Chapter 01 ・East High School Basketball Team

“An Yujin! Do it!” She was on her top game; the ball isn’t even on her right hand, but she was in the air near the hoop. She can feel her sweat going down from her jawline down to the midnight blue colored collar of her white basketball jersey, behind her was the number ten (10). She is An Yujin, she was able to become her team’s Power Forward despite being a freshman. As their coach describes her, she’s a close to perfect player. Her jumps are high, she runs fast, and she’s strong.

The ball fits perfectly on her palm. She knew she can’t mess this shot, since the one who screamed her name with her lungs out was their Point Guard who threw herself out of the court just to keep the ball on the court when it was about to go out of bounds, it was Honda Hitomi, a freshman, the point guard, the one who holds the number eight(8).

“Yujin! In front of you!” The captain screamed her name. The Captain is Jo Yuri, the team’s Shooting Guard. Her shots never miss once she steps up her game. She is a second year student along with the vice-captain and Small Forward, Choi Yena who obviously holds the number five(5), and the Center who holds the number nine(9), Lee Sian.

Their Center, Lee Sian, stood frozen. She is just a few steps away from Yujin but then her legs are shaking. She knew that the opposing team’s Small Forward is shorter than Yujin, but she didn’t expect that the opponent Small Forward can jump high and reach Yujin’s highest point.

Yujin was about to dunk the ball until she found it hard to push the ball in the ring because of the girl blocking her.

“You’re too persistent!”

“Of course! We’re going to win!”

“Yujin….!”

“An Yujin the time…!”

She doesn’t hear what her teammates are trying to tell her, the only things she hear are them screaming her name.

•••

“That dream again.” An Yujin stared at the ceiling as she opened her eyes. “I really need to move on from what happened in that match.” She muttered while scratching the back of her head, messing up her hair more than what happened in her sleep.

“Oh crap. I totally forgot that someone would be moving in today.” With her black toothbrush on , she quickly went to the vacant bed near hers and removed the things she’d placed there back when the former occupant transferred to another school.

An Yujin, currently a second-year high school student in East High School, and a member of its basketball team. She is living in a shared house just a few streets away from the school. As much as she wanted to live in the dorm inside the school, she knows she can’t since it’s still under construction.

After clearing the bed, she went back to the washroom to continue brushing her teeth. She looked at herself in the large mirror beside her, dressed in an XL sized plain black shirt, and red track pants. Her hair tied in a messy ponytail. On top of the sink was her thin round rimmed glasses that reflected on another mirror above the sink.

•••

“Yenaaaaaaaaaa, did you eat my bacon and cheese filled nuggets again?!” Yujin exclaimed as she looks at the freezer to find her left-over nuggets from last night. She was just about ready to toast it in the oven toaster just beside the microwave oven, but she couldn’t even find even a single piece of it in the freezer.

“Yup, she ate it a while ago before heading to school.” Another boarder in the shared house, Jo Yuri, a third-year student, and the captain of their basketball team in East High.

“That damn…”

“If you’d go out now, maybe you’ll catch up with her—”

Yujin hurriedly went out of the house in an attempt to punish the culprit behind her missing nuggets. Yuri followed after locking the gate. “I was about to say, maybe you’ll catch up with her bicycle—or so I think.” She sighed and started walking behind the two, Choi Yena, a third year, riding the bicycle, and An Yujin, a second year, who desperately tries to run after Yena.

In front of the locked gate, a tall girl who stood probably beyond 165+ centimeters, looked at the three girls who wore a uniform identical to hers—white blouse, a red and black styled ribbon, a red four-buttoned blazer with white linings on the edges, and a plaid red skirt.

“They must be the occupants of the house I’ll be living in temporarily.” She whispered to herself and turned the key on the lock to enter the shared house. On her left hand was a black leather anello backpack, behind her was a bright pink duffle bag, and while on her right hand was a grey luggage bag. She just went inside to leave her luggage bag then soon went to school.

•••

“Hitomi, we’re getting a transferee?” Yujin asked the girl seated in front of her, Honda Hitomi, another member of their basketball team and is the daughter of the owner of the shared house they’re living in.

“Yep. I heard she’s a really rich-looking girl.” Hitomi explained.

“Eh…? We’re probably getting another useless addition in this class.”

“How can you say that?”

“Well, since you said she’s a really rich looking girl, I thought maybe she’s the typical useless princess we always get in this all-girls school.” Yujin sighed and opened her notebook, upon seeing the first page— a white blank page that was as clear as her heart, she smiled and shook her head.

“I just remembered that I don’t really take notes. Hitomi let me borrow yours! Just for the math test!” Yujin pleaded, Hitomi just smiled at her and looked forward just to be surprised by the teacher who was suddenly there in front, making a few announcements.

“Ms. An Yujin, you’re our class representative, right?” The teacher asked. Ugh, here we go again. Yujin thought to herself. “Yes Miss?” She answered.

