Chapter Five

The Quiet

The exam is going well, Jeonghan is sure he will be in the top three, he has to be. Everybody is glad that it’s over. Some of his classmates has started to discuss about what they should do before Christmas holiday. “Hey, let’s watch next week’s game in the city together!”

“What is this? Since when did you have interest in basketball?”

“Ah i know! You want to see the cheerleaders right?”

“Shut up! What nonsense are you talking about?”

They laugh, but Jeonghan could care less about the rest of their conversation. The game,huh? Jeonghan smiles bitterly. Three weeks of silence between him and Seungcheol is more than enough to give him both confusion and time to study hard. Along the walk home Jeonghan realized how much he had spent his time both only at home and school, Jisoo is in Ireland visiting his grandparents and he has no one to sit across him in this McDonald’s seats. He looks outside the window, wondering when the first snow will fall. His attention is focused to the road that he missed the new group walking towards the queue. His Oreo Mcflurry has melt halfway but Jeonghan has already full with only a box of nuggets and he realizes it’s time to go. Seungcheol is there, standing on the line, eyes scanning the menu before him. “Cheol, we’ll wait there” they walk past Jeonghan to the seats he just left. And his eyes meet with Seungcheol. Jeonghan is scared because Seungcheol only stares at him for a good two seconds before shifting his gazes towards the counter again.

A part of him wants Seungcheol to pretend like he’s not there, but the other selfish part of him wants Seungcheol to do otherwise. He knew it’s bad, Seungcheol is bad for him. By the time Jeonghan reached to traffic light, someone pulls the brunette away.

Seungcheol missed the sight.

“How are you, sweety?” Jeonghan shivers at the question, both hands trapped between the other’s arms. But the hatred gazes don’t leave his eyes. “Nice gaze you have there” He could feel every inch of his scalp stings as the other violently yanks his hair. “What do you want?”
The other laughs. “Don’t play dumb, you know what i want, it feels good to abuse you and your pretty face”

Jeonghan doesn’t understand why he obeys to hold his screams every time the punch and kick that lands on his body. Minhyun is smarter, he leave wounds on the part people won’t notice this time. He doesn’t scratch his face and hands this time, Jeonghan just keep silence as Minhyun spits out his hatred and anger towards him. Asking about the guy helping him the last time they met. “I don’t know him”

“ing liar” he kicks Jeonghan’s abdomen harder. “You know you can’t get away from me, right? lucky for you i have some time to spend with my girlfriend that i forget about you”

