It was the second day after the fateful selection match. Howard called everybody to the clubroom to announce who was going to play on the first string and who'll be a benchwarmer for the entire upcoming year.
In the end, Lars decided to sit this one out. He mulled over it for some time yesterday, but ultimately decided he didn't want to attend this meeting. It was a bit bratty of him, but Yuel understood the feeling all too well. Honestly, Yuel didn't want to go either.
The verdict was already set in stone for both of them. They lost the bet against Howard and Ellen, so they won't get the Support and Carry roles. Coming all the way to the clubroom just to get struck with that fact was like some sort of masochism.
Was there any chance they'll be assigned for some other roles? With Lars's mechanical skill, he could easily become a scary Mid Laner. However, his lack of experience was a glaring issue.
As for Yuel, there was no way he'd be valued over Roi as a Top Laner. So, no matter how Yuel looked at it, there won't be any surprises about him or Lars today.
In fact, will there be any surprises at all? Roi for Top, Dan for Jungler and Gilbert for Mid, that's the announcement everybody expected. It was odd for Howard to call a meeting over something so predictable. Then again, the guy seemed to like face-to-face meetings for some reason. [To each his own, I guess.]
Regardless of how predictable this meeting was going to be, Yuel had to attend as the vice-captain. He might not remain the vice-captain for long if he and Lars go through with the transfer plan but, for now, Yuel still had to act the part. It felt like he was coming to this meeting just to see Howard and Ellen boast about their victory but he had no choice.
[Maybe I should call in sick? But, I already came all the way up here...] Yuel dragged himself up the stairs. All he wanted right now was drop on the floor and lay there until the meeting ends.
[Ugh, I so don't want to be there...] The stairs went on forever, it was like climbing the Everest. Alas, no matter how hard Yuel's legs tried to delay the inevitable, he eventually reached the right floor. The clubroom was just a short walk away. Sigh.
At least, Yuel didn't run into anybody along the way. He willingly picked the longer route to avoid running into others. Thanks to that, he was going to reach the clubroom without stumbling into any awkward interactions... or so he thought.
Somebody was there. A fellow attendee who wanted to sneak into the meeting without running into anybody. A girl was hunched over as she peeked at the clubroom from behind a wall. It was Julia.
"What are you doing?"
"E-EEEEK!" Julia jumped like an exposed criminal and bumped her head into the wall behind her. "Aya!" She crouched forward. "W-What's wrong with you!? Don't sneak on people like that! Ouchie..."
"Sorry," Yuel said. [Though, you're the one who was sneaking around.] But, he kept that to himself. This was the first time they got to talk with each other after the selection match, so he didn't want to start on the wrong foot. Julia was probably still blaming herself for her performance in the selection match, even though she played so well in the third game.
"You okay?" Yuel asked.
"Could have been better if not for a certain idiot," Julia hissed. Great, this conversation has already started with so much positivity. It'll surely go smooth...
"You're still feeling down because of the match?"
"Hmph. Not your business, dumbass."
[I need a better approach here.] Yuel frowned. How should he make this conversation flow? He already got on Julia's bad side before even starting, so he needed to inject some positivity here. Knowing Julia, one idea came to mind.
"Lars was worried about you."
"Eh?" Julia glanced at him without turning to face him. "What did he say?"
"He said you played really well, so you shouldn't blame yourself that we lost."
"Really..." Julia mumbled. A faint smile of relief formed on her lips.
[Okay, this tactic is working.] Yuel nodded to himself. Maybe he'll be able to hold a proper conversation with her for a change.
"And you?" Julia asked out of the blue. "What do you think about my performance in the match?"
"I agree with Lars. You played the third game well."
"You only gonna mention the third game, huh." Julia shifted her eyes away. "What about the rest?"
"Do you really want to hear my honest opinion?"
"Probably not."
"So, let's leave it at that," Yuel said. "As far as the third game is concerned, nothing about that outcome was your fault."
"Then, who? Whose fault is it that we lost?" Julia's glare demanded an answer. It seemed she won't be satisfied until she learns who she could blame for that devastating defeat. If it wasn't her fault, there surely had to be somebody else to blame, right?
[It's not that simple.] Yuel frowned. In a team vs. team game, it wasn't so easy to pin the blame on one specific player.
Everybody had their ups and downs. Julia played well in her Attack Mode, but she was beaten in the end. Lars put on a strong performance as Seraph and pushed many objectives, but he was baited to his death by Ellen at the end. Roi and Dan overall played fine, though their performance felt lackluster compared to their usual selves.
