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Gyuvin’s memory might be a bit fuzzy, but if you asked him, he’d recall that one fateful night when Kim Yeonkyung-seonsu owned the 2012 London Olympics quarter final against Italy. Now, Gyuvin wasn’t a volleyball expert, but watching Kim Yeonkyung-seonsu unleash powerful hits with scary precision got him all hyped up. Teeth chattering, pillow-biting, and bam! South Korea won 3-2 in a nail-biter, securing the victory.
Everything was so mind-blowingly fast that he could hardly see what was happening. Of course, he had played volleyball in PE classes, but those games were nothing like this. Fast, loud and super cool!
Enter Gyuvin’s dad, perpetually oblivious to reading the room. Squinting at his son, he remarked, “Everyone knows how this ends, Gyuvin. The match happened years ago.”
“Dad, I was literally 8 - I couldn’t remember shit!”
“No swearing in the house, Kim Gyuvin!”
And that was it for Kim Gyuvin, he’s going to play volleyball. He’s going to be an outside hitter cause, apparently, after going to Naver, that was what Kim Yeonkyung-seonsu’s position was called. Never mind that he had no clue about volleyball and had a tendency to hyper-fixate on different sports every other year, from ice hockey to ping pong. Gyuvin had conquered them all, thanks to the athletic DNA inherited from his Mom, grandma, and grandpa.
How hard could volleyball be, anyway?
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Conveniently, Gyuvin was also starting his first year in high school, and what better way to learn, love and live volleyball if not joining the volleyball club? And, of course, what kind of person would Kim Gyuvin be if he didn’t recruit his three sports-loving best friends for this new adventure?
“Why would you play volleyball dude? I thought we’ve agreed on basketball,” Yunseo said while Seungeon enthusiastically nodded. Ricky was too preoccupied with fixing his overly gelled hair to pay any notice to what Gyuvin was saying.
Seungeon, with a hint of sarcasm, asked, “Did you get into Haikyuu or something?” Gyuvin, clueless, responded, “What’s a Haikyuu? Is it a haiku? What’s the correlation between poems and volleyball?” Seungeon’s look of disgust sent a shiver down Gyuvin’s spine.
“He never watches anime, Seungeon-ah! I bet my left toe that he saw some random volleyball match because he lives on SPOTV!” Gyuvin made a mental note to check out Haikyuu; he’d bribe his brother to download the entire series via torrent.
“So what if I do?! I want to play volleyball ’cause it’s fucking cool, and we’ll go to the nationals or something.”
“There’s never going to be nationals, Kyubing. At most, we’ll become the KAIAC champion,” Ricky explained slowly, still fixing his hair using his phone’s front camera. They were in an international school; their highest achievement would be the Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference (KAIAC). Not exactly the stuff of sports dramas. Forget grand rivals; it was the same set of schools and people they’d known since kindergarten!
This is pretty much what Ji Yunseo, Yoo Seungeon, and Shen Ricky were to him, except they’ve known each other and stuck with each other since middle school. They all have different personalities, but somehow, playing basketball by the Han River every evening is their shared trait since they were 12.
There’s no difference between playing in a KAIAC-level match and going to some soiree that your parents forced you to go cause it’s always the same set of people.
“Do you have to shatter my dream like this huh, Kim Ricky? Do you?!!”
Seungeon slammed his phone on the table, showing the KAIAC volleyball ranking. Somehow, their school managed to be the champion for three years straight now, and volleyball is not even a prominent coveted sport in their school. So there’s no fanfare, no cheering team specifically for the volleyball team, but they’re still the champion. Out of the dozens of schools listed in KAIAC, it’s not even impressive in scale, but hey, at least they’re the champions.
“No underdog moment for you to shine, bruh. Look at the basketball ranking instead, we’re like the bottom 5 that would give you more points to brag if the school basketball team somehow win the whole thing,” Seungeon excitedly explained.
“Well, I happen to like being a champion! My face screams champion; I was born a champion. Mom says my first word was ‘champion,” Gyuvin proclaimed loudly.
“Your first word is ‘Eumpappa’! Everyone and their mother knows it ’cause you’re obsessed with your dog,” Yunseo shouted louder. Amidst the commotion, they failed to realize that Ricky had finally stopped messing with his hair and was now starting to immerse himself in the conversation.
“The volleyball team has been champions for three years straight?” Ricky asked with his big black eyes blinking rapidly. Cute, Gyuvin thought. Always living on 0.5x speed slower than others.
Right, Ricky is the most gullible out of his three friends and is the most agreeable to trying out new sports. He also hates losing, even though he likes to act cool about it. He had managed to drag Ricky to the ping pong court every day during his ping pong phase, and Ricky had quickly grasped the technique to play.
Ricky has also kindly entertained Gyuvin’s next phase in life, which is bowling. They made it their mission to try out different bowling alleys in Seoul every day if they could at that time. Again, Ricky quickly picked up the techniques and went on to become a bowling beast with a track record of 5 strikes in a row. Proud would be an understatement. Anyway, Ricky is only bad at sports that require foot coordination, like football. Gyuvin winces at the memory of Ricky’s on-field antics, deeming him the MVP of awkwardness. From the look of it, volleyball kind of only requires jumping, so that would totally be in line with what Ricky could totally do.
“Ricky! Kim Ricky! My favourite friend Ruicky, let’s join the volleyball club, please please? Pretty please!” Gyuvin has already dropped down to his knees, fluttering his eyelashes and hugging Ricky’s calf. Ricky could be naturally talented in ping pong and bowling, but basketball is where his real strength lies. Seungeon and Yunseo automatically scoffed; they had already banked on Ricky being in the basketball team since, like it or not, he’s really the best among them four in the sport. Why would he drop everything to start playing a new sport?
Ricky pretended to think while humming to himself. Everything Ricky did was cute, Gyuvin thought as he tightened his hold on Ricky’s calves.
