Support System

She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the Bleachers

The feeling of nervousness seemed like an understatement for what your current emotions held. It was that day. It was finally the day of the robotics competition. Everything you and the team have been working for, just in a couple of hours. 

Not only was the thought of competing in the largest robotics competition in the country such a scary thought, but Chaewon and the cheerleaders were going to be there. Now you have to do well AND impress the love of your life, no biggie. The rest of the team seemed anxious, but Yena seemed to lightened the mood on the bus as she blasted spongebob music on her speakers.

The jellyfish rave song was on, and you see your team going crazy. It somewhat put you at ease that everyone else was trying to calm themselves and have fun before arriving. 

As the bus arrived to the venue, your anxiousness seemed to only grow, as the rest of the team started to unload the equipment from the bus. Oh no, what if you forgot something? What if you forgot the controller?

"Wooseok...we didn't forget anything did we?" You ask the older boy who was currently carrying a heavy box filled with extra batteries, motors, wires, and all the backup materials.

"Minju, we checked 4 times before leaving, I'm sure we're good." He pats, or attempts to pat, your shoulder

You let out a deep breathe and try to calm yourself. You look around the parking lot and see that other teams were starting to arrive as well. Some seemed equally as nervous with their shaken states, while others carried a hyped energy as they cheered their way into the venue. Then of course, there were those students who looked dead and tired as they stepped out of their buses.

Making your way inside the venue, Mr. Kwon checks in with the event staff, while the team sets up the materials in the designated area.

"This place is huge! I didn't know people really took robotics seriously..." Yena exclaims, as she looks in awe at her surroundings. 

She was right. You've never been in a robotics competition that had a venue this big, it seemed like this was quite a competitive year. No pressure whatsoever...

You look around the seating area that seemed to fill up quickly. It was filled of high school students supporting their teams in schools that were heavily STEM based, then there were parents and families attending to support their kids. Some wore heavy attire to support their kids and brought banners to hold up. It was cute, really.

You continue to look around until you find strawberry hair from your favorite person, automatically putting a smile on your face. You leave your team for a minute as they were settling in and walk towards the cheerleader.

"Hey you, nervous?" Chaewon smiles at you, and you take in her special outfit.

She wore your team's shirt, along with a banner that Chaeyeon was holding with your school and team written. You didn't expect for them to go overboard, but you're not complaining. Their support only motivated you even more and now you were even more determined, slightly forgetting the nervousness existed in the first place

"Yeah but you somehow ease my nerves a litte" You give her a smile and give her a kiss on the cheek, feeling a sense of confidence growing in you.

It became completely normal for you to show your affection towards the other girl, as the two of you always cuddled before bed. You remember soothing her to sleep one night when she had an arguement with her parents over the phone, with the cheerleader refusing to go back home with the disappointing attitudes of her parents.

 

"Kim Chaewon! You better come back home now! And stay away from that no good disgusting lesbian."

You watched as Chaewon argued back and forth with her parents on the phone, telling them she won't ever go back with the way they think. The distressed girl had taken her belongings from her home, with her parents constantly scolding her. You remember her coming back with a backpack and a suitcase, tears staining her face. You remember feeling your heart break all over again as she clutched onto your hoodie so tightly.

You don't understand how her parents could hate her uality so much. Your mom always taught you to love whoever you love, why was that so hard for others to understand? Love wasn't hurting anyone. Love wasn't such a bad thing.

You had tried your best to soothe Chaewon to sleep that night, internally cheering as her sobs eventually died down to sniffles. She felt guilty having to stay with you, but you made sure to reassure that having her as a roommate was exciting, and that she had nothing to worry about. 

 

"Kick some nerd Minmin" Chaewon jokes, as you playfully hit her on the shoulder, before turning around and heading back to your team.

You take a final deep breath and suddenly realize your team has abandoned the designated station and went to head over to the other cheerleaders, as well as the few other students who decided to join and support your school. 

You take a look around the venue once more, each station starting to fill up as more teams arrive. They had ambition and determination in their eyes, it reminded you of the fiery passion you had within you. You were gonna do just fine.

