* * *

Yoontae stood there, watching Jeongseo with a deeper frown than before.

Although he couldn’t hear the conversation, he could see Jeongseo’s animated gestures as he spoke, drawing in his classmates’ attention.

Were they strategizing for dodgeball?

Squinting, Yoontae tried to read Jeongseo’s lips, but his position made it impossible to make out the words.

If he had a tail right now, it would probably be thumping on the ground in annoyance.

A few moments later, the next game ended, and it was finally Jeongseo’s turn.

As Jeongseo stepped onto the court, the crowd buzzed with excitement.

“Wow, Ha Sumin said his class had some kind of secret weapon, and it turns out it’s Jeongseo!”

“Is he good at dodgeball?”

“Didn’t you hear from Joo Hyunsung? Jeongseo’s reflexes are insane.”

The familiar voice of Lee Hyunsoo came from nearby.

Yoontae glanced over, spotting him.

He hadn’t noticed Yoontae, which was fine; he’d likely make a fuss if he had.

Though they wore identical jerseys, Jeongseo stood out, looking exceptionally sharp.

“Then I guess Class 4 will win. Class 2 doesn’t really have any athletic stars, right?”

Of course. Jeongseo would likely handle it all on his own.

Yoontae mentally agreed, then caught himself, wondering why he was thinking this way.

The whistle blew, signaling the start of the game as the referee tossed the ball into the air.

Sumin grabbed it and threw it to an outside player instead of Jeongseo, who seemed to blend into the game without drawing too much attention, performing well but not spectacularly.

“Wait, he’s not as flashy as they made him sound.”

“Yeah, that’s strange. Joo Hyunsung said he was amazing.”

When the game ended, Class 4 won, though the score wasn’t overwhelming.

Seeing Jeongseo come off the court, Yoontae walked over to meet him.

Perhaps he wasn’t feeling his best today.

“Jeongseo…”

“Wow, did you see that guy’s face? Even after all the dirty looks, he kept on going without a care.”

Nearby, Woosik muttered loudly to his friends, glancing mockingly in Jeongseo’s direction as he passed.

Although he hadn’t named anyone, it was obvious who his target was.

“Talk about pathetic, pushing through when he’s just dead weight.”

“That jerk…”

From behind, Pyo Yoontae moved forward, enraged, ready to charge at Kim Woosik.

But he felt his sleeve being held back.

Turning around, he saw Jeongseo shaking his head, signaling him to stop.

Meanwhile, Kim Woosik and his gang sneered and left.

Normally, it would’ve been Jeongseo who charged in first.

“Jeongseo, is something wrong?”

“Yoontae, I’m hot. Let’s go to the water faucet.”

By now, they noticed that people around them were glancing their way.

Yoontae clicked his tongue and grabbed Jeongseo by the wrist, leading him out of the gymnasium toward the water faucet.

As the water ran, Jeongseo pulled out his hairband.

“All that jerk can do is run his mouth.”

Before, Kim Woosik never dared to go this far, even when Jeongseo was nearby.

Maybe he felt secure because he was with his friends.

Thinking back on it made Yoontae’s anger flare again.

Jeongseo splashed his face with cold water, droplets glistening at the tips of his damp hair.

Yoontae, observing Jeongseo in silence, finally spoke.

“I noticed during dodgeball, you didn’t seem yourself. Is something up?”

“You said you’d never want to go up against me in dodgeball, right? Because you find me intimidating.”

The unexpected response left Yoontae momentarily at a loss.

Was it because of that?

“Oh, that’s just because you’re good at dodgeball, Jeongseo. I didn’t mean anything else by it. Is that why you held back?”

“No. Kim Woosik is playing dodgeball too.”

As Yoontae met Jeongseo’s gaze, Jeongseo wiped away the water trailing down his cheek.

“What if he runs off? We can still switch players, right?”

In Jeongseo’s brown eyes, his pupils narrowed, casting a dark glint.

A weasel might be small, but in a chicken coop, it’s the most dangerous predator.

Chilled by the dangerous aura radiating from Jeongseo’s small frame, Yoontae felt a shiver down his spine.

At that moment, he realized Jeongseo was no longer just gentle—he was a beast.

Rather than feeling uneasy about the predatory vibe emanating from Jeongseo, Yoontae found it… oddly refreshing.

Leaning against the faucet, Yoontae glanced at Jeongseo and, in a quiet tone, said, “If you need my help, just say the word, Jeongseo.”

As he observed Jeongseo, who exuded a simmering intensity despite his petite frame, Yoontae felt an unexpected urge to protect him—or maybe even something more, like the impulse to graze his tongue along Jeongseo’s perked ear.

---

The first day of the sports festival continued with lively energy.

In the second-year dodgeball tournament, Jeongseo’s class claimed victory without much difficulty.

As for the third-year match, it was Kim Woosik’s class that won, just as expected.

For the dodgeball finals, the third-year team won the rock-paper-scissors draw, allowing them a bye.

If Jeongseo’s class beats the first-year team tomorrow, they’ll face off in the finals.

Jeongseo hadn’t revealed his full skill in dodgeball, but after his intensive four-day dodgeball training, his classmates improved significantly.

Especially students with naturally quick reflexes, like the rabbit and cat shifters, were standing out.

Now, it was afternoon, and Yoontae’s basketball game was about to begin.

Jeongseo found a seat in the front row of the plastic chairs surrounding the basketball court.

The shaded area was already packed, so he had to sit directly under the sun, feeling the heat prickle at the top of his head.

Soon, both teams—Class 4 and Class 1 of the second-year—lined up on the court, facing each other.

Yoontae stood out, tall and imposing, though the Class 1 team also had its fair share of tall players, so they didn’t look easy to beat.

As Jeongseo watched, his eyes met Yoontae’s.

Yoontae squinted, then opened his eyes slowly.

Not sure what the gesture meant, but feeling acknowledged, Jeongseo gave a small wave.

As Yoontae looked away, the whistle blew, and the basketball was tossed high in the air.

Yoontae’s team naturally took control of the ball.

The game was on.

Two minutes in, though Jeongseo’s eyes darted around to follow the game, he didn’t understand the rules at all.

All he saw were players dribbling the ball and charging down the court as others crowded around them, going back and forth.

It reminded him… of a pride of lions on the hunt.

What intrigued Jeongseo the most was Yoontae’s distinct movements.

Every time Yoontae had the ball, the opposing team swarmed him, seemingly blocking his path, but he’d fake a move to the left before darting right, evading them with ease.

Thump, thump, thump.

The ball consistently found its way into the opposing team’s hoop, mostly by Yoontae.

Even though Jeongseo knew nothing about basketball, he could see that Yoontae was scoring way more than anyone else on their team.

A quick glance at the scoreboard showed 18 to 6—a score gap that clearly favored Yoontae’s team.

Watching Yoontae score so consistently, Jeongseo tilted his head in confusion.

He thought each basket was worth one point, but the scoreboard kept increasing by two or three points at a time.

What was the difference?

Were there no one-point baskets?

The ball was back with Class 4.

Player 09 evaded the Class 1 defenders and passed the ball to Yoontae, who caught it and aimed for the hoop.

The ball traced a smooth arc and landed squarely in the basket.

Jeongseo glanced at the scoreboard—it had gone from 14 to 16. Why…?

Just as Jeongseo was pondering the scoring rules, someone took the seat next to him.

Glancing over, he saw it was none other than Ha Sumin.

* * *