*** Chapter 6: Perseverance ***

It’s Friday. All of Bangtan members had gathered in the basketball court, including the coach, Seo Janghoon. But he did nothing much as he always gave full access and freedom of the recruitments to the members. It was part of his training for creating teamwork.

All preparations for recruitment were settled. Not much, actually, only some cones and flags for markings, balls –lots of balls-, adequate supply of drinks and snacks, and also barricades. Barricades? Of course. Because in the space where all Bangtan members were gathering, especially for basketball thing, surely, with no doubt, there will be lots, lots of fans, flooding the stadium. Just like a battalion of army gathering without command when a girl group came to their base. And those barricades might be needed, just in case.

“You guys sure you do not want to join the recruitment?” Jungkook were asking a pair of boys in their famous pink jumper.

“Nah, hyung. Thanks.” Woojin refused.

“There is no need for you to ask them, Kook,” Jimin remarked. “All they can do is fighting each other with or without their boxing gloves. These pink sausages are not good in any ball games.”

“Woojinie is good at soccer, hyung..” Jihoon defended his bestie.

“Yeah, that’s one exception,” Jimin agreed. “But that’s soccer, and this is basketball. I do not need to have a member who will turn the basketball match into some other sport like rugby or American football.”

The boy in question, Woojin, just casually shrugged his shoulder over the negative remark.

“And Jihoonie?” Seokjin joined the conversation.

“He is not good at all with any ball games,” Taehyung answered.

“Yeah,” Jihoon himself admitted. “And thanks to someone for that,” he continued while looking at someone with half his eyebrows rose.

“Yaa! I’ve apologized to you for sooo many times, and you’re still accusing me for that?” Jimin put his hands on his waist. “I was just trying to teach you basketball. Who knew that after the ball hit your head once, you became afraid of balls?”

“Because I was just six at that time, and it hurt a lot,” Jihoon replied.

“And fist fighting with Woojin did not hurt at all… okay…” Jimin crossed his arms over his chest.

“Hey, you guys,” Yoongi suddenly clamored from his seat. “You seriously wanted to start a lover’s quarrel now? The participants are coming in, Jimin-a,” he warned.

“Sorry, hyung,” Jimin quickly came to his sense and proceeded to sit next to Yoongi behind their judging table.

“How many are applying?” he asked while looking at the papers.

“Forty-six,” Namjoon answered. “Some of them claim to have good records playing basketball during school,” he gave the captain some more papers.

“Okay.. Let’s see what they’ve got,” Jimin his serious mode.

The participants were entering the court. From their appearances, some were really looked promising. With the balls that was provided, they started with a little warm ups. Jihoon did not really paying attention to the new comers, because we all should had known by now, where his concentrations were focused when he was with a group of boys who called themselves Bangtan.

But someone gained his interest as he thought that that certain boy was familiar to him.

“Is that… Lai.. What was his name again? Lai Guanlin?” he talked to himself.

“Who?” Woojin heard him anyway.

“That tall boy. The last who enters,” Jihoon pointed.

“You know him?” Woojin followed his finger.

“The Taiwanese boy I told you before.”

“Ah… The lost boy you struck?”

Jihoon rolled his eyes.

“Isn’t he too skinny?” Taehyung unknowingly joined them. Interested because Jihoon was paying attention to some random boy.

“Hyung…”Jihoon rolled his eyes again. “You, too, are skinny. But see who you are.. our Point Guard..”

“But I’m not THAT skinny…” Taehyung defended himself.

“He is the captain of his high-school basketball team,” Hoseok joined too, reading some information from a paper. “And his high-school IS the reigning champion for five consecutive years... of NATIONAL High School Basketball Championship in Taiwan! D*MN! What the hell is he doing in an Arts institute in Korea?” Hoseok surprised himself with the facts.

The other Bangtan members also widen their eyes upon hearing it. The application papers were written by the participants themselves, and some might tend to hyperbole their achievements to gain interest. The members inquired Hoseok about the high school name, and after they googled it, it was confirmed that Lai Guanlin’s school truly hold the reputation.

