Chapter 26: SEEDS OF TRUST

The afternoon was starting to creep in as Kai stepped out from behind the tree. The sky was beginning to turn golden orange, a sign that the sun would soon set on the western horizon. Thin clouds stretched like soft brushstrokes across the fading blue canvas, creating a beautiful gradient of colors from orange on the horizon to purple on the skyline. The afternoon air felt cool and fresh, very different from the scorching heat that had burned earlier. A gentle breeze blew, carrying the scent of grass and wet earth from the rain that had fallen a few hours ago—a scent that always reminded him of the training camp days, but now it no longer brought bad memories, just ordinary memories that had started to fade with time.

His steps were steady and purposeful toward the training field behind the school. In his heart, the conversation of the six students he’d just overheard from behind the tree still echoed. About their sacrifice. About their courage. About the belief they chose to hold onto even when everyone doubted them. About how they were willing to be shunned by their own classmates to help a class that wasn’t even theirs. About how they chose to trust him, even though they’d only known him for a few days. And in his chest, there was a feeling he couldn’t explain—a mix of gratitude, pride, and a burning determination to never betray their trust.

Upon arriving at the field, Kai paused for a moment at the edge. His eyes observed the scene in front of him with a smile he couldn’t hide. The students had already gathered, some of them seeming to have just arrived, others already starting light stretches. Class IX-9 and the six students from Class 2-2—they were all there, waiting for him with spirits that never faded.

In the middle of the field, Rin was leading the basketball group in arm stretches. Her strong arms reached toward the sky, then slowly bent to the side, feeling the shoulder muscles starting to warm up. Beside her, Mira was already impatiently waiting for her turn to run, her legs trembling slightly like a racehorse ready to be released. Iris smiled faintly in the corner of the field, her sharp green eyes observing everything with curiosity that never faded.

On the other side, Ella was leading the volleyball group in leg warm-ups. They swung their legs forward and backward, slowly increasing their range of motion. Nora and Luna were already holding their bows in their hands, checking the strings with full concentration, their fingers feeling every inch of the string to make sure nothing was loose. Eve sat at the edge of the field with her laptop open on her lap, her fingers dancing across the keyboard, recording everything that happened with a scientist’s precision. Aria and Fay had already prepared water bottles on a small table at the edge of the field, arranged neatly like soldiers ready for battle.

And the six students from Class 2-2—they followed the warm-up movements a little awkwardly. Katrin moved her neck slowly, her eyes carefully following Rin’s movements, trying to imitate every detail. Maya bit her lower lip nervously, her cold hands trembling slightly as she bent down to touch her toes. Sera stood upright, her arms crossed over her chest, watching her friends with an alert expression. Rina had already pulled out a small notebook from her pocket, writing something quickly on its first page. Irene hopped lightly in place, her energy impossible to contain even during warm-ups. And Liliana—she just stood quietly at the edge of the group, her calm eyes observing everything with a faint smile on her lips. Her dark blue hair swayed gently in the evening breeze, and the silver hairpin on the side of her hair glinted under the fading sunlight.

Kai smiled widely seeing all of that. They were warming up on their own. They were listening to his advice from previous days. They were starting to take initiative, starting to take responsibility for their own training. And that was what made his heart feel warm—warmer than the remaining afternoon sunlight on the western horizon.

With quiet steps, Kai approached the group of students who were taking a short break after warm-ups. As soon as the students saw him approaching, they immediately stopped moving and looked at him with full attention. Even Irene, who usually couldn’t stay still, now stood quietly, waiting.

"Good afternoon, everyone," Kai greeted in a calm but clear voice, loud enough for everyone gathered on the field to hear. "Sorry you had to wait. I had some business earlier. But I see you’ve already done your warm-ups without me having to tell you. That’s good. That shows you’re serious about this training."

Rin shrugged casually, but there was a small smile on her lips. "Yes, Sir. We thought it’d be better not to waste time. Besides, it’s Thursday—archery and relay race day. We need to be ready before the sun fully sets."

"We’ve been waiting for you, Sir," Mira added enthusiastically, her hand raised like a child wanting to answer the teacher’s question. "Mira can’t wait to start training. Mira’s been counting down the days until the festival, Sir. Only a few days left and Mira wants to run as fast as she can!"

"I’m ready too," Iris continued, leaning against a field post casually, a mysterious smile on her face. "But I’m curious, Sir. What are we training for today? Since our team is bigger now than before, our training should be more fun, right?"

