Love & Basketball

Something Happens In Your Heart
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edited the "camp happiness" chapter bc it was previously written as if seungwan had showed up literally a day after camp started lol. her arrival is supposed to be like a week in, which was clear in "old friends." thank u for putting up with my stupidity sorry if u may have been confused abt that :D

 

An incessant beeping pulled Wendy out of the darkness of sleep and into the light. Everything was pale and beige, consuming her entire view. As her eyes began to focus more, she realized what she was staring at. Beige vagueness sharpened into the bridge of Bae Joohyun’s nose. For a second, she felt the breath coming from Joohyun’s nostrils tickle her own skin. The beeping finally seemed to get through to her, as her eyebrows furrowed and her nose seemed to twitch.

How cute. Like a bunny, Seungwan mused.

She pulled back slightly and looked at her entire face, admiring the woman in front of her. Her lips were soft and pink, despite the way the night had dried them out. The beeping muffled, replaced by her own thunderous heartbeat. A part of Seungwan wanted to reach out and touch her, a primal desire to just feel her, and kiss her.

Seungwan’s thoughts caught up to the rest of her as the beeping became loud once again, and she tried to dispel what she deduced to be mindless drabbles. She pushed the feelings away, knowing that this wasn’t the right time to delve into them.

But if not now, then when? Her guilt argued with her pride, a bloody fight that ended with a resolution to repress and let it sit on the surface. There were more pressing matters at hand.

The beeping was coming from Joohyun’s side, undoubtedly from a phone on top of her nightstand. Carefully, Seungwan tried to reach over her to stop the alarm. Unfortunately, her tiny body could not reach all the way across the left side of the queen-sized bed.

Her body was awkwardly hunched over Joohyun, who still remained sleeping and laying on her side; she tried as hard as possible to avoid touching her. She was determined to stop that damn alarm. Seungwan straightened her body and stretched, one hand gripping the sheets and one outstretched, her abdomen now grazing Joohyun’s arm.

The phone was still out of reach. At that point, it would have been easier to just get up and walk to the nightstand, but she was in too deep. With one final push, she pulled her body even closer to the phone, which in turn pulled Joohyun’s body down until she was on her back.

Joohyun woke with a start due to the sensation of falling. She immediately felt a large pressure on her abdomen and heard the groans of a woman accompanied by a subtle beeping.

“Finally!” the woman said. The beeping stopped, and Joohyun stopped looking at the ceiling, instead looking down to see a body spread across on her own.

In a sleepy haze, she let herself take in all of Seungwan’s appearance. Her body was clothed in a pair of black shorts and an oversized t-shirt, an outfit she remembered taking note of as she climbed into bed last night.

But she didn’t remember the shorts being that short. Her eyes were locked onto the contrast of milky thighs and dark fabric that didn’t even reach halfway down her thigh; the shorts seemed to fit perfectly around a soft and round backside. Even as she found the strength to tear her eyes away, she was distracted by the way the shirt had bunched up at the hem, causing it to ride up and expose Seungwan’s lower back. Again, she forced her eyes away, moving up her body until she made it to the sight of a lion’s mane, tangled with hair sticking up in random directions. Still, she kept moving up, gasping when she made eye contact with Seungwan.

After Seungwan stopped the alarm, she felt the way Irene’s body twitched to life. She had propped herself up, taking one look at the barely awake woman before deciding to just observe her. 

The way her eyes dragged along the curves of Seungwan’s body should’ve made her open in protest or made her get up and cover herself. But what one should do never really matters if it’s not what they want to do.

And what she wanted to do was let herself be admired by Joohyun, to watch the way her breath hitched as she stretched across Joohyun’s body, every muscle taut, all her skin exposed. When their eyes met, there was an equal level of intensity between them, darkening the room even as sunlight began to pour in.

“Seungwan?” She didn’t recognize her own voice, it sounded foreign as it clashed against the sound of her heartbeat in her ears.

“Yeah?” She waited for Joohyun’s response with anticipation, expecting something she couldn’t name.

What did I need to ask? Truthfully, there were no words she needed to say; she had just spoken Seungwan’s name without thinking. Her brain scrambled to come up with a response. 

