《My system allows me to copy talents》


 Chapter 1: Rebirth

    <h4>Chapter 1: Rebirth</h4>


    Beep!! Beep!! Beep!!


    "What? What''s that sound ringing in my head?"


    Hiro mumbled in a soft voice.


    "Is it the chime of the bells of the heaven?"


    He mumbled while trying to figure out the identity of the sound.


    At first it sounded like the chimes of bells but as he continued to listen further, the sound started to be rather annoying.


    "Argh!! Stop it already!!"


    Hiro woke up to the sounds of the rm clock. In a state of sleep deprivation he found himself in a room which seemed like it belonged to a child.


    "Am I not dead yet?"


    He mumbled in disbelief while looking at his surrounding.


    Everything around him was rather familiar and strange at the same time. Infront of him, the wall was decorated by posters of iconic football yers. Portraits of Pel, Maraona, Iniesa, Javi, Honna, Jhinji kagawa, Kurosaki Miura were among the posters. But what stood out the most among those posters was the two posters which were bigger than the rest.


    The two posters were pasted side by side. Each of them unting their balon d''Or, one was the picture of Christian Romero in Real Madrid''s jersey while the other was the picture of Andreas Messi in Barcelona''s jersey.


    "Even when I want to die, I can''t stop thinking of football huh?"


    While looking at the poster infront of him, he mumbled while revealing a gentle smile.


    "Whatever!! I''m sure it must be a dream. It must be a shback of the past. Yeah it must be a shback that I''m witnessing before I leave this world."


    Reassuring himself that he was just having shbacks of the past, he closed his eyes, awaiting for his consciousness to fade away.


    He kept his eyes closed and patiently waited for his consciousness to fade away.


    Tick!! Tick!! Tick!!


    The clock continued to tick, but his consciousness wasn''t fading. Infact it didn''t seem like it would fade any time sooner.


    "Huh? What''s happening? Why is my consciousness not fading away??"


    He mumbled with a slight irritation.


    "I''m sure that I died. So why is my consciousness still not fading away?"


    Just like Hiro had mentioned. He indeed had already died. He died aftermitting suicide.


    At the age of 27 when hisst hope of bing a professional football yer was shattered by the jealousy of some rowdy teenagers, he hadmitted suicide by walking infront of the moving truck.


    Hiro who used to love football more than anything else from his early childhood was considered a genius of football. From an early age he showed great interest in football. And to back his interest, he was exceptionally gifted as well.


    His father a football enthusiast, used to have lots of items rted to football in their home. He collected every world cup ball, various jerseys and posters of great footballers.


    Even his interest in football started when his father was ying with him. At the age of one, his father yfully tossed a football towards him. Even though he couldn''t kick the ball because he hadn''t learnt to walk yet. He headed the ball with his head while walking on his four legs.


    That act shocked his father and made him smile. He jokingy said that he would be the greatest footballer in the. And he continued to toss the ball towards him and everytime he tossed the ball towards him he would head the ball towards his father.


    Seeing him only heading the ball, his father started to teach him how to kick the ball. Lost in his enthusiasm, his father forgot that his son was still a kid who hadn''t learnt to walk yet.


    However he would still try to kick the ball with his feet. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t kick the ball.


    And as he grew older, his interest in football only deepened. Wherever he went he carried his football. Even a stray bottle that was left stranded on the road looked like a football from his perspective.


    He would kick the bottle with acute precision into the garbage bin, while imaging himself taking a freekick for the country at the world cup.


    Witnessing his enthusiasm, his father assumed that he would grow up to be a great footballer one day. And he sure did live up to his expectations until something bad happened to him.


    His father being a football enthusiast himself, provided him with everything he needed to train himself. However everytime his father would take him to buy a new jersey or boot, his mother would scold them both.


    Afterall they belonged to a middle ss family. And lower middle ss family to be more precise. The money his parents earnt were barely enough to cover the rent and groceries.


    So football was a luxury to them. However his father would still save some money by skipping his meals and transportation fee to fulfill his wishes. The collection of football antiques he held dear was something his father was proud of and had collected during his younger days, before his birth.


    His father used to have enough money to fulfill his hobby before his birth. But after his birth, everything changed in the family. The expenses shot up and the situation got even more tight.


    But his father never med him, instead he gave up on his hobby of collecting football items. He gave up on his hobby of watching football on the stadium. Infact he even gave up on watching football in television. Instead he started to work longer hours and often worked overtime.


    However he would still make time for him and teach him how to y football. His father himself used to be a footballer. Although he never made it to pro because of hisck of talent. Still he gave his all and tried to make it pro with all his might.


    Unlike his father, Hiro showed great potential from his early days. Even when ying with the kids his age in elementary school, he used to easily dribble pass every yer on the field.


    Whenever he yed, there used to be crowds of spectators to cheer him. His ball awareness, his skill, his pace, his handling, his passing, his dribbling, his first touch, everything was top notch. Watching him y was simr to that of watching a god y football.


    And because of that exact same reason he used to be called by various nickname in his early years. Some of those nicknames included ''alien, spiderman, genius'' and most prominently he was referred to as the ''little god''.


    But all of that changed when he tore his ligaments during his middle school tournament. The injury was a serious one, which could most probably never heal. The doctor warned him that he could never y football again, when he tore his ligament at the age of 13.


    Devastated by the news, he wept like a kid. He felt as if the sky had fallen upon him when the doctor mentioned he could never y football again.


    His parents begged the doctor toe up with some kind of solutions to let him continue ying football. The doctor giving in to their tears, suggested a surgery.


    However the sess rate of that surgery was less than 10 percent and the surgery costed he a lot. It was more than they could afford. Even if they saved for more than 2 or 3 years, they wouldn''t still be able to afford the cost of the surgery.


    But despite that they took several loans from several bank. And even when that wasn''t enough they took loans from vicious loan sharks to cover the expense for the surgery, just to keep his dream alive.


    After collecting enough money for surgery, he went a surgery to heal his legs. The operationsted for more than 6 hours. But still the surgery was a failure.


    They couldn''t cure himpletely. However they cured him enough to let him continue to y football. After that surgery, he underwent several rehabilitation therapy to heal his legs.


    Finally after a whole year of rehabilitation, he could finally y football once again.


    However after that injury, he could never be the same again. Although his spacial awareness and creativity was still top notch. His body couldn''t move, the way he wanted it to move.


    It felt as if he had lost meaning to his life. The same crowds of spectators who used to bombard the sidelines and praise him for his ys, booed him and deemed him as a failure after his terrible performances.


    As the time passed the crowds disssipated. Less and less people came to watch him y. As much bad as he felt, he also felt relieved upon the decrease in the number of crowds. Less crowds meant lesser criticism.


    He knew that it wasn''t the right type of mindset to make it to pro. But he still couldn''t help himself. Afterall their harsh criticism pierced his heart like a sharp knife and distracted him.


    The same teammates who used to sing his praise turned against him after he lost his abilities. They started to ignore him and taunt him.


    Although he paid no attention towards their taunts, he couldn''tpletely ignore it either. While enduring harsh criticism from everyone, he relentlessly trained himself, while keeping his dreams of making pro alive.

 Chapter 2: 2014 World cup

    <h4>Chapter 2: 2014 World cup</h4>


    Even after more than an hour, he couldn''t feel his consciousness fading away.


    Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!


    "Aaaaaaaaaaaaa"


    The sudden sound of goal startled him. He startlingly opened his eyes. The sound came from the room above him.


    Even after waiting for more than an hour for his consciousness to fade away, everything felt so real to him. Neither was vision getting clouded nor was his body disintegrating. He could vividly feel everything around him.


    Running his fingers through his face, he noticed something odd.


    "Why is my skin so smooth? And why do I feel that I''ve shrunken in size?"


    As he ran his fingers through his face, several questions popped up in his mind. The room was dimly lit by the tablemp beside his bed.


    Nothing was making sense to him. But just to be sure if it wasn''t a dream, he pinched his cheek.


    "O!!! Damn that hurt."


    He screamed in pain.


    After pinching himself, he could tell that he wasn''t dreaming and neither was he dead. He then extended his arms to investigate why it felt so small.


    His hands were that of child, soft and smooth.


    "Arey!! Why is my hands so small?? Is it even my own hands?"


    In disbelief, he tried to wiggle his fingers. They moved exactly the way he wanted it to move.


    "Huh? Don''t tell me-"


    He vigorously pulled the nket aside and jumped out of the bed. He then ran towards the cupboard. As he approached the cupboard mirror, an image of a child became vivid in the mirror.


    ck eyes, Short and dark curly ck hair which curled like a noodle and with a red strawberry lips and puffy cheeks, he was dressed in a Barcelona jersey.


    In disbelief, he ran his fingers through his face. The reflection in the mirror copied his exact same movements.


    "Did- Did I return back?"


    His eyes wide open, his face forecasting an expression of shock, he couldn''t believe that he had returned back to the past.


    As he continued to stare his image in the mirror, tears welled up in his eyes. And as the tears umted, he could no longer hold them back. The tears fell down through his eyes like a sudden burst of monsoon rainfall.


    He continued to wept like a kid infront of the mirror. After his tears started to dissipate, he began to wipe off the tears from his face. While his eyes were full of tears, his face revealed a smile.


    He was overjoyed to return back alive. After sometime when he could finally regain hisposure, he started to look for his phone.


    If he remembered correctly then he would have put it in the drawer of the table beside his bed. He walked towards the tablemp and pulled the drawer.


    In his drawer there was a memo and a mobile phone.


    "I was right, it was here indeed."


    He whispered in a soft voice.


    He grabbed his phone and tried to turn on his phone. A picture of Captain Tsubasa from the famous anime Captain Tsubasa appeared on his home screen. Looking at his wallpaper, he chuckled.


    He looked at the date and it was July 14, 2014.


    "If it''s 2014 then I must be 5 years old."


    He contemted while looking at the date.


    "Wait... wait... July 14?? Am I missing something?"


    Something felt like missing, after looking at the date. As if he was forgetting something, he kept on trying to remember what he was forgetting.


    "World cup? World cup final?"


    He deliriously eximed.


    July 14, 2014 was the date of the world cup final when Argentina and Germany would face each other.


    After remembering what he had forgotten he stormed outside his room and rushed towards the living room. As he reached the living room, there in the couch a person was sitting infront of the TV holding a can of beer in his hand.


    Seeing the person, he stopped his movement. He knew who that person was. He was extremely familiar with the person.


    "You finally came?"


    The man infront of him spoke.


    He was caught off-guard by his speech. Unable to respond, he stood frozen infront of the man with eyes full of tears.


    "What happened? Are you alright"


    The man inquired with a worried face.


    The lights of the room was turned off and the only light which lit the whole ce was the blue raysing out of the television.


    Upon seeing his eyes full of tears, the man rushed towards him. He then grabbed his little hands and began to wipe of the tears of his face.


    "Did you have somekind of nightmare?"


    The man eximed while gently wiping the tears off his face.


    He spoke nothing and continued to wept like a kid. He couldn''t stop himself from crying, afterall it had been so long since hest heard his voice.


    As he lifted his face, he could vividly notice the man with ck eyes and dark ck hair. His face was still the same as he once remembered. Chiseled jawline, sharp nose, few strands of tiny hair across his jaw and beneath his nose provided him a handsome manly appearance. His body constitution was neither obese nor slim. With an ideal bodyweight, he had vividly defined muscles.


    The man was non other than his father who he had lost when was age 16. After 11 whole years he was finally seeing him once again for the first time.


    Seeing his gentle face, he could no longer hold himself. He threw himself in his arms and hugged him tightly. His father, confused by his unusual behaviour hugged him regardless.


    "It''s alright! It''s alright!"


    He eximed while gently stroking his back.


    They remained in that position for a long time. Neither Hiro nor his father Takashi could let go of each other.


    "Umm.... Do you not want to watch the world cup?"


    Takashi whispered.


    He finally remembered that the rm clock which woke him up was set by him to wake up himself to watch the world cup final together with his father.


    He then gently pulled out his arms and distanced himself from his father. And as he faced his father once again, he revealed a wry smile and spoke;


    "Argentina''s gonna win for sure."


    "You bet! Germany''s gonna win for sure."


    His father replied back with a smile.


    Hiro knew that Germany was gonna win but still at that time he had been supporting Argentina. And his father was supporting Germany.


    After an goalless 90 minutes, the game had gone into extra time. Even the first half of the extra time was goalless and the game had gone into the second half of extra time by the time he arrived at the living room.


    With score 0-0, the score was tied until 115 minutes. He knew that at 117 minutes, Mario Gotje was gonna score the winning goal for Germany but he kept his mouth shut regardless. He looked at his father, his face was overjoyed with happiness. He could vividly feel his ecstasy.


    "Go- Go- Go- Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!!!!"


    His father roared in ecstasy.


    Few other voices from the surrounding reverberated along with his cheers. At second half of the extra time, at 117 minute, Mario Gotje scored the winning goal for Germany leading his nation to victory.


    After that goal, Argentina couldn''t trail Germany. The final score of the match was Argentina 0 and Germany 1. Germany won the world cup with that single goal leaving every Andreas Messi fan disappointed.


    If it were any other moment, he would have been disappointed as well. Infact he cried back then when Argentina lost the world cup. But this time, the smile on his father''s face meant a lot more to him than anything in the world.


    "What did I say to you? Didn''t I say that Germany would win the world cup. Hahahahahahahaha"


    His father started tough maniacally as Germany lifted the world cup.


    He was so much overjoyed that he forget that his son was a mere 5 year old.


    ''Still the same, I see. No mercy for the opponents. Even if that opponent happens to be your own son.''


    He contorted his face while looking at his father, disappointed.


    "Just shut up and let me sleep!!"


    Another voice came from the master bedroom.


    The voice was filled with anger. As soon as he heard that voice, his father instantly shut his mouth.


    "We should keep it quite, otherwise your mother''s gonna beat us both."


    Takashi whispered.


    The voice filled with anger belonged to his mother. Unlike the father and son duo, she had absolutely no interest in football. She was more on the practical side. All she wanted to do was earn enough money and live a decent life with her family.


    Infact even in his previous life, she had always forced him to study well and be a doctor or awyer. However his passion for football overshadowed her expectations of him.


    Despite his mother''s countless nagging he was hell bent on being a professional football yer.

 Chapter 3: Talent copying system

    <h4>Chapter 3: Talent copying system</h4>


    Now that the final match of the world cup had ended and he was lying in his bed, he couldn''t sleep for some reason. And as much grateful as he was for being granted a second chance to see his family once again, his mind was focused on something else.


    While staring at the ceiling above his head, he started to wonder about the course of action he needed to perform moving forward.


    Previously he gave his all to football and solely focused on his dream. The dream of representing his nation in world cup, the dream of ying football professionally. But things didn''t work out as he expected.


    Despite his brilliance, he struggled to make it to pro. The first major tragedy happened when he was age 13. In a middle school tournament match, he tore his ligament when an opponent yer performed a rash tackle on him from behind him.


    His team was leading the game with a score of two to nothing. And it was in 57 minute of the match when he was sprinting the ball towards the goal, the opponent yer couldn''t trail him and in desperation he performed a sliding tackle on him, from behind him. That tackle missed the ball but itnded critically on his legs which in turn costed him his legs.


    Recovering from that tackle wasn''t an easy thing. He was bed ridden for months and it took him more than 6 months to get back on his feet. And it took yet another month to finally walk on his feet.


    After a year when he could finally run and was back on the pitch, he couldn''t y the way he used to y. He was more of a fantasista who could score and assist at the same time. And what made his ys more effective was his fast pace and insane ball control.


    Every time when he stretched his legs to shoot the ball after the injury, he felt excruciating pain in his legs. His legs were capable of shooting the ball at an insane speed of 65 miles per hour, which was even better than some professionals. But after that injury, he could never hit the ball with that power once again.


    Unable to perform ording to his will, he started to change his ystyle. Before, he was more of a versatile offensive yer who could y both as a forward and as a midfielder. But after that injury, he changed his ystyle to that of a poacher.


    Even after the injury, his finishing was still top notch. He could shoot urately, but even so his shotcked power.


    He continued to train himself into a striker who waited for the pass infront of the opponents goal. He couldn''t run back deep and fall back to take the ball as he once used to.


    He continued to thrive in that position but his yscked creativity and his shotcked power, hence he couldn''t perform well. He was just an average yer who scored only tap ins.


    And his approach was still fine until he reached adulthood. Unable to sign a pro deal, he had to work part-time if he wanted to continue ying football.


    While some of his friends were already professional and some had settled well in life, he was working part-time and ying football in a local league.


    As much as he wanted to deny, he was jealous of their sess. How could he not be jealous, afterall he used to be way better than them before his injury. But now he was shadow of his former self.


    He was t broke and his future looked extremely bleak. He was constantly juggling between his job and football. At some point in his life, he even thought of quitting football.


    But his passion for football was much more than his reason to quit. He continued to y football despite the struggles.


    And finally at the age of 27 his perseverance was bearing fruit as one of the scout of a struggling team in the 4th league took notice of him. They were fighting a battle of relegation. If they were to be relegated, they would have to fall out of the professional league. Thus, in desperation the team decided to take a gamble and wanted to sign him.


    Finally when his dream of making the pro was about to get fulfilled, tragedy struck him once again.


    Unable to sign the pro contract, some of the teenagers in his local team got jealous of his sess. Out of jealousy they pushed him off the staircase. Falling from the staircase, he broke his tibia(leg bone). As he hit his head upon the fall, he lost his consciousness.


    And when he regained back his consciousness, he found himself in hospital bed. His leg was covered in ster of paris.


    The injury which he had picked up when he was young escted further after that fall.


    Due to fractured bone, he missed the opportunity to be signed by a professional team. And to make matter even worst, the doctor informed him that he could never y football once again.


    The sky fell upon him as he listened to the doctor. He stumbled and fell down unable to handle the truth. He was devastated by the news of never being able to y football again.


    At the age of 27, he lost everything. He had neither money nor could he y football again. He went back to live with his mother. His mother who was already a single mother struggled to feed him.


    Witnessing the struggles of his mother, he felt even more miserable. And as the time passed, he started to develop symptoms of depression.


    Suicidal thoughts started to appear in his mind. And finally sumbing to his suicidal thoughts, he took his own life walking infront of the moving truck. As the truck hit him, he thought that he could finally escape from his struggle and rest in peace.


    Or so he thought, but how wrong he was. Instead of a peaceful death, he returned back to the time when he was still 5 years old.


    "Should I study well and be a doctor orwyer and fulfill my mother''s wish?"


    "Or should I use the knowledge of the future and bet money on the winning teams and earn money?"


    Hiro contemted.


    "I don''t want to go through that same tragedy once again."


    He whispered, clenching his chest.


    The tragic experience he had gone through in his previous life caused an intense pain in his heart whenever he remembered of the day, he lost his everything.


    No matter how much he tried to reason, he couldn''t stop himself from thinking about football. Even after somehow he had got a second chance in life, he still wanted to continue ying football.


    He couldn''t give up on his dream.


    "But what if that tragedy repeats again?"


    He mumbled, doubting his choice.


    "If I strengthen myself physically, I might prevent that tragedy from happening once again. Afterall the reason that I injured myself before was because of my weak physique. I focused too much on football that I ignored my physicality."


    "If only if I were a little more sturdy back then, I wouldn''t have injured myself."


    He frowned.


    "Whatever I''ll y football once again. And this time I''ll prepare myself thoroughly. I won''t be beaten by someme ass injury. I''ll give my all, train myself every day and night. Just wait and watch, I''ll be the greatest yer alive."


    Unable to quit football, he raised his hands and clenched them tightly. Steeling his resolve, he was determined to make it to pro.


    Ding!!


    [The host has fulfilled the requirements for the awakening of the Talent Copying System]


    ________________________________________

 Chapter 4: Potential: SSS

    <h4>Chapter 4: Potential: SSS</h4>


    Upon hearing the unknown voice, he jumped out of the bed. He was startled by the unknown voice. The voice resembled that of the voice of a female.


    "Who? Who''s there?"


    Horrified by the unknown voice, he bagan to shake his head vigorously in search of the source of sound.


    [System initialising...]


    [Please wait for some moment]


    "System initialising? What bullshit are you spouting? Just freaking show yourself?"


    Hiro exasperated.


    Unable to find a single soul in his room, he wondered if he was hallucinating.


    "Perhaps I''m getting a system like those protagonist in the web novels??"


    He wondered while trying to figure out the source of the sound.


    Despite him not being a huge fan of web novel, he had heard countless stories about reincarnation from his friends. The stories where the protagonist would die and somehow miraculouslye back to life. Upon reincarnating they would gain a cheat like ability or a system to make them stronger.


    "I''ve already reincarnated so it wouldn''t be strange if I were to gain a system somehow."


    He mumbled while trying to soothe himself.


    As unreal as it seemed, he had already experienced the unreal feat of reincarnation. Hence, it wouldn''t have been strange if he were to somehow get a system.


    Guessing that he had somehow attained a system, the horrified look on his face faded away and a smile formed on his face.


    The anticipation on his face escted as he found the reason behind the unknown voice.


    Beep!! Beep!! Beep!!


    [Scanning for potential host]


    [Host detected]


    [Registering Takahashi Hiro as the new host]


    [Adjusting the biometrics]


    [Synchronizing the data....]


    "Just when will it end?"


    He exasperated as the system was taking a lot of time to synchronise the data.


    [Synchronizationplete]


    [Wee to the talent copying system.]


    "Finally it ended!!"


    He released a deep sigh.


    [Please select a desired profession you wish to excell:


    a) Actor


    b) Athlete


    c) Lawyer


    d) Doctor


    e) Entrepreneur


    f) Astronaut


    ....]


    The list stretched infinitely as it mentioned every profession avable in the world. However his priorities were fixed, he knew what he wanted. He couldn''t care less about other professions and he didn''t need to think twice about his choice.


    "Athlete"


    He yelled.


    [The host has picked athlete as his desired profession. Please confirm your choice by saying ''confirm'']


    [NB: Once confirmed the host cannot choose again]


    "Confirm"


    He spoke without any hesitation.


    [Confirming host''s pick.....]


    [Choice confirmed]


    [Please select the category of athlete you wish to be:


    a) Footballer


    b) Basketball yer


    c) Tennis yer


    d) Cricketer


    e) Baseball yer


    ....¡­....]


    Once again the list stretched infinitely. The system was mentioning every possible sports avable in the world. But this time too, his priority was fixed.


    "Footballer"


    He yelled once again.


    [The host has picked football as his desired profession. Please confirm your pick by saying ''Confirm'']


    "Confirm"


    Once again he spoke without any hesitation.


    [Performing deep scan]


    [Scanningplete]


    As the systempleted the scan, he felt a throbbing pain in his head. As if something was making it''s way towards his head, the excruciating pain intensified.


    "Aaaaaaaaaaaaa"


    He screamed in a muffled voice.


    Unable to withstand the pain, he fell down on the floor. He could neither move his body nor could scream for help.


    Huff!! Huff!!


    He was breathing heavily and sweating profusely.


    After sometime the pain started to mitigate. And as the pain dissipated, he mustered some strength in his legs and tried to get up. His legs wobbled as he tried to rise.


    [Please inspect your Status. To inspect your stats, mention ''Status window'']


    "Sta- Status window"


    Even to speak two word, he needed to muster all his strength.


    As soon as he finished his sentence, a translucent holographic blue page appeared infront of him. At the right side there was his current picture and at the left side were his basic information. Beneath the basic information were mentioned his attributes.


    [Basic information]


    Name: Takahashi Hiro


    Age: 5 years old


    Weight: 18 kg


    Height: 3.5 feet


    Potential: SSS


    Attribute point: 0


    Roulette tickets: 0


    Skills: None


    Title: Master of the Talent Copying System, Regressor, One who possess ethereal talent.


    [For detail information about the title click on the title.]


    "Let''s do what it says to do"


    Hiro curiously clicked on the title ''Master of the Talent Copying System''. Just as he did that, he got directed towards another page.


    [Title: Master of the Talent Copying System]


    [While this title is in effect you can interact with the system and gain extra points bypleting the mission designated by the system.]


    "So basically each titlee''s with their respective title effect. I''ll inspect the effects of other title sometimester. Right now let''s continue to observe my stats."


    He mumbled.


    [Attributes]


    Physical: 20/100 ( Grade: E+)


    Dribbling: 52/100 (Grade: C+)


    Pace: 33/100 ( Grade: D+)


    Passing: 35/100 ( Grade: D+)


    Shooting: 42/100 (Grade: C)


    Defending: 17/100 (Grade: E+)


    Mentality: 35/100 ( Grade: D+)


    IQ: 70/100 (Grade: B)


    Overall grade: D


    [Note: The above stats are disyed inparison to the professionals]


    [Please open the tab below for a more detailed stat.]


    [Match stat]


    Goals: 0


    Assist: 0


    Dribbles: 0


    Shot on target: 0


    Shot off target: 0


    Distance covered: 0


    Passespleted: 0


    Sessful tackle: 0


    Clean sheet: 0


    [Note: Above stats are only umted through professional matches.]


    "So it''s basically like my in game statistics huh?"


    He eximed.


    Since he hadn''t yed any professional matches, his match stat attributes were all filled with 0.


    [Daily mission: locked]


    [Quest: locked]


    [System store: locked]


    [System roulette: locked]


    [Individual achievement: locked]


    "Argh!! Let''s just stop for now and continueter. It''s already getting toote."


    He couldn''t handle all the information at once and thus called it a day.


    He reached towards his pocket and took out his phone. It was already 3:15 AM.


    "Damn! I should probably sleep now. If mother somehow finds me awake at this hour, she''ll probably smack the shit out of me."


    He eximed.


    Putting his phone in the drawer, he hit the bed.


    A lot of thing happened to him that day. Firstly He was miraculously reincarnated and after that he even acquired a system.


    Every single thing which happened to him that day was ethereally unreal. Whilst in the bed, he was still wondering about the things which he had experienced.


    "I need to inquire more about this system tomorrow. But for now let''s sleep."


    He mumbled.


    As soon as he closed his eyes, he instantly fell asleep. He was too much exhausted by the day''s events.


    Despite being a 5 year old, his stats were insanely unbelievable. His dribbling stat was already on par with most of the semi-pro athlete. And his IQ was even better than most of the semi-pro athletes.


    The mere fact that he had a overall grade of D at the age of 5 was already shocking. But to make matters even more spicy, his potential was SSS grade.


    Even the world famous athlete lile Christian Romero and Andreas Messi had a potential of SS grade. In terms of potential, he far exceeded everybody present in the earth.


    Compared to his other stats, his physical and defending werecking by a mile. But despite that, he could still upgrade his attributes with the help of the system.


    Even though he couldn''t understand a lot of things, he had a rough idea about the things mentioned by the system. He could tell that he could be a professional by following the guidelines of the system.


    But what he didn''t know was that he could be the greatest footballer to ever live with the help of the system.


    "Hir- Hiro!!"


    "Huh? Who''s calling me??"


    He heard a voice while he was asleep.


    "How long do you n to sleep Hiro??"


    He tried to open his eyes. His vision was still blurry and he was still in a state of half asleep. As he tried to open his eyes, a figure of ady with long brown hair and milky white skin became visible.


    However the figure was blurry and he couldn''t see clearly. Rheum covering his eyes, he was having trouble opening his eyes.


    Finally after a little bit of struggle, he opened his eyes. There infront of him, his mother was yelling at him for oversleeping.


    Long brown hair with brown pupils, milky white skin with a mole above her upper lips, dressed in a red t-shirt and lose trousers, she was yelling at him. Despite the vivid anger in her face, her angelic appearance charmed him.


    "Angel!!"


    He mumbled.


    "Huh what angel? You pesky brat wake up, It''s already time for school."


    She yelled furiously.


    ''Still the same I see. You and your furious temper. But I missed that a lot.''


    He thought while looking at her angry face.


    "Now get up and freshen up."


    She left towards the kitchen after waking him up.


    Previously he hated her nagging but this time around he was happy to listen to her nagging once again.


    Unable to endure her nagging, he had yelled her in his previous life. And after that incident, she never nagged him again.

 Chapter 5: First Quest

    <h4>Chapter 5: First Quest</h4>


    Pulling aside the nket, he hopped out of his bed. He raised his arms and began to stretch his body. As he stretched his body, few joints in his body made a popping sound.


    After stretching his body, he started to fold his nket and make his bed. He was mandatorily required to make his bed every morning or else he''d have to endure the wrath of his mother.


    "Hiro!! Hurry up"


    His mother yelled, calling out for him as soon as he finished making his bed.


    "Coming Mom"


    He replied back.


    He then began to walk towards the kitchen.


    "You shouldn''t keep him awake tillte night. It''s all your fault that he''s going to bete for school."


    As he walked inside the kitchen, he found his mother yelling at his father.


    His father was as docile as amb. He couldn''t do anything. He simply sat at the dining table, flipping through his newspaper, listening to her nagging.


    "Oh you''re here. Come and have breakfast."


    His father spoke while revealing a gentle smile.


    Hiro returned back the smile. Words couldn''t express how grateful he was to experience that moment with his family once again.


    After losing his father in his previous life, his rtionship with his mother soured overtime. While his mother kept nagging him to focus on his study, he kept rebelling against her decision.


    Despite knowing that she only meant well for him, he couldn''t see through her real feelings. He kept on thinking that even she didn''t have any faith in him that he could make it to pro. He took her well wishes negatively and rebelled against her.


    Only after witnessing her struggles, he realised the meaning behind her nagging. After he injured his legs, she was the only one who provided for him. She was the only one who stayed beside his bed when he was bedridden in hospital.


    And for his whole life he hated her because of his prideful attitude. To prove her wrong, to prove everyone wrong, he struggled miserably. Taking countless part-time jobs, training in the morning and trainingter in the night when he was all by himself. He barely slept for 3-4 hours.


    "Did you brush your teeth Hiro?"


    She called out for him while he was spacing out.


    "Uh- Huh! No I''ve not bru-"


    Thwack!!


    Before he couldplete his sentence, his mother smacked him on his head.


    "Ow!! Why did you do tha-?"


    Turning his head towards her, heined. But he couldn''t finish his sentence upon witnessing his mother''s angry face. She was fuming.


    After living alone for so many years, he forgot that he needed to brush his teeth before having breakfast. While living alone, he didn''t have any proper eating schedule. Sometimes he''d eat breakfast at 12 and sometimes he''d be very busy that he''d forget to eat.


    Forgetting to brush before having breakfast wasn''t the only thing he had forgotten. He even forgot about the short temper of his mother. She would beat him even if he were a child whenever he made mistakes. Rules were absolute if he wanted to live in her home.


    Looking at his mother''s angry face, he quickly realised his mistake. He then hopped out of the chair and stormed towards the restroom.


    "You better hurry up! If we gette for school, you''re in for another beating."


    She yelled furiously as he ran towards the bathroom.


    It didn''t take him long to brush his teeths. He barely avoided her beating. He then hurriedly stuffed the breakfast prepared by his mother.


    It was already 7:30 AM by the time he had finished his breakfast and he was required to reach the school by 8 AM.


    As he was still in kindergarten, he didn''t require to wear any proper uniform. Due to embarrassment, he quickly got dressed before his mother could help him to dress.


    Despite his appearance being that of a 5 year old at the present, he was still a 27 year old grown up from inside.


    Just when he was about to leave the house, his father stopped him.


    "You didn''t forget about the kids football tournament that''s going to be held in the sakura futsalter in the evening, did you?"


    His father inquired.


    The local football club had organised a tournament for the kids of the age 5-8 to promote football in their locality. Basically it was designed as a sort of entertainment event for the local spectators.


    While upfront it was a charity event to promote football. But behind, the reason for organising the event was to advertise their football club to attract better investors and to increase their fanbase. Simply speaking, it was a marketing stunt.


    The tournament was just like any other regr youth tryouts. The kids of the age 5-8 could show up in teams or show up alone. Those who showed up on teams didn''t require to form new teams. While those who showed up alone were paired up with other kids and a team was formed.


    "I know it dad, but still thanks for reminding me again."


    He spoke confidently even though he was still lying about remembering the event.


    He hadpletely forgotten about the tournament. It was the first time when he yedpetitively against other kids. Also it was the beginning of his football journey.


    "It''s good that you know, I''ll pick you up at 3ter in the evening and we''ll go together."


    His father eximed.


    "Okay, but don''t you have work today?"


    "I''ve taken a day off to see you y today. How can I miss my son''s debut match."


    His father replied enthusiastically.


    He was baffled by his father''s response. As much as he remembered, he didn''t attend this tournament previously. Infact it was his mother, who had apanied him to the futsal. But something was different in the present moment.


    His father worked in a constructionpany and usually worked overtime. Except the asional day offs, hiro couldn''t even see his face until morning in any normal day due to his work.


    But despite being extremely busy, his father would still make time for him, asionally. He would asionallye to see his matches.


    "You''re not joking right?"


    Hiro bewilderingly replied.


    "No I''m not joking. I''ll pick you upter from the school."


    Takashi reassured Hiro.


    "Hurry up Hiro or else we''ll bete for the school."


    His mother called out for him.


    Soon in her bicycle, they reached the school. In the front gate a youngdy greeted them.


    "Hello Mrs.Takahashi. How are you?"


    The youngdy greeted them at the entrance of the kindergarten.


    The youngdy was dressed in a light pink shirt and azure blue trousers. Her jet ck hair was tied by a scrunchie in a ponytail. Lip gloss applied in her lips gave it a pinkish appearance. And moreover due to the smell of perfume, she smelled like fragrant roses.


    Hiro couldn''t stop himself from staring at the youngdy infront of him. His cheeks turned red as she looked at him with a smile.


    "Hello Misaki Sensei. I''m doing fine, how about you?"


    His mother greeted back.


    The youngdy was non other than his homeroom teacher. Due to her young appearance, everybody would mistook her age as a teenager. However she was already in her mid-twenties.


    And Hiro himself being a 27 year old from inside couldn''t help himself from getting attracted towards her.


    "Shall we head inside Hiro?"


    She eximed with a smile after finishing her conversation with his mother.


    However he was lost in his imagination and was staring nky at her.


    "Hiro?"


    As he regained hisposure, he found her hand stretched towards him. She extended her hands to grab his.


    He then extended his hands and grabbed hers. While holding hands, they headed inside. His mother bid him farewell and left for her work. She worked in an old age care centre as a nurse.


    Chatter!! Chatter!! Chatter!!


    As he entered the room, he heard loud chatters of kids. Some crying, someughing, some fighting, it was more like a fish market than a ssroom.


    ''Wtf? Argh!! Somebody please take me out of here! Save me!!''


    Unable to handle the noise, he started to beg for help in his mind.


    The only thing he wished as he entered the ssroom was to leave the ssroom ASAP. The ssroom was one heck of a hellish torture ce for him.


    In that whole room, he was the only one who wasn''t making any noise. Unable to handle the noise, he covered his ears.


    Ding!!


    [Quest unlocked]


    [Please open the status window for details regarding the quest]


    He heard the sound of the system as he closed his ears.


    "What quest?"


    He mumbled.


    "Status window"


    He whispered.


    [Quest Title: Survive the ssroom]


    [Quest info: Avoid the distracting sounds and focus on the words of the teacher.]


    [Rewards for questpletion: New skill Focus]


    [Penalty: None]


    ''Huh? Focus on teachers words in this noisy environment? Are you kidding me?''


    He exasperated upon seeing the quest of the system.


    The quest was near to impossible. It was simply impossible to focus on teachers words in that hellish ssroom.

 Chapter 6: Familiar Foe

    <h4>Chapter 6: Familiar Foe</h4>


    epting the quest, he tried to focus on teachers words. With utmost concentration, he stared at his teacher. However everytime he tried to concentrate on her words, the noise from the background would somehow distract him.


    ''May be it''s because I''m so far away from her that''s why I''m not able to listen to her''


    He mumbled.


    While his teacher was reading a children''s book, he raised his arm.


    "Yes Hiro? How may I help you?"


    The teacher eximed looking at his raised arms.


    In Japan students are taught to raise their hands up before speaking or calling out for teachers to ask questions so as not to disturb them while teaching.


    "Sensei I want to sit in the front row to hear you better."


    He eximed.


    His chances of hearing her words were much better in the front row than from his current ce. Hearing his response, the teacher gave him a perplexing look.


    Previously Hiro used to be one of those few troublemakers of the ss. He would fold papers into the shape of balls and kick them. Celebrating as if he scored in an world cup or champions league final whenever he scored a goal against his ssmates. And he rarely paid any attention towards his studies and teachers lectures. Around the time when she would be teaching, he would be napping in his desk.


    "Are you sure Hiro?? Or are you not feeling well?"


    She replied with a concerned look on her face.


    "Thank you for your concern Sensei. But I''m alright. I just want to listen to the story you''re reading a little better."


    He replied back without any hesitation.


    However from inside, he was extremely nervous. Afterall he himself knew the reason behind her baffled look.


    The teacher took notice of his sincerity and called him forward. She then exchanged his seat with one of the students in the front row. After that she continued to read the children''s book.


    Finally he was able to hear her better. Although he could still hear the chatters of the kids behind him. However with some concentration, he could focus on her words without being distracted. Which is exactly what he did, he kept his eyes fixated at her lips so as not to miss her words.


    Ding!!


    [Congrattions to the host forpleting the quest.]


    [New skill focus is rewarded for thepletion of the quest.]


    [Please check your status window for more info regarding the skill.]


    ''Yes!! Finally Ipleted the quest''


    He was celebrating like crazy inside his mind uponpleting the quest. However he didn''t show any emotions outwardly and maintained a poker face as if he was listening attentively.


    ''Status window''


    He mumbled.


    [Focus(skill description): When using this skill, the user can immerse himselfpletely in any kind of task he''s undertaking, negating any kind of distractions.]


    [Skill duration: 10 minutes]


    [Skill CD: 24 hours]


    [Note: The skill cd can be lowered as you upgrade your grades and skill duration can be increased respectively as well]


    ''Damn!! Such an OP skill. Doesn''t it mean that I can negate any kind of distractions when using this skill. I can use it to negate the oppressive cheers of rival fans and I can even use it to negate the negative taunts of the opponents.''


    ''If Andreas Messi had this skill in 2015 Copa America then he wouldn''t have missed his penalty.''


    He chuckled.


    "Hmm.. Hiro is everything alright?"


    The teacher questioned him witnessing his wry smile. Without even realising he was smiling like a maniac.


    "Ahh sorry teacher!! I''m alright"


    He apologized for his behaviour while trying to regain hisposure.


    Ding!! Dong!!


    The bell of the school rang. He was so focused on the task that he didn''t even realize how fast the time flew by.


    "Seems like this much for today."


    "I''ll see you tomorrow"


    The teacher eximed.


    "Thank you Sensei"


    The students replied in unison. Although they were still kids, they were taught to appreciate their teachers since their childhood.


    Hiro was packing his bags before even the teacher finished her sentence. As he carried the bag, she bewilderingly looked at him.


    "Hmm.... Where are you going Hiro? You have cleaning duty today. Don''t you remember?"


    The teacher eximed while collecting her books.


    "Huh!! I''m on cleaning duty today? Why does it have to be today?"


    He frowned.


    In Japan the school''s don''t hire any janitors for cleaning duty. Instead the students are required to clean their ssrooms by themself. In order to teach the students humility and discipline, the school makes the student clean their own respective ssrooms and hallways.


    He clearly forgot that he was on cleaning duty


    Another batch of kids who didn''t have cleaning duty packed their bags. However even after packing the bags, they didn''t leave the ssroom. They were required to wait for their parents to show up before they could head home.


    Everyone who were on cleaning duty grabbed their respective mops, brooms, and other tools required for cleaning.


    He remembered that he previously cleaned the ckboard in order toplete his cleaning duty so that he can leave quickly.


    While the kids whose parents didn''t show up stayedte to help in cleaning. Hiro nced at the duster infront of the teacher''s desk. Satoshi a snotty kid was about to pick the duster.


    Worried that he''d get the duster before him, he ran towards the duster. Just before Satoshi''s hand reached the duster, he snatched the duster from him with lightning speed.


    "Hehe... I could even outrun Usain Bolt. Hahaha"


    Heughed maniacally.


    ''Is something wrong with his mind?''


    Satoshi gave him perplexing look.


    Not only Satoshi but everyone in his ssroom looked at him as if he had gone crazy.


    He looked around him and to save himself from embarrassment, he calmly eximed;


    "Ahum!! Please excuse my behaviour."


    He spoke in a confident tone as if nothing ever happened in the first ce.


    He then went directly towards the ckboard without looking at anybody and began to clean the ckboard.


    ''Feuh!!! That was close''


    It didn''t take him long to clean the ckboard and by the time he finished his cleaning his father had arrived as well.


    "Hiro!! Takahashi Hiro!!"


    The teacher called his name.


    "Yes mam!"


    He yelled.


    "Your dad is here. You can go home if you''ve finished your cleaning duty."


    She eximed.


    He then ced the duster at the teachers drawer and carried his bag.


    If he went directly towards the futsal he could still make it for the tournament in time. But he didn''t have his cleats with him. So he needed to go back home in order to fetch his cleats.


    "Argh!! I should have brought my boots with me."


    He frowned.


    As he walked infront of the entrance, he noticed his father carrying a bag.


    "What''s that dad?"


    He questioned.


    "I knew that you''d forget your boots. So I brought it with me."


    He replied with a smile.


    Hiro returned back the smile. Because of that simple gesture of his dad, he could make it to the tournament in time and he didn''t have to go back to home to fetch his boots.


    "Thank you daddy"


    Grateful for his gesture, he thanked his father while revealing a big warm smile.


    He hopped onto his father''s bicycle. And both of them headed towards the futsal. The futsal was about 20 mins away from the school.


    As they reached the futsal at the front gate, he saw his mother waiting for them.


    "What took you so long? The game''s about to begin."


    She eximed with a worried face.


    They hurriedly ran towards the field and barely reached the futsal in time. While the coaches were assembling the team, he was tying his boots.


    Flexing his Andreas Messi jersey, he walked towards the field. But nobody even took notice of him except his parents who were cheering loudly for him.


    At the center of the pitch many kids were gathered in a circle. Different kids dressed in different jerseys. Most of them were dressed in Andreas Messi and Christian Romero jersey. While there were some of them who were dressed in the jersey of national team and other clubs. He looked extremely average, that''s why nobody took notice of him.


    While most of the anonymous kids who showed up alone were gathered in the middle. The kids who showed up in teams were far in the right corner and left corner.


    However among those numerous teams, one team stood out than the rest. Every member of that team was dressed in pinkish jersey. And most of the kids in that team looked older than the rest of the kids who showed up for the tournament.


    Behind their backs were huge letters which read ''Sakura FC youth club''. They were the team of the organiser.


    Their keeper was almost 4 feet tall. Compared to the rest of the kid, he was extremely tall. Even the goal post was barely 4.5 feet tall and 5 feet wide. He could instantly recognise the keeper of the Sakura FC youth club.


    ''So we meet once again huh? Kurosawa Taki''


    He mumbled looking at him.


    He could have never forgotten his face. Afterall that keeper infront of him was the future keeper of the national team. And because of him previously, he was denied many goals.


    Even when the coach infront of him was assembling the team, his eyes were fixated on that keeper.


    "Just you wait, I''m gonna humiliate you so much that you''ll beg me to have mercy."

 Chapter 7: Coming from the bench

    <h4>Chapter 7: Coming from the bench</h4>


    "Oii!! You kid with curly hair?"


    "Are you paying any attention?"


    A middle aged man who stood in the middle of the center half dressed in a tracksuit called out for him. However he was extremely distracted by the sight of Kurosawa Taki that he couldn''t hear the voice of the middle aged man.


    Seeing him distracted, a kid who stood beside him tapped his shoulder.


    "Ye- Yes!! Yes sir!!"


    He stammereding back to his senses.


    "Try not to get too much distracted. Pay attention now, I''m going to arrange the teams."


    The man shrugged his behaviour.


    That middle aged man was one of the few coaches signed by the organiser for the event. Just like him there were 3 more coaches signed for the event standing beside him.


    The man then started to inquire the kids about the position they liked to y. Most of the kids replied forward while only few replied defense. Almost nobody except 2 kids eximed that they could y keeper.


    Witnessing the response of the kids, the man smacked his head in disappointment.


    Since most of the kids preferred to y forward, the man started to sort the kids by his own will. Luckily Hiro got to y as a midfielder.


    However most of the kids who couldn''t y in their desired position rebelled against his decision and started to create a ruckus. They were dissatisfied by the coaches decision.


    "Those who are dissatisfied by my decision can leave."


    He yelled in fury.


    After seeing his angry face, nobody dared toin a single word. While there were still some kids who left after his announcement, most of the kids remained.


    And because of that, the parents of the kids who left made their way towards the field toin about the coach''s behaviour. To minimise the ruckus, the organiser stepped in.


    "We apologize for his behaviour"


    To appease the irritated parents, the organiser started to apologize.


    However the man who turned away those kids didn''t say a single word. He sternly believed in his judgement and refused to apologize.


    Seeing the man''s unwillingness to bow down, the organiser pleaded the coach to take in those kids as reserves. And just like that a situation was prevented.


    After that the other 3 coaches hired by the organiser started to pick their respective yers and created a team of 8.


    After the four coaches picked their respective yers, 4 teams of 8 starting yers were formed and every other remaining yer was used as a substitute. Due to Hiro''s earlier behaviour, he was ced in the reserve as well.


    Finally the team was allocated as such, four teams made up of individual yer who showed up alone and four teams of the yers who showed up in teams.


    The individual yers who showed up alone were at a disadvantage than those who showed up in teams.


    The tournament was yed in a knockout style. The winning team would move forward while the losing team would go home.


    A random lottery was drawn to divide the 8 teams in two groups, Group A and group B. Group A contained four teams and Group B contained four as well.


    Hiro was ced in the team of the middle aged coach. The names of the four teams formed by the individual yers were named as such, Team 1, Team 2, Team 3 and Team 4.


    However the other four teams were, Sakura FC youth club, Little boys youth club, Tokushima City FC youth club and Nakamura FC youth club. As suggested by their names all four of those clubs were the youth club of reputed football club who yed professionally.


    The result of the lottery came as such;


    Group A: Sakura FC youth club, Nakamura FC youth club, Team 3 and Team 4


    Group B: Little boys youth club, Tokushima FC youth club, Team 1 and Team 2


    Due to the groupsposition, Hiro could only face Kurosawa Taki if his team made it to final. Kurosawa Taki was ced in Group A while Hiro was ced in Group B.


    The first match was yed between the host team and Team 3. Just minutes after the whistle blew, the host''s team scored a goal. In another 5 minutes, the host scored a second goal. In another 7 minutes the host scored a third goal. By the end of the first half the host scored 4 goal against the opponent team. The yer of the team 4 looked extremely tired and hopeless.


    Their eyes were screaming for help. Their eyes were telling the referee to stop the match. However there was still another 20 minutes left. Since it was a children''s game, the game was yed in 20-10-20. First half was of 20 minutes, 10 minutes break and second half was another 20 minutes.


    By the end of the full time the score read as such; Sakura FC youth club- 10, Team 3- 0. It was an overwhelming victory for the host''s team.


    Simrly Nakamura FCpletely obliterated the Team 4 as well. They won 7-1 against team 4.


    It wasn''t much different for the team in group B as well. Tokushima FC youth club won 8-2 against Team 2.


    The score 7-1 and 8-2 reminded him of the traumatic loss of Brazil against Germany in 2014 world cup and Barcelona against Bayern Munich in champions league.


    Finally after those humiliating defeat of Team 2, 3 and 4, everybody expected that it would be one of those four youth clubs who''d win the tournament. And many spectators began to leave the field.


    The match between Team 1 and Little boys youth clubmenced with the referee''s whistle. It was finally Hiro''s teams turn to y. However he was benched by the middle aged coach.


    Just within 7 minutes into the first half, little boys youth club took the lead as they scored the opening goal.


    "Oii what are you doing? Don''t leave your mark."


    The coach shouted furiously at the yer who costed them the goal.


    The opponent team didn''t stop at one goal and continued to charge vigorously giving them no time to rest. The keeper in Hiro''s team made countless saves.


    Luckily the keeper in Hiro''s team was somewhat experienced than the rest of the keepers of team who lost against youth clubs. But he couldn''t handle all those pounding by himself.


    The defenders in Hiro''s team dodged the ball whenever the opponent made a shot. Their cowardice costed them 3 goals before half time.


    Even the coach was getting frustrated by their behaviour and in the second half he decided to switch yers.


    "Boy with curly hair. You''re up"


    He eximed.


    "Me sir?"


    Hiro replied pointing his finger towards himself.


    "What? Don''t you want to go? Then leave it."


    The coach replied furiously.


    "No- Sir that''s not what I meant."


    "Argh- whatever get ready"


    The coach exasperated.


    Beep!!


    {yer change for team 1}


    {What is the coach thinking? Just after two minutes in second half, the coach of team 1 has decided to use his first substitution. But the match looks as good as lost even after the substitution.}


    Thementator announced.


    Finally he was about to enter the pitch after 2 minutes in the second half. As he made his way towards the pitch, he looked around him. A lot of spectators were leaving their ce and the stadium was almost getting empty. Except the supporters of the youth clubs, almost nobody was present at the stands.


    Far in the right corner, he noticed his parents cheers. They were overjoyed by his presence. He waved his hands towards his parents as he entered the pitch.


    ''Heh! Your team is 3 down and you still have the audacity to wave your hand?''


    The opponent yer mocked his gesture and looked at him as if they would swallow him in a single gulp.


    Because every kid in their team were dressed in different jerseys, they were given green bibs by the organiser.


    As he took his position, the referee blew the whistle,mencing the continuation of the match.


    {The ball is with the keeper and he passes the ball towards the defender. It doesn''t seem like that team 1 could turn around the match.}


    The ball was with his team''s goalkeeper. The keeper yed the ball towards the defender with number 2 on his back who looked extremely tired.


    {Number 2 seems extremely exhausted and the opponent yers are definitely making use of his exhaustion.}


    Taking advantage of his exhaustion, the opponent yers charged towards him.


    {Now what will he do? Will he pass the ball or will he dribble pass the ball?}


    {Wait... No, he actually kicked the ball. But it seems that the ball will go out of bounds. Was it a mistake? Perhaps he was anxious? But whatever it is, the ball will definitely go out of bounds}


    Number 2 got anxious and kicked the ball hard towards the opponents goal post. Everybody assumed that the ball would go out of y. Even the opponent keeper assumed the same and sticked to his post.


    {Wait!! Wait!! Number 19 is running towards the ball. The same number 19 who was the first substitution of the team 1}


    However shattering everybody''s expectation, Hiro made his run towards the ball with lightning speed. The opponents were caught off-guard.


    {Will he make it? Or will he not?}


    {Hmm.... He traps the ball in his chest. Magnificent, absolutely magnificent. What a speed!! What a touch!! Where was team 1''s coach hiding such an amazing talent?}


    At the far right corner of the opponents post, he trapped the ball in his chest and prevented the ball from going out of bounds.


    {But now that he have trapped the ball, what will he do? There''s nobody in sight for passing. His teammates are all gathered in their own half. The opponent defenders are charging towards him. What will he do now?}

 Chapter 8: All out defence

    <h4>Chapter 8: All out defence</h4>


    Woo hoo!! Woooahh!!!


    "What''s that noise?"


    One of the spectator who was about to leave the futsal inquired.


    The crowds inside the futsal burst out in ecstasy. The loud cheering noiseing from inside the futsal made the spectators who were leaving the premises curious. The loud cheers worked like a ma attracting the maic substance. The leaving spectators started to return back to witness the reason behind the cheers.


    {What will number 19 do in this situation? Three defenders and a keeper stands before him and the goal post. And there''s no sight of his teammate, he''spletely surrounded}


    As soon as he trapped the ball, the opponent defenders reacted quickly and blocked the path course towards the goal post.


    Hiro quickly scanned for any support but there was none. His teammates were all clustered in their own half. He was left with only one solution. If he wanted to score the goal, he would have to dribble past all those three defenders.


    {What''s this? He''s moving the ball forward by himself and facing the defender head on. Is he that confident to take on three defenders all by himself or is he that desperate for the goal?}


    {Whatever it is we''ll only know after a while. Let''s see what this kid will show us}


    Hiro dashed towards the goal post but a defender blocked his course. He performed a body feint while making use of his pace and sessfully passed the first defender. However the other two defenders followed up instantly and cornered him.


    The second defender had his legs wide open. Making use of his open legs, he lightly kicked the ball between his legs and nutmegged him. The second defender was stunned by his performance.


    However thest defender followed up with a sliding tackle. Hiro gently tapped the ball at the lower part and chipped the ball above him.


    The keeper sensing danger jumped towards the ball to punch it away. But before his punch could reach the ball, his feet reached it faster. In mid air, he kicked the ball towards the goal.


    {Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!!! Finally team 1 has opened up the score sheet. Magnificent!! Simply magnificent!! How is a kid of this age able to demonstrate such unbelievable talents?? Just where had coach Han been hiding such an overwhelming talent??}


    Upon seeing the underdog fighting back against the omnipotent, almost everybody present in the pitch burst out in ecstasy. The whole futsal was filled with cheers and praises.


    "Just what are you doing? Can''t you block a single person? It''s 1vs3 and yet you still get defeated?"


    The opponent keeper spilled his anger on the three defenders who failed to defend against him despite outnumbering him three to one.


    {What''s this? The calm and collected keeper of the little boy FC youth club is suddenly fuming after the first goal.}


    While the opponent''s keeper was shouting at his defenders, Hiro ran towards the part of the stand where his parents were seated.


    His teammates chased him to celebrate with him, however he was too fast for them to catch up.


    "I''ll score 3 more goals. Just watch me!"


    He announced to his father''s face.


    "Yeah sure sure!! If you could score that many goals then I''ll buy you your favourite cleats."


    His father ced a wager upon hearing his deration.


    Beep!!


    {The referee has blown the whistle and the match continues}


    {The number 19 kid has opened the score for his team just after 45 second''s of his arrival. Now the scoresheet is little boys 3 and team one 1.}


    "Hmph!! That''s just a fluke. Why are they even cheering that much for a fluke goal??"


    The opponent team''s striker exasperated.


    It was natural for him to get irritated. Afterall despite scoring 2 goals in that match, he wasn''t praised as much as Hiro. So it was natural for him to get jealous.


    Out of jealousy, he decided to dribble pass the entire team of team 1 all by himself. And as soon as he got the pass from his teammate, he dashed towards the team 1''s goal all by himself.


    The striker in Hiro''s team proved to absolute garbage against the charging striker of the opponent team, as he couldn''t do anything against him.


    {Is it some kind of deration to the number 19 kid of team 1? Little boy''s striker is charging all by himself towards the goal. What will team 1 do now? He''s already left 3 yer of team 1 in dust and it doesn''t seem that he''ll slow down any time sooner. But what''s this?}


    {Number 19 kid is blocking his course. Is it only this far that he can take the ball by himself? Will he pass or will he try to break through??}


    The opponent''s striker locked his eyes with him, as if he was signalling for him toe towards him. Just like the opponent''s striker wished, Hiro dashed towards him.


    As Hiro stood infront of him, the opponent striker couldn''t see any space to exploit and thus kicked the ball forward and started to run towards the ball. He wanted to make use of his explosive pace.


    "Heh!! I win. You''re no match for my pace."


    The opponent striker smirked.


    "Huh!! Huh!!!"


    The smile on his face quickly faded away as he found Hiro running towards him like a cheetah. At that moment he realised that he was no match for Hiro''s pace.


    {Oh what''s this? He got outwitted at his own game. The number 19 kid reached the ball way before him.}


    ''I admit that you''re faster than me. But that won''t amount to anything if I snatch the ball from you.''


    Admitting his weakness, he raised his guard to defend against Hiro.


    Hiro approached him slowly. And he was keeping his eyes fixated at the ball as well.


    "Let me teach you how to do it."


    Hiro smirked as he kicked the ball forward and dashed towards the ball, leaving him in dust.


    "That bastard!!"


    The opponent striker heard his taunt and cussed him as he tried to chase after Hiro.


    However he couldn''t do anything. No matter how fast he sprinted, he couldn''t reach Hiro.


    {What an amazing speed!! He passed the opponent yer without breaking any sweat. But is this just as far as he can go? The opponent yer have reacted quickly and surrounded him}


    {But what''s this? He''s not slowing even a bit. He''s charging head on all by himself.}


    Hiro dashed with the ball towards the goal without losing his momentum. Several opponent yer showed up, blocking his course.


    {Away from one, from two, from three and he''s still going. Magnificent!! Magnificent!! Away from four, five, six and yet he''s still going. The only one left to beat is the goalkeeper}


    After dribbling past 6 opponent yer by himself, he found himself infront of the goal 1vs1 with the goalkeeper. Even after breaking through, 6 guys all at once, he couldn''t see any gap in the keeper. The opponent''s goalkeeper had covered the entire goalpost all by himself. He didn''t let a single space for him to shoot.


    As he moved forward with the ball, the opponent''s keeper left his post and dashed towards him to minimise his shooting space. The keeper wasn''t afraid of taking his shots on face.


    ''Shoot if you can. I''ll block your shots even if I had to take it on face.''


    The opponent keeper was determined to stop his shot.


    The keeper''s eyes were fixated at the ball and he was calcting his every body movement. He was overtly cautious.


    Making use of his cautiousness, he stretched his legs to shoot the ball. Just as he stretched his legs, the keeper predicted that he''d shoot the ball and dived forward to block the shot.


    But contrary to his prediction, Hiro faked the shot.


    "Heh!! Baka!!"


    Just as the keepernded roughly, he shot with his other leg into the open goal.


    {Gooooaaaaallllllll!!! It''s another goal from number 19. That shot, that movement, that fake, that pace, everything, everything, just everything he did was fabulous. Simply fabulous!!}


    After scoring that goal, he again ran towards his parents side. Pointing two fingers at his father, he signalled him to keep his money prepared for the cleats.


    {Just who is that kid? Where have hee from? I''ve not seen anything like this even in J-league. That goal was simply a work of art.}


    {It''s not even been 5 minutes since he scored his first goal and he has already scored the second one. May be now they can change the oue of the match. Its little boy''s 3 and Team one 2.}


    {To tie the match team 1 will have to score one more goal in next 13 minutes. And seeing the performance of the number 19 kid, they might actually pull it off.}


    Beep!!


    {After that goal, the coach of the little boy''s youth club is looking somewhat anxious. He''s making some changes.}


    {yer change for little boy''s youth club. Number 7 out number 5 in, Number 10 out number 3 in. Number 9 out number 22 in}


    {It seems the coach is really anxious. He''s subbing all his offensive yers for defensive yers. Are they nning to defend their one goal lead?}


    After that magnificent goal, the coach of the little boys youth club subbed all of his offensive yer for a defensive yer. Previously their formation was 3-2-1 but now after the changes it became 5-1-0. With no offensive yer, they fortified their defence sacrificing their offense. And even that sole yer in the mid yed as a defensive mid.

 Chapter 9: Panenka

    <h4>Chapter 9: Panenka</h4>


    After that second goal, starting from the kickoff the opponent team yed the ball in their own half. They didn''t try to move the ball forward and kept on passing between themselves in their own half. They were only stalling for time as they were still in the lead.


    Hiro desperately tried to snatch the ball away from them but as soon as he''d approach the yer with the ball, that yer would immediately pass the ball to someone else. His teammates were absolutely garbage, they couldn''t even block their pass course or snatch the ball from the opponent.


    Boo!!! Boo!!


    The crowds booed the little boy youth club''s yer whenever they touched the ball. They were getting extremely irritated by their ys.


    As the time went on the frustration and boredom of the crowd built up and only intensified. And due to boredom, some of them started to leave the pitch.


    {Are they nning to end the game like this? They aren''t moving ball outside their own half. And one can vividly tell that the crowd is not satisfied with their ystyle. The boo''s of the crowd is only intensifying.}


    "I need to think of something else. How am I supposed to score if I''m not even getting the ball?"


    Hiro mumbled.


    Given the situation, the only way for him to get the ball was to catch the opponent yer off-guard. He couldn''t confront them directly. If he tried to confront them head on, they would pass the ball to someone else and his garbage team couldn''t even win the ball back.


    {The number 2 has passed the ball to number 22. And he''s moving the ball towards the center. Perhaps they''re finally thinking of going on offence after nearly 10 minutes of passing the ball in their own half.}


    {The yer of team 1 is speeding up on him. But what''s this? He passed the ball back to number 2.}


    Boo!!! Boo!!


    {Just when we thought that they''re finally going on offence, they passed the ball backwards. Perhaps the game might end this way. You gotta feel sorry for number 19 kid. He gave his all to score two goals against them but he couldn''t win the game.}


    {But where is number 19 kid? He''s nowhere to be seen in the pitch.}


    {Wait... wait... Who''s that kid infront in team 1''s defence?? Didn''t number 19 y as a offensive yer? So what is he doing in the defence?}


    Unable to snatch the ball away from little boys yer, Hiro had moved to the defence to get out from their sight.


    Just because he had moved to the defence didn''t mean he had given up on the game. He was patiently waiting for an opportunity.


    And the opportunity finally came just a minute before the end of the game. Just as the opponent yer with number 2 on his jersey kicked the ball hard towards the yer at the opposite nk, Hiro rushed towards the ball.


    {Seems like it''s thest long pass of the game. The number 2 has kicked the ball hard and it''s heading straight towards number 4 at the opposite nk. The ball is still in the air, but what''s this another yer is rushing towards the ball. Who''s that yer? Who is it? Wait.. I see number 19 in the jersey. It''s number 19, once again making use of his explosive pace. Will he get to the ball before number 4?}


    "What are you doing? Move towards the ball."


    The opponent coach shouted at his yer to get the ball before number 19 could snatch it away from him.


    Suddenly number 4 started to get anxious and he staggeringly ran towards the ball even though the ball was still in mid air. And he did reach the ball before Hiro. Afterall he was the one who was the closest to the ball.


    {Number 4 has reached the ball before him. But would he be able to trap the ball??}


    But out of nervousness, he couldn''t trap the ball and it slipped off him. And due to that simple mistake of number 4, Hiro snatched the ball away from him. After that there was no stopping to him. He sped up towards the goal.


    But number 4 hadn''t given up as well. He desperately chased after Hiro. However his pace was a little bit slower than Hiro and he wasn''t able to reach Hiro. Hiro was already infront of the D-box and if he didn''t do anything then Hiro would score the goal without any mistake and tie the game.


    He didn''t want to take on the me for that goal and thus he decided to foul Hiro. Unable to snatch the ball away from Hiro, he extended his arms and grabbed Hiro''s shirt.


    beep!!


    {That''s a foul. What will the referee do?}


    {The foul looked intentional. He won''t get away easily without getting a card.}


    The referee put his hand inside his pocket and took a card out.


    {It''s a red card. And number 4 is sent off}


    {Also the team 1 is given freekick infront of the penalty area. That spot looks as dangerous as penalty. However that red card would be meaningless if they fail to score the goal.}


    {So who will be the one to take the freekick?}


    As the foul wasmitted outside the penalty zone, they were granted freekick. The time had almost ended and it was very well thest set piece of the match.


    While the number 4 was getting sent off, coach Han waved his hands and signalled them to group up. And thus, all of them rushed towards coach Han. They formed a semi circle and gathered around coach Han.


    "You''ve all done great. So no matter the result, I want you all to remember that you''ve fought till the end. While the other teams were humiliated, you guys have persevered against a pro youth club. So that alone is a great aplishment."


    "But remember this is football and in football only the winner''s are remembered. So I want you all to give your best for thisst set piece. And before you go, number 19 will take the freekick. Does anybody have any objection? If not go show them what you are capable off "


    Coach Han gave a long pep talk to increase the morale of the squad.


    For whole match he had been yelling at the yers for their mistakes. But at the final moment of the match, his attitude changed. He finally yed the role of the coach.


    ''I guess you''re still a coach afterall''


    Hiro chuckled as he made his way towards the ball.


    Infront of the D-box, around 8 yards away from the goal post his team was awarded a freekick for the intentional foul of number 4. If he could score that freekick then the game would be tied and the winner would be decided by a penalty shootout.


    However if he failed to convert that freekick, then the referee would blow the whistle to end the match and they''d lose the match.


    The fate of his team, the opportunity to face up against the future goalkeeper of national team, everything depended on his freekick. And he didn''t want to risk that opportunity.


    As he stood infront of the ball, he remembered about the freekick performed by Andreas Messi. Even though his freekickcked power, it was extremely precise. And Hiro needed that technique of Messi at the moment instead of a powerful shot like Christian Romero.


    "Status window"


    "Activate the skill focus"


    [Skill activated]


    [The host has entered into a hyper focus zone and he can''t be distracted by the outer mediums]


    After activating the skill, he could no longer hear the noise of the crowd. Suddenly the environment around him got silent. He turned his head towards the stands, the crowds were cheering loudly but he couldn''t hear anything at all.


    He then looked at the ball. He could see every little detail in the football. The number of stitches it contained. The stains, the bumps, he could see everything crystal clear. He could see every minute details of the ball.


    He then looked at the opponent keeper.


    Drip!! Drip!!


    He could vividly see the sweat formed in his face. The keeper was panting heavily and looked tense. He was yelling at the defenders to strengthen the wall and close the gaps. There was a mix of emotion in his face. He looked anxious, terrified and exhausted at the same time.


    At that moment, Hiro realised that the keeper was nervous about the freekick. And there was some possibility that he''d fail to save the ball due to his nervousness.


    Due to his skill, he could hear what the keeper was whispering even though he was far away from him. He looked at his teammates, they all were whispering something as well. Some praying, some whining, he could hear each and every one of them clearly just by focusing on their lips.


    "Damn the skill really lives up to it''s name."


    Hiro whispered in awe.


    beep!!


    Sigh~~


    He took in a deep breath and released it.


    As he stood infront of the ball, the referee blew his whistle. Hiro knew exactly where to hit the ball to get his desired result.


    And the skill made it easier for him to locate that point on the ball. He hit the ball at the lower right part with the inside of his big toe.


    {A panenka?? Are you kidding me that little kid is hitting a panenka??}


    Thementator bewilderingly yelled.


    As the ball left his feet, it flew over the wall and headed towards the goal. Due to the spin in the ball, the ball dropped after reaching its maximum height and curved towards the upper right corner of the goal post.


    Swoosh!!


    {Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!!}


    The keeper jumped to save the ball but couldn''t save it. It grazed past his gloves, crossed the goal line and touched the with a swoosh sound.

 Chapter 10: Not enough

    <h4>Chapter 10: Not enough</h4>


    After that brilliant panenka goal from Hiro, the game was tied. And as the yers got into their respective position to continue the match, the referee blew the final whistle and ended the match.


    Unable to decide the victor in full 40 minutes, the game went into penalty shootout to decide the victor. Since it was a kid''s game, there was no extra time as it would be too much for the kids.


    {What an amazing match it was. At first the game looked pretty much one sided. But just with the appearance of number 19 kid, the whole rhythm of the match changed. What an unbelievable yer.}


    {Since the game has ended with a tie, the victor will be decided by the penalty shootout. And it looks like little boys youth club will be the first one to take the shootout.}


    The opponent yer with number 2 on his back stood infront of the ball to take the first penalty.


    beep!!


    Number 2 ran towards the ball and kicked the ball at the lower left corner of the post. Their keeper predicted correctly and jumped towards the left while stretching his arms.


    {Save!!! The keeper has saved the penalty. What an unbelievable save by the team 1''s keeper. If this continues they might pull out a win}


    From his team''s side, he was the first one to take the penalty. The skill focus was still in effect and this time too the opponent keeper looked extremely nervous to face against him.


    {From team 1 , it''s number 19 who''ll be taking the first shot. If it''s this kid, then he''ll definitely put the ball inside the.}


    beep!!


    As soon as the referee blew the whistle, he charged towards the ball. Due to his speed, the opponent keeper got even more anxious. He didn''t give the keeper a single moment to fortify his mind.


    Before, when he scored the freekick he focused more on his technique but this time around it was all about power. He hit the ball hard in the top right corner. Due to the rapid velocity of the ball, the keeper couldn''t react at all.


    Swoosh!!!


    {Gooooaaaaallllllll!!! The shot went like a missile, the keeper couldn''t even react. Look at him, he''s still frozen at his ce.}


    {His touches were already deadly due to his technique. But what''s with this power?? He''s like thebination of Messi and Romero.}


    {And with this goal team 1 has taken the lead.}


    But that goal was the only goal team 1 scored in that whole penalty shootout. After that goal, everybody in his team missed their shots. While the keeper did save one more shot. But that wasn''t enough to move to the next match.


    In the end they lost the penalty shootout 3-1. And the only goal they scored in the shootout was his sole goal.


    Little boys youth club defeated the next opponent 2-1 and went on to the finals from group B. While from group A, it was no surprise. Sakura FC youth club went on to the finals.


    And thus in the final match of the tournament, little boys youth club faced Sakura FC youth club for the glory. Despite hitting hard and shooting frequently, Kurosawa Taki didn''t let in even a single goal.


    Hepletely blocked every shot taken by little boys youth club''s yer and denied them from scoring a single goal.


    At that single match, little boy''s youth club performed 17 shots on target. But they couldn''t score a single goal past Kurosawa Taki. However Sakura FC youth club struggled to score against team 1 as well. The game was scoreless for 39 minutes.


    And at the final minute of the match, number 7 from Sakura FC youth club scored a goal past the keeper of little boys youth club and won the tournament.


    And finally the intense match between Sakura FC youth club and little boys youth club ended with Sakura FC youth club''s victory.


    Despite being knocked out in the first round, Hiro spectated the whole tournament as a spectator from the sidelines. Time and again thementator mentioned his name as well.


    He thought that he could win the tournament because he was much older than the other kids but somehow he had forgotten that he himself had a body of 5 year old. Despite being 27 year old from inside, his outer body was that of a 5 year old kid.


    And that 5 year old body didn''t have the strength like his 27 year old body. That tournament made him realise about hisck of strength.


    If he wanted to perform ording to his will, he was required to increase his strength and train himself. Just by relying on his IQ, he wouldn''t be able to win the match.


    [Ding!! Daily mission unlocked]


    [Go to status window to see more about daily missions]


    ''Huh? Daily mission at this time? This system won''t even let me grieve over my loss''


    He mumbled.


    "Whatever!! Status window"


    [Daily mission]


    [Run: 5km]


    [Sit-up: 50]


    [Squats: 50]


    [Push-up: 50]


    [Juggle: 500]


    [Head movements: 500]


    [Freekick: 500]


    [Penalty: 500]


    [Note: The given objective should bepleted by the end of the day.]


    [Reward onpletion: Random attribute point]


    [Penalty: Electrocution]


    "Yoh!!! Wtf?? Electrocution?? Will it give me electric shock every time I fail to aplish this task?? Isn''t it too demanding for a kid??"


    "I may be 27 year old but my body is that of 5 year old. How the hell am I supposed toplete all this task?? Run 5km?? Let alone 5km, I can barely run 3 km. And what''s with this juggle, freekick, push-up and penalty?"


    "Though I used to do more than 1000 shots a day but dude I''m a 5 year old. So how the hell am I supposed toplete all this objectives??"


    Even though he didn''t voice his words, his face clearly reflected all his frustration. He was extremely agitated by the task given by the system.


    [The system has detected extreme anger in host]


    [The host''s BP is rising rapidly]


    [It''s suggested that the host to calm down or else the situation could escte into stroke and the host''s life may be in danger]


    "Huh?? You want me to calm down?? Just how am I supposed to do that after your ridiculous tasks?"


    Hiro exasperated.


    [It''s all up to you, whether you want to be a world ss yer or remain a mediocre.]


    [However given the host''s condition, he can skip the mission for today and start the mission from tomorrow.]


    "___________"


    Hiro couldn''t reply anything, he was speechless. Afterall the system was speaking the truth and he himself was aware of it. He couldn''t argue against the system.


    Even though most Athlete wouldn''t show their hardships, almost all of them have put in utmost effort to reach the top. Every year countless kids undergo trials to be pro. And every year a lot of them fail as well.


    One couldn''t simply be pro just because he/she wants to be a pro. They need to put in the required effort to achieve their wishes.


    And just because one is talented doesn''t mean he/she could make it to pro. Talent may be one of the element required for sess. However no talent would thrive without the effort.


    And just like Hiro, there are countless talented individual scattered all across the globe. In Brazil alone, there are countless kids who are like him or even better than him.


    And thus at that moment Hiro realised that just because he had the knowledge of future and talent, he wouldn''t be able to make it to pro without training himself everyday and dedicating himself for the cause of being the GOAT.


    While he was making his mind, his father looked at him and saw a burning spark in his eyes. His father was about to inquire him about his well-being and console him for the loss.


    However after seeing the determined look on his son''s face, he shut his mouth and left Hiro all by himself.


    From the futsal to his home, he didn''t speak anything. Neither did he show sadness nor did hein about the unfairness of the match.


    Despite scoring 3 goals in less than 20 minutes, he couldn''t get the chance to face against Kurosawa Taki. Kurosawa Taki didn''t concede a single goal in that whole tournament.


    While on his way he wondered if the result would be different if he faced against him. Even thementator mentioned about him that during the final match.


    It was the same result in his previous life as well. However at that time, the match didn''t go into shootout. They had lost the match 6-2 against little boys youth club. And at that time too, he had scored 2 goals for his team.


    While walking to his home, he analyzed all his strengths and weaknesses. Not only his own strengths and weaknesses, he analyzed the strength and weaknesses of the best yers of the tournament.


    He finished in the 3rd of the scoring list, despite ying a single game. The score list went as such;


    Ryu Ito (Sakura FC) - 7 goals


    Natsu Nakamura (little boys) - 5 goals


    Takahashi Hiro (Team 1) - 3 goals


    Although he didn''t get any reward for finishing 3rd in the scoring list, he still got a certificate of appreciation for his achievement.

 Chapter 11: Offers

    <h4>Chapter 11: Offers</h4>


    After that tournament, for almost a year he didn''t participate in any official match. It wasn''t because he didn''t want to y but more like he couldn''t.


    He was too young to participate in official matches. And only from elementary level, he''d be able to participate in the inter-school tournaments for elementary level.


    Though he''d still have to wait for few years to participate in the middle school and high school level inter-school national tournament held in all over Japan. National tournaments are held every year between the regional champions of Japan.


    National tournament as the name suggested is a tournament held between the different schools in Japan topete for the glory of being the strongest footballing school in all over Japan. The tournament is held for all levels of school i.e elementary school, middle school and high school level.


    As Japan is divided into 47 prefectures and 8 regions, there are countless schools who participate in the tournament just to make it to the national.


    And making into the national isn''t an easy feat. Countless schools from different prefecturespete among themselves toe out as victor of their respective prefectures. And just bing a prefectural champion won''t guarantee the spot for the nationals.


    As they would still need to defeat other prefectural champions to represent their region. And finally after defeating other prefectural champions, the respective school would be able to participate in the national tournament.


    For example, Hiro who resides in Tokushima prefecture is a part of the Shikoku region. And in his region alone there are 4 prefectures which is one of the lowest in Japan.


    For his school to make it to the national, firstly they would need to be the prefectural champions by defeating several schools from his prefecture. And after that, they would need to defeat three more teams to make it to the nationals.


    Simrly Tokyo prefecture which lies in Kanto region has 7 prefecture. So if any school from Tokyo want to make it to the nationals, they would need to defeat 6 more schools from other prefectures in order to reach the national.


    Well technically they wouldn''t need topete against all the teams in the region, as a draw would take ce and they would y matches in knockout format to be the regional champions.


    The system does seem kinda wed and unfair for the region where there are a lot of prefectures. But nobody can say or do anything about it. That''s how the system goes afterall.


    There''s also other tournaments beside national tournament. However national tournament is regarded as the supreme among any other tournament for school level tournaments.


    Winning the national tournament or even making it to the nationals is a huge achievement for any school. The school''s who have won the tournament or made it to the national multiple times are very reputed school.


    Just by winning or making it to the nationals, the reputation of the respective school would soar to heavens. Thus, the schools in Japan would go crazy over talented yers.


    They would send their scouts in almost every tournament held in the prefecture to scout the most talented individuals. And after scouting they would offer ridiculous schrship for the yer, if the yer met their standards.


    The system in Japan is simr to that of the business module followed by professional football teams.


    "What school should I attend?"


    Hiro wondered.


    After graduating from the kindergarten, while lying in his bed, he was wondering about the elementary school he wanted to attend. To avoid his past mistakes, he wanted to choose a different school than his previous life.


    "Let''s think about that after a while."


    "I haven''t observed my stats for a while. Shall we see what progress I''ve made after tirelesslypleting the daily mission given by that freaking system."


    He contemted.


    For almost a whole year without any breaks hepleted the task given by the system. Even though he failed miserably during his early days, he got a hang of it after repeating the same actions everyday.


    "Damn!! I don''t want to remember that."


    He stuttered as he remembered the hardships he had to endure during his earlier days.


    A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered about the moment when he got electrocuted. Because of the shock, he would return homepletely tattered.


    Seeing his miserable condition, his mother couldn''t help but worry about him. For the past year, he got scolded countless times by his mother. There were even moments when she banned him from going outside. However due to his father''s effort, he could still train properly.


    Somehow after training for a while, he noticed a loophole in the system. Since he had school at 8, he needed to wake up early in the morning toplete half of the sets given by the system. Andter in the evening, he couldplete the other half and finallyplete the daily mission given by the system.


    Making use of the loophole, he avoided electrocution and also his mother''s wrath.


    "Status window"


    [Basic information]


    Name: Takahashi Hiro


    Age: 6 years old


    Weight: 21 kg


    Height: 4 feet


    Potential: SSS


    Attribute point: 10.05


    Roulette tickets: 0


    Skills: Focus


    Title: Master of the Talent Copying System, Regressor, One who possess ethereal talent.


    [Attributes]


    Physical: 31/100 ( Grade: D)


    Dribbling: 69/100 (Grade: B)


    Pace: 44/100 ( Grade: C)


    Passing: 55/100 ( Grade: C+)


    Shooting: 57/100 (Grade: C+)


    Defending: 29/100 (Grade: D)


    Mentality: 49/100 ( Grade: C)


    IQ: 74/100 (Grade: B+)


    Overall grade: C-


    "Hmmm... I still have a lot of unallocated attribute points. But I''ll save it forter."


    Hiro mumbled.


    After training hard for almost a year, he had increased his stats tremendously with the help of system. By now he could have easily made it to under 13 national team, if he tried for it. However he was still very young for that. To y in under 13 national team, the minimum requirement was that the yer needed to be at least 8 years old. However he was only 6 years old.


    As he was wondering about the elementary school he could attend. His mind wandered somewhere else.


    "Should I actually apply for a youth club instead?"


    He wondered.


    "May be joining La masia wouldn''t be a dream if I could attend a trial."


    He started to dwell in his fantasies.


    "The dinner''s ready!! Come down Hiro"


    He heard his mother calling his name.


    And that voice brought him back to reality. And the reality was that he was still poor.


    His family couldn''t afford a trip to Europe and the European scouts didn''te to Japan around that time. It would still require a lot of time before the world would take notice of Japan.


    Although Japan was considered a powerhouse football team in Asia. It was nowhere near world level. It was just an another average team in the world.


    And european scouts rarely made their way towards Japan to scout the yer.


    "May be I should try to win the nationals first. And we''ll think of the future afterwards. For now let''s focus on the nationals."


    He mumbled as he left his room.


    "Thank you for the food"


    He prayed as he prepared to eat the dinner prepared by his mother.


    It was in dinner with rice and few side dishes made up of fish and potato. As he stuffed the food in his mouth, his mother questioned him;


    "Which school do you want to attend Hiro?"


    Nom!! Nom!!


    "I yam nout sure yet!!"


    He replied while chewing.


    "Let himplete his dinner first and we''ll talk about thatter."


    His father interrupted.


    And finally afterpleting dinner all three of them sat at the dinning table to talk about his decision.


    "Tokushima elementary school is the nearest one so why don''t you attend that school."


    His mother eximed.


    It was the same school, he had attended in his previous life. So he was somewhat hesitant of attending the same school once again. Plus there was no football team in Tokushima elementary school. And it would take another 2 years for the school to gather yers required to form a football team. Thus, he was somewhat hesitant of joining Tokushima elementary school.


    "Honey!! Don''t pressure him. Let him decide on the school that he want to attend."


    His father spoke in a soft tone.


    "But it''s the closest school in the neighborhood. So I think it''d be better for him to attend it. And how can a kid who''s barely six years old even decide for himself?"


    His mother argued.


    Seeing her irritated face, his father went silent. Even if he was the man of the house, his mother was the one who made the decisions.


    "But mom the school doesn''t even have a football team."


    Hiro tried to resist his mother''s decision.


    "So what about it? You are going to school for studies not for football."


    His mother yelled.


    Seeing her response, he knew that he wouldn''t be able to convince her. She was adamant about her decisions. But even so he didn''t want to waste his 6 precious years in a school with no football team.


    Even though he could still y football and train in the park. But that wouldn''t help him develop as a yer. What he needed was practical experience and he wouldn''t gain experience by ying disorganised friendly matches.


    "So it''s final. You''re going to Tokushima elementary school."


    As she was about to finish the conversation, his father interrupted;


    "Actually Hiro has received scouting offers from Ronden elementary school, Karasuno elementary school and Ookami elementary school."


    "Huh!! Why didn''t you tell me dad?"

 Chapter 12: Ookami elementary school

    <h4>Chapter 12: Ookami elementary school</h4>


    As the topic of the school that wanted to scout him was brought onto the table, Hiro got mad at his father for hiding the information from him.


    Ronden elementary school was a non-profit school funded by the various charitable trust in London. And currently it was the best school in Tokushima prefecture for football. Although it had never won the nationals but it had made it to the nationals several times.


    For past 7 years it had been dominating the prefecturalpetitions and making it to the regionals. And for past 2 years, it had continuously reached the nationals. It was a powerhouse elementary level football school in all over Tokushima prefecture.


    Although Karasuno elementary school have failed to qualify for the regionals for past two years because of Ronden elementary school, it was still regarded as one of the powerhouse elementary level football school in Tokushima prefecture just like Ronden elementary school. And unlike Ronden elementary school, it had actually won the nationals once, a long time ago.


    But what surprised him even more was to receive offer from the newly formed elementary school i.e Ookami elementary school. Although it was still a newly formed school, having knowledge of the future Hiro knew about the potential of that newly formed school.


    Due to it''s excellent scouting, the school would gather countless exceptional talents and go on to challenge both Ronden elementary school and Karasuno elementary school for the spot in nationals. However it would always fall short to grab the spot for nationals.


    After thinking for a while, his mother spoke;


    "But both Ronden and Karasuno elementary school are far away from here. So who''ll escort Hiro to school. You and I both have jobs."


    Hiro knew that if he remained silent, his mother would send him to Tokushima elementary school. And before that happened, he needed to raise his voice.


    "But what about Ookami elementary school?"


    Hiro mumbled.


    "What about it?"


    "It''s not that far away from here. And it''s only 30min away from bike."


    Hiro tried to persuade his mother.


    "But since it''s a private school, the fee''s must be ridiculously expensive."


    His mother replied with a worried face.


    "Actually you don''t have to worry about that matter. All three of the school''s have offered him sports schrship. So we won''t need to pay a single yen"


    "Huh!! You''re not joking, right dear? If you are, then don''t even think about having a single sip of beer for an entire month."


    "No, no, I''m not joking. I''m telling the truth, they are offering him full schrship."


    His father replied in a flustered tone.


    As soon as she heard about schrship, the expression in her face quickly changed. Just like chameleon changing it''s colour, his mother''s expression changed as soon as she heard about schrship.


    He knew for a fact that his mother was very fond of money. And she was that cheapskate who''d buy tons of items if they were offered for sale even if they didn''t need it.


    "We''ll go visit them tomorrow."


    His mother concluded.


    And just like that it was decided that he would attend Ookami elementary school. Even though Hiro wanted to attend Ronden elementary school or Karasuno elementary school, he was still satisfied with attending Ookami elementary school rather than Tokushima elementary school.


    Next day early in the morning, Hiro set out to Ookami elementary school with his parents. Both of their parents applied for a leave to apany him to the school.


    They left their home at 10 AM and took a train to the school. It would have taken them longer if they were to bike to the school. But since they took a train tomute to the school they reached their destination in only 10 minutes.


    At 10:20 they stood infront of the Ookami elementary school''s main gate. The school was huge and covered a lot of area. Although it was in a remote location, the chatters of the students could be heard even from outside the gate.


    After exiting the train, they needed to hike for 5 min to reach the school. Ookami elementary school was located at the top of a hill.


    "Who are you? And what''s your purpose for visiting the school?"


    A middle aged man dressed in a guard uniform stopped them as they tried to enter the school.


    "Umm... sorry for bothering you. But we''re actually here for the admission of our son."


    His father replied in a gentle manner.


    The man then casted a nce at Hiro who was neatly dressed in a ck shirt and beige colour linen half pant.


    "The admission process hasn''t started yet. So why are you here so early?"


    The guard replied.


    "Honey don''t tell me that you haven''t talked with the staff yet?"


    His mother eximed while barely holding herself from getting angry.


    "Uhh... I forgot.... Hehe"


    His fatherughed awkwardly as he replied.


    "Huh!! You forgot?? Are you for real??"


    Even though she didn''t speak loudly, he could clearly see that she was getting agitated and was barely holding herself from yelling out loud.


    His father had sensed her anger as well and thus he remainedpletely silent.


    "Argh!! Whatever!! For now, let''s just ask him to let us enter the school. And you and me will need to have a talk when we reach home."


    "Gulp! Gulp!! yes mam"


    His father gulped his saliva.


    ''Rest in peace dad!''


    He mumbled inwardly.


    "Umm excuse our intrusion but would you let us enter the school."


    His mother spoke to the guard.


    "No mam I can''t do that. I can''t let you pass without any appointment."


    The guard sternly denied their ess.


    Just then his father pulled out a business card from his pocket and handed it over to the guard. The guard as soon as he witnessed the card went over to his booth.


    "Please wait here for a while."


    He then started to call someone. As soon as he finished speaking, he opened the gate.


    "Pleasee in. I didn''t realise that you were invited by Sakamoto san. Please forgive my rudeness."


    The guard apologized as he let them in.


    "It''s alright. You''re only doing your job. But where do we need to go?"


    His father replied as they walked inside.


    The school was gigantic. There was a 4 storeyed tall building with a gigantic clock at the entrance of the building. Aside from the main building there were four more buildings.


    "No worries, I''ll escort you."


    The guard then began to escort them towards the principal''s office.


    While they were being escorted towards the principal''s office, the guard then began to introduce about the generalyout of the school.


    The main building had almost more than 60 ssrooms, several store rooms, several sciencebs and other facilities. There were also 2 gymnasium and arge auditorium present in the school. Cafeteria was in a separate building.


    The football ground was behind the main building and infront of the dense forest. He said that the football ground was surrounded bys to prevent the ball from going astray. And the whole school was surrounded by sturdy walls.


    Hiro''s anticipation grew as the guard mentioned about the football ground. He was more concerned about the football ground than the various sumptuous facilities provided by the school.


    Finally after 10 minutes of walking, they reached the principal''s office. It was in the 3rd floor of the main building.


    "I can only escort you up to here"


    The guard spoke as he left them infront of the door of the principal''s office.


    knock! knock!


    "Pleasee in."


    As they knocked the door, they heard a voice of a womaning from inside the principal''s office.


    "Pardon our intrusion"


    They entered the office. As they walked in the office, they were greeted by four peoples.


    The principal''s office was extremely spacious and neatly clean. Several certificates and photos were hung up on the walls of the office. At the centre of the room, there was a huge table and sofa on it''s either side. At the end of the table, there was another table with a opulent chair.


    In that chair was seated a old man who looked like he was in his 60''s and beside him was beautiful youngdy who looked like she was still in her thirties. And finally at the sofa, there were two men seated next to each other. One looked like he was still in his fifties while the other looked younger than him.


    "Please be seated"


    The youngdy escorted them towards the empty sofa. And as they took their seat, the young man opposite to them spoke;


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you once again Takahashi san"


    "No, no!! The pleasure is all mine Sakamoto san"


    The young man who greeted them was the scout of the Ookami elementary school and the old man who was seated beside him was the head coach of the Ookami elementary school''s football team.


    "This right here is Miura sensei and the person seated at the chair infront of us is our principal Miyamoto Takumi san and beside him the youngdy is his PA Sizuka sensei."


    Sakamoto introduced everybody present in the office.


    "Nice to meet you! I''m Takahashi Takashi and she''s my wife Takahashi Momo. And this is our son Takahashi Hiro."


    While he was introducing himself, his wife and his son, Sakamoto interrupted him.


    "We are well aware of your son. Aren''t we all gathered here to discuss about his possible admission in our school?"

 Chapter 13: Titan Keeper

    <h4>Chapter 13: Titan Keeper</h4>


    While Sakamoto san was speaking, head coach Miura interrupted him;


    "Sorry if I sound rude, but with all due respect to Sakamoto san, I can''t believe the exaggerated words of Sakamoto san. His words sounded extremely ridiculous to me when he mentioned about Hiro''s skill previously. So if it''s all right with you, can we test his skills?"


    Head coach Miura turned his head towards the principal as if he was asking for his approval. Noticing his intention, principal Miyamoto Takumi agreed to his request.


    "If it''s not a problem with you Takahashi san, can we examine Hiro''s skill?"


    The principal asked his father.


    His father hesitated a bit. This wasn''t what he had been expecting. He nced at Sakamoto san but he remainedpletely silent.


    "But he hasn''t brought his cleats right now!"


    "That''s all right we''ll ask one of our yers to lend him the boot for a while."


    The coach replied.


    Listening to the words of head coach, he could no longer deny them and thus, he hesitantly took a peak at Hiro. Without saying any words, Hiro nodded his head.


    "Well I guess we can do that since it looks like Hiro doesn''t have any problem with it."


    "Sorry for this unreasonable request but our reputation is at stake, so we couldn''t just take him in without analysing his skills firsthand."


    The principal apologetically ced his hands on top of Takashi''s shoulder, as they stood in the sidelines waiting for Hiro to make his appearance.


    "I''ll be blunt with you. We''re still a newly formed school, so to raise our reputation our schoolmittee had decided to invest in football. So it''s really crucial for us to gather a good team that could perform well in tournaments. And thus, if Hiro can''t perform well in this trial, I''m afraid that we can''t provide him with schrship. I hope you can understand what I mean."


    The principal eximed bluntly without holding back.


    Upon listening to the words of principal, Takashi looked at his wife. But it seemed like, she didn''t hear anything at all as she was staring intently at the storeroom beside the pitch.


    "Go to ss 4B and tell Mark toe to the pitch. Also tell him to put on his gears."


    Coach Miura ordered the student who had lent his boots to Hiro.


    The school was open and the sses were running as usual. It was 11:45 AM right now and there were still 15 minutes left for the lunch break. The ground was open for everybody during school hours and only after the end of the school it was reserved for football teams on normal days.


    After getting dressed in the teams locker room, Hiro made his way towards the pitch. As he made his way towards the pitch, he intently stared at the pitch infront of him. The ground was much bigger than his expectation. He could tell that the pitch was almost 130 yards long and 100 yards wide. It had almost the same measurements as those of the professional football grounds.


    There were also few posts lying in the ground. The permanent goalposts was designed for professional yers rather than for kids. And thus there were two more pairs of goalposts. The size of one pair of the goalposts was the same as that of the futsal. And the other pair was a mini post.


    Not only had they provided him with the cleats but they had also provided him with the team''s jersey. The jersey of Ookami elementary school''s football team was in ck with golden stripes around neck and cuff. The logo resembled the shape of a wolf''s head which was silver white.


    "Who''s that? Had I seen him before somewhere?"


    He was confused by the appearance of a new person in the pitch.


    Aside from the four people in principal''s office, there was a new face in the ground. A man who looked like he was still in his twenties was arranging the training equipments in the ground. And somehow he was getting a feeling of nostalgia from that person.


    "Come over here quick Hiro"


    While he was wondering about the identity of the new face, he heard the voice of coach Miura. Hearing his voice, he ran towards coach Miura.


    "Look I want you to dribble past those cones zigzag as fast as you can. But there''s a catch, as you go left you can only use your left foot and as you go right, you can only use your right foot. Also you can''t touch the cone and neither can you kick the ball far away from the cone. Did you understand?"


    "Yes sir!!"


    As he stood infront of the cones, he noticed that the gap between the cones was barely enough to fit two balls. The gaps were extremely tight and if he slipped even a bit he''d have touched the cone. The drill was extremely difficult. Without perfect ball control, the drill was near to impossible.


    [Ding!!]


    [Side mission unlocked]


    [Complete the drills set up by coach with astonishing result and impress the coach.]


    [Reward uponpletion: One roulette ticket]


    [Penalty: You''ll lose stats randomly]


    ''Huh!! Are you kidding me?? Lose stat?? I freaking spent so much time to gain this stat and you''re saying that I''d have to lose it because of one simple quest??''


    Hiro was extremely agitated by the words of the system. He had spent almost a year to raise his attributes but the system was threatening to decrease his stats if he failed. Seeing the audacity of the system, he felt mocked by the system.


    Beep!!


    As soon as the coach blew the whistle, Hiro started to dribble the ball. Toplete the quest as fast as possible he performed stico continuously with both his feets. He''d perform a stico with his right foot and follow up with another stico with his left foot. He performed stico without a break for more than 18 times.


    Beep!


    "47 seconds!! I can''t believe it. Hepleted the whole drill in 47 seconds. It didn''t even take 1 minute for him to pass 18 cones. Plus the gap was ridiculously small."


    The coach''s jaw dropped and his eyes were wide open upon witnessing the unbelievable feat demonstrated by Hiro.


    For a while the coach couldn''t speak anything, he waspletely speechless. He stood like a stone statue while looking at his stopwatch.


    His parents and the principal had the same expression simr to that of the coach. Even the person who was arranging the drills revealed the same expression as that of the coach. Nobody could believe their eyes.


    "Coach?? Coach??"


    He called out for coach who was staring nkly at his stopwatch with his jaws wide open.


    "Ah- yes!! yes!! Now let''s test your speed."


    "Sprint as fast as you can towards the center of the pitch."


    "Yes sir!!"


    Beep!!


    To increase his speed, Hiro put all of his body weight in his toes and dashed forward with explosive strength.


    Beep!!


    "17 seconds!! How can a kid run this fast?? Wth!!"


    The coach couldn''t believe that a kid who was barely 6 years old sprinted 75 yards in 17 seconds. However that wouldn''t be thest of the surprise he would be getting during that trial.


    Hiropletely shattered every expectations of the coach.


    "Mark is here, coach."


    As he was performing the individual drills, a 5 feet tall kid made his way towards the pitch. With a tanned skin and blond hair, he looked like a foreigner.


    "Huh? He doesn''t look like Japanese."


    Hiro mumbled looking at him.


    "Come here Hiro. Let me introduce you to him. This kid with blond hair is our team''s goalkeeper. He''s name is Mark Ueto aka ''Titan''. And Mark he''s our new recruit Takahashi Hiro."


    "Japanese?? I thought that he''d be a foreigner."


    Hiro''s eyes were wide open in shock.


    "Haha... Yes!! He''s Japanese. His mother is German and his father is Japanese, that''s why he looks like a foreigner. But rest assured he''s Japanese."


    The coach revealed that Mark was half german and half Japanese. And he could clearly see why he was called Titan. He was ridiculously tall for an elementary level school kid.


    As they finished their introduction, the coach ordered Mark to head over towards the goalpost. However he didn''t ce him in the post for kids, rather he ced him infront of the post for adults.


    After that, the coach told him to score freekick against Mark from 30 yards away to test his shooting power and shooting technique.


    As he stood 30 yards away from the post, the person who was arranging the drills ced few mannequins to act as a wall infront of him. And he began to shoot the ball.


    Chatter!! Chatter!!


    A huge crowd of students gathered around the sidelines of the pitch.


    "Oii what''s happening over there??"


    One of the student asked another student while pointing his finger at the crowd ahead.


    "I don''t know. But there''s a kid who''s barely 4 feet tall scoring goal against Mark"


    "Huh Mark? You mean the school football team''s captain and the ''Titan'' goalkeeper?"


    "Yes!! He''s scoring goals effortlessly against that Mark"


    "Hmph!! He must be scoring penalties."


    "But even scoring penalties against Mark is incredible. But he''s scoring against him from 30 yards freekick."


    "Are you for real??"


    "If you don''t believe me then why don''t you go and see for yourself?"


    As they finished their conversation both of them rushed towards the pitch.


    There in the pitch Hiro stood infront of the ball, 30 yards away from the goalpost. Mark looked extremely tired. As he kicked the ball, the ball flew with a rapid velocity towards the upper right corner. Mark jumped towards the ball, but he couldn''t even touch the ball.


    "Whoa!! Goal!!"

 Chapter 14: Too mature for a child

    <h4>Chapter 14: Too mature for a child</h4>


    As the time passed, more and more students started to show infront of the pitch. And the cheers of the crowd only intensified as the clock ticked.


    Witnessing the huge crowds of student, the principal started to get anxious. He feared that the trial would disrupt the school schedule. And thus, he started to walk towards coach Miura.


    "I think we''ve seen enough coach, haven''t we?"


    As he walked closer to coach Miura he tried to stop the trial.


    "We still haven''t tested him enough!!"


    The coach grunted.


    "Sigh!! The crowd is getting out of control, so it''s best that we stop the trial for now. Just tell me, would you like to sign him in your team or not?"


    Principal Miyamoto tried to convince coach Miura who wasn''t willing to end the trial. But as coach Miura noticed the huge crowd of students, he reluctantly agreed to principal''s suggestion.


    "It''s not whether I want him or not, principal Miyamoto. We must definitely have him. Even if we have to provide him with additional incentive, we mustn''t let him go. I can bet my name on it that he''s a generational talent that only show''s once in several centuries."


    After witnessing Hiro''s skill first-hand, coach Miura was full of Hiro''s praises.


    "I understand coach!"


    "Hiro you can stop now."


    Coach Miuramanded.


    And just like that Hiro was signed by Ookami elementary school. Not only did he get a full schrship, but the school decided to sponsor him with every equipment he required for his training. The sponsorship included jersey''s, boots, shinguards, balls, etc.


    [Ding!!]


    [Congrattions for the host forpleting the task]


    [One roulette ticket has been awarded for the host for the sessfulpletion of the quest.]


    [Due to the excellent result shown by the host, the host has been granted with a silver ticket instead of a bronze ticket.]


    [Please use the ticket in the roulette wheel]


    ''I''ll save it for now. I''ll check itter in the night''


    He mumbled.


    After a long hectic day, he could finally rest. While his father and mother were discussing with each other, he was lying in his bed. Even after the trial, he somehow finished his remaining sets of daily mission in the evening, regardless of his fatigue.


    "It was such a hectic day. But I''m thankful for god that it went alright. Right! I still have that roulette ticket to use. Let''s check it out before going to sleep."


    "Status window"


    As he mentioned status window, the blue panel appeared before his eyes. After scrolling for a while, Hiro clicked on the roulette section.


    Just as he clicked the roulette section, the system directed him towards another page. There in the panel, a roulette wheel appeared infront of him. Inside the wheel, there were many cards of different colours. But he couldn''t see what was written in the card.


    [One single silver roulette ticket detected.]


    [Would you like to use your ticket?]


    "Yes!!"


    Just as he agreed, all of a sudden the wheel started to spin and all those different coloured cards changed into silver colour cards.


    After spinning for 5 seconds, the wheel stopped spinning and the arrow pointed at one of the cards.


    "Oh what''s this??"


    Even though the mechanism of the system was quite simple, Hiro was having trouble figuring out the working mechanism of the system.


    [Would you like to open your cards?]


    "Yes"


    [Ding!!]


    [Congrattions!! The host has gained a new skill]


    [Skill: Perseverance]


    [Skill info: The host can get unlimited stamina during the usage of this skill regardless of his fatigue]


    [Skill CD: 24 hours]


    [Skill duration: 15 minutes]


    "Damn!! I can probably use this skill everytime the game goes into extra time. With the usage of this skill, I canpletely catch the opponent team off-guard. Just when did this system get so generous??"


    "Now I really wonder what kind of ridiculous skills are hidden behind other cards."


    Hiro smiled cheekily while reading the skill description.


    "System can you exin in detail about the working mechanism of the roulette wheel??"


    Even though he had gained a new skill from the roulette wheel, he was still confused about the working mechanism of the roulette wheel. So, to better understand the working mechanism of the roulette wheel, Hiro inquired the system.


    [Roulette wheel; A section of the system where the host can get rewards at random.]


    [The rewards drawn by the host arepletely random and it entirely depends on host''s luck]


    "Hmm... I see the rewards are at random and roulette wheel is just like a lucky wheel. But what about the tickets?"


    [The host can gain tickets bypleting the quest given by the system. Different tickets grant different rewards.]


    [Bronze ticket grants random attributes, silver ticket grants random skills, golden ticket grants the ability to copy random talent of any yer in the world and diamond ticket grants other attributes, skills and talents excluding football.]


    [Note: The host can only gain the talent of the yers who are currently ying or have yed professionally. The future yers will not be included.]


    "I understand everything mentioned by the system but I can''t understand that diamond ticket part."


    [A yer needs other abilities beside football as he/she progresses forward. For example, he/she would need to speak multiplenguages, deal with press and media, etc. And thus host can draw other skills from the diamond ticket to make the host''s life more easier]


    "Oh!! I get it now. Indeed to have a sessful career in football, the yer needs to tackle many things beside football as well. Many yers in Europe fail to live up to their potential due tonguage barriers afterall."


    He finally felt like that he understood the working mechanism of the roulette wheel. However he was getting extremely sleepy due to the day''s exhausting events. Unable to keep his eyes open, he fell asleep while reading the descriptions provided by the system.


    Even after enrolling to Ookami elementary school, the orientation for the new students would start after two weeks. And thus, he''d have to wait for another two weeks to finally attend the school.


    In the meantime, he continued to practice diligently by himself. With the training equipments sponsored by the school, he could train even more effectively than before.


    "Hiro!! Come fast or else we''ll bete for school."


    His mother yelled from downstairs.


    While his mother was yelling, he stood infront of the posters. Looking at the murals of the famous footballers, he whispered;


    "Wait for me, someday I''ll catch up to you."


    "Are youing or do I have toe to you?"


    Sensing danger, he grabbed his backpack and ran downstairs. But regardless, he still got scolded by his mother.


    "Just why do you always gette?? It''s your first day at school and you''re already gettingte."


    He reached the school at exactly 7:55 AM, just five minutes before the beginning of orientation. Since the people of Japan are punctual people, most of them had already entered the school. And thus, he couldn''t see anybody besides him infront of the gate.


    And as he walked towards the gate, his mother held his hands and whispered while revealing a warm gentle smile.


    "Do your best."


    Seeing her smile, he couldn''t stop himself from hugging her. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.


    "I was really worried seeing you mature at such a young age."


    His mother''s voice shook as she eximed her worry. Even without looking at her face, he could clearly feel the tears in her face.


    For past few months, his actions were more of an adult than a child. And even though his parents didn''t show any changes, they were still worried about his changes.


    Even though he was a 27 year old from inside but he still had an appearance of a five year old kid. And no parent in the world would want their kid to act mature from an early age when they should be acting immature.


    "I''m sorry for making you worried mom."


    He apologized while squeezing her even more tightly.


    "It''s alright. Just remember, no matter how much you change, you''re still going to be my little Hiro."


    She stroke his hair gently as she reassured Hiro that no matter how much he''d change, he''d still be their kid.


    They stayed like that for a while.


    Ding!! Dong!!


    The school bell rang all of a sudden.


    "You should probably go now."


    She pulled him apart and asked him to leave.


    "Umm"


    While wiping off the tears from his face, he nodded his head.


    "Bye Bye!! I''ll pick you upter in the evening. Do your best"


    Finally after a mother-son moment, she sent him off. As he walked towards the gate, she kept her gaze fixated at him.


    "Children do grow within a blink of an eye."


    She whispered with a smile on her face.


    For the whole time when they were hugging each other, the guard was keeping his gaze fixated at them. He knew that Hiro was going to bete but he still didn''t want to disturb them. And thus, he let them be.


    Even when the gates were closed, he didn''t question Hiro for beingte. He simply let him in, without asking any questions.

 Chapter 15: Seniors vs Newbies

    <h4>Chapter 15: Seniors vs Newbies</h4>


    Chatter!! Chatter!!


    Just as he walked inside the auditorium where the orientation for the new students was being held, he noticed a huge crowd of students.


    Most of the students were gathered in groups while only few were standing alone. The students who were gathered in groups were cheerfully conversing with each other while the students who were all alone looked really anxious.


    He shook his head from left to right but there wasn''t even a single person whom he was familiar with. Every faces were new to him. Even in his previous life, he didn''t have many friends.


    "Sigh!!! Guess I''ll be alone this time as well."


    He murmured.


    Just then one of the student made her way towards the stage and announced;


    "All of the students are requested to stand in queue of their respective sses."


    After the announcement, everybody started to form a queue. However he looked absolutely clueless. He didn''t have any idea about which of the queues infront of him belonged to his ss.


    "May be I missed the earlier announcement because I arrivedte."


    He wondered if he had missed some earlier announcement because of his dy. To save himself from embarrassment, he quickly joined the queue which was close to him.


    As everybody lined up in a queue, the principal made his way towards the stage.


    "Good morning students. I''m Miyamoto Takumi, the principal of Ookami elementary school."


    After introducing himself, the principal began to talk about the history of the school. And for a while the lecture continued.


    Hiro started to get bored by the boring lecture of principal. Out of boredom, he started to wander his eyes. As he wandered his eyes, he noticed that he wasn''t the only one who was getting bored by the principal''s lecture. But even so, nobody dared to make a single noise.


    While wandering his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Far in the left corner, a student with a ridiculously tall height caught his attention.


    "Wasn''t he the keeper of the school''s football team? But what was his name again??"


    Despite remembering his face, he forgot his name.


    "Our school focuses both on the academics and extra curricr activities. And our school offers a wide range of clubs. So students are encouraged to join one within a week''s time. And before we end the orientation, I''d like to add one more thing."


    "Wee to Ookami elementary school."


    Finally after 15-20 minutes, the principal ended his lecture and dismissed the students.


    Nothing much happened during the school hours. Neither did he interact with anybody nor did anybody approached him. It was a peaceful day.


    Ding!! Dong!!


    At exactly 3 PM, the school ended.


    "Before you go, make sure to visit your respective clubs."


    The teacher eximed while collecting his books.


    As soon as the teacher left the ssroom, he dashed outside. He was the first student to leave his ssroom.


    Since it was his first day of school, he didn''t pack his books. Instead, his bag contained his cleats and Jersey. He might have not remembered most of the things regarding the school.


    But he didn''t forget where the ground was located and where he needed to change his clothes.


    "Why''s nobody here yet??"


    He mumbled as he stood infront of the pitch, all alone.


    "Oh you''re here quite early."


    The same guy from the time of his trial who helped the coach with the trial appeared behind him.


    "Hello I''m Takahashi Hiro."


    He bowed his head as he introduced himself.


    "I know about your identity. By the way I''m Aomine Honda. The assistant coach of Ookami elementary school. It''ll take a while for them to show up on the pitch. So why don''t you warm up for a while."


    Honda suggested.


    As suggested by Honda, he began to stretch his body. After stretching, he started to run around the pitch.


    "Aomine Honda!! Where have I heard that name??"


    While jogging, he wondered why that name felt so familiar.


    "Right!! Isn''t he the future coach of U-21 team of Japan?"


    He finally remembered about Honda''s identity.


    Even though he never made it to national team in his previous life, he kept tab of everyone who made significant impact in the national team. And Aomine Honda was one of the person who brought a change in Japanese football.


    At just 37 years of age, he''d coach the under 21 team of japan. Even though he wouldn''t lead the under 21 team of the nation to a major international trophy, they would still finish at high ranking positions regardless, everytime under his guidance.


    "Come over here Hiro"


    While he was reminiscing about the identity of coach honda, he heard the voice of coach Miura calling out his name.


    He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn''t even realise that he had been running for more than 20 minutes all alone. But finally after hearing the voice of coach Miura, he returned back to his senses.


    "Huff!! Huff!!"


    "Who''s that guy??"


    "A newbie??"


    "Isn''t he that guy who demolished our keeperpletely?"


    Other yers had already arrived in the pitch. They were all dressed in schools jersey and were chattering among themselves.


    "Okay!! Everyone gather up."


    The coach ordered everyone to gather around him. The senior yers started to gather in a circle around the coach. However they didn''t leave any space for the newbies.


    "Today I''d like to introduce the newbies who''ll be joining our team. Hiro, Sasaki, Gen, Akashi and Kene forward."


    Along with him, the coach called out for four other yers. Gen looked quite familiar among others.


    "Nice to meet you. I''m Gen from ss 1-B. I like to y as a striker. Please take care of me."


    "I''m Akashi from ss 1-C. I y as a defensive midfielder. Please take care of me."


    "I''m Ken from ss 1-A. My position is goalkeeper. Please take care of me."


    "I''m Sasaki, also from ss 1-A. I can y any role aside from the goalkeeper. Please take care of me."


    All four of them introduced themselves, but every single one of them looked extremely anxious and only Hiro was left. After they finished their introduction, Hiro stepped forward and began to introduce himself. Unlike the previous four, he wasn''t nervous even a bit. After all to him, they were all bunch of kids.


    "Nice to meet you. I''m Takahashi Hiro from ss 1-B. I like to y as a ymaker. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please look after me."


    He bowed his head while introducing himself.


    "Hehe!! Haha!!"


    As they finished their introduction, Hiro could vividly hear the faintughs of the other senior yers.


    "Okay that''s all for the introduction. As our tradition, we''ll now y a wee match between the neers and the seniors. Since there are only 5 neer''s, we''ll y a mini game of 5v5."


    The coach announced.


    "Huh!! It''s not fair. How can he make us face against the senior squad on our first day??"


    The other four newbies started to whine.


    Fear was vivid in their eyes. And by no means, he thought that they could stand a chance against the senior squads.


    When the yer''s admit defeat even before the start of the game, they''re more than likely to lose the game. However unlike them, he was determined to win against the senior team even if he had to do it all by himself.


    Beep!!


    The game started with Ken as the goalkeeper, Sasaki and Akashi as defenders, finally Hiro and Gen as the forwards.


    Since the game was yed 5v5, it was yed only in one half of the pitch with mini posts.


    "Huh what''s this? Why isn''t the coach ying that tall goalkeeper?"


    Hiro mumbled as he witnessed Mark standing in the sidelines.


    As Gen was charging the ball forward, the ball got stolen from him and he quickly lost position. The senior yers didn''t even give them a chance to defend as they smoothly passed through Sasaki and Akashi. Ken proved to be useless against the senior yers as well. He conceded the goal from between his legs in less than a minute of the starting.


    "Don''t mind!! Don''t mind!! We can still do it."


    Hiro tried to encourage his teammates.


    However they continued to make mistakes. Gen was extremely overconfident. Even though he got his ball stolen many times, he didn''t stop charging the ball forward all by himself.


    "Pass!! Pass!!"


    Hiro shouted.


    However Gen ignored his calls and continued to attack all by himself. The senior yers rushed at him and quickly cornered him.


    "Pass!! Pass!!"


    Hiro kept on shouting.


    But Gen kept on ignoring him. Gen was ying extremely selfish and only wanted to score all by himself. He didn''t pass and tried to dribble pass the opponent defenders.


    But this time as well, the ball got stolen from him. He couldn''t retain the ball.


    "What is he doing?? Don''t he know how to pass the ball??"


    Akashi eximed in frustration.


    Gen''s selfish y costed them another goal.


    "Why don''t you pass the ball??"


    Akashi walked towards Gen and grabbed his cor.


    Beep!!


    Honda san blew the whistle to warn Akashi of his behaviour.


    "Tch!!"


    Akashi clicked his tongue as he let go of Gen''s cor. It hadn''t even been 10 minutes and they were already down by two goals.

 Chapter 16: Who’s that keeper??

    <h4>Chapter 16: Who''s that keeper??</h4>


    As the game progressed, their form kept on deteriorating. And Hiro who was all by himself couldn''t do anything at all. Once again he found himself in the same precarious situation, just like he did during the futsal tournament.


    Hiro took a peek at the faces of his teammates. Most of them showed no concern at all and it looked like they had already given up on the match. However Akashi''s face said otherwise. He hadn''t given up on the match.


    "Oh! There''s still somebody who hasn''t given up on the match."


    Hiro murmured.


    From the moment hended his eyes on Akashi, he had every reason to keep a distance from him. Spiky hair, eyes shaped like fish, a face that looked extremely tensed and to top it all, he had a very loud voice. Akashi''s appearance and his manner of speech gave him the impression of the typical hot-headed guy that appears in most of the manga and anime.


    After conceding the second goal in less than 10 minutes, it was already difficult for them to make aeback. But having uncooperative teammate in the team made the matter even worst.


    Thus, even though he reluctantly wanted to keep a distance from Akashi, he didn''t have any other choice but to depend on Akashi, if he wanted to win the match.


    Beep!!


    On the 15th minute of the game, they conceded another goal and this time as well, he didn''t even get to touch the ball.


    "Oii!!"


    "Huh?? Whad''ya want shorty??"


    Akashi replied in a harsh tone.


    He seemed extremely agitated.


    "Do you want to win the match?"


    "So what if I want to win the match??"


    "I can help you to win the match."


    "Go away!! I''m not in the mood to joke."


    Akashi grunted and turned around.


    "Just pass me the ball once and if I can''t score the goal then I''ll y as a defender instead."


    Hiro yelled.


    However, Akashi didn''t respond at all and went over to his position. Due to the unresponsiveness of Akashi, Hiro had no idea if he was willing to cooperate or not.


    Beep!!


    Unsure about whether or not Akashi would cooperate with him, he had no choice but to trust him. With the sound of the whistle, Hiro kicked the ball backwards, towards Akashi instead of Gen.


    "Please pass me the ball. Please pass me the ball."


    As he dashed forward, he started to pray.


    He looked behind him to see whether the ball wasing towards him or not. To his surprise, the ball dide towards him.


    After he passed the ball towards Akashi, he dashed towards the opponents goal without looking back, hoping he''d somehow get the ball back.


    After the ball was yed towards Akashi, the opponent yers rushed towards Akashi to steal the ball. Just then as the opponent yers were drawn towards Akashi, he kicked the ball hard towards the direction where Hiro was running.


    "Thank you Akashi for trusting me."


    "But why do I feel that he kicked the ball a little too hard."


    "Wait!! It''d definitely go out of bounds if I don''t trap it in one touch."


    Even though Akashi did pass the ball to Hiro, he hit the ball a little too hard. However Hiro still tried really hard to reach the ball.


    After attaining some height, the ball began to drop rapidly.


    Step!! Step!! Step!!


    Making full use of his hamstrings and foot muscles, he sprinted towards the ball with all his might. However he was still some distance away from the ball. And no matter how much he tried, to everyone it looked like that the ball would go out of bounds.


    Contrary to everybody''s expectation, he leaped forward while stretching his right leg. Almost at the periphery of the boundary line, his toe touched the ball. The ball bounced behind him over his head as it touched his feet.


    "''What the f***!!! He saved that ball??"''


    Thwack!!


    Even though he managed to save the ball by jumping towards the ball, he couldn''tnd properly on his feet and crashed against the protective.


    The opponent defenders were still far away from the ball and it would definitely take them some moment to reach the ball. Even though he crashed against the, he instantly picked himself up and ran towards the ball.


    Besides him, the opponent keeper was the only other yer who was closed to the ball. And he didn''t waste any time as well. Just like him the opponent keeper rushed towards the ball as well.


    Both of thempeted for the ball. It seemed like that the keeper would somehow block his course even though he''d get to the ball before the keeper.


    As the keeper ran towards the ball, he hid his arms behind his back to prevent any possible PK.


    Hiro was the first one to reach to the ball. However the keeper caught up to him and stood infront of him to defend against him. Unlike the previous defenders he had faced before, the keeper didn''t leave him any space to dribble. His defence looked extremely wless.


    Being a keeper, he didn''t open his legs. And he was conscious of his left and right side as well.


    "I don''t see any space. What should I do now?"


    He began to wonder.


    Neither could he dribble the ball from his left nor from his right. The keeper had blocked all his route.


    "Just where did a keeper like thise from?? His defence is already on par with pros. But I don''t remember him. Shouldn''t this kind of keeper be ying in national team??"


    For the first time in the match, he looked really anxious.


    Hiro couldn''t figure out the identity of the keeper infront of him. Despite showcasing such an amazing talent, he hadn''t heard about him in his previous life.


    Even Kurosawa Taki who didn''t let in a single shot during the futsal tournament paled to theparison of the keeper infront of him.


    "Now I get it why the coach didn''t y that tall keeper."


    He mumbled.


    While carefully moving the ball forward, he took a peek at the keeper''s face. His eyes were glued on the ball at his feet. And he hadpletely blocked his route.


    He tried to perform a body feint to misguide the keeper but the keeper didn''t even react a bit. As if the keeper was aware of his tricks, he didn''t show any reaction to his faints.


    Just then he noticed a gap between the keeper''s legs. He tapped the ball lightly, but the keeper was quick to react. He lunged his left leg and closed the gap instantly.


    The keeper deliberately let a gap in his legs for Hiro to try to pass the ball between his legs. And just like he predicted, Hiro indeed tried to pass the ball between his legs.


    But to his surprise, the ball rolled over his head instead. Hiro kicked the ball lightly with his left leg but before the ball reached the keeper''s legs, he gently tapped beneath the ball with his right feet and chipped the ball above the keeper''s head.


    The keeper who was already on the ground couldn''t react to the uncertain move of Hiro and was left dumbfounded.


    Before the ball dropped, Hiro hit the ball in mid air and scored a brilliant volley goal.


    Beep!!


    Yeah!! Woohoo!!


    "''Unbelievable"''


    Everybody in the pitch was stunned by his y. Nobody could believe their eyes. They looked at him with disbelief.


    Even his teammates were having hard time to digest the fact that they had scored a goal against the senior team.


    While everybody were cheering, Hiro ran towards the post. He then took the ball out and ran towards the centre of the pitch while carrying the ball.


    He didn''t want to waste any time to cheer as his team was still down by two goals. Even though he scored a goal against the senior team, they were still losing the match by 3-1 score.


    "You freaking did it."


    Akashi eximed in ecstasy.


    "Yes!! But we still need 3 more goals to win the match."


    Hiro replied.


    "Yeah that''s right!! We''re going to win the match."


    Akashi clenched his fist and stretched his hand towards Hiro.


    "What do you want??"


    He inquired while looking at the fist of Akashi.


    Hiro didn''t realise that Akashi simply wanted to do a fist bomb. Akashi didn''t reply anything and kept on pointing his fist towards Hiro.


    "Oh!! I see."


    Hiro finally realised the meaning behind Akashi''s gesture. He then gently tapped Akashi''s fist with his fist and performed a fist bomb.


    Thwack!!


    "Let''s score three more goals and win the match."


    He eximed as he ced the ball at the kickoff position.


    beep!!


    The opponent team started the kickoff. And from the moment they started the kickoff, they didn''t make any mistakes. Unlike Hiro''s team, their coordination was top notch.


    Nobody among them acted selfish. They were all well organised. And everytime his teammates would rush towards the ball, they would immediately pass the ball to other yer.


    The game of cat and mouse continued for a while. The ball was the mouse and they were the cats. Everytime they tried to take hold of the mouse, the mouse would run away from them.

 Chapter 17: Off the ball

    <h4>Chapter 17: Off the ball</h4>


    As they tried to snatch the ball away from the senior yers, they only exhausted themselves. Every single yer in the senior team yed so brilliantly that they couldn''t even get near to the ball.


    Unable to snatch the ball, they began to man mark every senior yers. But man marking only works when each and every individual is capable of stopping the respective yers that they are man marking. And in terms of overall ability, it was evident from the moment they stepped on the pitch that theycked far behind to the senior yers.


    Even though Hiro surpassed every other yer in the field in terms of skills and potential, he couldn''t do anything at all. Marking him as a threat, the senior yers didn''t even let him touch the ball.


    "Tch- They''re not even letting me touch the ball."


    Hiro clicked his tongue in frustration.


    The opponent yers would pass the ball back to the keeper everytime Hiro rushed towards the yer with the ball. As if they were openly admitting that they couldn''t take him by themselves, they took absolutely no chance against him.


    But even after passing the ball back to the keeper, they didn''t try to waste time. Instead the keeper would instantly pass the ball forward and initiate a counter-attack. The keeper was ying the role of the anchor who''d control the tempo of the game.


    Hiro''s teammates would once again prove to be absolutely useless against the senior yers in terms of individual skills.


    As the keeper would kick the ball towards their goal, Sasaki would find it troublesome to stop the senior yer. Ken woulde out of his post to defend the ball and leave the post wide open.


    Talking advantage of the situation, the senior yers would simply pass the ball between themselves to score in an open post instead of trying to dribble past the keeper.


    At the 34th minute of the match, Ken would once again make the same mistake of leaving the post as he did many times during the match. And it would nearly cost them another goal. However Akashi would go on to block the ball with his face.


    After passing through Sasaki and ken, the opponent yer would shoot the ball in an open post, just then Akashi would jump sideways and take the shot on his face. He would sessfully manage to block the shot.


    The ball would then fall on Sasaki''s feet after the rebound. Sasaki would quickly get cornered as the opponent striker would rush towards him. Luckily Hiro who dropped deep to defend against the opponent''s attack would find himself near to Sasaki.


    Despite being pressured by the opponent striker, Sasaki would pass the ball to Hiro. And at 35th minute of the match Hiro would go on to score his second goal against the senior team.


    The senior team would continue with their tactic even after conceding the second goal. With that tactic of theirs, they would nearly seal the match at thest minute of the match with another goal.


    However goddess of luck would do them real bad as the shot hit by their striker would go on to hit the goalpost and once again they would concede another goal on rebound which would cost them a crucial goal.


    With that final goal, the score of the match would read as such; team senior 3 - team newbie 3


    The game would end up in tie.


    And just like that, Hiro would go on to score 3 goals against the senior team and help his team to pull out a draw against the senior team.


    After the end of the match,ter in that day at around 9:47 PM.


    "Argh!! Such a tiring day"


    While lying on his bed, he tried to recall the event''s which took ce during the day.


    "I need to work on my off the ball movements."


    After analysing his y, he noticed a fatal w in his ystyle. Even though he was phenomenal when he had the ball in his feet, he sucked really bad during the moment when he didn''t have the ball in his feet.


    Just by keeping him away from the ball, the senior yers were able topletely nullify him.


    "What do the star yers do when they don''t have the ball in their feet."


    He began to wonder.


    He tried to recall as much information of the future as possible. In his mind he yed several matches and tried to analyse the movements of the world''s best yers. But since the camera never focused solely on the individual, he couldn''t get much information from the several matches he analysed in his mind.


    However while he was recalling about the ystyle of the several world ss yer, he noticed something. Even though it looked extremely trivial, but each and every yer he analyzed in his mind had one thing inmon.


    They were always in search of space and they always positioned themselves in the space where the probability of getting the ball was maximum. Andreas Messi would always turn his head in search of the most optimal route towards the goal. Christian Romero would always look for the space where he can get the ball.


    Even if they didn''t have the ball in their feet, they''d always be searching and scanning. The world ss yer''s would always be in search of the space and weakness to exploit.


    "Okay I''ll work on my off the ball movements before the first prefectural match."


    He mumbled.


    After analysing countless matches, he fell asleep. Even though he wanted to analyse more matches, his young body couldn''t keep up with his thinking. On top of ying a match, he alsopleted the daily mission given by the system.


    The first prefectural match of the national tournament was about a month away. And within two weeks, they would find out their first opponent. Since the tournament was yed in a knockout format, there was no second chance. The tournament was all or nothing.

 Chapter 18: Deep lying playmaker

    <h4>Chapter 18: Deep lying ymaker</h4>


    March 25, 2015


    A week before themencement of the All Japan interschool football tournament. The day when the tie-sheet of the tournament would get published.


    As usual yers of Ookami elementary school were going through a rough training session in preparation for the tournament.


    Just then assistant coach Honda made his way towards the pitch while carrying some paper''s in his hands.


    Beep!!


    With the sound of the whistle, everybody stopped the training. The sudden stoppage of the training confused everybody.


    "Alright everyone gather up."


    Honda sanmanded everybody to gather around. And with that announcement everybody started to gather around the coaches.


    "Is it for the tie-sheet?"


    yers began to question each other.


    While they gathered around the coach, Coach Miura started to speak;


    "The tiesheet for the tournament is out. Pay attention now as I''ll be announcing our first opponent and I''ll also be announcing the starting yers for the tournament."


    With that announcement, everybody started to get anxious. While there were few people on the pitch who maitained theirposure and didn''t seem bothered by the revtion.


    Most of the yers seemed extremely flustered and anxious.


    "Please God!! Let me make it to the team."


    "I''d be satisfied even if I can y as a substitute."


    The yers started to chatter among themselves.


    "Silence!!"


    Honda san yelled.


    After that nobody dared to make a single noise.


    "Before I announce the name of the team which we''ll be ying against, I''ve got a good news and a bad news."


    "Good news is that just like our school, we''ll be facing against a newbie school who have entered the tournament for the first time in our first match and -"


    "Woohoo!!"


    Before the coach could even finish his sentence, the yers started to cheer very loudly. They celebrated as if they had already won the first match of the tournament.


    "Silence!!"


    "Let the coach finish his sentence first."


    Once again Honda san yelled at them.


    "Sigh~"


    "Don''t celebrate too early. The bad news is that we''re ced in the same group as Karasuno elementary school."


    "Huh!! What??"


    The smiles on their face quickly faded away as they heard about the announcement made by coach Miura that they were ced in the same group as Karasuno elementary school.


    "Okay!! Okay!! Let''s keep it low for now. We''ve prepared enough, so let''s believe in our efforts."


    Coach Miura tried to raise the morale of the yers which was already crumbling just after hearing that they''ve been ced in the same group as one of the favourites of the tournament.


    After that coach Miura gestured Honda san toe closer and whispered something in his ear softly. As soon as coach Miura finished his sentence, Honda san stormed outside the pitch.


    "Before we end our training, I''ll announce the yers who are going to be our starting eleven."


    "Those who''s names are called, step forward."


    "In goal we have Mark Ueto from ss 6-B and Kobayashi Endo from ss 4-C."


    Kobayashi Endo was the same keeper who he had faced against during the match between the senior team and the junior team. Unlike Mark, Endo was kinda short. Endo was about the same height as Hiro. However his reflexes were top notch. His ystyle was simr to that of Iker Kasis.


    "Centre backs: Daichi Kamada from ss 4-B, Shinsuke Negura from ss 3-A, Yamamoto Kesuke from ss 5-B, Yamazaki Kento from ss 6-A and finally Nobara Akashi from ss 1-C.


    "Right backs: Gagamaru Gin from ss 2-A and Iori Sato from ss 3-B."


    "Left backs: Wataru Lemon from ss 5-A and Kusakabe Sou from ss 6-B"


    "Midfielders: Ito Rin from ss 4-B, Kosei Otsuka from ss 3-B, Ashime Suzuki from ss 5-A, Asahi Kuon from ss 6-B, Ryouske Ruon from ss 6-A and finally Takahashi Hiro from ss 1-B."


