Legendary Football Superstar

After lunch, we had a forty-five-minute tactical meeting, then hit the field for some formal training.

Luke, Logan, and Marcus shuffled along with the crowd, heading to the meeting room. Logan and Marcus were swapping stories about past tactical meetings, making it clear this was a whole different ball game from their college days.

"But you'll be fine," Logan said as they walked in. The room went dead silent, and his voice echoed. Logan froze, turning to see over thirty pairs of eyes staring at him—or more accurately, at Luke behind him.noveldrama

Logan's sudden stop made Luke halt too, and Marcus bumped into him. "Dude, traffic jam," Marcus grumbled. Complaints from outside the door sounded like a distant buzz.

The intense stares felt like needles piercing Luke's skin. He felt like a porcupine, bristling with arrows.

About thirty-three to thirty-five players stood there, arms crossed, chins up, radiating arrogance, waiting for Luke. Their presence was enough to make anyone's heart race, like a monster ready to pounce.

Avalis American players sure got the royal treatment, with all the pomp and circumstance.

Luke's eyes lit up a bit. He straightened his back and walked in confidently. The crowd parted, and the room buzzed back to life, though eyes still tracked Luke's every move. Luke scanned the room and picked a seat in the front row, sitting down calmly.

Having lived in the U.S. for years, Luke knew being part of "Avalis American" was like wearing a neon sign. Even if he tried to blend in, he'd still stand out. So, if low-key wasn't an option, he decided to go all out.

The trap was set. Instead of dodging it, he faced it head-on.

Marcus stared at Luke in disbelief. It was like a classroom where everyone tried to sit at the back to avoid the teacher, but Luke had boldly chosen the front row, right under the coach's nose. It was like walking into a trap.

Logan nudged Marcus, grinning. "Relax, sit down."

As a childhood neighbor and close friend, Logan knew Luke well. He wasn't one to take losses lightly. American high schools could be brutal, and without enough grit, Luke wouldn't have survived on the football team.

Logan had seen the spark in Luke's eyes earlier. Instead of worrying, he felt excited. Seeing Marcus's confused face, Logan said just one word before sitting next to Luke. "Bloody Bambi."

Marcus seemed to get it, sort of. After a moment, he sat down on Luke's other side. Suddenly, laughter erupted from the back of the room. It was so intense that everyone turned to see what was up. But no one answered, just whispers spreading, leading to more laughter.

"What's their deal? Have they lost it?" Marcus asked, frowning.

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Bet you a bag of chips it's about me."

The laughter came in waves, like spasms. Soon, it seemed like everyone at the back was in on the joke, but those in the front were left out, feeling excluded.

"Hey, rookie," a voice called out. Luke knew it was aimed at him. He turned, and a white cotton object was tossed at him, landing on his head. The room exploded in wild laughter.

It was a T-shirt, a clean cotton T-shirt.

These veteran players' pranks were weak, too childish, and too tame. If it were him, he would've messed with the T-shirt itself, maybe soaked it in something. As for what kind of liquid, that was up to the imagination. Luke even had time to critique their prank in his head.

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Amidst the laughter, Luke calmly took the T-shirt off his head and unfolded it. It had black text that read, "I just want to blow," next to a speech bubble with a photo of Luke from rookie training camp, as if the words were coming from his mouth.

The prank was crude and rough, but simple and direct. Among athletes, the cruder the joke, the better the effect.

"Bambi, I didn't know you had such a hobby," someone shouted, and the room erupted in laughter like a volcano.

Logan and Marcus exchanged worried glances, looking at Luke.

Unexpectedly, Luke stood up slowly, and under everyone's gaze, he put on the T-shirt. Then he turned to face all the players, smiling.

As Luke's calm actions and smile unfolded, the laughter in the room gradually died down. The rise and fall of the laughter, like an absurd comedy, left everyone dumbfounded and unsure of Luke's intentions.

Colin couldn't hold back and stepped forward, shouting, "Hey man, do you like it?"

"Of course, why not?" Luke said with a smile. "Does anyone on the team need service? You can line up here now. I didn't know so many people on the team were openly coming out."

Self-deprecation and self-mockery are always the best ways to counter pranks. Moreover, Luke wasn't just passively taking it; he was actively striking back.

Silence. Dead silence. The prank intended to mock Luke had backfired, and the insults were now directed at themselves. Caught off guard, everyone was stunned, looking at each other.

Colin gritted his teeth and angrily cursed, "Gay."

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"First one," Luke raised his right hand, holding up a finger, indicating that Colin was the first to "come out." No one dared to speak now, fearing they would become the second.

By the way, the finger Luke held up was the middle one.

Luke looked around the room, and no one dared to meet his eyes. Then Luke's voice broke the silence, "Come on, guys, it's just a joke, isn't it?" Luke initiated the attack and then defused it, dissolving the awkward and serious atmosphere. The veteran players were left speechless.

The victim of the prank had, in an instant, taken control of the situation.

Luke pointed to his T-shirt, "I mean, this T-shirt is just a prank, right?" So he retaliated in a prankish manner, not intending to hurt anyone's feelings. "Or is there really someone on the team who has a crush on me, and this is their confession?" Luke added, making a goofy face as if he didn't want to hurt the confessor's feelings.

A prank with obvious personal attacks and discrimination was defused by Luke with humor and wit, subtly breaking down the barriers between the players and bringing them closer.

Attack, defense, counterattack. This series of exchanges happened so quickly that before anyone could react, Luke had already taken control of the room's atmosphere, turning the situation around. Everyone was left a bit bewildered and unsure of what to do.

Alton Smith was the first to let out a chuckle, followed by Logan and Marcus, and then the other players, who began to laugh quietly. The atmosphere in the tactical meeting room gradually lightened.

Should they laugh? The players exchanged glances, unsure, but it seemed like smiling was the right choice, so they did.

Sitting among the crowd, Colin's face was livid, unable to say a word.

"Clown," a voice rang out, and the laughter abruptly stopped. Everyone turned to the source of the voice, and the instigator shouted again, "Attention-seeking clown! That T-shirt means you're gay. Can't you see that? We weren't joking with you; you're just stupid."

Luke's counter to the prank was so clever, humorous, and wise that it not only reversed the passive situation but also eased the tension between the rookies and the veterans. The process happened so quickly that some didn't understand and couldn't keep up, so they "kindly" stepped forward to explain.

Unbeknownst to them, their so-called explanation made them the real laughingstock. Simply put, they lacked intelligence. This was the real clown, making a fool of themselves without even realizing it.