Depths Of The Heart [WinTeam]

Chapter 4: Beneath the Surface

As the days passed, Win and Team found themselves forced into an uneasy truce, if only to survive the grueling practice sessions under Coach Taan’s watchful eye. The rivalry hadn’t disappeared; it simmered, lurking just beneath the surface. But the lines between competition and connection had begun to blur in ways neither of them could have anticipated.

It was one late evening, long after most of the team had left, that Win found himself alone in the pool area, lost in his thoughts. The quiet hum of the water, the soft glow of the pool lights reflecting off the surface—it was his sanctuary, his place to think. But tonight, his thoughts were tangled, drawn back to one person. Team.

He clenched his jaw, frustrated with himself. He didn’t understand why Team got under his skin the way he did. It wasn’t just the competition. There was something about the freshman’s calm resilience, his quiet strength, that drew Win in even as he tried to push it away.

Lost in thought, Win didn’t hear the footsteps approaching until it was too late. He turned just as Team walked into the pool area, looking just as surprised to see him.

“Didn’t expect anyone else to be here,” Team said, his voice soft yet steady as he set his bag down on the bench nearby. His black hair fell messily over his eyes, and in the dim light, he looked almost vulnerable.

Win forced a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest to mask his own surprise. “Can’t get enough of the pool, Freshman?”

Team shrugged, giving a slight smile. “Guess I’m not the only one.”

Silence stretched between them, thick and heavy, the tension lingering like an unspoken challenge. Neither of them moved, as if caught in an invisible current that held them in place.

Finally, Win broke the silence, his voice tinged with a hint of annoyance. “Why are you here, really?”

Team hesitated, his eyes flickering away for a moment. “Sometimes… I just need the water. It clears my head.”

Win’s expression softened despite himself. He understood that feeling all too well. The pool had always been his escape, his place to let go of everything outside. In that moment, he saw a glimmer of himself in Team, a shared understanding that transcended their rivalry.

Without thinking, Win walked over to the edge of the pool and sat down, his feet dangling in the water. After a beat, Team joined him, their shoulders nearly brushing as they both stared at the shimmering surface.

“Why did you start swimming?” Team asked, breaking the silence.

Win’s jaw tightened. It wasn’t a question he answered often, but something about the quiet of the moment—and the quiet sincerity in Team’s gaze—made him feel safe enough to respond.

“My dad,” he said finally, his voice low. “He was a swimmer. Wanted me to be one too. He pushed me hard, made me train constantly. It was… complicated.”

Team didn’t press him, just nodded, as if he understood more than Win had expected. It was a relief, in a strange way, to share that part of himself without judgment, without having to explain everything.

After a moment, Win looked over at Team. “What about you? Why are you so driven?”

A shadow crossed Team’s face, something darker and more guarded. He took a deep breath, as if summoning the courage to speak.

“I grew up near the water,” he began quietly. “Swimming was… more than a sport for me. It was a way to escape.” He paused, his eyes distant, as if he were seeing something far beyond the pool. “I had a close friend who drowned when we were kids. I couldn’t save him. Ever since… I’ve had this need to prove myself in the water. Like I’m trying to make up for something.”

Win felt a pang in his chest. He hadn’t expected that level of vulnerability from Team. The freshman’s calm, confident exterior hid a wound far deeper than Win had anticipated. It made him see Team in a new light, not as an enemy or a rival, but as someone carrying his own burdens, his own pain.

“I’m… sorry,” Win said, the words feeling inadequate but sincere.

Team just nodded, his gaze fixed on the water. “Thanks.”

They sat in silence for a long time, the tension between them softening into something gentler, more fragile. Win felt his heart beat a little faster, a quiet awareness creeping in as he glanced over at Team, at the way the light caught his dark hair, the quiet strength in his expression.

Without thinking, Win reached out, his hand brushing against Team’s shoulder, a gesture that was almost instinctive. Team stiffened, surprised, but didn’t pull away.

“Maybe… we don’t have to be rivals all the time,” Win said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Team looked at him, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, as if he were trying to read the intent behind Win’s words. “Are you saying you want to be… friends?”

Win chuckled softly, feeling the absurdity of the word. “I don’t know. Maybe. Friends who push each other, who make each other better.”

Team’s lips quirked up in a small, hesitant smile. “I think I could live with that.”

The quiet understanding between them felt like a truce, a tentative peace that left them both a little unsteady, a little unsure. But as they sat side by side, the silence stretched on, comfortable in a way that was new, even if neither of them quite understood what it meant.

For the first time, Win felt a glimmer of something he couldn’t explain, a warmth that settled deep in his chest. It was dangerous, this feeling—dangerous and exhilarating, like standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to jump but not knowing what lay below.

And as the night stretched on, with the faint echo of water lapping against the pool’s edge, Win knew that something between them had changed, something that couldn’t be undone.