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━━━  " 📂 " ‍..⃗. ༉

𝘾 𝙍 𝙔 𝘽 𝘼 𝘽 𝙔

! chapter thirty ─── ʚĭɞ

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"Hey, Kwon Yeori." Sooa's eyes were wide and flickering over Yeori's shoulder. "Hey!"

"I think if we could just... tie the shirt." Yeori gestured down to her top, relatively convinced that she could keep their conversation about somehow making the P.E. uniform cuter going if she ignored him. "Like if it was cropped, and we got a different jumper for now in winter, it would look better."

"Hey!" Seojun's voice was only getting louder and more disruptive. "Hey, Yeori!"

"Maybe if it was more like our uniform?" Sooa suggested quietly, tossing the ball over the short distance. Yeori nodded thoughtfully, holding the ball to her chest and still keeping her gaze adamantly in front of her.

It was what they had been doing for the past half hour of the lesson,

"Like, we wear the pants and the jacket but can customise other bits?" Yeori added, watching as Sooa nodded. The girl's eyes continued to dart back and forth from her to Seojun behind her and seemed to look a little more panicked when Yeori felt a nudge to her lower back and in her peripheral, she saw Seojun. His chin was resting on her shoulder, perhaps in an effort to force her to stop ignoring him.

Sooa's jaw had dropped, and she was flapping her arms about in Soojin's direction.

"Giving the keys to my sister was a low blow." Seojun hummed, digging his hands into his pockets. She still hadn't moved. "I'm supposed to only be doing what you say, not what Gowoon says."

Yeori pursed her lips. "I'm going to hit you if you don't get away from me." She told him, matter-of-fact. Seojun remained in place, as though contemplating whether or not she was serious. However, when she threw the ball to the side without a glance to where it was going and made to turn around and face him, he took a preemptive step back, hands raised in mock surrender.

"Ah, you're heartless." Seojun flicked his bangs from his eyes. "You were really going to hit me? What about my pretty face?"

"I couldn't give two shits about your face." Yeori's nose wrinkled. "So Gowoon gave you the keys? When I left this morning, I noticed you hadn't moved your bike. Why haven't you moved your bike."

"Gowoon gave me the keys," Seojun confirmed, and his head tilted when she looked up at him, frowning. "But Gowoon isn't you, so I couldn't listen to her."

"I'm going to slash your ties," Yeori said, through gritted teeth. "Seriously, what is your problem, Han Seojun? Why are you going through such trouble? You have to answer. You just said you only listen to me."

"Ah," He scoffed. "You're so short."

"Huh?" Yeori stared at him. "What was that, Han Seojun!"

"Come on, aren't we supposed to be exercising?" Seojun looked around. "Hey, Yoo Taehoon, throw me that ball."

"Taehoon, do not throw him that ball." Yeori snapped. "Did you call me short?" She asked. "I am average height, you're just some kind of freak."

"Are you thirsty?" Seojun asked, ignoring her words as he reached into his jacket, an action that was becoming particularly familiar, and produced a drink. "Here."

"Did you buy all the stock up, or something?" Yeori glared at him, before pausing and snatching the drink off of him. "Don't talk to me." She added and turned back to Sooa, who had been chatting to Jiyoung and trying not to look at them. "Sooa!"

"You two have such public arguments." The girl shook her head, throwing the ball over to her friend. "Really, Yeori, as your best friend, what's going on with you two?"

"Ah," Yeori sighed, cradling the ball to her chest and daring to glance back. Seojun had decided against participation in the lesson and was now sat leaning against one of the goalposts. "I don't know, Susu." She let out a groan and wandered towards the girl. "Can you explain it to me?"

"Awww, Yeori." Sooa frowned, wrapping her in a hug. Jugyeong and Soojin, who had been throwing the ball in a pair beside them made their way over, looking concerned. 

"Do you want me to beat him up for you?" Soojin asked. She was joking, although... Yeori would love to see it. Soojin was a pro at self-defence, when she and Suho were in middle school they both took Taekwondo classes together, but unfortunately she was far too straight-laced to just beat Seojun up. Even if Suho was almost exactly the same and all of a sudden he was more than happy to beat Seojun up. 

