basketball ➸ lee eunsang

| 04 |

it was the day of the basketball tryouts, and haeyoung finally made the decision to join the girls' tryouts. their school was very fond of basketball, since it was their school's sport. because of that, many students came to gather around the gym, hoping to find something interesting while watching the tryouts.

there were two teams; the girls' team, and the boys' team. the coaches were going to accept ten people on each team, and they let the girls to tryout first.

even if she was gonna tryout, haeyoung wasn't there yet, because her last-period teacher asked her to help him bring his stuff to the teacher's lounge. dongpyo and wonjin were sitting by the bleachers, wondering where the girl could be.

"where is haeyoung?" wonjin asked. "tryouts are gonna start in like, thirty seconds and she's not here yet."

"are you sure she's actually trying out?" dongpyo asked.

"yes! she told me earlier this morning." wonjin asked. "maybe she changed her mind-"

wonjin was cut off by the doors harshly opening and a panting, sweaty haeyoung in basketball attire barged in, catching everyone's attention.

"oh, hey, haeyoung." the coach said. "are you here for tryouts?"

haeyoung nodded, and almost everyone in the room gasped. "sorry i'm late, mr. cha asked me to help him bring his stuff to the lounge."

"it's okay, we were just about to start." the coach said. "come over there with the other girls."

there were at least twenty-five girls trying out, and haeyoung was one of them. they split into two teams and started playing, the coach observing every move. the students were still shocked of the sight of kwon haeyoung playing, but she didn't care.

"wow, she is good at playing." wonjin said to the boy beside him.

"i told you, hyung." dongpyo replied.

after two rounds of playing, the girls' tryout ended, and it was time for the boys' tryout.

haeyoung, who was panting and was sweaty as hell, went over to the drink station where bottled water could be found. she grabbed a water and started drinking on it, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of eyes watching her drink water [not alcohol] .

she looked to her right, and saw the boys (and some of the girls) watch her drink water. she threw the empty water bottle in the trash can before speaking. "what?"

the boys looked away, except for hangyul and mingyu.

"you were pretty good." hangyul said.

haeyoung looked at hangyul. "sure." she said, looking at hangyul weirdly. hah, the guy who i hate the most complemented me.

"yeah, i agree. you were the best one out there." said mingyu. haeyoung slightly smiled.

"thanks." she said, walking to the bleachers.

"hey, noona!" dongpyo said, running from the bleachers to haeyoung. wonjin followed the younger boy from behind.

"yes, dongpyo?"

"why don't we treat you to ice cream after tryouts?" dongpyo said.

"no, no, you don't have to."

"please?" he said with his stupid aegyo that haeyoung despised since middle school.

haeyoung sighed. "fine. thanks." they walked back to where they were seated.

"all right, boys! it's your turn!" the coach said. the boys stood up from the benches, and walked to the court.

"haeyoung-ah! sit beside me!" a voice said.

haeyoung turned to that direction, and she was met with eunsang, patting the space beside him. haeyoung signaled dongpyo to sit with them, and she sat beside eunsang.

"you were really good. why didn't you try out last year?" eunsang asked.

"oh, thanks." haeyoung said, looking down. "i didn't want to try out last year. i don't know why, but i wasn't feeling it."

"oh, okay." eunsang said, nodding. "oh, look! the boys' try out is gonna start."

haeyoung looked to the court, wherein the boys were playing. her attention immediately went to kim mingyu. he's even more handsome when he's playing basketball, haeyoung thought, but then shook her head. no, no, stop thinking of him.

"haeyoung? you okay?" dongpyo asked, snapping her out of her trance.

"yeah, yeah, yeah," she said, waving her hands in the air and continued watching the try outs, eyes focused on mingyu. of course, there were a bunch of other girls in the gym watching mingyu, since most of the girls were here because of him.

haeyoung felt another pair of eyes staring at her. she looked to her right, nothing. and as she was looking to her left, she saw a glimpse of eunsang looking at her, but he looked away before haeyoung could turn to his direction fully.

did i have something on my face or...? haeyoung thought, but shrugged it off. after a few minutes, the boys' tryouts ended. the players gathered to the middle of the court for another talk with the coach, before they went to the shower room to get refreshed.

"noona! let's go to the convenience store for ice cream!" dongpyo happily said.

haeyoung chuckled. "okay."

they went out the gym and headed to the store.

"mingyu-ah." eunsang said as mingyu was coming out of the shower room. "let's go to the convenience store to get ice cream."

➸

eunsang der dropping hints