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onyourm-u · 2 years

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Brutally Analyzing EPEX’s Stage Presence Archetypes

Another typical day of scrolling videos on Youtube. One video I came across was from the username "everglow-up." I knew the clickbait-y title would lure me into her channel, but boy did I find the video interesting and informative.

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This video was particularly talking about Billlie's Stage Presence Archetypes based on the following:

Aura (Feminine vs Masculine)

Energy Type (Overt vs Covert)

Presence Type (Dominant vs Charismatic vs Sensual)

If you'd like a deep dive into those concepts, go ahead and check out the video I have linked above, or check out this video of hers as well.

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I have also seen her do an analysis of other groups like EXO and Red Velvet, but I haven't seen her do EPEX or NCT (which I might make a blog on in the future).

I will mainly focus on EPEX's Stage Presence Archetypes using those concepts.

Disclaimer: This is not to determine whether a member's presence is good or bad, but I will point out some of their weak points. I am not writing this to hate on any member nor will sugarcoat any of my takes. If you disagree with any of these, it's okay—just don't be a jerk about it. If you want to, then don't read this.

Ayden

Masculine Overt Charismatic

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As a performer, Ayden seems underappreciated. He has one of the best stage presence in the group. Similar to Keum, he also has the perfect balance of almost everything. He tends to maintain great consistency and energy level throughout every performance. His strong facial expressions and body language are in perfect harmony.

At the same time, those facial expressions are appropriate for each concept. When he needs to exhibit the cutesy "Noona's Cat," he becomes this little dancing ball of fur, especially with his fluffy platinum-blonde hair. Oh, man!! It was such a joy to watch. When he needs to exude a dark "Rebellious Wolf," he turns a 180. He would give you passion and hardcore. In other words, he is a versatile performer. His fancams are never tiring to watch.

Overall, the issue with his stage presence would be his face looks too aggressive sometimes. But it's not bothersome enough to ruin his performances.

Keum

Masculine Overt Dominant-Charismatic

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The first thing that I thought when I saw Keum's stage presence was, "I love it!" From facial expressions to body language, he has the perfect balance in almost any aspect. He knows what facial expressions are suitable for each concept and do these effortlessly without seeming too intense.

I've seen his performances in Produce X 101, and they were crème de la crème. His Dominant side started to manifest during Believer, and integrating it with his Charismatic facial expressions was just on point. As for Super Special Girl, it showed how he can smoothly adapt to a wide range of concepts.

Under normal circumstances, performers look dead when they stop moving their faces. But with Keum, he manages to capture my attention regardless.

On the other hand, his stage presence comes with extraneous factors despite carrying out consistently good performances. His wardrobe styling and hair color choices could be the leading contributors to this. While everyone else had hair and outfits with vivid colors, he stuck to the monotonous palette during Do 4 Me era. This made him visually overshadowed by (for lack of a better word) more multicolored members like Baekseung or Ayden. I wish he had a more striking hair color other than blond with brighter concepts.

Wish

Masculine Overt Charismatic-Sensual

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Wish is like the Overt version of EXO Xiumin. He has both strong facial expressions and body language whenever he performs. He tends to move in an "in your face" manner with a hint of such subtlety.

The performance that really showcased his Sensual side is Lone Wolf. That song was totally made for him. He had pink hair at the time they performed it on music shows, but the fact that he had black hair during their Seoul concert was such a cherry on top. It really helped in strengthening his overall stage presence.

However, the issue with Wish's stage presence is consistency. They tend to be what I call "all or nothing." One minute, he outperforms everyone, and then the next, his facial expressions are almost nonexistent. This happens when the camera pans away from him. He also seems to struggle with versatility, which becomes apparent when the song does not suit his stage presence archetype. He was quite too seductive in cute songs like Do 4 Me because he doesn’t have the right facial expressions, and was boring to watch on Hymn to Love because he didn’t have any.

Baekseung

Masculine Covert Charismatic

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Baekseung possesses strong facial expressions. But unlike other Charismatic performers, his body language does not come across as “in your face.” Hence, I classify him as a Covert performer.

Despite his passive energy type, he was able to attract enough attention from the audience through his looks and hair color. This case was most evident with his long pink hair during Do 4 Me era. Apart from the fact that it makes him look like a real-life AI, it is one of the contributing factors to accentuating his naturally Charismatic stage presence.

Although Baekseung managed to maintain the same energy level throughout performances, versatility is something that he needs to work on. He made the facial expressions work for each performance, but he has been doing the exact same set for songs with totally different vibes. For instance, he winks and sticks his tongue out during AOTS (a dark hardcore song) the way he does with Do 4 Me (a light funky one).

Jeff

Masculine Overt Dominant-Charismatic

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Jeff manages to balance both his Dominant side and Charismatic side. I was confused about classifying him as either one of the two at first. His facial expression is either too strong for a Dominant performer or too subtle for a Charismatic performer. Thus, I came to the conclusion that he is both.

He relies a lot on body language without having to become as expressive as other Charismatic performers. Even if he becomes as expressive, he does it with great timing. But for the most part, he furrows his brows and intensely stares into the camera for the entirety of each performance, which I'd like to call the "Squinty Eyebrows."

In that sense, it's both a pro and a con. It's a pro because even if he doesn't do much with his face, he doesn't come across as boring. Similar to Baekseung, it's a con because THAT'S IT. That's all he does whenever he performs. He may do a little aegyo or the double squinty brows and all that jazz. But other than that, he's bringing nothing new to the table.

A-Min

Feminine Covert Dominant-Sensual

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Being the only Feminine performer in the group, one thing I like about A-Min is that he has great chemistry with a group full of masculine performers. Despite the difference in stage presence aura, he blends in so well since he is a Covert performer. There are three other Covert performers in the group, making him not seem entirely invisible in performances.

A-Min doesn't do much with his face but projects it through his body language instead. He has both loud and subtle movements without making it seem "in your face," which I think is still interesting to watch. This, in turn, makes him both a Dominant and a Sensual performer. Lone Wolf is THAT performance that he absolutely nailed along with Wish, another Sensual performer. Whoever thought of making them do a dance duet in the intro is such a genius. It really displayed their sensual sides so well.

However, I thought A-Min would show off his cuter side in songs with lighter concepts. But nah...he remained constant. He manages to keep a stable level of energy but lacks versatility. He does the same thing as he usually does with more serious concepts, making him less fascinating to watch. This is quite a shame because he has the potential to be more cutesy in a more Dominant performer way.

Yewang

Masculine Covert Dominant

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Like other Dominant performers, Yewang relies more on body movements. His facial expression would sometimes complement his overall stage presence (Not to be confused with Charismatic performers. They treat facial expressions as the main course of their stage presence, while Yewang's is a side dish).

However, he would come across as aloof (even more than MU) whenever he missed the right timing for the expressions. Either he stares at the camera and does the "squinty brows" the way Jeff does, or he looks straight-up dead.

He managed to improve some of these aspects in just a year. Just look at his fancams in No Questions compared to Hymn to Love. He was a bit dull and boring on the former, but he had a better grasp of what to do on the latter. He had better timing for using his face and toned his gaze down a bit, and it's not boring at all. He still needs to work on his longevity and consistency. He sometimes struggles to retain the same energy in the long run.

Masculine Covert Dominant

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MU, like Yewang, tends to use facial expressions to complement his stage presence. Except, it doesn't work at all. In other words, he is a Dominant performer trying hard to exude Charisma. This is why watching his fancams often felt like watching a triangle trying to fit into a round hole (particularly during the AOTS era). He emphasized his facial expressions so much that they came across as unnatural. While it is supposed to aid his stage presence, it just looks so funny and awkward on him.

