The rest of the day slipped by in a flash and before I knew it, it was time for the final class of the day. Gym class.

After changing into my PE uniform, I stepped out of the locker room, only to find the gym empty. There wasn’t a single person in sight. No basketballs bouncing, no chatter, no one. Just me. I had been the first to arrive.

Great...

Not wanting to linger awkwardly in the middle of the gym, I walked over to one of the benches and sat down. With any luck, the rest of the class would finish changing quickly.

I was wrong.

The minutes continued to pass, each one slower than the last.

The only sound was this weird humming noise from the ventilation system, which was oddly hypnotic. Hypnotic enough to make me count the seconds. At one point, I thought about grabbing a basketball and shooting a few hoops but the idea quickly faded. The thought of someone walking in right as I clumsily missed a shot wasn’t exactly appealing.

Just when I was starting to wonder if the rest of the class had decided to skip school, the locker room door creaked open, slicing through the silence. My head turned instinctively toward the sound, and I spotted a skinny boy with dark hair entering the gym. He stood there for a moment, his eyes darting around like he wasn’t sure this was where he was supposed to be.

“Looks like we’re the first ones here,” the boy noted as his eyes landed on me. “How long have you been waiting?”

I was somewhat surprised the boy had spoken to me. Judging from the way he had introduced himself earlier, I had assumed he was the kind of person who kept to himself.

What was his name again? Was it... Thomas?

“I got here about three minutes ago,” I replied.

“Three minutes, huh...”

Without another word, Thomas moved to sit on the other side of the bench and crossed his arms. Just like that, our little interaction came to an end.

It wasn’t long before the locker door opened again, and a group of boys trickled in, filling the gym with the sound of chatter and footsteps.

“Man, I’m so excited,” said a boy with curly brown hair. If I wasn’t mistaken, his name was Sam

“About what?” asked the boy with the mullet and blue eyes. His name was Ryan. He was the tallest person in our class. Despite having just met today, he and Sam seemed to be getting along.

Sam smiled. “Don’t act like you’re not thinking the same thing.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Aren’t you excited we’ll get to see the girls in shorts?” Sam nudged Ryan in the stomach playfully. “I can already picture Violet... I bet she’s going to look the best out of all the girls.”

Ryan sighed and pushed Sam away. “Stop being ridiculous.”

“Hey, dude, I’m just being honest here,” Sam said with a shrug.

Ryan rolled his eyes. “Stop spouting nonsense.”

For a second, I felt relieved that at least one of them seemed sensible. If the girls ever found out about this conversation, their social lives would be over. But then Ryan cleared his throat and added, “Everyone knows Haruna is much cuter than Violet.”

Never mind. I was wrong. They’re both hopeless.

“Are you two seriously arguing over who the hottest girl is again?” asked a boy with messy orange hair.

“Stay out of this, Elijah,” Ryan snapped. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“On the contrary, my dear friend, this has everything to do with me,” Elijah responded. “As a cosplay enthusiast, I am undoubtedly the most qualified to judge who the hottest girl is.”

Ryan’s jaw tightened. “If we ever need any input from you, we’ll let you know. For now, keep that loud, obnoxious mouth of yours shut.”

“There’s no point in denying it,” Sam interjected. “We all know you don’t want to hear Elijah’s opinion because, just like me, he thinks Violet is the hottest girl in our class!”

Elijah closed his eyes and touched Sam’s shoulder. “Well said, my dear friend! A man of true taste.”

Ryan shot them both a glare. “That’s not it at all. I just have no interest in listening to the nonsense that comes out of that degenerate’s mouth.”

“If anyone’s a degenerate, it’s you!” Elijah snapped.

“What did you just say?!”

“Alright, alright... Why don’t we all take a deep breath?” Sam suggested. “There’s no need for insults.”

“If anyone’s to blame, it’s Ryan,” Elijah protested. “He’s the one who threw the first insult!”

Ryan snorted and crossed his arms. “You’re delusional! You interrupted our conversation. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s yours.”

“Call me delusional one more time and see what happens!” Elijah exclaimed.

“Do you really think I’m scared of you?”

Just when it seemed like the two boys might come to blows, Sam stepped forward and stomped his foot.

“ENOUGH!”

Both boys froze, clearly taken aback by Sam’s outburst. I was surprised too. I never would have expected someone as playful and humourous as him to step up so vigorously.

Noticing the looks of shock of those around him, Sam sighed and rubbed his brow.

