Chapter CXVI - Gym Class

While getting dressed up in the locker room, preparing for PE, Irene couldn’t help but overhear the girls talking about Arthur and her. It wasn’t negative for a change, but she considered it to be likely the result of her presence.

“Maybe he’s changed if Irene’s interested in him.”

“Interested? They’re already dating.”

“But what about Jun?”

“Why don’t we just ask?” asked Cho, one of their classmates, before slowly approaching Irene. “Hey, Irene?”

“What’s up?” Irene glanced at her before bending over to tie her shoes.

“We were wondering if it’s true or not that you used to date Jun?” She was pretty straightforward.

“Where’d you hear that?” Irene asked, letting a sigh escape her.

“Friend of a friend.”

“And you don’t trust your friend?” Irene looked up, hearing some of the girls giggle.

“So it’s true, huh. . . That’s pretty awesome. To think you dated a movie star.”

“Right. . .” Irene stood up, stretching her arms, refusing to call them out on their bullshit that she had overheard a few times.

“Aren’t we doing a fitness test today?” asked Yon, one of Cho’s friends. “Won’t we get to see how the boys do?”

“Jun’s totally gonna smoke them,” said Jeong, a pretty brunette that often hung out with them and was usually quiet, spoke up.

“Totally. No other guy in our class stands a chance,” Yon claimed.

“Don’t forget Tjay’s actually at school,” Eun Ae joined the conversation, albeit a bit timidly, as she turned to Nabi. “Right, Nabi?”

“Huh?” Nabi got caught completely off guard. “I’m sure he’ll do fine, but why ask me?”

“Don’t you like. . . have a crush on him or something?” Cho asked, running her fingers through her short black hair.

“W–what?!” Nabi became flustered, unable to look at her.

“So obvious. . .” Yon giggled, tying her hair back.

“What about your boyfriend?” Cho turned to Irene. “He’s been looking fitter than ever. . . Good job getting him in shape.”

“What does his fitness have to do with me?” Irene rolled her eyes, turning to her locker and folding her clothes.

“I’m sure it doesn’t.” Cho stuck with her sarcasm which she often used in class. “But do you think he’ll do good?”

“No idea,” Irene mumbled, hoping to bail as soon as possible.

“I’m sure Jun’s gonna try and one-up him to get your attention. You broke up, but there’s no denying he’s amazing, right?”

“Sure, he’s great, but this isn’t some K-drama.” Irene never looked back, zipping her bag up with her phone resting in the outer pocket.

“If you got no lingering feelings for him, you wouldn’t mind introducing me to him, would you?” Cho asked, but the sudden laughter coming from Moon stole their attention.

Moon hadn’t said anything since they arrived in the locker room, finding herself surrounded by a dozen girls she didn’t know. However, there wasn’t a single classmate of hers that didn’t get caught glancing at her, be it her stunning looks, delinquent appearance, strange and outgoing attitude, or simply casual interest.

“What’s so funny?” Cho asked, turning her soft gaze into a glare.

“You think an average-ass girl like you has any chance with him? You can’t even pull the so-called losers.” Moon turned with her hands crossed and a smug grin.

“Don’t act like you know me,” Cho stood her ground, staring her dead in the eye.

“With a big mouth like yours, it’s hard not to. . .” Moon teased, clicking her tongue a few times. “Still. . . To think you’d ask a girl for help when you called her boyfriend a loser.”

“You’re just bullshitting now.” Cho’s confidence made it hard to tell if she lied or not. “Think you can come in here and start shit? How’d you even enroll in our school?”

“Tryna change subject? What? Afraid she’s gonna find out what you said?” Moon kept taunting. “What was it you said again?” Moon cleared her throat, taking a moment to try and impersonate Cho’s voice. “She’s totally pity dating suicide boy, thinking she can fix him.”

Irene slammed the locker shut, silencing everyone, even the ones who didn’t partake in the conversation and were either minding their business or listening in secretly.

“Moon, that’s enough,” Irene warned, letting out a sigh.

“Whatever.” Moon rolled her eyes, throwing one last glance at Cho.

