The moment he took his phone off airplane mode and activated the mobile data, the phone kept buzzing continuously. The simple task of texting his parents that he had arrived safely had become exceedingly difficult because of his phone vibrating with the seconds. After (finally) sending the message to his parents and Kris, Lay opened the ever so active group. It was a short way from the airport to the hotel and Lay spent the time smiling at his screen.

They had ganged up on Hana and he could imagine the expression she’d be having; a subtle frown and furrowed brows. He liked how things were normal again, or at least that’s what he told himself. Everything was the same, except one thing. And that one thing mattered a lot. Seeing an opportunity, Lay decided to give it a shot and try to be as regular as he could be.

He didn’t miss how Hana stopped texting but he didn’t let that get to him. Her ‘laterr’ twitched a smile and he locked his phone. Grabbing his luggage and heading toward the hotel, he collected his keys. Coach said they’d have different roommates this time, he wondered who he’d get roomed with again. If Lay had to be honest, he liked Jimin’s company. The chirpy junior added a bit color to his dull days. Right now, when Lay knew he’d need every mood lift he could get, he wished to be roomed with Jimin again; maybe he’d have been able to make him feel better.

Lay was the first to enter the room, the interior was exactly the same. He threw his bags on the bed and plopped down next to it.He could hear the chatter outside, he missed his friends. He had been in the team since the starting of highschool, but he was still not as close to them as one could be. Esepcially since he became the Vice of their team. Sinc then, he only had a professional relationship with them. Jimin was the only one who approached him restlessly with the intent of befriending him. Lay wasn’t a stuck up, it wasn’t like he didn’t want to be closer to his team, it was just that he was rather reserved when it came to people he didn’t know. He hardly ever approached anyone on his own; anyone except Hana. She was the only one he had made an effort to know. Thinking about it now, he wondered if he regretted doing that. Maybe if he hadn’t met Hana, he wouldn’t be mentally and emotionally distraught. Lay snorted, he didn’t regret it at all. He wondered if he was a bit twisted in his head to think that way.

Someone – Lay assumed it was his roommate – barged into the room and Lay was shocked yet oddly relieved to see who it was.

“I’m SO going to treat you for this!” Jimin exclaimed and Lay shook his head.

“You do know we don’t get to pick our roomies, right?”

Jimin nodded vehemently, “I know.”

“Then why are you going to treat me?”

“Just because!”

Lay shook his head again, this time with a smile and started unpacking, Jimin did too. Lay was glad it was Jimin he was roomed with again rather than someone else. He needed Jimin’s enthusiasm and positive energy to help him drown out his own thoughts. He stacked his clothes on his side of the wardrobe as he alf listened to Jimin. The boy didn’t seem to catch up on the senior’s glood yet. Lay figured it would take a while, Jimin was always the one doing most of the talking anyway. Lay was confused about where he was going to hide his undies – Jimin ‘accidentally’ wore his once – when a certain incident in Jimins’ many others caught his attention.

“- I wanted to ask but then my mom couldn’t stop taking photos-“

“Wait,” Lay held up a hand, “You saw who at the airport?”

Jimin blinked and replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “Hana-sshi. I saw her at the airport hiding behind a pillar.”

Jimin obviously did not take notice of Lay’s expression or else he would’ve asked if his roommate was all right. Instead, he continued, “I was wondering why she wasn’t there with your friends. I thought I should ask you but then I was like ‘nah, maybe she’s planning on surprising’. But when we all started boarding and she didn’t show up I was like ‘whoa’ but I thought ‘meh, they probably met already’ because she looked you know, pretty emotional. I was kinda hoping I’d be with you in the plane but oh well. The food though-“

If Lay was paying half attention before, he had stopped listening to him at all now. Hana came to the airport? But didn’t she say she wouldn’t?

“Jimin,” Lay cut him mid sentence, “Sorry for cutting you off like that but, are you sure you saw Hana?”

“Mmhmm,” he nodded, “I’m sure.”

Jimin tilted his head, “What you didn’t see her?”

“I thought she left,” he lied.

