The sport hall was filled with sounds of screeching shoes, bouncing balls, and shouts. Dara sat on the tribune, waiting for Jiyong to finish. Actually, Wednesday isn’t Jiyong’s usual schedule for basketball, but his team is going to face a regional championship, so the coach added their practice time from once a week into three times.

Dara, somehow, couldn’t stop admiring Jiyong’s skill at basketball, everytime she saw him practicing. He’s not the captain of his team, but his capability is pretty outstanding. He was ever considered to be chosen as the captain, but he refused instead. The reason is just because he doesn’t want to be the one who is responsible in everything about the team. Shortly, he is just lazy.

The coach blew the whistle for break time. Then Jiyong walked approaching Dara’s place.

“Here,” Dara gave a bottle of water, then Jiyong drank it quickly. He took a sit beside her, while was wiping his sweaty body with a towel.

“The coach decided to add our practice schedule.” Jiyong said, “So, maybe we’re going to practice almost everyday. Are you okay with that?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Dara smiled, “Watching you playing basketball isn’t boring, anyway. You guys are really like professional athletes!”

He chuckled, “Really? I’m not that good...”

“I’m serious. I can see your performance’s getting better day by day. Keep it up!”

This is what Jiyong likes from Dara. She always supports him in every condition.

“Hey, I think you have to say hi to your faithful fangirls.”

Jiyong and Dara turned their head to left side. There were some girls sat on the tribune and waving at Jiyong. They are his fans and always get a time to watch him playing basketball. Some of them even called his name.

“Jiyong oppa, fighting!”

He waved his right hand and grinned at them. Then everybody could hear the girls were screaming and squealling like they’ve just met their favorite idol.

Dara laughed, “You’re good at dealing with girls.”

“You know me,” he shrugged.

Then a minute later, the break time was had ended. Dara gave a high five for Jiyong. “Fighting!”

Dara was still focused on Jiyong’s figure, running on the court swiftly with a ball dribbled on his hand. Then she noticed that someone was walking to her place.

“Can I sit here?”

Dara turned to the voice, and her eyes widened for a second. “Su... sure...”

The guy sat down, then a smile flashed on his lips. Dara caught herself staring at him constantly, then she tried to give her best smile and focused her attention onto the court again. She desperately managed to suppress her overly-beating heart. She halfly didn’t believe that the guy who just took a sit beside her was her ultimate crush. She spoke to herself, Calm down, Dara. He’s just sitting here, he won’t do anything, he won’t talk to you, anyway...

“You’re waiting for someone?”

OMG HE’S TALKING TO ME!!!! CHOI DONGWOOK IS TALKING TO ME!!!!!! Dara kept screaming inside, but she calmly said, “Yeah, he’s that one with number 18 on his back.”

“Oh, that Kwon guy?” Dongwook narrowed his eyes, “He’s great.”

“I know.”

“Is he your boyfriend?”

“Ah, no! He’s just... an ordinary friend.”

“Okay, I see...” he nodded. Dara prayed to God, wishing that he won’t talk to her again. It’s just dangerous for her weak heart, she couldn’t bear it. But...

“So, you must be in 11th grade, right?”

Why, God, why??? Why are You letting me suffer from this unbearable heart beats? I can’t control myself!!!!

“Ne... How do you know?”

“Just guessing, because Kwon is also in 11th,”

He is very nice, Dara thought to herself again. So... maybe it won’t be bad if she let herself be easier when she talks to him. “Um... You love basketball?”

“Of course. I was a part of this team before. But, I chose to step down because now I’m focusing myself for the final exam.”

Dara nodded, “And you still come here to watch them practicing, right?”

“Almost everyday. I want to see how they progress their skill.” Dongwook continued, “And I actually miss the times when I was still here.”

“You surely love basketball.”

“Yeah, I do.” a smile curved on his lips, and it practically made Dara gulped. She swore that nobody in this world has the same beautiful smile like him.

“By the way, we still don’t know each other’s name.” he gave his hand, “I’m Choi Dongwook.”

Yeah, I already know your name since long time ago, Dara mumbled inside. And she held his palm to shake hand, “My name is Park Sandara. You can call me Dara.”

I won’t wash my hand until whenever.

“Sandara...” he muttered, “You have a unique name.”

“Thanks.”

No one knew that Dara actually blushed, because she could hide it by turning away her face to another direction. And no one knew that Dara was in her highest level of happiness that day, because finally, she had a non-awkward conversation with her crush for the first time.

Jiyong was still focused on dribbling the ball. When he was about to do a lay-up, his attention turned to Dara. He saw a guy walked toward her and sat beside her. After that, from what he had observed, the guy started to make a conversation with Dara.

He mumbled, “Dongwook hyung?”

Seungri, a junior in Jiyong’s team, ran towards him and pat his back, “Hyung! What are you doing? You should... hey, is that Dongwook hyung?”

“Yeah.”

“He rarely comes to see us practicing. What is he doing here?”

“Have no idea,” Jiyong, somehow, couldn’t stop looking how both of them had a talk.

“Oooh,” Seungri mumbled, after following the direction which Jiyong had been staring at, “I see that Dongwook hyung is into her.”

Jiyong glared at him, “Huh?”

“Well, you can see the way hyung look at Dara noona, right? I bet with that stare, he’ll ask her to go out tonight.”

“You’re a smartass.” Jiyong hit Seungri on the head. “She isn’t the type of girl like that. Everybody—except me, of course—just 50 years too early to ask her out.”

Seungri continued to play, but Jiyong still stood there, watching both of them talking until Dongwook hyung left.

And he didn’t want to deny that he could see Dara looked... comfortable being with him.

Jiyong let out a relief sigh when finally the coach blew the whistle. The practice has ended. Then he walked slouchingly toward Dara’s seat.

“My, my... You look like you’ve been beaten up!” Dara handed him a towel and a bottle of water. He drank up the water then settled down beside Dara.

“I saw that you have a new friend today.”

“Who? The guy that talked to me a moment ago? He’s Choi Dongwook, our senior.”

“I know him too, actually. He was in this team before.”

“Yeah, he told me that he stepped down some months ago to face the final exam.”

 “So... you guys really talk a lot, huh?”

“Yup, he’s fun and talkative.”

Jiyong raised his forehead, and then suddenly he remembered what Seungri said.

“Ooh... umm, did he... ask you to go out?”

Dara frowned, “Huh? Of course not... Why, Ji?”

He cursed himself inside for asking such a weird question.

“Nothing, let’s go home.” he took his backpack and walked out from the sport hall, followed by frowning Dara.