basketball ➸ lee eunsang

| 15 |

"the competition's in a week, students. you better train your hardest! namsan high school has been known to have good basketball players, so we need to put in all your effort! all right?" coach lee said before starting training.

"yes, coach!" the students said.

"and also, hangyul said that if we win this competition, their family is going to hold a small congratulatory party in their house, since you know, his eldest brother will host the competition." coach said.

haeyoung rolled her eyes. ugh, it's always hangyul this, hangyul that. she thought. stop making it obvious that hangyul is your favorite player, coach.

"one last thing before practice starts," coach said, "you all know that every year our school has a competition with the boys' team against the girls' team, right?"

the girls groaned. "coach? we're still having that?" a girl said. "the boys always win! it's not fair."

"i know, i know," coach said, "but i think this year's competition will be fair. we have very good players on both the boys' and the girls' team. anyway, just to give you a head start, the competition will be on the last week of november."

the girls sighed once again, before practices started.

➸

the week passed, and haeyoung was feeling the same excitement as the last competition. call time was at 10:30 AM, so she was already at the venue that time. when she arrived there, many players were already there, too. hangyul's family was there as well.

she went up to the rest of her team, and greeted each other. "oh, haeyoung, you're here. i introduced them to my family." hangyul said, pointing to the team. "you want me to introduce them to you, too?"

obviously, haeyoung didn't want hangyul to. but, since their hosting the competition, she had to or else coach lee would get mad at her for being rude to his favorite player.

she nodded, and hangyul introduced them. "that's my eldest brother, the one in the suit. he's hosting the game." he said, pointing to a guy in a suit. "that's my second older brother, he's the score keeper thingy."

"my parents are over there." he said, pointing to an elderly couple. "and my cousin is here, too. he wanted to support our school."

"wow, since when did you have a cousin?" haeyoung sarcastically said. hangyul secretly rolled his eyes and ignored haeyoung's comment.

"c'mon, he doesn't look busy. let me introduce you to him." hangyul said. "yohan! the other small forward has arrived!"

hangyul took haeyoung's arm and pulled her to his cousin. "ow, stop touching me!" haeyoung said, slapping hangyul's hand, but he didn't budge.

"shhh, you're so loud." hangyul said. "hey, yohan, this is the other small forward from the girls' team, kwon haeyoung."

yohan turned around and haeyoung immediately got goosebumps. he looks so freaking familiar... where have i seen him before?

"hello, haeyoung." yohan said.

"hi." haeyoung replied. before they could say anything else, the coach spoke.

"all right, players! gather up in front please." coach lee said.

"goodluck, guys." yohan said.

"thanks, bro." hangyul said. haeyoung slightly smiled and walked up front, hangyul following behind.

the coach checked the students' attendance, and everyone was already there. they went to the locker rooms to change in their basketball uniforms. haeyoung realized she forgot her water bottle outside and decided to get it.

she went outside, and there were a few people already there. a few of which were haeyoung's friends; dongpyo, eunsang, and wonjin. mingyu was even there, too.

she waved at dongpyo and he waved back. the second she blinked, dongpyo and wonjin were already in front of her.

"hello!" dongpyo said.

"hi!" she replied.

they were chatting until haeyoung got goosebumps again. she turned to her right and saw hangyul's cousin, yohan.

her eyes widened before turning back to dongpyo and wonjin. "guys," she whispered. "there's this yohan guy and he's hangyul's cousin, look at him, he looks like my mother!"

"where?" dongpyo asked.

"there!" she said, pointing to yohan. "dongpyo, you've seen my mother, right? doesn't he look like her?! what if he's my long lost brother?"

"oh, he does! i don't think he's your brother, though." dongpyo said.

"he doesn't even look like you. not even the smallest feature." wonjin said.

"shut up, wonjin." haeyoung said, "but, you do have a point, though. but, i look more like my dad, so..."

"okay." dongpyo said. "let's talk about this later."

"yeah. oh, crap, it's almost 11:20 AM. the game's about to start. talk to you later, guys. wish me luck!" haeyoung said, grabbing her water bottle and going back in the locker room to her team.

"good luck!" dongpyo and wonjin said.

➸