Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Welcome to 2022!" 

It's the start of a new season and Heejin knows exactly what it looks like.

It looks like this: a room full of executives dressed in suits and ties rambling on about Team Pride, Championship Titles and whatever else had been written on their glossy-backed speech cards.

For whatever reason, the room this year is packed. It's probably a good sign though, Heejin thinks.

And at least there weren't any oversized cameras or boom mics this time. The wrangling with the Press would have to come later.

"We want to welcome on board a new sponsor for this season - Cocomong! Thank you for choosing LOONA FC."

Regardless, Heejin always finds herself mentally checked out before they've even gotten far enough to start with their sweet talk and that's usually at least an hour into the meeting. By then her mind's long dedicated itself to mentally practising a technique for a new trick she had been trying to perfect all summer. Even her feet won't stop twitching from where they had been haphazardly tucked under her seat. 

Her teammate and captain, Sooyoung, nudges her with a sharp elbow and sharper intentions. "Pay attention, coach is watching." Heejin rubs at her arms where bone had met hard muscle.  

True to her word, there's a definite scowl sitting on her coach Haseul's face. Opps. 

Heejin tunes back in dutifully after that. 

It helps that the representatives have gotten to the part with the gilded lines and honeyed words: Heejin-ah, we're counting on you again this season! and Let's work harder this season! It's irritating enough in a mildly flattering way so Heejin lets her mouth break into her Winners™ smile; it's all pearly teeth, a slight crinkle to her nose and smiling eyes brimming with confidence. She knows the reps will appreciate it. After all, she was their star player and was what made their yearly investment a worthy, if not, highly profitable one.   

Her manager Vivi, subtly rolls her eyes at Heejin's playfully exaggerated act, as though, unsure whether to find it endearing or annoying, and stands up. 

"Alright, thank you for your ongoing support and love for the squad, we could not do this without you every year! We look forward to continuing our dominance this season and again we thank each and every one of you for your generous investment." 

This finally signals the conclusion to the meeting and the players all collectively sigh in relief. Meetings, no matter how much money was getting thrown their way, were never fun. 

Heejin just couldn't wait to be back out on the pitch competing again. 

The whistle blows, it’s a shrill tone that carries its weight throughout the pitch. 

Heejin's hair slicked with sweat and a similar sheen of perspiration coats her face. She wipes at it haphazardly with the back of her hand. She braces her hand on her knees, keeled over slightly, taking a much needed moment to catch her breath. She glances at her teammates who weren't in much better shape. Hyeju's gone as far as to collapse face down on the pitch, arms splayed out at her sides. The grass stains upon the long sleeves of her goalkeeper shirt on display. Haseul always ran them extra hard these first few weeks. Something about shedding the preseason looseness. And it brought results too, Heejin wasn't about to tell their coach how to do her job. 

There's a water bottle being offered to her, held out by a hand gloved in crimson. Heejin smiles appreciatively at the thoughtful act by the mascot who had joined them for this practice. She watches her teammates each receive a bottle of water. Heejin gulps down the liquid, feeling like a godsend to her parched throat. 

It's not until she's cooling down with the others, having all seated in a circle, stretching out fatigued muscles that she asks. 

"Does anyone know why they're here?"

This earns her some half-hearted shrugs. They're still too fatigued to let their minds speculate. They'd have the odd occasional product sponsor who would send their mascot to join the club's own at their games.  

"What's for dinner?" Hyunjin, the team's striker asks, groaning.  

"I'm craving Tteokboki." 

"I need a protein feed." Hyeju literally speaks into the ground, her voice is muffled by what Heejin would expect to be a mouthful of grass and dirt if anything. 

"Wait, you're bulking again?? Aren't you buff enough?" Sooyoung jibes, making a show to poke at Hyeju's arms and legs. This earns a chuckle from the others.  

"Hey!" Hyeju's voice unintentionally squeaks, "Those balls aren't going to stop themselves! You try getting flying objects kicked at your head on the regular." 

"Whatever Hyeju, stop flexing." Yeojin states and the conversation's half dropped by the Jiwoo's arrival at the pitch. 

Jiwoo's caught in an exchange of words with the departing red monkey mascot. Her smile is bright, eyes disappearing into a pair of crescent moons. She's got a hold on the monkey character's arms and is jumping on the spot. A shrill shriek rivalling that of the coaches whistle from earlier reaches their ears. The monkey character bows having freed itself from Jiwoo's enthusiastic embrace and hurriedly ambles off the pitch.  

Her captain all but springs up at this and jogs over to Jiwoo. They meet halfway. Heejin shakes her head amused. She catches Hyeju's eyes and it seems it's not just her who's picked up on Sooyoung's big fat crush. When would the two of them stop being so damn oblivious and dense and finally admit their feelings for each other! The two-step dance they'd engaged in would only be amusing for a short while. 

"Get a room!" Hyeju yells at the approaching couple and there's a pink tinge to Jiwoo's cheeks. And if anything, Sooyoung looks equally flushed and well, it seemed like they'd be oblivious for a while longer.

Heejin makes no effort to hide her teasing grin from Sooyoung when they finally re-join the group. She receives an exaggerated scowl from her captain and knows she would pay for it at their next training session. 

"Who's the new sucker?" Yeojin asks Jiwoo, echoing Heejin's previous question, with a finger gestured towards the direction the monkey mascot had left the field. 

Jiwoo whines, like really whines this time, "Do NONE of you pay attention at the meetings??? That's your new sponsor's mascot Cocomong! And before you complain, they've splashed big cash this time. You know the new stadium you guys have always wanted as your home ground...?" Jiwoo trails off. 

" No way!" Heejin's not the only one who finds their eyebrows shooting up and jaws dropping open - it's a team of matching surprised emojis pasted upon their faces. 

"Yes, way." Vivi states, Haseul, as always, close by her side, the green whistle dangling around her neck. Vivi's still in her office attire. It was rare she'd join them out on the field, citing personal preferences and something about grass and her heels not agreeing. Heejin eyes the way Vivi's thin stiletto heel perched on the grass pitch, feeling for herself that exact apprehension. 

"We've got a new home base." Haseul confirms, making an active effort to hide her excitement, suppressing the natural inclination for the upturning of the corner of her lips. 

The cheering that follows is actually deafening. Even if part of it is coming from her own vocal box, magnified ten-fold by her teammates. There's a mess of jumping and a pile on of sweaty bodies. And it wouldn't be dissimilar to the scene when they'd just won the championship title last year. A mess. An ecstatic sweaty mess.  

"That's amazing. Personalised gym area, dedicated goal shooting areas and high tech cameras for analysis HERE I COME. We've made it guys!!!" Yeojin shouts dramatically fist pumping non-stop as she jumps around.  

Vivi waits until they've settled down, her lips pursed. "So, can you guys at least interact with the mascot at the next event?"

"Sure unnie!" They yell in unison and there's nods and grins all around.

It's a difficult task, interacting with the mascot. It's as though the monkey dressed in a sausage costume (what the heck, right!?) character has made it its personal mission to remain mute throughout this sponsorship. It's such a departure from their regular mascot Chuu (who Jiwoo literally embodies in real life too), that it's kind of strange and...fun? 

Maybe this Cocomong is just shy? Or grumpy? Seeing as they never really hang around with the team after their contractual obligations are fulfilled. Again, unlike Jiwoo who had all but glued herself (and eyes) to their captain and hence by extension the team from Day 1 – even off the pitch. 

It's been a week and neither Heejin nor the others have succeeded in getting Cocomong to speak or really make any sound outside of the rehearsed chants. It's not as if they can fault Cocomong, as everything else is done to perfection.

For example:

- Attends every match and majority of their training. Check. 

- Has perfected their team's mascot dance. Check. 

- Joins in with a multitude of Chuu's random skits. Check.

It's almost become a game amongst their teammates - who can get Cocomong to speak first. And it's never a good thing to introduce competition amongst a group of semi-pro athletes. Maybe it's even a bit dangerous. 

"Perhaps they're a robot, like in Five Nights At Freddies?" Yerim suggests after training, and they're all getting dressed in their (new!) spacious team locker room. Heejin's grateful for the perfectly warmed water and godly water pressure of their new showers. 

