Chapter Text
East Shore High
Jeongyeon groans into her locker door as she leans her head on it. She wasn't in a particular bad mood, it's just that she has basketball tryouts and she is not ready to put up with the newbies who think they know everything. Most people who try out for new sports are shy, willing to cooperate, however at Jeongyeon's school, that wasn't the case. Kids would always try to be better to the next which would lead to terrible tryouts which would also lead to a grumpy Jeongyeon. Don't get her wrong, she tries her best as well but she doesn't need to try too hard considering she is ranked as the number one basketball player in Shore County. She isn't one to brag but she is just simply that good and she knows it.
After sighing for the fifth time, she removes her head from her locker and turns so that her back is against it. She spots her best friend, Hirai Momo, walking towards her. Momo and Jeongyeon have played basketball together since they played in Little League so they complement each other well. Jeongyeon plays as their center but she can also handle the ball and shoot unlike most centers in the game of basketball. Momo, on the other hand, plays as their power forward. Even though she doesn't look like one, Momo is great as what she does. Pick and rolls are her strong suit but she is also their best defensive player, averaging six blocks a game last year. Momo is ranked fifth in the county, making her as a good basketball player just as Jeongyeon is. She opens her locker, that is next to Jeongyeon's, and puts her stuff into it.
"What's your problem?" Momo asks, picking up on Jeongyeon sour attitude. "Tryouts," the older mumbles softly. Momo laughs as she closes her locker and leans against it mirroring her best friend. "Since when have you ever had a problem with tryouts Miss Basketball?"
Jeongyeon bumps her shoulder against Momo's. "It's not me! You know how the newbies get during tryouts. They always attempt to out-do everyone else there and it gets annoying." The bell rings after her statement so both girls began to walk to their class though, Momo continues the conversation. "Isn't that the point though? Get the coach to notice you?" Momo asks. They enter their classroom and there they see their other teammates, Jihyo, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung. Jeongyeon and Momo greet them respectfully before sitting down in their desks.
"Yes, but then they begin to do their own thing. Even when Coach says to do something as easy as dribbling to one side of the court and back, one of them has to do some type of dribble move. And that usually ends with them losing the basketball and messing everyone else up," Jeongyeon continues to complain. Their three teammates turn around and enter the conversation.
"What are you going on about Jeongyeon?" Jihyo asks with a raised eyebrow. Momo snorts and says, "She's just worried that someone is going to end up being a better player than her." Jeongyeon then takes her foot and kicks Momo in the leg which causes the Japanese girl to double over in pain. "No one is better than me, Hirai."
"I hope my star players are getting along back there," a voice suddenly says, causing everyone to turn their attention to the front of the room. Their coach, Lee Sunmi, known as Coach Lee to the players, has her eyebrows raised at the five players in the back. "Of course Coach Lee, we're doing just fine," Jeongyeon answers, a playful smile on her face. "Speak for yourself, Yoo Jeongyeon," Momo says bitterly, still rubbing her pained leg.
They turn back to the conversation and Dahyun speaks up.
"I think you should just see how it goes. I mean maybe no one will be like that this year," Dahyun comments, Jihyo and Chaeyoung nodding in agreement.
"What's the worst that could happen?"
-
"You're kidding me right?" Jeongyeon yells aloud.
This is not how Jeongyeon planned tryouts to go. She expected a gym filled with at least 30 girls who were ready to tryout for the team. Instead, she's faced with herself, her four teammates, and Coach Lee, who looks just as disappointed as they do. Jeongyeon couldn't find a valid reason for why no one wanted to try out but one. They had a full squad last year, even a full bench of subs. The basketball team was pretty successful considering they made it to the playoffs for the three years in a row. However, she thinks that the championship that volleyball, soccer, and softball won changed the hearts of those who wanted to play basketball.
"Listen girls, I know this isn't what you wanted. It isn't what I wanted either but this is all we got. And soon, we won't have it. You know that for a team to be qualified for a basketball season, there has to be more than eight players on one roster and we only have five. If we don't garner eight or more players before the first game, we are required to forfeit the entire season."
Each of the players hung their heads low from being upset and angry. They really wanted to play basketball this year. AAU had given them a taste of what was to come of their season and now that won't be coming.
Coach Lee sighs at her players. She knows how they were looking forward to playing this year and now that was stripped for them. "Listen, you girls get warmed up and we can do a couple drills and workouts. This isn't over yet. I have a meeting with the Head Athletic Director at the Board of Shore County and from there, we will know how our season will go. Even if we don't have a season, it will be okay. We have each other."
