“Omo, who’s that?”

“Sehun. THE. Oh. Sehun.”

Jihyo answered with a casual smirk, handing over her grape juice to the newcomer Dahyun.

“Given his height... Must be a member of the basketball team.”

“Correct! And not just a member, he’s one of the best.”

“Is he single?” Dahyun asked, not at all embarrassed about how eager she sounded for her first day at the sports academy.

“Yeah.” Jihyo chuckled. “Single with almost eighty percent of the girls on the academy crushing on him.”

Including Haji. The girl threw her tennis racket aside and took a seat beside her two friends, and started rummaging her backpack for her water bottle.

Not bothering to mention her secret crush of two years for the said guy.

And did he change his hair colour again?

The three girls watched ‘The Oh Sehun’ walk out of the indoor stadium, sporting the navy blue Versace Tee and matching black ripped jeans with white Nike sneakers, his backpack hanging carelessly over one shoulder and his slender fingers raking through his silvery-grey hair.

His hair was orange just six days ago! It’s not good to dye it so often!

“What a waste... He could become a model for Nike.” Dahyun sighed, handing over the juice back to Jihyo. “Wait...unnie, who’s the next one? There, the light brown head!”

A second guy joined Sehun, exiting the building and dragging the later into a conversation they couldn’t hear from the tennis courts. White shirt and washed denims with a leather back pack to match his honey brown hair, he too, was equally good looking as the first one, but his tanned face was more smiling than the poker face of the pale white Oh Sehun’s.

Jihyo threw a smirk Haji’s way. “You’ll need permission if you’re gonna eye him... That’s Kim Jongin. Our Haji’s brother.”

The newcomer gaped at Haji, earning a smile from the girl. “Do you even have any idea about how lucky you are? To have such a handsome brother?”

Haji chuckled, remembering what a fuss her brother makes every morning, pestering her and their mom asking how he can make girl swoon over him. Meanwhile her brother looked over at the tennis court, and noticing the three girls, he raised a hand and gestured his younger sister to come over. Haji stood up from the bench, and jogged over.

“Waah... I already envy her.” Dahyun sighed dreamily.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

Jongin asked, when the girl approached him.

“Not yet oppa, there’s a new comer so we’re gonna hangout with her for a bit longer.”

“Which one? That blue skirt?”

“Geez oppa stop ogling it’s embarrassing! I’ll tell you about her later.”

“You better come home with full details. Okay we’re leaving then.”

Haji got a pat on her head, and Jongin walked away. Sehun started following him, after giving the girl a slight smile with a curt nod. That was enough for her to blush all over, and hiding the rapidly reddening face, she turned around to return to the tennis court.

That’s when he stepped out of the indoor stadium, quite in a rush to follow his two pals and it made them almost bump into each other.

Almost.

“Oh, Mian... Mian, Haji.”

The young lad’s face turned into a deeper shade than Haji’s, and he gave her a short bow without meeting her eyes, a hand running rub the back of his neck awkwardly, before he rushed past her to join his two team mates.

“What was that?”

Dahyun stared at the third guy who joined the first two, her pretty lips curling up in disapproval. “He totally ruined the scenery!”

“Geeky right?” Jihyo asked, watching the said male. “That’s Park Chanyeol.”

The oversized emerald green t shirt he was wearing, made him look more exhausted and haggard after an entire day of practicing, and his beige trousers, plain black trainers and black duffle bag made him completely different from his two stylish pals. Throwing his arms around Sehun’s and Jongin’s shoulders, he walked between them, standing taller than both, with the curls of his unruly black hair being as messy as possible.

“True, he’s such a fashion disaster and a complete geek...” Jihyo stood up as Haji finally joined them again. “But he’s the captain of the basketball team.”

It had been two years.

Two years since Jongin and Haji joined the sports academy, and Jongin started bringing his two friends over to their house.

Two years since Kim Haji fell head over heels for the ever-so-perfect friend of her brother, the flawlessly handsome Oh Sehun.

Two years since Park Chanyeol started having feelings for the girl who never noticed him, and only noticed his friend.

He didn’t mind, he never got noticed in his life anyway.

* * *

“I’m home!”

Haji flopped on the couch as soon as she entered the house, throwing her bag aside.

“Yah, go shower you sweaty little brat!” Jongin stepped out of his room. “Omma always nags me for lying there with dust and sweat on, but it’s you who do that!”

“Aish... As if we sweat galloons like you guys do.” Haji muttered, getting up from the couch. “OMMA! Oppa is yelling at me!”

Just then, Sehun stepped out from Jongin’s room, making the girl horrified.

