Chapter 33: A BUSY SATURDAY

Morning at Ella’s house always started with sunlight streaming through her bedroom window. Golden rays fell right on her face, waking her from a fairly sound sleep. Ella opened her eyes slowly, feeling her body still a little sore after yesterday’s intense training. But she was used to the soreness. It had become part of her routine lately.

She sat at the edge of her bed, stretching her body with slow movements. Her room was simple—just a single bed with clean white sheets, an old wooden study desk full of books, and a small wardrobe in the corner of the room. On the wall, hung a worn-out photo that had started to yellow at the edges. The photo showed a man with a calm smile and gentle eyes. Ella stared at the photo for a moment, as usual, then looked away.

Ella got up from the bed, rubbed her face, then walked to the bathroom. Cold water flowed from the old faucet, and she washed her face until the drowsiness completely disappeared. She looked at the mirror—a seventeen-year-old girl with long black hair neatly tied at the back of her head, sharp dark brown eyes, and a calm expression as usual. Nothing different about her this morning.

From the kitchen, the sound of a pan scraping against the stove could be heard. The smell of toasted bread and fried eggs started spreading throughout the house. Her mother—Mrs. Tia—had been busy since dawn. The woman with long black hair always neatly styled and a face that rarely showed excessive emotion was someone Ella admired and also felt pressured by. Since her father left, Mrs. Tia had never cried in front of Ella. Never complained. Never showed that she was struggling. She just smiled. Every day.

"Ella, breakfast!" called Mrs. Tia from the kitchen.

Ella walked to the dining room. The small wooden table there was already set with two plates, two glasses, and a pot of warm tea. Mrs. Tia sat across from her holding a cup of black coffee. Her face was calm, as usual. Ella sat in her chair, picked up her spoon, and started eating without much talking.

Mrs. Tia observed her daughter while sipping her coffee. Her eyes watched Ella eating heartily. There was something that made Mrs. Tia observe longer than usual. Not because Ella looked different—her appearance was the same as always, her expression was the same as always. But there was something inside her, something invisible but could be felt.

"You look fresh this morning," Mrs. Tia finally said, her voice casual as usual. "Lately you’ve always been excited to go out. What’s up?"

Ella shrugged, not really thinking about the question. "Just usual, Mom. Because I’m going to meet my friends."

"Is that all?" Mrs. Tia asked, teasing a little. "You’ve always met your friends before, but I’ve never seen you this excited. Usually you even look tired. But now you seem to have new energy."

Ella was silent for a moment, chewing her food before answering. "Yeah, because now we’re training for the festival. So it’s more fun, Mom. And we also have a new teacher."

"A new teacher?" Mrs. Tia raised her eyebrows, curiosity starting to appear in her eyes. "What’s the teacher like? Is he a good teacher?"

Ella smiled slightly, her eyes sparkling when thinking about Kai. "He’s unique, Mom."

Mrs. Tia blinked, a little confused by her daughter’s answer. "Unique? What do you mean?"

Ella stopped eating, trying to find the right words. "He’s... different from the previous teachers, Mom. He’s not like other teachers. He’s very patient teaching us. He never gets angry when we make mistakes. He just says ’try again’ and waits until we can do it. Like... he really believes we can do it."

Mrs. Tia listened carefully, her eyes not blinking. "And?"

"And... he’s also a caring person, Mom. He doesn’t just teach, but he also cares about us. Like... he doesn’t see us as ordinary students. He sees us as... as valuable people, you know." Ella smiled, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Anyway, he’s unique, Mom. Hard to explain."

Mrs. Tia smiled seeing her daughter getting excited. She didn’t fully understand what Ella meant by "unique." But she could see the happiness in her daughter’s eyes—happiness she hadn’t seen in a long time. And that was enough.

"Alright," Mrs. Tia said gently. "As long as you’re happy. If you’re happy with your teacher, then that’s fine. No need to explain in detail. I trust you."

Ella nodded, smiling wider. "Thanks, Mom."

