Shadow • [SF9]

Like the hands held tight

After the game, Coffee princes, big 4 and tennis team gather for dinner. They head to a famous Japanese restaurant near by the campus.  The food is serving pretty quickly tonight.   The designated cameraman Inseong takes a picture with the group before the meal.  Their family is growing bigger now, his camera almost can't fit everyone in! t3o

"Today's game was really fun.  We enjoyed it very much." Youngbin praises the team.  "Zuho's game was very intense.  We cheered so loudly for him." Hwiyoung adds, he passes the sushi to Somi.

"Thanks, if you guys are free next weekend, we will have another match in Busan.  You guys can spend the weekend there and enjoy the Busan festival as well." Wendy won't miss a chance to promote tennis club.

"Right Youngbin, I am going as well.  You guys can stay in my villa, it will be fun." Inseong adds.

"Hyung, let's all go together, it's gonna be like high school field trip." Taeyang asks Youngbin for permission and who can say no to Taeyang?

"Ok, here is the plan, the tennis team will go on Friday for Saturday's game.  We can all gather in my place on Saturday after the game. And Rowoon and Seolhyun will have photoshoot on Sunday, and we can leave whenever we want, how does it sound?" Everyone nod and agree with Inseong.

Hwiyoung is curious about next week's line up, "Zuho hyung, you are killing it back there today, are you going up against Jaehyun again next week?"

Wendy answers for Zuho "Next week Jaehyun won't be playing, but I'm 100% sure he will win." She smiles proudly while passing a bowl of curry to Rowoon.  Rowoon hesitates, Hyeyoon casually takes the bowl from him, removes all the carrot inside and returns to him.  Rowoon smiles and whispers at her ear" Thanks, babe."

"I didn't expect Jaehyun to be that good though, it was a close call. Oh Seolhyun, did you know Jaehyun from before? I saw you two talking after the game." Wendy asks.

Seolhyun quickly glances at Inseong, he is talking to Youngbin.  She feels a little disappointed. "Yes, eonnie, we worked on a project together. We kept in touch after that."

Inseong quietly puts his spoon down.  Youngbin is amused by Inseong's reaction. He is still smiling, but his mind is  somewhere else. "Inseong?" He quietly calls him. But no response. 

He looks at the other side of the table.  Wendy's is talking "Aw....are you guys going to meet again next week? I heard he asked."

Youngbin turns back to Inseong. He is applying his lip balm repeatedly.  Youngbin smiles, he does that when he gets nervous.  Only a handful of people know this habit, he is one of them. Youngbin finally knows who is Inseong's mysterious lady.

"I am not sure, he wants to meet on Friday as he has other schedule on the wekend, but my photoshoot won't be until Sunday.  I am still thinking." Seolhyun replies without thinking much of it, she is still bothered by Inseong's ignorance.   Little does she know that she has just ruined Inseong's day.

On the other side of the table, Somi leaves her seat and walks towards Rowoon.  "Oppa look, I've taken a lots of photos of yours, see which one you like, I will post it on the club's homepage." She hands her phone to Rowoon.

"Oppa?" Hyeyoon shouts inside her head. "You two aren't even close, why do you call him oppa?"

Rowoon casually flip over the galleries, and picked the one which he has his thick plastic glasses on. "This one is nice."

"This one? But you are wearing the plastic glasses." Somi doesn't like this photo, it doesn't show how beautiful Rowoon is. "How about this one without glasses? You look really handsome."

"I like the plastic glasses one, he looks cute." Hyeyoon steps in without thinking. She won't allow it. Rowoon without glasses belongs to her, not anyone else.

"You mean you LOVE Rowoon hyung with plastic glasses right?" Chani teases her.

Hyeyoon freezes, she has just fallen into her own trap.  This is so embarrassing.

Rowoon puts his hand underneath the table and lands it on top of Hyeyoon's.  Hyeyoon is startled. She feels Rowoon's warmth on her hand slowly rolls down and wraps around her palm. He gently puts pressure on her comforting her.

"Somi-ssi, I like this one with plastic glasses, I like my post in it. Please upload this one." Rowoon makes the call. Somi is disappointed. She unwillingly takes back her phone and returns to her seat.

Hyeyoon almost laugh when she hears Rowoon calls her 'Somi-ssi', obviously drawing the line from her.  She squeezes on Rowoon's hand signaling him to let go.  She pulls her hand from Rowoon, but he holds her even tighter and put their hands on his thigh. She feels a spark coming from her spine up to her neck into her skull, her cheeks are burning.  She looks down to their holding hands, not knowing what to do. He slightly releases his hold, lays Hyeyoon's hand on his thigh, gently rubs his hand against hers. And finally crosses their fingers together.

Hyeyoon's mouth is half opened as she gasps for air.  The intensity of the tension between them is too overwhelming that she cannot control her expression.  she forces her lips to close and looks for Seolhyun's help.  She is still talking to Wendy.  Hyeyoon blinks a few times and diverts her attention to the food in front of her.

Rowoon keeps looking at her and smiles like a fool.  She is his now, his precious Hyeyoon.    He likes her being shy when he holds her hand.  He likes her looking helpless when he crosses their fingers together.  He like her being just his cutest Hyeyoon.

The dinner is about to end.  Seolhyun leaves her seat heading to washroom. Hyeyoon excuses herself and follows her.

"Seolhyun, oh my god....I have to tell you what just happened......" Hyeyoon is excited to tell her side of the story, but Seolhyun interrupts her "He doesn't care." She sadly sigh.

"What?" Hyeyoon looks at her? Who doesn't care? Rowoon?

"I talked about Jaehyun, he didn't even blink." She purses her lips.

"What? Oh....." Hyeyoon raises her brows and realizes that she is talking about Inseong. "May be he didn't hear it, don't think of the worse." Hyeyoon tries to comfort her.

Seolhyun just nods without saying another word.

_______________________________

They parts their way after dinner.  Rowoon is walking Hyeyoon home.  Neither of them has said a word since after dinner.

"So...." Hyeyoon breaks the silence. " What was that?"

"What?" Rowoon looks confused. "What was what?"

"That?" Hyeyoon's eyes are staring at Rowoon's hand.

"This?" Rowoon boldly holds her hand again.

Hyeyoon nods, doesn't know where to look.

"That's 'me too'." He explains.

"What?" Hyeyoon looks at him confused.

"You said you love me, and this is me saying 'me too'." Rowoon looks at her eyes full of love.

"Oh....." She looks to the side, avoiding eye contact. That's not how she imagine it, but okay.  Her cheeks start burning again.

"You mean it right?" Rowoon carefully asks.  She nods without hesitation, too shy to meet his gaze.

"Me too." Rowoon grins, holding her hand tighter than ever.

"Oh, we can't tell anyone yet." Hyeyoon tells Rowoon before she forgets.

"Why?"

"Seolhyun is upset about Inseong oppa now, may be we should wait a little bit..."

"Ok.  Let's date secretly, babe." Rowoon smiles at Hyeyoon.

"I like it when you call me babe."

"Oh yea? You like that babe? You want more babe? Babe, babe, babe...."

"It's enough, stop it.  You are so annoying."

"Babe"