Her Captain, The Gamemaster

Same But Different

*Soo-ah's POV*

'Nothing. I'm the same as everyone else,'

'Really?'

'Mhm,'

'But you seem so much more different than everyone else,'

'No two people are exactly the same. Name, gender, ethnicity, appearance, hobbies, likes and dislikes, skill set, ambitions,'

'But you're ALOT more different,'

There was a pause.

'I don't know if I should be offended by that but I'm sure there's people out there like me and people out there who'll understand me for what I am,'

'N-no, I didn't mean it as disrespect. I-I actually really respect you, Li-unn-,' I stop myself before making another mistake. 

'Call me Li. And I understand what you mean,'

I feel my eyes widened. 'Umm y-yes Li-ah,' I stutter out. She looked at me with a weird look but continued what she was saying.

'As I was saying, no one chooses what they are. Only what they want to be,'

I nodded, understanding a little.

'I'm going to see how well you can play first, then I will see how I can help you,'

'HUH?!? WAIT- YOU'RE TEACHING ME EVERYTHING?!?'

She doesn't say anything but I could see something in her expression, that spoke to me.

'I'll be here. So work hard,' it said.

Grinning manically, I pump my fist. 'YESS!!!'

Laughing, I follow my new best friend back to the middle of the room. We began tossing the ball back and forth for a few minutes. Then we began digs. 'Omg, it hurts so bad,' I thought as I receive it, the impact leaving my arms shaking.

She walked over to me and examined my posture after a while. 'Try not to run with your arms out. Form your dig after you run to the right place. Also, you're moving your arms too much. You're meant to send it back with leg stability. You also move too much. That would be a big disadvantage,' she lectured as she corrected my footing and lowered my body.

'Mh,' I nod with a tone of agreement. She walked back to her position but instead of throwing the ball up lightly, she threw it to herself before,

BAM.

It happened so fast and I couldn't register what happened but the next thing I knew was sitting on the floor, lying against the same pillar Li slept against, with a throbbing pain on my arms and my legs shaking. My body was way too warm from exercising so little and I was sweating a lot.

'In a real game, there will be serves and spikes. You will have to receive high-momentum balls flying all over the place at 80km/hour,' I look to my right to see Li-ah holding my arm and inspecting it.

I look down to see a massive bruise on my forearm, staining my pale milky skin with a purple splotch. 'Ouch,' I let out as I winced, brushing the bruise lightly with my fingers.

'A bruise hurts when you touch it,' she states, looking at me.

Looking at her eyes, I could see that voice again speaking to me. 'Didn't you know that?'

'Oh, I know. It's just that I don't often get injuries,' I whisper.

She looked at me and that's when I realise how close we are. She was right next to me looking directly at me but soon she turned around, opening her bag. While her back was turned, I inspect my arm. 'It hurts,'

There was also a bunch of red dots lining my forearms, but they didn't hurt when I touched them.

Li-ah turns back to me and begins applying a white cream (dont say it, you weirdos) onto my bruise. 'Y-you don't have to do that. It-it's just a bruise,'

'It's going to interrupt our training if you leave it like that. This cream will help it heal,' The creams scent cleared my airways and it smelled so cool and refreshing. 'What type of cream is it?'

'I'm not sure. My grandma gave it to me because I get a lot of these too,'

'I don't see any on you though,'

She paused and lifts up her shirt with a few fingers. My eyes widen.

'Those are MASSIVE,' I yell.

'Shush, it's fine. It comes from diving and sliding around. You'll have to learn that too in order to receive smoothly,'

'Hmm,' I wonder. 'You are a libero, right?'

'Yes, sometimes,' she replies.

'How can you sometimes be a libero?' I ask.

'I can play any role but I stick to receiving. I have three uniforms. A libero one and 2 normal ones. My libero one and one of my normal ones are only when I play out-of-school professional tournaments and my last one is the school one,'

'So you can do everything?' 

She shrugs. 'I guess,'

'Is libero your favourite position?'

'Umm kind of,' she replies. I smile.

'Really? Why?'

'It's just relaxing, knowing you're not in the spotlight, I guess. I don't like people much so it's harder for me to match up with setters of spikers since they always think I'm weird,'

'I don't think you're weird,'

'You're the first,' she smiles at me.

I felt something inside of me warm up when she smiled. I grinned back at her.

'I think you're really cool. I want to keep learning and maybe one day we can play together. Or even play against each other. In a big stadium. With people watching,' I announce.

'And maybe one day, they'll remember my name,' my voice carries off but I hope Li-ah didn't hear it.

'They will. You're good for a newbie,'

I couldn't see any indication that she was lying but I know she was also trying to make me feel better, in her own special way.

'Thanks! One day, I'll get there,' I declare.

She nodded before tucking the cream into my bag which was next to my still shaking legs. 'Why are you putting it in my bag?'

'You'll need it,'

'Oh um ok,'

'That downball really hit you hard. Sorry about that,'

'No, it was right on my forearms. I should've received it properly. I couldn't see it though. It was really fast! I've always wanted to play volleyball and I'm going to keep going,'

She said nothing but I know she heard me. She pulled her bag onto her left shoulder and stood up, before giving me her hand.

Smiling, I give mine to her and she pulls me up. Standing like this, she was short. 'How does she spike or block like this?' I think.

She picks up my other bag and slings it onto her other shoulder. 'No, its ok! I can do it myself!' I protest.

'It's fine. Let's go. You can't practice until that thing is healed,'

'O-ok, but at least let me carry my own bag,'

She passes it over to me and I sling it over my right shoulder.

And just like that, my first day of school was complete. Walking side by side with my new best friend.

'I'm glad to have met you, Li-ah. Help me achieve my dreams,'

Author's Note:

screw me in the ass with a broken fork. what the hell am i writing.

also sry abt the late update.

thxx.