They continued breakfast in a warmer atmosphere. Occasionally Mrs. Tia asked about Ella’s activities, and Ella answered casually. Nothing special, just ordinary conversation between mother and daughter in the morning.

After breakfast, Ella washed her own dishes in the sink, then hurried to her room to get ready. She put on comfortable sports clothes—a simple white t-shirt and black training pants. Her long black hair was still neatly tied at the back of her head. She checked her bag—water bottle, small towel, and some snacks to share. Everything was ready.

Before she left, she glanced at her mother who was still sitting at the table, enjoying her second coffee. "I’m going now, Mom. Have training with my friends."

Mrs. Tia nodded, smiling gently. "Be careful on the way, Ella. Don’t push yourself too hard. If you’re tired, rest first."

"Yes, Mom."

Ella stepped out of the house, closing the door softly behind her. The fresh morning air greeted her outside. The sky was bright blue, with a few white clouds floating slowly. Birds chirped in the trees, creating a soothing natural melody. Ella took a deep breath, then started walking toward the park where they would gather.

On the way, her mind drifted to yesterday’s events. When Kai and Eve were practicing chess in the secret hut, Ella and the others decided to train on their own on the field. They didn’t want to waste time just because Kai was busy with Eve.

"We can’t keep depending on Mr. Kai," Ella said at that time, her voice firm and full of conviction. "We also need to learn to be independent. We need to be able to practice without him."

Rin, hearing that, immediately nodded in agreement. "I agree. We’ve learned enough from him. Now we need to practice on our own."

"I agree too," Katrin added from the side, her eyes full of determination. "We need to be independent. We can’t depend on others forever."

But Maya shook her head hesitantly, her cold hands nervously playing with the edge of her uniform. "But... if Mr. Kai finds out we’re practicing without him, he’ll definitely get angry. He’ll definitely tell us to rest."

"Yeah," Sera continued in a flat voice, her arms crossed over her chest. "We also need to help our parents at home. Not everyone has free time."

"I have to help my mom at the shop tomorrow," Rina added, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "There are many orders that need to be prepared."

"I also have to help my mom with shopping," Aria said softly, her anxious eyes looking toward Ella. "Tomorrow the market will be crowded again."

Ella listened to all of this carefully. Her sharp eyes moved from one face to another, reading their expressions, understanding their concerns. Then she smiled—a smile full of confidence, a smile that made the others feel a little calmer.

"Here’s what we’ll do," Ella said, her voice firm and undeniable. "Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, we’ll gather at the park near the school. Those who can come, come. Those who can’t, we’ll help finish their tasks first. We’ll do them together so they get done faster. Then after that, we’ll practice together."

Maya was still hesitant, her fingers playing with the end of the red ribbon in her hair. "But, Ella... won’t that be a burden? We don’t want to trouble you."

"No one’s a burden," Ella cut in firmly. "We’re a team. We help each other. That’s what makes us strong. If one of us is struggling, we help. If one of us needs support, we support. That’s what a team is."

"Ella’s right," Iris added from the side, her green eyes sparkling. "We can’t go our separate ways. If we want to win the festival, we have to be united."

"I agree with Ella," Liliana said softly, her voice calm as usual. "We can help each other."

Hearing that, the others exchanged glances. Slowly, smiles started appearing on their faces. Rin nodded enthusiastically, Katrin smiled widely, and Maya, who had been hesitant, now started to look more confident.

"Alright," Mira said enthusiastically, her fists clenched in front of her chest. "Mira agrees! Mira will come! Mira will help anyone who needs it!"

"Iris agrees too," Iris said with a mysterious smile.

"Me too," Liliana added.

"Okay, I’m in," Sera finally said.

"Agreed," said Rina.

"I agree too," Aria said softly, although her eyes were still a little anxious.

"Good," Ella said with a satisfied smile. "Tomorrow morning, we meet at the park. Don’t forget to bring your own equipment."