I get that he wants to go for the vibe of each concept, but I don't think he needs a loud face to do just that. He could just stand there and still be entertaining to watch. All he has to do is rely more on body language. He was able to attain this with his performance during Breathtaking, and it was...breathtaking. It was pleasant to watch, as he did a fantastic job utilizing his stage presence.

On a side note, he still struggles to fit in his Dominant side in EPEX's Dark and Charismatic-heavy concepts, which makes him more aloof than he actually is. He is not a bad performer, just a confused one. He hasn't explored himself as a performer enough to find the right stage presence type. He has a long way to go.

Group Chemistry

EPEX overall has yet to fully establish their chemistry on stage. Despite this, they have a perfect balance of Overt and Covert performers. While they have a balanced number of Dominant, Charismatic, and Sensual performers, there's no doubt that their performances cater to the Charismatic performers. The songs and choreographies are Charismatic-heavy, so it makes sense that members with this archetype stand out the most. It does not help that most of them are Overt performers. Heck, even Baekseung stood out among them. While he is a Covert performer, he is also a Charismatic one.

This does not imply that non-Charismatic performers live in their shadows, as there are Charismatic members who also have another archetype. Keum and Jeff are both Charismatic and Dominant, while Wish is both Charismatic and Sensual. That does not disorient them from Dominant performers, especially A-Min, who is also a Sensual performer.

It would have been better if they had more concepts or choreographies that show their Dominant side, especially when the non-Charismatic Dominant performers are all Covert.

Subjective Takes

I know—it seems like I have written Keum as the one with the best stage presence, but Ayden takes the lead on who is more interesting to watch. Apart from the hair color choice, he tends to bring more charm and color to every concept in comparison. I realized this when I tried to watch another member's fancam (I think it was a Baekseung one). I accidentally saw Keum and Ayden next to each other, but the latter happened to captivate my attention more.

As for the rest, they are great performers. Maybe they're not as excellent as you want them to be now, but there is always room for improvement.

I believe EPEX as a group has so much potential, especially Wish. They are the group whose growth and development would totally look forward to.

After all, it has only been a year since they debuted, and they have six more years to learn and perform better. STAN EPEX!!

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hinaaspanda · 3 years

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tall, blonde and gorgeous! | khw

Pairing: Volleyball au! Kim Hyunwoo/Baekseung + Fem! Reader

Warnings: Swearing

Genre: Best friends to Lovers, Angst, Crack, Fluff

Word Count: 10,393 oh my

Now, like a waking nightmare, you’re stuck getting flustered over your best friend. Dawning his new and improved image, now complete with the new hair he won’t shut up about, your heart can’t seem to catch a break. Kim Hyunwoo was glowing up too fast, and you couldn’t handle it.

a/n: hi! i’m here with my first non-nct dream fic! i decided to write about my epex bias, hyunwoo! expect morre fics about other idols in the future~ i had alot of fun with this and i hope you enjoy! make sure to check out epex and their music too, it’s great!

a/n again: also i know i said this was a volleyball au but the sport really isn’t that important of a plot point lolol oh well :DD

...

“I can’t believe you actually did it.” You barely managed to spit out, a sweet blend of shock, disappointment, and pure horror taking over your tone. You scoff, cocking an eyebrow as you watch Hyunwoo take a seat before you within the fast food place. His hand, lined with the excitement of a sugar-rushed child, brushes through his now golden blonde hair. You could only laugh. Out of all the changes your best friend could’ve gone through, this was definitely not on your list.

“For your information, I actually quite like this new style, I think it suits me!” Hyunwoo let out with a huff, nestling his back onto the back rest of the fast food bench. Confidence oozing out of his frame as he crossed his arms, only earning an eye roll from you. He brushes another hand through his hair, an unfortunate habit you already saw forming before your eyes. “Man, I’m gonna bag so many dates with this!”

Your eyelids fell into a ‘disappointed but not surprised’ themed glare, an eyebrow cocking upwards as you toss a fry into your mouth. Of course that was his motive, his ultimate goal. You couldn’t help but blame yourself, you should’ve known better when you first caught your best friend staring at the blonde box dye at the supermarket last week. You toss another fry, giving him a cold, unassuming stare. Maybe you needed to put him back in his place.

“Really? You think you’re gonna get girls while looking like some french fry? Good luck, buddy” You pushed a scoff from your chest.

Hyunwoo hisses out in exaggerated pain. “Harsh. But I don’t think that’s gonna work on me, y/n. Just look at you! You can’t even take your eyes off me!”

As if on cue, a sudden sensation of heat creeps up to your cheeks as your head hangs low in embarrassment. He was right. Until now, your eyes have been laid on nowhere else but Hyunwoo’s frame. And you would rather die than admit it, but he looked good. A little too good for your liking, you might add.

Hyunwoo was wrong about one thing, though; It wasn’t just the new blonde hair that you couldn’t get over.

This new phenomenon only began a few months ago: last summer, to be exact. Kim Hyunwooーyour one and only childhood friendーhad spiked in height tremendously, easily surpassing the likes of full grown adults in mere weeks. And with his sudden urge to tone his frame with workouts miraculously lining up with his growth spurt, Hyunwoo easily landed a spot in your highschool’s volleyball team the following year; starting line up, no less. It was a sight to behold, how lucky this aspiring athlete had gotten in such a short timeframe.

Anyone could imagine how fast the highlighter head’s ego boosted the moment his life began to fall satisfyingly into place. He grew more confident, more bold. Nothing stood in the way of this highschool freshman anymore. And while you thought you never found an over-confident persona too attractive, your stubborn, fast pacing heart and riled up cheeks obviously had other things to say on the matter.

“Y/n? Y/N!” Hyunwoo jolted you awake from your questionable inner thoughts, your limp fingers dropping the fry that was once suspended in them.

“Yeah?” You pushed a lump out of your throat.

“Relax! I was just kidding, idiot.” Hyunwoo effortlessly stole one of your precious fries, plopping into his mouth before continuing. “No need to space out or anything.”

“God you’re so annoying.” You muttered a half-assed snapback.

“And you’re so in love with me, just admit it!”

He shoots you a wink, setting you aback in pure shock. Hyunwoo shoots up, heading for the exit. He hastily shoves his hands in his pockets before finally turning to your stunned figure. “Hurry up, I got practice tomorrow!”

You scrambled to gather your belongings, too trapped in a state of shock to utter a single word back. Anyone else would’ve found it suspicious at your sudden loss of words, or basic breathing skills, for that matter. Anyone else would’ve taken a hint or two, but not him. Despite switching up his entire character all last summer, one thing that never failed to stay constant was his complete dumbassery. And for once, you appreciated his annoyingly dense head.

In love with you? You wish!

...

“We literally have a final in two days!” You helplessly squabble the force of your now ecstatic lab partner, pulling you rather harshly to the volleyball gym’s main doors. Your chemistry notes moments away from flying off into the abyss with every sharp turn you and your partner take down the halls. “Yejun, We have to study!”

“Who cares about chem?? I need to see that Yewang wasn’t bullshiting me about Hyunwoo!”

The two of you finally reach the doors, subtly slipping through them as you scan your surroundings for any available seats. You stop to catch your breath, the reality of the short distance from your classroom to the gym serving as a cruel reminder of your poor athleticism. You shoot a curious stare at your lab partner. “Hyunwoo?”

“Yeah, I heard he dyed his hair or something. And I gotta see it for myself!”

A scoff escapes your lips. It was astounding how fast Yejun’s mood had changed from a pessimistic corpse throughout your fourth period, to this ecstatic puppy currently before you. And it was all just for some dyed hair. Hyunwoo really did have that effect on people, didn’t he?