“What are you doing?” she replied dumbly, wincing at the unintentionally harsh inflection of her words.

Seungwan blushed, fully feeling Joohyun’s body underneath the blanket between them and the way their bodies were positioned in the middle of the bed. “Oh… the alarm… I wanted to turn it off.”

Joohyun sat up, causing Seungwan’s stomach to rest on her lap. Before she could stop herself, she reached out and pulled the back of Seungwan’s shirt down, covering her . The skin was distracting. Her hand was cold against the warm skin, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the woman in her lap.

“What are you doing?” She mirrored Joohyun’s previous statement.

“I… I’m sorry.”

Her hand began to retract, stopped by the immediate raise of Seungwan’s voice.

“No!” She practically demanded her to stop moving. “I wasn’t complaining… just curious,” she said in a smaller voice.

Using the strength of her knees, Seungwan pulled herself up and sat down beside Joohyun, the hand on her back falling limp onto the bed.

A silence fell over them as tension dissipated into awkward avoidance. Their bodies were incredibly close; Joohyun’s hand grazed the side of her thigh, and neither of them said a thing. Both of them struggled to find the right words to say to each other, opting for painful quiet and staring at the ceiling. 

The alarm blared out again, startling both of them yet serving as a source of relief. Seungwan hurriedly got off of the bed, silently thanking herself for accidentally hitting snooze instead of turning it off earlier. Even after turning it off, she tried to look anywhere but at the other woman as she straightened out her clothes.

But Joohyun looked so small and cute; of course Seungwan couldn’t resist looking at her. She had just woken up, the comforter bunched around her lap as she yawned softly. It was evident that Joohyun still wasn’t a morning person.

“Why are you up so early, anyway?” 

Joohyun looked down and smiled fondly. “I normally help out with breakfast.”

“But that’s not even your job, right?” 

“Right. I only get paid as a dance instructor. But I like helping out,” she shrugged, “it gives me something to do, and I like the kids.”

“So are you going today?”

“Are you?” There was a shy hope in her words—hope that Seungwan would hear what she was asking and hope that she would say Yes.

“Ah, I should probably shower.” A sheepish smile took over her face as she brought a hand to the back of her neck. Her hair was lifeless, and her skin was oily; she needed a shower immediately.

Joohyun’s tired shoulders deflated, but she shook it off and returned a smile. “I’ll head out soon, then. I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

As she stood in the shower, she fought the desire to bang her head against the wall. She was almost certain that Joohyun was trying to invite her to help out. She was an idiot.

And her thoughts about kissing her… it was insane, she thought. The way she wanted Joohyun to be looking at her flustered her. Maybe staying away from Joohyun for now would help her clear her crazed thoughts.

She saw the irony in getting frustrated at Joohyun for avoiding her yet doing the same thing, but she understood now. It was too much; it always had been. If Joohyun knew the things she thought every time they were near each other, she was positive she’d run away. She groaned and ran her hands over her face, not knowing what to do. Last night inspired big dreams of being in Joohyun’s life again, but she feared her own stupid thoughts and words would prevent them from being anything besides awkward acquaintances.

As she got out of the shower and went back into the room, she took time to admire the space. The bathroom door was on the same wall as the main door to the room, and in between the two doors was a dresser with a tv on top of it. Across the dresser was a queen sized bed—the left side, Seungwan’s side, was closest to an empty wall with two windows; the right side, Joohyun’s side, had the nightstand beside it. A large, wide window looked over the bed; all the windows in the room were covered with thin, blue curtains that brought out apricot walls.

It was a far cry from the style of her modern New York townhome, but there was a certain charm in the antique furniture and country colors. Still, even a charming room couldn’t deter her away from her constant thoughts.

As always, it was just Joohyun, again and again. But she didn’t want to think about her anymore. But she knew she needed to. Begrudgingly, she pulled out her phone and called Yeri.

Joohyun felt like an idiot. She was positive that her hungry stare as she travelled up Seungwan’s body was what caused the rejection of her invitation. She was a creep in Seungwan’s eyes. How would she get closer to the woman if she kept making her uncomfortable?