The flashback ended when Ella arrived at the park. The park was quite spacious, with a few shady trees and old wooden benches. There was a small grassy field in the middle, spacious enough for light training. The morning air felt fresh and cool, with a thin layer of dew still clinging to the wild grass at the edge of the park. Some wildflowers grew along the path, colorful in shades of red, yellow, and purple.

Ella arrived earlier than the agreed time. She sat on one of the wooden benches, placed her bag beside her, and started doing light stretches. Her eyes observed the surroundings—still quiet, only a few elderly people taking casual walks and birds chirping in the trees.

While waiting for her friends to arrive, she started practicing on her own. She remembered Kai’s instructions—about hand position, about footwork, about how to read the opponent’s game. She moved her body slowly, trying to imitate the movements Kai had taught, trying to perfect every small detail. Her hands moved into the receiving position, her feet stepped in a steady rhythm.

"The underhand serve should be lower," she murmured to herself, repeating the serving motion Kai had taught. "And the foot position needs to be more stable."

She kept practicing, repeating the same movements over and over. Every time she felt something was wrong, she stopped her movement, corrected her position, then tried again. No one was watching, no one was judging, but she kept practicing seriously.

Not long after, the sound of light footsteps could be heard in the distance. Ella turned and saw Mira running toward her with a wide smile on her face.

"Mira is here!" Mira exclaimed enthusiastically, waving her hand. "Mira can’t wait to start training!"

"You’re early," Ella said with a small smile, stopping her movement.

"Mira can’t wait!" Mira repeated, sitting beside Ella with panting breath. "Mira is ready! Let’s start!"

"We’ll wait for the others first," Ella said patiently. "We’ll start together."

Mira nodded, although her eyes were still sparkling with unquenchable enthusiasm. "Alright. But Mira wants to practice first, okay? Mira can’t stay still!"

Ella smiled slightly, shaking her head in amusement. "You really can’t stay still, can you?"

Mira laughed, sitting beside Ella restlessly. "Of course not! Mira likes to move! Not like you who can sit still."

"Fine then, while we wait for the others, let’s do some light practice," Ella said, standing up from the bench. "Come on, let’s stretch first."

"Agreed!" Mira exclaimed, immediately standing up and starting to move.

They both did light stretches while waiting for the others. Mira moved with full enthusiasm, while Ella moved more calmly and controllably. Occasionally they exchanged smiles, enjoying the bright morning in the quiet park.

One by one, their friends started arriving. Katrin came with firm steps, followed by Rin who was already holding a basketball in her hand. Sera came with steady steps, with Rina behind her who was already carrying a small notebook. Irene hopped lightly in place, unable to contain her energy. Liliana walked calmly behind them, smiling slightly as usual.

"Hey, we’re all here!" Rin called out while bouncing her basketball. "Where are the others?"

"Not everyone yet," Ella answered, looking around. "Aria, Maya, Nora, and Fay haven’t arrived."

"Aria is helping her mom shop at the market," Rin explained, placing the basketball beside her. "She said she’d be done around noon."

"Maya is helping prepare the dining area for a family event," Katrin added, her arms crossed over her chest. "She said she’d be done by 10."

"Nora is helping her dad distribute flyers on the street," Liliana said in a calm voice from the corner. "She said she’d come right after."

"Fay is helping at the cake shop," Iris added, crossing her legs casually. "The shop owner is really kind, always gives Fay a chance to help. They say Fay really likes looking at the displayed cakes."

Ella nodded, then gave a suggestion. "Here’s what we’ll do. Let’s divide the tasks. Who wants to help Maya prepare the dining area? Who wants to help Nora distribute flyers? Who wants to help Fay at the cake shop? And who wants to help Aria with shopping? After we’re done, we’ll gather here again."

Rin nodded quickly, her basketball stopping its movement. "I’ll help Aria. I can carry heavy stuff."

"Count me in," Katrin said, standing beside Rin firmly. "I can carry stuff too."

