Part-286

  James almost said, he is still stu that **Foolish Hobgoblin** boss. It's not like he could say that to him out loud.

  Ryan looked thoughtful, then patted James on the shoulder. “You’ll get it, man. You always do. Just take it oep at a time. You’ve got this petition to focus on now, and when you’re ready, you’ll get to yoal, too.”

  James appreciated the se. He wasn’t oo pin or overthink things too much, but having a friend like Ryan, someone who uood both the normal araordinary parts of his life, made everything feel more manageable.

  “Thanks, Ryan,” James said, his voice sincere. “I’ll figure it out.”

  As they walked together toward the bus stop, the weight of the day’s victories settled fortably on James’s shoulders. He had a long way to go, both iour and in his personal battles, but today roof that he was moving in the right dire. Whether on the judo mat or in the depths of the dungeon, he was ready for whatever came .

  The early m light seeped through the high windows of the indoor stadium, casting soft, golden beams across the polished floors. The hum of anticipation filled the air, a quiet but unmistakable energy rippling through Banani High’s Judo team. An hour before the Super 32 round of the National Judo petition, the team had gathered heir benches. Coach Gin stood before them, his sharp eyes sing the group with the calm, focused expression that had guided them through many matches before.

  “If anyone’s feeling unwell,” Coach Gin began, his voice carrying over the soft murmurs of the arena, “now’s the time to step down. We have backups, so there’s o push yourself too hard.” his gaze lingered on each pyer, as if daring someoo admit exhaustion or injury.

  James gnced around at his teammates, but no oepped forward. Sourov, the team’s heavyweight, cracked his knuckles with his usual grin; Ryan stretched his arms, the ever-fident middleweight. Even Zia, who’d suffered a tough loss the day before, was quietly focused. Everyone was ready. Despite the grueling pace of the tour—match after match with little rest—there was a resiliehat ran through their team like steel wire.

  Coach Gin nodded approvingly. “Good. Let’s check the schedule.”

  He turo the board where today’s matchups were posted. The names of teams flickered in bold letters across the digital s. James squirying to make out the names.

  Their oppo: **Jatrabari High**.

  Ryan leaned io James, his eyes narrowing in tration. “Jatrabari High,” he muttered. “They’re not that strong, judging by their lineup.”

  James turo him, curious. “You've seen their match?”

  Ryan nodded, his expression casual but his words serious. “Yeah, I watched them yesterday. They’ve got good physical pyers—strong, tough—but what they ck is skill. In Judo, no matter how physically strong you are, without teique, yonna hit the floor.”