shot clock || na jaemin (the court series #1)

quarter four: minute three

the huntress was somewhat of a legend at glenbrook north high school. no one really knew what had happened to her. last they heard of her, her name was serena park and she had run off to south korea, suho lee hot on her trail. there were rumors about pregnancy (that she had had an abortion in south korea), but her friends, especially hyunjin had put those rumors to rest. hyunjin wasn't sure what kinda girl serena was anymore, given the fact that she had come back to the states with a new name and a new sense of empathy he hadn't seen in her before.

it took him three weeks after the basketball season started for the girls' team (of which, she was obviously offered position of captain; she had declined) to finally find her after practice, stretching her sore muscles. she was really out of shape compared to how she was before she had left for korea, but that's what nearly a year without practice will do to you, she chides herself.

"serena! i mean sooyoung. hi. can i talk to you?" sooyoung freezes, recognizing the owner of the voice. sure enough, when she turns around, hyunjin's handsome face greets her, waving his hand sheepishly. 

"hyunjin? what are you doing here?" sooyoung asks cautiously. hyunjin winces at her carefulness around him. when they were dating, she had been so carefree and loving around him; it kinda hurt him to see her so jumpy and nervous around him.

"i know we didn't exactly part on the best of terms," hyunjin says, feeling a pang in his chest when sooyoung doesn't look him in the eyes, instead electing to look down at her feet. "but i found out the truth of what happened, sooyoung. i know you didn't cheat on me."

sooyoung's head bounces up at that, her mouth dropped open in a look of surprise.

"you know? who told you?" she asks excitedly, immediately receding, wiping the smile off of her face.

"no - no, please don't do that. i'm really sorry for not believing you when you told me. when suho had told me, he just sounded so sure and so cocky and i was stupid for believing him. your brother's girlfriend, jisoo, found my instagram and explained everything, with solid proof that suho was lying. obviously she didn't share any specifics or any personal details, but she thought i should know the truth. that you never betrayed me." hyunjin feels like he's rambling but he really cannot bring himself to care. she needed to know. she deserved to know.

sooyoung can't help the smile that stretches across her face, one so true and raw that she cannot manage to keep it down. it's contagious, apparently, because now hyunjin is smiling at her and they both look like idiots who'd inhaled laughing gas or something.

but then a coach comes in to set up for dry land training for swimming and diving, effectively ruining the moment. sooyoung finishes her stretches and heads over to her training bag to get ready to leave for the day when hyunjin comes into her line of sight with a nervous proposition.

"sooyoung...do you think we could hang out after school today? just like old times." the question is soft, not pushy, but holds notes of excitement that sooyoung recognizes far too quickly. 

"i'm sorry hyunjin. i don't really feel comfortable to just...forget everything, you know? i appreciate the offer though, i really do," sooyoung says, tossing her sweaty towel back into her duffel bag. hyunjin's face falls and if there's anything sooyoung could do to make it better, she would. but she can't. so she accepts hyunjin apology and leaves him behind as she exits the gym.