STARS AND RAINDROPS â PARK JAY
ê° PLAYâS SCRIPT ê± âȘ© Park Jay was well aware of the rivalry between his basketball team and the drama club, yet he couldnât bring himself to hate them. He loved drama, and of course, he couldnât express that to anyone. Upon hearing about the auditions for their new play, he only felt thrilled. He was good at hiding secrets, so signing up wouldnât be that hard, right? Well, it wouldn't be if you, the club leader, werenât practically everywhere.
ê° CASTING ê± âȘ© bball-team-leader!jay x drama-club-leader-fem!reader (ft. k from &team, sohee and seunghan from riize, eric, younghoon, sangyeon, and juyeon from the boyz, danielle from newjeans, kazuha and eunchae from le sserafim, jisung and mark from nct, ricky from zb1, enhaâs jungwon, heeseung, jay, and jake, songyee from woo!ah!)
ê° GENRES ê± âȘ© highschool au, performing arts au, sports au, highschool musical inspired, strangers to lovers, love at first sight, fluff, angst, crack, (kinda) self discovery, and nonidol au.
ê° WARNINGS ê± âȘ© profanity, lotsss of arguing, jay has a nightmare, club/team rivalry, lying, k is like really mean, crying, kissing, y/n gets injured for a bit, mentions of possibly being sick, lmk if i missed anything!
ê° SOUNDTRACK ê± âȘ© CLICK HERE!
ê° PLAYâS DURATION ê± âȘ© 23717 words
ê° AUTHOR NOTE ê± âȘ© first fic of the year!! honestly, this fic has existed for the last three years and went through the most craziest revamps in history... So recently I've been rewatching hsm with my older sister and forgot the plot of the old 'mansae' fic so here comes the new and improved mansae fic yall!!! â ps, thank sona for FIGHTING for this fic đ and ty to hana for proofreading!!
PERM TAGLIST â @soov @ox1-lovesick @urszn @hanniluvi @dakkisz @dimplewonie @xiaoderrrr @ja4hyvn @mmaplepastries @essmarye @w3bqrl @jennaissantes @yenqa @yeokii @yyunari @wvnkoi @isoobie @strwberrydinosaur @gibbysupremeacyisreal @rikizm @teddywonss @simp4jongseong @100203s @yizhoutv @yuviqik @itsactuallylina @i-yeseo @y6qiso @flwoie @shinrjj @rikibun
ACT ONE.
âSo, practice is still on tomorrow?â K asked while throwing his blazer over his shoulder.Â
âYeah, Iâm down.â Eric said with a smile, wrapping his arm around Jayâs shoulder.Â
âWhat about you? Iâm sure everyone else is okay with it.â Eric asked the exhausted boy beside him, tightening his arm around Jayâs shoulder.
Jay hummed in response, a yawn breaking through midway. They arrived at Kâs locker as he unlocked his own, and Jay pressed his back into the locker beside Kâs. Todayâs practice was enough for him.Â
He was ready to fall asleep and wake up the next day, discarding all his assigned work. His eyes fell shut at the sounds of Kâs locker interior clashing with his personal belongings.
âExcuse me.â someone said, gaining the attention of the three boys. Jay slightly opened one eye, glancing at the sight before him. Nakamura Kazuha, a member of the drama club, looked annoyed more than ever.Â
Eric scoffed at the sight, alongside him, Jay pushed himself off the locker he was resting on and moved out of her way. She proceeded to tape up a flyer that promoted their clubâs newest attractionâa play.
âWizard of Oz? Really?â K retorted, shutting his locker at the same time.Â
âWhatâs it to you?â Kazuha said with a raised brow.
âNobodyâs going to watch that.âÂ
âItâs optional. Either they watch the live action or the play.â Kazuha said, leaving K confused.Â
âArenât those the same thing?â K asked.Â
âOne needs effort, and one doesnât. For example, you look identical to an Oompa Loompa, so therefore, no costume will be needed.â She insulted him as Kâs brows furrowed.
Eric snorted at the sudden insult, immediately clearing his throat once he felt Kâs glare. Jay cracked a smile at her words, his gaze shifting to the poster beside him. His attention was drawn away from the conversation and onto the colourful poster before him. It was quite eye-catching.
Everyone in Decelis was aware of the rivalry between the two groups. It wasnât anything new and stayed every school year, to the point where even newcomers heard about it.Â
It all started with a misunderstanding. Back in sophomore year, the drama club had just finished designing one of their new set pieces, only for a group of rowdy boys to ruin it right after. A basketball came flying into the center of their backdrop, breaking it immediately.Â
Of course, your first instinct would be to confront the basketball team. The basketball had a signature on it. One that anyone could recognize immediately; âDECELIS BBALL TEAMâ in bolded letters, slightly smudged from the number of sweaty hands that held the ball in many games.Â
The gym doors busted open, revealing a group of furious students who caught the teamâs attention. âThatâs where the ball went!â Sohee exclaimed while jogging towards the group of students.Â
He reached out for the basketball with a smile.Â
âThank youââ
âYou guys broke our set,â Danielle said, moving the ball out of his reach.Â
âWhat?â Sohee questioned, turning to look at his team members and then back at the students in front of him. His team members were just as confused as him. What did they mean by breaking their set?
âIs this your way of sabotaging us? We understand that your game is on the same day as our play, but that wouldnât differentiate the number of viewers for both events.â Jungwon explained, leaving the group of boys even more confused.
K approached Soheeâs side with furrowed brows. âWhy are you guys accusing us of something we didnât do?â He asked as Eunchae sighed.Â
âHow are we the ones accusing you when your teamâs ball is enough to prove our point?â She said, taking the ball from Danielleâs hold.Â
âIt came flying into our set pieces. Everyone in our school knows about the rules with your teamâs ball, which is only reserved for tournament and practice services. Nothing else.â She explained. She wasnât wrong about that. Definitely not. But still, the basketball team did nothing.Â
âIf you guys donât want to answer truthfully, then thatâs fine. Keep whatever reputation you have to uphold, I guess. Stay away from the drama club room, or we will inform the principal.â Juyeon said, glaring into Kâs eyes.Â
K felt furious. He had a history of bad anger management, and his teammates knew. He lurched at the group of students, but Sohee put an arm in front of him, halting his movements. K looked at Sohee as he shook his head.Â
âLet them be.â He mumbled as the group of students walked away, dropping the ball on the ground and leaving it to dribble as it rolled toward the two boys.
The changing room doors opened, revealing a confused Jay.Â
âWhat was all that commotion?â He asked the boys, taking in the scene before him. All the boys turned around to stare at their captain, including K, who was still mad.
He stormed off into the changing room, pushing past Jay, who blocked the entrance slightly.Â
âWhatâs up with him?â He asked, pointing behind him with his thumb.Â
âThe drama club accused us of ruining their set pieces and trying to sabotage their play all because of our missing basketball. I donât even know how it ended up in the halls in the first place.â Sohee explained while walking over to pick up the ball.
âThatâs weirdâŠâ Jay mumbled, running his fingers through his hair.Â
âWhatever, letâs continue with the practice.â He changed the topic as everyone went back to what they were doing.
âJay, what are you doing?â Eric asked as Jayâs attention shifted away from the poster from earlier.Â
âWhat? Oh, nothingâŠâ He mumbled, trying to play it off yet failed completely.Â
Jay looked around, registering that Kazuha had left to put up more posters around their school hallways a while ago and it was only the three of them together.
âArenât you coming?â K asked, leaving Jay unsure of what he was referring to.Â
âYeah, of course.â He said, hoping it was the right answer.Â
âSweet, letâs go!â Eric cheered as the two walked ahead with Jay trailing behind.
Jay didnât know if he should regret agreeing or be glad that he agreed. He had no clue where they were and was even more confused once he realized they were standing in front of the doors to the drama club room.Â
âWhat are we doing here?â Jay asked nervously.Â
âYou werenât listening were youâŠâ Eric said with a sigh.Â
âWeâre here to get revenge.â He explained as Jayâs eyes widened.Â
âDonât worry, it wonât be bad. Just a little warning.â He teased and reached for the doorknob.Â
âIâm aware of our so-called hatred for their club but isnât this too much? I mean, what if we get caught? We canât be benched for our upcoming game. Plus, the seasonâs almost done. We canât risk any silly behaviour.â Jay sternly said as he held onto Ericâs arm.Â
âYouâre worrying too much. Thereâs no way Coach would bench any of us, we have to be the starters no matter what.â He reassured Jay and removed his hand from his arm.
âFollow through with the plan. If we get caught, one of us goes and tries to drive the person out of the room. Iâd say, Eric, youâre a good sweet talker.â K said as Eric nodded.Â
âAlrightâŠâ Jay mumbled, still nervous. He didnât want to bother the club anymore. Plus, what if this ruined his chances of ever joining one of their plays?
Auditions were in less than a week, he couldnât blow them now.
They checked the halls before opening the door silently. The coast was clear, it was nearing the end of lunch anyway. Usually, nobodyâs in the clubrooms during lunchtime. After a few weeks of observing, it was something Jay realized. He wouldnât get caught signing up at this rate.Â
They walked into the club room, closing the door behind them. âWhat should we take? A camera?â K asked while holding one of their cameras in his hands. He examined the other options, including their lens as well.Â
âI doubt theyâd care, itâs a drama club, not a photography club,â Eric said while approaching their other belongings. Jayâs grip tightened on the coat in his hands and gulped. Although he was sure they wouldnât get caught, he was still nervous about it.Â
What if it really did happen? Then what?
âA play script sounds better. I heard theyâre handwritten too, then proofread to make more copies.â Eric said with a smirk.Â
âThe Wizard of OzâŠwhat a silly name,â Eric said while thumbing the stapled stack of papers he held.Â
âI doubt they printed any of this. It looks freshly written.â He said and looked at Jay and K.
âYeahââ K silenced himself at the sound of footsteps.Â
They quickly looked around the room, trying to find a place to hide. Eric passed K the script as he quietly walked towards the door. K pulled Jay into a nearby room that stored some of their smaller set pieces, shutting it slowly.Â
âShh,â K whispered to Jay as his harsh breathing grew quiet. There was a silence between them as they tried listening to what was happening on the other side of the door.
âHello?â A voice called, catching their attention. Jayâs brows furrowed as he tried to pinpoint whom the voice belonged to.Â
âOh, hi.â Eric turned around, smiling at the person.Â
âY/N, I was wondering about something, so I decided to wait for one of you to return.â He lied.
âItâs their club leader,â K whispered to Jay as he nodded. Why did their name sound so familiar if that was their club leader whom he never met?Â
âWhat is it?â You asked as Eric tried to think of an excuse.Â
âI know Iâm on the basketball team and whatnot, but that doesnât mean Iâm not interested in drama.â He said, trying to stall more time.Â
âHere, why donât we walk outside and talk?â Eric suggested. âIâm feeling a little cramped in here due to the amount of items your club hasâŠâ He said while looking around the room.Â
âOkayâŠâ You said as he smiled and led you two out of the clubroom.Â
Once the door shut, Jay and K let out a heavy sigh. They opened the storage room door and exited.Â
âItâs like 50°C in there!â K exclaimed while wiping the sweat that dribbled down his face.Â
âI know,â Jay mumbled in agreement while trying to catch his breath.Â
âIâm surprised he managed to convince her to leave. I told you heâs a sweet talker.â K said as the two left the clubroom in silence.Â
They walked away from the doors as if they werenât just in there as K held the script under his arm.Â
âHopefully, we can last a few days.â He said as they approached his locker. He unlocked his locker as Jay examined the empty halls.Â
âWaitâŠâ Jay mumbled while pulling out his phone immediately.Â
âK, weâre late.â He said and looked at the boy in front of him.Â
âShit,â K muttered, placing the script in his locker hastily.Â
âGo, Iâll catch up later. Make a believable excuse for Mrs. Jang. Iâm sure sheâll believe you out of all her students.âÂ
Jay nodded and hurried to their English class. Itâs true that heâs one of Mrs. Jangâs favourite students and was rarely ever late to class. Of course, sheâd believe anything heâd say.Â
ACT TWO.Â
P.E. has always been one of Jayâs favourite classes. It was almost like a break from his other boring classes. He loved it and also loved being active.
The voices that cheered his name throughout the gym sounded like distant cries. His only focus was the ball that bounced in front of him and those he was opposing. He caught the ball in his hands as he searched around the gymnasium for his teammate.Â
âChenle!â Jay called out, alerting the dark-haired boy. He passed the ball to Chenle who stood only a few meters away from him and ran closer to the net.
âHeâs quite good,â your classmate whispered to her friend.Â
âWho? Chenle?â The friend whispered back with raised brows.Â
âNo, silly! Iâm talking about Jay." Her chin rested in her palm as she watched Jay with narrowed eyes.Â
âItâs not like itâs the first time youâre seeing him play⊠But I agree, no wonder the team made him their captain.âÂ
You looked away from the two classmates, who continued to converse with each other. The floor everyone sat on was pretty uncomfortable. If it were the bleachers, that would be way better.Â
It was well-known how serious Jay became once he was on the court with an orange ball in his hands. He was way different from his normal calm aura.Â
Your eyes trailed over Jayâs figure; his eyes were focused on the ball and the court, sweat droplets visible on his body as his blue hair strands stuck to his damped forehead, and he was breathing heavily. Even with how far you were seated, you could still see quite a lot.Â
But not the ball that headed your way.Â
âLook out!â The voices of the boys on the court yelled in unison, scattering all your old thoughts and replacing them with new ones. You prepared yourself to be hit since there was no other spot for you to move, but instead, nothing came your way aside from the tall figure that overshadowed yours.Â
âWatch your surroundings, if I wasnât able to catch that you wouldâve gottenâhurtâŠâ His harsh tone changed into a shocked one as his voice lowered in volume. His eyes were stuck on you, and he wouldnât move, despite the number of times his teammates called his name.Â
âY/N, are you okay?â Your friend from beside you called out.Â
âIâm fine,â you reassured her as she glared at the boy in front of you two.Â
âWe get it, you guys hate the drama club but that doesnât mean you have to injure their club leader too.â She said as both you and Jay stayed silent.
âJay, dude? We need the ball, focus!â Sangyeon shouted from across the gym but Jay didnât move.Â
âThank you.â You muttered.Â
âRight, no problem.â He responded awkwardly as his hand hit the basketball again.
He ran back to the court, throwing the ball into play. âMy fault, whose ball is it?â He questioned while jogging into place.
