Chapter 3

Tom woke up early in the morning. He was doing his normal routine before going to school. He left their house, calling out to his parents and little sister. He went his way over the dawn of the sunlight. He was alone as always. His hands are still on his pockets while gazing downward.

He suddenly gave a thought of having a glance back at his old high school, Crowfire High. He was already approaching the gate where he sees a lot of high schoolers crowding the place. There are two boys walking behind his back who suddenly overtook him.

Their jersey clothes caught his attention, "Crowfire High School Volleyball Club".

He was stunned for few moments and he didn't notice those boys who took over him came back and looked him straight.

"Was him the Little Giant? That legendary number 1 player?" a taller boy asked the smaller one, almost at Tom's height.

The smaller one frowned and quickly looked at Tom. The boy asked, "Excuse me sir, are you Tom Dylan? Our school's legendary Little Giant? I thought I have seen your picture in the year book."

Tom flustered. He doesn't know what to say. The taller boy looked the smaller one with fierce eyes while the smaller one looked at him in teary.

"Are you stupid? Tom Dylan's university is on the other side of the way. The heck he will waste some time seeing idiots like us." the taller boy slapped the back of the smaller one and turned their backs. He nodded at Tom before leaving and said, "Sorry for the trouble mister."

Far from where he is, he saw those boys joined the other team members of the volleyball club, who were starting to have their morning drills at the oval. He saw his coach Emberbright, an old, slim man with few white hairs on his head, still wearing his white shirt and shorts. From were he sees them, the old man shouts, motioning his hands with all rage. Those boys started to sweat and their teeth are starting to grit with everything they do.

He remembered every spartan drill they made before, with Coach Emberbright. After all, what he was as the Little Giant is all because of him. At his first year in high school, Tom's attacks were constantly blocked due to his height, but eventually he found a niche by mastering his technique in mid-air battles. He intentionally spikes the ball through the blocker in his front, specifically, at the tip of the blocker's fingers to ricochets the ball, thus completely disorienting the opposing team, and ultimately making a kill. That signature technique led his to fame. On his second year, he began his journeys, beating their mortal rival in their prefecture, and the last final formidable team, the Falco Peregrinus High School and eventually entering to the nationals. He cannot forget to be at the spotlight of the yearly highlight of the national tournament, the "Cats versus Crows: Battle at the wasteland Savanna". Of course, they beat their, Crowfire's mortal rival, the Cats, the Lion King High School.

"Getting nostalgic again, Little Giant?" a voice of an old man bugged his ears.

Tom never realized Coach Emberbright was in front of him. His mind was out of his remembrance.

"Co-coach Emberbright. Good Morning." he greeted and stepped back a few. He answered stammering, "I-I think so."

The old man hanged his arm on Tom's nape and led him walking towards the school campus. As they entered, the running boys from the volleyball club stopped and nailed their eyes on them.

"Great days spilling in your memory sure are hard to deal with. It causes distraction, on the other hand, motivation." The old man spoke while yet they are walking. He continued, "It brings you to lose your focus on what you are doing now, and on the other hand, the ever comforting nostalgia, pushing you to your best right now."

Tom just took a deep breath.

"Don't let it take you too much, my boy. After what you have been in college, it seems interesting, to go back here again, isn't it?" the old man gave Tom a grin and winked. He added, "Focus your way on what you want to be. There's always the right way to do things. You've been a star, but you can play again."

"Thanks Coach." Tom muttered. They stopped at the front of a vending machine.

The old man let go of his nape and handed him a box of yogurt. It was what Apollo, his partner in the team, their setter always buys at that vending machine.

"Truly, your time passes. But it does not mean it is already the end." Coach Emberbright once again spoke. He gazed at Tom. He said, "Next year, I will retire Tom. From thereforth, Crowfire will stand on its own."

Tom opened his mouth wide. He can't believe to what he heard. He just saw far from behind, the volleyball club, looking back at them, surprised. Worry painted all their faces.

After few more minutes, Tom left Crowfire High School. He met some of its new club members, including those two boys from earlier. He even showed them some moves and some other stuff. But beyond, the team couldn't help to worry about losing their coach and their golden years of beating at national competition. Will it ever be that again after many years? Tom could not have thought.

For now, he was on his way to his university. He was running when his eyes caught a magazine titled, "Crowfire vs. Lion king".The book's cover is his face, with his all team mates behind him, jumping. It got his attention all at once. He stopped and entered inside the bookstore. He hurried in the closest shelf and grabbed a copy of that magazine.

There are two small boys, about half of his height, probably grade schoolers torn the plastic cover and opened the book.

"Tom Dylan. I love Tom Dylan. I want to be the Little Giant someday." one boy said and raised the book over his head.

"Hey, we haven't paid that yet!" the other one squealed and tugged the other boy's sleeve.

The boy kept on raising the book, fanning it in the air and shouting Tom's name. The other one scooted to grab back the book but he couldn't.

Eventually, the man in the counter left and walked in the two kids. The one who holds the book bumped on that man's torso.

"Don't you even know, Tom Dylan is looking at you right now?" the man frowned and pointed at Tom. His fierce look never left the kid.

The boy daunted and followed the man's hand. He was stunned to see Tom's face. He gazed back the magazine cover and looked again at Tom. Tom was surprised too, he cannot process things out. The boy grinned and burst out running towards Tom. He grabbed a pen on his pocket and hand him the magazine.

"Please, sign my magazine Mr. Little Giant. Someday, I want to be just like you. I have seen you on TV when you beat Lion King." the boy's face was all red.

The other boy grabbed another copy and asked the same. Tom signed the magazine cover right under his face.

The kids then paid the magazine from the counter and left.

"It is hard being a famous one, Little Giant." the guy in the counter spoke far from where he stands. Tom holds a copy of that magazine and other several issues which he didn't know there were.

"I never knew we had a magazine running. Thanks for this Sir." he said, smiling when he saw Toby's face so tiny, right below him in the picture. He had the biggest face in the picture, after all.

"I am not far from you, Dylan. I am your Coach Emberbright's grandson." the last line that man said that brought him a thrill.