Kai nodded, his eyes shifting to the six students standing slightly behind the main group. They still looked a little awkward, unsure of where to stand or what to do. Katrin stood at the front with hopeful eyes. Maya stood behind her, looking down while playing with the end of the red ribbon in her hair. Sera stood with her arms crossed in a defensive stance. Rina had already opened her small notebook, pen in hand. Irene hopped lightly in place. And Liliana—she just smiled faintly, patiently waiting with calm, deep eyes.

"There’s something we need to do before we start," Kai said, his voice a little softer but still clear. "Class IX-9 already knows each other, but we don’t know the six students who joined us well yet. They’ve already helped us, but we don’t know their names. And they don’t know all of you well either. I think, before we start training, it’s better if we get to know each other first. This is important so we can work well together as one team."

Ella, who stood at the front of the IX-9 group, nodded. "Mr. Kai is right. I already know their names because I was the one who invited them to join. But the others don’t." She turned toward the six students with a small smile rarely seen on her usually serious face. "Would you like to introduce yourselves? So we can all get to know you better."

Katrin stepped forward one step. She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling for a moment, then smiled widely. "Alright. I’ll start. My name is Katrin Valerie. Call me Kat or Rin, whatever you prefer. I’m from Class 2-2. I like basketball—even though I’ve never been taught properly before. But I promise I’ll learn as hard as I can. Nice to meet you all. I hope we can become a good team together."

Beside Katrin, Maya still looked nervous. Her eyes darted left and right, avoiding other people’s gazes. Her cold hands played with the end of the red ribbon in her hair with restless movements. But finally she stepped forward with a slightly trembling body. "I-I’m... Maya Sun. Call me Yaya... I’m also from Class 2-2. I... I’ll do my best. Please guide me, okay? I promise I won’t let you down."

Sera stepped forward firmly, showing no hesitation at all. Her light brown hair swayed as she moved, her glasses glinting under the afternoon sunlight. "My name is Sera Valencia. Call me Sera. I’m joining volleyball. I might not be as good as the others, but I won’t give up. And I’ll protect my teammates, no matter what. You can count on me."

Rina lifted her face from her notebook, pushing her round glasses up the bridge of her nose with a habitual movement. Her voice was calm and measured, like she was reading a report. "Rina Novianti. Call me Rina. I like analyzing everything—including games. I’ll help the team with strategy and analysis. I hope I can contribute in my own way. I’ve already noted down some things about the techniques Mr. Kai taught today."

Irene hopped forward, unable to contain her energy. Her golden-brown hair moved wildly as she moved, her eyes sparkling with a spirit that couldn’t be extinguished. "Hello everyone! I’m Irene Aldora! Call me Irene! I’m joining volleyball as a libero—I like defending and saving balls. I promise I’ll give my best for the team! I can’t wait to start training! Let’s do our best together!"

Liliana was the last. She stepped forward calmly, unhurriedly. Her dark blue hair swayed gently, the silver hairpin on the side of her hair glinting. Her calm eyes looked at everyone one by one, then she smiled faintly. "My name is Liliana Frost. Call me Lili. I’m joining volleyball as a setter. I might not talk much, but I’ll try to be part of the team. I’m glad to join you all. I hope we can learn a lot together."

After introducing themselves, the students looked at each other with relieved expressions. Katrin smiled at Maya, who still looked nervous, giving a small nudge on her shoulder. Sera nodded at Liliana, and Liliana returned it with a faint smile. Irene hopped lightly in place, unable to hide her excitement.

Kai watched everything from a distance with a smile he couldn’t hide. In his heart, he recited their names one by one—Katrin, Maya, Sera, Rina, Irene, Liliana. He already knew their names from the file last night. He’d read their profiles, seen their photos, knew their backgrounds. But he chose to stay quiet. He chose not to tell them he already knew. Because he didn’t want them to feel watched. He didn’t want them to feel that someone had read those bad notes about them. He wanted them to feel accepted for who they were—not based on old teachers’ notes, not based on their grades, not based on other people’s judgments. Just based on who they were here and now.

So he just nodded, smiled, and said, "Nice to meet you all. I’ve heard a lot about you from Ella—but it’s better to hear it directly from you. Now we all know each other. Let’s start training."

He started dividing the groups. "Rin, Katrin, Maya, and Sera—you’re the basketball group. Ella, Liliana, Irene, and Rina—you’re the volleyball group. Mira and Iris, stay focused on the relay race. Nora and Luna, stay focused on archery. Eve, you can observe and record everything—I want a report after training ends. Aria and Fay—you’re still the support team. Make sure everyone has enough drinking water."

