Episode 6

"I don't want any lows in the practice and progress, keep up the training for three days," ordered Namjoon.

"Can I make a query?" Jihoon asked.

"Go ahead."

"Can I change my co-captain?"

"Erm...whom do you wanna change with?"

"Anyone."

This was the best moment to save your life from that speck.

-"Me!"

-"Me!"

You and Eunji said simultaneously. Tae glared at you like, "WTF," and didn't want you to go to the other boy either.

"No, Y/n. Eunji will go with him," declared RM.

Tae smirked.

"Y'all can go—Tae and Y/N, not you," RM stopped both of you. Everyone else left.

RM sighed, "I trusted both of you, that's why I paired you guys up. And I need the result." He was serious. "Try to put aside your odds and work as a team. Remember, you're the lead of the pack. If you guys won't cooperate, the team would scatter like embodied beads." You glared at him, catching the message of RM's decision.

"Tae, you should follow what Y/n says. And you, Y/n, you're responsible for the whole team's practice and well-being. Good luck, captains!"

"Ok, sir!" you were full of energy and determination.

Tae was suffering because of you.

You met with your team on the badminton court, both you and Tae looking at the members silently.

"So we got a packet of three?" Tae raised his eyebrows, arms folded.

"Go ahead and introduce yourselves, please," you said.

"I'm Jisun," a cute boy with medium height and glasses introduced himself.

"I'm Din Ara, Jisun's girlfriend," she was like a cute baby.

"So we got two lovebirds here? Cool," you adored them.

"And you, Mr.?" Tae asked.

"I'm Woo-jin."

"You were in the basketball team, right?" Tae asked with confusion.

"Yep," his face always serious. You wondered if he ever laughs or even smiles.

"Then what are you doing here?" Tae questioned.

"Help you guys win the match."

"Listen to me, everyone. We have to practice daily and smartly. Work smart, not hard. Try to figure out what you're lacking in and defeat the odds. Go and get your warm-ups done and start practicing in pairs!"

"Ok, captain!" the team went for practice in the court.

You were admiring the team and noticing where they needed improvement.

"Din Ara! Give it one more try!" you shouted at a distance to her, as she couldn't deliver the service.

"It always misses, tsch."

"You can't get that. Give me, I'll do the service," said Jisun.

"Ya, let her do the service, what's the problem?" you shouted.

Tae and Woojin were practicing. Tae was playing awesome, but Woojin was throwing the shuttlecock pretty far off the line.

"Woojin-ah, take it easy! If you throw it too far, it'll cross the boundary."

"Captain, help meee," Din Ara couldn't sort it out.

"Aish! Let me show you. First, focus on this shuttle. Aim it in front of the racket swing and... service." It landed perfectly on the other side.

"Wa! You're so perfect at it, unnie," admired Din Ara.

"Can't we practice with service machines?" asked Jisun.

"Are you going to compete with machines or humans?" you replied.

"Sorry."

After an hour of practice, Din Ara called out, "Seonsaengnim! Why don't you guys have a friendly match?" She looked at Tae and you.

"We're not even friends," Tae muttered.

"Woojin, let's have a friendly match!" you asked Woojin. Out of jealousy, Tae snatched the racket from Woojin.

"Yea-"

"Are you coming or not, Y/n?" he took his position.

You rolled your eyes, seeing his jealousy. You started playing, and it was going smoothly, but it seemed like your rackets were having an unknown war. The three younger members of the group could hear the shuttlecock screaming for help, their eyes widened, and mouths open. Something was missing; a sweet argument.

Tae dropped the shuttlecock, picked it up, and gave it to you.

"Here."

"What?" you asked in confusion.

"What, what? Do the service."

"You dropped it, so you'll do the service." Your voice grew louder.

"I did the service before!" he started to come closer to the net.

"It's a friendly match, who cares?" you flicked your hair. Woojin knelt down, head between two fingers, knowing they were about to suffer.

"We're not friends!" Tae blurted.

"You can't BE one of mine!" you both faced each other, eye to eye.

"Anything can happen, but your tongue can't stop talking shit!"

"Oh, what do you think you're, showering floras?"

"Seonsaengnim, -" Jisun tried to cut the argument.

"STFU!" you scolded Jisun.

"You get out!" Tae crossed over the net.

"Get outta here, speck!"

"Please-"

"I swear to God, if you were not a girl, I would've beaten you up!"

Din Ara started crying, sitting on one of the seats.

"Why the hell are YOU crying?" stressed Woojin amid the overlapping chaotic argument. Tae left the place.

"Oh, jagiya, why are you crying?" Jisun worried about her.

"Are you okay?" you asked, leaning in.

"It felt like my parents were fighting. I can't see that," she wept.

"Huh?" you made a face with an overwhelmed voice.

