* * *

“Isn’t it hot? The sun’s blazing today.”

Ha Sumin spoke naturally, handing Jeongseo a cold canned drink.

The can felt icy, as if its chill seeped straight to the bone.

“Thanks. I wanted to sit in the shade, but there wasn’t any room left.”

“Yeah, the third-years have been hogging the tent all day. So unfair, right?”

So it was the third-years… Jeongseo glanced at the people under the tent.

The only third-year he knew was Kim Woosik, and he wasn’t particularly interested in other classmates.

Some of them even looked like teachers to him.

Turning his gaze back to the basketball court, Jeongseo looked at Ha Sumin, remembering something he was curious about.

“Sumin.”

“Huh? Yeah?”

As Jeongseo leaned in slightly, Sumin flinched, but Jeongseo didn’t notice.

“Why are some baskets worth two points, and others three?”

Sumin, still looking tense, pointed at the lines on the court.

“Oh, you see those round lines near the hoops?”

“Yes, I see them.”

“If you make a basket inside those lines—called the field—it’s worth two points. But if you make it from outside the lines, it’s worth three.”

“Ah!”

Finally, Jeongseo understood the scoring.

At that moment, Yoontae received the ball, deftly maneuvered past the defenders, and made a short jump, shooting towards the basket.

Though an opponent tried to block, he was shorter than Yoontae, so the ball easily went in, adding another two points.

Now that he understood the rules, Jeongseo found the game more interesting.

He realized that two-point shots were more common than three-pointers because they were easier to make, especially with defenders constantly in the way.

“Yoontae’s really good at basketball.”

“Yeah, he’s awesome.”

Inside the gym, Pyo Yoontae was quick on his feet, darting around and scoring multiple baskets, leading the 4th class to a smooth victory in the basketball game.

The ball eventually ended up with number 12 from the 4th class, but he was quickly surrounded by defenders, making it difficult to break through.

The atmosphere in the opposing team seemed to darken noticeably compared to before.

Number 12 tried to pivot and dodge while holding the ball but was blocked.

Then, he spotted Pyo Yoontae on the other side and threw the ball in his direction.

The opposing team jumped to intercept, but they were a moment too late.

The ball was back with Pyo Yoontae. However, he was still quite far from the hoop.

As soon as Yoontae got the ball, most of the opposing team rushed over, surrounding him.

“Isn’t that a bit excessive, blocking him like that?”

“I mean, I prefer soccer over basketball, so I don’t know much… but I guess certain things are allowed since it’s just a high school game.”

“Got it.”

While having this conversation, Ha Sumin noticed that the opposing team continued to mark Pyo Yoontae closely.

Number 11 from Class 1 kept hovering around Yoontae, which bothered Jeongseo a lot.

With an irritated look, Jeongseo narrowed his eyes, glaring at the players blocking him.

As he looked around, his gaze unexpectedly met Yoontae’s for a brief second, sending a chill down his spine.

He didn’t know why he felt that way, but when he looked back at Yoontae, he had already shifted his attention elsewhere.

‘What was that?’

Jeongseo glanced at Ha Sumin beside him, but Ha Sumin just looked back cluelessly.

There were three minutes left in the game, and the score difference between the two classes was 16 points.

“Our class is going to win. Even though the Class 1 kids are pretty good at basketball, the Black Panther lives up to his reputation, even if he’s not a professional.”

Jeongseo, who had been watching intently, rested his chin on the armrest of his seat and turned his head slightly.

“Is the Black Panther really that good at basketball?”

“Yeah, not just him—most athletes with cat-like reflexes, even those with a build like a leopard, are usually good at sports. There are actually quite a few feline athletes in the Olympics too. And Yoontae’s an Alpha, so if he’d pursued sports, he’d have been an ace. Even if he got injured, he’d probably heal quickly.”

Jeongseo didn’t really care about sports.

During the World Cup craze, he’d be at home reading webtoons or watching anime instead.

So, he didn’t know much about which types of animals dominated in sports.

Nodding with interest at this new information, Jeongseo’s focus encouraged Ha Sumin to keep sharing more.

As the game neared its end, Jeongseo shifted his attention to Sumin’s excited chatter.

He casually looked around the spectators and noticed that many eyes seemed to be fixed on a single person.

Following the direction of those gazes, he overheard a conversation from the back.

“Wow… he looks even better in person than on Instagram. Do you think he’ll take a picture with us later?”

“I heard from some of the second-year guys that he’s got a weird personality. And he’s supposed to have predator-phobia.”

“I’m just a human, so I should be fine, right?”

The only one known to have predator-phobia was Pyo Yoontae.

It dawned on Jeongseo that all those gazes were directed at Yoontae, who was sweating and running around on the court.

Thinking about how Yoontae must look as impressive to others as he did to him, Jeongseo felt a strange sensation building inside him—something tight and heavy in his chest.

Just then, a shrill whistle and scattered screams broke out.

Startled, Jeongseo looked forward and immediately shot to his feet, his tail twitching out instinctively.

Near the hoop, Pyo Yoontae was sitting on the floor with a pained expression.

What happened in the moment he looked away?

“What happened? Why is Yoontae on the ground?”

“Lee Jihwan suddenly jumped at him while he was running, and they collided. His ankle twisted completely. What are we going to do?”

Hearing this, Jeongseo turned pale as he watched Yoontae, who seemed unable to stand alone due to the pain.

A teacher rushed over, and with their help, Yoontae was finally able to get up, but he was barely putting any weight on his right ankle.

The game ended right then, and as Yoontae limped off the court with some of his teammates, Jeongseo put down his drink.

“I’m going to check on Yoontae!”

Without waiting for Ha Sumin’s response, Jeongseo dashed toward Yoontae.

As he passed by, he shot a glare at Number 11, who was still sitting on the court looking sullen.

That must’ve been Lee Jihwan, the one who’d been relentlessly shadowing Yoontae throughout the game.

“Yoontae!”

Yoontae, who was being supported by another friend, looked up.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt badly?”

Since Jeongseo had only seen the aftermath, he didn’t know how badly Yoontae’s ankle was injured, which made him worry even more.

He tried to check Yoontae’s ankle, but the shoe and sock made it impossible to see.

Watching Jeongseo’s anxious face, Number 9, who was helping Yoontae, spoke up.

“Perfect timing. I need to go help with badminton soon. Can you take Yoontae to the infirmary, Jeongseo?”

Straightening up, Jeongseo nodded immediately.

Number 9 hesitated a bit as he passed Yoontae’s arm over to Jeongseo, concerned about the size difference.

But Jeongseo squeezed under Yoontae’s arm, letting him lean on him without a second thought.

“I’m strong, don’t worry!”

“Oh, okay… then I’ll leave him with you.”

With that, Number 9 left, and Jeongseo and Yoontae were left in an awkward stance due to their height difference.

Noticing this, Jeongseo held Yoontae even closer and reached behind to support his waist.

But suddenly, Yoontae pushed him away with one hand.

When Jeongseo looked up, Yoontae wiped his face with the collar of his basketball jersey and shook his head.

His damp black hair swung as he did.

“I’m all sweaty. It’s fine.”

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Jeongseo moved back under Yoontae’s arm.

“Does that even matter right now? Just lean on me!”

Besides, you always smell nice, so it’s fine.

Hearing that last comment, Yoontae finally gave in and leaned against Jeongseo slightly.

Yoontae took a small sniff, and thankfully, he didn’t notice any odd smell.

Not like… an old man’s cologne or anything like that, anyway.

* * *