Time-Out

Sayin' Goodbye is hard to do

Months pass, summer turns into autumn and then into winter. They can't practise outside on the court anymore and had to switch to the gymnasium, which offers a little less space but still works just fine.

It's the same but yet everything is changing.

Over these past few months Baekhyun has become Jongdae's best friend and whenever Jongdae needs someone to talk to Baekhyun is that person. They also started meeting up out of school. Jongdae helps Baekhyun with math and Baekhyun helps Jongdae dealing with his stupid heartache. Sometimes Baekhyun calls him a drama queen which is ironic since Baekhyun is literally one of the most extra people Jongdae has ever met. Baekhyun also introduced him to Chanyeol, the tall referee guy, and seeing the two of them interact with each other when no one else around has Jongdae questioning how he could have ever doubted that Baekhyun liked the taller guy. Sometimes the three of them meet up together and part of Jongdae is sure that sometimes they use him as an excuse to see each other. Because with a third wheel around Chanyeol can call it 'going out with friends' instead of 'date'. Jongdae doesn't really mind supporting their relationship though. After all the two are also his main source of support. Chanyeol knows about Jongdae's pathetic crush on Minseok by now and just like Baekhyun he keeps trying to motivate Jongdae to just get his shit together and confess. But even with two of the loudest hype men he could possibly have Jongdae has no interest in even trying to confess anymore. Because it's pointless and maybe it will end soon anyway.

With the end of the year coming closer Minseok has started to show up to practice less and less since he has to focus on learning for his exams and applying to some university and what not. It's his final year of school after all. Once this is over he will leave and Jongdae might never see him again and while the idea of saying goodbye to Minseok soon is painfull Jongdae also hopes that in some way it will end his suffering. Because maybe once Minseok is out of sight he will also be out of mind. And even if he won't forget about him. Not even Jongdae is pathetic enough to be sad about some unrequited crush from high school for the rest of his life. He will be able to just go on with life at some point.

But before that can happen he needs to say goodbye. This chapter has to end before the next one can begin. The team decided to throw a small goodbye party for Minseok and the other graduating third years. They have decided to meet up in that small barbecue restaurant on the first weekend after all of them are done with their exams. Maybe they'll go on to karaoke later, but really there is no set plan or anything really organised about this. They'll just see where their last night as this team takes them. But they are determined to end it on a cheerful note and so is Jongdae. Even if it takes him everything he wants to say goodbye to Minseok with a smile on his face. He will wish him the best for his future and make sure that Minseok won't ever have to worry about him or even waste another thought on him again. Jongdae will not drag Minseok's mood down on the day of his goodbye party. He wants at least one of them to think back on this goodbye as a nice memory. And if he can achieve this nothing else really matter, does it?

And after that, the only thing Jongdae will be left with is his stupid overdramatic heartache and a stolen sweatband.

They meet up on a Saturday for an extra practice session even though the time of year where they have matches is long over and after they are done playing all of them head to the restaurant together. They happily chat on the way there and even once they get seated on a somewhat remote table the conversation never stops. The room is filled with laughing, the buzzing of several conversations going on at the same time and blending into one and the amazing smell of meat being grilled. The football team is gathered around a large table, a hotplate in the middle of it that is at all time filled with small pieces of meat, several bowls filled with rice and other side dishes placed all around it and a few bottles of coke for the younger and soju for the older players scattered across the table. The atmosphere is great. Almost too good. They are really determined to make this as fun as saying goodbye can be.