Kiria handed Caleb over to Kudou and told him what had happened. The Coach was rightly appalled, and made it clear that he would be sitting down with the boy immediately. In the meantime, he left the training for the day up to Darragh, and the second-in-command led the rest of Aegis out onto the pitch, their Pokemon all prepped and ready.
*
Caleb, still unconscious, was propped up in a chair in the same room that the Poipole was sleeping in. The Ultra Beast had pulled its blanket over its whole body and was still yet to wake up at all. Kudou took a seat opposite Caleb at the table and clasped his hands together, waiting for the boy to regain consciousness. Kiria had told him that the sedative would wear off soon. In truth, he hadn't been surprised when she said she had knocked him out – after all, Kiria had openly revealed her mission to Kudou long before the tournament started. He knew that she had been sent to keep watch over him due to his loose involvement in the case of Japan's missing Prime Minister, and he knew that she had some form of covert combat training. If anything, he was glad that the young woman had been at the scene of the incident, because if she had stuck close to Kudou the entire time, he might have just had actual blood on his hands today.
The Coach took a deep breath and looked around. By the sounds of it, he was going to have to expel Caleb Akio from the team, a mere two days before the squad was due to attend the draw for the Continental Cup. Replacing him wouldn't be difficult – it would just be a hassle. There was no telling what fuss the boy would kick up when he was told – but in truth, that didn't matter. Kudou had seen potential in his battling style, but the boy's short temper and violent disposition had betrayed him. He already had several replacements running through his mind, including previous Japanese representatives such as Ix or Sol.
"It needs to be done..." He mumbled to himself, straightening up in his chair.
"Does it...?" The familiarly cold voice whispered into his ear. Kudou's hairs stood on end and he was immediately tense.
"You. Why are you here?"
"I like this boy... Keep him."
"What...? He tried to kill one of my-!"
"That's why I like him." The voice chuckled. "Such bloodlust – it's good for the soul..."
"He's a danger to the others as long as he's on the team." Kudou frowned. "I can't in good conscience-"
"Oh, you will keep him." The fiend hissed, a cold breeze sweeping across the room. Though unseen, the phantom had an undeniably assertive presence. "Need I remind you that you swore to follow my demands? Unless, that is, you don't care about that one in the hospital anymore...?"
"Don't you dare!" Kudou gritted his teeth.
"Don't raise your voice at me." The voice growled, and a cold whisper blew against Kudou's cheek. "Keep the boy. He entertains me. Am I clear?"
Kudou ran it through his head. Caleb was clearly a danger to the rest of the team. That had been proven. Keeping him on the team would only make the others question his judgement and make them feel unsafe. But if he complied, then he protected somebody else from harm.
"I understand." Kudou sighed.
"Good. See to it."
The overwhelming pressure in the room eased up, and Kudou wiped his forehead. His only choice was to listen to the demands he was given. There could be no other way.
He brought his hand down and saw a drop of blood on his finger. The breeze that had brushed his cheek had been a warning shot, as evidenced by the very shallow cut that dribbled a couple of small droplets of blood. He wiped them away as Caleb began to stir.
"Ugh..." The boy worked his neck muscles and blinked his eyes before removing the tip of his scruffy mohawk from his eyes.
"Akio." Kudou was right in front of him, arms crossed on the varnished table.
"Ngh..." Everything came back at once to the boy, and he was already on the defensive. "Nothing you say will make me apologise." He growled. "And I sure as Hell ain't-!"
"Don't do it again." Kudou stood up, tucking his chair in.
"Huh...?" Even Caleb was surprised. "That's it...?"
"If I ever hear of you threatening someone's life again, you'll be off the team in a heartbeat." Kudou said, walking past him. "If you must fight, fight through your Pokemon. That's the reason you're even here in the first place. So make yourself useful."
With that, the Coach exited the room, leaving the door open behind him.
"Argh..." Caleb stared at the table and felt the point where Kiria had tranquillised him. "Hmph... Fine." He stood, pushing his chair aside. "He'll pay. One way or another."
*
Training was already in full swing when Kudou returned to us. He integrated into the sidelines without attracting any attention, letting us carry on.
Mira's Magmortar charged at my Buizel, and I was about to call out a counter, but the reappearance of Caleb at the top of the steps caught me by surprise. His face was twisted in a frown as he walked down, and I could have sworn that he looked directly at me.
