Chapter 38: THE FESTIVAL OPENING

The long-awaited day had finally arrived. The Phoenix Academy Sports Festival officially began. The entire school was filled with a festive atmosphere—small flags fluttered along the corridors, colorful banners were hung in every corner of the field, and the spectator stands started filling up with students arriving with burning enthusiasm. The sounds of cheers and shouts of support started to be heard from various directions, creating an atmosphere full of energy and excitement.

The main field had been transformed into a magnificent competition arena. Several areas had been separated for various sports—the running track on the left side, the basketball court in the middle, the volleyball court on the right side, the archery area at the back, and a special room for chess inside the building. A small stage was set up in the middle of the field for the opening ceremony and winner announcements. Around the field, there were food and drink stalls provided by the committee, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Since morning, Kai had been busy helping other teachers prepare for the festival opening. He carried tables, arranged chairs, put up flags, and made sure all competition equipment was in the right place. This activity made him sweat a little, but he didn’t mind. There was a certain satisfaction in seeing all the preparations finally come together. ℯℯ𝑙.

"Mr. Kai, please bring the running equipment to the field!" one of the teachers shouted from a distance.

"Coming!" Kai replied, then walked toward the sports equipment storage room behind the building.

The storage room was quite spacious, with metal shelves filled with various sports equipment—basketballs, volleyballs, relay batons, bows and arrows, and other equipment. A thin layer of dust clung to some corners, showing that this place was rarely used except during big events like the festival.

"There’s quite a lot of stuff I need to carry to the field," Kai muttered softly while looking for the needed competition equipment. His eyes moved quickly from one shelf to another, looking for basketballs and volleyballs still stored in boxes.

He started rummaging through the storage room, moving some boxes and other equipment to reach the back shelves. His hands moved quickly, trying to find the items he was looking for. Occasionally he stopped, checked the labels on each box, then continued his search.

Suddenly, a voice from behind called out to him.

"Mr. Kai."

Kai quickly turned around. At the storage room door stood Leina with a friendly smile on her face. That day she was wearing a simple white shirt and a gray skirt, with her black hair tied half-back. In her hand, she held a list of equipment that still needed to be prepared.

"Ms. Leina," Kai greeted, slightly surprised. "Are you also looking for competition equipment?"

"Yes, Sir," Leina answered in a soft voice, stepping into the storage room. "I was also asked to get some equipment for the competition. But it seems you’re busier than I am."

Kai nodded, returning to checking the shelves in front of him. "I just need to find the basketballs and volleyballs. All the other equipment I’ve already taken to the field."

"In that case, let me help, Sir," Leina said, immediately moving to another corner of the storage room. She started checking the shelves there, looking for balls still hidden behind piles of other equipment.

Kai blinked, slightly surprised by Leina’s offer. "Aren’t you still supposed to be handling the receptionist area? Isn’t that your post?"

Leina laughed softly, her voice light like a bell. "I’ve already finished everything, Sir. So I’m free. Hehehe..."

Leina’s soft laughter made Kai feel a little relieved. He smiled slightly, then continued his search. "Alright then, Ma’am. Actually, I do need an extra person to carry this equipment."

Kai pointed to the pile of equipment he’d already gathered near the door—relay batons, bows and arrows, some training cones, and several other items. All of it needed to be taken to the field, and Kai only had two hands.

"Alright, Sir," Leina said while continuing to search. "But it’s unusual. Usually there are always your students around you. If you asked them for help, they’d definitely assist."

Hearing that, Kai paused for a moment. His hands stopped moving briefly, then he continued searching for balls without saying anything. There was a moment of silence between them, only the sound of moving boxes could be heard.

"That’s true, Ms. Leina," Kai finally said, his voice soft. "But right now it’s the festival. For them, this is the day they’ve been waiting for. So I don’t want to bother them with trivial tasks like this."

Hearing those words, Leina blushed slightly. Her hand, which was reaching for a box, stopped in midair. She looked at Kai with a different gaze, as if only now she truly saw who the teacher in front of her was. All this time, she’d never seen a teacher like Kai—a teacher who thought about his students first before thinking about himself. A teacher who didn’t want to burden his students with small things, who chose to do everything himself so his students could enjoy their day.

"Oh, I see, Sir," Leina said softly, her voice gentler than before. There was an undisguised admiration in her eyes.

Kai didn’t answer, just smiled slightly and continued searching.

Suddenly, from the corner of the storage room, Leina’s voice broke the silence. "Oh, Mr. Kai! I found the balls!"

Kai turned and saw Leina lifting two basketballs and one volleyball from behind a pile of other equipment. Her face shone with satisfaction.