West Shore High
"Excited for tryouts?" Sana asks Nayeon as they pack up their bags to finish the school day. "You know I am, Satang. I just hope that the school finally lends us some damn money for new equipment and uniforms. We've had the same uniforms for years, it's time for a change," Nayeon responds. West Shore High was not an athletic based school, so to say. Majority of the money went towards academics and putting in new programs for students to be in. Sports there were a bust really, even the boy sports. Though, that doesn't stop Nayeon and Sana from playing basketball there. They've played basketball for years together and it wasn't going to stop there.
Nayeon and Sana actually rotate positions between shooting guard and small forward. Both of them were great shooters, Sana beating Nayeon by a landslide. Depending on games, their coach would rotate them through positons just to confuse other teams. It would work too because most of the time, they end up with a mismatch which would lead to an easy basket early in the game. Nayeon was ranked number two in the county, right behind Yoo Jeongyeon. The two despise each other which is kind of fitting considering they go to rival schools. It's just something about Jeongyeon that makes Nayeon dislike her. Probably her cockiness but if you had to ask Nayeon, it would be everything. Sana, however, was ranked number three. She is actually very underrated as a player if you were to ask anyone that goes to West Shore. Being ranked number 3 might not scream underrated to anyone else but that's just how it was.
"You know they won't fund us a lot of money so I wouldn't get my hopes up if I was you," Sana responds, chuckling as she pushes open the gym door. They see their coach, Coach Kim, sitting in her office. Other than that, the gym is relatively empty. "Huh, I didn't expect for it to be so empty," Sana remarks quietly. Nayeon merely shrugs and glances around the gym. 'Maybe they're all in the locker room," she responds but she doesn't sound to sure herself.
When they enter the locker room, they are met with two other players. Myoui Mina and Chou Tzuyu. Both of them played last year and are great friends with Sana and Nayeon. Tzuyu, obviously, plays as their center considering her length. She is one of the best defensive players in the state. Mina plays as their point guard, small, quick, and balanced.
Nayeon frowns as she sits her stuff on the bench. "How long has it been just you two?" she asks, nerves piercing through every word she says. "For quite a while. Ten minutes," Tzuyu answers with a sigh. Sana gulps softly and asks, "That's it? No one else hasn't walked in?"
She receives a head shake from Mina who looks just as upset as everyone else. All of them know that they can't play with only four players. Hell, you need five to be on court at once. Fuck. This isn't how the beginning of the season was supposed to go. Nayeon clears her throat and speaks up. As the oldest, she figures that it's her job to encourage them.
"Okay I know it looks bad but hopefully a lot more girls will walk through the door. Maybe some of them are being held back in class, finishing a test or something. We don't know yet so let's just calm down, get dressed, and wait for Coach Kim to say something," she says. Nayeon figures that her speech didn't do so well considering that the only answers she receives are mumbles and head nods.
They get dressed in silence and file out of the locker room to see Coach Kim waiting for them in the middle of the court.
She clasps her hands behind her back and sucks her teeth. "I know what you all are thinking. How are we going to play a season of basketball with four players? The answer is we can't. The school is threatening to shut down our season. They think it’s for the best so that the school can focus more on academics. But I have managed to schedule a meeting with the Head Athletic Director at the board of the county so maybe we have hope. I know you girls are disappointed, as am I, but we can't sit here and sulk over something beyond our control. The good thing is that you four came back to play for a team you love. I came back to coach a team that I love. You girls are great players, all ranked in the top ten of the county. I promise, you will play somewhere, even if it isn't here."
"But Coach, we want to play here!" Nayeon interjects loudly, "Can't we just find more players?"
"I wish it were that easy, Nayeon. The principal made an announcement this morning and I think that if anyone else wanted to try out, they would be here, right?" Coach Kim asks. "Right," the players mumble simultaneously. "Okay then so keep your heads high and by tomorrow morning, you all will know how we will proceed."
A brief silence followed before Tzuyu spoke. "A game of 2v2 anyone?"
"Nayeon's on my team," Mina immediately says. A scoff from Sana follows.
"No way. Nayeon and I are always on the same team."
They begin to walk away from their coach and towards the basketball rack.
"Ladies, ladies, there is enough of Im Nayeon to go around. But I choose Tzuyu."
"WHAT?" Sana and Mina yell in unison.