âIt was ours, idiot!â Sohee exclaimed while chasing after the ball.Â
âWhyâd you even throw it here? Thereâs nobody there!â He said, standing at the other end of the court.Â
Jay apologized with an embarrassed smile. âOh, sorry. That was my fault!âÂ
âJeez, whatâs up with him now?â Sohee mumbled as he picked up the basketball, passing it towards their other teammate, Taehyun.Â
Instead of focusing on the ball and the match in front of him, his thoughts were clouded with you. So, thatâs where heâs heard your name, in his P.E. class.Â
The only thing is, how come heâs never noticed someone as pretty as you?
Waking up on weekdays felt natural to Jay. It meant he would go through his same old everyday routine; wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast with his family, and then go to school.Â
But today was different.Â
His alarm rang like usual, he got out of bed, proceeded with his morning routine, and even made himself a quick breakfast. It was something he did every day, but as said before, today was different.Â
You wouldnât leave his mind and it was bothering him.Â
He ran his fingers through his blue strands as he walked down the halls of Decelis. They had an upcoming game, he couldnât let you distract him. His schedule for today was busier than usual; he had double basketball practice, a test in English, and a test review first period. It was terrible.
He mentally prepared himself for whatever he was about to go through, hoping thatâll all be over soon.Â
âHey,â Jayâs friend greeted.Â
âHey, Younghoon.â Heâd greet back as Younghoon moved beside him.Â
âWoah, you look exhausted⊠Did you sleep at all last night?â Younghoon said, worry laced in his voice.Â
âIâm fine, I just didnât get enough as usual,â Jay explained, which wasnât a lie.
He was bothered by the same constant dreamâwhich was more of a nightmare, to him at leastâhis arms around you as you stared up at him with eyes filled with adoration. If this wasnât him going crazy then what was?
âIâm sure youâll be able to sleep for a bit after the test review in Chem today.âÂ
Jay at his words and nodded with a smile. âHopefully.â He said, a yawn completing his sentence. Heâd stretch out his arms as the two walked to Jayâs locker in a comfortable silence.Â
His eyes glanced at the freshly taped-up poster that advertised the drama clubâs new play. That wasnât there previously.Â
âGross, now theyâre using our belongings as canvas space?â A familiar voice said while reaching out for the taped-up paper.Â
Jay looked behind the door of his locker, eyes slightly widening at the sight before him. K was ripping their poster off of Jayâs locker.
âWhat do you think youâre doing?â Jay began but was interrupted by another voice who finished his sentence for him. The three boys turned their attention toward the girl before them.Â
âGreat,â K muttered. The drama clubâs leader was practically everywhere. He couldnât get away with anything.
Youâd approach K, grabbing the now crumpled-up piece of paper in his hand with an unsatisfied look. âWhy are you wrecking the properties of others?â You said, earning a scoff from K.Â
âWhy are you âclaimingâ the properties of others by taping up useless posters?â He retorted with a raised brow as you furrowed yours.
âFine then.â Youâd say as you moved to the nearest trash can, throwing out the balled-up poster.Â
âIf you donât want us to put things on your lockers, maybe invest in some name tags. Nobody would want to waste their time and remember every irrelevant member of the basketball teamâs locker number anyway.â You walked away from the three boys, leaving Jay and Younghoon stunned. Although Jay was supposed to be offended by your words, he was impressed.Â
K gritted his teeth in annoyance, knowing he couldnât do anything to you. He looked at Jay with narrowed eyes. âSheâs really annoying.â He muttered in pure annoyance as Jay shut his locker.Â
As much as he wanted to tell K that he was in the wrong, he couldnât bring himself to do it.Â
Instead, he looked at the time on his watch and then back at the friends beside him. âPeriod one starts in 5 minutes. We should get going.â Heâd suggest as the two boys nodded in agreement. All Jay had to do was get through his first two periods and then he could rest during lunch practice.Â
Thatâs all he had to do.
Yet that didnât explain the thrilled feeling he was currently experiencing in his seat. Chemistry never had him feeling thrilledâand never will.Â
âI repeat,â the studentâs voice on the PA system said, catching Jayâs attention.Â
âAuditions for Decelisâ drama clubâs The Wizard of Oz play will begin in a week! Please, sign up on the signup sheet near the schoolâs entrance.â Sheâd continue.Â
âFor more information, please ask the drama club members if needed!â The mic was handed over to someone else, causing quite a commotion over the PA system.Â
âYou heard them, sign up now before itâs too late!â Another student said before beginning their own set of announcements.Â
âEunchae has a real warming voice.â One of Jayâs classmates complimented her.Â
âI agree. I understand why sheâs always on the PA system.â Another said.Â
The rest of their conversation went through one of Jayâs ears and out the other. He was too distracted in trying to think of ways to sign up for their auditions secretly. Heâd never done this before and never planned on doing so, but it was their last year of high school. He needed to have the so-called high school experience.Â
He already had enough things to worry about. He still had time to continue this after his whole day of school. Delaying his plan-making wouldnât hurt.
But they sure did become more difficult. Jay cautiously approached the signup sheet that was located near the schoolâs entrance, acting as casually as possible. He had only 10 minutes to figure out something before he had to be at the gymnasium for practice.
There was a whole crowd that surrounded the signup sheet which made his attempt to approach impossible. He sighed, trying to peek over the crowd of students who rushed to write their names down on the sheet of paper.Â
âHey, Jay!â Ricky exclaimed while swinging an arm over his team captain.Â
âHey.â He said, startled by his sudden appearance. Ricky looked ahead of him, grimacing at the sight.Â
âThereâs no way this many people actually like drama⊠Itâs so boring! I hated that class last year.â He whispered.Â
âAnyways, practice begins in five. How come youâre not early like always?â Heâd ask, catching Jay off guard.Â
5 minutes of him struggling had already gone by within a blink of an eye. âOh, uh, I was trying but the crowd blocked off my shortcut.â Jay lied, mentally scolding himself for how bad it was.Â
âNo worries, I got you covered.â Ricky winked and clicked his tongue while pointing a finger gun at Jay with his free hand.
The two began to walk towards the gymnasium together as Jay felt his soul leaving his body. He definitely wasnât going to succeed with signing up today. But he had a week to do so, eventually, he should succeed, right?
Maybe?
âAlright, gather around!â Their coach said while clapping his hands together. The 10 sweaty boys made their way towards their coach, all breathing heavily.Â
âI know youâre tired, but letâs do a quick practice match.â He suggested, earning disappointed sighs from every single one of them.
âHey, hey. Itâll be beneficial. Your game is in 2 days, donât forget.â He said, reminding them all. They nodded and proceeded to split themselves into two teams. Both teams sent their tallest members on both sides to the center for the tipâoff.Â
âFirst team to score 10 wins.â Said their coach. Heâd blow his whistle, throwing the ball up in the air as both team members rushed up to grab it, but eventually, the red team had the ball in possession.Â
âItâs okay, youâll get it next time!â Jay reassured Ricky as he jogged back out in the open.Â
The ball dribbling echoed through the quiet gymnasium that only picked up on the sounds of their shoes squeaking against the polished floors and whistle-blowing.Â
âGet open!â Heeseung said to his team members as they spread out across the court.
He searched for an open teammate, sending the ball straight to Markâs hands. Heâd take this opportunity to dribble the ball, trying to get free from Rickyâs defence but kept failing. His eyes shifted to Kâs free figure as he attempted a bouncing ball pass to only be blocked by Ricky.Â
Ricky caught the ball once Mark threw it to the ground and began to dribble it once more while sprinting to the opposing teamâs key.Â
âNice one!â Their coach cheered as Ricky passed the ball to Jake immediately who took the opportunity to shoot a 2-pointer, making it in, flawlessly.Â
Jake smiled in satisfaction while high-fiving his team members.
âKeep it up, Ricky. That was a good steal.â Heeseung said.Â
âWoah! Isnât this cross-teaming?â Jisung was quick to address it in a teasing manner as they all laughed and waved it off.
âOkay, 2 points for the blue team! Red team, inbound.â Their coach instructed as they all followed through. They got into their positions, Jay guarding Heeseung, Eric guarding K, Jake guarding Jisung, and Ricky guarding Mark. Sohee stood outside of the out-of-bounds line while figuring out the many outcomes if he inbounded the basketball to a certain team member.Â
Eventually, the whistle blew as he threw it to Mark who managed to get free from Rickyâs guarding this time. He dribbled the ball to the other side of the court, stopping when needed. He then proceeded to turn without moving his pivot foot in an attempt to see who was free and who wasnât.Â
His plan didnât go as well as heâd thought it would due to the difference in their heights, causing him to sigh in frustration.Â
âDude, I canât see anything. Youâre too tall.â He mumbled, making Ricky chuckle at his sudden confession.Â
âI get that a lot, actually,â Ricky said back as Mark rolled his eyes and passed the ball to his nearest teammate, Heeseung, who managed to run up towards him, leaving Jay behind.Â
Jay followed through and immediately began guarding Heeseung, there was no way heâd let his opponents get a point like that.Â
His eyes focused on the ball in Heeseungâs hand, watching its every movement. It kept a constant routine; dribble, hit Heeseungâs hand, and dribble again.Â
Jay then looked up at Heeseung, making eye contact with him. Heeseung looked away in search of his teammates as Jay followed his eyes. Heâd grit his teeth in frustration, realizing that none of his team members were able to get free.
So, instead of passing the ball around, he went in. Heâd dribble the ball while sprinting toward the opposing teamâs net, performing a layup shot as Jay jumped up in hopes of blocking him and did so with force.Â
The ball goes dashing down to the ground, alerting the others who rushed to the ball. Ricky caught the ball, running his fastest to the opposite side of the court while Sohee chased after him. The two rose to the top of the net as Ricky reached up to tip the ball into the net but was abruptly interrupted by the sudden stinging of his wrist.
The whistle blew, gaining their attention as the two landed back onto the court, the ball dribbling away from them.Â
âSohee, try to avoid fouling, okay?â Their coach said as Sohee nodded. They were all exhausted, breathing heavily as sweat droplets dribbled down their temples. 3 more points were needed.
Only three and the blue team would win. It shouldnât be that hard, right?
Gladly, it wasnât. The boys sighed out of exhaustion while taking their seats on the benches of their changing room.Â
âNice play, guys. Iâm sure weâll do even better when weâre on the actual court.â Jay reassured them as they all smiled.
He got up from the bench and headed towards his assigned locker. He was ready to go home, especially after his long day of school. In a hurry, he removed the towel that rested around his neck, followed by his sweat-drenched t-shirt.Â
He then picked up the towel, dapping away at the sweat droplets that trickled from his jawline to his neck and around his collarbone, releasing a relaxed sigh.Â
âYo, Jay,â called Mark as Jay looked over at the said boy.Â
âHm?â He hummed, looking away afterwards.Â
âAre you free after school tomorrow?â Mark asked.Â
âI believe so. Why?â Jay replied while rummaging through his backpack for his necessities.Â
âI was wondering if you wanted to study together, then go out and play some video games. It's been a while since we last did so.â Mark explained while putting on his shoes.Â
"Sure, why notââ
âWhich one of you did it?"Â
ACT THREE.
The sudden commotion made all their heads turn to its location. Most of them sighed and rolled their eyes at the sight as Jay stayed quiet. What was going on?Â
âDonât you just love barging into our own private spaces?" K teased, approaching the doorway while buttoning up the last few buttons of his undershirt.Â
âI wonder if you guys also rehearse these moments in your drama meetings,â he started.Â
âWell, I mean, you are the clubâs leader, right? Iâm sure youâd know.â He said, but you remained silent and furious.
You never understand why your club members hated the basketball team in the first place. Yes, they were quite rowdy, but the same day your set pieces were broken, they lost their basketball. Which truly meant they couldnât have been the cause of the incident, right?
Of course, that's what you believed, but the more you searched for the script for your clubâs play, the more you doubted yourself. You felt enraged. There wasnât anyone else whoâd try to sabotage your club except for the basketball team. So you went to ask them for yourself.Â
You were already in a bad mood and didnât want to put up with any of Kâs antics, but he wasnât helping. You didnât care that you were currently facing a group of boys; some were shirtless while others sat on the benches, switching shoes or calming themselves down.
âWhat is it now?â K asked, resting on a row of lockers.Â
âOur script for our play is missing. Which one of you took it?â Youâd ask again as Jayâs eyes slightly widened.Â
âWhy would we take your clubâs script? We have better things to focus on.â K said while crossing his arms.
He was a good liarâquite amazing, actually. Jay was surprised that K was able to lie easily without hesitating when it came to you. Maybe that was Jayâs own problemâŠ
Eric minded his own business and continued to pack things into his backpack. He knew heâd slip up if he were to join in the argument, blowing their cover away.
Jay grabbed his tank top, slipping it on before his undershirt in an attempt to distract himself and drown out the conversation nearby. He gulped nervously and slipped his arms through the designated holes of his undershirt, glancing over at the two who argued.Â
âOnce again, we didnât steal anything. You guys are always accusing us of this.â K sighed, looking over at Jay, who looked away immediately.Â
âRight, Jay? We didnât take anything.â K asked, causing Jay to stiffen.Â
He looked over at the two, making eye contact with you, then K. He signalled a look to Jay, hoping he understood its meaning. Jay was good at lying and could lie without hesitation, but how come he couldnât do it with you?
âYeah, we didnât.â He managed to let out after hesitating many times before. Normally, after he told a lie, he didnât feel any sort of way. He always found them as a way to save himself in certain situations, but he felt tremendously guilty telling a lie to you.Â
The two of you only exchanged a few words and a few moments of eye contact with each other, yet he felt like he was committing a crime. It was weird and confusing to him, at least.Â
âSee, even proof from our captain. If thatâs all you need, please shooâor whatever you drama freaks say during your plays.â K said while pushing himself off the lockers and heading towards his backpack. You looked around the changing room, making eye contact with Jay once more, before leaving, still as enraged as when you first arrived.Â
Once you were out of the gymnasium, Jay rushed over to K with no hesitation.Â
âDude? You know you took the script, so why did you lie?â He asked as K looked up at him.Â
âWhat do you mean, I took the script? You were with Eric and I, so it wasnât only my doing.â He said back, making Jay frustrated.Â
He was so frustrated over nothing.Â
The other boys in the changing room turned their heads to look at where the voices were coming from.
