The Story of Us (ATEEZ OT8 FAMILY)

Chapter 9: A Friendly Football Game

"Boys, remember what we talked about last week? Do not push your friends, and share the ball." Seonghwa warned the children before they let them to the field.

Having five children was difficult; with all of them being males, things were twice as tough. They had too much energy. They ran around the house. They caused all sort of troubles.

To drain their energy, Seonghwa signed them up for a football team in the neighbourhood. Every Wednesday afternoon, the kids in the neighbourhood would gather and play a game. It was a good chance for Seonghwa to get out of the house and interact with other adults too. Else, he might have gone insane...

Yunho was about to run off after his brothers, when he noticed his cousin still on the side-line.

"Yeosang, come with us!" Yunho pulled Yeosang's arm. Yeosang almost shrugged off automatically and told his cousin to not touch him since they were not that close, but he had to suppress his instinct, remembering his promise to mom.

"Hyunsuk! Meet my cousin. This is Yeosang. Yeosang, this is Hyunsuk." Yunho introduced Yeosang to his best friend, a scrawny-looking boy, half a head shorter than Yunho.

Swallowing down his sarcastic comments, Yeosang politely greeted Hyunsuk. Like his best friend, Hyunsuk had too much energy... Yeosang wondered if there were some kinds of energy drink mixed into the water here. Why did every kid here have so much energy?

"Are you guys done getting all chummy? We're waiting to play some football here." San called out annoyedly from the middle of the field. A group of children of all ages gathered there, boys and girls.

Yeosang unwillingly went with Yunho and Hyunsuk to the field. If he had had a choice, he would have chosen to stay on the side-line and be the ball-boy with Wooyoung. Or maybe he could have stayed with Seonghwa and helped babysit Jongho.

Much to Yeosang's displeasure, the game soon started. Yeosang was put into team with Yunho and Hyunsuk and a few more, while San and Mingi along with some other were on the opposite team.

When Yeosang won the coin toss, gaining the first ball for the team, Yunho patted on Yeosang's shoulder proudly, while San tsked disgruntledly. But the younger did not say anything, getting back into his position. Mingi obliviously bounced in his spot. He just wanted to play ball.

The game started. Yeosang tried his best to stay out of the ball path, while all the other kids raced to wherever the ball was. A kid in Yeosang's team (his name was Ren?), the poor kid that was half a head shorter than everyone, received the ball, only to be absolutely terrified by the hungry looks of both his teammates and opponents as they all jumped at him. Out of fright, Ren kicked the ball away, not caring whichever direction it might go.

San got the ball. He drippled it expertly pass a few opponents, until he faced his big brother. Being blocked by Yunho's towering body flustered the small boy. San tried to pass the ball to someone from his team, but everyone was far away. Mingi was the closest, and the boy was running toward him so he would be the perfect one, but then he tripped over nothing, causing San to shake his head and abandon his plan. In that moment of hesitation, Yunho stole the ball from the boy, leaving San frustrated at himself, chasing, trying to get the ball back.

Yunho could not get very far with everyone jumping at him. He looked around to find a close-by teammate. Beomgyu was blocked by two girls; the poor boy was so shy, he did not dare to push past them. Yuki, a half-Japanese girl of Mingi's age, was blocked by Mingi; she looked frustrated jumping up and down behind her taller friend. Yunho's only choice was Yeosang who was half a field away.

Yunho bounced the ball up, then booted it down the field as hard as he could. "Yeosang! Catch!" Yunho called out for Yeosang's attention. The younger boy cursed himself for being at the right spot, but he still obediently waited for the ball.