"Come on hurry up!" called voices rushing right and left across the dorm.
"Here's your suit and yours too Azazel." Poseidon handed them their clothes.
"And hurry up! We don't have time to lose." Heber added pushing Feng and Ryan inside the rest room.
"Zach, Aigou, Elias, we are running late, head down already." Isa called checking his gear.
The middle schoolers some drowsy and some excited put on their suits getting ready to depart.
"Hehe…" Ren sitting on the couch all dressed up chuckled on their sights.
"What's so funny, hun?" Gabriel glared at him annoyed.
"Hehe…" Ren ignored him chuckling again.
Alan fastening his shirts cuff, headed down. "How's it going?" he inquired.
"Nagi, Kazuna, Haruf and Evan already went first and middle schoolers are also ready. I don't think there would be any problem." Noah informed tying his shoelaces.
Alan nodding wore his coat next. Gathering his scattered hairs he looked around, "And, Aaron and Senri?"
"Aaron left first. Drake called him last night, showing him that he received an invitation instead of the song acceptation letter that called him to Islamabad urgently for PSL's opening ceremony rehearsal." Orion told heading out, "As for Senri… who doesn't know?"
Alan looked up confused.
"Hehe, that
"Wow…" Alan exhaled speechless combing his hairs in a braid. "But Islamabad is quite far, by bus it takes 16 hours while the plane can easily take us there in 4.5 hours. Can he even reach there before us?" he asked concerned.
"Don't worry. You know how he is right? Once he is committed to something he'd surely do it." Isa assured.
Alan smiled. All ready and set, his earring revolved round and round as his sight emitted a composed and alluring aura.
"We are ready." Seraph came out smiling beside Gabriel, Cassiel, Kenzo, Helios and Xavier who were all dressed up nicely in a black suit with different colored ties. Alan tracing them smiled, "Not bad, stunning people with stunning looks."
Kenzo twitched his brow while Xavier smiled, "Thank you."
Elias and Aigou too came downstairs immediately heading out. "Won't you eat something?" Isa asked.
"Nope." Aigou winked his eye full of delight, "Our excitement level is way too high for that today!"
"I agree with him. Don't worry, Isa. We'll grab something later." Elias assured.
Isa nodded.
Sophomores and freshman coming out next with their sights…
"I just can't keep it straight! It moves left and right all the time!" Azazel pulled his collar annoyed. "Easy there. Or else, you might ruin it." Poseidon fixed his collar.
"Huh? Why are the buttons going half up and half down?" Feng looked at his shirt which was a mess.
"Seriously?" Ryan uttered speechless.
"Pfft! Haha!!" Ren laughed loud.
"It's because you've fastened the wrong buttons, you doof head!" Gabriel uttered cross.
Feng scratching his hairs tried to get them right, "Wha…?"
"Haha…" Ren still laughing amused stood up heading over to help him.
"Tie it!" Adam puffed his cheeks before Seraph annoyed. "Just be a little patient Adam, I am helping Ezekiel. I'll do it in a minute." Seraph replied focused combing Ezekiel's hairs.
Adam puffed his cheeks harder, "No! Do mine first! I said it first! It's not going inside like Ryan's and is hurting my neck, even Cassiel won't do it!" he retorted pulling his tie.
Seraph squinted his gaze cross, "Just wait a minute will you? I just said to give me a moment. Cassiel is also helping Heber, we aren't dancing here!" he scolded.
Adam annoyed and upset pulled his tie even more, immediately spanking it. "You are bad! Sera, Sera is angry on me just because of you!" he scolded it instead.
Alan shaking his head walked to him. Zach coming downstairs looked at the sight the lounge beheld, fastening his watch. As soon as he stepped down, Adam turned around, "Tie my tie!" Tears resting on his eyelashes he glared at Zach, "It won't go in like Ryan's. And, I don't like that!"
