When there was only a few days left before the game, Seulgi had transformed herself into a robot, from her stiff stance to her inability to answer things with a full sentence, and surprising enough, her sudden respect for my personal space had me freaking out. To quote Wendy, she looks like a ticking bomb about to explode, and it’s hard to read her.

Is she nervous?

Is she mad?

Is she scared?

All of the above?

Who knows, and with her not willing to talk is harder to even guess. I’m just glad this is going to be over soon, for better or for worse, after tomorrow this is all going to be old story and Seulgi is going to be back to my usual bubbly stupid Seulgi again.

I’m kind of ashamed to admit I miss our make out sessions in her car and her invading my space while I take the books from my locker, ashamed because it’s only been what? Three days? Like, get a grip, Bae. But it also makes me feel really worried for her, with the information I gathered from Wendy, Krystal and seeing how she normally is with myself I can be sure this attitude of hers is...bad.

And we both have been so busy, we haven’t seen each other at all outside school which really put a halt to my let's keep Seulgi happy and distracted plan, if I had a car myself I’d just drive to her house and bother her without her permission but even if I could use my mom’s car, I can’t drive.

Still, Seulgi makes an effort to appear normal in front of me, going over to kiss me at lunch hour before we part ways to our respective friends, picking me up at my classroom door at the end of the day, saying sweet things like be careful, call me when you get home, and all the little things she does that makes me swoon, but she does it with a different attitude, distant, less warm, almost mumbling her words.

But today I’m not letting her get her way, today I’m sitting on the bleachers watching the practice, waiting for it to end and take her somewhere where I can make her talk to me, she wasn’t too pleased about it but I strategically asked her in front of the team and she had no choice but let me in.

The sight of Seulgi wearing her tiny short tights is as pleasing as always but hard to enjoy witnessing in person what Wendy told me about the other day, the frustration on her face when she misses a pass, her screams at the innocent girls who are trying their best, Wendy looking like she’s about to murder her any minute now, to say the mood is heavy is an understatement.

“Ah!” Seulgi screams in frustration when she misses the ball yet again, she then goes over the ball, picks it up, and throws it at the other end of the court with all her might and storms off to the locker rooms leaving the girls all worried.

“Irene…” I hear the coach say, I turn to see him and he points at where Seulgi stormed off with a pleading look, I close the book I was reviewing, grab Seulgi’s hand towel and go over to the locker rooms avoiding the team’s stares.

I find Seulgi sitting on the floor, head resting on the lockers and with her eyes closed, she doesn’t seem to notice my presence as I take a seat in front of her and use the towel to wipe the sweat off her face surprising her in the process. “I forgot you’re watching.” She says catching my hand to stop my movements. “I’m sorry you had to see that.” She looks sincerely ashamed at me. “Acting like such a baby in front of you, how embarrassing.” She closes her eyes again and let her head hit the lockers behind her.

“You’re always acting like a baby actually.” I joke still wiping the sweat off her. “But not today.” Seulgi opens her eyes again and I can detect a tiny almost non existent smile on her lips. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“I’m stressed.” She shrugs.

“You’re angry.” I correct, she looks away clicking her tongue. “Maybe if you talk about it you’ll feel better?” I suggest getting closer to her, she looks at me and I can see her both considering and rejecting the idea at the same time, she’s just too proud sometimes.

“You saw.” She says sounding angry and sad. “I , I can’t even get a hold of the f-” She caught herself mid sentence. “I can’t even get the pass right.”

“That’s because you’re putting too much pressure on yourself.” I explain to her.

“I have to, with the way I’m playing…” She trails off. “Maybe losing the scholarship wasn’t such a bad thing, someone else deserves it better than me anyway.” She mumbles looking down.

When I met the cocky and douchey Kang Seulgi it never crossed my mind she could be such a complex character, I thought she was a simple minded girl who always got whatever she wanted, it never crossed my mind the high expectations others have on her, how she alone has to carry all the team, her parent’s pressure and the last thing that crossed my mind was the high expectations and pressure she has of herself.

“Don’t say that.” I whisper suddenly feeling sad for the girl in front of me she looks so tiny and not like my Seulgi right now, I hate it. “You’re overthinking things.” I say caressing her cheek. “You have to forget about all of those extra things and just play.”

“I can’t, I can’t lose babe-” I put a hand over to stop her rambling.

“Remember when you made me go to your first game?” She nods. “I never told you this but I thought you were so attractive while you were playing.” Seulgi widens her eyes a bit. “Yeah, yeah, you were right, everyone falls for it.” I roll my eyes. “But do you know why I found you attractive?” I ask her taking my hand off .

“The word you're looking for is hot, you found me hot.” She joke smiling a little bit, that’s better, smiling suits her better. “Why did you?”

“Because…” I take a hold of her hands and look at them to avoid her eyes. “You were so carefree as if you were playing with your friends after school, you were smiling the whole time, having fun, making everybody feel at ease. I even remember you giving one of your rivals a pat on the back after she missed a shot. I thought it was...admirable...and frankly? Very attractive. I thought, so this is why everybody likes Kang Seulgi.”

“And later that night you kissed me.” She smiles.

“And then I kissed you.” I smile back.

“That explains the roughness.” I roll my eyes at her comment, and her trying to change the subject. “My lips were bruised for like a week after that.”

“Shut up.”

“Hey, I’m not complaining.”

“I kissed you to make you stop talking nonsense and I’m tempted to do it right now again.” She chuckles and makes me wonder how can she still make jokes when she’s feeling like crap. “You need to stop overthinking things.” I repeat hoping this time my point gets through her thick stubborn skull.

“So you’re saying I should play like that day, you know, the day you found me all dreamy and hot.” Seulgi says more calm now. “And that me acting like a brat who already lost is making the team act the same way and it’s why the plays aren’t happening, that I should act more like a friend and not just a captain.”

“I didn’t say the last part but sure, I’ll take the credit.” I chuckle.

“I should act more like the captain I’m supposed to be.” She says furrowing her brows. “I have been an to them instead, haven’t I?” Her surprised tone makes me almost laugh, she didn’t notice?

“Maybe a little bit?”

“Have I been an to you?” She asks worriedly.

“Never.” I reassure her. “But you did make me worried because you weren’t talking to me.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s ok, I understand.”

“You think I’m less hot now?” She jokes.

“Wearing those tights? No way.” I blush at my own bold compliment, Seulgi, on the other hand, grins happily despite the remaining frustration clearly still in her eyes, she cups my face and stares right into my eyes with her overwhelming and warm stare.

“You're amazing.” She says turning serious again. “What would I do without you?” I say nothing back, this doesn't seem like a good time to be all dismissive of her compliments, instead, I lean in to kiss her but she doesn't let me move away. “Don't, I'm all sweaty.”

“I don't care.” I try again with the same result, Seulgi closes her eyes and sighs frustrated.

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