Outcast Seniors

From the audience, the competitive stage looked completely different. It was gigantic, stretching across the whole stadium as if to declare dominance. The lights were dazzling, turning the stage into a majestic entity. It was a privilege for commoners to gaze upon it.

It's hard to believe that, until recently, Alex also played on that grand stage. He had been looking down on it this whole time, thinking it's lame because it's the second string. Only now that he was kicked off the stage and had to sit among the commoners, he finally appreciated the huge opportunity he was given.

How stupid. It didn't matter whether this was a second string match or a tournament match. Both teams were strong and the competition was fierce. The stage was filled with high-level plays and brilliance. Some visitors from the center even stopped by to watch the match. Yes, to watch this middle school second string match.

Alex should have done more. He should have tried harder. Even though it was just a spot on the second string he should have held onto it with all his strength, so he could keep playing on this majestic stage.

If only he tried a little harder from the beginning, he could have prevented this 1-4 score. Heck, he could have led the team to victory... Okay, maybe that's wishful thinking. But at least, he wouldn't have dragged them down to oblivion.

Alas, he messed up. Big time. He spat at the opportunity Coach gave him. And now he was down here in the audience, while the rest of his team was up there on the grand stage. Jennifer reigned as everybody's beloved queen, whereas Alex was a hated beggar.

It felt like shit. All of it. But, too late for regrets. Everything was his fault, so right now this hall of commoners fit him perfectly.

Alex took a sip of his apple juice, took a deep breath and walked to the seats tucked away at the very back. It should be hard enough to spot him here. Good.

"Oh." Alex stopped in his tracks. There was already a guy sitting in the back row, glued to a wall like some criminal hiding from the law. Hm? He looked kinda familiar...

What's even more interesting was this fellow's soggy appearance. He was wet. Like, thoroughly soaked. From his hair and down to his shirt. Did he take a shower or something? There were actually shower rooms in ProCenter if memory served.

"Yo," The guy waved. "Freezer, right?"

"Yeah..." Alex nodded slowly. So, it wasn't just his imagination. He knew this shower guy from somewhere. But, based on that reluctant greeting, they weren't particularly familiar. Where did Alex meet this guy? And, why was the guy soaked inside the hall? Alex simply couldn't comprehend.

"Oh, this?" The guy pointed at his wet hair. "Just a fashion statement, haha. Don't worry about it."

"Huh." Alex knotted his eyebrows. That's some revolutionary modern fashion right there. Anyway, it's best to keep a distance from this guy.

"Whoa, sitting so far away? Cold." The guy made a face.

"Do I know you?" Alex finally asked, since guy's overfamiliar attitude starting irking.

"Hey. C'mon, man. We've been playing each other the whole day, ya know."

"Oh," It finally hit him. Somebody who played on the stage today and got subbed out. Yes, there was another poor fellow like that beside Alex. "WildDragon, right?"

"Yep, I knew there's no way you forgot. I'm known for leaving an impression, haha."

[Yeah, the impression of a chatty idiot who's all talk and no skill.] Alex nodded, which the other guy apparently interpreted as a friendly gesture.

"Trever." The guy stretched his hand with a smile.

"... Alex." He dragged his hand to form a handshake across the two chairs separating them. Sigh. What a drag.

The conversation died after that. Good. Now Alex could enjoy his drink in peace-

"Man, Bot is so boring this game," Trever said out of the blue. "Last game had some crazy action there, but now both sides are playing some hardcore defense. What a snoozefest, right?"

"... Sure." Alex shrugged. "Well, it's not that weird. Elf is designed to play defense."

"Yep. That's why the Pirate should git gud and pressure him."

"Hmm," Alex contemplated what to say. Wait, the heck was he even doing? He just wanted to watch the game in silence, yet something compelled him to respond.

Sigh. Alex was never good dealing with these chatty fellows. "You say Jenny isn't playing that early game right?"

"Jenny?"

"Oh, I mean ComboBreaker."

"Heh, her name is Jenny? Noted that down." Trever grinned like an idiot. Actually, that's wrong. It's not "like" an idiot, as Trever was most assuredly an actual idiot. Whatever.

"Well," Trever continued. "I guess It's up to playstyle? I know a chick who turtles with literally every class and it works for her. But, I believe Pirate better pressure Elf early to control the lane. Weird to see Breaker play like a pussy after she had been kicking everybody's butts with a meme before."

