(Part 6)

The next day, Poseidon stood beside his bed, his back resting against the side rail. His gaze remained fixed on his open palm, where a few pills lay untouched. A deep frown settled on his lips as his thoughts drifted, until two familiar voices snapped him out of it.

"Hurry up! They're eating my head out there," Sehan complained.

"Alright, alright. You go first. I'll grab Poseidon and be right behind you," Helios replied, stepping inside. "Poseidon!" he called out.

Poseidon looked up and smiled. A quiet greeting, wordless yet understood.

Helios exhaled sharply, already exasperated, "Seriously? Why aren't you ready yet?"

Poseidon blinked, glancing down at himself in confusion, "I am ready. What else do you want me to do?"

Helios followed his gaze to the dressing table, then sighed, "Nothing. Just let me handle it." Without waiting for a response, he grabbed a comb and a cap before heading to the wardrobe, pulling out a dark blue collared shirt to match Poseidon's white t-shirt.

Poseidon watched his frantic movements, amusement flickering in his eyes. "You surprise me," he remarked.

Helios smirked, "You surprise me more. You don't even know how to dress properly." Poseidon shook his head, "Rude. I barely leave this hospital. How would I know?"

Helios didn't respond immediately. Instead, he placed the neatly folded clothes on the bed, but then, his gaze fell on the pills still sitting in Poseidon's hand. His expression darkened in disbelief. "You haven't even taken your medicine yet?" he gasped. "For heaven's sake…" He hurriedly poured a glass of water and shoved it into Poseidon's free hand, "Drink. Now."

While Poseidon finally swallowed the pills, Helios busied himself combing his hair, then settled the cap on his head. "Geez, even turtles are faster than you," he muttered.

Poseidon chuckled, setting the glass aside before pulling on the collared shirt.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Helios rushed him, tossing the comb aside. 

Before Poseidon could react, he was already being dragged toward the door by his wrist. But just as they were about to leave, Helios suddenly stopped and turned to face him.

Poseidon tilted his head, "What?"

Helios hesitated before asking, slowly, "You're feeling alright, right?"

Poseidon smiled and nodded.

"No restlessness or pain anywhere?" Helios pressed.

Again, Poseidon shook his head.

Helios exhaled in relief, "Good. But listen. If you feel anything wrong, don't hide it, okay?"

Poseidon, now thoroughly done with the endless worrying, rolled his eyes. With a playful huff, he pulled Helios forward instead, "Geez, alright, I get it! Now let's go, or at this rate, it'll be nighttime before we even leave." Helios chuckled but followed.

Outside, Mirza, Ebraham, Haadi, and Claude were already waiting.

As soon as they spotted Poseidon, they waved and rushed over, surrounding him in an instant before dragging him toward the ride. Helios lingered for a moment, glancing at Layla and Sahil. They nodded. Helios smiled waving back, his small smile was enough to reassure them.

"Come on, Helios!" Sehan called from inside the vehicle.

Helios nodded and climbed in, the last traces of his concern easing as laughter and voices filled the air.

By the time they arrived at the stadium, concern? even the worry they had felt earlier seemed like a distant memory. Stepping out of the car, Poseidon froze. His breath hitched as he took in the sight before him. Something he had never experienced before.

Outside the stadium it was a buzz of excitement. Fans in team colors waved flags, chanted, and hurried toward the gates, where security checked their tickets. Vendors sold jerseys, snacks, and drinks, while the smell of grilled food filled the air. The towering floodlights stood ready as the distant roar from inside signaled the game's anticipation. 

At first, it was overwhelming. The noise, the movement, the sheer vastness of it all but, Poseidon's excitement eclipsed any uncertainty. His dark blue eyes darted across every detail, as if trying to capture every moment, afraid to miss a single thing. Mirza guided him through the crowd, throwing occasional glances his way, while Helios followed just behind.

Then, they stepped inside. It was as if they had entered another world. A cauldron of noise, color, and emotion. The vast green field stretched out under the towering stands, its freshly cut grass gleaming under the floodlights. The boundary ropes were adorned with sponsor logos, and digital screens flickered with close-ups of players warming up.

