Chapter 11 : Chapter 11

Before I entered this body, I had already distanced myself from exercise.

Even as a child, I couldn't understand why kids ran around playing or why they eagerly ran out to kick a ball during PE class.

I especially couldn't understand people who claimed jogging was their hobby, those who found joy in cycling, or the ones who practically lived at the gym every chance they got.

Sure, I get that taking care of your body is a good thing.

It's good for your health, and on top of that, muscles look good too.

But I never felt like I needed to do it.

To be blunt, my original face wasn't something you could call handsome.

Even if I trained my muscles somehow—assuming I could actually do that—would I have been able to get a lover?

That thought crossed my mind.

There was no one to impress, so I didn't see any reason to bother.

That's why I didn't bother exercising.

And working out is just suffering for no reason anyway. I hated suffering.

I hated it—

So why am I running so hard right now?

"Come on, just a little more! You can do it! You can do it!"

It was none other than Nam Da-un, with his yellow hair, keeping pace beside me, shouting encouragingly as I struggled to move my legs.

Unlike the other club captains who flatly rejected me the moment they saw me, Nam Da-un had clicked his tongue when he saw me, as if I was unpleasant.

Yet here he was, teaching me with extreme enthusiasm.

If you didn't like me, you could've just rejected me!

Why are you taking this so seriously?

Did he think I was a total beginner after seeing me in gym clothes?

Was he suddenly filled with the desire to train me like an expert?

But seriously, why am I here running like this?

When I came to my senses, I realized it wasn't just Nam Da-un running beside me.

Yoo Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah were also matching my slow pace, their movements just as sluggish as mine.

Though they had taken a fitness test before me, they weren't shouting like Nam Da-un.

Still, the fact that they could keep up with me, even in that state, only meant I was incredibly slow.

It was humiliating.

From afar, students who I assumed were members of the soccer club were whispering and staring at me.

They were probably thinking they shouldn't approach me carelessly either.

I don't know much about Nam Da-un's backstory.

He wasn't a character the streamer targeted, and I didn't play If You Wish.

But aren't male leads in dating sims usually given certain traits?

They're typically handsome, popular with women regardless of their wealth, and often well-liked.

Well, Ye Sara wasn't too far from that title.

She was rich.

In fact, her wealth wasn't just abundant—it was transcendent.

Even the 5.7 percent that Ye Sara would inherit was enough to devour Korea's second-largest conglomerate.

I suspect Homyeong Group pursued the engagement not just for that personal inheritance share.

Compared to Ye Sara's crazy status, Yoon Da-ho's nickname as Homyeong Group's "Crown Prince" was almost laughable.

There's a reason Yoon Da-ho shut his mouth when I called him a commoner last time.

Ye Sara was pretty too.

Honestly, putting aside her figure, no one else I'd met so far had a face that surpassed the one I saw in the mirror every day—Ye Sara's face.

It was hard to judge Yoo Ha-neul since her face was always covered, but Lee Soo-ah, one of the heroines, was at least comparable to Ye Sara.

Of course, both Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Ha-neul had much better figures than Ye Sara.

She might even be popular.

This is just my guess, but the people around Ye Sara probably stayed away for various reasons.

Still, it wouldn't be surprising if a few people admired her from afar.

If you thought of her as a cold, untouchable flower on a cliff, she might even seem mysterious.

But that doesn't mean she was well-liked.

Ye Sara had very few people she interacted with.

In fact, if I hadn't entered this body and allowed Yoo Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah to approach, she probably still wouldn't have had a single friend.

So naturally, there was no one to help her out in times like this.

That's right.

They were helping me.

"Come on, just a bit more! You're only a few steps away now!"

Nam Da-un kept shouting enthusiastically beside me as I panted heavily.

It was clear that he genuinely wanted to help me improve my stamina.

It didn't feel like he was doing it half-heartedly or trying to torment me.

It was the complete opposite of when he clicked his tongue at me earlier.

Of course, that didn't make me happy at all.

"I…can't…go…anymore…"

In the end, completely exhausted, I stopped moving my legs.

I collapsed to the ground.

Luckily, the ground wasn't sand, but a urethane surface, so it didn't hurt much.

I stayed down, supporting myself with my hands on the ground.

Saliva dripped from my mouth, but I didn't have the energy to wipe it.

"Hmph."

Nam Da-un, who had been watching me, didn't seem tired at all.

Well, considering how hard I ran without gaining any speed, I guess that makes sense.

"You at least made it around once."

…That's all? After all that running, I'd only gone around once?

I looked up in disbelief, only to meet Nam Da-un's eyes.

"Chit."

As soon as our eyes met, Nam Da-un clicked his tongue again.

Why?

