SMNTCERR, Chapter 62: Yellow, #4.
After passing the ball, Sangwoo caught it with both hands. The other person he wanted to warm up first and bounced the basketball two or three times before starting to dribble. Everything went according to standard procedure, just like when the other side did various things. Sangwoo took two steps and dribbled, two steps and dribbled, until he reached the penalty line and shot with both hands firmly. But unfortunately, it didn’t go in.
Sangwoo did that four more times, failed two more times, and succeeded two more times. Then it seemed like he had found his way. Sangwoo picked up the ball with a blank face and dribbled it to the center of the court.
“Let’s start.”
“Okay, this side.”
Jaeyoung took off his glasses and put them in his pants pocket, then took a stance. At that moment, Sangwoo, who had been standing still, dribbled the ball closer. Jaeyoung waited to see if the other side would come from the left or right, but the other suddenly rushed straight ahead, his face seeming to say ‘No matter what, I’m going to block you’ Sangwoo prepared to collide with one arm, looking like he was going to go to the right.
And as expected, at the moment when he had to block. Jaeyoung couldn’t touch the other side due to the difference in height. If he wanted to play dirty, he could, but his body wasn’t agile enough to move. Sangwoo ducked under Jaeyoung’s arm and successfully made the first shot.
“What’s this? Play nicely.”
Duk,Duk, Duk, he could feel the pounding of his heart matching the sound of the ball bouncing on the court.
Jaeyoung caught the ball that Sangwoo threw, feeling unfamiliar with the touch of the ball. Despite being a forward player [1]who excelled in aggressive play and had counted countless times in catching the basketball, he now didn’t feel like winning at all.
He chased the basketball slowly and half-heartedly. Sangwoo ran in and looked at the basketball with eager eyes, his arms moving quickly as if to hug Jaeyoung. Jaeyoung pretended to be a fake a few times before throwing the ball out far, of course, there was no way the ball would fall into the basket. The basketball hit the board and bounced far away. Sangwoo then ran after the ball.
‘This is a defeat.’
Jaeyoung laughed dryly as Sangwoo ran with the ball again. This time he saw the other side turn to the left, he faced him with pleasure, trying to snatch the ball, but Sangwoo pulled the ball towards him without hesitation. Then he used a strong post-up technique [2] by using his back to push through Jaeyoung.
Judging from the way he handled the ball, the other person must have been a point guard [3] before, unlike Jaeyoung who usually played as a forward, dealer, designer, and developer. They were so different.
Sangwoo approached the penalty shoot-out line, crouched down, and this time he shot with both hands as usual. The basketball floated beautifully in a curve and fell into the basket.
Jaeyoung lost his concentration, while he only moved without any strength like a robot, he suddenly realized that the score had become 8-0.
“What will I get if I win?”
“That’s it.”
“Do what the other person asks, is that okay?”
“Sure.”
This was a bet that whether he won or lost, Jaeyoung wouldn’t lose. He tried to think about what he would ask for if he won, but in the end, he gave up. If it was too easy, just ask for it directly, and if he asked for something impossible using betting as an excuse, he might get the opposite result instead.
At that moment, the basketball floated over. Jaeyoung caught the ball with both hands unintentionally, then decided to show off his ability for the other side to see. He crouched down to dribble the basketball and showed his skill by changing hands without necessity, but Sangwoo didn’t even blink twice.
If it’s not important, Sangwoo usually doesn’t pay attention. Once he thought it wasn’t cool at all, but now…
‘I like you who cares about what’s important.’
He tricked him into going right and then turned left. Sangwoo was really fooled once, and he used to be frustrated with the other person who was like that, but now…
‘I like someone who is honest. Not pretending.’
Sangwoo followed him again and tried to steal the ball while wrapping his arms around Jaeyoung’s waist. Jaeyoung sent the ball back with his other hand, teasing the other person by doing a crossover, and then easily passed him again.
Sangwoo refused to give up and followed him, once thinking that the other person looked foolish, but now…
‘I like someone who always does everything to the fullest.’
A light breeze separated the horse’s mane as they ran and played basketball. Jaeyoung ran straight to the basket and caught the alley-oop without fail. The basketball fell beautifully, he caught it again, bounced it two or three times, and then threw it to Sangwoo.
“8 to 2.”
The other person caught the ball and ran slowly, dribbling the ball close to him with the correct posture and looking strong, but it was an efficient posture. The damp shirt clung to his body, creating a silhouette that was both sexy and alluring, with a confident look on his face.
While thinking that everything about the other person was so attractive, Jaeyoung realized that he had fallen in love with Chu Sangwoo. It happened before he started thinking about what made the other person so special and different from others, the image of Sangwoo running towards him. No, the truth was that the other person running towards him seemed so charming that Jaeyoung felt scared.
How did it come to this? He didn’t know when he fell in love with someone who was not charming and foolish, someone who was not creative and flexible like that, because it happened slowly like a wet piece of clothing, and before he knew it, it had become like this. The understanding that he was wrong to think that sleeping together once would be boring was a complete misunderstanding, because after spending time with Chu Sangwoo that night, Jaeyoung wanted the other person even more.