Turns out, your team was doing more than just fine. You were currently in second place, only moving up as your robot continued to dominate in every match, sizing up every other school. The bot had no trouble throughout the competition, unlike some other teams who had to forfeit due to some issues they had. You felt bad for them, but at least your team was moving up.

"Nice!" Yena releases a huge breath of relief, her driving skills on the controller allowing you to win the match by a mere 2 points. The competition was getting tougher, but that didn't discourage you or anyone else.

Semi-finals matches were finally over, your team still in second place, the one above you stubbornly glued in their spot by only 5 points. They had made it to the finals match as well, and it seemed they were completely dominating the other teams with their strategy, one you had been trying to analyze each match they played. 

"Min, I think you should take this one." Junho, who had been in control as the driver for the last match, hands you the controller. Your hands start to shake, but you try to compose yourself before finals started.

You got this Kim Minju...just one more team to go. This was the moment you and the rest of the team has been waiting for. The giant first place trophy was shining in all of its glory and staring you down on the stage where awards stood. 

You stand on the blue side of the arena, while the other team placed themselves in the red area. Your team continued to give you praises and encouragement, but your hands were still pretty shaky. You hated this habit of yours, but it always happened when you were under extreme pressure and got nervous. The boy on the other side holding the controller gives you a smirk and a glare, doing his job in intimidating you.

You close your eyes and take a deep breathe before the commentator and referee starts the match. Once you open your eyes, they lead you to a certain cheerleader standing up yelling your name. She held a giant banner along with Chaeyeon, which had the words LET'S GO JAWOON HIGH SCHOOL along with...a cutout with your face on it? You've only seen things like that during football games, so seeing your awkward face in a giant cardboard cut out being held by Chaewon made you laugh a little bit.

"YOU CAN DO THIS MINJU!!" She yells at the top of her lungs. The other girls and supporters who came started cheering for you as well, the entire venue going crazy at the finals match.

When you hear the buzzer go off, you're completely focused on the game. You've studied the other team's strategy and you find your way around it. You successfully block them from gaining any points, and you can tell the driver was getting frustrated at the way he held the controller tightly and his eyebrows starting to furrow. The other team started yelling at the driver, trying to figure out alternative methods in their game plan.

They were way too aggressive, they were fighting with anger rather than strategy at this point due to the frustration. "Kick their asses Min!" You hear Wooseok from behind you cheer, as the rest of the members guide you in gaining the points.

Once the buzzer went off, signalling the end of the round, you look up in surprise. "The winner of this year's national robotics championships is Jawoon High School!!" The commentator cheers.

The crowd erupts in cheers, and you bask in the feeling of joy and loudness of the entire arena. Confetti starts falling as you and your members go to the other team to shake their hands. You couldn't believe it, the entire scenario was just too much to process at the moment.

Wooseok and Yena start carrying you as your members cheer as loud as they can. "We did it Minju!!" They shout. Even Yuri was as loud as you'd ever heard her before. It was truly an amazing experience.

You and your team go on the stage to receive your trophy, as well as Mr. Kwon who has tears in his eyes, with music playing in the background as confetti continues to fall. The crowd from the stage seemed like tiny little ants, but you could still spot your favorite cheerleader up there, shouting your name as loud as she can.

You smile at her, she truly is your support system.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

"Don't be too nervous Chaewon, we've practiced so much for this." You hear Hitomi perk up from beside you.

You were currently seated on the bus with the rest of the cheerleading team on the way to the Seoul Cheerleading Contest. Bae Yoonjung has been extra strict and harsh with practices the past few weeks, counting on you as well to make sure the routines as perfected, and every ounce of mistake was fixed. You have to admit, it was quite stressful, but you're glad your friends were there to ease the stress from you.

"Is that jerk Soobin coming like he said?" Nako turns from her seat to face you, with an adorable mean look on her face.

You almost forgot about Soobin. Almost. 

