Feng confused to the core stood unable to retort.
'Things once again took an odd way down turn between us. After that confrontation it had been 2 weeks. Later on, did I realize than I had messed with a wrong person as well. Gabriel Harut, he isn't any low key figure but famous around other academies as well as the Captain of 'Root Millennium' academy's cricket society who are a qualifying team in the Nationals. At first it was a huge blow to me. Nonetheless, it wasn't that surprising either after witnessing how strong he was that day.'
"Feng." Hana called caringly.
"Yes?" Feng looked up with a beaming smile.
"Child, why are you sitting here all alone?" she asked, settling beside him.
Feng's mother too joined. The three of them observing the gardens and the full moon, Feng shook his head, "No particular reason at all. Today was the full moon night. So, I thought I might just see the moon before I go to sleep."
"Gabriel… still isn't back or is he?" his mother questioned.
Hana looked at the ground somberly, "Don't worry… he will be back."
"Assures the one to who needs to assured the most right now..." Feng thought, "How irresponsible can one be? It's 1 at night."
"Not that it's his fault. He is just too lonely." Hana sympathized, "After his father passed away, he changed entirely. Before he used to smile a lot, play a lot and even care about others a lot but now it feels as if he has changed into an entirely different person, strange and unrecognizable." "As a mother, I don't know where I went wrong. Or, what is he going through but I want to help him…" she shoved her head amid her knees, hiding her face as her hairs covered every single emotion entirely.
"I too am disheartened. I too lost my most beloved person. Ines lost his father as well and at such a young age. I have to look after so many things. So if Gabriel won't tell me then how would I know…? The least I can do is wait for him all night and make sure he comes back safe that's it." she began to sob, painful hiccups escaping between her wails.
Feng wide-eyed, clenched his fists as his mother consoled her patting her back. "He is definitely one hell of a jerk. To think I would leave my father, my home, my country all for my mother and; here he was who has left his mother, family and even himself just after a loss?" he thought disappointed staring at the grey full moon.
Another academy day passing by, Feng walked back home shoving his hands in his pocket exhaling. "We practiced a lot today. I am really exhausted…" he thought yawning.
"What's wrong?" Xavier asked beside him.
"Nothing…" Feng replied.
"Well, to think Gabriel Harut is your step cousin even I am surprised to know that. Lucky aren't you little freshman? You can steal all his weaknesses and use them for good." Mikael added.
"Weakness? I can't even step closer to him in these three months more or less knew he was a captain of a cricket society! You are talking as if I've conquered the world." Feng rolled his eyes.
Xavier smiled, "a single moment…" Feng turned to him wondering. "A single moment and you'll get to know him entirely. Just wait for the right time." he ended.
"A single moment hun… feels like an eternity to me." Feng exhaled.
"But for a 2nd year to be Captain…? I thought our academy was an exception since third year seniors all lost to Hugo. Who knew 'Root Millennium' also had a rule like that." Hadi mentioned.
"That only means; he is really strong and clever. While facing him in the Nationals we must be careful of him." Mikael said.
"Yeah… I have to face him in the Nationals too…" Feng felt exhausted just by thinking, "Will I be able to do that?"
"Not only him. We should be aware of his entire team. Who knows what they are capable of? After all, cricket is a team's game, not just a single person's effort." Xavier added.
Mikael, Hadi and Xavier taking different paths waved Feng as he continued on. "I am late today… club activities sure take lot of time." he thought witnessing the setting sun.
All of a sudden he heard loud shouts coming from the nearby building areas. "What's going on...?" he pondered grasping a look.
Hiding behind a billboard he witnessed a group gangsters one dressed in black with the other in red torturing and hitting each other with bats and balls mercilessly. Shudders going down his spine he thought, "What in the world?!"
Amid all the ruckus he could trace a familiar figure. His hairs spiked up with a strand dangling down amid his forehead. He wore a pitch black jersey. Clashing his fist against a red attired male he punched him down harshly. Feng gasped in disbelief, "Gab…riel?" "But…? What is he doing here? Is he fighting?!"
Soon more red dressed boys joined the fight intensifying it. Feng stepped back, "I should better leave…" "But…" he turned around, peeking a look at Gabriel again.