“Dammit!” Jihoon added more shock to the team. The paper was now on his hand. He tugged Woojin’s sleeve, “He’s younger than us!”

“Mwo?” the black-haired pink sausage were surprised to see the date of birth written under Guanlin’s name. “And he’s here already? How come?”

“I guess his school has a kind of acceleration program,” Jungkook was still scrolling his phone, reading from Google. “It’s pretty common worldwide.”

“What the hell!!” the team exclaimed.

“He cannot be lying about his high school and captaincy, right?” Seokjin wondered.

“I guess we will see it ourselves,” Jimin remarked. And that’s the end of their discussion, as they began the tests shortly after.

They made the recruitment process simple. Although they had many trophies, for goodness’s sake, they were originally Arts institute students, not even professional team. They did not claim to be an exclusive group. But still, one should had enough set of skills if he wished to be part of the most famous team in their college.

There were simple tests of basic skills, such as dribbling, shooting, lay-up, and team play. The last segment of the tests was 3-on-3 match. The participants choose the group within themselves, and they would play against each other or against Bangtan team members based on lucky draw.

As there were 46 participants, surely there would be one person left behind without a team. And that one person was none other than the team’s main interest, Lai Guanlin. It was more or less expected because he was new in Korea, and it looked like that he barely made any friends, put aside acquaintances, to make a team of three.

The boy in question shot perfect scores in previous tests. Not a single time he lost control of the ball during dribbling. All throws were accurate, and he could even perform some slam-dunks. As expected of his height, the ring did not look far from the reach of his hands.

“He is totally on a different league than us,” Yoongi remarked. “I’ll definitely give him a ‘Yes!’, dude.”

“But I still want to see his team play,” Jimin commented.

“Then you should play against him, Chimmy,” Coach Seo interrupted.

“That’s right!” Namjoon agreed.

“1-on-1?” Jimin raised an eyebrow.

“No, 2-on-2 will be suffice,” Coach Seo answered. “You and Jungkook, against him… and Taehyung.”

“Me?” Taehyung expressed his surprise first. “I would barely able to break the defense between JiKook!”

“That’s why let’s see if this Lai Guanlin could make you break their defense,” the old man casually reasoned. “Come on, boys. Up!Up!Up!!”

The three of them rose from their seat, and Taehyung pro-actively approached the boy who would be his teammate.

“Hey, Lai Guanlin, right?” Taehyung greeted.

“Yes,” the taller boy politely nodded.

“You’ll be playing with me against Jimin and Jungkook,” he pointed to the boys who were coming closer.

“Him? Isn’t he the captain?” Guanlin turned out to be paying attention to the whole introductions led by Jimin earlier that day.

“Yeah… We saw that you are so good that we need to see our captain play against you,” Jungkook answered.

“Ahh.. I’’m not that good,” Guanlin blushed a little. And the three older boys found him somewhat cute, including his tone and accent.

“Don’t be humble. It’s time to show off your skills. You couldn’t be a captain for nothing,” Jimin replied.

Guanlin smiled shyly. But something crossed his mind, he couldn’t help it but to ask. “That pink boy, Park Jihoon, he’s not playing? I thought he’s also a 1st year student like me, but then I see him sat there behind you..”

“Him? No, he’s not playing,” Jimin answered. “But he is my brother, and he always accompanies us whenever he has free time.”

“Yeah.. he’s like our personal cheerleader.” Jungkook added.

“Ahh.. I see…” Guanlin nodded.

So.. If I play basketball here, with this team, it means I will meet you a lot, won’t I, Park Jihoon? What a luck!!

Guanlin drew a wide satisfied smile on his face.

Jimin squinted his eyes.

A sound of whistle was blown indicating that Coach Seo would start the next 3-on-3 match. Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung started their warm up in the corner of the field but they kept their eyes to the matches. They still had to evaluate the participants who joined the recruitment. But they would prepare their best not to embarrass themselves in front of Lai Guanlin. The delicate boy might have secret sets of skills under his belt.

