Chapter 4: Clara

Clarina Rayne Lourencia.

"Go Clara, make it for the team!" people cheered me on as we faced off against the other team with just 1 point away for us to seal the victory. The game was intense and we were in a crucial moment, feeling the pressure especially because our opponent was a former representative volleyball team from our school.

But the volleyball court was right in front of me, with its familiar lines marking the boundaries. I felt comfortable on the rubber wooden floor, knowing exactly where I needed to be. I had always experienced this kind of situation, therefore I know what to do.

Also my teammates were by my side, giving me the support I needed. We were all working together to win. So I, Clara, was ready for this moment.

Whistle blown which signaled to start the game, pointing at the other side making the opposing team to serve. As the ball flew through the air, everything seemed to slow down. I focused only on the game, ignoring everything else except for the ball. The net was there, separating us from the other team, but also connecting us through the game.

"Kaede!" I shouted as a form of command for her to take the ball.

"Got it!" Kaede nodded and received the ball properly, turning the angle position of the ball to look perfect.

After that, I turned to look at our setter, exchanging contacts with each other and nodded. Our setter and I had to come up with a plan to break their versatile defense and now is the time to do it.

"Now!" I prompted her to immediately start our plan. She jumped early before the ball was in a perfect angle to be set with but that's not a problem, since we had the plan. Our opponent may be confused on how she jumped early but they will be more shocked about what will be our next move.

Before she landed her shoes on the floor she immediately extended her arms to reach the ball and set on it with an unusual, drifty, and difficult angle. Then, I jumped as soon as she landed, of course people were a bit confused about our sudden movement and it is all that because we had our plan named "Swift Attack".

I felt the tension build as I got ready to hit the ball. Victory was close for us, and I was determined to get it. With all my energy, I jumped and hit the ball with precision.

"BAM" the sound of the ball silenced the whole crowd for a moment. It was a quick, powerful spike.

Loud cheers from people filled the whole school's gymnasium as we won the game. 25-23.

"We did it!" My teammates were jumping up and down, their joy contagious as they rushed towards me, enveloping me in their embrace.

"That's our captain!" our libero exclaimed, throwing a playful jab at the opposing crowd. It was both flattering and embarrassing at the same time.

We’ve come to celebrate our victory together with our coach at that moment but my mind shifted quickly as I suddenly turned my gaze to the bench seats, just to find a guy who is my childhood best friend. Leon.

I was about to approach him when my teammates reminded me to shake hands with the opposing team after the match. They were respectfully grinning at ours while shaking hands with them.

"Nice game, Captain!" The opposing team's captain winked at me with a smile, and for a moment, I felt a surge of delight. She was the former captain of our school's volleyball team, and I had idolized her for years due to her outstanding leadership. Her compliment felt like a dream come true.

"Th-thank you," I stammered, still a bit starstruck from our victory against someone I admired so much.

To celebrate our win, our coach, Nina, organized a small party for us in the training room. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and desserts, thanks for Coach Nina’s treats.

"These cupcakes are amazing!" one of my teammates exclaimed between bites.

"I know, right? They might become my new favorite dessert," another chimed in, their voices filled with happiness as they savored the different flavors of the cream cupcakes from the box.

"Thank you, Coach, for treating us!" they both said simultaneously.

Coach Nina chuckled. "Don't thank me, silly. It's all thanks to your hard work and dedication. You truly deserve it. And you can also thank your team captain here," she added with a smirk, glancing in my direction. All eyes turned to me, making me feel like the center of attention at that moment.

"Imagine, she beat Catherine, who's the strongest volleyball team captain at our school," Sofia, our libero, remarked.

"True, Clara is the best decision-maker in our team," Kaede added.

"E-eh, why me? I haven’t done anything much impactful on our team," I responded, feeling a bit overwhelmed by their praise.

They tapped my shoulder as soon as I said that. "Hey! Don’t be so humble! You're so good that you could play on an international volleyball team, you know?" my other teammate said with a grin.

"W-what are you saying?" I chuckled nervously.

"We're serious, right, Coach?" they turned to our coach, awaiting her confirmation.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I think you're very capable of performing on an international volleyball team. Even if you don’t see it that way, look at how your teammates respect you."

"For me, Clara is probably the best volleyball player in our batch," Kaede added.

"Not only in our batch, but in our school," Sofia agreed.

"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate that," their compliments made me smile.

