The atmosphere was cold. Colder than usual.
The only sound was the clinking of spoons against plates. No voices. No laughter.
The lodge felt hollow, consumed by an eerie silence. Emptiness was the only thing filling the room.
Noa sat with his head bowed, looking dejected. He appeared to have no appetite, no spark of will left to fight. He just stared at his plate, aimlessly stirring his rice without taking a single bite. Perhaps it was the crushing defeat of the basketball team weighing him down.
But...
Was Noa truly defeated? Perhaps.
With a sluggish gait, Noa walked toward Song and Evelyn. Just like the others, they seemed to have lost their appetite.
Noa placed two bottles of mineral water in front of them, noticing they had nothing to drink. After sliding the water toward them, he turned to leave for his room, but stopped.
"I wonder..." he murmured, loud enough for them to hear. "What if the team loses again tomorrow?"
Song froze. She looked up at Noa's retreating figure. She felt a weight in her chest a crushing sense of pressure.
As Noa walked away, hidden from their sight, a small, knowing smile played on his lips.
...
Kring! Kring!
The alarm jolted Noa and Chorny awake. Their emotions were still a tangled mess from the day before.
Noa took a shower first. Once finished, he immediately headed out. He walked with a relaxed stride, the mask of sadness he wore last night had vanished completely.
His steps led him to a private parking lot. There, he saw Joe and the Principal of BO engaged in a deep conversation. They were laughing odd behavior for a school that had just suffered a humiliating basketball defeat.
Noa approached them. Joe and the Principal noticed him and offered small, subtle smiles.
Noa returned the gesture. A crooked, cunning smile.
"Well... it seems I've walked right into someone's game," Joe remarked, eyeing the two of them.
"What game do you mean?" Noa asked, his voice low and steady.
"Oh... nothing at all," Joe replied smoothly.
Noa shifted his gaze toward the Principal.
"My, my... it looks like someone won a big bet," Noa said, giving the Principal a pointed wink.
"What bet? I have no idea what you're talking about," the Principal replied, feigning innocence.
Noa turned his back, preparing to leave. Without looking back, he spoke.
"Hmm... I suppose you'll just enjoy the money, won't you?" Noa glanced slightly over his shoulder, his eyes glinting. "Just... don't interfere with my plans, Sir."
Noa flashed one last smile before walking away, leaving Joe and the Principal to exchange silent, knowing looks.
Noa walked toward the tournament schedule board. He examined it with surgical precision until his eyes locked onto one specific location:
Volleyball Court 3.
Suddenly, a hand clapped onto his shoulder. It was Vincent and Alvean. Their faces were calm, unreadable.
"What are you doing?" Vincent asked.
"Just checking the schedules," Noa replied casually.
"What are you planning to watch, anyway?"
"Probably women's swimming... you know Noa, he's a pervert," Alvean joked, answering for him.
The three of them burst into laughter.
Noa chuckled softly. "I'm going to watch volleyball, actually."
"Oh, should've said so," Vincent said.
"Anyway, the school team doesn't play until 10 AM. Why don't we go grab some snacks first?" Alvean suggested.
Vincent and Noa nodded in agreement. As they walked, Noa was still wearing his school jacket.
"Hey, Noa... you should take that jacket off. People are staring," Alvean whispered, not wanting to draw more attention.
"Fine. Hold on a second," Noa said, stopping.
"Why can't you just do it while walking?"
Noa ignored him, pulled off the jacket, and draped it over his arm. They continued their journey until they reached a coffee shop near the lodge. They drank, chatted about god-knows-what, and eventually went their separate ways.
Noa picked up his pace. He wanted to be exactly on time at the Volleyball Court.
As he reached the entrance, the sounds of squeaking sneakers and roaring cheers echoed from inside. He stepped into the court. It was packed. Supporters from both Bourguis Olympi and Uniral Butfarsa filled the stands.
Noa found a seat in a vacant spot luckily, it was right above the BO players' bench.
He simply smiled.
Down on the court, Song was a pillar of strength. As the Libero, she was irreplaceable.
Hours passed. The third match for BO. The second set finally began.
Playing undefeated, BO looked invincible at the heart of their defense. But... why was Song not playing this set?
Song looked exhausted, desperately needing water. Suddenly, someone called her name softly.
When Song turned around, Noa was there, holding out a bottle of water. He was smiling... kindly?
Song stood frozen, a memory flashing through her mind. Around them, the crowd began to whisper.
"Are they dating?"
"That's so romantic."
"Aren't they from the same school?"
"Wow, hope they last long."
Noa and Song definitely heard them. But Song had no choice she took the bottle.
And amidst the crowd in the stands, someone else was watching. Someone with a cold, piercing smile.
Noa stretched his arms toward the sky. The horizon had turned into a deep orange. The volleyball matches for the day had concluded, with BO crushing every opponent.
Noa smiled.
He walked toward a place where the shadows were thick and heavy. In that darkness, two figures appeared familiar faces.
"So? Was it fun?"
"Yeah... fun," Noa replied. "But it would be even better if we did something more extreme."
"That's your business... out there on the field."
The three of them laughed together.