Chapter Text
For a person who flatly rejected someone for the reason that she’s still not ready to entertain a potential relationship, Nayeon was and is still bothered by her decision.
And Jeongyeon being around almost every day isn’t helping her either.
It has been weeks- two weeks to be exact since Nayeon rejected Jeongyeon. And since then, the younger girl never left her sight for at least 3 hours.
Wherever she goes, she’s seeing Jeongyeon and she’s not even hallucinating. It was normal for the first 3 days, but when she keeps on seeing her almost all the time of the day, even she cannot believe what’s happening.
She once saw Jeongyeon at the public market at six in the morning. At six! Who would go to a public market at six in the morning, unforced?!
“Mrs. Im!”
“Jeongyeon-ah!” Mrs. Im pats Jeongyeon’s shoulder with a big smile. “Are you alone?”
Jeongyeon nods enthusiastically. “My mother can’t go to the market today so she asked me to buy some ingredients for later.” Jeongyeon looks at Nayeon and gives the girl a soft small smile. “Hi, Nayeon unnie.”
Nayeon didn’t know what to do so she just smiled at Jeongyeon, ditching a possible conversation that will surely make her feel more awkward.
But of course, the world really loves to mess with her.
“Nayeon, I’ll just go to your aunt over there,” She points out somewhere that Nayeon would dare to go because of how crowded it is. “I know you’re not going there so while Jeongyeon is here I’ll leave you here with her, okay?”
She looks at Jeongyeon, and her mother, “bu-”
“Yes, sure. It’s alright, Mrs. Im. Take your time, I’ve got Nayeon unnie.” Jeongyeon said, leaving the two of them in awkward silence.
Five minutes had passed and Mrs. Im was still out of sight. And Nayeon can’t handle this loud silence anymore.
“Hey, Mother’s taking too long, you can go now if you want, you don’t have to join me here.”
“Yeah, but I want to,” Jeongyeon looks at her with a serious and innocent face. “You don’t like to be alone at a crowded place, right?” And then she smiles softly and Nayeon feels like her insides are gonna combust any moment.
She even ate her lunch with Jeongyeon in front of her almost every day. She doesn’t know if her family was just oblivious or they really love to see Nayeon suffer at Jeongyeon’s presence. It would be nice to have a normal day and a normal meal but with Jeongyeon? It will never be normal.
“Jeongyeon, when is your next game? I heard you’re leading the training?”
“Oh, yes, Mr. Im. Seulgi is out of town for two weeks and she asked me to lead while she’s not here. The next game will be this Friday, Mr. Im.” Jeongyeon smiles and Nayeon can’t help but let out a small smile too.
Seeing Jeongyeon being able to have a conversation with her parents makes her heart feel something. But of course, she’s Nayeon and she knows her priorities.
“Jeong’s really good at leading dad. There’s this one girl last school year who was led on by Jeongyeon because she kept on smiling at her and the girl confessed her feelings for her and- OW!” Momo didn’t get to finish her story probably because of a foot under the table.
“Momo’s a joker really, Mr. Im”
Nayeon wants to smile and agrees that Jeongyeon’s smile can really lead you somewhere else.
But she wouldn't be led by it.
Their lunch was just full of jokes made by Momo and Jeongyeon and it makes her full enough by listening to her laugh. But you know, she’s Nayeon and she wouldn’t be led by Jeongyeon.
Bumped into her once at the town plaza at THREE IN THE AFTERNOON when Jeongyeon was supposed to be working at that time! You’ve got to be kidding me!
And for weeks, Jeongyeon stops by their house because she walks Momo home every night, consistently.
“Jeongyeon unnie, are you walking Momo unnie every day so you could have a glance at Nayeon unnie?” Tzuyu says out of the blue when Jeongyeon went inside their house to have a glass of water.
Jeongyeon spat the water on Momo’s face and Nayeon rushed inside her room causing the door to let off a loud bang that startled both her and the people outside.
But mind you, Jeongyeon greets her formally, as if she wasn’t rejected by her friend’s sister. Every damn time.
Nayeon was supposed to be tough and cool enough to withstand her decision, but how would she be able to act all snobbish and unaffected when Jeongyeon’s morning look was enchanting.
When Jeongyeon’s laugh was annoying and satisfying at the same time.
When Jeongyeon's three-in-the-afternoon look was alluring and adorable at the same time because of her droopy eyes that would certainly accept a five-minute nap if you would offer her.
When Jeongyeon’s after-training look was always sultry and bewitching.
But was all of that enough to entertain and risk it all with Jeongyeon?
Yes
NO.
Nayeon may admit that Jeongyeon is really pretty, cool, captivating, and all the beautiful words that can describe her, but she will never be ready for her.
