-Starting Line Arc-
There are dreams you give up on because you stop loving them.
There are others you abandon because life convinces you that loving them isn't enough.
For a long time, I thought mine belonged to the second kind. I told myself I had missed my chance. I hadn't played when I was young, hadn't joined a team when everyone else was learning, hadn't spent thousands of hours inside a gym practicing my butt off. By the time I finally understood how badly I wanted volleyball to be part of my life, it had already been apart of everyone else's far longer.
So I stopped.
Or at least, I convinced myself I had.
I found other ways to stay close to it. I studied the game. I watched players better than I could ever hope to be. I learned everything there was about it. Eventually, I told myself that coaching was enough.
Maybe it was.
Then I met you.
You weren't gifted. Not yet. You weren't naturally athletic, and you didn't possess some hidden talent that caught the attention of everyone. You were just a girl who loved volleyball so honestly that every time you touched the ball, it reminded me of everything I had buried.
Because I met you, I remembered something important.
A dream doesn't disappear just because you walk away from it.
And sometimes, the person you're trying to guide forward is the one who makes you turn around and chase after yours again.
Thank you for making me realize it was never too late for me.
***
March 9th, 2028
Rudeus Shimura stared up at the Rosebud Middle School gymnasium and wondered if someone in administration had made a terrible mistake. The building itself wasn't particularly intimidating. It was large, certainly, with newer facilities than most schools in the district, but it was still just a gym. What made Rudeus's stomach tighten was everything attached to the school's name: regional appearances, Junior League championships, alumni who had gone on to powerful high schools, and a boys' and girls' volleyball team that had somehow become synonymous with winning. And now he was the assistant coach of the girls' volleyball team.
Rudeus adjusted the strap of the bag hanging over his shoulder for the third time in less than a minute: "How did I get the job at this powerhouse school?"
There was nobody nearby to answer him. That was probably for the best.
He had coaching certifications. He had spent his early 20s studying volleyball while working at his full-time job. None of that changed the uncomfortable fact that he had never actually played competitively himself.
Inside, the gym was already alive. The girls' Junior League season had ended months ago in December, but a powerhouse program didn't suddenly stop functioning just because matches disappeared from the schedule. Players ran conditioning drills along the baseline while others worked on controlled passing, and every few seconds the sharp impact of a volleyball echoed through the building.
Rudeus stood near the entrance longer than he meant to. He loved that sound, but he was a little taken aback.
Rudeus: "Are these really middle school girls?"
***
Roxy rested her chin against one palm while a volleyball rally played across the small screen in front of her.
Around her, the classroom was loud enough that someone should have complained. Chairs scraped against the floor. A group of boys near the window were being loud, and another group had apparently decided that break was the perfect time to see who could flick an eraser the farthest.
Roxy heard none of it.
On the screen, a professional volleyball player threw herself across the floor and barely managed to keep the ball alive. The pass went too far off the net, forcing another player to sprint beneath it and send an awkward set toward the left antenna. The opposing blockers closed quickly. The hitter jumped anyway. The ball smashed off the outside hand of the block and flew out of bounds.
For half a second, the player simply stared at where it landed. Then her face exploded into a grin as she threw one arm into the air, shouting while her teammates rushed toward her.
Roxy's eyes sparkled.
They looked so happy.
Not just the girl who scored. All of them. Even the player who had nearly crashed into the sponsor boards trying to save the ball was laughing when the team pulled her into the celebration.
Roxy quietly smiled to herself.
They must be having so much fun.
A hand waved in front of her face.
Roxy didn't react.
The hand waved again.
Roxy didn't see it again. She was so out of tune with the outside would, it felt like an alien signal or something was trying to reach her.
The girl trying to get her attention leaned closer until her face nearly blocked the screen entirely: "Roxy."
Roxy blinked. The classroom rushed back into existence all at once when the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
She jerked upright, nearly knocking her chair backward: "Huh?!"
The girl stared at her while chewing the last piece of a small croissant: "You disappeared again."
Roxy looked around the room as students started returning to their seats: "Did I zone out for a second?"
?: "A second? It was for most of lunch."
Roxy: "No way! You should've snapped me out of it, Ruby."
Ruby folded the empty wrapper into a tiny square before slipping it into her pocket: "Like that would've worked. I could've been kidnapped and replaced by an identical twin before you noticed."
Roxy: "That seems like a lot to happen during break."
Ruby: "So you're not denying it could actually happen."