"He's still here?!" I was disappointed and scared that Kudou hadn't kicked him from the team.
Skyra and Midorima noticed too, and their faces were a little defeated too. Kiria showed no change in expression, but I wagered she had some thoughts about Kudou's decision bubbling inside her right now. Nobody else knew what had happened. Neither Kudou nor Darragh had informed the others, so as far as they knew, Caleb had just showed up late.
But seeing him emerge felt like seeing a bully appear when you least expect it.
"Bui!" Buizel cried out, Mira's Magmortar landing a solid Thunder Punch to his gut.
"Oh sh-!" I looked back and Buizel slammed into my stomach, sending us both reeling back. I tumbled down onto my side and Buizel bounced up next to me, wincing as he struggled to his feet.
"Eyes on the opponent." Mira called, her arms folded.
"Damn..." I rolled over into a sitting position. "Sorry, Buizel. My bad..."
"Bui bui." He dismissed it and stood tall, ready to get back into the fight.
"Glad someone's head's in the game..." I sucked in air through my teeth as I stood, my front still sore. "All right, let's go...!"
Caleb walked over to Victor, as he was the only one without a battle partner.
"Hey, are you ok?" Victor asked, his Zoroark and Absol stopping their sparring match as Caleb came by.
"Shut up." Caleb said, taking his place and bringing out a PokeBall. "Just get on with it."
"Oh, r-right..." Victor nodded.
*
At the end of the day, Nelly's whistle called us all round. Again, Kudou mentioned nothing of the incident this morning. I assumed he intended to brush it aside. The decision didn't fill me with confidence, but I tried to accept that maybe it had been in the best interests of the team, somehow.
"All right, everyone, good work today." Kudou said. "We're making good progress. Now, I'm sure you remember that tomorrow night is the pre-tournament party where the six teams will be drawn into their brackets for the Continental Cup. Needless to say, this is a formal event, and everybody from all six teams is required to attend."
"So, suits and dresses?" Mira asked, her hand in the air.
"Correct."
"Ooh." Hikaru smirked.
"Dammit." I thought.
"You must all act responsibly, of course." Kudou went on. "I'll be the one making our draw, but you all represent Asia, so you're to be on your best behaviour. I'm also trusting you to be sensible – there will be alcohol, but I don't want any of you who are under eighteen near it. And those who are, do not go overboard, because no matter what, we will all be back to training the next morning. Understood?"
Murmurs of agreement filled the air.
"Good. Morning practice tomorrow will be as usual, and it will be cut slightly short in the afternoon so we can prepare for the event that night. The party lasts from seven until eleven. For now, go and eat. We'll reconvene tomorrow."
"Thank you, Coach!"
With that, everyone began to make their way back to the dorms.
"I'll catch up in a bit." Nelly said. "I have to go over things with the staff again today."
"Oh, ok." I nodded. "I'll see you later then."
"Yeah. Bye!" She waved and quickly walked after Kudou.
"Hey." Kiria stopped beside me, hands in her jacket pockets. "You holding up ok?"
"Yeah..." I sighed. "But why did he let Caleb stay...?"
"I don't know..." Kiria admitted. "I advised that he kick him, but... Well, either way, I'll find out."
"Right..."
"Anyway, see ya."
"Bye." I waved.
*
I sat alone in the cafeteria, at a table by the back window. Whilst the others were busy eating and chatting away, I waited for Nelly to finish her meeting. During that time, I overheard some of the conversations going on around the room.
"You got enough money to buy a dress?" Hikaru asked.
"Yes." Mira replied. "I have money saved up from my job back home."
"Same. What do you work as?"
"A waitress. And you?"
"A surfing instructor, actually."
"Does that pay well?"
"Pretty good."
"Are there even suits my size?" Yu wondered.
"Didn't you wear one last time?" Victor asked.
"Well... Oh yeah, I guess so."
"You packed a suit already?" Zhang was surprised.
"Yep." Carmello nodded. "My paper rounds and supermarket work back home help. My dad takes us to a lot of fancy meet-ups so I bought a suit a while ago. Do you need some money to get one?"
"Oh, nah, I have the money, I was just surprised you thought that far ahead."
Everyone seemed to be talking about how they could afford their outfits for tomorrow night, regardless of whether or not they had already bought them or not. There were a few shops in the village that sold suits and dresses though, so it wouldn't be difficult to find something.
