Running on a treadmill, the woman was focused on the music pulsating in her ears until someone pulled one of the buds out, “what are you listening to?”

The woman slowed down the treadmill to a stop and drank her water, “what are you doing here? This is track and field time.”

The other woman started the machine next to her, “Not like you track stars own the gym. I am here to exercise.”

“Yuri you only find me to gossip so what’s up.”

Yuri smirked at Yoona, “did you hear what happened to the volleyball team?”

Yoona turned off her music, “I heard something about a fight.”

Yuri picked up her pace, “Not just any fight. This is the 3^rd one this week from one of the teams.”

Yoona shrugged, “The tournament is approaching. You know what it means to make the team.”

Wagging her finger, Yuri shook her head, “Wrong. I heard people are doubling up causing them to go crazy.”

Yoona scoffed, “That seems unlikely. We only get pills when we practice and right before competition.”

“Someone out there has them. Watch your back Yoona, someone might take your spot.”

“No one can take my spot,” Yoona smirked, “Watch out for yourself. I heard a transfer came a few days ago. Rumors are she will be on the basketball team.”

Yuri rolled her eyes, “Wrong again. She is on the soccer team.”

“Does Taeyeon know?”

“She is the team captain, so I assume she knows?”

Yoona grabbed her stuff off the treadmill, “Yuri sometimes you need to watch out for yourself. Don’t get yourself in trouble this year.”

Yuri laughed as she watched Yoona walk away and another person occupy the treadmill, “You need to seriously stop flirting with Yoona, does she even know you are flirting?”

Yuri giggled at her friend, “Does Taeyeon know you flirt with her?”

Jessica smirked, “I think she has an idea.”

“Does Taeyeon know about the new transfer?”

Jessica played with her mp3, “She came like what…a few days ago? I think Taeyeon knows. I haven’t seen her for a while though. Taeyeon gets in her training mode and disappears for a week. Maybe she is stressed from this girl.”

Yuri flicked off a few beads of sweat from her forehead, “You heard about the fight too right?”

Jessica started her machine, “As long as the basketball team doesn’t have one, I don’t care.”

“You’d care more if you weren’t our team’s ace.”

Jessica winked, “Got that right captain.”

Yuri sighed, “Yoona thought all this was due to the tournament coming up, but we never had a problem like this before.”

Jessica huffed, “Investors are coming this time. We need to show them what we’ve got and that our school is the best.”

Yuri felt something ominous was coming although everyone keeps brushing off these situations like they were nothing. Was Jessica and Yoona right or was something bigger happening and they were all ignorant to it?

“Hurry-up so we can get some food after.”

Jessica rolled her eyes, “Our time just started. All you do is think of food and Yoona.”

Yuri gave Jessica a dopy smile, “Like you are no different.”

Jessica started laughing as she plugged her earphones in.

--------------------

The girl swing back her leg and kicked the ball as hard as she could. The ball rippled from the force as it launched through the air at lightning speed. Another girl leaped up and hit the ball with her head causing the ball to drop back to the ground. Smirking she started to run full force down the field at the speed of a cheetah until another girl blindsided her and knocked her to the ground with her shoulder.

A whistle blew, “Foul!”

The girl stopped and groaned, “Coach that was fair!”

The coach came running over, “Tiffany I told you a move like that will get you a yellow card in the tournament. The rules changed so no hits from behind.” Blowing the whistle again, “Taeyeon you take the ball.”

Taeyeon ran over giving Tiffany a devilish smile, “At this rate you are going to get benched.”

Tiffany returned the sentiment, “Watch your back Kim.”

Blowing the whistle again, Taeyeon kicked the ball that rocketed to the other side of the field. Her teammate stopped the ball and dribbled a little before she clashed with another player battling over the ball. It was like a sonic boom when the girls grit their teeth and collided over and over again until the other girl lost the battle and the ball was sent back to the other side of the field.

