The first match of the whole tournament between one of the best point guard and center duos of Sakura and Wonyoung and one of the most athletic players of the entire competition in Hyunjin was well on its way by the time the 3 along with a few of their other teammates had found an ideal spot to watch the game from the sidelines, where their view wasn't covered by the cluster of cameras recording and broadcasting the match.
And just as they had expected, they weren't the only ones there watching the game live instead of from the comfort of their waiting rooms, as many of the other teams were there as well, including Rose and Lisa, who stood not so far from them, their eyes twinkled with eagerness the moment they exchanged glances with the three.
And across from where they stood, up on the second floor of the stadium, were Jisu, Chaeryeong, Hyunjin and Kim Jisoo, who upon noticing Yeji, Ryujin, and Yuna, immediately greeted them cheerfully by excitedly waving their hands in the air almost hysterically, much to the embarrassment of Ryujin, who teasingly pretended she didn't know who they were, while both Yeji and Yuna responded with wild hand waving's of their own, which only made Ryujin let out a deep sigh, making her wonder how she even lasted this long being best friends with these 4 childish idiots.
"Just so you know, what you're feeling right now is pretty much how we feel on a daily basis when we hangout with you," Yeji teased, mimicking the usual smirk Ryujin had whenever the younger girl would say a witty comment.
"Hey!" Ryujin rebutted, giving the silver haired girl a playful nudge on her shoulders, causing the older girl to let out a chuckle.
However, despite the fact that the two parties were excited to see each other again, behind their cheerful and seemingly untroubled exterior, the looks that were exchanged between Yeji and Ryujin with Chaeryeong and Jisu had an underlying subliminal message.
And it was that they all knew she was here in this tournament, and the way that Jisu and Chaeryeong looked at both Yeji and Ryujin with eyes that reflected concern and worry was as if to tell them that they had to be careful, for they knew how dangerous she was.
As the game continued to progress, with the two teams going back and forth, exchanging points after points, Yeji along with pretty much every other competitor in the stadium continued to watch over and observe, studying both team's movements, their game plan and strategies, their strengths and weaknesses, to even small details like habits and routines. Pretty much anything that could give them an edge over the other was taken note of with Yeji's two sharp feline eyes.
"What do you think unnie? It looks pretty even so far," Yuna asked as she turned to look at Yeji, who had a thoughtful and calculating look on her face, one that almost intimidated the younger girl for a second.
"Hmmm ... they're both good teams," Yeji answered, her eyes still glued onto the game in front of her, carefully paying close attention as the ball moved around. "We won't know until the end, but ... I'm betting Sakura and Wonyoung will win this match. It's unfortunate for Hyunjin, but no one on her team can stop Wonyoung right now. She's just too tall and too skilled."
"She's a lot like you," Ryujin added.
"Me??"
"Yeah. Ryujin is right. She plays a lot like you. And if they do end up winning, you'll most likely have to match up with her," Yeji continued.
"I-is that supposed to make me feel better?" Yuna complained, causing both her captain and her girlfriend to let out a soft chuckle.
"Don't worry babe. We said she plays like you. Doesn't mean you can't win," Ryujin said as she comforted the younger girl with a hug and a quick peck on Yuna's cheeks.
"Yeah. You'll do just fine Yuna-ya," Yeji said, flashing a comforting smile at the younger girl.
Just then, the buzzer sounded, signalling the end of the first half, as both teams walked off the court and back to their respective benches for a 15-minute break, each of them sweating profusely, noticeably panting hard.
"They look tired...," Yuna pointed out.
"It's to be expected..." Yeji answered. "It's pretty much do or die every game here. Once you lose, it's over. The pressure from that alone is going to make every minute more exhausting than usual."
"Guess that's why they gave us a week off between each game huh?" Ryujin chimed in.
"Well watching them sweat so much is making me thirsty. I'm gonna go grab some water and maybe some snacks to," Yuna replied. "Do you guys want anything?"
"I'm good," Ryujin responded, with Yeji silently agreeing with a nod, not forgetting to mouth a quick thank you at the younger girl, before Yuna walked away, headed for the snack bar prepared for the players that she had saw on her way to the court from their waiting room.
-----
After her stop at the snackbar in which Yuna took a bottle of water while also serving herself a slice of pizza, curiosity got the best of the younger girl as she began to walk around the interior of the stadium, exploring the seemingly endless stretch of hallways, even passing by the waiting rooms of the other teams while enjoying every bite she took out of the slice of pizza, wanting to finish it before she headed back to where Yeji and Ryujin were, who would no doubt give the taller girl a lecture for eating something so heavy before their game.
