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No. I was a defender, therefore scoring it myself was not an option. Alpha may be open, but seeing as how he had missed every shot he was given, he was no longer the safe option.

There was only one right choice.

Without wasting any more time, I performed a low cross towards the middle. Sorry Alpha.

Joe!

Catching the ball with his feet, he approached the goal slowly despite the time crunch. Although he had the ball, other defenders stayed on their marks and kept their distance. A safe decision on their part, but once his mark had let his guard down, Joe immediately dashed forward. In a panic, all the other defenders rushed forward to intercept and tackle him. Unfortunately for them, Joe's legs were too fast and he performed a rainbow, bringing the ball above and out of the circle of defenders. The moment the ball was free, Joe immediately dashed forward and kicked the ball towards the goal. Because of the close distance, the goalkeeper didn't stand a chance and the goal was ours.

I and the rest of our team roared in celebration and dashed towards Joe, who performed a backflip and held his arms out in victory. I jumped onto his back as the first to approach him and held my fist high in the air. The rest of the team followed suit as they tackled Joe to the ground. The whistle then blew, signalling the end of the game and together we shook hands with the opposing team before carrying him back to the locker room in high spirits.

Even as we entered, it took a while for us to change as we continued celebrating in the locker room. We huddled in a loose circle as we jumped, chanted and screamed until our voices grew hoarse.

Our first victory!

I shifted around the circle to celebrate with my fellow freshmen and eventually found Joe and Eun-Wol. Alpha was nowhere to be seen, which I found strange since he was hard to miss with his bright blonde hair. I then shook my head. Well, now wasn't the time to think about that. He was probably somewhere in the crowd.

After a few more jumps and chants, we headed back to our lockers to change. It was only then was I able to spot Alpha. His head was down as if he was depressed we had lost a game, but maybe I was just overthinking things. Maybe he just didn't want to talk to anybody.

Drying myself and putting my school uniform back on, I slung my bag over my shoulder and made my way out.

"I'll be going on ahead. I'll see you guys outside."

Having received nods from both Joe and Eun-Wol, I looked back to see Alpha still changing with his head down. Wondering to see if he was okay, I put a hand over his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Alpha?" I asked.

Before I knew it, he turned and rocketed his fist to my cheek.

"Ugh!"

It came out of nowhere, and I felt myself falling back and hitting my head on one of the lockers as I fell.

"What the hell was that for?!" I heard him yell. "I WAS OPEN! YOU COULD'VE PASSED IT TO ME AND WE WOULD'VE WON!"

Before he could come any closer, Joe came from behind and locked his arms while pulling him away.

"Calm down! We already won the game!" he exclaimed.

"Are you alright?!" I felt Eun-Wol come over and sling my arm over his shoulder as he helped me stand.

"What's going on here?!"

Coach and the rest of the team soon came over to our side of the locker room, their faces full of curiosity and concern. Not wanting to draw any more attention, I waved my hand, dismissing the issue. While the looks never left their faces, they didn't stop Eun-Wol and I from leaving the locker room in hopes of escaping the chaos.

I could feel my head pulsating every step we took and my vision for some reason felt distorted. My left cheek felt hot and my teeth felt like they were about to fall off. Opening my mouth, I pushed on them a little and sighed in relief as they didn't budge. Still, I felt pain ripple through my face as I stretched my cheek.

The cold air hit as we walked outside, and immediately I let my hand go as it brushed over my cheek, effectively numbing it a little. I winced as I poked my cheek, feeling it harden as if it was already swelling.

"Are you alright?" Eun-Wol asked, a hint of urgency in his voice.

I smiled and nodded in hopes of calming some of the tension that had followed.

"I'm alright." While not sure if I had convinced him enough, thankfully the line of cars outside helped bring the attention away from me and back to them. Seeing dad in the driveway, we made eye contact and he waved to me. I could only nod in acknowledgement before the rest of the team arrived from the locker room, effectively blocking my view as they checked on me.

"Bro, are you okay?! I heard that, that was quite a hit!"

"Where did he hit you, man?!"

"Yo, that wasn't cool!"

