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"Ugh... There are only four days left until the suffering ends..." sighs an exhausted Haechan who lies on the bleachers of the field, obviously waiting for the appearance of the university's football team, as always. "There are only four days left and I still haven't been able to get Mark's attention..."
"Are you giving up, Lee Donghyuck?" Next to him, his best friend and confidant Huang Renjun is reading the page of one of his beloved tarot books. "You're not like that, the sky could fall today."
"Did the cards tell you that?" He asks excitedly, Renjun glares at him. "It's a joke, I just... I thought you could tell me how to make him fall in love..."
"I can't tell you that, cards don't work that way."
"At least a clue..." he insists, forming a pout with his lips.
"Haechan I don't understand you, there are so many guys behind you these days and you just... You decide to go for the most straight and arrogant of all."
"It's exciting, right?"
"You'll end up beaten and with your head in the toilet, although I suppose that would be the mildest thing a gorilla running wildly after a ball could do."
"Renjun today you sound a little more of a party pooper than every day... I remind you that you almost had an affair with Lee Jeno and his friend Na Jaemin, both of them are Mark Lee's teammates." He laughs, hugging him friendly because he knows how his friend feels about what happened.
"I know, that's why I know what kind of people they are, I should’ve listened to the cards when they showed me a fucking number three repeatedly."
"Who would’ve known you would be involved in a threesome?"
"A threesome that I was not aware of."
"If you had been, would you have accepted?"
"Of course not, Lee Donghyuck. Let's not talk about unnecessary topics, we're here because of that homophobic quarterback you like so much." He tries to hide his red cheeks under the big book. p>
"We don't know if he is homophobic..."
"We don't know if he's gay either."
"Ugh!… How difficult!" He lowers his shoulders discouraged.
Renjun flattens his lips and rolls his eyes, one of the blonde's most notable features is his impeccable sense of friendship, he will never be able to differ with Haechan, it’s not in his plans to take the shine off those innocent brown eyes, he can kill someone for his friend, that's how great their affection is, and if seeing his happiness means encouraging him to get what he want no matter how crazy it is, he will do it.
"Haechan, I won't stop you if you want that boy, I will support you and if he tries to hit you or something I will be there to defend you. I promise." He extends his fist towards him, the smile that slowly forms on the brunette's lips widens to the point that his eyes are just two curved lines on his cheeks.
"You are the best friend in the world.” He ignores the fist and rushes over to hug him. Although Renjun is not very expressive with his affection and personally believes that he is better with words, he accepts any show of affection from his friend, he is used to it.
As soon as he sees that short black hair swinging in the air as he runs to the center of the playing field, Haechan pushes Renjun away from him to sit more properly and perfectly observe that quarterback doing small jumps on the green grass to warm his body.
"He has such a... big butt..." he lets out a sigh, disgusting his best friend.
Renjun's eyes go to that pair who are murmuring among themselves, directing their gaze to the stands, when they find the scrawny white-skinned boy, they smile widely. In his opinion, almost paranormal.
"Perverts..." he mutters, looking back at his book although his hot cheeks begin to bother his reading.
On the other side of the field, Mark is stretching his muscles under the big uniform he's gotten used to, smiling for some strange reason as he wipes the moisture off his helmet.
Training becomes increasingly more exhaustive as game day arrives, a game where great recruiters will be waiting to witness the neatest and most professional plays of young talents. Of course, the coach believes that Mark is a great candidate for the NFL, he is tougher on him because of this and the Canadian understands it.
So with the arrival of graduation his dreams are getting closer, becoming an American football star for him has always been his destiny, just thinking about it makes his stomach vibrate and his hands tingle with excitement. Another smile and he is already the center of attention in the long line of players who are waiting for their next activity while the coach writes down the plays that will lead them to victory in his big notebook.
"Lee Mark, what makes you smile so much?" asks the offensive tackle, Na Jaemin, and one of his greatest friends since his beginnings at that school as he takes off his helmet shaking the sweat from his pink hair.
"Me? Nothing." He evades his question still with a smile on his lips.
"He is happy about his assured recruitment, leave him alone, I would be that way too." Jeno confesses next to him, wrapping his big arm around his shoulders.
"You would be drunk in some cheap club, Jeno." the pink haired man mocks.
"Rude," he complains, pouting his swollen pink lips. "...Or, maybe he's smiling for another particular reason…”
"Any girls around you, Mark?" Jaemin plays, raising his eyebrows.
"Too many, it feels exhausting to have to reject them all..." he sighs, straightening his posture.
"Maybe you should give some of them a chance, I understand that you are focused on your plays and your dream, but you need to enjoy yourself at some point." adds the offensive tackle.
"And what better than with someone to cheer you on during the games?" Jeno joins, exchanging glances with Jaemin, both smiling.
"Have what you have? I'll pass, I'm fine the way I am now." he walks away, resuming his jumps. Both friends approach him again, unwilling to end the conversation until they get what they want.
"We're not talking about a threesome, Mark."
Laughter surrounds him.
"You need a girlfriend, we don't want our friend to die alone and become a virgin again..." Jaemin fakes crying, exasperating the quarterback.
"I'm not a virgin."
"It's been three years since Emily, your dick definitely forgot how to get an erection." Jeno mocks.
"Fine! You win dude, damn it! I'll try but you won't force me to be with someone."
"That's enough." They say in unison returning to their positions when the coach's whistle vibrates in his ears.
"Actually, I think you already have someone..." Jeno murmurs next to him as the intensive warm-up begins and he finds himself running the tenth lap of the large field.
"What are you talking about?"
"Look at..." at the moment Jeno turns his head he interrupts his sentence noticing that suddenly the stands are empty, just some cheerleaders lounging on them and losing their eyes in the tight tights of their uniforms. "...Maybe the girls, although I swore I had seen..."
"Lee, enough talk, ten more yards each for getting distracted just days before the game!" the coach shouts, Jeno gets a serious look from the Canadian who accelerates his speed.
” ” ”
"I can't believe I missed my chance to lock eyes with Mark because you lost a card!" He grumbles, dragging his feet behind his friend who is carefully searching for the lost card following the route they had taken around the school.
"They are my most precious treasure, Donghyuck, my first tarot cards, I can't just throw them away and buy new ones..." he looks under the feet of the students who walk around wearing dirty looks. "...They have great spiritual and, above all, sentimental value for me..."
"Were you looking for this, pretty boy?" He looks up, finding that sly smile as pink as Na Jaemin's own hair, holding his precious card between his fingers.
"Why do you have it?" the lowest one protests.
"I came to deliver some papers from the coach and found it lying on the floor…" he shrugs. "The lovers, an interesting card, perhaps destiny put it in front of me..."
"The lovers' card doesn't always mean something good, it could mean the death of your love relationship and that people are losing interest in your stupid face" Renjun declares, tearing the card from his hands and then disappearing with his friend, terrified at what just happened.
"Is what you told him true?" Haechan asks, looking at the card in his hand with fear.
"Maybe I exaggerated a little..." he laughs maliciously as they cross the field to return to the stands although, to their bad luck, the team was no longer there.
Haechan kneels on the grass looking at the sky with lost hopes, then Renjun understands that his day is about to be ruined.
"Destiny wanted it that way..." he murmurs, looking at the clouds hiding the yellowish glow of the sun. "...Everything is lost, I cannot prevent what destiny wants... Maybe Mark and I are not destined and I will walk in sorrow for the rest of my..."