There were numerous posters, papers, pictures, and notices plastered all over the hallway walls, many of them related to basketball, with a layer of glass that protected and encased all of them.
Some were advertisements for smaller competitions of different levels, from elementary school students to even street basketball, while others were articles of notable performances in the sport's history.
As Yuna slowly walked down the hall, glancing through what seemed to be endless amounts of information stuck onto both sides of the wall, a picture stood out from the crowd, instantly catching the attention of the younger girl.
For the person in the picture was none other than her girlfriend, Ryujin, posed mid-air in the middle of performing a lay-up.
Upon closer inspection, Yuna was able to tell it was a recent picture, and the article that accompanied it only proved her right. It was an article about Ryujin's college debut last year, in which the girl impressed by dropping 37 points in her first game.
Looking at the picture and reading the article made Yuna smile, as she admired the way the photographer was able to capture her girlfriend's gracefulness as well as her tenacity, something Yuna had seen more often than not, but seeing it in a small 2 by 4-inch photo made her admire the short haired girl even more than she already did.
"Hmmm."
Suddenly, a voice spoke from behind, startling Yuna back to reality from being immersed in her girlfriend's picture.
Much to the younger girl's surprise, it was the purple haired girl.
The one both Yeji and Ryujin seemed to have kept a careful eye on during the opening ceremony.
The one who seemed to induce fear she had never seen before from her two unnies.
And while Yuna towered over this girl, there was no doubt she felt a sinister presence coming from the petite girl.
An aura that oozed darkness emanated from where the girl stood.
"U-uhm ... c-can I help you?" Yuna stuttered out.
"You must be Yuna," the girl said, as a smile stretched across her face. A smile that sent chills up the taller girl's spine.
"H-how do you know my name?" Yuna asked, taking a step backwards as her back softly collided with the glass wall that protected the newspaper articles.
"The girl in the picture behind you ... I'm friends with her. Or at least I used to be," the girl said, letting out a soft giggle at the end of her sentence.
Yuna knew between her girlfriend and this girl standing in front of her that the two shared history, and while it was already pretty obvious, what the girl had just said confirmed that there was bad blood between the two.
"Besides ...," she continued. "Who wouldn't know who you are? Shin Yuna. 19-years-old ... 173 cm ... plays center position ... blood type A. And if I'm correct ... Shin Ryujin's girlfriend?" the girl added as a subtle smirk appeared on her face, as if she was enjoying having the younger girl dance in the palm of her hands.
Yuna shuddered upon hearing the words come out of her mouth, not only because it was unnerving the way the girl knew specific details about her, but also because the way she had just spoke for a tiny split second resembled someone Yuna knew, someone Yuna had great respect for.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Oh don't tell me ... are you scared of me?" the girls voice turned into a gradual whisper that only made Yuna's fear grow. "I wonder what Ryujin told you about me. Did she say I was bad? Did she tell you to stay away from me? Did she tell you I was dangero-"
"Jeon Soyeon!"
Suddenly, a voice yelled from out from a few steps away. A voice that as soon as Yuna picked up on, was immediately able to give the young girl comfort and strength.
It was Ryujin, and next to her stood Yeji, the two had obvious frowns as their eyes pierced the purple haired girl.
Ryujin quickly approached the two, before grabbing hold of Yuna's hand and pulling her girlfriend to stand behind her, as if to shield the younger girl from Soyeon, who now had an amused grin on her face, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Ryujin and Yeji.
"It's nice to see you again, Ryujin. And my my ... if it isn't Hwang Yeji. I thought you left Korea?" the girl asked.
"Cut the crap Soyeon," Ryujin scowled in return, her hand reaching behind her to hold onto Yuna's.
"So hostile Ryujin," Soyeon teased, much to the displeasure of the short haired girl.
"What are you doing here?" Yeji questioned with a stern voice.
"Me? I was only trying to be friends with Yuna just now. Am I not allowed to?"
"That's not what she meant!" Ryujin snapped, angry and tired of the purple haired girls seemingly condescending attitude. "What are you doing back in Korea? We thought you left!"
"If Yeji is allowed to come back, then why can't I? That's very unfair of you Ryujin. I thought we were friends," Soyeon said with a quick shrug of her shoulders, before she began to take a step towards the 3.
