Request: OC (Seo Eunhee) x Seventeen's Mingyu in which Mingyu comes to cheer for Eunhee at her swimming match. 

It all started when Seokmin joined the swim team. Jisoo had been on the team for the previous two years, but for some reason, all of Mingyu’s friends decided that when Seokmin joined the team, it was then that they all had to go support them at the swim meets. Thankfully Jisoo wasn’t very offended, but Mingyu knew the real reason they decided to suddenly attend the meets. They just couldn't resist getting blackmail pictures of Seokmin in a speedo.

So Mingyu went with his friends- ten other boys who were all close in age and popularity status- to the swim meets. At first it was fun to watch their two friends race, but gradually they all stopped coming to the meets, one by one. First was Jihoon, who declared he had a ton of homework and not enough time to go to the meets and make music at the same time (but everyone knew he just didn’t want to sit in the sun for two hours straight). The one who didn’t show up the following week was Seungkwan. He didn’t even try to make an excuse- everyone knew he was too much of a diva to sit poolside without all the attention on himself. Some left because there was a lack of atmosphere, while others left because their swim team had a noticeable lack of girls .

The last one to stop coming was Wonwoo, Mingyu’s best friend. It was at the last meet Wonwoo attended that Mingyu told his friend why he was staying behind when all their friends ditched.

“Do you know Seo Eunhee?” he asked Wonwoo. The other scrunched up his face and looked blankly at the names of the swimmers on the scoreboard.

“She’s swimming... butterfly?” Wonwoo asked, pointing to the board. 

“Yeah, that’s her. She swims the 500 butterfly at every meet. She wins every time, too,” Mingyu said, scratching his neck. He could tell that Wonwoo could probably pick up where this was going.

“She wins every time? How did I not notice?” Wonwoo whispered incredulously. It was rare that either Seokmin or Jisoo won anything, so it was probable that none of Mingyu’s friends really paid attention.

“Hmm, maybe this will explain some things. Which one is she?” Mingyu asked, gesturing to the sidelines of the pool that were filled with girls and boys from other schools in their meet attire, all eyes on the action in the pool- the 100 backstroke. No one that Mingyu or Wonwoo knew was in at the moment, so the boys could sit idly on the bleachers.

“Uh... I have no idea, bro,” Wonwoo said, trying to pick apart their school’s team, “I didn’t even know we had a girl on our team.”

“Exactly,” Mingyu said, splaying his elbows out behind him, trying to get the sticky August sweat off his sides.

Wonwoo looked back at his best friend in confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Mingyu shrugged nonchalantly and pointed to the corner of the deck where a few people were gathered. “That’s her,” he said.

“Where? There’s a girl over there? Where- Oh! I see her now!” Wonwoo nearly shouted, “She’s so small! I would never have known she was there.”

Mingyu bobbed his head. Seo Eunhee was the star of their school’s swim team, and barely anyone gave her a second glance. He thought it was horrible; even in the one class he shared with her- math- she sat in the back and nearly blended in with the bookshelves. She never spoke up unless called on. It was like she could just... disappear.

“Wait. So... that’s why you’re here? You’re coming to the swim meets to see her?” Wonwoo asked, shading his eyes with his hand so that the reflection off the bleachers wasn’t so bad. 

“Yeah. No one ever cheers for her. It’s so sad,” Mingyu sighed.

“But... I’ve been with you every single week. You never talk to her. What’s the point in coming when you don’t even say anything to her?” Wonwoo asked, his brow knit in confusion.

Mingyu groaned and put his head in his hands. “I don’t know what to say,” he mumbled under his breath.

“What was that?” Wonwoo asked.

“I said I don’t know what to say to her! I can’t just tell her I like her like that!” he shouted. Suddenly, his eyes went wide and he groaned again.

“Oh God, I know how this looks. I come to the meets every week and watch a girl swim that I’ve never even talked to,” he grunted and looked up at Wonwoo from where he still had his head in his hands, “I promise I’m not a stalker, okay?”