"Aren't you exaggerating too much? It's not a funeral, Donghyuck."
"You're right but I'd rather do this than blame you for stopping me from flirting with him."
"Watching his every move like an owl from the stands is not flirting, we look like stalkers." He complains, crossing his arms. "...You should do something that directly addresses him, like..."
The eyes of both are directed to the cheerleaders who practice on the field with their short skirts and golden batons in their hands. They both exchange glances and for a moment Renjun regrets his advice although it would be a good future joke to remind Hyuck of the time he dressed up as a cheerleader to get a boy's attention.
"You're a genius, Renjun!" He cheers and then jumps up and hugs him for the brilliant idea.
"I wasn't talking about that but... It's not a bad idea, although..." he looks at them out of the corner of his eye. "...I don't think you can join the cheer team days before they graduate, you don't have a chance."
"I have nothing to lose by trying." Hyuck grabs his friend's arm and drags him towards the cheerleaders who look at him with plucked eyebrows furrowed at his sudden appearance.
Renjun just wants to dig a hole and bury himself in shame.
"Are you around here again, Donghyuck?" He is greeted with a smile by the captain of the cheerleading team, Choi Lia. He laughs and nods.
"How's everything...?"
"Weird, what specifically do you need?" She crosses her arms in front of him.
"Just a favor! Please, let me be part of the cheerleading team, it's been my dream since I was little..." he begs, kneeling in front of her. Perplexed, Lia quickly approaches him.
"It's absurd, don't kneel, you're older than me."
"I won't get up until you accept."
"Of course not." She tries to lift him but the strength that Haechan exerts is abysmal, Renjun sighs, covering his face with shame.
"Please, Lia…!"
"Lia, it's not a bad idea, he could replace Raven, we can't do the number with the incomplete formation..." one of the cheerleaders suggests behind her, Haechan jumps with a smile waiting for the captain's response in front of him.
"...Fine... You can join..." she sighs tiredly.
"VICTORY!" he shouts excitedly.
"If you're a disaster, you're out, got it?"
"You're talking to Lee Donghyuck, I'm anything but a disaster."
” ” ”
Night falls when both boys are leaving the university, Haechan sighs in pain from his tense sore muscles dragging his backpack on the ground, at his side, Renjun does a quick spiritual reading on himself.
"I can't straighten up... It hurts..." Donghyuck complains, rubbing his back.
"At least you managed to impress the cheerleaders by getting the rhythm in just two tries."
"Who invented the cheerleader steps and why is there so much jumping?"
"Love hurts Haechan."
"Physically it shouldn't hurt like this... and to think that I'm doing all this so that at least he will reject me..."
"Don't give up."
"Oh of course I'm not going to do it, at least I want to get no for an answer. Although if that happens I might need months to recover emotionally."
"Have faith."
They say goodbye to each other at the bus stop, making sure that when they arrive they send a message to the other announcing their arrival. It's not so cold in the morning but the temperature usually drops when night falls during that season when the weather is somewhat unstable. Steam comes out of his mouth with each exhalation and he prays to the holy Renjun that the bus arrives before his body is petrified by the cold.
In the distance, a group of young people is surrounding something in particular that catches his attention, he runs towards them and then, he sees a small, crestfallen boy being bullied by other guys who he claims are not his friends at all.
"What are you guys doing, revealing yourself?" he complains, making his way between them until he is positioned in front of the youngest.
"You're sticking your nose into other people's business, Haechan." notices a somewhat tall boy with a complexion as light as the moon whom he claims to have never seen in his life.
"Do I even know you?"
"It's no big secret that you're the gayest gay here."
"What an insult... I thought I was more mysterious." He crosses his arms pouting.
"Get out of here, this is a matter between friends."
"Friends usually have a good time with each other and..." he glances askance at the boy behind him. "...He doesn't look like he's having a good time. I'll give you five minutes to leave or..." he sees the remaining students leaving the establishment. "...I'll shout that you're trying to pay me for sex and I doubt you big guys want to be called gay by others..."
The pale boy who had previously spoken looks at his friends with confusion and shakes his head with a grunt.
"This won't stay like this. I don't care who your brother is, Park Jisung, the first chance I get I will break your face" he spits, walking away with his pack.
"Ugh... I don't want to suck your dick for ten dollars, leave me alone!" Haechan shouts with false annoyance watching them run away at a trot, he starts to laugh when they finally disappear from his sight. "...Everything okay, boy?"
The boy with small lips and dark eyes nods, still crestfallen.
"What year are you in?"
"First year..."
"Welcome to college, Jisung. It's not as pretty as they make you believe, but it's not so bad after all." He smiles so warmly that the boy feels a little more secure.
"Thank you, Donghyuck hyung."
"It's nothing, are you taking the bus? I just needed someone while I was waiting for it."
"Actually... I'm waiting for my brother, he has a car." he says carefully trying not to sound disrespectful.
"Then, I will wait with you until your brother arrives" he smiles again, his eyes petrified as he sees the bus approaching in the distance. "...Fucking bus, until you decide to show up..."
"Oh, hyung, you can go if you want..."
"I'll stay with you, I can wait for the next one, although this one took almost an hour to arrive..." he complains, lowering his shoulders.
”It's too cold to wait for the next one, please don't wait, my brother is coming, I promise, I'll be fine…”
"Really? Okay... I..." the bus approaches and to be honest he can't stand his frozen fingers in his pockets anymore. "Fine, I'll go! Jisung, come back carefully, bye!"
He gets on the bus as soon as it stops in front of him, inside everything is warmer due to the heating and he is glad to have gotten on, he sits down and says goodbye to the boy with a big smile, waving his hand in the air.
Jisung smiles slightly as he looks around expectantly until that well-known figure appears among the students, he approaches with a wide smile and his backpack hanging from his shoulder, he comes jogging and strokes his straight hair as soon as he greets him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, little brother, coach was a little stricter this time..." he apologizes, forming a line with his lips.
"It doesn't matter, Mark hyung, it wasn't that bad..."
"And that? Did they bother you again?" If Mark has something, it’s his great perception of the emotions, he’s good at reading people, a secret quality that he is grateful for because it allows him to know when his brother is feeling bad emotionally.
All his life he has shown his genuine interest in his brother's well-being, he always tries to give him the best, which is why he was a little surprised when his brother asked him to please keep the fact that they were brothers a secret. Jisung is introverted and a bit shy too, he knows that it’s not a good idea for everyone to know about his blood connection with the school's famous star quarterback, he doesn’t want to draw people's attention for it, nor for them to approach him with the intention to get closer to his brother at the same time, that’s why, unlike Mark, he decided to register with his mother's last name. Obviously it doesn't help much, those guys knew about Mark and took the opportunity to use his last name against him.
Simple bullies with the intention of disturbing.
"Yes, but a hyung scared them away..." he confesses, walking with his brother towards the car.
"Do you know his name?"
”Donghyuck.”
"Last name? His name sounds familiar tho..."
"I don't remember... I think he didn't say it..."
"I should know... Maybe the guys are right and I'm focusing too much on the plays..." he says thoughtfully, scratching his chin.
"They are definitely right."
"Okay, I get it..." he rolls his eyes.
"What can be a good token of appreciation for a hyung?" asks a curious Jisung, entering the car and as soon as his brother starts the car, he turns on the heating.
"Do you want to give the hyung a gift?"
"Yep."
"Well... It would be nice if you gave him food or maybe a coffee..."