She stood dejectedly, passing out food with a weak smile as she scorned the thought of herself.

A slight nudge on her shoulder stole her attention. “Why do you look like that?”

She exhaled and pursed her lips. “Hi, Seulgi. It’s great to see you, too.”

“It’s not even 8 am yet, please don’t be mean.” Seulgi looked around, noticing the absence of a particular person. “Where’s Seungwan?”

She shrugged dismissively, casting her eyes down. “I don’t know. Probably still in the room,” she mumbled.

Curiously, Seulgi pressed further. “Did you guys fight?”

“No.” She glared at her friend. “Why are you asking so many questions?”

Seulgi raised her hands in self-defense. “Geez, sorry! You look like , and I’m concerned.”

“I’m sorry.” I just keep doing all the wrong things today. “I couldn’t really sleep last night,” she lied.

“You know, there are other people around to help out. Let’s go sit and talk?”

It was posed as a question, but she knew it wasn’t a choice. She nodded and let Seulgi guide her outside. As early as it was, she could tell the heat was beginning to settle into the air. They sat on the steps of the dining hall as they listened to the still air and muffled voices.

“So what’s wrong?”

“It’s just… Seungwan. Last night we sat on the pier and just talked, and it felt amazing. But this morning, it was back to weirdness.”

“What made it weird?”

Joohyun blushed at the memory. “She was laying across my stomach, and I…”

“Yes?” Seulgi didn’t bother asking why they were in that position, knowing she would just get a headache. 

“I checked her out,” she mumbled.

The urge to roll her eyes was suppressed heavily. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten you’re an engaged woman,” she teased. Seulgi was only half-joking; she knew she was going to be partially responsible for whatever chaos ensued between Jennie and Joohyun and Seungwan, but a part of her hoped Joohyun’s conscience was more influential than her rampant heart.

“I know, Seulgi. I was barely conscious and just acting on instinct.” She defended herself adamantly, hoping it was even slightly believable. Jennie was far away, her reality, but Seungwan was in front of her, a tangible dream.

Seulgi hummed dismissively, clearly not believing her. “And what did she do after that?”

“She didn’t do anything. But ten minutes later, I asked her to come with me to breakfast, and she said she needed to shower.”

“You two just need to talk to each other.”

“I know. It’s just so difficult. She’s right here, and I can’t seem to say or do the right thing.”

Seulgi paused for a moment and thought. “Both of you are going through the same thing right now. Everything you’re experiencing right now, so is she. You lost someone you cherished just to find her again, but so did she. It’s confusing and strange and bizarre; be patient with her, and hopefully she’ll do the same with you.”

She let the words reach her, fully taking them in. “I wish I could give advice as well as you do,” she said appreciatively.

“You’ve had your moments, and to be fair, when I come to you for advice it’s mostly stupid.”

“‘Joohyun, my hand is stuck in a Pringle’s jar.’ Or ‘my hangover cure just made it worse, please help.’ Or, my favorite: ‘I accidentally planned dates with three different women and they’re all tonight, what do I do?’”

“You’ve asked me stupid things, too!”

“Like what?”

“Shut up.”

Joohyun let out a loud cackle, and Seulgi followed shortly behind, the two women’s shoulders bouncing as they laughed with each other.

Once the laughter died down, Joohyun looked at Seulgi with affection. “I love you, Seul. I don’t know anyone else who would put up with their friend talking about the same woman for over ten years.”

“I love you, too. And it’s ok. You’re lucky you’re cute, though.”

“Speaking of cute, what’s going on between you and Yer—“

“Anyway, I hope you feel a little better now. I’m going to go back to my room and… watch tv.”

My room is the only one with a tv, stupid. Amused, she watched Seulgi rush away from her and towards the green cabin, undoubtedly hurrying to go “watch tv” with Yeri.

But she did feel better. Be patient. Talk to her.

She could do that. After she watched Seulgi enter the cabin, she gained newfound confidence and got up, ready to talk to Seungwan.

She took a deep breath before turning the doorknob, only to be disappointed. Seungwan was nowhere to be found in the room or the bathroom; she got the feeling that she left on purpose, not wanting to run into Joohyun. It would have hurt her feelings, but she did the same thing to her yesterday.

