back said sulkily.
Yi Ruda and I then sat as per Yoon Jung In’s request. Most of the kids looked at Yoon Jung In, who had a full circle of acquaintances, with twinkling eyes as if they knew him well. They fixed their trustful gaze at him regardless of his verbal diarrhea on stage.
“Um, there must be many of you who was wondering why I am the host tonight instead of the student president. In my point of view, it’s because… I’m handsome.”
“Boo!”
“Get him off the stage!”
Many kids yelled out those comments, but no one really attempted to drag him out of the stage. Yoon Jung In laughed like crazy and took out a long, vertically folded paper from his pocket. He then waved it in the air. My attention followed that paper spontaneously.
The air blew a hot streak of breeze on my face as I smelled the mixture of the odor of old trees and sweat coming from somewhere. Scratching his cheek, Yoon Jung In continued his speech.
“So, everyone, this paper is a list of team names for the talent show; however, the list is not arranged in order, which means that I can choose which team goes first.”
When Yoon Jung In said that, a loud commotion of people booing burst out through the heated air. Kim Hye Hill, who was in front, smiled while hanging her head down, and s.h.i.+n Suh Hyun sighed while resting his chin on his hand. Meanwhile, Yoon Jung In stretched his hand out to make a dissuading gesture.
He cleared his throat twice then kept on his speech with a wink.
“Oh, of course, I was joking. I can choose which teams go first, but it’s life-threatening… so, let’s do a quick game.”
“What?”
“Is he talking about his own idea or based on the script?”
The Kim twins asked one after another. They both looked at each other for a while before turning their heads towards the stage. It seemed that they also couldn’t find the answer.
Both of their round backs looked alike under the lighting. Their outlandishly jet-black hair, white necks, and overall vibes were strangely serene. As I stared at them, Yoon Jung In spoke further.
“The game will be… ahem… endurance game!”
Kids, who sat down on their comfortable postures, stretched their bodies a bit out to the front while frowning. Regardless of the overall attention, Yoon Jung In continued to explain the game with a straight pose.
“Each cla.s.s will send out a girl and a boy on the stage. When I say ‘Go!” the boy will hold the girl like a princess. The cla.s.s who has the first couple to collapse will be the first cla.s.s to perform on stage. The couple who would endure until the very end will be the last cla.s.s who will perform on the stage. Clear?”
“Yessss!!!”
“Then, those from each cla.s.s, please come out to the front. Ready?!”
While waving the vertically-folded paper in the air, Yoon Jung In finished his explanation. It hyped up the kids in the auditorium.
Students in each cla.s.s stood and talked with a puzzled face. Cla.s.ses with a real couple, luckily, didn’t take much longer to decide whom they would send out. Therefore, a few couples went up to the stage while holding each other’s hands tightly.
Yoon Jung In shouted, “Come out, ASAP! The last cla.s.s to be on the stage will get minus 100!”
“Gosh, what should we do?”
“Hey, who’s gonna be up for our cla.s.s?”
“Oppa, should we be on the stage?” Kim Hye Hill asked while gently pulling her brother’s short sleeves. Kim Hye Woo then responded with a grimace.
“We won’t be embarra.s.sed to play the game, but you know, I’m weak when it comes to strength-related activities.”
As soon as he said that, Yoon Jung In shouted from the stage.
“Oh, yeah, and Cla.s.s 1-8! Just in case, do not send the Kim twins up on the stage! Kim Hye Woo would collapse within 10 seconds if he held Kim Hye Hill!”
“Dude, I’m not that weak, though!”
Kim Hye Woo yelled at him with a burst of anger. Still, well… he didn’t seem to hear the protestation because of how noisy it was inside the auditorium. I tiptoed to glance at the stage.
Except for two or three other cla.s.ses, the stage already had ‘couples’ that would represent their cla.s.ses. Among them, the most outstanding couple was Kwon Eun Hyung and Ban Yeo Ryung, who stood at the corner, holding their hands.
Doing an up-do with her s.h.i.+ny black hair, Ban Yeo Ryung revealed her white marble-like neck under the stage lights. She boasted about her long and slim limbs under her T-s.h.i.+rt and shorts.
Kwon Eun Hyung, who was standing beside her, wore jet-black sweat pants and a white T-s.h.i.+rt on top. Honestly, he looked better when he dressed formally, such as wearing suits or a school uniform. His twinkling red hair and sweetly s.h.i.+ning green eyes were, however, attractive enough to draw admiration from others.
As I stared at them, I heard other boys talking beside me.
“Hey, Yi Ruda is strong.”
“Really?”
“Then let’s send Yi Ruda up there. What about the girl? Anyone who’s not heavy, please apply!”
“We don’t have much time!”
It was then when someone’s hand overlapped onto mine. As I turned my head to look at the person in surprise, I saw that Yi Ruda was staring at me with an ambiguous grin on her face.
I asked, “Why?”
“I would like to go up there with you.”
“I… I’m not that light.”
“Hey, don’t hesitate. You’re light enough!”
Someone said those words out loud. ‘No, my bones are quite big and heavy…’ I rolled my eyeb.a.l.l.s with that thought in mind, but soon, I glanced back at the stage in a hurry. Oh, my gosh. Every cla.s.s was up there except for two cla.s.ses. I pulled Yi Ruda’s hand in a flash.
“Yi Ruda, come on! Let go up to the stage.”
“Yeah.”
Yi Ruda put on an unexpectedly relaxed smile before following me quietly. As we jumped up onto the stage in a hurry, a boy and a girl came up the stage at the same time.
I glanced at Yoon Jung In. He pointed us with his finger and pretended to blow a whistle. ‘Shoot!’ When I tried to scowl at him, I heard a small shriek from the side. I turned my head to see who it was, and there stood Ban Yeo Ryung.
“Hey! Why are you here with Donnie?!”
Ban Yeo Ryung was screaming at him in a fury.