Taeyeon saw the ball starting to go her direction again so she used all the strength in her legs to dash over and jumped up with so much force that the ground rippled. From the corner of her eye she could see Tiffany coming with the same force so she held her arm out ready to collide with her, but at the force they were both going at for the ball, when their bodies hit, they bounced off each other back to the ground.

The whistle blew again, “Tiffany what did I tell you! Are you trying to get our best player hurt?”

Taeyeon shook off the shock of what happened, “When did she get that strong?”

The coach ran up to Taeyeon inspecting her, “You okay?”

Taeyeon slowly got up and brushed the dirt, “Yea no problem coach.”

Angry the coach turned to Tiffany, “You go cool off in the steam room. You are done for today.”

Furious, Tiffany kicked the ball at the post nearly taking off the heads of some of her players, “Bull!”

Blowing the whistling several more times, the coach turned red with fury, “That’s it! Get out.”

Everyone from the team gathered around to watch Tiffany storm off the practice field, “What has gotten into her?”

Taeyeon watched her friend get off the field also wondering why she was in such a mood. It wasn’t like Tiffany to be that competitive.

“Well since I have you girls all here, I have an announcement to make. The team might look a little different in the next few days. A transfer came in and she is joining our team. She was specially recruited by the CEO so she will be competing for one of the top spots for the tournament lineup. I hope you welcome her and we will see how she is with the team.” The coach paused before looking at Taeyeon, “I expect you to guide her as captain.”

Taeyeon smiled at the coach, “Of course.”

Blowing the whistle one last time, “Okay girls let’s run that drill again. Seohyun take Tiffany’s spot.”

Seohyun rushed onto the field next to Taeyeon, “I am sure she is fine Taeyeon.”

Giving her teammate a smile, “Probably a bad day. I will go talk to her after.”

Although Taeyeon did worry. The rest of the practice she was distracted thinking of what could have upset Tiffany earlier in the day.

After another hour of practice the girls went to the sauna to sweat out the drugs they took for practice. Even though the pills they took can last 5 hours, sweating out the substance would cut that time in half. It was required if anyone took the drug that day, that they spend the last 20 minutes of practice in the university sauna, apparently the last thing the CEO wanted was some kid going around campus super charged and causing trouble.

“What happened with Tiffany today was wild. I have never seen anyone run as fast as you to a ball.”

Taeyeon laughed, “I should watch myself. All of you are catching up fast.”

Sooyoung, their goalie, came up and nudged Taeyeon, “I wish I caught that on tape. It was so cool. You both jumped at the same time and then bam! I could feel the wind from when you two hit. It was awesome.”

Taeyeon cringed from the sweat Sooyoung left on her shoulder, “It didn’t feel awesome.”

Sooyoung switched seats to see the bruising on Taeyeon’s other arm, “Damn, even when you are charged, this happens.”

“Imagine if I wasn’t?”

Sooyoung made a disgusted face, “Well you guys try to kick balls at my face so I know a thing or two about it. I am like a sitting duck waiting for one of you to kick a ball at my head.”

Taeyeon laughed, “At least you know where we are aiming.”

Sooyoung nearly knocked Taeyeon off the bench, “So mean!”

“Yah! You know I am under this towel right?!”

“Afraid we will see your bright white ? Already seen that cute little thing in the shower stupid.”

Taeyeon stuck out her tongue, “Stop looking .”

Sooyoung laughed, “Last I checked, you were the . I know you are checking out a certain girl from the basketball team.”

Taeyeon bit her lip, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“It is okay if you have a little crush. This school is lonely. Although we have guy and girls sports, the male college is like 2 miles away. Nothing wrong with being surrounded by some very fine ladies. An all-sports school means we are all fit as hell.”

“You call me a but you are crushing on all the sports teams.”

A timer ringed in the background causing all the girls in the room to get up.

“Correction, I have slept with nearly all the sports team.”

Taeyeon’s jaw nearly dropped, “I knew you got around but damn.”

Sooyoung slipped off her towel as she entered the shower, “Let me know if you want any tips for your basketball friend.”

Taeyeon shook her head in disbelief following her teammates into the communal shower.