“Excited?”

“Aren’t we all?”

It was D-day of their first friendly match with HyoNam, previously, they only met at tournaments but they never get to play with them. HyoNam was one of the top 3 teams that proceeded to finals, a school like Richmond will never ever get to have a match with them. They were never their match. But Roo made it happen for them to have a chance to play with HyoNam. It was their pleasure. They were excited yet worried at the same time.

Richmond had reached HyoNam but Roo was nowhere in sight. It was a Saturday and they had agreed the day before to meet directly at HyoNam’s court. They had no idea why they were nervous as hell without seeing Roo around. Probably because they were at a different environment than usual. Being the captain, WooBin had taken up the role of Roo, talking to his team. Trying his best to make them familiarise with the tactic that they are going to use, and brief them on whatever he could remember from the last training.

He had tried calling Roo but was all transferred to voicemail.

“Seriously, where is she when we needed her the most. Dam it” Oh Sehun hissed.

“The game is starting soon, Roo will be here, I trust her on that, but she surely won’t be able to make it on time. So meanwhile, we will try to do our best, remember whatever she had taught us, it might not be enough, but just give our very best shot alright.” He tried to express himself in a passive way so they will not feel that he’s arrogant, he was being careful because it’s his first time leading as a captain. “Jong Hyun, Bogum, Mino, Minhyuk and I will go first, and we will take turns subbing in the rest of you. I think what Roo wants in this game, is not for us to win, it’s for us to gain experience. So let’s not focus so much on winning, but rather, focus on learning from HyoNam” The rest didn’t show and displeasure and agreed to his words. JongHyun placed his hand on the center and waited for the rest to join in.

“I have a game to go to right now, what’s the matter?” Roo asked her brother who had stopped her from leaving the house.

“I told you before, you are going to do the operation. If you are not, I am not going to let you leave for the game”

“I am late brother! And I’m not even the one playing, seriously? Now?” She was frustrated. He had been trying to talk her into the operation and had forced her. She refused. If she agreed on the operation, it meant to leave the position in Richmond for a good 2 months. She didn’t have time for that. 4 more months to the tournament. She was not going to do it now.  “I told you to give me another 4 months, I will go for the operation after that!”

“You know what that 4 months could do to you! Why are you so stubborn?!” He grabbed her shoulder. Yet, she still refused to look at her brother in the eye. “one week, one week and we will go for operation, it’s going to be a fast one. Heal or not, I promise to let you back to whatever you want to do, huh? Sis?”

“Why is it so difficult to ask for that 4 months? Please. I promised to bring them up to top 10. Please.” She begged.

“Who do you think you are, Karls? I have seen Richmond students more than you do, you will never be able to change them.”

“I promised! And I will do it! I asked them to give me 5 months! And I will show them within that short period of time. It’s something I really want to prove, to myself, to everyone else! Who do I think I am? I think I can do that. Have you not seen what those Whimoon kids had said behind my back? Do you think like them as well?” She questioned hurtfully.

“Hey, of course not!” He defended.

“Oh! Look! She’s here!” JooHyuk exclaimed excitedly.

“I am sorry I’m late, how’s it going?” She sat down on the bench, trying to catch her breath.

“I think we got the right captain, he’s leading well and we are only losing by a few points.”

Roo was observing the game and players carefully. Both opponent and her own team player. She was satisfied with the way the team is working and they were using their brain to play this game. Even when they are not winning, they were learning.

“But HyoNam is really strong” ChanYeol commented.

“TIME!” Roo requested a time out for the team.

“ROO!” They were surprised to see her.

“Glad you’re here. I honestly thought you were going to miss this. I almost died leading them” WooBin said, catching his breath.

“Yeah, we all thought you won’t be here”

 “So little trust? Well, Woobin, you did a good job.”

“Did you see that Roo? They are top 3 yet we can bring the score to a difference of 3 points” Minho said confidently.

“Really? You are happy with that result? Do you know who they are?” She had a direct eye contact at minho. “Woobin, tell him”

“They are the substitutes, not the main team” He replied.

