Kira and Yuta were sitting in the shade of the stands, sweaty and breathless. Their muscles ached with fatigue, but their minds kept replaying everything they had experienced.
"I messed up a lot at the beginning," Kira sighed, tired.
"Me too," Yuta replied, looking at him. "But you... you were brilliant with that play. Hate to admit it, but if it weren't for you, I think I would've been eliminated already."
Kira smiled shyly.
"Same here. Shall we win this together?"
"Let's do it."
They bumped fists — a firm, simple gesture full of mutual respect.
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Minutes later, Jin Ford appeared in front of the gathered players, with a serious and focused expression.
"The next phase will be in teams," he began. "Each dormitory will form a team, and tomorrow you'll play matches against other groups. The winners advance."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"But listen carefully: even if your group loses, if you stand out individually, you can still be chosen to continue."
Yuta raised his hand, curious.
"But… some dormitories have players who have already been eliminated. The groups are weakened. How will that work?"
Ford nodded, as if expecting that question.
"We'll form a group with the players left without a dormitory. But even so…" — he paused again, his eyes scanning the group — "there will still be one person left out."
Silence fell.
"That person will be chosen by lottery. And whoever is picked… will be the joker."
A murmur ran through the players.
"Joker?" Kira asked quietly.
"He will play for all the teams," Ford explained. "A different team each match. The tournament's wild card. They'll have to adapt, improvise, and prove they can make a difference anywhere, with any style of play."
Yuta swallowed hard and exchanged a glance with Kira.
"Sounds more like a punishment."
Ford gave a slight smile.
"Or an opportunity. Depends on who gets chosen… and what they do with it."
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Later, already back at the dormitory, Kira, Yuta, Tanaka, and Min-jun gathered to prepare for the next phase.
"I think we need to create signals," Kira suggested. "Something simple that everyone understands, so we can use it during the game. That way, we know what each other is going to do without giving clues to the opponents."
"Like what?" asked Tanaka.
"For example, if I raise my pinky finger, everyone moves up to the area. Whoever has the ball will cross it to the center," Kira explained.
"Good idea," Min-jun agreed.
Yuta nodded.
"We can make several signals. That way, no one gets lost."
"Alright," said Kira. "Let's get some sleep now. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
But Kira was too anxious to rest and decided to train alone on the court.
Soon, Yuta showed up.
"Not going to sleep?"
"Not yet," Kira answered. "I want to be ready."
Minutes later, Tanaka and Min-jun arrived, also eager to train.
"We're all nervous," Min-jun said, smiling.
Later that night, the field lights cast long shadows across the grass, shining on the sweat and focused faces of the players. Kira, Yuta, Min-jun, and Tanaka trained silently, practicing passes and rehearsing signals attentively.
Suddenly, firm footsteps echoed at the edge of the field. Jin Ford appeared under the floodlights, eyes sharp and penetrating.
"I see you're not wasting time," he said with a slight smile. "If you want to learn more signals… what you're practicing isn't all I can teach."
Kira stopped, out of breath, and looked at him.
"What kind of signals?"
Ford picked up the ball and began demonstrating subtle hand gestures, explaining the meaning of each.
"These signals will help you communicate during the game without the opponents noticing. This is how strong teams control the match."
The players paid full attention, absorbing every detail as Ford taught new signals and combinations.
The cold night seemed to vanish in the intensity of the moment. Ford wasn't just teaching — he was awakening the tactical intelligence of the group.
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Note:
Out of the 37 players who reached this phase, only 17 advanced. The competition is getting tougher — and this is just the beginning.