Rival Lover | Joy X Male OC (Reader)

Chapter 8: My new old rival

I reached the end of the pool. It was hard, Sooyoung was really good. But I was still faster. I finished just a second before her. 

The other members gasped in shock. Nobody ever beat her. She was their star. And I beat her at our first match. Sooyoung looked at me in disbelieve, but then she started to laugh. 

"Finally! I haven't had someone like you since elementary school!" We got out of the pool and she smiled from ear to ear. I liked that smile. It seemed so familiar. 

"Hey, do you mind if we grab something to eat together and talk after practice? I'd like to get to know you, Joshua. You remind me of someone." I just nodded and we started with the training. 

A few hours later, Sooyoung and I changed and went together to the city. Wendy left before us, she said she had to ask Kai something. So Sooyoung and I were alone. 

We went into a coffee shop and ordered something. She ordered a cappuccino and a piece of strawberry cake, while I just wanted some tea. I wasn't a fan of coffee. 

We started to talk and while we were talking, she always smiled from ear to ear. I looked at her and suddenly this one word stuck in my mind. 

"Joy..." I mumbled, but she heard it. 

"Excuse me?" She asked and looked rather shocked. I was startled. Did I say something wrong? 

"O-Oh it's nothing. I just... Well, when you look so happy... And when you smile... This word stuck in my mind... And uhm..." I stuttered and cursed myself for stuttering. 

"Joy... Is actually my nickname. But just one person ever used it and that was years ago. Only Joo-Won knew this nickname." She said and tilted her head. I was shocked. 

"Joo-Won... Joo-Won is my Korean name. I had this name before I moved to Australia." 

Her eyes widened. "Pabo Gisa?" 

Suddenly tons of memories burst onto me. I remembered everything from my past. My rival Joy, that we used to compete, how I saved her from the bullies, how she avoided me, how she told me not to leave while crying... how I gave her my plush dolphin and told her to watch out for it. I held my head, it was so much at once. 

"H-Hey, are you alright?" She asked and held my free hand. 

"Yeah... It's just that I finally remember you." I said and her face dropped. 

"You... Forgot me?" She asked with a shaky voice. 

"Yes... Wait no, that's not what I-" I got interrupted by her leaving the coffee shop. Damn it. I quickly payed and run after her. 

"Joy!" I shouted, but she continued running. 

"Hey, wait! Joy!" I kept running after her. Oh man, I had a god damn deja-vu. 

"Park Sooyoung! Stand still, right now!" I shouted and she stopped. She turned around with tears in her eyes and I slowly approached her. 

"No, please don't cry. I didn't mean to forget you. I had an accident when I was younger and I suffered from partial amnesia. I'm sorry, Joy. Just please stop crying." I explained softly while I wrapped my arms around her. I still heard her quiet sobs. 

"S-So you d-didn't mean to forget me?" She asked and grabbed my waist tightly. 

"Of course not, Joy. I would never forget you." I said and stroke her head. She eventually calmed down.

Joy's PoV

"Of course not, Joy. I would never forget you." 

My heart skipped some beats when he called me like that. Not just he remembered our time together just now. I did too. And I remembered my feelings I had towards him. 

Back then when I was little, I just thought that he was a precious friend for me, but later I realized that I actually loved him. He was my first love. And just now, those feelings started to come back, just like he did. 

"Hey Joy?" He asked and I looked at him. 

"Wanna be my new old rival?" He asked with a slight smile and I couldn't help but to giggle. 

"I would love to." I said and returned to hug him. 

It felt nice. I didn't want to let go yet. And he seemed okay with it too.