16 Soccer

"Let's play soccer!" Xiao Ming grabbed a random ball nearby, grinning with no care for the world.

"I... don't know how to play." Yi Fei said. She started to detest her brother's science teacher for making him stay so late.

"I'll teach you!" Xiao Ming sat down on the ground, slowly rolling the ball towards the little girl in front of him. "Kick it towards me!"

Yi Fei was a submissive girl, she would do almost anything asked. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and pulled her right leg back as far she could! She imitated from her memory of Dad watching soccer matches on TV before. It was a "Super Saiyan Kick!" as Dad liked to call it.

But expectantly, she fell backward like a plump of stretchy clay. The ball casually rolled away, stopping when it hit an ash-gray rock.

"Pfft." Xiao Ming laughed. "You really don't know how to play."

Yi Fei's eyebrow twitched.

"Look at me, okay?" Xiao Ming ran and placed the ball in a comfortable position for him to kick. "You are too weak to kick like that. Just kick softly, like this."

Xiao Ming barely retracted his foot, lightly kicking the hexagonal-pattern ball. The ball jumped faintly and flawlessly rolled over to Yi Fei. Yi Fei gained a little respect for Xiao Ming though she would never admit it.

"Try it!" Xiao Ming smiled.

Yi Fei closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She remembered what Xiao Ming had just done and started to imitate it. She pulled her left foot a little bit back and sparsely kicked the ball. The ball rolled a few inches.

"See! You can do it too!" Xiao Ming said.

"Mm." Yi Fei was also feeling pretty proud of herself. Her eyes shined with amazement, she was incited to do it again!

"Xiao Ming, why are you playing with a girl?" A high-pitched voice shouted from behind. Yi Fei and Xiao Ming immediately looked over and say a tall pretty boy with a soccer ball in his hand.

"I'm teaching her how to play," Xiao Ming replied truthfully.

"But she's a girl. She doesn't like sporty stuff!" The tall boy argued. He looked annoyed with his eyebrows furrowed. "Come play with us instead!"

Yi Fei sighed with relief yet felt a little bit reluctant. Xiao Ming taught her how to kick after all, and she even... didn't dislike it.

"Okay, but she's joining!" Xiao Ming replied cheerfully as he pointed at Yi Fei. Yi Fei's mouth opened in shock, but Xiao Ming didn't pay her any mind. He just forcefully grabbed Yi Fei's hand again and speedily ran towards the other boy. Yi Fei had trouble catching her breath.

---

The match was going on. Xiao Ming's team and the other boy's team was already at 1-2. The min goal posts were guarded by small kids with intense savage eyes and roughed-up knees. Meanwhile, the runners had their hands and knees were covered by dirt and even had a few new bruises already. None of them knew what defending or attacking was, they only knew two things: Kick the ball in the enemy's goal and don't let the ball go near theirs! And so, most of the kids were situated near the ball, bashing into each other with their bodies. From the outside, it was a hot mess, a huddle of boys pushing and pulling each other.

Yi Fei surely stood out, a girl who was wearing a baby pink dress in the middle of the soccer field. Even the girls nearby stood outside the field, and all of them were looking at Yi Fei weirdly. Yi Fei wasn't even wearing sneakers, her olive green sandals suddenly stood out. She ignored their hushed whispering and unusual glances as she was already used to it.

Not knowing what to do, Yi Fei just stayed in the middle. She was quite a distance away from the ball and felt somewhat out of harm's way. She watched the boys aggressively fight over the ball as if she watching TV. Suddenly the ball flew out of the circle of boys. One of them managed to kick the ball towards the sky!

"Yi Fei, ball!!" Xiao Ming shouted.

"...!" Yi Fei's eyes almost fell out, she merely tilted her head to keep the ball in sight. Confusion and blurriness swept her mind, she wiggled around her hands back and forth. The other boys were already heading for her direction.

Xiao Ming noticed her perplexed state of mind and shouted, "Pass it to me!"

Yi Fei focused on Xiao Ming's encouraging face, giving him a quiet nod. She resolutely tightened her fists and walked a few steps back. The ball was coming closer and closer, and she took a deep breath. She inched her right foot backward, just waiting for the ball to drop to the ground. She knew that she had to kick the ball harder than what Xiao Ming taught her but not "Super Saiyan Kick!" level.

The ball rapidly approached Yi Fei, her eyes were strictly on the ball. In fact, they would make contact at any moment! Wait... any moment?

Yi Fei gasped in shock as the ball was right before her eyes! It was too late to move and the boys were already covering the exits. Xiao Ming wasn't in sight and the boys were already prepared for the ball to drop on the ground and fight for it again. They didn't believe this girly damsel could kick the ball at all.

She firmly closed her eyes, hoping that it wouldn't hit her nose or lips. Brother would get really mad if she got hurt! She scrunched up her tiny eyebrows with desperation.

Pow!

Yi Fei painfully dropped backward from the harsh impact. Her head was throbbing like a heartbeat and she could only faintly hear the boys. Her back was aching from the discomfort and pain, and she whimpered softly. A buzzing sound overwhelmed their voices as she slowly fell out of consciousness...