CHAPTER I: NERVOUSNESS
Eury's POV,
Back in middle school, People always tell me these...
'You're extraordinary because you don't get nervous.'
'I am envious of you because you are confident.'
'I wish I can be confident as you Eury'
Being confident is not something unusual. Anyone can feel positive. You are just worried because you think negatively and cares about everyone's opinion if you mess up.
Is there any reason for someone to feel uneasy about something they are already used to?
You won't get uneasy about things you always do. If you continually do things, your body, mind, and heart will get used to it. That's why we are required to practice.
So why are these people are still anxious despite the practices we spend for two months?
"Lily, "I call one of our team middle blockers.
"Yes." Her voice nearly snaps. The anxiety and pressure are obvious in her face.
"Just do what we always do during practice. Nothing extra and nothing less." I firmly told her
"Yes." Despite being so scared she still forced herself to agree with me.
"Good."I barely reply.
"We are not here just to participate. We are here to win." I calmly say. Everyone in my team just nodded as a sign of agreeing to what I said.
I don't care about anything.
I'll just do what I need to do.
But I know that I dislike failing something I am used to doing.
"Let's go!" I announced as I walk first inside the gymnasium.
-
We gained a victory in the two matches by a landslide. No matter how good our rivals are I know that we can still succeed. We just need to do what we constantly do in our practice.
As long as I am positive. There's nothing they need to worry about. I am confident because I am their setter.
"Congrats my beloved twin!!" a troublesome guy abruptly came out from the crowd.
He spreads his two arms attempting to hug me but I instantly evaded it before he even reaches me."Ouch. Why did you dodge my hug?" he pouts as if he looks cute doing that.
"Can you please stop doing that Hiro? You only end up looking like an idiot." Hiro is my identical twin brother. He's like my male version. We both have black hair, have the same pair of almond-shaped dark brown eyes, a narrow-shaped nose, and thin lips. Although we have the same appearance but not the same attitude.
"Why are you so shy to express your love to your twin, huh? Will you die if you treat me nicely, huh?!" he lets out while behaving as if he is deeply offended by my actions.
"Watching you doing dumb things every day kills me. It makes me think why am I even born in the same world like you." He just pouts his lips even more at me.
"Yahh!! can you at least speak less harshly towards me? You're hurting my feelings." he's frowning again. Can someone just punch this guy's face?
"Maybe because you are always acting so naive towards your twin that's why she's infuriated by you." another unfamiliar voice came out behind Hiro's back.
"Seriously Shiloh, what took you so long?!" my twin brother starts interrogating the guy who just suddenly appeared.
"Ah, I got lost after I use the bathroom. Hahaha sorry..." The guy just apologized to my twin brother and scribbles the back of his wavy light brown hair.
My eyes widened because of the guy's face that appeared in front of me. For a minute. I assumed someone from a different world finally showed up in my world just to meet me.
"Oh, you must be Hiro's beloved twin sister?T he one he always boasts about to us." He looked at me with his gentle eyes and laid his right hand in front of me to shake hands. "I am Shiloh. Hiro's friend."I stared at him for a while.
Processing everything that I am seeing right now. He's wearing glasses but I can still see his two pretty hazel brown eyes while looking at me. His eyes are too soft. His lips are perfect that made his smile so flawless also.
Although all of his features are softer than Claude's face. If Claude is a demon from the fictional world then he's an angel here in the real world.
He awkwardly took away his hand in front of me and his smile turns into an uneasy one.
"Ah haha sorry if I suddenly act casually in front of you knowing this is only our first meeting." He apologizes to me and scratches the back of his head again. Seriously does he have lice in his hair?
"Perhaps my twin sister thinks you are so ugly for a second." I didn't even think he is ugly you idiot lying pig.
Shiloh's face instantly turns red and he looks at my twin brother irritated by what he said.
I motioned my right hand showing that I am thinking differently from what my twin brother said.
"Ah is that so? Hahahaha it's fine if you think so but it's kinda humiliating hahaha" Wow he looks like Claude even he is the opposite of him.
Although seeing him closely like this makes me feel something that I am not familiar with. It's different and unusual. It's something that I never felt before.
And I don't know what do you name this feeling.
But I don't dislike it.
-
I am still thinking about what happened yesterday. About Shiloh.
When did Hiro meet him? How did he meet my idiotic brother? well I don't care about anyone. I only recognize a few of his friends. Mark whom I met because my idiotic brother forgot his lunch box and Troy which is the annoying guy he always brings to our house to play video games.
