Game Changer | Petalz 🌸🍃

Chapter II

Sakura's dad is still staring at the now empty field. He doesn't acknowledge her presence, not even when she places her bag on the empty seat between them. It's nothing new to her, and frankly, she has already gotten used to it and learned to expect it. At least, it means she doesn't have to look into his cold, hard eyes. No matter how much time have passed, she still hasn't quite got used to them.

They sit in complete silence, for what feels like hours but can't be more than a minute or two, and just stare at the vast expanse of the green, empty grass. She wonders what is going through his mind right now. Which match is playing before his eyes on that field? His first one? Or his last one? And if she was in his place, which one would it be for her?

"That new eleven," his raspy voice finally breaks the silence. "She's quite good."

"She is," Sakura admits.

"Better than you."

The certainty in his voice makes Sakura grit her teeth. She wants to argue but knows there's no point in that. He has years of experience to back up his statement; she has only her own confidence in her skills, and even that lately fluctuates depending on her mood.

"She'll take your spot on the team."

"Coach is changing the formation," she says, her attempt at a calm tone failing as the words rush out of her mouth.

Her dad sighs, as if her words, her tone, her whole presence is tiresome to him. "I'm not talking about your current team. She may be eleven here. But she will be nine on the national team. And you know what that makes of you."

She grips the edge of the seat, knuckles turning white.

Zero...

"Zero."

"Don't worry." She gets up and picks up her bag. "It won't happen."

I'll keep my promise.

She has to. Otherwise, all the effort she puts into this game will be for nothing. Otherwise, she'll never be able to look into his eyes again.

As she leaves the stadium, she briefly considers just going home. She has never been the most sociable type, and with everything that happened today, she feels like she has already reached her daily quota of human interaction. Not to mention that the conversation she had with her dad just now left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth.

Sure, Yunjin and Chaewon will be pissed at her tomorrow, even more than their team's captain probably, but they'll get over it sooner than later and will be angry at her only by a matter of principle.

But, and yes, there is a but (which honestly takes her by surprise), it all boils down to that interaction she had with Kazuha when the girl was leaving the locker room.

See you later...

Yes, she's aware that's just how people say their goodbyes. And they will see each other later, later as in tomorrow. So why she cannot get rid of the feeling that if she doesn't go to that stupid pub, she'll come off as a liar and an overall unreliable person?

She has a hunch it has something to do with that smile the girl gave her but doesn't want to delve deeper into that theory. It's ridiculous enough that she had spent hours analyzing Kazuha's game footage, and now she's what? Analyzing her every expression? Yeah, let's not go there. She was supposed to keep her distractions to a minimum and such thoughts were the opposite of that.

Nevertheless, there's still a sound logic behind the idea of getting to know your new teammate. Especially, one who's kind of her rival as well, as implied by her dad. So in the end, Sakura decides to go to the pub. Just not yet. She figures that if she waits a little, some of the teammates will leave by the time she arrives and the less people the better.