Wednesday | November 29th, 2023 | 4:42 PM
"Nervous?"
"Super," I sighed, stretching my quads. The rec center was buzzing with energy. Almost every team that made it to the playoffs came to the center early, my team included, and everyone was warming up before the games started. The atmosphere was different, and I could feel it in the air.
"I don't blame you," Jinho laughed, rubbing his arms. Despite putting up a cool facade, he was nervous, too. Jinho was a cool-headed person and he had a poker face. His body language told lies, though. "It's our first time making it to the playoffs, we have a point to prove."
"Damn right," I laughed. We sat down next to each other, and together, we stretched. On the court, the rest of the team was warming up. Sana and Yeji were passing a volleyball between them while Haechan and Tzuyu were doing their own little stretches. I sighed as I leaned forward, feeling a burn in my hamstrings.
"Are the others coming today?" Jinho questioned, leaning forward and touching his toes.
"They better," I said. "We're going to need them to be loud."
Jinho hummed, nodding. We fell into a comfortable silence, and the sounds of the rec center filled our ears. The sound of squeaking shoes, bouncing volleyballs, and loud conversations. It was all there, filling the rec center. I got up from the ground and reached my hands towards the sky, a loud sigh escaping my lips.
"You ready?" Jinho questioned, also getting up.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I nodded, taking in a deep breath. Jinho and I made our way back to the team, meeting them halfway. "Are you guys warmed up?"
"Yep, we're good," Sana smiled, Yeji nodding. A little bit away from us, Haechan and Tzuyu joined the group, also signaling that they're done.
"Good, now listen up," I said, a serious tone in my voice. They all looked at me, waiting for me to continue. "You know, I'm really proud of us. Technically, our journey started last year when we all decided to take up volleyball. Look where we are now."
"Playoffs, baby!" Haechan whooped, causing the girls to giggle.
"Exactly," I grinned. "This is a big deal for us, okay? It's our first time making it and we deserve to have fun. But, at the same time, we're good enough to prove a point, right?"
They nodded, a new sense of pride rising up in them.
"Alright, so, let's have some fun and let's win this intramural season," I smiled. The group had broken off, going into our usual pre-game rituals. The games were going to start soon, and all the teams were already starting to get heated up. I glanced around the gym and saw none of our usual cheerleaders.
I pulled my phone out of my bag and dialed a number. It took a few rings, but she eventually answered.
"Minjae! I'm on my way right now but there's some traffic. Sorry," Chaewon's voice immediately apologized through the speaker.
"No, it's fine. I was just wondering if you're gonna make it in time. Our game starts soon I think," I said.
"Ugh, no," Chaewon dragged on, annoyed. "This traffic is the worst."
"Don't worry about it," I chuckled. "Just get here safe."
"Of course, good luck," She cooed.
"Thanks, bye," I smiled, and hung up. Turning back to my crew, they were all doing their own thing. We played really well during the season and I had a lot of hope that we would be able to pull through in the end. Although it'd be nice if we had our peanut gallery cheering us on, there were some faces I was hoping to impress today after all.
Looking across the courts, I saw the behemoths that made up the Wall Street team. The boys on that team were tall and muscular. If they didn't play volleyball, they looked like they could play basketball or baseball. The thought of playing them early in the playoffs sent a chill down my spine.
In the distance, I spotted a familiar face walking into the gym. Her eyes met mine, and she shot me a warm smile. I jogged over to Karina, who entered with her team, and waved.
"Ready for playoffs," I greeted, slowing down and stopping in front of her. Her team acknowledged me and walked ahead, leaving the two of us behind. Now that I was up close and personal, I couldn't help but notice that she was dressed a bit differently than normal. I had to lock my eyes onto her pretty face to avoid staring.
Karina had on a black sports bra and high-waisted shorts. It was the type of outfit that would look normal on anyone else, but her ridiculously hot body made her stand out. Her work clothes really hid her figure well. The rec felt like the temperature just jumped up 10 degrees.
"Excited," She nodded. "Are you guys warmed up, ready, y'know."
"I mean, yeah," I chuckled, crossing my arms. "It's our first time getting into the playoffs. We're determined to win."
"Right," She grinned, her eyes brightening. "Well, good luck. Hopefully you make it far enough so that we meet in the finals!"
"Right, as if you'll make it," I smirked, teasing her.
"Oof," She hissed, placing a hand over her heart, fake hurt. "You hurt me, Minjae."
"Good, that's the goal," I teased, and she rolled her eyes. Karina's gaze drifted behind me, and I looked back to see my team. The girls were gathered around each other, chatting. "I'll leave you to warm up with your team, and I'll go do the same."
"Bye," Karina smiled, waving her hand. "I'll see you on the courts."
I smiled, "See you later."
I turned around and went back to my team, joining them. We had stood around doing whatever we felt like, not particularly warming up like we should've as a team but I didn't mind if it helped ease their nerves. After a few minutes, a whistle blew, and I saw the team of referees and officials walking into the gym.
That was our signal for every team to swarm them and surround them, eager for the games to start. A referee walked towards us, holding a clipboard. "Hello, team name?"
"The Goofy Goobers," I answered. He raised an eyebrow and looked down at his list. His face lit up when he found our name and checked a box next to it.
"Okay, the Goofy Goobers. You're on Court 2 and your opponents are the Golden Spikers. We'll begin the matches soon, we're going in the order of who had the best regular season record. If there's any confusion or questions, ask me or another ref."
The referee moved away and walked towards another team. I looked back at my team, who all were relieved that we had a simple enough team to go up against for our first. I clapped my hands together, drawing their attention, "Alright, ladies and gentlemen. This is what we've been preparing for, okay? Let's play some good volleyball and have fun."
"Fuck, yeah!" Yeji grinned. The team cheered and the atmosphere was light. The referee's whistle rang again, and all the teams broke off towards their designated courts. I had confidence that we would be able to win without too much difficulty.
An audience had slowly trickled in. It wasn't a full house, each court had some number of friends that had come out to support their respective teams. Speaking of which, I noticed a familiar group of girls enter the court. Saerom led the fashion trio, Joy, Jennie, and Xiaoting, behind her. The girls scanned the court and immediately found our team, jogging and skipping towards us.
"Hey, sorry, we're late," Saerom smiled apologetically. "We had to run all the way from the arts building."
"We're just glad you guys came," I chuckled, smiling at her. The team had wrapped around, happy to see them. "Thanks for coming out, again. We appreciate it."
"Of course, I can't believe you guys made it this far! Good job," Jennie said, a warm and genuine smile on her face.
"You guys have been playing for a while, I remember when you guys tried making me play with you guys when you first started," Joy grinned. "Congrats, it's exciting."
"It is," I smiled, rubbing the back of my neck. My eyes drifted around the rec center and towards Karina's team. She and her team were also huddled up, looking deep in a pep talk before their game. They seemed to be getting excited as well, a competitive fire in their eyes.
On our court on the other side of the net, I saw the Golden Spikers team huddle up. It was an interesting mix, all different body types. Some were tall, some were shorter, some were buff and muscular, some were lanky. Their team was diverse and interesting, and I had a feeling they'd be tough opponents.
"Let's win this one," I said. Corny as it was, I stuck my hand out in the middle of us and let everyone pile on, forming a small huddle. We were all smiling and giggling, feeling the hype. When I was satisfied, I yelled out, "Goobers on three! One, two, three!"
"Goobers!" We cheered, our hands separating.
A whistle blew and a referee called out to us, "Alright, line up and let's begin!" Our spectators got off the court and gathered on the sidelines, waiting for the match to start. My teammates lined up in our base positions and waited. The referee tossed a coin and let the opposing team decide who got to start with the ball. They were the ones to serve first.
