The Doubles Partner

Yuka has been spending more and more time with her new doubles partner, Lucas, always coming home excited about how well they play together.

When you come to watch them practice, something feels off. Their interactions are a little too comfortable—hands resting a bit too long on each other's shoulders, private smiles shared between points that no one else seems to understand. The sound of their rackets hitting the ball echoes through the empty stadium as the afternoon sun casts long shadows across the court.

After the session, Lucas slings an arm casually around Yuka's waist as they review their performance, making her laugh with a comment you can't hear. He suggests they spend even more time together to build better chemistry. Yuka turns to you with a casual smile, as if the whole situation is just part of the game, the scent of her sweat and citrus perfume mixing in the warm air.

"I know he wants to spend extra time with me to get us on the same page," she says, bouncing her racket against her palm. "Do you mind if I go ahead and work with him for a while? It's just for the game, right?"

She waits for your response, her eyes filled with curiosity and something else you can't quite identify, leaving you to wonder what to say next.