    "Forwards: Sohei Sato from ss 6-B, Suzuki Shiro from ss 4-A and finally Kurosaki Kuro from ss 3-B."


    "All of these yers have been selected as the starting yers for the tournament ahead. But the list could change anytime, so don''t take your position for granted. Even those who''s names were not called today have an equal chance to make it into the team. So don''t feel sad about it. Do you understand??"


    The yers who''s names were not called looked extremely gloomy. Some even started to cry in the pitch. While some started to whine andin.


    "Why are those first years selected and not us??"


    One of the senior yerined.


    "Because youck the skill."


    Coach Miura bluntly stated the truth in his face.


    "And those who are not satisfied with my decisions are free to leave the team."


    To control the tantrums of the unselected yer''s, coach Miura announced that anyone who was not satisfied with his decision was allowed to leave the club.


    "So are you going to leave the club?"


    He then pointed his finger at the senior yer who was throwing a tantrum. The senior yer quietly took a step back and shut his mouth. After that nobody dared to speak anything against his decision.


    The team mostly consisted of the senior yers and the only first years who even got the shot at the starting eleven were only Akashi and Hiro.


    After themotion, the coach adjourned the training. Everybody aside from the starting yer''s were advised to leave the pitch.


    And as everybody aside from the starting yers left the pitch, coach Miuramanded the starting yers to follow him.


    "I can''t believe, I made it to the team."


    Akashi whispered in excitement while following the coach. Even though he was only whispering, due to his loud voice everybody around them could hear him.


    "Shh!! Don''t make noise."


    Hiro insisted Akashi to keep his mouth shut.


    "Why is he taking us into the hall??"


    Akashi questioned as the coach stopped before the auditorium.


    Coach Miura took them inside the auditorium.


    Inside the auditorium, infront of the stage, a projection was being disyed by a projector on a huge white cloth hung infront of the stage. Seeing the projection, everybody bewilderingly stared at the projection ahead.


    "Are we going to watch a movie??"


    Akashi eximed in ecstasy.


    "No you idiot! We''re probably here for some video analysis."


    "Video analysis?? What is that??"


    While most people would avoid Akashi for his appearance and manner of speech, surprisingly Hiro and Akashi had many things inmon with each other.


    After the first match, Akashi approached him daily and tried to converse with him. At first Hiro felt awkward around him and brushed him off by giving him one word answers.


    He expected that he''d stop eventually but contrary to his expectations, Akashi approached him daily without missing a single day. He''d approach him while heading home, he''d approach him in the cafeteria while eating, he''ll even try to converse with him while going to toilet.


    Even though Akashi followed him basically everywhere, he didn''t detect any ill motive from him and he could feel that he genuinely wanted to befriend him.


    However Hiro who was already 27 years from the inside thought of Akashi as a little kid instead of a friend. But he didn''t want to decline his genuine intentions as well. And thus he befriended Akashi in the end, giving in to his persistence.


    Although he talked with Akashi as a friend, he considered him more like a little brother than his friend.


    "Okay!! Now, everybody pay attention."


    Coach Miura spoke while standing infront of the stage.


    "Now I''ll be discussing our tactics, so don''t get distracted."


    Coach Miura then started to discuss tactics with the starting yers. The formation they were going to y in the tournament was 4-4-2 diamond. With two forwards at the top, four midfielders and four defenders, Hiro was assigned the role of attacking midfielder.


    Even though Akashi got selected in the team, he wasn''t selected in the starting eleven. And in that whole lineup, Hiro was the sole first year.


    Around the time when the coach revealed the starting eleven, he could vividly feel the cold gazes of the senior yers. But those gazes weren''t the gaze of jealousy, instead it was a gaze initiating apetition.


    "Hiro!! Even though you''ll be ying as an attacking midfielder, I want you to drop deep to receive the ball and y as a deep lying ymaker. Do you understand?"


    "Yes sir!!"


    The coach wanted Hiro to y as a deep lying ymaker and dominate the midfield.


    And just like that after exining the tactics to the yer''s who were selected for the tournament, coach Miura adjourned the meeting.


    "Lucky you, You''ll get to y in the starting eleven."


    While they were changing their clothes, Akashi yfully punched him.


    "What''s lucky about it. Do you think that I don''t deserve my role??"


    Hiro returned the punch and questioned Akashi.


    "Don''t joke!! I don''t know who''ll deserve it, if not you. But even though I''ve been drafted into the official team, I don''t know if coach will even use me or not."


    Akashi frowned.


    "Don''t worry you''ll definitely get your opportunity, so keep on improving. Also you''re much softer than you appear. hahaha"


    Hiro chuckled as he consoled Akashi.

 Chapter 19: Too young to make money

    <h4>Chapter 19: Too young to make money</h4>


    kaw!! kaw!!


    By the time they finished dressing up, the sun was already on the verge of setting down. Far in the horizon, as the flocks of ravens flew right infront of the setting sun, the nting rays of the setting sun gave a warm orange tinge to the sky.


    And as he was immersing himself into the picturesquendscapes around him, a silhouette of a person became vivid at a certain distance away from the gate.


    Unable to take his gaze away from the ethereal scenery infront of him, he kept on staring at the familiar person ahead. Just then a warm gust of gentle sea breeze knocked the sun hat from her head.


    She then turned around to pick her fallen hat. And as she picked her hat, she looked at him and she stretched her arms out while revealing a gentle smile.


    "Let''s go home"


    She spoke in a soft tone.


    The bright rays of suning from behind her, blinded him. But even so, he could vividly see her face. Dressed in a white one piece, the warm rays of setting sun further highlighted her beautiful facial features.


    Until this day, he never realised just how beautiful his mother was. After the death of his father, she lost the glow in her face from overexertion. And as time passed, her once beautiful face started developing wrinkles.


    While he wasining about his life, she worked overtime to make sure he was well fed. Working multiple jobs, paying the bills, taking care of his studies and footballing needs, she neverined once.


    As he was staring at her beautiful face, a particr memory shed before his eyes. When he was 17 years old, just after finishing high school. While ying football with his friends, his teammates started to show off their new cleats which their parents bought for them, for graduating high school. Being quite young, he couldn''t help but feel jealous.


    And due to jealousy, he too asked his mother to buy him new cleats. She sternly declined his request, but he kept on pestering her to buy new cleats despite her refusal. While she was already having troubles with paying the bills, he only added fuel to the burning fire by pestering her to buy a new cleat for him.


    While he was stubbornly asking for new cleats, he didn''t even notice that she had been wearing the same clothe for years and years. He couldn''t even remember when was thest time that he had seen her in new clothes.


    Be it some special asions or even his graduation, she never bought anything for herself but yet still she provided him with everything that he needed. Even though she couldn''t fulfill all his desires, she still fulfilled most of his needs.


    Reminiscing such moments made him regret about his course of actions. He felt guilty. While she provided him with everything, he couldn''t do anything for her. He couldn''t even buy a new set of clothes for her for all those years.


    Suddenly his heart felt heavy and his eyes moistened. Without even realising, tears started welling down his eyes.


    He then ran towards her with eyes full of tears. And as he got close to her, he threw himself in her arms and hugged her tightly.


    "Arey!! What''s the matter? Did something happen in school?"


    She asked while gently stroking his back with her hands.


    However he didn''t reply anything at all. He only tightened his grip as she stroke his back.


    ''He must have not been selected for the team''


    She guessed.


    "It''s alright!! It''s alright!! We''ll try another time."


    She tried to console him.


    Finally after sometime, he loosened his grip.


    "Shall we head home now??"


    She asked as he loosened his grip.


    But still, he didn''t reply anything at all. She tried to shake him off, but there was no reaction from him whatsoever. Just then his arms fell down involuntarily.


    "Did he fell asleep?"


    She chuckled as she carried him up.


    And indeed he had fallen asleep in her arms. Even though he fell asleep, she didn''t wake him up and instead carried him all the way to the station.


    "Did he fell asleep?"


    His father questioned as they exited the train.


    While he was sleeping peacefully in her arms inside the train, his mother phoned his father and informed about his condition to his father. She then asked him to pick them up in the station.


    "Shh!! Don''t talk loudly. Let him sleep."


    She whispered.


    "Okay!! Okay!!"


    He whispered back.


    His father took him from her arms and carried him.


    "The training must have been really exhausting today."


    Takashi whispered.


    "I guess so."


    As if he was unconscious, he didn''t even notice when he fell asleep. His parents carried him carefully from the school to home without waking him up.


    At 1:43 AM


    Later in the night as he woke up from his dream, he found himself lying in his bed.


    "Ugh!! Uh- When did I get here?"


    He mumbled as he woke up in the night.


    "Where is mom? Thest thing I remember is hugging her infront of the school gate. Was everything perhaps a dream??"


    He bewilderingly questioned.


    Growl!!


    All of a sudden, his stomach started to make weird noises.


    "Ahh!! Why do I feel hungry all of a sudden?"


    He hadn''t eaten anything since lunch time. To let him sleep peacefully, his parents didn''t wake him up for dinner.


    He then got out from his bed and started to walk towards the kitchen.


    "There must be something in the refrigerator"


    He mumbled as he tried to open up the refrigerator. Expecting he might wake up and feel hungry, his parents had stored a cake and a apple juice in the refrigerator.


    "Woah!! There''s cake today."


    He was baffled by the sight of cake in the refrigerator.


    Rarely his mother let him eat sweet things. She considered sweets unhealthy and therefore forbade him to eat sweets. Cake being a sweet was no exception as well.


    Nom!! Nom!!


    "I must have passed out in her arms."


    He mumbled while chewing the cake.


    He couldn''t think of anything else beside passing out in her arms to exin why he couldn''t remember anything after hugging her.


    While reminiscing of the moment before he passed out, he remembered about the things he thought while hugging her. And once again those thoughts saddened him.


    "Yosh!! Let''s earn a lot of money and buy her everything she desires."


    He yelled enthusiastically.


    Bark!! Bark!!


    The dogs in the neighborhood started to bark listening to his loud yells in the middle of the night.


    "Opps!! Gotta keep it low or else it won''t end up good if mom finds me awake."


    He mumbled as he chugged the bottle of juice in a single gulp.


    After eating, he headed towards his bed. He closed his eyes, but he couldn''t sleep for some reason. Unable to sleep, he started to think of ways to make money.


    "Even though I know the future events, I can''t make use of it. I only know of the major events which will take in football. And I can''t even remember most of the champions league finals."


    "But even knowing those events won''t change anything at all. Afterall betting is illegal in Japan. And even if it were legal, I wouldn''t be allowed to bet afterall I''m still too young."


    Human mind is programmed in such a way that it forgets most of the things if there''s no repetition whatsoever, as time progresses. So it was only natural for Hiro to forget most of the event which took ce because it had been a lot of time since hest remembered those events.


    The events like champions league finals and other matches which happened a long time ago, he couldn''t remember it even if he wanted to remember.


    "So betting is out of our list to make money."


    "What if I write novels??"


    Another idea shed in his mind.


    "Ahh shit!! Right!! I never read a novel before. I should have listened to my friends back then."


    He exasperated.


    In his previous life, many teammates in his team suggested him to read novels. But he never paid any attention to novels and brushed off their suggestions.


    "What if I teach football??"


    He thought of teaching football as a means of earning money. But he forgot that he himself was still a child, once again.


    "Ahh shit!! Right!! Who''d want to learn football from a six year old. Hahaha!!"


    Heughed awkwardly.


    "Argh!! I can''t think of anything. Just how the hell should I make money?"


    He screamed in frustration.


    Even after thinking for a while, he couldn''te up with any means of making money. He was too young to make money legally.


    "Argh!! Let''s just forget about making money for now and focus on football."


    Finally he gave up on the thoughts of making money after failing toe up with ideas to make money.


    "Just what time is it now?"


    He reached for his drawer beside his bed to take out his phone. Just as he reached for his phone, something sparked in his mind.


    "Phone!!!"

 Chapter 20: Newtube channel

    <h4>Chapter 20: Newtube channel</h4>


    Just as he was about to give up on the thoughts of making money, something sparked in his mind as he took hold of his phone.


    "What if I start making content rted to football and post it on social media sites? I''m sure that I can get tons of views since I''m still a kid. And people love kids demonstrating something extraordinary."


    "It might take some time, but I''ve got plenty of time in my hands right now. So given the situation, it''s the perfect idea for making money. And if I''ll get lucky, professional scouts might take notice of me as well, which will further help me with my goals."


    "But I''ll probably need someone to take my videos."


    Just when he finally thought of a good idea to make money, he encountered another problem. He was really bad at making videos. Aside from ying football, he didn''t have any talent at all. And football was the only thing he was good at.


    "What if I ask my parents to do it for me??"


    He wondered.


    "They''ll probably decline my request. They''re busy with their jobs, so I''ll have to think of someone else. But for now let''s sleep."


    Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!


    The sound of the rm clock woke him up early in the morning at 5 AM.


    "Ugh!! It''s morning already? I want to sleep a little more."


    He eximed in half asleep state.


    Even though he wanted to sleep a little more, he woke up regardless. For past few months, it had been his daily routine to wake up early in the morning to train.


    "247, 248, 249 and finally 250."


    "Why is that kid shooting ball early in the morning?"


    One of the passerby inquired.


    "May be he''s training to be a professional football yer."


    Another passerby replied.


    "Oh that kid! It must be your first time jogging out here. For past 7 or 8 months he have beening to the park daily with his ball and training all by himself. He''s pretty much dedicated."


    Another passerby who was jogging in the park interrupted the two passerby''s conversation.


    "While kids his age are sleeping right now, he''s here working hard for his dreams. His parents must be really proud of him. s!! If only my kids were as hardworking as him."


    An olddy who was jogging in the park joined in the discussion between all those previous passerby''s.


    Even though he was still a kid, his neighbourhood was quite safe for kids to go out early in the morning.


    And even though he used to get up early in the morning, as soon as he used to reach home after exercising he''d throw himself in bed and fall asleep instantly.


    Today wasn''t any different as well, as soon as he got home, he knocked himself into the bed and fell asleep.


    "Wake up Hiro!!"


    "Wake up fast or else you''ll bete for school."


    His mother yelled.


    "Argh!! Let me sleep a little more."


    He replied in his sleepy voice and pulled the nket over his head and covered himself wholly.


    However she kept on shaking him to wake him up. Seeing his stubbornness to wake up, she pulled the nket in one fell swoop.


    And as usual, once again he got scolded by his mother. As if his day would turn out iplete without her early morning nagging, it had kinda be something like a ritual for him to wake up to her nagging every morning.


    m!!


    "As usual you''rete."


    While walking towards his ssroom, Akashi smacked his back yfully.


    "Ahh!! Yeah I woke up kindate today."


    Hiro replied while rubbing his back with his hands.


    "Did you watch yesterday''s el casico?"


    Akashi inquired.


    "It was yesterday?"


    Hiro bewilderingly replied.


    Just like Hiro, Akashi loved to watch European football.


    "Surely this time Real Madrid''s gonna win both liga and champions league."


    Akashi proudly eximed.


    Akashi was a supporter of Real Madrid and idolised Christian Romero who yed for Real Madrid.


    Having the knowledge of the future, he knew exactly who''d win the titles. And 2015 was the season of Barcelona. They''d go on to win liga, Copa Del Rey and champions league in that season.


    "Dream on!! It''s gonna be Barcelona who''ll win both liga and champions league."


    Hiro replied back.


    With that reply, both of them got into an argument. Most of the time, they got along pretty well with each other but everytime the topic of their favourite club was brought, they used to get into an argument.


    Even though Hiro was quite mature from inside, he would still argue when the the topic of the club he supported was brought onto the table.


    "You kids, don''t you have sses?"


    One of the faculty member yelled while they were arguing with each other in the hallway.


    Hearing his yell both of them headed towards their respective ssrooms.


    Later in the evening, after the daily training ended, while they were preparing to head home, Hiro called out for Akashi.


    "Akashi! Don''t you want to improve your game??"


    Hiro inquired.


    "I do want to improve my gamey. But I don''t know how to improve my gamey."


    Akashi frowned.


    "I can help you with it. But you need to help me with something as well."


    Hiro proposed a deal to Akashi. In return for teaching him football, Hiro wanted Akashi to shoot his videos.


    Akashi reluctantly agreed to his proposal. Since he knew what Hiro was capable of, he didn''t doubt his ability to teach him football. And just like that both of them agreed to help each other.


    [New quest unlocked]


    [Help Akashi to make his debut in the tournament]


    [Reward onpletion: Golden ticket]


    [Punishment on failure: Deduction of random stat]


    ''Huh a quest unlocked all of a sudden? The reward is very tempting but the punishment is really harsh as well.''


    All of a sudden, a quest unlocked. And surprisingly the system offered a golden roulette ticket for the reward onpletion.


    ''He does have potential, but I''m sure he won''t get to y in the first match. And if we lose the first match, the quest is basically all over.''


    "Why are you staring at me like that?"


    Akashi inquired.


    Without even realising, he was contemtively staring at Akashi with a weird expression in his face.


    "I was thinking of how I can grind you."


    "Huh!! Grind me?"


    "Yeah I was thinking of the training method to help you improve. Hehe"


    Hiro revealed a evil smirk as he finished his sentence.


    "Somehow I''m having ill omen about this."


    Akashi gulped his saliva.


    "Okay then let''s meet at school ground this saturday at 5 PM"


    "Huh school ground? But will the teacher even allow us to use the school ground during holiday?"


    Akashi questioned.


    During holidays, nobody was allowed to use the school facilities. However Hiro who was sponsored by the school was allowed to use the ground even during holidays.


    "Don''t worry about that, just meet me at the ground this Saturday at 5 PM."


    Hiro assured.


    And just like that Akashi agreed to shoot videos of Hiro in exchange for teaching him football.


    Fast forward to Saturday, Hiro made Akashi to shoot the ball 500 times. However he couldn''t even shoot 200 times.


    Everything went well at first but as he progressed forward, Akashi''s legs got heavy and he couldn''t even lift his legs properly.


    Hiro made him do the sets of exercises given by the system. But unlike Hiro, Akashi couldn''t evenplete 3 sets of the exercises.


    And as per the deal between them, Akashi shot Hiro''s videos after the training.


    Later at night, Hiro was fiddling around with his phone while lying in his bed.


    "Now then what should I name the channel??"


    Hiro started to wonder about the name of his channel.


    He was going to upload the video shot by Akashi in his newtube channel, but he couldn''t think of a name for his channel.


    "Ahh!! It should work."


    "The name of my channel will be~"

 Chapter 21: Opening ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 21: Opening ceremony</h4>


    After thinking for a while, he decided to name his channel as;


    "Ser Wizard"


    Although the name sounded a little bit childish, yet he was quite proud of the name he had selected. Since football was mostly referred to as ser in Japan, he chose ser instead of football, even though he preferred football more.


    And even though he never believed in magic in his previous life, he had somehow magically regressed back in time. And since he had also gained a system, he considered himself something like a magician, that''s why he decided to add wizard to the name of the channel.


    "And with this, my channel is created."


    He eximed with a smile on his face.


    "Watch your back Mr.Beest, I''m gonna be the most subscribed newtuber. Hahahahahahahaha"


    Heughed maniacally.


    "Oh right! But that''s not my goal."


    He came to a sudden realisation and the smile on his face faded away.


    "My goal is to be the best footballer in the. And I''m only uploading videos as a means of making money for a short while. So I''ll pass on bing the most subscribed newtuber."


    "Consider yourself lucky Mr.Beest that I''m not doing newtube seriously. You can keep your title, consider it my gift to you."


    He finished his sentence with a smug look on his face.


    He eximed as if he was doing a favour to Mr.Beest by not taking newtube seriously. He was too haughty.


    "Now that the channel is established, I should post my video."


    "But what should I name the title?"


    After creating his newtube channel, he was about to post his video but he couldn''t think of a suitable title for the video.


    "Little boy ying football??"


    "Nah!"


    "Juggling the ball for 500 times without dropping?"


    "Nah!!"


    "Just what should I name the title??"


    He exasperated.


    He couldn''te up with any decent name for the title. He kept on pondering over the name for the title. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t think of anything decent.


    "Argh! Just why is it so hard toe up with a decent name for the title?"


    Failing toe up with a decent name for the title, even after thinking for a while, he started to get frustrated. Just then he threw his phone aside andid down on the bed with his face facing upwards.


    "Right! I should make use of the knowledge of the future and decide the names which can act as a clickbait so that I can get a lot of views."


    As he wasying down on the bed, a sudden thought prated his mind. He then grabbed his phone and began to type.


    "I scored five hundred goals from five hundred freekicks."


    Aftering up with a title for his video, he posted his video and slept early.


    "Hiro! Are you still asleep?"


    His mother made her way towards his room while yelling. But just as she entered his room, her eyes widened in shock.


    "Oh! You''re awake??"


    She was shocked to find him awake.


    Usually he''d be sleeping around the time she walked into his room. But today he was awake and not only was he awake, he was already dressed as well.


    "Yeah it''s the matchday today."


    He replied while packing his jersey.


    "Matchday?? Isn''t it holiday today?"


    She mumbled.


    "Yeah matchday. The prefectural tournament begins today. Didn''t I already tell you about it?"


    He replied.


    "You did. But why are you going? I mean, you aren''t even selected for the team. So why are you going?"


    She bewilderingly questioned.


    "Huh! Who told you that I wasn''t selected?"


    He replied.


    "Then why were you crying previously?"


    "Wha- What do you mean by crying?"


    He stammered upon remembering the embarrassing moment when he cried in her arms.


    She noticed his flustered face and decided to change the topic.


    "So you''re selected for the team?"


    "Yeah, I''m the starting yer."


    "Where will the match take ce??"


    She questioned.


    "It''s gonna take ce in themunity football stadium. The preliminaries will be held at the local football stadium and the matches from round of 16 to semi final will take ce at the stadium of Sakura FC football club."


    "And finally the final match of the prefectural tournament will be held at one of the national stadium where the international games are yed."


    After packing his bags, his mother dropped him off in school. Even thought the game started at 10 AM, all of the starting yers were required to show up in school before 8 AM to discuss tactics.


    "Herees our Ser Wizard."


    Akashi greeted Hiro as he entered the auditorium.


    Just then all of the yers started to congratte him all of a sudden. Hiro couldn''t figure out why they were congratting him for no reason.


    "Hmm... What''s the asion today?? Why am I getting congratted all of a sudden?"


    Hiro was baffled by the sudden burst of congrattions.


    Coach Miura kept his cool andmanded everybody to get seated. After that nobody dared to speak a single word. And then he began to exin the tactics.


    "We''ll be ying Endo as the sweeper keeper and Hiro will be ying as a deep lying ymaker. For this tactics to work out, we need to get Hiro involved with the ball as much as we can. Did everybody understand what I''m trying to say?"


    "''Yes sir!!!"''


    Everybody shouted.


    "Okay then let''s win the game today and progress forward."


    The coach ended the discussion after carefully exining the tactics to everybody present in the auditorium.


    Then all of them started to board on the school bus to leave for the venue where the match was going to take ce.


    Since Ookami elementary school was a private school, it owned quite a number of school buses. And infact many of the students who studied at Ookami elementary schoolmuted to and from school via school buses.


    Hiro couldn''t take advantage of the facility provided by the school bus because of the remoteness of his neighbourhood. The school buses didn''t operate to his neighbourhood because of theck of students who studied in Ookami elementary school from his neighbourhood.


    And even though he was sponsored by the school, they couldn''t still operate the school buses to his neighbourhood for him alone. That''s why he used tomute to the school via train.


    While they weremuting towards the venue of the match, Hiro looked at Akashi to inquire him about the earlier incident.


    But Akashi didn''t seem well. He kept his eyes closed and lips sealed. He covered his mouth with one of his hands and grabbed his stomach with his other hand. He was suffering from motion sickness.


    Seeing him in that condition, he decided it would be better to keep his mouth shut for the time being.


    Aftermuting for about 15 minutes, they reached the venue where the match was going to take ce.


    As soon as the bus stopped and opened it''s door, Akashi stormed outside.


    "Uwah!! Uwah!!"


    Akashi started to puke.


    However he couldn''t puke anything beside liquid. His stomach waspletely empty. There wasn''t even a single solid substance in his stomach to make it''s way outside his mouth.


    "Coach! I''ll catch up in a while."


    He eximed while looking at the coach.


    The coach took a peek at Akashi''s condition and agreed to his request.


    "Okay! Bute fast."


    The coach and other yers started to head inside the stadium. However, assistant coach Honda decided to stay back to keep an eye on them.


    "Here have some water."


    Hiro handed a bottle of water to Akashi.


    "Uwah!! Thanks for the water."


    After drinking some water, Akashi felt a little better. Hisplexion returned back to normal and his puking stopped as well.


    "Are you alright?"


    Hiro inquired.


    "Yea- Yeah!"


    "Then shall we head inside?"


    Akashi nodded his head.


    They started to head inside the venue. Since it was their first time in that venue, they didn''t know where to go. And if not for Honda san, they''d have directly entered the pitch without even changing their clothes.


    They managed to find the changing room with Honda san''s assistance.


    "The opening ceremony is about to begin, so change your clothes ASAP."


    The coach eximed.


    Except Hiro and Akashi, everybody in their team had changed their clothes. Without uttering a single word, both of them got dressed instantly.


    "Akashi?"


    "Hmmm??"


    "How did you know about the name of my newtube channel? I''m sure that I haven''t told you about it."


    "Oh! About that you''re quite famo-"


    "You two, keep quiet. It''s our turn to enter the pitch"


    Coach Miura interrupted as Akashi was about to say something.


    And as they made their way towards the pitch, Hiro noticed something unusual. There were surprisingly a lot more spectators in the stand, even though the tournament was a elementary school level tournament.


    There were about 700-800 people in the stand. That number was very huge for something like an opening ceremony of a prefectural tournament for elementary school kids.


    Inparison to previous years opening ceremony which recorded about 100 spectators, current estimation of 700-800 spectators was astronomical.


    "Why is there so many people in the stand?"


    Hiro whispered.


    "For you"


    "Huh! I didn''t quite get that."


    "You seriously don''t know about anything?"


    Akashi inquired, bewilderingly.


    To his inquiry, Hiro simply shook his head.

 Chapter 22: Karasuno’s number 7

    <h4>Chapter 22: Karasuno''s number 7</h4>


    About 32 schools participated in the tournament that year. And those 32 teams were further divided into 8 groups with each group consisting 4 teams.


    Again the 8 groups were further divided into two segments with each segment containing four groups each.


    And due to therge number of schools, that year''s tournament was going to be yed in the world cup format. However instead of a league format for the group matches, the group matches were going to be yed in knockout format as well.


    "Woah!! There''s a lot of team participating in the tournament this year."


    Hiro mumbled.


    "Indeed there''s a lot of team participating in the tournament this year. But the favourites remains the same, Karasuno elementary school and Ronden elementary school. And even worst, we''re ced in the same group as Karasuno elementary school. Just why God?"


    Akashi whined.


    Just as the announcer called out the name of the final team to participate in the tournament, someone from that team caught his attention. The final team to walk into the pitch was non other than Ronden elementary school. The same school which once tried to recruit him.


    And the person who caught his attention was non other than Kurosawa Taki. Hiro was left dumbfounded by the sight of Kurosawa Taki.


    "Hiro! Hiro!"


    Akashi called out for him but there was no response from him. He kept on staring at Kurosawa Taki.


    "Yea- Yeah!"


    He stammered uponing back to his senses.


    "Are you alright?"


    "Yeah I''m fine."


    "Perhaps, did you see a ghost?"


    "Huh! Hell no! Why do you ask such absurd questions?"


    "Well I mean you looked kinda lost to me. So I wondered if you saw a ghost."


    "It''s nothing like that, let''s just focus on the announcement ahead."


    Hiro shrugged off Akashi''s curiosity.


    "But I don''t get one thing. There are so many teams participating in the tournament. So how will weplete all those matches today?"


    Akashi inquired.


    "I''m sure that the coach had exined us about that previously. Didn''t you pay any attention to his words when he was exining about the tournament fixtures?"


    Hiro replied while contorting his face.


    "Haha!! I must have missed that information."


    Akashi smiled awkwardly.


    "Sigh!!"


    "Group A, B, C and Group D''s first matches will be yed today in four different venues. Group E, F, G and Group H''s matches will be yed tomorrow respectively. So in total a total of 8 matches will be yed today. And another 8 match will be yed tomorrow."


    Hiro eximed.


    "Huh there''s three more venues beside this stadium?"


    Akashi questioned.


    "Yeah!! There are three more venues beside this stadium. Since all the teams were required to gather at one ce before the start of the tournament, every team participating in the tournament are gathered at this venue for themencement of the tournament."


    After the announcement ended, the first match of the tournament between Karasuno elementary school and Tokushima J elementary school was about to begin. And the rest of the teams headed towards their respective venue as well.


    Hiro''s team being in the same group as Karasuno elementary school, remained seated in the stadium while awaiting their match.


    Their match would begin right after the end of the match between the Karasuno elementary school and Tokushima J elementary school.


    Beep!!


    {The referee has blown his whistle and the 15th annual prefectural tournament officially begins}


    The announcer announced themencement of the tournament.


    With that announcement, the stadium was filled with the cheers of the spectators. Most of the spectators consisted of the parents of students who were taking part in thepetition.


    There were few local reporters in the stand along with the general publics.


    {Goaaaaallllllll!! That''s why they are one of the favourites of the tournament.}


    Karasuno elementary school opened up the scoresheet with a goal in the 17th minute of the game. The stand where the students of Karasuno elementary school were seated burst out with cheers as they scored the goal.


    Before the end of the half time, they scored another goal. The first half of the match was pretty much one sided with Karasuno elementary school dominating both the position and shots on target.


    The second half was no different than the first half. Tokushima J elementary school gotpletely battered by Karasuno elementary school as they went on to win the match by an astronomical score of five to nothing.


    Even though every yers in Karasuno elementary school disyed an amazing performance individually, one yer stood out among the rest.


    The yer with a number 7 on his back. Contrary to his diminutive figure, he yed as a striker and scored two headers.


    Almost everybody in the stand questioned everytime when an air ball was yed to him. They all thought that he wouldn''t be able to reach the ball and he''d get swallowed by the tall defenders of Tokushima J elementary school.


    But contrary to everybody''s expectation, he proved everyone wrong with his incredible vertical jump and lightning speed. He silenced all the critiques with his gamey.


    Short ck messy hair, suntanned br skin and height that was barely 3.5 feet, his explosive jumps reached the ball which even the tall defenders of Tokushima J elementary school struggled to reach.


    On the 17th minute of the game, one of his teammates yed a razor sharp through ball which couldn''t be reached by anybody besides him. Making use of his explosive pace, he opened up the score with a banger.


    Everybody thought that his only weapon was his speed. But soon he proved everybody wrong by scoring two more goals in the second half. And surprisingly both of those goals happened to be headers.


    {Woah!! What an amazing way to kick off the tournament. Karasuno elementary schoolpletely obliterated Tokushima J elementary school and won the match with 5-0 score.}


    {And even more amazing was the performance of the yer Shinji Shoyo, the yer of Karasuno elementary school with the number 7 on his back. He scored a hatrick in his first match. If he keeps on scoring like this in other matches, he''d surely score more than 10 goals by the end of the tournament.}


    "Damn!! How will we face against Karasuno elementary school?"


    Akashi started to get flustered all of a sudden.


    "Did you already forget that we still have a match to y? Before facing against them we need to get through this hurdle first."


    Hiro replied.


    "Okay team it''s our turn to y. We''ll y just like we''ve practiced. Just keep your calm and y without getting anxious."


    Coach Miura eximed as they were about to enter the pitch.


    {And the second match of the group A is between Ookami elementary school and Public youth elementary school. Surprisingly both of these teams are new to the nationals. And even more surprising is the fact that both of these new teams are facing against each other in their debut match.}


    {Public youth elementary school is going for a 5-3-2 formation which emphasizes more on defense and Ookami elementary school is going to y in a 4-4-2 diamond formation which focuses more on the offence.}


    {So who''lle out victorious? Will defence win the game or will offence win the game? It''s a showoff between defence and offense.}


    Beep!!


    The second game of group A between Ookami elementary school and Public youth elementary schoolmenced with the sound of referee''s whistle.


    As referee blew his whistle, Kuro passed the ball to Sato. The opponent team instead of pushing forward, dropped back from the moment of kickoff.


    {Huh? Is this some kind of new tactic? The yers of public youth elementary school are dropping deep right from the beginning of the kickoff. They aren''t evening out of their own half to win the ball.}

 Chapter 23: Siiiuuuuuu

    <h4>Chapter 23: Siiiuuuuuu</h4>


    As the opponent team dropped deep, they couldn''t take the ball forward recklessly. However since they were a new team, the opponent team didn''t have any information regarding Ookami elementary school''s team. And hence they were not aware of one crucial information.


    Hiro was a fantasista who''s speciality was to break through solid defence line just like Public youth elementary school''s defence.


    And since most of the yers in the Public youth elementary school stayed close to each other, Hiro could easily dribble past their defender''s one after the other.


    {Number 10 from Ookami elementary school is charging the ball forward without any fear.}


    Hiro began to dribble the ball forward. As he dribbled the ball forward, the opponent yers were forced toe out of their respective zones to defend against him.


    Upon seeing him charging forward, one of the offensive yer recklessly dashed towards him in an attempt to snatch the ball away from him.


    However before he could even attempt to stretch his legs forward, Hiro dribbled past him. While charging towards Hiro, he left his legs wide open and Hiro took full advantage of the gap between his legs. Just as he approached near to Hiro, he kicked the ball between his legs and nutmegged him. The nutmeg happened so fast that he didn''t even realise he was nutmegged.


    {That was a beautiful nutmeg from the number 10 of Ookami elementary school. Hahaha and it looks like the number 9 of Public youth elementary school is still in daze.}


    "Hahahaha"


    "The look on the face of number 9 was a sight to behold."


    An anonymous spectator cheerfully eximed.


    Just like thementator, a lot of people in the stand wereughing at that ridiculous nutmeg from Hiro.


    After effortlessly passing through that number 9, he was faced with even more defender''s of the opposing team.


    But since they came out of their respective zones to defend against him, several spaces were left open. While making use of those spaces, Hiro passed the ball forward towards Sato.


    However the defenders of the Public youth elementary school were quick to react to his passes. As soon as the ball was released from his legs, they began to run towards Sato.


    In the right wing, Sato was about to shoot the ball. But he paused as he witnessed the opposing defenders closing towards him.


    While the opposing defenders were rushing towards Sato, theypletely forgot about Hiro. Sato faked his shot and passed the ball straight in the middle.


    For a moment it seemed that the ball wouldnd in the feet of opposing yer. But out of nowhere, someone else kicked the ball while the ball was still rolling.


    The person who kicked the ball was non other than Hiro. The moment he passed the ball to Sato, he had already begun running.


    Outside the stadium, two individuals were rushing towards the stadium in a hurry.


    "Look we''re alreadyte for his match."


    Hiro''s mother pouted.


    Hiro''s father checked his watch and it was only 12:16 PM.


    "We''re only 1 minutete. Hiro told me the match would start at 12:15."


    Takashi replied.


    "Huh! He told you about the match? Was I the only one who was kept in the dark??"


    "And who even needs a beer in a kids game?"


    Her face started to turn red as she released the umted anger inside her.


    {Goaaaaallllllll!!}


    With lightning speed, the ballnded on the upper right corner of the goalpost.


    At 1 minutes and 57 seconds, Hiro scored the opening goal in the second match of Group A.


    It hadn''t even been 2 minutes since the start of the match and yet he already scored a goal.


    {Within 2 minutes, Ookami elementary school have opened the scoresheet. And they''ve opened the scoresheet in a style of their own. The keeper couldn''t even react and the looks on the faces of Public youth elementary school''s yers says everything about that goal from the number 10 of Ookami elementary school. It was simply fabulous.}


    "Shh!! I think I heard something right now."


    Takashi tried to silence his wife.


    "Yeah!! Yeah!! Now you''re making things because you don''t want to hear my voice."


    His mother raised her voice even more.


    "No, it''s not like that. Just try listening once, I''m sure you''ll hear it too."


    Just then the crowd burst out in cheers. The cheers of the crowd were so loud that it could be heard from the parking lot outside the stadium.


    After listening to the loud cheersing from inside the stadium, Akashi and Momo rushed towards the stadium in hurry.


    As they entered the stadium, they witnessed something extraordinary. The atmosphere around the stadium was extremely lively.


    "Honey! Are kids game this popr?"


    His mother bewilderingly questioned upon witnessing the sights of huge number of spectators in the stand.


    "As much as I know, there shouldn''t be this much spectator for a kids game."


    Takashi mumbled in awe.


    "Perhaps we may have identally entered the wrong venue."


    Takashi mumbled.


    "But the score sheet says Ookami elementary school and Public youth elementary school."


    Momo pointed towards the scoresheet.


    "Indeed it does."


    Takashi nodded his head.


    "But where is Hiro?"


    His mother questioned.


    Takashi began to look for his son in the pitch. Far in the right corner, he noticed someone who resembled his son.


    "Isn''t that Hiro?"


    He pointed his finger at Hiro.


    "It is indeed Hiro. But what is he doing?"


    "I think he''s celebrating."


    As he scored the goal, he performed the trademark celebration of Christian Romero. The ''Siuuuuuuuuu'' celebration.


    The reason why he performed that celebration was because of Akashi. While he and Akashi were talking with each other. Akashi jokingly asked him to perform the trademark celebration of his favourite yer.


    "I think he scored a goal."


    Since they were in the opposite corner, they couldn''t see him well. And surprisingly they happened to walk in the stands where the supporter of opponent team''s were seated.


    "He scored a goal. But why are these people not celebrating his goal?"


    His mother questioned.


    As she mentioned about the celebration, the people around them gave them cold stares. Their icy cold gaze sent shiver down Takashi''s body.


    "Honey! It''s better to keep your mouth shut for a while. Let''s head over to some other seat."


    Takashi pushed Momo and began to walk towards the seat where the cheers were louder.


    "Why are you pushing me?"


    "Shh!! They''re not celebrating the goal because they are the supporters of the opponent team. So we should head towards the seat with supporters of our team."


    Akashi whispered softly.


    The game resumed with a score of 1-0.


    The opponent team continued to y defensive football. And Hiro continued to toy with their defense. While most of the supporters were thoroughly entertained by his gamey, the supporters from Public youth elementary school didn''t seem to enjoy his gamey.


    Just few minutes after scoring his first goal, he scored another goal. And at the 30th minute of the game, he assisted a wonderful goal to Kuro.


    {There''s simply no stopping to Ookami elementary school. And there''s simply no stopping to number 10 of Ookami elementary school. He toyed with the yers of Public youth elementary school as if he was ying against kids. I mean they are kids and he himself is a kid too. hahahaha}


    "Just what is the coach doing?"


    "Just mark that number 10 kid."


    "Even us supporters could see clearly that, that number 10 is the real threat from Ookami elementary school"


    The supporters of Public youth elementary school started to vent their anger and frustration.


    Even though it was a kid''s game, the supporters of Public youth elementary school were extremely frustrated to see their side losing 3-0 before halftime.


    "Just who is that number 10 kid?"


    One of the supporter of Ookami elementary school who was seated next to Takashi mumbled.


    "He''s my son Takahashi Hiro."


    Takashi proudly eximed with his chest stretched out.


    "He''s your son? But he doesn''t look anything like you."


    The supporter bewilderingly questioned.


    "Cough!! Cough!! Well because he takes after his mother more."


    Takashi eximed nervously.


    The supporter didn''t reply anything at all and looked at him with eyes full of doubt. He was clearly doubting his im.


    Takashi then pulled out his wife and eximed;


    "Do you still not believe me?"


    The supporter took a peek at his mother. However the expression on his face said otherwise. He was mesmerised by his mother''s beauty.


    "Yoh! She''s my wife, so don''t you dare think anything weird. And also you better drop that expression of your face before you get punched by her. I''ll warn you, she''s a ck belt in karate."


    Hearing that she was a ck belt in karate, he quickly took his gaze away from her.


    "Now that you mention about it, he does look like your son."


    He eximed in a flustered tone and finally agreed to Takashi.

 Chapter 24: Overnight celebrity

    <h4>Chapter 24: Overnight celebrity</h4>


    While the first half was already disappointing for public youth elementary school, the second half was even more devastating.


    They conceded four more goals in the second half and lost the game with abined score of seven to nothing.


    Beep!!


    {And the referee has blown his whistle. In the beginning of the match, I mentioned about the sh between defence and offense. And the offense hase out victorious after crushing the defence with a humiliating score of 7-0}


    {The looks on public youth elementary school''s yers doesn''t look very good. However these kids have shown their absolute best, so I request everyone in the crowd to cheer them up as they walk down the aisle.}


    "Yeah! You all have yed really well."


    "Well yed"


    p!! p!! p!!


    The supporters from the stand started to cheer for the yers of Public youth elementary school even after losing the match.


    As mentioned by thementator, the yers from the Public youth elementary school really gave their absolute best against Ookami elementary school. However one single yerpletely obliterated their whole tactics all by himself.


    {What an amazing performance by Ookami elementary school. But I''m sure that they wouldn''t have been able to dominate the match like they did, if it weren''t for the number 10 of Ookami elementary school. Goals, assists, dribbles just name it, he''s got everything. He himself scored 5 goals in a single match and provided two assists on top of that. He was involved in all seven goals of the Ookami elementary school.}


    {Shinji Shoyo from Karasuno elementary school showed us a brilliant performance a moment ago and now Takahashi Hiro from Ookami elementary school showed us another brilliant performance. I just can''t wait to see the sh between Karasuno elementary school and Ookami elementary school three days from today.}


    {Even though Karasuno elementary school are considered one of the favourites of the tournament, it wouldn''t be easy for them to get past against Ookami elementary school. If they''ve got a little giant in their team, then Ookami elementary school''s got abination of Messi and Romero of their own in their team.}


    "You really hit that siu celebration. I thought that you didn''t like Romero."


    Akashi eximed as Hiro approached him after the end of the match


    "Huh who said that I don''t like Romero?"


    Hiro bewilderingly questioned Akashi.


    "Well you support Barcelona, so I thought you hated Real Madrid. So I naturally assumed that you didn''t like Romero as well."


    "Well just because I support Barcelona doesn''t mean that I hate Madrid. And I very much enjoy seeing him y. Why would I hate such a great yer? And as an uing yer myself, I don''t want to limit myself with only one ystyle."


    Hiro eximed.


    While he was celebrating with his teammates, he caught a sight of someone familiar in the stand. While looking at them he raised his fist and pointed it towards them with a smile on his face.


    The person to whom he pointed his fist was non other than Takashi and Momo. Takashi returned back the gesture by raising his fist towards him. He couldn''t look more proud. He was brimming with proudness.


    "He''s really your son."


    The same spectator who didn''t believe his words earlier, eximed.


    "Obviously he''s my son."


    He spoke with a grin on his face.


    Just as the yers of Ookami elementary school were exiting the stadium, they were greeted with the sights of groups of local reporters who were waiting for them outside the stadium.


    "Did a celebrity show up?"


    Hiro bewilderingly questioned.


    "Yeah and you''re that celebrity. Don''t you all agree? Hahaha"


    Takashi chuckled.


    The rest of the teammates nodded their head in agreement as they let out a cheerfulugh in unison.


    "Yeah! Yeah! If scoring five goals in some kids tournament is gonna make somebody a celebrity. Then there''d be a celebrity in every stadium."


    Hiro replied.


    "Well first up all, let alone scoring five goals, scoring a single goal is also very difficult. And they''re probably not here because of some kids tournament. It''s because of your newtube channel."


    Akashi eximed.


    "Huh my newtube channel?"


    Hiro bewilderingly questioned.


    "Did you not check your channel beforeing to the school?"


    Akashi inquired.


    "Well I only posted my video yesterday, so what difference would it even make?"


    Upon hearing the words of Hiro, Akashi pulled his phone out and began to type something.


    "See here! Isn''t this you?"


    Akashi started to y the video of Hiro which he posted on the newtube.


    "Well yeah!! It''s me. So what about my video?"


    "Look at the views?"


    Akashi replied.


    As he turned his gaze towards the total views, he began to count;


    "Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands.... What?? 547 thousand views!!!"


    Hiro''s eyes widened in shock and his jaws dropped. He couldn''t believe the figure he witnessed.


    There was 547 thousand views in his video in less than 24 hours. The first ever video he posted in his newtube channel went viral in less than 24 hours of posting.


    "Am I dreaming?"


    Hiro questioned.


    "Ouch!!"


    Akashi pinched him all of a sudden.


    "Why did you do that?"


    Hiro exasperated.


    "Hahaha... I thought that you needed some help."


    Akashi chuckled.


    "Ser Wizard??"


    "Ser Wizard??"


    "Can you spare some time for a short interview?"


    The reporters flocked over him with camera and microphones facing towards him. All of a sudden he found himself in the limelight.


    He couldn''t reply anything. Even though he was a 27 year old from the inside, he had never faced such situations even in his previous life.


    For his whole life, he lived like somebody who was ostracized by the society. In his previous life, he was just an extra yer in the field without anything exceptional.


    Thus he couldn''t react properly, upon receiving the spotlight all of a sudden.


    "Umm..."


    Upon getting swarmed up by the reporters, he started to get anxious. He started to sweat profusely and began to have nervous breakdown. Receiving the spotlight all of a sudden, he started to have anxiety attacks.


    "Could you all please move those camera''s and microphone''s away from him. He''s still a child."


    Takashi came to his rescue.


    Upon seeing his father, he could finally feel at ease. However Takashi couldn''t handle the reporters properly as they still forced their way towards him.


    "Y''all just leave my son alone before I break your camera and microphones."


    His mother came to their rescue as the situation seemed like it was getting out of hands.


    After listening to the threat of his mother, the reporters began to back down.


    "Thank you for your understanding."


    "And if you''d like to interview him. Kindly book an appointment with his agent first."


    His mother eximed.


    ''Who''s my agent? Did the school provide me with an agent?''


    Hiro was baffled by the ims of his agent.


    "Our channel would like to interview him. So mam would you kindly tell us the number of his agent so that we can talk business."


    One of the female reporter stepped forward while asking for the contact information of his agent.


    "Yes! Why not?"


    She then began to provide them with the contact information of his agent. Having been curious of his agent, he paid utmost attention to his mother''s words. While he was keenly listening to his mother''s words, the number which she provided the reporters felt a little too familiar to him.


    "Hmm... Isn''t that mom''s phone number?"


    "Huh!!!! My mother is my agent?"


    Hiro was shocked to find out that his mother was acting as his agent.


    "I''m sure she made this agent stuff out of nowhere. She must''ve smelled the smell of money."


    Hiro mumbled with a nk look on his face.


    He then took a peek at his father''s face. He had the same dumbfounded expression. There was something written all over his face.


    "Seriously!!!!"


    That was the word written all over his face. Just like him, his father was left dumbfounded by her words.


    ''But seriously, What should I do with my social anxiety?''


    ''Now that my video has gone viral, I''ll face even more reporters as time progresses. I need to build up my confidence and prepare myself thoroughly for the future.''


    His eyes glowed with determination.


    "Let''s go Mr.popr"


    Akashi eximed as the reporters cleared a path for them.


    After that, they boarded the school bus and left for school, while Takashi and Momo headed home. He couldn''t leave with his mother and father as they needed to analyse the game of Karasuno elementary school.


    Since they''ll be facing against Karasuno elementary school in the round of 16, they needed to prepare well. Afterall Karasuno elementary school was one of the favourites to win the tournament. And they couldn''t face against them half heartedly.


    If they wanted to win the match, they were required to thoroughly prepare for the match.


    While they were heading towards school, the coach of Karasuno elementary school gathered his yers in a dark room.


    "Why are we gathered in the video analysing room coach?"


    One of the yers of Karasuno elementary school inquired.


    "To analyse our next opponent Ookami elementary school."


    The coach of Karasuno elementary school eximed.


    "Ookami elementary school? Never heard of it."


    "Hahahahahaha"


    The yers of Karasuno elementary school burst out inughter as the coach of the Karasuno elementary school mentioned the name of Ookami elementary school.

 Chapter 25: [Bonus chapter]Shoyo’s past

    <h4>Chapter 25: [Bonus chapter]Shoyo''s past</h4>


    While every yer in the video analysing room of Karasuno elementary school were making fun of Ookami elementary school, there was a single yer in the room who didn''t show any interest in his teammates mockery, seated with his legs crossed in the far left corner of the room all by himself.


    Unlike his fellow teammates, he didn''t let out a singleughter.


    "Hahaha..., Just sent us to the damn final already. Nobody except Ronden elementary school can take us. Don''t you agree Shoyo?"


    One of the yers of Karasuno elementary school arrogantly stated.


    The silent person who was seated at the far left corner of the room was non other than Shinji Shoyo.


    Just like Hiro, Shoyo was considered a prodigy by the coaches of Karasuno elementary school. And even though, he was at his 4th year of elementary school, it was his first tournament.


    Because of his medical condition, his parents took him to US for treatment. One day, during his first year of elementary school while ying football, he suddenly copsed .


    Upon witnessing his copse, the staff members rushed towards him and took him to the nurse. The nurse tried everything in her knowledge but he couldn''t regain his senses.


    Fearing that something serious might have happened to him, the faculty members informed his parents. Upon hearing the condition of their son, his parents rushed towards the school and took him to the hospital.


    As the doctor started to run some tests on him, it was known that there was a tumor growing in his head. He was suffering from brain tumor. Due to the unusual location of the tumor andck of the technology required for the surgery to remove the tumor, the doctor in the hospital raised their hands up and suggested his parents to take him to US for further medical treatment.


    His parents burst out in tears after hearing the words of doctor. His father who used to ownrge corporations took him to US for further treatment. Since money wasn''t a problem for his family, he


    got the necessary treatment in reputed hospital of US. The surgery went well and the doctor''s in the US sessfully removed the tumor from his head.


    However he stayed back in US for further treatment and recovery. After recovering enough and spending nearly two years in US, he returned back to Japan with his mother. His father couldn''t stay by his side all the time because of his business and left after a while. His mother stayed back in US with him and took care of him.


    And finally after recoveringpletely, he started to y football once again. Even though he couldn''t y football for almost 3 years, he still regained back his skills within some months because of his talent.


    m!!


    "Silence!! Now I''m going to y the video of the match between Ookami elementary school and Public youth elementary school, so everybody pay attention now."


    The coach mmed the table infront and yelled at his yers to quite down.


    All of the yers instantly shut their mouth as they heard the roar of their coach.


    "And you Shota, sit down."


    The coach ordered the yer standing beside Shinji Shoyo to sit down.


    The smile on his face quickly faded away as he heard his coach''s yell and without uttering a single word, he pulled his chair forward and sat down quietly.


    The coach then started to y the video of the match between Ookami elementary school and Public youth elementary school.


    "What? They all dropped deep from the beginning of the match? Are they going to y a defensive game for the entirety of the match?"


    One of the yer inquired.


    "Now pay attention to that number 10 who''s taking the ball forward."


    The coach paused the video just at the moment when Hiro was charging the ball forward.


    "What''s so special about him?"


    "Yeah, I don''t see anything special in him."


    "However their keeper is ridiculously small. Hahahaha"


    The yers of Karasuno elementary school whispered between themselves while making fun of Endo''s height.


    Even though they didn''t show their true feelings upfront, it was clear that they were still taking Ookami elementary school very lightly.


    "Huh!! Seriously?? What the hell was that? He dribbled past all those defenders all by himself and scored a ridiculous goal too!!"


    All of their eyes widened in shock. They couldn''t believe the fabulous goal scored by Hiro.


    "Shh!! Quite down. Let''s watch the whole footage first. And at the end of the video, I want everybody to present me with their analysis. Also for the entirety of the match pay a close attention towards that number 10 of Ookami elementary school."


    The coach eximed as he paused the video.


    At the end of the video, the looks on the face of every yerpletely changed. At the beginning of the analysis, they were all arrogant and cheerful. But at the end of the video, all that was left was the feeling of hopelessness.


    Even after the end of the video, nobody dared to utter a single word. The room was unusually silent.


    Meanwhile in Hiro''s house, his parents were having a heated discussion between themselves.


    "I never thought that Hiro was interested in newtube."


    Takashi eximed in disbelief.


    "Yeah, me too. I thought that he was only interested in football."


    Momo replied.


    "Also what did you talk about with the reporters?"


    Takashi questioned.


    "Nothing much. They wanted to interview Hiro. So I just gave them my contact information."


    Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!


    Just then, Momo''s phone started to ring.


    "Wait.., Let me pick up this call."


    "Hello! Mrs.Takahashi speaking."


    She picked up the call.


    "Hello! Mrs.Takahashi, I''m Suzume. The female reporter from before who spoke with you regarding the contact information of Takahashi Hiro''s agent."


    The reporter from before introduced herself.


    "Oh hello! Suzume san. How can I help you?"


    "I was wondering about if we could interview Hiro tomorrow?"


    The reporter expressed that she wanted to interview Hiro. Momo hesitated to reply. She began to think of excuses to turn down her proposal. Just then the reporter spoke something which caught her attention.


    "Obviously we''ll pay for the interview. So would you like to discuss about the payment?"


    As soon as she heard about money, she couldn''t retain back herself from agreeing to her proposal.


    "Where will the interview take ce?"


    Momo replied with a smile on her face.


    "We''ll perform the interview at the school."


    "But will the principal agree?"


    Momo questioned.


    "You don''t have to worry about that mam. We''ll take care of it."


    "If you say so then it''s okay. Now then shall we talk about money? Hehe"


    She eximed with a wry smile in her face.


    ''What''s with her obsession with money?''


    Takashi thought as he witnessed her cunning grin.


    Meanwhile in school, Hiro was fiddling around with his phone while being seated at the middle row of the auditorium.


    "Sigh~"


    While looking at his phone, he revealed a deep sigh. He looked extremely troubled as if something was gnawing on him.


    Seeing his troubled expression, Akashi approached him.


    "What''s the matter with you now?"


    Akashi was concerned about his wellbeing.


    "It''s nothing!"


    Hiro tried to shrug him off. However Akashi kept on pestering him.


    "Is it about your newtube channel?"


    Akashi questioned as he noticed the sight of Hiro''s channel in his phone.


    "Yeah"


    "Now that I''ve got 70k subscriber in less than 24 hours and gained 580k views, I can mize my channel."


    Hiro eximed.


    "Isn''t that a good thing? But why do you look troubled instead?"


    Akashi bewilderingly questioned.


    "I haven''t told my parents about my newtube channel. And I''m still a child, so I can''t even mise the channel. And if I want to mise my channel, then I''ll need to ask one of my parents to handle the channel."


    "Then just ask your parent?"


    "You don''t know my mom. If she finds out that I''m making newtube videos instead of studying, she will simply bake me alive."


    He started to turn pale as he began to imagine different scenarios of revealing the presence of his newtube channel to his mom.


    Just then, coach Miura made his way towards the auditorium with assistant coach Honda apanying him. Honda san was carrying a remote in his hands.


    Chatter!! Chatter!!


    "Silence everybody!! Now we''ll be analysing the match of Karasuno elementary school. I''m sure that you''ve already watched their match in the stadium while they were ying. But now we''ll thoroughly analyse their weaknesses and strengths so that we can prepare well against them."


    Coach Miura eximed and gestured Honda san to start the video.


    However unlike the yers of Karasuno elementary school who mocked their opponents even before the start of the match, the yers of Ookami elementary school were serious about winning against Karasuno elementary school.


    If it were before the arrival of Hiro, the atmosphere around Ookami elementary school might have been different. Let alone win against Karasuno elementary school, they would be whining and cursing their fate for being ced in the same group as Karasuno elementary school.


    Which they did previously when it was announced that they were ced in the same group as Karasuno elementary school. But after their first win against Public youth elementary school, their mindset had totally changed.

 Chapter 26: Concern’s of a father

    <h4>Chapter 26: Concern''s of a father</h4>


    After thoroughly analysing the footage of the match of Karasuno elementary school, coach Miura dismissed the meeting.


    One by one everybody started to head home. However Hiro couldn''t leave for home immediately as he would have to still wait for his parents to pick him up. And thus, after bidding his goodbye to Akashi and while everybody started to head home, he started to walk towards the pitch.


    "Where are you going Hiro?"


    Honda san called out for him.


    "I''m going to the pitch. Since I''ll have to wait for my parents to show up, I wanted to kill some time by kicking the ball on the field."


    Hiro eximed.


    "You don''t have to do that today. I already informed your parents before the start of the meeting and they should already be here. So go home!"


    Honda san gave him a gentle push.


    As mentioned by Honda san, he found his father waiting for him outside the entrance. Usually it would be his mother who''d pick him up. But surprisingly it was his father today, who came to pick him up.


    "Dad you''re here!"


    Hiro eximed as he approached his father.


    "Yeah! Your mom''s kinda busy with something today. So I''m here in her stead. By the way, you yed really well today."


    Takashi praised him for his earlier performance.


    "Now then, shall we head home?"


    "Ummmm"


    Hiro nodded his head as they left for the train station. While they were inside the train, they talked about his earlier performance. Takashi couldn''t look more proud of his achievements.


    "Where are you going dad? Our home is in other direction."


    Hiro pointed towards the path to their home as Takashi took the wrong turn.


    "I know! Just follow me for a while."


    Takashi eximed.


    After that Takashi took him to a sports store.


    "Dad why are we here?"


    Hiro was baffled by his father''s unusual behaviour.


    "Go and pick the cleats you like."


    Takashi nonchntly eximed.


    In disbelief, Hiro took a peak at his father''s face. However he looked really calm andposed. He meant what he said and he wasn''t joking about buying him new cleats.


    "Thank you dad"


    He stormed inside the store after thanking his father.


    He got himself a pair of ssic adidas predator boots in red colour with ck stripes. The boot was quite expensive and costed his father about 28,000 yen roughly 200 dors.


    If it were any other time, he would haveined about the price of the boot. But since today was a special asion, he didn''t hesitate to buy him the cleats which he selected.


    While on his way to home, he and his father talked about a lot of things. He felt closer to his father at that moment than he did in his whole life in his previous life.


    "Don''t tell your mother about the price of the boot. If she finds out that I bought you such an expensive boot, she''ll cut my pocket money for entire month."


    Takashi eximed with a worried expression.


    "Don''t worry dad. I won''t tell her dad."


    After listening to the words of his son, Takashi chuckled. Just then as he took a peak at his son, his smile faded away.


    "You''ve matured way too early in your life. Sometimes when I talk to you, I feel like I''m talking with a grown up adult person. May be it''s because of your useless father, you were forced to mature so early in your life. If only I could provide you with the things you desired."


    Takashi whispered softly.


    Takashi was very well aware of his son''s abilities and he wanted to send his son to the academies in Europe to help him improve. But that would have costed him a lot of money and he roughly earned about 800 dors a month.


    However due to the unusual silence around them, he could hear him clearly. His heart felt heavy upon listening to his father''s words, but he didn''t speak anything and pretended as if he didn''t hear anything at all. Even though he was a 27 year old from inside, he couldn''t find the right words to console his father and thus, he decided to keep his mouth shut.


    By the time they reached their home, the sun had already settled down. While there were still some lighting from the far off horizon, the sky was getting darker. Shades of blue and ck mixed together to form a beautiful scenery in the sky above.


    Sniff!! Sniff!!


    "Something smells really nice."


    Hiro began to sniff around as he smelled something fragranting from inside his house.


    "Oh you''re here! Wee back!"


    His mother greeted them both as they entered the house.


    "Mom what are we having for dinner?"


    Hiro enthusiastically questioned as soon as he entered his house.


    The house he lived in, was a traditionally built Japanese style house called ''minka''. The house was made up of woods and consisted two floors. The bottom floor contained 2 spaciousrge rooms, while the upper floor contained 3 small rooms. Even though their house was pretty small, it contained a small yard infront.


    "You''ll know once you see for yourself."


    She chuckled.


    "Now go freshen up and change your clothes."


    As he took of his shoes, he ran towards his room in a hurry. He didn''t even arrange his shoes properly, he simply tossed them aside as he ran towards his room in a hurry.


    "Put your shoes in the shoe rack."


    His mother yelled as she began to collect his tossed aside shoes.


    Takashi remained frozen infront of the door with a cheerful smile on his face.


    "Now should I send you an invitation separately?"


    His mother looked at his father with her icy cold gaze. Seeing her gaze, the smile on his face faded away. He then took his shoes off and obediently put them in the rack.


    "Woah!! It''s fried chicken for dinner today."


    Hiro eximed in awe.


    Hiro was a fan of fried chicken. Mostly they would have steamed white rice, boiled veggies and fish for dinner. As she considered fried foods unhealthy, she wouldn''t let them feast on anything fried in oil. And only in rare asions she would cook fried foods.


    After leaving separately from his mother in his previous life, he had to survive on fast foods. And that was the time when he discovered his love for fried chicken.


    "Yeah since it''s a special asion today. So eat as much as you want."


    She eximed in ecstasy.


    "But what''s this special asion you both keep mentioning about?"


    Hiro bewilderingly questioned as he pulled the chair and sat down.


    "You''re getting interviewed tomorrow."


    "Cough!! Cough!!"


    As soon as he heard about the interview, he choked on his food.


    "Easy..., Easy."


    Takashi stroke his back gently and provided him water.

 Chapter 27: [Bonus chapter]Interview

    <h4>Chapter 27: [Bonus chapter]Interview</h4>


    Chatter!! Chatter!!


    A hugemotion was taking ce at the football ground of Ookami elementary school. Students were flocking all over the ground and storming towards the already packed football ground to be a part of themotion.


    "What''s happening over there?"


    One of the student pointed at the huge crowd of students gathered beside the football ground.


    "I''m not sure about it, but a lot of people are standing over there holding camera''s and microphones."


    Another student replied.


    "A little bit to the right. Move the camera a little bit to the right."


    One middle aged man who was dressed in a polo t-shirt and wearing a baseball cap was giving introduction to the camera crew.


    Just then principal of Ookami elementary school, Miyamoto Takumi made his appearance in the pitch, dressed in a ck suit.


    "Hello Mr.Miyamoto it''s my pleasure to meet you."


    The middle aged man stretched his hands forward to shake hands with the principal.


    "Hello Mr.Suzuki. The pleasure is all mine."


    The principal grabbed his hand and performed a handshake.


    "First up all, I''d like to thank you for letting us interview your star yer. And I must say, you''ve recruited quite a capable yer for the nationals in your team."


    "Indeed he''s such an amazing yer. But it''s not me who scouted him, it''s all thanks to the scout of our football team Sakamoto san for scouting such an amazing yer that we''re able to recruit such an amazing yer in our team."


    The principal proudly eximed with a smile on his face. He couldn''t look more happy.


    While those two mens were cheerfully conversing with each other, Hiro made his way towards the pitch in his new Adidas predator boots.


    He staggeringly walked towards the pitch and seemed kinda nervous.


    "Oh look! There''s our main character for the show."


    Suzuki san eximed while pointing his finger towards Hiro.


    Just then another man shouted;


    "Sir! We''re all set to go."


    "Okay wait for a bit, I''ll be there in a moment. Now then will you excuse me for a while Miyamoto san."


    Suzuki san hurriedly walked towards Hiro.


    "Hello Hiro! How are you?"


    "Oh hello Mr.Suzuki, I''m fine. Thank you for asking."


    Hiro greeted him back.


    "Hmm... But your face says otherwise."


    "Yeah.., Honestly speaking I''m kinda nervous."


    "Don''t worry Hiro. We''ll do it just like we''ve practiced early in the morning."


    Hiro had skipped a few sses early in the morning to rehearse for the interview.


    After conversing for a while, both of them headed towards the location where the interview was going to take ce. At first they interviewed the principal of the Ookami elementary school followed by coach Miura and finally after interviewing both of them, it was his turn to get interviewed.


    "It''s your turn now. Don''t be nervous and speak as casually as you can. If something goes wrong, we''ll just redo it again. So don''t stress over the interview. Best of luck."


    Suzuki san tried to console him.


    ''Only if I could focus well on the interview, I wouldn''t be so nervous.''


    ''Oh yeah! Why did I forget that I have a system and I have a perfect skill for a time like this.''


    Due to nervousness, hepletely forgot about the presence of the system.


    ''System, activate skill focus''


    [Skill: Focus]


    [Activated]


    With the activation of the skill, he could no longer hear the noiseing from the crowds. He could focus better at the interview upfront and negate the feeling of nervousness.


    "What? All of a sudden, he looks totally different now. There''s not even a faint sign of nervousness within him. It vanished as if it wasn''t even there in the first ce."


    Suzuki san whispered in awe.


    "Action!!"


    With that the host Suzume san started to interview him. Even though she was a reporter, she also hosted several reality shows for her channel.


    "Hello everyone it''s me Suzume, your host for the show Neighborhood celebrity. Today I''m here in the field of Ookami elementary school. It''s a pretty new school, so many of you may not have heard about it. But I''m sure a lot of you people have heard about the name Ser Wizard."


    "Yes! That''s right it''s the same Ser Wizard who have amassed a staggering 80K subscriber within less than 24 hours of posting his first video. The same Ser Wizard who shocked the whole world with his ser skills."


    "Now without any further ado, let''s wee our very own Ser Wizard, Takahashi Hiro."


    As the announcer finished the introduction part, Hiro made his way towards the pitch while juggling the ball in his feet.


    "That wasn''t a part of the script!"


    Suzuki san eximed in awe.


    He was the producer of the show ''Neighbourhood Celebrity''.


    "What should we do Suzuki san? That wasn''t in the part of the script."


    The director whispered.


    "Let him continue"


    While the filming continued, Hiro started to demonstrate his skills. Without dropping the ball, he performed around the world not once but three times in a row.


    While he was demonstrating his skills with the ball, the crowds burst out in cheers and the atmosphere around the ground started to get more intense. The director didn''t want to miss the intense reaction of the crowds and he filmed the whole reaction of the crowds.


    Finally after demonstrating multiple skills with the ball, he kicked the ball super hard and sent it flying in the sky. The ball flew about 50 meters up in the sky and it stayed in the air for about 6 seconds. After attaining the maximum height, it began to drop with rapid velocity due to the gravity.


    And as it was about tond, he stretched his legs a little forward and controlled the ball with a brilliant first touch. Whole crowds burst out in cheers upon seeing him control the ball. Everybody were mesmerized by the skills he disyed.


    "Woah!! Is he even a six year old kid? What were you doing when you were six years? Do let me know in thements. For me, I was probably ying house when I was six years."


    The interview took ce for a while. And asionally they asked him to demonstrate more skills. He reluctantly agreed to their request and performed as they desired.


    However Suzume san got too full of herself and began to ask him to perform even more tricks with the ball. Even so, he reluctantly agreed to her request and kept on entertaining the crowds. However the effect of the skill focus had already weared off. Somehow he was still maintaining hisposure even without the skill focus.


    "Many of you may not know this, but yesterday our Ser Wizard scored five goals in the first match of the nationals for Ookami elementary school."


    "And I''m sure many of you football enthusiast might be familiar with this particr school team. Not only are they dominant in high school and middle school football tournament, they are also dominant in elementary school level football tournament. Yeah! I''m talking of non other than the powerhouse football team of Tokushima prefecture; Karasuno elementary school."


    "And the day after tomorrow, the team of our Ser Wizard will be ying against that powerhouse school level football team, Karasuno elementary school."


    As mentioned by the host of the show, Karasuno elementary school were dominant in every levels of school football tournament in Tokushima prefecture.


    Beside Karasuno elementary school, they also had a middle school and a high school too. And in all three levels of school, their football teams were considered one of the powerhouse of the Tokushima prefecture.


    "Will youe to watch our Ser Wizard y against the mighty Karasuno elementary school. If yes then do let me know in thements. This is Suzume, your host for the show ''Neighbourhood Celebrity'' speaking from the training ground of Ookami elementary school. Thank you for watching."


    Finally after almost an hour, the interview finally ended.


    Taking his performance and exhaustion into ount, the school decided to let him take a day off and such they called for his parents.


    However both of them were busy with their works and they couldn''te to pick him up before the end of the school.


    "Sorry Hiro! You''re parents are busy. So I''ll have to send you back to the ss-"


    Just then when principal Miyamoto was about to send him back to the ss because of the busy schedule of his parents, Suzuki san volunteered to take care of him for the rest of the day.


    "Why don''t I take care of him for the rest of the day. I might need some help with editing. And I think his insights might prove useful to me."


    Suzuki san eximed.


    "I''ll have to ask permission from his parents first. So give me a minute."


    The principal began to dial his mother''s phone number.


    "She says it''s okay."


    The principal eximed.


    After his mother agreed to let Suzuki san take care of him for the rest of the day, Suzuki san took him to McRonald''s to get him something to eat.


    He couldn''t look more happy about it.

 Chapter 28: The match begins

    <h4>Chapter 28: The match begins</h4>


    After training relentlessly for the match against Karasuno elementary school, it was finally the day of the face off.


    Even though it was a weekday, a lot of spectators showed up for the match between Karasuno elementary school and Ookami elementary school. The atmosphere around the stadium was extremely vibrant.


    Most of the spectators were seen with their mobile phones and camera''s in the stands. Newtubers were broadcasting the match in their channel while reporters were covering the match as well.


    {Wee to the round of 16 of the prefectural tournament. Today we have an interesting match between Ookami elementary school and Karasuno elementary school.}


    {And estimating by the number of the people in the stands, it seems that a lot of people have shown up for the match between Karasuno elementary school and Ookami elementary school.}


    Thementator announced.


    "Okay boys for past few days we''ve been practicing really hard for this day. And it''s finally the day of the face off."


    "Unlike the previous times, today I won''t tell you anything. You all have practiced really hard and I know that you''ll give your everything today. So go out there and show them what you''ve got."


    Coach Miura tried to raise the morale of the squad before sending them to the pitch.


    {The yers from both sides are making their way towards the pitch. So let''s wee them with loud cheers and apuse.}


    Woohoo!!


    "K.a.r.a.s.u.n.o!!!"


    "O.o.k.a.m.i!!"


    The supporters from both sides began to chant the name of their respective teams. The supporters from both side showed no signs of slowing down as the cheers from both side only got more intense as time progressed. Non of the sides were showing signs of backing down.


    The sky was crystal clear with no signs of rain clouds in the sky. The sun was shining brightly from early in the morning that day. And the day was extremely hot.


    Under the scorching sun, as the yers from both side made their way towards the pitch, the crowds burst out in cheers.


    "Woah!! Are we in a world cup match?"


    Kuro eximed in awe upon witnessing therge number of people in the stands.


    The venue where the match between Karasuno elementary school and Ookami elementary school was taking ce supported about 1500 spectators at a time. And today the stadium was almost houseful.


    After making their way towards the pitch, both of the teams exchanged a friendly handshake. And the referee called out for the captain''s of both of the teams for the toss.


    From Ookami elementary school Endo stepped forward while from Karasuno elementary school Shoyo stepped forward.


    "Heads or tails?"


    The referee inquired.


    "You can pick first."


    Shoyo wanted Endo to pick first.


    Endo reluctantly agreed to his proposal and thanked him for letting him pick first.


    "Tails"


    Endo eximed.


    "Hahaha....., Are we having Pok¨¦mon battle right now?"


    One of the young spectator from the stand started to make fun of Endo and Shoyo for their short height.


    Endo and Shoyo both of them had a very short height aspared to other yers in the field.


    The referee then tossed the coin in the air. And as the coinnded on the ground, the oue of the toss became known.


    The coinnded on heads and Endo lost the toss. Shoyo decided to pick the side they wanted to y and Ookami elementary school was forced to start the kickoff.


    Beep!!


    {The match between Karasuno elementary school and Ookami elementary school has officially begun with the whistle of the referee.}


    {Previously Ookami elementary school yed in a 4-4-2 diamond formation but today they are changing their tactics and going for a 4-3-3 formation with Sato and Kuro as their winger and the starman Hiro as their centre forward.}


    {However there''s no change in the formation of Karasuno elementary school as they are ying in the same 4-3-2-1 formation as they did previously with Shoyo acting as their sole forward.}


    The game kicked off with Hiro''s pass to Sato. And as soon as he got the ball, Sato began to press forward. Shoyo quickly caught up to him making use of his explosive pace.


    As Shoyo got closer to him, Sato quickly passed the ball backwards. However Shoyo didn''t stop and continued to press towards the ball.


    The defenders of Ookami elementary school continued to pass the ball between themselves and kept their positions.


    Upon seeing the yers of Ookami elementary school passing the ball in their own half, the offensive yers of Karasuno elementary school stepped forward and began to press for the ball.


    Karasuno elementary school were ying hyper pressing game from the start of the match. While Ookami elementary school were casually passing the ball between themselves.


    Due to their hyper pressing strategy, the yers of Karasuno elementary school were rapidly draining their stamina. However by doing so, they were constantly creating pressure on the yers of Ookami elementary school.


    Their strategy consisted both the advantage and disadvantage.


    Due to the hyper pressing strategy of Karasuno elementary school, the yers of Ookami elementary school started to make mistakes as they started to miss pass the ball.


    The mistakes only intensified as time progressed. At 17th minute of the game due to the mistake of Kosei Otsuka, the defensive midfielder of Ookami elementary school, Shoyo caught a lose ball in the center half of the pitch.


    As soon as he got the ball in his feet, he began to dribble the ball forward while making use of his lightning pace. It didn''t take him more than few touches to showcase his skills.


    While the defenders of Ookami elementary school blocked his shoot course. He surprised everybody in the stadium with his shot from outside the box.


    He performed a powerful shot from outside the box targeting the top right corner of the Ookami elementary school''s goalpost.


    Nobody expected him to make that kind of shot. And if it weren''t for Endo then they might have conceded a goal from that shot of Shoyo.


    Due to his short stature, Endo ran a few steps first and then lunged towards the ball. Instead of lunging sideways, he changed his angle a little bit infront and jumped at about 160 degree.

 Chapter 29: Rising tension in the field

    <h4>Chapter 29: Rising tension in the field</h4>


    Endo barely managed to reach the ball and keep the ball away from the. The ball bounced away as he saved the ball.


    Thud!!


    Endonded roughly on the ground while making that huge save.


    "Loose ball"


    Endo shouted.


    The defenders of Ookami elementary school were stunned by Endo''s brilliant save that they didn''t even notice the loose ball. Only after Endo shouted loose ball, did they actually came back to their senses and made their way towards the ball.


    {That was an incredible stop from Endo. However the ball is still in the bounds. And it looks like Shoyo will be the one to reach the ball before anyone else.}


    However it was toote for them as Shoyo was already chasing the ball even before the ball touched Endo''s gloves. As if he was expecting for a rebound.


    Bounce!! Bounce!!


    The ball began to bounce away from the goalpost. And after few bounces, it rolled over at the left corner of the penalty box of the Ookami elementary school.


    Because of his early run, Shoyo reached the ball before anybody else could reach. The defenders of Ookami elementary school were still quite a distance away from Shoyo and Endo was still lying on the ground.


    With Endo lying on the floor, the post was quite open. However the angle for shooting was also tight as well.


    Despite the unfavourable angle for making a shot, Shoyo still decided to go for a shot. He kicked the ball hard towards the goalpost.


    With Endo unprepared, there was simply no stopping to Shoyo''s shot.


    As the ball was released from his legs, it flew directly towards the goalpost. The crowds stood up in anticipation.


    "Gooooooooo...Goooo....."


    "Noooooo...."


    Everybody thought that it would end up as goal. But as if by stroke of luck, the ball hit the upper right crossbar of the goalposts and bounced back.


    {Unlucky Shoyo, he hit the crossbar. That was an impressive y from Shoyo. He''s showing everybody why they need to be wary of him. You lose a sight of him even for a moment and he''ll use that opportunity to score a goal against you.}


    Luckily the ball bounced towards one of the defenders of Ookami elementary school. And this time the defenders of Ookami elementary school made no mistake.


    He quickly passed the ball towards Otsuka, the defensive midfielder of Ookami elementary school. Otsuka wasted no time and quickly released the ball forward towards Kuon, one of the midfielder of Ookami elementary school.


    Since most of the yers of Karasuno elementary school were infront of the goalpost of Ookami elementary school, Ookami elementary school had a chance to counterattack.


    And the yers of Ookami elementary school didn''t waste any time as they began to charge the ball forward with lightning speed.


    "Back!! Get back!!"


    One of the yer of Karasuno elementary school shouted in desperation.


    The yers of Karasuno elementary school didn''t waste any time and began to chase after the ball as well.


    As they began to fall back, the yers of Ookami elementary school found themselves in a 4vs7 situation.


    Against the four defenders of Karasuno elementary school, there were seven attackers of Ookami elementary school rushing towards the goal. And even though the yers of Karasuno elementary school were falling back, it would have still taken them some time to position themselves.


    Kuon then released the ball towards Hiro who had fallen back a little. As soon as the ball was released towards Hiro, two of the defenders of Karasuno elementary school surrounded him. While the two more defenders maintained a certain distance away from him.


    "Oh so you''ve studied my ys! Two defenders for the face off and two defenders to cover the empty spaces. Not bad!"


    Hiro mumbled as he stood before two defenders of Karasuno elementary school.


    The defenders of Karasuno elementary school were unusually wary of Hiro.


    "But you''re forgetting something. I''m not the only one in our team who can score a goal."


    Hiro easily dribbled past those two defenders and cheekily lofted the ball towards Kuro. The keeper of Karasuno elementary school came forward to block his course.


    However instead of shooting the ball, Kuro passed the ball towards Sato who was not marked by any yers of Karasuno elementary school.


    Sato gently tapped the ball inside the and scored a goal in an open post.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!!"


    {What a beautiful team goal from Ookami elementary school. From defenders to attackers everybody was involved in that beautiful goal.}


    At 18th minute of the game, Karasuno elementary school conceded the first goal of the game as Ookami elementary school opened up the scoresheet.


    Even after that goal, the yers of Karasuno elementary school didn''t stop to press hard. As soon as they would lose position''s, they''d quickly press for the ball. They were ying a gegen pressing style game.


    Even though that particr ystyle would take some more years to be known to the public, the yers of Karasuno elementary school were ying in that ystyle unknowingly.


    Beep!!


    The first half ended with a single goal with Ookami elementary school taking the lead. After that first goal Karasuno elementary school made countless attempts to draw the game.


    But their effort didn''t amount to anything. After that mistake in the 17th minute of the game, the yers of Ookami elementary school had learnt their lessons.


    And thus, everytime the ballnded on Shoyo''s feet, they didn''t give him any opportunity to move the ball forward. They began to man mark him for the entirety of the first half.


    Second half wasn''t any different as well, they began to mark Shoyo right from the starting of the second half. Getting marked all the time, Shoyo started to show signs of frustration and anger.


    However at 47th minute of the match, he shook off his mark and broke free. Just as he was charging the ball forward, Yamazaki Kento the centre back of Karasuno elementary school stood infront of him blocking his course.


    "What will you do now mister I''m the star of Karasuno elementary school? Can''t take the ball forward?"


    Kento began to provoke Shoyo and get on his mind.


    Kento who was already 11 years old didn''t hold back against Shoyo. Aside from his sturdy built, he didn''t have anything shy. Even though he used to y as a forward previously, coach Miura converted him to a defender.


    And even though he was still learning to be a defender, he was sloppy in defence.


    However the coach of Ookami elementary school still put him in the starting team because of his unique trait.


    His unique trait was to get inside the head of the opponent. Thus because of that unique trait of his, he was more suited to be a defender.


    At first Shoyo tried to ignore his taunts. But eventually he gave out to his inner desire andshed out at Kento because of earlier frustration from being marked all the time.


    {Oh what''s this, Shoyo has gone out of control. He punched the defender of Ookami elementary school in the face.}


    Unable to control his anger, he jabbed Kento in his face in the middle of the match. Having been hit on his chin, Kento fainted immediately.


    Even with his sturdy body, he couldn''t take on a blow that came out of nowhere.


    Beep!!


    The referee blew his whistle and stopped the y.


    The yers from both sides began to flock over the ce where Kento fainted. And after that assault, the tension began to rise between both of the teams.


    The yers from both side began to push the yers of opposite team. And just when a fight was about to break, security personnel who were the staff of the stadium were forced to intervene. With the help of the guards, a fight was prevented between the teams.


    Coach Miura rushed towards the pitch to check on Kento''s condition. He began to check on his pulse. And as he began to check on his pulse, he found it still pulsating.


    Luckily he only fainted and there was no serious damage done to him.


    After themotion, the referee warned every yer involved in the strife and ejected Shoyo from the game by giving him red card.


    Kento was deemed unfit to participate in the match any further and was substituted for Akashi.


    [Ding!]


    [Congrattions for the host forpleting the quest.]


    [A golden ticket has been granted as a reward for thepletion of the quest.]


    A notification from the system appeared as Akashi made his debut.


    Beep!!


    The game continued with a freekick for Ookami elementary school.


    Even though themotion was settled down, the tension between the two teams were quite vivid even from the stands.


    For the next 13 minutes, Karasuno elementary school yed a very rough game. But without their star yer, they were simply no match to Ookami elementary school.


    They conceded two more goals in that remaining 13 minute and went on to lose the game with a score of three to nothing.


    And finally the match between Ookami elementary school and Karasuno elementary school ended with a score of 3-0 with Hiro scoring two goals in a matter of 5 minutes.

 Chapter 30: First talent

    <h4>Chapter 30: First talent</h4>


    While the yers of Ookami elementary school were cheerfully chanting their victory slogans and celebrating on the pitch, the yers of Karasuno elementary school were scattered on the ground with their faces contorted in disappointment.


    Most of the spectators in the stand couldn''t believe the unexpected turn of events which unfolded before their eyes. The supporters of Karasuno elementary school were still in daze while the supporters of Ookami elementary school were full ofughter.


    They were celebrating as if they had already won the tournament.


    After a while, the referee gathered both the winning team and losing team for onest handshake. However the yers of Karasuno elementary school didn''t look one bit happy about shaking hands with the yers of Ookami elementary school. More than the pain of losing the match, they were demonstrating emotions of hatred in their face.


    Later in that day, Hiro was lying on his bed while scrolling his phone. Due to the live broadcast of several Newtubers, somehow the match had gained even more poprity on the inte. Several articles were published all over social media sites.


    As he was scrolling through his Face-book ount, several videos of him popped up. Back then when he created his newtube ount, he had created a Face-book ount to promote his videos. The videos made him curious and he bagan to scroll through his videos.


    Since it was still an anonymous ount which didn''t even consisted a decent profile picture, he hadn''t gained any poprity in his Face-book ount.


    [Ser Whizard against the mighty Karasuno elementary school]


    [Ser Wizard demonstrates his magic.]


    [I can''t believe he scored a goal from that distance.]


    [Is that kid even a kid?]


    [Is it even a kids match?]


    [Ace of Karasuno elementary schoolshed out at the yer of Ookami elementary school]


    [Rising tension in the field]


    ...., and so on.


    Several videos with such titles popped up all over his social media ount. And almost every video had more than 50k views in it. He began to binge watch every videos rted to the match. The overflowing support of the people amused him.


    "Damn!! I never thought that a kid''s match could gain such a massive response from the people."


    Hiro mumbled in awe.


    "Right! I still haven''t checked my newtube ount. Shall we check on it?"


    He then logged into his newtube ount to check on his ount. He hadn''t posted a single video after he posted his first video because of his busy schedule.


    "Holy shit!! 180k subscriber!! 780k view!! Wtf!! Am I dreaming right now??"


    His eyes widened in shock. He couldn''t believe the ridiculous amount of subscribers in his newtube channel.


    "No wonder those reporters sought after me. Now that we mention about them. Let''s check out the video of the interview."


    After going through his newtube ount, he began to search for the video of his interview.


    "I''m sure they called the show ''Neighbourhood Celebrity''."


    "Holy shit!! It gained more than a million views already?"


    Once again the ridiculous amount of views on the video which he was featured in, shocked him.


    He then clicked on the video and began to watch the video. While the video was ying, he couldn''t stop himself from smiling. He was constantly smiling while watching the video .


    "Damn!! I look so handsome. Hahahaha." He began to praise himself whileughing like a maniac.


    "Yeah right!! I still haven''t mised my video. I''ll ask dad for his bank details tomorrow and mise it."


    Saying that he turned off his off and put it inside the drawer and headed to sleep.


    Even after closing his eyes for more than 5 minutes, he couldn''t sleep for some reason. Unable to sleep, he opened his eyes in state of delirium. Something felt amiss.


    "Hmmm.... Am I forgetting something?" He wondered.


    "Oh yeah that''s right! I''m forgetting about the golden ticket." He mumbled.


    "System activate."


    As he mumbled, the blue panel of the system appeared infront of him. At first page, it showed his description.


    He scanned through his attributes but didn''t notice any noticeable changes in it.


    "At first my attributes increased quite fine. But now I can''t seem to improve it." He mumbled in a muffled voice.


    The slow increase in his stats started to concern him. Previously his stats were increasing just fine bypleting the daily quests. But now even afterpleting his daily quests consistently, it wasn''t increasing aspared to before.


    And thus, his stagnant growth started to concern him.


    "May be it''s because I''m not challenging myself enough. And tbh the daily quests aren''t even that challenging these days. But let''s worry about thatter. For now let''s use our golden ticket."


    While his stagnant growth concerned him, at the moment he was more interested in his golden ticket. Afterall golden ticket could grant him a random ability of any yer. So he was excited to find out the talent he could copy.


    [Roulette section]


    [You have one golden ticket avable.]


    [Would you like to use your Golden ticket?]


    "Yes"


    As he confirmed the use of golden ticket, the roulette wheel began to spin. It spun for a while andnded on a random card.


    [Congrattions for the host for obtaining the freekick of Ruberto Carlos.]


    [Talent: Freekick of Ruberto Carlos]


    [Talent description: Can perform a freekick like Ruberto Carlos and can be used for three times every single day.]


    "Holy shit!! Freekick of Ruberto Carlos!!"


    Ruberto Carlos was a Brazilian defender who was best known for his speed, shooting power and freekicks. The iconic freekick he scored against France in 1997 was one of the most impressive freekicks humankind had ever witnessed.


    It was packed with explosive shot power. While he shot that freekick, the ball went so fast that the keeper of France national team didn''t even had a moment to react. Before he coulde back to his senses, the ball was already inside the.


    "Damn!! I gotta try it tomorrow against Endo."


    "Hahahahaha!!"


    He let out an evil grin in his face as he thought of testing his newfound talent against the keeper of Ookami elementary school.


    Feeling all excited he went to sleep.


    As usual he arrivedte for his sses. Thus, while on his way towards his ssroom, he couldn''t find even a single student outside the hallways.


    As he was about to enter his ssroom, he found his ssroom unusually silent. Just as he opened the door of his ssroom, groups of students flocked over him.


    "Ser Wizard!! Hiro!!"


    "I watched your match yesterday."


    "You yed so well."


    "You were so amazing."


    His ssmates rushed towards him while singing his praises. They didn''t give him even a moment to breathe. They squeezed him and began to ask ridiculous questions.


    Due to his busy schedule, he didn''t attend most of the sses after he posted his video. And even the times when he attended sses, the teachers wouldn''t let the students do as they wish.


    And he had also been skipping the sses due to football training. Thus nobody could have a word with him, even after attending the ss.


    However today was different, there was no teacher in the ssroom. In absence of teacher, the students could talk as much as they wanted.


    Thus, the students of his ss didn''t waste the opportunity and flocked all over him to ask him for his autograph and converse with him.


    Without realising, he had turned into Mr.popr of his ss.


    However he still had trouble with dealing with crowds. Thus, he couldn''t answer anything. He started to pray for someone to take him out of that precarious situation and save him.


    "All of you get to your seats."


    As if the god had answered his prayers, the teacher arrived in the ssroom and ordered everyone to be seated.


    With the arrival of teacher, everybody scattered and began to run towards their seats, leaving him alone.


    "Thank you Sensei"


    He took a deep breath and thanked his teacher for taking him out of that precarious situation in a muffled voice.


    After taking few sses, the previous situation repeated itself as lunch time arrived. His ssmates flocked over him, once again.


    Just as he was about to faint, Akashi made his appearance. All of the students began to scatter with his appearance.


    Even though he didn''t do anything, the students were terrified of his appearance. Thus, nobody dared to make a single noise in presence of Akashi. Once again he was saved.


    The sses went smooth afterwards because of the presence of a teacher in the ssroom.


    Ding!! Dong!!


    "Okay students, this much for today."


    "Thank you teacher."


    The students thanked the teacher in unison. And just as the teacher exited the ssroom, he grabbed his bag and stormed towards the pitch before his ssmates could flock over him, once again.


    As he was tying hisces, he wondered if everyday would be like that. The thoughts of facing that situation everyday sent shiver down his spine and haunted him. He contorted his face while imagining the situation.


    "God!! Just save me from those little devils"

 Chapter 31 Endo’s little brother

    <h4>Chapter 31 Endo''s little brother</h4>


    During the training session, the sidelines of the pitch was covered with crowds of students. A lot of students were flocking over the pitch to witness them train.


    "Just why are there so many kids gathered over there?" Coach Miurained.


    "Haha.., May be it''s all because of Hiro. They''re probably here to see him y. He''s be somewhat like a celebrity."


    Honda san chuckled.


    As coach Miura and assistant coach Honda were conversing with each other, Hiro was preparing to test out his newfound talent against Endo.


    While Endo was scanning the goalpost and screaming at the yers of Ookami elementary school to cover up the gap in the wall, Hiro was walking towards the center half of the pitch while holding the ball in his hand.


    "Is he nning to shoot the ball from the centre half?" Coach Miura bewilderingly questioned.


    "Seems like it sir." Honda san answered.


    Both of them were baffled by his actions. But as Hiro began to step back from the ball, they began to stare at him with eyes full of anticipation.


    He took few steps back and paused for while. While keeping his eyes fixated at the ball, he was preparing tounch himself.


    "Sigh~"


    And as he released a deep sigh, he ran towards the ball. The yers who acted as a wall, blocking his shoot course, looked at him with eyes filled with terror and nervousness. Endo tried to cover as much gap as possible to stop the ball from entering the.


    But before he could even react, the ball went past him. All he could feel was the swoosh sound of the ball as it touched the.


    "What!!"


    "The ball flew like a missile shot from a canon."


    "Did you see that?"


    The expression of shock disyed by the students who were standing beside the pitch said everything about that goal scored by Hiro with his newfound talent ''Freekick of Ruberto Carlos''.


    After that match with Karasuno elementary school, they didn''t struggle much against the opponent they faced in quarter finals and semi finals.


    At quarter final, they defeated Sawamura elementary school with a score of 4-0. Simrly at semi finals, they defeated Kankoku elementary school with a score of 3-1 and booked their spot in the finals from 1st segment. They cleared quarter final and semi final of the tournament without breaking much sweat.


    And in both of those matches, he wasn''t even required to use his skill. Thus, he couldn''t demonstrate his newfound talent.


    From 2nd segment, Ronden elementary school came out as victor after barely defeating their opponent with a single goal lead in semi finals and booked their spot for the final. Everybody expected Ronden elementary school to make it to the final from 2nd segment.


    However contrary to their expectation of 1st segment, Ookami elementary school came out as a victor instead of Karasuno elementary school which was shocking to many people.


    "So you''ve made it to the finals of prefectural tournament." Takashi questioned Hiro while both of them were yfully passing the ball.


    "Ummmm"


    Hiro silently nodded his head.


    They were having a father and son moment with each other. Just then Takashi paused.


    "What''s your dream Hiro?" Takashi questioned.


    "Why are you asking about that now?"


    Hiro mumbled awkwardly. And as he yfully took a peak at his father''s face, he couldn''t speak anything. His father wasn''t asking him such questions out of nowhere.


    "I want to be the best footballer in the."


    Reverberating to the emotions of his father, he bluntly stated that he wanted to be the best footballer in the.


    "I see."


    Takashi mumbled with a satiated look on his face.


    As the day of the final was approaching, the yers were starting to get nervous. Even with the confident boost from winning against Karasuno elementary school, they were still having nervous breakdowns because of the final.


    It was totally natural for those yers of Ookami elementary school to have nervous breakdowns, afterall it was their first major tournament. And moreover on their first ever major tournament debut, they reached the final after defeating one of the powerhouse football team of their prefecture.


    "What are you doing over there Endo senpai? It''s already time to head home."


    Hiro questioned Endo, who was sitting all by himself beside the goalpost even after the end of the training.


    "Oh it''s you Hiro. Nothing much, I''m just enjoying the fresh air. And shouldn''t you be heading home? What are you doing over here at this time?"


    Endo replied while nkly staring at the sky.


    "No, my mom will be arriving a littlete today. So I thought, I might as well shoot some balls."


    Endo didn''t reply anything and continued to stare at the evening sky above his head. After a while, he stood up.


    "Are you worried about the match against Ronden elementary school?" Hiro questioned.


    However Endo didn''t reply anything. Just as Hiro was about to leave, he heard something.


    "I''ll be facing against my brother."


    Endo whispered.


    "Huh! You have a brother?" Hiro eximed in awe.


    Nobody in the team knew much about Endo. He was one of those few yers in Ookami elementary school''s team who was very secretive about his information. He didn''t talk much outside the field and mostly preferred to stay alone.


    Since he was transferred to Ookami elementary school the same year as Hiro joined Ookami elementary school, nobody knew much about him.


    "Yeah! He studies at Ronden elementary school and he ys for the Ronden elementary school''s team."


    "If you don''t mind me asking about his name, can you tell me his name?" Hiro politely asked for the name of Endo''s brother.


    "Don''t tell anyone about it. He''s name is Kurosawa Taki."


    "Huh!!!! Kurosawa Taki!! How??"


    Hiro''s eyes widened in shock. He couldn''t believe that Kurosawa Taki was Endo''s brother. He was at a loss of words.


    "But yourst name doesn''t even match with each other?"


    Unable to believe that Kurosawa Taki was his little brother, he bewilderingly questioned him.


    "Yeah! That''s because we''re not blood rted."


    Endo then began to tell him about the rtionship he had with Kurosawa Taki.


    Taki and Endo were originally orphans who stayed at the same orphanage. Endo was abandoned by his parents before he could even remember and Taki lost his parents in a car ident.


    Having been born from a illicit rtionship between two young couples, he was abandoned by his parents infront of a orphanage before he could even remember.


    He spent most of his years at orphanage, until someone adopted him.


    During his time at the orphanage, he met Taki when he was about 6 years of age. Taki was only 2 years old when he was brought at the orphanage by his rtives after the death of his parents in car ident.


    Even though he had rtives who could take care of him, non of his rtives wanted to take care of him and thus they decided to sent him to the orphanage. That''s how Taki ended up at the orphanage.


    When Taki was 2 years of age and Endo was 6 years old, Endo met him for the first time. Taki was still a young child who hadn''t even stopped drinking mother''s milk.


    And the orphanagecked the required personnel to look after every kids in the orphanage. Having been grown up in the orphanage, Endo used to often help the caretakers with their jobs and take care of the kids even though he himself was a kid.


    Taki being one of the youngest in the orphanage required a lot of attention. The caretakers of the orphanage couldn''t attend to him all the time as they would need to take care of other kids as well.


    At that time Endo stepped forward to take care of Taki and took care of him like his own younger brother. He fetched him milk, kept him entertained and even sang luby to him. Everytime when Taki used to cry, Endo would immediately rush towards the caretaker to inform them about his condition.


    That''s how both of them grew close to each other. That''s what Endo believed.


    For almost two years Endo took care of Taki in the orphanage. And suddenly on one faithful day when Taki was about to turn 4 years old, he was adopted by some well to do family.


    And after almost a year of Taki''s adoption, Endo was adopted by a middle ss family as well.


    But after that adoption, Endo never saw Taki again. Until he caught a sight of him, once again in the squad of Ronden elementary school during the opening ceremony of the prefectural tournaments.


    "I''m really sorry about that Endo senpai."


    Hiro began to apologize.


    "No, No you don''t have to be sorry. I''m sure he doesn''t even recognize me now. So it''s alright."


    Endo eximed while faking his smile.


    It had almost been one year since hest witnessed the sight of Taki. And he wasn''t even sure if Taki would even remember him or not.

 Chapter 32 champion vs challenger

    <h4>Chapter 32 champion vs challenger</h4>


    After hearing that shocking revtion from Endo, Hiro was at loss of words. And even though he could feel the suffering of Endo, he couldn''t console him.


    He wondered how a kid of that age was holding so much emotions within him.


    Even so, he couldn''t just sit by and watch him grieve. He needed to do something to cheer him. He then began to make futile attempts to cheer him.


    "I''m sure everything will turn out fine. And aren''t you d that he''s doing really well?" Hiro eximed while trying to console him.


    "I hope so." Endo frowned


    "Don''t worry about it. You''ll get to reunite with your brother. And I''m sure everything will turn out fine."


    Hiro eximed with a smile on his face.


    Endo hesitatingly took a peak at Hiro''s face. There was a smile on his face and he could feel that Hiro was genuinely worried about him. Upon seeing the gentle smile on his face, he felt a little better.


    "Yeah! Everything will turn out fine." He mumbled and revealed a warm smile.


    April 2, 2015


    Pokari sweat Stadium, Tokushima, Japan


    Crowds of spectators were flocking towards the stadium. And a diverse group of people ranging from kids to elderly people were walking towards the stadium with cheerful smile on their faces.


    [Wee everyone to the final of this year''s prefectural tournament of Tokushima prefecture. Today we''ll be witnessing the faceoff of Ookami elementary school and Ronden elementary school.]


    [It''s a match between previous years winner and a new challenger. For past few years Ronden elementary school have been dominating the prefectural tournament. And only Karasuno elementary school havee close to challenging them for the past few years.]


    [But will things change now? Ookami elementary school have built a really strong team which has even managed to defeat the mighty Karasuno elementary school and they are eyeing towards the throne of the prefectural tournament. Will we witness a change in the history today? Or will Ronden elementary school defend their title?]


    "Woohoo"


    While thementator wasmentating, suddenly the crowd burst out in cheers. yers began to walk out from the tunnel.


    yers of Ronden elementary school made their appearance dressed in white jerseys. Walking side by side were the yers of Ookami elementary school dressed in ck jersey.


    It was a battle of ck and white. It was a battle between the champions and the challengers


    Usually only the nationals would be broadcasted in the TV channels but due to the immense poprity of Hiro, the local news channel were stationed in the stadium to broadcast the match live in their channel.


    "There''s sure a lot of people in the stand today." Hiro mumbled in awe upon witnessing the huge number of spectators in the stand.


    The final match was being held at Pokari sweat stadium, the home of Tokushima Vortis football club. Tokushima Vortis football club was one of the professional team which yed in the J-2 of Japanese football league. Even though it yed in the second tier of Japanese league, it had a huge fan following and moreover it contained arge football stadium.


    While Hiro was searching for his parents in the crowd, he found Akashi acting weird. He was looking at the stadium from the hole of his hands which he shaped like a binocrs.


    "What are you doing?" Hiro questioned, contorting his face.


    "Shh!! I''m looking for the scouts." Akashi replied while looking at the stands.


    "Why would there be scouts in a kids game?"


    "Since it''s a stadium of a professional team, there might be scouts of the team. Now don''t disturb me." Akashi tried to shrugg him off.


    Akashi wasn''t totally wrong about his statement. Afterall Tokushima Vortis was a professional team which had a youth team, so it wasn''t totally off the chart for the scouts of Tokushima Vortis to be present in the stadium.


    He then looked around him and found his teammates acting weird for some reasons. Kuro, kuon and Otsuka, the three of them were lying in the ground with their face facing downwards.


    "What are you all doing?" He bewilderingly questioned.


    "Uwu~ The grass is so soft. I can feel the texture of these finely trimmed grass." Kuon expressed himself.


    For most of them, it was their first time ying in a stadium of professional team. Even for Hiro, it was his first time ying in a professional teams stadium. In his previous life, he never got to y in a professional teams stadium.


    Just then as Endo made his way towards them with his face contorted in disdain.


    "What''s the matter Endo senpai?" Hiro questioned upon witnessing his sad face.


    "We lost the toss." Endo sighed.


    "Hahaha"


    "You scared us for no reason."


    "And we thought something serious might have happened."


    The yers of Ookami elementary school burst out inughter upon listening to Endo''s words.


    "Don''t worry about the loss in toss, Endo senpai. We''ve got a game to win, right boys?"


    Hiro raised his voice.


    "Yeah!! Let''s crush them and win the title guys."


    Akashi yelled.


    "Let''s go pack. We''ve got a game to win."


    Saying such, all of them walk towards the center half of the pitch to shake the hands of their opponents. After that discussion, their eyes were glowing with confidence.


    Just as they were shaking the hands of their opponents, Hiro''s eyesnded on Taki and Endo. While everybody already finished shaking each others hands, they were still holding each others hands. Taki was mumbling something but he couldn''t hear him.


    While they were conversing with each other, Endo looked extremely sad.


    "Let''s go Hiro" Akashi called out for him.


    While keeping his gaze fixated at the sight of Endo and Taki, he began to step back. As they began to position themselves Kuro yelled;


    "Hurry up Endo."


    Endo hurriedly ran towards the goalpost.


    They were ying in a 4-4-3 formation with Sato and Kuro ying as winger. Hiro was ying a false nine and there wasn''t much change in their squad except the only the change being Akashi ying as the starting centre back instead of Kento.


    Beep!!


    The referee blew his whistle,mencing the start of the match.


    Since they had lost the toss, Ronden elementary school chose to pick the goalpost and they were forced to start the kickoff.


    Hiro passed the ball back towards Rin.


    Ronden elementary school relied on a traditional 4-1-3-2 formation. They had a counterattacking philosophy and relied more on their defence.


    Because of their strong defence, they had gained themselves a nickname of ''Iron fortress''.


    And although they relied more on their defence, their offence was extremely deadly as well because of their ability to switch between defence and offense.


    They were a team to be feared.


    Since they had learnt about their ystyle, the yers of Ookami elementary school didn''t charge forward recklessly. They tried to break the opponents formation as much as they could.


    Just like them, the yers of Ronden elementary school have prepared enough against them as well. They didn''t charge in recklessly and approached them calmly without breaking their formation.


    And once again they had to rely on Hiro''s dribbling to break their defence.


    Hiro began to dribble the ball forward. And just like in the game with Karasuno elementary school, the defenders of Ronden elementary school surrounded him instantly.


    But unlike the defenders of Karasuno elementary school who charged towards him recklessly, the defenders of Ronden elementary stayed in their position and kept on observing him, leaving him no space to take the ball forward.


    "Tch-"


    Hiro clicked his tongue and passed the ball backwards.


    They were fully aware of his dribbling abilities and were wary of him.


    For almost 15th minute of the game, the ball stayed glued in the feet of the yers of Ookami elementary school.


    And at the 16th minute of the game, he noticed a space between their defence. Making use of the space, he began to charge the ball forward with the help of Sato and Kuro.


    With swift 1-2 passes, they broke free through the defence of Ronden elementary school. With only a defender and a keeper blocking his course, he found himself exactly at the periphery of the penalty zone.


    Targeting the top left corner of the pitch, he kicked the ball towards the post from outside the box. The ball touched the tip of Taki''s gloves and rolled towards the left side.


    "Loose ball-"


    Just as he was about to shout, something confused him.


    Surprisingly there was already a defender positioned at the left side of their defensive half. The sight of that defender confused him.


    That defender quickly yed the ball forward and Ronden elementary school started to counterattack.


    "Get back!! Get back!!" He yelled as the defender yed the ball forward.


    Because of the earlier attack, most of their yers were infront of the centre line. And so were the offensive yers of Ronden elementary school. The two offensive yers of Ronden elementary school didn''t participate in the defence even though it was threatening for them.


    As if they were ordered to stay at the centre line no matter the oue, they didn''t drop back to defend even when they were on the verge of conceding a goal.

 Chapter 33 Ties to Yakuza

    <h4>Chapter 33 Ties to Yakuza</h4>


    While the yers of Ookami elementary school were falling back, the forwards of Ronden elementary school began to charge the ball forward.


    The two forwards on their top were extremely agile. With swift 1-2 passes they tore the defence of Ookami elementary school like pair of sharp scissor de cutting through the paper.


    The fast pace counterattack intrigued the crowds as they stood up from their seat and watched them tear the defence of Ookami elementary school.


    With only Akashi and Endo remaining in the backline, the forwards of Ronden elementary school were already infront of the penalty box. Akashi tried to maintain hisposure as much as he can and didn''t charge forward recklessly.


    ''What will it be? Will he pass or will he dribble pass me or will he shoot?'' Akashi began to wonder as droplets of sweat began to wail down his sweaty face.


    Just then he caught a glimpse of the foot of the yer with the ball. Thinking that he''d pass the ball, Akashi jumped forward to block his pass course. But contrary to his expectations, the forward faked the pass and dribble passed him.


    Endo was the only one standing between that forward and the goal. He was theirst ray of hope.


    "Come forward Endo senpai." Hiro desperately shouted.


    But Endo hesitated toe forward and started to panic instead of keeping his cool like he used to do. Since earlier moment, he seemed out of ce. As if something was gnawing on him, he seemed different than his usual self.


    The forward of Ronden elementary school took full advantage of his hesitation. As he was glued to his post, the forward of Ronden elementary school had a lot of space to shoot and score. Taking advantage of those spaces, the forward shot the ball and scored a goal against Ookami elementary school.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!!"


    [Ronden elementary school have opened up the scoresheet. The champions have once again demonstrated why other teams need to fear them.]


    The crowds burst out in cheers as Ronden elementary school took the lead against Ookami elementary school in the 17th minute of the match.


    "What''s the matter with you Endo senpai? You''re acting weird. You should have been able to make that save." Akashi began toin.


    He had full confidence on Endo to prevent the goal. But contrary to his expectations, Endo conceded a goal. He was frozen at his ce.


    "It''s alright. It''s alright Akashi." Hiro intoned while pulling back a fuming Akashi.


    "Let''s give our best Endo senpai." As he was returning to his position, he whispered.


    Endo didn''t reply anything and continued to remain unresponsive.


    Beep!!


    The referee blew the whistle,mencing the continuation of the match.


    As time progressed, the ystyle of the Ronden elementary school remained the same. However their attacks started to be even more lethal.


    The score remained 1-0 for the entirety of the first half. While the keeper of Ronden elementary school was making unbelievable saves and preventing their goals. Endo on the otherhand looked out of ce.


    Even after that first goal, there were many instances when they were on the verge of conceding goals. If not for their defence, they might have already conceded more than 3 goals in the first half alone.


    While exiting the pitch, nobody spoke anything.


    The tension on the team was evident from the faces of the yers.


    Bam!!!


    Unable to control his anger, Akashi banged the locker while they were resting in the locker room, awaiting for coach''s guidance.


    "What''s the matter with you Endo senpai? If you don''t want to y then just substitute for Mark senpai. He''s more than ready to y. But if you want to y then y as if your life depends on it." Akashi burst out in fury and began to cuss Endo.


    Hiro and Kuon tried to hold him back but he was simply too strong for them to restrain. While Akashi was cussing at Endo, nobody spoke anything. Afterall Akashi was stating the fact.


    Akashi who grew up in a family of Yakuza feared nobody. While his father ran a business, his grandfather used to be one of the boss of a local Yakuza gang. Even though his grandfather had retired from his position because of his old age and because of the stricterws, his Yakuza friends from his younger days still used to hangout with him at his ce.


    Akashi who got along with his grandfather often apanied him at the time of meeting. And whenever those old fogies met each other, they would cheerfully tell their heroic deeds they performed when they were younger. Akashi who was fascinated by those stories was extremely influenced by their stories and wanted to be like them.


    His love for football also started because of his grandfather as well. While those old fogies were Yakuza''s who didn''t give a damn about life, they would often gather together to bet in football matches. And because of those betting habits, they''d often spectate the match from the stands. And as time progressed, those habits changed into love for football.


    "Kuro senpai help!" Hiro pleaded while gesturing Kuro to help them restrain Akashi.


    Even though Akashi was youngerpared to Endo, he was much more taller and bulkier than the rest of the yers. And his fierce temper was no joke. He''d even punch a 13 year old in anger. He was an idiot with immense raw strength.


    "Okay that''s all Akashi." Coach Miura intoned as he made his way towards the locker room.


    Hearing the voice of the coach, Akashi quiet down and tried to break free from their clutches. Fearing that he might lunge at Endo if left alone, the two of them increased their grip and restrained him even more tightly.


    "Leave me" Akashi rose his voice and tried to shake them off.


    "Leave him" Coach Miura eximed.


    Hearing the words of coach Miura, both of them let go of him. Upon getting free from their clutches, Akashi walked towards the bench and sat down with a wet towel on top of his face.


    "Okay! Now that everyone''s m down, I''d like to say something. I know that first half have been tough for you all and it''s not going as expected. But I want you all to know that the game has not ended and we still have time to turn around the match." While giving a pep talk, Coach Miura gestured assistant coach Honda to bring him the whiteboard. He then began to scribble something on the whiteboard.


    "Look here! The reason why we aren''t able to score a goal against them is because they''re guiding us to the ce where they want us to take the ball. They''re manipting our y by creating fake spaces. The spaces where we cannot score a goal. They''re intentionally leading us." Coach Miura briefed them about the ws.


    Having said that, he adjourned the meeting. And as the yers were leaving towards the pitch with a newfound confidence, he stopped Endo.


    "You know why I''m not pulling you out of the game?" Coach Miura mumbled.


    Endo continued to remain silent.


    "Endo look me in the eyes." He yelled.


    Endo hesitatingly lifted his head up to meet his eyes. "I''m not pulling you out of the game because I believe in you Endo. So it''s all up to you whether you want to prove me right or wrong." Coach Miura eximed while looking him in the eyes.


    Endo remained speechless. But he was feeling guilty as well.


    "Do you understand Endo?"


    Endo silently nodded his head.


    "Go and give your best."


    [I thought that the coach would substitute his keeper for making those lethal mistakes. But what''s this, he hasn''t dropped him out of the team. Is their something going on his head? Is this a part of their strategy? Or is it a in act of ignorance? Whatever it is, we''ll only know after the end of the match.]


    Beep!!


    With the blow of the whistle of referee, the second half of the matchmenced in full swing.


    Neither of the team made any changes and the game continued with the same yers from the beginning.


    With no tactical changes in the second half, Ronden elementary school continued to y as they did in the first half. Intentionally leaving a gap for the yers of Ookami elementary school to exploit, they continued to mislead them.


    And as such at 43rd minute of the game, the ball was with Hiro. As he was dribbling the ball forward, he noticed a gap in the left side of the yer infront.


    Having heard of their tactics, he did as they wanted. He dribbled towards left to the gap they intentionally left open. However instead of making a shot from the left side, he cut in even more deep and began to dribble the ball towards the post.


    Unlike Endo, Taki came forward to block his shoot course. Covering arge space, he stood tall infront of him. As if he was trying to intimidate him.


    He slowed down his pace and approached the post slowly. And just as Hiro was about to make a shot Taki stretched his arms wide.


    But the ball went down between his legs while he was focusing on his sides.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"

 Chapter 34 Costly mistake

    <h4>Chapter 34 Costly mistake</h4>


    At 43rd minute of the game, Hiro tied the score with his incredible goal. All of his teammates ran towards him to celebrate the goal as he scored the goal and tied the game.


    After scoring the goal, Hiro ran towards the sidelines to celebrate his goal and lifted his left arm forward. He then folded the fingers of his right hand while sticking out his middle finger and index finger. And as he stretched his left hand forward, he lowered his head and positioned the fingers of his right hand at his temple. He announced the supporters his arrival by immitating teleportation gesture of son Goku.


    Just then his teammates caught up to him and jumped all over him.


    The supporters of Ookami elementary school very much enjoyed his celebration and burst out in praises while the supporters of Ronden elementary school were fuming in anger. The yers of Ronden elementary school expressed the same feeling as their supporters, they were furious.


    Pulling off aeback in the 43rd minute of the game, the coach of Ookami elementary school was overjoyed with happiness and so were the supporters of Ookami elementary school.


    While everybody were celebrating Hiro''s goal, Endo pitifully observed his teammates from the backline. He couldn''t bring himself to celebrate the goal.


    While they were celebrating his goal, the coach of Ronden elementary school was preparing to make a yer change.


    Beep!!


    [The first substitution of the game hase from Ronden elementary school. They are substituting one of their midfielder for a defender.]


    The game continued with a score of 1:1.


    As the match continued after that 43rd minute equaliser from Ookami elementary school, Ronden elementary school substituted their midfielder for a defender.


    Their already stuffed defensive line was even more packed with the addition of a new defender.


    After that equaliser, the defenders of Ronden elementary school didn''t give them any opportunity to score another goal. Theypletely shut them down everytime they went on the offense.


    Because of the increase in the number of defenders, they were having difficulties in moving the ball forward. While the two forwards of Ronden elementary school didn''t participate in the defence, they still stayed behind the centre line preying on any lose balls, which inturn created another threat for them to pass the ball backwards.


    The game was neck to neck with both sides unwilling to change their strategy.


    As if the coach of Ronden elementary school had instructed them to stand their grounds until the final whistle of the match, they maintained their positions and cleared every potential ball that could have ended up as a goal.


    The yers of Ookami elementary school were starting to show signs of frustration and fatigue. yers?of Ronden elementary school were in simr situation as well, they were panting heavily.


    Everytime when they tried to take the ball forward, the defenders of Ronden elementary school would somehow snatch the ball away from them.


    But even so they wouldn''t charge the ball forward even after snatching the ball away from them. Instead they would clear it away.


    As if their only purpose was to waste time and take the game into penalty shootout, they yed very defensively.


    Just then at 57th minute of the game, Kosei Otsuka the defensive midfielder of Ookami elementary school made a costly mistake. While he was preparing to pass the ball towards Akashi, he didn''t notice the presence of the forward of Ronden elementary school behind his back. Garou Sato the forward of Ronden elementary school had been eyeing at the ball while hiding in his blind spot.


    [Ohh!!! That doesn''t look good. A dangerous mistake from Otsuka has given the opportunity for the yers of Ronden elementary school to steal the victory.]


    Due tock of power, the ball from Otsuka stopped midway before it could reach Akashi. Garou Sato one of the forward of the Ronden elementary school was already chasing the ball.


    He had been hiding his presence since earlier while awaiting for Otsuka to make some mistakes. Since Otsuka remained at the centre half most of the time and yed as a defensive midfielder, he yed as a bridge between the defence and offence of the Ookami elementary school.


    "Argh!! Shit!!" Akashi cussed in frustration as the ball stopped midway before reaching him.


    He ran towards the ball. But before he could reach the ball, Garou Sato the forward of Ronden elementary school who was already chasing the ball even before it was released from Otsuka reached the ball.


    "Tch- Oh Great!!" Akashi clicked his tongue as he stopped midway.


    He then began to analyse his options. Once again he found himself in the same situation as he did previously. He was in a 1v1 situation with Garou Sato once again. The only difference being theck of support for Garou this time around.


    With only Endo behind his back, he couldn''t trust him to make the save because of his deteriorating performance. Since the start of the match, Endo was performing very badly.


    Garou Sato while dribbling the ball towards him, red at him. Akashi red him back but didn''t charge forward recklessly. He maintained his position and waited patiently for Garou to make his moves.


    Having no support, there was only one option avable for Garou Sato. He could only dribble the?ball forward if he wanted to score.


    And he did exactly the same, he tried to dribble past Akashi. As he approached closer to Akashi, he kicked the ball forward. He was trying to dribble past him while making use of his explosive pace.


    Because of his explosive pace, he shook off Akashi easily and left him behind in dust.


    After dribbling past Akashi, he approached the penalty area. And as he was stretching his legs to shoot the ball, a leg came flying towards him from behind him and swept him on the floor.


    Beep!!


    The leg belonged to non other than Akashi. Unable to reach him, he performed a sliding tackle at Garou Sato from behind him to prevent him from scoring a goal.


    That intentional tackle from Akashi prevented Garou from making the shot and also prevented the immediate threat. However it couldn''t prevent him from getting dejected from the game.


    As Garou Sato fell down tumbling on the ground after getting hit by Akashi''s harsh tackle, the referee stopped the y.


    Everybody could see that the tackle made by Akashi was intentional. And so did the referee. He witnessed his intentional tackle and immediately took a red card out of his pocket.


    Akashi looked frustrated but he didn''tin about the decision of referee. He peacefully epted the referee''s decision and began to head out of the field.


    "Sob!! Sob!!"


    "Akashi you-" Hiro tried to interact with Akashi.


    "I leave the rest to you guys." Akashi''s voice shook as he left the pitch.


    Even though he tried to hide his tears and act tough, Hiro could notice the tears in his eyes. And so did Endo. He also noticed the tears on Akashi''s face.


    ''What am I doing? If not for me, he wouldn''t have performed that tackle. My poor performance is costing my team the game.'' Endoprehended.


    With that red card, the referee had awarded Ronden elementary school a penalty. And a penalty at that moment of game would have totally altered the oue of the game.


    With only 2 minutes remaining on the clock that penalty was as crucial for Ronden elementary school asst drop of water for a survivor in the desert.


    "It''s not your fault. You did well." Coach Miura consoled Akashi as he walked outside the pitch.


    While everybody were questioning about the penalty taker for Ronden elementary school, Garou Sato stood up and began to walk towards the ball.


    Garou Sato hadn''t sustained any serious injury from that tackle.


    "So it''ll still be him" Hiro mumbled.


    While everybody positioned themselves behind the penalty box, the referee blew the whistle. Garou stared at the ball ced infront of him and started to make his run.


    With slow and steady steps, he made his run towards the ball as if he was trying to intimidate the keeper infront of him.


    Endo who was determined to correct his mistakes looked very focused. Peeking at Endo''s eyes, Hiro felt something different about him. He then signalled Kuon to run towards the post as soon as Garou made his shot.


    Just when Garou began to make his run, Hiro started to run forward. One of the defender of Ronden elementary school caught a sight of Hiro making the run and began to fall back as well.


    Garou mmed the ball straight in the bottom left corner of the post. Endo leaped towards the direction of the ball and barely managed to touch the ball.


    Endo made a brilliant save and stopped Garou''s penalty. As the ball touched his gloves, it bounced forward. The yers of Ronden elementary school began to chase after the ball. But it was Kuon who reached the ball before anyone else could.


    Just as gestured by Hiro, he had begun to run towards the post the moment Garou made his run. And luckily the ball bounced towards him as well.


    "Go Hiro!!!" He yelled as he shot the ball towards Hiro who was already running forward.

 Chapter 35 I am here!!

    <h4>Chapter 35 I am here!!</h4>


    Kuon sent the ball flying towards Hiro. Since all the yers of Ronden elementary school except the keeper were gathered for the penalty kick at the defensive half of Ookami elementary school, there was nobody present in the backline of Ronden elementary school except the keeper.


    As Hiro was making his run, the ball flew past him over his head. Itnded exactly at the kickoff spot and bounced a little further towards the edge of the circle.


    He was the first one to reach the ball. Seeing noone infront of his sight, he began to dribble the ball forward. Kurosawa Taki, the keeper of Ronden elementary school came out of his box to defend against him.


    "Huff!! Huff!!" Hiro began to pant heavily.


    Because of the intensity of the game, he had exhausted himself from running all over the field.


    [There''s a chance for Ookami elementary school as Hiro has taken control of the ball. Between him and the goal, only the keeper stands infront of him. However he seems extremely exhausted. He had been running a lot in this match. Infact nobody has covered as much distance as he did in this entire match. No wonder he looks exhausted. Will he be able tost until the end? Or will he burn out himself and copse?]


    As he tried to dribble the ball forward, he felt excruciating pain in his legs. His leg muscles started to convulse. And every step he took felt like walking on a path full of thorns.


    It was clear, he was exhausted.


    ''System activate skill perseverance'' Hiro mumbled.


    [Perseverance activated]


    [For 15 minutes, unlimited stamina has been granted to the host and the effect of exhaustion will be negated for the entirety of the activation of the skill.]


    Just as the system activated the skill perseverance, all his fatigue started to fade away. He felt rejuvenated and he began to overflow with vitality. The tired muscle fibres in his body started to recover and the soreness he felt in his joints faded away. As if he was put under anesthesia, his body became numb to exhaustion.


    ''It''s my first time activating this skill, but the effect is on another level. I don''t feel any fatigue and it feels like I can run another 15-20 miles.'' He thought inside his head.


    However during the time he wasprehending the effects of the skill, the defender of Ronden elementary school had caught up to him. He was just behind his heels.


    Noticing Suzuki Otsumi, the defender of Ronden elementary school who was tailing him, approaching him from behind him, he increased his pace and tried to distace himself from him.


    He thought of kicking the ball forward and chasing after it. But the keeper of Ronden elementary school was alreadying out of his box and kicking the ball too hard would have meant trouble for him as the keeper would have cleared it away.


    He couldn''t make full use of his pace with the ball in his feet. Dribbling with the ball meant giving up part of his speed.


    He kicked the ball with just enough force that he could reach it before anyone else could.


    Just as he kicked the ball with the precise amount of force for him to reach the ball and was preparing to make a run. Suzuki Otsumi, the defender of Ronden elementary school performed a sliding tackle on him. He didn''t even conceal his intention to foul him.


    Even after the ball was released from his legs, Suzuki Otsumi still performed a sliding tackle on him from behind him. He wasn''t even aiming at the ball and he was clearly aiming at his feet.


    Upon getting hit, Hiro fell down tumbling on the ground.


    Beep!!


    [That was a nasty tackle from the number 3 of Ronden elementary school. He was clearly aiming at his feet.]


    "Now show me how you''ll run." Otsumi scorned while Hiro was lying on the ground holding his ankle, huffing in pain.


    Kuro came running towards him and pushed Otsumi. Otsumi was sent flying as hended on his butt a few distance away from his original ce. Other yers followed soon and a fight broke out between the yers of Ookami elementary school and Ronden elementary school. The field became extremely chaotic within seconds.


    Security personnel fled towards the stadium to stop those kids from rioting. Just few minutes before the final whistle, the match between Ookami elementary school and Ronden elementary school took a chaotic turn.


    [Never have I ever seen such a heated match between kids. The yers are pushing each other and even the security personnels are forced to intervene.]


    It took a while to separate all those yers. Since a lot of yers were involved in the riot, referee was forced to bring out his cards on multiple yers.


    He gave Kuro a yellow card for his offense on Otsumi. He showed a yellow card on Taki who was the second person to arrive at the ce where Otsumi fouled Hiro after Kuro.


    A total of 5 yellow cards were shown to different yers from both sides. Two for Ookami elementary school yers and three for Ronden elementary school yers.


    And finally the man who was involved directly in the foul, Suzuki Otsumi. He was shown a straight red card and was dejected from the match.


    A freekick was rewarded to Ookami elementary school at the spot where the foul wasmitted on Hiro. A certain distance away from the circle.


    Since the freekick was awarded at a distance pretty far away from the goalpost, nobody expected Ookami elementary school to score the goal.


    However the expression on the faces of yers of Ookami elementary school said otherwise. They knew what Hiro was capable off. And since nobody except them had witnessed his freekicks, they were the only ones who believed in that set y.


    After separating both sides and handing out cards to the respective yers who were involved in the riot, the referee sprayed the vanishing spray at the spot where the foul wasmitted.


    [After that nasty tackle, a freekick has been awarded to Ookami elementary school. The distance between the goal and the ball is quite far away. So I doubt anybody in their right mind would try to make a shot from that distance. They''ll probably pass the ball towards the yers standing at the penalty box. I wonder who''ll be taking this freekick from Ookami elementary school. I haven''t seen them perform any freekick in this whole tournament.]


    As thementator finished his statement, Hiro walked towards the ce where the referee had marked with his vanishing spray. He ced the ball at the marked spot and adjusted the ball while looking at the post infront of him.


    Four yers of Ronden elementary school formed a massive wall infront of him while the others were behind the wall, marking the yers of Ookami elementary school. Almost every yer of Ookami elementary school stood infront of the goalpost awaiting for the ball.


    Hiro took about seven steps back and paused. As he paused, he stood straight infront of the ball, ring at the keeper of Ronden elementary school.


    ''System activate skill focus''


    ''System activate talent Freekick of Ruberto Carlos''


    He activated every skill he possessed. He didn''t want to make any mistakes. That freekick was probably thest set piece of the game.


    With all his skills activated, he entered the flow. The effect of Ruberto Carlos''s freekick magnified with the activation of the skill focus.


    He could see the point in the ball where he could kick the ball to magnify it''s power and curve.


    Beep!!


    As the referee blew his whistle, he took a final nce at the ball and began to run towards the ball. Everybody looked at him with anticipation. Unknowingly the spectators in the stands stood up to watch him perform the shot. The whole stadium went silent as he made his run towards the ball.


    Step!! Step!! Bam!!


    He stretched his right leg while bending at an angle of 45 degree and shot the ball with as much force as he can.


    The ball flew like a missile towards the post. At first it seemed like it would go wide. However due to spin on the ball it curved inside towards the post as it elerated.


    Unlike Endo, Taki was able to react to his shot. Taki leaped towards the direction of the ball while stretching his arms. As he stretched his arms, it grazed the tip of his fingers.


    "''Goaaaaallllllll!!!!''"


    Thud!!


    As his body mmed on the ground, he felt a faint sensation of the ball. But even though he touched the ball with the tip of his fingers, he couldn''t save the ball. It was simply too powerful for him to block with his fingers.


    The ball went past him and effortlessly entered the. The silent crowd burst out in cheers as he scored that unbelievable goal from such a distance.


    "''Woohooo!!!"''


    "''Yeahhhhhhh!!!!!"''


    With that goal from Hiro, the game was as good as over. There was simply no turning back at that point of the game. With only a minute left on the clock, Ookami elementary school had secured their victory with that powerful goal from Hiro.

 Chapter 36 Flickering ray of hope

    <h4>Chapter 36 Flickering ray of hope</h4>


    As he scored that goal, Hiro ran towards the stands where the supporters of Ookami elementary school were seated and celebrated his goal while raising his fist up in the sky and yelling at the top of his voice "Wooooo!!!!".


    "''Yeahhhhhhh!!!!"''


    "''Woooooooo!!!!"''


    The crowd resonated to his victory chant and parroted after him.


    The whole atmosphere of the stadium lit up as he scored that goal. The game hadpletely changed after that goal.


    "What are you people doing? Only if you people have jumped, that goal could have been prevented. Just what the hell were you thinking, standing infront of the ball like a mannequin? You''re the walls that''s supposed to block the ball."


    The calm andposed goalkeeper of Ronden elementary school who was quiet during whole match burst out in fury andshed out at his teammates for failing to block the ball. His face turned as red as tomato in anger.


    There was still a minute left before the final whistle of the match. With a minute and additional time remaining, the oue of the game had yet to be decided.


    [Finally Ookami elementary school have decided to use their substitution cards. It seems like they''ll be subbing three yers at once. And all three of them happen to be offensive yers. They''re subbing their forward and midfielders for defenders.]


    After they finished celebrating their goal, the gamemenced with the whistle of the referee. They subbed Kurosaki Kuro and Sohei Sato, the wingers of the Ookami elementary school for Yamazaki Kento and Daichi Kamada.


    And finally they subbed Asahi Kuon, the central midfielder of Ookami elementary school for Ryouske Ruon who yed as a defensive midfielder.


    As the substituted yers made their way towards the pitch, they parroted the instructions of the coach Miura to rest of the yers.


    With those substitutions, they started to y in a formation of 6-3-1 with Hiro as the sole striker. They fortified their defence and were determined to defend their one goal lead for the remaining minutes of the game.


