⌕ 𝟮𝟲. 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬
❝Taking it all in one blink at a time
Just let it be, and you will see
everything will align❞
✧══════•❁❀❁•══════✧
A LOUD ROAR from the audience broke out as the final two teams for the presentation of players and referees commenced. The team representing Rintis Island Academy and Wynston East Academy jogged to the Bermuda field enthusiastically, waving and merrily smiling at the cheers they received from the crowd. The participants gathered themselves in a line alongside the referees with Wynston from the left and Rintis Island on the right side. The number of people watching them was overwhelming, unintentionally giving them the motivation to do their best to win the game.
Rintis Island players stood in their places as the other team ran up to them to start the game with a healthy rivalry. The players of the opposing team shook their hands one by one, hoping each other good luck. Boboiboy who zoned out of a sudden, snapped back to reality out of confusion when a player didn't release his hand. Before he could say something he was met with the oceanic irises of his new rival. A relaxed grin travelled onto the taller man's face as he didn't break eye contact with the elemental hero.
"Good luck, may the best win." His competitor spoke lowly, which resulted in Boboiboy tensing lightly. He studied the atmosphere, trying to find out if there were any unlikable intents that Alexandre had but he found none. The pressure was on him but he did not want to get carried away from it. It was evident that Alexandre wanted a genuine rivalry without toxicity in it. And he was determined to give that back to him, it'll make the game interesting.
"Same for you, we will make sure to give you a memorable game," Boboiboy responded gingerly, slightly tightening the grip that he has on Alexandre. The taller player smirked at this gesture, he wondered if what he said yesterday about hanging out with his childhood friend made him hostile around him. "I know you will," he finished after letting go of the elemental hero's hand. His brown eyes cautiously watched the tall player jog to the next player before moving on to shake another participant's hand.
As soon as they were finished, Gopal immediately caught up to his best friend out of curiosity. He leaned to the side of the shorter young man before nudging him with his shoulder. "Dude, what was that about?" He questioned Boboiboy after witnessing the tense exchange between him and Alexandre. "I don't know, but we're going to win this." The young superhero huffed in eagerness without giving the team goalkeeper a single glance. Gopal shook his head to himself, almost not believing the newfound determination the younger man had.
"You're unbelievable, you know that?" He chuckled lightly while Boboiboy raised a brow out of bewilderment, mentally wondering what his best friend meant about that. As Gopal left to his position, Boboiboy stood alone with a football; kicking it and trying to practice for a while before the game starts. His mind was clouded with various thoughts, leaving him in a mental mess. There was so much to deal with and he didn't know where to start. He released a deep exhalation, trying to get his mind to concentrate more on his surroundings but that only made things worse.
Familiar voices overlapped the chatters of the audience which was the reason he narrowed his eyes to search for the source. His brown irises reached a huge but certainly obnoxious banner from the other opposite side of where he was facing. It was being waved in the air like a flag for some reason and he felt even more irritated to know who they were from and what the contents were. Out of all places the two aliens had to cheer for the opposite team─ it had to be on the side of their school's supporters.
"GO WESTERN SOUTH OR WHATEVER THE NAME IS! JUST WIN AND BEAT BOBOIBOY!"
It was almost... laughable.
"Yeah! What Mister Boss said! But you know, it's actually Wynston East─" Probe was cut off by a glare from the green box-headed alien. "Oh quiet down, you robot! What I said still makes sense." Adu Du lowered the banner down to talk properly speak to his sidekick. Despite that, it was rather ironic since he held a banner with the name of the opposite school while both he and Probe had bandanas similar to what the players had worn the other day. The people surrounding them were feeling uncomfortable with the atmosphere.
Boboiboy wasn't the only one who noticed this, unlike him they were able to address this issue. "What do you think you're doing?" The time manipulator sneered at the two, approaching them with anger building up inside her. "Eh? What else? Cheering for the opposite team! If I can't see Boboiboy get defeated in a battle then I can see him get defeated in a football match." Adu Du smirked while crossing his arms proudly. They already knew who gave him the idea of this which was the reason they shot Probe a glare. The purple robot only hid behind a banner sneakily after that.