Not now, not ever.
-
Jeongyeon’s second game is nearing and she shouldn’t feel this pressure, but she can’t control it especially when she’s the one assigned to create gameplay for the whole game. And without Seulgi guiding the team, it makes her doubt her credibility as a leader because what if she messes this up and their team loses? She knows this is just a summer league but it is still a game anyway and Jeongyeon wanted to win really badly.
Well, maybe she wants to prove something to Nayeon too, of course. She wants to be worthy. Worthy of something, of Nayeon. It’s not that great but winning this game means so much to her.
There’s so much going on inside Jeongyeon’s mind right now. About the game, about her family, herself, Nayeon.
Nayeon.
She’s always with Nayeon but never with her. Seeing Nayeon more often than usual isn’t a good thing for her heart, but does Jeongyeon care?
No. She doesn’t mind. Even if she knows the ending of this, Jeongyeon doesn’t mind. She got to see Nayeon’s smile at 7 in the morning while drinking her morning coffee. She got to see Nayeon’s stressed face at 3 in the afternoon while reading accountancy books. She got to see Nayeon’s face every damn day and that’s a win for Jeongyeon. Whatever happens, it’s still a win for her. Meeting Nayeon will forever be a win for her.
But not for her heart.
Even though Momo always tells her that Nayeon might like her back, she really does not believe it. First, it’s Momo. Momo tends to blurt out a lot of nonsense. It’s just her casual hobby. Second, it’s Nayeon. It’s fucking IM NAYEON they’re talking about- the studious good girl of this town.
She wants to believe it every time they would accidentally look at each other and Nayeon would blush a little, every time they would suddenly bump into each other and Nayeon can’t look her in the eyes, every time they’ll eat lunch together with Nayeon’s family and Nayeon becomes a big mess, but she doesn’t entertain it. She’s just giving herself false hope and it’s not right.
But when she starts dodging all of these actions of Nayeon, she will suddenly show up looking all gorgeous and all the good words that can describe a beautiful human being. Of course, Jeongyeon would imagine things like “What would happen if we’re together?”
But Jeongyeon also thinks that “That would never happen.”
Maybe Jeongyeon needs to accept it and move on.
But maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t want to.
-
Today’s their second game and Jeongyeon feels awfully nervous. Seulgi won’t be able to play since she hasn't been around for weeks now, but Jeongyeon isn’t nervous about that. She isn’t nervous about the game at all because she got it covered. She has Ryujin- their rookie star player, she got Momo- her best partner, Wendy will be playing too and she even got a sub player in the form of Sooyoung. Park Sooyoung.
Park Sooyoung, the Campus Athletic Muse. She’s in the same year with them but in the higher section so Jeongyeon wasn’t really familiar. Sooyoung and Wendy were elementary classmates and friends that’s why they are close. Close enough to make her agree to play in today's game.
So why is Jeongyeon nervous when she gets the game covered?
Nayeon will be watching.
Nayeon will be there, physically watching them (maybe just her), will see her actual moves, and will cheer for their team. Jeongyeon thinks she can’t handle that right now.
“You good?” Momo suddenly appears with her blue Powerade.
Jeongyeon looks at her and shakes her head. “Yeah, just nervous.”
Momo scoffs at her. “Of what?”
“The game?” Jeongyeon answers, looking at Momo with confused eyes.
“No, you’re not,” Momo smirks.
Jeongyeon rolls her eyes. “Yes, I am.”
“Jeongyeon, you’re not the type to get nervous about a small game knowing that we had it all planned,” Momo answers with conviction.
Jeongyeon knows Momo got her, but still, she doesn’t have to admit why she’s nervous. “Just mind your own business, dumbass. Make sure not to drool over Sooyoung later.”
Jeongyeon stands up and Momo throws a bottle of Powerade at her. “Fuck you, Yoo.”
“Later!” Jeongyeon shouts while laughing.
-
Nayeon can hear the loud whispers of the people inside the court and she just wants to evaporate as soon as possible. She can hear people questioning her presence, why is she even here? Is she here to cheer for her sister? But she’s not the type to watch her sister’s game even before?
Why can’t they mind their own business? Nayeon thinks. She doesn’t even know what made her agree to Tzuyu’s request to accompany her and her friends on today’s game but it's Tzuyu, of course, she’ll agree. Also, a big part of her wants to watch the game Jeongyeon has planned.
She’s aware that Jeongyeon created the gameplay for today’s game because Momo won’t stop talking about it. Jeongyeon did this, Jeongyeon did that. So?
So Nayeon got curious enough to watch the game.
She just wishes she didn’t.
Who the fuck is Park 03 and why is she hugging Jeongyeon?