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Hindi naman nag-aalala si Jana kay Ace. Real.
Ganon naman talaga 'yun. Jana convinces herself.
She tried getting Ace's attention while wearing her jersey, as inclined with the punishment for losing in the intrams. Kaso nilagpasan lang siya ni Ace. The usual. Nakayuko, parang nahihiya, pero parang may iba. Kahit nung kinakausap na siya ni Coach Jules about the camp, parang takot makipag-usap.
Ace looks.. a bit troubled. Jana looks.. a bit worried.
She's not pissed. She really isn't. Hindi niya maintindihan bakit parang ayaw tumingin sa kanya ni Ace when the girl always tries to steal glances at her. Nahuhuli niya pa nga minsan, parang may pa-twinkle eyes pa as if she's the only person in the room. Don't ask bakit niya alam.
Lots of girls were already trying to get Ace's attention. From the subtle tulakan of the friend groups towards Ace, up until receiving favors and gifts from girls during lunch in the cafeteria.
She's not pissed. Not until before the training.
Unusually filled ang hallway papunta sa court. The teammates were confused, even Jana herself. Nagtinginan lang sila before deciding to continue their way, and they realized the sudden boost of students. Si Ace.
Jana is still wearing the jersey, hindi pa tapos ang araw. Pero parang gusto niya na biglang tanggalin nang makitang may nagpapa-picture kay Ace.
Ang kapal, she thought. Parang okay naman pala siya eh.
In a sudden burst of anger, she shouted towards Ace (more towards the girl, pero hindi na kailangang malaman ng teammates niya and Ace).
"Respeto naman sa mga gustong mag-training. Hindi naman 'to photobooth at lalong hindi naman kayo allowed dito after school hours." She angrily said before stomping her way inside to train.
"Ayan na naman siya."
"Bitter lang 'yan kasi natalo namin sila nung intrams."
Jana heard that, and she was convincing herself that it was the reason.
Pero if there's one thing she hates more than losing, is the girl not even acknowledging that she won against her. Them. She wants Ace to rub her loss in her face. Ipamukha niyang natalo sila para may masisi siya sa nangyari. Sa nararamdaman niya.
Ace noticed. Her mind was still preoccupied with what happened after the game, but she did notice Jana wearing her jersey.
Asuncion. 8.
May parang kiliti siyang naramdaman.
Mali. Mali para sa kanya dahil yung nangyari pa rin kahapon ang nasa isip niya, pero hindi niya talaga mapigilan.
The team captain was wearing her jersey, with her surname and number on it. Bagay sa kanya. Bagay kay Jana.
Ganito pala kapag dala-dala na ni Jana apelyido namin. Jana Asuncion.
While Jana was not looking and facing her back at her, Ace took out her phone and secretly tried taking pictures of the captain's back.
Satisfied, she kept her phone back in the bag. When she looks up, there was Coach Jules.
Nakakatomboy daw kasi.
She doesn't know why the phrase suddenly popped into her head, but Coach Jules simply smiled at her and shook her head with Ace's deer-in-headlights expression. When the coach grabbed everybody's attention to continue their training, she then realized that some of her teammates also saw what she did by the way they were looking at her.
Napangiti na lang siya sa hiya. At kilig.
At this point, she was sure even Jana knew kahit nakatalikod siya. Pero wala namang hirit from her. Hindi rin naman nagalit.
Kung napansin man ni Jana, then Ace was glad she never called her out.