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"If you stare any harder you'll burn a hole through his back."
Yugyeom's voice snaps him out of his daydream. Bambam tears his gaze away to look at his best friend, who just pops more chips into his mouth and gives Bambam a pointed look. He had bet on Bambam not being able to keep his eyes off of the captain of their school's soccer team for more than ten minutes, and sure enough, only two minutes after Im Jaebum and his crew had walked in, Bambam's eyes had strayed and stayed glued to him ever since.
"Can you blame me though?" Bambam sasses back, flicking a half eaten fry at Yugyeom's head. "He's got such a great ass, it's almost a sin to look away."
Youngjae groans, dropping his fork. "I just—Ew, can you guys stop talking about Jaebum-hyung. You aren't the ones that have to see him every day!"
"I wish I did~" Bambam sighs dreamily, resting his chin on the heel of his palm and staring at Jaebum's back as he walks towards his own table along with Sungjin. He wouldn't mind taking Youngjae's position as midfielder if it meant seeing Jaebum's fine self every day. He looks so good today. Not that the star forward of their school doesn't look good everyday, but the blue bomber jacket and black skinny jeans Jaebum is wearing today do nothing but accentuate his broad shoulders and toned thighs. Yugyeom follows Bambam's line of vision, letting out a low whistle.
"He does have a great ass, I'll give you that," he says, tilting his head to the side and making two half spheres with his hands. Youngjae blanches.
"Chaeyoung, control your boyfriend!" Youngjae yells as she and Dahyun sit down at their table. Chaeyoung quirks her eyebrow at his outburst, grabbing her spoon as she turns to Yugyeom.
"What's this about?"
"Don't you think Jaebum's got a great bum bum?" Yugyeom tells her with mirth, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Bambam watches, amused, as the horror returns to Youngjae's face when Chaeyoung giggles out loud, digging into her yogurt without a second thought.
"Oh, he's thiiiiick alright," she says mischievously, turning back to Youngjae and wiggling her eyebrows just like her boyfriend did to her.
"You guys are such a weird couple."
"He's hot," Dahyun chimes in, ignoring Bambam's yell of 'Back off, Dubu, he's mine!'. "But I think Jinyoung-oppa's got the better booty."
Youngjae's forehead meets the surface of the table with a loud thud. Chaeyoung reaches over to pat his back sympathetically as the rest burst into a fit of laughter.
"But seriously, is he taken?" Bambam asks once Youngjae is finally over his friends being a bunch of assholes and has lifted his head off the table. He swats at own his face, giving Bambam a exasperated look at he tries to remove the crumbs of bread stuck to his cheek. So much for being a cool jock.
"I don't know, Bam. I don't exactly go asking about his love life. I mean, I thought he was seeing Seulgi-noona?"
"Nah, Tzuyu told me that Mina told her that Sooyoungie said they like hooked up or something but he like broke it off right away." Bambam has no idea how Dahyun knows all this, but she's always a step ahead in anything gossip related so she's probably right. She looks at Bambam, sipping her coke leisurely. "Apparently he hasn't really dated anyone since Mark Tuan moved back to Cali last year."
"Oh, I remember that one! All the broken hearts when that couple came out," Yugyeom chuckles, and Bambam crumbles his empty chip bag and chucks it at his head.
"Now that you mention it, Jaebum-hyung seemed really off at the end of last season," Youngjae contemplates, "I mean, he got like two yellow cards in the span of three games. I didn't even realize-"
"Well, duh," Dahyun rolls at her at Youngjae's romantic ineptitude, "they were a thing since freshmen year. Oppa, you don't just get over it!"
"Aaaaw, he was all heartbroken!" Chaeyoung cooes just as Youngjae mutters an amazed, "Dahyun, how do you even know all this?" and Yugyeom lets out another low whistle. Hope blooms in Bambam's chest as he mind catches up to his heart and he straightens his back, eyes wide and bright.
"So this is my chance?"