"Hmm, that's really peculiar." Or, maybe not really. Had Jennifer ever played Pirate in practice matches and such? Alex couldn't recall a single instance from the top of his head. Then again, the testimony of somebody who barely showed up to practice didn't hold much.

"Oh! Finally!" Trever exclaimed as the situation in Bot heated up. Jennifer unleashed her Kraken, finally going on the offensive. Alas, after a sequence of fast plays, it's Jennifer who ended up fleeing the scene. In the end, the Chronomancer ganked her before she managed to slip away.

"Oh yeah!" Trever jumped from his chair and pumped a fist. "Nice one, Dan!"

[Too loud. Annoying.] Alex rolled his eyes and took another sip of apple juice.

"Kinda disappointing, though." Trever sat down and crossed his arms. "That was kinda one-sided, don'tcha think?"

"... I guess."

"I mean, it's not like she played bad or anything." Trever tilted his head. "How do I put it? She had some good plays there but it's all basic Pirate stuff, ya feel me?"

"Huh."

"Like, it's the kinda stuff everybody does. Bait with Kraken, rush with Backfire. There's nothing like 'Hey, that move is cool!'. Know what I mean?"

"Sure..." Alex sighed. Still, the information mildly interested him. Assuming this guy knew what he was talking about, it suggested Jennifer was out of her element when playing Pirate. Interesting. It was in line with how Alex never saw her seriously play Pirate or any non-combo Carry for that matter.

Maybe that's why Coach held her back in the second string? Alex had been actually wondering about that for a while now. Why somebody of Jennifer's level was stuck in the second string? As far as her skill was concerned, she was among the top players in the club. In fact, depending on the criteria used for grading players, she may as well be the strongest in the club. Well, after Fenrir, of course. That guy was a legend.

Anyway, there's no reason why somebody like Jennifer would be stopped at the second string. That's unless she had a glaring weakness which Coach refused to overlook. And, this subpar Pirate performance may very well be it.

It's similar to how Alex performed poorly as Electromancer last game, but also very different at the same time. Unlike him, Jennifer never stopped practicing. She just didn't bother playing that many serious matches with non-combo classes, resulting in a lack of practical experience. Her moves were polished, but they lacked a certain level of fluidity which was only achievable by playing many matches.

But at least, unlike Alex, she never stopped polishing her favorite combo skills and that made her a constant threat for the enemy team. Compared to that, what did Alex achieve today with his favorite Warlock? His performance was mediocre at best. He made some impactful plays, but he also messed up in a bunch of critical moments. Sigh.

At least the conversation died out again. Good. Now he could quietly watch-

"Gotta say," Trever spoke up. Again. "The stadium is more packed than I expected. I mean, it's just a scrimmage and it's the second string. What gives?"

"Probably spies from other schools or something" Alex shrugged.

"Oh, think they came to check us out?" Trever smirked. "Makes sense. We're hella strong, after all." He turned his head from side to side, scanning every corner of the hall.

[If you think there's any paparazzi here to report on you, think again.] Alex rolled his eyes.

"But hey, isn't that weird?" Trever crossed his arms. "We're the second string, ya know. If they wanna spy on our team, shouldn't they spy on the first string?"

"I suppose." Alex checked the audience again. Upon closer inspection, he recognized half the faces here despite the darkness. "Huh, there are some guys from my club. Coach always makes us watch scrimmages."

"Even the second string matches?"

"Dunno, our second string never had a scrimmage against other schools before. Guess Coach thinks it's worth watching?"

"Heh," Trever grinned. "We're the best, so of course we're worth watching!"

[I don't see you on the stage, though.] Alex jabbed internally. "I agree, though. There have been some high level plays here today. I think your second string is even better than some of the representing teams I've seen this year."

"Maaaaan, if only we could play in the regionals too." Trever slid down his chair, staring at the ceiling. "I actually was on the first string last year, so I played in the regionals. We got our asses handed to us, though. Haha."

"Must be nice being in a small club." Alex lowered his eyes. He never even got the chance to be on the first string. If only that damn coach was more willing to enter freshmen and juniors into the first string... [No, stop. That's not Coach's fault. That's all on me. If I kept practicing, I'd be in the first string by now. Maybe I could even get there on my second year, like Fenrir.]

"By the way," Trever said. "You guys got a coach, right? How is it? To be in a club with a coach, I mean."

