The next day, she slept in, she didn’t attend any lesson because she thought she didn’t need to since she quitted school the day before. She arrived at the gym to pack her things, not because she promised nothing to Bogum but because she already decided to do that yesterday. It was just slightly past the time that school officially ended for the day when she reached.

She took in a deep breath and let it all out as she stood outside the gym and stared at the building with heavy heart. It was a place that she spent barely 2 months here but made much more memories than places she had stayed for years.

She moved her feet to the gate and saw the chains that she had put up to lock the door was scattered on the floor, broken in to 2 pieces. She bends down to pick it up and threw it in to the box that she had brought with her to clear her stuff. It was barely a day since she said that she was going to leave, yet they can’t wait to open the gym already. She disappointedly dragged her feet with her to the gym. She was going to take a last look at the court before she really leaves for good. Dejectedly, she laughed at the thought of Bogum’s word yesterday. She laughed at herself for being silly to think that she could change them. She laughed at herself for not listening to her brother’s words.

The moment she steps into the court, she took 2 steps back. Taken aback by the scene in front of her. She stood there for a good 5 seconds before the other party started.

“Roo, they cut the chain off the door, but they can’t make us play” *who cut? *

“We’ve decided to finish what you’ve started, Roo”

“Yeah, so leave us be, Roo. We’ve got to do, Roo” She saw a few of their school tutors helping out with their studies. They were all seated with desk and chairs in the middle of the basketball court. Are they really going to change? Or is this all a show put up just so they could at least have a coach.

She swallowed, turned around to leave the hall.

“Roo!” JongHyun stood up, getting attention from her. “How much does our passion cost? Well, we could give up all for basketball, we could skip 3 meals just so we can buy a basketball that this broke down school can’t provide us. We gave up our free time just so we can spend more time playing basketball. We could let our pride down and challenge other schools just so we can have that opportunity to stay on court, even if it means we knew that we will never win all along. Right now… I would like to say, we are willing to give up basketball to study… so we can get to be a real basketballer.” Her gaze travelled upon JongHyun. “Roo, I just want to say thank you, you saved all of our lives. Please…stay.”

JongHyun sat down and seems like it’s Mino’s turn to speak.

“Roo…I am not good with words, and it seems to you that I am always trying to show that I am fearless. I finally found the answer to your question. You always ask me ‘what’s my deepest fear’ before each training ends, and it made me think a lot last night hearing all of your words.” He stood up from his seat. “Our deepest fear, is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. we are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Two weeks before the registration of the league, was Richmond’s Semester test. The past weeks was a torture for the 10 boys for not touching balls even when they are on the court. They were working their off. Roo too, had return back after a couple of small talks with the boys individually. They even followed her back to know where she lives. They caught Roo before school starts each day and bring her to school forcefully even if it means they had to sit outside her house in the cold to wait. They all had sincerely wanted her back. However, there’s Mino who still has misunderstanding yet to clear up with Roo.

He has his own pride and ego that he can’t let down. It took him a long time before he started approaching Roo. The rest of the guys has been chasing him for answers and he received several angry looks from them after he finished his story. They knew Roo was angry when she said those words that day and told Mino off, scolding hhim for not being understanding. Woobin even told him to becareful of the Sana girl even if he is friends with her. Even when they knew that Roo was angry with the girls that day, they knew her better that she wouldn’t do anything to them. They blamed Mino for not trusting her enough.

Mino would follow Roo to and fro school but wouldn’t approach her, Roo being Roo didn’t want to take the first step. She was still bitter about how he treated her that day and she didn’t want to acknowledge him even when he did apologise that day.

“Roo!” He caught up with her one day after school and decided that he should stop being a coward and be the man to speak up first. The girl stopped on track but didn’t turn to him. “will you stop ignoring me?’ he asked.

“Did I?” she asked, playfully crossing her arms.

“You knew I was following you around but you didn’t even acknowledge me!”

“Did you even talk to me in the first place?” she tilted her head and ask in the most annoying way ever.

He shifted uncomfortably on the spot, “I-I didn’t! but! AISH!” He ruffled his hair, and stuck out his hand, and looked away, “Let’s make up.”

“never” she walked away. A smile came up her face as her back was facing her. This scene was witnessed by some of the guys, namely, the captain, vice-cap, the baby and the desk mate. They quietly laughed behind the locker.

He didn’t move and inch. He didn’t know what to do.

“Who makes up without a treat?” his eyes lit up at her sentence, “aren’t you going to treat me to ice cream for forgiving you?”

“one chocolate cone and a cookies and cream please” After Mino got the ice cream, he took it to the corner seat with Roo staring at him.

“thank you” she muttered while taking over the ice cream from him.

Both awkward turtles were eating in silent, while Mino was fidgeting in his seat, Roo didn’t even sense the awkward air around her.

“Erm Roo…” he caught her attention but was still focused on the dripping ice cream, he quickly took a serviette and wiped her dirtied hand. “Roo, I am glad you stayed.”

