Apple (Jay is in Love, by Park Sunghoon)

01.5

He should not have come. If he did not, nothing would have happened, and no stupid rumor would have seen the light, about him and some completely random basketball player slash jock.

It felt and smelled fishy, Jungwon's first attendance to a basketball game. It was not in his duties as the President of the Students Council to do so, and that is why he, who finds no interest at all in watching tall teenage boys run and bounce a ball before aiming it at a basket hanging a lot higher than Jungwon deems necessary, has never attended a basketball game of his school in his life. It was a waste of time and energy, and Jungwon would have definitely preferred going home and finishing his revisions for the upcoming quizzes. He sacrificed hours of his studying time, so their team better wins this time.

It seemed they were not.

Jungwon did not feel uncomfortable when students eyed and gawked at him, but he only felt displeased. They would turn their shameless stares away from his humble person as soon as he glares at them, mostly because most know who he was, and if not, he knows he has quite the intimidating glare.

"- We are winning, Wonie!" Sunoo had shaken him mid-game, Jungwon letting his body shake a little with his elbow on his knee and his chin on the heel of his palm, barely following the events of the game.

The players looked like insects from up here.

He could tell that they were scoring more than the opponent, though he could not set the difference between each player, he saw number 01 and number 04 scoring multiple times.

The crowd was very loud, and Jungwon pushed his index fingers in his ears each time someone scored. The cheers were unnecessary, no one won yet.

The last scoring was from number 04 still, and it was the one that announced the triumph of their team, and as Sunoo puts it, their school's win, but probably not Jungwon's. After the loudest cheers Jungwon has ever heard in his life, though utterly justified but still not necessary, Jungwon wishes they lost, and number 04 did not score the last basket.

Or was it all a plot.

When students start leaving their seats in favor of scattering themselves all over the basketball field, number 04 does not mind his teammates cheers a lot, and Jungwon only notices so because he focuses on him instead, though he was not the only person sitting in the direction he looked at, it was obvious he was looking at him because of the way their eyes met perfectly.

The player winks and draws his hands up to his chest, forming a heart with them, all with a wide smile, and then mouthes 'That was for you'.

Absolutely outrageous! Jungwon did not even know him!

Jungwon stays shell-shocked, lips slightly parted around a silent and affronted scoff; his throat feels fastened and the loud screams and cheering disappear into blurred noises, as though underwater. He has no response to such insolence and finds himself at a complete loss of words.

Jungwon turns around, still believing and wishing the bold gesture was never meant for him, yet he only finds two girls already standing up and leaving their seats.

The only times Jungwon hears his heart beating in his ears were the lethal seconds before results of his academic performance were announced or displayed. This time seems to be the exception to the rule, and Jungwon holds personal disdain to exceptions, just because they are oft very hard for him to grasp and learn, and because they do not follow any rule.

"- We're going." He decides before getting up and grabbing his backpack.

"- Jake-hyung said not to wait for him since he joined his friends to celebrate... Or whatever." Riki informs as he collects his backpack as well.

"- Riki." Jungwon sighs. "- This backpack is not respectable or any suitable for academic purposes and formal setting like a school, we already went through that once."

"- Oh c'mon, it's game todaaaay." Riki whines. "- No teacher made any remark, for the record."

"- Very well, but you may avoid bringing it on days where no events are held in school." Jungwon nods. Looking at the ripped, black backpack only makes him feel nauseous. "- Goodness..." He sighs before stepping away.

"- He has some loose screws." Riki whispers to Sunoo.

"- And I heard that." Jungwon says loudly.

As he climbs down the stairs, he catches sight of Jake "having fun" with the players, laughing, chatting, cheering and just overall making a bunch of noise, looking awfully like the wild fauna.

"- What a pity." He clicks his tongue and pushes his way out of the sticky, stuffy, noisy, gymnasium.