"Alright! Whoo!" Chaeryeong slammed onto the locker as the rest of the team continued preparing for the game.
Ryujin brought her knee up to her chest and stretched, side eyeing Chaeryeong. "You do know that you aren't allowed to take any 'enhancements', right?" She brought her leg down and cracked her knuckles.
Chaeryeong rolled her eyes as she rested her foot on the bench, stretching out her leg. "What makes you think I took drugs, I'm just excited. For the game and also because Choi Jisu promised she'll go together with me to the party if we win."
"So" She walked closer to Ryujin and poked her finger on her chest. "We better win." Ryujin scoffed and chuckled, swatting her finger away. "Of course we're going to win. Now come on and continue stretching. I don't want you to pull that bullshit excuse of that player fouling you just because you got a cramp in your leg, again." Ryujin reminded her before heading off to the other teammates, giving them a pep talk.
Chaeryeong mumbled under her breath as she caught up with Ryujin.
≈
"Minju, please." Yeji pleaded once again. Minju kept her gaze ahead, pretending not to hear her best friend.
"Come on, you've once told me you would do anything for me. Even kill." Yeji mentioned as she took a bite of her granola bar. "Yah, that didn't mean that I would go as a third wheel for you." She turned to face Yeji and took the granola bar out of her hand, putting the rest of it in her mouth.
"Hey! I was eating that." Yeji protested but Minju continued on chewing. "You can have it back in 1-2 business days." She said, swallowing it. Yeji grimaced and shook her head. "Never mind. And you're not going to be a third wheel. You and I are going, remember?"
"No, you and Ryujin are going, and you are dragging me along." Minju scooted back as another couple of people filled up the bleacher they were sitting in.
They both were currently waiting for the game to start, just like the rest of the gym.
"For the last time, me and Ryujin aren't going together. She's just picking me up, taking me there, and dropping me off-God! Are me and Ryujin going together?!" Yeji said in realization, saying it out loud.
Minju rolled her eyes. "For a tutor, you're awfully slow." She commented as she craned her neck to see the cheerleaders run in. "And obviously you and Ryujin are going together. You know, it seems to me that she kinda likes you." She teasingly nudges Yeji as the brunette blushes over that fact.
Yeji fixes she glasses and clears her throat. "She isn't into me. Why would she be?" She says as her gaze lands on Yeri, who was doing the routine, and Choi Jisu beside her. "That kiss probably meant nothing." She whispered to herself, but Minju heard it.
"What! Excuse me, what?" She held onto Yeji's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "You and Ryujin kissed?!" She whisper shouted, feeling the stares of others on her back.
Yeji took her hands off of her and fixed her now wrinkled top. "Kind of. It wasn't even a real kiss, sort of like a brush of our lips. A car had come up and made us snap out of it." Yeji grumbled, feeling a little angry at that damn car for driving up when it did.
"So, you guys would've kissed if you weren't interrupted?" Minju asked with one eyebrow raised. Yeji contemplates for a second before her cheeks turned red. Minju squealed, already getting the answer.
"Oh my God! I'm already planning your wedding in my head." She exclaimed as Yeji shoved her away.
She didn't have to tell her best friend to shut up as the lights dimmed and people began to cheer. Soon, the home team came out of the door, everyone yelling loudly for them.
Yeji sat a little straighter to see the last person to come out, which was the team captain.
Ryujin smiled brightly and waved to everyone as she jogged into the court, already feeling the energy bursting into her.
"God, isn't she cute?" Yeji whispered as she felt her breath being taken away from her as she saw Ryujin in her jersey and shorts, which were showing off those legs. "Those damn legs." She thought.
Not long after, the game began with the tip off, which was won by Ryujin's team.
Yeji had always went to these games, so she knew what everything meant. She had gone partly for Ryujin and also because she had a general interest in the sport. Unfortunately, her body didn't agree with her mind as she couldn't shoot a basketball for her life.
The first bucket was easy as Ryujin ran down the court and Chaeryeong grabbed hold of the ball, tossing it to the captain so she could make a layup.
"Whoo!" The cheerleaders on the side cheered.
"Go Ryujin!" Yeji yelled and waved. Ryujin turned back to look at where that was coming from and smiled seeing the familiar brunette sitting in the stands. She mouthed back a hey and winked.
"Shin! Pay attention." The coach yelled from the sidelines and Ryujin got out of her trance, shaking her head before running towards the opposite end of the court.
"Oh God, I won't be able to survive this game." Yeji murmured as she felt her heart palpitating from Ryujin's wink. "Neither will I." Minju whispered back from beside her as her eyes trailed one basketball player in particular.
≈
Yeji closed her eyes as she put her arms above her head and yawned, feeling them water up. "Hey, I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick, be right back." Minju said before heading down.
The game had finally finished, with 68-73. The home team winning. Everyone immediately stood up and began to pile out, but Yeji sat there, scrolling through her phone.
"Hey." Yeji heard from in front of her and looked up to see a sweaty, panting Ryujin. "So, how'd I do?" She asked with a smug look on her face.
The brunette blushed a little and stood up to head down and see Ryujin up close. "Hey." Yeji smiled sweetly at the captain. "Ooh, don't get too close yet, still sweaty." Ryujin warned. "You did amazing." Yeji said, recalling just how many points and assists Ryujin made.
Ryujin shook her head at that. "Nah, I think it was the team that all did great, especially Chaeryeong and Heejin." She took the towel that was wrapped around her neck, and wiped her face off. "I'll go wash up and come meet with you again, alright?" She said as she walked backwards.
