Chapter 103: What Lies Beyond Rivalry

“No matter what anyone says, don’t worry about it. Do what you want. You’re good at it.”

Woojoo already knew.

That something bad had happened to him, and that was why he was here, desperately hitting the ball like his life depended on it.

After letting him release everything, what he offered in the end was a rough yet unmistakably Woojoo-like comfort.

“So keep going together. No, you have to.”

He effortlessly lifted up the emotions that had sunk deep inside.

He steadied the weak version of himself that had been shaken by his father’s words.

Not “try your best,” but “you have to,” as if whipping him forward like there was no other choice.

“You’re going to do it anyway.”

Ji-tae took the hand being offered to him.

At that moment, Woojoo grinned.

Somewhere, a sound echoed like a distant drumbeat.

His toes tingled, and his mouth went dry.

The hand he held felt hot.

“Come to think of it, we’re rivals, but we have quite a lot in common. At this point, isn’t it fate?”

Woojoo’s laughter rang in his ears.

That one playful remark, along with his clear smile meant to lighten the mood, felt incredibly warm.

“Yeah. Maybe it is fate.”

At that moment, Ji-tae understood.

Why Kang Woojoo always seemed so bright.

Why his gaze kept drifting toward him, and why being with him felt this enjoyable and comfortable.

It was the first awakening of a precious and clumsy first love.

In the final middle school tournament, Samjeong Middle School finished in second place after losing to Woojoo’s school.

At the same time as feeling frustrated by the loss, seeing Woojoo teasing him endlessly made Ji-tae feel alive.

He apologized to his father for what had happened that day.

He bowed his head and said that he was serious about volleyball and even wanted to become a professional player in the future.

His father clicked his tongue, clearly displeased.

But soon after, a work-related phone call came in, and even that conversation fizzled out.

For high school, he went to Wonjang High.

It was a fairly famous private school known to those who knew, and his mother had told him to go there.

It was strange, since she had never once cared about his education, but he later found out that his father had likely intervened.

It seemed he might have donated an enormous amount of money to that foundation.

Since Wonjang High had been one of the schools Ji-tae was already considering, he didn’t complain.

Still, part of him wanted to go to Daehyeon High, where Woojoo was going.

“From now on, we’re rivals.”

But after three years of constantly clashing through volleyball in middle school, he had become far more used to standing on opposite sides of the net, stealing and losing points from each other, rather than fighting on the same side.

Around that time, Ji-tae found himself facing a new concern.

At first, just seeing Woojoo made him feel good, but these days, his heart raced uncontrollably.

Even when Woojoo was standing far away, his gaze would naturally drift toward him.

Because of that, during a practice match, he focused only on Woojoo and made mistakes, earning a harsh scolding from the coach.

“Did you leave your mind at home?”

It was the day Daehyeon High won the practice match in straight sets.

Ji-tae had become aware of his feelings for Woojoo and couldn’t control them, losing his focus completely.

“Woojoo, are you really going to act so proud just because you won a practice match? You still haven’t grown out of being a kid.”

If you think about it, this is all because of you.

That night before the final middle school tournament, in the gym.

For the first time, he and Woojoo, who had always just fought as rivals with volleyball as their only connection, had a personal conversation and even shared comfort.

If Woojoo hadn’t found him there that day, Ji-tae might never have thought about apologizing to his father.

Then things would have gotten worse, and his father would have continued to force him to quit volleyball.

But because of Woojoo’s words to keep going together, Ji-tae was able to bow his head to someone he felt more hatred than affection for.

At first, he had stubbornly thought he would never bend to his father no matter what.

But with just one sentence from Woojoo, something he thought impossible suddenly felt easy.

“I should be proud.”

Woojoo stood beside the wall where Ji-tae was leaning.

The Daehyeon High gym had already been cleaned up and looked neat.

“I beat my rival.”

Woojoo wiped the sweat dripping down his chin with his hand, then, as if it wasn’t enough, lifted the hem of his T-shirt.

As a result, his abdomen was fully exposed to view.

His skin was as clean and pale as his face, making Ji-tae grit his teeth and turn his head away.

“…Kang Woojoo, what am I to you?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“I mean exactly what I said.”

Ji-tae still stared at the opposite side where Woojoo stood.

