Hitomi let out a sigh as she changed out of her cheerleading clothes into fresh and clean spare of clothes.

Practice today was as harsh as before. Not that she could blame it after their practice were pretty much slacking behind, despite all of them tried their best to perfect their cheerleading routine. Not to mention that a cheerleading competition would take place next week. She could tell everyone was nervous and worried but regardless, they did their best to do better than before.

"Next week huh?" Hitomi mumbled to herself. She closed her locker and left the empty changing room.

Everyone had gone back home as it was getting late. Hitomi quickly made her way out of the school ground and heads back to the apartment where she lived. The distance between her school and the apartment took about 8 minutes walk which doesn't take a lot of time.

As she walked down the sidewalk, Hitomi's mind wandered off as she thought of the practice earlier.

If she had to be honest, she was worried. Despite their coach telling them that they were doing great, Hitomi was not satisfied nor relieved. She knew that their cheerleading routine was a bit of rushed and messy. She wanted to suggest and change certain parts in the routine but since she's just a transfer student, she didn't feel like she had the right to do whatever she wants to.

Unconsciously, she let out a sigh and shook her head slightly. There was no point in regretting it now, especially when they only have one week left before the competition. All she can do was to help and carry the group through the competition and hopefully, they'll win at least within the top 3.

Hitomi's mind suddenly snapped back to reality when she heard the sound of children laughing and screaming in delight. She looked up and saw a kindergarten just a few feet away.

She could see several children running around at the front yard with their bags behind their backs. Some were excitedly playing tag and chasing each other while some just peered from the gates to see if their parents have come to take them back home.

Among the noise, Hitomi could make out another voice booming among the kids in annoyance.

"Ahrin, Solji! Stop running around at the swings, you're going to bump into the other kids playing over there!"

"Seomi! Why aren't you packing your books yet!? Your father is coming over soon!"

"Aishhh, kids! Stop circling around me! I can't walk around like this!"

Hitomi giggled at the sight of a single, young man trying to control the kids gathering at the front yard. The sight itself was amusing enough to look even when she knew it was something that the young man was too tired to deal at the moment.

"Ahh! It's the kind unnie the other day!" one of the kids yelled. Hitomi looked over at the one yelling and it was one of the kids playing tag earlier, pointing their finger at her.

"Tomi unnie!!" The kids excitedly gathered near the fence where Hitomi was standing beside.

"Hello everyone~" Hitomi greeted and shook their hands through the fence.

"Noona! Play with us, play with us!" Solji yelled excitedly, bouncing up and down from his spot.

"Yeah, let's play tag!" Ahrin nodded her head in agreement.

"Hey, no fair! You guys played tag with noona the other day!"

"Unnie, can you tell us another story, please? Just like the other day?"

Hitomi was bombarded with many requests from the children as it grew to become huge ruckus. If she had to be very honest, sometimes the children's energy was quite overwhelming. She found it amazing how energetic they were even after spending their time playing throughout the time they were in the kindergarten.

"Yahh, kids! Don't bother Hitomi with your antics!" the same young man earlier called out the children gathering at the fence and walked over to them.

"Ahh! Teacher Seungkwan is going to capture us! Run!!" Solji screamed and the children quickly dispersed from the spot and ran away from the approaching man. Letting out an exasperated sigh, the young man glanced over at Hitomi.

"Kids, I swear. Sorry about that..." Seungkwan, the young man earlier gave Hitomi an apologetic smile. The young girl, however, shook her head with a smile.

"It's fine, Seungkwan-sshi. I can see that you were struggling with the children too," she said as she looked over at the children who were invested in playing tag once more. "Do you need help?"

Seungkwan looked at the young girl with wide eyes as she offered her help.

"Oh, I can't bother you with my work. You just got back from cheerleading practice right?" he asked with a slightly worried tone.

"Don't worry, I'm fine! Besides, you looked like you need some help with the children," Hitomi said. And as if on cue, one of the children suddenly started crying very loud.

"Teacher!! Solji made Juna cry!!" Ahrin yelled from afar. 

"No, I didn't!"

Seungkwan took a deep breath before letting it out slowly before looking at Hitomi who just shrugged her shoulders.

"You have a point. I do need some help right now..."

It was only after both Hitomi and Seungkwan had sent off the last children back to their parent, could the young man breathe a sigh of relieve.

"FINALLY~" Seungkwan dramatically wiped off an invisible sweat off of his forehead, causing the young girl beside him to laugh at him. 

"Thanks for the help, Hitomi. I don't know how I'll manage if you didn't show up," he said, giving her a genuine and grateful smile.

"No, it's fine. Luckily, I was passing by too," Hitomi gave him a smile in return.

"Let's go home then?" he asked and the young girl nodded her head. 

Once Seungkwan made sure to properly closed the kindergarten gate, both he and Hitomi made their way towards the apartment. Since Seungkwan also lived in the same apartment as her, it doesn't come as a surprise why Hitomi would agree with walking back home together.

"So, how was practice?" Seungkwan asked, breaking the silence between them. Hitomi wasn't sure why he asked but she thought he was being considerate, as usual. Besides, Seungkwan knew of her involvement in cheerleading because he once saw her practicing her routine at the rooftop of their apartment before.

"So far, everything's fine," she answered after keeping silent for a few seconds. Seungkwan gave her a skeptical look, raising an eyebrow at her which the young girl had noticed.

"ARE YOU SURE~?"

"R-Really, I'm fine!"

"Really now? Because somehow, I can tell something's bothering you right now." Hitomi almost froze on the spot after Seungkwan said so.

"W-What makes you think that way?" she asked and Seungkwan let out a sigh in a dramatic way.

