Regular - Korean | Bold - English | Italicized - Chinese | Underlined - Japanese

Narrator's POV

"-and stretch!" Jinae said

"everyone warmed up?" the coach said

"deh" the girls responded

"the boys are playing right now, your game is after theirs" the coach said "wanna watch?"

"dehh" the girls responded, a bit more enthusiatically this time. Kari lagged behind them, grabbing a small bag from her duffel before jogging after them

"don't stress your ankle oh? do the exercises that Mark told you about" Sojin teased and they laughed

"I'm taking care of it" Kari said "yah, what's wrong with you guys lately?"

"what do you mean?" Kyungji asked innocently

"how come you guys emphasize Mark a lot?" Kari said

"because you two are just so cute together" Miyeon squealed

"ew" Kari gagged

"no, really" Yubin said "your childish battles-"

"they're not childish! They are legit!" Kari defended

"and your nonsensical bickering" Hana said

"it is not nonsensical!" Kari said "he annoys the out of me, I annoy the out of him, case closed"

"what about when he takes care of you?" Mei said "he cares a lot about you Kari-ah"

"does not" Kari crossed her arms

"he does too" Boram said

"ah lalala, I can't hear you" Kari said rewrapping her ankle and putting a warm compression pad on it before moving her ankle in small circles

"indenial~" Sumin sang

"am not" Kari muttered

"then how come you let him use your phone to call home?" Aeji said

"because I felt bad?" Kari said "it was a kind thing to do, he looked sad"

"so you care about his feelings?" Nara said

"I-I..he's a foreigner like me, I would want to talk to my family too even if I don't say it" Kari said "aigoo, you guys are too loud, watch the boys game will you?"

"don't you wanna watch with us?" Jinae asked

"unnie, you too?" Kari asked

"I ship it" Jinae winked "Mari? Markari? Akark?"

"unnie" Kari whined

"I like Markari" the coach laughed

"coach!" Kari said and the girls laughed

"stretch your ankle" the coach said

"yeh" Kari muttered

***

"let's go congratulate our boys for the win" the coach said "and Kari's boy-"

"coach!" she whined

"arema, Akari? Fuyuta Akari?" a girl said making the team turn around "well, it is you. Do you remember us?"

"I'm sorry...I don't" Kari said "who are you?"

"we're from your high school volleyball team! How can you not remember us?" she smiled "I'm Mizuki!"

"oh yeah...I remember. You took my place as libero after I got suspended" Kari said

"I've got to thank you, best break of my life. Most people think you're a , but you absolutely made my dream come true" Mizuki beamed.

"is she giving you a compliment?" Sojin asked "she seems nice"

"she seems nice" Kari said. Her team smiled at Mizuki's. Yeah, her words are foreign to them, yet it looks kind because of her smile. Mizuki's words were full of venom and Kari knew it.

"the school absolutely missed you when we found out you were going to Korea. Especially the football team" Mizuki smirked

"you think you're so good just because you got on the team, right Mizuki?" Kari said "remember, you're the second place. Just like Dani...tch, shameless."

"what is..?" Jinae asked

"you only got on the team because they kicked me out, for something that wasn't even my fault. I'm the first choice Mizuki, if I went to your college, I'd be the starter too" Kari said

"you're still cocky, aren't you?" Mizuki crossed her arms "that's your problem Akari. It wouldn't have happened if you weren't cocky"

"ane-san, that's enough" another said

"we're playing each other aren't we?" Kari said "I'll show you who's the better libero, who will always be the better libero"

"you talk so much for someone who ran away" Mizuki said "I stayed and trained and became better, I'm not the second place you think I am"

"but you are, Mizuki" Kari said "are you Asia's best libero? Japan's borne pride?"

