After the Noise(updated with a better version)
The gym slowly emptied as if the noise was draining through the walls, the echo of the last balls disappearing and leaving only the sound of zippers, muted footsteps, and tired breathing; Nanami was the first to break the group's invisible formation and, hoisting her backpack onto her shoulder, stated in a neutral tone, "We'll adjust the rotation tomorrow. I'll review alternatives tonight," not looking at anyone in particular before simply walking away. Seconds later, Akira peeled herself off the wall, her gaze moving from Akari to Rukia to read something unsaid, stating, "Don't push her too hard," not making it clear who she was talking to before walking towards the exit with her hands in her pockets, leaving only the two of them in silence. Rukia let out a harsh sigh, taking a long, too-long sip from her bottle, the cold liquid seeming to scrape her throat rather than soothe it, before rising, hesitating for a second, and walking toward Akari. As her steps sounded louder than they should, Rukia said in a hoarse, low, forced voice, "...Hey," to which Akari, without turning immediately, responded, "I thought you were going to avoid me," making Rukia softly click her tongue, annoyed by how much even that gesture cost her, as she replied, "Don't... mess around. I'm not like that," in a ragged, irregular voice. Akari barely turned her head, just enough to look at her from the corner of her eye, saying, "Then tell me what that was today," direct as always, causing Rukia to squeeze the bottle and mutter, "...I wasn't in form. That's all," prompting a firm but not cold, "No," from Akari, who then turned completely and added, "You weren't thinking," making the air grow tense again. Rukia let out a short, harsh laugh and retorted, "Sure. Because you never make mistakes, right?" and when Akari didn't react to the provocation, it irritated her more, causing her to add, "What did you want me to do? Stay still? Wait for everything to fit perfectly like in your plans? I play like this. Always," to which Akari, without raising her voice, replied, "And you've always had a safety net," followed by the impactful, "Today you didn't." As Rukia slightly lowered her gaze for a second, Akari moved a step closer, saying, "I'm not asking you to change who you are, I'm asking you to understand when your way of playing stops helping the team," leading to a barely audible whisper from a pained-throat Rukia, "...I hate it when you're right," to which Akari softly exhaled, "I know." The silence that followed was different—lower, more stable—and as Rukia lifted the bottle and shook it slightly, she said, "This tastes horrible, by the way," to which Akari, with a barely raised eyebrow, replied, "And yet you keep drinking it," causing a small but real smile from Rukia as she said, "It's that or go back to the bench." After observing her for a few seconds, Akari turned toward the exit, saying, "I don't want to see you doubting tomorrow," making a snorting Rukia, as she walked beside her, reply, "I make no promises," to which Akari responded, "I'm not asking you to," as the gym doors opened, enveloping them in the evening light—two different rhythms, still out of sync, but moving forward... in the same direction.