Hey Babes.
Finally managed to post it. I hope you enjoy it! The way they meet is heavily inspired by the TV Show The Middle. Everything else is... my work. But tbh it's nothing that hasn't been there before :D
I love you!
Part 1
Kyun thought when he broke his leg and probably ended the football season for him that way was the worst thing that could've happened to him. And then he got hit with the message that talent scouts are supposed to attend one of the last matches. Talent scouts for colleges that would've wanted to support him and his career. Colleges his parents could never afford, so he depended on a scholarship. His parents might not be able to pay for him to attend an elite college, still, they want him to go. And this is where the problem is. Kyun isn't stupid. He just has different priorities. And maybe he relied so much on his talent and the scholarship that he neglected his education a tiny bit. Long story short: he has 7 months left to improve his grades to make it to any college at least.
Another problem here: Kyun doesn't want this. He hates studying. He doesn't get why he should waste his time on education when there are so many parties to attend, so many friends to meet, and so many fun things to do. But this is the least he can do to make his parents proud somehow.
So... on a Monday afternoon, he finds himself in his school secretariat to take advantage of the peer tutoring his high school offers.
Annoyed, he sits on his chair and waits to be next as the door opens. Another student walks in and immediately stumbles over the backpack Kyun put on the floor to mark his spot in the line.
Groaning, you look at him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" you ask. "Do you want me to break my bones?
Kyun rolls his eyes. "Can't you just watch where you're going?"
Angry, you kick the backpack in front of his feet and get in line.
"Hey!" Kyun says. "That's my spot! My backpack marked it! Cause as you can see..." he makes a dramatic gesture with his hands and points at his leg. "I'm injured!"
Annoyed, you roll your eyes. "Stop being so overly dramatic..."
Groaning, Kyun supports himself on his crutches and hobbles over to you. "Move!" he groans. "I've been waiting here!"
You eye him head to toe and smirk. "No!"
Angry, Kyun sighs. "Are you always like this?" he asks and stands behind you.
"Like what?" you reply, your back turned to him, your arms crossed.
"Yeah well..." he shrugs. "..this arrogant.."
"Arrogant?" you laugh in disbelief. "Says that dude that acts like a king in this school only because he manages to catch a ball from time to time..."
"Oh excuse me?" Kyun rants offended. "I am the best fucking Wide Receiver this high school has had in decades. You can ask the coach!"
Again you scoff. "Yeah! I'll do that once I have a day off to waste with stuff I don't care about..."
Kyun must admit that this is new to him. He's popular, yes. And there are many girls that want him. Of course, he probably got rejected more often than he was successful but he never met someone who talked this condescendingly with him. While the line moves, he wonders what he did to you that you're acting this way. Gosh, he's a little sick of people who try so hard to be edgy... who are automatically against the mainstream... that's so annoying.
"So what do you do in your free time since football doesn't seem to be your thing...?" he asks.
You sigh. "I'm studying. Cause unlike you I wanna make it in this world and not get a college degree only because my coaches push me through so they won't lose my talent. Do you know how many talented athletes there are?" you turn around to him. "And do you know how many of them actually make it?"
Wow, you really know how to encourage people...
"I will make it!" he says confidently. "And I'm sorry that you don't have any talents worth mentioning so all you have to do is study or else... you would be nothing!"
Usually, Kyun really isn't that mean to strange people. But you insulted him first!
Just as you're about to open your mouth you're next in line. Mrs. Roberts, the secretary, looks up and smiles.
"Y/N! So nice that you're here!" Her eyes wander next to you and she smiles brighter. "I'm happy to see you and Changkyun have already met!"
Kyun furrows his brows, having no idea what's going on. With a triumphant smirk on your face, you turn around to him. What's going on?
"You know..." you say. "In my free time, I also give extra lessons..."
Kyun's jaw drops. "Oh no!"
Fuck. This can't be! Why you?
"Oh yes!" you reply and he can see how much you enjoy having this power over him. He throws his head back whining while you take a step closer. "You better listen to me from now on or I'm afraid you won't make it anywhere!"
Okay, what the hell did he do to get punished like this? What is the universe trying to tell him?
With a sugar-sweet smile, you walk over to one of the empty study rooms. "Are you coming, Kyunnie?"
He hates you. Not only for your attitude but also the situation you're putting him in. Whining, he follows you.
"Just to be clear here!" you say, groaning. "You have a test tomorrow but haven't read the book yet?"
Kyun shakes his head. "I don't get what I need to know this for! It's stupid!"
With an amused smirk, you shake your head. "Many things they teach us are stupid, but that doesn't matter. You say you wanna make it so instead of whining about it, you could start to work..."
Kyun never got what school is for. Well... of course he gets the idea of it. But not what they teach him. He wants to play fucking football! He doesn't need this crap.
"I don't need to read it!" he shrugs and leans back in his chair. "It's Of Mice And Men! It's obvious what it's about?"
"Oh yeah?" you say amused, and lean back as well before you cross your arms. "And what is it about?"
Yeah, he should've seen this one coming... shit.
"Eh..." he scratches his head noisily. "Mice and men?"
With a shy smirk, he looks at you but you don't seem as amused by his humor as he is. Instead, you cross your arms on the table and look at him in disbelief.