“I knew it! they won’t simply let us play with the main 5”

“They won’t but we can make them play with us.” She smirked, “In the national championship”

“ISNT THAT KARLS ROO?!” She heard the other team shouted, gaining her attention but she chose to ignore it. The other members who heard that, all turned their attention to Roo to confirm that.

“IT’S REALLY KARLS ROO! OMG SHE’S SO PRETTY IN REAL LIFE! But wait… didn’t she disappear? Why did she appear here?”

Roo had her head hung low, not wanting to meet anyone’s eyes.

“I heard she became their coach, I couldn’t believe it at first but seeing this, it’s true”

“Coach? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH” That irritating looking guy laughed hard, “First class player coaching last place team? She will probably become last. No wonder she left Whimoon. Look at her broken leg! She can’t even walk properly.”

IGNORE ROO… IGNORE THEM. THEY SHOULDN’T AFFECT YOU.

She had her hand in fist, grabbing her sweater tight.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” Hong Jong Hyun who was keeping quiet all this time suddenly burst out in anger and ran towards the opposite team upon hearing their words.

Out of the 10 of them, JongHyun held the most respect for Roo, especially that day after their match. He didn’t say but everyone could see. He stopped rebelling and listens to whatever instruction Roo gave. He even started studying because Roo insisted they should.

JongHyun grabbed the guy’s shirt and wanted to punch him if not for the rest of his player stopping him. They grabbed him back to the team’s bench.

“LET GO OF ME! THOSE BRATS”

“STOP IT HONG JONG HYUN!” Roo shouted, she went forward and held on to his shoulder. “Hey, it’s alright. It’s not worth it okay? It’s not”

“They are talking trash about us, about you!”

“Thank you. thank you for defending me. I am okay but it’s not worth it.” She shook her head.

“Yeah JongHyun! We have 3 more quarters, we can get back to the by trashing them!” Kim Woo Bin told them. Roo nodded slightly at him.

After the game, both teams were having their debrief. But before Roo could even start, JongHyun grabbed her arm, startling Roo and his teammates.

“What are you doing?” JongHyun ignored her and dragged her. “Hey, slow down. My knee!”

It slipped off his mind that she was injured. “Sorry”

“What are you trying to do?” JongHyun continues to ignore her and grabbed her lightly, walking slowly towards the opponent’s side. “HEY!”

The whole of HyoNam’s player turned their head at them. JongHyun had brought Roo to where that irritating player was before pushing his shoulder to make him face them.

“Take back what you said about her earlier on, she was the one that brought us to where we are. We trashed you, trash. 106 – 57. Apologize to her”

He rolled his eyes.

“If my coach is last, then I am sure your coach-“ JongHyun was about to walk to their coach but that guy stopped him.

“I-I-I’m s-sorry”

“Did you broke your neck?

“Are still affected by what they said?” JooHyuk came beside her when they are all walking towards the nearest food place to celebrate. Because her leg is tired, she’s lacking behind the team. Roo shook her head.

“WOW! So this is how it feels to win a match!” Minho exaggerate. “Too noisy, hyung” Yugyeom shushed him.

“What brat? This is our first time winning! Of course I feel great!”

“Seriously? Then why that long face?”

“I’m alright JooHyuk”

“Oh ya Roo! Why were you late today? You know captain almost had a panic attack!” Lee Jong Suk joked but got socked in the stomach. “I DID NOT!”

“Something came up.”

“AYE, c’mon Roo, you always have things coming up.” Minhyuk nudged her.

“Alright, Roo probably really has something important. Let’s not be so busybody” JooHyuk hung his arms around MinHyuk and urged him to walk faster. He saw the uncomfortable look flashed on Roo’s face and he just wanted to help her.

“Look, I am sorry okay. For being late” they shrugged in response.

Park Bogum came behind while the rest walked in front of them. “because of that?” he signalled towards her knee.

“No, why would it be that. It’s healing well. I will Probably be able to walk without these two burden stick next training” yes it is because of my knee. The operation part of the knee feels weird but I don’t want to undergo operation.  

“That’s good to hear.” Even when Roo didn’t mention, he could see that a lot of things are running through her mind. What exactly are you hiding?

“YAH KARLS ROO!” All the attention turned towards the loud booming voice other than Roo who recognize this voice. She sighed, which was caught by Bogum. He glanced down at her.