“Newcomers, introduce yourselves,” Siwon says in a loud voice that echoes inside the basketball gym, making his fangirls who have flocked themselves around the gym squeal whenever Siwon says something, whenever he does something, and even whenever Siwon utters something like, “Ah,” or other one-syllable-not-a-word sounds.

“Cho Kyuhyun. Freshman. College of Engineering.”

There is enough squeal coming from the crowd to make Kyuhyun grin, thinking that his popularity, considering that he’s just a freshman and a newcomer in the team, isn’t so bad as compared to the captain ball. When he sees Yoona part of the crowd, though, the big grin on his face vanishes. That girl is in a tight race with all leeches in the world because of how he always sticks himself to Kyuhyun.

“Kim Jongwoon. Junior. College of Science.”

Jongwoon’s voice isn’t as loud as the other newcomers and the crowd turns silent when it’s Jongwoon’s turn because well, the resident turtle-talking weirdo has just become part of the basketball team but when Siwon hits Jongwoon’s back lightly, like he’s sending him a message of support (to Kyuhyun’s dismay), the energy of the crown returns.

Jongwoon grins. He hasn’t felt that much of adrenaline lately, and he’s not even playing, yet, but keeps in mind that he can’t have adrenaline rush in here as much as he wants to because well, it’s obvious that he can’t. His mind might be enjoying this very much but he has to think of his body as well. That sounds like it but right now, Jongwoon can’t ask for more.

Kyuhyun is standing beside him and they’re going to play basketball.

What else can he ask?

Starting from that day, the university’s basketball team is set to practice three periods each weekday and five periods every Saturdays, leaving Sunday as their rest day, sort of like their vacant day. For newcomers like Kyuhyun and Jongwoon, the training isn’t that hard, yet, because they are still being taught the basics of the game but when the coach starts noticing Kyuhyun’s strong potential as a point guard, they started becoming more strict with Kyuhyun’s training, removing him from the group of newcomers with Jongwoon and giving him a different training menu, the same menu that the starting players are getting.

Kyuhyun first thinks that he only joins the basketball team because of Jongwoon but as time passes by, he actually enjoys playing, the different high he gets whenever he shoots a nearly impossible shoot is very much far from whenever he gets high or perfect test scores, probably getting used to it after a long time.

So when the coach announces that they’re going to eliminate some newcomers because they’re going to have to concentrate on the training of the well, those players that they really need for the upcoming Winter Cup, Kyuhyun doesn’t know what to do. Even though he is already practicing with the starting players, he is still watching Jongwoon train from the sidelines and even though he’s still pretty much new, Kyuhyun isn’t lying when he’ll say that there really isn’t much that Jongwoon is showing and that the older isn’t really improving. Sure, he’s still got that great form that Siwon is talking about but when it comes to basketball, form is useless if you can’t shoot.

“You don’t think I’m going to make it, do you?” Jongwoon says, one evening after their practice, and the two of them are assigned to clean up the balls that were used for the training. Well, Jongwoon and another newcomer are assigned but Kyuhyun volunteers himself, arguing that he, himself, is a newcomer, too.

Kyuhyun drops the ball and scolds himself, How can you be so obvious, Cho Kyuhyun?

“You’re not being obvious,” Jongwoon chuckles, as if having read what’s on Kyuhyun’s mind. “It’s me being the one who’s obvious.”

“No, hyung,” Kyuhyun begins, but Jongwoon cuts him,

“No, it’s alright,” Jongwoon says, smiling at Kyuhyun in spite of himself. “I know. I understand. Maybe it’s just a farfetched dream for me but it’s really alright. I know myself and I understand my capabilities. I’m happy that I was given the chance.”

Kyuhyun falls silent.

“Hey, Kyu?”

Kyuhyun looks up at the older man and is surprised when Jongwoon throws him the ball. Fortunately, probably because of the different training menu he’s getting, he catches it just in time before it reaches his face.