âI tried to say no, but you guys made me go either way. I knew weâd get caught, yet you both insisted on doing so.â Jayâs words caused Kâs eyebrows to rise slightly.Â
âWhy the fuck are you so mad? Youâre acting as if this is anything new. Plus, Iâm not even the only one who lied, you did too.â He said, still confused as to why Jay was so mad, but began getting a little irritated at Jayâs sudden anger.Â
âBecause you made me! Why would you put me in a spot like that in the first place? Like you said before, it wasnât just me who was with you. Eric was there too, and still, you only called on me?â Jay asked while pointing at Eric and then at K.Â
K furrowed his brows. Jay was practically arguing with him for no reason, and it wasnât making K feel any calmer.Â
âBro, did someone piss in your cereal this morning or something? Why are you so mad over a simple incident that happens almost all the time?" K asked, as mad as Jay.Â
K stared into Jayâs eyes as he remained silent. Ricky took out an earbud, looking up at the sight of his team captain and one of their star players staring at each other in rage. He looked around the room, noticing that nobody said anything as all eyes were on the two from earlier.Â
âWoah, Jay, whatâs up with you today?â Ricky asked while walking over to the two arguing boys. Jay was never one to pick arguments with friends, teammates, opponents, teachers, you name it. So, seeing this was not a regular sight.Â
Jay ignored Ricky, walked back to his locker to grab his belongings, and left the changing room while pushing past Ricky and K.Â
âWhatâs up with him? Itâs almost like heâs against us and stands with the drama club.â K said while calming down.Â
âI doubt it,â Sohee said while tying his laces.
âIt probably was pent-up stress from everything he had going on today. His schedule was pretty packed, soâŠâ Heeseung added as the other boys nodded in agreement.Â
âProbably,â K said under his breath.Â
Even Jay hoped that was the reason. Ever since he laid eyes on you, heâs seen you practically everywhere; in the halls, the schoolâs garden, his dreams at night, during the day, and much more. At this rate, he couldnât escape you at all.Â
As he made his way to the school entrance, the signup sheet caught his attention. School was out, and there was no one but his team members and you in the school. It wouldnât hurt to at least attempt signing up before it was too late, right?
He approached the sign-up sheet while looking around the empty halls for any bystanders. There were already names written down on the sheet, and space was almost gone. He picked up the pen, going in to write his name in a tiny font, but was then startled by a distressed scream.
The scream didnât scare Jay. What scared Jay was the fact that he was almost caught. He backed away from the signup sheet and looked down the hallway, revealing an angry you in the process. You looked up from your shoes, making eye contact with him as you glared.
He looked away, unsure of what to do or say, and speed-walked out of the school doors. There was no way their club leader, who was already mad enough, was going to catch Jay doing the unthinkable.
You rolled your eyes and made your way back to the clubroom to clean up the mess you made in search of the script. What were you going to tell your club members? You were supposed to proofread it today. Everything was planned, but the script suddenly missing ruined it all.
Youâd sigh while running your fingers through your hair in frustration. Maybe you misplaced it somewhere, and maybe the basketball team was just misunderstood. It couldnât be that hard to find.
You pulled out your phone and opened your reminders app. âMake an announcement about the missing script,â you mumbled as you typed away at your phoneâs keyboard. You turned off your phone, slipping it back into your blazerâs pocket.Â
Hopefully, you can sleep this stress away.
Jay woke up in a sweat. His heart was racing as ragged breaths exited his lips. He sat up in an attempt to calm his breathing and racing heart. Heâd glance at the bright light his phone emitted due to a new notification. The clock read 6:02 AM, way earlier than he normally wakes up.Â
He rubbed his eyes, knowing he wouldnât be able to fall asleep after that âdreamâ of his. He got out of bed, slipped into his slippers, and approached the door to his bathroom. It was still quite dark outside, which felt off.Â
Normally, Jay would be awake by 7:40 AM, around the time the sun would rise. He also rarely had nightmares, but last night was weird. He doesnât know why he even considered this a nightmare. You two werenât even close, yet seeing you fall for someone else scared him.
He felt jealous even when he had no reason to feel so. The bathroom light was brighter than usual, causing his eyes to have a harder time adjusting to the sudden brightness. He squinted while looking at himself in the mirror.Â
He sure looked like a mess.
He picked up his toothbrush, followed by his toothpaste, and squeezed a bit onto the rough bristles. Heâd place his toothbrush in his mouth with a sigh as he continued to stare at himself through the mirror.
What has gotten into him? Even throughout his crushes at the start of his high school years, he didnât feel like this at all. Heâs only laid eyes on you a few times and barely exchanged words with you to be able to develop a crush. So, what were all these dreamsâand nightmaresâall about? He spat into the sink, staring at the running faucet as his grip tightened on the edge of the sink.Â
Maybe shooting some hoops would get his mind off of this, which explains why he was at school an hour earlier than usual.
He slipped off his backpack, placed it beside the net pole, and went to crack open a window to get rid of the humid feeling. He then grabbed the nearest basketball in the process. He made his way towards the free-throw line, dribbling the basketball on his way there.Â
Once he arrived, he spun the ball in his hands to get a better grip and focused his attention on the net before him. He positioned his arms, getting comfortable with the ball and the distance between him and the basketball hoop.Â
Suddenly, as he let the ball slip from his fingertips, his thoughts became filled with you. The sound of the basketball ricocheting off of the netâs rim brought him back to reality. For some reason, he couldnât escape you.Â
Luckily, the ball made its way back to Jayâs feet, making his job way easier. He picked up the ball, discarding the thoughts from earlier as he prepared to shoot again. This time, he dribbled the ball a few times before letting it slip from his grip.Â
He watched as the ball bounced off the backboard and back into his hands. Usually, he doesnât miss his shots like this, even if his mind is filled with many distracting things. Immediately after catching the ball, he let it loose again, missing completely.Â
Again, he immediately shot the ball after picking it up, but of course, he missed. And again, and again, and again, and again⊠He even tried doing different types of shots; a layup, a three-pointer, another free throw, a 1-pointer, and missed every single one of them.
He paused, holding the ball in his hands. He was exhausted. Panting from all the previous shots he attempted to only end up missing every 14 throws. He took a seat, sighing in disappointment. He was frustrated, very frustrated.
He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket, checking the time in the process. Only 20 minutes had gone by since he first arrived at the schoolâs gym meaning he had another 40 minutes to pass.Â
Well, that would be hard. He might as well try practicing again.
In all honesty, you didnât mean to arrive at school this early. You woke up, panicking. Your alarm didnât go off, and the clock on your wall read 8:05 AM. You were lateâvery late.
Or so you thought.Â
Once you hopped onto the bus, wondering if it could drive any faster, you pulled out your phone, checking the time once more, only to be disappointed.Â
It was 7:20 AM, not 8:20 AM. Screw you for not checking your phone when you first woke up.Â
You sighed and facepalmed in an attempt to contain your frustration. As the bus pulled up to your stop, you mentally scolded yourself while walking off, after thanking the bus driver, of course. In your defence, you were too busy worrying about the missing script for your club, distracting yourself from taking care of your own mind.
The more you thought about the script incident, the more you began to feel bad for your outburst on the basketball team. Your grip tightened on the straps of your backpack as you walked down the schoolâs halls in silence.
You had no clue where your feet were taking you, but with every step, you finally reached the gym doors. You hesitated. What if they werenât in there? There could be a possibility that they had a morning practice, but there was a high chance they wouldnât want to see you even more after yesterdayâs incident.Â
You were ready to walk away, but your feet werenât. You looked down at your shoes, waiting for one of them to take the first steps, because, for some reason, you couldnât do it on your own. The sound of a basketball bouncing off the polished wooden floors echoed on your side of the door. You looked over at the blue doors in silence, debating if you should take the chance.
Suddenly, one thing happened and then another, leaving your mind confused. Your mind had no time to register what was happening, leaving your body to move on its own.Â
The sound of the basketball bouncing off the gym floor came to a stop as you realized what had just happened; you opened the doors to the gym without your knowledge.
You stared at the person who stood in the middle of the court, trying to pinpoint who it was. It was dark in the gymnasium, the only light being the rising sun that slightly seeped through the blocked windows.Â
ACT FOUR.Â
Jay looked at the entrance, just as confused as they were. He had no clue who was standing at the entrance and couldnât see much due to the limited access to lighting.Â
âIâŠâ You mumbled, removing your hand from the doorknob immediately.Â
âI, um, Iâm sorry if I interrupted something.â You said, looking away.Â
âNo, itâs fineâŠâ Jay replied, clearly out of breath.Â
You looked back, genuinely curious to find out who it was and why they were alone, unaware that you were approaching the court. Their voice sounded familiar to you. It was as if you heard it quite a lot throughout an average school day.
âDid you need something?â Jay asked, dribbling the ball as they got closer to him.
 âNot really,â you said as you began to walk around the court, trying your best to avoid the person before you.
He repositioned the ball in his hold, throwing it into the hoop once more.Â
âYou seem like you do,â Jay said, causing their brows to furrow.Â
âHow? You canât even see me.â You joked, earning a small laugh from them.Â
âYou know what I meant,â Jay replied, holding a smile while making his way to the rolling basketball. You two became silent; the only sound that filled the gymnasium was their shoes rubbing against the floor with the bouncing basketball noises to back it up.
You fiddled with your fingers as you watched their silhouette run up to the net, letting the ball roll off their fingers as it found its way into the hoop. Although you couldnât see much, you were still impressed. The sunlight that seeped through the blinds shined on their features, flashing the vibrant blue hair colour and their fit build.Â
From this observation, you couldnât hold back the question that slipped through your lips, âDo you play basketball?â You asked as they stopped moving.
âYeah, I came early to shoot some hoops. I had to get my mind off of things.â Jay replied, dribbling the ball as he approached the three-point line.
He was satisfied with the shot he just tookâhe finally made it in. After the last 30 minutes he was there for, he finally got one of his many shots in. He smiled as he looked up from the line and turned around.Â
He faced the net, positioning the ball in his hands, hoping that whatever miracle happened a moment ago would happen again.
You watched from the bleachers, taking in every detail of their movements; they bent their knees and moved their arms as well as the ball in the process, eyes were focused on the netâs backboard, arms pulled back slightly, and suddenly, the ball was in the air.Â
The ball successfully went inside the hoop another time, and you began to clap in excitement. They turned around with what you hoped was a smile (and was) as you returned it. A sudden breeze from the slightly cracked opened window blew the blinds around, revealing the sunlight that was previously seeping through them as it shined on both of you.
âIâm sorry.â You blurted after realizing who you were speaking to. The leader of the basketball teamâthe main reason you came here.Â
The ball rolled to his feet as he stared back at you with wide eyes.Â
âWhat?â He asked, confused.Â
âIâm sorry. Thatâs what I originally came here forâto apologize.â You explained. You looked around and then checked the time on your phone.Â
âI have to go prepare for the club today, but Iâm sorry for yesterdayâs outburst.â You said, grabbing your stuff to leave.Â
Jay stood in silence, the ball still at his feet, and you were now gone. He was unsure as to what you were apologizing for but didnât ask many questions. Yesterdayâs outburst⊠That was all he needed to know.
He picked up the basketball, threw it into the hoop, and of course, it didnât go in.Â
Why?
Because you still havenât left his mind.
ACT FIVE.Â
Jay stared at the locker before him. It read the number 734.Â
Kâs locker.Â
He gulped nervously, wondering if heâd regret doing this later.Â
If he got caught, would that continue to ruin the relationship between him and his teammates, or would doing this be beneficial and help him get into The Wizard of Oz?Â
Maybe the first option.
He looked around the empty halls, double-checking that he was alone. He gripped the hall pass in his left hand as he reached out for the lock with his right. He had to hurry. The excuse of âusing the bathroomâ wouldnât work for long until others started to think he had the runs.Â
Honestly, he didnât know why he cared so much about your club. Yes, he liked drama, but he never cared for the club, mainly before he found out about their club leaderâyou.Â
Jay turned the wheel on the lock, following the same pattern K executed when unlocking his locker; pass 0 three times, then turn the wheel to your first number, 16. Spin counter-clockwise, passing the previous number twice, and arrive at your next number, 34. Lastly, turn the wheel to your final number, 4, and yank on the lock with the hope that you made no mistakes.
The code had all even numbers, and as weird as it was, the code suited K very well. On the court, he was very persistent and strategic, his plans always included all the teammates since all the roles evened out perfectly.
Jay opened the locker, scanning the hallways once more before reaching for in what he came here for, the play script. He shut the locker, and a loud slam echoed through the empty hallways, startling Jay at the same time.Â
Either he was just really nervous or the locker was truly loud.
He held the script close to his chest, letting his feet take him wherever. His plan only focused on retrieving the script, not what came after. Suddenly, he stood in front of the Drama clubroom, a wave of nostalgia washing over him.Â
He crouched down, unsure of what he should do next. Should he slip the script from underneath or between the cracks of the door? Jay looked at the thickness of the script and shook his head. There was no way itâd fit in between.Â
So, he went with plan A, slipping it from underneath the door. He used his index fingers to slip the script in slowly, hoping it wouldnât disturb anyone on the other sideânot that he wanted anyone there. Heâd hate that.
He was so focused on being quiet that he didnât take note of the footsteps behind him.Â
âPark Jongseong.â The voice was deep and very familiar. A hall monitorâSeungcheol. He was the only person who called Jay by his government name, the one on his student files. Jay froze in panic and slowly turned around.
âHeyâŠâ He greeted, cautiously. Luckily for him, Seungcheol stood quite far from his spot on the ground. Jay rose, hiding the script behind him.Â
âWhat are you doing out of class?â He asked, searching his hidden hands for a hall pass.Â
âI was excused,â Jay began but paused.Â
âFor?â Seungcheol asked, but Jay remained silent. His mouth opened and closed, like a fish out of water, as he thought of his next words. He couldnât lie and say he was excused to use the bathroom, right? How would that explain why he was currently standing in front of the Drama clubroom anyway?
He stared at Seungcheol as Seungcheol stared back. âJongseong, what are you doing out of class?â He asked once again, but Jay still didnât have an answer. How could he lie in a situation like this?Â
Yes, he was good at lying, but not under pressure.