"I don't see what's wrong with that! No one said we're not allowed here." The green-headed alien slyly added. "Yeah, but you're cheering at the wrong side of the bleachers," Fang began blankly, watching the two aliens out of suspicion. Adu Du could only glance at the people around him who were cheering for Rintis Island before looking back to the players. "Oh, were we? We had no idea," he sarcastically replied, intentionally getting into the nerves of the superheroes with that response. It was certain he did that on purpose and that annoyed Boboiboy.
"Not that I care, GO WYSTERIA!" Adu Du raised his banner again and began waving it in the air like a maniac.
Boboiboy silently groaned in aggravation, wishing that he continued being lost inside his thoughts. What he witnessed added fuel to his growing stress, he couldn't think straight after that. The time manipulator noticed his bothered expression which was the reason for her to look at him in concern. "Ignore them, Boboiboy. Don't let them get to you because we can do this." Ying tried to cheer the elemental hero up. The young man gave her a weak smile before nodding his head and going back to kicking the football that he had with him.
"Good morning, good day to all of Rintis! I am Suzy, your commentator for this game. Today, we will be joined by a special football enthusiast from Rintis Academy, Iwan!" The brunette girl grinned while leaning toward the microphone before introducing her companion for the game commentary. "How are you, Iwan? What do you think will be the outcomes of this championship?" The ponytailed female adjusted herself and turned to the small figure of the young and quiet man.
The said student only smiled before nodding and giving the girl two thumbs up with his hands. Most Rintis Island Academy students wondered how did Iwan even get to be the other special commentator when he could barely speak. Suzy was satisfied with his answer and immediately turned back to the camera which was broadcasting the whole event. "Wise words from our wise commentator, it seems like this game will be a lot more interesting indeed." She held her headphones before grinning. The people listening to the commentator could only deadpan.
Y/n and Amy could tell that the game will be a lot more entertaining if Iwan and Suzy were in charge of the commentary. "This is the championship game for the school partnerships sports festival with the visitors, Wynston East, against the hometown favourite, Rintis Island Academy. Our head official and referee for today will be the one and only Papa Zola, Rintis Island Academy Teacher, 42 years old. He's quite an experienced referee and has been known to have outstanding skills," Suzy began.
Papa Zola stood in the field in his referee attire as the camera focused on him this time. He was soon joined by the linemen and the fourth official while Suzy continued to introduce the four adult men on the field. "What do you think? Are there any disadvantages or advantages between the two teams?" Suzy glanced at Iwan in wonder before turning back to the camera. "In my observation, I do not think it's easy to spot who has the advantage between the two, both are physically capable of formulating amazing plays!" The brunette girl continued with enthusiasm.
"Both schools are known to have an excellent history when it comes to football. For Wynston, I don't think we should underestimate them just because they're rookies. They have done an excellent performance throughout the competition and have been one of the schools that managed to reach the national level competition for football! A quite known name in the Malaysian Junior football society is number 8 here, Wadd. Known to have great assists and passes which lead to goals. Brings out the striker in every member that's what they all say about him," Suzy continued.
"Another one is number 5, Alexandre. Wynston's famous centre-forward always manages to score the final goal with an eye that can be compared to a hawk. His aim is indescribable, he never fails to surprise the audience with his excellent football skills," Suzy added as she relaxed on her spot. Boboiboy listened to the commentator, taking in every bit of information that she laid out for everyone. The elemental hero knew his rival was good but he never expected him to be that good to be able to participate in the national level championship. That was already a big achievement. Something they were close to reaching but never close enough.
"I gotta say, Wynston has a good chance of returning home with the trophy. With that amount of experience, it's good to say that they have encountered stronger teams before and had improved the field they lack mastery of, something Rintis should watch out for. "
"For Rintis Island Academy, an interesting bunch are they no? Iwan? Yes, indeed, not only they are the favourite, but an intriguing fact─ last year, the team became the top two performing participants, losing to Zhìhuì Educational Institute by one match in the volleyball event. Additionally, this team is skilful overall, as previously they have demonstrated their strong teamwork and chemistry which maintained their spot as one of the best schools to ever participate in this sports festival. For sure, they'll have no struggle catching with their opponents; Rintis' best skill is the ability to adapt to gruelling situations."