But Shiloh? and why is he even with my twin brother yesterday? Did my twin brother pressure him to go with him to watch our tournament because no one prefers to come with him?
Will he still come and watch our match today?
"Are you looking for someone Eury?" Ynnah. Our team captain asks me with a weird look.
"Nope." I hardly answer and proceeds to warm up.
Why am I even thinking about him?
-
Our opponent is at their advantage right now considering this is our final set. We won the first set but unexpectedly they took the second set from us.
We didn't miscalculate our opponent tho. We know that this is already the quarter-finals and we are expecting to play with powerful teams.
"Don't mind. We will take those scores back. Okay?!"Ynnah's trying to console us.
Well panicking will bring nothing good to our team and staying calm is the only best thing we can do to take the momentum back from the other team.
"Nice serve!!"The opposing team cheering on their pinch server.
I won't let you have this point this time.
We position ourselves to receive the other team's serve. The opposing team's pinch server did the float serve but it's okay. Our receivers especially our libero are good at receiving.
Our libero managed to receive it and keep the ball up in the air.
It's a nice and strong receive. Enough for me to set an accurate toss.
Now...The toss will go to the player who I think has the biggest chance to score with my toss. The opponent middle blockers are good and clever. They are watching all my actions carefully.
So what about the right side?
I glanced at the right side and the opponent's middle blocker directly moved to the right. Anticipating me to give my set in there but...
the answer is the left.
Then I tossed it to the left side and our spiker made the point for our team.
They are smart but I am smarter though. Now I will be the one serving.
"Nice serve Eury!!"
"Nice serve!!"
"Nice serve!!"
my teammates cheered for me while I am waiting for the cue to serve.
Now I will just aim this service to their number 7.Having a service ace feels good but I don't have to bet on doing that right now particularly since our competitor is 8 points ahead of us. She's an outstanding offense to their team that's why I need to take her out first.
"Nice serveeeeeeee!!!!" a familiar voice unexpectedly appeared from the crowd. I gazed from where the voice is coming from and was surprised by who I saw from the crowd.
Shiloh waving in my direction while gleaming with my twin brother beside him holding a banner with my name on it.
"Tsk this is embarrassing." After the whistle, I quickly spike my serve.
"NO TOUCH SERVICE ACEEEEEE!!!!" the whole crowd went crazy because of my no-touch ace serve.
I smirk.
I take it back. Having a no-touch service ace is better.
-
After the long match, in the end, we won. It was hard for us but after having 5 service ace in a row we managed to take the momentum from our opponent.
"EURYYY!!!" An agitating hog abruptly appeared in front of me again. His arms are widespread and striving to hug me again but I managed to avoid his attack again before he even touches me.
"Ouch, why did you dodged my hug again? Hemp I just want to give you love." frowning again. I think I informed him enough every day that he doesn't look cute when he is pouting and it only made him look more stupid.
I just ignored him and confront the person who's with him. Shiloh.
"You were so amazing out there Eury!!" applauding me while his eyes are gleaming. "I love playing volleyball also. Watching you play volleyball inspires me."He continued.
He then snatches my two hands.
My eyes widen because of course, I am stunned by his sudden behavior. I haven't said anything to him but he's already touching my hands so casually. This fool, who does he thinks he is?
But I can't move. I can't take back my hands from him.
"Oi Shiloh what do you-" Hiro doesn't even get a chance to complete what he was trying to say to Shiloh.
"Toss for me one day. I'll spike all of your tosses."He said to me while holding both of my hands. His face is too close to my face that I can also see the same resemblance that he has with Claude.
I gazed at him for a while then looked away.
"Uhmm...Well, I am in a girl's volleyball team." I only say.
"Ahh, I mean not in a real match. Just in a friendly match," he clarifies.
"Well...If there's a chance. It's fine with me."I say while preventing them to look at his face.
"But can you please move? You are too close..."I ask uncomfortably.
"Ahh sorry sorry, I didn't realize." He instantly moves away from me and lets go of my hands.
My twin brother kicks his back."Ouch, that hurts Hiro."He grumbles while aching.
"No one can touch my twin sister aside from me."He angrily says.
"Who says?"I ask with a blank face. He then looks at me again pouting."Can you please stop pouting for me even just for one day?"
This idiot. He's right about no one can touch me but it includes him also. I just don't like people touching me but...this is my first time.
This is different from the same routines I have experienced every day.
That's probably why I am feeling this uncommon feeling.
It was the day of our quarter-finals of inter-high in junior high.
The day that someone has ever touched my both hands.
The day that the first time I start to feeling uneasy whenever I see him.
Because of something that I am not ready for, happened.