---

The morning sun spilled across the streets of Red City, golden and warm, but for Maya and Kael, the walk to school was less about the weather and more about their eternal sibling-rivalry-that-isn't-quite-sibling.

Maya walked with her chin slightly raised, hands clasped behind her back like a general about to dictate orders. Kael walked beside her in a fitted white shirt that hugged his frame a little too smugly, his loose hair bouncing with each step.

"Kael," Maya started, her voice taking on that mock-serious tone she always used when she wanted to prove something. "You must cooperate today. I'm the older cousin, okay?"

Kael's lips tugged into a smirk beneath the shadow of his hair. "Yep, I will."

There was something about his tone though—like he had no intention of actually following through. Maya narrowed her eyes at him, but it was hard to argue with someone whose face she couldn't quite see.

Still, the fitted shirt was doing its job. His abs were carved under the fabric, the kind of detail no high schooler had any business flaunting this early in the morning. Maya's eyes betrayed her willpower and drifted downward.

Before she could stop herself, her hand reached out and poked.

Kael stopped walking, tilting his head slightly. "...Hey. What are you doing?"

Maya blinked innocently, withdrawing her hand like she hadn't just done what she did. "Nothing. Just… making sure you're real. You know. For science."

Kael raised an eyebrow under his hair. "Science? You can make someone cheat on her partner with that kind of experiment."

Maya huffed, cheeks flushing red. "I was not—ugh, don't flatter yourself!"

Kael pretended to stroke an invisible beard on his chin. "So I assume… I am very handsome."

"Oh, please," Maya groaned, rolling her eyes so hard she nearly saw the back of her skull. "Handsome my foot."

But she walked a little closer after that.

---

School Routine

The rest of the school day passed uneventfully. Lessons droned on, students whispered, and pencils tapped against desks. Kael kept his head down, literally, his hair curtaining him from the world, while Maya alternated between paying attention and sneaking glances at him as if making sure he wasn't planning to sneak out of school mid-class again.

It was normal. Calm. But no one cared about classes today. Because today… was soccer day.

And soccer day meant war.

---

The First Match: Leoplast United vs. City Men

By the time classes ended, the school's sports ground was buzzing like a stadium. The stands filled with students, banners waved, chants echoed. The announcer's voice boomed through the cheap speakers that always crackled at the worst times.

"First match of the afternoon! Leoplast United versus City Men!"

The crowd roared.

Leoplast United weren't just good—they were the best team in school. Everyone knew their style: ruthless possession, quick triangles, passes so clean they looked rehearsed in a dream. And their captain, Ezra, was infamous for scoring from anywhere within forty yards.

On the other hand, City Men were scrappy. They weren't known for finesse. They were known for stamina and grit—the kind of team that would press and harass until their opponents begged for mercy.

The whistle blew.

Right from kickoff, Leoplast showed why they were number one. Ezra trapped the ball, flicked it over a defender's head with insulting ease, and volleyed it across the pitch in one fluid motion. The crowd gasped. City Men scrambled, but Leoplast's midfield already had the ball again.

"Look at that control!" the announcer cried. "City Men can't even breathe!"

Within ten minutes, Ezra struck. From outside the box, with two defenders charging at him, he ripped a shot that bent like it was magnetically guided into the top corner.

"GOAAAALLLLLLLL! Ezra does it again!"

The stadium erupted. City Men fans groaned.

To their credit, City Men didn't give up. They ran, they fought, they slid into tackles with reckless abandon. But every time they pressed one Leoplast player, another appeared like a shadow.

Second half, Ezra completed his brace with a cheeky chip over the keeper. 2–0. Game over.

Leoplast United walked off like royalty. City Men walked off like soldiers who had fought hard but got run over by tanks.

---

The Second Match: Starboys vs. Winnetka FC

If the first game was a showcase of dominance, the second was pure fireworks.

The Starboys were number two in the school rankings, and they played like it. Their wingers were lightning fast, their passes sharp, and their striker, Damien—tall, broad, and merciless—was a beast in the air.

Winnetka FC, however, weren't pushovers. They were technical, calculated, and had a midfield duo known for slicing defenses open with surgical through balls.

From the very first whistle, the game turned into chaos.

Starboys attacked like rabid wolves, Damien smashing headers toward goal. Winnetka countered with precision, threading passes through impossible gaps, forcing Starboys' keeper into desperate saves.

By halftime, it was 1–1. The crowd was split down the middle, chanting and singing until their throats burned.

