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

Chapter 52: The Jjimjilbang

It was barely past 8 a.m. and already Coach Yang had a whiteboard covered in matchups, stats, and the kind of hieroglyphic arrows that meant muscle pain.

JL blinked at the headline.

SUPERMEET SCHEDULE - Busan Stadium

He leaned over to Kyungho, who was taping his wrist with the slow, meticulous calm of a man prepping for war.

"What's the Supermeet?" JL whispered.

Kyungho didn't look up. "The real name is the Regional Qualifiers. Everyone calls it the Supermeet because it's basically the National Prelims."

"So... not Nationals, but kind of?"

"Exactly. It's the last filter. The top schools from every region face off -- Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon. Whoever dominates here? That's who you'll meet again at Nationals."

JL swallowed. "So it's like... the pre-boss battle."

"More like the mini-boss. With extra flair and snipers watching."

"Snipers?!"

"Metaphorically," Kyungho said, straightfaced.

Coach Yang tapped the board with a marker. "You'll be up against Daegu Tech, Busan Aero, Jeonnam Speed Academy, and Seoul South Elite. It's next month, so everyone focus on your specialties and transition into event specific training regimen. Any extracurriculars you want to do, better get them sorted."

Woongki groaned. "Ugh, not Jeonnam Speed. They're the ones with the cult chants."

"Better than Busan Aero," Juwon muttered. "Their uniforms have capes."

"They do not have capes," Steven said.

"They billow, Steven."

JL leaned back in his chair. "So basically, this is where the real challenge begins."

Kyungho nodded. "And if you're not ready, it'll eat you alive."

Shuaibo, who had been silently scrolling on his phone, added, "At least I'll go broke with style."

"Still our prince," Jeongwoo said automatically.

"Prince of broken bank accounts," Woongki added.

But even as the team joked, the weight of it settled in.

The Supermeet wasn't just about placing.

It was about proving who they were.

After the meeting, the team lingered, the air thick with anticipation and unspoken nerves. Juwon approached JL, an envelope in hand.

"Hey, my mom had these jjimjilbang passes. Our family's heading out of town, and I can't use them. Thought you guys might want to relax before the big meet."

Woongki, who saw, clapped his hands in delight. "You are an angel sent from heaven. You're taking me along, of course."

Jeongwoo nodded. "Speaking of sorted, I'll be unavailable tonight, so go on without me."

JL took the envelope, surprised. "Thanks, Juwon. That's really thoughtful."

Juwon shrugged, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Just promise me you won't get whiplash getting in between Steven and Han in there."

JL laughed, the tension easing slightly. "No promises."