"Then tomorrow I'll take him to lunch!"
"That's great, Jisung." He smiles stroking his hair.
” ” ”
Another day feeling his muscles hurt, although apparently his body managed to get used to the horrible workouts since the pain is milder than the day before. Renjun laughs watching from the lower stands, doing his last activity of the year before graduating while enjoying his best friend's complaints.
There is nothing better than Haechan's sweet complaints and being a cheerleader is completely different from what he thought.
"When will we cheer on the players?" He pouts, waving his batons listlessly.
"Maybe being a cheerleader doesn't always mean cheering on the players..." Renjun says, shrugging his shoulders as he turns the page in his book.
"You are somewhat wrong, Renjun..." Lia appears sitting next to both of them. "It’s the basis of a cheerleader to give the necessary strength to the players so that they don’t feel too much pressure, except that... This league of cheerleaders is somewhat... Shy."
"Shy cheerleaders?" they questioned in unison.
"Oh, please don't tell me you never came to see a game... It's depressing..."
"I've never actually watched a game..." Donghyuck reveals, Renjun nods in agreement.
"Maybe we need an incentive..."
"I won't let you be silent cheerleaders until you graduate!" He smiles and jumps, notices the appearance of the team on the field beginning their warm-up and nods, looking at all the curious girls. "Come on, girls."
"God no..." Renjun begs, turning his back on his friend and hiding his embarrassed face behind his homework.
Haechan smiles at them, adjusting his blue and white uniform. He is grateful that he doesn't have to wear a skirt because it would be the most humiliating thing he would do to get someone's attention.
He takes a deep breath as soon as he sees them running around the field, getting closer and closer to where the cheerleaders are. Although they are not too close away, their position allows him to see their face in more detail. It's definitely better than the high stands.
Renjun hides his face as soon as he hears him do the small count.
"...Let's go Dream High Royals!" Haechan shouts, shaking his batons in the air, his voice matching that of the cheerleaders and then captivating the players who, on the court, cannot help but turn their heads in his direction in amazement at what happened.
Jeno and Jaemin smile as they run, watching the blonde-haired boy look sideways with embarrassment, even the coach is speechless.
"I thought we didn't have cheerleaders..." one of the players jokes, adjusting the shoulder pads of his uniform.
"Hey... Well, you heard the ladies, move, move! I want you well prepared for the game!" the coach dictates, blowing his whistle.
"Apparently there are not only ladies..." another player murmurs to the quarterback, Mark raises his eyebrows and guides his gaze to the pile of golden batons until he finds his brown eyes shining in the reflection of the sun. A boy with dark hair that is a little long and curly watches him moving his batons in the air, but what stands out most is that splendid and sincere smile on his lips, a smile so contagious that it also makes him smile, and then resume warming up listening to the cheers of the area.
” ” ”
Haechan lowers his batons, feeling his shoulders shake from the movements that Renjun exerts on him, trying to bring him back to reality. Something a bit useless considering that his exhaustive effort paid off and is something almost impossible for an impatient Lee Donghyuck.
"Tell me I won't have to use hypnosis on you..." Renjun asks, looking for his lost look.
"He just..."
"He smiled at you, Haechan. That's a big step." the Chinese congratulates, smiling at him, the youngest flattens his happy smile and nods, accompanying his celebration with jumps.
"I'm so in love..." he hears someone say behind him. "...Mark Lee is really... He'll ask me out..." Lia blurts out, hiding those rosy cheeks with her baton.
Donghyuck opens his eyes looking at Renjun and denies regretfully. His friend simply closes his eyes, silently meditating and processing what just happened.
While he knows he has taken a big step forward, those have simply become setbacks after Lia's words. And all morning Renjun was in charge of making it clear that he smiled at him, but hopes are beginning to be null for Donghyuck who is laying his head on one of the cafeteria tables, trying to waste time while his best friend exposes one of his latest projects.
"Hyung? Are you feeling okay?"
Donghyuck opens his eyes and then meets Jisung's worried gaze. "Oh, it's you... I'm fine, Jisung, are you?"
"I’m..."
"Is someone bothering you?" he asks quickly, putting himself on guard. Jisung denies and sits next to him.
"No, I just... I wanted to buy you a meal..."
"Jisung, you're very sweet and all, but I'm going through a love situation that's not nice at all and the truth is I don't think..."
"Wait! That's not what I'm trying to do, I just… I want to thank you for yesterday with a delicious meal…"
"Oh that was it... I'm sorry, you were trying to be nice to me and I misinterpreted it with my stupid love situation...!" He exclaims taking the younger's hands, Jisung politely denies.
"Let's eat something and... We'll talk about it to vent... If you want..."
"Jisung you are an angel fallen from heaven, I appreciate it." He whimpers dramatically as they both get up and walk to the college convenience store.
Once they finish choosing something to eat and return to the table, they share the food in silence, Jisung doesn't know how to start and Haechan… He's just discouraged. Who can blame him? It's him against the beauty of a woman and Renjun calling Mark an homophobic straight man plagues his little head.
"Okay... What's worrying you, hyung?"
"Not being enough for him," he sighs, taking a sip of the soda. "... I mean, I'm not insecure or anything, it's just that he seems unattainable with him being a fucking football player and me being a pretty gay boy. He looks more like the type who would date a cute cheerleader."
"Oh, is that one of the players? Maybe I can help you, I know something about them."
"I…" He thinks carefully about whether he can trust him, he's completely harmless and what difference does it make? He will soon graduate, he will never see him again in his life. "...Do you know the Royals captain… Mark Lee?"
Jisung opens his eyes in surprise and nods, getting closer to him to hear it, although a part of him feels guilty for knowing more than him.
"Don't you think he's too unattainable for me? Be honest."
"I don't know... I..."
"It's clear that he dates girls, I mean, he has a lot of pretty girls on his tail and I hate to admit it but he's a football player, Renjun is right... If I try to get close I could end up in the hospital..." he hunches over eating ramen. p>
"No! Mark isn't like that... He's good, he doesn't hit people." he says quickly, scaring the older man.
"I know he looks like that, I see him that way too but..."
"Hyung, don't give up, nothing is impossible, I..."
"Will you help me? How could you?"
"I’m... I'm his brother..." Donghyuck drops his chopsticks on the table and blinks in perplexity, his time freezes for a moment but he quickly composes himself.
"Good joke, very cruel but good." He laughs holding the chopsticks again until a very familiar voice passes through his back.
"Jisung, shouldn't you be in class?"
He tries not to look upset but thanks to the minor's smile he knows that he looks upset enough to run away, and he has never been so close to the boy. He feels his cheeks blush the instant he stands next to his brother and makes that characteristic expression he usually makes when he's confused.
Yes, Donghyuck had been watching him for quite some time.
"Mark, this is Donghyuck, the hyung I told you about," Jisung says, getting up from his seat and that's where Hyuck feels the real terror.
"Donghyuck? You look familiar to me, I think we share classes..." he smiles, a smile completely his, he feels like he's in a dream.
"Yes, some..."
"Well, I have to go to class. Mark, don't waste the food and please finish it with him, I don't want to be rude" he makes a small bow and walks away with a smile on his face.
Haechan's heart races as soon as he sees him take a seat, simply staying static there is not what he wants and the voice in his head tells him that it is the opportunity to captivate him, Jisung was clear and the information seems accurate coming from a close family member, at least he knows that he wouldn't hit him.
