Jongin sighed and looked out the window. There were cars passing by, and he looked at every building passing by the window. Some were high as mountains, and some as small as a shield. Jongin was feeling tired and leaned closer to the window in an attempt to try to get some sleep. That was until he was brutally pushed by the person sitting beside him.

The volleyball team was driving out of town for their volleyball match in Goyang. The bus ride would be an hour long, so it was bearable, but the noise in the bus was definitely not!

Everyone was eager and excited for their match, and since they had to sit still at one place (really, you think they would be sitting still, like in a church?) they had to get their energy out somewhere. So the volume was too loud and Jongin felt a headache start to build up. There were paper flying over the seats, and loud music playing in the background of all the talking. They reminded Jongin of a bunch of monkeys, and on the outside of the bus there stood a man holding bananas.

He held his hands over his ears trying to block some of all the noises out. He could not understand that the coach or Kris had not said anything yet. Not to mention the bus driver. Jongin could not understand he was able to concentrate on driving in this brawl. (It was not a brawl, but it could just might have been that. At least if you just listen to the sound!)

Even Joonmyun hadn’t said anything yet. And that was unusual, since he was like the father of everyone on the team. Jongin looked back in the bus and spotted Joonmyun eagerly talking with one of the members on the team. By the look of it, even if the bus was to explode - he would not estimate it at all.

Jongin sighed, and pulled his jacket over his head, blocking all light out. Don’t misunderstand here, of course Jongin was just as eager about the match, but still it was years ago since they all finished kindergarten.

★

“Come on Joonmyun, watch out for the outer line on your left," Donghae shouted. Joonmyun nodded and stared at the team on the other side of the net. Jongin was short on breath, and his feats hurts, but he swallowed the pain down. He had set his eyes on the tall brown haired guy on the other team. He was their ess card. He had a way of suddenly slamming the ball where no one of Jongin’s teammates stood at that moment. And he was quick. They barely noticed his movement, and then bam it was too late. Though Joonmyun had saved at least twenty balls, they were still behind with eleven points. Kris was playing even rougher than he used to, and that’s mainly why they had any points in this match at all.

“Come on Superior, you can do this!” a bunch of girls on the grandstand shouted, getting Jongdae to stand up and wave at them. They giggled loudly and Jongin just rolled his eyes.

Jongdae, always out after the ladies.

"Jongdae, focus!” Kris shouted, and Jongdae pulled himself together and went back to the line on the field. Jongin just laughed and shook his head.

It was the other team's turn, and the coach on the other team sent out a little blond little guy. (Yes, it is needed with two little to describe him)
Jongin could not understand that the other team was serious. He exchanged glances with Luhan, but Luhan just shrugged his shoulders, knowing just as much as Jongin. (Being not much)
The small guy walked to the serving spot, and Jongin thought that this was going to be easy. Well, he was a little too fast in thinking that, because when the judge blew the whistle, signalising for the other team to start the game, a fast and unexpected ball came landing just inside the line, giving the other team one point.

What just happened?

The impact came so quick that no one on Jongin’s team even registered what happened.

Ohh, .

Suddenly it dammed for Jongin that that little guy, he was their real ess. They had been sparing him just to surprise the other team. The other tall brown one, he was just a distraction.
He saw a confident smile on every member on the other team, and it was surely not helping the Superiors’ spirit. Not at all.

Now the position was 12 - 4 to the opposite team, and Jongin felt like giving up already. He felt like the other team had let them win on purpose the first two rounds. They had won two matches each, but now it looked like the last one was long out of their reach. The first one to fifteen points with two points in the lead, would win. And it didn’t look too good for the Superiors.  

“Time out,” Donghae called, and the judge blew his whistle giving their coach permission to take the time out. Jongin jogged over to their bench. The rest of his teammates were drenched, and they all looked like they were ready to just give up as well. The other team had a huge head start, and it was nearly impossible with the blond guy and the brown tall one standing on the other team.

“Okay everyone, I know that some of you have already given up, but you have to fight. We haven’t lost just yet. The other team is confident on their winning right now, so they can easily make small mistakes because of it. I want you all to be one hundred percent in the game when the serve is sent, and look out for the outer line if you get the ball over the net. Their weak link is number five. If you try to make the ball come on his left, I am sure we can win,” The coach said boosting his team. “So, who are we?” he asked and put a hand in the circle. “Superiors!” they shouted and put their hands in the circle as well.
“Okay, Jongdae you switch with Jun, in case we get the serve,” the coach said and the swap took place.

Jogging out on the field again, he saw that the pep talk had given most of his teammates a boost, and Kris looked like he was ready to eat everyone on the other team for lunch. Jongin chuckled and placed himself in the middle in front of the net. His main purpose was to get the ball up or block the other team.  

Jongin saw the blond one smile mischievously when he walked back to the serving spot. Jongin snorted and shrink down so that he could get a better height if he was to jump.

The judge blew the whistle, and the blond one started with throwing the ball up in the air. The hit was enormously prissily and the ball came like lightning. Jongin thought that the game was now lost for their sake, but somehow Joonmyun managed to block the ball, and send it right back to the others’ side. The other team was not ready for the happening, and they stood there shocked, looking at the ball hit their field.

The crowd exploded, and Kris gave Joonmyun a high five. Yes, now they got a chance to turn this game around.

