Chapter 9: I hate PE so much….

In other novels, in this situation, the character would usually abandon their meal and leave the cafeteria, but I couldn’t make that choice.

“It’s delicious…”

How could I give up such delicious food?

I know I have less self-control than anyone, so there was no way I could abandon the food in front of me.

I’m definitely the type who’d fail the marshmallow test instantly. Nothing I can do about it.

So, I just need to focus on the food and enjoy it…

“…”

But because of Lee Joohyuk sitting across from me, I couldn’t focus on the food and kept glancing at him.

I still remembered him saying I ate heartily, with that look like he was satisfied just watching me eat, so I couldn’t focus.

You harem jerk, you think I’ll let you off? You think I’m going to become some heroine?

I’m staying single until I graduate from this academy. Adding four more years to my 20-year solo streak is no big deal.

I’m not into guys to begin with, and I’m not about to use this TS situation to date men.

Anyway, I wanted to feel happy with each bite, but every time I did, I’d control my expression and check Lee Joohyuk’s face to see if it changed.

“Why?”

“…”

Of course, I couldn’t keep looking at him.

Whenever Lee Joohyuk spoke to me, I’d hesitate, lower my gaze, and shove more food in my mouth.

“Ugh…”

If the food wasn’t this good, I’d have thrown it away and run, but it was too delicious to waste.

Eventually, I resorted to self-hypnosis again.

There’s no one here but me… There’s no one here but me…

Of course, it didn’t help much since it was too noisy to pretend I was alone, but I ignored Lee Joohyuk as much as possible and kept eating.

Ah, it’s so delicious. This is bliss.

I’ve never tried actual Yas, but isn’t this better?

No, it was so good that comparing it to Yas felt embarrassing.

“What a shame…”

I wanted to get more, but my stomach was already screaming from being overstuffed, so I had to stop. Any more, and I’d be suffering in the bathroom with no turning back.

I looked at my nearly empty plate, with just a bit of sauce left, with slight regret, then got up, cleaned my tray, and left the cafeteria.

“Good job, Han Jiyeon. If you keep ignoring him like this, Lee Joohyuk will lose interest and back off…”

Then I started praising myself.

See, you can do it.

It’s too early to say I’ve completely escaped the heroine trap, but if I keep this up, my dream might come true.

Starting with not being conscious of Lee Joohyuk at the end, I can build my resistance from here.

“I’ll buy a Coke on the way home today.”

I decided to treat myself to a Coke as a reward.

This was a huge deal.

“Uh-huh-huh~”

Humming happily, I headed back to class.

Completely unaware that the next period was PE.

*

If you asked me what subject I hated most in school, I’d answer without hesitation: PE.

That’s how much I disliked it.

My body’s so weak that even a little running leaves me gasping, my legs shaking. Every time PE started with laps around the field, I couldn’t even manage half a lap before stumbling along, panting.

Then the PE teacher would make everyone run an extra lap for collective responsibility, and the glares I got were terrifying.

Even without collective punishment, while everyone else finished and sat down, I’d be the only one staggering along, panting, feeling like an animal caged in a zoo under everyone’s stares.

Also, maybe because I was a guy, we mostly played soccer or basketball…

In soccer, with my poor stamina and small frame, I’d be stuck as a defender, playing with sand while others chased the ball. In basketball, being short on top of everything else made it miserable—I didn’t even want to try.

How is my height the same before and after possession?

After collapsing a few times in PE, I got excused, and PE became nothing more than a chance to change into comfy gym clothes and go home.

That’s how much I hated PE.

So… why am I bringing this up now?

“PE sucks…”

Because the next period was PE.

And because I’d just collapsed while running around the field and got excused again.

I hate PE, but I did have a tiny hope that maybe I could get better at it and at least keep up with others.

So, after being possessed as Han Jiyeon, I had a sliver of expectation.

Maybe my stamina would be better than before? Even though I hated PE, I had a small hope.

“What is this…?”

It didn’t take long for that hope to shatter completely.

My stamina had improved a bit.

Since my stamina stat was 6, I thought I could at least manage that much.

The problem was the average stamina stat is 10.

The fact that my “improved” stamina was still only half the average crushed my hopes entirely.

“How bad was my stamina before…?”

And getting excused even with this improved stamina made me feel even more pathetic.

What is this…? If you’re going to possess me, at least give me some buffs! What’s the point of sticking me in such a frail heroine?

“Are you okay?”

“Y-Yes?! Y-Yes…”

Lost in self-pity, I froze and started stammering the moment I noticed the PE teacher approaching.

Maybe they really loved sports, but their muscles were no joke—almost twice my size, it felt like. It was terrifying.

“…Am I that scary?”

“N-No! Not scary at all!”

Did they read my mind? The PE teacher asked if I was scared.

I was scared enough to cry, but since they were a teacher and I was afraid of what that massive body could do if I admitted it, I desperately shook my head.

“Haha…”

Seeing the teacher’s bittersweet smile, I started worrying if I’d made the wrong choice.

Luckily, it was just my imagination, and nothing happened. They just wanted to have a simple chat.

They said I didn’t have to do PE if I wasn’t feeling well, asked if I had any chronic illnesses, and so on.

They were clearly trying to be kind.

“N-No… I’m sorry…”

“Uh…”

They seemed to be trying to smile warmly, but it was still terrifying.

I automatically apologized. Even a moment’s thought would’ve told me something was off, but I didn’t have the mental space for that.

“So, do you know what you did wrong?”

“Uh… W-Well…”

At the teacher’s words, I racked every part of my brain for an excuse.

“Well… I mean…”

Nothing came to mind.

“…If you’re scared, just say you’re scared.”

“Y-Yes…!”

“You agree right away…?”

Thankfully, it didn’t seem like a serious question, so I got off easy.

We talked about other things too.

At first, their intimidating appearance made it hard to talk, but as they kept accommodating me, I slowly let go of my prejudices.

They noticed my reactions and cracked jokes to ease my fear, even if they weren’t that funny, and my heart gradually opened up.

Unlike the PE teachers I’d known, this one seemed genuinely kind.

They even showed concern for my health while we talked. Maybe because it’s a novel, they were better than any teacher I’d ever met.

But the fact that they looked like they could take on 3 vs. 600 was still terrifying. No matter how much I tried not to judge, I couldn’t help it.

Sorry, teacher. Honestly, I wanted to run at first.