Chapter 24: Friends.

Wednesday | November 15th, 2023 | 5:13 PM

My back pressed against the wall I was sitting against while I watched my friends pass a volleyball around. I had arrived the earliest to the rec center but I didn't really feel like practicing so I decided to sit back and watch them warm up as they arrived. My arm was tightly hugging my backpack beside me, closely guarding the contents.

It had been almost a week, but yet, I was still buzzing from the excitement of last Friday night. Everyday, I was tempted to replicate the same thing again, to just find someone, steal their ID and copy it, break into their dorm and steal as many panties as I wished. I was aching and hungry for that feeling, that adrenaline, the thrill.

However, I managed to resist the urge. I hid my eagerness well, casually staring off into space and acting the same. It was a hard-fought battle between the desire and the will.

I was distracted and unfocused. The only thing I could think about was how many panties there were within the rec center, or more specifically, who could I try next? Maybe I could take a trip upstairs to the rec center's gym and quickly swipe the ID of an unsuspecting gym babe? However, I was jolted out of my fantasy by a pair of sneakers sliding into my line of sight, forcing me to look up.

Jinho stood before me with a smirk on his face. "Yo, c'mon let's do some hitting lines." He wiped the sweat off of his face with the bottom of his shirt before dropping a hand towards me. I gave it a look before shaking my head and dismissing him, "Nah, I'm good." Jinho's smile wavered a bit, "C'mon man, what's wrong?"

I furrowed my eyebrows, "Nothing, just a bit tired. Wanna relax a bit, that's all." Jinho stood still and his eyes drifted off to the side, a slight frown on his face, "Yeah, alright. It's cool." He sounded disappointed, but I didn't dwell on it. Instead, he walked back to the group and continued their passing drill.

My eyes glanced back and forth, watching the practice before looking around the gym, trying to focus up on my thoughts. My phone was sitting in my lap and it buzzed. I glanced down, reading the notification. It was a new text from Nakyung":

Nakyung

intramural game td?

yeahhh im at the rec rn

Nakyung

ill be there to watch i think

did you bring the cloner though?

My hand gripped my backpack, the outline of that textbook inside was clear and felt bulky. Of course, I brought it. You don't know when a prime ID cloning opportune moment is gonna show up:

yeah, i have it

Nakyung

gooddd, you just wait

i might have something in store for you

looking forward to it

I dropped my phone back into my lap and looked around the gym once more, looking over the goobers practicing. They were all having fun and playing around, passing the ball and messing around. At times recently, it felt like I was more obsessed with stealing panties than the world around me.

I can recall a time where I didn't think about them every waking second of the day. I remember when I didn't even know I had this sick fetish for women's underwear. However, nowadays, my life seems to revolve around it. The thoughts never went away, and my hunger was growing more and more.

A week ago, it was enough for me to steal a pair or two, but now, I was greedy. I wanted more and more, and I wanted to go further. Finishing that card cloner felt like opening Pandora's box. A whole new world had been unlocked, and I had what seems like more opportunities.

"No, Haechan!" Sana shouted, "Watch out, ball!" I looked up in time to move my head just as the ball was flying my way. It smacked the wall beside me, the sound echoed loudly through the empty space.

"S-sorry Minjae," Haechan apologized, looking apologetically over. I watched the ball roll over to them and waved my hand, "Don't worry, dude. Snap your wrist, don’t hit it out." Haechan nodded, and turned his attention back to the drill. Meanwhile, I noticed someone in the distance walking into the rec center.

That nervous gait, the tilted head, the slow shuffling. She was shy and anxious, like a turtle retreating into its shell. I could pick out Kang Haerin from a mile away. Her timid figure walked around the edge of the courts. She seemed to accidentally take the longer way towards me. Her pace quickened as she came closer, her gaze was directed at the ground.

Her head was slightly tilted down, and her hair draped over her face. It was a cute, timid look, but it was an alluring, innocent appearance. I couldn't help but stare her down. As she was walking, the girl had to pull back her long black hair, tucking it behind her ear. She lifted her head, and our eyes met.

"Hi, Minjae," she whispered. A light pink dusted her cheeks, and she was giving me a soft, gentle smile. I returned her greeting with a slight smile of my own, "Hey." I could feel the blood pumping in my ears, "You're early."

