Yoongi sneered at Jungkook and asked “What did you just say?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes, “I’m just saying, you wouldn’t have won if all of Baek-hyung’s friends showed up-“

Yoongi couldn’t believe the nerve of this kid. Jungkook could barely make a shot from under the hoop but he was going to predict Min Yoongi’s chances of winning the game?

“Listen here, brat. When I met you, you didn’t even know how many points a three-pointer scored and the answer to that is literally in the name. You gain a couple of inches on me and you’re suddenly a basketball expert?” Yoongi rolled his eyes.

“Well, I did slam-dunk you last Tuesday-“

“You little-“

“-and during the warm-up round earlier today.”

“Slam-dunking isn’t everything. Basketball is about technique. Height is just a cheap shortcut.”

“But that’s just the thing, hyung. All of Baek’s other friends are waaay taller. They’d have shortcutted their way to victory – that’s all I’m saying. We both know that Baekhyung is usually more focused on Yixing-hyung’s basketball shorts than the actual game. And Jongdae-hyung was too busy cat-calling Minseok-hyung to pay attention to the ball. We definitely got the B Team today.” Jungkook pouted. “How am I supposed to feel good about beating them?”

The collection of newer basketball courts on their college campus was prime real estate on Saturday afternoons. Everyone wanted to play there. After too many fights heated discussions over the spaces, an unofficial tradition was set up. Whichever groups wanted the space duked it out on the court on Friday evenings. The winners got to use it on Saturday afternoon, all afternoon. Or until they wanted to leave. Whichever came first. After a while, getting the spot became less of a scheduling hack for the basketball nerds on campus and more of a claim to fame.

After all, only the people that really loved to play would bother with the Friday matches. That meant that only the people that were actually good participated.

Sometime last year, Jungkook wasn’t sure exactly when, Yoongi had somehow managed to scam his group of friends into playing 3 on 3 games with him every Saturday. He suspected that Namjoon had been blackmailed with embarrassing teenage selcas but he could never figure out what Yoongi had on Hoseok and Tae. Nevertheless, when the new courts were built last semester, Yoongi had become obsessed with staking claim on the shaded one closest to the hot dog stand. Unfortunately for him, though, that was the most popular one. This week, Jungkook’s sunbae from the dance team, Yixing hyung, had started squaring up for it regularly 3 weeks ago. Jungkook, who had gotten used to beating the competition easily (and gloating afterwards), had had a bad feeling as soon as he spotted the group member’s heights. They lost that week. And the week after that. Something that Yoongi didn’t seem to believe.

“Look, I know that they beat you guys while I was out of town, but honestly, I’m finding it hard to believe that the astronomy team could offer any real threat-“

“Hyung, they had Kris, Tao, Sehun and Chanyeol on court. I know that from all the way down there, Tae and I seem tall to you, but we’re actually average heig- OW!” Kookie pouted and rubbed at the side of his head. “That was uneccesary.”

“Look, I don’t know who the Kris, Tao, and Sehun are but I know you did not just say that Park ‘Unco-ordinated’ Chanyeol is a force to be reckoned with on the court. He hit himself in the face with his bag during his Econ 101 presentation yesterday.” Yoongi’s eyes misted over with amusement. “It was fantastic.”

“He’s actually pretty good at basketball, believe it or not.”

“I choose not, thanks. Last time he was playing at the coffee shop he slipped off the stage while the MC was introducing him. He’d been standing still, Kook.”

Kookie wasn’t sure what Yoongi had been doing watching a coffee shop music show when he called them ‘sappy college girl crack’. He’d have to examine that later. When he wasn’t in the middle of proving that he’s right and his hyung is wrong.

“Low-key wishing he came today just to prove you wrong right now…”

“I mean, he’s cool and everything. He has to be, to work the pink hair. But, say it with me, now, Kook. On the court-“ Yoongi missed Kookie’s eyes widening significantly. He also missed Kookie’s frantic telepathic signals to ABORT ABORT.

“err…hyung-?

“-Park Chanyeol-“

“-maybe don’t finish that sentence?”

“-hasn’t got a ing chance.”

Yoongi launched into a snicker before he realized that Kookie had been staring wide-eyed at a spot above his shoulder for a while now. He waved his hand in front of Kookie’s face and got him to focus. Jungkook looked at him, winced, and started flicking his eyes back and forth from Yoongi and the spot he’d been staring at.

Yoongi got a sinking feeling.

“. He’s right behind me, isn’t he?”

“This is a public space, Min. Do you have a problem with me being here?” a deep voice came.