"those are just words" Mizuki clenched her fists

"angry? aren't you?" Kari said

"Ai" Mark said running up to them

"Mark, what a pleasant surprise" Byul said "Kari-ah, we'll go ahead, come warm up when you're ready"

"Ai, did you watch us?" Mark asked

"I was a bit preoccupied on my ankle, Tuan" she said "mian"

"ah gwenchana, how is it?" he said bending down and pressing against the skin "apa?"

"a-ani, just a bit" Kari said "yah, stand up"

"Ai? who's he?" Mizuki said

"this is Mark" Kari said

"hello, I'm Mizuki. Akari's friend from Japan" Mizuki said holding her hand out

"o-oh hey. I'm Mark. I'm Ai's-"

"kareshi*" Kari said lacing her arm through his

"boyfriend?" Mizuki said "such a shame"

"I'm sorry?" Mark asked

"we watched you play. You're really good" Mizuki said

"thanks" Mark said

"and also really cute" Mizuki noted "you shouldn't be with Akari, you deserve much better than a girl who threw her life away for pleasure"

"you really know how to talk, Mizuki" Kari said

"do you know what she did, Mark?" Mizuki asked

"yeah, I do" Mark said "Ai needed a lot of support and I feel bad that I wasn't able to give it to her. I'm trying now. Even still, I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend"

"we'll settle this on the court Mizuki" Kari gritted her teeth, dragging Mark away

"well aren't they rude?" Mark said

"thanks for playing along" Kari said

"no problem, it was a bit of a shock at first, but I caught on" he smiled "I wish you luck against them Ai, but always be careful of your ankle"

"komawo Mark-ah, you really are a good friend" she said, running over to her team

"what was that all about?" coach asked

"just reunity" Kari said "coach...I want to serve today"

"you'll serve for the middles?" the coach asked and she nodded "are you sure?"

"deh" Kari nodded

"arasso, go warm up" the coach dismissed her. Kari went and partnered up with Boram.

"make me move" Kari said

"but your ankle-"

"do it Boram-ah, it'll help" Kari said "don't go easy either"

***

The game started and Kari substituted it for Mei, giving her a high-five as she went on the bench.

"go serve Yubin!" Jinae shouted positively. Their opponents retreived the ball

"right side!" one girl said

"they're going right!" Kari shouted getting into position

"touch!" Hana said "Kari, cover!"

"I got it, I got it" Kari said passing to Jinae "do the decoy!"

"Kyungji!" Jinae said. The girl jumped up, the opponents blocking her, only a second later, Hana jumped and hit an ace in the back row.

"kuso*" Mizuki cursed "it's okay, we'll get them back."

Every attack the opponents placed, Kari thwarted them with her defense.

"time out" their coach said and the two sides dispersed "girls, you're starting to lose focus"

"coach, Akari keeps countering our attacks" Mizuki said

"that's what she's supposed to do. Akari's a very skillful libero, you can learn from her a lot, Mizuki. This team will be harder to beat because Akari understands what we're planning, but we don't know what they're planning." their coach said "keep pushing through"

"we have to beat them" Mizuki said and they did a cheer. On the other side, it was a bit happier

"good job girls, keep fighting" the coach smiled

"they're good coach" Jinae said "but they keep getting flustered when we block their attacks"

"it's all thanks to Kari" Sojin smiled putting an arm around the girl

"Ai! hwaiting!" Mark yelled from the stands

"Markari! Markari!" the coach quietly cheered

"coach!" Kari whined "hajima!"

"arasso arasso, you girls can do it. Kari-ah, keep going, if your ankle hurts, just sub out" the coach said

"you got it coach" Kari smiled and they cheered. The two teams went back on the court, this time Jinae doing the serve.

"ane-san, set it to me! back row back row" Mizuki shouted

"back row attack!" Kari yelled

"blockers off net!" Jinae said

"out out out!" Mei said

"ani!" Kari shouted pancaking the ball

"nice save Kari-ah!" Subin cheered

"mine" Jinae said "cover!"

