changmin/yoona | hopeless | drabble | angst

For them, it never works out. She steals a glance at him, then looks away just as his searching gaze makes its way toward her. They never see each other -- well, they do, but they don’t truly see or understand. Perhaps it is one of the quirks of being too quiet, too shy, too reserved. Perhaps that is just their nature, being unlucky, that is. Perhaps their timing is just really bad, or perhaps fortune is not bestowed so benevolently upon them.

Either way, it renders them hopeless. They are hopeless from the start.

She is an ordinary girl, hiding behind the protective fortress of her thick-rimmed glasses and the growing stack of textbooks and notebooks and fiction books and comic books and books. He is a new student, conveniently ignored by everyone else due to his comical mismatched eyes and the way that he is just so awkward. They are the same, but different.

The year Changmin finally breaks out of his shell, she notices. Of course she would notice, why would she not? Suddenly, all the girls are after him, and he has become loud. He receives the title of star basketball player of the school team, and she admires him from afar.

The final game of the championship, and Yoona decides to go. She has never been to a basketball game before -- or any sports game, in fact. She has no idea what to expect, but she finds a seat in the way back corner and nervously looks around. Clutching to her worn-out school bag, she sits alone, craning her neck to see the court below.

Her eyes immediately light up when she sees him leading the team, jogging nonchalantly to the center of the court. She admires the sinewy muscles on his arms and the slightly tanned tone of his skin. He towers over most other players, effortlessly making basket after basket amidst the excited cheers of the crowd.

She doesn’t quite understand basketball, but she is proud nonetheless. While everyone else around her erupts in yells and hoots with every mind-blowing play, she squeals excitedly inside, blushing at the way he flips his sweaty locks away from his face in such a handsome way.

The buzzer sounds, and Changmin is a winner. He swears that he has felt a watchful pair of eyes on him throughout the whole game, and it sends pleasurable chills up his spine (to his surprise). He wonders if it could be possible that she is here. But he shakes his head in disbelief, since when does Im YoonA go to basketball games?

As his eyes scan the filled stands, he is unaware of everything else around him: not the shining trophy being presented to him, not the hearty cheers of his fellow teammates, not the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

She figures that there is no use for her to stay and that if she resides here any longer, her heart just might beat straight out of her chest. She chances one last look at him and sighs blissfully.

His eyes finally catch her slim figure hurrying out of the gym, and he puts on a sad smile, not knowing whether to be disappointed at her sudden leave or to be happy that she even came.

The trophy is shoved into his hands, and he is forced to act jubilant in front of everyone. His cheeks begins to hurt from smiling so much (albeit fake ones), but he soldiers on through the after party.

He stumbles tiredly home and sleeps, mind whirring with countless thoughts -- of her.

He goes to school the next day to be greeted by the sight of an empty desk in the room.

“Why isn’t she here today? She never misses school,” he asks his friend next to him.

“You didn’t know? She moved away,” is the answer.

And his heart stops, splinters, and falls apart, never to be put back together ever again.

pic credit | ethertune.tumblr