Chapter 38 (1/2)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

High School Soccer Magazine Editorial Department.

“The match schedules are out. It’s time for everyone to get busy,” Liu Yang said as the company held their annual mobilization meeting.

“This year, three schools hold the best prospects, Zhongyuan is unquestionably one of them; and then there’s Luoyang’s ‘Uncrowned King’―Dingding High School, who’s fully capable of entering the national tournament proper. A mention should also be made for last year’s dark horse―Shu Guang High School, although they’ve gained even more strength this year and can’t really be thought of as a dark horse anymore. I want our news reports to focus on these three schools.”

Meanwhile, Chen Huafeng was staring blankly at the fixture list.

“Xiao Chen, have you been following Shu Guang all along? Penny for your thoughts?”

Not looking up, Huafeng replied, “Shu Guang’s first opponent is Kai Ta High School. Kai Ta is Yang Pan and Zhang Jun’s alma mater…”

The others looked at each other, not quite understanding what he was saying.

…

Zhang Jun stared blankly at the huge match schedule, which was pasted on the club’s activity room wall. It was surprising that Shu Guang’s first match was against Kai Ta.

How did that happen?

Su Fei hit her head with a notebook. “It’s time for training!”

…

Looking at Zhang Jun who kept making mistakes, Liang Kei asked Su Fei next to him, “Do you know what’s up with him?”

Su Fei shook her head. “He was just staring at the match schedule.”

“Match schedule? So that’s what it is…”

…

Anyone who was looking at him from behind would have thought that Zhang Jun was being studious. But he knew that his mind was not on his studies. The language text book in front of him was on page 98 an hour ago and it was still there an hour after.

He went to his bookshelf to retrieve a photo album filled with pictures of his early middle school years. In the first page was a picture of him, Yang Pan, Yuan Gang and Liu Peng. They were third-years then; the four of them were smiling brightly in the picture.

“Yuan Gang, Liu Peng…” He uttered the names of his buddies softly. They had not contacted each other since they went their separate ways. Perhaps, those two were angry? Why would there not be a single call otherwise? He left them without bothering to say goodbye; and just the night before, they even declared, “Let’s become national high school champions!” only to have him pretty much scatter the next day.

Compared to him, Yang Pan would not have such difficult feelings―to him, his best friend was only Zhang Jun; Yuan Gang and Liu Peng were just ordinary acquaintances. Perhaps, he would just feel the same as usual without any fuss on Saturday’s game? But Zhang Jun knew that he himself could not do it. Yuan Gang and Liu Peng were also his best friends. Would any one of them have imagined that they would face off against one another even after they were at the pinnacle of their game?

Maybe this was fate?

The hour needle pointed at 12, but Zhang Jun was still staring at the photos of his middle school years―those snapshots trickled with drips of memories from his past days.

…

“It’s already October, but it’s still so hot! How unusual!” A burly boy moaned about the weather as he tugged at the neck of his jersey.

“It’s El Nino, don’t you know?” Another lad of a rather small frame answered next to him.

“Will it be the same on Saturday?”

“What, worried about the game?” His companion smiled.

“I’m worried about Zhang Jun.”

“What?”

“Monkey, don’t you know him? The dude must be worried over trivial stuff like our friendship!”

“Heh! Why would he mind about such trivial things? We were great friends with him, but we’re opponents now―there are no friends between teams that are playing against each other. Doesn’t he understand that?”

“It’s not like you don’t know him. He’s light on the brain department―it’s like he’s lacking a few parts there.”

“Liu Peng, now is not the time for you to worry about others. There’s still another headache you have to face in the match day after tomorrow.”

“You’re talking about Yang Pan?” Liu Peng asked.

“Who else is there besides him? He was quite the scene-stealer last year, even grabbing the spotlight from Zhang Jun himself. We know his long-range efforts better than anyone. It won’t bode well if we let him go crazy in the game.”

“Relax! I guarantee that I’ll stick to him like glue; I won’t afford him even half a pace of movement.”

Yuan Gang smiled. Liu Peng’s man-marking defense scared him despite his own nickname, “Monkey”. It was a label given because of his apelike agility. In the National Championships during their third year, Liu Peng was able to handle the team’s defense alone, striking down defenses everywhere alongside Yang Pan and Zhang Jun. He made many key players on the other team look emphatically ordinary.