    It was a do or die situation for Ronden elementary school and they could no longer y defensively. Even though their team was packed with defensive yers, the coach of Ronden elementary school didn''t substitute any yers. He let the yers in the fieldplete the match.


    The yers of Ronden elementary school pressed high and showered them with barrage of shots. They didn''t give them any moment to rest. But after saving the previous penalty, something had changed in Endo. He put his life on the line and blocked every shot that made it''s way towards the post.


    The referee kept on looking at his watch and as the final minute of the game ended, he added 4 minutes extra.


    Witnessing their aggressive pressing gamey, Hiro was forced to drop deep.


    Garou Sato, the forward of Ronden elementary school became even more lethal as the clock ticked.


    At 63rd minute of the game with only few seconds remaining, he took the matter in his hands and began to dribble the ball all by himself.


    While dribbling forward with the ball, he encountered Ruon on his way. Ruon blocked his course with his massive body. Ruon was a bit overweight and had a massive body.


    Garou performed a chop and dribble passed him. Kento and kamada followed after Ruon. To cover for Ruon''s mistake both of them surrounded Garou. However they proved to be inferior against him, Garou performed two chops simultaneously with his both feets.


    He performed a chop with his right feet and dribbled past Kento. He then again performed another chop with his left foot and dribbled past Kamada.


    After breaking free from three yers at once, he found himself infront of the D-box. Upon seeing Garou closing the distance towards the post, Endo started to rush forward.


    Upon seeing Endoing forward and having noone on his support, he was left with only two option. Either he''d have to shoot or he''d have to dribble past Endo.


    If it were under any normal circumstances, he''d have picked theter option. But because of the pressure, he chose the first option.


    While he was stretching his right leg to shoot the ball, the referee nced at his watch and was preparing to blow the whistle to announce the end of the game.


    "''Come on Garou! You can do it"''


    The supporters of Ronden elementary school chanted while looking at him with eyes full of expectation. He was theirst ray of hope.


    As Endo was covering the entire floor, Garou decided to shoot the ball at the top corner because of short stature of Endo. He released the ball from his feet. With slight rotation in the ball, it curved towards top right corner of the goalpost.


    Endo jumped with as much force as he could muster and dived towards the ball while stretching his arms out. Even with his arms sticking out, he fell short because of his height. He couldn''t reach the ball. The ball went past him.


    m!!


    The ball hit the top right bar and went out of y.


    Beep!! Beep!! Beeeeeeep!!!!


    The referee blew his whistle and ended the game.


    "''Woohoo!!!"''


    "''Hurray!!!!"''


    "''Yahoooo!!!"''


    The supporters of Ookami elementary school burst out in cheers as the referee blew the final whistle of the game.


    Ookami elementary school won the prefectural tournament by defeating the reigning champion, Ronden elementary school in the final with a score of 2:1 and booked themselves a spot in the regional tournaments.


    As the referee blew his whistle, the yers of Ronden elementary school threw themselves in the ground in a state of disappointment and exhaustion. Pain of losing the game overshadowed the pain they umted through fatigue.


    yers from the bench of Ookami elementary school burst out in the field as their team won the prefectural tournament.


    [Truely unbelievable. The challengers havee out victorious and have dethroned the previous champion of the Tokushima prefecture. The team of Ronden elementary school showed us a brilliant performance. However they still failed to win the match. They came totally prepared but Ser Whizard was too much for them to handle. That winning goal from him was totally a piece of art which we may not witness from anyone else in the tournament.]


    The game between the two teams concluded with the victory of Ookami elementary school. And as they lined up for ast handshake, his gaze once again fell towards Endo and Taki.


    "I guess you have really forgotten about me. But it''s alright now. I''m d that you are doing fine." Endo eximed calmly while showcasing a gentle smie on his face.


    Previously when they spoke with each other, Taki had denied the allegations of having met him. When Endo mentioned he was his little brother, Taki tantly refused the allegations of having any kind of ties with him. That statement alone had broken Endo''s heart into pieces.


    Taki continued to stare at him while holding his hands. Unable to hear any response from him, Endo began to walk away. And just as he was about to leave his sight, he heard something;


    "Big brother Endo from Children''s cottage orphanage."


    "You still remember me! You haven''t forgotten about me?" Endo turned back and gawked in disbelief. His brows raised in surprised arc, he was stunned to hear the name of the orphanage. "Why are you pretending like you''ve forgotten about me?"


    "I''m not pretending. I just want to forget about everything from that time at the orphanage. Although I''m grateful for the orphanage and you, I want to live a normal life away from the orphanage. I don''t want to remember anything rted to the orphanage. And moreover I don''t want to remember that I''m orphan." Taki intoned while looking at him with pained eyes. As if he was suffering from the fact that he was an orphan, he desperately wanted to erase his past.


    After his adoption, he had managed to sessfully erase his past after cutting his ties with the orphanage. However the appearance of Endo, once again reopened his closed wounds. And thus he pretended to be unaware of Endo when Endo tried to converse with him.


    Even though Endo wanted to maintain his rtionship with Taki, he decided to ept his feelings and bid him farewell.


    After hearing his inner feelings, Endo epted his feelings and raised his hands towards Taki to offer him onest handshake. "I understand your feelings. I''m just d that you are doing well. And I guess it might be ourst meeting as brothers with each other. So will you allow me to address you as little brother for onest time?"


    Taki nodded his head and took his hands.


    "Please take care of yourself and shine brilliantly my little brother. I''ll always be praying for your sess." Endo eximed softly with a gentle smile on his face. And as he was about to depart, he pulled him closer and hugged him.


    Taki''s heart was filled with the warmth of Endo''s genuine smile. However he couldn''t express his feelings and remained frozen at his ce. With a heavy heart, Taki observed Endo leaving his sight and vanishing into the crowd of yers who were celebrating their victory.

 Chapter 37 Championes

    <h4>Chapter 37 Championes</h4>


    After sorting things out with Taki, Endo walked towards his teammates who were jumping and humming in joy with a smile on his face.


    "Did you sort things out with him?" Hiro approached him and questioned him upon witnessing his smiling face.


    "Yeah! We had a peaceful conversation with each other." Endo smirked.


    "I''m d you sorted things between yourselves. Now let''s join the party."


    Hiro didn''t want to pry more on his personal information and thus he ended his sentence without saying much.


    "What are you two doing over there? Hurry up!! The award ceremony is about to begin." Honda san who was celebrating the victory with the yers called out for them.


    "Championes~ Championes~"


    His teammates were gathered in a circle and celebrating their victory over Ronden elementary school.


    [Congrattions Ookami elementary school for bing the champion of Tokushima prefecture. And with this match the prefectural tournament hase to an end. With this victory they have booked themselves a spot in the regional tournaments which will be held a week from today. They''ll be up against the winner of Kagawa, Ehime and Kochi prefectures.]


    [Now let us honor our champions. For that I''d like to request mayor Yamada toe up to the stage.]


    Suddenly an obese old man with a silver arched mustache on his face, dressed in a ck suit and leather shoes, made his way towards the pitch from the tunnel. He was the mayor of Tokushima prefecture.


    As he made his way towards the pitch, the crowd burst out in cheers. While making his way towards the yers, he waved his hands at the spectators.


    [I''d also like to call the owner of Tokushima Vortis to help mayor Yamada with the prize distribution.]


    Another elderly person dressed in a navy blue suit with silver hair made his way towards the pitch.


    Seeing those two men, the crowds burst out in cheers. They were extremely excited to see the appearance of two famous personalities of Tokushima in the pitch.


    Those two mens exchanged handshakes with each other and greeted each other. After that they exchanged greetings with the coaches of the two teams.


    "Congrattions coach Miura. I must say you''ve gathered quite an impressive team." The owner of Tokushima Vortisplimented coach Miura while shaking his hands.


    There was a hidden meaning behind hispliments. And coach Miura quickly understood the meaning behind those praises. "Indeed they''re a bunch of talented kids that could y for Tokushima Vortis in the future." Coach Miura cheerfully epted hispliments.


    "If so I''ll be holding on to your words coach Miura. Hahahaha" The owner of Tokushima Vortisughed heartily.


    After exchanging greetings with the respective coaches of two teams, two youngdy who looked like they were still in their early twenties walked towards the field dressed in maroon zer and skirt. With some light makeup in their faces, they were dolled up.


    Each carrying a box and a g in their hands, they walked towards the centre of the pitch, where the two famous personalities were gathered.


    As thosedies were walking towards the centre of the pitch, Hiro heard a voice from behind him.


    "Would you look at those O n¨¥chan''s(big sisters), they''re really pretty." Akashi smirked while looking at those youngdies.


    "Huh? Where did you learn those words? You shouldn''t be saying those stuff at your age?" Hiro exasperated. "And where were you hiding all this time?"


    "Oh! I was at the locker room. I had to fetch something." Akashi dumbfoundedly replied.


    "Weren''t you pissed like a moment ago? So howe you''re all smiles right now?" Hiro intoned. "And also what did you fetch from the locker room?"


    "This!!"


    Akashi pulled out a ck coloured banner from behind his back. He had tucked the banner inside his t-shirt.


    "What''s this?"


    The banner confused Hiro. He then curiosily took a peek at the banner. It was ck coloured banner with a figure of Oni(japanese mythological demon) drawn in the middle. There were some words written above and below the Oni. The words read as such; "Fearless Oni Gang"


    "What?? Akashi what''s this?" Hiro exasperated


    "It''s a banner" Akashi replied dumbfoundedly.


    "I can see that it''s a banner. But why are bringing a gang''s banner in the field?"


    "It''s my grandfather''s gang''s banner. So I''m disying it while we take photos. Hahaha" Akashi replied goofily.


    "No, you can''t bring this out. The tournament forbids yers to disy any kind of banners that doesn''t belong to the school."


    "Huh! I can''t bring it with me?"


    "Yes you can''t. So go put it away." Hiro eximed.


    Akashi frowned upon listening to Hiro''s words. He contorted his face and started to walk towards the sidelines.


    Witnessing his sad face, Hiro felt sorry for him.


    "You can take it outter when you''ll get a chance to click photo with your grandpa. I''ll help you take the pictures." Hiro mumbled.


    "You''ll do that for me? Thank you Hiro." Akashi''s mood lightened up as he heard the consoling words of Hiro.


    The yers of Ronden elementary school started to exit the stadium with empty hands and bitter face.


    Only the champions of the tournament were awarded with a honor que and a honor g. No medals or trophies were distributed for individual yers.


    Since there were a lot of prefectures in Japan, the japanese football association only provided the winning team with a honor que and a honor g to reward them for their triumph. Individual yers weren''t awarded with anything for their achievements.


    Trophies, medals and certificates were only distributed for the national tournament.


    [Now I''d like to call the coach and captain of Ookami elementary school infront to receive the honor que from mayor Yamada]


    At the centre of the pitch, mayor Yamada along with the owner of Tokushima Vortis and two other youngdies were gathered.


    It was a customary tradition for the winner to receive the honour que from the hands of the mayor of the respective city.


    "''Go Captain!! Let''s go Coach"''


    And as coach Miura and Endo made his way towards the centre of the pitch where the award was distributed, everybody started to cheer them.


    The reporters who were at the stadium broadcasting the match rushed towards the center of the pitch to take a better view of the award ceremony.


    Mayor Yamada unboxed the box which contained the honor que and handed it to coach Miura. Owner Nakamura san handed the honor g to Endo. The honor g was something that was provided to the school who had won the prefectural tournament.


    And unlike honor que that g was passed like a baton. Only the winner''s would get to hold it for the rest of the year. And if they wanted to hold on to it they''d have to again win the prefectural tournament.


    And that particr honor g belonged to Ronden elementary school the year before. It was a symbol of pride.


    [Even though every yer in the Ookami elementary school performed exceptionally, there was one yer who stood out among the rest. Scoring a whopping 14 goals in the tournament, he was the highest scorer in the tournament]


    [And even though he didn''t get anything as a reward for his achievement because of the tournament protocol. I''d like everybody in the stand to wake up from their seats and give him a standing ovation. That''s the least we can do to show respect to such an unbelievable talent.]


    Thementator requested the crowds to give him a standing ovation for his achievement. And as he finished his sentence, everybody in the crowd stood up.


    "Sniff!! Sniff!!"


    Somewhere in the crowd, a person was seen crying. With eyes full of tears, she held her mouth to cover her sniffing voice. "All this people are standing for my little boy. Honey! Am I dreaming? Sniff!! Sniff!!" Hiro''s mother questioned Takashi with eyes full of tears. She couldn''t hold back her tears upon seeing so many strangers showing respect to her son.


    Even though Takashi was on the verge of crying himself, he held his tears and acted tough. With his chest puffed, he proudly replied "No honey! It''s not a dream. Our son have earned this respect through his actions and hardwork."


    Witnessing such a massive crowd cheering and showing respect to her son, she got emotional and began to wept.


    It was his first time getting such an ethereal treatment. In his previous life, he was considered a failure. Let alone receiving a standing ovation, aside from the people close to him, he didn''t even have a single fan who supported him.


    Witnessing such arge crowd giving him standing ovation, tears started to form in his eyes. The scene infront made him emotional.


    "Why are you crying?" Akashi inquired upon seeing his eyes full of tears.


    He gently wiped of the tears from his face and replied "I''m not crying. It''s just I got dirt in my eyes."


    He tried to hide his tears.


    "Yeah! Yeah! It must be dirt." Akashi smirked.

 Chapter 38 Time Skip and Japanese Messi

    <h4>Chapter 38 Time Skip and Japanese Messi</h4>


    April 9, 2019


    Ajinomoto stadium


    Chofu, Tokyo


    The final match between Ookami elementary school and Tokyo elementary school was about to take ce infront of a packed stadium.


    It was a bright and sunny day. The sun was shining brilliantly in the clear blue sky. With few white clouds drifting across the clear blue sky, the average temperature of the day recorded a whopping 33 degree Celsius.


    While making his way out of the tunnel, he raised his hands over his temple to shade his eyes from the bright rays of sun and casted a nce at the roaring spectators in the stand.


    Even in that hot weather, people were shouting and cheering at the top of their lungs. Sweat dripping through their face, their faces were all red.


    People cheering, drums rolling, the atmosphere around the stadium was extremely lively.


    Different people exhibiting different kinds of emotions, the crowd looked extremely energetic.


    Mesmerized by the energetic crowd infront of him, he stood frozen in his ce. He couldn''t take his gaze away from the crowd infront of him.


    "m!!"


    "Finally here right?" Akashi came from behind him and yfully smacked him on his back.


    "Indeed we''re finally here." Hiro eximed while keeping his gaze fixated at the spectators infront.


    Even though he never got to participate in the nationals in his previous life, he had always had that dream of ying in the final of nationals once in his life. Unfortunately he could never fulfill that dream in his previous life.


    Let alone y in the finals of nationals, his team couldn''t even qualify for national in his previous life. But since the finals of nationals were broadcasted nationwide, he used to watch the finals on television. And those energetic chants from the crowds and the emotion packed dramatic game always mesmerised him in his previous life.


    "I have been dreaming of this moment for so long. And that dream has finallye true." Hiro muttered in a muffled voice with a smile on his face.


    "Huh? What did you say?" Unable to hear his words clearly, Akashi bewildering inquired.


    "Smack!!"


    "Nothing! I said we should win this tournament this year. And to do that we need to hurry up to the stage first. Thest person to reach the circle is the cousin of monkey. Hahaha....." Hiro returned back the earlier smack and ran towards the pitch.


    Akashi chased after him.


    After failing four times previously, his dream of ying in the nationals was starting to fade away. As depressing as those failures seemed, he didn''t lose hope and persevered through the situation. Finally after persevering through those painful defeats, he made it to the finals of the nationals in his fifth attempt.


    The match was taking ce in the home ground of FC Tokyo, one of the teams belonging to the first division of Japanese professional leagues.


    Tokyo elementary school being situated in Tokyo often yed practice matches with the youth team of FC Tokyo. And thus Ajinomoto stadium was like their second home ground.


    Even though the venue of the final match of nationals were chosen at random, somehow Tokyo elementary school had gotten lucky that time around. Having an unfair advantage of ying in their own home ground, there were a lot of supporters of Tokyo elementary school in the stands.


    An estimated number of 20000 spectators had showed up for the match between Ookami elementary school and Tokyo elementary school.


    One of the reason behind the huge crowd was because of the appearance of a famous personality in the crowd.


    Ookami elementary school being the winner from the Shikoku region and Tokyo elementary school being the winner from Kanto region were facing against each other in the final of the tournament after defeating several other regional winners in the nationals.


    Hiro and Akashi were already in their 5th year of elementary school at that time around. And many of their senior yers from the time when they were first years were already in middle school and high schools.


    yers like Endo, Kuro, Sato, Kuon and many others had already graduated elementary schools. Most of them were still ying football in middle school and high school teams, while few had given up on their dreams of bing pro. It was totally reasonable for them to give up, afterall that was a dream they dreamt while they were kids.


    After defeating Ronden elementary school in their first year, they went on to y regional tournaments and came out victorious from their region. They then participated in the national tournament as a representative team from Shikoku region.


    Unfortunately there stay in nationals remained very short as they were knocked out in the very first round of nationals by Tokyo elementary school. The same Tokyo elementary school, they were facing in their fifth year. They not only eliminated them but they also humiliated them by winning the game with a score of 4:1.


    In their second year, they again managed to defeat the teams in their prefecture and came out victorious from Tokushima prefecture.


    However in the regionals that year, a team from Ehime prefecture managed to secure a narrow victory over them with a score of 2:1.


    The game was tied until thest minute. And just before the final whistle of the referee, a boy named Sora with curly hair and short stature managed to secure victory for his teams.


    He broke the dreadlock between the two teams by assisting a brilliant goal from the defensive half of their team towards the forward at the opponents half.


    In their third year Karasuno elementary school humbled them with a score of 3:0 in the finals of the prefectural tournament and sent them home empty handed.


    Even though they were reaching the finals of the prefectural tournament consistently, they faced a major problem. They werecking yers with winning mentality. The new yers which joined their team performed really well in group stages and knockouts. But almost in every big matches, they''d start to get anxious and end up ghosting the game.


    It''s not like that theycked talented yers, it was more like theycked the yers with confidence. And even though Hiro carried his team on his back and performed exceptionally well in all those previously held tournaments, he couldn''t lead his team to the ultimate victory all by himself. There was only so much he could do all by himself.


    The fourth year was no different as well, they were sent home by a team from Osaka in the semi finals of the nationals.


    **** ****


    During those four years, he scored more than 80 goals in the tournament. More than anyone had ever managed to achieve.


    Posting videos on newtube once or twice a month, he garnered a massive fan following of 989k subscribers and earned a decent revenue to support his parents.


    His fame only continued to rise as he performed well in those tournaments. Some people in Japan even started topare him with the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Cesc Fabrigas and other genrational talent.


    But while he was growing in Japan another brilliant individual was also showcasing his talent in the Japanese first division league.


    Joining the famed youth development facility of the world  masia'' at the age of 10, he had impressed the people of the world.


    Due to legal issues regarding his transfer, he had to return back to Japan in 2015. The same year Hiro''s team won the prefectural and regional tournament and qualified for the nationals.


    At the age of fifteen he was already ying senior level football in japan. Many considered him the real jewel of Japanese football.


    Despite being younger than him, Hiro was oftenpared with that generational talent of Japan who was showcasing his skill in J-1 league.


    The wonderkid of Japan also known as the Japanese Messi ''Take Kubo'' was impressing the people with his skillful dribble and gamey.


    **** ****


    While the referee was preparing to start the match, Akashi came over to his side to whisper something in his ear.


    "I heard that Take Kubo is here in the stadium." Akashi whispered.


    "So what if he''s here?" Hiro shrugged him off.


    Even though he pretended like he didn''t care about the presence of Kubo from outside, his inner voice said otherwise.


    ''The generational talent of our nation is here to see us y.'' He thought to himself.


    Just like the people of Japan, he also admired Kubo in his previous life. Kubo was only 8 years older than him but unlike him he had already performed in Europe.


    ''I wonder what he''s doing here? He''ll probably go on a loan to Yokohama F.Marinos in august. He''s probably here right now because he ys for FC Tokyo right now.'' He thought to himself.


    "Is he feeling threatened about his title" Akashi chuckled.


    "Why would he feel threatened?" Hiro replied dumbfoundedly.


    "Obviously because of our Ser Wizard. Hahaha..."


    "Yeah! Yeah! Now go back to your position. And don''t bber much. Watch over Ken, he''s a little slow." Hiro instructed Akashi while pointing at the keeper of their team.


    "What about Sasaki and Gen?" Akashi questioned.


    "There''s no problem with Sasaki. However I''m worried about Gen. Even though he''s not selfish anymore. But under pressure he starts to get anxious and his old habit starts to take hold of him. So I''m a little worried about him." Hiro eximed his worries.


    Ken, Sasaki and Gen who were with them at the Senior vs Newbies match had made it into the first team after the departure of several senior yers.

 Chapter 39 Ookami vs Tokyo I

    <h4>Chapter 39 Ookami vs Tokyo I</h4>


    While they were conversing with each other, the refereemanded them to assume their positions so that he could start the match.


    "Let''s just y like we practiced." Hiro mumbled as the refereemanded them to assume their positions.


    "Yeah let''s y like we practiced." Akashi nodded his head and started to run towards his position. "Ahh! Before I go, there''s something I want to tell you." He stopped midway and returned back towards him.


    Wondering what he wanted to tell, that sentence of Akashi made him curious. As Akashi approached closer towards him, he looked him in the eyes and smiled. "Let''s win this game partner."


    Hiro nodded his head and raised his fist forward. "Yeah let''s win." As they shed their fist with each other and performed a fist bomb, Akashi fled towards his position.


    Hiro stood tall infront of the ball. He was already 4 feet 7 inches tall at the age of 10. With a sturdy lean body like that of Sergio Busquets, his body was well toned. Neither too bulky nor too skinny, he was dressed in the iconic ck jersey of Ookami elementary school with a captain armband tied around his left bisceps. After the departure of Endo from the team, he had been appointed as the Captain of the team by the coach of Ookami elementary school.


    Beep!!


    The referee blew the whistle andmenced the start of the match.


    Ookami elementary school were ying in their traditional 4-4-2 diamond formation with Hiro as their attacking midfielder. They had opted for a bnced formation with emphasis on both defense and offense.


    On the other hand, Tokyo elementary school were ying in an extremely offensive formation. They were ying in 3-4-3 formation. With three attackers and four midfielders, everybody could guess that they were going to y an offensive game.


    Hiro kicked the ball towards Sasaki, the fifth year defensive midfielder of Ookami elementary school.


    The opponent yers of Tokyo elementary school dressed in red and white jerseys, began to scatter as the matchmenced.


    Since they had already faced against them previously, they focused on stabilising their position rather than pressing aggressively from the get go. Thus they began to pass the ball among themselves.


    Even though Tokyo elementary school yed a very pressing game from the get go, most of the time they ended up losing the control of the ball at the middle third of the pitch.


    While keeping the distance between them fairly close, the yers of Ookami elementary school stuck together in certain geometric patterns.


    Since Tokyo elementary school relied more on their physicality rather than technicalities, the forwards of Tokyo elementary school always tried to break free from the clutches of Ookami elementary school by making use of their strength and agility.


    Everytime when the opposing yer of Tokyo elementary school got the ball at the middle third of the pitch, the yers of Ookami elementary school immediately surrounded that yer, leaving him no ce to escape.


    While maintaining a certain distance away from each other, they kept pressuring the opposing yer with the ball every time when an opponent yer got the ball in the middle third of the pitch.


    In order to prevent making costly mistakes, only their forward chased after the ball in the defensive third of the opponent.


    At 27th minute of the match Kaminari Shinji, the left wing of Tokyo elementary school got the ball in his feet at the left side of the half line.


    Nanahosi Ren, one of the newly recruited central midfielder of Ookami elementary, chased after Kaminari Shinji as soon as he got the ball in his feet.


    Kaminari Shinji tried to make use of his agility to break free from Nanahosi Ren. But Nanahosi Ren didn''t give him any opportunity to shake him off.


    Unable to shake him off via his agility, he thought of making use of his strength and tried to break free from Nanahosi Ren by pushing him aside. But Nanahosi Ren stood his ground and endured his shoulder pushes without breaking any sweat.


    ''Argh!! Why can''t I budge him?'' Kaminari Shinji exasperated while trying to push Nanahosi Ren.


    Despite his lean body, Nanahosi Ren was as sturdy as mountain. The secret behind his sturdiness wasn''t somekind of supernatural power, instead it all lied in his technique. Whenever Kaminari Shinji tried to push him, he''d intentionally increase the distance between his feets and push him before Shinji coulde at him with full force.


    Both yers equally matched in terms of speed and physicality, Kaminari Shinji couldn''t shook off the mark of Nanahosi Ren.


    Unable to shake him off, Kaminari Shinji started to look for other options to break free from the marking of Nanahosi Ren. He looked at Mizuhara Aoi, the centre forward of Tokyo elementary school. But he was being marked by Sasaki, the defensive midfielder of Ookami elementary school.


    He then again nced behind him to see if anyone was avable. But Hiro was already marking the yer behind him.


    He then looked at his right side in hopes of finding one yer free from the tight man marking of Ookami elementary school. Satou Rin, another central midfielder of Ookami elementary school was already upying the space in the centre of the pitch.


    He found himself secluded between four yers of Ookami elementary school. Sasaki in the front, Hiro in the back, Rin in the side and Ren infront of him, he was inside the triangr space created by the yers of Ookami elementary school.


    The more he tried to break free, the more he found himself trapped. Unable to break free, he started to get anxious.


    He then started to dribble the ball forward without thinking anything. After trying countless times, he finally managed to shook of the mark of Nanahosi Ren by tricking him with body feints.


    ''Hahaha..., you thought that you could block me. Try again next time.'' He thought as he broke free from the mark of Nanahosi Ren.


    Just then Sasaki stole the ball from him. He had been so much upied with Nanahosi Ren that he forgot about the existence of Sasaki infront of him.


    Sasaki gave away an excellent through pass to Hiro. Hiro without controlling the ball, passed the ball towards Ichijo Ryu, the newly recruited first year forward of Ookami elementary school.


    The ball rolled towards the penalty box. The keeper of Tokyo elementary school ran towards the ball to clear it away.


    Seeing the keeper approaching, Ichijo Ryu tried to trick the goalkeeper by faking his shot. The goalkeeper of Tokyo elementary school stretched his legs to make the stop.


    Just as the keeper stretched his legs, he tapped the ball lightly and made a turn. With the keeper lying on the ground, nothing stood before him and the goal. He tapped the ball lightly towards the goalpost.


    Suddenly the keeper of the Tokyo elementary school stretched his arms and touched the ball. Even though the keeper was on the ground, he wasn''t beaten yet.


    Due to that deflection of the keeper, the ball went out of bounds. Even though they failed to score a goal, the referee awarded them corner kick.


    It was already 32nd minute of the match. While the ball was in y, the referee had already added additional time. And even that additional time had already passed by the time they were awarded the corner kick at the end of the first half.


    Hiro walked towards the corner g to take that corner kick. For that final corner kick of first half, all of the yers except the keeper of Ookami elementary school gathered infront of the goalpost of Tokyo elementary school.


    Hiro kicked the ball long and high. The ball was heading away from the goalpost. It was heading outside the penalty box.


    When everybody assumed that the ball would go out of bounds and referee would blow his whistle. A silhouette of a person became vivid at the the ce where the ball was going tond.


    That silhouette belonged to non other than Akashi. As the ball was about tond, he shot the ball in midair and hit a brilliant volley from outside the box. The ball went like a missile towards the post.


    Unfortunately the ball hit the bar and went out of y. And as the ball went out of y, the referee blew the whistle, signalling the end of the first half.


    Unable to open the scoresheet, the first half ended in a goalless draw.


    "That was an amazing volley Akashi senpai." Ichijo Ryuplimented Akashi as they made their way towards the locker room. "If only that volley would have ended in goal, it would have been the best goal of the tournament."


    "Cough!!" "Cough!!"


    "Did you guys already forgot about my bicycle kick against the team from Fukushima?" Hiro interrupted as he heard Ichijo Ryu mentioning about the best goal of the tournament.


    The game progressesed rather smoothly for the entirety of the first half with both sides getting fair amount of shots on target.

 Chapter 40 European agent

    <h4>Chapter 40 European agent</h4>


    While they were goofily making their way towards the locker room, his eyes wandered at the crowds and suddenly he caught a glimpse of a familiar person at the seat above the tunnel.


    Witnessing the sight of someone familiar to him, he paused midway all of a sudden to take a better look at the person.


    "What are you doing over there? Hurry up! Or else the coach will scold you." Akashi spoke while looking at him and interrupted him.


    "Ahh!! I thought I saw somebody familiar in the stand." He got distracted by Akashi and couldn''t see the person clearly.


    Once again, he looked at the seat where he witnessed the sight of the familiar person. But that seat was upied by a girl with blond hair and white skin.


    "Is it a girl? Hehe..." Akashi chuckled as he made his way towards Hiro. He then started to look at the stands infront. "Ohho!! You''re taste is truly unique. I didn''t expect you to be interested in foreigners."


    "No it''s not her. There was another person sitting in that seat." Hiro tried to reason with Akashi. "Yeah! Yeah! And that person happen to be a white blond chick. Hahaha...." But Akashi kept on teasing him.


    "Akashi senpai are you a part of the gang?" Keiji Togashi, 2nd year defender of Ookami elementary school interrupted them from behind.


    "No! Which idiot told you that?"Akashi erupted as he heard the statement of Togashi.


    "Nobody did. It''s just you speak like a gangster and you dress up like one too." Togashi stammered and took a step back in fear.


    Most of the times Akashi spoke in gangster ngs. Already 4 feet 11 inches tall at the age of 11, he was a year older than Hiro. And because of his appearance and the manner of speech, people often mistook him for gangster.


    "Pft- Hahaha..., Yeah right he''s a member of a gang. A very dangerous one. You might have heard the name of the gang ''Fearless Oni gang''?" Hiro chuckled.


    Togashi nervously shook his head.


    "So I was right. You are indeed a member of a gang." Togashi eximed in fear.


    "No! I''m not a gangster. Just stop scaring him already and stop joking Hiro. You might mislead him this way." Akashi exasperated and began to stare at Hiro as if he would swallow him alive.


    "Okay! Okay! Don''t look at me like that. I was kidding okay. Hahaha..., He''s not a member of a gang. It''s just his grandfather used to be one of the Yakuza''s in his younger days. Akashi here is just a normal student." Hiro reassured Togashi that he was only joking about the things he said earlier.


    "Okay! Now let''s head to locker room. Or else coach Miura will eat us alive."


    **** ****


    "What are you looking for uncle?" The girl with blond hair eximed while looking at a man in his early thirties, bending down in his seat, scavenging for something beneath the seat he was seated.


    "Argh!! There it is. My notebook. Just how the hell did it reach that far? " The man was looking for his notebook which he identally dropped during the time of the game. He was struggling to reach his notebook.


    "Note? Uncle please speak in English." While the girl was speaking in english, the man was speaking Japanese. The blond girl was having difficulties understanding the man''s words.


    He stretched his fingers to reach his notebook which had somehow fallen beneath his seat. Just as he reached his notebook, he stood up and began to dust his clothes.


    "Do they not clean the stadium at all?" The man exasperated as he was dusting his clothes. "Ahh right! What were you saying?"


    "Oh yeah I forgot that you don''t understand Japanese very well. Haha..., I''m sorry about that." The man apologized goofily, forgetting that he was still speaking Japanese.


    "Pleasespeak in English uncle." The blond girl exasperated.


    "Was I speaking in Japanese again? Hahaha..., My bad. Sorry! Sorry!" Even though he was apologizing to the girl infront, it was clear from the way he spoke that he wasn''t even sorry for his mistake. "Where are the yers?"


    "Urgh!! Did you already forget that it''s halftime?"


    "Yeah right!! I forgot about it. Hahaha..."


    "Just how the hell did you even manage to be a licensed agent in Europe with that clumsy attitude of yours?" The blond girl intoned as she witnessed the clumsy attitude of the man infront, while contorting her face in disbelief. She was clearly annoyed by his clumsy behaviour.


    Having majored in sports science, the man she was talking to was one of the lesser known agent of Europe. Born from a Japanese mother and British father, he was one of the youngest licensed agent in Europe. Though still not famous, he would go on to manage world ss yers in the near future.


    Dressed in a set of Hawaiian shirt and sorts, he had a sun hat on top of his head. With a shade of sunsses covering his eyes, he was dressed in a way that seemed like he was on a vacation.


    With brown eyes, sharp nose and chiselled jaw covered with patches of golden beard, one could hardly believe that he was already in his thirties.


    "Just you wait and see my niece Luna. I''m gonna be the best agent with the best yer under his wing one day. And everybody''s gonna remember the name Eric Parker. Hahaha...." Heughed maniacally while announcing his name, all of a sudden.


    "There he goes again. Lost in his own delusional fantasies. And just how many times do I need to tell him to speak in English. Urgh!! Leave it. I don''t even care now." Luna eximed in her muffled voice.


    She was clearly annoyed by his behaviour. However since she had seen that side of him several times already, she didn''t even bother to exin her annoyance to him. She was already fed up of his self indulging behaviour.


    Luna was the only daughter of Eric''s elder brother Kevin Parker. Born and raised in Ennd, she didn''t know any Japanese. Since her mother belonged to a British origin, everybody conversed in English in her home.


    And the only time she heard Japanese was the time when she visited her grandmother''s ce and when her father conversed to her grandmother.


    Since her grandfather had already passed away in his early sixties due to heart condition, her grandmother lived all by herself. Both Eric and Kevin offered her to move in with them several times, but she rejected them each and every time they asked her.


    And everytime when she asked her why she didn''t want to move in with either her father or her uncle, her grandmother always replied that the home she resided reminded her of her beloved husband.


    Also Eric and Kevin normally talked to each other in english, she could rarely hear them converse in Japanese. That''s why her Japanese was very weak.


    "Just why are we even here uncle?"?Luna questioned Eric who was stillughing maniacally.


    Eric paused as he heard her voice. He then perplexingly looked at her and replied "Don''t you know that already? We''re here to visit your grandmothers homnd."


    "Yeah I do know about that. But what are we doing here in a kid''s game?"


    "This is one of the biggest school levelpetition in Japan. And you''re asking what are we doing here? Also you''re a 16 year old kid yourself. So what right do you have to call this kids, kids?" Eric began to bber without stopping.


    "Don''t call me kid. I''m already a grown up. I''ll soon leave the house for university after Iplete my highschool in few years and live independently."?Luna exasperated.


    "Also why are you scribbling on your note? Are you here to recruit some yers?"?Luna continued.


    "Hell no! Why would I recruit asian yers. With all due respect to asian yers, they are not talented enough to make us huge money. They don''t get signed for huge amount of money in european markets. And if they''re not signed for huge amount of money, I can''t make money. So no, I''m not here to recruit yers." Eric sternly declined her ims.


    Since Eric believed that asian yers were not up to par with European or South American yers, he had never ever considered even in his dream to recruit any asian yers.


    Also since the market value of Asian yers were not too high in European markets, he couldn''t make money out of Asian yers. Thus he avoided signing any Asian yers.


    And him being there was pure conicidence. He just coincidentally happened to be in Tokyo around the time of the final. And since he had a lot of free time, he went to the stadium just to enjoy the match and get entertained.


    However even when merely spectating the match, he couldn''t control himself from noting the details of yers in his notebook out of his habit. He wasn''t noting their ystyle to recruit them.


    In simple terms he wasn''t there to recruit or scout yers, he was only there to enjoy the game as a spectator.

 Chapter 41 Ookami vs Tokyo II

    <h4>Chapter 41 Ookami vs Tokyo II</h4>


    After a 10 minute break, the yers started to make their way towards the pitch, out of the tunnel. Both of the teams swapped their sides as the yers from both teams began to allign themselves in their respective positions.


    Still in doubt about the person he witnessed earlier, he casted a nce at the stands. As he turned his gaze towards the seat where Luna was seated, he finally got the glimpse of Eric.


    ''That person! Where have I seen that person?'' He began to wonder as he witnessed the sight of Eric in the stand. ''I''m sure I''ve seen him somewhere before in my past life. Somehow he feels really familiar, but I can''t recall exactly where I''ve seen him.''


    Unable to identify the person infront, he began to rummage through his past memories to find out the identity of the familiar person in the stand. ''Ah that''s right! He''s the soon to be famous agent of European origin Eric Parker.''


    He finally recalled the identity of Eric after thinking for a while. Despite being an agent, Eric was well known by the football fans because of his insane poprity in his past life


    ''His appearance is almost simr to that of his 52 year old self. So he only got few wrinkles on his face as he aged? Damn talk about longevity.'' He mumbled in awe upon recalling the identity of Eric.


    [Ding!!]


    [New quest unlocked]


    [Quest objective: Impress the agent and get a offer from Eric.]


    [Rewards: Muscle enhancing elixir]


    [Penalty: 8 random stat points deduction.]


    [''ept'' or ''Reject'']


    [Note: If you reject the mission the system will get deactivated for four years.]


    ''A quest at this point of match? And What is this muscle enhancing elixir? The system had been providing me with attribute points, skill or roulette tickets previously. But why this sudden change?''


    ''And why is the penalty so harsh? Like if it was that easy to impress a European agent then the world would have been flooding with professional yers by now.''


    ''Aish!! At this point I don''t even care. I guess If I fail, I''ll just have to wave goodbye to my 8 stat points. I just hope that it won''t deduct all 8 points from my physical stat. Afterall it''s already lower aspared to other stat.''


    He began to cuss the system for it''s unfairness. Afterall just like he mentioned, it was not an easy feat to impress foreign agents.


    Moreover he knew the situation of asian yers in European markets. Not many asian yers that yed in asia made it to Europe.


    Even though there were few remarkable talents showcasing their talent in the top european leagues such as Heung Min Son, Takumi Minamino and others, not many asians performed well in european leagues even after getting signed by european clubs.


    Heung Min Son is a South Korean football yer who ys in one of the premier league teams ''Tottenham Hotspur''. He''s also the only Asian to ever win premier league golden boot. Known for his superb pace and ridiculous goalscoring ability, he''s a world ss yer of Asian origin.


    The number of asian yers who performed well in european leagues were very limited.


    "Hiro senpai!! Hiro senpai!!"


    While he was thinking of the quest given by the system, he was nkly staring at the stands, forgetting that he was still in the middle of an ongoing match.


    "Uh- huh! Yeah!!" He stammereding back to his senses.


    "Are you okay?" Ichijo Ryu inquired with a worried face.


    "Ah- Yeah I''m fine."


    "You''ve been spacing out for a while by now. So I was worried if something had happened to you." Ichijo Ryu expressed his concerns of him.


    "Thank you for worrying about me. But I''m really fine." Hiro intoned. ''ept''


    **** ****


    Beep!!


    Just then the referee blew his whistle.


    With no yer changes from both sides, the gamemenced with the whistle of the referee.


    Since he was given a mission by the system, he could no longer y like his usual self. He needed to perform beyond his abilities and give his hundred percent, if he wanted to leave an impact on Eric.


    With both sides struggling to score a goal, neither of the teams were able to open the scoresheet.


    Even though Hiro''s team was dominating the position, they were still struggling to guide the ball inside the.


    At 47th minute of the game, the game took a new turn. Midori Aoi, the attacking midfielder of Tokyo elementary school was holding on to the ball. Slowly dribbling the ball, he was scanning the field in search of his teammates.


    Kaminari Shinji who somehow managed to shook his mark began to run forward.


    Noticing the run of Kaminari Shinji, Midori Aoi quickly released the ball towards him. He sent a powerful through ball towards the left nk where Kaminari Shinji was making his run.


    He hit the ball a little too hard and it seemed that the ball would go out of bounds.


    Yuuto Oume, the 2nd year right full back of Ookami elementary school immediately left his position and ran towards the ball to clear the ball.


    As the ball was kicked a little too hard, he slowed down his pace. He guessed that the ball would go out of bounds and thus intentionally slowed down to conserve his stamina.


    However unlike him, Kaminari Shinji was very persistent. He didn''t stop chasing the ball even while knowing it would go out of bounds. He was simply unwilling to stop before trying his best.


    "I hit it a little too hard. Shit!! It''ll go out of bounds." Midori Aoi mumbled as he ced both of his hands on his temple in disappointment and closed his eyes.


    "''Woohoo"''


    Suddenly the cheers of crowds erupted like a volcanic eruption.


    Midori Aoi lifted his head up, upon hearing the sudden loud cheers of the fans.


    The ball was rolling back towards Kaminari Shinji instead of going out of bounds. It hadnded inside the pitch, a certain distance away from the boundary lines.


    But instead of bouncing forward, the ball was bouncing backwards. Subconsciously he had applied a backspin on the ball.


    [What''s this?? The ball which seemed like it was going out of bounds has suddenly started rolling back. What an amazing ball from Midori Aoi. But looking at his face, even he looks shocked. Seems like he had subconsciously applied a backspin on the ball. Hahahaha]


    As the ball began to roll backwards, Yuuto Oume quickly increased his pace. However he couldn''t still manage to reach the ball before Kaminari Shinji.


    Kaminari Shinji took hold of the ball and began to dribble the ball inside the penalty box. Even though Yuuto Oume couldn''t reach the ball, he tried to correct his mistake by stopping Kaminari Shinji from making the shot.


    With Oume infront of him and Nanahosi Ren chasing after him, Kaminari Shinji began to look for his options. Mizuhara Aoi the centre forward of Tokyo elementary school was waiting for Shinji''s pass inside the penalty box.


    However he was being heavily marked by Akashi. And no matter how much he struggled, he wasn''t able to break free from the clutch of Akashi.


    He then looked behind him but all he could see was yers of Ookami elementary school. With Nanahosi Ren approaching closer towards him. He thought of cutting in.


    Oume cautiously approached him. Keeping his gaze fixated at the ball, he maintained hisposure. Shinji began to dribble the ball towards him, slowly.


    ''Where will he go? Will it be left or right?'' Yuuto Oume began to wonder while constantly shifting his gaze between Shinji and the ball.


    Shinji tapped the ball with the inside of his right foot. Along with the ball, he moved his body to the right as well.


    ''It''s right!''


    Since Shinji was already inside the penalty box, he had to be extra careful. Slight physical touch could have lead to a penalty after all. And it was already 48th minute of the match. With only 12 minutes and additional time remaining, he couldn''t afford to give away a penalty at that moment.


    Oume moved his body to right and stretched his legs towards the direction of the ball. ''Got it.'' He thought as he was about to hit the ball.


    Just then Shinji kicked the ball with the inside of his left leg and shifted the direction of the ball towards the right.


    Skillfully passing Oume, he was open to shoot. However he wasn''t able to control his body. He was getting off bnce and was about to fall. But just before he fell down, he managed tond a kick on the ball.


    Akashi came forward stretching his legs to block his shooting course. Luckily the ball touched the tip of his boot and bounced upwards.


    As the ball rebounded off his boot, Ken rushed forward toward the ball, but so did Mizuhara Aoi. Ken leaped towards the ball which was descending from the sky. Mizuhara Aoi jumped towards the ball as well.


    Smack!!


    Since Ken was a goalkeeper who could use his hands to reach the ball, he was the first one to reach the ball. He punched the ball away.


    And even though he punched the ball away, Mizuhara Aoi crashed against him whenpeting for the ball.


    The punched away ball headed towards Midori Aoi. In midair he shoot the ball and connected a brilliant volley. The ball flew like a missile andnded inside the of Ookami elementary school.


    Beep!!!

 Chapter 42 Ookami vs Tokyo III

    <h4>Chapter 42 Ookami vs Tokyo III</h4>


    As Mizuhara Aoi crashed against Ken, Ken fell down hard on the ground. And in that very moment when Ken was brought down by Mizuhara Aoi, Midori Aoi shot the loose ball towards the post.


    With nobody to stop the ball, the ballnded inside the.


    ''"Goaaaaallllllll!!!!"''


    The crowd burst out in cheers as the ballnded inside the.


    In ecstasy, Midori Aoi ran towards the bench where the substitute yers of Tokyo elementary school were seated.


    All of them began to jump on top of each other and began to celebrate Aoi''s goal. Finally opening the scoresheet, their happiness knew no bounds.


    [The dreadlock has finally broken. Midori Aoi, the guy who passed the ball to Kaminari Shinji has scored a goal against Ookami elementary school and shattered their dreams of lifting the national trophy for the first time. Six time champion Tokyo elementary school are looking for their seventh title.]


    [But wait..., what''s this! The referee is gesturing something. He has disallowed the goal.]


    "Are you blind ref?? Didn''t you see? It was a clear goal!!" Coach of Tokyo elementary school burst out in fury and began to cuss at referee as he disallowed the goal.


    The yers of Tokyo elementary school ran towards the referee and surrounded him. "''Didn''t you see ref? It was a clear goal!!"''


    They began to argue with the referee for his decision of disallowing the goal.


    [The yers of Tokyo elementary school doesn''t look very pleased about referee''s decision. They are looming all over him and surrounding him like pack of hyenas surrounding their prey.]


    For the earlier foulmited against Ken by Mizuhara Aoi, the referee disallowed the goal of Tokyo elementary school and dered the goal void.


    **** ****


    "Finally just when they managed to score the goal, the referee dered it void for the earlier foulmited against the opponent keeper. That coach''s face is a sight to behold. Just how much more dramatic can this game be." Luna eximed witnessing the riot taking ce in the pitch.


    Eric however remained silent and kept on staring at the yers in the field.


    "Come on ref!! What are you doing? That was a clear goal." An old man in his fourties who was supporting Tokyo elementary school, sitting beside them exasperated.


    Since a lot of spectators in the stands were supporting Tokyo elementary school, they were not pleased with the decision of referee.


    **** ****


    While the yers of Tokyo elementary school were arguing with the referee over his decision of disallowing the goal, Hiro walked towards Yuuto Oume.


    "I''m sure that you''re already aware of your mistakes. And I''m not saying that your mistake costed us this goal. But as a captain of our team, I need to make sure our team ys well and our yers remain sharp. So I won''t say much but you need to y as if your life is on the line."


    "You know it very well that I was the one who put in the words for you to coach Miura. So don''t prove me wrong Oume. Dull behaviours won''t be tolerated, I hope you get it and I hope you don''t repeat this mistake again." Hiro rolled his eyes towards Oume and put his hands on his shoulder.


    At that moment, Oume couldn''t even lift his head to lock eyes with Hiro. Hiro was simply too much domineering.


    Even if he wanted to forgive Yuuto Oume for his mistake, he couldn''t. He was the captain of his team afterall. And it was his responsibility to guide his teammates when they made a mistake.


    With 8 stat points on the line, he couldn''t allow anyone to make mistakes.


    Fortunately the referee dered the goal void for the earlier foulmited against Ken. A goal at that moment of the game could have ended their hopes of lifting the trophy.


    With only 12 minutes and additional time remaining that goal would have almost marked fullstop to their dreams of lifting the trophy.


    As he witnessed Oume''s body shrunken in fear, he realised he was being very harsh on him.


    "Sigh~"


    "I''m sorry about my tone, but this game is really important to me. So let''s just give our best, shall we?" Hiro released a deep sigh and apologized to Oume for scaring him.


    He then started to walk towards his position.


    "Sorry captain!! I won''t repeate such mistakes again." Yuuto Oume apologized to Hiro after realising his mistake.


    Hiro revealed a smile as he heard Oume''s apology.


    Even though he had azy mindset, he wasn''t the type of guy who would avoid taking responsibilities for the mistakesmitted.


    While they were conversing with each other, the referee was on a streak of his own. He had already shown three yellow cards to three different payers of Tokyo elementary school.


    He also showed a straight red card to the coach of Tokyo elementary school for his rude behaviour against the referee and dejected him out of the stadium.


    With those drama''s taking ce in the field, the game was taking a drastic turn.


    Witnessing their coach getting dejected out of the stadium, the yers of Tokyo elementary school started to quiet down. Afterall they would only be losing their yers, if they continued to argue with the referee.


    [Seems like the yers of Tokyo elementary school have finally calmned down. That was a wise decision from the yers of Tokyo elementary school. Afterall they could have lost even more yers, if they continued to argue with the referee. Now what will they do without the help of their coach?]


    And as the situation got resolved, the referee awarded a freekick to Ookami elementary school at the ce where the foul wasmitted.


    Akashi was the one to take the freekick. He casually passed the ball towards Sasaki. Sasaki then began to search for his options while dribbling the ball towards the center of the pitch.


    Since three yers of Tokyo elementary school were already booked, they couldn''t afford to y the game aggressively.


    Because all of the forwards of their team were being marked, Sasaki couldn''t find any open spaces. Unable to find open spaces, he passed the ball towards Nanahosi Ren.


    Nanahosi Ren, who was already in the middle third of the pitch began to casually roam around the middle third of the pitch with the ball in his feet. The yers of Tokyo elementary school couldn''t afford to let him roam freely with the ball.


    Both Mizuhara Aoi and Midori Aoi ran towards Nanahosi Ren. Just as they left their position, Gen and Ryu both started to make their run towards the goalpost.


    One running in the right nk and another in the left nk, they were both heading towards the goal. Instead of running forward, Hiro began to drop deep to receive the ball from Nanahosi Ren.


    Seeing Mizuhara Aoi and Midori Aoi approaching towards him. Nanahosi Ren immediately passed the ball towards Hiro who had dropped deep to receive the pass.


    While the defenders of Tokyo elementary school were upied with Gen and Ryu, they failed to notice the run of another yer.


    Patiently waiting for the ball at the middle third of the pitch, just beneath the center line, Yuuto Oume began to make his run just at the moment when Nanahosi Ren released the ball from his feet.


    Witnessing Hiro making his run towards Nanahosi Ren, Ishiki Soba, the defensive midfielder of Tokyo elementary school ran towards him.


    Sensing the presence of Ishiki Soba behind him, Hiro let the ball through his legs without touching it. Ishiki Soba couldn''t figure out the intention of Hiro. Because he was solely focused on Hiro, he didn''t even realise that Hiro didn''t touch the ball.


    As he let go of the ball, Hiro swiftly twisted his body and began to chase after the ball. Ishiki Soba couldn''t react on time and he had to once again chase after Hiro for the ball.


    Two defenders of Tokyo elementary school were already upied with Gen and Ryu. And only a single defender stood infront of him and the goalkeeper.


    Oshita Eita, a 5 feet tall central defender of Tokyo elementary school rushed towards him. With his massive body, he covered the entire vision of the post. He could no longer tell the position of the keeper of the Tokyo elementary school unless he dribbled past Eita.


    With Ishiki Soba approaching him from behind and Oshita Eita infront of him, he needed to make his decision quickly.


    While dribbling the ball, he began to step over the ball consecutively with his both foot.


    Left!! Right!! Left!! Right!!


    After stepping over the ball a little over three times, while stepping over the ball with his right foot on the fourth turn, he kicked the ball with the outside of his foot and passed the ball towards Yuuto Oume.


    Oshita Eita couldn''t do anything other than stare at the ball. As the ball rolled towards Oume, he didn''t control the ball.


    Instead he shot the ball without stopping it. The ball flew towards the post.


    From the right edge of the penalty box, Oume shot the ball. The ball flew towards the upper left corner of the goalpost.


    However the keeper managed to get a touch at the ball. And thus, the ball went out of bounds even though it was shot precisely at the post.


    Beep!!


    As the ball went out of bounds, they were awarded a corner kick at the 51st minute of the match.


    Just then the assistant coach of Tokyo elementary school decided to make a yer change.


    The yers of Ookami elementary school couldn''t help but stare at the yer who was making his way towards the pitch.


    "......He!!!"

 Chapter 43 Ookami vs Tokyo IV

    <h4>Chapter 43 Ookami vs Tokyo IV</h4>


    As the ball went out of bounds. With only 9 minutes and additional time remaining, the opponent team decided to make yer changes.


    "So he''s finallying in!" Hiro mumbled as he witnessed the sight of the yer who was stretching his legs in the sidelines.


    [yer change for Tokyo elementary school. Number 22 out Number 2 in.]


    [Looks like Ishiki Soba is getting substituted for Nagasaki Akutsu. The star yer of Tokyo elementary school also famously known as ''Viper'' has finally decided to step inside the pitch. He had yed only a single match in this tournament this time around because of a injury he suffered during training.]


    Nagasaki Akutsu, a 5 feet 4 inches tall, 13 year old centre back of Tokyo elementary school was stretching his body in sidelines.


    Spiky straight ck hair, elongated narrow monolid eyes with small dark pupil and a muscr lean body, Nagasaki Akutsu was radiating an ominous aura around him.


    "Best of luck Akutsu san." Ishiki Soba eximed as he substituted for Nagasaki Akutsu.


    He was the yer who had costed them national championships during their previous face-off. The sole reason why they struggled to score goal against Tokyo elementary school in their previous face-off was all because of Akutsu.


    In his first year if it weren''t for Akutsu then he would have already registered a national champion medal under his name.


    As soon as he stepped on the field, he ran towards Hiro and began to mark him. The sole reason he was stepping on the field was to neutralise Hiro.


    With Nanahosi Rin as the set piece taker, the yers of Ookami elementary school gathered inside the defensive half of Tokyo elementary school for the corner kick.


    Nanahosi Rin yed a short ball towards Sasaki who was standing a certain distance away from him. With the ball in his feet, Sasaki began to weigh his options.


    A high ball would have been easily cleared by Akutsu. Since Akutsu was the tallest yer in the field, he couldn''t recklessly cross the ball inside the penalty box.


    Unable to cross the ball inside the penalty box, he began to look for other options. Everybody were being heavily marked.


    Even Hiro was being tightly marked by Akutsu. Just when he was looking for a yer to pass the ball, his eyes locked with Hiro''s.


    Hiro gestured him to hold the ball and draw out the defenders as much as he could.


    Sasaki then began to dribble the ball diagonally towards the goalpost.


    As he was starting to dribble the ball towards the goalpost, yers of Tokyo elementary school began to rush towards him.


    Just then Hiro dashed towards Sasaki. Witnessing Hiro''s run, Sasaki passed the ball towards Hiro and began to cut in. Hiro hit the ball back with the back of his heels and returned the ball back to Sasaki with a single touch.


    Tokyo elementary school''s yers couldn''t do anything at all. Without stopping the ball, Sasaki immediately released the ball back to Hiro. With swift one-two passes they left the defenders of Tokyo elementary school in dust.


    As Hiro began to cut in with the ball, he found himself infront of Akutsu. Akutsu stood before him while staring at him with his fierce eyes. As if those eyes could see through his soul, a chill ran down his spine as he locked eyes with Akutsu.


    Hiro began to step over the ball. However Akutsu showed no reaction and remained absolutely calm. He didn''t leave any space open for him to exploit.


    Not only did he prevent him from dribbling the ball forward, he also blocked all his pass courses. Just like a snake waiting for a perfect moment to strike it''s prey, he was patiently waiting for the moment when Hiro would make mistakes to perform the tackle.


    ''Tch- Just how much of a monster is he? Even with the help of system and years of football knowledge, I can''t get pass through him. Not only is he keeping his pressure on me, he''s also blocking my pass courses.'' Unable to get past through Akutsu, Hiro started showing signs of frustration.


    The reason why Akutsu was called viper was because of his ying style. Just like how a viper would suffocate it''s prey before swallowing it, Akutsu would maintain his pressure on his opponent until his opponent would eventually make mistakes subconsciously.


    **** ****


    "That number 2 is on whole another level than the rest of the yers on the field. Don''t you agree uncle? The way he keeps his cool even when facing against a opponent inside his own box is truly remarkable." Luna began to praise Akutsu.


    "Indeed if only he could y in Europe, he could develop even further."?Eric replied while folding his hands, keeping his gaze fixated at the ball.


    "That number 10 from the ck team stand no chance against him."


    "I wonder if it''s true."?Eric rolled his eyes towards his notebook and replied in his muffled voice.


    Subconsciously he had been keeping track of Hiro from the very beginning of the match. Even though he denied his interest in asian yers, he was somehow drawn towards Hiro''s ystyle.


    And thus, he had been keeping track of his movement to test out his thoughts of him.


    **** ****


    While performing step overs, suddenly he touched the ball with the outside of his right foot.


    At that moment Akutsu stretched his legs towards him to snatch the ball.


    That touch from Hiro wasn''t a mistake. He intentionally tapped the ball with the outside of his boot to trick Akutsu into believing he made a mistake.


    As he kicked the ball with the outside of his right foot, he again tapped the ball with the inside of his right foot and performed a stico.


    Hiro took full advantage of Akutsu''s ystyle and manipted him into believing he made a mistake.


    "Tch- He tricked me." Akashi clicked his tongue. "But at least I''ll force him into shooting with his left leg."


    Since most of the times Hiro scored goal with his right leg, Akutsu assumed that he was right footed.


    Even though Akutsu could still reach him if he performed a sliding tackle, there was a possibility of a foul. And he was hesitant to foul him inside the penalty box.


    Just when Hiro was preparing to shoot the ball, Akutsu dashed towards him and threw his body infront of him. Fortunately he hadn''t raised his legs yet to perform the shot. Hiro tapped the ball with the inside of his right foot. The ball rolled towards his left leg.


    ''Somehow I''ve managed to force him into shooting with his left leg.'' Akutsu revealed a satiated grin.


    Hiro kicked the ball hard with his left leg and shoved the ball down right the bottom left corner of the post.


    Even with his arms stretched, the keeper couldn''t prevent the shot.


    For this whole time Akutsu was having a misconception of Hiro being right footed. Infact his left foot carried as much shot power as his right foot, Hiro was ambidextrous.


    "''Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"''


    Hiro scored the goal at the 54th minute of the match and finally opened the scoresheet.


    "''Woohooo"''


    The supporters of Ookami elementary school bursted out in cheers as he scored that goal.


    **** ****


    "Yeah goal!!"?Eric yelled as Hiro scored the goal.


    Even Eric was forced to stand up from his seat.


    "You sure? You didn''te here to recruit yers?" Luna mumbled upon witnessing his celebration.


    "Ahum!! That was a brilliant goal."?Eric eximed while clearing his throat, as he tried to maintain hisposure.


    "Argh damn!! How could you let that child loose Akutsu?" The old man sitting beside them seemed extremely disappointed by Hiro''s goal.


    **** ****


    After scoring that goal, Hiro began to run towards the sidelines where the substitute and staffs of Ookami elementary school were seated.


    While taking his t-shirt off, he began to run towards the sidelines while flipping his t-shirt in his hands. Celebrating as if he had already won the national championship, his happiness knew no bounds.


    The yers of Ookami elementary school followed him but he didn''t stop. He kept on running towards the sidelines where the substitutes of Ookami elementary school were seated.


    Just as he reach the sidelines, he celebrated his goal by disying his number 10 jersey to the supporters in the stands.


    "Look at the audacity of that boy! He''s trying to recreate Messi''s celebration against Real Madrid. Hehe.." Eric chuckled witnessing his audacity to unt his jersey infront of the packed stadium filled with supporters of Tokyo elementary school.


    Tokyo elementary school couldn''t make aeback in the remaining minute of the match. And thus, the game ended with a score of 1:0.


    Ookami elementary school finally won the match against the six time champion Tokyo elementary school and registered their first ever national championship.


    Hiro''s sole goal at the 54th minute of the match secured them the title.


    After the end of the match before award ceremony, the referee gathered both the teams for onest handshake.


    "Weren''t you right footed? So how could you perform such powerful shot from you left leg?" Akutsu questioned as he took Hiro''s hand.


    "Who told you that I was right footed? I can shoot equally well with both my foot. It''s just I haven''t demonstrated the power of my left foot yet." Hiro replied as he shook hands with Akutsu.

 Chapter 44 [Bonus chapter]New champions

    <h4>Chapter 44 [Bonus chapter]New champions</h4>


    While everybody were celebrating their victory against Tokyo elementary school in the final of national championship, Hiro noticed Akashi nkly staring at the scoreboard at the top of the stadium.


    Smack!!


    "Yoh!! What are you doing over here while acting all lost?" Hiro smacked his back gently and began to question him.


    "Argh!! This sensation of pain feels too real to be a dream. So we did manage to win the national championship huh?" Akashi bewilderingly eximed whileing back to his senses. He was having trouble discerning between reality and dream.


    "Of course we won. If you''re still having trouble discerning between reality and dream, then I can hit you once again. Haha!" Hiro revealed a evil grin as he began to prepare himself to hit him one more time.


    **** ****


    As they won the match, a lot of people began to leave the stadium. Since most of them were supporters of Tokyo elementary school, they weren''t interested in staying behind to watch them lift the trophy.


    "Uhhhh~ So I guess this is it. Shall we head out too uncle?" Luna inquired as she began to stretch her body which had gotten stiff after sitting for a long time.


    Eric remainedpletely silent. As if he was lost in some kind of thoughts, he was contemtively staring at the pitch infront with his chin resting on the top of his folded hands.


    "Uncle!! Uncle!!" Witnessing his unresponsiveness, she reached out for him.


    "Yeah!!! Were you saying something?"?Eric replied uponing back to his senses.


    "Yeah I was asking you, if we should leave or not? You''ve been acting really weird." Luna intoned while staring at him.


    "Sigh~~"


    "Let''s leave."


    As Eric took a deep breath, he stood up from his seat and took out his sunsses which he had tucked in his shirt''s pocket during the match. He then put on his round shaped sunsses and began to walk away. As they started to leave the stands, Eric casted onest nce at the pitch.


    "Boy you really are something else."


    **** ****


    With few supporters remaining, everybody expected the cheers of the spectators to die down. But on the contrary, those few supporters who were present in the stands to support Ookami elementary school began to cheer at the top of their voice.


    [Even with so few spectators, the stadium feels as lively as it was before the start of the game. Those few supporters of Ookami elementary school are truly adding vitality to the stadium.]


    After receiving their medals for attaining second position in the national tournament, the yers of Tokyo elementary school began to leave the stadium with their head bowed down. They couldn''t look the supporters in their eyes.


    While leaving the stadium, Akutsu made his way towards Hiro. "It was fun to y against you. I''ll be graduating this year and we won''t get to meet for a year. But I hope next time when we meet, we could meet as teammates rather than enemies." Akutsu mumbled and expressed himself.


    "It was fun ying with you too. I''m sure we''ll get a lot of opportunities to y together in the near future." Hiro replied as he extended his arms forward to perform onest handshake with Akutsu.


    Akutsu took his hands and smiled. He then ran towards his teammates.


    "Sigh~~"


    "Damn!! That was scary." Hiro released a deep breath as Akutsu left his sight.


    As geniune as Akutsu''s intentions were, his smile was creepy as hell. And Hiro wasn''t used to seeing him smile. He rather preferred his serious expression than his smiling face.


    **** ****


    [Now onto the finale. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the new champions of Japanese elementary school level football tournament; Ookami elementary school]


    As thementator announced their team''s name, they began to walk towards the stage to receive their medals.


    Unlike the time at prefectural tournament, an actual stage was set up in the stadium, this time around. With the banner of National Championship hung in a temporarily prepared metallic pole and a slightly lifted wooden tform, the stage was set for the trophy celebration.


    As they walked up the stage, a gentleman in ck suit handed them their medals. With a wide smile on his face, he congratted the yers as they received their medals from him.


    That man was the head of ministry of sports and youth of Japan. He was the sports minister of Japan.


    "Congrattions for winning the championship. You yed really well." The sports minister spoke as he shook hands with Hiro.


    Since Hiro was the captain of the team, he was thest one to receive the medal.


    "Thank you sir for you praises. It means a lot to hear thosepliments from you sir." While shaking hands with him, Hiro bowed down his head to him.


    Bowing head when eptingpliments was a gesture of showing respect. And since Hiro was younger than the sports minister, he was required to bow his head while epting thepliments in order to show his respect towards sports minister who was way older than him by a mile.


    "Hoho..., yers like you are the future of our country."


    As they retracted their hands, Hikaru Matsuyama, the sports minister of Japan handed him the trophy.


    As he took the trophy from his hands, he began to stare at the trophy in his hand in awe. With a shape that resembled a wine ss and a handle bar on each side, the trophy was painted in gold. With few fake jewels embedded in it, one could hardly tell if it was a real gold trophy or a fake one.


    "You can see it all you want when we get back. But will you hurry up now?" Akashi yelled as he witnessed Hiro staring at the trophy in his hand.


    "Yeah Captain!! Your teammates are waiting for you. Right guys?" Ichijo Ryu yelled.


    "''Yeah!! Hurry up."'' His teammates yelled as he was taking time toe up to the stage.


    His teammates had been eagerly waiting for him since a while.


    Coming back to his senses, he rushed towards his teammates. As he prepared to lift the trophy, everybody began to wiggle their hands and chant;


    "''Hoooooooooooo!!!!"''


    Just as he lifted the trophy, they yelled;


    "''Wooooooooooooo!!!"''


    "''Championes!! Championes!!"''


    Jumping and singing, they began to celebrate. The celebration continued for a while. The supporters were enjoying the trophy celebration and so were the yers.


    The yers took turn to lift the trophy. The family of yers who had flown to Tokyo to watch them y, poured on to stage to celebrate with them.


    After handing the trophy to his teammates, he rushed towards the sidelines where his parents were happily clicking his photos with smiles on their faces.


    "Dad, Mom, let''s join the celebration!" He eximed as he got closer to them.


    "No, No, it''s your moment. Go celebrate it with your teammates." His mother replied.


    "Yeah you should go celebrate it with your teammates." Takashi added.


    Even though they didn''t mean anything negative, their response saddened him. Since he couldn''t celebrate such victory with his parents in his previous life, he desperately wanted to celebrate his victory with his parents in his present life.


    "At least let''s click a picture together?" He intoned while sniffing his snot. With tears forming in his eyes, he was on the verge of crying.


    Despite being a grown up adult from inside, he couldn''t control his emotions this time around. There was still a soft spot around his heart for his parents. His eyes turned red as tears began to form in his eyes.


    Upon witnessing his sad face, they immediately went over towards him to console him.


    Momo quickly grabbed his hands and began to wipe away his tears with her bare hands.


    "Don''t cry now. It''s a moment of celebration. So it''s not good to cry at such moments. Now let''s go celebrate the victory." Takashi eximed, trying to cheer him up.


    Takashi took his hands and lifted him up. While carrying him on his back, Takashi went towards his teammates. "Let''s go Champ!!"


    They then joined his teammates to celebrate their triumph. The celebration continued for a while.


    "Akashi!!" Hiro called out for Akashi who was singing and dancing with his teammates.


    Akashi however was so much engrossed in the celebration that he couldn''t listen to his voice.


    "Aaaa....kaaa...shiiii..." He yelled at the top of his voice.


    This time around Akashi heard his voice and walked towards him. "Yeah Hiro? You need me for something?" Akashi mumbled.


    "Yeah!! Can you take a picture of us?"


    "Us??" Akashi failed to notice his parents because of themotion going on.


    "Yeah can you take a picture of me with my mom and dad?" Hiro pointed behind him at his parents.


    "Hello Mrs Takahashi. Hello Mr Takahashi." Akashi immediately greeted his parents by bowing his head as soon as he noticed his parents.


    And as he handed his phone to Akashi, he ran towards his teammates. He then brought the trophy and joined his parents.


    While cing the trophy in the middle, he bit his middle. With his mother and father apanying him, Akashi took the picture of them three together.


    "This picture looks really good. We should definitely frame this and hung it on the living room. Don''t you agree honey?" Momo eximed while pointing at the picture in her smartphone.

 Chapter 45 Eric’s dilemma

    <h4>Chapter 45 Eric''s dilemma</h4>


    Their trophy celebrationsted for a while. And finally after a group photo with the cup, their celebration came to an end.


    "I''ve done all I can but why can''t I see system notification for thepletion of the quest? Did I fail somehow?" He wondered. "Well it''s not even that surprising though. Guess I''ll be bidding my farewell to my 8 stat points."


    **** ****


    April 9, 2019


    After the end of the match, Eric returned to his mother''s ancestral house which was located in Shibuya city, Tokyo.


    As soon as he entered his room, he threw himself in his bed. While lying with his face facing against the ceiling, he began to rey the match in his mind.


    "That kid was really something else. But there are many kids like him around the world. And moreover he''s asian. So should I leave him or sign him?" He was in conflict with himself. He couldn''t bring himself to decide whether to sign Hiro or let him go.


    As he analyzed his y even further, he got even more confused. While his gamey impressed him, he couldn''t bring himself to go against his philosophy and sign him. Yet he couldn''t bring himself to let him go either.


    "Argh!! It''s frustrating." He exasperated while rubbing his hair in frenzy.


    "Let''s investigate him first and then we''ll decide."


    He was getting restless while thinking of Hiro.


    Unable to decide, he got up from his bed and walked towards his desk. As he pulled the chair and sat on top of it, he pulled out hisptop from his drawer and ced it atop his table.


    He then began to search for anything rted to Hiro. "Ookami elementary school." He typed on the Google search bar without much expectations. As he pressed enter, several results popped up on his screen.


    "Woah!! There are a lot more results than what I originally expected." Eric mumbled in awe upon witnessing the results shown by Google.


    While going through his videos, he coincidentally stumbled upon Hiro''s newtube channel. "So this kid''s got a newtube channel too. Woah!! Look at those subscribers. He''s like a local newtube celebrity." Eric mumbled in awe upon witnessing the number of views and subscribers in his video.


    As he began to go through his newtube videos, Eric could no longer stop him from contacting Hiro. He then began to search for his contact information. While searching for his contact information, he chanced upon the contact number of his school.


    **** ****


    April 10, 2019


    The day after the final match of tournament. Hiro was lying in his bed with his eyes wide open. It was already 7:45 AM.


    Even though his eyes were open, he couldn''t bring himself to leave his bed. Since the school had given a day off for the yers who participated in the tournament, he was in no hurry to wake up.


    Chirp!! Chirp!!


    While lying in bed, he heard chirps of birds outside his window. Yet he couldn''t bring himself to wake up from his bed. He casted a nce at his window. Rays of morning sun illuminating from the gaps of the curtains shone bright in his eyes.


    Those bright rays of sunlight made him ufortable. And thus, he began to shade his eyes from those bright rays with his hands.


    He then turned his head and began to stare at the ceiling above him.


    "Sigh~~"


    "I want to sleep, yet I can''t today." He mumbled.


    Usually he''d be taking a nap around that time, yet that day he was wide awake.


    He tried to close his eyes but still he couldn''t fall asleep. Feeling restless, he thought of checking on the system.


    "System activate"


    As he mumbled, a holographic blue screen appeared before his eyes. He then began to fiddle with the system. While fiddling through the system, he noticed a bell icon glowing in red colour.


    "Huh what''s that bell like thing? It wasn''t there before." With his eyebrows raised, he paused for a while as he noticed the bell icon. Out of sheer curiosity, he clicked on the bell icon. Just as he clicked the bell icon, the system directed him towards a new page.


    [System update avable]


    [Required attribute point for the system upgrade: 100]


    [Attribute point in possession: 83]


    [Note: pleaseplete your quest to earn more attribute points to upgrade the system.]


    "Huh attribute points can be used like that as well. I thought that it was used for raising the stats." He mumbled as he witnessed the text on the screen. Even though he was gifted with a system, he hadn''t been using system much. And thus his knowledge of the system was very limited. "System can you borate more about the use of attribute points?"


    [Attribute points description]


    [A currency of the system which can be used to exchange items in system store, increase stats and upgrade system features.]


    [Note: 10 attribute point = 1 stat point]


    [You can exchange 10 attribute points for 1 stat point of your desire.]


    "I see!! So basically 10 attribute points can be exchanged for 1 stat points. So 1 attribute point only amounts to 0.1 stat point. No wonder my progress is slow. It''s really hard to increase stat points. Even with the help of system you can''t just miraculously be the world''s best yer overnight." He mumbled as he tried to figure out the use of attribute points. "But how do I gain attribute points?"


    [It can be gained only via quest and daily mission.]


    Since the moment he gained the system, he hadn''t used his attribute points. He had been saving his attribute points for the time of need.


    "Damn!! The attribute points which I saved for almost 5 years only amounts to 8 stat points. It''s a daylight robbery." He intoned as he thrusted his hand and pushed his upper body up.


    "Hirooooo!!! What''s that sound that I heard?" His mother yelled as she heard a loud sounding from his room.


    "Nothing mom!! The sound must havee from the outside." He replied while trying to hide his actions.


    **** ****


    April 10, 2019


    Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!


    "Hello!! It''s Sizuka speaking. How may I help you?"


    "Hello!! Is this the number of Ookami elementary school??" Eric inquired.


    "Yes it''s the number of Ookami elementary school. How may I help you?"


    "Hello!! It''s Eric Parker speaking. I''m a football agent from Europe. And I was wondering if you''d be able to provide me with the contact number of one of your students."


    "Can you please hold on for a minute? I''ll pass the phone to our principal. So that you can discuss it with him." Sizuka sensei, the personal assistant of the principal of Ookami elementary school spoke as she heard Eric''s reply.


    Step!! Step!! Step!!


    She then hurriedly rushed towards the principal''s office while carrying the phone in her hands.


    Knock!! Knock!! Knock!!


    She knocked on the door of principal''s office.


    "Yes!! Whose this??" Principal Miyamoto spoke from inside his office.


    "Sir it''s Sizuka, your PA"


    "Oh it''s you Sizuka sensei. Please enter." Principal Miyamoto allowed Sizuka sensei to enter.


    Sizuka sensei then handed the phone to principal Miyamoto. "Miyamoto Takumi speaking. How may I help you?"


    "It''s a pleasure to speak with you Takumi san. I''m Eric Parker, an agent from Europe. I''ve been wondering if you could provide me with the contact details of one of your yers." Eric eximed in a soft voice. He was extremely polite while making his request.


    At first principal Miyamoto doubted Eric''s im and was hesitant to provide him with the contact information. But as they continued to talk for a while, he confirmed that Eric''s ims were all true.


    "It was pleasure talking to you Takumi san. I''ve got some works to do right now, so if you''ll excuse me then I shall take my leave for now. Let''s continue our talk tomorrow, shall we?" Eric cheerfully eximed as he tried to hung the call.


    "Then we shall do that Eric san. Also we''ll discuss more about the deal tomorrow when we meet. Hahaha..., Have a good day Eric san." Principal Miyamoto replied.


    "You too have a good day Takumi san." As he said his well wishes, he hung up the call.


    After sweet-talking principal Miyamoto Takumi for a while Eric finally attained the contact number of Hiro''s family.


    "That stingy old man wants me to promote his school''s name in exchange for providing me with the contact number of Hiro. Well it''s not that big of a deal since I''ll be leaving for Europe in few days either way. So I''ll fulfill his wish as a charitable request."


    In exchange for providing Eric with the contact number of Hiro, principal Miyamoto wanted to use his name. Even though he had nothing to lose from that deal, he still didn''t have anything to gain from that deal either except getting the contact number of Hiro.


    Principal Miyamoto wanted to use Eric and Hiro''s name as marketing tool to boost his school''s name.


    Since most of the times he would be in Europe, Eric reluctantly agreed to his deal.


    Eric then began to dial the number given my principal Miyamoto.


    Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!


    "Hello!! It''s Mrs Takahashi speaking. How may I help you?" Momo answered the call from Eric.


    "Hello!! I''m Eric Parker. I''m a football agent from Europe and I''d like to talk about your son. Would you have some minutes to spare?"

 Chapter 46 Interest from Youth teams

    <h4>Chapter 46 Interest from Youth teams</h4>


    During the time when Eric called her, she was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for her family. And as Eric introduced himself, Momo turned off the gas stove and sat down at the dining table.


    "Hello Mr.Parker. How may I help you?"


    "Thank you for your precious time Mrs.Takahashi. I''m sure by now you may have already guessed the reason behind this call. So I won''t beat around the bush and say it to you directly. I''m interested in your son and I''d like to sign him." Eric stated bluntly without beating around the bush.


    While talking with principal Miyamoto, Eric had learned from him that Hiro''s mother was a smart straightforwarddy who was not fond of people talking in circles. Thus, he expressed his desire without dying any further.


    Hearing his reply, she paused for a while. With her brows drawing closer and face tightening, she began to think.


    Even though she didn''t know much about football, she knew the meaning behind his words. She had been learning about football in her spare time to be of help to her son.


    "I very well understand your interest towards my son Mr.Parker. But you know he''s still 10 years old, right? And he''s still attending elementary school. So isn''t it a bit too soon for that?" Hiro''s mother inquired. Even though she was a person who was very fond of money, she wasn''t the type of person who''d recklessly gamble her son''s future. She prioritised his wellbeing more than anything else.


    "I''m very well aware of your concerns towards your son Mrs.Takahashi. And I''m well aware of his age too. But Mrs. Takahashi here in Europe exceptional yers gets scouted by agent''s even before they make it to the professional stage."


    "But still..., Isn''t it a bit too soon for him to move to Europe?" Momo expressed her concerns.


    She was hesitant to send her son away to some foreign country before his 18th birthday. However she was also very well aware of her son''s interest and talent in football.


    Thus, despite her unwillingness to send him away, she was somewhat prepared to go with him, if it could help him elevate his career.


    "Hahaha... No Mrs Takahashi you''ve got it all wrong. He won''t be moving to Europe until he turns 18. So you can be at ease regarding that matter. And there''s also this rule in Europe that forbids club to sign foreign yers who have not turned 18. I only want to sign Hiro for now and help him elevate his career in Japanese football. And only after he''ll turn 18, I''ll present him to the clubs in Europe." Ericughed heartily and helped her clear her doubts.


    Eric''s words convinced her. She was relieved to hear that he wouldn''t need to move to Europe right away.


    "So Mrs.Takahasi would you be interested in my offer?" Eric added.


    "Would it be possible for me to give you the answer after I discuss it with my husband and son? Since this concerns the future of my son, so I''d like to talk to him before giving you my answers."


    "You can take all the time you want Mrs.Takahashi. Since I''d be visiting Hiro''s school tomorrow, you can give me your answer tomorrow at the school."


    **** ****


    Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan


    Nissan stadium


    The grasses in the pitch were reflecting the golden rays of morning sun. Still rtively closer to the horizon, the morning rays of sun had casted a silhouette of the stadium at one end of the pitch. While the other end was lit with the bright illuminating light of the sun.


    With one end of the pitch covered in the shade and another end engulfed in the bright rays of morning sun, a match was taking ce in the stadium.


    Group of yers in red and green bibs werepeting among themselves.


    At the sidelines, a man in his early fourties was seen yelling at the yers infront. Dressed in afortable green tracksuit, he wore a very stern expression in his face.


    "What are you doing Shunta? You''re timing is way too slow. You need to move faster in order to shake off your mark."


    With a rtively short stature, he was about 5 feet 6 inches tall. And with a rtively tanned skin, his frenzy outgrown beard and messy medium length ck hair gave away the impression of a homeless person.


    His lush ck eyebrows made his double lid eye even more appealing. However the eye bags under his eyes gave away the impression of sleep deprivation. As if he was deprived of sleep for days, the eye bags underneath his eyes were pretty intense.


    While he was yelling at the yers, another man in his mid thirties with a rtively average looking appearance made his way towards the pitch. Dressed in torquoise blue shirt and casual grey pants, he made his way towards the pitch while carrying a tablet in his hand.


    Neatlybed hair and clean shaven face, he gave away the vibe of a typical Japanese sry man.


    "Manager Tatsuya!! Manager Tatsuya!! I need to show you something." The man eximed as he got closer to the man at the sidelines.


    The man in the sidelines was the manager of the youth team of Yokohama F. Marinos.


    Yokohama F. Marionos was a team which belonged to the first division league of Japanese professional football leagues. Having already won three league titles, they were one of the powerhouse football team of J-1.


    And that man Tatsuya Kaido was the manager of the U-18 team of Yokohama F. Marinos. Still only 42 years old, he was one of the youngest manager in the league.


    It was already impressive for him to coach such a big team at his age in Japan. Yet what was even more amazing was the fact that he had one of the highest level coaching license in Japan. He had a S ss coaching license which allowed him to coach even the professional teams of J-1.


    "What is it this time Haruki?" Tatsuya replied while sounding all annoyed.


    The average looking man with the tablet in his hand was the youth scout ''Haruki Mitsuya'' of Yokohama F. Marinos. Already in his mid thirties, he was a very enthusiastic man.


    "You need to watch this..." He eximed as he yed the video of the match between Ookami elementary school and Tokyo elementary school.


    "What''s special in it? It''s just a bunch of kids running for the ball." He eximed as he tried to shrugg him off.


    "Tatsuya san!! Just watch this for once." Haruki pleaded.


    Hearing his plea, Tatsuya could no longer ignore him. And thus he began to watch the video of the match.


    "That number 10 kid looks really good." He eximed while watching the video. "His techniques, his dribble, his vision, the way he controls the ball and dictates the pace of the game. It feels like I''m watching prime Zidane himself." Tatsuya mumbled in awe.


    "It''ll get even more interesting. Just keep watching." Haruki hadpiled important highlights from the match between Ookami elementary school and Tokyo elementary school, so that Tatsuya wouldn''t need to watch the whole match.


    "Woah!! Are these guys even students? That defender from opposing team is good too." While the rest of the yers were pretty average, he couldn''t stop himself from praising Akutsu and Hiro.


    "No wonder you''re the coach of the U-18 team of Yokohama F. Marinos. You could spot the star yers with a single nce." Haruki mumbled in awe.


    After watching the whole video, Tatsuya revealed a wide grin. Tatsuya suddenly grabbed Haruki''s shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "I want these two yers Haruki. Get me these two yers." He eximed with great excitement.


    "But Tatsuya san one of those yers belongs to Tokyo elementary school." Haruki excimed while trying to break free from his hold.


    "Huh elementary school?" Tatsuya bewilderingly questioned.


    "Yes Tatsuya san. The match you just watched is the final match of the national elementary school tournament."


    "Huh!! I thought they''d at least be in middle school. Has elementary school level football progressed this far already in Japan?" Tatsuya gave Haruki a perplexing look. "Then how old are these kids?"


    "The defender is already 13 and he''ll be graduating elementary school this year. However the attacking midfielder you''re so interested in is only 10 years old. He''ll be graduating elementary school next year."


    "Huh only 10 years old? And he''s that good?" Tatsuya couldn''t believe that Hiro was only 10 years old after witnessing his gamey. "At least we can still recruit the defender next year."


    "Uhh- about that! He''ll most like join the academy of Tokyo FC since he''s from Tokyo." Haruki intoned.


    "Damn!! We''ll face even more tough opponents next year. It''s kinda sad we won''t get to recruit him but still the future of Japanese football looks quite good." Tatsuya eximed while revealing a smile on his face. "What about that kid? I''m sure we can recruit him in our junior youth team and promote him to the youth team within some year."

 Chapter 47 Family talk

    <h4>Chapter 47 Family talk</h4>


    The scene around other professional team was pretty much simr to that of Yokohama F. Marinos.


    Besides the youth scout of Yokohama F. Marinos, youth scouts of several other professional teams and schools were present at the stadium to spectate the match between Ookami elementary school and Tokyo elementary school.


    Even though not many teams in Japan had put emphasis on youth team in the past. However things were changing and many professional teams were beginning to copy the European system.


    Instead of buying expensive yers, they were starting to invest on young talents. And it hadn''t been that long since professional teams in Japan started operating their youth teams more seriously.


    **** ****


    "Hiro go freshen up ande down for breakfast." His mother yelled while he was taking his sweat time fiddling with the system.


    "Okay mom!!" He yelled back.


    He then closed the system and hopped out of his bed. After getting out of his bed, he began to fold the nkets and started to make his bed.


    Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!


    While making his bed, suddenly his phone started to ring.


    "Who''s calling me this early in the morning?" He wondered as he tried to take a peek at his phone which was located at the top of the drawer beside his bed. "Akashi!! Why is he calling me this early in the morning?"


    The one who was calling him was Akashi. As soon as he picked his call, Akashi began to spit his words in rapid fire session;


    "Sup!! It''s me!! What are you doing today?? Are you free?? I got this urge to game today. Do you want to tag along with me to the arcade??"


    Hiro couldn''t handle his loud voice and he immediately distanced his phone from his ear.


    "Hello!! Hello!! Why aren''t you replying??" Akashi kept on talking. "Hmm...., Perhaps thework''s not working. Or it must be server issues."


    Finally as he stopped his bbering, Hiro answered the call; "Have you calmned down? And don''t start to bber like before."


    Akashi then paused for a while.


    "So now tell me why have you called me this early in the morning?" Hiro questioned.


    "I just want to ask you if you''re free today."


    "Hmm...., I don''t have anything to do today. So I guess I''m kinda free." Hiro replied after thinking for a while.


    "Then let''s go to the arcade together." Akashi intoned sounding all exited.


    "Hmmm...., arcade huh?" Again Hiro began to ponder over the topic of arcade. "Well I don''t have anything to do today. So why not?"


    "Then let''s meet at themunity park at 10."


    Without even hearing his reply, Akashi hung the call. As if he was only calling him to hear his yes or no, he cut off the call as soon as Hiro agreed to his request.


    **** ****


    Step!! Step!!


    After brushing his teeths, he made his way towards the kitchen. As he entered the kitchen, he found his mother and father sitting silently at the dining table. The room was filled with an eerie silence.


    His father lifted his head slightly and looked at him with icy cold gaze. "Come here and take your seat." He spoke while wearing a serious expression on his face.


    ''Why does he look so serious today? I''ve not seen him like that in years.'' He wondered as he walked towards the dining table. He was pondering the reason behind his father''s facial expression. ''Did I do something wrong to upset him??''


    As he took his seat, he hesitatingly took a peek at his father''s face.


    "We need to discuss something with you Hiro." His father spoke while staring at him.


    Even though he hadn''t done anything wrong to upset him, he began to worry even more upon witnessing the stern expression in his face.


    "This is a serious matter, so I hope you don''t take it lightly." Takashi mumbled.


    Feeling all anxious, he nodded his head. His heart rate spiked and he began to sweat. The stern expression on his father''s face only made him more anxious.


    "Congrattions Hiro!! Your talent has even been noticed by Europeans. You''ve got an offer from an european agent." Suddenly his father congratted him with a wide grin on his face. His face quickly changed it''s expression from serious to happy. "And sorry about my expression from before. I just wanted to see your reaction. And my oh my you''re pretty terrified. Hahaha"


    Takashi was ying a prank on him by intentionally showcasing a serious expression. His father would sometimes y pranks on him out of blue. Takashi and Momo, both of them burst out inughter as Takashi finished his sentence.


    Upon hearing his father''s words, he was left dumbfounded. He then took a peak at his mother''s face. Unlike his father, his mother was a straightforward person who didn''t like prank and jokes.


    "What mom!! You too were also involved in his act??" Heined.


    "Sorry about that Hiro. I told him not to do that, but he wouldn''t listen to me. So I too joined in for the fun." She expressed whileughing.


    "I''m really sorry about that Hiro. But you indeed got an offer from an european agent." His father mumbled while trying to hold hisughter.


    If it was his younger self, he would have immediately walked out of the room feeling all agitated. But he epted their jokes andughed with them instead.


    After a while as theughter died down, they began to discuss about the offer from Eric.


    "So he says that he''ll help you develop your career in Japan until you reach 18 years of age. He also mentioned about that, FIFA the governing body of football has brought a new rule into effect. And that rule forbids the club to sign a foreign yer before turning 18." Momo spoke while trying to recall the things Eric said to her in the phone.


    "So what do you want to do Hiro? If you agree to the deal then we can talk about the deal tomorrow in your school. He said that he''d be visiting your school tomorrow." Momo added.


    Since he already had a quest from the system, he couldn''t refuse the offer under any circumstances. And it was once in a lifetime opportunity to get scouted by the soon to be famous European agent Eric Parker.


    As he would amass fame in hister years, top yers from all over the world would dream to work with him.


    Just like how Jorge Mendes, the famous agent made possible the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United to Real Madrid, Eric in hister years would go on to pull such amazing feats and announce his presence to the world.


    And thus, there was absolutely no way he would pass on the chance to work with Eric.


    "Let''s just agree to his offer!" He blurted out without a second of hesitation.


    "Don''t make your decision in haste Hiro. At least think for a while." His mother expressed her concerns, sounding all worried.


    If she wanted then she could have talked with Eric by herself but since the matter concerned her son''s future, she wanted him to think properly regarding that matter.


    She didn''t want him to make his decisions in hurry regardless of the benefit of the offer.


    He understood her concerns and the meaning behind her words. She was only worried about him and his future.


    "Okay Mom! Let''s talk about the offer with him tomorrow in school." He mumbled while keeping his cool, locking eyes with her.


    "Okay now that the matter is resolved, can we have breakfast? I''ll gette for the work if this continues." His father blurted.


    "Wait for a second I''ll go fetch the cups and tes."


    She then stood up from her chair and walked towards the drawer. After setting the utensils on the table, she began to serve the breakfast.


    There was nothing extravagant in the table. Just some rice, miso soup, fish and potato-carrot stew. It was the type of breakfast most people in Japan would have for breakfast.


    "Thank you for the food." The three of them prayed before eating. It was a customary tradition in Japan to pray for the food before digging in.


    As they finished their breakfast, his father stood up from his chair and left for his work in a hurry. While his mother started to wash the dishes.


    "Mom!! Can you lend me some money today. I''m going to arcade with my friend." He asked for money from his mother.


    Even though he made a decent earning through newtube, he let his parents handle his ount. And the money from the newtube would directly go to their bank ount. Meaning he had no money under his name, despite being the owner of a sessful newtube channel.


    However his parents too had secretively saved the money from the newtube under his name for his future use. And he wasn''t aware of that as well.


    "How much do you need?" She asked.


    "Just 10,000 yen" He replied.


    "Huh!! That much?? She was shocked to hear that amount from a kid.


    Afterall 10,000 yen was equivalent to 68 USD. And she was still paying him out of her pocket and not from his newtube channel.

 Chapter 48 Repentance

    <h4>Chapter 48 Repentance</h4>


    At first she was hesitant to provide him with such arge sum of money. But after convincing her for a while, she finally agreed to lend him the money.


    "Here!! Don''t spend it recklessly and only spend per your requirement. Try to save as much as you can." She nagged as she handed him the money.


    "Thank you mom! I''ll spend it wisely." He replied enthusiastically.


    And as soon as he got the money in his hands, he hurriedly rushed towards his room.


    **** ****


    As he sat beneath a giant tree to shade himself from the hot rays of sun, he took a peak at his watch. It was already 10:10 and yet there was no sign of Akashi''s arrival. They had agreed to meet at exactly 10 AM at themunity park.


    Hiro had reached the park even before the time they had agreed to meet. Having reached the park even before 10, he had been waiting for Akashi for almost half an hour.


    "Just where the hell is that big moron? How can one bete in the time set by themselves?" Hiro mumbled feeling all annoyed.


    Feeling restless, he took a peek at the sky above him to calm him down. Lumps of white clouds in different shapes and sizes were aimlessly floating in the vast blue sky.


    Buzzing noise of cicada and rising temperature of the surrounding was indicating the arrival of summer season.


    "Cat!! Pft- hahahaha." He chuckled as he noticed a lump of cloud which resembled the face of a cat.


    "She too used to make such stupid assumptions in the past whenever she witnessed a strange looking cloud. I guess I kinda picked her habit as well. I wonder what she''s been upto." He mumbled as he began to reminisce his past upon witnessing the cat shaped cloud. "I just hope that she''s doing fine."


    Just as he was reminiscing his past, a gentle gust of warm breeze blew past him. He immediately closed his eyes as some of the leaves from the trees above started to fall down.


    "Sorry for making you wait dude. While leaving the house, I got caught by grandpa." Akashi spoke in a state of breathlessness.


    "Why were you caught by your grandpa? Did you do something mischievous" Hiro questioned while trying to open his eyes. As he opened his eyes, he found Akashi covered in sweat. He looked extremely exhausted and out of breath. "Why do you look so tired? Did you run or something?"


    "Yeah I had to run away from him." He replied, gasping heavily.


    "First off all, take a moment to breathe properly."


    "Inhale!! Exhale!!"


    Akashi began to inhale and exhale deep breaths to stabilise his breathing. After few inhales and exhales, his breathing finally stabilised.


    "Now tell me why did you need to run away from your grandpa?" Hiro questioned as Akashi stabilised his breathing. "Did you steal his money or what?"


    "No it''s not because of that reason. He just wanted to y Shogi(Japanese chess) with me today."


    "Well you could havee after finishing a game too. That way you wouldn''t have to run away from him." Hiro mumbled.


    "If only it were that simple. Once he starts to y, he won''t stop until he feels satisfied." Akashi exasperated. "Also I did actually steal about a 1000 yen from his coat."


    "So you did steal money. Stealing is not a good thing Akashi." Hiro was really upset to find out about his misdeeds.


    "I''ll pay him back hundred fold when I make it as a pro." Akashi replied without an ounce of guilt. He wasn''t even a bit remorseful towards his actions.


    "No Akashi!! You don''t steal money. You steal once and it''ll be a habit. So you''re going to return back the money you stole from your grandpa to your grandpa." Hiro erupted.


    No matter the reasons, he didn''t want his friend to take the path of thievery under any circumstances. "Let''s go to your house and give him back his money. You''re also going to apologise to your grandpa for stealing from him."


    "Okay I''ll give him back his money and I''ll also apologize to him. But can''t I do itter? Like we''re already here, so it would be kind of wasteful to go back again." Akashi began to make excuses. He wasn''t willing to go with Hiro that very moment.


    "No we''ll head to arcadeter. First we''ll return him his money back. Quick!! Let''s head to your house." Hiro sternly denied his request and forced him to lead him the way towards his house.


    **** ****


    After about 20 minutes of bus ride, they arrived at his house. It was a typical Japanese style house made up of wood.


    "I''m home." He yelled as he entered his house.


    Just then ady in her thirties made her way towards the front door.


    ck, short hair which barely reached her shoulder hung freely as she walked towards the front door. While looking at Akashi with her ck monolid eyes, she spoke;


    "Why have youe back so soon? Didn''t you say that you''d be going to arcade with your friend?"


    "I''ll go after a while. Also this here is my friend Takahashi Hiro." Akashi introduced him to his mother.


    "Hello Hiro!! I''m Akashi''s mom." As she introduced herself, she greeted him with a sweet smile in her face.


    Thedy infront was non other than Akashi''s mother. Hiro immediately bowed his head down and introduced himself to Akashi''s mother.


    "Hello Mrs.Nobara, I''m Takahashi Hiro. It''s a pleasure to meet you." He introduced himself and greeted Akashi''s mother while bowing his head.


    "I know about you Hiro. Akashi speaks a lot about you. Hiro can do this, Hiro can do that. Whenever he starts to talk about you, he just won''t stop until his mouth gets tired." Sheughed as she began to reveal about Akashi''s words about him.


    "Mom!!" Akashi exasperated as she began to reveal his secrets.


    "Okay!! Okay!! Come inside and have a sit. I''ll bring you some watermelon." She invited them inside.


    "No! No Aunty! You don''t have to do that aunty. We''ll be gone in a while." Feeling all nervous, Hiro tried to refuse her hospitality.


    However she kept on insisting him toe inside and have something to eat. She wouldn''t let him leave on empty stomach.


    Giving in to her insistence, he agreed to her offer.


    As they walked inside and his mother left their sight, he whispered on Akashi''s ear;


    "You remember right? You need to return his money and apologize to him."


    "Yeah!! Yeah!!" Akashi hesitatingly nodded his head.


    They then headed towards the room at the left side of the hallway.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    "Come inside."


    A deep and hoarse voice came from inside the room. As Akashi slid the door open, he witnessed Akashi''s grandfather sitting infront of the sliding window, basking in the morning sun.


    His short silver hair glowed ethereally as the rays of morning sun fell on top of it. With a slightly tanned skin, the wrinkles in his face and hands flowed like waves of sea.


    Despite his age, his brown eyes were still gleaming with vitality. As if he''d live for another 20-30 years, he looked very young for his age.


    "No matter how many time I witness his appearance, he feels very young to me. If it weren''t for his wrinkles and silver hair, people might mistake him for a 40-50 year old. He looks too young for his age." Hiro whispered as he witnessed the appearance of Akashi''s grandfather.


    "Would you believe me if I tell you that his real age is 84?" Akashi whispered.


    "Huh 84!!" His eyes opened wide in shock, he couldn''t believe Akashi''s words.


    Even though he had seen his grandfather previously, he looked the exact same as the time when he took part in their first prefectural tournament finals against Ronden elementary school. For this whole time, he never asked of his age and neither did Akashi ever mentioned about it.


    "What are you two standing over there for?" His grandfather spoke in his hoarse voice.


    They quickly walked towards him and sat with their legs folded.


    "How have you been Hiro? It''s been such a long time since Ist saw you." He questioned him about his wellbeing. "I heard that you won the national championship the other day. Congrattions for your triumph. And I''m sorry that I couldn''t make it."


    "Oh no! You don''t have to be sorry grandpa. It''s all my fault for never visiting you. So the one who should be apologising should be me grandpa. I''m sorry grandpa." He bowed his head down and apologized to Akashi''s grandfather for not visiting him.


    Even though they had been friends for so long, it was his first time visiting Akashi''s house. And it was his first time meeting with his mother as well.


    Just like him Akashi had never visited his house as well. Although he had met with both of his parents.


    "Oh no, no, you don''t have to be sorry about it Hiro." Akashi''s grandfather felt ufortable about Hiro''s apology.


    Just then Akashi too bowed his head down and apologized; "I''m sorry grandpa for stealing your money."


    "Hahaha...., I''m very d that you''ve apologised to me for your misdeed." As Akashi bowed his head down and apologized to his grandfather, he burst out inughter. "I already knew about you stealing money from my coat''s pocket. I just didn''t want your father to hear about your misdeeds that''s why I didn''t react. But I''m really d that you realised your mistake by your own."


    "Grandpa actually-"


    As he was about to say something, Hiro lightly pulled his t-shirt and stopped him frompleting his sentence.

 Chapter 49 Dropping a bomb

    <h4>Chapter 49 Dropping a bomb</h4>


    As the sun was approaching the horizon, the sky was aze with the fire of the setting sun. And as the shadow of the house and the wall infront reached the ce where they were ying shogi, he realised that he had spent his whole day at Akashi''s house, ying shogi with his grandfather.


    "Check!!" Hiro mumbled as he captured Akashi''s grandfather''s king and won the game.


    "Well yed! It''s my lost." Akashi''s grandfather admitted his defeat.


    It was his 9th victory. Having won 9 times, he had also lost 7 times. They had yed a total of 16 games, each one more intense than the previous one.


    While they were ying shogi, Akashi had dozed off at a certain point of time.


    "It''s gettingte grandpa. I need to head home now." He mumbled as he stretched his body which had gotten stiff after sitting at the same ce for almost 9 hours.


    "Yeah I think we need to call it a end for today. We''ll y again some other days." He replied as he began to arrange the pieces. "Just give me a minute, I''ll wrap it up and I''ll walk you to the bus stop."


    "No grandpa! You must be tired from ying all day. I''ll go by myself. You can rest grandpa." He politely refused his offer and insisted him to take rest.


    As he put on his shoes, he bid his farewell to Akashi''s family and headed home.


    **** ****


    April 11, 2019


    Chatter!! Chatter!!


    As he reached closer to his school, he heard chattering noise of peopleing from the school. There was still some time left for the bell to ring.


    Groups of students were gathered infront of the entrance of school for some reasons.


    ''They must be waiting for Eric. Perhaps the news regarding Eric''s arrival was leaked somehow.'' He wondered as he witnessed the crowd of students gathered infront of the entrance.


    Just as he made his way towards the entrance, he saw a familiar face among the crowd of students. That familiar face belonged to principal Miyamoto Takumi.


    "Herees our champ!!" Principal Miyamoto eximed as he walked towards them with a wide grin on his face.


    Since Eric had told them that he''d be present in the school to discuss about the contract, his mother was apanying him.


    The crowd of students roared in his praises as they witnessed his arrival.


    "Good morning Mrs Takahashi!!" As he walked closer to them, he greeted his mother.


    "Good morning Mr Miyamoto." She greeted him back.


    "Sensei!! Why are you standing infront of the gate? Are you waiting for someone?" Hiro questioned.


    "Indeed I''m waiting for someone. And that someone happens to be you. I''ll fill you with the detailster. But first we need to go somewhere." Principal Miyamoto eximed sounding all excited.


    Before he could speak anything else, principal Miyamoto grabbed his hands and began to lead the way. He was left dumbfounded by principal Miyamoto''s strange behaviour.


    Usually he was the type of person who would maintain his cool under any circumstances. But that day he seemed a little different.


    After passing through the crowd of students, he led them towards the pitch. Even more students were gathered in the sidelines of the pitch than infront of the entrance.


    He tried to see past those students gathered infront of the pitch, but he couldn''t see anything. Thr students infront obstructed his vision.


    "Everyone move aside!! Move aside!!" Principal Miyamoto yelled as he made his way towards the pitch.


    Hearing his voice, everybody began to make way for them. Just as he entered the pitch, he noticed his teammates gathered in the pitch.


    Along with his teammates, several other local reporters were also present in the pitch.


    Witnessing the reporter''s with their cameras and microphones, he could somewhat guess about the situation unfolding infront of his eyes.


    ''I see!! So this is the reason behind his strange behaviours. He''s probably exited for the interview.'' He thought as he witnessed the flock of reporters infront of him.


    "Yoh!! You''re here!! Look at our principal. He''s getting overly excited for the interview. As if it was his first time getting interviewed. Hahaha..." Akashi chuckled.


    "But why did he gather all of us for the interview?"


    "Well I heard that reporters wanted to take a picture of all of us together with the trophy for the cover photo. Also I''m not sure if it''s true or not, I heard that somebody from Europe ising today." Akashi whispered while trying to conceal his voice as much as he could.


    "Okay we''re ready to shoot." A man wearing a baseball cap yelled.


    Ding!! Dong!!


    Just then the chime of the bell sounded indicating the starting of the school. And as the bell sounded principal Miyamoto began to chase the students towards their respective sses.


    Soon the crowd dissipated as the students made their way towards their sses.


    With the dissipation of the crowd, the noise dissipated as well. And the interview began to take ce in full swing.


    "We all know that Tokushima prefecture was previously dominated by the likes of Karasuno elementary school and Ronden elementary school. But out of nowhere a new team emerged and challenged their authority. So we''d like to know how you created such a dominant team?"


    "Did you n it from a long time ago or did it just happen out of blue?"


    The reporters began to question the principal.


    "We did indeed n for this from a long time ago. But it wasn''t me who created this team. It''s all thanks to our scout Sakamoto and coaching staffs."


    "If not for our excellent scout, we would have never managed to create this incredible team. So I want to thank our scout and coaching staffs for building such an incredible team. Thank you!!"


    Principal Miyamoto took a peak at Sakamoto san and coach Miura who were standing beside him and bowed his head as he thanked them.


    Assistant coach Honda had left the team that year. He was preparing himself for the S ss license exam.


    "Thank you for your words principal Miyamoto. So was it Sakamoto san who managed to scout Takahashi Hiro?" The reporter continued with his question.


    "Yes indeed it was Sakamoto san who scouted Hiro. For that I would like to thank him once again. Thank you Sakamoto san. This school owes a lot to you." Principal Miyamoto thanked Sakamoto once again for scouting Hiro.


    The interview was going pretty smoothly.


    Just then suddenly a voice from the background distracted them. The voice belonged to the guard.


    "No sir! You can''t go over there sir!"


    The guard was seen struggling to stop a foreigner from entering the pitch.


    "What''s happening over there?" As the noice became vivid, the reporters turned their gazes towards themotion taking ce at the sidelines.


    "What''s happening over there?" Coach Miura yelled as he turned his attention towards themotion.


    "Sir!! This foreigner is trying to invade the pitch. I keep telling him that the pitch is off limit for the time being, but he doesn''t listen to me. He keeps on telling me that he was invited by principal Miyamoto. And he''s forcefully trying to invade the pitch." The guard replied while trying to stop Eric from entering the pitch.


    "Let him go! I''m the one who invited him." Principal Miyamoto yelled.


    "You''ve heard it from him now. So can you let me go now?" Eric mumbled goofily.


    Upon hearing the words of principal Miyamoto, he immediately released Eric from his grasp.


    "Who''s that foreigner principal Miyamoto?" The reporters and the coaching staff questioned as they witnessed the sight of Eric.


    Since Eric was still a small time agent, not many people knew about him yet. As of now, even in his home country only a handful of people knew about his identity.


    "So the rumors were indeed true. He was the rumoured European." Akashi mumbled in awe as he witnessed the sight of Eric.


    Except Hiro, Momo and principal Miyamoto, everybody else were unaware of his identity. Some thought of him as a foreigner scout, some thought of him as a foreign coach, some thought of him as a foreign yer and some even thought of him as some kind of celebrity from foreignnd.


    Everybody had a different impression of Eric. However nobody thought of him as an agent. Since in football only the yers and the coaches are well known among the masses. Nobody thought of him as an agent.


    Even though agents, owners and coaching staffs other the coaches are an important part of the football, they aren''t as famous as the yers and coaches. Except few exceptional agents and owners, it''s likely that most people wouldn''t even know the name of the agent of their favourite yers.


    "He''s one of the agent from Europe." Principal Miyamoto cheerfully eximed. "You may have heard yers like Jude Bellingham and Kalvin Philip''s who ys for teams like Brimingham and Leeds United in the 2nd division league of English football. He''s the one who manages them. And he has shown great interest in one of our talented yer. Usually he doesn''t sign Asian yers but this yer had piqued his interest. And he''s here to sign him."


    As the principal announced such a shocking statement, the reporters froze in their ces. Their eyes bulging, they were left speechless.

 Chapter 50 Agent secured

    <h4>Chapter 50 Agent secured</h4>


    As principal Miyamoto introduced Eric, everybody looked at him with their eyes wide open. They were having hard time to believe the words that came out from his mouth.


    ''So that''s how you''ll be going to use my name huh? No wonder you told me toe at this moment.'' Eric smiled cheekily as he took a peek at principal Miyamoto''s face.


    In that moment Eric realised that beneath that cheerful and sincere face of principal Miyamoto, there lied a cunning businessman.


    Principal Miyamoto had intentionally set their time of meeting at the time of interview, so that those two moments would ovep with each other and their meeting would be witnessed by the reporters. He had carefully devised his n to promote the name of Eric to increase the reputation of his school. He wanted to make use of the reporters to advertise his school''s name along with Eric without needing to pay extra money for the advertisement. It was like killing two birds with one stone.


    "Indeed I''m interested in one of their yers. And I''m sure everybody could already guess the yer I''m talking about. Although the deal hasn''t been finalised yet. I indeed am interested in that yer." Without concealing his interests, Eric cheerfully revealed his intentions infront of the reporters. He was as transparent as crystal clear water.


    As he announced his intentions, the reporters began to note his statement and began to click his photos. They wouldn''t let such a golden opportunity to slip away from their hands.


    "I''m sure he''s talking about you." Akashi mumbled as he lightly pulled Hiro''s shirt. "Did you know about this already?"


    "Ahh yeah! He called my mom yesterday." Hiro replied in a casual tone with a stoic face.


    "Huh!! And you didn''t even tell me?"


    As he heard that statement from Hiro, he looked at him with his eyes wide open. He looked at him in a way as if he had hidden from him that he was somekind of superhero.


    Hiro however showed no change in his facial expressions.


    "Well I mean the deal hasn''t been finalised yet. And also you do remember that you dosed off right?"


    "Haha!!! Yeah!!" Akashiughed awkwardly. "But still you could hav-"


    Just as he was about to speak something, coach Miura called out all the yers to gather infront of the trophy.


    As the yers gathered infront of the trophy, the reporters began to click their pictures. With that photo session, the interview came to an end and coach Miura dismissed all the yers.


    "Everybody could go to their sses, except Hiro. Principal Miyamoto wants to discuss something with you, so you stay back. And everyone else, head to your ssroom."


    "Fill me the details about the dealter in the evening training session." Akashi mumbled as he left towards his ssroom.


    The yers then began to disperse. Except Hiro, all of them started to walk towards their ssroom.


    "It was fun working with you principal Miyamoto." A reporter cheerfully eximed as he shook hands with principal Miyamoto.


    After exchanging few words andpliments, the reporters began to head out as well.


    "This is a banger."


    "I never expected to get such an amazing content for our channel."


    The reporter''s shared their happiness among each other as they made their way out of the pitch.


    "Now then. Shall we head to my office?" Principal Miyamoto inquired while looking at Hiro and Eric.


    **** ****


    "Nice to meet you Mrs Takahashi. I know I''ve introduced myself already but please allow me to introduce myself once again. I''m Eric Parker, the guy who''s interested in signing your son."


    Even though he had already introduced himself the day before, during the phone call but despite that he introduced himself, once again.


    "Nice to meet you too Mr Parker. I''m Hiro''s mom ''Takahashi Momo''."


    "I''m sure I''ve already expressed my intentions. But let me repeat it again. Would you like to sign a deal with me for your son Mrs Takahashi?"


    As Eric expressed his desire to sign Hiro, his mother took a peek at Hiro''s face. Hiro slightly nodded his head giving her his approval.


    "Thank you Mr Parker for showing such a great interest in my son. And I''m sure that you must have seen something in him, that''s why you''re so eager to sign him. But as a mother, I still can''t help but worry about his well-being. So before signing the contract we''d like to know your intentions moving forward. We''d also like to know how you''ll help him improve going forward." Sounding all worried, she expressed her concerns without holding back anything.


    "I understand Mrs Takahashi. As his mother, your concerns are justifiable. And I''d be happy to clear your doubts. You can ask me anything you are worried about."


    Eric assured her that he''d be willing to answer all her questions and clear all her doubts. And as such she took up on his offer and began to question him.


    After talking for a while, she was convinced to sign the contract. Eric had cleared all her doubts and given her satiable answers. His words convinced her to sign the contract.


    The duration of the contract was about 10 years and Eric would only take a meagermission fee of 8 percent for his service. And he had also included a special use which stated that he would only takemission fee from him after he gets a transfer offer from Europe.


    If somehow he''d fail to get a transfer to Europe, he wouldn''t charge them even a penny for his service. Meaning he would provide his service free of cost for the time being.


    The contract was totally in their favour and they had nothing to lose. Thus without wasting time any further, they immediately signed the contract. With his mother acting as his benefactor, Hiro signed the contract.


    "Pleased to have you on board Hiro. Let''s give our best." Ericughed heartily as he greeted Hiro.


    Even though the contract was totally in favour of Hiro, Eric seemed really happy to sign him. As if he had gotten his hands on a diamond in rough, he was extremely excited to strike a deal with Hiro.


    "You''re gonna be the next big thing in Asia." Eric imed as he locked his eyes with Hiro.


    "Haha!! Thank you for believing in me. But I''m not deserving of such praises." Hiro quickly rolled his eyes away from him and replied awkwardly. Eric''s words made him ufortable.


    [Ding!!]


    [The host haspleted the quest.]


    [A muscle enhancing elixir has been awarded to the host for thepletion of the quest.]


    [Please head to the inventory tab to know more about the elixir.]


    As he signed the contract with Eric, the system notified him about thepletion of the quest. The system had provided him with the quest to impress Eric and strike a deal with him.


    ''I''ve been really curious about this muscle enhancing elixir from the time it showed in system. Finally I can get my hands on it. Does it improve my muscle density or flexibility? I need to inspect it thoroughlyter in the night.'' He pondered as he heard the notification from the system.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    Just as they were conversing with each other, somebody knocked the door.


    "Who is it?" Principal Miyamoto yelled.


    "Sir! It''s me Sizuka. There''s a call from the director of NBC channel. He wants to discuss something with you."


    The one who knocked the door was Sizuka sensei, the personal assistant of principal Miyamoto.


    "Excuse me for a while. I''ll need to attend that call. You guys keep on talking. I''ll be back in a while." Principal Miyamoto spoke as he made his way out of his office.


    "So what will you do after elementary school Hiro? Will you be joining a middle school team or will you join a youth team?" Eric inquired.


    "Well...., I haven''t given much thought about it yet." Hiro replied.


    "Do you want to hear my opinion Hiro?" Concerned about his indecision, Eric questioned.


    Without uttering a single word, he nodded his head.


    "You should probably join a youth team. I know it sounds a bit ridiculous but look at it this way. At youth team though you''ll still need to attend school, you can focus more on football. And I''m sure it''ll be more beneficial to you if you join an academy. You could hone your skills and also experience the life of a pro. You could prepare yourself for the challenges you''ll face moving forward." Eric suggested him to join a youth team rather than a middle school team.


    "Young yers in Europe join football academies as early as they can run, that''s why they develop into world ss yers. I''m not pressuring you to join a academy too but I believe it''ll be more beneficial to your career if you join a youth team instead of a school team. So do give it some thought Hiro."


    Upon listening to Eric, he started to ponder. He started to think about the pros and cons of joining a youth team instead of a middle school team.

 Chapter 51 Equal exchange

    <h4>Chapter 51 Equal exchange</h4>


    Later in the night of that day, after finishing dinner and brushing his teeth, he was sitting at his study table pondering over the suggestions made by Eric.


    With the lights turned off, he was sitting all by himself.


    As he rested his head atop his study table, hezily rolled his eyes outside the window. The clear night sky was aglow with the bright city lights.


    Even though he resided in the outskirts of the city, he couldn''t avoid the bright lightsing from the city. While looking at the luminescent moon atop the city, he revealed a deep sigh.


    Sigh!!


    ''May be I should take up on his suggestion and join an academy. I''ve already fulfilled one of my dream of lifting the national trophy. And my growth has kinda be stagnant too. May be the time hase for me to ept a new challenge and embark on a new journey.'' He thought while staring at the moon.


    "Things have really changed in this life. I''ve lifted the national trophy, signed a professional contract with an agent from Europe and amassed quite a bit of wealth too. And all of it were possible only because of system and my choices."


    "If I would have followed the same choices as in my previous life. May be I would have been in the same situation as I was in my previous life. So yeah I''ve made my decision. I''ll join a youth team." He contemted and made his decision after analysing his sess in his present life.


    As he made up his mind to join a professional youth team instead of a middle school team, he lifted his head up and rose up from his chair.


    Just as he was about to head to his bed, a sudden thought shed in his mind. He remembered something;


    "Ah!! Yeah!! System!! There was a reward for thepletion of the quest. How could I forget about it."


    As he remembered about the reward from the earlier quest, he again pulled the chair and sat down.


    "System activate"


    Just as he mumbled, the holographic blue screen of the system appeared infront of his eyes, once again.


    [Basic information]


    Name: Takahashi Hiro


    Age: 10 years old


    Weight: 42 kg


    Height: 4 feet 7 inch


    Potential: SSS


    Attribute point: 103


    Roulette tickets: 0


    Skills: Focus, Perseverance


    Copied Talents: Roberto Carlos''s freekick


    Title: Master of the Talent Copying System, Regressor, One who possess ethereal talent.


    [Attributes]


    Physical: 41/100 ( Grade: C)


    Dribbling: 78/100 (Grade: B+)


    Pace: 52/100 ( Grade: C+)


    Passing: 63/100 ( Grade: B)


    Shooting: 61/100 (Grade: B)


    Defending: 34/100 (Grade: D+)


    Mentality: 57/100 ( Grade: C+)


    IQ: 77/100 (Grade: B+)


    Overall grade: B-


    Witnessing his stats, he thought to himself; "Indeed my growth has remained quite the same for a long time. Although with this stat I could probably y in a youth team and may be I could even y in lower division of professional leagues."


    While looking at his stats, hepletely forgot about the fact that he was still a child. And even though his stats were pretty amazing, the world was filled with infinite variables.


    "But I''m not here to analyse my stats. Today I''m here to look at my reward from previous quest. Let''s see what amazing thing did we get from the system." While rubbing his palm against each other, he looked at the system with his greedy eyes and revealed a crooked smile on his face.


    "Now where is the inventory tab?" Unable to find the inventory tab, he began to scroll through the system in search of inventory tab. Finally after scrolling for a while, his eyesnded on an icon which resembled a chest.


    "Since it looks like a chest. May be it''s the inventory tab that I''m searching for." He muttered as he curiosly clicked the chest icon. Just as he clicked the icon, the system redirected him to the inventory.


    His inventory consisted of 10 slots. There were two slots in the first row, two in the second, two in the third, two in the fourth and two in the fifth. Altogether there were five rows with two columns.


    His inventory was almost empty with only first slot upied. And that slot was upied by the muscle enhancing elixir.


    "Just when I thought that I figured out the working mechanism of the system it gets even moreplex. Like does it update automatically or what?" He mumbled as he found the inventory tab.


    He then clicked on the first slot. As he clicked on the first slot, suddenly a picture of round ss bottle with blue liquid in it became visible. The transparent ss bottle resembled a bottle of perfume.


    Beneath the picture, there were some texts written on it, which read as such;


    [Muscle enhancing elixir]


    [Effects: Increases muscle density and slightly increases recovery rate.]


    [Additional effect: +5 physical stat point and +3 pace stat point.]


    [Note: This is a one time use item and it will expire in a weeks time. Hence it''s suggested that host should consume it as soon as possible.]


    [Use]


    [Leave]


    "Damn!! +5 physical stat points and +3 pace stat points!! I could hardly raise 10 points my busting my ass on training for about a year. And this elixir is providing me 8 stat points from a single consumption!!" His voice shook as he read the description of the item.


    He couldn''t believe his eyes that the item could grant him about a years worth stats in one single consumption.


    "I really don''t know what to make of this situation. Just when did the system start being so generous?" He wondered as he witnessed the benefits of the item provided by the system.


    "Since there''s a time limit, I should probably consume it right away."


    He immediately pressed on the use option to consume the item. Just as he pressed on the use option, the item disappeared from the slot of inventory.


    For three seconds nothing happened aside from the disappearance of the item from the slot of the inventory.


    But after three seconds passed, his body temperature suddenly started to rise and he began to sweat profusely.


    "What''s this? Why am I feeling so hot all of a sudden?" He mumbled as he began to sweat profusely out of nowhere.


    Along with the rise in body temperature, he began to feel excruciating pain all over his body. His muscles started to convulse.


    "Huff!! Huff!! Argh!! Why does it feel like my body''s crumbling?"


    "I guess the item is taking it''s effect. Seems like the benefitses with a price. But I can handle this much pain. No pain no gain." While trying to endure the pain, he revealed a cheeky smile as if he was prepared to endure the pain.


    At first the pain was tolerable but as the time passed it began to intensify. However he was still somehow holding his ground and enduring the pain. But the pain kept on intensifying.


    Unable to endure the pain, he fell down from his chair. Still unwilling to let out a single scream, he clenched his fist tightly and tried to endure the pain by gritting his teeths.


    But just like how a milk would spill after heating it for a while, he was also reaching his limit. Afterall there''s only so much pain a human could handle.


    Just as he was about to scream, he heard something.


    [Abnormal activity detected!!]


    [The system will forcibly put the host on mute until the end of the absorption process.]


    "Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"


    He screamed in agony but no sound came from his mouth. As the intolerable pain spreaded all over his body, he felt like he''s getting struck by needles all over his body.


    But since his voice was put on a mute, no matter how much he screamed not even a single word came out from his mouth.


    However that didn''t meant that he didn''t feel any pain at all. Unable to endure the pain, he was on the verge of losing consciousness. But somehow he persevered through the situation and endured the pain.


    Finally after sometime the pain started to recede and he felt some relief. And as the pain dissipated, he stopped his screams and started to regain his strength. His voice returned back to normal as well.


    After going through that horrible experience, he tried to rise up. While taking the support of the floor and the chair, he struggled to raise his body from the floor.


    However he was still too weak to stand straight. And thus, he leaned his back against the chair to prevent his body from falling down.


    As he leaned his back against the chair, he began to stare nkly at the posters in the wall infront. For a moment he couldn''t think of anything. For some inexplicable reason his mind wentpletely nk for a while.


    And as he regained back his strength and returned to his normal self, he tried to stand straight on his legs.


    "Argh!!"


    "What in the lord''s name happened just now?" He mumbled softly as he tried to reason with himself. "So it''s not easy to obtain a year''s worth of stat in one single moment huh? So to get a year''s worth stat in a single sitting, you''d have to suffer year''s worth pain in one sitting as well."


    "It''s a fair trade. But I''m not sure if I want to go through it again."

 Chapter 52 Akashi’s crush

    <h4>Chapter 52 Akashi''s crush</h4>


    June 19, 2019


    At around 8:30 AM, Hiro arrived at his school all by himself. Because of some urgent work, his mother had to leave in a hurry that day.


    And thus, she couldn''t apany him all the way to the school. Hence she dropped him off at a certain distance away from the school and left in a hurry.


    Usually he''d always bete for school because of his early morning nap after the morning workout. But that day because of his mother''s work, she had rushed him to the school quite early in the morning.


    Just as he was about to reach the school gate, he heard a familiar voice calling out his name from behind him. Wondering who was calling him so early in the morning, he turned his head around to see the person who was calling him.


    As he turned around, he noticed Akashi sprinting towards him while shouting his name. Witnessing his appearance, Hiro paused midway and waited for him to catch up to him.


    It didn''t take Akashi that long to reach him. He immediately caught up to him in a matter of some seconds.


    After reaching him, he paused for a while and began to pant heavily. For a while he couldn''t speak anything because of his earlier sprint.


    And as his breathing stabilised, he lifted his head up and stretched his arms towards Hiro. He then rested his arms on top of Hiro''s shoulder and looked at him as if he was about to do something totally idiotic.


    Hiro didn''t like the look on his face.


    ''What''s this moron going to do now?'' Hiro wondered as he puzzlingly casted his nce at Akashi''s face. He was puzzled by the look on his face.


    Akashi then looked him in the eyes and revealed a crooked smile.


    "The king of Ookami elementary school''s football team has graced us with his presence so early in the morning today. Has the sun risen from the west today? " As he mumbled, he turned his gaze towards the direction of the sun. "The sun''s shining brilliantly and it hasn''t risen from west too. So that means that the day of prophecy has finally descended upon us."


    "And since his majesty has graced us with his presence so early in the morning, it''s only right for us peasants to bow their head and show respect to his majesty." Akashi then bowed his head down while cing his right hand beneath his chest.


    "Please ept this humble peasants greetings your majesty." He eximed in a loud voice.


    While Akashi was performing his idiotic role y, Hiro began to vigorously shake his head. Akashi''s idiotic act was making him ufortable.


    Fortunately nobody was present around there to witness Akashi''s embarrassing role y.


    "Now! Stop with this ridiculous role y Akashi." He exasperated as he tried to lift his head up.


    Just at that moment, out of nowhere Ichijo Ryu made his appearance. Although he was still far from them, he witnessed that ridiculous roley of Akashi.


    "May be both of them are actually a part of a gang. And I guess Hiro senpai is the leader of that gang. So he was only trying to conceal his identity by misguiding me back then when I asked him if Akashi senpai belonged to a gang." Ryu''s voice shook as he witnessed the sight infront of him.


    Witnessing the sight of Akashi bowing his head infront of Hiro, he froze in his ce and began to step back. Just then Hiro noticed Ryu.


    As he noticed Ryu, he forcibly lifted Akashi''s head up and called out for Ryu.


    "Ryu!! Where are you going? The school''s this way you know?" Hiro yelled while pointing at school.


    Upon getting called by Hiro, a shiver ran down his spine. He then nervously lifted his head up and faced Hiro.


    ''Now what should I tell him? I don''t want to face him. He looks so scary right now.'' He began to have weird thoughts about Hiro.


    After witnessing that incident, he began to imagine Hiro as some kind of boss of a gang who only pretended to be nice.


    Because of the earlier incident with Akashi, he started to get anxious while facing Hiro.


    And even though Hiro only asked him simple questions, he misinterpreted them in a negative way. From his perspective, Hiro''s words read as such;


    "Where are you going without showing your respect to me? Now apany me to school or else you''ll get beaten."


    Paralyzed by the fear of getting beaten by Hiro inside his head, he froze in his ce. While rolling his eyes here and there, he began to think of excuses to avoid Hiro.


    "I.. I.. I just dro...pp...eed my money. So... I... was ju....ss..t... go...ii...nn...g back to re...tri...eve... it." He stammered while replying.


    "Oh!! Okay!! Do you want my help?" Hiro expressed his desire to help him.


    Hearing Hiro''s reply, Ryu shook his head and immediately ran away.


    "Why''s he acting so strange?" Hiro mumbled as he witnessed Ryu''s weird behaviour.


    "I bet he thinks you''re some of kind of boss of a gang. Hahaha..." Akashi who was standing beside him chuckled.


    "And who''s fault is it?" Hiro intoned as he rolled his eyes towards Akashi and gave him a cold stare.


    "Hahaha..., Sorry about that!" Akashi goofily apologized.


    "Sigh!!"


    "Whatever!! I''ll clear his doubtster in the evening training. Now let''s head inside." Hiro revealed a deep sigh and shrugged off Akashi''s behaviour.


    **** ****


    Chatter!! Chatter!!


    As they headed inside the school, they noticed many students gathered infront of the notice board.


    "What''s happening over there?" Confused by themotion taking ce infront of him, he questioned.


    "May be they''re waiting for his majesty''s arrival. Hahaha..." Akashi chuckled.


    "Yeah!! Yeah!! Now stop with your jokes or else I''ll tell Sumi Nanami that you have a crush on her."


    "No! Please don''t do that. I''ll stop!! I''ll stop it right away. So please don''t do that."


    Akashi began to beg as Hiro mentioned him about revealing his secret to Sumi Nanami.


    Sumi Nanami was the student council president of Ookami elementary school. With long straight ck hair and upturned eyes with ck pupil, she always wore a gentle smile on her face. Always greeting everybody with a smile, she was a social butterfly who was well liked by everyone at the school.


    While they were goofing around, suddenly from behind them Sumi Nanami made her appearance.


    About 4 feet 3 inches tall with a slender figure, she was a year older than him. Her milky white skinplimented her small nose and glossy red lips. Especially the bangs above her eyes which covered her forehead further highlighted her beauty.


    Abination of pleasant personality with an ethereally beautiful face, she was very famous in their school.


    Along with Hiro, she was one of the two personalities who were extremely famous throughout Ookami elementary school.


    "Good morning Hiro." She greeted him with a smile on her face.


    Just as she made her appearance, Akashi wentpletely silent. With his cheeks turning red, he stood straight with his chest puffed out.


    "Oh! It''s you Nanami. Good morning." Hiro casually greeted her back without putting any emphasis on his words.


    "You have arrived quite early today Hiro." She began to strike a conversation with him in her soft voice.


    "Yeah!!" He gave her one word answer and tried to shrugg her off.


    Because both of them were well known personalities in their school, they had encountered each other several times in the past. And Nanami being an extrovert always tried to converse with him whenever she encountered him.


    At first Hiro tried to ignore her as much as possible. But no matter how much he tried to ignore her, she wouldn''t stop trying to befriend him.


    And thus because of her continuous pestering, he befriended her thinking that she would stop after he agreed to her request. But on the contrary, she started to bber even more.


    While she was trying to converse with him, Akashi began to poke him.


    "Ahh!! Nanami!! This here is my friend Nobara Akashi." Hiro introduced Akashi to Nanami.


    "Oh! Hello!! Aren''t you the defender of our school''s football team?" She eximed as she tried to recognise his face.


    "Yes!! Indeed!! I''m the defender of our school''s football team. I didn''t know that you knew about me." Akashi intoned while revealing a nervous smile on his face.


    ''How would I not know you when you''re always running around Hiro.'' She thought to herself while curling her lips inside her mind.


