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As much as I loathed admitting it, Myungho was incredibly skilled at baseball. I was hoping I could be petty and conclude that his talent had been over-hyped due to his wealth and popularity. But sitting on the bleachers overlooking the baseball field, I had no choice but to concede that his hype had been warranted.
My class had just finished a round of volleyball and the bell was about to go, though I had a study period next. Chae-soo was good at the sport, and our team had won, with me even managing one of the points for us. Ball sports were not my strongest suit, so I'd been quite surprised.
"Did you hear that the game's been postponed until next week due to a storm forecast?" said a girl to her friend, heading for the changerooms.
The baseball game between MNH and HYBE. It was basically leading the school's gossip. Whatever my feelings toward the captain, I wanted to see MNH High beat Changhoon's team too.
"Come on Y/N, let's go!" called Heiko, and I looked down at the bottom of the bleachers where her, Marina, Xiulan and Chae-soo—who was waiting with a water bottle as Myungho came over to meet her.
I was having dinner with Haemin and his parents tomorrow and Chae-soo insisted on being my stylist. She knew way more about events with literal nobility so I was happy to take the assistance.
"I'm thinking like a burgundy, or maybe a pastel colour for the dress," said Marina as I came over.
"Love it," said Xiulan. "And why we're out, I need to book a hair appointment."
"Ew I know, regrowth looks gross with that shade."
Heiko giggled as Marina continued, "and remember when Wonjeong didn't get it done for weeks and tried to pass it off as ombre?"
Xiulan snorted. "I was like, bestie, no."
I let my mind wander from the conversation, glancing over to Chae-soo and Myungho. She wasn't what I had been expecting, and I wondered if my, possibly, shallow stereotype of the popular girls was wrong here. Even the current conversation the three around me were having was the worst it got, and I had yet to hear them actively put anyone down or spread things.
Myungho though, was an anomaly. An annoying one, but he seemed different around certain people. Maybe I was just lucky and ended up with the spiteful, crappy side of him. He leaned down and kissed Chae-soo, who held onto his collar until a round of cheers from his teammates made her pull back and giggle. She handed Myungho the water bottle before he rolled his eyes, but returned to his team as they called their "captain" back over.
He also shot me a weird glance and I fought the urge to flip him off. What're you looking at?
First time I saw him he was running with a gang of known murderers, and now he was acting all reserved and sweet with his girlfriend. Who was this guy? I don't know why I even cared, but it was weird.
☆★☆
Chae-soo's place was something else. Just casually walking into the Palace of Versailles.
"Smokey eye wouldn't work," judged Chae-soo, as she and Heiko did my makeup in her room. "Subtle and classy goes better with the dress."
As long as I didn't look like a clown that catered to prostitutes, I was good with anything.
"Chae-ah," said Marina, lying on the bed tummy down as her pedicure dried. "Did you ask Myungho about it?"
"Yeah, he was just getting some things for Yeonseok, had no idea who that girl was. He's so sweet for making sure she was okay."
"Sometimes he's too sweet for his own good," remarked Xiulan. "That pick-me was clearly flirting with him."
"She was probably asking for money to buy some class. 'Cause she wasn't wearing it."
They giggled but Chae-soo tutted kindly, "She could've been in a bad spot, we don't know. Poor girl."
"Is everything all right?" I asked, keeping a neutral face at the words: sweet and Myungho in the same sentence.
"Just desperation," said Xiulan, and showed me a photo she'd snapped on her phone. One of me and Myungho outside of that convenience store he'd followed me to after I'd caught him with White Dragon members. "Seriously, Myungho can't even go to a convenience store for a friend without being mobbed. Like, why does she need to stand so close to him?"
Probably because he was actually the one getting in my face after threatening to continue following me home. I decided against saying that, glad that you couldn't actually see my face in this photo. "Maybe she was asking Myungho for directions to the local church for Bible studies night?" I instead joked, slightly concerned that I actually did sort of resemble a desperate junkie in those track pants from this angle.
The others thankfully laughed, and even Chae-soo smiled. A little while later, she was done.
"Take a look."
I went to her floor-length mirror, and honestly, I did look nice. Chae-soo really did know her stuff. I hardly spent money like this, so I knew my parents wouldn't be annoyed by the dress' price tag, though I was definitely glad I had a part-time job tutoring Ahyeon. I'd met her parents, and her older brother Yeonseok. I'd had no idea he was on the team with Myungho, but from the one time I'd spoken to him, he seemed nice.