Youngjae just sighs and stuffs his mouth with more fries, defeatedly waving an invisible white flag at the entire thing. Such a drama-queen, Bambam thinks.
"I mean, you can't possible be his rebound," Dahyun shrugs. That's more like it! He could always count on his girls!
"Honestly, I think you should just go for one of the chicks that run after you like you poop rainbows and shit. Im Jaebum is known to be such a hard as— hmmnHMNNMAHMMMN!!"
"Ignore him," Chaeyoung says, tightening her grip over Yugyeom's mouth as she smiles brightly at Bambam. "You should totally go for it, no way he doesn't already know who you are."
True, being the most popular sophomore has its perks. Bambam's hot and most of the school knows it. Hell, he'd gone to prom with a senior last year, it didn't get better than that. But it's hard not to have a bit of doubt when the entire ordeal involves not just another senior, but Im Fucking Jaebum. Star athlete and star student and let's not forget star of making-them-panties-drop. He was at the very top of the high school food chain.
Bambam throws caution to the wind and decides to take the chance anyway.
Jae-bae is totally worth it.
***
The chance – or well, the prelude to the chance – presents itself exactly a week later, as Bambam walks towards the Student Activities Fair with a big fat pizza wedge box containing two slices of pepperoni pizza in one hand and a large iced tea extra lemon and honey in another. Youngjae had texted him during Trigonometry with a "SOS IM STARVING SAVE ME" and even though Bambam had the tendency to -ahem- forget his wallet at the most convenient times, he wasn't going to let one of his best friends starve. After all, Youngjae had saved his ass from failing History. Twice.
"MY SAVIOR!" Youngjae bellows in his booming voice when he sees Bambam approach the soccer booth, making grabby hands at the food. Next to him stands Park Jinyoung, star goalkeeper and resident school prince, who jumps to cover his ears and gives Youngjae an incredulous look. Bambam feels for him, really. Youngjae's got windpipes from hell. Mr. Prince's cute dumbo ears will probably be ringing for the rest of the day.
Jinyoung notices him approach, giving Bambam a welcoming smile before tsking at Youngjae and moving to help the group of students at the other corner of the booth. When he turns around Bambam lets his eyes wander down shamelessly, sneaking a look at the famous peach butt the underclassmen are always going on and on about. He raises his eyebrows in appreciation before turning back and handing Youngjae his food, who is too focused taking in the delicious scent on cheap school cafeteria pizza to notice Bambam just checked out another one of his teammates.
"You owe me one." Bambam watches Youngjae dig in like a starved animal. "I skipped study-hall for your ass, hyung."
"Not like you do anything there," Youngjae replies with a mouthful of pepperoni.
"Uh, yes I do?" Bambam pouts. "Where do you think I get all my juicy tidbits about everyone in this school? That period is gossip gold!" It was true. He'd been lucky enough to get study-hall with a few queen-bee-wanna-be senior girls. They knew practically everything about everyone and Bambam was already adorably irresistible - all it had taken to get on their good graces was a few well placed compliments about fashion (unimpressive by Bambam's standards) and letting out cute puppy whines of "Noona~" whenever one of them was around. They'd become putty in his hands.
"Yeah, that's not gonna help you graduate," Youngjae says, pointing the crust of the pizza as if he is giving Bambam a very important life lesson. Bambam snatches the piece and gobbles it down.
"Yeeeeah, and neither is saving you from starving," Bambam retaliates, ignoring Youngjae's indignant exclamation of "I'm the reason you passed last year, punk!". He bents down and steals a sip from his friend's tea just to annoy him a bit more. His gaze meets that of an younger student standing on a booth two tables down, so Bambam smiles at her, adding a little wave because she's kind of cute. Poor girl's heart melts all over the floor and she blushes madly, bowing lightly and turning away hastily.
Youngjae watches the engaged with a quirked brow, completely unamused. "What do they even see?"
"Chill, I'm hot and cute. What else could they want."
"You are incorrigible."
"Incoriwhat now?"