The students started moving to their respective groups. Katrin immediately joined Rin in the middle of the basketball court, her eyes full of spirit. Maya followed with hesitant steps, standing slightly behind Katrin. Sera joined the volleyball group with firm steps, her hands already clenched and ready to act. Irene hopped lightly in place, and Liliana walked calmly behind her. Rina had already opened her notebook again, quickly noting down Kai’s instructions.

Kai started directing the training. Today, he wanted them to feel what it was like to play in a complete team. Not just individual practice, but to truly experience the dynamics of a match.

"For the basketball group," Kai said, standing in the middle of the court with a ball in his hand. "We’ll start with passing drills and movement without the ball. I want to see how you move, how you pass, how you read your teammates’ movements. This is the foundation of good basketball."

He gave the ball to Rin. "Rin, you’ll be the example. Show Katrin, Maya, and Sera how to do the chest pass correctly. Remember, good technique will make your game more effective."

Rin took the ball, standing in front of Katrin. "Watch closely," she said. She held the ball at her chest, elbows slightly open, then pushed the ball with both hands—not by pushing, but by snapping her wrists. The ball shot straight toward Katrin at medium speed, right at her chest.

Katrin managed to catch it—but her hands were a little stiff, and she almost lost control. "Ouch," she muttered, checking her slightly red palms. "It’s harder than I thought. I thought this ball was lighter."

Rin smiled. "You’ll get used to it. The important thing is not to be afraid of the ball. Basketballs are a bit hard, but after a few tries, you’ll know how to receive them properly." She took her position again. "Now try throwing it back to me. Remember, push from the chest, not from the shoulder."

Katrin tried to imitate Rin’s movement. She held the ball at her chest, pushed it with both hands—but the ball flew too high, almost hitting Rin’s head before being caught. "Sorry! Sorry!" Katrin exclaimed with a flushed face, her hands raised like she was apologizing.

Rin laughed softly, not angry. "It’s okay. That’s called learning. Everyone misses passes at the beginning. Try again, but this time reduce the pushing force. Focus on accuracy, not speed. Our goal isn’t to throw as hard as we can, but to throw accurately."

Katrin nodded, took a deep breath, and tried again. This time, the ball moved lower and more controlled. Rin caught it easily. "Good! That’s already better. See, you’re starting to find your rhythm. Now you try, Maya."

Maya, who heard her name called, immediately tensed up. She stepped forward trembling, her hand reaching out to receive the ball from Rin. "I-I... I’ll try..." she muttered softly, her voice almost inaudible.

She held the ball at her chest—but her hand position was wrong, her elbows too open. When she pushed the ball, it veered to the side, almost hitting Sera, who was watching from a distance.

"Watch out!" Sera called out, dodging quickly while smiling slightly. "Maya, your elbows need to be closer together. Like this." Sera approached Maya, correcting her elbow position with firm but gentle hands. "Try again, but this time with the right position. Don’t tense up, let your hands flow."

Maya swallowed, trying again. This time, the ball moved straighter—still a little off, but much better than before. "I-I did it?" she asked with sparkling eyes, not believing what she’d just done.

"You did it," Rin said with a warm smile. "Now try the same drill five more times. I want to see you get better with every throw. Practice makes perfect, Maya."

Meanwhile, on the volleyball side, Kai was directing Ella and the volleyball group. "Ella, you’ll be the main setter. Liliana—you’re also a setter. I want you both to practice setting up attacks with the spikers." He pointed at Sera and Irene. "Sera, you’re a spiker. Irene, you’re a libero. Remember, in volleyball, communication is everything. You have to tell each other positions and ball direction."

Ella took the volleyball and started explaining. "So, when the ball comes, I’ll set it up toward the spiker. The spiker has to hit the ball over the net hard and accurately. The libero’s job is to defend and return difficult balls. This is teamwork that requires constant practice."

Irene had already taken her position at the back of the court, her feet spread wide, ready to move. "I’m ready! Let’s start! I’ll save every ball that comes!"

Ella tossed the ball toward Sera—but Sera failed to hit it correctly. The ball hit her hand and fell to the side with a dull thud. Sera clenched her fists in frustration. "Ugh! I failed again! Why is it always like this?"

"It’s okay," Ella said patiently, her voice staying calm. "Try again. Your hand position needs to be higher, and your swing needs to be more solid. Don’t hit with your palm, but with your wrist." She approached Sera, slowly showing her the correct hand position. "Like this. Try again, this time more relaxed."

