Soojung stops as the whistle blows for the umpteenth time that day. Her chest moves as she stables her breathing. Her eyes follows the gestures the referee is giving, and sighs.

"Traveling."

There are some protests coming from Sunyoung and Yifan and probably even Kyungsoo at behind but Soojung is left clueless. She knows what traveling is and all, but she doesn't know what made her violate the rule because, well, she knows.

"You were good earlier." Jongin says, munching his sausage stick on his right hand and another one on his left. "You've improved much."

"Well, not really." She sighs, massaging her tired legs a bit. "The competition is nearing and I'm getting nervous each day. It's gonna be my first, afterall."

"You'll do good." He reassures.

"I hope so. Anyway," she turns her body to face him, "how's traveling violation again?"

"Traveling?" Jongin thinks deeply, "Um. Is it because I blew the whistle at you earlier?"

"I guess? But maybe I was actually at fault because I still don't get the rules somehow and--"

"A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may use a two-count rhythm in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball." Jongin stops to look at her, "according to NBA's site, rule number 10, section xvi."

Soojung blinks. "Um."

"If that confuses you, then I'll make it simple." He heaves a sigh and somehow the stare he's giving her brings the butterflies inside her belly go alive. She gulps as his adam's apple bobbles up and she averts her gaze back again to his face, still all masked with faint sweats from the training earlier. "You weren't at fault, actually."

"What. So--"

"More than two steps in running, and more than one in standing." There's a cold--Soojung doesn't know whether it is real cold but Jongin does, of course--sweat running down his temple and he continues, not breaking the eye contact between them. "You, Jung Soojung, made three steps as you run, while bringing the ball not dribbling it."

She thinks deeply. "Really? Which one? Man I should've come to the trainings more often."

He chuckles, his voice deep and it sends shivers down her spine. "Wait, promise me you won't laugh at this."

Soojung furrows her brows even more. "Why would I?"

"First, when you were a step ahead from stopping yourself that you crushed into me at the side of the running yard last month. You poured your whole lemonade, for your information, to my new Celtics jersey. Second one, when you left me at the library when you were supposed--promised me to--teach me about the upcoming exam, which I failed, successfully. And the third," he stops to push her gaping chin so closes again. He smiles and pecks her warm cheeks. "No matter how you have to stop because you have almost violated the rule, you continue doing whatever you're doing in penetrating my life that you've become a habit of me that's somehow, I cannot go on a training without."

Soojung gulps, and a smile starting to rise on her pink lips that Jongin starts to smile cheekily also. "Why do I run?"

"Because it all happens all too fast, but not that's a bad thing though." He smirks, "the faster the better, isn't it?"

Soojung rolls her eyes and asks again, fighting hard not to melt at those endearing face. "Then what would the ball I'm bringing be?"

"Your heart?" Soojung wants to puke but she's too dizzy with all of this indirect confession, if she could call it that.

Jongin laughs obnoxiously and suddenly turns serious again, just to say, "I like you. Watch me on the next tournament?"

"Just don't expect to see me on the bleachers."

Jongin brings her body closer, and Soojung's face getting redder by that sudden close contact. His sticky arm around her bare arm and he somehow realizes how dark his skin is compared to Soojung. But that's not important right now.

"Sure you won't. You're my favorite bench warmer, afterall."

Soojung punches and pushes him further, exploding with 'you say i'd play the next tournament and won't even get my meet the bench why did you say that you weren't serious when you told me that i've improved right' and Jongin would just try to reach for her again and ever since, Jongin is prohibited from being a referee for match-trainings in their faculty team.

Especially on the girls' team.