What irked me most was not the prospect of having to wear a suit and tie again, but rather, how easily everyone else managed to talk about money. At least from what I could tell, all of them worked jobs back home. The more I heard, the more uncomfortable I became, because it made me feel completely out of my depth.
"I've never worked a day in my life..." I thought to myself. "But these guys – even the ones younger than me – they have... Some of them have been working for years... Meanwhile, I... I've never known that kind of life... I've always been so scared of it. All the money I have has come from Mum and Dad..."
I looked around the room and felt my heart sink. "When this is all over... Will I have to be like them too? I mean... How could Nelly and I ever live together if I don't make money at all...? We wouldn't last very long..."
I was working myself into a state, and I had to consciously stop myself from crying.
"But I don't want to work... I'm not ready – I'm still a child, I... I'm still just a child..."
In reality, I was the 5th or 6th oldest member of the team. But even still...
Before long, people began to leave and head off for bed. The cafeteria thinned out, and when there were only a couple of us left, Nelly finally appeared.
"You waited for me?" She seemed surprised as she came over to my table.
"Of course I did." I smiled weakly.
"Aw, you're sweet." She smiled back. "Sorry I took so long. You ready to eat?"
"Sure." I stood up and we made our way to the front.
"It really is a good thing she's around." I thought. "Because otherwise I'd probably suffocate myself in all those negative thoughts. At least when she's around, I can think happier thoughts." I watched her walk ahead and look over at the food. Anything she did was like a performance in my head. "But even then... Are all those thoughts happy ones...?"
*
The next day, training came to a close and we had a couple of hours to prepare for the draw later on. For some, including myself, that meant going out to pick an outfit altogether. Darragh had given both Nelly and I some money to pick something out and, whilst I graciously accepted it, I was profoundly aware that it only perpetuated how useless I felt in comparison to the others.
"Come on, Nelly! We'll get you a dress!" Hikaru grabbed her wrist and led her away.
"O-ok...!" She went along with it, waving to me as she was dragged into the village.
Mira and Kiria followed, and the girls all disappeared in mere seconds.
"Come on." Skyra patted my shoulder. "Let's just go get this over with."
"All suits look the same anyway..." Victor sulked, walking past with Midorima and Shu-ling.
"Be that as it may, they are smart." Midorima pushed up his glasses.
"Oh, boy." I sighed. "I can't wait."
"Wanna try sounding any more sarcastic?" Skyra asked.
"Yeah, yeah." I shook my head and we went on our way.
*
Later on, after an early dinner, everyone went to their rooms to get ready for the party. A bus would take us to the venue in the centre of Liocott Island in just over an hour.
I was sat on the bed, the bag containing my smart clothes lying next to me. I already had a plain white shirt and black trousers, so I only had to get a black suit and tie. I had showered and dried my hair, and Nelly was doing the same as I sat there, staring at the fabrics.
"I guess I'd better put it on..." I sighed.
After tucking the shirt into the trousers, I slid a belt through the loops and closed it round the front, sliding the trailing end through a couple of the loops as well. The sound of the hair dryer hummed from the bathroom.
"Right... The tie..." I picked up the black fabric and stared at it. "Why don't they sell these things already done up? Dammit..."
I grabbed my phone and tried to look up how to tie the tie, but I kept getting it wrong.
"Ah, screw it." I threw the tie on the bed and put my phone away. "...Agh. This sucks."
A small mirror fitted into a wooden stand was resting on the drawers beside the window, and I looked into it. What I saw was a curly-haired mess who couldn't tie a tie.
The bathroom door clicked, indicating that it had become unlocked. I stepped back towards the bed as it opened.
Nelly stepped out and I forgot all about my frustrations with the tie. Her dress was a wine coloured one that was off the shoulder, and the hem was just round her knees, with it rising slightly upwards around her left leg and falling slightly below her knees from behind. The straps of the dress, wide yet sleek ribbon-like pieces of fabric, hugged the sides of her shoulders instead of going over the top. Her golden heart-shaped pendant sat against her chest, resting just above where the dress began.
"Oh my God..." I was speechless. I had already thought that her new daytime outfit was amazing, but this made my heart flutter in all kinds of ways I hadn't felt before.
"How do I look...?" She asked, bringing her hands together and nervously feeling the material around her waist.
