The third playoff match came with a sky as sharp as glass and a city humming with anticipation. Ji-hye barely slept the night before, nerves alive under her skin like tiny electric wires. She arrived at the home arena before most of her team, gear slung over her shoulder, head down beneath a ballcap, steeling herself for the eyes, the whispers, the unknowns that would follow every step. Even the building seemed to vibrate with the memory of everything that had happened in the last two weeks.
The security guard at the back door greeted her with a respectful nod—he'd seen her arrive for every early practice, even when she was suspended. "Good luck out there today, Yoo-ssi," he murmured. Ji-hye managed a smile, grateful for any small kindness.