The time had come for their match. The crowd was already excited since the previous match was participated by Namjoon, Hoseok, and Seokjin. Since there were 15 teams, excluding Lai Guanlin, one team needed an opponent, which was none other than Bangtan team themselves.

Bangtan team won by 16-12. No doubt.

And now when the last match consisted of top three MVPs from the team, the crowd went wild.

The rule was simple. The team who reached 15 points first would win. Three-points were allowed. The game was elevated to another level from the previous matches as the JiKook couple truly lived up to their reputation. But speaking of another level, Lai Guanlin, was indeed, someone from whole another league, even from Bangtan’s captain and his best warriors.

Taehyung was a bit intrigued. He truly wanted to prove himself that he could break the defense of their two best players. And Guanlin helped him a lot for that. Yet Taehyung did not want to embarrass his captain. But this should be a fair play. Otherwise, what’s the point for all this tests anyway? They need someone to replace Min Suga’s almighty role in the team. And now they found one. They got nothing to lose.

Yet Jimin and Jungkook wouldn’t surrender just like that. They became the best players not for nothing. Their teamwork was absolutely the best. Their passings were accurate as if they did not need to see where the ball was going. But Guanlin being Guanlin, he could steal the ball and passed-without-looking to Taehyung too.

Taehyung himself was surprised because he could make a good teamwork with Guanlin whom he had just met today, not to add the fact that his lover Jihoon showed some interest for the new guy just moments ago, which undoubtedly, made him felt a little –just a little- jealousy. But Guanlin was such a good player that he got nothing to complain about. He’s good at shooting from short range, and when he couldn’t break JiKook’s defense, he was excellent in shooting three-points.

In a blink of an eye, the game ended with 15-11 victory for TaeLin after the tall foreigner boy gracefully threw a three-point-shoot one step away from the arc.

“Awesome!!” Yoongi acknowledged Guanlin’s skill by clapping enthusiastically from his seat. The whole stadium turned into an uproar.

“Who the hell is that boy?”

“Never heard of him!”

“He’s a foreigner. I guess I saw him on one of my classes. His tall and skinny physique couldn’t be unnoticed.”

“He beat our captain Chimmy and the almighty Jungkook duo! Unbelievable!”

“But he played with Taehyung...”

“Nah.. You see Kim Taehyung only scored one two-points shoot.”

“But he gave him good assists, as expected from the main skill of uri V..”

Lots of pros and cons were heard around the stadium. Jimin and Jungkook couldn’t believe that they were defeated by a boy who was even younger than his little brother. But they quickly accepted the fact and acknowledged Guanlin’s skill.

“You’re an incredible player, Lai Guanlin,” Jimin offered a handshake.

“You’re wonderful too, sunbaenim...” he answered politely.

The tall boy lowered his head shyly as he heard some of the spectators started to shout his name.

“Lai Guanlin... Lai Guanlin... Lai Guanlin...”

Guanlin couldn’t help himself but to steal a glance to a certain direction.

Jimin’s sharp eyes followed where his look was going.

Park Jihoon, the only boy that mattered for Guanlin, was currently clapping his hand like a seal, with all his attention locked at the center court.

He kept looking this way since we started our match. Whom is he cheering on? Whom is he clapping for? I wish it was me.. But... I was playing against his brother... perhaps...

But he couldn’t be that happy if his brother is defeated, right?

So...??

Damn, why does he look so cute in that pink sweater??

Even from a far I can see his beautiful eyes...

Guanlin unknowingly raised the tips of his lips to form a smile.

Clueless Jungkook casually raised his arm to hug Guanlin’s shoulder in a friendly manner and dragged him to meet the rest of the team. Without a doubt, Guanlin would be one of the new members of Bangtan.

Jimin did not take his eyes off of Guanlin. Taehyung saw this, and soon he understood what was going on.

The tall skinny boy walked straight to Jihoon, and stopped in front of him.

“Hi.. we meet again..” Guanlin greeted.