Roxy lowered her phone with an embarrassed smile. Ruby was the only person in class Roxy spoke to regularly. That wasn't something Roxy considered particularly tragic. Ruby was loud enough, energetic enough, and opinionated enough that sometimes having one friend felt closer to having five.
Ruby glanced at the paused volleyball video: "Another match?"
Roxy nodded: "The rally was really good."
Ruby: "You say that about all of them."
Roxy: "Because they are."
Ruby watched as Roxy replayed the final point once more. The moment the hitter scored, Roxy unconsciously shifted her feet beneath the desk, lowered her center of gravity, and brought her arms forward as though preparing to receive the ball herself.
Ruby: "You're doing it again."
Roxy: "Doing what?"
Ruby pointed downward.
Roxy looked at her own stance, immediately straightened, and bumped her knee against the desk: "Ow."
Teacher: "Okay everyone, quiet down. Class is resuming."
***
Roxy walked beside Ruby through one of the outdoor corridors connecting the classroom buildings after the final bell rang.
Cherry blossoms lined the edge of the courtyard, though most had only begun to bloom. A handful of pink petals had already fallen onto the concrete, catching in the occasional breeze before skittering across the ground.
Ruby tore open a small bag of crackers.
Roxy: "Hehe. You sure love snacks."
Ruby: "Who doesn't? You know my rules of life. Number 1: Always have a snack on you."
Roxy: "I still don't know what a few of your 10 rules of life are."
Ruby: "Patience, child. You will learn when the time is right."
They reached the stairs when someone coming from the opposite direction dropped a stack of papers. Several sheets immediately scattered across the walkway.
Before Roxy could move, a boy nearby crouched down and began gathering them.
Yuichi: "I've got it."
Ruby: "Gah." She backed up and hid around the corner so the boy wouldn't see her.
The younger student looked panicked as he tried to catch the pages blowing toward the railing.
Yuichi trapped one beneath his shoe before picking it up: "Relax. You're fine."
The boy bowed repeatedly when Yuichi handed everything back.
Student: "Thank you!"
Yuichi smiled easily: "Just don't sprint around with stacks of paper next time."
Student: "I won't!"
The boy hurried away.
Yuichi: "Haha. What did I just say."
Roxy watched him go before looking back at Yuichi. He was taller than most students their age, with an easy posture that made it seem like he was never nervous about anything. Another group of students called to him from farther down the corridor.
Boy: "Yuichi! You coming?"
Yuichi raised a hand: "Yeah."
Before leaving, his gaze briefly met Roxy's. Yuichi gave her a polite smile. He jogged toward the others.
Roxy watched for another moment: "He seems nice."
Ruby took another cracker after coming back: "Trust me Roxy, don't get involved with him.."
Roxy: "Huh? Why not?"
Ruby: "I can smell his playboy aura from a mile away."
Roxy: "Eh? You're just wary of people, Ruby."
Ruby shrugged: "He's on the boys' volleyball team, but I haven't talked to him much."
Roxy: "Oh yeah. Don't you have practice?"
Ruby: "In a few. But I need to talk to our science teacher about a make-up quiz. I skipped class that day to get more time to study, and I still haven't studied for it."
Roxy laughed.
Farther down the walkway, one of Yuichi's teammates said something that made everyone around him laugh. Yuichi laughed too, completely at ease. Then one of them bumped into him hard enough to nearly knock his bag from his shoulder.
For the briefest instant, Yuichi's expression went flat. Cold and annoyed. Then the smile returned.
Roxy and Ruby separated near the gym.
A ball struck the floor, followed by the sound of more one after the other. Roxy stopped walking.
She had stood on that court once. It had been months ago, after a school event when the gym happened to be empty. She had walked onto the polished floor and simply stood there. That was it. She didn't have a ball, any teammates, or a crowd. She still remembered staring up at the net and feeling something strange. Even now, she couldn't explain what it had been.
Roxy stepped closer to the doorway.
Inside, the girls' team practiced. She knew they were good. Everyone at school knew they were good, although Roxy had never bothered learning exactly how good. Volleyball existed differently in her mind. There was volleyball she watched online, volleyball she practiced badly by herself, and then there was the school team, a distant thing belonging to people who had started long before she had. One of the players received a serve cleanly. The ball floated perfectly toward the setter. Roxy leaned forward without realizing it. Rudeus noticed her from the other side of the gym.
