synopsis : the girls soccer team hasn’t been doing great since the school year started. when nicholas starts taunting you about it you make a bet with him. will the two of you figure your differences out when your soccer team has to play against his?
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a/n: verryy long chapter so i hope you enjoy!
THE bleachers are filled with students, lots of familiar faces but also a lot of unfamiliar faces. You glance over to the boys team, they were also scanning the crowd, some occasionally waving when they spot someone they recognise.
“Y/n! Chaehyunnie!” You hear the voices of Ningning and Isa call out. They’re waving bright banners with “Go Girls!” written on them.
Chaehyun and you wave at the girls, and they hold up the banner above their heads.
“Haven’t seen it this crowded since freshman year.” Chaewon tells the team, “Which means we have to win.”
“Ayy come on Chae, it’s not that big of a deal.” Liz laughs, giving her a pat on the shoulder.
“I was trying to be motivational.” Chaewon sighs, “Guess it didn’t work that well.”
The team bursts out in laughter, a few girls telling Chaewon they thought it was very inspiring.
The laughter of the girls causes the boys to look up. Nicholas catches sight of you, one hand on Rei’s shoulder, laughing at your team captain.
“Earth to Nicholas?” Ej calls out, and Nicholas snaps back to reality. The other boys have started warming up somewhere else, he didn’t even notice.
Nicholas can see K and Yuma snickering at him, but he ignores them and quickly jogs over to his team. He needs to get his head in the game, but it is hard to do so when his opponent is his crush.
“Don’t go daydreaming when we’re on the field.” Ni-ki, the center midfielder, comments when Nicholas joins the group circle doing stretches, “Otherwise I won’t pass any balls to you.”
Nicholas turns to Maki, the left wing, who he frequently passes balls to. Maki looks at him with puppy eyes, telepathically pleading for him to pass the ball when playing.
A short whistle sounds from the referee, calling the captains to the center of the field.
When Ej jogs back to the team all eyes are on him. “They take the ball.” He says, earning groans from the team.
“I told you to choose tails.” Taki groans, but he tenses up when he sees Ej glare at him.
Meanwhile Chaewon has also returned to the team. “We take the ball.” Chaewon cheers. “First win of the day, one more to go.”
As the game starts, it is evident that the girls team has improved a lot. Ej was pleasantly surprised by the amount of skill the girls had managed to gain in such a short time.
Nicholas is really trying his best to focus, but the way you play, the way you shout for the ball, the way you play with such passion, it's so attractive to him. He's never felt this way before, but now that he's experiencing it he's sure of it. He likes you.
"Nicho!" He can hear Fuma call out to him, and he snaps back. You had just dribbled past Fuma, and was now heading straight towards Nicholas.
Without hesitation Nicholas starts running towards you, his mind racing on how to steal the ball away from you.
He decides to go for a tackle, but before he knows you're tripping over his feet, falling onto the field. Nicholas doesn't see it, his eyes focused on the ball. Only when he has passed the ball to Ni-ki does he look back.
Nicholas, now kneeling beside you, seems oblivious to the momentary shock. His eyes, wide with realization, darted from the ball back to you, lying there stunned.
A second later, his expression softens, and he quickly reaches down to you with a concerned look on his face.
"I didn’t mean to knock you down like that!" His voice was full of regret as he crouched by your side, his tone soft, almost apologetic. His hand hovered in the air, unsure, like he wasn’t sure if you needed space or help.
You sit up, your body a little heavy because of the collision. The scrape on your arm stung, and your chest felt tight, still recovering from the hit. It wasn't that serious, you realise, as the initial shock of the fall wears off.
"Hey, are you alright?" Nicholas asks, his voice lowered, more careful now. His eyes scan your face, looking for any sign that you were hurt, genuinely worried.
You could see the way he hesitated, like he was holding himself back, unsure whether to reach for you again or to give you a moment. His usual confidence in the game had evaporated, replaced by concern.
"It's fine," You reply, quickly regaining your composure as you lift yourself off the grass. You pat him on the back, telling him not to worry. And before he knows it you're running off towards Rei, who was busy attacking again.
As the game progresses it is clear the boys team is stronger. But for some reason, it didn't bother you that much anymore. It's the first time you're having fun, and the other girls seem to agree.
So, when the whistle signals the end of the game, you, along with Haerin sit down on the ground, exhausted.
"Wasn't this fun?" You pant, looking at the equally exhausted girl next to you. She nods, too tired to process everything.
"There's something even more fun waiting for you." She eventually says in a quiet tone. You almost don't catch it, but as you follow her gaze you realise who she's talking about.