Sera stepped forward, her arms still crossed over her chest. "I’ll help Maya. I’m used to preparing events, so it won’t be a problem."

"Me too," Rina added, closing her notebook. "I can help arrange tables and chairs. Get it done quickly."

Liliana nodded slightly, her dark blue hair swaying. "I’ll help Nora. I can help distribute flyers. Not too heavy."

"Irene too!" Irene exclaimed, hopping in place. "Irene can run everywhere! Distribute flyers fast!"

Mira raised her hand enthusiastically. "Mira will help Fay! Mira likes cakes! Mira wants to help prepare the cakes for sale!"

"Me too," Iris added with a mysterious smile, standing up from the bench. "I’m curious about that cake shop. Besides, I can help watch the shop if it gets busy."

Ella smiled seeing their enthusiasm. "Alright. Let’s divide the tasks. Those helping Maya: Sera and Rina. Those helping Nora: Liliana and Irene. Those helping Fay: Mira and Iris. Those helping Aria: Rin and Katrin. The rest wait here, watch our stuff. If anyone finishes, come straight here."

"Agreed!" they exclaimed almost in unison.

They immediately moved. Rin and Katrin walked quickly toward the market where Aria was shopping. Sera and Rina walked toward Maya’s house to help prepare the dining area. Liliana, Irene, Nora, Mira, and Iris walked toward the area where Nora was distributing flyers, then continued to the cake shop to help Fay. The rest stayed at the park watching the stuff and waiting.

At the market, Rin and Katrin found Aria looking overwhelmed carrying several heavy shopping bags. Her small hands could barely hold all the items she had to carry.

"Aria!" Rin called from a distance, waving her hand. "We’re here to help!"

Aria turned, her eyes sparkling with relief. "Rin! Katrin! Thank you for coming!"

"Of course," Rin said while taking some shopping bags from Aria’s hands. "We’re a team. If you’re struggling, we help."

"There’s so much stuff," Katrin said while taking the remaining bags. "What are all these?"

"These are for a family event," Aria explained while walking beside them. "Mom asked me to buy ingredients for cooking. There are vegetables, meat, spices."

"So much stuff," Rin commented, lifting a rather heavy bag. "But it’s okay, we’ll help carry them to your house. After that, we’ll go to the park."

"Thank you so much, Rin, Katrin," Aria said with sparkling eyes. "I’ll get done so much faster."

"Hey, this is nothing," Rin said casually. "Okay, now focus on training later."

At Maya’s house, Sera and Rina were already busy helping. Maya’s house was simple, with a yard spacious enough for a family event. Some tables and chairs had started to be arranged, but there was still much to be done.

"Maya, these tables need to be arranged more neatly," Sera said while moving one table to a better position. "If it’s like this, people will have trouble walking through."

"Yes, Sera," Maya said softly, still looking a little anxious. "But I don’t know how to arrange them."

"Relax, I’ll handle it," Sera said firmly. "You focus on the other things."

Rina was already busy counting the plates and glasses available. "Maya, we’re missing five plates. And glasses too. Do you have extras?"

"There are some in the kitchen," Maya answered quickly. "I’ll get them."

"No, I’ll get them," Rina said, walking toward the kitchen. "You rest first."

Maya smiled, her anxious eyes now looking calmer. "Thank you, Sera, Rina. I’m not so worried now."

"Okay, let’s work together so we can finish faster," Sera said. "After that, we’ll go to the park for training."

On the street, Liliana and Irene joined Nora who was distributing flyers. Nora looked tired, her hands already full with stacks of undistributed papers.

"Nora!" Irene called from a distance. "We’re here to help!"

Nora turned, her pale blue eyes showing a little relief. "You came. Thank you."

"Of course," Liliana said in a calm voice, taking some flyers from Nora’s hands. "Let’s divide the tasks. I’ll take this side of the street, Irene will take the other side. Nora rest first."

"Irene can run everywhere!" Irene exclaimed enthusiastically, immediately running to the other side of the street. "Irene will finish this quickly!"

