The ball came rushing into Jinsoul's direction. With all her might, she swung the bat as hard as she could. When it bounced off, the ball wasn't anywhere in the field. She had hit another home run. Though it seems the only person who was satisfied with the ball going over the fences was Jinsoul.
"Jinsoul!"
"You've got to be kidding me! Again?!"
"Soul! Can't you tone it down a bit!? We're only practicing!" Shouted Haseul, Jinsoul's best friend. Jinsoul didn't bother listening to her teammates' complaints, "I think I've hit my farthest!"
"Okay, fine. Congratulations but we only have 4 balls left!" Mingyu, the batter who was supposed to go bat after her, whined. The sound of a whistle made everyone turn their heads to Coach Taecyeon.
"Calm down everyone. Jinsoul, that was an astounding hit, but please," he pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing, "please consider the fact that we've lost a lot of balls to your home runs."
Jinsoul smiled innocently, "I'm just too good, coach."
"Saying that isn't going to get the ball back, Soul."
She frowned, finally giving up on trying to boast. "Okay, I'll go get it."
∆
"Did they not start practice already?" The blonde asked the girl behind her. The latter shook her head, "no, I don't think so. the only person who's in the studio is probably Heejin."
"Gosh, Chaewon. What am I going to do with them?"
"Maybe stop being so strict? Jungeun, I know a competition is coming up but we've been working nonstop lately." Chaewon answered, trying to reason with her captain. Jungeun sighed, "maybe, but I'm just scared that- gah!"
Jungeun had collapsed backwards, not before a loud thud, and her scream. Chaewon, who only stood there, looked down at her friend, "oh shit, you okay?!"
Jungeun's vision was blurry, only getting to make out Chaewon above her. Her head wasn't in the best condition yet she doesn't take long to say, "I got hit in the head by god knows what, and you ask if I'm okay? Chae! No shit I'm not okay!"
Chaewon just chuckled uncomfortably, rubbing the back of her neck. She decided to just help Jungeun get up. "Is it bad..?" The older touched her forehead, flinching when she felt it sting a bit.
"Ouch," was Chaewon's first words, "Uh, at least you can cover it up with make up..?"
The other was frightened by Chaewon's words. "What hit me anyway?"
Chaewon walked into a bush, trying to find something, "whatever it was, I saw it bounce off here." She tried feeling it out when-
"Oh damn," she brought it up for the other to see, "It's a baseball."
Jungeun blinked, "No shit." Chaewon sucked in an "oops." Suddenly Jungeun could visualize the impact a baseball could have on her forehead.
"Oh my god, Chae."
"Huh?"
"It's that bad isn't it?"
Chaewon smiles apologetically before biting her lip, slowly nodding her head. Jungeun's hands made their way at tugging her hair. "What am I going to do!?"
"I mean, I did say it can be covered with make up.." The other says. Before Jungeun could respond any further they heard footsteps coming their way.
"Chaewon!" They saw Jinsoul, complete with her baseball jersey on, "have you seen a baseball around here? I hit another home run." She smiled cheekily. Her eyes dropped to Chaewon's hand, which was holding said ball, "oh! I guess you've found it. Can I-"
"You!"
Jinsoul turned her attention to Jungeun, who was now taking dangerously close steps towards her. Jinsoul had to step back. "You did this!" she pointed at the wound on her forehead.
"Oh.." Jinsoul's eyes tried to look away. But she failed miserably when Jungeun took the collar of her jersey. "I'm sorry..?"
"Listen here! I have a performance, no, a damn competition to attend to and I'm not planning on doing it with this-ow!" her head suddenly was in pain. Her hand instinctively placed itself on Jinsoul's shoulder for support, the other gripping her collar tighter.
Jinsoul awkwardly put her hands behind Jungeun's back, turning to Chaewon for help. She mouthed a what do I do? for the other to shrug, clueless as herself.
"Uhm, You shouldn't scream so much, it could worsen the headache." In all honesty Jinsoul didn't know what she was talking about. She just didn't want to look like she didn't care.
The other didn't hear her, she was slowly going down to her knees, dragging Jinsoul with her. She whined as the pain stung. "Shit.."