Wincing and willing his palms to stop sweating – the traitors – Yoongi slowly turned around. Behind him, he could hear Kookie slinking around the tree that he’d been leaning on and making a noisy dash away through the bushes. The brat had no loyalty.

In front of Yoongi stood Park Chanyeol, eyebrow raised, arms crossed against his chest, and his guitar case peeking over a shoulder. The streetlamp nearby illuminated him from behind, making his hair look like a pastel pink halo. He was wearing blue contacts again. They matched his button-up shirt. In his sweaty, old, wifebeater and fresh off of the court, Yoongi suddenly felt like a hobo.

“Err…no, you can be wherever you want. In fact, I want to be heading to my dorm now so-“ The brunette didn’t even manage to get one step away.

“Because, if you were worried about me being here since I might have caught that last part of your conversation-“

Yoongi winced.

“-I would have thought that you didn’t care who heard you. You are having the conversation very loudly right next to the courts. I mean, my friends are, like, right there at the hot dog stand, so…”

Yoongi’s first mistake had been to look awkwardly at everything except Chanyeol. By the time he looked up at him again, he realized that the man had been getting closer the whole time. Yoongi backed up. Chanyeol kept moving forward. Pretty soon, Yoongi could feel the rough bark of Kookie’s tree up against his back.

“You’re usually pretty mouthy. I could hear you snickering from all the way at the back row in class yesterday. Why’re you suddenly so quiet?” As Chanyeol loomed closer, his voice got lower and lower. The evening light was dim – and Chanyeol was pretty much blocking the streetlamp’s light – but Yoongi was pretty sure that Chanyeol’s blank expression was morphing into a smirk.

“Uh…I’m not?” Maybe if Chanyeol had some concept of personal space, his closeness wouldn’t be making Yoongi sound like an idiot right now. He was close enough that Yoongi could smell his cologne, for Bang’s sake. This wasn’t idly wondering how Chanyeol smelled from his safe spot in the back of Econ 101. Or the back of the coffee shop as he watched the tiny stage. Or from across the cafeteria (Stop thinking it - Min Yoongi was not a stalker). This was real life. How in the hell was he supposed to be a smart when half his brain was swimming in a haze of lust IN A HAZE OF DISCOMFORT.

Chanyeol placed his hand against the tree and leaned in.

Oh god. What was this, one of Tae’s dramas?

“You’re looking pretty uncomfortable there, Min. Maybe you have nothing to contribute? Should I change the subject?”

Yoongi was too busy trying to not react to Chanyeol murmuring in his ear to answer.

“Because I’d like to talk about how much you like my hair,” Chanyeol was definitely smirking now.

Yoongi found his voice. “That’s not- I didn’t- You misheard that!” Too bad he still sounded like an idiot.

“Oh?” Chanyeol backed up. Unfortunately for Yoongi, it was only so that he’d get far enough to look the brunette right in the eye. “See, I distinctly heard you say that I was ‘cool’ and that I ‘pulled it off’”. Yoongi wished that Chanyeol would stop doing that deep-voiced murmur so that he could pull his thoughts together for some sort of bull defense. As if to spite the brunette even more, Chanyeol launched into a chuckle. From this close Yoongi swore he could feel the sound vibrating in that well-defined chest IN CHANYEOL’S DUMB CHEST.

“Your forehead looks like it’s about to pop a vein. I’ll let you go, for now-”

Yoongi couldn’t decide if he liked or hated the sound of that.

“-but not until I get an apology for those mean, mean things you were saying about me.” Chanyeol actually pouted at him. As if Yoongi would fall for that.

“Ok, fine, sorry.”

“Oh, come on, you can do better than that. Try to mean it.”

“I’m sorry that you’re clumsy.”

Chanyeol frowned and leaned closer. Scared of what he’d do if he closed the gap, Yoongi panicked and rushed out, “Okay, okay, I’m really sorry!” He could hear the smile in Chanyeol’s voice when he replied, “Sorry, who?”

“Sorry Chanyeol-ssi”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow. “ssi? Come on now. We’re closer than that, Yoongi-ah. We share a class and everything.”

“…mrmflflf hyung...”

 

“What was that? I didn’t quite catch it.” Chanyeol leaned closer still. As if he could only hear Yoongi if he was an inch away from the rapper’s face.

“I’m really sorry Chanyeol…hyung.”

“Good boy.” Chanyeol murmured, a slow smile sliding across his face. Then, he leaned away from the tree, straightened the straps of his guitar case and said, “I’ll see you around, Min.” and walked away.

Yoongi wasn’t sure why that sounded like a threat.