Back at Karachi's pavilion the sight was overjoyed. The middleschoolers jumped in joy.
"Hell yeah! They did it!!" Orion stood up, elated.
"Haha! We won, Zach!" Isa grabbed his hands and Haruf glomped Kazuna and Aaron who laughed.
"Heavens, my heart…" Mir mumbled finally breathing while Seles clapped.
"Yay! We won!!" Adam and Ryan clapped their hands while Haris and Lou Wang ruffled Mikael and Damian's hairs.
The Last ball delivered and a single scored. The 5th PSL match was once again won by Karachi kings as the boys embraced each other jumping up and down in joy. The crowd applauded while Zain smirked at Erum, who looked away embarrassed repenting on her previous spoken words.
The boys rushing inside the ground, celebrated their victory.
"Well done." Zhangli shook Senri's hand while the middleschoolers surrounded Omar teasing and playing with him.
"Show me your arm, Sera!" Adam pulled him inspecting him from every corner. "How could you be so cruel?" he puffed his cheeks.
"Hehe." Seraph scratched his temple awkwardly.
Suleiman and Rauf shaking hands, Naeem smiled at Nidou who rolled his eyes. "Quit it. You are creeping me out." he uttered annoyed.
"Hehe, thank you for playing against us. We learned a lot. Indeed your team is strong. But I hope the next time we meet we could overpower you." Naeem said.
Nidou grinned, "As if."
Naeem wordlessly chuckled.
Alan standing before the boundary line stared at the bustling ground. The boys laughing together and both teams congratulating and bucking each other, made him smile. "I am glad…" he whispered, stepping back.
Seles, the only one left in the pavilion stood beside him, suddenly ruffling his hairs. "Happy?" he asked.
"Over the moon." Alan replied. Red flushes of delight clearly visible on his cheeks, Seles smiled turning to the ground. "Hard isn't it, to stay back, when everyone rushes ahead?" he asked.
Alan's eyelashes dropping, he eyed the reporters, cameramen and journalists, questioning the players. "Not too hard when you become used to it, Seles." he replied looking up to him. "However… I do feel envious. I won't deny that." he confessed.
"Don't feel that way. I am always with you. See? I am even standing here beside you now." Seles comforted, shrugging his shoulders.
Alan shaking his head tried to hide his laughter, soon failing to do so, "Pft! Haha…"
"Ouch…" Seles suddenly went grabbing his hairs. The two glancing behind saw, Will pulling his hairs playing around. "Sweet, innocent creatures." Seles remarked with a loving gleam.
Alan, once again turned around to face the ground however, before he could grasp the scenario, a figure embraced him out of the blue. Startled, Alan flinched.
Tracing the white head resting on his shoulders, the figure bended low, "Darn tired…" he complained muttering, "Darn… darn tired. I'll kill Rauf. I won't wake up tomorrow."
Alan sighed speechless.
Seles too chuckled, "Poor Senri."
"I am definitely not poor." Senri retorted, puffing his cheeks, once again pulling Alan close.
"Right, right, good job. Just a little bit more and we'll go home." Alan patted his neck.
Senri exhaled, "I won't ever be a captain now… I swear. It's all best suited for Rauf. No wonder we can't go against him." Alan glanced at Rauf as he shook his hands with the reporters and Naeem next.
"He is a gifted leader. What can we say? Even I can't lead despite being a talent." Alan agreed.
After a while, the middleschoolers walked back to the pavilion. "Batting line is in ruins, we better make our opening pair in the next match forget the highschoolers." Heber said.
"Indeed, Seraph, Azazel and Xavier should be assisted with Helios. We'll work together for pacers line up. Furthermore, Xavier should bowl in the upcoming matches." Cassiel added.
"Anyways! Feng is the star today! What a catch that was!" Adam glomped Feng and afterwards, Ezekiel, Poseidon and Ryan.
"Hehe…" Feng scratched his hairs shy however, proud.
"You are going to tell the whole story, though." Kenzo recalled.
"Is it that necessary?" Gabriel rolled his eyes.
"Oh, Alan…" Feng suddenly blinked as soon as he grasped his sight. Sitting on the pavilion's front seats, he laughed with Seles, Senri, Isa, Aaron and Zach. The middleschoolers too looked at him, their steps slowing down.
"Why do we always tend to forget him for some reason?" Heber asked.
"Does that matter? He is a highschooler anyways." Kenzo shrugged walking forward.
Alan noticing them approach gave a proud, vivid smile, soon raising his arm and gesturing a thumbs up.
Feng gasped suddenly running ahead. "Return back to your usual self. I miss the easy going, carefree and optimistic Feng Mir Ozer a lot." he recalled Alan's words. "You don't get it Kenzo… when someone genuinely cares about you. They see your true self and when you are not at your best, their words hit your soul. How would you know… when all you do is fight him." he murmured.
Kenzo stood stiff, his expression widened.
"Alan!" Feng waved soon glomping him as the rest surrounded him in no time.
"Easy there…" Alan blinked.
"My Catch!!" Feng told with stars in his eyes.
"Yeah, I saw it. It was one of the most majestic catches I have ever witnessed in my life." Alan complimented.
Struck to the heart, wells of tears flowed down Feng's eyes as he tugged him once more. "Oh boy…" Alan thought as the highschoolers chuckled.
"Man of the match?" Poseidon asked.
"Senri it is." Zachariah replied, prompting a suddenly annoyed click of tongues from the middleschoolers.
"The last thing I wanted to hear in my life." Azazel uttered disgusted.
"Wasting our trophy, it should be brother Feng's…" Ryan added.
"Let's settle down in the coaches, until they go through all those shower of praises." Helios added unsympathetic.
"Yeah, let's all sit together this time. Not a single highschooler." Cassiel specifically glared at the highschoolers.
Senri hurt over the back stabs crouched low unable to retort. "My life is over…" he whispered in disbelief.
Alan shook his head unamused, "I might as well not join you then. As a highschooler I am."
Poseidon standing before him ruffled his hairs, "They won't lose. Who claimed that?"
Alan blinked while Seles listened amused with his hand resting under his jaw bone and a smile on his lips.
"We study, observe and learn from everybody. We know how you are. Whether you sit with us or not. Like us or not doesn't matter but you are always welcomed." Poseidon said.
"Yeah." Seraph agreed.
Alan looking down instantly saw the scratch on Seraph's arm. His brows furrowing, Alan grabbed it pulling him closer. "Ah… it doesn't hurt." Seraph muttered slightly anxious.
Even if he did say that, his arm quivered just by touch. "Would you like to put your gauntlet back on?" Alan inquired.
Seraph pondered for a moment before responding, "I don't think so. Ezekiel's ilusion works just fine. Wearing the gauntlet back would hinder my ability to perfect my Infrasonic Glint. To be honest, during the Inter-academy Nationals, very few could handle my bowling, let alone return it, so I didn't remove the gauntlet unless necessary. However, the current PSL is different. Despite my balls being fast, they are being returned, and I can't take wickets as effortlessly as before. Instead of retreating into a defensive mindset, I believe it's better to endure this pain."
Zachariah looked up, his azure blue gaze solemn, "Even if that means injuring yourself?"
Seraph met his gaze, immediately evading, "I… would refrain from it. If things get that bad but, I won't back down on the decision I made."
Hearing his words, Zachariah was definitely upset. HIs silence and gaze stating it was none of his concern yet at the same time irritated.
The boys glanced at each other anxious.