"Don't you want to go with your friends?" Yeji raised her voice as Ryujin went further away.
"No. I'd rather hang out with you." The captain simply said before turning around and walking off, leaving Yeji a blushing mess. "Oh my God."
"Alright, let's go." Minju said as she returned. Yeji faced her with a shocked face and scarlet cheeks. Minju groaned loudly seeing that.
"Seriously? Why do I keep missing you two!" She exclaimed.
≈
"Boo!" Yeji gasped and flinched intensely as Ryujin laughed from behind her shoulder. "Oops, didn't know you were such a frightened human being." She apologized, but still chuckled a little.
Yeji put her hand over her heart and sighed. She stood still for a few seconds before facing Ryujin with a glare, smacking her with her sleeves. "Why. Would. You. Do. That!" She hit her with every word.
"Ow, ow. Sorry. Sorry!" Ryujin grabbed hold of Yeji's arms and pulled her closer. "You can finally come close now. I'm clean." She mentioned as she stared down at Yeji's eyes. The brunette stopped and stared in awe at Ryujin's face.
The captain carefully moved a lock of hair out of Yeji's face, tucking it behind her ear. "You wore your hair down today." She said with a smile. Yeji shrugged playfully. "Felt like it." She whispered.
"Oh my God! It's happening!" A loud voice appeared from beside them. Ryujin and Yeji both detached from each other and put their hands behind their backs, as if they were caught doing something wrong.
Minju smiled brightly at Ryujin and enthusiastically shook her hand. "Hi. Hello, I'm Minju, if you didn't remember me from the other day." She spoke quickly. Ryujin smiled back and detached her hand from hers.
"Ya, I remember you. You're also in my calculus class if I remember correctly?" Ryujin titled her head to the side. Minju's smile brightened even more if that was possible, and she nodded her head.
She didn't stop looking at Ryujin until she heard Yeji clear her throat.
"Weren't we just heading out now?" Yeji asked her, discreetly nudging her in the arm. Minju opened her mouth to agree, but she smirked instead.
"Actually, Jihyo from Chem offered to give me a ride today. So, here you guys go." She reached into her pocket to pull out the keys to her car and handed them to Yeji. "There. Practice your driving while you're at it, but if there is one scratch on my baby then I'm going to murder you." She said with a sweet smile before waving at a pleased Ryujin and shocked Yeji.
"Well I guess I'll go with you then." Ryujin said as she pulled up her hood over her head, feeling cold from the breeze that passed by.
Yeji nodded, not being able to form words with the things that were happening in the moment.
"I'm going to give Ryujin a ride. I'm going to give Ryujin a ride! I'm going to give The Shin Ryujin a ride!"
She silently squealed in her head and mentally jumped up and down. Having to release her outburst in some way.
"A-Alright, l-let's go then." She stuttered as she walked ahead, hearing Ryujin's footsteps behind her.
"You know how to drive?" Ryujin asked, curious seeing Yeji turn on the ignition and adjust the car flawlessly. The brunette shrugged. "Ya, I just never get the chance to since my parents mostly use the car." Yeji explained, pulling out of the parking lot.
Ryujin nodded, speechless by her thoughts that were thinking how hot Yeji looked with her hands on the steering wheel. But also how cute she looked as well. "How can she be hot and cute at the same time?"
"It's getting cold outside now." Ryujin commented seeing a tree get shoved by the wind. "You should start wearing some heavy clothes." She turned to see Yeji looking over at the road.
"Y-Ya, I should." The older girl said, fixing her glasses, trying to hide her giddiness over the fact that Ryujin seemed to care for her.
"You should start covering yourself up as well. Start wearing less shorts." Yeji said. "So no one can look at those legs." She said, but in her mind. Ryujin hummed. "I should."
The car became quiet again, with both of them trying to think of things to say.
"Is it alright if I come around 8 to pick you up? The party starts at 7 but no one's coming till later on." The captain asked. Yeji nodded. "Yes, that's fine."
"Great."
"Ryujin, can I ask a question?" Yeji stopped at a red light and turned to face her. Ryujin looked over and waited.
"Why me?" The brunette asked simply. Ryujin put on a confused face at that. "What do you mean?" "I mean, you could hang out with anyone else right now, why did you chose the most boring person?" Yeji's voice became quieter at the last part.
Ryujin's face softened at that. "If you think that I'm doing it out of pity or because I have to since you're my tutor, then you're wrong. I'm doing this because you're interesting Hwang Yeji. You don't check yourself in every mirror that passes by or obsess over your looks. Which you don't have to by the way, because you're drop dead gorgeous. You spend your time reading books and with your family. You wear sneakers to school everyday, and put your hair up in messy bun most of the time, and you wear your adorable frames."
Yeji's breath stopped listening to that, and Ryujin leaned in closer to brush her thumb over her cheeks.
A loud honk made them both jolt and Yeji pressed on the pedal, moving the car. The brunette didn't look over at Ryujin, afraid that if she did, she would instantly press her lips against hers.
"You're interesting Hwang Yeji. And I love interesting." Ryujin said once more as Yeji pulled up along Ryujin's house.
Yeji shot her a shy wave before Ryujin left.
Once She was inside, Yeji slammed her head against the steering wheel.
"Holy shit, holy motherfucking shit. Holy motherfucking ass shit!" She exclaimed, her mind malfunctioning. She took off her glasses so she could run her hands across her face, afraid she was dreaming.
"She called me interesting. And Shin Ryujin loves interesting!" Yeji exclaimed giddily to herself.