All in all, everybody had their ups and downs. If Julia had to blame somebody no matter what, then...
"You can blame me," Yuel glanced away. "I made many bad calls and they cost us the game. I was the shot-caller, so I was supposed to guide you better during the decisive moments. But, I was greedy with some of my decisions and, as a result, you and Lars died. So yeah, you can pin everything on me."
"I knew it!" Julia jumped on her feet. "We lost because of your shitty shot-calls! Because of you, Lars won't play on the first string next year!"
[And I won't play either.] Yuel pursed his lips. If only he was less greedy back then. If only he was more assertive. If only he stopped Lars from chasing. If only he ordered Julia to retreat. If only. If only. If only.
"Hmph, this is stupid," Julia crossed her arms. "I knew Lars shouldn't pair up with you. You're just dragging him down."
"That's not really..."
"You always act like a know-it-all but then fuck up when it matters most. I should've known from the beginning we gonna lose that stupid match with you in charge. I'm not even surprised. Howard is a way better captain than a dumbass like you. If Lars played with Howard instead, I'm sure they would have become the strongest duo in the country. No, in the whole world even!"
"Hey now," Yuel clenched his fists. That was going too far. Did she seriously claim that Lars would have been better off playing with Howard? That's some bullshit right there. Yuel and Lars had great teamwork in that game. Out of all the things Julia could complain about, this was the dumbest.
"For your information," Yuel said. "Lars and I held the upper hand in Bot during the first two games. In the last one, we had to sacrifice some lane control because Lars was playing Seraph, but we still did perfectly fine."
"Oh, you did? Then how the fuck did we lose these games, genius? If you really had Bot under control in the second game, you should've been able to push for the win."
"It just wasn't enough. In the second game, we did great in Bot but the rest of the team couldn't gain an advantage in other lanes."
"Oh, so now it's not your fault but everybody else's, huh? Wasn't it your job to organize the team, 'cap'?"
"I can't solve everything myself," Yuel jerked. This was getting dumber and dumber. "For example, what do you expect me to do when a certain somebody is doing a terrible job gaining an advantage in Mid? That was one of the biggest issues we had in the second game."
"Wha-!?" Julia's face twisted like that of a demon. "You fucker! You gonna blame everything on me after all!?"
"I didn't say EVERYTHING was your fault," Yuel's tone raised. "I'd just appreciate it if you stop talking shit about me and Lars. Yes, we weren't perfect. Nobody was. But, compared to your expensive turtling in the first two games, our teamwork was a hundred times more useful to the team. It actually helped the team push forward instead of dragging it down!"
"What did you-!?" Julia shook like a bomb that was about to go off. "Okay, screw it! I'm done!" Julia stomped toward Yuel and passes by him.
"Where are you going?"
"Not your damn business!"
"Wait, what about the meeting-"
"Don't touch me!" Julia slapped Yuel's hand away. Her eyes were filled with murderous intent, but they seemed a little teary. Did Yuel go too far?
"My, my, my," Ellen waltzed into the scene out of nowhere. "What's going on here? A lovers' quarrel~?"
"Yeah, right," Julia grimaced as if she wanted to puke from the mere suggestion of that.
"....." Yuel just averted his eyes and remained quiet.
"My," Ellen tilted her head from side to side as she checked both of them. After a few seconds, she nodded to herself as if she reached some conclusion. "I see, I see. Yuyu is bullying you, isn't he?" Ellen wrapped herself around Julia and patted Julia's head.
"I didn't really..." Yuel's words trailed off. He felt like anything he says will be used against him.
"Yuyu is just terrible, isn't he?" Ellen went on with her baseless accusations while patting Julia.
"Yeah, he's a total dumbass," Julia nodded. Her tone still had angst in it, but seemed like she calmed down a little.
"C'mon," Ellen said. "Let's forget about this bully and go to the meeting, shall we?"
"No, I..." Julia hung her head.
"You're too embarrassed to face Larsy?"
"N-No! I just..." Julia sighed in defeat.
Ellen's guess must have been spot on. Even though Julia lashed at Yuel a moment ago and tried to pin all the blame on him, deep down she must have still felt responsible for the defeat. So, she didn't know how to face Lars right now. In that case...
"Lars isn't coming," Yuel said.
"Eh?"
"He had some important business with his family today," Yuel lied. "So, he'll be skipping the meeting."
"Is that so..." Julia stared at the floor with a mixed expression.
"Alrighty then," Ellen gently pushed Julia's back. "C'mon, let's go to the clubroom."
