Twisted Knots - Chapter 3
Twisted KnotsA/N: I know i've lost subscribers in my long absence, but i'm happy to see new subscribers! :D You guys are simply amazing and the most awesome people in the world! Here's another chapter, i hope you'll enjoy this (:
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Jinki slipped his soccer jersey over his head in the changing room, awash with the excited chattering of his team mates, echoing around the huge space. He could hear distant sounds of whooping and cheering from the crowd outside, all revved up for an adrenaline-pumping game.
Jonghyun, however, was unusually quiet, sitting at a corner and mumbling to himself.
Jinki chuckled. Jonghyun always sank into such a state before any game. Yet Jinki had always suspected that he was more worried about his reputation as the hot soccer captain of Kyungbok High being destroyed should they lose ,rather than the true ecstasy one felt from a victory.
Sometimes he was extremely tempted to snap a picture of Jonghyun in his totally uncool state before the game and circulate it all over the school. Not that he would do it to his best friend, but the thought of Jonghyun’s reaction to it would have been priceless. Not to mention hilarious.
“Yah, Jonghyun, stop mumbling to yourself like a lunatic, we should warm up and get ready,” Chansung, one of their teammates, walked over to Jonghyun and prompted him with a friendly slap on the shoulder.
Jonghyun snapped out of his reverie and stood up, being almost comically dwarfed by the tall and buff Chansung.
“Okay guys, you know we’re up against our archenemies this time yet again. We totally trumped them the other time, so expectations this time are bound to be high for our team. We cannot allow anything to distract us during the game. Got it everybody?” Jonghyun’s usual cheery tone had been replaced with one of utmost seriousness, and the atmosphere in the changing room suddenly turned grave and almost tense. At the same time, the cheering from the crowd outside seemed to have been amplified by a notch, and all the players felt their hearts give a simultaneous throb.
Jinki was not sure if he was imagining it, but he thought he caught a furtive glance that Jonghyun shot in his direction as he spoke, and Jinki’s stomach clenched again at the thought of what has been excessively occupying his mind lately.
Focus, Lee Jinki. Focus.
“Jinki?” Jinki turned around to find Jonghyun’s earnest eyes boring into him. “You alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine Jjong, don’t worry. Victory belongs to Kyungbok High today.”
Jonghyun’s set and serious face finally relaxed into a huge grin, clapping Jinki on the shoulder.
“That’s my man, Jinki. That’s my man.”
****
“AND HERE WE HAVE CAPTAIN KIM JONGHYUN MAKING A FANTASTIC PASS TO STAR STRIKER LEE JINKI! OH, THEY’RE LOOKING GOOD TODAY! WILL JINKI SCORE? WILL HE? HE SCORES! IT’S 2-1 TO KYUNGBOK HIGH!”
Jinki could feel his adrenaline pumping in excitement, his face splitting into a huge grin as his teammates sprinted at him from all directions, engulfing him in such a violent hug that he fell over on the field, tackling him playfully. Amidst the mess of sweaty limbs, Jinki could distinctly make out the disgruntled expressions of their opponents.
The entire right side of the spectators had stood up, cheering wildly.
An ear-splitting whistle sounded, signaling the end of the first half.
“AND THE FIRST HALF ENDS WITH KYUNGBOK HIGH IN THE LEAD! LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF WINNING AGAIN TODAY!”
The team gathered back in the changing room, Jonghyun looking excited.
“Okay guys, we’re nearly there! Just keep the momentum going, victory is ours if we just maintain our standard. Our opponents are probably preparing some fancy attack strategy, but remember, Kyungbok High is renowned for our teamwork. We’ve been playing so long together we can practically read each other’s minds. Pay attention to each other; don’t allow anything to distract you. We can do this!”
Jonghyun looked around at all the players, each with a burning determination and spirit in their gaze, and he knew that victory was definitely theirs.
****
“AND LEE JAEJIN, GOALKEEPER FROM KYUNGBOK HIGH, BLOCKS THEIR OPPONENT’S SHOT! GOOD JOB JAEJIN! KYUNGBOK HIGH IS DEFINITELY ON FIRE TODAY!”
It was 20 minutes into the second half, and the score was currently standing at 3-1, Kyungbok High having scored yet another goal. It seemed the berth between the two teams was widening, but Jinki knew he couldn’t afford to get complacent.
Fight to the end, Lee Jinki.
****
It was 10 minutes before the end of the game, and the score stood at 3-2, their opponent managing to score with a penalty kick after an over-excited Jonghyun committed a foul.
Jinki knew that their opponents were prideful, and after being humiliated the other time they would resort to anything to ensure that they at least finished this game with a tie, even if they weren’t the champions.
Their playing was becoming more ferocious and violent, and Jinki did not like that. With just 10 minutes left, their thirst for a tie was insatiable, and his players were clearly getting tired. They had grace and skill, but their opponent’s sudden rise in ferocity was unprecedented.
“AAAAAND THE GAME IS ENDING SOON! WILL IT END LIKE THIS? WILL KYUNGBOK HIGH EMERGE VICTORIOUS AGAIN?” The commentary seemed to further fuel the opponent’s ferocity, as he caught sight of their opponent’s striker dribbling the ball towards the goalposts.
He could see his defenders converging upon him, managing to steal the ball away. The crowd heaved a collective sigh of relief.
The ball was passed seamlessly from player to player, yet again showcasing their brilliant teamwork. In the end, Jinki successfully managed to get the ball, dribbling it skillfully towards his team’s goalposts. His eyes were set on the goalposts, and he just missed a defender coming towards him, intent on stopping him from scoring.
