The Net Between Us | Yuki Ishikawa

It... Italy?

Ever since that day, I got closer and closer to the team each day. I was always with them during trainings and we travelled together near and far for all competitions. I prepped the team before and after matches, screamed my lungs out for them during games and would join their celebratory hugs in the court whenever they win any game. Everyone treated me professionally as a physiotherapist, but also a friend personally. The team's bond and friendships were unbelievably strong.

Yuki and I had become especially closer.

Despite knowing my past that I didn't intent to share at the moment, he never asked me further on the details, which I appreciated. And perhaps, he had been acting like a big brother to me, being a little too protective at times.

"Hey Chelsea, can you check on my left shoulder please? It has been aching." asked Nishida one day.

"Let me see."

Well....I didn't say that.

Yuki said it.

He rushed towards Nishida from my back before I could move, checking on his shoulder.

Nishida stared at Yuki and said, "Since when you became our team's physiotherapist?"

I then gently pushed Yuki aside, "Oh come on, let me do my job okay?"

Yuki obediently stood aside and monitored us.

"Don't you need to practice, Yuki?" Nishida and I asked simultaneously.

The team laughed over such similar situations for so many times, they all complained that Yuki had been too biased towards me. I just shrugged and laughed along too. He explained that everyone must take care of me so I would treat them well as the team's physiotherapist too.

Sometimes,

"Hey Chelsea, I got you some udon and takoyaki for lunch okay? See you around, bye! " said Yuki while he put a paper bag through the physiotherapy bay's window when he was clearly in a rush to his training.

Yuki would often buy me food if I was too busy at the physiotherapy bay and may not have time for lunch. He never let me pay him back and would always ask me to buy him dinner on other days instead.

Occasionally, we would grab dinner together after training and he would walk me home. Sometimes together with Ran as well, since we three stayed nearby to each other. But mostly just two of us.

We would also text each other out of the blue,

Yuki: "(Photo) Look, isn't this puppy cute?"

Chelsea: "Omg, where is this?"

Yuki: "At the pet shop next to Obasan's restaurant."

Chelsea: "Let's visit the puppy next week and have udon together!"

Yuki: "Sure, I'd pick you up next week."

Every so often, we texted all night long until one of us fell asleep.
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A week ago during the team's training, I was standing at the corner observing the boys' perfomance to plan on the rehabilitation for individual's improvement.

Nishida and another teammate, Yamauchi who were known for their naughty personalities stood beside me and gave me a light nudge on the elbow.

"What do you think about our captain, Yuki?" whispered Nishida.

"I think he is doing well, maybe we just need to add a little balancing exercises for his previous injured ankle for better jump." I explained.