“You have to buy me three bubble teas every single day.” Now, it’s Seungeon and Yunseo’s turn to both drop their knees and hug Ricky’s thighs.
“No, Ricky-ya! You promised the basketball club!” Seungeon wailed dramatically.
“I never promised anything. You guys just assumed,” Ricky grinned, revealing his pink gums. Strangers would often misunderstood Ricky as a cold beauty, but really he was just a silly guy with a stunning gummy smile.
“I’ll up it to five bubble teas a day!” Yunseo declared, raising the stakes.
“Make it a solid 10! Double digits, double drama!” Gyuvin chimed in, pushing the bubble tea diplomacy to new heights.
“Shut it, Ricky’s gonna get diabetes because of you. I care about you, Ricky, join basketball,” Seungeon argued.
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Yunseo and Seungeon cried for the whole week and cursed Gyuvin, but Ricky somehow made up his mind and joined Gyuvin’s thoughtless mission to join the volleyball club. Gyuvin spammed Ricky with kissing emojis and messages about how much he loves Ricky and how Ricky himself is the definition of love, the best-est human in the world for agreeing to this. None of it was replied to by Ricky and left only on ‘Seen,’ but Gyuvin knew that Ricky must be smirking while reading all of it.
“Do you love me that much, Ricky? I didn’t know…,” Gyuvin trailed off in fake sheepishness as he walked to the volleyball gym with Ricky. Ricky only glared at him, annoyed - too tired to say anything because Gyuvin was always fast with his comeback. Always too witty for Ricky to win.
Ricky still ignored him, so Gyuvin insisted, “Answer.”
“The thing is…have we even once won the basketball championship?”
Gyuvin paused a while in his track; while the four of them are good at playing basketball, they always fall short of winning any championship. It’s not like they weren’t serious about it either, but somehow, they always ended up placing as runner-up or worse, third place. Back in middle school, Gyuvin’s favourite junior, Han Yujin, who always tagged along with them to Han River, helped out with their team once he was done with his football phase, but even that wasn’t enough to secure the gold medal.
“Hmm, no?”
“And how joining the bottom five of all KAIAC-bound schools would get us to win the whole thing? We’ll never win first place at this rate,” Ricky explained seriously while pouting. Gyuvin thought that Ricky definitely had no awareness of that. Fine, if Ricky wanted a gold medal and to win the whole volleyball championship, Gyuvin would just give him that, no biggie.
“And then, there’s also you, so I guess why not?” Ricky added sincerely. Gyuvin, usually quick with a comeback, found himself speechless for the first time in a while. When he snapped out of it, they were at the gym’s door.
Pushing it open, they faced five pairs of eyes.
“The new joiners are here!” A short but cute-looking guy jumped, jumped in the air as Ricky and Gyuvin entered the door. There were commotions about Ricky’s striking yellow hair and their heights from the seniors. Ricky whispered to Gyuvin, “That’s Seok Matthew. We were in the same French language class when I was 12.”
“You speak French?”
“No, I bolted off to play ball with Yuni.”
“Is it just the two of them?” A very good-looking, obviously older man was asking with a blank look. Ricky was obviously awed at the face, and Gyuvin had to nudge him to whisper, “That’s Jiwoong-hyung. He’s Yujin’s Japanese language tutor.”
“Yujinnie speaks Japanese?”
“‘Course not, they always ended up playing something else. Don’t tell Yujin’s dad though.”
Someone cleared his throat from behind them, and Gyuvin and Ricky turned their head to find the ever-popular head prefect, Sung Hanbin, looking at them while clapping. “Kim Gyuvin and Shen Ricky welcome to the volleyball club!” Hanbin’s introduction was received with applause and cheers from the other four people in the room. “They’re tall tall,” someone whom Gyuvin recognised as Kim Taerae, the guitar-playing senior that Seungeon occasionally bothered, commented.
“Although you obviously know some people here, let me introduce everyone properly,” Hanbin continued with a smile. “The pretty-looking guy there, basically the other half of my soul, is Zhang Hao. He’s a third-year, majored in violin, and doesn’t play because he needs to take care of his fingers and everything. He’s just here for support.”
Hao cheerily screamed, and both Gyuvin and Ricky looked at each other at a loss at what the hell was going on and what the correlation was with the TMIs being randomly shoved in their faces. Gyuvin painfully knew that Ricky was always shy with people he didn’t know that well, so he helped to break the awkward situation, “Nice to meet you, Hao-hyung; I can call you hyung, right?” Hao nodded while saying something to Ricky in Chinese. Ricky shyly nodded back, replying in his slow, deep voice.
Afterwards, Hanbin’s introduction went by pretty quick; weird, Gyuvin thought surely the players should warrant a lengthier introduction, but it is what it is. Both Hanbin and Jiwoong are third-years. Hanbin is, of course, the team captain, and both are wing spikers. Jiwoong apparently is the ace of the team. Matthew, despite his height, is the middle blocker, and Taerae is the libero; both are second-years. They have a coach, Choi Youngjun, and a manager, Bahiyyih, who were not there for the day.
“Now, although we win every championship there ever was under KAIAC, people don’t really want to join volleyball cause it’s not a very cool sport. So there’s only the two of you, and we just have enough people to play on the court, which is six,” Hanbin patiently explained. “So there are only two positions left for you guys to grab, the setter and middle blocker.”
“Which one of these is the outside hitter? I want to be an outside hitter just like Kim Yeonkyung-seonsu!” Gyuvin excitedly asked. Taerae groaned in frustration while widening his eyes at Hanbin, mouthing, “They didn’t know how to play, hyung!"
“Outside hitter would actually be me; that’s another word for wing spiker,” Jiwoong raised his hand. Matthew suddenly raised his hand excitedly, wanting a turn to speak, and Hanbin nodded good-heartedly.
“You’re like super tall, so why don’t you be the blocker Gyuvin? And Ricky looks like he takes care of his nails very well, like Kageyama, so let him be our setter!” Ricky self-consciously hid his hand behind his back when it was mentioned.