"But if you were asked, Clara, what would you do if an international volleyball team, or let’s say a popular volleyball team, messaged and invited you? What would you do?" Sofia asked me.

What would I do? I hadn’t even thought about that kind of thing before. Rubbing my chin, I pondered my answer carefully because I couldn’t really decide on the spot.

"Well, honestly, I don’t know. Maybe I'd reject them?" I admitted, feeling unsure but sticking to my initial instinct.

They gave me a surprised look. "Why? It’s an opportunity, you know!"

I struggled to find a reason, so I tried to defend my answer. "W-well, I don’t think it’s possible for me to be invited by some teams. I don’t think I'm outstanding enough, I guess."

"Eh? Playing humble again? Of course, it’s possible! After all, you’re popular in the school," Sofia countered.

"R-right," I responded, still mulling over their words.

The celebration party ended, and as we immediately left the room to head home, someone called out to me.

“Hey Clara,” I turned around to see Zeno, clad in his usual uniform top, fitted slacks, and clean black shoes.

“Congrats on your victory earlier,” he smiled, exuding a calm vibe.

He’s the star football player of our school’s soccer team and is quite popular among the girls. Perhaps his charms have reached them in that way.

“Thank you,” I nodded in gratitude.

“You know, earlier when I was observing how you played, it seemed like you already knew what to do in every situation your team was in, and I think that’s amazing,” Zeno acknowledged, surprising me with his insight into my volleyball skills.

“You think so? I thought that was just the right thing to do every time you play a specific sport, right? Be aware of what comes to you and counter them with good execution.”

“But not all people can do the same thing as you, you know that? You’re really a captain, leading the team to victory. You’re really amazing, Clara,” he explained, his words making me feel appreciated.

“Thanks,” I replied, though I couldn’t help but notice the growing tension as people began to look at us and start forming different kinds of gossip. Being treated as a popular person is okay, I guess, but sometimes I wish for a more casual treatment.

“So, umm, on our match on Friday, would you come watc–” I didn’t bother to listen to his whole sentence as I spotted a specific person walking by himself outside the school gate.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I have to go,” I cut our conversation short and rushed towards the familiar guy walking alone.

“Hey! Leon!” I called out, slightly irritated that he hadn’t informed me he was going home by himself.

He looked back at me, “What?”

I matched his pace, walking beside him. “Don’t ‘what’ me. By the way, how was my performance earlier?”

“About your game earlier, hmm, I can’t say since I barely watched the full game,” he said, though I knew he had been there from the start, watching.

“Uh huh? Looking at other girls?” I teased him with an uninterested tone.

“What the? Tch! Fine, I watched your lfull game. And it was…a close match.”

“Then rate my performance! How did I perform earlier? Did I do well?”

He looked back, averting his gaze away from mine. “Yeah, you did well.”

“What do you mean I did well?”

“I mean you’re really good as usual.”

I felt a sense of contentment hearing that from him. He’s not the expressive type, but still his approval meant a lot.

“Thanks,” I smiled.

He looked at the blue sky, his eyes not outshined by its brightness. “But sometimes, don’t push yourself too hard, especially when you’re trembling because of pressure or tension. It could make you more exhausted and over fatigued, you know.”

My eyes widened as he said that. He noticed me trembling earlier? It’s true that I was intimidated by our opponent, a former representative of the volleyball team.

But still, I was shocked that he said that out of nowhere. He seemed to have observed me during our match, and I felt happy.

“Got it, th-thanks.”

He looked at me, “Your words were shaking, are you good?”

Ahhh, I didn’t even realize that I did something careless!

“Yeah, I’m good! Really!” I suddenly responded.

He still looked at me before shifting his gaze back to the road. “Okay.”

Silence filled the air, becoming awkward, so I came up with a solution.

“Hey, wanna race? First one to step on the bridge will be treated by the loser,” I suggested, forming a running stance.

“No thanks–”

“Here we go!” I ran right after he declined. I didn’t really care about the consequences, knowing he would just ignore it and walk at his usual pace. I was just really having fun with him.

I ought to be surrounded by people because of my personality, my positive vibes, and my fashion sense that made me popular. People acknowledged me, and I was happy for that.

But looking at who I was with right now, there’s nothing that beats a moment when someone close to you accepts who you are and takes care of you in such situations.

“Come on, Leon! Make it more challenging for me.” I said as I continuously dashing myself into the road.

“Nope, not a chance.”