13 Grand Isn't Always Grand

He's looking at the illuminated skyscraper of Seoul from his hotel window, reflecting on what happened in the match; he's playing back all the possible scenarios of what could have been the best move, but he knows no matter how many times he played the game of - what if - the result will be the same. They lost the game.

He stepped away from the window when he heard a soft knock on the door.

Mr. Wan was standing outside when he opened the door. He can't help but lower his head and murmurs, "I'm sorry."

He didn't answer, just forced himself inside the room, and sat down on the couch.

Grand twisting his hands, stood in front of Mr. Wan and waited for the scolding.

"Have your team ready for the joint practice with the Singaporean team. We'll be checking out tomorrow and move to Busan where the practice will be held. Apparently the owner of The Admiral has contact with some CTF team there."

Mr. Wan stood up and tapped his shoulder, "Don't beat yourself too much."

Grand squeezed his palm into a fist, took a deep breath, and bent his body into a ninety degrees bow.

"Boss, I'm sorry for disappointing you."

"Grand, this is your first game as a team captain, and this isn't going to be your last lost. Go and take care of your team. Stop being sorry for yourself. You play as a team, you lost as one."

"I will do my very best next game, boss," he said with a voice cracking with emotion.

"I will take your word on that."

When the boss leaves his room, Grand enters the bathroom and washes his face. Looking at the mirror he tries to manage his raging frustration, by taking deep breaths and exhaling them slowly. He can't help thinking, how did DT handle this feeling in the past whenever they lost a match.

He was about to splash his face with cold water again when he heard a banging on his door.

"I'm coming!"

As soon as he clicked the door lock to open the door it was pushed from the outside with such force that caught him right on the face.

"Fuck! Who the…"

"Hey did you cry? Tell me you didn't cry?" he asked, grinning.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"You're not coming to us, so we came to you. Man, I'm now regretting being on your team." Ellise said.

"Were you all informed that we'll be having a joint team practice with the Singaporean team?"

"Yeah, we already heard from the boss, while you're hiding your loser ass."

He tackled Seven to the bed upon hearing those words. The rest of the guys followed suit except for Ellise who picked up a menu and dial room service.

---

"Boss, can I drop home before going back to the club?"

He's asking for Mr. Wan's permission once they landed at Pudong International Airport because his grandmother has been sending him a message to come home as soon as he's back in the country.

It has something to do with his father wanting to talk about family matters. He has a bad feeling about it and in normal circumstances, he won't bother to come home but since his grandmother is the one who's been asking he can't say no.

"Be sure to be back at the end of the day, because we will have a team assessment with the last game and the joint practice."

"Yes, boss.", he said, then headed out of the airport without taking the team shuttle service.

"East city," he said to the driver.

His phone rings before the taxi could exit the last gate of the arrival building.

He exhales an air of annoyance when he saw that it's his mother on the line.

"Wang Wei, have you landed?" she asked without asking about his well-being.

"Yes, I'm on my way home."

"Check your message, I'll be sending the restaurant address. Go directly there, we are waiting."

"Okay," he replied tersely and cut the call.

He's not good at dealing with his family, except for his grandma.

"Mister, can we go to this place instead?" showing the map his mother sent. He's not familiar with the restaurant address but it looks like it's in Huaihai road.

---

"Do you have a reservation sir?" the restaurant receptionist asked.

"Uh, it's under Wang's."

"They're waiting for you, sir. Please follow me."

When he enters the private room and saw the group of people around the table, he knew what the situation is all about. He didn't try to hide the displeasure in his face until he caught his grandmother's eyes with a silent warning.

His mother stood from her seat, and in a sing-song voice said, "Oh this is my youngest Wang Wei. Wei Wei, do you remember Li Na?", pointing to the girl in the table around his age. "You used to play with her when you were kids every time we visit your uncle Yifeng's house in Changsha."

"Hello, Wei Wei. It's nice to see you again." She smiled sweetly at him while batting her fake eyelashes.

She does look pretty. She's the type of girl he used to date., he thought to himself grimacing.

"How was your competition?" his father asked.

"I lost." he curtly replied.

He heard his older brother snorting next to him, but he didn't bother to raise his face and just started digging in with the food in front of him. There was a moment of silence on the table until his mother does one of her fake laughs, reserved for awkward situations such as this.

"Let your son eat." she gently told her husband. "He came directly from the airport."

"After you eat Wang Wei take Li Na for a walk. She said there's a coffee shop around this area she'd like to visit."

"Can't you have coffee here?", he asked the girl, who's watching her like seeing him eat is the most interesting thing in the world.

'Silly!" she giggles. "It's just an excuse to be alone with you and get out this boring adult talks. "

He grinned at the girl with his mouth full. This is the type of girl that is hard to shake off once they got their claws on you.

---

"Hey, Wei, why are you in such a hurry!"

"Listen Li Na, You're pretty, but I'm not interested in you in a romantic sense."

"But your brother said I'm totally your type," she said pouting.

Grand finds himself wanting to pull his own hair in frustration with this girl. He initially wanted to be civil but it's clear that it won't work with Li Na. This girl is used to getting what she wants.

"Go back inside the restaurant. I have to go now."

"Why? Is it because of that girl that bumped onto you in the coffee shop? You were lying when you said you don't know her!"

He shakes his head in incredulity with this girl. But he has no time to spare. He flagged down an oncoming taxi, and as he is getting in, he heard Li Na shouting, "I will tell your mother!"

He opened his phone to send a message of apology to his grandmother. Scrolling on his WeChat he has an urge to check Dana's profile and gets tempted to unblock her.

He sighs and about to just turn off his phone when he sees Bobby's Moments with a very familiar place and girl in the photo.

He couldn't believe his eyes when he opened the picture, with a caption - The weather is fine and a pretty girl is buying me coffee.

Hundreds of comments are already in the photo, most of them are asking Bobby to post a selfie of a girl as they are all curious on who's the girl that took the honor to be posted on a player's WeChat moment, who usually hides his conquest.

"Where are you?"

"My friend's place, why?"

"Give me the address, I'm coming over," he said, dropping the call without courtesy.

"Hey Bobby, why are you grinning like a tomcat who just caught a rat? You serious with that girl?"

"Nah, she is a friend. I stick my nose in someone's business. I expected a storm but I never thought it would come this early." he said grinning.

---

The taxi his on brought him to this abandoned building just outside the city. If he didn't know what Bobby and his friends been doing here, he would be surprised by the number of expensive cars parked outside.

Bobby is already waiting for him outside of the building when he got out of the taxi.

"You didn't bring a car? Let your taxi wait, it's difficult to catch one going back."

"Thanks for your concern, " he said sarcastically but did what he was told.

"So what brings you here?" Bobby steps on his skateboard away from the crowd.

Hearing the question, he suddenly felt stupid for his reason for looking for Bobby and ended up not saying a word.

When they are far enough to have privacy to talk. Bobby faced him and asked the question again.

"What are you doing with Dana?" he asked back gritting his teeth in anger. A fit of anger he doesn't understand.

"She bought me coffee," he said nonchalantly.

"Leave her alone! She's not one of your girls."

"Why? Is she yours? From what I know the girl is free for the taking." he said sneering.

Bobby heard his nose cracked and felt the blood ooze from the punch Grand threw on his face.