"Forget it." Youngjae leans back on his chair and reaches for the next slice, throwing Bambam an exasperated look when he rounds the table like he owns the place. Bambam just smirks, leaning his back against table. Mr. Prince doesn't seem to mind, so whatever.
"Anyway, you owe me."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll buy you samgyeopsal."
"That's not the payment I need~," Bambam sing songs.
Youngjae stops mid bite. "What?"
Bambam decides to spare him, putting a hand next to his mouth and conspiringly mouthing Im Jae Bum.
"WHY!?" Youngjae yells, covering his mouth when he realizes how loud it came out. Bambam shrugs nonchalantly, grabbing the tea to get another sip.
"You are the only one I'm close to that is actually friends with him," Bambam says.
"But why can't you just do it yourself," Youngjae whispers, well more like whines, at him. Okay, Bambam kiiiinda feels bad. Just a little. "Why drag me in this?"
"It's kinda weird to just go talk him up he's meat or something." Youngjae throws him a look.
"Yeah, like that's totally not what you have been doing. Listen, I don't need to get booted off the team because I tried hooking up my captain with my best friend. Do you know how quick people make up rumors around here? Next thing you know hyung will go off his rocket and people will start saying I was trying to sabotage our team or something–!"
"Youngjae-hyung, chill. Your nickname is sunshine for God's sake. You won't ever end up the bitch of the story. Maybe just the lonely third wheel with the unrequited love, but I mean it's cool cause it ain't actually true!"
"Gee thanks, Bams."
"You are the jock, you know how this works!"
"I still don't get why you can't just go up to him yourself, sheesh," Youngjae grumbles.
Bambam pouts, grabbing the sleeve of Youngjae's track jacket and pulling at it petulantly. "Please~ Hyung, pleeeeeeeease~"
Youngjae shudders. "Ew, okay–okay! Just stop. I'll help introduce you. You are seriously so–" He stops mid sentence as he catches sight of something behind Bambam. A slow, Cheshire grin grows on his face at whatever he sees, and he turns to Bambam slowly. Sure people like calling him sunshine and crap but those people haven't seen all of Youngjae. Bambam knows Youngjae. He knows him too damn well. And he sure as hell knows his evil smile when he sees it. "Bams, how about I repay you right now?"
"I–wait what?"
"Jaebum-hyung! Jackson-hyung! Hey!"
WHAT.
THE.
FUCK.
Bambam freezes as he hears footsteps approaching among the chaos of the activities fair. And he knows Youngjae isn't just messing with him when Mr. Prince looks over behind him with a smile as well, waving at whoever is approaching. He throws Youngjae a panicked look and gets a grin in return. That traitor!
"Hyung, I thought you had class," Mr. Prince says to whoever stops behind Bambam's turned back.
"Ms. Jea told me it was cool to drop these off since it's for the fair," Jaebum's honey voice drifts from behind him and Bambam tries not to melt off the table. Youngjae's shit-eating-grin helps ground him. Ya know, so Bambam can kill him later and all.
"He's lying, he wanted to make sure you guys hadn't burnt down our booth," another voice says. One that Bambam recognizes.
Jackson Wang rounds the table, ruffling Youngjae's hair and bumping Jinyoung's shoulder as he drops his backpack and sport-bag behind the booth. He knows Bambam from mutual friends, so Bambam throws him toothy smile. It probably looks a little creepy because Jackson leans away from him, but just as he opens his mouth to ask what the hell Bambam is doing here a group of girls run towards the booth, excitedly calling out to him. If there is someone more popular than Im Jaebum it's definitely Jackson Wang, the school's certified social butterfly, who dutifully goes away to entertain them.
"Who's this?" Jaebum says curiously behind him, and Bambam freezes, snapping back to the predicament at hand. Youngjae grabs his arms and turns him around, and that's how Bambam comes face to face with his ultimate crush and the star of his wet dreams in all his sports-clad glory.
