Chapter Text
Seoul High felt like two completely different schools. The east wing was for the arts program, always loud with students singing or playing instruments in the halls. The west wing was for the sports program, smelling mostly like sweat and packed with giant guys carrying heavy gym bags.
The last bell of the day was about to ring in the arts wing. Sohee, a music major junior, shoved his notebooks into his backpack and nudged Seunghan, who was one of his best friends.
“I’m telling you, if you had just covered me, we wouldn’t have lost that match,” the former said, shrugging.
The latter rolled his eyes and zipped up his bag, standing from his chair. “My ping was trash, okay? Plus, you rushed in without waiting. Don’t blame me.”
Wonbin, his other best friend who was from the performing arts department, sighed from the doorway, his hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets. “Are you guys seriously still arguing about Valorant? I’m starving. Let’s go before the cafeteria runs out of food.”
Then suddenly, the school’s PA system crackled before any of them could answer.
“Attention, juniors. The senior PE enlistment results are now posted in the main courtyard. Please check your assignments before leaving campus.”
Sohee perked up. “Finally. Come on, let’s go. I logged in the exact second the portal opened to make sure we all got baseball.”
Over in the sports wing locker room, Anton, a sports junior major from the aquatics cluster, was drying his hair. He had just finished a two-hour practice in the pool, doing different drills and techniques. Then the door banged open as Eunseok and Sungchan, his two friends from the track cluster and soccer cluster, walked in, dropping their duffel bags on the benches.
“Yo, Anton,” Sungchan said. “PE lists are up.”
“Yeah, I heard,” Anton replied, tossing his towel aside.
Eunseok smirked, leaning against the lockers. “Tell me you got track. I need to beat you at something before we graduate.”
Anton pulled his school shirt over his head and just gave them a chuckle. “I’m pretty sure I’m just in swimming.”
“Bro, you basically live in the pool,” Sungchan groaned. “They should’ve made you play soccer.”
Out in the main courtyard, it was packed. Sohee squeezed through the crowd of students, pulling Seunghan and Wonbin along behind him. Shotaro, a senior from the dance department who was on the student council, was standing near the bulletin boards holding a clipboard.
“Hey, Shotaro hyung,” Sohee called out, waving his hands.
“Hey guys,” Shotaro smiled. “Looking for the PE lists?”
“Yup, baseball,” Seunghan said, trying to see and pointing over the crowd.
Shotaro winced slightly at the three. “Just a heads up, the baseball slots filled up in like two minutes. The school site lagged, so if you didn’t get your spot in time, the system just assigned you into whatever sports still had open slots.”
“Wait, really?” Sohee frowned.
“Let’s just look,” Wonbin said in return, then leaned in to check the board. “Okay... Tennis… Baseball. Found it. I’m on here. Seunghan, you’re right above me.”
“Nice,” Seunghan said. “What about you, Sohee?”
Sohee checked the baseball list. He checked basketball and then track. “I’m not on here.”
He finally looked at the last sheet of paper pinned to the board. Swimming. He scanned the names and stopped.
Lee Sohee.
He didn’t even bother reading the rest of the names on the list. It didn’t matter who else was in the class. The only thing that mattered was that he didn’t know how to swim, and he was definitely going to drown.
He turned around to face his friends, completely blanking.
“I’m in swimming.”