"Maybe you should stop playing so many of those horror games with Gowon, Hyeju and Yeojin."

"Hey! You're hating because you won't admit that you actually get scared by the jump scares, Heejin."

"She's got you there," Sooyoung remarks casually, and continues to saunter her way to her designated locker, hair still wet from the shower she'd just taken. Heejin scrunches her face up, but can only pout as she can't find the right words to defend herself. Indeed, football star Jeon Heejin, was scared of distorted shapes appearing suddenly, and loudly at that. It was still not as embarrassing as her ultimate flaw - her fear of what Hyunjin had dubbed "sky rats" - pigeons. She shudders just thinking of their cursed existence and dead soulless eyes. 

"As if you aren't the same yourself, Sooyoung." Heejin turns away, "Jiwoo, you've at least exchanged a couple of words with them, do you know who they are?" 

Whilst Sooyoung's half undressed state didn't faze anyone on the team, it didn't mean that everyone in the room was completely immune. 

Exhibit A: poor infatuated Jiwoo. 

"Nope, we just ran through the boring mascot rules...But her voice's really pretty!" And that's all she can offer, before she's deemed useless (and mostly a lost cause).  

At this, Heejin's curiosity only grows. 

The ball's flight trajectory ends with it solidly in the back of the net. 

3 - 2

Heejin's sprinting off to the side line, her feet are thrown underneath her and she's sliding to a stop on her knees, both her arms are outstretched above her head in elation. The stadium roars for her. She soaks it up for a heartbeat, the world fading into dull thrum in the wake of her thundering pulse. But then her breath is knocked out by the weight of Hyunjin's body slamming into her, bringing the full force of reality back with it. 

Hyunjin plants a kiss on her cheek. "Jesus, Heej, that was sick! I promise I won't clown you for practising your random tricks again. A hat-trick - you're on fire tonight!" 

"All those face-plants were worth it in the end, Heejin!" 

Yerim and Yeojin's here bringing their usual banter. It's endearing and annoying but Heejin is too damn happy to complain. She just pulls them in, hooking an arm loosely around each team mate's neck. Her cheeks are hurting, sweat beads down the side of her temple and her lungs are burning, still playing catch up with her breath but she doesn't care. They grin at her matching her ecstatic expression. 

There's very little time left on the clock and it's no surprise when the whistle sounds twice barely two touches into the next play. The ball is forgotten, the crowd's gone mad again, deafening in their cheering. It's a historical win. A first! An Away game against their closest competition! Probably the best start to the season they've managed in recent years. 

"Good game Heejin," Eunseo, a defender on the opposing team says, sharing a quick hand shake with her. Heejin knows the other girl is genuine. She'd once played on the same team as her in college, they could even be considered old friends in some ways.   

Adrenaline's shooting through Heejin's veins like fire, she's feeling emboldened, and before she's able to think too much into it, she's tackling Cocomong to the floor. Her arms flung around the mascot's torso and the team take this as a signal – the usual pile on begins again.

"A hat trick AND a scorpion kick to finish it, ey? That's our star winger." Sooyoung says as she embraces Heejin. 

In amongst the mess, Heejin makes a show of puckering her lips and planting an exaggeratedly loud kiss to a furry red cheek. 

(And maybe there's a panicked squeak, drowned out in the chaos but Heejin misses it.) 

That moment goes viral on Social Media as a meme.

And their sponsor splashes out even more money. 

Sure they're wrapping up their practice session and of course, they think it's a great idea to take turns to copy Heejin's new move. 

Spoiler, like all 'Great Ideas': It's not. 

Countless face-plants and mouthfuls of dirt after, the proof's in the way there's a monkey dressed in a sausage costume on the floor, clutching at its cheeks with its disproportionately short arms and the way there's wide eyes all around. The offending football sits an arm's distance from the mascot, having rolled to a stop within the field of green grass. It's a (mascot) head vs ball injury, which for football "knuckleheads" like them was something they did regularly in an effort to guide the ball into the back of the net, but for the poor mascot, it was quite a shocking blow. 

"Ahh shit, is she dead?" Yeojin yells dramatically but the tiny crease between her eyebrows betrays her underlying concern. She'd never really had a bad bone in her body. 

"No, she's definitely still breathing." Gowon says quietly. 

The entire team rushes to crowd around the fallen mascot, and it's Heejin that puts an arm out and sighs, "That ball came off my foot so I have the responsibility to take her to the medical officer." 

"Your aim sucks, Heej. How'd you manage to score that goal again?" 

Heejin ignores the comment in favour of checking in on the poor victim of their antics. She crouches down, blades of grass tickling her knees as she hovers over the mascot and makes a move to remove the head of the mascot costume. 

A costumed hand curls its way around Heejin's wrist, stopping her. Then there's the surprise shock of words being spoken by a melodic and feminine voice. 

"I think I'll be okay."

Jiwoo really wasn't lying when she said the girl had a pretty voice. 

(And for what it's worth, that totally isn't Heejin's weakness, at all.) 

But there's still an instinctive need to ensure the other girl is truly okay, and she offers a hand, pulling the other girl up into a sitting position. The other girl doesn't object to the steadying arm that Heejin wraps around the other's shoulders. 

"What it only took a ball to head to get our mascot speaking." Hyeju deadpans, rolls her eyes and mutters half jokingly under her breath. "I should've thought of that sooner..." 

"Ahh damn, I guess Heejin won the competition then?" Hyunjin supplies, unhelpfully. 

Heejin rolls her eyes and when she looks back over her shoulder, she finds that Sooyoung's gaze is on her and that there's an unreadable expression upon her captain's face, "Mhmm." Heejin oddly feels her face flushing.

The group parts and an opening is made for their coach to step through, before the circle completes itself again. 

"What's going on here?" Haseul says. There's a suspicious look on her face, that spells disappointment, and but maybe that's Heejin's own guilt curling in on itself within her stomach. She swallows. 

"I'm taking her to be seen by the medic." 

Heejin doesn't allow herself to relax until the other girl's been officially cleared by their onsite medic. The state of her lower lip and her nails are a testimony to that.

As soon as the door to the consultation room opens, Heejin springs up from where she'd perched on the edge of her seat having been shifting about with restless concern for the duration of the wait. Although her thoughts were already racing ahead, she takes her time to bow politely as the medic scolds her and explains that the other girl was going to be fine and did not have any signs of concussion and that they should really be more careful. 

Heejin steps into the consult room and finds the other girl sitting on the edge of the examination bed. Messy blonde locks frame a pretty face with bright eyes, a cute nose and prominently plump lips.  She looks ridiculous in the over-saturated red of the oversized Cocomong costume. The mascot head sits on top of the bed beside her, like an afterthought. Cocomong's happy expression beaming at the back wall.    

Heejin's suddenly all alone with a pretty girl and she is the obvious the reason for their trip to the first aid station in the first place – she's suddenly cognisant that she's the only one to lay blame on for this situation. 

"Hi..." Heejin starts and feels the awkwardness of a first meeting settling upon her shoulders and sinking into her bones.  

"Hey...it's Heejin, right?" 

Heejin nods in response and maybe it's the rush of blood from standing up too quickly or maybe she's the one with a concussion, but she feels a bit lightheaded… Maybe there really is a faint white glow of light haloing the silhouette of the other girl's face...

"You okay? Sorry about hitting you in the head...." Heejin trails off and it's only now that it occurs to her that she still doesn't know the other girl's name.   

"It's Jungeun." The girl, Jungeun, fills in for her with a soft smile and the tilt of her head feels like a judgement-free offering. "And I'm fine really, you heard the doctor..." 

"Nice to meet you, Jungeun..." Heejin can't resist teasing Jungeun a bit. "So it seems like your secret superhero identity has been uncovered?" 

"Yeah, I guess." Jungeun covers her face with her hands, an attempt to hide away her rising blush, but the way the tips of her ears are tinged red is a telltale sign, "This is embarrassing." 

"Your secret is safe with me Cocomong, I mean Supergirl. " 

Heejin points to the space next to Jungeun. "Can I...?" 

Jungeun simply nods. 

Heejin feels the bed dip beneath her with her added weight and she absentmindedly allows her legs to swing for a few beats against the side of the bed. "Sooo...Why all the secrecy, Jungeun? Are you super famous or...?" 