The crowd was alive with excitement. Some sections exploded into rhythmic chants, synchronized claps, and drum beats, while others were locked in heated debates about the match. The commentary from the speakers fused with the stadium announcer's voice, calling out the playing teams and key match details.

"There you go! The best seats of all! Praise me," Mirza declared as the boys settled down one by one.

"Yeah, yeah, you're the best, birthday boy," Ebraham muttered with a smirk.

"At least we won't have to deal with tall heads blocking our view," Haadi added, stretching out in his seat.

As they got comfortable, Claude tugged at Poseidon's sleeve. "Come on, sit already—" He paused, his voice trailing off.

Poseidon stood motionless, his gaze locked on the stadium before him. His hands trembled slightly, his eyes wide and glassy, like a child witnessing snowfall for the first time. He didn't speak. Perhaps because there were no words that could truly capture what he felt.

Helios, who had settled behind them with Sehan and Mirza's father, simply smiled.

"By the way, care to enlighten me on whose match we're watching in the first place?" Sehan asked, glancing at the four ahead of him, who were busy examining posture breakdowns and match statistics.

"The Inter-Academy T-20 Finals…" Claude began, just as Poseidon settled into his seat beside him, "between two of the biggest academies. Ask who?"

"Who?" Sehan played along.

"Atia Edencity versus Eight Generation," Claude announced.

At the mention of the latter, Sehan stiffened briefly. His gaze instinctively flickered toward the dugout, where familiar yellow and purple jerseys stood out among the crowd. Players huddled together, exchanging last-minute strategies as their coaches gestured animatedly. A nostalgic smile ghosted across Sehan's lips. "I see…" he murmured.

Helios, keenly attuned to the shift in Sehan's demeanor, narrowed his eyes in quiet curiosity.

"Atia Edencity and Eight Generation are almost always neck and neck in the finals. They set records every time," Haadi remarked, "Right now, Atia Edencity is aiming for their third consecutive victory, while Eight Generation is looking for its first in two years."

"Neither of these teams can be taken lightly," Claude added.

"So, who are we cheering for?" Sehan asked.

"Anyone you want," Mirza grinned, "Whoever makes you want to set your next middle school as a target."

"Huh? So, you all came here just to watch a final so you could choose your next academy?!" Sehan asked in disbelief.

"Of course! We're not about to go to an academy that doesn't take cricket seriously. We all promised to aim for the World Cup, right, Helios?" Ebraham said, turning to him.

Helios gave a nonchalant nod.

"Seriously…? And what if their academics aren't good?" Sehan countered.

"That won't be an issue," Mirza's father interjected, "These are some of the most prestigious private academies in the city. Not just these two. Look over there." He gestured towards the right and then forward, "Those are students from Crescent International, and just ahead of them in the next stands, you'll see students from Roots Millennium."

Pointing toward the opposite side, he continued, "And over there, those are the seniors from Aitchison Academy. All of them participated in this tournament. If these two academies are hosting such a grand event today together, they're not to be taken lightly."

"Ah… I see," Sehan nodded, taking it all in.

Mirza nudged Poseidon, "So, Poseidon… which academy would you like to go to?"

"Huh…?" Poseidon stammered, caught off guard, "I-I don't know."

"That's fine," Claude said reassuringly, giving Poseidon a light pat on the shoulder, "You'll figure it out after watching this match today. After all, we're all going to the same academy together."

Poseidon lowered his gaze to his hands, mulling over Claude's words. "Together…?" he murmured.

As the match began and unfolded, Poseidon observed everything keenly, taking in the atmosphere, the energy, and the competitive spirit. It felt entirely different from how he usually saw on TV. Each moment was a new experience, one that formed his understanding of the game.

From time to time, Claude turned to Helios, flashing him a delighted thumbs-up whenever Poseidon's face lit up with surprise or excitement.

The others, too, found themselves deeply affected by his innocence, experiencing an emotional meltdown at how pure his reactions were.

Helios, sitting beside Sehan, simply watched with quiet amusement. Oh, he knew how much he was used to this. The five-hour-long match flew by in what felt like an instant.

And when it ended, much to Poseidon's astonishment, he wasn't worn out. Instead, he wished it had lasted even longer.