Scripts (Purinz)

Script 22: Curtain call

SCE Academy wins.

Yunjin's sudden temporary pullout from the team seemed to motivate everyone. Even the crowd had started chanting louder than the first round of the ball game.

The SCE students were more interested and motivated actually to cheer for their team. That was all they needed to push their team to victory.

And they had won. Sadly, without Huh Yunjin.

Sieun and everyone else who had run outside when Yunjin got injured had returned inside the gymnasium to release all their anger and frustration by cheering and shouting for their team.

Yujin didn't seem happy. But she should be! They won, after all! But it didn't feel right for her to celebrate and be happy.

Looking around, she sees her friends' faces. Not a single hint of happiness was evident. They all looked disappointed, if anything. It's as if everyone had lost all their energy when Yunjin was pulled out.

Maybe they were also tired from playing basketball so hard. Maybe it hadn't sunk in yet that they won, but Yujin knew she wasn't the only one who didn't feel happy about their win.

Kazuha clenched her jaw as she wiped away the sweat from her forehead. The buzzer buzzed, indicating that the round had ended and their team had won.

None of them looked like they cared.

Sure, the SCE crowd was making all the necessary celebrating noises, but it didn't bring them happiness.

Not when Yunjin was stuck inside the infirmary. Lying in bed, injured.

They had won, but at what cost?

—

"We won."

Chaewon immediately looked up and came face to face with Sieun. She hasn't noticed them come back.

One by one, everyone left earlier once they were told that the game would still be continuing. Despite the SCE academy losing one player, it didn't stop the game. Not when they had other players to fill in.

The short-haired girl didn't know what to do to react. She didn't know if she should smile and celebrate. If she should jump up from her seat, dance around, and cheer as loudly as possible.

None of those options seemed appropriate.

Not when she's holding her and Yunjin's fully intact egg baby. Not when she knows that Yunjin is behind that damned infirmary door, wallowing in her negative thoughts and emotions.

Self-pitying. Feeling depressed and helpless.

Chaewon couldn't do it. She couldn't celebrate.

"No one seems to be fully happy, though," Sieun mumbles as she sits beside Chaewon.

Everyone settled with talking to each other in hushed voices. It seemed that it wasn't the right time to talk to each other in their normal voices, full of energy and enthusiasm.

There was nothing to be enthusiastic about. Sure, they could be happy about the win... but not even the basketball players were delighted.

Chaewon let out an airy laugh. It sounded forced. Sieun almost winced when she heard it come out of the girl.

"I don't think anyone would be able to feel happy about everything that's going on." The short-haired girl gently runs her thumb across the surface of the egg she holds and caresses it as if it were a real baby.

"Not when.." She tries to speak her mind, but the pain that she suddenly feels in her chest stops her from doing so. It started from where her heart was located, and she felt it spread throughout her body like wildfire.