Like you could say anything on the matter.

The two of you finally settle down on a set of bleachers, gazing at the volleyball team before you; Captain Dawit, Yewang from chem, their teammates Donghyun, Minwoo, Kyungmin, Jaeho, and of course Hyunwoo. Most of them were your actual good friends, one was even your own brother. However, watching them thrive in the court, even you couldn’t deny that they embodied celebrities. They were untouchable, like valuable artifacts at a museum. And as the growing crowd of students and onlookers would suggest, you weren’t alone in that opinion.

Maybe it was the bright highlighter hair, or the mere fact that he easily towered over everyone else in the room, but all eyes were on Hyunwoo. Of course, you were no exception. Your eyes settled into his figure as he tossed the volleyball into the air, smacking it down with overwhelming force as it traveled to the other side of the gym. His blonde locks swimming in the wind as he jumps to smash another loose ball above him. He was in his element, and you just couldn’t bring yourself to look away.

“So Yewang wasn’t kidding?” Yejun spits out in pure astonishment. He turns to you, wide eyed and gleaming with excitement. “He actually looks pretty good! How much you guys wanna bet Hyunwoo gets his own fanclub after this?”

Hints of bitterness ghosted over your shoulders as Yejun uttered the last bit of his baffling sentence. You definitely weren’t used to this sensation and nor was your body, evident by your shoulders curling inwards as an immediate response. The tip of your tongue grew sour at the very thought of a dedicated Hyunwoo fanbase. It doesn’t make sense to you, how that french fry looking freshman could pull the hearts of one girl, let alone enough to form a club. In your eyes, he was a child, the same child who always bugged you for food or to play outside. In your eyes, he was just your best friend.

“Are you kidding me? This is Hyunwoo we’re talking about, right?”

Hyunwoo was your best friend, not some highschool celebrity.

He was yours.

Your eyes grow wide, your heart finally leaping back into your chest after choking your throat with that very alarmingーand very wrongーhot take. You shake away that intruding thought, your vigorous head jolting your ecstatic science lab partner. In what world did Hyunwoo belong to you? An unfamiliar, burning sensation crept up your frame like a disease. A disease even healthcare professionals couldn’t pinpoint. What was going on with you?

A sudden shifting of the bleachers behind you shook you awake from your daydream, or more accurately: your nightmare. You really needed to watch yourself. You’ve been taking your attention away from reality more frequently, as of late. The presence of a few girls plop up right behind you. Their chatters, while quiet, are just loud enough for your ears to perk up in curiosity.

“Is that Hyunwoo? He looks cute with that new hair color!” One giggled out. You couldn’t help but grow annoyed by her voice.

“Oh my gosh! You’re totally right!” Another gasped. Her voice, just as distasteful in your ears.

“I think I’m gonna ask him for his number!” The third rang out, ticking you off a little more than you expected. Her words ignited a flame in your heart, leaving the logical side of your brain to suffocate in the disease of jealousy. You wanted to scream, cry, wail, and you didn’t even know why. All you knew was that the thought of Hyunwoo leaving your life for good, was not a thought you could live with.

You couldn’t keep going like this. This wasn’t right. Hyunwoo. Wasn’t. Yours. Were you going crazy??

You suddenly shot up and out of your seat, your breaths running short as you tried to hide your crisis from a stunned Yejun and the three girls behind you. The three girls who were able to successfully set your world ablaze.

Nevermind. It was pretty evident who the true culprit was.

“Hey y/n?” Yejun finally peeled his eyes off of the practice game below, setting his attention to your suspicious, standing figure. “You good?”

“Yeah!” You chirped, your voice almost cracking under the pressure. “I just remembered… I really gotta study!”

“For chem? You’ll be fine! Just stay an-”

“Nope! No thanks!” Your voice was peeping so high, dogs couldn’t hear it even if they tried. “I really need to go, ok yeah bye!”

You zoomed out of the gym doors, catching your breath as you reached the school hallway. You really hated how your excessively beating heart couldn’t even be blamed on exhaustion anymore, not with Hyunwoo plaguing your mind like that.

It was official. Kim Hyunwoo was the one and only source of your inner turmoil. You were sure of it.

...

hyunwoo the french fry <3 [7:43 p.m.]: yo i saw you at practice today

hyunwoo the french fry <3 [7:43 p.m.]: why didn’t you say hi? >:(

hyunwoo the french fry <3 [7:45 p.m.]: y/n?

You couldn’t bring yourself to reply to his frantic texts as you lay in your bed that night. You couldn’t bring yourself to do much, actually. All of your energy was saved for burying your face into your pillow, contemplating how insane your heart has gotten just now.

Now, it was 8 in the evening. The breeze was faintly pushing through your window, yet your skin was still suspended in flames.

You didn’t know what came over you at the volleyball gym earlier that day. The sensation felt foreign to you, like dipping your toes into a freezing cold pool after basking in the summertime heat. It was disgusting, seeing how fast your own mood switched the moment some girl showed interest in him. It made you sick to the stomach. Not to mention how ridiculous that random spasm of your heart was. Hyunwoo had every right to go off and date the next fangirl in his view, and you definitely had no right to stop him. He was only your best friend, afterall.

You could handle that, right?

It didn’t matter though. If your questionable jealous spasm this afternoon taught you anything, it was that your feelings, whatever they were, needed to be stopped. ASAP. You couldn’t let yourself continue like this. Besides, if Hyunwoo was just gonna leave your life eventually, might as well beat him to it. You weren’t overreacting, this was needed. In order for your heart to heal, you needed to get away. You knew it was cowardly, but it had to be done.

“So, let me get this straight,” Yejun’s voice peaked through his mic as you, him, and Yewang continued your conference call through the night. Yejun’s brows furrowed in confusion, trying his best to untangle the mess of your heart. “You’re tryna distance yourself from Hyunwoo because… you’re jealous of other girls?”

“No, you completely missed the point!” You huffed. “I need to distance myself because I don’t want to be jealous! He’s my best friend, I don’t own him or anything!”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to distance yourself a little,” Yewang chimed in through a mouthful of chips, each crunch poking your ears with irritation. “But, with how jealous you’re suddenly feeling, shouldn’t you just cut the crap and admit you like him?”

That familiar heat creeped up your cheeks once again, the same sensation from everytime your childhood friend would send a wink your way, or call you beautiful out of the blue. There went your heart again, quickening in pace every time you thought about that stupid highlighter head. The idea of falling for best friend had crossed your mind before, but it was just a stupid dream. You couldn’t fall for Hyunwoo, you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself.

“Yewang’s right. Why can’t you just tell him how you feel?” Yejun suddenly spoke.

A sigh heaved from your chest. “Like I said, he’s my best friend, Yejun. I’m not allowed to like him. I can’t like him.”

A blanket of awkward silence fell on top of the three of you. It was the type of silence you dreaded the most. You needed something to serve as a distraction from your heightened heart, and the sounds of crunching chips and the miscellaneous cough weren’t exactly what you were looking for. Yejun gazed at your eyes through the video call screen with pursed lips.

“Look, we’ll help you with this distancing thing, alright? But just think about what we said.” Yejun nagged.

“Maybe telling him won’t be as bad as you think!” Yewang added on, hoping to cheer up your pitiful frame in any way possible. “Hyunwoo seems too nice to reject you, if that’s what you’re worried about. Anyways, I gotta log off, my mom’s gonna kick my ass if I’m late for practice again!”

The three of you bid your farewells before ending the midnight call session. You shut off your monitor, immediately greeting your rather rough reflection. Maybe stressing over some 6’1” lanky volleyball boy wasn’t too good for your complexion. It didn’t matter though, as much as you love your friends, you cared for your heart more. From now on, Kim Hyunwoo will be out of your life.

