basketball ➸ lee eunsang

| 08 |

haeyoung is what you call, traumatized. she was traumatized because of the fire.

she remembers it as if it was yesterday; she was just walking home from school when she saw a huge cloud of smoke. she heard sirens and saw firetrucks coming from behind. she didn't think of it as much until she got closer to the smoke, and until she realized that the firetrucks were heading to her home.

she watched as her house burn to a crisp. she watched as her memories burnt down along with the house.

she watched as her parents tried to save themselves but couldn't, and she wasn't allowed to do anything about it. she watched as the firefighters tried to save her parents but got hurt instead. she watched as the police took out the bodies of her late parents.

and of course, she watched herself as she transformed into a completely new person.

the traumatizing moment made her afraid of fire ever since. but she was even more afraid of what would happen next. just like how she was afraid of herself, and how she changed.

no one knows about her fear, even her grandmother. her grandmother just thinks she's sad about the loss of her parents, but she doesn't understand. she doesn't understand that there's more to just sadness. no one understands.

but she herself doesn't understand one thing; how did the house burn down? that question has been lingering on her mind ever since. police say that it's just a simple cooking accident but she knows that there's more to it.

"noona? you okay?" dongpyo asked.

it was saturday, and the boys took her out to korean barbecue (samgyupsal). the fire on the stove reminded her of the fire that burnt down her home.

"yeah, i'm fine." haeyoung lied.

dongpyo came closer to the girl's ear, "are you still thinking about what happened yesterday with mingyu and yiren?" he whispered, making sure no one but haeyoung heard it.

haeyoung pulled back. "what? no!"

"c'mon, i know you like him and you were jealous."

"yeah, as i already told you, i do like him," haeyoung admitted. "and i am a bit jealous, but that's not what i'm thinking about!"

"what? haeyoung likes someone?" wonjin asked.

"shut up, hyung." dongpyo said before turning back to haeyoung. "then what are you thinking about?"

"uh, the basketball competition." haeyoung said, lying.

"oh, right! when and where is it again?" wonjin asked.

"the girls' competition is on september 8, 2018, a saturday, at jaryong high [my id is gangnam beauty, anyone? lol] school's basketball arena. the girls are competing with jaryong's girls team on saturday, while the boys' competition is at sunday."

dongpyo gasped.

"what?"

"that's the day before my birthday!"

"oh, nice! let's celebrate your birthday early after my competition." haeyoung said, and dongpyo nodded.

"isn't that in like, two weeks?" wonjin asked.

"yep."

"anyway, i'll make sure to come!" dongpyo said. "how 'bout you, hyung?"

"uhm, i'm not sure because i have singing lessons-"

"singing lessons?! you sing?!" dongpyo and haeyoung said in unison.

"yeah, but that's not the point. i'll try to come, too."

the three friends started eating the food on the table. after almost half an hour of eating, they all went to the city park to 'digest' the food they just ate.

"ah! i'm so full!" wonjin said, a bit too loudly.

"sure." haeyoung said.

they chatted for a while before parting ways.

➸

"it's official." mingyu said.

"what's official?" eunsang asked.

"i don't like kwon haeyoung any more than just a friend." mingyu said.

eunsang nodded slowly. "okay... and? i know you have a reason to why your feelings suddenly changed."

"i like someone else now."

"really? who?"

"wang yiren." mingyu said.

"aha! i knew it!" eunsang said. he was really happy that his best friends doesn't like haeyoung in a romantic way, but he hid his happiness.

"why are you so happy?" mingyu asked eunsang.

"i don't know, maybe because i ship you two?" eunsang lied, and mingyu chuckled.

"i'm sure she doesn't like me back, though." mingyu said. "actually, i don't really like her, i just kinda find her attractive."

eunsang nodded. "i get you, bro." mingyu's eyes widened and his body suddenly grew tense.

"what's wrong-" eunsang's eyes widened and he cut himself off as he saw haeyoung walk past them.

"oh, crap. how much do you think she heard?" mingyu whispered.

"let's just say she heard nothing. maybe she didn't even notice us?" eunsang assured.

before haeyoung could get away any further, mingyu called out. "haeyoung-ah!"

haeyoung turned around. "oh, hi." she replied, loud enough for the two boys to hear. haeyoung walked towards them.

"did you hear any of the things we were saying?" eunsang asked. mingyu mentally facepalmed; my goodness, eunsang. you're making it too obvious!

"no?" haeyoung said.

"okay." eunsang and mingyu said, sighing in relief.

"were you back-talking me?" haeyoung said.

"no, don't worry."

"eh, it's okay. i get back-talked a lot, anyway. all right, gotta go." haeyoung said.

"bye!" eunsang and mingyu said, waving. haeyoung waved back.

"this is the nicest she's ever been in years." eunsang said.

"i know." mingyu said.

they shrugged it off and went on with their day.

i knew it. haeyoung thought, a bit disappointed as she sighed. mingyu does like yiren.

➸