Chapter 13: The New Face and the Old Mistake

“Oh, perfect!”

Clapping his hands with immense satisfaction, Jung-hyun found the coach, who had been standing a few paces away, spinning around with a face like a demon.

“How many times do I have to tell you to keep your mouth shut, huh?”

“Ow, ow, it hurts! It hurts, Coach!”

A cry of pain finally escaped Jung-hyun’s lips as his ear was seized. The coach, having disciplined him with a mix of genuine annoyance and playful exasperation, withdrew his hand a moment later and surveyed the players.

“Finish cleaning up, then everyone stay for a bit.”

“Understood!”

Every Friday, after their internal practice match, the team would gather to monitor their performance, identify shortcomings, and reflect. Thus, they responded with a booming, highly motivated chorus.

They swiftly finished tidying the gym, then reassembled in one spot. While they chattered about various trivial matters, the coach, who had briefly stepped out, returned.

However, he was not alone. The moment Jung-hyun spotted someone a couple of steps behind the coach, an utterly dumbfounded sound escaped his lips without his realizing it.

“Huh…?”

His pupils rapidly dilated. The man with an extraordinary aura, with whom he’d had a minor incident at the convenience store yesterday, was following the coach with an unhurried gait.

‘Why is that person here?’

There was something else that surprised him. It was the man’s attire. He wore a very familiar school uniform, and a green name tag was pinned to one side of his broad chest.

‘First-years wear that color name tag… Oh, no, that can’t be…’

Even as he pondered why it couldn’t be, feeling as tangled as a coil of wires, the coach stopped in front of the gathered players.

“Is everything cleaned up?”

“Understood!”

“This guy, here, is Yoon… What was your name again? He just joined the club today.”

“It’s Yoon Tae-yeol.”

“Right, Yoon Tae-yeol. He’s been a player since elementary school, and his record is quite impressive—in a good way, of course. Help him adapt well, everyone.”

“Understood!”

“Now, feel free to introduce yourselves.”

Having finished speaking, the coach coolly turned and walked away. He looked entirely without regret, as if his duties for the day were complete.

***

Silence settled in the empty space. While the basketball club members were generally cheerful, and some occasionally acted clueless, even they knew when to be serious.

The new face exuded an unusual aura, making it difficult to approach him casually. The reason was the same as what Jung-hyun had felt yesterday: he was clearly an Alpha, and undoubtedly one of exceptional quality.

No one dared to step forward, all of them hesitating and, as if by unspoken agreement, looking at only one person. Even the captain cast a hopeful gaze in the same direction. The person on whom all eyes were fixed was Jung-hyun.

‘Help us, Senior.’

‘You’re the only one who can resolve this situation.’

‘Show us your true prowess!’

The message in their eyes was clear. Jung-hyun swallowed a groan inwardly, feeling their needle-sharp gazes.

Given the mistake he’d made yesterday, he had intended to quietly let it go and perhaps strike up a conversation later. However, from the looks of it, he was stuck taking the lead.

‘Ugh, you useless lot.’

Jung-hyun reluctantly took a step forward, forcing a smile onto his face.

“Did you transfer here?”

“Yes.”

“First-year?”

“Yes.”

He had asked, knowing the answer, simply because he couldn’t think of anything else to say. Hearing the confirmation from Yoon Tae-yeol’s own lips was surprisingly jarring and left a bitter taste in his mouth. ‘He looks a full head taller than me. How annoying.’

Jung-hyun wasn’t particularly short himself; he was about average height for a high schooler. The problem was his affiliation with the basketball club. As height was a distinct advantage in the sport, he couldn’t help but be sensitive about it.

In any case, Jung-hyun didn’t forget his duty and offered a brief introduction.

“I’m the vice-captain of the basketball team, Lee Jung-hyun. Since I’m your senior, I’ll speak to you casually.”

“Yes.”

“The captain is that guy over there. He’s good at basketball but a bit shy.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Sung-min, the captain.”

Only then did the captain speak, and with his lead, everyone else took turns introducing themselves briefly. Following this, Jung-hyun rattled off the team’s group training schedule and curriculum, then led Yoon Tae-yeol to the locker room located at one end of the gym. As they walked, he cautiously inquired about something that had piqued his curiosity when the coach spoke earlier.

“If you’ve been playing since elementary school, aren’t you aiming for a professional career? Our school isn’t that kind of program; it’s a recreational sports club.”

“I plan to continue with recreational sports.”

“Really? Well, that’s a relief.”

He had worried that Yoon Tae-yeol might have mistakenly come to the wrong place, though it seemed unlikely, but it turned out to be an unnecessary concern.

“Even so, our school’s basketball team is quite good in this area. We don’t fall behind much even against Kyungil High’s basketball club, and last year we made it to the semifinals in the provincial tournament. Thanks to that, the school provides excellent support.”