“Real life is not like anime, Matthew!”
“That doesn’t mean a thing, some people screamed Hinata Shouyo when they saw me play. You’re just jealous, Taerae.”
“We used to play basketball, if that’s relevant to the cause,” Ricky offered his thought in the middle of Taerae-Matthew’s verbal sparring, which didn’t look like a fight at all due to Matthew smiling sunnily.
Hanbin and Jiwoong shared a look of amusement before announcing that they would hold a 3v3 tomorrow with the coach present. For today, they’re just going to start with the absolute basics. The seniors patiently explained terms like spikes, sets, blocks and digs. Matthew demonstrated his technique by jumping high in the air, showcasing that while height is coveted by the sports, it wasn’t the only determining factor in the game.
Gyuvin, ever enthusiastic, attempted his first serve, sending the ball sailing far beyond the court. Jiwoong couldn’t resist teasing, “Gyuvin, we’re aiming for the court, not the clouds!”
The team erupted in laughter, and even Hao, who was studying something in his book, joined in. Ricky, equally determined, fared no better, hitting the ball into the net. The seniors intervened with gentle guidance, correcting their form and demonstrating proper techniques. Hanbin shared a few links to matches they could watch to familiarise themselves with the game.
And although it felt unfamiliar, Gyuvin felt that they would be just alright.
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Gyuvin and Ricky decided to have a sleepover at Ricky’s house after club hours. They went around the mall to shop for the necessities they needed to play volleyball - actual volleyball (both of them stood in front of the section for a while to argue whether they would need Mikasa or Molten - Ricky said that he thought Mikasa’s colour is more fashionable so they picked that up), new lightweight shoes, kneepads, and new tank tops. The shorts in volleyball are shorter and tighter than what they used to wear for basketball.
Ricky cringed while trying out the shorts saying that “That’s not my style”, but Gyuvin wanted to strangle him because he needed to be fucking for real cause he looked good in virtually everything.
Gyuvin tried out some shorts and asked Ricky how he looked. Ricky scoffed at him, “Ugly as usual.” They fought for a bit and decided to play rock, paper and scissors to decide who was paying. Ricky easily lost, and Gyuvin had a field day laughing at him.
They dropped by Ricky’s bubble tea store pick for the week, Mixue. Gyuvin was ready to pay for 10 bubble teas, but Ricky glared at him and said, “Really? You really want me to die from diabetes?”
“Well, I’m holding up my end of the agreement!” Gyuvin said defensively as they walked side by side, bumping shoulders. Ricky ended up ordering four cups anyway, two for him and two for Gyuvin. They were always loud in the presence of other people, but when it was just the two of them, they were often comfortable in silence since both were still processing what had just transpired early that day.
As they strolled side by side, Gyuvin contemplated the rarity of having a sleepover with just the two of them. Amidst the silence, a thought crossed Gyuvin’s mind—perhaps it would be like this more often in the future, just the two of them.
Arriving at Ricky’s place, Gyuvin found Ricky already lounging on the bed, engrossed in his iPad, not bothering to dry his hair. Like a cat, Gyuvin thought. Gyuvin scoffed to himself as he remembered how some of the seniors looked terrified when they saw Ricky when he was just a lazy, silly, lovely cat.
“Dry your hair first Ricky, you’re gonna get a cold.”
“No, I don’t want to!” Ricky answered defiantly by rolling across the bed to make his point.
Although Ricky always looks put together, all of their closest friends know that Ricky is the laziest in terms of actually taking care about his general well-being. He always forgot to wash his face, to dry his hair and to even change to indoor clothes when he was in bed. Tutting to himself, Gyuvin grabbed Ricky's ankles roughly and forcefully made him sit across the headboard, then used the towel to roughly dry Ricky’s hair.
“How was today?’ Gyuvin asked.
Ricky, always a man of few words, took his time before responding. “They’re very nice. I like them,” he said, a small smile playing on his lips. Gyuvin couldn’t help but hug his neck, almost choking Ricky in the process.
“Right? Right? They’re very nice people,” Gyuvin chimed happily. It was entirely normal for the seniors to be annoyed at two newbies who had no prior experience with the sport, but instead, all of them were very helpful with their guidance, and this was only the first day.
The night unfolded with the duo studying the links provided by Hanbin, illuminated by the soft glow of the iPad. It was Ricky’s first exposure to a proper volleyball match, and Gyuvin couldn’t help but observe his reactions, mindful of any regrets.
There was still some lingering guilt that Gyuvin felt about asking Ricky to leave basketball for volleyball. He knew it wasn't that profound, perhaps Ricky genuinely thought that volleyball would be something fun to try out, given his openness to new experiences and courage to stay alone in Korea while his parents worked elsewhere in the world, but still. Gyuvin wouldn’t want Ricky to regret his decision.
“Volleyball is so cool,” Ricky remarked, eyes fixed on the screen. Gyuvin sighed in relief, hugging Ricky despite his mock protest.
“What has come over you?”
“Nothing, I just love you,” Gyuvin winked, earning a playful gag from Ricky.
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The next day brought them to a 3v3 match, where Gyuvin and Ricky found themselves on the same team as Taerae, facing the formidable trio of Jiwoong, Hanbin, and Matthew. Safe to say that both of them were complete disasters, with Taerae saving the ball so many times. No wonder the coach wanted Taerae to be in their team because both of them couldn’t save the ball when it mattered. But thanks to their height, they somehow managed to block their opponent from scoring more. Gyuvin couldn’t help but notice how Ricky’s eyes widened at Hanbin setting the ball for their opponent.
Matthew’s attacks left them overwhelmed because he was swift and spiked basically from everywhere. Hanbin could toss the ball in the middle of nowhere, and Matthew would be there to slam it through. And Gyuvin tried to dig the ball from Jiwoong’s spike but the sheer strength of the spike and the sound it made scared him.
