↬ gym.

@⁰⁴ seungcheol c. interesting how that name rang at the top of her head. happiness and sadness washed over her body at one moment.

choi seungcheol.
choi..
seung..cheol.

memories were a beautiful thing. how lucky she is to be one of those people to remember every little detail in her life. if it wasnt for him, she wouldn't know what love and pain meant. he gave so much meaning to her. for the first time, she was broken and that period was one of the worst and best things she had ever encountered. if anything, it would be too much to blame him for what happened. there was something she was missing and somehow she knew that but if it was for the best then- she had no reason to not understand.

hyewon took a deep breath in through her nostrils. it was impossible to take her eyes of him. there was no point. she knew already. it was the feeling in her heart and the feeling in her stomach. the way he barely touched her and the way he looked at her every now and then. how could she not know? she was in love with him. her best friend, her crush, everything she could label.

it made her smile though because it had been too long. yet this was one of the worst reunions she ever had. for that moment she forgot all about her little reddened face. it was like all that mattered.. was him. them and time itself.

in the softest tone she can manage through the nervousness in her voice, the corners of her lips curved upwards slightly. "I missed you.."

@⁰¹ hyewon k. (h) "Just...take it easy for the rest of the day, yeah?" I don't like seeing you hurt, Seungcheol added in his head, the devastation at his own hands still one which occasionally flashed across his mind. Hyewon was the first person he'd ever cared about, romantically or otherwise. Maybe because she was the first person to ever care for him, chatting to him in class regardless of how bothered his face looked even in his resting state. When the other people in his life failed to show up...without fail, she was there.

And now she was a stranger again, reintroducing herself and making his stomach drop. He'd changed a lot since high school, sure. His hair was much shorter now, long and lanky limbs finally filled out by muscles. And he liked to think he dressed better, given that he was finally able to buy his own clothes instead of ugly hand-me-downs. The Seungcheol Hyewon knew was from a complete other life, one where Seungcheol wouldn't have survived without her by his side.

He'd loved her, even back then. Maybe he still loved her, mind all too often wondering what had become of such a genuine person in this hard world. He'd always wanted to protect Hyewon - as a man, as her senior, as someone who just wanted to do right by her - and yet, she was always the one looking out for him. How ironic that he was finally looking after her all this time later...

"Seungcheol." He spoke after a moment, avoiding her gaze that seemed to peer into the deepest recesses of his heart. "Choi Seungcheol." Seungcheol moved to sit beside the smaller, keeping the ice water fastened against her cheek, hand all too close to caressing her face. It had been four years since they last met...and God, he was too cowardly back then to even be this close to her. He wondered how she must have felt when he left their small town without a word, turning his back not only on those who abused him but also the first person to ever love him. He wondered if she'd ever be able to forgive him for all of his transgressions.

Because in truth, Hyewon didn't know what she was getting into when she approached Choi Seungcheol. Perhaps she saw him as a wallflower, a shy older man who would bloom when she dared to hold out her hand to him when others shied away. And instead she found herself sitting beside a husk of a man, someone who'd all but given up on expecting anything but hurt. It was the only thing he'd known back then, the trauma of being hurt by the very ones meant to protect you. And Hyewon didn't deserve to be pulled into such a grim world, not when she had so much genuine love to give.

"I'm all too happy to help," He admitted, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips before disappearing as quickly as it came. "It's the least I can do, Hyewon."

@⁰⁴ seungcheol c. she was genuinely surprised by the kind act of this stranger who offered to take a quick examination of her mark. the proximity of the male made her cheeks burn even redder, she wasnt used to the opposite and she wouldnt never will be. the contact of his cold water bottle was chilling, yes - but it did avail to the smack. her cheek felt a little better with the contact.

"my ." hyewon pursed her lips out in a japing tone. albeit half true as she did fell on her rear. it wasn't something to worry about either. she was avoiding eye contact with the male for the first few seconds all because she was trepidacious of turning even more embarrassed. now that she contemplated it, she had never once examined his face or at least fixated on it.

she wasnt like miyeon, her roommate. who seemed to relish persistently staring at men all day. taking a deep breath in, hyewon then turned her gaze to look up at the male who transpired to be staring back at her. somehow the shape of his eyes were familiar. a sense of home over washing her veins and the familiarity brought a bash of comeliness. curiosity then consummated her mind as she went into a daze.

there was more she would relish to verbalize but something in her guts told her not to. so instead she remained mute. letting him avail her redden regret in silence. for those few minutes of silence, she was ruminating. maybe it's because she was just shy or because this was a strange man that wanted to help her. not many people were disposed to do that. any mundane person would walk away. being in the photography club, she was habituated to people walking off whenever she asked for assistance.