“Guys... Please relax. Fighting isn’t going to solve anything. We’ll just end up getting in trouble... What about we solve this another way? I think I’ve figured out a way to put this issue to rest.”

“What are you suggesting?” asked Ryan.

“This all started because we disagreed on who we think the hottest girl is... Since the three of us don’t trust each other, why don’t we find a fourth person to solve this matter? An unbiased, neutral mind to decide which of us is right.”

These guys...

The gym fell silent as his words hung in the air. The other boys in our class were staring at the three of them incredulously. It was a stupid idea, but somehow, it seemed to be the only way to prevent a fight.

I watched the scene unfold, wondering who would be brave—or foolish—enough to step into that role.

“Who do you have in mind?” Elijah asked.

“Hmm... Let’s see...”

Sam rubbed his chin thoughtfully, scanning the faces of the other guys in our class. Most of them seemed to be backing away, avoiding eye contact. It was clear that nobody wanted to get involved with their drama.

Deciding it would be wise to follow their lead, I closed my eyes, hoping to stay out of whatever was brewing. Being around them could only lead to trouble. The last thing I needed was to get mixed up with those three.

“Hey, you! With the black hair... Korean dude!”

My eyes snapped open at Sam’s call. There was only one Korean in the class, and that was me.

“Um... Are you talking to me?”

Please, say no... Please, say no... Please let it be someone else...

“Wait, are you not Korean? I could have sworn I heard you say you were Korean...”

HUH?!

“I am Korean...”

Sam’s eyes widened in excitement. “My name is Sam, this is Ryan, and that’s Elijah... If I recall correctly, your name is James, right?”

I was caught off guard. The fact that Sam remembered my name left me torn between feeling oddly validated and mildly panicked.

“Yeah... That’s my name.”

“Nice to meet you, James,” Sam said with a disarming smile. “Me and my friends have an urgent matter that needs resolving. Do you think you could help us?”

I felt trapped. I knew agreeing to Sam’s request would likely bring headaches, but I also felt a strange sense of indebtedness to him for remembering me.

Damn, it...

“Alright... What can I help you with?” I asked, resigning myself to whatever was coming.

Sam put his arm around my neck, pulling me close. “We need your input on something very important! Something that’s a matter of life and death.”

Life and death!?

“Who do you think is the hottest girl in our class?”

Before I could even begin to formulate an answer, Elijah jumped in.

“We all know Violet is the clear answer. Everyone knows blondes are the prettiest!”

“Nonsense,” Ryan scoffed. “Japanese girls are way better than blondes. Sure, Violet may be cute, but she’s not on Haruna’s level.”

“Both of you, shut up! Nothing you say will change the outcome.” Sam let out a sigh before turning back to me. “So, James... What’s your answer?”

I felt a bubble of pressure building around me as Ryan and Elijah turned toward me.

This isn’t good... Why did these morons have to choose me?!

There were numerous reasons why I felt inclined to decline to answer. For one, I didn’t exactly see myself as an expert in beauty standards. And even if I did, it felt wrong to judge people based purely on how they looked. I also knew there was no real answer to this. Beauty wasn’t something you could measure like test scores or stats on a sports team. It was subjective—what one person found stunning, someone else might not even notice.

Sam must’ve thought he was being clever by picking me as a “neutral party,” but his plan was doomed from the start. My answer, no matter what it was, would still be biased. That’s how these things worked.

“In my opinion, Violet is the most attractive girl in our class,” I responded.

I was certain of one thing. Violet and Haruna were both very pretty girls regardless of what anyone said. That said, if I had to choose between the two, the choice was obvious. Since they were both attractive, the most outgoing personality would win.

“HELL YES! In your face, loser!” Elijah exclaimed. “Didn’t I tell you Violet was the hottest!?”

I said attractive, not hot...

“What a load of crap,” Ryan scoffed, casting a gloomy glare my way.

“Don’t get so worked up, dude,” Sam said, clapping Ryan on the shoulder. “We’re just messing around.”

“Yeah, yeah... Whatever.”

Ryan let out a growl before slumping toward the bench. Although he remained silent, the look on his face said enough. He wasn’t happy. I just hoped this wouldn’t be something he’d hold over my head later.

The tension hung in the air for a moment longer before the sound of laughter broke through it. The locker room doors swung open, and the girls began walking out in small groups. Their footsteps echoed as they made their way to the benches, seemingly unaware of the storm that had just passed between us.

As my gaze fell on Violet and Haruna, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. If they ever found out what the guys had been saying just moments earlier, I doubted they’d take it well. Some things were better left unsaid, and this was one of them.