Chapter 6: Game.

The day of the match comes much sooner than anyone expected. Wonwoo sighs as he gets up from the bed to get ready. For someone who always puts on a strong fort and confident façade, he still can’t shake off the nervousness he felt prior to any sorts of match.

“You’re going to do well! You’re one of Yeongsan’s star player and you have been a star player even before moving here.” Seulgi chirps, placing both of her hands on his shoulders.

“Yeah, but still…” Wonwoo sighs as he locks eyes with Seulgi. Funny, he loves staring at Seulgi, it makes him feel as if he can look at his own face without needing a mirror.

Looking at Seulgi’s face calms himself a bit. Seulgi always knows how to cheer him up when he’s sad and there’s nobody else in this world who understands Seulgi better than Wonwoo. Wonwoo loves having her beside him. Seulgi is his pillar of support and he is Seulgi’s compass when she’s lost. Right now, he knows Seulgi is as much of a wreck as he is, but instead, she’s giving him the reassurance he needs.

“Seulgi’s right.” Taeyeon says as she walks towards Wonwoo.

The boy walks to his mother and Taeyeon smiles, cupping both of Wonwoo’s cheeks with her hands and rests her forehead on his. “Fear is normal, but you have to be able to overcome it and I trust you’re able to overcome it, because you’re my son.”

***

For Taeyong, it was worse.

This is his first time joining the basketball team. His first time joining any team ever. Before this holiday, he was skinny and thin and though he’s quite good at the game, his body always gets in his way—coach rejects him because Taeyong couldn’t defend himself from other players.

What if he s up?

“You won’t up, relax.” Ten says, as if reading his mind. “I swear to God you worry too much, those wrinkles will be permanent soon.”

“Gee, thanks for the pep talk.” Taeyong replies sardonically. He’s postponing his journey to the changing room as long as he can. “I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

From his side, Johnny chuckles. “Better throw up now, it’d if you throw up right before shooting your ball. Ooh, that won’t look good on the papers—although, if you want to throw up and make it look cool, you should throw up on the other team’s captain’s face. That’d be the joke of the year, the funniest and coolest legend of Yeongsan Public High School.”

Taeyong frowns. “That’s really gross, you know that?”

“Don’t mind him. Our friend Johnny’s sense of humor is as deep as one’s ankle, you should’ve gotten used to it by now.” Ten butts in. “Anyway, get inside the changing room and stop getting nervous.” He says.

“Oh?” a voice comes from the other side of the hall. Kang Seulgi and Kang Wonwoo appears. Wonwoo hasn’t change yet but Seulgi is already wrapped in Yeongsan’s white and red cheerleader uniform.

Seulgi’s uniform clings to her body and accentuates her damned long legs and her hair is gathered up in neat ponytail that makes her facial features stand out more. It’s a wonder how she has the ability to make herself look like a walking photoshoot, the white halls behind her look like something out of a photography album aesthetics, with her in the middle in cheerleading outfit.

“Uh, hi?” Taeyong says, almost squeaked due to nervousness and the sight of Seulgi.

“Nervous much?” Seulgi chuckles as she reaches her hand to brush away Taeyong’s bangs. “Good luck, Mad-dog.” She whispers and Taeyong blushes.

“T—thanks.” He replies, his throat feels dry for some reason. “You good luck too. You and Seungwan, I mean, well…”

Wonwoo clicks his tongue. “Gee, you don’t wish me luck like that, I’m jealous.”

Seulgi rolls her eyes and turns to meet Wonwoo’s eyes. “Good luck Wonwoo!” she says, raising her fist and flashes a cute smile before changing her expression back to an annoyed look in a matter of seconds.

“That’s so fake.” Johnny blurts.

“See? I’m hurt.” Wonwoo says.

“Uh, come on.” Taeyong says, holding Wonwoo’s elbow. “We should get change.” He says before ushering him to enter the changing room.

“I’ll watch over you on the bleachers! May the force be with you!” Johnny exclaims before Taeyong shuts the door.

“Well, that’s my champion, going to the battlefield.” Johnny says again, wiping an invisible tear from his eyes.

Seulgi laughs. “What the heck, Johnny.”

“I’m just getting in the mood.” Johnny shrugs. “Anyway, me and Ten will be watching over you guys from the bleachers and I’ll be the first to scream “Boo” if you mess up, okay?” he says jokingly, feigning a sweet smile.

Seulgi laughs. “Your pep talk clears all my nervousness away!” she fires back. “Alright, I’ll be going to my team now, you take care okay. And Ten!”

“What?” Ten replies.

“I don’t care if you want to or not but you better take pictures of me in my premiere cheerleading in Yeongsan or I’ll burn that Bangkok hoodie of yours you wear so often.” She says, smiling cutely that Ten almost laugh.

Almost.

“I was going to but you insulted my hoodie. This hoodie has been with me since I’m in junior high, it’s more important than you.”

Seulgi shrugs. “All the more reason to burn it then, bye!” she says before skipping off to the girl’s changing room.

“That’s very romantic of you.” Johnny says sarcastically after Seulgi left. “Don’t you think I don’t know you’ve been secretly taking pictures of Seulgi while I’m gone. I have eyes everywhere.”

Ten gives Johnny a look. “Oh, yeah, I forgot that DungeonBoy from Yeongsan’s Tea Corner is always on the lookout for tea and drama to spill, even if it means prying into someone else’s business and privacy.” He says with a straight face.