If you have a reason, could you at least tell me?

He's one of the original male leads, one of the reasons for Ye Sara's downfall.

When he acts like this, I can't help but feel anxious.

"Well, whatever."

Nam Da-un said that and looked away from me, turning his gaze toward Yoo Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah.

"To be honest, I can't let this one join. It's not just soccer—she can't even run properly."

…..

Hearing it like that made me mad, even if it was true.

"Besides, from the way you guys brought her, it doesn't seem like she had any intention of joining in the first place."

Nam Da-un sighed deeply, scratching the back of his head.

It annoyed me, but it suited him.

You could put him in a teen romance drama without worrying about story logic.

If anyone asked, you could just say, "His face is the logic," and move on.

Yoon Da-ho?

He'd probably be criticized even before the drama aired because of his personality.

"Still, if she's determined to keep going, I can help her with basic stamina training. Just coming here every day and running like this will improve her stamina."

Doing this… every day…?

Is he trying to kill me?

I looked up at Yoo Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah, hoping for help—

"That's great!"

"Let's practice together every day!"

But all I got were those kinds of responses.

Finally, I looked at Nam Da-un again.

Didn't you make it clear every time we met that you didn't like me?

Why are you being strangely kind now?

But when our eyes met, Nam Da-un quickly looked away.

Seriously, what's with him?

*

In the end, despite my own will, it was decided that I'd come here every day for stamina training.

If you think about it, I had come here on my own, and there weren't many people in this school willing to engage in a conversation with me.

Considering that, Nam Da-un seemed like a pretty decent person.

Because of him, I could also guess a little more about my sixth sense.

So far, the only people whose faces "glowed" were those who spoke to Ye Sara.

Of course, Yoon Da-ho and Yang Hye-in had that glow too.

But Yoon Da-ho wasn't exactly a "good" person, and Yang Hye-in was my personal maid.

So, did the glow only appear for people who could help me?

But that wouldn't explain why Ye Sara hated Yoo Ha-neul.

Or was Yoo Ha-neul so unpleasant that she ignored her sixth sense?

….

Anyway, thinking about it now won't give me any answers.

Besides, I'm Ye Sara now.

"Well, thank you very much."

I wasn't really grateful, but I bowed out of courtesy.

After all, they had helped me with my workout.

I'd seen comments online from newbies joking that they'd love to get free personal training from muscleheads.

This wasn't the same, but it was probably something I should appreciate.

…Even though my legs were still trembling and my shoulders were stiff, at least I'd learned something about my sixth sense.

That was a relief.

"Thank you!"

"Please take care of us!"

Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Ha-neul responded energetically.

"Uh, yeah."

Nam Da-un replied, his hands still in his uniform pockets, glancing away awkwardly.

Come to think of it, he's still wearing his uniform.

Does he not have gym clothes?

"…"

"…"

A brief, awkward silence followed.

"Well, we'll be going now."

Only after I said that did Nam Da-un respond.

"Oh, yeah. Sure."

I turned around immediately.

Of course, I stumbled slightly as I turned.

My legs were about to give out.

Luckily, Yoo Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah supported me, so I didn't collapse after just running a single lap.

…But still, running laps in a soccer club instead of a track team?

Isn't that a little strange?

That thought crossed my mind as we left.

*

"Hey, Da-un!"

It wasn't until Ye Sara's figure disappeared in the distance that the soccer club captain, who had been watching from afar as if terrified, ran over.

"Are you out of your mind!? How could you bring Ye Sara here? Do you want the entire club to be disbanded?"

The captain was bigger than Nam Da-un.

With his huge build, he looked like someone no one would dare approach.

Yet, he'd been watching from far away, too scared to come close to a mere first-year girl.

"Are you really scared of a first-year brat?"

Nam Da-un asked, looking incredulous.

The captain trembled.

One of the other members, who had been standing far away with the captain, spoke up.

"Of course we're scared! Everyone who got close to her ended up cursed! My parents told me to stay far away from her!"

"Haven't you heard? They call her a walking curse."

"…"

Nam Da-un had been attending Hwayoung Foundation's schools since elementary school.

It wasn't like he hadn't heard of it.

No, more accurately, he knew.

Because he still remembered the anxious eyes of a girl who had looked up at him, trembling.

Even though they'd lost contact long ago.

"Well, whatever. Just so you know, she's weak. Seeing her in front of me is frustrating."

"Hey! Just because you're the ace, don't think you can act like—!"

"Well, whether she's a curse or not, we'll find out soon enough."

"Hey—!"

"I can't hear you. Can't hear you. Captain, aren't we slacking too much on practice now that school's started?"

In the end, the captain, despite being a senior, could only clutch the back of his neck in frustration.