At first the director had blatantly refused for Jun Zhe to join the team. Nevertheless at Yu Hao's pleading the director had finally consented. He had said that if Yu Hao didn't mind Jun Zhe joining the team then he was alright with it.

After putting in their best performance one match after another, the day of the finals had ultimately arrived. The efforts and sheer hard work of the entire year was going to be challenged today against Ren He High. This was the last chance for the captain and the manager to see the team under their reign win before they graduated. To fulfil their dream the team members had promised that come what may they would win the title of the 'Best Team' this year from Ren He High.

The locker room was filled with chattering as the boys readied themselves for the match. Clothes were strewn here and there. Some were already dressed in their jerseys while some others, like Yu Hao, were in the midst of getting dressed. Zi Xuan was on his knees assisting Yu Hao with the lace on his shoes while the youngster's head peeked out from the neck of his jersey.

Professor Zhong entered the locker room and demanded everyone to gather around for she had something very important to announce.

"Before we head into the gym for the match there is something I want to discuss."

Silence filled the room as the boys waited curiously for the coach to continue.

"First off, I want to commend you boys for giving your all. I know it has been very tough on you guys and I haven't been the most linenient coach." Hearing the words of the coach the team members agreed shamelessly, especially Jin Yang.

"Well..coach Zhong, we can't agree more to it. You're quite brutal when we're training." Even though he said that the coach didn't mind cause she knew that it was said in jest.

She smiled and continued, "thanks Jin Yang! I'll remember to train you extra hard next year." Eliciting guffaws from the other boys and a self-conscious smile from Jin Yang.

"Anyway jokes aside....despite that you guys were always accommodating and were always ready to train extra hard. So...for that I want to thank each and every one of you. I think I've got the best team in the whole of Taipei."

"And we too think that we've got the best coach in the whole of Taipei." Jin Yang shouted amidst the claps that were resounding in the room.

Coach Zhong smiled extra sweet at the comment, "you're extra training for next year still stands Jin Yang......." Poor fellow felt embarrassed so he decided to keep quiet.

"Now....For the good part. There's some good news for you guys." She clapped her hands excitedly and surveyed the curiosity on the faces of her students. Not wanting to keep them waiting she said, "the director and the board members of the school have been very gracious and decided to send us on a trip to Tou Cheng."

"Shit! For reals?" Cheng En asked with unbelievably wide eyes. Coach Zhong waited for the room to erupt in questions however her boys mirrored the same expression as the captain as if she was pulling a prank on them.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" She asked the room in general. "This is for real....." A few seconds passed and when the boys were convinced that it wasn't a prank the room roared in excitement. There, that was the reaction she had been waiting for. Out of the lot Cheng En seemed so excited that he grabbed Jin Yang's face and smacked a kiss on his round head. As for Zi Xuan his eyes rounded as big as saucers to something that Yu Hao whispered in his ear.

"Boys.....boys...Shhh...Quite down." She tried her best to dismiss the excitement in the room. "But....there's a condition to it." Once she had the desired attention she trailed on, "that is....Only if you win the tournament can we go on that trip."

"What?...no~~~~~" the boys wailed in disappointment.

"Coach...That's so~~~~not fair~~~" Yu Hao hollered from beside Zi Xuan.

The coach propped her hands on her waist and challenged the team, "come-on guys...do have faith in yourself. You guys have beaten the best of the best and brought Jhih Hong High this far, don't you think you'll be able to beat Ren He High? I agree last time we were not in par with them but now it's a different story altogether. I believe in our team and I'm sure we'll be able to beat them this time."

When the coach finished her sentence, Zi Xuan got up from his seat. He walked in front of the room and stood besides the coach. "I agree with each and every word that coach Zhong said. It's high time we loose our pessimistic attitude and be a bit more self-confident. We've toiled and put in so much effort, let's show Ren He what we've got."

"Amen to that....." Yu Hao bellowed in agreement to the manager's words and smiled widely.

Following the encouraging words of Zi Xuan the boys livened up and got ready for the match that was looming ahead of them. Minutes later when the team was about to leave the room Jun Zhe requested Yu Hao and Zi Xuan to give him a few minutes of their time.

Jun Zhe was accompanied by Jia Jun whose hand was now enclosed in a cast. He looked solemn yet somehow happy for his friend. To say that he had been heart broken after the injury would be an understatement of the year. The disappointment that had gripped him was so similar to the feeling when he realized that he had lost Zi Xuan to Yu Hao.

When the doctor had advised him that he would not be able to play for another month or so he had been dejected. He had been so looking forward to play the match against Ren He. Little did he know that the future held such disappointing events for him. Thankfully, unlike Zi Xuan his injury was superficial and not long lasting.

