Embracing The Memories | COMPLETED | KOREAN STAND ALONE #1 ✒

제33장: Run

Note before reading: If the scenes feel rushed, that means that the book still needs to be revised after completion. As I said, feedbacks are highly appreciated if there are mistakes or anything that you want to let the author know. Lovelots! 💕

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Jihun's team was the one who won the baseball match. I could hear his teammates loud happiness erupting on the field as Yoonwoo only smiled from right behind them.

Guessing on the cheeky grin and sigh of satisfaction, he was happy enough that his friend had won the game instead of thinking his own battle. But, I knew deep down that he still had wanted to win it.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Wooyoon sunbae," I called out to him as he only put his arms on his waist and chuckled.

"You really won't call me by my nickname? Ah, I thought you forgot that since you've been calling me Yoonwoo lately," he told me as I pondered.

Wait, I did?

"Oh? I must've forgot. I didn't notice. 미안합니다," I apologized as  he then shake his head and waved his hand.

He smiled right after. “No worries. It's alright. Whatever you prefer to call me, that is."

"Panther." My lips couldn't help but form a smirk as I called him that. "Maybe that would be the real nickname then."

"Ah, don't call me that. It's the teams' recognition," he replied before scratching his head as if telling me not to or else the team would wonder why I called him that.

Knowing that his teammates would get confused, I decided to nod. “Alright, I'll call you Won. But don't say I didn't warn you if I mistook you for the actual Korean Won!"

"Yoonwoo is fine then. Or Yoon," he told me before looking up ahead to his other friends. “You should go now. I still have to change my attire before getting back to you three."

The only answer I had managed was to raise an eyebrow before I saw him parting ways and waving his hand goodbye to the three of us. Suddenly, Naehyun pulled me with him as he leads me to the others.

“Actually, the reason why Won hyung is like that is because he still have another match," Naehyun explained on the way as I grew more confused.

Match? I thought that baseball was already over?

When he sensed that I wasn't getting it, he then continued. "Oh, you don't know? He's included in the Track and Field competition."

That must be why he wasn't bothered to see Jihun winning the match. He still got the other match to win this time. Though, this is going to be a single match rather than a team. He'll be alone.

It would still be a nerve wracking competition for him. Though, this time, he got the whole team's support, which is us. Everyone knew that he was a great pitcher. But I've never seen how fast he runs though. In all honesty, I could see Jihun doing that but I might never know if Yoonwoo was the same.

As soon as we transferred and went to the Track and Field course this time, I saw a lot of students holding up a banner for Yoonwoo. Just how famous are these guys in the campus? I still wonder a bit, considering I was just an exchange student here.

“The match is about to begin in three minutes. Let's pick a spot,” Jihun told us before we decided to go over the bleachers. I decided to go to the middle since I didn't want to sit too high or too low at this point. Heejun sat beside me while Naehyun was on my left side.

Gunyeo and Jihun were the ones on top and the ones with the best view of the field. Though, I paid no attention to that. I then saw Yoonwoo walking over the other players and greeting them.

He wore a black baggy singlet and running shorts this time and went to follow the other players to the warm ups. This time, the officials gave them five more minutes to finish before they had finally speak through the microphone.

"Athletes, on your marks," the officials had started off, telling the players to go on their positions. Yoonwoo then went over to the last spot, considering his number was five. We all eyed the other players and I saw that none of them were soccer players or even swimmers.

Maybe they're new players and only went for the Track and Field match.

Naehyun poked my arm and asked me to look at the player number 2. "Hey, isn't that one of the chess players that you competed with back in the room?"

"No, he doesn't seem familiar..." I immediately trailed off and gasped once I noticed. Wait, he competed on this one too?

Suddenly, I almost jumped on my seat and Heejun followed with a scream as a gunshot rung. Though, Jihun had immediately told us that it wasn't a real gunshot and that it was from a sound system - which calmed me a bit.

But still, I would never get used to it.

"Set!" The officials had finally started the match and the athletes had then run to their extent, trying to overpass each other as they go over around the field. At first, I really thought that Yoonwoo wasn't as fast as the other players.

Turns out, I realized his tactic.

The more pressure you give in yourself at the first run, the more tiredness you get as soon as you finally get around the field. Though, Yoonwoo was preserving his energy at this point.

When I heard Gunyeo cheering Yoonwoo's name, I then followed. Soon, the whole field bursted with players' name all over and we can see Yoonwoo gaining speed as the others had slowed down a bit.

Even the officials were shocked when they saw Yoonwoo passing the players easily without having any troubles.

I was expecting him to pass all the players but I widened my eyes when Player two didn't slow down. Instead, he tried to even run faster so Yoonwoo wouldn't catch him. As the third time going around the field went, both of them were tied and almost at the same speed.

We held our breath as both of them crossed the finish line but almost near to each other. We weren't even sure who won on the match.

This time, it was the officials turn to say something.

"The winner of the Track and Field competition is..."