shades of yellow » han seojun ff

34. warm

"I'M MC JAERONG, the cutest MC ever! It's nice to meet you all!" The man clad in a neon-pink suit thundered into the mic, to the rapturous applause of the excited students.

As he began introducing the newspaper game as the first activity of the day, Yeonwoo could not help but look across the crowd towards Seojun. Luckily his back was turned to her, so he wasn't able to see the look of slight vexation on her face.

"Yeonwoo, didn't you hear what he said?" Everyone had been assembling into groups of four except for her. Sujin stared at her awkwardly, as she stood close to Suho, Taehoon, Sua, and Jugyeong.

"There's five of us though." Yeonwoo searched among the crowds, already knowing that she would be unofficially kicked out.

"What are you saying? Come on!" Sua, annoyed, pulled Yeonwoo towards the group.

"I'll leave then!" Taehoon exclaimed, putting up an exaggerated look of bravery.

Yeonwoo already began to step away. "It's fine you guys, I can join another group. Jugyeong, come with me—"

"You can join my group." Suddenly, Minkyu grabbed her sweater. He had appeared out of nowhere.

"Really? Thanks." Her eyes lit up. "Is there space for Jugyeong?"

"She's in my group." It was Seojun. He gave them both a curt nod before dragging Jugyeong over to the other side of the field, amidst the yells of they're really a couple!

Minkyu brought Yeonwoo over to his group, which consisted of his best friend Ilsung and his girlfriend Hanee. They were a sweet, lowkey couple that Yeonwoo barely talked to but found agreeable. In fact, Hanee had gone to the same middle school as her and therefore remembered her brother. At the sight of the girl, Hanee flashed her a grin.

With a blow of his whistle, MC Jaerong signalled the start of the game. Yeonwoo, Minkyu, Ilsung, and Hanee wrapped their arms around each other, trying desperately not to step out of the newspaper. Feeling Minkyu's hand hover above her waist, Yeonwoo couldn't help but look up towards Seojun's group.

Why was it that her heart sunk when Jugyeong wobbled and Seojun's manner hands immediately latched onto her shoulders? What was the look Jugyeong gave Seojun? Yeonwoo was dying to see Seojun's expression, but only his back faced her. 

Maybe he really did like her. She thought glumly. Then she paused in her thoughts. And so what if he liked her? They'd be a great couple ... very sweet ... and Jugyeong's my best friend, I can't possibly hate her for having eyes. Seojun is incredibly handsome, caring, cool. Am I overthinking the kiss cam? Was he being totally platonic, just playing up to the camera so they wouldn't bother us again as he said? Even so, what a jerk for playing with my feelings—

"Congratulations to our last four teams! Let's give them a round of applause!" Again, Yeonwoo had been completely lost in her daydreaming to notice that her team was one of the last standing. She slowly exited her stupor, clapping in a daze and high-fiving her teammates.

The MC decided to take things a step further by making them fold the newspaper a quarter of its size. Now, how the heck were they supposed to fit now?

She was suddenly hit by inspiration. "Yah, Minkyu." She turned to him. "Can you piggyback me?"

"Sure." He crouched down. "Hop on."

And as soon as she did, a wave of gasps rippled through the crowd. Yeonwoo patted his shoulder as he hoisted her up his back and held the back of her knees. She locked her hands around his neck, not wanting to lose her grip.

"Am I heavy?" She spoke softly into his ear.

Minkyu laughed. "Nah, not really. I'm strong, you see."

Unseen to her, Seojun was seething. That guy was so brazen, putting his hands all over her. Within an instant, he had picked up a very surprised Jugyeong, bridal-style. He kept his steely gaze ahead of him.

It was as if Yeonwoo had set up a chain reaction; first it was Seojun picking up Jugyeong, and then Suho and Sujin. Yeonwoo could barely conceal her surprise at the last unexpected couple.

Chorong's team was the first to flake out, as the three other guys in the team has climbed onto Chorong and hung onto him like monkeys. Obviously that group would fail first.

A light frizzle of tension sizzled through the air. Ilsung was carrying Hanee bridal-style. Yeonwoo still held onto Minkyu. When the MC announced for all the boys to stand on only one feet, she clung even tighter to him.

"Your hair stinks!" Sihyun, from Seojun's team, yelled loudly to Hyunkyu, whom she had been piggybacking upon. The poor boy collapsed under her complaint, and then they all tumbled down over each other.

"Two teams left!" The MC cheered. "But who will be the last?"

From Suho's team came a loud shriek. It was Sua, pulling onto Taehoon's hair to regain her balance. She knocked into Suho, who stumbled backwards, Sujin rolling onto him.

"And we have our winners!" The MC declared, gesturing towards Yeonwoo's team.

She disembarked from Minkyu. "I may have scuffed your jeans with my boots a little, sorry!"

"It was worth it." He grinned at her, and Ilsung and Hanee brought them in for a group hug.

"Aish!" Sujin grumbled, sitting up and blowing her hair out of her face. 

She glared at Sua, who whined, "It was Taehoon! He wasn't holding onto me properly." She gazed at Yeonwoo's group and said rather admiringly, "Minkyu must be really strong."

Taehoon pouted. "Jagiyaa, sorry."

"Ahh, it's alright. How could I stay mad at my Taehoonie?" She squealed, climbing into his lap.

"Gross!" Sujin yelped. She stood up, shuddering. "I'm leaving." Before she left, she turned towards Suho and pointed an accusing finger at him. "And you. Don't ever do that again."

"Didn't you want to win?" Suho said blankly.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She turned towards Yeonwoo, who was chattering excitedly to her teammates. "At least they seem happy."

Suho nodded imperceptibly. Like a magnet, his gaze was drawn towards Jugyeong and Seojun. The latter was having his shoulders pummelled by Jugyeong, playing up to her cajoling by wincing and pretending to be hurt.

Suho's memory of what he had seen at the baseball stadium flitted across his mind. His eyebrows shot up. Hold on for a second, was that jerk playing with Yeonwoo's feelings? While he was acting like that with Jugyeong?

He made up his mind to talk to her. And then, beat Seojun up for her.