Winston shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't think anyone will challenge Hickman. And if they do, they must be really confident they can beat him." He took another sip of water before continuing. "As for Bongani... I'm not sure. I tried asking him earlier today, but it felt like something was holding him back from saying anything. I didn't want to push him."
Winston smiled faintly. "Besides, I don't think he's a pushover anymore. He's improved a lot during our morning training sessions. I'm not really worried about him." He glanced at Oswin. "The only players with targets on their backs this week are you and me."
Oswin leaned back onto his elbows and stared up at the glass dome overhead. Beyond it, the afternoon sky stretched across the horizon, scattered with drifting white clouds. Suddenly, Winston pushed himself to his feet.
"Come on. I'm starving. Let's grab something to eat at the cafeteria. We can also check up on Bongani and Hickman."
Oswin nodded and climbed to his feet. The two friends headed toward the cafeteria, where they grabbed a light meal before making their way to Building D. A few steps from the building, near the practice field, the sharp crack of a football being struck echoed through the air.
Winston and Oswin exchanged curious glances. They quietly rounded the corner of Building D and peeked onto the field. Bongani and Hickman were training.
Bongani repeatedly tried to dribble past Hickman, but the defender shut down every attempt with impeccable timing. Whether it was a well-timed tackle, a shoulder challenge, or simply perfect positioning, Hickman calmly dispossessed him each time.
Bongani was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily from the constant attacks, while Hickman only wiped a thin layer of sweat from his forehead, looking as composed as ever.
"Ugh! Come on..." Bongani groaned, resting his hands on his knees for a moment before straightening up again. "I was so close that time."
He picked up the ball and stared at Hickman, patiently running through different ways to beat him. Hickman remained in his defensive stance, standing like an immovable wall waiting for Bongani's next attempt.
Hickman's eyes remained glued to the ball at Bongani's feet. He didn't say a word. Calm and composed, he stood in a low defensive stance, his full attention fixed on reading Bongani's next move.
Bongani began with a series of body feints, shifting left and right before performing four quick stepovers. Hickman refused to bite. Keeping his arms slightly outstretched for balance, he shuffled backward, matching every movement while keeping his eyes locked on the ball instead of Bongani's feet.
Seeing no reaction, Bongani suddenly exploded to the right. In an instant, Hickman lunged forward. Stretching out his leg with impeccable timing, he cleanly poked the ball away before Bongani could push it past him.
The ball rolled several meters across the field. Bongani sprinted after it, but as he reached the ball, he froze in surprise. Standing a few meters away with their arms folded were Winston and Oswin, quietly watching the one-on-one battle unfold.
"Nice dribbling, Bo," Oswin said with an approving nod. "But you took too long to make your decision. Hickman read you like an open book."
Bongani bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. "How long have you guys been standing there?"
"Not long," Winston replied. "We just got here."
He nudged Oswin before gesturing toward the field. "You won't beat Hickman if you hesitate like that. The moment you start thinking too long, he'll already know what you're about to do."
Hickman walked over, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "He's improving," he admitted. "His ball control is much better than before. He just needs to make decisions faster."
Winston nodded in agreement. "I noticed that too. He has the technique, but he needs to think on his feet." He looked between the two of them. "By the way, how long have you guys been training? Did you skip lunch?"
Bongani and Hickman exchanged puzzled looks. Hickman glanced at his wristwatch, his eyes widening. "Wow... we actually missed lunch."
He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "After the dome training, I was heading to the cafeteria when I saw Bongani practicing here. He asked me to help him, and... we completely lost track of time."
"Don't worry," Oswin said with a grin. "The food wasn't that great anyway."
He reached into his tracksuit pocket, pulled out a lunch bar, and tossed it toward Hickman. Hickman caught it cleanly.
"Thanks, Oswin."
"No problem."
Winston stopped juggling the ball and looked at Oswin. "Where did you get a lunch bar?"
Oswin trapped the ball beneath his boot before casually dribbling it between his feet. "I brought a whole box with me when I found out we'd be staying at the academy on the outskirts. I was planning to share them with you, but so much happened over the past few days that I completely forgot."
He sighed dramatically. "Besides... I think someone in Building A has been stealing my lunch bars."
