The week after the weekend flew quickly like a shooting star. So fast that you couldn't take a good look at it. It disappeared before you could catch it.
Yeji thought exactly this way. Probably other soccer players shared the same feeling. Their skills were unable to catch up with the training and the sudden rise in the intensity was hard.
They all got exhausted, sore in limbs. But, after the training, they regained the energy, especially those in first grade.
"Come on~We will win at least five games" Yuna always said.
For Yeji, it was a bad sign before the game. She couldn't imagine what would happen in the games if they went there in this state. And she felt a strange feeling when she heard other people saying they still have chances.
Something like that sank Yeji's heart. She couldn't describe what it was, very abstract.
For Lia, this week felt like a person walking in the stream. Slow enough and the time seemed to be stuck in there. She still went to see Yeji after school, but every time they met, they only got a few minutes to talk.
She passed some cool drink to Yeji, brought her some snacks and cheered her up. Yeji seemed a bit worried, Lia found. It was subtle because she always gave Lia bright smile even though clouds were in her heart.
In this week, they only had two very short chat on the phone at night. So, for other nights when Yeji wasn't there, Lia felt like a Christmas tree without light bulbs.
The night felt much longer. She had other classmates, but they weren't close. And if she went to Jessica's place, most of the time it was Jessica talking nonstop.
Lonely.
She felt this before. But now, with a friend so close, she still felt it. Lia lay on the bed, trying to figure it out. The only reason she got was that they had a special connection. A friendship.
/
Monday came. It was time that they set off. Their first game was on Tuesday. The departure time for the airplane was 11:30 and it would land three hours later. Chae was as busy as an ant in rainy day now. She was the general manager of the team.
"Nonono. It's gate E5"
"Where is Stella? Can someone call her?"
"You put the baggage on the bus?"
"Yeji are you okay?!"
Even I could tell Yeji was not okay.
"You look pale. anxiety before the flight?"
She nodded, like a scared kitten.
Yeji walked away and tried texting Lia. She may not answer because she was at the school now.
10:45 I'm at the airport
10:55 Lia..I am freaking out quq
10:56 I know lol
"Take a deep breath. Think of other happy things~" Lia called her right away.
"Feel better?"
"Keep talking to me pls" Yeji sounded weak
"Ok" Lia said.
Lia talked to her until Yeji found her seat on the airplane. Chloe sat next to her. She was the one who would take care of Yeji when she fainted.
"You good??"
"Yeah, I'm fine" Yeji said. She took a loot at others. Most of the passengers were still standing and the fly attendants walked on the aisle.
After talking to Lia, she felt more relieved now. Yeji looked out through the little window. The plane started to taxi. Passengers became quiet. Soon, they came to the final stop before take off.
Full power. The engines pushed the airplane forward. The windows trembled and Yeji sank back into the seat. Her eyes closed.
The wheels left the ground and airplane started climbing. Yeji opened her eyes. She was stunned by the view. The city was leaving her and became tiny. She was among the white clouds later.
The sun shone through the clouds and could be seen clearly. A very bright circle. She fished out the cellphone to take some pictures. Then, she sat back and couldn't help but smile.
It will be a fantastic journey, Yeji thought.
17:10 Lia's last class ended. While people were talking about where they went, what they did on the weekend, she walked out the classroom and headed straight to the place she park her bike.
A notice on her phone. She took out and found that Yeji sent her a picture they took at the airport. She didn't know where it was. A city far far away.
It was her first time seeing Yeji's friends. Even in the picture, she could tell that Yeji was happy. And all her friends were excited for the game too. A mixed feeling expanded in Lia's heart. She threw the smartphone into the bag and rode off.
The sky was bright. Lia didn't go home but went to other places. She rode on the broad street to another smaller street.
The buildings were mostly made of bricks. It gave you a warm and century-old vibe. Streetcars and bikes passed by. Shops and restaurants were open for students and people after work.
Then, she rode on the bridge. Under the bridge was the river flew from new town to the ocean. A few people took a stroll along the bank.
An hour later, she finally got home and parked her bike on the yard. Her dad went out an hour ago to meet his counsellor. He started this after they moved to old town.
So Lia was on her own. She slept surprisingly early. She was tired and she missed Yeji. It would make the night longer if she stayed awake.
/
Tuesday. much the same. Tho, Yeji called her at night after the first game.
"We win!!" Yeji exclaimed excitedly and Lia could hear other people's voice too.
"Congrats! When is your next game?"
"On Thursday"
"It's good to hear your voice" Lia said softly.
"You miss me huh. I gotta go. we're going to have a dinner at the restaurant. See you later"
A smile came back on Lia's face. Though, she thought of some assignments that needed to be done.
