Chanyeol was tight for time. He completely forgot about his English assignment due for the next day but he also had his major basketball match that evening. Grumbling to himself about his forgetfulness, he grabbed the first ten books that seemed to be interesting off the shelf. The library was empty but Chanyeol still couldn't find the right spot to sit. He really did not want to sit in front of that ogling librarian.

He searched desperately for a cozy area when his eyes fell upon a familiar head in a dark gloomy corner. All of a sudden, every depressing thought about his assignment flew right out of his head.

'Still busy with fanfiction, I see?' he whispered, bending close enough to Kyungsoo's ears, lips grazing soft skin. 

Startled, she turned to look at him but with a less hostile face than usual.

'Fancy seeing you here...' she shot back, mischief twinkling in her eyes. Chanyeol gloated to himself over the fact that she didn't seem to mind as he pulled up a chair to sit right beside her.

'I have to complete my English assignment for tomorrow.'

'You don't seem like the type to submit homework on time. Heck, you don't look like you even submit your homework.'

'True. True. But I have my finals match today and if I get a bad grade, my mom will surely ban me from sports,' he answers, writing down a few lines on a sheet of paper, 'Say, do you play any sports?'

Kyungsoo's answer was an indignant sneer. Resting her fountain pen on the table, she said,

'If there's one thing I truly hate, it's sports. The sweat and grime just disgusts me...'

'If you actually played for the fun of it, you might like it.'

'I pass that offer, thank you very much!'

'What if I told you it could make you grow taller?'

Kyungsoo furrowed her eyebrows at Chanyeol.

'I'M TALL ENOUGH!'

Chanyeol nearly laughed to death at that.

'In which world? Lilliput?' he mocked, convulsing with laughter.

A huge unabridged edition of 'A Collection of Penny Dreadfuls' nearly knocked Chanyeol's head off his shoulders. Rubbing the back of his head, Chanyeol muttered an apology although he could clearly see that she was smiling as well. With those heart-shaped pink lips and the rising apple of her cheeks. That looked oh so soft and kissable—

Dammit Chanyeol! Control yourself, he snarled,feeling his heart beat against his ribcage.

To clear the awkward thoughts in his mind, Chanyeol began a round of pestering Kyungsoo with a request he had in mind.

'Kyungsoo–ahhhhhhh!!!! Come over and watch me playyyyyyyyy!!!!'

'You mean, the finals?'

'Yeah. It's at four.'

'Mmmm... I don't know...'

'You can call Baekhyun too!'

'How about I just send Baekhyun with regards and good luck?'

'Oh come on, Kyungsoo! I'm not asking you to play or anything, right?'

'But it's booorinnnggg...' she whined, emphasising the last word much to Chanyeol's annoyance.

'Fine. Suit yourself,' huffed Chanyeol, 'At least keep your word and send Baekhyun rather than keeping him for yourself, you sour puss!'

'WHAT did you call me?'

'S-O-U-R P-U-S-S! SOUR PUSS!'

Fed up of Chanyeol's childishness, Kyungsoo slumped into her seat, with her hands on her temple. For a while, she looked deep into Chanyeol's eyes and then finally asked,

'Why do you want me to come?'

That one question cast a searing pain across Chanyeol's chest.He felt his heart sinking into an abyss because, though he's an utter idiot at times, he knew the exact purpose of that question—she just didn't trust him yet. Chanyeol understood that she was insecure and had doubts as to why he was showing her a special interest. But he was also angry and confused at her response. Why wasn't she like the other girls in his class who would swoon whenever he asked them to finish his homework or save a seat for him if he was going to be late to class? How could she be so immune to his charm that she actually questioned his motives? How could Do Kyungsoo refuse Park Chanyeol from getting his way?

Chanyeol contemplated on what to answer. He could say that he wanted to show her how fun basketball was or that he wanted to hear her praise him. But sadly, he just found out that those replies don't work with her. It was the truth or nothing—

'Well?' she asked, twirling her pen at maximum velocity.

'It'd mean a lot to me,'— croaked Chanyeol, fighting the knots in his chest—'to just see you there. Watching me.' And after some hesitation, he quietly added,

'Only me.'

The sound of chair legs being roughly scraped against the wooden floor filled the library. Kyungsoo's eyes nervously kept darting everywhere except at the person who was fearfully looking right up at her standing form. Before Chanyeol could even reach out for her, Kyungsoo ran out through the doorway, mumbling a nearly inaudible 'sorry' that echoed in Chanyeol's ears.