Even after reassuring them that I was fine, they refused to disperse. It was only due to their parents waiting in the parking lot that they left. I looked back at the entrance of the locker room and saw Joe arriving alone. Neither Alpha nor the coach were anywhere to be seen. Upon seeing me, he rushed over and did the same as the others.

"Dude, are you alright?! I heard that man! That was a heavy blow!"

"I'm fine." I reassured him. "What about Alpha? What's up with him?"

Joe scrunched up his face as if I had just asked something stupid.

"You're seriously worried about him?! For goddess's sake Aaron, he just punched you because you didn't pass to him!"

I shrugged. "Eh, it doesn't hurt as much as you think. And who knows? Maybe he's having some issues. I mean, he had a point. We might've won if I had passed to him." I replied, trying to loosen things up a little.

Unfortunately, that only made Joe's face scrunch up harder.

"Aaron. You helped us win by passing it to me. You did a good thing. Stop discrediting yourself."

"Agreed." Eun-Wol chimed in.

I smiled at their support. At that they both raised an eyebrow, probably unsure of what I was smiling about. Fortunately, they both just shrugged it off, to which I was thankful for. It made me feel bad to have so many people doting on me.

"Well my dad's here. You want a ride home?" I asked.

Joe shook his head. "Nah man, I already have one. Oh look she's here!"

Joe waved to someone in the distance, and suddenly the back door of one of the cars in line opened, revealing a girl with bright orange hair. She waved back to him and rushed over. As she approached and I got a better look at her familiar features, I realized who she was.

Even if she had seen me as she was running towards Joe, she made no indication of it as she jumped and embraced Joe.

"I was watching the match! You did so well!" she exclaimed.

"Aww thank you~!" the tone in which he said sounded so annoying, yet familiar. I looked over at Eun-Wol and saw him just as confused as I was.

"I saw your goal! That was so cool!"

"Aww you flatter me~!" The way he spoke became so exaggerated that I almost had trouble remembering this was the same guy I knew since elementary school. Then again, he did the same in my car the dad took him home.

Wait a minute…

"No way…"

Finally remembering that we were present, Joe cleared his throat and gently let the girl down.

"Er-Ahem. Guys, this is-"

Before he could finish, I decided to finish it for him.

"Jett. Your not-girlfriend, right?"

"She is not-! Uh...yeah. Right."

I smiled as I saw Jett's eyes narrow as she looked at him, but soon the look faded as she turned back to us.

"Now here's a familiar face." she said, turning to me. "How are you and your sister?"

"Fine actually. She really liked the drink you bought for her." I replied. "I promise I'll pay you back one day."

Jett smiled at the comment. Seeing her again now, it was weird how different she was from when we first met. Now she was smiling more widely. Maybe it was just because I didn't know her as well yet. There was something about her though, that made me think Joe had a small part in it, but maybe it was just me. Maybe it was just the way she latched onto him.

Whatever it was though, I was happy for them.

The sound of honks hit me full force, and I turned to see dad waving to me as he finally reached the front of the line, where we stood.

"Alright, well I have to go. I'll see you guys later."

"Take it easy man." Joe said. I notice it's not said in casual address but out of genuine concern.

"Rest yourself." Eun-Wol said, padding my shoulder.

"Will do."

Getting into the car, dad smiled and waved at Joe before turning his eyes back to the road.

"Sao? Đội con có thắng không?" (So? Did you guys win?)

"Yeah," I replied, realizing how tired I was. I sounded a little less enthusiastic than I probably should have been. "2-1. We made a last-minute goal."

"Sao vậy? Sao con không nhìn vui?" (What's wrong? Why don't you sound excited?)

Instinctively I put a hand over my cheek to prevent him from seeing the bruise, if there was any at all. As I felt my hand slap my cheek, I flinched a little, feeling the sting ripple throughout my face. I bit my lip to hold back the pain in hopes dad wouldn't take notice. Things often got difficult when he started worrying and asking questions, and I wasn't in the mood to deal with an interrogation.

"Con chỉ mệt thôi." I said, hoping he'd be convinced and leave it at that. (I'm just a little tired)

"Mm."

