Chapter 14
The Team“Oppa… why are you here?” JoongKi strolled towards the group and stopped in front of his sister.
Oppa? They all looked at her curiously.
“That’s the guy we saw right? Must be her boyfriend. She even called him oppa” Lee JongSuk whispered to Kim Woo Bin. These two has gotten very close recently, who knows why.
“I was there eating with my Co-workers” He pointed to the restaurant down the road they came from, “When I saw you with a bunch of guys”
“Why don’t you go back to them? I am going to have a bite with them” She was hinting him to get away. She don’t want him to ‘accidentally’ spill the news on her operation. They were just about to get on good terms, she didn’t want him to ruin it.
“I told them I am leaving first, so nope, I don’t have to go back” A cough came up from the group catching their attention, “Oh right. Come on, you guys must be the basketball team Roo is coaching. Let’s get you guys food, my treat” He smiled at his sister before walking in front with the other guys while Roo refuse to walk near him until Bogum nudged her to move.
“What’s your relationship with Roo?” She heard them asking JoongKi.
“Secret”
Seriously? What is he up to.
“Your boyfriend?”
“No he’s not”
Bogum smiled watching her glum face.
“We won our first match today!” Minho said smugly.
“It’s only friendly” Yugyeom had to broke his dream.
“Well, friendly or not, my treat to celebrate your winning!” Their cheering had Roo roll her eyes. It wasn’t like she didn’t want him there, but it’s just that she wasn’t in the mood since their disagreements in the morning.
“can we really order anything?”
“Yeah, he’s a doctor, he has nothing but money. Spend it well for him tonight” Roo sarcastically butted in. JoongKi gave his sister a look, because letting out an unbelievable laughter. “Why?”
“Revenge huh?”
“OOOOH LOVE QUARREL”
“YAH!” Roo threw her straw at the big mouth Minhyuk. “He’s not my lover okay. For goodness sake, this guy is my brother”
They were all caught off guard. They had been thinking he was one of her love interest or vice versa.
“BROTHER?! Wow, your parents left you guys some good genes”
“And you are a doctor? She has a gpa of 3.95?! seriously, what’s with this house?”
“Well, to celebrate your winning, eat all you want, my treat, he pays.”
“Yeah alright, as long as baby sister is happy” He brought her into a headlock before ruffling her hair.
She was never angry at her brother. How could she? He just cared for her more.
“How old are you?”
“How silly of me, I forget to introduce myself.”
“I am Song Joong Ki, 25 this year, Roo’s beloved brother”
“OOOh then can I call you hyung?” Sehun blurted.
“You just want to call all rich people hyung” Chanyeol smack his head. “Wait, you are song? But She’s Roo?”
“Long story, 007. Let’s eat”
“That unhappy for me to meet your players?” They were walking to JoongKi’s car alone and the others had left to catch their busses. He hung his arms around her shoulder and carried her backpack for her.
“I am taking out my cast in 3 days’ time.” She started.
“I know what you are unhappy about and I am not going to bring that up. We will continue that topic another day but for now, good for you.”
“I… am sorry” She apologized.
“For?”
“For being childish. I know you were just worried about me, but I’m behaving like a brat towards you” He smiled. He stopped her by placing both his hands on her shoulder.
“I am not going to say it’s okay but I was never angry at you. yes, I am worried. But again, that topic we will leave it for the next time but for now, I just want to tell you, that I am your brother and your dad. I want to give you the love that dad couldn’t give you, so don’t be sorry for anything, and I want to takecare of you like a big brother is supposed to do.” She gave her brother the sad eyes, “Aigoo, what am I going to do with you. Come on up, there still quite a walk to my car” He squat down, switch to carry Roo’s bag infront and patted his back for Roo to get up.
Ever since the Hyonam match, revealing herself to the Basketball world again, there had been rumours going around. It wasn’t that she didn’t expect it, but it was rather too troublesome for her if she were to worry about that when her aim is to bring Richmond to the top.
