Say Yes!

Helpful Boyfriends

The day has finally come.

Cheers echoed from every field where students from all levels came to watch their representatives fight over sports. Smoke and mixed aroma wafted in the air as street food of every kind lined the streets. Students who wore colored bands around their foreheads or their arms chatted animatedly as they walked from game to game, from stall to stall, free from the shackles of the academe for one day as they experienced the awaited annual Sports Day.

In the midpoint of the edge of an expensive grassy field, was Jin wearing the official student council shirt and a focused frown on his face. He stood on the tall platform beside Sowon, sweating buckets under the blistering midday heat. He watched with anticipation and a barely hidden bias as the soccer ball rolled from one player to one player, his eyes particularly observant of one girl as she ran with all her might towards the enemy's home base.

A player from the red team suddenly overtook her guarding player and ran so that she was behind blue team's player 22. Someone from the right skidded on the ground in an attempt to steal the ball, another from the left. Jin hadn't even realized how loud he gasped until he saw Sowon throwing him a look.

No matter. Player 22 was near the goal and nothing was stopping her. Jin grabbed the pole in front of him and unconsciously leaned forward. The red team was gaining behind her. But Player 22 kicked.

The referee raised his arm. "Goal!"

The audience roared and Byulyi smiled brightly.

"Let's go Byul—! I mean" —he cleared his throat and straightened his spine, feeling the quizzical stare of his partner— "1 point for blue team!"

He flipped the scorecard a bit too giddily, the adrenaline of a goal—that wasn't even his—was too much to contain within himself. He smiled proudly at Byulyi who was at the center of a quick group hug of her teammates. Jin shot her a thumbs up when their eyes connected briefly. Her smile widened.

But the rush of a goal wore off quickly as the players sobered up. Each player went back to their respective positions and everyone—including, if not most especially, Jin— watched with bated breath as the referee blew the whistle, signaling the start of the second round.

Jin's eyes followed the ball again as the red team's player 15 successfully stole the ball and maneuver it towards the goal. Blue team was quick to respond, every player moving into offense mode despite the respective players that tried to get in their way. Byulyi, quick as ever, evaded her guard and ran after the ball until she was in front of player 15.

A bit of passing happened when suddenly—

PANG!

Byulyi's knees folded as she clutched her head.

Jin stood on his tip toes. "Yah! You fucker that's not fucking—"

Sowon elbowed him in the ribs. "Seokjin-ssi you're too loud."

But he didn't hear a word his partner just said. He was busy watching Byulyi trudge towards the bench with the assistance of her teammates, a worrying grimace on her face.

But what's even worse was that player 15 only got a yellow card.

"WHAT?"

"Seokjin-ssi..."

"THAT'S A RED!"

"Pipe down!"

"REF THAT'S A RE—"

Sowon pulled him down by his collar, interrupting him in his yelling. "Go check on your girlfriend. I'll handle this," she mumbled, a subtle frown written on her polite face.