Second half, Winnetka drew first blood. Their midfielder curled a perfect free kick into the net, silencing Starboys' fans.

But the silence didn't last.

Five minutes later, Damien thundered through the box like a battering ram, leaping higher than humanly possible to smash a header into the back of the net. 2–2.

The last fifteen minutes were madness. Both teams traded blows, the ball flying end to end, the announcer barely able to keep up. The final whistle blew before either team could find a winner.

"A dramatic draw! Starboys and Winnetka FC share the spoils!"

The crowd clapped, whistled, and argued loudly, half claiming Starboys should've won, half insisting Winnetka was robbed.

---

Maya leaned over to Kael as the stadium noise buzzed in their ears. "So, who do you think's stronger? Leoplast or Starboys?"

Kael tilted his head lazily, smirk curling his lips. "Doesn't matter. When Azure Legends step on the pitch, none of them will matter."

Maya snorted, giving him a side-eye. "Cocky much, Mr. Abs?"

"Not cocky," Kael replied, tapping his chest lightly. "Just… handsome."

She groaned. "Ughhh, I'm transferring schools."

He chuckled, low and smug, as the crowd's chants filled the air around them.

---

Kael leaned casually against the wall, arms folded, looking like someone who owned the very oxygen everyone else was struggling to breathe. He wasn't just waiting—he was waiting for someone obvious.

And that someone, of course, was Samantha.

"Hello, Kael." She waved with a smile that could probably bankrupt a billionaire if bottled.

Ever since Kael waltzed into her life—or maybe crashed into it like a meteor—Samantha had been glowing differently. And that glow was dangerous. Half the guys in school had to rub their eyes every time they saw her, as if trying to confirm she was real. She wasn't just beautiful—she was beautiful in a way that went toe-to-toe with the so-called school goddess, Maya. Add in that wild green hair of hers and she looked like she had walked out of some fantasy game designed by lonely developers.

Her outfit didn't help either. A black silk skirt hugged her just right, and her white shirt worked overtime trying to hold back her chest but… physics laughed in its face.

"Hello. How are you doing?" Kael replied, voice cool as ice water in a desert.

"Good. Never been better," she said, smiling brighter. Then she leaned closer, her eyes almost twinkling. "Are you going to the arena today?"

"Yep," Kael answered simply. "I want to test something."

"Okay. Let's go then."

Her reply was so quick and so bold that Kael actually paused, tilting his head slightly as if she'd just spoken in another language. Samantha didn't usually do "impulsive."

Still, he smirked faintly and followed her lead. If there was one thing Kael enjoyed more than fighting, it was unpredictability.

And right now, Samantha was about to be unpredictable.

"You seem… unusually decisive today," he said, falling into step beside her.

"What? You expected me to hesitate like those girls who twirl their hair and blush for ten minutes before saying yes?" she teased, smirking.

Kael gave a low chuckle. "Not exactly. But you don't usually drag me into things. I'm supposed to be the mysterious one, remember?"

"Well," Samantha leaned closer, her shoulder almost brushing his, "maybe I'm trying to compete with your mysterious aura. Can't let you have all the fun."

Kael smirked, stroking his imaginary beard. "Competing with me, huh? You'll lose. I've got years of experience in looking cool for no reason."

"Pfft, experience? Please. You just stand around acting like walls are your best friends. That's not skill, that's laziness."

He raised an eyebrow. "And yet, here you are, walking with the 'lazy wall guy.'"

"…Tch. Don't make it sound like I'm easy," she shot back, though the pink dusting her cheeks betrayed her.

They walked through the hallway, students throwing quick glances. Some guys clenched their fists in despair, whispering "Why him? Why always him?" while others pretended to look at the ceiling as if ignoring the obvious would save their sanity.

Samantha noticed the stares and grinned wider, enjoying the silent chaos. "They're watching again."

Kael shrugged. "Let them. Walls don't care who looks at them."

Samantha stopped mid-step, burst into laughter, and then shoved his arm playfully. "Oh my God—did you just call yourself a wall?"

"I prefer… stylish wall," Kael corrected, dead serious.

"You're ridiculous," she said, still laughing as they finally pushed open the doors leading toward the arena grounds.

But deep inside, Samantha's heart thumped faster. Walking beside him felt dangerous and comforting at the same time—like stepping onto a battlefield where she wasn't sure if she wanted to win or lose.

And Kael? He smirked.... as if he already knew.

---

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