And you could forget about confessing your feelings. It would never happen in this lifetime, you could definitely count on that.

...

Call it pure luck, or the gods above pitying your love life, but distancing yourself from the highlighter head has been astoundingly easy so far. Every morning and afternoon, the athlete was bombarded with volleyball practice, which gave you easy access to slip away. You allowed yourself to spend time with Yejun and your other friends more, letting them become a successful shield and distraction from that walking french fry. Slowly but surely, you were piecing your life back together, all without Kim Hyunwoo in your view.

And today would have been another successful day of avoiding him, if it weren’t for your annoying older brother.

You ambled through the school halls as a faint buzz jumped from your phone. Grabbing the device, you watched as ‘Dawit’ appeared on your screen. You heave out a sigh as you reluctantly answer the call. It hurt like hell trying to sit through fourth period chemistry, and all you wanted right now was to collapse on your bed at home. Dawit definitely had some explaining to do.

“Yeah?”

“Hey, have you seen Hyunwoo?”

You choked. “What?”

“Hyunwoo. That idiot’s late for practice again, and coach’s all over our asses about it. Do you know where he is?”

You could feel your mind drawing to a blank, Hyunwoo washing over your head once again. “Uh- no, sorry.”

“Really? Shit, alright. If you don’t know where he is, I guess no one else will. If you find him somewhere just text me, kay? I gotta go.” Dawit hastily dropped the call, most likely to receive another lecure from his coaches. You pitied him, really. Having to go through bootcamp level training just to play for a highschool team, not to mention how cruel those coaches seemed. You felt sorry for your brother and his team.

However, you didn’t feel too bad for Dawit. There was no way in hell you’d go out of your way to meet up with Hyunwoo, not with your progress on the line.

Shoving your phone back in your bag, you continued on your way through the halls. A sigh escaped your lips. Deep down, you missed him. You missed being able to waltz into his house without a care in the world, spending every afternoon clowning him and his poor sharp-shooting skills on the t.v. You missed your late night strolls to the convenience store on weekends, procrastinating on your endless amounts of school work. You knew this whole distancing plan would come with a price.

You missed Hyunwoo, your best friend for basically your entire life. However, you had no remorse for this newer Hyunwoo. This highschool, volleyball celebrity, stealing the hearts of girls left and right. He was a stranger to you, and you certainly didn’t miss him.

You approached the last stream of lockers before the exit, two figures leaned up against them like magnets. You couldn’t recognize them at first, and your exhausted frame only told you to simply ignore them, but as a familiar blonde shadow came into the frame of your peripheral vision, you knew you had to stop in your tracks.

Giggles emitted from the scene before you. A girl’s back faced you, twirling her hair between her fingers as she looked up at the boy in front of her. The boy in question, gripped his gym bag strap, suspending it against his chest as he shot a smile towards the girl. With his free hand, he brushes through his blonde hair. Kim Hyunwoo’s habits never really changed, didn’t they?

“Do you think we could hang out sometime?” the girl suggested, a horrendous amount of flirtation riddling her tone. “I’m free this weekend, if you were wondering.”

That familiar flame lit atop of your heart again, your breaths growing shallow as you burned your eyes onto the scene. Your skin grew hot, palms slowly drenching in sweat. You gripped the strap of your bag with immense force, not giving a damn when your knuckles turned white. This was all automatic at this point, and you hated it with every inch of your being. It was obvious: no matter how far you ran away from them, your feelings for Hyunwoo would never leave.

“This weekend?” Hyunwoo stalled, a hand reaching behind to scratch the nape of his neck. His eyes wandered around as you, off to the side, held your own breath. “I’ll think about it-”

The head of the blonde figure whipped to your direction, eyes widening as far as your peripheral vision would allow. As if it were a planned act on stage, he inched away from the girl, who now dawned a confused and offended expression on her face.

Fuck.

Without hesitation, you whipped around, retracing your steps down the hall. Anything to undo time, anything to get away from him. He was the last thing your tense, fired-up heart could ask for. He would only make everything much, much worse. Your steps grew quicker once you heard his trotting right behind you, leaving that girl to fend for herself. The pulsating heart encased in your chest was beating so hard, you were convinced it would explode right then and there.

Of course you tried to get away, but your little stubs were no match for Hyunwoo’s lanky legs. Of course he was able to catch up in mere seconds.

“Y/n! Wait up!” He hollered through the hallway, catching the attention of various teachers and students passing by, but never yours. You never gave him the light of day as you glanced away, definitely not expecting the move he was about to pull next.

A hand suddenly tugs onto your wrist rather harshly, whipping you around to face his chest. You could almost laugh at how much he towered over your figure. If you had the courage to look up at his gaze at this very moment, you were sure your neck would crack under the pressure. Your cowardly eyes, however, could only gaze downwards, taking in the musty view of the ground. Hyunwoo dips down, trying his best to meet your eyes. Mere centimeters suspend between your faces.

“Hey, is something wrong?”

Your words stay choked up in your throat. Your breaths grow shallow as your eyes scan for anything outside of the blonde silhouette before you. Hyunwoos eyes, drenched in worry, scan your figure hastily.

“N-no-”

“Where are you headed?” A familiar jumpy attitude lined his tone. It was foolish of him to think that was all it took to calm your flaming heart.

“Home-”

“Let me walk you home!” Hyunwoo began, his stupid face lighting up in excitment. “I haven’t seen you in a while-”

“No!” You rebutted, your voice peaking higher than you would’ve liked. It shook Hyunwoo to his core, his grip on your wrist slowly loosening, but never fully letting go. You softened your tone. “You have practice right now, Dawit’s looking for you, and..”

You trailed off, still refusing to meet his eyes. “I wanna walk home on my own right now, so let me go-”

You finally gathered up the courage to swat his hands away before whisking your figure off into the horizon of the hallway. Your heartbeat never slowed down to your liking as your breath hitched upon finally pushing through the school exit. Your skin still felt hot to the touch despite brushing against the chilled wind. You didn’t care about the slacking athlete you had just abandoned, the health of your heart mattered much more.

You thought back to the nervous Dawit stuck in volleyball practice, probably facing another lecture against his own will. You didn’t care about him either. He was your older brother, he could fend for himself.

You, however, couldn’t.

...

Hyunwoo knew he was gonna mess up at some point. But he never knew it would go this downhill.

The highlighter head stood still in the now barren hallway, the offended gasps coming from the other girl behind him never grazing his attention. He couldn’t afford to lay a simple glance on that girl, not with your figure escaping his fingertips, waltzing away through the halls. His knuckles grow white as he grasps at his gym bag strap, heaving out a sigh deep from his chest before pivoting to the volleyball gym.

The lectures from his various coaches flew out of his ear as swiftly as they flew in. His mind was too occupied to function during practice. It was filled to the brim with anguish. How could he be so stupid?

Hyunwoo never wanted to hurt you, he wanted the opposite, really. All he wanted was for you to finally see him, notice him amidst a crowd. To finally view him as more than a friend. He wanted your eyes to only look at him. He did everything in his power to get your attention: joining the volleyball team, changing his appearance, even flirting with you. Instead, he got the eyes of the entire school following his every move, while yours never gave him the light of day.

All this time, he wanted to move on from being your childhood best friend. He wanted to be something more. Never in his life did he expect to lose you entirely.

“So she just walked away from you? Without saying anything?” Minwoo questioned before taking a swig of water from his water bottle. The air between the two athletes was mostly silent, safe for the miscellaneous shoe squeaks bouncing off the gym walls.

“Yeah,” Hyunwoo slumped on the gym bench, a towel draped sorrowfully over his head, isolating his vision to the speckled floor before him.

