Chapter 21

Generally, people prefer winning over losing in competitions.

This also applies to pure children who have not yet been tainted by the world.

Simply because winning feels good and losing feels bad.

Or, to receive praise from their parents.

Children also show a strong desire to win, just like adults.

They simply don’t experience competitions as often as adults do.

“Now, we will begin the 7th A-rum Kindergarten Fall Sports Day~~~~~!”

However, now that the announcer’s voice announcing the start of the fall sports day echoed throughout the vast futsal field.

With events suitable for the name of competition like tug-of-war and relay races set to begin soon.

Even the always bright-eyed children could not help but become serious.

They couldn’t let down their guard, especially since there were many parents watching them.

Except for one person.

There was Haeun, who had been going to a film set instead of kindergarten just a few months ago, attracting a gaze from people for a slightly different reason.

“Hey, isn’t that the kid who was in ‘The Uncle Next Door’?”

“For sure, actors seem a little different.”

“Is it okay to ask for a photo with our child later?”

‘…Should I just go to the bathroom or something?’

Even the kids from Dalnim class, who had only thought of Haeun as a pretty girl in the same class, couldn’t help but steal glances at her.

It was only natural for Haeun to feel burdened by all those gazes.

This was the first time she had truly experienced her fame in this way.

Of course, Haeun knew that the movie ‘The Uncle Next Door’, in which she starred, had set a record of 7 million viewers.

Honestly, until now, the fact that she had become a celebrity hadn’t hit her that hard.

The reason was that after the production announcement of ‘The Uncle Next Door’, there had been almost no opportunity for her to be exposed to people.

The places Haeun had gone outside of kindergarten had been the local playground, which she had frequented for quite some time, or Daulby’s studio.

While the local playground was fine, she had ridden Ju Jung-yun’s van to Daulby’s studio, making it unlikely for anyone to recognize and talk to her.

Thus, this fall sports day, a moment where Haeun had finally appeared before the public for almost the first time in her seven-year life, was bound to be filled with experiences she had never had before.

Of course, Haeun didn’t think she would be completely unrecognizable, but still…

‘It’s kind of burdensome to be looked at like that.’

It felt stranger than she had expected for someone to find her fascinating.

To put it a bit exaggeratedly, it felt like being a beluga in an aquarium.

“Our daughter has become a very famous person! Everyone is talking about her here and there.”

“Dad… Should I have at least worn a mask?”

“Hmm, then you would have drawn more attention to yourself.”

Then, there was a brief piece of advice from Sung Yoon, saying that it would be better for Haeun to just try to relax.

It was a playful question asking why she felt burdened by people’s gazes when she hadn’t done anything wrong.

To be fair, it wasn’t exactly a wrong statement.

It was just that the scale of the gaze was not something that could be easily endured just by changing her mindset.

Later, when the first event of the fall sports day, ‘Breaking the Box,’ began.

When Haeun recalled the memories of her last pitching and threw the beanbag with all her might, breaking the box in just three tries.

– Murmurs.

– Glances.

Haeun awkwardly scratched her head as she felt the intense gaze directed at her.

However, she didn’t notice that a different kind of gaze was mixed in this time.

[Oh, it seems the blue team’s box wasn’t properly secured.]

Thus, after the game of breaking the box, which ended in less than 15 seconds, the announcer managed to get things under control.

After all the other events also ended,

“How was it, Haeun? Mom’s cooking skills have been on display for a while; is it delicious?”

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

Finally, during lunchtime, Haeun was able to taste the lunchbox made by Na-yeon, escaping from the gazes of the people.

About an hour later, they began preparing for the last event and highlight of the sports day, ‘Relay Race.’

As is often the case with the final events of sports days, it was a high-stakes event with a ton of scores on the line, making all the previous small score gaps seem trivial.

For this moment alone, Haeun had been training over the past few days, tightening her shoelaces even more.

After all, the relay race was the event that could most clearly determine the winner and loser among the various events of the sports day.

The children were at their peak excitement, absorbed in the scores between the blue team and the red team, which had been neck and neck until now.

[All runners from the blue team and the red team, get ready. 3, 2, 1… Go!]

“Go blue team!!”

“Fight red team!”

The problem was, there were a few kids whose heightened excitement translated into a level of nervousness that affected their complexion.

Among them was Haeun’s immediate predecessor in the relay race.

– Crash!

“Ugh, ugh… Waaah!!”

‘…This is bad.’

The biggest problem was that the child who had been running well up till then lost their balance and fell while crying.

Right after that, a bright smile appeared on the face of Haeun’s rival in the relay race, who she barely knew by name.

“Hehe, it seems like your team is going to lose~. Well then, I’m going ahead!”

