The sky had turned soft orange by the time Miwa stepped out of the train station near her house. Her sports bag slung over her shoulder, legs a little sore, but her mind—restless.
She had watched Tokai Kurenai win their game easily, as expected. The crowd around Court A had been wild with excitement. But even in all that noise… the only face that stayed in her mind was his.
Number 7. From the Malaysian team.
He wasn't flashy, but he had presence. He didn't smile much. But the way he moved… sharp, focused, passionate. She didn't know anything about him—not even his name—but something about him refused to leave her thoughts.
"Miwa, you're home!" her mother called from the kitchen as she slid open the door.
"Welcome back," her father added, seated in front of the TV, watching a news broadcast about the tournament.
Miwa slipped off her shoes and gave a small smile. "I'm back. We won our match."
"Of course you did," her mother replied, walking over with a proud smile. "That's our girl."
Miwa nodded, said nothing more, and headed upstairs.
Her room was quiet, as always. Being an only child meant there were no younger siblings knocking on her door, no shared stories of school drama over dinner. It was just her, her thoughts… and the rhythm of her own heartbeat.
She placed her bag by the desk, took a quick shower, and flopped onto her bed in fresh clothes. The ceiling above seemed more interesting than usual tonight.
Her hand reached for her phone. She typed in:
Rising Star Cup Malaysia team boys
She scrolled past a few photos. Then—
There. A blurry image of the team in blue and white jerseys. She zoomed in. Her eyes stopped at one figure.
Number 7.
Still no name attached. But it was him.
She stared at the screen longer than she meant to. Her chest felt… strange. Not bad. Just unfamiliar.
"Why… did I notice him?" she whispered.
Not the three-time champions. Not the star captain from Tokai Kurenai. But this boy… someone most people probably didn't even look twice at.
Miwa turned her phone over and buried her face in the pillow.
She didn't understand it.
But she knew one thing for sure—
She wanted to see him play again.