Hanbin, Matthew and Jiwoong took all 3 sets easily, and Taerae patted both of their shoulders sympathetically. This is the current strength of the well-oiled team that won the championship for three years straight.
“Good game! Nice kill, boys. You guys wiped the floor with that game,” Coach Choi said. Gyuvin thought that was an understatement. The seniors completely obliterated them.
Coach Choi clapped his hand in encouragement for the rookies while whispering something to the manager. Bahiyyih then moved somewhere to return only with a few basketballs in her hand.
“So Ricky, I heard from the other guys that you used to play basketball. You had a good aim, the toss was high, especially good to avoid the blocks. But, you have a problem with consistency so let’s mix things up a bit. I want you to practice your setting using this basketball.”
Ricky caught the basketball, a hint of intrigue in his eyes. “Basketball? Alright, Coach, I’m in.”
“Great choice,” Coach Choi said with a knowing smile. “Since you’re good at basketball, using it for setting practice will add a unique challenge. The weight will require more control and precision, and it’ll enhance your finger strength. Trust me, this will level up your setting skills on the volleyball court.”
Ricky, now a little more excited, dribbled the basketball in his hands. “Alright, Coach. Let’s see how this goes.”
As Ricky started practising with the basketball on the wall, Coach Choi observed his movements closely. The gym resonated with the distinct sounds of the basketball meeting Ricky’s hands. It wasn’t long before Ricky, drawing from his basketball finesse, began adapting his technique, focusing on a more controlled and deliberate motion.
Gyuvin was transfixed. Of course, he had seen Ricky handle balls before this; he was always graceful, but even more so when he tried to set the ball.
Coach Choi then moved his attention to Gyuvin. “Now Gyuvin, height is essential for the game whether we like it or not right, Matthew and Taerae?” He jested while winking at both of the second-years as Coach Choi himself is no taller than 175cm. Coach Choi grinned, his eyes gleaming with a mix of experience and mischief. “But, blocking is an art. It’s not just about towering over the net. Watch and learn.”
Gyuvin nodded, eager to absorb every piece of wisdom the coach had to offer. Coach Choi demonstrated the proper stance, emphasizing the importance of a wide base and bent knees.
“Your foundation is crucial. Stay light on your feet, ready to explode into action.”
He then turned his attention to Gyuvin’s hand positioning. “See, blocking is like a dance with the ball. Extend your arms over the net, fingers spread wide. You want to create a wall, not just a barrier. The net is your canvas; your hands, the brushes.”
Gyuvin mimicked the movements, trying to replicate the fluidity that Coach Choi effortlessly displayed. The coach observed him, offering encouragement. “Good, good. Now, let’s talk about the wrists. They’re your secret weapon.”
With a twinkle in his eye, Coach Choi explained the intricacies of wrist movement. “Snap your wrists at the right moment. It’s like flicking a switch. That snap adds that extra finesse, a touch of magic to your block. It disrupts the attacker’s rhythm.”
As Gyuvin practised the wrist movement, Coach Choi continued his guidance. “Remember, blocking isn’t just about height. It’s about timing and precision. You’re not just reaching for the ball; you’re dictating where it goes. Control, my friend, control.”
The coach stepped back, allowing Gyuvin to execute the block on his own. Matthew and Taerae watched intently, nodding in approval. Coach Choi observed every nuance, offering feedback to fine-tune Gyuvin’s technique.
“Excellent effort, Gyuvin. Feel the rhythm of the game, anticipate the attacker’s move, and unleash your block with confidence. It’s not just a defensive move; it’s a statement.”
Gyuvin, fueled by newfound knowledge, nodded determinedly. Coach Choi clapped him on the shoulder. “Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be a wall that opponents dread facing. Remember, it’s not just about blocking; it’s about owning that net. Now, let’s see that magic again.”
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Turns out volleyball is not that simple. That was quite arrogant of him really, especially looking at how the seniors consistently stayed back after practice when everyone knows that their team is the favourite to win first place. Gyuvin wanted to go back to the version of him a few weeks ago who thought how difficult volleyball could be and slapped him.
Both him and Ricky stayed back a lot after training to make up for their lack of skill. Ricky is a perfectionist by nature, so he kept asking Gyuvin to help him with his setting practice, and as an exchange, Ricky also helped him out a lot in his blocking drills. Training has become a habit. And as Gyuvin thought, so does walking home with Ricky.
His heart, which has so much love to contain, now houses Matthew, Taerae, Jiwoong, Hanbin and Hao. Matthew was so cute sometimes he felt like he could die, and Taerae was so fun to tease because he would come back with an even sassier response. Jiwoong was so cool and a dork at the same time, chill and also clumsy at the same time; Gyuvin kind of wanted to be him when he grew up, even though they were only two years apart.
Gyuvin found an older brother figure in Hanbin, and he guided him every day on new things he could learn about volleyball techniques. And with Sung Hanbin, there was Zhang Hao, so Gyuvin also hung out with Hao. Gyuvin discovered that despite being an introvert, Hao was surprisingly loud yet also remarkably caring. Hao never made him feel like a third wheel, creating an environment where Gyuvin could comfortably be himself.
While he was well aware of the existence of same-sex relationships, witnessing the open affection between two boys, Hanbin and Hao, felt like a poignant first for him. It struck him as a beautiful display of love, something sweet and genuine.
In a few days, Gyuvin and Ricky will have their first official match. They would win that and the next match after that and the next match after that. They lost one or two matches on the way to the final but returned stronger. There was a strong reassurance when you’re in a team that’s so strong it overwhelmed the opponents. Ricky always looked intimidating in their opponent’s eyes due to his sharp gaze and the aura he brought with his yellow hair that definitely needed toning. Still, once the game ends, his gummy smile will return, eyes searching for Gyuvin excitedly telling him,” We won!”