"Good luck, you guys," Xiaoting waved.
"Win, please," Jennie laughed.
"You'll do great," Saerom grinned.
"You got this," Joy smiled.
Their encouragement made me smile, and I looked towards the referee and the scorers table. The referee had the whistle to his lips and raised his hand above his head. With a flick of his wrist, the whistle blew, and he pointed over towards the other side, where their player was running up for their serve.
My eyes focused on the ball and the server. The ball went up and their player slammed it down.
It was the beginning of the playoffs.
Wednesday | November 29th, 2023 | 5:32 PM
I lunged to the side and reached an arm out, feeling the ball hit bluntly against my forearm. The ball was tossed upwards awkwardly, giving Tzuyu a limited amount of time to get underneath it and push it upwards. Since she had a short amount of time to get to the ball, the closest option was her only option, which was me. I scrambled up to my feet and raised my hands up, setting the ball back over to the other side.
The other team had an easy time with the free ball I gave them, setting up their next attack. A girl from their team set the ball, and their tallest girl leapt and slapped the ball, popping the air and sending it right back at us. Sana was luckily in the right position and received the ball, bumping it upwards.
Tzuyu walked underneath the ball, gauging our side of the court before sending the ball up towards Jinho. The set was clean, and Jinho swiftly ran up with a powerful jump and a heavy palm slap. His palm crashed into the ball and the ball sped forward, flying down to the other side of the net. It landed in the ground between the two middle girls.
Jinho landed on the ground, breathing hard. Our spectators cheered as the score was tied 17-17. We were currently in the second set, having won the first set 25-23. The game had gone smoothly so far, both sides being evenly matched. However, as the game had progressed, our team had started to struggle.
Maybe we were getting tired, or the nerves were getting to us, or a combination of both, but we were losing our momentum. We barely managed to tie it back up with the Golden Spikers after being down 3 points. My heart was pounding and I took in deep breaths, trying to calm myself.
A whistle was blown, signifying the service from our side. The ball flew over my head and landed into the arms of one of the buffer boys on the other team. He passed the ball to his female setter who sent the ball up, the player on the right side smacking it over the net. I reacted too late to try to jump and the ball slammed against the court, bouncing.
17-18.
"Damn it," I cursed, my eyes widening.
"Relax, you're good," Jinho said. Yeji gave me a look of encouragement before zeroing in on the other side of the court.
"Come on, come on, come on," Haechan mumbled, the boy bouncing in place. Whistle blew again, and the ball came over towards Haechan. He passed the ball up and high for Tzuyu to confidently run after. I shuffled back, prepping my run up as Tzuyu sent the ball my way. I blasted off the court and lunged up, slamming my palm against the ball.
It popped and the ball sailed down, hitting the edge of the court and flying back up. My friends screamed out, filling the air with raw energy. From the sidelines, I heard the girls cheering loudly. The other team didn't expect me to attack the ball so hard and were stunned for a second.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" I chanted, pumping a fist. The score was tied up again, after I redeemed myself from losing it in the first place. My heart was racing and adrenaline coursed through my veins. It was exhilarating.
"Yes!" Chaewon screamed out, shaking her fists in the air. "You've got this, Minjae!" I whipped my head around, looking amongst the crowd of people. Standing by herself, hovering at the very edge of the crowd, was Chaewon. She waved me down when she saw me looking her way, and I sent a grin back at her.
She made it. It felt like my shoulders got ten times lighter and I was able to breathe easier.
Another whistle blew, and the game was back on. Like clockwork, we continued our back and forth battle. We were definitely playing our best today, better than ever. Yeji did not allow a ball to get near the ground, Jinho felt more explosive than ever, and Tzuyu was placing her sets in near perfect spots for an attack.
I had never played like this, not even in the regular season. It finally felt like muscle memory to me, like I could autopilot myself and move like I knew how. I could hear Chaewon's voice screaming at the top of her lungs for our team, which made me smile. I wanted to make her proud, I wanted to make her smile.
My feet moved on their own as I was spaced out, spotting the set Tzuyu was giving me in the air. Without thinking, my arms lifted upwards and my body launched itself into the air. I felt so aware and so numb at the same time, like a weird feeling. Time slowed down as my body twisted, the world a blur.
I watched as the ball grew closer, the sound of my palm smacking the ball reaching my ears. The ball spun and twisted in the air, going straight down towards the other side. Their team wasn't able to react quick enough and the ball fell straight on the floor, earning us the point.
I landed back down on the court and turned to my team, who were all grinning and happy. Chaewon was clapping, a wide smile on her face. I felt amazing, and like I could play volleyball for days. I didn't realize how much she would affect me just by being there, watching.
With the momentum we gained, we finished out the second set, 25-20, winning our first game of the day. We crowded Yeji, who made a crazy dive for the ball, saving a point. From the sidelines, the other girls rushed in and joined our huddle.
"Congratulations, you guys!" Joy cheered, hugging Jinho and Yeji.
"That was so amazing, we're proud of you guys," Jennie grinned, hugging Tzuyu. Haechan and Saerom were laughing together and patting Jinho and Yeji on the back. I politely declined a hug from Xiaoting, not wanting to touch my sweat against her pretty clothes. We shared an awkward smile before turning our attention back to the team.
"You guys were incredible," Xiaoting nodded.
"Seriously, it was really close and fun to watch," Jennie commented. Around us, only one game was still going on so we would need to wait for that to finish and for the refs to announce our next opponents. On the other side of our net, I spotted the Golden Spikers packing up their things, a few of them with disappointed faces.
"That was so fun to watch!" I felt the weight of a tiny girl crash into me, pushing herself into the air off of my shoulders. I stumbled forward and caught my footing, turning around and grinning at Chaewon. She wrapped her hands around my wrists and shook me. "That was awesome! You guys played so well!"
"Thanks," I laughed, a big smile on my face. I craned my head back at my team, all of them giving me surprised looks. I looked back at Chaewon and brought my arm around her shoulder, pulling her in tightly. "Ah, this is Kim Chaewon, my girlfriend."
Chaewon blushed at my sudden introduction and turned towards my friends. "It's nice to meet you guys. Minjae told me so much about you guys, it's nice to finally see your faces in person."
There was an obvious reaction lingering in the air from them, the sudden revelation that I had a girlfriend. All the girls had wide eyes and their mouths slightly agape, holding back the urge to ask too many questions all at once. Luckily, they repressed the urge, and greeted her normally.
They crowded us, sharing names and introductions.
"It's so nice to meet you guys," Chaewon grinned, her face bright. "Minjae talks about you guys so much, he's such a good friend."
"Really? Well, thank you for coming out, it means a lot to us," Jinho grinned.
"Are you staying for the rest of the tournament," Yeji asked.
"Of course, Minjae wanted me to watch the finals and I couldn't turn him down," Chaewon giggled, leaning into my body. My friends exchanged glances, and they seemed satisfied enough.
"Oh, that's awesome, I hope we make it," Tzuyu laughed.
"Me too," Chaewon grinned. From behind us, another familiar voice joined in.
"Did you guys win? Don't tell me you guys lost in the first round," Wooyoung teased. We turned around, seeing Wooyoung walking in by himself. He gave the girls a warm smile and a polite wave before looking at me.
"Shut up, you know we won," I scoffed. Wooyoung smiled and came closer, giving a half hug to Haechan and Joy. Chaewon stepped forward with a sweet smile, "You must be Jung Wooyoung. I'm Kim Chaewon," She turned back to look at me, "I'm Minjae's girlfriend."
