rematch | ishman

CH: 11

Ishan regretted unblocking Shubman the moment he woke up to ten texts from the boy for the seventh day in a row.

Prince Fuckhead

did you see my pull shot
it was good right
right????????
ofc it was good
im better than you anyway
wyd
can you slap abhi for me
he’s teasing me about my interview :(
don't ignore me
i want to destroy you in the final
you have to win the semis tomorrow 

Ishan rubbed his temples in agitation. He simply replied to the last text with “of course we will” and tossed his phone aside. Why was Shubman acting like they were friends? Unblocking didn't mean Ishan let him back in his life. 

‘You have, though,’ his brain whispered. 

Ishan couldn't entirely deny that. He hadn't realized it, but Shubman was slowly starting to make his way back into his life.

He was not sure how to feel about it. Did he hate it? Yes. Did he hate it enough to block him again? No. That was frustrating.

“What’s up, babygirl?” 

Ishan shot an annoyed glare at his best friend before saying, “Tell Abhi that Shubi’s whining about the recording.”

“Shubi?!” Mayank gasped dramatically. “Did you just- oh my god, are you talking to him?”

Ishan rolled his eyes, waving off dismissively. “He’s talking, I’m ignoring.”

Mayank grinned from ear to ear, plopping down beside Ishan. “But you unblocked him. Wow, did him praising you that day hit a nerve?”

“Ugh. Can we not talk about him first thing in the morning?” Ishan shrugged off the other’s hand and stood up. 

Mayank grinned, not ready to let the topic slip. “What do you two talk about? Don’t say something boring like Star Wars.”

“Abhi’s going to love you for that.” Ishan rolled his eyes as he ran his fingers through his hair, standing in front of the mirror. “Shubi- ugh. Shubman. Shubman is even more annoying in texts, can you believe it?”

“I can actually.”

"He texts at the most ungodly hours. I wonder if he doesn’t sleep very well. Sometimes, he even sends a photo of his breakfast. What am I supposed to do with that? Well, the least annoying thing so far is probably when he talks about his matches.”

Mayank barely bit his smile as he said, “Ishan, you’re rambling.”

Ishan ignored him and continued to brush his hair, checking himself out in the mirror. “We have to beat them in the finals,” he said with a serious tone.

“If we make it past the semis,” Mayank replied quietly.

Ishan huffed, turning to him with a scowl. “What did I say about having self-esteem?”

Fidgeting with his fingers, Mayank nodded. Ishan walked up to him with a sigh and placed a comforting hand on his back. “Kya hua, Mayu?” He asked softly.

Mayank shook his head, managing a weak smile. “Kya hoga, Ish?”

“Mujhse jhooth bolega bete?” Ishan twisted Mayank’s ear slightly, causing the other to grunt. “Come on, spit it out.”

Mayank sighed, leaning back against the wall. "I'm overthinking, I guess. This is our last year, our last chance to prove ourselves. Scouts will be there in the finals, and if we don't make it–”