The next day, Yujin found himself at the school's track, his nerves jangling with excitement and apprehension. He glanced around, trying to familiarize himself with the new vicinity. The school was really huge, given that they have their own track.
Just imagining how much his parents would save if he acquired a scholarship, fired Song Yujin to do his best despite his initial thought of doing it halfheartedly.
He told his family about his plan to try out at dinner last night and received their good luck wishes. So, he expected his siblings to at least watch him, but unexpectedly, they weren't in sight.
Although Song Yujin caught a familiar face, he wondered if it was to support him or simply just watch him fail. Either way, he waved his hands like a fool and grinned widely at the vice president.
Lee Hyun ignored his exaggerated act of acknowledgment of his presence, and looked away, turning his head to the person beside him, Kang Ji-eun.
Sogn Yujin's eyebrow raised. He pondered, those two must be dating. Kang Ji-eun is the only student I often see with him…
In his peripheral vision, he saw someone approaching the bleachers. He looked up and saw his sister, Kim Hajin, together with her other two female classmates, taking a seat on the first step.
"Noona!" Song Yujin couldn't contain his joy upon seeing his beloved sister. He waved both of his hands and smiled widely.
Kim Hajin laughed at his childish reaction and waved back. Her graceful movement and soft laughter stole a few students' attention, including Lee Hyun and Kang Ji-eun.
"Do your best, Yujin-ah!" Kim Hajin shouted when the track and field coach, a tall man named Coach Park Minho, appeared and approached Song Yujin.
Song Yujin winked at his sister before he focused his attention on the coach.
"We're going to start with a time trial. One lap," Coach Park announced. "I'll give you one chance, so give it all you've got."
Song Yujin nodded. His legs and stamina weren't so weak, given that after the first day of his school when he and his siblings took a car ride home, they started going back home to school differently the following days.
Kim Hajun spent his time with Lu Yuze, and Kim Hajin with her friends.
Meanwhile, Song Yujin, would take a bus home, and run from the bus stop to their address. It became his routine, as the only way he could exercise since at home, he was busy playing games and doing homework, if there was any.
The coach motioned him to take the starting position.
Yujin laced up his running shoes, securely. The familiar sensation of the track beneath his feet evoked memories of childhood races and playground sprints. It was nostalgic and somehow decreased his nervousness.
As he lined up at the starting mark, he cast a glance toward the coach and the handful of students already gathered, their eyes watching with curiosity and expectation. Some students who sat close to Mr. Choi, Song Yujin could tell they were club members.
"Ready!" Coach Park called out, and Yujin took one last deep breath, focusing his entire attention on the path ahead.
The whistle echoed, and Song Yujin shot off the line with surprising speed. The wind whipped past him as he focused solely on the track ahead, pushing through to the end where pasted his purpose in air – scholarship and free tutoring, which means he doesn't need to go to cram school and pay another hefty amount for his extra studies and preparation for university.
His strides were long and powerful, thanks to his tall and balanced stature. His breath came in measured bursts, yet his legs were as light as feathers.
When he crossed the finish line, Yujin glanced at the stopwatch being helped by Coach Park, his heart pounding with both the thrill of the trial and the anticipation of the results.
Coach Park's eyes widened as he checked the time, a broad smile spreading across his face. Song Yujin didn't even notice the surroundings went silent; everyone was in awe witnessing a talent in the making.
The coach approached Song Yujin and slapped his back, exclaiming excitedly, "Impressive! You ran as fast as one of our senior members! Where have you been? Why didn't you join the club as soon as you enrolled, kid? You're amazing!"
Yujin wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing upward at the exhilarated coach with anticipation and hope, "So, did I pass, sir?"
"What?! Of course, you did! You passed, boy! Let's register your name quickly!" Coach Park gestured for another male student wearing a blue club jacket to come.
The guy introduced himself as Hong Jae-ho, the club manager. He took an application paper and a sheet of paper containing the list of requirements. Song Yujin, after his breath calmed and he composed himself, took the papers.
"I will prepare them as soon as I can. Thank you for this opportunity, sir," Song Yujin bowed at the coach.
Mr. Choi walked to him and patted his shoulder as he said, "I knew I could trust the vice president's words. That kid's someone who rarely gets impressed by something, yet he came to me and recommended you. Thank him instead, boy."
Song Yujin was stunned. After the words of Mr. Choi finally sunk in his head, he spun to the direction where Lee Hyun was, but he and Kang Ji-eun were no longer there. His eyes scanned the vicinity, but he still failed to spot him.
In the background, he could hear Coach Park and Mr. Choi gathering the club members around, introducing him to them.
Song Yujin bowed and shook hands with his team members. All of them seemed friendly, to his relief. From the distance, he saw Kim Hajin smiling proudly. Their eyes met and she waved, pointing at the back indicating that she and her friends were going back already.
He nodded and waved back, then fixated his focus on his new batch of acquaintances, wondering who among them would be one of his closest friends.
As Yujin left the track, he found himself surprisingly excited about the new chapter ahead. The incentives had drawn him in, but the thrill of running and the challenge of the sport resonated with him. Even he was surprised that he could run that fast and that he had it in him to be inclined to sports.
Coach Park evaluated his running, and he received praise and suggestions. If he started training properly, then the trial time he achieved would improve, decreasing greatly as the Coach predicted.