“Tenny, I respect others’ privacy, just so you know, but your privacy has been the least of my concerns since I knew your full name; and to this day, I’m still the only one who know your real name.”

“ you, Seo.”

***

When Seulgi returns to the changing room, she finds Nayeon cornering Seungwan, obviously threatening Seungwan not to make any mistakes.

“Damn it, Nayeon, if you want your team to shine tonight, violence is not the key.” Seulgi says calmly as she forces herself to walk between Nayeon and Seungwan. “By the way, you’re blocking my locker, so move.”

“Quite a big talk.” Nayeon replies. “I hope you didn’t mess up tonight too, Kang.”

“Me? Messing up? You should be worried more about yourself, since… you’ll be standing on top of the pyramid right? Would be a shame if something happens.”

“Is that a threat?”

Seulgi shrugs. “Only if you see it as one.” She smiles before shutting her locker door.

Nayeon scoffs and leaves. Seulgi turns her attention to Seungwan. The brown haired girl look stunning in her uniform, but she’d look better if the frown on her face replaced with a smile.

Seungwan takes a seat on the bench and runs her fingers through her hair. “Oh, God, she’s right, though. What if I screw up? What if something happen or I forgot my move?” she rants.

“No, you won’t.” Seulgi calmly says as she gathers Seungwan’s long brown hair and ties them up in a neat ponytail. “You’ve been practicing for so long and tonight is your time to shine, you will rock this performance, okay?”

Seungwan sighs. “Thanks. Ugh, I wish I can be as chill as you, though. You’re so unfair, Kang Seulgi.”

Seulgi crouches in front of Seungwan and takes both of her hands. “Hey, I’m scared too. But I’m not going to let my fear get in the way and not letting me having fun tonight. I suggest you do the same too, what do you think?”

Seungwan smiles but the worry is still there. “It’s just… you know my mom wasn’t too pleased on me joining the cheerleading team, she’s afraid it’d get in the way with my academic and she thinks I won’t do well… so I’m really scared something will happen and I can’t prove myself to my mom and—“

“Shh,” Seulgi shushes her and move a wild strand of hair from Seungwan’s forehead. “You can do this. Trust yourself. People can berate you, doubt you, throw rocks at you to bring you down but you must always, always trust yourself, remember this, okay?”

Seungwan gulps before smiling. “Okay.” She nods. “Thank you, Seulgi.”

***

Ten watches as the players enters the gym and the cheerleaders dance. This is far too crowded and noisy for his own liking but he still wants to give Seungwan and Taeyong his support too. And maybe Seulgi and Wonwoo, too.

“Go Wonwoo!”

“Seulgi!”

“Taeyong! Win this game!”

The students around them scream and cheers and waving banners and Ten has to admit he does feel a bit excited. “Let’s get this over with.” He says, munching on pop-corns before joining the cheer.

“I hope you charged your camera.” Johnny shouts and even so, his voice is almost drowned by the crowd.

“I did.” Ten shouts back.

And the match starts.

The commentator’s voice booms, ball is thrown here and there, crowd is screaming and cheering, there are so much going on in one moment but Ten only searches for one person in the crowd. But honestly, he doesn’t need to look hard because Seulgi’s golden hair stands in the crowd. The crowd claps excitedly as the cheerleader performs. People are screaming Nayeon's name, worshipping the Queen. She does deserve it. Her pale skin almost glows in the night, her hair reflects the light and confident smile never leaving her face.

But tonight, someone dares to outshine the Queen. Kang Seulgi is all fire as she performs, dark eyes capturing the crowd and alluring smile on her glossy lips, golden curls dances each time she moves and her body is as fluid and powerful as water. She is, undoubtedly, too beautiful to be true. Ten wonders how there is no single trace of nervousness or fear or anxiety in her. Seulgi oozes with charisma and confidence. This person on the field, right now, is unlike Seulgi he used to see and Ten wonders if he can ever look away from her enchanting eyes. 

It’s silly but each time the team scores, he finds himself staring at Seulgi again because he may or may not have slightly developed a liking in her smile. He almost forgets to take pictures because seeing Seulgi’s smile through the lens is definitely not as good as seeing her with his own eyes. Even the most expensive and precise camera won’t be able to capture her beauty. It wouldn’t do justice.

From his side, unbeknownst to him, Johnny is staring at him. His gaze shifts from Ten’s fixated gaze on Seulgi. Most people said Ten’s eyes looked dead, hollow or empty. Emotions rarely ever filled Ten’s dark orbs. Yet tonight, unlike many others, Johnny sees his eyes twinkles. Johnny sees his eyes lights up each time Seulgi let out a happy cheer when the team scores a point.

“Oh, dear.” He mumbles, “Boy doesn’t realize what he’s getting himself into.”

***

Author’s Note:
Happy Friday!! I’ve been crying over people who get to meet Red Velvet at the airport lolz.
WHEN WILL I EVER GET THE CHANCE TO SEE THEM IRL :(
Anyway, this is the 6^th chapter, I hope you guys liked it~
I've just installed sims4 in my new laptop since my old one broke down and it's too old for any of the sims
to be installed there. BIG MISTAKE bcs I made Red Velvet there and ofc I made Seulrene and I actually slept at 4
in the morning to finish the family AND the house.
Also, we have our very first poster for this story! Thank you Soignè graphic shop for this wonderful poster >.<