It had been a week since he joined the soccer club.
Lee Han adapted to the team faster than expected.
No, to be exact, the team was the one adapting to Lee Han.
"Lee Han!"
Riu shouted from the opposite side of the field.
When Lee Han looked up, the ball came flying toward him.
He stretched out his foot and stopped the ball, then looked around.
Two defenders were blocking the front.
"Left!"
Riu shouted again.
Lee Han reflexively turned his body to the left.
At that moment, Riu ran into the space on the right.
The ball rolled quickly from Lee Han's toe.
Riu took it and shot right away.
Goal.
"Nice!"
The team erupted in cheers.
Riu turned and looked at Lee Han.
"That was good just now."
"You said left, senior."
"Still, you made the judgment right away."
"Then it means senior taught me well."
As Lee Han answered casually, Riu let out a snort of laughter.
"Lately, the way you talk seems like you're getting more and more used to me?"
"I wasn't uncomfortable from the start."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Then why were you so stiff at first?"
Lee Han looked at Riu for a moment.
"Because senior was hard to approach."
"Me?"
Riu pointed at himself in disbelief.
"I'm the captain, and senior is a third-year."
"So?"
"I thought if I got too close and made a mistake, you'd scold me."
Riu was momentarily at a loss for words.
"I'm not that scary."
"I know that now."
"Now?"
"Yes."
"So you were scared at first?"
"A little."
Riu burst out laughing.
"You're really honest."
"I have no reason to lie."
"Yeah. I do like that."
At those words, Lee Han's expression stiffened just a little.
Riu didn't miss the change.
"Why?"
"No."
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
Lee Han picked up the ball.
"When senior says I'm doing well, it feels weird."
"Why weird?"
"I don't know."
Leaving those words behind, Lee Han turned away first.
Riu watched Lee Han's back as it grew distant.
What was strange was that he was the same.
Lately, Lee Han paying unusually close attention to his words had been bothering him.
And he, too, kept checking where Lee Han was.
Even during practice.
Even during breaks.
Even until they left the field.
"We'll have a practice match today."
At the coach's words, the players gathered one by one.
"Captain, divide the teams."
Riu nodded.
As Riu looked over the players, his gaze stopped on Lee Han.
After a brief thought, Riu said, "Lee Han is on my team."
"Why?"
Lee Han asked right away.
Riu laughed.
"Why else? Because you're good."
"Putting me on the other side would be more fun."
"You want to go against me?"
"Yes."
"You confident?"
"If I weren't, I wouldn't have come in."
Laughter broke out around them.
Riu shook his head.
"Fine. Then next game I'll put you on the opposite side."
"Not next time. What about now?"
"For today, I want to see how much I can match you."
"Shouldn't I be the one matching you, senior?"
"We both have to adjust."
Riu handed the ball to Lee Han.
"Because we're on the same team."
At those words, Lee Han looked at the ball for a moment.
It was nothing special.
And yet, for some reason, it stayed with him.
The game was rougher than expected.
The opposing team's defense, trying to check Lee Han's skill, got rough, and Lee Han didn't back down easily either.
"Lee Han!"
Riu's voice rang out.
Lee Han turned his head.
Riu was running toward him.
Pass it?
Or break through himself?
After a brief moment of hesitation, Lee Han sent the ball to Riu.
Riu took it and ran.
One.
Two.
And with the last defender in front of him, he passed back to Lee Han.
"Go."
Lee Han received the ball and drove straight toward the goal.
Shot.
Goal.
The whistle blew.
"Nice!"
Riu came over with a smile.
"That pass just now was good."
"I knew senior would send it back."
"How did you know that?"
"Because senior likes building plays together more than letting me score alone."
Riu's expression froze for a moment.
"You've been watching me?"
"I watched a lot."
"Soccer?"
Lee Han didn't answer.
That short silence felt strangely long.
Riu looked away first.
"Start over. Get in position."
"Yes."
The two of them went back to the field.
Until practice ended that day, Riu strangely remained conscious of Lee Han's gaze.
And Lee Han, too, pretended not to know that his heart kept racing whenever Riu looked at him.
"Lee Han."
Riu, cleaning up the field, called out to Lee Han.
"Yes."
"Can you come out early tomorrow morning?"
"What time?"
"Six."
Lee Han narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
"Individual training."
"With senior?"
"Yeah."
"Just the two of us?"
Riu laughed.
"Why, do you hate it?"
After thinking for a moment, Lee Han shook his head.
"No."
"Then see you tomorrow."
Riu turned away first.
After walking a few steps, Riu looked back again.
"And."
"Yes?"
"Don't expect too much."
"About what?"
"Me giving you special treatment."
Lee Han let out a small laugh.
"I never asked senior for special treatment either."
"Then?"
Lee Han looked at Riu.
"It's fine if I can be a special junior to senior."
Riu's steps came to a halt.
But Lee Han was calmly packing up his bag.
"See you tomorrow, senior."
Riu stood there for a long time.
Then he muttered to himself in a low voice.
"...What is up with him lately."
He still didn't know.
That tomorrow morning's one-on-one training would become the first moment when the two of them started to become aware of each other.