"Good, Ms. Leina," Kai said with relief. "Now we can prepare everything quickly."

They both started gathering the equipment they’d found, preparing to carry it to the field.

Inside Class IX-9, the atmosphere was different. All the students had already gathered, sitting at their desks in the navy blue sports jerseys Kai had given them a few days ago. They looked neat and uniform, like one complete unit.

But Kai hadn’t arrived yet. They waited, filling the time with light chatter as usual.

Mira sat in her front seat restlessly, her legs moving impatiently. "Why hasn’t Mr. Kai come yet? Mira can’t wait any longer!"

Rin, sitting beside her, just shook her head. "He’s probably busy with preparations. Be patient, Mira."

Katrin, sitting behind Rin, leaned back in her chair. "We’re all wearing these jerseys, right? Looks cool."

"Yeah, really cool!" Mira exclaimed, looking down at her jersey. "Mira loves this blue color! And there’s a phoenix too!"

"I like it too," Maya added softly, her voice still small but this time more confident. "I’ve never had a team jersey before."

"None of us have," Sera said in a flat voice, but there was a small smile on her lips. "This is the first time."

"Mr. Kai really thinks about us," Liliana said from the corner, her voice calm. "He prepared this for all of us."

Eve, sitting near the window with her laptop, lifted her head briefly. "The fabric quality is decent. I’ve checked. This isn’t cheap clothing."

"I like it too," Aria said softly. "It makes me feel... like I’m part of something."

Fay smiled to herself, her hand gently touching the edge of her jersey. "It’s warm," she said softly. "I like it."

Iris, sitting beside Fay, smiled mysteriously. "Mr. Kai always has surprises, doesn’t he?"

"Do you know something, Iris?" Rin asked with raised eyebrows.

"I just know that he’s a good person," Iris answered with an unreadable smile.

Luna, sitting in the corner, was silent, but her half-closed eyes showed a happiness that didn’t need to be spoken.

Ella, sitting in front as class president, looked at all her friends with a small smile. "We’re going to do our best today. Not just for ourselves, but also for Mr. Kai."

"Agreed!" they exclaimed almost in unison.

Not long after, the classroom door opened. Kai entered with quick steps, his face slightly sweaty from being busy since morning. He carried some small notes in his hand, and his eyes moved quickly counting all the students present.

"Sorry I’m late. I had some business in the equipment storage room," Kai said, setting his notes down on the teacher’s desk.

"It’s okay, Sir," Ella said from the front. "We’re ready."

Kai smiled slightly, then stood at the front of the class. His eyes looked at all his students one by one, from the front row to the back row.

"Alright, before we head to the field, we still have time to discuss the competition strategy," Kai said, his voice firm and full of conviction.

He started explaining strategies for each event. "For the relay race, Mira and Iris will be our main runners. Remember, the baton exchange is key. Don’t rush, but don’t be too slow either."

Mira nodded quickly. "Ready, Sir!"

"For basketball, Rin will be the captain. Katrin, Maya, Sera—follow Rin’s instructions on the court. Communication is everything."

Rin nodded firmly. Katrin smiled, Maya bit her lip but nodded, and Sera just lifted her chin.

"For volleyball, Ella as captain. Liliana, Irene, Rina—you need to be solid. Don’t let the ball fall between you."

Ella nodded seriously. Liliana smiled slightly, Irene hopped in place, and Rina had already opened her notebook.

"For archery, Nora and Luna. Focus on breathing. Don’t let distractions around you break your concentration."

Nora nodded calmly. Luna, who usually stared out the window, now looked at Kai with full attention.

"And for chess, Eve. You’ve been practicing with the special rules. Trust your instincts."

Eve pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Okay, Sir."

Kai paused for a moment, looking at all his students with a deep gaze. There was a few seconds of silence in the room, like there was something more important he wanted to say.

"But one thing I want to say," Kai continued, his voice becoming softer. "Don’t focus too much on winning. I don’t want you to push yourselves too hard. Enjoy this moment. This is the day you’ve been waiting for. So enjoy every second. And make sure no one gets injured. Your health is more important than victory."

Hearing Kai’s message, they all nodded in unison. No one spoke, but the nods were enough. They understood. They understood what Kai meant.

"Alright," Kai said with a smile. "Now, let’s move to the field."

They started getting up from their seats, grabbing their bags and equipment. The sounds of laughter and conversation started to be heard among them as they walked toward the door.

Kai stood at the front of the class, watching them leave. He saw Rin walking with firm steps, Mira hopping lightly, Ella walking calmly at the front, and all the other students following behind. They were all wearing the same navy blue jerseys, with the phoenix embroidery on their chests.

Kai smiled slightly, then followed them from behind toward the field.