Jungeun shrugs, "Can't I just be a fan who doesn't want to expose my enthusiasm to you guys in the name of professionalism or something?" 

Heejin raises an eyebrow at this pointedly.

"Who's your favourite player then?" 

There's a prolonged and equally weighty pause. Heejin narrows her eyes as she catches Jungeun's avoidant gaze in the process -- as though she'd been caught with her hand in a metaphorical cookie jar. 

The words come out half mumbled as Jungeun bites her lip. 

"Err, you're my favourite...???" 

Heejin can't help the way her own lips curve into a semblance of a smirk, and maybe she's laughing at a joke that only she herself was privy to. Or maybe it's because poor Jungeun has just dug herself a hole and they both know it. 

"Well, do you even know what position I play?" 

"No..." 

Jungeun's blush is back in full force, her cheeks as red as the rest of her costume. Her gaze has dropped to her feet, as though preoccupied with the "intricate" detailing of Cocomong's shoes. The word cute jumps to the forefront of Heejin's mind again.   

"See!" Heejin all but shouts excitedly, and maybe it's louder than necessary as she sees Jungeun flinch out the corner of her eye. Opps. "I can't believe you got a job as a team mascot and you don't know a thing about the sport!" 

"Well, I know that kicking goals is good, but otherwise it's a bunch of sweaty animals running around chasing after a ball." 

"Hey I resent that, it takes skill!!" 

She puffs out her chest in mock discontent and even makes a show to push her lower lip out into a pout. Jungeun laughs at this, her lips parting into a grin to reveal a set of pearly teeth and a glimpse of a dimple tucks itself into Jungeun's cheek.

"You mean like the face-plants I've been watching happen all afternoon, and also the reason why I ended up here in the first place, right?" 

It's Jungeun's turn to tease her and Heejin doesn't mind it at all. She finds that she enjoys seeing that type of spark glimmer in Jungeun's eyes. 

"Yah! It was an accident! I hope you don't incinerate me with your heat vision, Supergirl." 

A puff of air escapes from Jungeun's parted lips, and maybe her shoulders deflate a little with it too. "I'm not Supergirl, that'd be more like what you'd call my sister – Kim Taeyeon."  

"Ahh...wow." Heejin says and the surprise wears off when she starts to see the resemblance as she looks at Jungeun's features, allowing her gaze to touch upon Jungeun's eyes, noses and jawline. 

"Yeah, I know...It's a big name to live up to and there's an even larger shadow attached. I mean, it's the reason I can't even think about entering the same industry as her..." 

In those few moments that pass by the initial surprise is washed over with something softer – a more muted emotion, something akin to sympathy. 

"Wait, you write music as well?" 

"Not anymore, it's just a hobby now," Jungeun shakes her head, "The Yum-Yum song's the only real commercial project I've participated in. I write in the journalist way, as in words and like opinion pieces now. This mascoting job is for the extra cash."

"You did a good job though, it's so annoyingly catchy - and the YumYum song suits you."  Heejin says in earnest and remembers the way the song had become a constant annoyance embedded into her brain and how she had jokingly threatened her teammates if she'd heard it one more time... 

(And maybe, in hindsight, the song was kind of good...)

"Yahh! Don't lie...." 

For all the bite in Jungeun's tone and the scrunched-up 'angry' expression upon her face, the rest of her body language remains contradictory. Jungeun's sheepishness is belied by the hand scratching at her neck and the slight shifting of her body.

"But I have no reason to!" 

Their conversation peters out into a silence, but it's one that is comfortable, if not strangely tranquil, like the lapping of waves upon a shore. Heejin hums a familiar tune under her breath and there's a slight curve in Jungeun's lips as a small smile creeps its way onto the other's face. 

"Go home Heejin, I'll be fine." Jungeun says. Heejin watches as Jungeun puffs her cheeks and blows at a rogue strand of hair that had fallen over her eye.   

"Give me your phone number." Heejin says, nudging her companion as gently as the tone of her voice, careful not to break the easy atmosphere they had created for each other, like the warm embrace of a cocoon. 

"Why?" 

"Why not? I'll text you when I'm home."

[Heejin]: Hi Jungeun, hope you're still alive. This is a reminder of your name in case you've forgotten :)

[Jungeun]: Who's this? I'm blocking you.

[Heejin]: the audacity! 

[Jungeun]: yea, well my headache says deserved! 

[Heejin]: Sorry again!!! :(

[Jungeun]: dw you were forgiven the moment you took me to the doctor. Also it's 1am, don't you have practice tomorrow? 

[Heejin]: Are you coming? 

[Jungeun]: Go to sleep, Heejin .

They still don't talk much at practices. It kind of feels too weird and their shared moment from a few weeks ago feels distant and surreal in a dream-like way. Or maybe, to be kept like a secret that is too good to share. So, they fall back into the status quo in front of the others. 

The texting however, continues on.

And honestly, they text a fair bit these days.

It's as though texting takes the place of verbal conversations, not that Heejin minds at all.

As expected, her phone buzzes in hand as soon as practices end. 

[Jungeun]: You know my roommate Jinsol is betting that I'll become a fangirl by the end of this season...  

[Heejin]: lol is that so hard to believe? Aren't you impressed by how many goals I've kicked?  

[Jungeun]: No.

[Heejin]: Might come in handy for that quiz night Jungeun 

[Heejin]: and for interacting with the thousands of people who happen to share an appreciation for this sport

[Jungeun]: Quit flexin' Heejin

[Jungeun]: You're embarrassing, I can't take you anywhere

[Heejin]: I will make a fangirl out of you yet!

Yerim's leaning over her shoulder, and suddenly, Hyeju's head pops up too and they're all peering at the phone in her lap watching as the name Jungeun flashes on the screen incriminatingly. Heejin feels like she's been caught red handed, but she's not too sure why. Still, she feels her ears burn. 

"Oi, Who's Jungeun? A groupie?" Yeojin remarks, the commotion having drawn her in like a moth to flame and true to her brand, she fans the flames and douses a bit of petrol onto the burning mess. 

"What? No." 

"Sure thing Heej, you've been glued to your phone since you came off the field." 

Hyunjin's smirk carries the weight of an annoying level of smugness, one that mirrors ones Heejin has sent Sooyoung's way on multiple occasions and this is what makes it more irritating in an endearing way - like some karmic justice she had coming. Damn, maybe she should be nicer to Sooyoung next time. 

"At least you're getting laid," Sooyoung adds offhandedly, and has the audacity to high five their youngest teammate, the impact of their palms reverberating loudly. 

Okay, Heejin takes everything back. Sooyoung deserves every single one of those shit eating grins (and then some more!). 

"Maybe you wouldn't be so pressed if you weren't too scared to ask Ji--!! 

"Hey! I dare you to say another word!" 

Heejin's retort is cut off, but her point's been made. She raises both arms, miming a position of surrender and of concession. It's only then that Sooyoung relents and relaxes again, the alarm in her face receding. 

Heejin looks back down at her phone. 

[Jungeun] : make me then

Something warm races within her veins, her pulse quickens and Heejin attributes it to her natural urge to never back down from a challenge. 

Heejin gets injured. 

To this extent, it's a first. 

It's plastered all over the news in the sports section. They relay what her doctor's told her too. It's echoed by her trainer, the news anchor and her teammates. She's reminded that it's not too ' serious' - a matter of only a few weeks of rest and a stint in rehab to ensure she's back to her top condition. That she'll be back on the field in no time at all. And that in the grand schemes of things, it could've been way worse. These are words of encouragement she knows, but in some ways it doesn't feel that way. 

She's lucky, they say. She could've torn her ACL and ended her season (or career even). 

And maybe having some of her teammates tiptoe around her on eggshells, makes her feel all the more lonesome. 

She still comes to the practices, but is relegated to sitting on the sidelines watching her teammates training, running through drills and formations without her. There's a heavy weight that sits in the depths of her gut, like a rock aiming to drag her down and drown her in her own worries and insecurities. A small voice that whispers insidiously, on her worst days, that she's nothing without her football, that she's never going actually good enough to get back onto the field, and that she's a tackle off from a career ending injury. 

