Chapter 2: Second Encounter

The next morning, Ryan was crouched in the middle of a green field, carefully inspecting each plant with gloves and goggles on.

He moved from one plant to the next, on the lookout for signs of the poisonous bugs that had been multiplying due to recent climate changes.

Just as he reached for his jar, a loud voice called out from afar.

“DO YOU THINK HE’LL COME TODAY? I MEAN, THE NEW BOY!”

Startled, he nearly fumbled the bug. He nervously slipped it into the jar and closed it with a sigh.

He looked to his right and spotted a boy with glasses speaking into a plastic cup from a distance.

“Rock, you scared me!”

Rock’s face didn’t change. He simply raised his head and stared, still waiting for an answer.

Ryan barely looked up, replying with a shrug, “I DON’T KNOW!”

Rock knew how eager Ryan was to have a friend at his age, so he spoke again, even louder this time. “I THINK HE’S GOING TO COME AGAIN! JUST WAIT!”

Ryan thought about Rock’s words.

I was about to have a new friend. Would he really show up?

He glanced at the road.

I guess not.

He looked back at Rock and suppressed a chuckle.

Why are we still yelling? He’s the one standing over there—I’m the one dealing with poisonous bugs.

He gestured for him to come closer.

Rock adjusted his glasses, then cautiously inched forward from his spot ten meters away.

“IS THIS CLOSE ENOUGH?”

Ryan smiled and shook his head, turning back to his work as he inspected another plant.

Rock’s probably still afraid after what happened to Zam yesterday.

I told Zam not to stand so close without goggles, but he didn’t listen. Ended up with poisonous gas in his eyes.

He sighed.

Poor mom must be dealing with him right now. I’d better go check on him and save her the trouble.

After finishing his inspection, he stood up, slid his goggles around his neck, picked up the storage basket, and walked over to Rock with a grin.

“Let’s check on our friend first, then we can talk about the new boy after.”

***

To the south of the village. Stood a small white mansion with a pitch black roof and a neatly trimmed garden.

A young boy was in his room, wrapping bandages around his legs, when a sudden knock on the door interrupted him.

He quickly shoved the bandages under the blanket and stood in the middle of the room, pretending to warm up instead.

The maid entered the room and said, “Young master, have you ordered this package?”

The boy turned to the maid with a look that showed he had no interest in what she was holding. He grabbed the delivered package from her hands and threw it on his bed.

Then he pushed her from the back slightly, guiding her out of the room. He didn’t give her a chance to ask more.

“Not now. I’ll give a report tomorrow.”

The maid protested, “Young master, please wait; we need to check it for safety—”

But he shut the door firmly before listening to her, since he knew that she would go on without stopping.

Smiling, he walked to his bed and held the package, feeling excited.

I think they’ll be amazed when they see this!

***

Ryan and Rock were outside the infirmary where Ryan’s mother worked.

They entered the hallway, hearing the muffled sounds of patients suffering from eye pain, a consequence of encounters with the poisonous bugs.

One voice stood out, whining, “Please don’t do that! Don’t you have children?”

A frustrated woman’s voice replied, “You have to take the antidote in your eyes! Stay still.”

Zam screamed back, “I’ll tell Layn about you!”

Ryan stopped in the doorway, seeing his mother struggling with Zam, whose eyes were red and swollen.

He intervened, “Mom, I’m back. Leave him to me.”

His mother turned around and sighed in relief.

“Thank goodness you’re here. Please, save me!”

Handing the basket to his mother, he took the antidote and held it with a grin.

He crept toward him with a smile, “Alright, Zam, open your mouth wide! We’re gonna get this sorted out.”

Zam finally found someone who understood his language, and more in line with him, that the antidote would be easier if it were taken in his mouth, he obeyed, but wanted first to teach the adult a short lesson of reflection.

“You see this, Aunt? He can do the job better than y—”

Before Zam could finish, Ryan's lips curled, tipping the bottle close to his mouth.

“Yep, just a bit more, say aaaa…”

In a quick motion, he tilted the bottle and squeezed a few drops right into Zam’s eyes.

Zam screamed, “You tricked me! Ow!”

He cried immediately after.

***

A while later, Dell came into the infirmary, holding some herbs. He hesitantly handed them to Ryan.

“These herbs should…help reduce the swelling in his eyes,” he stammered.

Zam glared at Dell and grumbled, “I don’t need it,” then turned away on the bed, pretending to sleep.

Seeing this, Ryan smiled and suggested, “Let’s leave him to rest now.”

