(Part 4)

Distracted by the call, Feng turned around to find the surroundings empty. Instantly a ball, fully paced was tossed outside the machine aiming as a high bouncer towards Feng.

"Watch out!" the same voice warned as Feng abruptly pivoted ahead to find Senri smashing the bouncer high and far outside the nets.

"You…?" Feng uttered, stepping back.

However, Senri's mouth hung open slightly and his hand shading his eyes with his gaze slightly squinted, he murmured, "Oh..." "I suppose I struck it a bit too hard, didn't I? Hehe." he jested rubbing the back of his hairs.

Out of the blue, another ball shot out from the bowling machine, prompting Senri to swiftly turn around and discover a leg cutter being aimed at him this time.

"Wha…?" he aimed his bat with a quick movement as soon as the ball came closer and SMACK! It went low underneath the nets and into the darkness.

"Phew~! Another safe. Seriously, what settings did you use for the machine to make it shower balls like this?!" Senri approached the machine in search of the power switch.

"Five seconds, that's it." Feng replied, his words devoid of humor.

"What?!" Senri blinked in disbelief, "Do you think you are some kind of an android? Or a bullet?" he switched the machine off.

"If I can compete well tomorrow something as trivial as this won't affect me." Feng looked at the ground smiling anxiously.

"That's why you chose the fast bowling machine. Haiz~ I thought you'd be having problem against spins while it was the other way around. So, tell me what did Nile Dawood do to you?" Senri asked with a caring beam.

"Yo-u?" Feng uttered stunned. "How... did you know?" was the only question arrising in his mind.

"I figured it out. Your reactions were quite predictable. Therefore, rather than hiding yourself in a shell. Tell me, what exactly happened." Senri asked once more. 

Feng shook his head, "No-thing. I a-m alright…" he clenched his fists tight.

"He is persistent to the very end… just like Kazuna." Senri thought. "Alright, don't tell me. But, now that we know Pace deliveries trouble you a bit. We'll work on them until mid-night. How's that?" he winked.

Feng squinted his gaze, "With whom? You aren't a bowler…" 

Senri pointed behind, "With him and… him."

Feng turning around traced Alan who waved beside Gabriel standing with his back on the pole his arms crossed. "Ready?" Alan asked, his smile evident under the floodlights.

Feng at a loss of words stared. "You…" he thought confused.

"Haiz, you should be grateful it's just me who showed up. Your situation had Xavier, Azazel, Kenzo, and Helios worried enough to consider joining me. Now you can well realize how I stopped them so better come out of this so called slump 'ASAP'1." Alan patted his arm heading to the balling line.

Looking at Gabriel who evaded his gaze looking away, Feng contritely turned around.

"Ready?" Senri asked Feng who tapped his bat on the batting crease responding, "Yes." Floodlights on, Pitch set and both batsmen ready. Senri showed Alan a thumbs up. 

"Oh my~" Pedro chanted at the sight of the practice grounds from the supervisors residence.

"And… they don't have the least bit of the so called 'rest' in their bodies." Nidou uttered unimpressed.

Musa smiled, "Don't they just remind you of us?"

Nidou grumbling, pulled a seat closer settling down, "Might as well watch them. Tch, squandering my bedtime. Who knows what troubles they might make?"

Pedro glancing at Musa gave out a convinced beam.

Adam picking the files up glanced outside the balcony. "Hey look!" he pointed, "The floodlights are on!"

"Are they still practicing?" Helios wondered.

"Feng…" Xavier narrowed his gaze immediately looking up, "I'll look and take a look."

"We have to sleep early though…" Ren said.

However, Kenzo interrupted, "One of us is out there giving his all while here we'll sleep? No way. Rather than wasting time tossing and turning in bed uneasy. We'd better help him out and go to sleep together instead."

"Yeah, we aren't even tired." Heber glanced at Cassiel and Ryan who nodded.

"Hm, I am all pumped up too. We won't be playing. Might as well help them out." Ezekiel dabbed Seraph's back.

"Come on." Poseidon gestured heading out of the room as the rest followed.

"Hey wait…!" Orion called as Isa stopped him, "Leave them be. They are sharper than they seem."

"Right, rather than listening to the sleeping part. They listened to the part where Rauf said that they'll also face Peshawar with highschoolers inclusion." Elias added, "After all… they too are up against five of them." 

Alan rushing towards the popping cease bowled towards Feng. A bouncer aimed for his head, Feng immediately pulled his bat low, bending downwards. "He won't play this delivery at all since it goes high on hitting." Alan thought.

Feng standing up looked at the ball which flew behind. "Don't divert your attention Feng. I have another ball." Alan called.

