While waiting for his teammates to come out of the changing room, Oswin stood in the tunnel, watching the rain gradually subside beyond the exit. He, too, had been feeling a strange heaviness in his heart lately.
As he waited, Lucas approached and stopped beside him, a smirk playing on his face. "How long are you planning to ignore me?"
"Get off my back, Lucas. You got your revenge, so leave me alone," Oswin replied. He tilted his head to look at Lucas before turning his attention back toward the tunnel exit.
"You think that was my revenge? That was just a taste of what's to come. This is only the beginning." Lucas leaned closer to Oswin's ear and whispered, "You have no idea what's coming for you, our little dance is not over until I say it over."
Oswin immediately shoved him away and clenched his fists. Lucas glanced at Oswin's hands before smirking. He deliberately turned his cheek toward him and tapped it with a finger, inviting Oswin to throw a punch. Oswin inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled, trying to control his anger.
Just then, his teammates emerged from the changing room and began walking toward him. Hickman was the first to notice Oswin's angry expression. He approached him and asked, "Is everything okay?"
As he spoke, Hickman glanced at Lucas, whose smirk remained firmly in place.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Come on, let's go," Oswin replied.
Hickman studied him for a moment before looking at his other teammates. He gestured for them to follow and leave the tunnel together.
"I was wondering where you'd run off to," Diago said as he came to stand beside Lucas. The two watched as Oswin and his teammates headed toward the exit. Lucas's smirk faded—he turned to Diago and said, "I was just greeting an old friend."
Then he looked past Diago toward the rest of their teammates. His expression hardened, and his voice carried a clear warning. "Listen up. Oswin is mine. Anyone who gets in my way shouldn't blame me for what happens to them."
The other players nodded nervously, none of them willing to challenge him. Diago placed a hand on Lucas's shoulder. "I already told them that."
Lucas turned back to him, a smirk returning to his face. "Just making sure we're on the same page."
Diago pointed toward the exit. "Come on. Let's get going before the academy starts thinking about canceling today's match."
With that, Diago and the others left the tunnel. Lucas remained behind for a moment. He looked toward the stands, where Winston sat, and stared directly at him with a smirk. After a moment, he shifted his gaze toward Oswin.
On the field, Oswin stood beside the referee and Arjun as they tossed a coin to determine which team would kick off and which side of the pitch each team would take. Once the toss was over, Oswin jogged back to his teammates and informed them of the result. He hadn't won the toss, so they would have to adjust accordingly.
Bongani, Hickman, and Elijah immediately noticed the change in his mood. They exchanged glances before one of them finally spoke. "Oswin, is everything all right? Did Lucas say something to you back in the tunnel?"
Oswin looked at them as if he wanted to explain what had happened. However, he stopped himself and shook his head.
"Listen, we need to stick to the plan. Be especially careful around Diago and Diego. Hickman, I seriously need you holding the back line. I need your defensive prowess today." Hickman nodded.
"What about Lucas? I have a feeling he'll play as a striker," Elijah said, glancing toward their opponents.
Oswin shook his head, "No, he won't. My guess is that he wants us to think he'll play there. But I believe he'll take the same position you're playing, Elijah."
Elijah furrowed his brow. "Why would he do that? Isn't he a winger, just like you?"
"He is," Oswin replied, "however today, his target is me." With that, he moved on to give the rest of his teammates their instructions.
Bongani and Elijah exchanged another glance, while Hickman shook his head slightly, signaling that they shouldn't press Oswin for more information. Whatever had happened between him and Lucas, Oswin clearly didn't want to discuss it right now.
They decided to follow his instructions and focus on the match. A moment later, the referee blew his whistle. From his seat in the stands, Winston watched as the players spread across the pitch and settled into their positions. It didn't take him long to recognize the formation.
Interesting. A 4-2-3-1. He leaned forward slightly, studying the players' arrangement. It's actually a solid formation. Its strengths can outweigh its weaknesses, depending on the game plan. But does this mean Arjun recruited Lucas and his friends because Lucas and Oswin have similar playstyles?
Winston interlocked his fingers as he continued observing the players. I wonder if Arjun has been studying Oswin. Just then, Winston frowned when he saw Arjun playing as a striker. Why is Arjun playing as a striker when he is a defender? What are they really planning, Winston shifted his eyes and saw Lucas positioning himself at the central defensive midfielder position.A few meters behind him, Sebastian leaned against the wall of the passage, watching Winston and the pitch.
He felt indifferent about what was about to happen between Lucas and Oswin. When he'd first recruited Lucas as a friend, he'd already known about the history between the two of them. In fact, their rivalry had intrigued him.
It was an entertaining situation to watch unfold. Besides, Sebastian had another reason for taking an interest in Oswin. He was jealous of the attention Oswin received from the big clubs. Despite Sebastian's own abilities and connections, Oswin's popularity among scouts had always bothered him.
And if Lucas could use their old rivalry to disrupt Oswin's performance, Sebastian certainly wasn't going to interfere.
On the other side of the stands, the twins and Duke sat watching the players on the field.
Darwin folded his arms and shifted his attention toward Winston, who was sitting alone. His expression remained indifferent, but when he glanced slightly upward, he noticed Sebastian watching Winston from the shaded passage.
"Brother, why didn't anyone warn him about their plan?" Noah asked, sitting between Darwin and Duke.
"I think it has something to do with who Lucas is friends with," Duke replied. "Nobody wants to risk angering a kid whose father has that much power and influence."
"Would he seriously involve his father in something like this?" Noah asked, folding his arms and shaking his head. "Why can't he settle his own squabbles? He needs to grow up and stop using his father's influence as leverage."
"Brother, we should have warned him," Noah added. "They're planning to gang up on his friend."
Darwin smiled and ruffled his twin brother's hair, "We shouldn't get involved in other people's problems. We should use this opportunity to study them and figure out how we can benefit from what we learn."
"Brother, don't do that! It took me hours to get my hair done like this!" Noah complained, pushing Darwin's hand away.
He straightened his hair before muttering, "But still, this is wrong."
"I wonder why Sebastian isn't part of this," Duke said, noticing him standing in the shaded passage.
"My guess is that he thinks he's above this match," Darwin replied, draping his arm over the back of the seat beside him. "I was hoping to watch him play in person, not just through highlights."
****
Meanwhile, Winston continued sitting alone in the stands when a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Winston, right? Do you mind if I sit here?"
Winston turned toward the speaker. To his surprise, it was Hickman's childhood friend.
"Oh, Danilo! Please, take a seat. I didn't hear you coming."
"Thanks." Danilo sat beside him. "I just arrived. I was at the pool when one of my friends told me that some of Sebastian's friends had been recruited. I wanted to see what they could do, especially since I might have to play against them myself."
He shifted his attention toward the field, "Good thing the match hasn't started yet. What formations are the two teams using?"
"Oswin's team is playing a 4-3-3, while Arjun's team is using a 4-2-3-1," Winston answered anxiously, keeping his eyes on the field. He was still trying to figure out why Arjun, a defender, and Lucas, a winger, appeared to have switched positions.
Danilo studied the players' arrangement, his expression thoughtful. "They must have a proper goal poacher up front to justify that setup. I wonder what kind of game plan they're going with."
Before Winston could respond, the referee prepared to blow his whistle. However, just as the match was about to begin, Lucas jogged over to the referee and spoke to him briefly.
The referee listened, then nodded, Lucas immediately turned and sprinted back into the tunnel, disappearing into the changing-room area.
Winston narrowed his eyes. What is he doing now? A short while later, Lucas returned to the field and nodded at the referee.
Only then did the referee raise his whistle and signal for the match to begin.