And as soon as she did so, Yuna felt Ryujin's entire body tense up, and from the corner of her eyes, she could also see that Yeji had a wary and anxious look on her face, and it only made her worry more, concerned as to what the purple haired girl had planned as she got closer and closer to them.
But much to the surprise of the three, Soyeon only walked past them, though not without parting words that to Yeji, Ryujin, and Yuna, sounded like nothing but a threat.
"If you really want to know. I came back to settle a score against you, Ryujin. But with Yeji here too, plans have changed...," Soyoen continued.
"...Now I'll be going after the both of you."
-----
"Captains, please come to the center to pick the game ball!" the 3 referees yelled, causing both Yeji and Karina to make their way to the middle of the court just as they were instructed to.
It wasn't long after their encounter with Soyeon that game 1 had ended, with Yeji correctly predicting the outcome as both Sakura and Wonyoung made their way to the next round.
And soon after, Yeji, Ryujin, and Yuna along with their team found themselves warming up for their own match, going through their usual pregame drill which included shooting free throws, making several layups, and taking several threes-point shots.
All the while, Soyeon's words continued to echo in the minds of the three star players, repeating over and over like a never ending fire drill.
And it would be a lie to say that the girls words didn't bother them.
While Yuna didn't know much about Soyeon, Yeji and Ryujin knew all too well that those words were not empty threats.
If anything, it was a promise.
And while the two teams could only realistically meet in the finals, they knew the purple haired girl was going to be doing everything she could to get there.
And as much as Yeji was confident, for the first time in a while she had found herself almost ... hesitant to play the game she loved, as she blankly held a basketball, rubbing it's surface with no purpose.
And it was only when Karina had spoken up did Yeji snap awake from the daze she was in.
"Hey, you good?" the girl asked after having noticed her competitor's blank expression.
"O-oh yeah ... I'm fine. You can pick the game ball, whichever is fine," Yeji answered.
"Hmm ... that's weird. I remembered you to be a bit more intimidating," Karina responded, causing the silver haired girl to chuckle.
"Thanks I guess? ... There's just a lot on my mind today."
"Well I hope whatever it is, it'll work out for you ... Otherwise we'll be repeating what happened last time," Karina said as she handed the game ball she had picked to one of the referees, before turning her back on the silver haired girl and walking away to once more join her teammates, leaving Yeji almost dumbfounded.
But it didn't take long for a smile to once again appear on the silver haired girl's face, as if Karina's words had once more awaken the competitiveness in Yeji that had been momentarily buried by feelings of worry and anxiousness, reminding her that she was currently living her dream of playing in the grandest stage possible for someone of her age and it would be an absolute shame if she didn't enjoy every moment she had here in this stadium.
"I don't know what Karina might have said to Yeji..." Jisu commented, still seated in the same spot where her, Chaeryeong, Kim Jisoo, and Hyunjin were anxiously waiting for the match to start after having watched Yeji and Karina's interaction.
"... But I think she might regret it."
Not long after, the referee blew the whistle to signal the starting 5 from both teams to come onto the court, with Yuna and Karina entering the circle for the jumpball while the remaining 8 players stood around them, all in position to fight for the possession of the ball if it were to fall close to them.
And with that, the referee threw the ball straight up in the air, as the time on the large electronic score board began ticking down.
Much like back in the first game they played this season, Yuna's incredibly high jump allowed her to tip the ball back to Yeji who was behind her.
And before the opposing players could even react, Yeji had already launched the ball across the court, in which Ryujin quickly sprinted forward, catching the ball mid-air after an explosive jump and gracefully tipping it into the hoop.
2 seconds.
2 seconds after the referee had thrown the ball in the air was all it took for Yeji's team to score their first point.
It all happened within 2 seconds, as the opposing team as well as the crowd were left stunned and wondering what had just happened, the same way the audience reacted when they scored their first point within 3 seconds a few months back.
And while there was only a second of difference between the play they had made just now compared to the play they made back in their first game, at the level Yeji, Ryujin, and Yuna were at, 1 second was all they needed to prove to the opposing team, to the crowd, and most of all, to themselves that they were no longer the same players from a few months back.
They were better.
"Hey," Yeji said to Karina, who was still comprehending the difficulty of the pass the silver haired girl had made just now.
"What happened last time ... It won't be happening again."