She could hear a faint, "you know what? I'm taking her to the nurse."
"No, no. It's okay, I'll take her."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, then. Be careful."
"Don't worry," Jungeun finally heard before she could feel her body being supported by something. or rather, someone. She felt her arm being draped over the person's neck, and another arm being placed around her waist.
"Come on, let's get you checked on."
∆
Jungeun opened her eyes, her vision still blurry. She tried to sit up straight, but couldn't when her head started acting up again.
"Hey, hey, take it easy. You just woke up." A voice said.
"Chaewon...?"
The voice chuckled before correcting her, "Jinsoul."
"Jinsoul..?" Jungeun tried to remember when has she ever known someone named Jinsoul. "Uh, I'm the girl who got you in this mess."
Jungeun sat up straight, failing once more when the pain hits her, "you...!" Jinsoul pushed Jungeun's shoulder back onto the bed, "I know. I'm sorry, okay? Now rest a bit more, the nurse said you'll be fine to head out when you've gotten enough rest."
Jungeun couldn't argue anymore. She wanted Jinsoul to take responsibility and she did. "What time is it?"
"What if I told you it was 7?"
"are you-?!"
"Hey," Jinsoul had to push Jungeun back on the mattress, "how many more times do I have to hold you from sitting up?"
Jungeun could only lay defeated. She figured she'd have to wait for herself to be allowed out. She decided to might as well observe her surroundings. Though nothing is out of the ordinary, except for Jinsoul. Her eyes decided to linger a bit on the batter.
And as if the universe was whispering to Jinsoul that Jungeun was staring at her, she looked up to catch the other's eyes. Jinsoul smiled awkwardly, "I guess you aren't willing to properly rest, huh?"
Jungeun smiled smugly, "are you still willing to hold me back?"
"Honestly, no." She said, now helping Jungeun slowly sit up. "But at least drink a pain killer?"
Jungeun agreed to the offer. Jinsoul handed over two pills and a glass of water, which Jungeun basically downed. "You know I never got to catch your name."
the other wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "It's Jungeun."
"Jungeun? As in the dance team captain?"
The blonde nodded. "Ah, so you're who Yerim was going to introduce me to."
"Excuse me?"
Jinsoul shrugged, "Yerim said she'd set me up with a blind date, but I guess I beat her to it."
Jungeun couldn't stop the blush from creeping into her cheeks. Yerim was gonna set me up on a blind date? that kid-
"Oh, don't think too much of that, um, just pretend I didn't tell you that. I can just tell Yerim I already know you," Jinsoul started rambling. Jungeun smiled at her, "uh, yeah. okay."
The door slid open for the two girls to see the nurse. "Oh, I'm glad you're awake. I'll get a few more painkillers for you just in case. Then you'll be free to go, okay?" she said before walking out again.
Jungeun smiled at her, "thank you."
"Finally," Jinsoul stretched her back, it ached after sitting and waiting for Jungeun to wake up. After stretching Jinsoul looked at Jungeun again. "Do you live around here?"
"Why?"
"I'll take you home," the other simply said. "Jinsoul, you don't have to-"
"But I want to," she cut off Jungeun, "I just need to change into some more comfortable clothes before going-"
It was then Jungeun realized Jinsoul was still in her jersey as she rambled on. And it occurred to her that the baseball team practices until 5 in the afternoon on Fridays. Which meant Jinsoul had been dealing with an unconscious Jungeun for around 2-3 hours.
"Uhm? Earth to Jungeun?" Jinsoul waved her hand, making the other snap out of her thoughts. "Yes?"
"I was saying if it's okay that I get my bag first? I left it in the lockers." The other blonde said. "Yeah, I'm fine with that."
The door sound slid again as the nurse came back with a handful of painkiller packs.
∆
"You have to be kidding me!"
Jinsoul smacked her fist against the diamond mesh fence door. She helplessly tried to fit her hand through the holes to open it from the other side but who was she kidding? She rested her forehead against the fence, gripping it through it's holes.
