Miwa sat alone on the wooden bench near the side hall, sipping her oolong tea slowly. The cool liquid did nothing to calm the warmth blooming in her chest since earlier.
She tilted her head back, staring at the rafters of the gym ceiling.
"Why did he even talk to me?"
That brief exchange near the vending machine kept replaying over and over in her head. His voice, his calm eyes, the way he said her name like it wasn't strange or foreign at all.
"Miwa!"
She jolted slightly.
Haruka, followed by Yui, Sora, and Ayane, plopped down beside her, their energy far louder than her thoughts.
"You zoned out again," Haruka teased, waving her hand in front of Miwa's face.
"Sorry…" Miwa mumbled, quickly straightening up.
"You okay?" asked Sora, her brow raised.
"Yeah. Just tired," Miwa lied.
Ayane leaned in. "You better wake up fast. You know who's playing on the next court?"
Miwa blinked. "Who?"
"Tokai Kurenai," Haruka announced, like it was obvious. "The boys' team from Tokai. Three-time champions. Everyone's saying they're untouchable this year too."
Sora added, "They say their libero hasn't dropped a single receive in six months."
Yui nodded excitedly. "And their captain was on the national junior team last year."
"Cool," Miwa murmured, barely reacting.
The others exchanged looks.
Ayane narrowed her eyes. "Wait… aren't you the one who's usually most hyped about strong teams?"
Haruka leaned closer. "Miwa, are you feeling okay? You didn't even react to Tokai Kurenai."
"I'm fine," Miwa said quickly. "I've just got something else on my mind."
She looked away, eyes drifting toward the court where the Malaysian team had been warming up earlier. But they weren't there now. The court was empty, being prepared for the next match.
Still, her heart beat a little louder at the memory.
Farhan.
That quiet confidence. That small smile when he handed her the drink.
"Something else?" Sora raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Nothing important," Miwa replied quickly.
Her friends gave her a suspicious look, but they didn't press further.
As they turned their attention to the match schedule, Miwa let her gaze wander again.
Even surrounded by friends, noise, and a packed tournament atmosphere…
She felt like her mind had already stepped onto a different court.