The fact that the first person he liked was the same gender didn’t shock him as much as he expected.

Maybe from the moment he first saw Woojoo, he had already known.

That he would end up liking him.

“What do you mean? You’re my rival.”

Woojoo, having finished wiping his sweat, rolled his shoulders lightly.

His tone was calm and matter-of-fact.

“…Is that all?”

“That’s all, what else?”

Ji-tae’s gaze slowly dropped to the ground.

At that moment, from afar, Yoon Jaeyeon waved for Ji-tae to come over.

“I’m going.”

“Yeah, go.”

Without looking at Woojoo even once, Ji-tae slowly left the Daehyeon High gym.

Love was such a strange thing.

Just realizing that such a feeling existed was enough for his heart to grow uncontrollably.

At first, he was happy that because of Woojoo, he learned volleyball and gained his first dream.

He admired him as a fellow player and wanted to grow closer.

So when they became rivals, such a special relationship, he was happier than ever.

But now, he wanted to become something more than just rivals with Woojoo.

He wanted to share countless personal stories.

He wanted to hold hands and embrace him.

“…Should I confess?”

Unable to find a way to steady his heart during that turbulent time, Ji-tae finally made a decision.

To at least try and reveal these different feelings to Woojoo.

Coincidentally, around that time, an official match was scheduled, and both schools gathered at a large gym in Seoul to compete.

The result was 3:2, a victory for Wonjang High.

Ji-tae stood there, his gaze fixed on Woojoo, who was listening to the coach’s briefing with a gloomy face.

Then the group dispersed, and he saw Woojoo leaving the gym.

Matching his timing, Ji-tae also stepped outside.

Although it wasn’t the best timing since Daehyeon High had lost, he still intended to confess now.

That he didn’t want to remain just rivals anymore.

That he wanted to get closer.

“Wow, Won Ji-tae is seriously good.”

At that moment, voices came from around the corner of the gym.

Ji-tae leaned against the wall and peeked out.

He saw Woojoo crouching, along with Park Hyunjin, who often hung out with him.

“Did you see that last shot? I thought he’d definitely hit the center, but the angle was insane.”

Hyunjin swung his arms around, recreating Ji-tae’s form.

Woojoo sat beside him, saying nothing.

“What’s with you, Kang Woojoo? Don’t tell me you’re sulking because you lost.”

“It’s not that.”

Ji-tae quietly stood there, listening to their conversation.

“You’re right. That guy is really good at volleyball.”

At Woojoo’s praise, his chest ached sharply.

The sincerity in his words, pure and unfiltered, made it even more overwhelming.

“Hey, he’s not just good at volleyball. His family’s rich too. I think his dad runs some business.”

“You go to different schools, how do you even know that?”

“Don’t underestimate my information network. Besides, you can tell just by looking at him. He definitely grew up as a treasured only son.”

“That’s why he’s got such a bad attitude.”

At Hyunjin’s remark, Woojoo snapped at him not to make assumptions.

“Still, hearing you say that really makes it hit home.”

“What does?”

“That Won Ji-tae is perfect.”

Ji-tae clenched his fist.

No. He wasn’t perfect.

His wealthy father stayed out of the house, and his affection-starved mother neglected him, slowly falling apart.

Only after starting volleyball did things improve.

When he was younger, he didn’t even know how to feel or express emotions, and his elementary school friends often said he was scary.

“I’m curious though, why are you so obsessed with Won Ji-tae?”

“Because he’s perfect. It makes me want to challenge him more.”

For some reason, cold sweat ran down Ji-tae’s back at Woojoo’s words.

Woojoo saw and understood everything about him honestly—except for one thing.

The emptiness born from his family.

The reason he could never be perfect.

“Then what if one of you—either you or Won Ji-tae—didn’t play volleyball?”

“Why would I not play volleyball?”

“I said, what if.”

“Then why even make that kind of assumption?”

Hyunjin grabbed his head in frustration.

“Fine. Then what if Won Ji-tae didn’t play volleyball?”

Ji-tae lifted his head and looked at Woojoo.

“Why ask? We probably would’ve never met. I’m interested in him because he’s good at volleyball.”

There wasn’t a trace of a lie in the way he spoke.

That honesty, which had always seemed dazzling enough to make his heart race, pierced Ji-tae’s heart like a blade today.

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