My mouth was open, and it moved, but I just couldn't get any words out. "...I-Incredible..." I managed to say, my face going red.
"Really...?" She looked up.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Thank you!" She smiled, going a little red in the face herself. "Um, there is one thing, though... Could you... Zip me up at the back? I couldn't get my arm that far..."
"Mhm." I nodded again, afraid that if I tried to speak I would just blurt out indecipherable noises.
"Thanks." Nelly turned around and I stepped forward. The little zip ran up from her waist to the middle of her back, in line with just below her shoulder blades. She had managed to get it half way.
"Ok..." I took hold of the zip and carefully pulled it upwards, afraid of accidentally catching her exposed skin in the metal. I zipped her up and stepped back, feeling unworthy to stand so close to her.
"Thank you, Sweetheart." She turned around and smiled again. Her eyes caught the tie on the bed. "Do you need help?"
"Uh..." I looked at her, then the tie, then back. "I tried, but I..."
"Here." She picked it up and stepped closer, sending a little shudder down my spine. Her hands reached out she popped my collar up, before wrapping the tie around the back of my neck and draping the two ends over my front. Then, with no mistakes, she tied it up perfectly, her eyes stealing glances from me as she went. "There you go." She tightened it for me and pushed it up into position, dropping the collar around it.
"Thank you..." I swallowed, lightly flapping my shirt to circulate air around my chest.
"That's ok... Oh, and this." She handed me the black suit that was resting on the bed. I took it and put it on, pulling the sleeves into place and straightening it around my front.
"There." I was done.
"You're so handsome." Nelly smiled.
"You think...?"
"Mhm..."
Even though I felt embarrassed, I couldn't avert my eyes from her. She really did look incredible in her dress, and I felt so inferior, with my standard male fancy get-up.
Nelly reached out with her right hand and her fingertips pressed gently against my chest. "I love you." She whispered.
"I love you too..." I managed to let a smile creep onto my nervous face.
Her fingers closed around my tie and she gently tugged on it, pulling me forward whilst she took a step closer. Her deep brown eyes seemed to twinkle as she reached up with her left hand and gently caressed the right side of my face, before she pulled me closer, closed her eyes and kissed me. I was initially surprised, but she pressed herself up against me and made me feel comfortable. I kissed her back and placed my right hand on her bare shoulder, feeling the soft touch of her skin, as I held her face with my left hand, mirroring the way she held me.
When our lips parted, Nelly lingered there for a moment, her eyes still half closed. Unworthy though I may have felt, I kissed her again, then stood up straight.
"Toby..." She looked up at me with a passion in her eyes that reminded me how far we had come.
I ran my thumb gently across her cheek, sliding it over her soft skin. "You're so beautiful..." I told her what I had wanted to say the moment she had stepped out of the bathroom.
The loving smile she gave me was a sight so pure that I could have died happy had it been the last thing I would see.
There was a knock at the door and we were shocked out of our trance.
"Hey, you guys ready in there?" Hikaru's voice came through.
"Yeah!" Nelly called back over my shoulder. "We won't be long!"
"All right!"
Her footsteps faded away, and I blinked twice before buttoning up my suit and shifting my tie back into place. I looked Nelly in the eyes and, without a word, we wrapped our arms around each other. I held her for as long as I was able, before we separated and breathed.
"I love you." She told me again.
"I love you too." I replied once more.
*
The party had already begun by the time our team arrived. We weren't the last group to arrive, but whoever had already made it was already getting into the spirit of things.
We were stood in the reception hall of the large venue, where Kudou ran us over the proceedings once again.
"The draw starts in an hour and a half." He said. "But the welcoming starts twenty minutes before that, so make sure you go to the main hall when it begins. Other than that, you're free to wander around. But Yu, make sure you stay close to some of the others. Same goes for you, Zhang, Carmello. I know you're older, but be conscious of your surroundings." He said to the youngest members.
"Yes, Coach!"
As expected, the boys all looked relatively similar, with suits and ties all around. Victor had worn a grey vest in addition to his suit and shirt, and Midorima had a red pocket square in his breast pocket that somehow made him appear even smarter. Xene had managed to incorporate a pocket watch into his outfit, and Jordan went with a bow-tie instead of a traditional one. Then there was Caleb, who wore no tie, had his suit unbuttoned, and the collar of his shirt open.