Wooyoung froze for a second, staring blankly at Chaewon. She looked a bit worried but the expression quickly left as Wooyoung grinned, giving her a polite handshake. "That's a big surprise. Nice to meet you."
"He thought you'd say that," Chaewon giggled, making eye contact with me. Wooyoung laughed, his head craning up to look at me. That look screamed, "Keeping secrets from us?"
I shrugged, "I would've told you guys, but it just never came up. I didn't think it'd matter." Chaewon laughed, "That's probably on me too, since we didn't want to go public yet. Sorry, everyone."
On the other side of the rec center, the whistle blew, signaling the end of that one game. We had a short break before the next round would start, and then we would know who our opponents were. My teammates went off, getting something to drink and doing light warmups. Wooyoung held a conversation with the other girls, leaving Chaewon and me alone.
"Thanks again for coming," I grinned, grabbing her by the hips.
"Of course," She rolled her eyes, her hands going to my chest. "Why wouldn't I?"
"I know," I sighed. "How was the drive?"
"Besides the traffic? It was fine," She shrugged. "The campus is beautiful, you're so lucky. Your school is so cool."
"Enough about the school, did you get something to eat on the way?"
"Yeah, don't worry," She laughed.
"That's good," I said, relieved. My fingers tapped her sides, and she giggled, grabbing my wrist. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something that made my heart jump. Cat eyes that studied me, no emotion behind them. Haerin walked into the courts behind Hanni and Danielle, following them like a ghost.
Once we made eye contact, she looked forward and avoided my eyes. My grip on Chaewon's hips loosened. Hanni noticed me looking in her direction. Unlike Haerin, who could easily hide her emotions, a look of shock was erased by a gentle smile and a wave. Danielle was the same if not a little worse, a quick flicker of surprise followed by a glance behind her at the introvert.
My stomach sunk as they found space for them to spectate from, away from us. I didn't know why I was surprised to see them here, they've been showing up since I first invited them. Was I just caught off guard because Chaewon was here?
"Minjae! The officials are calling for you," Jinho called out.
"I gotta go, are you gonna be okay?" I asked, looking at Chaewon. She smiled and patted my chest, "I'll be fine, go do your thing. Break a leg, babe."
"I'll try not to," I chuckled, letting her go. I turned around and jogged towards my team. The officials were looking over a clipboard with all the brackets on it, and a few players from each team. Once they spotted me, they motioned me forward and let me stand by the players already there.
I saw Karina huddled up with a few members of her team, their arms around each other's shoulders. She made eye contact with me and her lips curled, a look that could be friendly or malicious. I wasn't sure.
"Alright, like before, I'll assign your team to a court and announce the start of the game in 15 minutes, use that time with your team to warm up because we will try to start on the dot. We all want to go home and rest, I bet," the official joked, earning a few chuckles from us. "Thanks and good luck."
The official started calling out team names, doing as she said and directing around to the courts. "Goofy Goobers! You're on Court 3 and you'll be playing against the Sweaty Cheetahs." As it should've, the name rang a bell when I looked straight at Karina's team.
She noticed me watching her and turned her whole body, the two of us making eye contact. The corner of her lips curled and her eyebrow cocked, her face challenging. She had something to say, that's for sure.
Tzuyu, Jinho, Yeji, and Sana came up from behind, the four of them standing around me.
"The Sweaty Cheetahs?" Jinho sighed, eyeing Karina's team as they started to warm up on the other side. "We haven’t got a chance to play them in pool play. I don’t know how this game is going to go."
I glanced back at my team, their faces focused and serious. They didn't look nervous in the slightest. My gaze flickered to the other side, the six of them huddled and looked like they were talking strategy.
"Alright, everyone gather around," I called, my team huddling in close. I could see Chaewon standing at the far edge, watching us curiously. Holding my stare, I hyped up my team, "Goobers, let's go!"
"Goobers!" they chanted back, their fists up. Chaewon laughed at the sight, a small grin on her face. I chuckled, finding myself looking past her to see Haerin and her friends. They were talking amongst themselves, Hanni and Danielle smiling while Haerin stared right at me with a straight face.
She didn't seem to realize I noticed her looking and didn't look away. Our eyes locked, and she was unreadable. The sight made my stomach turn, and I could've sworn I felt something sink. Eventually, Haerin got tired of looking at me and drifted her eyes elsewhere.
I let out a breath that I was holding, turning back to my team and getting warmed up with them.
Wednesday | November 29th, 2023 | 6:20 PM
"Fuck!" Yeji cursed, clenching her fists and glaring up at the ceiling. She let a ball fly past her, and the other team earned a point. We were losing, down a set and close to losing this one.
"Come on, focus," Tzuyu said, trying to calm her down. Her head swiveled and she looked back at the scoreboard. It was 22-20, and the Sweaty Cheetahs had the lead.
"Come on, guys, let's focus! Come on!" I yelled, waving my arms around. I peered through the net, looking at the other team. They looked just as serious as us, Karina and her friends in the game completely. They had no intention of giving us the win.
The whistle blew and the game continued. Our usual sequence appeared, someone in the backline receives the ball, Tzuyu sprints and sets it up, someone attacks, and the ball flies across the net. It had been like that the entire game, both teams were too even. Across the net, I watched their team play out a similar sequence, Karina squeezing her arms together to receive the ball.
Their setter placed their hitter in a decent spot for them to spike the ball. They faked us out. The hitter's swing looked believable before he purposely tapped the ball gently over Jinho's outreached hands as he tried to block. The ball floated slowly to the floor, but luckily Tzuyu was there to pop the ball up off the ground and send it high in the air.
I ran forward towards the ball, leaping off the ground and reaching both of my hands towards it. With a quick swing of my head, I searched for an empty space. My hands lightly touched the ball before flinging it towards the space that I saw was empty. None of their players got there in time, giving us our next point.
"Yes," I hissed, punching a fist in the air. The rest of my team cheered and clapped for me. From the side, I could make out the sound of Chaewon's claps. I glanced over and saw her cheering and laughing, my friends next to her. I gave her a little head nod before looking back across the net.
Karina was huffing and puffing, her hands on her knees. She looked exhausted, her hair sticking to her face and sweat glistening her skin. Jesus. Her boobs were hanging low in her tight tank top, her cleavage glistening. A small trickle of sweat dripped between her cleavage, her breasts shaking slightly with her movement.
Her gaze turned up, locking onto mine. Her face was serious, her eyebrows furrowed. I was too busy looking at her sweaty body, her face didn't register to me until I felt a weird sensation. My eyes widened and I felt a hot blush on my cheeks, my lips quivering. I looked away, trying not to feel so awkward and embarrassed.
"22-21, let's tie it up," Tzuyu yelled. Sana gently served the ball over towards their side of the court. They were ready for it, their back row receiving the ball and sending it high. The setter placed it up, and their hitter sent the ball down with a loud grunt. Haechan happened to be right in place, letting the ball bounce off his platform, although it didn't get where we would want. It flew out the court, away from Tzuyu. Jinho was the only one who could react and chased after the stray ball.
Sensing a chemical reaction about to happen, I jogged after him and trusted in his abilities. He reached the ball in time and bounced the ball off his platform without looking back. The ball soared over his head and back towards our side of the court. I was already prepping a runup and was in the air before the other team even knew what I was doing out of position.
I swung as the ball came at me, sending the ball down on the other side, bouncing off the ground and earning us the point.
From the sidelines, my friends and Chaewon roared and clapped, cheering us on.
"Yeah, Minjae!" Chaewon screamed. I turned to look at her and gave her a big grin, waving at her. My friends were laughing and giving me a thumbs up. From the sidelines, I heard Danielle say, "Good job, Minjae!"
