"Try again," Minwoo said, tossing the ball to Kwangmi.  That's all he said now, those two words  Gone were the words of encouragement.  No more was there a twinge of sympathy.  His voice was monotone, robotic, as if he now expected her to miss -which he did.  After another stray shot, Kwangmi slammed the ball to the ground, appreciating how high it bounced into the air.

Frustrated, she announced, "I give up!  I'm no good at this!"

In an instant, Minwoo was at her side, letting the ball bounce itself out until it finally rolled to a stop in the grass  "You're diong fine," he soothed.  Kwangmi snorted.  Minwoo persevered.  "You are!  But you're getting frustrated.  So, take a deep breath."  She did as she was asked, but it didn't make her feel much better.  Her shoulders were still tense, face still scrunched up in annoyance.  "Oh come on," Minwoo pleaded.  "That's no good.  Here, do it with me."  Inhaling through his nose, he filled his chest with air.  Kwangmi mimicked him.  When he exhaled slowly, letting out the caputured air through his mouth, she did the same.  Minwoo smiled.  "Better?"

Kwangmi nodded, a smile of her own beginning to form.  "Better."

"Ready to try again?" he asked.

"Yes."

Minwoo retrieved the orange basketball.  Kwangmi held up her hands sto catch it, but the boy never threw the ball.  Instead, he came up behind her, helping her hold the ball correctly by placing his hands over hers.  His chest pressed flush up against her back.

"Hold it like this when you throw."  Minwoo's hot breath brought goose-bumps to her skin.  "Your bottom hand pushes the ball while this hand keeps the ball on course."  He gently caressed her left hand underneath his own.  Of course he'd explained all of this to her previously, but she was getting so frustrated that she seemed to have forgotten.  He figured a little reminder wouldn't hurt.

"Isn't that what I was doing?" she asked.

"Eh," he deliberated, "not really.  Your hands were more like this."  He brought her hands closer together.  Feel the difference?"

She nodded, his voice directly in her ear too distracting to form words.

"Good.  Now you see that red box thing on the backboard?"  With a nod of affirmation from Kwangmi, he continued.  "80% more shots are made if you aim for that area right there.  Now, toss it..."

Together, they pushed the ball up and forward.  It hit the board and made a satisfying swoosh through the net.

Kwangmi squealed in delight.  "We did it!  Well, I mean you did it, but that was part me!  I want to try again."

When she left to get the ball, Minwoo sighed in disappointment.  That closeness was like a drug -the more he had, the more he wanted.

Kwangmi returned, eyes bright with excitement.  She looked at Minwoo.  "Um, could you help me aim again?  I think that might be part of my problem."

Grinning, he pressed up against her back, brought his arms around her, and then placed his hands on hers.  Secretly, the girl smiled to herself.  She didn't think she really needed his help, but she wanted to feel his arms around her again.

"Bring it up higher," murmured Minwoo, and his voice sent shivers down her spine.  "Now let it go."  He withdrew as she forced the basketball into the air.  It hit the backboard and then swooshed into the net.

Kwangmi pumped her fist in the air.  "Yes!"  She gathered up the ball and shot again, making the score all her own.

Minwoo congratulated her.  "Great job!  I told you you could do it!"

She laughed giddily, swiping a strand of hair from her face.  "Let's keep going."

They kept practicing free throws and then Minwoo stole the ball out of Kwangmi's hands, resulting in a short-lived game.  Short-lived because Minwoo very rarely got the ball away from her long enogh to score, so he took matters ino his own hands.  He wrapped his arms around her middle from behind, stopping her from moving toward the net.  Kwangmi screamed in indignation and attempted to pull away.

"Let me go!" she demanded.

"Then give me the ball!" he shouted back.

"Never!"

The two wrestled around, Minwoo trying to take the ball and Kwangmi refusing to relinquish it.  In an attempt to get her to let go, Minwoo decided it was a good time to find out if she was ticklish.  HIs fingers dug into her sides.

Kwangmi squealed, "Cheater!  No!  Stop it!"  Peals of laughter burst forth as she squirmed to get away.  Minwoo grinned to himself, pleased to have found a weak spot.  "Give me the ball!"

Through her laughter, she responded, "I'm not defeated so easily!  You'll have to do better than that!"

Accepting her challenge, Minwoo grunted, "Fine."

He pulled her down with him as he plopped to the ground.  She fell between hsi sprawled legs, then rolled to get away.  Her plan would have worked if Minwoo hadn't grabbed her shoulders and pinned her down, crawling on top of her legs so she couldn't kick him.

"Give me the ball."

"No."

"I'll ask you nicely one more-"

"This is nicely?"

"-time.  Now give me the ball."

Kwangmi glared at him, deliberating her options.  It seemed like she had two choices -give it to him, or keep struggling until he pried it from her fingers.  Unless...

"How about you get off me or I shove this ball into that picturesque face of yours."

Minwoo's eyes widened.  "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would."  And to test it, she raised the object of their desires as much as she could in the little space between their bodies.  Experimentally, she forcefully pushed to ball in the direction of his head.  He jerked away, but quickly regained his composure.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Minwoo pointed out.  "There is no reason to sacrifice the integrity of my face for the sake of your pride."

Kwangmi scoffed.  "Please, my pride is not in any danger.  You cheated -still are, by the way- so any way you get the ball now is a blow to your character, not my pride."

Mnwoo stared at Kwangmi in disbelief.  "You are vicious."  He paused then, thinking.  "But you know, you certainly have a way with words.  You've convinced me."  He finally eased hismelf off, letting Kwangmi go free.  Immediately, she bounced to her feet eyeing Minwoo warily.

"That was mean," she said.

He shrugged.  "Never said I was nice."

"Who?"

"Anyone."

Kwangmi shifted her weight, settling into a more casual stance.  "There are some who would dispute that."

"Who?" Minwoo echeod Kwangmi.

Kwangmi grinned.  "Me."

Minwoo's lips curved up.  "Well that's something."  Then he lifted his hands, cocked his head to the side innocently.  "Ball?"

The girl laughed.  That's more like it."  And she passed him the orange basketball.