Chapter 26

The youth club friendly match began around five in the evening.

The late afternoon sky was as hot and high as the midday sun, drifting clouds casting slanted shadows across the stadium. Because it wasn’t an official league match, the stands were primarily occupied by acquaintances and family rather than ticket holders.

They snagged seats in the very front row. Tina, seemingly afraid of a stray ball flying their way, sat directly behind Nathan alongside Jude.

Nathan swept his gaze around to locate Alex. Contrary to Alex’s assumption that he would be on the bench, he was out on the pitch. It wasn’t hard to spot him, clad in black shorts and a soccer jersey with sharp black shoulder lines. He was tall, and he was the only one with jet-black hair.

His eyes met Alex’s, who had been scanning the surroundings as if searching for something. Resting his chin lazily in his hand, Nathan stared straight ahead before letting out a soft chuckle at the sight of Alex tilting his head toward him. The distance didn’t seem great enough to obscure their view of each other.

Alex had managed to find him after all. His long, slender eyes curved shyly, and he bit his lip to suppress a smile. Seeing that made the inside of Nathan’s ribs tickle. Furrowing his brow slightly, Nathan raised a hand and pressed firmly against the center of his chest. He applied pressure to the bone beneath the firm, lean muscle, yet the strange, tickling sensation that made him feel so peculiar refused to subside.

A loud whistle signaling the kickoff echoed across the grassy pitch. Watching Alex take his position, Nathan quietly rested his elbows on his knees and focused on the game. There were four defenders, and Alex was positioned right in front of them. A midfielder, he had said.

Unlike his eldest brother who played rugby and took an interest in soccer, or his second brother who fervently supported a local team, Nathan had no memories of actively following sports. He would catch the news during the World Cup or the Olympics, but he had no hobby of spectating; if he was going to exert physical energy, he much preferred participating in a sparring match himself. Thinking that the ninety-minute game time felt rather long, Nathan fixed his gaze on the field.

However, watching Alex was far more entertaining than he had anticipated. Time flew by. A rather dull first half with barely any shots on target passed in a flash, and soon it was the second half. Having played soccer occasionally as a kid, he at least understood the rules. Even to Nathan’s untrained eye, Alex was working incredibly hard. It was so endearing that a smile ghosted across his lips without him even realizing it.

Alex’s work rate was massive. From his position as a defensive midfielder, he cleanly intercepted incoming attacks, and above all, his passes were impeccably sharp. Watching the accuracy of his long, sweeping passes or the way he dribbled revealed Alex’s personality perfectly: faithfully fulfilling his role without trying to stand out too much.

Alex was always consistent. He wasn’t the type to achieve things effortlessly on the first try like Nathan himself, but whenever he lacked knowledge or skill, he exerted every ounce of effort he could muster. He was so devoid of shortcuts that it was almost frustrating to watch.

If one absolutely had to point out a flaw, it would be how easily he got scared. Nathan rested his chin on his hand. Yet, watching him firmly push away or shove opponents during tackles, he didn’t look easily frightened at all. That was a new discovery.

“Nathan, seeing Alex like that, he really does look like an Alpha, doesn’t he?” Jude whispered from behind, tapping Nathan’s shoulder.

Tina chimed in immediately. “I heard almost everyone on the soccer team is an Alpha.”

“Yeah, it’s frustrating that we can’t tell dynamics just by looking.”

“Right. Oh, Alex fell!”

Alex, who had been dribbling the ball, was hit by a harsh tackle. Stumbling, he crashed and slid across the turf. It looked incredibly painful even from a distance, and Nathan’s eyes narrowed instantly. Unconsciously, he scanned the face of the player who had delivered the tackle, a deep wave of displeasure surging within him.

The moment Alex lifted his head and revealed the blood trickling from his forehead, Nathan’s mood hit absolute rock bottom. Even knowing it was just a game and the act likely wasn’t driven by personal malice, an indescribable hostility bloomed in his chest.

“Oh no, I think his forehead is busted open,” Jude gasped, covering her mouth with her hand in shock.

His fingers turned icy cold. Without realizing it, Nathan was glaring chillingly at the player who had tackled Alex. Tina nervously gauged his reaction.

“Is he badly hurt?”

“He’ll probably go to the bench, right?”

During the brief pause in the game, Alex slapped a gauze pad over his forehead and returned straight to the pitch. The whistle blew to resume play. Biting his lip slightly, Nathan pressed his thumb hard against his jaw. He couldn’t fathom why they were sending him back out. There were plenty of players on the bench, and Alex had played the entire match from the very beginning. What were they going to do if the wound got infected or left a scar?

The clock on the scoreboard slowly ticked closer to full time. Unable to focus on the match after Alex got hurt, Nathan resorted to counting the minutes. The club surely had a team doctor, but his mind refused to settle. It would be nice if I could treat him myself, he suddenly thought.