“Irene, it’s not true. She’s lying,” Cho pleaded innocent. “You’re not gonna believe her, are you?”

“Doesn’t really matter. I’ve heard rumors, and I’d like them to stop. That’s all.” Irene took a step past Cho and looked at Nabi. “Ready to go?”

Nabi looked awkward as everyone started looking at her. “Yeah. . .”

“Oh, and Cho. It’s probably not the best idea to have someone’s ex introduce you to them. I mean, think about it,” Irene pointed out before stepping into the gymnasium with Nabi.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the court, the boys were getting their height and weight measured before undergoing a fitness test consisting of numerous tasks.

“Let’s see. . . Hundred and eighty centimeters and seventy-six KG? You’ve improved a lot, Arthur,” the PE Teacher complimented, writing it down in his notebook. “Alright, next!”

Walking back to his friends, Arthur felt Tjay’s hand grab his shoulder.

“Hundred and eighty? Did you grow a little?” Tjay chuckled. “Third tallest ain’t bad. Right, Max?”

“Suck it, dumbass.” Max showed him the middle finger, annoyed by the height difference.

“Sorry, what was that? Can’t hear you from up here.” Tjay teased, being the tallest at a hundred eighty-seven and Jun being second at a hundred eighty-four.

“What are you complaining about?” Don asked Max, looking at the ground in disappointment.

“Haven’t hit one seventy?” Max asked.

“One off. . .” Don sighed before looking at Max again. “So yeah, go complain somewhere else.”

“Sorry, dude.” Max chuckled, scratching his head.

“Wait, Max. What’d you get?” Arthur asked, knowing he wasn’t noticeably shorter.

“One seventy-six. . .” Max mumbled.

“What’s that?” Tjay leaned closer jokingly.

“You fell a lot as a kid, didn’t you?” Max squinted at Tjay, making even Don snicker.

“Alright, listen up!” the Teacher demanded attention. “We’ll be starting with pushups. You’ll be doing as many as you can within a minute, okay?” He sighed, hearing the students huff and moan. “Kids these days. . .”

Looking at others, Arthur figured the average was among the guys, with a few exceptions, such as Tjay, who managed to do forty-nine with proper form. On the other hand, Don did the worst, doing only seven before failing to lift himself. It wasn’t until Max stepped up with Arthur and Jun waiting behind him that the girls began watching.

“Good luck,” Arthur whispered, tapping Max’s shoulder.

“Thirty’s good, right?” Max asked, stepping before the teacher.

The timer started, and Max gave it his all, scoring thirty-nine after a few were deducted for lack of form. Overall, he looked satisfied with his score, stepping aside for Arthur to take his place. Irene, just like the other girls, took great interest in how they’d do while having their measurements taken.

“Ready?” the Teacher asked, looking at his stopwatch.

“Yeah.” Arthur got into position.

“How many do you think he’ll get?” Irene overheard Jeong whispering.

“Dunno? Like forty?” Yon guessed.

“More than Max?”

Irene sighed, softening her gaze as her boyfriend began doing pushups, understanding that Yon’s estimate was a bit high.

When he did thirty, she proudly smiled and turned away before she could overhear comments from those who didn’t understand the hardship Arthur endured; however, she ended up backing into Moon.

Tight-lipped and with her gaze averted, she mumbled, “Sorry. . .”

“What’s wrong with you?” Moon looked puzzled, ignoring the fact Irene bumped into her. “Don’t tell me you’re sulking over what I said in the locker room?”

“What? No.” Irene shook her head, dropping her gaze again.

“Well, it’s either that or you’re sad I’m taller than you.”

“You are?” Irene raised an eyebrow, taking a good look at Moon.

“Last time I checked, a hundred and sixty-six is greater than a hundred and sixty-four, but I guess it’s negligible.” Moon chuckled, trying to get a reaction out of Irene.

“I see. . .” Irene dropped her gaze again without mentioning Moon’s attentiveness, much to Moon’s annoyance.

“Hey you two. . .” Nabi said, walking up to them.