Aish... me and my goddamn loud voice!

“Ah... I didn’t know you had friends over.” She smiled at Sehun meekly, earning a casual smile in return. “I’ll go find omma then.” She started hurrying towards the kitchen, but stopped midway suddenly remembering something. “By the way Sehun oppa,” she turned back, plastering on the most graceful smile she could come up with. “That colour looks great on you, your new hair colour.”

“Oh does it?” Sehun asked, ruffling his newly dyed hair in satisfaction. “It really does I guess... I got more than a dozen compliments today.”

“Oh.”

So I’m not the first to praise.

She turned around and walked into the kitchen, crest fallen.

“She did? Haji really kicked that bully?”

A loud laughter rang across the kitchen, as soon as she entered. Park Chanyeol helping her mother in the kitchen wasn’t a new sight at all, since he had been the same always, whenever he and Sehun came over.

“She did... She kicked him and retrieved the popsicle that boy had snatched away from Jihyo.” Her mom continued spilling her childhood storied to the guy who was eagerly listening and reacting in the most enthusiastic way. “So what else omonim? Anymore heroine acts during grade school?”

Hearing her dragged footsteps, both the mother and the young man turned towards the door way. “I was telling him your embarrassing stories from school days.” Her mom smiled at the girl. “You won’t mind right?”

“Why would I?” Haji walked up to the table, where Chanyeol was peeling garlic. The guy hurriedly ran a hand through his hair (forgetting the smell of garlic on his fingertips), trying to tame the curls and appear more presentable.

“I wouldn’t mind, since it’s Chanyeol oppa.”

Right. She doesn’t mind me.

She didn’t notice the dejected looking eyes, as he returned to peeling the cloves in front of him on the table.

“Omma what are you making?” the girl asked, walking towards the stove and lifting the lid of the pan on it. “Blue crabs? Woah...”

He knew why her face lit up with a bright smile seeing the certain dish being prepared, and it hurt more than being hit square on the face with a fully pumped basket ball.

It wasn’t because she liked blue crabs.

It was because that’s Sehun’s favourite dish.

“Omonim,” Chanyeol called his friend’s mom again, after the girl had left the kitchen.

“Hmm?”

“Should I change my hair colour?”

“Why would you Chanyeol-ah? Black looks great on you!”

“But will girls like it just as you do?”

* * *

“Team dinner? All of a sudden?”

Haji asked Jihyo, as they finished the daily training session and were packing up to leave.

“Yeah, it’s Tzuyu’s birthday, so the gymnastic team invited us over as well.”

“Why us? I mean I know Tzuyu and Mina are quite friendly with you...but not with the rest of us right?”

Jihyo looked at her friend, a smirk glowing on her plump lips. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“What?”

“The gymnastic girls want the basketball team over. Half the guys there are single. Sehun, your brother, Lucas, Minho, Johnny, Tao... So because they can’t just invite one team, they’re using us as an excuse!”

And like that, Haji was dragged that night into a nearby barbecue place with the rest of the tennis team, to join the gymnastic team and the basketball team.

She feared them so much, the gymnastic girls.

Having the best maintained figures and looks in the academy, and being the most confident about themselves, the members of the gymnastic team never failed to win over a guy that they had their eyes on. This was the thing which scared Haji the most, because even now, Sehun was sitting right across her at the table, with Sana and Jeongyeon sitting on each side of him.

I stand no chance right?

“So... Sehun, how hard do you work out to score that much in every match? I mean the way you shoot is just...so professional!”

Sana asked, showing endless interest in the game the guy was an ace at.

“Professional my foot... Do you even know how many members there are in a basketball team?”

Lucas interrupted, making a several people burst out laughing. The girl puffed her cheeks in disappointment, but Sehun answered anyways. “I just workout until I feel I’ve done enough. It sometimes runs for hours... I don’t realize.”

Did he just say yes to her flirting? Why is he smiling so much?

“You do? Then can I join you?” Sana asked back, totally encouraged by his answer.

“Join for what?”

“Working out of course! I know the gym you frequent at...”

“You do? Sure then, why not?”

Stabbing a large chunk of onion in front of her, Haji shoved it into furiously. “Sehun lives in Hannamdong right? Sana’s from there too.” Jihyo whispered into her ear. “I guess they’re members of the same gym.”

Without replying, Haji stuffed a large lettuce wrap into , too furious to notice the one who had made it carefully and handed over to her.

Great going Chanyeol... You sat the whole evening beside her yet couldn’t start over any conversation at all!

