Wednesday, December 22^nd
   1:30 p.m.
   SNU Indoor Tennis Courts

   "Alright, that's enough!" Teacher Cho called. Panting, Gongchan walked to the net and shook hands with his new training partner. Turning around, Gongchan saw Teacher Cho motioning him over. Making his way over, Gongchan inwardly sighed as he saw the scowl on his coach's face.

   "Gongchan, what's wrong with your game? That's the second game in a row that you've lost." Teacher Cho stated in a rather matter-of-fact fashion, crossing his arms in dissatisfaction.

   "What do you mean, Teacher? Everyone loses a game now and then." What Gongchan had said was true, but everyone knew that Gongchan wasn't the one for losing at tennis.

   "Not you, and especially not you losing two games in a row. Is something troubling you? Tennis, like all sports, are games of the mind. Your body may be doing the work, but if you're off-balanced psychologically, then your entire game is ruined." Cho Kyuhyun chided, poking his student in the forehead. "The championship match is tomorrow. I can't have my star pupil failing now. I fulfilled your request for a new training partner, although I have no idea why. You seemed like a good match with Jinyoung." 

   "I'm fine, and I just felt as though I needed a new person to train with. I shouldn't get use to just one person's playing style." Gongchan lied through his teeth. He knew the real reason why he was playing badly, and why he requested the new training partner, but he just didn't want to admit it to himself or anyone else. Since the day/night of Suzy's wedding, Gongchan had been avoiding Jinyoung at practice, ignoring his texts and calls, and refusing to come to the door when Jinyoung knocked. 

   "Uh-huh. Well, if there's a problem, come and tell me. Remember that the matches at the championship game are 2v2. I have you paired with Jinyoung, and I'm not going to change it just yet if there's not a problem." Teacher Cho remarked, a pensive expression on his face as he waits for a response from the boy in front of him. Since when did so much ride on a Freshman anyway?

   "There's no problem, sir. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have some things I have to attend to." Bowing out, Gongchan made his way to the locker room and quickly changed into his school uniform. Gongchan was glad that the school had thicker woolen jackets for the winter months, as the temperature kept dropping with each passing day since the beginning of last week. Once fully clothed, Gongchan made his way to his last scheduled class for the day, Psychology II Honors.

   Today was an especially boring day in psych. Not only did the teacher decide today would be a great day for a long lecture, but to top things off, it was on avoidance issues; specifically on running away from issues that our minds deemed dangerous or frightening. What the teacher, Kim Ryeowook, was explaining made sense.

   "... Which is why, class, these things arise. When we feel uncomfortable with things, it's natural to want to shy away. It is important to note though, that even if you feel frightened by say, somebody taking things too quickly in a relationship, or someone pestering you over something over and over, this isn't going to magically go away on its own." Teacher Kim explained, his lyrical voice dancing its way across each row of tiered desks, rebounding off the walls and making its way back towards the professor. "That is escapism, which means that you make excuses and temporary "solutions" to things that can't be solved so easily. Although for certain cases, escapism could be good, it isn't the case when you're using it to avoid serious subjects." 

   Gongchan kept drifting in and out, his mind occasionally taking in the words of his professor. Noticing this, Teacher Kim was intrigued, knowing Gongchan to not be one of daydreaming or of ignoring lessons; as he usually was one to listen and watch with extreme intensity. Continuing to lecture, Teacher Kim ascended the tiers until he came beside Gongchan. Tapping the boy on the shoulder, Teacher Kim made a gesture that was understood to mean to stay after the bell had rung. Realizing his mistake of drifting off, Gongchan cursed inwardly before nodding to his professor and reverting his attention back to the painful lecture.

•   •   •

   Having his professor next to him when the bell rang meant that there was no practicing escapism for Gongchan, not with the beaming gaze of Teacher Kim resting on him. Packing away his textbook, notebook, and papers into his backpack, Gongchan braced himself for the awkward talk with yet another professor; one who actually knew what other people thought and felt.

   Taking a seat in front of Gongchan but on a lower tier, Teacher Kim thought it wouldn't do any good to drag out or delay any questioning and just press forth. "So what's up, Gong Chansik?" Gongchan winced inwardly; he didn't like his teachers calling him by his full name, as he asked them to call him by what everybody else calls him. "And don't try to say nothing's wrong, as you never are one to daydream during class."

   Should I tell him? Gongchan though, his mind racing even though he felt slightly dizzy, or should I not burden him with my problems?

   Quickly dismissing this thought of telling him, Gongchan donned his most convincing smile and proceeded to try to fool his professor of psychology.

   "Nothing's wrong, Teacher. I guess I just didn't find today's lesson to be, no offense, that interesting." Gongchan lied, doing his best to mask his quickening heartbeat and fidgeting. Gongchan had hoped that his lying was working, but his hopes were quickly dashed.

   "You're lying and you know it." Ryeowook said gently, yet firmly. "Why are you lying? I find it ironic that the lesson that you decided to tune out is the exact issue that you're facing right now."

   Gongchan's face quickly became hot as he felt a flush come to his face, Ryeowook hitting the nail on the head. It was to be expected though, as Ryeowook was a psychology professor at one of the famed S.K.Y. Universities. 

