aversion | bbangnyu

6

Younghoon squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. It was minutes away from the biggest game of the season and he felt as if he was going to pass out. His father had made him practice so much that week it had cut into when he would normally sleep.

He knew there was no way he could play his best tonight and he was just thankful his father couldn't fit it into his schedule to come watch. Letting himself fall backwards onto the bench in the empty locker room, Younghoon kept his eyes closed for a few moments more.

"Younghoon?" One of the boys asked as he walked through the locker rooms. "What the hell are you doing? The game is about to start!"

With a groan, Younghoon hoisted himself up and made his way to the court. Every step he took just reminded him how exhausted his body was. It felt as if his legs were going to give out and leave him to lay on the gymnasium floor. However horrible it sounded, Younghoon wished his body would just give up so he would at least have a real excuse to rest.

"Younghoon doesn't look well..." Yeri said quietly as she pulled Chanhee down so he could hear her.

He glanced out at the court and searched for number seven. There didn't seem to be anything strange about the boy at first glance, but he still watched for a little longer. Every so often the boy would stop and squeeze his eyes shut almost as if he was in pain. Younghoon was never a very fast runner to begin with, but he was moving a lot slower than normal. "I think he's just tired," he responded finally.

A frown formed on Yeri's lips, "I don't like him one bit...but I still don't want him to pass out."

"It's almost halftime, maybe they'll put somebody else in for him."

Chanhee agreed with what Yeri said about not liking him one bit, but the state of the boy worried him. He couldn't help but think of just yesterday when Younghoon had a migraine at practice. He found himself wondering if the elder drank enough water or got enough sleep.

A quiet sigh fell from his lips at the lingering thoughts of the elder. Younghoon was a pretentious jerk but still Chanhee couldn't help but worry.

✨✨✨

"Chanhee~" Yeri sang as she yanked on the boy's arm, "Hyunjae just asked me to come over..."

Chanhee rolled his eyes at the mention of Yeri's ex boyfriend. "Yeri—you drove me here, you can't leave. And besides I thought you two were done for good?"

A nervous smile formed on her lips as she stood up. "I thought so too...but now I have to go," she said quickly before hurrying down the bleachers.

Chanhee let out a dramatic groan when he realized he was stranded at a high school basketball game. Yeri was the one who had insisted on coming in the first place otherwise he would've been doing homework in the security of his room.

Since he was all alone in the bleachers with nobody to talk to, Chanhee decided to actually focus on the game. Everybody around him was cheering their hearts out because the boys were winning the game, but all Chanhee could focus on was the haggard state of Younghoon. As much as he wanted to focus on anything other than the elder, he looked as if he took one more step he would collapse.

✨✨✨

Chanhee let out a groan as his mother's phone went to voicemail for the sixth time in a row. "...and she yells at me for not answering my phone," he grumbled to himself.

It wasn't dark outside yet, but the sun was teetering on the edge, deciding if it wanted to go down quite so soon. Chanhee stomped around the building and sat on the concrete in front of it, hoping that he wouldn't have to spend the night there.

"This is why I hate sports," he whispered. All he had was his almost dead phone, a bottle of water he had bought from the concession stand, and a small backpack that he carried everywhere. Although he was starting to think he might starve to death there, he amount of homework he had to finish wouldn't stop plaguing his mind.

He was considering strangling Yeri with his bare hands if he wasn't able to complete all of his assignments that night. Closing his eyes, Chanhee mentally walked through his day and counted all of the assignments that were due the next day.

Just as he looked up, he felt something jab into the side of him before hearing a loud thud. He turned his head and saw Younghoon laying on the ground next to him.

"Why are you everywhere I go?" The elder whined as he rolled on his side, not even bothering to get up.

"You're just not very good at walking, huh?" Chanhee mumbled as he looked down at the boy, "Are you okay?"

The boy let out a shaky breath as he struggled to find the strength to sit up. Not bothering to say a word he lifted up his arm and showed Chanhee where the cement had rubbed away his skin.

He frowned at the sight of the wound and quickly took off his backpack, rummaging around for the little case of bandaids he carried around. Unwrapping one of the bandages, he gently placed a hand under Younghoon's arm only for the boy to jerk away. "Just sit still," he hissed before grabbing Younghoon's arm once again and placing the bandaid on the wound.

"Who just has bandaids?" Younghoon asked quietly as he rubbed his arm.

"Yeri is really clumsy. She trips all the time too."

"I'm not clumsy—I'm just tired."

"Okay..."

Raising an eyebrow, Younghoon turned to look at Chanhee and asked, "Why are you loitering outside the school."

"Yeri left and my mom isn't answering me...I don't have a way to get home," The boy admitted.

A few moments of tense silence passed before Younghoon stood up and extended a hand to the boy.

"What?" He asked, not knowing what the elder was trying to do.

With another dramatic sigh, Younghoon said, "I'll give you a ride home—but only because you helped me yesterday and stopped me from bleeding out today."

A small smile formed on Chanhee's lips as he grabbed the boy's hand and hoisted himself up. Chanhee left some space in between the two as he followed Younghoon to his car. Younghoon stopped in front of a pristine white car that looked like it cost more than Chanhee's house.

Opening the door for the boy, Younghoon gestured for him to get in as he walked around to his own side. Chanhee's eyebrows furrowed together as he wondered how somebody could be so gentlemanly yet such an asshole at the same time.

It was surprising to Chanhee how good of a driver Younghoon was. He feared for his life every time he got in the same car as Yeri or his dad, but there were none of those feelings this time around.

"You don't seem like the type to enjoy watching basketball," Younghoon said quietly as he tried to move past the awkwardness between them.

"Are you saying that because I'm gay?"

"No!" He defended quickly, "I just—you're just kinda nerdy!"

A laugh broke last Chanhee's lips upon hearing the urgency in the elder's voice. "I was just joking. I don't like basketball but Yeri wanted me to come with her."

"Are you two ever not together?"

"At least I have a friend."

Frowning at those words, Younghoon grumbled, "That was just mean." 

———

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