Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 654

“The announcer is back on stage.” Just as the audience was buzzing with speculation, someone shouted out.

Instantly, all eyes turned to the stage, a mix of tension and anticipation in the air. Forfeit or continue—they would soon have their answer.

“Neverfall Navigators has decided to use their substitution,” the announcer’s voice boomed through the arena. “The player from position 3 will be replaced by a new team member.”

A new team member? The announcement surprised not only the audience but also the players from Digital Sabers. Neverfall Navigators had a tiny roster. Weren’t their two designated substitutes being maliciously detained by the Batonian authorities? Could it be one of the team’s rookies?

A rookie wouldn’t be much help; they’d probably just mess up the team’s rhythm. What was Neverfall Navigators thinking?

“A desperate, last-ditch effort,” a player from Digital Sabers sneered, clearly unconcerned by the substitution.

The crowd below seemed to agree. There was no major shift in the downcast mood.

“Hasn’t Juniper come back yet?” Qadir looked around but couldn’t see her, wondering aloud, “Did the match upset her so much that she ran off to the bathroom to cry?”

They all knew how much Juniper loved this game.

“I’ll go comfort her.” Qadir pulled out his phone, opened WhatsApp, and started typing a message to Juniper, mustering all the comforting words he knew.

Before he could finish, a wave of gasps and shouts erupted from the crowd.

“Whoa—”

Qadir was too busy typing to look up at the stage.

“Whoa—”

It wasn't until he heard Queenie, Dolce, and Hattie all gasp in unison that he finally raised his head, curious.

“Holy crap!”

When he saw the new player for Neverfall Navigators, Qadir’s jaw dropped, and the phone in his hand clattered to the floor.

How could the new player be Juniper?

“Queenie, pinch me,” Qadir said to Queenie, still in a daze. “This feels too surreal. I must be dreaming.”

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