Title: Full-Time Coach

Characters: Jongdae and Choa (AOA)

Poster by Korpride

Jongdae would have to wait nearly thirty minutes for his bus ride home.

He padded to the dimly lit bus stop, kicking his heels. The morons he’d just wasted two hours at the Noraebang after theater practice with, had skittered off running home, laughing at Jongdae who’d have to take a night bus.

Something sniffled in the deserted sidewalk.  Looking around, Jongdae stepped inside the glassed bus stop shelter, almost colliding with a hunched figure.

“Whoa, sorry! Didn’t see you there!”

A tear streaked face looked up at him, tissues crumbled in hands, black hair messily falling over her shoulders.

“Choa sunbae? What are you doing here?”

Choa sniffed again, wiping her cheeks. She was still in her school uniform like Jongdae. The last time he’d seen her was theater practice, two hours ago.

“Why are you still here? Didn’t you go home after practice?”

Jongdae deposited his backpack on the bench, sitting a few feet from Choa.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Oh, okay…? Um, don’t you take the same bus I do home, sunbae? It’s gonna be like, at least thirty minutes until the next one.”

Choa nodded meekly.

Bobbing his head in return, Jongdae let his eyes wander off, humming the last song he’d sung at the Noraebang with his friends.

“Hey, Jongdae?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you mind if I talk to you about something?”

“Yeah, sure.”

He’d have to wait around doing nothing anyway.

“If you find out a guy is cheating on you, what do you do?”

Jongdae froze. He scratched his head, watching Choa fumble with the filthy tissues in her lap. It recollected slowly, that Choa dated one of the theater sunbaes from his school, a second year.  

“Whoa, wait. Jaejin sunbae. Jaejin sunbae cheated on you? That’s… news. What happened?”

Choa shot a sideways glare that made Jongdae flinch. The tender, tear streaked face had fooled him into forgetting that Choa had always been one of the scariest sunbaes in theater.

“I am not interested in you spreading my personal business everywhere you go, first year. Forget what I said before I rip your head off.”

Jongdae defensively held up his palms. This was the real Choa he’d known since his early theater days. He tried for a relaxing smile.

“No, no, I promise I won’t spread it anywhere. I’m no jerk, sunbae. But if you found out by accident, then don’t you want some advice on dumping him in his face and making him pay?”

She glared again, but slightly less threateningly.

“Keep talking.”

“Alright. Tell me everything that happened. Then I’ll know for sure what you can to do to get back at the bastard, sunbae.”

Choa cleared , giving Jongdae one last warning glare before she began. Jongdae leaned forward, ready to listen. Somehow, he’d always suspected someone with a face like Jaejin would turn out to be a two-timer.

“After today’s theater practice…”

Jongdae didn’t see the operation in action. He had classroom cleaning duty. But Junghwan, who’d seen it up and close in person, told him all about it.  

“I cannot believe that many curse words were used right in the middle of school grounds without someone getting expelled.” Junghwan said, over the humming chatter of the first year classroom, to the ears of Jongdae and everyone else in the vicinity. It made Jongdae laugh until his stomach hurt, hearing the account.

He found Choa walking to prep class after school.

“Sunbae! I heard things went well today! You’re single now, huh?”

She had that sharp, charismatic gleam in her eye, like she always had on stage.  Jongdae could picture those eyes, boiling with fury, cursing up storms at a helpless two-timer until he broke down, in front of everyone he knew. He’d missed a scary sight.

“Jaejin got exactly what he deserved. I’m just glad he’s off my radar now. I’m graduating high school in weeks, I have college entrance exams to focus on, you know?”

Jongdae hopped to keep up with Choa’s brisk steps. Fortunately, they were headed in nearly the same direction.

“So you owe me one, right sunbae? I helped you plan this whole thing out.”

Choa half sneered, half laughed. “I still did all the dirty work! But if you’re expecting a polite thank you, first year, I guess I can give you that.”

Jongdae hopped in front of her, walking sideways to try out his begging smile.

“Oh, come on sunbae. It’s not too much if I ask you for a favor in return, right? I basically turned into your dating coach for your time of need! People get paid for that kind of stuff, you know? Come on, sunbae-nim.”

“Are you being serious.” Choa narrowed her eyes. “Well, what kind of favor are you thinking of?”

Jongdae wanted to pat himself on the back. It was hard to get on the good side of a sunbae two years ahead, let alone get a favor.

“A set-up?” He raised his voice strategically. “Can’t you set me up with someone you know? Like, someone you think would like someone like me. Preferably a second-year? Huh sunbae? Huh?”

Before Jongdae could see it coming, Choa smacked his shoulder, hard.

“Yah! Why would any of my second year hoobaes be interested in a first year! I don’t just go around setting people up, you know!”

“Awww, please, sunbae~ Please~”

He knew he’d used just the correct number of ‘please’s when he saw Choa turn her head, the corners of her lips slightly twitching.

“You’d better leave your Saturday open.”

Mouth bobbing with excitement, Jongdae pumped his fist downward.

“Of course I will! Sunbae, you know I respect you a lot, right?”

Choa smirked, turning for a crosswalk. Jongdae had to go straight for his prep class.