"Wow..." you say sarcastically. "I love that you fulfill a classic stereotype..."
What the hell is your damn problem with him? He hates this condescending attitude you have towards him. How about you get to know him first before you judge?
"What kind of stereotype?" he asks.
"A handsome athlete who's got nothing but hot air between his ears..."
Wow... Instead of meeting your insult with one of his own, he smirks. "So you think I'm handsome?"
Immediately you roll your eyes, growling. "That's all you've heard? I literally just called you dumb!"
Yeah, he knows what you just said. He's not as stupid as you think he is. Still, he won't jump into this and give you the satisfaction of showing you that you just hurt him.
"You think I'm handsome!" he repeats and he kind of hates that this flatters him. Even the edgiest, most not-interested seem to share the same opinion. That's an ego boost, he can't deny.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" you shrug. "Your handsomeness I mean..."
Okay, now he's impressed! Usually, when girls find out that he knows that they find him attractive they become all giggly and shy and try to deny it. But you...? You really don't seem to care that he knows it... that's new. And a little confusing?
"Still I love to hear that!" he smirks and you sigh.
"Bet you do. Now!"
A little annoyed, you pull a notebook and a pen out of your bag and shove them over the table to him. Again he scoffs inwardly. Do you really expect him to be completely unprepared for this? Nonchalantly he opens his bag only to realize that you're right. He forgot his notebook at home...
Shit.
Sheepishly he pulls the notebook over to him and opens it.
"Fine, you don't wanna read it and you don't have the time anyway. So you need to listen to me at least okay?" you say desperately. You seem to take this a tad too seriously. Why do you even care about others this much? But this seems to be your passion somehow and he knows this passion from the field. And he's here to make it to college so... he should try at least. So he nods firmly.
"Okay!" you say and he turns to his notebook to write down what you tell him. "Of Mice and Men is a story that explores themes of human interaction, dependence, and the damaging effects of isolation..."
Kyun lifts his head after you speak and tilts it. "Soooo... no mice?"
"Not quite!" a little chuckle escapes your throat and he can't help but smirk. That sounded cute.
"Okay, George and Lennie are two immigrant workers who...." you keep on summarizing and he turns back to his notebook to write it all down. He signals you he's listening by nodding. He likes your voice, doesn't quite know exactly how, but the way your voice sounds makes it easier for him to understand what you're saying than when his teachers say the same things. It's kind of comforting. He keeps on asking questions while you tell him the storyline in a way that seems so superficial but you assure him that most stuff in this book, especially the beginning, is pretty long-winded and can be shortened easily. He's grateful to you for doing this for him. It saves him a lot of stress figuring this shit out.
Pretty much at the end of the lesson, he watches you while you speak almost philosophically about this book and he can't help but ask himself if this is truly what you wanna be. Someone who has her head stuck in books, in fantasy.
"What do you do in your life?" he hears himself asking and you pause your monologue and look at him bewildered.
"W-what?"
Amused by how easily he can throw you off guard, he smirks.
"What do you do that makes you happy? I've never seen you at parties. Gatherings, football games..."
Even though he hates that you think of him as a stereotype he can't help but think of you the same way. You don't look like a bookworm, like one of those teachers' pets. If he's honest with himself you're actually pretty attractive. This doesn't fit with the other... nerds... at this school. That irritates him.
"Like I said I study a lot..." you reply and rip him out of his thoughts.
"But not all the time?" he asks, confused. "Come on, you need a break in between? I mean... sure my way of handling this is... bad but yours isn't better either..."
He knows that he was stupid to ignore his education this much. But the way you do it, school, teaching after, going home and studying again? This can't be healthy...
For a moment you remain silent until you sigh.
"I don't really like to..." you pause. "go out..."
Kyun tilts his head, still confused. "But why?"
Something inside of him can sense that you don't like this topic. But he's too curious to let go.
"I have my reasons!" you shrug.
This is so not satisfying for him! He can't let you graduate next year without you attending a single party. This is just not right.
"Okay!" he nods. "Here's the deal! I wrote down everything you told me about Of Mice And Men and when I get home, I'll study the shit outta this and will pass the test tomorrow and when I pass you'll let me take you to that lake party next Friday!"
For a long moment, you look at him with an utterly confused gaze. "Are you asking me out?"
Immediately he throws his head back laughing. Wow. You told him you think he's handsome with such nonchalance and now you misinterpret this?
"No! This isn't a date! Just a..." he bites his lip, thinking. "hm... I wanna show you how to have fun... my way... so?"
For another moment you look at him until you nod. "Okay!"
You reach out your hand and take his to seal the deal.
"That was fast..." he chuckles, while holding your hand. He assumes you can't wait to finally attend a party - with him! You seem not as edgy as you pretend to be. But there's this smirk appearing on your face and you let go of him before you lean closer.
"Yeah because I'm sure you won't pass this test...!"
Wow... Kyun can't remember the last time he felt so challenged outside the sports field.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of..." he says confidently and returns the smirk of yours.
"I can't wait to see that!" you say and stand up. "See you on Wednesday! Math. Hope you're prepared!"
With these words, you leave the room and he can't help but chuckle - until his eyes fall on all the notes he took today.
Fuck!