"Do I have to?" Julia sighed.
"Yes, you DE-FI-NI-TE-LY have to. C'mon, you two are running late."
"Okay..." Julia answered half-heartedly and dragged herself toward the clubroom.
"C'mon," Ellen turned to Yuel. "Chop-chop."
"Right," Yuel followed them from afar. After this awkward exchange with Julia, he now had two reasons he wanted to skip this meeting. Just great. [Can I just go home? Pretty please? Sigh.]
"I know you're salty about losing," Ellen said as she walked beside Yuel. "But, don't take it out on July."
"That wasn't my intention," Yuel grumped. [Besides, she's the one who started it.]
"It was the first time she showed her aggressive side in front of Lars. It took her a lot of courage, you know? Just imagine how scary it was for her to use it for the first time and suddenly become the game-maker near the end. It's so much pressure and responsibility."
"I understand that. But, that doesn't give her an excuse to spout bullshit and blame others."
"My, how aggressive," Ellen covered her mouth. "If Yuyu got so mad, I guess July went out of line too. But, you're the boy here so play nice with her, will you?"
[How is that even related?] Yuel rolled his eyes.
It's true that Julia had to go through a lot in that match. During the most critical moments of the game, she was promoted into a Queen piece. She became the lynchpin, the game-maker, and the savior. That game was the first time she mustered the courage to show her Attack Mode in public, but tons of responsibilities were dumped on her right away as a result. The pressure must have been maddening.
Worst of all, she couldn't carry the team to victory. She was cast into the leading role of the show but couldn't get a happy ending. It's like everybody's expectations were riding on her and she failed them. It was an unfair role to dump on her, especially when she was still struggling with her inner demons due to the public debut of her Attack Mode.
Nevertheless, none of that excused Julia's trash talk about Yuel and Lars's performance as a Bot duo. It was one thing to complain about Yuel's subpar shot-calling, but it was another thing entirely to blame his teamwork with Lars and say that Yuel was dragging Lars down. That was unforgivable.
"My, such a scary face~" Ellen pinched Yuel's cheek. "I don't know what she said but you're the most mature in your gang, right?"
"I don't remember signing up to be anybody's babysitter."
"I know, I know. But, somebody has to play the adult here, right? I say you're the best man for the job~"
"Huh," Yuel made a face. Well, Ellen wasn't exactly wrong. Lars and Julia often turned to Yuel whenever they had questions or problems. In a sense, he was like the "consultant" of the trio, so perhaps it was reasonable to expect more maturity from him.
"Okay, I get it," Yuel sighed. "I'll do what I can."
"Yuyu is such a trustworthy boy~" Ellen patted Yuel's head like he was a kid.
"Cut it off," Yuel pulled aside to get away from that busybody. Ellen could get annoying with how she always stuck her nose everywhere but, this time, Yuel had to admit her intervention was for the best. Things would have gotten out of hand if the quarrel between Yuel and Julia escalated.
Yuel took a deep breath and entered the clubroom. It wasn't like he forgave Julia for her words, but he had to take into account she was a mess after the defeat in the selection match. In fact, all three of them were a mess. Lars didn't even want to show his face here today because of how frustrating it was going to be. Each of them blamed themselves and felt irritated, so Yuel had to give Julia a pass for her harsh words. That is, a kinder pass than usual.
[Okay, forget about it. Let's just get this meeting over with.] Yuel informed everybody that Lars won't be coming today due to "family business", so there was no need to wait anymore.
"Alright," Howard nodded. "Then, let's get started. Thanks for coming, everybody."
They all gathered in front of Howard. Yuel and Julia stood on opposite ends as if they were magnets that pushed each other away.
"First," Howard said. "Support and Carry will be me and Ellen." He threw a glance at Yuel.
[Of course.] Yuel averted his eyes. There was nothing he could say back. He and Lars lost fair and square in that selection match. Howard and Ellen won their spots so there was nothing to complain bout.
"Yay!" Ellen made a V sign and winked as if she didn't see this announcement coming. She was trying to rub salt on Yuel's wounds, wasn't she?
"Next,". Howard continued. "Top: Roi. Jungle: Dan."
"Okay, we made it!" Roi pumped a fist.
"Heh, of course." Dan shrugged with a smile.
Roi and Dan bumped fists to celebrate the occasion. It was the predictable lineup but it still must have felt good to be officially selected. Not that Yuel had any idea how that.
"Tch," Gregory shook his head. Apparently, he was expecting to be picked even though his chances were realistically zero.
