There was a lot of commotion on the field, but Ran’s attention was somewhere else.
He stood in the distance, staring at the ground while countless questions swirled through his mind.
“I’ve always heard that in some Korean schools, wealthy students receive VIP treatment…
while poor and middle-class families face discrimination.”
“But I always hoped those were just rumors…”
Ran’s gaze fell on the child whom the gangster had grabbed earlier.
“If all of that turns out to be true in this Sports Meet as well…
I won’t let this system continue.”
A strange determination flashed in his eyes.
Just then, someone shook his shoulder.
“Ran…
Ran…
listen to us!”
Ran snapped back to reality.
Ami was standing in front of him.
“Ah…
yeah.
I was just thinking about something,” Ran said with a faint smile.
Ami frowned.
“You can think later.
Look at the condition of our team first.”
Ran turned around.
Several members of the White Team looked nervous and frightened.
“What happened to all of you?” Ran asked.
One player answered in a trembling voice,
“After seeing what happened earlier…”
“We’re scared.”
“What if something happens to us in the next game too?”
“We don’t want to play anymore.”
The others nodded in agreement.
Silence filled the air.
Ran looked at everyone.
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
He walked toward them and whispered something.
No one else could hear what he said.
But the next moment…
The players who had been frightened seconds ago suddenly became full of energy.
“Yeah!”
“That’s right!”
“Let’s show them!”
The entire team was fired up again.
Ami stared at Ran in surprise.
“What exactly did he say?”
But Ran simply smiled.
At that moment, preparations for the Shooting Game began.
Kim approached them.
“What happened to that child?” he asked quietly.
“He’s fine.”
Kim sighed in relief.
Then he lowered his voice.
“Ran…
don’t you think something feels strange?”
Ran looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
“There are rules…”
“But my team isn’t following them.”
Concern was visible in Kim’s eyes.
Ran stayed silent for a few seconds.
“Yeah…”
“That has been bothering me too.”
His gaze drifted toward the other side of the field.
And suddenly…
A memory flashed through his mind.
A memory…
That had completely changed his life.
…
Rain was pouring down.
A boy was kneeling in front of a dead body.
His cries echoed into the sky.
Tears streamed down his face.
But the face of the corpse…
Was hidden in darkness.
…
“Ran!”
A familiar voice pulled him back.
He blinked.
Ami was standing in front of him.
“Where are you lost?”
Ran realized his eyes were wet.
Before he could say anything…
Ami stepped closer.
She gently wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.
Her voice was soft.
“What happened to you?”
Ran looked at her for a few seconds.
Then he laughed lightly.
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s just because of the heat and all these games.”
Ami looked at him as if she didn’t believe a word.
She gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You’re terrible at lying.”
Ran remained silent.
Ami smiled.
“But if you don’t want to tell me yet…”
“I won’t force you.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Ami quietly said,
“Just take care of yourself, Ran.”
Concern was obvious in her voice.
A small smile appeared on Ran’s face.
“I will.”
At that moment, the speaker echoed across the field.
“Attention all participants!
The next event — Shooting Game — is about to begin!”
Ran took a deep breath.
The sadness in his eyes slowly faded.
But the mystery and that old memory still remained alive in his heart.
And perhaps…
Shooting Game – Match 1
Yui vs Jang Hyunwoo
The announcer’s voice echoed throughout the stadium.
“First Match — White Team’s Yui versus Red Team’s Jang Hyunwoo!”
The crowd erupted with excitement.
The rules were simple:
Whoever won 3 out of 5 rounds would be declared the winner.
Yui stepped forward confidently.
“Watch this!
My first shot will hit the center!”
Cha Gunwoo laughed.
“You said the same thing last time and hit a tree instead.”
“Shut up!”
Everyone laughed.
Yui fired.
Thud!
The arrow hit the board but far from the center.
30 Points!
Yui’s face immediately fell.
“Hey…
why did the board suddenly move?”
Ran sighed.
“The board didn’t move.
Your hand did.”
The audience burst into laughter again.
Jang Hyunwoo stepped forward.
She took a deep breath and fired.
70 Points!
The Red Team cheered loudly.
Round 1 Winner — Jang Hyunwoo
Round 2
The announcer smiled.
“Now for a twist!”
The target board suddenly began rotating.