“No, she didn’t. She was behind a pillar. Isn’t it cute? She didn’t want you to see her all sad so she hid herself. Man, I wish I had a girlfriend like that, so nice.”

Unknowingly, Lay cracked a smile. Hana came despite saying she wouldn’t, is that supposed to mean something? His nerves he didn’t realise were tense all this time relaxed. Maybe not everything was damaged beyond reason.

“There’s this guy in my class who has like, a total crush on her. He told me about it and I was like, bro back off she’s already with the coolest guy in the whole school. He was so disappointed but really, crushing on a senior is like the most stupidest thing ever-“

Lay went back to paying half attention, but this time with a ghost of a smile on his face. He didn’t bother correcting his status with Hana either.

-

A month passed by like a breeze. Everyone was busy with school finals and entrance exams. The soccer team had changes made to their schedules leaving them more time for studing but with an hour or two of practice everyday. They conducted their school exams in the hotel auditorium. That, and all the university applications and exams were sent and conducted from there. Chanyeol was pretty impressed, “Damn, the faculty’s handeling things well.” Because honestly, even Lay didn’t expect all the academic business to be settled this smoothly.

The past month, their group was more or less deserted. The only thing they ever did talk about were notes and tips. Focusing on what they were supposed to do, they gave their all. The only distractions Hana allowed herself were the half hour walks, lunch and dinner breaks, and the pre-sleep de-stressing group chats. Hana was glad that there was no awkwardness between her and Lay anymore. They’d joke around, talk freely and comfortably just like they used to. But, only in the group. They hadn’t had a single private conversation. She missed them…

“I can’t believe I lived through that,” Baekhyun whispered the moment he stepped out the school doors.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE I LIVED THROUGH THAT!” he then shouted making the others look toward them. Hana hid behind Baekhyun, hiding from the weird stares Baekhyun was unaware of.

“WE’RE FREE!” Kai and Sehun cheered jumping down the stairs.

Last day of the exams and they all felt so much lighter than they had in the past entire month and a half. Today was the final entrance exam they were supposed to give. There were only two universities in which they all had applied to and Seoul University of Arts was one of them. Writing off their final entrance exam was like a truck full of free ice cream on a burning hot day.

“It would be so rad if we all get into this uni,” Jongdae sighed, “we’d all see each other everyday.”

“I’m not sure if that’s such a great idea,” Kyungsoo added and Jongdae slapped his head.

Kris, Suho, and Luhan had all promised to treat for 24 hours; they could have whatever they wanted and not care about the bill.

“You think Lay’s done with his exam yet?” Baekhyun asked and his phone buzzed.

Lay: done!

“That answers that question,” Kyungsoo mumbled as they all walked toward the gates. Sehun, Kai, and Chanyeol were gawking at the campus as they walked through it. Sentences of how aweomse it would be if they all got in were constantly exchanged while Hana busied herself with the rest, asking how their exam went and what they were expecting. Hana’s hands twitched to ask Lay how his exam went but for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to.

Suho and Kris had brought their cars. Hana could see Kris holding up Suho’s car keys and the shorter trying his best to grab them without making a fool out of himself. Luhan, as Hana expected of him, was laughing at Suho’s shortcoming.

“Luhan hyung looks so…evil.” Baekhyun commented and their phones buzzed again.

Lay: why is my brother bullying Suho hyung?

Hana furrowed her brows, “How does he- oh.”

Right above his message was a photo from Kai of Suho jumping, Luhan laughing with his mouth wide open and hands in the middle of clapping, and Kris showing his smug, gummy smile. Hana turned to find him laughing at his own capture. If Kai didn’t have his eyes on dance, photography could’ve been a great major.

“Here come the champions!” Luhan cheered walking through Kris and Suho toward the crowd with open arms.

“We aren’t even in yet,” Sehun reminded and Luhan wacked his head.

“With that attitude you won’t be.”

“Hyung?” Baekhyun grabbed Kris’s shirt, “Could you please give my brother his keys back?”

Kris, as amused as he was torturing his friend, looked back down at Baekhyun who had pulled out the most kicked puppy look he could. Not yielding but momentarily distracted, Kris’s arm lowered and Suho grabbed the opportunity.