He takes advantage of the silence to look at him even more closely, the distance between the field and the stands doesn’t allow him to notice that cute mole on his cheek, the one on his neck and the small pout he makes while eating. A somewhat cute sound comes out of him, making him hold his breath.
"Donghyuck, I'm grateful for what you did for my brother."
"You're welcome, he's a great guy." He smiles taking all of his attention, he reciprocates his smile and nods from him.
"He is, thank you," he puts his chopsticks down on the table looking around. "Lately I haven't been paying much attention to him, as you know, it's my last year and the recruiters expect me to give everything of myself, the coach is more rigid with us, I don't have much free time, I..." Mark raises his gaze. "...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overwhelm you with my..."
"You're excited about your future, I understand," Hyuck smiles, crossing his legs and changing his posture to a more relaxed one. "You don't have to apologize, you have to work hard for them to notice you and I'm sure they will, you're not the star of Dream High for nothing."
"I really understand Jisung. You're good, Donghyuck." The tone he uses is different and makes him feel butterflies in his stomach, a seductive but natural tone. Authentic.
"Thank you." He laughs pleasedly, a resonant and tender laugh coming from a twenty-year-old boy.
The bell rings and Mark looks at the watch on his wrist, quickly drinks the soda and gets up, taking the tray with all the remains of food he had left.
"I have to go, coach will make me run another ten yards if I'm late." Mark complains, turning around but turns back to the youngest who is still looking at him with a smile. “Oh, Hyuck, thanks for cheering today, keep doing it..." and that last smile makes him jump from his seat as soon as he disappears, the students around him look at him strangely, after cleaning up his waste he runs to his best friend.
” ” ”
"Let me understand, you saved a first year boy, he turned out to be Mark Lee's brother, you finally talked to him and... He asked you not to stop cheering him up."
"Yes!" he says lying on the grass of the courtyard while Renjun finishes his expressive art homework next to him.
"That's good news, I knew he was smiling at you." Renjun assures, leaving the brush on the palette.
"I feel so blessed."
"When do you plan to confess? There are three days left until his graduation."
"It's very quick to do it, I still have three days, it's a big step." Hyuck brings his arms behind his head, letting the sun illuminate him in its entirety.
"It is, congratulations Haechan."
"What about you? When are you going to admit that you like Jeno and Jaemin?"
"I don't like them."
"Okay, I'll pretend I didn't see you painted them both there."
"Donghyuck." the Chinese scolds him.
"Oh come on, you painted two heads, one with pink hair and the other white, there aren't many guys with those hair colors, do you expect me to believe that those aren't them?"
"It's called expressive art but that doesn't mean they have a specific meaning."
"Sure, sure."
"Is that Lia?" Renjun suddenly asks but he doesn't like what he sees at all. "Forget it."
"Forget what, Renjun? If you get mysterious all you do is..." he stands up looking in the direction his friend was seeing. "... Make me curious..."
Lia laughs in front of a smiling Mark, she moves flirtatiously and that turns the minor's stomach. Renjun notices this so he instantly sighs and shakes his head, continuing with his work.
"Forget it, he won't do anything, he has his eyes on you."
"In a friendly way, not like with her."
"Donghyuck, don't be exaggerated, are you going to let yourself be beaten by a cheerleader?"
"I'm a cheerleader too."
"She doesn't have the support of someone so close to him."
"Tell me, how many guys did he date?"
"Since when are you a pessimist? I should be the one who considers Mark a straight monster and let me tell you, what he said to you was not so straight for a football player."
"Renjun..."
"No, you give up and I swear I will do witchcraft on you, Lee Donghyuck, I will hang a chicken's head on the headboard of your bed."
"Renjunnie... I love you." Hyuck lets out, flattening a smile on his lips. The older man nods, stroking his hair.
"I know. Now, go get him and make him fall in love with you."
” ” ”
The cheerleaders finish fixing their uniforms for the second practice, Donghyuck sighs, memorizing the steps while shaking the batons in his hands. Three days, he only has three days to get close enough and declare his love, he is not going to give in.
That's why as soon as the cheering starts, he smiles big and waves his batons above his head. If there's one thing Lee Donghyuck is good at, it's standing out from people, and he did it.
His bright and cheerful attitude catches the eyes of all the players, not a bad one, on the contrary, he arrows several hearts.
"Cheer up Lee Mark!" He shouts, jumping from time to time, his rosy cheeks give him away and he hides his face between the batons.
"I see you already have someone to cheer you up, Markie," Jaemin laughs. "How cute."
"Johnny Suh set his eyes on him, watch out." Jeno mocks, pointing with his gaze to the center of the team who looks at him with a smirk. Mark shakes his head smiling and watches carefully as the little boy in the blue uniform runs towards his friend.
"I told him not to stop cheering us on, for the first time he made the cheerleaders sing for us."
"So you asked him to cheer you up... Our Markie is so cute!" Jaemin shouts, squeezing the shoulder pads of his uniform, the Canadian just runs away from the pair.
"I just asked him to cheer for us, don't get stupid ideas, you stupid pair, we are friends because he defended my brother."
"Who dared to bother Jisungnnie?" the pink-haired boy asks, breathing heavily.
"The brat Zhong Chenle and his friends, dude."
"We can give him a talk, right Jeno?"
"Sure." He nods, looking away from the blonde-haired boy in the stands. "You know we would do anything for Jisung, he's like our little brother."
"Thanks but he already asked me not to get involved."
"You won't do anything, only us."
Mark considers it, narrowing his eyes.
"Fine but don't get into trouble, we don't need two players suspended just days before the game. Got it?" He puts both hands on his waist and looks at them seriously.
"Got it, captain!" they say in unison.
” ” ”
Jaemin looks both ways in that empty hallway, noticing that pale-skinned boy alone at the end of it, he feels tickles on his neck and shakes his head away from the older man.
"This is not the time, Jeno. There he is."
"Let's go." He responds by standing up and walking at high speed towards him, grabs him by the stomach and takes him to the janitor's room followed by his partner.
Chenle doesn’t understand anything but the dark looks of both of them terrify him, he remains static in his place still holding the sheet that he was trying to hide in his sweater.
"So bothering Jisungnnie, huh..." Jaemin says in a terrifying tone.
"Me? What?"
"Don't play dumb Zhong Chenle, we know you've been harassing Jisung, do you want your hyungs to kick your ass?"
"Hey, Jeno, don't be so violent, Mark told us not to do anything that could punish us from the game."
"I know, I just wanted to scare him, Jaemin, damn…" the older man sighs, rolling his eyes.
"Oops... Well... we'll gouge out your eyes and..."
"It no longer works."
"I'm sorry."
"What do you have there, child?" The white-haired man asks, ripping the blade out of his hands. Chenle tries to get it back but it's absurd, Jeno's strength is greater.
"Is this the list of classes Jisungnnie takes?" Jaemin seems confused and Chenle is stunned by their voices.
"I..."
"Are you planning to harass him?"
"No, I..."
"That's what it looks like."
"Yeah, it looks like you're going to bully him all next year..."
”No…”
"What will we do with him?"
"I just want to know what classes I'll take with him!" The boy confesses, squeezing his eyes in shame. "I like Jisung..."
"Wow, I didn't expect this." Jeno says with wide eyes in shock, he quickly loosens his grip on him and Chenle takes the paper from his hands. "By the way, what a way to express your interest…”
"If you want to get close to him, harassing him is not a good method."
"I know... What can I do to get closer? In fact, I've already ruined any opportunity."
