Wow, I should not have taken as long as I have to release this one. Really sorry everyone, but I've been a combination of busy with trying to find a job and lax with enjoying my time out of the country. I didn't want to keep you guys waiting too long though, so I released this as fast as I could after getting back from vacation.

That said...

Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.

Why was I even debating this? This wasn't just for me or Alpha, it was for the entire team. Our friendship, our team chemistry, and even our school lives depended on this choice. It was obvious what I needed to do.

Taking a deep breath and grabbing my phone, I hurried back a text.

I'll be there. Just let me know the time.

So this was it. There was no point in going back now.

I shivered. Whether it was in anticipation or due to the snow, I blew onto my hands, hoping the heat would make it stop. I was a few minutes early, but surprisingly nobody had shown up to the meeting place. Mushroom Park, was it? I was sure I had the right address. Nevertheless, I decided to wait a little longer. Maybe everyone would show up at the exact time.

No sooner had I thought that did a few others show up. Our captain arrived soon followed by a few upperclassmen. Once again the moment they saw me, they immediately rushed over to see if I was okay. After some more reassurance, they laid off their concerns and waited alongside me. Joe and Eun-Wol then came in a few moments later taking seats next to me. Both of them padded me on the shoulder, knowing I was one of the biggest reasons why this was even happening in the first place.

A few more members came in before the meeting time and together we waited in anticipation for whatever it was that was coming. The moment the meeting time arrived, Alpha showed up. Following him were Beta, Lapis and Lazuli.

He looked a little tense as he approached us, but none of us really knew what to say to lighten the mood. Some of us, me included, could only nod in acknowledgement as he approached us. Of course, it made sense. After everything that occured last week, who wouldn't feel awkward? The whole team and even coach knew so they had to be cautious. Still, I couldn't help but feel a little bad. Besides the ones standing beside him, I don't think any of us were ready to take his side yet.

Alpha shuffled a bit in front of us, obviously nervous at being the center of attention, but that all immediately disappeared after taking a deep breath.

"Hey guys," he started, eyeing me. "So I'm sure you all know what happened last week. I...punched Aaron."

He took a deep breath as if trying to recover from admitting his mistake.

"I was being pathetic and yelled at him for not passing me the ball for the final shot. That wasn't right, but before I apologize there's something I need you guys all to know."

We are stared intently at him, anticipation crawling upon us at knowing something that was negatively affecting one of our teammates.

"There's a guy I know. Will. He's been trying to take control of my life. Our lives." Alpha said, gesturing to the ones beside him. "He's been paying off my friends, beating them, trying to get them away from me. I've lost so many friends, and when I didn't get the ball...I thought the same happened to Aaron. I'm sorry, I know this isn't an excuse but..."

No tears came from him as he spoke, but his sadness was obvious. It was as if he was so used to it that he had no more tears to cry out. He then eyes me with the same sorrowful look still on his face and bowed to me.

"Aaron...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for punching you." He said, before turning to face the rest of the team. "And I'm sorry everyone for causing trouble. I didn't mean it and I hope we can still keep playing together. I'm willing to do anything to stay on this team."

Beta, Lapis, and Lazuli all put their hands on his shoulder in comfort. He obviously needed it, as he was trying to stop himself from tearing up. I could relate to some degree. Apologizing was never an easy thing to do, especially to those who took pride in who they were. Since I understood that, the next move should've been obvious.

Rising up from my spot, I walked slowly and approached them. The four of them looked at me with somewhat tense looks, but stayed silent, which I was grateful for. To explain what I was going to do next...that would've been embarrassing.

It was only when Alpha and I were eye-to-eye did I finally stop. He looked at me cautiously, almost as if anticipating me throwing a punch.

I then held out my hand and gave him a smile while I waited. He looked down at it and back at me, almost in disbelief of what I was doing. Slowly, his hand came to mine and grabbed it hesitantly. I, on the other hand, grabbed it firmly and shook it, letting him know I didn't blame him.

Before I knew it, other members came in, padding him on the shoulders, giving him a hug, and eventually we all huddled around him.

"Everything's will be alright. You worked up the strength to come clean to us. That shows that you care. Everything will be alright. Look up everyone! Looks like our starting striker's back!" our captain said.

Most of us cheered at the encouragement as we finally felt we were together again.

"Maplers on three...THREE!"

"MAPLERS!"

With nothing else left to do or say, we all parted ways, back to where we came from. And suddenly, as I walked, everything seemed so light. The snow, the weather, even myself. I couldn't really explain it for some reason...it was like a weight was removed from my heart. Like there was nothing holding me back.