Hikaru had acquired a sky blue dress that came low to the floor but was open at the left side to expose her leg. She was also carrying a cream-coloured bag as an accessory. Mira's dress was brown with a belt around her waist that was accentuated by a rose of the same colour. Kiria's dress was a low cut, deep turquoise one that matched her hair.
"We're going to go and get acquainted with the staff from the other teams." Darragh said.
"So Xene, Jordan, Nelly – we'd like it if you came along with us first before you go off." Kudou added.
"Yes, Sir." Xene nodded.
"Of course." Jordan agreed.
"O-ok." Nelly went along with it.
"Stay safe, everyone. And have fun." Kudou nodded to us and opened the doors into the main hall, where people were packed in, dancing to music, walking around and laughing. Some even managed to have conversations despite the noise.
"I'll come and find you when I'm done." Nelly said.
"All right." I smiled. "Don't be too long."
"I'll try." She snuck a kiss onto my cheek when nobody was looking and headed off after Kudou.
"You know, you should do modelling, Kiria." Hikaru said, picking up a fashion magazine that was on the stand in the reception area.
"You think?" Kiria was only partially listening as they strolled forward.
"Sure. You've got the face and body for it. I mean, if Ray can model, anyone can." Hikaru joked.
"I feel immediately uncomfortable around the girls." Victor looked away.
"They're pretty." Yu smiled. "What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing." Victor shook his head and went on to the main hall. Skyra and Midorima walked away too.
"Huh...?" Yu blinked.
"Don't grow up, ok, Yu?" Shu smiled, appearing at his side.
"Well... I guess there's only one way to go..." I made my way into the main hall.
*
It was extremely loud inside. The combination of music, shouting, and a hundred different conversations going on at once made it all bleed into one massive buzz of white noise.
"Ugh..." I slowly moved through the crowds. There was a sea of vibrant colours and flowing dresses, all of which served to give me a headache.
"I can't believe people go to these things for fun." I looked around. "The same with pubs or nightclubs. How can anyone hear themselves think in here?!"
I came to realise that being alone in such a situation was like a nightmare. I already hated social events like these, but to be lost in a sea of strangers was even worse. Looking around, I tried to spot someone – anyone – I recognised. But it was no good. Everyone had split up.
"Crap... My head..." The noise was getting to me.
Someone's arm came round, and I had to dodge an incoming glass of wine as I moved forward, surrounded by laughter and clinking cans and glasses.
"Outside... There must be a way outside..."
There were large doors along the walls on the right side that doubled as windows. The venue was big from the outside and even bigger from within – but I knew I had seen some sort of terrace or garden area when the bus had pulled in. With that in mind, I made a beeline for the doors.
A flash of pink at head-height went by, and for a moment I wondered if it might have been Gabi. Had he made it onto his continent's team? What about Paolo? It occurred to me that a lot of the people I had passed already might actually be possible opponents going forward, and yet I hadn't looked at a single one of them.
"Just keep going." I urged myself on. "Out of here. Just get out..."
I made it to one of the doors and pushed. To my relief, it opened up, and I stepped out onto a stone terrace. The party was held in a building on slightly elevated land, so the stone terrace around this edge had steps at the end that led down to the grass all around. "Phew..." I shut the doors behind me and walked forward.
I wasn't the first one out here, but that was fine. There were only a handful of others, and hardly any of them even noticed someone else had come outside, as most of them were in conversations that they could actually hear out here. I walked over to one set of stone steps that were completely empty and climbed a ways down them. I could still clearly hear the madness of the party behind me, but this would have to do. I sat down towards the bottom of the steps on the cold stone, the sky turning orange overhead.
*
About ten minutes later, the doors behind me a ways back opened up and the noise got louder for a few moments before whoever had come out shut them again. I thought that was that, but then I heard the distinct sound of footsteps – or rather, heels – clacking on the stone, getting closer.
Moments later, a figure was standing next to me – I didn't look at first, but I could tell they were there.
"Phew!" A female voice spoke. "It's hectic in there!"
Her accent was Australian, and the voice actually sounded somewhat familiar.
She sat down on the same step as me, a respectable distance away, sweeping her pink dress under herself so her skin didn't touch the cold ground.
I assumed she was talking to herself, so I didn't really acknowledge her presence until she spoke again.
