Whatever It Takes (ITZY x Male Reader)

D-1 (Mini-Chapter)

(A/N): Hey guys! This chapter is just a really short one! This serves as an introduction to the actual Exhibition match that will take place in the next chapter! WOOHOO!

So, yeah. Let's enjoy Chapter 15.5, a mini-chapter of 'Whatever It Takes'!

~~~~~

You are currently cooking breakfast for the girls alongside Lia. Ever since the day you two made apple pie, she always went out of her way to wake up very early just to help you. And because of that, your mornings are livelier than before.

"And done," Lia silently cheered as you both gave each other a high five, "That was hard to make."

"But it was worth it," You chuckled as she giggled.

"True."

You both washed your hands before sitting down on the couch to wait for the other girls to wake up.

It was quiet, but a comfortable type of quiet. The quietness was broken when Lia began to ask you something.

"Hey, (Y/N)," She said, fixing her sitting position so she would be facing you, "What do you think of us?"

You were surprised at the sudden question.

"In what way?" You tilt your head as she giggled.

"As a team. Like what do you think of us as players?"

"Ahhh," You nodded, finally understanding what she meant, "Well, I'd say that you girls are doing really well despite being absolute beginners. All of you adapted the game quickly, which is really impressive."

Lia smiles wholeheartedly at your answer. She was glad that you are proud of them, and that she was certain that you will never be disappointed in them.

After your answer, as if on queue, you and Lia started to hear the girls walk out of their rooms. They were either yawning or groaning like mindless zombies, a sight that you have gotten pretty used to due to how early you always wake up.

"The zombies finally woke up," You joked, making Lia laugh and the others pout, "Come on, rinse your mouths and wash your faces and hands so we could start eating."

"Ne!"

____________________

"Basketball plays?" Winter tilted her head in confusion, "What's that again?"

It's already 9:00 am in the morning, and all of them have already warmed up and are ready to practice. You decided that it was time for them to learn plays instead of making them do drills, hence why most of them are confused right now.

"Think of it like dance choreography," You said as they listened, "When you make a choreography, you practice where you position yourself in a certain time or rhythm, you practice syncing your move to the beat, and sometimes you start to move based on one person's movement like a queue, right?"

They nodded as you continued explaining, "It's similar to that but instead of dancing to music, you girls will be moving accordingly to get open shots and score some points."

You walked your way to the ball rack and picked up a ball with one hand before going back to where you were standing before.

"Let me demonstrate."

You told ITZY that they will be the defense while you and Aespa will be the offense. You then huddled up with Aespa and explained the play.

"Okay, you girls got that?" You asked Aespa.

"Ne!" They answered as you smiled.

"Alright, then. Let's begin!"

______[time skip]________

"That... was... AWESOME!" Yuna cheered, the girls following suit as you smiled in content. They need more polishing, sure, but considering that they are beginners, they learned the plays pretty quickly with little hassle.

"You girls are naturals," You complimented them, "You learned like, 5 plays, in 4 hours!"

"It's because we have the BEST coach!" Chaeryeong said as she hugged you. It surprised the other girls as well, some of them staring daggers at Chaeryeong.

"Group hug!" Karina shouted as she lunged at you from behind. The girls then followed one by one, creating a group hug with you being squished in the middle.

Aera, who was watching from the sidelines, silently laughed at the scene she was witnessing.

'That kid's charms are something else.' She thought as she continued watching the girls squish you in their group hug.

'Team chemistry won't be a problem, then.'

~~~~~

(A/N): I considered writing out the plays but that would ruin the hype for the match, aint it? So I decided to just reveal the plays on the actual match!

Thank you for reading, Blossoms! I love you all!

-Chaery <3