Her Captain, The Gamemaster

Us Against The World

Now it's Soo-ah's turn to serve.

BAM. BAM. BAM.

Scoring ace after ace, she racked up 7 points for us but I sense her fatigue and motion for her to rally for a while. 

Don't hurt yourself. 

I warn her and she nodded mentally. She gave the other team and easy serve and they launched an attack which the girl to my right messed up. The ball went over to the other side of the room, brushing the roof slightly.

'The ball will build momentum but since it touched the roof, it'll float a little,' I say to myself as I walked off the court to the destination of the ball. From there, I tossed the ball back to our end of the room and Soo-ah spiked it down the middle.

Spiking helps her relieve some stress. Playing setter causes the most pressure. After a few more clumsy rallies and me and Soo-ah having to save the butts of this horrible team, it was my turn to serve. 

I use my usual serve routine. Two spin tosses from each hand and two bounces on the floor. My eyes close subconsciously before the whistle blew, turning off the noise and right after my routine, I smack the ball to the other side of the net.

If my timing was correct, I served just as the whistle blew, so I'm not in trouble or anything. I pick up the ball that was rolled to me and serve again and again. After 5 more, I open my eyes and look at Soo-ah.

I'm hungry.

I notion to her and she giggles.

'Then hurry the hell up,' she replies telepathically.

I walk a few steps behind the service line and prepare for a jump serve. Instead of aiming for the blind spots, I aim directly at the girl playing libero position. The ball's speed knocked her over and went out. After another jump serve, I open my eyes to look at the girl's form on the floor.

She needs practice. I bet she's never practiced with a harsh v390 before. 

To be honest, none of the girls playing were good. Nothing special.

'Such empty technique,' I think to myself this time giving them a floater. The seniors returned it messily and a girl messily sends the ball to Soo-ah who gives me an A Quick. Using a normal quick attack, we score another point.

By the time the set was over, only me and Soo-ah remained standing. Everyone else couldn't keep up.

Weak.

'Aish, you can't just say that about people,'

I shrug mentally as everyone else chugs their water like they depend on it. I catch a glimpse of the coach who was watching the two of us talk like students at a pizza place rather than two first-years who just destroyed their seniors and their own teammates easily.

The middle school in Tokyo is a lot stronger.

'Yeah, Takeshima is not a powerhouse. Ready to change that?'

I give her a slight nod as the second game began. I lie down on the bleachers, lying my head on Soo-ah's lap and begin to sleep as Soo-ah watched the second game. 

She loves watching people play. Especially when teams set up their attacks. According to her, it's 'so smooth,'.

After about 15 minutes of sleeping, I feel Soo-ah's signature poke on my left shoulder and wake up. I grab my bag which was next to the bench I was sleeping on and searched for something to eat. I find a bag of chips which I ripped open and began devouring.

The two of us headed up to the rest of the trialists, who watched me and Soo-ah munch on the chips. I couldn't care less what they think of me as I toss the empty wrapper into a bin.

I turned back to the coach who began speaking again. I close my eyes, zoning her out.

*Soo-ah's POV*

'Ignoring the coach. Wow,' I thought to myself, rolling my eyes at her as I face the coach who eyed Li-ah with suspicion before beginning to talk.

'So this year, there was quite a few good first-years and I hope that everyone who didn't make it in can continue to support us,' she began.

'From these three games, I have concluded that the seniors returning to this team will be...,' I tune out the list of third-years but I noticed that 10 third years made it.

'That's half the tea,' I thought to myself.

She then read out 4 names from the second year and I begin to hear a few sad complaints.

'Don't be a petty loser because you weren't good enough,' I mumble, praying the angry girl stomping her foot got the message.

'You're a second-year. That is not how you be an example for your juniors. Oh, and your sets are really horrible,' I roll my eyes.

'And I'm proud to announce that six first-years have made the team,' Coach Nao beamed up at us.

There were only 10 first years left and it's kind of a guarantee that me and Li-ah made it. The coach called out a list of names and I poke my friend who was doing that sleeping thing she always does.

'Tang Liling, Jung Soo-ah, Esme, Wren and Isla Zinovenko and Annie Lamont,' she called out but we were already walking back to the bleachers. I don't need to confirm what's already obvious.

I grin and I sense the fire inside Li start to glow again. Her fire's been pretty dead upon arriving in Okinawa. Jet lag, maybe? Or homesickness?

It's not happiness that she's feeling. More like a determination but Li's not an enthusiastic person. It's not exactly motivation either. It's more like.... duty? Or something she's obligated to do? It's so confusing. I don't understand her attitude towards volleyball besides the fact that she loves it to death and that it's her representation of home.

I don't know but that's ok. I don't need to. If that's what my best friend wants, then I'm ok with it.

Author's Note:

nothing to say cuz idk idk *shrugs*

thxx.