"No," Yeori sighed, her head resting on Sooa's shoulder. "If he get's beaten up then it's gonna be me doing it. But never mind all that, it's silly and I'm gonna have to talk to him properly about it at some point."

"In private?" Jugyeong suggested. "Maybe you should-" 

"Our Saviour Suho will play again!" Taehoon shouted halfway across the pitch.

"What?" Hyunkyu spun around. "Suho's going to play? Suho, you didn't say you were going to play! Really? Why's he playing all of a sudden!" 

"Did you know?" Jugyeong asked, leaning forward and watching Suho curiously. The boy, focused on throwing the ball, ignored the gazes of his classmates. Soojin shook her head. "Oh... I guess he's playing in the game."

"Huh?" Hyunkyu looked between the stunned faces. "Who's going to block that giant, huh? We're doomed, we're doomed! We're never gonna... hey, Seojun." Hyunkyu had scanned the field, searching for someone to be the answer to his question, only to find the answer right behind him. 

"What are you looking at?" Seojun asked.

"You're good at basketball, right?" Hyunkyu asked. 

"What?" Seojun looked up at him, smirking. "Why? Do I seem like I'd be good at it?" 

"Yes." Hyunkyu nodded earnestly. 

"I'm super good," Seojun told him. Yeori scoffed.

"You're super good, right?" Hyunkyu repeated back. "Then for the festival, can you join our team and show off your super good skills?" 

Seojun put down the ball he was tossing from hand to hand. "Then..." his head tilted to the side, eyes landing on the four girls stood not so far away. "I'll have to ask Yeori first." He raised a hand, pointing at her. "Lately, I only listen to her." 

"Ohhhh!" Their classmates all but squealed. "He only listens to her!" They chanted. "He only listens to her!" 

Sooa's arm was already around Yeori, rubbing her arm, comforting her. "Yeori," Seojun began. "Do you want to see me play?" 

"Not in the slightest," Yeori replied. "I want you dead, idiot."

"Not in the slightest?" Seojun repeated, as Hyunkyu swore under his breath and Taehoon began to celebrate; without Seojun it appeared as though his team would win. 

Yeori made a face at him, before she felt Sooa's arm tighten around her side and her gaze fell to the ground before her, bowing. "Kwon Yeori!" He shouted. "Please, tell him to play." 

The girl's jaw dropped, staring down at him. "Hyunkyu, this is beneath you, really." She whispered. Not to mention this was far too embarrassing for her to try and deal with. 

"Please." Hyunkyu clasped his hands together. "Please, Kwon Yeori, tell him to play. I really don't want to lose to Taehoon." 

"Hyunkyu, I really couldn't give less of a shit what Seojun does. He's just being stupid." Yeori replied. "Please get up, begging on his behalf is beneath you." 

"If it's what you want, I'll do it," Seojun replied. He was pointing at her again. 

"I really couldn't care less," Yeori said. "Do what you want." 

His pointed finger moved to Hyunkyu on the floor. "I'll play." 

Hyunkyu beamed, jumping to his feet and Yeori let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, so much!" He cheered and ran back towards the newest teammate. 

"It's just like this," Seojun said, holding up the ball and throwing it, as if he was already on the basketball court. The other players on Hyunkyu's team let out a combined cheer. 

"Like this?" Hyunkyu mimicked his pose. Seojun nodded. "Right, let's go." And the pair

Sooa looked conflicted. "He might actually have a crush on you." She said, much to Yeori's chagrin. "He can't just be doing this for no reason, or because he thinks you were right about the motorbike thing." 

"Whether he likes her again, or is messing with her, he's so childish." Soojin agreed, as both Sooa and Jugyeong lined Yeori's sides in a hug, hands rubbing her back and trying to somehow cheer her up. "And I can never figure Suho out. "Look, he's playing volleyball alone." 

"It's handball." Sooa corrected.

"Right." Soojin nodded. 

"I didn't think he'd play basketball for the fair." Yeori nodded her agreement. "He isn't much for team sports." She sighed.

"He isn't much for team anything." Sooa shook her head. Across the pitch, a whistle blew, signalling the end of the lesson. "Can't even give my poor Hoonie a high five." 

"Don't worry about that." Jugyeong waved her hand. "Let's go get changed and go to lunch, I'm starving." 

And the four girls began to make their way across the pitch.