Chapter Text
School festivals were approaching soon.
Squid Games Academy annually hosts a sports activity festival, which consists of old school games for students to compete and be involved in. Mini-games such as: Tug of war, Six-legged Pentathlon, Marbles are some of the many games that has been up to offer.
The guys were hanging out in the boys locker rooms changing into a more suitable attire instead of their proper school uniforms.
"Yoo, are you going to actually participate in the sports activities this time or proclaim yourself as the referee and time keeper who actually does nothing but just sit there and attract the attention of everyone?" Jung-bae asks even though he probably expected the answer but he does it anyways, sitting on the bench while pulling his socks up.
"Mmm.." Gong Yoo looks and inspects his own fingernails, which were well-manicured and cared for. "Why would you make such an assumption?"
"Because last year you did it, and the previous previous year." Gi-hun backs up Jung-bae's deduction. "The reasoning behind why you did it as stated by you was-- 'Its a duty no one else can fulfill.'" Gi-hun flexes his fingers up in deliberate sarcasm, doing air-quote gestures.
"Aww you guys know me so well! You guys really do care for me after all these years that you even manage to remember what I say word for word and my choices!"
Jung-bae and Gi-hun exchange an exasperated glance amongst each other and shook their heads.
"Guys I seriously can't wait to crush the other year groups!" Dae-ho spoke up enthusiastically with an evident boost of revitalised energy. "This time we will take the cake and show them whose boss!" He couldn't contain himself and starts jogging in place whilst throwing some air punches.
"Hear hear."
Dae-ho's boundless and infectious energy rubs off on everyone and make everyone in the locker room feel more share the same feeling too. The room erupts in unintelligible sounds and yells, guys from other year groups or class swinging their towels around.
"We are so going to receive a noise complaint."
~~~
The guys exited the locker room, making their way to the designated location which was the field. Sharing a few banters, bickering about trivial non-issue matters and so.
"I really hope we aren't up against that Deok-su guy and his minions" Gi-hun complains and groans, remembering the memory where last year Deok-su and his team won by a huge landslide in Tug or war. "He really is impossible."
"Gi-hun don't put yourself down and be pessimistic, trust in everyones capabilities and abilities this time." In-ho pats Gi-hun's shoulder and to lift his spirits.
"Yeah Gi-hun." Jung-bae chimes in. "Besides this time we have Ali and Sang-woo."
Before he continues his sentence, Jung-bae lowers his voice and uses his hand to cover his mouth. "And I've heard from a bird that they have significantly improved in strength, so Tug of War shouldn't be a prolonged issue with them on our side."
Gi-hun's mood immediately shifts to one of glowing with pride upon hearing the name 'Sang-woo'. "Oh yeah you're right, I nearly forgot about ol' Sang-woo. Then I suppose we are in good hands." He chopped one hand onto the other.
On the contrary, someone's mood seems to have quite the opposite effect and soured-- In-ho. "..I see, I forgot about him." He mumbles under his breath, his words went unheard by anyone.
"Looks like somethings sizzling and burning over here." A certain menace rested his arm on In-ho's head, letting out a low whistle.
"If you have nothing good to share, then your input isn't necessary."
"Well it happens to the best of us."
Gong Yoo shoots a smirk at In-ho as his arm gets shook away from In-ho.
"It's alright hyung, since I'm such a saint, I can provide you with free life changing advice." Gong Yoo generously offers and uses his fingers while listing out options. "Or in your case maybe love advice?"
"I don't require getting unsolicited advice, especially from you Gong Yoo."
"Well, the offer stands and will still be up for you."
Suddenly, the loud speaker blares through, piercing the air announcing for students to get into their respective groups and the activities will shortly commence.
"Goodluck guys~" Gong Yoo bids them luck as it was their cue to leave. "Just know that I'm watching and your best performance is highly requested~"
Jung-bae rolls his eyes and has an expression that reads 'Get a load of this guy'.
"Yeah, yeah real talk pretty boy, we expect drinks after the event is over." Gi-hun mocks before they set off towards the main field.
Gong Yoo hums in approval as he watches his friends depart, then he slowly meanders his way to the stands.
~~~
"Move out of my way twerps." A purple hair guy called Choi Su-bong, or what he tells people to call him by-- Thanos, cursed as he and his friends intentionally pushed and bumped by others rudely.
"-Ugh! Thanos you ass." Ji-yeong hissed as she was the one of the few who got the receiving blow from them.
Thanos then proceeds to mock whatever Ji-yeong said in a high pitched voice to his friends, who laughed heartily as if Thanos told the most hilarious thing in the world.
"Would it kill you to not go and provoke others for once?" A tall girl interjects, stepping in between her friends against Thanos. It also appears that she shares the same sentiment of disliking Thanos as well. "Its literally the sports festival, grow up."
Thanos looks in slight disbelief that he got stood up against. "Whats your name? Say-byott is it?" His voice dangerously low and it was apparent that his blood was boiling. "You aren't doing anyone a favour by playing hero."