"Damn..."
Yeah, damn. If I were Lia's table lamp, I would say damn too.
The next morning, Lia skipped class. She didn't wake up until eleven. She was worn out by the assignments. She could've done them earlier but she spent her time with Yeji.
The assignment was a mess but it didn't matter at all. She was delighted that someone walked in her life and broke the schedule.
Lia changed and went to the donut store by bike. She would have donuts for the lunch.
Outside the store where Lia parked her bike, Lia saw the pink-haired girl sitting there, chilled out. She dressed cool. Black k-pop boots, denim jacket, crop top and silver earrings. She also got tattoos on her forearm.
She saw Lia there and greeted her with a smile.
"Hi, there"
"Oh, a, hi"
The sudden hi made Lia at a loss. She was kinda frozen there. The girl gestured her to come.
"Ryujin" She reached out her hand.
"I'm Jisu, you can call me Lia"
They shook hands and said nothing, sat quietly.
"You look different when you're in the store" Lia said first
"I guess you look different at school too"
They didn't look at each other, but watched the cars passing by on the streets.
Ryujin took something out from the pocket. It was a ball lollipop, orange one. She looked at Lia and asked
"Do you want one?"
She shook head. Ryujin went back looking at the street. A few boys dribbled the basketball on the sidewalk. A small grocery store opened.
"Why did you skip class?" Ryujin asked
"I need some sleep. I stayed up late for the assignments. And you?"
"I don't like going to school. It kills my creativity. And I find things more interesting outside"
"When did you start working here? I think I haven't seen you before"
"Two weeks ago. The first time I saw you. It was my first day"
"Why do you work?"
"I wanna buy an e-scooter. You stand on it and hold the handles. It can't speed up but I like the feeling when I cross the streets on it"
Ryujin showed her the pictures. The e-scooter shaped like a L. She asked if Lia would like to buy one. She thought Lia fit it well. But Lia said she liked her lady bike more.
They had a little chat. Lia found that Ryujin always knows what she would be doing or what she liked. She knew herself very well, confident and was friendly to people.
"Do you wanna buy this boots? I'm thinking about buying another one with my friend"
My friend. The word hit Lia's head. She thought while Ryujin talked about the boots. A friend. She went back to the time when she saw the pictures Yeji sent her. A mixed feeling in her heart.
"Okay, I buy one" Lia said.
"Cool. I thought you would say no. I bring it to you or we shop together?"
"We can shop together"
"Great" A bright smile bloomed on Ryujin's face. The whisker dimple showed up again. She stood up and stretched her body.
"I'm gonna rent a car and go for a drive. Do you wanna come?"
"I can't..I have some assignments left"
Ryujin nodded.
She exchanged the phone number with Lia and left. She walked down the sidewalk with a ball lollipop in her mouth.
Then, Lia walked into the store and bought three donuts for the lunch, three different flavours.
/
Thursday night, on the bus to the hotel, Yeji called Lia to tell her the good news.
"Hey, we win another match~"
"I know you can! Are you coming back now? I miss you"
"Wow, I feel as if your girlfriend"
"I, I didn't mean it. I'm just saying what I feel"
Yeji chuckled and kept teasing Lia. She liked the way that Lia could always say what need to be said. For herself, it wasn't.
Yeji told her about the game today and how Yuna reacted when she knew the dinner was pizza. She ate five pieces in a row! And the weather, the view and the people there.
"The quarter-final will be on Monday. Eight teams left. We, um, want to get in the semi-final"
Her voice sounded a bit worried. Lia sensed that.
"Don't worry. You guys will make it"
Just like how she calmed Yeji down before the flight, her voice touched Yeji's heart. It calmed her down again.
"Thanks. You help a lot. oh, and the little thing you gave me"
They ended the call later and Yeji took a nap. The bus was driving on highway. She didn't put down the curtains. The yellow mellow beam from the light poles brushed her face. The night sky was clear.
But Yeji's brain was still awake. The vague feeling became clear now. She worried about the game. If they lose, they would have to go home, which was fine for some of the players.
But Yeji wasn't. She was second grader, Chae as well. They would be third grader this year and couldn't join the game anymore. It upset her.
Yeji wanna break the record this year. Last year, they couldn't make it to final match. This time, she hoped to play in the final game.
Yeji wanna continue playing soccer with them. Soccer had played an vital role in her life. She didn't want to leave soccer team like this.
Yeji felt that lots of feelings were running in her head. She knew if she told Lia, maybe she was able to help. But she had no idea how to talk about her thoughts.
/