"Man, you were cool."

I couldn't see him, but based on where his voice came from, Joe was approaching me from behind, most likely shaking his head for whatever reason.

"What did I do?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Walk up to him, firmly give him a handshake without saying a word? Very cool." Eun-Wol chimed in.

I shook my head at them. It was just a handshake, nothing more or less. Was such a simple thing so exciting? Truth be told, I simply didn't say anything because I was caught up in the moment. I think I had a thought in my head while I listened to him apologize. Maybe something along the lines of helping me in my defending to make up for it, but as I walked up to him it somehow slipped my mind. I probably also should've said something along the lines of "it's going to be alright" or something similar while I shook his hand to further prove myself.

Whatever the case though, I was glad everything turned out fine.

I plopped down on the sofa, somehow feeling tired after the days events, even though it was nowhere near noon. Rose kept herself busy by playing the piano, so far gone that she didn't even notice I had arrived home.

"Hồi nảy con với mấy bạn đi đâu vậy?" dad asked, coming into the room in just a T-shirt and jeans. Seeing him out of his pediatric wear threw me off for a little, causing me to take a few seconds to recover before answering him. (Where did you and your friends go off to earlier?)

"Just to the park." I replied. "Soccer team meeting."

Dad nodded in acknowledgement. "Vui không? Mấy con nói về chuyện gì?" (Was it fun? What did you two talk about?)

"Ehh...teamwork stuff. Mostly serious things we needed to address."

Before dad could pry further, Rose suddenly halted playing the piano and turned to face us.

"Ua? Anh Hai về!" she exclaimed, excited as always before turning back to the piano. (Oh? Big brother's home!)

With Rose finally in the conversation and all three of us in the same place, Dad seemed to ponder a bit before snapping and coming to a decision.

"How about we go somewhere today? Lâu quá mình không đi chơi." (It's been so long since we last went out.)

"Nhưng mình đi đâu?" I asked. "We've already been to the mall…" (But where will we go?)

"Thì mình đi chổ khác. I've already looked up a few places. How about I take you guys there?" (Then we'll go somewhere else.)

I couldn't really refuse, seeing as how dad already put in the effort to look up places for us. Having nothing else to do for the day, both Rose and I soon got into the car and together we were off.

"Ba ơi mình đi đâu vậy?" Rose asked, shifting in her seat. (Daddy, where are we going?)

"You'll see."

Rose became excited while I remained neutral. Dad leaving us in the dark wasn't always a good thing. It wasn't like he purposely brought us to a "bad" place, but rather he liked to hype things up just so we could keep him company when in truth it was just a small visit either to the bank or the market. I will admit though, my hopes did raise a little when I saw we were heading down some unfamiliar road. I could see several structures ahead, all bearing some slight resemblance to our home country.

"Is that where we're heading?" I asked, pointing in the direction of the buildings.

"You'll see." he said again.

That was pretty much a yes.

"Mu Lung Gardens…" I whispered, reading the sign as we rapidly passed it by. Before I knew it, much of the light was obscured due to the tall trees blocking it. Of course, since it was winter there wasn't a lot of light to begin with, but seeing trees tall enough to block out the light was usually a rare sight, especially in the city. Rose shared my sentiment as well, vocalizing her awe.

"Wow…" was all she could say as we continued on the road, albeit a lit slower than earlier due to being in a line.

"A lot of people must be visiting here too." I commented.

"Mm. Thường thường chổ này đông vào mùa xuân và mùa đông. Since then I've wanted to take you guys here." (This place is usually crowded in winter and spring)

The line of cars moved slowly as time passed, and it took a little longer for dad to find parking, but once he did, we immediately joined the crowd at the entrance and bought our entrance tickets.

Music suddenly became audible as we walked past the gates. Musicians and other performers could be found spread throughout the gardens and surrounded by crowds. Artists and calligraphers also lined the stone pathways, showcasing their skills and work. Combine all that with cherry blossoms lining the pathways, it was like a small paradise.

"Whoa…" was all I could say, too amazed by the things I saw.

"Ba ơi! Look!" Rose pointed. "Pandas!"

As she said, pandas could also be seen from within protected spaces. People, mainly kids crowded them, watching in awe as food was tossed to them by the workers. Dragging us over, Rose put her hands behind the glass as she watched them feed. Come to think of it, this might've been the first time she had seen one up close. Of course as always, after she had seen enough, she immediately went elsewhere, prompting us to chase after her.

