keep the ball in the air.

 

the thought repeats like a mantra in seungwan's head — with the team’s current positioning, she’s the one closest to the ball and she'd rather break an arm than let her team down. every point counts, but this one especially. this is the third round and while her team has a comfortable lead, signs of fatigue are beginning to show. if this drags on any longer, they could be in trouble.

 

with one point away from winning the match, seungwan is determined to save the ball that is currently heading straight for the bleachers.

 

she can save it— no, she will save it.

 

the world slows and fades from her focus as she fixates her eyes on the falling ball, it's the only thing that matters now. her body seemingly moves on its own accord, she doesn’t have to think about what to do, she already knows. with trained movements, she takes a large step forward and hopes it is enough. gritting her teeth, seungwan extends her hands to catch the ball. upon feeling the familiar impact on her arms, she sends it high into the air, back into the grasp of her teammates.

 

landing on her knees, she allows herself a small smile of relief knowing that the rest will be up to her capable teammates. she, on the other hand, has more worrying matters to take care of. for example, coming face to face with the captain of the rival team. with only a split second to react, seungwan throws her arms out to put anything between her and the fearsome ace known as bae joohyun.

 

this must be a cruel twist of fate because coming mere inches away from the captain's lips is somehow horrifying yet not entirely unwanted. if she isn't so worn out by the match, seungwan would've sworn that joohyun leaned forward ever so slightly. thankfully, her palms land on the wall behind joohyun, putting just enough distance between them. a sheen of sweat rolls down her temple as she lifts her gaze to look at the captain. her mistake, because bae joohyun shoots her an alluring smile that causes a soft, surprised gasp to slip from . 

 

, there goes her focus.

 

thankfully, the wonderous sound of a ball being spiked onto the ground is followed by a chorus of cheers. she recognises the excited screams from her team and snaps her head towards them. seeing them huddle and embracing each other confirms the fact that they've won.

 

"you should join them."  

 

bae joohyun's voice brings her back to reality and seungwan realizes that she still has the nation's ace trapped in a kabedon.

 

perhaps it's a secret to others, but everyone on her team knows that son seungwan is an entirely different person on and off the court. with the match being over, the heat finally begins to crawl up her cheeks. the tiny setter scrambles away in a flustered mess, an incoherent apology is lost to the noise and seungwan reunites with her team, hoping that nobody witnessed what happened between her and joohyun.

 

though, as with all practice matches at the training camp that they're currently at, all of it has been recorded and is bound for an in-depth review.

 

---

 

"and you didn't take the chance to ask her out? you were inches away from kissing her!"

 

of course, of all people, yerim would be the one to yell at her. unfortunately for seungwan, the coach just had to compliment her for her clutch save in front of the entire team which led to everyone finding out about how she almost kissed bae joohyun. yerim being the first one on her sounds about right; the libero thinks this training camp is the perfect opportunity to pick girls up, not to hone their skills and better themselves.

 

letting out a loud scoff, seungwan grumbles. "we were in a match, ."

 

"yah, we won though." yerim counters and slings her arm around the setter's shoulder, "it was over before you even got off your knees."

 

a fair point, but seungwan has no interest in going near the scariest player in this entire training camp. shrugging yerim off, she retorts with a sigh. 

 

"and we wouldn't have if joohyun didn't injure herself." 

 

despite her height, bae joohyun is an absolute demon on the court. her speed coupled with how high she can jump is one thing, but combine those things with her strength? no sane player would willingly go against her. yerim probably has had her fill with saving monstrous spikes for one day. fortunately for their team, joohyun's competitiveness happens to be a double-edged sword, leading her to push herself just a little too hard at the end of the second round. with a minor injury, the ace is forced to sit out, leaving her team at a huge disadvantage.

 

"bummer, her spikes were a real challenge to receive." the libero raises her shoulders, "but hey, speak of the devil."

