"Jieun ah...TaeDo is having another basketball game next week. Do you want to go? I want you to see how great they are," Hyeri said during lunch. "Taehyung is supposed to play..."
"Taehyung?!" I asked. "You like him that much?"
Hyeri suddenly went red. "Who said?!"
...
"I meant...Jeon Jungkook is playing..." she muttered.
Jungkook...? Was that why he was practicing...?
"Oh..." I said, looking down at my food.
"Don't you want to see him play? I heard that he is the best player out of all of them," Hyeri said, smiling. "He rarely misses the basket."
"What do you mean?"
"He's so good that he rarely misses. Barely anyone has seen him miss a basket. He started playing when he was a kid. I heard that on his first try, he made it in!"
...
That didn't make any sense...
You need practice to be good at basketball...
Besides, didn't I just see him miss a few balls yesterday?
I shrugged and just continued to eat. It would be fun to see Jungkook play though...to see how good he was...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After school, Hyeri had to stay to clean the bathrooms because she got caught eating during class. When will she ever learn...*sigh*
"Who's that guy at the gate?" I heard some girls whisper.
"He's hot!!! Go ask him if he has a girlfriend!" another girl said.
"I wonder who he's waiting for..."
I looked curiously to see who they were talking about....
Oh...
???
Jeon Jungkook was leaning against the gate again, smoking. At his feet was a basketball...
I cautiously walked up to him. He suddenly looked up shocked and then tried to hide the cigarette behind his back.
"Oppa? What are you doing here?" I asked, looking at him. He was holding something. "Are you smoking?"
He suddenly turned red. "No..."
...
He lied...? But why would he lie? He was someone who was supposed to be more important than me. Someone that was more popular. He was, after all, the jjang of TaeDo high...
"I smell something burning ..." I said, sniffing the air.
"Oh fuck..." he muttered, dropping the cigarette. It seemed to have burnt a hole through the back of his school shirt.
I tried to hide my smile as I watched him brush off the ashes.
"Hey...isn't that Lee Jieun?"
"What's she doing with him?"
"Who does she think she is? Some princess?!"
I quickly turned around to see the same girls I heard talking before. They were glaring at me.
"Let's go..." I said, still keeping an eye on the girls.
"Why?" he asked, looking at the people I was looking at. "YAH! STOP STARING."
...
......
...
That worked too...
But then it caused more attention to me...
He started walking and I slowly followed him. I could still see the hole in his shirt. Guys...
"Where are you going?" I asked, looking at him while walking.
"Walking you home," he muttered.
...
"Why?"
...
He didn't answer.
"Are you busy?" I asked suddenly.
He stopped and looked at me. "Why?"
"Are you?"
"No..."
"Let's go play basketball," I said smiling, looking at the one in his hand. "I want to try it again."
"Your family won't be waiting?"
"No...Appa comes home late..." I said, looking at him. He was worried?
"You don't...have any problems with playing?" he asked, raising his brow.
...
"No, why?" I said, half lying. He didn't know about my condition...right?
"You looked pretty bad at the club before..." he said.
"That's nothing...I just get dizzy sometimes," I said quickly.
He didn't look like he believed me, but he nodded, throwing me the basketball. YAY!!!
We started to walk to the park with me dribbling the ball and him walking behind. Well...okay...I was trying to dribble, but sometimes it would bounce away from me.
As I was crossing the street, the ball got away from me. I sighed and ran to pick it up again—
*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*
I looked up shocked to see a car heading straight towards me. Its bright lights were keeping me from moving.
Move...run...move...
Everything was a quick blur when I felt something grab me aside.
Breath...
In....out....breath...
I opened my eyes slowly to see white...?
Oh wait...that was a white shirt...
I looked up to see Jungkook's angry face, staring out into the street.
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" he yelled angrily at the passing car. His hands were still wrapped tightly around me.
Wow...he was so warm and he smelled good. I wonder what kind of soap he uses—
WHAT AM I DOING? THIS WAS A GUY!!
I quickly stepped back, a little faint. He quickly let go of me. I looked up at him as he just stared back at me.
"Um...thank you oppa..." I said, hesitating. He probably thinks I'm some stupid dimwit—
"Be careful next time okay?" he said softly, handing me the ball. I took it and stared at him shocked as he ran towards the basketball courts.
I looked at the ball in my hands. It wasn't a new ball. It actually looked old, but it was in good condition. There were some words on the ball, but it was smudged out. I wonder what it said...
"Are you coming?" he yelled.
I looked up to see him waiting for me. I smiled and ran to catch up with him.
--
"Bend your knees a little more," Jungkook said, looking at me.
I did what he said and then aimed the ball.
"Try it now," he said, looking at the hoop.
I bended my knees and then shot up, throwing the ball. It hit the rim and then bounced off the board and into the net. I smiled widely as I ran to get the ball.
"That's good," Jungkook said, giving me a rare smile.
"It's your turn," I said, bouncing him the ball. For the whole hour that I was here, he didn't even try to shoot.