though with that being expressed, hyewon still felt the familiarity in the boys presences. In between all the similar feelings she felt that seemed like a century ago, there were feelings in her heart that wavered like a dark shadow. among the most resplendent field of dovedales where the light shines brightly, there were components of her field that withered lightly. like a film, they were cut off. distance recollections that were once treasured as precious charms to her. every petal held a story, an inscription in the sun and the moon.

the hours of her field havent been touched since the day the beatings of her heart came to cease. apart from the word of bliss she once yearned to feel for a lifetime - a pause to the goals she wanted to achieve. this person, whoever they may be, sparked a gentle welcome to the land she never thought would touch the sun in her again. with the slightest apex of light in her vacuous field, the moon rose again. tainting her broken heart in the composition of the painful words of rejection. she was filled with those recollections.

his aura was familiar. once again saying, he was familiar.. he felt like her moon but he also felt like her sun.

the muteness was getting a handful again. it made her realize she was being too mute. "I'm hyewon," the girl commenced. "I'm sorry you have to meet me this way. this is never the first encounter I optate anyone to have with me." chuckles eluded her lips. she evaded his eyes again. looking down at her lap where her fingers naturally played with the hem of her shirt. "thank you for helping me."

@⁰¹ hyewon k. Seungcheol always believed in kismet. Blame it on being a poet, a hopeless romantic, or just a child who fantasized about a life greater than his own. Things were put in his path for reasons far beyond himself: every obstacle, every love, every casual encounter. And yet, what cruel fate would let his eyes lock with Kim Hyewon, nearly 300 kilometers from where they'd last seen each other?

To Seungcheol, there was no mistaking it. Long locks that danced down nearly to her hips, bright doe eyes, athlete's physique and smile to die for... this wasn't /a/ Hyewon, this was /his/ Hyewon. The one he'd been so cruel to, the one that made his stomach do flips just to think about... He was so dumb back then, and somehow even more socially inept; and yet, she accepted him. How could he forget?

Seungcheol tried to take himself out of his daze to help the young girl, leader her outside the gym and into the cool air outside. "It's no worries to me...track just ended, anyways," He reassured calmly, leading her to an empty bench outside.

"Let me see." While his words weren't the most comforting his touch was careful, lightly moving her hand away to assess the damage done. Luckily, it didn't look like it was anything too severe, despite the angry red mark that was left behind. "I suppose you'll survive," He joked in a tone not so indicative of one, holding up his cold water bottle to the smaller's cheek. They were so close like this, he thought to himself, wondering if the smaller could recognize him when they were like this. Part of him hoped she didn't, not with all the embarrassment that came with all he'd put her through. He couldn't forgive himself...and so her forgiveness was certainly out of the question."Were you hurt anywhere else?"

@⁰⁴ seungcheol c. if there was anything else that stung more than the volleyball hit then god must be very inequitable. if hyewok had the energy to imprecate herself for spacing out then she would but she was already too tired to discipline herself. as if the day couldn't be even more chaotic as it already was, an unfamiliar voice interrupted her from her thoughts. causing her to retaliate back into the real word where she was greeted with a man dripping wet.

dark chocolate eyes twinkled to the direction of the voice and found a rather tall male. someone she was unable to identify. conjecture that's better than her friends, she veraciously thought it was joohyuk passing by. if he found out about the big reddened smack on her face she feared of her senior best friend that he would go full on big brother mode and if it's anything she misprized most is when others worry an extravagant amount about her.

when her eyes flicked his way she persistently examined the male from top to bottom. he was sweaty, his shirt had stains on it and for a regular university student he looked pretty fit. it was only safe to assume that he was on a sports team. the university had so much to offer so she wouldn't be surprised if he was. her palm was still caressing her cheek from the astringent slap from the volleyball. hyewon looked back into the gym where her teammates returned to practice casually. probably due to coaches demands. 'they wouldn't mind if I take a few minutes..'

taking a deep breath in she nodded gradually. being a little shy when it comes to strangers, hyewon nibbled on her lower lip and sighed. there wasn't any cull. she needed assistance anyways, she had a feeling if she availed herself alone then something was bound to transpire. when she says she can be clumsy, she can be /very/ clumsy. thus going back to her bandaid . luckily coach didn't see her colorful bandaid. she would have gotten another scolding. growing up in the countryside high up in the mountain, she infrequently never cared about injuries like these. but then again life was different back home.

"s-sure," she stuttered. it was a habit by now. nervous digits fidgeting against the hem of her tee. "I mean if you wont get in trouble or- if I'm taking a large amount of your time."

how inelegant of her. then again this was expected from hyewon. this never traned. the way her cheeks colored a pinky shade in her disconcertment of even asking someone for help over her maladroit little contingency she caused herself. "sorry for the trouble." hyewon spoke in a soft tone. once again touching her face where the skin turned red, it stung still and it felt like she couldnt feel her face but she figured that was just the body's reaction to a fast and hard impact.

closing the door to the gym, she quietly scurried over so her coach would believe that she left the perimeter. the volleyball coach was always extravagantly worried about the team - as she should. the coach only wanted the best for hyewon and the rest of the girls. if anything, coach was like a second parent on campus. grateful to be cared for by someone while she was far away from her home.