Or maybe she's a coward for being too scared to contemplate life without her career. 

Because underneath the bravado, there's a real tangible fear that the sacrifices she'd made in her life - her blood, sweat, tears - are all for nothing. When this was all she had ever known, was there a path after it?

Jungeun's taken it upon herself to keep Heejin company, having reserved a position next to Heejin at practices, and her thoughtfulness does not go unnoticed. There's always an extra blanket for Heejin or an extra pair of hand warmers or a full bottle of water. It's endearing. 

And Heejin's honestly grateful for Jungeun's presence, despite the constant looks that are sent their way from Jiwoo. Heejin doesn't let herself read too much into it as she doesn't have the privilege of seeing underneath the ever smiling costumed face of their mascot Chuu anyway. 

Heejin watches as Haseul gathers the team's remaining forwards and attacking midfielders within a small circle. Amongst them are Sooyoung and Hyunjin and Heejin watches as they engage in an intense conversation, inaudible from this distance. Haseul's words must not be easy to swallow, because Sooyoung's throwing up her arms and it's Hyunjin, who as calm as the best of them, places a steady hand to her captain's arm. 

Their stress is a bit hard to watch given she's partly to blame. Heejin sighs, opting to glance down to her hands, pulling them out from where they were tucked into her pockets and wrapped around a pair of ridiculous Cocomong themed hand warmers. She smiles, and fumbles for her phone and finds the screen unlocks to her conversation with Jungeun. 

[Jungeun]: How are you? I heard...

[Heejin]: You and the rest of the world... 

[Heejin]: I'm okay. 

[Jungeun]: Are you sure? I probably no help but I'm here if you need. 

[Heejin]: Thanks, Jungeun.  

[Jungeun]: Anything for my favourite player :)

[Heejin]: So I am then? 

[Heejin]: Your favourite? 

[Jungeun]: Shh, it's supposed to be a secret. 

Heejin laughs again.   

And as she re-read the conversation, it occurs to her that maybe she's been searching for something all along, a sense of belonging and stability - something that transcended football, which had, up until now, defined everything in her life.

"Can I interview you?" Jungeun says to her one day, and in person too, with Heejin on the receiving end of a look that she can only describe as shamelessness and sheepishness in equal amounts. It's a couple of innocent blinks from a pair of puppy dog eyes and the slight pout of her pink lips. Jungeun's stayed back and waited for her, having lingered for much longer than she was contractually obligated to be here. Practice had officially finished an hour ago and her teammates had promptly exited after giving Heejin their parting greetings. She'd been scheduled a meeting with coach Haseul today, one that had been emotionally exhausting.

So Heejin's a bit bewildered at where this was all coming from. 

She blinks, then wrinkles her brows. "What?" 

"It'll be for a finals project," Jungeun in her casual attire - a dark baseball cap slung over her head and a white dress shirt loosely draped over a tank top singlet - says, "I figured you'd be a good person to do a piece on, given you're actually quite famous..." A shrug is thrown in there as well, effortlessly casual.  

Heejin thinks about the other famous person in Kim Jungeun's life - Kim Taeyeon - and wonders why Jungeun didn't just ask her...

Distract me , Heejin recalls having said to Jungeun in their earlier text conversations, I'm bored. How's your life going? How's college?" But she hadn't revealed the voices of doubt she'd been battling during her prescribed rest period. Her body might be well rested, but her mind's running at a million miles per hour. Perhaps, her worries were too poorly hidden.

"For your final project?" Heejin echoes, and knows deep down she doesn't hate the idea. A small smile settles upon her face, pulling at the corners of her lips.  "What do I get out of this?"

"Well, I mean for starters you get my pleasant company!" Jungeun grins, a set of pearly teeth and pink gums, her nose scrunches as well and her eyes curve into half moon crescents, "And ummm...free food?" 

"Okay, I'll do it." 

Heejin thinks that at the very least it's an obligation she could fulfill, a favour to make up for being responsible for Jungeun's almost concussion, and it would only fair be to pay her back for that time. A favour to a friend.

And a welcome escape from the mess of thoughts that is her mind these days. 

Heejin considers it a win already when she somehow manages to convince Jungeun to leave her dorm. Now, mostly it's thanks to bribery with the promise of more Q&A sessions and of course food (even though Jungeun's supposed to be the one buying). She's a bit slow on the move, hampered by her pair of trusty crutches but Jungeun doesn't seem to mind, happy to amble along at Heejin's pace.

They stumble into a Sunday Market that's brimming with energy.  It's sensory overload, to the point it afforded a certain degree of anonymity -- with a multitude of voices becoming a heterogeneous mixture of sounds, incomprehensible all the same. Timber boxes are filled with local produce, droplets of water still clinging to green leaves, and there's also the smell of sizzling meat wafting in the air. 

They stroll down each of the open roofed aisles, basking in the rays of an afternoon sun that's on its way out, having illuminated their surroundings with the soft touch of a glowing sunset. 

"Hey, you want to try that durian ice cream you've been pretending to not be interested in?"

Here's a fundamental difference in their personality: Heejin's eager to try new things, risks included, and Jungeun, well, she's the cautious one of the two, less likely to take that same leap of faith.

Hence, the apprehension colouring Jungeun's expression is not considered unexpected.

Another observation: Jungeun doesn't immediately object to the suggestion. 

Heejin tries again, her manner softening with her delivery, "Hey, how about I'll give it a try first and give you a review?"

Perhaps, this type of courage and faith was contagious -- the way a yawn or a laugh was, crawling along a line that connected between them, an established connection. And as such, by Heejin's sheer proximity, Jungeun acquiesces, "Hmm, okay then. I'm trusting you on this."

In that simple manner, the matter regarding the durian ice-cream is decided.

"Come on, what's the worst that could happen?" Heejin says and she laughs at the unconvinced expression upon Jungeun's face, accentuated by a pair of sceptical eyes.

Heejin, as promised, tries first. She starts with a small lick. The ice cream is cool upon the tip of her tongue, the taste is not as offensive and pungent as it was to her nose upon first impression. She dutifully relays this to Jungeun (as promised), then offers the ice-cream, holding the cone out between them.

Jungeun gently holds the ice cream cone, wrist extended to prevent what was melting sugary goodness from catching her off guard and dripping onto her assortment of rings or further down to stain the black of her top. She takes her time to bring the ice cream to her mouth and her gaze never leaves Heejin's as she does so. 

There's a daring, almost challenging glint shining within those brown eyes and maybe she's just teasing Heejin now. 

But two can play that game, and Heejin pokes her tongue out and delivers a well practised wink -- one she aims at the hoard of cameras flashing in her face, broadcasting her to the thousands of cheering fans. 

The tips of Jungeun's ears burn red, painfully obvious even amongst the hues of reds and oranges, courtesy of being saturated by the afternoon sun.

Heejin finds she loves the way the other blushes easily, Jungeun's usually pale skin flushing as red as her mascot character in a way that is reminiscent of comedic irony.

"See, not so bad?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"How about... I'll offer my services, now and into the future, to try new foods on your behalf?"

"A taste tester?"

"Exactly. A personal taste tester."

Some part of this feels loaded, contingent on something significant, tasting a bit like a promise.

"Jungeun?" Heejin says before reaching over to steal the dessert from Jungeun's possession. She's quick to catch the few streaks of melting liquid, before continuing on. "Honestly, it feels weird for this to be one-sided. Like I know you're asking me these questions for your interview piece but, we're friends, right? I want to get to interview you too, even if it is just pretend!!"

Kim Jungeun is...shy? no, embarrassed? Heejin feels deja vu sweep up and wrap its warm fingers around the memories in her mind like a gentle caress. A flashback to the two of them meeting for the first time, strangers on either side of the room. The hesitantly voiced greeting and Kim Jungeun's body language soaked in bashfulness, embodied by the same way her eyes avoided Heejin's right now.

"What?" Heejin nudges Jungeun's shoulder, "Are we not friends? You hurt my feelings!"

"No, no....we are."

"Okay, good. Hmm, so when was the last time you composed?"

"...A long while."

A pause.

"But, I've been thinking about it again..."

