(Part 10)

A while later, Alan made his way back to the lodgings, heading directly to the grounds. The scene before him was a flurry of activity, cheers and groans mingling with claps, laughter, and the occasional frustrated remarks. A smile tugged at his lips.

As he approached the pavilion, he noticed the boys diligently completing their tasks under the coaches' watchful eyes. His steps slowed when he spotted Rauf seated inside the pavilion, focused on a stack of papers. Alan paused.

"You're here?" Rauf asked without looking up from his work.

"Yeah, I'm here," Alan replied, his gaze drifting to little Will, who was licking his fur on the seat beside Rauf. With a knowing smile, he added, "As expected. He's really with you."

Rauf glanced at the tiny rabbit and let out a quiet sigh.

"Oh, Alan, you're here?" Ren asked as he came over with half of the high schoolers for a short respite.

Alan nodded in greeting as the group settled in. 

"Haiz... too much hard work," Noah complained, taking a sip from his sports drink.

"This is just the start, Noah. Quit whining," Aaron said, wiping sweat from his face and tossing a towel to Isa.

"Thanks," Isa said, catching it.

"So, how was it? Your little escape act?" Ren teased, turning to Alan.

Alan's gaze narrowed as he recalled the earlier events. He murmured in a low voice, "Vous êtes indéniablement cool, Alan. Nous nous reverrons sûrement dans le monde." The high schoolers froze, staring at each other in confusion.

"Wh…at?" Orion blurted, breaking the awkward silence.

"Indeed, Alan dear, I beg your pardon here. What happened?" Elias asked with his usual smile, while Aaron remained quiet, seemingly pondering.

"What does it mean, Orion?" Alan asked, tilting his head back to rest against the seat, eyes closed as he faced the sky.

"Huh? It means…" Orion began, but Aaron interrupted.

"You're undeniably cool, Alan. We'll surely meet again out in the world. That's what it means," Aaron translated.

Evan, Isa, and Senri exchanged looks of curiosity.

"I see." Alan opened his eyes, gazing at the overcast sky.

"Huh? You knew?" Orion asked Aaron.

"Of course. It's French. I'm from France. How could I not know it?" Aaron replied before turning to Alan with a question, "But the real question is: who said it?"

"French, huh…" Alan mused to himself. "No wonder I could understand the basics." he smirked.

"Out in the world, huh? That doesn't sound like something just anyone would say, does it, boss?" Senri asked Rauf with a wink.

Rauf turned to Alan with a thoughtful look.

"Tristan Évrard Delacroix. That's what he called himself," Alan said, "I met him while I was practicing nearby. He said he was here to oversee the PSL and complained about not finding a decent sparring partner or rival."

"Tristan Évrard Delacroix…" Nagi muttered as he pulled out his phone, searching through his files. After a while, he frowned. "That's a new one. I've never heard of him, nor do I have any data. Is he a middle schooler or a recruit from another country?"

Alan shrugged, "Who knows?"

"Seriously?" Aigou asked, flabbergasted, "You didn't ask him anything?"

Alan shook his head nonchalantly, "Nope. Whatever he told me was on his own. I don't meddle with strangers."

Noah, Ren, Aaron, Haris, and Isa exchanged incredulous glances. "Yeah, right…" they muttered skeptically.

"Then what exactly did you do?" Rauf asked.

Alan exhaled and replied, "We played an over."

The high schoolers immediately perked up, excitement lighting up their faces.

"And?" Senri pressed.

"Who won?" Haris added eagerly.

"I lost," Alan replied simply.

A collective silence followed, broken by skeptical glances and sighs of disbelief.

"Yeah, right," Ren scoffed.

"Don't joke now, Alan," Elias said with a dismissive smile.

"I don't believe it," Isa said stepping out of the pavilion.

Alan blinked turning to them confused.

"Geez, what a buzzkill! We were genuinely excited," Senri rubbed the back of hairs dissatisfied while Orion huffed laying back on his seat.

"B- but I'm serious," Alan insisted, "I really lost."

The high schoolers gave him doubtful looks and resumed their tasks, clearly unconvinced.

"You might've," Elias said with a knowing grin, sitting beside him, "But not without holding back. We know you, Alan. We can tell when you're not giving it your all or simply playing along."

Alan stayed silent for a moment, "To tell you the truth, he was strong. Really strong. He had this indescribable aura and incredible skills..."

Rauf, Haruf, and Elias leaned in contemplatively. Alan continued, "I felt like if I didn't use my abilities or focus completely, I wouldn't win against him easily in a real match. For a moment, it felt… thrilling." he smiled faintly.

"Aura…?" Rauf murmured.

