"Jaemin! Congratulations for winning the championship game! Dream team's captain never fails to amaze us every time~" Jaehyun said as he patted his little brother's shoulder.
Jaemin was the team captain of their basketball team that represents the whole university. Their varsity team was known for having such a great team work and high scoring points every game.
Jaemin was so popular among your female colleagues and you cannot deny the fact that he serves good looks, too.
As per usual, Jaemin receives all the attention he deserves after each game. People came up to them immediately soon after the game ended.
You usually don't watch basketball because you kinda find it complicated, but whenever Jaemin plays, you couldn't help but make time just to watch it.
You were sitting on the risers from afar and you smiled as you watched him being all shy for getting a lot of compliments.
He looked around and once he met your gaze, his face automatically lit up.
He immediately excused himself from his team and the crowd and jogged towards you with a huge smile on his face.
"Muffin! You made it!" He called out.
Your cringed hearing that petty nickname he always had for you ever since you guys were young.
"Can you stop calling me that from now on? We're already in college for Pete's sake! We're close to graduating too!" You said as you pinched his side, causing him to giggle.
Nothing changed between you two after all these years. He was still the mischievous kid you knew from childhood. The only difference is that now, he's popular and you're not.
Kinda cliche, but you expected it anyway as you two were growing up.
"I don't care though? 'Muffin' is really cute. Don't you think so??" He shrugged.
You rolled your eyes in frustration.
"By the way. Congratulations, J." You said.
He sat beside you and smiled at you softly.
"Thank you. Aren't you busy? You told me you were quite busy reviewing for your upcoming exams." He said.
"Yeah. I was busy but you know I can't miss my best friend's championship game." You said and he tried not to stifle a smile.
"Y/n. Would you come with us for dinner with the team?" He said.
But you were kinda hesitant because you knew it'll be bombarded with popular people and you didn't want to be left out.
"Uhm. Sorry J, but I have to reject you this time." You said and he looked disappointed but tried to hide it with a smile.
"Oh.... It's okay. But can I finally take you to our victory party this weekend?" He said and you didn't know what to say.
There was an old tradition for the varsity team to have their victory parties whenever they won a championship game.
And having Jaemin as their team captain, he always assure they'd win just to conduct the party but you always rejected his invitation in fears you might feel being left out.
He seems to be really expecting a lot this time so you had no choice but to say yes.
Suddenly, a girl from the cheerleading squad called Jaemin's attention. She looked so pretty and there were other guys checking out on her.
He looked quite hesitant to go since it's been a while since you two had a conversation because he got busy with their trainings.
"You should go. They're waiting for their team captain." You said as you pushed him lightly.
"Can't you really go with us?" He tried to shoot his last shot, hoping you'd say yes this time.
All of them were waiting for him so you shook your head immediately.
"Go ahead. I'll be finishing some requirements tonight. You guys enjoy." You said and he sighed.
"Okay. Get home safely then. Thank you for making time just to watch my game, muffin." He pinched your cheek and you nodded as you waved him goodbye.
A familiar guy congratulated him and you saw that he was looking at you.
He smiled beautifully while waving at you and you were quite shocked.
Jaemin covered his face with his towel and waved his arm to bid goodbye.
You sighed as you took your things and went home soon after.
Before heading home, you decided to go to the comfort room and heard some girls gossiping outside your cubicle.
"Na Jaemin is totally my style. Did you see how he threw that 3-point shot earlier?? Gosh he looks so hot." A girl said and they squealed.
You chuckled and shook your head.
He really has many fangirls, huh? You thought.
"I wonder if he has a girlfriend already." Another said.
You suddenly got curious.
Jaemin, doesn't seem to tell you if he dates or not.
Though you guys were close, sometimes he still gets secretive.
"I think so? I've seen him constantly with one of the cheerleaders from the tourism department. But he rarely posts on social media so it's hard to tell."
You had mixed feelings with what you heard.
If he'd date other ladies it'd be really fine but you remembered the promise you made together when you were younger.
The thought of it made you chuckle.
"I wonder if Jaemin remembers that promise." You whispered to yourself.
It was a promise you made when you two were younger. You promised that when you grow older, you'd date each other for real. Kinda funny because you were just almost 9 at that time.
But now that you're in your early adulthood, that promise seem to be irrelevant because you now have different lives.
So for you, that promise was already buried along with your childhood games.
But not for Jaemin.
Days passed by so quick that it's already the weekend.
You were so frustrated because you couldn't choose what to wear.
Of course you wanted to look presentable in front of Jaemin's friends.
Time was running after you so you finally decided to wear a denim skirt to try something new and paired it with your pastel blue long sleeves.
"This should be fine, right?" You worryingly mumbled to yourself.
You were supposed to be at the party at 5pm but it took you longer than expected to finish dressing up.
"Shit it's 5:30!!" You panicked.
You grabbed your stuff and called a cab to get to the location.
Jaemin was so worried you might not come because the party was almost starting.