“Thanks bro,” Suho patted his brother’s back while Kris gawked.

Baekhyun scoffed, “You owe me one.”

“How did you-“ Kris started but an unexpected voice cut him off.

“WHY ARE YOU GUYS IGNORING ME?!”

Hana froze, “Lay?”

She spun, along with Sehun and the others to see Chanyeol holding his phone, Lay’s call on speaker.

Chanyeol laughed nervously, “He wanted to-“

“Just because I’m not there DOES NOT MEAN YOU GUYS IGNORE ME!”

Hana held a hand to to stop her giggles while the others gave each other amused gazes. Since Lay left, no one had the time for any calls, only texts were exchanged. Now that they (she) heard his voice, they (mostly she) missed him more.

“’Sup bro,” Kris said and Lay heard a gasp.

“Kris?”

“Miss me?”

“What are you doing there?”

“He’s in on the hyung line that’s treating us,” Kai supplied as he moved closer to Suho.

“But why?”

“What do you mean why?” Sehun asked, “He’s treating us. He’s incharge of the desserts.”

“I’m not there…why is he-“

“I’m filling in for your absence my little ray of rainbows,” Kris hollered and Hana could imagine Lay’s incredulous expression.

“Little ray of rainbows?” Kyungsoo snorted and Jongdae collapsed laughing on his shoulder.

“No one even calls me that,” Lay protested and Baekhyun doubled over.

“Yeah, we call him ‘Dimpy’ instead.”

“SOMEONE HIT HIM FOR ME!”

“Ow- HANA!”

“Your minion just fulfilled your wish,” Sehun chortled.

“I’am NOT his minion,” Hana glowered but Lay’s laughter ringing through her ears provided a distraction.

“You did what he asked almost immediately,” Suho added and Hana began to stutter.

“T-that’s because-“

“Don’t bully her while I’m around,” Luhan spoke and put an arm around her shoulder, “I’ll go wait in the car so you can do it behind my back.”

“Luhan!” Hana hit his shoulder and the older winced. She never actually ever hit Luhan but he wondered what would happen if she did because the playful punch was painful.

“I miss you guys.”

Everybody cooed at the phone in Chanyeol’s hand, some of them (Baekhyun and Jongdae) baby talking while the others simply . Hana listened to them, wondering what she should say that would sound appropriate but not give away what she felt. She was thankful that Chanyeol changed the topic before her lack of input became obvious.

“You have a game tonight, right?”

Lay groaned, “Yeah.”

“Isn’t it hard? You had one two days ago and you even had to prepare for the exam…” Kyungsoo trailed and they could hear Lay sigh at the other end.

“The games started after school exams, so it’s not as bad. I just hope I didn’t mess up royally.”

“Don’t worry, you probably didn’t.” Kris assured and Lay sighed again.

“If you win this, it’s a ticket to the finals, right?” Luhan asked and Lay confirmed.

“If we get into the finals-“

“-WHICH YOU WILL!” Kai shouted.

“-which I hope we will, I expect to see you guys at in the audience.”

Cheers along the line of ‘HELL YEA’ were said while Hana remained quiet.

“And I mean everyone; Luhan hyung, Kris, Suho hyung.”

“Tickets grow on trees for you, don’t they?” Sehun teased.

“If we get in then the student body gets an automatic invite.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah oh. Only the hyungs will have to get their tickets.”

“I don’t think Minho hyung or Minseok hyung will want to miss out on your final.”

Lay thought over Jongdae’s words, “You’re right. Bring them too.”

“Done!”

“Good,” Lay breathed, “So…EVERYONE will come, right?”

“Of course,” Suho snorted, “Why’re you asking?”

Luhan snuck a glance at Hana, she was staring at the floor. He turned his head to find Kyungsoo and the others staring at her too.

“Confirmation.”

“You’ll see us,” Luhan said and draped his arm across Hana’s shoulder again, “all of us.”

