was snooping around NBA!tumblr… soooo I thought I’d take a swing at things…
despite the stereotype of athletes not caring about school, kon knueppel is the complete opposite. he's used to balancing basketball and academics, so it's no surprise that when you were assigned to a group project with him (along with 2 others) he was effortlessly locked in.
a part of him just wanted to get the hell out of class early. he had film to watch, conditioning to get to, and something about meeting cooper later. he originally planned to walk up to the group to introduce himself, make some half-assed commitment to meet up somewhere to get the project done, and get on his way…
It could’ve been due to the way those strands fell and framed your face after you put your hands in your hair, an unconscious act due to being a little stressed out that the outcome of the project may or may not be out of your control, or maybe it was some keychain or a sticker on your MacBook, a piece of your personality he spotted, that was endearing enough for kon to have some patience to hang around just a little longer, just enough to hear the sound of your voice.
of course, he did his part of the assignment dutifully, editing it at strange hours. he would react to messages in the group chat with a simple thumbs-up. when asked to meet with the rest of the group, he’d reply vaguely, like, “Can’t. Busy that day.” he never needed to explain why. everyone knew about his commitment to the basketball team. you couldn’t really fault him for that.
but when it was you who personally came to him, asking for help on the topic, He was prepared. Like, girl, he ran to the opportunity to get to know you better.
he was attentive, listening to your thoughts on what you liked about the project and where his parts needed improving. under his gentle gaze and lack of judgment, the conversation opened up to each other's personal lives. from his basketball antics to you being miles away from home, wondering if you guys are making the right decisions…
cafe dates have become a regular thing now, even when the project was over. so are the daily check-ins. he flows in and out of your routine just as you do with him. the quiet and calm, consistent presence in your life on campus.
(also sorry no cute little video edit for this one. thought I try something new with the banner!)