Sera nodded, taking her position. This time, when Ella set the ball, Sera hit it better—the ball flew over the net, although still a little weak and landing too close. "Good!" Ella called out. "That’s already better. Try again, this time a little harder and aim for the corner of the court."

On the other side of the court, Irene moved agilely to chase falling balls. Her athletic body moved quickly, saving balls that were about to touch the ground. "I got it!" she called out every time she succeeded, her eyes sparkling with spirit. Liliana watched from a distance, noting every movement with her calm eyes, then occasionally giving short comments that were always on point.

Mira and Iris were busy practicing the relay race on the side of the field. Mira was already running back and forth with the baton in her hand, her breath panting but her eyes sparkling. "I’m ready! I’ll be the fastest runner!" she called out, waving the baton in the air, almost dropping it.

Iris smiled while watching, holding a spare baton in her hand. "Don’t go too fast, Mira. We need to keep our rhythm. If you exhaust yourself at the start, you won’t have energy at the end. The relay race isn’t about who’s fastest at the beginning, but who can maintain speed until the end." Her sharp green eyes looked at Mira with full attention. "We need to practice baton exchanges. That’s the most important thing. One mistake in the exchange can cost us precious seconds."

Mira nodded, stopping her run and walking toward Iris. "Alright. I’ll follow your way. But after practice, I want to run as fast as I can! I promise!"

"Of course," Iris answered with a mysterious smile. "But for now, focus on the exchange drill. I’ll give you the baton, and you have to receive it without looking. We’ll have to do it with our eyes closed later."

The training lasted for almost two hours. Kai moved from one group to another, giving instructions, correcting positions, giving encouragement. He saw Katrin starting to find her rhythm in passing, her sharp eyes starting to read Rin’s movements. He saw Maya starting to gain more confidence although still trembling, her balls starting to reach her teammates’ hands more often. He saw Sera starting to find her hitting power, the volleyball starting to fly higher and harder. He saw Irene becoming more agile in defense, her athletic body starting to move more naturally. He saw Liliana quietly giving instructions to Rina, teaching her the correct hand position. He saw Rina diligently noting everything down, then trying to put it into practice.

Not all of them would compete in the actual tournament. Some of them would only be substitutes, or even just part of the support team. But Kai never said that explicitly. He let them believe they were all part of the team, that they were all important, that they all contributed. Because for him, that was the real truth. They were all part of this journey. They were all part of a dream starting to take shape. And each of them had a role that no one else could replace.

In the middle of practice, Maya, who was practicing passing, suddenly lost her balance and fell. The ball rolled to the edge of the court. She sat on the ground with a flushed face, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I-I... I failed again..." she whispered softly, her voice trembling.

Before Kai could move, Katrin was already running toward Maya. Her warm hand gently grasped Maya’s shoulder. "Hey, it’s okay. You fell, but you got back up. That’s what matters. Come on, let me help you stand." Katrin pulled Maya up carefully, then picked up the rolling ball and returned it to Maya’s hands. "You can do it. I know you can. Let’s try again. I’m here to help you."

Maya looked at Katrin with teary eyes. "Y-you... you really believe I can do it? Even after I fell like this?"

"I believe," Katrin said with unshakable conviction. "Because I used to be like you too. I used to fall a lot. But I learned to get back up. And you can too. We’re all here to support each other."

In the distance, Kai watched all of this with a faint smile. He saw Katrin helping Maya stand up. He saw Sera pushing Irene to keep practicing despite being tired. He saw Liliana patiently explaining serving techniques to Rina, who was noting everything in her notebook. He saw Ella encouraging the entire volleyball team. He saw Rin teaching Katrin the correct dribbling technique. He saw Mira running tirelessly, and Iris always smiling in the middle of difficulty.

This isn’t just about training, Kai thought. This is about them learning from each other. This is about them supporting each other. This is about them discovering they’re not alone. That they have each other. That they can become stronger together than apart.

After training ended, Kai gathered all the students in the middle of the field. The sun had almost fully set on the western horizon, leaving behind traces of orange light starting to fade into purple and dark blue. They looked tired, sweat dampening their foreheads, their breath still panting. But there were smiles on their faces—smiles they couldn’t hide, smiles that came from satisfaction after trying hard.

"Alright, everyone," Kai said in a firm voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Today’s training is over. I’m proud of you. You’ve shown amazing spirit. Especially those of you who just joined—you dared to try, and that’s more than I asked for. You’ve shown that you have high fighting spirit."

Katrin smiled, Maya nodded slightly with eyes still a little red, Sera lifted her chin proudly, Rina had closed her notebook with satisfaction, Irene was still hopping lightly with never-ending energy, and Liliana—she just smiled faintly, her eyes calm, satisfied with what she’d learned today.