Seeing him getting pinned down to the ground by three other boys and continuously being hit, he clenched his fist fearfully. "Every day, his mother is worried sick about him but here he is doing something so dangerous like this?! Is he crazy…? Do I wanted to befriend a person like him?!" he thought speechless at himself.
Once again Gabriel stood up picking his bat and grinning, "You… huff, huff, sure do have the guts hun? Starting a fight rather than playing a match fairly you retort to this method?"
"Gabriel." Another figure called, his hairs purple combed in a flow cut to the right and eyes green.
Gabriel smirked. "Fine then. Nile… beat them up all you want. We aren't leaving here until we get this place today!" he exclaimed.
At that moment one of the boys picked up the iron wicket stumps aiming for Gabriel's back.
The moment he witnessed that Feng without a clue of his own actions and senses stepped inside. Running towards him, he gritted throwing his bat towards the boy's hand causing him to toss the wicket stump. He uttered, "Clad Shield Defense!!"
A furious silver white light surrounding him he stood before Gabriel and the majority black cladded boys. Startled by the sudden light and some of them being repulsed back by it harshly, the red dressed gang stepped back.
Gabriel turned around baffled, "You…?"
"Shut up!" Feng interrupted vexed, "I definitely don't want to hear another word from your mouth! Not when I am this angry!" he threatened. Taking his tape ball out from his pocket, he slammed it before one of the boys with full force causing them to step back.
"Keep a single step forward, then you'll see what I'll do!" Feng warned, his eyes raging purple.
One amongst them nevertheless; smirked stepping forward as Feng stepped back, his hands trembling. "A defense technique? You must be pretty proud to use it, since you are all standing behind the wickets, aren't I right?" he guessed.
Feng stood wide eyed, "He read it within an instant? What do I do now?"
"If I break it…" he grinned maliciously, "You all will be gone…!" however, before he could even complete his sentence. A tape ball had struck his head austerely causing him to faint on the ground.
"Haiz~ you talk too much." Nile dusted his hands. His expression smug. "How was it captain?" he turned to Gabriel.
Gabriel wiping the blood off his cheeks grinned, "Great."
"Great my foot!" Feng turned around furious.
"Heh~ he's talking to you like this as if you're his younger brother, Gabriel. Just who is this brat?" Nile glared with a sadistic grin.
"Leave him be." Gabriel replied.
Feng offended by his remarks stood before him ordering, "We are going home now!"
Gabriel glaring fought his furious eyes which beheld the exact same look as his that very moment. The males in red retreating, Gabriel exhaled picking his ball up.
"Do you want to die so badly?! Are you seriously crazy? Is this what you always do before coming back home?" Feng shouted.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Just because you stood before me…" Gabriel responded as Feng snapped, "Your Family! I am your family! No matter a step one or not! You cannot retort on that! Aunt Hana cries and worries about you every day, Ines misses you day and night, Grandpa is anxious about your wellbeing. Just because your father passed away early you don't have to give yourself up and resort to this kind of living!" he panted, "And now you'll say how dare I say this? So I have an answer for that too! I dare say that because I too live without my father!"
As soon as he shouted those words, all of them went silent. Picking his bag up, Feng ran away without looking back. Tears welling up in his eyes, he pushed them back but no use. He was frightened and upset, an experience he went through for the first time. But he too was as lonely as he was… yet he still endured and remained strong. So who was he to show that he's the only one hurting and alone?
Gabriel's expression sinking he pulled his gear up tugging it on his shoulders, he ordered, "Everyone is dismissed for today."
"Won't we play?" Nile questioned.
"We've reclaimed our ground back. You all can continue if you want to… I am leaving." Gabriel walked away.
"Is he the one? Wicketkeeper of Aitcheson academy? Your step cousin?" Nile inquired.
Gabriel halting for a moment nodded ever so lightly walking away.
Nile bothered over his behavior stared at his back.
'After all that I never went back home late. I don't talk a lot and I didn't even tell my mother whatever happened that day though she was really worried. I silently practice for the Nationals now, taking my mind away from every distraction. Ines played a very important role keeping me cheerful. I adore him a lot. As for Gabriel… I don't knew a single thing. NO… more like I don't want to know anything about him.'