When Richmond students knew she was a popular basketballer, they had all trying to up to her, but with her attitude, they all had got off her in just 3 days’ time. But what came after, was troublesome. They hated her for her attitude, they hated her because they were jealous of her attributes, and most importantly, they hated her for being close to all the goodlooking people – basketball team.
They called her names, they taunted her, they disturb her during class but she gave no dam. It didn’t bother her as much because they were merely just strangers to her. She believe they will get bored of it and eventually stop.
“Thank you doctor” Roo thanked the doc after he removed her cast and she was able to walk normally again. She had taken a day off school to get this done. She was supposed to remove 2 days ago but she didn’t had time for the appointment due to training. Of course, removing her cast means she have to be more careful of the setbacks that she is going to suffer. No jumping or running for a week, only walking slowly, and Joongki is going to make sure of that. He had accompanied her to remove her cast, he was the one who made appointment with the doctor in the hospital he’s working in, so he was able to use his free time to keep her accompany.
“Now you are finally off your cast, be extra careful not to injure your leg again, and reconsider the operation. It will be the best for you in the future”
“Operation meaning I would have to give up basketball and that’s not the best for me. I started basketball when I was 12, and I told myself that I am going to play basketball until above 35years old, and after 45 years old if I can still afford to play. You knew that, and just like everyone else, you want to crush my dream too?” She whispered loudly, disappointed, sad and devastated. She had no energy left to argue with her brother. She had thought about the operation a lot, she wasn’t going to do it until the national championship is over.
“I don’t mean it that way Roo, I knew how much basketball meant to you. I know it was the last thing that dad had left you, the last thing that you shared with him in common. You were 9 back then. You don’t know how happy we were to see you enjoying basketball so much, but we loved your smile more. Knowing your passion, I was never going to crush your dream, I want to protect it for you if I can-“
“Then why are you forcing me to go to the operation?”
“Because! Because we want the best for you. You know if you don’t go, it’s going to affect you for the rest of your life.”
“Not playing basketball is going to affect my life too.”
JoongKi sighed, “Roo, can’t you just listen to us once? You don’t know how much mom was worried for you. She hopes that you can go for the operation too.”
“Stop.”
“Karls”
“I SAID STOP” She was glad her cast was off and she can walk out of the sight of her brother without any trouble. She couldn’t get why they can’t understand what she’s thinking. Tears were flowing down, her cries made her cheeks and nose red swollen, she just kept walking towards the unknown destination.
Unknowingly, her legs had brought her to the school. She entered from the back door to avoid any teachers in case they thought she had skipped school without permission. She headed straight to the basketball court, sitting at the audience seat.
Thoughts and flashback came flashing in as she stared at the empty court.
“Appa!” The 9 years old Roo ran up to her dad as he enveloped her in to a tight hug, carrying the trophy in one hand. He was the captain of the emerging popular team of the year, Team Tiger. He was 35 back then. “I am going to get many many trophies like appa, so appa can teach me basketball?”
//
“I am going to continue this passion for another 10 years, and I am going to find something else in these 10 years, probably a coach or a consultant because everyone know that a life of an athlete is short, I am going to make it meaning full.” He said during one of his interview.
No one knew the once rising star was her dad. He was mysterious to the basketball fans. All they knew about him, was his name. Her dad passed away of a sudden heart attack during training. He was a healthy man from all she could remember, no one would have thought he would have passed away at such a young age. From then on, Roo had told herself, she was going to complete the incomplete dream of her dad.
Roo buried her head in her tucked up knees and sobbed. She was supposed to be happy removing her cast. But all she could think of, is her decision to that operation. Athlete life is short. She was going to change this belief of all athletes. But how was she going to change if she can’t even play basketball. For as long as she thought she can do it, she is going to do it. That operation will hinder this goal of hers, thus she decided not to go through it.
***To clarify, not going through the operation, Roo will still be able to play basketball. But the side effect cause from the first operation, she will start feeling the pain after a year or so, it’s uncertain. And by then, it would be too late for any treatment. She might not be able to walk. But if she undergoes the operation, it’s certain that she had to stop playing basketball or doing strenuous activities. But it will be the best for her in the near future, as she won’t have problem doing her daily routine.
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