"Con ơi, chậm lại! Đừng có đi xa quá!" dad called, causing her to slow down. (Rose, slow down! Don't wander off too far!)

Still, her excitement was overflowing and we spent much of the day chasing after her than we did trying to enjoy the scenery. Through her energy, we zipped past the deer, peach monkeys and the balancing chipmunks. It wasn't until lunch time came that she had finally relaxed. Dad then bought us some dumplings and dango, to which Rose scarfed within seconds.

"Chậm lại, con ơi." Dad repeated as he wiped her soy sauce-covered mouth. (Slow down, child.)

"Buh ish sho gud!" Rose said, her mouth full.

"An Nhiên, nuốt trước khi nói chuyện." I said, taking the paper plate away from her hands. (Rose, swallow before you talk.)

The loss of her food caused her to pout at me, but at least she knew that if she wanted her food back, she had to do as we said. Taking gulp so big that it was audible over the crowd, she silently held her palm at me, silently asking for her food back. I rolled my eyes at her attitude before handing over the plate, to which she started feasting again, albeit slower as dad had wished.

No longer needing to worry about Rose, I turned my attention to my surroundings. People were still crowding the garden, and as the seconds passed by, more people seemed to be coming in. It was hard not to smile when you saw so many people having fun. It reminded me of the rare times dad took both of us out to the playground when we were younger. Back then I would've never imagined we'd ever afford to go to a place like this. To think those days of living in roach-infested apartment rooms and worrying about light and water were now long past us...

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and silently thanked goddess for where we were now. I could see a faint smile on dad as he brushed his hands through Rose's hair, almost as if he was thinking the same thing as I was.

I continued looking around while on break, watching as people came in and out of sight.

"Hold on a minute…"

Amongst the crowd one of them stood out for some reason. She was wearing all black from head to toe. Black hoodie, black mask, black leggings, black shoes, you get the point.

It couldn't be. What were the chances? You could argue that it could've been anyone, since I couldn't see her face, but what person would dress like that on a day like this? Besides, all the other signs pointed to it. Slightly short and petite, had a phone in her hand and seemed a little frantic, looking everywhere as if trying to locate a spy or a paparazzi of some sort, nothing too suspicious.

"I'm going to walk around around for a bit…" I told dad.

"Don't go too far."

She was only a few steps away, and as I inched closer suddenly worry took over me. What if that really wasn't her? And if it was, how would I even go about approaching her? Do I just say hi? Do I give her a tap and freak her out? One step at a time though, I had to confirm if it was really her before making any more moves.

Wait, hold on. How do I do that?

I suddenly stopped upon realizing how I had little to nothing to go off of. Worry overtook me again and I gradually slowed down in my steps as I tried to figure out what to do. People were crowding her, paying her no mind. That made it difficult as it blocked me from standing beside her. There were open spaces near her, but to get to those specific spots required me to push through the crowd and make myself look like a jerk in the process. Maybe I could find a spot further away and move closer as people moved along? Yeah, that'd be a great idea.

But just as I made my master plan, she moved along with the crowd, completely ruining everything. I made a point to follow her, but remembered dad telling me not to wander too far.

No, come back!

Damn it. Then again, what was I getting so worked up for? It wasn't like we were strangers to one another. I could see her any other time, right?

*Sigh…*

Well, back we go.

Making my way back to dad and Rose, dad gave me an expectant look, silently asking me where I went. I shrugged, telling him it was nowhere far. Considering I wasn't gone for too long, he understood easily.

Not too long after, we were back on our feet again, ready to get through other parts of the garden. Seeing the training grounds, and with Rose's encouragement, all of us decided to join in, trying to use the bow and arrows to hit the targets on straw and stick dummies. Rose, of course, being so small and weak didn't get any arrow near the center, but was happy enough to even get her arrows to hit something. Dad, for some unknown reason, somehow managed to get close to if not hit the center target with his arrows. Me, well, I was a little in between. Of course, with limited time, we had to move on to let others try.

We explored some more, though I doubt we were able to get through every part of the garden considering its size. Deciding to have our dinner at the garden, we ordered more dumplings for dinner and ate at a different area in the garden, having one last look before leaving.

"Muốn chụp hình trước khi đi không?" Dad asked, having already grabbed out his smartphone. (Do you want to take a picture before we go?)

"Sure." I replied, immediately scanning the area for anyone willing to take one for us.

"Okay. Let's find someone who can take our picture."

Before I could let him finish, my eyes had already begun scanning and lo and behold, it was her again. This time, I had a valid excuse to see if she really was her. Immediately grabbing dad's phone, maybe more hastily than I would've liked, I made my way over to her, lightly tapping on her shoulder.