Even if Howard didn't pick Roi for Top for whatever reason, the next candidate in line would have been Yuel. He didn't play Top nearly as often as Support, but he was confident he was at least better than Gregory. In fact, Top Laner was the only role Yuel could've realistically gotten today, but now that opportunity vanished. As expected, he didn't make it.
The only spot left was Mid Laner. It was Lars's second-best role, so there was a slim chance he'll make it. But, before that, there was Gilbert and Julia. The logical assumption would be that Gregory will retain his spot. However, Julia put on a strong performance during the third game of the selection match, so she had a chance. It wasn't high, but it was there.
"As for Mid," Howard smiled meaningfully. "Frankly, I couldn't decide. Gil and Julia are both great players and they have very distinct play styles. In some matchups, Gil's versatility would be more valuable, while in other matches I can see Julia's hyper-aggressiveness serving the team well."
[W-What!]? Julia jumped. Wait, was Howard seriously considering her for the first string!? Everybody's eyes turned on her. Gulp. Her heart beat faster and faster like it wanted to leap out of her chest. Was this really happening? Did she have a chance!?
This gotta be a dream, but pinching her cheek didn't wake her up. It was real life and she was just one step away from the first string. Will she make it!? [C'mon, Howard! Stop beating around the bush and tell us what you decided already!]
"So," Howard concluded. "After taking all that into account, I decided both Gil and Julia will be on the first string."
"N-No way..." Julia shook. S-She did it. It's not like she outright surpassed Gilbert, but she did it! She made it into the first string! [Oh my god! I can't believe it!]
"July~!" Ellen leaped on Julia and squeezed the girl. "Congratulations~!"
"T-Thanks," Julia would normally kick Ellen away, but right now she was too shocked to react. Most of the other members also gave her approving looks; it seemed the majority agreed that Julia deserved to be on the first string.
What was Yuel's reaction? Julia was curious but. at the same time. it felt awkward to face him. After all, that selection match was supposed to be for Yuel and Lars. Yet, they didn't make it into the first string while Julia somehow passed.
In the end, curiosity won and Julia glanced at Yuel. Well, that was disappointing. Yuel didn't show much of an expression. Or, at least, Julia couldn't read much from it. Yuel was wearing his usual difficult expression, which he probably thought made him look serious and smart. It was impossible to tell what he thought of this pick.
Their eyes met for a moment but Yuel instantly averted his gaze. Then, after a second, he turned to look at Julia again and gave her a small nod with a thumb up. Fortunately, he didn't seem angry over this announcement.
[Hmph, not only like I care how he feels about it.] Julia lifted her chin. [But, I rather not add fuel to the fire. We're still clubmates and all. Yeah, that's why.]
[So, she made it...] Yuel sighed and stared at the ceiling. This made the situation ten times more complicated. With Julia now on the first string, how was he supposed to bring up the topic of transferring schools? Oh, boy...
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Contrary to expectations, it really happened: Julia made it into the first string. She will have to share the Mid Laner position with Gilbert, but this achievement was still leaps and bounds beyond what Yuel and Lars got. Depending on Julia's performance throughout the upcoming year, she might even grab the entire position all for herself. It was great for her.
[What face am I supposed to make?] Yuel dragged himself out of the clubroom after the meeting ended. Of course, he was glad for Julia. He knew better than anybody how much Julia worked behind the scenes.
Julia started Classmancers with the ulterior motive of getting closer to Lars. However, she genuinely tried to improve at the game, even if it meant going out of her way to ask for Yuel's advice. She worked hard for the sake of looking good in front of Lars.
However, at some point, the game grew on her. Julia began playing for herself instead of focusing on how to best show off in front of Lars. She developed a genuine interest in the high-level plays and she wanted to get onto the competitive stage. Even though Julia tried to deny that at times, it was evident by how frustrated she was when she didn't make it into the scrimmage match against the Leopards.
At some point along the way, Julia developed an amazing talent for playing hyper offense. She was probably influenced by Lars's wild plays because she has been exposed to them on a daily basis.
At first, her hyper offense was rough and flawed. However, Yuel and Ellen helped Julia polish it in secret until it became a real weapon. This hyper-aggression was exactly what Julia was missing as a player because it compensated for her usual defensive playstyle. With both a Defense Mode and an Attack Mode her arsenal, Julia became a force to be reckoned with.
However, Julia had a bad habit of getting overly excited once she entered Attack Mode. She became like one of these loud Youtubers who yelled about every little thing that happened in the match.