So, the child who teased Haeun began to run off, accepting the baton.

Just then, the previous relay racer, who somehow received help from the teacher, came up to Haeun.

“Sorry, I’m really sorry, Haeun… *sniff*…”

At that moment, while sobbing heavily, they handed Haeun the baton covered in dirt.

“It’s okay, Eun-seo.”

– Huh.

“We’re going to win.”

With a calm expression, just like usual, Haeun declared victory and started to dash forward.

***

Park Ye-jun.

Age, 7 years.

“Hehe, it seems like your team is going to lose~. Well then, I’m going ahead!”

The one who had just provoked Haeun was already convinced that he had won against her.

For good reason, the distance between him and Haeun had increased to at least half a lap.

If he just kept running like this, he could defeat Lee Ha-eun right in front of countless people.

Of course, it could be said that this was all thanks to the mistake of Haeun’s previous runner, but nonetheless, Ye-jun’s heart swelled with the thought of being able to defeat Haeun.

How many times had Ye-jun heard the name Lee Ha-eun until now?

The kids from Byeollim class, who were in the same class as Ye-jun, and their teacher.

Even Ye-jun’s parents often spoke of that girl named Haeun.

Her beautiful appearance shone even when she was just sitting silently.

Her gentle personality, which had never shown anger.

A celebrity already appearing on TV and movie screens.

It was not surprising that Ye-jun had been feeling sick of hearing everyone talk about Haeun.

‘…What’s so great about her anyway.’

Unbeknownst to him, jealousy and vague admiration toward Haeun was blooming deep in Ye-jun’s heart.

To Ye-jun, Haeun was a child he couldn’t help but envy while also look up to at the same time.

Thus, now in front of everyone, the opportunity to win against Haeun was indeed a golden opportunity.

In just a few seconds, he would cross the finish line and proudly declare his victory.

But why on earth?

“Uh, uh, uh…!!”

Why was everyone looking not at Ye-jun, but a little behind him?

With very wide eyes.

‘No way…’

Imagining a situation that didn’t make sense, Ye-jun turned his head back.

“…Hello.”

-Chills.

“What, what, what!!”

In a moment, he felt chills from meeting Haeun’s calm gaze, not merely in his imagination.

Coincidentally, he was just twenty steps away from the finish line.

No matter what, he hated to lose to Haeun after coming this far, so he ran with all his might.

Yet, instead of closing the gap with Haeun, it only widened.

– Whoosh!

At that moment, just five steps away from the finish line, he found himself flying through the air as he was running.

In a posture similar to that of a cheetah attacking its prey in a documentary he watched the previous night.

– Thud.

He managed to snatch the white finish line tape right in front of him.

Immediately after, Haeun, gripping the stretching finish line tape like a rubber band, rolled on the ground.

However, as if rolling in the dirt was nothing, she quickly regained her posture and zoomed past a stunned Ye-jun, heading toward the children from Dalnim class, who were running from afar.

“Waaah, ugh, ugh… Waaah!!”

Now, the feelings that were too tough for just a 7-year-old child overwhelmed Ye-jun.

Ultimately, he burst into tears.

Even when his teacher from Byeollim class rushed to comfort him, he felt unbearably sad, frustrated, and embarrassed.

If he had just run without saying anything, it wouldn’t have been this humiliating.

The biggest wound was that Haeun, who had narrowly beaten him, hadn’t even given him a glance.

Yet, the very person who had inflicted an unbearable wound on Ye-jun, Haeun,

‘…That was really close.’

Thought of Ye-jun as a good runner.

In truth, the previous disregard for Ye-jun was not because she looked down on him, but because she was distracted by the sight of her previous runner, who was crying while dashing toward Haeun.

Anyway, the ultimate winner of the relay race and this fall sports day turned out to be Haeun’s blue team.

With the prize for winning the sports day—a set of stationery, which Ye-jun later learned was the same prize for the runner-up—Haeun returned to Na-yeon, who had been fervently cheering for her under the tent.

And almost simultaneously, for the first time in her 7-year life,

“No jumping onto the dirt just to grab the finish line tape!”

She got scolded by Na-yeon for jumping right by the finish line, which was a very dangerous thing to do.

Sung Yoon, who had wondered why it wasn’t enough to just have won, also got scolded along with her.

But still, it was a day that ultimately held some significance.

Despite being banned from exercising for a week as a price to pay for shocking Na-yeon, she had no regrets.

Thus, Haeun’s first period of self-restraint finally came to an end.

On a day in November, when various leaves began to fall to the ground.

“H-Haeun is… nominated for the Best New Actress award?”

An unexpected news was brought to Haeun, who was taking a singing class in Daulby’s studio as usual.

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