***
Rudeus spent this practice just watching. He noticed which players had trouble shifting their weight forward during serve receive. He noticed a second-year middle blocker consistently closing her block half a step late. He noticed one setter telegraphing her back set with her shoulders before the ball even reached her hands. Most of the corrections weren't his to make yet. He was new. The head coach had told him to observe, learn the rhythm of the team, and gradually become involved. Rudeus was perfectly fine with that. He had spent most of his life watching volleyball from the outside anyway.
During a water break, two players nearby talked quietly.
Girl: "Did you hear she's playing rec this spring?"
Another girl: "Seriously?"
Girl: "That's what I heard."
Another girl l: "For what? That's way above her skill level."
Rudeus glanced toward them but said nothing.
Girl: "Imagine joining a rec league and finding out she's on the other side."
Another girl: "I'd just go home."
They laughed.
He wondered what they were talking about but chose not to ask. He looked outside and saw the same girl he'd seen an hour ago still there. He excused himself and crossed the court.
Rudeus: "Are you looking for someone?"
Roxy practically jumped: "Ah!"
Several players glanced toward the door.
Roxy immediately lowered her voice: "Sorry."
Rudeus: "You don't need to apologize."
Roxy: "Right."
Rudeus waited.
Roxy stared at the floor.
Rudeus: "Are you on the team?"
Roxy's head snapped up: "No!"
The answer came so quickly that Rudeus almost laughed.
Rudeus: "Okay."
Roxy realized how loudly she had responded and shrank slightly: "Definitely not."
Rudeus: "Would you like to come in and watch?"
Roxy glanced back toward the court: "No, sorry. I just lost track of time. I should be heading home now."
Rudeus watched her walk away, but felt he should continue talking to her: "Wait up!"
Roxy: "Ehh? W-What is it?"
Rudeus: "Do you play?"
That question took longer. Roxy rubbed the side of one shoe against the other.
Roxy: "Not really."
Rudeus: "Not really?"
Roxy: "Well, I practice by myself. That's about it."
Rudeus: "I see. Sorry, it's my turn to apologize. You just seemed so enamored watching from outside, I had to ask questions."
Roxy: "Oh, okay. I don't mind."
Rudeus: "I'm the new assistant coach, Rudeus. Do you only practice alone, you don't play anywhere outside of school?"
Roxy shook her head.
Rudeus: "What's your name?"
Roxy: "It's Roxy."
Rudeus: "Nice to meet you, Roxy. So, what practices do you do?"
Roxy looked embarrassed: "Mostly hitting the ball against a wall and receiving it."
Rudeus smiled brightly: "How long have you been practicing that?"
Roxy: "Um, for a few months. But I've watched volleyball for a lot longer."
Rudeus: "Nice, so you're just starting!"
Roxy looked toward the gym: "Yeah…I'm late."
Something about how casually she said it bothered him.
Rudeus: "Late?"
Roxy: "Everyone who plays seriously started way before now."
Rudeus didn't respond yet.
Roxy: "I'm already in seventh grade."
Rudeus stared at her thinking: '7th grade. She said it as though she was 40.'
He put a hand over he shoulder, Roxy looked at him.
Rudeus: "It's not too late. Not even close."
Roxy's expression softened.
Rudeus started to jog back: "I have to head back, but stick around! I'd like to chat a little longer after practice is over!"
Roxy: "O-Okay!"
She didn't exactly know what to do. She felt it would be a bit awkward to go back and watch right now, so she sat a nearby bench to watch some more videos. But before that, she text her dad that she would be stuck at school for a while longer and asked if he could pick her up.
After practice ended, they sat on the bench taking in the breeze as the sun began to set.
Rudeus leaned forward with his elbows against his knees: "So when did you start liking volleyball?"
Roxy: "A long long time ago." She thought about it. "Actually… I guess it wasn't that long. Over a year ago."
Rudeus: "I thought you were about to give me your whole backstory."
Roxy smiled: "One of my childhood friends played."
Rudeus: "Oh, did she play here?"
Roxy: "Not here. She never made the school team. Maybe it was because of her height, but she was really good in my eyes."
Rudeus: "She didn't quit, did she?"
Roxy shook her head immediately: "No. She had enough positivity for at least a hundred people."
Rudeus laughed.
Roxy: "She was two years older than me. I saw her practicing receives once, and I just thought it was so cool."
Rudeus: "Receiving is what got you interested?"
Roxy nodded: "I liked how she kept the ball from touching the floor."