Frankly, Yuel agreed with Julia that it was embarrassing conduct. If he could play better by transforming into a loud overhyped goof, would he have done it? He wasn't sure.
[Who am I kidding? Of course I would have done it.] Yuel smiled wryly. Victory was everything. Even if he had to act like a total clown, he would have used any tools at his disposal to get an edge in a match.
But, for Julia, it was another story. This moody princess hated it when people gave her funny looks. Especially, she couldn't bear the idea of Lars seeing her act like that. It was far from a ladylike behavior, so she was convinced Lars will hate it.
Yuel and Ellen tried to convince Julia otherwise, but she was stubborn about it. So, she never used Attack Mode in front of Lars because she was afraid of embarrassing herself in front of the boy she liked.
However, during the selection match, Julia overcame that wall. She unleashed her potential in its entirety and laid it bare for everybody to see. It took everybody by surprise, even Howard. Only Yuel and Ellen knew that side of Julia because they practiced in secret with her.
Julia's Attack Mode was still rough around the edges during its debut, but she was undeniably strong. The surprise element of revealing her Attack Mode for the first time surely played a big role in shaking the enemy team, but it was impressive how Julia capitalized on that advantage to dominate the entire flow of the match. With her joining the team's offense, it was like the team's attacks became ten times stronger.
In a match where the team needed an extra edge on the offense, she might very well be more valuable than Gilbert. And, if she becomes more consistent and improves her ability to switch from offense to defense on the fly - she'd become a real monster. The potential was definitely there.
What an unfortunate outcome. Yuel and Lars didn't get into the first string, so they were considering a school transfer. Since Julia has always stuck around them, Yuel thought she might want to join them.
However, Julia was on StormBlitz's first string now. For her, transferring schools meant giving up on the position she worked so hard to get.
[How am I supposed to approach this?] Yuel rubbed his temples. In theory, it was a simple matter. He just supposed to come up to Julia and inform her about the transfer idea. After that, whether she decides to join or not, was no longer Yuel's business. Julia was the one who had to make the decision.
But, that's just theory. In practice, it was up to Yuel to break the news for her and face whatever reaction she was going to fire at him. And oh boy, her reaction was bound to be far from calm or reasonable.
[This is giving me a headache. I just need to get it over with.] Yuel took a deep breath and caught up to Julia on her way out.
"Wait," Yuel called.
"What?" Julia continued walking without slowing down in the slightest. Her pacing was so fast that Yuel almost had to jog in order to keep up.
"I need to tell you something important."
"Yeah?"
"Would you stop for a second?"
"...." Julia came to a sudden halt.
[Phew, okay.] Yuel also stopped to catch his breath.
"There," Julia started walking again. "One second passed."
"Wha, wait!" Yuel barely caught one breath and he had to start chasing again. This girl had no chill! She was probably still mad about that quarrel they had before the meeting. Honestly, Yuel hasn't forgotten that incident either. Julia's insults toward his teamwork with Lars were still fresh in his mind.
Nevertheless, he had to put all of that aside for now in order to discuss what really mattered. And, to do so, he first had to catch up with Julia. So, he had to increase his pace and-
"Whoa!" Yuel tripped and dived into the floor. "Ouch."
"..." Julia stopped because of the crashing sound and turned around. "You okay there?"
"Y-Yeah," Yuel waved his hands. "Finally, you stopped."
"Hmph," Julia turned around again but this time she didn't start walking. At least, not yet. "What's so important that you have to say it right here and now? Gonna complain about the selection match again?"
"No, let's put that aside for now," Yuel stood up and wiped his hands against his pants.
Okay, he finally captured that problematic girl. What's next? How should he approach her? He was clearly on Julia's list of "Idiots to Kill" right now, so he had to proceed with caution.
"Congratulations," Yuel tried to start off with some positivity. "It's only half a spot, but you're in the first string. You really deserve it."
"Is that supposed to be sarcasm?"
"No, I really believe you deserve it. The way you played in the third game was impressive. I would have picked you for the first string too if I were the captain."
"Is that so," Julia shrugged. "But, you still would have split Mid between me and Gilbert, right? After all, I played so poorly in the second game that you lost because of me, right?"
"I didn't say that."
"But, that's what you think, right?"
"That's not the topic right now," Yuel tried to deflect the question. This wasn't about the selection match right now. He had to discuss the school transfer-
"I bet you feel like an idiot, don't you?" Julia continued with her nonsense. "It's only because you came outta nowhere and took my Support role that I ended up playing Mid, you know?"
