No matter how hard you try, unless you’re really wildin’, high school isn’t going to be like what you see in the movies. Jinyoung learned after his first week of school that you’re not pulling all-nighters at house parties on the weekdays, no one is really trying to be a mean jock, and the words ‘losers’ and ‘nerds’ aren’t interchangeable. High school was just like junior high school except with harder homework.

Oh, and more girls. Well, in his case at least.

Coming from an all-boys junior high school, Jinyoung found himself observing his female classmates a lot. Not because he fancied them or anything like that, but rather he was intrigued by their species. As he sat on the bleachers waiting for soccer tryouts to begin, he rested his head on his hand watching the nearby cheerleading tryouts. However, his wandering thoughts were interrupted when he felt something heavy land against his back.

“Jinyoung!” the person sang from behind Jinyoung as he was pulled into a back hug of death. The person was none other than his new friend Jihoon.

Since he met Jihoon, they spent a lot of time together after school at the field practicing for tryouts because fall sport tryouts didn’t start until the second week of school. What Jinyoung thought he knew about soccer was barely all of it. In the few days with Jihoon, Jinyoung sharpened and acquired new skills. Of course, they still weren’t of Jihoon’s level, but Jinyoung believed that with what he had now, he might scrape by tryouts. Now Jihoon… Jihoon previously attended a junior high nationally recognized for their athletic programs. If getting accepted wasn’t hard enough already, he managed to become the captain of their first-year team. Now – along with his full sports scholarship – he was looking to do the same in high school.

“I swear, every time I find you, you’re staring like a lovesick puppy at the cheerleaders,” Jihoon chuckled, sinking into the row below Jinyoung so he was looking up at his friend, “So who is it? Who is your crush?”

“Crush? What crush?” Jinyoung’s voice cracked at the last syllable. It didn’t help that a blush was starting to creep across his cheeks.

Jihoon turned his attention towards the cheerleading tryouts. A group of girls were bowing, and another group stood up as they were called to repeat a dance routine. He squinted, “Bae Jinyoung’s type… what could Bae Jinyoung’s type be? Could it be her?”

They were really doing this. Jinyoung sighed and squinted as well, following the line where Jihoon was pointing. At first, he couldn’t make out who it was, but he immediately recognized the student after seeing her short arms wave above her head. He had seen her doing the exact same movements on the first day of school when she was running outside his window. His eyes widened in surprise, “Hwang Sooji?”

“Oh! So, you do know her,” Jihoon grinned, impressed with himself, “Well, am I right?”

“What’s she doing there?” Jinyoung’s brows furrowed together in confusion, ignoring Jihoon’s question.

Of all the students he expected to see at the cheerleading tryouts, Sooji was not one of them. With the way she was always scrambling around the school with some sort of textbook or lab manual in her hands, he assumed she would join an academic club of some sort. Females really were an interesting species. Before he could respond to Jihoon, someone poked him on the shoulder. His eyes widened once more when he realized it was Miyoung.

“Miyoung- hi,” He barely breathed out in shock. It took him a lot of effort to not completely shrivel up under her cat-lined eyes, “W-what are you doing here?”

“Same as you – trying out for soccer! Kidding, I’m trying out for cheerleading,” She laughed lightly at her own joke which Jinyoung was still too tense to laugh at.

Jinyoung glanced over at the other side of the field where Sooji’s group had just finished, “Shouldn’t you be down there then?”

“My group finished already!” She beamed, “I was in the first group. They tell you immediately if you’re in or not and then let you leave once group results are in. I made it onto the squad!”

“Oh, wow that’s good,”

“Good? That’s great!” Jihoon exclaimed from behind him. Jinyoung glanced over his shoulder and saw Jihoon flash a thumbs-up towards her, “See? I told you there was nothing to worry about, Miyoung.”

The look on Jinyoung’s face must’ve given away his thoughts because immediately after Jihoon began explaining that Jihoon met Miyoung at Scholar Night. Scholar Night was a ceremony where incoming first-year students who were awarded scholarships came to school to receive their award letters and certificates. It was also a night for those recipients to meet and get to know more about each other. Miyoung, like Jihoon, was the recipient of a full sports scholarship. Jinyoung had been invited to attend, but had his mother decline the invitation. Instead, he received his award letters and certificates in the mail. Maybe he should’ve gone after all.

They were just about wrapping up their conversation when a group of upperclassmen in warm up suits made their way across the field. In the front of the pack – smile as bright as the sun – was the red-haired senior from the club fair. Unlike the other students, his jacket sported a shiny gold crown pin. He must’ve been the captain. Jinyoung had completely forgotten Miyoung was still there until she clapped her hands together.

“Well, I guess that’s the cue for me to leave,” she sighed, picking up her gym bag and slinging it over her shoulder, “Good luck at tryouts – but… not like you need it, am I right, Jihoon? See you in class tomorrow, Jinyoung!”

Once Miyoung disappeared behind the bleachers and was presumably out of ear-shot range, Jihoon dug an elbow into Jinyoung’s side with a sly smirk. Jinyoung, once again catching himself from staring, jolted and clicked his tongue at his friend. On the other hand, Jihoon clapped happily like a seal, “You like Kim Miyoung, don’t you, Jinyoung?”

“No one said that,” Jinyoung tsk-ed, standing up from the bleachers and walking down like they were stairs towards the crowd of students gathering for tryouts. His gym bag hit his back with a thud as he jogged away from his tormentor. He decided that the only way to get Jihoon to stop pressing the matter was by completely ignoring him.

With a hearty laugh, Jihoon gathered his belongings and followed the runaway, “Oh, please! It’s so obvious,”

Without another look at the shorter first-year, Jinyoung tried to ignore the burning sensation of his ears, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,”

For a school as small as Lila,