COLLIDE [PARK SUNGHOON]

8.

Walking out with a bouquet in our hands and a shiny golden medal around our necks, we are first congratulated by our family members. My parents didn't show up again, so I awkwardly head towards my excited friends, who run towards me as soon as they see me approaching them.

"Dahlia what was that!" Eun-Ji says thrilled "You were like woo-and-ah-and-whoosh" She imitates my skating by moving her hands in the air and I chuckle at the sight of it. Chae-Won nods fiercely. "Yes you were amazing. You did that girl!" She hugs me and soon Eun-Ji joins in. Slightly taken aback, I pat them on the back and let out a laugh. I've never felt so loved, all those hugs.

As they break free, a certain smirk makes its way onto Chae-Won's face. And I know she's going to ask me something specific. "So... that kiss at the end and that hug-"

"Bye, I'm gone!" I exclaim and start to leave, but my wrist is tugged back as Chae-Won and Eun-Ji cling desperately to my arms, dying for answers. "But the skating was so intense, I could practically feel the tension between you guys!" she whines and I roll my eyes. What K-Drama is she living in? I gently pull myself free and she pouts. "I have to change clothes I'll see the two of you another time right?"

"But-"

"Okay, see you!" Waving them off, I laugh as they disappear from my sight, but I don't make it far when I bump into a solid chest. Embarrassed, I look up to apologise but see Sunghoon gazing down at me. While I maintain eye contact and have time to observe the small details on his face, there is nothing to say until he opens that intriguing mouth of his.

"You did well." His cheeks gradually turn red as he scrunches up his nose and clears his throat, avoiding looking at me. "I'm proud of you."

For some reason, his compliment really touches me and I feel my own cheeks get warm. When I get compliments for something I've worked hard for, I always feel so appreciated.

"Thank you"

When silence engulfs us both again, I'm now the one clearing my throat to get his attention. I want to ask him if he came here for me, but I doubt he would really go that far, right? He is one of the troublemakers. Doesn't talk much unless you're his friend.

Wait, does that mean we are?

Smiling at this thought, I open my mouth because his face was slightly pulled together. "Does that mean we're friends now?"

"Huh?" He's confused and maybe I should have given him more context. Fumbling with my bouquet, I let it rest on my other arm. "You complimented me. Friends compliment each other, right?" He's a bit shocked and soon his rosy cheeks return as he scratches his neck, licking his lips like a nervous habit.

Before he can reply,  an overjoyed Ye-Jun comes over to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders before giving Sunghoon a look up and down. I chuckle softly at Ye-Jun's excitement, but Sunghoon's face seems impassive, although his jaw is slightly tense.

"I'm stealing my sunshine for a moment, you don't mind, do you?" I don't know but there is a thick tension in the air when Ye-Jun doesn't even smile, only when he looks at me does he give me a broad one. "Coach needs us for interviews" he whispers.

Unsure, I reply. "Oh... yeah that's good and please drop the nickname, I'm far from being a sunshine..." Ye-Jun just laughs it off and I wave Sunghoon goodbye as I'm dragged towards the reporters. I'll have to wait for his answer.

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

Walking into school again, a few people look my way, probably from yesterday's win, but I feel a little too exhausted to answer the questions of people I don't even speak to. Politely I wave them off, walk to my locker and grab my books for my first period. Physics. God, I hate it with a strong passion, but there's not much I can do to avoid that subject.

Turning around, my sleepy eyes widen as five girls gather around me, screaming in a fangirl way. "Do you need anything from me?" I ask perplexed as they just stand there until the middle one, whom I recognise as Mi-yeon, the popular girl from school pulls out her phone. Hesitantly, I look at the device with eyes squinted together. There's a small article about my performance with Ye-Jun in the local paper and I frown at the title.

Love-struck teenagers fought their way to internationals.

Rolling my eyes, I see it's one of those tabloid newspapers. They always milk everything.

"Is it true?" One of her minions says this excitedly and my eyebrows shoot up.

"That we're going to Internationals? Hell yeah" I chuckle, but Mi-Yeon is not happy with my answer because she shoves her phone in my face and zooms in on the first words. I take a step back and press my lips together.

"What's going on between Ye-Jun and me is none of your business, but if you are interested in him. He's still single and I have no intention of ruining that." Seemingly satisfied with my answer, she grins, squealing along with her friends as they hold hands. Am I like that too?

Shrugging my shoulders, I walk past the girls and pass a Sunghoon leaning against the wall with his friends further along, I give him a smile but don't really catch one in return. Maybe he didn't see it? Entering the classroom a little too early, I sit down in the furthest corner and have to smile thinking about yesterday.

We won. My friends were there to support me and... even Sunghoon was there. My thoughts wander to him and my features pull together. Yesterday, after the interviews, I thought I would see him again, but he was nowhere to be seen. On the other side he really willingly came to a roller skating competition, he also congratulated me and for some reason that makes me insanely happy. 

Something my parents clearly can't do. Business people travel a lot I guess, but not even a text message from them makes me tuck away my phone disappointedly as more people enter the classroom. My parents probably didn't even know about the competition.

Sighing, I watch my excited friends enter the classroom and walk over to me before plopping down on their chairs and immediately starting a conversation. During which I had to deny the dating rumours between me and Ye-Jun several times.

I don't think I'll ever really escape that topic.