Battle Of Planets

Chapter 65: competition
The Following MorningLara skipped breakfast with the team, too embarrassed to face Tyson. She feared he might scold her—or worse, tell her to stay away from him forever. The thought alone made her stomach churn, so she did what she could—she avoided him.

But Tyson wasn’t going to let that happen. He had been trying to find a moment alone with her, and it didn’t take long before he finally succeeded.

He discovered her seated on a metal box near the entrance of the mines, observing as machines rumbled by, transporting mine workers to their stations.

”Hey,” he called, walking toward her slowly.

Lara stiffened, her heart pounding as she jumped to her feet. Nervous. A bit frightened.

”You alright?” he asked.

She nodded quickly, squeezing her eyes shut to calm herself.

”Good,” he said, scratching the back of his head. He wasn’t sure how to handle this. He had never been in a situation like this before, and discussing things had never been his strong suit.

”I’m sorry about what happened, Senior,” Lara finally said, her voice soft and tremulous. His silence only heightened her anxiety, making her feel as if he were about to push her away.

Tyson looked at the mines and saw a worker casting a fleeting, inquisitive glance at them before vanishing inside. ”Oh...” he sighed, redirecting his attention back to her. ”Listen, it’s fine. I just wanted to clarify... I have a girlfriend, so that you know, right?”

Lara nodded quickly, clutching the hem of her sleeve as she struggled to hold back tears. ”I know... it’s just...”

”Hey, please don’t cry,” Tyson said as he approached her. His voice turned gentle while he wiped a stray tear from her cheek. ”I’m not here to scold you or anything, alright?”

Lara looked up at him, her heart tightening in her chest. A few workers around them stole glances in their direction, but Tyson paid them no mind.

”I’m not crying...” Lara said with a small smile, quickly brushing away any lingering tears. ”You’re not mad at me, right, Senior?”

Tyson chuckled. ”No, I’m not. I was just... surprised, that’s all.”

A flicker of hesitation crossed her face before she softly murmured, ”Did you like it?”

”What?” Tyson blinked, having not caught her words.

”Did you have breakfast?” she blurted out, her voice a tad too loud.

He raised an eyebrow but let it go. ”Yeah, I did,” he said, glancing toward the mines. ”I’m heading inside. Want to come along?”

”Yes!” she exclaimed, her mood brightening immediately. ”I’ll follow you, Senior!”

Tyson shook his head with a smirk and began to walk away. Lara lingered for a moment, watching him leave. I’ve learned from you, Senior... no matter how strong the opponent is, you have to stand your ground and face them—just like you did back there.

Determination swelled in her chest. I won’t give up. With that in mind, she wiped her cheeks and hurried after him.

---

Evening at the Race Field

Tyson’s team stood beside him, while Alex’s team—entirely of girls—lined up across from them. The two Sergeants faced one another, Alex smirking with amusement as Tyson appeared thoroughly annoyed.

”Why did he have to be our opponent?” Tyson muttered, irritation tinging his voice.

The sergeant supervising the match hesitated before answering, clearly uneasy. ”It’s... random, Sergeant,” he said, feeling helpless.

Ken snickered from the sidelines, barely suppressing his laughter. He thought smugly, ”You’ll know what it feels like to be bullied by a stronger opponent.” Although he wouldn’t dare say it out loud—he understood all too well that if the devil Tyson heard him, his training sessions would turn into absolute hell.

”It’s a one-on-one match where cadets will compete,” the sergeant announced. ”Each win awards five points for every race.”

”So, if we beat all our opponents, we’ll earn at least twenty points?” A girl from Alex’s team grinned. ”That’s awesome! We can help Sir Alex win!”

”Only if you win,” Lara retorted from the sidelines, determination gleaming in her eyes. ”I promise I’ll beat you.”

”Right,” Tyson laughed. ”You’d better be ready to lose.”

”We’ll see,” Alex said, smirking as he rejoined his team.

Tyson faced his group. ”Gather around,” he commanded, and his team moved in close. ”You’re strong guys. You can take those girls down, right?”

Bee nodded enthusiastically, while Shaun stayed quiet.

Lara frowned. ”Senior, you shouldn’t say that. I’m a girl too, and I could easily take on these three idiots.”

”You’re right. I was trying to motivate everyone.” Tyson sighed. ”I’m not good at this, but listen—we must beat them.”

”Why?” Ken smirked. ”He’s your brother. Why should we help you take him down?”

Tyson exhaled slowly, aware that Ken was always tough to handle. But he had a plan.

”Bee, if you win your match, I’ll have Ken run your two miles instead,” Tyson said, patting Bee on the back.

