Mint Is Pure Love - Chapter 8

[Die, you crazy b1tch.]
Sent at 12:59 PM. The number: 18181818.

Judging by the time, they must’ve sent it quickly before fifth period started after lunch.

I wondered if I should change my number again and quietly deleted the message. I tucked my white flip phone into the front pocket of my bag and finished changing into my gym uniform.

Before heading out through the main entrance, I checked my untied shoelaces for no reason. I even fussed with my high ponytail again before stepping outside to the field—where I spotted Cha Seokyung in the distance. One hand in his pocket, the other casually holding a badminton racket.

Maybe he sensed my stare, because he looked over. We locked eyes while I was still in the middle of tying my hair, and just like that, his expression turned cold. Again? What now? I glared back just as sharply.

“Yeonseo, you look especially pretty today.”

Kim Eunho popped up beside me out of nowhere.

“You look really pretty with your hair tied up.”

“Buzz off.”

At my sharp words, Kim Eunho smiled with his mouth but his eyes looked like he was about to cry. That face he always made when I shut him down in front of others.

“I just said it ’cause it’s true. I can’t even say you’re pretty anymore?”

Ironically, the one person at our school who told me I was pretty without hesitation—plain and simple—was Kim Eunho.

Most people referred to my face using terms like mug, that smug face, or her damn looks, twisting compliments into insults. Stuff like, Ji Yeonseo? She’s got a pretty face, but that attitude is just as nasty.

Maybe that’s why I accepted Kim Eunho’s confession back then. Just because he said I was pretty. No catch, no snide comments—just that.

I suddenly found myself wondering. Does he really see me as that pretty? I was mid-thought, staring at him, when—

“Ji Yeonseo, aren’t you supposed to be practicing?”

A sharp voice cut into my ears. I turned from Kim Eunho to see Cha Seokyung, staring at me coldly.

His eyes glanced at the black sports watch on his right wrist, clearly annoyed. Probably thinking I was wasting practice time despite being bad at this already.

I walked past Kim Eunho and headed toward Cha Seokyung. As soon as our eyes met, I blurted it out.

“I switched partners.”

“…What?”

“Seokyung, you know me, right? I’m Hojung.”

Right on cue, Lee Hojung cut in with her sugary voice. She’d clearly been watching.

Cha Seokyung didn’t even glance her way—he just kept his eyes on me, silently asking for an explanation.

“You and Hojung will probably work better together. That’s why I switched. You’re okay with that, right?”

Instead of answering, Cha Seokyung looked at me, then behind me.

I’d already told him what I wanted. The teacher said it was fine as long as we found new partners ourselves. Still, for some reason, both Hojung and I were standing there like we were waiting for Cha Seokyung’s approval.

I finally understood why someone like him—who doesn’t even stand out much among the guys—somehow became the center of the group. There was this quiet composure about him, this air of authority that made it feel natural for him to make the final call.

“Are you really okay with this?”

Instead of answering him directly, I turned to Hojung, reminding her of the agreement.

“Hojung, you’re okay with this, right? I didn’t pressure you or anything.”

“Of course not! You didn’t force me or anything. I said I wanted to, Seokyung.”

Hojung replied in that annoyingly sweet tone of hers.

I looked up at Seokyung, wondering if that settled it, but he gestured with his eyes—toward someone behind me.

“Doesn’t look like she’s okay with it.”

I turned and saw Choi Sunyoung—Hojung’s original partner.

She was the kind of girl who hated even being on class duty with me, and now she was suddenly my midterm exam partner. Her face was full of barely hidden hurt, frustration, even jealousy.

Hojung waved her hands defensively.

“No! Sunyoung said she understands! Right, Yeonseo?”

How would I know? Yesterday, you dragged me into this, insisting you’d take care of it.

But I didn’t say it out loud. Watching the awkward scene unfold, Cha Seokyung cut in.

“What if I say I’ll partner with that girl instead?”

“…What?!”

His gaze, cool and calm, landed on Hojung.

“So what, you’ll pair up with Ji Yeonseo?”

Hojung looked back and forth between the two of us, her face flushing red. Whether it was the idea of being ditched for Sunyoung or fear that I might be chosen instead, I didn’t know.

Seokyung continued, completely unfazed.

“Just stick with what we had. Don’t stand here going back and forth when you haven’t even sorted things out among yourselves. It’s exhausting.”

Each word dropped colder than the last.

Maybe because of that—or because she was upset—Hojung turned around and walked toward Sunyoung. I saw her wrap an arm around Sunyoung’s shoulder and start talking. They were friends, after all. For a second, I was a little… jealous.

“…What are you doing? Not gonna play?”

A slightly irritated voice shook me from my thoughts.

Seeing me finally move, Cha Seokyung turned his back and walked toward our usual practice spot near the pull-up bars. His strides were wide—maybe because of his long legs. I had long legs too, but…

I was annoyed that my plan had failed. And I didn’t want to lose to him, so I matched his stride.