Feng slightly shaken tapped his bat. "I can't counter bouncers easily… I don't like them…" he thought.

Another delivery bowled; it was a Yorker next. Feng hitting the ball on the ground aimed towards Long on.

"Good." Senri stimulated.

Alan walking back rubbed the ball on sleeve. Running through the 30 inched circle, he stepped amid the popping crease whispering, "Sliced Fast ball." Full of speed and power, the ball hit the full pitch, blazing from the leg side to the off side.

Feng reading the ball tried to hit it back, however, it passed by his bat with a slight touch outside the wicket line. "Ah, it will go behind again." he thought as the ball went behind the crease. Up to his surprise rather than going to the boundary the ball went into hands.

"Phew~ a close safe. Really, you are all playing without a wicket keeper here." Cassiel entered tossing the ball up and down wearing his wicket keeping gloves.

"Cassiel?" Feng and Alan both asked together.

"Not just him..." Seraph said entering in the grounds with the rest of the middleschoolers.

"We are all here." Damian added.

"Yay! Feng! Alan!" Adam waved.

"Tch, why at night? I earnestly don't like these floodlights. They hit the eyes directly." Azazel complained looking up and back down again, blinking.

"Yeah, I can't even see properly… it was the exact same scenario back in our first match. I am glad I didn't bat there." Ryan clicked his tongue as another one immediately flickered open.

"Bright…" Xavier covered his eyes.

"If you're playing until mid-night, then play with the lights on, you little mischiefs." Seles entered, settled in the middle seats of the pavilion stand, he smiled assuring.

Kenzo exhaled, "How does everybody know we are up to something?"

"Haha, we report everyone that's why." Helios chuckled.

"Seles is here too." Christopher added.

"Come on, cover the ground already, everyone." Gabriel clapped his hands getting their attention.

Feng looking at the middle schoolers positioning themselves on the field stood speechless.

"Fast bowlers?" Seraph repeated.

"Exactly." Alan said.

"We get it. After you complete your over, we'll take turns to bowl him." Helios added.

"But once he gets under pressure. Call an off spinner to change the atmosphere." Senri advised.

Kenzo glanced at Gabriel, "I bet he is already aware of that, right?"

Gabriel walked away.

Everyone positioned, Alan delivered the last ball of the over, aiming an outswinger. Cautious once again Feng stepped back. Alan observed. Feng reading the trajectory of the fielders slammed the ball to the ground with force.

"Grab it. Adam!" Poseidon called as Adam dived however, the ball with force went outside his reach towards the boundary. 

Cassiel stood up confused.

"It'll hit the boundary." Xavier thought.

The boys waited for Feng's reaction to counter it. Feng however, clutched his bat tight, anxious but resolute. The ball finally hitting the boundary. Alan and the rest gasped dumbfounded.

"Yo-u…?" Helios pointed at the boundary turning back to Feng.

"Haha!" Senri giggled amazed.

Gabriel baffled himself stood at a loss of words.

"You seriously left it for the boundary, Brother Feng!" Ryan exclaimed delighted.

"I thought you'd use Iron clad defense?" Poseidon assumed.

Seles too blinked astonished, "Unbelievable… after an entire single year… he finally hit it?"

Xavier approached Feng, carefully studying his complex expression, which seemed to be a blend of fear, bravery, growth, and determination. Beads of sweat trickled down Feng's forehead, resembling raindrops.

"You all… have gathered for me. I told you… I could do it alone but still… why did you…?" he murmured looking at the ground, his voice sinking.

"Idiot, because we have to win together." Cassiel stood behind him tapping his head encouragingly with his knuckle.

"Also we possibly couldn't sleep a wink seeing your bed empty!" Adam cheered. 

 "That's right." Xavier grasped Feng's hand, "You kept your fear aside and did something you couldn't do for such a long time. I am proud of you."

"Don't be anxious, Feng. We are all here for you. All pace deliveries that you fear be it bouncers, Yorkers or even outswingers. We'll let you have a grip over them." Helios patted his back.

"And even spins." Ryan added.

Feng revealing an inexpressible beam nodded, "I- cannot hit boundaries again and again… it's still daunting but I won't let your help go in vain. Thank you…"

"Don't mention it. Get ready, I am next." Azazel winked.

"And listen up, I am next on the runners crease. If our esteemed seniors were sent back to the pavilion on hatching eggs. We should be ready to roll." Kenzo encouraged Feng and the middleschoolers while mocking the highschoolers at the same time.

Senri twitched his brow annoyed, "You little…"

"What? Cricket is unpredictable. You never know what might happen. Its better we raise our guards up." Kenzo walked past him towards the long on.

"Haha…" Feng masked a cumbersome laugh over his fearless declaration.