13 | thirteen
sunoo pov
as soon as the game ended, i rushed down from the bleachers. niki was on his knees, looking so defeated, and something inside me twisted at the sight. the game had been rough, way rougher than i had ever seen the teams play, and i could see how much it had affected him.
i didn't even think twice before heading over. it just felt natural, like i had to be there for him. i knelt beside him, placing a hand on his arm, feeling the tension in his muscles. he glanced up at me, his eyes clouded with disappointment.
"hey," i whispered, trying to give him some comfort, "you did great out there. it's just one game."
niki looked at me for a second, his gaze softening. the intensity in his eyes shifted, and before i could process it, he reached out and gently cupped my cheek. his touch was warm, calming in a way i didn't expect. then, he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.
my heart fluttered, and for a moment, everything around us faded away. i could feel the heat rise to my cheeks as i smiled at him, my heart racing from the unexpected closeness.
"thank you," he murmured, his voice low but filled with something deeper than just gratitude. i couldn't quite place it, but it made my chest tighten in a good way.
i smiled back, feeling safe in the moment, but i couldn't help but notice something over niki's shoulder. jay was standing not too far away, his eyes locked on us. he looked... hurt. confused, maybe? it wasn't anger like before, but something more vulnerable.
but niki didn't notice. his eyes were still on me, and for once, it felt like nothing else mattered.
"let's get you up," i said softly, breaking the moment before it lingered too long.
after helping niki to his feet, i could tell he needed a moment to himself. the match had been rough, and he deserved a breather. "go change," i told him gently, offering a reassuring smile. "i'll wait for you outside."
niki hesitated for a second, as if he didn't want to leave, but then nodded. "i'll be quick." he gave my hand a light squeeze before turning to head to the locker room.
as i watched him go, i glanced over at jay. he was still standing near the court, his eyes briefly meeting mine. there was an awkward tension in the air, but i knew i couldn't ignore him. jay's team had won, and he had even invited me here, he deserved a congratulations.
i took a deep breath and made my way toward him. "hey, jay," i called out, trying to keep my tone light. "congrats on the win. you guys played really well."
jay's expression softened, just slightly. "thanks," he said, though his voice lacked its usual confidence.
i smiled, trying to ease the weirdness between us. "it was a good match. pretty intense."
"yeah," jay muttered, looking down for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "you and niki seem... close."
i blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in the conversation. "we've been hanging out lately," i replied, trying to sound casual.
jay nodded but didn't say anything else, his gaze flickering toward the locker room where niki was standing and watching us now. i could tell there was more on jay's mind, but i didn't press him.
"anyway," i said, stepping back slightly, "i'll see you around."
jay gave me a brief nod, but i could feel his eyes on me as i turned and walked away.
maow
niki pov
as i stepped out of the locker room, still feeling the sting of the loss, i spotted sunoo standing near the bleachers. he was talking to jay, but it didn't seem tense or anything, just...awkward. my chest tightened at the sight, but i shook it off. the sight of them together stirred something in me, something that made me feel a little possessive.
as soon as sunoo saw me, he waved jay off and started walking toward me. my heart did this weird flip, and i couldn't help the small smile that crept onto my face.
"you good?" sunoo asked, eyes scanning me for any sign of discomfort. his concern was genuine, and it hit me harder than the loss itself.
"yeah, i'm good," i replied, trying to brush it off. "just need a minute to forget about that game."
sunoo gave me a soft smile and reached out, lightly placing his hand on my arm. "it was rough. but you played great, you know."
i let out a short laugh. "tell that to the scoreboard."
he looked at me, and for a moment, i saw something shift in his expression—something softer. he opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, k and yuta came over, laughing and nudging each other like they'd just seen something hilarious.
"sunoo's got your back, man," yuta teased. "that's the kind of support you need after a rough game."
i rolled my eyes, but before i could respond, sunoo shot them a playful glare. "leave him alone."
the way sunoo defended me, even if just jokingly, made my chest feel warm. i wanted to say something in return, but all i could do was glance at him and nod my thanks.
"let's head out?" i asked, not wanting to stay in the gym any longer than necessary.
as we started to leave, i caught jay watching us from across the court. for a second, our eyes met, but i didn't glare or send any kind of message his way. i just kept my gaze steady, then looked back to sunoo, focusing on the one person who really mattered.
sunoo gave me a small smile, and without even thinking, i gently pressed my lips to his forehead. it was an instinct, something i couldn't control, as i pulled back from kissing sunoo's forehead, his cheeks turned pink, and for a moment, we both stood there in the quiet space between us. it felt like everything around us faded into the background, just me and him. then, out of nowhere, i heard someone clearing their throat.
"hey, niki," jungwon's voice cut through the moment, and i turned to see him standing a few feet away, arms crossed with a smirk on his face. "flirt with him later. i'm taking sunoo now."
sunoo looked over at jungwon, his expression caught somewhere between embarrassment and amusement. "shut up," he muttered, though there was no real annoyance in his tone.
jungwon just shrugged, completely unfazed. "yeah, yeah. you're coming with me, sunoo. we've got plans, remember?" he stepped closer, tugging gently at sunoo's arm.
i wanted to protest, to keep sunoo here with me for a little longer and go drop him home.
"i guess i'll see you later?" sunoo said, looking at me as jungwon pulled him away.
"yeah," i nodded, offering him a small smile. "later."
as i watched them walk away, jungwon shot me a teasing look over his shoulder. "don't worry, niki. if you miss him you can call him."
i rolled my eyes, but there was no real irritation behind it. once they were out of sight, i sighed and turned back to yuta and k smirking at me.
they came up beside me, nudging me playfully. "jungwon's always stealing your love, huh?" yuta grinned.
"he's just protective," k added with a shrug. "but it's kind of hilarious watching you get all flustered every time sunoo's around."
"shut up," i muttered, though i couldn't help the small laugh that escaped.
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shi is cute don't forget to vote dawg