"Yes, I remember that," Yuel nodded. Back when they first met, Julia was insisting to play Support for Lars because she believed that'll bring them closer together. However, then Yuel came into the picture and became Lars's Support. As a result, Julia had no choice but to switch her main role to Mid. After all, she had no chance of beating Yuel when it came to supporting.
"But, look at the result!" Julia grinned. "I'm on the main team while you're stuck on the bench. Hilarious, isn't it? Ahahaha! I bet you're thinking now how you should have played Mid yourself instead of helping me learn it, right?"
"... I wouldn't say that," Yuel claimed so, but he had to admit a part of him was irritated by this outcome.
He has been watching over Julia's progress the entire time and has been helping her improve as a Mid Laner. Therefore, as her coach, he was happy for her success. However, at the same time, he was mad at himself.
If only Yuel spent more of his time on improving himself instead of coaching Julia, perhaps he could have beaten Howard during the selection match. Yet, instead of pushing himself to new heights, Yuel burned his free time on helping Julia with her countless problems.
What an ugly feeling. Somewhere deep down, Yuel regretted all of it. He was glad Julia made it into the first string and yet, at the same time, he actually wished for her to fail and stay on the bench along with him Lars. If only Julia didn't make it into the first-string today, holding a conversation about a school transfer would have been so much easier.
"Don't worry," Julia finally turned to face him. She placed both hands on her hips and lifted her chin like a pompous queen. "I'll make it big in the first-string to make up for you and Lars not getting in."
"To make up...?" Yuel blinked. Oh, so that's how Julia saw it. Now that she got into the first-string, she suddenly became the "representative" of the trio. She was the queen because she reached the first-string and they were nothing but second-string plebs compared to her. That's what Julia was implying, right?
Yeah, that's right. The two of them were total trash! They had terrible teamwork and they didn't have half the skill required for reaching the first string! Is that what she was saying!?
"Forget it," Yuel turned around. "Enjoy your stay in the first-string while it lasts."
"Huh? What's that supposed to- hey!" Julia called out from behind but Yuel kept walking.
There was no need to tell her about the transfer. She finally made it into the first-string, so she should enjoy riding the high horse while she could. After all, she no longer had anything to do with benchwarmers like Yuel and Lars. Julia already got her desired spot while they had to gamble on a new school in order to reach the competitive scene. This had nothing to do with her.
[Is this really fine?] Yuel jerked uncomfortably. If he doesn't inform Julia about the transfer now, she won't have enough time to join them later even if she wanted to. Was this really for the better?
[But seriously, I've had enough.] Yuel's fists trembled. There was a limit to how much bullshit he could bear with. He had enough of that girl's attitude.
Julia always treated him like dirt even though he was always there to help her with anything she needed. It was largely thanks to Yuel that Julia made it so far and reached the first-string.
Yet, what did Julia ever do for him in return? Nothing. She only bitched and spit in his face like he was some lowlife. Maybe Julia didn't really mean everything she said to him, but enough was enough.
Yuel has been patient with her shitty attitude for two years now. It was annoying, but he could handle it. However, some of her actions today crossed the line. Criticizing Yuel and Lars's teamwork just to spite? That's a new level of low.
On top of that, she suddenly began acting like she was a league above them just because she entered the first-string. In truth, that achievement meant nothing compared to their failure because the competition for Mid wasn't nearly as fierce. Gilbert was a solid player, but he wasn't Howard or Ellen.
So, with all that considered, Yuel had every right to ditch her. Julia should keep enjoying her precious spot on StormBlitz. Maybe she'll even become the main Mid Laner of the team.
She should keep enjoying her moment of glory until Yuel and Lars face her at the regionals and mop the floor with her! That'll teach her a lesson or two.
[I'm really getting heated over this.] Yuel took a deep breath before entering his home. [Forget Julia. There are more important things I should be doing, like researching our transfer options and preparing a strategy to convince mom to let me transfer.]
As soon as Yuel returned, he sat down in front of the computer. He and Lars couldn't just transfer to any random middle school. It had to be a school with a Classmancers team, preferably a decent one.
Unfortunately, there weren't many nearby schools to choose from. His mom was assuredly going to be against the transfer, so if he picks a faraway school which requires extra transportation fee - his mom will shoot him down on the spot. Therefore, he had to choose a school that was at least as close as his current school.
Out of the small list of options, there was only one which had a Classmancers club: Skyline Junior High.
[Ugh. Seriously?] Yuel frowned. Was that really the only option they could go for?