“Can you fetch the transferee? She’s in the gates. I forgot about her. Do you mind if you bring her here?” Yujin forced a smile, even if deep inside, she was already killing her homeroom teacher in many ways possible.

“Yes, I’ll be going.” Yujin turned her back and went to the door on the back of the room. She heard her classmates’ murmurs.

“Aw. to be An Yujin.”

“Yeah. Remember that one time when she just asked something, then the teacher started being redundant on her explanations and really got angry. Ugh. We got the worst homeroom teacher.”

“The teacher picked her just because she’s a popular kid, right? Poor Yujin.”

"I really hate that teacher, why does that trash always keeps on torturing our Prince Yujin?!"

"Samedt. Girl, Samedt."

Before she was even out of the room, she took a step back and asked the strict-looking middle aged woman dressed in a white blouse, cream blazer and pencil skirt in front. “Miss, I’m sorry but I don’t know what she looks like.” Yujin asked.

“You’ll notice her immediately. I don’t need to explain a few more things. She’s wearing the same uniform as yours. She’s Jang Wonyoung.”

“... right.” Yujin sighed and went out of the room.

When Yujin got to the school gates, a tall girl dressed in the same uniform as her, stood straight with a duffle bag behind her. Her long hair reaches her chest, she was facing her back, I wonder what she looks like? It seems that she might be as tall as me, or even taller? Yujin tilted her head and soon called her attention.

“Excuse me, by any chance are you Jang Wonyoung? The transferee for the sports course department, second year class a?” She asked.

“Hello! Yes, I am Jang Wonyoung! It’s nice to meet you!”

An Yujin sighed and turned her back, “I’m your class representative, An Yujin. Follow me.” She tried to keep her cool. Man! She’s so cute! Is she even real?! Gawd, she’s so tall. But she’s probably joining the volleyball team she’s tall enough to become an iron wall as their blocker. But my team needs a center!

•••

Sounds of squeaking shoes and dribbling ball echoed in the East High School basketball gym. They are the smallest sports club in their school despite basketball being a popular sport, maybe this is because of basketball being regarded as a men's sport. Inside the gym are four girls playing 2-on-2’s, and on the benches are two girls monitoring the scores. Everyone was wearing midnight blue shorts, and white shirt, with their hair tied in a ponytail.

“Hey!” Yujin signaled towards Yena to pass her the ball. She was about to pass until they heard a knock on their gym’s door.

“I’ll check.” Yuri ran towards the door to slide it open. She saw an incredibly tall girl who stands at 169 centimeters. “Is this the basketball club?” She asked. Hitomi, Yujin and Yena saw the surprised reaction on their captain’s face, they followed and was surprised of the girl on their gym’s doorstep. Yujin was the last one to look, her eyes widened.

“Jang Wonyoung? What are you doing…?” Yujin was surprised to see her standing before them, with her pink duffle bag behind her, dressed in their regular daily uniform.

“Yujin, you know her?” Yena raised her left eyebrow.

“An Yujin, convince her to become our new center while Sian is still recovering.” Yuri whispered to Yujin.

“H-Huh? What if she’s here to ask where the volleyball team’s gym is…?” Yujin quickly responded.

“Uhm… Is it too late to join your team?” Wonyoung asked.

“Of course not, come in and change into your training gear.” Yuri crossed her arms and smiled at her. Once Wonyoung got out of the changing room on her training gear, she was blocked by the small captain, Jo Yuri. “Starting today, you’re our center.” She looked up at the tall girl, who looked as surprised as she was just expecting.

“B-But… You haven’t even seen me play—”

“You’re from Gun Middle School in Daejeon right? Do you remember the Moon Middle School Cup Finals? I faced you before as a point guard of Park Middle School.” Yuri smiled. “Yena was there too, but she wasn’t able to play you since she got subbed out before you even get to the game. But I must say, Gun Middle School’s tactics is the dirtiest I’ve ever seen.” Yuri added.

“Because of them… I quit basketball the following year after that match.” Wonyoung paused and leaned at the wall behind her.

“So that’s why I can’t seem to find your name in the next games… You quit huh…” Yena crossed her arms and nodded. “Well, since you’re joining the East High, this is a different team. I’m sure you’ll love it here.” Yena passed her the ball via a chest pass.

“You can try to practice first, you can go at it with Shiroma and Han.” Yuri pointed at the two girls doing the scoring on the 2-on-2 earlier.

“Yuri, are you nuts? Those are two power forwards! What if she—”

“Let’s see what this center can do.”

•••

Wonyoung was cautious of her movements as she tried to go in between the two girls with the numbers 14, Shiroma and 8, Han on their shirts. I’ll assume both are power forwards, but why the heck do they even have three power forwards for a small team? She sighed and took a step back and shot her ball three steps behind the three-point line. She did the same thing a few more times, she did nine out of the ten shots.

Everyone in the gym was in awe. Yuri quickly noticed that Shiroma was slowly getting pissed, in the ten shots that happened in the gym, she didn’t even get to shoot once.

“You guys can stop now.”

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