She

Chapter 47

"Let me guess, basketball was her way out?" Doyeon predicted with a knowing smirk.

"Yup," Jisu answered. "Basketball helped her. Maybe even more so than she realized. It gave her something to think about, something to take her attention away from the loneliness she felt. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy she met us along the way, and even though basketball may hold second place in her heart now, it will always be the first one to have helped her out. I think her love for the sport ... it's just her way of repaying what it's given to her all these years."

"If that isn't the most Hwang Yeji thing I've ever heard," Doyeon joked, making the others laugh along as well.

"It really is, isn't it?" Jisu agreed while gazing at the silver haired girl with fond eyes.

"Are her parents still working overseas?" Tzuyu innocently asked, not realizing the truth behind what she wanted to know, and upon putting out the question, both Jisu and Chaeryeong's expressions grew heartbreakingly dark almost instantaneously.

"I- I'm so sorry for asking," Tzuyu quickly apologized, not knowing why but feeling bad anyway that she had brought the mood down.

"No it's alright unnie, don't worry about it," Jisu calmly replied, flashing a comforting smile at Tzuyu, before once again continuing on.

"I-I think ... as the people she relies on when she's on the court, it's ... it's only right that you guys know too. If anything, it'll help you guys understand her a little better...

Yeji's parents aren't with us anymore."

Jisu's words were met with a mixture of grim and shock from Yeji's teammates.

"W-What?" Tzuyu muttered out. "I-I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked..."

"No it's okay!" Jisu quickly responded, doing her best to make sure Tzuyu knew it wasn't her fault for asking an otherwise innocent question.

"If anything ..." Jisu continued. "I think in some ways ... her parents not being around anymore. That may have pushed her to fall for this game even more."

"AND 1!"

Just then, Ryujin yelled out loud, startling the 4 who were sitting on the sidelines and getting their attention once more.

"That was not an and 1!" Yuna argued back, her voice just as loud as Ryujin's.

"What are you talking about?? You completely fouled me there!" Ryujin rebutted.

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Did not!

"Did to!"

"S-should we stop them?" Tzuyu asked with a concerned look, surprised to see the couple arguing for once.

"I'm guessing you guys don't really play 1-on-1's in practice huh?" Jisu calmly answered. "Don't worry. They'll be fine. This always happens when they play against each other," she continued, her expression the complete opposite of Tzuyu's, unconcerned and untroubled. There was even a smile on the girl's face, much to the surprise of Doyeon and Tzuyu.

"If you haven't noticed already, they're quite competitive and stubborn." Chaeryeong added with a bright and amused grin on her face, as unbothered by the couple's argument as Jisu was. "But like Yeji unnie, that's only because they love basketball that much."

"Okay, okay, cut it out you two. That's enough for today" Yeji said, stepping in between the two who were still in the middle of a heated argument, and as soon as the silver haired girl did, they immediately separated, both heading to back to where Jisu and Chaeryeong were, though seemingly giving each other the silent treatment.