SAN
San wiped the sweat from his brow, his focus narrowing to the volleyball practice in front of him. The rhythmic sound of sneakers squeaking on the polished gym floor and the satisfying thud of the ball being spiked over the net provided a welcome distraction from the whirlwind of thoughts occupying his mind. Exams were approaching fast, and the pressure was mounting.
Two weeks had passed since the night he and Aira had talked and cleared the air between them. The rumors about them dating had subsided, but the remnants of those whispers still lingered. Their classmates had mostly moved on, but every now and then, San would catch a curious glance or a hushed conversation trailing off as he walked by.
The coach blew the whistle, signaling a break. San grabbed his water bottle and took a big sip, leaning against the bleachers. His mind drifted to Aira. She had been working hard too, juggling her photography projects and preparing for exams. Her professor even allowed her to send in her photos from that one practice match that they had last, because he wanted her to focus oh her exams and main projects like the one with her seniors. Aira and San had even started studying together in the evenings, turning their living room into a makeshift study zone. It was a nice change of dynamics. Too nice....
"Hey, San. " Mingyu called out, walking over with a grin. "Dude, you look like you're a million miles away."
San shook his head, smiling despite himself. "Just thinking about exams. That's all."
Mingyu nodded, his expression turning serious for a moment. "Yeah, it's tough. But we've got this. And hey, how's it going with Aira? You two seem to be getting along better."
San chuckled. "Yeah, we are. It's been good, actually. She's been a big help with studying."
"That's great to hear," Mingyu said, clapping San on the shoulder. "Just make sure to take care of yourself too. Don't burn out."
Mingyu was a great captain who took care of all his teammates to the fullest, no matter if it was gym or study related. He never wanted anyone to get hurt or overworked and San appreciated that a lot. But at the same time San's mind to travel back in time when he was a part of his old University's team and his former captain Taeyong was the same way until something has shifted in him and he started to blame even the smallest mistakes on San.
And Taeyong was the main reason San has left his previous university.
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As practice resumed, San threw himself back into the game, finding solace in the physical exertion and the camaraderie of his teammates. Despite the stress, he felt a renewed sense of determination. He had faced challenges before and come out stronger; this time would be no different.
Yes San was the one of the spikers and he was great at it, but his new role model Wonwoo who was teams ace made San try to chase that dream of becoming an ace himself.
After practice, San lingered behind, hitting a few more spikes for good measure. All of the guys already have said their goodbyes to each other, so the gym was quiet now, the echoes of the earlier activity fading into stillness. He took a deep breath, letting the calm wash over him. It was in these moments of solitude that he found clarity.
Little did he know that his captain was observing him from a far in awe, because San has improved the most out of all the guys in those few weeks.
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As he headed back to the dorm, he thought about the coming weeks. There would be late nights and early mornings, but he felt ready. With Aira by his side, both as a roommate and a friend, he knew he had the support he needed. Yet it still seemed too perfect considering the rocky start.