"Hitomi-chan, I'm a teacher. Sensing someone's feelings and energy is one of a teacher's perks. So, I can easily tell if someone is feeling troubled or not," Seungkwan proudly explained. Meanwhile, Hitomi looked over at him with a guilty look on her face.

"I appreciate your consideration. But I don't want to trouble you with my problems..." she said, hanging her head low as she stared at the ground.

"So you DO have a problem. Okay then, let's hear it," Seungkwan insisted and waited for her to start her story. 

Hitomi was a little bit surprised why he even bothered in the first place but knowing how stubborn Seungkwan can be sometimes, she decided to just tell the young man what was running around inside her head.

She told him her concern about the practice, almost everything. The upcoming competition, the rushed routine and even her insecurity of giving an opinion and suggestion. All the while, Seungkwan listened to her concerns attentively.

"Hmm, I can see why you're bothered by all those," Seungkwan said, nodding his head in an understanding manner. Hitomi nodded along weakly as she continues to stare at the ground of the sidewalk.

"Hitomi-chan, remember what you told me about your cheerleading group back in Japan?" Seungkwan suddenly asked. The young girl looked at him with a confused look.

"Uh, yes?" she said and the young man beside her nodded his head.

"Mhm. And did you remember how you told me your group started off back then?"

Hitomi wasn't sure what was the young man was trying to say but nevertheless, nodded her head. She had told him everything about her cheerleading group. Their teamwork, their achievements, and even their strong bond. Her previous group was perfect, unlike the current one. 

But she realized that to compare between both her previous and current group was unfair.

"I did but..." Hitomi looked at the young man with a questioning look. "What are you trying to say, Seungkwan-sshi?"

"You told me before that you girls started off with a rocky start as well. But back then, you gathered up your courage and helped the group despite knowing that you were just a freshman. You still stood up and helped lead the group. And because of that, your group finally got your first win in the cheerleading competition, isn't that right?"

Hitomi stopped walking as she stared at the young man beside her. She was surprised by the fact that he even remembered the story she told him about her old cheerleading group.

"T-That may be true but...things are different here..." she argued. Seungkwan, on the other hand, just shook his head confidently.

"No, no, no. You think it's different because YOU'RE the one thinking it that way," he said and faced the young girl.

"Just because you think that you're a transfer student - who supposedly considered as a complete outsider, doesn't mean that you're not welcomed and accepted by the students in that school, right?"

Hitomi once again was left speechless while Seungkwan continues to walk straight ahead and casually called out to her if she didn't want to get left behind.

Hitomi quickly caught up to him but walked slightly behind him. She hung her head low as she pondered about what Seungkwan had said. 

She couldn't deny that he was right. In fact, she herself has experienced that situation. Even when she and Nako came to the school on their first day, all the students welcomed them like they were their friends. 

Even her new cheerleading friends too. They accepted her as part of their group without a question. And they even acknowledged her talent in cheerleading as well.

'Maybe, just maybe...' Hitomi thought to herself.

"And we're back home~" Seungkwan cheered, making the young girl beside him looked up from the ground. Just as he said, they have arrived at their apartment - heading straight towards the entrance door and towards the elevator.

Seungkwan pressed the lift button and it immediately opened up for him and Hitomi. Since his room is on the 4th floor, he would be the first one to get off the elevator before the young girl. While the elevator moved, Hitomi continues to ponder what the young man had told her earlier - which Seungkwan took notice.

"Look, Hitomi-chan. Don't push yourself too hard. For now, once you get back to your room, go freshen yourself up, sit down and think it over. Think of the pros and cons of it. THEN, that's when you can make a choice," he gave her advice. Hitomi glanced to look at the young man beside her.

She never understood why Seungkwan would help her a lot despite not being that close to one another. But then again, it's Seungkwan she's talking about. This young man wouldn't hesitate to help a stranger too.

"Well, here's my stop," Seungkwan turned to look at her with a smile. "I'll see you again then."

Just as Seungkwan took several steps away from the elevator, Hitomi decided to call out to him.

"Seungkwan-sshi!"

"Hmm?" the young man turned around and faced the young girl inside the still-opened elevator.

"I'll think about it if I should take action or not. So..." she gave him a big smile. "Thank you for listening to my problems."

Seungkwan broke into a big smile as well. Deep down, he was glad that he managed to bring the young girl back to herself.

"No problem. In case you have any sort of problems and needed help, you can always come and find me." He gave her a thumbs up.

"Uh, sure...?" Hitomi dragged her words with a little bit of uncertainty. 

"Hey, hey, hey. What was that unsure tone I heard just now?" The smile on Seungkwan's face immediately dropped. The young girl hummed in contemplation and that was like a huge slap to his face.

"I'm a VERY dependable teacher, okay, Hitomi-chan?" He argued and Hitomi nodded her head.

"Okay then, I'll consider about it..." and she quickly pressed the closed button.

"You don't trust me!?" he exclaimed as he tried to approach the young girl in the elevator. "Yah, Hitomi-chan-!"

"Bye-bye~!" As she waved her hand at the young man, the door to the elevator closed and soon brought her up to her floor. The young girl's thoughts went back to the moment she met him earlier and the image of him surrounded by children back at the kindergarten suddenly made her giggled. 

"Dependable huh?" she shook her head and smiled to herself.

'But I'll try and follow your advice for now. Then we'll see if you really are dependable as you claimed to be,' she thought and nodded her head with a newfound determination welling up inside her.

And that's the end of this chapter of Hitomi X Seungkwan!

Seriously though, if I didn't know how well matched Seungkwan and Yena are together, this ship wouldn't even be here in the first place. 

But hey, you gotta stick to whatever has been done, right? I'll just finish this one up and THEN, I can focus on changing the ships in the future~

For now, I better get started on the next chapter~!

Until then, see you~!