“It’s okay... Having a crush doesn’t always guarantee happiness.”

Haji mumbled to herself, as she walked alone to the bus stop after the dinner had ended. Jongin hadn’t participated to the dinner since he had an appointment at the physiotherapist’s, so she had to head home all by herself.

And the timing was too bad, for the girl noticed Sehun escorting Sana to a taxi and getting into it with her just a few yards away from the bus stop.

“Sehun lives in Hannamdong right? Sana’s from there too.” She recalled Jihyo’s words.

It’s alright...they’re taking the same taxi since they’re from the same neighbourhood...

Oppa does the same...he sometimes takes the same taxi as Nayeon since she lives next door...

Consoling herself didn’t help much, since this wasn’t the first time Sehun was interested in other girls during the two years she had been interested in him.

In fact, knowing how gorgeous Sana was, and having heard her brother’s praises about the girls from the gymnastic team all the time, she couldn’t help but feel lost and hopeless.

And tears started welling up, despite how she hated being weak.

Down casting her eyes, she cornered herself in the shelter of the bus stop, thankful that there weren’t anyone else at the moment except for a few passersby. Since she couldn’t stop the welled up tears from falling down, she decided to stay staring at her sneakers, until the tears would naturally dry down.

And suddenly a shadow fell upon her, covering the girl from the nearby street lights. Haji raised her head to find a familiar figure standing in front of her, with his back turned towards her.

Stuffing his hands in the baggy denim pockets, with a black hoodie large enough to fit two Sehuns inside, it was Chanyeol, waiting for his bus as usual. And she lowered her head again, not bothering to talk to the guy who didn’t even spare her a single glance.

Until two or three busses stopped by and took off again, yet he didn’t get on to one and leave.

She looked up again. “Oppa aren’t you going home?”

He turned his head sideways, and shook it, making the messy raven curls bounce along.

“Why? Did my brother tell you to watch me leaving or anything?”

“Ani... he didn’t, Haji.”

He pursed his lips, making his plump cheeks look even chubbier.

“Just... Don’t mind me. I’ll stand here... You don’t have to worry about anyone seeing you tearing up.”

Had he been covering me all the time?

She stared at him, but he smiled in return, before turning away from her again and taking out his phone. “I’m not in a hurry to go home, so don’t mind me.”

She didn’t reply, but just watched in silence how he stood there for longer than she could keep track of. And he didn’t budge, and kept scrolling through his SNS feed.

For the first time, she realized how tall he was, how broad those shoulders were, and how reliable Chanyeol looked.

As if he was the safest place to hide.

* * *

She ran into him the next Monday, who greeted her with a smile brighter than any smile she had ever seen.

“Morning, Haji.”

A hand rose awkwardly, giving her a short wave before she returned his greeting. And without waiting for any word from her, he walked into the men’s dressing rooms, leaving a puzzled girl at the entrance.

He actually didn’t ask me about the reason I cried.

Weird.

Just before the first match of the annual tournament with their rival academy started that evening, Haji ran back to the dressing room to meet her brother. Jongin stepped out, ready to leave for the match.

“You can’t come home without winning okay? I’m gonna kick you out!”

“Aish...stop glaring you brat.” Jongin chuckled, ruffling her hair. “We have Yeol and Sehun, so what’s there to worry?”

“But you have to perform more oppa!” Haji complained, almost stomping. “I heard the coach yelling and cussing at you a several days now!”

“Fine fine... I will. Now leave. Wait for us in the pavilion.”

He returned inside, carelessly opening the door wide enough to show the passageway inside which lead to separate changing rooms.

And there in the passage, stood her crush, literally pressed against the wall by Chaeyoung, one of the best golfers in the academy. The girl was clinging onto his jersey, as if begging him for something she didn’t hear about. “Fine... Okay...” Sehun chuckled, catching her hands in his and parting the clingy girl from himself. “I will... Promise.”

“Yah... what’s a girl doing in the men’s changing rooms?”

Haji jumped hearing Minho’s loud voice from behind, and he walked past her into the passage where an uneasy looking Sehun stood with a blushing golfer girl. “Shoo! Go away kiddo!” Minho made his way to them, making Chaeyoung hurriedly leave the place. He banged the door behind her, giving Sehun a slight glance of Haji before the door closed. And Haji didn’t hear Sehun’s panicked voiced questioning Minho.

“Hyung how long did Kim Haji stand there? Did she see Chaeyoung by any chance?”

Haji turned away to leave the place as soon as possible, but she bumped face-first into a jersey-clad chest.

With the familiar number Sixty One on it.