He looked at the ball in his hands and then back at the hoop. He frowned.
"What's wrong?" I asked, looking at him. "Try it."
He bounced the ball three times and then threw the ball up with perfect form. But the ball didn't seem to be following his moves. It hit the rim and then bounced out.
"Are you mocking me oppa?" I asked, picking up the ball. "How could you miss that?"
"I...don't know," he muttered. I noticed how he turned a little red.
"How about if I don't look?" I asked, turning around.
"What would that do?" he asked, looking at me.
"I'm not sure," I said. "But you usually make it when I'm not looking."
He bounced the ball a few time and then shot it. I turned at the last minute to see the ball go in.
...
......
...
He couldn't shoot because he knew I was looking? Did that make sense?
"Does this mean that I can never see you play?" I asked jokingly.
He tried shooting again and this time he missed. I stared at him, trying to figure if he was playing me or not. A serious basketball player couldn't even make the easiest shot around a girl when he had been playing in front of people all his life.
"YAH! JUNGKOOK! I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU EVERYWHERE!"
I turned to see a group of guys running towards us. They were tall and they all wore shorts and t-shirts. I recognized two. Soobin and Taehyung.
"What have you been doing here?" Taehyung asked, looking at his friend. His eyes drifted towards me and widened. "Oooohhhhh..."
"Shut up," Jungkook snapped, putting his basketball aside.
"Why weren't you at the courts before? We were waiting an hour for you," Soobin muttered as he stretched.
An hour? Did that mean Jungkook had something to do before? Then it was my fault for making him late. Why didn't he tell me?
"Taehyung ya...it was my—" I started, but then Jungkook interrupted me.
"I forgot," he said louder. "Let's just do it later."
"No way. The game is next week, we'll just play here," Taehyung said, taking a ball. "Jieun ah...you don't mind if we practice here right?"
"Of course not," I said smiling. "Can I watch?"
"Of course Noona," Soobin said smiling. He bounced the ball a few times and then shot it. It went right in without touched the rim.
I stood out on the sidelines just watching them. They really were great. They moved with great speed and agility that it surprised me. They were...the best. Hyeri was right...
I watched as they all took turns practicing shooting the ball. They all made it in. Not one ball touched the rim. I waited for Jungkook to shoot, but he always passed up the chance.
"Ya, this is stupid Jungkook. Why aren't you shooting?" Taehyung asked, yelling at his friend. "This is what practice is for right? What are you so scared about?"
"You know I don't shoot unless I make it," Jungkook said, bouncing the ball.
"Fine. Shoot now just to show me and I'll lay off your back," Taehyung yelled angrily.
Jungkook looked at Taehyung with cold eyes and then bounced the ball. No one was blocking him and no one was going to interfere with his shooting. He bounced the ball a few times and prepared to shoot. Then all of a sudden, he glanced at me and then threw the ball.
I watched it as it flew towards the hoop...bounced off the rim...and out...
Everyone stood in silence as the ball rolled away. I ran to pick it up since no one else seemed to want to do it. They were all staring at Jungkook.
"What's wrong Taehyung?" I asked, looking at him. Why did he look so shocked?
Taehyung turned to all the other teammates. "You did not see that, understand?"
Everyone muttered a yes and then went to the grass to take a rest.
"Ya! Jungkook! How could you miss that?" Taehyung yelled, pushing Jungkook. "These past few days, you haven't been the same."
I quickly ran up to Taehyung. "Oppa...don't get mad...it's only one shot. It's not like he never missed any..."
Taehyung suddenly looked at me. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that everyone makes mistakes right? People don't usually always make the shot—"
"No, I meant the part when you said 'It's not like he never missed any...' You saw him?"
"Yes, today and the day before when we were here," I said, looking at him.
Taehyung looked at Jungkook with wide eyes. Jungkook looked angrily at Taehyung. He ran to pick up his basketball that we were playing with and then stalked off.
"OPPA!" I yelled, but he started running.
"Jieun?" Taehyung asked.
"Huh?" I asked, turning to him.
"You actually saw him miss?" he asked, looking at me.
"Yes...it's funny though because when he knows I'm looking, he misses, but when I turn around, he shoots fine," I said. "But it's not a big deal right? Everyone misses sometimes. Oh...and sorry about this afternoon. I asked Jungkook oppa to play with me. I wanted to...get out..."
Taehyung scratched his head. "He missed? I've known him for a long time, and he rarely misses at all. Especially now when there isn't any distractions."
...
That rumor couldn't be true...could it?
That was too hard to believe...
...
"You played with that ball in his hands?" he asked, looking at Jungkook's disappearing figure.
"Yes..."
Taehyung looked concerned for some reason.
"Oppa? What's wrong?" I asked.
"That ball...he never lets anyone touch it but himself."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
+DISCLAIMER+
Original story by Anika @ Soompi forum/Fanfiction section, which has been gone for over 10 years now (Read more in blurb/summary section)