“Join my basketball team...”

Yoojung was probably the only one who appeared shock at the proposal, because Hanbin just stood there looking like he was expecting this sort from Jiwon.

“If you’re going to ask, then at least ask nicely.” Hanbin said as a matter of fact.

“I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. You owe me at least this much.” Jiwon seemed like there was something more in what he said. Yoojung wondered what could have transpired between the two that caused this rift.

“Still as entitled as ever, Kimbap. Tell me, where’s the fun in just agreeing with you?” Hanbin kept his cool as he was trying to provoke Jiwon.

“Don’t call me that.” Jiwon calmly said.

“Tell you what, let’s make this more interesting. Let’s play ball for it. If you win, I join the basketball club. Good right? But if I win I get to keep Yoojung here for another month. Deal?” Hanbin smirked knowingly.

“Why are you making me part of another bet? Take me out of the deal!” Yoojung protested from beside Hanbin. But she was silenced when Hanbin lifted her chin with his finger and inched closer to her face.

“What are you talking about? You’re equally part of this bet as that loser and myself. Why do you think he’s standing here wasting his time just to offer me that spot on the team? Am I right, Kimbap?” Now Hanbin was just taunting.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jiwon denied.

“Well then, I guess I’ll have to explain to Miss Yoojung the logic that her smart brain cannot process…” Hanbin appeared threatening.

“Fine. Let’s do it. Let’s play ball on it.” Jiwon shouts, finally succumbing before Hanbin could say another word to Yoojung.

“Jiwon-ah!” Yoojung could only call his name out in protest.

“But you cut her punishment to 1 and a half months.” Jiwon tried to bargain.

“Then I guess I’ll also be playing for only half the games then.” Hanbin was now just plain annoying. He continued… “Are you afraid you’ll lose? If you’re playing against me, you have to go all in; otherwise it’s just boring. Don’t worry, I can play using one leg if you want me to, you know, just so I can go down to your level of playing ball.” At this point, Yoojung didn’t know if Hanbin was just being arrogant or if he had actual skills up his sleeves. Why did Jiwon look like he was actually afraid of something?

“Whatever. I’m not losing this game anyway. Tomorrow, 5 PM. Make sure you show up this time.” Jiwon said. Hanbin sneered at this before turning to Yoojung to say goodbye.

“Make sure you cheer for me tomorrow.” Hanbin told Yoojung before ruffling her hair.

Once he was gone, Yoojung motioned towards her house where Jiwon was standing. She was mad at Jiwon for agreeing with the bet that she didn’t even greet nor spared him a glance. She already passed by Jiwon when he spoke.

“I won’t be losing tomorrow so you don’t have to worry.” Jiwon assured her. But this just triggered her fuming mind.

“You don’t get it, do you? I’m mad. I don’t get why I have to be part of it. And why you agreed. Sure, I adore you, I follow you around because I look up to and I have so much respect for you, and I get it that you don’t even notice me or pay attention to me because I’m just a mere fan, but that doesn’t mean you can throw me away to Hanbin like that, it doesn’t mean you can use me as chips to your poker or stakes to your bet. Why does it have to be me in that bet? Why can’t you bet on you? On making your life miserable? On beating you up? Or making you his slave?” Yoojung almost ran out of breath speaking her heart out, but when it seemed like she was talking to a brick wall, she made her way inside her house. But not before he finally gave her an answer.

“Because Hanbin knows doing those things to me won’t hurt me as much.” Yoojung was taken aback by his answer. She didn’t quite understand what he meant by that. The way he said it made it seem like… she immediately brushed the thought away. To the best of her reasoning ability, she concluded they just wanted to pick on the weaker person.

“So you mean Hanbin chose to pry on the weaker person? You don’t make sense, Kim Jiwon.”

“Aish, you’re dense. You’ve always been dense. Whatever, I’m not losing tomorrow, so you better be there to witness it.” Jiwon said before heading towards his own house, leaving Yoojung as clueless as ever.

---

The next day, Jiwon skipped the last period to practice his shooting. Everyone wondered why he would need to prepare this much for a petty ballgame with Hanbin. Was he that good to be a threat?

Yoojung thought he may have actually felt guilty because of what she said to him last night and decided to slip out of class to wish him luck as he practiced. On her way to the gym, Hanbin appeared before her making her stop in her tracks.

“Annyeong! It’s unlike you to skip class like this.” Hanbin greeted her.

“You… you look like you haven’t slept a wink. Were you up all night thinking of this game?” Yoojung actually sounded concerned seeing his eye bags and tired face.

“Aniyo! But you’re right, I was up all night… doing this! TADA!!!” And on his own cue, Hanbin unrolled the poster he was carrying to show her the artwork he spent time on last night. The poster before Yoojung revealed a stick figure with Hanbin’s face pasted on its body dunking over Jiwon’s face. Above the photo, Yoojung read the text:

“Hanbin is number 1! Hanbin is my hero! Hanbin will win this