Prom was only a week away, and you tried your best to push forward and stay together with him, planning on ending the relationship once and for all after the dance. The boy was getting too controlling over you recently, constantly bugging you about why you ran away from home. Turns out, your parents had tried to have him talk you into going back home with them, but you still refused.

"I don't know and I don't really care." You respond to the shorter girl

"You are planning to end things with him, right?" Hitomi asks

"Of course, just, not now. There's too many things going on, I don't need that extra stress. I'll do it after prom."

The others let it go as Bae Yoonjung called for their attention since the bus was heading closer to Seoul National University, where the competition would be held. Once you arrive on the campus, you find other cheerleading teams roaming around and taking pictures. You swore some of them glared at you secretly, but competition was tough, so you don't pay them any attention.

Your team is then led to the changing rooms in order to put on your performance outfits and any makeup. You replay the routine over and over in your head, to be sure you don't mess up. There are many 'what if's' going through your head that might lead you to making a mistake, and as the captain, you do not want to be the cause of your team's demise. The pressure was heavy, and you were definitely feeling it now.

Once you lead your team out of the changing area and into the large gymnasium where the performances would be held, you look around at the large audience that came to watch. There was loud music playing on the speakers to hype up the crowd, and you see many schools showing up to support their cheerleading team. 

Your team settles down in their designated area, warming up with a few stretches before performances are held. You were about to join them until you noticed an area in the bleachers where many students from Jawoon High School joined together. It puts a smile on your face seeing them hold up supportive banners and show school spirit, but something that didn't surprise you was the lack of your supposed to be boyfriend. The entire football team seemed to show up except him, but you dont give it any mind.

A certain brunette wearing your favorite adorable specs catches your eye, and you find your way walking towards her as she moves her way down the steps. The mere sight of Minju puts a smile on your face, and you were glad that she showed up with the rest of her robotics team to show some support.

"Hey you nervous?" She asks. It was just a week ago when you asked her the same question at her own event, and now she was here showing support to you.

"Yeah there's a lot going through my head but you make it better" You wink at her, to which she blushes at, and you laugh at her growing rosy cheeks.

"You got this, I know you guys can win." She gives you a kiss on the cheek for good luck, similar to what she did before. Who knew a little peck from Minju gave you so much more adrenaline?

An hour passes by pretty quickly, and the teams are asked to wait in the other gym to give space for performers and judges. Your team performed fifth in line, but seeing the other teams through the large screen put a little wave of anxiousness through your body. 

It seemed like each team came up witha very well thought out routine, attempting to tell a story to the judges through their routine, outfits, and choice of music. They were creative and it looked like this year there were some very tough teams to beat. However, you hope the story you and your members came up with portrayed a great sense of emotion.

The story was about two lovers from different worlds, starting their relationship off with a sense of hatred and anger due to what others around them said. Eventually, they decide to explore one another's worlds, curiosity starting to blossom as well as a romantic love for one another. One lover was hesitant and pushed the other away, and it was a push and pull relationship that formed. They do their best to unite both of their worlds through their passions and love for each other. There is a great stress of the importance of love and unity within the story that you hope the judges will capture. Besides, it was very similar to a story you knew of yourself.

You wore a black outfit, while the other half of the team wore white, symbolizing the differences between the two societies. Once your team was called to perform, you lead your members into the performance gymansium and get ready in your starting positions. 

You take a deep breath to clear your mind and focus on the routine, but then you look up and see a very adorable Minju holding up a cutout with your face on it, just like you had done to her. It makes you smile, and frankly, it gives you a lot more energy to start your performance.

Once the music starts playing, you're completely concentrated on the choreography and movements of your body. Your pom poms were easily controlled and you felt like a feather, although maybe not as much as Chaeyeon. 

You express your passionate technique through your skills while being completely attentive to the story being told. Each beat signifying a specific move, and each shift in the music showing a change in the storyline. Your members were doing the same, and it felt like the members finally understood what true teamwork meant. It wasn't individually showing off skills, but giving each other strength and coming together to produce a story.