Anyway, this was not the time for him to wallow in sadness. The best thing for him was to be positive in such circumstances. Like it is said 'All things have a good and a bad side to every situation.' On the downside he couldn't play but on the plus side Jun Zhe could once again be on the court.

His friend had been very helpful and been a moral support to him when he had injured his hand. No matter how much time passed he knew he would never be able to repay Jun Zhe's kindness towards him. All he could do was wish the best for his friend.

"What's the matter?" Yu Hao asked.

Jun Zhe hesitated for a second but then cleared his throat. "Yu Hao.... thank you for allowing me to be in the team."

"Ehhh~~~" Yu Hao chuckled and clapped Jun Zhe on his bicep. "No need to be so formal, we're bros after all. I didn't do much anyway. Though I'm sad that Jia Jun can't play... I'm glad you can join the team once again."

Jun Zhe's eyes followed from Yu Hao to Zi Xuan and back to the young guy. "Once again...I'm extremely sorry for what I did to you. Believe me it wasn't intentional."

Yu Hao nodded in understanding, "I know.....I've already forgotten all about it. It's in the past anyway and I've forgiven you for a long time now. So...let's just forget everything and start over...hmm?"

"I'd like that." Jun Zhe sniffled and tried to smile, his eyes brimming with tears. He didn't know how to best thank Yu Hao so he hugged the short guy in a tight hug. "Thank you....thank you." All Yu Hao could do was pat Jun Zhe's back.

Feeling uneasy for some reason Zi Xuan seperated the tall guy from his little turtle. "That's enough....We should go the time's running out." Jun Zhe scratched his head and smiled in embarrassment.

When they were about to leave Jia Jun gazed at Zi Xuan with longing eyes and the manager smiled at him beautifully unaware that he could still make Jia Jun's heart skip a beat. Though, the look wasn't lost on Yu Hao causing him to clear his throat to break Jia Jun's attention from his lover.

Jia Jun turned his head over to Yu Hao and chuckled. Patting the guy on his shoulder he said, "chill..... I got the message loud and clear." Nearing Yu Hao he whispered in good humour so that only the youngster could hear him. "You're one lucky son of a bitch did you know that."

.......................

The refree whistled and pointed to the captain of Ren He High, the elder twin. "We'll serve." He claimed.

Cheng En smiled and shook the elder twin's hand. "Be my guest."

Both the teams huddled in their respective courts and cheered amongst them. Cheng En was back to being the serious captain once on court, giving the team the last pep talk. "Come-on boys...This is our chance. Let's give our two hundred percent and win the trophy for Jhih Hong."

"Yes cap!" The boys shouted in unison and took their respective positions.

Minutes later the refree blew his whistle once again and the match commenced. The boys of Jhih Hong high waited with bated breath for the ball to be served. As soon as the ball rolled into their side of the court Zhen Wu succefully blocked the ball which bounced to the right side hitter, Jun Zhe. He set the ball over to Yu Hao who hit it over the net to the other side.

The younger twin sharp that he was had already anticipated Yu Hao's move and was ready for the ball. With a resounding smack he spiked the ball over to Jhih Hong. Failed to block the ball, Jhih Hong lost their first point to Ren He high. The refree blew his whistle and the next serve began. This time Jhih Hong managed to gain the point and the serve was shifted to them.

For the next ten minutes the ball went back forth among the two team and Jhih Hong lost quite a bit of points to Ren He high. The opposing team was popularly known for their fortress like defense techniques which were extremely difficult to break and this was proving to be a problem for the boys in blue. With each point that Jhih Hong lost the confidence of the boys started diminishing. And unfortunately this resulted in them loosing the first set of the match with a score of 18 to their credit and 25 to Ren He.

When the refree blew the whistle for a time out the boys of Jhih Hong slumped their shoulders and walked out the court with their heads down. Wang Zhen Wen and Xiao Xiao rushed to them with towels and bottles of water and tried cheering to cheer them up. As they sat at the side of the court they could hear snickers from the members of Ren He.

The younger twin sneered from across his seat, "seems like you're still the same team that we beat not too long ago. I thought we would at least see some improvement this time around. What a joke." He laughed and high fived his elder brother causing their team mates to join in.

The elder twin responded, "I guess we'll be taking home the trophy this year too. This seems too easy."

"Thanks in advance guys. You know we'll be too busy collecting the trophy later so we won't get the time to thank you afterwards."

The comments that were being shot at them by the opposing team pissed the boys of Jhih Hong even more and it clearly showed on their faces. However they couldn't say anything in return cause they knew they had indeed performed poorly.

Seeing this Zi Xuan comforted his team, "don't pay attention to them. Let them laugh all they want." When he had the attention of the team he continued in an authoritative tone, "this is not the end, we still have two sets left. I'm sure you'll do well. But first you guys have to loosen up. Anybody watching can clearly see how wound up you all are."

