Rival vs. Romance

Kangaroo Ji-soup & Ji-wonton

Soyoung and I walked home in silence. I couldn't tell if she was raging mad, or on the verge of tears.

There were two things you never wanted to witness in your life. A mad Min Soyoung, and a crying Min Soyoung.

"God, I hate her!" Soyoung fumed. "Sometimes, I just wanna-"

"Spike the ball into her smushed face, yeah, I know." I finished, kicking a rock across the sidewalk. It skittered onto the road, underneath a bright red car. "Why do you hate her so much?"

"She's Song Jiwon, Yoongi. Are you crazy?" She asked in disbelief. "We were made to be enemies. Our families hate each other, our schools hate each other, and we're both captains of opposing teams, that also hate each other. Wouldn't you feel the same about that guy, Kangaroo Jisoup?"

"Kangaroo Jisoup," I repeated, unimpressed. Soyoung meant Kang Jisu, the captain of GRSS's boys basketball team, but Kangaroo Jisoup kinda had a ring to it. "If you hate Ji-wonton so much, then why don't you just be better than her?"

Soyoung shot me a glare.

"It's not that easy!" She said. "As much as I hate to admit it, she's a good player too."

I considered my next words, as they could probably get me killed.

"Then, why don't you just... be nice to her?" I asked slowly. "Make like Selena Gomez and kill her with kindness."

Soyoung hesitated, trying to argue back. I guess the Selena Gomez line worked after all.

"Whatever, Yoongs." She said at last, sighing.

---

I threw myself onto my bed, sprawled across the soft mattress. Sunlight was streaming through the spots the blue curtain didn't cover, and hitting the wall across from the window. It made a interesting looking pattern, like light breaking over the surface of water. Pretty.

My eyelids drooped. It seemed so peaceful. No screaming Soyoung, no kissing Jiwon, just me and the broken sunlight on my wall. A perfect place to sleep-

I was interrupted by the buzzing of my phone from across my bed. Unable to ignore it, I picked it up and opened up the group chat.

BULLETPROOF BOYS + WORLDWIDE HANDSOME

i'mjimout: who the fuck changed the gc name

worldwidehandsome: who the fuck do you think, panini head

worldwidehandsome changed the group chat name to PANINI HEADS + WORLDWIDE HANDSOME

i'mjimout: sTOB IT

worldwidehandsome: that was ONE TIME stop being a bitch

i'mjimout changed the group chat name to I'LL NEVER STOB

hoesucc: sTOP SPAMMING THE GROUP CHAT

hoesucc: we'll wake up yoongi

hoesucc: and that's scary

yoongleboongles: too late panini heads

hoesucc: OH SHIT

i'mjimout: CRAP

i'mjimout: JIN THIS IS YOUR FAULT

worldwidehandsome: LOCK YOUR DOORS

yoongleboongles: when i see you all tomorrow, i'm going to throw you into a basketball hoop and leave you hanging there to die

yoongleboongles: i was just about to take a very pleasant nap

yoongleboongles: and you peasants woke me up

taelien: shame on you peasants you woke up lord yoongi

taelien: shame on you

taelien: shame on your family

taelien: shame on your cow

presidentkim: Yes, Taehyung, we know you love Mulan.

presidentkim: Technically, It's "dishonor on your cow".

yoongleboongles: joon you're texting like an old man

yoongleboongles: it's freaking me out

presidentkim: the president does what he wants, low class citizen

yoongleboongles: better

yoongleboongles: sorta

shookethkooketh: you guys are so LOUD

shookethkooketh: i can hear u through text

shookethkooketh: sHUT UP

yoongleboongles: i'm muting you guys GOOD NIGHT peasants

taelien: cya grumpy the dwarf

With that, I muted my phone and threw it onto the other side of the bed. The sudden urge to close my eyes had dissipated completely, without even a tiny trace. The sunlight had moved, no longer splattering the walls with gold, now blocked by the blue fabric hanging in front of the window.

Then, I heard it. A faint, small sound that could bring massive destruction.

The muffled cries of Min Soyoung.

---

I hurried out my door, pressing my ear to the wooden barrier between me and my weeping sister. Her breath seemed unsteady, and she was gasping for air. There was this strained sound, meant to make a sound but only ended up as a hiss of air escaping her lips.

Unable to resist anymore, I flung the door open, and rushed to her side.

"We could've beaten them," Soyoung said. "If I hadn't lost that point-"

"Don't beat yourself up, So." I reassured her, patting her back. "It's one game."

"One game that contributes to that banner, that is." She said. "We were almost beaten by GRSS! And it's my fault. As captain, I should've-"

"Soyoung, I love your competitive streak, but it's no one's fault." I said. I was a little alarmed by how many tears were coming out of her eyes, but I hadn't seen Soyoung cry for, what, 6 months?

That was barely human.

There were probably thousands of thoughts swirling around in her tiny head, and the game must have set them all off. So, instead of making her toughen up, I let her release it all.

Even after I'd left, one thought nagged at the back of my mind.

If she was like this because of a tie, then how broken would she be after she found out I kissed Song Jiwon- and possibly enjoyed it?

I shook my head in an attempt to shake the thought off. 

It was hard enough for Soyoung as it was. I didn't need to contribute to her pain. So- all I had to do was hate Song Jiwon. I'd been doing it for the past few years. It couldn't be that hard.

Right?

---

Two days after Soyoung's team played GRSS, I had a basketball game against some insignificant school, a school named Yeungjin High School, or something. We'd killed it, but YHS almost won a match. But it was no matter, really, seeing as we had it handled.

What I didn't have handled, was the girl with pretty pink lips and straight black hair sitting in the bleachers, glaring at me.

What the hell was Song Jiwon doing at Daegu High?

A/N: iM ALIVE! SORRY FOR BEING SO INACTIVE, GUYS, BUT ITS HERE NOW, AND THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS! ILY ALL 🖤

-ri