"What kind of aura?" Haruf inquired from above, giving Alan's hair a light stroke.

Alan paused, recalling the encounter, "He called it L'art de l'amour."

Aaron's eyes widened. "The Art of Love," he translated softly.

"Art of Love, huh…" Elias repeated.

"Now that's interesting." Rauf thought with a grin.

Alan stood abruptly, his grin broadening. "Brother," he said, turning to Rauf, "If a single player can give me this kind of thrill, what would it feel like to face the world out there?"

Rauf grinned back, looking at him, "You'll blaze just like you did before. And become a fire. Smoldering every single one of your shackle."

Alan's expression softened, a small smile tugging at his lips, "Are you sure? I might become uncontrollable."

Rauf stood beside him, gazing ahead, "Then let it be a blaze so fierce that the world has no choice but to stand in awe and you… have no regrets left."

Alan blinked stunned.

"And, if you need help or if the fire starts hurting you. I… we, are right here." "That's exactly what we need to show the world." Rauf ended.

Alan looked low, a light smile tugged at his lips, he agreed with a light hum. "Thanks…" he whispered.

Elias, Haris, Ibrahim, Haruf, Orion, Ren and Nagi nodded lightly sharing a promising smile. 

"Heh… so you're here?" A loud voice echoed through a megaphone.

Alan recognized it instantly and clicked his tongue, turning toward the nets where Nidou sat on a high seat, his gaze locked on Alan.

"Took your fancy time out there, huh? Do you think practice sessions are a joke?" Nidou's reprimanding tone was sharp.

Alan scoffed and rolled his eyes as the middle schoolers and coaches turned to watch the exchange.

"He's here," Seraph whispered.

"He is, but his mood still seems off," Cassiel observed.

"Why? Did I miss something?" Alan asked Nidou, his tone laced with defiance.

Nidou scoffed, rolling his eyes before continuing through the megaphone, "Missed something? Why don't you turn to your brother and ask him?"

Alan glanced at Rauf, who handed him a sheet. As Alan scanned the practice lesson he had missed, he muttered under his breath, "Tch, it's all because of that woman." Turning back to Nidou, he asked, "So, what do I do now? Practice them? Fine by me." Shrugging, Alan set his gear bag aside.

Nidou frowned and added, "Not once. Twice, it is."

"There he goes," Feng gulped.

"He's a devil," Ryan muttered, resting his bat on his shoulder.

Kenzo grinned while the high schoolers looked at Nidou in shock.

"Are you sure, coach? Twice, you said?" Orion asked for confirmation.

Leaning back in his seat, Nidou grinned. "What's the matter? Can't handle it?" His words were a challenge aimed at Alan, who turned around, glaring.

"Oh dear…" Xavier whispered in concern.

Alan grinned back, unwavering, "Bring it on, old man. Proving you wrong is what I live for!"

Nidou smirked and raised his megaphone, announcing, "Everyone, pack up and head to the meeting on the first floor. Only Alan Rex Lorenzo stays as punishment for missing practice. He is to complete the training manual twice before midnight. If he fails, he'll spend the night outside the lodgings. Am I clear?"

"What?!" Noah and Aigou exclaimed in shock.

Isa and Zachariah exchanged anxious looks as Seles, Mir, Pedro, and Musa sighed in disbelief.

Alan simply asked, "Midnight?" "I'll slam this paper on your table by 9:00. Just you wait!" he declared, immediately starting to run laps around the ground without further argument. 

Nidou jumped off the high chair, tossing the megaphone to Seles, as he headed inside. The middle and high schoolers followed, packing up as instructed, but their glances toward Alan were a mix of concern and doubt.

"He's gonna be alright, right?" Adam asked Seraph, who nodded.

"When have you ever seen him anything other than alright? He'll be fine," Gabriel assured.

"Yeah, he's got this," Helios whispered.

"Definitely," Heber, Feng, Poseidon, and Azazel chimed in agreement.

Ezekiel sighed as he watched Alan, "Once the meeting is over, I'll check on him."

Meanwhile, the high schoolers let out collective sighs.

"Head Coach Nidou is getting harsher every day," Aaron complained.

"Does he not remember who Alan really is?" Aigou asked Elias in a whisper.

Elias smiled, ruffling his hair, "Who knows."

Isa sighed, "I just hope Alan makes it through alright."

"He will," Rauf assured, "Just focus on the meeting. Don't get distracted worrying about him."

"Haiz, after that motivational speech, there's no way Alan's giving up," Senri recalled.

Haruf smiled, "Exactly. Let's go!"

"Onward to the meeting!" Ren declared, marching ahead with the others following.