“Yeah...” Jihoon did not put off his smile. Seconds ago he was staring at his lover, but now his attention was directed to his new acquaintance. “You’re awesome!”

“Thanks..” the younger boy blushed. “May I ask you something?” he could not hold what was on his priority at the moment.

“What?” Jihoon blinked his eyes.

“Do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend?” he shot to the point.

“Ye...??” the cute boy was startled, and so were the other boys around him.

“I’m asking if you are taken or not..” Guanlin repeated.

“Well.. I... I...” Jihoon gulped. “No...” he secretly clenched his fists. “Don’t have one..”

Jihoon tried his best not to look at Taehyung who was surely glaring daggers at him. But Jimin was right there in front of them. He couldn’t make his brother suspect anything at all. Absolutely!

Guanlin smiled in satisfaction but Jimin interrupted him before he could say anything more.

“Are you interested in my brother?” he asked, with dead-serious tone.

“Yes,” Guanlin answered blatantly.

Jimin inhaled deeply as he’s trying his best not to sound rude. “Do you know that I have a policy here, that none of my team members are allowed to date my little brother?” he found that there’s no need for subtlety with the straight-forward boy.

“Ahh...” Guanlin was surprised a little, but then nodded slowly. “I see...”

He looked at Jihoon again, who was still surprised with the blunt confession, and then he faced the captain again.

“I’m canceling my application to join the basketball team then,” he stated calmly, earning him some dumbfounded look from the whole Bangtan members. All pairs of eyes seemed to be popped out from where they belong.

“You WHAT?!” Jimin could not believe his own ears.

“I choose to chase Park Jihoon over my hoby,” Guanlin confirmed.

“MWO??!”

All Bangtan members were dumbstruck as if they were electrocuted by lightning.

No one has ever dared to openly confessing to Jihoon in front of Jimin.

NO.ONE.

The crowd was murmuring because they felt the sudden mood change from the basketball team. They were dying to find out what was happening. But no one dared to come closer because they saw the terrifying expression from the infamous hound-Chimmy.

Jimin was dying inside, trying his best to control his emotion. He remembered his discussion with Taehyung not so many nights ago, that he could not keep building invisible barrier around his baby brother. That way his brother would end up forever alone. And even by imagination, he knew that it's not a right thing. Therefore, somehow, he put his thumbs up for Guanlin’s bravery to confess his interest of Jihoon right in front of his nose.

“Lai Guanlin, are you serious with what you said?” Jimin asked again.

“Yes,” the tall boy answered without any doubt hinted. “I like your brother since the first time I met him. If given a chance, I would like to try to win his heart…”

Shamelessly, Guanlin was gently gazing into Jihoon whose cheeks now were as red as ripe tomatoes. This was not the first confession he ever heard. But this was the first confession he ever heard in front of public, more specifically, in front of his protective older brother.

“Then, suit yourself, boy,” Jimin notified. “You are not getting any spot in this team.”

The statements earned some protests from the boys around them.

“Jimin-a, are you mad?” Yoongi spoke first. “You really will let this talented player slipped out of your hands? He’s even better than me!”

“Yes, Jimin-a. We’re not even know if Jihoon likes him back..” Namjoon added.

“No, it’s okay, sunbaenimdeul,” rather than Jimin, it was Guanlin who responded. “I was a captain myself, and I truly understand about him having no-dating policy.”

“You are going to waste your talent, Lai Guanlin,” Hoseok tried to persuade him.

“It’s okay. I’m not planning to spend my life playing basketball anyway. That’s one of the reason I left my home country.”

The team fell into commotion as they were regretting Guanlin’s decision to cancel his application. Some were still trying to persuade him. But as much as he looked delicate with his honesty and innocence, the boy’s decision was final and could not be undone.

“Jihoon-a..” Hoseok came to the boy in bet. “Do you even like him?” the clown of the team was clearly upset.

