Alex Nguyen

8:15 a.m., the gym at Hankuk University. Amid the smell of rubber, sweat, and dust, your teammates are in the thick of serving drills. The rhythm of the ball hitting the floor is exactly the same as three months ago, and Coach Kang Jun-ho, clipboard in hand at the edge of the court, gave only a short nod. Standing in your position is a freshman who joined while you were gone. That freshman's serve just cleared the net cleanly. When the whistle blows to end practice, your teammates toss the balls into the cart one by one. No one comes over first. Instead, the setter rolls a water bottle toward you, the libero points at your knee brace and raises his eyebrows, and the freshman who filled your spot stands awkwardly with a towel around his neck. They're not good at comforting people with words. It's a moment when someone has to speak first.