Late teens to early twenties.
It was a time brimming with youthful energy for everyone, regardless of gender.
As participants in the idol industry struggled to date freely, they explored each other like they were releasing pent-up feelings.
The focus of attention from the male idols was directed to…
“Blue team participant Ha Ye-rin! 1st place in 100m!”
Waaaaah!
It was none other than Ha Ye-rin.
After finishing their own events, the male idols gathered in a tent without cameras to watch Ha Ye-rin absolutely dominate the women’s events at the sports day.
“Wow…, where did she come from? Is she a pro?”
“She seems faster than me at running…”
“I saw her on Na Ah Ah before; she was really good at sports.”
Of course, their interest was not solely in Ha Ye-rin’s athletic ability.
She wore dolphin shorts over black leggings.
Maybe it was hot; her sleeves were rolled up.
Sweat glimmered transparently from her nape.
And then…
“To the blue team participant Ha Ye-rin, who won 1st place in 100m, a set of Hanwoo beef will be awarded!”
Smile.
As she received the prize, a small smile bloomed from her cold, expressionless face.
“…She’s pretty.”
“…”
At someone’s casual murmuring, all the guys in the tent nodded.
Although they had seen countless beauties in the idol scene…
Ha Ye-rin was so pretty that it felt like she was in a different league.
Especially that cold, expressionless face was surprisingly charming.
Idols usually default to bright smiles.
But despite the difficulty in finding a smile on Ha Ye-rin’s face, their eyes were drawn to her.
And when Ha Ye-rin turned up the corners of her mouth just a little, it felt like a death sentence.
“…You don’t have a boyfriend, right?”
As soon as someone blurted that out, the other male idols were taken aback, scolding him.
“Hey, damn…! She’s still a high school student!”
“What are you saying to someone who just debuted a month ago!”
“You’re gonna get it!”
Getting blamed by everyone for misspeaking, the man shouted in frustration.
“…But! Isn’t it an age where even a high school student can date? And what’s it to me? I was just purely curious if she had a boyfriend…”
“…”
Everyone went silent at his words.
And soon…
“…Actually, I’ve DM’d her before.”
“……!!”
Someone was starting to confess the truth.
The guys went into a frenzy…
“DMed? Really? You, hyung, DMed Ha Ye-rin?”
“So? Did you get a reply? What did she say?”
“Well…”
The speaker’s expression wasn’t good.
“…She didn’t reply. No, she straight-up blocked me.”
“Ah…”
Once the floodgate opened, the boys started talking.
“I heard the senior Seok-yul from Lycan DMed Ha Ye-rin confessing and got blocked too.”
“What? Hahaha, that hyung. Isn’t he 26? Tried a big challenge and got schooled hard. That must be embarrassing.”
“I have a friend who’s an actor. He also sent a DM asking to get close, but he got blocked, too.”
“She’s really got the gates up… well, that’s to be expected, though…”
“Looking at her follow list, she doesn’t follow any guys at all.”
“She’s got a solid wall up and always looks expressionless, so reporters call her the Ice Princess.”
“The Ice Princess…”
Looking at Ha Ye-rin now, that nickname fit her perfectly.
At that moment, all the guys present thought.
If anyone could break down the wall of Ice Princess Ha Ye-rin first…
The thrill and sense of dominance that came from conquering would be absolutely exhilarating.
Gulp.
As a result, the boys each started to unfold their fantasies and simulate scenarios in their heads.
But then…
Swish.
“Hmm? Hyung, where are you going?”
“I’m about to participate in the next event.”
As Shin Si-woo, who had been smiling quietly while listening to the boys’ chatter, stood up, all eyes turned to him.
“You often go out, huh? What’s the next event?”
“Three-legged race.”
“Who’s your partner?”
“…….”
Actually, whether Shin Si-woo joined the next event or got up to leave was of no concern to them, but…
“Ha Ye-rin.”
“……!!”
When the news that his partner was Ha Ye-rin hit their ears, the boys’ gazes changed.
“Are you serious?”
“Wow…”
“Didn’t they just pair up in Partner Dodgeball?”
“The production team is too much.”
“Hyung, I envy you.”
“Fighting!”
“Yeah~”
He stepped forward, receiving envy from the guys around him.
