The Vice-Captain
ROOKIESThe Vice-Captain
Kwan sat down by the bleachers and took a sip of water while looking around the massive ground. Dozens of people were milling about training in their respective fields. She smiles a little and sighs at the feel, the energy, and the atmosphere that this place held. It always manages to make her heart thump in the most beautiful tempo.
She leans back a little as a soft breeze passes by and she sighs again looking at the bright sky out there listening to the shouting of players, the whistles of referees and the way runners make noise with their foot or the loud thud when they jumped.
This really was what she loved the most. As a child when most of her friends hated PE, it had been her favorite subject, and could not wait for it to come around. She loved it when she was out there on the ground working her muscles and all of her attention is on the game they were playing.
She had been a good player in almost every game they played and up until High-school every team wanted her to be their captain so she remembers during school festivals where she’d literally finish one game and rush for another… But ah! Does she enjoy it!
She only started studying seriously in the last year of High school. She had been a decent, rather average in academics given that she spent more time on the grounds than in the library but knowing that her parents could never cash out so much money to support her to come to this university where the best sports management courses were given, she really needed to give her all… in both or she would lose the only thing that made her truly happy.
Her teachers were all great and so were her friends considering they all knew each other since kindergarten. They all helped her out. They found out that she excelled in running and so that became a plus point and she was thankfully recruited by the Uni track team, however, the catch was that even her academics had to be up to a certain degree.
In the last year, she had to study all her guts out going through every single thing making sure not to miss out on anything lest they ask her just that.
Her heart cheered for her as she revealed the fact that all of those hard work had paid off and that she was actually inside the campus running along with the track team and learning from the best professors out there.
“PASS! PASS!” A certain, familiar voice called out and she found her eyes drifting towards the tall man whose hair flew as he concentrated on the ball, his eyes darting from the ball to the person kicking it to the people in front. Unconsciously she found herself standing and going towards the field to witness the heat of the moment.
Sports just… attracted her. Football was no exception.
It was just a practice game but the way Chanyeol maneuvered the ball was simply excellent. She herself enjoyed football but it certainly wasn’t her forte as the ball doesn’t seem to favor her all too much. She was great at running but it seemed that worked against her during football. She reckons she was better at Basketball and baseball than at football.
She held her breath in when Chanyeol swiftly crossed a defender with a trick she’s never seen before leaving her enthralled and watched with bated breath as he approached the goal and in a blink, the ball was in.
The sports person inside of her cheered loudly along with several others who had also stopped their practices to witness Chanyeol.
Chanyeol however only mouthed a yes and clenching of his fist as some of his teammates came and clapped his back. She continued watching him as he swept his eyes on the grounds, frowning deeper at every passing second until it stopped dead on her.
Kwan blinks feeling a little caught even though she did nothing wrong and so she did what her brain signaled her to do; thumbs up and a small smile.
But perhaps she shouldn’t have because Chanyeol trips on air and falls flat face-first into the ground. She gasped and jumped a little looking around worriedly. Was that boy alright?
Feeling guiltier than she should, she retraced her steps back to the bleachers walking as quickly as her legs took her. Sitting down there she avoids looking in his direction feeling a little too flustered.
Why did she suddenly feel so shy because Chanyeol seemed to be looking for her? She never really felt like that before… And why was it that she was noticing him a lot more than before?
She fans herself, her face feeling a lot warmer than before.
What is going on?
Someone takes a seat beside her making her come back to her current scenario and she turns to look at the occupant.
A dimple greets her and her face automatically flushes. Again.
She automatically stands up and greets him with a bow, “Hello, Sunbae!”
Zhang Yixing, her beloved senior smiles widely and acknowledges her bow. “Hi, Hobae. Hello again.”
Right. He had been sitting out for the game. She takes her seat again putting more distance between them because she was awkward and also now she was super aware of how she was sitting making her gulp down her saliva.
Ugh. Her back should be straight. Ugh. To think just now she was bent down like that just before he joined her… What was he going to think? He probably was going to think she was super sloppy or something.
