Chapter 10 • Training Camp (2)

Why do I have to carry you out of that bus?! Kim Chaewon has never carried someone—or even something, heavier than her before. She just carried her former coach, Kwon Eunbi, out of the bus. Chaewon looked at the small cottages, she knew theirs was hidden on the southeastern end. Seeing the long we she has, she let out a heavy sigh. What did I do to deserve this?! Chaewon complained at the back of her mind. It's not that she doesn't like the feeling of carrying Eunbi on her back, “I just told her I won't even bother her again. I hate this, I shouldn't have followed her.” She mumbled.

“This is annoying, just be thankful, Kwon Eunbi! Be thankful that I still feel the same.” Chaewon knew the girl on her back was drunk, she didn't really care on what she was saying.

“Kwon Eunbi, I would've left you in that bus if I didn't love you that much. I hate how I realized my feelings so late, I even had a fling with An Yujin. I even hate myself that I let you fall that bad for Yena.” Chaewon said between her struggles and weird catching of breath. “Ugh! You're so heavy but I still love you so much!” Chaewon exclaimed as she realized she was halfway through the hell she's experiencing. She later felt the hand that lay motionless on her shoulders suddenly hugged her. What? Did she wake up? Did she hear everything? Ugh, the Kim Chaewon is screwed. Bye Titania. She stopped.

“Chaewon, you're so cute.” Eunbi chuckled.

“I thought you're drunk?!” Chaewon was thinking whether or not she should drop the woman behind her.

“No, I'm not. I only drank two bottles of sprite. I only pretended to be asleep the whole time.”

Chaewon decided to drop her legs. To the other students passing, it looked like Eunbi was giving her a back hug to the neck. Chaewon clicked her tongue and decided to remove the pair of arms on her neck.

“I'm going back to the cottage myself.” She walked away. Aw. What a waste, that was even a good free ride to the cottage. I shouldn't have revealed myself. Eunbi continued walking.

Wonyoung, are you crazy? Are you in love with Yujin?! Wonyoung thought to herself as she hid on her futon. She didn't know why she desperately went to hide after seeing Yujin and Minjoo holding each others hands. But why are they holding each others hands? Are they dating? Oh god! This is driving me crazy! She soon went to sleep, still thinking about what is between the two.

“Hello? Young master. It's been a while since you last called. Your parents miss you so much.”

“Is father in there?”

“Ah, yes he is. He was just about to leave.”

“Can you give him the phone?”

“Oh, my baby! I miss you so much! Is there something that you want daddy to do for you?”

“I'm going to wear the family crest as much as you'd like, if you can do something about what I'm going to send to your email.”

“Ohhh my lovely daughter is asking her daddy for some dirty work! You really take after me! Hahahaha!”

“That's all, father. I'm hanging up.”

“Take care baby! Enjoy your training camp!”

A man in a black suit took out the tablet from his black bag. He opened his email to check if he have received what his daughter sent him. Seeing as he received an email from someone called 'alchxmist’.

He skipped to read the last lines. I know you'll skip to the last part upon opening this mail, just do something about the JG.

The next day, it was the practice game between the West High Wyverns and the East High Knights.

“The Wyverns and the knights, they're not on their full power. They are just enjoying the game.” Eunbi said as she watched the players in the court congratulate each other with nice shoot remarks whenever someone gets to shoot the ball regardless of their team, they even give each other high fives.

Jurina has the ball during the start of the fourth quarter. On her way to their hoop, she was immediately blocked by Yujin. Jurina jumped despite being blocked by someone taller than her, Yujin got to grab the ball. In midair, Yujin was reminded of the game a year ago, they were also against the Wyverns that time. The game that she didn't get to dunk the ball because it was blocked by Imada Mina, Wyvern number seven (7).

“An Yujin you've grown!” Jurina grabbed the ball back and upon landing down on the floor, she jumped again, as high as her last jump and dunked the ball.

“Nice shoot Matsui!” Yuri clapped on her way back to the center of the court.

“Nice dunk Juju!” Her teammates complimented her.

The game continued, at the last seconds of the game the scores were 75-74, in West's favor. Yujin passed the ball to Wonyoung, Wonyoung, focus on the game! She scolded herself mentally. Without thinking straight, she suddenly got positioned as if she was going to shoot a three. She wasn't even on the center line, she was a step outside the other hoop's three point line.

What the heck is that Jang Wonyoung doing?! Her right hand hasn't even healed yet! Kaeun stood up from the bench.

Wonyoung took the shot. When she have let go of the ball, it was when she realized she made a major mistake. Oh my… she thought to herself. She watched the ball move midair on its way to the hoop. It went in smoothly.

The buzzer sounded.

