Chapter Text
Phainon waited in proper formation as the opposing team served. It was the second set, and the score stood at 24-23, in Okhema’s favour. Their volleyball team wasn’t all that powerful; there were just a few girls who were a cut above the rest and exceptionally good at what they did. However, they weren’t enough to defeat Okhema, the champions of the Amphorean high school volleyball scene.
Number 3 dribbled the ball a couple of times, and Phainon’s attention immediately locked on her. Her name was Mydei, and she was a devastating hitter. Her setter wasn’t particularly strong (Phainon knew she could do better), but every time Okhema faced Kremnos, Phainon still ended up with red marks on her arms from receiving Mydei’s shots.
Mydei’s clean serve gently tapped the net before flying onto the other side of the court. Cipher swiftly rushed in to save the ball from hitting the ground, bumping it overhead, and Phainon took advantage of that to set the ball back to Lucretia. Lucretia approached from the other side of the court, running towards the ball, and slammed it onto the ground for a clean finish, or what would’ve been a clean finish if that insistent libero Leonnius hadn’t intercepted it.
A girl whom Phainon recognised as Hephaestion set the ball to Mydei, and so she ran down the court; the overhead beams caught in her golden hair, reminding Phainon of a magnificent lion. Mesmerised was an understatement; she couldn’t peel her eyes off the opposing team’s spiker until the sound of someone’s arm whacking that ball brought her back to reality. Arielle quickly ran forward, establishing a position that would serve as a decoy for Phainon, and Phainon set the ball all the way to Arielle. Phainon glanced at the Kremnoan courtside and formulated a plan before the ball was even in her hands. She set it upwards at a certain angle, believing in her mental calculations. Before she knew it, the ball hit the other side of the court, making a loud thwack.
There was a second before the whole gymnasium burst into applause. Arielle looked elated, and all of Team Okhema rushed towards her, giving her a high-five while shouting congratulations in her ear. Phainon joined in for a quick fist bump and a congratulations, but all Phainon could think about was that girl on the other side of the court- Mydeimos. She looked absolutely dejected, standing on the other side of the court like she’d just lost the love of her life. Watching Mydeimos like that, knowing that if Phainon had a spiker like Mydeimos, she’d never let her go, something twisted in her heart.
She was unbelievably skilled on the court. Her strikes carried immense power, and if Cipher wasn’t one of the most balanced liberos in all of Okhema, there’s no doubt Kremnos would’ve pulled ahead in the record. Phainon so badly wanted Mydei for herself. She wanted that skill, strength, speed- the whole package that Mydei was, which Kremnos couldn’t fully utilise. Not in the way that Phainon could. Before anybody else on the Kremnos team could approach her, Phainon was already staring her straight in the eyes, separated by nothing but a net.
“I’m going to set for you one day.”
An unknown emotion flitted through Mydei’s eyes before she immediately crossed her arms in a defensive stance. “What makes you so confident?”
Phainon shot back without hesitation. “They’re clearly holding you back. I could show you what a really good setter does for a team.”
“Let’s see where that takes you.”
Clearly, Mydei didn’t want to dignify that with much of a response because right after snipping at Phainon, she turned on her heel and walked back towards her team. Likely to go and reassure her seniors.
And Phainon? She felt like she was on cloud nine. The object of her volleyball affections hadn’t completely rejected her, meaning she still had a chance. The potential she saw with Mydei surpassed the potential she saw with anybody else, all the attacks they could pull off with Phainon’s precision and Mydei’s strength- perfect tosses, perfect hits. It’s not like Phainon had to redeem Okhema’s volleyball team, because all of them were perfectly capable players in their own right. It’s just that she couldn’t experiment with plays with them the same way she was running through plays in her head with Mydei; her heart was about to jump out of her chest.
With a big grin plastered on her face, Phainon ran to celebrate their victory with her team.
Walking the halls of this school felt different now that this was her final year, but Phainon loved seeing her friends and old acquaintances in the halls. It was lunch break, so there were a lot of unfortunate conversations that she overheard. Girls would usually crowd around her in the halls, and guys would whisper from afar, but Phainon was used to it. If she were to be Aglaea’s successor, she’d have to act and look the part. However, she was greeted with none of that today. The typical hallway chatter wasn’t interrupted by Phainon’s appearance, more so because it was focused on another girl’s appearance- Mydeimos.
The same Mydeimos who played on the Kremnos volleyball team that Okhema completely wiped the floor with (well, Phainon liked to exaggerate) last volleyball season.
Phainon’s breath hitched in her chest. The overhead beams illuminated Mydei’s golden hair, but there was none of the focus in her eyes; she reserved that for volleyball. Despite being from the rival school, which had a bad reputation, Mydei had already worked herself a fan club with how the ladies were swarming around her and asking her questions. With a slightly bruised ego, Phainon walked the other way. She wasn’t ready to confront the spiker of her dreams after making such a bold statement and then getting plainly rejected. But, did she really get rejected? Mydei wouldn’t be at her high school, wearing her uniform, if she didn’t take Phainon’s words to heart.
