before & after ‣ 엔하이픈

024 ; present

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AERI

Aeri tied her hair in a high ponytail as she walked to school on a Saturday morning.

While the heat was no longer a problem for her, she did like the feeling of the wind hitting her neck because of how refreshing it was. She wore a yellow shirt paired with jeans because the school had given strict instructions that if they do come to watch the soccer game, they should at the very least wear the color of their school.

Sunghoon had offered to drive her this morning, but not only was it 6am when he called her, she did not want to admit to him yet that she actually was going to watch him play. She didn't want to give him that sort of satisfaction yet, and quite frankly, she didn't want to make a big deal of her attendance. She was one out of many onlookers, after all. One more soul in the crowd of people doesn't really make that big of a difference.

When Aeri arrives at the entrance of their school that was more packed than usual because of the game, she sees Haesu who was busily typing something on her phone before looking up from the screen to meet eyes with the girl approaching her. Haesu grins at the sight of Aeri. "Aeri! Finally, you came to one of these games!" She exasperates. "And here I thought you would graduate without ever seeing our school's team play."

Aeri smiled slightly, finding it funny that even Haesu was aware she has never attended a game, not until she became something with Jake and Sunghoon returned. "I thought it would be nice to catch one game before I graduate."

The two of them began to walk to the soccer field where the game was going to be held. The hallway was packed with students wearing two different colors, yellow and red. The sight was unusually odd to Aeri because this was the first time she was seeing the school at this state, but most of it was her fault because of her refusal to participate in any school activity that involved sports.

"Where's Seeun?" Aeri asked Haesu as they walked side by side towards the open field.

"Already saved us a seat." Haesu answered, looking around and noticing a bunch of heads turning towards Aeri as if she was a spectacle. "Looks like you're a star."

Aeri raised an eyebrow. "You're exaggerating."

Haesu merely laughed. "Oh but you are, queen bee."

The two of them arrived near the bleachers where Seeun was, and Aeri fought the urge to laugh when she saw a banner with Sunghoon's name with a heart next to it. That felt like something she would use to make fun of Sunghoon for as long as they are friends.

Seeun grinned. "Do you want a banner too, Aeri? Name a player and I have it."

Aeri laughed. "No thanks. But can I borrow the Sunghoon one later?"

"What do you mean borrow? Here you can have it!" Seeun says, not taking no for an answer as she hands a banner with Sunghoon's name. Unable to disappoint the girl, Aeri just accepted it because she was going to use it as a way to make of Sunghoon anyway. "They better win this. It's the first time Aeri's going to watch, they can't embarrass themselves in front of her."

"Again, you exaggerate." Aeri sighed.

"There they are!" Haesu hollered when the players started to appear at the side from both the home and opposing teams. "I love you, Park Sunghoon!" 

That scream had prompted the team to gaze over their direction and immediately, Aeri's eyes locks with Sunghoon, who didn't take long enough to look at what she was holding. Only then had she realized that, while she was merely playing with it, it had seemed as though she was actually cheering from him. When she noticed that he was looking at it, she puts it down on her lap and gave him a glare, which he gladly replied with a laugh as he sends over a wink that caused screams from behind her, who thought they were the receiving end of it.