Shoot Once, Score Twice

Part 16: When we meet again

An almost empty pitch, and close to the centre circle was a player on their hands and knees, crying onto the grass. They clenched their fists and their face was red, their breathing was irregular due to all of the crying.
Another player walked up to them, standing over them they softly let out the words
"Practice more, and in the future you'll be crying with happiness instead. You have the potential, so don't blame yourself."
"There's no point, I will never be as good as everyone else."
"That's what you think, but trust me if you follow my instructions then the next time we see each other, I will see you as my equal."
"Your... equal."
—

"(Y/n) wake up, it's time for training." Chaeyoung said, opening the curtains in (Y/n)'s room
(Y/n) looked at the clock on his bedside table with tired eyes before pressing his face back into the mattress.
"I have at least ten more minutes." He responded, the mattress muffling his voice
"You've asked for it." Chaeyoung sighed annoyed
She left the room for a minute and came back in with a bucket of water, which she instantly split over (Y/n). (Y/n) let out a short shout of shock before jumping up out of the bed.
"What the hell Chae!?"
"You didn't wake up when I told-" Chaeyoung stopped talking in shock when she looked at (Y/n). He was wearing nothing but his boxers
"What's wrong? You've seen me in the changing room hundreds of times without a shirt on so why are you so surprised?" (Y/n) laughed
"It-I-well you- you know what nevermind. I'm going to eat breakfast."

"How is this the same as before, you weren't ripped and didn't have such big muscles." Chaeyoung thought to herself
"Oh Chae by the way, extra training today."
"what, why!?"
"You'll see."
Chaeyoung left (Y/n)'s room and Sunghoon was sitting at the dining table laughing
"Imagine perving on your own manager." He said
"What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm on about, it's not just you either. There's Momo, Tzuyu and Sana who have been constantly eyeing him up at training, then there's Mina who (Y/n) spent the day with yesterday but that's a whole different story."
"What are you trying to say?"
"By any chance did any of you like him when you were at school?"
"Well... maybe a few of us I don't know... when we were at school we were close together as friends. And maybe some of us did develop feelings I don't know."
"Well good luck trying to compete with eight other women."
"I didn't say I like him now!"
"Suuuure."

~~
"Get a move on! Fifty more shuttle runs lets go!" The coach commanded
Seulgi and Yeri walk onto the pitch with their training gear on, the coach then saw the two and rolled their eyes
"You're late. How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Keep your hair on grandad." Seulgi kissed her teeth out of annoyance
"That's it, two hundred shuttle runs." He said
"If you think I'm doing them you-"
"Shut up and do it already." Jennie said, already running
"Alright fine calm down, although there's something you guys should know."
"What's that?"
"We bumped into (Y/n) and Mina yesterday." Seulgi stated

Jennie wiped her face over with a towel before walking over to Seulgi and Yeri, she had a half angry half detached from feeling.
"What happened?" She asked
"We saw them in the boot shop, we tried to mess them around a bit mentally, provoke them. Until Yeri got physical and (Y/n) put her on her knees."
"You did. What?"
Jennie was furious to the point that she looked Seulgi dead in the eyes, brought her right hand up across the left side of her body, and vigorously brought her hand down across Yeri's face, Backhanding her on the cheek.
"You're both benched for the next game, seven hundred shuttle runs."
None of them could argue with her, Yeri had genuine shock on her face which was rare for someone like her. Seulgi just stood there with a hint of sadness upon her face.

The manager looked at the pair after Jennie left, he sighed before saying
"That was very stupid of you. But tell me, (Y/n), did you mean Hwang (Y/n) who used to play for Dobong Elite middle school?"
"Why? What's it to you?" Seulgi kissed her teeth and started her shuttle runs angrily