Right on cue, as if she could read Phainon’s mind, Mydei politely excused herself from the group of students and slipped into step behind her. Hearing Mydei’s footsteps, Phainon quickened her pace, and before long, she found herself being chased in circles around the school- running lap after lap, with Mydei close on her heels.
Out of breath and with her ponytail all messed up, Phainon finally relented. It wasn't like Mydei had a lot of energy left either- she was leaning against the outdoor gym wall, huffing and puffing, as if she and Phainon weren’t just in some stupid cat-and-mouse chase. In between breaths, Mydei spoke first. “Running away? I thought you were bolder than that.”
“I just wanted you to see where I'd take you. And can you really be calling me bold when you followed me all the way to this high school? I thought you didn’t mingle with us.”
“Didn’t you beg me to come here?”
Having regained her breath, Mydei leaned against that wall with nonchalance and a smile in her eyes. Phainon quickly opened her mouth to defend herself.
“Who begged who doesn’t matter. Besides, we’re already outside the gym. Why don’t we test our compatibility right here, right now?”
“You’re on.”
Phainon took initiative and got up, flinging the gym doors open.
The court inside was empty, the clean polished floors gleaming as if they only existed for them to practice on. Phainon grinned. “Well, let’s test our compatibility.”
“If you can even keep up with me.”
That spark was all it took for Phainon and Mydei to run at the volleyball cart. Within seconds, Phainon stood on the same side of the court as Mydei, with a ball in her hand and a glint in her eye. They didn’t have enough time to fully learn each other’s playstyles as teammates rather than rivals, but they fell into a rhythm of Phainon setting on instinct and Mydei hammering down every ball with remarkable precision.
They’d only been playing together for a lunch break, but Phainon felt like this was a playstyle she could get used to.
“You’re not so bad, Mydei.”
“You actually kept up with me. I’m surprised, setter.”
Both of them were doubled over, hands on their knees, sweaty and smiling in a way neither would admit to. “Did you really just call me "setter”? Pfft, is that supposed to be some kind of endearing team nickname?” Phainon wiped the sweat off her forehead and turned to look at Mydei in between giggles.
“Would you rather be called an idiot deliverer?” The bell rang right as Mydei said that, and Phainon sprang up. “Deliverer? Because I’m delivering the ball to you? Real clever, Mydei.”
“Whatever. Hurry up, we have class.”
Phainon grabbed her bag and followed Mydei right out of the gym. “Hey, are you trying to avoid me? Tsk tsk, Mydei. You can’t escape your deliverer.”
Over the next few weeks, their rivalry flared up everywhere, not just on the court. Walking back from their shared classes, she would give Mydei a little nudge and mutter something to egg her on, “Bet I can get to the cafeteria first,” and Mydei would have no choice but to give in. They ran down the hallways like schoolchildren, shoving shoulders and occasionally taunting each other despite being seniors in high school. Phainon found that even menial after-school chores developed into a form of competition for them- stacking chairs, cleaning up after class, and quiz scores.
On the day of official tryouts, she challenged Mydei again, asking her to race to the gym. Mydei complied like always, and they booked it through the hallways. The two of them arrived at the gym side by side, perfectly on time. Phainon scampered away to go get changed while Mydei still had to discuss a few things with the coach, being a previous member of an opposing school’s team and all. After she was done changing, Phainon finally noticed Mydei walking into the locker room- expression unreadable, as usual.
The coach wanted to get started immediately. The second Phainon and Mydei left the locker room, she launched into an explanation about the drills and exercises she wanted the team to focus on to be at their best during the different volleyball tournaments they’d do throughout the year. Phainon was kicking her legs up and down as they spoke- she was used to this spiel, had heard it a bunch of times. She really just wanted to get her hands on a ball.
During drills, Phainon’s sets found Mydei as naturally as breathing. A short toss, a glance, and the ball was slamming into the hardwood before the blockers even knew what happened. Phainon swore Mydei had the instinct of an animal; she could toss wherever, and Mydei would be ready to pummel it onto the ground.
By the time tryouts wrapped up, Phainon was fully confident- there was no way she and Mydei weren’t making it on the team together. There was also no way she and Mydei wouldn’t carry the team to newer heights. Okhema was already the best, but they yearned to reach newer heights- to eliminate all the teams in their way, so that there wouldn’t be any room to doubt Okhema’s skill.
The acceptance roster went up the following morning, taped to the gym doors. The hallway was crowded, buzzing with anxious players craning their necks to read the list. Phainon elbowed her way forward, Mydei close behind her like always. She scanned the sheet once, then twice, her heart pounding- but deep down, she already knew what she’d see.
Okhema Volleyball Team – Accepted Players
…
Phainon
Mydei
Phainon’s grin stretched so wide it hurt. She slung an arm over Mydei’s shoulder. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”
Mydei arched an eyebrow. “Funny. I was just thinking the same about you.”
Phainon’s mind couldn’t stop conjuring these images of her and Mydei. Together, they’d go from school to school and dominate every volleyball court they set foot on.
The thought made her grin widen until she almost laughed.
“Alright then, partner,” she said, holding out a fist. Mydei hesitated only for a breath before knocking her knuckles against Phainon’s. “Don’t slow me down.”
“As if I ever would.”