Fouled by the Past
Episode 1
When Minseok was ten, his world was simple.
School, late afternoons playing on the cracked cement basketball court near the neighborhood park,
And Jaehyun—his best friend since they could barely walk.
Jaehyun was taller, louder, always chasing after balls and dreams Minseok couldn’t quite catch.
As long as he could stand by Jaehyun’s side, it was enough.
That summer evening, with the cicadas buzzing in the trees and sweat sticking to their foreheads,
Jaehyun dropped the ball and turned serious.
Quite young jaehyun
“Minseok,”
He said, voice wavering but determined.
Quite young jaehyun
“I like you.”
Minseok blinked, not understanding.
young minseok
“Of course you do. We’re best friends.”
Jaehyun’s hands clenched at his sides.
Quite young jaehyun
“I mean… I like you. Like… when we’re older, I want to be with you.”
The words felt heavy, far too grown-up for their age.
He didn’t know what to say.
The thought of it felt embarrassing, almost wrong.
So he forced out a laugh and shook his head.
young minseok
“Don’t say weird things, Jaehyun. That’s gross.”
He didn’t notice how Jaehyun’s face fell, how the taller boy bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.
That night, Jaehyun stopped walking Minseok home.
And a week later, Jaehyun was gone—sent abroad by his family,
Leaving only the echo of a rejected confession behind.
The gym was loud, sneakers squeaking against polished wood, cheers ringing in the air.
Minseok sat in the crowded bleachers,
Pretending not to care about the game.
But when the captain stepped onto the court,
Tall and commanding in his uniform, the whole place roared.
The boy he had once called his best friend was no longer the same.
The boy who once confessed under the summer cicadas now looked like a stranger.
And when their eyes met for a fleeting second—
Jaehyun looked right through him, as if Minseok didn’t exist.
episode 2
The crowd’s cheers still rang in Minseok’s ears long after the game ended.
Students poured out of the gym, voices buzzing with excitement, carrying Jaehyun’s name like a victory song.
Minseok lingered on the bleachers, clutching his bag tightly.
His eyes followed the tall figure walking off the court,
Surrounded by teammates, shoulders broad, hair damp with sweat.
Jaehyun didn’t look his way. Not once.
They hadn’t spoken in ten years.
They weren’t even friends anymore.
But Minseok’s chest tightened, like someone had tied a knot inside him.
He remembered that summer night—the cicadas, Jaehyun’s trembling voice, and his own careless rejection.
The memory stung sharper now than it did back then.
Shaking the thoughts away, Minseok stood and left the gym, blending into the stream of students.
Outside, the evening air was cool.
He walked across the campus, trying to convince himself that seeing Jaehyun again didn’t matter.
But no matter how hard he tried, the sight of those cold eyes—
Eyes that once looked only at him with warmth—kept replaying in his head.
He turned to see his classmate Hana waving.
Hana
“You watched the game too? The captain’s amazing, isn’t he? Jaehyun-sunbae… he’s like a celebrity here.”
Minseok forced a small smile.
Minseok
“Yeah… he’s impressive.”
Hana
“Impressive? He’s practically perfect. You know, he doesn’t talk much to anyone outside the team. Rumor is, he’s kind of cold.”
Minseok already knew that.
He muttered a quick goodbye and headed to the dorms, not wanting to hear any more.
That night, Minseok sat at his desk, books open but unread.
His roommate was out, leaving the room quiet except for the ticking of the clock.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
Minseok
“Jaehyun… why do you look at me like I’m nothing?”
The ache in his chest deepened.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
A message popped up in the class group chat:
[Reminder: Basketball team will hold a welcoming event tomorrow. All students are invited.]
That meant Jaehyun would be there—smiling, laughing, surrounded by people…
Pretending Minseok didn’t exist.
Tomorrow would come too soon, and he wasn’t ready.
But whether he wanted it or not, their paths had crossed again.
And this time, running away wasn’t possible.
Episode 3
The campus cafeteria was buzzing that evening, transformed into a lively hall for the basketball team’s welcoming event.
Music played softly in the background, long tables were filled with snacks and drinks,
And students crowded together, laughing and chatting.
Minseok stood near the back, holding a paper cup of soda.
He had almost decided not to come, but Hana had dragged him along.
Hana
“you never join these things. At least watch Jaehyun-sunbae up close. He’s the star tonight!”
Now, Minseok regretted it.
At the front of the room, Jaehyun sat surrounded by teammates,
Tall and confident, his captain’s aura impossible to ignore.
Every so often, a girl would lean in to talk to him, and Jaehyun would nod politely,
Though his expression never changed much.
Minseok’s eyes kept drifting back to him, even when he told himself not to.
Hana
“Doesn’t he look amazing?”
Hana whispered beside him.
Hana
“I heard he turned down three confessions just this semester. Can you imagine?”
Minseok forced a smile, pretending to sip his drink.
The same Jaehyun who once confessed to him under buzzing cicadas,
Now so distant that he might as well be on another planet.
The event moved on with games and introductions.
Eventually, the team captain himself stood to speak.
Jaehyun
“Thank you for supporting us,”
Jaehyun’s voice carried across the room—deep, steady, familiar in a way that made Minseok’s chest ache.
Jaehyun
“Let’s make this semester a winning one.”
Cheers erupted, filling the hall.
In the noise, Minseok’s gaze accidentally locked with Jaehyun’s.
For a heartbeat, time froze.
But then Jaehyun looked away.
As if Minseok were nothing more than another face in the crowd.
Later, when most of the students had dispersed, Minseok slipped outside to breathe.
The cool night air felt better than the noisy cafeteria.
He leaned against the railing, staring at the campus lights.
Jaehyun
“Why did I even come…?” (he whispered to himself.)
A sudden sound of footsteps made him turn.
Jaehyun walked past, alone, his bag slung over his shoulder.
His lips parted, ready to say something—anything.
But Jaehyun only gave him a brief, unreadable glance before walking away without a word.
The sound of footsteps faded, leaving Minseok standing in the silence,
His chest burning with a mix of guilt, anger, and something he didn’t want to name.
This wasn’t the reunion Minseok had imagined.
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