"You should leave my friends alone Su-bong." Jun-ho spoke up. "Stooping this low to insult someone just because you couldn't move aside by a few feet to get across is honestly such a pathetic thing to do.
Thanos's attention immediately gets taken from Sae-byeok towards Jun-ho.
"You wanna fight little dork?" Thanos voice dips dangerously as he comes forward to Jun-ho, his fingers curling into fists as he grabs Jun-ho by his collar in a position to knock him out. "Well go on, say it to my face now. Lets see if you can present it with the same energy."
As Thanos conjures up his strength to strike Jun-ho with his other free hand, suddenly it was stopped by another person's hand.
"What could possibly be the issue happening?"
It was Gong Yoo, however his voice was now flat and that usual cheery teasing tone was not present.
"Hate to dampen on whatever is happening here but I can't have my favourite junior facing an unfair fight now can we?" Gong Yoo had his signature smirk on, but it didn't reach his eyes and laced with a more serious undertone beneath. His hand then directs Thanos's fist away.
"Tch." The purple hair delinquent forcefully let the grasp from Jun-ho's collar down, his eyes glowering as if to signify 'this isn't over' to everyone except the senior. "Lets go." Thanos gives out an order to his goons to retreat and back off for now, as getting on a senior's nerves probably wasn't the best move.
"Thank you senior." Sae-byeok and Jun-hee expressed their gratitude politely to Gong Yoo.
"Thank Yoo, heh get it?" Ji-yeong attempted to jest.
It elicited a light chuckle from Gong Yoo's lips. "Your an interesting one. I'll give you credit, it was funny."
"So I've been told."
"Jun-ho you going to keep silent or introduce your friends to me~?" Gong Yoo lightly squeezes his grip around Jun-ho.
"Oh, uh right." Jun-ho clears his throat and internally curses himself for freezing up. "This is Ji-yeong, Sae-byeok and Jun-hee." He introduces in order. "And as for the others, it probably isn't a foreign fact that he is Gong Yoo."
It prompts out a chuckle from the guy himself.
"You lot participating in the activities?" Gong Yoo's eyes briefly flicker from them to the field.
"Well about that." Ji-yeong decided to answer on behalf of everyone. "We wanted to skip it and go do something else."
"Oh? Why not just watch the games instead?"
"Don't tell anybody else but I'm offering you the opportunity of your lifetime, which is to come watch it with me." Gong Yoo's eyes twinkled and his fingers fluttered apart.
Ji-yeong, Sae-byeok, Jun-hee and Jun-ho mutually agreed.
~~~
"You really are an interesting person Senior Gong Yoo." Jun-hee speaks up as she drank from her juice box on which the senior insisted to pay for everyone and refused to hear otherwise.
"Am I suppose to take that as a compliment or a backhanded one?" Gong Yoo looks up from his apple juice.
"Well, as a compliment."
Jun-hee continues. "Its just I never expected you to be this.. chill?" She tries to find a suitable word to fill in her sentence.
"Ah so I had an impression on you that I was not?"
"Oh, we all did." Sae-byeok's finger twirls in a circular motion.
"Let me ask Yoo.." Ji-yeong interjects and feigns a moment of contemplation. "So what is your type of person?"
"Ah so direct and straight to the point Ji-yeong." Gong Yoo replies unfazed. "Do you gain something from my answer?"
"I suppose. Not really. Perhaps." She shrugs. "Most students would kill to know your type."
"Well fine, I'll indulge everyone here in something. Let me think." Gong Yoo actually pauses to give full heart to ponder and not just give a not thought out, half baked answer.
"Ideally a police officer, doesn't matter in what field. Maybe taller than I am, but obviously I can make exceptions. Strong willed and dedicated." Gong Yoo finally settles on one description with his finger brought up to his lips.
Jun-ho felt his heart drop a little, he felt a creeping feeling of disappointment and dejectment. With all his strength he could muster up, he tried not to let that show on his face.
"Looks like no one in this academy stands a chance then, breaking the news would be prettyy tough."
"I concur." Sae-byeok agrees with Ji-yeong and shook her head in disbelief. "Some of the girls have prepared marriage vows and planned a house to move in with you already."
Gong Yoo breathes out a short amused chuckle. He already knew that anyways.
All of them fall into a companionable silence as they watched the others engage in the sports activities in the field infront. It was truly entertaining, their eyes darting back and forward between those who they recognise as companions and acquaintances, cheering and brimming with encouragement.
Jun-ho was nudged by Gong Yoo who seemed to be mouthing some words that got overlapped and silenced by the loud roar of spectators around them.
He just cluelessly tilted his head trying to make out and register whatever his senior said but couldn't seem to hear a single syllable.
Gong Yoo then leaned closer towards Jun-ho with his hand cupping around Jun-ho's ear.
"You look like you seen a ghost, is this area too pressuring on you?"
His voice brushed and puffs against Jun-ho's ear, oddly tingly and tender.
