Heeseung’s jaw tightened as the scoreboard flashed another point for the opposing team — his former team. Every cheer from their side stung a little deeper, memories bleeding into the present.

The coach called for a timeout, then a substitution. “You’re sitting this one out for now,” he said. Heeseung didn’t argue, just nodded, wiping the sweat from his face as frustration burned behind his calm expression.

From the stands, she watched it all unfold — the clenched fists, the tight smile, the way his shoulders tensed when he took a seat on the bench.

Her friends were cheering, chatting, lost in the excitement, but she couldn’t focus on the game. Her eyes stayed on him — the boy who looked like he was fighting more than just the opposing team.

And in that moment, she wished she could do something, anything, to ease the storm behind his silence. But all she could do was watch — and hope he knew that, even from the crowd, she was still there for him.