Krystal opened the steamer and took some pieces of gimbap they had made. She put them into a round container and wrap it in cellophane.

"Mrs. Lee, I will bring some for my snack." She told the old woman and left.

"Okay." But when the nanny checked the steamer again she was shocked to see it half empty.

Coach Kim conducted a warm-up exercise as an ice-breaker prior to the training session. Before they started the individual demonstration, the coach recapped the previous lecture.

"I already showed yesterday the different types of volleyball for us to recognize each and to find out which one suits us best. So again what are those?" She asked them.

"Ahm Underhand! Sky ball serve! Topspin! Float! Jump serve! And Jump float!" They answered.

"Very good! So stand up and let's start!" Trainees were given ball each and was called one by one randomly. Some of them were observing while practicing aside with each other. Due to her aloofness, Krystal practiced alone so when her name was called she was felt uneasy with the attention.

"Ms. Jung can you show me the easiest serve of all?" The coach meant for the Underhand serving. Krystal understood her then, she struck the ball below her waist using her palm. Being tense caused her to commit mistake for it did not reach the other side. She felt embarrassed as she failed the easiest skill. The coach came to her and corrected her.

"Use the heel of your hand instead of palm in hitting, like this." Coach Kim showed to her again. "And transfer your weight from the back foot to the front. Do it again." She commanded her. Krystal nodded but failed it again in her second attempt, she swore for she already mastered it. Probably the outcome of her being inattentive and soloist.

"Relax Ms. Krystal." The coach and other trainees cheered her third try and she made it.

"Okay next, the Sky ball serve." Krystal hit the ball less high but it still landed to the opponent's court.

"Exert more force." The coach advised her. "How about Topspin?" She tossed the ball and hits it with her wrist span.

"Okay good. How about Float?" She used the overhand serve where she hit the ball without spinning.

"Good. How about Jump Serve?" She tossed the ball in the air, then jumped to hit it. It touched the net so she tried another. "You have to jump higher than that." The coach told her.

"Yes." Krystal answered. Her performance were rather average as compare to some trainees.

"Show me the last serve and the hardest." Jump Float is an overhand serve where the ball is tossed high enough that the player may jump before hitting it. Although it is the most difficult one, it has to be Krystal's favorite serve as it is the most effective. When she was playing in U.S., she frequently used this serve hence she perfectly made it!

"Wow!" Watchers did not expect her to be so easy with that skill, a serve which professionals oftentimes apply. Even Coach Kim was wondering on how she did it flawlessly. The observers prejudged her ability at first but it turned out to be awesome when she hit the most difficult serving.

Minho saw Krystal waiting for him besides his car. They smiled at each other. She purposely waited to give him the snack she made but Minho signaled her to come inside the car. She followed him and when they were already in he noticed something that she is holding.

"What is that?" He saw the round container between her hands.

"It's gimbap." She answered.

"You cooked that?"

"I just helped Mrs. Lee in wrapping." She opened the container and offered it to him.

Minho picked one. "Mmm nice." Though no one can beats his mother's version, he loves this taste. "It's one of my favorite food." He told her.

"Really?! We should make again." She told him, happily of his reaction.

"Yeah."

"Then bring these home." Krystal was giving the whole container to him.

"No. I want to eat it here." He started the engine and asked her to feed him while he is driving.

While Krystal gently reaching the snack into his mouth, she suddenly remembered his girlfriend.

"Oppa, how is she doing?"

"Who?"

"Eunseo."

Minho did not expect Krystal to ask about the other girl and yet he answered. "She's fine."

"Why didn't you fetch her from school instead of me?"

"She does have tutorials after her class. Why?"

"Nothing." Krystal was bothered by the fact that Minho has girlfriend to take care of, yet he chose to be with her now.

"Lately, our schedules didn't cross. Since she knows I'm doing part-time job too, so she doesn't wait for me."

"But if she found out that we're together, will be okay with her?"

Minho's situation is rather difficult but he tries to make it easy for them. "Don't worry much Krystal, remember we don't do anything wrong."

"Okay." Krystal was afraid that his girlfriend might get jealous of their closeness and that she might block their good relationship. The two have to keep in mind that they promised to stay connected without hurting somebody especially Eunseo.

Two weeks training was about basic skills that involve serving, passing, setting, attacking, blocking, and digging. Subsequently, Coach Kim assessed each trainee on their strength and weakness based on their performances. Krystal received the summary of evaluation afterwards:

The most important thing for a setter is the communication, though you are quiet good in passing skill, you're still inefficient when it comes to setup plays. In blocking, you got good height and has jumping ability, only at times when you struggles to find proper timing. While in digging, you needs to improve on receiving hard block and high hit, you can use diving to reach the ball. Lastly, you are best in attacking. You are excellent attacker as you can deliver a powerful hit All in all, you are promising, just work harder.

Unfolding her great attacking ability especially her backcourt attacks made great impressions from her coach and co-trainees. They could see her as one of the most confident spiker that can play series of steps, jumps and swings with the ball. It is her strength back in elementary days as she was inspired by her P.E. instructor who is a former U.S. national volleyball player. However, because of her performance in digging, she was required to concentrate more on that skill. At their preparation for the standard formation, the trainees were divided into seven teams with five players each at the position of setter, lebero, blocker, outside hitter, and opposite hitter. Meanwhile, mastering her weakest skill made Krystal forced herself from jumping to diving for the ball. She forgot about the injury-prevention technique so when she tumbled on the floor, she hit her lower back with a thud! The fall hurt badly as it sounds.

"Are you okay?" Sulli her partner went to help her.

"No." She answered while her injured back was continuously aching.

"I will call Coach Kim." Her partner ran to their mentor.