Wonwoo chuckled and pat his friend on the shoulder, urging him to sit up straight again. “I know, but you need to talk to her, okay? Even if you just tell her ‘You did a great job in the race today!’” Wonwoo said, raising his voice to imitate Mingyu.

“Shut up, my voice doesn’t sound like that,” Mingyu grumbled, but still he knew that his best friend was just trying to cheer him up. He let out a small smile.

“Alright, alright. Today is the day I talk to her, okay? I’ll do it,” he said resolutely.

“If you don’t, I get to copy your history homework, okay?” Wonwoo bargained and Mingyu rolled his eyes.

~

“And that’s it, everyone! Seo Eunhee takes home first place for the 500 butterfly and Hong Jisoo takes home second place for the 100 freestyle. Thanks for coming out everyone!” the announcer cheerily wrapped up the meet from the sideline.

Mingyu’s heart was really starting to get out of control by now. It had been another half hour of agonizing waiting until Eunhee got to swim, and for once, someone other than himself noticed her.

“Wow. She’s amazing! She’s so far ahead of everyone,” Wonwoo commented. Mingyu smiled proudly. The thought of someone else recognizing her accomplishments sat comfortably in his heart. 

When the announcer closed up the meet, though, Mingyu felt sick. There was a very good reason why he never talked to girls, especially ones he didn’t know.

“Just relax and tell her congratulations,” Wonwoo told him. Easier said than done.

Mingyu nodded and walked forward, giving Jisoo and Seokmin each a fist-bump as he went past them. They were probably confused as to why he wasn’t staying around to chat like usual, but Mingyu knew now was not the time for that.

“Ahem,” Mingyu coughed, “Y-you’re Seo Eunhee, right?” he asked the small girl who was now in front of him. Said girl jumped nearly a foot in the air and held her hand lightly over her heart in response.

“Oh my goodness, you scared me!” she laughed shakily. Mingyu eyed her in amusement and wonder. It was strange... to think that he had fallen for someone from afar like that. She didn’t even know he existed until now, probably.

“Sorry about that,” Mingyu laughed lightly as Eunhee wrapped a towel around herself. She looked back up at him in expectation and he was suddenly taken aback. What was he supposed to say again? 

“It’s okay... did you need anything?” She asked, tilting her head slightly, and Mingyu could tell his own awkwardness was making her uncomfortable.

“Yes! I did,” he nearly yelled, and Eunhee giggled. Mingyu gulped. She was so adorable and he was so hopeless. 

But it was now or never.

“I wanted to tell you... C-congratulations!” Mingyu stuttered, “You when every week and no one comes up to you afterward... So... I just wanted to say, er... congratulations. Yeah,” he said, stumbling over his own words. He mentally cursed himself as Eunhee peered back at him. Finally, though, a smile escaped her lips with a small laugh and Mingyu could swear he saw the tips of her ears go red.

“Thank you. That means a lot to me,” she said, and Mingyu felt his heart almost stop beating.

“S-sure thing,” he said abruptly, and the air turned awkward again. 

There was a pause before he spoke again, “Right. Well, I’ll just go, then.”

“Wait!” she cried out just as he had turned to leave, “I meant to say, thank you, Mingyu.”

Mingyu stopped in his tracks and stared at her, particularly dumbfounded.

“You know my name?” Mingyu asked her and she smiled again. God, she really had to stop doing that. It was starting to make him worry for his cardiac health.

“Of course! We have math together,” she answered, and Mingyu felt like screaming.

“R-right. Well, I should go now,” he said, feeling quite lost.

“Wait, Mingyu,” she called again, running up to him and grabbing a hold of his wrist. Mingyu started at her with wide eyes. He really, really needed to scream.

“Let’s get coffee some time, okay?” she offered, and Mingyu stared into her dark brown eyes in astonishment. Was it possible that... she, the girl who no one saw, had seen him? 

“Y-yeah. Let’s get coffee some time,” he echoed back to her, feeling a bit calmer under her soft gaze. He found himself wondering why he had never talked to her before. She was so sweet. Why hadn’t he been able to take this chance before? What if Wonwoo hadn’t pushed him?

Now, all that was certain for Mingyu was that he was really, really happy Seokmin joined the swim team.