She immediately reacted to my response and jumped around a foot away while turning to face me almost as if performing a twirl in midair. I couldn't see her face behind the mask, but I was sure she thought of me as some crazed fan who most likely figured out her identity. That is until she recognized me of course.

"Aaron!" she exclaimed, pounding her heart. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry." I shrugged. "I was just looking for someone who could take our family picture."

Her eyebrow the rose above her sunglasses. "And you chose me out of all people? What if I wasn't who you thought I was?"

"Well, I'd still ask for them to take our picture. If he or she refused I would've moved on. I will admit though, with the way you dressed, if I didn't know who you were you'd probably be the last one I'd ask. Wearing all black doesn't really do you any favors in the disguise apartment. More like it draws more attention to you by making you look suspicious." I teased.

She punched my arm lightly at that, but still took dad's phone and got the camera ready. I called dad and Rose over and together we stood in front of her. Dad stood in the middle while Rose and I stood by his side.

"Alright everyone. Ready? One...two...three…"

"Nhớ nhe, cười đi!" dad said. (Remember to smile!)

Doing the most natural smile I could, which involved not showing my teeth, I waited for her to finish before I rested my lips. Receiving the phone from her, I nodded my head and said thanks before we made our way out of the gardens.I was able to walk a few steps forward before I felt my hand being grabbed by another, soft hand.

"A-Ah, wait…" she said softly before hiding behind my back. "Sorry," she continued. "I'm being followed again. Could hide here a bit?"

"Still on your break?" I asked, though the answer seemed obvious.

"Something like that…" she replied, still staying behind me. I scanned the area for anyone who looked like they were searching, but found no one. Up ahead, dad and Rose called out to me, telling me to hurry up. Not willing to just leave out of nowhere, I motioned them to go on without me as I'd be with them in a few.

I could feel her frozen breath touch my back as she sighed. I couldn't tell whether it was one of relief or exhaustion, but I decided it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Tiring day?" I asked, trying not to sound too insensitive.

"Just a little…"

I just stood there, half expecting her to expand on why she was so tired, but it never happened. For a while there was silence between us, making it a little awkward. Guess it was better to stop here.

"Well...I better go. Wouldn't want to keep my dad and sister waiting. See you next time?"

She nodded, looking a bit sad through her mask. I felt a little bad too, leaving her alone like that. It looked like she wanted to say something, but maybe that was just me. I walked slowly to the garden's exit, sparing a look behind me to see her giving a slight wave before turning away to the pond. I would've waved back, but by then I was already out of her sight.

On the way home I received a text from her. Maybe it was what she wanted to say before.

Hey.

She started.

Can I ask you something?

"Sure." I texted back.

Pretend you're doing a job. At first it's fun because you enjoy doing it and you make a lot of money.

But over time something happens to you and somehow you don't enjoy doing it anymore.

How would you deal with this?

I blinked and read the messages over several times. This was a serious question. Was something wrong? What was going on in her life? I knew her personal life wasn't my business, but I couldn't help but be curious. Despite my curiosity though, I still had a question to answer. I needed to answer it to the best of my ability.

I can't really say much since I haven't worked before but...

I don't think it's right to keep doing something you don't enjoy anymore, even if you make a lot of money from it.

So I'd stop doing it and either find out why it isn't enjoyable anymore before doing it again or find something else that's fun to do.

I kept my eyes on my phone, staring intently and rereading my messages to make sure I had everything I wanted to say before relaxing. That didn't last long as I eventually brought my eyes back to my phone to see if I had said anything offensive. What if I had said something wrong? What was it that she was trying to get from asking me this? The worries piled up and the fact that all I could do was wait didn't make it much better. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait too long.

Thanks.

"What...?"

That's it?!

The day after the meeting, we met at practice as usual. Alpha insisted on paying me back for the punch, so I told him he could do so by helping me in my defensive skills during practice. Coach caught on with our conversation and instead shifted practice to meet our needs, having the attackers line up to kick the ball to the goal while the defenders would try to keep the ball away from the goal.

"You guys ready?" Alpha asked, taking a few steps back, readying himself for a free kick.

I, Eun-Wol, and the rest of the team's defenders nodded, prompting him to run up and kick the ball towards the goalpost behind us. I immediately jumped up, intending to divert the ball with my head, but right when I got high enough, the ball curved sideways, easily moving past my head and into the goal.

"Whoo!" Alpha cheered, high-fiving the other attackers before moving behind the line.