[How am I supposed to answer that?] Alex rolled his eyes. It's not like he ever was in a club without a coach, so he had nothing to compare with. Not to mention, as far as he was aware, the Leopards were the only middle school team in the region with a coach. "What do you want to know, exactly?"

"Hmm, I dunno."

[Then don't ask!]

"Like, you think it's a good thing to have a coach?"

"Depends on the coach, I guess." Alex shrugged.

"How's your coach?"

"He's..." Alex opened and closed his mouth. What did he think of Coach? A sly bastard, who'd go as far as setting Alex up as the vice-captain of the second string just to see him crash and burn. Also, a strict dictator who won't let anybody into the first string until they're a senior. Yeah, there were many things Alex could say. But...

"He's okay, I guess," Alex said. "His coaching really helps. You may not believe it, but ComboBreaker was actually one of the weakest members in her first year. But look at her now."

"Wow, that's crazy." Trever's eyes opened wide. He stared at the ongoing match in disbelief. To think that this chick who kept everybody in StormBlitz on their toes was actually a scrub during her first year. It's unbelievable.

"So," Trever said. "You recommend going for a high school with a coach?"

"Oh." Alex paused for a moment. Right, graduation. They were both seniors, so they'll have to pick their high schools soon.

Coaches were more prevalent in high schools, to the point about half the schools in the region had coaches. Whether to aim for a school with a coach was a legitimate concern for anybody who planned to play competitively in high school. It was a concern which eluded Alex for a long time. After all, he...

"It's probably better to have a coach," Alex said. "It's usually the teams with coaches that make it big, like Venom."

"Ivy High, huh." Trever smiled wryly. "Gonna shoot for it?"

"I..." Alex opened his mouth, but words didn't come out. He hadn't really thought about it, despite graduation being around the corner. "They're the regional champions every year and they got a coach, so may as well."

A businesslike answer. It just showed how little thought Alex had been putting into this topic until now. "Venom is the goal for most players, right? If you can get in, it's your best shot at getting to nationals."

"I dunno," Trever crossed his arms. "I mean, it's cool to play on a good team and all. But, there also gonna lots of pressure and stuff, ya feel me?"

"True. I heard the coach is strict."

"Yeah, so I dunno if all that hardcore stuff fits me." Trever smiled wryly. "I just wanna play and improve. Don't wanna deal with all the difficult stuff, ya feel me?"

"Huh. So, you don't want to work hard?"

"Nah, that's not the problem" Trever waved his hand. "Ever since I got kicked outta the first string, I've been working my ass off to climb back. But here I am, sitting in the audience of all places. Funny, right?"

"Hmm." Alex nodded vaguely. The words "worked my ass off" stung a little, since they were the complete opposite of what Alex had been doing these past two years.

Here they were, two seniors who walked completely different paths and developed different mentalities. Yet, both became second string rejects and were demoted to sit in the audience.

"What went wrong?" Alex asked. "You couldn't beat the player who took your spot?"

"Nah, I'm better than her," Trever claimed. "That is, when I'm in top form. But turns out I'm not really good at maintaining that form. I somehow always mess shit up at the critical moments."

"So, you buckle under pressure?"

"Something like that." Trever sighed and shook his head. "Dunno why I'm even telling this to some random dude."

"I think that's what makes it easier to share." Alex also found himself unusually talkative. "So, you rather pick an underdog team which doesn't have much riding on it?"

"Yeah. Besides, isn't that way cooler? Be an underdog and beat the reigning champions!"

[Or, get trashed by the champions and use the underdog excuse to justify your defeat.] Alex sneered.

Underdog, huh. Back in grade school, Alex was set on playing for the strongest team. That's how he came to attend Leo Junior High, even though it demanded a long train ride every morning. Alex heard how the Leopards was the only team with a coach, so he pestered his parents to let him attend here.

But, was it really the best choice? Probably not, at least not for Alex. There's no denying he learned a lot from training under Rodriguez, but at the same time he also lost his drive due to Rodriguez's strict policies.

Rodriguez was actually upfront about his policies from day one. During the club application process, he warned students that he prioritized seniors and that newcomers shouldn't get their hopes up about playing in tournaments.

Even so, Alex applied without a second thought. He was sure he'll knock off Coach's socks by becoming a starter during his first year! What a cocky idiot he was. As a result, he learned on his flesh how frustrating it was to be a skilled player who couldn't play in tournaments.