When the music finally stops, you take heavy breaths because of the amount of energy you just gave. The audience is silence for a while, until it eventually ruptures in applauses, especially the area that held students within your school. You look up again to find Minju cheering as loud as she could, once again making your heart skip beats.

You were standing with your team along a line of schools, waiting for the announcer to award the top 5 schools with trophies and medals. Chayeon holds onto your hand, and you find yourself doing the same with the other girls, as you anxiously wait for the awarding ceremony to begin.

"In fifth place, we have Inchang High School!" 

Once the announcer gets to second place and announces SOPA, everyone is slightly surprised considering the fact that the school had won nearly every year for quite a while.

Either your school beat SOPA and won the grand prize, or you didn't place in the top five at all. You seriously hope it was the former. All the hard work and pressure for this moment, it would all be worth it.

"And in first place...Jawoon High School!" 

Your eyes nearly pop out of your sockets, as you look at the other girls in shock. Even Bae Yoonjung had tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, which was probably a once in a lifetime experience to see.

"We did it!" Nako cheers, as you hug your team members and continue to yell out in joy.

You take the front along with the team and receive the giant trophy, along with the first place banner and individual medals. It seemed like a dream come true, and it finally felt like all the effort and stress you put in paid off. In the end, it would all be worth it as long as you worked hard enough and showed clear determination towards your goal.

In the midst of erupting cheers, the supporting students from your school run down the steps and join the celebration of winning the grand prize. You smile as many hugs and supportive shouting was being showed, but you really only had one person in mind you wanted to particularly tackle into a hug.

You see Minju in the crowd trying to look for you, until she finally spots your strawberry hair and dashes towards you in a tight hug. "I knew you could do it Chaewonie."

You bury your head in her shoulder and close your eyes. You really do love this girl, and she was the best support system you could ever ask for.

Your Minmin.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N!!

Wow it's been a month since my last update, I am so sorry to keep you guys waiting for that long! I had exams a few weeks ago as well as upcoming college application stress, but don't worry I won't abandon this story!

Honestly I've been losing motivation for quite a few things recently, and I've been trying to glet back to my original self so thank you so much for waiting and reading this story, especially since it's coming to an end soon :(

Each comment really does give me a lot of energy and makes me really happy, I couldn't thank you guys enough for writing a simple comment. Thank you so much for supporting this story, it really means a lot to me.

If you're ever feeling down or unmotivated, please never give up! I'm here and you can reach out to me if you ever need someone to talk to. Thank you once again :)

 

 

 

 

 

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!
cinnamonrollpuff
Feel free to reach out to me!
Twitter: @cha3wonie
Instagram: @cha3wonie

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
Tzuunaa #1
Chapter 12: So good!! Hope to see you in your next stories
Fairyzone_12
#2
Chapter 12: Happy ending, thank you so much for writing this story...
onethousandpercent
#3
Chapter 12: satisfying ending, i love each and every chapter till the end, and the conclusion plus the small epilogue was so wholesome i cant thank you enough for writing this!! ^0^
robogirl98
1688 streak #4
Chapter 12: i love it!!!!! and the bomb drop at the end! she doesn't like mint choco lol XD
tuanteddy
#5
Chapter 12: ahhh happy ending, chaewon did her best when she confronted her parents
jcqln_yu #6
Chapter 12: Thank you for writing this story! It's one of my favorites! I'll remember this for a very long time. Thank you for sharing that last bit too. Hope to see you again on your next stories. :)
minguri_iz_coming
#7
Chapter 12: Thanks author-nim for this wonderful fic of yours :) looking forward for your new story soon if there's will be, hehe
Godpotato
#8
Chapter 12: Thank you for this wonderful story author-nim ^_^
juco_lolan #9
Chapter 12: Thank you for that amazing story author!
I always looked forward to a new chapter, and I'm quite sad that it will end, but I'll look forward to read any new stories you'll create.

P.s I listen to asmr when I'm stressed and it helps me calm down a tad bit, just want to share this, I hope it helps you like it helps me.
tuanteddy
#10
Chapter 11: goodjob kim chaewon! he deserves it!