Her Captain, The Gamemaster

That One Familiar Feeling

I stare at my idol for a second before turning back towards Jiyeon, feeling the slightest humidity. Me playing at more power makes me more tired faster and my movements get less accurate but my stamina is pretty high and it does help me make decisions faster.

It was now my serve.

I pick up the ball and throw it up with a rapid spin, practically spiking it over the net, she receives it and from there, she sent herself an A quick right down the front, to which I had to dive to pick up, trying to send over the ball to an inconvenient spot on her side.

However, she got there faster and spiked the ball down before it got a chance it make it across the net. I crawl before sliding again to the right curling my abdomen to try and pick up the ball, but it bounces off incorrectly and my spinning dive drops as I roll over, watching the ball fall.

I feel a stab of pain as I watch the familiar ball drop next to me. It looked so innocent and simple. I've received these drops thousands of times... so why can't I get it?

I grit my teeth, turning to my left to see the feet of my opponent. I feel my fists clench as I pull myself off the floor, dusting off the dirt on my shirt. I walk off back to my default receiving position as she heads back to serve.

*Soo-ah's POV*

I watch as Li missed her receive and my brows furrowed. It's incredibly rare to see her miss a ball. She can easily navigate the whole court in less than a second. I've seen her play 1v6 against powerhouse schools so why can't she get that?

I eye the sweat dripping down her forehead, biting my lip. 'She can win easily playing in her normal zone....she's insanely strong even though she plays with her eyes closed. But her eyes were open. And she's the most determined since....well, never,'

They two continued playing, each fighting at almost maximum power and not even within 20 minutes were they already sweating and panting like their life depended on it. Li's soft gasps filled the rooms and I realized that I've never seen her like that. She's never played against me like that, no matter how many times I've asked her to. Ouch.

*Li's POV*

Me and Jiyeon finish our game, the result being 7-5. Our rallies were intense and I felt everything. It's been so long since I've felt so alive. I look at my arms, once creamy despite my training but now they were smudged with dirt and and had small signs of internal bleeding. I brush my fingers over the dots that I encountered all those years ago.

I've been sleeping for so long that I've never realized so many things. Sure, I can easily beat Jiyeon half-dead but pushing aside my defense, I need a new weapon. My defense is already a one of a kind weapon but I need something unpredictable. 

I need to change it up. Pushing down my opponents slowly with the weight of my defense isn't enough. I need to overwhelm them with sheer force rather than an untouchable fortress. I need a new training regime, a new coach and a whole new team.

I felt the adrenaline in my veins slow down and my body began to cool. I grab my fluffy pastel blue towel and lay it over my neck. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I had just about rewritten my whole life plan when I looked to my left. To meet her eyes.

*Soo-ah's POV*

'I guess I just wasn't good enough to face her like that... shit, I'm barely enough to stand beside her so I might as well just stay behind her,'

I feel the same pain I've felt across the years and my vision blurs. I push back tears, casting the same smile I've put on for the worlds.

My throat suddenly becomes dryer and I gulp, trying not to draw attention. Not that anyone will look at me anyway...

Everyone's eyes will always be on my best friend, probably the only girl that doesn't want attention for anything.

That's who Li is.

The small, silent, beautiful one. She can be cute with her large dark sparkly eyes and the way her cheeks rise when she bites the inside of her mouth but she also has a silent beauty aura and I'm completely in love with the way she thinks.

Damm it.

I hate that I love you.

So fucking much.

Whether she's just sleeping or wearing her massive sports clothes, I find everything about her so addicting. She tutors our juniors with patience but stern enough to keep them motivated. She thinks of everything before acting and her love for her home is heart-breaking. There's so much about her that I love. But we're never gonna get together.

And that hurts me more than anything.

*Li's POV*

I would be lying if I said that I didn't know what the look on Soo-ah's face meant and I began to feel the same. She may be my best friend but there is a limit to everything.

Soo-ah is the main character. She turns heads everywhere she goes and she's got the perfect personality. She's smart, hard-working and funny. It's no wonder why she's so popular. 

I'm just the side character in her life. I'm meant to be her polar opposite. The one who keeps her calm. Someone she runs to when she's hurt. I keep her steady and help her keep her head high.

The side character never gets their own plot. But that's okay with me. I'm ok with not having an overdramatic love life.

Me and Soo-ah bond because of the small amount of things we have in common. We share everything. Our trauma, our failures and our triumphs. We've went out for boba runs at 3am and we whisper all our secrets to each other under blanket tents.

There's nothing I don't know about her and we can understand each other without even speaking. How blessed am I to have a relationship with someone who speaks for me?

We are each other's halves.

That's why I know she likes me.

Author's Note:

im drowning in hw rn 😭😭😭

also da big plot twist: li knew all along that soo-ah liked her

find out what happens next in my probably-late update

thxx.