I was shocked at the sight of Danielle cheering for me. It was the first time she spoke up since the day started. I turned and smiled at her, nodding in her direction. Following in her footsteps, Hanni screamed, "Finish it!" And to her side was Haerin, who stood there with her hands clasped behind her back, watching with a straight face.
I shot them a quick smile before looking back at the ball, trying to shake off the weird feeling that came from looking at Haerin.
With that, the score was tied. Sana served the ball over again and we repeated the same cycle of going back and forth until one of us made a mistake. On this point, it was us, Sana being too late to a tip ball. It went straight down, hitting the ground.
The whistle blew and the Sweaty Cheetahs gained a point, now leading us. 23-22.
"Fuck," Sana groaned, wiping her forehead.
"It's alright, let's get this," I said, walking closer. Their serve was weak and slow, Yeji easily putting it up. Tzuyu floated the ball towards me, letting me attempt a swing. I forced the ball to go towards Karina's side, making her fall to the ground while trying to receive my spike. The ball went up but Karina landed on the floor. Her ass slightly giggling as her weight fell into it.
The setter tried to put the ball up to a hitter, but their attack was blocked by Tzuyu and Jinho. The ball landed on their side, our side erupting in cheers and screams.
"Yeah!"
"Hell yeah!"
"Goobers!"
Our opponents groaned and sighed, their shoulders slumped. Back to 23-23.
"Let's fucking finish this!" I yelled, giving them a hard glare. We had to win this. The ball rolled to me, being my turn to serve. I grabbed the ball, jogging to the end line. I swiveled on my feet and breathed in, preparing myself. Chaewon clapped the loudest and the sweetest, giving me a thumbs up. "Go, Minjae!"
The others followed her lead, giving me a little boost. I tossed the ball up and forward, my feet carrying me forward as my arms swung backwards and then forward. I left the ground and smoothly transitioned my arm into a swing. My hand smacked the ball, sending it straight over the net. It flew over, coming straight towards Karina.
She was surprised at the power of the serve, barely able to hit it up. Her team tried to rally the ball but couldn't.
"Game point," the official called out. I roared, hyping myself up. From the side, my teammates and friends joined me, their screams encouraging me. The Sweaty Cheetahs took a break from their side, reeling themselves with a quick timeout.
We huddled up, Tzuyu grabbing everyone's hands and holding them up.
"Let's go," She said. "We're so close!"
On the other side, they broke off their huddle and came back. They were ready.
I stepped forward and the whistle blew, starting the final point of the game. I lined back up at the end line, looking back towards the crowd for more encouragement. My girlfriend, Chaewon, stood there, her hands cupped over her mouth. My friends, Wooyoung, Joy, Jennie, Xiaoting, Saerom, all stood around her, cheering and yelling for me.
Haerin, Danielle, and Hanni were standing nearby them.
Haerin stood there behind Hanni, her hands tightly curled into fists at her side. Her lips were a thin line, and her jaw was tense. Our eyes met. As the whistle blew, signaling for me to serve, her expression faltered, and her jaw dropped open slightly. Her eyes grew wide, and her eyebrows lifted, a softness on her face that was rare for her.
She started mouthed something, but I didn't hear her.
As natural instinct took over, my feet moved forward. I did my usual serving technique, this time void of all imperfections and flaws. My feet moved at precise timing. The ball left my hand and went up at the perfect height and speed. My arms moved like a pendulum, lifting me off the ground at the potential highest I could go. My arm moved like water, effortlessly swiping through the air and connecting with the ball.
The ball flew towards the other side, the players unable to do anything.
It hit the floor, my teammates erupting in cheers immediately.
"Yes!"
"Hell yes!"
"Minjae!"
"You did it!"
The Sweaty Cheetahs were speechless. "That's the second set, on to the third and last set!" the official announced, pointing to our court. Our opponents had their heads low, looking dejected and exhausted.
The official called for a short break, letting us cool off and relax. My friends rushed towards the courts, their cheers loud and bright. Chaewon ran right in front, her eyes glued to mine and her hands in the air.
"You did so good, baby," She giggled. I nodded, trying to hold onto this flow state I was in. She stopped in front of me and threw her arms around my neck. She pressed her lips against mine, a quick kiss. As she pulled away, her face was lit with a beautiful smile.
"I'm so proud of you," She giggled. "C'mon, win it for me." I nodded, drifting my stare towards Hanni and Danielle who were excitedly holding each other. Haerin's arms hugged herself while she stared at the floor.
"Yup, let's finish it out!"
Wednesday | November 29th, 2023 | 6:42 PM
"Yes! Fuck yeah!" Tzuyu laughed, jumping up and down.
"Goobers, fuck yeah!" Jinho said, raising his arms. We did it, we beat the Sweaty Cheetahs in the final set. The last point was a close one, a lot of us having to dive and stretch out for the ball, but it ended up being Jinho who sent the ball to Tzuyu. Tzuyu put the ball up to me, and I spiked it, the ball hitting the floor and ending the match.
We ran to each other and formed a big group hug. Our team was screaming and laughing, the victory a satisfying one.
"We did it!" Yeji cried.
"Hell yeah, Goobers," Jinho cheered. We pulled apart and celebrated amongst ourselves. I dropped to the floor, sitting there and trying to catch my breath. I was completely worn out, but a good tired. My team ran around, celebrating. Chaewon's legs hit the back of my head as I felt her arms wrap around my neck.
"You did it!" she yelled, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "I'm so proud of you."
I let her stay wrapped around me for a moment before she eventually pulled away, walking towards Yeji and Tzuyu, talking amongst themselves.
"Nice job," A voice said, the person standing above me. I looked up and saw Karina. She stood in front of me, her arms crossed over her chest. Her face was sweaty, strands of her hair sticking to her cheeks. Her boobs were pressed against each other and her tank top was still low enough for her cleavage to be on display.
"You did a nice job," she said, sitting down next to me. "You guys are really good."
"You did good too," I said. "Good match."
"Thanks." She smiled and turned her head, the rest of her body facing the court. "Your girlfriend's cute. It's nice she's here for you."
"Yup, she's the best," I replied. I looked across the court and saw Chaewon smiling and laughing with Yeji and Tzuyu, the three of them having fun. I could hear Chaewon's laugh from here, a bubbly giggle that reached my ears.
"Well, it's good you have her. You deserve the best, Minjae," she said.
"Yeah," I whispered, drifting my eyes to the ground. "Thanks."
"Oh, and I see Haerin is here also," Karina continued. I lifted my gaze up and looked over at her. "Does she know?"
I didn't reply immediately, keeping my eyes on Haerin who stood at the end of the court.
"She does," I eventually replied, letting a sigh slip past my lips.
"Oh," Karina mumbled. "How did she take it?"
"I don't know actually," I answered, rubbing the back of my head.
"Really? You guys have been together all day, haven't you spoken yet?"
"Well no, she showed up just earlier and we haven't so much as waved at each other."
"Ah."
"Yeah."
"Are you scared?"
"About what?"
"To talk to her."
"Not exactly. I wouldn't mind if I talked to her or not."
"But?"
"It's...weird. I don't know. She doesn't seem interested in talking to me anymore."
"I see."
"Yeah."
"Well, you're probably just imagining things. I'm sure she's fine, I wouldn't think much about it." Haerin was just standing there idly, her arms hanging by her side and her eyes watching the teams celebrate. She looked bored and uninterested.
"I don't know," I murmured. "Maybe you're right."
"Yeah," Karina said. She gave me a reassuring pat on the back. "It was a good game. Your team is really good. We'll have to play you guys another time."
"Yeah," I replied.
"Bye, Minjae."
"See ya."
