[make sure you get to yesterday's chapter {87} beforehand <33!]
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It was the evening of their last basketball game of junior year, and the teammates attempted at keeping their best possible attitude for the game yet it was still immensely difficult when early tears brimmed their saddened eyes at the reminder that this was their last.
They didn't even want to think about their last game of senior year, now that would be even more painfully heartbreaking and almost impossible to endure without bursting into tears mid court.
Thankfully, everyone managed to contain those pessimistic thoughts and keep themselves under control, swiftly wiping away tears and plastering on encouraging smiles for the sake of others.
Aside from Jungkook and Yoongi who were obviously playing on the court, the rest of their friend group showed up as well for moral support and to cheer them on as the players rushed across the gym dribbling basketballs in hand that the others needed to capture in order to call victory theirs.
Right before the game was due to start, Yoongi, being the team captain, gave his last pep talk of the year which never failed to fill his fellow teammates with confidence as a smile made its way onto every one of their faces.
Seeing those smiles almost made Yoongi lose all self control and burst into tears right there and then, but fortunately he saved those urges until after the game where the team had all decided to eat out together somewhere once and for all.
"Alright guys," Yoongi sighed, forcing on a smile, "its our last game of the year, and I couldn't be more proud of you all. I've seen nothing but improvement in all of you since August, and it's wild how much better you've all grown, despite all being well driven players since the beginning. Remember: victory isn't everything, and if we don't win this last game, then who cares? I'm just glad to call you guys my teammates and share this last moment with all of you." Yoongi smiled, the pain of holding back his tears growing more and more difficult with every second, "Lastly, kick some ass out there, kay?"
Everyone else's heartwarming gaze met his, instantly filling his heart with warmth as it consumed his body whole with nothing but happiness.
That was all except for Jackson.
"Jackson, are you crying!?" Yoongi chuckled, patting his fellow teammate on the back in order to comfort him before being scheduled to play.
"N-no! My eyes are just sweating. It's h-hot in h-here," he said in between sniffles, wiping away the fallen tears on his cheeks as he looked up with bright red and puffy eyes, only to meet everyone's concerned looks staring right back at him.
"I'm fine guys I promise!" He choked out, earning surrounding chuckles from the group as they all focused their attention back to Yoongi.
After some more words of encouragement and their last group chant of the season, the team stormed off onto the court holding powerful stances. From their brisk walk to their perfect posture, no one could tear their eyes away from them.
The simple aura they radiated was much too addicting to look away, everyone in the stands eyes' were glued to every single player and utterly entranced by the miraculous vibe they were giving off.
Hell, the referee hasn't even thrown the basketball up in the air yet and Hoseok's eyes were already stuck onto Yoongi, who looked freaking stunning on the court. Not to mention his very intimidating yet powerful presence, with his eyes holding just an intense glare with the objective of grabbing possession of the ball.
He looked so... serious.
But it was so attractive at the same time, since it really did bring out a different side of him that Hoseok wasn't as used to.
The idea of looking too obvious while staring at him didn't even occur once to Hoseok, his mind much to dazed and preoccupied with the sole purpose of watching Yoongi nearly every second of the game even if that wasn't his intention.
It just kinda... happened.
Eventually, his eyes drifted to his other best friend, Jungkook, who's honey-kissed skin was perfectly glowing under the above head gym lights, giving the appearance of a real life angel.
His drive during the game was just as motivated as their captain's, not letting any distraction get in the way and completely blocking out his friends' screams and shouts from the bleachers.
It was honestly inspiring how much his two best friends were striven into performing well during a game, and Hoseok couldn't help but admire them for that.
Despite how goofy or chaotic they acted off court, basketball really brought out the two's more mature sides, immediately stripping away their more childlike personas and replacing them with ones that gave Hoseok a much different perception of them.
A smile played at his lips at the sight of them, not hesitating in hollering cheers of triumph out onto the court just to give his friends that extra motivating push and sign to keep on going.
Though, that wasn't much of a concern since they were winning 49 to 21, but still it couldn't hurt.