"Tomorrow is Friday," Kai continued. "We’ll focus on chess and tactical training. I need a quiet place for that. The school library is usually quiet after school hours. I’ll arrange the place. For tomorrow, only Eve and a few others who want to join chess need to come. The others can rest or practice on their own. But I want everyone to still come and support each other. We’re one team, and a good team supports each other in all situations."

"Sir," Rin asked with a hint of disappointment in her voice, "we’re not practicing basketball at all tomorrow? I was starting to enjoy this training."

"No. We’ve had enough physical training. Tomorrow we focus on strategy. Eve will lead the chess training, and I’ll teach you about team tactics. How to read opponents, how to find their weaknesses, how to use our own strengths. That’s just as important as physical training. Sometimes, battles are won in the head, not on the field."

Rin nodded, although a little disappointed. "Alright, Sir. I’ll come. I promise I won’t skip."

"Good. Now you can rest. Don’t forget to drink enough water, eat nutritious food, and get enough sleep. Tomorrow we meet again at the library."

The students started to leave, grabbing their water bottles and bags. The sounds of laughter and conversation started to be heard among them. Katrin and Rin walked together, discussing the basketball techniques they’d just learned while laughing. Maya walked behind them, still biting her lip but no longer trembling like before. Sera walked beside Liliana, discussing volleyball strategy in soft voices. Irene hopped ahead, unable to contain her remaining energy. Rina had already opened her notebook again, writing something quickly, maybe about what she’d just learned.

Kai stood at the edge of the field, watching them leave with a small smile on his face. Today had been a good day. They’d shown progress. They were starting to believe in themselves. And that was the most precious thing. On their journey toward the festival, on their journey to find themselves, they’d taken the most important first step—they’d chosen to believe they could.

The evening breeze blew, carrying the sound of rustling leaves in the distance. The scent of grass and wet earth still lingered, mixing with the smell of sweat and spirit still remaining on the field. In the sky, stars were starting to appear one by one, and a thin crescent moon hung on the eastern horizon. The calm evening atmosphere was starting to turn into a peaceful night.

Kai took a deep breath, feeling the cooling night air fill his lungs. He would go home soon, preparing for tomorrow. But for now, he just wanted to enjoy this moment—a moment where everything felt right, where everything felt possible, where everything felt beautiful. He looked at the darkening night sky, and for the first time in a long while, he didn’t feel alone.

But as the students started to disperse and walk in different directions, as the sounds of laughter and conversation started to fade and disappear in the distance, Kai felt someone tug at his jacket from behind. The pull was soft, almost shy, but enough to make him stop and turn around.

Behind him stood Katrin Valerie—the leader of the group of six students who’d become additional members. Her dark gray hair swayed in the cooling night breeze. Her eyes looked at Kai with an expression he couldn’t read. There was doubt there, like she was considering something heavy. Her cold hand was still holding the edge of Kai’s jacket sleeve, and Kai could feel a slight tremor in her fingers. There was tension on her face, something different from the spirit she’d shown during training. Deep doubt, like she was considering a decision that couldn’t be made easily.

"Mr. Kai," Katrin whispered softly, her voice almost inaudible amid the fading crowd. Her eyes didn’t blink, looking at Kai with unusual intensity. "Actually, there’s something I want to talk to you about privately."

Kai fell silent. His eyes looked at Katrin with curiosity slowly growing in his chest. Behind the girl’s gaze, there was something that tickled his mind—a feeling that what Katrin was about to say wasn’t ordinary. Not about training. Not about the competition. But something deeper. The night breeze blew, carrying the sound of rustling leaves in the distance. On the field, the other students continued walking away, unaware that a conversation was about to happen. Only Kai and Katrin stood there, facing each other, with a question hanging in the air between them.

Kai nodded slowly. "Alright, Katrin. What is it?"

Katrin looked down for a moment, like she was gathering her remaining courage. Her hand was still holding the edge of Kai’s jacket sleeve, and Kai could feel a little pressure there—like she was searching for certainty. When she lifted her head, her eyes met Kai’s. There was something there—something she couldn’t hide. Something that made Kai wonder what this girl really wanted to say. There was doubt, but also determination. There was fear, but also courage. There was a question not yet spoken, but already felt in the air between them.

"Sir... do you have time now?" she asked softly, her voice almost a whisper among the cooling night breeze. "Maybe we could talk alone. Just for a moment. I promise it won’t take long. But it’s important."