Karina stood up and walked towards her team. As I sat on the ground, I watched the Sweaty Cheetahs, all of them hugging and consoling each other. The loss didn't sit well with any of them, especially Karina, even if she didn't show it. I helped myself up off the ground and made my way towards my team, joining them in celebrating our victory.
"One more game," They were chanting. "Goobers!"
"One more game! One more game!"
They were all laughing and high fiving, their hands going everywhere. Haechan and Wooyoung threw their heavy arms around me, squeezing my neck tightly.
"We won, Minjae!" They laughed. "Fucking Goobers!"
I laughed along with them, "Still got one more game." Sana sarcastically groaned, "C'mon, let us celebrate this one before you remind us." Right as she finished saying that, an official came over to us and announced the results.
"Goofy Goobers? Your team has won the semi-finals and moved into the finals, playing against Team Wall Street, who beat out the other team," He said, pointing across the court where Team Wall Street were still celebrating their win. "Congratulations, your game starts in a few minutes. Get warmed up."
"Hell yeah," Sana yelled.
"Finals!" Jinho cried, raising a fist in the air.
"One more game," Yeji said, nodding.
"Let's go, one more," Tzuyu replied, pumping her fists. "One more, c'mon."
"Okay, let's warm up," I said, waving my hand to signal for us to gather back onto the court. My team walked on, leaving me on the side with the spectators. Wooyoung leaned into my ear, "If you guys win, we totally got to celebrate and drink tonight. Bring Chaewon with you, introduce her to us properly this time."
I chuckled, nodding, "Yeah, sure. That'd be fun."
Wooyoung grinned and patted my back. He went off and rejoined the rest of the spectators. I followed suit, standing near Chaewon, who was waiting for me. She was clapping and cheering, a beautiful smile on her face.
"One last game, Minjae," She said, bumping her shoulder into me.
"Yep," I said, leaning into her.
"You're gonna win this."
"Of course."
"Have fun then."
She planted a quick kiss on my cheek. As we separated, the crowd was growing larger, more and more people crowding together for the last game of the intramural tournament. I crept my hand up my shirt and placed it above my heart, feeling its rhythm. I could feel it racing, it was beating against my palm, a steady tempo.
There was an ebb and flow, a wave that moved with every thump.
My heart was beating.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Was I nervous?
Why was I nervous?
Of course, I wanted to win but I didn't feel this nervous for the other games. What was the problem now? I looked back and forth across the court, seeing my team doing stretches and the opposing team getting ready.
In the back, Hanni and Danielle were huddled together, talking about something. I glanced at Haerin, who was still alone. She stood there, still like a statue. Our eyes met, and we were both frozen, unable to pull our gaze away. It was like there was some force that pulled me towards her, something that told me to keep my eyes on her.
We both held each other's stare. My heart was still thumping loudly, the beats were faster and faster. I was sweating again, and not because of the tournament. I felt my lips part and a gasp leave my mouth, my eyes wide open.
What was this feeling?
Suddenly, the moment ended and Haerin quickly turned her head away.
She crossed her arms and turned her body towards the court, spectating my team while they warmed up for the last time. I awkwardly dropped my hand out of my shirt and stepped onto the court, meeting with my team.
"Ready?" Jinho chuckled, crossing his arms and stretching out his shoulders.
"Yeah," I replied.
"Minjae," Yeji said, a serious tone in her voice. "Let's win this."
I nodded. We all huddled up and did our ritual. We grabbed each other's hands, putting them together. Our hands were interlocked, and we all had our fingers locked together. "Goobers!" We all shouted. From the side, our other friends shouted after us. I glanced over and saw Joy, Jennie and Xiaoting, cheering for us.
A huge group of spectators were surrounding the court. I spotted Wooyoung and Saerom to the side of the fashion trio, clapping their hands and jumping around. They were cheering, "Go, Goobers!" Chaewon was right next to them, clapping her hands and smiling. She was cheering and shouting, her voice rising above the others.
"Go, Minjae!" She laughed.
"One more time," Haechan shouted. "Let's do this."
"One, two, three," we chanted, lifting our hands into the air.
"Goobers!"
"Let's start," The official said. We all took our places and readied ourselves. The whistle blew, and the game began.
Wednesday | November 29th, 2023 | 7:14 PM
"Fuck," Jinho spat out after getting his spike monster blocked by the Wall Street players. "Fuck."
The ball fell to the ground, and their side erupted in cheers, celebrating the point. They had scored the last two points in a row, bringing us closer and closer to a potential loss. I wiped my face, looking across the court and seeing the Wall Street players smirking at us. They definitely weren't amateurs, it really felt like they played volleyball for a living.
I looked around the court, seeing my teammates were frustrated. I could feel the stress, everyone was nervous. We could feel it, the energy of the crowd was growing. The game wasn't close to finished but it felt hopeless. The score was 5-15, us losing badly.
"It's okay, we're okay," Yeji sighed. "It's fine, just take it easy."
"They're blocking everything," Tzuyu groaned. True to their name, anytime we went up for an attack, a wall of hands were there to block it, easily stopping our attempts to score.
"I know, they're fucking good," I said, glancing over to the other side of the court, seeing them celebrating their last point. I wiped my forehead, already drenched in sweat.
"Fuck, we got to get this back," Sana hissed, cracking her fingers.
"We got this," Jinho said. "Let's go, guys, we're okay."
"Alright, alright," Tzuyu sighed, giving us all a thumbs up.
"One more time, we're okay."
"Let's keep this ball off the floor."
"Yeah," I said. We readied up together and faced the other side of the court. Their server sent the ball over towards us. I trusted Yeji to receive the ball, sending it up to Tzuyu. She hopped into the air and pushed the ball up towards me to attempt a spike. On cue, as I jumped, the Wall Street hands appeared, blocking the spike.
Luckily, since it happened so many times, Yeji covered my weakness by positioning herself underneath me as I jumped, recycling the ball back into play. Tzuyu used that opportunity to quickly set the ball behind her towards Jinho, who had his arms ready to smash the ball down. Since they were too occupied with my spike, the Wall was late to block off Jinho who got us our first point in a while.
"Yes!" He cheered. We all gave him a pat on the back, praising him.
"Good, good, let's keep this up!" I screamed, trying to keep the momentum. We all rallied together, the crowd was screaming, and our friends were cheering us on. We couldn't give up now, not when we were this close. Even if we got a good point, the Wall Street team was just too ahead and ended the first set on 25-11.
I let out a heavy sigh, rubbing my hands against the back of my neck, "Damn it."
"It's okay," Sana said. "Let's not give up, we got this."
"Yeah," Haechan continued, slapping me on the back.
"We still have a set," Jinho said, nodding his head.
"Exactly, it's not over yet," Yeji said. I gave a deep breath, looking across the court and seeing the Wall Street players having their own discussions, their backs towards us. I looked back at the crowd, who all seemed to be impressed with the gameplay that Wall Street demonstrated on us.
It was almost an out of body experience, looking at the crowd and seeing how in awe they were. My heart sank, realizing we weren't impressing anybody, not like before. My chest was tightening up, my breathing was slowing down, the world around me was moving at a snail's pace.
What was going on?
Why am I still nervous?
"Minjae."
As corny as it sounded, when I heard her voice, it felt like my soul returned to my body. The world was moving again. I blinked, letting myself revert back to reality. When my eyes were fully open, Haerin was closer to me than before, her hands clutching each other in front of her body.
"Haerin," I said, stepping back from the court. "What's up?"
"I wanted to wish you good luck," She simply said. "I didn't get to talk to you at all since I got here, sorry."
"Oh, it's fine," I said, trying to shrug it off. "I mean, the game isn't exactly over."