"The first thing you should do is ask for forgiveness for tormenting him and then... Ask him to be friends. You are still little and he is a good boy, he will forgive you."
"Really?" Chenle asks with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.
"Sure" they say in unison."
"But if you hurt Jisungnnie again... When we graduate we will personally come and kick your ass until you can never look at a chair again in your life. Got it?" Jaemin tells him, pointing his index finger at him, threatening enough to make little Zhong Chenle shit himself.
Chenle nods and says goodbye with a quick bow to run to the youngest's next class. Jeno and Jaemin look at each other for a few seconds, both sharing the same thought. They got off on the wrong foot with that blonde boy, they both know it, maybe they should listen to their own advice.
” ” ”
Zhong finds Jisung leaving his class, he has his backpack perfectly hung on his back and his gaze is lost on his phone, he doesn't even flinch when he passes it, he only looks away from the cell phone when he hears him clearing his throat in front of him.
"Uh, Chenle..." Jisung swallows nervously and the named only feels angry at himself.
"Jisung I... I wanted to apologize... I just wanted to get closer to you, I never wanted to be so violent, I'm sorry, I don't know how to express myself..."
"Did you want to come closer to me?"
"I like you," Chenle confesses, putting both hands inside his pockets, Jisung forms an “o” with his lips, leaving him speechless. "Please, I'm not asking you to reciprocate, I just want you to agree to be my friend..."
"I..." Jisung thinks, clearing his throat. "...You shouldn't just apologize to me, you also owe it to Donghyuck hyung, I'll only accept it if you do." he declares firmly.
And Chenle is willing to do anything for Jisung's friendship.
Leaving the field are the cheerleaders and some other players looking to be reciprocated by them. Donghyuck, too immersed in the tarot reading that Renjun did to one of the cheerleaders, doesn’t even notice when Mark stops in front of him, observing him with grace. Hyuck collides with him, almost falling backwards if it weren't for the black-haired man's quick grab, he smiles as soon as he regains his own balance.
"From what I see you are somewhat clueless." Mark smiles sideways.
"Quick catch, worthy of the Dream High quarterback." They both laugh at how stupid they sound, Donghyuck is about to say something when that boy appears next to him with his head down.
"Zhong Chenle?" Mark looks just as confused as Hyuck.
"Lee Donghyuck I'm sorry for calling you gay, it wasn't nice of me, I hope you accept my apology." He is about to kneel when Haechan stops him in his tracks, looking around him, he doesn't want it to draw everyone's attention, too embarrassing.
"Calm down, child. No need to bow, for God's sake."
"My apologies are sincere..."
"I understand, you don't need to kneel, besides... Calling me gay is not an insult to me when it's just what I am, forget it..." Hyuck smiles, caressing his head gracefully. Chenle purses his lips and nods, walking away from both of them. "It's the strangest thing that could have happened to me today..."
He looks out of the corner of his eye at the black-haired man who silently watches the youngest walk away, a little late he understands what happened and he couldn't feel more ashamed, his cheeks are burning fire.
"Donghyuck, come on? We have class in three minutes." Renjun suddenly says, appearing next to him, and he thanks the mystical forces for sending him.
"Come on," he nods, clearing his throat. "See you tomorrow, Mark."
He almost flees the scene with his friend, only Renjun can hear him complain about how embarrassed he feels despite it being nothing bad to clarify his sexuality with the boy he likes, he still feels stupid and maybe a little scared because of his reaction, he quickly feels the need to escape his words.
Because he can already see it coming, the question, the answer and the amount of results that can come from that small conversation.
The rest of the afternoon they are in charge of finishing their activities. He got an A despite having his head in the clouds, but Renjun is there to bring him back to earth, he is grateful, because he doesn't know what would happen to him without his beloved confidant.
He feels a great need to scream, he is desperate and anxious about what happened but Jisung helps him forget everything with his sudden appearance, he tells him everything that happened between him and Chenle, and although that way of approaching seemed a little strange to him, he understands it, after all they are young.
Jisung tells him that Chenle invited him to an arcade and that right now he feels sure that the only threat is gone, his apology seemed too sincere to believe that he is only pretending to forgive him, he decides to believe in him and think that Jisung was finally able to find a friend.
He says goodbye to Renjun as he usually does, leaving the university late only makes his wait for the next bus seem eternal, he plays with the mist that comes out of his mouth in an absurd attempt to entertain himself while waiting for the vehicle, he watches some funny bear videos on his phone and turns it off when he notices the low battery.
He doesn't realize how cold it is until Mark Lee himself appears, releasing mist like a boiling pot.
"Still here?"
"I'm waiting for the bus." His red nose wrinkles next to his tender smile, Mark allows himself to sigh and smile in response, and looks for a way to get rid of the strange sensation that runs through his stomach when he sees him hunch over and take small jumps to keep the cold away from his body.
"Don't wait any longer, I'll take you, you're going to get sick here."
"What?"
"Hyuck, I'm not going to let you freeze."
"Uhm... Mark Lee, you're my savior!" Donghyuck celebrates standing next to him.
They both walk towards the parking lot, as soon as they are inside the car the Canadian turns on the heating, hearing Hyuck’s small laugh of satisfaction as he feels the warmth envelop him.
He puts on his belt while being observed by Mark's attentive gaze.
Donghyuck guides him until they finally reach his house but the heat inside is so pleasant that the Korean doesn't want to get out, or maybe it's because of how good Mark's presence feels.
"Thanks for bringing me."
"Hyuck…."
"Yes?"
"Sleep well." He smiles, squeezing the steering wheel of the car. Haechan gives a warm smile and nods.
"You too, Mark."
He gets out of the car holding his breath, he can't breathe properly until he closes the door to the house and sighs, trapping his index finger between his teeth.
He jumps excitedly, letting out small screams of excitement until he realizes that the curtain of his window is open and the Canadian still in the car saw absolutely everything, he closes it quickly and goes upstairs hiding between his sheets.
Mark, for his part, denies smiling and starts his car, maybe a little training before bed will help balance the speed at which his heart beats at that moment, he feels motivated enough to make a touchdown in the middle of the road.
” ” ”
The clouds become dark, the morning seems a terrifying memory of the night and he sighs when when he leaves he notices that his umbrella was too broken to even cover him from the violent drizzle that falls without stopping. He considers not going to university but is terrified of missing out on any type of gossip due to his absence, and he faithfully believes in the weather forecast that his phone gives him, although it loses veracity when it announces a light morning drizzle.
It seems like the sky will fall apart.
He runs towards the bus stop, his feet made into little boats flooded by a great tide, he can hear the rubber of his shoe squeaking with every step he takes, funny but sad. His hair drips past his forehead, the drops get into his mouth, and the big jacket he put on wasn't as waterproof as the commercial said.
He breathes a sigh of relief when the long-awaited bus arrives and feels a little more comfortable when the water begins to dry up during his trip, but the rain doesn't stop and he knows he has to run to the university once he gets off the bus.
A war of students running in the rain who are desperate not to fall prey to the rain, pushing each other and hiding under those who faithfully bring umbrellas. It was difficult but he is grateful to finally get inside the building, no more rain to humiliate him.
And it seems like a clear mockery of the universe when the rain stops and the sun makes its long-awaited appearance.
"This has to be a fucking joke..." he snorts, throwing his soaked jacket to the ground.
