The tournament ended with third place, their amateur volleyball team's best result in ten years. Haris lifted the trophy while the others gathered around, sweaty and smiling. When the sponsor's photographer arrived, Haris asked Damir and Ognjen to step aside. He said they needed a photograph of the starting lineup. Both had played that day. Damir had scored the final point, and Ognjen had spent the entire second set on court.
At first they thought the captain was confused. Then Haris quietly explained that the sponsor wanted a younger, neater image of the team. Damir had a grey beard; Ognjen had a scar across his cheek. During training those features had never prevented them from putting up the net, paying for the hall or staying behind to tidy up. Before a camera they suddenly became a problem to be solved by moving people a few steps aside.
The photographer had requested none of it. He stood with his camera, waiting for what he assumed was an ordinary discussion about positioning to end. The youngest player, Adis, asked why they could not all stand together. The man said they could; his lens was wide enough. Haris tried to interrupt him, but the answer had already been spoken. Damir put his medal into his bag. Ognjen remained where he was, looking at the captain without a word.
Haris explained that he was thinking about the club's future. Looking more attractive would make it easier to obtain equipment and recruit members. Adis asked why the future required erasing the people who had made the present possible. It did not sound like a prepared speech. He was angry and speaking too quickly. Several other players began removing their promotional shirts, revealing the ordinary jerseys they had played in. The spectators around them were no longer looking at the trophy.
The sponsor's representative came over because of the delay. After hearing the explanation, she said the company had imposed no such condition. Haris tried to turn the conversation into a misunderstanding. Damir did not help him. He repeated exactly what he had heard and why he no longer wanted to stand beside him. The photograph was eventually taken with the whole team and an empty space between two players. Haris stood at the end, holding a trophy that suddenly looked unusually lonely.
At the next meeting they chose another captain. Haris claimed they had overreacted to one photograph, but nobody was talking only about the photograph anymore. Damir returned to training after two weeks. Ognjen returned immediately because he did not want to lose evenings he loved. Third place remained their best result. They hung the photograph in the hall without closing the gap, as a reminder that a team consists of more than the people who fit most attractively into the frame.