Zach wordless stared at him stern while Adam sniffed wiping his tears with his arm, grabbing his tie with the other hand.
Alan and Isa looked at him baffled while the middle schoolers too turned around stunned.
A moment of silence befell.
"Did you only saw him out of all the highschoolers here to ask that to?!" Feng and Cassiel shrieked in their thoughts.
Seraph looked at Zach restless, "Adam…" he called in a light murmur.
Zach staring at Adam for a while turned around stepping two stairs back up.
"Is he mad?!" Azazel gulped.
"Or is he going back upstairs since it was that much of a nuisance?!" Heber added in his thoughts.
Kenzo glanced at them from the corner of his eye.
Up to their surprise Zach called, "Come here." for he had seated himself on the stair equaling to Adam's height level. Adam surprised looked up at him, stepping on the stair next, before him slightly alarmed. And as gentle as Zach could be, he untangled the jumbled knots Adam had made on his tie (Which took a lot of time, since his hands were too big and knots too small) once again fastening it neatly.
The middleschoolers stood dumbfounded.
"You gotta be kidding me?!" Heber and Feng thought together with their mouths a gape.
"He is really helping him? I thought he would scare Adam or something else instead?" Cassiel exhaled finally free from helping Heber.
Xavier smiled at Kenzo who looked ahead uninterested. Seraph furrowing his gaze stared at the two of them silent.
Alan gasped beside Isa who later smiled patting his shoulder, "Looks like Zach isn't that bad as the rumors say."
"I know. He is even kinder than angels." Alan agreed.
Adam's tie tied perfectly Zach stood up heading down wordless.
Adam gleamed, "Thank you, Seraph's long captain!"
Ignoring him Zach took his bag heading out of the dorms.
"Hehe, now it looks just like Ryan's!" Adam glomped Ryan who stared at Zach's back confused.
"I'll head out too then." Alan informed Isa who nodded. Turning around he called, "Those who are done, hurry up. The rest have already settled in the coach along with Coach Seles, Instructor Mir and that old man."
Kenzo standing up looked at the middle schoolers who were almost ready. All of them wearing their shoes and taking their gear bags, one by one rushed out of the dorms. Running towards the base's entrance alongside Alan they stepped out of the gate.
______
"You're here." Evan turned around. The middle schoolers breathless looked up while Isa and Ren smiled.
"How can they smile after running this long? Aren't they out of breath? Even Kenzo is panting…" Helios thought, his gaze shifting at Alan who too was unfazed, heading towards Seles he recalled his words, "Kings of Cricket… starting today you are the ones who have to increase your pace and catch up!"
"Heh~" Helios grinned standing straight, "No wonder the tournament we are stepping our feet in, is only our battlefield. They have all… long crossed that war."
"How long are you all going to stand there and waste time? Our flight will set off at 9 exact. Hurry up and get in." Rauf uttered stern.
The middle schoolers
All highschoolers and middle schoolers along with the coaches settled down in two coaches immediately moved out of the base.
Alan sitting beside Seles stared outside the window. The little rabbit resting on his lap, he gently caressed his fur in a deep thought.
Seles tracing his constant fixation asked, "What is it?"
Alan pivoted aside, "Nothing. It's just that… we are finally stepping out once again. Though, it's the same as two years ago. It feels a lot different from last time. I wonder why?"
Seles smiled, "You have all grown up that's why."
Elias and Aigou sitting behind them listened attentively.
Haruf too nodded beside Evan. Xavier, Feng, Heber and Cassiel glanced at each other silent.
"Your fear from that time has now turned into strength, your nervousness has turned into confidence, your strangeness towards each other has turned into bonds, your harsh experiences have turned into your skills making you invulnerable in your own ways and your determination is as solid as a rock now not even an ounce of doubt can break it. You have all progressed and the feeling you are going through right now is growth…" Seles explained, "In simpler words '
Alan's eyes widening, he clenched his fists smiling, "Is that so?"
.