I sighed in frustration before taking a few deep breaths to reset myself. Joe was next, and he was just a dangerous as Alpha when it came to offense. I tried to limit the space between my legs as he got into position. One thing I noticed about him was that he liked to kick the ball low, therefore preventing a nutmeg seemed like a smart thing to do. Of course, there was still the possibility to him trying something new, but considering he was against all our defenders, I wasn't betting on it.

When the shot came I leaned down, readying myself for it to come my way. Sure enough, it did and by the looks of it, was also curving around me and towards the goal. Luckily, I was able to read its path and stick a leg out in time, stopping the ball's course and forcing it to go out of bounds. I inwardly celebrated, knowing I at least managed to stop one ball within two tries.

After working on our interceptions, we then moved onto our tackling. The positions of the attackers and defenders stayed the same. Midfielders this time played a role in passing it to the forwards and it was our job as defenders either to intercept or to tackle. Once again, Alpha started off and dribbled forward before drifting to the wings, where I was positioned. When it came to tackling, I knew I had to be careful to to say the least. If this was a real game and I made any contact with him before the ball, I'd be called for a foul and get a yellow card or, if it was serious enough, get a red card and be ejected from the game plus a few suspensions. Since Alpha was capable of playing both forward and striker, that made him a double threat at maneuvering through the defense and scoring goals. I was nowhere near as good with my legs as much as he was, so if I performed a normal tackle, he'd most likely be able to draw a foul or move past me, which left only the sliding tackle as an option. It was a huge risk, but if I was lucky enough, it'd give him a scare and get him away from the ball.

Running alongside him before sliding down to kick the ball away, I saw Alpha jump to prevent his legs from getting tangled, leaving the ball completely open.

Yes!

It was lucky, but it still worked.

"Careful! If he hadn't jumped, you would've injured him!" I heard coach call out, most likely to me since I was the only one tackling.

"Sorry!" I yelled out in response.

"Don't be sorry, be better!"

Practice continued on like that for a few minutes before we switched positions and played attacking roles while the attackers switched to defending roles, switching once again after we've had three turns. As time passed, I realized I had more to work on than I thought. My tackling skills were weak, and as a defender, I needed to be able to improve them if I wanted to keep my starting spot on the team. I might've been a good day at practice, but knowing you had much to work on was a tad worrying.

Speaking of worry...

My thoughts suddenly turned back to yesterday, back at the garden. For some reason, I couldn't get her face out of my mind. She looked so sad yesterday...should I have asked what was wrong?

"Aaron!"

Suddenly I felt my shoulder being shaken. I shook my head and saw myself face to face with Joe.

"Uh...yeah?"

"You down to meet up somewhere to study for finals?"

Oh yeah...finals. If I recall correctly, it was still several weeks away, but Joe and I liked to get a head start so we wouldn't have to worry about it later on.

"Yeah, sure...where are we meeting up?" I asked.

"We'll decide on that later. Probably my house though, or maybe the library. Give me some time to decide. Till then, I'll see you guys."

And like that the day was over. Now where was I again? Ah right, Orchid.

…

On second thought, nevermind. Now I was just making myself look creepy. I had to get myself home and shower to forget all this…

Other than my bed and sofa, I had to say the shower was by far the most comfortable thing in the house. I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt the hot water run down from my head down to my toes, letting the magic drift my thoughts away. As of now, I was still in pretty good academic shape. While some of my grades rose, like Biology and Math, others fell, such as Viet and History. That said, I still had straight A's only this time, after seeing my second progress report, dad shook his head at me at my failing Viet grade of an A minus, silently telling me to be ashamed of myself as someone born in the motherland himself. I agreed, though I didn't let him know that. Since finals were drawing near, I had to hurry and start refreshing myself on the material if I wanted to maintain my A's.

After getting out of the shower, I decided to grab out the textbooks and start studying. Not to say I didn't study before, but with soccer, I found studying time hard to come by.

Flipping through my notes, I realized I didn't find any of the material too hard to understand, thanks to my teachers for explaining them well to me, so after about an hour I put them down and rested, checking the internet for any news. I scrolled through the music section, seeing only old news like new albums from Pacific Rabbits and The Taxi.

Hold on…

Not far from the top of the page was an article with a picture of Orchid, currently trending as it was the most viewed article on the page. Curiosity getting the better of me, I tapped the page, reading the title.

FAMOUS POP STAR ORCHID SWHWARZ CONFIRMED MISSING!

What?

What?!

WHAAAAAAAAAATTTT?!

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