It's an inopportune time - Jungeun's frown is deeply etched between her brows. Her sigh is heavy with contemplation... It makes Heejin want to press two fingers between Jungeun's brows and ease the crease that mars the other's face, but instead, Heejin catches something out the corner of her eye and it crystallises into a flying torpedo of feathers. 

She's not about to stand around to be attacked-

And in what is probably not her best moment, Heejin lets out a mixture between a yelp and a whimper, before hobbling in the opposite direction as fast as she can. What's worse is the way she feels betrayed by her heart rate speeding right up to an insistent thumping into her chest and the tears that are welling its way up in the corner of her eye (not that she'll admit to it in hindsight).

Jungeun's faux interview would have to come later. 

Jungeun's bewildered. Heejin can tell from the wide eyed way she looks at her as though seeing her in a new light. Then it's the start of a laugh, a twinkling of her eyes, the dimple that creases itself into a cheek and then the sound itself, beautiful, even if it came with a certain degree of violence (in the form of Jungeun's haphazard punches clearly aimed at her upper arm).

"Y-you're scared of pigeons?!" Jungeun says, sounding out of breath, partially from the short jog, but mostly from the deep bellied laughing.

Heejin huffs.

"Wait, are you even crying?"

Heejin shakes her head weakly, having moved away from the offending crowd of birds, safe under the cover offered by an eave of a store.

"Wait here, Heejin. Let me deal with it."

Kim Jungeun's shock and amusement is wiped away by the arrival of a new expression - playfulness. 

Heejin watches as Jungeun runs, no, charges at the flock of gathered pigeons sending them into a panic, and repeats this over and over until the flock of birds were a considerable and thus reasonable distance away.

Heejin's heart continues to gallop, beating against the cage of her ribs, and echoing in her ears. She feels wobbly, legs including her good one, weak, if even for a moment. Heejin squeezes the handles of her crutches against her palms tightly. 

Kim Jungeun returns, blasé, as though nothing out of the ordinary happened, like she hadn't just done something like that for Heejin.

"Ah! My Supergirl." Heejin manages. She's now half recovered, having gathered herself together - picked up all the pieces and placed them back onto the figurative shelf from where they'd fallen.

"I still can't believe football superstar Jeon Heejin is afraid of common birds. This is going into the feature piece for sure."

Heejin's never had someone chase away those cursed birds for her. 

"Ya! There's more surprises to come if you stick around... And I'm sure I'll find something you're irrationally afraid of, Jungeun!"

Nor has she wanted someone to, the way she wants Jungeun to. 

(This scares her, in some ways, more so than those damn birds.)

Heejin's made it this far to Jungeun's doorstep, and had struggled down the hallway on her crutches too. Maybe she didn't think this through, but it is in her nature, her first instinct, to call Jungeun in a time of need...

The chime plays through twice and then the door is swinging open upon its hinges.

"Oh, hey."

Heejin's caught off guard. The bare skin of Jungeun's broad shoulders are on display, her black cropped tank top leaving a sliver of midriff on view where it fell just short of her black track pants.

"Heejin?" Kim Jungeun's eyebrows are both raised.

"Can I use your washing machine?" Heejin blurts, then chases the words on the way out, rushing to cover her mouth moments after. Her right crutch is tucked into her side to prevent it from collapsing onto the carpeted floor of the hallway.

Jungeun blinks.

"Hey... soooo ours back at our shared dorm is spewing smoke and probably on fire by now, long story short, someone didn't see the message in the group chat about it being broken and still tried to use it...and also the other week, someone exploded their pillow. Like who puts the entire pillow, not just the pillowcase into the washer! Sooyoung and I spent our night staying up to pick the lint out of the team's unifor-"

Heejin stops as she fully takes in the amused expression on Jungeun's face. The back of her neck, her ears and her cheeks alike all feel too warm. 

"You're rambling Heejin."

"Jungeun, are you going to let me use your washing machine?"

Jungeun steps aside to let her crutches and her sad little duffel bag of clothes, slung over her shoulder, into her apartment.

"You know I didn't let you drive me home that one time for this?" Jungeun says following Heejin into the open expanse of her apartment's living space. Heejin's eyes touch upon the furniture and decor of the interior, and she sees the way Jinsol and Jungeun's essence inhabited the space too, bringing with it a cosy, welcoming aura. Heejin wants to soak it all in, to really take the time to begin to unravel the mystery that was Jungeun...She wants to know her preferences and her pet peeves, her habits and everything in between...

"Well, I'll answer whatever questions you have about me for your piece."

"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about that promise, but ok."

Heejin's duffel is unloaded and then subsequently loaded into the washing machine. Jungeun's by her side, lending an assisting hand, likely having taken pity upon seeing her struggles earlier. Life in general was much much easier with the use of both feet (and hands). 

The buttons are pressed and the washer rumbles to life, its deep grumbling serving as a constant rhythmic hum in the background, like a calming lull of waves rolling along a shoreline.

Heejin stands like that for a long while, a bit awkwardly leaning against the washer, one crutch propped up under an arm, the other abandoned by the doorway. Kim Jungeun silently eyes her situation with a degree of apprehension. She's surprised she's lasted as long as has upright. 

"Where's your roommate?" Heejin asks. 

"Oh, Jinsol? Thank god she's got classes. She's an embarrassment and by that I mean she's a big fan. If she was here, don't even think about leaving without signing literally every single LOONA FC merchandise she has in her possession." Jungeun pauses to pinch at the bridge of her nose for dramatic effect, "And she has a lot. "

Heejin chuckles, "I'd happily sign for her, you know? She's your roommate after all."

"You'll regret saying that."

"Hmm, it's not like I'm up to much these days."

Heejin shrugs weakly, then wobbles a bit, her arms stiffer than she expected. 

"You wanna sit?"

Kim Jungeun reaches out, Heejin feels the warmth of her palms radiating onto the bare skin of her own forearm. A wave of goosebumps sweeps by and the hairs of her forearm stand on end. 

"Yeah sure," Heejin helps herself down using the edge of the machine, her manner is clumsy as she sits herself onto the laundry room floor. Her left leg is in its protective splint and stretched out in front of her. 

Jungeun makes a sound that is suspiciously a huff, but still chooses to join her on the floor, sitting beside her with knees tucked into her chest. 

The room suddenly feels a lot quieter and a lot smaller than it did a second before.

"I meant on the couch, or a chair, but whatever."

They let the humdrum of the machinery stretch out between them, filling the lull in their conversation.

"Hey, I've never said this but..." Jungeun starts hesitantly, like reaching out to brush her fingertips against the petals of a flower, searching and curious but meaning no harm, "I think you're more than your football, Heejin and the world should see it too... I-it's what you deserve."

Heejin feels warm tears prick at the inner corners of her eyes, vying for her acknowledgement. She suppresses and swallows them down. She pretends as though Kim Jungeun hadn't just verbalised an element of her deepest, darkest fear and assuaged it with such a simple honest statement. 

The notion feels as absurd as it sounds.

"Thanks," Heejin mumbles, then adds to lighten the mood, "I see we're starting the interview right now...On your laundry room floor?" 

Jungeun's nod is small, and carefully contained.

"Where'd it all start? What is football to you? Because when I look at you on the field, there's just a sense of happiness and of freedom," She sees the slight quirk of Jungeun's lips, the way Jungeun's eyes flick up at her momentarily, and then away just as quickly to the nonexistent lint upon her track pants. "...and you're the prettiest like that - happy, I mean."

Heejin's breath catches sharply and her eyes widen.

Jungeun continues, her words accompanied by a pair of endlessly patient eyes, though gently questioning all the same. 

"I want to know your story, about the real Jeon Heejin... They all market you like a godlike prodigy, born with greatness...but I guess that's not the whole truth, right?"

Heejin thinks of Kim Taeyeon and of Kim Jungeun, bright-eyed and talented, with a dream that had to exist in the shadow of something so intimidating and beyond her control - imagining that kind of insurmountable solitude, the burden of expectation and thinks that at some stage it had to have begun to hurt. 

Heejin thinks of herself, of how she had trained for endless hours, ran until the air in her lungs felt like liquid fire burning her from the inside out, how her eyes strained in the dark as she continued to perfect her basic skills and thinks, yeah, there's much more truth to it than just the simple gift of talent.

