▷ GAME SET
Kahuku: 32
Waianae: 00
# August 27, 2016
#-1. Oahu, Hawaii
#-2. Honolulu
Yesterday's game against Waianae clearly exposed the team's problems and limitations. However, I wasn't disappointed at all. If anything, I saw even greater potential. Every corner of this team was overflowing with room for growth.
Thinking back, it was always like that. In my past life, ever since I started working as the Offensive Coordinator for the New York Jets, I used to tell my players out of habit:
The fact that today isn't our "best" yet...
"Means that we're gonna be the best someday."
"Damn! You're hopelessly optimistic, aren't you?"
"Heh heh. Yeah, I've heard that a lot."
"You know what?"
"What?"
"Sometimes you talk exactly like a 50-year-old man."
"Maybe it's because I grew up around a lot of adults."
"Must be."
Since it was Saturday, I invited my friends over to the house. Sol-J couldn't make it because of his part-time job, but Marcus, Kaonohi, and our senior wide receiver, Royce Pao, took the bus down south. Grandma put out so much food for my friends I thought the table might actually collapse.
"Marcus is really shoveling it in."
"He's a lineman. He can afford to gain some weight."
"True."
Marcus, who dreams of being the Center for the offensive line, isn't exactly massive for the position. 5'10" and 280 lbs. For a kid who just turned 15, he's sturdy, but to be a Center in college or beyond, he needs to get bigger—or at least turn that mass into muscle. Right now, he's mostly water weight.
"I'm thinking of telling him to try wrestling." "Wrestling?"
"Yeah. Didn't you know? The school wrestling coach is dying to get him. You know that guy sitting in the stands on Thursday? That was him."
Royce Pao shook his head like it was news to him. I shook mine too.
"Damn—how are you a senior and you know less than I do?"
"Hey, I'm a busy guy."
"Ha. Bite me."
At the "Bite me," Royce laughed and put his arm around my shoulder. Royce is your typical "good guy" popular kid. Not the bully type—the exact opposite. He's currently in football, soccer, baseball, and track, and he even started playing golf last year. On top of that, he's on the student council. Sometimes it feels like he's the busiest person in the entire school. Despite all that, he maintains a GPA above 3.5. (Kahuku uses a 4.0 scale).
When I first saw him getting off the bus today, I honestly thought, 'Is this a prank?'
"Phew—" Royce stretched his arms wide. His eyelids looked heavy.
"Feeling sluggish?"
"Yeah. Ate way too much."
"Now you see why I gain a kilo every weekend?"
"Haha. Yeah, now I believe you."
"Shit. Grandma cooks too well."
"That's a blessing, Bro. You should try my mom's cooking."
"I heard it was legendary for being terrible." "Don't even get me started."
We chatted about our families for a bit before the conversation naturally drifted toward college prospects.
"I'm thinking of dropping the other sports soon."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I need to focus on football. Thanks to you, NCAA scouts are showing up almost every day. I can't waste this chance."
"Snatch that opportunity up, then."
Every Friday when there's a game, the local Hawaii news starts with me. The first thing they mention is how many college scouts attended. Yesterday, there were about 150.
Royce had decided to go all-in on football for college, and now I understood why he was able to come over today—normally, he'd be at soccer practice on Saturdays and baseball on Sundays.
"I definitely want to go NCAA. If I end up in Junior College, life's gonna be too tough." "Probably."
"Shit. How do you know all this stuff? You're a freshman!"
"I did my research since I was a kid."
"Damn—you really have a plan for everything, don't you?"
"Hell Yeah."
Junior Colleges (NJCAA) are the lowest tier. Most players there dream of transferring to the NCAA after two years. However, NJCAA Division 1 offers full scholarships. The NAIA is a bit more competitive than NJCAA, with their D1 being similar to NCAA Division 2, so scouts visit them often. If you don't dream of the NFL, NJCAA is a smart choice for a scholarship, but for the pros, the NCAA is a must.
"So, about that..."
"Yeah?"
"Count me in."
"In what?" "Don't play dumb. The extra work you're doing with the other guys."