And as soon as that all too familiar voice flooded Yoongi's ears, holding such a strong sense of enthusiasm that drove the boy wild as a new found adrenaline pumped through his veins and fueling him with even more energy than before, Yoongi looked up only to catch Hoseok's stare right back on to him.
Both of them had noticed.
Both of them smiled.
But what Hoseok wasn't expecting, was when Yoongi fucking winked at him, before turning back around and chasing after the basketball that had now entered the opposing team's side of the court.
A new sense of confidence he didn't even know he had swelled up inside Yoongi, filling him to the brim with happiness as he quickly combed his fingers through hair, not one drop of regret lingering inside him. It was done strictly off of impulse, in the heat of the moment.
He didn't really think much of it.
But it was quite the opposite for Hoseok.
Hoseok's heart beat rapidly sped up at the barely two second moment exchanged between them, his stomach threatening to spill over with nothing but queasiness and butterflies flapping around his insides increasing his urge to regurgitate right on the bleachers. His breath got sucked out of him entirely, not letting himself breath he he just kept his eyes wide opened and mouth agape from the casual action.
His mind couldn't even comprehend the fact that Yoongi had winked at him, and spent a full on minute pondering if it was just his imagination playing tricks on him again, or if Yoongi has actually done it.
But even if he did, they were just friends.
It was solely platonic.
Yeah, Hoseok breathed, convincing himself of the fact even if it did happen it was because Yoongi was already in a playful mood from literally running across the court at full speed for the past thirty minutes, and it was meant for friendly purposes only.
Right?
Right, Hoseok thought, the redness from his cheeks slowly diminishing into a rosy tint as he shook off the interaction entirely before drawing his eyes back onto a certain 5'8 boy with frosty blue hair who was currently dribbling the ball across court and aiming it into his enemies' basket.
Unsurprisingly, he made it in, but that didn't stop the group from screaming his name at the top of their lungs until their throats went dry and soar, voices already becoming hoarse when it was just reaching half time.
Of course, Hoseok joined his friends in yelling out phrases such as 'Go Yoongi!' 'Yes King!' etc etc.
A smile once again made its way onto Yoongi's lips at his friends' encouragement, only driving his motivation to win through the roof as his eyes pierced into the ball once more, not spending more than a second when passing it to Jungkook was was motioning him to do so across court.
Maybe it was the stimulation from his friends' shouts that drove Yoongi's already rapidly thumping heart into a whirlwind of hysterics, or the fact that his team had more than double the amount of points than the opponents that gave him the reassuring reminder that they'd most likely claim the victory as theirs.
But one thing was for sure.
That it was a certain cutie with curly brown hair and hazelnut eyes, currently shouting rather ridiculous but heart-fluttering compliments at Yoongi from the stands that made his cheeks heat up and toes curl from the reminder that he had someone like Jung Hoseok in his life.
And he couldn't be any more thankful.
Because in reality, Hoseok had taught him so many things just from the span of almost five months of knowing each other.
He brought out a side of Yoongi that the elder was too scared or frightened to show, the terrifying thought of being ridiculed acting as a contact reminder to hide behind his protective shell in order to avoid that at all costs.
But from spending time with Hoseok, the bubbly and optimistic sixteen year old boy who's drive was to always make people happy and ensuring that they were in a mentally healthy place, Yoongi learned to stop caring.
To stop caring about people's opinions.
To stop caring about the fact that not everyone's going to like you.
To stop caring about the fact that he may not win every single basketball game.
So as he made that final dash towards the basketball hoop and landed the ball perfectly inside it, declaring his team victory, he knew that his main drive towards their win, was to do it for Hoseok.
It was an odd way of showing how much Hoseok really meant to Yoongi, and in reality, Hoseok was clueless to the fact that Yoongi's main source of motivation was him. But maybe he didn't have to know, and it could just be Yoongi's little secret locked far away into the corners of his brain.
But as long as Hoseok was happy, Yoongi was happy.
And that's all that really mattered.
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🍓just had to throw in a classic Jackson in there for the sole meme purposes of him always popping up randomly in fanfics 😼
🍼thank you for reading!! 💖
🍓editor/assistant: jiminie_cricket_