"Hyung, is Y/n-noona coming?" Chenle asked as he tied his shoelaces.
They were preparing for the half court game that was conducted to formally open the party.
"I don't know, Lele. But I have high hopes this time." He said as he looked over the entrance.
"Captain, when will we start??" Jeno said as he patted Jaemin's back.
"Few more minutes. Don't forget to stretch before playing." He reminded his teammates.
They all shrugged and practiced their shoots and dribbles.
Fortunately, you got to the place in no time.
You were shocked to see a lot of people outside the place and was about to back out but you couldn't.
You gulped and heaved a sigh before leaving the car.
You saw Jaemin from a far, wearing his basketball jersey shirt and it made you raise a brow in confusion.
His eyebrows were fully furrowed and he seemed to be waiting for someone.
He was looking around and when he saw you standing from a far, he sighed in relief and jogged towards you.
You were about to apologize for being late when he pulled you in for a hug.
"You came." He muttered.
You were quite confused but you smiled genuinely.
You blushed when he hugged you tighter as he buried his face on the crook of your neck.
"Hey, is everything okay??" You asked worryingly.
He loosened the hug and stared at you lovingly.
"What??" You innocently asked.
He chuckled and shook his head.
"I'm just happy you finally went to our victory party." He said.
He held you hand and you both walked inside the venue.
There were much people inside so you held on to Jaemin's hand tighter.
"It's okay." He whispered and you smiled awkwardly.
I should've not come. You thought as you bit your lower lip.
People greeted Jaemin whenever they saw him and you had no choice but to smile at them.
You were surprised to see people sitting on the risers and it looked like there'll be a basketball game that was gonna happen.
Jaemin introduced you to his friends and teammates and they were all friendly and nice.
"Hi." You shyly greeted.
"It's really nice to see you here, Y/n." The familiar guy you saw at the game the other day said.
"I'm Lee Jeno by the way. Point guard of the dream team." He said as he reached for a handshake.
You happily shook his hand and his eye smile lit up the whole place.
Jaemin mocked him by introducing himself to you as well.
"Na Jaemin, dream team's team captain and shooting guard." He said and Jeno rolled his eyes.
You chuckled and slapped Jaemin's arm.
"Are you guys gonna play tonight?" You asked Jaemin in confusion.
He nodded.
"But I thought this was your victory party??" You asked.
"Varsity tradition." He simply answered.
A lady went to Jaemin and she greeted him with a hug. You stifly stood there as you stare at them talking casually.
You guessed she might be the cheerleader from the tourism department that was rumored to be his girlfriend.
"I thought you'd be late, Sunhee." Jaemin said.
"How can I be late for this special event!" She squealed but once she saw you she covered her mouth and smiled beautifully at you.
"Hi! I guess you're Y/n?" She asked as she pushed Jaemin aside.
"Yes, I am." You replied.
She clung on to you and you were surprised of how easy going she was.
"Come with me. Let's watch the game together~" She said and you looked over Jaemin who nodded to give you assurance.
"Oh. Uhm okay." You said.
You were introduced to some ladies around your age and they greeted you with enthusiasm.
You were seated on the bench close to the court and you saw Jaemin stretching with his team who consisted of Jeno, Chenle, Mark, and Lucas
The other team consisted of Haechan, Renjun, Yangyang, Hendery, and their youngest player, Jisung.
Everyone was hyped up and you were excited to see who'd win the game.
"Ohhhh the game is on~" Sunhee said excitingly.
The game officially started and all of the people cheered for their chosen teams.
Jisung was able to shoot the first point and his teammates cheered for their youngest player. Jaemin was smiling because he saw Jisung was doing a great job.
The game was so intense. After a few minutes of the game, Chenle was able to catch the ball from the opposing team and immediately passed it over to Jaemin and the crowd roared.
"Dunk shot! Dunk shot! Dunk shot!" People shouted repeatedly.
"Dunk shot?" You innocently mumbled to yourself.
Jaemin got his way through his opponents so smoothly and jumped high enough.
He was able to slam the ball through the ring and everyone shouted in excitement.
You clapped and cheered as well.
"Slam dunk!"
"There goes our team captain!"
"Jaemin is so awesome~"
You smiled because you heard people complimenting Jaemin.
Suddenly Jaemin slowly got the ball he dunked and heaved a sigh before walking towards you.
Sunhee and the crowd squealed and you didn't know why.
He stood in front of you and handed you the ball which made you confused.
"Huh?" You asked as you looked at the ball he handed you with furrowed eyebrows.
He grinned from ear to ear and got back in the game. It made you more confused because he left you hanging.
"Yah! What will I do with this?" You said but Jaemin got a new ball and his teammates went over to him, teasing him endlessly.
Jaemin looked so satisfied with what he did.
"You have to keep the ball!" Sunhee said.
"Why?" You said as you placed the ball on your lap.
"Don't you know the basketball varsity's tradition with the Dunk??" She asked and you slowly shook your head.
"Oh my goodness!!" She said in disbelief.