-

Hana placed her hand on the stadium wall, the concrete vibrated under her touch. People were pouring in the building. Parents, students, friends, school faculty, the stadium was filled with them. The teachers and family got the priority seats, which is why Kris and Lay’s parents were sitting at the front. Hana had expected to see Lay’s parents, she had also mentally prepared herself for Fei’s query that would follow after she found out that Hana was friends with her son. But when they met, apart from Fei’s surprise at Hana’s identity, nothing else matched what Hana was expecting. The lady showed no signs of disappointment or offense; in fact, she was rather happy that her son was friends with such a person. Fei had also asked Kris where the girl Lay always talked about was. Kris, with a nervous laugh, had switched the topic rather effortlessly.

Hana had never met Lay’s father before. He was as tall as Kris, but his features were more like his youngest son. Hana could see where he got his dimple from. There was an odd sense of familiarity with the doctor that Hana could not pin point. She strongly felt as if she’s seen him before. But then, remembering how Baekhyun had found out about Hana’s illness in the first place reminded her that Lay’s father worked in the same hospital Hana had been going to since the last two years. She probably saw him there many times but never payed attention.

Sehun was next to her, covered in their school’s merchandise. They were all wearing red, white, and blue; their school’s colors. Luhan wore his own red jersey from his highschool days. The group had painted their school’s color on their faces. Hana had three streaks on her cheek, one color each and a ‘10’ painted on one side. Sehun had said he’d be painitng a ‘GO’ on her other cheek but the brush spoke otherwise. She pretended she didn’t notice. She also bought a ‘Lay 10’ jersey since it was ‘the only one left’. She wondered why his jersey said Lay instead of Yixing, weren't official jersey's supposed to have player's real names? Luhan had later told her that exceptions could be made on special requests. Plus, to top that, Lay was the vice captiain, it's easy to get what you want then.

With her bangs tucked under her cap and hands waving pompoms, she waited for the teams to enter the field. There was an opening ceremony where the cheerleaders were performing but none of them were watching it.

Chanyeol changed the group name to ‘GO TEAM’

Chanyeol: my prayers are with you my friend

Kyungsoo: best of luck Lay

We’re all cheering for you

Kai: SHOW THEM WHO’S THE BEST

Sehun: we believe in you!

Don’t pressure yourself too muc!

Much*

Jongdae: win this and i’ll treat you to the best molten lava in town

Good luck

Baekhyun: GO LAAAAY GO GO GO LAAAAY

GIMME AN L

Chanyeol: L!

Baekhyun: GIMME AN A

Kyungsoo: A!

Baekhyun: GIMME A Y

Jongdae: Y!

Baekhyun: WHAT DOES THAT MAAAAAAAAKE?!

Jongdae: LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hana: who needs cheerleaders when you’ve got Baekhyun?

Good luck Lay

Sehun: Luhan hyung says ‘always fake right’

Not sure what that means tho

Kai: Taemin and the team wishes you good luck too

KICK BROTHER

Lay watched the messages come one by one. He was nervous- no wait, that was an understatement. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t sip on water, he was afraid he’d choke and die. The coach had left them to get ready and would be back in the last five minutes. Being among the first to get ready, he was in no mood to stare at his teammates as they  Lay was glad his friends were sending in messages, they were not only a distraction but he could also feel their enthusiasm, it helped him calm down. Jimin ran past Lay and startled, he dropped his phone. He was glad no one stepped over it when he picked it up. Baekhyun was now spelling out ‘YIXING’ when he got another message

Hana: nervous?

Lay’s phone almost slipped out of his hand. Kyungsoo was virtually yelling out ‘N’ in the group when Lay replied.

Lay: not much

Hana: liar

Lay: really

Im fine

Hana: you should really give up lying

Lay: how do you know im lying?

Hana: I just do

Lay: that’s not a good enough answer

Hana: it is if you want it to be

Lay: you cant even see me so how can you tell

Hana: I don’t need to see you to know things

I just know them

Hello?

Lay?

Lay: sorry

Phone fell

Hana: not convinced

But ok

Why aren’t you replying in the group?

They’re going crazy making up cheers

Wait I’ll send you a video

Lay: I don’t know what to say

You’re all being so supportive

What if I mess up or something

WHY IS KYUNGSOO WEARING AN AFRO WIG?!

