Emily opens the door of the committee room, bowing her head lightly as an apology for being late.
"Emily," Jinyoung looked up, acknowledging her.
"Sorry," Emily apologized, "I was discussing something with my Professor."
"It's okay," Jinyoung said, "We were just narrowing down the events we could do to for the collegiate swim event."
Emily nods her head and finds a seat in between Irene and Namjoon.
"Anyways, what was I saying again?" Jinyoung questions.
"Hyung, you were talking about the instagram reels," Joshua leans in to remind him.
"Oh yeah. Right. So one thing we are going to is create and introductory video for our swimmers, about 2-3 mins, and briefly introduce the men's and the women's teams. That goes in YouTube," Jinyoung says as Jisho furiously types away the notes in her laptop, "Second things, is to make 40-60 seconds instagram reels and have it posted on our committee instagram. That's one way to boost excitement and also boost the swimming team's popularity. These will be easy to do because the administration and the sport's department will love it. Namjoon?"
Namjoon nods, "I got it covered." He's dressed in grey slacks and a black high neck knit sweater with rounded glasses sitting on his nose and his hair is parted perfectly. Namjoon looks like he is going to a business meeting.
"Okay, third thing is to organize a pep rally a week before the meet during lunch time right outside the cafeteria. I trust that Jackson and Emily will handle the cheerleaders," Jinyoung announced, not really leaving room for option as Emily definitely did not want to handle the cheerleaders.
"And fourth is. Posters! Posters. Posters," Jinyoung said, "I want posters everyone in campus. I want them at the coffee shop, the soccer field. The cafeteria, hallways, classrooms, bus stop. And I want them big. Very big. So big that it gets irritating." Jinyoung said, "These ways, we will be able to make everyone aware of the events."
"As for the money," Joshua took over, "I managed to talk around and get the word out. Seungcheol's family has generously agreed to donate to us a booth for jewelry consultation and trials for minimal charges. Jeonghan's mothers bakery has agreed to sell us their goods for a week. We also have Tzuyu's mother's cosmetic companies offering us goodie bags for us to sell during the event week and Kihyun's family's beverage company has also agreed to sell exclusive items to us for the week. We are also talking to few more families for whatever contribution they can make. Thankfully, due to their cooperation, we can also attract the nearby townspeople to increase our sales. Thanks to Jeonghan's suggestion and his negotiations, we have managed to to strike a deal with all the companies for the profit distribution to be 60-40, of course them taking the 60. But I'm sure it will be more than enough."
While everyone around the room looked on super proudly at the achievement, only Emily sat feeling a bit dumfounded. She isn't sure what she was expecting but she feels a bit stupid for thinking that the committee was going to come up with actual fundraisers and not just ask their rich daddies for donations. But of course, this is only natural. Sometimes she seriously forgets she goes to a school for the elite. Just because she is riding on a full swimming scholarship does not equate to richness. Emily feels as if she wasted her time coming to the meeting. She could have just gone to the training instead and pretended as if she forgot. It's worked a few times earlier.
"And of course, Emily, we expect you to just focus on your swimming," Joshua turned towards her, "The school could really need it."
Emily just smiled sweetly. That is exactly what she is planning to do anyways.
"By the way, Emily, you're real name is Eunmi?" Jisoo asked, diverting the topic now that the discussion is clearly finished.
Emily nods her head and says, "My legal name. Yes. Emily is just my English name. But I prefer that."
Jisoo nods and explained,"Cause I was looking at the ledger of swimmers you sent me and I couldn't spot your name at first."
"Yeah. Apart from a few handful people, everyone just calls me Emily," She said, can't help but thinking of Coach Shin at the training center. In a weird sort of way, she misses not seeing Coach Shin everyday.
"Oh! Also, do you know Joo-hyuck?" Jisoo asked, the excitement in her voice rising by a few levels.
Initially Emily could not make the connection, straining her brain power to think of any Joo-hyuck's on the men's team here and then it hit her. "Are you talking about Nam Joo-hyuck? The one on the national team."
Jisoo nods aggressively.
