“Girls, we’re gonna win this competition. There’s no other option, got it? We’re gonna win it like we always do.”

Nayeon clenched her fists, staring at each and every member of her team, expecting to see determination and nothing else. That was what she got, as each member stared back at her, their mouths set in a tight line.

Im Nayeon. Park Jihyo. Kim Dahyun. Chou Tzuyu. Their cheerleading team was small as compared to others, but it consisted of the most talented cheerleaders in the nation. Hell, even the whole world. Nayeon didn’t doubt it. She had known these girls for years now, she had grown up with them and trained alongside them with professionals. Now, at the ages of nineteen, seventeen, sixteen, and fifteen (respectively), they were all considered professionals themselves, despite their young ages. They were the professional cheerleaders of Seoul – of South Korea – of the whole world. They had moved from cheering for football teams to doing actual competitions in just one day. Nayeon’s team had gone to places across the world just for competitions, and had won every single one of them without breaking a sweat. Back when Tzuyu was twelve, she had gone on to a solo competition with people twice her age, and she had won that one singlehandedly. That was how experienced she was, how experienced they all were.

Not only that, but they were a family. Nayeon smiled at the members, who visibly relaxed and smiled back, their casual stances taking over. Having known each other since birth, they considered each other sisters. Their parents had all been best friends since primary school. Their bonds of trust were so strong, nothing else could compare. They trusted each other with their lives, and even more, if there was anything that meant more than that. No secrets were kept at all. It was the most incredible relationship Nayeon ever had, and she cherished it. She knew the others did, too.

“Are any of you nervous?” Jihyo asked, pulling out water bottles from her large bag, slung over her shoulder. Her “backup bag,” as she called it. She’d bring it to every competition, in case something happened. The mom friend was what she was, despite her not being the eldest. Still, Nayeon appreciated it. She took a bottle from Jihyo’s hand and uncapped it, exchanging a look of gratitude with Jihyo before chugging half of the water down. As she closed it, she heard Tzuyu scoff, and could practically see her roll her eyes. “We shouldn’t be nervous at this point.”

“Don’t be so arrogant, Chou,” Dahyun said teasingly. “Remember our, like, tenth competition? When you were nine? You were so scared. You puked in the middle of it, and we had to call a break for you to calm down.”

Tzuyu blushed, flipping her hair to the side in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. “It was something I ate earlier that day!” She turned her glare – playful glare – onto Jihyo. “You made breakfast, didn’t you?”

Jihyo chuckled, holding her hands up in surrender. “Don’t blame me, Tzuyu! You were the one to inhale all of those pancakes. I think I made around twenty and you ate all of them.”

Tzuyu’s blush became even more darker as Dahyun and Jihyo laughed, pulling her into a hug and her hair. “I-I was hungry!” As she spluttered, struggling to find an excuse Dahyun and Jihyo would accept, Nayeon watched on, settling in one of the plastic chairs the organizers had set out for the competitors. She glanced around the room. It was an average sized, tan colored room, and the only people in the room were her and her team. That made sense, considering the fact that they were against one other team. That team was late. By half an hour.

Well, their problem, Nayeon thought, turning her focus back on her members, who were still teasing Tzuyu. By the looks of Jihyo and Dahyun’s red faces, Tzuyu had managed to make a comeback. Nayeon’s team would have more time to relax – not that they really needed it – and whoever the other team was, they’d be stressed and would perform poorly. At least Nayeon’s team would win an easy win, though there was no fun in that. But everything would end quickly, and the faster things ended, the faster Nayeon and her girls could go out for lunch. Nayeon didn’t know about them, but she was starving, and it was two p.m.

Another wide smile spread across her face as her members started heading towards her with their lips curved into goofy grins. She held out her arms. “Come to your mommy!”

And go to their “mommy” they did, all of them engulfing her in a warm, tight, group hug. Nayeon closed her eyes, smiling so widely her cheeks hurt. The other team would have no chance against her own. Not today, that was for sure.