In silence, Jayâs eyes shifted over to a spot behind Seungcheol.Â
âWhat is that?â He asked with genuinely concerned eyes. Seungcheol turned around, worried, while Jay took it as a sign to proceed with his plan.Â
He let go of the script, letting it fall to the floor and kicked it with his heel, causing it to slide under the door completely from the impact. Perfect.Â
âWhat are we looking at?â Seungcheol asked, turning around to face Jay who smiled at him.Â
âAh, I mustâve been mistaken.â He apologized, rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly.Â
âIâm sorry.â He added, completing the apology. âI should head back to class now, shouldnât I?â Jay said to a confused Seungcheol.
âSee you later.â Jay waved goodbye, walking past the hall monitor and in the opposite direction his class was located.Â
Seungcheol was suspicious of him, but there wasnât much he could do. He was aware of Jayâs reputation as the boysâ basketball team leader. But he was also aware of the rivalry between the team and the Drama club.Â
Maybe he shouldnât question much of it, right?Â
Seungcheol sighed and rubbed at his temples in an attempt to soothe away these useless thoughts, which, spoiler alert, did work.Â
Jay quickly turned into a random corridor in the hallway he walked in, exhaling a heavy breath. One he held in and wasnât aware of. His hand rested on the wall beside him as his eyes closed. Why was he nervous? He never was when lying.Â
It was scary knowing how much of an effect you had on him.Â
âExcuse me.â A voice called. He opened one of his eyes, glancing at the figure before him, and flinched once he recognized them. He straightened up immediately and cleared his throat. He stared into their eyes as they stared back into his eyes in silence.Â
âYouâre in my wayâŠâ You said, hoping that would help his clueless self.Â
âOh, right.â He blurted and moved out of your way. Before leaving, you gave him an awkward smile, still not over this morningâs incident.Â
Both of you werenât. It wasnât something to worry about too, but for some reason, you both did. It was weird.Â
Jayâs thoughts were clouded with the conversations from this morning. If only he had known you were the one talking to him, just maybe he wouldâve purposely tried harder on his shots. And if you were lucky enough, you couldâve seen his trick shots. But instead, he held back. It was only a warmup, after all.Â
âJay,â you called, making his stomach twist and turn. Why did your voice saying his name have such an effect on him? He had no clue either.Â
âJay.â You called again, turning around to stare at him.
Either he was dreaming or going crazy, there was no way youâd say his name a second time while staring into his eyes. What was going to happen next? Perhaps something more?
âCould you let go?â You asked, shaking your hand to avert his attention from the movement.Â
âOh,â Jay whispered.Â
Oh.Â
Jay let go of your hand, looking away while doing so. He was embarrassed. Very embarrassed. He glanced at you for a split moment, catching the same awkward smile you sent him before.Â
Great, he embarrassed himself badly.Â
You walked away, continuing your route from before, leaving Jay behind. Once you were out of his sight, he gripped at his scalp, pulling at his blue strands. Why did he do that? He had no clue. He wasnât even aware of his sudden action.
Was it because of his so-called nightmare from last night? None of this made sense.Â
Especially the way Jayâs heart raced while butterflies danced in his stomach.
What the hell was happening to him?
âIs he okay?â Sohee asked from the other side of the court.Â
âI have no clue,â Mark replied, staring at their team captain alongside Sohee.
âOur game is tomorrow, how the hell is he going to play in this condition?â K exclaimed to the two boys.Â
âHey, Jay!â K shouted, heading the boy's way. Mark and Soheeâs eyes widened at the sight, already imagining what would go down.
The two argued only a day ago and never made upâor at least thatâs what their teammates thoughtâthis would only escalate to something worse than the locker room incident.Â
Mark and Sohee ran after K in hopes of stopping him, but instead, K pushed them off of him. They failed miserably.Â
Jay looked up at K in silence. His fingers pinched at the palm of his right hand out of habit. His mind was elsewhere, not focused on the practice he attended.Â
He missed all his practice shots and game shots, constantly fouled, and played terribly overall. It was hard to watch.Â
âWhatâs wrong with you todayâfuck that, whatâs wrong with you lately?â K asked, staring down at Jay.Â
âWhat are you on about?â Jay asked cluelessly.Â
He knew exactly what K was referring to. But he couldnât answer because he had no clue himself. His mind was so full of you that he couldnât even comprehend what their coach was explaining today.Â
âWhat am I on about? Dude, youâre missing all your shots, fouling us like crazy, and even tripping over the ball! This is basketball, not soccer!â K explained, his anger slowly getting to him. He was frustrated.Â
Very frustrated.Â
âI donât know either,â Jay said. He wasnât lying, it was the full truth.Â
âWell, figure it out and straighten up. Our game is tomorrow, we canât lose the second last game of the season.â K warned in a stern tone. It was almost as if he was the team leader instead of Jay.
âIâll try,â Jay mumbled, turning away to the locker room. âYouâll try?â K asked, even more frustrated at his response.Â
âHow are you going to try on the court if you canât even try at practice?!â K exclaimed.Â
âI donât know. Iâll figure it out,â Jay said with a sigh. He was tired, so tired. He went through enough today, and dealing with Kâs frustration wasnât on his to-do list.
He walked away, making his way to the locker room. Kâs footsteps approached him from behind. They were harsh and loud. Every single one almost sounded like a full stop in a sentence.Â
âHey!â K shouted, forcefully turning Jay around by his shoulder. They stared into each otherâs eyes, K searching Jayâs for whatever he yearned for while Jay just stared.Â
He wasnât looking for anything, all of Kâs emotions were prominent on their own; anger, frustration, and a hint of sadness.Â
âYouâve been acting weird lately. First, you get all defensive about the script stealing, then you get all mad that we lied to Y/N about stealing the script.â K paused.Â
âAre you betraying us right now?â He asked, causing Jayâs brows to furrow. At this point, all eyes were on them. Their coach went to grab some cleaning supplies for the basketballs from his office but hasnât returned since. He always misses arguments.
âBetraying you?â Jay was confused. âWhat does any of that have to do with me âbetrayingâ you guys?â Jay asked the boy in front of him.Â
âWhy do you care for the Drama club so much? Youâre aware of our hatred for them, arenât you?â Kâs words hit like an arrow.Â
âJay, be honest, have you ever hated them?â K asked, causing Jay to stiffen. It was obvious he stiffened, even K noticed it. K scoffed at the sight, looking away for a moment.Â
âYou canât be serious. Those stuck-up brats blamed us for something we didnât even do, yet youâre fine with them?â K said, and Jay opened his mouth to reply but was silenced by Kâs voice.
"Kazuha, that annoying little girl and Y/Nâs snotty little attitudeââ
âHer attitude isnât snotty.â Jay sternly interrupted Kâs sentence.Â
âWhy should you care if it is or not? She and her minions know how to do nothing but accuse and insult.â K insulted, rolling his eyes at the memories.Â
âTheyâre terrible people, especially Jungwon and Y/Nââ
Jayâs hand bunched up Kâs collar, silencing him immediately. K was shocked by Jayâs sudden movements but regained his composure soon after.Â
The two stared into each otherâs eyes again, Jayâs showcasing his anger as Kâs did the same. Eric rushed over before things could escalate, forcing Jayâs hand off of Kâs collar.Â
âYou need to chill out. Honestly, I donât know what has gotten into you or what youâre going through right now, but please, talk it out with someone. Or even better, talk it out with us.â Eric suggested, but Jay ignored him and walked off into the locker room as K fixed his top.Â
Kâs eyes narrowed while his brows furrowed. He hated the look in Jayâs eyes just now. It was something he had never seen before.
Truly, what the hell was wrong with him? Jay still couldnât answer.
ACT SIX.
The sound of the tap water running echoed throughout Jayâs washroom. He stood there in silence, watching how it pooled up in the sink and then disappeared as his grip tightened on the ledge.
âMom says if youâre going to use the water, use it. Itâs been running for the last 20 minutes. It canât possibly take you that long to wash up.â A knock and a voice emitted from the doorway, causing Jay to look over, revealing the sight of his younger sister, Songyee.Â
âOkay,â Jay said, turning off the tap water as Songyee left. He grabbed a towel nearby to dry his drenched face, water droplets dripping down from his chin and onto the marble counters.Â
The footsteps on the staircase caught his attention as he looked over at the door once more. âSongyee!â He exclaimed, calling her back to the washroom. She sighed and made her way over, resting on the doorframe once she arrived.
âWhat?â She asked, waiting for Jay to speak.Â
âWould you do something your friends wouldnât be happy with?â He asked, hoping she would give a proper answer, but instead, her brows furrowed. She relaxed after a few moments of silence and crossed her arms.
âDepends,â she said, her words slipping out as a sigh. Jay looked at her, confused, waiting for her to elaborate.Â
Depends? That was not what he wanted to hear.
âI would, of course, tell them. They should be mad after you tell them, instead of them being mad after finding out you kept it a secret.â She emphasized, causing Jay to pause his movements.Â
He brought the towel away from his face and stared at himself in the mirror. His sisterâs words replayed in his head, with a bigger emphasis on the word secret. He was good at keeping secrets. Maybe that was a problem.
âSongyee,â he started as she hummed in response.Â
âWhat if I quit the team?â He asked, his words startling her.Â
âAre you crazy?! Jongseong, this is literally an opportunity for your scholarship. Itâs an easier way out than Mom and Dad paying for your tuition fee.â She shouted while Jay hung up the towel again, slightly tensing at the use of his government name.
âThereâs two more games and the seasonâs done. All you have to do is win them both. Why are you thinking about this? What has gotten into you?â She asked, genuinely concerned.Â
âI donât know. Okay? I donât know!â He said in a harsh tone. Songyee was taken aback by his sudden harsh tone. What did she say to trigger something within him?Â
âEveryone keeps asking me the same question. How am I supposed to answer if I donât know myself?â He asked with the same harsh tone, looking straight at her.
His eyes stared into her wide ones as he came back to his senses. He cursed under his breath, looking away.Â
âIâm sorry,â he said. âI didnât mean to take it out on you.â He added, running his fingers through his blue strands.
âItâs okay,â Songyee whispered. âSleep well, okay? Whatever youâre stressing over, donât think about it too much. Take my advice when you can.â She said, followed by a quiet goodnight, and left the doorway.Â
Jay was tired. He was tired of how he reacted to Kâs words, your presence, and his sisterâs question. He had a game tomorrow, thatâs truly all he had to focus on.Â
The second last game of the season. All he had to do was quickly sign up for the play and rush over to the gymnasium to prepare for his game.Â
Easy, right?
He turned off the bathroom light and headed to his room. He could finalize his plan in the morning because he was too tired to think logically right now. He turned off the lights in his bedroom and made his way to his bed.Â
His eyes fell shut as he drifted off to dreamland. Hopefully, he can have a good rest.Â
His alarm woke him up, the bright light read 6:45 AM. He rubbed his eyes while turning it off. You could say he had a somewhat good sleep.Â
The whole time, while Jay got ready, he recited his plan; arrive at school on time, during lunch heâll sign up for the play and take note of the audition day, then head to his basketball match after school. Those were only the main points of his day, even if attending class was always included in his plans, it was never mentioned.
He got off the bus after thanking the driver and walked towards the entrance of Decelis.Â
If he was being honest, there was a slight awkward tension between him and Songyee during breakfast, but he didnât pay much attention to it as she did the same, focusing on eating their meal.
He adjusted the straps of his backpack, blending in with the many other students who walked into the school. His eyes glanced at the pillar the audition sheet hung on, smiling. His plan would definitely work.
Heâd look back in front of him, pausing abruptly. âOh, sorry,â he apologized at the sudden collision.Â
âItâs okay,â you replied, causing Jayâs eyes to widen.Â
âAlso, I apologize to your team once again. We found the play script, I guess someone returned it.â You said, smiling at the memory.Â
âOther than that, good luck on your game today.â Your smile grew as you waved at him and walked away.
To be honest, his heart was racing. He had no clue why. You were just doing the bare minimum, yet he was going crazy. He shook his head, inhaling and exhaling to calm his racing heart.Â
In the process, he looked down the crowded halls, making eye contact with a familiar boy, K. Usually, theyâd be alongside him while walking down the hallways, but their group chat was quiet all evening and morning. They couldnât plan their daily meetup in this condition.Â
K rested his back on his locker with his backpack swung over one shoulderâhis signature look. Ericâs lips moved while staring at K. He was most likely rambling about an incident in the video game he played the night before. It was something he did often. The morning wouldnât feel complete if he didnât.Â
K rolled his eyes, scoffing, once Jay looked over at the two.Â
âLetâs go,â K said as Eric nodded, confused, but didnât think much about it. He continued rambling about the video game as they made their way to class.Â
Jay sighed, regretting yesterdayâs argument. It was obvious K was still mad at him for it. Was Jay really betraying his teammates over a play? He had no clue.Â
He shrugged it off, making his way to his first-period class that he shared with the two boys. English. Good luck to him, for sure.
Throughout all of his morning classes, Jay anxiously bounced his leg. He was impatient, wanting lunch to arrive faster.Â
English was quite awkward, mainly due to the seating plans; K sat behind Jay, who sat in the middle, and Eric sat in front of him. It was something they begged their teacher to do so they could talk whenever, but today wasnât the case.
Eric even got up from his seat, sitting beside K, to chat with him and him alone. There were even moments when K would call Ericâs name from behind Jay, causing them to talk with Jay sitting in the middle.Â
It was very awkward, but he managed to deal with it for a whole hour and 15 minutes.Â
He waited until the end of lunch so the hallways could clear up a bit more before cautiously making his way to the signup sheet. He threw on his hood from the hoodie under his blazer, tying the strings to shield his blue hair.Â
Nobody could notice him at this rate.
He slowly reached out for the pen that hung on a thread, ready to write his name as small as possible in the corner.Â
âJay?â Someone called from behind him as he stiffened. Their voice sounded too familiar.
Fuck. This wasnât supposed to happen. How did they even recognize him with his hood like this?Â
âOh, it is you.â Their voice said, their head peeking around his shoulder. Jay looked away, quickly dropping his hand to his side.Â
âWhat are you doing here?â They asked, but Jay stayed silent. What the hell was he supposed to say?
âI was just wondering who signed upâŠâ He whispered, still loud enough for them to hear.Â
âWhy? Doesnât your team hate us?â They asked.
Us?
âDonât tell me they sent you here to scribble all over the names or something.â Their tone was quite harsh as Jay shook his head. He turned his head to look at the person beside him, regretting his choice immediately.Â
It was you. No wonder your voice sounded familiar to him.
