na jaemin held little regard for the rules. at this point, that very attribute was pretty much a defining factor of his personality. but just because he didn't care about the rules, it didn't mean that he appreciated having them held against him. especially not by the girl who was sitting on her butt and disqualifying him from scrimmages from the ground. 

jaemin can already hear haechan's snickers in the background and chenle's snarky comments about whether jaemin was actually any good at basketball or not before jisung clamps his mouth shut. he turns around to make eye contact with coach lee and jeno, both not even bothering to keep the cheeky grins off of their faces. like father like son. 

"well, that was a good game," serena says, dusting herself off. there was nothing on her. jaemin narrows his eyes at her.

"you cheated," he says, pointing an accusing finger at her. he's being childish, he knows, but goddamn it, he just got beat by a girl. at his own game. serena laughs and wraps those stupid french-tipped fingers around his index finger and turns it so that he's pointing at himself.

"you cheated, jaemin. you're disqualified." her eyes are twinkling with mischief and jaemin realizes with a start that it's the first time she's ever looked quite so content. as if she had come alive when she had stepped on the basketball court. she looked, dare he say, happy. 

it was terrifying on her. 

there's a pause, serena still smiling up (she was about a centimeter taller than renjun, which meant she was closer to eye level with jaemin than he'd like to admit) at him with that twinkle in her eyes and jaemin's breath catches in his throat for a moment.

"why'd you quit basketball?" the words tumble of his mouth before he can stop them, which is beyond idiotic, given the fact that jaemin prided himself on his self-control. he watches in blatantly obvious regret as serena's eyes become steely once more. stupid, stupid, stupid jaemin. you don't even know if she quit. what does it matter to you anyway? 

"i didn't quit," she grinds out. wonderful. jaemin was due for extra laps tomorrow, with a side of suicides at the very end.

"what? isn't my sister good?" jeno asks, moving to sling an arm around her shoulder before he catches himself. serena gives jaemin a tight smile that melts a little when she meets the soft gaze of her brother, wrapping an arm around his shoulder instead. jaemin doesn't miss the flash of happiness that flits in jeno's eyes before setting his face in a more neutral face. this whole looking like a bitch but being a softie thing must run in the family.

"yeah. good. whatever," jaemin mumbles, sighing and hanging his head when he hears renjun's sharp laugh from behind him.

"good? bro, she swept the floor with you," chenle says, not paying any heed to jeno's warnings to let it go. jaemin should be ready to fist fight with you but the anger he had felt doesn't feel that pressing anymore. it just feels like for the first time, the phantom had found his match. 

and to jaemin's surprise, he's a little excited. 

jaemin is not excited. in fact, there is nothing more that jaemin would like than shoving a basketball right up serena's ass. 

now, it wasn't that jaemin was a wimp. in fact, he liked to think that he had more stamina than the average athlete. but this was way too much. 

serena had deemed his mistake in insinuating that she was a retiree of basketball to be so horrifying that she had held him back after practice - the day before the game - and made him do suicides. not just three or four. no. she had made him do fifteen suicides with varying levels of speed before relenting and letting him get some water. 

"fifteen suicides? seriously?" jaemin's head is hung low so serena can't see his lips move but it's just her, jaemin, and her dad and brother here so it's obvious it's him speaking. "is this to get me back about yesterday? because i'm sorry about that, i really am."

serena's not crazy; she knows jaemin's apology is sincere. but she's almost offended that he really thought she was doing this because she thought his words were important enough to affect her in any way, shape, or form. 

she doesn't grace him with an answer, instead passing over a clean towel, which jaemin accepts grudgingly. 

"this isn't about yesterday." it's quiet, almost as if she didn't want him to hear her acknowledge it. jaemin leans forward to catch the rest of her sentence.

"then why are you pushing me so hard before a game? you know the scouts are coming tomorrow, right? i can't play as well tomorrow as i should if i use up all my energy today." serena sighs and turns around, thumbing at the side of the clipboard. she shakes her head, resting the clipboard on the rack with the basketballs. 

"look, i know i'm pretty strict on you guys, especially you and jeno, but it's for a good reason." the words hang in the air, more vulnerable than serena would care to admit. jaemin doesn't understand what working him to the bone has to do with him getting better, especially the day before game day, but if yesterday's game was anything to go by, serena knew what she was talking about.

so he doesn't question it and just gets up when she tells him it's time to do laps. 

honestly, this is ridiculous to him, no matter how much he tries to wrap his head around it as he runs laps. the fact that this random second year, jeno's sister nonetheless, had just told him to run ten laps and he was actually running them was equal parts hilarious and unbelievable. 

it isn't until tomorrow, when he's standing under the spotlight and shaking hands with the yonsei scouts and sharing exuberant smiles with jeno that he realizes.

but for right now, he's stuck cursing out park serena as jisoo is looking at him with amusement dancing in her eyes. 

"she got you good," jisoo says, reaching into her pocket to draw out a cigarette. jaemin groans, not even able to protest. 

"yeah. and don't smoke in here. my dad hates it," jaemin says, sore beyond belief. he's about to submit to a life of knots in his joints when he feels a cool touch on his shoulders, working out the knots. 

"that's heavenly," jaemin groans out, throwing his head back in thankful pleasure. jisoo's upside down smirk looks like a frown from this angle. 

"it's because i'm an angel," jisoo says with the fake sweetness every other girl that's tried to get his pants (oh jinyoung) dripping from her voice. jaemin chuckles. 

"you're an angel and hyunmin doesn't suck my dick every weekend. if you're gonna lie to me, at least do it believably," jaemin snorts. jisoo's grin turns more lustful, easing her way onto jaemin's lap. she looks into his eyes, carding her fingers through his hair before grasping tightly, making him let out a throaty sound that sounds musical to her ears.

"fine. you want me to lie to you? you're gonna hate this."

that was a good lie. jaemin does not, in fact, hate what jisoo does next.

+++

a/n: ahh!! this chapter actually makes me happy for once because even though it looks like nothing's going on, there's so much going on. every single detail in this chapter matters a lot :) even stuff that looks like useless dialogue :))

p.s. spoiler alert! but jisoo and jaemin never develop romantic feelings for each other. i feel like that would be a copout instead of a good plot point :( but even if they don't, based on what i have planned so far, i know i'm developing romantic feelings for jisoo. 

p.p.s. thank you so much to kris and lili for your adorable comments and continuous support :(( you guys have my entire heart take my love pls