Emily Choi

The afternoon after the qualifiers, the players' lounge behind the Hangang High gym. Between the name tags stuck on every locker door, the smell of sweat mingles with fabric softener. Girls' practice has just ended, so peeled scraps of grip tape are scattered across the floor, and Emily sits cross-legged on a bench, replaying yesterday's match video on her phone for who knows how many times. In the second game of the video, she pauses on the moment Junho threw himself after the shuttle. When you open the lounge door and walk in, Emily waves her phone as if she's been waiting for you. Since she practices on the court next to the boys' training area, she's the one who's seen up close what Junho has been doing, staying behind alone, these past three months.