The soccer and hockey teams often shared the same locker room after practice, and it didn't take long for the tension between Jake and Sunghoon to spill over into this shared space.
The two of them often found themselves in the same area, glaring sullenly at each other as they changed out of their sweaty clothes.
One day, as Jake was buttoning up his shirt, he heard a scoff from across the room. He looked up to find Sunghoon standing a few feet away, his eyes fixed on Jake with a mixture of annoyance and something else that Jake couldn't quite place. "What are you staring at?" Jake asked, his own gaze narrowing at the other boy.
Sunghoon's expression remained stoic as he replied, "I'm wondering how you managed to make yourself look even more annoying than usual."
"Oh, I could say the same for you," Jake retorted, a smirk playing on his lips. "You should really try smiling sometime. You might even look somewhat pleasant."
Sunghoon's eyes narrowed further.
"And why would I do that?" He snapped, his tone icy. "I'd rather not waste my energy on trying to look pleasant for the likes of you."
Jake laughed at that, his own irritation giving way to amusement.
"Why, because you're too busy trying to look 'mysterious' and 'brooding'?" He said, making air quotes with his fingers.
Sunghoon's scowl deepened, but before he could retort, one of their teammates called out to them.
"Hey, lovebirds, quit flirting and get a move on! Coach is waiting."
Both Jake and Sunghoon bristled at the comment, shooting the other boy a murderous look. Despite their dislike for each other, the one thing they could agree on was that they were definitely not 'lovebirds'.
The rest of the night passed without incident, but the exchange had left both Jake and Sunghoon in sour moods, and they made a deliberate effort to avoid each other.
As they made their way home separately, their thoughts were consumed with each other, each of them unable to shake the other boy from their minds. Even though they would never admit it, there was something about the other's sharpness and confidence that intrigued and annoyed them in equal measure.
Days turned into weeks, and despite their best efforts to avoid each other, they continued to find themselves drawn into each other's orbit like magnets. Whether it was at team dinners, practice sessions, or even in the school hallways, their eyes would inevitably meet across the room, and a tense silence would ensue as they both quietly seethed.
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