The game remained stubbornly deadlocked for both sides. One minute of stoppage time was announced. Just before the match ended in a scoreless draw, Alex intercepted the ball. He had pushed up toward the center, completely unmarked before any pressure could be applied.

Searching for a forward to pass to, Alex seemed to make a split-second decision as he surged forward and launched a long, powerful strike. The ball, soaring precariously above the pitch, flew in a perfectly straight line and smashed directly into the back of the net. It was a pristine mid-range shot, making the goal net ripple violently.

“Whoa, Alex is insane!”

Nathan wasn’t sure if it was Jude or Tina who screamed. He just sat there, quietly staring at Alex. A long whistle blew, and the referee raised his hand, pointing to the center circle. A brief, elated roar erupted from the bench.

Letting out a breath of disbelief, Alex immediately lifted his head and locked eyes with Nathan’s section of the stands. Just as the goalkeeper moved to roll the ball back out, the whistle blew three times in rapid succession, signaling the end of the match. The very first thing Alex did, the moment he finished a perfunctory handshake with the opposing team, was sprint directly toward Nathan.

His sweat-drenched black hair bounced wildly as he ran. With a flushed, exhilarated face, Alex was beaming radiantly. Reaching Nathan’s spot in a single breathless sprint, Alex halted abruptly in front of him, exactly like an eager puppy. Beads of sweat rolled down and pooled at his chin, the nape of his neck and his collarbones flushed a mottled red.

“Nathan, you came?”

His long eyes curved into a refreshing, bright crescent. Biting down on the shallow smile hovering on his lips, Alex stood there looking exactly like someone desperately awaiting Nathan’s praise. Tina and Jude beat him to the punch, fussing excitedly over the goal.

“Alex, that was so cool just now! Professionals really are built different, huh.”

“You can’t even compare him to the kids at school.”

“Ah, thanks.”

Even while responding to Tina and Jude, Alex kept his eyes fixed entirely on Nathan. A faint trace of worry visibly settled over his face as Nathan remained silent. Maintaining his stoic expression, Nathan finally stood up. With a bewildered look, Alex watched Nathan’s movements obediently.

Nathan reached out, slowly placing his hand atop the damp, messy hair, causing the already flushed face to turn an even deeper shade of red in an instant.

“You did good.”

“Nathan, my, my hair is wet…”

His voice faded into a thin, shy whisper. Though he flinched, Alex didn’t push Nathan’s hand away, visibly flustered as his shoulders twitched nervously. Ignoring Alex’s reaction, Nathan unhesitatingly raised his other hand and gently rubbed the skin next to the bloody gash on his forehead, completely oblivious to Tina and Jude exchanging knowing glances behind them.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“Huh? This? It’s nothing. It’s just a tiny scrape, it doesn’t even need stitches.”

“Still, go get it treated properly.”

Hyper-aware of the fingers grazing his forehead, Alex’s eyelashes fluttered wildly. He kept glancing nervously back and forth between the hand on his forehead and Nathan’s face. The display was so endearing that Nathan deliberately kept his hand right where it was.

“Yeah, I will.”

Alex lowered his eyes and ducked his head slightly, the rounded curves of his ears burning red. After rubbing his forehead for a few more seconds, Nathan pulled his hand away. Jolting his head back up, Alex hesitated, his lips parting and closing. He looked exactly like a puppy trying to read its owner’s mood.

“Are you leaving now?”

“Why?”

“If you’re okay with it, could you… wait for me?”

Alex asked the question as carefully as if he were begging for a massive favor. Finally, a faint smile surfaced on Nathan’s pale face, which had remained rigidly displeased ever since the injury occurred.

Yeah. He’s cute.

“Sure.”

The moment the answer dropped, Alex’s face lit up brilliantly. His neat eyebrows arching in sheer joy, Alex nodded vigorously.

“Thanks.”

“Take your time.”

“I will.”

Contrary to his promise, Alex immediately broke into a sprint, cutting across the grassy pitch. Just before disappearing into the stadium tunnel, he turned back and waved enthusiastically. Without a single thought about how unpleasant the sweaty hand might be, Nathan just stood there watching him, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

Tina and Jude nudged the shoulder of the silently watching Nathan, finally prompting him to turn around. He had momentarily forgotten they were even there.

“Nathan, Jude and I are going to head out first.”

“Yeah, we’re leaving, so you two have fun.”

Their tone was incredibly peculiar. Narrowing his eyes, Nathan looked at Tina and Jude. Exchanging a loaded glance, the two of them quickly grabbed their bags and linked arms.

“Have a great time!”

Leaving behind a deeply meaningful remark, Jude dragged Tina out of the seating area. Watching their retreating backs as they excitedly whispered to each other, Nathan quietly returned to his seat. He had a pretty good idea of what they were discussing.

Staring at his bag resting on the seat for a moment, Nathan pulled out the wristband.

I have a reason to give it to him now.

His faint smile deepened.

☂