Aeri's writing ideas go wild as soon as she meets Na Jaemin, the perfect character.
However, she's so focused on painting him as perfectly as possible that she ignores the furry of fiery hair that takes her to night walks and shows her secret places...
I was sitting in the bleachers with Renjun and Yeji, waiting for the try-outs to start. Jeno and Donghyuck were standing on the edge of the basketball court, throwing enthusiastic smiles here and there to the boys who wanted to get in the team. Jaemin was sitting on the ground patiently, making small talk with some other kids that unlike him, seemed terrified. He was giving off warm vibes and self-confidence, the kind that makes somebody even more attractive than they already are. It was an orange Thursday sunset, the time of the day that was my personal favourite because it made me feel inspired. I was barely holding back from pulling out my notebook and sketching a few writing aesthetics on its pages.
We weren't the only ones who'd come to watch the try-outs, but maybe we were the most relevant ones, because the biggest part of the people sitting in the bleachers were fangirls of the basketball team, mostly Jeno's, Jisung's and Donghyuck's, as always. Jisung and I weren't that close, he was the kind of kid who was your friend's friend and who would probably help you if you ever needed him. But we didn't have any kind of common interests or anything like that, which was basically pretty weird for me. Ever since I started writing, I have been trying to get closer to people of all kinds, mostly because socializing and dealing with real events inspired me but kept me mentally steady as well. It's never been his case. He was nice, attractive even, probably too attractive for his own good, and a great friend to Jeno. But that was it about him.
I guess some humans simply don't click. I've figured in time it's alright to be neutral regarding some people, it's alright to have a good impression about them but to choose to admire them from afar.
Yeji was communicating through gestures with Jeno and I was barely holding back my laughter at Jeno's terrible skills in this field. When I first met Yeji, I had this weirdly good feeling about her, as if she belonged in my story. And I realized why when I saw her sitting quietly on the edge of the basketball court on a Friday evening, watching my best friend as if he put the stars in the sky.
Comparing to my relationship with Jisung, Renjun and I are way closer. I could never find a specific reason for this, though, so I came up with the conclusion that some people will click with you and some won't, without any particular reason. Unlike any of my friends, Renjun doesn't hang out with me regularly. Weeks can go by without us seeing each other, but we're always coming back as if we have never been apart. He's the first person I would show my pieces of writing to, if I ever decided to show them to someone. I trust him a lot, because unlike kids our age, he is considerate and mature.
A mess of fiery hair distracts me from my thoughts and I don't have squint my eyes to realize it's none other than Zhong Chenle. Despite his simple appearance, a loose black t-shirt and basketball shorts, everybody was looking at him. It was no secret Zhong Chenle was rich and the number of people who wanted to befriend him just because of that wasn't little, but he didn't seem to care. He never did. His signature amused smile made its way up to his lips and I couldn't help but smile too. It was contagious, his brightness could literally light up the night, even though few took their time to realize this. We've grown up with this weird idea that rich people will always play behind you and know how to play with you. But the ones who have met Zhong Chenle know now better than to believe those stories. And I'm glad I'm one of those people too.
Chenle spots Jaemin and his smile widens, his pace picking up in order to get faster next to the older boy. I watch them, without being able to hear their conversation, to my disappointment. I didn't know they were close or at least close enough to make Chenle run to Jaemin like that.
Wait...
What if Chenle tells him about my notes about him?
I feel my world suddenly stopping at the thought and my pulse accelerating.
But he promised not to.
Still.
I try to shake off this uneasy feeling, but to no avail.
Shortly after Chenle came, the try-outs began and each of the wannabe members had to pass their test. No matter how many boys were trying to pass, none of them could come close to Jaemin, who went among the first ones and who visibly impressed everybody. Chenle went the last. However, as soon as his test started, Jaemin suddenly came on the second place. There was something about Chenle, about the way he was dribbling the ball, the way he was running on the court, as if he owned the place and he knew every square inch of it. There was some kind of crazy smile on his lips, weirdly scary.
"Is he even real?" I hear Yeji whispering next to me and all I can do is stare in awe without saying a word.
An antagonist.
He'd be the perfect one.
I shiver and try to brush away my thoughts, simply focusing on the boy running in front of us, the ball in his hands looking like it was part of him.
By the end of the evening, the basketball team had gained four new members, Jaemin and Chenle being two of them.
We wait until the fangirls and fanboys leave so we can go and congratulate everybody. There was some sort of aura around the new basketball team, it simply felt right. Something about the way the sunset colored their appearance in orange made them seem like the perfect fit. I couldn't tell exactly why though. It was just like that.
"Congratulations! All of you were amazing!" Yeji beams as we get near the boys.
Jeno looks at her with his signature smile on his lips and a glint that seemed to belong only to Yeji in his eyes. The new guys thank her, wide and genuine smiles plastered on their faces. I look at Jaemin and Chenle who were standing right next to Jeno and I can't help but smile at the overflowing excitement that their smiles give off. Pretty much like water and fire, they seemed harmonious together, but they were different. I wanted them to be different.
This can turn out so well.
By the time the sun completely sets, we decide we should go and celebrate, in the honor of the new basketball team. When we get ready to leave the court, the ghost of a deep worry makes me stay behind and wait for the fiery-haired boy.
"You didn't tell him, did you?" I ask and my voice comes out in an almost-whisper.
He looks at me surprised, but not confused.
"I didn't," He says, making me release a deep sigh of relief. "And I never will. Don't worry."
He gives me a small smile.
If I hadn't been so distracted by his assurance, I would've probably noticed it wasn't a genuine one.
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