"Right," Haerin said, turning her head towards the court.
"But thank you, I'll try my hardest on this set."
"Thanks." She looked up and gave me a smile. She then turned around and walked away. I watched her walk back towards Hanni and Danielle, who were unaware their friend had walked off on her own. I stared at Haerin for a moment, her hands gripping onto her shirt, her legs wobbly, and her eyes downcast.
What was she feeling right now?
What was she thinking about?
Was she upset that she didn't say more to me?
Or did she want to talk more to me but was scared to do so?
Why did I even care?
I have a girlfriend.
I should just focus on the game and not on her.
That was all.
I looked over towards the court, seeing my teammates all ready for the second set. I took a deep breath and jogged towards them. I didn't say a word as I took my spot.
"Alright, we got this," Jinho said, giving us a strained smile. "We can do this."
"Just keep your heads up, and focus on winning this set," I said. The whistle blew and the second set began.
Wednesday | November 29th, 2023 | 7:53 PM
"Yes!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Fucking, yes!"
I dropped to the ground, lying on the court. The rest of my team surrounded me, all laughing and yelling. Haechan was throwing a fit, stomping around and crying out, "Fuck, yeah!" Jinho was laughing and pumping his fists in the air. Tzuyu, Yeji and Sana were holding onto each other and dancing around the court.
The second set was hard-fought, with a lot of tension, back and forth exchanges. For the most part, the Wall Street players were unbeatable, easily dominating us. At the end, they had the score advantage and had the upper hand, 19-24, but we didn't let it slip. We managed to bring it to a deuce and won off of two points, leaving the final score at 28-26.
After that, everything felt like a blur. It was a rollercoaster ride, one minute we were losing, the next minute we were tied, and the next, we were set to play one final set. The adrenaline was rushing through me, making everything a blur. The only thing that wasn't blurry was my memory of the winning spike.
It felt perfect, one fluid motion for a devastating spike that ended the set. My mind was replaying the moment, where the ball flew through the air and dropped hard on the other side. All I could hear was the voices of the spectators, and my teammates screaming in joy. I closed my eyes, a smile appearing on my face.
"One more set," Haechan chanted, kneeling beside me and patting me on the stomach.
"This is our year, Goobers," Yeji laughed.
"We'll celebrate after we win," Tzuyu chuckled, pulling her hand.
"Let's go," Jinho said, grabbing onto my arm and yanking me up. I brushed off the dust on my pants and let myself get dragged towards the edge of the court, where we met up with our friends who've been cheering us on all night.
"Fuck yeah!" Wooyoung cried out, pulling and hugging Sana and Tzuyu together. He then pulled Jinho into the hug, squeezing them all tightly. The rest of the friends followed suit, giving us all pats and hugs. Haechan and Saerom were holding each other and jumping around, while Xiaoting and Jennie were talking to Yeji and Joy.
I took a moment to collect myself, rubbing the back of my head. The adrenaline was slowly fading, and the sweat was building up, leaving me uncomfortable and sticky. My throat was parched and my heart was pounding loudly in my ears. I just wanted to get back onto the court and finish this thing before I lose this high.
"You did really well, Minjae," Chaewon encouraged. "You look like you're about to drop."
"I'm fine, just a bit tired," I replied, looking over at Chaewon who stood close to my side. "Thanks though, I'm trying my best."
"That's all that matters," Chaewon chuckled.
"Right."
"Come here, you," She giggled, reaching out and grabbing my hand. I stepped towards her, feeling her hands wrap around me and pull me into a hug.
"Chaewon, I'm sweaty," I whispered.
"I don't care, it's just a hug," She mumbled. "We'll have time to clean up after."
I smiled, hugging her back. As I wrapped my arms around her, a sudden wave of comfort rushed through me. Her hug felt so nice and calming, as if she was the only person I needed. Her hands were soft, and her arms were firm, the embrace was just enough to make me melt. It made my mind clear and my worries fade away. This feeling was addicting. I leaned my chin on her shoulder and closed my eyes, sighing softly.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm okay, thanks."
"That's good, I'm glad."
She let go, giving me a quick peck on the cheek. Her smile was infectious, and it brought a grin to my face. "Well, good luck. One more set, and you'll have the win."
"Right, we got this," I replied, trying to keep my voice strong.
"Okay."
"Minjae!"
"What?"
Yeji grabbed me by the wrist and started pulling me towards the court. The whistle had been blown, and everyone was starting to get into position.
"Go!" Chaewon shouted. "One more set."
"Yep."
"C'mon, let's finish this," Yeji said, pushing me towards my spot on the court. "We got this, c'mon, focus."
I nodded, taking my position and focusing on the game.
It was now or never.
This was it.
We were playing the final set.
The stakes were at their highest, one mistake and it's game over.
My heart was pounding.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
I closed my eyes, feeling my blood rushing through me.
The whistle blew. The final set was beginning.
Wednesday | November 29th, 2023 | 8:19 PM
Move. I told myself, launching my body into the floor, diving for the ball. Just barely missed it, the ball bounced away from me after it touched my fingertips. If only I was just a little bit quicker to react. I looked at the score now, 15-9. Not too bad, but still not in a place I would want to be.
Since it was our final set, the game ended at 21 meaning Wall Street only had 6 points left while we had to catch up with a difficult 12. I got back on my feet, shaking my head, feeling the beads of sweat dripping down from my forehead. The crowd was cheering, and the whistle was being blown. The ball had already come back over, landing into Yeji's waiting platform. Tzuyu went for the ball, her eyes fixated into the air.
Her fingers extended and the ball was pushed off into the air. It didn't go towards me nor Jinho, the team's dedicated frontline hitters. Instead, the ball went towards Haechan who was behind the frontline. I saw his eyes widen, as if he didn't expect the ball to come his way. He leapt up on the spot and smacked the ball hard, sending it into the top of the net, which made the ball randomly fly into an obscure direction on Wall Street's side.
The erratic movement stunted their reactions and gave us a point to catch up with.
"Good improv, Haechan!" Tzuyu cried out, running to high five him.
"Yeah, Haechan!" Saerom cupped her hands near her mouth, screaming his name. He blankly stared into the crowd with a stupid smile before focusing back into the game. It was Tzuyu's turn to serve, which she casually performed with her previous years of playing for her old school. Her ball floated through the air at the other side, landing softly into the hands of one of the Wall Street players.
She sent the ball over towards our side. It was easy to tell where it was going, as it was directed right at Jinho. He popped the ball into the air for Tzuyu to use while she ran back into position. She jumped into the ball, holding her hands up like usual to set the ball. Jinho and I, on opposite ends of the court, awaited her set but she gently tapped it sideways, faking out the blockers and dropping the ball onto their floor.
The referee blew the whistle and pointed his fingers towards our side, the score was now 15-11. We roared, shouting and laughing together. Tzuyu's setter dump was something the opponents didn't anticipate. The score was getting closer. Ignoring the group, Tzuyu went for the ball and walked back to the service line, waiting for the whistle to blow.
I only knew Tzuyu as this cool and collected girl who would occasionally throw a snarky comment at someone, but right now, I could feel her energy from across the court. She was fired up and excited, taking more deliberate and unconventional approaches in what was a risky situation for all of us. I watched her bounce on her feet, shaking her head, and blowing out a breath.
Tzuyu had an intense and determined gaze, which made her look more intimidating than before. I wasn't sure how she did it, but there was a different air around her that I had never seen before. She casually bounced off the floor and executed a float serve that flew off the arms of a Wall Street player. 15-12. We were inching closer and closer to tying.
