Blessing in Disguise

Chapter Seventeen

Yunjin

7/15/2018

Yunjin sat on her bed, her phone in hand, scrolling through the endless stream of hateful comments. No matter how many times she tried to ignore them, the negativity weighed heavily on her. The online hate had been relentless since the episode aired, and she could feel it affecting her ranking on the show. She'd gone from potentially being a top debut candidate to hovering in the 20s—dangerously close to elimination.

With a sigh, she tossed her phone aside. It was supposed to be a rest day, but how could she rest when everything felt so uncertain? She missed Y/N, and the thought of calling him crossed her mind, but she knew he was playing in an important game today. She glanced at the time, remembering that Niskayuna High School usually streamed their games live on YouTube.

Opening her laptop, Yunjin navigated to the school's channel, quickly finding the live broadcast of Y/N's game. A smile tugged at her lips as the camera panned to him on the court, focused and intense as always. Even though she couldn't be there in person, watching him play felt like the next best thing.

Kim Chaewon and Miyawaki Sakura, two of her closest friends in the dorm, wandered into her room and noticed her watching the game. "What are you watching?" Chaewon asked, sitting beside her.

"Y/N's basketball game," Yunjin replied with a small smile, her eyes glued to the screen.

Sakura plopped down on her other side, peeking at the laptop. "Oh, that's your boyfriend, right? Let's see how he plays!"

The three girls watched as Y/N dominated the court. He was performing incredibly, weaving through defenders, sinking mid-range jumpers, and setting up his teammates with crisp, clean passes. Every time he scored, Yunjin found herself cheering softly at the screen, her heart swelling with pride.

"Wow, he's really good," Chaewon commented, impressed by Y/N's athleticism. "No wonder you like him."

Yunjin laughed, feeling a little lighter. "He's been playing since we were kids. It's always been his dream to go pro."

The game continued, and Y/N's team was ahead by a few points. Yunjin felt a flicker of relief as she watched him drive toward the basket. But then, something went wrong. Y/N made a clean dunk, but as he was still hanging on the rim, an opponent shoved him hard from behind. Yunjin's heart stopped as she watched Y/N fall, his body twisting awkwardly before hitting the floor with a sickening thud.

"No, no, no..." Yunjin whispered, her hands flying to her mouth as the camera zoomed in on Y/N, lying on the court in pain. Her chest tightened, and panic surged through her veins as she stared at the screen, willing him to get up.

Chaewon and Sakura exchanged worried looks, sensing the tension in the room. "He's tough," Sakura said softly, trying to reassure her. "He'll be okay."

But Yunjin could barely hear her over the pounding of her own heartbeat.

Yunjin's breath caught in her throat as the camera lingered on Y/N, still lying on the court. His teammates and the coaching staff were rushing over to him, their expressions filled with worry. The student announcer's voice, which had been energetic and lively just moments before, now had an uneasy tone.

"And it looks like Y/N has taken a hard fall after that dunk... That push from the opposing player was unexpected... We're hoping he's okay, but the trainers are coming out now."

Yunjin gripped the edge of her laptop, her knuckles white. She could barely breathe as she watched the medical staff gather around Y/N, carefully assessing him. The screen showed a close-up of Y/N wincing in pain, his hand clutching his leg. Yunjin's heart raced, her mind running wild with worst-case scenarios.