The living room was its usual organized chaos, scattered rackets leaning on the couch, empty juice pouches shoved into couch cushions, and everyone talking over each other about something pointless. Woo-chan sat on the floor with his back against the coffee table, headphones around his neck, flipping through a sports magazine he wasn’t really reading.

He was used to being the one listening, the one in the middle. Hae-kang was arguing with Se-yoon over who made the better jjajangmyeon, Yoon-dam and Han-sol were cuddled up on the beanbag like no one could see them everyone could, Yong-tae was still young snd committed to badminton, and In-sol was texting someone with a look Woo-chan had never seen on him before, soft, dreamy, nervous.

Everyone had something. Everyone was falling into something, or someone. And then there was him. The unlucky romantic. Woo-chan exhaled and leaned his head back against the table.

Until the front door opened.

The coaches stepped in, you right behind them. You looked around, eyes wide, taking it all in, this loud, messy, weird team. Hae-kang’s parents clapped their hands together, proud as ever.

“This is the new recruit we told you about,” they beamed. “A real talent.”

You gave a small wave, and Woo-chan blinked. Something about you felt… different. Not in a cliché way. Not in a fireworks way. Just… enough for him to sit up straighter.

When your eyes met his, his chest tightened, and he had no idea why.

You smiled politely at everyone, but it was Woo-chan who looked away first.

“You’re taking the floor spot,” he mumbled, nudging a folded blanket toward you without looking. “Newbies get the worst sleep, just how it works here.”

It wasn’t rude. It was teasing, light. Playful. An invitation.

But when you sat down beside him anyway, closer than he expected, he found himself holding his breath.

“You don’t talk much,” you said quietly.

“I talk enough,” he replied. “You just got here.”

He caught the tiny curve of your mouth. You weren’t scared of the team, or him. That was rare.

And for the first time in weeks, he wasn’t thinking about what everyone else had that he didn’t.

He was thinking maybe… just maybe…

Something was finally starting for him, too.