Winston raised an eyebrow. "How many do you have left?"
Oswin paused to count in his head. "Four."
"I'll share the rest with you."
Winston poked the ball away from Oswin's feet, making him stumble for a moment before regaining his balance. "Give one to Hickman and one to Bongani first. So... are we continuing the training?"
Hickman walked over to the fence and sat down, leaning his back against it. "You guys go ahead," he said as he tore open the lunch bar. "I'm taking a short break."
He immediately began wolfing it down. Turning back to the others, Oswin asked, "So, when are you guys planning to use your one-on-one challenge?"
After swallowing a mouthful, Hickman replied, "Danilo and I already agreed to challenge each other next week. He wants both of us at our best."
Oswin nodded before shifting his attention to Bongani. "What about you, Bo? Are you planning to challenge someone this week?"
Bongani fell silent—his eyes dropped to the ground—The three of them waited, but he didn't answer. The silence lingered until Winston finally spoke. "It's okay if you don't want to answer." He shrugged. "We were only asking because Oswin and I have already used our one-on-one challenges this week. We're worried that one of you might receive an one-on-one this week and we won't be able to available to help,"
Bongani rubbed his face and ran a hand through his hair before letting out a long sigh. "Ahhh... I know, I know."
He looked down at the ball between his feet. "I have this problem with a player from my hometown. We grew up playing football together, but everything changed after one of our coaches started praising me." His expression darkened. "We slowly drifted apart. Back in the junior league, both of us were on the bench, but when I got promoted to the substitutes, he stayed on the reserves. After that... he hated me even more."
He let out a bitter chuckle. "I honestly thought I'd left him behind when I got accepted into the Federation Academy." He paused before continuing. "You remember the day we first met, Winston? I actually ran into him on my way to this training field. I had been coming here because I always saw you practicing."
Bongani clenched his fists. "He came straight up to me and told me he was going to challenge me in a one-on-one match. That's why I've been pushing myself so hard these past few days."
Winston frowned. "What's his name?"
"Pirlo Mcktavirsh."
Oswin rubbed his chin. "Wait... I know him."
He looked at Bongani. "He's in our attacking dome."
Winston tilted his head. "I don't remember him."
"You've definitely seen him," Oswin replied. "He just doesn't stand out much in the dome, so you've probably never paid attention to him."
He thought for a moment before his expression changed. "Oh... Bo, you're in trouble." The others looked at him. "If Pirlo knows you've been training with us, and he realizes that both Wis and I have already used our one-on-one challenges this week..." Oswin shook his head. "...he'll probably send you a challenge immediately."
He looked toward Hickman. "What day is it today?"
Hickman crumpled the empty lunch bar wrapper before tossing it into a nearby bin. "It's Thursday, the 3rd of July."
Oswin blinked. "Wait... it's already July?" He scratched his head in disbelief. "We've only got this month and next month before the senior scouts arrive. Wow... it feels like the season just started."
He turned back to Bongani with a reassuring smile. "At least you've only got one more day to survive. After Friday, the one-on-one challenges stop until next week."
Bongani let out a relieved sigh, forcing a bitter smile. "That's a relief." He looked down at the ball. "These one-on-one challenges have been giving me anxiety."
Just as he reached out to poke the ball away from Winston's feet—A sharp electronic chime echoed throughout the academy.
A calm male voice echoed throughout the academy.
> One-on-One Challenge Initiated. Pirlo, Group C, has challenged Bongani, Group D. Bongani is to report to his instructor within ten minutes. I repeat, Bongani is to report to his instructor within ten minutes. <
The announcement echoed across the training grounds.
Bongani froze.
His breathing became shallow and uneven as his mind went completely blank. The ball slowly rolled away from his feet, but he didn't even notice.
Winston stepped forward and gently tapped him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze.
Raising a reassuring thumbs-up, he smiled.
"Bongani, you okay?"
Seeing Bongani slowly nod, Winston continued.
"You've got this. Oswin and I might not be able to play, but we'll help you recruit players to replace us."
Oswin stepped beside Winston and grinned.
"Exactly. Don't let that idiot get into your head before the match even starts. Let's go find you a team."
The calm male voice continued echoing throughout the academy. Announcing even more one-on-one challenges.