Perhaps Love

Unexpected Meeting

Sora sat in her car seat with a big sigh, trying to massage her tired shoulders. Her whole body was sore that she was struggling to even lift herself up and sit properly to drive. With a loss from Asan City yesterday, their coach slaughtered them in training this morning. Trainings have always been hard, but today was hell.

"Lee Sora!" someone yelled, it was her teammate and same-age friend, Eunbi. She was coming her direction so she rolled down the car window to greet her, just as she closed the door.

"Sora eonni (girl to an older sister; honorific)!" her younger teammate Jiyu trailed behind Eunbi with a big smile on her face.

When Eunbi crouched down on to lean on her car's window, she said, "Aren't you supposed to treat us to lunch? You had so much good things happening lately."

"Why?" were all the words that came out of her mouth.

"Coach told us the news," Jiyu replied.

"What news?" she asked again. Sora was just out of it. She wanted to sleep, and these girls are taking too long beating around the bush. 

"The reason why we had hell of a training today was because she called off the training on Sunday since you're attending skater Lee Sanghee's wedding," Eunbi explained.

"And how is that a good thing to me?" she asked with confusion.

"You didn't tell us your brother made it to the national team!" Jiyu stood there with an accusing face. 

"Would you tell everyone if your brother is a member of EXO?" she countered, wincing in pain as she started the engine.

Before Jiyu and Eunbi could respond, their coach came out of the complex and they scrambled to greet her. Their coach didn't seem to be in a bad mood. Instead, she gave them a small smile especially Sora.

She said, "Are you going to Seoul? Congratulations to your brother."

"Thank you, coach," she bowed. She then nodded, "I'm actually going to Jincheon first to meet Hwayoung eonni and pick up my brother before going home to Seoul."

"Ah, then you better get going. You've got a long drive to do," she told her. She also said, "Extend my regards to athlete Lee Hwayoung for her retirement and wedding wishes."

"Shouldn't she treat us to lunch or dinner, coach?" Jiyu snickered.

Their coach looked at Jiyu, and then answered, "When she comes back from all her festivities next week then she should."

Sora eyed the two. She then bowed lightly to her coach and greeted them, "I'll get going, I'll see you next week."

Jiyu and Eunbi just stuck their tongues out at her as she rolled her eyes at them with a smile. 

Two weeks have passed by too fast, it was as if time is being pulled away. Sora feels like she doesn't have much time to do anything these days. All she has seen was herself in the mirror in the dorm, her teammates and coaches in the court, and the chocolate bungeo-ppang (fish-shaped pastry) lady who always gave her one more for free as a regular customer.

Sora have felt many times that her life is just one big routine. Wake up, work-out, eat, training, sleep, then repeat. Although she's not complaining because she was doing what she loves the most as a profession—basketball—she couldn't remember when life felt like a series of repetitive tasks started. Her life's a worthy one but there's a small feeling that it wasn't getting exciting anymore. It seemed like she can predict what's gonna happen the upcoming days, and she was losing the thrill. Even Junho's selection as the final member of the national team wasn't a surprise to her, if she's being honest.