The Three Musketeers

2

Turns out, finding a temporary basketball team was harder than Jie thought. 

He roamed around the gym and huffed in annoyance when his companions pretended he wasn't there. 

Minyoung had already been dragged off by another team filled with taller girls despite her own complaints, and Rin was probably trying his hardest to stay away from Yoonjae, leaving Jie in the dirt. 

It was at times like this where he hated being small, no one, absolutely no one took him seriously. Not to mention, how much people tended to doubt his everyday skills. 

They think I can't play basketball because I'm short, he sulked to himself, he'll show them. 

Before he could continue to pout, he felt an arm yanking him so hard it almost dislocated, and he was about to scold whoever dared to touch him until he felt strong arms wrap around his midsection. 

He looked up to see a shocked Taeho (who still had his hands on his waist), Jie noted with a smile. 

"Hi, hyung!" Jie chirped. He pretended not to see the redness of Taeho's ears.

"H-hey Ji, um, do you want to perhaps be on our team?" He asked, gesturing towards the three tall 12th graders behind him. 

A pretty girl with blonde hair smiled warmly at Jie, but the other two boys, who were noticeably less attractive, didn't seem too pleased to have him on their team. 

"I'd love to!" Jie replied, relief coursing through him as he now finally didn't look like a loner. The two taller boys scoffed. 

"Can you even throw a ball?" One of them asked in a menacing voice. 

Jie tried his hardest to glare at them, but it would be no use. He had been told on many occasions that he looks too cute when he tries to be angry. 

"I can assure you I am fully capable of doing so," he spat back. Oh, he couldn't wait to start playing. 

"I apologise for my brothers, they specialise in being absolute pricks," the blonde girl assured him, and Jie decided he automatically liked her. 

"I'm Yeji by the way, and the two assholes behind me are Luca and Dek, don't mind them," she told him, holding out a delicate hand. 

"Jie," he replied, gently shaking it. A cough then interrupted their little alliance session, and they both turned their heads to see Taeho sheepishly staring back. 

"Uh- I think the games are starting."

"Time!" The coach bellowed, signalling the end of yet another game. 

"We're up next, guys," Taeho informed his team, who were all jittery in anticipation. It was just a school game of basketball, but why did they feel as if they were to perform in the Olympics? His team of five quickly got onto their side of the court, distancing themselves in their designated positions. 

"Begin!" 

In a flurry of events, the ball began bouncing back and forth towards different members of different teams and students began yelling and encouraging each other from both their teams and the sidelines.