Seungho jogged to the steps and was again disappointed that she’s not there. He walked to the bench where she normally hangs out with her friends and saw Sohyun chatting with Myungsoo and Yoojung. He was about to turn towards the locker room when his name was called.

“Yes!” He turned to glare at Sejong but from the corner of his eyes, he saw Sohyun raising her eyebrows. He quickly adjusted his face to a more pleasant one.  Seungho has lost a bet with Sohyun and has agreed to be more pleasant towards the cheerleaders for at least a month. If there wasn’t any confession, then he would stop being cold.

“Yes Sejong,” He asked nicely.  He had to control himself as he heard giggles among the girls. On Monday when he first dropped his cold act during briefing, the girls were too shock to know what hit them. There was confusion as everyone started to adjust to the friendlier Captain. The soccer players were happy because they can comfortably hang out with the cheerleaders. Everyone are apparently enjoying the change in their Captain.

“Would it be possible that a few of us don’t come back together with the group when we travel to the opponent homegrown this weekend? We want to stay on for one more day.  We will arrange our own transportation back,” she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes. Seungho smiles and patiently explained that it’s against school policy.

He turned around and walked briskly away. There was a beep on his phone.

To The Shoulder

You did well. 👍🏻

To The Crybaby

Save me please.  One week instead of one month.

To The Shoulder

Be a man.  Stick to your agreement

To The Crybaby

😭😭😭

To The Crybaby

Why weren’t you at the steps for the past 3 days?

To The Shoulder

I’m feeling good. No need for me time

To The Crybaby

Thot I told you to go there even when you are ok.

To The Shoulder

I remembered saying its weird but if you want me to go over, you supposed to let me know. You didn’t

To The Crybaby

Dinner tonight together after training. Not with the rest of the team

After some persuasion, Sohyun agreed to meet at a chicken place.

During the debriefing after training, Seungho went through the logistic for the trip to the opposition ground. Sejong raised her hands again, she tried to persuade Seungho again, “Captain, is it really not possible to stay additional night? We get our parents to write in to the school with permission and absolved the school of responsibility.” Sohyun could tell that Seungho was exasperated, but sportingly he gave Sejong a warm smile. “I’m so sorry Sejong, not this time.”

Suzy looked at Seungho as if he had grown horns on his head whereas Hwagun and Ailee at the back were squealling. “He is so handsome. Why did he hide that beauty behind the cold mask. What a gorgeous smile, I’m dead,” Hwagun gushed, loud enough for people around her to hear and there were chuckles. Sohyun was trying to keep a straight face as she realized that it was loud enough even for Seungho to hear, and he looked as if he was in pain.

Debrief was over and everyone was about to move off when Minseok called out to Seungho. “Cap, are you joining us for dinner?” Seungho shook his head. “Cap, we want to discuss about the game. Could you come, please?” Seungho immediately glanced at Sohyun who lightly shrug. “Ah ok. Will it take long?” he asked reluctantly. Minseok assured him they won’t take too long but they had several concerns and wanted to discuss.

To The Crybaby

I guess I can’t make it to our dinner. You joining the team’s dinner, right? Maybe we go somewhere after

To The Shoulder

I’ve told the girls I’m not going. It looks funny to go now. And after dinner would be too late. I need to pack and sleep early since we do have to meet in school at 6am, right Cap?

Seungho sighed in exasperation.

Although the two team skills were evenly matched, they won the game that weekend. The team went out to a nearby restaurant to celebrate and some of the guys wanted to go drinking after dinner. Half of the group went and the other half opted to go back to the hotel. Seungho reminded them about the curfew at 11, but relented for those going drinking to come back by midnight.

To The Crybaby

Meet at the pool @11.30

To The Shoulder

Cap, you asking me to beat the curfew? 😱

To The Crybaby

Don’t act innocent, you are a regular curfew breaker

Sohyun found a quiet corner near the pool, hidden by the shrubs. She sat down and moments later, Seungho appeared.

“You looked happier these few days. Is it a mask or you are indeed ok?” Seungho asked. “Oppa on overseas trip,” Sohyun replied. Seungho looked at her quizzically. Sohyun smiled as she realized he didn’t know the background, and hence her response didn’t explain anything.

She pulled her knees up, wrapped her arms around it and lay her head facing Seungho. “Are you cold?” Seungho was about to remove his jacket but Sohyun stopped him. “No, I’m warm and cozy,” she smiled at him. Seungho gazed at her, her face bare of makeup was still startlingly beautiful. She looked calm and contented.

For no reason, Seungho reached out and brushed aside a stray hair on her face. Sohyun closed her eyes at the gesture and when she opened her eyes, there was a flash of confusion in her eyes, before it calmed down. “There is a reprieve at the moment, so I’m ok,” she explained. After her last unexpected outburst, there was calm at home. There were no quarrels at meal times for the couple of days before her brother left for business travel.

“When you laugh with your friends, are you truly happy or are you pretending to be?” Seungho asked. Sohyun bit her lips and thought about it for a moment. “I’m not bipolar. I do enjoy my time with my friends. But over the years, I have built compartments in my life. There is an inner circle that I don’t let others in. That’s where I am most vulnerable, where my sadness and hurt resides. Outside that circle, is my life outside my family, with my friends. And these two lives don’t mix. When I am in my inner circle, I may need to cry out or just have private time to rationalize things so that I can go to the outside circle and truly enjoy being with my friends.”

Seungho saw the sad smile on her face and realized that without her saying it directly, its her family that gives her a hard time.

She turned her head and faced forward. “I’ve also realized a possible reason why I haven’t dated anyone. I don’t allow anyone to come into my inner circle because I am afraid for them to come into the inner circle and found out the truth. Before anyone can get close to me, I have already rebuffed them. I’m destined for a loveless life,” she sighed.

“The right guy will find a way to break into your inner circle,” Seungho said quietly. Sohyun turned and saw he was staring at her. She held his gaze as her heart thumped heavily.

They turned their heads towards the main pool as soon as they heard voices. They saw their teammates that went drinking walking towards the pool near them. Seungho quickly scooted nearer to Sohyun and pulled her into his arms, hiding her from others. They listened to the guys joking and goofing around and Seungho almost cursed under his breath when he saw one of the guys almost fell into the pool in his semi drunkenness.

Tilting her head up, Sohyun whispered, “Don’t you think its worse if someone saw us together for you to be holding me like this?” Seungho lowered his head to look at her. Her body was enveloped in his arms and her face was an inch away. They stared at each other, tension was thick and Seungho’s eyes flickered to her lips before gazing back at her. He turned when he heard more noise coming from the pool and breathed a sigh of relief to find their friends leaving the pool, presumably to go to bed. Seungho released his hold on her and moved slightly away.

Sohyun was feeling breathless. Her heart was beating quickly and she felt extra warm around her neck. “I should go. Let me leave first, please,” she quickly said as her face was getting redder. Before Seungho could respond, she had stood up and walked away. He stared after her before turning back. He leaned against his arm as his face the sky. Seungho closed his eyes, remembering how she felt in his arms and then shook his head to clear the cobwebs in his mind.

Sohyun could not sleep that night. Her mind kept going back to earlier when she was with Seungho. She remembered how flustered she felt when Seungho brushed her hair away. His fingers had lightly grazed her skin and it sent tingle to her body. When he held her in hi