 

all eyes are on the soon-to-be national player and the charming middle blocker known as park sooyoung. the sound of chattering in the dining hall is now reduced to a handful of hushed whispers — everyone had something to say about bae joohyun. one table would be talking about her skill, another would be gossiping about her personality and at seungwan's table? the conversation happens to be about how stunning she is.

 

the tense atmosphere would've lingered if park sooyoung didn't clear slightly. the blocker towers over most players and can be intimidating in her own ways, unlike joohyun who prefers to be non-confrontational. the hall returns to business as usual, though many players find it hard to take their eyes off the raven-haired ace — seungwan included.

 

the only thing that forces her attention away is the ace of her team taking a seat in front of her. kang seulgi, often prefers to focus on her dinner, though occasionally enjoys partaking in discussions about other players with her friends.

 

"you have no idea how many people would kill to be in your position today, wannie."

 

"see?" yerim shoots the setter a cocky smile before turning her attention to seulgi, "tell her she should ask joohyun out, seul."

 

scooping a mouthful of rice into , the ace's response comes out in an incoherent mess that the two have translated into ask her out, seungwan-ah.

 

in the world of high school volleyball, seungwan is an average player, but her team brings out the best in her. joohyun is the exact opposite. being the captain of the velvets, one of the best schools in the nation, says a lot about her already. without her, they would crumble as they did earlier. 

 

to say that they are of entirely different calibres feels like a gross understatement, seungwan does not belong anywhere near her.

 

"no." she firmly refuses, "we're here to practice, not to ask anyone out."

 

"well, it wouldn't kill you to try to make a friend." yerim rolls her eyes, "do it or we'll do it for you." 

 

seulgi quirks a brow, "we will?"

 

they won't, seungwan knows that from seulgi's reaction. so she scoffs and stands from her seat, confident that they wouldn't be able to disrupt her peace.

 

"where are you going?"

 

"to get eight hours of sleep."

 

"it's not even nine yet, wannie."

 

"don't forget that we have a morning run."

 

seungwan smirks after hearing their groans and proceeds to make her way to the exit. on the way out, she tries to catch a fleeting glimpse of bae joohyun, only to see the ace meeting her gaze with a slight smile. seizes up ever so slightly and she snaps her eyes to the ground, wondering how many people would dream about smothering her in her sleep tonight.

 

---

 

sleep comes easy after a full day of scrims with some of the best schools in the country. not for seulgi though, her head is racing with various plays that could've been executed better. and what better way to clear her mind than to wake her best friend up?

 

seungwan blinks awake hours later thanks to seulgi's inability to fall asleep. the girl is dressed in her jersey with her signature black headband, and seungwan instantly knows what she wants.

 

"we're not practicing now, seul!" the setter hisses, "i need my sleep!"

 

"an hour at most. please?"

 

"no."

 

"wannie..."

 

"we need to rest, seul." seungwan pinches the bridge of her nose with a sigh, "it's going to be another hellish day tomorrow."

 

with the moonlight shining through the window, the setter catches a glimpse of the pout on seulgi's face. "i know, but i can't sleep if we don't practice."

 

yet, it does little to sway her. three years on the same team and being practically glued to each other has taught her a lot, especially when to say no. 

 

"it's not my problem, goodnight." she mutters and pulls the covers over her body — she's going to get her sleep regardless of seulgi's whining.

 

"wannie..!"

 

"shut up already..." yerim stirs from her bed, "i'll go with you."

 

a groan is heard from seungwan as she turns to face the two. as team captain, she knows their coach will be furious if their ace and libero got into any trouble, which is hardly difficult for them. bleary-eyed, she allows seulgi and yerim to lead her to the courts in the dead of night.

 

---

 

it's no surprise that the courts are emptier than they were last night, it seems that the first day pretty much drained the life out of everyone except for a few tenacious ones who seem to thrive despite the lack of sleep. 

