"Feng." Gabriel called, standing with a feet's gap between him and Feng. His hands shoved in his pocket, he narrowed his gaze in confusion yet, slight concern.
Feng glancing aside smiled, "What is it? Are you here to remind me of my score?"
"Do you want to hear it?" Gabriel asked.
"Even if I don't want to, you'll still say it to tease me, so go on." Feng jested.
Gabriel remained silent.
Smiling at his unusual behavior Feng assured, "Don't worry, I won't cry. I don't even score much in the first place, you already know that. A fifty for me is as if I climbed
"3 runs on 8 played deliveries." Gabriel informed, his voice fading in the end.
"Heh~ not bad coming from me, haha!" Feng masked satisfaction.
"What's wrong with you?" Gabriel inquired out of the blue.
"Nothing~ just a little bit under the weather." Feng replied standing up, "I'll be well in no time, don't fret." he winked.
"Did you sleep last night?" Gabriel probed further.
"Yeah, I did. Come on, now don't give me those creeps acting all nice in a split second. Who are you, Seraph?" Feng headed back to the lodging.
"Are you acting this way because of Nile?" Gabriel narrowed his gaze, ignoring his prior words.
Feng halted amid his steps.
A moment of silence between the two Gabriel added, "If that's the case… then what happened between you both?"
Feng smirked turning around, "Who knows~ Gabriel, don't act so nice. I earnestly don't like it coming from you." he uttered upset.
Gabriel stunned and annoyed at the same time clenched his fists, unresponsive.
Feng turning around headed inside, "I'm sorry… but its better if you don't know anything…" he thought miserable.
____
At night, the boys gathered in the apartment's lounge studied Peshawar's players' data. Half of them engrossed on the television watched Peshawar's live match.
"Yikes! Another wicket!! But thanks goodness it's not Omar's." Ezekiel pointed relieved.
"It was Raza." Elias informed.
"It's the second last batsman now, all ballers…" Seraph added.
"Lahore's middle schoolers were one thing. Their highschoolers have blown the entire team up!" Adam gulped.
"25 runs needed on 8 deliveries. All is not lost if they can smack some huge sixes and fours!" Haruf encouraged.
"Yeah… says the only one who can do that." Aaron replied curtly.
"Under this much pressure, it's impossible to score this high again and again. Catch outs won't give them luck." Helios stated.
"Exactly, they have lost too many wickets cannot afford to lose another…" Nagi agreed as the commentators went wild, "And it's GONE! High over the ground. Will it be taken? Yes it will! And it is taken! By the rookie Feyz Saleh! What a catch remarkable!!"
"No~!" Aigou, Orion, Ryan, Adam and Ezekiel shrieked grabbing their heads.
"Augh…" Nagi plucked both his ears with his index fingers irritated, "Could you all please just keep it down?"
"Oh my…" Xavier chanted slightly disappointed.
"Tch, what is wrong with you all, taking their side. They are your enemies of tomorrow did you forget that?" Haris recalled.
"Tomorrow's enemy right? Not today's, that's the reason we are supporting them. Kubrah's smug face on the screen is already making my blood boil!" Noah gritted.
Ryan looking around exhaled, "Brother Feng is still not here hun…"
"Yeah, he's still practicing. I saw him in the nets before. When I asked, if he needed help, he rejected saying that he's alright and I should conserve my energy." Mikael replied, "Literally what's with that! What am I supposed to do after conserving my energy? As if I have to play in the next match."
"Sigh, I hope that he gets into high spirit in no time. Things feel a lot boring without him." Ezekiel looked up at the room's roof.
The highschoolers sharing glances with each other remained silent turning to the LED.
Gabriel bothered, looked outside the balcony clutching his hands on the rails tight.
"No way~ it's the last one now, only Omar is standing while his turn is not even coming, what luck!" Ren remarked ironically.
Kenzo rolling his eyes headed to the kitchen. "What are you doing?" he asked Alan.
"Nothing, just drying the dishes…" Alan replied, sitting on the shelf with his legs crossed, he wiped dishes one after another. Little Will snoring beside him, snuggled deeper inside his fur.
"Need any help?" Poseidon inquired.
"No…" Alan replied, lost in thoughts.
