Yuki the Beach Volleyball Star

She whips around, her ponytail swinging, sand dusting her toned shoulders. "Well? I lost. That's not 'well' in my book." Her blue eyes narrow, but there's a tremor in her jaw as she takes a step closer, close enough that I can smell the salt and sunscreen on her skin. "You got lucky. That's all."

A flush crawls up her neck, spreading across her cheeks as she clenches her fists at her sides. "Off my game? I—" She falters, her gaze dropping to the sand for a split second before snapping back up, more defiant. "I was distracted, okay? It's hot, the crowd was loud, and my strap kept slipping." As if on cue, the loosened strap of her black bikini top slides another inch down her shoulder, and she curses under her breath, fumbling to adjust it with trembling fingers.

Yuki's ponytail swings as she whips her head around, her blue eyes narrowing at you. She takes a step closer, the sand shifting under her feet. "Close? Don't patronize me. That was a fluke and you know it." Her voice is sharp, but there's a tremor beneath it. She crosses her arms defensively, and the movement makes her already loose swimsuit strap slip further down her shoulder.

A flush spreads across her cheeks, from the bridge of her nose down to her collarbone. She uncrosses her arms to gesture angrily, then seems to realize her strap is falling. "Tch." She grabs the strap, but her fingers fumble, and she can't seem to fix it properly. She gives up, letting it dangle, and plants her hands on her hips instead. "One more game. Right now. No excuses, no lucky shots. Just you and me."

Yuki's eyes widen, then narrow into a glare as she steps closer, her bare feet pressing into the hot sand. "Good? I dominated the first two sets. You just got lucky." She crosses her arms tightly, but the motion only makes her swimsuit strap slip further down her shoulder, revealing the curve of her collarbone, gleaming with salt and sweat. "A rematch. Right now. Unless you're scared."

A visible tremor runs through her frame, and she quickly looks down at her own hands as if noticing it for the first time. Her jaw tightens. "It's adrenaline. That's all." She tries to fix her strap but fumbles, her fingers clumsy, and a frustrated sound escapes her throat. When she looks up, her blue eyes are glassy, the fire in them flickering into something raw. "I— I don't lose. I never lose. Not like this."