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Some weekends, they still try to play basketball with Yunseo, Seungeon and Yujin by the Han River, and things feel normal. But there’s an obsession about volleyball that festers in both of them, and they would always somehow carry their Mikasa ball, and at the end of the day, they would end up passing the ball to each other as they walked back home.
As the day winds down, they inevitably pass the ball back and forth on the walk home. It’s not a serious endeavour—not like they’re aiming for the pros—but stepping onto that volleyball court together has changed something. Life hasn’t been the same since that first step into the volleyball gym. Now, it’s become their thing, an exclusive slice of life only the two of them share, separate from the larger friend group.
One evening, as they strolled down their usual path, Gyuvin noticed Ricky stealing glances at him, a newfound softness in his eyes.
Ricky snagged his favourite Binggrae tangerine-flavoured ice pop, and even though Gyuvin had his mango popsicle, he couldn’t resist taking a bite from Ricky’s. “Tastes even better with a hint of Ricky’s saliva,” he teased. They fake-tousled for a while before Ricky went silent, but he kept staring at Gyuvin’s face with his 500-won eyes.
“What?” Gyuvin asked, feeling his heart skip a beat.
“Just thinking... you’ve really taken to volleyball, haven’t you?” Ricky’s tone was reflective, his gaze lingering a moment longer than usual at the bag Gyuvin carried that contained the Mikasa ball they bought earlier that year.
Gyuvin smiled, feeling a warmth bloom inside him. “Yeah, but it’s more fun with you around. Makes everything feel... right, you know?” His words hung in the air, carrying an unspoken sentiment that Gyuvin himself couldn’t quite understand yet.
Ricky’s response was a gentle smile, and for a moment, Gyuvin wished they could freeze time and stay in this simple, perfect moment forever.
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Gyuvin couldn’t shake the warmth that surged through him every time Ricky set the ball his way. Logically, he understood that Ricky’s role was to set for everyone, a crucial part of every volleyball team's dynamic. But there was something about the precision in Ricky’s sets, the unspoken connection, that made Gyuvin feel undeniably special.
Logically, Gyuvin shouldn’t be thinking about this in the middle of their final match for KAIAC Blue Division during a critical match point of 24-22, and it was also the final match for Hanbin and Jiwoong as a team, but he couldn’t help it.
But then came the moment that sent Gyuvin into a deeper whirlwind of emotions. At match point, instead of tossing the ball to other players, Ricky pulled off a setter dump that caught everyone off guard. The moment shouldn’t have felt as slow as he was seeing it now, but Gyuvin felt like his heart was beating outside of his body.
That asshole even had the nerve to smirk while doing it. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” Gyuvin heard Ricky say as the ball dropped on the opposite court.
The team erupted in joy as Ricky delivered the final point needed to win the championship. Everyone moved their asses to jump on Ricky, but Gyuvin, who was next to him, jumped the queue and hugged Ricky so tight he felt like their bodies melded.
Celebratory ass-slapping was a staple in every match, but Ricky’s ass was attacked nonstop as the referee blew the whistle that marked the end of the championship. No one cared that Ricky was usually not that comfortable with physical touch, and from the look of it, Ricky was too ecstatic to care too.
In Gyuvin’s eyes, the scene etched itself into his memory, transcending the thrill of being Blue Division champions—it was a moment that lingered, almost like a tattoo on his vision.
🏐🌟✨🏐⚡️🌈🏐⚡️✨🌟🏐
The graduation of the third-years marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter for the volleyball team. Gyuvin cried his heart out during the farewell dinner of the team while hugging Hanbin tightly, which Hao had to put his feet in and physically separate them two. Taerae, ever the voice of reason, chimed in with, “Your sunbaes aren’t dying. Sunbaes are furthering their education.”
Ricky erupted into laughter at the remark, his distinctive wheezing filling the air. Ricky’s laughter was a barometer of his comfort level; a fake laugh would be masked with a cough-like sound, but when he genuinely found something amusing, his laughter resembled a dying cat’s wheeze, offbeat and full of genuine amusement.
Jiwoong, doing the whole “pathetic loser” act beneath his cool exterior, begged Matthew to get his name right, but the cheeky Matthew just kept on mispronouncing it as ‘Jiwoon.’ “For God’s sake Matthew, it’s Ji-woong! Ji-Woong!”
Taerae and Hao had their fun belting out vocally challenging songs during their second round at the karaoke place and Gyuvin felt his heart swell with warmth as he watched Ricky go all out, belting All by Myself' just for laughs.
As the night unfolded, a few drinks down, even Taerae succumbed to tears, embracing Hao, Jiwoong, and Hanbin. Gyuvin, caught in the emotional maelstrom, bellowed, “Sunbaes are only furthering their education, hyung!” Matthew, ever the energetic one, leapt into the mix, declaring, “Don’t leave me out!”
The entire gang then pounced on Ricky, who attempted, in vain, to evade their collective group hug.
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The new academic year meant new hair for Ricky, and his rustic yellow hair that sorely needed TLC was now a soft pastel pink. They went out in Gangnam to shop yesterday because Ricky needed an annual debut for his fashion style and later headed to eat burgers at Woolf Social Club with Yunseo and Seungeon, and Gyuvin swore that everywhere they went, everyone kept on stealing a look at his Ricky.
Gyuvin and Ricky, true to their playful nature, seized the opportunity to tease them mercilessly.
“Just KAIAC-level, huh? You’re not exactly national champs,” Seungeon grumbled in response.
“It’s just KAIAC, why did you guys only place fourth?” Gyuvin retorted and immediately high-fived Ricky.
Yunseo shot daggers at both of them, adding, “You’re lucky Ricky’s whipped for you, Kim Gyuvin!”
Ricky, nonchalant as ever, rolled his eyes at the comment. Gyuvin, feeling a surge of defensiveness, fired back, “So what? You should’ve seen the setter dump Ricky pulled off in our finals! Way cooler than any of his slam dunks, I guarantee it.”
