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“Wonwoo, for fucks sake just try it” Seungcheol broke the silence as they walked toward the countless booths set up for the school‘s annual festival. The others, who were probably just waiting for their captain to speak, agreed immediately. Wonwoo can’t do anything but release a sigh. Why does he have to be a sacrificial lamb in these shenanigans?
“You lost the bet, remember?” He continued. Wonwoo groaned. Because yes he did lose to that stupid bet but do they need to bring it up? It’s bad enough that he just realized that he has a growing infatuation—and in fact not hatred towards his co-esports player.
“Hyung, I know you sucked at feelings; hence why you lost the bet. But please one thing you don’t suck at is being intimidating and not giving fucks!” Mingyu is probably right but if we’re talking about Faker , Wonwoo does give a fuck.
Especially when they are walking towards the booth of T1 also known as the School’s favorite E-Sports team and probably the reason why Wonwoo’s E-sports team isn’t getting the budget that they need. They both play entirely different games so Wonwoo doesn’t understand why their team is just reduced to being the ‘Valorant version of T1’. And Faker, Sanghyeok being the captain of the LoL team, for some reason infuriates the living light of Wonwoo; well that’s what he thought first.
It's funny because it all started as a joke. All because of a joke Seungkwan threw around as he clings to his boyfriend who’s still glued to his game.
“Wonwoo hyung, one of these days I will not be surprised if you admit that you have a crush on Sanghyeok Hyung.” Seungkwan huffed out. Wonwoo just stared, appalled, and before he could talk Seungkwan continued. “You just talked about him for the last 45 minutes and you look like you have a PowerPoint ready from Canva talking about how you hate him”.
“That could be a great movie scene and plot” Hansol agreed. He always agrees to whatever Seungkwan says, so his opinion doesn’t count.
“I do love an enemies-to-lovers plot.” Wonwoo can’t believe that his captain is agreeing to this.
“Alright, we should all clean up and rest because clearly, you guys don’t have more than one brain cell that can function.” This is a mess and he just wants to go home.
“No hyung listen to yourself, what was the reason you were mad at him again? Because he smiled timidly? he’s giving too much advice? he also listens to Hozier?” No Wonwoo is not going to listen to someone who believes in aliens; no Hansol.
“He’s already in love with him guys wanna bet?” Ok, this is getting ridiculous, he didn’t even notice Mingyu sitting in the corner and now he wants to join the conversation?
“No we are not betting on this guys can we please just go home”
“I bet 20 dollars”
“That’s your whole bank account balance, Mingyu can you think this through.” Wonwoo is just tired at this point.
“Nah, so you wanna bet?”
He agreed. Stupid. That’s what he is because not only did it make him realize his year-long infatuation and pinning towards the other player, he was also 20 dollars less and had to admit he was wrong.
It took one joke, a bet, and a 3-hour long existential crisis at the corner of Wonwoo’s apartment to realize that he has a crush on his onsided mortal nemesis. And it looks like it will only take one ticket to T1’s booth to ruin his chance in the said mortal nemesis.
“Stupid bet and stupid tarot card booth.” he can only sigh and pray to the gods that Sanghyeok will not be on his team’s booth for today.
“You’re being ridiculous Wonwoo. All you have to do is show up and ask the ‘fortune teller’---”
“It’s probably Minseok by the way”
“Yes, Seungkwan let me finish, as I said just show up and irritate the fuck out of them.” Seungcheol shrugged.
“I don’t even know why we hate them.” Mingyu should stop showing up and joining conversations randomly.
“We don’t hate them, Mingyu.”
“It’s all fun and games for the sake of the rivalry”
“And school budget” At least they agree on something unanimously.
“Fuck! Fine, let’s just hope it’s not Sanghyeok manning the table or we are all dead.” One thing Wonwoo hate–admires about Sanghyeok is that he’s a good leader. You could put his team in the worst position and he will still lead them accordingly. And if he hears about this plan, well…things will be handled seriously.
“Hyung, calm down he’s probably out and about discussing with other team presidents.”
“Yeah Minseok will probably–”
“Oh no…”
He will not be speaking to Minseok. Not when Sanghyeok is sitting at the table holding and shuffling tarot cards. Minhyung is probably telling him what to do and Wooje is screaming but Wonwoo can’t hear a single thing. He’s fucked.
“Seungkwan hyung!” Minseok probably noticed them approaching their booth.
“Minseok it’s been a while! You haven’t been attending our weekly K-pop club!” Wonwoo doesn’t even know that kind of club exists.
“We’re busy! Ugh, I can’t believe I missed the New Jeans special segment of our club” he seems very devastated. “Oh right! Your ticket please, Sanghyeok hyung will be your tarot reader for today!”
“How did he even agree?” Thank you Seungcheol hyung for asking an important question for once.
“Oh…Wooje doesn’t wanna do it.” Minseok says it like it's common sense.