Yifan greeted Chanyeol as the latter sulkily came up to his team. He nodded his head half-heartedly as Yifan went through all the strategies and plans. With all that sadness and frustration in his heart, he felt like crushing each and every one of his opponents. Unfortunately, once the game started, he didn't perform as well as he wanted to. He even missed three easy shots, much to the disappointment and shock of his team. The weight in his chest was pulling him down. By the end of the second quarter, the rival team was leading by a meager difference.

'PCY, are you sure you're well?' asked Yifan concerned, coming up to the dejected player once the ten minute halftime interval began.

Chanyeol muttered, 'I'm fine. I can keep going... I'm sorry about that though.'

Yifan was about to give Chanyeol a good pep talk but Jongin came up with an interruption. Pointing to his far left, Jongin whispered,

'Umm, Chanyeol? There's someone in the crowd who threatened to sabotage our game if I didn't send you over to them right now...'

Looking over Jongin's head, Chanyeol saw, to his utmost surprise and delight, Kyungsoo and her little minion Baekhyun, the latter doing the most cheering. He felt the load being lifted off his chest as he ran up to them.

'I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU CAME!!!' he shouted over the din.

'Kind of lied to my dad about having extra class' replied Kyungsoo coolly, pushing a plait behind her back, 'Anyway, could you end this within the next five minutes? I'm really bored...'

'Soo! You know that isn't possible!' squealed Baekhyun, 'He still has two more quarters to live up to his name...'

'I'll say! You better not play like a wimp in the remaining time, alright? And the match better not go into overtime or else I might just kill you, got it?' reprimanded Kyungsoo but with a hint of humour.

'All the best, Chanyeol!!!!' yelled Baekhyun wildly.

Chanyeol's joy knew no bounds when Kyungsoo added,'All the best, Chanyeol.'

He grinned wildly and mumbled a 'thank you' before running back to his team. He replayed the sound of her voice when she said his name again and again; it was music to his ears. He was definitely on cloud nine.

And true to his word and legacy, Chanyeol steam rolled all of their opponents and gained back his reputation of being the "star player" of the team, within the following sixteen minutes. Once the game finally commenced, even their coach looked stunned. The other team faced a disgracing loss. All of his teammates hugged him and cheered for him and chanted his name. But all Chanyeol wanted was to see one special person.

'Hey! We're going over to that new pizza place. My treat!' beamed Yifan, glowing in happiness.

Chanyeol simply adored pizza but he remembered that he had something else to take care of. He politely declined but no one particularly noticed his absence since they were so intoxicated with victorious celebration. 

Once outside, he caught up to the two little midgets he'd lately grown fond of. Baekhyun was bubbling like a spring with never ending praise. Kyungsoo, on the other hand, just rolled her eyes at her chatter box friend.

'So, how did I play?' teased Chanyeol, waggling his eyebrows at Kyungsoo.

'I must admit that you were impressive, even though I have limited knowledge when it comes to sports...'

Chanyeol swore his heart did a backflip at that comment and quickly covers up his embarrassment with a cough. He apologised since his request had forced her to lie to her father but she casually brushed it off. At the junction where Chanyeol separates from Baekhyun's and Kyungsoo's route, he asked Kyungsoo,

'Do you trust me Kyungsoo?'

Giving Baekhyun the signal to carry on without her, she replied, still looking at a skeptical Baekhyun,

'What kind of a question is that? Is this how you talk to a friend on a daily basis? Like an alien?'

Chanyeol smiled at her subtle reference to their newly bloomed friendship. He quickly asked her before she set off towards home,

'Why did you come to see me at the match?'

Without missing a beat, Kyungsoo repeated Chanyeol's earlier statement,

'Isn't that the least I can do for my friend? Why, am I wrong, Chanyeol?'

Crinkling her eyes as she laughed heartily at his sheepish expression, Kyungsoo sped off to her ever loyal friend, who was still waiting for her at the end of the street. 

Chanyeol turned around as well, assuring himself that he totally loves it when Kyungsoo calls him by name.

Meanwhile Kyungsoo was having a hard time pushing away Baekhyun's sly questions and suggestive looks and teasing assumptions about the kind of relationship she shared with Chanyeol.