"Hi." She gave a general greeting. I was the only one around, so unfortunately that meant I was being talked to.
"Hey." I looked across at her. She even looked familiar in a way. She had black hair that was tied back into a ponytail, two distinct bangs parted across the front of her head, and a long fringe swept to her left side.
"Hang on – do I know you from somewhere?" She asked.
"...Maybe?" I was still trying to place her.
"Oh yeah! Aren't you that guy from the World Tournament? You were on Japan's team, weren't you?"
"I was." I nodded.
"I thought so! I was Australia's captain back then."
That's who it was!
"So then you're... Chloe...?" I tried to remember.
"Chloe Frazer." She smiled.
"Right. I remember you." I smiled back. "I'm Toby, by the way. Grazier."
"That's it!" Chloe pointed. "I can't believe I didn't remember! After all, you were the one who saved the whole planet, right? You flew all around the place and saved everybody!"
"Oh, yeah... That's me." I laughed it off.
What she said was true. A couple of years ago, with the help of my friends and some powerful jewels, I had managed to get rid of Tobi in a battle that threatened to wipe the planet out. I had been like a superhero – but I didn't exactly feel especially super about myself nowadays.
"Thanks for that, by the way." Chloe said.
"Don't mention it." I shrugged.
"So, you're part of Asia's team this time, eh?"
"Yeah. And you must be in the Australia and Oceania squad?"
"Yep!" She smirked. "I'm the captain."
"Oh – congratulations." I was surprised. I didn't even think Kudou had named a captain for Asia's squad yet.
"Thanks. Anyway, what are you doing out here all on your own? Not a fan of parties?"
"Not really, no." I looked out at the grass. "Plus, I was waiting for someone. She's part of my team's staff, so she-"
"Ooh, a girlfriend, perhaps?" Chloe seemed immediately interested.
"Huh?" I felt my face heat up.
"She is!" She giggled. "Aw, that's cute."
"Yeah, well..." I looked away.
"Hey, I'm sorry..." Chloe leant forward to try and look at my face. "I didn't mean to upset you or anything."
"No, no, don't worry." I shook my head. I found myself thinking back to earlier that evening, and how perfect the moment had been. Then I thought of how different this was. I had gone from being in a perfect moment, to being driven out of a loud and crowded room for my own sanity. At least, that's what I told myself the problem was. But I couldn't shake the feeling that, even on top of my worries about money and whatnot, there was a deeper issue buried inside somewhere that was tugging at my heart.
"Are you ok?"
"Hm?"
"You don't look happy right now." Chloe said.
"Don't mind me." I shook my head again.
"I can tell you've got something weighing down on you. I know we pretty much only just met, but... Do you want to talk about it?"
"Yes."
"No." I said. "Don't worry about some stranger-"
"Do I need to know you well to want to help?" Chloe asked.
"...Huh...?"
"I'm just saying... Don't feel bad about talking. I don't mind! I have a friend who bottles stuff up, and it isn't good. I've helped her before, and I want to try and help you too." Chloe smiled.
"Wow." I breathed. "Everyone's a better hero than me right now."
"Ok..." I shifted.
"It's all right." Chloe assured me. "I won't tell anyone. So... Is it about your girl?"
"...Maybe...? I don't..."
"Are you on bad terms?"
"No, I don't think so." I replied. The way we interacted earlier certainly made it seem like we were on good terms.
"Been together long?"
"Just over six years." I said, something about the weight of that truth still hitting me even as I said it.
"Wow." She sounded genuinely shocked. "So you've been together since you were what, thirteen?"
"Twelve."
"Wow. Congratulations! That's amazing, especially for people our age."
"Thank you..." I smiled.
"There you go – there's a smile!" Chloe laughed. "I don't get what's wrong."
"I'm not sure I do either." I said. Even then, I didn't know if I was telling the truth. Part of me felt like I knew what was wrong, but the other part of me was preventing me from accepting it or even openly acknowledging it.
"Ok, well... You brightened up when you talked about her, so... Why don't you tell me about her? What's her name?"
"Nelly..." I said.
"She cute?"
The thought of her was clear in my mind.
"Beautiful."
"Aw." The Australian girl obviously felt the sincerity in my voice. "You're the same age, I take it?"
"She's three months younger than me."
"And you're both... Six years... You're both eighteen now, then?" She asked.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"You two basically grew up together, then."