Jongwoon smiles when Kyuhyun drops the ball and looks at him quizzically.

“You’re really good. You should continue playing.”

Kyuhyun bites his lower lip.

“Hey, hyung?”

Jongwoon turns to look at the younger one because his concentration is on pushing the cart of balls back to the storage room. Kyuhyun throws him the ball again and Jongwoon might be unlucky when it comes to shooting but he can catch. So he catches the ball just in time before it hits his chest.

“You’re good, too. So don’t give up.”
 

There is a peaceful silence between them until Jongwoon places the last ball on the cart and begins pushing it towards the storage room again. But before that, he turns to Kyuhyun again and says, “Hey, Kyu?”

Kyuhyun looks at him again and waits.

“There’s a thin line between giving up,” Jongwoon says, an angelic smile still playing on his lips, like no matter what happens, he’s tired of frowning or no matter what’s going to happen, if he’s with Kyuhyun, then he’s going to smile, “and accepting reality.”

It hits Kyuhyun much more than he expects and Kyuhyun doesn’t know what to say to Jongwoon until that fateful practice when the coach will announce who among the newcomers will be removed from the team. It’s sad but it has to happen anyway because it’s necessary. They need to concentrate on the better players.

The coach starts mentioning the names of the unfortunate newcomers.

“Lee Seunghyun.”

“Dong Youngbae.”

“Choi Seunghyun.”

“Kang Daesung.”

“Kwon Jiyoung.”

Kyuhyun’s sigh of relief every time the coach mentions a name that isn’t Jongwoon’s might be a little louder than he means because his teammates on either side of him keep on glancing at him every time a new name has been mentioned out of the six newcomers that are rumored to be removed from the team.

“I’m sorry, coach, but without Jongwoon-hyung, then I won’t be here. So if you’re going to remove Jongwoon-hyung, you might as well remove me, too. I don’t have any right to be here if Jongwoon-hyung isn’t here. Thank you for everything.”

Kyuhyun’s speech is ready. He made that that evening when Jongwoon says that there’s a thin line between giving up and accepting reality. Kyuhyun will say that if ever Jongwoon will be removed from the team and he will, really.

He has thought of it all, of playing basketball, of being with the team, of training with their other teammates, of the Winter Cup, of Jongwoon, of everything. With precise and accurate calculates, adding the pressure and prestige, minus the time with computer games and eliminating Jongwoon in the whole equation, well that kind of gives Kyuhyun a negative. That’s why he made that decision.

He holds his breath as the coach walks back and forth, in a freaking irritating manner, in front of the newcomers. Kyuhyun looks at Jongwoon and meets the other’s eyes. There are no hesitations or nervousness in Jongwoon’s expression. As a matter of fact, he even smiles at Kyuhyun when he sees the younger gazing at him, like he’s saying, It’s alright.

But it’s not if you’re not here with me, Kyuhyun would like to retort but keeps his mouth shut because the coach is saying the last name.

“Kim…”

Kyuhyun stands up, taking a deep breath to recite the speech he prepared.

“Kibum.”

Everybody is looking at Kyuhyun because why the hell did he just stand up like that, like he’s going to recite a freaking, long speech (that Kyuhyun actually intends)? His eyes meet Jongwoon’s again and if not for everybody around them, Kyuhyun would run and hug Jongwoon but the hug would have to wait later. Instead, Kyuhyun gives Jongwoon a huge grin.

“I told you,” Kyuhyun says, when they’re on their way home, his huge training back on his back and Jongwoon’s on his hand. He insists to carry it, reasoning that Jongwoon made it so it’s his little treat, not quite admitting that even carrying something that huge is worrying him about Jongwoon’s condition. “You can do it.”

“You never told me once,” Jongwoon answers. “You just told me not to give up.”

“I told you,” Kyuhyun persists.

“No.”

“I did.”

