Ball-Boy Tactics

“These are seats reserved for the families or guests of the players. So, you don’t have to feel uncomfortable.”“Oh…”It seemed like Kwon Jungwoo noticed the suspicion on my face because he answered a question I hadn’t even asked. Then, he sat down across from the players’ seats and began reading a stack of papers that looked like game-related information.Am I really allowed to sit here?Even though he said not to feel uncomfortable, I couldn’t help but feel both uncomfortable and honored at the same time. So, I decided to sit down, but not too comfortably, since, after all, I wasn’t a family member or guest of any player.Kwon Jungwoo, who seemed to immediately dive into concentration by placing one leg over his knee, had long calves, just like his wrists and forearms. I noticed his ankle peeking out slightly above his sneakers. Even parts of him that usually wouldn’t stand out seemed beautiful. Or maybe it was just because I couldn’t control my emotions that he looked beautiful to me. I couldn’t objectively judge, so I found myself subtly touching my own ankle, comparing it to his.Then, a question I hadn’t asked earlier came to mind.“How did you know I was sitting there?”I debated whether to ask later but rushed to ask now, fearing I might miss the chance. Kwon Jungwoo paused from turning the page and shrugged his shoulders as if he hadn’t thought about it.“Was there a specific reason? Maybe your clothes just caught my eye.”He glanced at me briefly as he said this, as if it were nothing special, and then casually responded, looking slightly puzzled himself.“Oh… Well, our department’s jumper is pretty bright yellow, so it does stand out.”The gap between what was a special moment for me and what was trivial to him was palpable, making me feel a bit bitter. As I made this awkward acknowledgment, Kwon Jungwoo, who had been quietly watching me, put down his papers and turned to face me directly.“Didn’t you come a bit too early? After the game, I still have to shower and change. You should’ve come when it was about to end.”“Yeah, I probably should have. It’s not like you’d hang out with me if I came early anyway.”“I could hang out with you. Want me to?”“Huh?”I was a bit taken aback by Kwon Jungwoo’s unexpected response. He then extended his hands toward me.“How about a game of rock-paper-scissors?”He tilted his head playfully, and his unexpected boldness struck me as so funny that I burst out laughing. I couldn’t hold it in and ended up laughing out loud. For a moment, I thought Kwon Jungwoo was staring intently at my face as if he had lost his playful mood, but I was laughing so hard with my eyes closed that I didn’t catch his expression. Honestly, just the fact that Kwon Jungwoo had joked with me was enough to make me laugh.“It feels like it’s been almost ten years since I last heard the word ‘rock-paper-scissors.'”Thinking I might have laughed too much, I lowered my head in embarrassment and then looked up again, offering an excuse. At the same time, Kwon Jungwoo furrowed his brow slightly.“What perfume do you wear? I’ve always thought it smelled good, but today it’s particularly strong.”“Perfume?”I wasn’t sure if I’d heard correctly, so I asked again, and Kwon Jungwoo nodded.Before I could even wipe away the tears from my eyes, I grew seriously concerned. I was worried that if I corrected his misconception, it would ruin the atmosphere. The truth was, I had never worn perfume before.Just then, the entrance to the stadium opened, and the team started coming in. The timing was perfect, and as they noisily approached, Kwon Jungwoo picked up his papers again, as if he wasn’t really interested in his previous question.The first person from the team to notice me was Byun Seungjin.“Hey! It’s my best friend Jiwon!”Naturally, the players and the manager next to him turned their attention to me when they heard his voice, which was pitched higher than usual. Shortly after, three adults in suits entered. They were the coach and assistants. They were known for always being angry during games, sometimes even swearing, so I tensed up immediately. Even today, despite leading by an overwhelming margin, they had been shouting nonstop.“Oh, hello.”“Han Jiwon? What brings you here…?”I stood up and greeted them hesitantly, which made their eyes widen in surprise. The coach, looking bewildered, asked, and Byun Seungjin and Yang Euno quickly answered on my behalf.“He’s my friend.”“I told you, we’re really classmates.”Meeting someone for the first time is always awkward. I started to wonder if I had made a mistake by following Kwon Jungwoo down here. The thought of spending the remaining time with these people made me feel increasingly uncomfortable. The real problem would start when Kwon Jungwoo, Byun Seungjin, and Yang Euno went back into the game.I guess I’ve gotten closer to them.Even while feeling anxious, I found it amusing that I could relax around basketball players just because I’d seen them a few times. I let out a small, airy laugh at the thought. At that moment, Kwon Jungwoo moved closer to me. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t even have time to react; my body tensed up, and my heart started racing.