Before Jun-ho could deliver a response, he felt the back Gong Yoo's hand pressed up against his forehead, trying to feel his temperature.
Jun-ho was about to spontaneously combust or implode, whichever one comes first he would gladly take it.
In a blur of a haze in the moment, Jun-ho's fingers grabbed and wrapped around Gong Yoo's wrists. His wrists felt awfully dainty, no signs of scar or callouses. The tendons and veins slowly shifting under Jun-ho's grasp.
Imagine gently caressing his wrists, smoothing out any lines. Slipping and tightening one of his many watches around his delicate wrists.
Get a hold of yourself!
"I--"
It was like horrible timing, like losing 50/50s consecutively on the unfavored end, the girls spun their heads around and caught the entire thing unfolding before their very eyes.
Ji-yeong's lips parted into a small 'o' shape, Jun-hee covered her lips with her hand and Sae-byeok raised her eyebrows.
"So Jun-ho's the exception?" Ji-yeong voice could be heard by everyone.
Jun-ho abruptly let go and vehemently shook his head. "I wasn't thinking.." He hung his head low and buried his face into his own hands, hoping that the floor beneath him would open and to swallow him whole. "I don't know what came over me at the moment..."
He felt his heart ramming against his ribcage, like a shopping cart colliding and clattering into a door opening too slow.
"The current environment is perhaps too harsh on Jun-ho at the moment." Jun-ho hears Gong Yoo speak up, he wonders why the senior is even trying to justify and to back him up after whatever nonsensical shenanigan he just pulled off.
The three girls looked like they only half believed Gong Yoo's response and didn't say more about it. However Jun-ho knew he would not hear the end of it from them the moment Gong Yoo is out of their range.
Everyone else continued to watch the series of sports activities unfolding, where Jun-ho bashfully lifts his face from his palms trying to shrink away from any unwanted attention.
He sneaks a peak at Gong Yoo who seemed to be doing the same thing as him, having a dorky lopsided smile tugging on the wisp of his lips.
Huh.
~~~
"What did I tell you guys? That we could do it and we managed to get that outcome!" Dae-ho's voice rimmed with glee and pride, and a triumphant tilt to it. His arms swung across Jung-bae and Gi-hun's shoulder.
"Fine. Dae-ho I owe you one."
"Did you see how Gi-hun clutched at the last kick in Jegi? Oh my days, if he didn't then we'd had no way of crossing the finish line in time!"
"Actually you have to give the credit to In-ho, who moved his leg and tilted it in order for the jegi to hit against my foot." Gi-hun corrected.
"It was nothing, it would be a fault on my part if I just let everyone lose."
"Humble as ever In-ho!" Dae-ho flashes a thumbs up in approval. "Remembering when Sang-woo said in the heat of the moment in Tug or war to 'take three steps forward to bamboozle our opponents'? Honestly such a power move!"
They buzzed in agreement and began retelling moments during the sports events.
"And I was beginning to wonder if you have forgotten about me."
The guys looked and noticed it was Gong Yoo, who held multiple drinks as per Gi-hun's request earlier.
"Yoo you ass. You actually remembered."
Dae-ho was about to approach and embrace Gong Yoo into a friendly bro approved noogie but Gong Yoo was two steps ahead and held up a hand.
"Sorry Dae, you quite literally reek of sweat. Maybe not this time."
"You egoistical freak, since you didn't even participate in the games, you aren't getting away this time." Jung-bae declared as Gi-hun and Dae-ho got the memo and begin to draw near and corner Gong Yoo.
"Guys....?" Gong Yoo felt a lump lodged in his throat, as he tried to back away from his friends who all have a shared malicious glint in their eyes. "I-I'll let you copy my work again without any favours!"
In sync, the three boys 'pounced' on Gong Yoo who yelped, giving him a noogie and messing up his slicked back hair causing it to be in a dishevelled mess. Their sweat came into contact with Gong Yoo which caused the menace to go limp and slumps in defeat as he is completely at their mercy.
In-ho face palmed but he had a fond smile on him.
"If you weren't watching us during the whole time, you are really going to get it from us."
~~~
At the Hwang's residence, In-ho noticed how lately his younger brother Jun-ho acted differently.
At first he didn't really notice any subtle changes but recently he could feel the shift in the air was apparent.
"Jun-ho, is there something you would like to share?" In-ho looks up from his book to his brother, who was pacing around the room with something obviously in his mind.
"Nothing hyung!" The words shooting out of Jun-ho's mouth like a bullet instantly, denying and rebuking In-ho's concern.
"Are you sure? You seem a little.... on edge." He presses on further.
"Yup." Jun-ho pops the 'p' syllable. "100%, affirmative, definite."
"You can always tell me anything at anytime, just remember that I won't judge you for anything." In-ho follows up, even though he knows its pointless.
"...Thanks hyung but rest assured I would tell you if anything was relatively bothering me."
Jun-ho finishes and gives an appreciative smile to In-ho before going back to his own room.
Alright, so which bastard could possibly be causing an issue for his younger brother now.