"Thank you, Chae-soo, for helping me with this. You're really good."
She gracefully shrugged off my thanks.
"Did Gyeo-Wool say when she was getting here?" asked Xiulan.
The doorbell rang.
"Chae-soo-nim," said a maid, after knocking at the door. "A boy by the name of Jung Haemin is at the door."
"Thank you Du-shim," said Chae-soo and turned to me with an anticipating smile. "Go greet your man, Y/N."
So I went downstairs, some nerves starting to kick in for some reason, where Haemin was waiting in the greeting parlour.
"Hi, Haemin. You're sure I didn't need to bring anything?" I slowed at the bottom when he didn't move and just stared slack-jawed at me. "Wait, is the dress okay?" I was tempted to glare at the girls behind me when I heard some of them giggle quietly.
"Uh...n-no you don't need to bring the dress—no I mean, the dress is fine." He shut up for a moment before walking up to me and offering his hand. "You look really nice, Y/N," he quietly concluded.
"Thanks," I said, taking his hand. "No glasses today?"
He smiled shyly. "Just contact lenses."
The doorbell rang again and so Haemin opened it for the maid, and Marina whispered in my ear, "Girl, he is down bad for you."
I tried not to laugh, but I couldn't exactly tell her the truth. Clearly, Haemin was playing the role, mixed with his usual awkward self.
"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," said Gyeo-Wool. "And thanks Haemin. What are you doing here?"
"Oh, just here to pick up Y/N."
"Yeah he is," said Heiko suggestively, and Chae-soo smacked her lightly on the arm.
"I hope you appreciate our efforts, Jung Haemin," she joked. "And we'll see you tomorrow, Y/N."
I said bye to all of them and left with Haemin, who looked relieved to get out of there and the attack of the female "it" squad, though Gyeo-Wool whispered in my ear as I crossed through the doorway.
"Haemin's parents might be strict, but they're nice. And thanks for putting up with Myungho for the assignment. I know he acts like a dick sometimes, but I promise my cousin's not so horrible."
I had my doubts, but I had actually been nervous about the meeting the parents part. I barely knew Gyeo-Wool, but that was sweet of her. Myungho and her were cousins though?
"You ready?" Haemin asked me when we got in the car. A gentleman to the end, he even opened the door for me.
"Yep. So seriously, do I look the part?" My mum had been in hysterics for a solid ten minutes when I told her about our fake arrangement. I didn't think Haemin's parents would have the same reaction if they found out.
"You look...really pretty."
And you might be too nice for your own good, I thought. But maybe, with the act he was putting on, the two of us might just get through this.
☆★☆
It felt good to go for a run. Last night had gone smoothly, even if I did feel like I was being interrogated a little by Mr. and Mrs. Jung for a while there. But everything I had told them was true, just not the small detail of me and Haemin actually dating. Of course, I had done most of the talking because Haemin looked like he could've drowned in his glass of water if his parents had asked him too many questions, but I strangely enjoyed the occasion.
In my exercise gear, I stretched before heading off. It was early, but there was enough light in the sky. I jogged until I reached the more nature-centric areas that you wouldn't even know were near a beach. I came up to a quaint bridge without a footpath, so I took out my AirPods to listen out for cars.
And heard one. I couldn't see it yet on this otherwise quiet, tree-shrouded laneway, but it sounded like it was going at lightning speed. It was coming the opposite way and when I finally saw it, I wasn't surprised to see it was one of those luxury sports cars that probably cost a fortune. Did this driver think they were on GTA or something?
Idiot.
It was a long bridge, so I had time to move out of the way, but the car started dangerously swerving, and I shouted and swore when the driver put on the brakes, though it was too late and the car screeched, hit the stone barricading, crashed through and down into the rushing river.
I dashed over to the side as the car sank.
Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod whatdoIdo, I said in a staccato rush. I took my phone from my arm band but the person wasn't surfacing and if I called an ambulance would they even get here soon enough?
Crap. I hastily put down my pods and phone, freaked out for an extra moment, then dove in. Half the car was under at this point, including the driver's side window. I managed to swim over but I couldn't open it, and when I looked inside, it was Myungho.
And he was unconscious.
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DUN DUN DUUUUH. tbc...
And I will be going into further detail about the dinner later on, I didn't just randomly gloss over it.
But one chapter, maybe I'll make it so Y/N and Myungho stop meeting so dramatically lol.
~ Daci