5D Chess

(So-young POV)

As Min-chul returned to our little sitting area, he was talking with some of the other girls. Usually, I'd be jealous, but I know that he doesn't mean it.

He sees that I'm busy on my phone, so he is respecting my space. I'm also not too jealous since from the way he treats the other girls, he isn't really interested.

"Ahahaha. You are soooo funny!"

As he slaps one of my teammate's leg, I unconsciously crumple the can of grape juice in my hands. Yeah, not interested at all.

Luckily, for whatever reason, my teammate backed off from Min-chul slightly after looking in my direction. See? No reason to be jealous.

While trying to contact A-yeong through texting and calling, I look up and see that she somehow appeared in our sitting area!

I only looked down for 3 seconds! How the hell did this woman appear in front of Min-chul to press her udders together to try and seduce him?!?!

'No! This isn't important! I need to stop her!'

Standing up to go and help Min-chul out with his little piggy problem.

"Yeahhhh, I'm super super soooryyyy for that little bother! Wanna go out to eat as my compensation? I'll pay!"

"Ummmm, I-"

Just as Min-chul was definitely about to reject her, I step in between them so that A-yeong's eyes meet up with mine. As we are staring down each other, we start having a mental battle.

'What did I just tell you, A-yeong?'

'Huh? I'm not sure. What did you say? And plus, what are you? My mom?'

As we wiggle our eyebrows, move our eyes up and down, roll them and cross and uncross our arms, we start our mental argument.

Every girl knows how to do this. It's all about the psychological warfare. If you don't know how to do this as a girl, then you can resort to violence like a caveman.

Go back to your firepit and go ooh ooh ahh ahh yourself, you half-witted monogloid.

'Why are you still trying with Min-chul?'

'Because...he's fun, you know?'

'He is fun...that is true, but youll never beat me, you know?'

'Sure sureeee'

All the spectators, save for Min-chul and the other boys that are watching, understand what's happening. They can see and sort of feel what we are arguing about without them being a part of it.

"Ahem ahem...ohhhh, it's A-yeong! It's been so long! Hey hey, let's go over there!"

"Ahhh, no need no need. I was just asking Min-chul out for some food as an apology for Beom-sok"

Hearing her excuse to talk to Min-chul a second time, I start gritting my teeth. After a few seconds of staring warfare against, I think of the perfect response.

Even with my usual façade of a calm girl, I still can't help but smirk like a plotting villain.

"Then why not bring all of us? It would be so fun!"

"A-all of us? I mean..."

"No no no! It'll be fun. We can all split the bill, save for Min-chul! It's going to be a group apology so that you won't need to spend as much money"

Yes it might be a very stupid response, but it still works. She and I know that Min-chul is too nice to refuse other people have a meal, so he'll agree with me.

It is heartbreaking that I have to slightly manipulate Min-chul, but the hardest choices require the strongest wills. This is for the greater good.

So, we all decide to eat at a relatively cheap BBQ restaurant. Even though A-yeong's parents are very rich, we still can't afford it. After all, this is a group apology.

Thinking of it now, group apology sounds so stupid. We are apologizing for another person's actions. Much less, a person I don't even know personally.

Time to get to work...

(MC POV)

Despite some light protests from Coach Seung-ri, I still left with the girls to eat out at some restaurant.

He didn't want me to go since we still had the 200 meter freestyle qualifying today with the 400 meter freestyle qualifying in 2 days and the 400 meter medley qualifying happening in 3 days.

Anyways, the 200 meter freestyle qualifying is happening in about an hour, but it will go on for another hour. That will be the last qualifying for the day and then we'd continue tommorow.

So, for this, I won't eat too much, but I will still enjoy myself...however, I don't know if I can with these two girl feeling so...uhh, hostile?

Yeah, hostile seems like the word.

I don't know any other way to describe it but hostile. They haven't said anything to each other, but when they look at each other, their body language keeps shifting.

It isn't out of nervousness or anything like that. It seems more subtle, but I don't know. They just give off angry vibes.

Like when a girl is angry but they say "nothing's wrong". It's something like that. Maybe some sort of psychological warfare? Some 5D chess probably.

I have no idea what they could be fighting over though. Is it maybe some long time beef that I wasn't aware of? I mean, So-young has known A-yeong longer than me.

"Hey Min-chul~. So, whatcha want? I'll pay for aaanything"

While tracing her finger across my leg, I stare her down with slightly scared and confused eyes. Has she tamed So-young? Why is she so forward with me?

Do you want me to die as well?!?! Please don't touch me!

However...I'm too weak willed to stop her. I mean...it isn't TOO sexual, right? Eheheh, right right?

As I gulp my saliva down my throat to clear it, I start scanning the menu while using it as a cover to look at So-young, who is sitting right beside me.

Right now, we are in a private room. It's me in the middle, So-young by my left and A-yeong on my right.

They said that they would split the cost of the dinner which was nice...but what are they apologizing for???

I don't remember them doing anything wrong to me. Am I just a pawn? A pawn in their little mind games? This is confusing but hey, KBBQ is KBBQ man.

You don't just turn down BBQ that is free.

So, knowing that A-yeong is fairly rich, I don't try and be modest, but I don't overspend on purpose. I order on of my favorite dishes to eat when indulging on this delicacy of a restaurant.

While playing some mobile games on my phone, So-young and A-yeong are talking in the background about something about sharing or something while So-young is disagreeing.

Not like it's my business, but it is intriguing. However! Eavesdropping isn't too nice, so I wear my earbuds to try and ignore their woman talk.

When the food arrived, the waitress waited for a bit and then finally put the food down in front of me. So weird. Was there something my face or was I just that hot?

Who knows...

I start digging into the food that just arrived and when I finally look up at So-young and A-yeong, they were eating like royalty and were having a chat...in their minds.

I didn't know what they were talking about, but I knew. I just inherently knew that they were arguing about something again. It's something like a man's instinct to know when your woman isn't feeling good.

And so, they continued their bickering, I continued eating and after 10 minutes, we decided to take out the food and we returned to the swimming pool.

With 30 minutes or so left before the qualifying starts, I start looking through my messages with a hesitant expression.

Checking once more, I see that Ji-woo hasn't responded to my last message, which was 3 years...I wonder what's going on with her?

It's really weird since she was pretty much attached to my body the entire time we knew each other. Did she forget me? That would be good.

...but it doesn't feel good. I did enjoy her company but I didn't want her to completely leave my life. She was a pretty fun person to be with, now that I finally appreciate her more.

Like a little sister or a little brother. You fight and fight, but still love each other.

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(A.N) yo! Another chapter for you readers! I hope you enjoyed this beautiful chapter and I hope you had an amazing and beautiful day!

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