(A/N again; slightly long chapter, more as a pt2 to chapter 10)

Third Person POV

As the game finished an hour or so later, Heiji was desperate to just go home. Kevin and Lia were also confused about what was going on with Jinsoul and her sudden departure, but deep down Lia knew it was something to do with Seoho. She just didn't know how to break it to her friend.

Heiji sat in silence almost the whole time, with her phone in her hand waiting for Jinsoul to reply to her texts. All she had said was that she was okay and not to worry, but Heiji was worried, because deep down - she also knew it was something to do with number 9 or number 13.

"You want to go down and congratulate him?" Lia asks softly, Heiji looks up at the two standing beside her. 

"Not really," she sighs, "guess I'll have to though."

Kevin knew nothing about what was going on, however, he did know that as his work mate stood beside Seoho, something wasn't right. He had seen the incident as Sunwoo left work, how Seoho punched him. He even helped him clean up the blood afterwards.

Sunwoo didn't say a word to Kevin, knowing he and Heiji were close. Kevin assumed as he seen the two hugging and smiling earlier - that everything was okay between them now. 

As they head down the stairs, struggling to make it past all the people crowding around the benches, Seoho spots Heiji heading over his way. He moves quickly, considering Sunwoo was right beside him with the rest of the players. As Heiji looks up, however, the first person she sees is Sunwoo. 

Breaking the stare between the two, Seoho lightly grabs her arm and Lia and Kevin wait elsewhere as the two talk, Kevin throwing a quick thumbs up to his workmate. "Hey."

"Oh, hey," she awkwardly fidgets as Sunwoo diverts his gaze elsewhere. "Good game."

"Yeah," Seoho breathes out, also diverting his gaze elsewhere. "Will you be able to get home okay by yourself?"

It was sudden, Seoho usually always walked her home, but today - she really didn't want him to. She was relieved to hear his words when any other time she would have questioned them.

"Yeah absolutely, I'm a big girl, Seoho."

"Jeez, sorry," he throws his hands up defensively, taken aback by the girls words. "It's just the guys are celebrating after this and going for a drink, I was thinking of joining, only if you're okay with that and can get home okay."

"Why are you asking me as though you need my permission?" Heiji says abruptly. She doesn't know where the harsh words are coming from, but she was too stressed and upset to deal with him. 

"I didn't mean it like that," Seoho defends himself, noticing how uncomfortable she looks standing before him. "I'm gonna g-"

"Yeah me too, see you later."

Heiji cuts him off abruptly before turning sharply and walking over to Lia and Kevin who were pretending that they weren't listening. Unbeknown to the pair, Sunwoo was listening the whole time, with a small smirk appearing on his face at the small dispute between the pair. He too had noticed the distraught look on the mans face when he was looking in her direction, and he could only assume that there was something very wrong to make him react like that. 

"You ready to go?" Lia asks, linking arms with the girl. "I'll be able to drive you guys home."

The ride home, Lia and Kevin noticed that Heiji had not smiled once since the start of the game, and tried their best to cheer her up by singing songs that were playing on the radio, and chatting about other things to take her mind off it.

Heiji smiled the whole time. She loved spending time with her closest friends, and she was also really happy with how well the pair have gotten on for their first day meeting. It was nice to see Lia this happy, and Kevin too.

She insisted that Lia dropped her home first, to give the pair a bit of time alone together again. "Thank you so much for the ride, Lia."

"Don't be silly," Lia smiles, holding the girls hand through the driver seats window. "Just a shame you left me to deal with this loser on my own."

Kevin leans over, dramatically gasping, "I think she loves me."

Lia slaps his arm and moves his head back against his seat as Heiji throws them a finger heart before running down the pathway to her house. No sign of her mothers car, then she remembers her mother works overnight on a Wednesday.

"The house all to myself," Heiji lets out a small sigh, before running up the stairs to get changed into comfies (comfortable clothing, loungewear). 

Her idea of 'comfies' was a t-shirt which came down to her knees followed by a pair of leggings and big fuzzy slippers, to lounge on the couch and do nothing for the night. There was plenty she could be doing, except she chose not to. Not tonight, when her emotions were all over the place. 

Hours later she found herself waking up on the couch with the blanket wrapped almost the whole way around her head, making her jerk up and gasp for air.

"Jesus woman, do you have a death wish?" She mutters to herself, quickly sorting herself and turning down the TV just to hear the grumble coming from her stomach. "I guess you do."

As she passes through to the kitchen, she's sure she sees movement from outside her kitchen window. She grabs the empty baking tray she was about to use and crouches, before she recognises the shape of the head that is bopping back and forth, walking up and down the decking outside her front door. 

As she reaches the door, she calms her breathing, before opening to see a dazzled Sunwoo with his big doe eyes.

"What are you doing?" She asks abruptly, wiping her eyes as they are still blurry from her nap.

"I guess I have a few things to explain," he says looking up at her. God, he missed her face. "If you'd let me?"

"I'm sure you do." Heiji says harshly, looking at him before putting the tray down. As it clinks off the ground, Sunwoo's eyes wander down to see what it was she was holding, and instead gets a glimpse of her massive bear slippers. 