âThen what are you doing here?â You asked.Â
âI said I was just wondering who signed up.âÂ
You hummed in response, reaching out your arms to the list of names. Jay backed up slightly, giving you more space.
âWait, how did you even know it was me?â He asked, words coming out of his mouth without him knowing.Â
âYour blazer has your initials on it on the back... The whole basketball team has that feature, did you forget?â You said while skimming through the list of names.
Right, he did. He removed his hood, embarrassed.Â
The disguise was useless. She still couldâve thought he was Jisung, but that wouldnât have worked. They purposely made Jayâs blazer read âPJYâ so they could tell each other apart.
Jay sighed, ruffling his messy hair with his hand. The bell went, catching both of your attention.Â
âOh. I gotta go.â You said, waving goodbye at him as he did the same. He walked away from the pillar, heading to his next class.Â
His plan failed, but there was still another chance after school. Yes, itâll mess up the plan he made this morning, but it should work.Â
Hopefully.
It was 2:45 PM. Jay was finally excused from class for his game in the gymnasium, but thatâs not where he headed. He rushed over to the pillar upfront, hoping that the signup sheet was still there. It should be.
He watched you place it back before leaving, right? Or was that a hallucination? He couldnât remember.Â
Once he arrived, his questions were answered. It was definitely a hallucination because the list of names wasnât there.Â
Shit, what should he do? Either he headed to the gymnasium for his warmup and was on time, or he rushed over to the auditorium with the hope he could still participate.
Of course, he went with the second option. The schoolâs gymnasium was the last place he wanted to be. He rushed over to the auditorium, his duffel bag moving with his rushed footsteps. He pushed open the doors, walking through the hallway.Â
It was quiet. Too quiet. How late was he?Â
He caught his breath, scanning the auditorium for any signs.
âWhat are you doing here?â Jay turned around at the sound of a voice. Nakamura Kazuha, but this time she was disgusted.Â
âAre you here to sabotage our auditions now? Too bad, youâre too late.â She said, her words hitting Jay like a bullet.
Does he know how that feels? Nope, but it was a good word to use.Â
âLeave him alone, Zuha.â Another voice spoke, causing the two to face the entrance as you walked in.Â
âWhat are you doing here?â You asked Jay in a much nicer tone, a smile making its way to your face.
His face felt warm as the butterflies in his stomach moved to the beat of his heartâfast.Â
âAre you here to audition?â You asked as Kazuhaâs eyes widened.Â
âDonât you dare say yes, you foolâ"
âZuha.â You sternly called her name, silencing her.
âWell,â Jay started. This was his only chance, he couldnât miss out on it. If he chickened out on admitting his true feelings once again, he knew he would regret it the moment he went home.
You never know what could happen after he admitted his true emotions. The words that were normally caught in his throat making it almost impossible to breathe finally escaped his lips.
"Yeah," Jay said, straightening up.Â
The heavy weight on his shoulders was lifted as Kazuhaâs eyes widened, and yours did too, but you regained your composure quickly.Â
âI mean, thereâs nothing wrong with that. But auditions are over.â You explained, searching Jayâs eyes for any change in emotion.
Was he being genuine, or was this a dare from his teammates?Â
âOh,â Jay mumbled.Â
Great. His plan was ruined, and he was going to be late for his game.Â
Was God ever on his side at this point?Â
He gave the two girls a slight smile, saying his goodbyes.Â
"Good luck on your game,â you whispered, and he nodded. He left the auditorium, checking his watch while doing so.
It was 2:55 PM. Their game started at 3:00 PM. His teammates would definitely be mad at him. He rushed over to the gymnasium, out of breath once again. He was lucky the auditorium and gymnasium were near each other, leaving him with 3 minutes to change.Â
He didnât even get to warm up.Â
He rushed into the locker room, being met with his angered teammates, especially K.Â
âWhere were you? Werenât you excused at 2:45 PM? Why didnât you come here like everyone else?â K asked, following Jay to his locker.Â
âIâm sorry,â Jay apologized, placing his duffel bag on the bench in front of his locker. He removed his shirt, throwing it into his locker while rummaging around in his bag for his uniform.Â
âThe fuck is an apology going to do? Thereâs 2 minutes left until our game starts. Hell, it wouldâve been worse if everyone had to wait even longer for you.â K said as Jay slipped on his jersey. Â
Luckily for him, he wore his shorts underneath his uniform pants, slipping them off in haste.Â
âWell, Iâm here now, arenât I? Stop complaining,â Jay replied, annoyed at Kâs words.Â
âYouâre a terrible leader.â K spat, walking out of the locker room and pushing past the teammates who blocked the doorway, leaving the awkward and intense atmosphere behind.
He made his way to the teamâs bench, taking his seat immediately.Â
âIs Jay here?â Their coach asked K.Â
âThat asshole excuse of a leader? Yeah, he is.â K insulted, eyes still on the court.Â
âWatch your mouth.â Their coach warned as K rolled his eyes.Â
Right now, he didnât care how harsh his words mightâve been. It felt like Jay was neglecting the team even while being their leader. He should be someone the team could rely on, and he was. But recently, he wasnât. The team was all over the place, it was obvious they werenât ready for todayâs game.Â
The rest of the team members made their way out of the locker room, joining K on the bench.Â
âStarters for todayâs match are K, Jay, Heeseung, Mark, and Eric.â Their coach explained, flipping through the sheets in his hand.Â
âYou all know your positions, right?âÂ
The group of boys nodded, some stretching in the process.
âOkay, go out there. Play hard.â He said with a smile.Â
The five boys made their way onto the court, taking their places, with K in the center like always.Â
âFocus,â K said to everyone, turning his head to Jay, who stood beside him.
âEspecially you.â He said, glaring at him.Â
That was Jayâs line. He usually told the team to focus, then turned his head at one of their teammates, saying those exact words in a teasing manner. But the only difference with Kâs words was that he wasnât teasing Jay.Â
He was being serious.
As much as Jay wanted to respond to his words, he kept quiet, looking away from K.Â
âOne member from each time, please step forward for tip-off.â One of the referees said, holding a ball with his unstretched arm in the middle of the court. K made his way to the center, meeting the opposing team member who was sent for tip-off as well.Â
They both glared at each other, getting into their defensive positions. The referee stretched his arm up, catching K and the opponentâs attention as they both looked up. He blew his whistle, throwing up the ball as the two boys jumped up towards it.Â
K tipped it over towards his teammates as Mark went after the ball. He dribbled, scoping the scenery while his guard made his way over. Heâd pass the ball over to Heeseung, who ran across the court to the opposing teamâs net.Â
Heeseung paused after catching the ball, shooting it into the net, and of course, he made it in, erupting cheers from the crowd.Â
2 down, and many more to go.Â
ACT SEVEN.Â
Itâs honestly been a while since the match started. Decelis was doing great at the beginning until Jay touched the ball.
As much as it hurt to admit, he was ruining the momentum of the team. He fumbled with his dribbles, making it easier to steal the ball from him, missed his shots terribly, and even threw the ball at the referee.
He was embarrassing himself so badly.
The whistle blew, catching the players' attention. Jay was out of breath, using the bottom of his jersey to dab at the sweat line on his forehead.Â
âTime,â their coach said, calling the boys over.Â
âDude, can you focus?â K said, walking beside Jay.Â
âIâm focusing,â Jay replied, lying straight through his teeth.
Heâs been seeing you too much lately. You two were on proper terms to at least talk with each other, but that was worse for Jay.Â
Whatever he was feeling only got worse.
âYou and I both know youâre not,â K said as they reached the team bench. Jay picked up a clean, folded towel, using it to dab at the rest of his sweat.
âWhatâs up with you and the Drama club leader?â K asked, wanting an answer.Â
âNothing is going on between us,â Jay said, hesitating for a few moments.Â
âYeah right,â K scoffed, looking away.Â
âStop arguing.â Their coach said as the two stopped talking.Â
âJay, I don't think youâre in a good condition to play.â He said, gaining Jayâs attention.
Those on the bench and those around him knew what was coming next, yet they were still shocked. They couldnât believe their team leader and one of their star players were about to go through this.
âIâm sitting you out for the rest of the match.â He said, causing Jayâs eyes to widen.Â
âWhat?â He asked, confused. Genuinely confused.Â
âYouâre messing up the teamâs chemistry. We canât have that happening right now.â Their coach explained and turned to call over the referee.Â
He explained to the referee that he was subbing out #1, Jay, for #19, Jisung. Switching out one PJ for another PJ.
What a classic move.
If the schoolâs newspaper club saw this, he only wondered what their headline would be; Decelis boys basketball team leader Park Jay, whoâs also known as one of their star players, was benched during the second last game of the season?Â
Heâd take that to his grave.Â
Jay took his seat on the bench in shame. This may be for the better. Who knows? Hell, he did.
Watching the team play without him was something he hated. And as much as he didnât want to admit it, they were doing way better with Jisung.
There was no awkward tension between the members, they all got along while smiling if someone stole some points and comforting each other if one of them made a mistake.
Just by the looks of it, this was definitely for the better. Maybe he was right. Maybe the team is better without him.Â
They donât need a silly little captain like him to lead them around to do well, it was obvious they were good on their own.
What if his thought from last night was more than a thought? What if it was the truth? Should he really quit the team for the better? They probably all hated him at this point, especially K.Â
Someone who used to always be by his side hated the thought of having to stand in the same room as himâJayâs words, not Kâs.Â
His eyes became a light shade of red, he wanted to cry. Could he cry? Of course not, that was too embarrassing, especially with how many people were near him at the moment.
However, he did it. Warm tears fell onto his hand, which rested on his knee. He was good at holding them in for the whole week, so why did he fail to do so just now?Â
How come something so stupid like this happened to be what triggered his tears? Why didnât any of the arguments with K do anything either?Â
It was so obvious that he had no clue. He had too many questions to find answers to, yet he couldnât.
He couldnât do anything recently, it was terrible. He couldnât play basketball properly, he couldnât sign up for the play, he couldnât express his feelings, he couldnât hang out with those he loved most, and he couldnât understand why he cared so much for you.
He couldnât understand why you were always on his mind 24/7. He couldnât understand why his heart raced while the butterflies in his stomach swayed at the sound of your name.Â
Nothing made sense to him, and he hated that. He raised his hand, wiping at the tears before they became too much for him.Â
Jay sat at the edge of the team bench, far away from his teammates. Did he even have the right to call them teammates in the first place? Did they see him as a teammate?Â
He felt as though he didnât deserve to be in the same room as them at all. He was a terrible person. Someone who was afraid to admit a stupid secret to his friends because he was afraid theyâd turn their backs on him.
If he told them at the start that he didnât hate the Drama Club and actually found them cool, then he wouldnât have been here. It was his fault for worrying about what people would think of him.Â
It was his biggest flaw.Â
He wiped at his tears, now using the towel from earlier, hoping it was enough, and luckily, it was. The thing is, was he really crying over the incident with the team, or was he crying over you?Â
He still had no clue.
ACT EIGHT.Â
After yesterdayâs game, Jay went straight into the locker room to grab his stuff and leave. He didnât stay for the celebration portion nor did he congratulate the team.Â
He just left.
Even during P.E. class, Jay didnât talk to Sohee. He felt like he had no right to, even if Sohee didnât hate him. He still felt guilty. They almost lost the first quarter because of him.Â
Once he arrived in P.E. class, their teacher announced that they would be going on a hike for marksâsomething about getting a chance to boost your grade if you were failing.Â
He had a 97 in this class, what was the point of him participating? He shrugged it off, deciding it would be a good way to ease his mind for a bit.Â
A great distraction.
As he climbed the hill, he thought to himself. Did he really change like everyone said he did? Was he a terrible leader? Did he still have his normal calm aura? Was he still serious when he was on the court? Did he possibly fall in love with you? Were you the cause of his problems?
He exhaled and continued his walk up the hill, wondering if heâd ever find an answer.Â
âJay!âÂ
He turned around to the sound of his name, revealing the crowd before him. All his classmates, including Sohee, stood in a circle as their teacher faced Jayâs way.Â
He motioned for Jay to come over, and he did. His eyes widened at the scene, worry washing over him almost immediately.
âYouâre passing the class the most. So, donât worry about this mark. But, can you take her to a nearby bench?â His teacher asked, signalling at your injured figure.Â
Jay looked down at you as you looked up, making eye contact with him. Your hands gripped onto your ankle, questioning why it hurt so much.Â
âOkay.â That was all Jay said before walking through the crowd and crouching down in front of you.Â
He wondered if he truly had the highest grade in his class. So many other students couldâve done his job, but his teacher picked him.
He was thankful that he did. It gives him more of an excuse to be close to you.
In silence, you got on his back, wrapping your arms loosely around his neck. He stood up, pushing you up to adjust your position on his back.
âAlright, thank you, Jay.â His teacher said as Jay smiled.Â
âEveryone else, letâs continue.â Their teacher led the other students to the route.Â
Jay watched them all walk past, making eye contact with Sohee, Jayâs smile faltering. Sohee looked like he wanted to say something, but he remained silent. Sohee looked away, jogging after the group of students, as Jay sighed.
He pushed the scene back in his mind, proceeding with his more important task, bringing you to a nearby bench.Â
He followed his class, hoping one was ahead because he didnât want to go downhill.Â
âYou can grip tighter, you know?â He said, hinting at your loose arms.Â
âI donât want to choke you or anything.â You replied, refusing to do so.Â
âYou wonât though, donât worry.â He said while stepping over a tree branch. Is this how you injured yourself?
âAre you sure?â
âIâm sure.â
You followed through with his request, tightening your arms a bit more around his neck. You were quite embarrassed to be in a position like this one, hiding your face in his neck.
For some reason, you suddenly forgot about the aching pain in your ankle. All you cared about was the warmth of Jayâs back, how he delicately held onto your legs and the strong but easing scent of his detergent and cologne.
Due to how close you two are currently, you prayed that he couldnât hear your racing heart. It raced just like that time you saw him in the gymnasium.Â
You werenât sure what caught your attentionâhis blue hair or the way his eyes glistened in the distance due to the sunrise.Â
Or was the first time you felt this way when you met him on the first day of school in sophomore year? You doubt he would remember your first interaction with each otherâjust a quick collision that caused you to drop your belongings.Â
He was with his teammates, K and Eric who sent you glares, but was still nice enough to help you pick up the fallen items. It was the bare minimum, so how come you felt that way?
âWeâre here,â Jay said, bringing you out of your thoughts. He turned around, crouching down in front of the bench. You took it as a sign to slip off his back, taking a seat on the wooden park bench behind you.