“Do you still have a camera in your pocket?”“Huh? Yeah.”I wondered how he knew, but then I remembered we’d talked about it at the training center once.“If they start to bother you, just pretend you’re taking pictures of me.”Kwon Jungwoo whispered this to me, then turned to the gathered players and manager, speaking firmly. He told them that I was here to take photos of him during the game, so they shouldn’t disturb me during the match.When the referee signaled that there was one minute left in the break, the previously chaotic atmosphere began to settle down. The players gathered around the coach to listen to instructions, then, after a brief cheer, dispersed to their positions. The players and manager who weren’t participating in the game sat on the bench, cheering them on. Occasionally, they’d glance at me with curiosity, but as Kwon Jungwoo had instructed, they didn’t talk to me.Back number 17.Watching Kwon Jungwoo from afar through the camera lens made me feel like a ball boy who had joined the basketball team out of admiration for him.While the ten players fiercely battled over one ball, I, too, struggled to calm my racing heart. I had resolved not to like him, to give up on him, but the fact that the object of my affection was Kwon Jungwoo made it incredibly difficult to suppress my feelings. How could someone be so perfect?Twenty minutes flew by. The score gap widened even further, and the game ended with a big win for Korea University.***Despite it being a weekday evening, the PC room was crowded. Most of the customers were students in school uniforms, likely from a nearby middle school. Even including the couple’s seats, there was no way for all four of us to sit together, so we decided to split up into pairs.I was worried it would be awkward to be alone with Kwon Jungwoo, so I tried to hang back, but according to the roles we’d divided, I ended up sitting with him, as I was in charge of organizing and presenting the project.What should I say? Since I’ve been receiving so much help, I should probably take the lead in the conversation, right?As I pondered over this while eating ramen, Yang Euno and Byeon Seungjin sent over a ton of the research they’d gathered. I couldn’t help but be impressed. Although the readability was low and more than half of the content was repetitive, the speed at which they worked was remarkable. So this is why they said there was no need to start early. Even though we’re the same age, seniors are definitely on another level.“Ah, it’s so damn loud.”As some students playing games nearby let out a yell, Kwon Jungwoo commented indifferently. He was watching a foreign basketball league video on his phone rather than using the computer, but as the noise continued around us, he eventually let out a frustrated sigh and set his phone down.“There’s a 24-hour café near the bus stop. Let’s go there. You brought your laptop, right?”Kwon Jungwoo swiveled his chair around to face me. With his chin resting in his hand, he looked like he was ready to leave at any moment.I sighed internally, knowing I couldn’t help him this time. When I left the house, I was so focused on going to see Kwon Jungwoo that I completely forgot to bring my laptop. I had been so out of it that I only realized it now. I was supposed to be in charge of compiling the materials, so I had planned to bring my laptop, but I’d forgotten entirely.“No, I didn’t bring it….”“…If I’d known we were going to the Han River, I would’ve brought it. Right?”“…….”“Do you live alone?”Kwon Jungwoo, who had been staring at me, straightened up and grabbed his mouse. Without hesitation, he shut down the computer, which had only been used to order ramen.“I’ll buy the coffee. Let’s go to your place.”“To… to my place?”“Yeah. Is that uncomfortable for you?”He leaned back in his chair and asked in a way that made it seem like he’d back off if I said yes.Of course, it was uncomfortable. I was already reluctant to invite anyone into my apartment, and now it was Kwon Jungwoo. To exaggerate a little, I felt so uncomfortable that I wanted to back out of the group project altogether.But I’m not the kind of person who can easily admit to feeling uncomfortable.“It’s fine. Not at all.”We packed up our things and headed over to Byeon Seungjin and Yang Euno. They were in the middle of a soccer game, and their voices were the loudest in the area.“We’re heading out.”“Already? Okay, okay.”“Hey, guys. Jungwoo and I are going to finish the project at my place. Do you want to come with us?”After Kwon Jungwoo and Yang Euno had a brief conversation, I quickly made the suggestion. On the surface, it seemed casual, but inside, I was desperate, practically begging with all my might. Yang Euno glanced at Byeon Seungjin, and as he hesitated, saying, “Well, I…,” Byeon Seungjin spoke up without looking away from the monitor.“Jiwon, thanks for the invite, but I’ve got to play FIFA right now. Ah, damn, the pass didn’t go through! That ungrateful foreign bastard, earning all that money but still messing up—wait… Shoot! Ah, damn, how could he miss that?”“I’ll pass too. Maybe next time.”Even Yang Euno said that, quickly getting back into the game.