DAYTIME STAR
chapter ten - a stubborn swimmer.

"HE WILL WHAT?" Su-Jin asked, his eyes widening with concern.

Im Sol hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. "Sun-Jae... he's going to get injured," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

To her surprise, Su-Jin didn't freeze in place like the last time she had tried to warn someone about the future. Instead, he leaned forward, his brow furrowed in worry.

"Injured? How? When?" he asked, his words tumbling out in a rush.

Im Sol blinked, her mind racing. "I... I'm not sure of the details, but it has something to do with the upcoming swimming competition," she explained, her fingers tightening around the banana milk carton.

Su-Jin's eyes widened even further, and he sat up straight, his expression suddenly determined. "Then we have to do something!" he exclaimed, his fist clenching in resolve.

Im Sol stared at him, her mouth agape. "You... you believe me?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Su-Jin nodded emphatically. "Of course I do," he said, his voice firm. "I mean, at first I thought you might be joking or something, but the way you said it... I can tell you're serious."

Im Sol felt a surge of relief wash over her. "Thank goodness," she breathed, her shoulders slumping with the weight of the burden she had been carrying.

"I've been trying to warn Sun-Jae, but every time I try, time just...freezes around me."

Su-Jin's brow furrowed in confusion. "Time just?" he echoed, his voice laced with a hint of awe.

"Do you have some kind of... superpower or something?"

Im Sol couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. "I wish," she said, shaking her head. "I have no idea what's going on, to be honest. All I know is that I have to stop Sun-Jae from competing in that swimming competition, or else he's going to get hurt."

Su-Jin nodded, his expression suddenly serious. "Okay, then let's figure this out," he said, his voice filled with determination.

"What do we need to do?"

Im Sol felt a surge of gratitude towards the boy sitting beside her. "Well, first of all, we need to convince Sun-Jae not to compete," she said, her brow furrowing in thought. "But every time I try to tell him, time just freezes, and I can't get the message across."

Su-Jin hummed thoughtfully, his fingers tapping against the side of his juice box. "Hmm, maybe we can try a different approach?" he suggested, his eyes sparkling with an idea.

"What if we, I don't know, maybe we should dress up or something."

Im Sol's eyes widened, and she felt a surge of hope. "That's brilliant!" she exclaimed, her face breaking into a wide grin.

"If I can't tell him directly, maybe I can tell him when I dress up? Maybe he will listen."

Su-Jin beamed, his own smile widening. "Exactly!" he said, his voice filled with excitement.

Im Sol nodded, her mind already racing with possibilities. "Okay, let's do it," she said, her voice filled with determination.

"But I have to give something to him tomorrow. Do you mind helping me a bit? I bet he will listen to you." Sol said to Su-Jin.

"Oh, we're not that...close. And I'm sorry I can't help you tomorrow, maybe at night, I can't skip classes, my grandma will probably kill me if she knows haha." Su-Jin said, rubbing his nape.

"It's fine, oh I should go back now." Sol said to herself and stand up. She looked at Su-Jin who is swinging the swing while sipping on his drink.

"You?"

"Ah later. Goodnight, Sol." Su-Jin said while smiling, Sol smiled at him and waved her hand and started walking away. She smiled, she didn't know Su-Jin's background because she hadn't encountered him in the past.

But she is quite comfortable with that boy.

'Maybe he is a soloist?'

IM SOL STOOD OUTSIDE THE GYMNASIUM, clutching a paper bag tightly in her hands. Inside was the watch she had bought while time traveling.

As she waited, one of Sun-Jae's friends approached her, a teasing grin on his face. "Are you here for Sun-Jae again?" he asked, his voice dripping with amusement.

Im Sol looked down at her feet, wishing Su-Jin was there to support her. But she couldn't risk her friend's classes for this mission. She had to do this alone.

"Don't worry, he'll be out soon!" the boy said, laughing as he walked away with his friends.

A moment later, Sun-Jae emerged from the gymnasium. Im Sol took a deep breath and stepped in front of him. "Sun-Jae!" she called out, her voice filled with determination.

Sun-Jae looked at her, his expression unreadable, and turned to walk in the opposite direction. Im Sol hurried after him.

"Sun-Jae, I know I'm crossing a line here," she began, her voice tinged with worry.

"Yes, you are," Sun-Jae replied, his tone clipped.

Im Sol forged ahead. "They say, 'Take a step back to make a leap,'" she quoted, hoping to get through to him.

Sun-Jae scoffed. "If I step two forward, I'll leap further, right?" he retorted, his pace quickening.

Im Sol felt a surge of panic. "Check the condition of your shoulder first," she pleaded.

"Look before you leap."

Sun-Jae rolled his eyes. "I don't need it. I just need to swim," he said dismissively.

Im Sol stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "Ah, you think you're in good condition, right? But that's not the case," she insisted, her eyes searching his face for any sign of understanding.

Sun-Jae sighed heavily. "What?" he asked, his voice laced with exasperation.

Without warning, Sun-Jae opened the gymnasium door behind Im Sol. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized it was a room full of topless boys working out.

She immediately covered her face with the paper bag, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Sun-Jae smirked. "You can keep following me if it's alright," he said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

Im Sol peeked out from behind the bag, her heart racing. "Ah, he's so stubborn!" she muttered, her grip tightening on the paper bag.

"Then we'll proceed to Plan B."

Im Sol hurried down the hallway, her mind racing with ideas. She had to find a way to stop Sun-Jae from competing, no matter what it took. The future of his swimming career depended on it.

As she rounded the corner, she nearly collided with a familiar face – Su-Jin, his eyes wide with concern.

"Sol! What happened?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

Im Sol quickly explained the situation, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Sun-Jae won't listen to me, Su-Jin! He's determined to compete in the swimming competition, no matter what."

Su-Jin's brow furrowed in thought. "Hmm, this is tougher than I thought," he murmured, his fingers tapping against his chin.

"Then the oldwoman is on her way then." Su-Jin said and he chuckled.