“I…I… don’t know.. hyung…”

Jihoon was heartily confused. No. He was in panic. Deep in his heart, he wanted to shout something like ‘No! I am not single! I’m belonged to Taehyungie-hyung!’ but in full conscience he warned himself not to do that. Stating that he already dated a team member would just adding fuel to the flames. In his anxiety, he started goggling to random persons around him. He found Taehyung was staring at him with indescribable look.

Jihoon’s face was trying to say ‘I am sorry’, but he was not sure if Taehyung got his message.

On the other hand, Guanlin started to realize that his actions that day had made the team condition turned like feeding time in the zoo. He felt bad. This was what they got if they mixed up professionalism with romantic relationship.

“Sunbaenimdeul, I am truly sorry for making such a trouble,” he stated. “It is indeed better for me not to join your team. I hope you can understand it. And also, Park Jihoon-ssi, I know you must be surprised with all of this. But please believe me that I am not fooling around. Everything I said is true, that I like you since that day we met. I am not yet expecting anything from you, but at least, please don’t push me away. Please give me a chance.. give us a chance, to know each other better,” he stared at the cute boy, trying hard not to sound hopeless. “What do you think?”

Jihoon scratched his head which actually was not itchy at all. “I… I… I don’t know… what to say…”

Guanlin smiled weakly. He wondered how Jihoon looked so cute when he was startled like that. “Well,, that’s fine for me, for now…”

The tall boy lowered his head shyly after fully realizing how foolish and embarrassing he sounded just now.

He gave one final polite bow to the rest of the team before he stepped out and left. Leaving all the audiences in the stadium confused because he walked away just like that.

“Somehow I feel he acts like a gentleman, Jihoon-a…” Woojin spoke slowly to his bestfriend. “Everything he said seems honest and sincere…”

Jihoon turned his head and stare in bewilderment because more than anyone, Woojin should have known his condition better.

Woojin quickly looked away as his bestie started to feel intimidating. “I’m just saying…” he was still able to casually remark while shrugging his shoulders.

“Thanks, Woojin-a… You’re not helping…” Jihoon was clearly upset, especially when Bangtan team members started to after Guanlin left.

He hurriedly grabbed his bag and left the crime scene before he lost all his patience and composure.

*******

Jihoon spend his weekend mostly in his boxing club, drowning his body and mind with sweat and excessive physically draining activities.

What should I do… What should I do… What should I do…???

He kept asking himself that one question.

He had not had the confidence to face his boyfriend whom he thought that he must be disappointed in him because he was just declaring loudly to the world that he belonged to no one.

Taehyungie-hyung must be mad at me… But what can I do…??? We did not even have any time for our own since yesterday so we could not talk it out. Jimin-hyung is keeping him busy.

Texting was not an option because he just did not feel it right to talk about such a serious matter over texts.

He tried to drain his own energy with excessive exercises as if he was training to be a pro boxer, so he wouldn't have any energy left to remember his problem.

But no matter how much push-ups and sit-ups, no matter how hard he punched and kicked as if he wanted to destroy the punching bag, he could not make his head stop thinking about the problem he was facing.

"Woojin-a.. Spar with me..." finally he asked his bestfriend.

"Now?"

"Yeah... And give me everything you've got. I know you've been restraining yourself when you were sparring with me. Fight me with full power this time."

"You sure?"

Woojin asked him with worried look. He knew that his friend was not really on his right mind. They always knew that Woojin was the stronger one between them. He was not sure if his friend could take it. But if the shorter was asking for a good beat up to clear his mind, he would gladly give it.

As expected, Jihoon was having hard times retrieving and returning those powerful punches from Woojin. But he's been training a lot lately, and he wouldn't surrender easily into his friend's power.

"Your stamina and endurance are increasing, Jihoon-a. You must have been practicing on your own.." Woojin guessed in between their short break.

"Yeah..."

"Are you trying to beat someone or something?

"Uh-huh..."

"Your brother?"

He did not respond.

"You know you are actually stronger than him..."