âWhat happened?â Jay asked, wondering how you injured yourself. You looked down at him, grip tightening on the edge of the bench. After a questionable amount of silence went by, he looked up at you, questioning your silence.Â
âOh,â you said.
âI rolled my ankle on a root in the ground. I couldnât walk afterwards because it hurt so bad, but I didnât know why.â You explained, hoping it was enough.Â
He tapped on your shoe, silently asking for consent as you nodded. He looked back down at your shoe, removing it gently.
âEither you sprained your ankle or you just needed a break.â He said as he put your shoe to the side. He took your covered foot into his hold, slowly moving it around.Â
âDoes this hurt?â
âNo.â
âThatâs good.â He said, chuckling softly with a smile. Once again, butterflies spawned in your stomach, your face became warm, and your heart began to race.
You could listen to him laugh and watch him smile for days.Â
âJay,â you called as he hummed in response. You hesitated to ask your question. He looked up, questioning your silence.Â
âWhatâs wrong?â He asked with worried eyes.Â
âDo you really want to audition? It wasnât a dare from your teammates, right?â You asked, staring straight into his eyes, searching them for any emotions they mightâve held. Jayâs movements paused on your foot as he stared back at you in silence.
âI do,â Jay began.Â
âI really do, seriously.â He said, looking back down at your foot.Â
âI just, canât bring myself to do soâŠyou know, my team hates you guys and your club hates us. Itâll feel like Iâm betraying my team and our bond is already as broken as it isâŠâ He explained, still softly toying with your foot.
You were distracted by his words, unprepared for the sudden shock of pain, causing you to wince quite loudly. Jay abruptly stopped his movements, looking straight at you with worried eyes.Â
âDid that hurt? Iâm sorry.â He said worriedly, removing his hands from your foot and you raised your hand, waving it off immediately.Â
âIt wasnât your fault. I was just unprepared, sorry.â You apologized in an attempt to calm him down.Â
âBut, what do you mean your bond is already broken as it is?â You quoted him, hoping it wasnât invading his privacy.
âOh,â he whispered, placing his hands back on your foot. He didnât know how he should explain it, a lot happened anyway.Â
âWell, K and I have been arguing a lot recently⊠I also feel really guilty about making them almost lose the first quarter of yesterdayâs game.â He explained, looking at the dirt on the ground.Â
âI even thought about leaving the team at some point. Everything is too much for me to handle right now. My mind isnât in its right state, you know?â He said with a soft chuckle and smile.
You were very much aware of how serious this conversation was, truly. But, god you couldnât stop looking at the way his dimple appeared once he smiled, the way his soft and gentle hands held your foot as if it was a piece of glass that would break at any sudden movements, the way he softly chuckled, and the sincerity behind all his words.
You knew exactly what he was talking about, youâve been there before too. Losing a playâs script was something that you feared most. It would prove how irresponsible you were as the club leaderâa title you thought you didnât deserve in that moment.Â
You were thrilled after finding it once again but still worried for a moment like that to repeat. You had to be prepared, you couldnât let your guard down.Â
âMe too.â You said, biting your bottom lip in hesitation. Should you be admitting to one of your most embarrassing flaws right now? Not to mention it was to someone you only spoke with recently.Â
It was weird.
You felt oddly close to Jay. Even if you had a fewâmany accidental encounters with each other, they only proceeded to build a bond you didnât know you two had. You hoped he felt the same.Â
âIâve second-guessed myself being the club leader many times. Whenever I was stressed about something and couldnât get the clubâs tasks done on time, couldnât keep the smiles on my club members bright, and when I lost the playâs script.â You explained, causing Jay to stiffen.
It was almost like hearing the words âplayâs scriptâ could flip off a switch in his body, making him malfunction. He knew he wasnât fully in the wrong for that situation but still felt guilty.Â
âIt was something I feared most. I hate making mistakes and losing the only copy of the playâs script made me realize how unorganized I can be. It was my fault, really, I shouldâve kept it somewhere I would remember.â You elaborated.Â
He nodded, tight-lipped and stiffer than ever. Of course, eventually, he would have to come clean. He didnât know how you would react to the news though, not wanting to ruin whatever bond you two had built so far. Maybe it was better this way. He was good at keeping secrets anyway, right?
âI think you should be good for a bit. Try and see if you can walk on it now.â He said while slowly slipping on your shoe.Â
âIf it still hurts, donât worry, I can carry you down the whole way.â He reassured you as you nodded.
Hey, if this was his only chance to be this close to you, of course, he was going to take it and use it to his extent.
Surely, you mightâve been on the same page as him, staggering over your feet after rising from your seat on the bench. Your ankle was perfectly fine, but your heart wasnât. You didnât want this moment to end. It was obvious you wouldnât get another chance like this one, so, why not put up a lie to keep it going?
âI donât think I canâŠâ You winced, putting your acting skills to use. You werenât the Drama Club leader for nothing. You âattemptedâ another step, stumbling over your feet once again. Jay was quick to grab you by your arm before you had the chance to âfallâ.Â
âThatâs okay,â he said, secretly cheering internally. He guided you back to the bench, letting you take a seat before crouching in front of you, silently signalling for you to hop on. You bit back your smile, also cheering internally.Â
You were very glad that your acting worked.
You got onto his back, wrapping your arms around him the same as before. The warmth of his back engulfed your slightly cold figure as the comforting tang of detergent and his cologne filled your nostrils. You smiled, placing your chin on Jayâs shoulder. You wanted this moment to last forever and he did too.
âHey,â you said, gaining his attention. He hummed in response, too focused on climbing the hill to catch up to the rest of your classmates.Â
âYou said you wanted to audition, right? I donât think youâll be able to get a major role since itâs quite late. But, Iâm sure you can become a substitute in case someone can't make it.â You explained, hoping it wasnât too much information for him to comprehend.
He nodded, unsure of what you really said. All he could focus on was the bumpy trail ahead of him and how close your voice was to his ear. He felt his face warm up as he cleared his throat, trying to forget about the feeling.
âIf you want, we couldâI mean, I could help you rehearse before the final play?â You asked. An odd silence fell between you two as you bit your bottom lips out of embarrassment. You werenât sure whether or not that was the right move.
âSure,â he began, catching your attention.Â
âIâd like that.â He smiled as you smiled, fighting back the sigh of relief.Â
You were glad you didnât make things awkward between you two. Jay pushed you up, adjusting his hold on you, and continuing the walk in a comfortable silence, both of your hearts beating in sync.
ACT NINE.
Jay constantly stared at his phone all practice. He had given you his number the other day, just so you two could plan out a meetup, but you havenât texted him at all. He thought maybe you were busy or you were too nervous to do so.Â
This wouldnât be the first time he had been told he was unapproachable.
Due to his calm yet serious demeanour, there were many incidents where people told him they were too scared to talk to himâhis blue hair did not make it any betterâeven during class. Many students were afraid to be paired up with him, unaware of how sweet of a person he really was. Once they got to know him better, they stopped fearing him, but that didnât go for students who hadnât gotten to know him.
He sighed deeply and grabbed his packed duffle bag. It would be best to leave it alone for now. Maybe yesterdayâs interaction was a fluke. He couldnât get his hopes up in case you never texted.Â
âJay,â Sohee called. Jay looked over at the boy who leaned against the pole of a net. He motioned for him to come over as Jay followed through.Â
âWhatâs up with you and Y/N?â He asked, crossing his arms in the process.Â
What did he mean? Nothing was up, judging by how you werenât texting him like you said you would.Â
âNothing, why?â Jay replied, more disappointed than ever. He didnât want to say those words but had no choice.Â
âItâs just, that you two were all buddy-buddy with each other for the rest of P.E. class,â Sohee explained. Jayâs mouth opened and closed a few times. No response. It was true that you were pretty close yesterday, but today? Not much.
âAh, I was just worried, thatâs allâŠâ Jay said, regretting his words right after. He was supposed to be nonchalant about it. He couldnât let his teammates know anything about his little âthingâ for you.Â
Was it even a âlittle thingâ at this point? He didnât know himself.Â
âWhat about her asking about an audition?â Sohee asked, causing Jay to freeze. His arm dropped to his side, grip loosening on his phone but not enough for it to fall out completely.Â
What did Sohee mean? Did he overhear them? Jay tried so hard to keep this a secret but was still caught in the end.
âDonât tell meâŠâ Sohee paused. âYou were thinking of signing up werenât you?â He asked still Jay remained silent.Â
He couldnât blow his cover. Especially after all how much he tried to keep it a secret, from you, his teammates, your club members. Everyone.
âSo, it is true! No wonder youâve been acting so out of place lately.â Sohee said, pushing himself off the pole as realization hit him. Jay looked around, hoping nobody overheard whatever he was saying.Â
Luckily, there wasnât anyone aroundâor so he thought there wasnât.Â
K emerged from the storage room, making his way over to the two boys. Jay looked over, eyes slightly widening. K was the last person that Jay wanted to overhear this conversation.Â
âYouâve been ditching us, giving us cold shoulders, and everything for that club of freaks?â K asked, baffled.Â
âFair play, leader. So much for being there for us 24/7.â He said, rolling his eyes and scoffing.Â
Jay gulped. Although he was mad, he was unsure of what right words to use at this moment.Â
âThey arenât that bad,â Jay said, hoping those words were okay.
âYeah, because theyâre terrible! Did they brainwash you or something?â Kâs eyes narrowed. Jay couldnât hold back anymore. He didnât want things to get physical, but they couldâve.
âSee, this is why I didnât tell you guys anything. Of course, I felt terrible for taking an interest in it. I didnât want to âbetrayâ you guys, and K only made those thoughts worse.â Jay blamed, staring at K whose jaw dropped while he pointed at himself in disbelief.Â
âMe?â K asked, walking towards Jay.Â
âIâm the one who made your thoughts worse? I was just telling you the truth and how I felt about everything.â He admitted, but his words meant nothing to Jay.
âExactly why I couldnât tell you guys anything, especially you, K. Iâm aware I havenât been in the right state of mind, but do I know why? Not at all.â Jay said, adjusting his backpack.
âNothing is making sense to me anymore, do I know why? Nope. Iâm just as confused as you two.â Jayâs tone was quite harsh and irritating. He was frustrated and annoyed at what K had to say, causing his own words to flow out with no hesitation.
âWhatever. Go ahead, spread the word for all I care.â Jay said with an eye roll that was mainly directed at K.
K swore he felt his eye twitch as Jay turned around, walking away. How could he end his sentence that way?
âK, loosen up,â Sohee said, placing his hand on his shoulder.Â
âIf Jay wants to do something he can, you donât have any say in it. You have to calm down, youâre so controlling over him. No wonder he couldnât tell us about it.â Sohee ranted and K stood still.
He was shocked that even Sohee took Jayâs side. Of course, they were all mad at him and how he distanced himself away from the team, especially K.Â
Still, was he really in the wrong? K sighed, letting out a deep breath he didnât know he had in him.Â
Jay walked through the schoolâs courtyard, eyes focused on his phone. There was still no message or call from you. Normally, you were everywhere around the school. He always managed to run into you, but today, you were nowhere to be found.
He had no clue where to look either.
He sighed, looking up from his phone, eyes meeting a sight he didnât expectâyour back facing him. He put his phone into his pocket, jogging towards you. He couldnât lose you. It took him almost the whole day to find you anyway.
âY/N.â Jay called, hand reaching out to yours. You stiffened at the familiar voice, pausing in your tracks. The soft gentle hold on your hand made you turn around, being met with a face you didnât want to see.
Well, you wouldâve if you didnât find out about the news earlier.
âFinally, I found you. Is the plan from yesterday still up?â He asked, a slight smile making its way to his features. You couldnât fall for it, especially with the way his dimple slowly appeared, you couldnât fall for it.Â
âWhatâs wrong?â He asked, brows furrowing. You stared at Jayâs face, he seemed worried. As if he had a reason to be, he was the cause of it all. You reached for the hand that held onto yours, removing it yourself, making his furrowed brows deepen.Â
You turned away, taking your leave in his silence. As you walked away, the distance between you and Jay didnât change. His constant footsteps that increased in sound as he chased after you was all that you needed to stop.Â
âWhat?â You asked, abruptly stopping and turning around, causing him to stumble over his feet.Â
âWhat do you mean, what? Whatâs wrong with you?â He asked, confused. Why were you suddenly giving him attitude after ignoring his concerns and leaving him hanging? Shouldnât it be the other way around?
You stayed silent. As much as you didnât want to face him right now, he wasnât giving you a choice not to. So, you might as well pop the question.
âDid you really do it?â
ACT TEN.
Jayâs pencil tapped against the surface of his desk as he stared out the window. He sneezed, attracting all the attention to him.Â
âBless you,â Mrs. Jang said as he sent her a sheepish smile. He whispered a soft thanks before returning his attention to the notes in front of him. He couldnât come down with a cold, not before the teamâs next game. The sudden downpour yesterday mustâve caused his little sneeze attacks. Although it was a bad rainstorm, it wasnât as bad as his argument with you.
âDid you do it?â You asked, grip tightening on the straps of your backpack.Â
âDo what?â He asked, becoming more confused. You bit your bottom lips, hesitating. You didnât want to believe whatever you were told before, but it would still be best to hear it directly from him.
âDid you take the playâs script?â You asked, looking at your shoes and then at him. He stiffened at the question. This wasnât the first time it happened. He also stiffened during the time you mentioned your fear of losing the play script on the park bench.Â
The sun that shined on the two of you before, disappeared behind dark grey clouds. It was almost as if this conversation took place in a play due to the perfect timing of the rain. Jayâs eyes were wide. The thing he was afraid of most happened. He knew he shouldâve told you sooner.
âSo, you did? Wowââ
âI didnât.â He interrupted you, his words coming out so suddenly. âWell, I was there, but I tried to stop them.â He explained, brows raising slightly.Â
âYou were still part of it,â you started, brows furrowing. âWerenât you?â You asked as he gulped.