“Preferably second years? I didn’t see you as a noona-killer, Kim Jongdae. Kind of bold for a first year, huh? Just look for my text before Saturday.”

The crosswalk sign turned green, and Choa missed Jongdae’s two thumbs up. He watched her cross the white lines. His mouth almost hurt from smiling.

“You’re the best, sunbae! See you at theater practice!”

Fifty push-ups, straight in a row, twenty to thirty people watching your every move. Dirty dances, on a stage meant for theatrical pieces, booming kpop music blasting from speakers. Lucky draw games that mostly earned a disgusting, indigestible drink or a smack on the head with a toy hammer, than prizes and wins. Jongdae withstood it all, but it had nonetheless drained him flat. The bad thing was, Kyunghee University’s theater majors’ freshman initiation week had just begun.

He rubbed the back of his neck, having been released from another military style session led by the meaner of his seniors and juniors. They had warned of something along the lines of a three-mile run planned for tomorrow. The university campus buzzed with kids roaming in the fall sun, plenty of girls in short skirts and shorts gracing Jongdae’s sight.

“Kim Jongdae!”

An arm thumped the sore spot behind his neck. “Ow!” He ducked out of the arm’s weight, annoyance plastered.

“Sore, freshman? Good. Trust me, you’ll thank us for this later.”

“For what? In all my life, I’ve never heard military boot camp and theater were synonyms.”

“You haven’t? Well you have now! Come on. First lunch I’m treating you to since you’ve officially become my University hoobae, Kim Jongdae. Consider it an honor.”

Jongdae grinned, watching her thick, high wedges patter away from him. Massaging his neck, he skipped to catch up.

“You’re the best, Choa sunbae.”

“You’d better mean it.”

He almost had to squint when he turned to look at Choa. Her bright, orange gold hair attracted sunlight like a solar panel. He contemplated on feeling the top, to see if it was hot, but decided against it, definitely foreseeing a hard smack from Choa.

The beginning of Jongdae’s senior year of high school, Choa had dyed her hair an orange-ish gold because a guy she’d been after had told her he liked bold women.  And since then, she kept redyeing it the same flashy color, despite Jongdae’s urges that such gaudy hair colors weren’t favorable for theater majors, and despite dumping the guy after two dates for being a completely cheesy amateur. He had to admit, she did look striking in it.   

“So. My favorite freshman. How’s love life? You and Jiyuel still working things out?”

Choa rolled a cherry tomato in her salad, not catching Jongdae’s swerving eyebrows.

“Didn’t I tell you, noona? We ended it off after she decided to go into History in Daegu. Boring? Right? I really thought she’d be more eccentric. But nope.”

Choa smirked slyly. “Didn’t wanna deal with the whole long distance thing, huh? I’m with you there. How are you supposed to have any fun in a long distance relationship, you know?”

“Exactly. Guess what sunbae? I’m officially single now. And you officially have a campus full of girls you can introduce me to! Life is good, huh?”

A pair of girls passed by their table, in loose brown waves and practically matching sundresses. Laptops and coffee cups in hands. Trying hard to look younger than they were, Jongdae guessed. He flicked his eyes back to Choa, blinking quickly. Cool, navy top, white shorts, a warm brown belt accessory. All complimenting that flaming orange-gold hair color.

The contrast made him smile.

“Your type hasn’t changed at all, has it? Still that noona-killer.”

Jongdae nodded, sipping his drink.

“You’re in luck, kid.” Choa drummed her fingers on the table. “It’s college. There are plenty of adequate girls asking for a set-up. Remember our deal, though.  Just because I have the advantage of being a junior here, you don’t get off your job. It doesn’t matter if it’s college. Guys are still guys.”

Jongdae pushed out his fist. Choa bumped it, her knuckles not quite meeting his, in that same way they always sealed their deal. “My full-time job for life: Park Choa’s dating coach. I’d never slack on you, noona. I absolutely love my job. You know me.”

Choa lunged out for a swipe at Jongdae’s arm, mouth turning. Jongdae had learned to dodge those; it was always easier to dodge Choa from across a table.

“We never said dating coaches for life! Why would we need coaching when we’re married, stupid? We just need to have each other’s backs until we get there.”

Jongdae shrugged.

“You never know, noona.”

Choa walked him to his next class in the main music building. Jongdae didn’t think it necessary, but according to Choa, he got lost a lot more easily than he always claimed.

“So. No dating plans as of now, sunbae?”

He was a few minutes earlier than the early show-ups for the afternoon class. Choa paced around the chalk board and windows, and even though they were the only two in the room, she glanced around her before answering quietly, “Well there’s this one sunbae I worked with for a few productions last year…”

[A/N:]

Great thanks to my Graphic Artist woobabylove0904 (a.k.a Sister) for the poster! So we actually got the idea for the poster from the promo poster of the movie, He's Just Not That Into You! Haha, if you're into American movies, this one's my absolute favorite chick flick EVER, so I really do recommend it ^u^

AND LORDY YOU GUYS. HOORAY FOR KAISTAL. JUST. PERFECT. 

If you guys haven't seen Kaistal happening in F(x)'s comeback teaser photos, YOU HAVE TO. XP

As always, thank you so much for reading~