“God, how did I fuck up so bad?”

“Maybe just cut the playboy act and tell her?” In front of him, Kyungmin scoffed. His fingertips catching the volleyball mid air with ease. His lanky figure casted a shadow against Hyunwoo’s frame as he pestered him further. “It’d be so much easier for the both of you.”

The distressed french fry yanks the towel from his head, shooting a

glare at the volleyball player before him. “I didn’t ask for all of this, alright? I didn’t want all those girls to talk to me. All I wanted was for her to notice me!”

A snicker jumped from the right of him. “Well she did notice you- OW!” Minwoo blurted out, rightfully earning a swift jab at the shoulder by Hyunwoo’s irritated fist. “Piss off, Min.”

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding! But seriously, just try and talk to her. Kyungmin’s right, this whole act isn’t working out.” Minwoo shot up, aligning himself with Kyungmin as the two gaze before the lovestruck athlete. Hyunwoo, on the other hand, drills his head into the comfort of his palms. A loud groan fills the air in the gym, startling the poor innocent rest of the team in the process. “How can I do that if she hates me? She wouldn’t even look at me back there!”

“Y/n? I don’t think she hates you.” Dawit, the team captain interrupts. His attention swiftly discards the ball he sent flying through the air, shifting over to Hyunwoo’s suspicious looking trio. “Though it was a little weird that she didn’t know where you were earlier, did you guys fight or something?”

Hyunwoo itched the nape of his neck, looking up at the line up of volleyball boys shielding him from the light. “Nah, it wasn’t like that.”

He was just some big, fat idiot who couldn’t think straight.

He can’t ever think straight when it comes to you.

Hyunwoo grew silent, confusing the team captain even more. “Uh- okay?” Dawit’s brows furrowed together, fumbling with a volleyball between his fingertips. “You could always come over if you wanna settle things or something.”

“That’s it! Visit her on the weekend! What’s she gonna do, leave her own house?” Minwoo jumped as if he was electrocuted. “You could tell her how you feel then!”

It was as if the world froze by the command of Minwoo’s words. The miscellaneous highschoolers scattered across the gym laid trapped underneath a sudden wave of silence as the curious and perplexed eyes of his teammates burned through his frame. Dawit’s eyes, in particular, spilled out of their sockets, his brows grazing his hairline. That’s it. He’s done for. Hyunwoo would’ve been lucky to make it out of this practice alive at this point.

“Tell her how- Wait-” The team captain recuperated, scratching his head. “You like my sister?”

Everyone gathered around, their eyes never peeling from Hyunwoo as he stuttered out a response. He didn’t know where that stutter came from, though. He knew the answer. He's known since the Kwak family first moved in next door way back then, since he first met you.

Who was he kidding, it was more than just a crush now. He was in love.

“Yeah,” Hyunwoo’s eyes stayed glued to the tiled gym floor.

“I like y/n.”

Everyone's ear piercing howls raged through the volleyball gym, teasing the highlighter head in love. Even Dawit, to everyone's shock, cradled an arm around Hyunwoo’s shoulders in support. Their booming auras startled the outlying teammates who never earned the luxury of joining the french fry’s melodrama. One teammate, Donghyun, rushed towards the crowd, waving a hand to frantically shut them up before they could endure the wrath of their coach once again.

“Hey Yewang? You good?” To the left of the bustling crowd, the team’s clueless youngest, Jaeho, shook the shoulder of his practice partner.

Yewang stood amidst all that chaos, stricken to the core after processing what in the ever living fuck he had just heard. Too stunned to even grasp the stray volleyball between his finger tips. The calls of his name were no match for his overwhelmed mind. Overwhelmed with probably the biggest revelation in his entire highschool career.

Holy shit.

...

yejunnie :) [2:28 p.m.]: ok fine yewang and i are just gonna go without you then, i think he had smth to tell us?

yejunnie :) [2:28 p.m.]: i can’t believe you're ditching us

yejunnie :) [2:28 p.m.]: hurry up and get better loser <3

Your eyes couldn’t help but roll in amusement as you snuggled into the living room couch, basking in the sunlight on that Saturday afternoon. It wasn’t entirely your fault you couldn’t make it to Yejun’s poorly planned group study session. As much as you loved him, he always came up with outlandish ideas at even more outlandish time frames. Texting the group chat about a study group approximately 45 minutes before said study group was mundane by his standards. And besides, you weren’t feeling too well, anyways.

A sharp ache pierced through your head the moment you woke up this morning, and it hasn’t disappeared since. After countless home-remedies only leading to a dead end, and after your useless brother couldn’t help you, you were at a loss at what to do as you mindlessly watched t.v for the rest of the day.

It didn’t matter though, you would rather get a measly headache over fretting over Kim Hyunwoo any day.

Although a few days have already passed since that day in the hallway, that weird incident never seemed to escape your brain. The athlete’s actions were peculiar, to say the least. His attention switching from that random girl to you in an instant, was more of a riddle than anything found within those puzzle activity books you grew up with. Not to mention how easily you broke your own progress, heating up in jealousy the moment your childhood friend is facing someone else. Disgusting.

Your feelings for Hyunwoo were too stubborn to leave. It was useless to run away, so you opted for the next best thing; lying to yourself. And that’s exactly what you continue to do, hiding within the walls of your own home. Blaming your crappy state on a mere headache, when anyone could call you out easily.

Your eyes never peel away from the screen, fully engrossed in the drama unfolding before you as the doorbell shakes your reality awake. With a groan, you shuffle to the door, not giving a care in the world for how horrendous your disheveled hair and cheeto-dusted shirt currently appeared. You regretted it almost immediately, though. You could’ve taken the slightest bit of your appearance into account when coming to face the 6’1’ walking french fry straight from your nightmares.

So much for hiding.

Hyunwoo stood before you, a nervous expression lining his face quickly swapped out for a warm and welcoming one the moment his eyes met yours. With a smile and a tilt of his head, he lifts up a plastic bag into your view. His eyes quickly meeting the gravel below the two of you. He clears his throat with a loud boom before continuing.

“Hey! I heard you weren’t feeling too well-” Hyunwoo trailed off, still struggling to meet your eyes. Even you were growing restless as you crossed your arms. “I- uh- brought some snacks for you! Can I come in?”

“How’d you-” Your interrogation was swiftly interrupted by Hyunwoo’s abrupt entrance, most definitely from old habits back then, when your heart could actually withstand being near him. He passed you the plastic bag, encasing millions of dollars in convenience store sweets in your hand, as he shuffled inside and made himself at home. You heave out a sigh as you watch him plop onto your couch. It was baffling how normal he was portraying himself to be, all while you were currently dying inside.

You retire into the kitchen, an occasional glance or two sent in your guest’s direction. Judging by his more nervous than usual expression lining his frame as he fidgets with his fingers, Hyunwoo wasn’t here just to check on you. You knew that french fry was probably dying to find out why you lashed out the way you did. Unfortunately, though, you’re currently dying to find out the same thing. You rearrange the sweets into bowls before heading back into the living room.

Despite plopping relatively close to his figure, with only a third of the couch suspended between you two, the tension fogging the air around you made Hyunwoo’s figure seem distant. You desperately waited for the t.v audio to miraculously peak, anything to break the tense silence.

You were a fool to call yourself lucky before, that's for sure.

...

“So Min and I stormed into the locker room, right? Without knowing that the coaches were doing inspections that day! You should’ve seen the looks on everyone’s faces! I’m surprised your brother didn’t kill me then!” Hyunwoo snorted, his chuckling figure flying to the back of the couch as he recounted his story. You shot a forged grin as you continued to listen in. It was easier that way, to hide safely behind a haphazard conversation, instead of acknowledging your stupid feelings.