"Lee! Don't get the floor wet, it's enough that it's already soaked, the janitor is already irritated, he's been drying the entrance since the first students started arriving." The director says passing by him with her distinctive frown on those dark eyebrows that don't match the grayness of her hair.
Hyuck nods and lifts his clothes to go to the locker room, the only place that has communal towels. When he enters, he begins to take off his upper garments. He is grateful that he doesn't have to take off his pants; he doesn't have a spare. He dries his hair, face and chest, still feeling the drops falling down his back and shoulders.
A complete nuisance. Drying his body takes forever.
And he is perplexed when the team players begin to enter, filling the large room with the smell of sweating, he is forced to cover his face with the towel out of embarrassment. He jumps slightly when he feels large hands rest on his shoulders. He turns quickly, looking up until he meets dark brown eyes, so dark that seeing his reflection in them is almost impossible, he swallows spit, noticing how he looks at his naked chest, which, like his own, is dripping.
But his looks pearly with sweat and the aroma he gives off, to be honest, is not very pleasant.
"Shall I help you, little boy?" He smiles with a deep voice and then outlines a flirtatious smile on those curved lips.
"No, thanks. I was leaving." Hyuck says, quickly grabbing his jacket from the bench.
"Do you want to take a shower?" he asks, suddenly puncturing the bubble of patience that Donghyuck had gotten into since he arrived at university.
"Excuse me? Who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like that? You straight ape."
He spits, giving him a strong push, managing to get a little more personal space. Johnny lets out a short laugh without believing his scandalous attitude.
"And what are you doing here if not to show that beautiful body to the players, sweetie?"
"I'll show you something, yeah," Hyuck growls under his breath. "My fist, you fucking idiot." He raises his fist ready to break that guy's nose, he doesn't care that he is much taller than him, his boiling blood screams for him to hit him.
"Suh." A familiar voice brings him back to reality and then he sees him walk past him until he is between the tall guy and him.
Mark with his hair wet, his shirt hanging off his shoulder and his entire upper body exposed, as he faces his teammate, so serious that it makes the hairs on little Hyuck's body stand up, yet his naughty personality urges him to celebrate his arrival.
"Mark hit him! I knew you were an angel fallen from heaven! Give him what he deserves!" He shouts, hanging onto his arm, Jeno behind them both laughs at the small jumps of excitement that Hyuck gives. p>
"Captain..." he tries to start but Mark denies, keeping his eyes on him, although it’s difficult for him to do so with the sun shining next to him.
"Don’t repeat it again or you will be suspended from the final match."
"Understood..." he murmurs, giving a dirty look to the little boy who smiles victoriously.
"What? Do you want to continue? I'm ready." Hyuck yells threateningly raising his fists, Mark just smiles lowering his gaze to the ground. "You are a gentleman, Mark, thank you..."
The Canadian turns around feeling his arm free and cannot help but observe the nakedness of his body still wet from the rain and then remembers his cold touch, the boy looks like a corpse.
"Hyuck, are you shaking?" He asks, looking at him carefully, the youngest gets scared and covers himself with his wet shirt.
"Shit, sorry, I just got here, the stupid rain didn't stop, I swear to God I almost died out there." Hyuck says taking the towel with him.
"Come on, I have a shirt to lend you." Mark says, taking his hand to lead him to the place where his belongings remain. Hyuck can't help but lose his gaze on their hands, the contrast of their skin, the delicacy in his and the roughness in the other boy's, of course due to too much dedication to the sport.
"Carry on guys, there's nothing to look at here." Jaemin says with a bright smile towards Jeno who reciprocates while he puts on lotion.
Haechan sits on the bench while Mark, next to him, searches through his bag until he finally finds the shirt he was talking about, a shirt the same as his uniform with the number 10 and his last name in capital letters.
"I thought I had another shirt, sorry."
"This is fine, thank you..." Hyuck smiles with rosy cheeks. Mark helps dry the moisture from his hair with a small towel. At his closeness he can perfectly feel a faint aroma of red fruits emanating from his lips, the moles shine on his face and it seems cute to him to see that when he connects the ones on his cheek with the one on his neck they form a constellation. He clears his throat, looking away.
He gives him his jacket since his is still damp and smiles as he says goodbye at the locker room door.
"I feel like a sports fan with my last name on my back." he jokes pointing to himself.
"You're a quarterback now, don't get hurt, you have to make touchdowns." he quickly denies. "...It was terrible... I'm not good at making jokes, seriously."
Haechan laughs loudly, taking all his attention. "...I promise to return your shirt to you when my clothes dry."
The captain is going to say something, and the smile doesn’t disappear from his lips but is immediately interrupted by the sudden presence of Lia who is smiling at him and jumping on her spot with excitement.
"We're going out today, right, Markie?"
"Oh, right..."
Donghyuck gulps, looking at them out of the corner of his eye and gives a small bow before leaving. Once again feeling at a crossroads.
” ” ”
"She must have asked him to go with her to look for her prom dress and model the different outfits for him... Maybe I should..."
"My goodness, Donghyuck... Love makes you weak and exaggerated, you’re confusing your poor heart with all the intrusive thoughts... He even lent you his shirt, the shirt he will wear in the game."
"You're right but I can't help it..."
"Let's do this, I'll try to do a tarot reading for you, I'm still practicing but... I'll try it for you and so that you stop interrupting my studies with your hysterics." The blonde decides, taking out the mallet that he always carries with him.
"Renjunnie you are the best!" Hyuck smiles, crossing his legs on the grass, Renjun has his best friend shuffle the cards and then leaves them on the ground while he looks thoughtfully at each one of them. "...So... What's happening?"
"It's strange... Your decisions are blurred, as if the results of your actions were literally the work of destiny... You can't do anything, just accept what will come now, sorry, it hasn't been helpful.. "
"Easy, Renjunnie. That's enough," Hyuck smiles, flattening his lips into a tender smile. "Yeah, maybe I should accept whatever happens."
Renjun nods sadly until he forces himself to stand up quickly when the cards are blown by the wind.
"The cards!" He shouts running through the court picking up each one with the help of his friend behind him, his hand is brushed by thin pale fingers that make him sigh exhausted when he straightens up and sees them both standing in front of him. "Ugh… Always you..."
Jeno looks at him in surprise while Jaemin takes the card from his hand and smiles, extending it towards him, like a curse, that card always ends up in his hands.
"The lovers again? Maybe you should listen to what they tell you."
And, unfortunately for him, the card is not reversed, which gives him a strange tingle.
"Renjun-ah, can we talk to you for a second?"
"No." He grabs the card forcefully and returns it to his deck.
"Renjun, don't be like that. Let them talk..." Hyuck murmurs to him.
"Fine, you have a second." He rolls his eyes at them, crossing both arms over his chest.
"Uhm..." Jeno looks over his shoulder at Hyuck even though he knows perfectly well that he won't leave. "...We want to apologize for what happened that time, neither of us wanted to harass you like that and we didn't know how to ask you out in the first place."
"Isn't it a little stressful for you to be friends and go after the same person?" Renjun asks in disbelief.
"Renjun, we are not friends." Jaemin adds, stepping forward. "We are boyfriends."
And his confession leaves both boys in front of them speechless, but it's true, it's not a game or a stupid joke, he knows it because the two maintain their serious postures with complete confidence.
"This is crazy!" Haechan says with a smile. "I knew it, I told you so." He adds, making his best friend mad.
"You guys are crazy, no matter how attractive you both seem to me, my mother would never allow something like that."