Hana: its dyed in our school colors

Mind you

He’s just being a good spectator u.u

Lay: Taemin looks so embarresed oh my GOD

Hana: Suho’s trying to get Chanyeol to calm down

Lay: the megaphone must be a nuisance

Hana: oh you have no idea

Lay: why don’t I see you in the video?

Hana: because I was the one making it?

Lay: ._.

Hana: what

Lay: make another one with yourself in it

Hana: no way

do you have any idea how hard it is to breathe in this crowd?

Lay: If they can find enough space to do the mummy dance then you can make another video too

Hana: nah

Don’t feel like it u.u

Lay: hana

Hana: nope

Lay: oh cmon

 it’s been so long since I’ve seen your face

It was after he had sent that message that he realised what he just wrote. This was their first out of group conversastion ever since everything happened and he had to admit he missed it more than he imagined. It wasn’t that they had super private stuff to talk about, none of their conversations had anything they couldn’t say in front of others. But it was a certain sense of privacy, that the messages exchanged here only remained between the two of them. Hana had stopped tying since his last message. He instantly regretted sending it. During their conversation, he forgot they weren’t a couple anymore. But he didn’t say anything ususual…right?

Their coach shouted that they had only two mintues left before they’d have to go into the field. Lay sighed, Hana wasn’t replying. But before he locked his phone he opened the group for a last blow of unconditional support. He couldn’t read all of the conversation because Kai had just sent in a video.

It started with Kai shouting something incoherent, Lay figured they were cheers of support. It then moved to the others. Lay could see everyone. Kai first filmed Taemin, and the rest as they all waved at the camera and shout out words of support. He then moved to the group. One by one, Kai focused on them all. Lay thought Luhan would be the last person before the video ends, and he was almost right.

Almost.

Just as Kai was about to bring the phone away, a hand appeared and pulled it to the left. Hana looked confused. Lay could see her wide eyes as she brought her arm back abrupltly. She looked at Luhan next to her before she looked back at the camera, smiling as she fist pumped the air.

“GAME ON AND GOOD LUCK!”

Lay didn’t know he’d be able to manage a smile that big at a time like this.

Their coach blew the whistle and the players fell in line. All huffing and anxious because the finals were serious business. They hadn’t been able to bag the trophy last year but the seniors were serious about winning this one, their last game in high school. Lay could see Jimin a few players behind him. He was already sweating and huffing, it was his first time in the finals. Jimin glanced his way and Lay gave him an encouraging smile. For a split second, the goody Jimin with his wide smile returned but disappeared when the whistle blew again. Both teams were standing in lines as the commentators did the introductions.

Lay searched the crowd. He found his parents and Kris. Lay couldn’t explain in words what it felt to see his father sitting on those bleachers. He hadn’t been able to make it the past years and no matter how much Lay said that it didn’t bother him, it did. His mother was taking photos while Kris and his father were both holding inflatable poles and hitting them against each other. His gaze then left to search for his friends. When you have a large group of hyper people as your friends, they aren’t as hard to spot as you think. They were doing the same embaressing cheer Hana had sent him a video of. Lay couldn’t help his smile. Next to them were the only normal ones, Luhan and Hana. Luhan seemed to have caught his eye first because the boy had clapped and given him two thumbs up. When he looked at Hana, she was already staring at him. Even from the distance, he could see her face was totally expressionless. Lay could feel the nervousness that had subsided a little kick back in.

Lay clenched and unclenched his hands and the next thing he saw locked off every bad thought he was having. Hana gave him one of her widest smiles and shouted. He couldn’t hear what she said, her voice was drowned out by the thousand others around her. The only thing he knew was that she was there and cheering for him.

-

Hana almost always wondered how someone like her had ended up befriending people as loud as the ones next to her. Ever since the starting of the second half, they had been going crazy. Well, carzier. Hana was sure no one could hear them over the thousand other cheers but still, she couldn’t help but hide behind Luhan every now and then.

