Chapter 13: The Other Side of the Court
Ophira's POV
The sound of sneakers squeaking against the polished court floor echoed in the gym as I dribbled the basketball between my legs, darting past my opponent with ease. I wasn't one to brag, but I knew the game was mine. It always was. The adrenaline coursed through my veins, and for a moment, I could almost forget everything else—the tangled mess of emotions that seemed to follow me everywhere.
But the moment I took a shot, I caught sight of him. Ozaire. He was sitting against the wall near the bleachers, his gaze locked on something—or maybe someone—across the court. That familiar pang tightened in my chest, the one that never seemed to leave whenever I saw him.
I shook my head, forcing myself to focus on the game. This was my time. I wasn't about to let anything distract me.
"Nice shot, Ophira!" Gaia's voice rang out from the sidelines, snapping me back to the present. I looked up just in time to see the ball swoosh through the net. I gave a half-smile in return, but the tension from earlier still lingered in the air, thick like smoke.
Gaia was always so calm, so composed. She didn't feel the weight of things the way I did. But maybe that's why she was able to get everything she wanted. That effortless charm. Me? I had to fight for it. Fight for everything I had.
I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, trying to shake off the thoughts. It was a game, not a therapy session. I could deal with all the mess later. Right now, I needed to keep my head in the game.
But just as I pivoted to make another play, I caught a glimpse of Yasha and Yuan laughing, arm-in-arm, over by the vending machine. The sight of them together only reminded me of how lost I felt.
I'd been so focused on my own ambitions, my own world, that I had never stopped to question if I was missing out on something bigger. Something more meaningful.
"Ophira!" Gaia called out, bringing me back to the court. "Are you okay? You've been zoning out."
"Yeah, I'm fine," I muttered, brushing past her to continue the game. I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to talk about the weird, almost lonely feeling that seemed to follow me these days.
As I squared up for another shot, I couldn't help but wonder if the game was the only thing that truly made me feel alive anymore. The only thing I could count on.
The ball left my hands, but my thoughts didn't. They were already spiraling again.
What was I doing?
Just before the buzzer went off, signaling the end of our game, I shot one last glance at Ozaire. He hadn't moved. He was still there, watching, his presence heavy in the air.
For a moment, I wondered if I'd ever figure out how to move past all this. How to find something that mattered more than winning a game, more than proving myself.
But as the buzzer rang and the team cheered, I knew one thing for sure—whatever came next, I wasn't going to stop fighting for it.
No matter what.
Later that afternoon, I saw Ozaire again with his girlfriend.
The sight hit me harder than I expected. They were standing by the café entrance, laughing together, his hand resting on her shoulder while she playfully nudged him. The way they fit together—effortless, easy—only served to remind me how much I had wasted on him. My stomach twisted, and for a moment, I almost regretted walking this path, the one that led to nowhere but a dead end.
I took a step back, retreating to the side so they wouldn't see me.
I sighed, my breath heavy in the cool air. This had to end. The one-sided feelings, the longing, the hope that maybe—just maybe—he'd see me the way I saw him.
But that wasn't how the world worked, was it?
I am worth everything that this world could offer.
The thought settled in my chest like a quiet fire. It had been too long, too many times I'd waited for something that wasn't coming. I had been standing on the sidelines of my own life, waiting for him to notice me, to choose me. But he never would. Not in the way I wanted, and not in the way I deserved.
I wasn't going to stand there anymore, watching their love unfold while mine remained locked inside me like a secret I was too afraid to let go.
I'm not just gonna stand on the other side, waiting and watching.
No, I wasn't made for that kind of waiting. I wasn't made to shrink myself, to live in the shadow of someone else's happiness. I wasn't going to keep pretending that I didn't deserve better than this. Better than someone who couldn't—or wouldn't—love me in return.
For a love that I have no place.
It was time to stop. Time to let go. I deserved a love that was mine, one that didn't come with hesitation or uncertainty. A love that would meet me where I stood, with all the fire and ambition I carried in my heart.
I turned away, walking toward the exit, each step a little heavier than the last but also a little freer.
It wasn't easy, but nothing worth having ever was.
"Sometimes, the hardest part isn't letting go, but realizing you deserve more than what you're holding on to."