Sangwoo looked up and glanced at him, still eagerly playing with the child in front of him. Jaeyoung, who used to stand with his arms crossed to block him, couldn’t stand it anymore and hugged him tightly.
“…Foul.”
He drowned in the atmosphere, unable to laugh at Sangwoo’s meaningless words, and chuckled to himself about his unrequited love for the shy person who still refused to let go of the ball even at this time. Jaeyoung felt a flutter in his chest as Sangwoo’s soft, whispered words trailed off.
Sangwoo stood still for a moment before slowly moving away.
“I’ll take the penalty kick.”
Jaeyoung stood and watched Sangwoo take the penalty kick twice without interest, his postures looking almost identical like a copied and pasted frame.
Sangwoo walked closer with a smiling face.
“10 points.”
“Good job, what can I do to make it better?”
Sangwoo breathed out, he looked down at the ground for a moment before looking up at Jaeyoung with his black eyes fixed on his target.
“Kiss me please.”
Jaeyoung wanted to ask ‘Is that all?’ but he didn’t have a chance to ask. He moved closer, cupped his cheeks with his palms, and began to suck and pull on his lips.
Thump, thump, thump, the sound of the basketball bouncing slowly faded away.
The romantic and obstructed feeling filled the night, it was a truly beautiful and good night.
⌘W.
“The work there is okay. What do you think? It’s popular and of good quality.”
“I also want to finish my portfolio this year and submit it to N-Code. Among all the studios there, they accept the most people, but if not, I’ll have to go to the big companies for money.”
Jaeyoung drank his soju quietly on a cool Saturday evening when he received a call from a friend from the same year asking him to come out to eat before going to the liquor store. Originally, there were two seniors who he knew, but one of them’s girlfriend called him back in the middle, leaving only three people left. They were all about to graduate from E-Design this year, so finding a job became the main topic of conversation.
“Will DEX only accept one person this year?”
“Is that so?… It’s probably hopeless, it’s still difficult for experienced people to get in, do you think new graduates can?”
“Did you know that the president of DEX came to the graduation exhibition last year?”
“Designer Kim Soo-han, really?”
“Yes, he looked great and had a top-notch style. At that time, people were laughing and talking about him like a celebrity. Plus, when we walked around the exhibition, he even said he liked some of the works and asked for the owner’s phone number.”
“Oh, damn… who’s the lucky one over there? They must be working there now. I’m so jealous.”
“Who else could it be? It’s the person sitting right in front of you.”
Jaeyoung, who was quietly drinking, became the target of both of their gazes. The senior, who only knew him by his appearance, asked what he was doing there. When Jaeyoung just laughed without answering, his friend explained it to him.
“He’s taking the TOEFL because he’s going to study abroad.”
“Then why isn’t he going?”
“He got too much attention. He was caught using another to sign his name during a roll call, so he didn’t graduate.”
Then they both laughed heartily. Jaeyoung accepted being the subject of their banter and let them have fun. He knew it wasn’t meant to be malicious, even though there was a hint of jealousy.
“So, Jaeyoung, why haven’t you been in touch? Why haven’t you shown your face lately?”
“I’ve been really busy lately.”
He didn’t know when they became close, but Jaeyoung smiled inwardly and didn’t mind.
“It seems like he has a girlfriend.” His friend smirked mischievously. Then the topic of conversation changed.
“He hasn’t shown his face, and he doesn’t answer his phone. When I walked by, I saw his car parked in the parking lot.”
“Oh, it seems like he’s in the library. Who is it? Let’s see a picture. Don’t tell me there isn’t one.”
The two of them were excitedly guessing the names of female students they were close to last semester.
“Is it Soren?”
“Oh, come on, that’s too obvious. It must be Jung Minjun, one of the dancing club members.”
“I know. It’s Yoona! It has to be her, she looks so scary.”
“Oh my god, you’re crazy. If it’s not Jung Minjun, then it must be Joong
Sooyooon, one of the violin majors. I’m sure of it.”
They even blurted out the name of someone he had almost dated, but now it didn’t mean anything. Jaeyoung quietly drank and let them guess at something that would never be accidentally revealed.
____________________________________.
[1] Forward. Divided into two types: Small forward, responsible for scoring points for the team, and Power forward, responsible for defense under the basket, similar to a center, but with the main task of rebounding or catching missed shots.
[2] Post up. Entering the opposite side’s territory to find a scoring position, which comes in two types: Low Post, “standing under the basketball hoop,” and High Post, “standing near the free-throw line.”
[3] Point Guard. Responsible for overseeing the team’s offense by controlling the ball and passing it to the appropriate player.
[4] Damage dealer, or DPS, “Damage per second.” The offensive position in the game, responsible for inflicting damage on the opposing team.
[5] Cross-over, a basketball technique used to create space between offensive and defensive players.
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