"Mm." I smiled slightly. "We've lived together the whole time, pretty much."
"Oh. Huh, that's different." Chloe nodded slowly. "I mean, most young couples meet up with each other now and then, but you've been together all this time?"
"Yeah..."
"You must really like her."
"I do."
"Hmm..." Chloe studied my face.
"I love her..."
"Clearly..." She sat up straight. "Which is why I don't get how you being sad relates to her... I assume she loves you too, right?"
"That's what she says." I nodded.
"And you believe her?"
"Definitely." I replied. I believed her because nobody would treat a boy like me the way she did if they didn't love me.
"Hmm... Then maybe... Do you feel like you're not doing enough?"
"Oh..." I froze.
"Did I get it?" Chloe asked.
"Maybe...?" I hated myself for being so vague. It felt like all of my answers had to be wrung out of me.
"Ok... Ok... Hmm..." She looked over at me, puzzled. "Look, I want to help you, but... Something tells me you might not be comfortable with more questions."
"If you think they'll help..." I swallowed. "Then please..."
"You're sure?"
I nodded.
"All right, well..." She looked around and shuffled a little closer so she wasn't overheard. "Maybe it's to do with what goes on in the bedroom...?"
"Sleeping?"
"Sleeping together, yeah."
"We sleep together every night – I don't think that's a problem..." I said.
Chloe's eyes widened and she sat back. "Every night? You sleep together every night?!"
"Well, yeah... Isn't that-!" My face went bright red as I finally realised what she actually meant. "No no no no no!" I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I didn't mean like that!"
"Oh...?" She seemed relieved and confused.
"We don't – I mean – We sleep together – sleep – but that's it." I spoke in a hurried whisper and hid my face in embarrassment.
"Oh, bless you, you're so innocent." Chloe giggled.
"That was close..." I thought to myself. "Haha... Ha... ..."
"Wait." She seemed like she had made a connection. "Maybe that's it."
"No..." I shifted nervously. "No, I don't think so..."
It felt like walls were closing in on me from all angles.
"It might be a psychosexual thing." She spoke so matter-of-factly. "From the sounds of it, maybe it's because-"
"No!" I squealed, my eyes jammed shut. No doubt people around had heard that one. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes and breathed. At some point in the last few moments, tears had begun forming. "Please... No more..." I begged.
"...I'm sorry." Chloe apologised. "I went too far. It's clearly a sensitive subject and I..."
"It's ok." I shook my head. "Thanks for trying to help..."
"Right..." She nodded. "Anyway... How's training going?"
I appreciated that she tried to change the subject, so I tried to oblige.
"Pretty good... A lot of my teammates are better than me though."
"Well you went toe-to-toe with that Paolo guy last year and almost won, so don't put yourself down." She smiled.
"I guess so. Though I'm pretty sure he'd have gotten much stronger since then. I don't think I'd even come close to beating him again."
"Assuming you'll make it that far." She smirked. "If we get drawn into the same bracket, I won't let you get through so easily."
"Hm." I felt a smile on my lips. "I look forward to it."
The doors at the back of the terrace opened, carrying the music and chatter out into the open. Chloe looked back over her shoulder and then back at me.
"Hey. Is that her?"
"Huh?" I looked back and saw Nelly standing at the door looking around, presumably for me. "Nelly..." I was relieved and also quite shaken.
"You were right." Chloe stood up and brushed her legs down. "She is cute." She smiled. "I'll leave you to it, then. I'll see you around." She lifted a hand in farewell.
"Goodbye." I waved.
Chloe walked away, and at the same time, Nelly spotted me. A big smile spread across her face and she hurried over to me.
"Hey, sorry I took so long." She said, sitting down next to me.
"That's ok. It's worth the wait." I smiled.
"Hehe, you..." She giggled, before shuffling up to me and resting her head on my shoulder. I instinctively wanted to reach out and hold her hand, but something in my head stopped me halfway. The conversation I had had with Chloe was still fresh in my mind, and was making me feel strange. It didn't matter though, since Nelly reached out the rest of the way and placed her hand in mine. Studying her whilst she wasn't looking, I tried to shake the lingering thoughts from my head. They didn't matter. They were problems for another day.
Nelly looked up at me and met my eyes. Her cute little smile drew the same response from me.
