THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Life in Academy IV

Grant's smile widened as he walked closer towards them. "I said you were a coward, the charity box Rosenborg had just fed here in Trondheim. One of you played a game and thought he was the star of this generation. But, he's just a loser like the others. ribbon." He grinned viciously at Zachary, who was already at the top of the stairs.

Zachary sighed softly. He did not believe that a professional athlete with such a foolish mindset existed in one of the leading international academies in the developed world.

Although Grant had graduated from the NF Academy and joined Rosenborg U-19, he still behaved like a child. He began taking verbal blows at Zachary when he saw him talking to Kristin before a match with the Vikings the year before.

"Let's go," said Zachary, turning away from Grant and his cronies. "We have to go to class." Zachary felt angry, but he knew he had to ignore the fool. He had no intention of jeopardizing his sports scholarship.

"Why do you put up with his insults?" Kasongo asked as soon as he stepped by her side.

Zachary glanced at Kasongo and shook his head. The short boy did not know the ways of the world. "Let me ask you this," he said. "What will I gain from fighting or fighting with him?"

"You can maintain your dignity and honor" Paul replied as they moved away from the stairs, through the hallway, and towards their second-floor classroom.

Zakaria smile. "I can't live with both." He stretched out his hand to emphasize his point. The others stopped bothering him once he gave them an answer. They remained silent, looking like they were contemplating— until they entered their small yet comfortable classroom.

A reading table with padded chairs is placed around the podium with a large whiteboard that runs from corner to corner one of the walls of — painted light green.

Another classmate of Zachary's has arrived. They stood in groups of two and three scattered throughout the classroom.

"You're finally here" muttered the female voice, slightly stammering, issuing consonants and vowels into an exotic Italian accent.

Zachary turned only to lock eyes with a stunning young woman with black hair worn in a long braid that fell over her slender shoulders. His brown eyes were smoldering with a sensuality that could easily capture the heart of the harshest man. Her dark green ruffled silk blouse could not hide the curves of her lush cleavage while her denim jeans stuck to her hips, accentuating her thigh line.

Paul, who considers himself Casanova, nudges himself between Zachary and the girl and bows a little at her. "Good morning, Marta." His conduct reflects knightly chivalry in old medieval films.

Marta Romano looked at Paul curvingly and said, "Your bow is not a little funny. You're turning into a parent."

"But the beautiful old man," said the voice of both—and the second beauty, indistinguishable from Marta except her hair was ponytailed. She looked like a supermodel in a fitting Rosenborg jersey. He hooked an arm over Paul's shoulder and added, "My brother was just fussy because of the long piano rehearsal yesterday."

"Good morning, Melissa," whispered Paul. "You look beautiful as always."

Melissa's mouth curved up forming a gentle smile. "Thank you," he said. "But you two are late today."

"Zach! How's practice?" said Marta. He had moved around Paul and his sister to stand beside Zachary once again.

"It's normal" Zachary replied with a smile. "How's your pianom training going?"

The two girls were among some of Zachary's classmates. They were both students at one of the music institutes in Trondheim. They also take classes with special programs for part-time students at TIS.

TIS is an international school that accommodates the needs of international students studying in Trondheim. Talented students from all fields can join a school for their secondary education.

"Just like always" answered Marta, once again staring at Zachary. "You have not fulfilled your promise" he said.

"Sorry about that." Zachary smiled shyly. He gestured for the girl to follow him away from the others. "Training has taken up most of my time. I can't take the time to do anything else." She added.

"If you come to me for a discussion, I will also confess to being busy training" muttered Marta.

"Why don't we adjust our plans to the autumn holidays" Zachary said. "We'll have plenty of free time by then."

"Is that a promise?" Martha asked, his tone serious.

"Yes that." Zachary nodded firmly.

"What do you two whisper?" Melissa interrupted their conversation as she positioned herself beside her sister. "Are you two ...?" However, before he could finish his question, the lecturer stepped through the door into the classroom.

"Let's calm the people—and let's learn German," said the male lecturer, sounding dramatic.

Zachary spent the next three hours cramming German words and sentences that he could not understand. At 1pm, he had a light lunch with his friends before sitting back in class to study algebra. Most students lose their spirits as the minutes go by. It was as if they were taking part in an intense 90-minute football game rather than going to college.

Zachary was always bored with equations and calculations during his math lessons. He would rather spend all his time on the field than in the classroom. But, he persisted in order to maintain his scholarship.

Fortunately, the class lasted only an hour. At the age of three, Zachary headed to the NF training ground, where he began a long week of pre-match training with his teammates and coach. He spent the whole night there and only returned to Moholt at 20:30 after a sumptuous dinner at the football academy.

After refreshing himself, he returned to his room and opened the system interface. He plans to make his first purchase from the system store after saving a large amount of Juju points over the past year.