“I heard Dawit whooped your asses, though” You recalled, a soft chuckle rumbling through your chest. You’ve gotten pretty good at this facade, even fooling him into thinking you weren’t currently at the brink of a crisis at the moment.

“Yeah, for the following week too. Now Minwoo rarely fools around in practice when Dawit’s around. The dude scared him to death!”

“What about you? Too tough for my brother?” You snickered.

Hyunwoo shot a smile. “Nah, I think he was softer on me.”

You cocked an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

“Probably because of you. Guess he didn’t wanna hurt someone his little sister was close to, or something.”

An awkward pit stirred within your stomach, your cheeks flushing red at his words once again. Everything out of his mouth had this flirtatious undertone, and it had you wrapped around his finger. You hated how predictable your heart became, reacting to Kim Hyunwoo’s every little move. It sickened you.

You knew how stubborn your feelings were, it's been made clear since the say he dyed his hair that stupid shade of blonde. However, one thing that’s been made even more clear, shoved right into your face, was the very fact that you couldn’t fall for him. It was forbidden to hand your heart to your childhood best friend. You knew that more than anyone. And yet here he was, holding your heart in his own hands.

Now you’re back, ready to rip it away from his grasp, no matter how cruel you go about it.

You let out a scoff, eyes plastered on the tv and away from him. “Dawit wouldn’t care about that. And besides, we’re not the only ones close, I’m friends with Yewang too.”

You could feel the highlighter head's eyes burn through your skin, interrogating you. Sure, your words hurt, but it was the only way to shut it all down. You would rather die the most gruesome death imaginable, than to ever let Hyunwoo in on who had stolen your heart. He can never know.

His presence sinks beside you. “I- I guess so, yeah.”

A blanket of sheer tension flows atop the two of you again, choking your airways as you struggle to breathe. No matter how normal your afternoon seemed in the beginning, no matter how close the two of you grew once he stepped foot into your living room, you had to put your foot down. Draw the line to push you too apart. It was cruel, and deep down, your heart ached to go back to how it was before, but this was crucial. Without this, your heart and your delusions were sure to go wild.

He can never know.

The warmth of a hand jolts you awake as you dig for the remaining pieces in the candy bowl. Your cheeks light ablaze, as they always do, while your eyes shoot up. You knew exactly where to look: at the puppy-like eyes gawking right at you. And you knew exactly what to do: pull away immediately and move on. It was just a mere accident, this was nothing.

Except, you found yourself sitting still, your trapped hand not moving more than an inch, and your eyes stuck in a trance.

Your breaths grew shallow, your chest heaving as it encased your trouncing heart. It was pathetic, how obviously infatuated you were. Your body reacting to his each and every move, your heart peaking the moment he’s near you. Anyone with two eyes and cohesive brain cells could piece it together: You were in love with Kim Hyunwoo.

This can’t do. He can never know.

You rip your hand away, the ghost of his skin still fresh on yours. Sure, it was a simple graze of two palms reaching for the same snack, but it was enough to set off all the alarms ringing in your brain. Your eyes, which were just captivated by his gaze, peels away right after. It didn’t matter, though. You only needed your peripheral vision to notice Hyunwoo’s eyes still plastered on your frame.

“Sorry-” Hyunwoo stuttered out. You knew you were brutal for shutting him down like that. Why couldn’t he just take the hint already? Why couldn’t he run away, finally leave you?

Before you could fall in love with him even more.

The two of you sit silent for the rest of the evening, that cursed blanket of tension choking your throats the whole time. Yes, it was intentional. With such an uncomfortable atmosphere clouding your vision, Hyunwoo was bound to leave, right?

Right?

...

Maybe his beloved captain was setting him up for failure the moment Hyunwoo exposed his feelings. Why else would Dawit invite him over to talk to you, when you clearly were in no mood to talk? Now, Hyunwoo sat downcast amidst the tv’s intense glare, with your snoring figure basking under the same light right beside him.

Hyunwoo couldn’t tell you why he stayed at your house, when it was made quite clear that he was uninvited the moment you shunned a wall of silence between your two frames. It was even worse now, his presence boring you so much that you had fallen asleep in front of him. Hyunwoo shoves all the candy wrappers onto the coffee table below. Maybe it was to torture himself a little further: a proper punishment for being too weak to leave the friendzone. Who was he kidding? Was this even the friendzone anymore?

He leans back, his eyes catching a glimpse of your dozing figure. It summons a small smile to curl up in his lips. Not all was lost, though. Your peaceful frame still sent butterflies ripping through Hyunwoo’s stomach.

With the remote in his hand, and a handful of wrappers in the other, Hyunwoo shot up from the couch, shutting off the tv in one swift click. He figured he should make his way soon. It was getting late anyways, and he didn't want your father on his tail either: the sight of being alone with his sleeping daughter didn’t exactly look that safe by any standards. He shuffled into the kitchen to toss the wrappers before trotting back into the living room to pick up his things.

His mind rewinds back to the day at the hallway, when you shunned a cold shoulder his way before. Maybe it was his pride taking the better of him, but he wouldn’t accept Kyungmin’s words back then. He knew that whole playboy act seemed counterintuitive, but he always planned on bouncing back. Coming clean before it was too late. Now, it was perfectly spelt out for him: He already was too late, you were done with him.

Hyunwoo pushed a sigh from his chest. Guess it was time to come clean. At least he didn’t have to worry about being judged that harshly, with you not listening and all. He plopped beside you on the couch.

“You probably hate me now, don’t you?” He went on, his eyes never leaving your tranquil state.

“I guess I have been an asshole to you, we don’t hang around anymore and I’m always busy with practice and those girls who won’t stop bugging me. You have every right to be mad.” He heaved another sigh, fidgeting with the ends of his hoodie. “Truth is, I did it all for you. I didn’t want you to see me as your childhood best friend anymore. I wanted you to notice me for once.”

He glances up at the streetlight glaring through your living room window. “Guess you did take notice, but not in the way I had hoped.” His voice trails away, his heavy heart sinking to the floor. Hyunwoo brushes a hand through his hair, shooting up from the couch. “Don’t worry though, I’ll drop everything. I’d rather us be friends than anything less.”

He looks at you one last time, sleeping so innocently, it was as if you weren’t currently shattering his heart into pieces at the moment. He wiggles out of his sweater, draping it over you. You looked so snug, so safe and sound. Even now, you still sent a creeping blush onto his cheeks. It was fascinating, really. How easily you captivated his heart. He adjusts the sweater on your sleeping figure, before reaching up, meeting your face.

Hyunwoo sends a swift peck on the crown of your head, an action he knew would send you into a flustered frenzy if you had been awake to witness it. Think of it as a goodbye of some sorts, goodbye to the delusions of ever thinking you could return his feelings. A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

“Goodnight, y/n.” He whispered, shooting up from the couch right after.

...

“Christ, Hyun. Could you make practice any gloomier?” Minwoo whines, tossing a loose volleyball in the lovesick player’s direction.

“Cut him some slack, the poor man just had his heart broken!” Kyungmin comes to save the day, picking up the volleyball before launching it back at the cruel teammate. “You’d understand once you go through the same thing, Min.”

“So she rejected you? I thought you didn’t have the chance to tell her how you feel at all?” Minwoo questioned, his brows furrowed. Dawit plops beside them, fitting in perfectly with this council of Hyunwoo’s tragic love life.

“Basically, I didn’t need to hear it from her. It was pretty obvious back there.” Hyunwoo’s head hung low. His somber presence sent airwaves through the rest of the teammates, the air within the volleyball gym growing mournful in a matter of minutes.