The coach seconded that observation agreeing with the manager. Zi Xuan carried on, "I know there's a lot of pressure on you today.....a simple advise....Just forget everything. Don't think about winning or proving yourself. We all know what each and every one of you are capable of." He breathed out a lungful of air and said, "just, let go yourself and enjoy the match. Win or loose doesn't matter as long as you enjoy yourself. That's the whole point of playing the game, right?"

The team nodded their heads and he observed that some of them seemed relaxed after his little speech. "Alright good luck then...Time to get your head back into the game."

The second set proved to be much better after the manager's encouraging words. If Ren He were known for their defense then Jhih Hong was not far behind with their attacking skills. Their star player being Yu Hao, he gained the maximum points for the team after Jun Zhe and Cheng En. Yu hao seemed on a different level altogether in the second set. Zi Xuan couldn't help himself but smile, Were his words that effective on his lover?

With much finesse in the second set Jhih Hong came out the clear winner by beating Ren He 25-21. As they readied for the third set the younger twin came and stood near the net of their court, his gaze directed at Yu Hao.

"Good going shorty.....finally someone capable of challenging us. I'm eager to see what more you've got."

Wang Zhen Wen was besides his friend when the twin called Yu Hao shorty. He was about to say something but was stopped by Yu Hao with a hand on his chest.

"Don't...Let the dog bark." He said aloud so that the twin could hear his words clearly.

Yu Hao somehow seemed unfazed by the comment. He wouldn't get angry, no. He will perform and show this asshole of what more he was capable of.

Usually when a dogs bark at you the best thing you can do is ignore it. The dog will eventually get tired and walk away. That was exactly Yu Hao's mantra for today. He wasn't going to waste his time and energy arguing with a simple head.

The third and the final set began with a good start for Jhih Hong High and they won two consecutive points. The team looked much more enthusiastic this time around. Things were looking up for them but not so much for Ren He. The opposing team lost most of their points due to fouls. Touching the net or hitting the ball too many times out of the line or prolonged touch of the ball. Seemed like the pressure from Jhih Hong High was getting to them

Jun Zhe on the other hand proved to be getting better and better. He had a keen eye and great intuition. He was the best and the most experienced setter of the team. The guy knew exactly how and where to set the ball so that the spiker was able of hit the ball in precision to the other side of the net.

As the game continued it seemed as if him and Yu Hao were quite in sync. They complimented each other's moves as if they were performing a dance routine. As soon as Jun Zhe set the ball Yu Hao Hao would shift his body in tandem to receive the ball and successfully spike it between two players. Watching them Zi Xuan could finally agree that Yu Hao's suggestion of having Jun Zhe back into the team was indeed excellent.

Jhih Hong now needed only one more point to win the tournament. The team of Ren He huddled together for their last strategy. It was Cheng En's turn to serve the ball. Before he went and stood outside the service line he was patted on his back by several hands encouraging him to do his best.

The captain closed his eyes tight and sent a prayer to the goddess of luck. He sincerely had wanted to win this match today. The three years that he had been here at Jhih Hong High was mainly for this reason. He wanted to fulfill this dream that he had wished upon along with his dear friend, Zi Xuan.

Though he hadn't shared his feelings with anyone, in the deepest recess of his heart he felt sorry that he couldn't play this game with his beloved friend anymore. (I'm crying right now as I write. This is too emotional for me 😭😭)

From their childhood days till now both him and Zi Xuan had shared everything, be it happiness or sorrow. They had even shared the same dream of being the best player in all of Taiwan when they had first held the blue and yellow orb in their hands as kids. However somewhere down the line due to Zi Xuan's injury their dreams had changed and taken a different course from each other's.

All this time he had wanted to win this for himself and for Jhih Hong High but today he wanted to win this game for his friend alone. For their friendship and for the promise they had shared among them as kids. He looked over at Zi Xuan who was smiling at him, his eyes twinkling from behind those dorky black rimmed glasses. The manager raised both his hands and gave him a thumbs up, encouraging him.

Chen En nodded once and prepared to serve. Bending his waist he flipped the ball into the air. As the ball rushed downwards he tilted his body backward and hit the ball with force. The ball swished into the air with force over to the other side of the net and hit the very far corner of the court.

Now the major question for the refree to judge was, had the ball touched the line or not? If yes then Jhih would win the point, if not then the game would continue.

The gym filled with pin drop silence as the thud of the ball echoed in the room. The refree stood there for a few seconds deliberating his decision. He walked up to the umpire and discussed the matter. The umpire gestured some angles and pointed to the line in question. Nodding his head the refree came back and stood resumed his spot. He blew his whistle and pointed to Jhih Hong High.