    However on the outside, she didn''t let go of her smile. "How could I not know the defender who puts his life on the line to protect our team''s goal."


    Hearing such praises from his crush, Akashi''s heart rate spiked as he began to visualise the two of them going out on dates together.


    He was thrilled to hear such praises from his crush. He felt like he was over the moon.


    "By the way! What''s happening over there?" Hiro interrupted.


    As he interrupted Akashi''s conversation with his crush, Akashi began to stare at him with his eyes wide open.


    "It''s just that the news regarding the transfer of Takefusa Kubo to the world renowned club ''Real Madrid'' has been pasted on the notice board. That''s why everybody''s gathered there to read the news."


    "Seems like the prophecy was meant for someone else." Akashi whispered in delirium as he heard the news from Sumi Nanami.

 Chapter 53 New Era

    <h4>Chapter 53 New Era</h4>


    With the transfer of Takefusa Kubo to Real Madrid, changes were taking ce in Japanese football.


    Just a year before Vissel Kobe, a professional football club which yed in Japanese league 1 had secured the signature of one of the greatest midfielder in the world. It had managed to sign Andres Iniesta from Barcelona.


    Also at that same year in 2018''s world cup, Japanese men''s national team had performed really well in the tournament.


    Even though they had been ced in the group with the likes of Colombia, Senegal and Pnd, they had managed to defeat Colombia, a country from south America which performed really well in the previous world cup.


    With James Rodriguez winning the golden boot, they had managed to reach quarter finals of the world cup 2014.


    Japanese team also managed to pull out a draw against Senegal, one of the powerhouse football nation of African continent.


    However they fell short against Pnd as they suffered a narrow defeat of 1:0.


    Even so, they still managed to secure a spot on the round of 16 by cing second in their group. While both Senegal and Japan were tied in score points, they managed to ce above Senegal on overall goal difference and barely clenched the second spot in their group.


    In round of sixteen they faced against Belgium, the team which was ranked 1st in FIFA men''s team ranking that year. With all the yers from it''s golden generation being at their absolute peak, they were one of the favourites to win the tournament.


    Belgium with the likes of Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne and many other world ss yers was a team packed with stars.


    Even so, they held their ground against that star packed team of Belgium and demonstrated a spectacr game worthy of praises. However they still couldn''t pull up a victory against that star packed team of Belgium and suffered a defeat of 3:2. And just like that their journey in 2018 world cup came to an end.


    And even though their journey came to an end that year, everybody could see that football was developing rapidly in Japan.


    **** ****


    As Nanami Sumi broke the news regarding the transfer of Takefusa Kubo to Real Madrid, something clicked in him.


    ''I must make my decision today as well.''


    Some months ago, Eric had notified him about the interests from several youth teams from all over Japan.


    However he had been dying his decision since he still had more than a year left before he could graduate from elementary school.


    But now that the tides were getting stronger, he''d have to either jump onboard or get left behind. And if he wanted to aplish his goals, he couldn''t afford to stay still.


    While thinking about the changes taking ce in Japanese football, he had been staring nkly at the ground beneath his feet.


    "Hiro!! Hiro!!"


    Upon seeing him staring nkly at the ground for a long time, Nanami began to call his name.


    As she called his name, he abruptly lifted his head up and turned his gaze towards her.


    Her brows drawn together, she began to ask questions him as she moved closer to him. "Are you not feeling well Hiro?"


    Her words brought him back to his senses.


    "Ah!! Yeah!! I''m alright." He took a step back and blurted out as he regained back his senses.


    She then paused her movement as she noticed him stepping back. "Oh okay!!" She mumbled and retracted her step.


    "Nanami!! Sizuka sensei is looking for you." A female student with sses who came out nowhere eximed as she noticed Nanami conversing with Hiro and Akashi.


    "Wait for a minute. I''ll go to her office right away." She intoned. "I''ll have to leave for now. So let''s continue our conversation some other times."


    "Well then! It was nice talking to you Hiro kun, Nobara kun." She wished them well while revealing a gentle smile in her face and left the scene.


    And as soon as she left, Akashi who had been silent for a long time, suddenly opened his mouth.


    "Man! There''s something really magical in her smile. Whenever she smiles, my heart starts to beat faster. I just can''t stop looking at her." Akashi intoned sounding all excited.


    "Yeah!! Yeah!! Now let''s head to ss."


    He couldn''t care less about her smile or her beauty. All he cared about was improving himself and achieving his goals.


    **** ****


    Later at that night, he was sitting all by himself at his study table scribbling something on a sheet of paper.


    In that sheet of paper names of several teams were written in it. The names of written on the paper read as such;


    "Vissel Kobe, Yokohama F Marinos, FC Tokyo, Urawa Red Diamonds, Kashima Antlers, Cerezo Osaka, Gamba Osaka and Kawasaki Frontale."


    "If I want to improve myself and debut early, this are the teams I should chose." He contemted as he looked at the list of teams he prepared.


    "I''ll only be 12 years old by the time I graduate elementary school. And because of that, they might ce me in U-15 category instead of U-18. And in U-15 category the previous year''s winner was FC Tokyo. However Kashima Antlers also managed to reach the final in the previous year''s U-18 category. "


    "Also if I join Kawasaki Frontale, I might even get to y with Kaoru Mitoma for a brief moment. And if I join Vissel Kobe, I might get to y with Iniesta too. Damn every team looks promising." He rubbed his hair with both of his hands as he tried to choose the team he should join to elevate his career further.


    Even though he was scouted by most of the teams, not everyone granted him direct entry in their club. Some of them had ced some conditions as well. They had ced a condition that required him to pass their trials if he wanted to enroll in their academy.


    "Argh!! What should I do?" Unable to decide on the team, he kept on staring at the list he prepared.


    Feeling restless, he hopped on his bed. With his face facing towards the ceiling, he held the list above his head.


    "Kawasaki Frontale and Vissel kobe looks the more promising option. But those teams are already packed with stars and I''m not sure if I''ll even get to y among such conditions. So I should probably look for the team where I can get decent ying minutes." He mumbled as he began to weigh the pros and cons of joining the top flight team.


    "But no!! I''ve promised myself that I won''t run away from challenges. If I don''t get ying minutes for being new then I''ll just have to demonstrate my skills and earn myself a spot in the starting eleven."


    His eyes glowed with determination as he clenched his fist. "Sess is earned not granted."


    However while feeling motivated, hepletely forgot that he was holding the list with the name of the teams in his hands.


    As he clenched his fist tightly, he crushed the list in his hands.


    "Ahh!! Ipletely forgot about the list." He mumbled as he began to retrieve the list back to normal.


    "If I''m gonna join a team then I''m gonna join the best one. Yes I''ve made my decision, I''ll give Eric the name of five clubs that I want to join. And I''m sure he can discuss with the club''s and find out the best one for me. Let''s leave the work of pros to pros."


    Saying such, he circled the name of five clubs from the list and stored the list inside his drawer.


    "I''ll have to work more harder now. Since I have enough points to upgrade the system, I should probably upgrade the system as well. That way I can gain more resources from the system and I can even unlock more features of the system. So it''s decided I''ll upgrade the system too." He mumbled as he began to think of upgrading the system.


    **** ****


    Early in the morning as he woke up from his sleep, he thought of calling Eric. But then again, he remembered that Eric was no longer in Japan.


    Eric had already departed for Ennd after few days from the day of the contract signing.


    And since Eric was in Ennd at that moment, there was a time difference of about 9 hours between the two countries.


    With Japan being 9 hours ahead of Ennd, calling him that early in the morning meant desturbing Eric''s sleep by calling him at the middle of the night.


    And thus he refrained himself from calling Eric early in the morning and decided to call himter in the night.


    "What time would it be in Ennd right now? Since we have a 9 hour time difference and it''s 5 AM here, it''s probably only 8 PM over ther right now. But knowing Eric he''s probably asleep at this moment."


    Since Eric started his day early in the morning, he used to sleep before 9 everyday if there wasn''t any work that required his attention.

 Chapter 54 Conversation

    <h4>Chapter 54 Conversation</h4>


    June 20, 2019


    London, Ennd


    Inside a neat and tidy spacious room at the 3rd floor of a 5 storeyed building in baker''s street, Eric was seen walking back and forth while going through somekind of documents.


    Flipping page after page, he was carefully reading each page of documents from the bundle of documents he held in his hands.


    asionally he would stop at his immacte office table to take a sip from the cup of hot coffee ced atop his table.


    His unusual action continued for a while. Just as he finished reading the final page of the document from the bundle of documents which he held in his hand, he stopped at his table and ced the documents atop the table.


    Just then as he was about to sit on the chair beside the table, he heard a knocking sound from the door infront of his work table.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    "Yes!! Come in." He mumbled as he sat down in his chair.


    "Eric I heard that you wanted to see me?" A dark-skinned individual with a short wavy hair spoke as he opened the door.


    "Yes Lucas! I''ve got something to discuss with you. Come have a seat."


    The individual with short wavy hair who walked inside his office was Lucas Silva. A 26 year old Brazilian yer who yed as a defensive midfielder for the English club Fulham in the EFL championship.


    Lucas was slightly taller than average people with the height of 6 feet 2 inches. Weighing almost 75 kg, he had a very well toned muscr body.


    Dressed in shorts and ck nylon t-shirt, his neatly trimmed beard gave him a handsome manly appearance.


    However his ck t-shirt could hardly conceal his robust muscles underneath. As impressive as his upper body muscles were, his lower body muscles were even more amazing.


    Overall Lucas Silva was a muscr, dark-skinned Brazilian with a robust body and handsome appearance.


    As Lucas sat in the sofa ced infront of the table, Eric revealed a grin on his face.


    "I''ve got a good news for you Lucas. Crystal Pce is showing great interest in you Lucas and they want to sign you." While resting his hands atop the table, he looked Lucas in his eyes and told him about the interest from Crystal Pce.


    "That''s some great news Eric. But what about Fulham? Have they given the green light for further discussion?" As happy as he was to get an offer from Crystal Pce, he was more concerned about the decision of his present club.


    Without their approval, the transfer would have been really hard to pull off. And he couldn''t even pressure the club because of his love for the club.


    Even though his contract was expiring within a year, he wanted to leave the club on positive terms. He didn''t want to leave the club in which he yed for 3 seasons on bad terms.


    "About that!! I''ve scheduled a meeting with the sports director of the clubter in the evening. But I''ve heard from Crystal Pce that it''s been already about a week since they submitted their offer for the transfer. However they still haven''t heard anything from Fulham. But you don''t have to worry about it Lucas. I''ll figure out something and I''ll definitely pull off this transfer."


    Since his contract was nearing it''s expiration, the club had tried to extend their contract with him. However Lucas wanted to leave the club and look for new challenges.


    And Eric had clearly told them about Lucas''s desire to leave the club about some months ago. And he had requested the club to put him on transfer or else he''ll have to leave for free.


    However the club was reluctant to let go of one of it''s star performer. They wanted to extend Lucas''s contract and tie him with the club for another 3/4 seasons.


    Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!


    While he was talking to Lucas, he was interrupted by the ring on his phone.


    "Give me a minute Lucas." He intoned as he stretched his hands inside his pocket and took his smartphone out.


    Despite having a telephone installed in his office, he had also provided his private number to handful of peoples to call him privately when needed.


    And among those handful of peoples, one was Hiro.


    "Oh it''s Hiro!" Eric eximed with a wide smile on his face as he noticed the number which was calling him.


    "Hello! Eric speaking."


    "Hello Eric! It''s me Hiro."


    "I know it''s you. I''ve saved your number in my phone." Eric mumbled while leaning back on his chair.


    "Oh!! Are you free right now? I''ve got something to discuss with you." Hiro asked Eric if he was busy at that moment.


    "Wait a moment." Eric replied as he lifted himself. He then casted a nce at Lucas and spoke; "Lucas! Can you wait until I hang up this call?"


    Lucas simply nodded his head and agreed to his request without a bit of hesitation.


    "Yeah!! I''m free. So tell me what are you going to talk about?"


    "I''ve decided to join a professional youth team. But I can''t decide which club to join. So would you lend me a hand regarding that matter?" Without beating around the bush, Hiro eximed his desire bluntly. He wanted Eric to help him with the selection of club that would be suitable to him.


    "Yes!! Why not? Have you picked the teams you''d like to join or do I have to pick it for you?" Eric inquired


    "No, no, you don''t have to do that much Eric. I''ve already prepared a list of five clubs. So I just want you to help me to select a club among those five clubs that would fit my ystyle." Hiro requested.


    "Oh okay!! Then go on. Tell me the name of those five clubs. I''ll look into them and provide you with an answer in about 2 hours."


    As Eric agreed to his request, Hiro opened his drawer and pulled out the list he had prepared the previous night.


    "Now I''m going to tell the names Eric." He mumbled while staring at the list.


    "Give me a second, I''ll note it down." Eric took out a nk sheet of paper and a pen from his drawer.


    "Okay go on." He mumbled as he leaned closer to the table and prepared to write.


    "Yokohama F Marinos, Kawasaki Frontale, Kashima Antlers, Urawa Red Diamonds and Vissel Kobe. Did you get it all Eric or do you want me to repeat again?" Hiro inquired as he told him about the list of teams he prepared for himself.


    Scirbble!! Scribble!!


    "All noted. And you have even included the three teams which I personally think are the best ones for you." Eric intoned as he let go of the pen in his hands.


    "Can you look into this clubs and contact me after two hours Eric?"


    "Yeah!! Just give me some moment. I''ll call you after sometime."


    "Okay then thank you for your help Eric. I''ll hang up the call now. Have a good day." Hiro wished him well and hung up the call.


    "You too have a good day Hiro." He mumbled as he hung up the call from his side. "Ah!! It''s probably night there. Hahaha..."

 Chapter 55 Final say

    <h4>Chapter 55 Final say</h4>


    Eric began tough all by himself as he remembered the time difference between the two countries.


    "Seems like the person you were talking to means a lot to you Eric." Lucas eximed as he noticed Ericughing all by himself. "Also was it Japanese that you were speaking Eric?"


    "Hahaha..., Yeah!! He''s indeed someone special." Eric chuckled while putting the phone back in his pocket.


    "He''s a talent which I''ve scouted recently on my trip to Japan. The way he sees the field and exploits the spaces. His otherworldly first touch and ball control. His dribbling apanied by his explosive pace. Everything about him is top notch." Eric kept on singing the praises of Hiro infront of Lucas without stopping.


    While Eric was singing the praises of Hiro, Lucas kept on staring at him with a smile on his face.


    The words of Eric had piqued his interest on the yer which he was mentioning about.


    "You might think that I''m overexaggerating. But trust me Lucas, he has the capability to be one of the best in the world." Finally he finished his sentence as he paused to take a moment to breathe.


    "Woah!! That''s a lot of praises. If you''replimenting him that much then he must be quite an extraordinary yer." Lucas murmured while staring at Eric in awe.


    "So when are you nning to present that talent to Europe?" Lucas questioned.


    "May be in about 8 years."


    As he heard Eric''s reply, Lucas abruptly rose from his seat.


    "Huh 8 years!! That long? Don''t tell me that he''s a thirteen year old boy now." Lucas blurted out in disbelief.


    "No, no..., he''s not a thirteen year old." Eric replied casually.


    "Then why so long Eric?" Lucas questioned while lowering himself to take his seat, once again.


    "Well he''s only ten years old right now. So it''ll take him about 8 years to reach Europe." Once again Eric replied casually as if it wasn''t a big deal.


    The casual tone of Eric had caught him off-guard. And thus after hearing his reply, he murmured without thinking;


    "Hmmm....., So he''s only ten years old huh?"


    While cing his left hand on his chin and with his eyes closed, he slightly nodded his head.


    Suddenly his eyes widened as he realised something.


    "Huhhhhhh!!!Ten year''s old??"


    The frequency of his tone increased as he abruptly rose from his seat in disbelief, once again.


    "He''s still a kid Eric." Lucas intoned while staring at Eric with his eyes wide open.


    Upon witnessing the expression on Lucas''s face, Eric rose from his chair and began to walk towards Lucas.


    "Indeed!! He''s still a kid Lucas. But just because he''s still a kid doesn''t mean his talent isn''t real. Remember, Barcelona had discovered about Messi''s potential while he was still a kid as well." Eric mumbled while walking towards him.


    "I''m not doubting your ims Eric. But how amazing can a kid who''s only ten year''s old be for you topliment him that much?" Lucas inquired.


    Upon hearing his questions, Eric took his phone out from his pocket and clicked on the newtube. He then began to search for Hiro''s newtube channel''s name on the search bar.


    "You''ll know once you look at this video." Eric eximed while handing over his phone to Lucas.


    "Except some moment of entertainment, what''s even there to learn from a kid''s newtube video?" Lucas mumbled while turning his attention towards the video.


    He wasn''t the type of person who liked to waste his time by spending time on social media. Most of the times, he preferred to spend his time in gym and train himself.


    He simply was the type of person who''d rather spend time improving himself than waste his time on something meaningless.


    In simple words, he was a hardworking person who was very serious about his career.


    And as soon as he had heard about the age of the yer which Eric was mentioning about, his interest in him had already died down. But despite that he had reluctantly agreed to watch the video for Eric''s sake.


    And by no means was he interested in watching a kid''s newtube video. And if it weren''t for Eric''s pestering, he wouldn''t have even nced at the video when there was a much serious issue left to be discussed.


    They still had to discuss about Lucas''s transfer to Crystal Pce.


    "So he''s performing a crossbar challenge huh?" Lucas mumbled while gazing at the phone in his hand.


    In that video, Hiro had performed two challenges and crossbar challenge was the first one.


    He had tried to hit the crossbar continuously from five different spots in that video. Three from outside the box and one each from either side of the corner.


    "Not bad!!" Lucas mumbled after witnessing his first kick from the middle spot of outside the box. "But is it all that he''s capable of?"


    The next two kicks were from the right and left edge of the D-box. And he hit the crossbar from both the spots as well.


    "Three on three." Lucas mumbled as he witnessed him urately hitting the crossbar from three different spots consecutively.


    "Oh!! He''s heading for corner now. That''s a bit challenging." Lucas mumbled while watching Hiro walk towards the left corner of the pitch for his fourth kick.


    "And he makes it four on four. But it must be a fluke. Or he might have even took several kicks before posting the video on newtube." Still unwilling to ept Hiro''s talent, he wasn''t impressed by his challenges.


    Hiro had precisely hit the crossbar from five different spot in that video without missing a single one.


    And for the next challenge, he had performed freekick challenge in which he had taken three freekicks from three different spots on the field. Thest one being from the kickoff spot.


    "If it isn''t staged or edited then I must say that boy is indeed talented. But if it''s staged then all I can say is that you''ve been fooled Eric." Lucas eximed while returning him his phone back.


    "What do you take me for Lucas? I''m not someone stupid who can''t differentiate between an influencer and an athlete. I''ve seen him y live with my own eyes. And in this video you haven''t even seen a tenth of what he''s capable of." Eric exasperated while returning back to his chair.


    **** ****


    At around 9 PM while being seated at his study table, Hiro kept on looking at his phone, time and again, awaiting for Eric''s call. Continuously tapping his foot against the floor, he couldn''t stop himself from checking his phone.


    "Eric said that he would call me in two hours. But it''s already been two hours so why is he not calling me?" Hiro murmured while staring at his phone.


    "Should I call him instead?" Hiro mumbled while stretching his fingers towards Eric''s phone number.


    "No it''ll make me look impatient. Let''s just wait for a little more. And if he doesn''t call me in an hour, I''ll call him myself."


    Saying such, he pulled his hand back and rose from his chair to divert his attention from his phone. And somehow he managed to refrain himself from calling Eric.


    "Now what should I do to keep myself upied for an hour?" He wondered.


    "May be I can juggle the ball for about an hour." Saying such, he walked towards the ball which was kept beside his closet.


    And just as he was about to lift the ball up, he remembered that it was still night time. "Thank god!! I didn''t hit the ball or else I would have woken up my parents."


    "So now what should I do to pass time?" He wondered after barely stopping himself from juggling the ball sote in the night at his room.


    "May be I should watch the highlight of the previous year''s world cup final." He mumbled as he sat down and grabbed his phone.


    "Man I want to represent my country too!!" He whispered as he witnessed Mbappe winning the world cup at the only age of neen. "I should probably aim for the 2023''s U-17 world cup. At that time I would be fourteen by then."


    He began to imagine himself already in the pitch wearing his country''s jersey.


    Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!


    Just then while he was dreaming about making his debut for his national team, his phone started to ring.


    Coming back to his senses, he looked at his phone and noticed Eric''s number. Eric was finally calling him after 2 and half hours.


    "Hello Eric!!" He spoke as he brought his phone closer to his ear after picking Eric''s call.


    "Hiro!! I''ve talked with the coaches of the five teams you''ve mentioned about. And although each and every one of their project seems promising. I have narrowed the list on to two from the original list of five teams." Eric replied


    "You should go with either Kawasaki Frontale or Yokohama F Marinos." Eric gave his decision. "Although both of the teams wants to test you out before signing you. But you should go with either of the two teams. Based on the performance you show them during the test they are willing to provide you with full schrship that would cover your expenses for dorm fee, school fees, travel expenses and everything you''d require during your stay at the club."

 Chapter 56 Trip to Kawasaki

    <h4>Chapter 56 Trip to Kawasaki</h4>


    June 27, 2019


    At around 8:10 AM.


    While Hiro was packing his cleats and shin guards in his bag, he heard his mother''s voiceing from downstairs.


    "Hiro hurry up!! We''ll miss the flight if you continue to dy us like this."


    Just as he heard her voice, he quickly stuffed his towel and spare clothes inside his backpack.


    After stuffing his spare clothes and cleats in his backpack, he zipped his bag. He then hurriedly grabbed a random shirt from his closet and began to get dressed.


    After getting dressed, he grabbed his backpack and left his room in a hurry.


    "Careful!! Careful!! You might trip and injure yourself." She mumbled as she saw him running down the stairs in a hurry.


    Even so he didn''t slow down his descent and continued to run down the stairs without paying any attention towards her words.


    "Jeez!! Just why do you always get sote?" She exasperated while looking at him. "You know that we''re only going there for you. And yet you''re acting such irresponsibly."


    "If you hadn''t slept back again after I woke you up, we wouldn''t have been rushing like this." She continued to nag him.


    As usual he had fallen back to sleep immediately after she had left his room after waking him up.


    "I''ll wake up on time from next time mom. But let''s hurry up for now. Or else we''ll really miss the flight." He mumbled as he finished tying hisces.


    Hiro and his mother were heading towards Kawasaki city which was located in kanagawa prefecture to visit the club Kawasaki Frontale.


    About a week ago, he had agreed to go with Eric''s decision of checking out both the clubs which he had shortlisted for him.


    And thus for that reason, he was leaving for Kawasaki city with his mother to visit the one of the short listed club by Eric.


    While his father couldn''te with them because of his work, his mother was apanying him on his trip to Kawasaki.


    "Mom!! Is dad really not going toe with us?" He questioned his mother while they were preparing to leave the house.


    Their trip to Kawasaki was a three day event. Though he was only required to show up at the club for a day. And he had two days left to spare. And in those leftover time, he could go sightseeing and enjoy his time at the city as much as he wanted.


    Thus, he wanted all of them to go together so that all of them could spend some quality family time together in a new city.


    "Dad''spany is really short on staff this time around. So we''ll have to go by ourselves this time. But he has promised to go with you for your visit to the next club." She replied with a smile on her face.


    Even though she too was upset by his absence, she kept the smile on her face, nheless.


    She didn''t want to show her worried expression to her son. And thus while replying to him, she forced a smile on her face.


    **** ****


    After about half an hourter, they arrived at the entrance of the airport in a cab.


    As the cab drove inside the airport, he noticed a lot of people in the airport while peeking outside his window. And even though it wasn''t a weekday, the airport was still flooded with people''s going in and out of the airport.


    "Here is your 5000 yen." She handed the cab fare to the driver after he finished unloading their luggage.


    "Thank you for riding in my cab." After receiving the money, the cab driver wished them well and stormed outside the airport.


    "Now should we hurry up inside as well?" His mother inquired as she took out a handle bar from the luggage bag.


    "Ummm"


    He nodded his head and started to walk towards the airport alongside his mother.


    After reaching the waiting room of the airport, his mother left him all by himself to go to the counter to verify their tickets.


    "May I have your tickets Mam." A youngdy who was wearing a maroon coloured uniform asked as she approached the counter.


    "Here you go." She took out tickets for two people from inside her ck coloured designer handbag with a logo of Sakura flower embedded on it and handed it over to the receptionist.


    "Let''s see. You''re flight is scheduled for 9:30 AM. Even though there''s still time left for the flight to depart. You''rete mam." The receptionist eximed as she began to verify her tickets.


    "I''m sorry." She apologized upon hearing her words.


    "All verified. Here you go Mam. Try to be on time from next time onwards. You might miss your flight if you don''t reach the airport on time." The receptionist from the counter advised her to be punctual from next time onward, while she handed back the tickets to her after verifying it.


    "Thank you for your service." She thanked the receptionist after receiving the tickets and walked towards the waiting room where Hiro was waiting for her.


    [Passenger for the ne Kawasaki 0H-6D that''s going to takeoff from Tokushima to Kawasaki at 9:30 AM are requested to head towards the boarding area.]


    "That would be our flight." She mumbled after hearing the announcement. "Let''s go"


    After passing through a security check-up and customs, they headed towards the boarding area where they boarded a bus that would take them to the ne.


    **** ****


    After traveling for about two and half hours, they finallynded on an airport near Kawasaki city.


    "Sigh!!"


    "Finally here." Hiro revealed a deep sigh and began to stretch his body.


    After reiming their luggage, they began to walk towards the waiting room.


    While walking towards the waiting room, they noticed a man dressed in ck suit holding a board with Hiro''s name on it.


    "That uncle must be the guy sent by the club." Hiro eximed while pointing at the man with the board with his name on it.


    Since they were new to the city, the club had hired a person to act as their guide. And that man who was holding the board with his name written on it was the person hired by the club to act as their guide during their time at the city.


    "Takahashi Hiro! That''s me." He spoke while approaching the man with the board.


    "Hello Hiro! I''m Yoichiro Musashi. The guy hired by Kawasaki Frontale to act as your guide during your stay at the city." That man dressed in the ck suit introduced himself.


    "And this here is my mother Takahashi Momo. You can address her as Mrs.Takahashi." While pointing at his mother, he introduced his mother to the man infront.


    "Hello Mrs. Takahashi." He greeted her while bowing his head.


    His mother greeted him back while bowing her head as well.


    "I have parked my car outside. So shall we head to your hotel first?" He inquired. "May I carry your luggage to the car Mam?"


    "It''s alright Mr. Musashi. I can carry the luggage by myself." She denied his help and insisted on carrying her luggage by herself.


    "Well if you say so. But it''s my job to assist you Mrs. Takahashi. So I insist you to hand me the luggage." He asked politely.


    Even though she had denied his help previously, he was adamant to do the job he was hired for.


    Hearing such polite words from him, she could no longer refuse his help. And hence she agreed to let him carry their luggage towards the car.


    After about 20 mins of driving, they arrived at their hotel.


    "Damn!! The hotel looks too nd." Hiro mumbled while rubbing his eyes.


    He couldn''t believe that it was the ce where they were going to spend two nights.


    "Mom is this the correct hotel?" He questioned his mother while pointing at the hotel infront.


    With nothing fancy, the hotel looked very ordinary. Ordinary to the point where one could hardly tell if it was even a hotel or not.


    And if not for the sign of hotel, people might even mistook it for someone''s house.


    The hotel was a three storeyed building made up of red bricks and tiles on the nted roof atop with a smallwn infront.


    "Yes!! It''s the hotel where we''ll be staying during our time at the city." His mother addressed to his ims while taking out the luggage from the car.


    And just as she took out the luggage, she narrowed her eyes towards him and eximed;


    "Do you have any problem with my arrangements?"


    "But why such bor-" Just as he was about to speak something, he paused midway after noticing her gaze towards him. "No mam! I''ve got no problems."


    He quickly changed his sentence after witnessing her gaze.


    "Good! It was the only cheap hotel I could find on the inte afterall." She eximed as she diverted her attention towards the hotel.


    Except for the guide hired by the club, they weren''t sponsored for their trip to Kawasaki by the club.


    And his mother had to pay the expenses out of her own pocket. Thus, she had tried to cut as much expense as possible by selecting the cheapest hotels.

 Chapter 57 Time at the hotel

    <h4>Chapter 57 Time at the hotel</h4>


    After spending almost an entire day, sleeping in his hotel room, his eyes opened as the golden rays of the setting sun fell on his eyes after piercing it''s way through the gaps of the curtains.


    While still lying on his bed with his eyes open, he leisurely turned his head around and strolled his eyes towards the window at his right.


    Even though the long red coloured curtains dangled freely infront of the window while blocking the rays of sunlighting from outside, somehow from the gaps of the curtains the light from the sun still managed to find it''s way inside the room.


    And those strands of lights which pierced through the gaps of the curtains was painting the whole room in warm colours.


    The familiar yet unfamiliar room which he had been staying in for less than 6 hours was dimly lit in golden hues.


    With nothing fancy, the room consisted of two beds which were palced side by side with only a single drawer separating the two of them from merging into a single bed. The gap between the two beds was barely enough to fit two people when ced side by side.


    At the end of his feet, at a certain distance away from his bed there lied a simple closet made up of wood.


    With nothing besides two beds, a closet and a drawer, the only attraction in the room was a white coloured flower vase made up of porcin y with patterns of blue hibiscus embedded on it, ced atop the drawer.


    After looking around for a while, he rose up from his bed and walked towards the window.


    He then pushed aside the curtains and opened the window. Just as he opened the window, a gust of cold breeze rushed towards him from the open window.


    While trying to shade his eyes from the cold breeze, he immediately lowered his head and covered his eyes with his right hand. His curly ck hair and the curtains dangled and danced as the gust of cold breeze blew past them.


    Finally as he lowered his hands and opened his eyes, he noticed his mother seated in the front yard alongside with the owner of the restaurant who happened to be an elderly old woman.


    Since he had only met her for a brief moment while checking in, he didn''t have much information about her. The only thing he knew about her was her name.


    "What is she talking with Mrs. Mori." He mumbled while looking at them.


    Seeing his mother and the owner cheerfully gossiping with each other while sipping tea in the front yard, he wondered what they were gossiping about. Those cheerful smiles made him curious about the topic of their gossip.


    Growl~~


    Just as he was observing his mother and the owner of the hotel gossiping in the front yard, his stomach made a growling noise.


    "Seems like I need to eat something first." He mumbled while grabbing his stomach.


    Since he hadn''t ate anything since morning besides the light meal provided in the airne, it was only natural for his stomach to make such weird noises.


    After that he rushed downstairs towards the dining hall, to get something to eat. And since the dining hall was just at the right side of the entrance of the first floor, he had remembered it''s location earlier when they checked in for their room.


    While walking down the stairs, he noticed a young girl with pale white skin and straight ck hair sitting in the reception desk.


    Upon casting his gaze at her, he started to wonder about the identity of the girl infront.


    Afterall her face was new to him and he hadn''t seen her during his earlier visit.


    And just as he was about to walk past her, the girl from the reception spoke;


    "You must be Hiro right?"


    "Er... Um... Yes!!" He replied while slightly nodding his head.


    "How did you know my name?" He questioned her while slowly wandering his eyes towards her. Since he hadn''t introduced himself to her, it was only natural for him to wonder how she had came to know about his identity.


    "You and you''re mother are the only guest staying in the hotel today. So it''s only natural for me to know your name." She replied while smiling.


    Since most of the people preferred to stay at a fancy restaurant during their trip away from home, the hotel that they were staying in wasn''t famous among the people and it was almostpletely empty at the time of their stay.


    And because of it''s dull appearance, people normally avoided that hotel even though it was way cheaper than other fancy restaurants.


    And that day only he and his mother were staying at the hotel.


    "That makes sense." He mumbled after hearing her answers. "Are you one of the employee who works in this hotel?"


    "Hahah... Yeah, you can say that." She chuckled while replying.


    "But aren''t you a bit too young to work?" He questioned her, feeling all confused.


    Since her appearance was that of a young girl in her teens, he couldn''t help but wonder her reason behind working in that hotel.


    "Oh my!! Are you asking me about my age? You do know that It''s rude to ask a girl about her age?" Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth while looking at him. She then started to tease him in her girly voice. "Also aren''t you moving way too fast. I mean you don''t even know my name yet."


    She continued to tease him, while hiding her smiles behind her hands.


    Upon hearing her replies, his cheeks started to turn as red as an apple. Blinking his eyes rapidly, his heart skipped a beat as he noticed her smiling face. He began to have trouble maintaining eye contact with her. And thus, he diverted his gaze away from her.


    However her teasing continued. And just when he was about to open his mouth, he heard a voice from behind him.


    "Oh!! Hiro!! You''re awake."


    The voice belonged to his mother.


    As he turned behind to face his mother after hearing her voice, he found her standing infront of the entrance alongside the owner of the hotel.


    With a rtively small stature of 5 feet 2 inches, her time-worn pale skin was covered with wrinkles around her eyes and temple.


    While looking at her, one could hardly ignore her winter-white hair atop her head and the mole beside her monolid eyes. They were the defining features of her face.


    "Aiyo!! Aiko!! When will you stop with your jokes." Mrs. Mori spoke while looking at the girl at the receptionist desk.


    "I didn''t mean to tease him grandma. But what can I do, his reaction was just too cute to ignore." The girl at the reception desk replied while stillughing.


    "Sorry for my granddaughter''s immaturity. Despite being an adult, she still acts like an immature kid." Mrs. Mori apologized to Hiro for her granddaughters behaviour.


    The girl sitting infront of him was Aiko Mori, the granddaughter of the owner of the hotel.


    "Oh no!! You don''t have to apologize. I don''t mind." He spoke while turning his head slightly towards the girl at the reception desk and stealing a nce of her.


    "You should learn something from this boy here. Despite being only 10 years old, his behaviour is much more mature than you who''s already 18 years old." Mrs. Mori spoke while staring at her granddaughter.


    "What you''re only 10 years old?" Aiko intoned with her eyes wide open.


    As he heard her, he simply nodded his head without speaking anything.


    "And here I thought thay you''d be at least 15 or 16 years old."


    Because of his actions and bodily features, she had assumed him to be a teenager at the least.


    "And here I got my hopes up for nothing. Just what kind of sports do you y to build such an amazing body?" She whispered while diverting her eyes away from him.


    "Forgive her for saying such things. She is just influenced by those k-pop stuffs. And because of that she just can''t control herself whenever she sees a boy with pretty appearance like that of yours." Mrs. Mori mumbled while trying to shrugg her whining.


    Aiko was a girl who was 18 years of age with a round shaped face. With a little mascara over her monolid eyes and some lip gloss on her lips, she had done some light makeup over her face.


    And just like many girls her age, she was a k-pop fan girl. Meaning she idolised those pretty boy''s from the korean music groups and simped over them.


    And even the reason why she started conversation with him was because of his pretty appearance.


    "Forget about her. I heard that you haven''t eaten anything since yourst meal at the ne." While Aiko was muttering something by herself in the background, Mrs. Mori inquired him if he was feeling hungry or not.


    Hearing her words, he nodded his head.


    "Let''s go and have something to eat. You need to maintain your body inorder to be a good footballer afterall." She mumbled as she started to lead the way towards the dining hall.


    "Footballer!!" Aiko shouted as she heard the word footballer.

 Chapter 58 Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium

    <h4>Chapter 58 Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium</h4>


    June 28, 2019


    With the appearance of the golden light across the sky from the east side of the horizon, the shimmering lights of twinkling stars started to fade away, along with the ck heavens.


    Slowly and gradually as the brightness of the golden light intensified, the piping hot red sphere of sun made it''s appearance from the direction of the light.


    And as the sun began to rise over the horizon, the sky became aglow with a tapestry of red and orange hues.


    While Hiro was taking his sweet time packing his cleats and shin guards inside his bag in his hotel room, Mr. Musashi was waiting for him outside his hotel.


    "Hiro hurry up!! We need to leave ASAP." His mother spoke while putting on her shoes. And as she finished putting on her shoes, she ced the key of the room on the bed close to the door. "I''ll be waiting for you outside. So make sure toe fast. And make sure to lock the room before you leave, okay?" Saying such she grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. She then opened the door and left the room in a hurry.


    Finally as he finished packing his stuffs inside his bag, he zipped his bag. He then lifted his bag and left his room in a hurry. Running down the stairs, he rushed outside the hotel.


    "Good morning Hiro." Mr Musashi greeted him while opening the door of the car for him.


    "Good morning Mr. Musashi." Hiro greeted him back while hopping inside the car.


    And as he made himselffortable, his mother and Mr. Musashi both of them hopped on the car as well.


    While Mr. Musashi took the steering, his mother sat beside him in the back seat.


    "Fasten your seatbelt." Mr. Musashi spoke as he stepped on the elerator.


    **** ****


    After about twenty minutes of car ride, they arrived near the stadium of Kawasaki Frontale club.


    "We''re here." Mr. Musashi eximed while driving the car towards the stadium of the club.


    "Where??" Hiro mumbled while looking outside the window.


    While casting his gaze outside the window, he noticed several buildings and stores painted in ck and blue colour.


    Almost every store and the buildings were showcasing either the banner of the club or the logo of the club.


    While driving through those streets painted in ck and blue, Hiro couldn''t refrain himself from feeling excited.


    And even though, he didn''t see the stadium of the club while looking outside his window, he could feel the attachment of the people living in those streets for the club in their neighborhood.


    "Look ahead." Mr. Musashi spoke while driving the car in a straight road between the streets.


    The stadium of the Kawasaki Frontale club was just at the end of the straight road which they were driving in, at the moment.


    Upon hearing his reply, he excitedly took his head out from the window and looked infront of him.


    The giant stadium of Kawasaki Frontale club which had the capacity to host more than 26 thousand people at once became even more gigantic as they approached near the stadium.


    "Don''t stick your head outside the window." His mother intoned as she pulled his head inside.


    "Sorry!! I got too excited." He apologized for his reckless behaviour.


    Finally as they arrived infront of the entrance of the club, Mr. Musashi hit the break all of a sudden.


    The gate ahead was blocked. A ck and yellow striped log like structure was ced at the entrance blocking the pathway of the vehicles and also preventing people from entering the club.


    Just then a man dressed in blue uniform made his way towards their car.


    "The stadium has not opened yet." The man spoke grumpily as he got near to the car.


    "I''m hired by the club." Mr. Musashi spoke as he pulled out a card from his pocket. He then handed the card to the man infront of the car.


    The man kept on staring at the card for a while. And as he finished checking the validity of the card, the man lifted the barrier.


    "I''m sorry I didn''t realise that you''re hired by the club." The man in uniform apologized for stopping them previously while letting them inside the gate.


    "No worries. You''re only doing your job." Mr. Musashi replied while driving past the guard, towards the parking lot.


    And as he parked his car, Hiro and his mother got out of the car. Giant posters of the yers of the club were disyed on the outer walls of the stadium.


    Alongside the posters was a gigantic painting of the club''s logo. With a picture of dolphin in between the vertical stripes of ck and blue, the logo waspleted with a gigantic text of Kawasaki above the dolphin.


    He marveled while looking at those posters and the gigantic stadium infront of his eyes.


    "Let''s head inside." Mr. Musashi spoke as he got out from his car.


    After parking the car at the parking lot, Mr. Musashi began to guide them inside the stadium.


    And even after verifying their identity at the front gate, they still had to verify their identity and purpose multiple times to the staffs while making their way towards the ground.


    Finally after walking for a while, he found himself infront of the tunnel which lead to the pitch of Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium.


    While inside the stadium, he wandered his eyes around him. The walls were painted with portraits of the club legends and philosophy of the club.


    Suddenly while making his way towards the pitch, the surrounding around him started to get darker.


    ''Why did it get dark all of a sudden.'' He wondered as his eyes struggled to adapt to the darkness.


    "Careful!! There are stairs infront." Mr. Musashi warned him, while leading the way.


    Just then as he casted his gaze towards the direction of Mr. Musashi, he noticed a sign glowing in red colour. The sign was indicating the presence of stairs infront.


    While walking down the stairs, he noticed a bright lighting from at the end of the tunnel.


    And as he made his way towards the light, he found himself at the pitch of the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium.


    "Woah!! The stadium looks damn magnificent." With his eyes opened and jaw dropped, he mumbled while looking at the seats of the stadium infront.


    The magnificent sight of the stadium had paralysed him in his ce.


    While he was marveling at the sight of the stadium, he heard a voiceing from behind him;


    "Magnificent right?"


    "I agree." He mumbled without thinking while staring at the stadium infront.


    "One day you''ll y in this stadium." The voice from behind him stated.


    Still unaware of the presence of the person behind him, he nodded his head.


    "Then can we start the trial now?"


    "Can''t we wait a little more Mr. Musashi." He spoke while turning his head back.


    And as he turned his head back, he was greeted with an unfamiliar face. Upon witnessing the unfamiliar person, he clumsily retracted a few steps back.


    For that whole time when he was hearing that voiceing from behind him, he had assumed that the voice belonged to Mr. Musashi.


    But on the contrary, the voice belonged to a silvery grey bearded old man with a dad bod.


    Dressed in a ck tracksuit and a whistle hung in his neck. With a round face and small monolid eyes, he had the appearance ofughing Buddha with grey beard.


    "May I ask who you are sir?" Hiro questioned the person infront.


    "Hahaha..., The man who''s going to conduct your trial today." The man replied whileughing.


    Just then Mr. Musashi made his way towards Hiro. "Oh you''ve already met him. He''s Makoto Kenzaki, the youth coach of Kawasaki Frontale club."


    The bearded man with a dad bod was the U-18 coach of the Kawasaki Frontale club.


    "What!!! He''s the coach!!!" Hiro blurted out in disbelief.


    He couldn''t believe how someone like him could coach a professional youth team.


    "Yes!! He''s the coach. So you should watch what you speak." Mr. Musashi intoned after hearing his poor choice of words.


    "I''m sorry Mr. Kenzaki. I didn''t mean to belittle you." Hiro apologized for speaking ill of him.


    "Hahaha...., Don''t worry!! Don''t worry!! I get that a lot." Mr. Kenzaki replied with a smile. He didn''t mind his choice of words. "I get that a lot afterall. But let me remind you, a coach works with his mind not with his body."


    "I''ll remember it from next time onwards." Hiro nodded his head.


    "Now then shall we test out your skills?" Mr. Kenzaki questioned while looking at him.


    Hiro nodded his head.


    "Then you should go get changed. Yoichiro will show you the way towards the locker room. And if you look at the front seat of the locker room you''ll find a jersey. Just change into that jersey ande to the pitch in 5 mins. I''ll test your physicality."

 Chapter 59 First test

    <h4>Chapter 59 First test</h4>


    After getting dressed in the jersey provided by the club, he made his way towards the pitch dressed in a ck and blue jersey.


    And as he made his way towards the pitch after getting dressed, he was greeted with yet another unfamiliar face in the pitch.


    Another old man who was dressed in a grey tracksuit was seen conversing with Makoto Kenzaki, the youth coach.


    "Now who is he?" Hiro blurted out all of sudden while witnessing the appearance of another unfamiliar face in the pitch.


    "He''s Nozomi Kenzaki, younger brother of coach Makoto Kenzaki. He''s the manager of U-15 team of Kawasaki Frontale club. And he''s also the assistant of coach Makoto." Mr. Musashi who was apanying him, replied after hearing him.


    Unlike Makoto Kenzaki, the manager of U-18 team, his younger brother Nozomi Kenzaki had a rather tall and emaciated body.


    With a rather emaciated face with revealing cheek bones apanied by his monolid eyes, the rectangr clean shaven face of manager Nozomi gave Hiro the impression of Frankenstein.


    "Go warm up and loosen up your body." Manager Makoto spoke as he approached him, while setting up the training cones in a zigzag pattern.


    Hearing such he began to stretch his body. For about a minute, he stretched his lower body. After that he shifted his focus on his upper body for another minute. And finally for about thirty seconds, he performed an aggressive sprint toplete his warm up.


    "Hiroe here." Manager Makoto yelled while calling his name.


    Just as he finished his sprint, manager Makoto called him. Hearing him calling his name, he immediately ran towards him.


    "I believe you have finished warming up right? Or do you still need some more time to warm up?" Manager Makoto asked while looking at him.


    "No sir! I''ve warmed up enough." Hiro intoned in a loud voice.


    "Good. Then let''s start the test without any dy. We''ll be recording your pace on and off the ball for our first test. Do you see that ball over there?" Manager Makoto spoke while pointing at the ball at the kickoff spot.


    "Yes sir!" Hiro intoned while nodding his head.


    "For your first test. I want you to sprint from this side of endline towards that ball as fast as you can. And as you reach the ball, I want you to again sprint towards the opposite endline with the ball without pausing in between. Do you understand?" Manager Makoto began to exin him about his first test.


    He wanted him to sprint towards the ball which was ced at the kickoff spot from the endline of one side. And after reaching the ball, he was again required to sprint towards the opposite endline with the ball on his feet without stopping.


    The test was designed to test his pace both on and off the ball.


    ''Well apart from the length of the field, the test doesn''t look that challenging.'' Hiro thought while looking at the ball infront.


    Just when he was taking the test lightly, manager Makoto added another condition.


    "Also whileing back, you need toe with the ball. And do you see this cones ced infront of you?" Manager Makoto inquired while pointing towards the cones ced in a zigzag pattern.


    Hiro nodded his head.


    "This cones aren''t here for the show or for the next test. You need to dribble through this cones and shoot the ball inside the from outside the box. And only after the goalnds inside the, your time will be recorded. Do you understand??" He continued.


    ''The second condition has made the test a little more challenging. But it''s still manageable if I lower my pace in between.'' He thought while looking at the pitch.


    [Ding!!]


    [New quest unlocked]


    [Impress the Kenzaki brothers andplete the test given by manager Makoto in less than 3 minutes]


    [Reward onpletion: 1 golden roulette ticket.]


    [Penalty on failure: deduction of 5 random stat points.]


    [Note: The quest is mandatory and thus you cannot refuse the quest.]


    ''What!! This freaking system wants me to sprint this whole field without slowing down my pace. If I slow my pace even for a second I''ll fall behind the time set by the system and fail the quest." Hiro thought while contorting his face, after looking at the quest provided by the system.


    While looking at the quest provided by the system, he was lost in his thoughts. And thus, for a while he didn''t reply anything at all. He just kept on staring nkly at the system notification infront of his eyes.


    "Do you understand??" Manager Makoto yelled while looking at him.


    "Yes sir!!" Upon hearing his voice, he came back to his senses. Whileing back to his senses, he yelled on top of his voice


    Even though the quest was challenging, he was prepared to challenge himself to his limit. He was prepared to surpass his limits.


    Since his growth had became stagnant for quite a while, he had vowed to himself that he would take on any challenges without anyints.


    Thus, despite the challenging quest given by the system, he epted the quest without anyints.


    Smack!!


    "Good!! Then let''s start the test." Manager Makoto eximed while smacking him on his back.


    Along with coach Makoto and coach Nozomi, Hiro walked towards the endline of the pitch.


    And as he prepared himself to run, coach Makoto questioned;


    "Are you ready??"


    "Ummm...." Hiro mumbled while nodding his head.


    ''System activate skill focus.''


    [Skill focus activated]


    To immerse himself on the task infront of him, he activated the skill focus.


    Manager Makoto then lifted the whistle hung in his neck towards his lips.


    "3..2..1... Beep!!"


    As manager Makoto blew the whistle, manager Nozomi lowered his head towards the stopwatch in his hand and pressed the start button of his stopwatch.


    With the sound of whistle, Hiro stormed towards the ball ced at the kickoff spot.


    Because of the activation of skill focus, he was solely focused on the ball infront of him.


    "He truely runs like a wild horse." Manager Makoto mumbled in awe while witnessing his run.


    "Indeed it hasn''t even been 20 second''s and he''s already approaching the ball." Manager Nozomi replied while looking at his stopwatch.


    It didn''t take him long to reach the ball. Just within 25 seconds, he reached the ball.


    "May be he''llplete the test within two minutes." Coach Nozomi mumbled while pressing the stop button of his stopwatch.


    He then noted down his time on his notebook which he was carrying inside his tracksuit''s pocket.


    While looking at his impressive run, coach Nozomi assumed him to finish the test within two minutes.


    However, his speed decreased during his time at the ball. And by the time he shot the ball towards the goalpost after dribbling through the cone, 2 minutes 27 seconds had passed on coach Nozomi''s stopwatch.


    Beep!!


    As the ballnded inside the, coach Makoto blew his whistle and ended the first test.


    And as soon as the whistle sounded, he crashed down on the floor from exhaustion. Contrary to his expectation, sprinting the whole field was much tougher than expected.


    His final time was 2 minutes and 30 seconds.


    "Quite impressive timing for someone of his age." Coach Nozomi mumbled while looking at his notebook.


    Because of his impressive start, he had reached the ball at just 24.37 seconds. And if not for the ball slowing down his pace, he would havepleted the whole test within 1 and half minutes.

 Chapter 60 Second test

    <h4>Chapter 60 Second test</h4>


    Just as the first test came to an end with the sound of whistle from manager Makoto, Hiro threw himself on the ground and copsed on the floor.


    Huff!! Huff!!


    With steams of sweat oozing out from his body, he began to pant heavily while lying on the ground with his face facing the sky.


    ''Damn!! I never imagined that a three minute sprint would tire me out like this. I really need to work on my physicality to increase my work rate.'' He thought while shading his eyes from the sun.


    Just as he lifted his hand down and opened his eyes, a silhouette of a person appeared infront of him, blocking his view of the sky.


    While trying to get a better view of the person, he narrowed his eyes. And as he narrowed his eyes, the appearance of the person became much more visible. The person standing infront of him was manager Makoto Kenzaki.


    "Rest for about a minute and we''ll begin the second test immediately." Manager Makoto eximed while standing infront of him, shading him from the sun.


    **** ****


    While he was resting on the pitch, manager Nozomi walked towards the sidelines and brought a sack of balls with him.


    "Time''s up!! Now get up." Manager Makoto yelled after the specified time for rest came to an end.


    Hearing such, he pressed his hands on the ground and uplifted him from the ground. And as he uplifted himself from the ground, he brought his hand closer to his face and wiped off the sweat from his face.


    After wiping off the sweat from his face, he made his way towards the coaches.


    "Okay now we''ll begin the second test. For the second test we''ll be testing your ball control and shot uracy."


    "And to do that manager Nozomi will be supplying you with crosses from different spots on the field. And you can either shoot the ball after trapping the ball or you can shoot the ball at the very first touch. But remember you cannot touch the ball for more than two times. The crosses might be irregr too. So pay attention to the ball and watch out for wild passes."


    Just as he finished describing him about the second test, manager Makoto dropped an indirect hint.


    And for the second test, he was required to score goals from the crosses of manager Nozomi.


    As simple as manager Makoto made it sound, the second test was rather tricky. Since he had to predict the projectile of the ball and the type of pass before even trapping the ball or shooting the ball, he was required to pay extra attention to the ball.


    While trapping and shooting were the easiest part of the second test, the tricky part was to predict the projectile of the ball.


    ''Well aside from the wild passes which he mentioned about, there''s nothing else to worry about the second test.'' He thought after hearing the details of the second test.


    Just as he finished describing him about the details of the second test, manager Nozomi ran towards the left corner of the side of field they were staying in at the moment.


    "Okay are you ready?" Manager Makoto inquired after manager Nozomi assumed his position.


    He nodded his head slightly while assuming his position inside the penalty box.


    Beep!!


    Manager Nozomi performed a 3 second run up before kicking the ball inside the penalty box.


    The ball flew towards the outer edge of the penalty box. And since he had already predicted the projectile of the ball, he had already ced himself at the position where the ball was going tond.


    After assuming some height, the ball started to make it''s descent. And as the ball descended downward towards him, hefortably trapped the ball in his chest and shot the ball with his right foot in mid air before it even fell down.


    And as the ball left his feet, it flew towards the post like a missile.


    "Just like in matches. His first touch really is impressive." Manager Makoto mumbled in awe after witnessing his perfect volley.


    After that first volley, manager Makoto kept on supplying him with even more challenging crosses. Sometimes he made him run towards him with his short crosses while sometimes he made him run far away from him with his powerful long crosses.


    As if he was ying tennis with him with the football, he kept on making him run all over the pitch with his irregr crosses.


    But despite that he didn''t miss even a single ball. And neither did he touched the ball more than two times in that whole test nor did hein about the intensity of the test.


    ''Just when will this end?? Isn''t it already enough? Like you''ve already seen me score about 60 times without viting your conditions. Just how much more are you going to grind me?'' He mumbled while contorting his face.


    He then casted his gaze towards coach Nozomi who was assuming his position at right side of the halfline, preparing himself to take his 60th cross.


    "Huh!! Is he smiling?" He mumbled after witnessing the smile on manager Nozomi''s face.


    Witnessing his smile, he turned his gaze towards manager Makoto. And even he was smiling as well.


    While Hiro was suffering, both of the Kenzaki brothers were enjoying themselves.


    "I''m damn sure that the test should have ended way ago. But since I kept on scoring withoutining, they continued the test out of excitement." He mumbled while looking at their smiling faces.


    Since the coaches werepletely overtaken by their excitement, he decided to take the matter in his hands and end the test by himself. "I need to do something."


    Beep!!


    Just as manager Makoto blew his whistle, manager Nozomi shot the ball hard towards Hiro. At first the ball seemed like it was going to head right but because of the spin on the ball, it curved and changed it''s trajectory towards left.


    Predicting the trajectory of the ball, Hiro ced himself at the location where the ball was going tond. Determined to take the matter in his hands, instead of shooting the ball towards the post behind him, he shot the ball in mid air towards the opposite post.


    Although his shot wasn''t powerful enough to reach the opposite post without dropping, the ball still managed to find it''s way inside the opposite post after bouncing twice.


    "I think that much is enough for the second test." Manager Makoto mumbled while rubbing his hair.


    "Yeah!! I think it''s enough as well." Manager Nozomi parroted to his older brothers statement and agreed to end the second test.


    Sigh!!


    Hearing their statements, he revealed a deep sigh of relief while throwing himself on the ground once again. He was simply too exhausted to stand striaght.


    With that 60th cross, the test finally came to an end after almost an hour of shooting the ball repeatedly.


    "So how many did he score?" Manager Makoto inquired as he concluded the end of the second test.


    Along with supplying crosses to Hiro, manager Nozomi was also noting down his progress on his notebook.


    "60 out of 60. No misses. 39 without trapping and 21 with trapping." Manager Nozomi replied to manager Makoto''s question while looking at his notebook.


    "Damn!! He''s a monster." Manager Makoto intoned.

 Chapter 61 Results

    <h4>Chapter 61 Results</h4>


    After almost more than an hour and half, his trial came to an end. And if not for the senior team''s training which was going to start from 8:30 AM, they were even nning to carry out a third test and a fourth test.


    "Let''s wrap up today''s tests." Manager Makoto eximed while looking at his younger brother.


    "Yeah! This much is enough. We''ve seen what we were looking for." Manager Nozomi replied while scribbling something in his notebook.


    "And there''s still his match videos. We''ll extract the remaining data from there. So yeah let''s conclude the trial." Nozomi added.


    Just as the coaches concluded the end of the trial, Hiro''s mother and Mr. Musashi made their way towards the pitch.


    From the beginning of the trial, both of them were spectating the trial from the bench where the substitute yers sat during the match.


    "Since we still need to discuss the results of the trial with other staff members, we cannot provide you with our answers on the spot. But I can assure you that you can look forward to a good news and his future in Kawasaki. I''ll definitely vouch for his signing during the meeting." Manager Makoto eximed with a smile on his face while talking with his mother.


    To prevent the power from getting misused, no single person was given the full authority to trigger the signing or transfer of any yer.


    And thus amittee of staff members including managers, scouts and analysts was set up to initiate the signing or transfer of yer after analysing the data of the targeted yer for the betterment of the club.


    And both the senior team and the youth teams of Kawasaki Frontale club followed the same system. Thus despite being the head coach of U-18 team of Kawasaki Frontale club, manager Makoto couldn''t provide her with their decision right away.


    "It''s okay. We understand your situation." His mother replied in her soft voice upon hearing manager Makoto''s statement. "We are in no hurry as well. Since he still have more than a year left to graduate from elementary school. We''ll be waiting for the good news. And thank you for your trust in my son."


    Saying such she finished her sentence with a sweet smile.


    "Thank you for your understanding Mrs Takahashi." Manager Makoto thanked her.


    And in that way, his trial for Kawasaki Frontale came to an end.


    **** ****


    July 13, 2019


    At around 7 in the evening, Hiro was seated at his study table with his legs folded atop his chair. With his stationaries and textbooks scattered everywhere on the table, he was seated at the study table to study for an uing test.


    "Qn.7 Who discovered gravity?"


    "A: Albert Einstein"


    "B: Sir Isaac Newton"


    "C: Galileo Galilei"


    "D: Thomas Edison"


    "Since Galileo Galilei was the one who discovered telescope. And gravity is something rted to space. So it must definitely be him." He mumbled after reading the questions in his textbook.


    "The answer is C. I''m sure it''s the right answer. Hahaha.... Just why am I so talented? Hahahaha....." Whileughing like a maniac, he began to sing his own praises.


    "Now let''s check the answer." Saying such he flipped the page to check his answers.


    "Qn.1, Qn.2,.... here it is Qn.7." He mumbled while moving down his finger to the answer of question number 7.


    Just as he witnessed the answer, his legs which were folded atop his chair dropped down all of a sudden.


    "Huh!!! How is the answer freaking Sir Isaac Newton?" He exasperated while looking at the answer written on the textbook.


    Despite being a 27 year old from inside, his general knowledge was that of a 7 or 8 year old kid. And even back in his previous life, he hated studying. The only reason he passed school in his previous life was via cheating.


    "Argh!! Studying is damn frustrating. I''ll just carry the cheat as usual." He exasperated while leaning back on his chair.


    Just then his phone started to ring all of a sudden.


    Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!


    "It''s probably Akashi. He''s probably calling me to ask if I read anything at all." He mumbled while leaning his head back and staring at the ceiling above his head.


    "Argh!! Whatever!! Let''s just answer the call." Saying such he rose up from his chair and walked towards his drawer. Just as he pulled his drawer and picked his phone, he noticed the name of Eric on his phone screen.


    "It''s Eric not Akashi. I wonder why Eric is calling me at this moment. Perhaps he wants to talk about the trial at Kawasaki. Since I didn''t call him after the trial ended, he probably wants to inquire about the trial." Mumbling such, he picked the call.


    "I''m sorry for not informing you about the details of the trial Eric. I was nning to tell you about the details of the trial after reaching home. But because of the ne ride, I suffered through jetg. And after that I forgot to call you. So I''m really sorry Eric." Hiro kept on apologizing to Eric from the moment he picked the call, giving him absolutely no time to speak.


    "Hiro!! Hiro!! I''ve not called you to ask you about the trial. The coaches have already informed me about the results of the trials. So you don''t to worry about the trial." Eric tried to calm him down by assuring him that he didn''t need to worry about the details of the trial.


    "Huh!! It''s not about the trial?" Hiro questioned after hearing Eric''s response on the call.


    "No, no... I didn''t mean that. I''ve indeed called you to discuss about something rted to Kawasaki Frontale club. But I''ve not called you to inquire about the trial." Eric assured.


    "I''ve called you to inform you about the results of the trial." Eric continued.


    "The results are already out?" Hiro intoned in a state of shock.


    "Yes the results are out. You''ve passed their trials and they want to sign you Hiro." The frequency of Eric''s tone increased as he revealed him about the interest from Kawasaki Frontale club.


    ''Yes!! Yes!!''


    And as he heard about the result of the trial and Kawasaki Frontale''s interest in him, he clenched his fist. Since he was still on the call, somehow he kept his lips closed and prevented himself from screaming in joy.


    "And they''re even willing to provide you with full schrship. They are willing to cover your school fees, hostel fees, travel expenses, living expenses. But you''ll have to sign a contract that''llst till your 18 birthday with the club." Eric continued.


    After hearing about the length of the contract, the smile on his face started to fade away.


    "But what if I go pro? Do I need to abide by the same contract?" Hiro questioned.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. If you somehow debut as a professional yer before you turn 18, they''ll provide you with a contract befitting of the pro. So you don''t have to worry about your contracts at all. I''ll handle your contracts." Eric answered.


    "Don''t worry you''ll get paid once you debut as a pro." Eric continued.


    "So what will it be? Do you want to sign the contract?"

 Chapter 62 On to the new city

    <h4>Chapter 62 On to the new city</h4>


    October 30, 2021


    After spending almost an entire year in his home, he was set to depart for Kawasaki.


    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic which started from December of the year 2020, a nationwide lockdown was imposed.


    And because of that every schools, hospitals, sports clubs and public ces had to shut their door for almost about a year.


    While the league games were yed closed doors in an empty stadium, the youth league had to be suspended for the entirety of the 21-22 season.


    And because of that his arrival at the club was also dyed. Even though he was scheduled to depart for Kawasaki right after his graduation, his departure was pushed further for more than five months because of COVID-19 pandemic.


    While he graduated from elementary school in the year 2021, he was scheduled to attend the middle school from the april of that year. However due to the pandemic, he had to attend the sses from his home via his electronic devices for about six months.


    And the middle school which he attended online was a middle school based on Kawasaki which was affiliated with the club.


    But now that the restrictions were lifted, he was on his way to join the club.


    Early in the morning as the warm rays of the sun entered his room via window of his room, the particles of dust which were invisible to naked eyes danced underneath the sunlight.


    Unlike the days before, his usually messy room was unusually tidy that day. With his bed sheets neatly tucked and nkets folded, his bed was empty that day even though it was only 7:30 in the morning.


    Usually at that time of the morning, he would still be in his bed, lying atop it, while sleeping like a pig.


    However that day, he was nowhere to be seen in his room. The poster''s of the yers which he idolised were still hung on the walls. The medals and certificates, he umted throughout his elementary school years were proudly disyed at his cupboard.


    **** ****


    Dressed in a slim fitted blue jeans and white t-shirt, his outfit waspleted by oveying a light green coloured varsity jacket over his in white t-shirt and a Nike Jordan 1 retro high pine green beneath his feet.


    While he didn''t pay any attention towards his attire before, he had paid extra attention towards his attire that day because he wanted to leave a good impression on his new teammates with whom he was going to share his amodation with during his time at the club and he didn''t want them to see him as somekind of country bumpkin.


    That''s why he had spent almost an entire day scavenging through the inte in search of trendy attires which were trending at that moment.


    Just as he finished tying his shoeces, he stood up and began to dust his clothes. And as he turned around and lifted his gaze towards his mother, he found her with eyes full of tears.


    "Why are you crying mom? I''m only leaving for Kawasaki. I''m not leaving the country you know. And I''ll be back for every holiday." Hiro mumbled while stretching his hands towards her face to wipe away the tears from her eyes.


    "I know. It''s just I''ve never been away from you before." His mother replied in her crying voice.


    "Don''t worry mom, I''ll be alright." He eximed with a smile on his face.


    Hearing him exim such, she casted her gaze towards him. Upon seeing the smile on his face, she felt at ease. She then wiped away the tears from her eyes and looked at him.


    "Actually that''s what I''m worried about. You never wake up on time and you''re alwayste. I wonder how would they deal with yourziness." She teased him with a slight grin on her face.


    Hearing her teasing words all of a sudden, he got flustered.


    "Mom!!" He intoned while raising his voice.


    Just then his father opened the main door and interrupted them.


    "Hiro we''re leaving." He mumbled while entering the house.


    And just as he entered and casted his gaze towards the mother and son duo, he paused while witnessing their smiling faces.


    Hiro and his mother were cheerfullyughing.


    "What''s up with you two? Did I interrupt you two?" He questioned while looking at their smiling faces.


    "No, no, we were just talking about something with each other." His mother replied with a smiling face.


    Her response left him dumbfounded. Takashi couldn''t understand the reason behind their smiles.


    "Oh okay!! Then say your bye to your mother Hiro. The cab is waiting outside. So we''ll need to leave asap." Takashi mumbled while lifting Hiro''s suitcase. Not wanting to pry in their discussion, Takashi acted as if he wasn''t interested in their discussion.


    And just as he exited the house with Hiro''s suitcase, Hiro spoke;


    "I''ll be going mom. Take care of yourself. Don''t worry too much about me and don''t nagg dad too much."


    "Ummmm...." She nodded her head.


    "And when did I ever nagg your dad?" She intoned with her brows arched and eyes narrowed at him.


    It was clear from her facial expression that she wasn''t pleased with Hiro''s poor choice of words.


    Sensing trouble, he immediately changed his sentence.


    "Er.. No.. What I meant was forgive dad if you ever find him sneakily drinking beerte in the night."


    "Huh!! He drinks beer sneakilyte in the night when I''m sleeping?" She intoned while looking at him with her eyes wide open.


    "Let hime home after the trip. I''ll take his sses." She whispered underneath her breath.


    ''Sorry dad. You need to be the scapegoat of her wrath. If I didn''t tell her about this then she would have definitely started to nagg at me.'' He thought as he noticed her face turning red with anger.


    "Hiro hurry up!!" His dad yelled while calling out his name from outside the door.


    "Yes dad, I''ming." He yelled back as well.


    "Okay mom. I''ll be going then. Take care of your health. Bye!! Bye!!" Saying such, he threw himself towards her and locked his arms around her back.


    "You too son. Take care of yourself. I''m gonna miss you so much." The tone of her voice changed as she wrapped her arms around him and resonated to his feelings.


    After a moment of tight hugging, he loosened his grip from her and retracted his step.


    She too loosened her grip and set him free.


    And as he retracted his step while keeping his gaze fixated at her, he suddenly paused his movement just as he reached the door. He then gently waved his hands towards her while revealing a smile on his face and said;


    "Bye!! Bye!! Mom. I''ll be back after making a name for myself."


    She too waved her hand towards him with a smile on her face while standing straight at the same ce.


    He then left the house and walked towards the cab. Infront of the cab, his father was waiting for him.


    And just as he reached the cab, his father opened the door of the cab for him. He then hopped on the car and casted a final nce at his house.


    He noticed his mother who had followed after him standing infront of the door.


    "I''ll be back honey!" His father spoke as he hopped on the cab as well.

 Chapter 63 Youth hostel

    <h4>Chapter 63 Youth hostel</h4>


    ?


    Inside a three storeyed building which was located at a certain distance away from the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, two people were seen talking to each other while sitting at a table in arge hall with lots of dining tables and kitchen wares.


    "Isn''t the club nning on recruiting any new yer this year?" A tall guy with anky body spoke.


    "I''m not sure about it either. The club hasn''t organised any trial for this year. So may be no new yer will join us this time." The other guy with a small rounded face, who was seated opposite to the previous guy replied while grabbing a piece of fried shrimp from his te with his chopsticks.


    Because of the pandemic, the club hadn''t organised any trial for the year 21-22. And even for the U-18 team, the club had simply decided to promote the previous yers from U-15 team.


    Both of the two guys who were seated at the right corner table in the cafeteria had a bowl full of rice, a bowl full vegetable soup and a te full of fried shrimp ced infront of them.


    Just then another guy with somewhat tanned skin andnky body made his appearance towards the table where the two guys were seated while carrying a tray full of the same food as that of the two guys infront.


    "Yoh Hirato! Yoh Takekazu! What are you guys talking about?" Saying such in an enthusiastic voice, he ced the tray full of food atop the table and sat down.


    Takekazu Yokodera was the name of the tall guy and Hirato Hyakukai was the name of the other guy with a round shaped face.


    "Oh it''s you Shun. We were talking about this year''s trial." Hirato replied while turning his head towards Shun who came out of nowhere and sat beside him.


    "So it''s about the trial huh?" Shun mumbled while stuffing a chunk of rice in his mouth.


    "Since the club had cancelled the trial for this year, shouldn''t we face lesspetition for the spot in U-18 team this year? May be this year we might even get a chance to be promoted to the U-18 team as well." Hirato intoned feeling all excited.


    As mentioned by Hirato, the cancetion of trial by the club that year had indeed increased their probability to rise to the U-18 team.


    Since they had topete among themselves and not with other new yers, the probability to rise to the U-18 team was rather high that year.


    Nom!! Nom!!


    "Before talking about the promotion, you should probably work on losing your weight first Hirato." Shun mumbled with a straight face while stuffing his mouth with food.


    "Hahaha.... Yeah!! He''s right." Takekazuughed as he heard Shun''s words.


    Hirato who was grabbing a shrimp with his chopsticks, increased his grip all of a sudden and tore apart the shrimp into two pieces as he heard Shun''s remarks of him.


    "A yer should talk with skills not with body Shun." Hirato exasperated.


    He then abruptly turned his head towards Takekazu who was sitting infront of him and spoke in fury;


    "And what are youughing at you bald monk."


    As mentioned by Hirato, Takekazu had a clean shaven head and somewhat rounded face like a monk.


    Hirato who also happened to have a rounded face was somewhat overweight. With a rather small height of 4 feet 4 inches aspared to the two other guys seated alongside him, he was somewhat of a shorty.


    However in terms of footballing talents, he was much more talented than the other two guys.


    "Well at least I don''t look like a freaking squirttle. Hahaha...." Takekazuughed while mocking Hirato''s height.


    "And what exactly have you pulled off by being a 5 feet 5 inches central defender? The only thing that you''re good at is winning the aerial ball. You do remember the time when Sawamura from Yokohama F Marinos nutmegged you for more than 5 times in one single match right?" Hirato began to dug out the past mistakes of Takekazu after listening to his taunts.


    And as such, they got into a quarrel after the appearance of Shun. While they were arguing with each other, Shun kept on stuffing the food in his mouth while enjoying the show which he had orchestrated infront of him.


    After a moment of insulting each other, they came to a realisation.


    "Why exactly are we arguing with each other?" Hirato questioned.


    "Exactly!! Wasn''t it Shun who gaslighted you?" Takekazu nodded his head while pointing his finger towards Shun who was seated beside Hirato with mouth full of fried shrimps.


    "I only said Hirato to lose weight. After that it was all you guys." Shun mumbled with a straight face as if their arguments had nothing to do with him.


    "Well yeah he''s right too." Takekazu mumbled after hearing him. He couldn''t put the me on Shun, since what he had said was all true.


    Unable to put the me on Shun, both of them silently turned their attention towards their te. And as they turned their attention towards the te, they found their shrimps missing from the te.


    Realising that they have been yed by Shun, they abruptly turned their head towards him to vent their anger.


    However at that time, Shun rose from his seat and spoke;


    "I''m done guys. I''ll be leaving now. You guys can take your time."


    Saying such he began to walk away, as if nothing had happened. Takekazu and Hirato who had turned towards him to vent their anger were left dumbfounded by his actions.


    "What just happened?" Hirato questioned while staring nkly at his te.


    "Nothing much! We got yed by him. While we were busy arguing with each other, he ate the shrimps from our te leaving us with only rice and vegetable soup." Takekazu replied with a dumbfounded face while staring nkly at his empty tes.


    **** ****


    After about 2 and half hour ne ride, Hironded at the airport of Kawasaki with his father.


    "Should we head to the hostel right away or do you want to stop at a restaurant to eat something first?" His father questioned him while exiting the airport.


    Since he had already been there previously, the club hadn''t provided him with a guide that time around.


    "Let''s eat something first and after that we''ll head to the hostel." Hiro replied after a brief second of thinking.


    "Then wait here for a minute. I''ll go look for a cab." Saying such, his father walked towards the parking lot where the cabs were usually parked.


    "I''m finally here. I''m finally one step closer to my goal." He mumbled while looking at the bright blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds.


    The sky was unusually bright that day. With the sun at it''s zenith, the ambience around him was rather cold that day.


    Despite the sun being at it''s zenith, the temperature wasn''t as hot as it used to be during the month of june, july.


    "It''s not as hot as it used to be. I guess the winter is approaching." He mumbled while keeping his gaze fixated at the sky above.


    "The days will only get colder now. Nheless I must keep the fire inside me aze."

 Chapter 64 Youth hostel II

    <h4>Chapter 64 Youth hostel II</h4>


    At around 4 in the evening, he arrived infront of the hostel gate with his father.


    "So are we here?" His father questioned as the cab stopped infront of the hostel gate.


    "Seems like it." Hiro replied while looking at his smartphone. He was using Google map to guide the cab driver towards their destination.


    Despite visiting the city about two years ago, he had only visited the main stadium during his visit at that time. And thus, he himself had absolutely no idea about the location of hostel.


    Unaware of the location of the hostel, he even thought of visiting the stadium first. However because the senior team had a match that day, he was forced to look for the hostel instead.


    "But just in case let''s ask that guy over there." He mumbled while pointing at an old man dressed in a guard uniform, seated at a chair infront of the metal gate with a wooden guard stick in his hand.


    Saying such both of them hopped out of the cab and walked towards the old man to ask him if they were in the correct destination. However as they reached the ce where the old man was seated, they found him drowsing in his chair. While seated at the chair, his head was sinking to his chest slowly while his eyes were struggling to keep him awake.


    "Would it be alright to question him in such state?" Hiro whispered while looking at the drowsy state of the old man infront.


    "We don''t have any other option. The cab driver only knows about the way to the stadium. And there''s literally nobody around us except the man infront. So let''s just ask him quickly and leave." His father whispered back while looking at the face of old man who was struggling to keep him awake.


    As mentioned by his father besides them, the cab driver and the man infront, there were absolutely nobody present there at that moment. The surrounding around them was as empty as space.


    And the hostel was located in quite an unpopted ce as well.


    So even though he was somewhat hesitant to disturb the man infront, he reluctantly decided to question the old man.


    "Er... Umm... Excuse me Sir." Hiro muttered in a soft voice.


    The old man didn''t respond at all and only kept on swinging his head up and down.


    ''Did he not hear me? Or is he simply pretending to be asleep.'' He thought after witnessing the unresponsive attitude of the old man.


    "Hello! Excuse me Sir! Can you tell us about the location of the hostel of Kawasaki Frontale''s youth team?" Agitated by the unresponsiveness of the old man, he yelled at the top of his voice.


    Upon hearing the loud voice of Hiro, the old man abruptly opened his eyes and swung his guard stick at Hiro.


    Hiro quickly leaped back to avoid the stick.


    Since Hiro wasn''t standing close enough to him, he didn''t get hit by the guard stick. However the scenario would have beenpletely different, if he had been standing close to the guard.


    "Who? Who? Who are you?" He stammered while pointing his guard stick towards Hiro.


    "Er... Umm... We''re sorry for disturbing you. We were looking for the hostel of the Kawasaki Frontale''s youth club. But we couldn''t find it''s location. And there wasn''t anybody else around us beside you. That''s why we wanted to ask you for directions. So we''re really sorry about disturbing you during your sleep." His father apologized while trying to exin the old man about their circumstances.


    Upon hearing his father''s apology, the old man suddenly burst out inughter.


    "Hahaha...., You''re asking for the direction of the apple vendor while sitting underneath the apple tree yourself."


    "But we''re not asking for the direction to the apple tree. We''re asking for the direction to the hostel of the Kawasaki Frontale''s youth team." Hiro blurted out dumbfoundedly. He didn''t understand the meaning behind his words.


    "Sigh!!"


    "That''s not what he meant Hiro. What he mean is that we''re already infront of the hostel." His father mumbled in a low voice after releasing a deep sigh.


    "That''s right. You''re already standing at the front gate of the hostel of Kawasaki Frontale''s youth team. Look infront, the hostel is just past this metal gates." The old man lowered his guard stick and eximed while pointing his stick behind him.


    "Great!! We''re here. Let''s go and get your luggage." His father intoned after hearing the exims of the guard.


    Both of them then walked towards the cab to unload Hiro''s luggage.


    Since his father was going to spend a night at the city hotel, he requested the cab owner to keep the cab on standby for a while.


    ''First they ask me about the direction to the hostel. And now when I tell them that the hostel is right infront of them, they walk away without telling anything. What kind of strange people are these two?'' The guard thought while looking at them leave towards the cab without saying anything to him.


    The guard was left dumbfounded by their actions.


    "Now why are theying back with luggage?" He mumbled upon seeing them returning back with luggage.


    "What are they nning on doing? The hostel is off limits for normal people." He continued to stare at them.


    "Sir you can''t enter the hostel without permission." The guard rose up from his seat and blocked their way inside, while they were making their way towards the hostel with Hiro''s luggage.


    "Hasn''t the club already informed you about my arrival?" Hiro questioned while pausing infront of the guard.


    "The club has indeed informed me about the arrival of a new yer. But I need to confirm first that the mentioned yer is you. So do you have any sort of confirmation that you could provide me?" The guard asked him for confirmation.


    "Ahh right!! Sorry about that. I forgot to hand you the letter provided by the club. Hahaha..."


    Saying such, he took out a letter from his bag and handed it over to the guard infront.


    He hadpletely forgot about the letter of enrollment provided by the club. Eric had specially reminded him multiple times on the phone to hand over the enrollment letter to the hostel guard before making his way inside the hostel.


    But because of the excitement, he hadpletely forgot about his words.


    After taking the enrollment letter from his hand, the guard looked at him with suspicious eyes.


    "Sorry for forgetting to hand over the letter to you." He replied meekly after noticing his gaze full of suspicion towards him.

 Chapter 65 No time to rest

    <h4>Chapter 65 No time to rest</h4>


    After verifying his enrollment letter, the guard finally opened the gate and permitted him to enter the hostel.


    "Do you know where do I need to go to inquire about my room?" Hiro turned his head back towards the guard and questioned him just as he was about to enter the hostel.


    "You can head to either of the coach''s office to inquire about your room. Their offices are just opposite to each other at the right end of the first floor." The guard replied.


    "Thank you for the information." He thanked the guard and entered the hostel.


    Apanied by his father, he was finally inside thepound of the Kawasaki Frontale''s youth team.


    The huge three storeyed hostel building which was painted in ck and blue was just right infront of his eyes. To his right was two normal sized football pitches separated by a tall mesh fence at the either side of the two pitches with a path in between which led towards the stands.


    And both of the pitches were surrounded by a metal mesh fence to prevent the ball from going astray.


    Each of the two football pitches had floodlights installed in each and every corner of the pitch.


    While both the grounds even consisted a stand which could host at least about a hundred people at the far right side of the pitch, the thing that mesmerised him the most was the training equipments used by the yers on the field.


    While the goalkeepers in the pitch were being bombarded with powerful shots from an advanced ball shooting machine, other yers aside from the goalkeepers were forced to sprint while being tied with a tire behind their backs.


    Just from the nce at the yers faces, one could easily tell that they were struggling fom the intensity of the training.


    The pitch near to the gate belonged to the U-15 team and the pitch closer to hostel building belonged to the U-18 team.


    To his left was a huge warehouse where the training equipments were stored. Moving along the left side at the same line, closer to the hostel building was a huge gym.


    "Damn!! The youth training facility of Kawasaki Frontale is much bigger than what I had expected. It''s just like those training facility at European clubs." Takashi mumbled in awe upon witnessing the majestic infrastructures of the youth training facility of Kawasaki Frontale club.


    "Indeed!! It''s much bigger than my imagination as well." Hiro replied while making his way towards the hostel building.


    Just then while walking towards the hostel building, he heard a familiar voice calling his name.


    The voice wasing from the pitch of U-15 team. Turning back to address to the call, he paused his movement and turned his head towards the U-15 pitch.


    The one who was calling him was manager Nozomi.


    "Oh great! It''s manager Nozomi. Now I don''t need to go to his office to inquire about my room." He mumbled upon witnessing the sight of manager Nozomi who was waving his hands, gesturing him to head towards him.


    "Dad he''s manager Nozomi. The guy I talked to you about before. He''s the U-15 manager of Kawasaki Frontale club." Hiro reintroduced manager Nozomi to his father.


    "Oh!! So he''s the infamous 60 crosses guy you mentioned about. How was he even able to kick the ball nonstop for 60 times with that fragile body and at that age." Takashi mumbled while narrowing his gaze towards manager Nozomi who was waving his hands from the sidelines of the U-15 pitch.


    "Dad let''s head there and ask him about my room number."


    Saying such, Hiro began to walk towards the U-15 pitch.


    "Hiro!! My star boy. You''re finally here." Manager Nozomi intoned with a wide grin on his face while looking at Hiro. "And this here must be your father right?"


    Hiro nodded his head. "He''s my father Takashi Takahashi."


    "Hello Mr Takahashi. It''s a pleasure to meet you." Manager Nozomi turned his attention towards his father and greeted him while extending his hands forward for a handshake.


    Takashi took his hand and shook hands with him. "The pleasure is all mine manager Nozomi. I''ll be entrusting my son to you. So please look after him."


    "You don''t need to worry about that Mr Takahashi. It''s my job to look after him afterall. And not only him, it''s my job to look after all these yers who are aspiring to be a pro." Manager Nozomi eximed while swinging his arms around the field, pointing his finger to all the yers in the field.


    "Hahaha... That''s right. Then thank you in advance for taking care of my son." Takashi chuckled upon witnessing his behaviour.


    ''Did he swallow a hallucinating mushroom? Or did he smoke the grass?? He wasn''t like this when we met for the first time.'' With his brows arched and eyes narrowed, he began to stare at manager Nozomi, looking somewhat perplexed.


    Manager Nozomi who didn''t talk much during his first meeting was unusually bbering a lot at that time around while chatting with his father.


    Noticing such a drastic change in his personality, he couldn''t stop himself from thinking if he was on somekind of drugs.


    "Are you ready to get into action Hiro?" Manager Nozomi shifted his gaze towards him and asked him all of a sudden.


    "Right now??" He replied, feeling all confused.


    "Yes right now. Or are you not feeling well?" Nozomi questioned with a poker face.


    ''Huh!! He wants me to step into the field right away? Is he testing my mentality? Is he testing my determination?'' Several thoughts started to emerge in his mind after hearing manager Nozomi''s sentence.


    "No sir. I''ll get changed right away." His eyes glowed with a sense of determination.


    Smack!!


    "Good!! That''s what I wanted to hear from you." Nozomi smacked his back gently with his left hand and raised his right hand towards him, giving him a thumbs up.


    "But wait! First we need to find your room and do something about your luggage." His father interrupted.


    "Ah yes!! That''s right. I totally forgot about that. Hahaha..." Nozomi burst intoughter all of a sudden. "Climb up the stairs and walk straight towards the right hallway. You''ll see a number 19 room there, that''s your room number. Just ce your luggage there ande to the field with your cleats."


    "Just who is he? A new yer? But wasn''t the trial cancelled for this year?" Hirato mumbled while looking at the sidelines where manager Nozomi, Hiro and his father were conversing with each other.


    "By the looks of it, he does seem like a new yer." Takekazu who was just beside him, mumbled.


    "Hmph!! May be he got in through somekind of personal connection." Hirato intoned while preparing himself tounch forward.


    Since all the yers in the field were in the middle of the training, they were not permitted to stop until the coachesmand.


    "I bet he''s just a mediocre yer. Hup!!" Hirato mumbled before making his run.


    The opposite end of the restraint band which was tied in their waist was tied with a huge tire.


    With the opposite end of the restraint band tied in a tire, they were made to sprint with the tire behind their back.

 Chapter 66 A match on first day?

    <h4>Chapter 66 A match on first day?</h4>


    After making a short trip to the room he was assigned, he returned back to the field with his cleats.


    While he was about to step inside the field, his father who hadpleted his purpose of his trip by apanying him to the hostel, was preparing to bid his farewell to his son.


    "I must leave now Hiro." Takashi mumbled while pausing infront of the door of the U-15 pitch.


    Upon hearing him, Hiro who was about to enter the pitch paused as well. He then turned around and casted his nce at his father.


    "Can''t you stay here for a little longer?" Hiro pleaded while looking at him.


    He wanted him to witness his first training session with a professional youth team.


    "Unfortunately I can''t Hiro. Remember the cab driver is waiting for my arrival outside the gate. And I can''t make him wait more." Takashi slightly shook his head and refused his plea.


    Hearing his reply, Hiro lowered his gaze and drooped his shoulders.


    Upon witnessing his son''s stooped posture, Takashi stretched his arms forward and put his hands on top of Hiro''s shoulder.


    Just as he ced his hands on his shoulder, Hiro lifted his head and turned his gaze towards his father''s face.


    "I know you''re gonna do well. I believe in you my son. Plus you''ll be surrounded with all these amazing yers. And you''re finally walking the path of your choice. So please don''t give me that pitiful expression." Takashi mumbled with a smile on his face while looking him in the eyes. "So please take care of yourself. Me and your mother, we''ll always be supporting you."


    Saying such Takashi pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around him. "You''ve already grown so tall." He mumbled under his breath, while embracing him.


    Back in his previous life, he couldn''t experience such moments with his father because of his untimely death. But because of his choices, the future had changed.


    "I''ll be alright dad. So please take care of yourself as well." Hiro mumbled with a smile while tightening his grip around Takashi''s back.


    They continued to hug each other for a while. And just as both of them loosened their grips, Hiro chuckled;


    "You should carry a bouquet of roses before you get home tomorrow. You''ll need it."


    Saying such, he stormed towards the pitch. Takashi who didn''t understand the meaning behind his words was left dumbfounded at his ce. His eyes blinking rapidly, Takashi stood frozen at his ce watching his son fade into the pitch filled with yers with a stupefied look on his face.


    After staring at him nkly for a while, he then left thepound and walked outside of the gate.


    **** ****


    As Hiro approached manager Nozomi with his cleats, manager Nozomi handed him a pair of jersey and a training bib.


    "Go get changed. There''s a changing room inside that warehouse." Nozomi instructed him to get changed, while pointing his finger at the warehouse.


    As instructed by manager Nozomi, he ran towards the warehouse and came back after getting changed into the jersey and training bib provided by manager Nozomi.


    "Follow me." Saying such manager Nozomi walked towards the middle of the pitch.


    "Okay everyone stop what you are doing and gather here for a second." Nozomi yelled while standing at the kickoff spot.


    Upon hearing hismand, all of the yers stopped their training and started to gather around the manager, forming a circle.


    "Who is he?"


    "A new yer?"


    "But I thought the trial was cancelled this year?"


    "And I didn''t even see him in previous trials."


    "Was he with you in your batch?"


    The yers began to gossip among themselves while gathering around the manager.


    "Silence!! Everyone pay attention now. I want to introduce all of you to your new teammate." Nozomi announced.


    Hearing his announcement, everybody stopped gossiping. And as they stopped talking, the pitch which was filled with gossiping noises of the yers got silent all of a sudden.


    And as he got the attention of the yers, he turned his head towards Hiro and spoke;


    "Go on, introduce yourself to your new teammates. For the next 2 minutes the stage is all yours."


    Hiro then stepped a little bit forward and began to introduce himself in a loud voice.


    "Hello everyone. I''m Takahashi Hiro. A 12 year old attacking midfielder form Tokushima prefecture. And I''m sure that a lot of you would be questioning about my arrival. But rest assured, I too have earned my spot in this team fair and square, after passing the trial set by manager Makoto and manager Nozomi. Isn''t that right manager Nozomi?" After introducing himself, he finished his sentence with a question while turning his head towards manager Nozomi.


    ''So you''re good with words too huh." Nozomi thought while revealing a slight grin on his face, after hearing his introduction.


    Nozomi then stepped forward a little and paused to clear his throat. And as he cleared his throat, he began to speak;


    "Indeed! Just as he mentioned, he did pass our trials. So don''t have any negative ideas about his arrival. Just like you all, he has earned his spot in the team with his own efforts."


    While manager Nozomi was speaking, Hirato and Takekazu who were behind their backs were gossiping with each other in a low voice.


    "Seems like you''re wrong Hirato. Coach Nozomi said that he came here after giving a trial."


    "They could be telling lies to divert the public opinions. Nobody from the previous trial recognises him afterall. So who knows he might have not undergone any trials." Hirato whispered while narrowing his eye towards Hiro.


    It was clear from the manner of his speech that Hiro didn''t appear soothing to Hirato. Hirato was unusually cautious of Hiro.


    Since Hiro was the only new yer joining them that year and he also yed the same position that of Hirato, Hirato couldn''t help himself from being wary of him.


    "Everybody get along well with him. Shun Yabuzoe, since he''ll be sharing the room with you help him to get familiar with the surrounding, okay?"


    Hiro was sharing his room with Shun, the tanned skin guy with spiky straight hair.


    "I''ll do as you say coach." Shun yelled.


    Following Shun''s voice, Hiro who was curious about his roommate turned his head right towards Shun.


    ''Why do I always get stucked with spiky hair people.'' Hiro thought after noticing the appearance of Shun.


    "Okay then everybody let''s continue our training with a mini game." After finishing his announcement, Nozomi decided to y a mini game.


    "Let''s y a mini game between the yers with and without the training bibs. And don''t you dare take this match lightly as I''ll be deciding the yers for the Sunday''s friendly match against Chiba Middle School from this match." Manager Nozomipleted his sentence with a reminder.


    The yers with the training bibs were the reserves and the yers without the training bibs were the starting yers.


    "Argh!! Those starters are monsters. How can wepete against them? And we also have to lookout for this newbie. It''s like telling us to go and lose the game." One of the yer in the reserve teamined.

 Chapter 67 Ostracized

    <h4>Chapter 67 Ostracized</h4>


    After he heard about the sudden announcement of the match, Hiro couldn''t stop himself from staring at manager with his eyes wide open.


    At most he had predicted to start training with the team right away. But just as manager Nozomi made the announcement of the match, he felt betrayed by the manager.


    By announcing a match out of nowhere, hepletely deprived him the time he needed to bond with his teammates. And for a ymaker who''s main job is to organise and control a team''s attacking y,munication is very crucial.


    But by depriving him of the opportunity to bond with his teammates, he basically was giving him a handicap.


    ''What!! A match on my first day? What is he thinking about? Has the coach gone mad?'' While staring at manager Nozomi, several thoughts began to surface in his mind.


    Neither did he knew about the names of his teammates nor did he knew about their ystyles. He was going to y a match withplete strangers.


    The sudden match announced by manager Nozomi left himpletely baffled. The match waspletely unfair to him.


    While he was staring at the manager, Nozomi turned his head towards Hiro and asked him with a slight smile on his face;


    "You can start right? Or do you want to stay at the bench for a while?"


    Upon hearing such questionsing out from the mouth of the manager, he felt mocked. He felt like being challenged, as if the manager was intentionally challenging him to showcase his talent despite the handicap ced upon him.


    ''Huh!! Is he for serious? Is he belittling me? Is he telling me that I can''t y well without relying on my teammates? If it is so, then bring it on you son of a dog.'' He thought to himself while staring at Nozomi''s face.


    "No sir!! I can start right away." He replied with a smile on his face, while clenching his fist.


    "Good!!" Nozomi mumbled and turned around to arrange the team.


    And as such, he began to arrange the yers for both the teams. The selection of the yers for the team without the training bibs went very smoothly.


    However the selection for the starting yers for the team with the training bib proved to be extremely strenuous because of therge pool of yers ying in the reserve team.


    Compared to the 11 yers of starting team there were 15 yers in the reserve team. And among those 15 yers, 5 yers were also the regr substitutes of the starting team.


    Altogether there were 26 yers ying for the U-15 team of Kawasaki Frontale club.


    And each year many of the graduating yers who wouldn''t get promotion to the U-18 team would have to leave the club.


    Just as the coach finished announcing the starting yers for both the teams, one of the yer who yed as the substitute for the starting team burst out on the scene after getting reced by Hiro.


    "Why is he selected? I y as an substitute for the starting team and now I''m getting substituted by apletely new yer in the reserve team as well?" He exasperated while expressing his frustration of getting left behind in the bench.


    If it was any other normal matches, he wouldn''t haveined to the coach. But since that match also decided the roster for the uing match against Chiba Middle School, he wasn''t willing to let go of that opportunity as well.


    And also it was hisst year at the U-15 team. Thus he had to seize every opportunity that came along the way to appeal for his promotion.


    Since Hiro was new to the team, he couldn''t say anything to Kota Yui, despite getting his finger pointed towards him.


    ''I do feel bad for him but I have to prove my worth as well. And I''m sure the coach has picked the team based on the talent. If he was more skilled than me, then the coach would have picked him over me. So sorry dude you can only me yourself for yourck of talent.'' He thought while standing straight without reacting to his taunts.


    "Kota Yui, do you have problem with my arrangements?" Manager Nozomi mumbled while giving him cold stares.


    Upon hearing Nozomi''s words, he couldn''t say anything at all. He simply remained frozen at his ce,pletely speechless.


    Since the coach''s decision was absolute in the club, no yer was permitted to speak against him. Talking back to the coach was simply like rebelling against the coach''s decision.


    And Kawasaki Frontale club''s youth team whose motto was to nurture the yers under strict discipline didn''t tolerate those kinds of yers who talked back to the coach.


    Since undisciplined yers were the ones who''d create most of the troubles for the club. They taught their youth yer from young age to be disciplined and respectful towards the coach.


    "Answer me Kota Yui. Are you unsatisfied with my arrangements?" Manager Nozomi erupted all of a sudden.


    "No sir." Kota replied while shaking his head.


    From outside it seemed like he hadpletely epted the decision of the manager. But just from looking at his facial expression, it was clear that he wasn''t satisfied with the coach''s decision.


    "Okay then we''ll start the game within five minutes. Go and loosen your body." Saying such he dismissed the teams after announcing the starting yers for both the teams.


    ''Great I should take this opportunity to bond with the team.'' He thought after he heard about the five minute warm up time.


    But before he could even approach other yers, Kota Yui, the guy whom Hiro reced began to gaslight other yers against him.


    "You guys saw how coach favoured him right? Without even training with the team, he has already given him the opportunity to start. Now imagine if he even performs decently, the coach will put him on the starting team. And if that happens he''ll only snatch our rightful spot because of the coach''s favour. So do you guys want this newbie to snatch our rightful spot?" Kota Yui began to gaslight other yers and turned them against him.


    "You''re the striker of our team right?" He approached one of the yer with slightly tanned skin and short hair.


    Just as he approached him, that yer suddenly started to dribble the ball and moved away from him. He ignored his presence as if he wasn''t even there to begin with.


    "What a strange fellow." Hiro mumbled upon witnessing his actions.


    He then turned his head towards other yers. But almost everyone in his team gave him cold shoulders. He wasn''t aware of the ill rumours made by Kota Yui.


    Finally he approached Kota Yui despite his unwillingness to approach him because of the earlier dissatisfaction and some suspicion.

 Chapter 68 Starters vs Reserves

    <h4>Chapter 68 Starters vs Reserves</h4>


    The scene of him getting ignored by the yers of the reserve team was noticed by the yers from the starting team. However instead of helping him, they were enjoying his sufferings and making fun of him.


    "Look at that newbie struggling to make friends." One of the starting yers chuckled while pointing his finger towards Hiro who was getting ignored by the reserve yers one after the other.


    "Seems like he''ll be struggling a lot in this match." Another guy close to the previous guy joined in on the fun of watching him suffer.


    "See I told you. Nobody in the team from the previous batches know of him. I''m sure he entered the club via some underhanded way." Hirato who was stretching his legs mumbled while looking at him with eyes full of disdain.


    Since Hiro had been included on the starting lineup of the opposing team, Hirato too was somewhat unhappy about the coach''s decision just like Kota Yui.


    Takekazu who was warming up beside him didn''t reply anything and continued to look at Hiro as if he was trying to remember something. After a moment of silence, he finally opened his mouth;


    "But doesn''t he look a bit familiar to you?"


    "Yeah he must have appeared in your dream right? Hahaha" Hirato chuckled and shrugged his remarks.


    Takekazu didn''t react to his joke and kept his eyes fixated at Hiro.


    "I''m sure I have seen him somewhere before." Takekazu whispered under his breath.


    Since every yer in the team were ying for themselves. The old yers in the team often ignored the new yers to reduce thepetition. As a result the new yers would often get ostracized in the beginning which would indirectly affect their performances and result in the reduction of their game time.


    Hiro being the only new guy in the team that year provided the old yers even greater opportunity to ostracize him, since there wouldn''t be any other new yers toin about their disdainful acts.


    **** ****


    Having been ignored by almost every yer whom he approached in the pitch, he thought of approaching Kota Yui, the guy who was the centre of themotion which took ce a moment ago.


    "Hey!! I know that you''re upset about coach''s decision of ying me instead of you. But do you know why this yers are acting so weird?" After getting ignored by almost every yer whom he approached, he was somewhat suspicious of Kota Yui. However he wasn''t willing to ask him directly. Thus, he asked him indirectly if he was the culprit behind the behaviours of the other yers towards him.


    "Don''t take it to your heart. They''re like this to every new yer. Since the spot for the ce at the U-18 team is very limited, they''re just wary of you. And they''re probably avoiding you to minimise thepetition." Kota Yui replied with a smile on his face. As if the behaviour of the other yers had nothing to do with him, he pushed the me on thepetition.


    "Just y like you do normally. And if you''re talented enough they won''t ignore you anymore." He sniggered and walked outside the pitch, towards the sidelines.


    "So you were the ringmaster who was orchestrating this act afterall." Hiro whispered under his breath after confirming his suspicion, while watching him leave.


    Beep!!


    Just then manager Nozomi blew the whistle and signalled everybody to assume their positions.


    After that all the yers started to scatter around the field. However Hiro who was still new to the team didn''t know what to do. He stood still at his ce.


    "Why are you standing still? The game has begun. Go assume your position." Manager Nozomi mumbled while walking closer towards him.


    And just as he reached him, he paused his movement and stood straight infront of him.


    "But you haven''t instructed me about the formation yet. So what formation are we ying?" Hiro questioned.


    "Yeah right!! I forgot to tell you about the formation. Hahaha..." Nozomi chuckled after hearing his question. "We''ll be ying in a 4-2-1-3 formation. And you''ll be the only attacking midfielder of your team."


    "Did you get it? Or do I need to show you the formation on the whiteboard?" Nozomi questioned.


    "No sir!!" Saying such he stormed towards his position.


    And after everybody assumed their respective position, manager Nozomimanded a middle aged man in a blue tracksuit to referee the match.


    The middle aged man whom manager Nozomi appointed as a referee for the ongoing match was one of the coaching staff of the youth team.


    Aside from the appointed referee, there were three other coaches in the field next to the U-15 pitch. Altogether there were five coaches including manager Nozomi and manager Makoto, who oversaw the training and development of the youth yers of Kawasaki Frontale club.


    While manager Nozomi stood in the sidelines, the referee looked at his stopwatch and blew the whistle,mencing the start of the game.


    The reserve team started the kickoff with a long pass to the defender.


    Since manager Nozomi had warned everybody to take the match seriously, the opposing team didn''t ck behind. From the get go, they pressed aggressively for the ball.


    Even before the start of the match, his teammates had already lost their will to y the match.


    And after witnessing the aggressive pressing of the opposing forwards, the yers of his team who had admitted defeat even before the start of the match got even more anxious.


    At just 1 minute 37 seconds, the defenders in his team gave away the ball to the opposing yer and lost the position because of a misspass.


    Just as the opposing striker pressed forward for the ball, the defender with the ball blindly passed the ball towards the right back without taking note of the opposing winger.


    The opposing left winger who was waiting for the defender to pass the ball towards the right back ran towards the right back and intercepted the pass.


    After giving away the ball, he stood forzen at his ce for a while. Hesitating whether to intercept the winger or mark the centre forward who had costed him that mistake, he stood still while juggling between those two options.

 Chapter 69 Wrong opponent

    <h4>Chapter 69 Wrong opponent</h4>


    While the defender who costed them to lose the position was juggling between his choices, the opposing left winger moved the ball forward without stopping.


    The right back who was close to the left winger chased after him. The right back with his speed eventually managed to catch up to the winger.


    Despite being much faster than the opposing left winger, he wasn''t as skilled as the opposing winger.


    Just as he tried to intercept the ball, the opposing winger performed a body feint and got past him, leaving him behind in dust.


    The winger then began to cut in towards the goalpost. Finally after making his choice, the centre back from before who costed them to lose the position of the ball chased after the left winger, leaving behind his mark.


    Upon seeing the iing defender, the opposing winger passed the ball towards the centre forward who wasn''t marked by any yer.


    After getting a pass inside the penalty box just infront of the goalpost, he tapped the ball inside the without any difficulties.


    His team''s keeper couldn''t even react to that y from the opposition.


    At just 1 minute 50 seconds, his team conceded a simple goal.


    "Just what kind of defending was that? Even Akashi is a better defender than him" Hiro mumbled to himself after witnessing the mistakes of the defender who costed them the goal.


    "Sorry my bad." The defender from before apologized with a smile.


    Even after making that mistake, he wasn''t even a tad bit sorry about his mistake. Infact he was smiling after costing them the goal.


    Neither the defender was sorry about his mistake nor were his teammates angry about that goal. They shrugged the goal as if the oue of the game was already expected.


    With that first goal from the opposing team, the score of the game was Team without training bib-1 and team with training bib-0.


    His teammates lousy performance continued for almost entire first half of the game.


    It didn''t take them long enough to concede the second goal. They conceded the second goal at 13th minute of the game from the blunder of the keeper.


    From the other half of the pitch, Takekazu yed a long ball towards their half of the pitch after receiving the ball from their keeper.


    Naturally it was his team''s defender who caught the ball. But even so the opposing forward relentlessly continued to chase after the ball.


    Sensing the opposing forward charging from behind, the defender who caught the ball passed the ball back to the keeper.


    Even so the opposing forward didn''t stop chasing after the ball. The keeper to whom the ball was passed got anxious upon witnessing the sight of the opposing forward charging towards him like a bull.


    The keeper quickly cleared the ball away without watching the position of his teammates.


    Unfortunately the random clear from the keeper ended up at the feet of Hirato. After getting the ball, Hirato dribbled the ball forward towards the post. Just as he reached closer towards the goalpost, he shot the ball from outside the box.


    Since their keeper was out of position, the keeper couldn''t react to the shot and the ballnded precisely at the top right corner of the post.


    That''s how they conceded the second goal just after a little more than 11 minutes since conceding the first goal.


    At 27th minute they conceded another goal, making the score 3-0. With only three minutes remaining before the first half, his team was already losing the game with a score of 3-0.


    Beep!!


    With that third goal from the opposing team, the game continued with their kick-off. With the blow of the referee''s whistle, the centre forward of his team passed the ball towards the right winger.


    The right winger then began to dribble the ball forward in a straight line along the right side of the pitch.


    "What!! Nobody''sing after me?" The right winger thought after failing to see the sight of the opposing yers.


    As if the opponent was letting him pass intentionally, they didn''t charge at him for a while. But just as the winger was about to reach the final third of the pitch, out of nowhere he found himself surrounded.


    Hiro who was trailing him was right behind him, unmarked. However instead of passing the ball towards him, the winger lofted the ball towards the centre forward who was being marked by two yers from the opposing team.


    Despite conceding 3 goals, his teammates still refused to pass him the ball.


    "Tch-" Hiro clicked his tongue.


    The ball which wasunched towards the forward got headed away by Takekazu who was a monster in aerial duel. His reach was almost twice that of their teams centre forward who was only about 2 or 3 inches shorter than Takekazu.


    Predicting the direction of cleared ball, he ran towards the direction where the ball was going tond.


    But since the ball was going tond at the opposite side of the pitch, he wasn''t able to reach the ball first, despite sprinting towards the ball in full speed.


    "As usual his speed is damn amazing." Manager Nozomi chuckled while witnessing his amazing run from right side of the pitch to the left side of the pitch.


    Hirato being close to the area where the ball was going tond was the first one to reach the ball.


    Even so Hiro who had ran from right side of the pitch towards the left side of the pitch was the second to arrive at the spot where the ballnded.


    "Now I''ll show you the difference between you and me." Hirato mumbled whileing face to face with Hiro.


    Hiro who waspletely focused on the ball paid no attention towards his taunts and kept his gaze fixated at the ball.


    While slowly dribbling the ball towards Hiro, he was gesturing Hiro toe forward. Hiro didn''t run from the challenge and just as he wished, he charged towards him.


    Just then as Hiro approached him, Hirato trapped the ball between his legs and lifted it above Hiro''s head while performing a rainbow flick.


    "Humiliate him more Hirato." Kota Yui mumbled in ecstasy while sitting at the bench in the sidelines.


    "Mediocre" Hirato sniggered while lifting the ball.


    However the smile on both of their facessted only for a second. Stretching his right leg backwards as if he was going to perform a scorpion kick, Hiro hit the ball with the back of his heel in mid air without looking back and loafted the ball infront of him.


    As the ball was about to fall infront of him, he trapped the ball with his left foot. He then changed his direction towards the post.


    The opposing defenders who were a bit far from him, sensing an attacking threat from him dashed forward to stop him.


    However before they could even reach him, he released the ball from his feet by performing a powerful shot. The ball flew towards the top right corner of the post.


    The opposing keeper stretched his arms to stop the ball. However the ball flew a little over an inch from his fingers and found it''s way inside the.

 Chapter 70 First few friends

    <h4>Chapter 70 First few friends</h4>


    After opening the scoresheet for his team, Hiro ran towards the sidelines to celebrate his goal infront of Kota Yui, the guy who had gaslighted other yers against him.


    Just as he reached the sidelines, he lifted his right hand towards his ear and curled his fingers around his ear. He then pointed his ear towards him as if he was gesturing him to repeat the words from before.


    After that brilliant goal from Hiro, Kota Yui who was already fuming on the pitch got even more agitated by his gesture. And if not for manager Nozomi standing beside him, he would have literally burst onto the scene once again.


    However even after scoring the only goal for his team in the first half, not many of his teammates seemed happy about his goal. The only people that were smiling on the pitch were manager Nozomi, Hiro and surprisingly the opposing goalkeeper Shun Yabuzoe.


    15 year old Shun who was already set on the path to promotion to U-18 team next year was smiling despite conceding the goal against Hiro.


    "I can see that you''re meant to be a star. This wanna be pro''s can ostracize you as much as they want. But you''ll still shine no matter what. With you may be we can even lift the trophy of premier league in few years." Shun Yabuzoe mumbled with a smile on his face while walking towards the ball.


    The premier league which shun was mentioning about was Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League. The tournament for the U-15 and U-18 team were held separately.


    The Prince Takamado Cup, since 2018 was divided into two age restricted tournaments, being them the "Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football League" and "Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-15 Japan Football Championship".


    While the U-15 tournament was held in a single tournament format with no promotion and relegation, the U-18 league on the other hand was divided into three league with Premier League being the highest league followed by Prince league in the second and Prefectural league in the third.


    In the U-18 Premier League 24 teams were split into two groups with 12 teams in each, which are called Premier League East and Premier League West with each teams geographical positions being the determining factor to determine whether the club should be ced in the East group or on the West group.


    Afterpeting among themselves in a league format, the winner of those two groups would face each other in one-legged final in a neutral venue to determine the ultimate winner of the Premier League.


    Simrly the bottom two team that is the 11th and 12th team from each group would automatically get relegated to Prince league.


    In U-15 category several middle school teams and club teams wouldpete with each other in qualification round to qualify for the final tournament in which only 32 teams were allowed to participate. And those 32 teams would againpete among themselves in a knockout format to determine the ultimate champion of the tournament.


    **** ****


    With Hiro scoring the only goal for his team, the first half of the match ended with a score of 3:1.


    Since the duration of the match was of only one hour, they were given a 5 minutes break before the start of the second half.


    And as the reserve teams returned to the sidelines to hydrate themselves, manager Nozomi walked towards the team.


    "I know what you guys are trying to do. Since he''s a new yer, you guys are probably trying to ostracize him. You guys are deliberately avoiding to give him the pass, right?" Nozomi questioned while coldly staring at the faces of the yers who were avoiding Hiro in the first half.


    Almost everybody avoided locking eyes with Nozomi and kept their head down.


    "But remember we''re a team. And our fortress will only beplete when all our bricks are brought together. So in next half of the match if I find any of you intentionally avoiding any of your teammates, I''ll directly send you home. I don''t need yers who can''t y as a team." Nozomi burst out and warned everybody to y as a team. And after making his intentions clear, he left their side and walked towards the starting team.


    Even after hearing his warnings, some yers still continued to avoid him. However some yers came up to him and began to introduce themselves as well.


    "I''m Shunta Tanaka. Sorry for showing you cold shoulders back then." A guy about his height with anky body and chicken legs introduced himself. Fair-skinned, ck eyes and short ck hair, he was the right back of his team.


    "I''m Yuya Asano. The reserve left winger of U-15 team. I''m also sorry for showing you cold shoulders previously." Another guy who was about 2 or 3 inches shorter than him introduced himself. Tanned skin, short brown wavy hair and sharp brown eyes, he was the left winger of the reserve team.


    Just as the two of them introduced themself, Hiro who was about to pour water in his mouth spat out the water and spoke in a cheerful voice;


    "Nice to meet you, you two. Even though I''ve already introduced myself, let me introduce myself once again. I''m Takahashi hiro. I''m 12 years old right now. And I y as an attacking midfielder on paper."


    "Nice to meet you too." Both of them replied in a unison and all three of them burst out intoughter.


    "Did you see him score that unbelievable goal?"


    "Yeah that goal was absolutely ridiculous. If that was in an official match, he would have easily won the best goal of the tournament."


    The yers who were standing at a certain distance away from him started to gossip about his goal.


    Aside from Shunta and Yuya, other continued to avoid him. However despite their unwillingness to approach him, he could hear them gossiping about his goal.


    "I''m sure they want to approach you like we do. But they''re probably afraid of Kota." Shunta mumbled after hearing their gossips about Hiro''s goal.


    "Yeah! Since Kota Yui has a talented older brother who ys for the U-18 team, they''re afraid of getting on his bad side." Yuya mumbled while nodding his head.


    Listening to Shunta and Yuya''s statement, he casted his nce towards Kota Yui. He was once again gaslighting other yers in the team.


    He continued to stare at him. And after the resting period ended, Kota Yui walked towards the reserve seat and sat down grumpily while contorting his face.


    Seeing his grumpy face, he revealed an amusing smile on his face.

 Chapter 71 Showoff

    <h4>Chapter 71 Showoff</h4>


    Beep!!


    The second half continued with the kickoff from the opposing team.


    After conceding a goal at the end of the first half, they started to y even more aggressively.


    Right from the kickoff, the opposing team started to press the ball forward.


    After receiving the pass from the centre forward of his team, Hirato released a powerful through ball towards the middle of the left nk of the pitch.


    Since they were ying in a 4-2-1-3 formation, the left and right side of their midfield had to be covered by the two central midfielders who stood at the border of centre and side.


    However the two centre midfielders of his team were extremely sloppy. Let alone cover the nks, they wouldn''t even leave their positions at all. As if they were a box to box midfielder whose field coverage was only upto the middle third of the pitch, they would rarely drop behind or run towards the sides.


    The pass flew right beside the right central midfielder of his team and yet he couldn''t do anything about the pass.


    "Tch- Are they somekind of mannequin?" Hiro clicked his tongue upon witnessing theckluster behaviour of his teammates.


    Their left wing who was quick with his feet began to charge the ball forward without trapping the ball.


    Shunta faced with the opposing left winger once again was forced to defend against the winger.


    Sensing an attacking threat, Hiro who yed as an offensive midfielder dropped towards the defensive third to support Shunta.


    While the defender was approaching Shunta, Hiro gestured him to block his pass course and lead him outwards.


    As suggested by Hiro, Shunta blocked his course and prevented him from cutting inside. After getting his route blocked by Shunta, the opposing winger was forced to dribble the ball outside the post.


    While the opposing winger dribbled the ball towards the corner, Shunta followed him while maintaining his pressure on him.


    Finally as he was about to reach the right corner, the opposing winger gently tapped the ball between the legs of Shunta and nutmegged him.


    However the one who got the ball at that time wasn''t the opposing winger, instead it was Hiro who was tailing behind Shunta covering the spaces left behind by Shunta.


    Upon getting the ball in his own defensive third, Hiro began to dribble the ball forward.


    The opposing forward who was waiting for the ball inside the penalty box began to chase after him for the ball.


    After intercepting the ball at his own defensive third, he dribbled the ball forward without stopping.


    asionally turning his head around in search of his teammates, he continued to dribble the ball forward.


    However all of his teammates were being tightly marked by the opposing yers. And even more, only 3 of the opposing attacking yers were inside their half of the pitch.


    Aside from the three forwards, Hirato was standing just at the cicrle of the pitch.


    Faced with Hirato infront and the opposing centre forward who was tailing behind him, he quickly found himself in a precarious situation as he approached the middle third of the pitch.


    The only yers who were unmarked were the defenders and keeper. Aside from them almost every yer of his team were being tightly marked by the opposing yers.


    "Bring it on. You luckily stopped me back then. But your luck won''t help you again to get past me." Hirato mumbled under his breath while preparing himself to defend against Hiro.


    He then quickly turned around his head to scan the field to see if anybody was left unmarked. Finding every opposing yer marked, Hirato revealed a yful grin and approached Hiro while taking huge steps.


    ''Where would it be?? Left or Right?'' Hirato thought while keeping his gaze fixated at Hiro''s feet.


    Hirato then took a quick look at Hiro''s face. Beads of sweats forming at his temple. Calm andposed, he showed no signs of worry.


    Just then he noticed Hiro was about to hit the ball with the inside of his right leg.


    ''So it''s left afterall.'' He smiled inwardly as he predicted the direction of the ball.


    However contrary to his expectation, Hiro made use of his both feet and loated the ball above Hirato''s head while performing a 360 rainbow flick.


    "What are you doing Hirato? Why are you giving him the opportunity to showoff?" Kota Yui who was sitting in the reserve seat clenched his fist and whispered under his breath.


    He couldn''t let his emotion out because of the presence of manager Nozomi beside him. Thus, he cussed Hiro without uttering a single word loudly from his mouth.


    Hirato on the other hand was left dumbfounded by Hiro''s actions. Just when he had thought that he had outsmarted Hiro, Hiro proved him wrong.


    The opposing centre midfielders who were right behind Hirato came forward to clear the ball as well.


    However just as they approached him, Hiro performed a beautiful body feint and got past them easily. They were no match to him.


    After that it was the turn for the defenders toe up to defend against him. And as the defender left their mark to defend against him, Hiro noticed Yuya making the run inside the box.


    Making use of the space left behind by the opposing defenders, he loafted the ball with acute precision towards Yuya.


    Shun Yabuzoe sensing trouble, left his post and dashed outside to clear the ball. Due to his timely made decision and his advantage of being a keeper, his hands reached the ball before Yuya''s head.


    He punched the ball away from the goalpost.


    Beep!!


    However during his process of clearing the ball away, he shed with Yuya.


    Getting hit by Shun''s body, Yuya fell down. And as Yuya fell down, the referee blew the whistle.


    "What?? I didn''t hit him." Shun tried to justify his actions.


    But the referee was against his justification. He gave away a penalty to Hiro''s team for Shun''s foul against Yuya.


    While the opposing team was arguing about referee''s decision, Hiro walked towards Yuya who was lying on the ground with his face covered by his hands.


    Just as he got closer to him, Yuya removed his hands a little and winked his eyes at Hiro.


    It was very clear that Shun hadn''tmitted any foul. And it was only Yuya''s act.


    "Haha.." Watching his oscar winning acting, Hiro covered his mouth and revealed a yful smile.

 Chapter 72 Penalty pass

    <h4>Chapter 72 Penalty pass</h4>


    At the 33rd minute of the match, just 3 minutes after the start of the second half, his team got a penalty because of Shun Yabuzoe''s foul on Yuya.


    While the one who won them the penalty wanted Hiro to take the penalty, other yers in his team refused his decision and were against of him taking the penalty.


    The majority of the yers wanted the centre forward to take the penalty. But since the penalty was won by Yuya, they were also willing to let him take the penalty as well, if he wished to take the penalty.


    And thus after some discussion among the yers, Yuya stepped forward to take the penalty.


    While Yuya was standing at a certain distance away from the ball, preparing tounch himself, all the other yers including the opponents stood behind the penalty arc, preparing tounch themselves towards the post while waiting for Yuya to shoot the ball.


    Since other yers beside goalkeeper and the penalty taker were forbidden to be near than 10 yard to the ball, all of the yers beside Yuya and Shun stood outside of the penalty box.


    With his legs behind the goal-line between the goal-posts, Shun kept his eyes fixated on Yuya''s eyes to predict the direction of the ball, while Yuya was looking for a spot to kick the ball.


    Beep!!


    Just as the referee blew the whistle, Yuya ran towards the ball and shot the ball towards the bottom right corner of the post.


    Shun correctly predicted the direction of the ball and dived towards the bottom right corner of the post to save the ball.


    However the speed of the ball was rather slow. As if he wasn''t aiming for the goal, Yuya kicked the ball without much force.


    And infact he hadn''t aimed for the post as well. That ball was meant as a pass for Hiro.


    From behind the penalty box, Hiro ran towards the ball and shot the ball at the bottom left corner of the post, opposite to where Shun had made his dive.


    Shun who had already dived towards the bottom right corner tried to stop his actions midway. However he still couldn''t react on time and thus ended up conceding the second goal of the match.


    The ball effortlessly hit the without any form of disturbances.


    "Yeah!!!"


    Yuya shouted in ecstasy upon witnessing the ballnding inside the post.


    Hiro who had slotted that ball inside the goalpost ran towards Yuya and hugged him.


    "Nice assist!!" Hiro spoke while hugging him.


    "You too. Nice goal!!! Hahaha" Yuya replied cheerfully.


    "Coach! Is that even legal??"


    The opposing yers started to protest about the goal. They began toin to the referee.


    Since such events rarely happened in football, they were not aware of such penalties where a penalty taker passed the ball to his teammates, instead of shooting the ball towards the post.


    "Yes!! It''spletely legal." The referee replied and shrugged theirints.


    With that second goal from Hiro, the score of the match read as such; Starters-3 and Reserves-2.


    With more than 27 minutes still remaining, the game was starting to take a drastic turn.


    After a bit ofining and protesting, everybody started to assume their respective positions to continue the match.


    The opposing yers with bitter face, looked extremely unhappy about that goal from Hiro.


    For about next 10 minutes, nothing noteworthy happened on the pitch. The opposing team continued to y with the same aggressiveness.


    However the only thing that changed was the mark on Hiro. The opposing team after conceding that second goal started to mark Hiro. Two of their yers followed him everywhere for the next 10 minutes.


    At the 14th minute of the game, Hirato made a long range shot from outside the box. The ball flew just some inches above the post and ended up as a goalkick.


    The keeper then yed a short ball towards Shunta. And as the ballnded on his feet, Shunta began to weigh his options, looking for his teammates to pass the ball.


    Upon noticing Shunta hesitating to pass the ball, the opposing winger came rushing towards him to snatch the ball.


    Witnessing the opposing winger rushing towards him, he passed the ball to the sloppy centre midfielder who had nearly costed them the goal a moment ago.


    ''I''m sure he wouldn''t pass the ball to him.'' Thinking such, Hirato ran towards the center midfielder to snatch away the ball from him, leaving behind his mark.


    "Pass!!"


    Hiro quickly freed himself from his mark and asked for the ball.


    ''You can shout all you want. But I know that they won''t pass you the ball.'' Hirato revealed a smug smile as he approached the midfielder with the ball.


    However contrary to his expectations, the central midfielder released the ball towards Hiro. He finally passed the ball towards Hiro.


    Takekazu came rushing towards him to clear the ball away. Making use of the iing pass, he let the ball pass through him. Takekazu who was rushing towards him to tackle him couldn''t stop his eleration.


    That action from Hiro left Takekazu dumbfounded. He was hoping to tackle the ball after Hiro took hold of the ball. But since Hiro let the ball slid through him without even touching the ball, Takekazu couldn''t do anything against him.


    Hiro then turned around and chased after the ball. Takekazu who was rushing towards him like a bull couldn''t turn his body on time because of his eleration.


    However he didn''t stop to chase after him. After he turned around, he again began to chase after Hiro, once again.


    With Takekazu still chasing after him, the other three defenders began to panic. Right winger in the right nk, Yuya in the left nk, the center forward cutting inside the box and Hiro rushing from outside the box.


    The three defenders had to defend against four yers.


    Even in that precarious situation, the one they feared the most was Hiro who was charging from outside the box.


    After witnessing his shot power from his first goal and passes he disyed during the build-up of second goal, they couldn''t leave him alone.


    Thus all three of them approached him while maintaining a triangr shape. With one defender rushing towards him to defend against him, other two stayed behind the first defender to cover up the spaces.

 Chapter 73 Robbed

    <h4>Chapter 73 Robbed</h4>


    After getting past Takekazu, Hiro found himself infront of the penalty box. However between him and the goal, there stood three opposing defenders and a single goalkeeper.


    Three defenders infront and the fourth one chasing him from behind, he was forced to make his decision quickly.


    However even with only three defenders, they hadpletely blocked his pass course.


    While the defender infront hadpletely blocked his pass course to his team''s center forward, the other two defenders in the side had simultaneously blocked his pass course to his team''s wingers as well.


    And unlike his teammates, he was willing to pass the ball to anyone with a decent chance of scoring.


    "Now then what will you do?" Manager Nozomi mumbled while looking at him with eyes full of curiosity.


    Unable to find his teammates, he chose to dribble the ball forward all by himself.


    While they were aware of his shooting and passing, they weren''t aware of his most amazing talent. He was a dribbler.


    Since he hadn''t had the chance to touch the ball much upto that point of game, they hadn''t seen him dribble much.


    That''s why they were focusing all their attention to block his shooting course and passing course.


    And as he started to dribble the ball forward, the opposing defender who was infront of him, gingerly approached him.


    With two other defenders behind his back, he wasn''t worried about getting dribbled past.


    With an stico, Hiro got past the first defender.


    The other two defenders who were just behind the first defender ran towards him as well, leaving behind their marks.


    However he couldn''t pass the ball to his teammates, since they had already ran past the defenders even before he could release the ball.


    With the ball still at his feet, he couldn''t pass the ball to his teammates because of their rash actions. At that point even if he had passed the ball to his teammates that would have ended up as an offside.


    Thus, instead of passing the ball, he chose to dribble past those two approaching defenders as well.


    Seeing him approaching the penalty box, both of them performed an aggressive sliding tackle at him at the same time. Even if it meant fouling him, they were prepared to stop him on his track.


    Since he was still outside of the penalty box, they were prepared for the consequences.


    However contrary to their intentions of fouling him, he simply lifted the ball above their legs and stepped over them.


    "What are those three morons doing? They can''t even stop one person." Kota Yui gnashed his teeths upon witnessing Hiro''s skills.


    "Hah!! No one here can match your dribbling prowess. Only you can make it look easy after tearing the entire defence of the opposition." Manager Nozomi chuckled after watching him dribble past every defenders of the team without the training bibs.


    After getting past all those three defenders, he found himself inside the penalty box infront of the post, one on one with the keeper.


    Before he could make his shot, Shun left his post and threw his body towards him.


    Even faced with Shun, he tapped the ball lightly with the outside of his right foot and got past his long arms.


    After dribbling past the entire defence of the opposing team, including the keeper, he tapped the ball lightly towards the open post.


    With the keeper lying beside him, there was simply no stopping to the ball released from his feet.


    Hence after kicking the ball, he didn''t even look at the ball. He was sure that the ball would end up inside the post.


    He simply ran towards the sidelines to celebrate his goal without even looking at the ball.


    Beep!!


    And he only turned back after hearing the whistle of the referee.


    Looking back, he found the ball inside the post. However the crowd was gathered at the opposite sideline. Aside from Yuya, his other teammates were gathered around the centre forward of his team, jumping atop each other.


    ''Why are they gathered there when I''m the one who scored the goal?'' Feeling all confused, he thought to himself after noticing the crowd gathered at the opposite corner.


    He then ran towards Yuya who was standing infront of the goalpost all alone with a dejected look on his face.


    "What''s happening?" He questioned after reaching close to Yuya.


    Just as he approached him, Yuya lowered his eyes and drooped his shoulder. He then slightly lifted his head up and spoke to him in a low voice;


    "Ryuma touched the ball before it entered the post. That''s why they''re celebrating his goal."


    From what he heard from Yuya he found out that just before the ball entered the post, Ryuma Takeuchi the centre forward of his team had touched the ball and robbed him of his goal.


    Even after finding out the deeds of Ryuma, Hiro showed no change in his facial expressions.


    "Why do you look so calm even after finding out the truth Hiro?" Unable to see any changes in his facial expressions, Yuya questioned him.


    However Hiro revealed a smile instead without saying anything. As if the fact that Ryuma robbed him of his goal didn''t affect him, he maintained the smile on his face.


    "You were robbed Hiro!! You were robbed!!" Yuya exasperated upon seeing his smiling face.


    "It doesn''t matter who scores the goal Yuya. What matters is our team tied the score." Hiro replied with a smile on his face.


    But just then the referee made his way towards the celebrating crowd and dered the goal void.


    "No goal. Ryuma was offside." The referee intoned.


    Just as referee dered the goal void, he remembered that all three of his teams attackers were offside.


    "A striker needs to be hungry about goals. But what you did was in robbery Ryuma." Manager Nozomi exasperated while keeping his eyes at the ongoing scene. "Your mistakes has costed your team the goal Ryuma."


    "Yui, go warm up. You''ll be ying as the forward." Manager Nozomi eximed after turning his head towards Kota Yui.


    He wanted to rece Ryuma because of his selfish blunder. He was going to y Kota Yui as the forward despite him being an offensive midfielder.


    Kota Yui who was enjoying the scene was totally immersed in the drama happening on the field. Thus, he couldn''t hear the words of manager Nozomi. He simply kept on staring at the ongoingmotion happening in the field with a wry smile on his face.


    "Kota Yui!! Didn''t you hear me. Go warm up." Manager Nozomi yelled upon noticing his disgusting expression.

 Chapter 74 Academy players

    <h4>Chapter 74 Academy yers</h4>


    After dering the equalising goal offside, the referee signalled every yer to assume their positions, so that he could continue the match.


    Before the continuation of the match, manager Nozomi decided to make some changes in his team. Ryuma who had robbed him of his goal and also costed his team an important goal, got substituted by manager Nozomi.


    Upon getting substituted by manager Nozomi, Ryuma left the pitch with a bitter face. He wasn''t happy about that substitution.


    Even so, he didn''t throw any tantrums. He simply walked outside the field without uttering a single word.


    And thus after a yer change from the reserve team, the game continued with a freekick from the opposition.


    Upon getting awarded with a freekick because of the earlier offside, Shun yed a short ball towards Takekazu.


    With noone to defend against him, Takekazu began to move the ball forward. Kota who was supposed to be the recement of Ryuma should''ve been the one to stop Takekazu from moving the ball forward.


    But instead he had fallen back towards the position of Hiro.


    Thus, instead of continuing to y with the same 4-2-1-3 formation, their formation had drastically changed into 4-2-2-2 formation because of the addition of Kota Yui.


    Also because of theck of a number 9 in their team, having noone to defend against, Takekazu who was supposed to be ying as a central defender moved towards the midfield position and started to y as a ball ying defensive midfielder, instead.


    Despite moving forward towards the defensive midfield position, Takekazu continued to drop back towards his original position to fulfill his responsibility as a central defender whenever the opposition went offensive.


    For the rest of the game, he continued to switch between defender and midfielder.


    Because of the intrusion of Kota Yui, Hiro was forced to move forward to cover the vacant position of the striker. And thus he started to y as a number 9 instead for the rest of the match.


    Even so because of Kota Yui''s unwillingness to pass the ball towards him, he didn''t get enough chances to score.