“You done?” Irene asked.

“Yeah, but aren’t you gonna watch the guys? They’re about to do the standing long jump.”

“Next!” their teacher yelled as Max stepped up.

With his feet shoulder-width apart, Max bent his knees slightly, jumping farthest thus far, two meters and twenty-three centimeters, earning quite a few cheers from his fellow classmates and even some of the girls secretly crushing on him.

Tjay was up next, but he didn’t sound too satisfied with his result. “Dammit! Can I try again?”

“No. . .” PE Teacher shook his head. “Maybe if we end early, then you can have another go.”

“Okay. . .” Tjay turned to others, noticing Max’s grin. “Wipe that shit off your face. It’s only by five.”

“Sounds like an excuse to me. Ain’t that right, Don?” Tjay grabbed Don around the shoulder.

“Don’t bring me into this. . .” Don pulled away, looking nervous as he hadn’t jumped yet.

“Next!”

Jun stepped up, grabbing everyone’s attention.

“Let’s see what our movie star can do,” Moon said, feeling a few stabbing glares aimed at her.

“Go, Jun!” Cho yelled, forcing Moon to step to the side while looking disturbed by Cho’s penetrating voice.

Taking a deep breath and swinging his arms back, Jun lept as far as he could, reaching a staggering distance that left others awed.

“Two meters and forty-one centimeters!” PE Teacher looked genuinely excited for the first time, looking at Jun with admiration. “That’s a new school record!”

Cheers echoed through the gymnasium as most of them were fangirling over him, but the hype died down as Jun stepped away with a coy smirk, giving Arthur a chance to go next.

“Impressive. . .” Tjay mumbled, grunting in pain a second later as Max elbowed his side.

“Next!”

Irene again shifted her attention toward her boyfriend with a meek smile as he wasn’t looking, fidgeting with her hair.

“That’s tough to beat without cheating,” Moon commented, thinking Arthur would try and beat Jun without using Qi.

“Cheating?” Nabi furrowed her brows. “Art ain’t the type.”

“Figure of speech. . .” Moon played it off.

“Two meters and eight,” the PE Teacher announced, underwhelmed after witnessing Jun’s jump.

“Told ya. My Jun’s simply better.” Cho whispered to Yon.

“Your Jun? Getting a bit ahead of yourself, huh?” Yon chuckled, but both averted their gaze awkwardly after realizing they were being loud based on Nabi’s quick glance.

Irene formed a fist and tightened her grip, preventing herself from cheering Arthur to try harder, worried he might exert himself too much when already exhausted. She wasn’t bothered by what others had to say about her, but hearing them talk about someone close to her was infuriating.

While others expected Arthur to do worse than Jun, Moon couldn’t help but look suspiciously. However, thanks to Don, the comparison between the two quickly stopped as the class nerd fell after jumping one meter eighty-four.

Feeling embarrassed, Don walked back to his friends, who cheered him on regardless, scornfully looking at everyone trying to make fun of him.

Next was a thirty-five-meter sprint at which everyone had the right to go three times. The first round ended quickly, with Jun in first place with five seconds. Tjay and Max stuck close with a tenth of a second slower, while Arthur slugged behind at six seconds, nearly matching Don’s time.

“Dammit!” Tjay yelled as he finished his second run. “Five two. . . How was I slower?”

“Tell me about it.” Max sighed, tying his shoes as he ran five-three on his second try.

“Four-eight!” PE Teacher announced, looking back at Jun, who just succeeded in setting a first sub-five time. “Good job, Jun. Knock off another tenth of a second, and you’ll match the school record.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll try my best to beat it next time.” Jun bowed slightly before walking back to the group, his eyes glancing over Arthur with slight disappointment gleaming in them.

Arthur was aware everyone was watching, but whenever he was up next, he’d look at Irene, and she’d greet him with a winsome smile, which was enough for him. His second time was only slightly better, managing a five-eight time.

“Irene,” Moon called her by her name, a surprising change which she did admittedly ask for.

“Hmm?” Irene turned slowly, failing to show a smile when he wasn’t looking.