“I’m cool either way,” Ricky casually interjected, prompting all three boys to playfully boo at him, momentarily forgetting their attempts to claim sports custody over him.
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As the new school term began, Matthew, with his scoring abilities and eagerness to lead the team despite his sunny easygoing disposition, was nominated as the new captain to no one’s surprise. He was also the MVP for last year’s championship, as he was the top scorer.
Just like the year before, Ricky and Gyuvin went to the volleyball gym but instead of being the team’s freshmen and rookies, they are now in their second-year. Han Yujin, much to the annoyance of Yunseo and Seungeon, decided to join the volleyball club, bringing along his towering friend, Park Gunwook. Whispering to Ricky, Gyuvin couldn’t help but express his apprehension about Gunwook’s height.
“Is he really a first year? He’s so tall,” Gyuvin whispered.
“If he says he’s a first year, then I guess he is?” Ricky replied, equally unsure.
Yujin, suppressing laughter, couldn’t resist commenting on Gyuvin’s unexpected fear of a first-year. Gunwook, who initially looked intimidating, now pouted at the reaction.
“I’m not scary at all! I’m just here for volleyball because of Haikyuu,” Gunwook defended himself.
Taerae and Matthew, on the other hand, were abuzz with excitement at the prospect of having someone like Gunwook join their team. Last year, a few schools actually had players reaching almost 2 meters, and they had such hard times overcoming the blockers, so anyone tall is definitely welcomed as an addition to the team.
Matthew exuded such laid-back confidence, especially when it comes to his height. It leaves Gyuvin pondering what experiences moulded him into such a skilled volleyball player good enough to be the championship’s MVP, effortlessly facing opponents twice his size. On the flip side, Taerae carries a bit of a prickly demeanour regarding height, but being a libero, he embraces a unique sense of pride in his defensive abilities.
Matthew leapt, leapt towards Gunwook with sparkling eyes, “You like Haikyuu? So, who’s your favourite character?”
After a few moments of screeching from Gunwook and Matthew and something Gyuvin heard about Oikawa and his triple homo spin serve, Taerae cleared his throat, signaling that they perhaps should start their briefing session for the first-years. Gyuvin wanted to try being a wing spiker (finally, living his dream as the opposite hitter). As the new tall guy in the group, Gunwook was relegated to the middle blocker position, and Yujin was the other wing spiker.
The volleyball team, always welcoming, spent the first day teaching Yujin and Gunwook the basics of volleyball, reminiscent of Gyuvin and Ricky’s experience the previous year.
In the midst of trying out the serve, Gyuvin couldn’t resist teasing Yujin. “Looks like our little Yujin is growing up and wants to join the big leagues with his hyung.”
Ricky joined in, grinning. “And he’s bringing a giant with him. Our team just got a whole lot scarier.”
Yujin, slightly miffed, retorted, “Hey, I can be just as intimidating!”
Gyuvin chuckled. “We’ll believe it when we see it, Yujin.”
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The team’s much-anticipated training camp kicked off, and Coach Choi and Bahiyyih had managed to secure fantastic lodging for the champions, a reward for last year’s championship victory. Once again, Gyuvin found himself sharing a room with Ricky, an unspoken tradition within the team. Gyuvin occasionally mused about the possibility of being roommates forever with Ricky, considering how easy he was to tease and how he responded with adorable whining instead of retaliation. But then, a fleeting thought crossed Gyuvin’s mind—would there ever be a day when Ricky got tired of him and decided to part ways? Gyuvin didn't think he could live without Ricky.
The unbidden thought was interrupted by Yujin’s barging into their room. Ricky and Yujin actually knew each other longer than him, knowing both, but not by a considerable time. Instead of treating Ricky like a hyung, Yujin treats him as a cute younger brother. Still, Ricky is adamant about treating Yujin as a baby, so both of them, more often than not, would end up bantering and creating trouble with each other.
Gyuvin is only human, so of course, his heart felt like some external force was squeezing it at the very cute display of them playing-fighting.
Yujin and Ricky were currently sharing the same bed, engrossed in watching the team’s previous matches.
“Han Yujin, you totally joined the team because of us, right?” Ricky teased, tickling Yujin’s belly as the latter kicked and protested, “I didn’t!”
“Actually, during one of my classes with Jiwoong-hyung, he showed me a recording of your match. He was like, you know Gyuvin and Ricky, right? Watch this.” Yujin explained, admitting that watching the volleyball match made him find the sport cool. He ended up learning nothing from Jiwoong’s Japanese class and spent the whole night binge-watching volleyball matches, deciding then and there to join the volleyball team in high school.
“So, isn’t it still because of us that you joined volleyball?” Ricky asked while continuing to tickle Yujin.
Yujin changed the topic, seemingly innocuous but with a mischievous intent. “Ricky-hyung, how did you reject the confession last time?”
“Oh my god, why are you changing the topic?” Ricky protested, his focus shifting to Yujin.
Gyuvin’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, when did Ricky get a suitor?” Ricky and Yujin, who had momentarily forgotten about Gyuvin’s presence, ceased their playful kicking. Apparently, Ricky had become quite popular, with people approaching him for his number whenever he walked around. Gyuvin, absorbed in staring at Ricky’s face most of the time, had failed to notice.
Amused by Gyuvin’s obliviousness, Yujin continued to tease. “Oh, come on, Gyuvin-hyung! Ricky-hyung has admirers everywhere. You need to keep up!” Despite Ricky’s attempt to stop Yujin by covering his mouth, the mischievous brat managed to slip away.
Gyuvin tried to prod and bother Ricky into telling him, but Ricky kept mum and covered himself with his blanket for the rest of the night.
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During the 3v3 practice the next day, Gyuvin found himself on the opposite side of the court, teaming up with rookies Gunwook and Yujin, while Ricky joined forces with Matthew and Taerae. In the midst of the match, Gyuvin couldn’t resist winking at Ricky. Ricky, initially startled, later responded with a wink of his own, leaving Gyuvin grinning while trying to spike Yujin’s attempt at setting. Coach Choi, however, noticed Gyuvin’s distraction and reminded him to focus.
