On the sand of time

Chapter -9: Feelings

The girls were watching the game from the very front bleacher. Danielle was asked to join the match but she refused saying she's out of practice. It was a heated match. During the 2nd quarter, just before the break, Kazuha was running fast with the ball and passed it to Minji when she was blocked.  She made a perfect pass but couldn't slow herself down and ran in the bleachers and collided with the people sitting there.

"Zuha!" A worried Yunjin runs over to Kazuha checking on her.

Just few inches from them, Hanni winced in pain holding her stomach. Nobody seems to notice her as everyone was focusing on Kazuha but,
"You alright?" A sweat drenched Minji worriedly holds Hanni up.

Hanni felt relieved that someone noticed her. She felt that she badly needed some help. "My stomach.."

By then their friends noticed Hanni and were worriedly encircling her. Minji picks her up in bridal style and starts running towards the nursing room, their friends running after them.

"Slow down, Minji." Hanni managed to tell the worried girl but Minji didn't listen to her.

The nurse tended to Hanni while her friends surrounded them. Hanni got hit so hard on the stomach that she felt like throwing up. She was having cold sweats but,

"Minji go finish your game. I'm alright now." She didn't want Minji to missed the game because of her. Minji was quite, we'll her breathing wasn't so quiet. Maybe she was tired after all that running and she might also be super worried.

Hanni was curled up on her side, on the bed and kept staring at Minji, waiting for her response. Minji shook her head slowly, refusing to leave. Hanni closed her eyes and said,
"I'll wait for you here until you come back." She opened her eyes when no reply came, and found Minji staring back at her.

"I'll be alright, really and they would be here with me." Hanni said nodding her head towards her friends.

Danielle put her hand on Minji's shoulder and gives it a small squeeze. Minji closed her eyes taking a deep breath and she stood up,
"I'll be right back."
And Hanni smiled and nodded at her.

After Minji left, Eunchae dashed into the room. "Hanni are you alright? I'm sorry I was so focused on Zuha unnie that i didn't see you. I'm so sorry.."

"I'm alright Chae. How is zuha unnie? Did she get hurt" Hanni asked.

"She's okay. She's not hurt. She won't play the rest of the game though, the coach told her to rest."

"Okay." Hanni remembered how Yunjin rushed to Kazuha but didn't notice her just a metre away. 'I only have a crush on her, I don't want anything more from her' Hanni tells herself in her mind.
"Well, I'm going to take a nap." Hanni said.

Her  friends gave her a go ahead. After staying silently for some time, Hyein climbed up the other bed and lied down. Haerin and Danielle joined her sleeping on either side of her. Eunchae crawled up to the bed where Hanni was sleeping and slept beside Hanni.

Moments later, Hyein woke up feeling something heavy on her stomach and found two hands that were hugging her. She smiled looking at her sides and slowly removed their hands freeing herself from being the third wheel. She slid off the bed slowly and carefully and went to the washroom and after that went back to the court instead.

-

Haerin wakes up and is surprised to find herself sleeping face to face with Danielle. When she turned around to look at the ceiling, she noticed Danielle's hand wrapping around her waist. Haerin blushed at the intimacy. Soon after, Danielle woke up, she quickly pulled her hand away and turned away to face the ceiling. They were quiet for some time.