“When?” Jongwoon turns around, having walked a little faster than Kyuhyun who looks like he’s taking his time to walk, admiring Jongwoon who is hopping a little every step because of happiness and hiding a smile.

Jongwoon’s turn is unexpected and Kyuhyun, who looks like he’s on a cloud nine while looking at Jongwoon, doesn’t expect it as well. So when Jongwoon turns, their faces are hairbreadth away from each other although surprisingly, neither of them moves away.

“Always.” Kyuhyun smiles, looking at Jongwoon’s beautiful, dark eyes.

Both of them probably won’t move away until the other one does so, having been captivated in the holding gaze of the other, if not for Yoona who suddenly showed up, yet and again, and appeared beside Kyuhyun, attaching his arm on Kyuhyun’s.

“Kyuhyun-oppa,” Yoona says, with aegyo that can launch a thousand ships.

“What the hell!” Kyuhyun freaks out, untangling his arm from Yoona’s hold but Yoona only holds him tighter. “What the are you doing?”

Yoona pouts adorably. Well, adorable for any other guy but disgusting for Kyuhyun. “Stop treating your girlfriend like that, oppa,” she says.

“What the ?” Kyuhyun retorts, half-questioning and half-mocking. “Girlfriend?”

“Yes,” Yoona nods, still smiling brightly at Kyuhyun, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve decided to be your girlfriend. I’m going to keep all your crazy fangirls away from you.”

“Who the gives you the idea you can decide that on your own?” Kyuhyun asks with disgust, still trying to remove himself from Yoona’s tight hold.

Yoona grins, “It’s decided, oppa. So don’t use any more curse words in front of your girlfriend, okay?”

“What the f –,” Kyuhyun attempts to start again but is stunned when Yoona leans and the next thing Kyuhyun knows, his lips are against Yoona’s. He is too stunned to move that he stayed like that, frozen in place as Yoona kisses him before violently shoving him away.

And Jongwoon?

Jongwoon wants to run away because well, he just saw the love of his life, the person he thought is going to be his salvation get kissed but like Kyuhyun, his feet seem like they’re glued to the ground as he tortures himself witness how Yoona’s lips are on Kyuhyun’s.

Really, Jongwoon wants to run away like a high school teenage girl who saw her boyfriend kissing another girl but what right does Jongwoon have? What right does he have to run away like that? What right does he have to get mad or to even feel a little sad? Aren’t he and Kyuhyun only friends? As friends, isn’t he supposed to feel happy because Kyuhyun just got kissed by the now most popular girl at school?

But truth is Jongwoon feels anything but happy.

He hastily grabs his training bag from Kyuhyun’s now loose hold, his previous hold being very tight because Jongwoon keeps on aiming for his bag, telling him that it’s alright for him to carry his own bag, and walks away, mumbling, “I – I better go.”

“Hyung!” Kyuhyun calls after Jongwoon. They’re still supposed to eat dinner together as celebration for Jongwoon still being on the team.

Jongwoon disappears from Kyuhyun’s sight and that’s only when Kyuhyun is able to free himself from Yoona’s strong hold of his arm.

“What the do you think you’re doing, you goddamn ?” Kyuhyun shouts angrily at Yoona before running after Jongwoon. But when Kyuhyun turns the corner Jongwoon has turned to, Jongwoon is already nowhere in sight. Kyuhyun can’t explain it but there’s a prickly sensation of guilt he’s feeling that is burning deep down in his throat and in his stomach when he sees something in Jongwoon’s eyes before he walks away that is close to lost and hurt.

A/N: Hey guys. I tried writing a five-chapter update in one sitting but after the fourth, my mind already gave up and well… I think four chapters is my limit. >.< I hope you enjoyed this four-chapter update though. ^^

I’d still love to know what you think as the story progresses. Comments are very much appreciated! :))

I’ll reply to your comments tomorrow first thing. For now, I think I’ll sleep first. Thank you for staying with me up to this point. Much love for KyuSung! ^^ Love you, guys! – Elle Kim