'Victory At Last'

The gym erupted in cheers and the audience started waving the mini flags of Jhih Hong High. The team members on the other hand had jumped on the captain to congratulate him. Zi Xuan closed his eyes shut for he couldn't contain the feelings that were coursing throughout his body. He was happy, relieved and on the brink of tears all at once.

They had achieved it. Victory was theirs.

All the boys rushed towards the team manager and he congratulated everyone and praised them for their performance. When Cheng En stood before him he grabbed the captain by his neck and gave him a tight brotherly hug, both the seniors overcome with emotions.

"We did it Xuan. Man....our dream has finally come true." The captain half laughed half cried as he hugged his best friend. Zi Xuan could only nod and hug the guy in return. His eyes now brimming with tears of joy.

Sometime later the parents of the team members came around and greeted their children praising them to worlds end. Along with the Wang brother's and yu Hao's mom even Zi Xuan's mom had come to watch the match. While Yu Hao was being showered with kisses and hugs from his mom, Zi Xuan too was being congratulate by his mom and Qian Ru.

As soon as the wishes and congratulations subsided the director of Jhih Hong High stood on the dais that was placed in the middle of the gym. After his speech of once again thanking the schools that participated, the sponsors, the refree, the umpires and the judges the ending ceremony began. Medals were awarded to the runner up team that is Ren He High. The twins seemed ashamed and disappointed after loosing to Jhih Hong.

Next, Yu Hao was awarded the best spiker and best performer for this year's volleyball tournament. When the youngster went on to receive his trophy his mom started crying and Zi Xuan hugged her close to him. He could understand how aunty was feeling because he was in the same boat as her. His chest filled with pride for his beloved partner.

Yu Hao received the medal and took the Mike from the director's hand. Clearing his throat he began, "umm.....this means a lot. I just want to thank the one person who has made this possible for me....the manager of our team, Zi Xuan." A round of applause erupted the air.

"Thank you Xuan for gifting this sport to me. If not for you I wouldn't be standing here receiving these awards. I promise in future I'll win more awards for you."

Zi Xuan could feel hundreds of eyes on him. Being the centre of attention wasn't his cup of tea so he blushed red in embarrassment when his junior praised him to the moon and back. Still, those stares he could manage but how was he going to explain this to his mom who was eyeing him suspiciously. Yu Hao was definitely going to be the death of him.

Finally the time for awarding the trophy arrived. The team of Jhih Hong were called upon the dais and the chief guest, one of the major sponsors awarded the trophy to the team. Once the captain received the trophy the boys cheered loudly and for no reason at all started singing the school anthem with much gusto.

As the day came to an end they started taking pictures so that they could look back and reminisce this day once again. The coach came forward and gathered the team in front of her.

"Remeber I had promised a meal during the practise match with Ren He last time." The boys eagerly nodded at the mention of a meal. They had won the match, now they were hungry for food.

"Since Jhih Hong has won the volleyball trophy, I would like to make good on that promise. Eat all you want today's meal is on me."

"Yay!" The boys went mad at the offer. What could be more better than free food.

"Coach...Hope you don't go back on your word because we are going to reduce the numbers in your bank account." Cheng En joked which made the group second his threat.

"Don't worry Chen En." Xiao Xiao declared. "Jiějiě (elder sister in chinese) is over the moon today. Ask her anything and she won't deny."

"Is that so? Then coach, can I take Xiao Xiao home with me."

The coach narrowed her eyes. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Hehe....relax I was only joking."

With much enthusiasm and satisfaction the team left the gym to celebrate their victory.

Somewhere in a restaurant not far from the school the team lost themselves in the after party following the game. The entire year's worth of efforts forgotten and drowned in the midst of the blasting music from the speakers. With the memories of the first trophy and the team's sucessful victory sprinkled in the air of the Jhih Hong's gym.

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

Author's notes:

Thankfully this chapter came to an end. Hopefully I won't have to write any more chapters describing a volleyball game. It is too taxing on my nerves.

I agree this chapter was on a very serious side and might be somewhat boring too. But fret not the next chapter is going to be fun and play.

Do expect a lot of fluff and romance in the next chapter. Our adorable boys are going on a 3 day trip to Tou Cheng. I'm sure you'll be excited for the chapter that you've all been eagerly waiting for.

Once again I would like to thank all the lovely readers who voted and commented. Thanks for coming this far with me and being supportive towards my work. You guys are the best. Lots of love to you guys 😚😚

And to all the silent readers, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule and reading my fic. You guys deserve the love as well ❤❤

That's all for now. Have a happy Sunday, till then do what you love to do best 🙆🙆

2nd Sep 2018 (2.52 am)