Jeno is worn out and drenched in sweat, yet his determination to win overpowers the exhaustion that looms over him, and he carries on despite his body's yearning for rest. The sole of his shoes squeak against the glossy floor as he pivots on his heel to swerve Renjun and smoothly snatches the ball from Sungchan's hold. His eyes dart up to the timer above the hoop on his team's side of the court where he is heading to with big steps and sees there is only less than a minute left.
Dribbling the ball on his side, he picks up his pace and abruptly halts when there is only ten seconds left. He shoots the ball into the air with a bounce in his movement, and it almost tears the hoop off its hinges from the impact of his strength he didn't even know he used too much of. The buzzer goes off just in time, and Donghyuck chases after the ball that seems to be running away from him.
"Good game, guys." Jeno's voice booms and bounces off the walls of the gymnasium.
"This was our most tiring practice yet." Renjun huffs out before downing his water bottle he just refilled.
"You think every practice is the most tiring." Jeno says, which his best-friend-slash-teammate ignores. He knows Renjun doesn't even like basketball, but he doesn't know why he joined the team in the first place. His attempts to find out have been futile so far, though, he isn't one to give up. "You can just quit, y'know. You don't have to force yourself to do something you don't even want."
"What makes you think I don't want this?" Renjun counters in response, sounding a little too defensive.
"I've known you since we were in diapers," Jeno says. "And you've never once shown interest in basketball, or any sport for that matter."
"People can change, Jeno, has that ever occured to you?" Renjun says rather harshly and Jeno drops the topic when he sees that stoic look on his best friend's face that actually means he is angry.
"Well, okay then." Jeno mutters before gulping down what is left in his water bottle and wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Someone's absence is taken into notice by him as his eyes wander around. "Anyone know where Coach Jung went?"
"I saw him leave with the principal earlier." He distantly hears Yangyang's reply from across the gymnasium where he is picking up the ball Donghyuck had ditched.
Jeno peeks over Chenle's shoulder to check the time as the latter is on his phone texting someone, which Jeno doesn't really pay attention to. He isn't the nosy type, and intruding on other people's privacy like that is something he would never do. Speaking of being nosy and intruding on other people's privacy, his teammates are doing just that as he tears his eyes away from the screen and pays attention to their conversation.
"I swear, there's something going on between Coach Jung and Ms. Yoo." He hears Donghyuck say and the others who are gossiping with him nod in agreement.
"Well, she is my brother's type." Sungchan states, shrugging helplessly when Donghyuck's narrowed eyes suspect him of knowing at least something.
"Isn't she married though?" Yangyang chimes in as he places the ball in his hold under one of the chairs.
Jeno tunes out the conversation of his teammates' speculations about their coach and principal's secret relationship after Jaemin's remark on how he "wouldn't mind getting some of that" towards the older woman and heads to the locker rooms to change out of his sweat-drenched jersey. He contemplates on whether or not he should take a quick shower, but just opts to spray himself with cologne instead. He knows his definition of a quick shower is actually, well, not quick at all.
He grabs his backpack from inside his locker and bids a quick goodbye to his teammates before making his way to the parking lot that isn't too far from the gymnasium. Smiles, acknowledging looks, and curt verbal greetings are thrown his way as he walks through the hallways, to which he returns with a nod. Being the captain of the basketball team and having more-than-average looks warranted him popularity at campus. Everyone either admires him or is jealous of him.