@⁰¹ hyewon k. Track wasn't much, but it was all he had. The feeling of running out in the cold, frigid air permeating deep within his lungs as hair whipped against his face...it was freeing. He was free, he thought to himself, the traumas of his past now distant memories. He could be anything he wanted now, do anything he liked without fear.

Four years of freedom and it still didn't feel real. His heart still raced at the sound of steel toed boots against wooden floors, the sound of people calling his name still triggering his fight or flight. Trauma couldn't leave in a day; it was painfully deconstructed piece by piece until one simply had to live with the pile of rubble it left behind.

Maybe it was this panic responses that caused the hair to stand up on the back of his neck as he ran to the gym for more water, only for the sound of a few girls screaming out to stun him again. Someone was hurt, he realized, a not uncommon situation for the volleyball team next door...but for some reason, he didn't turn to leave.

'Hyewon!'

Is that whaat they called...? A common name, certainly, but one that brought the faintest smile to the male's icy visage. What transpired between them ended so painfully...and yet it still made his heart flutter. Hyewon, the only person in his school that showed an ounce of compassion to the bruised boy she knew back then. The only person who ever tried to break down his barriers, as unsuccessful as he was so sure she felt about it.

He missed her. It wasn't a feeling he had often, a longing for someone who so wanted to forget him. Maybe that's why she was the cause of so many of his poems, detailing feelings he'd never once dared to say aloud. How different it would have been for them if only Seungcheol wasn't treading water his entire high school life. She would have made a great first girlfriend.

Seungcheol was lost in his thoughts as aa girl rushed outside of the gym's doors and out to the hallway he was leaned against. He didn't get a good look at her, yet the way she was cradling her cheek certainly promised that she was the one who was injured. "Hey," In an uncharacteristic move, Seungcheol was the one to speak up. Perhaps spurred on my the memories of his first love. He couldn't give his care to the Hyewon he cared for the most back then...but maybe he could do something for the girl before him now. "Let me help you."

@⁰⁴ seungcheol c. there was practice inside the gym and of course hyewon was there. she had to clear her schedule and do everything earlier on the day afore coming to practice. according to the coach, it was important to come in today. probably to speak about the recent scandal that was circumventing involving the volleyball team. there was no allusion whether or not it had to deal with the boys or girls but it didn't matter to her coaches eyes. it involved the team and it affected them, their image and their name to the school. things like this always transpire. this was university after all, nothing you can do about it, really.

in her shorts and tee, hyewon tied her hair up in a pony tail and did a few practice rounds with a teammate. the two bonding over their favorite sport. "I'm dying like - literally." the other female exclaimed with an allusion of mordancy in her voice. a smile composing hyewons tiers as she heard the others stentorian voice from the other side of the net.

well she wasn't wrong. the school year has been an entire ride. the design department was just as crazy. who knew being a designer student would be just as hectic as any other perplexed major? hyewon's fingers were rudimentally embellished with dainty character pattern bandaid for each finger. sewing wasn't something she proficiently adept at. just last week the students were introduced to the needle and thread afore they can advance to the machine. to make things short - things did not go well, thus why her hands were covered up in line character bandages.

hyewon was always the maladroit girl and so she was always yare for injuries. it became a habit to carry a mini medical kit now. especially since her roommate was just as gawkish as ever.

how university traned her life. with each prosperous hit of the ball, she was gradually dispersing into her thoughts where her head was filled with distant recollections. exposing her susceptibility to her teammate who called her name a sundry of times to bring her back to reality. when she conclusively heard the echoes of her teammate who became wide eyed, hyewon raised an eyebrow and probed around.

where was the ball? why didn't she retain it? why di-

"hyewon!"

splat on the floor, the freshman fell onto the gym floors as the volleyball smacked her face. she wasn't hurt thank god but getting hit by the volleyball was a whole 'nother pain she rather not speak about ever again. groaning in pain, she sat up gradually as her teammates circumvented her. all inundating her with concerned questions. after all this time, she still didn't know how to react. smiling, she nodded her head scarcely. the red mark on her cheek making it conspicuous that she was hit, it looked as someone had smacked her.

the raging storm of her coach caught her offguard. it was just her being as apprehensive as ever. "get to the nurse and grab an ice pack to put on your face before something else occurs."

"sorry-" mumbled the red faced girl. her cheeks filling up with the exact same color as her volleyball smack except this one was sitting at the apples of her cheeks in a light shade that complimented her skin tone. frowning, she took her things immediately and ran towards the restrooms instead. she couldn't go to the nurses office. how many times has she bothered the nurses there? "way to go hyewon." reprimanding herself became another habit. it was all that she knew at this point. contacting her left cheek, she winced and sighed deeply. that's what she gets for spacing out. again.