The next thing he knew, Jinki felt a crushing blow on the back of his head and kicked the ball strongly on reflex, before everything became pitch black.
****
Pain. Pain. Pain.
Am I dead?
Jinki? A voice said.
That sounds oddly familiar…..
JINKI!!!
Jinki struggled to open his eyes, and he was greeted by the sight of a pair of soft feline eyes, looking down at him with an expression of worry and fear.
Huh? Kibum? What-
And he out again.
****
As it turned out, Jinki, even in his half-delirious state after being hit, still managed to score. Their opponent’s goalkeeper, shocked by what had transpired, failed to block the goal. And as for the defender who struck him, he was to be suspended from playing until further notice for being violent on the field.
It was a good thing Jinki’s injuries weren’t serious, and he regained consciousness to Jonghyun’s worried, and yet euphoric expression.
“JINKI!!! ARE YOU OKAY??? WE WON WE WON! YOU SHOULD TOTALLY HEAR WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT YOU! JINKI, YOU’RE A GOD!”
“Yah, let him rest, Jonghyun.” A tall, tanned man said, walking into the changing room.
“Coach Kim!” all the players chorused.
Their soccer coach beamed around at all of them, looking pleased. “Although Jinki’s incident was rather unfortunate, I’ll like to congratulate all of you for playing like heroes today, especially Jinki. Jinki? Get some rest alright? Good thing that blow wasn’t nasty, you’ve been checked on by the medic. But do get some proper rest okay?”
“Yes, Coach,” Jinki said, his voice slightly hoarse from misuse.
He sat up, rubbing the back of his head as their coach exited the changing room. It still felt a little sore, but……
Jinki suddenly stood up, the room spinning and he nearly fell over again, if not for Jonghyun and another teammate catching him.
“What are you standing up for? Didn’t you hear what Coach said? You need to rest!” his teammate said.
Jinki shook his head violently, and grabbed the front of Jonghyun’s jersey with an unnatural force.
“Jjong…..who was it? That boy!”
Jonghyun looked mystified. “What boy?”
“That boy! The one who was calling my name after I passed out!” Jinki’s eyes were glowing strangely, looking almost hysterical. Jonghyun was truly taken aback; he had never seen Jinki acting in this manner. The other players were stunned into silence. Their vice-captain has never lost control of his emotions before. Never.
Jonghyun’s eyes widened. “How the hell did you know that? You were out cold!”
“No….Jjong, I heard someone calling my name and I woke up briefly. There was a boy in front of me. It wasn’t you, or any of the other players…”
Jonghyun gaped at him.
“You know Jinki…..we’ve been meaning to ask you about that……That boy, he was sitting in the spectators’ stands, and he practically came tearing down to the field after you were struck by that jerk from the opposing team. We tried to stop him, but he was screaming your name like a maniac….” Jonghyun paused. “Who is he Jinki? He knew your name and seemed really worried. But you know what’s strange?”
Jinki looked up at Jonghyun, his vision going in and out of focus, the throbbing in his head seemed to have increased tenfold. “What?”
“He’s from the opposing team’s school. There was a huge outcry after that, people couldn’t understand why he was being so worried about Kyungbok’s striker. Some people were even cracking jokes about how irresistible your charms were, but I don’t think it’s that simple…..” Jonghyun paused again. “He seemed to know you really well and-“
“How did he look like, Jjong?” Jinki asked quietly.
“I know this is going to sound strange; he’s a boy but he’s so beautiful he almost looks like a girl. High cheekbones, sharp jawline….but his eyes were the most mesmerizing…piercing and mysterious-Jinki? JINKI!!!”
Jinki had ignored the relentless throbbing in his head, got to his feet, and ran out of the changing room, shutting out Jonghyun and the other player’s yells.
A name was ringing, resounding in his head. Kibum….
He just knew it had to be him, it WAS him. After so many years……
Jinki ran out to the field, only to be met with an empty stadium. Of course, he would be gone by know.
Suddenly overcome by an emotion that he couldn’t place, Jinki sank down in the middle of the soccer field, clutching his head.
Kibum is gone….again….
Disappointment flooded every inch of Jinki’s being, engulfing him and swallowing him mercilessly like an insatiable monster.
But now, Jinki was certain, certain that his instincts were right. It was Kibum. Jonghyun may not know him, but his description of the events after he was struck definitely seemed to not be a coincidence.
But that only seemed to bring up more questions. So Kibum was eventually adopted? Or he managed to get out the orphanage through other means? But the incident at the game proved that Kibum knew of Jinki’s existence. So why wouldn’t he acknowledge him openly?
Frustration spilled out of every one of Jinki’s pores. Just as he was so close to grasping Kibum again, he had slipped out of his grip again just like that.
I’m such an idiot. If only I didn’t black out again.
Yet, amidst all the uncertainty, Jinki was filled with a new sense of hope. Kibum still cared about him. A lot. That alone was enough for him.
He closed his eyes, seeing and feeling in his mind the touch of Kibum’s smiling lips against his cheek, his soft hands running through his hair gently.
Yes, Kibummie. You love me and I love you too. I will find you.
He was determined to get to the bottom of this.
Whatever it takes is what I’m going to do.
Little did he know, a slim figure was standing in the shadows of the last row of the spectators’ stands, just out of Jinki’s sight, watching his bowed figure, tears sliding slowly down his face as his shoulders shook with silent sobs.
No words were spoken, but Jinki and Kibum, could have sworn they each heard a whisper beside them, loud and clear.
I love you…..
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