"Nice slippers."

"Thanks, I know," Heiji looks down and wriggles her feet as Sunwoo giggles lightly. "What is it you wanted to explain?"

"About your run in with Jiwoo."

"And you couldn't have approached me at school? You just had to come to my doorstep and wander back and forth like a serial killer debating his next move?"

"Approach you in the halls, and then what? Risk your boyfriend hitting me again?" He retaliates.

"He told me he didn't hit you," Heiji starts, holding on to the door knob and hiding behind it as best as she can due to the cold wind hitting her. Sighing as he looks at her with a serious face, his ears and cheeks red from the cold, she knows she has to invite him in. "You can come in."

She picks up the baking tray before Sunwoo steps in the house, letting out a sigh of relief at the warmth. It was arguably too warm, but it felt good against his cold, sensitive skin. 

"Thank you," he says, before awkwardly looking around. "You have a nice house."

"Thank you," she repeats him, looking to see where the best place to converse was, before walking over to the island in the middle of the kitchen. "You can sit, if you want."

He chooses a chair and sits down, Heiji sitting at the far opposite side from him. It felt weird seeing him in her house, but she couldn't deny the sight made her feel a little warm. 

"How come you weren't out celebrating?" Heiji asks.

"I was for a bit, I decided to leave early though."

"Why?" 

"Just didn't feel up to it."

"You scored a couple of goals, I'm sure you would've been getting all the praise and free drinks for the night."

Sunwoo laughs lightly, looking around at the pale blue walls before looking back down again. "I played my best today." For you, he thought. 

A silence falls over the two, as Sunwoo's mind drifts to how every time he done something impressive the crowds reaction would be nothing compared to the girl's smile of approval, but her mind was too elsewhere to even give him that. 

"Seoho did hit me, Heiji."

Heiji rolls her eyes, placing her head in her hands. "I don't believe that."

"Why don't you believe that?" Sunwoo challenges her. He truly wanted to know her reasoning behind it. 

"I trust Seoho, okay?" She starts, eyeing the boy. "He's my friend, one of my closest friends, he has been since I met him in school. That night, I made sure he got home. He would never do something like that."

"Heiji," Sunwoo says sternly as the girl looks away from his face. "He came back."

"Impossible, he was nearly floored, you seen how drunk he w-"

"He came back," he repeated slowly. "He came back, and waited at my car for me. He punched me and I didn't fight back."

"You didn't fight back?" Heiji asks, confused. "That isn't like you."

Sunwoo throws his head into his hands, rubbing his eyes, frustrated at the girls words. "Do you believe me, Heiji?"

"Why should I?" She stands her ground, although her heart was telling her that she did believe him. "You tried to ruin things for us."

"Oh, I did?" He laughs sarcastically. "It was all me, wasn't it?"

Heiji gulps, she knew there was no coming back from that. "I'm sorry for what I said to Jiwoo."

"Were you trying to get one up on me?" He asks, getting out his chair and walking round towards the girl. "I guess we're equal now."

As he reaches his hand out to her, like the first time, she reluctantly gives him her hand, and firmly shakes. He looks down at her, seeing her eyes turn glossy and a slight whimper come from her throat. Her vision was clouded by the tears building up in her eyes, her head swarming with so many thoughts at the one time that she began to feel overwhelmed. 

"Did he really lie to me?" She asks, as Sunwoo's face drops as does her first tear, all he can do is nod. "Then he's lied to me about other things." 

"And you haven't lied to him?" Sunwoo says quietly and lightly, reaching to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear before it gets caught in the wetness forming on her cheek. 

Her memory flashes back to Jinsoul's face today, the distraught and almost horror that appeared once she seen the two boys. She thought at first it could have been from seeing Sunwoo, goodness knows how many girls he had dated in the past. But as her words about jealousy and manipulation came to the front of Heijis mind, it all made perfect sense. 

She wipes her tears quickly, as Sunwoo takes a step back from her abrupt movements. "Sorry about that." 

"You okay?" He looks at her worriedly, her change of demeanour was scary, but he knew girls could switch easily like that sometimes. 

"Yeah," she breathes out, realising their hands were still clasped together. Her hand grows sweaty in his grasp as she looks into his confused eyes. "I'm sorry, I've got some things to sort out. Thanks for stopping by."

With a deep breath to calm her nerves, she attempts to let go, but Sunwoo has other ideas. Immersed by the beauty he rarely seen so up-close, typically always admiring from afar, he pulls her hand forward, bringing her face inches to his. 

Heiji's heart beat pulses through her ears, the sound so loud she feared he could also hear it. As she felt his warm breath graze her face, he turned slowly and planted a small kiss upon her cheek, before whispering in her ear. "If you need anymore proof or clarity, I need you to talk to Kevin, okay?"

She takes a deep breath, blowing cold air upwards to give some air to her now warm face and rosy cheeks, Sunwoo pulls away and heads slowly towards the door, looking back at the girl one last time before closing the door and leaving.