However, aside from feeling superior as a man, he didn’t feel too good.
‘How dare those bastards eye her.’
It bothered him that the guys were talking about Ha Ye-rin.
‘I liked her first. I had my eye on her first.’
No? He had already met and talked with Ha Ye-rin alone.
Shin Si-woo considered their meeting in the broadcasting station’s boiler room as fate.
Starting from that chance encounter in a secluded place, they were definitely meant to be together.
Of course, Ha Ye-rin wasn’t accepting this yet and was pushing him away, but he thought she would naturally become his with time.
But as the guys’ attention kept gathering on Ha Ye-rin…
It felt a bit… anxious, maybe?
‘I need to make her mine soon. And keep her hidden. So no one can see…’
With that, he approached Ha Ye-rin, who was participating in the next event with him.
“Ye-rin, we’re on for the three-legged race next. You need to get ready.”
“…….”
Ha Ye-rin didn’t respond at all to him, seemingly deciding to ignore his words.
In response, Shin Si-woo smiled and quickly strapped the three-legged race ring around her ankle.
‘Looking at it like this, it really does look like shackles.’
Shin Si-woo thought about how pretty this could look if he tried it for real later.
Then, he whispered to Ha Ye-rin, who was still frowning at him.
“As I said earlier, we need to pay attention to the cameras. Relax your expression…”
Swish.
Shin Si-woo extended his hand, continuing.
“Hold my hand. It’s a three-legged race, after all.”
“…….”
It was obviously time to hold hands for the three-legged race.
But when Ha Ye-rin naturally refused to take his hand…
Grab.
He forcibly took her hand.
“Now, all participants in the three-legged race, please gather at the starting line!”
Just as the three-legged race was about to begin, Ha Ye-rin had no choice but to hold his hand.
“Alright, if everyone has gathered, please stand at the starting line. The distance is 100m. Can you see the finish line over there?”
“Yes!”
“Then we’ll assume everyone is ready and we’ll start. Get set~ Go!”
And so, the race began…
Naturally, Shin Si-woo had no interest in the race itself.
What he was interested in was the sensation of Ha Ye-rin’s hand.
‘Soft.’
And since it was hot, it was slightly damp.
Was she suffering from cold hands? It felt a bit cool too.
Holding onto Ha Ye-rin’s hand, which felt a mix of various sensations, was an extremely pleasurable experience.
He thought it would be nice to keep holding it for as long as possible.
‘Should I secretly intertwine our fingers?’
No, that would be too risky.
Instead, he decided to win this race and showcase his chemistry with Ha Ye-rin on screen.
‘If we look like a couple, the fandom might go wild, so let’s create a good sibling-like vibe.’
Even if Shin Si-woo and Ha Ye-rin appeared together on screen, it would create a comfortable atmosphere where the fans wouldn’t feel awkward.
With that plan in mind, Shin Si-woo started to gradually speed up.
But then, it happened.
Stumble.
‘…Huh?’
As he picked up speed, their balance broke in an instant, and…
Crash.
Ha Ye-rin fell onto the track first.
“Ugh…”
As she groaned with a bad sound, a startled Shin Si-woo looked down at her, and other idols and the production team rushed over.
“Ye-rin!!”
“Are you okay?!”
“…Yes, I’m fine…, ugh…”
Ha Ye-rin forced a smile, but she didn’t look good at all.
It appeared she had injured her leg on the rocky surface; her leggings at her calves were torn, and blood was flowing.
As everyone looked at Ha Ye-rin with sympathy, someone said to Shin Si-woo…
“Be careful, would you…?”
“…Huh?”
“No, but for a three-legged race, teamwork is crucial. If you run that fast alone, Ye-rin will fall…”
All eyes turned towards Shin Si-woo.
Just as he was about to panic and try to rectify the situation…
“No, that’s not it…”
“No, it’s not. You’re not at fault. …It’s my fault for not keeping up with your speed.”
Ha Ye-rin, clutching her injured knee, said pitifully that it wasn’t Shin Si-woo’s fault, making it sound like it was indeed his fault.
‘Hmm…?’
From that moment, Shin Si-woo sensed that something was off about the atmosphere.
Whirrr…
And the camera was diligently capturing that scene.
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