Good Game

                                    

                                          
"Noona!! You still have to eat those pancakes! Get ready faster!" I heard Jungkook scream for the third time in the morning.
                          
I couldn't help it. I had to dry my hair. Sunday was the only day when I could peacefully wash my hair and now that we were to go out, I needed to dry and comb them. Short curly hair naturally dried and uncombed is not a really good combination given that it makes it very hot. 
                          
I entered the kitchen 7 minutes later to see Jungkook staring at me. If looks could kill, that one would have dug holes in me. I hastily ate the breakfast, trying to make a conversation in which Jungkook took part very grumpily. And Yoongi was trying hard to control his laughter.
                          
We headed to the car. Yoongi took the front seat and Jungkook slid in the back. We drove around the city towards the zoo. It had always been an interesting place. I saw a rabbit family in one corner and called Jungkook, "Kookie!! Look I found your real family!"
                          
Jungkook squatted near me and smiled at me shaking his head. He soon pulled his handkerchief and fake blew his nose into it. "Now that I won't be able to live with my real family, can you please take a picture of us together? I will cherish it forever."
                          
"Yah! Don't be so dramatic." I poked him in the arm. "You are such a kid."
                          
But we did take pictures there. 
                          
Jungkook walked throughout the zoo excited, as if on his toes, and a big bunny smile on his face.
                          
I chuckled at the sight. Yoongi looked at me and said, "He hasn't changed a bit."

                          
"Yeah...What about you?" I replied.
                          
"What do you mean?"
                          
"Are you still scared of lizards?" I smirked teasingly.
                          
"What's so funny? They are actually creepy creatures." He huffed.
                          
I laughed and said, "Remember how loudly you squealed back when Seokjin had put that fake lizard in your bag?"
                          
Yoongi looked at me and smiled, "That was one hell of a day. He got detention for that prank..."
                          
"And you got detention for shouting that loudly." And we laughed.
                          
After the zoo, we grabbed take-out from a nearby fast food center and took sat in the park munching on it.
                          
A group of young boys was sitting nearby in basketball jerseys. It looked like they were waiting for someone. One of them, out of impatience, said, "Let's start. He'll join when he comes."
                          
"But it's just one player short. We can wait for a bit..." Another boy said.
                          
"What's wrong?" I called.
                          
"We are one player short." One of the boys replied, all of them clearly surprised at the sudden attention they got.
                          
I beamed at them and said, "Don't worry. He'll play with you till your friend joins." I pointed towards Yoongi who looked at me with an incredulous expression.
                          
"But I am tired." He retorted.
                          
"You just ate," I replied.
                          
"Bhaiya, please join us." The boys gathered around us and started persuading Yoongi.
                          
"Come on, Yoongi! Join the game!" I pushed him to stand up.
                          
He finally agreed and smirked at me, "Now you'll see the girls here, swooning over me."
                          
"Woohoo!" I and Jungkook cheered on the boys as the game began.
                          
The crowd cheered as Team Red scored one more point. Team Red was already 8 points ahead and only 5 minutes remained until the end of the game. It was an easy win.
                          
Especially when Yoongi was the captain, it indeed was an easy win. The girls shrieked and shouted his name as Yoongi passed by the stands towards the dressing room.
                          
Sports events and the days preceding them were particularly fun because all those who did not play became either a spy or a fan. In this case, most girls became fans while spying on them. It was actually surprising and irritating that many girls from our year used to sit in the stands while the practice just to see Yoongi play. 
                          
Yoongi simply walked off into the dressing room. Many girls stayed in stands for long after in the hope of spotting the boys and being spotted by them when they come out. 
                          
I picked up my bag and threw it across my shoulders and was about to leave when I spotted Kang Jina sitting in the upper stands. It looked as if she was waiting for somebody. That was odd. It was unlike Kang Jina to be in the general crowd of girls.
                          
One of the boys must have asked her to wait. I shrugged and walked out of the school gym.
                          
I admit I was jealous of her. Especially because Kang Jina was one of the girls with whom Yoongi talked on his own. And not just talked, the way he smiled at her, the way he would lightly hit her at times, or the way he would stare at her fondly when she laughed at anything, I don't think she is just a friend.
                          
Like me...
                          
I stood on the first-floor balcony looking down at other students return from the gym. 
                          
"You are here. I have been looking for you."  A fist lightly punched my upper arm and looked at my left to see Yoongi changed into regular clothes.
                          
"Why?" I asked.
                          
I saw Yoongi 's cheeks were red. Either due to the blood rush or due to profuse blushing. Probably he had asked Jina to wait.
                          
It had been quite some time since I acknowledged to myself that I liked Yoongi. I did not want to think about him liking someone else now.
                          
"Nothing..." He replied, "It's just that all this attention that I garner after every single game is insane."
                          
"Well, you deserve it," I said. "Your swift movements and expert play can get anyone swooning over you."
                          
"I don't see you swooning over me," He smirked.
                          
"Well, because I don't  make it visible." And I realized what I just said. 
                          
"Huh?" His eyes go wide.
                          
To make it less embarrassing for both of us, I said, "Don't get your hopes that high, pretty boy. But I do appreciate how expertly you play basketball."
                          
He faced the front and smiled shyly, "Thanks. And did you just call me 'pretty boy'?"
                          
I looked at him and stated, "Yes, I did. Why are you surprised? Ask any girl around. You won't find one who will disagree."
                          
"I know," He mumbled, "It just feels a bit awkward coming from you."
                          
I chuckled, "Well, that's the truth. So get used to it. And also, good game. Congrats on winning."
                          
"Thank you."
                          
"Yoongi!!" We heard a voice behind us. One of his teammates was standing there. "We are playing one round. Want to join?"
                          
He looked at the boy, then at me, and then back to the boy, "But..." He looked at me again.
                          
"Yah! Don't worry about me. Go," I smiled, "Join the game."
                          
Yoongi still had the same grace as his high school days. He was still that swift. Still that energetic.
                          
He exited the game when the last friend of the group joined in. Yoongi walked over to where we were sitting and smiled at us, before chugging the bottle of water down.
                          
"Good game, pretty boy," I said.
                          
***
                          
A/n: Hey everyone! Sorry for the two-day absence. I was having a block. Then I got this idea and wrote it down. Now, I am again going to have a block probably. I just wish that won't happen.
                          
Also, the word 'Bhaiya' is used to address elder brothers or brother-like figures in India by both males and females.
                          
Do vote, share, and comment.
                          
Stay safe, healthy, and happy. Hoping for better days to come.
                          
Love you all!