“I don’t get it, though. My sister isn’t the type to break someone’s heart like that-”

“Well maybe she’s changed!”

Hyunwoo’s voice boomed, shocking everyone within the volleyball gym wall. The captain at the other end of Hyunwoo’s outrage stood frozen, jaw mere inches from the floor. Others stay as still as trees in a forest, their eyes practically falling from their sockets. Hyunwoo pushes a lump out of his throat, taking himself aback with his own一suddenly vicious一tone. His eyes quickly duck down, avoiding any attention thrusted in his way, which was currently a lot, way more than he could handle. “S-sorry, cap.”

“Don’t worry about it-” Dawit was once again interrupted as Hyunwo stormed through the crowd of volleyball players. His lanky legs pounding harshly at the wooden floor made it obvious how aggravated his heart was at the moment. Only you had this effect on him.

After a few minutes pass, the sudden creek of a storage room door jolts the entire team back to reality as they watch their highlighter head teammate emerge from the shadows. Disheveled would be an understatement when it came to his appearance: his hair drooping onto the front of his face, his shoulders sunken low to the ground, and his heart smashed into pieces.

Hyunwoo wasn’t too miserable, though. He knew he’d accept it all at some point. It would just take some time, right? You wouldn’t leave his life forever, wouldn’t you? After all, you were just his childhood friend now, nothing more. You’ve made that clear to him countless times.

“I’ll, uh, head out now. Just tell coach I’m not feeling too good.” Hyunwoo choked out. He didn’t care about the endless train of lectures he’d get by skipping today, he wasn’t in any condition to practice. He’s in no condition to do anything, really. Not with his pride shattered into pieces.

...

You never thought you could hate an article of clothing as much as you hated that damned sweater.

Your eyes never found themselves glancing away at the navy blue fabric tousled roughly onto your desk chair. How stubborn was he? Even leaving a piece of him behind when you made it indisputable that he was no longer welcome.

It riddled you with guilt that you had to let him go so harshly that night, severing years worth of friendship just for your measly heart’s satisfaction. You never wanted to be cruel. Deep down, your feelings never left. If anything, you were out for your own blood. Your own heart tortures you to it’s content with it’s crude games. Although, with the presence of Kim Hyunwoo finally gone, you could feel your heart lighten up just the slightest bit. Maybe just for now, you could forget this stupid act.

Your limbs all moved on their own as you strolled to your desk chair, the fabric encasing your fingers in a pool of warmth and comfort. You held it up to your chest, your nose immediately catching its smell. It wasn’t fresh by any means, probably worn 2 or 3 times before last night. It wasn’t fresh, yet you still found yourself hugging the fabric tight, basking in its warmth.

You missed him.

You knew it was all your fault, but you couldn’t deny the Hyunwoo shaped hole in your heart. Whether it was as your best friend, or something more, you missed his presence. You felt empty without him.

A gulp shot down your throat as you dropped the sweater from your hands, regaining traction with reality. You weren’t going to let your feelings ruin your progress. You couldn’t fall in love with Kim Hyunwoo, you just couldn’t.

“You should just tell him the truth, y/n.” Yejun posited, taking you by surprise and freezing your frame in shock as you began your crucial conference call for the night.

“Are you insane!?” you gawked. It was as if a blade sliced through the small of your ribcage. Yewang, and Yejun, the two friends you had confided in the most, now stabbing your back, ripping any last sliver of trust into shreds. “Haven’t you listened to anything I told you? That's the exact opposite of what I wanna do! I shut him out for a reason, Yewang. I can’t just-”

“Have you ever listened to yourself?” Yewang scolded with a booming voice. Even Yejun showed visible awe, the white of his eyes spilling out of their sockets through the screen. “You’re out here lying and hiding your feelings, you’ve never even thought about giving him a chance!”

“Why would I give him a chance if I already know the answer!?”

“You might not even know the answer!”

Yewang’s words deem you speechless, your jaw just grazing the top of your desk. Your brows weave together in confusion the moment your brain actually finished processing what your chemistry classmate had said.

“What do you mean by that?”

Yejun and Yewang grow silent, guilt lining their faces, while suspicion lines yours. The air flowing through their computer mics became stuffed with tension, the two sending each other glances of worry amidst your perplexed presence.

“Just return the sweater to Hyunwoo tomorrow, and make sure you talk to him, too. Whether you tell him the truth or not.” Yejun quietly diverted, his stoic demeanour leaving no room for you to retaliate. Yewang nodded in alliance, backing you into a corner. Guess your friends were finally putting their foot down, too. Grumbling under your breath, you turn to steal a glance at the midnight-stained fabric draped on your chair.

That sweater was such a pain in your ass.

...

The air felt heavy as you hauled open the volleyball gym doors. Like fog clouding up the evening atmosphere, it blurred your view of the athletic scenery. You could do this. You heaved a deep breath. Just hand him the sweater and leave. Don’t talk to him.

Like a magnet, you effortlessly pulled the eyes of the other volleyball players in your direction. The plastic bag holding the navy fabric swung against your every step as they continued to follow your every move. It wasn’t long before, with an army of pupils burning your back, you reached the towering figure of your final destination.

Hyunwoo fiddled with a spare ball before turning to face you, your eyes meeting with a defeated and bitter glare. You winced, the grasp of the plastic growing tight as you braced for impact. You knew this would happen: Hyunwoo had every right to be angry, every right to feel this way. Your harsh words, or lack thereof, could only brand yourself as guilty. A weighing sensation plagued your heart. You glanced away from his gaze, swiftly handing him the bag. Your guilt, your emotions were beginning to wash over you- you had to get away now.

“Y-you left this.” You hardly stuttered out, nimbly shoving the plastic bag to his chest. Without peeling your eyes from the ground, you continued. “I washed it, so you don’t have to worry about-”

“Wow,” Hyunwoo scoffed, interrupting your useless blabbering. “So you can’t even look at me anymore, huh?”

You choked. “W-what?”

“Was I so insufferable back at your house that you can’t even look me in the eye anymore? Are you that disgusted with me?” Hyunwoo practically hissed aloud, alarming the others.

You felt yourself heating up in anger, your head losing focus. “What are you even talking about? You’re not insufferable!”

“Then why ignore my texts, ignore me in the halls? Not to mention that stunt you pulled at your house!? If I’m not insufferable, then what even am I to you?”

Your brows wrinkled in response, your heart letting go of any of its past motives. Inside you, a bomb ticked. “I’m not the only one responsible for all this, you know! You just had to go out of your way and become the school’s celebrity, leaving me all alone!”

“Why would it matter to you? You clearly don’t care since you couldn’t even bother to reject me properly!” Hyunwoo jeered, his booming voice bouncing off of the walls.

Tears of frustration begin to well up in your eyes as an alarmed Dawit jolts up. You, however, don’t take your attention away from Hyunwoo as the tears begin to stream down your face. You were too late, there was no stopping your heart now.

“It matters cause I miss you! I miss the old Hyunwoo, the doofus that's been my best friend since we were kids. Not this new, hotshot Hyunwoo that everyone loves! You’re like a stranger to me now, and I want the old Hyunwoo back!”

You grow stunned by the overwhelming silence of the volleyball team, most notably Hyunwoo, who was piecing together your words like a 1000 piece puzzle. A blush crept onto your cheeks at the realization that you had just tipped your hand out a little more than you had desired. Maybe now, it was best to rip off the bandaid as harshly as you could. Maybe Yewang was right, you just had to tell the truth.

“And I couldn’t reject you with words cause… I’d be lying.”