Seokyung stood in place, watching me approach with a look of faint disapproval. But I was used to looks like that, so I just got into position.

Boing, pop, tap.

Pop, pop, tap.

I served. Seokyung returned the shuttlecock effortlessly, and when I missed, the rally ended.

Sometimes it went the other way, though.

Fwooooosh, pop.

That sound meant his serve. With his tall height and long reach, even his lightest serves often flew right over my head.

Every time, I’d scramble backward, trying to return it and failing—then run off to retrieve the shuttlecock from far away.

After a dozen or so times of that, I got fed up.

Instead of picking up the one that landed halfway between us, I just stood there, glaring at him.

He spoke first.

“What are you doing? Not picking it up?”

“It’s closer to you.”

I’d picked up every single shuttlecock so far. Around thirty of them.

He answered without hesitation.

“Whoever drops it is supposed to pick it up. It’s just good manners.”

Manners, my ass.

I didn’t move, and he didn’t say anything else either. We both just stared at the shuttlecock in the middle.

Then suddenly, a wave of exhaustion hit me. What are we even doing? This is so childish.

I sighed, walked over, picked it up, and then faced him instead of returning to my spot.

“Cha Seokyung. If you don’t want to practice with me, then why won’t you switch partners?”

He didn’t answer—just gave me a sideways glance.

“You don’t want to do this with me, right?”

It wasn’t just about who picked up the shuttlecock. After dealing with serve after serve that sailed over my head, I’d drawn my own conclusion.

He wasn’t thinking about height differences or positioning—he was just serving however he wanted, like he didn’t care.

I figured that was his way of pushing me out. I’d seen it happen before.

Since the first year, whenever kids ended up partnered with me by chance, they’d do this—hoping I’d drop out first, because they didn’t have the guts to ask the teacher directly to switch.

It felt a little pathetic.

“You’re just serving however you want. I can’t freaking fly—how am I supposed to hit that?”

The more I talked, the angrier I got.

“You’re unbelievable. You should’ve just said yes when I offered to switch with Hojung earlier. Why act like it’s fine in front of everyone, then pull this crap behind their backs? You’re the fake one, pretending to be all polite and nice.”

And you tell me not to live like that? You, Cha Seokyung?

“Fine, you think I’m pathetic, right? Then what? Has anything gone the way I wanted? I can’t even switch my stupid partner for this!”

I’m still an outcast. People still hate me. And I keep hearing rumors about myself—ones I don’t even know.

It was so unfair. I never asked anyone to pity me. What good has it done me? Why do I keep getting blamed for things I didn’t even do?

And now you too, Cha Seokyung?

I was overwhelmed with emotion.

He watched me quietly the whole time, not saying a word—no excuses, no snide remarks.

I pushed the words out in a calm, deliberate tone.

“I’ll explain things to the teacher. No matter how it turns out.”

Even if it meant failing the practical exam—I was that desperate.

He didn’t answer. Just stared at me with that same unreadable expression.

Not like it’s his fault, I thought. He probably didn’t know much after transferring in and just agreed to pair up with me because he thought he was being polite.

Then he must’ve heard the whispers. Ji Yeonseo this, Ji Yeonseo that.

At this age, kids don’t want to be associated with someone others talk sh1t about. Especially not someone like Cha Seokyung.

My voice softened.

“I really can’t return those serves. I’m not built like you. You should practice with someone closer to your size or skill level.”

I glanced around. Last time, too—it felt like he only stayed because he pitied me for being left out. That’s probably just part of the polite and composed Cha Seokyung package.

As I turned my head, I locked eyes with the ever-annoying Kim Eunho, who waved at me.

Should I just ask him to pair up with me? What’s the worst that could happen?

“…Maybe I should just pair up with whoever—”

“You haven’t practiced at all, have you?”

“Huh? What?”

I snapped back to attention. He was staring right at me like he’d been watching the whole time. His gaze lingered near my arms and shoulders.

“Even the textbook shows how to serve and how to angle your arm. You’re doing both wrong.”

“…”

“If it felt like I was just doing whatever I wanted, that’s unfortunate. And also…”

He trailed off, then opened his mouth again like he couldn’t hold it back anymore.

“You’re right. I did serve however I wanted. I didn’t think about it.”

He admitted it, boldly. No guilt. No shame.

“But if you expected that kind of consideration from me, shouldn’t you have been putting in effort too?”

His cold eyes dropped to my lips, then shifted back toward the field.

“Instead of just thinking about how to switch partners when things don’t go your way.”

My face burned. Saying I had no one else to practice with was just a lame excuse. Nothing he said was wrong.

Just as I opened my mouth to say something, the bell rang. He glanced back at me one last time.

“If you’re not gonna try and just want to get a passing score the easy way, then go ahead. Switch. Do whatever you want.”

“…”

“I don’t change my mind once I decide something.”

With that, Cha Seokyung walked off, tossing those words over his shoulder like they meant nothing.