Friday night was supposed to be the night you're out for fun, but it wasn't the case for Jeno. He was stuck inside a hall, facing his opponents for an intellectual battle of numbers and logic.
People would say he lead the dull life, but he enjoyed it. Plus, it wasn't his choice exactly. He and a few other students were practically dragged into this competition to make it seem fired up and Haneul was one of those students.
It was an individual match and Jeno had yet to face her off. He wanted to battle with her, that was the only way they had to look at one another. His eyes never left her every time it was her round on the stage. He found himself eyeing and rooting for her.
After their small meeting on that first day of school, they acted like strangers again. Jeno was totally sad about this. He didn't know what went wrong with them, he was still left with a huge curiosity and he was a little angry that she wouldn't tell him.
"Contestant A, your answer?"
Haneul shook her head, she found herself daydreaming when she had pressed the buzzer. The numbers given to her, they looked awfully familiar. She had answered this question once, she required help and out of the blue she asked Jeno about it before.
The whole time they were together, they didn't only focus on History. They did a lot of things, they talked about each other a lot, about school was one of it. Haneul felt so glad to have met him, he was the answer to everything. Like literally, every academic question she couldn't solve, he had the answer.
Jeno also had the answer as to why she felt so complete around him. He was perfect, but she wasn't.
Haneul gave out her answer, but only after that did she realised that she misread it. Although the numerals given were something similar to what she had asked Jeno before, but the question was a trick. With a swift twist, she ended up giving the wrong answer.
A loud buzz was heard, Jeno frowned when Haneul was eliminated. "How could you not realise that?" He whispered to himself. Haneul wasn't startled, she expected that she would be eliminated as she had a hard time focusing.
Sad, it was the quarter finals. Then again, she didn't want to face Jeno. He had potential to enter finals, to even win and Haneul didn't want both of them to be each others distraction.
She could feel gazes on her and only one stood out, his. Haneul decided she would tell him everything tonight. However, some part of her wanted to root for him so much so that she could finally know what he would ask her.
As she went backstage, she ran into him. He was up next after this momentary break. The whole night, they would only look at one another from below. They didn't meet up at all.
"Are you okay?" Jeno asked softly and Haneul nodded. It was embarrassing, one way of another to have lost in front of him. "It's alright—"
"You're up next, right?" She asked instantly. She didn't want pity, that wasn't her. Haneul knew she would break down once she tells him everything. They were children, they had no power their parents. She made a mistake.
Jeno nodded to her question. "Good luck, you need to keep that promise right?" She smiled faintly before walking away. The small thing she did, lifted his mood instantly. He was full of spirit to win now that he remembered their little thing.
〚 王 〛
It was his turn now, Jeno walked up the stage and stood behind his podium. A piece of paper and a pencil on it to help him to scribble if he wanted to. However, he never. Writing down anything would just bother him and in the end, he'll be the late one to answer.
Just as they were doing a last minute setting for the final round, his eyes wandered to the audience. Specifically, the first row in which eliminated contestants would sit.
However, he didn't see Haneul at all. He was quite bothered that she wasn't where she was supposed to be, rooting for him. Then his curiosity was answered when she walked into the auditorium, she must've gone to the bathroom or something.
For once, he was washed over with relief. She'd be there just to give him strength. Their promise was the biggest drive for him to win. However, it somehow went down when another person tailed after her.
Jaehyun.
He was there, he was with her. Why hadn't he notice him before? Jeno wondered a lot, he knew she must've invited him but why? He was curious and a little furious as it may seem.
Again, the same hurtful feelings came to him all over. His gaze shifted from the two as they talked about something and parted ways. He watched as Haneul took a seat in the front row and didn't bother where Jaehyun had disappeared in the crowd.
They caught each others' eyes in which none of them reacted, until Haneul smiled softly at him. Her eyes full of meaning, she was cheering on him even if she wouldn't say so.
Jeno replied her small actions with a smile himself and focused on the screen next to him. He couldn't get a look on his opponent as all there was in his head was to ace this final round.
Jaehyun might be here, but he needed this last chance to win over the girl. Childish vision he put for himself, but he wanted to win. He needed to.
For once, Jeno was having quite a hard time solving the question in his head. It was probably due to his nervousness and also because he knew that Haneul was watching. He had to win, the thought was really shadowing the question he had to solve.
And then it came, the answer came. He didn't know why, but he caught his opponent gaze and it seemed like he had an answer as well. This was it, Jeno reached out for the buzzer as his opponent did and it rang, he heard it but he didn't know which came first.
"Contestant B, your answer?"
That's me, he thought. He took a second of pause before he finally gave out his answer. Then there was silence. Normally, he had a hunch if it was the correct one or not but this time he really didn't know.
His eyes travelled to the audience, he caught his friends cheering for him, his mother was there too and most importantly, he saw Haneul with her hands clasped together as she looked at the screen for the results. Had he ever told her that she looked cute when she's nervous?
He probably should. He looked at his opponent, whose eyes were also on the screen, waiting for it to give him a turn to answer. He was late by a millisecond, luck sided with Jeno instead.
"We have a winner for this year's Maths Olympiad. Let's welcome Lee Jeno!"
As his name was mentioned, he broke into a grin. He won, he really did. It was something he expected but it felt so good. The taste of victory was never foreign to him but this one was something else. The promise was ringing in his head but he needed to accept his victory first.
He glanced at Haneul who was clapping and her cousin appeared out of the blue, with his friends around him. Now was the moment, he needed to be quick as well before someone else took her.
〚 王 〛
🐾 we're coming to an end people!
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