Woojin knew it best that despite all the looks of muscular Jimin and fluffy Jihoon, the younger boy was actually stonger, although there were no muscles apparent in the cutie Jeojang kid’s body.

"But it's not enough," Jihoon answered before gulping down a bottle of water. "Done with the talk.. Let's continue..."

Jihoon was too busy tiring himself by sparring with Woojin until he did not notice that Taehyung actually followed them into the boxing gym.

Woojin noticed the older's arrival, so he halted their activity. “I guess I will take another break…” he took off his gloves and protective gears, and in no second, he disappeared into thin air.

Okay.. No.. Locker room, actually.

Jihoon turned his body and he understood what Woojin meant.

He knew he could not keep hiding and avoiding Taehyung. They need to talk sooner or later. So he chose not to do anything worse. He took off his protective gears and climbed down the boxing ring.

“Hyung.. I’m sorry…” he apologized first.

But beyond his imagination, Taehyung gave him a soft smile. “No.. You don’t need to. I understand what you did.”

“But…”

“Just promise me one thing, my dear…” he cut him, gently reaching for his lover’s hand.

“What is it?”

“Your heart is still mine, isn’t it?”

“Of course, hyung. You’re the only one in my heart. I have no interest at all for any others, not even that Lai Guanlin…”

“Then, that will be enough…” Taehyung smiled genuinely.

“I will tell that Lai Guanlin, if he ever comes to me again, that I have someone I like, and that I cannot return his feelings…” Jihoon still tried his best to ensure his boyfriend.

“I know, Jihoon-a.. I know…” Taehyung gently pulled him into his embrace. “I just can’t bear myself being in cold war with you…”

“Me too, hyung…” Jihoon rested his body on the taller’s chest. “I miss you, even when you were right in front of my eyes.”

“I miss you too, Jihoon-a…”

*******

Monday had come and Jihoon went to college with full resolution to reject Guanlin, whatever it took. Yet he was relieved that he safely reached his class with no sign of the tall foreigner boy waiting for him anywhere in the college.

But Jihoon should not have not count the chicken before they hatched, because ten minutes after he claimed his seat in his class, someone claimed the seat next to him.

Jihoon raised his head thinking that it might be one of the new friends he made during these early days in college, but his jaw literally dropped to the floor when he saw a tall, skinny figure, with all minimalist yet trendy fashion, was shadowing him, and beamed him with a sweet smile from his handsome face.

Yes, handsome. He looked totally different from days ago when he was wearing casual sport attire. This time, he looked like a model.

“Good morning, Jihoon-hyung,” the model-yet-humble boy greeted.

Jihoon gulped. “La…Lai Guanlin?? Wh.. what are you doing here..??”

“Studying, of course,” Guanlin answered casually as it was an obvious thing.

“But.. this.. is acting class.. and you’re from…”

“I transferred,” he cut it short.

Jihoon widen his eyes. “Transferred?”

“Yeah.. I asked the administration office if I could change course. And it turned out that it could be happen here, where student feel like he could be doing better in other program, they are able to transfer. Especially when this term started just two weeks ago. The classes barely make a start.”

The cute boy was blinking his eyes in disbelief. “And you.. transferred here because…”

“I guess you know the reason,” Guanlin cut him short again.

“But that’s…”

“And that’s not the only reason,” the younger boy intercepted again. “I did contemplate between studying music or acting before I came to Korea. I thought I love music more. But now when I have more reason to study acting and modeling…” he beamed another smile.

“You better be not kidding me, Lai Guanlin…” Jihoon started to collect his senses back.

“I’m not kidding, hyung. I really want to learn about acting, and I want to be closer to you,” he replied truthfully. “Let’s be friends. But since I’m younger, I guess I need to call you ‘hyung’. Right?”

Jihoon was at loss of words to counter the unbelievably stubborn and persistent boy who then happily opened his bag preparing the material for their class that day.

Guanlin found Jihoon was still staring at him in disbelief, but he found him being so cute that he himself replied that Jihoon’s annoyed look with his soon-to-be-famous gummy smile.

*** to be continued ***