Rudeus liked that. Most kids favor spikes more.
Roxy continued: "Then I started watching videos. At first I thought volleyball was just serving, passing, setting, and hitting."
Rudeus: "That's most of the game."
Roxy: "But there's so much more."
Her voice changed. It became faster without her noticing.
Roxy: "Rotations, blocking, where everyone stands, how hitters approach differently, how setters can trick blockers, how people serve at specific players, how there's a whole position for receiving—"
She stopped. Not because she wanted to, but because she was out of breath. Rudeus was smiling.
Roxy immediately became self-conscious: "Sorry."
Rudeus: "Like I said, you don't need to apologize."
Roxy looked relieved.
Rudeus: "Do you still talk to your friend?"
Roxy: "No, she doesn't have a phone. And she moved. I tried going to her house a while ago and found out."
Rudeus: "Aw. That sucks."
Roxy: "I cried a lot thinking I wouldn't see her again. But I'm sure she's doing great."
She said it with such certainty that Rudeus didn't question it.
Roxy looked toward the gym: "Can we go inside?"
Rudeus: "Of course."
They went inside and Roxy went directly to the middle of the court.
Roxy: "I've stood here once."
Rudeus was confused: "During a game?"
Roxy: "No."nShe laughed quietly. "The gym was empty."
Rudeus waited.
Roxy struggled to put the feeling into words: "I was just standing here, but… I don't know how to describe how I felt."
Rudeus didn't interrupt.
Roxy: "It felt big."
Rudeus: "The gym?"
Roxy: "No."
She paused again.
Roxy: "Maybe. But no, it wasn't that."
Rudeus understood more than she thought he did.
Rudeus: "You want to play volleyball, right?"
Roxy looked at him: "Yes, I want to play."
Rudeus: "Anything else?"
Roxy: "Get better?"
Rudeus: "Anything else?"
Roxy's face tightened in concentration: "Maybe make the team next year?"
Rudeus: "You'll have to practice really hard for that."
Roxy: "Why?"
Rudeus stared at her.
Roxy: "Hm?"
Rudeus: "Because um, your school's team is really good."
Roxy: "I know. I've watched them practice from outside."
Rudeus: "No, I mean like really good."
Roxy tilted her head: "Hm?"
Rudeus: "You really don't know, do you?"
Roxy: "Know what?"
Rudeus: "You do know what school you go to, right?"
Roxy blinked: "…Yes?"
Rudeus: "Rosebud Academy is one of the strongest middle schools in the district!"
Roxy's jaw dropped.
Rudeus: "They've won multiple Junior League titles."
Roxy: "Junior League?"
Rudeus: "Middle school games. Most people just call it Juniors. Making this team as an eighth grader when you've barely played organized volleyball is going to be difficult."
Roxy stared at the floor.
Rudeus immediately wondered if he had crushed her enthusiasm too quickly.
Roxy: "Okay."
Rudeus: "Okay?"
Roxy: "Then I'll have to catch up."
He looked at her differently after that. The nervous girl hadn't disappeared. Her hands were still folded tightly together. But there was something firmer underneath it now.
Rudeus: "Let me ask you, Roxy. Why do you want to play volleyball?"
She already knew the answer to that. Still, she thought about it because the question sounded like it deserved a better answer. Maybe she wanted to become great. Maybe she wanted to win something. Maybe she wanted to prove she could make the school team despite starting late. None of those felt right. Not right now.
Roxy: "Because it's fun."
Her smile came naturally. Rudeus stared at her for a moment. That was when something changed. He didn't know what yet.
Rudeus: "How are your grades?"
Roxy's smile disappeared: "Why does that matter?"
Rudeus: "Because school teams care."
Roxy: "I think they're okay."
Rudeus: "What does okay mean?"
Roxy: "Mostly Cs and Bs."
Rudeus: "Okay, for some reason I thought you were going to say Ds and Fs."
Roxy: "Do I look that dumb to you?!"
Rudeus: "Haha. No, not at all. It's just your head seems filled mostly with volleyball, I was wondering if you had room for your studies in there."
Roxy: 'He has a point.'
Rudeus: "I know I might be springing a lot on you right now, but I'm actually the head coach at a recreation center. I coached there last year too. The first practice starts in a month. But it's 40 minutes away. Do you think you can make it?"
Ruby: "Um… I'll have to talk to my dad about it:"
Rudeus: "Take your time coming to a decision and get back to me whenever you can. Do you have a ride home?"
