14 | fourteen
sunoo pov
the next day at school, i could still feel the warmth from niki's forehead kiss lingering in my thoughts. it was all i could think about on my way to class, and jungwon noticed, of course. he always noticed.
"you look distracted," jungwon commented as we walked through the crowded hallway. "something on your mind? or should i say someone?"
i rolled my eyes at him, though i couldn't suppress the smile that crept onto my face. "it's nothing," i said, but my tone wasn't convincing at all.
"right, and jyp is a sexy fuck," jungwon teased, nudging me playfully and rolled him eyes. "come on, just admit it. you've been thinking about niki, haven't you?"
i tried to keep my cool, but the way jungwon was grinning at me made it impossible. "okay, maybe a little," i confessed, feeling my cheeks heat up. "but it's not like that!"
jungwon raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "uh-huh, sure. you're telling me the guy who kissed you on the forehead isn't making your heart race just a bit?"
i sighed, knowing there was no point in denying it any longer. "fine, maybe he is."
jungwon smirked, clearly enjoying my struggle. "well, if you ask me,he's into you. and you're definitely into him."
before i could respond, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. jungwon gave me a final teasing grin before we parted ways, and i found myself wondering if he was right. was i really that obvious?
throughout the day, i kept replaying yesterday's events in my head—the game, niki's disappointed expression, the way he kissed my forehead, jay's distant stares. it all felt like one tangled mess of emotions, and i didn't know what to make of it.
maow
sunoo pov
after class, i decided to return niki's jersey. i found him sitting on the bleachers after practice, looking relaxed despite the intensity of the game the previous day.
"hey, niki," i called out as i approached him, holding the jersey. "i forgot to return this to you yesterday."
niki looked up, a bit surprised. "oh, you didn't have to—"
before he could finish, k and yuta strolled over, their eyes widening as they saw me holding the jersey. "so, you're giving him your jersey?" yuta teased, grinning.
niki and i both felt our cheeks flush. i wasn't sure what to say, but the playful tone in yuta's voice made it hard to stay serious. niki's face turned bright red, and he shifted uncomfortably, while i looked down, feeling embarrassed but also oddly happy.
"seriously, you two should fuck off," niki mumbled, trying to hide his blush.
k chuckled loudly, "aww, look at you both. so cute."
by now, everyone in the gym had started looking at us, and i could hear a few chuckles and whispers. it felt like the entire gym was watching us, making my face heat up even more.
yuta, still grinning, suddenly shifted the topic. "did you guys hear? jay got into a fight with the coach yesterday."
niki and i looked at each other, momentarily distracted from the awkwardness between us. "really?" niki asked, his curiosity piqued. "what happened?"
yuta shrugged. "i don't know all the details, but it seems like jay's team was playing really rough, and the coach wasn't having any of it. there was a big argument, and coach was really mad."
i glanced at niki, who looked thoughtful, and then back at yuta. the tension from before seemed to ease slightly as we all talked about something else.
"anyway," i said, trying to regain my composure, "thanks for letting me keep the jersey, but i should head to class now."
niki nodded, still a bit red but smiling. "yeah, thanks for coming by. see you later."
i waved goodbye and walked away.
maow
sunoo pov
the next period, i found myself in class with jay. as soon as i walked in, i noticed a bruise on his face. it was pretty noticeable, and i couldn't help but feel concerned. he seemed to be trying to ignore it, but it was hard to miss.
jay sat down at his desk without saying a word, and throughout the period, he remained unusually quiet. it was unlike him to be so withdrawn. the atmosphere felt tense, and i found myself glancing over at him more often than usual.
when the teacher announced a new project and assigned us partners, jay and i were paired together.
oh?
however, as soon as the teacher finished explaining the project, jay stood up abruptly and walked out of the classroom without a word. i sat there, feeling a mix of confusion and worry. what was going on with him?
the bell rang, signaling the end of the period, and i decided to follow jay to see if he was okay. i caught up with him in the hallway, just as he was about to turn a corner.
"hey, jay!" i called out, trying to catch his attention. "where are you going?"
jay stopped but didn't turn around. "i'm not feeling well," he muttered. "i need to go home."
i took a step closer, my concern growing. "is it because of the bruise? i saw it . are you okay?"
there was a brief silence before jay spoke again. "i'm fine. just... not in the mood for a project or anything right now."
i could tell he was trying to brush it off, but his voice didn't sound convincing. "if you need help or someone to talk to, i'm here," i offered. "just let me know."
jay didn't respond, and after a moment, he just walked away, leaving me standing there, feeling a bit helpless.
the rest of the day passed in a blur. i couldn't stop thinking about jay and the fight with the coach that yuta mentioned.
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