Running to You | Park Han + JL + Steven | Haneulz + Stejay AU

Chapter 4: Sparks

It wasn't the usual silence of focus or the hum of competition that filled the space. No, this felt different. The team had barely been together all week due to classes and personal commitments, but now, gathered around the track at dusk, there was a certain weight in the air. 

JL stood near the starting blocks, adjusting his shoes again. His hands were fidgety, his nerves buzzing more than usual. Every time someone looked his way, his breath seemed to catch, though his smile never faltered.

He was used to the attention now, kind of. He'd started receiving gifts from fans: stuffies, snacks, even the occasional hand-drawn portrait of himself. A few girls had slipped post-it notes with messages like, "You're my Shining Star!!" or "I'll cheer for you forever, JL! <3" into his locker. He was flattered, but... overwhelmed.

Was he supposed to respond to this? Did they expect him to be perfect, every moment? 

JL sighed and adjusted his sleeve as he looked over at the team. Han was across the field, stretching his legs with long, calculated movements. He looked... serene, almost detached. That wasn't unusual for Han, but lately, JL found himself noticing more. The way Han's sharp features caught the sunlight. The taut, controlled way his body moved.

He was impossible to ignore.

"You gonna stare at him all day or join the rest of us?"

JL jumped, startled by the voice and the hand that landed on his shoulder. He spun around to see Juwon standing next to him, grinning like he'd just caught JL in the middle of a crime.

JL flushed. "I wasn't staring."

Juwon raised an eyebrow. "If you say so. But you should get your eyes checked because you've been looking at him like he's the only thing on this planet."

"I haven't!" JL protested, his face going redder than he cared to admit.

"Relax, Gaspar," Juwon said, still grinning. "I'm not judging. But if you don't want everyone to notice, maybe don't stare so hard next time."

"I wasn't staring," JL repeated firmly, though now it sounded more like he was convincing himself than Juwon.

Juwon clapped him on the back. "Sure, sure. Anyway, don't mess this up. Coach says this is our chance to see who's really worth it for the relay."

JL nodded, trying to calm his breath. He needed to focus. This wasn't just some casual practice anymore. He was being given a chance to prove himself again. The nerves and pressure always seemed to appear in moments like these, no matter how many times he had to fight through it.

"Woongki, can you stop tweeting the entire fandom and help us warm up?"

Steven's voice cut through the quiet, and JL looked up to find Woongki tossing his phone onto the grass with a dramatic sigh, saying something huffy about sns visibility and algorithms. Steven stretched his shoulders with exaggerated slowness, making eye contact with Woongki, who was pouting, before he pointedly glanced at JL. 

"You're not gonna try to break another record today, are you?" Steven asked, half-smiling, but there was an edge of teasing in his voice.

"No!" JL responded, hands out in a placating gesture. "I just want to get through this one without making a fool of myself."

"Oh, so now you're worried about looking bad? What happened to the guy who crushed all our egos on the first day?" Steven smirked. "I thought we were past this."