"They also have a lot of promising participants who have contributed many to the history of Rintis Island Academy football and sports!"
As the commentators began mentioning the players who stand out from their team, Boboiboy unintentionally zoned out and stared blankly at the ball in his hand. What Suzy told them was true, aside from their teamwork, the ability to adapt is also one of their best capabilities as a player. But a certain thought couldn't help but linger at the back of his head. What is Wynston really capable of? It's hard to believe that their greatest weapons are just their key passer and striker. The elemental hero thinks that there is more to that which brought them to the national championship and he needs to know what it is.
'Focus, stop getting distracted!' Boboiboy fixed his orange dinosaur cap before kicking off a ball toward his teammate. The game hasn't even started yet and his mind was already flooded with many thoughts. He paused and tried to calm his breathing, he didn't feel well at the moment. He felt conflicted about his situation, he didn't know what was going on with him. A hand suddenly held his shoulder, snapping him off from his self-debate. He lifted his head to know the identity of this mysterious person, only to see that it was their captain.
"Abang Kai.." He meekly began, feeling a bit calmer at the reassuring expression that the older participant had. "Relax, Boboiboy. Everything will turn out fine for you in the end, trust me. I've experienced this responsibility before." The captain of the team comforted the younger man, hoping that he'll listen to him. "You did?" The elemental hero blinked in surprise, after all this time he thought the young in front of him was always calm and collected with the ability to disperse his worries into thin air. He thought Kai could always handle the pressure professionally, but turns out it was just another story to tell.
"Who do you think was last year's volleyball ace?" Kai chuckled as he patted the boy on the back. Boboiboy could only stare off at a distance before his eyes widened in realisation. "Wait! You're─" The younger player paused as he studied the bittersweet smile on Kai's face. From that expression, it mirrored all of his regrets and sadness. "Yeah, quite a bummer that we lost right? I've always thought that it was my fault and responsibility, it was always eating me up every single day. We almost had them but they were just a tad bit better." Kai chuckled lightly, caressing the back of his neck.
"But, I've come to realise that things happen for a reason. Who knows? Maybe it wasn't just the perfect time for us, but that was all in the past. If we want to win then we should make that happen and not depend on luck, we can make this win our win," Kai continued while grinning genuinely. "I know the pressure that you're going through and I recognise it. Did you know what it did? It led me to do one of my worst performances which was a major contribution to our defeat. I know you can do it. I know you are mentally stronger them I am, I know you can ignore all of that."
"Whatever those probabilities of us losing and possibilities of us being superior in skills that you have in your thoughts, you can say goodbye to that. Because now that the responsibility is on you then I know you'll do great, you have the entire team behind your back. You're not alone in this, Boboiboy, so don't be like me. You're stronger than that," Kai finished, placing his hands on the young hero's shoulders. Boboiboy exhaled through his knows, letting out a deep breath that he's been keeping in for a bit. He let himself process the words of their captain, considering the things that he had said.
As a moment passed the elemental hero smiled in determination before nodding his head eagerly. "You're a good man, Abang Kai, thank you," the centre-forward responded with his brown eyes having a spark of new emotion. "Don't sweat it, boy! It's what a good captain should be. I'm ready to be your emotional support." Kai laughed and patted the shorter man on the back. "Don't worry, I'll definitely pass the ball to you! Now I'll be on my position." Kai waved a hand before walking back to his assigned place. Boboiboy watched the man leave with a smile, he considered befriending Kai after the sports festival.
"Right, enough of this. Let's show them what Rintis Island Academy is capable of," He mumbled while looking down at his clenched hand.
✧══════•❁❀❁•══════✧
✎ CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: RESPONSIBILITY END
A/n: Hello! It has been a long time, hasn't it? I'm glad to be back on the track! By the way more drama incoming haha!
Here is a fanart of Y/n from our lovely Yumi_San6
Thank you for this! It's very adorable <3