Ethan Albarado wiped sweat from his forehead while walking down the tunnel, heart still hammering as if Miho Park's last stare was chasing him into the shadows. His teammates followed behind him, Lucas breathing hard but steady, Evan still flicking invisible passes with his fingers as if replaying the game, Ryan humming like a man who just survived a car crash, and Brandon carrying his exhaustion quietly.
The moment the locker room door shut
BOOM.
Ryan collapsed on the bench like he was dying.
"BRO," he groaned, hands on his face, "Miho moves like he's got WiFi from the future."
Brandon sat next to him, patting his shoulder like a parent whose child just embarrassed them in public.
"That's what you get for trying to steal the ball on a guy who literally sees sound."
Ryan slapped his chest dramatically. "My pride. My ribs. My ancestral dignity. Gone."
Lucas dropped onto the bench opposite them, hair drenched, breathing through his nose steadily.