And Kim Jungeun's here, patient, quiet and non-judging, seeing and hearing her as Heejin the clumsy imperfect person she is and not Jeon Heejin, the football extraordinaire.

There's nothing romantic about the way her butt ached from the cold floor tiles or the constant noisy din of the washer running in the background, but as she glances at her companion's slightly parted lips and impossibly soft eyes, she thinks that maybe this could really be something of significance - in the way beginnings could only be. 

Jungeun's eyes captivate her own with a gaze that burns, softly intense, as though trying to speak a secret that only she was privy to. This connection had been creeping up on them all along, unbeknownst to them, until here it was, lightly tapping them on the shoulder, as if to say surprise, I'm here to stay! 

It's not something she had imagined: this inevitable force, unavoidable in the way celestial bodies of mass came together intertwining as they exerted a force upon one another's presence; the consequence of proximity one could say.

And in this moment, Heejin doesn't fight the gravity in the space between them.

Her heartbeat drums on in her ears and when she wets her lips with her tongue, nervous, Jungeun's gaze dips down to rest upon her lips.

It makes her acutely aware of the way Jungeun's palm sits warm on her leg - her good one at that - and Heejin curls her fingers into her palms, restraining herself from reaching out to cover Jungeun's with her own. 

She tilts her head slightly to the side - it's a question and the answer is given in the form of a pause.

The washing machine chimes, an announcement that it’s onto its final spin cycle.

"And being on the other side of it, you must know that all too well...The success they sell about talent is easier to swallow without the ugly truth."

"I'm not cut out for it. I'd rather not try than to have my dream twisted you know? Into some competition with my sister..."

"She doesn't have the sole claim to happiness and freedom you know. Nor do I."

"Life's not easy nor fair like that Heejin - not yours, nor mine. You're still going to be known as a prodigy and me, well, Kim Taeyeon's sister..."

Heejin feels the words more than she hears them, like the edge of a sharp knife against her palm, the drawing of blood. 

Jungeun turns away, her throat bobbing as she swallows once.

"Maybe you should escape while you can, Jinsol's about to come home." Jungeun murmurs.

Heejin thinks of Sooyoung and Jiwoo, of courage and cowardice as Jungeun gaze pulls away from hers and she kicks herself for it.

"Hey, they're wrong you know... you'll always be Jungeun to me and I'll always owe you - for the laundry...and for this too," Heejin gestures between them.

Heejin's hand covers Jungeun's, her fingers pressing against the ridges between Jungeun's knuckles and it's amidst the mundane moments that realisation dawns.

It's the culmination of the trajectory they'd been hurtling toward all along. A fine balance they had kept themselves in, impossibly close yet a heartbeat or a breath away from falling. 

"I think I'm going to kiss you."

Jungeun looks towards her, surprised, then expectant.

So, it's Heejin that leans in to softly press her own upon Jungeun's lips. It's chaste, but she savours the moment all the same, afraid that it will slip out of her grasp silently, victim to the way Time lapped up everything with greedy mouthfuls. She doesn't part her lips to deepen the kiss, or push her tongue against Jungeun's or catch pink lips between her teeth, because she doesn't want to take more than she's been granted to in this ephemeral dream-like moment, to be bookmarked into their memories.

Jungeun barely pulls back, her breaths brushing warmly up against Heejin's lips. Heejin finds that she can only hold her own.

But then, Jungeun leans in to capture her mouth with a pair of wet lips - and they're kissing again. 

Life would never be fair.

(And this felt a lot like taking her freedom back.)

Her medical and rehabilitation team gives her the green light, the figurative thumbs up to return, citing she was almost as good as new.

Heejin's return to the field is filled with all the fanfare that came with being the highest scorer and in turn the highest earner for LOONA FC. It meant the media were back, and flanked by the sponsors with briefcases in tow. Everyone in some way or another wanted a statement, a snippet or a quote from her.

This didn't bother her, granted she had years of practice, to smile and see herself reflected back in the rims of endless camera lenses.

Heejin pushes herself hard, feeling her lungs burn in a good way, her body aching with a familiarity, both her legs stretching out, muscles coiling and elongating as the grass turf flies by beneath her.

She grins.

It feels like the embrace of an old friend, or like finally returning home.

Honestly, Heejin is just glad she is able to make it back onto the field. Surrounded by people who love her and in turn, she loves them back - dearly.

Her cheeks hurt, but as she looks at those within the group huddle - Hyunjin, Sooyoung, Hyeju, Yeorim, Yeojin, Gowon, Youngeun, Chaehyun, Hikaru, Xiaoting - she finds wide-set grins all around. 

(She doesn't even tease Sooyoung and Jiwoo when it seems like they've finally stopped dancing around their feelings for each other... She's just really happy for them.)

It's weird seeing and interacting with Jungeun in her Cocomong costume again. 

Heejin finds herself missing seeing Jungeun's features. She wishes she was able to distinguish the shades of her moods, to catch every twitch of her brows, to appreciate the curve of her mouth...

Her thoughts linger and she wonders about the expressions that colour Jungeun's face beneath the ever-smiling static face of her Cocomong costume.  

Was she...happy?

(Were they okay?)

She doesn't know what that means, for herself and for Kim Jungeun. 

A snippet of Jungeun's piece is sent to her email, clipped with a short thank you message. 

[Exclusive Interview: Jeon Heejin] 

The truth behind her success: gifted with talent?

By Kim Jungeun

Catching up with the football player on many occasions across a span of time is a daunting task. Even more so, when at the commencement of this football season, I had no concept of football - aside from the constant appearances of LOONA FC paraphernalia that appeared in my shared apartment, courtesy of my diehard fan of a roommate, Jinsol. 

Heejin laughs, candidly (and a bit taken aback), the first time I reveal this fact to her. There's a cocky aura when she follows up and asks me who my favourite player is. Unfortunately, I don't even know the rules, let alone, the distinction between forward and defender. It's by pure coincidence I had come across this opportunity to sit down with her. 

That hurdle is overcome easily as I'm given a TLDR version of the rules of association football...  

(...read more)

The longer I spend with the football player, the more I realise that despite her godlike status within the football community, she is in fact, as relatable as you and I common folk, with aspirations, insecurities, disappointments and strange irrational fears, namely - flying birds, of the pigeon variety. 

Her injury is a shock. And to Heejin, it's a reminder of her fragility, as a sportsperson, as a role model and as  a human... The announcement spreads like wildfire and as I read the articles that come through, even I hold my breath, anxiously awaiting the weight of the implications that may follow. 

In those few meetings that followed the injury. I watch as Heejin re-evaluates her life, more pensive and introspective than I've seen anyone be. It is eye opening, and true to her character, her pain, worries and revelations are clearly written in her expressions, body language and she shares frank, honesty words with myself. 

(...read more)

Her success is as much attributed to her grit, bravery, perseverance and hard work, as it is to her insane talent with ball control, regardless of foot dominance. (She's right foot dominant for the record.)  

It's easy to not see the former half -- the equal amounts of blood, sweat and tears - because it's our human nature to love a good story, a fairytale, to hold talent upon a pedestal and look at them and say: "I could never amount to anything because I don't have their talent."  It's a sobering idea that even the best of us have to push their bodies and minds to the extreme limit to achieve the same greatness we often take for granted.

Still, looking at Heejin, with her easygoing grin, it's so painfully evident that her earnesty and passion for the sport and life shines through her actions everyday. 

It's safe to say Jeon Heejin - football extraordinaire - has left a deep impression and has deeply inspired not only myself, but a generation of the football community.  

Between us, I will still never admit losing a bet to Jinsol (and that Heejin is indeed my favourite player). 

(...read more)

What does football mean to you?

Now that's a loaded question...but as you can probably tell it's my life really! (laughs) and I love that fact too! And you could say I have a knack for it as well.

What is the single hardest thing you've had to face in recent times? How did you cope?

Yeah, well, when you first asked me this it was before the injury had happened and I honestly couldn't think of anything that could feel significant enough to deem the single most difficult experience I had in recent times. Well, I must have jinxed myself because, well then the injury happened. And honestly, it was shattering. It's not often we think about things like this, like a career ending injury. 