"Okay let me explain, sweetie." She said as she shifted her body towards you.
"Every after their championships, the varsity conducts a victory party right? The opening game is the most awaited game because the first player to dunk a shot gets to confess with the person they like. Like giving you the ball means giving you their love and affection and all that stuff? Ugh hard to explain but I hope you got what I meant." She explained.
You were dumbstruck.
"I know it's hard to believe. But Jaemin likes you, Y/n. I'm so happy he was able to do it after many tries of convincing you before!" She added.
"W-what?" You said in confusion.
"You always rejected his invitation to victory parties, that's why he never did that dunk shot every time he plays the game. He kept trying to win every championship game just to dunk that shot, but the girl he's into wasn't always present. " She said with a soft chuckle.
You didn't knew what to do. You continued watching the game and you can't help but feel giddy deep inside.
The game ended with Jaemin's team winning and the party officially started.
Jaemin's teammate Lucas, walked towards your bench and Sunhee immediately kissed Lucas' cheek causing your eyes to widen.
"You played so well, babe!" She squealed and Lucas wrapped his arms around Sunhee.
"You two are together?" You asked.
"Yup. Lucas is my boyfriend." They both chuckled.
You were wrong all along.
"We'll get changed first. We'll be back in a minute." Lucas said and Sunhee nodded.
Everyone gathered inside the villa and you followed Sunhee inside.
People got their cocktails on hand and Sunhee never left your side until Jaemin came.
"Hi lover boy~" Sunhee teased and Jaemin shook his head.
"I'll leave you guys now. Y/n, enjoy the party! I'll see you later." She said and she gave me a hug before leaving.
Jaemin rubbed his nape and suddenly couldn't speak.
"Hey." You said while nudging him.
He asked for your hand shyly and you held on to it tightly.
You went back to the court and he asked if you wanted to play.
You really wanted to but your outfit says otherwise.
"I should've wore something comfortable..." You said.
Since you were wearing a skirt, you were kinda uncomfortable to play basketball.
"Why did you wear that?" He suddenly asked.
He knew you weren't into skirts so he got curious.
"Of course it's because I wanted to look pretty presentable tonight." You whispered.
Jaemin tried not to stifle a smile.
"You don't have to try to look pretty, Y/n." He said as he removed the jacket he was wearing and wrapped it on your waist covering your legs perfectly.
You smiled softly at him and he patted your head.
You enjoyed playing basketball with him because he lets you win every time.
"Ahh!! It went in!!" You shouted when you were able to shoot the ball perfectly inside the ring.
You high-fived Jaemin and he looked at you with adoration.
"Good job, muffin." He said.
He fixed your messy hair and you stood still while looking at Jaemin.
"You still never changed, J. " You muttered.
" I will never change." He said as he pinched your cheek lightly.
You sat on the risers and watched the stars shine on full brightness.
Jaemin got you some drinks and he saw you admiring the beautiful night sky above.
You smiled at him once he got back.
He leaned back comfortably and you did as well.
He handed you the drink and you grabbed it from him.
"J." You called him.
"Why?"He replied.
"You never forgot the promise." You chuckled.
"Of course. I was the one who proposed it even though you're the one who confessed first." He said teasingly.
You scoffed.
"That's not true! You're the one who confessed first!" You protested.
"No. It's you!" He teased so you slapped his arm from embarrassment.
"How could I forget that day?" He chuckled as he took a sip of his drink.
"You were crying hysterically, begging your mom to be my girlfriend. We were just kids back then." He smiled reminiscing those good old times.
You gulped and looked away. You were blushing so hard because of what he said.
It was true you liked him first.
"That promise was years ago. We were too innocent to know what relationships are." You said.
"But I took it seriously." He said.
"I've been trying to fulfill our promise but you seemed to forget it as we grew older." He added.
You pursed your lips. You just had no words to say.
"Thank you for giving me the chance this time, Y/n." He said as he stared at you softly.
You looked away because god knows how your heart raced so fast.
Fortunately, you saw a basketball nearby so you stood and got it.
You handed it over to him while trying not to stifle a smile and he looked confused.
"I don't know how to dunk a shot, but- here." You said as you offered him the ball whilst looking away.
"I like you too."
His face lit up and took the ball right away. He stood and you looked at him and he had this huge smile plastered on his face.
You smiled too and he held you dearly in his arms. He pulled your arms and placed them slowly around his waist.
"I love you. I loved you ever since and will continue to do so." He whispered into your ear.
You hugged him tighter and calmed yourself in his embrace.
He cupped your face and placed a gentle peck on your lips as if your lips were the most vulnerable thing he kissed.
He couldn't help but smile.
You were interrupted with the loud cheers from Jaemin's teammates and your eyes widen from embarrassment.
You buried your face on Jaemin's chest and he couldn't stop adoring how cute you looked while being flustered.
Guess waiting for that dunk shot was worth it after all.
- E N D -
AHHHH I really enjoyed writing this one and I hope you guys liked it 🙈
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This was requested by jaeminnienct!
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