"...You serious, Bro?"
Royce nodded with a dead-serious face. I beamed and held out my hand.
"Damn! Let's get to work then!"
"Haha. I'm looking forward to it."
Even though it had only been three days (Tuesday to Thursday), the effects showed in yesterday's game. Sekope, who used to miss assignments or show bad habits, recorded 6 catches for 48 yards. Considering he only had 4 catches for 21 yards in the first two games combined, it was his best game of the season.
"Shit, now I need to recruit a Cornerback." "Oh, leave that to me."
"You have someone in mind?"
"Yeah."
"Who?"
"Kaluna Nihipali. Number 40. You know him?" "Ah—are you guys close?"
"Best friends. I've been looking out for him since he was a freshman."
The Cornerback (CB) position is, simply put, the defender who marks the wide receivers. Along with Safeties, they are the last line of defense. To play CB, you need to be long and fast. A great CB can "lock down" an entire side of the field, making the defense's job much easier. In our team, Kaluna Nihipali is the best.
"It won't be easy, though."
"Because of the Huamatu clan?"
"Yeah."
"Well, Loto hangs out with us just fine."
I remembered Wednesday—Loto tried to join us, but Sioele suddenly shouted at him. Loto hesitated, looking like he really wanted to stay, but eventually turned back. It would be a huge help if Loto joined, but Sioele is still acting like a ball and chain.
"I'll handle Kaluna."
"Alright. I'll count on it."
I looked toward the house and saw Marcus still stuffing his face. Grandma just brought out another plate. It was a mountain of food, and I swear Marcus flinched when she set it down.
I bet he's terrified right now.
"I told you not to underestimate the head of the Stone household."
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"Nothing. Let's go in. I need to save Marcus." "Shit. We're eating again?"
"No. I'm taking him out for a walk."
"Good idea."
I went inside, kicked Kaonohi awake—he was passed out on the sofa—and looked toward the kitchen. Marcus was sending out a pathetic S.O.S. with his eyes. I told you so, man. Why did you bravely say you could eat it all? I shook my head and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
"We're going for a walk!!"
"Don't be too late, dear!"
"Okay! Do you need help clearing the plates?!" "No, it's fine. I'll do it."
Aunt Mel came to the table, wiping her hands on her apron. I asked if she needed anything.
"Ice cream. Golden Medal Ribbon flavor."
"Got it."
I was planning to hit the store with my friends anyway, so I grabbed my wallet and headed out. Marcus was belching non-stop. I kicked him in the ass because I couldn't stand the sight of it.
"Dumbass."
Grandma's house is in a place called ĀinaHaina in Honolulu. In Hawaiian, it means "Hidden Land." It's quiet, beautiful, and a great place to live. I want to settle here when I'm old. In this hidden land, my grandmother is like a tribal chief, respected by everyone.
Mom is tough, but Grandma is on another level. She's the most amazing person I know. I'm proud of my Korean blood because she's the one who tamed a Polynesian man. Mom did the same, actually.
"Whoa. This view is something else."
"Right? I love this spot."
"I can see why."
When I was first reborn and saw this scenery after living in the concrete jungle of New York, I actually teared up a bit. My friends seemed to find peace here, too. We all offered a silent prayer. It's a trait of islanders—always being grateful for nature. Without nature, humans can't survive. We're too weak on our own.
"You guys are all crashing here tonight, right?" "Wait, we're staying over?"
"You don't have a choice, Marcus."
"Shit. Let me call my mom."
"How old are you? Seven?"
"Shh!"
Look at Marcus. A giant acting like a little kid.
"Like that's anything new."
"True."
Kicking the ass of my friend who was huddled over his phone, we started walking again. This is a happiness I never felt in my past life. I really love this life.
# August 30, 2016
#-1. Oahu, Hawaii
#-2. Honolulu, Kahuku CDP
#-3. Kahuku High School
#-4. Football Field
Sekope, Marcus, and Kaonohi aren't here today because of make up classes. So, I'm focusing on Royce.
"How many routes are there total?"
"Let's see... five?"