“Yes.”

“What’s your position? Center?”

“Power forward and center.”

‘Just as I thought. He’s a talent with both offensive and defensive capabilities.’

Jung-hyun continued walking, glancing up at Yoon Tae-yeol from the corner of his eye. Club members with impressive records were quite famous in school and generally popular.

If they played a warm-up game during lunchtime, kids would flock from somewhere to watch. With this new guy joining, it was bound to become even more chaotic.

Before long, they arrived at the basketball team’s exclusive locker room. This, too, was a benefit enjoyed thanks to the efforts of their esteemed seniors.

Although it doubled as the gym’s storage room, it was an indispensable and precious space.

“This is our hideout.”

He opened the door with a voice full of pride, but his expression subtly soured. The musty smell of dust, sweat, and a faint hint of pheromones mixed together was never a pleasant scent.

Upon seeing Jung-hyun, the three first-years stood up from their chairs. The other guys seemed to have already left.

“Don’t bully him; take good care of him. And make sure to greet him first when you see him.”

“Yes, Senior!”

Jung-hyun nodded contentedly, then scanned the cabinets lined against one wall. He found an unlocked compartment, opened it, and as expected, it was empty.

“You can use this one. There’s no one here to steal anything, but just in case, use a lock.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, and the password for this door is 181818.”

“…Yes.”

“If you forget it, I’ll remind you in a very *expressive* way.”

Jung-hyun noticed Yoon Tae-yeol’s perpetually nonchalant expression change slightly at the mention of “181818.” He didn’t miss it and chuckled. It was worth enduring the coach’s scolding to keep that password.

Meanwhile, the three first-years had changed out of their uniforms and departed, leaving only the two of them in the locker room.

“Hmm, ahem.”

Jung-hyun, who had secretly been waiting for this moment, cleared his throat.

The not-quite-a-mistake he’d made yesterday still lingered in his mind. Ignoring it and glossing over it wasn’t in his nature, and since they would be together for at least another six months, it was best to untangle the knotted thread quickly.

“Uh, about the convenience store yesterday, I’m sorry. I thought the bottle shape meant it was definitely alcohol. I checked because you looked like a minor, so please understand.”

It was a complete lie. He had no doubt Yoon Tae-yeol was an adult, and asking for ID was merely a formality. However, he instinctively knew he absolutely couldn’t tell the truth.

Yoon Tae-yeol, who had been listening silently, reacted a beat late.

“…Ah. That dumbfounded person from yesterday…”

He stopped speaking, his mouth closing abruptly.

Jung-hyun’s eyebrow twitched. He had clearly heard the word ‘dumbfounded,’ but there was another reason.

“You didn’t know it was me?”

“No. I didn’t look properly.”

“…”

Suddenly, his mouth tasted bitter. He had seen Yoon Tae-yeol right up close and felt a strong impact, yet the guy didn’t even remember his face.

Furthermore, Jung-hyun regretted his decision from a few seconds ago. He could have quietly moved past it, but by speaking up, he had dug his own grave.

“I apologize for not recognizing you.”

“No, no need to apologize. Let’s just consider us even and move on.”

Yoon Tae-yeol’s face remained in his sight. The sullen feeling was fleeting. Repeatedly experiencing the eye level that was easily a full head higher, Jung-hyun felt a small flicker of expectation as the vice-captain leading the basketball club.

He had always been disappointed by their relatively weak defense compared to their offense, but if this guy could handle post defense, it would be incredibly reassuring. A larger physique naturally gave an advantage in physical play.

‘…Surely he isn’t just a scarecrow, after all this?’

“Pfft.”

That would be amusing in its own way, he mused. Jung-hyun soon smiled with an unselfish expression, welcoming the new face once more.

“Let’s do well together from now on.”

“Yes, Senior. …I look forward to working with you.”

‘Oh, so he does realize I’m his senior, after all.’

He rather liked the sight of Yoon Tae-yeol bowing slightly in greeting. Telling the guy to wait a moment, Jung-hyun swiftly pulled off his uniform shirt and put on his school shirt. He changed his pants just as uninhibitedly, then checked the wallet in his pocket and said,

“Let’s go. I’ll treat you to tteokbokki to celebrate you joining the club.”

“That’s alright.”

“Hey, don’t you know a senior’s word is law? And since you’re a transfer student, you don’t know yet, but the tteokbokki at the snack bar up ahead is truly delicious.”

Just thinking about the tteokbokki stand made his mouth water like Pavlov’s dog. Dipping튀김 (fried food) into the sauce… ‘Ugh. I can’t stand it.’

“Let’s hurry out.”

Jung-hyun, consumed by his appetite, pushed the back of his junior, who stood as still as a totem pole, and exited the locker room. It was a moment on the verge of securing yet another regular customer for the snack bar, just as he had promised.