Jaebum looks even better up-close than he does from 20 feet away. Bambam's so close he can see the twin moles under his strong eyebrows and the unmarred clarity of his skin. He does look a bit intimidating like everyone likes ragging on about, but the effect is diminished by the disarming smile on his face right now. It's not enough to turn his eyes into half-moons like Bambam sees sometimes when he is sneaking looks towards his table at the cafeteria, but enough to show a glimpse of his white teeth. Jaebum's got really pretty teeth.
He probably stares for a bit too long because Jaebum gives him a slightly weird look. He doesn't look offended though, just amused, but thankfully Youngjae comes to his rescue before Bambam decides to dig his own grave and lay to rest right then and there.
"Hyung, this is my friend Bambam," Youngjae introduces chirpily. Jaebum's mouth makes a cute 'o' and he turns to Bambam again, beaming brightly as he extends his arm out. How the hell do people think this guy is scary again? Oh yeah, the temper. But he looks so welcoming right now, and his hand is so warm.
"Bambam? That's quite a unique name. Pleasure," he says casually, and honestly the handshake is so short Bambam almost pouts.
"Likewise," Bambam manages to say with a polite smile. But he is definitely screeching on the inside. He's coming back to his senses, the little touch of their hands reminding him why he started this thing in the first place anyway - Youngjae being an ass aside. Jaebum smiles - smirks? - at him as he slides the strap of his backpack down his shoulder, unclipping the top and reaching in to grab something.
"So what brings you to the booth, Bambam?" Jaebum asks as he takes out a stack of green papers and hands them to Jinyoung, giving Youngjae a smaller pile of blue ones.
"Uh..." Bambam blanks for a bit.
"Actually, he came to drop off something for– " Youngjae starts at the same time Bambam snaps out of his little funk and says "I'm trying out for the team!"
"WHA–!?" Youngjae chokes on the pizza he had been chewing on, sputtering bits of eat on the table as he reaches for his drink desperately. Jaebum stares at him, taken aback by the youngest's outburst. Meanwhile Bambam stares at Jaebum cause I mean the dude's right there, it's kinda a given he is gonna get his dose of eye-candy for the day. He'd just said the first thing that came to mind, trying out seemed the most reasonable thing to do in order to get to know Jaebum better. It couldn't possible be that hard, Youngjae was just being a drama queen.
As said drama queen tries not to die in front of them, Mr. Prince patting his back worryingly, Jaebum turns to look at Bambam, startling him and making him blush. He definitely noticed him gawking, Bambam knows because he's heard there is very little that goes undetected by Im Jaebum's sharp eyes. But he thankfully doesn't seem to make much of it, simply smiling at Bambam as he slings the strap of his bag up his shoulder.
"Will see you at try-outs then, make sure to wear cleats!" He gives Bambam's shoulder a friendly squeeze, nods at his teammates with an amused quirk of his brow before making his way towards the exit. Bambam watches him go like a lovesick puppy, not even catching what Jaebum said because his brain is too busy short-circuiting over the fact that he actually talked to his crush.
"What is up with you today," Bambam vaguely hears Mr. Prince say to Youngjae as he catches his breath. Bambam's too blissed-out to care. Well, until Youngjae face appears in front of him.
"If you die, I'm not coming to your funeral."
You see what Bambam means by drama queen?
***
Okay, so maybe trying out for the school's soccer team wasn't exactly the smartest idea Bambam has had.
It goes just fine the first hour. At the beginning it's just laps and basic warm-ups. Running is fine. Running is something Bambam can do and he stays close to the pack at the front, Youngjae close by his side . It goes so splendid, in fact, that he swears he sees Jaebum throw him a smile from where he stands with Coach Park once he realizes that Bambam has managed to keep up with the original team members. It makes Bambam experience a new kind of high - though he was quickly learning that anything and everything related to Im Jaebum was addictive in its own right.
If Youngjae throws him a weird look for sneaking in a skip (or two) while running their last lap together then Bambam's just going to have to be the bigger person and ignore him. Well, after sticking his tongue out at him of course. Heh.
