(No One's POV)

Thud! The sound of a body hitting the floor echoes through the court, almost masked by the sound of sneakers squeaking and feet pounding against the floor. Seojung winces as she sits up, her left ankle throbbing in pain. Her teammates that just ran past to save the ball, falter a little when they see that she's still on the ground. Heartbeats speed up, prayers and denial flash through the minds of the other four players. One second goes by. Two seconds go by. The inevitable happens; a referee blows their whistle, the clock stops, and the other team kneels down in respect. Seojung sits there with her head down, heart in her stomach and a lump in . It's over. I have to wait a year now. She smiles bitterly as the shock wears off and she hears hurried footsteps. Shifting on to her right leg, she pushes herself up to a standing position. Everyone holds their breath as she tentatively tries to take a step. Any last bits of hope shatter as she doesn't attempt to move further. She knows, and they know as well. Seojung had twisted her ankle during the game before the tournament; she wasn't going to play again this season.

With the help of the coaches, Seojung eases herself onto a chair, propping her left leg on the chair next to it. There were no tears, no sobbing, no nothing. She went right back into cheering from the bench, it almost seemed like she was just being briefly subbed out. The others on the bench regard her warily, all of them asking her at least once if she's okay. She smiles at all of them and reassures them that she feels fine and her foot doesn't hurt too much. They forget to ask her how her heart feels, however. The buzzer for the end of the game sounds, and they've won, but she feels hollow inside.

Washing her hands, she looks in the mirror, her dull brown eyes piercing her heart. feels tight and her eyes burn, but she steels herself. In her daze, she doesn't hear the door open, until a tall figure appears in the mirror. Minbyul. Her eyes widen slightly and her vision blurs for a second before a nonchalant look covers her face like a mask. 

"Hi." she acknowledges Minbyul's presence with a small nod. 

"How are you feeling?" asks Minbyul. "My foot is fine-

"I'm not asking about your foot" Minbyul cuts in. "I'm asking how you're feeling"

Seojung smiles bitterly at that question and its hidden meaning. "Well, there's always next year, right?" she shrugs nonchalantly.

Minbyul frowns, clearly dissatisfied with this answer; Seojung's heartbeat picks up as she tries to think of ways to escape this situation.

"You don't have to act like it doesn't matter that you can't play; like your feelings don't matter," says Minbyul. Seojung's plastic smile falters then slips off completely, her tears threatening to spill as she furiously tries to blink them back. She's so absorbed in keeping it together that she doesn't notice Minbyul coming closer until it's too late.

Her eyes widen as she is pulled into a firm embrace. Minbyul's shirt is cool on her skin and she feels surrounded by warmth. The lingering scent of ginger envelopes her, and she can feel Minbyul's heartbeat pulsing through her, soothing the tightness in her chest and loosening . She closes her eyes as she cries silently, tears running down her face. Clenching her fists into Minbyul's shirt, she gives in completely, as she was taken back to that afternoon two years ago. Minbyul runs her hands up and down her back in an attempt to comfort her, but she just cries harder. Seojung cries not just for her injury, but also for the fear she felt when she fell in love, for the heartbreak she went through, for the numbness that she felt afterward, for the craving of affection, for the frustration, and for the revelation that her crush never went away, but instead it deepened into love. She cries for all of these things while in the arms of the one she loves.