Wednesday, 2 PM. Tirik na tirik ang araw habang nagdidrills ang girl’s soccer team, one on one training; seniors vs sophomores, juniors vs freshmen. Focus training sa specific positions nila with a senior player opposite them.

“Ate Yoohyeon naman! Dahan dahan lang, mamamatay na ako kakahabol sayo.” Reklamo ni Yujin, hingal na hingal.

“Anong dahan dahan, catch up, hoy!” Pangaasar naman ni Yoohyeon at itinakbo ng mas mabilis ang bola to the left kung saan mahina ang defense ni Yujin para maimprove ito.

“Cap, di ko na po kaya, awat na I can’t feel my legs.” Hirap namang makatayo si Ryujin, 102 pa sa 200 kicks ang nagagawa niya, 36 lang dun ang pumasok sa goal.

“Pshhh wala lang yan. Strategize, nabobore na si Sooyoung.” Sagot naman ni Hyunjung at tumakbo para ipasa ang bola kay Ryujin.

“Ate Yubin, please na talaga to break muna.” Nagmamakaawang request ni Rei sa kaharap niyang nakatadyak sa bola. Goalie training.

“10 more tapos tubig.” Sagot naman ng second striker nila bago sumipa.

“Ate Sojung, I’m melting legit.” Walang lakas na pinunasan ni Minjeong ang mukha niyang basa parin sa jersey niyang daig pa ang bagong banlaw na labada.

“Melting melting pero kapag dumating si Karina bigla pustahan tayo magmamala yelo ka sa tigas, takbo.” Mangiyak-ngiyak na nagpatuloy sa pagtakbo si Minjeong habang hinahabol siya ng defender nila.

Their drills lasted 10 more minutes before Hyunjung called it off. Lahat ng santo pinasalamatan siguro ng mga freshmen at sophomores ng matapos ito.

The core players naman ng team weren’t so lucky, 15 minutes lang na break and it was back on the field; gameplay practice. May game kasi sila that weekend kaya need magready.

They were on a standstill matapos makascore si Yoohyeon against Juyeon nang umingay sa may benches.

Lumingon silang lahat to see ang mga buhay na buhay nilang junior players. Papasok kasi ng field ang mga reps ng council na may dalang ice box.

Naguunhan naman sa pagtakbo si Minjeong at Ryujin patungo sa nagdadala nito na si Karina at Yeji.

“Tignan mo nga tong mga batang to.” Komento ni Sojung at umakbay kay Jinsol na binabantayan niya sa kabilang team. “Parang kanina lang hindi makatayo yan ah.”

“Ang lalandi po ng mga bata opo!” Sigaw naman ni Yena na nakaupo sa may goal ni Sooyoung.

Si Yujin naman ang tumanggap sa plastic na dala ni Wonyoung.

“Bata bata niyo po lakas niyo ng humarot!” Komento naman ni Sakura na nakasandal sa kabilang goal.

“Walang say ang mga duwag!” Sagot naman ni Yujin.

Nagtawanan lang din ang mga babaeng nagdala ng refreshments.

Si Hyunjung naman ay confused why may refreshments. Wala naman silang inorder, also usually at games lang nagbibigay ng support like this ang council or ang admin.

“Uy cap, mga ate, snack daw muna tayo!” Pagaaya naman ni Yuna.

The captain figured they were due for a break din naman kaya she called for a timeout na muna.

“Sa council ba galing to, Gaeul?” Tanong ni Yoohyeon sa nagabot ng Gatorade sa kanya.

“Kay Minji daw galing.” Pangaasar naman ni Hyunjung sa kanya, may kasama pang pagsiko tagiliran niya. Naghiyawan din ang ibang players sa sinabi ng captain nila.

“Actually, kay ate Jiyeon po galing.” Natigil silang lahat and all heads turned to her.

At nagsimula ang pangaasar sa kanya. “Yiee pasa mo pa ha sayo naman pala bagsak.”

“Uy si Cap nagbublush!”

Lahat siguro ng mga senior players ay may komento sa revelation. Si Juyeon, Yoohyeon, at Sooyoung naman ay kumanta ng “Love of my life” by Queen habang tawa ng tawa si Yubin at Jinsol sa tabi nila.

Natatawa na din ang mga council girls sa antics ng mga player, iniisip na nila ang malalang chismis na ibabalita nila sa office.

6 PM na nang matapos ni Jiyeon ang ginagawa niyang report. Siya nalang ang naiwan sa council office kaya siya nalang din ang nagsara nito.

Nagulat siya paglabas niya ng office kasi may nakatayo sa tabi nito.

“AHH!”

“AHHH!”

“Ano ba Hyunjung?! Ba’t ka ba nakatayo jan!?” Sigaw niya.

“Obvious ba?! Walang upuan.”

“Bakit ka ba kako nandito?!”

“Lakas mo naman magtanong ng mga bagay na alam mo na ang sagot.”

“Hinihintay mo ako?”

“Isa pa, Jiyeon.” Inis na sabi ni Hyunjung.

Inirapan ng maliit na babae ang captain ng soccer team at tuluyan ng ilock ang council officer.

“I thought I said hindi mo kailangang bumawi?”

“Sino namang may sabing bumabawi ako?”

