The weeks building up to Nationals have become more and more stressful. I've been so caught up in fencing that I've had almost zero time for all my homework. However fortunately for me, all of my teachers are super nice and super understanding. They sometimes let me take my homework to work on over the weekend and then turn it in on Monday. However, it's still been quite stressful. Currently today I have a free period in the afternoon which I plan to use to just study and catch up on work. As I walk into school that morning, there's a lot of talk about the fencing team going to Nationals.
"You know, I bet they're going to win it all again today."
"I mean you never know, there may be some diamond in the rough from one of the other schools."
"Girl, no way! Have you even seen Neo High's fencing team? Not only do we have an amazing captain Mark Lee and pro fencer Huang Renjun, the girls' team's captain is internationally ranked fencer Aria Wong!"
"True, but let's not jinx anything just yet."
Hearing all sorts of comments just brings me under even more pressure. I need to prove myself, prove that I'm a fantastic fencer. The anticipation is insane and no one can talk about anything except for Nationals. Even when I walk into PE that morning with Jaemin and Jeno, we instantly become surrounded by our classmates who are desperately asking for information about the upcoming match. Literature was a bit more chill as everyone in that class is dedicated to studying. Then lunch rolls around. You know the one thing that I hate about lunch is all the people. I just need peace and quiet, not a bunch of rowdy teenagers bouncing off the walls, gossiping, and making out in the corner. Like, no thank you.
Today, I decided to do something different. I go wait in the lunch line, grab some kimchi, bulgogi, white rice, vegetables and a drink. After paying, I make my way out of the cafeteria and I head to the roof. Not only do I get peace and quiet on the roof, I also get a fabulous view of Seoul. I have a thing with nice views. If there's a nice view, I'm there. I can feel my friends staring at me as I leave the cafeteria, but I don't really care.
Renjun's POV:
I'm sitting down at the cafeteria with the rest of the fencing team. I've had a pretty quiet morning, and I have free period later today which is a relief. I'm caught up in a conversation with Mark and Jeno about how we're going to beat the pants off of Jack Yu when I see Aria enter the cafeteria. There she is. Aria. Still beautiful as ever. Everything from how she dresses to the way she walks not only state that she has class, but it defines how classy and elegant she is. I watch her as she grabs her food and then...makes her way out of the cafeteria?
"Yo, where is Aria going," Haechan asks. "Did she not see us?"
"I have no idea," Julia says while scratching her head. "Shall I go get her?"
"No it's fine, I'll go," I say as I stand up. I already finished my lunch so I decide to let everyone else eat while I go follow Aria. I watch her as she walks through the hallways and then head up the stairs that supposedly leads to the rooftop. I follow her and watch her for a little while. She puts her tray down on a wooden bench and goes over to the railing and just looks at the view. I watch as she closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath of fresh air. And then she starts....crying? Wait why? What happened? Did someone hurt her? Is she in pain? There's so many questions going through my head and I have no idea what to do. My feet do the work and I can feel the ground moving beneath my feet as I walk over to her. I kneel down beside her and give her a hug. I can tell that she's startled at first, but she relaxes once she realizes who it is.
"Baby, what's wrong?"
She looks up at me with those big light brown eyes. I can see her tear stained cheeks and her eye makeup is a little bit smudged. I wipe away lagging tears with my thumb and cup her face to make her look at me.
"Honestly," she starts, "I don't know what's wrong. I have no idea why I'm like this all of a sudden." She starts breaking down in tears again. I'm not quite sure what to do, so I sit down next to her and let her cry as much as she needs. After staying in that position for a while, she looks up and starts to talk.
"I'm really sorry Renjun, I just don't know what's wrong with me. Maybe I just needed fresh air or needed to be alone from everyone. It may be a mix of stress from school and from fencing. I don't know how to handle everything, and I'm just really thankful that you're here. All the talk about Nationals is really making me feel the pressure. I want to do well not just for you guys and the school, but for myself as well. After my parents started leaving the house more and more for work, I didn't really have a pillar of strength to lean on anymore. I guess I'm just scared. Scared at what could happen at Nationals. I don't want to let you guys down, and I know that I may be one of the more experienced fencers, but anything could happen. I just don't know what to do. I know it may sound like some stupid excuse, but I-"
I kiss her to make her shut up. I love her so much and it hurts me to see her in this sort of condition. She calls her explanation a stupid excuse, but I see it as her continuing to trust me and open up to me. I hope she knows how much I love and appreciate her. I hope she knows that I'll always protect her and never let her go. The kiss won't say much, but I hope that it gets my feelings across.
"Aria, let me tell you one thing. No matter what happens at Nationals, just know that you will never change in my eyes. You're the most perfect human being in this world and I'm so happy that I got to get to know you better. You're my light and my everything. You're the reason I wake up every morning and come to this hell. It's because I want to see you. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without you. And I really hope you know how much I love you."
She gives me the biggest smile I've ever seen from her, and she slams her lips onto mine. I can feel as her arms snake around my neck, and her fingers start going through my hair. It's a bit rough at first, but it eventually becomes sweet. It went from something like a war zone, to something like two people holding hands. We're seriously so compatible, and I don't think I could find anyone else like her. We've shared experiences and can relate to each other.
We stay on the roof in each other's embrace until the lunch bell rings. We head down together with our empty lunch trays and make our way to the library for free period, hand in hand.
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YOU ARE READING
A Bout for Two // NCT Renjun
Fanfiction"You know, I never hated you, I was just scared that you hated me." "I could never hate you, I just don't know what to do around you. I guess that, I dunno, I get nervous around you..." . . Renjun Fencing AU coming soon!