And just like that, the conversation was over.

*VRRR*

Checking my phone for the new message, I noticed the familiar number and checked it right away.

Just saw the results. Congrats! Sux u couldn't score tho.

If there was one thing I knew, if there were any "shortened" words in her texts, it meant she was probably busy. Otherwise she'd text using complete words. Looking back, I couldn't believe I was taking note of these small things. What's more, I texted her more than I texted back any of my friends here. Then again, I saw them in person more often. Even so, it was still strange how quick we got used to each other.

Thanks. You sang well at the concert.

Don't lie, bet u wrnt even watching :P

XD

Yeah, she was right. I wasn't watching, How could I? I was so nervous I couldn't focus on anything else but the game today. Well it wasn't like it was lost to time. I'm sure there'd be a recording of it somewhere on ViewTube so I could just watch it from there. On another note, it was surprising to know that our games were broadcasted on local T.V. I mean, sure I noticed the cameras and the camera crews hanging around the stadium, but I had always thought our games were recorded solely for the purpose of the school, not the T.V. With so many new things around, it still sort of came as a shock to me. Heck, her even bothering to turn on the T.V just to watch us play made me feel special a bit.

Speaking of her, after our initial-no...second encounter, I started listening to her music. I had to admit, her songs were catchy. She had a large vocal range and the catchy beats with somewhat relatable lyrics made her rise to fame a bit more understandable. She even had several million plays on Musify, even more than my favorite band. Heck even Rose enjoyed listening to her, and she was pretty picky in her choice of good songs. Even I found myself enjoying her music and saving some of her songs on my playlists.

Good thing nobody would ever know.

"Ow…"

The stinging had worsened ever since the punch, and unfortunately a good night's rest did nothing to alleviate it. Brushing my teeth and washing my face had become difficult. Things certainly didn't help as my bruise made itself even more visible by darkening.

I poked at it a few times, feeling the hard texture of my cheek and wincing as I did so. Well, it was nothing my hand couldn't cover. I had also thought of an excuse if dad were to get suspicious as well. Then again, there was always the possibility of him not believing. Overall, just making sure he never saw it was the best option.

Normally I would've opted to skip breakfast, but since I had barely eaten anything since yesterday, breakfast didn't sound so bad. Eggs were out of the question, as the oil would make a loud bubbling noise. While I was sure that wouldn't wake dad up, it was better not to take chances. That said, cereal was the only option here.

Opening one of the drawers, I grabbed the box of "Moon Bunny's Rice Cakes" cereal and inspected it, hoping there was at least enough to feed both me and Rose before pouring it out.

"Welp, thank you Goddess for the food…"

I winced as I took the first bite. I could feel the sugar coursing through my tongue and burning it slightly as it did so. How the heck did Rose manage to eat this stuff for so long? It was tasty, but it screamed unhealthy. To make matters worse, every movement of my cheek caused the stinging to return. Why? Why did breakfast have to be so laborious?

Today was not a good day.

...

With so much that had happened yesterday, I figured it was better to just head straight to class. As of right now, I didn't really want to talk to anyone. To my surprise, the door was left open and what awaited me was warm air and an empty classroom. Save for Mr. Grendel of course. Upon my entrance, he lifted his eyes from my book and gave me a warm smile.

"Well, good morning Aaron." he greeted.

"Good morning, Mr. Grendel." I greeted back, a little surprised he even took the effort to remember my name. Sure he and I might have conversed a little during classes, but the amount of times that had happened could be counted on two hands. Nevertheless though, I couldn't say I didn't enjoy them, or the class. Mr. Grendel, despite being old, really had a way of connecting with his students and helping them understand and enjoy biology. Thinking about it now, I think biology may have been my strongest class.

Well, there was Viet too, but my grade in that class was lower than biology. Not like I'd ever let dad know though. Him knowing that probably would've cost me my laptop despite how high it was.

"So what had you arrive so early today? Eager for a new lesson in biology?" he asked.

"Something like that." I replied, which I wasn't really lying about. I was eager.

He only hummed in response, sounding unconvinced but deciding not to ask further. Instead, he went ahead and moved on.