Luckily I have a wonderful support system in my coach, my team, my club and some close friends. I think this time off to think and recover has helped me grow as an individual and hopefully into a better player as well.

Any words of wisdom you live by?

No one has the sole claim to happiness. Be true to yourself, and always back yourself!

I'm sure that I'll think of some better ones for my next interview with you. (laughs)

Your closest teammate?

Ha Sooyoung, but please don't tell Hyeju I said that.

Biggest regret?

Likely that I answered that last question. (grins) I guess we'll have to wait and see. 

Are you currently in a relationship? What are the considerations being such a visible person?

(...read more)

It's hard to not feel a tug in her chest in the place where her heart nestled. 

[Heejin]: it was cool of you to write that piece about me, you really have a way with words... and with music too i assume

[Jungeun]: it's what you deserve

[Heejin]: thanks

[Heejin]: hey jungeun, there's a house gathering at jiwoo's later this week

[Heejin]: you should come

[Heejin]: or at least, i want you to come :)

"I was the envy of all the others with my cleanly laundered clothes. They complained because I didn't even need to get sweaty in it." 

"Yes, you're selfish, you really should've brought theirs over too." Jungeun quips back, laughing. 

"Well, at least I'm walking again..." 

"Don't remind me about you and your crutches..." 

Jiwoo's place pulls up into view quicker than expected. Their Uber driver sneaks a look at Heejin, before asking hesitantly for an autograph. It takes a few scribbles before the cheap ball point will glide. Her signature comes out as a scratch, imperfect but personal at least, on the crinkled paper the driver had managed to pull from his glove box.  

Beside her, Jungeun, smiles and waits - patient. 

"I'm a big fan." The driver says, "Thank you,"

"Have a goodnight." Heejin returns as they exit the vehicle.  

It goes like this: They don't really address the kiss that happened the other day -- Jungeun doesn't bring it up and neither does Heejin. Occupying a liminal space between them, tentatively inventoried in between memories and between feelings they had no idea how to address, remaining tucked up on a shelf in Heejin's heart that she did not want to reach (or rather, was not ready to touch). 

Like the fact they were arriving at Jiwoo's together. 

They walk up to the front and the doorbell echoes through the house as it rings. 

Jiwoo greets them at the door, bright as always, and on her face there's just expectation without judgement  at the sight of the two of them. 

"You're the last to arrive! And Heejin, you know how they get with food when they're hungry!"

Sooyoung appears a short while later, sidling up behind Jiwoo. Heejin catches the way her hands naturally gravitate to Jiwoo's shoulders, comfortable and settling in place, the way one would if they were coming home. She averts her eyes, feeling like she's intruding on a private moment.  

"Ahh, sorry to keep you all waiting." She says instead, then turns to Jungeun beside her to ease the awkwardness of an introduction.

Jiwoo beats her to it. "Oh, Jungeun?"

Jungeun nods.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jiwoo! You're so pretty! Come on in." There's no concept of personal space with Jiwoo and Jungeun experiences this for herself as her hands are clasped by Jiwoo and she's being led into the house, like they're old friends. 

Heejin catches the telltale signs of a blush colouring the back of Jungeun's neck in a broad stroke of red that peeks out above the collar line of her checked shirt, exposed by the way her hair was pulled up into a bun tonight.

Sooyoung's watching her with fond eyes, slightly shaking her head, and one corner of her mouth curls upward as their eyes meet. 

"What?" 

Sooyoung shrugs in response, then they're moving, following Jiwoo and Jungeun's lead into the dining area of the house. 

The attention falls upon the newcomers when they enter, and with it comes expectation, because after-all they were the people between a hungry stomach and a spread of good food. 

"Heejin! Finally!" Yeojin says, running up to her and engulfing her in a pair of arms. She's greeted by a face full of hair as well. "I was beginning to lose hope." 

Heejin untangles herself from Yeojin and finds herself stepping into the space by Jungeun's side, the backs of their hands carelessly knocking together, like a sign they were destined to be a conjunction, and linked like so.

The room's attention shifts again, "Oh, who's this?" Yerim asks ever so politely. 

It's Jungeun that answers before Heejin can, and emphasises her self introduction with a fully fledged bow, "I'm Kim Jungeun, but I'm better known to you guys as Cocomong...and ah, Heejin invited me."

The pause embodies the collective realisation of the entire room, that this was the Jungeun - Heejin's Jungeun . Someone's snicker is only half muffled and Heejin catches the looks that are thrown in Jiwoo and Sooyoung's direction, featuring raised eyebrows that say: Really?

Hyeju speaks first. She's never been one to be shy. "So you're Cocomong?...Damn girl, you've been hiding under the costume and not dying of heatstroke all this time? And you're hot enough as is."

"Hyeju." Heejin says and is surprised at the undercurrent of warning that carries itself in her own voice.   

Hyeju mimes a backing-off motion, her palms open, shoulders reaching for her ears as she shrugged. "Okay okay, message received."

The blush on Kim Jungeun's face had returned with full force again, almost as though it had never faded in the first place. An incriminating rush of blood to skin, visible even under her foundation, spreading down to her neck and reaching up to the tips of her ears. Again, Heejin finds it to be endearing. A similar rush of warmth floods into her chest, curling around her heart.

"You also wrote that article on our Heejin!" Gowon adds. 

"So how come you took so long to reveal yourself?" Hyunjin asks, coming around to lean on the side of the counter. 

Jungeun shrugs, "Honestly, it was fun watching you all fail...And then after a period of time it felt weird to break the status quo... and also I didn't want to expose that I knew very little about the sport..." 

"Wait, wait, what??"

"I apologise, for my cluelessness, I genuinely knew nothing at the time. I've been scolded and had to sit through lectures from Heejin already."  

"That's not the most important question though." Sooyoung says, the smirk settling upon her lips spelling nothing but danger. "Who's your favourite player?"

Kim Jungeun makes a sound half-way between a yell and squeak, "Yah! Stop it will y'all, I want to feel like I'll make it home tonight without being kidnapped or murdered by one of you guys, thank you very much!" 

"Come on guys, let's eat first." Jiwoo says, redirecting their thoughts (and hungry stomachs). 

It's fun to watch her teammates up to their usual shenanigans and even going as far as to try to rope the newcomer Jungeun into these troublesome things. The presence of alcohol certainly doesn't help, if anything, just adds fuel to their antics. 

Heejin watches as Kim Jungeun fits right in with the chaos of her friends, gracing them with her 'angry' laughing face - a meme worthy expression - characterised by deep furrowed brows, cheeks pulled tight, eyes squinted and a full set of teeth on display in an open-mouthed cackle.

"Don't mind them." Heejin whispers into Jungeun's ear at one stage during the night, and maybe she's projecting her own wants and desires onto her experience, or maybe it was the alcohol clouding her senses, but she thinks Jungeun shivers. 

She finds it hard to leave Jungeun's side, and finds that she doesn't want to either. 

And for once, she's self conscious, truly nervous--and it's Kim Jungeun's thoughts and opinions that truly matter to her. 

That's when she lets herself finally admit it, that this has her crossing lines, harbouring thoughts and feelings that can't be explained away like an afterthought or an accident, clearly no longer just platonic. 

And outside of anything remotely football related, this is the first time she's really wanted something.  

Heejin's guilty for hoping Kim Jungeun wants her as much she wants Jungeun. 

A surprising quiet corner of the house: the kitchen. Heejin goes there in search of a refill - of water this time. She's had enough beer for the night, never been one to drink to the point of spending nights by the toilet bowl and would not be about to start that tradition either.  

She finds Hyeju there as well, leaning against the sink. It's a bit of a surprise, Heejin had lost track of Hyeju earlier and honestly guessed that Hyeju to be crowded next to Yerim, Yeojin and Gowon in front of Jiwoo's TV engrossed in whatever console game was popular these days.

"Hey Hyeju, you good?" 

"Yep, sure am." 

Hyeju doesn't move, forcing Heejin to reach around the younger player to access the tap. A glass is placed under the running stream of cool water and the rush of water fills up the silence the way it fills the glass in her hand. 

"Just ask her out."

"What?" 

Water sloshes against the edges, threatening to spill out as Heejin's grip slightly slips against the surface of the glass.

