I Would Rather Be a Rogue [BL] Chapter 237: Table Tennis Lesson

The pack house was still dark and quiet when Felix and Cael went to have their first training session the next day. It was still very early in the morning, just past 4 AM, long before breakfast. None of the pack mbers had even gotten up for their morning shifts just yet, well, perhaps aside from so of the kitchen staff and the bakers, but since the two of them didn’t pass by the kitchen, Felix didn’t know for sure.

As to why they were up so early, just to practice table tennis for the rather insignificant tournant organized for ’fun’ by Lyla? That was Cael’s idea. It wasn’t that he didn’t have any ti during the day, but... If they went to the ga room when the pack mbers were all up and awake, then there was no way they could do it without getting spotted. Even if Cael asked everyone out and locked the ga room, it would be obvious what they were doing. And they would lose the elent of surprise this way, or so Cael had said. It would be funnier if Lyla thought that Felix was completely unprepared, and then for Felix to strike back, displaying great... or at least decent skills.

Was that really necessary? Felix didn’t think so. But since that was Cael’s suggestion, then he had no reason to refuse. If Cael himself wanted to get up so early... And who knew, maybe he didn’t do it just for Felix’s or Kade’s sake. Perhaps he also wanted to do sothing against Lyla?

They walked down the stairs, and into the ga room. It was empty at that ti, although the faint scent of Alphas’ pheromones mixed with alcohol was still hanging in the air. It seed that so of the pack mbers must have been playing gas here until late at night.

Cael flipped the switch, and locked the door behind them. They didn’t want anyone coming to disturb them, or else what was the point of getting up so early?

"Alright. You’ve said that you’ve played before, right?" Cael asked to confirm, handing Felix one of the paddles. "Should we play a ga or two first, then? I would like to see what we’re working with."

"Okay." Felix nodded in agreent. He accepted the paddle and the ball, took a place on one end of the table, and once they both were ready, he served the first ball.

Cael... was good. Very good. Just how good, Felix couldn’t quite tell, but much better than him, that’s for sure. He returned all the balls with ease, without even trying. He didn’t put too much effort into it, though, only matching Felix’s level, and sotis returning a harder ball to challenge Felix a little bit more. That in itself was proof of his skill.

Which was a good thing, of course. If he were hardly better than Felix, then Felix couldn’t possibly hope to learn much from him, now could he?

"Alright, let’s pause here for a second." Eventually, Cael caught the ball, and circled the table to get to Felix’s side. "You’re not too bad, but there are a few things I noticed. First, when you serve..."

He started explaining all of Felix’s mistakes one by one, correcting his posture and his strokes, asking Felix to repeat the sa action several tis, until he could get it right. Felix listened carefully, obediently following all of the instructions...

"...You know, you’re far more cooperative than I expected," Cael said all of a sudden, almost startling Felix.

"H-huh?"

Where did that co from?

"Ah, sorry. Perhaps I didn’t word it well. What I ant is that I thought you’re the type that wants to do things your own way no matter what," Cael explained.

But Felix was still confused. Yes, he obviously liked to do things his own way, because who didn’t? But he had no problems cooperating. In fact, ever since he had co to the Bloodmoon Pack, he had hardly voiced his own opinions, and mostly adjusted to what the leader and the Luna expected of him...

Or so he thought. Could it be that he had misunderstood sothing, and had actually been acting out of line all this ti?

Seeing his consternation, Cael quickly reassured him. "Don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong," he said, as if guessing Felix’s thoughts. "It’s just that you never discuss your issues with any of us, and are unwilling to accept our help, so I thought..."

"Ah, that’s not it, that’s not it at all!" Felix rushed to explain himself. "I don’t want to be a bother, that’s why I prefer to solve all those minor issues on my own..."

"Hmm, I get it... But don’t you think that others might find your current behavior even more botherso?"

"...What?" Felix blinked, looking up at Cael. He had absolutely no idea what the Oga was talking about.

"Well... For the people who care about you, it might be more botherso when you hide problems from them and don’t accept their help... Or, perhaps ’botherso’ is not the right word. It just makes people worry even more about you, you know?"

"...Huh." Felix paused, lowering his head, and staring blankly at the paddle in his hand. He... never thought about it that way. There hadn’t been many people who cared about him in his life, so that wasn’t sothing he ever had to face. Back in the Moonhill Pack... There was his mother, of course, but she was always sick and often bed-bound, ever since Felix could rember. And he hid things from her even when he was being bullied. However, since she had already been worried plenty about him because of their situation within the pack, he couldn’t tell whether his hiding things made things any better or worse for her. As for the others... There had been Tyler, but Felix didn’t even want to think about the Beta now, if whatever they had had even been genuine.

So, he never really thought that way. But looking at it from the other side... If soone he cared about hid things from him, he would surely be worried.

That’s why he had been so concerned when Remi had been hiding his condition from him, after all...

Cael observed him for a while, as Felix mulled over what he had just been told. Then, he let out a quiet sigh, and interrupted the silence, snapping Felix out of his thoughts,

"Let’s play another ga. Try to put what I’ve just taught you into practice!"