Shit hits the fan soon after though. And by soon he means as soon as everyone trying out is divided into four teams and matched against each other. Youngjae looks terrified for Bambam's life and this time the Thai can't even call him out on his dramatics because the soccer ball almost knocks him out 10 seconds into the game. Youngjae ends up on both a different team and a different field, but by some crazy luck Bambam finds himself on the same side as Wang Jackson, Mr. Prince, and Jeon Jungkook - a good friend of Yugyeom's and a pretty chill guy when he wasn't making a name for himself as the up-and-coming forward for the team. No doubt he was going to replace Jaebum once the senior graduated.
When it came to the other two... Well, Bambam might not know much about sports, but he had heard of the fear Jackson and Jinyoung installed in the hearts of the opposing teams. If Im Jaebum was the star forward scoring goals left and right, the renowned 'Jinson' where the fucking Wall of China. It was hell to get past Jackson alone, what with his quick feet due to being a fencer during soccer off-season, but combining that with Park Jinyoung's ruthless ways in front of the goal-post made it practically impossible to score a goal unless you had a very specific game-plan in mind. Oh, and a heart of steel.
Unfortunately, being in their team also meant another thing, one Bambam hadn't thought about as carefully until he looked at the person leading the opposing team and a shiver went up his back. There, with the soccer ball under the sole of his right cleat stood Im Jaebum. And not a smiley Jaebum like the first time Bambam met him, but one with narrowed much more focused gaze. Watching him in his element, with the hint of that signature smirk playing at the corner of his lips, as he gave a secret signal behind him to his defenders, was a whole another ballgame (pun fucking intended).
Bambam stares for so long he doesn't realize that the game has started until the ball - because Karma clearly hates Bambam guts - comes swirling at him through the air, knocking hard against the side of his left arm. He snaps out of it as Park Jimin, one of the midfields, shouts from the side as the ball bounces off of Bambam and towards the rival team. Bambam watches Jungkook run forward for the steal, and suddenly everything burst into surprisingly organized chaos between the two teams. Bambam stands there and watches aghast. It was honestly all a little insane (they were all insane!). How the hell had he managed to make it this far in try-outs again? The answer was honestly beyond him.
He manages to stay inconspicuous for most of the time, trying not to make it too obvious that he is running away from the ball and not towards it like the rest of the players. Jackson gives him an apprehensive look the third time the ball makes it to their side and Bambam all but runs towards the sidelines, lanky legs almost tangling and causing him to topple in his haste. Bambam gives him a sheepish smile, watching as Jackson stares at him dubiously for a few moments before he looks away and zones in again on the ball. To be fair, he actually managed to survive most of the first half of the game. And in Yugyeom's words later that day, that was truly a feat in itself for Bambam. He could have made it past it to the second half to, had it not been for the horrible mistake Bambam makes as he sees Jaebum approach their side of the pitch at lightning speed.
Jaebum just... looks so good. It really wasn't fair. The back of the blue soccer shirt is sticking to Jaebum like a second skin and there is sweat trickling down his neck. He should look nasty like that, not hot! Bambam gulps as he sees him approach, watches as Jaebum passes the ball to number 11 on the opposite team - Jongan, Gonjin, whatever - before getting it back and making a clean aim towards the goal post. Now, if Bambam was paying any sort of attention to the game or his current teammates, he would have noticed that Park Jinyoung, who he liked calling Mr. Prince because he was such a gentle unassuming guy off the field, wasn't exactly the gentlest when playing as a goalie - in fact, he was downright ruthless in his quest to guard. So it was no surprise then that Bambam didn't know that whenever Jaebum and Mr. Prince faced off on the field the best action plan would be to run the fuck away. Preferably in the opposite direction.
Bambam is so distracted watching Jaebum make the goal he doesn't realize the tactic Jinyoung is about to use. So when the ball makes its way towards the goalkeeper and he kicks it full force in Bambam's direction, the only thing Bambam has time to do is let out a sharp scream before the force of the impact knocks him out.