 

naturally, bae joohyun is there too, seemingly making up for the practice she missed out on today. with concentration glinting in her eyes, the ace that most players fear is launching herself just above the net, ready to spike a ball straight to the ground. a powerful swing of her arm allows her palm to meet the surface of the ball, and in a single blink, she slams it down with such ferocity that leaves one wondering what wrongs a ball might have committed.

 

she lands with a slight squeak from her shoes and noticing the presence of strangers allows her focus to slip. for a moment, she looks almost shocked by the appearance of the trio. quickly regaining her composure, she acknowledges them with a mere nod while sooyoung offers a wave. the trio bows in response, mostly out of respect and the fact that it would be better to be on joohyun's good side. without exchanging a single word, the two groups get back to practising.

 

seungwan watches from the bleachers, stating firmly to seulgi and yerim that she's merely there to keep an eye on them, not to practice. they scoff, however, noticing that it's just an excuse for her to gawk at bae joohyun instead.

 

the ace of the velvets swaps to practising her serves, and seungwan marvels at the sight. there's a terrifyingly distinct look in her eyes when she spins the ball in her hands. drawing a deep breath into her lungs, she clutches the ball and readies herself.

 

taking a few steps forward, joohyun tosses the ball into the air and eyes it like a hawk. she leaps for it, clenching her jaw as she sends it across the court for park sooyoung to receive. the ball zips past the middle blocker only to land at the edge of the court, making it a service ace. joohyun lands gracefully, albeit with a small smirk touching her lips.

 

and then she turns, locking eyes with seungwan as if to make sure that the setter caught everything. 

 

oh, she definitely did.

 

and then joohyun speaks.

 

"yah, can you help me with my spikes?" 

 

her voice carries across the courts, even the squeaking of shoes could not drown out her words. everyone stops momentarily to glance at the ace, wondering if her question is targeted at them. but with eyes glued onto seungwan, it's safe to say she knows which setter she wants.

 

seungwan looks around as if she's speaking to someone else as if there's anyone else but her sitting at the bleachers. realising that feigning ignorance probably isn't going to work, the setter bites down on the inside of her cheek to mask her embarrassment. she has no way of escaping since joohyun is bent on making her way over. 

 

"son seungwan, right?" the ace lifts the corner of her lips slightly before tossing a ball into seungwan's hands, "set for me."

 

catching the ball in her hands, seungwan stares at her for a brief eternity. it isn't a question, nor is it a request per se. yet, the setter feels obliged to agree.

 

they aren't exactly strangers nor are they anything close to acquaintances. three years of playing in competitive high school volleyball have led to them meeting multiple times as opponents. though, thanks to joohyun's intimidating aura, seungwan, like many others, has been apprehensive about approaching her.

 

maybe this is how it starts — with bae joohyun making the first move.

 

seungwan takes her up on the offer despite whining about missing sleep less than half an hour ago. she'll be exhausted tomorrow but she's certain her libero would wring her neck if she didn't agree to extra practice with the best ace in the nation.

 

besides, it’s not like she has a choice because yerim speaks for her.

 

“she says yes as long as we can join.”

 

joohyun eyes the two and nods, “sure.”

 

seungwan feels the eyes of the jealous digging into her very soul and she tries to shrug them off but it's nerve-wracking beyond belief. seungwan thinks her legs would give way, but they don't and they somehow make her way to joohyun's court.

 

seulgi and yerim excitedly bounce over to the other court and ready themselves for some blocking practice while sooyoung watches them quietly — to study or to intimidate them, seungwan can't tell.

 

"you ready?" joohyun somehow has the decency to ask despite practically dragging seungwan to set for her. well, that would be a little dramatic but no one would ever say no to the ace.

 

as much as she thinks she might throw up, seungwan bobs her head and rolls her sleeves up to her shoulders, revealing a pair of surprisingly toned arms. sooyoung quirks a brow but maintains her silence, mildly impressed at her physique. 

 

everyone has their own way of getting ready and for joohyun? it happens in an instant, her eyes narrow slightly and her brows stitch into a mild frown. there's no point to practice if you don't treat it like a real game.