The crowd became even more excited.
Jang fired first.
The shot was perfect…
But a strong gust of wind pushed it away.
When Yui’s turn came…
She completely missed the board.
No points were awarded.
Round 3
Yui calmed herself.
The entire field watched her.
She took a deep breath.
Focused.
And fired.
90 Points!
The White Team exploded with excitement.
“That’s our Yui!”
Yui raised her collar proudly.
“I told you I’m a professional.”
Ran laughed.
“One good shot and she’s already acting like an Olympic champion.”
Round 4
Yui continued her momentum.
80 Points!
Jang scored lower.
Round 4 Winner — Yui
Round 5
The final round.
Yui fired again.
Another excellent score.
Jang couldn’t catch up.
The announcer shouted:
“And the winner is…
YUI!”
The White Team celebrated wildly.
Shooting Game – Match 2
Cha Gunwoo vs Ryu Seongmin
After Yui’s victory, the White Team was full of confidence.
Round 1 went to Cha Gunwoo.
The team celebrated.
But then…
Ryu Seongmin suddenly changed.
He became more focused.
Round 2 — Ryu Wins.
Round 3 — Ryu Wins.
Round 4 — Ryu Wins.
Round 5 — Ryu Wins.
Final Result:
Ryu Seongmin — 4 Wins
Cha Gunwoo — 1 Win
Silence filled the field.
Nobody had expected Ryu to win four rounds in a row.
Cha Gunwoo lowered his head.
“Sorry…”
“I couldn’t win.”
Ran placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t apologize.”
“You did your best.”
“And you fought for the team.”
Then Ran looked toward the Red Team.
His expression became serious.
“The score is tied…”
“If I lose…”
“We’ll lose the entire Shooting Game.”
He took a deep breath.
The entire White Team looked at him.
The final match had arrived.
Ran vs Shin Sohee
Final Match
Ran vs Shin Sohee
The entire field focused on the last battle.
As Ran stepped forward…
His eyes suddenly widened.
“What…?”
“No…”
“How is this possible?”
He stared at Shin Sohee.
A face from the past.
Someone everyone believed was dead.
“But…”
“She’s alive…”
Shin smiled faintly.
As if she already knew he had recognized her.
They walked toward each other.
Ran extended his hand.
“It’s been a long time.”
Shin shook it.
“Yeah…”
“A very long time.”
Everyone around them looked confused.
“Do they know each other?”
Round 1
Shin fired first.
75 Points!
The Red Team cheered.
Then Ran stepped up.
He fired.
90 Points!
The White Team erupted.
“That’s our captain!”
But in the VIP section…
The gangster suddenly stood up.
His face turned pale.
“No…”
“That’s impossible…”
“She’s still alive…?”
Sweat appeared on his forehead.
Round 2
Ran scored:
60 Points
Then Shin fired.
85 Points
The Red Team celebrated.
But as Shin looked at Ran…
For a brief moment…
She saw something disturbing.
A strange smile.
A smile that looked almost devilish.
As if Ran knew a secret nobody else knew.
For the first time…
Shin felt uneasy.
Round 3
Ran became completely focused.
95 Points
He won the round.
Round 4
The tension grew heavier.
Ran kept watching Shin.
As if trying to uncover a hidden truth.
He won again.
Round 5
The final round.
Neither seemed focused on victory anymore.
It felt like a silent conversation was taking place between them.
Ran fired.
And won once again.
Final Result
Ran — 4 Wins
Shin Sohee — 1 Win
White Team Wins the Shooting Game!
The entire stadium erupted with cheers.
But Ran wasn’t celebrating.
He was only looking at Shin.
Slowly, she approached him.
A mysterious smile appeared on her face.
She extended her hand.
Ran shook it.
For a few seconds, they stared into each other’s eyes.
Then Shin spoke softly.
“It seems…”
“You recognized me.”
Ran narrowed his eyes.
“Maybe.”
Her smile deepened.
“Then we’ll meet again…”
“Very soon.”
She turned around and disappeared into the crowd.
Ran remained standing there.
Only one question echoed inside his mind:
“How is she still alive?”
And in the VIP section…
The gangster continued staring in the direction she had gone.
As if her return had awakened a secret that was never meant to come back.
Chapter End 🔥
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