Spiderlove ~ Lee Know ✓

chapter 17 ;]

"So let me get this straight. You started teaching yourself how to play badminton in the 7th grade after falling in love with the sport. You were terrible at first and people made fun of you all the time, but you worked hard every day and improved so much that you became better than everyone else. Then you started taking classes and joined a club, you've been on the badminton team since 9th grade, became co-captain last year, and now you're the captain of the team?"

"Sounds about right" I confirm.

I've just finished recounting my tale to a very awe-stricken Minho. It would be mean if I said I'm indulging in the shocked expressions he keeps making, but I am.

"How come you never told me?"

"I thought you already knew!" I exclaim, "I didn't want to be the type of person to brag about it."

"That's so brag worthy though. Better to brag about something like that than to assume I know everything." Minho wails, making me laugh. I guess that's true.

"Man, I thought I was good at sports." He continues, "I'm one of the most athletic people in my other class. I even do hapkido and stuff, I have a black belt. That's why I made the bet with you! Geez, I was not expecting that. Mad respect."

"Thanks," I grin proudly. "I mean, martial arts and badminton are totally different. But you're probably right, I bet you could beat me in any other sport. I'm just a badminton girlie."

"No I'm convinced you're just not giving yourself enough credit and you're actually a god at sports."

"No, I'm really not. The real reason I wanted to play badminton so badly was not just because I'm good at it. I'm so terrible at volleyball it's sad. I'm so happy you didn't have to see that."

"Oh really? I was starting to believe you were telling the truth when you said you don't hate volleyball."

"No, I really do hate it. And I suck at it. But that's a story for another time."

"Ok then, miss storytime tiktoker." Minho teases.

"Shut up."

I stretch out my legs and arms, which have become stiff from sitting against the wall for a bit too long. I return to my original position next to Minho and drink some water from my water bottle. Minho continues his interrogation about my badminton life.

"So...team captain, huh? How exactly does that work for badminton? Isn't it not a team sport?"

"Yeah, it's either singles or doubles. Not much of a team. But basically I regulate tryouts and practices and help people improve and make sure everyone's doing stuff ...kind of like an assistant coach. And of course, I'm the best player. So as a result I'm put in all the tournaments, usually in girl's singles. Yeah."

"Tournaments? Have you won any?" he inquires.

"Yeah, a bunch. I even made the semi-finals last year." I boast. Even though I didn't make the championships, that was one of the proudest moments of my life. "Wait, how did you not know that? There's literally a banner!"

"Actually? Where?" he asks. I point to the top right corner of the gym and sure enough, there's a large piece of fabric hanging in line with the rest of the school's collection of banners, with the words:

2015 Badminton
SEMI-FINALIST
Girls Singles
Park Yeona

I admire my banner for a bit. It feels like just yesterday when I went to the AISA competition and came back to a screaming audience with a brand new prize to be shown to the whole school, for years to come. But it wasn't just yesterday, it was last spring.