She looked up to meet his gaze, which she thought would be full of pity for her, but instead, his eyes were blank, strangely emotionless and totally unlike the usual Park Chanyeol.

“You’re tearing up again.”

An octave lower, his whispering voice was way deeper than when it sounded when he was laughing with mom.

“Son– Son Chaeyoung...she has nothing to do with Sehun.” He muttered.

Why is he defending Sehun? Does he know my crush by any chance?

“You don’t have to worry... Sehun is just too friendly with everyone. He’s not flirting.”

And awkward hand reached out to pat her shoulder.

“Don’t cry now. I can’t hangout longer because the match will be starting.”

And he walked away, his chest brushing past her shoulder, leaving a totally puzzled Kim Haji frozen to her spot.

Does he know?

And was he this much caring always?

Above all, why does he feel so warm?

I’m not getting any funny ideas am I?

* * *

It was the day of the second match of the tournament, and Haji’s mom opened the door that night to three six footers who stood at their doorstep, leaning on one another, hardly standing straight and totally wasted on alcohol.

“OMMA!!! We lost omma...” Jongin started bawling, leaning forward to cling onto his mother. “Those jerks have their defence planned like hell omma...WE LOST ABHUJI...!!!”

“Goodness these kids...” his mother sighed, dragging her own son into the living room, to be followed by his two friends. “We know you lost Jongin. Your sister told us.” His father sighed from the couch, stifling a smile at his son’s twisted face. “Just look at you! You three look like you all got cheated and dumped by the same woman. What’s this? It’s just a match.”

“It’s NOT JUST A MATCH Abhuji... It was a problem about our pride...! Aigo ommaaaa.....”

Hearing her brother’s bawling, Haji hurried out of her room, only to be greeted by a drunken Sehun on his way to the living room couch.

“We lost Haji-yah...” he halted, pouting at her. Sad Sehun was even rarer than the rarely smiled Sehun, and it actually broke her heart. “We lost to those hoodlums Haji-yah...”

“It’s alright oppa, now go take a seat.” Haji patted his arm, leading him to the couch where her brother was already sprawled on. “Wait I’ll bring you some water.”

She turned to face the third drunken one who had walked behind Sehun, and stopped in front of her in silence.

Chubby cheeks reddened with the effects of alcohol.

The stubborn curls dishevelled than ever.

Silently staring at her as if waiting to hear some comforting words.

And she walked past him.

* * *

It didn’t take long for the three guys to fall asleep on the living room floor, as Jongin’s room was too small for all three of them to fit in. wrapped in the blankets Jongin’s mother had provided, the three lads drifted off to sleep, grumbling about the defeated game and swearing at the opponent team.

The fall nights were getting chillier than ever, making Haji wonder whether the given bedding was enough for the three in the living room to sleep comfortably.

Sehun had been sniffing all evening, as if he was catching a cold.

Making sure her parents were in their room with the door locked and lights turned off, she stepped out of her room, taking a blanket bundled in her arms.

The single wall lamp lit in the living room was enough to flood the room with a really dim yellow light, and using that light, she stepped over the long spread limbs of Chanyeol and Jongin carefully, and reached Sehun who was curled up against Jongin’s side. And she was about to cover him with the second blanket when–

“If I get my hands on that Wu Yifan outside the court... I’ll make sure his...”

Her brother grumbled, raising a clenched fist in sleep. “Sehun-ah that Wu dude can’t be human right?”

Dropping the blanket on the floor at Sehun’s feet, Haji ran to hide behind the nearest window curtain since Jongin sat up muttering curses. Mentally thanking her mom for choosing the heavy coffee brown material for the curtains, she stood behind them, listening to her brother’s grumbling and waiting for him to fall asleep again.

Seriously Kim Jongin... Get some sleep for heaven’s sake!!!

“Yah Park Chanyeol,”

“Hmm...?”

“You aren’t asleep right?”

“Hmm...”

“I need to go for round two... Let’s head out for some beer Yeol.”

What beer just go to sleep you NINI BEAR!

“What beer just go back to sleep. you threw up twice you punk!” She heard Chanyeol push aside his blankets and get up.

Seriously the guy I have for a brother...

“You traitor are you going to have beer without me?”

“Beer my foot... I’m going to the bathroom Jongin...”

She heard Jongin drop back on his pillow with a groan, and she waited until she heard Chanyeol’s unsteady footsteps die away towards the bathroom, so that she can step out of her hiding place and return to her room.

Just then, scaring the life out of Haji, the curtain parted from the window at her left.

And Chanyeol was standing there, leaning on the wall with one arm, staring at he