“Anyway, just go inside the tarp so you can start the reading, whatever.” Before Minseok can finish the sentence his teammates push him inside and haphazardly hand the ticket. They didn’t give him a piece of good luck this is the worst.
The inside of the tarp seems like a legit tarot reader booth. With all the warm fairy lights hanging on the ceiling Wonwoo had to duck. Wonwoo travels his eyes around the tarp until it falls into his onsided rival. Sanghyeok sits in the middle of the room illuminated by the warm light. He’s so ethereal. Sanghyeok just sits there shuffling cards and trying to hide the iPad containing the tarot cards’ meaning but Wonwoo feels like he’s ready to marry him and move to Busan with him and–
“Wonwoo?”
“Oh uh yeah sorry” Wonwoo immediately took the seat in front of the other e-sports player.
Sanghyeok’s brow shot up. “Are you sure you’re alright? I’ve been calling you but you were just in a trance”
“I was thinking about you.” Wonwoo knows he’s dumb but not this dumb. “---r your reading yup yup haha” Fuck him, he wants to burry himself six feet underground.
“Alright if you say so…” He seems hesitant but lets it go eventually. Sanghyeok is always so kind, isn’t he? He’s a saint.
“What do you want to know then?” Sanghyeok smiled. Wonwoo is a weak man, he almost whips out his non-existent ring to ask the other to marry him.
“So what’s our future?” Wonwoo wants to kill himself.
“Wha—”
“Our team, I mean, you know with the upcoming games” Get a grip Wonwoo, please.
“Oh alright…” Great fuck, now Sanghyeok might think he’s weird.
“And can I also ask about—” Sanghyeok stopped shuffling the deck and looked at him attentively. Damn those eyes, he looks so good that Wonwoo might actually ask about something else like what cat they should get in the future, that seems more important.
Sanghyeok hummed magnificent brows crunched up as if he was worried about Wonwoo’s random spacing out.
“About umm..” He should stop stalling and just say it, really so this stupid dare could be over.
“Look Wonwoo are you really alright? You seem so out of it.” This Wonwoo did not expect. Sanghyeok stood up and reached out so that the back of his hands touched Wonwoo’s forehead and as if that’s not enough he also did the same to his neck.
“You don’t have a fever but you keep spacing out. Is something wrong?” Might as well have a fever because he’s overheating.
“No uh just”
Sanghyeok looks so concerned and Wonwoo feels so bad. It’s not his fault that Wonwoo can’t function properly in front of someone pretty like him.
“Is it too hot inside the tarp Wonwoo? That must be it, Wooje must’ve forgotten to bring the fan inside. Are you hot Wonwoo?” They are now both panicking for completely different reasons. Wonwoo in his gay panic and Sanghyeok in fear of someone dying in front of him.
“You’re hot” Wonwoo did not just say that. Did he?
“What Won—”
“No! I can’t believe I said that. Oh my God did I just yell no? Fuck I’m so sorry I—I don’t think you’re hot—What? I think you’re hot…and pretty?” Wonwoo didn’t know what he was saying but when he glanced at Sanghyeok he saw a tinge of red in his cheeks and decided that he was done for.
“I should've shut up.”
Wonwoo wants nothing but to be six feet underground right now. He feels like he’s in hell. A few seconds of silence later, Wonwoo feels like he was resurrected by the giggles he’s hearing. Lee “Faker” Sanghyeok is giggling. Wonwoo snapped up and he saw an angel looking softly at him. Fuck might as well right? He should confess right here, right now, and ruin everything so he could go back to distracting himself from practicing till late at night.
“I like you.” Wonwoo breathed out “Might as well say it now that I have made fun of myself. I just want to, you know…put it out there so I could go back to distraction. I am not expecting you to like me back because you know I have been pretty mean to you and your team. It’s just the school budget system is in favor of you and it pisses me off. And yeah you don’t need to reciprocate—”
“That’s too bad then”
“What?”
Sanghyeok just laughs at Wonwoo’s confused face. “I like you too, Wonwoo. Probably longer than when you realized you have feelings for me.”
Wonwoo wants to cry. “Are you sure? Is this a prank or are you saying this as a paid professional—” Sanghyeok shuts him up with a kiss.
“I liked you the moment I saw you at your very first tournament in this school. And I like you whenever you passionately talk about the budget cut on your team. I tried talking to the deans about this matter after I saw you talking about it. Also no, you’re not ‘pretty mean’ to me, just pretty.” Sanghyeok looks so softly at him.
“Can I kiss you again, please?” He likes him so much.
Wonwoo’s lips are about to reach Sanghyeok’s and oh how Wonwoo wants to do this every day.
“Hyung! The lovers' card fell outside you should shuffle—Oh…” Hyeonjun stood there at the entrance of the tarp frozen. “Oh uh sorry.” He awkwardly closed the tarp putting the card on the ground.
The two E-sports players just look at each other before giggling.