(Part 11)

As hours passed and night fell, the meeting continued on the first floor while Alan persevered through his exercises outside. The biting cold gnawed at him as he rubbed his hands together before resuming pushups. "98… 99… 100," he counted, huffing for air.

Small lights dotted the distant mountains, drawing his gaze occasionally. Sweat poured down his face like an unending waterfall, but his earlier claim drove him forward, resolute.

Inside, Kenzo sat by the window, his gaze fixed on Alan who painstakingly completed each exercise. Narrowing his eyes, Kenzo absentmindedly twirled his pen, the monotony of the lecture and continuous note-taking lulling him into sleepiness. With a sigh, he muttered, "He's… a fool."

"Hm? What did you say?" Feng asked, suddenly standing in front of his desk.

Kenzo glanced at him before repeating, "I said he's a fool."

His words caught the attention of the middle schoolers gathered around him.

"A fool, huh? At least he's dedicated enough to stick to those exercises. He's simply honest, if you ask me," Seraph remarked, taking a seat beside Kenzo.

Heber, Ryan, and Adam leaned against the window, their palms pressed to the glass as they stared at Alan in surprise.

"He must be freezing out there," Xavier said, his voice tinged with concern.

"You're really worried, aren't you?" Cassiel asked, patting Xavier on the shoulder.

"I am," Xavier admitted, "I don't know why, but it feels like I'm a protective guardian to him. Kind of like how I feel about Adam and Ryan."

"Maybe because he's short?" Ezekiel suggested nonsensically.

"Pft! Haha, what does that even mean?" Feng laughed.

Helios smiled, "I think it's because he's always moving forward. It makes him feel close to us, like he's one of us in a way."

Hearing this, Kenzo rolled his eyes. "You're all fools," he grumbled.

"Haha, maybe you're the real fool here, your highness," Ezekiel teased, lightly tapping Kenzo's head, earning a glare. 

"Ay…ya~ Alan's lucky, though. You boys are like his guardian angels," Senri chimed in, prompting chuckles from the high schoolers.

Kenzo clicked his tongue, visibly irritated.

"Why? Jealous?" Ryan smirked.

"Jealous, huh? I guess we are," Isa winked.

"You should be," Kenzo scoffed.

"Mean! We care about you too, you know. Where's the love for us?" Aaron asked, glancing at Orion, who rolled his eyes, while Zachariah looked away disinterested.

Hearing the word 'Love' the middle schoolers acted as if throwing up.

"That's more hurtful, I say." Noah replied in disbelief, while Rauf and Evan left the room.

"We just worry OUR 'love' would be wasted on you," Poseidon countered with a playful smile.

"Little brats…" Aigou muttered as Elias chuckled.

"Come on, let's call it a night. It's getting late," Haruf announced.

Kenzo, however, kept his narrowed gaze fixed on the window.

"Ah~ I'm exhausted," Senri groaned as Kazuna nudged his shoulder, to walk faster.

The boys soon began filing out, leaving Kenzo to his thoughts. 

______

Later that night, the boys settled in the dormitory, reviewing the player files for Multan Sultans.

"Haitam and Milan, huh…" Evan muttered as Haruf handed him another parchment.

"Here's David's profile," Haruf said.

"Hm." Evan took it, scanning the details.

Meanwhile, Elias, flipping through the sheets, glanced at the middle schoolers—mostly sophomores and freshmen—who were gathered near Orion, Haris, and Luo Wang, engrossed in their gaming consoles.

"Haha! A bloodbath it is!" Orion exclaimed triumphantly after defeating Adam's avatar.

"That's cheating!" Adam protested.

"What? You were just weak. Not my fault," Orion retorted with a mischievous grin.

"Oh really? Don't worry, Adam. I'll avenge you!" Ezekiel declared, glaring at Orion, who smirked back.

"Oh? You're welcome to try," Orion challenged.

"Where are the rest of the middle schoolers?" Elias asked Isa, who had just joined him, a steaming cup of tea in hand.

"Where do you think they'd be?" Isa replied with a knowing look. "They all grabbed their gear and headed out, one after another. I'd wager they're practicing and it's not just them…" he went silent.

"Practicing, huh…" Elias murmured, his attention returning to the sheets.

"Poseidon, Helios, Seraph, Ryan, Feng, and Kenzo…" Xavier muttered under his breath. With a sigh, he draped a blanket over Senri, who was fast asleep on the sofa.