Kenzo, sitting before him on the swivel bar stool caressed Will's ear who quivered in turn. Exhaling deeply, he rested his back on the backrest, crossing his arms. "Say it, what going on? Your brows are about to knit together now." he asked reading his troubles.
Alan remained quiet.
"Is it related to Feng?" Kenzo guessed on spot sharing a glance with Poseidon.
Alan exhaled nodding as he recalled…
"Nile?" Alan repeated.
"Yup, he is troubling Feng." Senri informed, standing with his back on the wall he narrowed his gaze, tossing his ball in midair and catching again, "Something must have happened between those two. Ever since, we arrived Peshawar he has been acting strange and stranger once he heard his name in the meeting yesterday.
"And did you realize, the moment Feng faces fast deliveries, he instantly gets out. As I played alongside him, I got this feeling that they suppress him. Yesterday was Helios through a Leg sided Lbw while today Xavier through a Leg-stump bowled. Despite being a pace returner he gets out like a novice." Senri told.
Rauf reading Nile's data file kept his hand under his chin.
"I thought it might be a concentration problem but a weakness against pace…?" Alan whispered.
"Coach Seles are there any health issues?" Rauf inquired.
"Not physical one but mentally I think so. He is distressed and we need to find out why or else we can't take him to participate in this match, I am afraid." Seles informed.
Rauf pondered.
"Leave it..." Nidou waved his arm gurgling his sports drink carelessly, "Let him face what he's anxious off. I need to gauge his determination."
"Hm, he is a unique batman with the standing time on the pitch much longer than of a normal batsman. He can lift up an entire team's morale at wickets losing spell." Mir added, "Pulling him out of the order in the last second will shatter his self-esteem."
Senri grabbing his ball stood straight, "I'll talk to him. If I can do something about it. Don't remove him from the order. If I can't…" he headed out, "Your choice." "A right handed Pacer… what did he do to him?" he wondered leaving.
"Senri." Rauf called.
"Hm?" Senri turned around.
"Feng, in his first year and second year was a power player like Noah." Rauf told.
"What?" Senri stood wide eyed.
"He was a great hitter as well as a partnership maintainer too." Rauf kept his file on the table, fingering on Feng's profile sheet.
Alan bending forward took a closer look.
"However, later on between his 1st year and 2nd year something happened that changed his entire play style. Rather than performing as an ace aggressive middle order player. He changed into a defensive player who aided in constructing partnerships only."
"He didn't score a single boundary, a single six or even a short catch return after that. And, rather than playing high, his returns against no matter pace or spin deliveries, are aimed for the ground." Rauf ended.
"That means~ he is afraid of getting out." entered in Musa, who laid on the couch frolicking with a Cock ball, "Not playing short hits, boundaries or catch deliveries are a way of getting immune to catch outs, Clad shield defense; defends the wicket. He can't be stumped since he takes extra care of his batting crease, run out is not an option since he maintains partnerships… What do you think all these are?"
"Ways to not get out." Alan guessed.
"Exactly, for a power hitter to become this defensive, what if that bowler Nile has something to do with it? You see, inter academy matches are always devised every year after elementary grade. If he was in the team, he must have gone through something." Musa deduced.
Senri narrowed his gaze.
"Not only inter academy matches, something outside that scenario could've also happened. They are boys, capable of making any mess." Nidou added.
"In simpler words, Feng is hiding something. A big secret or a fear that needs to be beaten no matter what." Mir concluded.
Senri smiled, "Thanks, boss."
Rauf glancing upwards, closed his eyes. "Now go already." he rested his back on the couch.
Senri leaving closed the door.
Alan resting his arms on the table read the file. A sudden clue clicking his mind he stood up, "Rauf, Can I take this sheet?"
Rauf tilting his head turned to Nidou who gestured a 'Yes' lazily.
Alan taking the sheet rushed out of the room. "Senri." he called.
"Hm?" Senri turned around.
"Take this." Alan handed the sheet over.
Senri reading it blinked, "What should I do with it?" "Get Feng Mir Ozer back in his right state of mind what else."
Senri chuckled, "Haha, will you help me?"
Alan grinned patting his back, "Best of luck!"
____