“Why bother bringing them? They’ll just be a distraction.”Unaware that I actually needed that distraction, Kwon Jungwoo simply said, “Let’s go,” and led the way.***After nearly two months of knowing Kwon Jungwoo, I’ve come to realize something: his scent changes before and after training. In the morning, he has a light but long-lasting fragrance, probably from his cologne. But when I meet him late in the evening, with his hair slightly disheveled, there’s a cozy scent of body wash. And the more familiar these scents become, the more they tug at my heart.“Come in.”“Thanks.”As Kwon Jungwoo stepped into the entryway, I had a bad feeling that just as his scent had taken over my mind, it would soon fill this small studio apartment too.“Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”“I’m good with this.”Kwon Jungwoo showed me the coffee he’d brought and then looked around the room. Each time his gaze landed somewhere, my heart sank, feeling as though he was exposing all my secrets. Thankfully, I’d cleaned up the day before, though I had done it mostly to shake off the thoughts of Kwon Jungwoo that kept popping into my head. I never imagined that he himself would be stepping into my place the very next day.“It wasn’t cologne?”“Huh?”I hadn’t heard him the first time, lost in my self-mocking thoughts, and asked him to repeat it, but he didn’t. Instead, he made an awkward request.“But aren’t you going to take off your cap? You don’t need to hide your face here.”“Ah… my hair might be a little flattened.”“So what? It’s just me here. Take it off; it’s stifling.”Not understanding that this was the problem, Kwon Jungwoo left me with no more excuses, so I eventually took off the cap. I wanted to look presentable in front of someone I liked, but nothing seemed to go right when I was with Kwon Jungwoo. What good was it that my house was clean when I looked so disheveled?“There’s no sign of it being flattened. Maybe because your head’s round, so it’s not noticeable.”“Really?”“Now go get your laptop. Let’s get started.”“Oh, right.”After sitting there blankly, I hurried to get my laptop. Sitting side by side with Kwon Jungwoo at the long table where I usually sat alone felt strange. Why is Kwon Jungwoo in my house? I looked at him, but the reality didn’t seem real, so I kept asking myself that question over and over.Even though it was hard to concentrate, the project progressed smoothly. It took some time to sift through and summarize the materials sent by Byeon Seungjin and Yang Euno to create a coherent flow, but everything else was done quickly. I hadn’t even realized that PowerPoint was installed on my laptop, but with Kwon Jungwoo’s help, I was able to easily insert text and images.“Don’t put in too much text, keep it concise. I’ll handle most of the talking,” Kwon Jungwoo said, leaning back against the sofa. He looked more relaxed than before, but his focus remained unwavering. His sharp eyes, which seemed even cooler in the late night, were so precise that it was as if he was memorizing all the material. It was a different look from the one he had on the basketball court.“Aren’t you nervous about presenting?” I asked.“I play games in front of even more people, so what’s there to be nervous about?” Kwon Jungwoo replied, still focused on the printed materials in front of him.Now that he mentioned it, it made sense. He had played countless games in front of crowds, so it would be strange for him to get nervous over a mere class presentation.…But I still got nervous in front of people, even after competing in the Olympics.Gymnastics was easier. It was something I was good at, so I just did it. But with other things, the likelihood of failure was higher. In the end, I had to give up gymnastics due to an injury from a mistake, but still.“I often think about it, and I envy your personality. I want to be like you… You must hear this a lot, right?”Suddenly, I thought that Kwon Jungwoo probably never had trouble sleeping. I wanted to ask him, “How can you be so kind yet so assertive?” But then I realized that even if I had Kwon Jungwoo’s personality…“Oh, but even if I had your personality, it wouldn’t be charming because it would still be me. Haha.”“So, you’re saying I’m charming, but in a roundabout way.”Kwon Jungwoo chuckled, still looking at the materials. He seemed indifferent, but my heart nearly dropped. Is that what I was saying? Startled, I quickly raised my voice.“No! You’re not charming at all!!”I should’ve just stayed quiet. My hand flew up to cover my mouth in regret.Finally, Kwon Jungwoo looked at me. I had secretly hoped he would, but when he did, I couldn’t meet his gaze. I was just as embarrassed as he was by the unkind words I had blurted out. My mind went blank, but I had to find a way to recover.“W-what I mean is, I want to have your personality, but, well….”“But I don’t have charm.”“No, no. That’s not what I meant! I’m talking about something else, like… like you don’t have any sexual appeal!”