"Hold up. Oh my god. Is he coming? He's going to swim here?" Rosé asked, looking ten times more alive than before.
"Oh my god. He must be!" Nayeon exclaimed, "He goes to Seoul National University? Doesn't he?"
"...yeah," Emily said, slowly, "He probably is coming then."
That means Yejune will also be coming.
Great.
Emily forgot about that. She was hoping for some easy wins but Yejune won't let that happens. Especially after their last showdown in that locker room.
"I hope he does well," Emily mumbled, not really speaking to anyone in particular and thinking about the recent injuries he has had.
"Wait-do you know him?" Rosé asked with wide eyes.
Emily gave her a face that read Are you stupid and said, "Of course I know him. He also trains at the national center."
"Are you both like friends or something?" Irene asked.
"...I mean...I guess so? But he's a very friendly person and if friends with everyone," Emily said, "He's well known with all the athletes."
All the girls in the room currently look beyond excited while the boys look confused.
"Who is this Nam Joo-hyuck guy?" Jeonghan asked, frowning a bit.
"Uh-only the hottest swimmer to ever exist," Rosé said as if it is the most obvious thing in the world.
"Not only hot. He's a really good swimmer too. He broke the national record when he was only fifteen and the n made an international record when he is seventeen. He is Korea's best swimmer," Nayeon explained and then squealed, "Oh my god. I can't believe I am going to see him in real life. My sister is going to die."
"Have you seen his abs? They are literally so perfect. Just imagine him getting out of the pool with the water droplets going down his abs and him shaking his head to shake off the water and then he looks at the camera and winks," Rosé fangirled. Emily isn't sure how she feels about this. While it is amusing to see all the girls loosing their shit over Nam Joo-hyuck, it does feel weird to hear him being described like this now that she actually knows him.
"Oh my gosh," Irene mumbled, clearly visualizing what Rosé just said.
Emily smiled, amused, and said, "If you want, I could introduce you guys to him when he comes."
Nayeon gasped with a hand clutched to her heart and Irene said, "Really? Like really, really?"
Emily nods, "I'm sure he won't mind."
"Oh my god. I love you," Rosé squealed, "I love you so much."
Emily just laughs at her reaction.
"Uh-ladies? I know him too? I also train at the national center," Jackson said, clearly feeling slight attention deprived.
"But Emily probably knows him better. They see each other every day and are in the pool and all," Jisoo pointed out.
"We don't swim in the same pool," Emily interjected, "we have separate pools for the men's and the women's teams. But yeah. I do see him very often."
"See...," Jisoo pointed out, "Does he have a girlfriend right now?"
Emily shakes her head and says, "Not that I am aware of. But..his ex will be here. She's a swimmer too."
"Well...she's an ex right? Who care about the ex. Oh gosh. I need to go shopping now," Rosé said, "Are we done for today?"
"Yes. Yes," Jinyoung waved her off, "Feel free to leave."
.
.
.
The smell of cigarette burning and smoke in the air hit Jeonghan as soon as he entered his room.
He threw his bag on the floor next to the door and kicked off his shoes.
"Why the fuck do you always smoke in my room?" He spoke to his best friend, Choi Seungcheol, who is currently sprawled on Jeonghan's bed, a cigarette in his hand. "Just because your girlfriend doesn't let you smoke around her, it does not give you a free ride to smoke in my room. Destroy your lungs somewhere else."
"Why are you being a prick?" Seungcheol asks, confused at the outburst his friend his having. Normally Jeonghan doesn't give two cents on Seungcheol's smoking habits. In fact sometimes he will join Seungcheol for a smoke as well.
"Do you guys want to have tteokbeoki for dinner?" Joshua asks, entering the room from behind Jeonghan, "It's kind of cold and I'm craving for it."
"I'm up," Seungcheol agreed, "What's wrong with him?"
"I don't know. He has been acting weird ever since we left the meeting" Joshua explained.
"Meeting?" Seungcheol asked.
"The committee meeting," Joshua explained.
"Oh right. I forgot you two are in it," Seungcheol said, "Since when do you care about my smoking?"