"Well, since you're here early, why don't you pass up your homework to my desk to get if off your mind?"

I did as I was told, single-handedly grabbing out several sheets of paper from my folder and handing it over to him. Mr. Grendel turned his head slightly as he looked at me and raised an eyebrow while eyeing my covered cheek.

"Is something on your cheek?" he asked.

For a minute I debated on whether or not I should tell him. Sure I may have been punched, and sure Alpha may have been mad at me, but I wasn't sure if this was something worth mentioning to others, especially school staff. Before I could say anything, however, Mr. Grendel dismissed the issue with his hand.

"Ah, there's no need to answer. I'm sure you're capable of resolving the issue on your own. Forgive me, I shouldn't have pried."

I nodded and smiled, making sure not to smile too wildly to make my cheeks hurt, thankful he decided not to push the issue. "No problem."

After a few minutes, more students arrived and the classroom was full before the bell rang. I gave Lapis a nod of acknowledgement as he came and sat next to me. He nodded back and seemed to want to say something, but decided against it. Class continued as usual, my hand on my cheek not really serving as much of a handicap while I wrote my notes. Thankfully there were no tests or quizzes this week, as things had been a little hectic, but then again it wasn't like I had anything to worry about. All of my grades were well above the 90 range.

As class ended, I packed my things and got ready to leave. Before I could walk out the door, however, Lapis tapped my shoulder, gesturing he wanted us to meet somewhere before we moved on. Once we were behind one of the buildings and away from sight, he gave a sigh of relief.

"Hey man, I heard about what happened yesterday. Are you okay?" he asked, his signature smile gone.

"Eh, I'll be fine." I reassured him. "Nothing that won't heal within a few days I hope."

Lapis nodded in relief, most likely happy to know I wasn't too upset.

"Thanks. Listen man, I just wanted to say sorry for whatever it is that happened. Alpha isn't always like that."

I nodded in understanding. Still though, there was some doubt in my mind. Was there something I could've done to avoid this from happening?

"Can you tell me what happened? I've noticed that for the past few days neither he nor Beta have been themselves."

Lapis nodded in agreement.

"It's...complicated. I'll let you know when he's ready. It's his problem after all. I don't wanna say anything yet, but I just want you to know that whatever happened yesterday wasn't your fault. It was mine for not realizing what the twins were going through. Don't worry about meeting him today. They're taking some time off from school."

I inwardly sighed in relief and tapped his shoulder to let him know I wasn't mad. He said a word of thanks before we parted ways.

Sure enough, neither Alpha nor Beta were anywhere to be seen during class, break or lunch. On the plus side, nearly all of the soccer team rushed over to check on me the moment they spotted me.

It took a lot of reassurance, but eventually they accepted that I was okay and dispersed, making sure to congratulate me for the assist and Joe for the goal.

Upon finding a spot where we could eat in peace, Lapis and Lazuli came and found us. Just like what he did with me, Lazuli apologized and tried to explain what was going on.

"You're alright, right?" Lazuli asked, bending down to meet my gaze. I was taken aback a little by the fact that she even acknowledged my presence at all. To make things weirder, she even looked concerned.

"Uh...yeah. I suppose…"

From the corner of my eye I could see Joe smirk.

"Well, looks like Aaron's finally won some brownie points!" he laughed.

At that comment, Lazuli immediately withdrew her hand and instead used it to slap Joe's knee.

"Hey! I only did it because I don't want him to get mad at Alpha! That's all!" Lazuli then humphed and walked away, back to her old self.

Once she was gone though, Joe's faced turned serious.

"It's Will, isn't it?" he asked.

Lapis nodded his head without saying anything else and Joe nodded in understanding. Eun-Wol and I could only stare in ignorance.

"I figured. At this point I can understand, but it was still uncool of him to punch Aaron just because he didn't pass it to him. He never did that to me. He owes Aaron an apology."

"I'm sure he feels terrible about it already. I guess at the time he was too eager to prove himself, which was why he kept messing up. When he didn't get the chance to prove himself, he got mad."