"Your mother is the least conservative person in the world, Renjun. Always lying..." the youngest narrows his eyes mischievously, the Chinese man's cheeks turn red like two cherries and unfortunately Donghyuck gets a hit from him. p>
"You open your mouth again and I will tell the cards to ruin your future," he points at him angrily, takes a breath and turns to them both. "...I'm hard to fall in love with."
Jeno smiles, nodding like a small puppy despite his great muscles.
"Don't pressure me or like I told Donghyuck, I will ruin your lives with witchcraft."
"Sounds fun." Jaemin confesses, approaching to place a kiss on his left cheek. Renjun walks away instantly speechless, he looks at Jeno who seems to be the most patient looking at him as if he was waiting for his approval, he rolls his eyes but still nods giving him permission.
The white-haired man smiles and approaches to give him a tender kiss on the cheek. They wave goodbye to Hyuck and walk away from both of them. The Korean jumps screaming while he shakes his friend.
"How exciting!"
"God... They finally left..." he feels the heat of her cheeks with his hands.
"At least someone got a boyfriend... I mean, boyfriends."
"Shut the fuck up, they're not... Yet…" he looks away in shame. "...And you, you won't give up, you have to go out with Mark Lee."
"Yeah, sure..." he fiddles with his feet.
"Don't start doubting, Lee Donghyuck."
” ” ”
The afternoon arrives and luckily for him he doesn't have to stay late, as the graduation of the seniors arrives there are fewer homework assignments and in a way he likes that.
But again the bitter memory of Lia brings him to earth, he can't help it, thinking about the results of his confession and what the quick tarot reading told him.
He doesn't want to be pessimistic, it's a simple thought that stays embedded in his head like a rusty nail.
"Is Mark still here, Coach Kim?" he asks the tall man looking intently at the match strategies on his notepad.
"Oh, Lee... No, he actually left a while ago urgently, although I guess it was just an excuse."
"Has something happened to Jisung...?" he wonders, shuffling down the hallway as he leaves the university.
"Haechannie!" one of the cheerleaders calls him, appearing behind him. "...When were you going to tell us that Lia and Mark are dating?"
And her question cuts through him like a cold dagger.
"What are you talking about?"
"Lia said she was going out with him tonight..."
"I had no idea..." he smiles, false lines forming in his eyes.
Saying goodbye is awkward, she knows there is something wrong with him but he would never show it.
"Shall we go, Haechan?" Renjun asks, finally appearing in the parking lot. Donghyuck is afraid that the drizzle will ruin him and, consequently, Mark's clothes, so he decides to accept that his best friend will take him back to his house.
"Let's go."
” ” ”
He cannot sleep that night, too many thoughts overwhelm him, robbing him of sleep, he is not even able to take off the shirt that Mark lent him, fearing that it is the last thing he will get from him.
There was only one day left until the game, tomorrow is the big day and he couldn't feel more anxious because among so many thoughts he comes to the conclusion that he is pretty enough to get a boyfriend in case Mark rejects him.
He's going to give his all to win him over and he feels sorry for Lia but, after all, someone has to cheer him up and Hyuck is an expert at that.
He prepares a refreshing watermelon smoothie, the bright sun comes through the windows illuminating the entire interior of the room. It's definitely a great day.
He greets all the students who meet his path, showing a bright and cheerful smile, even Renjun looks at him strangely because of his sudden attitude. His classmates simply feel and enjoy the warmth of his presence as they always do.
Not very straight considering he's the only openly gay one in an all-male class who claim to bat for the right side.
Renjun tries to take the smoothie that Hyuck makes dance in his hands until he notices that neither of them are the true owner of that drink, rather, it belongs to the sweaty black-haired man who walks through the hallways cleaning his thick neck with a hand towel.
Of course, he smiles as soon as he finds the Korean on the other side of the hallway and Haechan quickly jogs over to him. He's definitely going to use all his charm.
"Mark, thanks for the shirt, I will never be able to pay off a debt like that." He hands him a bag with the clothes he lent him and makes a small pout that disgusts Renjun who comes after him. "...But even if... Accept this smoothie as a token of gratitude, I made it especially for you." He extends both hands with the drink between his fingers and dares to look at him from under his eyelashes.
The Canadian stands still looking at him, takes the drink instantly and thanks him by gently stroking his hair, he notices it at first contact, soft like a cotton mattress.
"Thank you for being so cute..."
"Huh?" His lips open as do his eyes making Mark feel satisfied, he laughs and walks away shaking the smoothie in the air.
"I have a lot of training today, see you tomorrow at the game Hyuck!"
Renjun has to shake his best friend by the shoulders because of how petrified he was. Once recovered, he screams at an embarrassed blonde who looks around apologizing to those who are tormented by his voice.
” ” ”
The big day finally arrived, even more brilliant than the day before and Donghyuck got used to the friendly affection that Mark usually gives him, because, although it is not in a romantic way, they are definitely closer, he is no longer a simple passionate stalker sitting on some bleachers.
Now he can cheer him up., yell directly at him and he will listen to him, he will see him, he will give him the attention he was looking for from the beginning, perhaps Renjun's cards told the truth and actually it was not a bad omen, simply fate telling him that he would not cross that line and to accept his limitations.
Renjun puts small sparkles in his hair and on his cheeks, nothing flashy, just something that goes according to the style that the cheerleaders chose along with the blue and white uniform, the golden batons and the two small pigtails that his cheer teammates made him with the excuse that he would look pretty.
"I would kick you for how cute you look..." he murmurs, sitting on the bench behind the place set up for the cheerleaders, he can barely hear him over all the voices of the people who are beginning to arrive to watch the game and the stands are full of people, both students and teachers, locals and visitors from other cities who are eager to see the match.
"Renjunnie!" Hyuck says in a shrill way, taking away the screams of the cheerleaders and of course the blow of an embarrassed Renjun cannot be missed.
"Lineup girls, the team entered the field," Lia says crossing her arms, she stands right in front of them like a captain should. "...Three, two, one..."
"Royals!" three shakes of batons. "To win!" three more shakes. "Their butts you'll kick!" they shout in unison.
The team laughs as they warm up quickly next to the benches, Mark knows right away that the idea of that phrase is clearly Donghyuck's. The coach looks at him confused and snaps his fingers in front of him, regaining his attention.
"Listen Lee, I understand that your hormones are raging in your brain with so many girls screaming for you but right now I need you focused, without distractions. Your dream depends on this game, I don't want losses. You didn't work hard all year to fail "
"I know, Coach Kim."
"Alright, come in." He blows his whistle.
"Coach..." the expression on his face worries him, he had never seen him hesitate.
"Can an American football player be gay?" Kim sighs, watching his lost gaze on that smiling boy waving his batons at them.
"Why couldn't he be? Do you forget that Nassib is gay and plays for the NFL?" Mark's ears twitch as he looks up from him. "Donghyuck is a good boy, look how he smiles at you." the Canadian obeys him. "Do you think the smile will stay on his face if he sees you lose your dream? He's just as excited or more excited than you." He gulps when Donghyuck stops cheering the other players to smile at him, as warm as a full sun. "You get it? You have to be the target of the recruiters and then you have to go celebrate with him. The only thing that matters is how you guys feel."
"Got it coach," Mark spits, squeezing his helmet tightly. "Ready?" He calls his teammates while he watches out of the corner of his eye as the rival team takes positions after a great group shout.
"We’ll break their asses!" Jeno shouts, joining the round of bodies hot with excitement.