“Nice three pointer!” Jurina patted her shoulder.

“What nice three pointer? It went in?” Wonyoung tilted her head in confusion.

“Wonyoungie!” Yuri ran towards her and tried to carry her despite being nine centimeters smaller than her.

The East High won the game, 75-77.

“The battle for the first and second, and third and fourth will be tonight. South versus East for the first and second, and North and West for the third and fourth.”

Everyone in the gym were surprised. They thought that it was only an unrecorded practice game, but it turned out that it has a championship game.

The West trashed the North during the game, giving them no chance of scoring even once. The game ended in a straight score of 0-100. Near the end of the game, Jurina kept on passing the ball to Aoi asking her to try making a three point shot to make their 97 points a hundred.

“Aoi! You can do it! Make a three point shot!” Jurina grabbed the ball that just bumped in the hoop and passed it to Aoi again.

“I can't! I'm small!” Aoi complained as she received the ball from a pass again.

“Aoi! Yabuki Nako is smaller than you, but she can do a three pointer!” Jurina tried telling her a few words of encouragement.

“I am not Yabuki Nako!” Aoi complained again.

“Just do it! C'mon Aoi! It's the last twenty seconds!” Imada Mina cheered.

“Go Aoi!” Kojima Mako, number six (6), the Small Forward, cheered also.

“Motomura Aoi! Make it a hundred!” Oda Erina, number eight (8), the Shooting Guard, cheered Aoi from the other side of the court.

“If you're not going to do anything, then might as well I get that ball and let our team score for once!” Uemura Azusa, North High School Pirates, number ten (10), Point Guard, exclaimed and tried to get the ball from Aoi.

“No you're not getting it.” Aoi took a quick back step to prevent Azusa from getting her ball.

“Go Aoi!” Sakura cheered from the bleachers. “I'm treating you to grilled salmon tonight!” She added.

“Grilled Salmon!” At the last five seconds, Aoi made a jump shot a step out of the three point line. Her shout Grilled Salmon echoed throughout the whole gym as she released the ball from her hand, the ball rolled around the hoop and went inside before the buzzer rang.

“Sakura, is Aoi really like that once you tell her grilled salmon?” Chaeyeon asked as she looked at her girlfriend clap her hands as she watched the ball go in.

“Nope, if you tell her to kill five hundred cockroaches for a free expensive food, she'll do it 'cause she's always saving money for… useless things.” Sakura explained.

“Oh. So that's how you got her to be the person who has your back during a game.” Chaeyeon nodded in agreement.

“She's actually a mediocre point guard. But that's what makes her special. She doesn't do flashy moves like the other point guards, she just does her job.” Sakura crossed her legs and leaned at her seat. “It's her appearance that is actually threatening.” She added.

Chaeyeon instantly gulped. “Why so?” She asked again.

“Because she literally looks smaller than she is.”

The next game started, the championship battle between the East and South. The game was in favor with the East from the first to second quarter. For some reason, when An Yujin has the ball, she can easily pierce the South's defensive wall, Kim Minjoo. They were given a fifteen minute break after the second quarter. Nako dragged Minjoo out of their locker room to the back of the gym.

“Minjoo, spill it out. You're in a relationship with East's An Yujin, right?” Nako asked, leaning on the wooden walls of the Gym.

“H-Huh? No, I'm not!” She rejected her vice captain's assumption.

“You are. The night when we had barbecue with the East High Team, I saw you hugging her out of the gates after she passed Coach to Choi Yena. I even heard you two saying your I love you's to each other, and I'm not going to ignore that.” Nako said with her arms crossed.

“Minjoo, break up with her. If you can't, then you can't play basketball with us. You'll be holding our team back.” Nako explained. “Choose one, Break up with Yujin or we'll make you a substitution player.” She didn't really want to give her these choices but they have no choice. Everyone in each basketball team are aiming to become the representatives.

“I… I'm going to break up with Yujin.” Minjoo tried to stop her tears from falling. “Okay then, I'm going to ask her to come here. Break up with her. I know you love each other, I'm sorry for doing this. If only you two had met in different circumstances, then this wouldn't have happened.” Nako apologized.

“It's alright, you are the vice-captain after all.” Minjoo forced a smile before Nako left her outside to call over her soon to be ex lover.

Soon, Yujin arrived wearing her team jacket and track pants.

“Yabuki said you wanted to talk to me.” Yujin was rubbing the back of her neck. What did she want to talk about? Isn't she being so bold? Yujin shook her head.

“Yujin, let's break up. I can't focus on being our team's center if I continue being in a relationship with you. Everyone is aiming to be the representatives for the Nationals—” Minjoo didn't even let Yujin talk after saying that they should break up, she continued talking but Yujin stopped her when she noticed