Ethan and Jayden finally arrived at the football field of the school, the wide expanse of grass where the teams usually conducted their morning runs. They were one minute late, a monumental failure in Ethan's carefully structured life.
The basketball team was already gathered, waiting, alongside the football team. The two teams stood in uneasy proximity, a reflection of the deep-seated rivalry between their coaches. It was well known that the basketball team coach, Coach Miller, and the football team coach, Coach Byren, didn't get along for whatever reason.
So, Ethan wasn't surprised when the football coach, Coach Byren, seized the opportunity to launch an attack, purely in an attempt to irritate the man.
"What do we have here, Miller?" Coach Byren called out, a sneering smile pulling at his mouth. "Did your star player just arrive late for a morning run? Ah, ah, ah, I never thought something like this would happen."
Coach Miller, who had been waiting with the rest of his team, was already annoyed. He hadn't expected Ethan, who had never been one to be late since he joined the basketball team, to show up behind schedule.
Miller wasn't stupid. The only plausible reason he could think of was that Jayden, the new recruit, had probably delayed him. But he kept his thoughts to himself for the moment.
Instead of addressing his late players, Miller immediately turned toward Coach Byren and launched a counter-attack.
"You're just jealous of my basketball team," Miller retorted, his voice sharp and dismissive. "So, a loser like you will definitely have something to say about my team players normally. And even though he appeared late, it was only a minute later and not that long, Byren."
Coach Byren snickered, shaking his head dramatically. "I'm not jealous of your team because there's nothing to be jealous of," he snapped. "I just can't get over how the school favors one team than the other. The school already favored your basketball team very much and they give you so much resources, which is totally unfair. They are acting like football isn't a sport to invest in. They always think of the basketball team first, which is totally unfair."
Byren threw his hands up, indicating the field they were standing on. "Now you guys can't even find a place to run! You just have to come here to our football field to run. Aren't you making me angry on purpose?"
Coach Miller's expression hardened. "You're just feeling less," he replied, aiming for the psychological hit. "That's why you're getting angry for no reason. The track team of the school are using the track racecourse to practice; of course, we can't impose on them. And the football field is big and is very suitable for running, so what's the big deal about borrowing your field to run every morning? You're just making a mountain out of a molehill."
Coach Byren's face flushed a deep red. He became angry and frustrated, jabbing his finger aggressively at Coach Miller. "You! Who are you calling less?"
Coach Miller maintained his calm, sarcastic demeanor. "I never called you less," he clarified, drawing out the words. "I only said you feel less. So, if you think that you're less, then it's none of my business."
Coach Byren was speechless with rage. He raised his hand once again at Coach Miller and sputtered, "You, you, you!" He couldn't form a coherent sentence. In the end, he wasn't able to say anything more. He simply spun on his heel, commanded his football team to follow, and left the field in a huff.
Coach Miller watched him go, letting out a small snicker. He shook his head to himself, muttering, "He cannot win, but he still chooses to argue with me every day. Hmph."
Coach Miller then finally turned towards Ethan and Jayden. The levity was gone, replaced by the seriousness of discipline. "Why did you arrive late, boys?" he demanded, focusing his gaze first on his captain. "Ethan, you've never been one to arrive late, so how come you're late today?"
Ethan's reply to Coach Miller was immediate and cold, a form of self-condemnation. "I'm very sorry, Coach. It won't happen again." To Ethan, since he arrived late, it was totally his fault for arriving late. If he hadn't wasted his time trying to wake Jayden up, of course he wouldn't have arrived late, so he had no excuse. He would not shift the blame.
Jayden looked at Ethan, appearing surprised. He hadn't expected Ethan, especially after their argument minutes earlier, wouldn't tell the coach that the reason he had arrived late was because of him. But Jayden was not one to let someone take the fall for his mistakes, especially not the Ice Prince. He quickly stepped forward.
"I overslept, Coach," Jayden admitted honestly. "So, he became late from waiting for me to arrive. I'm very sorry."
The coach then nodded his head, absorbing the explanation. He looked at both of them. "It might not really be Ethan's fault that he arrived late, but he still arrived late," Miller said firmly. "So, you two will both get punished. You guys have to run four extra laps, after your usual morning run."
Ethan had no problem with that. His sense of justice dictated that the time missed must be paid back. He answered coldly, "Yes, Coach."
Jayden, however, couldn't help but find that unfair. He tried to appeal the ruling. "But it's my fault that he arrived late. Why did he have to run extra laps with me?"
Coach Miller then said to Jayden, "That doesn't matter. He still got here late. So, next time, you should consider waking up earlier so you won't implicate others. Now, start running."
Ethan was the first to move. He smoothly transitioned into his powerful running form and started running. The others from the basketball team immediately started running after Ethan too, falling into formation.
Jayden, seeing that he can't convince the coach or change the punishment, could only run after the team, venting his frustration through his pace.
During their run, they sometimes passed by the football team, who were running too, conducting their own drills. However, the two teams did not talk to each other. The coaches' disdain for each other had been passed down to the two teams too, so they maintained a chilly distance.
The basketball team, once they were safely away from Coach Miller. They began to gently tease their ultra-disciplined captain.
Adam fell back a little, close enough to address Ethan. "Oh, my dear Captain," he said, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. "How do you feel now that your daily routine has been broken, and you're late for the first time? How do you feel from this misfortunate event?"
Zach too couldn't help but add to the jest. "Yes, Captain, please tell us how you feel! It must be so destabilizing!"
Ethan knew that his teammates are teasing him on purpose. They were trying to get a rise out of the famously unflappable Ice Prince.
Ethan, who had never been one to joke or engage in casual banter, did not answer their questions.
Instead, he turned his head just enough to give them a cold, hard look. "If you have so much mouth to ask me irrelevant questions," he said, his voice flat and perfectly controlled, "you might as well put that energy into running with extra energy."
After delivering the reprimand, Ethan put his words into action. He started running ahead of the team members, increasing his speed and leaving them behind, forcing them to push harder to keep up.