𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 | 정원

☆ | 09

✰

Ellie sat with her legs crossed on the gymnasium floor beside Kyujin. Their pe stood in front of the group of girls while a line of students stood beside him. "Today our schools Taekwondo team will teach you guys self defence." He announced making both Ellie and Kyujin glance at one another. "They will each choose a partner and then you guys will go off into duos to practice." He explained.

Ellie looked along the line of coed students, her eyes landing on Jungwon, who was dressed in a white dobok with a black belt tied around his small waist. He catches her looking at him and breaks his stone expression to give her a smile - Ellie returning the same expression.

A boy at the front of the line stepped forward and chose one of the girls sat on the mat, her then standing up and finding a spot for the two to practice. The next boy was a known nerd in school, his hair was always greasy and he wore thick black glasses, it was said that you could smell him before you could see him. "Kyujin." He spoke and held his hand out for the girl sitting beside Ellie to grab.

Ellie snickered and watched her friend be dragged off by the schools nerd. Next up to choose was Jungwon, he stood tall and wore a stern expression. His hands were met behind his back as his eyes searched over the group of girls - staying on Ellie for the longest. "Ellie, will you be my partner?" He asked while approaching the girl, offering out his hand.

Ellie began to blush profusely as she connected her cold hand with his warm one. "Yes." She replied and stood up, flashing him a wide grin before walking off into one of the corners of the hall with him.

"Ok, if I hold you like this.." he began and turned Ellie around to face away from him. His left hand snaking past her waist to grab her right hand - his right hand doing the same thing with her left. Ellie felt her breath hitch at the position, her back was practically pressed against him and she could've sworn she felt his breath tickle her exposed neck. "Use your left leg and hook it around mine." He instructed and Ellie quickly obeyed. "Now use your strength and pull me to the side, using your arms and leg to support you." He spoke directly into her ear, spending goosebumps travelling up Ellie's spine.

Ellie did as she was told and gently moved him to the side, careful not the hurt him. "Now throw me down to the floor." He ordered but Ellie hesitated in doing so. "Don't worry, there's a mat to break my fall." He reassured and Ellie nodded, throwing him down onto the mat in front of her.

Jungwon chuckled and stood back up, "you're a natural." He commented and patted her shoulder while she softly giggled. "You're stronger than I expected too."

Ellie nodded and jokingly flexed her muscles, "I thought my strong muscles would've given it away." She teased causing Jungwon to burst out laughing and run his hand through his hair. "I think I'm better than you at it." She stated, making Jungwon raise his brow.

"Okay, let's swap positions then." He suggested and stood in front of her, his back now facing her. "You just have to stop me from being able to throw you down." He spoke and Ellie nodded her head, placing her arms around him and copying the position they were once it.

Jungwon then without any effort or struggle, threw her onto the mat - his hand quickly going behind her head to soften her landing. "Oh yeah, so much better than me." He teasingly mocked, Ellie sending him a playful glare.

"Let's swap again, I will throw you down harder."

✰

The two sat on one of the benches outside, Jungwon had bought her a ham and cucumber sandwich from the canteen and a banana milkshake carton, while he ate a cheese sandwich and drank a chocolate milkshake carton. "How long have you been doing taekwondo?" She asked as she took a bite into end sandwich, followed by a slurp of her milkshake.

Jungwon tilted his head and tried to remember when he first started, "I've been doing it for seven years straight, but when I turned sixteen my pastime job and exams got in the way, so I haven't been doing it as often." He answered and drank from his carton.

Ellie hummed and looked around the busied school playground before looking back at Jungwon. "Do you want to do it professionally?" She questioned, raising her brow with curiosity. Jungwon immediately nodded and a smile brightened up onto his face.

"Yeah, and I have done ever since I was younger." He responded, "what about you? What do you want to do when you're older?" He returned the question, shuffling down on the bench to be closer to the girl, staring at her with admiration as he took another bite into his sandwich.

"I want to become a writer." She answered, "I always have, but I doubt I'll be good enough to go public and become well known." She sighed and slumped her shoulders, Jungwon tilted his hand and nudged her shoulder, reassuringly.

"You can do anything if you put your mind to it." He said, "just write about something you love, habe experience with, or that you just are genuinely interested in." He softly smiled, making Ellie nod with a more confident feeling blossomed in her stomach.

"After we finish eating, come with me to get my history exam book." Ellie pleaded making Jungwon scoff out a chuckle and shake his head while looking over at the girl, who wore her best puppy dog eyes.

"Why can't you go by yourself?" He questioned, knowing he would go with her gladly anyway. Ellie huffed and let her shoulders sink as she jokingly rolled her eyes and slowly shook her head to exaggerate. "Fine, I'll go with you." He gave in, her face lightening up as she thanked him with a wide smile - a smile she never had with Kyujin or anybody else.