Class 3 Romance (bxb)

Ha Joon - Confessions?

Ha Joon held his hand against his side. The ache that had started 10 minutes earlier would not go away.

"I need to stop," Ha Joon huffed out. He dragged himself to the edge of the football field, collapsing along the side of the grass. He could hear the beat of Woo Jin's feet as he stomped closer. Ha Joon braced himself for impact. Instead, Woo Jin landed next to him. Of the previous four times they had played this was only the second time Woo Jin had missed tripping over him. Woo Jin sprawled out on the grass next to him, back to the ground, face to the sun, arms spread wide.

"You look too relaxed for someone who has been on the field for the last half hour." Ha Joon glared at him.

Woo Jin rolled over onto his side, resting his head on his hand. He stared at Ha Joon who was still trying to get control of his breathing. "That's because I'm in better shape than you." Ha Joon groaned and shoved his face into the grass. "Wait, I didn't mean it as an insult. Honestly, you're getting better. You're lasting a little longer each time we play."

"Remind me why we're even doing this." Ha Joon mumbled into the grass.

"Because you help me with my homework and I help you with this."

Ha Joon turned his head to look back at Woo Jin, who was still staring down at him. "I am beginning to question my benefit to this arrangement."

"What do you mean? You are getting the most out of this. You get my company."

Ha Joon groaned louder, dropping his face back into the grass.

"Come on. Just a few more minutes and we can call it a day." Woo Jin tugged at his arm.

"I've called it a day already."

"Come on Ha Joon. How about five more minutes."

"How about we rest five more minutes?"

"Ha Joon?" Woo Jin whined.

Ha Joon sighed. He knew he would not win this fight. In the last few weeks he had learned he would never win a fight with Woo Jin. Woo Jin's ability to win anyone over with a simple smile, or a well-placed whine was his greatest gift. Most likely how he really kept all bullying at bay. No one wanted to disappoint Woo Jin. Ha Joon had learned about it that first day helping Woo Jin with his English homework and had not stopped since.

That first time playing had been rough. Ha Joon lasted only 15 minutes before he was ready to walk off the field and never return. Beyond having the wrong footwear, the wrong clothes, the wrong body shape, he was not designed to play football, no matter what Woo Jin said. Woo Jin ran with him up and down the field. They practiced kicking the ball back and forth, passing it to each other over and over. For the most part, Woo Jin was safe to play with. He offered instruction here and there. Providing little key points of coaching to help Ha Joon move better. It was only when they moved too close to each other that Woo Jin became a danger. By the end of those 15 minutes, Woo Jin had tripped himself three times and Ha Joon twice. The third time came when Ha Joon was lying off-field trying to recover. Recover his breath and his senses for why he'd even agreed to this in the first place. There was no way he was getting back out on that field again.

Over the next few weeks as Ha Joon settled into school, he also settled into his new normal. The first few days Woo Jin continued to join him at his lonely lunch table. Nothing Ha Joon said could convenience Woo Jin to go back to his friends. So by the fourth day, Ha Joon against every instinct he'd ever learned, joined Woo Jin at the popular kids' table. He was met with a few jokes about how nice it was that he was finally returning Woo Jin. But for the most part, they were trivial and lightweight comments that meant little harm. They even pulled up an extra chair for him to sit next to Woo Jin that first day. And had a chair waiting for him the next day after that. He couldn't say they welcomed him immediately. He didn't become automatic best friends with any of them, or even hold long conversations with them. But they left him alone to eat his meal in peace, and that was enough for him.