(The Year 2004- and Dara is 18)

Sanghyun rebounded and raced down the court toward the basket. There was less than 10 seconds on the clock and both teams were tied. He was the top scorer on their team and as such was heavily guarded. He couldn’t get a clear shot.

"Thunder!"

From the corner of his view Sanghyun saw Jiyong standing in the open. Without hesitation he fired him the ball. Jiyong caught it effortlessly. He quickly bounced it once, took aim and then shot the ball in the air. Everyone waited with bated breath, all eyes on the basketball as it soared through the air.

“Oh my god!” Dami fisted her hands in nervousness.

Beside her Dara prayed silently, “Please… please!”

Chaerin and Bom gripped each other, eyes and mouths wide open. Down on the sideline Minzy and the other cheerleaders stood frozen. Both team benches were empty as the coaches and players were all on their feet.

Silence filled the gym as the perfectly thrown ball swooshed into the net just as the sound of the buzzer was lost in the roar of the crowd.

On the bleachers the Kwon family and the Parks screamed along with the rest of the home crowd, jumping in exhilaration and hugging one another.  Dami and Dara screamed the loudest and hugged with Bom and Chaerin. Out on the floor the basketball team had converged upon Jiyong, screaming and yelling in their excitement, their joy palpable.

It took nearly forty minutes before Jiyong and Sanghyun finally made it to the sideline where their families and friends waited patiently with happy smiles and congratulations. They had to wait until after the interviews and the handing over of the 1st and 2nd place trophies to the two teams. Seungri too was with his family, as was Seunghyun and Daesung. Their emotions were reflected in their wide smiles, the sparkling of their eyes, the tears that were shed.

For Seunghyun victory was especially sweet since this was his senior year. An injury had sidelined him during his Junior year and he had had to watch from the sideline as his team lost during the playoffs. It felt great to have the championship back now. Bom was waiting to hug him after he had greeted his parents. The two had begun dating earlier that year.

Chaerin had made her way over to where Seungri was. He grabbed at her hand when he saw her and she beamed her smile at him, congratulating him for a hard fought game.

Minzy huddled with some of her other cheerleader friends. She shyly looked over to where Daesung was laughing with some of his other teammates. She chewed on her lower lip nervously, hoping he would look her way. He did – and smiled. She must have turned fifty shades of red before she covered her face with her poms poms. Daesung laughed and turned to walk with his friends toward the locker room.

“Sanghyun-ah!” Dara jumped up and down, smiling happily and clapped her hands. Her brother chuckled, wondering how this could be his older sister when she looked like a little girl. It was no wonder he always felt a need to protect her so. Pride swelled in him to see his family there looking so happy for him and his teammates.

“What about me?” Jiyong said, pouting at Dara.

“Oh. Jiyongie-ah!” Dara repeated the little jumping dance she did for Sanghyun, but this time facing Jiyong.

“Thank you, noona!” Jiyong said, flashing her his smile. Their families laughed at their cuteness.

After the boys left to the locker room and their parents had gone on home, Dara stood talking with her friends while they waited for the guys to come back. Dami leaned toward Dara suddenly and whispered, “Don’t look right away but I think that guy is checking you out.”

“Where?” Dara whispered, being careful to keep her eyes down. She was standing at the edge from where her group of girlfriends were talking. There were still a few members of both teams scattered in the gym as well students and some faculty members.

“Across from us. #10 – Lee Donghae.”

Dara gasped. “Huh? The captain from SM High?!”

“Yeah! Check it out… don’t make it obvious though,” Dami whispered, before she turned her attention back to CL and Bom and Minzy.

Dara waited a few seconds, then began to turn her head casually as if she were just looking at who was left in the gym. She spotted the guy Dami said, Lee Donghae, standing across the gym floor. He was talking to two other players. She could see the disappointment etched still in their faces having lost the game. As she was looking Donghae suddenly turned and their eyes met. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Donghae looked down and then glanced up again at her. He was shy – uncertain. He stared at Dara and waited for her response.

A small smile formed on Dara’s lips and she blinked. Her look was one of warmth and kindness, partly because she felt sorry for them because they had lost but also because he was cute and seemed nice.

Lee Donghae took a deep breath and looked around, as if making a decision. Then in a bold move he began walking toward Dara.

Dara gasped. He was walking toward her!

“Oh my god, he’s coming this way!” Dami hissed. She could barely keep from jumping out of her skin. Meanwhile Dara felt her heart hammering in her chest. Her eyes were trained on the team captain from SM High as he neared her. She had to give him credit for being brave to approach her like this. Before she knew it he was standing in front of her, just a few feet away.

He bowed politely to her and introduced himself. “Hello, I’m Lee Donghae,” he said.

Dara felt silence fall on her group of girlfriends standing nearby. She was sure they were all watching her.

“Hi,” she answered, bowing her head a little as well. “Park Sandara. My friends call me Dara though.”

He smiled at her and she couldn’t help but smile back at him.  “You’re Thunder’s sister, right?” he asked, and Dara nodded.

“Do you know Thunder? I mean, off the court?” she asked.

Donghae shook his head. “No, not really. But I’m an admirer of his basketball skills.”

Dara nodded. “You guys played really good tonight. It was a close game that could have gone either way.”

A look of regret flashed across his face. But then he sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “I wish we had won but that’s how it goes sometimes. You win some, you lose some.”

Dara smiled in understanding. She didn’t know what else to say, especially with her friends eavesdropping in on their conversation.

Donghae looked toward the locker room where the remaining members of his team were making their way towards. Then he looked back at Dara and took another deep breath. “I think our bus will be leaving soon. Anyway I just wanted to come over and say hi.” He seemed uncertain again, then said, “Would it be alright if I give you a call? Maybe we can hang out sometime?”

Dara raised her brows at him. Wow, he was really brave… She liked that. Smiling she nodded her head to him. “I’d like that.”

He beamed another smile at her, this one brighter than the first. “It was nice meeting you. I’ll be in touch!”

Dara began to smile again. “Don’t you need my number?” she asked, surprised when he grinned back at her as he started backing away. His teammate was calling him to hurry.

“I’ll get it,” he promised. “Just don’t be surprised when you get my call, okay?”

Dara chuckled and waved. “It was nice meeting you Donghae!”

He waved back at her before turning and running the rest of the way to catch up with his teammates.

She was still smiling when Dami hit her arm and her girlfriends circled around her, their arms folded akimbo.

“What?” Dara said, eyes open wide and looking innocent.

“Fraternizing with the enemy?” CL asked.

“You didn’t even introduce us,” Dami complained.

“Park Sandara you are so dead,” Bom growled.

“Wow, he’s so cool,” Minzy sighed dreamily.

“Uh huh, just wait till oppas find out,” CL smirked.