Only twenty minutes were left for the game to finish and their team was behind a point. Lay wasn’t playing. Hana’s breathing had hitched when she saw him trip and fall. Even from all the way here, they could see the disappointment on his face. The game wasn’t going in their favour and the boys thought that cheering their throats out would be a good boost. For whom, she didn’t know. Five more minutes into it and Lay ran back. He wasn’t limping but Hana worried over his knee. She knew she didn’t have to, but she couldn’t help it. They had only ten minutes when their team scored a goal. They just needed one more.

“What’s he doing?” Luhan mumbled when Lay ran to Jimin. They were joined by another tall player whom Hana remembered as being called Howon.

“Is this like, a stategy plan or something?” Sehun had to shout because of all the noise.

“IT BETTER MAKE US WIN OR I SWEAR I’LL KILL BAEKHYUN FOR MAKING ME WEAR THIS STUPID WIG!” Kyungsoo shouted grabbing onto the colourful strands that bounced around his face.

“I DID NOT MAKE YOU WEAR IT! IT WAS YOUR IDEA!”

 “THEY’RE STARTING! SHUT UP!” Minho popped up between them and they all fell silent. The taller looks so serious with his wide eyes and pulsing veins that Hana would think he was the one playing.

The players ran back to their places but not before Lay whispered something to their captain. The whistle blew and the ball was once again kicked around. Nothing happened for a minute or two but then, Jimin bolted forward and took control of the ball. He ran around aimlessly while keeping his opponent behind him until he kicked it to Lay. Chanyeol’s shout, Hana was sure, could be heard ‘til the field.

Expertly dodging the other players, he ran to the goal post. The ball rolled in front of his feet and all the effort and training reflected in his fluid movements. Just as Lay was about to kick left, he kicked right instead, surprising the boy ahead of him who was about to steal the ball.

“I TOLD HIM TO DO THAT!” Luhan next to Hana shouted but she was too busy with the game to hear anything else. Lay slowed his running and watched as Howon kicked it into the goal. The crowd screamed and went crazy because there were only two minutes left in the game and a goal from the other team right now was close to impossible.

“WE DID IT! OH MY GOD WE WOOOOOOON!”

Baekhyun and Jongdae were screaming while Luhan, Hana, and Sehun did an old happy dance they used to do when they were kids. Two minutes later (with no goals) the final whistle blew and the crowd erupted once again. It was finally over, and they had won. The players ran around the field, shouting and cheering.  Hana was shouting too, the satisfaction on Lay’s face as he hugged his captain and Jimin was better than the excitement of their team winning.

The ending ceremony was almost over. The trophy had been handed to the captian and the teams were taking a final group photo when all of them pooled into the ground. Sehun and Kai were at the front, right behind Lay’s parents. Hana was at the very end. Just as they’d have taken the photo, they’d get to meet them, she’d get to meet him. The second that she realised it, she felt sick. She was happy, sure, but she didn’t know why she suddenly felt like running away. Hana was glad that her friends were engrossed in their own chatter that they didn’t notice her slipping away. She didn’t mean to, it just happened.

The photo was done and she could see through the narrow gaps that the team was making their way toward the group of people. Hana saw Lay’s twinkling eyes looking up at his father and turn. She shouldn’t feel like this, right? She’d been waiting for this and now she wanted to disappear. The fact that she was slowly walking away without much thought didn’t help either. When she heard him ask the others where she was, her footsteps fastened.

“HANA!” she froze. That wasn’t Lay’s voice.

“Hana-sshi? You’re Hana-sshi, aren’t you?”  Jimin stopped in front of her and clapped.

“It IS you!”

Lay had turned at Jimin’s voice and Hana knew that. She could feel all of their stares burning her back. This wasn’t going too well for her.

“Good game,” she said after a thought, “Congractulations!”

Jimin chuckled, “Thanks. The last part was Lay hyung’s idea. Man, I can’t tell you how nervous I was. I’m so happy we won and done with all the hellish training I mean, dude, that’s hard.”

Jimin kept talking and Hana could hear snickers (she could even tell who it was; Kai, Sehun, Chanyeol, and Jongdae) behind her. For a second she was relieved he was talking so much, it filled the silence of her lacking responses but it was also keeping her in place. Even with all the noise around them, she didn’t miss the footsteps that make their way toward them.