 

the ace bounces a ball at the service line, sparing a moment to calculate her moves while seungwan eyes her intently, waiting nervously for her to make a move. they lock eyes and joohyun tosses the ball in the air, a swift strike sends it towards seungwan and before anyone can react, she's making her way towards the net. 

 

seungwan tries to focus on the falling ball but perhaps the pressure of practising with the best player in the nation is getting to her. she misjudges the distance, setting the ball just a little far from joohyun's hand, and the ace misses her spike. the ball lands with an awkward thud on their side of the court and seungwan start to dig an imaginary grave in her head. 

 

"don't worry about it," joohyun is quick to reassure her with a smile that erases all her anxieties, "we just need some time to adjust, right?"

 

the setter bobs her head in agreement and responds a little too enthusiastically, "yes! i won't let you down!"

 

the blockers on the other side of the net don't hold back their snickers, yerim especially since she's the only one that speaks up. "that's the spirit! but save some energy for the matches tomorrow!"

 

seungwan chuckles awkwardly and rubs the nape of her neck. god, why did she agree to tag along? she could've been safe from embarrassment if she just remained asleep. 

 

"heads up, son seungwan!"

 

joohyun's warning barely gives her any time to react since the ball is already in the air by the time she looks up. great, she doesn't have time to think about anything else except to set the ball. this time, there's no miscalculation. seungwan has watched and played against joohyun too many times to not know how she scores. one could say that she knows the ace like a teammate. 

 

the setter jumps as the ball drops comfortably into her hands, sparing a moment to assess the situation and notices that joohyun has yet to reach the peak of her jump.

 

taking it into account, seungwan sends the ball a little higher and joohyun sends it over the two-man block with ease. yerim dives for the ball that crosses the court but it falls just out of her reach. the ace lands with a soft thud and shoots a satisfied smile in seungwan's direction.

 

"looks like you finally found the one, huh, unnie?" sooyoung remarks, her voice carrying a hint of displeasure from letting joohyun's spike go through.

 

"we'll see." the ace arches a brow and smirks, "let's do it again, son seungwan!"

 

joohyun barely gives her any time to respond before she sends the next ball to her. this time, seungwan thinks she has a little time to position herself but the ace proves her wrong in a single beat. she's always known that joohyun is fast but the ace isn't called a demon for no reason. the ball is still mid-air when joohyun makes her jump, reaching high above the nets before the blockers do and seungwan moves on instinct. she sets the ball as fast as she can and hopes that it is enough to keep up with joohyun. it reaches the ace just in time as she begins to lose height, and joohyun slams it down relentlessly. the ball lands in the corner of the court, bouncing towards the bleachers, leaving the ace beaming widely.

 

for a split second, amazement is plastered on joohyun's face. finally, a setter who can keep up with her pace. 

 

"that was way too fast, unnie!" sooyoung whines.

 

"you'll have plenty of chances to block me, park sooyoung."

 

practice carries on and seungwan forgets about all the stares she's been getting. she focuses on joohyun, picturing them as a monster duo, ready to take on the whole world. seulgi would complain about being replaced but they know that joohyun takes whoever she plays with to the next level. seungwan keeps up with the ace despite her speed catching her off guard every once in a while, she still finds a way to get the ball to joohyun's hand. 

 

their plays catch not only the blockers but seungwan herself by surprise. even if they didn't break through every single block, playing with joohyun is a welcomed challenge. plenty would outrank joohyun when it comes to strength but there's nobody in this training camp that could beat the ace in terms of speed. seungwan is mostly glad to be able to witness it up close, it is a wonder to watch joohyun in action but a terror to be against her. all she hopes is that she wouldn't be at the receiving end of one of those spikes.

 

they get an hour of practice before the coaches start to chase them out of the gym, berating them for not resting. the players clean up with disgruntled groans, nobody wants to get off the courts despite their fatigue.