They worked together distributing flyers. Liliana walked calmly, handing flyers to passersby with a small smile. Irene ran back and forth, never stopping moving. In a short time, the stack of flyers in Nora’s hands started to shrink.

"All done!" Irene called out after a while, returning with panting breath. "Everything’s been distributed!"

"Good," Liliana said. "Now let’s go to the cake shop. Help Fay."

At the cake shop, Mira and Iris had already arrived earlier. The shop was small but clean, with a glass display case showing various appetizing cakes. The sweet aroma of freshly baked cakes filled the entire room.

"Fay!" Mira called enthusiastically when she saw Fay helping the shop owner prepare cakes. "Mira’s here to help!"

Fay turned, smiling to herself. "Fay is happy you came."

"These cakes are so beautiful!" Mira said with sparkling eyes. "Mira wants to help!"

The shop owner—a middle-aged woman with a friendly smile—smiled seeing them. "You’re Fay’s friends, right? Fay is a diligent girl. She always helps when she comes."

"Yes, Ma’am," Iris said with a mysterious smile. "We want to help Fay. Is there anything we can do?"

"You can help decorate these cakes," the shop owner said while pointing to some plain cakes. "Fay already helped prepare the batter. Now they just need decoration."

"I want to!" Mira exclaimed, immediately taking the decorating tools. "Mira loves decorating cakes!"

Iris joined in helping, her nimble fingers moving skillfully decorating the small cakes. Fay smiled to herself beside them, occasionally laughing softly for no clear reason. The shop owner just smiled watching them, happy to see Fay had good friends.

"These cakes will be sold later, right?" Mira asked while decorating.

"Yes," the shop owner answered. "But later Fay can take one home. For her and her friends."

Mira’s eyes sparkled. "Thank you, Ma’am! Mira loves cakes!"

A few hours later, one by one they returned to the park. Rin and Katrin came with Aria who was smiling widely. Sera and Rina came with Maya who looked relieved. Liliana, Irene, Nora, Mira, and Iris came with Fay who was laughing softly.

"We’re done!" Rin announced proudly. "Aria’s shopping is all done. We also helped carry it to her house."

"The dining area is all set," Sera said firmly. "Maya doesn’t need to worry anymore."

"Nora’s flyers have all been distributed," Liliana added in a calm voice.

"Irene ran everywhere!" Irene exclaimed enthusiastically. "Finished so fast!"

Mira hopped lightly, her hands still smelling of cake. "Mira helped prepare cakes! Mira also got a free cake from the shop owner! She’s so kind!"

Iris smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Yes, the shop owner is kind. She was so happy to see Fay helping. She said Fay is diligent."

Fay smiled to herself, her gaze drifting in an unclear direction, but there was happiness there. "I like helping. I like seeing cakes."

Ella observed everything with a satisfied smile. "Good. Now we’re all here. Let’s start training."

They started training with burning enthusiasm. Ella led volleyball, teaching the correct serving technique. Rin and Katrin practiced basketball, passing to each other and trying shots. Mira and Iris practiced the relay race, improving their baton exchanges. Nora and Luna practiced archery, focusing on breathing and concentration. Aria and Fay prepared drinks at the edge of the park, occasionally cheering on the others.

"Your feet need to be lower, Maya!" Katrin called out while watching Maya practice dribbling. "Like this!" Katrin demonstrated the correct movement.

Maya nodded, trying to follow Katrin’s instructions. "L-like this?" she asked, still trembling slightly.

"More relaxed, Maya!" Rin said from the side. "Don’t tense up! Let the ball flow!"

Maya tried again, this time more relaxed. The ball moved more smoothly. "I-I did it?" she asked with sparkling eyes.

"Good!" Katrin exclaimed. "Now try while walking slowly!"

On the other side, Ella watched Liliana setting up to Irene. "Higher sets, Liliana! So Irene can hit hard!"

