Upon arriving at the attacking dome, Winston was met with stares from the other players inside. An assistant to the bald, short instructor walked over to him.
"Good morning. The instructor will talk to you privately after training is over," he said. "For now, you can watch the training from the sidelines."
Winston nodded and walked into the stands. He sat down and watched as the players continued their drills. The bald, short instructor blew his whistle, trying to get everyone to concentrate on the training.
Winston sank deeper into his seat, resting his cheek against his hand. He wondered about the daily challenge he had received earlier, before coming here.
I wish the infirmary had announcement speakers. It would make it easier to find out which players are looking for one-on-one challenges.
Then he remembered the high-tech wristwatches they had been given. The watches allowed them to track their progress within the academy and, more importantly, showed which players had initiated one-on-one challenges.
Winston tapped his wristwatch and navigated to Group A.
Nothing—he switched to Group B.
Several names appeared on the screen, but none of them were familiar to him. Most of the players who had initiated challenges were midfielders rather than attackers.
He needed to keep in mind that the wristwatch displayed each player's name alongside their football position. Since Winston was looking for someone he could challenge, he needed to pay attention to both.
He stopped scrolling and lifted his gaze. His eyes swept across the players practicing their shooting drills inside the dome.
Winston walked among the exhausted players scattered across the field. Some glanced at him, while others paid him no attention, too busy chatting and mocking each other.
As he walked, he came across Oswin, who nodded at him. Oswin was glad to see his friend awake and safe. He had been planning to visit Winston after the dome training.
Winston nodded back before quickly following the assistant to the other side of the field, where the bald, short instructor was waiting for him.
The instructor had brought a small table from his office into the dome and was drinking coffee from a cup. He turned when he heard his assistant calling for him.
"Oh, yeah, right. Winston," he said. "What did the doctor say?"
The instructor took another sip of his coffee.
"He said I need to prioritize rest since I practice every day without taking any long breaks," Winston replied with a wry smile.
"He's right. Wanting to become an elite player also means you need to look after your health." The instructor chuckled. "You remind me of Dumi. He used to be just like you. Every chance he got, he would train nonstop."
"Anyway, for today's training, I'll mark you as absent. It will affect your rating, but I hope you make up for it during your next training sessions." He took another sip. "Remember, your health is the most important thing. If you're looking to become a professional football player, you need to take your rest seriously."
Winston nodded.
The instructor continued his lecture. "I hope you know that these incidents have also been added to your rating file for the scouts to see. I also noticed that you were recruited for a one-on-one challenge. Make sure you do some warm-ups beforehand. If that player still wants you on his one-on-one challenge, you don't want to injure yourself before the week even begins."
"Yes, Coach. I understand," Winston replied.
"That's enough for now. You should go to the player who recruited you and convince him yourself."
Winston thanked the instructor before jogging back toward Oswin, who had been waiting for him.
"Wis, you really need to prioritize your rest. This thing of yours—falling into these deep sleeps—is worrisome." Oswin's voice carried a slight shakiness. "I was even worried enough to tell the others that you would be fine. I've never seen someone sleep that deeply before. Three days, Wis. Three days."
He shook his head.
"Thank God the doctor reassured us that you were fine. He barely had to do anything except check you."
Seeing how much the incident had shaken Oswin, Winston felt sadness welling up inside him. To Winston, Oswin was like the brother he had never had. He remembered all the times he had injured himself and wondered how Oswin must have felt watching him go through all of it.
Winston placed a hand on Oswin's shoulder. Oswin had lowered his head, hiding the hurt and worry in his expression.
"I'm sorry for worrying you, bro," Winston said. "Listen, after we're done with the Federation Academy training, I have something to tell you."
He gave Oswin's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"But for now, we need to focus on reaching Group B and Group A."
"I'll hold you to that." Oswin straightened himself, his usual attitude slowly returning. "What are you planning to challenge this week?"
"You wouldn't believe it. Actually, I was the one who got recruited."
Oswin's brow furrowed.
"Who? Last time I checked, everyone knows you were asleep for three days, Wis. I have a bad feeling about this."
He paused before adding, "What if the player is planning to injure you because he knows you were asleep for three days?"
"That's actually a valid point," Winston admitted. "But I need to finish some tasks to improve myself so I can climb into Group B."
He looked at Oswin, "Help me search for a player named Ethan Reeds."
Oswin nodded and rubbed his chin.
"Ethan Reeds... I've heard that name this morning. He was challenging another player." Oswin looked at Winston. "What position does Ethan Reeds play?"
"My wristwatch says he plays as a central defensive midfielder." Winston tapped his wristwatch, making sure he had read the information correctly.
Oswin continued rubbing his chin, "That's good. We can ask Bongani or Hickman whether they know Ethan and what his deal is with this one-on-one challenge. We don't want to get entangled in another beef. Most players use these one-on-one challenges for vendettas."
"Can we go now?" Winston asked.
Oswin grabbed his gym bag from the football field, and the two of them briskly left the attacking dome.
***
Huddled together inside the attacking dome, Sebastian, Diago, Diego, and Lucas watched Winston and Oswin briskly leave the dome.
"When I heard Winston was in a comatose state, I thought this would be easy," Diago said. "But now I'm actually excited. It looks like our plan is still on."
Diago glanced at him.
"Come on, Diego. Let's go prepare for our upcoming match."
Diago nodded, and the two of them turned and walked toward the exit.