Languor || Zhong Chenle

Tackled

I finished running ten laps. I rub the back of my head. The rubber balls gave me a solid whiplash each time.

"It hurts!" I said to the boy that is now dying of laughter.

"You look so funny!" Chenle said then laughing again.

"I seriously hate that."

"Okay, let's begin!"

Chenle is teaching me to defend myself when someone tries to choke me. His stare began to get serious once he explained the steps. He repeatedly corrected my mistakes.

"Again," said Chenle,not for the first time.

He is completely serious now. It scared me. He can really change his expression significantly.

I kept on repeating the steps.

"Okay, now for real."

Chenle stood in front of me. Without saying anything he grabs me by the neck and slams me to the tree behind me.

"Ah!" I screamed.

His grip tighten yet his eyes sing the same song. He pushed my neck up until my feet almost levitate from the ground. I tried to do the self defense he taught me.

I failed.

Chenle takes off his grip on my neck. I slump on to the ground while taking a forceful breath. I cough again and again.

"No one would warn you before choking you," said Chenle, "Again."

"Let me breathe a bit," i said, still shaken by his attack.

Chenle just stares at me. He looks nonplussed.

I then practice the steps again in front of him. So much so that it became such a reflex everytime i do that.

I keep myself alert just in case Chenle is going to attack me again without a warning. Then it finally happens again.

Chenle reaches for my neck, this time going straight to the ground. I've memorized the steps more than enough to actually rely on my reflexes.

I grabbed his elbow and push it outward until it bends. His grip loosened as his side lip curves upward, performing a slight smirk.

I catch my breath after i released myself from his grip.

"Was it good en-"

Before i could even finish my sentence, he chokes me from behind. His elbow locked on my neck. No one would say this is the right thing to do.

He never taught me how to defend myself from this attack. Which can only mean one thing.

He is testing me.

I instinctively try to get my right leg between his legs to tackle him. I tried two times with the breath i had left. The third time i used a momentum. I stiffen up my body and jerk it at the same time i tackle his leg. After he sway a bit from my force, i continued my swing into a crouch.

Thud

I had basically slammed Chenle to the ground. I did it.

"You haven't teach that one!" I said.

"What kind of sport did you do?" Chenle said while getting up from the ground.

"School sports."

"Liar."

I give him a questioning look.

"Next," said Chenle to begin the next lesson.

My body is going through an excessive exhaustion after he trained me for three hours.

Just before i feel like i'm going to pass myself out, Jisung and Renjun walk up to Chenle.

"She looks hilarious," Renjun said to Chenle before looking at me.

"How bad is she?" Jisung asked.

"She threw me when i choked her from the back."

"You didn't teach me a single thing about how to do it before!" I complained.

"S-she slammed you?" Jisung said with a shocked face.

"Damn, she is better than i thought," Renjun said.

"What?" I asked.

"If you managed to tackle Chenle down, you are stronger than you think," Jisung explained.

"How so?"

"It took Hrvy two months to escape Chenle's attack," Jisung said.