Liliana nodded, adjusting the next set. Irene jumped and hit the ball hard. The ball shot over the net perfectly.

"Yes! I did it!" Irene exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Good!" Ella praised. "Now try again, but this time aim for the corner of the court!"

Meanwhile, Mira and Iris were practicing baton exchanges at the edge of the park. "We need to do this faster, Mira!" Iris said, her hand holding the baton ready. "When I approach, you need to be ready to receive the baton. Don’t wait until I’m right in front of you!"

"But Mira is afraid of dropping the baton!" Mira said anxiously.

"You won’t drop the baton if you focus!" Iris replied. "Try again!"

They practiced repeatedly, until finally their movements started to become smooth. Training continued until the afternoon. The sun started tilting westward, creating long shadows stretching across the park grass. Sweat dampened their foreheads, but smiles never left their faces. They encouraged each other, corrected each other, supported each other.

"Good, Katrin!" Rin called out after Katrin successfully scored a basket. "You’re getting better!"

"Thanks, Rin!" Katrin replied with a wide smile.

"Liliana, your sets are perfect!" Ella praised after Liliana gave a flawless set.

Liliana just smiled slightly, her calm eyes showing happiness that didn’t need to be spoken.

"We’re almost done," Ella said, watching the sun starting to set. "One more drill, then we rest."

They continued training with spirits that never faded. Until finally, Ella gathered all her friends in the middle of the park.

"Alright, everyone," Ella said in a firm voice. "Today’s training is over. But before we go home, I want to discuss Sunday’s schedule."

Mira, hearing that, immediately raised her hand enthusiastically. "Mira agrees! Let’s train again on Sunday! Mira can’t wait!"

"I agree too," Rin added, her eyes sparkling. "The more we practice, the better we get."

"We can practice longer on Sunday," Katrin said, standing beside Rin. "Since there’s no school."

"I agree too," Iris said with a mysterious smile. "Sundays are usually quiet. Good for training."

"I agree," Sera said firmly. "We need to maximize our time."

But Ella shook her head firmly. "No, we’re not going to practice on Sunday."

Mira blinked, confusion visible on her face. "Why, Ella? Shouldn’t we practice as much as possible?"

Ella looked at Mira gently but firmly. "Sunday is a rest day. We’ve trained hard all week. Our bodies need time to recover. If we keep pushing ourselves without rest, we could get injured. And if we get injured, we can’t compete optimally. Mr. Kai already said that. Rest is just as important as training."

Rin, hearing that, let out a long sigh but didn’t argue. "Alright... Ella’s right. I don’t want to get injured before the festival either. Then I wouldn’t be able to play."

"Rest is important," Liliana added in a calm voice. "Our bodies need time to repair themselves."

"I agree," Nora said in a flat voice. "Better to rest than to get injured. We’d just end up losing out."

"I agree too," Luna added softly, almost whispering. "We need to take care of our bodies. If we get sick, we can’t do anything."

Mira pouted her lips, but finally nodded. "Alright, Ella. Mira agrees. But Monday we practice again, right?"

"Of course," Ella said with a smile. "Monday we practice again. But for Sunday, total rest. No training. No sports. Just rest and relaxation."

"Agreed!" they exclaimed almost in unison.

"I’m going to sleep all day!" Mira said enthusiastically.

"I’m going to read a book," Rina added, pushing her glasses.

"I’m going to help my mom at home," Aria said softly.

"I’ll just do light training at home," Rin said, although she’d already agreed.

"Alright," Ella finally said. "Now go home. Get enough rest. Tomorrow we meet again at school."

They started to leave, grabbing their bags and equipment. The sounds of laughter and conversation started to be heard among them as they walked away from the park. Mira laughed with Iris, Rin walked beside Katrin with firm steps, Ella walked ahead with Liliana beside her.

Ella stood at the edge of the park, watching her friends leave with a small smile on her face. Today had been a good day. They managed to practice together, they helped each other, and they learned to work together as one team. And that was the most valuable thing.