Roxy: "Yes."
Rudeus: "Okay, I'll see you later, Roxy."
Roxy waves him off: "Bye."
***
Roxy climbed into the passenger seat and pulled the door shut behind her. Her dad waited until she had buckled her seatbelt before pulling away from school, though he only made it halfway down the street before noticing how unusually quiet she was.
Dad glanced over at her for a second: "Got something on your mind, Roxy? You didn't even say hi."
Roxy began scrambling: "Oh my god! I'm so sorry, I didn't even realize!"
Dad: "Haha. Not the first time you've been lost in thought. Besides, I know that face."
Roxy looked at her reflection in the window: "What face?"
Dad: "The one where you're trying to figure out how to say something to me."
Roxy immediately looked back at him.
Roxy: "I have a face for that?"
Dad: "You absolutely do."
Roxy sank slightly into her seat. She had spent the last several minutes trying to come up with the best way to explain everything Coach Rudeus had told her, but apparently she hadn't been nearly as subtle as she thought.
Dad: "Go ahead."
Roxy hesitated: "There's a rec center that has a volleyball team."
Dad: "Okay."
Roxy: "It's kind of far."
Dad: "How far is kind of far?"
Roxy: "About forty minutes."
Her dad gave a small nod but didn't immediately say anything.
Roxy quickly continued before she could lose her nerve: "Practice starts in about a month. I met a nice Coach today who said it'd be a good place for me to start because I haven't played on an actual team before. And he's coaching the rec team too."
Dad: "Do you want to do it?"
Roxy: "Yeah."
Dad: "Then you can."
Roxy stared at him: "Really?"
Dad: "Really."
Roxy: "But it's forty minutes away."
Dad: "I heard you the first time."
Roxy: "And I don't know what days practice is yet."
Dad: "Then we'll figure that out when you know."
Roxy: "I don't know how much it costs either."
Dad: "We'll figure that out too."
Roxy looked down: "I might need shoes."
Dad: "We'll get you some."
Roxy: "And kneepads."
Dad: "Those too."
They stopped at a red light.
Her dad rested one hand against the steering wheel before looking over at her properly.
Dad: "You really like volleyball, don't you?"
Roxy: "A lot."
Her dad smiled: "Then I want you to play. Just find out what you need. Get the schedule. And tell me how much it is. Once you've got the details, I'll handle the rest."
Roxy stared at him for another second before a bright smile spread across her face: "Thank you, I love you."
Dad: "I love you too. But don't thank me yet. You're still doing your chores tonight."
Roxy: "Oh yeah."
Roxy looked out the window again, and she couldn't stop smiling.
***
Roxy found Ruby near the front gate.
Ruby: "Morning, Roxy."
Roxy: "Good morning, Ruby."
They started walking and about 12 seconds passed.
Roxy: "I'm joining a rec league."
Ruby stopped.
Roxy took a few more steps before realizing she was alone.
Roxy turned around.
Ruby: "What?"
Roxy: "I'm joining a rec league."
Ruby hurried toward her: "Where?"
Roxy: "I don't know exactly where yet, but it's 40 minutes away."
Ruby: "When?"
Roxy: "Practice starts a month."
Ruby: "Do you have shoes?"
Roxy: "I have shoes."
Ruby: "Volleyball shoes."
Roxy: "I'm going to get them."
Ruby stared at her in disbelief: "Kneepads?"
Roxy: "Those too."
Ruby: "Ankle braces?"
Roxy: "I need those?"
Ruby: "Yes! You're finally gonna start playing?!"
Roxy smiled: "Yep."
Ruby started bouncing with joy: "Woohoo. Give me all the details so I can join too."
Roxy: "You're gonna join too?! But what about your practice here?"
Ruby: "It's just off-season, I can blow it off for a while. Coach will understand."
Roxy: "If you say so."
Roxy stopped by the teacher's office during lunch to tell Coach Rudeus the good news. After some celebrating, Rudeus handed her a printed sheet.
Rudeus: "This is the rec program."
Roxy looked over the printout.
Rudeus: "It's a good place to start. Most of the kids signed up are just there for some fun, so it isn't like walking into a powerhouse school tryout with no organized matches behind you."
Roxy swallowed.
Rudeus: "Nervous?"
Roxy nodded honestly.
Rudeus: "That's not a bad thing. Don't forget that."
Roxy straightened: "Okay!"