Caught off guard, Gyuvin glared at Ricky, who only smirked, revelling in Gyuvin being the only one caught. As tradition dictated, the seniors’ team won all three sets. Gunwook, attempting to block for Matthew, appeared discouraged by the intense pressure of Matthew’s incessant spiking. Nevertheless, Coach Choi recognized Gunwook’s potential, acknowledging his proficiency in blocking, spiking, and serving.
On the other hand, Yujin proved unexpectedly adept at receiving, a rare skill for a newcomer but a disaster at setting. Coach Choi attributed this to Yujin’s stable core developed through playing various sports. The team followed Coach Choi’s training plan well into the night, leaving them thoroughly exhausted.
After the gruelling training session, Gyuvin claimed dibs on the shower before Ricky could protest. Gunwook, who had taken a liking to Ricky and Gyuvin, decided to hang out in their room with Yujin. As Gyuvin emerged from the shower, he overheard Gunwook asking Ricky lightheartedly, “What are you and Gyuvin to each other, really?” Curious, Gyuvin listened from behind the wall that separated the shower from the room.
Both Ricky and Yujin found the question amusing, laughing in response. “Hmm... perhaps, soulmates?” Ricky suggested, his tone indicating a small smile. Gyuvin sensed it, knowing Ricky’s expressions well.
But Yujin clearly wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “Please, that’s a watered-down, non-scandalous response,” he quipped, sparking Gyuvin’s curiosity. What did this brat even know?
Ricky chuckled, adding, “Well, to be honest, we’re kinda like boyfriends to each other.” Gyuvin heard Yujin hum in agreement while Gunwook burst into laughter. Yujin, ever the pragmatic one, cautioned Gunwook, “Don’t make this weird,” prompting another round of laughter.
Gyuvin came out a few minutes later after they started to change topics about how awesome Matthew and Taerae were during their 3v3 and tried to act natural.
However, sleep eluded Gyuvin that night. The words ‘ we’re boyfriends to each other ’ echoed in his mind. Ricky appeared sound asleep, but then Gyuvin heard a soft “I love you, Kyubing,” from Ricky, seemingly uttered in his sleep.
While exchanging “I love yous” was commonplace for them, Gyuvin felt like his entire worldview had been upended. Ricky’s admission of being boyfriends lingered in his thoughts, reverberating through his mind.
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During the team’s debut match for the season, Gyuvin was taken aback by the sight of fans proudly waving lit-up phones featuring Ricky’s face. Though tiny in numbers, the enthusiastic cheers of fervent fangirls echoed through the air, especially when it was Ricky’s turn to serve. Gyuvin couldn’t help but question how he had missed the growing interest in Ricky. While he had noticed lingering looks during their walks outside of school, he never expected it to evolve into the formation of Ricky’s mini-fanclubs.
During one of the intervals between the game set, Yujin, who seemed a little more like a mind-reader than a spiker these days, asked, “Why are you so surprised?”
Gunwook approached them, slung his arm over Gyuvin’s shoulder, and told him, “Well, the first time I saw him, I thought that he was an angel.”
Perplexed, Gyuvin asked, “What’s up with you guys?”
In response, Yujin cheekily stuck out his tongue in a playful blep while Gunwook simply shrugged his shoulders before darting over to Coach Choi and Bahiyyih, who were armed with towels and bottled drinks. Ricky, along with the seniors, had been there from the beginning, delicately sipping water with a straw at the corner of his mouth.
Cute, Gyuvin thought, obviously not for the first or last time.
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The evening was bathed in the soft glow of city lights as Gyuvin accompanied Hanbin to Hao’s recital. Nervous energy pulsed through him, a fear lingering in the background that he might end up as a third wheel, especially glancing at the big flower bouquet that Hanbin was bringing together. However, Hanbin, ever perceptive, reassured him with a comforting smile, “It’s okay, Gyuvin. Hao would have loved you being there.”
Before going to the recital, Hanbin suggested grabbing dinner together. Hanbin said something about how Hao would be so nervous that he couldn’t eat anything, so it would be better for them to eat dinner first.
“Really? With that big fat flower?” Gyuvin pointed at the bouquet.
“Yeah, why not?” Hanbin grinned, revealing his dimpled whiskers. The thing about Sung Hanbin was that he had the supernatural power to make everything sound so simple and breezy; that was what Gyuvin loved about him. He always knew all the right things to say, and Gyuvin couldn’t help but think perhaps some words from Hanbin would alleviate his constant restlessness about Ricky these days.
Seated across from each other in a trendy, cosy cafe with a few sparing looks from onlookers due to Hanbin’s bouquet, Gyuvin couldn’t resist the curiosity bubbling within him. With a playful grin, he asked Hanbin about the story behind his connection with Hao.
“How did you..end up with Hao-hyung?” Gyuvin queried nervously, expecting a heartwarming tale. He cringed internally at his question after that since, huh, what a cliche this is. Of course, he needed advice from a mentor-like figure to get his shit together.
Hanbin, however, responded with a teasing glint in his eyes, “How did you know?” Gyuvin widened his eyes, too shocked to say anything, and then Hanbin was clutching his stomach in a fit of laughter. “You should’ve seen your face, Gyuvin-ah!”
“Well, there’s nothing too complicated about it. I don’t want to make it sound too cliched, but like the girlies on TikTok said, when you know, you know. Y’know?” Hanbin laughed, obviously reminiscing about his first encounter with Hao. Gyuvin, in fact, did not know.
“I saw his face across the room during orientation, and it clicked. Like it must be him, and then I approached him first. We found out more about each other, and I felt that we were so similar. Like he’s the Chinese Sung Hanbin, and I’m the Korean Zhang Hao. Does that make sense? Hanbin asked with a lovesick smile.
