(A Day before the 11th Match)
The sun had yet to rise, and the wind that curled around the dorm floor was cool and crisp. The faint sizzle of hot drinks, soft murmurs of voices, and the rhythmic stomping of shoes filled the otherwise quiet atmosphere. The morning was calm.
Alan stirred groggily, the faint noises managing to pull him from deep sleep. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open, the light filtering in and chipping away at his drowsiness bit by bit. His gaze eventually settled on the boys in front of him, already up, dressed, and preparing to head downstairs for practice.
"Morning, Alan!" Aigou called out, tying his shoelaces.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead. Get up, we're heading downstairs," Senri added, crouching before him and giving his cheeks a playful tug.
Alan sat up sluggishly, swaying slightly on the bed. "What… time is it?" he yawned, clearly unwilling to wake up.
"5:05 AM," Orion answered matter-of-factly, "And unless you want Head Coach Nidou to give you a penalty again, you'd better show your face downstairs."
Alan nodded absentmindedly, his body still heavy with sleep. Beside him, Little Will[1] stretched lazily on the pillow before curling up again.
"Come on," Isa said, sitting beside Alan and patting his back.
Alan gave another slow nod, barely processing anything.
"Rauf and Evan already went down. Bet they've finished their warm-ups by now," Aaron added as he zipped up his jersey.
"Ugh… I'm still exhausted," Ren groaned, running a hand through his messy hair as he shuffled toward the restroom.
Alan finally swung his legs over the bed and trudged outside, his eyes still half-lidded, vision blurry with sleep. Before he could make it far, he bumped into someone.
"Whoa there~ easy," Elias murmured, catching him by the arm before he could stumble.
"…Sorry," Alan mumbled under his breath.
Elias chuckled, pushing his disheveled hairs back, "Silly."
Nearby, Zachariah, Kazuna, and Nagi watched him and sighed. "He's not acting like himself today," Nagi observed.
"Too tired, I suppose?" Noah added.
"Agreed," Haruf grinned.
Just as Alan was about to step out, he suddenly turned back, raising an index finger. "The middle schoolers? What about them?" he asked groggily, as if that thought had been nagging at him even before he was fully awake.
A few of the high schoolers chuckled, while others rolled their eyes. "Seriously, that's the first thing you ask? Before you've even woken up properly?" Noah teased, shaking his head, "Man, I'm jealous of your dedication."
Alan narrowed his sleepy eyes in annoyance.
"They're up and getting ready, don't worry," Kazuna reassured him, patting his shoulder as he walked past, "We're all heading downstairs, so hurry up, or you'll be getting a penalty yet again." A
lan's brow twitched in frustration, clearly worn out from hearing the same threat over and over again.
"Bye-bye~" Aigou chirped, giving Alan a quick hug before following the others out.
"Hurry up," Orion added, ruffling Alan's hair on his way out.
One by one, the room emptied as the others passed through the lounge, some taking the stairs while others opted for the elevator.
Alan sat there for a moment, watching them leave before shaking his head with a sigh. "I just wanna sleep a little longer…" he muttered, rubbing his eyes as he dragged himself up to get ready.
Meanwhile, the middle schoolers in the adjacent room were unusually quiet, too quiet, in fact. It was almost surprising, considering that every morning was typically a chaotic battlefield of challenges, playful jabs, and exchanged threats between the juniors and seniors.
The dorm would always erupt into a frenzy, resembling either a bustling fish market or a discounted noon bazaar. Yet, amidst the unusual silence, a pained groan broke through, drawing the concerned gazes of Seraph, Helios, Gabriel, Cassiel, Feng, and Xavier.
They all stood around Kenzo, eyes filled with unease. The room remained dark, with the sophomores and freshmen still fast asleep.
"Is he in pain?" Xavier asked, brows furrowing.
Helios, seated beside Kenzo's bed, reached out and checked his forehead. "No fever. Pulse is also normal," he confirmed.
Seraph, on the other side, gently wiped the sweat from Kenzo's forehead, "Then is he dreaming?"
"Who knows?" Gabriel murmured, just as puzzled.
Kenzo stirred again, his expression twisted in discomfort. "Should we call Coach Seles?" Xavier suggested, glancing at the others.
Helios checked the time, "It's 5:10 a.m. The coaches are probably in a meeting right now."