Bee’s eyes sparkled excitedly, while Ken’s grew wide in horror. ”T-That’s not fair!”

Tyson smirked. ”Everything’s fair in love and war.”

Lara chuckled as Ken glared.

”But if you win, Ken,” Tyson continued, ”then I’ll have Bee run all of his miles—and maybe even yours.”

”NO!” Bee shouted.

Ken’s expression changed instantly, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. ”Oh, this is going to be fun,” he said as he cracked his knuckles. ”Just you wait, Bee. I’m going to make you cry.”

Bee protested with a stammer while Ken laughed, already behaving like victory was his.

Tyson smiled to himself. He solved the problem by offering them rewards and ensuring his team would give their all. However, not everyone could secure a win—Shaun, for example, was better suited for studies and technical tasks. His chances against a physical opponent were slim.

”Shaun, just do your best,” Tyson said before turning to Lara. ”What about you? Do you want a reward?”

Lara’s cheeks flushed pink at a thought that crossed her mind, but she swiftly brushed it away. ”I-I already received my reward, Senior.”

Everyone turned to her in shock. Bee’s jaw dropped, and Tyson appeared puzzled.

”I mean... having a team like ours is the greatest reward,” she said shyly, avoiding their gazes.

Ken leaned toward Bee and whispered, ”See? I told you she’s into me.”

Bee’s mouth twitched. He wanted to tell Ken to be quiet, but he knew better. If he did, he’d get beaten up. So, he stayed silent.

The first match was arranged between Lara and a girl from Alex’s team, while the other cadets stood on the sidelines, watching.

”I will win,” Lara whispered, her eyes filled with determination.

”No way! I have to win!” the other girl declared. ”I want to touch Sir Alex’s abs—I can’t miss this opportunity!”

Lara blinked, momentarily taken aback. Did she just say... touching Alex’s abs? Was that their reward?

Regret washed over her like a wave. If I had known we could request something like that, I would have... She shook her head, pushing the thought aside. No, I already received the best reward, she reminded herself, glancing at Tyson.

The sergeant blew the whistle.

Both girls burst forward in a blur of motion. In just a few seconds, Lara crossed the finish line first.

Her team burst into cheers—even Ken, who, in his delusions, thought she was the girl of his dreams.

Alex, however, stayed unfazed. Meanwhile, his team erupted in a frenzy, yelling at their teammate for squandering such a golden opportunity.

The defeated girl sauntered toward Alex, about to cry.

Alex ruffled her hair, a silent reassurance that it was okay.

The rest of his team, however, became statues. Their stares were fixed on the girl with sheer envy. She’s the fortunate one. Our Lord touched her, so what if it’s just her head?

Lara stuck her tongue out at the defeated girl before returning to Tyson’s side while Shaun prepared for his race.

Alex nodded reassuringly at his teammate. ”You’re going to win this one.”

The race ended with Shaun’s defeat. His opponent jumped high in excitement, celebrating her victory.

Alex glanced at his bracelet, observing as five more points were added to his team’s score. He then turned to Tyson with a smug smirk.

Tyson scowled. ”Hey, look at him acting all high and mighty,” he grumbled. Then, turning to his team, he growled, ”You two better win, or I’ll kick your butts.”

Bee and Ken gulped in unison.

A long silence followed while Alex’s team cheered, celebrating their three wins and one loss. Tyson’s face twitched in frustration—losing to Alex of all people made his blood boil.

Ken avoided Tyson’s gaze as if his life depended on it, while Bee did his best to stay quiet. Deep down, Bee knew that even if he lost, things wouldn’t be too bad for him. Ken had it worse—he had to run 12 miles while I only had to run 8. Plus, Sergeant hated Ken the most, so I’d be fine.

”See you later, loser,” Alex mocked as he walked off the field, his girls’ team trailing behind him like a royal entourage.

Lara watched them leave, her mind lingering on their so-called reward. ”Touching his abs, huh...?”

”What?” Tyson asked, noticing her mumbling. Lara stiffened, her cheeks flushing. ”T-touching his abs?” Tyson repeated, raising an eyebrow.

”N-nothing, Senior!” she stammered, her gaze fixed on the ground as her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink.

The group prepared for Tyson’s inevitable outburst at losing to Alex. But to their surprise, instead of fuming, Tyson’s expression changed. A slow, almost sinister grin spread across his face.

He had an idea—a very refreshing idea. And judging by the look in his eyes, Alex was about to suffer. He turned to Ken and Bee.

”Hey, I have a task for you two. You better say yes, or you’re in big trouble!”