Yup, trying-out was definitely his worse fucking idea.
Ever.
***
"Yugyeom, I swear to God could you please stop hovering," Bambam groans, pushing his best friend's hand away when he continues to fuss over whether or not Bambam is holding the ice pack correctly over his head. There is another ice pack wrapped in a towel and placed over his swollen ankle. It's red but hasn't started resembling a potato yet so Bambam is gonna go ahead and take that as a good sign.
Yugyeom gives him a disapproving look before settling back against the bleachers. Bambam lets out a huge sigh and sinks against his best friend's side, head coming to rest against the side of his arm instead of the crook of his neck since Yugyeom is so damn tall. From the distance they both see a figure waving at them and they both wave back. Youngjae's laugh booms across the open field when Yugyeom makes a show of fluffing an invisible pillow behind Bambam's head and checking his fever.
"How did you even get here so fast?" Bambam asks as he watches Youngjae jog back towards the center of the field, where the coach seems to be giving a few last words to roundup tryouts for the day. He tries not to look at the captain of the team standing next to him.
Yugyeom snorts."You kidding? Youngjae-hyung told me to come an hour into try-outs. I just got lucky enough to see the big knock down right when I came in. You sure you don't wanna play American football instead? At least then you get a helmet and some padding to–"
"Ugh, shut up."
Yugyeom laughs. "I wish my phone was out."
"You are an ass. So is Youngjae-hyung," Bambam pouts, dropping the ice-pack into his lap. Yugyeom probs his knee gently with his own and Bambam winces, shooting him a look only to get a sheepish smile in return.
"Stop being petty. He was just worried about you, Bam. And with good reason. I honestly don't know what the hell you were thinking trying out in the first place. I thought you knew most jocks ate people for lunch."
"Well I wasn't expecting that kind of eating," Bambam grumbles.
"Okay, first of all—ew, that is too much information even for my sensible soul," Yugyeom says with a tone as if he had just swallowed a lemon, then proceeds to put on the most innocent face Bambam has ever seen on him. He points a finger towards the field, "And second, you might wanna watch your words because Im Hottie is on his way here right now."
Bambam looks to where he is pointing and sure enough jogging towards them is Im Jaebum, who smiles when he catches Bambam's gaze and gives him a small wave. The rest of the team and people trying out are picking up the cones and soccer balls littering the field and Bambam semi panics, grabbing Yugyeom's arm in a death grip.
"What do I do-WHAT DO I DO," he screeches from behind clenched teeth, trying to return Jaebum's smile.
"How about not cut off my circulation," Yugyeom winces, freeing his arm. "Just say hi!"
"But what-Hi, Jaebum hyung!" Bambam greets as Jaebum reaches them at the bottom of the bleached. There is something in his hands but Bambam is too busy freaking out to notice. Jaebum smiles at the honorific.
"Hey, how you feelin'?" He asks, looking at Bambam's ankle. Jaebum glances at Yugyeom briefly and the latter perks up next to Bambam.
"I'm Yugyeom, Youngjae—"
"—friend, yeah he told me," Jaebum laughs. "That kid is quite the popular fellow."
Oh the irony of that statement, Bambam thinks, and Yugyeom must be thinking the same because Bambam feels his best friend nudge him with his elbow. Jaebum watches the exchange with curious eyes before turning towards Bambam, an expectant look on his face.
Oh wait he asked a question!
"I-I'm fine, I mean like it doesn't hurt that much anymore? It was like really red a while ago but I think the ice brought it down? Nothing like when I first fell like seriously all I could feel was like this hot pain but I think it was also the shock, like I didn't know Mr.Prince had it in him, he looks so nice but oh my God for a second I thought he was planning to send me to my deathbed or some—" This time Yugyeom all but jabs his elbow into Bambam's side, and Bambam blushes furiously, realizing he is rambling. "—I...uhm, yeah but I'm fine. It's fine now."