    And thus, they ended up losing the game with the final score of 3:2 because of Kota Yui''s selfishness and rash actions.


    **** ****


    Just as the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the game, Hiro who was running towards Kota Yui in hopes of getting a pass stopped his movement.


    Out of exhaustion, most of the yers in the field threw themselves on the ground and copsed on the field.


    Hiro too was somewhat tired from running all over the field. For the entirety of the match, he had made himself avable for the pass by shaking off his mark.


    But because of his teammates unwillingness to pass the ball, he didn''t get much opportunity to score, despite covering the most distance in that match.


    After losing a match on his first day at the club, he casted a nce at the field infront with somewhat tired expression.


    With bodies of exhausted yers lying atop the grassy green field, the pitch which was filled with the screams and yells of the yers a moment ago was filled with the panting noises of the exhausted yers instead.


    While moving his eyes around the field, his eyes stopped at the picturesque scene of the molten sky filled with hues of orange, red and purple.


    The sky was a canvas and the sun was the master painter wielding a brush of light.


    Basking under the warm rays of the evening sun, he kept on staring at the dreamy scenery unfolding infront of his eyes. Lost in the soothing scenery, he totally forgot about the defeat he suffered a moment ago.


    Just then while he was staring nkly at the sun setting in the horizon, Yuya walked towards him.


    However he couldn''t even feel his presence, until he heard his voice.


    "If not for Ryuma and Kota, we would have won the match." Yuya''s voice cracked a little as he vented his frustration.


    Hearing his voice, he turned his head towards him. Noticing his red eyes and puffy face, he could tell that he was very sad about the loss they incurred a moment ago.


    ''May be he''s scared. Since this match was the deciding factor to select the yers for the next match, he''s probably fearing that he won''t get picked because of this match. But he has performed well. So if coach has noticed his performance, he wouldn''t leave him on the bench for the next match.'' He thought while staring at the worried face of Yuya.


    "Don''t take it to your heart Yuya. You''ve yed really well today. You''ve yed better than most of the yers in the field today. So I''m sure you''re gonna get picked for Sunday''s friendly match." Hiro mumbled in a soft tone while trying to console him.


    "It''s not about me Hiro. We only lost today because of this so called academy yers. Just because they''ve been ying for the club since childhood, they act as if they''re the only talented yers in the club." Yuya intoned sounding somewhat irritated.


    "Academy yers?" Hiro questioned with somewhat puzzled expression.


    "Yeah!! They are the yers who are training with the club since their childhood. And most of the yers in this team are academy yers. They''ve been ying for the club since they were 5 or 6. And they are always fearful of the outsi-"


    "So you''re not one of the academy yers?" Hiro interrupted Yuya before he could finish his sentence.


    "Yeah I passed the trial the previous year. And it has only been a little more than a year since I joined the club. At first they treated me the same as you as well. But since I couldn''t make it to the starting team, they realised that I couldn''t jeopardize their spot at the team. And only after that confirmation, they approached me." Yuya intoned.


    "I see. So are there any other yers here who are not academy yers?" While trying to process the information shared by Yuya, Hiro paused for a while. He then again questioned him after a moment of pause.


    "Shunta and I were the only ones who passed the previous trial. And I heard that in the trial before us only Shun managed to pass the trial. So I guess including you, we are the only yers who joined the club from outside selection." Yuya eximed.


    "I see. No wonder I never saw any of these yers on the nationals." Hiro intoned while striking his chin.

 Chapter 75 Forgiveness

    <h4>Chapter 75 Forgiveness</h4>


    As mentioned by Yuya, most of the yers in the youth team were academy yers who had been ying for the club since they were 5 or 6 years old. Meaning most of the yers in the club were local yers from around the same region as the club.


    And the reason why none of the yers in the club knew of him was because they were academy yers as well. Since the yers of the youth club could onlypete against yers from other school''s from middle school onward, non of the yers in the youth club had participated in the nationals.


    During elementary school level, the academy yers could onlypete against other youth academies and asionally some elementary and middle schools from their region.


    "What!!! You have participated in the nationals?" Yuya intoned with his eyes wide open and mouth agape.


    "Yeah!! I''ve participated in five of it." Hiro replied casually.


    Hearing such, Yuya leaned his body a bit closer towards him and incredulously stared at him with his eyes wide open.


    He continued to stare at him for a while. After a bit of thinking, as he remembered something he finally opened his mouth to speak;


    "Five times huh?? From Tokushima all I can remember is the recent winners Ookami elementary school. Did you y for Ookami elementary school?"


    "Yeah that''s where I yed." He replied casually without any change in his facial expressions.


    "Hmmm.... You yed for Ookami elementary school. And you''re name is simr to that of the star yer of Ookami elementary school. But you look nothing like him. Was there two Takahashi Hiro in your school?" Yuya questioned him while striking his chin, trying to remember the face of Hiro from three years ago.


    "No there wasn''t. I''m that star yer that you are mentioning about." Hiro replied while pointing his finger towards him.


    "My freaking lord!!! You look nothing like him. How can a person change so much in less than 3 years??" Yuya freaked out when he found out that he was the star yer of the Ookami elementary school who had helped them lift the trophy in 2019.


    ''Ah!! That must be because of the muscle enhancing elixir. After consuming it, my body changed a bit too much. I gained few kilos and my height also increased by few inches. And since the elixir affected my overall muscle, it also affected my facial muscles too afterall.'' Hiro thought after listening to Yuya''s ims.


    Since Yuya only watched the finals of the nationals, he wasn''t aware that Ookami elementary school which won the 2019 nationals had participated in five of the nationals.


    "Thest time when I saw you on TV, you still looked like a kid with baby face. Did puberty hit you even before you entered your teenage?" Yuya questioned while staring at him.


    "Hahaha that''s funny. But you don''t have to act too dramatic now." Hiro mumbled after giving away a sarcasticugh.


    Not to make the situation too much awkward, Yuya cracked a joke while revealing a sarcasticugh.


    "Hahaha... Yeah I feel honoured to y with such a huge star. May be in distant future, I can brag about this huge achievement with others as well. Hahahah"


    "Everybody gather around."


    While they were cheerfully chatting with each other sharing their past experiences, they heard voice of manager Nozomimanding everybody to gather around.


    "Let''s continue our talkter."


    Saying such both of them dismissed their conversation and began to walk towards manager Nozomi who was standing at the sidelines just infront of the reserve seat.


    And as everybody gathered around him, he began to stare at the yers.


    "I don''t have much toint about the starting team. But I''ve a lot toin about the performance of the reserves." He intoned while staring at the faces of the reserve yers.


    With there head bowed down, nobody from the reserve team dared to look manager Nozomi in the eyes. Since all of them were also aware of their mistakes except Koto Yui, they simply couldn''t bring themselves to lift their chin up.


    "Ryuma step forward!!" He yelled after staring at them for a while.


    "Yes sir!!" Ryuma answered and stepped forward without lifting his head up.


    "Tell me honestly. Where were you wrong?" Nozomi questioned.


    Ryuma hesitated to open his mouth. And he just kept on standing without saying anything.


    "I asked you. Where were you wrong? Reply me Ryuma Takeuchi." Nozomi yelled.


    "I shouldn''t have touched that ball." He replied meekly with his gaze pointed at the ground.


    "What ball?" Nozomi inquired.


    "The ball which costed our team the most precious goal. I shouldn''t have been selfish." Ryuma replied.


    "Was that your only mistake?" Nozomi kept on questioning him.


    "No sir. I was sloppy with the attack. I couldn''t position myself better. And most importantly I kept avoiding Hiro even when he was free sir." Ryuma replied without holding back anything.


    "Then will you repeat this same mistake again?" Nozomi asked while stepping towards him.


    "No sir. From now on I''m gonna behave like professional yer." Ryuma replied.


    "Good!! But since you''ve already made the mistake. You ought to get punished as well. Apologise to Hiro and run around the field 20ps while saying sorry to Hiro. Do you agree with my punishment?"


    "Yes sir. I deserve to be punished. I won''t repeat such actions again." Saying such he walked towards Hiro.


    "Please forgive me my friend. I was unreasonably selfish." Ryuma bowed his head down low and apologized to Hiro.


    "It''s okay." Hiro replied without holding back any grudges.


    After hearing his reply, Ryuma stormed away toplete his punishment.


    Since they were already exhausted because of the match, even a simple punishment like that was a painful torture for them.


    "And all of you as well. Apologise to him andplete your punishment. If I find you doing such deeds again then I swear that I''ll send all of you to your home. And I''ll also cklist you so that no clubs in Japan would ever ept you. Do you hear me??" Manager Nozomi yelled while warning the reserve team yers.


    "This warning is meant for everybody. So don''t think that it doesn''t apply to you." He continued while staring at the starting yers.


    After listening to manager Nozomi''s warnings, all of his teammates except Shunta and Yuya apologized to him with their head bowed down and stormed away toplete the punishment.


    Since he believed that holding grudges among teammates would only disrupt the harmony of the team and affect the performance of the team, he forgave everybody who apologized to him.


    Koto Yui was thest one to approach him. Because of the coach''s warning, he reluctantly apologized to him. However even when apologising to him, Hiro couldn''t feel any sort of sincerity in his apologies.


    Even so, he forgave him as well withoutining anything.


    "Koto Yui,e to my office after you finish your punishment." Just as Koto Yui was about to run after making his apology, manager Nozomi stopped him andmanded him to go to his officeter.

 Chapter 76 Rondo

    <h4>Chapter 76 Rondo</h4>


    By the time the evening training came to an end, the sun was already on the verge of setting down.


    And as such after punishing the reserve yers for their selfish deeds, manager Nozomi concluded the end of the evening training.


    While the yers who were running on the field stayed overtime toplete their punishment, other yers started to head towards the shower to clean themselves.


    Apanied by Yuya, Shunta and Shun, he made his way outside the pitch.


    While making his way outside the pitch, he removed his training bib and upper jersey which waspletely soaked from his sweat.


    And just as he undressed his upper body, he flipped his jersey atop his shoulder and mumbled after letting out a deep sigh;


    "Huff!!! Finally I can rest now. From Tokushima to Kawasaki. And without any rest, a match on my first day. Man I''m exhausted!"


    "But I do feel sorry for those guys. Even after running for about an hour, they still have to run more." He continued.


    "Those guys deserved it." Yuya replied sounding somewhat angry while turning his head towards the yers who were running on the field.


    "Yeah those guys deserved it." Shunta and Shun nodded their head and voiced their opinions.


    Hiro couldn''t refute their statements.


    "Haha.... Yeah!! You''re right." Hiro stretched his right hand towards the back of his head and revealed an awkward smile while scratching his scalp.


    Faster!! Faster!!


    While their training had came to an end, the training of U-18 team was still going on. Under manager Makoto''s guidance, the U-18 yers were ying rondo.


    Three groups consisting of eight yers each were ying rondo in the U-18 pitch.


    Rondo is a type of game, simr to keep away that is used mostly as a form of training drill by the football clubs.


    In this game a group of yers is tasked with the responsibility of keeping possession of the ball whilepleting a series of passes, while the other group of yers (sometimes only a single yer) tries to take the possession.


    "Oh they''re ying rondo." Hiro mumbled in awe while turning his gaze towards the U-18 pitch.


    With a temporary white spray, several patterns were drawn across the pitch. And each of those three group were ying inside those patterns, drawn on the pitch.


    One group was ying inside a circle, another was ying inside a square and the final one was ying in a triangle.


    While six yers were standing at the boundary line of the patterns, two yers were positioned at the middle of those six yers.


    While those group of six yers were tasked with keeping possession of the ball, the pair of two yers on the field was trying to take the possession of the ball from those group of six yers.


    With swift and timely passes, the six yers were trying their best to avoid those two yers. And those two yers were also trying their best to win the ball back.


    "Yeah!! It''s an everyday scene. Since their training ends about half an hourter than us, their coach always makes them y rondo at the end of their training session." Shun replied.


    "The keeper needs to join the game as well?" Hiro asked while pointing at the two groups with keeper.


    "Yup. Everybody needs to join it. No exception." Shun replied.


    "Now let''s go. Judging from your skills, you''ll probably get to suffer the training of U-18 by next year. So don''t worry, your time wille. Hahaha" Saying such, Shun and the others began to walk towards the building.


    He then casted a final nce at the U-18 pitch and stormed towards the building to join his friends.


    Since he was still new to the club, he needed to stick with his teammates to get familiarised with his surrounding.


    **** ****


    Before heading into the shower, they stopped by the changing room.


    "ce your jersey here. The club will do theundry." Yuya mumbled while pointing at a huge basket ced at the changing room.


    "But do remember that the club will only take care of your jersey''s. Your personal clothes, you need to wash it yourself. So don''t you ever put your shocks or other clothes in the basket like someone once did." Yuya continued while staring at Shunta.


    "What!! That was only one time. And I wasn''t familiar with the rule." Shunta mumbled sounding somewhat irritated.


    "Hahaha.... Yeah!! Along with his jersey, he even put his underwear in the basket." Shun burst out inughter while revealing Shunta''s embarrassing past.


    Since the changing room in the hostel building was connected to the shower room, Shunta had once undressed himselfpletely and put all his clothes into the basket including his underwear before heading to the shower butt naked.


    "So do remember you can only put your jersey here. Only jersey!!" Saying such the three of them undressed themselves and put their jersey inside the basket.


    Since Hiro had already taken off his upper jersey, he only needed to undress his lower half at that time. Thus after taking off his half pants, he threw his jersey inside therge basket infront of him.


    A moment ago, they hadn''t paid any attention towards his body because of the ongoing events. But now that they paid attention to his body, they couldn''t help but notice his muscles.


    "Woah!! Look at those muscles. Who knew he''d be hiding such defined muscles underneath his clothes." Shun mumbled in awe upon witnessing his muscr body.


    "Yeah!! Look at those abs. He''s got six pack abs." Saying such Shunta turned his gaze towards his stomach.


    "Man I''m jealous of his body." Shunta whined sounding somewhat jealous.


    "May I touch those muscles?" Shun asked while moving his hands closer towards him.


    "No man!! That''s gross." Saying such, Hiro took a step back.


    "Haha... Don''t be shy man. I''m not into boys." Shun burst out inughter.


    And so did the other two. However Hiro was still getting creepy vibes from Shun and thus he stormed towards the shower room.


    The three of them followed behind him while teasing him.


    "So what if he''s got a muscr body. Skill is what matters." Hirato who was standing at the door waiting for them to get undressed, so that he could put his jersey inside the basket, mumbled sounding somewhat annoyed by Hiro and his gang''s conversation while staring at them.


    "And he''s skillfull too." Takekazu who was standing beside him, spoke.


    Takekazu''s statement was like salt to his wounds. And thus, after hearing his statement, he got even more irritated.

 Chapter 77 Revelation

    <h4>Chapter 77 Revtion</h4>


    Just as he entered the shower room, he noticed the floor and the walls covered with white marbles. A lot of shower heads were embedded at the walls.


    "1..2..3...4...5...6...7...,13... 14... Damn!! 14 shower heads!!" Hiro intoned after counting the number of shower heads in the shower room.


    The hostel shower room had a capacity to host 14 people at once. With a 4 feet tall wall separating the chambers, there were altogether 14 chambers. With no doors, the chambers were quite open.


    The ceiling of the shower room was pretty high as well. At the top of the walls there was rectangr ss window used for venttion.


    With bright led lights attached to the ceiling, the whole shower room was illuminated bright by those white lights.


    "I expected that reaction." Yuya mumbled casually after hearing the words of Hiro.


    "Now let''s not stand here and stare at the shower in daze. Let''s go and wash ourselves quickly. Afterall other yers will being in a while." Saying such Yuya lightly pushed him forward.


    "Woah!! Woah!!"


    Upon getting pushed by Yuya, he wobbled a little and crashed against another yer. Luckily neither of them fell down.


    The yer with whom he crashed was the opposing left winger.


    "Sorry!! Sorry!!"


    While trying to stabilise himself, he apologized for crashing on him. However the guy with whom he crashed against didn''t speak anything at all.


    Unable to hear his response, Hiro shrugged his attention away from him. He then turned back and poured on Yuya;


    "It could have been dangerous Yuya. Luckily noone got injured. But please don''t do such things again."


    "Sorry!! I won''t do it again." Yuya apologized while joining his hands into a namaste.


    "It''s okay. But don''t do such things from next time." Saying such, he turned around.


    And just as he turned around, he found the opposing winger staring at him. Wavy ck hair which almost covered his eyes, sharp nose and somewhat tanned skin. With his bulging eyes, he was staring at him waiting for an opportunity to erupt.


    "You''re fond of dancing huh?? Dancing on the field wasn''t enough so you started to dance on the shower room too!!" The left winger exasperated.


    "Why are you making this issue big Seiya? He has already apologized to you for crashing against you. And plus it wasn''t even his fault. It was me who pushed him." Yuya stepped forward to defend Hiro.


    "I''m not talking to you dork." Seiya shrugged his words and turned his attention towards Hiro, once again.


    "Who does he think he is? Why must he get special treatment from the coach?? Today just because of him our friends got punished. Today it''s them, tomorrow it''ll be us." Seiya erupted.


    Just as he finished, other yers around them started to gossip.


    "Yeah why does he get special treatment?"


    "Yeah!! Seiya''s correct."


    "Today it''s them, tomorrow it''ll be us as well."


    Hiro didn''t react to his ims and kept on staring at him with his mouth shut. He thought that speaking more would only worsen the situation. And he was there to y football and improve himself. He knew that Seiya was upset about the punishment. Thus, he kept his mouth shut.


    ''All bark but no bite. So let''s wait for him to cool down.'' He thought while looking at him bark.


    However Yuya, Shunta and Shun who were beside him didn''t share his intentions. They stood up for him.


    Especially Yuya who was fuming with anger after listening to the unreasonable ims of Seiya was on the verge of eruption.


    "He''s a nationals champion. A talent sought after by the world. And speaking of the punishment, those yers running in the field only got punished because of their unwillingness to cooperate. Or did you not hear what manager Nozomi said a moment ago?" Yuya exploded.


    Hearing such wordsing out from the mouth of Yuya, everybody in the shower room got silent all of a sudden.


    Then after a moment of pause, they began to gossip.


    "He has won the nationals?"


    "No wonder he ys so well."


    "There must be something special in him."


    While majority of the yer in the room was praising him. There were also some yers who were stil criticising him.


    "That must be a lie."


    After listening to the words of Yuya, Seiya started to get flustered. He wasn''t willing to ept his ims.


    "Hah!! What national champion? Stop lying. If he did win the national championship, then why don''t he tell us the name of his school?" Unwilling to ept the fact that Hiro had won national championship, Seiya asked him about his school name with a smug smile on his face.


    As if he was sure that the words of Yuya were mere lies, he questioned him without a bit of hesitation.


    "Ookami elementary school. The 2019 champions. He''s their star yer Takahashi Hiro. If you don''t believe me, you can go Google it in manager Nozomi''s phone as well." Yuya replied.


    Since they weren''t allowed to bring mobile phone in the hostel, Yuya told them to search for the fact from manager Nozomi''s phone.


    "Now I remember!! You''re that Ser Wizard right??" Takekazu interrupted after listening to statement of Yuya.


    Hiro who was staring nkly at Yuya turned his gaze towards Takekazu and replied;


    "Yeah! I did operate that channel for a while. Though I didn''t post more than 5 videos. And I also deleted the ount before the start of pandemic."


    "I knew it. No wonder you felt so familiar. Hirato he''s the same guy from the video I showed you back then." Takekazu shouted in ecstasy.


    Hirato who was standing just beside the door with his towels wentpletely nk after hearing the words of Takekazu.


    Since the beginning, he didn''t have any favourable impression of Hiro. But now that he found out that he was a very famous footballing talent, he was at a loss of words.


    "Damn!! I never realised that you were a national champion Hiro." Shun mumbled while looking at Hiro.


    "Yeah!! And he has participated in five of it as well." Yuya continued with his ttery.


    "Holy cow! Five times!!" With their mouth agape, all of the yer in the shower room intoned.


    "My school from Hokkaido never even got to participate in the nationals." Shun mumbled under his breathe.

 Chapter 78 Morning training

    <h4>Chapter 78 Morning training</h4>


    Ring!! Ring!!


    At around 5 in the morning, an irritating sound of the rm clock simr to that of emergency horn reverberating from Shun''s side of bed, woke him up.


    However the person who had set the rm clock, showed no reaction and kept on sleeping like a pig.


    "Urgh!! Shun!! Turn off your rm clock." Hiro murmured while covering his ears and went back to sleep.


    Even though he would normally wake up at around that time in the morning, he was struggling to wake up at the sound of the rm clock that morning.


    Because of histe night conversation with Shun, both of them had slept prettyte in the previous night.


    And thus instead of waking up, he tried to sleep some more while covering his ears. But the irritating sound from the rm clock continued without a break.


    "Argh!! Shun!! Shut that damn rm off." He exasperated.


    However Shun still didn''t reply anything at all. Neither did he turn off the rm nor did he reply anything, he simply kept on sleeping while snoring.


    Unable to hear Shun''s response, he rose up from his bed and wobbled towards Shun''s drawer attached to his bed to turn off the rm clock.


    With both their beds ced side by side, there was a decent space between their beds.


    "Urgh!! Just why does he set rm, if he''s not going to wake up." He mumbled sounding somewhat annoyed while walking back towards his bed after turning off the rm clock.


    Just as he was walking towards his bed, a gust of cold breeze came rustling towards him out of nowhere. That gust of cold breeze gave him chills.


    Feeling cold, he crossed his arm and squeezed his body.


    "Now where did this gust of breezee from?" Mumbling such, he turned his gaze towards the window.


    The maroon coloured in curtains were dangling and dancing along with the wind. Because of theirte night conversation, they hadpletely forgotten to shut the window.


    "So the window was open huh." Saying such, he walked towards the window to close the window.


    But just as he was about to shut the window, his eyes wandered towards the pitch outside.


    yers were already rushing towards the pitch for their morning training. Seeing them rushing towards the pitch, he remembered something.


    "Ahh!! Right!! Previous night, he mentioned about the morning training which starts at 5:30 in the morning. So what time is it right now??"


    After remembering about the morning training, he leaned back to check the time in Shun''s rm clock. The clock read as such 5:10.


    "Shun!!! Wake up. It''s already 5:10." He panicked after noticing the time on the clock.


    He then quickly folded his nkets and took out his toothbrush from his bag. He still hadn''t unpacked his luggage. However he had ced his daily use item on a carry bag instead of a suitcase.


    While he was hurrying to leave for the training, Shun was still lying in the bed with his eyes shut. Saliva dripping from his open mouth atop his pillow, he was drooling while sleeping in a weird position.


    Unable to wake him via his voice, he shook him to wake him.


    And as he began to shake him, he woke up while shouting in a state of panic;


    "Earthquake!! Earthquake!!"


    "Yeah!! Yeah!! It''s the beginning of an apocalypse. So wake up now." Saying such, he walk towards his bed to grab his boot and training kit.


    After conversing with Shun in the previous night, Hiro had found out that Shun was fond of manga and webtoons. That''s why, he made such remarks when Shun woke up in a state of panic.


    "I''ll leave first. You should hurry up as well." Saying such, he unlocked the door and left the room.


    **** ****


    With few bright stars and crescent moon still shining brightly atop the dark sky, the sun hadn''t risen yet.


    "Good morning coach!" Hiro greeted manager Nozomi who was standing infront of the door of the pitch dressed in an ash grey tracksuit.


    "Good morning Hiro" He greeted him back. After greeting him, he started to scribble something on a note which he was carrying in his hand. As if he was noting his time of attendance, he continued to note down something for about few seconds.


    And as he finished noting down, he lifted his head and looked towards him.


    "You''re the 15th." Nozomi mumbled while looking at him.


    "Huh!!" He asked dumbfoundedly. He didn''t understand the meaning behind his statement.


    "You''re the 15th one to arrive on the pitch." Nozomi rified.


    "Damn!! yers here are damn punctual." Hiro intoned after finding out the meaning behind Nozomi''s earlier statement.


    "Hahaha!! One must be willing to arrive early and leavete, if they''re aiming to be a pro afterall." Nozomi chuckled as he heard him. "Go to coach Kazushi Fuji. He''ll instruct you about the training drill."


    "Yes sir!!" Saying such, he entered the pitch.


    At the sidelines of the pitch, a man probably in his thirties was standing with a checklist in his hand, dressed in a casual tracksuit.


    Coach Fuji was one of the assistant coach''s of manager Makoto who was responsible with the task of overseeing the training drills of the yers.


    He was also an analyst who advised both the managers about the performance of the yers in the training. He was also tasked with the responsibility of analysing the performance of the yers in official matches.


    "Good morning coach Fuji. I''m Takahashi Hiro. A new recruit for the team." Since coach Fuji was at the U-18 pitch the day before when he introduced himself, he greeted him while introducing himself.


    "I know you. I was one of the coaches who approved your signing afterall." Coach Fuji replied casually.


    "Ohh!! I didn''t know about that." Hiro mumbled with a stoic face after listening to the words of coach Fuji.


    "Go stretch your body for a while. We''ll start the training with the team at exactly 5:30." He advised him to stretch his body.


    Since there was still 7 minutes left for the training to begin, coach Fuji wanted him to stretch his body.


    "Yes sir!!" He replied and turned around.


    All the other yers who had arrived early were doing their own thing as well. Some were running while some were shooting. Everybody in the pitch was doing their own thing.

 Chapter 79 Modern Fullback

    <h4>Chapter 79 Modern Fullback</h4>


    He then walked away from coach Fuji. By twisting and turning his body, he started to stretch his body.


    While he was stretching his body, Yuya and Shunta approached him. They had arrived at the pitch about 10 minutes earlier than him.


    "Yoh!! Good morning." Yuya greeted him with a wide grin on his face.


    Even in that cold morning, he seemed pretty energetic.


    "Those guys are still hesitant of approaching you." He continued while turning his gaze at other yers who were stealing a peak of him since the moment he entered the pitch.


    "Leave them be. I''m sure everything will work out fine with time." Hiro replied while pausing his actions.


    Even after revealing his identity the day before, his teammates were still somewhat hesitant of approaching him.


    Far in one of the goalpost, Hirato and Takekazu were practicing their shooting apanied by the goalkeeper from the reserve team.


    "He''s technique is pretty good." Hiro mumbled while watching him shoot.


    "Who Hirato??" Shunta questioned while turning his gaze towards the two of them.


    "Yeah!! Although hecks power, his technique is good." Hiro continued.


    "As much as I''d hate topliment him. But I can''t deny the fact that he''s one of the talented yer in U-15 team. And he''s not only great in terms of skill but he''s also great in terms of something else as well. Hahaha..." Yuya finished his sentence with a yful smile.


    "Yeah! His weight is great as well. Hahaha..." Shunta burst out intoughter.


    While they were gossiping about Hirato, they failed to notice the presence of Seiya behind them.


    Without being noticed, Seiya who had been eavesdropping their conversation ran towards Hirato to tell him about the content of their conversation.


    "Let''s not talk about him. Actually I want to talk to you about something Shunta. I noticed that you''ve got a pretty quick feet. But why don''t you go up the field? You should be using your pace to attack from the nks." Hiro suggested.


    "You shouldn''t stick to a traditional role. You''re more suited to be ying as a modern fullback instead of a traditional fullback. Do you watch Bundesliga?" While giving suggestions to Shunta, he asked him if he watched Bundesliga.


    "Not much. But I love watching premier league." Shunta replied.


    "That works as well. You know Trent Alexander Arnold right? The full back from Liverpool." Hiro asked.


    Shunta slightly nodded his head without uttering anything.


    "Have you ever paid attention to his gamey? Even though he''s a fullback, he''s more known for his attacking threat than for his defensive talent. And I''m not saying his defense is terrible but what makes him known is his crosses and runs across the nk. With your pace, you too should participate more on the offense as well." Hiro gave him the example of Trent Alexander Arnold from Liverpool and suggested him to participate on the offense.


    "That''s a good suggestion Hiro. But he can''t cross well. And unlike Trent, he''s not good with the ball as well." Yuya pointed out the ws in Shunta.


    "Yeah!! I''m a bit ashamed to say this but he''s right." Shunta meekly replied.


    "Then we''ll help you to correct your ws." Hiro eximed with a smile on his face while turning his gaze towards Yuya, staring at him with his expectant eyes.


    "We will??" Yuya replied while pointing his finger towards him, looking somewhat confused.


    After a moment of pause, heughed awkwardly.


    "Hahaha yes we will. Don''t worry Shunta. We''ll help you."


    "Thank you guys." His eyes twinkling, Shunta thanked both of them for offering their help to help him improve.


    Just then as Shun made his appearance towards the pitch looking somewhat sleep deprived, manager Nozomi closed the door of the pitch.


    Beep!!!


    Manager Nozomi blew his whistle to grab the attention of the yers on the field.


    "Okay now everybody gather around." Nozomi yelled andmanded everybody to gather around.


    Upon hearing themand of manager Nozomi, all the yer started to gather around him.


    "Look the coach is calling. We should probably go as well." Yuya intoned.


    Hiro and Shunta nodded their head. The three of them then started to walk towards the crowd as well.


    "And also you should watch the gamey of Alphonso Davies. The fullback from Bayern Munich. Just like you, he''s got a rather quick feet. You too should use your pace for attacking like him." Hiro suggested during their walk.


    And just as they joined the crowd, the two coaches on the field began to speak.


    "For today''s training session we will be measuring your overall improvement. And for that we''ll be analysing your physicality, passing, shooting, defending, etc. We''ll also be ranking you guys ording to your performance. Also there will be punishment for the bottom three yers. So be prepared to sweat a lot." Coach Fuji revealed with a somewhat sinister smile on his face.


    The coaches wanted to check their improvements.


    While the coach was talking about the training drills, his eyes met with Hirato''s who was standing opposite to him.


    Staring at him with his bulging eyes, he could feel anger rushing in his eyes.


    ''Why is he looking at me like that?'' He wondered after noticing Hirato''s gaze towards him.


    "Pay attention everybody." Manager Nozomi yelled upon noticing Hiro wandering his gaze around the field as if his focus was somewhere else.


    Nozomi''s voice brought him back to his senses. Noticing himing back to his senses, Nozomi then cleared his throat and requested coach Fuji to continue the exnation.


    "For our first drill. We''ll be measuring your pace. And to do that we''ll first arrange you guys in a group of three to save time. After that ording to the number of your group, you''ll sprint from the outline towards the halfline without pausing. Do you get it?" Coach Fuji informed them about their first drill.


    "''Yes sir!!"'' Everybody yelled in unison.


    "Okay then I''ll allocate your groups. Step forward when I call your name."


    Coach Fuji then began to allocate the yers in groups.


    Shunta got ce in the second group. And Shun got ced in the 5th group.


    Unluckily Yuya and Hiro got ced alongside Hirato in group first.


    And thus they were forced to run before anyone else.


    "Okay group 1 step forward." Coach Fuji asked group 1 to step forward to start the first drill. "Also Shune forward as well. We need one more person to measure their time."


    And just as he called out for the yers of group 1 and Shun to step forward, the three yers of group 1 and Shun stepped forward.


    "Let''s see who''s out of shape now." Hirato mumbled while standing beside him.


    ''I guess someone informed him about our earlier conversation.'' He thought after listening to his taunts.

 Chapter 80 Gentle reminder

    <h4>Chapter 80 Gentle reminder</h4>


    Asmanded by coach Fuji, the three of them stepped forward and walked towards the goal-line.


    After reaching the goal-line, they stood behind the goal-line while preparing tounch themselves. Yuya with somewhat flustered face looked a bit anxious. Hirato on the other hand was filled with rage and hatred.


    His eyes fixated at Hiro, he was ring at him as if he was going to swallow him alive. Despite noticing Hirato''s contemptuous stare, he paid no attention to him and kept his eyes focused at the finish line which was about 50 yards away from the position he was standing at that moment.


    ''Shunta seemed quite agile. But I wonder who would win among us if we were to race against each other.'' Hiro thought while preparing to run. ''Let''s test it out. I''ll run as fast I can. And I''ll also tell him to do the same. Later we canpare our timing.''


    While Hirato was fixated on defeating Hiro, Hiro on the other hand didn''t even consider him his rival. He was more focused onpeting with Shunta.


    And as they assumed their position and prepared themselves tounch, coach Fuji who was standing behind the half-line apanied by manager Nozomi and Shun, signalled the other two to prepare themselves to record the time of those three yers standing behind the goal-line.


    Beep!!


    Just as coach Fuji blew his whistle, Yuya, Hirato and Hiro, all three of themunched themselves towards the half-line.


    Hiro''s eleration was unmatched. From the moment of theirunch, Yuya and Hirato who started alongside him were forced to tail his back just within some seconds. They didn''t evene close to challenging him.


    Just by looking at them run, one could tell that Yuya and Hirato were no match for Hiro. Hiro finished the sprint in 9.9 seconds. On the other hand Yuya finished the sprint in 14.9 seconds. Despite being a little overweighted, Hirato who was the slowest among them took 16.4 seconds to finish the sprint.


    And just as Hirato crossed the half-line, he threw himself on the pitch and copsed on the pitch. While panting heavily, he covered his eyes with his hands.


    "Impressive!! In less than three years he''ve improved so much. I still remember back then during his trial for the club it took him 24 seconds toplete 50 yard dash. But look at him now, hepleted the same test in 9.9 seconds. If he continues to improve like this may be soon he can even achieve the top speed of professional footballers." Manager Nozomi''s eyes gleamed with expectations as he mumbled in awe upon witnessing the progress of Hiro.


    As much as Manager Nozomi was shocked to find out his improvement. Yet he wasn''t the only one who was shocked by Hiro''s improvement at that field. Coach Fuji who was standing just beside him had the same expression as that of Nozomi''s.


    ''Is it even humanely possible to improve like this? Just how is he able to improve more than twice in less than three years? And he''s only 12 years old? What kind of monster are we training in our youth facility?'' Coach Fuji thought while looking at the time recorded in his notebook.


    "Did you see him run? He runs like a wild horse. Yuya and Hirato, they both weren''t even close to challenging him." One of the yers mentioned.


    "Yeah!! Did he inherit Usain Bolt''s gene or what??" Another yer exaggerated.


    And as such the yers began to gossip after seeing him run.


    "Impressive start from the yers of first group. Now let''s continue with other groups." Coach Fuji intoned.


    And with that, yers from next group stepped forward and assumed their marks. One after the other, the yerspeted among themselves.


    And just as the final yer from the final grouppleted his sprint, Coach Fuji announced the end of first drill.


    After announcing the end of the first drill, coach Fuji and manager Nozomi began to tally the data.


    And while they were tallying the data, Hiro''s wandering eyesnded on Hirato who was still at the ground, panting.


    While gasping for breath Hirato lifted his chin to take a peak at Hiro. But upon noticing Hiro''s gaze, he quickly diverted his gaze away from him.


    And as the coach''s finished tallying the data, coach Fuji began to announce the result of the first drill.


    "Okay now. Everyone gather around. I''ll announce the result of the first phase."


    "It was a neck to neck battle between the first and second. And the one who has clenched the spot for the number 1 is Shunta Tanaka with a recorded time of 9.4 seconds. Takahashi Hiro who came in second recorded a time of 9.9 seconds."


    Shunta clenched the top spot by barely outrunning him by a mere 5 milliseconds. Hirato with his recorded time of 16.4 seconds was ced in the bottom third of the first drill.


    After the announcement of the result of the first phase, manager Nozomi approached Hirato who was trying his best to avoid meeting eyes with Hiro.


    "You should lose some weight Hirato. You''ll only waste your talent if you continue to remain like this." Manager Nozomi suggested in his gentle tone.


    "I admit that you''re talented. But now with the appearance of Hiro, talent alone won''t secure your position on the team. You''re position is in jeopardy." Nozomi continued.


    Hirato couldn''t bring himself to look manager Nozomi in the eyes. Since every word said by manager Nozomi was a fact, he couldn''t even bring himself to talk back anything. Thus, without saying anything, he kept on listening to the advice of manager with his chin lowered to his chest.


    "I''m not threatening you Hirato. So don''t take it in negative way. I just want the best of you. And as your coach I can''t watch you wither away without fulfilling your potential. So Hirato give your best." Saying such in his gentle voice, Nozomi walked away from him.


    However even till the end, Hirato couldn''t bring himself to reply to Nozomi.

 Chapter 81 Fear

    <h4>Chapter 81 Fear</h4>


    After a few more training drills, the morning training finally came to an end. With the sun shining over the horizon, the clear morning sky was awash with golden lights.


    Despite his poor performance in the first test, Hirato uplifted his position and attained aparatively high ranking by the end of the training by performing really well in other tests.


    Hiro who performed significantly well in every single test easily secured the first ce by arge margin. However Shunta who had ced first in the first test couldn''t perform well in other tests. Still he barely avoided the punishment by cing in 20th overall ranking. Yuya and Shun who performed decently well got ced in 14th and 11th spot in the overall ranking respectively.


    But what surprised him the most was the ranking of Takekazu, Seiya and Koto Yui. Takekazu secured a 3rd ce, Seiya secured a 5th ce and Koto Yui secured a 7th ce.


    And just as manager Nozomi dismissed the yers after concluding the end of the morning training, Hiro apanied by Yuya, Shunta and Shun started walking towards the hostel.


    "Shun''s ranking is understandable since he''s a keeper but Yuya and Shunta, you guys really need to improve yourself if you want to y in the starting 11." Hiro intoned sounding somewhat worried while making his way towards the hostel building.


    Despite it being his first morning training, Hiro was alreadymentating on the performance of other yers.


    "But I think I performed decently well." Yuya casually replied as if he was satisfied with his performance.


    Shunta on the other hand kept his mouth shut and shrunk his body in an attempt to avoid getting detected by Hiro.


    "See!! That''s the problem with you Yuya. You''re not hungry to improve. You''re just satisfied with your current performance." Hiro pointed out the w in Yuya''s mentality.


    Unwilling to ept such criticism, Yuya tried to divert the topic of their conversation elsewhere.


    "Hahaha.... I''ll keep that in mind. Ahh right!! You''ll be attending your first physical sses from today onwards right?" Yuya chuckled and questioned while attempting to change the topic of their conversation.


    However Hiro wasn''t willing to let him change the topic of the conversation. He was genuinely worried about Yuya.


    "Just know that satisfaction will always keep you away from fulfilling your potential. You''ll never realise your true potential until you push yourself to your absolute limit everyday." Hiro stated while making a serious face.


    Hiro was simply uttering the truth. But as we all know truth is only harsh when someone is unable to face it. And to Yuya who was simply unwilling to face such truth, the words of Hiro struck him like an arrow shot towards his heart.


    "Yeah!! How can someone gifted like you know the suffering of us untalented ones." Yuya replied coldly and hurriedly stormed towards the building all by himself, leaving theirpany.


    Yuya''s action left him dumbfounded and he kept on staring at him running towards the building. Even though he was only trying to help him, unknowingly he had hurt Yuya''s feeling.


    To Yuya who didn''t have extraordinary physique like Takekazu, wasn''t gifted like Hiro and Hirato and didn''t have pace like Shunta, those geniune words of Hiro was simply a statement mocking his efforts.


    **** ****


    After taking a quick shower, Hiro went to the cafeteria to get himself something to eat. Morning breakfast was provided from 7:15 onwards in the morning.


    By the time he arrived at the cafeteria, it was already flooded with yers. yers from both U-15 and U-18 team had already upied most of the tables in the cafeteria.


    Shun and Shunta who had simply poured water over their body were already seated at one of the tables with their breakfast.


    Yuya who had left all by himself a moment ago was also seated beside them with tray full of food. However he didn''t notice him among the crowd of yers.


    ''Those guys!! Did they not wash themselves??'' He thought while looking at them.


    Just then while he was staring at them, Shun suddenly lifted his chin up. And as he noticed Hiro standing beside the door of the cafeteria, he arched his mouth and smiled while looking at him.


    Smiling with his mouth full of rice, his face resembled a squirrel who had stuffed nuts inside it''s mouth.


    ''Hahaha.... What is he? A squirrel??'' He chuckled while looking at the smiling face of Shun.


    "Save a seat for me." He whispered while looking at him.


    Seeing his gesture, Shun nodded his head.


    Hiro then got himself a tray full of same food as other as well. His tray consisted of a bowl full of rice, fish cutlets, miso soup, boiled egg and some veggies apanied by a ss of orange juice.


    With his tray full of food, Hiro walked towards the table where Shun, Shunta and Yuya were seated.


    But as he reached the table where his friends were seated, he paused all of a sudden. The sight of Yuya running away shed in his mind as he noticed Yuya seated at that table.


    Still upset from the previous conversation, Yuya didn''t even bother to lift his head up. He kept on munching the food in his tray.


    "Why are you standing over there like a mannequin? Have a seat. We''ll have to leave by 8:15." Shun intoned after noticing him standing infront of the table holding his tray.


    "Ahh okay!! Excuse me then." Mumbling such, he took a seat beside Yuya.


    Unaffected by his arrival, Yuya still continued to deliberately ignore his presence.


    ''Is he still upset about thements I made earlier?'' He thought while lifting his chopsticks.


    "Umm..., Yuya." He tried to start a conversation with Yuya.


    But Yuya still continued to ignore him.


    Yuya''s unresponsiveness made him ufortable. But that didn''t stop him from talking with him.


    "Look.., I''m sorry about saying such things earlier. But I really didn''t say such things to mock you. I just wanted to help you. So I''m sorry if I hurt you in some way." Hiro apologized.


    "Yeah!! Yuya!! You too know that he''s not the type of guy who''d mock anybody right? So don''t be so upset about the earlier conversation." Shun and Shunta vouched for Hiro.


    "Indeed!! I simply wanted to help you Yuya." Hiro continued.


    "I know Hiro. I know that you meant good for me. It''s just I''m scared of trying hard." Yuya replied after hearing his apology.


    "So you don''t have to say sorry to me, Hiro. I''m just scared topete against this god gifted talents. No matter how hard I try sometimes I feel like I can never reach their level." Yuya''s voice shook as he revealed his fear. There was pain in his voice.


    As if he was deliberately trying to hide something from his past, his answers were vague.

 Chapter 82 Off to the school

    <h4>Chapter 82 Off to the school</h4>


    After listening to the words of Yuya, Hiro tried to inquire about his fear. But Yuya refused to reveal anything more. He simply didn''t want to talk about that topic.


    Since he was unwilling to reveal any further, Hiro respected his decision and stopped questioning him any further.


    And as he stopped questioning further, Yuya turned his focus towards his tray and started munching on his breakfast.


    ''I guess something must have happened to him.'' Hiro thought while nkly staring at his tray full of food.


    Just then Shun put his chopsticks down.


    "Well I''ve finished my breakfast. So I''ll be leaving now." Saying such Shun stood up from his spot. "You guys too should focus on eating rather than talking. The bus will leave at 8:15 afterall."


    "Okay!! Thanks for the reminder." Hiro replied while turning his gaze towards Shun.


    Shun then cleaned up his mess and walked away with his tray.


    After the departure of Shun, the three of them turned their attention towards the food and continued to eat in silence.


    Soon after Shun left, both Shunta and Yuya finished their breakfast as well. Upon finishing their breakfast, both of them left the table too, leaving him all by himself.


    Even after everybody''s departure, it took him quite a while to finish his breakfast.


    **** ****


    Dressed in a casual straight ck pant and a white cotton shirtyered with a navy blue coloured zer, he made his way towards the main gate of the youth facility while carrying his bag.


    Since it took him quite a while to finish his breakfast, he was thest one to leave the cafeteria.


    And as he exited the gate, he noticed two buses parked infront of road, awaiting for the arrival of the yers of Kawasaki Frontale''s youth team.


    Those two yellow coloured school buses were hired by the club tomute the yers of youth team to their respective schools.


    ''Now which bus do I need to board in?'' He wondered while looking at those two buses parked infront of the road.


    Looking somewhat confused, he kept on staring at the buses.


    "Oh you''re that new boy from yesterday, right?" The guard questioned him after noticing him standing infront of the main gate all alone, dressed in his school uniform.


    Just as he heard the voice of the guard, he startlingly turned around to face the guard.


    Since he was focused on the buses ahead, he didn''t notice the presence of the guard behind him. Thus, he was startled when he suddenly heard the voice of the guarding from behind him.


    "Ahh yes!! Good morning. I''m Takahashi Hiro." He quickly bowed his head after regaining hisposure and greeted the old man.


    "Good morning. Good morning. I''m Takafumi Kazama, the security guard of this youth facility." Kazama greeted him back while revealing a slight smile in his face to calm him down and introduced himself.


    "I''m really sorry for the trouble which I caused you yesterday but Mr Kazama can you please tell me the bus I need to board. I''m running reallyte and most of my friends have already boarded the bus." He asked Mr. Kazama for his guidance.


    "Ahh right!! The front one is for yers who are in high school. So you''ll have to board in the one in the back." Kazama replied while pointing towards the direction of the bus.


    And as he found the bus he was supposed to board, he thanked Mr. Kazama and left in a hurry.


    "He seems like a nice guy." Mr. Kazama chuckled while looking at him, running towards the bus.


    He was thest one to board the bus. And because of that most of the seats were already upied.


    ''Umm... There isn''t even a single seat avable other than a one at the back. Where should I sit now?'' He wondered while looking for any vacant spots.


    Just as he was wandering his eyes, he noticed a hand raised high, waving at him from the seat at the 4th row of the left side.


    ''Oh!! It''s Shun.'' He thought after he noticed the presence of Shun in that seat.


    Noticing Shun, he walked towards him. And luckily Shun had saved a spot for him.


    "Just what took you so long?" Shun questioned him as he got near to him.


    "The breakfast. I was literally thest person to leave the cafeteria." He replied while taking his seat beside Shun.


    "I guessed so. Just heed my advice and don''t take too long to clean yourself from tomorrow onwards." Shun suggested.


    And as they began to chatter, the bus driver stepped on the gas.


    After about 20 minutes bus ride, the bus stopped infront of the school gate.


    "So are we here?" Hiro questioned.


    "You can see for yourself." Shun replied while pointing his finger outside the window.


    And just as he took a peak at the scene outside the window, he noticed a ck banner with huge letters written in it in golden colour, flung above a huge metal gate which read as such: Kawasaki Middle School.


    Infront of the gate, groups of students dressed in school uniform were walking towards the school while cheerfullyughing and gossiping with each other.


    With his eyes gleaming with curiosity, Hiro continued to stare outside the window.


    And while he was lost in the scene outside the window, one by one all his teammates left the bus.


    "You can see as much as you wantter. But let us get off the bus now." Shun intoned.


    His words brought him back to his senses. And just as he came back to his senses, his eyes fell towards the vacant seats around him. "Where are other yers?" He inquired in a low voice.


    Shun while squeezing his way out his seat, replied; "They''re already headed in."


    And as he got out of his seat, he began to dust his uniform. "Now we showed probably head inside as well. Or are you nning on staying at the bus?" He mumbled while dusting his uniform.


    "No, no... Let''s go" Hiro replied and stood up from his seat as well.


    Both of them then boarded off the bus and walked towards the school gate.

 Chapter 83 Hiro’s entrance

    <h4>Chapter 83 Hiro''s entrance</h4>


    Just as they passed through the gate, they noticed Yuya and Shunta standing infront of the entrance of the school building, waiting for them.


    A magnificent three storey tall building which stretched wide in both direction was covering a huge chunk ofnd. With each floor consisting of several sliding ss windows, the white coloured school building looked like a modern five star hotel instead.


    ''Woah!! Look at this building!! It''s damn huge!! The window alone is like 5 feet tall and 8 feet wide. And there''s literally more than 50 such window''s in each floor.'' He thought to himself while staring at the majestic building infront.


    A wide trail paved by stone which started from the main gate stretched towards the entrance of the school building. The trail however didn''t end at the entrance of school. Instead it continued to stretch towards it''s left and right, bordering the whole school building.


    And infront of the entrance of the school building was a magnificent bronze statue of an old man erected on a stone tform.


    At either side of the paved path were grassy green fields consisting of several nts and trees which looked like gardens instead.


    However atop those grassy fields and beneath those lush green trees, students of Kawasaki Middle School satughing and gossiping with their friends.


    "Seems like those guys still have some conscience in them." Shun mumbled after noticing the sight of Yuya and Shunta.


    Since both of them had boarded out of the bus without waiting for them, Shun was somewhat pissed.


    "The building infront is the main building of our school. Also there''s more buildings behind, so don''t assume it the only building of our school." While escorting him towards the main building, Shun began to talk about the school.


    "And there''s a alsorge gymnasium and a footbal ground behind the main building. I''ll guide you towards the back of the buildingter in the lunch time." Shun continued.


    "And this here is the statue of the founder of our school Daisuke Iwasawa. And his gandson is the current principal of our school Yosuke Iwasawa. So do remember about that."


    While walking towards the main building, Shun kept on talking about the school. And only after they reached the entrance of the main building, he stopped his exnation.


    "You guys!! Why didn''t you wait for us?" Shun asked Yuya and Shunta.


    Hearing his questions, Yuya stepped closer towards Shun and replied in his yful voice; "We did. Look we are still waiting for you."


    Upon hearing Yuya''s response, Shun turned speechless.


    Afterall technically, Yuya wasn''t wrong. Since he and Shunta were indeed waiting for them infront of the school.


    "Now let''s go escort him towards the teachers office." Saying such Yuya and Shunta began to walk inside the building.


    Hiro and Shun followed them as well.


    **** ****


    Chatter!! Chatter!!


    Inside arge spacious ssroom which consisted of 37 students, students were chattering with each other in the absence of their homeroom teacher.


    While the students in the front seat were immersed in their textbooks, the scene was a lot different at the back seat.


    A meek looking obese guy was sorrounded by group of five guys. And those five guys were body shaming the obsese guy and were forcing that obese guy to do pushups against his will.


    "Come on Fatso! Today this good friend of yours will help you lose that fat from your body. So why don''t you do as I say?" A big guy with huge body mumbled and burst out intoughter.


    "Yeah Masato is only trying to help you lose weight. So just do as he says." Another guy withnky body and big nose joined.


    It was clear that those guys were bullying that meek looking obese guy. However despite noticing that broad daylight bullying, nobody in that ss stood up to those guys. All of the other students turned a blind eye to their behaviour.


    The guy who was being bullied couldn''t muster up the courage to fight back as well. Without replying anything, he just stood there without doing anything with his gaze lowered at the floor.


    "Hurry up!! Masao!! We don''t have all day." Masato insisted the meek looking guy to hurry up and do as he say.


    Masao on the other hand kept on nervously fiddling with his hands without doing anything. Neither could he fight for him nor could he muster up the courage to say no.


    m!!


    Masato mmed his hands at the table infront.


    "Masao!! You''re testing my patience now." Yelling such, Masato stood up from his chair and stomped towards Masao while cracking his fingers.


    Masao''s unwillingness to do as he say had triggered Masato.


    "Looks like Masao''s gonna get some beating." The other four guysughed while watching Masao''s face filled with fear.


    "And herees the superman punch." The guy with big nosementated.


    Thud!!


    But just as Masato was about to raise his fist, the door of the ssroom opened all of a sudden.


    From within the door, a guy in his mid thirties, casually dressed in white shirt and grey pants made his appearance while holding a maths book in his hand.


    Neatlybed ck hair, fair-skinnedbined with a pair of sses, he was the homeroom teacher of ss 7-A.


    Noticing their teacher, the group of five guys quickly ran towards their seat, undetected.


    Even so Masao didn''t run back. Infact he was so scared that he didn''t even hear the arrival of the teacher.


    ""Good morning teacher"''


    And as the homeroom teacher entered the ssroom, everybody rose from their seat to greet the teacher.


    "Good morning everyone. Please have your seat." The teacher greeted them back.


    "Thank you teacher"


    With that everybody lowered themselves and sat down.


    "Why are you standing over there Masao? Go have your seat." The teacher intoned sounding somewhat annoyed after noticing Masao standing at the space behind the back seat.


    The teacher simply thought that Masao was acting mischievously and thus, he didn''t even bother to question the reason behind him standing there.


    After hearing the teacher''s voice, Masao assumed his seat without replying anything.


    "Now then. I''d like to introduce you all to your new ssmate. And before you all start to gossip. No he''s not a new transfer though. He was with all you during the online ss. And because of some personal reasons, he couldn''t attend the orientation together with you. So I want all of you to wee him with open arms."


    Saying such, he finished his sentence and gestured Hiro who was waiting outside the door toe inside.

 Chapter 84 Introduction

    <h4>Chapter 84 Introduction</h4>


    ?


    Just as the homeroom teacher finished his announcement, Hiro entered the ssroom and slowly made his way towards the podium.


    Chiseled jaw, sharp nose, curly ck hair and fair-skinned with strawberry red lips, his appearance was simr to that of a young teen idol. And by no means he looked like he was only 12.


    "Woah!! Look at that new guy. He looks damn good looking." One of the student mumbled in awe after noticing Hiro''s appearance.


    "And what''s with that height and appearance? Is he even the same age as us? Or did he inherit some western genes?" Another student seated at the 4th row beside the hallway mumbled.


    "He seems just like my type." A girl with medium length straight ck hair seated at the seat in the second row, just beside the window spoke while looking at him affectionately.


    "Yeah!! Hahaha... Every pretty boy is your type." Another fair-skinned girl with bangs, who was seated just beside her chuckled and teased her.


    While most of the guys and girls in his ssrooms were fawning over Hiro''s looks, Masato was getting annoyed by their overexaggeration.


    "What are they fawning over him for? He''s got just above average looks at most." Masato the bully from before intoned sounding somewhat annoyed.


    From the moment Hiro stepped inside the ssroom, the students in his ssroom had started to gossip about his looks. Some looked at him affectionately, some idolised him, some didn''t care at all, while some even hated him just for his good looks.


    And as the gossip''s continued, the ss started to get noisy.


    Even after he reached the podium, the gossips of the students infront didn''t die down. Infact it only intensified as he stood infront of them while facing them.


    "Silence everybody!!" Annoyed by the students gossiping noises, homeroom teacher yelled.


    Hearing his furious roar, everybody shut their mouth in an instant. And as the ssroom got silent, the teacher gestured Hiro to introduce himself.


    "Hello everyone!! I''m Takahashi Hiro. I''m 12 years old and I''m from Tokushima. I''m not good at anything other than football." Hiro then began to introduce himself infront of other students.


    "He''s only 12!! Are you kidding me?? He''s even younger than me." The same guy seated at the 4th row who was questioning about his age earlier, intoned with his eyes wide open and mouth agape.


    Most of the student''s were shocked to find out his real age. At most they had predicted him to be of their age. But he was the youngest in the ss instead.


    "Hmm... And doesn''t that name ring a bell to you?" One of the student with short hair and tanned skin, who looked like a monk questioned while trying to remember something.


    "I''m not sure." The other guy sitting beside him replied.


    "Ahh right!! He''s that guy who didn''t turn on his camera during the online sses." The guy with monk like appearance blurted out after remembering.


    "What!! He''s that guy? I thought that during that time that guy was keeping his camera off because of his ugly appearance. But who knew he''d be this handsome."


    Since he had kept his camera off during the online sses, nobody in his ss had seen his appearance before, despite attending the online sses together.


    "So tell us Hiro. What brings you here to kanagawa prefecture?" The teacher questioned him after he finished his introduction.


    The teacher obviously knew about his reason. But still he questioned him about his reason foring to Kawasaki.


    "Ahh right!! I forgot to mention about that part. The reason why I''m here in Kawasaki is because of my footballing career. I y football for Kawasaki Frontale''s youth team. You guys shoulde and watch us y."


    "So he is a Footballer. I thought he was somekind of idol in training but that''s even more amazing." Her eyes gleaming, the girl beside the window spoke.


    "Thank you for your introduction Hiro. You can take that empty seat beside Masao."


    And as he finished his introduction, the teacher thanked him and gestured him to take the empty seat beside Masao which was in the 4th row beside the window and right infront of Masato''s gang.


    With each row consisting of 6 students, there were altogether 7 rows in total.


    He then stepped down the podium and walked towards the empty seat. And as he ced his bag beneath his desk, he adjusted his chair and sat down.


    Masao who was keeping his head bowed down during his introduction, meekly lifted his head towards Hiro to take a peak of him.


    But at that moment Hiro too had turned his gaze towards Masao to greet him.


    "Hello!! Pleased to make your acquaintan-" Before Hiro could even finish his sentence, Masao quickly turned his gaze away from him and ignored him.


    Noticing him giving him cold shoulders, Hiro''s smile quickly faded away.


    ''May be he''s one of those shy type of guy.'' Hiro thought while looking at him with somewhat puzzled expression on his face.


    And as he assumed his seat, the teacher started to scribble something on the board and resumed the ss.


    During the ss, time and again students in the front seat turned their head towards him to take a peak of him.


    However despite noticing their gazes, he paid no attention to them. Instead most of the time, his gaze was always wandering outside the window.


    And as such during one of the sses while he was looking outside the window, he heard a voiceing from infront.


    "Pss!! Dude the teacher is looking at you." The guy infront whispered while warning him about the teachers gaze on him.


    But before he could react, the teacher called out his name.


    "You!! The new guy. What''s your name?"


    "Who?? Me??" He questioned with a puzzled expression while pointing his finger towards him.


    "Yes who else here is new but you?" The teacher replied with a stern expression.


    "I''m Takahashi Hiro."


    "Oh!! So you''re that guy who kept his camera off during the online sses." The female teacher with a ponytail spoke while stepping down her podium.


    "So Hiro. Do you find my sses boring?" The female teacher questioned.


    The teacher infront was the Englishnguage teacher. And currently at that moment, he was in english ss.


    "No mam. I love English." He replied in a confident tone.


    However that was a lie. Aside from footballing terms, yers names and some basic english, he knew nothing about english.

 Chapter 85 Classroom buddy

    <h4>Chapter 85 ssroom buddy</h4>


    Upon hearing his reply, everybody turned their attention towards him. Looking at him with their sparkling eyes, they were amazed by his confidence.


    "''Woah!!"''


    Since most of the Japanese students found english very hard to learn, they were surprised to hear that Hiro was actually fond of englishnguage.


    The teacher had simr reaction to that of the other students in the ssroom. But she was also doubtful about his ims because of his inattentive behaviour from earlier.


    "Is that so!! Then why don''t we test it out? Since you love english so much, you won''t mind my tests right?"


    Sounding somewhat skeptical, she asked him if he was ufortable with her testing him.


    "No mam." While trying to unt his basic english, he replied in english.


    "Good!! I like that confidence. Now then why don''t you tell us few things about yourself in English." The teacher asked him with a smile.


    ''Argh!! Shit!! What did she say? All I heard was the word yourself. Does she want me to introduce myself in english? I shouldn''t have said I loved english earlier.'' He thought while maintaining his poker face to hide his nervousness.


    While still maintaining his facade, he tried to think of few words to say to the teacher.


    "Yes mam. I yam Takahashi Hiro. I yam 12 years old. I liku football." Speaking in his broken english, he confidently spoke few things.


    After listening to his broken english, the students who were staring at him with expectant eyes could see through his facade. Their eyebrows frowning, the spark in their eyes faded away. But noticing his confidence, they couldn''t even make fun of him.


    Just as he finished his sentence, the female teacher started to p her hands. And soon everybody followed suit.


    "Good!! That was a good try. We just need to improve your english a little bit more. Then you can speak even more perfectly. But good try for now. And also pay attention to the ss from now on."


    Saying such she walked towards the podium and resumed the ss.


    After that Hiro too paid attention to her ss and refrained himself from peeking outside the window.


    After a while, the school bell rang to announce lunch break.


    Ring!! Ring!!


    "Oh!! It''s already the time for lunch break." The female teacher mumbled after hearing the ringing sound of the school bell.


    She then closed her books and spoke; "Everyone you can go and have your lunch now." Saying such she dismissed the ss and walked outside the ssroom.


    And just as she left the ssroom, his ssmates came rushing towards him and surrounded him.


    Masao who was seated just beside him was pushed by that wave of students.


    "Are you also staying in the hostel with the senior students? I heard that all the other senior footballers are staying in a hostel." A girl with average appearance questioned.


    "Ahh yes!!" Hiro nervously nodded his head.


    "Do you have any social media ounts?" The girl from the 2nd row who was simping over him before, questioned.


    "Ahh right!! Can we add each other?" Another girl with a dimple in her cheeks inquired in her girly voice.


    Their questions continued one after the other giving him no chance to respond.


    ''Argh!! God!! Please save me.'' He prayed to God to get him out of that predicament.


    Suddenly the boy who sat infront of him came towards him and spoke; "Hiro!! Shun senpai is calling for you."


    "Excuse me everyone!! I need to leave for now." Saying such, he rose from his seat and squeezed his way out of the crowd.


    But just as he reached the hallway, he didn''t see anybody at the hallway. Feeling confused, he looked to his left and right. Still he didn''t see Shun or any other yers from his team.


    While he was standing dumbfoundedly looking here and there, the guy who told him that Shun was calling for him approached him.


    "You can stop now. He''s not calling for you. I just made it up to take you out from that situation." The guy intoned.


    Straight ck hair, ck pupils, sharp nose and milky white skin, the guy infront had a round face. His body was somewhat overweight but not too much overweight.


    "Ahh!! Thank you for saving me ..."


    "I''m Rin. Rin Yamazaki. You can call me Rin." With a smile on his face, the guy infront spoke while stretching his hand towards him.


    "Ahh!! Nice to meet you Rin. You can call me Hiro." Hiro shook his hand. "And thanks for helping me back there."


    "Also how did you know about Shun?" Hiro asked.


    "He studies in my older brother''s ss. And he''s also friends with him." Rin replied.


    "Ahh I see!!"


    Just as they were talking to each other, Shun too made his appearance from behind him.


    "Oi!! Hiro!!" Yuya shouted.


    Apanied by Yuya, Shunta and another unfamiliar guy, they made their way towards Hiro and Rin.


    "Oh!! They''re here." Hiro mumbled. "But who''s that other guy??" Hiro was confused by the sight of other guy.


    "Oh that''s my elder brother Kin Yamazaki." Rin replied.


    The other guy who was with Yuya, Shun and Shunta was Rin''s older brother. And surprisingly he looked almost simr to his younger brother Rin. His facial feature was almost simr to that of Rin. But the only thing that was different was their hairstyle and their bodyweight.


    Being slightly overweight, Rin had a rather puffy face aspared to his brother who had a charming face.


    Rin hadn''t styled his hair. However Kin''s hair was parted at the middle which in turn was revealing his forehead. Compared to Kin''s charming manly face, Rin''s was simr to that of a guy who never paid any attention to his appearance.


    "How can you be so different from your brother?" Hiro mumbled in awe after looking back and forth.


    "Well I know I''m more cute looking than that thug looking brother of mine. But trust me we literally have the same face. Some people even mistook us for twins several times in the past when we were of the same weight." Rin replied while exaggerating his looks.


    ''Although I agree with you. But I didn''t mean it that way. I was asking you how could your brother look so charming with the same face as that of yours.'' Hiro thought while revealing an awkward smile on his face.


    "Indeed that''s what I meant. Just how can you be so good looking than your brother when you both have the same face." Hiro praised Rin''s appearance after listening to his self praises. He didn''t want to hurt his feelings by stating the truth

 Chapter 86 Lunchtime Football

    <h4>Chapter 86 Lunchtime Football</h4>


    Just as Shun and the other guys appeared infront of them, Shun immediately asked him a question after noticing Rin standing beside him, looking somewhat baffled;


    "You''ve already met Rin?"


    "Yeah coincidentally I got ced right behind him. And certain circumstances ignited the spark of friendship in us. Hahaha." Hiro replied while smiling.


    "Then you''d prolly know about this guy standing beside me too, right?" Shun questioned while pointing toward Kin.


    "Yeah. He''s Rin''s elder brother Kin, right?" Hiro replied.


    Shun nodded his head and slowly walked behind Hiro. He then ced both of his hands on each of his shoulder and began to introduce Hiro to Kin; "And this guy here is our new recruit Takahashi Hiro. The youngest among us. But in terms of skils, he can easily outperform a grown up adult. This guy is basically a monster."


    "''Indeed!!"''


    Both Yuya and Shunta who were standing beside Kin calmly nodded their head without any sort of hesitation.


    "Is that so. Then why don''t we test it outter in the field?" Kin stated while revealing a smirk.


    "Is he a Footballer too?" Hiro blurted out after listening to Kin.


    Taking his hand off from Hiro''s shoulder, while revealing an awkward smile in his face, Shun replied; "Well in a way he''s a Footballer too. I mean he''s that athletic guy who ys almost all the sport."


    "Then let''s go to the ground after lunch. Since we have almost an hour long lunch break, we should be able to y some football after finishing lunch." Shunta spoke excitedly.


    **** ****


    After finishing their lunch, all of them headed towards the football ground in a group.


    As mentioned by Shun, the football ground was at the back of the main building. Behind the back of the building there were few other infrastructures as well.


    A colossal dome shaped gymnasium, a two story building which contained scienceb and few other club rooms and alongside the football pitch the school also contained a baseball field as well.


    "No wonder you said there were still other things left to be explored." Hiro mumbled in awe after witnessing the infrastructures built in the backside of the main building.


    However both the football field and baseball field were already upied by other students. There were few other yers from their team ying as well.


    Even so Hirato, Takekazu, Yui and Seiya were nowhere to be seen.


    "Oh!! Isn''t that the defender from our team? Why is he ying as a striker?" Hiro questioned after noticing the sight of one of the defenders from his team.


    "Oh you mean Yugo Tatsuta?" Shunta replied.


    "So the name of that guy with fox like face is Yugo Tatsuta huh." Hiro muttered.


    "Fox like face huh! Now that you mention it, those nted monolid eyes and pointy nose indeed makes him look like a fox." Yuya muttered while taking a closer look at Yugo''s face. "Pft- Hahaha. He does look like a fox."


    While imagining the face of fox, Yuya burst out intoughter all of a sudden.


    "Hahaha. Yeah he does look like a fox." Shunta parroted and joined Yuya.


    Kin, Shun and Rin, all of them followed suit and began tough as well.


    While all five of them wereughing, Hiro noticed another teammate on the field.


    "Isn''t thatnky guy with the dark hair the starting midfielder of our team?" Hiro asked while pointing at anky guy ying at the midfield.


    "Oh him! His name is Hidetaka Maie. He''s of the same age as me. He doesn''t have any speciality. But he is decently good in everything. You can say that he''s an all-rounder" Shun replied. "He''s that type of yer who''d fit in every system. But the only concern is that he doesn''t like to take risks."


    "But shouldn''t you be familiar with their names already? Only this morning the coach called out the names of each yer." Shun added while turning his head towards him, giving him somewhat perplexing look.


    "How can I remember the name of every yer just by hearing it once?" Hiro intoned.


    "Ahh right!! I''ll tell you about other yers tonight. But for now, let''s go and shoot some balls." Saying such Shun stormed towards the pitch.


    Noticing Shun, Yugo and Hidetaka both came towards him. Since Shun had a pleasant personality which was liked by everyone in the team, he was friends with almost everyone in the team.


    "What brings you here today Shun?" Yugo questioned.


    "Yeah!! Shouldn''t you be at the gymnasium, ying basketball to impress Minami Miura?" Hidetaka added.


    "Shh!! Shh!!" Shun began to act weird all of a sudden.


    "Who''s Minami Miura?" Hiro asked.


    "She''s the captain of the women''s basketball team of our school." Rin replied. "She''s also pretty gorgeous. And if not for her, the ground here would be even more packed. Since most of the guys are at the basketball court."


    "I see!! So Shun''s also one of the guys who''s chasing after her huh?" Hiro asked without showing any changes in his facial expression while turning his gaze towards Shun.


    "Hahaha.... He''s been chasing after her since 7th grade. And he''s still chasing her when he''s already about to graduate middle school. Hahaha.... Talk about dedication." With a smile on his face, Rin revealed Shun''s past.


    Shun who was trying to shut the mouth of Yugo and Hidetaka, yelled all of a sudden looking all flustered;


    "Anyway! Let''s y a game."


    Hearing his yell everybody burst out intoughter and replied in unison;


    "''Yeah let''s go and shoot some balls."''


    All of them then walked towards the pitch. Yugo then began to gather all the yers in the field. And as everybody gathered, Hidetaka began to count the number of yers.


    "Perfect!! We have exactly 22 yers on the field." Hidetaka eximed after counting all the yers.


    "Ahh!! I''m sorry. But I''m not going to y." Rin rose his hands and said that he wasn''t going to y.


    "Why Rin?" Hiro turned his gaze towards him and asked him while frowning his brows.


    "I''m sorry!! I just don''t like physical activities much. Why don''t you call Masao?" Rin hesitated to y. He then suggested Masao who was sitting at the sidelines all alone to y in his stead.

 Chapter 87 Wild card

    <h4>Chapter 87 Wild card</h4>


    Lost in his own reverie, Masao who was quietly sitting outside the pitch was nkly staring at the clear blue sky above.


    The sun was already at it''s zenith, shining brilliantly. Few white clouds were also floating aimlessly in the vast clear blue sky. It was a peaceful sunny day.


    "But can that guy even y?" With his brows arched, Hiro asked while looking at the sight of Masao, sounding somewhat skeptical.


    "I heard that he used to y football in his elementary school." Rin answered vaguely.


    "Well if you say so. Then let''s go and ask him. There''s no problem in asking once afterall." Saying such Rin and Hiro both walked towards Masao.


    "Masao do you want to y football?" Rin softly asked after getting near to Masao.


    Masao who was staring nkly at the sky couldn''t notice the presence of Rin and Hiro, until he heard Rin''s voice.


    Hence the sudden voice of Rin which came out of nowhere scared him. Hearing Rin''s voice, he startlingly leaned backwards with his hands supporting his upper body.


    Noticing his terrified face, Hiro tried to calm him down by mentioning their reason of approaching him; "Don''t be scared. We''re only here to ask you, if you want to y football with us."


    Masao was at a loss of words and he kept on staring at them without saying anything.


    "He doesn''t look right in his head? Or does he always act like this whenever someone approaches him?" Hiro whispered softly after noticing Masao''s reaction.


    "He often get''s picked on by Masato and his gangs for his meek appearance." Rin whispered back.


    "Who''s Masato?"


    "He''s that big guy who sits at thest bench."


    Totally forgetting the topic of their visit, they kept on talking between themselves.


    Noticing them gossiping among themselves, Masao who had regained hisposure stood up and began to walk away without saying anything.


    "Why doesn''t hein to the teacher about the bullying?" Hiro asked.


    "I''m not sure. I guess he''s just scared to do so."


    "Ohh! Then let''s talk to him about that matter too after the match." Saying such, he turned his attention towards Masao.


    But Masao was nowhere to be seen. Confused by Masao''s sudden disappearance, Hiro questioned while looking around him; "Where did he go?"


    "Ahh look!! There he is. He''s walking away." Rin intoned while pointing at Masao who was silently walking towards the main building.


    "We gotta stop him." Saying such both of them ran towards Masao.


    It didn''t take them long enough to catch up to him. They appeared before him in no time. Noticing them infront, Masao stopped his movement as well.


    "Masao please help us out this time." While panting heavily, Rin begged Masao.


    "Yes Masao. We''re reallycking a yer. So please help us this time." Hiro added.


    Noticing them bowing infront of him, Masao couldn''t turn them away. Thus, he reluctantly epted their proposal.


    "Okay" Masao replied meekly.


    "Thank you Masao." Feeling grateful, both of them thanked him.


    After that all of them walked towards the field and began to arrange the team.


    **** ****


    The team was then divided between Shun and Hiro. Shun took almost all of the amazing yer in the field, leaving Hiro with all novices.


    The only decent yer in Hiro''s team was Hidetaka. And besides him, he could tell that all the other yer in his team were practically novices.


    Masao being a wild card, he could only rely on Hidetaka.


    "Yugo may have a face of a fox. But Shun''s the real fox among us. That sly fox took almost all of the amazing yers." Hiro thought while looking at Shun''s team.


    Afterall Shun''s team consisted of Yugo, Yuya, Shunta, Shun and Kin.


    "You don''t have anyints regarding the team right?" Yuya asked while revealing a yful smile in his face.


    "Why would I have anyints?" Hiro''s mouth twitched a little while replying. "I''m totally happy with my team. So now let''s start the game without any dy."


    "Hahaha... Yes let''s start the beating. I mean let''s start the game." Yuyaughed sounding all confident.


    Since Hiro was ced in a team of noobs, Yuya and the rest were confident about their victory.


    The game then began with kickoff from Hiro''s team.


    Masao ying as their sole forward, Hiro was ying in his original position of an offensive midfielder. Since they had no decent defender, Hiro had asked Hidetaka to y as defensive midfielder to cover both defense and offense.


    Masao who yed as their forward passed the ball back to Hiro and signalled the starting of the game.


    From the moment of kickoff, Kin who was full of energy rushed towards Hiro.


    Looking all smug, Kin approached Hiro who had the ball in his feet at that moment.


    Hiro easily dribble past Kin without any difficulty. But Kin didn''t stop chasing him even after getting dribble past.


    And as mentioned by Shun earlier, Kin was indeed an athletic person.


    Although hecked technique and gaming sense, his physicality was no joke.


    Despite dribbling past him several times, Kin continued to chase after him like a mad bull in rage.


    ''Just how much can this guy run? Does he not get tired? But I''m sorry to disappoint you my friend. I''d never lose to anybody when ites to endurance and stamina.'' Hiro thought while dribbling the ball forward.


    Few minutes after the start of the game, Hiro was already infront of the goalposts. Kin who was reluctant on defending against him was still behind him.


    With Yugo and Shunta infront, Hiro was charging towards the post from his left nk.


    "Well this much is expected. We didn''t think anyone in our team could stop this monster afterall." Shunta mumbled while noticing Hiroing towards him with the ball in his feet.


    "Yugo! Keep your position and follow me. I''ll try to push him out of position." Saying such Shunta rushed towards Hiro.


    As suggested by Shunta, Yugo followed him while maintaining his position.


    With the two of them preventing him from cutting towards the middle, Hiro was forced to dribble the ball towards the nk instead.


    However while everybody''s attention was focused on Hiro, Masao the meek looking guy had made his run towards the box without being noticed.


    Noticing Masao''s run, Hiro crossed the ball inside the box towards Masao.


    Shun came forward to punch the ball.


    But the trajectory of the ball was a little off. It was headed towards the edge of the penalty box. Masao who had predicted the direction of the ball quickly changed his path and ran backwards, towards the spot where the ball was going tond.


    And as the ball fell down, Masao trapped the ball in his chest and shot a beautiful volley towards the goal.

 Chapter 88 Quest after long

    <h4>Chapter 88 Quest after long</h4>


    As the ball left Masao''s feet, it flew straight towards the top left corner of the post. And if not for Shun''s athleticism, that ball would have ended up as a goal as well.


    Just at the nick of time, Shun with his impressive reflex, leaped towards the direction of the ball and managed tond a finger on the ball.


    The ball then slightly touched the crossbar and went out of bounds.


    Thud!!


    After getting a touch on the ball, Shun fell hard on the ground. Even so him being a trained keeper, he wasn''t affected by his roughnding. Instead he quickly stood up to prepare himself for a rebound.


    But only after he stood up, he realised that the ball had gone out of bounds.


    As impressive as Masao''s shot was, Shun''s save was even more impressive.


    But despite that everybody''s attention were focused on Masao instead. Since nobody had expected him to y that good, they were just shocked by his y.


    "Holy shit!!" Rin who was sitting at the sidelines mumbled in awe while looking at Masao with his eyes wide open and mouth agape. "That was a pretty impressive effort."


    Almost everybody in the field had the same reaction as that of Rin. They simply couldn''t believe their eyes.


    Hiro too was amazed by Masao''s shot. Mesmerized by his run and shot, Hiro couldn''t refrain himself from staring at Masao.


    "Right from the kickoff, he was rushing to the goal. The way he utilised the blind spots of the opponents was literally top notch. And he even predicted the trajectory of my cross. Who knew he could y this well with that body." Hiro murmured after analysing Masao''s off the ball run, ball control, gaming sense and shot.


    As mentioned by Hiro, Masao had started to run towards the ball right after the kickoff. Swiftly avoiding the gaze of the midfielders and defenders of opposing team, he ran while taking notice of Hiro.


    Hiro being the centre of attention and the opponent underestimating him had also yed a huge role for him to make that run. Because of their attention being elsewhere, the opponent team had left many spaces for him to make the run without being noticed.


    But just as Hiro was staring at Masao, he heard the system notification.


    [Ding!!]


    [New mission unlocked]


    [Mission info: Help your friend Masao regain back his confidence.]


    [Mission reward: Magic vision]


    [Penalty: nothing]


    [Mission duration: six months]


    [Note: The host can ignore this mission as per his wish. However it''s suggested to ept the quest.]


    ''Woah!! A mission outta nowhere.'' He thought after hearing the system notification. ''Well it had been pretty long since Ist got a mission. And there isn''t even any penalty for failure this time around. So there''s literally no reason for me to ignore this quest.'' Thinking such, he epted the quest.


    After epting the quest, he stormed towards Masao.


    "Masao!! That shot was really impressive." Hiroplimented Masao.


    Masao on the other hand because of his meek personality took hispliment negatively and began to apologise, "Sorry!! I messed up your cross. I wasted such a good opportunity to score. I should have converted that cross into goal. Sorry!! I''m really sorry."


    "Why are you saying sorry Masao? I was justplimenting your shot. I wasn''tining." Hiro tried to clear his confusion by making his intention clear.


    ''I guess he isn''t used to gettingplimented. Something must have really happened to him.'' His brows frowning, he thought while looking at Masao who was standing infront of him with his chin lowered to his chest looking very anxious.


    He simply had no confidence in him to even look Hiro in the eyes.


    And even after reassuring him, Masao kept on staring at the ground, shrinking his body and hesitating to look him in the eyes.


    "Masao! Let''s score a goal from this set-piece." Saying such with a smile on his face, Hiro dashed towards the corner after tapping Masao gently on his back.


    Standing at a certain distance away from the ball, Hiro prepared himself to take the corner.


    While Hiro was preparing to take the corner, Shun was guiding his teammates to defend the corner.


    "Don''t let go of your mark. He''s exceptionally good at passing. So I''m sure he''ll try to cross the ball inside the penalty box." Saying such, Shun was guiding his teammates to position themselves.


    As mentioned by Shun, he indeedunched the ball inside the penalty box.


    And as the ball leaped towards the penalty box, Hidetaka who was originally at the edge of the penalty box came running towards the ball.


    "Hidetaka!" Shun yelled after noticing the run of Hidetaka.


    Hearing Shun''s yell, everybody rushed towards Hidetaka to clear the ball. Shun too came forward to punch the ball away.


    However Shun was blocked by his own teammates and thus he couldn''t reach the ball before Hidetaka.


    Hidetaka then headed the ball towards the post. Shun too leaped towards the direction of the ball to save the ball.


    But unlike before, he couldn''t manage tond a touch on the ball at that time.


    With Shun failing tond a touch on the ball, the ball flew straight towards the post. However it still couldn''t find the back of the and instead it hit the pole and bounced forward, away from the penalty box.


    "Safe!!" Some yers in Shun''s team thought after hearing the sound of ball shing against the pole.


    After hitting the pole, the ball flew above the heads of the yers positioned inside the box and headed outside the box.


    Since almost every yer of Shun''s team was inside the box because of Shun''smand, the only yer who were outside the box was from Hiro''s team.


    And among those yers, one was Masao who was standing at the left edge of the penalty box. Fortunately the ball was heading towards Masao as well.


    "Argh!! Shit!!" Shun thought while lifting him up.


    Masao once again performed a volley. However unlike before, he didn''t trap the ball that time around. Instead he shot the ball just before it touched the ground.


    Swosh!!


    Was the sound that the yers standing close to Masao heard while he made contact with the ball.

 Chapter 89 Masao’s Goal

    <h4>Chapter 89 Masao''s Goal</h4>


    Swiftly evading Shun''s palm, the ball touched the back of the with a swoosh sound.


    And even with his amazing reflexes Shun was incapable of blocking Masao''s shot that time around.


    ''"Gooooaaaaallllllll"''


    The yers from Hiro''s team shouted in ecstasy and started running towards Masao upon finding the ball inside the.


    Not knowing how to react to his goal, Masao who had scored that amazing goal stood still at his ce, dazed.


    Even so his teammates came rushing towards him to celebrate the goal.


    "Dude I never knew that you were this skilled in football." One of the yers said aftering close to him to celebrate the goal.


    Masao who wasn''t ustomed to such praises didn''t know how to react to such praises and stood still with his mouth shut.


    "That goal was really impressive Masao. Come on you need to celebrate your goal." Hiro who had also came rushing towards him encouraged him to celebrate his goal.


    After hearing Hiro''s words, Masao''s eyes moistened and his voice shook while replying, "Is it okay for me to celebrate?"


    ''Why does he look like he''s about to cry? It''s only a goal. Is he that emotional to celebrate a goal?'' Hiro pondered while looking at Masao''s face. ''Well anyway we scored a goal thanks to him, so it wouldn''t hurt to reply warmly.''


    Hiro then put up a smile on his face and nodded his head and replied, "Of course!!"


    Witnessing Hiro''s cheerful face, Masao''s face brightened up and for the first time since their meeting, he smiled.


    He then threw his arms in the air and enthusiastically yelled at the top of his voice, "Yeaaaaah!!!"


    ''Why is he shouting like that? Is he really that happy to score a goal? Or is there really a lose wire inside his head.'' Hiro thought while looking at Masao yelling as if he had scored a goal in the world cup final.


    **** ****


    After that goal from Masao, alongside Hiro, Shun''s team started to man mark Masao as well.


    However despite having the better yers, Shun''s team couldn''t dominate the game as they had originally expected.


    Since Hiro dropped deep whenever the opposition went on offense, the opposition found it really hard to score a goal.


    With both team''s equally lethal on offense and defense, until the 20th minute of the match, after the first goal from Masao, both team struggled to score a goal.


    At around 20th minute of the game, many students began to show up at the sidelines of the football pitch to enjoy the game. And with all those students flocking over the sidelines, the pitch started to be crowded all of a sudden.


    Jeers of students crowded at the sidelines started to create an uproar in the school.


    Following other students, Masato and his sidekicks too made their appearance at the football pitch.


    "Masato!! Isn''t that fatty Masao?" The guy from before who suck up to Masato spoke while pointing at Masao.


    "Yeah!! That swine bastard was here ying football. I was looking for him to run some errands." Masato spoke while mming his fist against his palm.


    "He''s definitely taking us lightly Masato." Another guy in his group spoke.


    "Yeah!! He needs to be taught some lesson." With his nostrils ring, Masato was fuming while looking at the sight of Masao smiling on the field.


    **** ****


    At the basketball court, Minami Miura the crush of Shun and several other guy''s from Kawasaki Middle School was ying basketball with her friends.


    And the guys who simped over her were sitting at the sidelines, staring at her with heart forming in their eyes.


    "She''s so gorgeous right!" One of the guys with long hair seated at the sidelines spoke affectionately while looking at Minami.


    "Yeah I totally agree with you." Another guy standing beside him replied.


    "But guys where''s Shun today? He''s not at the basketball court." A guy with sses asked.


    "Yeah where is he today?" The guy with the long hair replied.


    Suddenly some students came rushing towards the basketball court.


    While panting heavily, a guy soaked in sweat who just walked into the basketball court spoke in a hurry, "Shun''s ying football."


    "Hahaha.... I guess he finally gave up on chasing Minami." The guy with the long hair eximed whileughing.


    "It''s a new thing to hear. For almost three years I never saw him y football in school." The guy with the sses spoke while adjusting his sses.


    "Well I find it even more strange that despite being a Footballer, he never yed football in school." Another guy with a short height joined in on their conversation.


    "May be he got enlightened." While replying in a serious tone, the sses of the guy with sses shone brilliantly all of a sudden.


    "Since he''ll be giving up on Minami. We should go and watch him y for onest time." In a serious tone, the guy with the long hair proposed to the other guys to go and see Shun y.


    "Yeah! As a fellow Minami chaser, we should at least do that much for our fellowrade in arms." Saying such the guy with the sses stretched his arms forward.


    "''Yes my friend."'' While grabbing the hand of the guy with sses, the other two replied with a spark in their eyes.


    And as such, one by one, the spectators at the basketball court began to walk out.


    Noticing the rapid decrease in the crowd, a girl with short height spoke, "Where are this simps going all of a sudden?"


    "Oh!! I heard that Shun''s ying football. And I also heard from my friends that there''s a new student who looks really hot, ying football." A fair-skinned girl with ponytail replied.


    "Then why don''t we go and see him as well." The short girl spoke excitedly. "Minami do you want to join in?"


    "Let''s go. I want to freshen up a bit as well." Minami Miura, the girl with milky white skin, silky straight ck hair andrge ck eyes replied.


    After that the group of those three girls headed out of the basketball court as well. And soon the basketball became ghastly empty.

 Chapter 90 A dark past

    <h4>Chapter 90 A dark past</h4>


    With every passing minute, several new students started to flock over at the football pitch. And the already crowded pitch got even more crowded and noisy.


    The loud jeers of the studentsing from the field reverberated like a noise from some sort of carnival all over the school. And soon it even caught the attention of the teachers sitting in the teachers office.


    "Do you hear that noise Yumi sensei?" A middle-aged teacher dressed in white silk shirt and casual navy pants, who was seated at his desk preparing his lecture materials asked upon hearing the sudden noise.


    "I can hear it loud and clear as well Haruki sensei. I guess the students are up to something." An elegant middle-aged woman with fair-skin and brown eyes dressed in a maroon zer and cream colored chinos seated with her legs crossed just opposite to the middle-aged teacher replied while sipping her coffee.


    "Something must be taking ce at school." Mumbling such, Mr Haruki rose from his seat and walked towards the window.


    While looking out the window, he noticed some students ying football in the football field. He then spoke while looking somewhat amused, "I see. So that was the source of themotion."


    "Did you say something Haruki sensei." Ms. Yumi couldn''t hear him clearly because of the noiseing from the field.


    "I was just saying that some students are ying football." Mr. Haruki replied while looking outside the window. Suddenly just as he was observing the yers on the field, his eyesnded on Masao. The sight of Masao ying football baffled him.


    "Ahh Ms. Yumi, before you came here, you taught at Himawari Elementary School right?" Haruki inquired while keeping his gaze fixated at Masao.


    "Yes!!" Ms. Yumi nodded her head and replied softly.


    "Then can I ask you about one of your students from Himawari Elementary School?"


    As if she knew who he was going to ask about, she replied before he could even call out the name of the student he was going to talk about, "Is it about Masao?"


    "How did you know Ms. Yumi?" Sounding somewhat astonished, he asked while turning back his head towards her.


    "Sigh!!" Heaving a pitiful sigh, she replied, "That poor child has gone through a lot. Because of his weight most of the students always avoided him and teased him. With no friends, he used to spend his early year at school all alone. Finally at 5th year of elementary school, a student who transferred from another school approached him. And he finally started smiling like a child like him should."


    As she was speaking of Masao, her face started to turn pale all of sudden.


    "s! If only-" Ms. Yumi paused all of a sudden.


    "If only what?" Mr. Haruki intoned.


    Her brows frowning, she replied softly while making a pitiful face, "If only he wouldn''t have gotten into that ident."


    Noticing her pitiful face, Mr. Haruki couldn''t muster his courage to ask her about Masao any further.


    **** ****


    "So where''s that hot guy you mentioned about?" The short girl from before questioned after reaching the football field.


    "He should be right here." While searching for Hiro on the field, the fair-skinned girl from before answered vaguely.


    Just then as she noticed the sight of Hiro on the field, her face brightened up all of a sudden. Her face turning scarlet red, she replied excitedly while pointing at Hiro, "Look he''s there?"


    At that moment, the ball was at Hiro''s feet. Faced with three defenders infront, he was looking for a way to break free from them.


    Sweat dripping from his face, his white shirt soaked with his sweat had be almost transparent. And since he wasn''t wearing anything inside his shirt, his wet shirt was revealing his shredded muscles underneath the shirt.


    "Damn!! Look at those abs." With hearts forming in her eyes and her face turning scarlet red, the short girl spoke affectionately while staring at Hiro.


    Noticing her friends simping over Hiro, Minami whispered sarcastically, "I wonder who was talking about simps back there in the basketball court."


    "Just take a peek at him Minami. He literally looks like an idol." The two girls standing beside her spoke while keeping their eyes fixated at Hiro.


    "What''s so amazing about him?" Saying such, Minami turned her attention towards Hiro as well.


    At the moment when her gazended on him, he dribbled past three defenders with swift movements and eye-catching skills.


    He then released the ball from his feet and scored a beautiful goal.


    "''Gooooaaaaallllllll"''


    The crowd of students burst out into cheers as he scored that goal.


    His curly ck hair dancing graciously, alongside several other girls, Minami got bewitched by the smile on his face.


    Noticing Hiro''s appearance, her milky white cheeks became as red as a ripe tomato.


    "Now look who''s simping." The short girl standing beside her giggled while looking at her face.


    "Seems like the new guy has bewitched the goddess of Kawasaki Middle School without even trying." The fair-skinned girl with sses giggled as well.


    However Minami simply couldn''t turn her gaze away from Hiro who was celebrating his goal with his teammates.


    At that moment, Shun''s wandering gaze found Minami standing at the sidelines looking at the field.


    Her silky smooth ck hair dancing freely with the wind, she looked like an angel dressed in white shirt and a ck skirt.


    ''Is she looking at me?'' He pondered while looking at her. His cheeks turning red, he couldn''t stop himself from staring at her.


    Her gaze was looking at his direction as well. However she was looking at Hiro who was behind him celebrating his goal.


    "My goddess is here to support me." Shun''s heart skipped a beat as he noticed the presence of Minami at the sidelines. "She looks so pretty."


    "Now that my goddess is here to support me, I should give my best. I shouldn''t concede any goals." His eyes gleamed with determination as he clenched his fist and decided to give his best.


    However he was being simply delusional. Neither was she there to support him, nor she was looking at him.


    Even so for the rest of the game, he didn''t concede any goals. And he even managed to make some unbelievable saves.

 Chapter 91 Alleyway

    <h4>Chapter 91 Alleyway</h4>


    Ring!! Ding!! Dong!!


    Just as Shun made the final save of the game, the sound of the bell chimed as well. And with the chime of the school bell, the game finally came to an end along with the lunch break.


    Hearing the chime of the bells, the students gathered in the field began to scatter around. They then started to head towards their sses.


    Some running, some walking, all of them started to head towards their respective sses.


    Chatter!! Chatter!!


    "Man! That was an impressive game."


    "Right!! Especially that guy with the curly hair. Just how was he able to move like that?"


    "That goal he scored after dribbling past three defenders. It was a masterpiece. A masterpiece."


    "Did you see his muscles underneath his shirt?"


    "He''s face was even more charming."


    "Man!! I''m jealous of him. I bet he can pullover any chick of his desire."


    Such overexaggeratingments kept on circting among the students as they made their way towards their sses, after the end of the match.


    "Let''s go Minami." Saying such the short girl grabbed Minami''s hand.


    While casting one final nce at Hiro, Minami nodded her head and replied, "Umm... Let''s go."


    And just as the yers prepared to exit the field, Hiro walked towards Masao and spoke, "Good game Masao. We should y often."


    "Thank you." Masao finally mustered up the courage to ept thepliment.


    Noticing Masao''s smiling face, Masato looked at him coldly and mumbled under his breath, "Every dog has its day. So enjoy your day while itsts."


    Saying such he blended in the crowd and vanished within the crowd.


    The game ended with Hiro''s teams victory. They won the lunchtime game with a score of 2:0 against Shun''s team.


    **** ****


    Heeding to the advice of the English teacher, Hiro pretended to pay attention to the rest of the sses after the lunchtime.


    And he somehow refrained himself from looking out of the window.


    Along with Ms. Yumi who taught them science and Mr. Haruki who taught them history, one other teacher came and taught them maths after the lunch break.


    The sses then finally to came to an end with the chime of the school bell.


    Fearing the incident from the lunch break, Hiro who had packed his bag even before the end of the final ss rose from his seat and ran towards the door with his bag.


    "Oi!! Hiro!! Wait for me." Rin who was seated infront of him yelled while packing his bag.


    "I can''t. I''ll just meet you tomorrow." Saying such he exited the ssroom in a hurry.


    "Agh!! Why did he leave so soon?"


    "Yeah!! I wanted to add him on Facebook."


    The girls from his ss cried out loud upon seeing him running out of the ssroom.


    Without stopping, he ran towards the school gate and hopped on the yellow bus parked outside the main gate.


    It was the same bus from the morning.


    "Now where should I sit?" He mumbled while looking at the empty seats infront of him.


    Since he was the first to arrive at the bus, unlike in the morning, he could choose the seat of his choice.


    **** ****


    "Laa..." While passing through an alleyway, Masao who was walking towards his home, all by himself in a pretty good mood was humming a sweet melody.


    The sun was still shining and with nobody around, he was the only person in that alleyway.


    "May be I should continue ying football." Mumbling such, he continued to walk towards his home.


    But all of a sudden he stopped his movement. With his pupils erged and heart beating faster, he looked infront of him, terrified. He then slowly retracted his step and began to run backwards.


    "Catch him. He''s running away." Masato who was waiting for him at that particr alleyway,manded his sidekicks to run after him after seeing him fleeing away.


    Noticing Masato and his gangs, Masao ran as fast as he could without looking back.


    But even so, he couldn''t get away from their clutches. At the end of the alleyway, just at the intersection, Masato''s other sidekicks were stationed at either side of the intersections waiting for his arrival.


    Upon hearing Masao''s footsteps, those guys hidden behind the walls stepped outside and blocked his path.


    With Masato behind and two other guys infront, Masao was trapped. At his either side were massive walls.


    Having nowhere to run, Masao stopped and slowly walked towards the wall.


    "Look Masato. I haven''t done anything wrong to you. So why do you always bully me like this? Please let me leave Masato." Masao''s voice shook as he began to beg Masato to let him leave with eyes full of tears.


    "Hahaha.... Look at our piggy crying out loud." Masatoughed while looking at him sobbing and begging. "Why are you so afraid piggy? We won''t harm you."


    "Yeah after watching you y football. We just wanted to y with you." Masato continued.


    "Right guys??" Masato questioned his sidekicks.


    "Hahaha... Yeah!! We just want to y some football with you." The other guys replied whileughing.


    While stomping his way towards Masao, Masato continued his yapping. "But our piggy here doesn''t consider us as his friends. Haven''t we been together since elementary school? So why are you leaving our group for that new guy now?"


    Masato slowly approached Masao who was sobbing while leaning himself against the wall in between the two groups.


    And as Masato approached closer to him, he began to lower his body. While covering his ears and closing his eyes, he cowered and shrunk his body into a shape of ball.


    "Why are your closing your ears Masao? Did you also cover your ears like this when Keiya was screaming for help?" Masato spoke while approaching him.


    "No!! No!!" His voice full of terror, Masao yelled.


    "Did you also close your eyes when Keiya got butchered to his death?" Masato kept on teasing him.


    "Or was it you who murdered Keiya?" Masato spoke in a serious tone.


    "Noooo!!! I didn''t kill him. Noooooo!!! It wasn''t me. Noooooo!!!!"


    Masao kept on screaming aloud with tears in his eyes.

 Chapter 92 Squad Selection

    <h4>Chapter 92 Squad Selection</h4>


    While cowering in guilt and fear, Masao kept on yelling helplessly. But still no amount of begging availed Masao. With tears rolling down his eyes like monsoon downpour, he begged Masato helplessly to stop traumatizing him.


    But Masato wasn''t willing to listen to his plea. Infact with a big nasty smile on his face, he was enjoying the sight of Masao cowering in horror.


    "Where''s your smile from before piggy? Now why don''t you show me your teeth?" Masato spoke contemptuously whileughing.


    "Please stop it!! Please I beg you!!" His body shivering and his voice shaking, Masao who was traumatised by the words of Masato begged him to stop.


    While Masato made suchments, the other four sidekicks of Masato stood thereughing and enjoying the sight of Masao cowering helplessly.


    "Yeah Masao!! Did you close your ears and eyes back then as well?" Anky guy who was standing beside Masatomented while smiling.


    As if he was choked to death, Masao''s body began to turn pale and he began to have difficulties in breathing. While sweating and gasping heavily, he screamed in his shrill voice, "Noooooo!! It''s not my fault."


    His finaly cry was so loud that even the people who resided at the end of the alleyway couldn''t ignore it any more. Noticing his screams, they then walked out of their houses to inspect the source of the noise.


    "Masato!! The people from the end of alleyway areing. We need to leave now." The two guys who were keeping eyes on people at the end of alleyway mumbled while noticing some people making their way towards themotion.


    "Let''s go Masato." The guy beside him panicked.


    "Consider yourself lucky piggy." Masato spoke before running away.


    After that all of them started to run away. They then crawled towards a hole in the far left wall and vanished from the scene.


    That hole which was formed in the wall directly connected the alleyway to an abandoned old house.


    **** ****


    At around 4:30 in the afternoon, Hiro and his teammates were warming up their bodies for the evening training.


    While still warming up, suddenly Yuya opened his mouth and questioned Hiro, "I didn''t expect that fat guy to y that well. What was his name again?"


    Hiro who was juggling the ball beside him, answered without stopping his legs, "His name is Masao."


    "Yeah right!! That Masao guy. Did he y football before?" Yuya continued.


    While still juggling the ball, Hiro replied casually, "I heard from Rin that he used to y some football in elementary school. Aside from that I don''t know more about him."


    While speaking of Masao, he then paused all of a sudden and continued with a serious tone, "Except the fact that he get''s bullied at school."


    Upon hearing the words of Hiro, Yuya who was stretching his legs stopped all of a sudden and abruptly turned his head towards him. He then looked at him with his erged pupils, "He get''s bullied!! By whom?"


    While holding the ball in his hands, Hiro looked at the ball while frowning his brows and replied, "I heard from Rin that he get''s picked on by some bullies of our ss. I don''t know much. He only mentioned that he get''s picked on for his weight. But when I look at him, I feel like there''s something more."


    Yuya who was looking at Hiro with his eyes wide open was left speechless.


    Both of them then remained silent for some moment. And just as Yuya was about to open his mouth, manager Nozomi made his appearance on the field.


    "All of youe here!! I''ll announce the squad for Sunday''s friendly match against Chiba Middle School."


    Saying such, hemanded everybody to gather around him.


    "Let''s talk about it after the training." Yuya mumbled and stormed towards manager Nozomi.


    "Ummmm" Hiro too nodded his head and ran towards manager Nozomi to join the crowd.


    And after everybody gathered in the field, manager Nozomi began to announce the squad for sunday''s match against Chiba Middle School.


    "Goalkeeper: Shun Yabuzoe"


    "Center backs: Yugo Tatsuta and Haruto Suzuki"


    Haruto Suzuki was the opposing defender he faced previously during the match against the starting yers.


    Long rectangr face, ck pupils, muscr body, silky straight ck hair which gave others the impression of him shampooing his hair almost everyday, Haruto Suzuki was the official number 3 of U-15 team.


    Unafraid of performing rough tackles, he was a nightmare for the strikers.


    "That guy!! He nearly broke my legs in the previous match. Did he take lessons from Pepe and Ramos?" Hiro mumbled while looking at Haruto.


    Yuya who was standing beside him heard his whisper. And after hearing his words, he whispered back, "Consider yourself lucky and be careful of him. He sprained my ankles once in training already."


    While both of them were gossiping among themselves, manager Nozomi continued with his announcement.


    "Left back: Soma Ota"


    Square shaped face with brown pupils and somewhat brown hair, Soma Ota stepped infront upon hearing his name.


    "Dude seriously I''ve been thinking about it since our first game but how old is he?" Hiro murmured while looking at Soma Ota''s appearance.


    Since he looked quite oldpared to other yers, Hiro couldn''t help but ask about his age.


    "He''s 15." Yuya replied casually.


    "15!!" Hiro abruptly turned his head towards Yuya.


    He couldn''t believe that the guy infront of him was only 15 year''s old. Since he looked much olderpared to his age, Hiro couldn''t stop himself from staring at him, perplexingly.


    "Right back: Shunta Tanaka"


    Upon hearing his name, Shunta''s face brightened and his eyes widened. He was both excited and shocked to hear his name called out for the starting eleven.


    Sounding all surprised, Shun spoke meekly while pointing his finger towards himself, "I got selected. Can you believe it?"


    Yuya and Hiro who were standing beside him gave him a smile and congratted him, "Congrattions Shunta. Your efforts were recognised."


    With his head in the clouds, he totally forgot that he had to step infront.


    "Shunta!! Come forward." Noticing him standing still while looking at Hiro and Yuya, manager Nozomi yelled sounding somewhat agitated.


    Hiro who was standing beside him gave him a slight push as well.


    Having been pushed from the behind, he tumbled forward.


    He then while bncing himself apologized to manager Nozomi for his absent mindedness, "Sorry sir!! I was just excited to hear my name. It won''t happen again sir."

 Chapter 93 Pass-turn-receive-shoot

    <h4>Chapter 93 Pass-turn-receive-shoot</h4>


    "It''s good that you realise your mistake. But still don''t disrupt the announcement." Saying such manager Nozomi continued with his announcement.


    "Midfielders: Hidetaka Maie, Hirato Hyakukai and Takahashi Hiro"


    Upon having their names called, the three of them took a step forward and joined the clique of yers who were selected for the starting eleven.


    Since most of the times, the U-15 team yed with only one attacking midfielder, other yers couldn''t help but wonder why manager Nozomi selected two yers who yed in the same position that time around.


    "Why did he pick two attacking midfielders?" The yers thought after hearing the name of Hiro and Hirato.


    Even though they weren''t against manager Nozomi''s decision, they still couldn''tprehend the reason behind selecting two yers who yed in the same position. At most they had expected manager Nozomi to pick Hiro over Hirato.


    Thus, manager Nozomi''s announcement left all of thempletely baffled.


    "Forwards: Seiya Baba, Sho Inagaki and Yuya Asano."


    Sho Inagaki was the same centre forward whom he yed against in the match between the starters and reserves.


    Body which was neither shredded nor fat, his muscles weren''t much shy. ck pupils, small nose and short dark ck hair which was firmly cut in a buzz cut, his facial features were well defined.


    "That''s all for the starting eleven. Also Takekazu Yokodera, Kota Yui, Ryuma Takeuchi, Daichi Sugimoto and Kosuke Uchida will be the substitutes for the match against Chiba."


    As manager Nozomi finished making the announcement he retracted his step. Coach Fuji then took up the stage and added few more words.


    "Although this yer''s are selected for the Sunday''s friendly match. It doesn''t mean that the spot is guaranteed. Since we still have three more days left for the match, the list could change anytime. So don''t ck and all of you give your best."


    After that announcement, the evening training started in full swing.


    And as the yers started to scatter around, Takekazu walked towards manager Nozomi without being noticed.


    "Sir thank you for epting my request." Sounding grateful Takekazu thanked manager Nozomi while bowing his head slightly.


    "No need to thank me. Just focus on your recovery." Saying such manager Nozomi walked away, leaving him alone.


    Takekazu who yed as a starting centre back for the opposing team previously had slightly hurt his ankle during the match. Hence, he had asked manager Nozomi to not y him in sunday''s match.


    However manager Nozomi couldn''t leave himpletely out of the squad. And thus, instead he ced him in the reserves.


    **** ****


    The coach''s then began to assemble the yers for the first training drill.


    For the first training drill they were going to perform pass-turn-receive-shoot.


    For that drill four yers were chosen. Three yers positioned in a triangr shape with the fourth yer at the middle of the triangle who''d act as the pass maker. They would then coordinate with each other and perform multiple fast pace passes and finally the yer in the middle would shoot the ball towards the post.


    That drill could help the yer to develop their vision, improve their passing and awareness and most importantly it would help them to coordinate better.


    "Hirato, Hiro, Sho and Yuya step forward." Calling out their names, Coach Fuji asked them to step forward.


    And as they stepped forward, he began to position Hirato, Sho and Yuya at certain distance away from each other in a shape of traingle. He then positioned Hiro at the centre of the triangle and gave Hirato and Yuya one ball each.


    That meant that they were going to perform the drill with two balls.


    With Shun in the goalpost, after cing them all in their respective position, coach Fuji blew his whistle.


    Beep!!


    Hirato then passed the ball to Hiro who was at the centre of the triangle. At the same time, Yuya too passed the ball in his feet to Sho.


    After receiving the ball from Hirato, Hiro released the ball to Yuya and quickly turned around to face Sho. Sho then released the ball to Hiro. At the same time Yuya released the ball to Hirato.


    After receiving the ball from Sho, Hiro then passed the ball back to Sho without trapping and quickly turned around towards Hirato to receive another pass.


    The ball which Sho received from Hiro, he then passed the ball to Yuya. At the same time Hirato released the ball to Hiro as well. Hiro then shot the ball he received from Hirato towards the post and quickly turned towards Yuya to receive the final pass of the drill.


    And then he once again shot the ball he received from Yuya towards the post.


    They continued to repeat the same pattern while switching the yer in the middle for several rounds.


    Although the training looked kindaplicated, it wasn''t. Infact the pattern was quite simple.


    However the only thing that was difficult was the movement one would require to pull up those moves. One needed to be extremely agile and sharp to follow the pathway of both the balls.


    Hiro executed the drill wlessly without any fail for two rounds. However the others couldn''t execute the drill without any mistakes in both the rounds.


    Not because they couldn''t memorise the pattern and follow the ball. They couldn''t perform the drill because of the speed of the passes. The passes were simply too fast.


    After that drill, the coach''s then made them perform few other training drills. And finally they ended the training with a rondo.


    And by the time theypleted their evening training, the sun had already settled down. With Stars and the luminescent Cresent moon bing visible in the sky mixed with blue and ck hues, the ambience around the ground had gotten chilly.


    The fast pace training hadpletely exhausted the yers. However it wasn''t anything out of ordinary.


    yers lying on the field panting heavily was an everyday sight at the field.


    While everybody were lying on the field, there was still one yer who was juggling the ball. And that yer was Hiro. Although he too was exhausted by the training, he hadn''t had enough yet. On the contrary he was enjoying the tiring drills.

 Chapter 94 Friendly match I

    <h4>Chapter 94 Friendly match I</h4>


    November 4, 2021


    Seated inside a bus, Hiro and his teammates were on their way to Chiba Middle School which was located about 25km south to their hostel.


    With manager Nozomi and coach Fuji seated in the front seat beside the driver, the rest of the yers were seated in the passenger seats.


    Most of the yers in the bus were pretty rxed. However there were also few yers mostly the ones who got promoted from the reserve team, who''s face looked pale and pretty tensed.


    With their brows frowning, some of them were bitting their nails, while some of them were joining their hands, praying to god.


    Among them one was Shunta, who was seated right next to Yuya at the 3rd row. Coming from a Buddhist family, he was a follower of Buddha.


    Clenching his bag tightly with both his hands and closing his eyes, he was intensely praying to the Buddha to bless him and help him in the match. And one could tell just by looking at him that he was extremely anxious about the match which was going to take ce in a moment.


    Yuya who was seated right next to him wasn''t paying any attention to Shunta and he lookedpletely fine. There wasn''t even a spec of worry in his face. And Hiro who was seated right behind them alongside Shun looked pretty excited about the match.


    With his lips curling, Hiro wasn''t able to stop himself from smiling while thinking about the match.


    "Someone seems pretty excited about the match." Yuya who was seated infront of him chuckled while turning his head behind.


    While maintaining the smile on his face, Hiro replied, "Hahah... Yeah!! I''m just excited to test my skills against another team after so long. And I''m also excited to y somepetitive matches."


    Since it had been a long time, since hest used his skills. He was pretty excited to use those skills once again.


    Also he still had an unused golden ticket which he had acquired afterpleting the quest ''Impress the Kenzaki brothers'' from two years ago.


    Since there wasn''t any need for him to use that ticket right away, he had been saving that ticket for his time at the youth club.


    Hearing his cheerful voice, Shun who was seated right next to him joined in on the conversation. He then spoke sounding somewhat sarcastic, "I guess those training matches and lunch break matches weren''tpetitive enough for our star yer."


    "It''s not like that." Hiro mumbled and tried to deny Shun''s ims.


    "I know! I know! Hiro can only be satiated bypetitive matches. And those matches were notpetitive enough for him." Shun continued to tease him.


    "Hahah.... Yeah!" While nodding his head, Yuya burst out intoughter as well.


    While the three of them were cheerfully gossiping with each other, suddenly all of a sudden, Yuya stoppedughing.


    With a quizzical look on his face as if he remembered something, Yuya then spoke, "Ahh speaking of lunch break matches. What happened to that Masao guy? I didn''t see him after that time when he yed with us."


    And as the topic of Masao was brought, the radiance and the smile on the face of Hiro quickly faded away.


    Upon witnessing Hiro''s face, Shun who was smiling beside him quickly dropped his smile and looked at him seriously.


    Hiro then frowned his brows and replied in a serious tone, "He didn''te to school after that day. The teacher simply told us that he was sick. However when the teacher was telling us about the reason Masao couldn''t attend the school, I couldn''t stop myself from suspecting Masato and his gangs. And just as I looked back-"


    While telling them about Masao, Hiro paused all of a sudden. His face darkened as he lowered his gaze.


    "''Then what?"'' Yuya and Shun yelled while rising from their seats.


    Their loud voice reverberated all over the bus and it was heard by everyone in the bus. Hearing their voice, the other yers in the bus all turned their attention towards them.


    Perplexingly staring at them, they couldn''t help but wonder why they looked so worked up.


    "Shun, Yuya, what are guys doing. Sit down!!" Manager Nozomi yelled while ring at them.


    ''"Sorry sir!!"'' Both of them then apologized and sat down.


    "''Then what Hiro?"'' They then whispered meekly asking Hiro to finish his sentence.


    "I.... Saw.... Masato and his sidekicksughing." Hiro replied meekly.


    Although they were shocked to hear about the deeds of Masato and his gangs, they didn''t react like how they reacted a moment ago.


    Infact they didn''t say anything at all for some moments. As if they were lost in some kind of deep thinking, they began to ponder something. And suddenly the atmosphere around them got ghastly silent.


    Finally after a moment of thinking, Yuya broke the silence by opening his mouth.


    "Something must have happened to Masao and they must be behind Masao''s absence." Yuya mumbled meekly while demonstrating a serious expression on his face.


    "I agree!!" Shun nodded his head in agreement.


    "But what could have happened?" Hiro questioned with a quizzical look on his face.


    "May be they hit him." Shun mumbled.


    They then began to think of different scenarios. However they couldn''te to a conclusion, since none of them actually knew much about Masao.


    **** ****


    Finally after a while, the bus stopped infront of the Chiba Middle School.


    And as the bus stopped, the three of them decided to stop talking about Masao for the time being.


    "Okay!! Everyone let''s go." Saying such, manager Nozomi and coach Fuji hopped out of the bus with their bags.


    All of the yers followed suit and started to exit the bus one after the other.


    And as all of them exited the bus, manager Nozomi began to call the names of the yers.


    Just as manager Nozomi finished calling the name of the yers, an old man with silvery grey hair with a dad bod dressed in afortable tracksuit walked out of the entrance of the school ahead and approached manager Nozomi.


    "You finally made it Nozomi." The man spoke in a friendly manner while extending his hand towards manager Nozomi.

 Chapter 95 Friendly Match II

    <h4>Chapter 95 Friendly Match II</h4>


    As manager Nozomi faced that fat old man infront, his face lit up and a smile formed on his face. Manager Nozomi then extended his hand to shake the hand of the old man infront and spoke in a cheerful voice, "Hahaha.... d to see you Tanaka."


    The fat old man with silvery white hair infront was the head coach of the Chiba Middle School.


    "d to see you too Nozomi." The coach of Chiba Middle School greeted him back with a smile on his face.


    They then began to cheerfully exchange greetings with each other.


    If one were to look at those two gossiping with such big smiles on their faces, they would probably think that those two were quite close to each other in a good way.


    However the reality was actually very different. Both those old man infront were forcing a smile on their faces in reality.


    "I heard that the club didn''t held any trial this year. So I guess you''re back with the same squad from previous year. I feel so sorry for you Nozomi." Tanaka mumbled while revealing a pretentious sad expression on his face.


    "But don''t worry Nozomi we won''t be hard on you." Tanaka continued with a wry smile on his face.


    And as he forced a smile on his face, the wrinkles on his face became even more vivid.


    Hearing such wordsing out from the mouth of coach Tanaka, Nozomi''s mouth twitched a little and his face tightened. And as his face tightened, his nerves across his forehead got exposed all of a sudden.


    Still he maintained the smile on his face and kept his cool. However the smile on his face still couldn''tpletely hide his real emotions. It was clear that he was pissed by coach Tanaka''s remarks.


    "We still have promoted some of our academy yers. So our squad is not entirely made up of the same yers from before." Nozomi replied while maintaining his smile and keeping his cool.


    He still wasn''t willing to disclose the addition of Hiro to him. And thus he didn''t mention anything about Hiro at all.


    "Good for you Nozomi. I just hope that your team won''t concede three this time like before. Hahahaha....." Mumbling such Tanakaughed and released Nozomi''s hand.


    He then began to walk towards the entrance of the school without hearing his reply.


    "You" Unable to reply anything, Nozomi gnashed his teeth while looking at the back of coach Tanaka.


    "Follow me. I''ll guide you to the pitch." Tanaka spoke while walking towards the school.


    Upon witnessing the actions of those two coach''s infront, Hiro couldn''t help but wonder if something was going on between them.


    "Do they have some kind of beef with each other?" Hiro asked while looking at the sight of manager Nozomi who was fuming at that moment.


    "Yeah!! They''re kinda like rivals since their younger days. Also we lost 3-1 previously when we faced them in Takamado Cup. So I can guess coach Tanaka must have provoked him by mentioning about that loss." Shun replied with a straight face.


    "Everyone let''s go." Manager Nozomi yelled and began to tail coach Tanaka.


    Following themand of manager Nozomi, all of them followed his lead and entered the school.


    **** ****


    The yers of Chiba Middle School were already on the field, warming up for the game against Kawasaki Frontale club''s U-15 youth team.


    And even though the yers of Chiba Middle School were warming up in the field infront, the first thing that he noticed as he reached the pitch was the size of the pitch.


    "The pitch''s size is quite simr to ours." Hiro mumbled without thinking, while staring at the pitch of Chiba Middle School.


    "Pft- hahahaha That''s our Hiro. He''s more concerned about the pitch than the opposing yers." Yuyaughed after hearing his remarks.


    "Ahh right. I nearly forgot about them. Even though the coach had mentioned about them before, I couldn''t remember all of them." Hiro mumbled while scratching his scalp.


    Noticing his quizzical face, Shun offered to help him, "It''s alright. I''ll tell you about them."


    Shun then began to re-introduce him about the yers of Chiba Middle School. And while Shun was telling him about the opposing yers, manager Nozomi called them.


    "Shun, Hiro what are you doing over there. Go and change your clothes."


    "Yes sir!!" Replying such both of them hurriedly ran towards the changing room.


    And as all of them came back after changing into their jersey''s, manager Nozomimanded them to warm up for about 10 minutes.


    "Go and warm up for a while. The game will start after ten minutes."


    Hearing hismands all of them then started to loosen up their stiff bodies.


    "Seems like the opposing team has brought some new yers." One of the yer of Chiba Middle Schoolmented while looking at the sight of Hiro and few other previously reserve yers.


    "Look Chris. There''s a guy who looks as good as you." A guy with long hair and small face spoke while pointing at Hiro.


    Silky smooth blond hair and turquoise blue pupils with sharp nose and a chiseled jaw, Chris Philips facial features were well defined. With a handsome manly appearance, he was a tall blond guy of height 5 feet 9 inches.


    Compared to the other yers in the field, he was a titan.


    Despite being a British, he had been temporarily studying and living in Japan since 2016 because of his father''s job.


    Hearing such words, Chris turned his attention towards Hiro. He then began to scan Hiro''s appearance.


    And as hepleted his observations, he spoke, "He''s a decently good looking guy. But he still won''t hold a candle against me. You need to get your eyes checked Kuroda."


    "Sigh!! Well I wonder if there''s even anyone whom you consider better looking than you." Heaving a sigh, Kuroda sulked and replied meekly.


    "What are you guys talking about there? The coach is calling us to gather." Another guy with tanned skin and brown eyes interrupted them while they were conversing with each other.


    And as all of them gathered, coach Tanaka began to instruct every yer their roles.


    "Kuroda!! Everytime you get the ball at the nk of the final third supply a high ball inside the penalty box. Do you understand?"


    Hearing coach Tanaka''s instructions, Kuroda nodded his head.


    "And Chris you. Just do your job as usual. Make use of your height and head the ball inside the. You can do that right?"


    "Yes sir!!" Chris nodded his head.

 Chapter 96 Friendly match III

    <h4>Chapter 96 Friendly match III</h4>


    While both the managers were busy discussing their strategy with their yers, an anonymous guy probably in his early twenties showed up dressed in afortable green tracksuit.


    He then walked towards coach Tanaka while wearing a smile on his face and began to converse with him while exchanging a friendly handshake.


    After that he came towards their side and approached manager Nozomi.


    "Ryu you''re here." Manager Nozomi spoke cheerfully while extending his hand towards him.


    The guy in the green tracksuit then grabbed his hand and spoke in an apologetic tone, "Sorry I waste. Just as I was about to leave something came up."


    With a smile on his face, Nozomi shrugged his shoulder and replied, "Ahh!! It''s alright."


    "Guy''s this guy here will be refereeing your match today. Although he''s a graduate of Chiba Middle School, he himself used to be a very skilled yer. But right now he''s studying in Sakura University, studying sports science. So all of you thank brother Ryu for the trouble he took for you today." Manager Nozomi introduced Ryu to his yers and asked them to greet him.


    "''Thank you brother Ryu for your hard work. We''ll be under your care."'' Saying such all of them bowed their head and greeted the guy who was going to referee the match.


    Due to the personal connection he had with the coach''s of both the team, Ryu was hired by both the coach''s to act as a referee for their friendly game that day.


    "Thank you everyone. I''ll be under your care as well." Saying such Ryu greeted them back with a smile on his face.


    And after greeting both the teams, he headed towards the center of the field. He then took out a whistle from the left pocket of his tracksuit and blew it loudly.


    Beeeeeeeep!!


    Hearing the shrill sound of the whistle everybody turned their attention towards the guy in the middle of the pitch.


    "Okay guys. Let''s go and show them what we got." Before sending them off, manager Nozomi encouraged them to give their best.


    "Yeah! Let''s go guys." Shun who was the captain of the team yelled enthusiastically as he took the lead.


    "''Yeaaaahhhhhh"''


    All of them yelled and walked towards the center of the field queued up behind Shun.


    And as both the team lined up at the field, Ryu called out the captain of both the teams to perform a coin toss.


    From their side Shun stepped forward and from the opponents side their keeper who was half a head taller than Shun stepped forward.


    "Head or tails?" Ryu asked while taking out a coin from his pocket.


    "You can pick first Satoru." Shun spoke while looking at the opposing goalkeeper.


    "Thank you!" The opposing goalkeeper nodded his head. "Tails then."


    "Then I''ll be taking the head." Shun replied meekly.


    "Well you don''t have any choice. Hahaha...." Ryuughed and teased Shun as he flipped the coin high above his head.


    The coin continued to levitate for a while and as the coin dropped on the ground, Ryu lowered his head to check the oue of the coin toss.


    "Tails!!" Ryu spoke while picking the coin.


    Chiba Middle School won the coin toss and thus they decided to select the goalpost.


    After selecting the goalpost, both the teams lined up in a queue to exchange a friendly handshake before assuming their respective positions.


    One after other, Hiro shook hands with the opposing yers. Since it was only a protocol, he wasn''t in the mood to chat with the opposing yers. Thus, he had been performing quick handshakes without paying much attention to their appearances.


    However as he was moving forward while performing quick handshakes, suddenly he got pulled slightly by one of the opposing yer while trying to move forward.


    "Who" He blurted out as he turned towards the yer who pulled him.


    Blond hair, torquoise ocean pupils, Chris Philips, he was the titan of Chiba Middle School.


    "Sorry for exerting some force. I didn''t know that you were so fragile." Chris spoke while smiling.


    From the tone of his speech and the expression he was unting on his face, it was clear that Chris was taunting him. However Hiro showed no change in his facial expressions and kept his cool.


    Upon seeing no changes in his facial expression, Chris dropped his smile and clicked his tongue, "Tch- You''re no fun."


    Saying such he released his hand. But just as Hiro was about to move forward, he spoke again, "What position do you y?"


    Even though he wasn''t being arrogant, Hiro wasn''t interested in telling him either and as such while maintaining his stoic face, he replied, "You''ll know once the game starts."


    Saying such he kept on walking forward without paying any attention to him. He wasn''t even slightly bothered by Chris''s actions.


    However the same couldn''t be said to Chris. With his pupils erged and face tightened, he was cussing Hiro, "That prick!! Who does he think he is to act such haughtily? I just hope that you''re the defender. Just you wait and see how I''ll humble you."


    ''Why are you getting annoyed now? Wasn''t it you who tried to provoke him?'' Kuroda thought while looking at Chris who was fuming.


    And as everybody finished exchanging handshakes, all of the yers assumed their position.


    Chiba middle school was going to y in a 4-2-3-1 formation with two defensive midfielder and Chris as their sole poacher.


    Kawasaki Frontale''s U-15 team was going to y in a 4-1-2-3 formation with Hidetaka ying as a centre midfielder, they had no defensive midfielder.


    However manager Nozomi had instructed Hidetaka to cover up the role of defensive midfielder as well and the centre backs to move forward to cover up the spaces left at the defensive midfield.


    With the sun shining brightly above the yers heads, Sho was preparing to pass the ball while waiting for referee''s whistle. Ryu who was standing right at the half-line was looking at his watch tomence the match.


    And as the minute hand reached 12, at exactly 1 PM, Ryu blew his whistle tomence the match.


    Beep!!!

 Chapter 97 Friendly Match IV

    <h4>Chapter 97 Friendly Match IV</h4>


    Hearing the whistle of the referee, Sho who was standing close to the ball passed the ball back towards Hiro to start the match.


    "You''re lucky that you''re not a defender." Mumbling such under his breath, Chris began to press towards Hiro to snatch the ball away from him.


    Despite noticing Chris charging towards him, Hiro wasn''t even a bit intimidated by his size. On the contrary, he calmly dribbled the ball towards him as if he was tantly challenging him to a duel.


    Since Chris had already considered Hiro an arrogant yer because of Hiro''s earlier behaviour towards him, Hiro''s actions agitated him even further. And thus he took Hiro''s actions as a provocation.


    Provoked by Hiro''s actions, he sprinted even faster with all his strength.


    "Good" Manager Nozomi mumbled under his breath while looking at the agitated face of Chris.


    Hiro still continued to dribble the ball calmly towards him. And as he got closer to him, he simply passed the ball to Hirato who was positioned right beside him.


    Noticing the pass, Chris quickly changed his target to Hirato. He then without pausing, charged towards Hirato.


    Hirato too didn''t keep the ball long with him and passed the ball to Hidetaka who was right behind him.


    Still Chris''s relentless pursuit didn''te to an end and he continued his pressing like a madman.


    With swift and precise passes, for a while Hiro''s teammates kept on passing the ball between themselves. And Chris and his teammates continued to chase after the ball.


    As if they were ying the game of cat and mouse, the passing and the chasing continued.


    "This team lookspletely different than before. And what''s with that new number 10, he''s literally everywhere." Coach Tanakamented with an anxious look on his face while keeping his eyes fixated at Hiro.


    Just like an orchestrator guiding the musicians with his baton, Hiro was connecting and guiding his teammates to create a beautiful symphony with the ball.


    After a while of chasing, Chris who had been chasing after the ball relentlessly began to show signs of exhaustion. And thus, just within 25 minutes of the game by pressing relentlessly, hepletely exhausted himself.


    "The mad dog has been subjugated. Now it''s time for us to score some goals." Manager Nozomi who was standing at the sidelines smirked and mumbled to himself with a satiated look on his face, while looking at the sight of Chrispletely worn down.


    Since Chris was the star yer of Chiba Middle School who had scored three goals against them previously and was extremely lethal in offense with his reach and pace, manager Nozomi while taking Chris''s personality into consideration had advised his yers to keep on passing the ball between themselves until they tire out Chris.


    Following the coach''s strategy Hiro and his teammates executed the strategy perfectly without any fail. Thus, for that entire 25 minutes all they did was pass the ball between themselves.


    asionally the opposing team did manage to steal the ball. However they couldn''t retain the position of the ball for long.


    At the 26th minute of the game, noticing Yuya making his run from the left nk, Hiro lofted the ball towards Yuya from the middle third of the pitch.


    The opposing yers who were focused on the ball began to chase after the ball.


    And as soon as Hiro released the ball towards Yuya, Hiro began to make his run towards the opposing goalpost.


    Making use of his explosive pace, he sprinted as fast as he could.


    Noticing Hiro''s run, coach Tanaka from the sidelines yelled at the top of his lungs, "Watch out for the number 10."


    However because of the intensity of the y, no yer from his team heard his screams. And thus they continued to press after the ball and safeguard their defensive third which was the most logical thing for them to do at that moment.


    The opposing right back who was marking Yuya was trying to snatch the ball away from Yuya by pressing him continuously.


    Even though Yuya was somehow holding the ball despite those continuous pressing from the opposing right back, he was starting to feel ufortable.


    Since the opposing centre back were right behind the right back, Yuya was having trouble to cut inside. And thus he was forced to move along the nk.


    While almost every opposing yer and offensive yers of Kawasaki Frontale U-15 team were gathered inside the penalty box, anticipating a cross from Yuya, Hiro was still outside the box, totally unmarked.


    Noticing Hiro making his run towards the penalty box, totally unmarked, Yuya lofted the ball towards Hiro.


    However because of the pressing from the opposing defender, Yuya couldn''t hit the ball with perfect uracy. He hit the ball a little too hard.


    While trying to reach the ball, Hiro jumped as high as he could. However the ball still flew above his head and avoided him.


    And just when the opposing team was heaving a sigh of relief another yer who had noticed Hiro''s run and was also making his own run, although not as fast Hiro, made his appearance behind him and trapped the ball in his chest.


    Lanky body, dark hair, he was the guy with number 6 on his back. And that guy was non other than Hidetaka.


    Noticing Hidetaka, the two opposing defensive midfielder came rushing towards him to stop him from making his shot.


    And as Hidetaka was stretching his legs to shoot the ball, the opposing defensive midfielder threw their body towards him. However Hidetaka tapped the ball lightly and faked his shot. The opposing defensive midfielders couldn''t stop their tackles and flew past him.


    Hidetaka then passed the ball towards Hiro who was making his run inside the box.


    And as the ball came rolling towards him, Hiro shot the ball without any mistake. The ball flew straight towards the goalpost.


    The opposing goalkeeper who''s vision was obstructed by the yers infront couldn''t react to the ball and thus ended up conceding the goal from the first shot of the game.


    "''Gooooaaaaallllllll"''


    The yers and managers of Kawasaki Frontale U-15 team yelled at the same time. Manager Nozomi''s happiness knew no bound as he jumped and threw an air punch.


    That goal was simply a piece of art.


    Hiro after scoring the goal ran towards Yuya. And so did other yers. All of them started to run towards Hiro to celebrate the goal.


