The first P.E. class of the semester took place on a softly sunny morning. The schoolyard gleamed under the golden sunlight, and the trees seemed to sway joyfully in the breeze, ready to welcome... a bunch of students who weren't exactly thrilled about this subject.
Lunna arrived at school and checked her watch. Just a few minutes left until P.E. — a class she both loved and hated. She loved it because she got to move around and escape the four walls of the classroom. She hated it because the sun was too bright.
"Lunnaaa! Make sure you stand near me, okay? I don't want to be placed next to those tall, fast-running guys!" Sophie ran up, grabbing Lunna's arm and whining.
"Um, but don't grab my arm while we're running, I'd like to survive," Lunna chuckled.
P.E. class had begun. The whistle blew, and the P.E. teacher — a tall man with a booming voice — began taking attendance.
"Class 10A5! Line up!"
Just as Lunna was getting into line, she heard a familiar voice behind her:
"Hey, we're in the same group, why are you standing so far away?"
She turned — it was Daniel, slightly messy hair but perfectly dressed. The sunlight hit his eyes, making them glow a quiet shade of brown.
"It's because the teacher made us split by gender…" Lunna smiled, then turned back around.
Warm-up was the easiest part. Everyone stretched their arms, rolled their necks, and breathed deeply — looking half-asleep. But when the teacher shouted, "Three laps around the yard!" — chaos broke out.
"What?! Three laps?!" Max yelled, immediately getting a sharp look from the teacher.
"Three laps for girls, five for boys," the teacher added.
"Come on, it's only the first day…" the class groaned in unison, but everyone obeyed nonetheless.
Lunna jogged slowly, trying not to run out of breath. Daniel passed by her and said, "Wow, you run so slow."
"Try running with short legs like mine, jerk," Lunna shot back.
The first lap was all determination. The second, exhaustion. The third... pure willpower clinging on by a thread.
Finally, the whole class collapsed onto the ground like warriors retreating from battle.
After running came group jump rope — a game that looked easy but was full of mishaps. Lunna's group included Lunna, Daniel, Emma, and Janex. They lined up — two turning the rope, two jumping nonstop.
"Ready!" Emma shouted, holding one end of the rope.
Lunna got into position. Daniel tilted his head and said, "If I mess up, don't laugh."
But on the very first try, it was Lunna who made the mistake — the rope caught her leg, and the whole group had to start over. Her face flushed as she opened her mouth to apologize, but Daniel simply shook his head and said:
"Could those short legs of yours jump a bit higher?"
His teasing made Lunna want to smack him. Still, from then on, the group worked together much more smoothly. Laughter filled the air, sweat soaked their backs, but an unspoken joy spread among them.
"She's so annoying to be in a group with," Daniel muttered teasingly.
At the end of the P.E. period, the class rested under the trees. Sophie drank water, panting. "I feel like I just burned enough calories for the whole week…"
Max plopped down on the ground and said, "If being handsome earned points in P.E., I'd get a 10 for sure!"
"Who gave you that confidence?" Ava laughed, teasing him.
Lunna sat beside Daniel. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, glittering across their hair. She felt something strange — a class that was supposed to be exhausting somehow left her heart light, like a drifting cloud.
"Not bad for someone with short legs," Daniel said.
"I'm not short, I'm two meters tall," Lunna shot back.
"Well then, I'm two meters and fifty," Daniel grinned.
Lunna turned to him, smiled softly. A nod. A glance. Something was beginning to grow in her heart.