After a minute, "What happen to you?" The coach checked her state.

"I felt sharp pain here, after I tumbled. " Pointing at the lower part of her back.

"Don't move! I'll call someone to lift you."

She got up with the help of other trainers and was laid to the soft cushioned bench in the office.

"Did anybody know Krystal's house?" The coach asked the other trainees that would send her home, but nobody answered. Then she remembered Minho is a friend of Krystal.

"There are still 30 minutes remaining before dismissal. You stay here and we'll call Coach Minho to come to you." The coach told her and she nodded.

As Minho ended the session, he was informed that her friend got injured "Where is she?"

"She's in Coach Kim's."

He immediately went down to see Krystal lying on the bench with Coach Kim.

"Krystal what do you feel?" Minho surveyed her condition.

"My back hurts." She told him. The pain she was enduring was visible althrough her body.

"She got, lower back injury from fall while practicing Dig." The coach said.

"Krystal is fragile." He told the mentor, while trying to massage her back. "Wait a minute." He ran to his office and got a supplied cold compress from there to manage the inflammation. Minho helped Krystal to sat up while leaning her front towards him. Coach Kim pulled her training sando upward and gently applied some painkiller ointment at the injury following the 10-minute cold compress.

"The evaluation pressured her." Coach Kim said to him. Krystal whimpered while the mentor was rubbing the cream on her injury, Minho, on the other hand caressed her back to lessen the pain. He is caring toward his friends but by looking at the two, Coach Kim began suspicious of their relationship. They looked like lovers more than friends she thought. After a while, a staff called the coach and so she had to leave them.

Minho embraced Krystal as he was calming her back, he gave some little kisses on her head to sooth her and amazingly she was relieving through it. She pushed herself up, huggin him more to feel the warmness of his body. After an hour, Minho assisted Krystal towards the car. If only some staffs were not there, he could carry her for her convinience. He drove the car while constantly checking at her. When they reached infront her home, Krystal was still in pain so he gave her gentle massage.

"Oppa when did you learned massaging?" She asked him while receiving the healing power of his hand.

"It is necessary to learn it. Athletes are prone to injuries so I was taught to take care of myself."

She uttered little cry when he pressed the center of injury.

"Does it hurt?" He asked her

"No." She told him. No way he did hurt her. It is actually comforting, giving her some pleasure.

After a couple of minutes, "Oppa I need to go now."

"Okay." He stopped what he was doing then she unlocked the car door.

"You want me to carry you?" He asked her.

"No. I can do it myself." Krystal was afraid that her Daddy would discover them together.

"Next time be careful, okay?" He said to her and she hugged him again for the payment on his unending support.

"I will. Thank you. Bye."

"Bye." Minho smiled as he watching Krystal going inside house. She was still limping from her back ache yet she expressed smiling face all through out. The kind of comfort her oppa is giving her makes her happy amidst the pain.

Minho then called Eunseo. After Krystal reminded him about her, he felt regretful of not doing his responsibility to his girfriend.

 She was busy doing her lesson plan at that time.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Still tied up?" He asked her.

"Yes. You?" She replied.

"Yeah. Pretty much. Ahh want to go out sometimes?"

"I have plenty of tasks to work on. We are planning some school activities so I don't think I'll be able to go there on Sunday."

"Ohh."

"I'm sorry Love. Try to catch you some other time." Eunseo apologized.

"Okay. I won't disturb you for now. Get some good rest after that."

"Yes. Good night."

"Good night."

This is what he does not like about Eunseo. They are both engaged in their work. She is very career minded woman and he is too occupied with his goals. He thought their relationship is stable, but in turned out to be shaky lately. He started losing interest as their schedules ruined their quality time to the point that even kiss need to be planned. He hates it. Anyway, Krystal presence fills her absence. She is unlike Eunseo, restricted but always there for him. Krystal maybe less assiduous, but it does not matter as long as she can give him much of her time. Plus the way her eyes twikling at him is always refreshing to see.

Krystal was resting when her parents went back from the work. Her mother noticed her silence.

"Where is Krystal?" She asked Mrs. Lee.

"She went to her bedroom, might be sleeping." The nanny told her.

Mrs. Jung went upstairs and saw her resting on her bed. "Baby are you okay?" She touched her forehead and found she got slight fever.

"Mommy I just fell during the practice, nothing serious." Her daughter told her.

"But your temperature is warm. You have to eat now so you can take medicine?"

"Yes."

She brought her a hot soup and paracetamol afterwards.

"You need to take absent tomorrow."

"I don't want to miss my first game." The daughter insisted.

"How about your backache?"

"I'll get better." She assured her.

Her mother took care of her that night and even slept besides her. She had mild fever due to her injury so she nursed her. The following day, despite her condition she still attended the training. It was weekend afternoon hence the session is double time. Coach Kim did not expect Krystal to be present while she is still injured.

"Are you sure you can play today?" She worried about her.

'Yes coach." She confidently told her, knowing that Minho will help her whatever she is bearing.

"Don't force too much. Remember the rolling technique which I taught you." The technique can be use to prevent injury.

"Yes." She obeyed what she had been told.

Krystal practiced the dig while waiting at their turn. She was determined to prove her ability for her to be included in inter-villages competition. After they were grouped by five including one boy in each team, she landed in team F where she and her demo partner Sulli became teammates. Through her height, Sulli was expected to specialize blocking, while Krystal would control the backcourt attack and the only boy Onew as the opposite hitter. Their first practice game will be against team C which led by Hyorin. Like in amateur league, there are 3 sets in total. The first team to reach 25 points wins the set and the first team to win 2 sets will win the match. Krystal could still feel the throbbing pain at her back, yet she set aside the uncomfortable sensation to help the team.

to be continued...