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

Chapter 4: Sparks

JL smiled sheepishly. "I was just trying not to mess up my form. You know, focus on myself."

"Yeah, yeah," Steven replied, rolling his eyes but still looking at JL with a smile that reached his eyes. "I see you're really good at not messing up. We all know, Gaspar... you're the real deal."

Meanwhile, Han stood off to the side, stretching his legs, his gaze fixed on the horizon as though he were lost in thought. JL could feel the subtle presence of Han's attention, though it was so quiet, so still, it was hard to tell if Han was aware of how closely JL was watching him.

The relay drills began, and Coach Yang's voice rang out, calling the team into position. JL moved quickly to line up, his mind already running through the drills and strategies. He wasn't in the first or second leg, but his part, the anchor leg, was arguably the most important. He'd been working on his hand-off technique with Han for days. They didn't speak much about it, but there was an unspoken understanding between them.

"Ready?" Han asked as they stood at the starting blocks, looking at each other just long enough for the distance between them to feel very much alive.

"Yeah. I'm ready," JL said, his voice quiet.

Han didn't say anything else. He simply nodded. 

Then the gun fired, and the world narrowed down to the track beneath their feet.

The race was a blur of legs and exhalation, and when JL finally gripped the baton, his hands were steady, his body not as exhausted as the others. He was pacing himself, calculating and controlling every move. He could feel the eyes on him, but they didn't matter. The track, the rhythm and the motion all blended into something far more important. He felt weightless like this, running just for himself in the moment, free of everyone's expectations as long as he could feel his heart thudding in his chest and the wind in his face.

As he hit the final stretch, the crowd in the stands went silent. And just like that -- like a switch flipping -- JL became something else. Not the quiet boy from southeast, not the clumsy, smiley guy. He was the fastest, the most focused, the one who would finish it, and win.

"Damn, he really does switch like a different person," Steven muttered to himself as he watched from the sidelines, his heart racing. He wasn't the only one noticing. Everyone around the track seemed to hold their breath.

"Not bad," Han called out when JL crossed the finish line. There was something about the way Han said it,  something that wasn't only token praise, but maybe... recognition?

JL panted, hands on his knees as he tried to steady his breathing. "Thanks."

Back in the locker room, Woongki slapped JL on the back, making him stumble forward. "You did great. I'm not crying. You're crying," Woongki joked, wiping his eyes dramatically. JL laughed nervously, shaking his head.

"You're overreacting," JL muttered, but even he could see the sparkle in Woongki's eyes. Woongki always had an aura of flamboyance about him, but this time, there was something softer, more earnest behind his grin.

Jeongwoo passed by, glancing at JL. "You really did well. We needed that." JL beamed at him, his smile easy. "Thanks, hyung. I'm just doing my part."

* * * 

Later that evening, as the boys hung around the dormitory lounge, Woongki and Kyungho began one of their usual bantering routines.

Woongki was sprawled out on the couch, tossing a pillow at Kyungho. "Is it just me, or is there some serious tension between JL and Han?" Woongki asked casually, making eye contact with Juwon, who was sitting across from him.

Juwon chuckled and shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time Han's been tight-lipped about something, right?"

"Right, but this is different," Woongki said, leaning forward, all wide-eyed and mischievous. "You saw that look after the race. Han's definitely into him."

"I think you're seeing things," Kyungho said, his face unreadable as he continued flicking through his phone. 

"I don't know," Woongki pressed, looking at Juwon for support. "You can't deny there's something there."

Juwon laughed, shaking his head. "I'm not getting involved in this. You are hopeless." Then he added in a mock whisper, "I did catch him staring at Han this morning though."

As the group continued their banter, JL caught Han's gaze for a brief second across the room. 

Han raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He continued flipping through his phone.

JL tried to look casual. He didn't know if it was working. 

[Your comments and votes each chapter mean the world and support this story. Thank you for reading, and see you in the next chapter! ✩✩✩ - Martiné]