“Ikaw daw nagauthorize ng dinalang snack nila Gaeul kanina.”

“Pera ng council yun.”

“Inauthorize mo parin.”

Biglang lumingon si Jiyeon sa kanya kaya natigil silang dalawa sa paglalakad palabas ng building.

“May extra money sa budget niyo after ng allotment of all your expenses for this semester’s games. Sabi ng coach niyo iset aside for extra food, snacks, and drinks niyo nalang daw yun. Malaki pa naman yung naiwan so as the head of the sports committee I thought snacks during practice once a week won’t hurt.”

“Hmmm talaga? So ba’t sabi ni Yeji you specifically told them to get blue na Gatorade?” Nanlaki bahagya ang mga mata ni Jiyeon sa sinabi ni Hyunjung. Maiisahan niya talaga yung mga batang yun.

“Alam naman nating hindi nainom ng blue na Gatorade si Sojung, si Juyeon din very particular sa yellow na Gatorade.” Muntik ng matawa ang captain sa mukha ng babaeng nasa harap niya. “Understandable naman to get assorted flavors, but why ask for blue specifically, Jiyeon?”

Hyunjung was surprised at herself. Usually, she didn’t have the courage to speak like that, especially not towards Jiyeon.

Almost flirty.

Suggestive.

Like trying to catch her in a lie.

Why?

Siguro nadala lang siya ng delusyon or sa tapang na galing sa mga damdaming ibinaon na sana sa limot.

Nagiba ang kulay ng mata ng kausap niya, para bang nawalan ng bahala.

Ngumiti ito.

“Okay, you got me.”

Hyunjung wasn’t expecting that.

“I asked Yeji to get the blue ones kasi alam ko ding hindi ka umiinom ng ibang flavor.”

“What? How?” And just like, all the confidence she had at the beginning of the conversation faded. Tanggal angas, if you will, and taken aback.

“That’s for me to know. So, you’re welcome for the snacks, Hyunjung. And no, that wasn’t to make up for whatever happened, as I said, hindi ko naman pera yun so it shouldn’t really count.”

Tapos biglang umalis si Jiyeon. Hindi na nakagalaw si Hyunjung sa kinatatayuan niya until the girl was out of sight.

Saturday, 10 AM. Nagwa-warm up ang buong team for their first game of the season.

Hindi malayo ang nilalaruan nila from their school kaya marami sa mga schoolmates nila ang dumalo. The most surprising people in attendance, the boy’s soccer team.

Why they were there, Hyunjung doesn’t know. At this point, she hardly even cared.

Nagcall na ang ref for 5 minutes before start kaya tinawag ni Hyunjung ang mga teammates niya to a huddle.

“We easily won them in the last season pero that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be on our guard. Heads in the game and do your best. On three.” They all put their hands in and shouted their battle cry.

Nagready na ang starting line up nila which excluded Hyunjung, Yoohyeon, Yubin, Juyeon, and Sojung. They had a pretty strong line up in general kaya it was possible not to bring in the full force of their team at once.

2 minutes before the game, nakaupo si Hyunjung sa benches katabi ni Sojung, observing their opponents.

“Hyunjung!” Rinig niyang tawag sa likod niya.

Lumingon naman siya agad because she knew that voice. It was hard not to. Everyone knew that voice.

Pansin niyang napalingon din ang iba niyang teammates. Lalo na ang katabi niyang reyna ng pangaasar.

Jiyeon stood behind the barricade, with half her face covered by the baseball cap she wore, and her school jersey tied at the front.

The council members made it a point to match the players’ jerseys whenever they attended games. Most of them were in relationships with the athletes, but this was the first time Hyunjung saw Jiyeon participate in the tradition – not that she’s been to a lot of the boys’ team’s games to notice.

Under the harsh sun on that Saturday morning, Jiyeon looked at her through crescent eyesmiles. Hindi niya namalayang lumapit na pala siya sa babae until they were practically touching.

Jiyeon was standing on a platform, so Hyunjung was looking up at her. The captain wanted to about it but found herself unable to speak.

Inilapit pa ni Jiyeon ang mukha niya sa kanya, as if the whole field was trying to listen in on what she was going to say but she didn’t want them to hear.

“Here,” inabot niya ang blue Gatorade na hawak hawak niya mula sa pinagbilhan niyang 7/11 sa tapat ng bahay nila hanggang dumating sa field, “galing na sa akin to but hindi parin ako bumabawi.”

Tulala namang tinignan ni Hyunjung ang drink na binigay ng babae.

“Good luck, Cap. You got this.”

Nginitian siya ulit ni Jiyeon bago ito umalis at para bang sinampal siya ng hangin dahil hindi niya namalayan kung gaano sila kalapit ng babae.

Nagulat naman siya nang may biglang sumigaw sa tabi niya.

“HOY KIM JIYEON ANG DAYA MO! ASAN GATORADE KO?!”

“KUHA KA DIYAN SA ICE BUCKET SOJUNG MAY KAMAY KA NAMAN!” Sagot ni Jiyeon.

“Ah wala ka palang kamay, Cap.” Komento ng kaibigan niya matapos ng sinabi ng isang babae. Pinukol niya lang ito ng Gatorade at umupo ulit sa bench na may hindi mapigilang ngiti sa mga labi niya.