Feng, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, narrowed his eyes at Kenzo, his frustration barely concealed. "Tch, that idiot. He hasn't been sleeping properly for days, training like a maniac. What the hell is he thinking?" His voice was light but carried a sharp edge.
"Did he come back late again last night?" Gabriel asked.
"Who knows? We were all asleep by then. Even Feng," Seraph replied, gently brushing Kenzo's damp hair aside.
Feng let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his hair, "I get that we need to improve, and time is short, but does it have to come at the cost of our health? What's the point of pushing ourselves like this?"
"Alright, tone it down a bit," Gabriel warned, "You'll wake the others."
Xavier walked over and patted Feng on the back, a small smile on his face, "It's rare to see you this worked up, Feng. And over Kenzo, of all people."
Feng scoffed, "I don't care if it's rare, Vice-Captain. He's crazy, I tell you. The last person in the world I can understand and the one I want to punch in the face the most." His hands clenched into fists, "And I hate it. I hate that I can't stop him. Unlike Captain Hugo, he's reckless."
Helios gave a knowing nod, "I get it. Kenzo always puts everything on his shoulders, leading from the front like a general charging into battle. But he doesn't realize how much the people behind him worry about him." he exhaled turning to face him, "That's why you're angry, right?"
Feng huffed, rolling his eyes.
Seraph's voice was softer but just as firm, "I don't know what he's dealing with, but… whatever it is, I don't want to see him hurt himself like this."
Just then, Kenzo let out another sharp groan, his fists clenching as he curled onto his side.
"Kenzo? Hey, wake up. Can you hear me?" Helios patted his back, but there was no response.
"He's not that deep of a sleeper," Gabriel muttered, unease creeping into his voice.
"I'm calling Coach Seles," Xavier decided, striding toward the door, only to stop as a soft knock interrupted him.
"Boys, are you up? What's wrong? May I come in?"
Xavier immediately pulled the door open, "Alan?"
Alan tilted his head at Xavier's uneasy expression, "What's going on?"
Xavier exhaled, quickly explaining the situation.
Without another word, Alan stepped inside with Little Will following behind, his gaze fell on Kenzo, who shifted uncomfortably in his sleep. A quiet sigh escaped Alan as he moved toward the bed, and Helios shifted aside to give him space.
"I knew this would happen," Alan thought. "How long has this been going on?" he asked.
"For about half an hour," Feng replied, his frustration barely contained, "I've been holding myself back from punching him."
Alan gave an awkward smile, while Seraph shook his head in disbelief.
Raising a hand, Alan placed it on Kenzo's forehead and whispered, "Talent Impersonation... Rest."
A moment later, the tension in Kenzo's face melted away. His clenched fists loosened, his stiff posture softened, and the restless discomfort that had tormented him disappeared, replaced by a deep, undisturbed calm.
"Magic…?" Feng blinked, stunned.
Helios, Xavier, and Gabriel exchanged surprised glances. Alan exhaled, gently adjusting the blanket over Kenzo, "It's Isa's Rest. Isa has the ability to calm anyone. It counters Zachariah's intimidation technique. Unlike other abilities, this one doesn't require playing cricket to activate; it works anytime. I simply copied it."
"I see..." Seraph murmured, nodding in understanding.
As Alan turned back to the others, he caught the visible relief on their faces. "Honestly, he scared me for a second," Xavier muttered.
"Then shall we get going?" Gabriel asked. Helios, Cassiel, Seraph, and Xavier nodded.
"Where to?" Alan inquired.
"We were about to check the training schedule," Cassiel explained, "Since there's only one practice ground here, our session starts later than the high schoolers this time."
"We need to balance practice and classes carefully," Helios added, "Tomorrow's match will pack the schedule even tighter."
Alan nodded.
"Stay here with Kenzo, Feng," Helios instructed.
Feng exhaled, glancing at Alan before patting his shoulder, "You're staying too, right?"
Alan gave a small nod, "Hm, I'll stay."
"Now that's bearable," Feng rolled his eyes.
Seraph shook his head, smiling, "Thanks."
"No need," Alan replied simply as the others filed out.
Now left alone, Feng turned his gaze toward Alan, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"You… already knew, didn't you?" Alan looked up as Feng continued, "About Kenzo's cricket abilities being sealed by Senior Zachariah."
[1] Alan's rabbit