"I hope they can improve themselves," he thought to himself, concern evident in his eyes.

_____

Under the moonlight illuminating the practice grounds, Poseidon zipped his jersey closer to his neck, wiping sweat from his brow as the cold bit into his skin with every moment. Balls lay scattered around the wicket as he picked one up by the seam and strode back to his mark. His mind churned.

"What… is going on wrong? Is it because of me? Am I… too weak?" Shaking off the thought, he muttered inwardly, "No, this isn't the time to let anyone down. Even if it hurts twice as much, I have to master the technique Coach Musa taught me… and activate that pairing ability."

Images of his helplessness against Seon Yul flashed in his mind, as he frowned thinking, "I don't want to feel that powerless again." He reached the popping crease and hurled the ball with force. It spun vividly but clipped the leg stump weakly, toppling it. Poseidon studied the trajectory.

"Still not enough skid…" he murmured, setting the wicket again, before turning back for another attempt.

With determination, Poseidon rushed to the crease again, releasing the ball with a grunt. It traveled toward the wicket but died mid-flight, losing both spin and trajectory this time. Frustrated, he clenched his fists. For deep down, he knew the suppressing bitter truth that this is his limit something that he could not accept. Gritting his teeth, he forced a grin. "I haven't even started playing seriously yet," he muttered, ignoring the lingering pain etched in his body.

Nonetheless, from the sidelines, Helios who had been watching him for a while, called out, "Poseidon."

Turning to see Helios approaching, Poseidon masked his fatigue with a smile. "Heli," he greeted.

Helios hesitated but spoke earnestly. "I know you don't like hearing this often, but… don't push yourself so hard."

Poseidon chuckled teasingly, "You're right, I don't like it."

Helios immediately narrowed his gaze apologetic.

"But I also don't mind. I know you're worried about me. Honestly, I'm worried about myself too." Poseidon's voice grew quieter, "I'm afraid if I keep falling behind, I'll become a burden. As a Vice-leader, that's the last thing I want."

Helios listened intently, his concern evident.

"Why are you here, though?" Poseidon asked.

Helios hesitated again before confessing, "I wanted to… talk about our pairing ability. But also, to check if you're really okay. Does your body still hurt? Are you uncomfortable?"

Poseidon chuckled, patting Helios's arm lightly. "Come on, it's not that bad. Yeah, it hurts sometimes, and yeah, it's uncomfortable. But hey, I'm not dying or anything." he laughed, but the words made Helios's expression darken.

"Don't say something like that so simply," Helios warned sternly, clearly upset.

Realizing his mistake, Poseidon forced a more convincing smile, "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I won't say it again." 

Helios's expression relaxing, Poseidon continued, "Anyway, as you just saw, my bowling's a mess since the last match. I doubt I'll recover anytime soon. But even if I can't fix myself, I'm glad you still need me. I'm glad we're in this together. That's why… I won't let you down."

Helios was momentarily speechless.

Poseidon, sensing his tension, added with a smirk, "We're practically reading each other's minds now, aren't we? So why hasn't this pairing ability activated yet?"

Helios mused aloud, "Alan said abilities like UNBREAK/UNSEAL, or DOMINANCE create an unshakable bond. They break limits, forge an enduring connection, and lead teams to victory. The feeling of unlocking it is supposed to be indescribable, something as simple as having 'Fun', yet resilient. But if the high schoolers managed to activate theirs, what are we lacking?"

Poseidon nodded, recalling, "Head Coach Nidou said, 'True strength comes when you believe in yourself, your skills, and even your weaknesses. And when you trust your comrades completely, the path opens.'"

Helios narrowed his gaze, pondering, "But I trust Poseidon more than I trust myself. So, why…?" 

Then a sudden realization struck him. He turned sharply to Poseidon, "What did you just say earlier?"

"Huh?" Poseidon blinked, confused by Helios's sudden urgency.

Nonetheless, two figures that settled themselves on the audience seats ahead, grinned. "Want to know what's missing?" one called out.

"That's why we're here, after all." The other added.

Helios and Poseidon turned around.

Poseidon immediately recognized the voices. "Senior Noah? Senior Aaron?" he asked in surprise.

Aaron hopped down beside Noah, casually resting a bat on his shoulder. Both looking well-prepared.

"What are you doing here?" Helios asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Listening to your concerns, of course. Haiz, but we couldn't bear to sit quietly any longer," Noah said, rubbing the back of his head with a smirk.

Helios and Poseidon exchanged amused glances.