"Jinae! I'm open!" Byul raised her hand

"Byul-ah!" Jinae set it towards her. Kari noticed the blockers go up and quickly dove behind Byul, getting the ball up.

"I got it" Miyeon said passing the ball to the middle of the court

"Yubin-ah" Jinae said setting it to her. Yubin jumped and tipped the ball to the line

"assa!" Yubin shouted when they got the point. By the end of the set, KAU won with 25-19.

"Kari-ah, you're limping" Nara said "y-you're ankle"

"gwenchana" Kari said "I can play"

"what happened?" coach asked

"it must have been when I saved the block that Byul unnie hit" Kari said "coach-nim, gwenchana"

"andwae. Sit this set" she said

"but coach-"

"sit" Jinae said

"I'll shout from the sidelines what they're doing" Kari said

"good girl" Jinae smiled patting her head. Kari did just that, shouting their opponent's attacks when they set the ball.

"you're doing good, girls!" the boys' coach said as he joined the bench

"oppa" Kari's coach said "what are you doing here?"

"we wanted to get a closer seat" he said

"they're doing a decoy! Ready by the line!" Kari shouted

"Kari's really a hidden card here, isn't she?" the boys' coach said

"she understands what they're saying" the girls' coach said "it's vital"

"Ai-ah" Mark said rushing over to them

"aye sekki-ya, I told you to stay with the team" the boys' coach scolded

"what's wrong with your ankle? Why are you sitting on the bench?" he said

"yah-"

"oppa leave them" the girls' coach smiled "Markari, cute right?"

"aigoo, stop pairing people, you were like that even when we were kids" he said "annoying"

"you're just mad because I never paired you with your crush, oppa" she scoffed

"I'm fine" Kari said, her mind on the game. "middle hit! middle hit!"

"give me your ankle" Mark said patting his lap

"bwoh?" she said "yah I'm fine"

"give" he said grabbing her leg, making her turn around to face him. Mark slowly rotated her ankle, the girl wincing a bit once he did a full rotation. "it hurts, doesn't it?"

"not much" Kari said "I'm going to play in the 3rd set"

"no you're not. You're resting the rest of the tournament" Mark said sternly

"you can't tell me what to do Tuan" Kari said "I'm playing"

"Kari-ah, don't be stubborn" Mark said. She sighed and removed her leg from his lap, shouting again their plans. By the end of the 2nd set, the other team won 26-24.

"this can't happen" Kari said standing up "coach, put me in"

"Ai-ah" Mark said grabbing her hand "you're going to get hurt"

"we're not going to lose to them" Kari said "we'll lose to anyone, but not them. Coach"

"Kari-ah, are you sure? Is your ankle okay?" her coach asked

"it's fine. Put me in. The defense is lacking" Kari muttered pulling up her kneepads

"Kari-ah" Jinae said "you ready?"

"we're going to win this set" Kari nodded

***

"-it's in!" the coach shouted from the bench.

"mine!" Kari said shuffling backwards

"pass it here!" Jinae shouted going to the middle

"unnie!" Kari passed the ball

"Byul-ah!" Jinae said setting it up. The girl jumped and hit the ball, getting the point for her team

"assa!" Byul shouted "another one for the fireball!"

"good hit unnie" Kari smiled

"your ankle-"

"let's keep playing" Kari said

***

"pabo-ya" Mark said helping her to her hotel room. The tournament was for two days so they booked a place overnight. "I told you not to play"

"we won" she said as he brought her to the bed

"is it really that important for you to win against them?" he asked and she nodded "wae?"

"I guess it's a pride thing" Kari said

"a doctor's going to be here tonight. The coaches called them. We'll visit after today's tournament ends. Don't do anything that stresses your ankle" Mark said

"yes ma'am" Kari nodded. He scoffed

"I need to go back" he said

"good luck Tuan" Kari said

*kareshi - boyfriend - equivalent to namja chingu/namchin
*kuso - /