The team representing the school was Stratus. Yuel researched all the teams in the region last year, so he knew a little about their histories. Stratus was a bottom tier team which hasn't passed the first round of the regionals for the past few years.
The main reason for that must have been its painfully tiny club. The school only allowed the club to get nine members. In other words, they couldn't even form two full teams for sparring against each other. It sounded like oppression.
Also, nine got dangerously close to five, which was the number of strong players required for doing well in tournaments. Freshmen counted among these nine, but they were ill-suited for tournaments due to their lack of experience and polish. Therefore, as far as participating in tournaments was concerned, the relevant number of club members was nine minus the number of freshmen.
That greatly restricted the club's options for forming the first-string. The team had to be composed of a small number of seniors and juniors, regardless of their actual skill. Not to mention, they also had to fit themselves into the five meta roles even if it meant some of them will be playing their secondary roles. It was a disaster.
But, in a way, that was good news for Yuel and Lars. Less club members meant less competition for starter positions. So, it'll be easier for them to grab their spots in such a team. There was no way they'll have to compete against a Bot duo of the same caliber as Howard and Ellen.
[Is that really something to be happy about?] Yuel smiled wryly. He was supposed to be striving for the top of the competitive scene, yet here he was rejoicing at the fact he won't get much competition in Stratus. Absolutely disgusting.
That's how far he and Lars have been pushed. They had to seek a team with less internal competition so they could reach the competitive scene and battle against the best. They first had to go downwards in order to be able to climb up from there.
So, Stratus was an alright team for them. But, will the school allow Yuel and Lars to join? Clubs usually only scouted first-year students, that was the standard routine.
However, transfer students had a peculiar situation. They were new students who haven't joined a club yet even though they weren't freshmen. Yuel's current school allowed clubs to scout transfer students, but there was no telling if Skyline Junior High followed the same rules.
To eliminate any doubt, Yuel called the school. Fortunately, even though it was summer vacation, he got a hold of somebody. So, he proceeded to ask a couple of questions.
The phone call somehow dragged out for almost half an hour. The woman's tone implied she was growing impatient, so Yuel cut it short before she snaps at him.
Unfortunately, he couldn't get all the data he needed. The woman didn't know the specifics about the Classmancers club because she wasn't directly involved with it. The only good news he got was that the school's policy was the same as in his current school.
In other words, clubs were allowed to recruit transfer students as if they were freshmen. So, there shouldn't be a problem getting into the club itself.
Another thing Yuel learned was that the school didn't think highly of the Classmancers club. Even when he told the woman he was an experienced player with a high rank, she still tried to push him toward joining other clubs. It almost felt like somebody told her to lower the motivation of anybody who wanted to join the Classmancers club.
It was a nasty treatment but far from unusual in this region. It generally felt like schools didn't appreciate the Classmancers clubs much. Even his school treated StormBlitz as an eyesore to some extent, despite the team's strong performance at the regional. StormBlitz's ridiculous entrance exam existed largely to appease the school by "showing" how serious the club was.
Only Leo Junior High seemed to have a genuine love for its Classmancers club, which made the Leopards such a powerhouse team. They even had a coach, something that was relatively rare even in high schools in their region.
Truly, Leo Junior High was a great school for playing Classmancers. Unfortunately, the school was located on the other side of the city. On top of that, the coach pretty much only ever put seniors on the first-string, so Yuel and Lars probably won't make it in as juniors this year.
That coach only ever made one exception in the past for Fenrir, a strong player who was allowed to join the first string as a junior and became the captain on the following year. However, that was a very particular instance that it was not worth betting on. Even if Yuel can somehow convince his mom to attend such a faraway school, the competition there would be even fiercer than in StormBlitz. That'll defeat the entire purpose of transferring.
[Why am I even thinking about it so much?] Yuel sighed. Naturally, he would have liked to be a part of a prestige Classmancers club which the school treated with respect. However, that was a pipe dream at the moment.
So, during middle school, he and Lars will have to keep eating dirt and play for teams that weren't respected by their own schools. Things will get better once they enter high school and attend Ivy High, the powerhouse of the region's high school competitive scene.
However, that's two years from now. Right now, his only option was Skyline Junior High and the small underdog team that was Stratus. Not the most exciting option, but that's all he could get Yuel and Lars will have to take that small team and transform it into a powerhouse that rivaled StormBlitz and Leopards. Then, they'll beat both these teams and go to nationals!
Later that day, Yuel called Lars over to discuss his findings. He also filled Lars in on what went down during the club meeting.