"Who's Will?" Eun-Wol asked, something that I had been curious about as well. Joe and Lapis looked at one another as if debating whether or not to tell us everything. After a few seconds Joe spoke.

"Just someone that none of us like. Besides, you've seen him before. Remember the guy who approached Alpha after our game with PSG?"

It took me a while to recall, but I did vaguely remember some guy in glasses who stepped out of a car.

"You mean the tall guy with glasses?"

"That's the guy. He and the twins have some history."

Seeing as how they went no further than that, I guessed it was better not to pry. Maybe Alpha would talk when he was ready.

"Sorry guys…" Lapis said. "Maybe when they're ready they'll let you know. For now though, I'll check on them after school." With that, Lapis saluted and left.

Come soccer practice, Alpha's absence didn't go unnoticed as some teammates asked for his whereabouts. Even so, things continued normally as if it was no big deal, to which I was thankful for. It made practice a little less awkward. Some still patted my back in reassurance, but other than that, practice continued like it always had. Still, it sucked to have one less friend join in.

"Your steps are slow Aaron! Lift up your feet!" coach yelled, bringing me out of my trance. I immediately complied, realizing I still needed to focus.

As practice went on, the usual atmosphere between us freshmen gradually returned to normal. We started talking to each other again and Joe, Eun-Wol and I struck conversations with one another about random topics such as clubs and music. As practice went on, we had almost forgotten Alpha was missing from our group.

After practice, before I got changed, coach called me over so he could examine my cheek.

"Hm...it's darkening, but it doesn't look too bad. In fact, it's already fading." he said, as he looked it over. "Would you like a bandage?"

I shook my head, telling him a bandage would be redundant since it was already fading. Plus, I'd get in trouble for not telling dad about it. Even so, I sighed in relief knowing it took less than a day for it to fade. Giving it one more poke, I no longer felt the pain I had since this morning.

"What happened yesterday?" coach asked, crossing his arms and giving me a stern look.

"To be honest I don't know…" I replied. "I think it's a personal issue, but I guess it was because I didn't pass to him for the final goal. Because of that he got mad and punched me."

"Hm. Earlier this morning his friends came over to explain the situation to me. Even though I have some sort of understanding over what's going on, I'm trusting you both to find a way to come to an agreement of some sort. It's very early in the season and I'd rather not have to kick someone out of the team if I don't have to. Understood? I'm not mad nor am I saying anyone is at fault here. However, if we're going to win games, we have to work together as a team. Understood?"

I nodded in confirmation to which he nodded back and eased his look.

"Alright."

"Anh Hai, your face is purple!" Rose yelled, pointing at my uncovered cheek.

And just like that, my decisions come to haunt me.

"Shhh! Rose!" I yelled, immediately she covered her mouth.

I sighed in defeat as I heard footsteps approaching from the carpeted hallway. Once dad appeared, his loose eyebrows immediately furrowed as he noticed the bruise on my cheek.

Without saying a word, he lifted my head to inspect it. He brushed his fingers over the bruise, causing me to flinch as the pain rose.

"Có đau lắm không?" he asked sternly. (Does it hurt bad?)

"Not really." I reassured for what seemed like the tenth time, realizing how much it sucked that this could've been avoided if I had just told the truth.

"Ai làm vậy?" (Who did this?)

Realizing I had no way out, I told him the condensed story of everything that had happened yesterday. I did my best to reassure him that everything was okay and there was no issue, but it was hard to tell what he was feeling as his expression never changed as he listened. After I finished, he sat still for a moment with Rose sitting by his side, anxious to see how he would react. After a few more seconds of silence, dad nodded and patted my head.

"Everything will be okay, right?" he asked.

"Yup."

"Alright then. If anything happens, let me know."

And with that, he returned to his work.

While he left though, I could tell he wasn't thoroughly convinced.

Made sense I guess. Even after the reassurance I had received, I wasn't sure I was convinced either.

Anything you liked? Hated? Thought I could do better? Don't hesitate to let me know!

On another note, I've been reading some of my past chapters and realized they didn't fit my current standards, so I'll be working on improving them. Depending on how school goes, it could take quite a while before the next one comes out. Still, I hope you guys enjoyed this!