She draws her hand back from between his, “hmm” she acknowledged.

“I am serious, I am sorry.”

“stop. Stop apologising.” She said, “your ice cream is melting” she pointed at his almost dripping ice-cream.

“I don’t care, if you don’t accept my apologies then I am going to let the drip everywhere.”

“Was that even necessary.” Watching his serious expression, she sighed, “come on Minho, I get it okay. I even agreed to having ice cream with you, isn’t this enough to show that I already forgave you? you knew that I know you were following me around for a few days, I didn’t even lash out at you, isn’t it enough? Let bygones be bygones okay.”

He smiled, “now can you eat your ice cream already? Don’t let the 4500won get wasted.”

Hearing that, he almost swallowed the ice cream in one mouth. He chewed with so much difficulty. Such a child. She thought.

When he finally calmed down, “Roo. Thank you. thank you for looking past and come back, as well as for being the bigger person and forgive me. I didn’t know you enough and wasn’t in the position to judge you. You cared for us yet we were being childish for disobeying you. No one really cared about us so much so for that moment, we didn’t know what to do. We thought that the principal would take a more appropriate measure to make you open the gym until he wanted to kick you out, we knew things were serious. Thank you, for taking our side and wanting to help us.”

She was silent. He was curious what’s on her mind.

“I was in the wrong too Minho, I knew I was harsh in the way I communicated my idea to all of you without listening to your side of story. Doing everything my way without thinking about all of you. The thing is, like I told Bogum, this is the way I teach, I won’t be nicer. Even so, are you sure you still want me as a coach, as a…friend?”

“it doesn’t matter, Roo.”

“It does okay. Minho, I didn’t actually care whether or not who dislike me or who likes me before I came to Richmond. But I realised that I couldn’t control my feelings when I’m with you guys. I wanted to show all of you that I didn’t care, that I could go with what I decided. But I realised, that with you guys, things were different. I care. I care about how all of you feel, I care about how all of you think of me, unconsciously.”

He sighed softly, “Roo. It really doesn’t anymore.” Before she could open , he continues, “the moment I asked you to come back, I knew what I had signed up for. I am going to accept whatever training you give us, whatever decisions you’re going to make, I will respect it as long as it is right. You don’t have to be nicer. You just have to get use to having us in your life. That’s the only thing you should worry about now. See, I even allow you to call me Minho.”

She offered a tiny weeny smile. “that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve dealt with whimoon girls and your fans, im sure you boys wouldn’t be a problem.” She joked.

“Why are you comparing us to those girls?” he sat up straight.

“girls…babies…both whiny. I see no difference” she shrugged, finishing up the last mouth of her ice cream before sweeping her hands.

“what do you- are you saying we are whiny?!”

“weren’t you?”

“Don’t mind if I brought this up” Park Bogum sat down beside her after coming back from the washroom. The both of them arrived school very early that morning, while Roo decided to catch up on the chapters that she had missed, he casually played with his phone.

She put down her stationery, lifting her head up, signalling him to go on.

“Regarding that day” he watched her, “what actually happened before Mino showed up?” she raised her eyebrows, Bogum instantly put up both hands to surrender, “don’t misunderstand, I just wanted to know”

“I’ve made up with Minho already. And we’ve agreed to put the past behind. Let’s not talk about that incident anymore” once again, she took up her pen and about to start on a math problem.

“I heard about it. I just want to know the truth. I don’t want to judge you in anyway if there is a next time. I want to know if you got hurt in anyways,” he glanced at her, “it’s Sana we’re talking about.”  That caught her attention.

“What’s your impression of Sana then?”

“Fake, whiny, loud and mean” he didn’t even hesitate. “why would you ask?”

“I didn’t want to ruin your great impression of her, if you did have any”

“I never liked her, she once scolded my sister thinking that she was my girlfriend.”

“You have a sister?” she was curious, “she must be cute, unlike you”

“Oh come on, she’s cute just like me. Don’t try to change the topic. So what actually happened? Did she hurt you?”

“It was nothing.” She didn’t really want to give any more information because she thought it was over and things are unnecessary.

“what was nothing?” Dam this guy for being so insistent.

“alright, they prompted me for the lock down. I didn’t want to give them an answer, so they ganged up on me. But we had a talk, that’s all”

“She won’t leave you untouched, I am very sure about that.” It was Bogum’s turn to raise his eyebrows.

“She didn’t even do much, it wasn’t that important about what she did to me. What important is that Minho and I have already solved the misunderstanding between us and that I am still here, isn’t it?”

“yes, those are important. But whether or not you got hurt, is also as equally important to me” he looked into her eyes sincerely, she got caught by her breath, her eyes darted everywhere around him but him. What was that supposed to mean?

She cleared , “ erm, okay…she kinda…hit me on the face?”

“She slapped you?!” he raised his voice a little agitated.

“Apparently so. I am going to the washroom” she escaped without even giving Bogum enough time to react.