   "W-why would I lie?" Gongchan retorted, inwardly cursing at himself at the stutter; a dead ringer that he was in fact, lying. "Anyway, Teacher, not to be rude, but are we done here? I'd like to get home and enjoy the rest of my day."

   Ryeowook smiled at his brightest pupil. He sure was a stubborn kid, especially for a freshman. With age comes wisdom, I guess. Ryeowook thought.

   "Yes, we're done. But you're to come and see me before you leave for your tennis championship tomorrow, followed by the day after that and the day after that until you can admit and tell me what it is that's bothering you." Ryeowook beamed. Getting up, Ryeowook reached out, ruffled Gongchan's ebony hair, and then made his way to his desk, dismissing the student.

   Quickly making his escape, Gongchan snuggled more into his jacket as he prepared to head outside and into the cold on his walk home. Jinyoung had offered on more than one occasion to drive Gongchan home, but ever since the thing that happened at Suzy's wedding, Gongchan had tried his best to avoid contact with that boy. Reaching into his pocket, Gongchan pulled out his phone and proceeded to text the aforementioned woman.

   [ Gongchan: Wassup Suuuzyyy! Is it fine if I come over for a bit? I'm really not in the mood to see Jin's face right now. ]

   Just as Gongchan's phone vibrated to tell him that Suzy had texted him back, someone had grabbed Gongchan's shoulder, spun him around, and shoved him into a row of lockers, successfully knocking him to the floor.

   "Oh, well if it isn't little genius boy," the junior, Jang Rhokwoo, sneered, standing over Gongchan, "it doesn't look like your brains are going to help you out now."

   Frightened, yet knowing nothing will happen unless he does something, Gongchan kicked at Rhokwoo's shin, knocking his attacker's leg out from under him and causing Rhokwoo's head to smash into the lockers. Hastily crawling away from the now-floored Rhokwoo, Gongchan got no more than two feet away before the older male recovered, got up, and had grabbed Gongchan by the collar. Hoisting the freshman up and shoving him hard against the row of lockers, Rhokwoo smiled when he was rewarded with a yelp of pain from Gongchan. 

   "Getting brave, are we?" Rhokwoo sneered again, feeling a small trickle of warm blood trace the outline of his cheekbone and then his jawline. Infuriated by this, Rhokwoo's hand balled up into a fist and he released his rage in the form of a wild blow across Gongchan's face, connecting with his left cheek with a satisfying thud and the whipping back of the freshman's head. Just as Rhokwoo was winding up for another strike, a hand caught his fist, quickly winding his arm behind his back and pulling it towards the sky, stressing the pained joint.

   "That's enough," A familiar voice whispered in Rhokwoo's ear. "You wouldn't want the captain of the athletic club to hear that you were roughing up one of s, would you? Especially with our championship match tomorrow."

   Rhokwoo froze, freeing his arm and spinning around to come face to face with the Senior Jung Jin Young. Inwardly cursing, Rhokwoo turned to make an escape before Jinyoung grabbed Rhokwoo's arm against and twisted it up behind his back, only this time shoving the junior against the lockers next to Gongchan.

   "I'd appreciate it if you didn't hurt my team members, whether we have a match tomorrow or the next day or whenever. This is your only warning, Jang Rhokwoo." Jinyoung seethed, obviously angered. Basically being thrown down the hallway, Rhokwoo scrambled up and out the door into the cold winter air.

   Satisfied that that horrible person was gone, Jinyoung turned to see Gongchan already on his feet and haphazardly walking away. Knowing that this would probably be his only chance to talk to Gongchan before the match tomorrow, Jinyoung quickly jogged after Gongchan, catching up to him and putting his hand on Gongchan's shoulder. Gongchan flinched and shrugged Jinyoung's hand off him. 

   "Hey, pup," Jinyoung started off gently, "I... I didn't mean what I did. It was just a mistake. I shouldn't of done it and I—" 

   "Oh, so that was just a mistake?!" Gongchan spat, spinning on his heel to face his senior, an expression on his face that seemed to be a mixture of hurt, and ferocity. "So what you're saying is that you had no problem toying with whatever emotions I may or may not of been feeling, because it meant nothing to you?" 

   Jinyoung was taken aback. He totally didn't mean that. How could he be so stupid and say something like that?

   "N-no! It's not what you think. I—"

   "Save it." Gongchan said, cutting off Jinyoung in a rather curt manner. Storming out, Gongchan started to run through the chilling weather, not wanting Jinyoung to see him cry.  Satisfied with how far he went from the school, Gongchan shivered, wiping the tears that had streaked down his face. Now was the time to get home, as a small snow storm had begun and the howling wind had stripped Gongchan of most of his body heat.

   Jinyoung groaned, frustrated that his efforts to mend things ended up just breaking things more. Sighing as he saw that it had started to snow again, Jinyoung fished his phone out of his pocket and scrolled down his contacts until he found the right person.

   [ Jinyoung: Hey, I think it's time for advice again, if you can manage to squeeze me in. ]

Bzzzt.

   [ Suzy: Yeah, come on over. I needed to have a talk with you anyway. ]

Sorry it's taking so long for me to update. I'm kind of getting semi-writers block. 

It's making me QQ hardcore

QQ

But anyway! I added a little spice to this chapter, because the rest were dominated by the wedding, I thought it could use a good refresher <3

It only gets better from here on out. 

Love you my babies!