One step forward, two steps back.

The room was empty, but it had been cleaned. The bed was made, and any messes had been tidied.

At least she had manners.

Leaving as quickly as she entered, she began thinking of places where Seungwan would be. But Seulgi’s words of wisdom came back to her.

“Be patient.”

Still, she couldn’t not know. After calling Seulgi and forcing her to give her Yeri’s number, she sent her a request.

“Can you ask your sister where she’s at?” 

Yeri’s phone buzzed as Seungwan ranted to her, causing her to raise an eyebrow. Speak of the devil. She shot back a quick reply and returned to listening.

“Yeri, how am I supposed to feel?”

“What's confusing you?”

“I want…” to kiss her. “I don’t know what I want.”

“I don’t believe you. I have Joohyun’s number right here. You have thirty seconds to say how you feel or else I’m calling her and telling her where you’re at.”

“No!” She panicked and tried to think of a believable lie. Blood rushed to her head as she watched Yeri open her phone app and scroll through her contacts, undoubtedly looking for Joohyun’s name.

“It’s like this rush. When she’s close to me I get so lightheaded I start thinking I want to kiss her. I don’t know what it is, but I’m clearly not thinking straight anymore,” she let the truth spill, rushedly and quietly like a secret.

Satisfied, Yeri placed her phone face down, ignoring the constant stream of texts from a demanding Joohyun. 

“You get a rush of emotions around her. You want to kiss her. You always stare at her—“

“No, I don’t!”

“—and you can’t think straight because of her.” 

“It was always like that with Joohyun. It’s just overwhelming after all this time. I want to be her friend again, but I keep getting distracted by some stupid physical attraction.”

“Seungwan, you really are an idiot.”

“What? She’s a beautiful woman, but she was my best friend. That’s all I want again. I’m pretty sure the way I feel right now is just because I haven’t seen her in so long.”

You talked about her like this thirteen years ago too: “she’s beautiful, but we’re friends. It’s purely physical, it’s not like I’m in love with her or anything.”

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Drink your water, stupid. Now get out of my room before Seulgi comes.”

Seungwan squinted her eyes, but she still obeyed and left. As the door closed, Yeri texted Joohyun back one final time, telling her that her sister would be busy with her niece all day, not knowing whether or not it was true.

Hearing that Seungwan would spend the day with her daughter filled Irene with excitement; she would inevitably get to run into both of them at some point in the day.

“Some point” came later than expected. Every time Joohyun saw Seungwan, or the other way around, the mother would physically run away. It was a tiring routine and by dinner, they were both exhausted.

It was a tense and unenjoyable a

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girlfag #1
Chapter 3: my oblivious angels🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
girlfag #2
Chapter 1: excited to know what significance irene had in both their lives for her to be their child’s namesake. I love how it feels like joy making this choice is her carving space for irene in wendy’s life (that her previous presence maybe didn’t allow for?). also curious if the letters will play a part in the telling of the narrative. loved this prologue!
WenRene_77 #3
idk if im ready to read this fic because of the comments but i'll take my shot💙💝
WluvsBaetokki #4
Chapter 19: Was I shocked to see an update. Thank you for coming back to finish this story.
JeTiHyun
#5
Chapter 19: I am glad you are back with new updated. Thanks!
SEEKER_
#6
Chapter 1: What the heck did i just read and why is it so heart wrenchingly good like now, I'm afraid to read this as i already shed a few tears and it is a bit too early for angst. Maybe i will just read this later
paradoxicalninja
#7
ok ive been reading the comments and im scared to click the next chap button 😭
paradoxicalninja
#8
Chapter 1: only the prologue and my heart is bleeding
kangsconcubine
#9
Chapter 19: I started reading and just couldn't stop until I fell asleep from exhaustion with 4 chapters to go. if you only knew how much i cried reading it i think u would be extremely worried lol i will wait for the end, please come back soon
Justified
#10
Chapter 19: Thank you for coming back. And write this chapter.
I think it makes sense they hurt it take time to heal.
Let's see what happens next.