“……”Kwon Jungwoo raised an eyebrow as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. The silence in the room made my last words echo even louder.I couldn’t believe it. In my attempt to explain myself, I ended up making such a crude, offensive remark. I felt a deep sense of shame and regret, but his unwavering gaze told me it was too late to change the subject. I wondered if Kwon Jungwoo saw me as a friend. I hoped so because it felt like a friend wouldn’t punch me.After staring at me for a moment, Kwon Jungwoo put down the materials he was holding. He straightened his posture, sitting up properly.“Han Jiwon,” he said, my name sounding unfamiliar coming from him.“Why did you break up with your previous girlfriends?”I had braced myself for him to get angry, but his unexpected question caught me off guard. Was he teasing me like before? I couldn’t read his expression, so I just bit my lower lip until he added,“I’m usually not interested in other people’s relationships, but I guess I’m curious about yours since you broke up not too long ago.”He seemed genuinely curious, not just making small talk. His expression was serious as he propped his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand. His soft hair fell through his fingers.While I was glad the topic had shifted, it was still a subject where I had to lie, which was suffocating. I guess he hadn’t heard from Byeon Seungjin or Yang Euno that I’ve never dated anyone. Whether that was fortunate or not, I wasn’t sure….“Well… I’m not the type to talk about my relationships openly….”I said this simply because I couldn’t fabricate details on the spot, but Kwon Jungwoo seemed to take it as a sign of something admirable and let out a short sigh of admiration.“That’s cool. You must have been a good boyfriend. Did you date seriously?”“Huh? Yeah. I’m the type to date with marriage in mind.”As I said it, I wanted to sew my lips shut. I just wanted to look better in his eyes, so my mouth moved on its own. Why do I keep blurting out nonsense in front of Kwon Jungwoo? It was driving me crazy.Suddenly, Kwon Jungwoo burst into laughter. It was a bright, open smile that completely contradicted my self-critical thoughts. Why was he laughing? I didn’t know, but it was such a beautiful smile that my heart swelled, and I found myself laughing along with him.“Cute.”Amid his laughter, Kwon Jungwoo murmured the word softly. My smile froze.No way. Did I hear that wrong? Maybe I was so dazzled by his handsome face that I twisted his words. There’s no way he’d call me cute after I mentioned “sexual appeal.” The fact that Kwon Jungwoo was laughing in my apartment was surreal enough, but I knew my place.“Oh, did I laugh too much? I just thought it was impressive how responsible you were at such a young age. Sorry about that. So, are you dating anyone now?”“…No. I’ve been single for a long time.”I had resolved not to let myself fall for him, but I couldn’t help but emphasize the fact that I was currently single. As if it mattered. It’s not like Kwon Jungwoo was interested in me.“I can’t really picture you in a relationship, Han Jiwon.”There was still a hint of amusement in Kwon Jungwoo’s expression. He didn’t stop looking at me, as if he found something endlessly entertaining. Even if someone isn’t your crush, if they stare at you like that, wouldn’t you blush too? I wasn’t sure if my reaction was normal, but I left my flushed cheeks alone until I finally covered my face.“Why are you staring at me like that? Are you imagining it?”“I gave up on imagining. It’s just, I don’t know….”Kwon Jungwoo’s eyelids slowly blinked.“It seems like there’s no need for you to change your personality. There must be a reason why people are so drawn to you.”I think I understand that reason, at least to some extent.Kwon Jungwoo, who looked much more relaxed than I was, added in a soft voice. I didn’t know how to respond to this unexpected compliment. All I wanted to do was change the subject quickly.“I didn’t ask for a compliment, so what’s with that? Are you paying too much attention to me? I have absolutely no interest in you, you know. Oh! How about we add a video to this part? Is it possible to insert a video into the PPT?”Trying not to show my awkwardness, I exaggerated my words and pulled the laptop closer. Even though it was an obvious and clumsy attempt to change the topic, Kwon Jungwoo willingly shifted his posture and directed his gaze to the monitor.Honestly, I was impressed with myself for using something I had only thought about earlier and hadn’t suggested.Since I had no other topics left to divert the conversation, I opened the internet, hoping to avoid another awkward exchange. When I clicked on the search bar, a thin cursor blinked, and a list of my recent searches appeared below.Kwon JungwooKwon Jungwoo girlfriendKwon Jungwoo datingKwon Jungwoo breakup……I should have closed the window quickly, but I was too shocked to move. In that frozen moment, I heard Kwon Jungwoo’s voice, slow and deliberate.“It seems like you’re the one more interested.”“This is….”“If you’re curious about something, don’t search for it—just ask me directly. What were you curious about?”I could feel Kwon Jungwoo’s gaze, as if he was asking if I was curious about his dating history, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.