“Nice shirt,” Lay commented and Hana could almost hear his smirk. But it was also then that she realised that there was a huge ‘LAY 10’ written at the back. To double her embarrassment she also remembered the ’10’ on her cheek. Suddenly she questioned why she had let Sehun paint that in the first place.

Hana put her hand on her cheek and put the other in her jeans pocket so it looked casual and not forced and turned. Lay was glistening under the lights in his uniform. He looked exhausted but so happy that she couldn’t help but smile.

“Nice game,” she replied. Lay bent his head in an embarrassed smile, the one she found the most endearing.

“I had in mind what Luhan hyung told me once,” he said scratching his neck, “It sort of worked.”

“Sort of?!” Jimin scoffed, “Dude, that TOTTALY WORKED!”

Hana laughed at Jimin not because he looked cute being so enthusiastic but because she needed a reason to prolong her resting hand on her cheek.

“Jimi-“

Lay got cut, “And isn’t it so cute she wore your jersey? I mean, goals man.”

Lay immediately glanced at Hana and her face reddened. He had to suppress a smile.

“T-that, i-“

“She even painted a 10 on her cheek, how cute is that?!”

Hana wished Jimin would shut up.

“She did?” Lay asked with questioning eyes glittered with mischief and Jimin enthusiastically nodded.

“Yeah! On her- why are you holding that side? Does your tooth hurt?”

“Uh- no,” Hana said and put her hand down. No use hiding it now.

“Ah, I thought- never mind. Well, I think I should leave now. Later!”

Jimin winked at Lay as he passed him and the older ruffled his hair. Hana saw Jimin go, couldn’t he leave BEFORE he pointed out the paint?

“Did you like it?”

Hana turned to him, “Like what?”

“The game?”

Hana scoffed, momentarily forgetting her anxiety and remembering the adrenaline from during the game, “Are you kidding me? It was the coolest thing ever! The last game I saw was Luhan’s and that was almost three years ago. THIS! WAS THE BOMB!”

Lay’s smile widened, “I’m glad you had fun.”

“Trust me, it was more than fun.”

“What would have happened if we lost?”

Hana furrowed her brows, “What do you mean?”

“What if,” Lay shrugged, “We had lost?”

“Kyungsoo would’ve killed Baekhyun then. He even said so during half time.”

Lay raised a brow. Hana continued, “No really. You have no idea how psyched we were for this. The day you told us you guys made it, everyone went beserk. We bought everything red, white, and blue. Kyungsoo basically lost in rock, paper, scissors so Baek forced him to wear it. And Luhan! Don’t even get me started on him. He never wore his team jersey since he graguated but the day we tell him you guys made it, we walk in on him checking to see if his jersey still fit. It was so much- why are you staring at me?”

Hana hadn’t realised how animatedly she was talking until she stopped. She dropped her hands, very conscious of Lay’s gaze on her but the boy didn’t look away.

“I’m not staring.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes. You. Are.”

Lay only tilted his head with a slight smile. Hana grabbed shoved her hands into her pockets.

“Could you please stop looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” he asked innocently.

Hana pointed at his face, “THAT. Like that.”

Lay’s smile widened and he looked at his shows. Hana released a breath she didn’t know she was holding and shifted her weight.

“Sorry.” He said when he looked up at her and Hana could see something different than what was present a second before.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. Hana didn’t know what he was apologizing for. Lay took a step and Hana unconsciously took one backward. Lay noticed but pretended not to as he opened his mouth to speak. He couldn’t though, because the next moment his father had called for him and Hana could see Sehun and Luhan looking at her with expectant gazes.

“We should go,” Hana said and Lay reluctantly nodded.

“Uh- yeah. We should.”

"Hey, Hana?" he called when she walked past him. Hana turned, brushing away her bangs, and looked at him.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Hana looked confused, "What for?"

"Thanks," Lay smiled, "For coming."

Hana mirrored his smile, "Wouldn't have missed it."

-