Upon entering this university, Yixing Sunbae had been the first one she had encountered and he had been as gracious as an angel to guide her through so many things. Besides, since they were in the sports department, they often ran to each other and every time he would greet her… or acknowledges her greetings.
Besides, he was also super good-looking with a dimple to die for.
For a moment though, a dimple of a certain someone else popped in her head and she gulped again. Wait a minute… Chanyeol had dimples too…
Does she have a thing for dimples?
Does that mean she had a thing for Chanyeol?
“Kwan?” A hand waved in front of her face making her eyes go wide at the audacity of having drifted off when her senior was talking to her. Standing up as quickly as possible, she bows again feeling incredibly sorry.
“My deepest apologies. I got carried away.”
Thankfully he chuckles and swats the air, gesturing that it was okay, and asked her to take her seat again.
“I was just asking how everything is going… I feel like we haven’t had a proper talk since… well… Since Chanyeol and you.”
Kwan bit her lips at that feeling super shy. She was actually Chanyeol’s ‘girlfriend’ for three months! GIRLFRIEND! That term did not really go with someone like her… Why on earth did she agree to be his girlfriend again?
“I guess…” She replied to him making sure that she doesn’t drift off this time around.
“He’s sort of a douche bag so I’m glad to hear that things have been cut off between you two.”
At that Kwan tilted her head and squinted at nothing. It was true that Chanyeol cheated on her but other than that, he had not been anything that would bag him as a douche but then again his behavior since their breakup has been a little…
“I wouldn’t want to see a younger sister like you off to a man like that after all…” Yixing Sunbae turns to look at her with another dazzling smile making her heart hammer. Gosh. How was he so sparklingly beautiful? It was hurting her eyes.
And then a moment later, his words sink in making her heartthrob even more. Goodness! He even considered her a younger sister. She could cry right now.
“Thank you for your concern…” She nodded gravely, deeply appreciative of his concern for her. “It means a lot.”
He nods and leans down looking upward. “I hope he doesn’t bother you a lot. That guy’s headstrong and doesn’t give up if he sets his mind on something… From the interaction before, it seemed as though he was giving you a hard time. Want me to punch him for you?”
Kwan smiles a little at that but seriously shakes her head. Chanyeol was not necessarily giving her a hard time… He still just had the mindset that they were together which, Kwan sighs out loud, was ending tonight.
Why is she a little sad then? Shouldn’t she be happy?
“I mean… he’s a good person.” She mumbled to herself but it seemed Yixing caught it because he sat up straight and shook his head a little.
“Everyone thinks he is but he’s a douchebag.”
Kwan turns her face away from Yixing because it was heating up. Did he really just hear her talking to herself about Chanyeol?
She puts her closed fist to but stops herself when she hears Yixing talks some more. As casually as possible, she turns around and sits properly again.
“Do you have plans this Sunday?”
Naturally, she shakes her head because she really always had no plans except for her work and studies… and Chanyeol but that spot was already free… so.
“Aside from my training and studies, no.”
“Great! We have a match this Sunday at 6. Do you think you can join us?”
Hm… Usually, at that time she is out in the field training before she goes to get her dinner, and after which she retreats to the library to work on her assignments and do some readings but… She glances at Yixing who was giving her a hopeful look and shrinks a little. There was no way she could say no to that face.
So she nods making him beam.
“Perfect! Now I am sure we would have a spectacular match.” He says rubbing his hands together. “Also I know I am going a little out of the way here but I really need your support so could you… ah-” He pauses and rummages his bag a little to her surprise. Did he come here with his bag? “Please wear this to the match? It would mean a ton!”
He hands her a cloth of sort which suspiciously looked like a shirt or a jersey.
She frowns but takes the cloth and stretches it out.
“But isn’t this your uniform?” She says looking a little horrified. What was he going to wear if he gives her this? “I don’t think I should wear this.”
But sunbae only laugh a little. “Don’t be silly. I have other sets of uniforms as well.”
But Kwan could not stop frowning as she examined the navy blue shirt with white detailing and huge written letters and numbers at the back.
Lay 8
Tilting her head a little, she squints at the shirt. Wasn’t it a little weird to wear someone’s
Comments