Chapter ten – Movie night

Author’s Note : I don’t usually give songs/recommend songs while reading this fanfiction. But I guess I could, since I was listening to 4minute’s song titled “What a girl wants”, I guess that’s the best song to recommend you guys. It fits the chapter!~

After school on Friday, Hyomi joined the crowd of kids heading for the baseball diamond and climbed to the top of the bleachers. She and Sun Mi were going to watch the game, and Hyomi wanted to find an out-of-the-way seat, where Jaejoong wouldn’t spot them. She didn’t want him to get the silly idea that she’d  come to see him.

Minutes later, Sun Mi bounced up the steps, waving and calling to all her friends. Hyomi sighed. There might as well have been a large arrow pointing directly at them. She looked down on the field where Jaejoong and Yunho were playing catch. Maybe he wouldn’t notice her at all.

“Hi!” Sun Mi said as she sat down. “Are we here to support the whole team or just one particular player?” Hyomi scowled and punched her friend’s arm. “We’re showing school spirit, the way we did at the last game.” Sun Mi giggled. “I believe you. Sure I do!” “SSHH! Don’t talk so loud.” Hyomi took her a quick glance around. “I don’t want anybody to hear you. Let’s just watch the game, okay?”

The rival team came up to bat first and their team held them to one hit. When it was the team’s turn, Hyomi found herself waiting eagerly for Jaejoong to step up to the plate. She knew how good he was, that since she deliberately hadn’t been to a home game in weeks, she wondered how he’d been hitting lately. Sun Mi grabbed her arm, “Look! Jaejoong’s up now.” “So, I see.” Hyomi said, trying to sound nonchalant. But she couldn’t ignore the excitement building inside her.

Why was she feeling this way? She tried to convince herself that there was nothing special about Jaejoong. Then why was her pulse racing as if she’d just run around all the bases? Jaejoong took his place in the batter’s box. Even from her seat high above the third base, Hyomi could see the muscles in his arms ripple as he gripped the bat.

Jaejoong swung at the first pitch—and missed. Sun Mi clenched her firsts. “Rats! He’s trying too hard!” Two pitches later,Jaejoong had one ball and two strikes against him. “come on, Jaejoong!” Somebody yelled. “Let’s do it! Hit a home run!” But on the next pitch, Jaejoong struck out. A collective groan rose from the team’s fans.

Hyomi turned to Sun Mi, “I guess he’s not such a hotshot after all.” She said, concealing her disappointment. “Everybody’s entitled to an off day every now and then.” Sun Mi told her. “Jaejoong usually hits more homers than anyone else. I don’t know what’s wrong with him today.”

In the third inning when Jaejoong came up to the bat, he knocked the ball over the left-field fence. As he trotted around the bases to the wild cheers of the crowd. Hyomi jumped up and down and yelled along with Sun Mi and the rest of his fans. “He really is good!” Hyomi admitted when they say down.

When the game was over, the team had won by a score of five to one. Jaejoong had contributed four hits and two more runs. Hyomi clapped with the others as the team ran off the field. Jaejoong was a big hero, all right, but he didn’t seem to be like the other athletes she’d known. Could he really be different?

Hyomi sat down abruptly at the table. While she’d been guarding the phone, Mr. Kim was out of town! Why hadn’t Jaejoong told her that his dad was away? Excusing herself, she raced upstairs to call him in private. When he answered, she noticed again how nice his voice sounded.

“Hi, Jaejoong. It’s Hyomi.” She said. “Hey, how come you never mentioned your dad was out of town?i’ve been sitting here for hours, ready to pounce on the phone in case he called.” Jaejoong groaned. “Oh, wow! I’m sorry. With the game and all, I forgot to say anything about it.”

“It’s okay. It didn’t kill me.” Hyomi said. “By the way, I’ve been thinking—maybe I should meet you at the movies tomorrow instead of you picking me up here. I don’t want my mom to know we’re going out together.”  “Why not?” Jaejoong said, sounding a little annoyed.

“Because if she thinks we’re going out on a date—even though it isn’t really a date—she might think it means I approve of her going out with your dad.” Hyomi explained.

After a pause, Jaejoong said. “I guess you’re right.” “So, I’ll meet you in front of the theater tomorrow night at seven-thirty.”  “Okay, see you there.” Jaejoong said. Right before he hung up, he added. “Oh, and Hyomi.”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for coming to the game this afternoon.”

Saturday evening after dinner, Hyomi stood in the middle of her room, trying to decide what to wear for her “planning session” with Jaejoong. She kept telling herself that it didn’t really matter, but she didn’t want to look like a nerd. She heard the front door bang open and Sun Mi bounding up the steps with Mimi barking at her heels. loudly, she flopped onto the bed on top of a pile of discarded clothes.

Hyomi reached into the pile and pulled out a red top and a black miniskirt. “What do you think? Too dressy?” Sun Mi cocked her head to one side. “Yeah, what about your new jeans?” she began to paw through the heap of clothes. Together they finally decided on the jeans and a flowered top, with a sweater in case the theater was too cold.

Fifteen minutes later, Hyomi was dressed. “You look great!” Sun Mi said as she got of the bed. “If you’re ready, we can go get the car and I’ll drop you off at the theater.”

The girls walked to Sun Mi’s house, and Sun Mi borrowed the car. As they drove to the theater, Hyomi twisted her hands, and wondered again if going to the movies with Jaejoong was a good idea. Half a block from their destination, she said. “Just let me off here. I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

Sun Mi pulled over to the curb. “Don’t want him to see me, huh? Remember, if he doesn’t offer to bring you home, I’ll be right by the phone. And if he does take you home, be sure to call me the first thing tomorrow morning and tell me everything.” “As soon as I wake up.” Hyomi promised.

After Sun Mi drove off, Hyomi waited outside the theater, trying not to look as nervous as she felt. Checking her watch, she saw that it was getting close to movie time. Where was Jaejoong, anyway? Walking over to the glass-framed posters, she pretended to study the coming attractions. She wondered if he’d been having second thoughts about the this whole thing, too.

Hyomi winced when she saw several kids she knew. Waving and smiling at them as she bought tickets and went inside, she wondered if they thought it strange to find her hanging around the theater all by herself. It didn’t matter – when they saw her with Jaejoong, it would be all over school on Monday. If they saw her with Jaejoong.

Glancing at her watch again, Hyomi debated whether to buy one ticket and see the show alone or call Sun Mi and ask to be picked up. Shecould hang out at Wendy’s for a while and go home.

Suddenly, she heard someone calling her name. whirling around, Hyomi saw Jaejoong running across the parking lot. “Sorry, I’m late.” He said between breaths. “Before he left, my dad made up this huge list of things for me to do, and some of them had to be done today.” Hyomi laughed. “I thought you were going to stand me up.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you.” He turned toward the box office. “Let’s get out tickets, okay?” he stepped up to the ticket window. “Two please.” So he’s taking me out. Hyomi thought. Maybe this was a date after all.

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To make it up for not updating for 2 days.