Woojin went after Tae, and you sat on the bench. Jisun comforted Din Ara.

Tae was sitting with Jikook when Woojin joined them, and they had a pretty good understanding.

"Hey, Woojin-ah!" greeted Jimin.

"What's up?" asked Jk.

"I'm good," Woojin replied, glancing at Tae to gauge his mood.

"What happened to him?" Jimin asked, using gestures to avoid letting Tae know they were discussing him.

"H-" Tae looked up and caught both of them whispering about him.

"What are you guys whispering about me for?" he inquired.

"I was just... asking what happened to you," Jimin explained, trying to keep it vague.

"I had an argument, not him," Tae clarified.

"An argument? Oh," said Jk, finally catching on to what had occurred.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"To be honest, I think you guys might end up killing each other," Jk commented.

"I don't know about her, but I will definitely have to consider it someday," Tae grumbled.

"Come on, she's a girl," Woojin interjected.

"She's a witch, believe me or not," Tae insisted.

"Let's leave that. How's your preparation going?" Jk changed the topic.

"To be completely honest, RM hyung chose the dumbest team for us," Tae complained.

"Seriously," Woojin agreed, realizing the predicament they were in.

"Hyung!" Jisun came over to call Tae and Woojin.

"I'm not going to play with that lizard!" Tae protested.

"No, Professor Namjoon is calling you two," Jisun informed them.

"See," Tae grumbled.

"Come here," RM called Tae and Woojin to join him, remaining calm. "What did you say to her?"

"I didn't say anything; she started the argument!" Tae protested.

"Apologize," RM insisted.

"Excuse me?" Tae seemed taken aback.

"Taehyung, what did I just say?" You were trying not to laugh at the back of RM.

"See how hurt she is," Rm turned back and you stopped smiling

"Yeah, I can see," Tae replied, glancing at you as you made odd faces.

"Tae..." RM prompted for the third time.

"Sorry," Tae mumbled, looking the other way.

"I'm sorry too," you chimed in, both of you apologizing simultaneously.

"Great, now get your team prepared. Tomorrow is the selection for the finals!" RM instructed, trying not to smile at the amusing dynamic between you and Tae.

The team carried on practicing, pushing their boundaries harder each day. Everyone was getting into the rhythm, but Woojin was struggling to get the shuttlecock near the boundary.

"Good service, Din Ara! Jisun, try to move around more, follow the shuttle, and hit it!" you cheered for them.

"Come on, dude, use a lighter touch," Tae advised Woojin.

"Sorry, man. I've been a basketball player, so I tend to go hard on things," Woojin chuckled.

You were busy practicing with Jisun, making him run around. Meanwhile, Woojin, Tae, and Din Ara were having a discussion about Tae's feelings towards you.

"So, you hate Unnie since then?" Din Ara asked Woojin.

"I don't hate her," Tae clarified.

"Awwww," Din Ara cooed.

"I just want to kick her out of my sight," Tae admitted with frustration.

"What?" Din Ara was surprised.

"Come on, she's so sweet," Woojin complimented, defending you.

"I don't know why everyone finds her sweet," Tae muttered, realizing he might be wrong about his feelings.

"I think you guys should have an open conversation. It would benefit both of you," Woojin suggested.

Tae dismissed the idea with a dismissive noise, clearly reluctant to talk things out.

"Oppa is right. You should talk to her once," Din Ara added.

"Leave it, she won't understand," Tae sighed with a hint of resignation in his voice.

Woojin and Din Ara exchanged glances, silently deciding to intervene.

"How can she not understand? Unnie-" Din Ara began, but Tae tried to hush her with a whisper.

"Eo?" you caught her voice and stopped your practice.

"Hajima..." Tae attempted to dissuade her, but it seemed futile. You and Jisun approached the group, curious about the conversation.

"Eo?" you asked, slightly out of breath.

"We've decided something," Woojin said, making you glance at Tae, wondering what he might have revealed.

"If you guys are going to talk about the argument, I'm not interested," you declared firmly.

"Please, try to understand. Bear with each other until the finale," Woojin requested.

"We were supposed to enjoy this," Din Ara pouted.

You and Tae exchanged glances and reluctantly agreed.

"Fine," you both said simultaneously.

"But this is only for three days," Tae added.

"I know..." you rolled your eyes.

"Can we practice now?" Jisun interrupted.

"Forget practice, let's have lunch first," Woojin suggested.

"Seriously, I'm hungry," you chimed in.

"Okay," Jisun agreed.

Tae was still feeling a bit down, but Woojin tried to cheer him up.

"Cheer up, lad," Woojin patted Tae on the back.

They had a great lunch together and continued practicing with other teams. After such a strenuous day, their arms were practically begging for some rest, so the team headed home to get some much-needed rest.