“Go wash up.” Moon surprised her with a suggestion. “Don’t know what’s going on with you two, but worry doesn’t fit your stubborn ass.”

“Look who’s talking. . .” Irene glared, unamused by Moon’s persistent need to talk.

“The spite’s there, but it’s not the same with that depressing look on your face. Just wash up. . .”

Irene sighed but went along with Moon’s suggestion, leaving the gymnasium for a bit.

While Max was getting ready for his third attempt, Moon used the opportunity to walk up to Arthur, kicking the back of his foot.

“Oi, loser. Come here,” she demanded, taking a few steps back.

The others were too focused on Max, so they didn’t notice Arthur slipping away as he walked up to Moon, looking confused as to what she wanted. “What’s with the nickname?”

“Thought I’d keep calling you pretty boy when you turned out to be a loser?” Moon furrowed her brows. “Man, you’re disappointing.”

Glancing around, trying to find Irene, Arthur realized she wasn’t there, thus turning his full attention toward Moon. “I–is that why you came over?”

He could tell there was more to it, but her sharp tongue made it difficult to interpret her intentions.

“I get that you don’t want to cheat, but aren’t you acting a bit. . . pathetic?”

“Pathetic?” Arthur tilted his head like a puppy.

“I’ve seen you fight. . . Shouldn’t you be able to smoke them or at least do better?”

“Are you talking about the fitness test?”

“What else would I be talking about? Loser.”

“Drop the nickname. . .” Arthur said with a low voice, not falling for her provocation. “Why does it matter?”

“Umm. . . Your girlfriend’s watching?” Moon facepalmed. “You’re literally letting her ex stomp all over you, dumbass.”

”She’s not gonna change her mind over a fitness test. . .” Arthur sighed, shaking his head.

“Who the fuck is talking about blondie changing her mind? You’re straight-up acting like a walking L.” She matched his sigh, confusing him further. “If all you’re thinking about is how she feels, then shouldn’t you step it up?”

Moon’s voice started to attract attention as Tjay was preparing to go next, Max failing to beat his initial time.

“What are you talking about?” Arthur asked.

“Holy shit. . . How dense can you be?” Moon sighed yet again, taking a step closer, whispering, “She might know you can do better, but she’ll still be thrilled to see her boyfriend shut everyone up by showing off a bit. . . Seriously, girls don’t like losers, and if you won’t do it for yourself, at least do it for her. Be a man.”

Her argument completely threw him off, as he had never considered showing off at school. Sophie told him early on to try not to stand out, but thus far, that plan had utterly failed. He tried his best not to let things get to him, struggling not to be absorbed by the environment and fall to their level, but his tarnished reputation was rubbing off on Irene, which he didn’t like.

Moon raised a valid question. If his plan wasn’t working, then why bother sticking to it?

Arthur closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking toward Moon again. “Thank you.”

Strangely, he felt as if he needed someone’s permission not to hold back. In truth, Arthur realized he was too used to doing what people said, following others’ orders for three lifetimes, and doing so yet again, even if the circumstances vastly differed.

“The fuck am I to do with your gratitude? Either go fucking do it or don’t. Poor girl’s stuck with a weak-ass delinquent.” Noticing Irene returned to the gymnasium, Moon turned away from him and started walking away. “Show us you’re not a loser, Loser.”

“Four-six! New school record!” The PE Teacher celebrated as Jun set yet another record.

Surrounded by cheering classmates, Jun made his way back only to meet Arthur’s gaze as the two swapped places.

“Honestly. . . I’m a bit disappointed,” Jun said quietly, avoiding being overheard by anyone other than Arthur.

“Is that so?” Arthur smirked, showing Jun a changed look in his eyes.

Arthur walked past him, stretching his shoulders back and cracking his neck.

“What did you talk about?” Irene struck up a conversation first with Moon.

“Jealous?” Moon teased, turning around. “Thank me later.”

Irene’s gaze quickly traced to Arthur as she saw a newfound drive within his eyes that sparked warmth within Irene, realizing a big change was coming their way.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.