Jinho ran over to give Tzuyu a pat on the back, complimenting her serve. Tzuyu didn't respond, only giving a small smile and a nod before she readied herself. Her next serve went over and it was received, bouncing into the hands of their setter who lobbed a good set to their hitter.
Jinho was quick to try to block the ball, but the Wall Street hitter had a powerful attack, and it went over his fingers. Haechan, who was already planted in his spot, wasn't fast enough to adapt to the sudden change in position and the ball ended up on the floor. 16-12. I let out a sigh, wiping the sweat off my forehead and looking at the crowd.
They seemed to be entertained, even some of the people cheering for Wall Street were impressed with the game. The energy was building up, the tension was thick, the sweat was dripping off everyone's skin, the world was slowing down. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the heat and hearing the noise of the crowd.
My hands were clammy, and the world felt like it was closing in on me. There was a slight ringing in my ear and the sweat was trickling down the sides of my face. This feeling was weird. Was this how nervousness felt like? Was this how it felt to be under pressure? The world was spinning. The sounds of the crowd were fading in and out.
Was this how it was supposed to feel?
In the distance, I could hear the whistle blowing. In my view, the ball came at me so I put my hands up to play the ball. I pushed it into Tzuyu's direction, backing up to give myself space to run and jump. I burst off from my spot when Tzuyu pushed the ball into the air, setting it directly above me. With a big step, I pushed off the ground and leapt towards the ball.
My arm spun around my torso and my palm slapped against the ball, sending it straight towards the backline of Wall Street's court. My feet landed on the ground and the referee blew the whistle. 16-13. 17-13. 17-14. 17-15. 17-16. 18-16. The game was flying by, the scores were rising and getting unbearably close to the end.
I cursed myself for getting blocked out and costing us another point. Their defense was really tight, and their offense was strong, and they weren't giving us any room to breathe. "Let's keep this going!" Haechan yelled. I didn't even notice that he had taken his place as a server. In the moment I was spaced out, the Wall Street team miserved and cost themselves a point. 18-17. He tossed the ball in the air, his arm swinging down to smack the ball across.
Staring down their side, I felt the shakiness of their receive from where I was standing. It didn't feel clean. My feet yelled at me to move, so I exploded and leapt off the ground immediately. The receive was out of reach for their setter, flying over the net towards us but I was already in the air. Being first in the air meant I had free access of the net. With no blockers, I whipped my arm and punished the bad receive with a spike that flew down. 18-18. Tied up.
"Minjae!" I heard the fashion trio scream from the sidelines. Sana and Haechan rushed me, throwing their arms around my shoulders, "What a hit!"
"Alright, alright," I said, shaking them off. "Focus, focus, let's get this going." I cocked my head to the side for more encouragement and fixated on Haerin, who stood there with slightly widened eyes and a faint smile. Her teeth barely peeked through her lips, and her eyes were glossy, staring right at me.
Looking away, I turned to Chaewon, who was jumping around, screaming and cheering. She was looking towards the court, waving her arms around and chanting my name. I felt the pressure in my chest alleviate, and I felt the shakiness subside. I wanted to recapture that feeling I had in our second game, where I had a brief moment of invincibility, where my body knew exactly what to do and how to execute it.
It was the confidence that I had been looking for since the very first game of the season.
18-19. We broke the tie off of Jinho's tip that caught them off guard.
19-19. Followed by us mis-serving and giving them the tie again.
Just two points, it's all we need. I collided with Yeji, both of us going for a ball at the same time. Not wanting to cost a point, I did whatever I could which included me throwing a foot out as we hit the floor. By some miracle of luck, the ball bounced up off of my foot and into the air high enough for Tzuyu to work with.
Knowing me and Yeji were still recovering, she gave the ball to Jinho who tried to put it down in a spike but it bounced off the hands of their block. Even luckier for us, the block didn't make the ball go down, instead it went up and to the side. By that time, my feet were already in motion and my eyes were locked on the ball.
I sped past Haechan and Sana, not wasting any time or space. I dove into the floor, extending my arms and popping the ball up and behind me. narrowly missing a group of people spectating. With my momentum, I slid on the floor, feeling my palms burn against the hard surface. I had to ignore the pain after hearing a loud cheer come from behind me, followed by a whistle. I whipped my head around and saw our team bundled together in celebration.
19-20. We were just one point off from winning it all. Against what was arguably the best team in the tournament. I sat there for a moment, feeling my heart pump and the adrenaline rushing through me. We were almost there. Jinho rushed over, grabbing me by my wrist and dragging me back onto the court, "C'mon captain, it's your serve. Finish it for us!"
"Right, right," I mumbled, dusting myself off.
"Yes, captain!" Haechan cheered, patting me on the back. "Get it going."
"One more point," Tzuyu said. "Just one more point."
The official tossed the ball over to me, which I caught and bounced once before carrying it to the service line. It felt surreal, to be honest. To be the server of the last game and potentially the final point in the game. It felt like a movie or a dream. The serve had to be perfect, the ball couldn't touch their arms, not a single thing.
I held my breath and zoned out. The only sound I could hear was my blood pumping in my ears. It felt like everyone else was muffled. My eyes focused on the ball, which was spinning slowly in my hand. I bounced it, watching the ball's movements. Everything felt slow, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
Glancing at Chaewon for one last bit of reassurance, her eyes met mine and she gave me a nod. Her entire body looked tensed up for me, as if she was trying her best to show that she was rooting for me. Her fists were balled up, and she looked like she was trying her best not to shake. I could only smile back, nodding and focusing on the ball.
With a flourish, I tossed the ball up. The toss was perfect. I stepped forward, before exploding into a soft sprint. My movement was fluid. Planting my feet and pushing off the ground, I launched myself into the air. My jump was perfect. I drew my arm back and whipped my wrist and fingers forward. My release was perfect. My palm made contact with the ball, making a resounding thwack. My connection was perfect. Life was perfect.
The ball zoomed straight towards the backline of their court, the spin was immaculate, and the speed was deadly. Though it was too bad, the ball flew directly into the awaiting platform of their player. I dropped to the ground and ran forward, rushing to reach my spot. Their setter was already setting up an attack before I could reach the net. I was late to the block, their spiker barely missed my fingertips.
My hands dropped, and my eyes followed the ball. Hwang Yeji was in the perfect position, the ball colliding with her chest, making the ball fly up in the air. Tzuyu leapt into action, touching the ball briefly before passing it to Jinho. The crowd erupted. Haechan was screaming. Jinho put down the ball but the other team managed to get it up.
Prepping my stance, I watched them set up an attack again. This time, their setter pushed the ball to the hitter on Jinho's side. At the same time, they both jumped for the ball. Jinho pressed his block aggressively, giving them little to no space to work with but they had a workaround to that. We've been doing it to them to throw them off guard, I didn't expect it would happen to us.
Their hitter gently tapped the ball from underneath and bounced it over Jinho's block. Watching the ball fall towards the ground, I thought, would we be stuck in this stalemate until one side of the court collapses from fatigue. That was the plan, until I watched Haechan throw his entire body onto the floor and just barely get his forearm underneath the ball before it hit the ground.
With no control on the ball, it flew towards me instead of Tzuyu. I reacted to it, jumping into the air and eyeing the view around me. To my side, I saw two blockers already ready to block my hit, and the third was in the middle. There was no way the ball would get past the blockers. I could only think of one thing: a sacrifice.
I'd sacrifice my main character moment for this time, and this time only. Instinctively, my hands dropped and cushioned the ball as it landed, releasing it with a generous amount of force. I sent the ball across the net, towards Jinho who was on the opposite end. Knowing well enough not to take a break, Jinho forced himself off the ground and reached for the ball.