It wasn't even until five seconds later did Jinsoul realize Jungeun was behind her. The younger tapped on her shoulder, "Jinsoul?"
"I'm sorry Jungeun," she turned around to face her, "I kept my bike keys in there.."
Jungeun shook her head, "nevermind that, what else did you keep there?" Jinsoul shrugged, "Uh, a baseball glove, changing clothes, my phone-"
"your phone?!"
"Rude," Jinsoul pouted, "let me finish. And uh...oh! my dorm keys." Jungeun could not believe what she heard. Jinsoul only stared at her innocently.
"you don't live alone, right?" Jungeun tried. "I mean, I live in the dorms but I don't have a roommate so technically yes I do live alone."
Jungeun sighed before grabbing Jinsoul's sleeve, dragging her,"where are we going?"
"Jinsoul," Jungeun finally looked Jinsoul dead in the eyes and said, "have you not realized you have no way of getting into your dorms? look at you! still wearing your dirty jersey."
The other just shrugged, "I'm used to pulling all nighters like this. This isn't the first time this happened y'know."
Jungeun had her mouth agape. She was convinced either Jinsoul just didn't care even if hell was on earth, or she was borderline dumb and knows it.
She sucked in a breath, "well this'll be the first time you're getting sleep in a situation like this."
Jungeun dragged Jinsoul by the sleeve again. "But my motorcycle keys-"
"it's not that far," Jungeun said, "think of it as a midnight walk."
∆
Jungeun slowly opened the door to her house. The lights were all out, she turned to Jinsoul, "my family are probably already sleeping so try to keep quiet."
The other nodded. Jungeun led Jinsoul up to her room, which Jinsoul had noted to be very clean and tidy. "Wow, do you have a maid or something?"
"I clean everything myself, thank you very much," The other said while rummaging through her closet, finding something that would make a comfortable sleeping outfit for Jinsoul. She pulled out a a sweater and shorts, showing it up to Jinsoul. "Is this okay?"
"Ah, that'll do fine."
"Okay, the bathroom is just down the hall, the warm water is the one on the right, use my shampoo if-"
"Hold up, I'm not taking a shower."
"After baseball practice? yeah, no. If you want to sleep here you have to shower."
Jinsoul furrowed her eyebrows. Jungeun handed her the clothes, "there's a spare toothbrush, the blue one."
The older decided to just listen to what Jungeun was telling her to do. Jungeun watched as Jinsoul walked out of the room, waiting so she can change as well. She changed into an oversized t-shirt and jogging pants.
she briefly opened her phone to find out it's almost 9 pm. Suddenly the exhaustion caught up to her, making her yawn.
She laid down on her bed, meaning to wait for Jinsoul. But clearly her eyes betrayed her when they closed for the night
∆
Jungeun could hear shuffling, making her eyes slowly open. She looked beside her to see no one. She thought she was only hearing things and tried to sleep again.
But she heard shuffling again.
This time, she searched beyond the comfort of her bed. She almost screamed when she saw someone laying on her carpet. Then she remembered that Jinsoul was sleeping here for the night. Jungeun watched as Jinsoul rolled around, trying to find comfort in sleeping on a thin rug. She cooed at the sleeping jock.
She pitied her though. It didn't take long before Jungeun tried to wake the other up, "Jinsoul, hey, Jinsoul.."
Jinsoul's eyes flutter open, staring at Jungeun dumbfounded. "Huh..?"
"Don't sleep on the floor," Jungeun moved so Jinsoul could sleep up on the bed with her. "C'mere."
Jungeun thought Jinsoul would've denied her, seeing that she did so with every offer Jungeun has given. But the sleepy girl was too far from a sober state to think for herself. She just nodded-cutely, if Jungeun may say so-and laid on the bed next to Jungeun.
"G'night.." Jinsoul whispered before drifting off again.
Jungeun smiled at the girl beside her, "good night."
[a/n]
tbh the story of how this came to be was yk I was minding my own business then suddenly it dawned on me how badass Jinsoul would look as a baseball player.
but I only made this as a weird au thing? idk it might just be a one chapt, if anyone wants me to continue it I will lol
have a nice day lovelies~~