Game Changer | Petalz 🌸🍃

Chapter XVII

Four days have passed since their trip to Seoul, and nothing has changed. It was quite disappointing, to say the least.

After her conversation with Chaewon, Sakura thought she would notice some kind of shift in her dynamic with Yunjin. Like maybe some more of that hard to explain in terms of friendship tension, complete with lingering glances and awkward exchanges. Nothing groundbreaking. Surely no announcement of them dating, but just anything that would indicate that Chaewon shared at least a fraction of her feelings with Yunjin.

Yet as she observes them throughout today's training, Sakura is pretty certain Chaewon hasn't told Yunjin anything, since they're acting the same way they always do - constantly bickering and teasing each other. And slowly, she starts thinking that maybe their whole trip to Seoul was just some bizarre fever dream she had.

Except it wasn't. All of it was real. Including that part about her sleeping with Kazuha in one bed and hearing the girl whisper her name.

She tries not to think about it too much, assuming the dream must have been about soccer simply. But then she wonders what kind of dream about soccer could possibly require whispering someone's name in a raspy, needy voice...

"Sakura? Are you okay?" Yunjin asks her after she saves another one of her shots which didn't lack in strength but was aimed straight at the goalkeeper. "You seem a little...tense."

"I'm fine," she mutters, the tone of her voice suggesting quite the opposite.

Kazuha gives her a bit of a nervous look as she waits for her turn to begin the drill. But Sakura ignores it and gets back to the end of the line.

"Is everything oka–?"

"Yes!" she cuts off Chaewon who stands in front of her.

Several heads turn in her direction, but she doesn't pay attention to any of them as she observes how Kazuha misses her shot, the ball flying way over the crossbar. At least she's not the only one with a shitty aim today.

During their lunch break, they decide to stay on the field. The day is a bit chilly, but the sun is shining and the sky is blue, a perfect autumn weather. Fortunately, Sakura's dad has already left the stadium, so she doesn't have to be mindful of his watchful gaze.

She sits down on the grass cross-legged and takes out her bento that she prepared yesterday.

"You know what I think, Kkura?" Yunjin asks as she sits down next to her with her chicken sandwich she got from the stadium's cafeteria. "You," she points the sandwich at her, a piece of lettuce flying out of it almost hitting her in the face, "need to get laid."

Sakura rolls her eyes and sweeps away the piece of lettuce from her lap. "Yunjin, please. I don't have time for relationships."

So apparently, the blonde didn't give up on her matchmaking agenda entirely. Just excluded Kazuha from it.

Speaking of whom, the girl is still practicing her kick-ups instead of taking a break. But they leave her be. She's lost in her own world right now, having the time of her life, judging by that goofy grin plastered on her face. It somehow fascinates Sakura how the girl can find so much happiness in such a simple activity.

"Who said anything about relationships?" Yunjin mumbles around the sandwich in her mouth. "I'm talking about, you know, some casual, no string-attached, one night-stand, good old hook-up."

"Come to think of it, have you been with anyone since Kaname?" Chaewon chimes in, plopping down next to Yunjin and takes a bite from her sandwich.

Sakura raises her eyebrows pointedly at her. She doesn't understand where this sudden interest in her love life comes from.