As if on cue, Hyunwoo’s eyes grow wide, his jaw dropping to the floor. The flock of players that surround you follow suit. You gain a sense of reality as you swab the tears away from your cheeks before glancing up to look at him. “I’m sorry, Hyunwoo.”

Your heart could implode right then and there. You had to leave. You had to get away, you couldn’t take it anymore.

Dropping the plastic bag at his feet, you hastily spat out your final goodbye before storming out of the gym, speeding past the other players. Hyunwoo runs after you, but can only get as far as the door frame before Dawit and Kyungmin stop him in his tracks. You were running away from him once again, and you left him dazed, confused, and once again missing you.

“Come on, Hyunwoo. Coach will be here any minute.” Minwoo reminded, holding back the stricken highlighter head from running after you at that very moment.

...

“It’s been days, y/n. This won’t do.” Dawit nagged, perched nonchalantly on your door frame. He grimaced at your loathing figure, engulfed in your own bedsheets. “Come on, I’ll take you out! Fries always cheer me up!”

You tried your hardest to refuse, even shooting a pillow at your pesky brother’s head, but it was no use. Within minutes, you were hauled out of your bed, practically held at gunpoint by Dawit’s cruel stare as you sauntered down the stairs. With about 4 hours of rest and the promise of fries being the sole thing motivating you, you didn’t expect much when you made your way into the kitchen. You didn’t expect much, but a certain highlighter head, with a medium serving of french fries in hand, sitting anxiously on your dining table, was the last to ever cross your mind. Kim Hyunwoo.

Your body froze, slowly stumbling backwards. Away from him. You weren’t ready to face him. You weren’t ready to endure the guilt and shame. The consequences of falling for your best friend. And you were sure he wanted nothing to do with you, now that he knows the distasteful truth.

So why is he here?

A hand shoved you further into the kitchen, in Hyunwoo’s direction. “Talk to him.” Dawit muttered, sending a knowing glance and a nod at his teammate before wisping away.

Hyunwoo shot up, quickly closing the gap between your two figures. You could hear his hitched breath as he approached you, his pupils shaking. Your figure stood frozen before him, trapped in his presence and unable to escape. He slowly glanced up at you, his eyes gleaming with a determination you’ve never seen before.

“I won’t stay too long, I just need to know-” Hyunwoo cuts through his words with a sharp breath. “Was what you said at the gym true?”

You winced, palms curling up into an uptight fist. You’ve accidentally let out the truth before, why couldn’t you do it again? Even if it was against your own will, when your heart selfishly took control. There was no point in running away anymore.

“Yeah” You barely muttered a whisper. “I’ve liked you for a while and I know how weird that must sound for you and I didn’t wanna ruin our friendship so I … lied.”

“What?”

You glanced away. “It’s stupid, I know. I shouldn’t have hid it from you but I couldn’t help it! You were already busy with being the highschool’s celebrity and everything, I was worried that if I told you my feelings I would only lose you more.”

“Wait-”

“I was selfish, and I couldn’t control my feelings around you, so I distanced myself but it didn’t do-”

“Y/n!”

It all happened too fast. His restless hands quickly discarded the food it once held before swiftly cupping your face. With his eyes fluttering shut, Hyunwoo locks his lips into yours, capturing you, holding you hostage in his grasp. Stunned to the core, you grip onto the fabric of his shirt. Anything to pull you back down to reality, to keep your sanity. Your stomach flips into itself, butterflies taking over your gut as you finally give in. Your eyes flutter shut, pulling him closer, finally relishing in the warmth you so stupidly denied yourself for months.

To your detriment, Hyunwoo finally pulled away, snapping you back into the real world. You flee into a state of panic, your eyes spilling out of their sockets as your slow brain finally realizes what you just did. Hyunwoo lets out a soft chuckle, instantly calming your nerves. He looks down, his eyes still locked with yours. “Are you gonna listen to me now?”

“But- you-”

“You don’t have to worry about losing me, y/n.” Hyunwoo began, his hand softly clasping around your shaking ones. “I like you, too! I’ve liked you for years now. Losing you is the last thing I want!” He let out a sigh. “I just wished you told me sooner, you know.”

You were still frozen in shock, too stunned to comprehend his words. You thought back to Yewang’s words, his and Yejun’s suspicious reactions to each of your questions. A scoff travels through your lips. It all clicked. They knew. They knew about his feelings, didn’t they? He hums softly, grabbing your attention once again.

“Will you finally accept me, y/n?”

You picked at the skin on your lips, your breath hitching. “What about our friendship? Won’t it get ruined?”

Hyunwoo shines a smile. He keeps a hand cupping your cheek as another arm snakes around your waist. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take, if it means I get to be with you.”

Heat rushes to your cheeks at the command of his flirtatious words. He was always such a smooth talker, you knew that for a fact. However, you found yourself tolerating them, even enjoying them this time. You couldn’t seem to wipe that stupid grin on your face. Butterflies danced in your stomach as you decided to give him a proper response; a taste of his own medicine.

You pull him closer, locking lips with him once again. You grow more confident, wrapping your arms around his neck. He hugs your waist in response as you feel him smile into the kiss. It was the stuff of fairy tales.

“Of course.”

...

“How many times do we gotta say we’re sorry?” Yejun grumbled as the three of you stood right outside of the volleyball gym, sending you an annoyed glare. You shunned it effortlessly, though. Your attention barely gave them the light of day while Yejun and Yewang groaned in unison. Yewang whined. “You figured it out, anyways. You don’t even need us!”

“It would’ve been nice to know sooner, you know.” You muttered.

“I did tell you, though!” Yewang rebutted

“Not clearly! Like what am I supposed to do with ‘yOu miGhT NoT KnOw hiS aNsWEr’??? That was so vague?”

“Yewang!” A voice called out from behind, interrupting your heated debate. The three of you pivoted around, your synchronization making it seem like you weren’t just stupidly arguing two seconds ago. Hyunwoo came running from behind, his cheeky grin beckoning a similar one to grow on your face. He approached the three of you, his attention on Yewang, but his arms immediately wrapping around you. “Captain’s looking for you! And you better hurry, he’s starting to get pissed.”

Yewang sent a nod in Hunwoo’s direction, swiftly turning to leave. Yejun sends one glance at the cringe-inducing couple before him, grimacing before turning away in Yewangs direction. “I’ll go with him, I don’t wanna third-wheel you two. Gross.��

The two of you leave Yejun alone, basking in each other's presence and sending each other heart eyes. Hiding your relationship wasn’t exactly a part of your plan, and it’s safe to say that a lot of people noticed.

Eyes were burning through your figures, eyes of every girl in your vicinity. It didn’t take much to know how bitter they were, how jealous they were of you to win the heart of the highschool celebrity. Puffs of steam practically exploded from their ears and their faces were beat red. Each girl gave you sour glances before filing into the volleyball gym, finally leaving the two of you alone.

“Awe man,” Hyunwoo muttered, catching your attention. “I was hoping to kiss you in front of them to piss them off!”

You send a slap onto his shoulder, dumbfounded. “Hyunwoo!”

He grinned, flashing you a wink. “It’s fine though, I like it better when we’re alone!”

Instantly, a blush forms on your cheeks as you hit him again. You really hated his way with words. You shake your head, hoping that would whisk the embarrassment away. “Don’t you have to go? The game starts soon!”

Without warning, Hyunwoo dips down. Swiftly, he locks his lips with yours, a hand cupping your side. Stunned, you smile into the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck as if you’ve done this countless times before. Well, you have done this countless times before.

You pull away softly, your eyes never letting go of each other. “I know, I just came to do that.”

“Pfft, why?” You cover your lips with your hand.

“Isn’t it obvious? You're my good luck charm!”

You let out a loud snort. This dork.

...

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