His hand slapped the ball, albeit not as powerful as we have been used to, but enough. With empty space in front of him, Jinho made the right choice to place the ball right into dead space. The ball bounced off the ground, signaling the final whistle for our game. My teammates screamed. Some collapsed on the ground, others cheered and jumped around.
But I felt the world spin. I didn't want to believe what just happened. It was surreal, I didn't expect our last hit would actually go like this. It was like a scene in a movie, it was too good to be true. The whistle was blown. We had won the game. Wall Street had lost their undefeated streak. The score was now 21-19.
The screams from our group filled the gym.
I didn't notice when Wooyoung and Chaewon had come into my vision, the former throwing herself onto me. Her arms wrapped around me, and her body was warm. I didn't say a word, only holding her in a tight embrace. I didn't know why, but the embrace felt nice, the hug was soothing, and the closeness was comfortable.
We had won. It was finally over. We had won, we beat the undefeated and untouchable Wall Street. The thought kept replaying in my mind, it was hard to believe. It wasn't real.
The Goobers and company crowded the court.
"Good game!" Tzuyu and Sana cheered.
"Good game, guys." Yeji was huffing, hugging Jinho tightly.
"Woo!" Saerom shouted.
"Congratulations, captain," Wooyoung smiled.
"Yeah, that was so good!" Joy shouted, wrapping her arm around Jennie and Xiaoting. "You guys really won, oh my god."
"Congrats!" Jennie shouted.
"I'm so proud!"
All the congratulations and praises kept coming in. I stood there, trying to process everything. It felt unreal, everything just felt too good. Too good. Was it all real?
"Minjae!" I looked over at Danielle and Hanni who were a few steps away from me. Danielle had the biggest smile, waving her hands and screaming. "Good job! You won, congrats!" I drifted away from the group, walking towards the two.
"Thank you," I said, rubbing the back of my head. "Thanks."
"Wow, I wasn't really a fan of volleyball at first but watching you play makes it look so fun! Congratulations, I'm really happy for you, Minjae." Hanni exclaimed, clasping her hands together.
"Thanks, Hanni," I grinned. "And thanks for coming to most of the games. It really helps to have a supportive group."
"Oh, yeah, definitely!" She smiled, nudging Danielle. "Haerin practically forced me and Danielle to come, but I'm glad we did, it's been really fun. Plus, you guys are super good, so it's worth it."
Finally noticing, Haerin wasn't hovering around them, I looked around the gym, spotting her standing in her same spot that she hasn't moved from since the game had started. Our eyes locked. I was unsure of what was going through her head, but her face was blank, void of any emotion. I couldn't tell if she was excited, disappointed, angry, or neutral.
It was strange.
"Really," I murmured, looking back at the two.
"Don't tell her I told you," Danielle whispered, cupping her mouth. "But at first, while we wanted to just study, Haerin wanted us to come and watch you since she didn't want to be by herself."
"Oh?"
"She was so scared," Hanni teased. "She didn't even want to admit it."
"The poor girl hates crowds. But we went anyway since that's what she wanted," Danielle continued. "I'm glad we came though, you played amazing."
"Oh," I chuckled. "Well, thank you guys for coming and supporting us. I'm really grateful."
"Of course," Hanni nodded. The Vietnamese girl turned around, looking at Haerin. "We should probably head out. Our finals are next week, and I know Haerin wants to finish her work."
"Okay," I hummed, nodding. "Thanks again, for coming. Really, thank you."
"You're welcome, Minjae. It was nice seeing you." Danielle bowed her head, following Hanni as she approached Haerin. Together, the three of them exited the gym. I felt my chest tighten up and a knot form in my throat, wondering why Haerin didn't wave or acknowledge me on the way out.
"Yo," I heard a voice call.
"Hm?" Looking over, Wooyoung was waving me over. I nodded, walking towards him. "What's up?"
"I said when you guys win your game, we needed to celebrate, didn't I?" He said, putting his arm around my shoulders. "And you won, so we're celebrating!"
The Goobers laughed and cheered.
"Fuck yeah!" They cheered.
"C'mon, c'mon," he tugged at me, bringing me closer to the group. "It's gonna be so fun. And it's all paid for by yours truly."
"Whoa, Wooyoung," I whistled. "You must have some money on you, huh?"
"Mommy's money, but who's asking," He chuckled, looking around at the others. "Everyone here knows the deal, meet up at my apartment in 30? I'll get the alcohol, all of you are in charge of whatever else you want to bring."
"I'll bring snacks," Yeji called, pulling Jinho to her side, "We'll pitch in together."
"Alright, then I'll get sodas and water," Haechan nodded, rubbing his chin.
Everyone began assigning themselves things to bring. Chaewon slipped her hand into mine, "What about us? What should we bring?" She asked into my ear.
"I think they all have it covered," I hummed. "Shouldn't you be going home?"
"Why? Are you getting rid of me?"
"No," I scoffed. "It's going to be a drive for you, and I don't like the idea of you driving an hour and a half at night, half sober."
"Don't worry about me, captain," She cooed. "I'll be fine. Let's just enjoy tonight, okay?"
"I'll cut you off when I think you're not good to drive, how's that sound?"
"Hmm, but how will you do that if you're going to be batshit drunk? You just won your volleyball season, and you're not going to have any fun? That's no fun."
"Quit it," I joked, pinching her sides.
"Aaah!" She squealed. "I'm just saying."
"We have finals to study for anyways, I'd like to not have a hangover when that starts," I chuckled.
Chaewon frowned at me, "C'mon, don't worry about that right now, you've worked hard."
"It's a bad idea, Chae," I mumbled, shaking my head. I looked around the group, everyone occupied with tonight's plans.
"Just tonight, Minjae. It'll be fine," Chaewon urged. "Let's have fun together?"
I sighed, turning my gaze down at her. Chaewon stared back, her brown eyes shimmering in the gym lights. She was waiting for an answer, biting her bottom lip. I couldn't tell what was going through her mind, but she was eager.
"Alright," I finally replied, smiling down at her. "We'll have fun tonight, just for a bit. But, we're stopping early and we're going home after."
"Is that an invite to stay the night?" Chaewon smirked. I felt my words get caught in my throat, not sure how to respond.
"That's not what I meant." Her playful grin didn't falter, "Well can it be, though? Can I stay the night at your place?"
I swallowed my spit and blinked a couple times. This felt like a massive step forward in our relationship. I was a bit hesitant to allow it. After all, we just recently got back together. However, her question did spark a new set of images in my mind. The thought of her sleeping over, maybe wearing some of my clothes as we slept together. It sounded tempting, and it wasn't like we were against it. Hell, Chaewon herself was offering it for me.
"Sure," I muttered, feeling her squeeze my hand in response.
"Okay, we'll stop when you feel like stopping, captain," She giggled. "We're staying together tonight."
While Chaewon and I had our own conversation, the others had finished deciding on who was going to bring what. It didn't take long for the group to start disbursing, all of us agreeing on the meet up time and place. My heart still hadn't stopped pounding since today. From playing all the games, seeing Haerin, and the sudden announcement that Chaewon was spending the night.
It was a lot. Would I be able to handle everything?
Haha... Did you miss me? For your Christmas gift, I bring you, a new chapter! This one is totally revolved around volleyball as I wanted a calm chapter before what would eventually be the biggest arc by far! I did not forget, don't think I would be gone that easily! It just so happens that exams had came up and gotten in the way of me writing. Once that was over, I realized I didn't even start on a chapter so I was in a total rush to churn this one out! Believe me, next chapter will be the start of the best arc that this story has seen. Are you excited? Worried my upload schedule will be abysmal? Let me know! - PI