Reborn: The Unexpected Twist

Lee Jinhee sighed.

She had been trying to throw balls into the hoop for past twelve shots. However, none of the throws went through the hoop. Zero was conspicuously showing on the board above, making Jinhee feel more frustrated.

Closing her eyes, Jinhee desperately prayed for this to go in. Lee Jinhee noticed how Han Taehyun was holding back a laugh, causing humiliation to fill within Jinhee. 

'Please, ball, please, just enter the hoop. I am sure Taehyun would laugh if this is another miss, so just listen to me this time around.'

Taking in a deep breath, Lee Jinhee's eyes sharpened, and before she could throw the ball, Jinhee felt warm hands hold her arms. Turning back, Jinhee saw that Taehyun was pulling her arms down.

"Get your arms down a little, and move your ball to the left slightly. Now stare straight at that point," Taehyun voiced whilst pointing with his index finger.

"Now, focus your ball at that point and throw it with a slightly less strength," Taehyun added.

Han Taehyun's warm breath hit Jinhee's neck, and his deep voice made Jinhee's heart beat faster. Their close proximity made Jinhee feel nervous and caused her to gulp.

Nonetheless, following his directions, Lee Jinhee threw the ball whilst desperately hoping for it to go through the hoop.

As Jinhee watched the ball rotate around the hoop, Jinhee mumbled, "Please go in. Please go in."

The ball hit the smooth, hard surface. When a neon green number one became visible on the board above, Lee Jinhee's eyes widened, and she let out an excited squeal.

"Yes!"

Turning back, Lee Jinhee jumped and hugged Taehyun tightly and voiced out, "Yes! It went in, Taehyun-ah. It did. We did it, Taehyun-ah."

"We indeed did. Good job, Jinhee-ah," Taehyun voiced out whilst patting Jinhee's back.

After the excitement within Jinhee decreased, she realized the position she and Taehyun were in. Widening her eyes, Jinhee immediately pulled away, and a slight blush was visible on her cheeks.

"Sorry," Jinhee mumbled.

Lee Jinhee found the moment awkward, so to dissolve the awkwardness she looked up to Taehyun and vocalised, "It's your turn now, Taehyun."

Lee Jinhee was about to walk away when Han Taehyun spun her and hugged her from the back. Jinhee was shocked by his actions and gulped when Taehyun placed his face on top of her shoulder.

Deepening his voice, Taehyun voiced out, "Is your heart really not affected by me? Not even when I am being like this?"

Lee Jinhee did not want to let Taehyun know the truth. Her heart palpitated rapidly in her chest, and Jinhee was almost afraid that he would find out about it.

Lee Jinhee coughed and nervously said, "N-No. Of course it is not. After all, you're a girl to me."

"Ah! Is that so?" Taehyun questioned.

Taehyun then added, "I might not be good at reading body languages but I can tell that you're nervous at this moment, Jinhee-ah. What is making you this nervous, Jinhee-ah?"

His warm breath touched Jinhee's neck as he whispered, "Am I making you this nervous?"

Lee Jinhee's cheeks heated up, and Jinhee felt as if her heart would burst out of her chest. Nonetheless, Jinhee found herself being hypnotised at this moment, and her brain was unable to process this properly.

"Taehyun, you're being weird," Jinhee vocalised.

Han Taehyun bit on Lee Jinhee's red ear, causing her eyes to widen, and pushing him away from her, Jinhee stared at him with widened eyes. Holding her reddened ear, she blinked her eyes multiple times, and her face turned extremely hot.

"Y-Yah! Yah! Han Taehyun! What did you just do!?" Jinhee exclaimed.

Taehyun's face wore a smug smirk as he licked his lips and voiced out, "Tomato Jinhee, why do you taste this good?"

Lee Jinhee immediately pushed Taehyun away and ran towards the direction of the washroom. Not even an ounce of strength was present within her to face Taehyun.

°°°

Standing in front of the mirror, Lee Jinhee splashed her face with water multiple times to cool it down. However, the scene from earlier would just pop up in her mind suddenly, making her cheeks heat up again.

Lee Jinhee slapped her cheeks to bring them down to their original temperature and let out a groan of frustration. Her heartbeat was slowly returning to its actual pace.

"Lee Jinhee, calm down. It's just Taehyun, and you know how weird he is. You absolutely cannot be affected. He is trying to play you, and you can't allow yourself to be played. Control, Jinhee, control. You should control yourself," Jinhee mumbled.

"Fighting, Jinhee-ah! You need to push Taehyun away with utmost speed and absolutely can not let yourself be swayed by him. He is a handsome man, but who cares about that? Anyone can be handsome these days with plastic surgery," Jinhee added.

Gaining back her composure, Jinhee walked towards the door. As she opened the door, Jinhee closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Seeing Han Taehyun standing in front of her, Jinhee recalled all that had happened, and the temperature of her cheeks was starting to rise again. 

'Jinhee, remember what you decided to do. You absolutely can not let yourself be affected by him.'

"Taehyun," Jinhee enunciated, "I would appreciate it if you did not do such weird and misleading things to me in the future. Although you might like biting others' ears, I am not particularly fond of it. It felt uncomfortable."

"Really? What if I don't stop then? Will you bite my ears back then?" Taehyun questioned raising one of his eyebrows.

"No." 

Jinhee smiled and continued, "I could cut that ear of yours or sew your mouth. I am confused between which one to choose. Either way, it would be bloody."

"Heol! Jinhee-ah, you completely destroyed the romantic mood I worked hard to develop. What should I do next to make your heart beat as fast as today? Pin you to the wall? Peck your lips?" Taehyun vocalised.

Lee Jinhee rolled her eyes.

"There was no romantic mood, and my heart beat was normal today. Whatever you want to do, you're free to do as long as I am not the victim," Jinhee stated.

"What a liar! I could clearly hear your heartbeats. At some point, they were faster than mine," Taehyun teased.

Maintaining a confident outlook, Jinhee scoffed and said, "You can't fool me with that, Taehyun-ssi. If you heard any rapid heartbeats, then it was your delusion."

As Lee Jinhee continued to walk, Taehyun followed after her and pointed out, "Why did you run to the washroom so quickly then?"

Halting in her steps, Lee Jinhee turned back and faced Taehyun, mock was visible on her face. She then vocalised, "Why do you think humans go to the washroom?"

Leaning his face closer to Jinhee's face, Taehyun asked, "Why was your ear so hot when I bit it then?"

Forcing a smile to form onto her face, regardless of how hard it was, Jinhee moved forward, and using her utmost strength, she bumped her head with Taehyun's. 

As Taehyun held his head in pain, Jinhee said, "I am not that well versed when it comes to biology, and don't come too close to me. Your breath stinks!"

Turning her back on Taehyun, she began walking.

"Oh! Does it?" 

Standing in front of Lee Jinhee, Taehyun voiced out, "Smell it again, and give me an opinion on how I can improve it."

A smile made its way onto Jinhee's face, and pushing his chest, Jinhee vocalised, "You're really gross and weird!"

"Aigoo! I feel so much pity for Jinhee. Her future boyfriend is gross and weird," Taehyun said.

Placing her palm on Taehyun's shoulder, Jinhee vocalised, "You don't have to because Jinhee would not make that gross and weird person her boyfriend. I worry for Taehyun though. He might never get a girlfriend for his entire life."