Jaebum nods a bit uncertainly, giving him an amused smile. "That's good."
An awkward silence fall over the three of them in the next moment as Jaebum continues to look at Bambam, Bambam keeps biting at the insides of his cheeks to stop himself from blushing, and Yugyeom watches the entire exchange with a knowing grin.
"I almost forgot!" Yugyeom proclaims suddenly, getting up from the bench and startling Bambam, who finally breaks eye contact with Jaebum to look at the fellow sophomore in puzzlement. "I had to go!"
"Go? Go where, you have no—"
Yugyeom falters for a bit before a light-bulb seems to go off in his head. Seriously, the kid couldn't be less subtle if he tried. "Chaeyoungie forget her jacket in my locker, she will kill me if I don't get it. It'll take me like fifteen," he says as he jumps down from the bleachers, waving as he starts running towards the school. "It was nice meeting you Jaebum-hyung! Bam, tell Youngjae-hyung not to leave without me."
Bambam and Jaebum watch him leave before their gazes turn towards each other. Jaebum gives him a soft smile and Bambam looks down, feeling his ears burn red. The loud chatter of the other guys drift from the distance as Bambam adjusts the towel on his ankle gingerly, uncharacteristically unsure on what to do. It's not that he is shy or anything. Pretty sure the whole damn school knows that Bambam Bhuwakul is anything but shy, but something about suddenly having Jaebum's undivided attention puts him on edge.
Jaebum clears his throat and Bambam looks up, finding him closer than before. He puts a can of something by Bambam's feet, and the Thai finally notices that the senior had been carrying numbing spray this whole time.
"Kinda forgot I had that in my bag, it'll help with the pain after you take off the ice," Jaebum says.
Bambam grabs the can, carefully taking the towel off his ankle. "Okay, give me one sec, I just gotta—"
"It's okay, you can keep it."
"No! I can't do that, here I'll just put it on right—" Bambam keeps fumbling with the ice packs in his hands, lifting his injured foot a bit carelessly and hissing when it makes contact with the wooden bleacher a bit too hard. A hand comes to rest of gently on his knee and he colors again as Jaebum sits down on the lower bleacher, grabbing the ice packs and towel from Bambam's frozen hands.
"Keep it," Jaebum says as he wraps the towel back carefully around his ankle, giving Bambam a pointed look when he thinks he is going to argue back. He smiles when Bambam listens and just sits back, "It's just medicine. Plus, if you feel that bad you can just buy the tickets next week."
"I-uhm...tickets?" Bambam asks befuddled.
"To the movies of course."
"Movies?!" This time Jaebum doesn't smile, he smirks.
"Soccer isn't the only thing I like you know." Jaebum chuckles and the realization as to what's happening hits Bambam like a shit-ton of bricks. He opens and closes his jaw in utter shock, starting at Jaebum with wide eyes. Being speechless is definitely not a feeling he is used to.
"How did you know I—wait... what?" Bambam fumbles, and then a possibility strikes his mind. "Was it Youngjae-hyung? Did he tell you?! Oh my God, I'm going to kill him and feed him to Coco for breakfast, how could he—"
Bambam stops as Jaebum laughs, leaning forward to ruffle his hair before he gets off the bleacher. In the background he sees the other boys approaching, the noise of their chatter getting louder by the minute. Bambam looks up at Jaebum, chewing on his bottom lip as he tries to remain cool and not make a fool of himself in front of his crush. Well... not make himself more of a fool than he already has.
"Let's just say," Jaebum says as he steps down the bleachers, turning back towards Bambam as he reaches the bottom, "that you aren't the only one that hears things around this school. So movies? Friday at 7?"
Bambam nods dumbly
Jaebum winks at him right before turning towards the approaching crowd and Bambam watches his retreating back, disbelieve written all over his face as Youngjae approaches the top of the bleachers and shakes his head at him knowingly.
Okay, so maybe trying out wasn't that bad, after all.