As they left, Ryan’s mother called after them, “Ryan! Don’t go running straight back out there! I saw how thick those swarms of bugs were—it’ll clear up in a few hours,” she assured them.

All of them nodded, then Rock asked, “What are we going to do now?”

Ryan glanced at Dell, who’d been unusually quiet.

He reached into his pocket and held something up.

“I made a few enhancements to the ball so it won’t cause problems anymore.”

Dell looked at the ball and nodded.

“Okay,” he said softly.

They walked to the hall and started tossing the ball back and forth, passing the time as they waited.

***

Under the large tree, a young boy stood, dressed in a black training suit with a black cap that contrasted with his striking white hair.

He looked around, checking that no one was nearby. Satisfied, he put down a bag, grabbed some bandages, and began wrapping more of them around his injured leg.

Just as he finished, he heard voices approaching.

***

Once Ryan and the others left the infirmary without Zam, they headed to their usual spot, although it was already getting dark, no one should be around, but as they got closer, they heard an unfamiliar sound bouncing off the ground.

They spotted the new boy skillfully playing with a machine-made ball, bouncing it on his head, then onto the back of his neck, and finally, his legs.

Ryan and the others widened their eyes; they were captivated by his skill. It was their first time seeing a real ball and witnessing someone play with such skill.

He came back!

Ryan approached him while holding his handmade ball.

“Whoa! I never thought a ball could look so cool. I guess mine is pretty ugly in comparison,” he chuckled with a hint of embarrassment.

The new boy shifted his eyes from him to the handmade ball, and said, “Well, I can see the improvements. Adding a rubber layer was a good choice. As long as it can bounce, I approve.”

Ryan’s smile widened. “If my ball can bounce, could we use both of them to toss around? It’d be even more fun than using just one.”

The new boy paused, considering, then agreed.

They all stood in a circle and began tossing them around.

After a while, the new boy was confused. He didn’t expect that his idea would end up like this. He stopped and caught the first ball against his chest, letting it drop before steadying it.

As the second ball came his way, he caught it with one hand and suggested, “I have a better idea. Why don’t we play a football match instead?”

Rock was the first to speak, his curiosity intrigued.

“What’s that? Is it a new game from your home?”

The new boy was momentarily taken aback, then placed his hand on his forehead.

I totally forgot I’m in an isolated area.

He looked at them and narrowed his eyes, “Listen closely, kids. What you’re about to learn will change your lives forever.”

The boys looked at each other, then leaned in, listening attentively as he explained the game rules.

After the rules became clear for everyone, Rock and Dell took their places as goalkeepers, with rocks marking the boundaries of each goal.

While Ryan stood on the defense, the new boy was on the offense.

He took the first step and skillfully dribbled toward Ryan, then jumped, gently tossing the ball over Ryan's head.

Before it hit the ground, he quickly moved past Ryan and positioned himself to kick it between Rock’s legs, sending it straight into the goal.

Ryan’s eyes widened, amazed at how the boy had outmaneuvered him, leaving him standing like a statue.

This is actually fun.

They continued to play, taking turns in different roles until it was Dell’s turn to be on the offense while the new boy was on defense.

Dell tried to mimic the new boy’s moves but couldn’t quite get the hang of it.

Frustrated, he gave up on attacking and decided to shoot the ball straight into Ryan’s direction, who was now the goalkeeper.

He kicked with surprising force until the ball was shot high in the air.

Ryan coiled his legs and then jumped high. His finger almost touched it, but the ball soared over an old fence a few meters behind the tree into an unfamiliar area.

The new boy’s eye followed Ryan. he smirked, then he turned to look at Dell.

Ryan looked at Dell, and his eyes were worried. He always handled it with the other kids, but he doesn’t know how the new boy would react.

He is probably going to mess with Dell like the others… maybe I should say something—

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw the new boy’s reaction.

The new boy, unexpectedly, smiled.

“Nice kick. That was better than mine.”

He turned and said before going after the ball, “I’ll get it. Just wait here.”

Ryan sighed and watched the new boy as he walked away. He noticed something was strange about him..

I think he’s struggling to walk. Is he injured?

***

After a while, Rock noticed how late it was getting.

“Should we go look for him? It’s getting dark, and it could be dangerous out there.”

Ryan, who had been playing with the rubber ball and trying a few tricks he’d learned from the new boy, replied, “Don’t worry. Let’s wait a little longer.”

More time passed—-still nothing.

Ryan stopped playing and caught the ball, furrowing his brow. He glanced at Rock and realized that his feeling was true.

“You’re right. Something is wrong—-Let’s check on him.”