But just how long would I be able to push those issues aside? And was that even the right thing to do in the first place?
"What would she say if I told her...?" I wondered, looking into those eyes that I knew so well.
*
Not long after that, the two of us went back inside and managed to congregate with the rest of the team. Coach Kudou had gone up to the main stage along with the five other managers from the continental teams.
A man who had introduced himself as the owner of the party venue expressed his gratitude for everyone's presence, before two different men from the committee running the Continental Cup took his place as he was applauded away.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the draw for the first ever Continental Cup!" The first man said, microphone in hand.
There were cheers that were deafening, and Nelly squeezed my hand in an attempt to comfort me.
"We are pleased to welcome the managers for our six participating teams – Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, and Australia and Oceania!"
More cheers followed as the six managers waved.
"Now, as there are six teams this year instead of sixteen, the tournament bracket this year is significantly smaller. It also means that two of our six teams will automatically move on to the semi-finals immediately, whilst the other four will battle it out to claim the final two spots. So cross your fingers, Trainers! There's a chance that your team could skip the first round entirely!"
I hadn't really thought about that until now. The small number of teams did mean that two would have to be given a pass right out of the gate. We had a 1-in-3 chance of skipping straight to the semi-finals.
Behind the first man, the second had wheeled out a lottery drawing machine. There were six white balls inside the plastic case, each one marked with a number from 1 to 6, covered by a sticker. A picture of the tournament bracket had appeared on a board behind them, lit up by a projector. The first four numbers belonged in the first round, whilst whoever picked 5 and 6 would get to skip ahead.
"And now, let's get the draw underway!"
There were cameras pointed at the stage, broadcasting the event live across the world.
A hat with the names of the six teams written on strips of paper was on the same table as the lottery machine, and the announcer reached in without looking, stirring the names around. Eventually, he grabbed one and read it aloud.
"Will the manager for Europe's team, 'Grand Europa', please come forward!"
Even more cheers as the manager stepped forward and waved. He went up to the machine and the second official pressed a button that filled the plastic chamber with an air current that sent the six polystyrene balls whizzing around. The European manager opened the hatch and reached inside. He managed to snag one and pulled it out to a low hum of suspense. He stood up straight and peeled the sticker off, turning the ball around to reveal that his team would put into position 5.
"Grand Europa skips to the semi-finals!"
The image behind them changed, and now the European team occupied their place on the bracket. Teams 1 and 2 would be battling for the chance to face Europe, whilst 3 and 4 would fight to face whoever got put in position 6.
"Next up!" The announcer reached into the hat for another team.
"Africa's 'Osiris'!"
The team's manager stepped up and reached into the machine, placing her team into position 2.
"Now..." The announcer reached into the hat once more.
"Asia's 'Aegis'!"
Coach Kudou stepped forward, and suddenly we were all tense.
"Please let us skip ahead." Carmello hoped.
"I doubt Coach Kudou would choose to do so even if he were freely given the option." Midorima said. That sounded about right. Kudou had always been one to push his teams to get better, so for him, drawing position 6 would be like giving us the easy way out.
Up on the stage, he reached into the machine and opened his hand. A ball smacked against his open palm, but he let it pass, opting to snatch the next one out of the air.
"I bet that was six." Zhang stared.
"Oh yeah." Hikaru blinked.
"Almost certainly." Mira nodded.
Kudou removed the sticker from the ball, revealing the number 4.
Aegis was put on the screen. We would have to participate in the first round after all. But so far, our opponent hadn't been decided, and we didn't know who we would be facing yet even if we did win.
South America's 'Southern Maw' took number 1, pitting them against Africa for a chance to face Europe.
Australia and Oceania's manager stepped up for the team 'Rainbow Serpent', named after an Australian mythological creature. They took the fabled number 6, allowing them to skip to the semi-final. That meant that we would face them if we managed to beat North America's team, 'Storm Eagle'.
That potentially meant that, if he had made it, Gabi would be part our our first challenge, and then, should we win, Chloe would be the next hurdle.
With that the draw came to a close, though the party would keep going a little while longer. I for one had had enough, though, and Nelly and I, along with a few others, left early to head back to the dorms. Now that we knew who we were up against, no doubt Xene and Jordan would have some tips for us tomorrow. For now though, it was time to put this night behind us. Personally, I was more than ready to wake up to a new day. My mind needed a rest.