âWhatâs next? Did you purposely get close to me with the hope that I wouldnât find out about this? And if I did, did you think I would have mercy on you?â You asked, hurt at the thought.Â
âTo be honest, I trusted you and told you about how I would feel if the playâs script ever went missing, yet you didnât bother to speak up during that moment.â You explained, now looking at him. His mouth opened and closed constantly, but nothing came out.Â
âY/N,â Jay called, softly. It was almost like he was trying to swoon you over instead of addressing your accusations. If the situation was different, it mightâve worked.Â
âListen, I was going to tell you, but I couldnât.â He said, searching your eyes for any change of emotion.Â
âWhy didnât you?â You asked, raising a brow at him.Â
âBecause I didnât want you to hate me.â Jay began.Â
âPlus, I already felt bad enough when you told me about the fear and stuff, I didnât want to make anything worse.âÂ
âYou didnât want me to hate you?â You asked, scoffing.Â
âYou made me doubt myself as a leader for a moment, Jay. As childish as it might be, losing the script made me feel terrible. And you knew about it but didnât bother to tell me? Do you know what spot you put yourself in?â You ranted, leaving Jay no time to answer any questions.
âY/N,â Jay paused. He didnât know if the words he would say next would make matters worse or better.
âI donât know whatâs happening to me. Truly, I never really cared about the Drama club or took in my teamâs hatred for them. They were just⊠there. But once you came along, I swear my life did a whole 180.â He said, hands clenching into fists at his sides.
âDo you want me to pity you?â You asked and he shook his head fervently.Â
âOf course not. Iâm just saying youâre always on my mind for whatever reason and I canât even function because of that. As we grew âcloserâ I always wanted to admit that incident, but I knew what the possible outcomes were. I never felt this way about anything, but ruining whatever we had between us made me feel as if the world was ending.â He continued as you listened.
âSo, instead of speaking up. I returned the script in silence. Remember the day we ran into each other in the corridor? Yeah, I was running from Seungcheol. I know that was the wrong move and I shouldâve told you instead of keeping quiet, but I couldnât bring myself to do it.â As Jay finished his sentence, droplets of rain began falling down from the grey clouds.
You stayed quiet, remembering back to the time you ran into Jay in the corridor. The way he held your hand made your heart race. You couldnât bear with the increase in speed, so, you asked him to let go.Â
You knew if he didnât, your face wouldâve definitely changed shades, making your supposed crush on him quite obvious.Â
âStill not a smart choice.â You said before walking away as the rain became more heavier. Jay stood there in silence, staring at your back, his blue strands sticking onto his skin.Â
He breathed in and out, eyes slowly opening and closing as he watched you leave. He couldnât do anything about this. It was as if everything he took an interest in or did, ruined the relationships between him and those he was close to, including you and his teammates.Â
You held your hand up to your chest, unsure if the racing in your heart was caused by Jayâs words or how fast you walked down the steps. You were mad at him, that was for sure, but he seemed genuine with his words and due to being the weak person you were, you would be lying if you said you didnât fall for him even more.
Jay stood up, eyes wide, and his hands on his desk. Once again, all the attention was on him, including their teacherâs. His chair scraping on the floor was definitely the cause of that.
âAre you okay, Jay?â Mrs. Jang asked, catching him off guard.Â
âHuh? Oh, yeahâŠâ He mumbled while taking his seat.Â
He couldnât believe he uttered those words yesterday. He practically confessed to you and you made no reaction. Great, he embarrassed himself. Why was he so in love with you to the point where he couldnât function straight?
âJay,â a voice called gaining his attention. He looked up, noticing the many students who packed up their belongings and the two boys in front of him.
âAre you coming?â Eric asked, gesturing behind him with his thumb. Jay raised a brow at him, genuinely confused as to what he meant.
â...For lunch? We always eat together on the day of our games. Remember?â He elaborated, causing Jay to âahâ in realization. It would be a lie if said he didnât forget about todayâs game. It was the last one of the season. He couldnât play as sloppily as before.
He began to pack up his belongings, glancing at the two boys while doing so.
K stood beside Eric, a scowl present on his features. Clearly, he was forced to face him. The intense tension engulfed Jay as he cleared his throat, hoping it would clear the tension too. Sadly, it didnât, but it did gain Ericâs attention.
âYouâre done?â He asked and Jay nodded while swinging his backpack over a shoulder.Â
âDo you think Coach will let you play today?â Eric asked Jay as the three walked down the halls.Â
âProbably not. But, we will have to see.â Jay said with his words coming out as a sigh. K tensed beside him, quieter than ever. Usually, he would chat with them, but it was too awkward to do so.
Did he feel awkward because of yesterdayâs chat? What if Jay and Soheeâs words really got to him?Â
âK!â Eric shouted, startling K out of his thoughts. K turned around, noticing he missed the whole entrance to the cafeteria due to his distracted thoughts.Â
âMy bad,â he mumbled, making his way back to the two boys and then into the cafeteria without giving them another glance. Eric and Jay looked at each other and then shrugged, but before walking in, Jay spoke up.
âWait,â he began, causing Eric to pause. âI thought you hated me? Why are you talking to me as if nothing happened?â He asked.Â
âNot sure, but I never hated you. Yeah, there was a moment of disappointment, but we canât decide your choices.â Eric flashed Jay a smile before walking into the cafeteria and making his way to the teamâs table. The one Jay picked out back in freshman year. Although most were mad at him, at least they didnât switch tables.
Jay caught up with Eric as they both took their seats at the filled table. The mood wasnât as bad as Jay intended it to be. At practice, it was awkward and heavy, but right now, it was light and comforting. Truly, he missed days like these and his best friends, especially K.Â
But clearly, it would take at least 1 light-year to build their previous bond again.Â
âSo, Jay,â Sohee called, causing Jayâs eyes to shift over to the male. Jay wasnât even aware that he was staring at K who sat opposite Jay at the table. Sohee took a bite of his food before continuing his sentence.
âDid things escalate with Y/N?â He asked. Jayâs gaze briefly shifted over to K, his tensing figure not going unnoticed by the blue-haired boy. âWhat do you mean?â Jay asked, his eyes now on Sohee.Â
âI heard she found out about the script issueâŠâ He explained as everyone at the table looked at the two, excluding K.
âShit, really?â Mark asked while stabbing his fork into todayâs mealâpork chops. Sohee nodded at Markâs question as K abruptly stood up, silencing Jay before he had the chance to reply. He grabbed his belongings and his untouched tray of food.Â
âIâm not hungry. See you guys at the game.â He said before leaving them behind. Jay watched as K walked away, not sparing a glance at the team as he exited the cafeteria.
âIgnore him. Heâs been like that ever since we all found out about you and Y/N.â Heeseung reassured Jay, causing him to look back in front of him. Jay nodded, smiling awkwardly before taking another bite of his bowl of rice.
The atmosphere became quite awkward as Jay tried to avoid the question as much as possible by staying silent. It worked but ruined the comforting mood that was present earlier.Â
He wondered if you were still mad at him. Of course, he messed up, but he tried to stop them and still returned the script in the end. Although it took him a week to do so, he understood he shouldâve confronted you about it once you two became close.
But for some reason, he couldnât bring himself to do it. He hated confrontation.
His last period wasnât anything fun. It was just as boring as his other classes. Many classmates wished him good luck on his game while teachers excused him from their homework assignments.Â
âLand a big one on them!â Mr. Lee exclaimed as Jay laughed awkwardly. He left his classroom at the same time as beforeâ2:45 PMâand made his way to his locker. He promised his teammates he wouldnât be late this time. There was nothing to distract him from doing so too. You were absent today.Â
Or so he thought.Â
Right when he shut his locker, he saw your figure a few meters away from his. His eyes widened as you rummaged through your locker. If that was your locker, how come heâs never seen you there?Â
âY/N?â Jay called, biting his lip right after. He didnât mean for it to slip out.
You froze at the voice, pausing your movements as well. You then hurriedly grabbed your books and shut your locker while swiftly slipping on your lock before rushing away. You were avoiding him for a reason, so, why did you see him in the most unnecessary spot possible?
âWait!â Jay exclaimed, jogging after you. You must be a fool if you thought you could escape an athlete like him. You stopped running and turned around, exhausted while Jay looked as if he didnât move an inch.
Wow, he was lucky.
âWhat?â You asked in a bitter tone. Jay looked at his phone, the clock reading 2:47 PM.Â
âI have three minutes to do this, so please donât interrupt meâ He pleaded as you stared at him. Although you showcased that you were unamused, you secretly were.Â
âIâm sorry.â Jay began with a sigh.Â
âI understand what Iâve done wrong. Even if I tried to stop them and returned the script, it canât excuse my mistake, okay? Iâm sorry if you felt as if I was taking advantage of you. I swear I wasnât.â He explained as every word that escaped his mouth lingered with sympathy.Â
âI believe youâre an amazing leader and that you should never doubt yourself, especially over a mistake like that one. It happens to the best of us.â
âDonât forgive me, itâs fine. We can restart whenever youâre ready.â He finished off with a slight smile, checking his phone once more. There was only a minute left to hear your response.Â
âSo, what do you say?â He asked, a little panicky. You sighed while shaking your head.Â
âYou make it really hard to stay mad at you, you know? Why do your words have to be so heartfelt and picked out oh so carefully?â You said as a smile made its way to his face again.Â
âI forgive you, but that doesnât mean I wonât hold that mistake against you. One more mistake and whatever this is will end.â You warned while motioning between you both. He nodded and chuckled.Â
You were well aware of his feelings for you. Yesterdayâs argument was enough to confirm that he supposedly felt the same way you did. The only difference was, he didnât know you felt the same way. Hopefully, he could find out before another mistake was made.
âYouâre going to be late, go to your match. You need to at least warm up.â You ushered him down the hallway towards the gymnasium and waved him goodbye as he did the same.Â
Now that everything was cleared up between you two, he would definitely do better in this match.
ACT ELEVEN.
âStarters for today, Ricky, Mark, Sohee, Jisung, and Jake.â Their coach said, causing the team to gasp.Â
âWhat about K, Jay, and Eric?â Asked Jisung. He looked at the three who sat on the bench quieter than ever. This was the first time their coach had ever done this, of course, everyone was shocked.
âYou guys will be fine. Todayâs team isnât that difficult, so letâs preserve their energy until it is needed.â He explained while marking something off on his clipboard.Â
âJay, are you in proper condition to play today?â He asked while making his way over to the boy. Jay looked up from his shoes and nodded at their coach's words. Their coach smiled, checking something off once again.Â
âPerfect,â he began.Â
âOkay, go out there and play well.â He said to the teammates who were said to play first. They followed through with his instructions and made their way to the court. Although there wasnât any backup with their three-star players, they still had hope they could win.
Chemistry was all their team needed to win. So, K and Jay better make up before they had to step foot on the court.
Jay held out his fist that hid a wrapped-up peppermint in front of Kâs view. K looked up from the ground at Jayâs hand and then his eyes shifted over to Jay who sat beside him. Jay opened his hand, revealing the peppermint to K.
âWhat?â K asked, staring at the sweet confused. Jay ushered him to take it as he followed through.Â
âGood, now eat it,â Jay ordered as Kâs brows furrowed. âDid you poison it or something? I wouldnât be shocked if you did, Iâve been an ass lately.â K said while hesitating to unravel the sweet.Â
Jay chuckled while looking at the players on the court getting into position. âAt least youâre self-aware, but I have been one too. Still, I wouldnât poison anything.â He said, rubbing his hands together.
âListen, when we go on the court, we need to at least work together,â Jay explained, gaining Kâs attention.Â
âJust because we had multiple arguments and not the best friendship lately doesnât mean we can let our team lose, and that doesnât mean I fully forgive you.â
âI would take your advice for yourself if I were you,â K said, referring to the last time Jay played on the court. Jay sent him a glare.
âIâm in a good mood right now, do not blow it,â Jay warned while pointing at him which only made K burst out laughing.Â
âAnyways, I wouldnât dare to let our team lose. Glad, youâre finally acting like the teamâs captain.â K teased as Jay softly punched him in the gut. K winced in pain as Jay playfully rolled his eyes and continued watching the game.Â
Jisung had the ball, tossing it up in the air as it made its way into the net. An easy 3-pointer only a minute into the game was all they needed to kickstart their desire to win.
Perfect.
Eventually, Jay, K, and Eric were subbed in for the last two quarters. The new lineup included the three boys and Mark who seemed to be in great shape even after 24 minutes of playing.Â
His stamina was insane.
âFocus,â Jay said from his spot in the key, turning his head to Mark across from him.Â
âDonât beat yourself up if youâre tired. Just ask Coach to sub you off, okay?â He reassured the boy as Mark nodded.Â
The referee blew his whistle, passing the ball to the opposing teamâs side. It was their ball when the second quarter ended anyway.Â
Decelisâ boys were now spaced out on the court, guarding their opponents. The points were at a good distance with Jayâs team being at 36 and the other team being at 24. Still, there was no knowing when theyâd catch up.
It could happen at any time.
The referee blew his whistle again as the opposing team inbounded their ball. Mark failed to block his opponent as they ran down the court to their goal, it was obvious he was soon going to reach his limit.Â
Markâs opponent passed the ball toward the player K was guardingâa rookie mistake. Never pass the ball if K was around.Â
With that said, K caught the ball, shocking the opponent behind him. He dribbled the ball, dashing to the other side of the court as his teammates followed behind him.Â
He paused at the three-point line, looking around for an open teammate. Mark was busy trying to get free from his defender and Jay did the same.Â
Eric sprinted towards Kâs spot with his blocker trailing behind him. Once Eric was practically beside K, they did a quick handoff, leaving Eric with no other option but to dribble toward the net and perform a neat lay-up.Â
âNice!â K exclaimed, high-fiving Eric as they both jogged towards the half point of the court. The boys were all beaming with satisfaction as all of their eyes held an intense desire to win.Â
A few points into the third quarter, Mark asked their coach to sub him out for Heeseung. It was obvious how exhausted he was, but nobody blamed him.Â
He played amazingly anyway.
The current score read 54-40. Clearly, they were catching up, but Decelis was still far ahead.
âI canât believe you managed to convince me to come watch,â Kazuha said with her arm interlocked with yours as you guys walked through the bleachers.Â
âItâll be fun. Maybe youâll learn not to hate them as much.â You explained as you both took a seat in front.Â
âI hate being surrounded by basketball fans. Theyâre all sweaty and smelly, especially that one.â Kazuha said while pointing at K. You swatted at her hand, forcing her to lower it from the impact as K sent you guys a glare. Kazuha raised her fist and mouthed a curse word at his angry face as you laughed.
Was she really loud or was his hearing just really good?
Your eyes attentively watched Jay who wiped at the sweat that dribbled down his jawline. The gaze he held was the same gaze from the day you two finally spoke after two years. You will never forget that P.E. class.