Minhyun seems satisfied as he lands one last punch on Jeonghan’s side. He walks away, finally. Jeonghan doesn’t know which one is worse, the pain or the cold. Because as he pushes himself up to sit, the first snow is falling . Winter has came, and it’s freezing.

~~~

“All right, five more minutes!” Seungcheol yells at his teammates. He rummages through the locker of the changing room, picking out his phone one last time.

From Jeonghan
Good luck, Don’t get hurt

It is not the right time to think about this , but Seungcheol glad Jeonghan remembers, even though he still acts like an and ignore the message, pretending it never there. But then he gave up, reading the text over and over again. “Come on guys” The coach instructs them to go. “, I’m nervous” Jiwon giggles. Seungcheol raises an eyebrow. “You do?”

“What? Why can’t i feel nervous?It’s a good nervous. Making me fired up to score hundreds” Jiwon swings an arm around Seungcheol’s shoulder. “Good, just remember not to make any stupid fault like last time” the other members laugh, Jiwon pouts. “You ty captain, rubbing on my shame”

“You’re welcome” Seungcheol laughs along.

The stadium is huge, like huge. There’re two main courts with high bleachers up to the third floor, all filled with spectators. Seungcheol can feel himself gulping down at the sight, other teams from various schools are there too. Probably feeling the same nausea as him. Seungcheol leads his team to line up for the opening ceremony. He can see a few people from his school sitting in the first floor bleachers in front of him. He swears he saw Taehyung dancing hula just now. Sick. Seungcheol chuckles.
Their first game is about to start, call it a luck or misfortune, because playing in the first game is nerve wrecking. But Seungcheol prefers it this way, he doesn’t have to hold this knot in his stomach any longer, play faster, finish faster.

The game was going well, 76-53, even though the pace is slower than their usual play-mostly because his teammates makes mistake here and there, nervous for sure- but Seungcheol satisfied with his teammates. They handle it well. His brother gives him a quick hug as they met on the bleachers to watch the next game. “Good job, captain”

“Where’s Yoona?”

“Hey, i came all the way here for you and you ask about her instead” Seungcheol laughs at the now pouting Yifan. “Your office is only ten minutes from here, that’s not all the way”

“Brat”

“When is the next game?” The second game has started but Seungcheol just couldn’t focus. “Tomorrow at five, gonna spend tomorrow morning practicing”

“Five? , i have meeting till six” His brother is good at cursing Seungcheol thought. “It’s okay, it’s just our second game, we’re gonna make it”
Yifan chuckles “Wow, confident huh?”
Seungcheol is scared to death, his legs still shaking from the first game, but he’s sure they’re gonna make it somehow. By the time he reaches the hotel, he opens the phone again. Five messages, three from his mom, one from each Taehyung and Yifan and noone from Jeonghan. He doesn’t know why he’s hoping when he’s the one giving the quiet. Suddenly Skrillex plays from the phone, giving him a scare for a moment. Not Jeonghan.

“Hey”

“Hey,Cheol. How was the game?” Tzuyu’s cheerful voice chimes from the other line. “Of course we won”

She laughs “As expected of our team, i wonder who’s the captain”
“You got lucky, Lady. You happen to be talking to him” This time Seungcheol laughs to himself, this sounds like something Taehyung will say instead. “I was hoping to come and see but my father will take me to the city on Saturday”

“Don’t worry, we’ll head to the semi final, so you can watch us on Saturday” the call lasts for thirty minutes before Jiwon calls out for Seungcheol that the bath is free. By the time he finished showering, Jiwon is lying on the bed next to his, playing with his phone. “You’re not doing something stupid like texting my mom an inappropriate text, right?”

“What do you take me for?” Jiwon makes the beggar face that he thought will make Seungcheol feels pity. But nope. Not even close. “Who knows? but i know you’re an for sure”

“And this friend of yours just helped you to cheer up” Jiwon shows up the message.

I’m glad you’re not hurt. Have fun in the next game,

There’s a picture of him, untying the shoelace after game- he assumes Jiwon took the picture without him knowing- on top of the message. Jiwon is sending someone his picture. Seungcheol snatches the phone immediately. “I just help you since you look fired up when you read the message today before the game”

“Jiwon! what the fu-”

Seungcheol shrieks in horror. Holy Lord, it’s Jeonghan.

“Come here, you !”
But Jiwon has fleet to the room next door.

~~~

“You want to come with me this Friday?” She looks up from the american breakfast Jeonghan made. “I want to watch the game”

His sister is coming home early to prepare for a trip this weekend. Jeonghan decided he wants to go watching the game, even though he probably won’t be able to meet Seungcheol but he want to see him. “But i won’t be able to accompany you”

“I can manage my way” and so on the Friday evening, he rides the train together with his sister sitting near the window. It’s probably the first time he ever go to visit his sister’s place in the city, and he’s sure she’s surprised at his sudden request but allow him nonetheless. Seungcheol is not replying or sending him any picture from today and yesterday’s game. But Jeonghan knows they made it to the semi final.

They arrived at the city late that night , his sister doesn’t stay long before going again at 4 a.m when her friends pick her up for the trip. She leaves some money and tells Jeonghan to be careful. The game is at 2 in the afternoon, he still has six hours to walk around the town, but it’s too early, so Jeonghan only walks around the neighborhood after breakfast.
He wears a plain grey shirt under his jacket , a pair of blue jeans and a converse. He combs his hair down, letting it hide under the hood of his jacket. The city is much more different that he sees it up close, when he came here with Seungcheol he only saw it, but now that he’s walking around the road, he can feel how the city is filled with crowds and noises. Different, very different with his usual days.

By the time he reaches the stadium-with much difficulty-it was 1:35 p.m. twenty five minutes before the game. The bleachers are full of spectators and Jeonghan is not sure where to sit. The only available seats he saw are in the third floor and Jeonghan has no other option. He sits beside a group of elementary kids and some people probably college students.

When the clock strikes two, he can see the two teams that will play on the left court are coming out. And there is Seungcheol, with his black and red number four jersey, S.Coups, the name above written. His usual black hair is longer than the last time Jeonghan remembers, he knows Seungcheol is built but now that he see it between his friends Seungcheol is huge, both of his arms has gained more muscle than any other of his teammates, even compared to the tall guy –that Jeonghan assumes as the center-with , Zelo, written on his back. Seungcheol has yet changed again.

