* * *

The second runner of Class 4 dropped the baton.

Though he quickly picked it up and resumed running, the class had already fallen back to fourth place.

The atmosphere inside the tent filled with disappointed sighs, and Jeongseo thought the runner must feel terrible.

Shifting his gaze, Jeongseo saw that Pyo Yoontae was already preparing for his turn.

His head was lowered as he tapped his foot lightly, occasionally crouching to touch his ankle, a clear sign that it was still hurting.

Regret washed over Jeongseo; he should have noticed and stopped Yoontae earlier.

“Ah… we’re doomed. We won’t even get third place.”

“Hey, we still have Pyo Yoontae.”

“So what? Look at him, still touching his ankle. Even if he’s fast, closing that gap is impossible.”

As the mood inside Class 4’s tent sank, the last runner of Class 5 started running without a hitch.

The final leg required running a full lap around the track and then half a lap more.

Unable to stay still, Jeongseo watched, and his eyes widened in shock.

“Wow, look at that fox tail,” someone said.

Just as they noted, the last runner from Class 5 had a reddish-brown tail fluttering behind him, and two ears poked out from his hair, tilted back.

Due to the mixed presence of humans and animal-hybrids, full transformation during the race was against the rules, but ears and tails were allowed.

While Jeongseo admired the partial transformation of a fellow student for the first time since Pyo Yoontae, Yoontae grabbed the baton.

Three runners were already ahead, but Pyo Yoontae immediately started running.

All eyes in the tent turned to the track, and a tense silence fell.

Yoontae’s form was slightly off; he seemed to be limping.

Jeongseo’s eyes drooped with worry.

“Huh?”

“What…?”

Jeongseo and a few others stood up, staring at the track in disbelief.

Suddenly, a black tail emerged from Yoontae’s back, and black ears sprouted on top of his head.

Yoontae had partially transformed as well.

His awkward gait smoothed out, and he picked up incredible speed.

With his long legs, he overtook the runners ahead one by one.

Startled, they tried to push themselves harder but couldn’t match his pace.

However, a significant gap still remained between him and the fox.

Despite this, Class 4 was already abuzz with excitement as Yoontae closed in to second place.

“Go, Pyo Yoontae!” someone shouted, sparking a chant.

Soon, the tent was filled with his name echoing loudly.

Class 5, not to be outdone, started yelling their fox runner’s name in a burst of competition.

Sensing the feverish energy, both Yoontae and the fox accelerated.

As they approached the end of the lap, the distance between them shrank.

“You can do it!”

“Yoontae, keep going!”

Some students stood up, shouting into megaphones.

Amid the noise, Pyo Yoontae finally caught up to the fox.

The two ran side by side.

Jeongseo found himself holding his breath, clutching the chair’s armrests so tightly that sweat made his palms damp.

They crossed the final lap together, and as the goal came into sight, the cheers grew louder.

With less than 10 meters left, Pyo Yoontae pushed off forcefully.

His long stride carried him past the fox, and he crossed the finish line first.

[First place in the relay race goes to Class 4 of Year 2! Congratulations!]

The cheers that had been held back burst forth, and Class 4 rushed over to Pyo Yoontae.

He finally came to a stop, gasping for breath as he tore off his vest and tossed it to the ground.

“Whoa, Yoontae, that was incredible. How did you pull that off?”

“Yoontae, you were amazing!”

Crowding around him, classmates handed him water and patted his shoulder, unable to contain their excitement.

Still sporting his ears and tail, Yoontae clutched the hem of his short-sleeved shirt, wiping the sweat from his chin.

Through the lifted fabric, a glimpse of his toned abs could be seen.

Jeongseo, heading toward Yoontae, found himself flustered and halted, feeling an unexpected heat rise within him.

Pyo Yoontae, still catching his breath, nodded at the kids talking to him.

Then he turned and spotted Jeongseo.

Walking over, Yoontae smiled playfully, his nose scrunching slightly.

His grin was boyish and full of mischief.