    Yuya who had nearly messed up a perfect build up was the one with the widest smile. He was simply overjoyed by Hiro''s goal.

 Chapter 98 Friendly Match V

    98 Friendly Match V


    After conceding a goal at 27th minute of the game, the game continued with the kickoff of Chiba Middle School.


    The titan of Chiba Middle School who was covered in sweat was panting heavily while standing infront of the ball for the kickoff. His brows knotted and his body slightly limped, he was fuming while standing infront of the ball, waiting for the referee''s whistle.


    Beep!!


    And as Chris heard referee''s whistle, he then passed the ball back to his teammate to start the match. And the match continued normally after that 27th minute goal from Hiro.


    Although Chris looked extremely tired, he hadn''t admitted defeat yet. And his pride of being Chiba Middle School''s star yer didn''t allow him to slow down even after emptying his gas tank.


    Thus, he continued to run like he had another extra pair of lung within him.


    Sho, Yuya and Seiya all pressed forward for the ball. Hiro and Hirato covered as much of the midfield as they could.


    While the defensive midfielder and defenders of the Chiba Middle School tried to attract the opposing yers by passing the ball in their defensive half, their forwards moved upfield without looking back, leaving their midfield areapletely vacant.


    From their movements, it was clear that they had given up on controlling the ball at the midfield and they were opting for ying long balls instead.


    Since they had a titan of centre forward, they could swiftly switch their gamey from passing to long balls without any dy.


    At 30th minute of the match, one of their defensive midfielder who had the hold of the ball kicked the ball towards Kuroda who was making his run from the right nk towards the opponents defensive third.


    Kuroda sprinted as fast as he could to take the hold of the ball before it went out of bounds. However despite his speed, he couldn''t reach the ball before Shunta who also happened to be positioned at the right nk since he was a right back.


    Upon reaching the ball before Kuroda, noticing the presence of Kuroda behind him, Shunta cleared the ball away and the ball went out of bounds.


    And after the ball went out of bounds, a throw in was awarded to Chiba Middle School.


    For the throw in, while their offensive yers gathered inside the penalty box, one of their defensive midfielder named Yamato ran towards the touchline to take the throw in.


    Gauging by the positioning of their offensive yers, it was clear that they were going to take a long throw.


    "Watch out for their yers." Shun shouted and guided his teammates to cover up the vacant spaces. "Haruto!! Watch out for Chris. Don''t let him jump."


    Retracting few steps back while holding the ball above his head with both his hands, Yamato was preparing himself to perform a long throw.


    Beep!!


    And as the referee blew his whistle, Yamato tightened his muscles while sprinting towards the touchline.


    Yamato thenunched the ball inside the penalty box with as much force as he can.


    The ball flew high above, towards the penalty box. And one could tell just by looking at the ball, that the ball was meant for Chris. Except Chris, Shun was the only other yer who could reach that high ball, since he was a goalkeeper and he could use his hands.


    Sensing a threat, Shun ran forward to punch the ball. At the same time Haruto as instructed by Shun dyed Chris''s jump by pressing his body against him.


    ''Wtf'' Chris cussed inside his mind while struggling to jump.


    Shun then punched the ball away. The ball flew outside the penalty box towards Hiro.


    Without any dy, Hiro sent the ball towards Seiya and started to run.


    "Fall back!!" Yelling such Yamato began to chase Seiya who was charging the ball forward.


    After punching that ball away from his goalpost, his team had a chance to score another goal from that counterattack.


    Despite his arrogant nature, Seiya was a really agile yer. He was only second to Hiro and Shunta in the team.


    Making use of his pace, Seiya after receiving the ball at the midfield began to dribble the ball towards the opposing goalpost.


    To stop him from dribbling the ball forward, Niji the other defensive midfielder of Chiba Middle School who hadn''t moved up the field, charged towards him.


    Noticing the opposing defensive midfielder, Seiya began to look for his teammates. Sho was being marked by opposing defenders and so was Yuya.


    After noticing both the forwards marked, he took a peek behind him. Hiro was right behind him to support him.


    ''Why does it have to be him?'' Seiya thought to himself after noticing Hiro behind him.


    Noticing Seiya''s gaze, Hiro shouted, "Pass!!"


    But just as Seiya locked eyes with Hiro, he quickly turned his head forward and ignored his calls.


    Seiya then tried to dribble the ball all by himself instead of passing the ball to Hiro who was right behind him totally unmarked.


    With some body feints, Seiya tried to shook off his mark. However while trying to snatch the ball Niji identally hit Seiya''s leg.


    Upon getting hit at his leg, due to his momentum, Seiya went flying infront.


    And as he crashed against the ground, he grabbed his legs and began to pant in pain, "Argh!! Argh!!"


    Beep!!!


    "Foul" The referee spoke while pointing at the ce where Seiya was lying down holding his leg while making painful expression.


    "How was that foul?"


    "Yeah!! He is acting ref"


    "Niji only touched him."


    yers of Chiba Middle School surrounded Ryu and began toin and question his judgement.


    "It''s a foul!! And if anybody isn''t satisfied with my decision then they''re free to leave." Saying such, Ryu put his hand inside his pocket, probably to take out his cards.


    Noticing Ryu putting his hands inside his pocket, their captain Satoru and Kuroda began to console their teammates.


    They then apologized to the referee for their misconduct. "Sorry ref! Our yers were being immature."


    Hearing the apology from their captain, Ryu let go of the card.

 Chapter 99 End of Friendly Match

    99 End of Friendly Match


    For Niji''s foul against Seiya, the referee awarded their team a freekick.


    The spot at where they were awarded the freekick was quite far from the goalpost. Infact the freekick spot was near the centre circle.


    "It''s okay guys. It''s not a big deal. So let''s not make a fuss about the foul. Plus look at the spot where they''re awarded the freekick. It''s like more than 40 yards away from our goalpost. And to score a goal from that spot they''d probably need Roberto Carlos. And do any of you see Roberto Carlos in that team. Well I don''t see any. So fret not guys." Saying such Satoru tried to encourage his teammates and raise their morale.


    "Yeah! He''s right guys. Let''s not get worked up over a single foul." Kuroda added while pping his hands.


    "Yeah!!" Chris who had been sulking because of the earlier goal and Haruto''s challenge, parroted enthusiastically after listening to the motivating words of Satoru.


    While the yers of Chiba Middle School were talking such looking all motivated, the scene at the other side was quite different.


    Seiya was arguing with other yers, fighting over the freekick.


    "It was me who won the freekick. So it should be me who should take the freekick." Seiya exasperated while holding the ball.


    Yuya and the other tried to snatch the ball away from him, but he wasn''t willing to listen to them. He was adamant on being the freekick taker.


    "Look the coach has already decided the set-piece taker before the game. So it''s better you give up the ball." Yuya intoned while trying to snatch the ball away from him.


    Hirato and some other yers were ying the role of the spectators. Without taking anyone''s side, they were simply observing Seiya and others fighting over the freekick.


    Hiro who was the appointed set-piece taker was keeping his mouth shut and silently observing Seiya getting worked up over a freekick.


    "What are those idiots doing? I had already announced the set-piece taker before match. So why are they fighting over set-piece at this moment." Manager Nozomi exasperated while putting his hands atop his head.


    He was already upset by Seiya''s action earlier, when he decided to ignore Hiro and dribble the ball all by himself. But looking at his actions at that moment, he was literally on the verge of erupting.


    Noticing them fighting over the set-piece, while wasting time, Ryu shouted furiously, "Team Kawasaki!! What are you doing? Don''t hog onto the ball for long. I''ll charge you all with time wasting and give you yellow cards."


    Listening to the furious roar of the referee, Shun who was the captain of the team ran towards them to control the situation.


    "Seiya!! Just give up. Look!! The coach is ring at you. And I''m sure you know the meaning behind that gaze of his." Shun spoke while pointing towards manager Nozomi, reminding him of the consequences he''d have to faceter.


    With his eyes wide open, manager Nozomi was staring at Seiya coldly from outside the pitch. He looked really pissed.


    Although they couldn''t see his face properly from that distance, Seiya could still feel coach Nozomi''s prating gazes on him.


    "Tch- Fine!! Take it." Clicking his tongue, Seiya finally let go of the ball, disappointed.


    Yuya then picked up the ball and handed it to Hiro who was standing right behind him with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    And as he was about to leave, Yuya spoke, "Show them what you can do Hiro."


    "Umm" Hiro nodded his head and took the ball from him.


    And as he ced the ball at the spot marked by the referee, Hiro retracted few steps behind.


    After retracting about seven steps, he paused and let out a deep breath. He then looked at the ball and post infront.


    A wall of five tall yers from Chiba Middle School stood infront of him and the post.


    Except two defenders, all his teammates were gathered at the opponents penalty box.


    ''System activate Roberto Carlos''s freekick'' He spoke to himself.


    [Roberto Carlos''s freekick activated]


    Beep!!


    And as Ryu blew his whistle, Hiro ran towards the ball. He then hit the ball with inside of his right foot.


    The wall of yers jumped up to block the ball. However the ball flew just above their head and headed straight towards the goalpost.


    "What the??" Chris cussed while turning his head behind towards the goalpost.


    "....." Coach Tanaka with his mouth agape and pupil''s erged, looked at the ball totally shocked.


    Due to the spin on the ball, the ball curved along the way.


    Even Satoru wasn''t prepared for that freekick. At most he had expected Hiro to pass the ball to his teammates at the penalty box. But Hiro''s powerful freekick caught him totally off-guard.


    Even so he tried to stop the ball from finding it''s way inside the. Satoru then dived towards the direction of the ball.


    But still he couldn''t manage tond a touch on the ball. The ball effortlessly found its way inside the.


    Neither the opposing teammates nor his own teammates could believe their eyes. Even after the ball touched the, nobody made any sound for a while.


    Finally after few seconds, his teammates burst in jeers.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll"


    The yers of Kawasaki Frontale U-15 team yelled ecstatically.


    Jumping and running, they began to celebrate Hiro''s unbelievable goal.


    Coach Tanaka''s face turned pale all of a sudden after witnessing that unbelievable goal of Hiro.


    "What just happened?" He mumbled as he turned his head towards Coach Nozomi.


    And as he turned his gaze towards coach Nozomi in shock, he found coach Nozomi looking at him with a sly smile on his face.


    Witnessing manager Nozomi''s sly smile, Tanaka''s face tightened. He then gnashed his teeth and squeezed out some word from his mouth, "That sly old fox"


    **** ****


    After scoring a goal at the 31st minute of the match. Hiro''s team yed even more aggressively at the second half after making few substitutions and scored four more goals in the second half.


    Seiya was substituted because of his earlier misconduct and disobedience.


    Thus, the game ended with Hiro''s team victory with an overwhelming score of 6:0.


    At that 6:0 victory over Chiba Middle School, Hiro scored 4 goals and assisted a goal to Yugo. Hirato recorded two assists himself, one for Hiro and one for Sho. And Hidetaka and Yuya recorded an assist each for themselves as well.


    And thus the game finally came to an end.


    While coach Tanaka was gritting his teeth and grieving his team''s loss, manager Nozomi was flying over the cloud after securing such an overwhelming victory over the team to whom they conceded three goal previously.

 Chapter 100 Coachs discussion

    100 Coach''s discussion


    After the end of the match, coach Tanaka approached manager Nozomi with rather irritated look on his face to congratte manager Nozomi for his team''s victory over his own.


    "Congrattions Nozomi." Coach Tanaka congratted Nozomi while gritting his teeth.


    "Thank you Tanaka. Like you said my team didn''t concede three goals this time around. And I''m sure it''s all because of your well wishes. So thank you very much Tanaka." Manager Nozomi replied with a smile on his face.


    Listening to Nozomi''s words, Coach Tanaka''s mouth twitched a little. And even though he was on the verge of exploding, he kept his cool and replied with a pretentious smile on his face, "It''s all because of your yers. So please don''t give me the credit for your teams victory."


    Maintaining his pretentious smile, he then began to rummage his mind to think of some excuses to walk away.


    "Ahh right!! I remembered that I needed to discuss something with our principal today. So I''ll take my leave first." Nervously saying such, Coach Tanaka turned around and walked away in a hurry, without looking back.


    "But it''s Sunday today." Manager Nozomi mumbled dumbfoundedly.


    But Coach Tanaka didn''t reply anything and simply kept on walking away while pretending he didn''t hear anything at all.


    **** ****


    Later in the evening of that same day, at around 4:30 PM Hiro and his friends were seen walking towards the stadium of Kawasaki Frontale dressed in ck and blue jersey.


    Infront of them, a lot of people dressed in the jersey of Kawasaki Frontale club were also gathered around the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, smiling and singing while carrying the banners of the club.


    Another batch of people who were dressed in red and blue jersey were also gathered around the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium.


    The people dressed in red and blue jersey were the fans of FC Tokyo.


    And all those people were rushing towards the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium to witness the match between Kawasaki Frontale club and FC Tokyo.


    They were gathered there to show their support for their respective teams.


    Because of the friendly match which took ce during daytime, the coaches had exempted all the yers of U-15 from evening training to give them some time to recuperate from the fatigue they suffered during the match.


    While some yers stayed in the dorm, some went outside. And Hiro and his friends were among those yers who decided to go out.


    Impressed by Hiro''s performance during the friendly match, manager Nozomi had gifted him a ticket for the match between Kawasaki Frontale and FC Tokyo which was going to take ceter in the evening at 5 o''clock.


    However since he didn''t want to alone, he requested manager Nozomi to provide him with three more tickets for his friends. Manager Nozomi who was in a very good mood agreed to his request and provided him with three more tickets.


    Making use of the ticket provided by manager Nozomi, Hiro decided to go and watch the match between Kawasaki Frontale club and FC Tokyo also poprly known as Tamagawa sico with his friends.


    Sounding all excited, Yuya who was a die hard fan of Kawasaki Frontale club spoke while walking towards the stadium, "Mark my words Leandro Damiao''s gonna be the man of the match for today''s match. And he''s gonna score another goal today."


    The yer whom Yuya was mentioning about was a yer of Brazilian origin. And at that 21/22 season, he was in a phenomenal form. Scoring a record breaking 15 goals, he was dominating the top scorer list of J-1 league.


    Previously ying for clubs like Santos, International, Real Betis, mengo and many more, he was a talented yer of Brazilian origin.


    "Yeah he''s great. But don''t forget about Reo Hatate. I''m sure he''s gonna show us another brilliant performance today. His speed, his passing and his work rate. It''s like muah!!" While excitedly praising one of the yer of Kawasaki Frontale, Shunta made a kissing gesture.


    "They are both great yer. But mark my words Kaoru Mitoma''s gonna be one of the best yer in the world within few years." Shun who had been following Mitoma''s progress since some years joined Yuya and Shunta''s conversation by bringing the name of Mitoma.


    "Mitoma!! He was indeed one of the impressive yer in previous year. And he did earn himself a transfer to a premier league team. But isn''t he loaned to Union SG this season?" Yuya intoned while recalling things about Mitoma.


    At the season 20/21, Mitoma was honoured as one of the best yer in the league and at 21/22 season he was bought by Brighton for a measly amount of 3 million pounds.


    After that he was loaned for the entirety of 21/22 season to Union SG.


    After bringing the topic of Mitoma, since their beliefs contradicted with each other, they then began to argue with each other.


    No one willing to back down, each and every single one of them were adamant about their opinions. And because of that unwillingness to back down, the argument was stretching even further.


    Hiro who was also present there was observing them arguing with each other, without saying anything.


    Since he knew about the future, he didn''t feel lile joining in on the argument.


    Unable toe to a truce, Yuya then decided to ask for Hiro''s opinion.


    "Okay!! Okay!! Then let''s ask Hiro''s opinion." Yuya suggested while turning his gaze towards Hiro.


    "Let''s do that." The two of them nodded their head and agreed to his suggestion.


    "Hiro!! Do you think that Mitoma''s gonna be one of the best yer in the world within few years?" Yuya asked in a serious tone with his gaze fixated at Hiro.


    Without any sort if hesitation Hiro replied, "Yes!!"


    Hearing Hiro''s words, Shun''s face lit up all of a sudden and a wide smile formed on his face. He then spoke while sounding all excited, "See I told you."


    Yuya and Shunta both of their face darkened as they sulked their head after hearing Hiro''s opinion.


    Both of then mumbled while sounding somewhat disappointed, "How can you be so sure of it Hiro?"


    Showing no changes in his facial expression, Hiro then replied with a straight face, "Because I can see the future."


    believing his words.


    18:38


    "Hahaha.... Why do you all look so serious. It was a joke. A joke." Saying such Hiro burst intoughter.


    His words left all of them speechless. Their eyes wide open and their mouth agape, they were believing his words.


    "Hahaha.... Why do you all look so serious. It was a joke. A joke." Saying such Hiro burst intoughter.


    "That was a joke!! Damn!! But after watching you y. If you tell me that it''s your second time in life. I would have even believed it." Yuya mumbled while heaving a sigh of relief.


    "Right!!" The other two standing beside expressed their agreement.


    **** ****


    At an office at the same time when Hiro and his friends were heading to Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, manager Nozomi and manager Makoto were sitting opposite to each other at an office room.


    Consisting of an immacte table, few chairs, a whiteboard, a flower pot and few stationaries inside the drawer of the table, the office room was neat and clean.


    "Brother he''s too talented to y in U-15" Nozomi spoke while looking at his brother.


    Understanding the meaning behind his brother''s sentence, manager Makoto spoke, "But he''s still only 12. We can''t promote him."


    "He''ll turn 13 next year brother. We need to promote him to U-18 team. If we want to win the Takamado premier league then we need to promote him brother. Brother he''s too talented for his age." Nozomi tried to reason with his brother.


    After hearing Nozomi''s response, Makoto began to ponder.


    "Brother!! We need to use his talent. We can''t let him rot at U-15. He''s way above their level. If not for the age requirement to y at professional level, I''d have even suggested him to the senior team." Nozomi continued.


    However still after hearing so much from his brother, Makoto kept on pondering. Since he couldn''t make decisions carelessly, he was hesitant to decide right away.


    Finally after thinking for a while, Makoto opened his mouth, "But will he be alright against guy''s who''ll be like 4, 5 years older than him?"


    Makoto mumbled with a concerned expression on his face.


    He too wanted to promote Hiro to the U-18 team, however he was also afraid of injuring Hiro.


    "I know that you''re about him brother. But we still have more than 6 months left for the league to start. So in the meantime if we work on his physicality then I''m sure that we can prepare him to y against those tougher and stronger than him." Nozomi intoned.


    "Brother he''s meant for the world. I can see a world ss yer in him. So instead of holding him back we should motivate him and push him so that he can fulfill his potential." Nozomi added.


    After hearing Nozomi''s words, Makoto rose from his seat. He then started to walk away from the table.


    Witnessing Makoto''s unusual behaviour, Nozomi exasperated, " Brother!! Where are you going?"


    "Didn''t you say that we should motivate him and help him improve?"


    "I did! But how is you walking away without saying anything''s gonna help him improve?" Asked Nozomi looking somewhat dumbfounded.


    "I was going to fetch Eric''s number. Since he''s his agent, we''d need to discuss with him before we can make any decisions." Replied Makoto while towards the closet.

 Chapter 101 Hiro’s decision

    <h4>Chapter 101 Hiro''s decision</h4>


    After having his dinner, at around 8 PM in the afternoon, inside his dorm room, Hiro was lying on his bed with his face facing the ceiling.


    At that time Shun, Yuya and Shunta, all three of them were gathered in Yuya''s room conversing about the earlier match between Kawasaki Frontale and FC Tokyo.


    While staring at the ceiling above, absent mindedly, Hiro was pondering about his performance in the earlier match against Chiba Middle School.


    ''I should work on my passes more. And I should be more mindful of my surrounding. Even during that first goal, I couldn''t see the run of Hidetaka. Had I realised him being behind me I would have behaved differently.'' He thought while thinking and analysing his earlier actions.


    ''Although dribbling and pace are my main arsenal. I''m ying as a ymaker. And despite being a ymaker my assist stats are not so good. So I think I should focus more on my vision, passes and physicality for the time being.''


    Despite performing really well by contributing four goals and an assist in the earlier friendly match, Hiro was still not satisfied with his performance. Reflecting on his actions, he was trying to learn from his mistakes.


    "Ahh right!! I still have that unused golden ticket. May be I should use it now." Mumbling such, he rose up from his bed.


    ''System acti-''


    Knock!! Knock!!


    And just as he was about to activate the system, he heard a knock on his door.


    Since he knew that Shun wouldn''t be back before 9 or 10, he was baffled by that sudden knock on the door sote in the night.


    Hearing the knock, he turned his attention towards the door and answered meekly, "Who''s this?"


    "It''s me Yugo." Lazily answered Yugo from outside the door.


    "Oh!! It''s Yugo." Releasing a deep breath, he then walked towards the door and opened the door.


    Outside the door Yugo was standing dressed in his pajamas. His pajamas consisted of a wiggly long hat and baggy shirt and pant.


    His fox like eyes were almost closed as if he had just woken up from a sleep and he was still feeling sleepy. And even after opening his door, Yugo was simply standing there without uttering a single word, as if he couldn''t see or hear him.


    "Yes Yugo do you have something to say?" Hiro mumbled.


    But Yugo remainedpletely silent with his chin lowered.


    ''May be he''s here toin about my ys in the earlier game.'' Hiro pondered while looking at Yugo silently standing infront of his door with his chin lowered.


    He then offered him toe inside his room, "Or do you like toe inside and discuss what you were going to say?"


    "Yawn~~"


    Hearing Hiro''s words he yawned before opening his mouth to say something.


    ''So he was only dozing.'' Hiro thought after seeing him yawn.


    And after yawning, Yugo replied, "No it''s fine. I was just here to deliver the message from the coach. He wants you toe to his office."


    "Me?? Why does he want me to go to his office thiste in the night?" Hiro questioned sounding somewhat confused.


    "Yawn~~~"


    Yugo yawned again before replying, "How would I know? He just asked me to deliver this message to you."


    "I''ve finished my task. So it''s upto you whether you want to go or not." Saying such he walked away.


    While watching Yugo vanish from his sight, he pondered, ''Strange!! Why would the coach want to meet me alone thiste in the night? May be he also wants to talk about my ys.''


    ''Guess I''ll continue the draw after a short trip to the coach''s office.'' Thinking such, he then left for the coach''s office after closing his door.


    **** ****


    With nobody present in the hallway, the hallway leading to the coach''s office was ghastly silent. Some moths were fluttering around the L.E.D bulbs above the ceiling.


    After reaching near to the coach''s office, he took a peak at coach Nozomi''s office. But there was no lighting from his office.


    Instead the light wasing from manager Makoto''s office. Noticing the lighting from beneath the gaps of the door of the manager Makoto''s office, he then walked towards manager Makoto''s office and knocked the door.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    "Yese inside Hiro."


    Just as he knocked the door of manager Makoto''s office, he heard manager Nozomi''s voice from inside the door.


    ''Why is manager Nozomi replying from inside manager Makoto''s office.'' He thought before opening the door.


    And as he opened the door to Makoto''s office, he noticed both manager Makoto and manager Nozomi seated at the chair opposite to each other. Noticing both the coach''s, he froze at the door.


    "Come inside! We were waiting for you." Replied Makoto, the chubby old man.


    "Yes!! Excuse me then." Mumbling such, he entered the room while closing the door behind him.


    Manager Nozomi then stood up from his seat and offered his seat to Hiro.


    "Please sit here." Saying such, he walked towards him.


    "It''s alright sir. I''mfortable with standing." Saying such, Hiro tried to refuse his hospitality.


    But manager Nozomi insisted him to sit down, since they were going discuss something really important with him.


    Giving in to manager Nozomi''s insistence, he then took the seat and sat down.


    And just as he sat down, manager Makoto infront opened his mouth to speak, "I''ll be direct with you Hiro. We''re thinking of promoting you to the U-18 team. And I know this sounds ridiculous but please hear us before deciding."


    Both the managers were fearful of him rejecting their proposal. Afterall it hadn''t even been a month since he had arrived at the hostel. And he had only yed a single match with the U-15 team thus far.


    His age was also another matter of concern. Since there was also a possibility that he''d have to face against several professional yers who were already ying professionally for a club ying in J-1. They were fearful that he might reject their proposal because of those reasons.


    But what they didn''t know was that he was more than willing and prepared to y for the U-18 team.

 Chapter 102 Right what I needed

    <h4>Chapter 102 Right what I needed</h4>


    Hearing manager Makoto''s words, Hiro turned his head towards Nozomi who was standing beside him.


    Nozomi then blinked both his eyes while looking at him and nodded his head.


    "I know it''ll be tough for you. But Hiro I believe that you won''t improve much in U-15 team. And we''ve also talked about it with your agent. And he said that he''ll go with your decision. So please hear us once before you make your decision." Makoto eximed.


    Upon hearing his words, Hiro nodded his head and straightened his back.


    Manager Makoto then began to exin about the pros and cons of him ying for the U-18 team.


    "Although the league will be a bit hard for you considering your age. But we still have more than 6 months left for the league to start. And I believe that we can prepare you both physically and mentally for the league within that time period." Makoto spoke with a serious expression on his face.


    "That''s right Hiro. We''ll train you separately after the training session and prepare you for your premier league debut." Nozomi who was standing right beside him, spoke with confidence and expressed his desire.


    While both of them were presenting their opinions and ideas, Hiro was ardently listening to their opinions and ideas without uttering a single word.


    "So what do you say Hiro? Do you want to stay in U-15 team for another year or do you want to y for U-18 from next season onwards?" Makoto finished his sentence with a question.


    And as both of them finished presenting their ideas, Hiro lowered his gaze towards the table infront and began to ponder. Or so they thought after looking at him. However he was simply acting. He was acting to make them believe that he wasn''t making his choices rashly.


    From the moment he heard from manager Makoto''s mouth that he was going to be promoted to the U-18 team, he had already made his decision.


    "I believe that you both are making such decision for my wellbeing. So I''ll go with your decision sir." Hiro replied without any changes in his facial expression.


    Although he was jumping and singing inside his head, celebrating like crazy, he didn''t show any reactions upfront and maintained a poker face infront of the coaches.


    "Great!!!" Their face lit up as they intoned excitedly with a wide smile on their faces.


    "Then we''ll begin your training from tomorrow onwards. Also you''ll be training with the U-18 from tomorrow onwards as well. So don''t go to the U-15 pitch, identally." Mumbled manager Makoto with a wide grin on his face.


    Listening to the words of manager Makoto, Hiro nodded his head.


    He then lowered his head and thanked both the coach''s, "Thank you for providing me with such an opportunity sirs. I won''t let you down."


    **** ****


    After leaving the coach''s office, he made his way towards his room, jumping and humming silently in joy along the way.


    And as he entered his room, he found nobody present in the room, which meant Shun was still at Yuya''s room.


    "I never expected that I''d be ying with professional yers so soon." Hiro mumbled while sitting atop his bed.


    Since the club''s could y their academy yers from 15 years onward, there were some yers in the U-18 team of every professional team who can also be regarded as professional yers.


    "Takefusa Kubo yed a professional league at the age of 15. So let''s not get overwhelmed Hiro." He said to himself while trying to calm him down.


    "Ahh right!! Let''s spin the roulette."


    ''System activate''


    [System activated]


    And as the system activated the same holographic blue pannel of the system appeared infront of his eyes. By that time, he was already used to seeing the blue panel of the system.


    He then performed few clicks and headed towards the roulette section.


    With a giant roulette wheel, the page was the same as it was before.


    [One golden ticket avable.]


    [Do you like to use your ticket.]


    ''Yes'' Hiro spoke to himself.


    And as he agreed to consume the golden ticket, the roulette wheel began to spin.


    After spinning for a while, itnded on a card and a golden card popped up infront of him.


    Impatient as he was, he immediately clicked on the card.


    [Congrattions host for obtaining the passing sense of Kevin De Bruyne(B).]


    [Talent description: Activating the talent can significantly improve host''s passing, vision and IQ permanently.]


    After noticing the talent he drew from the system, his pupils erged as he abruptly rose from his bed.


    "Damn freaking awesome!! I freaking love you system." He mumbled in ecstasy and threw his arms towards the sky.


    "Just some moments ago I was thinking of improving my passing and vision. And now I drew such an OP talent." He continued.


    After mumbling such in ecstasy for a while, he paused all of a sudden. Squinting his eyes, he then red at the system, "But how can the system be so generous to grant me such an overpowering talent? And what''s with that alphabet behind the title of the talent?"


    He was somewhat skeptical about the generosity of the system.


    [That''s the grade of the talent.]


    [Since the original passing talents of De Bruyne is way more OP. Because of your present stats the system has deemed that you''re still not eligible to own such talents.]


    [Thus the system has purposely lowered the rank of the talent to fit your capability at the moment.]


    [Hence you can only use part of the passing talent De Bruyne possesses at the moment. Meaning you''ll not be able to miraculously y on the level of De Bruyne.]


    [So stop fantasizing and work your ass off.]


    "Wtf?? Did the system just diss me??" He mumbled while contorting his face after listening to the description provided by the system.


    "Oii system!! Did you just diss me?" Feeling mocked by the system, he questioned the system.


    [No!! I only described you what you wanted.] Spoke the system.


    "Yeah!! Indeed that''s what it did." Mumbled Hiro dumbfoundedly, since it was speaking the fact afterall.


    "But from when did system start speaking like this?" Hiro mumbled.


    But the system didn''t reply anything at all. He kept on questioning the system time and again but he didn''t get the answer he was looking for.


    "Argh!! Let''s just stop. It has always been unpredictable. So there''s no point asking it." Mumbling such, he gave up questioning the system.

 Chapter 103 Revealing the news

    <h4>Chapter 103 Revealing the news</h4>


    After inhaling and exhaling few deep breaths, Hiro calmed himself. He then walked towards his door to lock the door. And as he locked the door, he walked towards his bed and sat atop his bed with his legs crossed.


    "Activate the talent." He murmured while briefly closing his eyes.


    He was afraid of the potential drawbacks from activating the talent. He was afraid that he''d have to suffer from the same pain which he suffered during the consumption of the muscle enhancing elixir.


    And he wasn''t willing to show that pathetic side of him to his friend. That''s why he locked the door to prepare himself for the activation of the talent.


    [Talent activated]


    As he heard the notification from the system, he squeezed his eyelids even more tightly to brace himself for the sudden impact. Tightening his muscles and clenching his fist, he remained still for some moments.


    One seconds, two seconds,..... Fifty nine seconds, sixty seconds. A whole minute passed but nothing happened to him.


    After staying still for a whole minute, he opened his eyes, loosened his muscles and unclenched his fist. His palms were sweaty from clenching his fist tightly for that entire minute.


    Feeling confused, he murmured, "Nothing happened?? Did the process fail? Or may be the system is malfunctioning."


    [The system is working perfectly fine. And no the process has not failed.]


    [The talent has already been activated.]


    [Since it''s a talent and not an item. You don''t have to fear the possible drawbacks.]


    [Only when consuming the items, you might experience some drawback.]


    Replied the system after hearing his concerns.


    "Oh!! I see!! I was worrying for nothing. Hahaha..." Acting all surprised, he then revealed an awkward smile on his face.


    "Then let''s see how much my stat has improved." Saying such, he activated the system to check his stats.


    [New stat vision unlocked]


    [Attributes]


    Physical: 56/100 ( Grade: C+)


    Dribbling: 84/100 (Grade: A)


    Pace: 67/100 ( Grade: B)


    Passing: 79/100 ( Grade: B+)


    Shooting: 73/100 (Grade: B+)


    Defending: 41/100 (Grade: C)


    Mentality: 64/100 ( Grade: B)


    IQ: 82/100 (Grade: A)


    Vision: 64/100 (Grade: B)


    Overall grade: B+


    His face lit up as he witnessed his stats. With his eyes opened wide and mouth agape, he eximed, "Woah!! My stats have increased by a lot."


    Knock!! Knock!!


    At that same time, he heard a knock on his door.


    "Yoh Man!! What are you doing with the door closed." Spoke Shun from outside the door.


    "Meditating." He replied tersely and got out from his bed.


    He then walked towards the door to unlock the door. And as soon as he unlocked the door, Shun came rushing inside.


    Hurriedly walking towards Hiro''s bed, he began to look underneath his bed. After that he looked under his bedsheets. As if he was searching for something, he kept on searching here and there.


    Noticing Shun''s weird behaviour, Hiro questioned, "What exactly are you looking for?"


    While still in the process of searching his bed, Shun replied, "Ero manga!! I''m sure you''ve hidden some Hentai manga. So bring it out right now. As the saying goes ''Sharing is caring''. So share it."


    "Wtf!! Why would I hide such vile things?" Answered Hiro with a flustered face.


    Finally after searching almost everywhere, he stopped after not finding anything.


    "See I told you. I don''t have such things." Hiro mumbled with a satiated expression on his face while looking at Shun.


    "But... But..." Shun shuddered while standing infront of Hiro''s bed, staring at the bed in daze.


    "Now move aside. I need to sleep." Saying such, Hiro began to tidy his bed.


    After that he hopped onto his bed and fell asleep.


    **** ****


    Ring!! Ring!!


    At around 5 in the morning, Hiro''s eyes opened to the sound of the rm clock. Pretty excited to train with U-18 yers, he hopped out of his bed and hit the snooze button of the rm clock.


    Shun who was a heavy sleeper was still sleeping on his bed.


    Getting out from his bed, he grabbed his toothbrush and towel. After that he left his room and headed towards the bathroom to freshen up.


    Rinsing his face with cold water, he felt rejuvenated. And as he finished rinsing his face, he wiped off the water with the towel he was carrying.


    After that he went back to his room to get his cleats and training bibs before heading to the pitch.


    While heading towards the pitch, he noticed Yuya on the hallway.


    Seeing him, Yuya waved his hands and spoke in a cheerful tone, "Fancy seeing you so early in the morning."


    "Yeah!! I slept quite early yesterday." Hiro replied while catching up to Yuya.


    From the very beginning of his stay at the hostel, he had been waking up a littlete because of thete night conversation he had with Shun. And since he had slept quite early yesterday, he also woke up early in the morning.


    "Hahaha... Yeah!! I guess it''s because of Shun. I''m sure that he must have kept you awake tillte in the night with his nonsensical chatterings." Yuya joked. "And he must still be sleeping right?"


    "Yeah!! Sometimes I wonder if he was a pig in his previous life." Hiro replied with a straight face.


    Conversing and joking, they made their way towards the pitch. And as they reached the door of the U-18 pitch, Hiro paused all of a sudden.


    Noticing him standing infront of the door of U-18 pitch, Yuya spoke, "What happened? Why are you standing over there?


    "We need to head a little further. Did you already forget about that? Hahaha..." Yuya joked.


    For few seconds Hiro didn''t reply anything. He was thinking about how to break the news of his promotion to his friend.


    Upon noticing the expression on the face of Hiro, Yuya felt something was troubling Hiro.


    Finally after thinking for a while, he decided to tell Yuya about the truth without mixing any lies or excuses. He then spoke meekly while slightly frowning his brows, "Actually yesterday at around night-time I was told by the coach''s that I''ve been promoted to the U-18 team. So.... Er.... I''ll be training with the U-18 team from today onwards."

 Chapter 104 A kid in U-18!!

    <h4>Chapter 104 A kid in U-18!!</h4>


    After revealing the news of his promotion to Yuya, Hiro slightly lifted his gaze towards Yuya to see his expression. Hiro was fearful that Yuya may not be happy about hearing about their parting, so soon.


    But on the contrary, with a wide smile on his face, Yuya threw himself towards Hiro and hugged him instead. Since Hiro wasn''t expecting such reaction from Yuya, Hiro was startled and hence he wobbled a little while trying to catch Yuya.


    Yuya then while tightening his grip around Hiro''s back spoke in a cheerful voice, "I knew it. I knew that you''d make it. I''m so happy for you Hiro. Although we could only y briefly with each other. I''ve learnt a lot from you Hiro. And I''ll soon catch upto you as well."


    While congratting him, he expressed his inner feelings. And one could tell just by listening to the tone of Yuya''s voice that he was genuinely happy for Hiro.


    Listening to such warm words, Hiro''s doubts vanished away. The sides of his lips lifted up as he revealed a smile on his face.


    Receiving such warm words from his friend made Hiro really happy.


    "Thank you Yuya." Hiro thanked Yuya with a bright smile on his face.


    And after hugging him for a while, Yuya unwrapped his arm and let him go.


    "Please tell Shun and Shunta about this news on my behalf." Hiro spoke while looking at Yuya.


    Yuya then nodded his head and spoke with a smile on his face, "I will. And best of luck my friend."


    "Thank you my friend." Hiro replied.


    "I''ll see you after training then." Saying such Yuya parted with him and headed towards the U-15 pitch.


    Hiro too headed inside the U-18 pitch.


    **** ****


    As he entered the U-18 pitch, he began to roll his eyes all over the pitch.


    The pitch was of the same length as that of U-15 pitch. However the yers were quite different. Tall, muscr and strong, not even a single one among them looked overweight. The yers in the U-18 pitch were simply built different.


    Because of the different schedule between the two teams, Hiro hadn''t had much chance to meet the yers of U-18 team.


    And also since the yers of U-18 team minded their own business and didn''t interact much with the yers of U-15 team, the yers of U-15 and the yer of U-18 team were almost like strangers.


    Almost all of the yers of U-18 had already arrived at the pitch for the morning training.


    Unlike the yers at the U-15 team who looked like amateurs, he could tell just by looking at those yers infront of his eyes that they were all professionals.


    Among them there were 3 exceptional yers who had already made their debut for the pro team.


    Forward Tatsuki Seko who was still only 16 years old had made his debut that year in a match with Sagan Tosu, Defensive midfielder Kazuya Yamamura who was 18 years old had also made his debut briefly the year before against Nigata and Naoto Miyashiro the fourth choice Goalkeeper of Kawasaki Frontale who was only 18 years old had yed quite few games for the team already.


    Looking at those yers, he murmured to himself in awe, "I''m a step closer to my dream."


    Even before the start of the training, Hiro could feel his blood rushing and heart pumping faster. He was very excited about training with those exceptional yers.


    Just when he was staring nkly at the yers infront with a gleam in his eyes, manager Makoto appeared behind him.


    Lost in his thoughts, he couldn''t notice the presence of Makoto behind him.


    After getting close to Hiro, Makoto then whispered in his ear, "Your blood is pumping fast right?"


    "Ahhhhh" Hiro screamed as he wobbled forward after hearing the sudden voice of Makoto behind him.


    And as he noticed Makoto, he spoke, "Please don''t scare me like that coach."


    "Hahaha... But I didn''t scare you." Makoto replied whileughing.


    Behind him was another old man of height 6 feet probably in histe fourties. Rectangr shaped face with monolid ck eyes and dark lips, he was the positioning coach of the youth team.


    "Ahh right!! This guy right behind me is Kensuke Kimura." Makoto mumbled while pointing at the guy behind him who was dressed in ash grey tracksuit with a notebook in his hand.


    "Nice to meet you coach Kensuke." Hiro bowed his head and greeted the coach.


    "Likewise, nice to meet you too." Kensuke replied.


    And as both of them finished exchanging greetings with each other, Makoto cleared his throat.


    "Go and change your clothes Hiro. I''ll introduce you to the yers." Saying such, Makoto dismissed him.


    He then quickly changed his clothes in the sidelines and rushed towards the side where the yers and the coach''s were gathered.


    Upon seeing Hiro behind him, Makoto then cleared his throat and spoke, "Everyone pay attention now. I want to introduce you all to your new teammate."


    And as everybody turned their attention towards the coach, Makoto then introduced Hiro, "Everyone!! Let''s wee your new teammate, Takahashi Hiro."


    And as Hiro stepped forward upon having his name introduced, the yers gave him a big round of apuse.


    "I know this sudden promotion sounds a bit strange. But trust me his addition will definitely improve the team. However he''s only twelve years old right now. So treat him with care. As his senior you all are responsible for fostering him. So look after him well." Saying such Makoto finished Hiro''s introduction to the team.


    "I''ll be under your care." Hiro added while lowering his head.


    Since Hiro didn''t look like twelve, all of those yers were assuming that he''d be at least 15 years old. But just as they heard about his real age from the mouth of the coach, all of them were shocked by that revtion.


    With their pupils erged and mouth agape, they were looking at him with big eyes.


    "Damn!! He''s only twelve years old??"


    "Is coach joking with us?"


    While some yers werementing about coach''s decision after hearing his real age. There were few yers who were amused by him being so young.


    "Interesting." Murmured the centre forward Tatsuki Seko with a wry smile on his face.


    "Let''s see what this genius can do." Murmured the starting goalkeeper Naoto Miyashiro.

 Chapter 105 Making them acknowledge me

    <h4>Chapter 105 Making them acknowledge me</h4>


    After finishing his introduction, manager Makoto dismissed the yers bymanding them to warm up and lossen up their body.


    And as everybody started to scatter around, Tatsuki Seko, the fair-skinned skinny guy with a shredded muscr body approached Hiro.


    "I could tell that you''ve got a rather robust muscr body." With an amused expression on his face, Tatsukimented while looking at him, up and down.


    "Huh!!" Hiro was left dumbfounded by his suddenments.


    He wasn''t expecting to hear such words instead of an introduction or greeting.


    Since Hiro''s half sleeve jersey and short shocks could hardly conceal his bisceps and hamstring muscles, Sato who himself was somewhat like a gym freek couldn''t help but notice his physique.


    "Ah!! Sorry about saying such all of a sudden without introducing myself first. I just couldn''t control myself after seeing such an extraordinary physique." Apologised Tatsuki for his sudden randomments. "By the way I''m Tatsuki Seko. Nice to meet you."


    "I''m Takahashi Hiro. Nice to meet you senior Tatsuki." Hiro replied while bowing his head to show some respect to Tatsuki.


    And while they were chatting, another yer name Naoto Miyashiro, also the captain of the U-18 team joined them.


    "He''s just obsessed with gym. So don''t mind him. By the way I''m Naoto Miyashiro, goalkeeper of the team." Spoke Naoto while introducing himself.


    Quickly turning his body towards Naoto, he then bowed his head and greeted Naoto, "Nice to meet you senior Naoto."


    While those two weed him with open arms, the same couldn''t be said about the rest of the yers. Maintaining their distance while asionally stealing a peek of Hiro, they were somewhat sceptical about his promotion from U-15 team at that age.


    "Don''t mind them. They''ll open up to you eventually. They''re probably worried about your age and talent." Spoke Naoto while reassuring him about the attitude of the rest of the yers towards him.


    However not every single one of those faces had a concerned expression. Some had a rather mocking expression while some simply didn''t give a shit about him.


    "Right!! I''m curious about your ability as well. Aren''t you like too young to y in U-18 team? Can you even hold your ground against other guy''s who are like 4 or 5 years older than you?" Questioned Tatsuki out of sheer curiosity.


    While conversing with each other, they were performing light warm ups exercises.


    Just as they were conversing with each other, they heard the voice of manager Makoto.


    "Everybody gather up." Manager Makoto yelled.


    Turning their attention towards Makoto, they then hurried towards the manager.


    After everybody gathered around the manager, Makoto began to exin them about the training drills.


    That day''s training was especially focused on shooting, finishing and passing.


    And as he finished exining about the training drills, hemenced the beginning of the morning training.


    **** ****


    For the first training drill, the coach made them perform receive and shoot training drill individually.


    cing 8 cones infront of the penalty arc, the yers were required to make their run from half-line towards the cone and perform some high knees as fast as they could at the cone section.


    And after passing through the cones, coach Kensuke supplied them with a cross from the nks. And they were required to trap and shoot the ball towards the post. They could also simply perform one shot volley.


    However the post wasn''t left open as there were few mannequins ced randomly infront of the post which were acting as the defender and also an obstacle between them and the goal. And the shooter was also required to score a goal against the first choice goalkeeper of U-18 team who was guarding the goalpost, which further increased the difficulty of the drill.


    After almost every yer finished their set of the drill, Hiro stepped forward for his turn. He was thest one to challenge the drill. Until his turn, the sole yer who performed exceptionally well in that drill was Tatsuki Seko.


    "Let''s see what you can do." Mumbled Tatsuki Seko to himself under his breath while looking at Hiro with anticipation.


    "So you''re the one mentioned by my brother." Murmured a dark haired,nky guy who was about 5 feet 8 inches tall. His face and eyes showed no malice or concern towards Hiro.


    Positioning himself in a steady position, Hiro was preparing tounch himself while awaiting the whistle of the coach.


    Beep!!


    And as he heard the whistle, Hiro dashed towards the cone as fast as he can. Swiftly performing high knees and passing the cone, he rushed towards the goalpost.


    Coach Kensuke then supplied him with the cross. The projectile of the cross was a little unpredictable because of the spin on the ball. However he still managed to trap the ball with his right leg.


    And as the ball bounced off his feet, he performed a volley. The ball went like a missile towards the post.


    Naoto, the keeper tried his best to save the ball and leaped towards the ball. However even with his long reach, he still couldn''tnd a touch on the ball and ended up conceding the goal. It was the only fourth goal he conceded during that training drill.


    The smile on the face of the yers at the sidelines who were anticipating his fall quickly faded away and instead it was reced with shock. Their eyes wide open and mouth agape, they were left speechless by his performance.


    "Damn!! I never expected him to be this good." With small bumps appearing all over his hands as if he was exposed to the cold wind, Hiro''s goal gave Tatsuki goosebumps.


    p!! p!! p!!


    Tatsuki, the centre forward and Kazuya, the defensive midfielder, both of them pped their hands and apuded him after watching his brilliant goal.


    Following their lead, other yers started to p their hands as well. And after witnessing his performance first-hand, they could no longer doubt Hiro''s abilities.


    Hearing the thundering apuse of the yers, Hiro knew that his skills were recognised by those experienced yers infront.


    With the sides of their lips curling, Manager Makoto and coach Kensuke both were smiling while exchanging gazes with each other.


    They could tell that the yers of the U-18 had acknowledged Hiro''s talents.


    Kenta Yui, thenky ck haired guy from earlier who was talking about Hiro was smiling as well. Unlike his younger brother Kota Yui who had an insecure personality, Kenta was different.


    Kenta was open minded and had a professional mentality. Meaning he wasn''t the type of yer who''d demean or insult the talented yers.


    Instead he was the type of yer who''d try to get close to the talented yers to learn from them. No matter if that yer was younger or older than him. And that was one of the reason why he had made it so far into professional football.


    There were also rumours that there were several J-2 clubs who were already showing interest in him because of his talents.


    Although he wasn''t as talented as the prodigious yer of the team. He didn''t let those things hold him back. And instead he pushed his limits and improved him rather than crying or acting jealous of the other''s talents.


    And because of that unwavering mentality, nobody could doubt his hardwork and his willingness to learn.


    Hiro then turned towards them and bowed his head. And after bowing his head, he ran towards them and joined them.


    The training continued normally after that unbelievable performance from Hiro. The only difference was that after that first performance, almost everybody in the team started to get friendly with him and epted him despite his young age.


    Finally after few passing and shooting drills, the training came to an end with a past pace rondo.


    Soaked in sweat, Hiro took off his jersey as the coach announced the end of the morning training.


    The coach''s then ordered few of the yers to pick the balls and sort the training equipments. Aftermanding such, they then headed out with the data they gathered during the training.


    And as Hiro was preparing to head out, few of the yers approached him.


    "You''re definitely talented. No wonder the coach promoted you to the U-18 team despite being so young." One of the yer with brown hair praised Hiro for his earlier performance.


    "Indeed!! At this pace you might debut even before us." Another yer joked.


    "Now!! Now!! Now!! Don''t put such pressure on him. Remember he''s still only 12 years old." Kazuya the defensive midfielder interrupted and reminded everyone of Hiro''s age. Being the most mature yer in the team, he purposely defended Hiro.


    The praises continued as other yers made their way out of the pitch. However even after noticing his skills, there were still some yers who were not happy about him joining the team.


    Since their spot in the team was in danger, they looked extremely anxious. And thus until thest moment, they refused to exchange any words with him.

 Chapter 106 Jealous eyes

    <h4>Chapter 106 Jealous eyes</h4>


    Since he didn''t want to cause any troubles, despite being aware of the cold stares some yers were showing towards him, Hiro intentionally ignored their cold stares. And instead he only focused his attention on those who were acting friendly towards him.


    And it wasn''t his first time getting such cold stares from the yers around him. Afterall even during his first day at the club, he got a lot of those kind of stares.


    "I was indeed right. Look at those abs, wings and chest." With his eyes sparkling, Tatsuki spoke with a cheerful voice while walking towards him.


    Tatsuki then took off his jersey as well.


    ''Why is he taking off his jersey now?" Hiro thought while looking at him.


    Tatsuki''s weird behaviour left everybody dumbfounded.


    unting his abs and muscles, he then started to strike different body building poses as if he was some kind of bodybuilder.


    While striking a side chest pose, Tatsuki then spoke in a serious tone, "As Socrates once said, it is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable."


    "''Hahahaha"''


    Unable to hold back theirughter, Hiro and the others burst intoughter after hearing Tatsuki''s philosophical quote, instead of acting impressed.


    However thereughing didn''t bother Tatsuki in any way and he still continued to unt his muscles without any stop.


    "Let him be. He''s like this. If you continue to pay attention to him, you''ll gette for school. So let''s leave." Saying such Naoto then asked Hiro to leave the pitch with him.


    While exiting the pitch after the end of the morning training, Hiro turned his gaze towards the U-15 pitch in hopes of finding some of his friends on the ground.


    However the U-15 pitch was totally empty. With nobody in the pitch, their training had ended about 15 minutes earlier than theirs.


    **** ****


    Even at the canteen, he didn''t meet any of his friends. Although he did find some of the reserve yers from the U-15 at the canteen whom he wasn''t much familiar with, he didn''t find any of his friends.


    With nothing special, that morning''s breakfast consisted of some chicken breast, rice, vegetable soup and orange juice.


    Sitting alongside the U-18 yers, he had his breakfast. And may be because of that, the reserve yers from the U-15 team also didn''t dare to approach him.


    Quickly finishing his breakfast, he then headed towards his room to get dressed for the school.


    And after changing into his school uniform, Hiro then hurriedly rushed towards the school bus.


    As usual, Shun had saved a spot for him. Raising his hands above his head, Shun then gestured Hiro toe towards him.


    While walking towards Shun, he could feel a lot of gazes which were pointed towards him. Although getting stared at wasn''t anything unusual for him.


    Those stares at that moment were very different. While some of those stares were full of admiration and happiness, most of those stares were full of jealousy.


    Gnashing their teeths, some yers were looking at him coldly as if he had robbed him of their most precious thing.


    However that waspletely within his expectations, afterall he had been promoted to the U-18 team in less than a month of joining the club, while there were yers in the U-15 team who weren''t even sure of their promotion despite ying for so long.


    "Congrattions Hiro." Hidetaka and Yugo congratted Hiro while he was making his way towards Shun.


    "Thank you." While nodding his head and thanking them with a smile on his face, Hiro continued to walk towards his seat.


    Along the way, he heard congrattory words from many yers.


    With no change in their facial expressions, Shun, Yuya and Shunta all three of them were acting as if nothing had happened.


    "Good morning guys." Hiro greeted them and tried to start a conversation.


    However they stil didn''t reply anything.


    ''What''s wrong with them?'' He thought while taking his seat, silently.


    For a while they spoke nothing. However just as the bus started to move, Shun punched him lightly on his arm.


    "You cheeky bastard. You didn''t even tell me about your promotion." Shun spoke sounding somewhat angry.


    "It happened so fast that I couldn''t get the time to tell you." Spoke Hiro in an apologetic tone while rubbing the part of his hand where he got hit by Shun.


    "We literally live in the same room you bastard." Replied Shun while pouting.


    "Ahh right!! Sorry!! Sorry!! I just forgot to tell you." Apologised Hiro after hearing Shun''s reply.


    "It''s alright you bastard. I don''t want to hear your apology. Afterall it''s only a matter of time. From next season onwards I''ll be ying with the U-18 as well." Replied Shun with a smile on his face.


    "Ahh right!! Congrattions for your promotion." Shun added while patting Hiro on his back.


    At that same time Shunta who was infront of him, stood from his seat and turned towards him. And as Shunta faced Hiro, his face lit up. Shunta then opened his mouth, "Congrattions Hiro."


    "Thank you guys." Replied Hiro with a smile on his face.


    And as they finished congratting him, they then started to ask him about his training experience with the U-18 team.


    "Did you get to y against Naoto Miyashiro? How was he? Was he better than me?" Asked Shun while looking him in the eye.


    Shun was really curious about who was better, he or Naoto. Even though the answer was quite obvious, he was stillparing himself to the fourth choice goalkeeper of a professional team.


    "Yeah!! I have also seen him y against the pro teams. And despite being so young, he never looked intimidated. I still remember his performance against Vissel Kobe. And damn in that game he conceded only a single goal. And that goal was against Iniesta as well. Can you believe that he had already yed against world ss talents?" His brows raised and his tone sharpened, Shunta mumbled with a excited look on his face.


    "He-"


    Just as Hiro was about to speak, Yuya interrupted him with his own opinions.


    "Yeah!! That goal was a banger. Although we lost the game 1:0. But in that game Naoto yed really well despite being 17 years old at that time." Yuya intoned.


    Seeing them talking nonstop, Hiro kept his mouth shut. Without uttering a single word, he kept on looking at them while listening to their chatters.


    Not that he didn''t want to speak anything. But they simply didn''t give him any opportunity to present his opinions.


    **** ****


    Despite asking him question first, for entire bus ride, those three kept on talking, giving Hiro no chance to speak. And only after the bus stopped infront of their school, did they realise that they couldn''t hear anything about the U-18 team.


    "Seems like we talked way too much." Spoke Yuya while scratching his scalp.


    "Yeah!! We didn''t even get to hear about the U-18 team." Added Shunta.


    "Don''t look at me now. It was all you guys who kept on talking without a break. Some times I wonder if you guys will grow up to be like those gossiping aunties of the neighborhood." Saying such Hiro rose from his seat while grabbing his bag.


    Listening to Hiro they looked at each other. Images of them dressed like aunties shed before their eyes as they looked at each other.


    Shaking their head vigorously, they then looked at Hiro with a rather irritated look on their face.


    But Hiro was nowhere to be seen.


    "Oi wait you cheeky bastard." Saying such in an irritated tone, they then rose from their seat and chased Hiro who was already at the door of the bus.


    Getting off from the bus, they then headed towards their ss. While walking to his ssroom, he kept wandering his eyes, searching for Masao. But he was nowhere to be seen.


    Thinking that he was inside the ssroom, Hiro then entered the ssroom. While entering the ssroom he looked at Masao''s seat.


    However the seat waspletely vacant.


    He kept on wandering his gazes all over the ssroom. However he was still nowhere to be seen.


    "Good morning Hiro."


    "You''re here Hiro. How was your holiday?"


    The girls in his ssroom quickly surrounded him as he entered the ssroom.


    He tried to ignore them as much as he could. However they still continued to flock over him like swarms of mosquitoes gathered around a sweaty person.


    Since he couldn''t avoid them, he tried to put up with them until the start of the ss while maintaining a smile on his face.


    "The teacher''sing." Shouted Rin while entering the ssroom.


    Finally as Rin entered the ssroom and lied to them about the arrival of the teacher, they dispersed.


    "You''ve yet to repay me for my previous helps. And now you owe me even more." Giggled Rin as he ced his bag and took his seat.

 Chapter 107 Glimpse of Masaos past

    Chapter 107 Glimpse of Masao''s past


    Since he still had that mission ''Help Masao regain back his confidence'' pending, Hiro couldn''t help but wonder about the reason behind the absence of Masao. Curious about Masao''s absence, Hiro then asked Rin about Masao.


    "Do you know anything about Masao?" Asked Hiro while turning his gaze towards Masao''s empty seat.


    As if Masao was an invisible person, almost nobody in his ss cared even a little about his absence.


    In the back seat, Masato and his gangs were acting as if nothing had happened. Chatting and joking, they all had big wide smile on their faces.


    "I don''t know much but I''m sure Masato and his gangs knows about it." Spoke Rin while striking his chin.


    "I heard that fox face Kitsu talking about Masao in the restroom about few days ago." Continued Rin while looking at one of the guy in the back.


    "But they''ll probably ignore us if we ask them." Spoke Hiro sounding somewhat disappointed.


    "Ahh right!! I heard that there are also other students from Himawari Elementary School in our school. If you''re that curious then we can ask them as well. But why are you so curious about him?" Continued Rin.


    ''So he studied in Himawari Elementary School.'' Thought Hiro after hearing the name of the school which Masao studied before.


    "Since he''s our ssmate, we should at least try to find out the reason behind his absence. Don''t you think so?" Spoke Hiro sounding somewhat concerned about Masao.


    His eyes sparkling and his voice sounding excited, Rin spoke while staring at Hiro, "I never knew that you were this considerate Hiro."


    ''Although I am concerned about him. But I''m simply asking about him because of the mission.'' Thought Hiro while trying to avoid locking eyes with Rin.


    Talking such,they continued their conversation until the start of the ss. And only when the homeroom teacher entered the ssroom, they stopped their conversation.


    **** ****


    During the lunch break, Hiro and Rin went to other sections to talk to the students who were familiar with Masao''s past.


    Although Shun and the other guys dide to his ss to fetch him, he declined their invitation to find out about Masao that day. Since he couldn''t stay at the school after the end of the school and had to head to the hostel right after the school, lunch break was the only free time he got during his time at the school.


    "Is there anyone from this ss who studied in Himawari Elementary School?" Shouted Rin while standing at the door of the ss 7-D.


    A fair-skinned meek looking guy with sses, rose his hands above his head, meekly.


    "Perfect!!" Rin spoke to himself and waved his hands while gesturing Hiro who was waiting outside the ssroom, to enter the ssroom with him.


    Since a lot of students in the ssroom had gone outside to eat their lunches, there weren''t much students in the ssroom at that moment.


    "Isn''t he that guy who ys football really well?"


    "Yeah!! He''s that same guy who ys football with the seniors."


    "Looking  up close he indeed looks damn handsome."


    "I heard that even Minami the school goddess is chasing him." The students in ss 7-D started to gossip as he entered the ssroom.


    Since all of the girls in that ssroom had gone to the football ground to watch him y football, only some boys were present at the ssroom at that moment.


    "Can we talk for a while?" Questioned Rin after walking close to the guy with the sses.


    The guy with the sses nodded his head.


    Rin then shook his head around to see if anyone was spying on him. He then cautiously leaned closer to the guy with the sses and whispered in his ear, "You said that you studied at Himawari Elementary School. So do you happen to know anything about Masao? Masao Kurimoto, the chubby guy?"


    Listening to Rin''s questions, the guy hesitated to answer anything.


    Noticing the hesitancy of the guy with the sses, Hiro couldn''t hold back himself. Thus he then while frowning his brows, asked the guy with the sses, "Look we''re his friends. And he hasn''te to school for almost about a week now. So we''re only worried about him."


    Noticing Hiro''s expression, the guy then finally opened his mouth, "Even back then, Masao used to be introverted. He was often ignored by other students in the ss because of his bodynguage and shyness. And even back then in school he was often bullied by the students in the ss."


    "But why was he getting bullied?" Interrupted Hiro.


    Hearing Hiro''s questions, the guy with the sses frowned his brows. His face darkened as beads of sweats started forming over his forehead.


    Seeing the expression of the guy infront, Hiro could tell that the guy was somehow involved. But still he didn''t put pressure on him to reveal the reason.


    "It''s alright if you''re notfortable with sharing the reason with us." Hiro tried to reassure the guy.


    Gnashing his teeths, the guy with the sses then squeezed some words out of his mouth, "No.... I must confess."


    "Although he was fat, he used to be a gentle kid. Unlike some of us, he didn''t study with us from the beginning. During our 3rd year at the school, he transferred to our school from some other school."


    "And before he transferred to our school, I was the one who used to get bullied because of my sses, appearance and skinny body. Even though I did nothing wrong to anyone, the strong kids in my school often bullied me because of my attire and appearance."


    "Unlike most kids of my school, Ie from a poor family. And because of that I couldn''t afford fancy school essories like the rest of them. And due to that reason I was always left out. The students in the ss often mocked me for carrying same school bag, wearing the same worn out shoes and untidy uniform."


    "At first I only got mocked. However once when I couldn''t take it any more of their mocking behaviour anymore, I stood up to them. But I was too powerless to fight against those strong kids. They beat me up real bad."


    Hearing his story, Hiro and Rin, both of them gritted their teeth and clenched their fist. Rage bubbling within them boiled like burning tar. Still Hiro continued to listen to his story without interrupting him.


    Even though they had approached him to inquire about Masao, they just couldn''t ignore another person who had suffered through a lot.


    Since Hiro himself had gone through such painful experience once in his previous life. The mockingments made by others, the mocking gazes he felt after losing his abilities, he could never forget those experiences.


    Although Hiro was holding back himself, the same couldn''t be said to Rin. Unable to control his anger any further, he burst out, "Why didn''t youin to the teacher or your parents?"


    Naive as he was, he blurted out the most practical thing one would do in that kind of situation.


    "Iined about the bullying to our teachers. But since we all were kids, they only gave them warning. After that the bullying got even more severe. Everybody I went home with a swollen face."


    "But despite that I didn''t want to worry my parents. So I always made excuses and lied to them about my injuries. But how long could I lie? They eventually saw through my lies and went to school toin about my injuries."


    "However, do you know what they did after receiving theints from my parents?"


    "They threatened us instead. Since I was studying on schrship. They threatened us that they''d cancel my schrship if we reveal about the bullying to other people. And they said that they''ll also sue us for damaging their reputation. Since they could afford awyer and we couldn''t, our lost was inevitable. So we dropped theints."


    "Although after theints, I didn''t get beat up like I used to. I was still bullied by Masato and other kids."


    "And around in the middle of the year, Masao transferred to our school. For some months, he couldn''t interact well with other people in our ss. And I to maintained my distance with him. But despite that he stood up for me when I was getting bullied my Masato and others."


    "And that was the biggest mistake he did." After saying such, his voice started to shake all of a sudden. His eyes filled with guilt, he struggled to speak.


    "And after that they changed their targets. And they started to bully him instead, right?" Questioned Hiro while looking at him.


    The guy with the sses only nodded his head without uttering anything.


    "He helped you. Then why didn''t you help him?" Exasperated Rin.


    "I couldn''t. I know I was being selfish. But somewhere in my mind, I was d that I could finally get rid of them." Shuddered the guy with the sses

 Chapter 108 Psychopath

    Chapter 108 Psychopath


    The guy with the sses continued to share his painful past with the two of them. And hearing his painful experience made them pity him.


    However just as he mentioned about his selfishness, Rin couldn''t hold him back. His sympathy quickly turned into rage.


    Thud!!!


    mming his hands on the table infront, Rin rose from his seat and exasperated, "How could you do that to the person who helped you when you needed the help?"


    Rin''s sudden melt down startled everyone in the ssroom.


    "Are they bullying Shotaro?"


    Noticing Rin''s face full of anger, the other boys present in the ssroom started to gossip about him and Hiro.


    Although Hiro too was startled by Rin''s sudden melt down, Hiro quickly regained hisposure.


    Shotaro''s body shivering and his face pale, he struggled to form any words.


    Upon noticing Shotaro''s face filled with horror, Hiro grabbed Rin''s arm and pulled him down. Whispering softly, Hiro asked him to take his seat, "Calm down Rin. Look you''ve scared him."


    And as Rin took his seat, Hiro then apologized to everyone for causing such a ruckus, "Sorry everyone! We''re just talking about something."


    However seeing Shotaro''s pale face, they simply couldn''t bring themselves to believe Hiro''s words. And hence they continued their gossips.


    Hearing their gossips, Hiro could pretty much predict that those students in the ssroom wouldter spread some bad rumours about him and Rin by the end of lunch break, if he didn''t clear their doubts and confusion at that moment.


    "Quick!! Apologise to him." Mumbled Hiro meekly while maintaining a smile on his face.


    "Why should I?" Still angry about Shotaro''s selfishness, Rin hesitated to apologize to him.


    "Look around you, you fool." Mumbled Hiro.


    Rin then took a peek around himself. And just by looking at everyone''s faces, Rin could tell that they were speaking ill of him and Hiro.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to get angry at you." Apologised Rin after noticing the gaze of other students present in the ssroom.


    "See we''re not bullying him. We were just talking about some stuffs." Spoke Hiro awkwardly and tried to clear their misunderstandings.


    To help clear their ill image, Hiro then politely questioned Shotaro, "Are we bullying you?"


    Shotaro meekly shook his head.


    "See we''re not bullying him." Spoke Rin with an awkward smile on his face.


    However some students still didn''t buy their words and kept on gossiping.


    Just then Shotaro, the guy with the sses, opened his mouth, "I was afraid that if I try to defend him, they''ll once again turn their attention towards me. And I was just too afraid of facing that same experience once again. And I was also just to powerless to stand up to them. I know it all sounds as excuses. But it''s the truth."


    Shotaro still couldn''t bring himself to look them in the eyes. And by that time his chin had almost shunken to his chest.


    Remembering his painful past, Hiro then tried to cheer him up, "You haven''t done anything wrong. You''re just scared. And it''spletely natural to be scared when facing danger. So you don''t need to feel guilty."


    Even after hearing such words from Hiro, Rin was still not satisfied with such reasons. Unsatisfied with such vague reasons, he was about to utter something totally immature.


    But before he could open his mouth, underneath the table, Hiro grabbed his hands and stopped him from speaking anything further.


    "Thank you for saying such." Spoke Shotaro meekly, feeling slightly better.


    "It''s alright. But was that all what happened to Masao?" Continued Rin in a polite manner.


    "I don''t know much. Since I got ced in another section after that semester. But I heard that he was involved in a serious ident." Mumbled Shotaro.


    "What kind of ident?" Asked Rin out of sheer curiosity.


    "Keiya Shiihashi. The guy who transferred to our school in the 5th year. Just after joining our school, I heard that he and Masao became bestfriends."


    "I heard that he also defended Masao and protected him. And I could tell just by looking that after Keiya''s arrival, Masao was freed from bullying. Keiya being a really good footballer probably also encouraged Masao to y football. And that''s how Masao even started to y football during his 5th year of elementary school."


    "However, in that same year, something terrible happened to Keiya."


    While speaking such, Shotaro then stopped all of a sudden. With his face turning pale, he then struggled to speak anything.


    Curious about Keiya, Rin questioned, "What happened to him?"


    "He.... Was.... Murdered." Shotaro shuddered.


    As Shotaro mentioned about murder, the ambience around them got silent all of a sudden.


    "Murdered??" Mumbled Rin with his eyes wide open and mouth agape.


    Hiro who was sitting just beside Rin kept his poker face and didn''t show any changes in his facial expression.


    "Yeah!! Although the teachers and other staff members tried to control the spread of the information as much as they could. The news regarding Keiya''s murder was still spread all over the school."


    "Although because of the teacher''s efforts the news didn''t be a big issue. And eventually a lot of students even forgot about that incident."


    "But I still don''t get it. How was Masao involved in that incident?" Interrupted Rin.


    "Masao was with Keiya when Keiya was murdered. The incident happened in an abandoned alleyway. I heard that they had agreed to meet each other after school to y some football and because of that Keiya was waiting for Masao in the alleyway during the evening time."


    "Unfortunately a psychopath serial killer was also roaming around that area at that time. And I heard that Masao was there when the killer was stabbing Keiya."


    "Although I''m not sure if that''s what happened. But I heard that when the killer was just about to finish his killing by chopping Keiya''s fingers, Masao arrived at the scene. And as soon as he saw Keiya''s body covered with wounds and bloods, Masao started to scream. Hearing Masao''s painful scream, the people living down in the alleyway quickly hurried towards them."


    "And that alerted the killer. So he had to escape in a hurry. However because of that rush, he forgot to carry his weapon and bag. And thus he couldn''tpletely erase the evidence."


    "Because of the killer''s carelessness, he got caughtter. And only after he was caught, it was known that the killer was a 38 year old sryman. Neatly dressed in office uniform, one could hardly tell that he was such a ruthless killer."


    "From his house the police confiscated 17 finger of kids of different age positioned in some kind of weirdly drawn magic circle. As if he was some kind of cultist, his house was filled with books rted to magic and weirdly drawn circles with human fingers. That psychopath had killed 18 people including Keiya and he was obsessed with fingers."


    Mentioning everything which he knew about the incident, Shotaro then stopped talking to catch a moment of breather.


    As Shotaro mentioned about the deeds of the psychopath a shiver ran down Hiro''s spine.


    "Damn!! He had to go through such terrible experience as a kid." Mumbled Hiro feeling concerned about Masao after hearing about the incident.


    "Indeed!! He didn''t even attend school for almost about a month after that incident. And Masato and the other bullies made it even worse. They took their bullying even further by mentioning about the incident. They even started to joke about incident."


    While speaking such, Shotaro then clenched his fist. His face started to turn red as he arched his brows and gnashed his teeth. He then while gritting his teeths, squeezed some words out of his mouth, "I wish... Instead of.... Keiya.... It should.... Have.... Been.. them."


    Just by looking at Shotaro''s face and listening to Shotaro''s words, Hiro could tell just how much Shotaro loathed those bullies.


    Rin who was sitting beside him had almost the same reaction as that of Shotaro. He too was angry about the behaviour of those bullies.


    "It''s totally natural for you to feel such way towards those bullies. And I''m not saying that you shouldn''t feel that way either. But if you say such, then will there be any difference between you and them?" Questioned Hiro while trying to reassure Shotaro.


    Since Hiro believed that hatred will only sprout further hatred, Hiro wanted to free Shotaro from the shackles of hatred and revenge.


    "How could you be so calm even after hearing about such evil deeds Hiro?" Intoned Rin with somewhat irritated face.


    "I''m angry and my blood''s boiling as well Rin. And I won''t deny that their deeds were wrong. But Rin remember, hatred will turn into revenge. And that revenge will further breed misfortunes." Spoke Hiro.


    "Then nobody should punish them for such deeds?" Exasperated Rin.


    "They should be punished. No, they must be punished. Either by god or by someone else." Mumbled Hiro while looking Rin in the eyes.


    "But you should probably apologize to Masao and move on. You''ve got your future ahead. You need to think of your parents. They''ve sacrificed a lot for you. So don''t waste your time and disturb your mind with thoughts of those bullies." Continued Hiro while turning his gaze towards Shotaro.

 Chapter 109 Taste of their own medicine

    Chapter 109 Taste of their own medicine


    Ding!! Dong!!


    Finally just as Hiro was about to finish his words, the school bell rang and the lunch break came to an end.


    Rising from their seats, just as Rin and Hiro were about to head out, Hiro paused all of a sudden. Looking back at Shotaro''s face which disyed a mixed emotions of anger, sadness, guilt and repentance, Hiro spoke, "The past has already passed, so don''t traumatise yourself with those thoughts of past. Just apologize to Masao and move on because what you did that time was wrong as well. Those bullies will get punished sooner orter. So just focus on your life in the present and move ahead."


    Speaking such, Hiro then left the ssroom.


    Hearing such words, Shotaro''s eyes moistened. Although he couldn''t let go of his hatred that easily, still he felt somewhat relieved after revealing the things he had built up inside his heart.


    As if he had just dropped a heavy weight which he had been carrying for several years, he felt as light as feather after revealing the things which he had been hiding inside his heart for several years.


    Droplets of tears rolled down his eyes and fell on the table infront. But before anybody could notice his teary eyes, he quickly wiped off the tears from his eyes.


    **** ****


    Standing infront of the lectern, Haruki Sensei, the history teacher was teaching about first world war to the students present in the ssroom.


    Most of the students present in the ssroom were ardently listening to his lectures while keeping their gazes fixated at the textbook.


    Hiro himself was doing the same as others. However unlike others, only his gaze was fixated at the book.


    His consciousness was wandering elsewhere.


    ''What can I do to make those guys realise their mistakes? It''s not like I can beat them up. Although I can do that as well. But I''m not sure that I can take on that many kids by myself. Since I haven''t trained myself in any marital arts. But I doubt that they''d realise their mistakes just by getting beaten. So what should I really do?'' Thought Hiro while staring at his textbook.


    "Unable to handle the axix by themselves, the allies then negotiated USA to help them turn the tides of the war." Spoke Haruki.


    Although he was pondering about something else, that particr sentence from Haruki Sensei caught his attention.


    With the sides of his lips curling, Hiro then suddenly thought of an idea, ''Yeah!! That''s right. I just need to make them taste the taste of their own medicine.''


    One after the other several teachers came and left the ssroom.


    Having developed an unique talent of avoiding teachers gazes by acting as if he was paying attention to the lectures, Hiro avoided getting scolded by the teachers despite not paying any attention to the lectures.


    Ding!! Dong!!


    And as the sound of the school bell chimed in, the lectures finally came to an end.


    As usual, the girls in his ssroom began to flock over him. Despite rejecting them countless times, those girls of his ssroom never stopped asking him for his social media ounts. They were as persistent as mosquitoes.


    Since he couldn''t use his mobile phones in the hostel except during his free time on weekends, to get rid of them once and for all, he decided to give them his Facebook ount.


    "Fine!! I''ll provide my Facebook ount. But let me tell you I don''t use my ount much since I can''t use my phone. But even after that if you guys want my ount, I''m willing to provide you all with my ount." Hiro mumbled.


    The girls who were flocking all over him nodded their head.


    "Sigh!!!"


    Seeing them nodding their head, Hiro heaved a deep sigh.


    After that he wrote his Facebook ount on a piece of paper and handed it to the girls infront.


    Carrying his backpack, he then left the ssroom.


    Pouting his face, Rin was waiting for him outside the ssroom.


    Noticing Rin''s expression, Hiro then casually questioned Rin, "What''s wrong with your face?"


    "You traitor!! How could you give them your social media ount when you haven''t even given it to me??" Intoned Rin in somewhat irritated tone.


    "If I didn''t give it to them then I wouldn''t have been able to squeeze my way out from them." Spoke Hiro casually.


    "Also the ount which I''ve given them, I don''t use it much. Plus in hostel we can''t even use mobile phones anyway. Except during free time in weekends." Continued Hiro.


    Hiro then lightly patted Rin on his back and spoke, "I''m thinking of making a new Instagram ount to chat with my friends and family. So when I open that ount, I''ll add you. For now let''s go."


    Saying such Hiro then walked away before anybody else from the ssroom could catch up to him. He didn''t want to waste any more time with them, since from that day onwards he''ll have to stay overtime for extra training.


    Upon hearing such wordsing out from mouth of Hiro, Rin''s face brightened up and a smile formed on his face. Just like a golden suning out from behind the ck clouds after a heavy rain, Rin''s gloomy face brightened.


    "Wait for me!!" Shouting such, he hurriedly rushed towards Hiro.


    While walking out of the main building, Hiro and Rin met Shotaro along the way. At first he was thinking of fleeing away. But he still hadn''t thanked Hiro and Rin for listening to the things which he had been hiding within him.


    Thus, instead of fleeing away he then approached Hiro. While bowing his head, he then genuinely thanked Hiro, "Thank you very much for listening to my story. I''ll head to Masao''s home and apologize to him. Also my name is Shotaro."


    "It''s alright Shotaro. You don''t have to thank us." Because of his humble nature, Hiro didn''t want Shotaro to thank him.


    "No, please let me express my gratitude. Afterall only because of you two, I can finally get rid of those thoughts built up inside me. It had been gnawing me from inside from a long time. So please let me thank you." While still bowing his head, Shotaro mumbled.

 Chapter 110 Karma

    Chapter 110 Karma


    Upon noticing the scene of Shotaro bowing infront of Hiro and Rin, students who were passing by them misunderstood the whole scene happening at that moment.


    Trying to avoid them, some students even impetuously ran away as they witnessed the scene of Shotaro bowing infront of Hiro and Rin.


    Analysing their facial expressions and bodynguage, Hiro could tell exactly what they were thinking; Are they bullying that meek looking four eyed guy?


    "It''s my pleasure to help you. But you should raise your head now. Or else some people will think I''m some kind of bully." Hastily appreciating Shotaro''s gratitude, Hiro tried to lift Shotaro''s head up.


    "Yeah!! You''ll make us look like bullies instead." Added Rin with an awkward smile on his face.


    "Sorry about that!! That was not my attention."


    Apologising to Hiro and Rin, Shotaro again tried to bow his head. However Hiro quickly caught him and stopped him from lowering his head further more.


    "Why do you always bow your head? Please don''t do that again." Requested Hiro sounding somewhat helpless.


    "And before you bow your head again. I''m telling you, don''t do it." Hiro continued.


    After that the three of them started to head out of the main building while conversing with each other.


    "Ahh right!! You told us that you weren''t friends with Masao. So how will you reach him? Like do you even know the way to his house?" Curiously questioned Hiro while walking towards the main gate.


    "Well although I wasn''t friends with him. I do know where he lives. In the past I wanted to thank him countless times for standing up for me. So I often followed him to thank him. And sometimes I even followed him to his home. But I could never muster my courage." Shotaro mumbled meekly.


    Hearing Shotaro''s sentence, a shiver ran down Rin''s spine.


    While frowning his brows, Rin then joked, "Damn!! Are you some kind of stalker?"


    "Obviously not!!" Shotaro intoned with a flustered face.


    "Chill dude!! I''m only joking." Rin replied.


    "Okay guys this is where we part." Mumbled Hiro while pointing at the bus infront of the main gate. "It was nice meeting you Shotaro. Although we''re not from the same ss, if you want to hang out with us, you cane to the football ground. May be we can y some football together."


    Saying such Hiro then rushed towards the bus parked infront of the main gate.


    Because of the earlier incident with the girls in his ssroom and Shotaro, that day he was thest one to board the bus.


    Shun, Yuya, Shunta and others had already boarded the bus. And the bus was only waiting for his arrival.


    Quickly taking a seat beside Shun, Hiro avoided the confrontation with the driver. And just as he boarded the bus, the driver asked, "Has everyone boarded the bus?"


    The yers in the bus replied in unison, "''Yes Sir"''


    The bus then started moving.


    **** ****


    To implement his earlier idea, Hiro required the help of Shun and several other yers from the club.


    Specially Shun, since he was the most friendly guy out of all his friends and his friend circle was bigpared to others.


    "Shun!! Do you have any tough friends?" Casually asked Hiro.


    "Tough?? What do you mean by tough??" Asked Shun with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    "Like someone who looks strong or someone who knows how to fight."


    "I do know few guys who are learning Karate, Judo and Kendo. But why do you want to know about them?" Shun questioned with a confused look on his face.


    And all of sudden he abruptly turned his head towards Hiro.


    "Did you get into a fight?" Shun inquired with a flustered face.


    "Ahh no!! You know how much I hate fighting. So why would I fight with others." Hiro replied calmly while trying to reassure Shun that he was worrying over nothing.


    Leaning his back against the seat, Shun heaved a sigh of relief, "Sigh!!!"


    "Then why are you asking such questions?" Asked Shun.


    "Well I learned few things about Masao today during lunch time. So I wanted to help him."


    "What kind of things?" Curiously questioned Shun.


    Hiro then revealed him about the past experiences of Masao and Shotaro. From the start to finish, without missing a single point, he revealed everything.


    Yuya and Shunta who were just infront of them silently joined in on the conversation. Without speaking anything, they kept on listening Hiro''s boration.


    "So I wanted to teach those bullies a lesson. And for that I''ve got a perfect n in my head. But to implement that n, I''ll need your help." Finally after borating everything, Hiro finished his sentence.


    "I see." Murmured Shun.


    "I''ll definitely help you, but are you going to beat them up? If you''re thinking of doing such then I''d have to decline." Continued Shun with a serious look on his face.


    "No!! No!! Don''t worry about it. I''m not going to involve myself in any way." Hiro replied.


    "If so then I can introduce you to some of my friends. Although I''m not sure what you''re going to do. But I trust you Hiro. So don''t break my trust."


    Finally aftet hearing Hiro''s response, Shun agreed to help him.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t." Nodded Hiro with a grin on his face.


    ''Although I believe that violence shouldn''t be used to educate someone, but to teach those bastards some lesson, a little violence is needed. So I''m sorry my friend.'' Hiro mumbled to himself.


    Even though Shun wasn''t asking him about his intentions, Yuya and Shunta both of them were extremely curious about his n.


    With his eyes gleaming with curiosity, Yuya was as curious as a fish. Unable to wait, he eagerly inquired Hiro right away, "Hiro!! How will you punish them??"


    "Yeah will you threaten them?" Shunta joined.


    However Hiro refused to reveal his ns. Although his n was quite simple, he still refused to reveal his intentions.


    He was simply going to make use of the power of those strong guys to educate Masato and his gangs. Just like how they behaved with Masao, he was going to make them taste the feeling of getting beaten, threatened and mocked for no reason.


    As there''s a saying; Karma is a bitch. Hiro was going to make them believe in Karma. He was going to show them that Karma is actually a bitch.


    Yuya and Shunta kept onining all along the way because of Hiro''s unresponsiveness. However Hiro still kept his lips tightly sealed.


    Although he got help from Shun, he wasn''t still done. He also asked help from the yers of U-18 team as well.

 Chapter 111 Seeking Help

    Chapter 111 Seeking Help


    After the end of the evening  training, Hiro approached Tatsuki and few other guys of U-18 team who were friendly towards him to seek for their help. And surprisingly Tatsuki Seko and Naoto Miyashiro agreed with his request.


    However they weren''t willing to do him that favour for free. As they say that nothing''s actually free in this materialistic world.


    Both of them had their own demands for doing him that favour.


    "I''ll introduce you to a delinquent friend of mine from my ss who''s also training to be a MMA fighter." Spoke Tatsuki.


    "You''re friends with delinquents?" Intoned Hiro with his eyes wide open.


    Hiro was surprised to hear that Tatsuki, a Footballer was friends with delinquent.


    "Well technically he''s not. Since he just attained that title because he beat some delinquents who came to fight with him for absolutely no reason."


    "Oh how I pity that guy." Tatsuki mumbled while making a pitiful face.


    Then again, his facial expression quickly changed. With the sides of his lips curling, Tatsuki then made his demand for helping him, "I''ll introduce you to him. But you need to convince the coach''s to include me in the extra training that you''ll be receiving."


    Just as Hiro heard about extra training, his eyes opened wide. Slightly frowning his brows, Hiro then asked, "How did you know about the extra training?"


    Since he hadn''t told anyone about the extra training which he was going to receive from the two coach''s, Hiro was pretty shocked to find that Tatsuki knew about the extra training.


    Hearing Hiro''s questions, Tatsuki pretended as if he was trying to remember from where he heard about the extra training, while scratching his chin. And after few seconds of acting, he lowered his head and whispered in an intimidating manner, "The walls have ears too."


    Suddenly a shiver ran down Hiro''s spine as he heard Tatsuki''s response.


    Seeing his scared expression, Naoto who was standing beside him spoke while lightly hitting Tatsuki on his back, "Now don''t scare him any further."


    With a dumbfounded look on his face, Hiro began to wonder about the meaning behind Naoto''s words.


    "Don''t take his joke seriously, he''s only ying prank on you. It was manager Makoto who informed us about your extra training. Although he didn''t inform about it to every yer in the team. To ease our worries, he informed some of the core yers in the team about your training so that we don''t have to worry about your performance ining premier league." Saying such, Naoto tried to clear his doubts.


    Tatsuki who was standing right infront of him burst intoughter and began to apologize while smiling, "Sorry!! Sorry!! I shouldn''t have scared you. Hahaha...."


    As serious as Tatsuki looked, he was also a prankster from within.


    "But why would you need me to convince the coach''s, if you already know about the extra training?" Questioned Hiro after regaining hisposure.


    "Well I already tried my luck, but they wouldn''t let me join the training session because it was individually designed for you." Tatsuki replied while frowning his brows.


    Acting just like a child who was denied of his/her favourite toy, Tatsuki looked kinda depressed.


    ''Just how much are you obsessed with training, you muscle freak?'' Thought Hiro after listening to Tatsuki''s plea.


    While most yers avoided extra training, Tatsuki was a rare fellow who was very fond of extra training. Even in the morning and evening training sessions, he was among those few fellows who neverined about the intensity of the training.


    "I''ll talk to the coach''s about it. And I''ll try me best to convince them. But it''ll be entirely up to them whether to ept or reject you." Replied Hiro in a calm manner.


    Just by hearing that much, Tatsuki''s face lit up. With his eyes sparkling he then spoke in a cheerful tone, "I knew that I could depend on you."


    ''Just why is he this happy to train more?'' Thought Hiro while contorting his face.


    Although from outside he maintained his smile and continued to act as if he was happy for him.


    While turning his gaze towards Naoto, he then asked Naoto about his condition for helping him, "Then what about you senior Naoto? What kind of condition do I have to fulfill to get your support?"


    "Well nothing much. I just want to block some of your shots daily. I believe that by training with you, I can improve my reflexes." Naoto presented his condition.


    Hearing Naoto''s condition Hiro nodded his head and agreed to his request right away. Unlike Tatsuki''s request, Naoto''s was way simpler.


    "Then I''ll introduce you to a friend of mine who happens to be an amateur boxer. Although he''ll not beat anyone outside the ring. You can use his looks and aura. He looks pretty intimidating even to me. So I believe he can be of help to solve your problem."


    Since Hiro couldn''t directly ask their help for no reason and he couldn''t even tell them about his ns, Hiro had lied to them that some kid''s in his school were troubling him. And Naoto and Tatsuki who believed his lies were only helping him because of that reason as well.


    "Thank you senior Naoto." With a smile on his face, Hiro bowed his head to thank the two senior''s who were going to help him. "Thank you senior Tatsuki."


    After thanking both of them for agreeing to help him, Hiro rushed towards manager Makoto to start his extra training which was going to take ce in gym that day.


    As he was running towards manager Makoto, Hiro began to wonder about few things.


    ''Although I did hear about Naoto and Kazuya in my past life, I wonder why I never heard about Tatsuki. Naoto and Kazuya although didn''t perform as per the expectations ced upon them, they were still decent yers. And I believe when I was 22, I heard about Kazuya when he was ying for Kyoto Sanga. And if I''m not wrong Naoto used to y for Urawa Reds as an second choice goalkeeper. Just what happened to them, for them to degrade so much?"

 Chapter 112 Gym

    Chapter 112 Gym


    Since most of the yers from the U-18 team of Kawasaki Frontale were only decent yers within Japan in his previous life, he couldn''t recall every single one of them.


    However seeing Tatsuki''s performance on the field and his eagerness to train, it made him wonder why he never heard the name of such a dedicated yer in his previous life.


    "Tatsuki Seko.... Tatsuki Seko... Tatsuki?? Did I forget about him? Or did he encounter some kind of injuries like I did?" Wondered Hiro while trying to remember about a yer named Tatsuki from Kawasaki Frontale.


    Since he didn''t pay much attention to J-league in his previous life, he wasn''t much knowledgeable about the yers from the J-league.


    And he only remembered the names of few of the extra ordinary yers from his previous life.


    "Well the way he overtrains himself, he must have injured himself in his previous life." Murmured Hiro before joining manager Makoto.


    Dressed in afortable ck coloured tracksuit, manager Makoto was discussing the results of the training with the positioning coach Kensuke Kimura.


    "May be we should train Kazuya to y more defensively." Suggested coach Kensuke.


    "But I believe he''ll shine more while ying as an anchor instead." Replied manager Makoto.


    And just as Makoto was about to point at his notebook, he noticed Hiro.


    "Oh!! You''re here" Mumbled Makoto while looking at him.


    He then turned his gaze towards coach Kensuke and spoke, "Let''s continue our discussionter in my cabin."


    Hearing manager Makoto''s proposal, coach Kensuke nodded his head. And before he left their sight, he looked at Hiro and spoke, "You''re doing really great. So train well under the guidance of two coach''s."


    Hiro nodded his head and replied, "Thank you for your praises sir."


    "Then I''ll see youter in the cabin." Speaking such, coach Kensuke walked away.


    "Now then!! Let''s head to the gym." Manager Makoto eximed.


    With manager Makoto leading the way, he headed towards the gym together with manager Makoto.


    From behind him Tatsuki was gesturing him to talk to manager Makoto about including him in the extra training.


    Hiro was nning to vouch for him during the training but after noticing his enthusiasm, he decided to talk to the coach right away.


    "Umm.. Sir!!" Mumbled Hiro.


    "Yes Hiro!!"


    "Sir I was thinking of making a proposal."


    "What kind of proposal?"


    "I was wondering if Tatsuki senpai could join me in the extra training. Like with a rival, the training would be even more effective. Don''t you think so sir?" Mumbled Hiro with a slight hesitation.


    The moment Hiro mentioned about Tatsuki, Makoto could guess that Tatsuki had asked him to vouch for him. But even so he couldn''t deny the fact that having a rival would further increase the effectiveness of the training.


    Thus, he stopped midway and turned around. Waving his hands at Tatsuki, he gestured him toe towards him.


    With a big wide grin in his face, Tatsuki quickly ran towards manager Makoto after noticing his hand gestures.


    While panting heavily as he arrived before manager Makoto, Tatsuki spoke excitedly, "Yes sir!!"


    "Ahum!!" Clearing his throat, manager Makoto spoke while pointing at Hiro, "Do you want to train with him?"


    Without any dy, Tatsuki gave his answer right away, "Yes sir!!"


    "Good!! Then follow me." Saying such, manager Makoto began to lead them towards the gym.


    With the sky dyed in red and orange hues, the ambience around them was starting to get chilly as the sun was on the verge of setting down.


    The grassy green field at that moment was painted in golden colours. Silhouette of the yers, flood lights, stands and mesh fences were all over the pitch.


    **** ****


    As manager Makoto unlocked the gym, he signalled the two of them to head inside. Obeying hismands, both of them entered the gym.


    Partially dark, Hiro''s eyes struggled to adapt to the darkness. Since it was already getting dark outside, the lighting from behind him and the window were barely enough to light up the whole room.


    Walking inside the gym, Hiro felt as if he had entered some kind of dark cave.


    "Wait for a while, I''ll turn on the switch." Mumbling such, Tatsuki walked towards the switchboard which was just beside the main door.


    Click!! Click!! Click!!


    And just as he turned on the lights, the bright lighting from the L.E.D lightbulbs illuminated the whole ce, bright.


    Treadmills, Dumbbells, exercise balls, ropes and many more gym equipment''s were ced in an organised manner inside that huge spacious gym room.


    Painted in ck, blue, red and white, the gym was finely decorated.


    Witnessing that well organised and finely decorated gym room, Hiro couldn''t help butpare it to the gyms he had seen in his previous life.


    "You should probably close your mouth or else a fly will enter inside your mouth." Joked Tatsuki after seeing Hiro''s expression.


    With his eyes gleaming and mouth agape, Hiro was staring at the gym room.


    Quickly closing his mouth, Hiro then walked further inside.


    Almost every equipment in that room was still as good as new.


    "Wee to the gym room of Kawasaki Frontale''s youth facility. Equipped with advanced gym equipment, it''s even par with the gym of the senior team." Manager Makoto announced with a sense of pride.


    "Indeed I can tell you since I''ve been to the senior team''s gym. It is indeed par with the senior team''s gym. Although it''scking a swimming pool." Joked manager Nozomi while entering the gym room.


    Noticing manager Nozomi, Hiro quickly bowed his head and greeted him, "Good evening manager Nozomi."


    "Good evening Hiro." Manager Nozomi greeted him back.


    "But I''m not your manager anymore." Joked manager Nozomi.


    "Oh!! It seems that we''ve got another yer with us." Continued Nozomi while looking at Tatsuki.


    "Good evening manager Nozomi." Tatsuki quickly bowed his head and greeted manager Nozomi.


    "You still haven''t changed Seko. You''re hunger for training is still the same." Mumbled Nozomi in a friendly manner. "But you shouldn''t overtrain yourself Seko. Although you''re talented, you''re way too much obsessed with training. Remember rest is part of training as well."


    "I''ll keep that in mind sir." Tatsuki replied politely.


    "Then let''s start the training."


    [New quest unlocked]


    [Title: Extra training with the coaches]


    [Description: Complete the exercises as per the coach''s request.]


    [Duration: Until the start of Premier League]


    [Rewards: Silver ticket]


    [Penalty: Deduction of random stat and electrocution]

 Chapter 113 Diet food

    Chapter 113 Diet food


    Just as manager Nozomi finished making the announcement of themencement of the training, Hiro heard the sound of the notification of the system inside his head.


    ''But don''t I already have another quest pending?'' Confused by the sudden notification of the quest, Hiroined.


    Not because he was unhappy with the quest but because of the penalty, he wasining about the quest.


    Since he couldn''t afford to lose any stat, if he wanted to perform well in the premier league and also the description of the quest was rather vague, he was rather skeptical to ept another quest at that moment.


    [You do!! But both of these quest arepletely irrelevant with each other. And both are for your own good. So why are you evenining?] Replied the system in somewhat arrogant manner.


    ''Well that''s true as well.'' Imperceptibly nodded Hiro. ''But why do I feel that you''re being mean?''


    [You''re just imagining things.]


    While he was having conversation with the system, manager Nozomi called his name several times. "Hiro!! Hiro!!"


    However since he was talking with the system, he couldn''t hear anything and thus, he didn''t respond anything at all.


    Unable to hear his response, manager Nozomi then walked closer towards him and nudged him slightly.


    Feeling the sudden sensation of touch, Hiro quickly came back to his senses. Acting somewhat startled, he mumbled, "Yes sir!! Let''s begin the training."


    Saying such, he quickly walked towards manager Makoto as if nothing ever happened.


    Manager Nozomi who was standing beside him was left dumbfounded by his actions. Scratching his scalp with a perplexing look on his face, Nozomi was wondering what just happened in that moment.


    Taking out two bosu balls and some weights, manager Makoto then made Hiro and Tatsuki perform weighted bosu ball squats to improve their bnce.


    And while the two of them performed the exercise diligently, manager Makoto noted their performance in his notebook.


    After few reps of weighted bosu ball squats, Makoto made them perform some reps of lunges, some reps of burpees, some reps of weight lifting and finally he ended the training with 10 minutes of yoga.


    By the time, theypleted the extra training,  the sun hadpletely settled down and the starry sky was filled with shimmering lights of moon and the stars.


    At 7:40 in the night, their training finally came to an end.


    Completely drenched in sweat, steam was oozing out of their exhausted sweaty body.


    Quite satisfied with their progress, manager Makoto and manager Nozomi were looking at the data which they''ve collected during the training with their lips curled.


    Huff!! Huff!!


    Panting heavily, Hiro and Tatsuki, both of them were lying on the gym floor,pletely exhausted. Their muscles bulging and sore, they were having difficulty in moving their body.


    "How long are you guys nning on sleeping on the floor? Aren''t you guys nning on having dinner?" Manager Nozomi spoke sarcastically while looking at them.


    "Just 1 minute more." Tatsuki spoke with great difficulty.


    **** ****


    At around 8:15, along with Tatsuki he entered the canteen after having a quick shower. Because of the exhaustion from extra training, both of them walked quite slow and stiffly just like a mechanical robot.


    And that day the coach''s had informed the chefs in advance about his extra training and had specially asked them to prepare him his special diet food which consisted of chicken breast, avocado, eggs, salmon, some rice, misp soup and some vegetable sd.


    Extremely hungry because of the extra training, Hiro''s eyes glowed as he witnessed the food prepared for him.


    "Woah that''s a lot of food. And we also have chicken breast." Hiro mumbled in awe.


    Since Hiro was really fond of chicken, he couldn''t help but feel excited about the food prepared for him.


    "But why do they look kinda uncooked to me?" Noticing the nd colour of the chicken breast, Hiro questioned.


    "Yeah!! They look kinda uncooked." Tatsuki who was standing right beside him nodded his head seriously.


    "But who cares about the look. Taste is King. Plus I''m really hungry right now. I could eat a whole chicken by myself." Mumbled Tatsuki while gulping his saliva.


    After that both of them headed towards a table and ced their tray full of food atop the table.


    And as they sat down, both of them thanked god for providing them food to eat.


    "''Thank you for the food."'' Joining their hands into namaste they expressed their gratefulness before eating.


    Just as Hiro took a bite of the chicken breast, Hiro contorted his face and quickly spat the chunk of chicken breast in his mouth.


    As unpleasing as the dishes looked, the taste of the food was even worst. With not much spices, the food tastedpletely nd.


    Hiro who was used to eating food which were taste buds pleasing, quite didn''t like the taste of the nd dinner specially prepared for him.


    "Sir!! I think you forgot to add spices." Comined Hiro after having a bite of the food prepared for him.


    Tatsuki too spat the food out of his mouth and nodded his head, "Yes sir!! The foods kinda nd."


    "Eat what you''re getting to eat. The coach''s had specially asked me to prepare this dishes for you. So if you have anyints regarding the food thenin it to the coach''s, not me." An old man in his fifties who was dressed in white chef uniform, standing at the counter replied in a harsh tone while making a bitter face.


    That old man along with few other staff members were responsible for cooking the food for the yers residing in the hostel.


    And unlike other staff members that old man was the only one who resided in the hostel.


    "Don''t get angry old man Oniki. We''re notining about your cooking. I''ve been eating the food you prepared for more than 3 years and have I everined about your food? Infact I very much enjoy the food you prepare. But can you please add some salt and pepper?" Tatsuki tried to calm the old man with his ttering words.

 Chapter 114 Preparation I

    Chapter 114 Preparation I


    Sunday, November 11, 2021


    With the permission of manager Makoto, Hiro, Tatsuki and Naoto, the three of them left the hostel at around 11 o''clock in the morning to meet the guys mentioned by Tatsuki and Naoto.


    However they didn''t mention the real reason to the coach, instead they had lied to the coach that they''d be visiting the shopping mall to buy some new clothes.


    And since Hiro was still new to the city, Naoto and Tatsuki were barely apanying him.


    Although their reason was partly truth and partly lie.


    Casually dressed in dark green coloured hoodie and blue jeans, Hiro was walking along with Tatsuki who was dressed in dark blue coloured in sweatshirt and beige coloured casual pants.


    Naoto who was dressed in white shirtyered with cream coloured cardigan and navy blue casual pants was leading the way.


    "Hurry up guys!! Manager Makoto has strictly warned us to be back by 3 in the afternoon." Spoke Naoto while leading the way.


    After walking for a while, they took a cab to get to the shopping mall.


    And after about 15 minutes of cab drive, they arrived infront of the shopping mall which they were visiting that day.


    While Naoto and Tatsuki were managing the cab fare, Hiro was standing infront of the luxurious shopping mall made up of bricks, concrete and sses.


    Fountains, flowers, coloured lights, LED billboards, the shopping mall was luxuriously decorated.


    Many people dressed in different kind of fancy dresses were entering and exiting the shopping mall.


    Some were carrying a lot of shopping bags in their hands while some were simply there to enjoy their time.


    "Why are you acting like it''s your first time visiting a shopping mall?" While slightly nudging Hiro behind his back, Tatsuki questioned.


    "Well it''s actually my first time visiting such a grand shopping mall." Murmured Hiro shyly.


    Since he rarely visited shopping malls and the ones at his hometown weren''t as luxurious as the one he was at that moment, Hiro couldn''t help himself from staring at the majestic shopping mall infront of his eyes.


    "Then this brother of yours will show you around the shopping mall today." Proudly stating such, Tatsuki gave Hiro a gentle push behind his back.


    "But before we go, let me put on my mask. I''m afraid if I head inside bare faced, my fans will recognise me." Tatsuki mumbled with a sense of pride and took out a ck coloured mask from his pocket.


    Since Tatsuki had already debuted for the senior team, he was quite concerned about his image. Although not many of them even remembered his face since he only yed 10 minutes, he was still proud about his achievements.


    "As if anybody would even know you." Naoto mumbled meekly in a sarcastic way.


    While putting on his mask, Tatsuki mumbled, "Did you say something?"


    "Cover your eyes too. What if they recognise you just by looking at your eyes?" Naoto replied sarcastically.


    Tatsuki took Naoto''s words seriously and didn''t get the sarcasm behind his words.


    "Ahh!! I forgot to bring my shades." Mumbled Tatsuki while touching his pockets.


    "Leave him be. Let''s head inside."


    After that the three of them headed inside the shopping mall.


    And as they made their way inside, Tatsuki mumbled, "Just don''t be intimidated by Imai. Although he looks kinda intimidating, he''s really easygoing person."


    Hiro only slightly nodded his head without replying anything.


    **** ****


    Inside a coffee shop, a fair-skinned guy with well defined facial features was sipping coffee while sitting at a table in the corner, all alone.


    Although his facial features were well defined, he had umted quite a bit of scars all over his face. His knuckles were bruised and ayer of dead skin had covered his knuckles.


    Walking inside the coffee shop, Tatsuki yelled loudly while waving his hands at the ck haired scar faced guy, "Oii Imai!!"


    Hearing his loud voice, the Batista''s of the coffee shop along with several other people present in the coffee shop all turned their attention towards them.


    Giving them cold stares while staring at them with their bulging eyes, they all looked pissed by Tatsuki''s loud voice.


    "Shh!! Shh!!" Naoto tried to silence Tatsuki . "Keep your mouth shut, you idiot."


    At the same time Hiro who was tagging along with them, lowered his head and apologized to the people present in the coffee shop for disturbing them.


    Tatsuki''s behaviour embarrassed them quite a bit.


    And after apologising to the people present in the coffee shop, the three of them quickly made their way towards the ck haired guy with scars all over his face.


    "You never change do you?" Chuckled Imai the ck haired guy.


    ''So he''s like this even in school.'' Thought Hiro after hearing Imai''s words.


    ''The scars in his face and his cold eyes does make him look kinda intimidating. But he''s got a warm smile.'' Thought Hiro while looking at the face of Imai who was conversing cheerfully with Tatsuki and Naoto with a smile on his face.


    "And who''s this friend here?" Questioned Imai while looking at Hiro.


    "Ahh sorry!! I forgot to introduce you to him." Tatsuki apologized.


    "This guys right here is our new teammate, Takahashi Hiro." Tatsuki introduced Hiro.


    "Hello Hiro. I''m Ikuo Imai, friend of Seko. And I''m also friends with Naoto." Imai introduced himself while lowering his head politely.


    "Nice to meet you senior Imai." Greeted Hiro while lowering his head.


    "Senior??" Imai blurted out dumbfoundedly after hearing Hiro call him senior.


    "Ohh right!! I forgot to mention that he''s only twelve years old. Hahaha." Tatsuki chuckled.


    "What twelve year old??" Imai intoned with his eyes wide open in disbelief.


    "Yup!! That was the kind of reaction I was expecting." Naoto mumbled casually as if he was expecting that kind of reaction from Imai.


    Ordering few cups of coffee, Hiro then exined Imai about his ns. Although he didn''t mention his real purpose for making him do such things, Hiro thoroughly borated his n to Imai.


    "Since my friends brother is asking me for help, I won''t decline it. However if it were someone else I would have already walked away. But consider yourself lucky." Imai agreed to his request.


    And after talking for a while, the four of them exited the coffee shop.


    "I need to head to restroom guys. I''ll be back." Saying such Imai separated from them.


    Although Hiro mentioned everything about his n to Imai, he still hadn''t disclosed everything because of the presence of Naoto and Tatsuki.


    But just as Imai separated from them, he found a perfect opportunity to disclose his whole n to him.


    And hence, he made an excuse to talk to Imai all alone, "I also need to use the restroom."


    "Do you want us toe with you?" Replied Naoto in a concerned manner.


    Since Hiro was still new to the shopping mall, they feared that Hiro might not be able to find the restroom on his own.


    "Ahh no!! I''ll just follow Imai." Saying such, Hiro declined their offer.

 Chapter 115 Preparation complete

    Chapter 115 Preparationplete


    After declining the help of Tatsuki and Naoto, Hiro began to chase after Imai.


    "Senior Imai wait for me." Shouted Hiro while chasing Imai who was heading towards the restroom.


    Hearing Hiro''s voice, Imai paused all of a sudden. Turning back towards Hiro, Imai spoke politely, "Oh!! Are you heading to the restroom as well?"


    Without replying anything, Hiro simply nodded his head.


    After walking few steps, the two of them arrived at the restroom. With severalpartments, the neatly organised modern restroom was quite empty as well and besides the two of them, there weren''t any other people present in the restroom at that moment.


    But even so, Hiro still had absolutely no idea on how to disclose his real intention to Imai without angering him.


    Either he''d have to speak the truth or else he''ll have to make some reasonable excuses to get Imai''s help.


    But either way he''d have to disclose his true purpose to get his help.


    "Hmm... Senior Imai have you ever gotten bullied?" Asked Hiro meekly while trying to start a conversation with Imai.


    "Well not really." Shaking his head, Imai started to walk towards one of thepartment to finish his business.


    "Although if you can count the abusive training of my coaches as bullying then yes I''ve been bullied." Spoke Imai sarcastically before entering one of thepartment.


    Although Hiro really had no actual business to attend in the restroom, he still entered one of thepartment to not make him seem suspicious.


    However little did he knew, Imai was somewhat suspicious of him from the moment he mentioned about his made-up story to Imai.


    "Were there not any bullies in your school?" Asked Hiro while forcing his pee.


    "Well... There were a few of them in my elementary school. And it''s the same in the middle school as well." Casually replied Imai while urinating.


    Although Imai didn''t mind Hiro asking about such stuffs while he was peeing, his suspicions towards Hiro was growing even further after hearing Hiro''s repeatedly asked questions.


    "But why are you asking me about bullies all of a sudden? If you''re worried about the bullies in your school, then I''ve already told you that I''ll help you with it." Mumbled Imai while zipping his pant. "But then again, do you really need my help? Like just by observing you, I could tell that you''re pretty strong. And since you''re already ying professional football despite being only twelve years old, I doubt if anybody would actually dare to bully you."


    Hearing Imai''s response, Hiro went silent all of a sudden. He knew that Imai was getting suspicious of him. Afterall his whole story sounded extremely ridiculous.


    ''Was he suspicious of me all along?'' Pondered Hiro while staring nkly at the lock of the door of thepartment. ''May be I should tell him the truth.''


    And just as he came out of thepartment, Imai mumbled casually while washing his hands, "From the very beginning when you told me about your story, I found it really hard to believe it. And after following me to the restroom, you keep on asking about bullies."


    ''Yup!! He''s suspicious of me.'' Thought Hiro after hearing Imai''s words.


    However Hiro didn''t reply anything at all and kept on listening.


    After turning off the tap, Imai walked towards the hand dryer to dry his hands. And as he finished drying his wet hands, he walked towards Hiro.


    Squinting his eye and furrowing his brows, he looked extremely serious.


    "Just tell me about your true intention already." Spoke Imai in his deep voice. "My patience''s running out."


    Noticing Imai''s facial expression, he decided to tell him the truth regardless of the consequences.


    "I''m doing this for a friend of mine. He had been bullied by some bullies." Hiro then borated everything he knew about Masao to Imai.


    Although he didn''t mention much about Shotaro, Hiro still told Imai about the generosity of Masao, the tragedy he faced, the bullying he indured.


    Almost everything which he knew about Masao, Hiro revealed to Imai without mixing any lies, just as it is.


    "So that friend of yours was bullied for no reason. And you''re seeking for my help because you want to help him regain his confidence and make those bullies realise their mistake and apologise to your friend?" Mumbled Imai while trying to process the information he just received at that moment.


    "Yes!! I want to help him to open up. Because if he continues to lives like this, I''m sure somewhere in near future he might even consider ending his life. So I just want him to muster some courage to face his fears." Spoke Hiro after revealing his true ns to Imai.


    At first he was doing all those things for the sake of quest. But as he dived deeper into the story of Masao, he felt sincerely sorry for Masao. Afterall in his previous life, he also had ended his life because of some simr reasons.


    After listening to Hiro''s boration, Imai paused for a while. Standing infront of hiro, as if he was in some kind of deep thinking, Imai looked lost in his own thoughts.


    Upon seeing the expression on Imai''s face, Hiro too kept his mouth shut. In order to not disturb him, he kept his lips tightly sealed.


    **** ****


    Outside the coffee shop, Tatsuki and Naoto had been waiting for Hiro and Imai. And since the moment the two of them left for the restroom, 15 minutes had already passed.


    Continuously tapping his right foot against the floor, Tatsuki was trying his best to hold him back from exploding.


    Naoto who was standing right beside him was simply browsing through his phone without reacting.


    Finally as Tatsuki''s patience ran out, he abruptly stopped his leg, scrunched his brows and cussed, "F**k!!! What''s taking them this long?"


    Tatsuki''s sudden cussing startled Naoto and he nearly dropped his phone from his hands.


    "Jeez!! Did a demon possess you?" Sounding somewhat irritated, Naoto mumbled.


    Paying no attention to Naoto, Tatsuki shrugged and mumbled, "Just how long are they gonna take?"


    **** ****


    Finally after thinking for a while, Imai opened his mouth, "Since you''re doing this for your friend, I''ll help you."


    Hearing Imai''s response, Hiro''s lips curled up and a smile appeared in his face. With his eyes gleaming, Hiro mumbled sounding all excited, "Really!! You''re really gonna help me?"


    "Since I value friendship very much. I''m doing this for the sake of your friendship." Imai replied in a calm manner.


    "Although I don''t like hitting or scaring kids. I''ll make use of those useless bunch of delinquent bastards from my ss." Continued Imai with a sinister smile on his face.


    One could tell just by looking at his smile that he was nning something really sinister. However at that moment, the only thing Hiro cared about was Imai''s willingness to help him. And thus the feeling of gratitude clouded his vision.


    "Thank you" Hiro lowered his head, "Thank you very much."


    With the help of Imai, he was sure that he could humble those bullies and make them apologize to Masao and alsoplete part of his quest at the same time.


    Although just by humbling those bullies and making them apologize to Masao, Hiro wouldn''t solve his problem in it''s entirety. However by doing that Hiro could drastically reduce the chance of Masao skipping the sses. And it could also help Masao to have a better school life.


    Afterall regaining once lost confidence and oveing from a painful experience required quite a bit of time and the scar left by such incidents wouldn''t heal overnight, Hiro didn''t want to hurry. He was in no rush.


    "But for now we should head out. We''ve stayed in the restroom for way too long. And also you didn''t forget about Naoto and Tatsuki, right? They''re still waiting for us." Saying such, Imai began to walk out of the restroom.


    But before Imai could leave the restroom, Hiro stopped him, "Ahh wait!!"


    Hearing him, Imai slightly nodded his head.


    "Please don''t tell about this to Naoto and Tatsuki." Hiro requested.


    With a smile on his face, Imai nodded his head and waved his hand, gesturing Hiro to follow him.


    But just as they exited the restroom, they witnessed Tatsuki''s angry face. His mask tucked inside his pocket, his bare face was looking somewhat red.


    His brows were scrunched and there was visible anger in his face. ring his nostrils, Tatsuki spoke while staring at them with his cold eyes, "What took you two so long? Were you guys perhaps sleeping inside the restroom."


    Quickly thinking of an excuse, Hiro mumbled, "Whileing out of the restroom, I saw few girls from my ss. So we were hiding inside the restroom."


    With an awkward smile on his face, Imai nodded his head, "Yeah!! Haha... They were really crazy."


    Squinting his eyes, Tatsuki was somewhat skeptical about Hiro''s reasons for beingte.


    "If so, where are they right now??" Sounding somewhat skeptical, Tatsuki questioned.


    "Well they just went downstairs. So may be they''re in one of the woman''s fashion store." Replied Hiro without any dy.


    While making their way towards the coffee shop, Hiro had memorized the location of different stores present inside the mall.


    Having memorized the location of several stores, that information came really handy at that moment.

 Chapter 116 Wizard

    Chapter 116 Wizard


    Since Tatsuki couldn''t deny the fact that there were quite a lot of woman''s clothing store in the floor below, he had no other choice but to believe Hiro''s words.


    Although he was a bit hesitant, he still epted Hiro''s words, nheless.


    "Fine!! I''ll trust your words." Tatsuki mumbled while pouting his face.


    Hearing Tatsuki''s response, Hiro and Imai, both of them released a short sigh of relief and impetuously smiled at each other, while exchanging nces with each other.


    "So now if you''ve cleared your doubts then shall we shop something? Afterall if we go empty handed then the coach is obviously gonna get suspicious of us. And if he somehow finds out about our lies, he''ll never permit us to leave the hostel again." Naoto implied.


    "Then let''s head to the sports store first." Imai suggested. "I too have few things which I need to buy."


    After that the four of them did a bit of shopping. Hiro bought some sorts, short shocks and twofortable tracksuits.


    He still hadn''t used his money which his parents had provided him before leaving home.


    Naoto and Tatsuki, the two of them bought two pair of shocks each and some undergarments. Imai bought himself some sports wear and some tapes for taping his knuckles.


    And by the time, they finished their shopping, it was already 2:05 PM.


    "Now I think we should head back to the hostel. Afterall the coach has strictly warned us to be back by 3." Naoto spoke while looking at his phone.


    Tatsuki and Hiro both of them nodded their head.


    "Before we head out, can you give me your phone for a while, Hiro?"


    Imai asked for Hiro''s phone before heading out.


    Hiro then took his phone out from his pocket and handed it to Imai. Hiro was using a decent android phone at that moment. Since he wasn''t a big fan of expensive mobile phones, he hadn''t bought anything expensive for him despite earning quite a hefty sum of money from newtube.


    Although he wasn''t incharge of his money or that''s what he still believed since his parents hadn''t disclosed the secret that they were saving the money under his name.


    "Do you have a Facebook or Instagram ount?" Questioned Imai while typing something on Hiro''s phone.


    "I do. But I don''t use it." Replied Hiro. "However I''ll be opening a new ount today."


    "Well that works as well." Saying such Imai handed him his phone back. "I''ve put my number so call me once you make your ount. Afterall I still need to know the identity of the bullies which you mentioned about earlier."


    Although Hiro had disclosed everything to Imai, he still hadn''t provided Imai with the pictures of the bullies. And without knowing how they look, Imai couldn''t do anything.


    "Thank you senior Imai. I''ll call youter after making an ount."


    **** ****


    Tokushima, Japan


    Inside a traditional japanese style two storey wooden house, at the second floor, Akashi, the spiky haired guy was lying on his bed, fiddling with his phone.


    "That idiot hasn''t contacted me even once after moving to Kawasaki. Has he already forgotten about me?" Mumbled Akashi while putting down his phone.


    "Though he already told me that he couldn''t use mobile phone in the hostel except during weekends, however it has already been about a month since he left for Kawasaki. And he still hasn''t contacted me." While frowning his brows Akashi mumbled to himself.


    He kept on thinking about Hiro. And the more he thought about him, the more he got agitated.


    "Argh!! Let''s not think anything negative. He''s not the type of guy who''d abandon his friends." Speaking such, he rose from his bed.


    He then walked towards the window to get some cold air to cheer him up. Taking a deep breath, he then started to stare nkly at the night sky.


    The night sky was just like a painting, beautiful and full of colours against the inky, ck abyss. The canopy of stars were flickering like the mes of spectral candles and luminous glow of the moon was cutting through the darkness.


    And looking at the serene glow of the crescent moon, he felt at ease. Lost in the beautiful scenery infront of him, hepletely forgot about his worries.


    Ding!!


    Just then a sound of notification came from his phone. Despite hearing the notification, he didn''t react and instead ignored the sound of the notification.


    Finally after about 5 minutes, he lifted his gaze away from the night sky. He then walked towards his bed. Throwing himself in his bed, Akashi then picked up his phone.


    And just as he turned on his phone, he saw a notification from the Instagram. It was a follow request from an ount named Wizard. And the ount didn''t have a profile picture yet.


    "Who''s this wizard guy?" Mumbled Akashi. "Well.... The only wizard I know is.... Hiro."


    "It''s from Hiro." Excitedly mumbling such, Akashi abruptly rose from his bed.


    Instead of using his real name, Hiro had opted for using an alias. And since he went with the name of Ser Wizard back then, he used Wizard as his alias for his Instagram ount.


    In order to prevent people from searching his name online, he had intentionally used an alias. Afterall his real purpose of making that ount was tomunicate with his close friends.


    Quickly epting the follow request, he then immediately sent a follow request to Hiro since Hiro had also kept his ount private.


    Hiro however didn''t ept his request right away. And as impatient as Akashi was he began to message Hiro.


    "It''s you right?"


    "Man!! You took so long."


    "Yoh man!! Why aren''t you replying?"


    After about a minute, Hiro finally epted his follow request and messaged him back.


    "Yup it''s me, your friend Hiro."


    "How have you been Akashi?"


    "Sorry I was upied with something."


    Akashi who was glued to his phone didn''t take long to respond. Just as he received Hiro''s messages, instead of messaging him, he video called him.


    Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!


    Hiro picked up the call. He was inside his room seated at his bed. Yuya, Shunta and Shun, the three of them were also in Hiro''s room at that moment.


    "What took you so long to answer?" Comined Akashi as soon as Hiro picked the call.


    "Well we were discussing something." Hiro replied.


    "We??" Sounding somewhat confused, Akashi questioned. Since he couldn''t see the rest of his three friends in the screen, he was confused by Hiro''s use of pronouns.


    "Wait a while." Mumbled Hiro

 Chapter 117 Video call

    Chapter 117 Video call


    Noticing Akashi''s dumbfounded look, Hiro then turned his camera towards his friends present in his room. Pointing his camera towards Yuya, Shunta and Shun, Hiro introduced them to each other.


    "These guys here are my teammates. Yuya, Shunta and Shun." Hiro introduced his friends.


    "Ahum!! Former teammates." Coughing a little, Yuya spoke sarcastically.


    Hearing the sarcasm, Shunta and Shun burst out intoughter.


    And as he introduced the three of them to Akashi, all of them waved their hands towards the camera, greeting Akashi with cheerful smile on their faces.


    Akashi too quickly changed his tone and introduced himself politely to Hiro''s friends.


    Noticing the sudden change in Akashi''s tone, Hiro couldn''t help himself from staring at Akashi with his eyes wide open.  As if he had seen something mind-blowing, he just couldn''t handle the sudden change in Akashi''s tone.


    ''When did this idiot learned to speak so politely? Man he''s even more unpredictable than my system.'' Hiro thought to himself.


    And as the four of them started to chat with each other, Yuya snatched the phone away from his hands.


    Since both the sides were close to Hiro, instantly the four of them clicked with each other. As if the four of them were already friends with each other, theypletely forgot about Hiro at that moment.


    "Ahh right!! What kind of girls do you guys like?" Asked Akashi while making a serious face.


    ''Huh!! What are they talking about? Suddenly they''re talking about girls.'' With a dumbfounded look on his face, Hiro thought after hearing the progress of their conversation. ''Wasn''t he pissed at me for not calling him, a moment ago?''


    "A girl with cute face and curvaceous body." Shun replied with his tanned cheeks turning kinda red.


    Hiro could tell who he was talking about just by hearing those simple words.


    ''Minami Miura'' Thought Hiro after hearing Shun''s reply.


    "Just why don''t you reveal her name too." Giggled Yuya.


    "Yeah. He has a crush on this girl named Minami Miura from our school." While smiling Shunta revealed the name of Shun''s crush. "Although I''ve been hearing some rumours that she''s interested in Hiro instead."


    "You..." Shun gritted his teeth as he jumped atop Shunta, yfully.


    "It happened to you too?" Akashi intoned sounding somewhat surprised.


    Hearing Akashi''s reply, Shun paused and replied, "What do you mean by you too?"


    "There was this girl named Nanami whom I had a crush on. And I only found it recently that she had a crush on Hiro instead." Akashi revealed.


    And as Akashi revealed that information, all four of them switched their attention towards Hiro. Staring at him coldly, they looked like they were about tomit murder.


    Noticing their gaze, Hiro knew they were upto something. "I''m not at fault guys. I don''t even know them much." Spoke Hiro while trying to defend himself. Aferall he hadn''t done such things intentionally.


    As expected the three of them thenunched towards Hiro while yelling, "It''s all because of your good looks."


    "Damn!! I''m so jealous of your looks." Cried out Shun.


    The four of them continued to wrestle yfully for a while. Akashi who could hear them loud and clear wasughing till his stomach started to ache.


    Finally as they calmed down, Akashi spoke again, "By the way, what do you think of Hiro''s footballing talent?"


    Hearing Akashi''s question, the smile on their face faded away. All of a sudden the ambience around them got ghastly silent.


    While making a serious expression, Yuya blurted out, "An unsurpassable talent."


    "I do enjoy ying with him. But sometimes his talent.... intimidates me." Shunta added with his voice slightly shaking.


    "I feel the same as well. He''s already a nightmare for goalkeepers and defenders. I wonder how lethal he''ll be once he makes it to the professional stage." Shun mumbled while looking at Hiro with eyes full of admiration.


    Akashi who was listening to their answers from the other side of the phone, nodded seriously.


    "I can rte to that. But as his friend and as his teammate who yed with him since he was a kid. I can tell you all that if you learn from him, you all will definitely improve. With his guidance, I made it to the nationals. And for that I''ll always be grateful to him." Akashi spoke with great admiration.


    Although Akashi never once revealed about it to Hiro but he was always really grateful to Hiro for helping him improve.


    Hearing such words of admiration, Hiro felt his body tingling. With the sides of his lips twitching, he tried to control himself from smiling. With his heart filled with a sensation of warmth, he was extremely happy to hear such warm words from his friends.


    However as happy as he was, he maintained a poker face and acted as if their warm words didn''t affect him in any way.


    "I wonder if he''ll be the first asian yer to win a Balon d''Or in the near future." Shunta added.


    "Well I''m not sure about it. But it''s likely possible since by that time Messi and Ronald would have already hanged their boots." Yuya joked.


    "But don''t forget about Mbappe and Hand. They both have already won Golden boy award for the year 2017 and 2020 respectively. By the time Hiro moves to Europe, they''ll already be in their prime." Replied Shun.


    "You guys are forgetting about Pedri, Saka, Bellingham, Phoden and many more. The world is still filled with vast number of talented yers. And who knows what kind of monsters are hiding." Hiro too  joined in on the conversation.


    Although he knew about the name of the future winners of the Balon d''Or, he decided to keep it a secret. Also there was also the possibility of the future changing.


    Since his regression could trigger a butterfly effect. As small as it is any changes in the past would directly affect the future afterall.


    Suddenly their casual conversation steered into football talks. Talking about the possible future winner of Balon d''Or, all five of them expressed their own opinions.


    And as such the five of them kept on conversing about football for nearly 2 hours.

 Chapter 118 Undead Crown

    Chapter 118 Undead Crown


    Monday, November 12, 2021


    In an alleyway, bunch of guys dressed in ck hoddies who looked like gangsters were gathered together.


    With the lower part of their faces covered by a ck handkerchief with a design of skull, only their eyes were visible.


    The ck hoddie that those guys were wearing were perfectly identical with each other because of the design of human skull wearing a crown printed at the back of their hoddies.


    "I really don''t get it. Has our ''Undead Crown'' gang fallen to this degree that we''re stationed here in an alleyway to scare some bunch of kids?" A scrawny looking guyined.


    "Indeed and why does he want us to hit those kids with football instead of our hands? I''m not even good at ying football." A somewhat fat looking guy with slicked back ck hair nodded his head while pointing at the football which he was carrying in his left hand.


    Hearing theirints, suddenly a guy of average height who was sitting in a goblet squat position stood up and walked towards the fat guy who was holding the ball in his hands.


    With a rubber band, he had tied his medium long ck hair into a man-bun. Some lossen strands of his hair which broke free from the rubber band were dangling freely infront of his fierce looking ck eyes as he made his way towards the fat guy.


    And just as the guy with the man-bun reached the fat guy, he abruptly took the ball from his hands and spoke in a somewhat irritated tone, "Then why don''t you go and fight with him?"


    Upon hearing the words of the guy with the man-bun, the fat guy lowered his gaze. His movement froze and as if he was afraid of something, he couldn''t reply anything.


    "How can we face that demon Imai, Hanagaki? He could literally take on an entire gang by himself." Replied the scrawny looking guy from before.


    "Yeah!! Last time when we messed with him, we ended up in hospital bed. And not to mention those MMA freaks who''re supporting him, they have clearly warned us that if we even touch a strand of his hair or piss him off, they''ll use us as a punching bag." Another guy with somewhat brown hair and tawny coloured pupils joined in.


    "Then just do as he says, if you don''t want to get beaten instead." Hanagaki intoned sounding somewhat pissed.


    Just then another guy with straight ck hair came running towards them. Panting heavily, he looked out of breath. Even so despite heaving so heavily, he spoke, "They''reing."


    Hearing his words, all of the guys present there at that moment rushed towards the end of the alleyway to hide themselves.


    Coming from the other side of the alleyway was Masato and his underlings dressed in school uniform, probably heading to school. Joking andughing, they were making their way towards the ce where those guys dressed in ck hoddies from before were hiding.


    Completely unaware of the danger which was about to befall on them, Masato and his underlings were goofily walking without any care.


    "It must be so nice to have permission to skip the school." Spoke Kitsu, the fox faced guy.


    "Man I wish I could skip sses." Another guy sighed.


    They were obviously talking about Masao, since he had been absent from the school for more than two weeks already.


    Talking such, they kept on walking.


    And as they approached the intersection at the end of the alleyway, they got ambushed by those ck hooded guys.


    Seeing those guys a few of the underlings of Masato tried to scream, "Hel-"


    But before they could scream, those ck hooded guys covered their mouth and prevented them from screaming.


    Quickly encircling them, those ck hooded guy''spletely blocked their escape route. Intimidating and tall, each and every single one of those guys looked very terrifying.


    "Who?" Shuddered Masato with a terrified look on his face.


    "Who are you all? I think you''ve got the wrong person." As talkative as Kitsu was, he kept on rambling, out of fear.


    "Just follow us silently. We''ve got something to talk to you guys." Spoke Hanagaki in an intimidating way.


    Hearing Hanagaki''s response, Masato stealthily looked to his left and right. Searching for an escape route, he was prepared to abandon his friends and flee away all by himself.


    But Hanagaki and his friends simply left no route open for him to make his run.


    Unable to find any route open for him to make his escape, Masato yielded to the power of Undead Crown gang.


    "Okay" Meekly replied Masato while slightly nodding his head.


    "Good choice." Hanagaki mumbled, praising Masato''s choice. "Ahh right!! If any of you tries to escape or scream, I''ll promise you that I''ll find your house and torture you for the rest of your life."


    As if he was simply suggesting them, Hanagaki spoke such threatening without raising his voice, calmly.


    "So be a good kid and follow this brothers silently." The fat guy from before added.


    Hearing such threatening words, Kitsu and the other guys started to tremble. Chattering their teeths, theplexion of their skin turned pale.


    Their heart started to beat faster and faster as if it was going to pop out of their mouth. Their eyes wandered around them erratically. Some of them were gulping their saliva nonstop that their mouth soon turned dry.


    Even so out of fear, nobody among them dared to make a single noise.


    Shrinking their body, they continued to follow Hanagaki and the other fellows without questioning anything.


    The more they walked, the more silent their surrounding got. The houses in the surrounding got less and less as well.


    And finally after walking for about 5 minutes, they arrived in an abandoned apartment under construction.


    The iplete four-storey apartment buildings concrete pirs were covered with green mosses. Few of it''s walls were built while almost more than 60 percent of it''s walls were wide open.


    Looking at the gloomy iplete apartment building infront, Masato thought to himself, ''Isn''t this that building which was abandoned after a guy killed himself?''


    "This is that haunted apartment building." Cried out Kitsu with his eyes wide open.


    With tears forming in his eyes, Kitsu began to cry and beg, "No! Please don''t take us there."

