Behind the Central City Guild dorms—
An empty volleyball court.
The net sways gently.
Reva stops.
Reva:" It's empty."
Grim looks around.
Grim:"Good."
Maru blinks.
Maru:"Wait—we can play here ?"
Everyone turns.
Bete:"…ofcourse"
Maru stares at the court.
Maru:"I didn't know that…"
Fugu :"what about you Sain"
Sain looks away slightly.
"nope"
Reva : "that explains why you guys were still single"
Sain (thinking):I knew…I just never had the courage to come alone.
Reva flips a coin.
"Heads or tails"
Grim : "Head"
It lands. "Tail"
Reva:"I pick first."
Grim nods.
They start choosing.
Reva: Vyan
Grim: Kaal
Reva: Tara
Grim: Anya
Reva: Fugu
Grim: Lily
Reva: Bete
Grim: Maya
Only two remain.
Maru and Sain stand side by side.
Similar height.
Different builds.
Maru looks huge.Sain looks tall.
Reva smirks.
Reva:"Maru."
Grim doesn't hesitate.
Grim:"Sain."
Reva's side:
Front: Reva, Vyan, Fugu
Back: Tara, Bete, Maru
Grim's side:
Front: Grim, Lily, Sain
Back: Kaal, Anya, Maya
Reva tosses the ball to Maru.
Reva:"You serve."
Maru's eyes light up.
Maru backs up.
Jumps.
Swings—
WHOOSH
The misses the ball.
Silence.
Then—
Laughter.
Tara:"Again! Again!"
Maru nods eagerly.
He jumps higher.
Swings harder—
WHOOSH
Misses again.
Louder laughter.
Maru scratches his head.
Maru:"…One more."
Maru focuses.
Eyes locked on the ball.
He serves.
THWACK
The ball slams straight into Vyan's head.
Vyan freezes.
Hand slowly removing from the back of his head.
Tara:"Nice shot!"
Everyone bursts out laughing.
Even Sain's lips twitch.
Vyan snaps.
Vyan:"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"
Maru panics.
Maru:"I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY!"
Vyan : "Watch out where you are hitting"
Grim(smirking) : "Oh did the great Vyan felt pain?"
Fugu(chuckles) : "Unbelievable"
Vyan (frowning) :"Shut up , and Fugu , don't forget you might be next "
The laughter dies down.
Tara pats Maru's back.
Reva:"Relax. Try again."
Maru serves again.
It clears the net.
Reva:"There you go."
Anya receives cleanly.
Passes to Sain.
Tries to toss , Sain hesitates.
makes a double fist . The ball flies out.
Sain stiffens.
Embarrassed.
"Sorry"
Maru serves again.
Miss.
Again.
Hits Vyan again.
Vyan:"Oi !! ARE YOU AIMING FOR ME?!"
Maru apologizes repeatedly.
Finally—
A sloppy serve crosses the net.
Kaal receives cleanly.
Lily sets perfectly.
Grim spikes.
Maru isn't able to save it.
Ball hits the ground.
Point Grim's side.
Tara walks over.
Tara :"You're receiving wrong."
She demonstrates.
Tara :"Arms together.Don't swing."
Maru nods seriously.
Maya serves a floating ball.
It drifts toward Maru.
He misjudges it.
Ball flies awkwardly.
Tara saves it.
Bete sets.
Fugu tosses high.
Reva jumps—
Grim jumps to blocks.
Sain observes that she's going to hit a cross shot and block the path.
Reva changes her mind mid-air .
Tosses to Vyan instead.
Lily jumps to block—
BOOM
Vyan spikes into open space.
Kaal dives.
Saves it.
Ball goes out—
Anya rescues it.
Maya sets.
Lily spikes.
Fugu blocks.
Ball hovers—
Sain dives.
Keeps it alive.
Grim taps it up.
Maya sets.
Sain jumps slap it over the net.
Fugu jumps to block
Panics.
Punches the ball—
It flies over Fugu's block.
Drops in.
POINT.
Everyone freezes.
looks towards Sain
Kaal:"You need to toss it to others "
Lily nods.
Sain:"Sorry I don't know how to use fingers to toss"
Sain looks at his hands.
Lily steps closer.
"Like this."
She gently positions his fingers.
Then pauses.
Looks at his nails.
"Yours nails"
Anya notices
"…Why are your nails so pretty?"
Beat.
Grim (laughing ):"Girly nails huh !! These will make tossing harder."
Sain flushes, but finds it annoying
Everyone rushes to see his nails.
After the Match
They collapse onto the court.
Laughing.
Breathing hard.
Grim:"how about we switch Sain & Maru next time "
Reva:"Agreed , let's see how it plays out"
Sain glances at Kaal.
Uncomfortable.
Maru looks at Vyan.
Equally uncomfortable.
Maru watches Tara laugh.
Heart racing.
Fugu:"We haven't had a welcome party after Sain joined"
Bete :"Oh yeah , Sain ...let's have lunch together tmrw"
Tara : "um , maybe we can start with breakfast , you never know lunch or even dinner would be possible or not"
Anya : "yeah , so many times we had to leave mid lunch and even dinner"
Reva :"true , let's gather for breakfast in the cafeteria tomorrow morning"
Grim : "sounds good ...everyone? Sain"
Sain : "Yeah"
Maru : "See you guys tmrw morning then"
Everyone:"Yeah."
Sain smiles.
Quote:Teamwork isn't learned in battle alone.