Had Alex picked a school with a no-name team, he'd surely become a starter right away, Or at least, he wouldn't have to worry about eventually becoming a starter. A no-name team would have a small club, so there wouldn't be much competition for spots in the first string.

But instead, Alex threw himself into the lions' den. A huge club, filled with players hungering for the competitive scene. He had to practice hard. He had to become stronger. These were the only thoughts occupying his mind during his first year.

In the end, all this hard work went unrewarded due to Coach's policy. Alex felt like a fool for trying so hard. It completely killed his motivation and the rest is history.

So, if Alex decides to continue playing Classmancers in high school, he rather not go through this bullshit again. A no-name team was perfectly fine. With Alex joining, the team will stop being no-name anyway.

And most importantly, he'll be able to play in real matches. He'll no longer have to sit in the audience and gaze upon the dazzling stage from below. No, he'll sit on that majestic stage himself.

"I guess going to Ivy really isn't for everybody," Alex said. "The bigger the club, the harder it is to become a starter."

"I know, right?" Trever nodded repeatedly. "Lemme play, dang it. I didn't join just to warm up a chair."

"Agreed."

"Besides," Trever wore a difficult smile. "If I go to Ivy, I won't be able to play against [her]."

"You got a rival?"

"It's more like a curse. Unless I beat her, I'll stay cursed."

"Now that sounds like comic," Alex sneered. "Just combine it with the underdog story and you got yourself a bestseller."

"Heh. it'll be the season that changes the city forever!" Trever chuckled. "You know what's funny? Everybody only ever talks about Venom because these guys have been taking the regionals every years. But, there are actually other great teams in our region which are always runner-ups."

"Oh?" Alex blinked. Interesting. He also was under the impression that ["You either play on Venom or you're a nobody."]

"A pal of mine dug up on previous tournaments," Trever explained. "There are two other teams which always make top four: Aces and Knights. Cool, right?" He puffed his chest as if he deserved any credit for obtaining this data. Still, it was news for Alex.

"Which schools?"

"Aces in Hamilton High and Knights in Gordon High."

"I see." Alex didn't recall hearing much about these teams, but he knew the high schools at least. Gordon High was actually pretty close to his house. Hamilton was like two hours away if memory served. "So, you think to join one of them?"

"Yep, that's the idea," Trever nodded. "The thing is, Aces got a coach while Knights don't. Made me wonder."

"If you're already dodging Venom to minimize pressure, may as well go all the way and pick the one without a coach." Alex wasn't sure whether he was telling that to Trever or to himself. "Having a coach can help you improve, but he'll always demand results."

"Yeah, figured." Trever shrugged. "Think I gonna go for the Knights then. Besides, don't they sound cooler? Ya know, like heroic knights who rescue beautiful ladies? Haha."

"... sure." If there were a Guinness record for "the stupidest reason to pick your high school", Trever would easily take first place.

Aces and Knights, huh. Two teams which consistently made it into top four, and most likely were the second and third seed of every tournament. They're "underdog" teams compared to the unbeatable Venom, but they're not bad to the point they can't achieve anything in the regionals. Therefore, they were the perfect picks for anybody who didn't want to go to Venom but still wanted to compete.

[I haven't done any homework at all, huh.] Alex sighed. High school was right around the corner, yet he didn't check anything at all.

After spending over two years in the Leopards, Alex should have already figured that joining Ivy's big club was not in his best interests. Yet, he didn't bother searching for alternatives. Did he even plan on playing in high school? He wasn't even sure what he was thinking these past two years. It's like his time was frozen in place all this time.

But, things were different now. Today, he faced his foolishness and took the first step forward. He came to terms with the fact he completely wasted the past two years. While he was busy hating Coach and ranting about the first string, he degenerated and became a total loser. Somebody like him didn't deserve to play on the competitive stage right now.

Fortunately, there's still time until the regionals. He'll use it to salvage himself and to shoot for the first string once again. Maybe he'll make it in, maybe not. Either way, he took the first step.

Even if it doesn't work out, next year he'll be in high school. It'll be a fresh start. All the effort he's going to put this year will build up toward next year.

Whether Alex will join Aces or Knights, he hadn't decided yet. But whichever it's going to be, he'll do his utmost to become a starter and face Venom in a tournament. His ultimate goal: to take down the big renowned club! That'll be fun!

Flames sparked in his heart once again. This was just the beginning of his Classmancers career!