 Chapter 119 Blaming game

    Chapter 119 ming game


    The morning sun was shining brilliantly and spreading it''s warm rays across the surface of the vastnd. The blue sky was as clear as still water and few lumps of white clouds of different shapes and sizes were floating freely in the far-off horizon.


    However with the winter making it''s appearance, the atmosphere was still kinda chilly, despite the sunny day.


    And the abandoned apartment building infront of Masato still looked spooky even during the daytime.


    "Did you already forgot about what I said earlier?" Hanagaki, the guy with man-bun questioned politely after hearing the cries of Kitsu and few other guys.


    "But.... This ce is hunted." With tears rolling down his eyes, Kitsu cried.


    "Then I''ll let you meet the ghost of this ce today." Hanagaki mumbled casually while looking Kitsu in the eyes. "And if you keep talking then may be I''ll send you to his world as well."


    And as Hanagaki was speaking, suddenly he scrunched his brows and grabbed Kitsu''s chin with his right hand. He then threatened Kitsu, "So if you don''t want to turn into a ghost yourself then keep your mouth shut."


    Hearing Hanagaki''s statement, a shiver ran down the spines of other kids present there at that moment. Even Masato looked extremely terrified. Some of them were even on the verge of wetting their pants.


    "Please let me go." Cried out Kitsu in muffled voice.


    Without making any sound the rest of the kids were also sobbing and begging in muffled voices. Masato and his underlings, all of them were almost in the same condition.


    Hearing their cries, Hanagaki increased his grip and squeezed Kitsu''s cheeks even more tighter than before. Squeezing his cheeks, Hanagaki then yelled furiously, "Just shut the f**k up and follow me."


    Hanagaki''s roar scared the shit out of them. Feeling totally breathless, Masato''s heart stopped for about 3 seconds.


    As strong as he made himself appear infront of other kids, Masato was actually very weak. He was that guy who was strong to weak and weak to strong.


    He was the type of guy who liked to prey on weak guys to satisfy his ego.


    After that Hanagaki and the rest of the guys from Undead Crown gang led them inside the abandoned building.


    Wandering their eyes here and there, Masato and his underlings fearfully followed Hanagaki and others.


    The inside of the building was even more creepier than it''s outer appearance. Cobwebs of spiders were present in almost every pir and corners.


    Dark and gloomy, some of the walls contained red stains on it which looked like blood.


    And as they moved further deep inside the building, a musky smell of soil and rotten smell of dead mouse made them cover their nose.


    "What''s this smell??" While contorting his face and grabbing his nose, Masato questioned.


    However nobody from the Undead Crown gang replied to his questions. And the fatty behind his back simply gave him a push and spoke, "Keep on moving."


    Finally after walking for a while, Hanagaki suddenly stopped. They arrived in a spacious room with a huge wall.


    "Now then all of you will answer my few questions. And if I''m satisfied I might let you go and if I''m not then who knows what I''ll do." Hanagaki mumbled while staring at them.


    "I heard that you guys are bullies. Is it right?" Hanagaki questioned.


    "No sir"


    "No sir"


    Almost all of them denied the usations and shook their heads, immediately.


    "Oh Okay!!" Hanagaki murmured.


    "Then for the second question." Hanagaki continued his questioning. "Then it wasn''t you guys who bullied our boss''s cousin, right?"


    "No sir!! We haven''t troubled anyone. Never in my life have I ever bullied anyone." Masato replied.


    The rest of his underlings too shook their head and denied Hanagaki''s ims.


    "Oh!! Then I might be wrong. But if you''re telling lies then the consequences will be really bad." Hanagaki mumbled while walking back and forth.


    Suddenly one of the underling of Masato asked curiously, "Sir what''s the name of your boss''s cousin?"


    "Masao Kurimoto." Hanagaki replied while turning his gaze towards the guy who questioned him.


    Hearing Masao''s names, they began to panic. Their body temperature suddenly started to rise and they started to sweat profusely all of a sudden. They never imagined that Masao had a cousin who was a gangster.


    After hearing Masao''s names, they knew that they could no longer lie to Hanagaki. But since the main culprit was Masato and most of them were only following Masato, they could get away unscratched if they just told Hanagaki the truth.


    And if they could simply put the me on Masato and hang him on the guillotine then they could save themselves from being hung on the guillotine. That''s what Masato''s underlings started to think.


    Masato on the other hand started to panic even more than other. Hearing Masao''s name, his heart skipped a beat. And suddenly it started to beat erratically.


    Slowly turning his gaze towards his friends or that''s what he thought until he was caught by a gangster, he found them all sweating profusely.


    At that moment Kitsu, the fox faced guy suddenly opened his mouth, "It''s all Masato''s fault. I tried to stop him several times but he never listened to me. Sir he was the one who bullied him."


    Hearing Kitsu''s words, Masato frantically yelled,"What are you speaking Kitsu?"


    To save themselves, Kitsu and other guys had decided to put the me on Masato.


    "I''m speaking the truth." Kitsu replied. "He was the one who made Masao his bread shuttle. Showing off his strength, he often hit Masao. And we only followed him because we feared his strength."


    "Ohh!! Is that so??" Hanagaki questioned after hearing Kitsu''s ims.


    "That''s right sir. We''re innocent sir. We only followed his will."


    The rest of the guys nodded their head and pleaded not guilty.


    "How could you all put all the me on me?


    Wasn''t it your idea to traumatise Masao by mentioning the name of his dead bestfriend Kitsu? And it wasn''t only me who used him as bread shuttle, you all guys were involved as well. And it wasn''t only me who beat him and oppressed him, you all did the same as well." Masato after hearing the usations of his underlings started to have a meltdown.


    ''Exactly as predicted by Imai. They''re all putting the me on that Masato guy.'' Thought Hanagaki after hearing their words.


    And as time progressed, they kept ming each other. The ming game progressed.


    Hanagaki was still thinking that everything was nned and predicted by Imai. However the real mastermind behind the scene was Hiro. He was the one who had meticulously nned everything.

 Chapter 120 Torture

    120 Torture


    Faced with a greater threat, Masato and his underlings did exactly what most of the people would do in that kind of situation; put the me on someone else to save their own neck.


    "Don''t act like you all are innocent now. Three weeks ago, I saw you guys venting your anger on Masao in the school toilet because you were scolded by teacher in ss." Masato revealed.


    "Oh you wanna talk about such stuffs. Then I''ll tell you sir, once he hit Masao so hard on his sr plexus that he was literally coughing blood. And do you know why he did that? He did it to test his fighting skills. Whenever he learns a new fighting move, he tests his skills on Masao." Kitsu started to dig even deeper on Masato''s wrongdoings. "And since his parents were one of the major shareholder of the school, the school somehow covered up that whole incident and let him off the hook with only a single warning."


    ''This kids are even vicious than us.'' Thought Hanagaki while hearing their wrongdoings. ''Are they even kids? They''re like devil with the appearance of kids.''


    "Enough!!" Shouted the fat guy with slicked back ck hair.


    Hearing his furious roar, Masato, Kitsu and the rest, all of them shut their mouth. All the people present there were startled by his sudden roar.


    "Hanagaki, we don''t have all day to listen to their yapping. So, let''s just finish our task and quickly head back." Sounding very irritated, the fat guy mumbled.


    Hanagaki nodded his head and replied, "Yeah you''re right. Let''s just do what we were told."


    Hanagaki then turned his attention towards Masato and his underlings and spoke while pointing at the huge wall infront, "All of you go stand infront of that wall."


    "But we''re not at fault sir. We''re innocent sir." Cried Kitsu.


    The rest of the guys also started to plead for their innocence. Masato on the other hand remainedpletely silent. He knew that he wouldn''t escape unscratched no matter what he did. He had already yielded to his fate.


    "Perhaps you didn''t hear what I said." Speaking such, Hanagaki walked towards the side of Kitsu.


    "Bang!!"


    Hanagaki then all of a sudden, punched Kitsu hard on his stomach.


    Getting hit on his stomach, Kitsu let out a painful scream, "Argh!!"


    Followed by his scream, he immediately threw up. Drooling out of his mouth, he fell down on the ground while grabbing his stomach. Writhing in pain, he looked very miserable at that moment.


    Witnessing the pathetic sight of Kitsu crying and moaning in pain, the rest of the guys present there started to panic even more.


    Trembling with fear, they were having trouble moving their body. Their facespletely pale, there was a fear in their eyes.


    "Did you guys not hear me?" Hanagaki yelled furiously. "I said move."


    The hodded guys who were standing behind them gave them a rough push on their back.


    Getting pushed from behind, some of them stumbled and fell on the ground, roughly.


    "And you too get up and stand over there." Kicking Kitsu lightly, Hanagakimanded Kitsu to stand infront of the wall.


    However Kitsu couldn''t bring himself to move his body. And he kept on moaning in pain while grabbing his stomach.


    Seeing his unwillingness to move, Hanagaki thenmanded other gang members to carry him towards the wall, "Carry him to the wall. We can''t leave anyone out."


    Hearing such, two scrawny guys grabbed each of Kitsu''s arms and carried him towards the wall. The rest of the kids walked on their own.


    "What are they going to do? Are they going to pound us with rocks?" Shuddered one of the guy while walking towards the wall.


    And as all of them nervously lined up infront of the wall, Hanagaki spoke, "You might want to cover your face and private parts. And if anybody dares to run away, mark my words I''ll throw a stone at you and open your skull."


    Hearing such threatening words, Masato and his underlings immediately covered their face and temples with their hands. Except Kitsu who was still grabbing his stomach, all of the other guys nervously covered their faces.


    "Bring the balls." Hanagakimanded.


    Upon hearing hismand one of the guy dressed in ck hoddies left the ce.


    "Reflect on what you''ve done wrong. And if you want to take revenge on us, feel free toe and look for us. However I''ll warn you before you decide to take revenge, if any of you get''s caught at that time, just know that it''s the end for you."


    "Oh!! And before we start your punishment I''d like to add another thing, if we find any of you guys reporting this incident to anyone else, let''s say your friends, parents or police, then be prepared to face the consequences." Sounding all serious, Hanagaki threatened the kids infront.


    Just then the guy who left earlier, came back with a sack of football.


    "Make sure to remember this pain and repent on your actions." Speaking such, Hanagaki and the rest of members of Undead Crown gang started to pound Masato and his underlings with football.


    And since the ball kept on rebounding back to them because of the wall infront of them, Hanagaki and the others kept on hitting Masato and his underlings with the ball, nonstop without any break for about 10 minutes.


    Getting hit by the ball, over and over again from such a close distance, all of them shrunk their body into a shape of ball to prevent themselves from getting hit.


    For that entire 10 minutes, they all kept on screaming in pain. And the pain kept on intensifying with each hit. Despite the gradual decrease in the power of impact, it felt like getting hit by a rock instead of a ball after some moment.


    The part of their body where they were hit the most hadpletely turned blue and was starting to swell.


    However luckily not a single one among them lost their consciousness. But still those ten minutes of pounding felt like an hour long torture to them.


    Patches of blue marks from the collision with the ball appeared all over their body.

 Chapter 121 Awkward situation

    121 Awkward situation


    Hiding behind a staircase corner, Minami and her friends were stealing a nce at the hallway infront of them.


    "Look he''sing." Spoke one of the girl after taking a stealthy peak at the hallway.


    Hearing such, Minami''s cheeks turnedpletely red. She then shyly questioned, "Are you sure it''s a good idea to ask his number so tantly?"


    "If you keep on hesitating then someone else might steal him away. So muster up some courage and initiate a conversation." Spoke another girl with a ponytail.


    "I don''t know. My heart is beating so fast right now." Feeling her heartbeat, Minami mumbled. "What if he finds me creepy for asking him about his number so tantly?"


    "Who in his right mind would think such about you?" The somewhat fat girl who was stealing nces of Hiro spoke.


    The other girl with ponytail nodded her head and spoke, "Indeed!! You''re the maiden of our school. Almost every single boys in our school is chasing after you. Looks, athleticism, personality, you name it, you''ve got it all."


    Those three girls who were hiding behind the corner were talking about Hiro.


    In the hallway infront of them, Hiro was making his way towards his ssroom. And as usual bunch of girls who had a crush on him were flocking over him.


    "What''s so great about him?"


    "It''s not like he''s a celebrity."


    Some guys who were jealous of him were talking with each other. And obviously they weren''t praising him. Rather, they were badmouthing him.


    "He''s almost here" Spoke the fat girl.


    Hesitating to converse with Hiro, Minami tried to run away, "May be we should head to our ss right now."


    "What are you cowering for?" Speaking such the girl with ponytail gave her a gentle push.


    Upon getting pushed, she stumbled out of the corner where she was hiding. And as she stumbled out of the corner, she spoke in somewhat annoyed tone, "Why did you push me all of a sudden?"


    "Excuse me??" Hiro mumbled feeling all confused. Since he had just arrived there, he had no idea what she was talking about.


    "Oh sorry I wasn''t talking to you. I was just talking with my friends here." Minami apologized to Hiro while pointing her index finger at the corner.


    "I didn''t know that you were friends with ghost." With a sweet smile on his face, Hiro joked.


    "What are you talking abo-" While speaking such, she turned towards the corner. But there was nobody in the corner. Unable to find her friends, she wentpletely nk and thus, she couldn''t evenplete her sentence.


    Completely dumbfounded, Minami froze on her ce. With her cheeks and ears turning red, she was embarrassed to her hearts core, as if she had an egg on her face.


    ''What will he think of me? And where are those two idiots? He''s definitely thinking of me as some kind of weirdo.'' Several thoughts appeared in her mind.


    She couldn''t even bring herself to turn her head towards Hiro to face him.


    "Good luck with your friends." Speaking such in a cheerful tone, Hiro walked past her.


    The girls who were swarming around Hiro quite enjoyed her precious reaction. At first they were looking at her very coldly, as if she was their mortal enemy. But after seeing her in that awkward situation, they all had a smile on their faces. They very much enjoyed her dumbfounded look.


    Even after Hiro walked quite far away from her, Minami was still standing at that same ce with that same facial expression from before,pletely dazed.


    Running down the stairs, the fat girl and the girl with ponytail came rushing towards her.


    And as they approached her, the fat girl asked excitedly, "What happened?? Did you get his number?"


    However Minami didn''t reply anything at all. Neither did she blink her eyes nor did she opened her mouth.


    "What happened to you? Did you see a ghost?" The girl with ponytail asked with a concerned look on her face.


    Hearing the word ghost, she was brought back to her senses. And as soon as she came back to her senses, she raised her both hands and ced it atop the shoulder of the girl with ponytail.


    Her brows arched, she made a serious expression and spoke, "Ghost you say?? Now I''ll let you two see the ghost in me."


    "What happened to you Minami? Are you getting possessed?" Feeling slightly scared, the fat girl asked.


    "Yeah!! Why.... Why... Why are you acting like this?" The girl with ponytail shuddered.


    As if Minami was about to hack at her, she was tightening her grip and bringing her face closer to the face of the girl with the ponytail.


    With their brows frowning, the two girls were getting more and more anxious and scared of her.


    And suddenly Minami hugged the girl with the ponytail and started sobbing, "Why did you two leave me all alone? He''s probably thinking of me as a weirdo now."


    Her eyes moistened and her lips pouted, she whined like a little girl at that moment. Her crying voice was very sweet and as innocent as a little baby. Despite that her sobbing face looked extremely pretty.


    Seeing her sobbing, the two girls standing their could guess that things didn''t go well. And thus, they started tofort her. Patting Minami''s head, they tried to calm her down.


    **** ****


    Finally after walking for a while, Hiro arrived infront of his ss. And by that time, the girls swarming him who weren''t from his ss had all left away for their own sses as well.


    Sliding the door of the ssroom, he unlocked the door of his ssroom. And just as he was about to enter his ssroom, his eyesnded on a familiar face.


    Fare skinned guy with chubby cheeks and round face, coupled with ck pupils and straight ck hair, the somewhat obese guy was sitting right beside his chair. The guy was non other than Masao.


    when he was absent from school.

 Chapter 122 Hope

    122 Hope


    Noticing the sight of Masao, Hiro wasted no time and immediately went over to him to talk to him. However Masao who looked lost in his own world didn''t even notice the sight of Hiro until he heard the voice of Hiro.


    "Good morning Masao." Greeted Hiro with a warm smile on his face.


    "Ahh!!" Hearing Hiro''s voice which came out of nowhere, Masao was startled.


    Masao then greeted him back a bit hesitantly as if something was bothering him, "Goo.. Good morning Hi... Hiro."


    Looking up close, Masao''splexion seemed rather pale. And as if he hadn''t slept well for a long time, beneath his ck eyes, there were few dark circles.


    "Are you sick Masao? Or is something bothering you?" Hiro asked straightforwardly after noticing his sickly appearance.


    "Ahh no. I''mpletely fine." Replied Masao while trying to hide his face.


    Because of Hiro''s behaviour towards him and the way he spoke with him, Masao despite being afraid of socialising felt somewhatfortable talking to Hiro.


    ''He obviously doesn''t look fine.'' Thought Hiro after hearing Masao''s response.


    He knew that something was wrong with him but he didn''t want to force him to say it, so Hiro slightly nodded his head and replied looking somewhat concerned, "Is it so. It just looked to me that you were sick."


    "Thank you for worrying about me. But I''mpletely fine." Masao replied and turned his gaze away from him, as if he was deliberately trying to avoid conversing with Hiro further.


    And before Hiro could say more, Hiro was interrupted by the girl who sat at the second row, "I''ve been texting you but why aren''t you replying Hiro?"


    Silky smooth ck hair, triangr face, fair-skinned, small ck eyes, her name was Akane Kurimaya. She had put on a little bit of make-up on her face.


    As she came closer to him, a fragrant smell of perfume lingered around his nose. Delicate, sweet aroma that is floral, herbal, and evergreen woodsy at the same time, it was the smell ofvender flower.


    Not too overbearing and not too humble, Hiro found the smell pretty pleasant.


    "Ahh sorry!! I don''t use my ount much." Replied Hiro with a pretended smile on his face. Although he quite liked the smell of her perfume, he wasn''t fond of the person who was wearing that perfume.


    "You don''t need to apologise." She replied while sliding her medium long ck hair behind her ears. "But are you free this sunday? I just happened to have two tickets to the amusement park."


    As if she was trying to seduce him, she was trying her best to show her charms. However it wasn''t working well on Hiro.


    It wasn''t the first time she tried to ask him out. The week before, she had asked him out to go to watch football match with her.


    "I''m sorry. I have match that day." Hiro politely declined her offer by making up some excuses.


    Just then Masato and his underlings entered the ssroom, lookingpletely beaten. Sore and exhausted, they were having trouble walking. And unlike other days, those guys were walking separately.


    As if there was somekind of farce going on between them, they looked divided.


    Witnessing the appearance of Masato and his underlings, Hiro could tell that the n he had nned was carried out without any fail.


    ''Thank you Imai. Thank you very much forplying to my request.'' Hiro thanked Imai inside his head.


    Despite lookingpletely beaten, Hiro wasn''t a bit concerned about them at that moment, he was concerned about someone else. Turning his gaze towards Masao, he wanted to see Masao''s reaction.


    To his right, Masao was trying his best to avoid locking eyes with anyone. His lips tightly sealed and his gaze locked at the table, he looked pretty terrified.


    ''He looks pretty terrified. Well it''s only natural for him to feel that way after experiencing such horrible experience.'' Thought Hiro while pitying Masao.


    Hiro then again shifted his gaze towards Masato and his underlings.


    Entering the ssroom, Masato and his underlings began to make their way towards Masao instead of their seat.


    ''I did ask Imai to make them apologize to Masao. But are theying towards him to apologize? Or are they nning on assaulting him? If it''s theter then I need to be prepared to do something.'' Thought Hiro while clenching his fist.


    "Then why don''t you invite me to your match Hiro?" Akane pleaded.


    Akane who was standing infront of him was speaking nonstop but still his attention was on Masato and his underlings. Thus, he was only nodding his head without even payong attention to what she was speaking.


    The more they approached closer to Masao, the more he started to panic. Clenching his fist tightly and biting his lips, Masao was sweating profusely.


    Masao''s hands were shaking and his heartbeat was rising. And as if his heart would jump out of his throat, his heart was beating more and more faster.


    Hiro too was on standby. He was prepared to take actions as fast as possible. Thus, he didn''t dare take his eyes off from them, not even for a second.


    Kitsu the fox faced guy was the first one to arrive at Masao''s side. Standing beside Masao, he was hesitating to speak something.


    Noticing Kitsu on his side, Masao who was freaked out by their appearance was about to flee. And just as he was about to rise from his seat and run away, Hiro grabbed his hands.


    As if he touched an electric wire, a shiver ran down his body just as Hiro touched his hands. But Masao didn''t let out a single scream.


    Slowly turning his gaze towards the hand whichid atop his hand, he found the fair-skinned hand full of calluses belonging to Hiro.


    Masao then slowly raised his gaze towards Hiro''s face. And as he locked eyes with Hiro, Hiro slightly nodded his head.


    Although he was still terrified, the determined look on Hiro''s face provided him some encouragement. Just like the sight of dark clouds in a dry desert, he found some hope in Hiro''s eyes.

 Chapter 123 Lesson learnt

    123 Lesson learnt


    With a newfound hope, Masao loosened his body a little and sat down. But even with his newfound hope, his body was still shaking. His body was telling him to flee from the scene.


    Afterall human beings are creature of habits. And the fear of getting beaten and traumatized by Masato and his underlings had already been ingrained deep within Masao''s core. Thus, he was still preparing to run away if anything were to happen to him.


    Kitsu then lowered his head and spoke meekly, "I''m sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me if you can."


    Hearing Kitsu''s apology, Masao startlingly rose from his seat. His apology was totally out of his expectations and thus, he was surprised to hear such wordsing out from the mouth of Kitsu.


    The other guys too lowered their head and apologized to Masao, "''Please forgive us Masao. We''ll never bother you again."''


    As surprised as Masao was, the rest of the students present in the ssroom were even more surprised.


    Although not many students were present in the ssroom since there were still some time left for the beginning of the ss, the students present in the ss all had the same reaction. They all were surprised.


    "Those bullies are apologizing?"


    "Am I in some kind of dream?"


    Some students present in the ssroom started to gossip.


    Masao was totally speechless. His mindpletely nk, he didn''t know what to do in that kind of situation.


    The scene happening infront of him was dreamlike. And thus, he was still having trouble discerning between reality and dream.


    Turning his gaze towards Hiro, Masao then asked Hiro to pinch him, "Can you pinch me Hiro?"


    Hearing his words, Hiro grinned and replied, "Don''t worry. You''re not in a dream. But if you''re still doubting then I''llply with your request."


    Saying such, Hiro pinched him.


    "Ouch!!"


    "This isn''t a dream. But why are they apologizing to me all of a sudden?" Questioned Masao feeling all confused.


    For a while, his fear was suppressed by their apology.


    ''Not because of some beating.'' Hiro thought to himself after hearing Masao''s question.


    But obviously he couldn''t tell him the truth, so he acted as if he didn''t know anything about it.


    "May be god made it''s appearance in their dream and guided them." Hiro grinned. "So I think you should forgive them."


    Although it was really tough for Masao to do so, since he had been getting bullied by them for years and years. And the scars left from enduring years of pain wouldn''t be healed just because of one single apology afterall.


    So, Masao was hesitating to forgive them. Even so, none of them rose their head up and all of them continued to bow their head. Obviously not because they were sincerely remorseful but because of fear. They all feared that they would get beaten again my Hanagaki and the rest if they didn''t acquire his forgiveness.


    Masato on the other hand was still hesitating to apologize. Although he too feared the beating, his pride wasn''t letting him apologize to Masao infront of the whole ss.


    Noticing his hesitation, Hiro decided to trigger him, "Enjoying the performance, Masato?"


    "You!!" Gnashing his teeths, Masato was about to say something but he paused all of a sudden as if he remembered something.


    ring his nose, he stood tall ring at Hiro with his protruding eyes. Just like an active volcano which was ready to errupt, he looked quite furious. But even so, he suppressed his anger, nheless.


    Witnessing his face full of anger, Masao retracted his step a little. And Masao''s suppressed fear was starting to rise, once again.


    Masato then let out a deep breath and bowed his head. Although he was prideful, he was also scared of getting beaten. Giving in to his fear, Masato then reluctantly apologized to Masao while clenching his fist, "I''m sorry Masao. I promise that I won''t bother you again."


    Just like Masato and others who were afraid of Undead Crown gang, Masao too was afraid of facing Masato and his gangs. Thus out of fear, he epted their apology, "It... It''s alright. I... I... Forgive you guys."


    Hearing Masao''s words, they didn''t stay there for even a second more. Quickly lifting their head, they immediately made their way towards their seat.


    While on his way, Masato red at other kids who were looking at him. As if he was warning them to not speak of the things which they witnessed at that moment to anyone else, he was ring at them with his furious eyes.


    "Quick look away. Or else he might target us instead." Whispered one of the student while turning his gaze away from Masato.


    The other students who were looking at Masato did the same thing as well. Out of fear, they shut their mouth and turned their gaze away from him.


    However the same couldn''t be said to Hiro, he was still smiling and looking at the embarrassing state of Masato and his underlings.


    "I hope you all have learnt your lesson. Otherwise I''ll have to think of something even more ruthless. So get on a good track and live a good life." Mumbled Hiro under his breath while staring at Masato and his underlings.


    "Gosh!! That was terrifying and surprising at the same time." Akane mumbled while releasing a short sigh of relief.


    Masao on the other hand remainedpletely silent. His heart was still beating as fast as it was before.


    But after that apology, there was a subtle smile on his face. Masao was simply happy to hear from them that they wouldn''t bother him again.


    Just then Rin too made his appearance.


    Casualty walking towards his seat, he said to Akane, "Can you move away from my seat?"


    "Tch-" Akane subtly clicked her tongue and sneered, "I''ll go."


    And before she left, she said to Hiro, "So where should Ie to see your match Hiro?"


    "Huh??" Hiro was puzzled by her words.


    Since he hadn''t paid any attention towards her earlier and had nodded to all her statements, he wasn''t aware that he had nodded to her request of inviting her to his game.


    "Ahh... About that" Hiro started to hesitate. He had absolutely no idea on how to tell her that there wasn''t even a match to begin with.


    "About that, he must have forgot to mention you but outsiders aren''t allowed." Noticing Hiro''s hesitation, Rin immediately made an excuse and covered him.


    "Did you not tell her about that Hiro?"Rin continued.


    "Oh yeah!! I forgot to tell you." Frowning his brows, Hiro made sorrowful face. "I''m sorry I can''t invite you Akane."


    "It''s alright Hiro. I''lle to your next match." Akane smiled and expressed her understanding.


    "So now can you excuse me?" Rin asked her to leave.


    "Fine! I''m going." Akane sneered.

 Chapter 124 League Tie-Sheet

    124 League Tie-Sheet


    Sunday, March 15th, 2022


    The sun was shining brilliantly in the blue sky above. With new leaves starting to bud, the once naked trees which lookedpletely dull and lifeless was once again starting to gleam with vitality.


    And with the temperature rising once again, spring, the season of rebirth and awakening had begun.


    Panting heavily, Hiro and his teammates who had just finished their morning training were sweating profusely in the U-18 pitch while lookingpletely exhausted.


    And despite the end of the training, no one had yet left the pitch. They all were waiting for some announcements from the manager.


    "Is it about the premier league, senior Naoto?" Questioned Hiro feeling all curious about coach''s order.


    They all were ordered to stay at the pitch for a little longer by manager Makoto, since he had some announcements to make.


    "I''m not sure. Since there''s still about a month left for the beginning of the premier league. But it must be something rted to the league." Naoto answered while taking off his goalkeeping gloves.


    That year''s tournament was going to start from 4th April onwards.


    ''Takamado Cup is only a month away. How time flew by. Just yesterday it felt like I was in U-15 team. Just yesterday it felt like I was helping Masao. But it''s already been about six months since I joined the youth team.'' Thought Hiro feeling nostalgic.


    "May be the tie sheet is out." Tatsuki who was just beside them doing some light stretches joined in.


    "That makes sense. Since there''s only 20 days left for the beginning of the tournament. So it''s probably about the tie-sheet." Naoto nodded his head.


    Just as they were talking, manager Makoto apanied by few other coaches made his way towards the squad. Those old coaches, all had stern expression on their faces.


    Seeing the coaches, all the yers present there at that moment, immediately shut their mouth and focused all their attention towards the coaches.


    After reaching them, the coaches then paused at a certain distance away from them.


    Manager Makoto then stepped forward with a sheet of paper in his hand.


    "Ahum!!" Before making his announcement, he coughed a bit to clear his throat.


    "In my hand I have the list of clubs which we''ll be facing against in our group." Manager Makoto spoke while raising the sheet of paper above his head.


    "See. I was indeed right." Tatsuki grinned.


    "Obviously we''ll paste the tie-sheet in the bulletin board. But before that I''ll personally announce the name of clubs we''ll be facing against. So everyone listen carefully." Makoto intoned in a serious way.


    "Altogether there''ll be 12 teams in our group, including us. And among those 11 teams, there are 5 high school teams. Yokohama F Marinos, Omiya Ardija, Aomori Yamada High School, FC Tokyo, Maebashi Ikuei HS, Yokohama FC, Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa HS, Kashiwa Reysol, Ichiritsu Funabashi HS, JFA Academy Fukushima and Kiryu Daiichi HS. This are the names of the team which we''ll bepeting against." Makoto read out the names of the team from the tie sheet.


    Since Kawasaki belonged to the eastern part of Japan, they were ced in Premier League East group.


    "I don''t even know some of the teams in that list." Hiro mumbled casually, without thinking after hearing the name of the teams which he''ll be facing against.


    "Well!! It''s understandable, since it''s your first time." Naoto mumbled meekly.


    Since the coaches were still infront of them, Naoto couldn''t speak aloud.


    "That''s all for the team in our group. But there''s still something left to be discussed. We still haven''t selected our starting yers. So I think you all know what this means." Makoto continued.


    Saying such, hepleted his announcement. Hisst statement was very ambiguous.


    And as Makoto finished making the announcement, the yers present there started to p their hands.


    Although hisst statement was quite ambiguous, Hiro could somewhat guess the meaning behind his statement.


    ''The spot''s are vacant, so bust your ass off to clench the spot.'' Thought Hiro after hearing the announcement made by manager Makoto.


    Looking around him, he found the facial expression of his teammates quite different than what it used to look before. With a spark of fire burning in their eyes, they all looked very determined.


    "He''s really one cheeky bastard. By saying such, he had initiated a war among the yers." Hiro murmured under his breath with a subtle smile on his face.


    And just as manager Makoto was about to walk away, coach Kensuke began to gesture something. As if he was telling that he forgot something, he was reminding manager Makoto to check his pocket.


    Hiro who''s attention waspletely focused on manager Makoto noticed something off.


    ''Did he forgot something?'' Thought Hiro while looking infront.


    Because of their excitement, other yerspletely ignored the thing happening infront of them. They all were thinking about giving their best.


    Manager Makoto then suddenly turned around and walked towards the spot he was standing a moment ago.


    The coach''s actions greatly confused Hiro.


    "Stop for a moment everyone." Makoto yelled.


    Hearing Makoto''s loud voice, the yers immediately stopped pping their hands.


    "I thought that the announcement was over."


    "Has coach forgot to mention something?"


    yers began to guess and chatter among themselves.


    "Silence!!" Makoto yelled once again.


    Hearing his roar, the yers immediately shut their mouth out of fear.


    Makoto then spoke again, "The trial for new yers will be happening today. So don''t disturb the new yers."


    The announcement left almost everyone shocked. Their eyes wide open and mouth agape, they were shocked to hear such an important news. And what''s more shocking was that coach Makoto had nearly forgotten about the most important news.


    ''What?? The trial''s happening today? But why sote?'' Thought Hiro with his eyes wide open after hearing the announcement.


    "But don''t worry about the trial. And just focus on giving your best. There might be few yers joining or there''s also a possibility that no would pass the trial this year. So saying this, I just want to remind all of you to focus on your own training. Remember the league is just 20 days away." Saying such manager Makoto finally ended his announcement for real.

 Chapter 125 Tryout for new players

    125 Tryout for new yers


    As if they were struck by lightning, most yers were utterly shocked to hear the announcement of the trial.


    While striking his chin, Naoto mumbled, "I have been wondering about the trial. And like previous year I thought it was postponed this year too."


    "Will we see someone as impressive as Hiro from this trial? I just want another talented midfielder or winger to supply me with crosses." Feeling all excited, Tatsukimented.


    Hearing Tatsuki''s illogicalments which made no sense, Naoto shook his head and suggested, "We need a defender right now. May be a fullback with good pace."


    "We already have Shunsuke Hayashi, Umi Kajisa and Akimasa Nakahara. With those three in the defence even Leandro will have a hard time. But our midfield, it''s mainly controlled by Kazuya and Hiro. So we definitely need a midfielder right now." Tatsuki presented his own suggestion which greatly contradicted to Naoto''s suggestion.


    And as such, those two began to argue with each other.


    While they were arguing with each other, Hiro was wondering about something else.


    "I just have one question though?" Hiro mumbled while looking at Naoto.


    "Ask??" Turning his gaze towards Hiro, Naoto nodded his head and gestured him to ask his question.


    "Since I didn''t attend trial with other yers and also since it''s an open trial, I was wondering if the trials will be held separately for U-15 and U-18 team. Or will it be held jointly?"


    "Obviously it''ll be held separately. Aferall how can U-15 kidspete against U-18 yers. Obviously you''re not included among those kids." Naoto calmly answered his question.


    Staring at Hiro with his gleaming ck eyes, Tatsuki nodded his head and intoned, "Yeah. You''re a monster. The picture of you dribbling an entire line of defense by yourself when we faced against Fuji high school is still vivid in my eyes."


    "Indeed not to mention your unbelievable 40 yard freekick against Koshu high school. For a moment I thought that I was seeing David Beckham." Naoto added.


    After joining the U-18 team, he had yed in four friendly matches altogether. And in all those matches, he had contributed to the team by either scoring a goal or delivering an assist.


    Although all those four teams wereplete amateur teams, still after watching him y, no one could dare to point a finger on his talent.


    **** ****


    At around 9 AM, new yers started showing at the youth facility. yers of different shapes, sizes and appearance started to flock towards the youth facility.


    Some alone, some with friends and some apanied by their parents, new yers made their way towards the pitch one after the other.


    Hiro who was seated infront of the window of his room was curiously looking at the yers entering from the main gate.


    Standing beside Hiro, Shun was also curiosly looking at the new yers who were making their way towards their respective pitch.


    yers who had came for U-15 trials were heading towards the U-15 pitch. And simrly the yers who had came for U-18 trials were heading towards the U-18 pitch as well.


    And not only yers, but a few local reporters were also making their way inside the youth facility holding camera and microphones.


    Since the coach''s had advised them to stay in the building during the trial, almost all the yers were either in their room peeking at the new yers or ying game or sleeping at the moment of trial.


    And coach''s had specially warned Tatsuki, Naoto and Kazuya from making their appearance towards the pitch. Since they had already debuted for the senior team, the coach''s were well aware of the reporters who were tailing them.


    New yers continued to show one after the other. And soon the ground be so crowded that it looked like there were almost more than 150 yers in the pitch.


    Seeing that many people, Hiro shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He then with a look of astonishment questioned Shun, "Did you alsopete against this many yers?"


    "Not that many." Shun drawled


    Since he was totally immersed in the event unfolding infront of him, Shun didn''t notice the look of awe in Hiro''s face.


    "Damn!! It might take whole day to evaluate this many yers." Turning his gaze towards the yers, once again, Hiro mumbled.


    "It''ll be over in at most 4 hours." Shun replied casually.


    "That soon!! How??" Hiro mumbled in great surprise.


    "First there''ll be a test to test their physicality, after that they''ll test their skills and only after passing those two tests, they''ll get to the third round. And the third round is a match." Shun replied.


    "Damn!! That many tests?" Hiro questioned with a look of surprise on his face.


    "There''s also interview." Shun added.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    And as the two of them were talking with each while, looking at the new yers in the pitch, suddenly they heard a knocking sounding from their door.


    "It''s me Yuya. Open the door." Shouted Yuya from behind the door.


    "Did you call him?" Asked Hiro while looking at Shun after hearing the voice of Yuya.


    "No" Shun shook his head.


    ''Then why is he here?'' Wondering such, Hiro walked towards the door and unlocked the door.


    And as soon as he unlocked the door, he found Yuya with a wide grin on his face, infront of his door. As if he was about to do something sinister, Hiro didn''t like the smile on Yuya''s face. Shunta was also tagging along.


    "Let''s go and watch the trial, up close." Excitedly spoke Yuya.


    Yuya was nning on sneaking at the ground to spectate the trial, up close.


    "Let''s go." Shun immediately agreed to Yuya''s proposal.


    Hiro however was a bit hesitant to go with them, since the coach''s had sternly advised them to stay inside the building. And he was somewhat afraid of breaking the rule. But he was also curious about the trial.


    Thus out of curiosity he spoke hesitantly, "But what if the coach finds out?"


    "Just disguise yourself and mix with the spectators. There are so many spectators that coach''s wouldn''t even notice us. Hahahaha.... Isn''t my n perfect." Laughing maniacally, Yuya exined his simple n.

 Chapter 126 Advanced Technology

    126 Advanced Technology


    After thinking for a while, Hiro took the risk and joined Yuya and the others.


    Sneakily walking on their toes, Hiro and his friends were making their way towards the pitch, carefully.


    Yuya who was walking infront was responsible for checking peopleing from infront and updating them with the path infront. And Shun who was at thest of the queue was responsible for checking the peopleing from behind.


    Finally after walking on their toes for a while, they made it out of the building, totally undetected.


    And as they walked out of the building, they noticed a bunch of people swarming beside the fences to witness the trial. Few small time local reporters were also present there, interviewing some of the yers and spectators and covering the event.


    "Quick hurry!!" Waving his hands, Yuya spoke hurriedly and began to run towards the crowd.


    They then hurriedly ran towards the crowd of peoples gathered infront to hide themselves from the coaching staffs.


    Hiro and Shunta being the fastest among those four, quickly reached the crowd and mingled in the crowd. Yuya and Shun, the two of them took a little longer to reach the crowd of peoples.


    Sigh!!


    Sessfully blending in the crowd without being noticed, they then released a long sigh of relief.


    "Phew!!" Yuya released a deep breath. "Luckily no one noticed us."


    "Yeah!! Thankfully we made it without getting detected. My heart is still pounding." Mumbled Shunta while feeling his heartbeat.


    "We''ll go to the U-15 pitch since we''re still ying for U-15 team." Spoke Yuya.


    "Okay. Be careful on the way." Hiro responded while nodding his head.


    Yuya and Shunta then headed towards the U-15 pitch, skimming through the crowd. Witnessing them leave, Hiro and Shun too began to skim through the crowds to get a clear view of the U-18 pitch.


    Finally after some searching and skimming, they arrived at a ce where they could get better view of the pitch infront.


    Looking from behind the fence, they found about 70-80 yers in the field. The coaches were sorting the yers in different groups in the field.


    "Do you know any of them Shun?" Hiro questioned while looking at yers infront.


    "You see that guy close to coach Kensuke?" Shun spoke while pointing at one of the guy.


    "Who?? That bulky guy or short guy or that bald guy?" Hiro asked.


    "That bald headed guy who looks like a monk. His name is Akihiro Yamada. I''ve yed against him when he was ying for Tsubaki Middle School."


    "Is there anything special about him?" Hiro questioned out of sheer curiosity.


    "Yeah. His long passes and ball holding ability. He''s an excellent yer." Shun replied. "Although he was criticized a lot by his teammates after the match when we faced against Tsubaki Middle School."


    "If he''s that excellent of a yer then why was he criticised?" Hiro couldn''t understand the logic behind Shun''s statements.


    "His crosses were a little too advance for the forwards of his team. They simply couldn''t match the speed to catch up with his crosses. Andter in the game when his teammates couldn''t score the goal, he tried to do everything by himself. Although he did hold the ball well against some of our yers, he still couldn''t score any goals. Andter because of his selfishness, he was substituted by the coach." Shun borated about one of the yers in the field.


    "I see. So he was simply getting hold back by his teammates." Hiro nodded his head.


    "Then what about these yers who are getting interviewed right now?" Hiro questioned again while pointing at some of the yers who were getting interviewed.


    "May be they yed exceptionally well in the nationals. Since we don''t y in nationals, I don''t know about them. But that jerk with two block haircut, do you see him?" Slightly scrunching his brows, Shun then pointed at one of the fair-skinned guy with two block haircut who was getting interviewed at that moment.


    Just by listening to the tone of Shun''s voice and looking at his appearance, Hiro could tell that Shun didn''t liked that guy whom he was pointing at.


    Thus, he too pretended that he didn''t like him, "Who? That arrogant looking guy?"


    "Yeah you''re right. That bastards name is Renji Igarashi. He''s so full of himself. Just because he scored two goal against me, he was acting so haughty after the match." Shun intoned while gritting his teeth.


    Monolid ck eye, short ck hair, fair-skinned, Renji''s facial feature were well defined.


    unting his perfect smile by showing his clear white teeth, Renji was getting interviewed by a female reporter at that moment.


    Beeeeeeeep!!!


    "Everyone gather around." Blowing his whistle, coach Kensuke ordered everybody to gather around.


    Hearing the coach''smand, all the yers including the yers who were getting interviewed rushed towards the coach.


    "Shh!!! The trial is about to begin." Mumbled Shun.


    And as all the yers gathered beside the coaches, the coaches then began to speak something. Since Hiro and Shun both were far away from the coaches, they couldn''t hear the conversation taking ce in the pitch.


    After a while, except twenty something yers, the rest of the yers began to head towards the stands.


    The remaining twenty yers then positioned themselves in an running position outside the pitch.


    "So for the first round they''ll test their speed?" Hiro mumbled.


    "You''re half correct and half wrong." Shun spoke while shaking his head. "They''ll be sprinting in the sidelines and slowing down in endline. And they''ll be doing this for 5ps without stopping. And while they''ll be doing this their data will be calcted by the analyst present in sidelines."


    "You see those 4 guys dressed inplete ck dress withptops?" Shun continued while pointing at four guys seated in the stands opposite to them.


    Turning his gaze towards the four guys, Hiro nodded his head. But he still couldn''t get how those four guys could calcte the data of that many yers. Since there weren''t many people present their to record the data.


    And thus, feeling all curious, Hiro questioned, "But how will those four guys record the data of this many yers?"


    As if Shun was expecting that question from him, Shun grinned and replied with a confident tone, "Do you see those ck bibs with the numbers which the yers are wearing?"


    Hiro nodded his head.


    "There''s a tiny chip installed in those bibs. And there''s also a sensor ced at each corner of the pitch. So everytime those yers reaches the corner, their data will be collected by using some kind software by those analyst. That''s how they''ll record their data." Puffing his chest, Shun exined in a confident tone.

 Chapter 127 Caught

    127 Caught


    With no change in his facial expression, Hiro then murmured softly after hearing Shun''s exnation, "So they''re using technology to record the data."


    Seeing no changes in Hiro''s facial expression, Shun looked quite shocked. He then questioned while staring at Hiro with his eyes wide open, "You''re not shocked to hear about such an amazing technology?"


    ''Although I haven''t experienced it myself. But I have seen way more advanced technology than these in my previous life.'' Thought Hiro after hearing Shun''s questions.


    But obviously he couldn''t say that to him. Thus, he immediately thought of an excuse, "I have read about it before that in Europe these kind of technologies are quitemon."


    Hearing Hiro''s reply, Shun frowned his brow. He looked quite disappointed.


    And while the two of them were talking about technology, the people''s standing beside them suddenly started to cheer.


    Hearing their loud cheers, Hiro and Shun both of them startlingly turned their attention towards the pitch.


    "Look, the test has started." Speaking such, Hiro tried to distract Shun.


    And since the sidelines weren''t that big enough to amodate all those twenty yers at once, they again paired five yers and formed a group of four.


    And in an interval of 15 seconds, one after the other, the four group of yers started running.


    **** ****


    And as the final group of yerspleted their run, the first test finally came to an end. Completely drenched in sweat, all the yers seemed extremely exhausted.


    The first test took about an hour toplete. And almost half of the yers in the field were sent home after the end of the first test.


    With almost half of the yers eliminated, there were about 40 something yers left in the field for the second test.


    "Man!! This is brutal. Almost half of them were wiped out." Mumbled Hiro while looking at the yers who were walking out of the ground.


    Along with the yers who were eliminated, their supporters too started to exit the youth facility. Sweaty, pale, breathless and tired, many of the yers who were eliminated looked extremely gloomy.


    While there were few optimistic ones, most of the eliminated yers were all pessimistic. And there were few who were even making a fuss at the ground by saying that the evaluation was unfair and rigged.


    "I finished way ahead of him. So why is he selected and I''m eliminated? Is it because he''s one of your rtives?" One of the yer in the field shouted furiously, expressing his dissatisfaction with the result of the test.


    "He''s a keeper. And you''re a striker. So you expect a keeper to run faster than a striker?" Coach Kensuke replied calmly.


    But still the guy continued to yell. Because of the grief of not being selected, he wasn''t willing to listen to the logic of the coaching staffs.


    "Everytime. Everytime there''ll be some yers like this." As if he was used to seeing such scene, Shun mumbled casually while looking at the yers who were causing ruckus on the field.


    "If they continue to protest in the pitch then the test will be dyed. So now what will the club do?" Frowning his brows, Hiro questioned with a concerned look on his face.


    "Nothing much. Either they''ll leave on their own or they''ll get forcefully kicked out." Shun replied.


    "Look they''re already here." Shun continued while pointing towards the main gate.


    From the main gate, four guys dressed in guard uniform were making their way towards the U-18 pitch.


    While looking at the guards in confusion, Hiro questioned, "I thought we only had one guard in our hostel. Howe there''s four new extra guards today?"


    "You''re right. We do have only one guard. But those guys are temporary guards hired by the club to deal with this kind of situation."


    Seeing the guards, some protesters voluntarily exited the pitch. While the few who were left in the pitch were forcibly carried outside the facility.


    "Jeez!! Never expected that football trials would get this chaotic." Hiro mumbled. "That''s why we''regging behind the world. You don''t get to see such scenes in Europe."


    Since Shun couldn''t deny his ims, he too consented to Hiro''s ims and nodded his head.


    Although the test was indeed unfair to those yers who were technically gifted and physically weak, there were few reasons for the club to focus on physically well candidates.


    Firstly, by selecting yers with excellent physicality, the club would drastically decrease the chances of injuries.


    Secondly, they could deploy the yer right away. Thirdly and most importantly, professional clubs were leaning towards yers with excellent physicality instead of once creatively gifted yers.


    Top level coaches preferred fast and steady yers just like Mbappe and Hand. With the coaches leaning towards yers with pace and stamina, the era of creative yers like Messi, Neymar wasing to an end.


    After themotion died down, the second test continued smoothly without any interruption.


    For the second test, the remaining yers were made to perform some of the drills such as pass-receive-shoot and few other drills which they used to do every morning and evening.


    And while the second test was taking ce in full swing, manager Makoto then suddenly started to walk towards them. Although he wasn''t looking at their direction, he was definitely walking towards their direction.


    Noticing him walking towards their direction, Hiro started to feel anxious, "Do you think manager Makoto has noticed us?"


    Shun too was starting to get anxious, "He''s not looking at us. So may be not."


    Since a lot of spectators had left the facility, there weren''t as many people as before to cover them up.


    And thus, if they decided to run at that moment, they would look even more suspicious.


    The two of them tried to hide their faces and turned around to avoid locking eyes with manager Makoto. Manager Makoto however continued to walk towards them.


    During the earliermotion, Makoto had already noticed them. However Hiro and Shun who were too focused on the guards, couldn''t notice that they had been seen by manager.


    Finally after getting closed to them, manager Makoto spoke, "You two guys wouldn''t happen to be Hiro and Shun, right?"

 Chapter 128 Volunteers

    Chapter 128 Volunteers


    Hearing manager Makoto''s voice, their heart skipped a beat. Meekly exchanging nces with each other, they then began to gesture each other on what to do.


    "Now what? Should we run??" Shun mumbled meekly.


    Frowning his brows, Hiro replied in his muffled voice, "Didn''t you hear him? He has already noticed us. So there''s no point in running now. We''ll only get punished more severely if we do that."


    And while the two of them were taking their sweet time, talking and gesturing each other, manager Makoto was getting extremely impatient by their unresponsiveness.


    "I know it''s you two. So you two better turn around this instant." Makoto yelled.


    Hearing his furious roar, the two of them nearly jumped on their toes. They then slowly turned around to face manager Makoto.


    Furrowing his brows and ring his nostrils, Makoto was standing inside the pitch, looking like a furious grizzly bear trapped inside a cage.


    "Didn''t we tell you to stay inside the hostel? So what are you two doing here?" Makoto questioned as soon as they turned around.


    Hiro quickly lowered his head and apologized sincerely, "Sorry sir. I was just curious about the trial."


    Seeing Hiro bowing his head, Shun too quickly lowered his head and apologized, "Sorry sir."


    "He''s new here." Makoto spoke sounding somewhat disappointed, while looking at Hiro. He then immediately turned his attention towards Shun and continued, "But you''ve been here for 3 years already Shun. And you know how much I hate undisciplined yers. And yet you still broke the rule and came to the pitch. Being a senior why didn''t you stop him?"


    Hearing manager Makoto''s words, Shun could only keep his head bowed down and apologize.


    "It''s all my fault sir. He''s not at fault. Because of my curiosity, I forced him to take me to the field." Hiro apologized and tried to take all the me on him.


    Hearing Hiro''s words, Shun while bowing his head, turned his head towards Hiro. Looking at Hiro with eyes full of admiration, Shun was touched by Hiro''s words.


    Despite it being their idea to sneak at the pitch, Hiro was taking all the me on himself now that they were caught.


    And because of that reason Shun was starting to feel guilty. Thus, out of guilt, Shun was about to confess everything truthfully.


    But before he could confess, manager Makoto interjected him, "I understand that you''re curious. But you two have still broken the rule, so you two will definitely get punishedter in the evening. But for now,e inside. We''re in need of some volunteers anyway."


    That statement of manager Makoto was totally out of their expectation. Although they weren''t exempted from the punishment, they were still invited to the pitch for the time being.


    And as Hiro heard that statement, Hiro quickly lifted his head and thanked manager Makoto, "Thank you sir. Thank you for inviting us inside."


    Seeing Hiro''s cheerful expression, Makoto shrugged, "Don''t get overtly excited. You''ll still be receiving your punishment in the evening."


    Standing beside Hiro with his head bowed down, Shun who was about to confess everything truthfully was left dumbfounded.


    And seeing Shun still standing with his head bowed down, Makoto spoke, "You too can lift your head up now."


    "Yes sir. Thank you sir." Lifting his head up, Shun immediately thanked manager Makoto.


    The two of them then headed inside the field.


    "Who are those two?" An anonymous guy standing outside the field questioned.


    "They must be academy yers." Another bald headed old guy standing beside him replied.


    Walking inside the field as volunteers, they were tasked with collecting the balls and assisting the coaches.


    And even with the addition of Hiro and Shun, the test progressed rather smoothly.


    And just as another drill of the second test was about to begin, Makoto called Hiro towards him.


    Having been called by the manager, Hiro hurriedly ran towards the side of the manager.


    "Hiro can you demonstrate the drill for them?" Manager Makoto asked him to demonstrate the drill that was about to take ce.


    Hiro nodded his head.


    "So everyone please pay attention to him. He''ll be demonstrating you the drill that you''ll have to perform." Makoto announced while pointing at Hiro.


    "Who''s he?"


    "He looks younger than some of us."


    "Is he an academy yer?"


    Upon hearing the coach''s announcement, they began to judge Hiro. Staring at Hiro with eyes full of scepticism, the yers began to chatter about Hiro.


    However that reaction from the yers waspletely natural. Afterall until then the coach''s were demonstrating the drills. But out of nowhere a young guy who looked even younger than them showed up and became the demonstrator. They simply couldn''t help but fell doubtful about the ability of Hiro.


    And among those doubtful eyes, one person raised his hand to question the decision of the coach.


    Fair-skinned, ck hair and good-looking, that hand belonged to Renji Igarashi.


    Seeing his raised hands, manager Makoto answered, "Yes!!"


    Without any hesitation, Renji first scanned Hiro a bit and answered, "Sorry sir if I sound disrespectful. But this guy looks even younger than some of us. So I just can''t help but question why you decided to make him our drill instructor. Would he even be able to demonstrate the drill properly?"


    Faced with Renji''s question, Makoto grinned and replied, "He''s been doing these drills for 6, 7 months now. So I''m sure he can demonstrate the skill well."


    Hearing Makoto''s ims about Hiro, Renji put his hands down and silently nodded his head. He had no intention to challenge the authority of the coaches.


    "So if all of your doubts have been cleared up then shall we continue the test?" Makoto intoned while tapping his hands gently.


    Hearing the coach''s question, nobody spoke anything and they all remainedpletely silent.


    After that they all made their way outside the pitch, towards the sidelines. Hiro on the other hand made his way towards the right nk.


    Standing 40 yards away from the goalpost, he positioned himself in the right nk preparing to make his run.


    The drill which they were going to perform that time was quite simple. From 40 yards away he''d have to make his run towards the goalpost while another yer would supply him with the cross from the left nk.


    And he''d have to sprint so that he could receive the cross. And after receiving the cross, he''d have to either shoot the ball without trapping or shoot the ball after trapping.


    The post wasn''t obviously empty, since there was a ced infront of the post. And only the bottom and the top corner had a hole in the.


    So along with running and shooting, he''d have to score the goal in those four corners as well.

 Chapter 129 Worthy one

    Chapter 129 Worthy one


    That drill was specifically designed to test their speed and precision.


    And as Hiro positioned himself to make the run, manager Makoto said to the yers, "Everyone pay attention now."


    Getting everyone''s attention, manager Makoto then sounded the whistle which he was carrying inside his pocket.


    Beep!!


    Hearing the sound of the whistle, Hiro started to make his run. Just in mere few seconds, he achieved his top eleration. Sprinting like a wild horse, he sprinted towards the goalpost.


    At the same time, coach Kensuke who was tasked with crossing the ball towards Hiro, released the ball from his feet.


    Witnessing his speed, every yer who were standing on the sidelines looked at him with their eyes open wide. And even those yers who were proud of their pace couldn''t stop themselves from looking at Hiro in awe. They all were stunned.


    Shun who was rather focused on the yers instead of Hiro, curled his lips slightly and mumbled in a satiated manner, "As expected."


    The ball released from coach Kensuke''s feet was directly heading towards the outer edge of the penalty box.


    And Hiro who had already predicted the path of the ball, slightly lifted himself up from the ground and gently trapped the ball in his chest. Without wasting anytime, he thenunched the ball towards the top left corner of the post.


    Witnessing his otherworldly volley, the yers present in the field, all of them held their breathes.


    The ball swiftly flew towards the hole in the top left corner andnded inside the post.


    And just as the ballnded inside the post, almost all the yers burst out into celebration. As if it was them who had scored the goal, they simply couldn''t hold back themselves from celebrating.


    "Woah!!!!" yers began to cheer as the ballnded inside the post.


    Although it was only a demonstration, to them it felt like watching a veteran yer performing his magic.


    Hearing their cheers, Makoto''s lips curled as he revealed a subtle smile on his face. He looked satiated as if his purpose had been fulfilled.


    The whole reason behind asking Hiro to demonstrate the drill was to uplift the mood of the yers. And judging by the reaction which the yers were disying, manager Makoto believed that his purpose had been fulfilled.


    While almost every yer were cheering for him, there were few yers who were still not satisfied with the demonstration. They were saying; it was just a coincident or Hiro had been lucky.


    To rile up the yers even more and to clear the doubts of the doubtful yers, Makoto shouted, "Once more. But this time no trapping. You have to perform one shot volley towards the bottom right corner of the post."


    Without replying anything, Hiro simply nodded his head and walked back towards his position.


    "What?? He''s doing it again. And he have to do it ording to the manager''s will."


    Frowning their brows, some yers started to feel concerned. They felt that manager was just pushing him too much and he couldn''t do it as mentioned by the manager.


    "Just trapping that insane cross is already difficult. And he wants to make him perform one shot volley. Further more he also needs to aim the ball at the selected ce." One of the yersmented while staring at the post.


    The gaps in thes were barely big enough to fit two footballs. And to score a one shot volley from outside the box while also analysing the trajectory of the ball, it seemed near to impossible without perfect ball control, vision and precision.


    And as the yers started to chatter, the ambience around the field suddenly started to get a little noisy.


    "Okay then everyone pay attention again. Afterall, after this demonstration it''s your turn to perform." Shouted manager Makoto to make them shut their mouths.


    Hearing themand of the manager, they then immediately shut their mouth and focused their attention towards Hiro.


    "Ready Hiro?" Makoto yelled.


    Keeping his gaze fixated at the post infront, Hiro nodded his head.


    Beep!!


    Once again as soon as he heard the sound of the whistle, Hiro took a quick nce at coach Kensuke and sprinted towards the goalpost.


    That time around there was an unusual spin on the ball.


    ''It''s heading inside the box??'' He thought after predicting the trajectory of the ball. ''Wait no!! It''s curving."


    After attaining it''s maximum height, the ball curved.


    And because of that curve, Hiro too decelerated.


    "He''s decelerating." Mumbled one of the yers after noticing Hiro''s deceleration.


    The ball then began to fall down towards the penalty arc.


    Right before the ball fell down, Hiro stretched his right leg. And just as the ball was about to hit the ground, his feet made contact with the ball.


    Bam!!!!


    Sound simr to that of balloon exploding reverberated just as Hiro''s leg made contact with the ball.


    Swoosh!!!


    Without touching the blocking, the ball passed through the hole in the bottom right corner and made a swoosh sound as it made contact with the of the post.


    The already shocked yers were now even more shocked. They were all speechless. As if their brain couldn''t even process all the information, they simply stood on their spot,pletely dazed.


    Finally one of the yer broke the silence, "So this is the level of Kawasaki Frontale''s U-18 team."


    "Are other yer in the team, monsters like him?" Mumbled another guy while staring at Hiro with his eyes wide open.


    As if their soul had left their body, some of the yers looked quite gloomy. While there were few yers who were standing on their toes looking quite excited.


    Among them one was Akihiro Yamada. With a crooked smile on his face, his eyes were gleaming with excitement.


    ''I need to get in this team. No matter what. I need to get selected. Only such yers can receive my passes.'' Thought Akihiro looking all excited.


    "Now then the demonstration is over. So shall we continue our test." Manager Makoto spoke.


    Makoto''s words brought everybody back to their senses.


    Few of the yers who looked excited, replied cheerfully, "Yess sir!!!!"

 Chapter 130 Punishment

    Chapter 130 Punishment


    During the evening time, when the sky dusked and the shadows got long and hard, silhouette of two persons were seen moving in the field.


    Runningps around the field, Hiro and Shun were getting punished for their earlier actions.


    While Hiro lookedpletely fine, the same couldn''t be said to Shun. Sweaty, out of breath and his tongue sticking out, Shun was extremely exhausted.


    Lookingpletely out of breath, Shun mumbled while trying to catch up to Hiro who was about 10 steps away from him, "Hiro... Wait... Wait for me."


    Slowing down his pace, Hiro who''s shirt was already soaked with his sweat, replied, "Hurry up. We still have 5 moreps left."


    "5 moreps..." With the pitch of his voice increasing, Shun exasperated as if he was on the verge of copsing.


    Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!


    Panting heavily and running as if he had hurt his legs, Shun continued, "We''ve already run 20ps around the field."


    With his feets twitching and his leg muscles convulsing, Shun was starting to stumble.


    Hiro who had already been holding back himself by running alongside Shun, matching his pace, turned around. And as he turned around, Hiro found Shun wobbling while trying his best to prevent himself from copsing out of exhaustion and pain.


    Seeing the miserable state of Shun, Hiro ran backwards and grabbed Shun''s arm and prevented him from falling down.


    "We''ve already run 20ps, so let''s give our best andplete this five moreps andplete our punishment." Hiro tried to encourage Shun.


    "It''s not fair. You''re a midfielder, so running 25ps isn''t a big deal for you. But I''m a goalkeeper." Shunined about the unfairness of the punishment. "The most I''ve ever run is 15ps. And today I''ve already broken my own record"


    "My feet is already turning numb from pain. And it feels like I''m carrying 20 kg weight in my feet. Every step feels so heavy." Shun continued to whine.


    Even so, with Hiro''s support, he didn''t stop. And despite the pain, he continued to run.


    Finally after about 20 minutes more, Shunpleted the punishment alongside Hiro who supported him and prevented him from falling down midway.


    Completely exhausted and drenched in sweat, Shun copsed on the ground just as Hiro released him.


    "Good work there." Hiroplimented Shun for his perseverance, trying to cheer him up. "You''ve set a new record for yourself."


    Shun who was lying on the ground was struggling to stabilise his breath. His heart was racing and his face looked flushed. And because of the exhaustion, he couldn''t even bring himself to speak.


    Witnessing his miserable state, Hiro bent down and grabbed Shun''s legs. He then began to massage Shun''s leg to prevent it from cramping.


    While massaging Shun''s legs, Hiro asked with a concerned look on his face, "Are you alright? Or should I inform coach and ask him to take you to the infirmary?"


    While lying on the pitch, Shun shook his head. He then lifted his hand and gave him a thumbs up.


    Witnessing his gesture, Hiro revealed a slight smile and mumbled in a low voice, "Don''t try to act cool now. I''ll go and ask coach for some spray and bandages."


    Saying such Hiro released Shun''s legs and began to make his way outside the pitch.


    While making his way towards the coach''s office, he found few of the guys of U-18 team sneakilying out from the manager Makoto''s office.


    Hiding behind the corner, so that they couldn''t notice him, Hiro began to wonder the purpose behind theming out of Makoto''s office, ''Shotaro, Shunsuke, Takeshi, Yutaro. Why are theying out of manager''s office?''


    Sneakilying out of manager''s office, they then hurriedly ran away. And since Hiro had hidden himself perfectly, they didn''t notice his presence.


    Just as they left, Hiro walked out of the corner. Looking at the sight of them leaving, Hiro couldn''t help but think something negative after seeing them sneakilying out of the manager''s office, ''Did they still something from manager''s office? Or did they perhaps alter some documents?''


    Since Hiro didn''t have any decisive proof, he could only specte.


    With no solid evidence, he couldn''t simply frame them as well.


    "Should I report it to manager?" Mumbled Hiro to himself. "But if I do that then they might turn against me. And it might also divide the team. So let''s just keep it to myself."


    While he was standing in the hallway, thinking on what to do, he noticed manager Makoto walking down the stairs.


    "Let''s just keep it to myself. I''ll ask for Naoto''s suggestionter." Mumbling such, he decided to not tell about them sneaking inside manager''s office for the time being.


    Hiro then rushed towards the manager to ask him for few bandages and muscle cooling sprays.


    **** ****


    While Hiro was gone, Shun was still lying on the ground. By that time he had stabilized his heartbeat and breathing.


    "No wonder people like him. He''s got such a pleasant personality. And although he doesn''t talk a lot. You can just tell by his actions that he cares." Shun mumbled while staring at the sky above him.


    Few stars were starting to get visible as the sky was starting to turn darker.


    Even Shun knew that earlier Hiro was holding himself back by matching his pace.


    "That Masao boy may not even know it. But despite that you helped him without asking anything in return."


    His heart filled with admiration, Shun couldn''t stop himself from admiring Hiro.


    But then suddenly his face darkened as he squinted his eyes, "But not every people value kindness this day. I fear that someday your kindness will bring you big trouble."


    Although he was grateful to Hiro, Shun was also concerned about Hiro. Since Hiro was overtly kind to everyone and as a friend Shun feared that people will take advantage of his kindness.


    As he was thinking such, a gust of refreshing cold breeze blew past him. As if the breeze was telling him that he was worrying for nothing, the breeze woke him up.


    At that moment Hiro too came back with bandages and muscle cooling spray in his hands.

 Chapter 131 Farewell Naoto

    Chapter 131 Farewell Naoto


    Later in the night, after having his dinner, Hiro decided to visit Naoto regarding the earlier incident which he witnessed.


    Including Naoto, most of the senior yer''s room was on the third floor.


    Climbing up the stairs, Hiro made his way towards Naoto''s room, cautiously. Since he was going to talk about something sensitive, he was fearful to reveal the information and he was also somewhat scared to be found out by those yers who sneaked into the manager''s office earlier.


    Step!! Step!!


    Walking up the stairs, he could see the end of the staircase. But he didn''t rush. Infact the more closer he got towards the end of the staircase, the more slower he got.


    Climbing the final step, he sneakily hid behind the walls. For few seconds he stayed still at his ce to hear any kind of sounding from the hallway.


    The hallway however was ghastly silent.


    He then sneakily took a peek at the hallway. Bright light of LED bulb had lit up the entire hallway. Doors closed, empty hallway coupled with his fears, the empty hallway looked very sinister.


    He then looked to his left and to his right. But the hallway still remained empty and ghastly silent.


    ''Seems like everybody''s inside their own room.'' Hiro thought after checking the hallway couple of times.


    After confirming that nobody was present in the hallway, he began to walk towards Naoto''s room, cautiously.


    Naoto''s room was at the end of the hallway. After walking for couple of seconds, he finally reached Naoto''s room,pletely undetected.


    Standing infront of Naoto''s room, he then turned his gaze towards the direction where he came from, just in case.


    With nobody in sight, the hallway still remainedpletely empty. After confirming that nobody had seen him, he gently knocked on the door.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    Hearing the knock on the door, Tatsuki who shared room with Naoto answered, "Yese inside. The door is open."


    Twisting the handle, Hiro opened the door and entered the room.


    Seeing Hiro, Tatsuki who was performing push-ups on the floor, stopped his action and spoke, "Oh it''s you Hiro. Are you here for some workouts?"


    "I doubt if he''d have any energy left in him after that run." Naoto who was sitting on his bed with his back leaning against the wall with a book in his hand, joined in.


    "Hahaha... You''re right. After running that manyps on the field, I too doubt if he''d have any energy left in him." Tatsuki chuckled and nodded his head.


    While the two of them were joking, Hiro quickly entered the room and closed the door. As if he was getting chased by someone, he looked quite nervous.


    Upon witnessing his unusual behaviour, Tatsuki quickly dropped his smile and asked with a concerned look on his face, "Are you alright? Is something bothering you?"


    Hiro however remainedpletely silent for few seconds.


    "You can tell us if something''s bothering you. We''re like your own brothers." Tatsuki assured while trying tofort Hiro.


    Naoto too dropped the book he was holding and turned his attention towards Hiro. Naoto being smarter than Tatsuki, he could somewhat guess that something was bothering Hiro.


    "You can speakfortably. Nobody''s gonna hear us." Naoto assured.


    Hearing Naoto''s words, Hiro felt a bit at ease. He then walked towards Naoto''s bed and sat down.


    "Umm... Today at around evening time, I saw Shotaro, Shunsuke, Takeshi and Yutaro sneakilying out of manager Makoto''s office when he wasn''t present in the office." Hiro revealed.


    As soon as Tatsuki heard about the thing which was troubling Hiro, Tatsuki burst out intoughter, "Hahaha... And here I thought it was something serious."


    Unable to understand the reason behind Tatsuki''sughter, Hiro was left dumbfounded.


    "Isn''t it a serious issue? Like they snuck into manager''s office without permission." Hiro exasperated.


    "Indeed what they''ve done is wrong. But I can assure you, they weren''t in the office to steal or alter anything. They probably had snuck into the office to look at the name of the newly recruited yers. Since some of us will be graduating from U-18 team, they were probably curious about their new teammate." Naoto tried to clear his doubt in a gentle tone.


    "But isn''t  it still wrong to sneak into manager''s office?" Hiro argued.


    Since he believed that it was wrong to sneak into manager''s office without his permission regardless of one''s reason, Hiro simply couldn''t agree with their point of view.


    "Says the one who himself snuck into the pitch today." Tatsuki joked.


    ''How can you be professional if you justify such absurdity.'' Thought Hiro while ring at Tatsuki.


    Tatsuki however didn''t notice his re because he was busyughing.


    "Don''t worry about it Hiro. I agree with you. I agree that what they''ve done is wrong. And I as your captain will definitely talk to them." Naoto tried to calm him down.


    "Ex captain." Tatsuki continued to joke.


    Infact Naoto and few other guys who were graduating high school at the end of march were leaving the team.


    And with the departure of the second choice goalkeeper of Kawasaki Frontale club, Naoto who had already secured a professional contract was going to y as third choice goalkeeper for the senior team.


    Along with Naoto, Kazuya who had also secured a pro contract was going to y for the senior team.


    And rest of the yers who didn''t manage to secure pro contract and were also graduating high school were leaving the academy to join university team or other amateur or professional teams.


    Departure of old yers and arrival of new yers at the beginning of each new session, such scenarios were quitemon in professional football academy.


    "Yeah as your ex captain, I want to say that I enjoyed ying football with you Hiro. I know that you''ll soon make it to the professional stage as well. If lucky we can see each other in national U-21 team. If not I''ll have to work hard to y with you in senior national team." Naoto spoke while looking Hiro in the eyes.


    And while speaking such, his eyes moistened a bit. But to hide the tears forming in his eyes, he immediately smiled and continued, "But just remember that it''s not a goodbye. We''ll meet again. Who knows I''d even get to y with you when you turn sixteen. Hahaha"

 Chapter 132 Student ID card

    Chapter 132 Student ID card


    Monday, April 4, 2022


    Just as the sound of the school bell chimed for lunch break, Hiro who was in his 2nd year of middle school began to pack his bag.


    Alongside Rin who was still somewhat chubby, Masao who had lost considerable amount of weight, approached Hiro while he was packing his bag.


    And unlike before, Masao''s face looked quite cheerful. He no longer seemed like that meek looking guy whom he met during his first day at school.


    Masato and his underlings had also been separated. And now only two of Masato''s previous underlings were studying together with them in the same ssroom.


    cing his hands atop Hiro''s desk, Rin leaned his body against Hiro''s desk and spoke, "So the day hase, huh?"


    Hiro who was still packing his bag, nodded his head and replied, "It''s the day of my debut."


    "Sometimes I feel quite envious of you. Like you''ve got good looks, you''re good at sports and now you''re even ying in the premier league despite being only 13 years old." Rin mumbled while staring at him, sounding quite envious.


    "Hahaha... Thanks for thepliment. And as much as I want to converse with you two, I''d have to leave for now. The match will be starting soon." Hiro giggled and thanked Rin for hispliments.


    Hiro then rose from his seat and grabbed his bag. And as he was about to leave, he turned around to say something, "Aren''t you guys gonna wish me luck?"


    Hearing his words, both Rin and Masao smiled and spoke in unison, "Best of luck for your match."


    And as Hiro was about to thank the two of them, the other students present in the ss suddenly wished him luck as well, "''Best of luck for your match Hiro"''


    Their well wishes totally caught him off-guard and left him bbergasted. Nevertheless, he was still happy to receive such warm well wishes from his ssmates.


    Thus, he immediately bowed his head down and thanked them all, "Thank you everyone."


    After thanking his ssmates for their well wishes, Hiro then hurriedly left the ss.


    And since he was the only yer from middle school who was going to y in the premier league from his team, the team bus had to make a trip to his school to pick him up.


    Hurriedly making his way outside the main building, Hiro was running towards the main gate. But as he reached the main gate, he was stopped by the guard.


    "Where are you going student? The school hasn''t ended yet." Spoke the old man dressed in guard uniform while standing infront of the school gate.


    "I''m Takahashi Hiro. Hasn''t the principal already informed you about my departure?" Hiro questioned in a state of hurry.


    "The principal has indeed informed me about the departure of one of the yers. Wait let me check who it was." Saying such, the guard began to rummage through his pocket.


    And after few seconds, he took out a slip from his pocket and began to read, "Takahashi Hiro."


    "Yup that''s me. So can I leave now?" Hiro nodded his head and started to walk towards the gate.


    But he was once again stopped by the guard, "Show me your ID first?"


    The guard then asked for his identification to prove that he was indeed the student mentioned by the principal.


    "Fine!" Hiro gabbled and then began to rummage through his bag for his student ID. But he couldn''t find it.


    Unable to find his ID card he started to panic, "It''s not here!!"


    He poured all his books and stationaries out of his bag, onto the floor to look for his ID card.


    And while he was searching for his ID card, looking all panicked, the guard spoke in his husky voice, "No ID, no gate pass."


    Since he believed that Hiro would start to make some excuses by saying that he forgot his ID and plead to let him go, he made it clear to Hiro that he wouldn''t let him pass unless either the principal asks him to or he could prove his identity.


    Honk!! Honk!!


    While Hiro was searching for his ID card, honking sound of a vehicle came from outside the gate.


    "Now who is it?" Mumbling such in an irritated manner, the old guard began to make his way towards the main gate.


    And just as he opened the main gate, a fat old man dressed in ck suit with silvery white hair and round face, appeared infront of his sight. That man was manager Makoto.


    "Yes!! Who are you looking for?" Answered the guard while looking at the man infront.


    And even though he had never seen Makoto before, he was still polite to Makoto because of his job as a guard and because of Makoto''s appearance.


    "I''m here to pick one of our yer. His name is Takahashi Hiro. Would you please call him as fast as possible. I''ve already informed the principal about his leave." Makoto hurriedly replied.


    "Is he the yer you''ve been looking for?" The guard asked while pointing  at Hiro who was still searching for his ID card, letting Makoto to take a peak at Hiro from outside the gate.


    Witnessing the sight of Hiro infront of him, Makoto immediately answered, "Yes. He''s the one I''m talking about."


    But still the manager''s words wasn''t enough to convince him to let Hiro go, "Sorry sir. But I still can''t let him go unless I could see his ID card or I get the green light from our principal."


    Witnessing the guards stubbornness despite him confirming about Hiro''s identity, Makoto''s face started to turn red from anger.


    Since the match was going to start from 2 PM sharp, they had about an hour and half left to reach the stadium. Thus, the gatekeepers stubbornness was getting on his nerves.


    However he still suppressed his anger and went back to get his phone to call the principal.


    And just as manager Makoto left towards the bus to get his phone, Masao came running towards Hiro.


    Hiro who was still searching for his ID card was too focused on finding his ID that he didn''t even notice Masao nor manager Makoto.


    Finally upon reaching Hiro, Masao paused and began to gasp for breath. While gasping for breath, Masao took out Hiro''s ID card from his pocket and handed it to Hiro, "You dropped... Your.... ID"


    Looking at the hand stretched infront of him, Hiro slowly raised his head and found Masao panting heavily.


    Taking off the ID card from Masao''s hand, Hiro rose up and hugged Masao, "Thank you Masao. Thank you very much."

 Chapter 133 Kawasaki vs Maebashi I

    Chapter 133 Kawasaki vs Maebashi I


    After releasing Masao from his embrace, Hiro handed his ID to the guard infront. The guard then took a quick nce at his ID card. And as he confirmed Hiro''s identity, he finally permitted him to leave.


    "You can go." The guard spoke while handing him back his ID card.


    Taking the ID from the guard''s hand, Hiro then hurriedly put his books and stationaries which were scattered on the ground, inside his bag.


    And just as he was about to exit the main gate, he stopped infront of the gate and turned around. He then curled his lips a bit and spoke, "Remember this face and remember the name. I''ll be leaving the school quite frequently after today."


    Hearing Hiro''s words, the old guard''s mouth twitched a little.


    And although it wasn''t Hiro''s intention to sound arrogant, his words and attitude still made him look quite arrogant in guard''s eyes.


    Saying such, Hiro then stepped outside of the gate. And just as he stepped outside, he bumped into manager Makoto who wasing towards the gate with his phone.


    Upon getting bumped with Hiro, manager Makoto nearly dropped his phone. However he still somehow managed to save his phone from falling down.


    "Sorry sir... Sorry sir..." Hiro began to apologize.


    "It''s okay. I was just about to call your principal. But since you''re already out here, let''s hurry." Makoto spoke in a hurry. "Let''s go. We have to reach the venue as soon as possible."


    The two of them then hurriedly rushed towards the bus.


    After boarding the bus, Hiro then walked towards the empty seat beside Shun.


    "Took you quite long." Shunmented.


    "Well I lost my ID and the guard wasn''t willing  to let me go without my ID." Hiro replied.


    And as he sat down, the driver hit on the gas pedal. On the way, he borated about his reason for beingte.


    **** ****


    After about more than half an hour bus ride, they finally arrived at the venue.


    Maebashi Ikuei HS football ground.


    It was the home ground of the team that they were going to y against, Maebashi Ikuei High School which was located in Gunma prefecture.


    And as the bus stopped, coach Makoto rose from his seat and spoke, "Everybody step outside in a queue. Don''t rush. Don''t panic. Stay calm ande down in an orderly manner. Remember, no pushing."


    Speaking such manager Makoto stepped outside of the bus. Followed by him other coaches too stepped outside, one by one.


    In an orderly fashion, one after other, all of the yers boarded off the bus.


    Aftering out of the bus, Hiro began to stretch his arms, "So this is Maebashi Ikuei High School."


    Magnificent four storey building which covered a vast area, a huge gate, a huge empty space infront of the school building, few trees and decorations, the school seemed just like any typical highschool from anime.


    And looking from infront, one couldn''t even see the stadium.


    While he was analysing the school infront, other yers were busy taking out their luggage from the bus.


    "Let''s head inside quickly." Manager Makoto spoke and began to make his way inside the school.


    After walking for a while, they then arrived at the ground where the match was going to take ce.


    About 100 yards in length and 50 yards in width, the ground infront looked quite simr to their home ground.


    However unlike their ground which was equipped with flood lights and sprinklers, Maebashi''s ground looked quite nd aspared to their home ground.


    ''Well it''s only natural for highschools to have such field. Afterall clubs are funded by several rich sponsors.'' Thought Hiro while making his way towards the changing room.


    And as he was making his way towards the changing room with his teammates, he noticed some yers dressed in green and white jersey warming up in the field.


    They were the yers of Maebashi Ikuei HS. And since they were going to y in their own home ground, unlike them, they had already arrived at the pitch about an hour before.


    "So they are the yers of Kawasaki Frontale''s U-18 team." One of the yer of Maebashi Ikuei HSmented while looking at the direction of Hiro and his teammates.


    "They look quite intimidating." Another yer added.


    "What''s there to be afraid? They don''t  even have two of their star yers Naoto and Kazuya."


    "But even without Naoto and Kazuya, they''re still a force to be reckon with. So don''t drop your guard against them." yer with number 7 on his back who was also wearing the captain armband reminded his teammates that even without two of their star yers, they should still be cautious of them.


    "Yes Naoya is right." Another yer with number 10 on his back nodded his head.


    Just as Hiro and his teammates finished changing into their ck and blue jersey, manager Makoto entered the locker room.


    Seeing manager Makoto, everybody sat down and shut their mouth.


    "Has everyone finished changing?" Manager Makoto questioned them while standing in the middle.


    All of them nodded their head.


    "Then let''s go through our strategy once again." Speaking such, he walked towards the strategy board. "Everybody. Now pay attention."


    "Our opponents although they aren''t considered one of the favourites to win the tournament, they are still a tough nut to crack. In previous season, they had conceded only 28 goals. If not the lowest, one of the lowest in the league."


    "So you can tell that they''re quite good at defending. And they''ll stick to their usual counterattacking ystyle. So watch out for their longs balls. They are also brilliant at executing offside traps. So keep that in mind and don''t fall for it."


    "Also pay special attention to their number 7, Naoya. As I''ve said before, he has very quick feet and he''s also insanely good at shooting. So try to limit his shooting space as much as you can."


    "And you Hiro, you try to hold the ball as much as you can. That way you can create spaces for your teammates. But once you find yourself in a favourable spot. Don''t hesitate to take the shot." Manager Makoto revised the strategy which they had been working on for past few days.

 Chapter 134 Kawasaki vs Maebashi II

    Chapter 134 Kawasaki vs Maebashi II


    ?


    Maebashi Ikuei HS Takashi ground (Artificial Turf)


    A little over it''s zenith, the sun was still shining brilliantly in the vast blue sky above. Under the scorching midday heat, yers of Maebashi Ikuei HS were taking turns, shooting the ball towards their post.


    And while they were performing some shooting drills, dressed in ck and blue jersey with the crest of Kawasaki Frontale club, Hiro and his teammates were making their way towards the pitch as well after finishing their strategic meeting with their manager for their pre match warm-ups.


    "Oh... Here theye." One of the yer of Maebashi HSmented.


    "Pay attention Kota. We only have 15 minutes left before the game starts." Naoya the team captain rebuked.


    "Sorry Captain" Kota apologized and turned his attention away from Hiro''s team.


    After that all of thempletely ignored Kawasaki Frontale''s U-18 team. Completely focused on their own drills, nobody from Maebashi''s team again turned their attention towards the other side of the field where Hiro and his teammates were starting their warmups.


    "I know we''ve seen their videos before, but do you think you can crack their defence?" Shun questioned Hiro while stretching his arms.


    Hiro however replied vaguely while stretching his legs, "We''ll only know once the match starts."


    Hearing Hiro''s ambiguous reply, Shun frowned his brows. It wasn''t the answer he was hoping for.


    After about 5 minutes of stretching, Tomoyasu Hamasaki, Kawasaki Frontale U-18''s new first choice goalkeeper walked towards Hiro.


    Short ck hair, sharp pointy nose, double lid ck eyes, Tomoyasu was about 5.11 feet tall and he was in his third year of high school. Aspared to Shun who was only 5.7 feet tall, Tomoyasu looked like a Titan.


    "Hiro... Shall we shoot some balls?" Tomoyasu asked while fixing his gloves.


    Hiro nodded his head and replied, "Where do you want me to shoot the ball from?"


    "Outside the box." Tomoyasu replied and began to make his way towards the goalpost.


    Casually juggling the ball, Hiro made his way towards penalty box. Tomoyasu then gently tapped both sides of the post and tried to rub some grass, out of habit. But since the grass of the field that they were ying that day was artificial, he couldn''t grab much of the grass.


    "Looks like Hiro and Tomoyasu are going for some shooting drills." Takeshi Ogawa, one of the midfielder of Kawasaki Frontale''s U-18 team spoke.


    "Can we join in too senior Tomoyasu?" Renji Igarashi, one of the new recruit of their team asked.


    Lifting his hands, Tomoyasu gave a thumbs up and replied, "Feel free to join in. But make sure that you don''t humiliate yourself by going against this wizard."


    "Ready senior??" Hiro asked as he positioned himself to shoot the ball.


    Tomoyasu nodded his head with a determined look on his face.


    **** ****


    After about 15 minutes, four guys dressed in bright neon green coloured t-shirt and ck sorts made their way inside the pitch. They were officials responsible for conducting the match.


    With their arrival, the coaches of both the team rushed towards them to exchange greetings.


    "Okay guys let''s get ready." Coach Kensuke spoke.


    All of them then walked outside of the pitch.


    After exchanging quick greetings and submitting the name sheet of the yers to the officials, manager Makoto returned back towards them.


    "Tomoyasu, Go." Gesturing Tomoyasu to head towards the pitch for coin toss, manager Makoto mumbled.


    Tomoyasu who was wearing the captain armband after the departure of Naoto, quickly rushed towards the pitch for coin toss.


    Winning the coin toss Tomoyasu chose to select the side of the goalpost that they were going to defend.


    Before they went inside, manager Makoto made a shortment and wished them well, "Okay guys then best of luck. y as you''ve prepared."


    [Hello everyone!! After about a year, I Haruki Shimura, thementator of the match wee all of you to the 3rd match of day 1st of Prince Takamado Cup 2022.]


    [Today we have an interesting match up between one of the favourites of the tournament and one of the defensive powerhouse team in the league.] Thementator who was seated at the sidelinesmented.


    And just as he wasmentating, following the lead of the officials, yers of both the team made their way inside the pitch side by side, lined up in a queue.


    [The yers of both the team are making their way towards the pitch. So let''s wee them with a warm apuse.]


    Not many spectators were present in the stand and only few people who had nothing to do were present in the stand that day.


    The stands which could hold about 200 people looked mostly empty and only about 30-40 people could be seen moving in the stands.


    [Winning the coin toss, Kawasaki Frontale has decided to select the side of the pitch. Which means Maebashi Ikuei HS will be kicking off.]


    The yers of both the teams then began to position themselves in their respective positions.


    Just behind Tatsuki and just above Takeshi Ogawa, Hiro positioned himself in his position of attacking midfielder.


    [With the loss of two of their star yers and several other senior yers, Kawasaki''s team has promoted many yers from U-15 team to fill the void left by their star yers.]


    [And in this match, Kawasaki Frontale has made a new record by ying a 13 year old yer. The youngest in the history of the tournament.]


    Hearing thementators announcement, yers of Maebashi began to wonder about the 13 year old kid mentioned by thementator.


    However since thementator hadn''t mentioned about the jersey number of that 13 year old kid, those guys had no idea about who that aforementioned yer was.


    "ying a 13 year old against those 16-18 year old kids? What''s the coach of Kawasaki Frontale''s team thinking?" Sounding somewhat annoyed, a grumpy old man standing in the stand mumbled.


    "Interesting!!! I wonder how talented that kid would be for a professional team to make such decision." Another anonymous individual in the stand mumbled with a smile on his face.


    Hearing the announcement of thementator, the spectators in the crowd disyed different mixed reactions. Some were annoyed, some pitying while some were excited about seeing that aforementioned yer.


    Beep!!


    With the sound of referee''s whistle, the match between Kawasaki Frontale U-18 team and Maebashi Ikuei HSmenced at exactly 2 PM sharp.


    Kicking the ball back to his team''s midfielder, Naoya began to fall back.


    Tatsuki and other forwards of Hiro''s team, calmly chased after the ball. Without rushing, they began to chase while maintaining their positions.

 Chapter 135 Kawasaki vs Maebashi III

    Chapter 135 Kawasaki vs Maebashi III


    For first few minutes yers of Maebashi Ikuei HS tried their best to attract the yers of Kawasaki Frontale by ying the ball in their middle third and defensive third.


    However Kawasaki Frontale''s yers weren''t as stupid enough to fall for their obvious trap. They had been studying Maebashi''s gamey for about a week.


    Maebashi Ikuei HS often tried to lure their opponents into their defensive third for the first 15 minutes of the game.


    And after luring their opponents towards their defensive third, they would often y long ball in the nks towards their wingers who wouldter make use of their pace and dribble the ball towards the opponent teams defensive third.


    Their wingers would then cross the ball towards their center forward who would then finish the job.


    "Tch- they''re noting for the ball." One of the centre back of Maebashi Ikuei HS clicked his tongue after seeing Kawasaki Frontale yers unwillingness to charge ahead for the ball.


    ''What happened to Tatsuki? He''s not charging recklessly like before.'' While holding onto the ball, Maebashi''s defender with number 4 on his back thought.


    Just like how they''ve studied about their opponents gamey, their opponents too have studied about their gamey.


    But since manager Makoto had adjusted their gamey while taking Hiro''s gamey into consideration, they were ying totally different than what they used to y normally.


    The defender then released the ball towards one of their defensive midfielder with number 6 on his back.


    Noticing  the pass Tatsuki who was at the middle third of the pitch quickly charged towards the yer to whom the pass was designated.


    Maebashi Ikuei HS were ying in 4-2-1-3 formation with two defensive midfielder, a sole centre midfielder and three forwards. Emphasizing more on defense, their right and left midfield was somewhat full of gaps because of absence of right midfielder and left midfielder.


    Upon noticing Tatsuki charging towards him like a bull, their defensive midfielder with number 6 on his back started to panic. And thus, in state of panic, he left his position and rushed towards the ball, fearing Tatsuki would reach the ball before him.


    The defensive midfielder then returned the ball back to the defender with number 4 on his back without trapping the ball.


    [Great decision by Yato Tachiki of Maebashi Ikuei HS. If he was even a secondte to react, Tatsuki Seko of Kawasaki Frontale would have stolen that ball before it even reached his feet.]


    Without wasting any time, Maebashi''s defender with number 4 on his back, passed the ball to another defensive midfielder with number 8 on his back who seemedpletely open.


    [Great one-two passes from yers of Maebashi Ikuei HS.] Thementatormented. [Their passes are quite urate and fast.]


    And just as the defender with number 4 on his back released the ball towards their defensive midfielder with number 8 on his back, Hiro who was preying on the ball while positioning himself at the center circle avoiding the gazes of opposing yers, rushed towards the defensive midfielder.


    [Good pass by Kumagai. But who''s that yer dashing towards Saito like a wild horse?]


    And just as Saito was about to turn around and look for his teammates to pass the ball, Hiro quickly snatched the ball away from his feet, leaving himpletely baffled.


    [Yota Saito has given the ball away. I guess he wasn''t expecting Takahashi Hiro to close up the gap between them so fast.]


    Despite losing the ball, Saito quickly recovered hisposure and began to chase after Hiro.


    Hiro however didn''t stop and began to dribble the ball forward. He then released the ball towards Kenta who was making his run in the left nk.


    Tatsuki too wasn''t sitting idle, even before Hiro released the ball towards Kenta, he had been running towards the opposing goalpost to position himself in a suitable spot.


    "Fall back!! Mark the number 7" Shouted Kumagai, the centre defender with number 4 on his back as he began to chase after Tatsuki.


    [It''s a chance for Kawasaki Frontale. Now what will Kenta do? He''s getting surrounded by Yamada and Yato.]


    While kenta was moving the ball forward, he was getting pressed by opposing right back and defensive midfielder with number 6 on his back.


    While everybody were focusing on Kenta and Tatsuki, Hiro was sneakily making his run towards the outer edge of the penalty box.


    Unable to see any gap to cross the ball inside the box, Kenta tried to shake off his mark. He tried his best to dribble past Yamada.


    But Yamada was as focused as a snake which was patiently waiting for making it''s move on it''s prey. Calm andposed, his gaze was fixated on the ball.


    Unable to dribble past Yamada, Kenta began to dribble the ball further deep into the opposing defensive third. Not because he wanted to but because he was being pressured by Yamada.


    Yamada was pressuring him towards the outline so that he would lose control of the ball and the ball would go out of bounds.


    Closing in towards the outline, Kenta then released the ball above Yato''s head, towards the outer edge of the penalty box where Hiro was making his run.


    Since Yato was guarding Kenta''s back, nobody expected him to loft the ball above Yato''s head instead of crossing the ball inside the box, towards Tatsuki.


    [A magnificent pass from Kenta. I''m sure nobody in the pitch was expecting that kind of pass from Kenta. For a moment it seemed that Kenta would lose the ball. But at thest moment, he has lofted the ball above Yato''s head, towards Hiro who waspletely unmarked.]


    Hiro then without exerting much force, kicked the ball lightly and chipped the ball above the head of the opposing defenders present inside the box.


    The ball then flew high and after attaining maximum height, it began to fall towards the top right corner.


    Maebashi''s keeper who was at the left side of the post to block unexpected shot made by Kenta rushed towards the right side to defend the ball.


    Realising that he''d not make it to the ball, he desperately dived towards the direction of the ball. However he still couldn''t reach the ball and the ball ended up inside the post.


    [Goaaaaallllllll!!!!! Kawasaki Frontale has opened the scoresheet. And what a way to open the scoresheet. That chip which passed all the defenders and even evaded the touch of Maebashi''s goalkeeper. It was simply extraordinary. Magnificent!!! Magnificent!!! Magnificent!!!] His eyes open wide as if his pupils would pop out of it, thementator couldn''t believe his eyes.

 Chapter 136 Kawasaki vs Maebashi IV

    Chapter 136 Kawasaki vs Maebashi IV


    ?


    It had only been 7 minutes since the start of the match but Maebashi Ikuei HS were already down by one goal.


    After opening the scoresheet by scoring a beautiful goal at 7 minutes and 36 seconds from outside the box, Hiro began to run towards the left corner to celebrate the goal with Kenta.


    "Nice assist." Pointing his index finger at Kenta, Hiro mumbled with a big wide grin on his face, while running towards Kenta.


    Following Hiro, all of his teammates present in the middle third and attacking third began to chase after Hiro to celebrate the goal.


    [Takahashi Hiro, remember the name. Not only has he set the record for being the youngest yer to y in Premier League, but now he has also set a new record by bing the youngest goalscorer in the history of premier league.]


    While Hiro and his teammates were celebrating Hiro''s goal, thementator kept on making sweatments about Hiro in his cheerful tone.


    "Don''t mind guys. Don''t mind. It''s only been 7 minutes. We still have a lot of time left. So let''s just do our best." Naoya the team captain of Maebashi Ikuei HS, tried to cheer his teammates.


    After some moments of celebration, everybody then returned back to their original position to continue the match.


    And as everybody positioned themselves in their respective positions, the referee blew his whistle.


    Beep!!!


    The game then continued with the kickoff of opposing team.


    Casually passing the ball between themselves, Maebashi''s yers tried to go on offense.


    As calm as the sea, Kawasaki''s yer were in no rush to snatch the ball. Maintaining their positions, Kawasaki''s yer kept on pressuring the opponents without leaving their position.


    At 13th minute of the match, Yota sent a long ball towards Seitaro, the right winger of Maebashi Ikuei HS.


    [Impressive pass by Yota. But will Seitaro be able to make use of that pass? Minato the left back of Kawasaki Frontale is also rushing towards the ball.]


    Noticing the ball which was flying towards his direction, Minato the left back of Kawasaki Frontale left his position to defend the long ball aimed at Seitaro.


    The ball was falling right between the two of them and it was only a matter of pace.


    Battling for the ball, both of them reached the ball at the same time. And since the ball was still in the mid-air, both of them jumped almost at the same time.


    However Seitaro was no match to physically strong Minato. shing against Minato, Seitaro fell down before he could touch the ball. On the other hand, Minato who was still levitating on the air, headed the ball away and sessfully managed to defend the iing ball.


    That''s what Minato thought, however the referee was thinking something else.


    [Great defending by Minato. His physicality is no joke. But Seitaro doesn''t look fine.]


    Seeing the sight of Seitaro, lying in the ground, moaning in pain, referee awarded Maebashi Ikuei HS freekick for Minato''s foul on Seitaro.


    Beep!!!


    [What''s this?? The referee has awarded freekick to Maebashi Ikuei HS??] Even thementator couldn''t believe the decision made by the referee.


    His eyes wide open, Minato rushed towards the referee, toin about that unfair foul awarded against him, "How''s that foul ref?? He simply fell down on his own by crashing against me."


    Following Minato, other yers from his team, present close to him rushed towards his side to support him.


    They then began to plead to referee, "He simply crashed against him."


    "It shouldn''t be a foul ref."


    The referee however remained adamant. He wasn''t willing to change his decision, no matter what.


    Faced with the referee''s unwillingness to change his decision, rage started boiling inside Minato like burning tar. Minato was extremely unsatisfied with referee''s decision.


    [Only 13 minutes has passed and the situation around the pitch has already turned chaotic. It''s totally understandable for Kawasaki''s yers to voice their unsatisfaction with the referee''s decision. However if this continues, then the referee will be forced to bring out his cards.]


    And as time progressed, the situation was getting out of hands. Maebashi''s yers were gaslighting the referee to bring out his cards.


    Noticing the situation getting out of hands, Hiro rushed towards his teammates. Grabbing Minato''s t-shirt, Hiro dragged Minato out of the crowd and spoke, "Let it be. And stop arguing with the referee. I know it''s not fair. But we can''t challenge the authority of referee. Referee''s decision is absolute. So suck it up and stop arguing."


    "But I haven''tmitted any fo-"


    As Minato was about argue, Hiro interjected, "I know!! I know that you haven''tmitted any foul. But do you want to get sent off?" "Look!! The referee is on the verge of taking out his cards." Continued Hiro while pointing at the referee.


    Turning his attention towards the referee, Minato noticed that the referee was reaching his hands inside his pocket.


    Witnessing the sight of referee stretching his hands inside his pocket, Minato finally dropped his anger and quieted down.


    After that, Hiro convinced his other teammates and apologized to the referee for causing a ruckus, "Sorry ref!!"


    "Since you''re apologizing. I''m letting off your teammates with a single warning. But if they again question my decision, then I won''t hold back myself." The referee warned as he slipped the cards back in his pocket.


    And thus, Hiro''s apology prevented the referee from taking out his cards.


    [Look at that sight. The youngest yer in the field is acting rationally and convincing his seniors. His age might be low but his maturity isn''t. Not only is he a skilled footballer, he also has a tremendous potential to be the leader.] Singing praises of Hiro, thementatormented.


    After witnessing Hiro''s attitude, yers of Maebashi quickly realised who the main threat was from Kawasaki Frontale. The yer that they had to watch out the most wasn''t Tatsuki or Kenta, but rather it was Hiro, somebody who was totally out of their expectation until then.


    "Mark him tightly. We shouldn''t allow him to roam around the pitch freely." Naoya whispered in Yato''s s ear while pointing at Hiro.

 Chapter 137 Kawasaki vs Maebashi V

    Chapter 137 Kawasaki vs Maebashi V


    After themotion died down, all of the yers gathered around the referee began to disperse.


    The referee then took out his vanishing spray and walked towards the spot where the foul wasmitted.


    Spraying the white liquid on the pitch, he marked the spot to position the ball for the freekick. The spot was about 30 yards away from their goal-post.


    And as the referee finished marking the spot for the freekick, he walked a few steps forward and drew another straight line with the vanishing spray.


    Standing behind the straight line, five yers of Kawasaki stood tall to form a wall.


    "Tatsuki mark him" Shouted Tomoyasu while pointing at one of the opposing yer who waspletely unmarked.


    While Naoya was preparing to take the freekick, Tomoyasu was instructing his teammates to mark the opposing yers and cover the gap.


    Standing a few steps away from the ball, Naoya was inhaling and exhaling deep breaths to calm him down while awaiting for referee''s whistle.


    Except two of their centrebacks who were behind the half-line, every other yers of Maebashi Ikuei HS were positioned above the half-line for the freekick.


    Beep!!


    Upon hearing referee''s whistle, Naoya let him lose and rushed towards the ball. Kicking the ball with the inside of his right foot, he went for a shot packed with power.


    As the ball got released from Naoya''s foot, the five men wall of Kawasaki jumped at the same time.


    The ball however flew above their head, towards the goalpost.


    [Beautiful freekick from Naoya, the captain of Maebashi Ikuei HS. Packed with power, it swiftly evaded the reach of five men wall of Kawasaki Frontale.]


    However although it got past through the heads of the five men wall of Kawasaki, it still couldn''t get past through the insane reach of Akimasa Nakahara, the aerial duel specialist of Kawasaki Frontale U-18 team who had positioned himself inside the penalty box.


    With an height of 5.6 feet, Nakahara could jump more than 3 feet above the ground.


    [Did he get his gene from kangaroo?? Just how high can he jump? With that ridiculous jumping ability, he should be ying basketball, not football.] Sounding all excited, thementator made hisment on Nakahara''s ridiculous jump.


    [Obviously I''m joking. If every yer with excellent jumping ability were to y basketball then Cristiano would be a basketball yer instead of a football yer. Hahahaha....]


    Nakahara then headed the ball away from the box. yers of Maebashi were all stunned by Nakahara''s ridiculous reach.


    The ball then flew towards the five men wall of Kawasaki. Getting hold of the ball, Akihiro began to dribble the ball forward.


    Tatsuki and Hiro being the fastest yer in their team, sprinted upfield at the same time.


    Maebashi''s yers too began to fall back. However they were still no match for Hiro and Tatsuki.


    Akihiro then quickly released the ball towards Hiro who was making his run from the centre.


    To block Hiro, one of the opposing centre back rushed forward towards Hiro. Hiro however performed a simple body feint and dribbled past the defender.


    [How could Kumagai fall for such simple trick?? That mistake could cost his team a lot. With one simple body feint, Hiro has left behind Kumagai.]


    With only one centre back and a goalkeeper standing infront of him and the goal, Hiro moved the ball forward.


    ''What should I do? Should I engage! Or should I wait for my teammates?'' Vigorously shifting his gaze between Hiro and Tatsuki, the only defender present in the defensive third of Maebashi Ikuei HS began to think.


    His teammates were all rushing towards him. But it still seemed like it would need them about 5 to 6 seconds to reach him.


    Meaning he''d have to hold his ground for 5-6 seconds, until his teammates arrival.


    While he was pondering over his decision, Hiro was rushing towards the goal like a cheetah. And to his left, Tatsuki was also rushing forward.


    He was in a dilemma.


    "Block his shoot course. Leave the other one to me." Yelled his team''s goalkeeper.


    Heeding the advice of his team''s goalkeeper, he decided to engage. And thus, he began to rush towards Hiro.


    However just as he left his position, Hiro supplied a stunning through ball to Tatsuki.


    Maebashi''s keeper tried to block the pass by rushing forward. But the pass was simply too fast enough for him to reach on time.


    In an open post, Tatsuki tapped the ball andted the ball inside the post.


    [Gooooaaaaallllllll!!! A killer pass right when the defender left his position. And a beautifulbination to make that goal happen. Kawasaki Frontale are making use of every opportunity that has presented itself.]


    At 14th minute of the game, Maebashi Ikuei HS conceded another goal.


    And as time progressed, their situation got only worse.


    At 27th minute, they conceded another goal because of the mistake of their defensive midfielder.


    At 45th minute, just as the first half of the game was about to end, they conceded yet another goal from outside the box. About 22 yards away from the post, Hiro made a powerful shot towards the post, which the goalkeeper of Maebashi failed to stop.


    And as such the first half ended with a devastating score of 4:0. Kawasaki Frontale 4 and Maebashi Ikuei HS 0.


    Despite conceding four goals, they still didn''t lose their will to fight. And thus after making some changes in the second half, they tried to turn the tables.


    However second half turned out to be even more hopeless for them. With a huge lead of 4:0, Kawasaki attacked even more aggressively instead of slowing down.


    Shot after shot, Hiro and his teammates showered Maebashi Ikuei HS with barrage of shot, nonstop.


    And thus at the second half, Maebashi Ikuei HS ended up conceding yet 3 more goals. Combined with the 4 goals from first half, Maebashi lost the match with a total score of 7:0.


    Beeeeeeeep!!


    [And the referee has blown his whistle. Finally the nightmare of Maebashi Ikuei HS has ended. Devastating result which yers of Maebashi would definitely want to forget.]


    [It was a totally one sided match. Even looking at the statistics, one could tell how much one sided this match was. In whole 90 minutes, Maebashi Ikuei HS has registered only 4 shots and only two of them are in target. Compared to Kawasaki Frontale who has made a total of 27 shots of which 17 are in target, they managed to convert 7 of those shots into goal.]


    [Contributing 5 of those 7 goals made by his team, there''s no doubt that Takahashi Hiro is the true MVP of this match. Delivering four goals and one assist, Takahashi Hiro has clenched the award of MVP.]

 Chapter 138 System Upgrade

    Chapter 138 System Upgrade


    Sweaty, exhausted and out of breath, yers of Maebashi lookedpletely devastated. Losing 7:0 in their own home ground, Maebashi''s yers couldn''t even bring themselves to lift their heads up to face their fans.


    Just like a withering flower, they looked dull and lifeless. Even so, their captain Naoya was still trying his best to cheer his teammates.


    "It''s alright. They turned out to be a little too strong for us to handle. But what matters most right now is to learn from our defeat." Faking a smile on his face, Naoya tried to cheer his teammates who were strolling in the pitch like zombies.


    Although, Naoya himself was devastated by the loss, he continued to maintain hisposure outwardly. Being the captain of his team, he couldn''t allow himself to act devastated.


    Meanwhile opposite to Maebashi''s yers, yers of Kawasaki were celebrating their victory along with their reserve teammates.


    "How does it feel to score 4 goals and deliver 1 assist in your debut match?" Excitedly asked Shun.


    "It feels amazing." With a big wide grin on his face, Hiro replied. "Feels like I''m in a dream."


    While Hiro and Shun were talking, Tatsuki sneakily jumped atop them from behind and spoke, "Hey!! Hey!! Hey!! Don''t go forgetting about your senior now. I too scored 2 goals and delivered 2 assist."


    "No,no,no. How can we forget about our star yer." Hiro replied with an awkward smile on his face while trying to remove Tatsuki''s hands from his shoulder.


    "But you stole the spotlight from me today." Giving Hiro side eyes, Tatsuki spoke.


    While they were celebrating their victory, suddenly manager Makoto pped his hands and announced, "Okay guys!! Let''s go and shake hands with our opponents."


    Nodding their head, they then headed towards the center of the pitch to exchange handshake with their opponents.


    **** ****


    Later in the night, having nothing to do, Hiro was standing infront of his window, staring at the night sky.


    The night sky was filled with shimmering lights of glittering stars.


    Partially hiding behind the few dark clouds floating in the sky, moon was casting it''s spectral glow across the dark sky filled with canopy of stars.


    "Nothing''s more tranquil than a peaceful night sky filled with stars." Mumbled Hiro with a tranquil look on his face, while staring at the night sky.


    "One, two, three, four." Pointing at the stars, he acted like he was counting stars. Suddenly he then lifted the corner of his lips and continued, "That''s the number of goals I scored today. Hahaha...."


    Singing his own praises, for a while he acted like he was over the moon.


    If anybody were to see himughing and talking with himself, they would probably mistake him as a carzy person.


    While he wasughing and talking to himself, suddenly a gust of cold breeze entered his room from the window. Caressing his cheerful face, the gust of cold breeze blew past him, awakening him from his fantasy world.


    Feeling the gentle touch of the cold breeze, he paused all of a sudden. The cold breeze swept his smile away just like wind sweeping away dust.


    With his brows knotted, he then leaned his upper body close to the window and mumbled, "I can''t be satisfied with only this much. My dream is the world. And if I want to fulfill that dream, then I must standout."


    "For our next match we''ll be facing our arch rival FC Tokyo. So I need to stand out in that match as well. But it won''t be easy." Continued Hiro with a stern expression.


    Fuuu!!!


    He then exhaled a deep breath to calm himself and rx his face muscle.


    "I still haven''t activated that skill I got frompleting the quest ''Help Masao regain his confidence''. And also I haven''t used that silver ticket frompleting that quest with the coach." Mumbling such, he decided to makes use of his rewards.


    "System activate"


    [System activated]


    And as the system activated, the holographic blue pannel of the system appeared infront of his eyes.


    [Basic information]


    [Name: Takahashi Hiro]


    [Age: 13 years old]


    [Attribute points: 250]


    [Possessed skills: Focus, Perseverance]


    [Possessed talents: Roberto Carlos''s freekick, Passing sense of De Bruyne (B)]


    [Note: You have umted enough attribute points to upgrade the system.]


    "I''ve got enough attribute point to upgrade the system?" Looking somewhat puzzled, Hiro read the aforementioned note by the system.


    "May be I should invest on system as well." Mumbling such, Hiro nodded his head. "I''ve been too negligent."


    [At least you realised]


    The system scoffed.


    Hearing such, his mouth twitched a bit, "Did you say something?"


    [Your ear is ringing again.]


    Hearing the words of the system, Hiro shrugged.


    "Okay then let''s upgrade the system." Mumbling such, he began to skim through the system.


    [Use 250 points to upgrade the system]


    [Confirm]


    [Cancel]


    "Confirm." Saying such, Hiro clicked on the confirm icon.


    [System upgrading...]


    [Please wait 5 minutes]


    "What?? 5 minutes??" Hiro blurted after seeing the time required for the system to upgrade.


    However there was no response from the system. As if it had shut down, it wasn''t responding to Hiro''s question.


    "It''s not responding??" Mumbled Hiro with a puzzled look on his face.


    Hiro the tried to return back. But he couldn''t even toggle through the system.


    "Great!! I can''t even return back." Sounding somewhat disappointed, Hiro shrugged.


    "Can I at least exit the system?" Mumbling such, he tried to close the sysetm. And fortunately, he could still exit the system.


    "Fortunately I have the whole room for myself. Otherwise if Shun were to see me acting like this, he''d probably think that I''m possessed." Hiro grinned while looking at Shun''s bed.


    Since Shun had to change his room after joining high school, Hiro had the entire room for himself.


    ''May be I should have activated the skill and used my tickets first.'' Thought Hiro while taking his head out of the window to get some fresh air.


    ''I wonder if mom and dad are doing well. It''s been such a long time since Ist saw them in person.'' Thought Hiro while looking at the moon.


    Although, he had been talking to them from time to time in video call, it had still been more than 5 months since hest saw his parents in person.


    ''I wonder if she still nags dad like she used to back then. Now that I''m away from her, I kinda miss her nagging.'' Thinking such, his eyes suddenly started to moisten.


    And the more he thought about them, the more he felt sad.


    Smack!!!


    Smacking his cheeks, he shook his head and mumbled, "No point in thinking too much. I''ll just visit them in this summer vacation."


    Saying such, he pulled his head back. He then walked towards his bed and threw himself in his bed.


    Lying in his bed with his face facing the ceiling, he put his left leg above his right. While shaking his left leg, he then began to analyse his performance in the earlier match.


    "Although I didn''t make many mistakes today. There''s still room for improvement. I wasn''t much useful in defence."


    "And I think I should pollish my dribbling too. I haven''t been training my dribbling much. And there''s a saying that even a genius withers away without hard work."


    "But I''m no such genius. So I must definitely work hard." Saying such, he unlocked his legs and rolled over.


    In other''s eyes he was a monster, but to him, he was still someone who required a lot of polishing. He hadn''t considered himself genius.


    [System upgradepleted]


    Just then he heard the notification from the system.


    "Finally!!" Saying such, he abruptly rose from his bed.


    "Now let''s see what new thing have I acquired." Rubbing his palms against each other, Hiro mumbled.


    "System activate"


    [System activated]


    [Wee to upgraded version of system]


    [New features unlocked]


    [System shop unlocked]


    [Achievement hall unlocked]


    Hearing the words of the system, a smile appeared on his face.


    "Woah it sounds exciting." Saying such, he turned his attention towards the system panel.


    It was the same holographic blue screen without many changes.


    Looking at the blue screen infront, his smile faded away, "What?? It still looks the same."


    [Did you expect the colour of panel to change from blue to gold?]


    Replied the system coldly after hearing his remarks.


    "Why do I feel like the system is getting more meaner after every upgrade?" Hiro questioned.


    The system however didn''t reply anything.


    Unable to hear the response of the system, Hiro shrugged and continued to skim though the system.


    [System menu]


    [User stats]


    [System lottery (Unlocked)]


    [System shop (Unlocked)]


    [Achievement hall (Unlocked)]


    [Match Stats (Unlocked)]


    "I can more or less guess about the system shop." Mumbled Hiro while nodding his head. "But I don''t know about this achievement hall. So may be I''ll inspect this achievement hall first."


    Saying such, he clicked on the text ''Achievement Hall''.


    And as he clicked on Achievement Hall, the system directed him to another panel.


    At the top of the page there was an icon with the picture of Temple of Artemis.


    [Achievement Hall]


    [Youngest yer to debut in Prince Takamado Premier League (10)]


    [Youngest yer to score a goal in Prince Takamado Premier League (10)]


    [Youngest yer to score a hattrick in Prince Takamado Premier League (50)]


    [Youngest yer to score four goals in Prince Takamado Premier League (50)]


    [Youngest yer to record an assist in Prince Takamado Premier League (5)]


    [For your achievements above you''ve gained a total of 125 attribute points.]


    "A 125 attribute points from one single match?" With his eyes wide open, Hiro mumbled in shock.

 Chapter 139 Magic Vision acquired

    Chapter 139 Magic Vision acquired


    Hiro couldn''t believe the amount of attribute points he umted from one single match. Previously he''d have to bust his ass for almost about six months to garner that many attribute points.


    "10 attribute points equals to 1 stat point. By that conversation ratio, right now I have about 12.5 stat points." Looking at the screen infront, Hiro began to perform some basic maths using his fingers.


    As he began to convert the attribute points into stat points, his heart started to race. And just as he realised the amount of attribute points he had amassed a moment ago, his eyes opened wide, "Holy shit!! If I had converted all those attribute points to stat points then I would have 25 stat points right now."


    "With that many stat points I would have easily upgraded myself to grade A." Mumbling such, Hiro sighed. "But s! I''ve already used those points."


    [Don''t be so shortsighted. Think about the long term.]


    After hearing his whining, the system suggested him to focus on long term gain.


    Hearing the suggestion of the system, he began to ponder over the suggestion made by the system by parroting the suggestion, "Think about long term... Think about long term."


    He then shrugged his shoulder and mumbled, "I shouldn''t dwell on what went wrong, instead I should focus on what to do next."


    Mumbling such, he turned his focus towards the system, once again.


    "Now let''s check the ''Match Stats'' option."


    Hiro then clicked on another feature which was unlocked after upgrading the system. And just as he clicked that option, the system directed him to yet another page. At the top of the page was an icon which resembled graph.


    [Match Stats]


    [Tournament: Prince Takamado Premier League]


    [Match yed: 1]


    [Goals scored: 4]


    [Assist: 1]


    [For more detailed statistics, click here]


    "Ahh I see. So it''s just a separate page to record my career statistics." Nodding his head, Hiro mumbled calmly.


    "Since I''ve alreadye this far, let''s inspect it thoroughly." Saying such, he clicked on the click here option.


    And just as he clicked on the click here option, another hidden tab opened below the page.


    [Dribblespleted: 37]


    [Passespleted: 56]


    [Chances created: 6]


    [Tackles won: 12]


    Looking at the details, Hiro sighed, "It''s just some more data."


    After going through two of the unlocked features, Hiro then clicked on the only unlocked features which he had yet to explore.


    [Wee to the system shop]


    [Here you can buy items to help you improve]


    [You can exchange your attribute points to purchase the item listed in the store.]


    Just as he clicked on the ''System Shop'' feature, the system directed him to yet another page with an icon of shop at the top of the page.


    [Currently avable items]


    [1: Recovery pill (100 pts)]


    [2: Luck enhancing bracelet (150 pts)]


    [3: Holographic practice dummies (250 pts]


    [Note: For more detailed information on the avable items, click on the items]


    [Note: System shop will automatically refresh on 1st day of every month or the user can spend 100 attribute points to refresh it manually.]


    While scrolling down the screen, suddenly  he raised his brows after looking at the cost of the items, "Why is it so expensive to buy items from system shop? With my current points I can only buy that first item."


    "And why the hell does it cost so much more to buy an item from shop than upgrading the system?"


    Hiro couldn''t understand the logic behind system pricing it''s item.


    [Because the item in the shop has permanent effect and you won''t find any item like this in the whole wide world.] Coldly replied the system.


    Hearing the words of the system, he couldn''t even bring himself to argue with the system. Since the thing mentioned by the system were all true.


    epting the reasoning provided by the system, Hiro then docilely nodded his head and mumbled, "Well I can''t argue with the system. If someone lile Neymar were to have that recovery pill, then may be he wouldn''t have missed those final two games in world cup 2014."


    "But for now I don''t need anything from the store. So let''s return back." Mumbling such, he closed the system shop.


    After that he clicked on his inventory icon. Clicking on the inventory icon, he got directed to yet another page.


    [You have one 1 reward left unimed.]


    [Do you want to im it?]


    "Yes" "No"


    Clicking on the yes, Hiro imed his reward.


    [Congrattions to the host for acquiring skill Magic Vision]


    [Skill: Magic Vision (B)]


    [Uses: You can view the overall grade of any yer or coach of your choice]


    [Number of uses: 1 person every week]


    [Note: This is an upgradeable skill. Meaning the skill will upgrade automatically everytime you upgrade your overall grade.]


    "Pretty useful skill. But it''s a pity that I can only use it on a single person every week. So I''d have to be careful while using the skill." Mumbled Hiro without any changes in his facial expression. He couldn''t decide whether to get excited about the skill or feel sad about the number of usage.


    "I get it that I can view the overall grade of the yers. But I''m somewhat confused about this coach part. So system please borate more about the coach part." Feeling confused, Hiro asked system to borate more.


    [A coach''s skill is determined by taking five things into ount.]


    [His/Her tactical capability]


    [Reputation]


    [Coaching capability]


    [yer development capability]


    [Man management]


    "So just like how a yer can be graded based on his skills, the coach''s can also be graded based on his skills." Hiro mumbled while nodding his head. "I wonder what grade manager Makoto would get if I use this skill on him."


    "Also system, would I be able to view the detailed stat of the yers or coaches once I upgrade myself?"


    [Yes. Once you upgrade yourself, you can view their stats just like yours. You can view their physicality, crossing, defending, everything. And once you upgrade the skill to it''s maximum you can also view their X-factor and talents.]

 Chapter 140 Recognition

    Chapter 140 Recognition


    Hearing the description provided by the system, suddenly a fire ignited inside him. He was encouraged by the words of the system. He realised that he could do a lot more miraculous things with the system.


    "Not only can I view my own stats, I can also view stats of other yers and coach. Damn!! Am I inside some kind of game world?" Mumbled Hiro feeling all excited.


    After that he clicked a few times and opened the roulette wheel to make use of his silver ticket.


    [One silver ticket consumable.]


    [Would you like to use it?]


    [Confirm] [Cancel]


    "Confirm" Mumbling such, he clicked on the confirm.


    And as he clicked on the confirm, the roulette wheel started to spin. After spinning for few seconds, itnded on a card.


    [Congrattions to the host for obtaining skill Penalty expert]


    [Skill: Penalty expert]


    [Skill description: While this skill is in effect, the host won''t miss his penalty.]


    [Number of usage: 1 per day]


    With no change in his facial expression, he read the description of the skill. However he wasn''t as impressed as before when he got to learn about the skill Magic Vision.


    Compared to the skill Magic Vision, the skill he acquired at that moment looked pretty dull to him.


    Since he was already someone who was capable of slotting the ball inside the goalpost from the penalty spot, without the use of any skills, he felt like the skill ''Penalty Expert'' waspletely useless to him.


    Failing to realise the importance of the skill which he acquired, he dubbed it as useless without thinking much.


    "It''s pretty useless." Mumbled Hiro as he closed the system and fell asleep.


    **** ****


    Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!


    At exactly 5 in the morning, Hiro woke up to the sound of the rm clock. Exhausted from yesterday''s match, Hiro was somewhat hesitant to get out of his bed. Andck of sleep from interacting with the system tillte in the night, made it even more difficult for him to leave his bed.


    "Argh!! Can I take a day off?" Mumbled Hiro to himself in his sleepy voice after hitting the snooze button on the rm clock.


    "Remember what you told yourself yesterday." Murmured Hiro in his sleepy voice and continued, "You told yourself that you need to work hard to achieve your dream. So get up youzy bum."


    Murmuring such, he left his bed.


    After that he went to the bathroom to ssh some water on his face to wake him up.


    Walking with his eyes half closed, he somehow made it to the bathroom without falling or injuring himself.


    Just as he walked inside the bathroom, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.


    "Good morning Hiro"


    Without turning back, he replied in his sleepy voice, "Goo.....od Mor....ning."


    Yawn!!


    While replying such, he let out a yawn.


    "Seems like those 4 goals you scored yesterday took your sleep away." Mumbling such, Kota Yui joked.


    Without paying much attention to his words, Hiro began to ssh some cold water on his face to wake him up.


    Ssh!! Ssh!!


    After sshing some cold water on his face, he finally woke up from his sleepy state. The refreshing cold water felt rejuvenating to Hiro.


    "You forgot to mention about the assist. Four goals and one assist." While joking, Hiro reminded.


    Saying such, Hiro left the bathroom.


    Although Kota Yui still didn''t like Hiro much because of Hiro''s talents, they had pretty much settled the beef between them.


    Listening to Hiro''s reply, his mouth twitched and his face tightened. Even so, he didn''t show any changes in his facial expression until he saw the sight of Hiro exiting the bathroom.


    And as Hiro left his line of sight, he contorted his face and squeezed few words out of his mouth while gnashing his teeths, "Arrogant bastard."


    **** ****


    Arriving at the training ground, Hiro greeted his teammates and his coach''s.


    As usual Tatsuki was full of energy even in that early in the morning. As if he wasn''t affected even a little by that match yesterday, he was just like a blooming flower, full of vitality.


    "Yoh!! What took you so long?" Tatsuki questioned while performing some high knees.


    "Ahh!! I was just having trouble waking up." Replied Hiro while joining him in the warm-up.


    "Seems like yesterday''s sess is getting on your heads." Tatsuki responded.


    "Cut him some ck, senior Tatsuki. You know he''s not like that." Akihiro who was also doing warm-ups beside them came to Hiro''s defence.


    While having such idle talks, they continued their warm-ups. And after awhile more and more yers joined them.


    The ambience around them was somewhat warm. And in the far east horizon, sun was slowly making it''s appearance.


    Slowly rising from the east horizon, the morning sun painted the east sky with golden colours.


    "I feel really sorry for Maebashi''s team captain." Mumbled Rinji while recalling the events of the yesterday''s match.


    "What''s there to be sorry about. Didn''t you see how they were gaslighting the referee to give Minato red card for the foul which he didn''t evenmit." Sounding somewhat angry, Shun joined the conversation. "If you ask me. I''d say, they deserved it."


    Hearing Shun''s response, everybody nodded their head in agreement.


    Just then manager Makoto too made his appearance. Until his arrival coach Kensuke was noting down the attendance of the yers.


    "Everybody gather around." Manager Makoto ordered the yers as soon as he entered the field.


    Hearing his loud voice, everybody began to run towards the manager. After reaching the side of manager, they began to gather around him, orderly.


    Cough!! Cough!!


    Manager Makoto then coughed a little to clear his throat. And as he finished clearing his throat, he started to speak, "First up all, I''d like to congratte you all for your victory and I''d like tomend every single one of you for performing well in yesterday''s match."


    "Good job everyone" With a smile on his face, hemended his yers.


    p!! p!! p!!


    Hearing his praises, all the yers began to p their hands.


    And while they were still pping their hands, Makoto interjected, "And"


    Hearing his voice, they stopped pping.


    "And I''d like everybody to congratte Hiro for Hiro''s achievement in yesterday''s match. With 4 goals and 1 assist in his debut, he has achieved a dream debut."


    p!! p!! p!!


    "Congrattions Hiro"


    "You deserve it"


    "You yed really well"


    The yers began to congratte Hiro for his performance in yesterday''s match.


    Hiro''s cheeks started to turn red and he started to scratch his scalp nervously.


    "Thank you everyone" Hiro bowed his head to thank them for congratting him.

 Chapter 141 Name on newspaper

    Chapter 141 Name on newspaper


    For some minutes the celebration continued in the training ground. Laughing, joking and pping their hands, they continued to celebrate their team''s achievements in yesterday''s match against Maebashi Ikuei HS.


    And while they were celebrating, sounds ofughter and cheers was reverberating all over the youth facility, as if somekind of festival was taking ce.


    Even in U-15 pitch, some yers of U-15 were influenced by the uproarious celebration taking ce in U-18 pitch. They were having difficulty holding back themselves from shouting out of excitement.


    "They''re probably celebrating Hiro''s performance in yesterday''s match." Shunta mumbled while looking at the direction of U-18 pitch.


    "I wish I could score goals like him." Yuya mumbled, sounding somewhat envious.


    Talking such, they were totally forgetting that they were still in the middle of the training.


    Upon seeing them cking, manager Nozomi reminded them to focus on their own training, "For that you need to train hard."


    Hearing manager Nozomi''s words, a chill ran down their spine. Both of them then replied at the same time, "Yes sir" and continued their training.


    Manager Nozomi however didn''t mind theirckluster behaviour and overlooked their behaviour. He then looked at the direction of the source of sound and lifted the corner of his lips, "You''ve really done it."


    Mumbling such with a smile on his face, he turned his focus towards his yers.


    **** ****


    "Okay now let''s stop. I''ve got something to tell you all." Manager Makotomanded them to stop.


    Frowning his brows, Makoto spoke in his deep voice while making a serious expression, "For tomorrow''s match we''ll be ying against our arch rival FC Tokyo. And we''ll be ying them in our own homeground."


    "And remember this match is very important to us. I''m specting that there''ll be around 100-200 people in the match. And I don''t want to disappoint our fans who''ll being to the venue to show us their support. So just like how you''ve yed yesterday, I want each and every single one of you to give your best in tomorrow''s match." Making such speech, manager Makoto ignited a fire in his yers heart.


    "Yeah!! Let''s win this game." Tomoyasu let out a furious roar.


    "''Yeah!!"''


    Following him, everybody did the same.


    After that all of them started to train under the guidance of the coaches.


    Determined and focused, they all gave their best in that morning''s training.


    And after about two hours of rigorous training, morning training finally came to an end.


    Rtively high up in the blue sky, sun was shining brightly, spreading it''s warm rays across the surface. Reflecting the warm light of the sun, the grassy green pitch of Kawasaki Frontale''s youth facility was glowing in golden colours.


    Lying on the pitch, lookingpletely out of breath, yers of Kawasaki Frontale were resting their tired body.


    As usual, after the training, the coach''s were discussing the effectiveness of the training session and ways to improve the training drills to maximize the output.


    Inhaling and exhaling few deep breaths, Hiro tried to stabilise his heart beat. And as he stabilised his breathing and heart beat, he then looked at the direction of manager Makoto.


    ''System activate skill magic eyes.'' Looking at the direction of manager Makoto, Hiro mumbled to himself.


    [Skill magic eyes activated]


    [Target: Makoto Kenzaki]


    [Overall grade: A-]


    ''So it''s safe to say that he''s a good coach based on the assessment.'' Thought Hiro after witnessing the overall grade assessment of manager Makoto.


    ''But if such a good coach of a professional team is only rated A-, then I wonder what rating those world ss coach''s would get.''


    ''Perhaps just like my potential, there''s a probability that A+ isn''t the highest rating. Then it must mean that there''ll be yers in the world whose rating would exceed 100.'' Hiro couldn''t help but ponder.


    While Hiro was pondering over such things, he wasn''t even aware that he was staring at manager Makoto, lookingpletely dazed.


    Smack!!


    While Hiro was intently staring at manager Makoto, lookingpletely lost, Tatsuki tried to disrupt him by hitting him on his back.


    But before Tatsuki''s hands could even reach Hiro''s back, Hiro reacted subconsciously and raised his hands to block Tatsuki''s hands.


    Blinking his eyes rapidly, Tatsuki was shocked by Hiro''s reaction.


    "You caught my hand?" Tatsuki questioned with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    Looking somewhat puzzled himself, Hiro himself was trying to figure out how he caught Tatsuki''s hand.


    "I saw you approaching." Replied Hiro after thinking of an excuse.


    "I see" Nodding his head, Tatsuki murmured.


    He then retracted his hands and asked again, "But why were you staring at manager Makoto? Did he say something to you?"


    "Ah no." Hiro immediately shook his head and denied Tatsuki''s ims.


    Since Hiro couldn''t tell Tatsuki the truth that he was staring at manager Makoto to analyse his grade. Hiro started to think of an excuse.


    "I was just wondering who he''d pick in the starting eleven in tomorrow''s match." Hiro continued after thinking of an excuse.


    "Hahaha... Why are you even thinking of such thing? You will obviously get picked." Tatsukiughed heartily after hearing Hiro''s response.


    **** ****


    Later in that same day, Hiro was sitting at his seat in his ssroom, pondering about his earlier spections.


    Unable to find the answer he was looking for, he decided to ask the system directly, ''System, is 100 the final limit of one''s stat?''


    [System level not enough to answer]


    [Please upgrade the system first to learn such confidential information.]


