TEENAGE → SVT

BRING IT

TRACK 05: BRING IT

-

Ever since he was a little kid, Jihoon loved basketball. He loved the feeling of dribbling the ball across the court and shooting three-pointers for days. He went to the courts all the time when he was younger and played basketball every single day in hopes to improve his skill. Since he practiced every single day, he definitely did get really good at the sport. The only thing that frustrated Jihoon, however, was the fact that his height did not change ever since he hit that slight growth spurt in the fifth grade.

"You'll get taller, don't worry!" his mother would lie to him every single day.

Jihoon really did believe that he would get taller by the time he entered high school. He thought that if he played enough basketball, he would get so tall that he would touch the basket without having to jump. However, Jihoon never got taller. He was stuck at five feet six inches ever since the beginning of sixth grade and ended up continuing onto high school with the same height. He hated himself for not drinking more milk as a kid, and it's too late for him to suddenly drink gallons of milk to grow. Everything was useless to get him to be taller, but that didn't stop him from playing basketball.

The day Jihoon started high school, Jihoon swore he would be the best person on the team. He was already the best person on his middle school basketball team, but he wanted to be the best in the whole school district. He wanted to make sure the people that kept making fun of his short height would realize that height doesn't mean anything when it's compared to talent. Jihoon had talent, and he was sure to make that a focus point, not his height.

When he first joined the high school basketball team his freshman year, he would constantly get these skeptical looks from not only boys from other teams, but he would also get looks from kids on his own team. It really pissed him off at first because they kept holding his height against him so that he would be sitting on the bench the entire time. Even though he topped all of the freshmen during tryouts, the coach, as well as the other boys on the team, said he was cheating. Jihoon was going to make them regret leaving him on the bench- and they did one game when all of their players were out from injuries (the other team was playing dirty).

"What are we going to do?" Soonyoung, another freshman on the team, started freaking out. "We need to fill in three people."

Soonyoung trailed off, causing Jihoon to glare at him. Until that point, Jihoon never got angry, but this moment really pissed him off.

"I can freaking play, you frizzy-haired dancing monkey!" Jihoon lashed out. "I'm much better than the whole freshman team, but because I'm short, you won't let me play! I don't care anymore, I'm going to go out onto the court and play!"

Jihoon stormed off to the court, and much to the surprise of his entire team, Jihoon ended up shooting most of the teams baskets and ended their score at double their opponents. Jihoon was celebrated on the team after that. Sadly, he was known as the "Small Legend," but the rest of the team appreciated his talent after that.

After that game, Jihoon opened game after game for his team. They kept winning whenever he was on the court, and Jihoon's winning streak also became legendary. People from other schools would ask for his autograph, which Jihoon found extremely weird mainly because he didn't think he was as legendary as a lot of his basketball idols.

"Dude, you're literally the most talented person in the district right now," Soonyoung told Jihoon after practice in the locker room one day. "I heard from the coach that there are college recruiters trying to hunt you down because they want you to play for their schools."

"Soonyoung, I was thinking about quitting basketball in college," Jihoon said seriously.

Soonyoung's jaw dropped all the way to the floor. He grabbed Jihoon's shoulders and flung him back and forth as he wailed out, "You can't quit! You are the most awesome basketball player I've ever gotten to play with! Don't you dare quit!"

"I was kidding!" Jihoon cried as Soonyoung continued to fling him back and forth.

"Oh," Soonyoung let the short boy go. "Don't make jokes like that ever again!"

"Believe me," Jihoon said as he stumbled around the locker room. "I will never. Never again."

By first semester of Jihoon's senior year, he had already gotten accepted into college and was going for a full ride. He was considered the most legendary basketball player the district had ever given birth to despite his rather small height. He was also considered the shortest senior anyone had ever seen. However, his height didn't bother him that much at that point. Whenever people said anything about his height, Jihoon would laugh.

"Why does he do that?" a freshman asked Soonyoung.

"When someone makes fun of Jihoon's height, they get bad luck," Soonyoung whispered.

"Okay, but why?" another freshman asked.

"Because," Soonyoung turned to look at Jihoon. "Jihoon doesn't need to get angry when he knows they'll pay for their comments."

"What do you mean?" both freshman asked at the same time.

It started with one game during his sophomore year. Jihoon was on varsity, and he was their point guard. Their school was up against the best school in the district, which really intimidated everyone- everyone but Jihoon. He remained calm as went head to head against his opponent. His opponent kept making fun of his height throughout the entire first two quarters, and in the beginning of the third quarter, the boy received a ball to the face and broke his nose. Whenever people made fun of Jihoon's height, it turned into the Jihoon curse, and some part of their body would break.

"Scary," the freshmen whispered.

"I know right," Soonyoung shuddered. "I remember the time I almost made fun of his height, too. I'd probably be dead if I ever said any of those things out loud."

"Are you sure his height doesn't bother him-"

"Shut up," their coach ordered the boys. "The game is about to start.

The three boys shut up as they watched Jihoon face his opponent. The other kids on the team towered over Jihoon's five feet and six inches. They got in their positions, and before the game start, the point guard from the other team laughed in Jihoon's face.

"Come, shorty," the kid sneered. "Bring it."

Jihoon could only smirk.