“So, Jeongseo, isn’t it more fun when we win first place?”

The sunlight made his damp, black hair glisten, and the outline of his firm, broad body was visible through his sweat-soaked shirt.

As he inhaled, his chest rose and fell prominently.

Jeongseo quickly nodded and then lowered his head, worried that his face looked strange.

The school’s sports festival concluded with a narrow overall victory for the White Team in the group events, but Class 4 of Year 2 proudly secured first place in their category.

°❀•°❀°•❀°

“Good thing the sports festival was fun this year.”

Seo Kanghyun visited on the first weekend of June, just after the festival.

With exams approaching and more busy days expected after the term ended, he had come early.

Jeongseo nodded while fiddling with his phone.

Before dinner, they took Sobok out for a walk.

“Look at this, Hyung. It’s a picture from our sports day.”

Jeongseo handed his phone to Seo Kanghyun, and at that moment, Sobok, who had been glancing behind, barked.

Understanding this as a signal that the dog wanted to run, Jeongseo dashed off.

“Don’t run too fast. You’ll trip!”

“Okay!”

Seo Kanghyun chuckled as Jeongseo disappeared into the distance and turned to the phone screen.

The social media page titled ‘Dangang High School Culture and Athletics Department’ displayed numerous photos of students running or sharing snacks.

Scrolling through, his finger paused.

[Congratulations to the winning team of Dangang High School’s Sports Festival!

Class 4 of Year 2, well done!╰(°▽°)╯

Thank you to everyone who participated and made great memories!
…(photo)…]

It was a group photo of the second-year class 4 holding the championship trophy.

Turning the page, there was a photo with the cute words “MVP of Class 4” written on it, featuring Jeongseo and Pyo Yoontae holding the trophy together.

When Seo Kanghyun zoomed in on Jeongseo’s beaming face, a gentle smile spread across his own.

“How adorable…”

Even though he was his younger brother, Seo Kanghyun had never found Jeongseo anything less than cute.

With a considerable age gap, everything Jeongseo did simply appeared endearingly cute.

Moreover, seeing him adapt well to school and enjoy himself filled Seo Kanghyun with pride.

As he was smiling, Jeongseo approached, prompting him to ask:

“Hey, can you send me that photo? I want to show it to Mom too. If you have any other photos, send those as well.”

Panting as he returned, Jeongseo nodded and quickly sent the pictures he received from his friends.

Unable to contain himself, Sobok tugged at Jeongseo’s clothes, urging him to run around.

Being a wolfdog, Sobok was fast and never seemed to tire, so Jeongseo had to go for another run.

“Hey, Sobok, just wait a moment. Let me catch my breath…”

While Jeongseo knelt to take a breather, Seo Kanghyun happily looked at the photo Jeongseo had sent.

Narrowing his eyes with a grin, he held up his phone to Jeongseo.

“Hey, what’s this photo?”

The moment Jeongseo saw the phone Seo Kanghyun was holding out, his face turned bright red.

It was a picture of Pyo Yoontae, who had just finished running in the relay and was wiping sweat from his body with his shirt after tossing aside his vest.

Jeongseo’s face flushed a deep red, and his eyes trembled as if they were shaken by an earthquake.

Why that photo, though?!

That evening after the sports day, Jeongseo had accidentally stumbled upon his picture while browsing the school’s social media.

The image was sharp, revealing his slightly distorted face from exhaustion and damp skin, likely taken with a good camera.

He looked so much like a model that Jeongseo couldn’t help but save it, as if entranced.

“N-no, I saved it because it’s a photo of my friend…!”

In his flustered excuse, Seo Kanghyun’s gaze became even more enigmatic.

It could indeed be just a photo of a friend, and since Pyo Yoontae had previously taken pictures of him, it wasn’t all that strange.

Yet, despite thinking this, Jeongseo couldn’t shake the feeling that he had just been caught doing something he shouldn’t have.

“Does our youngest like Yoontae?”

* * *