The school team players hastily congregated before Coach Carter, except for Rusty Stripe.
Coach Carter gestured to Julian and announced, "From now on, this student, Julian, is a member of the Bucks Steel Horns! Welcome everyone!"
The team members looked at Julian with contempt, and their applause was sparse and weak.
But none dared to object directly.
After all, Julian's full moon scimitar kick had been quite shocking.
Carter surveyed the team with a stern gaze. "I don't care what you think in private, and I don't care about your grievances with Julian. What matters is that if you're on the team, you're brothers. If you target him again, you're traitors! I, Lamar Carter, despise traitors more than anything in life! What I want is a team bonded like steel! Tell me, are you loose sand or steel?"
"Steel!" The players responded loudly.
Carter stepped closer and raised his voice. "That's too quiet! Are you loose sand or steel?"
"We are steel! We are steel! We are steel!"
The players roared, their veins bulging.
...High school.
Julian couldn't help but chuckle internally.
He found it amusing to think that he would soon be a second-year student.
"Very good," Carter nodded slightly. "Everyone, proceed with the training. The next training session will involve group exercises. I'll be submitting the 22-man varsity team roster. Bread, you're in charge of it. Julian, introduce your teammates to me!"
"Yes!" The player known as "Bread" responded quickly.
Coach Carter took Julian's physical examination report and hastened out of the training field.
As soon as he left, the school team members all sighed in relief, chatting and laughing as they walked to the sidelines to rest and hydrate.
The guy named "Bread" merely glanced at Julian before walking away. He didn't bother to follow the coach's instructions to introduce Julian to his teammates.
And the other team members had no intention of interacting with Julian; they treated him as if he were invisible.
...This is to ostracize me.
Julian looked over at the smug Michael in the distance and immediately grasped the situation.
This kid is really something...
If such a thing had happened before his rebirth, Julian would undoubtedly have felt anxious and wronged.
But now, how mature is Julian's mind? How strong is his heart?
To him, this was merely a trivial matter.
In reality, it's quite common to face isolation.
Julian had a bit of history with these troublemakers, and he had entered the team under special circumstances. Moreover, he was the first player at Southampton High School to make the 22-man roster in such a short time.
More importantly, Coach Carter had shown his appreciation for Julian!
Coach Carter is known for being tough on his players.
Which player hasn't been scolded by Coach Carter?
Only Julian.
Although Julian had not been at the school for long, everyone could see the coach's high regard for him.
It's no wonder these young players felt uneasy.
It's okay...
They'll get used to it...
A confident smile tugged at the corner of Julian's mouth.
Julian ignored the group of troublemakers and approached Drummer, who was cleaning a football by the sidelines.
"Hey, Drummer."
"Hey! Julian!" Drummer looked up enviously. "You're incredible! I thought for sure you wouldn't pass the medical exam today. You must have some serious charm to handle Coach Maria like that!"
Don't mention it, she almost had me today...
Thinking of Maria's gentle gaze, Julian couldn't help but feel slightly distracted.
Drummer said enviously, "Oh, if only I had your social skills."
First of all, you'd need a handsome face like mine...
Julian chuckled and found a seat, casually swinging his legs, "Drummer, I really appreciate your help."
Drummer adjusted his glasses and smiled simply, "There's no need for politeness. It's part of my job as an assistant to help the team's players. If you need anything, just ask."
Julian said, "Could you give me a quick rundown of the players on the field? I need to learn their names and positions."
Otherwise, if Coach Carter gives me a chance to play in a group match tomorrow and I don't even know who's playing where, I'll be in trouble.
Drummer put down his work and said with a smile, "Of course, no problem. I'll start with the goalkeeper."
He pointed to the large, tall player doing stretches on the court, "That guy with the fierce expression and stoic demeanor is our school team's goalie, Adelbaike Can Ning. His nickname is T-Rex."
T-Rex?
Based on this guy's look and gaze, the nickname seems fitting.
The 1-meter Rusty Stripe is already quite robust, but next to this "T-Rex," Rusty seems like the little brother.
Julian took a few more looks at the T-Rex, then his curiosity got the better of him. "I noticed that almost everyone on our school team has nicknames. Who gave them these names? What's the story behind them?"
Drummer adjusted his glasses and grinned, "Well, all our nicknames were given by Coach Carter, of course. Most of the time, he gives them to us when he's scolding us. And then, we just kind of stick. As for their meaning... you'll just have to figure it out for yourself."
What the heck?
So, these are the names Coach Carter gave them when he was mad?
I almost thought T-Rex was a cool, dominant nickname.
Why would a goalie be called T-Rex by Coach Carter?
Could it be... short arms? ? ?
Julian barely contained his laughter:
Damn, this old coach is too much! This nickname is too cruel, hahahahaha!
Drummer said with a smile, "It seems like you've figured it out. Yes, Coach Carter has a knack for pinpointing our characteristics. Every key player has a nickname given by him. Julian, I'm sure with your abilities, you'll get one soon. I'd advise you to perform well and avoid getting a nickname like 'short-handed T-Rex'."
"Thank you for the reminder," Julian said, slightly dumbfounded.
With my high EQ, I shouldn't be getting yelled at by Coach Carter, right?
Still, having a nickname sounds kind of fun.
I wonder what mine will be in the future?