"Since my mom thinks I smoke," Jeonghan answered. Joshua also settled himself on the bed, sprawling and making himself comfortable while Jeonghan remained standing, his hands on his hips and a visible tension etched on his face.
"You do smoke," Joshua snorted.
"Yes but my mom doesn't know that,"Jeonghan said, "Besides, I don't even smoke as much as you two. It's very occasional. Being around you two is making me the smoke stick to my clothes and now my mom thinks I'm a chain smoker. So get your asses up and smoke in your own room."
"Jeez okay,"Seungcheol said, moving over and crushing his cigarette.
"What's wrong? Why are you so upset?" Seungcheol asks.
"Nothing. Just...fucking ...Nam Joo-hyuck," Jeonghan mumbled.
"Nam Joo-hyuck? The swimmer. The really good looking one?" Seungcheol's asked.
Jeonghan shot him a look and said, "You know him too?"
"yeah. Jia has been a little obsessed with him lately," Seungcheol explained, "I think it has to be with the fact Emily knows him. And maybe his abs too."
Seungcheol looked a little lost in thought as his right hand rubbed his tummy. Joshua did a quick google search and said, " Oh. He is good looking. I can see why girls are all over him. But I don't see what's that great about him that has everyone swooning? There is nothing that he has that we three don't."
"Yes! Thank you!" Jeonghan agreed.
Joshua stared at him for a few seconds before exclaiming, "Wait, this is what you're upset about?"
Jeonghan didn't say anything, avoiding Joshua's eyes. Seungcheol looks back and forth between Joshua and Jeonghan and asks, "What's going no"
"Nam Joo-hyuck. All the girls at the student committee meeting were going crazy over him," Joshua explained, his eyes never really leaving Jeonghan, non-verbally forcing him to make eye contact.
"And?" Seungcheol asked, not seeing a big deal in it.
"Emily was there," Joshua said, "She knows him personally. And it seems quite well too."
A brief silence falls in the room as Jeonghan looks a bit guilty as Seungcheol isn't quite sure what to say.
"I thought you never cared about her," Seungcheol finally said, "You said she was just a one time thing."
"She was," Jeonghan said.
"You ran after her last week when the meeting ended," Joshua said.
"You did?" Seungcheol said, the surprise very evident in his voice.
"He did," Joshua confirmed, "What's your deal with her?"
"Nothing," Jeonghan said.
Joshua sighs and said, "Look, normally I don't give a shit about what you do and who you do it with but don't you think you should cut the girl some slack. I think messing up one time with her is enough."
Jeonghan looks at Joshua.
"Just leave her alone. Find some another girl to screw around with," Joshua said.
"Shua...that's a bit harsh," Seungcheol said.
"And? What he does isn't harsh? It's better he hears from me than from other people," Joshua said, looking a bit frustrated, "Look...Emily is...she seems like a nice person. I think messing with her is more than enough. Besides, she seems to be fully focused on swimming anyways."
"It's not my fault she felt for me. Shouldn't she have been more careful?" Jeonghan snapped. He hates arguing with Joshua. Even more than he hates arguing with Seungcheol. While Seuncgehol and he have known each other since childhood and share the same interests and hobbies, Joshua and him connect more deeply on an emotional and mental level. Joshua seems to understand his emotions and feeling a bit better than Seungcheol does and can often predict what Jeonghan is about to do. Joshua is always so calm and collected that in turn it makes Jeonghan nervous when he gets pissed off. It makes Joshua unpredictable and Jeonghan hates uncertainty in his life.
"How would you feel if someone messed with you sister they way you did with Emily? You get so mad when someone even tells your sister no," Joshua continued. He got up from the bed and picked up his bag.
"I think I'm going to stay in. You both go eat dinner together," Joshua said, leaving Jeonghan's room, leaving Seungcheol and Jeonghan in silence.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Updates might be a bit slow for the next two weeks because I am traveling a lot over the new year, visiting four cities in my home country, and also will be visiting my family a lot so I might not get enough time to write. But I will try my best!