Rudeus smiled: "Let me know what days you're free afterschool. We can practice before the rec season starts. If you want to, of course."
Roxy: "I would love to!"
***
Later that evening, Rudeus sat at his desk with the rec roster open in front of him. He scrolled through names without much thought. Some were familiar from local schools. Most weren't. Then his hand stopped. Rudeus stared at the screen.
He leaned closer.
Rudeus: "No way."
He checked the full name.
Correct.
School.
Correct.
Age.
Correct.
Rudeus sat back: "Why is she playing rec?"
Angel.
The best player in middle school wasn't supposed to be playing in a local recreational league. And she was on his team to boot.
Rudeus pressed both hands against his face: "What could I possibly teach her?"
The following day, Roxy met him in the gym after school.
Rudeus had already placed a few volleyballs beside the court.
Rudeus: "Let's see exactly where you're at."
Roxy: "Okay."
Rudeus: "Let's start with receiving."
That surprised her.
Roxy expected him to teach her how to spike first.
Rudeus stood across from her and tossed her a ball.
She bent her knees, but she forgot to form her platform. So the ball just bounced right under her.
Rudeus looked at her.
Roxy: "That doesn't count."
Rudeus: "I didn't say anything."
Roxy: "Your face did."
He laughed: "Don't be so stiff, lossen up."
Roxy bent her knees and locked her hands together. Her arms swung forward aggressively.
Rudeus: "Don't swing your arms into a platform like that. That's too aggressive."
Roxy: "Sorry!"
Rudeus: "It's okay." He walked closer. "You don't just receive with your arms."
He adjusted her stance slightly, tapping one foot farther apart from the other and correcting her posture.
Rudeus: "You receive with your whole body."
Roxy listened closely.
Rudeus: "Your legs get you to position. Your hips control your balance. Your shoulders help control the angle. Your platform gives the ball somewhere to go."
He lightly tapped her forearms.
Rudeus: "These are only part of it."
Roxy nodded.
Rudeus: "Stay forward."
She leaned too far.
Rudeus: "Not that far."
Roxy corrected herself.
Rudeus: "Relax."
Her first receive went directly sideways. Roxy chased it. The second hit her wrists and flew over her shoulder. The third went almost straight up before landing behind her. The fourth struck Rudeus in the face.
Roxy covered her mouth: "I'm sorry! Are you okay?"
Rudeus: "I've survived worse."
Roxy: "Like what?"
Rudeus: "Give me time to think of something."
Roxy laughed then returned to position.
Rudeus: "Again."
Rudeus: "Again."
Rudeus: "Again."
Rudeus: "Again."
They moved onto other areas after receives. Rudeus started noticing something. She wasn't naturally athletic. Her vertical jump was poor. Her movement was hesitant. Her first step was slow because she thought before moving, and her balance disappeared whenever the ball went somewhere unexpected. But every correction stuck a little longer than the one before it. More importantly, she wanted to keep going.
After nearly an hour, they returned to receiving. Rudeus tossed an easy ball toward her left side. Roxy's feet carried her behind the ball perfectly to position. She lowered her hips and held her platform. The ball touched her forearms and the ball rose cleanly. Not particularly high, but exactly toward Rudeus. He caught it without moving.
Roxy remained frozen in receiving posture. She slowly looked up.
Rudeus: "Nice recieve."
Roxy's eyes widened: "That was good?"
Rudeus: "That was great."
Roxy bounced up. Her smile was ridiculous. It was infectious, and made Rudeus smile too. The sun was dipping over the horizon. Roxy stood near the doorway holding the volleyball against her chest while a breeze shook several sakura petals loose from the trees. They drifted across the walkway, some catching briefly in her hair before sliding away. She watched them, then she looked back inside the gym.
Roxy: "Coach?"
Rudeus: "Hm?"
Roxy hesitated: "It's really not too late, is it?"
Rudeus didn't need to think: "That's right."
Roxy smiled. Rudeus watched her turn toward the court again. He had no idea yet that the answer had been meant for both of them.
On the other side of the gym, Yuichi walked out of the boys' locker room with several teammates around him.
One of them slapped him on the shoulder: "Think we'll actually win Juniors this year?"
Yuichi glanced toward him: "Think?" He adjusted the strap of his bag. "We're winning. Nobody holds a candle to us."
Roxy stood next to Rudeus beneath the cherry blossoms with a volleyball in her hands and a smile.
Roxy: "This is it. This is my starting line!"