"July made it!?" Lars exclaimed.
"Yes, she got half a position," Yuel explained. "She'll share Mid with Gilbert, but I'm sure she'll get to play at least a few tournament matches."
"Sick, yo!" Lars pumped a fist with a big grin, but then it hit him and his smile died down. "But wait, what about our super secret transfer plan? You talked to her?"
"I... tried to bring it up," Yuel averted his eyes. "But, she was raving so much about making the first-string that it seemed like she wouldn't trade her Mid position for the world."
"Yeah, makes sense. So, she said she ain't interested?"
"Um, something like that," Yuel said. He didn't really ask Julia but her attitude made it crystal clear: she was going to treasure her precious starter spot like it was her baby. So, there was no reason for her to transfer schools.
That's why Yuel didn't bother to ask her for confirmation. After all the bullshit she gave him today, he didn't really care for her. Yuel and Lars will make it just fine on their own in a new team. They didn't need Julia.
"I better call her to say congrats," Lars dialed up Julia's number.
"Uh, sure..." Yuel gulped. If Lars blurts anything about the school transfer and Julia acts oblivious, it'll make it seem like Yuel just lied about talking with her. It wasn't his intention to deceive anybody, but...
"She doesn't pick up," Lars shrugged. "I thought she'd be fine by now."
"She seemed so-so," Yuel said. "She looked happy about the first-string announcement, but she still seems to blame herself for our defeat in the selection match. It was hard to even start a conversation with her."
"Feels bad," Lars shook his head. "Maybe we should visit her tomorrow? Maybe even throw a party to celebrate her promotion and stuff."
"I'd rather focus on training," Yuel said. "We can't waste any time. Before we run into Aegis and Athena in another match, we have to get as strong as we can."
"Yeah, I agree," Lars smiled wryly. They both shared the same feeling of weakness after the defeat in the selection match. So, they had to get stronger no matter what! They couldn't waste even a single day!
"So," Lars started. "You figured which school we go to?"
"As I said, there's only one option really," Yuel explained what he found out about Skyline Junior High and its small team, Stratus.
"Oh, so they're like an underdog?" Lars's eyes sparked for some reason. "That's so cool, yo! It's like in the movies: the underdog team which gonna change the town forever!"
"Heh, easier said than done," Yuel chuckled. "But, we'll have to make it work somehow."
"No problem! With us on the team, it gonna transform from underdog to top dog!"
"That's right," Yuel nodded. A Bot Lane duo of their caliber should be able to transform Stratus into a force to be reckoned with. If the team got at least one or two more competent players, it should be able to put on a strong performance in the regionals.
But first, Yuel and Lars had to actually convince their parents about the transfer. The new school year was just a few days away, so transferring with this timing was a bit awkward.
In Yuel's case, bothering his mother about the transfer was definitely going to be quite the headache. There was no way in hell she'd see eye-to-eye with his determination to play Classmancers competitively. Especially, not after what happened with his dad.
"Oh," Lars shrugged. "My folks already agreed."
"What. Just like that?"
"Yep, pops said I can transfer wherever I want. I told him I got this silly situation which is like being a great basketball player but not getting picked for the main team based on positions. He agreed it sucks and said I should totally search for a place where I can get into tournaments."
"Wow, that's very supportive," Yuel smiled wryly. [I wish mom was at least half as supportive about these things. Dad would understand where I'm coming from, but he has no say in the matter.]
"So, it's my turn next," Yuel sighed. "I hope I'll be able to catch my mom today and talk to her about it. She sometimes stays over at the office, but she should be coming home today. Though, I don't expect things to go smoothly..."
"No problem, dude," Lars puffed his chest and pointed at himself. "Lemme talk to her then. I'mma convince her, no problem!"
"Please no. You'll only make things worse."
"Haha, maybe. I saw yo mom like once but she looks like a serious business lady."
"She really is. She'll hear you say 'yo' once and she'll find a way to send you to jail, I guarantee."
"Savage, haha. She's like a judge or something, right?"
"A prosecutor."
"Oh yeah, that pro thing. So, if she's also a pro, she should understand where ya coming from. Tell her you wanna become a pro just like her!"
[This guy...] Yuel sighed but also couldn't help but smile.
The confrontation with his mom was going to be tough. It'll possibly be one of the hardest battles he'll ever fight in his life. Nevertheless, he had to face his mother and convince her to let him transfer.
He'll get into Stratus, participate in the regionals and fight Howard again, this time on the competitive stage. This was the first step toward the competitive scene!
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