Love, Betray & Crash (Jeonghan)

𝔸𝕔𝕥 𝕆𝕟𝕖 : 𝕊𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕖 𝟚𝟜

"Babe...Em?...Emily?"

Emily snapped out of her trance.

"Hmm?"

"Were you listening to what I'm saying?" Joo-hyuck said, waving his hand in front of Emily.

Emily blinked a few times and put on a smile on her face.

"Sorry?"

Joo-hyuck just sighed and said, "You weren't listening were you?"

Emily just gave him an apologetic smile. She reached over the table and took his hand in hers.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" Emily asks.

"Nothing. It doesn't really matter anyways," Joo-hyuck said.

"No-no. Tell me!" Emily insisted.

"Nothing. It's really nothing," Joo-hyuck said, "I was just rambling about my day."

"Well...I want to hear it anyways," Emily said, giving his hand a squeeze.

Joo-hyuck looks like he was contemplating telling Emily but right when he decided to open his mouth is when the ahjumma came and served their chicken on the the table. Emily let go of his hand so the ahjumma would have space to put their meal on.

When she was gone, Joo-hyuck picked a piece with his fork and said, "You know...lately you've been distracted a lot."

"I have?" Emily asked, feigning ignorance but deep down she knows she has been out of it for the past couple of days. Ever since she ran into Jeonghan, in fact.

"Yes. You have. It's like you're here physically but you're not here mentally. Sometimes I think I'm talking to a wall," Joo-hyuck said.

"Sorry...I...I guess I've been worried about the Asian games and training and all," Emily muttered.

Joo-hyuck paused and frowned. "The Asian Games? Em, you have nothing to worry about. You've already made a personal best and an unofficial national record during practice sessions. And you're currently the fastest female swimmer Korea has. I saw you swim yesterday and you've improved so much, its insane."

Emily smiled. Yesterday the mens and the womens' swimming teams had a joint training day, and they were swimming in the same pool all day long. Emily could tell a lot of the male swimmer's, including their coach, were surprised to see how well Emily swims and how she's swimming seconds ahead of everyone else in the team.

While it did give her satisfaction within to prove everyone and their opinions wrong she did also feel irritated to find that Joo-hyuck also thought along the same lines. He didn't say it out loud, but the way he kept on complimenting her told her a different story.

"I know. But it was an unofficial record. It doesn't guarantee I will swim the same time at the Games," Emily said.

"You know, athletes usually do better at Games than at practices. The adrenaline and the excitement usually pushes you to do better," Joo-hyuck said, "In fact...I'm sure you're going to do better than everyone. Including me. I haven't improved a fraction of what you've done."

Emily thought for a second that she sensed a hint of jealousy in his voice but quickly erased that thought away from her head.

She's been spending way too much time in Yejune's proximity. Why would Joo-hyuck be jealous of her? He's literally a national hero.

She reached over again and put her hand over his and said, "I know you are going to win. I just know it. Don't be anxious. You've been having a great season, it's only going to go up from here."