The first two quarters, they struggle to lead, apparently their opponents is the strong candidate for the win and his team has to meet them early. Seungcheol doesn’t want the game to stop in here, if they win this game, they can be the champion. With sweats and struggle ,his team currently leading with four points ahead. Seungcheol is playing all the game when some of the members get changed. When the third quarter started, in the four first minutes, Seungcheol take the lead to charge, dribbling steadily towards the opponent’s ring. He got surrounded, and so he passes the ball to Jiwon who easily slips the guard but by the time Jiwon shoots, the ball slips and bounces on the ring. Seungcheol jumps to do the rebound in reflect, but he doesn’t see the center and the point guard of the opponents also jump. The whistle blows, and Seungcheol realized he’s lying on the floor.

“Seungcheol, are you okay? Man! look at me” Jiwon is frantic.

Seungcheol’s head is spinning. “Son, can you hear me?” he nods, “He got hit on the head accidentally, we should took him to the hospital” Seungcheol gulps down. Trying to open his eyes only to find his vision is blurred out by the liquid running from the side of his head. , i’m bleeding. “The cut is pretty deep”

“I’m okay, it’s just a small cut” Seungcheol replies, there’s no way he would leave the game. But the coach says otherwise, he replaced him. And so Seungcheol is sitting on the infirmary. After making sure that his wound is well stitches – five painful stitches- , the doctor leaves, reminding them to take Seungcheol for a scan in the hospital immediately. But Seungcheol luckily can convince that he’s feeling all right, and the hospital can wait. And so he’s walking back to the court. It’s the beginningof the fourth quarter, the opponent catches up, they’re six points behind now. Jiwon is exhausted, he couldn’t focus on the offense and Zelo has to work twice hard since he has to defense the ring alone because of Seungcheol’s absence. “Please let me play again”

“No, you’re injured. I couldn’t take the risk”
“But they need me!”
The coach went silent, he is conflicted. “I’m fine, really. Please, let me try to help”

“The last five minutes, that’s it” Seungcheol was about to argue, there’s four more minutes before he is allowed to enter the game. The coach takes the last time out and s finally notice his presence. “Are you okay? how are you feeling?” Jiwon should’ve look at himself, he’s white as paper and panting hard but he’s worrying about Seungcheol instead. “It’s okay, just got a few stitches” Jiwon is skeptic at the reply, remembering about the blood that was spilled from Seungcheol’s head earlier. “Really, see? they even gave me a mung bean juice” Seungcheol lifts up the bottle.

“Seungcheol will play in the last five minutes, i know you’re all exhausted, and i couldn’t risk your body, no, not after what happened to Seungcheol, so, just play low, focus on the defense and make scores with the shooting guard instead”

“But we’re six points behind now” Zelo says, his face is filled with guilt. Probably blaming himself for not being able to block the shoots. “It’s okay, coach is right. They’re gonna exhaust themselves from the offense soon. We can focus on the defense and we can trust Jungkook and Jiwon with the points”

They smile, not sure why, they just do. They can do it.

“Hey, i have something for you” Jiwon whispers, Seungcheol leans forward. “Look at the third floor of the bleacher, search for navy jacket” Seungcheol whips his head around as Jiwon makes a jog back into the court, grinning to himself. Third floor, navy jacket

. . .

That bastard Jiwon must have texted Jeonghan behind his back. So that’s why Jiwon was looking around the bleacher when they enter the court. That explains how Jiwon know where Jeonghan is sitting. That explains why he’s now looking at the brunette boy in navy jacket who is also looking back at him among the crowds. It’s been four weeks, no, twenty seven days since the last time he saw Jeonghan, since the day he feels his lips on his own, and Jeonghan is here to watch his game.

Jeonghan is here, watching him play. He saw everything, he saw how pathetic he got injured in this important game . How he let his team mates to struggle alone when Seungcheol once bluffed about him being a captain to Jeonghan.

He will win this, he has to.

Because Jeonghan is here.

~~~

hello~ I always imagine Seungcheol being a captain of a basketball team, and so here it is. I feel bad putting Minhyun as a bad guy actually (sorry).

I am making a poster for the story, I should've make it before but the photoshop got uninstalled -_-

And there's baby Jiwon here, my baby bunny~ I'm a seventeen and ikon stan so fight me you antis! Lastly, thank you for reading ^^ 

Gonna update this as soon as I can! Promise! 

(let me give you hugs and kisses kekeke)

With love,

Deerchoding ~