"Today we have to give our all, it’s our last game together, we’ll graduate and who knows when we’ll be able to step on the field again as a team," the captain speaks, looking at all his friends. "We have big dreams and they’ll come true, we’ll take care of that, don't give up, fight until the end! Understood, team?"
"Understood, captain!"
The game begins, the tingling takes over his body, the excitement is exuberant, he feels completely anxious as he looks askance at the recruiters already writing down notes in their notebooks when the game has not even started.
He delicately takes the collar of his shirt and inhales the sweet fragrance that is still impregnated in the shirt. The perfume of sunflower and honey, his perfume.
He looks at him out of the corner of his eye, he has stars in his eyes, a smile that stays with him as the batons swing slightly on his chest, he smiles taking in a large amount of air. The match is his, it's for Donghyuck.
The pushes are constant, more brutal than they should be but he understands, both teams are there for the same reason. Be recruited.
Dreams and more dreams.
The whistle indicating half time saves him from being hit by a big gorilla from the opposing team, he feels his lungs hit his ribs hard, the whole team feels a little tired but the smiles don’t disappear from their faces, they feel that they’re playing against worthy players who will bring out all their talents.
"I think your bottle is over there." Jaemin murmurs with a playful tone, he follows his gaze towards the cheerleaders who are handing out water bottles to the players, including Donghyuck who is having a fun chat with one of them.
Mark almost jogs across the field until he reaches them and Hyuck smiles at him as soon as he hands him the bottle.
He feels happy for him because he is giving his all, despite the falls due to pushes and all the beatings that the rival team gives him, he gets up instantly and runs like a cheetah around the field, scoring several points. That spoke very well of them being ahead.
Next to them, Lia watches them in silence.
"I knew you could do it, Mark!" Donghyuck exclaims, jumping a little.
"Don't claim victory yet, we still have the second half left." He takes a deep sip from the bottle, letting a few drops fall down his neck.
"I know you’ll win, you’re awesome at this."
"Damn, I don't know what I'd do without you, Hyuck..." he gently strokes his head.
"You definitely need me to cheer you up." he dares to say.
"I think I need more than just a: Go, Mark…!" and that look makes him feel completely weak. He rises with the tips of his feet and gives him a short but soft kiss on the cheek to return to his position with a smile.
"Go, Mark!" he cheers for him, lowering his voice in embarrassment. Renjun on the bench drops the deck of cards on his feet, stunned by what his eyes witnessed.
"That's enough for now." He hands the bottle to him and walks away as soon as he sees the clock.
The cheerleaders shout behind Donghyuck asking him all kinds of questions, they smile non-stop while they corner him in the middle of a circle, it’s not until Lia clears her throat that they finally shut up, taking a step back.
The girl looks at him seriously and her arms are still crossed close to her chest. She approaches him slowly. Donghyuck is willing to face anything because it seems absurd to him that she would get like this for a simple kiss on the cheek.
"You like Mark, don't you?" she asks, putting Renjun on guard and holding his pendulum hanging from his hand.
"Yes."
"I knew it, it was very obvious, that's why you joined the cheerleading team" he nods in response. "I knew it and still I tried to keep him away from you..." she confesses sadly. "I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
"I was jealous because you were trying to get closer to him and I did everything possible to get him to go out with me although of course, it was of no use, he made it clear to me that he doesn't like me," she gets closer until she can hold his hands. "I was not a good friend, Donghyuck. Forgive me."
"It's over, Lia. There's no need, really..." he smiles, waving his hands in front of her.
"Donghyuck, believe me when I tell you, that boy over there really likes you."
"Whatever it is, I will accept it." Donghyuck nods taking the baton from him.
Lia hugs him by the shoulders and nods, taking her position again when the whistle blows and the second half of the match begins.
The way the Royals move so quickly across the field is beastly, they look like animals chasing small, elusive prey. For Donghyuck it’s more than exciting to follow the ball with his gaze, it doesn't stop flying through the air and the players holding it don't stop changing.
He screams like a complete madman when the Royals get the ball and run losing the opponents, his arms begin to hurt from waving the batons so much but he becomes addicted to jumping with the batons every time the team gets one more point.
Mark is the target of the other team, it’s more than obvious and from time to time little Donghyuck lets out some insults in the direction of the animals in black shirts, he makes the coach laugh until he seems ready to walk onto the field and start a fight. Donghyuck was already given one and a half penalties, making the Canadian's teammates laugh.
The last minutes arrive, only one point differentiates them from the visitors, the tension is maximum, the breathing is faster, the players' muscles are tense with several injured by blows, among them Lee Jeno and John Suh.
Jaemin tries to cover and defend Mark's movements but it is difficult for him being the punching bag of more than four guys, then the ball falls into the hands of Jeong Jaehyun, one of the substitutes who entered in the middle of the match.
The force with which he makes the pass to Mark forces him to run at high speed between his opponents, dodging catches, tackles and strong malicious slaps. He feels his muscles tremble on the way and bites his lip controlling his heavy breathing, he gets the ball right over the end zone, crushing it against the grass when he hears the referee's whistle and the count finally ends. Cheers announce the victory of the Royals and the abrupt hugs of his teammates greet him when he can finally get up from the ground.
That was a perfect touchdown.
His coach hugs him like a father hugs a son, congratulating him for his work as well as the entire team. Jeno limps but comes to hug him, being lifted by the thick arms of his teammates.
He sneaks through the people who congratulate him looking for his target, that little troublemaker who is controlled by Renjun while he tries to pounce on one of the players who had tried to hit Mark while he was running.
And he smiles when their gazes connect, the smile on Hyuck's lips appears corresponding to his happiness. As bright as the same sun that it’s already beginning to set, giving the spotlight to that angelic one.
"I knew you would do it!"
He forces himself to remain silent when Mark's hand lightly holds him by the back of his neck, uniting their lips in a tender kiss, his tongue leaves the sweet taste of watermelon in his mouth and for a second he can feel the saltiness of the sweat but he doesn't care, nothing matters to him at that moment, not even being watched by hundreds of eyes in the middle of the field.
The captain has his eyes closed but Hyuck doesn’t and he takes the opportunity to record that memory in detail in his mind, his black eyelashes like fans rest on the redness of his heated cheeks, his wet hair sticks to his forehead and his small nose brushes his cheek. He closes his eyes and crosses his arms behind the other's neck, he reciprocates that kiss in the middle of a smile, hearing the excited screams of the cheerleaders next to him.
They separate due to lack of air, speechless, he feels too dizzy from Mark's kisses.
"I told you I needed more than a: Go, Mark."
"I didn't think you were looking for a kiss from the cheerleader." He smiles, tilting his head innocently like a puppy.
"Not from the cheerleader but from the boy I like." He confesses, showing him a sweet and childlike smile never seen before.
"Blessed tarot cards, they weren't wrong..." Donghyuck murmurs with emotion. "Whatever you want, Lee Mark, I'll accept it."
"So can I shave your head?" He asks, raising his eyebrows, Hyuck's expression changes to a terrified one. "...I was kidding, I'm sorry, remember I'm bad with that..."
"Thank God..."
"So you agree to be my boyfriend."
"Fuck, of course." He smiles and then hits the black-haired man with a kiss, who locks him in his arms and lifts him into the air, making him laugh.
And that's how Lee Donghyuck finally got Mark Lee's attention and ended up becoming the boyfriend of one of the NFL's star players.