Rise

High School 13’s esports team was full of energy. It didn’t matter who they had to play against in the qualifiers for the Shanghai 16 School Tournament. They would beat everyone who came at them! They would welcome any and every challenge! With this mindset, they practiced the rest of the day until the sun set. They made the plays they were too afraid to make before, and endured Lin Feng’s biting criticism. All that mattered was that they got better, even if that meant getting yelled at by Lin Feng every now and then.

“Alright guys, that’s all for today. Let’s gather around,” Lin Feng said after the esports team had won another game. Once everyone huddled around him, he continued, “I really liked what I saw at the end there. You were all trying. It doesn’t matter that you don’t always succeed. You can’t always succeed. The important thing is that you try. So good job on that! Beyond that, you guys really need to keep working hard. Try and play a game or two tonight and I’ll see you all tomorrow. Goodnight guys!”

Everyone grabbed their stuff and left the NetCow Cafe. Lin Feng and Tang Bingyao waved the others goodbye and then started walking home together. The streets were quiet. Under the soft yellow glow of the street lights, Tang Bingyao hopped around the pavement tiles. She played a little game called ‘evade the cracks’. Her feet would occasionally land on a crack and she would lose her balance, rocking unsteadily before quickly stabilizing herself again.

Lin Feng followed half a step behind Tang Bingyao. He laughed as she hopped around and said, “You kind of look like Kalista, hopping around like that.”

Tang Bingyao spun around and looked up at Lin Feng while walking backwards. “That pep talk you gave today really worked. Everyone was super motivated by it.”

“Of course they were!” Lin Feng chuckled. “I’m really good at giving pep talks too!”

“That last part really made it. ‘You still have me’. It sounded really cool, and you even looked cool! You never look cool!” Tang Bingyao smiled. Then her expression turned serious again. She stopped walking and held her hand up to Lin Feng’s chest to stop him. “So, what about your old teammate? Are you going to help Roundy too?”

High School 13’s esports team had a support pillar in Lin Feng. When they started worrying, he would reassure them. When they started freaking out, he would slap some sense into them. And when they gave up and lost their motivation, he would help remind them why they were doing this. He was always there to help them, not just by being a good player or coach, but also by being a good friend. Tian Tian had none of this in KG. He didn’t have a teammate he could rely on. They were all mentally broken, just like him. And they expected him to be their mental support! He was supposed to be their pillar! But Tian Tian was no pillar. If anything, he needed the mental support more than anyone else in KG!

Lin Feng smiled. For the first time in days, when Fatty was mentioned, he didn’t hide. He balled his fist and looked Tang Bingyao right in the eyes. “Hehe. Don’t worry. I know how I can help him. I finally figured it out!”