"Want to draw them out?"
Every wide receiver has their own way of running. We call those Routes. Routes are generally a mix of 7 basic techniques:
.
Slant: The most common and preferred route. Take three or four steps, then cut diagonally.
Hitch: Run a few yards, then turn back toward the QB. The key is to make it unpredictable.
Come Back: Same as a hitch, but turn away from the QB.
Out: Run forward, then make a 90-degree turn toward the sideline. (Deep/Flat/Quick Out).
Post: Aim for the goalposts. Run 5-7 yards, then break toward the center of the field.
Corner: Same as a Post, but break toward the corner of the end zone.
Go: Just run straight as fast as you can. Used when the receiver's speed is elite.
.
"Something like this?"
"Hmm."
Since there's usually such a gap in skill between us and our opponents, I hadn't worried too much, but Royce Pao's route tree was a bit thin.
"Better to add two more."
"How?"
"Nothing new, just add techniques to what you already have."
"Oh, that'll be easy then."
"Exactly."
I took the pen and added two lines.
"How about it? Can you memorize them now?"
"...."
Oh. And Royce brought Kaluna Nihipali. Sioele got pissed off, obviously, but Kaluna didn't seem to give a damn.
"Interesting. Let's do it."
"Start with this first."
"Yeah."
For a wide receiver, routes are the absolute basics. They've been doing them since they started football, so they pick them up quickly.
"How's it feel?"
"Good. Not awkward at all."
"Just run the right lines. I'll put the ball on you."
That's the magic sentence that makes any wide receiver feel like a king. We continued training for a while until the sun started to set.
"Let's call it here."
"I'll help you clean up."
"Nah, it's fine. Just grab the balls. I'll handle the rest."
"You sure?"
"Yup. I live here."
"You know you're a bit weird, right?"
"This is what a 'Stone' looks like, kid." "Bullshit. You're a freshman."
"Giggle giggle."
The closer I get to my teammates, the more influence I have as a QB. In that regard, this extra time has been a huge help.
"I'm out."
"See ya tomorrow."
Royce and Kaluna left the field. I loaded the equipment onto a handcart and pushed it toward the storage shed. I was going to lock up and head back to the dorm. But then.
Clatter.
Boom.
"Huh?"
The storage door suddenly slammed shut. And standing there was...
"Stephanie?"
Stephanie, who I thought had been laying low lately, was there. She lunged at me. Physically. My crisis detection sense went into overdrive.
Wait, is this bitch crazy? Why is she trying to take off her shirt and bra?
I quickly looked away and bolted. I heard her panicked voice behind me, but I didn't care. I kept running and then took a massive leap. There was a stack of boxes in front of me—maybe 2 meters high?
I tucked my body and landed right on top of the boxes. I couldn't help but let out a shout.
"Whoo!!"
Holy shit! I actually cleared that? Damn, I'm good!
Leaving the completely frozen Stephanie behind, I opened a high window and jumped outside. I could hear her screaming from inside the shed.
"YOU PIECE OF SHIT—!!!!"
"What a damnbitch."
Honestly, I didn't think she'd go that far. Why the hell is she doing this? Disgusted, I ran back to the dorms and asked Tamati to make sure Stephanie never gets near me.
"Again?"
"You wouldn't believe what just happened." "Haha. Fine, I'll protect you."
"Thanks."
"Oh, and..."
"?"
"The food was great. Tell your grandmother she's an amazing cook."
"Hell Yeah."
Before coming back on Sunday, I had packed the leftovers for my friends and a separate portion for Tamati. The fact that the fridge was still full is a secret. How big are Grandma's hands, seriously?
As soon as I got to my room, I grabbed my shower kit and scrubbed myself harder than ever before.
Shit. Nothing happened, but I feel dirty. I did learn one lesson, though: a high school girl who wants to be "Queen" by dating a QB is ready to strip at a moment's notice.
"Ugh, damn. I thought about it again."
Feeling disgusted, I lathered up again and picked up the loofah I'd dropped. This is going to be the longest shower of this life—actually, both my lives combined.
Because of that damnbitch.