Unfortunately, I Need You

3

Jungwon sat at his desk, staring at the papers in front of him. The events of the day weighed heavily on him, though he should have been done with it all by now. The argument with Yuta had ended, and he wouldn't have to see Sana anymore. So why did he still feel emotionally drained? His mind, exhausted and restless, just couldn’t seem to let go.

He had dealt with the mess at the charity event, and tomorrow would bring new challenges. His fight in front of a crowd, his involuntary exposure in front of strangers. What was it all for? He wasn’t sure anymore.

Without thinking, he picked up his phone, his finger hovering over Sunoo’s contact, hid best friend since childhood. It was nearly midnight, and he hadn't heard from his friends in quite some time. He was too busy, too caught up in the whirlwind of the day to keep up with anything else. He had completely forgotten to ask for updates about the university’s football team back home.

Football had always been his refuge, the one constant in his life. It was where he found peace, where he made friends who would last a lifetime. Since he was a kid, playing football had been the one thing he could rely on.

But ever since he was chosen to be an exchange student in Japan, it had been impossible to keep up with. The language barrier, the time constraints, and the different social dynamics made it hard to connect with anyone on the university’s team here. He missed the camaraderie, the thrill of the game, and the sense of belonging it gave him.

His phone buzzed in his hand, and Sunoo’s familiar voice crackled through.

"Hey! What’s up? Haven’t heard from you in a while. How’s the event?"

Jungwon hummed, his mind elsewhere. "It was... okay."

There was a shift in the background, and then Sunghoon’s voice chimed in, teasing, "Doesn’t sound okay to me. What happened?"

Jungwon sighed, rubbing his face. "Nothing, really. Just a little emotional, probably. But it’s fine." He reassured them, not wanting to burden them with his thoughts.

Then, Jay’s mischievous laugh cut in. "I heard that Sana from TWICE was there as a special guest. Did you meet her? Was she pretty? I bet she is."

The mention of Sana’s name hit Jungwon like a wave. He involuntarily sighed, louder than he intended, and his friends immediately picked up on it.

"Did I hear that right?" Sunghoon asked. "What’s wrong with her? You sound annoyed."

Jungwon clenched his jaw. He didn’t want to talk about Sana. He didn’t want to share anything that would paint her in a negative light. Not that anyone would believe him anyway. Not with her sweet, innocent face that could melt anyone in an instant.

Sana could get away with anything and put people under her spell. Everyone but Jungwon, who had unfortunately heard her screaming.

“She was... no, I didn’t see her,” Jungwon lied, brushing off the question.

His friends let out disappointed sighs. "Missed opportunity," Jay lamented. "I really wanted to know if she was that pretty. Too bad."

Jungwon could feel the tension in the air shift. The conversation was moving away from Sana, which was a relief. His mind didn’t need to linger on her anymore. What he wanted to focus on, what kept him grounded, was football. That’s all that mattered to him now.

The conversation naturally shifted to the progress of the football club back at home.

Jungwon’s university was known for being one of the top-ranking football schools in Korea, and their coach, Dongwon, had strong connections with the national football team. The team had been working hard to train up a new generation, as the current members of the National Football team: Korea Republic, were nearing retirement.