They switched places, and as the coach had hoped for, Jongdae was now the one to serve. Jongdae walked to his favorite spot on the field, playing nervous and insecure just to trick the other team.
Jongin had to smile. He thought the playing was silly, but he had to admit that it actually worked; though it still made the mischievous Jongdae look silly when he put on that act. And no, the other team knew nothing about Jongdae’s fire ball.

The coach used to tell Jongdae to slow it a little in the first round or so, just in case they needed a surprise element later in the game. And since Jongdae was a big troll in the first place, he liked playing the weak spot on the team. Because whenever he was allowed to turn his game on, the ones on the other team would be standing with their mouths open.
But not just yet. He would still play the weak one just a little longer.

The judge blew the whistle and Jongin started to count down to seven. Then he saw the ball make an unsteady way - just over the net; letting the ones on the other team easily dodge the ball back. And there was Kris and Chanyeol ready to get the ball. They all knew this. What to do, how to act, how the other team mostly would act, because they didn’t know that they were doing just what the Superiors wanted them to. And the Crows (the other team) were no exception.

Kris got the ball up, giving Chanyeol plenty of time to find an empty space and send the ball there. And easy as that, they were one point closer.

The leader on the other team shouted at his teammates for letting that easy ball go through them, telling them to it up.

Ohh, you haven’t seen us play yet, just you wait! Jongin thought and knew that Jongdae would now let the ball fall a little higher, but with just enough speed to make the other team play the ball between themselves before sending it back. And they did.
This time Jongin was the one that slammed the ball down, giving the Superiors a point. The crowd cheered, while some booed, depending on which team they cheered for.

Luhan winked at him and gave him a thumbs up. Jongin flashed him a smile, and waited for Jongdae to do the same again. And the same thing happened. It was silly really, how easy it was, but they knew that it would not continue forever. So when they got to the position 12 - 11, the coach gave Jongin the sign he had waited for. Jongin smiled and started to analyse the field and showed Jongdae a thumb up behind his back, telling him that he can now take one of his fire balls, instead of the easy ones.  

Jongdae smiled and breathed heavily out, and when the judge blew the whistle, he sent the ball to the middle of the other team’s field as fast as he could.

The other team was left dumbfounded, not understanding what just happened. The Superiors laughed and smiled innocently to the other team, saying; You thought this was going to be easy did you?

They did the same over, and the team on the other side started to get nervous when the position was 12 - 14. Superior was only one point from winning.

Jongin swallowed, and the coach on the other team called for a time out. It came as no surprise since the Superior have beaten them down into their boots.

They all jogged to the benches, where Donghae smiled to them and told them to stand in a circle around him.

“What did I say guys, we haven’t lost just yet. Okay, now it’s extremely important that you don’t slow down your game and think that this is going to be easy, because it isn't. I am sure that we only were lucky, and when the coach on the other team is instructing them right now, I am sure he have a card up his sleeve. That’s why I want Luhan to be a little more on the backside and Joonmyun, you keep an open eye on number 15 (That’s the tall brown one). The rest of you keep up the good work. Who are we?”

“Superiors!”

They jogged out on the field again and Jongin noticed that the other team had made a few changes, and he did not like it. The tall brown one (number 15) was now in the middle in the front, and that little blond one had been changed with a beast of a guy. And yes he was a beast on the field to, he could very much compete with Kris.

The judge blew the whistle and Jongdae’s fire ball went over the net and.... One of the smaller ones drooped, dodged and rolled up, getting the ball to fly high up in the air, before the beast planted the ball in the very back of the Superiors field.

Oh . I am glad that did not fly straight into my face, Jongin thought and looked after the ball.

It had jumped out to the audience, and some poor girl would have a fresh black eye by tomorrow.

That must have hurt, Jongin thought and turned his attention back to the game. The position was now 14 - 13.  If the Crows got 3 more points, they would have won, but if only the Superiors got the next point, it would mean they have won the game. Meaning they would be listed first in the winter half of the season. And that was a big thing, since it was almost nine years since last time. (Second is not good enough!)

The Crows swapped places and the Superiors was getting ready to dodge the upcoming serve.
The judge blew the whistle, and the one on the Crows threw the ball into the air and sent it to the very back of the Superiors field. Jongdae was able to save the ball, and Kris was confident when he ran forward and slammed the ball over to the other team. Well confident until the tall brown one saved the ball and made it go just above the net. There was no one there to dodge the ball, and Jongin felt his heart fall, when he saw in slow motion the ball fall to the ground in the middle of their field.

But then he saw something, Luhan was suddenly in place pulling the ball up and Joonmyun of all people ran forward and slammed the ball over the net and directly into the field; giving the superiors the point they needed.

Jongin looked at Joonmyun, his eyes big, and Joonmyun looked just as surprised. Then the crowd exploded, and when it dawned on the Superiors that they had actually won the game, they started to jump and cheer as well.

“We won, we won, we won!”

Jongin hugged Luhan, and they started bouncing on one place. The others joined them in their bouncing and they laughed together, cheering with the audience in the room.
The Crows looked angry and sad, and Jongin could much understand why. They had an enormous lead in the beginning of this round, and now they had lost, much thanks to Jongdae’s fire ball, and Joonmyun’s quick reactions.
“Best Christmas present ever!” Luhan shouted, and Jongin felt some of his spirit die. Why does everything have to be related to Christmas?

But nothing could cool down his joy for long, so he continued jumping with his teammates, celebrating their win.

★