“It was so unfair of them to just end the match like that.”
Julian sat at the kitchen counter in his dorm, fresh out of the shower, dressed in a black nightgown with his hair slightly damp.
In front of him was an assortment of food from the highest quality, free and delivered personally to his door, a privilege of being from one of the top families in the empire.
[The academy is like that.] Mini-ball spoke, floating around his head.
[You never know what to expect from them. This way they always keep you on your toes.]
“It still isn’t fair, though.” Julian kept complaining through bites.
“I let it slide when they didn’t tell us how much our rating needed to be to make it into the A-team. And I would’ve let it slide despite them ending the game on such a note, but then they had to tell us that we will only know the results tomorrow.”
He stabbed into a piece of meat.
“How the fuck do they expect me to sleep?”
[…]
Mini-ball watched the tantrum with a judgmental gaze before breaking his silence.
[A twenty two year old complaining and throwing tantrums like a child.] He shook his head.
His ball?
[What has this world turn into?]
“Fuck you, dude.” Julian’s words held no malice despite the crudeness of them.
“You have no idea what it feels like to have your future riding on the whims and feelings of someone else.”
[I think everyone knows what that feels like.]
“Yeah, you may be right.” Julian nodded.
“Let me give you another example. I want to convey my feelings in a way that is exclusive to me and only me.”
[…]
Mini-ball kept quiet, deciding to entertain its companion.
“You have no idea what it feels like…” Julian paused for a few seconds before continuing.
“…what it feels like to have your dreams and future shattered because you sacrificed them to save someone who only saw you because of your dreams and your future.”
His tone turned to a mixture of sadness and anger.
“You have no idea what it feels like dying in your own self-induced cage of regret and self-pity while watching someone live out your dream, and doing a bad job at it.”
“You have no idea what it feels like waking up in the body of a stranger in world different from your own, with responsibilities heavier than the ones you’ve ever carried.”
His tone changed again, to one of happiness and joy, a small smile on his face.
“And you also have no idea what it feels like to have your dreams shattered, but then gaining the opportunity to start from scratch. This time with a annoying and insanely smart little ball–who only you can see–floating on your shoulder and who will never leave your side.”
Julian turned his head to his friend.
“Do you think anyone else knows how that feel, Mini-ball?”
[…No. It is truly an experience exclusive to only you.]
“Good.” Julian stood up from the counter.
“Now shut up so that I can go to sleep. I’m tired as fuck.”
[You just had to ruin the moment, didn’t you?]
“I had to. I didn’t want you falling for me.” Julian steadily made his way over to the bedroom.
[And why the fuck would I fall in love with you?]
“I don’t know, but I think that’s most likely the reason you killed yourself.”
[You think I killed myself because I like boys?] Mini-ball sounded bewildered, unable to believe what his nonexistent ears are hearing.
“Yep.” Julian pulled off the nightgown and threw himself into the linens of the large bed, the fabric soft against his pale skin.
[No. That’s not the reason. Not at all.]
“Well,” Julian pulled a cushion close and snuggled it.
“What is the reason than?” New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
[…I don’t want to talk about it.]
“As long as you don’t want talk about it, that’s going to be the reason I think you offed yourself.”
[Why would you even–?]
“Shh.” Julian cut him off, voice turning groggy.
“I need to go to sleep. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.”
[Tch.] Mini-ball clicked his tongue at getting so disrespectfully cut off, but he let it go, for now.
********
Julian woke up with a groan, climbed out of the bed with the comfortable linens, went into the bathroom to freshen up, came out with a towel looped around his waist, hair wet, slid open the white curtains draped over the window, letting the morning light spill into the bedroom, went into the closet and came out dressed in a new academy uniform, had breakfast and le–
[Wait!] Mini-ball’s shout made Julian’s hand pause on the handle.
[Aren’t you forgetting something?]
“What?”
[The results?]
Julian’s eyes widened in realizing, hand immediately sank into his pocket.
“Fucking hell, Mini-ball! Why didn’t you say anything?” Milan pulled out his phone.
“I literally woke up two hours ago!”
[I thought you were getting comfortable first!]
“You can be really useless sometimes.”
The phone lit up when Julian pressed his thumb against the side, registering his biometrics instantly.
He saw two notifications from the AIA App and immediately tapped on it.
[How the fuck is this my f–]
“Shh.” Julian cut Mini-ball off with a sush.
“This is a really important moment in my life, I need you to be at your quietest for the next week.”
[Urgh.] Mini-ball let out a annoyed grumble.
[Can you believe this guy? Telling me to shut up for a week straight. My getback is going to be so good.]
Julian sat down on one of the stools at the counter, eyes locked on the phone.
He opened the first message.
[Julian Valecrest Trial Match Results:
<Overview>
Position: LW
Goals: 2
Assist(s): 1
Big Chances Created: 1
Touches: 36
Distance Covered(with ball)(Meters): 15
Passes: 11/11
Shots: 2/2
Time(Minutes): 30
Intercepts: 0
Cards(R/Y): N/A
Overall Rating: 10.0/10]
Julian sucked his teeth as he read through the data, finally able to get a better grasp of his performance.
He did more in the short span of time than he thought he did, even earning himself a perfect rating.
“10 out of 10. That should be more than enough for the A-team, right?”
Doubts crept into his mind.
There were more than two hundred participants, and plenty of them were left wings and there must be at least one or two who also put on a stellar performance.
“Tch. Why are you doubting yourself, Julian?” He spoke to himself.
“You’re supposed to be the arrogant genuis, not a insecure loser.”
With that said, he went to the second message, pressing it without waiting, and read it out loud.
“Julian Valecrest, congratulations on your selection for the U/17 A-team–”
He didn’t finish reading, as the next thing that came out of his mouth was a loud victorious scream.
“YEEEEESSSSS~!!!”
Julian jumped up from the stool, completely overtook by his emotions, the sound of his screams muffled by the dorms soundproofing.
“Hahaha.”
Joyful and boisterous laughter filled the dorm as Julian soaked in the feeling of victory, in the feeling of kick starting your dreams.
He turned to his friend, the floating ball next to him.
“What do you have to say now, huh?” He taunted, a smug smile on his face
“Now it’s no more,” his voice changed, mirroring Mini-ball’s with a mocking tone added.
“Most elite sixteen year olds on the continent.”
“What happened to: my body never underwent physical training? Huh?”
“Where did all those doubts suddenly go, huh?” Julian gloated without a care in the worlds.
“I’ll tell you where they went,” Julian spread his arms wide, as if he was a god presenting himself to the world.
“Me. I crushed them.”
“Hahaha.” He clapped his hands together as laughed.
“Sigh.” His energy finally dwindled, but the smile on his face stayed a constant.
“What have we learned from this, my dear friend?”
[Never doubt Julian Valecrest.] Mini-ball reluctantly answer, turning his head away.
“What?” Julian brought his ear closer, as if he didn’t hear.
“I don’t think I heard you there, kind sir. May you be so kind as to repeat thyself?”
[Tch. Get out of my face.]
“Hahaha, sigh.” Julian said down on the stool and leaned back against the marble counter, staring up at the ceiling contently.
[Are you done now?] Mini-ball broke the comfortable silence.
Julian turned his head to the floating miniature football, a smug smile on his face.
“Do you want more?”
[Fuck no.] Mini-ball would’ve crossed his arms in front of him if he had some.
[You’ve already had your fun.]
Julian’s words got cut off by the chime of the system.
–ding–
[Mission Complete! Mission: Pass the Trials Objective: Pass the trials. Reward: +10 points to a attribute of your choice + bonus reward depending on your performance.]
“This is what I’ve been waiting for.”