twenty-two

—

soo ah.

It had been three months since school started.

And right now, everyone is busy preparing for the big tournament coming.

Especially all the clubs under sports.

"Yah! Why did you even join all the clubs about sports!?" Hak Yeon shouted, we could hear him up the window from the second floor of their building. He was nagging like a sister-in-law again. "Look at you! You're a mess!" He kept on wiping Taek Woon's face with a damp towel. Truth to be told, Taek Woon was sweating buckets. They were practicing for hours on the field, with like, no breaks at all. He was a sweating mess. He breathed heavier than ever. Training was tough, especially when they were one week away from the tournament. He was in the National Youth Soccer Players for a long time, along with a few members of the soccer club. Their coach was strict to the point that his face would topple downwards whenever they would miss. It was truly upsetting seeing them suffer under these conditions.

I sighed as I kept on staring. "Nothing you could do about it." Ji Eun watched beside me, "He decided to do this, you know, maybe, just maybe... They would bring home the bacon in the end. And all the hardwork would pay off!" She patted my back. "True..." I responded. All I could do now was just cheer for them. "Say, why were they training here again? Didn't they have their own field?" Ji Eun asked.

"The stadium is near here..." 

"Oh."

Just when I got my gaze back at Taek Woon who was about to head back to the field, I saw a third year approach him. Weird. He stared at her, dumbfounded as he was jogging, trying to rush the conversation up to go back to practice. The girl kept on clinging unto him.

...Annoying.

—

We got back to class after recess, while the soccer team was still out there, practicing their hardest. I sighed once more on my seat, I wish I could be there to cheer on them. Hak Yeon also got back to class, but he was still so anxious on whether Taek Woon would be okay or not. I was the same. I just hope something bad wouldn't happen before the actual game starts. Everyone was busy - Busy cheering, busy practicing, busy for the exams coming after a this month. So much trouble, so much worries, and yet Taek Woon was out there being burdened.

Just as I thought: What was my goal anyway?

My goal was to cheer for him...

"I wonder how strong his rivals are..." I spoke in monotone, and I hoped that could be answered...

Classes ended up shortly - But the soccer players might've felt like it were years after they took a break. They were sweating and panting bad. How exhausting... "I heard their opponents are strong this year." Ji Eun pursed her lips. "Really...?" Now that made me worried - I hope they win this game... I hope! "Let's go find Taek Woon, yeah?" Ji Eun grabbed my wrist and I obediently followed behind. We saw Hak Yeon's obvious back profile and neared him. "Where's he?" Ji Eun smiled over. "They're over there. Probably discussing or things like that." Hak Yeon pointed at a crowd. I nodded silently from the background.

"So... How long is this gonna take?" 

"Dunno. Probably all day this week. Taek Woon's neglecting his studies..."

"A-All day..." I whispered. 

"Want to grab lunch together with us?" Ji Eun asked and Hak Yeon accepted the offer. "It would probably take a short while, though... He needs to go back to practice again." 

Our chances to meet had began to lessen... What a disappointment...

—

It had been four days of straight practice. And Taek Woon was missing out in almost everything in his studies.

Hak Yeon handed him out the activites and all the assignments he missed when he had training. As soon as he saw the amount, he went pale... Paler and wanted to faint. "Get a grip Jung Taek Woon! Geez!" He slapped the tired man's face. "Impossible..." Taek Woon groaned on his spot of the bench, and after a short while, Hak Yeon began again with his scolding. "...It's fine." I suddenly interrupted. Everyone looked at me, "W-We could, you know, help you out with the t-things... You missed once you win this game..." Ji Eun and Hak Yeon nodded at my statement, while Taek Woon stared at me longingly. 

"You... Think we would win?"

"I mean yeah! The team would win with Taek Woonie on it~!" 

I blinked twice and turned around to look at my back. That third year girl was there, again. It had been four days since she was following Taek Woon all over the place, when it was truly noticable that he didn't like it one bit. You could read it on his face! She, without permission, sat beside him and grinned at the three of us. Taek Woon's eye twitched and tried to get off her grasp, but couldn't. 

"Um, sunbae, what are you doing here?" Ji Eun asked, staring at her. "Well, I'm here to cheer on my Taek Woonie~ What else?" She gave us an even wider smile and tapped the guy's cheek. "...I've never seen Taek Woon this mad. He was never mad... Angry at me like this." He whispered at us. "That's mad!?" Ji Eun pointed at his pocker face, with a little touch of glare here and there. What I saw was the word "HELP ME" written on his face...

—

It was the end of the fifth day of this week. 

And all I knew was that they were going to have to practice at night, too!

Why did the have to take away all the time when I could be together with him...? I sighed deeply while walking. Ji Eun was also busy with her own stuff, and I had to go home alone this time. Hak Yeon was out there on the field, watching. I stared at the field, everyone was doing their best, trying to get a goal; having that hope of winning inside them. I wished I could watch, but that would make it harder for me - The longer I stay rooted here, the darker the sky would turn out, and I couldn't go home properly.

But, if that would ever happen, would Taek Woon take me home...?

No, no, no!!! Don't think that... I cupped my cheeks and blushed. I started walking forward, when... "Soo Ah!" My shoulders trembled and I looked to my side. Taek Woon was nearing me whilst I stared at his face, confused. He was so tall that I had to lift my chin up. He took my hand and we ran towards the faucets behind a building nearby. I waited for him to finish cleansing his perspired face. He breathed heavily as I took glances, leaning on the cold wall.

He suddenly approached me. My heart was thumping - Fast. I stared at his glimmering eyes that were glued onto me. His hands trapped me as they touched the wall by my two sides. After a while, he landed his head on my shoulder. I could feel his hot breathing, and my cheeks turned redder and warmer. 

"Ha... Tiring." He muttered.

"I missed you..." I felt him frown.

Even for a short while, just like that, I wanted it to last longer.

—

"Heh. You look cute." Taek Woon finally lifted his head up and smiled at the flushed me. I got beet red once again. I've never seen him so close before, well, I've never been this close with a man. What a perfectly chiseled face... I thought as I was looking up at a smiling angel. His raven-colored hair was wet and shining under the afternoon sun. As soon as he realized what he said, his cheeks were painted shell pink.

"...What am I saying?" He mumbled under his breathe. "I guess I really am tired after all..." He reached out for my head and ruffled my hair. "See ya." He bid goodbye and left me there, wearing a light smile. I was there, super glued on my spot that I didn't know what to do. My mind was blank and I was floating on cloud nine.

After calming down, I decided to go straight home.

"I saw all that, you know."

I turned around and saw the same girl once more. I felt my eyebrow cringe and eye twitch with her existence. "What were you doing with my guy?" She put her hands on her waist, and stared at me like some lowlife and inferior creature. 

It made me irritated that I tried glaring at her. "By the way, I am Choi Hye Jin, and I'm after Taek Woon, got it? So Whatever relationship you have with him, whether acquaintances, close friends, or girlfriend, wouldn't do... So cut ties with him from this very moment, understood!?" She shouted like a strict office lady. I shook my head in silence. "You've got guts kid." She scoffed. "...Why do you only shake your head? Is that all you know? Psh." She left me there as I stared at her profile.

The time I knew it, I realized that I now had a rival.

—