Apple (Jay is in Love, by Park Sunghoon)

15.5

🍏🍏🍏

Jungwon comes to the basketball game for the second time this year, with no begging or bargain and promises of free food, just how Jake proceeded last time, when their team has won, and number 04 had scored most baskets during the second half. Number 04, who was Park Jay, today Jungwon's boyfriend, and had shamelessly sent a wink and a heart his way that strange afternoon.

Mayhaps, it will earn him yet another article in the school's newspaper, though Jungwon has heard that the writer of those scandals and rumors never wrote one event twice, unless something truly eventful happens.

Jungwon sits at the third row, high enough to see the whole field but not so far that he would not be able to see Jay's pretty features.

"- I told you, I told you!" Sunoo exclaims before sighing and plopping on his seat in synchronicity.

"- What did you tell me?"

"- That all the best seats would be taken if we come right in time or five minutes before the game starts!" Sunoo exclaims. He starts to sound a little whiny, so Jungwon sends him a pointed look.

"- I had not known that the game was this popular..." He mumbles. Could it be that a lot of students came here to watch Jay play as well? He doubted it.

They were almost half an hour early, and their team is still training idly and discreetly, or as much as basketballs allowed while bouncing around.

Jungwon did not care about losing or winning the game; he came here today to watch, admire, Jay play, not for the outcome. As long as Jay was on field and in good shape, Jungwon was content.

"- Of course, it is popular. Duh." Sunoo rolls his eyes. When Jungwon glances at him, he finds him doing the usual; checking his fringe and his lip-gloss in his pocket mirror.

Jungwon wants to touch his own lips, yet Sunoo would screech and lecture him for the entire 15 minutes left before the game starts.

"- My lips are still stinging, Sunoo-hyung." Jungwon scowls.

Sunoo sighs, his mirror makes a 'pop' sound when he closes it with his fingers.

"- The feeling will go away." Sunoo says, just what he told him after Jungwon had made the remark the first time, when they were still both in Sunoo's bedroom.

"- You said the same thing one hour ago." He deadpans. "- Why is it that a lipgloss is spicy?"

Surprisingly, Sunoo starts laughing.

"- Oh my god... Jungwon."

Jungwon looks away. His eyes find Jay's silhouette; he looks very good in the white basketball uniform, though he is currently acting like a moron with Sunghoon, bickering and jabbing instead of warming up. The latter looks strange with the same color, bleach white hair and top, he looks like flour, and Jungwon lets it slide this time because it is game day, and literally no one wears the school uniform right now, not even himself. Sunoo says he looks like an ice prince, but when Jungwon squints his eyes at Sunghoon, the boy looks like someone poured powder sugar all over him.

Jungwon wants to swipe his index over his lips, yet again, he remembers that they are stained and glistening.

Sweet. Jay had gifted him a box of strawberry mochis this week, and the taste keeps coming back on his tongue, together with the picture of pretty, cute and pink rice cakes; Jay had chirped that they looked as pretty and pink as Jungwon. Mayhaps, that is why Jungwon cannot stop linking people and objects to baking ingredients.

"- It's to plump your lips." Sunoo explains briefly.

"- That's horseshit." Jungwon says immediately. "- My lips feel ablaze."