"—Wide receivers, with me."
Ryan walked alongside the other students who had chosen the wide receiver position.
There were around ten candidates.
Some looked confident.
Others were clearly nervous.
Ryan observed the field as he walked.
To be honest...
He didn't know much about American football.
He had watched videos.
He had read some of the rules.
And he had watched a few games.
But understanding the theory was one thing.
Actually playing was something completely different.
Coach Brock stopped in front of the group.
A football rested under his arm.
"Listen carefully."
Everyone fell silent.
"Many people think being a receiver is only about running fast."
He paused briefly.
"They're wrong."
A few students exchanged glances.
"A good receiver needs discipline."
"He needs coordination."
"He needs memory."
"And most importantly..."
He raised the football.
"He needs reliable hands."
Ryan nodded slightly.
That made sense.
Speed was useless if you couldn't catch the ball when it mattered.
"We'll start with something simple."
Brock pointed at several markings on the field.
"Routes."
"I want you to learn the basics."
The students moved into position.
Ryan watched carefully.
Slant.
Curl.
Out.
Go Route.
Every movement had a specific purpose.
Every route existed to create space.
To deceive the defense.
To create an opportunity where none existed before.
"Interesting..."
Ryan murmured.
In a way...
This was quite similar to combat.
It wasn't only about being fast.
It was also about knowing where to move.
When to move.
And how to force your opponent into making a mistake.
The difference was that nobody here was trying to rip your head off.
Which was a rather pleasant change.
"Hey, you!"
Ryan looked up.
The coach was pointing at him.
"Come here."
"Yes, Coach."
Ryan stepped forward.
"Run to the red cone."
"Then cut left."
"After that, go straight."
"Understood."
Brock raised a hand.
"Go!"
Ryan sprinted forward.
He reached the first cone.
Cut left.
Accelerated.
And completed the route without any issues.
The coach nodded.
"Not bad."
Ryan walked back.
Honestly...
It was pretty simple.
His physical abilities made body control feel natural.
The hard part wasn't doing it correctly.
The hard part was pretending to be a beginner.
And that was far more difficult.
---
For the next half hour, they continued practicing.
Ryan deliberately made small mistakes.
Not too many.
Just enough to seem human.
A slightly delayed cut.
One extra step.
A somewhat awkward catch.
Nothing serious.
Nothing suspicious.
Even so...
He still stood out.
Because even while holding back...
His physical abilities were ridiculous.
Eventually, one of the students approached him.
He was a tall, muscular guy.
"Hey."
Ryan looked at him.
"Yeah?"
"You said you've never played before."
"That's true."
The guy frowned.
"You don't look like a beginner."
Ryan shrugged.
"I learn fast."
The student didn't seem satisfied with the answer.
But he didn't push further.
He simply returned to the group.
Ryan let out a small sigh.
"Problem avoided."
For now.
---
On the other side of the field.
Victor was watching.
His arms were crossed.
Several veteran players stood beside him.
"What do you think?" one of them asked.
Victor didn't answer immediately.
His eyes remained fixed on Ryan.
"He's fast."
"Yeah."
"Really fast."
"And he learns fast."
The other player laughed.
"Are you worried?"
Victor shook his head.
"No."
But the answer didn't sound entirely convincing.
Because something felt strange.
Ryan looked too calm.
Too relaxed.
As if none of this required any effort.
As if he were holding back.
And that was strange.
Very strange.
---
The training continued.
Eventually, it was time for catching drills.
Coach Brock picked up a football.
"Now we'll see how good your hands are."
The students formed a line.
One by one, they received passes.
Some caught the ball.
Others dropped it.
Some missed completely.
Ryan watched in silence.
It was harder than it looked.
The ball spun.
Changed trajectory.
And arrived with considerable speed.
Finally, it was his turn.
"Ryan."
"Here."
Brock stepped back a few paces.
"Run."
Ryan took off.
He heard the throw.
Turned his head.
Located the football.
Calculated its trajectory.
And for a fraction of a second...
Everything seemed to slow down.
It was almost unfair.
His reflexes far exceeded those of a normal person.
He extended his hands.
And caught the football.
Perfectly.
Without effort.
The coach raised an eyebrow.
Ryan noticed immediately.
"Oops..."
Maybe that had been a little too perfect.
---
The repetitions continued.
One after another.
Ryan caught every pass.
Long.
Short.
High.
Low.
He didn't drop a single one.
Whispers began spreading among the students.
"Wasn't he supposed to be a beginner?"
"That's what he said."
"Well, he doesn't look like one."
"He hasn't dropped a single pass."
Ryan decided to ignore them.
Not his problem.
---
As practice was coming to an end...
Coach Brock picked up another football.
He looked at all the receivers.
Then pointed toward the far side of the field.
"Last test."
The students immediately paid attention.
"Deep pass."
Some smiled.
Others suddenly looked nervous.
Brock looked at Ryan.
"You first."
Ryan sighed internally.
"Sure."
He walked to the designated position.
More than forty yards away.
A considerable distance.
The coach raised his arm.
"Whenever you're ready."
Ryan started running.
One.
Two.
Three steps.
He heard the throw.
The football soared through the air.
Spinning.
Climbing.
Then slowly descending.
Everyone present followed its trajectory.
Ryan did as well.
And for a brief moment...
He considered dropping it.
It would be safer.
More discreet.
Smarter.
But then he remembered something.
If he failed too much...
That would also attract attention.
"Pretending to be normal is way harder than it should be..."
he muttered.
He accelerated.
Jumped.
Extended one hand.
And caught the football in midair.
The field fell silent.
For several seconds.
Ryan landed on the grass.
Still holding the ball.
Perfectly.
Some students widened their eyes in shock.
Others simply froze.
Even several veteran players looked impressed.
Victor narrowed his eyes.
That catch had been far too clean for someone who had never played before.
Too natural.
Too precise.
Coach Brock remained silent.
Watching him.
Analyzing him.
Finally, he spoke.
"Good job."
That was all.
But Ryan recognized that look.
He had seen it many times before, though never directed at him.
Now it was.
The look of someone who had just found something valuable.
Something with potential.
Something worth developing.
Ryan smiled inwardly.
"Great."
"Now the coach is going to keep an eye on me."
Exactly what he had wanted to avoid.
The whistle blew.
"Practice is over!"
The students began dispersing.
Some discussed the drills.
Others were already talking about who would earn a spot on the team.
Ryan remained silent.
He picked up his backpack.
And cast one final glance toward the sky.
The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon.
The afternoon was coming to an end.
And for some reason...
He had a feeling that the week ahead was going to become far more complicated than he expected.
Not because of football.
Not because of school.
But because of the twins.
Because of the purple entity.
And because all the pieces were slowly beginning to move.
Very soon...
Something was going to happen.
Vivian and Brittany... I hope your date with those twin brothers is going well.
I'm not going to follow them.
Not today.
Besides, those two brothers are already obsessed with the girls.
There's no need for me to interfere... yet.