 

joohyun helps with cleaning up from afar but seungwan notices that she's been getting closer. initially, it feels like her imagination, but she confirms it when joohyun approaches.

 

"we make a good pair, don't you think?" joohyun breaks her out of her reverie by speaking, and seungwan meets her gaze properly for the first time in an hour.

 

processing her words, the setter drops her jaw in surprise. "u-uh, really? you think so?" she stammers.

 

the ace's mouth curves into that same alluring smile from earlier and seungwan feels the heat rushing to her cheeks. thank god they worked up a sweat from practice, it's enough to mask her embarrassment.

 

"yes, i'd like to play with you someday, on the same team."

 

before she can respond, yerim interrupts by calling her name. "yah, seungwan-unnie! let's hit the showers!"

 

curse her. seungwan fights the urge to click her teeth and she grimaces lightly.

 

"go on," joohyun nods, "thank you for tonight."

 

the setter barely manages a smile before jogging over to reunite with her fellow teammates. they grill her about the experience and point out how interested the ace seems to be, seungwan shrugs all their speculation aside because why would the best high school player take an interest in her?

 

---

 

talk is cheap.

 

seungwan spends the entirety of her shower thinking about joohyun. their plays replay in her head, and a small grin unconsciously slips from her lips. she likes playing with joohyun — no, loves it. the way she moves, her techniques, everything about her is breathtaking. the training camp has just started so seungwan clings onto the hope that they'll get to practice together again soon.

 

and they will because bae joohyun will make sure it happens.

 

"you dodged my kiss today."

 

seungwan snaps her head up in surprise upon stepping out of the shower. she'd been zoning out for the entirety of her shower, partially due to exhaustion but mostly because she's been thinking about the ace. the locker room is empty except for the two of them, and seungwan supposes that it would be okay to let down this pretence of theirs.

 

"i thought we were keeping it lowkey!" seungwan hisses sharply, and despite having a lot more to say, joohyun shuts her up by locking her arms around the nape of her neck.

 

"i couldn't resist. how can i when the cutest setter in the world is in love with me?"

 

"in love?" seungwan cracks into a smile, "i admit i may have a little crush on you."

 

joohyun scoffs lightly and shakes her head, "in that case, so do i. you were amazing today, i think i might have fallen in love."

 

the setter can't help herself from smiling; it's been a year since she's asked joohyun out. yes, her. who would've thought? but to be fair, much like today, joohyun was the one that sought her out back in the first year of high school. they make for an unexpected couple since joohyun never approaches anyone, except seungwan, meeting at the very same training camp they are at now. becoming friends took more than a single training camp, only after multiple competitions did they even think to exchange numbers. they kept their friendship a secret, mostly due to the fact that joohyun gets a little shy around seungwan.

 

"how's the leg?" 

 

"it was a slight sprain, i'll be fine by tomorrow."

 

"i was worried."

 

"were you?" joohyun questions, doubt seeping into her words, "because you seemed pretty focused on saving that ball earlier."

 

seungwan chuckles nervously — it's true, she only had her eyes on the ball, but she tries to play it off.

 

"i was! i just couldn't show it since we're keeping things lowkey."

 

"well," the corners of joohyun's lips lift slightly as she intertwines her hand with seungwan's, "should we pretend that you actually asked me out?"

 

"pretend? yah... we've been dating a year..!"

 

"you want to prove your friends wrong, don't you?"

 

naturally, thinking it was amusing, seungwan told her about what her friends said. she didn’t expect that joohyun would want to publicize their relationship.

 

"yeah..."

 

"let's practice again tomorrow, a friendly match." the ace smirks, "i'll bet a kiss, if i win, i get to kiss you."

 

"in front of them?"

 

"don't tell me you're gonna get shy?"

 

"no but —"

 

without listening to her excuses, joohyun leans forward to shut her girlfriend up with a kiss. 

 

"we can practice a little longer."