Hyeju gives her a pointed look. 

"Jungeun unnie. You like her - you're thinking about her half the time, and the other half of the time: football... And, I think she likes you back. You've clearly impressed her enough if she's sat through whatever horrible explanations of football you've subjected her to." 

There's a back-handed compliment squashed in to accompany the sting of truth. She's forgotten that drunken Hyeju is brutally honest Hyeju, having adopted a personal philosophy to call people out for good reason. 

"Um, excuse me?!"  

"It'll be fine, look at Jiwoo and Sooyoung... Plus you should see her lock screen." 

"Jungeun's? ...What is it?"

"You'll see."

Hyeju's lips press together into a thin line and she finally pushes off the counter and out of her way, leaving Heejin all alone in the kitchen with a glass of cool water and her impossibly loud thoughts. 

Jiwoo's backyard is cold, rightfully so at this time of night. It still doesn't stop Heejin from dragging Jungeun out into the frigid night air, feeling its bite against the exposed skin of her forearms, hairs rising in response. 

"Hey, hey!"

Jungeun's laughing and colliding into her body, her warmth seeping into every contact point, igniting her nerve endings with every touch. She rubs her arms against herself fighting a losing battle against the chill, regretfully remembering that her jacket was in the dining area, draped over the back of Jungeun's seat.

The yard is dimly lit by a single light shining from Jiwoo's porch. Heejin waits for her eyes to adjust, spotting the glaring white of Sooyoung's football lying in the grass.  

At the mischievous look Heejin throws her way, Jungeun shakes her head, arms stretched out in front of her in protest. 

"Jungeun~~~" Heejin's tipsy enough to let herself whine for real, "But you promised me...I'll even teach you."

"Unng, I don't think I'll be all too good."

"You'll be fine, just kick it over here."

Jungeun concentrates, swinging her foot back, then forward again to make contact with the football with a soft thud. 

It tumbles along the grass, across the short distance that separates them before Heejin traps it under an assured foot.

"Good pass, you're a natural!"

Jungeun laughs at this, "Heejin, don't patronise me now!"

They continue kicking the ball around in the semi dark, a comfortable atmosphere blanketing the air between them. Everything comes easy, the back and forth of the conversation, the banter, all as natural as the way they were passing the ball to one another. 

Jungeun pauses, attempting to push at the ball with her non-dominant foot. 

"They're hiring someone new for the mascot role." 

Heejin catches the next pass her way, rolls the ball between her feet, flicking it up into the air and catching it again. 

"Ahh...cool, what do you have in mind next?"

"I'm going to give song-writing another shot..."

"Wait, really?"

The ball rolls past her. Heejin lets the surprise and genuine excitement sweep across her face. The lone porch light casts soft shadows across Jungeun's face as she ducks her head. 

"Yeah, if anything you've taught me you might as well give it your best shot and it doesn't work out, then so be it. But, I think if I don't try, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

"That's amazing, Jungeun..."

"Thanks." Jungeun says softly, then takes in a quiet breath. "Hey...can we stay in touch after this?" 

The question is posed tentatively, like there's another question behind that one, one that would remain hidden, tucked away in the dark for now, like a hopeful secret. 

"Sure, why not?" 

This a moment that could be something more, something significant, but still they don't know how to really proceed and just like that another moment between passes, slipping away, like grains of sand between fingers - inconsequential.

"It's late isn't it? What's the time?" 

Jungeun pulls out her phone, and that's when Heejin catches sight of her lock screen. A flash of blinding light and even from her distance, she knows the picture when she sees its faint outline, she's even seen it countless times on the front page of papers... It's a professionally taken photograph of her mid-kick, right before a decisive goal in their win against their rival club before her injury...  

Heejin thinks to Hyeju's words from their meeting in the kitchen tonight. There's buzzing in her hands and ears but it's not unpleasant. Maybe it's liquid courage that she feels coursing through her veins.

"Jungeun?"

"Yes?"

Her face is warm, like the spot in her chest that sheltered her heart. And in there her heart sits, tapping against her rib cage, cementing with every beat the resolve of her decision. She's sure that Jungeun has challenged her and changed her and her feelings were an acknowledgement of this fact.

She knows she doesn't want to find excuses to hang out anymore.

The football is long forgotten as Heejin's feet carry her forward, closing the distance between Jungeun and herself.

"I like you. More than I thought I would," Her hands tremble as she brings them up to gently cradle Jungeun's face. The lights reflecting in Jungeun's eyes look like constellations of stars in the night sky, beautiful and hopeful. "I want you in my life and I don't want to lose you, Jungeun."

"Then don't let me leave."

"When you said stay in touch...?"

Jungeun rolls her eyes, playfully and then loops her arms around Heejin's waist, her hands pressing into the small of Heejin's back, reassuring. Heejin feels the warmth in the space between their bodies, insulated from the chill of the night air surrounding them.

Still, she feels a shiver ghost down her spine.

"Just ask already, Heejin."

"Be my girlfriend, Jungeun?"

Jungeun's gaze drops down to Heejin's mouth.

And she answers Heejin's question with a press of gentle lips against Heejin's own.

Jungeun's not as restrained as Heejin was in her affection, chasing after Heejin's lips with the intent to place open mouthed kisses against them. Heejin closes her eyes, and opens her heart, relinquishing the hold she had on her feelings, letting them pour out from when she had kept them hidden locked up within her chest. She allows herself to be pulled into Jungeun's embrace, smiling as their mouths meld softly, even if Jungeun's teeth accidentally graze her own as Heejin parts her lips to deepen their kiss.

Right now, Jungeun smells of cedarwood and blackberries, and tastes of a simple kind of happiness.

Her breathing ceases to become involuntary and Heejin has to will herself to breathe . Her breathing pattern is jumpy, like static electricity shooting between two points, mirroring the rhythm of her chaotic heartbeat right now. Their exhales entwine like puffs of smoke in the chilly night air, and in sharing her breath with her, it seems Jungeun fairs no better.

She wouldn't trade this for anything.

"Oh HIII! Oh gosh, i-it's Jeon Heejin!" A girl with bleached blonde hair, who she quickly deduces is Jinsol, excitedly hovers in the doorway. "Can I get your autograph? I'm not afraid to admit that I know all your personal stats from this season..." Jinsol trails off.

Jungeun pushes past her and enters the apartment before Heejin, beelining straight for Jinsol with tiny stompy steps. Heejin laughs to herself at the sight. As much as her girlfriend denied it, she was pretty damn cute at times.

"Jinsol, behave! What did I say to you beforehand!"

"Come on, you think I'm going to pass up the chance to ask THE Jeon Heejin, the most amazing player in the league for an autograph, then you are WRONG."

Heejin, slightly bewildered, stands at the threshold, a little unsure what to do as the roommates bicker further into the apartment.

"Fine, but only if Heejin's okay with it." Jungeun relents, turning back to motion for Heejin to enter. 

Heejin steps past the threshold and remembers fondly that they had their first kiss in this very apartment and in the laundry too. She smiles to herself, tucking the memory close to her chest.  

"So, can I get your autograph?" Jinsol asks again, teeth pulled into a blindingly bright grin. 

"Um, yeah, sure." 

"Oh and by the way, Lippie knows all your stats too!"

"Lippie?" Heejin asks and turns to find Jungeun's scowl beginning to settle into her forehead region.

"Oh yeah, that's her pen name when we write songs together! Kim Lip. It's cute, right?"

At Jungeun's glare, Jinsol cackles, (without fear as well, Heejin notices) and makes a move to retreat into her own bedroom. 

"Is it true?" Heejin teases, nudging a gentle elbow against Jungeun's side as they settle onto the couches. Heejin tucks her foot underneath her.

"...Yes."

"And about the stats...so I am your favourite player and you are a fangirl!"

"Shut-up Heejin." Jungeun grumbles, half whining, "I thought we established that already..."

From the other room, Jinsol interjects. "Kim Lip, don't think I've forgotten that you lost our bet and now owe me!"

Heejin laughs and finds Jungeun's hand with her own, linking their fingers together. 

"Aww, don't be jealous Lippie, I'll sign something of yours too."

Jungeun's face colours red like the Cocomong mascot she'd adorned the entire season.