Gyuvin squinted his eyes at Hanbin’s question, still feeling unsure, thinking about the many similarities he has with Ricky but also so many conflicting interests and thoughts. However, he still replied,” I guess?”
“And that’s how we got together. Like I feel he really is the eternal half of my soul,” Hanbin said confidently, like it’s a statement set in stone while sipping his drink. Gyuvin really couldn’t relate, so he asked another question.
“I mean, hyung, it must have taken you a while to get together with Hao-hyung, right? Like, what makes you so sure that you love him in a different way?”
Hanbin laughed at that, “Easy. I talked about him all the time. I think about him all the time. He’s practically living on my mind rent-free. I mean you guys must’ve been so confused on why I introduced Hao the longest even though he’s not even on the team. But he makes me want to ramble about him? Like have you seen him-”
Gyuvin cut him off with a gag as he tried to swallow the slices of toast he ordered.
Amidst the recital, Gyuvin had a very hard time concentrating on the performances. He almost felt bad for Hao, except that Hanbin was always very enthusiastic about spotting Hao and dropping silly anecdotes about everything Hao did on the stage. To be honest, he almost felt sick.
He talked about Ricky all the time, too. He thought about Ricky all the time, too. Ricky occupied a large section of his brain. Even now, he wanted to spam Ricky’s inbox about Hanbin’s lovesick rant about Hao.
Somehow Gyuvin thought that deep, deep inside himself he already knew all about this way early on. Maybe as early as when they actually first met.
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The one thing that feels so wrong about all his musing is that he usually confided with Ricky. But how would Gyuvin confide to Ricky when Ricky was his problem in the first place? With that thought, Gyuvin dropped by his house to pick up the bag containing his Mikasa volleyball and sped to Ricky’s house.
In retrospect, there’s always the promise of tomorrow—a more opportune moment, a better setting, and a carefully crafted confession to the friend he’d known for years. But at that moment, Gyuvin felt like his body might burst with the overwhelming emotions he harboured for Ricky if he didn’t voice them now.
In a scene straight out of an ’80s rom-com, Gyuvin yelled at Ricky’s window to let him in. With his dishevelled pink hair, Ricky was engrossed in an iPad K-drama marathon and didn’t appreciate the intrusion.
It was freaking 2 in the morning, and his parents were gratefully not at home, but some neighbours might not be too happy even though there was considerable distance between each house. To be fair, Gyuvin did spam Ricky’s inbox with all sorts of variations of Ricky’s name, but Ricky was too engrossed in his K-drama to even notice.
Gyuvin asked for a tossing practice, and Ricky screamed back in high pitch at him, asking if he was crazy. Gyuvin replied, “I’ve always been crazy, didn’t you know?”
Reluctantly, Ricky descended to meet Gyuvin on his lawn, accepting the volleyball for a toss. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Did you think about me all the time, Kim Ricky?”
It took a while for Ricky to answer, so Gyuvin demanded, “Answer.”
Ricky nodded as he tossed back the ball to Gyuvin. “Yes. And so?”
“I think about you all the time too,” Gyuvin tossed the ball. “It’s like you’re living in my brain like an annoying noise music earworm that I can’t get over, like it’s not stopping even if I tried.”
“Are you feeling sick somewhere? What happened, really?” Ricky asked, concerned, as he continued the ball exchange.
“Hanbin-hyung told me that when he knows, he knows. And I think I know now.” Gyuvin stopped the tossing and approached Ricky.
“Kim Gyuvin, stop talking in riddles! And if this is a sick attempt to tease me, I swear to God—” Ricky was tough to anger. Still, a flash of anger really did flicker in his eyes, and Gyuvin found him endearing even at this moment, greedily taking in every micro-expression on Ricky’s fine, fine face.
“I think I’m really, really sick. There are butterflies in my stomach when I see you and when I think of you and it’s all the damn time. And you got people confessing to you? I didn’t know that, that drives me crazy for weeks. And you, you. Just your existence, it’s just. Everything is so lovely. You’re so lovely Ricky it drives me crazy. Lovelicky, God, you’re so beautiful and I’m just so in love with you I’m so sick-”
Ricky cut off Gyuvin’s rambling with a kiss, and Gyuvin really felt like he could die happy then and there. The ball was now in Ricky’s hands, and Gyuvin knew he wouldn’t drop it.
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Extra
Entering the volleyball gym the next day as a newly minted couple, Gyuvin couldn't help but wear that doozy, stupidly-in-love smile. Now understanding why Hanbin often looked dopey, he felt like he could fly, like he could touch the sky. Ricky, adept at masking his facial expressions, even struggled to maintain eye contact with Gyuvin, often diverting his gaze elsewhere.
Yujin, who knew both of them like the back of his hand, dramatically screamed, “Update the betting pool group chat! They've got their act together!”
Gunwook, mid-warm-up, stopped and fell to his knees, “Noooo, I thought it would take them another year to figure it out!”
Taerae rolled on the ground during his warm-up, “Oh my god, I win! I totally win! You guys are losers.” Matthew, unable to conceal his emotions, looked down, obviously having lost the bet, “Oh man, and I betted a lot too.”
“You guys had a betting pool? About us?” Gyuvin asked, his eyes on the verge of popping out of their sockets.
“How did you even know?” Ricky glared at Yujin, who had already fled from the scene to update Yunseo and Seungeon, who knew nothing about the romantic revelation, fully aware of the wrath that would be upon him if Ricky and Gyuvin got hold of him.
“It’s not just us; all the retired seniors are also in on this,” Matthew shared. “Hanbin-hyung and Taerae win,” he added later with a sulking face.
Gyuvin heaved a loud sigh; no wonder. But he figured all was well. “Kim Ricky, can I use the 10 bubble tea quota of the day for the team?” Gyuvin asked sweetly, prompting Taerae and Gunwook to pretend to gag.
Ricky flashed his gummy smile and nodded sweetly at Gyuvin’s request.