She nodded, and looked down at the court, watching the rest of the group continue their passing. Her eyes seemed to scan the group, before she turned her gaze back at me, "Yeah, just wanted to watch you play since you were sick last week." I nodded, and shifted over a bit, making space.

"How are you this week?" she asked, looking curiously down at me while she sat down. Her voice was quiet, but her tone was soft and gentle. There was a bit of awkwardness in the air, but her question was kind and caring. Her smile was cute and comforting, and she seemed genuinely worried.

"Ah, um, feeling better," I replied, pushing aside my memories of my day trip visiting Chaewon. Haerin nodded, "Oh, that's good. I'm glad you're doing better."

Then came the silence I was used to talking with Haerin. At this point in our friendship, I understood that moments like these were only natural and there was no point in trying to break it. I caught the eyes of Yeji while I watched the goobers practice. She made a curious expression at me and started mouthing words to Jinho, who also looked over at me.

My ears burned red and I looked away, turning my head to Haerin, "How are you doing, by the way? What have you been up to recently?" She turned her attention to me, a blank expression on her face. "Mmm, studying," she answered simply.

"Expected." I chuckled, "Anything else? Do anything fun recently?" Haerin shook her head, "Just schoolwork. Haven't been out of my house recently. How about you?"

"Nothing special either. Just chilling," I answered. "Oh," Haerin whispered. More silence.

So much change can happen, even within just a week. Before a week ago, I couldn't keep myself composed around Haerin. My mind would be racing, trying to think of the next words to say, while also trying to calm my pounding heart. My brain would fire excessive neurons trying to see something clever, or funny, or interesting to try and keep a simple conversation with her going.

But now, things are different. My feelings are different. My situation is different. Nakyung wasn't the only girl that called or texted me nowadays. Speaking of the devil, I lifted my phone and saw a reply from Chaewon:

Chaewongood luck!

if u lose td im coming over and punching u in the balls

My fingers swiftly tapped out a reply:

haha i doubt it

I placed the phone back down. My eyes were still focused on it, my hands were twitching, waiting for a response. Ever since we confessed to each other that night last week, Chaewon and I have been talking and keeping more in touch. It didn't feel like we were back together exactly but more like we were slowly rekindling the lost relationship we had in high school.

It was a weird feeling, and the circumstances were a bit messy, but I liked talking to her. It felt like the start of a relationship all over again, with the two of us learning and relearning about each other, finding ourselves falling in love once more. I looked up from my phone and back to Haerin, and my feelings were a bit confused.

Was it love, or was it just infatuation?

Haerin was a bit hard to read and her emotions were hidden under her timid expression. However, whenever I thought about her, there was a weird, tight feeling in my chest. The feeling was indescribable, and I couldn't place a finger on it. It almost felt like yearning, but there was no longing.

I felt like I'd already blown my chance with Haerin and I was lucky enough to even be back in her friendzone. So why was I still hung up on her? I watched her watch my group play around, a blank look in her eyes. That weird situation with the text conversation that one night I went out, it was dismissed but even so, it left an invisible wall between us. A wall that prevented me from making any further moves on her out of my own fear of confusing us again.

Maybe that was why it felt so easy latching back onto Chaewon, who was just a text away, and who seemed like she was willing to give us another try. If I wasn't so afraid of making mistakes with Haerin, maybe I would've pursued her. But now, my chances have already slipped through my fingers it seems.

"Minjae, no more sitting around for you, you should start warming up, games start in a few minutes," Haechan called out, pointing his finger towards me. My shoulders sank and a frown grew on my face, "Alright, fine.." I grumbled, slowly getting up. My bones cracked and popped as I stood up. I looked back at Haerin, who simply gave me an assuring smile.

"Good luck," she told me, her eyes glimmered a bit. I nodded and gave her a smile of my own, "Thank you, hope you enjoy the game." I jogged towards the group. They were all huddled in a small circle as I got closer. Jinho had a serious look on his face, his jaw set, and his lips pursed, "All good, captain?"

I nodded, "Yup, yeah, all good." I looked around and felt their eyes on me. "We have about 5 minutes left until the first game starts, you guys are all warmed up, just keep doing what we've been doing. I'll start doing some quick stretches and join you afterwards." I instructed, clapping my hands.