He was very different than how he was off the court. Off the court, heâs a cold guy who is really clumsy while on the court, he seems unapproachable. It would be like having a death wish if you wanted to talk to him.
âY/N,â Kazuha started while watching your eyes beam at the sight of Jay playing.Â
âYou like him, donât you?â
âWhat?â You asked, chuckling nervously.Â
âDo you like their team captain? You wonât take your eyes off of him even while talking to me.â Kazuha explained as you turned to look at her.Â
âHere, Iâm looking.â You said as she smirked and pointed at you. âYouâre blushing. You do like him!â She exclaimed as your eyes widened. You covered your cheeks with your hands while swatting at her teasing finger.
âEnough!â You whisper-shouted not wanting to attract any more attention to you two, but failed. Jayâs eyes were already on you as a silly smile made its way to his face.
The sight he saw answered all his questions. It was an obvious one, yet he denied it continuously. There was only one reason why you were always on his mind.
He was definitely in love with you.
The next day, the game was all everyone spoke about. The winning shot performed by K and Jay would definitely go down in Decelis's history. Jay threw the ball into the air as K came out of nowhere, dunking it into the hoop, the buzzer going off right after.
Everyone including their opposing team was shocked. No wonder they were part of the âstar-players lineupâ.
Slowly, K and Jayâs friendship began to be restored. Even if they were becoming friends again, the incidents from before werenât forgotten, and K was very aware of that. Itâll take quite a while to make up for the things he has said and done.
âWow, they werenât playing,â Eric joked while eyeing Kâs decorated locker.Â
âOurs must be worseâŠâ Eric mumbled internally filled with excitement. He wondered what his locker looked like.
âThey got you too,â K said pointing at Jayâs locker down the hall, âAnd Jisung.â K chuckled.Â
Their school must love them a lot to take time out of their day to decorate. It did make sense to do so, they won the whole season.
Eric boasted about a game he played when they got home yesterday. Even after the exhausting match, he still had enough energy to check out his favourite gameâs new update.Â
To Jay, it felt nice to be included in things like this again. There were no more nasty glares being sent his way as he watched from afar. Things were slowly starting to go back to normal.
âJay, your phoneâs ringing,â Eric said, pausing his conversation topic. Jay looked at the boy confused then down at his vibrating pocket.Â
He removed his phone from his pocket, eyeing the contact name with wide eyes. âIâll be back,â Jay said before walking away from his friends and picking up the phone.
He stood in front of his locker, leaning against the decorations.Â
âHey.â Jay greeted, waiting for a response back. He slowly became anxious at the quietness. Did youÂ
âHey.â You greeted on the other line, causing Jayâs heart to flutter. He mentally cursed at his heart, hoping the beating would slow, but it didnât.Â
âSo⊠I was wondering if that deal was still up?â
âYeah, of course,â he said, âI mean, as long as youâre free!â Jay exclaimed. He didnât want his words to sound forceful.Â
You smiled at his words, writing down some words in your notebook. âAnything is fine with me. Iâm free tomorrow⊠How about 12 PM?â You asked while clicking your pen shut.Â
It was a Saturday after all. What plans did Jay really have on a Saturday?
He hummed in agreement, turning around to unlock his locker with a smile. K and Eric grimaced at the sight as K shut his locker closed.Â
âWho has him smiling like a dorkâŠ?â K asked, brows furrowing. Heâs never seen their captain like this before.
âI wonderâŠâ Eric muttered, mirroring the exact expression as K.Â
They both paused, looking over at each other with slightly wide eyes, âY/N.â
ACT TWELVE.
Jay rocked back and forth on the soles of his feet anxiously. The clock read 11:55 AM, 5 minutes before the two were supposed to meet. He was a punctual person, of course, he wasnât early on purposeâŠ
âJay!â Your voice brought him out of his thoughts as his eyes looked in your direction quickly. You were smiling at him.
At him.
âWow, you look happy.â He teased while making his way towards you. You were smiling from ear to ear because you were finally able to hang out with him, of course, you were happy.
âI received great news.â You cheered, clasping your hands together. He stared at you a slight smile on his own features with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his sweater as he teasingly raised a brow.
âWhich is?â He asked.
âI was chosen to be this yearâs valedictorian!â You said, your smile growing even more. Jayâs eyes widened in shock.Â
That was truly great news.
âReally? Thatâs great, Y/N.â He smiled with that dimple you hated oh so much showing. You hated how it made your face warm and butterflies in your stomach swarm.Â
But wait⊠Valedictorian?Â
âWait, graduation is in a month, right?â He asked, the thought of this being his final year completely forgotten. You nodded at his question, confused yourself.
âDid you forget?â
â...Yeah.â He mumbled in embarrassment. You laughed at his sheepishness, waving your hand in the air.
âThatâs fine. It happens, honestly. Anyway, our play is in a week. Everyone has been practicing like crazy, I donât think anyone wonât be able to make it, but we can still practice if you want.â You said, playing with the felt of your clothes.Â
Jay nodded. Anything was fine with him. Although he really wanted to participate in your clubâs play previously, due to all the commotion that happened within these two months, he wasnât sure if he felt the same way.Â
He was still glad he met you at least.Â
You two strolled through the garden you suggested as the meeting place. This was a good way to clear your mind and prepare yourselves for the script reading.Â
The garden was a very pretty sight. You pulled out your phone, positioning your camera in front of any pretty flower you crouched before.Â
âItâs pretty, right?â You asked, eyeing the pink flower in front of you.Â
A Hibiscus.Â
âYes, itâs very pretty,â Jay replied, crouching behind you, âJust like you.â He whispered, startling you.Â
Immediately, you turned around, flinching and falling backwards due to how close he was. His arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you back up before you could fall into the field of flowers.
You both stared into each otherâs eyes as the wind rustled through the pedals on every flower in the field. You cleared your throat as Jayâs arm unravelled from your waist, but you caught your balance before you could fall over.
âMy bad, I didnât mean to scare you.â He apologized while standing up. You shook your head, trying to shake away the butterflies as well.Â
âItâs okay.â You muttered, eyes going back to your phone. The photo you took by accident was blurry and was most likely taken when you were falling. You couldnât recognize anything aside from the vibrant pink blur.Â
You swiped backwards, satisfied with this photo instead. It showed the flowers, picking up the different shades of pink and the fading droplets of water. Jay looked around in an attempt to distract himself from the encounter from earlier.Â
It was a mistake, he swore it was, yet part of him wanted it to happen again.
âDo you want to get something to eat? Iâm pretty sure thereâs a cafe nearby. We can read over the script there.â You suggested, pulling him out of his thoughts.Â
âAh, sure, why not.â He said, giving you an awkward smile. You stood up, dusting off your pants as Jay did the same. He stuffed his hands back in his pockets and followed you out of the field of flowers.Â
The walkout was silent. A little too silent for Jayâs liking.
âTo be honest,â he started, gaining your attention. You hummed in response, eyes examining any flowers in your sight.
âYouâre as beautiful as an orange flower,â he said, âIf you were in a garden, I would definitely choose you first.â
You laughed at his words, thinking they were silly even if they made you flustered.
âIâm serious.â
You paused and turned around to face him, causing him to stop in his tracks.
âWhy an orange flower? What about blue flowers?â You asked, genuinely curious. Was orange his favourite colour or something? If it was⊠wouldnât he have dyed his hair orange instead of blue?
âBecause,â he began, âItâs scientifically proven that orange is an eye-catching colour. To prove my point, you caught my eye that same day in P.E. class.âÂ
Your eyes slightly widened at his sudden confession, but you then regained your composure. A sly smile made its way onto your features as you looked at Jay with narrowed eyes.
âAre you confessing to me again?â You asked and he nodded. Without hesitation, he nodded.Â
âYou didnât say anything to the first oneâŠâ He explained as you shook your head. Itâs not that you didnât say anything. You just didnât know how to formulate words at that exact moment. You grabbed his hand, interlocking it with yours and dragged him towards the entrance at a faster pace.
âLetâs make a deal.â You said once you reached the arched entry. âCan you wait an extra month?â You asked as his brows furrowed.
âA month? What for?â He asked, leaving your question unanswered.Â
âYes or no?â You asked, this time leaving his question unanswered.Â
Jay hesitated. He didnât want to choose the wrong answer. This only reminded him of the time K and Eric dragged him to the club roomâthe start of everything. Back then, he regretted agreeing with the boys and he worried if that would happen with you. Still, it wouldnât hurt to take a risk, right?
âYes.â He said as you smiled in return.Â
âGood.âÂ
ACT THIRTEEN.
The final month of being a senior went by faster than Jay expected. Ever since that day you and Jay hung out, you never brought up your question. He still had no clue what you meant by waiting a month, but he did it anyway.
There were many moments where he uttered the words âI love youâ or complimented you numerous times. He didnât have anything to hide anymore, right? You knew he loved you and he made sure you did almost every single day.
That didnât mean you said the three words back to him. You never did. Although it bothered him a little bit and caused him to doubt if what he was doing was right, you always managed to make him fall head over heels for you all over again.
Here he was, standing on stage with his coach and principal who presented him with the scholarship he waited his whole life for. He didnât start playing basketball at the age of 7 for nothing.
As he listened to the principal speak, he was reminded of his freshman days. It felt like he was filling out that scholarship form just yesterday. It was still shocking that this was his last day in Decelis.
âThank you,â he said while bowing and smiling at his principal as he took the envelope in hand. He then turned to look at his coach who seemed more emotional than ever, leaving Jay baffled.Â
âShouldnât I be the emotional one?â Jay asked while walking off the stage with his coach.
âThereâs just something in my eye.â He said.Â
What a lie. Nobody would believe that one.Â
Jay scoffed and shook his head as he made his way back to his seat. He was congratulated by a few classmates on his way there, stopping a few times to high-five some of them. There was a bright smile on his face, feeling satisfied that he finally accomplished his dream.Â
Younghoon gave Jay a proud pat on the back from his seat behind Jay, feeling like a proud dad. It was something he always did when he felt proud of Jay.
âNow, please welcome this yearâs valedictorian, L/N Y/N.â The schoolâs principal announced through the mic as you rose from your seat, making your way to the stage.Â
As you walked past Jayâs seat, you glanced over at him flashing him a smile as he did the same.Â
You adjusted the mic, levelling it to your desire, and turning it on in the process. You flipped through the script on the podium, finding your speech that youâve practiced a ton of times.
âGood evening, staff, my fellow seniors, and most importantly, family members.â You began, gripping the sides of the podium as a smile made its way to your face.Â
âIâm L/N Y/N, your valedictorian for this ceremony. First, I want to start by congratulating this yearâs graduating class. Time flew by faster than we all expected, right? To me, it still feels like I was preparing for my first day as a freshman in Decelis just yesterday, worrying about what I should wear even if this is a uniform school.â You joked, making a few students hum in agreement and laugh at your words as Jay watched with an adoring smile.Â
âI know how much it may hurt to say goodbye to those you adored, but take this as an opportunity to branch out and explore new things. I had an amazing time with this schoolâs Drama Club and enjoyed being the leader. It taught me a lot more than I intended to learn.â You said, gaze shifting to Jay.
âIt taught me how fun taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone can be. How fun exploring the personalities of others can be even while going against the established yet unconfirmed rule that says you must hate each other.âÂ
It was obvious that you were referring to the Drama club and Basketball team rivalry and the unsaid person was obviously Jay. Who else broke that unconfirmed rule with you?
âThe events that occurred this year really brought me an enjoyable and exciting final year of high school, so Iâm very grateful for it.â You finished off your speech with a closing sentence that thanked everyone for coming and wished all the graduating students the best of luck for their future.Â
Soon after your speech, all students received their diplomas and medals, meaning they were no longer high school students.
You and Jay were no longer the leaders of the Drama club and Basketball team or classmates from P.E. class.Â
âYou were great.â Jay complimented you after finding you in the schoolâs courtyard. You turned around, smiling at his words.Â
âCongrats on the scholarship!â You cheered, a smile appearing on his face. Before he could reply, you were already dragging him by the hand through the crowds of people, and running towards the steps you guys last argued on.
âWhat are we doing here?â He asked, looking around, noticing how nobody was there. They were all taking pictures to reminisce about the moment a few years later.
âSoââ
He was silenced by the sudden kiss planted on his cheek, causing him to look at you faster than ever. His eyes were wide open and his mouth was slightly agape at the sudden movement. You looked into his wide eyes with your curious ones.
âWhat was that about?â He asked in utter shock.
âI love you,â you confessed, his wide eyes becoming even wider. He blinked continuously, thinking this was all a dream.
âWhat?â You asked, tilting your head to the side.Â
âAm I going crazy, or did you really say I love you?â He asked as your eyes widened.Â
âYou must be going crazy. I said no such thing.â You lied, putting on your best poker face. Your hand removed his cap, feeling his forehead temperature to complete the act.Â
âYour temperature is fine though⊠Did you not sleep enough?â You asked, concerned. You loved being able to pull these types of tricks on him. His reactions were always cute to you.
âIâm kidding, I did.â You said, smiling. You couldnât keep up the lie anymore, especially with this way his brows furrowed in disappointment.Â
âIt has been a month. I waited it out until today. I didnât want to interrupt our studies if we ever started anything, you know,â you said while letting go of his hand, âAnd it wouldâve been a mistake if I didnât confess the same place you first did.â You said while looking around the area you stood in.
It really was your last time walking down these steps.
Out of nowhere, your face was cupped by slightly rough hands that brought warmth to your cheek, turning your head to face Jayâs direction. You had no time to register anything, his soft lips on yours.
Although you werenât prepared, you still sunk into the kiss, but Jay pulled away before anything could escalate. His hands still cupped your face as you both looked into each otherâs eyes, âsneakingâ small glances at each otherâs lips.
âI love you too.â He said, his words filled with genuine adoration.Â
âCool,â you muttered in disappointment. It was too short for your liking. Jay was shocked, wondering why you didnât say it back. He waited so long just for you to say it once?
âI love you too, okay? Stop overthinking it.â You said, playfully rolling your eyes. His facial expression made it quite obvious as to what he was thinking.
âNow, come here.â You said, pulling him into another kiss while dropping his cap on the concrete ground beside him. Luckily, this one lasted much longer than before.Â
Even if he didnât participate in anything related to the Drama club, he still got himself involved with one of their members, right?
That should at least count.
Π© HAKNOM, 2024
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