    ''Tch!! This freaking system is damn unreliable. It never provide me the answer I''m looking for.'' Thought Hiro while clicking his tongue.


    But such response of the system made Hiro more curious about the system.


    While he was having conversation with the system inside his head, Rin entered the ssroom and rushed towards him in a hurry.


    "Yoh Hiro!! Our star boy. Good morning" Showing all his white teeths, Rin greeted Hiro with a big wide smile on his face.


    "Good morning." Hiro greeted him back while trying to distance himself from Rin.


    "Why do you look so happy?" Asked Hiro while looking at Rin''s face.


    Hearing Hiro''s question, Rin then ced his bag atop Hiro''s table and began to search for something in his bag without replying anything.


    ''What is he doing?'' Thought Hiro while looking at Rin.


    After few seconds, Rin then took a newspaper out of his bag. And as he took out a newspaper from his bag, Rin removed his bag from the table and ced the newspaper atop his table.


    He then began to rigorously turn the pages of the newspaper. After turning three pages, he stopped at one of the page dedicated for things rted to sports.


    "Look here" Sounding all excited, Rin mumbled while pointing at one of the article in the newspaper.


    "What do you want to show me?" Murmuring such, Hiro leaned his upper body to see what Rin was trying to show him.


    Looking at the article pointed by Rin''s finger, Hiro started to read, "The birth of a world ss yer"


    "In one of the match of Prince Takamado Premier League which took ce on April 4, Takahashi Hiro, the youngest yer to ever y in the league scored 4 goals and registered 1 assist in his debut, shocking everybody present in the field."


    While he was reading the first few lines of the article, his eyes widened just as he witnessed his name on the article.


    Finding his name on the newspaper, Hiro stopped reading and turned his gaze towards Rin. Staring at Rin in awe, Hiro questioned in disbelief, "Is this article about me?"


    Lifting the corner of his lips, Rin smiled and nodded his head.


    "I... I... I can''t believe that my name is published in newspaper." Hiro shuddered, feeling all excited.


    "Why don''t you read the full article?" Rin asked him to read the full news.


    Hiro nodded his head and started to read the article. The content of the article read as such;


    "Only thirteen year old, Hiro has achieved what many yers in the league could only dream about achieving. Scoring 4 goals and delivering 1 assist, he has proved that he is not afraid of facing yers that are 4 or 5 years older than him. With excellent ball control, dribbling, passing and shooting skills, he''s proved that he''s no inferior to top tier talents of Europe and South America. Yet once again Japan has given birth to a world ss yer. But let us not put pressure on the kid and let him develop at his own pace. May be in the near future we''ll have someone of Messi and Ronaldo''s calibre from our own country."


    The first few paragraphs of the article was all filled with Hiro''s name. Exaggerating Hiro''s talents, the person who wrote the article was full of Hiro''s praises.


    After detailing about Hiro''s performance in yesterday''s match, the article then detailed the performance of the team. And finally at the bottom of the page was a table showcasing the standing of the teams in the league.


    East league


    1) Kawasaki Frontale U-18 (Kanagawa prefecture) 3pts


    2) Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori prefecture) 3pts


    3) FC Tokyo (Tokyo) 3pts


    .....

 Chapter 142 False 9

    Chapter 142 False 9


    Even after finishing, reading the article, Hiro continued to stare at the newspaper for some while, lookingpletely dazed. As if he was having hard time believing the thing he just read, he was at loss of words to express his feelings.


    Finally after few seconds, he turned his gaze towards Rin who was staring at him with his expectant eyes as if he was eagerly waiting to hear Hiro''s response.


    However contrary to Rin''s expectation, Hiro''s words left him utterly disappointed.


    "Since when did you start reading newspaper?" Questioned Hiro after taking some time to answer.


    Hearing Hiro''s words, the smile on Rin''s face faded away.


    Frowning his brows, Rin then answered while contorting his face, "I read it everyday because my dad makes me read it to him every morning. But shouldn''t you be asking something like my name is on the newspaper? Or something like I''m famous, instead of asking me when I started to read newspaper?"


    "And what''s with that dull expression on your face? You could atleast act like you''re excited." Continued Rin grumpily.


    "Well it was bound to happen sooner orter. So you could say that I was somewhat prepared." Casually replied Hiro as if it wasn''t a big deal for him.


    "Then why did you act like you were excited earlier when you started reading the article?" Rin questioned.


    "Because the news came out of nowhere and caught me off-guard." Hiro answered earnestly.


    Afterall the article did caught him off-guard. And in the world of football it''smon for yers with exceptional talents to get famous.


    "But anyway thank you for showing me the news. I appreciate your efforts." Continued Hiro with a smile on his face while looking him in the eyes, "And I mean it."


    "At least you''re thankful." Letting out a subtle smile, Rin grinned.


    **** ****


    At around 5 in the evening, Hiro and his teammates were gathered inside a spacious hall to analyse their opponents gamey.


    The spacious hall was the video analysing room of Kawasaki Frontale''s youth team. With a big white cloth hanging on one side of the wall which acted as the screen, beneath the screen was a raised tform made up of wood and infront of the screen was several chairs ced in an orderly manner.


    And while every yers were seated in their seats, manager Makoto apanied by few other coaches were standing infront of the white screen.


    "Turn on the projector." Commanded manager Makoto.


    And as soon as he ordered to run the projector, one of the coaching staff turned off the lights and the hall became darker.


    After few seconds, a projection appeared on the big white screen ced infront of the yers. And with the appearance of the projection in the screen, the hall lit up dimly because of the lighting from the projection.


    "Now everybody pay attention." Saying such, manager Makoto reminded everybody to pay attention to the video.


    In the screen infront, video of the match between FC Tokyo and Yokohama F Marinos which took ce on April 4th started ying.


    Some leaning their back against the chair, some leaning their body infront with their hands ced on their chin, while some sitting straight, every yer present in the video analysing room looked extremely focused.


    At 33rd minute, manager Makoto paused the video and spoke, "Now pay attention to the number 7, number 10 and number 4."


    Saying such, he resumed the video. And just as he resumed the video, the keeper of FC Tokyo passed the ball to the yer with number 4 on his back who happened to be the left back of FC TOKYO.


    That left back then began to dribble the ball forward by himself. Quickly ying one-two passes with his team''s midfielder, he swiftly evaded the reach of opponent teams forwards.


    After drawing enough attention, he then passed the ball to the yer in the right nk. Even after passing the ball, he didn''t fall back. Instead, he kept pushing forward.


    The yer in the right nk who received the ball didn''t keep hold of the ball for long and quickly passed the ball to the number 10.


    And just as the number 10 got the ball, their number 7 started running forward, positioning himself in a suitable position to score the goal.


    But instead of passing the ball to number 7 who was charging forward, he chose to keep hold of the ball. The number 10 then tried to dribble the ball by himself.


    After dribbling past two of the opposing yers, he then kicked the ball towards the left nk which seemedpletely vacant.


    Just then the left back from earlier came rushing towards the ball to receive the ball. And even until that moment, their number 7 was still calm andposed. He wasn''t a bit agitated by his teammates decision to not pass the ball to him despite beingpletely unmarked.


    The left back then crossed the ball inside the box, towards the number 7. The number 7 inturn headed the ball inside the goalpost and converted the cross into goal.


    Just as the number 7 scored the goal, manager Makoto paused the video. Lookingpletely serious, he then questioned his yers, "Why do you think their teams number 10 decided to not pass the ball to number 7 who waspletely unmarked?"


    Upon hearing manager Makoto''s question, everybody turned silent. They began to rummage their mind. However no one dared to speak. Some out of fear, some because ofck of knowledge, some having no answers, everybody remained silent.


    ''Sigh!! No one'' Looking at the yers infront, manager Makoto sighed.


    Just then at the middle row, one of the yer raised his hands. Seeing the raised hand, manager Makoto smiled and mumbled, "Yes Hiro."


    "Sir, it''s because that number 7 was in an offside position. Although unmarked he was just too close to the only opposing centre back with number 2 of Yokohama F Marinos. And that defender was looking like he was nning on running forward instead of running backwards to create an offside trap." Answered Hiro confidently.


    "You''re reasoning is indeed right Hiro." With a smile on his face, Makotoplimented Hiro. He then waved his hand to signal Hiro to take his seat.


    After that he zoomed the video to exin in detail, "You see this number 2 of Yokohama F Marinos? His name is Takuma Mitsuhashi. He''s a very skilled defender known for his quick thinking."


    While speaking such, Makoto zoomed a bit more on Takuma, "You see here, his body is leaning forward. However look at his legs, it''s pointing in different direction. Most probably he''s not nning to run forward, for that''s too risky to pull off in that situation. He''s probably thinking of running towards the ball to intercept the ball before it could reach Tsubasa Watanabe, the number 7 of FC Tokyo."


    Hearing manager Makoto''s reasoning, everybody nodded their head.


    After detailing some important points in the video, he resumed the video and continued to analyse the video.


    Pointing at the ws and strength of yers of both the team, manager Makoto briefed every yer about the ystyle of the yers whom they''ll be facing tomorrow.


    After finishing analysing the video of FC Tokyo and Yokohama F Marinos, manager Makoto then began to discuss strategy for tomorrow''s match.


    "I believe that just like us, they too have studied about our strategy. So for tomorrow''s match we''ll be changing few things. For starter tomorrow we''ll be ying in 4-4-2 formation. Hiro and Tatsuki, both of them will be ying forward tomorrow. However instead of ying as a pure striker, Hiro will still drop deep to receive the balls. Basically he''ll be ying as a false nine." Manager Makoto announced.


    After that he began to brief the strategy for tomorrow''s match. Taking every possible variable into consideration, he detailed his strategy for tomorrow''s match.


    And at around 7:25, the meeting finally came to an end.


    "Did all of you get it?" Asking such, manager Makoto concluded the evening meeting.


    "Yes sir!!" Replied the yers in unison while nodding their head.


    **** ****


    Exiting the video analysing room, yers began to make way toward the canteen for dinner.


    While on their way, Shun stopped Hiro, "So how do you feel on bing Japan''s world ss yer?" Asking such, Shun grinned.


    ''So he too read that article.'' Thought Hiro after listening to Shun''s question.


    However Hiro acted as if he didn''t know what Shun was talking about.


    "Huh?? What nonsense are you spouting?" Questioned Hiro with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    Hiro didn''t want all his teammates to pester him with the same question as Shun''s. Thus, he pretended as if he wasn''t aware of the thing mentioned by Shun. By feigning ignorance, Hiro was trying to avoid getting showered with questions from his teammates.


    "Let''s just quickly head to the canteen or else we won''t get any meat." Continued Hiro, trying to avoid conversing further about that topic.


    The duration of his extra training had already came to an end. Since the coach''s were afraid to burden his body with extra training, they had stopped his extra training to let him recover from the fatigue of the matches.

 Chapter 143 Tamagawa Clasico

    Chapter 143 Tamagawa sico


    April 6th, Wednesday, 2022


    Todoroki Athletics Stadium


    White fluffy clouds were drifting across the clear blue sky and the sun was dazzling with bright radiance. With no traces of any dark clouds hovering in the blue sky above, that day was particrly sunny.


    One of the three main venue of Kawasaki Frontale''s youth team, which was about 20 minutes walk away from JR/Tokyu Musashikosugi Station was bustling with the presence of 100-200 spectators in the stand.


    Most of the seats were being upied by the local shop vendors and local fans of Kawasaki. While some section of the stands were being upied by the away fans.


    "I''m feeling pretty good about this match." An elderly fan of Kawasaki Frontale, dressed in floral shirtmented in a cheerful manner.


    Another old man sitting right beside the old guy dressed in floral shirt, replied while holding the scarf with the badge of Kawasaki Frontale, "Yeah I couldn''t make it to the first game. But I read from the paper that we''ve got a pretty solid team this year. And not to mention that thirteen year old wonderkid who scored 4 goals in the previous match."


    Just like the two of them many local fans present in the stadium were holding either the club scarf or club g or banner to show their support to the team.


    And even in that scorching midday heat, people were still making their way towards the stand.


    While still more people were making their way towards the stands, walking out of aisle, Hiro and his teammates made their appearance in the pitch dressed in ck and blue jersey.


    And just as they made their appearance in the pitch, thundering sound of cheers and ps of fans reverberated all over the stadium.


    p!! p!! p!!


    "''Woah!!!!"''


    "Let''s show those guys from other side of Tamagawa rivers what Kawasaki can do." Shouted few of the elderly fans.


    However even in that noisy atmosphere, few section of the stands remained rtively silent. Those sections belonged to the fans of FC Tokyo. They all were waiting for their teams arrival.


    Walking out of the aisle, Hiro tried to look above. However, the scorching sun made him to squint his eyes.


    Shading his eyes from the bright rays of the sun, Hiro slowly opened his eyes to look at the stand.


    Looking at the stands infront of him, Hiro was mesmerized by the energetic crowd of people who had showed up in the venue to support them, even in that scorching heat.


    "Feels amazing right?" Tatsuki who was making his way out of the aisle mumbled while stopping beside him.


    Slightly lifting the corner of his lips, Hiro nodded his head. In doing so, once again the bright light of the sun fell on his eyes, creeping it''s way from the gaps of his fingers.


    Irritated by the bright light, Hiro immediately closed his eyes and ducked his head.


    After that, Hiro continued to make his way towards the pitch.


    "That number 10 kid must be that aforementioned thirteen year old kid, right?" A man probably in his thirties asked hispatriot sitting beside him while pointing his finger at Hiro.


    "Yeah that must be him." Answered hispatriot while nodding his head. "Look Tatsuki and he seems rather close, don''t they?"


    Since Tatsuki had already made his debut for the senior team, he was one of the most famous yer in U-18 team.


    Stretching their whole body, yers of Kawasaki started their warm-ups.


    After about 10 minutes, yers of FC Tokyo U-18 showed up in the pitch as well dressed in bright red and blue jersey.


    While walking out of the aisle, the once silent fans of FC Tokyo broke their silence and began to cheer at the top of their lungs.


    p!! p!! p!!


    "Let''s show them our power boy''s." Shouted few of the fans of FC Tokyo.


    After that yer''s of FC Tokyo U-18 too started their warmups.


    **** ****


    Finally as both the team finished their warm-ups, both of the team exited the pitch and began to make their way towards the locker room.


    And after about 5 minutes of rest, yers of both the team began to prepare themselves to make their appearance in the pitch.


    Standing side by side in a queue inside the tunnel, yers of both side were awaiting the announcement of thementator.


    "So you''re that wonderkid that everybody''s talking about? However the only thing that I see wonderful in you is your face. Just how can you be thirteen with that face? Did you forge your birth certificate?" One of the yer of FC Tokyo U-18 with jersey number 3, standing beside Hiro, asked in somewhat mocking tone.


    Hiro however pretended as if he didn''t hear him and ignored his questions.


    ''If I''m not wrong, he''s probably Shuto Nagano. Likes to y mind games by trash talking. He''s probably that infamous trash talker from FC Tokyo U-18 whom manager Makoto mentioned about in yesterday''s meeting.'' Thought Hiro while trying to recall about Shuto''s characteristics from yesterday''s meeting.


    "Why aren''t you replying? Did your coach tell you to not talk with strangers since you''re still a kid?" Saying such, that yer with jersey number 3 tried to provoke Hiro and tried to get on Hiro''s head.


    And just as Shuto made suchments, his teammates standing close to him burst out intoughter.


    "Yeah. Are you lost kid?" Another yer standing infront of Shuto questioned whileughing.


    Hiro however still continued to feign ignorance. Acting as if he was deaf and mute, Hiro pretended like he didn''t hear a single thing. With no changes in his facial expression, Hiro continued to maintain a poker face.


    Seeing Hiro''s unresponsiveness, Shuto started to get irritated. And thus, feeling irritated, Shuto clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Tch- you''re no fun."


    Just then the yers at the front of the queue started to move.


    [Let''s wee yer''s of Kawasaki Frontale U-18 and yer''s of FC Tokyo U-18 with a big round of apuse]


    Making their way out of the tunnel, yers of both the team began to walk towards the center of the pitch.


    While the yers of both the team were making their way towards the center of the pitch, fans of both the teams continued to cheer in loud voice.


    Standing in a straight line, yers of both the team stood straight to sing the national anthem.


    [Now I''d like to request everybody present in the stand to stand up to sing the national anthem.]


    And just as the national anthem started to y, everybody present in the stand stood up to show their respect to the anthem.


    p!! p!! p!!


    And finally as the national anthem finished, everybody present in the stadium started to p their hands.


    After that the referee responsible for refereeing that day''s match called out the captain of both the team to perform coin toss.


    From Hiro''s team as usal Tomoyasu stepped infront for the coin toss. And from FC Tokyo U-18''s side, Junpei Isido stepped infront for the coin toss.


    Junpei Isido was the yer with number 4 on his back. Curly ck hair, monolid brown pupils, he had a well built robust body.


    ''So he''s Junpei Isido. Agile, excellent physicality, passing expert and also good in defence, he''s your typical modern fullback.'' Thought Hiro while staring at Junpei Isido who was making his way towards the referee. ''And since he''s also the captain of the team, I believe that his leadership qualities are also good.''


    "Heads or tails?" Asked the referee while cing the coin atop his thumb.


    "Heads" replied Tomoyasu.


    "Then I''ll go tails." Junpei Isido responded as well.


    And as the two of them made their choice, the referee flicked the coin.


    "Tails." The referee announced after looking at the oue of the coin toss.


    "So which side will you choose?" The referee asked Junpei Isido.


    "That side" Pointing at his right, Junpei Isido made his decision.


    After that yers of both the teams exchanged handshakes and began to make their way towards their respective side of pitch.


    [FC Tokyo U-18 has won the coin toss. And their captain has decided to select the right goal-post. Which means Kawasaki Frontale U-18 will be tasked with kickoff.]


    [Since both the team''s ystyle is quite simr to each other, it''ll be fun to see which teames out on the top.] Commented thementator while the yers of both the team were positioning themselves in their respective positions.


    [For this match today Kawasaki Frontale U-18 has decided to make slight changes in their formation. And instead of ying in their usual formation which happens to be 4-3-3, today they''re ying in 4-4-2 formation.]


    [However FC Tokyo U-18 has decided to stick with it''s traditional formation. In today''s match too they''ll be ying in 4-1-2-3 formation.]


    And just as thementator finished making hisment, the referee took a peak at his watch and put the whistle in his mouth.


    He then started the timer and blew the whistle to signal the beginning of the Tamagawa sico.


    Beeeeeeeep!!

 Chapter 144 Kawasaki vs Tokyo I

    Chapter 144 Kawasaki vs Tokyo I


    Upon hearing the sound of the whistle, Tatsuki passed the ball to Hiro and started the kickoff.


    Without wasting any time, from the get go, yers of FC Tokyo charged forward like starved predators who couldn''t wait any longer to chase it''s prey.


    Tsubasa Watanabe, FC Tokyo U-18''s number 7, lunged towards Hiro just as Tatsuki passed the ball to him.


    Hiro however remainedpletely unfazed. Calm andposed, he hit the ball with the outside of his right foot and without wasting any time, he again hit the ball with the inside of his same foot. Thus inturn, Hiro swiftly dribbled past Tsubasa who was recklessly charging towards him by performing an stico.


    And just as Hiro unintentionally made a fool out of Tsubasa by dribbling past him, Kawasaki''s fan burst out intoughter, "Hahahahaha"


    [Oops!! You ought to be careful when you''re facing the Wizard of Kawasaki] Joked thementator while watching the scene of Hiro unintentionally toying with the star yer of FC Tokyo U-18.


    Hiro then started to dribble the ball forward. Tsubasa however was fuming. And thus, to retrieve his lost reputation, he once again charged towards Hiro who was charging the ball forward.


    ''Why is that idiot behaving like that?'' Thought Junpei while looking at the sight of Tsubasa.


    "Ryunosuke" Junpei called out the name of the yer with jersey number 10.


    Looking back, Ryunosuke nodded his head.


    Pointing towards Tsubasa, Junpei gestured Ryunosuke to tell Tsubasa to calm down.


    Nodding his head, Ryunosuke then left his position to chase Hiro.


    Upon seeing Ryunosuke approaching him, Hiro immediately passed the ball towards the left nk towards one of their left wide midfielder who happened to be Kenta Yui.


    After passing the ball, Hiro rushed forward without wasting any time to receive the ball.


    "Tsubasa calm down. Don''t y recklessly. Remember we''re a team." Saying such, Ryunosuke lightly patted on Tsubasa''s back and began to fall back to defend.


    Upon seeing the approaching opposing attackers, FC Tokyo''s defensive midfielder and right back rushed towards Kenta Yui who was ying as a wide midfielder instead of a winger in that match.


    Despite being righty, Kenta was often yed in the left side of the field making him a typical inverted winger who liked to cut in from the nks.


    Seeing the approaching opposing yers, Kenta slowed down all of a sudden. Looking towards his right, he noticed Hiro being marked by both the centre backs of FC Tokyo.


    Tatsuki who was almost inside the penalty box seemed free and unmarked. However Junpei was still lingering behind Tatsuki waiting for the perfect opportunity to ambush Tatsuki.


    Thus, instead of passing the ball to his team''s two forwards, Kenta chose to pass the ball back towards his teams center midfielder''s.


    Passing the ball back to Takeshi Ogawa, Kenta began to fall back.


    And just like that their attack got disrupted by the yers of FC Tokyo U-18.


    At 22nd minute of the match, Junpei Isido got the ball in his feet.


    Just like in previous match, he tried to pull off the same move. However Hiro and his teammates who had studied about his tactics in detail didn''t allow him any space to make his run.


    Standing rtively closed to each other, Tatsuki, Hiro and Akihiro blocked Junpei''s pass course.


    Unable to find any space open to make his run, Junpei passed the ball back to his team''s keeper. The keeper inturn passed the ball to the right back.


    And instead of attacking from the left nk, they tried to attack from the centre.


    Passing the ball to Ryui Asada, FC Tokyo U-18''s number 20 who yed as a defensive midfielder in that game, they tried to build up their ys around Ryui.


    Capable of holding the ball and dictating the pace of the game as per his will, Ryui Asada was the sole anchor in FC Tokyo U-18''s squad.


    Hiro being close to Ryui, rushed towards Ryui to snatch the ball away from him. However to snatch the ball away from Ryui was easier said than done.


    As if the ball was stuck between his feets, Ryui didn''t let go of the ball despite the constant pressure from Hiro.


    Keeping Hiro away using his upper body, Ryui was manhandling Hiro.


    ''Tch!! Is he somekind of mountain? Why is he so sturdy?'' Thought Hiro while battling for the ball.


    [Even the wizard is finding it difficult to move the mountain of FC Tokyo. The duel between the two of them is finally revealing the weakness in Hiro.]


    [No doubt Hiro is skilled in terms of techniques but however it''s quite evident from the duel that he stillcks in terms of physical aspectspared to the other big guys in the field] Commented thementator while observing the scene where Hiro was getting manhandled by Ryui.


    "Yeah show that boy that he can''t do everything as he pleases." Shouted one of the fan of FC Tokyo.


    Ryui too was enjoying the attention he was getting from the supporters of FC Tokyo. Thus, instead of passing the ball to anyone else, Ryui continued to keep hold of the ball.


    Enjoying the limelight, he mumbled meekly with a smile on his face, "Struggle some more kiddo"


    Hiro however didn''t pay any attention to his words and kept his eyes focused on the ball. Waiting for the perfect opportunity, Hiro was devising ns to steal the ball.


    Just then, Hiro retracted his force. And just as Hiro retracted his force, Ryui lost his footing and tumbled because of his own force.


    Making use of Ryui''s momentary distraction, Hiro took the ball away.


    [Hoho... I think Ryui got a little too arrogant. And Hiro made sure to pay Ryui for his arrogance.] Thementator burst out intoughter after seeing the sight of Ryui stumbling because of his own force.


    Hiro then began to rush forward with the ball. Without looking back, Hiro began to dribble the ball towards the goalpost.


    It took Ryui few seconds to regain his bnce. And just as he regained hisposure, he rushed towards Hiro.

 Chapter 145 Kawasaki vs Tokyo II

    Chapter 145 Kawasaki vs Tokyo II


    Rushing towards the goalpost after snatching the ball away from Ryui''s feet, Hiro quickly shook his head around him to look for his teammates.


    Tatsuki was being tightly marked by Junpei Isido. Kenta was being followed by the opposing winger. And the other two centre midfielders and right mid of his team were still far behind him.


    Infront of him were two centre back of FC Tokyo and behind him Ryui Asada was chasing him.


    With non of his teammates avable to make a pass, he waspletely surrounded.


    [Now what will Hiro do? Most of his teammates are still behind him. And his only teammate who''s in the attacking third is Tatsuki. However he too is being tightly marked by Junpei Isido. Time is ticking and he needs to act fast or else the opposing yers will catch up to him] Building up the suspense,mentator made hisment.


    Fans of Kawasaki leaned their body forward while holding their breath. Fear in their eyes, some fans were shaking while staring at Hiro with their eyes wide open.


    With their heart pounding faster with every passing seconds, all of them were anxiously waiting for Hiro to make his decision.


    Focusing all his attention towards the goalpost, Hiro continued to dribble the ball forward without slowing down.


    Quickly one of the centre back of FC Tokyo rushed forward to stop Hiro while the other stayed behind him to keep watch on Hiro.


    Just as the defender approached closer to him, Hiro swayed his upper body towards the left side.


    Thinking that Hiro was going to move towards his right, the defender too followed him. However just as he tried to move towards his right side, Hiro swung his body towards Hiro''s right side. Performing a body feint, Hiro dribbled past the defender.


    The other defender standing behind, quickly rushed forward to cover up the mistake of his teammate.


    However before he could catch up to Hiro, Hiro shot the ball towards the post. Swiftly evading the defender infront, the ball headed towards the goalpost, unobstructed.


    Shouten Kobayashi, FC Tokyo U-18''s goalkeeper leaped towards the direction of the ball. However he still fell short and ended up conceding the goal.


    [Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!]


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"


    Shouted both thementator and the fans at the same time. Standing up from their seats, supporters of Kawasaki began to celebrate Hiro''s goal by waving their scarfs and gs.


    Cheering at the top of their lungs, their happiness knew no bound. Completely forgetting that they were in kids game and not in J-league games, they celebrated Hiro''s goal as if their national yer scored a goal in world cup.


    [Wizard of Kawasaki has once again demonstrated his magic on the pitch. A powerful shot from outside the box and he has opened the scoresheet at 28th minute of the match. That''s why you need to be wary of him whenever he has the ball in his feet.] Sounding all enthusiastic, thementator made exaggeratingments about Hiro after he scored the goal.


    After scoring the goal, Hiro ran towards the side of the stand where most of the fans of Kawasaki were clustered.


    His teammates chased after him to celebrate the goal. And just as Hiro reached the stand, he leaped from the ground and threw a punch midair, pointing towards the crowd.


    While hovering in midair, he yelled at the top his lungs, "Woooo!!!!"


    The fans copied his action and parroted after him, "Woooooo!!!!"


    Cheering and shouting, Kawasaki''s fans continued to celebrate Hiro''s goal. Smile on their faces, they were filled with joy.


    However the same couldn''t be said for the fans of FC Tokyo. Their hands ced on their temples and their eyes squinted, they looked quite disappointed. As if dark clouds were hovering across their part of the stand, the section upied by the fans of FC Tokyo seemed quite gloomy.


    After some moments of celebration, the game continued with the sound of referee''s whistle.


    Beeeeeeeep!!!


    Keeping their passes short, yers of FC Tokyo U-18 tried to move the ball forward after conceding the goal on 28th minute of the match.


    p!! p!! p!!


    "Let''s go Kawasaki"


    Fans of Kawasaki began to chant. Just like a blooming flower, fan''s of Kawasaki were full of vitality.


    [Seems like that goal of Hiro has sparked some mes in the stands. Fans of Kawasaki are letting out an energetic roar.]


    While thementator was making suchments, one of the opposing yer lost control of the ball due to the pressure from the stands.


    While trying to pass the ball towards Tsubasa Watanabe, left winger of FC Tokyo U-18 made a mistake by kicking the ball lightly.


    Sensing an opportunity, Hiro dashed towards the lose ball and got hold of the ball. He then once again began to dribble the ball forward.


    Learning from his earlier mistake, Ryui Asada rushed towards Hiro to block his path. Ryunosuke did the same as well.


    However instead of trying to dribble through them, Hiro kicked the ball hard toward the left nk which seemedpletely vacant.


    ''Who''s there?'' Turning his head towards the direction of the ball, Ryui Asada thought.


    ''Huh!! Nobody''s there. Did he get nervous?'' Exhaling a short breath, he calmed himself, thinking that the ball was going out of bounds.


    However, the ball didn''t go out of bounds and instead it curved.


    Just then a yer came rushing towards the ball. ck hair,nky body, he was Kenta Yui. Sprinting towards the ball, he trapped the ball before it went out of bounds.


    Because of the talent "Kevin De Bruyne''s passing sense", Hiro had sensed the presence of Kenta just by slightly turning his head towards the left side of the pitch.


    And since his passing stats were also increased because of the talent, he was able to copy the techniques of Kevin De Bruyne. Although his techniques was still unrefined aspared to the original techniques of De Bruyne, Hiro could still mimick the lower version of De Bruyne''s passing.


    Getting the hold of the ball, Kenta began to rush towards the goal. Catching everyone off-guard, Kenta sprinted like a wild horse.


    ''How the hell did he even see him?'' Thought Ryui while rushing back to defend his goal.


    ''Does he have eyes at the side of his temple?'' Thought Ryunosuke while trying to take a peek at Hiro.


    However Hiro was nowhere to be seen.


    "Where?" Mumbled Ryunosuke with his eyes wide open after failing to find Hiro at his original ce.


    He then looked infront, towards his goalpost. And just as he looked infront, he found Hiro rushing towards the post.


    Already at the edge of middle third, Hiro was like 15 yards away from him.


    ''When the hell did he get there?'' Sounding all annoyed, Ryunosuke began to sprint back.

 Chapter 146 Kawasaki vs Tokyo III

    Chapter 146 Kawasaki vs Tokyo III


    asionally turning his head sideways to look for any possible gaps, Hiro was making his run towards the opposing goalpost.


    Making use of his pace, Kenta was also rushing towards the attacking third with the ball in his feet, while taking the position of his teammates into consideration.


    At the same time, opposing right back was also closing in to Kenta to block his path and defend his team''s goal.


    Getting close to the opposing right back, Kenta performed few sidesteps and swiftly got past the defender. After that Kenta began to cut inside the penalty box.


    [Brilliant disy of footwork by Kenta. However if he doesn''t hurry up then he might lose the position of the ball]


    And just as he began to cut inside the penalty box, one of the opposing centre back rushed towards him and once again blocked his path.


    Ryui Asada and few other opposing yers were also hurriedly rushing towards Kenta. Seeing that many opponent rushing towards him, Kenta started to panic.


    Although he was confident in 1vs1 duel, he wasn''t confident enough to face more than 1 opponent at the same time.


    ''Now what should I do?'' Gritting his teeth, Kenta thought while slowing down his pace.


    Just then he noticed Hiro who was rushing towards him to provide him some support. Kenta then passed the ball and began to make his run further deep inside the box.


    However Kenta wasn''t the only person who noticed Hiro. Another opposing centre back had also noticed Hiro.


    Noticing Hiro, that centre back rushed towards Hiro just as Kenta let go of the ball.


    [Amazing pass by Kenta. However it doesn''t seem like Hiro will get any space for shooting, as Shuto Nagano is already rushing towards Hiro.]


    Shuto Nagano then performed a sliding tackle while rushing towards Hiro. Hiro however didn''t touch the ball and simply jumped upwards to avoid getting tackled by Nagano, inturn letting go of the ball.


    "Huh!!" Confused by Hiro''s actions, Shuto Nagano blurted in shock.


    [What''s this, Hiro has decided to let go of the ball? Perhaps he made a mistake? No he hasn''t made any mistake. He has purposely decided to let go of the ball] Commentating at the top his voice, thementator immediately corrected hisments after seeing the sight of Tatsuki rushing towards Hiro from behind Hiro.


    [He has left the ball for his teammate Tatsuki. Just how did he even see Tatsuki approaching him?] Completely shocked by Hiro''s actions,mentator couldn''t help himself from questioning.


    Tatsuki then shot the ball while the ball was still rolling. Hitting with his left foot, Tatsuki kicked the ball towards the top left corner.


    Despite it being his weak foot, Tatsuki didn''t make any mistakes while hitting the ball.


    The keeper who was anticipating for Hiro''s shot was caught off guard. And thus, he ended up conceding yet another goal.


    Just like the sound of thunder, loud sound of cheers reverberated all over the stadium just as the ballnded inside the post.


    [Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!]


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"


    Standing up from their seats, fans of Kawasaki began to cheer Tatsuki''s goal.


    [Magnificent!! Magnificent!! Simply magnificent!! The pass, the shot, the build up, everything was perfect. Moreover that step over from Hiro. Just how did he manage to locate Tatsuki?] While making suchments, thementator''s voice sounded very energetic.


    Tatsuki then ran towards Hiro, just as he scored the goal. Rushing towards Hiro, Tatsuki hugged Hiro and spoke, "Thank you for letting the ball go."


    Trying to get rid of Tatsuki, Hiro replied jokingly, "You got the wrong person. It wasn''t me who assisted you. It was Kenta."


    "Yeah I know." Mumbling such, Tatsuki let go of Hiro and rushed towards Kenta to thank him for the assist.


    After that they celebrated Tatsuki''s goal for a while, along with the fans.


    [What an amazing goal it was. With only 2 minutes remaining for the first half to end, Kawasaki are in the lead. Leading by two goals, till now they are inplete control of the game. Will FC Tokyo bounce back? Or will Kawasaki increase their lead further? Only time will tell us.]


    With that goal from Tatsuki, the scoreboard read as such; Kawasaki-2 and FC Tokyo-0.


    And with only 2 minutes remaining for the end of the first half, without dying any further, the referee blew his whistle to continue the match.


    Beep!!


    With the whistle of the referee the game continued at 43rd minute of the game.


    Passing the ball back to his teammate, Tsubasa initiated the kickoff.


    However without being able to do anything, the first half came to an end. And even in the extra 3 minutes added after the end of 45 minutes the opponents still couldn''t do anything.


    [A disappointing result for the away team. Down by two goals, they seempletely lost. In that entire first half, they couldn''t even register one shot on target. Seems like coach Okuhara needs to make some radical changes in the squad in the second half.]


    One after the other, yers of both team started to exit the stadium after the end of first half.


    Walking down the aisle, yers of both the team were heading towards their respective locker room.


    "I think in today''s match I can outscore you." Mumbled Tatsuki cheerfully.


    "Well you both are tied right now. But I wish I could get to y as well." Shun replied.


    Hiro however remained silent and continued to make his way towards the locker room without replying anything.


    While they were making their way towards the locker room, Tsubasa Watanabe walked towards them.


    Furrowing his brows and ring his nose, Tsubasa spoke, "Don''t get too full of yourself. The match hasn''t ended yet."


    Hearing his way of speaking, Tatsuki jumped forward and stood between Hiro and Tsubasa. Puffing his chest, Tatsuki tried to make him look bigger. Slightly lifting his head, Tatsuki then coldly stared at Tsubasa as if he was looking down from a high tform.


    "Just because he doesn''t talk much, you think you can bully him?" Spoke Tatsuki in a domineering manner.


    "Yeah why are you approaching him when we''re the one who''s making thements?" Standing beside Tatsuki, Shun too stepped infront to face Tsubasa.

 Chapter 147 Kawasaki vs Tokyo IV

    Chapter 147 Kawasaki vs Tokyo IV


    Upon seeing Tatsuki and Shun standing infront of Tsubasa looking all domineering, his teammates came rushing towards him, thinking that Tsubasa was getting bullied by the yers of Kawasaki.


    Although it was quite the opposite, his teammates relied on their visual senses and assumed that Tsubasa was getting bullied.


    "You think he''s all alone." Shuto Nagano spoke coldly while cing his hand atop Tsubasa''s shoulder.


    "Yeah just because your team is in the lead. You think you can bully us." Shouten Kobayashi, their goalkeeper too stepped forward.


    "Huh we''re bullying him?" Shun mumbled in disbelief.


    Tsubasa who was already in a pretty bad mood because of the loss they were suffering, didn''t deny his teammates usations. And instead, he went with the flow.


    Letting out a subtle smile, he acted as if he was the victim and supported his teammates ims, "Yeah, just because I was alone, you think I''m easy to bully?"


    Smack!!


    Tatsuki smacked his forehead and started tough manically, "Hahahahaha" Acting as if he was impressed by Tsubasa''s acting, Tatsuki mumbled, "Woah!! Look at him acting."


    "With this acting skill you should have chosen to be an actor." Tatsuki continued.


    Hearing themotion taking ce behind them, yers of Kawasaki who were already on their way towards their locker room came rushing towards the ce where themotion was taking ce.


    yers of FC Tokyo U-18 did the same as well.


    Despite the efforts of the captain of both the team to stop the argument, neither of the side were in the mood to back down.


    With neither of the side backing down, yers of both the team got into a heated argument.


    "Just because your team got lucky with those two goals, you think that you''ve won the match?" Exasperated one of the yer of FC Tokyo.


    "So what if we got lucky? At least we''re in the lead and we''ve scored two goals." Shun replied in a pretentious arrogant tone.


    Unable to hear any further, Tsubasa resorted to violence. And thus, he aggressively pushed Shun.


    Just as Tsubasa pushed Shun, Tatsuki who was barely holding back himself from punching Tsubasa couldn''t restrain himself any further. Unable to restrain himself, Tatsuki too pushed Tsubasa with as much force as he can.


    Upon getting pushed, Tsubasa got sent flying towards his teammates arms who were standing behind him.


    While making their way towards the locker room, manager''s of both the team noticed themotion taking ce inside the tunnel.


    Hurriedly running towards the site ofmotion, manager''s of both the team then started to separate the yers.


    "What are you all doing? Are you some kind of hooligans?" Pushing his yers, manager Makoto yelled.


    "But sir, they were the ones wh-" Tatsuki tried to justify their actions.


    But before he could speak any further, manager Makoto interjected him, "I don''t care who''s at fault. You guys are professional yers. And professional yers shouldn''t behave like this."


    "But sir" Replied Tatsuki meekly whilst still trying to fight back.


    Manager Makoto however gave him no chance to talk back. His eyes bulging, Makoto stared at Tatsuki with eyes full of anger.


    "Immediately go back to your locker room." Pointing towards the end of the tunnel, manager Makoto furiouslymanded his yers to fall back. He was in no mood to hear any of their excuses.


    FC Tokyo''s manager did the same as well. Already unsatisfied with his team''s performance, he didn''t spare them any chance to retaliate and vented his anger.


    Without uttering a single word, yers of both the team obediently made their way towards their locker room with their head lowered after getting scolded.


    Fortunately while themotion was taking ce, the match officials were still in the pitch and hadn''t made their way towards the tunnel.


    Or else, they''d have punished both the team for their act of conduct.


    "I''m sorry for my yers misconduct." Bowing his head, manager Makoto apologized to the manager of FC Tokyo.


    "No, no. I''m sorry for my yers misconduct." Manager of FC Tokyo did the same as well.


    Both of them then apologized to each other and rushed towards their respective locker room.


    Step!! Step!! Step!!


    Restlessly entering his team''s locker room, manager Makoto found most of his yers fuming with anger.


    But just as they saw the sight Makoto entering the locker room, they quieted down.


    "I''ve always told you that you shouldn''t react to the opponents provocation, no matter what. But what happened to you all today?" Questioned manager Makoto while walking towards the center of the locker room.


    Hearing manager Makoto''s question, everybody remained silent. Although they wanted to retaliate, they were still fearful that they''d get punished if they did so.


    "You tell me Tatsuki." Pointing his finger towards Tatsuki who was sulking at his seat, Makoto questioned, "Just why did you all get into an argument?"


    "Sir it''s because of Tsubasa. He tried to pick on Hiro because he''s the youngest among us." Honestly replied Tatsuki.


    Tatsuki then borated the whole story as it is without altering anything.


    After hearing the whole story from Tatsuki, manager Makoto nodded his head and asked, "Is he right Hiro?"


    Hiro stood up from his seat and answered earnestly, "Yes sir. That''s basically what happened."


    Hearing Hiro''s reply, manager Makoto nodded his head. He then gestured Hiro and Tatsuki to take their seats.


    "Even so, you guy''s shouldn''t fight. Remember you all are soon to be pro''s. And if such incident get''s reported to the authorities, you might get suspended or get banned and you might miss the chance to go pro." Makoto reminded everybody that they were soon to be pro''s and they shouldn''t act recklessly.


    "What has happened has happened. Fortunately there weren''t any match officials to witness the scene, or else you guys might have been in trouble. So let''s all forget about this incident. And if somehow the officials do find out about this incident the club''s will sort it out. So you guy''s shouldn''t trouble yourself with this matter anymore." Saying such, manager Makoto tried to assure everybody.


    ''I''ll just talk to coach Okuhara and sort this incident.'' Thought manager Makoto.


    Since the faultrgely lied on the part of yers of FC Tokyo, Makoto was confident that they wouldn''t want to turn that event into a huge issue.


    Taking everything into consideration, Makoto decided to sort the incident between themselves.


    "But remember from now on whenever someone provokes you, don''t react to their provocation. Don''t give them any opportunity toe after you. Just show them your skills and prove yourself in the field via football." Manager Makoto suggested his yers to prove themselves via their skills.

 Chapter 148 Kawasaki vs Tokyo V

    Chapter 148 Kawasaki vs Tokyo V


    Walking out of the tunnel, yers of both the team slowly began to make their way towards the pitch after about 10 minutes rest.


    Staring at each other with disdainful eyes, it was clear that yers of both the teams were still holding grudges against each other and their anger hadn''t died down yet.


    [Is it only me or does the atmosphere between the two team feel kinda heavy right now?] Noticing their stern gazes,mentator couldn''t help himself frommentating about the evident tension between the two teams.


    [Perhaps something might have taken ce in that 10 minute break inside the tunnel.] Commentator guessed.


    And as every yer got into their respective position, the referee took a peek at his watch and blew the whistle.


    Beep!!


    Hearing the sound of referee''s whistle, Tsubasa passed the ball to Ryunosuke and initiated the starting of the second half.


    Aggressively pressing right from the beginning of the second half, almost all of their attacking yers started to run forward.


    Dashing towards Ryunosuke, Tatsuki tried to snatch the ball away from Ryunosuke''s feet. Ryunosuke however lightly tapped the ball and slid the ball between the legs of Tatsuki.


    After that Ryunosuke crossed the ball to his team''s left winger.


    Takeshi Ogawa, who was ying as right midfielder in that match, quickly stepped forward to block the path of the opposing left winger.


    The left winger inturn passed the ball to Tsubasa and began to make his run forward.


    Tsubasa performed a one touch through pass and sent the ball back to the left winger who was making his run towards the opposing defensive third.


    [Great through pass by Tsubasa. But will Kisei Yoshida be able to dribble past Ehara?]


    Ehara, Kawasaki''s right back rushed towards the opposing left winger to defend the ball.


    Keeping his gaze fixated at the ball, Ehara was totally focused on the ball.


    Kisei Yoshida, FC Tokyo''s left winger, calmly approached Ehara. Taking a quick peek at Ehara''s face, Kisei performed a body feint and tricked Ehara.


    After tricking and getting past Ehara, Kisei crossed the ball inside the penalty box.


    Tomoyasu left his position and rushed towards the ball to punch it away. And as the ball started to fall down, Tomoyasu leaped towards the direction of the ball, while trying to punch the ball away.


    At the same time, Tsubasa too leaped towards the ball to head the ball. However he didn''t get to touch the ball and instead crashed against Tomoyasu.


    Tomoyasu being the goalkeeper had a longer reach than Tsubasa and thus, he managed tond a hit on the ball with his hand. And although he punched the ball away, he couldn''t avoid the collision with Tsubasa.


    Bam!!


    Tomoyasu fell down hard on the ground. Clenching his heart, Tomoyasu began to moan in pain, "Argh!! Argh!!"


    While jumping Tsubasa''s shoulder directly hit the Tomoyasu''s unprotected ribcage.


    [That collision sounded very bad. And it doesn''t seem like neither Tomoyasu nor Tsubasa look okay. Seems like an injury is unavoidable.] Making a concerned face,mentator made hisment.


    yers of both the team immediately rushed towards the site of the collision. As if there was somekind of time bomb ced inside them. yers of both the team exploded just as they reached the site of the collision.


    Pushing and cussing each other, yers of both the team got into a fight.


    "You sucker''s!! Just quit the damn game if you can''t score. Why do you resort to violence?" Tatsuki yelled furiously while pushing one of the yers of FC Tokyo.


    "Yeah if you''re that afraid of losing then improve your game instead of injuring your opponents." Nakahara exploded as well.


    Furrowing his brow, Kisei pushed Tatsuki and let out a furious roar, "Who are you calling sucker? You guys are the one''s who are scared to concede the goal."


    Nodding his head, Ryunosuke joined as well, "Yeah, just when you were about to concede the goal, you injure your opponents."


    Beep!! Beep!!


    Blowing his whistle the referee intervened and tried to separate the yers.


    And although the referee was trying his best to stop the fight, he was still having difficulty separating yers of both the team.


    As if the yers of both the teams were going to start using their fist and kicks, the situation was getting more heated, despite the intervention from the main referee.


    Witnessing the scene of yers getting out of hands, assistant referees who were standing at the sidelines were also forced to rush towards the site ofmotion.


    After trying their absolute best, referees present in the pitch finally separated the yers of both the team.


    And just as they separated the yers, main referee took out his card and began to write something on his card.


    After finishing writing, he showed yellow card to 7 yers in the pitch. 4 yellow cards to the yers of FC Tokyo and 3 yellow cards to yers of Kawasaki.


    And despite themotion, the referee still didn''t take out his red card.


    Tatsuki, Nakahara, Ehara, Kisei, Ryunosuke, Ryui and Tsubasa being the main culprits, all got one yellow card each. Tomoyasu however didn''t get any cards as he was deemed innocent.


    And just as referee finished giving out cards to the yers involved, he awarded freekick to Kawasaki for Tsubasa''s foul against Tomoyasu.


    yers of FC Tokyo sulked their faces and tried to retaliate saying that the decision was unfair. But just as they tried to raise their voice to express their dissatisfaction, referee tilted his head slightly and looked at them coldly while putting his hand inside his pocket, as if he was ready to pull out his cards, once again.


    Witnessing referee''s cold gaze, nobody from FC Tokyo dared to raise their voice. Fearing to get on referee''s bad side, all of them reluctantly epted the referee''s decision.


    While such scene was happening, Hiro was standing beside Tomoyasu. Shielding Tomoyasu from other yers, Hiro was trying his best to support Tomoyasu.


    Tomoyasu however continued to moan in pain. As if a sharp knife was slowly piercing his heart, he kept on clenching his heart and screaming in agony. And as time progressed, his condition started to falter.


    Writhing in pain, Tomoyasu was sweating heavily. His eyes tightly shut and his breathing irregr, he couldn''t even bring himself to open his eyes.


    Looking at Tomoyasu''s pale face, Hiro knew something was wrong. Thus without wasting any time, Hiro shouted for the medics.


    "We need help here. Senior Tomoyasu seems injured." Hiro shouted at the top of his lungs while waving his hand above his head.

 Chapter 149 Kawasaki vs Tokyo VI

    Chapter 149 Kawasaki vs Tokyo VI


    The medic''s came rushing towards the pitch while carrying their medical equipments as soon as they heard the call of Hiro.


    While the medic''s were rushing towards the location where Tomoyasu was lying, manager Makoto too rushed towards the location where Tomoyasu was lying with a concerned look on his face.


    And since he couldn''t step inside the pitch, he rushed towards the spot while running along the sidelines.


    Arriving at the spot where Tomoyasu was lying while writhing in pain, the medic''s began to examine Tomoyasu.


    Quickly cing a oxygen rebreather mask over the face of Tomoyasu, they began to undress Tomoyasu''s upper body.


    And just as they lifted Tomoyasu''s t-shirt, they found a blue patch bruised mark at the left side of his chest.


    Upon witnessing the bruised mark on Tomoyasu''s chest, Hiro made a painful expression and tried to look away, "Shhhhhhh-"


    "It looks serious." Mumbled one of the medic while examining the bruised mark.


    "Yeah!! I just hope that he hasn''t broken any bones." Replied the other medic. "We need to take him to the hospital ASAP"


    The medic''s then began to position the stretcher to relocate Tomoyasu on the stretcher.


    While they were positioning the stretcher, manager Makoto too arrived at the scene. Although he was still quite far from the scene, he could tell that something wasn''t right. From outside the pitch, just beside the goalpost, manager Makoto yelled sounding all concerned, "Is everything alright? Is he fine?"


    The medic''s shook their head and shifted their attention towards Tomoyasu. They then ced Tomoyasu on the stretcher and carried him out of the pitch.


    Following the medics, manager Makoto too rushed towards his bench.


    "Poor boy!! It looks very serious." Making a pitiful face, one of the fans of Kawasaki mumbled.


    "That jersey number 7 boy from FC Tokyo yed dirty. Why didn''t the referee show him red card?" An old geezer grumpily mumbled while expressing his dissatisfaction.


    "I just hope that he can y again. God please protect that kid." Ady probably in her fourties prayed while joining her hands.


    [Tomoyasu Hamasaki, goalkeeper of Kawasaki seems like in a serious condition. The medics are carrying him out of the pitch in the stretcher.]


    Hurriedly rushing outside of the pitch while carrying Tomoyasu, one of the medic hurriedly spoke while looking at manager Makoto, "Sir!! We need to rush him to the hospital."


    Hearing the medic''s words, manager Makoto felt like the sky had fallen upon him. Suddenly his legs turned weak and he nearly fell down.


    However at thest moment he mustered the strength in his legs and stopped himself from falling down.


    [It seems like the injury is rather very serious. The medics are rushing Tomoyasu out of the stadium.] Looking at the sight of the medics leaving the stadium,mentatormented.


    [Let us all pray that he recovers as soon as possible. But despite the injury, the match must go on. So what will manager Makoto do now? He has no choice but to send out another keeper.]


    Although he was feeling extremely terrible, manager Makoto still had his job to do. And thus, he couldn''t let the injury of Tomoyasu to get over his head and continue to act depressed.


    Manager Makoto then slowly walked towards his team''s bench where the substitutes were sitting.


    "Shun you''re up." Mumbled Makoto while looking at the pitch.


    Shun quickly stood from his seat and put on his gloves. With a mixed feeling of anger, excitement and sadness, Shun walked towards manager Makoto.


    "Just y safe and defend the goal. Also tell everyone to shift to their original formation." Whispering the tactics in Shun''s ear, manager Makoto gave Shun a gentle push, "Don''t let your anger control you."


    After that one of the assistant referee rose his substitution board to indicate the yer change.


    [yer change for Kawasaki. Recing the injured Tomoyasu, neer Shun Yabuzoe is making his way towards the pitch] Announced thementator.


    Touching the grass of the pitch, Shun then rushed towards the goal-post.


    While extending his hands, Hiro mumbled, "Although it''s unfortunate to lose senior Tomoyasu, still congrattions my friend for your debut."


    Smack!!


    Gently striking Hiro''s extended hand, Shun replied while rushing towards the post, "Thank you my friend."


    With the arrival of Shun, yer of FC Tokyo began to scatter around.


    And before preparing to take the freekick, Shun called out some of his teammates and parroted the tactics mentioned by manager Makoto.


    Those yers then spread the news to other yers.


    [Although it''s quite sad to lose an important yer at this moment, but what can we do, the match must go on.]


    cing the ball at the freekick spot, Shun looked at his teammates who were scattered all over the pitch. Waiting for the referee''s whistle, he calmly analysed the situation on the field.


    While Shun was analysing the field, thementator made hisment, [Now what will this new keeper do? Will he able to protect his goal like Tomoyasu did? Or will he crumble because of the pressure?]


    Just then the referee blew his whistle and resumed the match.


    Beep!!


    Hearing the referee''s whistle, Shun hit the ball hard. Instead of passing it to his teammates who were nearby, he sent the ball flying over the other side of the pitch.


    [The newbie keeper of Kawasaki has sent the ball flying. And it''s heading directly towards the opposing defensive third.]


    And just as Shun kicked the ball hard, Hiro heard the notification of the system.


    [New quest unlocked]


    [Quest title: Avenge your teammate]


    [Quest info: Score a bicycle kick and celebrate your goal infront of the opposing fans by holding onto your t-shirt]


    [Rewards: 10 attribute points and one silver ticket]


    [Punishment on failure: deduction of random stat point]


    ''A quest at this moment?'' While making his run, Hiro thought. ''But even if you didn''t provide me with this quest. I was already nning on doing that.''


    ''Because I know that foul was intentional. Tsubasa intentionally dyed his jump to match the timing with Tomoyasu''s jump.''


    Taking a quick peek at Tsubasa, Hiro made his run towards the direction of the ball.

 Chapter 150 Kawasaki vs Tokyo VII

    Chapter 150 Kawasaki vs Tokyo VII


    While taking a quick peek at Tsubasa, a fragment of memory where Tsubasa was smiling while looking at the sight of Tomoyasu who was writhing in pain, shed inside Hiro''s head.


    Remembering Tsubasa''s crooked smile, Hiro squinched his brows and contorted his face in disgust.


    After that he shrugged and shifted his attention towards the ball and the yers infront.


    yers of FC Tokyo were all falling back to defend the iing ball. At the same time Tatsuki was also running towards the spot where the ball was going to fall.


    To his left Kenta was making his run along the left nk and to his right Ogawa was also making his run along the right nk.


    And since they had changed their formation, Junpei Isido was forced to mark Ogawa instead of Tatsuki.


    After dropping to his original position of attacking midfielder, Ryui Asada was forced to stick with Hiro.


    Predicting the trajectory of the ball, Tatsuki slowed down his pace and looked above. And as he looked above, the bright light of the sun which directly fell on his eyes, made him to squint his eyes.


    While squinting his eyes, he noticed the silhouette of the ball. The ball was falling right at the spot where he was standing.


    And as the ball fell down closer to him, Tatsuki leaped upward to head the ball. FC Tokyo''s, two centre back who were standing beside Tatsuki, also jumped upward topete for the ball.


    Despite getting pushed by two defenders from his both side, Tatsuki still managed to touch the ball. Although he couldn''t trap the ball, he headed the ball towards Hiro who was making his run towards him.


    And just as Tatsuki headed the ball towards Hiro, sensing danger Junpei Isido left his position. Even when Ryui was already marking Hiro, Junpei couldn''t stop himself from worrying, after seeing thest two ys of Hiro.


    Just the thought of Hiro getting ball made him extremely anxious.


    Thus, without thinking anything Junpei left his mark and rushed towards Hiro.


    However just as he left his position, Hiro supplied a through pass to Ogawa who waspletely unmarked.


    [A fabulous through pass by Hiro. But a fatal mistake by the captain of FC Tokyo. Perhaps he shouldn''t have left his position.]


    Junpei was again forced to return back to his spot. Changing his path, Junpei began to chase Ogawa.


    Ogawa then gently trapped the ball. After trapping the ball, he crossed the ball inside the penalty box, towards Tatsuki and Kenta.


    Right after heading the ball towards Hiro, Tatsuki had started to make his run towards the goalpost without looking back.


    Noticing the iing ball, Kobayashi solidified his position. Keeping his gaze fixated at the ball, he prepared himself to defend his goal.


    Once again Tatsuki leaped from the ground to head the ball. And so did the opposing defenders. However unlike the previous time, that time Tatsuki missed the ball. The ball simply flew about an inch above his head.


    Swiftly evading the reach of three defenders and one striker, the ball headed toward the direction of Kenta.


    Kobayashi too rushed towards the opposite side of the post.


    Kenta then headed the ball towards the post. Quickly reacting to the iing shot, Kobayashi extended his arms to defend his post. However he still couldn''t manage tond a hit on the ball.


    Evading the reach of Kobayashi, the ball then hit the pole and bounced back.


    Bam!!!


    Kenta''s pupils erged as he witnessed the ball bouncing away from the penalty box after hitting the frame of the goalpost.


    Bouncing away from the post, the ball headed outside the penalty box towards Ryui Asada. Ryui then cleared the ball away from their defensive third towards Ryunosuke.


    "Fall back" Shouted Hiro as he began to sprint back.


    Getting the hold of ball, Ryunosuke then began to dash forward with the ball.


    Witnessing the iing attack, all of the yers of Kawasaki began to fall back to defend their post.


    Akihiro Yamada, the bald headed defensive midfielder of Kawasaki began to chase after Ryunosuke who was about few steps away from him.


    However Akihiro proved to be no match for Ryunosuke. Making use of his pace, Ryunosuke left Akihiro in dust.


    Akimasa Nakahara, Kawasaki''s centre back dashed forward to block Ryunosuke.


    Noticing the iing defender, Ryunosuke passed the ball to his left winger, who inturn crossed the ball inside the penalty box towards Tsubasa.


    Jumping as high as he could, Tsubasa headed the ball towards the goalpost. And just as he made contact with the ball, he let out a subtle smile on his face.


    Thud!!


    Landing safely on the ground, he looked at the direction of the post with a smug smile on his face thinking that he''d scored the goal. However to his astonishment, he was shocked to find the oue.


    ck haired, tanned skin guy who was about 5 feet 7 inches tall was lying on the ground while tightly clenching the ball in his arms.


    [Seems like it wasn''t the oue Tsubasa was hoping for. Shun Yabuzoe, the neer of Kawasaki has made a brilliant save and sessfully defended his post] Commentatormented in a cheerful voice.


    "That was one heck of save."


    "Never imagined that our second choice goalkeeper would be as talented as our first choice goalkeeper"


    Few fans of Kawasakimented happily while cheering for Shun after watching him make that beautiful save.


    Shun then slowly stood up with the ball in his hands. Standing straight infront of the goalpost, Shun looked at Tsubasa who was staring at him as if he was looking at someone who had stolen his girlfriend away from him.


    Looking Tsubasa in the eyes, Shun lifted the corner of his lips and revealed a smile on his face. While looking at Tsubasa with a sinister smile on his face, Shun squeezed some words out of his mouth, "Try again."


    Although Tsubasa couldn''t hear the words of Shun because of the noise reverberating in the stadium, he could still tell that it was something bad.


    "Cry again" is what Tsubasa perceived.


    "You piece of shit" Gnashing his teeths, Tsubasa cussed under his breathe.

 Chapter 151 End of Tamagawa clasico

    Chapter 151 End of Tamagawa sico


    While Tsubasa was frozen at his ce, furiously ring at Shun, Shun threw the ball towards Minato to continue the game.


    "Tsubasa fall back" Ryunosuke yelled as he began to fall back.


    Only after hearing Ryunosuke''s voice did Tsubasa came back to his senses.


    Hearing Ryunosuke''s faint voice, Tsubasa clicked his tongue and shrugged his shoulder and began to fall back.


    After that counter attack from FC Tokyo, the game progressed rather intensely. With both teams pressing hard, both of the team struggled to register a goal in the second half.


    Until the 87th minute of the match, the game was neck to neck. With neither side backing down, it seemed like the game was going to end with the score of 2:0.


    At 60th minute of the game, FC Tokyo made use of their first substitution. And at 64th minute of the match Kawasaki too substituted Takeshi Ogawa for Yutaro Onda.


    And again in 75th minute of the game, manager Makoto used another of his substitution by substituting Tatsuki for the neer Renji Igarashi.


    Beep!!


    [Good save by Kobayashi. Until now both the teams have failed to score any goals in the second half. But will this corner kick change the situation?]


    At 87th minute of the match, Hiro''s team was awarded a corner kick after Kobayashi made an impressive save by saving the shot made by Renji from outside the box.


    "You want to take the corner kick?" Walking towards Hiro, Renji asked.


    After witnessing Hiro''s skills firsthand, Renji''s pride and ego had shunken to some extent. Before meeting Hiro, he had considered himself a prodigy. However after witnessing Hiro''s skills firsthand, his pride and ego had taken a major hit.


    And at that moment he realised that either he''d have to adapt to survive or else he''d get devoured by his own ego.


    Although nobody could tell the oue ofter option, he chose the former to move forward while learning from the best.


    Shaking his head, Hiro replied, "No. Let Akihiro take the corner."


    "What do you think about my suggestion senior Kenta?" Asked Hiro while looking at Kenta.


    After the departure of Tomoyasu, the captain armband was handed to Tatsuki. Simrly after Tatsuki was substituted at the 75th minute, the captain armband was again handed to Kenta.


    His jersey soaked in sweat, while stretching his t-shirt, Kenta was blowing air in his chest from his mouth to cool himself to some extent.


    And just as he heard Hiro''s suggestion, he stopped his act and turned his head towards Hiro. Turning his head towards Hiro, Kenta nodded his head while making a ''ok'' gesture.


    "Then that concludes the decision." Mumbling such, Hiro shifted his gaze behind him to look for Akihiro.


    Taking advantage of the momentary stoppage, Akihiro was inhaling and exhaling deep breaths to stabilise his heartbeat.


    "Akihiro" Shouted Hiro after finding him.


    Hearing his name, Akihiro lifted his head and began to look around him. Turning his head left and right, he found Hiro waving his hand, gesturing him toe over while calling his name.


    Without wasting any time, Akihiro then rushed towards them.


    "Yes Hiro" Answered Akihiro after reaching close to them.


    "We want you to take the corner kick." Without beating around the bush, Hiro revealed.


    With his pupils erged, Akihiro perplexingly stared at Hiro. His heart throbbing, for few seconds, he continued to stare at Hiro without replying anything.


    "Are you sure? Like.... I''ve never..... taken any set-piece before." Momentarily pausing in between while replying, Akihiro replied.


    "Don''t worry. I''ve seen your crosses. It''ll be alright." With a smile on his face, Hiro put his hands atop Akihiro''s shoulder and assured him.


    Locking eyes with Hiro, Akihiro''s doubt started to fade away and a feeling of warmth embraced him.


    Akihiro then looked towards his right where Renji was standing. And as he looked at him, he found him nodding his head with a smile on his face.


    With a newfound motivation, Akihiro then answered, "Leave it to me. I''ll make sure to deliver a good assist."


    Hearing Akihiro''s confident response, Hiro and Renji, both of them chuckled.


    Apanied by Hiro, Akihiro then began to walk towards the corner g to take the corner kick.


    While on their way, Hiro whispered, "Don''t cross the ball inside the penalty box. Instead cross the ball towards the penalty arc. However make it look like it''s heading towards the penalty box."


    Hearing Hiro''s words, once again Akihiro''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Will it be alright?" Hesitantly asked Akihiro after hearing Hiro''s impulsive strategy.


    Afterall the probability of scoring was more inside the penalty box than outside the box. Thus, Akihiro couldn''t understand why Hiro was suggesting such reckless strategy.


    "Don''t worry, trust in me. I''ll fill you with detailster." Answered Hiro with a solemn expression on his face.


    Although Akihiro was still confused by Hiro''s suggested strategy. Even so Akihiro reluctantly epted Hiro''s request.


    After that Akihiro left towards the corner g and Hiro rushed back to the penalty box.


    ''Since it might be thest set-piece of the match, I''m sure that almost every yer of FC Tokyo will get clustered inside the box which inturn will decrease our chance to score. So right now thinking outside the box is our best option to score.'' Thought Hiro while looking at the direction of Akihiro.


    Akihiro then prepared himself to take the corner kick. Taking a final nce at the yers infront of him, Akihiro rushed towards the ball.


    Akihiro then did as he was instructed by Hiro. While kicking the ball towards the penalty box, he added a spin on the ball.


    Everybody inside the box were anticipating for the ball. Pushing each other, every yer inside the box were desperate to get a touch on the ball.


    Sweaty bodies of yers colliding with each other, everybody''s eyes were focused on the ball.


    And for a while it seemed like the ball was heading towards their direction. However only one yer was performing quite opposite to the rest.


    Instead of making his run inwards, he was running outwards. Completely engrossed in the battle for the ball, nobody noticed him.


    Because of the spin on the ball, the ball curved and headed towards the edge of the penalty box.


    And before anybody could even notice the spin on the ball, it was alreadyte.


    Jumping up from the ground, Hiro leaped upwards. Extending his leg in mid-air, Hiro kicked the ball, inturn performing a bicycle kick. Completely unobstructed, the ball flew towards the post.


    Thud!!


    Hironded on his back after hitting the ball.


    [Goaaaaallllllll!!!!]


    "''Goaaaaalllllllll!!!!"''


    Rising from their seats, fans of Kawasaki began to celebrate Hiro''s goal.

 Chapter 152 Upsetting the away fans

    Chapter 152 Upsetting the away fans


    Just as the ball crossed the goal-line and touched the, fans present in the stadium ecstatically stood up from their seats and began to cheer while jumping and hugging each other.


    "Yeah!!!"


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"


    Followed by thunderous sound of cheers as if some kind of festival was taking ce in the stadium, the tense atmosphere in the stadium during the time when the ball was still levitating in the air, suddenly changed into festive mood.


    "Tanaka, that''s one of the best goal I''ve seen in my entire life." His eyes brimming with joy, one of the elderly fan of Kawasaki looked at hispanion and stated ecstatically while celebrating Hiro''s goal.


    Hispanion who was also brimming with joy, looked at him with a big wide smile on his face and mumbled while nodding his head, "Ummm... I agree."


    "It reminded me of the goal Rooney scored in 2011 in one of the Manchester derby." Continued Tanaka, an elderly fan of Kawasaki who looked like he was already in his sixties.


    [Majestic!! Magnificent!! Brilliant!!! I can''t stop exaggerating. That goal was simply out of this world. Almost 20 yards away from the post and yet he scored a magnificent bicycle kick from that far. Just how did he manage do that??] Holding the microphone close to his mouth, thementatormented, cheerfully. Droplets of saliva was spitting all over the microphone while thementator was making hisment, however he didn''t give a damn at all.


    Hearing the loud cheers of the fan, Hiro didn''t need to look back to confirm if he had scored the goal. Just by listening to their cheers, he could tell that he had scored the goal.


    And thus, without looking back, Hiro rose from the ground andunched himself towards the section of the stand where the fans of FC Tokyo were gathered.


    [What''s this?? Why is running away like that? Does he not want to celebrate his goal with his teammates?] Questioned thementator while perplexingly looking at the sight of Hiro running away.


    Although his teammates couldn''t tell why he was running away instead of celebrating the goal with them, they still followed him to celebrate the goal.


    Especially Akihiro who was still doubting Hiro''s reckless strategy until the moment he witnessed the ball crossing the goal-line, sprinted towards Hiro as fast as he could to apologize for doubting him.


    However without waiting for anyone, Hiro continued to make his run towards the section of the stand where the fans of FC Tokyo were gathered.


    And since he had already memorised the location of the stand with the most fans when he had received the quest from the system, he didn''t need to waste his time to search for the stand.


    Arriving at the location, he took off his jersey. After that he pointed his jersey at the fans of FC Tokyo intentionally showing the back of his jersey to the fans of FC Tokyo.


    [Hoho.... So that''s what he was going to do. I''m pretty sure that fans of FC Tokyo are very pissed with Hiro''s celebratory gesture] While making suchments,mentator chuckled.


    "Show your jersey to your fans, you arrogant prick." Grumpily shouted one of the fans of FC Tokyo while furrowing his brows in anger.


    Fuming with anger, another fan of FC Tokyo yelled, "We''ll pay you back in our home ground."


    Although the loud cheers of fans of Kawasaki was canceling much of the noiseing from the stands of fans of FC Tokyo, Hiro could still faintly hear their angry grunts.


    Hearing their bacshes, it made him question about his celebratory act, ''Perhaps it was a bad decision to celebrate like this. But it''s not like I''ve had a choice. I was forced by the system. So please don''t hate me.''


    Although the fans of FC Tokyo were pissed by Hiro''s celebration, yers of FC Tokyo were even more pissed. Biting their lips, some of the yers of FC Tokyo were ring at Hiro as if they would kill him.


    [Questpleted]


    While he was thinking, Hiro heard the notification of questpletion from the system.


    Hearing the notification of the system, he let out a subtle smile and meekly mumbled, "I hope it''s worth the risk."


    Just then his teammates came rushing towards him and jumped atop him.


    "You cheeky bastard." Commented Nakahara while rubbing Hiro''s hair.


    **** ****


    After celebrating for a while, everybody went back to their original position to resume the match.


    With only 3 minutes remaining, one could say that the game was almost over. However there were still some extra time remaining.


    And there''s a saying in football that every second counts in football. Thus even though it didn''t seem much, anything could happen in that remaining time.


    Beep!!! Beep!! Beeeeeeeep!!


    [And the game has finally ended with the score of 3-0. Kawasaki Frontale U-18: 3 and FC Tokyo U-18: 0] Commentator announced the end of the game after hearing the final whistle of the referee.


    After the end of the full time, the referee added 5 minutes extra. However even in that 8 minutes, FC Tokyo still couldn''t manage to change the oue of the game.


    Let alone change the oue of the match, they couldn''t even score a consolidation goal.


    [Although first half was quite disappointing for FC Tokyo, they still managed to disy an amazing performance in the second half. And even though the oue of the game didn''t favour them, regardless of the oue, they yed an amazing game. So let us all give them a round of apuse for their efforts]


    p!! p!! p!!


    "Don''t worry guys. We''ll get our revenge on them in our home turf." Shouted few of the fans of FC Tokyo while trying to encourage their yers.


    After that both the teams lined up for exchanging handshakes to pay respect to each other.


    And after exchanging handshakes with their opponents, Hiro and his teammates walked towards the stands were the fans of Kawasaki were seated.


    Bowing their heads, they expressed their thankfulness for their support.


    p!! p!! p!!


    "Well yed guys."


    "Well yed"


    "Good game"

 Chapter 153 Aomoris Ace

    Chapter 153 Aomori''s Ace


    April 7th, Thursday, 2022


    Spreading it''s warm rays across the surface, morning sun was shining brilliantly. upying few vacant spots, fluffy white clouds of different shapes and sizes were also drifting freely in the blue sky.


    Chirp!! Chirp!!


    Basking in the morning sun, few small birds were chirping while sitting in the branches of trees nted in the roadside.


    That day''s morning was rather peaceful and dreamy.


    Until a silhouette of a boy appeared in one end of the road.


    Fair-skinned, sharp nose, thick brows, his medium long ck hair was covering most of his forehead.


    Beads of sweats formed in his temple were all merging together and running down his face, while he was pedalling his bicycle.


    ''Shit!! I''m gonna bete for the training.'' As if he was in some kind of rush, he thought while pedalling his bicycle.


    Despite panting heavily, his eyes didn''t show any signs of exhaustion and looked rather full of energy. However as if something was troubling him, he looked rather anxious and panicked.


    ''If I don''t reach the training ground in time today, coach will definitely eat me alive.'' Thinking of his coach, a shiver ran down his spine.


    "No I won''t gette." Shouted the boy as he began to pedal harder.


    His loud voice which came out of nowhere scared the nearby birds sitting in the trees. Fluttering their wings, they all flew away after hearing his voice.


    Finally after about 5 minutes of bike ride, he arrived infront of a school gate. Atop the gate was a banner which read as such; Aomori Yamada High School.


    Huff!! Huff!!


    Pausing his bicycle, he stood infront of the huge metal gate to catch his breath. Looking to his left and right, he began to search for people.


    "Am I thest one to arrive?" Unable to find anybody around him, he questioned to himself.


    "Sigh!! Seems like I''ll be runningps again." Heaving a pitiful sigh, he mumbled.


    After that he headed inside the school. Parking his bicycle in a hurry, he grabbed his bag and began to run.


    Running towards a building which was just infront of a football pitch, he entered the building.


    "What took you so long today Takumi?" A fair-skinned, ck-haired boy questioned the boy from before just as he entered the football pitch after getting changed.


    "I stood upte watching football yesterday." Replied Takumi with a awkward smile in his face.


    "What about yesterday''s Tamagawa sico?" Asked the boy after hearing Takumi''s response.


    "We won''t be facing either of them until next week. So why bother watching them now?" Acting uninterested, Takumi shrugged.


    "The guy whom I mentioned to you previously. Also the guy who''s leading the goal scoring chart in this year''s Takamado Premier League, he scored yet another two goal in yesterday''s match." Responded the ck-haired dude infront of him.


    "So what if he scored two more goals. I''ll catch up to him in no time." Sounding a little arrogant, Takumi replied.


    "In only two matches he has scored 6 goals." Mumbled the guy infront of him.


    "6 goals" Lifting six fingers and showing it to Takumi, he repeated.


    Hearing the words said by the guy infront, his face flushed and he hurriedly replied, "I too have 3 goals under my name. And if I score 3 goals in tomorrow''s match, I''ll tie with him in no time."


    Noticing his flushed face, the guy infront smiled and said, "Yeah. You can score a hattrick. Afterall you''re our ace."


    "But anyway, do you want to watch some highlights of yesterday''s Tamagawa sico?" Continued the ck-haired guy.


    "Are you out of your mind Reichi? The coach will kill us." Takumi exasperated.


    "Hahaha... Look around you." Reichi replied whileughing. "The coach hasn''t arrived yet."


    Hearing Reichi''s words, Takumi began to look around the pitch. Looking  around the pitch, he couldn''t find his coach in the field. And as mentioned by Reichi, he found that his team''s coach hadn''t actually arrived yet.


    "Sigh!!"


    At first, he breathed a sigh of relief after failing to find his coach since he won''t have to runps for arrivingst. Then again, he questioned, "Why has he not arrived yet? He has never gottente before."


    "Hmm... I''m not sure." Shaking his head, Reichi replied.


    "So do you still want to watch the highlights?" Continued Reichi.


    "Well... let''s watch it" Nodding his head, Takumi answered.


    "Wait a bit. I''ll go fetch my phone." Saying such, Reichi left the field in hurry.


    **** ****


    Lying in his bed, Hiro was nkly staring at the ceiling above him.


    ''Is Tomoyasu all right? He didn''t look fine to me. And the coach''s haven''t told us anything either.'' While thinking of the injury which Tomoyasu suffered in yesterday''s match, Hiro pondered with a worried look on his face.


    "That bastard Tsubasa. How could heugh after injuring someone to that extent." Gnashing his teeth, Hiro mumbled while remembering the moment where he witnessed Tsubasa''s crooked smile.


    "Sigh!!"


    "But what can we even do. It''s not like I can go and beat him." Inhaling a deep breathe, Hiro let go of his anger.


    Hiro then rose from his bed and began to stretch his body.


    "Although it''s a good thing we don''t have any morning training today. But it''s still kinda boring toy in bed." Mumbled Hiro while stretching his legs.


    "How did I turn up like this? I used to love sleeping back then. What happened to the old me?" Thinking about his past self, Hiro mumbled.


    "May be I''m changing." Hiro guessed.


    "Ahh right! I should use that silver ticket which I''ve got from yesterday''s quest."


    "System activate"


    [System activated]


    Leafing through the holographic blue screen, Hiro directly headed towards the roulette section.


    [You have one silver ticket avable]


    [Do you want to use it?]


    [Confirm] [Cancel]


    "Confirm" Pressing on the confirm, he waited patiently for his reward.


    The roulette wheel then spun for a while and after few seconds itnded in one of the card.


    [Congrattions host has obtain skill Lightning steps]


    [Skill: Lightning steps]


    [Skill description: The host can achieve his top eleration immediately without needing any extra movements]


    [Skill duration: 8 seconds]


    [CD: 30 minutes]

 Chapter 154 Highlights of the match

    Chapter 154 Highlights of the match


    Drawing up such an amazing skill, Hiro couldn''t help but stare at the screen with his eyes wide open.


    "Can achieve top eleration without any extra movements" Brimming with joy, Hiro repeated the words disyed in the screen infront of him.


    ''I can''t help but wonder what kind of faces will the opponents make when they see me go from 0 km/h to my top eleration without needing any extra run-ups''


    Thinking about the usage of the skills, Hiro subconsciously curled his lips and disyed a sinister smile on his face.


    Even for speedster yers like Mbappe and Hand, they would still require few seconds to attain their maximum speed.


    But to directly go from 0 km/h to 29 km/h which was Hiro''s top speed at the moment, it was simply a game changing skill.


    Naturally speaking, his skill was totally out of logic which defied thews of physics. Afterall it''s simply impossible to go from 0 to 30 without any run-ups.


    While thinking of the usage of the skill, suddenly a thought shed inside his head, ''What if my top speed increases? Will the skill still work?''


    [Yes. Regardless of your top eleration, as long as you use the skill you can reap the benefits of the skill. However do keep your physicality into consideration.]


    [Afterall you are still only human and your muscles do need rest. So it''s suggested that you don''t use this skill multiple times in the game. Or else an injury is unavoidable]


    Answering to the doubts of Hiro, the system suggested him to not use the skill multiple times in one game.


    Nodding his head, Hiro began to rub his chin while thinking about the suggestion made by the system, "Indeed if I spam this skill continuously then my body might not be able to handle the toll it would exert on my muscles."


    "Afterall it''s amon sight in footballing world that yers who rely on their speed are the ones who get injured the most. So I must be careful while using this skill. I must only use it as a trump card." Mumbled Hiro after thinking of the consequences he''d have to suffer for using that skill.


    **** ****


    Comfortably sitting in his chair, a blond haired guy was staring at hisptop ced atop his immacte wooden table.


    "Go.. Go... Goal!!!" Shouted the blond haired guy while jumping up from his chair in ecstasy.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    Just as he shouted "goal", he heard a knock on his office door.


    Hearing the knock on the door, he paused his celebration and began to tidy his clothes and fix his tie.


    He was wearing casual navy blue pants, white shirtyered with navy blue coloured zer which matched his pants and a in ck coloured tie.


    Fixing his tie, he sat down in his chair and answered after clearing his throat, "Yes, pleasee in"  with a solemn expression on his face.


    Opening the door, a muscr tanned skin guy probably in histe twenties who was dressed in a blue jeans and in white t-shirt entered the room.


    Seeing the sight of the man infront, the blond guy released a sigh of relief and replied in a casual manner, "It''s you Lucas"


    Putting up a big wide smile, Lucas answered casually as if he was talking to one of his close associate, "Hahaha... Did I scare you Eric?"


    "You did scare me. I thought it was my secretary Sofia. I still haven''tpleted reading these papers." Pointing towards the pile of papers ced atop his table, Eric mumbled.


    "Hahaha... Seems like even one of the top agent in Europe is afraid of something."  Letting out a heartyughter, Lucasmented.


    "Ah right! I heard you screaming goal a moment ago from outside the door. What were you watching Eric?" Continued Lucas.


    Just as Lucas mentioned about the goal, Eric''s face brightened. Eric then rotated the screen of hisptop towards Lucas. With a smile on his face, he proudly mumbled, "I was watching this." While pointing his finger at the screen.


    While trying to read the title, Lucas knitted his brows and answered looking all confused, "I can''t understand it. Is it Japanese?"


    "Ahh sorry about that. Let me read it to you then." Apologising to Lucas, Eric began to read, "Prince Takamado Premier League. Kawasaki vs Tokyo"


    Hearing Eric''s trantion, Lucas nodded his head and answered, "Among these two team which one does that Japanese boy y for?"


    "You can decide it by yourself after looking at this video." Letting Lucas guess the club Hiro was ying for, Eric restarted the video.


    Although Japanese football association hadn''t put a full video in newtube, they had still put a highlight video bypiling some of interesting moments which took ce in the match for marketing purposes.


    While looking at the video, Lucas sulked his upper body to get a better view. Keeping his gaze fixated at the screen ofptop, Lucas looked like a sage who was lost in his/her meditation.


    And although he couldn''t get what thementator was saying, he could still understand how the yers were ying. Afterall football required nonguage.


    "Damn!! That''s a good goal." Mumbled Lucas while witnessing Hiro''s first goal of the match.


    "If you think that''s amazing then I wonder what kind of reaction will you maketer." Softly mumbled Eric in his muffled voice.


    "Did you say something?" Questioned Lucas.


    Shaking his head, Eric shrugged and tried to reshift Luca''s attention on the screen, "Let''s continue watching. The game will get more interesting."


    Nodding his head, Lucas shifted his attention towards the screen, once again.


    While he was watching, the part were Hiro let go of the ball for Tatsuki started ying.


    "Don''t!! Don''t make that shot." Subconsciously mumbled Eric while clenching his fist.


    Totally engrossed in the video, Lucas was on his toes, ready to jump out of his seat.


    "Phew!!"


    Releasing a sigh of relief, Lucas rxed his body just as he witnessed Hiro letting go of the ball.


    Just when he was rxing, he heard the roars of the fans andmentator, "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!"


    Looking all surprised, he immediately shifted his focus on the screen, only to find the ball inside the, "They scored?? Who scored the goal??"


    When releasing a sigh of relief, he had drifted his attention away from the screen for a short while. And in that momentary distraction, he missed the shot of Tatsuki.


    "You should pay attention Lucas. I''ll rewind the video." Suggesting Lucas to pay attention, Eric then rewinded the video.


    Leaning his body closer to theptop, Lucas stared at the screen.

 Chapter 155 Rumours floating in classroom

    Chapter 155 Rumours floating in ssroom


    Completely focused at the video ying infront of him, Lucas started to stare at the screen without blinking his eyes.


    In the video just after Hiro let go of the ball, Tatsuki approached the ball from behind Hiro and shot the ball towards the post.


    "Damn!! Even I didn''t notice that boy who scored the goal. I must say, he''s got an amazing vision." Analysing the y leading to the goal, Lucas began to praise Hiro.


    Hearing Lucas''s analysis, Eric lifted the corner of his mouth and smiled. As if he was satisfied with Lucas''s response, Eric chuckled inwardly.


    "Just how old did you say he is?" Questioned Lucas while shifting his gaze towards Eric. And just as he turned towards Eric, Lucas found Eric smiling creepily.


    Looking at Eric''s creepy smile, Lucas questioned while contorting his face, "Why are you smiling like that?"


    Quickly changing his facial expression, Eric answered hurriedly, "Smiling like what? What''s wrong with my smile?"


    "You''re smiling like those greedy club directors whenever they see an amazing talente out from their academy." Lucas answered earnestly.


    "Well you''re an agent as well. So you too would want your yers to perform well, so that you could fetch a higher price for your yers." Continued Lucas.


    "Ahum!!" Eric coughed after hearing Lucas''s words. "I''m still standing right here, you know?"


    "That''s why I said that. Don''t tell me that you hate money now. Hahaha...." Lucas chuckled while replying.


    Hearing Lucas''s response, Eric''s face flushed. As if Lucas had exposed his true face, Eric turned totally speechless.


    Seeing Eric''s speechless face, Lucas let out a heartyughter , "Hahaha... Don''t worry Eric. It''spletely natural. Afterall who in the world would hate money?"


    Hearing Lucas''s maniacalughter, Eric started to get annoyed. Out of annoyance, Eric then tried to change the topic of their conversation, "Let''s continue watching the game."


    Whilst stillughing Lucas answered, "Okay... Okay... Let''s do that."


    After that the two of them continued to watch the highlight video of Tamagawa sico.


    Just like chameleon changing it''s colour, Lucas''s facial expression changed countless times while watching the video.


    Finally after about 2 minutes, Lucas broke his silence, "Seems like the game will end with this score. I have to say, the opposing team yed pretty well in the second half."


    "Ha.. ha... ha..." Letting out a pretentious roboticalughter while pausing the video, Eric mumbled while making a smug expression, "Be prepared to get shocked."


    ''Has he lost his mind?'' Thought Lucas after hearing Eric''s words.


    After finishing his sentence, Eric then resumed the video.


    His brows raised, his pupils erged and his mouth agape, Lucas was seated in his seat,pletely speechless while staring at the screen infront of him.


    Witnessing Lucas''s expression, Eric questioned, "So how was the surprise?"


    "Out of this world." Subconsciously answered Lucas whilst still staring at the screen.


    **** ****


    Inside a ssroom, groups of students were gathered in one of the seats beside the window.


    "Damn!! I swear when I was watching that video, I saw glimpse of Christiano Ronaldo on the pitch." One of the student exaggerated.


    "I guess he only remembered that bicycle kick from the match." Answered another guy with sses while adjusting his sses.


    And just as the guy with the sses mentioned such, the face of the previous guy flushed. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, "I watched the whole game."


    Another guy standing beside him, patted his back and tried to calm him down, "Don''t get worked up Wasaki. Tora is only teasing you."


    The guy with the sses then nodded his head and answered with a smile on his face, "Yeah Yushi is right. I''m only teasing you Wasaki. We all know how much you like watching football. There''s no one in our group who''s crazier for football as much as you are."


    While saying such, Tora paused all of a sudden and looked at the seat at the fourth row, "Apart from the guy who sits there."


    That seat belonged to Hiro and the aforementioned person was also Hiro.


    "Yeah I heard that even before he started to walk, he started to y with the ball." Answered another guy who was standing behind Tora.


    Hearing his words the three guys who were gathered around him burst out intoughter, "Hahahaha"


    "It''s only a rumour. There''s no way anyone could do that." Yushi replied whileughing.


    Just when they wereughing and joking with each other, a somewhat obese guy with straight hair approached them.


    "What''s making youugh like this?" Questioned the obese guy.


    "Oh Rin it''s you." Answered Wasaki while looking at the sight of Rin.


    "It''s nothing much. We were just talking about Hiro." Answered Yushi.


    Since being friends with Hiro, the topic of Hiro always used to pique his interest. Thus at that time too, hearing the name of Hiro got him curious.


    Curious about what they were talking about his friend, Rin asked, "Oh!! What were you all talking about him?"


    "Just some rumours." Answered Tora whilst stillughing.


    "What kind of rumours?" Rin asked casually.


    Without thinking of the consequences, Wasaki answered with a smile on his face, "I don''t know the source of rumour. But I heard from someone that while Hiro was still a child, he used to be so obsessed with training that he literally trained like Saitama from the manga ''One Punch Man''."


    Nodding his head, Rin answered casually without any changes in his facial expression, "Yeah that''s right. He did mention that he used to train like that. Waking up at 5 in the morning, he used to do all those sets of training drills. Half in the morning and other half in the evening."


    Hearing Rin''s response and seeing how serious Rin looked, everybody around Rin turnedpletely speechless. Their smiles faded away and their facial expression changed. All of a sudden the atmosphere around them started to feel heavy.


    Gulping his saliva, Wasaki nervously asked, "So you''re saying that those exaggerated rumours are true?"


    Drifting his gaze upwards as if he was trying to think of something, Rin answered, "I''m not sure about all those rumours. Like the one where someone said that sometimes he talks to himself while making faces. Or the ones where, he sometimes seemed like he''s talking to ghost. Or those one stating that he''s possessed."

 Chapter 156 One vs One

    Chapter 156 One vs One


    Half sunken in the west horizon, sun was about to set. Fluffy clouds which were floating in the west sky was glowing bright orange, reflecting the light of the setting sun.


    Taking a quick nce at the dreamy sky, Hiro who was dressed in afortable tracksuit pushed open the gates of the U-18 pitch.


    The usually crowded pitch was somewhat empty that evening. With only few yers in the pitch, sounds of ball shing against the metal mesh fence could be heard from time to time. In one of the goal-post, Tatsuki was practicing his shooting.


    Holding his cleats in his hand, Hiro entered the pitch.


    Sweat dripping from his face,pletely unaware of Hiro''s presence, Tatsuki nced at the post infront while letting out a deep breath.


    Shun who was apanying Tatsuki by acting as the shot-stopper cracked his knuckles while staring at the ball.


    Just then taking arge step sideways, he jumped towards the top right corner of the post while stretching his arms.


    Barely managing tond a touch on the ball, he fell down on the ground.


    p!! p!! p!!


    While trying to pick him up, Shun heard pping sound. Looking at his left, he found Hiro pping his hand with a bright smile on his face.


    And just as he looked towards the direction of Hiro, Hiro spoke in a cheerful voice while moving towards him, "Bravo!! Bravo!!"


    Hearing Hiro''s praises, Shun''s face flushed. Shun then picked himself up and began to walk towards Hiro.


    "Sometimes your ystyle reminds me of someone." Spoke Hiro while walking towards Shun.


    ''Although he''s a lot shorter than you in terms of height.'' Thought Hiro inwardly.


    "Then that person must be an amazing keeper." While saying such, he widened his mouth and let out a grin. After that he proudly mumbled, "Just like me" while pointing his thumb towards himself.


    "Yeah!! Yeah!! You yed well in yesterday''s match." Saying such, Hiro shrugged.


    "Thank you for your praises." Shun casually thanked Hiro for his praises while pretending a smile on his face. Shun then sighed and continued, "But you stole the limelight once again with your bicycle kick."


    If it weren''t for Shun''s impressive saves, Hiro''s team would have easily conceded more than two goals in the second half of the game.


    However despite making such game changing saves, Shun''s achievement in his debut match was overshadowed by Hiro''s performance.


    And although he was happy for his friend, there was still a part of him which yearned for the fame and recognition for himself as well.


    Afterall being a footballer, Shun too wanted people to recognise him.


    Rushing towards Hiro, Tatsuki arrived at the spot where Hiro and Shun were conversing. After arriving at the spot, he spoke while nodding his head, "Indeed this little rascal always ends up stealing the limelight. You should think of your seniors as well."


    They continued to joke around for some time. And besides the three of them, no-one else was on the pitch.


    "Hasn''t the coach ordered you to rest? So what are you doing here?" Asked Tatsuki while sounding like an old man.


    "I''m pretty sure that the coach said it to everyone. So I could ask you the same question as well?" Hiro countered.


    Hearing Hiro''s response, Tatsuki turned speechless. Having nothing to reply, he began to nervously scratch his scalp.


    To ease Tatsuki, Hiro replied while smiling, "Just like you two. I''m here to train as well."


    "Oh! Is that so. Hahaha" Letting out an awkwardughter, Tatsuki nodded his head.


    ''Ahh right!! I can test the new skill on him.'' Thought Hiro while looking at Tatsuki.


    "Senior Tatsuki." Hiro called out Tatsuki''s name while he was stillughing.


    "Yes?" Looking at Hiro with a puzzled look on his face, Tatsuki answered.


    "Can you help me with something?"


    "Yeah, what do you want me to do?" Sounding somewhat hesitant, Tatsuki questioned while agreeing to his request.


    "I want to test something. So can you defend against me for a while?" Hiro presented his request.


    Hearing Hiro''s request, Tatsuki''s eyes glowed with determination. As if he saw that request as an opportunity to humble Hiro, Tatsuki agreed to his request immediately, "Why not? Let''s do it."


    Forgetting that Hiro was a dribbler, Tatsuki spurted out without thinking. Blinded by his desire to teach Hiro a lesson for stealing his spotlight, Tatsuki agreed to Hiro''s request.


    And from the moment, he epted Hiro''s request, he began to strategize his ns to stop Hiro.


    ''In yesterday''s match, he was manhandled by Ryui Asada. So I should make use of my physicality if I want to stop him.'' Thought Tatsuki while trying toe up with a strategy to defend against Hiro.


    After Tatsuki epted Hiro''s request, Hiro went towards the sideline to get changed. And since he was already wearing sorts inside his trousers, he was only required to took off his trousers to get ready.


    Taking off his trouser, he unzipped his jacket and tossed both the trouser and jacket at the sideline. After that he put on his cleats and rushed towards the pitch.


    While stretching his legs, he walked towards the spot where Tatsuki was standing lookingpletely lost.


    "Senior Tatsuki we''ll y best of five. Are you okay with it?" Questioned Hiro after closing in to Tatsuki.


    Hiro''s words broke Tatsuki''s reverie. Coming out of his reverie, his body jerked a little subconsciously.


    Coming back to his senses, Tatsuki looked nkly at Hiro.


    "Are you ready senior Tatsuki?" Questioned Hiro while preparing tounch himself.


    Tatsuki nodded his head and answered, "Yes,e at me with all your might."


    ''I won''t use the skill right away. I''ll try to dribble past him normally without using any skill for first few times.'' Thinking such, Hiro began to dribble the ball towardy Tatsuki.


    Calm andposed, Tatsuki began to analyse Hiro''s movements while maintaining his position.


    Step!! Step!! Step!!


    After analysing Hiro''s movements, Tatsuki slowly walked towards Hiro. Tatsuki''s strategy was quite simple.


    He simply wanted to catch Hiro off-guard. Intentionally making it seem like he was in no rush, Tatsuki devised a n where he would suddenly rush towards Hiro to catch him off-guard.


    As nned, Tatsuki first approached Hiro slowly. But just as he got close to Hiro, he elerated and lunged towards Hiro.


    Quickly evading Tatsuki''s feet, Hiro lightly tapped the ball and nutmegged Tatsuki as if it wasn''t a big deal.


    After sending the ball between Tatsuki''s legs, Hiro elerated towards the goalpost. Hiro then shot the ball from outside the box towards the post.


    Shun reacted quickly and instead of diving sideways, he changed his angle a bit by 15 degree to touch the ball while it was still rtively lower.

 Chapter 157 Ball sense

    Chapter 157 Ball sense


    Reacting quickly, Shun managed to block Hiro''s shot. After making that save, Shun rose from the ground. With his mouth twitching as if he was having hard time holding back hisughter, he looked at the direction of Hiro.


    Acting as if he had made an important game changing save, Shun then began to dance weirdly while mumbling, "Hahaha.... Oh yeah!! I stopped your shot. I saved your shot." Whileughing like a maniac.


    Without paying any attention to Shun, Hiro ignored Shun''s celebratory taunts and turned towards Tatsuki.


    "Since technically I got past you, should we count it as my win senior Tatsuki?" Asked Hiro while looking at Tatsuki.


    Just as Tatsuki was about to reply, Shun interjected, "But you still failed to score. So it''s your loss."


    Hearing Shun''s response, Hiro responded peacefully while nodding his head, "Then it''s my first loss. Which means I''m down one to nothing."


    After that Hiro turned around to face Shun. Staring at him, Hiro asked, "Could you fetch me that ball?"


    Asking such, Hiro began to walk away.


    ''Damn!! He nutmegged me. It''s freaking embarrassing.'' Thinking such, Tatsuki began to make faces.


    And just as Hiro got into his position, Shun kicked the ball towards him. Gently stretching his right leg forward, Hiro trapped the ball in his leg without letting it touch the floor.


    Witnessing Hiro''s impressive first touch, Shun''s eyes widened as he mumbled, "Damn! That touch."


    Tatsuki who was trying toe up with a strategy to stop Hiro couldn''t stop his jaw from dropping deep while looking at Hiro''s impressive ball control.


    "Is he doing that intentionally to scare me?" Mumbled Tatsuki under his breath, looking all impressed.


    "Senior Tatsuki are you ready for the second round?" Questioned Hiro while casually juggling the ball.


    "It''s no time to act impressed Tatsuki" Mumbling such under his breath, Tatsuki answered, "Yes! Let''s do it."


    ''This time I''ll just give my all and confront him head on.'' Thinking such, Tatsuki looked at the direction of Hiro with determined eyes.


    Hiro then began to dribble the ball towards Tatsuki. Unlike his previous attempt, he was dribbling rather slowly. As if he was taking a stroll on the park, he was walking with the ball.


    ''Is he underestimating me?'' Thought Tatsuki after seeing Hiro''s gesture.


    ''Then I''ll make you pay. You shouldn''t underestimate your senior'' Thinking such, Tatsuki dashed towards Hiro.


    ''System activate skill Lightning steps''


    Activating the skill, Hiro went from 0 km/h to 29 km/h in an instant.


    Swoosh!!


    Tatsuki who was dashing towards Hiro couldn''t even react. He could only feel a gust of wind passing by him.


    Still looking infront with a stupefied look on his face, Tatsuki''s mind wentpletely nk for a moment.


    Tatsuki was caught off-guard. He had never anticipated Hiro to go that fast in that short amount of time.


    ''Wtf!! How could someone sprint that fast without any run-ups?'' Anxiously thought Shun while looking at the scene which took ce infront of him.


    Still in his top speed, Hiro approached the goal-post in just mere seconds. And once again, he shot the ball from outside the box.


    ''Tch- I hit the wrong spot.'' Clicking his tongue, Hiro thought just after he released the ball from his feet.


    Because of his insane speed, he lost control and couldn''t hit the ball at the spot where he wanted to hit.


    Afterall to hit the ball whilst still in their top eleration was a difficult feat to pull off. And most often speedy yers would often slow down their eleration before shooting.


    And even for the world ss yers like Mbappe and Hand, they had to go through rigorous training to perfect their techniques. And Hiro who was only starting to venture in such ystyle,cked the technique he required to pull off such shots.


    Obtaining the talent Kevin De Bruyne''s passing sense which had also increased his spatial awareness, he had developed a feel for the ball. And because of that he could somewhat guess if his touch was bad or good.


    Just like how world ss yer''s had developed a feel for the ball after spending thousand and thousands of minutes with the ball, he too had developed a feel for the ball because of the talent he acquired via the system.


    Despite reactingte, Shun leaped towards the direction of the ball, attempting to save the ball. However unlike the previous time, he couldn''tnd a touch on the ball that time around.


    Disappointed that he failed to make the save, he slowly turned behind him while expecting the ball inside the.


    However contrary to his expectation, the ball was actually at the sidelines instead.


    Evading Shun''s reach, the ball simply flew away and missed the goal-post.


    Seeing the ball at the sidelines, Shun released a sigh of relief, "Phew!!" while crossing his right hand on his chest.


    "Two to nothing" Proudly mumbled Shun while turning towards disappointed Hiro.


    "Tch-" clicking his tongue, Hiro turned around and returned back to his original position without replying anything.


    After that in the next three rounds, Hiro slotted each and every ball without any mistake.


    Tatsuki who was supposed to defend against Hiro couldn''t even managed to get close to the ball. And the more Hiro dribbled past him, the more dispirited he got.


    At the end of round fourth, Tatsuki felt so humiliated that he didn''t even try to defend the ball in the final round. Letting Hiro lose, he simply stood at his ce.


    "I guess with this goal, we can conclude that it''s my victory." Mumbled Hiro after scoring the final goal.


    Tatsuki''s eyes seemed like it lost the light in it. Lookingpletely dull and lifeless, Tatsuki stood frozen in his ce without replying anything.


    ''May be I''ve gone a little too far.'' Thought Hiro while looking at the sight of Tatsuki.


    Hiro then went over to the side of Tatsuki to cheer him up.


    "Cheer up senior Tatsuki. If I was in your spot I would have been the same as well. Afterall we both y forward so it''spletely natural for us to be bad at defending." Saying such, Hiro tried to cheer Tatsuki.


    Tatsuki on the other hand continued to sulk his head. nkly staring at his feet, he looked like someone who''s vitality has been sucked.


    Unable to cheer Tatsuki with his words, Hiro suggested to change the role, "Why don''t you be the attacker this time and I''ll be the defender?"


    Suggesting such, he proposed Tatsuki to switch the role and continue the training.


    Dispiritedly, Tatsuki agreed to Hiro''s suggestion.


    And for the next five rounds, Hiro simply let go of Tatsuki. Faking his defending skills, he acted as if he couldn''t match up with Tatsuki''s dribbling to cheer Tatsuki.


    Although at times he couldn''t defend, he could have still defended one or two times if he had tried. However just to restore Tatsuki''s confidence, he actedme.

 Chapter 158 Reckless skill

    Chapter 158 Reckless skill


    By the time, the three of them finished their solo training, the sun had already settled down.


    Stars visible in the dark night sky above, floodlights of the pitch had been turned on for better visibility.


    And even though it was spring time, the surrounding air had gotten somewhat chilly aspared to daytime.


    Their jerseyspletely drenched in sweat, Tatsuki and Shun, both of them lookedpletely exhausted and out of breath.


    Shun who had dived for more than 60, 70 times was moaning in pain while pressing his sore wings and joints while resting on the ground, "Ow... Ow... Ow... Coach will kill me if he finds out that I overtrained myself today."


    Changing his gaze towards the direction of Hiro and Tatsuki, Shun sneered, "And it''s all because of you two."


    Hearing Shun''sints, Tatsuki who was ucing his cleats lifted his head and looked at the direction of Hiro who was still juggling the ball while sitting on the ground. Smiling, Tatsuki answered, "Perhaps you should say it to him."


    Turning his gaze towards Hiro, Shun exhaled a deep breath and sighed, "Huff...."


    "Oi Hiro? How long are you nning on staying on the pitch? Don''t you want to head back?" Questioned Shun while looking at the direction of Hiro.


    Bounce!! Bounce!! Bounce!!


    "You two... Head... Back... First" Answered Hiro while juggling the ball. "I''ll... Come... After.... I finish.... 200 more... Juggles."


    Hearing Hiro''s response, Tatsuki chuckled, "Hahaha... Leave him be."


    Saying such, Tatsuki stood up and continued, "Let''s head back first. He''lle back after he finishes his drill."


    Hearing Tatsuki''s suggestion, Shun nodded his head and submissively replied, "Yeah, let''s head back first."


    Replying such, Shun tried to stand up. But just as he tried to stand up, he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. And because of the pain, he wobbled and nearly fell down.


    Reacting quickly, Tatsuki grabbed Shun before he fell down. And if not for Tatsuki''s quick reaction, Shun would have fallen on the ground.


    Witnessing Shun''s pitiful sight, Hiro too stopped his actions.


    Grabbing Shun, Tatsuki asked while making  a worried expression, "Careful!! Did you injure yourself?"


    Locking his hand atop Tatsuki''s shoulder to support his stature, Shun replied, "No. It''s just my muscles are sore from the earlier dives."


    Shun then looked at the direction of Hiro. Noticing the worry in Hiro''s eyes, Shun assured him before Hiro made a fuss about his situation, "It''s nothing serious. Soplete your drill and head inside."


    Worriedly staring at Shun, Hiro replied, "You should still get it checked once."


    Giving Hiro no chance to speak back, Shun nodded his head and agreed to his suggestion, "I''ll get it checked."


    Standing up, Hiro spoke, "Then let me support you."


    Stretching his palm infront, Shun gestured Hiro to stop, "Youplete your drill. I don''t need two people to carry me."


    While denying Hiro''s help, Shun added a joke, "I''m not that heavy"


    After that Tatsuki and Shun both of them headed out of the pitch.


    Watching the sight of two of them leaving the pitch, Hiro began to think about his earlier shorings.


    "Although the skill worked perfectly fine. It''s still too reckless to use it in real match with my messed up shot uracy." Mumbled Hiro while thinking about his mistake.


    After finding about his shorings in the training with Tatsuki and Shun, Hiro was now troubled by hisck of knowledge on how to solve his problem.


    Since he wasn''t well versed in football training, he had absolutely no idea on how to improve his technique.


    Letting out a sigh, Hiro mumbled lookingpletely disappointed, "Damn!! I wish I had read about training drills in my past life."


    Sulking his head, Hiro sighed as he began to think about articles he read in his past life, ''Stretching exercises to fix ankle injuries, bncing exercise for a better bnce, different forms of yoga for healing your injured leg, and so on''


    Thinking about the articles, he read in his past life, he realised that most of the articles were all rted to leg injury.


    Desperate for a cure to fix his legs, he had read many articles on how to cure his once injured legs.


    "Well those exercises could increase my flexibility and reduce the chances of injury. But will it even work for improving my technique?" Mumbled Hiro while thinking of implementing those exercises he did in his previous life.


    Although he could have still tried few things which he had seen or read in his past life. He was still unsure whether those things he saw or read in his past life would actually work for him.


    Unable to find a good training drill to improve his technique, Hiro sighed in disappointment.


    Unable to find anything useful, he now had only two options. Either he''d have to rely on newtube tutorials or else consult his coaches. The former option was almost an impossible thing to pull out, since he''d get his phone only in the weekends and holidays. Thus, consulting his coach was the best option to him for now in his current situation.


    "I guess I''ll ask manager Makoto and Nozomi for their guidance."


    Mumbling such, Hiro began to walk towards the spot where he had tossed his clothes earlier.


    "Let''s call it a end for today." Saying such, he grabbed his clothes.


    Carrying his clothes, he then headed out of the pitch. While leaving the pitch, he looked at the direction of U-15 pitch where the yers of U-15 were still practicing.


    Looking at their direction, Hiro felt rather curious about theirte night training, "Yuya did mention that their next opponent was quite tough. But I wonder how tough the opposing team would be for manager Nozomi to grind them till this time."


    Just like how U-18''s tournament had started, U-15''s tournament had also started. And the yers of U-15 were all busting their ass at that time around, preparing for their match.


    "I wonder if Akashi and my other teammates from Ookami elementary school are doing well in the Takamado Cup. Individually they''re all good yers." Mumbling such, Hiro looked away and began to walk towards the hostel building.

 Chapter 159 Words of encouragement

    Chapter 159 Words of encouragement


    After consulting with his coaches, for the rest of the week, after the evening training Hiro stayed overtime to perfect his techniques.


    Performing several drills under the strict guidance of manager Makoto, Hiro gave his all into strengthening his ws.


    However the coach''s still limited his training from time to time to give him enough time to recover and rest, so as not to overtrain his developing body.


    Hence until the arrival of the next match, his routine was quite simple. Waking up at 5 in the morning and heading to the ground for morning training.


    After finishing the morning training, he washed his body, got his breakfast and headed to school.


    After returning from school, he once again washed his body, got his lunch and headed to the pitch for evening training.


    And afterpleting the evening training, he stayed overtime in the pitch for his extra training.


    Repeating the same course of action, he tried his best to improve his techniques.


    **** ****


    April 12, Tuesday, 2023


    After the end of the evening training, gathered in the U-18 pitch, yers of Kawasaki Frontale U-18 team were standing straight in an attentive position while facing their coaches infront.


    "As you all know, our opponent for tomorrow''s game is tougher than the ones whom we faced previously." Looking rather serious, manager Makoto warned everybody.


    And despite his warning, yers of Kawasaki remained rather calm. As if they were unfazed by his warning, they showed no changes in their facial expression.


    Looking at their calm and determined faces, manager Makoto let out a subtle smile.


    He then continued, "They''re currently ranked 2nd in our league, which means they''re just below us. And just like us they''vefortably won theirst two games."


    While speaking such, manager Makoto took few steps infront, towards the yers. After reaching closer to the yers, he stopped all of a sudden.


    He then began to intently stare at the faces of every yer. And just as he finished staring at the faces of every yer, he spoke, "Right now, they''re below us. And I''m sure that none of you here would want them to surpass us."


    Manager Makoto then all of a sudden raised his pitch and yelled enthusiastically, "Do any of you want to see them above us?"


    As if Makoto was some sort of army chief instead of a football coach, he was encouraging his yers in a military style.


    Hearing manager Makoto''s loud yell, a sudden burst of determination kindled inside  the heart of yers.


    Determined to crush their opponent in tomorrow''s match, all of them enthusiastically yelled at the same time, "No sir!!"


    Upon hearing their loud response, manager Makoto lifted the corner of his mouth and revealed a satiated expression on his face. While smiling, he praised his yers for their show of determination, "Good!! With this enthusiasm, I want all of you to win tomorrow''s match."


    Saying such, he turned behind to join other coaches. And just as he was about to walk away, he stopped and turned around once again.


    The smile on his face faded away as his facial expression turned grim,"I don''t want the incident from previous match to repeat ever again. Do you all hear me?"


    "Yes sir" The yers answered once again. However with much less enthusiasm aspared to a moment ago.


    "Good" Mumbling such, manager Makoto gave a approving nod.


    He then dismissed all the yers, including Hiro. Since he had to perform in tomorrow''s match, they didn''t want to exhaust him.


    **** ****


    Inside of a brightly lit office, two guys were having some discussion with each other.


    "Shin, Marcinho, Kazuya, Taisei and including vice captain Wakizaka, we have five injured yers. And among those five, three of them are starters." Spoke a man probably in histe fourties while pointing at the whiteboard infront of him.


    Dressed in khaki pants and white shirt, he was dressed formally. Subtle wrinkles around his eye areas, his faced looked unusually young aspared to his age.


    Smack!!


    All of a sudden, the man infront of the whiteboard mmed his palm on the whiteboard and roared furiously, "With this many injuries how am I supposed to sustain?"


    Another guy probably in his early fourties, who was seated at one of the chair behind the man dressed in khaki''s, rose from his seat just as he heard the roar of the man infront.


    His body trembling, he shuddered while trying to calm the man infront, "Manager Oniki.... why don''t you... calm down first."


    Fearing that he might get hit if he approached the guy infront, he spoke while remaining still at his position.


    Afterall it wasn''t his first time seeing the guy infront of him act like that. There were even times when he got hit by the guy infront while he tried to calm him down.


    The man dressed in khaki pants was the manager of Kawasaki Frontale''s senior team. Only 48 years of age, he was one of the most talented young coach in the history of J-1 league.


    Hearing the response of the man, manager Oniki abruptly turned behind to look at him.


    And just as he turned behind, a cold sweat ran on the neck of the man who was sitting at the chair a moment ago.


    Retracting a step back, he nearly fell down.


    "How could I calm down?" Manager Oniki rebuked.


    "How do you expect me to calm down? I win them games and yet they can''t even fulfill my transfer request?"


    "Yeah mentioning about transfer request what happened to my request on signing Yuya Osako?" Grumpily asked manager Oniki.


    "The club director said that he''s too old. So we should instead look for someone younger. He also mentioned that Osako''s not worth the investment." Meekly answered the guy.


    Hearing the answer of the man infront, rage started boiling like a tar inside manager Oniki''s body.


    "He''s only 32 years old. If he maintains his physique he can easily perform well for next 4 to 5 years." Oniki tried to reason.

 Chapter 160 Senior call up

    Chapter 160 Senior call up


    Hearing manager Oniki''s reasoning, the man infront started to rack his mind to think of a suitable answer to appease the anger building up inside manager Oniki''s body.


    Thinking of an answer, the man suggested hesitantly, "Then why don''t we use some youth yers for the time being? I heard from manager Makoto that the youth team is performing really well in the Takamado Premier League."


    Upon hearing his suggestion, manager Oniki sulked his head and remained silent for a while. As if he was thinking of something, he looked like he was lost in a deep thought.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, surrounding atmosphere around the two of them got eerily silent.


    Finally after some moment, manager Oniki lifted his head and opened his mouth while locking eyes with the man infront, "May be we should call Tatsuki until June. And once the transfer market opens in July, we''ll bolster our squad with other yers."


    "Then I''ll send the call up letter to manager Makoto." Hurriedly replying, the man then started to search for his phone.


    While he was searching for his phone, manager Oniki asked, "Are there any other good seed in the youth team this time around?"


    Stopping his pursuit of his phone, the man answered, "He told me that we''ve got a rather excellent yer in our youth team this time around. After that, I looked for his matches. And man I was impressed by his ys. In only two matches he has already registered 6 goals and two assist."


    With his eyes wide open, manager Oniki replied sounding all surprised, "There''s someone that amazing in our youth team?"


    "Yes sir. His name is Takahashi Hiro. If you''d like I can show you his match highlights." Answered the man infront.


    The name Takahashi Hiro rang a bell as Oniki started feeling nostalgic. Contemting, he started to think where he had heard that name.


    And after contemting for a while, Oniki answered somewhat doubtfully, "Is that kid 12 or 13 years old right now?"


    "Yes sir, he''s 13 right now. How did you know?" Sounding all surprised, the man infront questioned while perplexingly staring at manager Oniki.


    Massaging his temple, manager Oniki answered in a regretful manner, "So it was him. Both those old geezer''s used to brag about this kid during our get together. I thought that they were only bluffing so I didn''t pay much attention to their words. But who knew that all those bragging stories were true."


    And just as he finished his sentence, he removed his hand from his temple and shrugged, "Even so, we still can''t use him anyway. So let''s not talk about him. Just make sure to inform the youth manager''s about Tatsuki''s call up for the senior team."


    Nodding his head, the man infront agreed to his request.


    "Let''s end our today''s discussion. It''s already gettingte." Looking at his watch which he was wearing in his left hand, manager Oniki concluded the end of their discussion.


    "Yes sir." Saying such, the man bid his goodbye and walked towards the door.


    And just as the man infront of him left the office, manager Oniki exhaled a sigh of relief. While exhaling a sigh of relief, Oniki whispered under his breath, "I wonder if I could even have an opportunity to use him. With this pace of development he''ll be leaving Japan in no time."


    Oniki then smiled a little and mumbled again, "May be it''s best if he leaves for Europe as soon as possible."


    **** ****


    April 13th, Wednesday, 2022


    Aomori Yamada High School Ground


    At times hiding behind the chunk of dark clouds and at timesing out of it''s hiding, it seemed like the sun was ying hide and seek that day.


    Just like ink sttered on a piece of paper, dark clouds were scattered all over the blue sky. Slowly enveloping the whole sky into it''s colour, those dark clouds were merging together with the help of the wind.


    Mild wind which was blowing in the surrounding was creating whooshing sound every time when it grew stronger.


    Somewhat humid, a little windy and a little cloudy, anyone who could see and feel could tell that rain was unavoidable that day.


    The venue being located at the residential area was a lot quiet aspared to the ground of Kawasaki, despite the presence of 70 something people in the stand.


    Arriving early in the venue, Hiro and his teammates were inside their changing room, changing their uniform.


    Leaning his back against the door frame, coach Kensuke was keeping watch on the yers.


    Absent from the locker room, manager Makoto who had to deal with some paperwork was with the officials while Hiro and his teammates were changing into their jerseys.


    Tying hisces, Hiro stood from his seat after finishing changing into his jersey. Hiro then walked towards the door.


    Noticing Hiro walking towards him, coach Kensuke straightened his back and questioned Hiro thinking that Hiro was walking towards him to ask for his help, "Do you need my help with something, Hiro?"


    Letting out a subtle smile, Hiro shook his head and answered, "No sir. I was just heading to the restroom."


    "Is that so. Hahaha..." Smiling awkwardly, he started to make way for Hiro.


    While making way for Hiro, coach Kensuke asked, "But do you know where restroom is?"


    "Where is it sir?" Asked Hiro, since it was his first time at that venue.


    Despite not knowing the location of the restroom, on his way he was nning to ask people for the location of the restroom.


    However since, coach Kensuke offered him his help, he no longer required to trouble himself by asking other people for their guidance.


    Although he could have directly asked coach Kensuke for his guidance, he wasn''t sure if  coach Kensuke would have known about the location of the general restroom either.


    "Go straight and then turn left. Again follow that path for a while and at the end of the path at the right side, you''ll find the restroom. Did you get it?" Pointing towards the path infront, coach Kensuke guided him the way to the restroom.

 Chapter 161 Eavesdropping

    Chapter 161 Eavesdropping


    Following the path mentioned by coach Kensuke, Hiro arrived at the restroom. Looking to his left he found women''s restroom and to his right was men''s restroom.


    "I shouldn''t have chugged that whole damn bottle of water." Mumbling such, Hiro pushed open the door of men''s restroom.


    Equipped with modern restroom essories and decorated with marbles, the restroom infront of him was glowing while reflecting the lighting from the LED light bulbs.


    Orderly organised and neatly cleaned, Aomori''s restroom looked a lot better than any other restroom he had seen thus far.


    However he had only one business that time around and that was to relieve himself. Thus without wasting anytime, he hurriedly rushed towards one of thepartment to relieve himself.


    "Their first choice goalkeeper is injured and if we just stop their number 10, I think we can win today''s match without much difficulty."


    While Hiro was relieving himself, he heard some people talking about the match which was going to take ce in a moment.


    "Even with their first choice keeper we''ll still win the match. Afterall we have senior Takumi in our team. With his speed, I doubt if any yer of Kawasaki could even reach him."


    "Hahaha.... I pity that number 10. With senior Takuto and senior Tora tailing him like his shadow, he''ll have no space to disy his performance in today''s match."


    "Hahaha yeah. I wonder what kind of expression that poor boy will make at today''s match after getting squeezed between two giants of our club."


    Gossiping freely, they were openly revealing their tactics without thinking of the consequences.


    ''Look at these fools revealing their tactics without even thinking that someone might hear them. Confident is good but not overconfident, you fools.'' Thought Hiro while listening to their conversation.


    Listening to the voiceing from outside, Hiro could tell that there were two of them.


    He wasn''t intending to pry their conversation. Afterall he was only there to relieve his flooded dder.


    But since those two fools outside were talking loudly while Hiro was relieving his dder, he had no choice but to hear their conversation.


    ''Now what should I do? I''ve finished my business and those two fools are still out there. If I go out right now and they find me then they may use me of eavesdropping.'' Thought Hiro while staring at the doorknob.


    ''Let''s stay here until they leave.'' Hiro decided to stay put until their departure.


    Those two fools out there took quite a while to leave the restroom. And while they were on their business, they almost revealed their entire tactics.


    And even after their departure, Hiro stayed still at his position for a while, waiting to see if they were going to return back.


    However those two never came back. And only after confirming that they had really left, Hiro walked out of hispartment.


    Cautiously looking at the door, he double checked their presence.


    "You fools. You shouldn''t go around telling your tactics." Coming out of the restroom, Hiro scoffed while looking at the hallway infront of him.


    **** ****


    Just as he was about to enter the locker room, coach Kensuke blocked his was and started questioning him, "What took you so long?"


    Thinking of an excuse, Hiro answered confidently, "I had an upset stomach sir."


    Upon hearing his answer, coach Kensuke made an worried face and hurriedly asked him, "Why didn''t you tell me about that earlier? I would have gotten you some medicine. Should we substitute you?"


    Letting out a subtle smile, Hiro looked coach Kensuke in the eyes and tried to assure him, "Don''t worry sir. It''s nothing serious. I just haven''t taken a dump in the morning today."


    Coach Kensuke then heaved a short sigh of relief and answered, "Thank god. But don''t hesitate to inform us if you ever feel difort in your body, okay?"


    Faking a pretentious smile on his face, Hiro nodded his head while trying to look all innocent. Hiro then answered in his pretentious sweet tone, "I will sir."


    And while the two of them were talking, manager Makoto arrived at the locker room.


    "Hiro why are you standing outside?" Questioned manager Makoto after approaching Hiro.


    Engrossed in trying to deceive coach Kensuke into believing his made up story, Hiro didn''t notice the presence of manager Makoto until he heard his voice.


    Thus upon hearing the voice of manager Makoto suddenlying from behind him, Hiro got startled a bit.


    "Ahh sir! I was justing from the rest restroom." Startling answered Hiro.


    "He''s right. He was justing back from restroom." Coach Kensuke who was standing beside him, vouched for him.


    "Is that so?" Murmuring such, manager Makoto shrugged and gestured him to get back to his position.


    Hiro then hurriedly walked inside the locker room.


    Noticing Hiro entering the locker room after disappearing for quite a while, Tatsuki jokingly questioned him, "Did you upset your stomach because of the pressure-"


    However he paused midway before he could finish his sentence after noticing the sight of manager Makoto entering the locker room.


    Just as manager Makoto entered the locker room, he ordered everybody to gather around for onest strategic meeting before the start of the game, "Everybody gather around."


    Hearing hismand, everybody present in the locker room stood up and began to gather around manager Makoto.


    And as everybody gathered around, manager Makoto started to talk, "We''ve already talked about our strategy this morning. But for onest time I''ll repeat our strategy again."


    Saying such manager Makoto began to revise their strategy.


    "It''ll take Tomoyasu some months to recover. Fortunately he hasn''t broken any bone and the injury isn''t very severe."


    "So as I mentioned before Shun will be goalkeeping until his arrival. Also as everyone already knows that our opponents likes to y fast counterattacking game, so always be on alert."


    While speaking such, manager Makoto suddenly turned towards the forwards, "However forwards don''t let those thoughts disrupt your attacks. Just trust your teammates and attack freely like you''ve always done."


    "They''re a tricky opponent but not unbeatable. Infact with our strategy and individual yers, I believe that we can easily win the game with a score of 5:0, 6:0 or even more. In terms of individual talent you surpass them. However collectively they y a better football. So we shouldn''t get arrogant and take them lightly."


    "Remember teamwork makes dream work. So what you all need to do is trust yourself, trust your teammates and y like you''ve always yed without any worries."


    After revising the strategy, manager Makoto gave them few words of encouragement.


    "Take the ball, pass the ball, position yourself in a suitable spot to receive the ball and whenever you see an opening don''t hesitate to shoot the ball." Saying such, manager Makoto stretched his hand infront.


    After that all the yers followed the example of manager Makoto and began to ce their hands atop manager Makoto''s hand.


    Looking each other in the eye, they then raised their hand above their head while shouting, "Go Kawasaki"

 Chapter 162 Kawasaki vs Aomori I

    Chapter 162 Kawasaki vs Aomori I


    While preparing to make their entrance, standing side by side, yers of both the teams were lined up in a queue inside the tunnel.


    One group was dressed in light yellow while the other was dressed in green.


    in light yellow with few dark yellow coloured diagonal stripe lines printed at the front part, Kawasaki''s away jersey was radiating a sensation of warmth.


    On the other hand, Aomori''s jersey was abination of light and dark green. Designed like a mosaic painting by making use of light and dark green colours, their home jerseys which resembled the mother nature itself looked rather appealing to eyes.


    While awaiting for the announcement of thementator, some yers from both the teams were gossiping and joking with their teammates. However most of the yers remained silent.


    Their eyes looking at the entrance of the tunnel looked rather focused as if they were strategizing ys inside their head. While their attentive posture made it look like they were some kind of soldiers awaiting for their superiors order.


    Among such yers, one was Hiro. Standing behind 5 yers, Hiro was nkly staring at the lighting from the entrance of the tunnel while contemting about the earlier conversation he had heard in the restroom.


    ''Did those two fools identally reveal their strategy? Or did they intentionally reveal their tactics to deceive me?'' Thinking about the earlier conversation he heard at the restroom, Hiro was trying to discern whether to trust the information he had heard earlier or not.


    Unable to decide, Hiro shrugged to free his mind from such thoughts.


    ''Since I haven''t told anybody about it and our strategy hasn''t changed a bit. There''s no point in thinking too much. I''ll just y how I used to y.''


    Overall the ambience inside the dimly lit tunnel was somewhat heavy with yers of both teams unwilling to talk to the yers of opposing team.


    [Hello everyone I''m Kenjiro Suzuki. The host who''ll be hosting today''s match. Battling for the top spot, east league''s two giants will bepeting among themselves.]


    [The away team ''Kawasaki Frontale'' who have attained an overwhelming victory in both their matches are in a two match winning streak and are also at the top of the table because of goal-difference. And I''m sure the host, Aomori who are tied with them in terms of points will be looking forward to dethrone them from the top spot in today''s match.]


    [So without any further ado, let''s wee the yers of both the team with big round of apuse.]


    Saying such,mentator gave the green light to the yers standing inside the tunnel to make their way towards the pitch.


    p!! p!! p!!


    As the yers began to make their way towards the pitch, irregr sounds of apuse started to reverberate all over the stadium.


    While few people present in the stand were hooting for the yers, most of the people in the stand remained rather silent.


    Aspared to the ambience in Kawasaki''s Stadium, Hiro found Aomori''s stadium rather dull. Not even 1/10th of the sound of cheers could be heard in Aomori''s stadium.


    And even those few people in the stand who were cheering at that time were Kawasaki''s fan.


    ncing at the stand, Hiro thought, ''They could still cheer in a low voice? What''s with those gloomy faces? Are they here to watch a musical opera or a football match?''


    While thinking such, Hiro shifted his gaze towards the sky.


    With more than 60 percent of the sky covered with dark clouds, it seemed like it could rain at any time.


    Looking at the sky, Hiro smiled a bit and whispered softly, "Heh... Gloomy weather and gloomy fans, what a perfect match."


    Despite preferring silence most the time, Hiro was just like any other yer who liked to perform in a stadium packed with fans. He liked to hear the cheers of the fans.


    To him cheers of the fans were simr to the songs he liked to hear. As there is a saying that fans are the 12th yer of any team. The louder their cheers and support, the better the chance that their team can perform well.


    After that captain''s of both the team stepped infront for coin toss.


    While the coin toss was taking ce, Hiro released a sigh of relief and mumbled, "Well!! I guess we have one less thing to worry about. At least we can y freely without concerning ourselves with the taunts of opposing fans."


    Afterall ying in a packed away stadium is a nightmare even for the top level yers. And even Christiano Ronaldo once had quoted that he was intimidated by the fans present in the Anfield.


    And just like Anfield, it''s almost the same case with every other stadium packed with a supportive home crowd. It''s always nerve wrecking to y in a packed stadium filled with supportive fans of opposing team.


    However for a yer it''s even more disheartening to y in an empty stadium or to y in a dull stadium.


    [Kawasaki has win the coin toss and have chosen the right side of the field. Which means Aomori will be initiating the kickoff]


    While thementator was announcing the result of the coin toss, yers of both the team lined up in queue and began to exchange handshakes with each other before starting the match.


    One by one, Hiro shook hands with the opposing yer without paying much attention to any of them. And while shaking hands with the opponent yers, suddenly one of the yer of Aomori grabbed his hand tightly.


    Although he didn''t react, he was quite pissed by the yers behaviour. Shifting his gaze towards the yer who was gripping his hand, he found that yer was smiling, looking all smug.


    Broad wide shoulders and a finely styled short ck hair, he was smiling while gripping Hiro''s hands.


    And just as Hiro was about to ask him to leave his hand, the yer infront spoke while smiling creepily, "Takuto Kuribayashi, remember me. I''m your appointed bodyguard in the game."


    ring at the yer who was grabbing his hand, Hiro jerked his hand and released his hand from his grip.


    Without saying anything, Hiro then moved forward as if nothing happened.

 Chapter 163 Kawasaki vs Aomori II

    Chapter 163 Kawasaki vs Aomori II


    While Hiro was moving forward without paying any attention to Takuto, Takuto was still smiling while moving forward. Satisfied with Hiro''s reaction, Takuto looked all smug.


    Although he couldn''t see any changes in Hiro''s facial expression, Takuto could still tell that Hiro was pissed by his earlier actions. Which was exactly what he was nning on doing for the whole game.


    Sticking as close as he can with Hiro, Takuto was nning to follow Hiro everywhere like his shadow, once the match begun. And for that purpose, his coach had intentionally positioned himself in a defensive midfield position in that match instead of a centre back which was his original role.


    Just then as they finished shaking hands with each other, Hiro heard the sound of notification.


    [Ding!]


    [New quest unlocked]


    [Quest info: Achieve a 9 or more rating in the match]


    [Quest reward: One golden ticket]


    [Failure: Random deduction of stat]


    [Note: The quest is mandatory, thus you cannot skip the quest]


    Although the quest came out of random, Hiro wasn''t surprised by the notification of the quest. Instead he was confused by the description of the quest.


    ''Who will rate me though?'' Confusedly asked Hiro while pondering how he''ll get rated. Since unlike professional matches, there wasn''t any organisation orpanies such as sofascore, ESPN who calcted the rating of the yers in the league where Hiro was ying currently.


    [You''ll be rated by the system. And you''ll be rated on the basis of your contribution, goals, assist, urate passes, sessful dribbles, chance creation and several other stuffs.]


    Not only did the system answered his question, the system also provided him detailed information on how he was going to be rated by the system.


    Upon hearing the response of the system, his doubts vanished away just like how powdered salt would vanish once it get''s into contact with water.


    And now that his doubts were cleared, he began to walk towards his position. Positioning himself in his attacking midfield position, Hiro looked infront of him. Looking around the field, Hiro began to analyse the position of his opponents.


    ''Four defenders, two defensive midfielders, three attacking midfielders and a sole striker. So they''re ying in 4-2-3-1 formation.'' Thought Hiro after analysing the position of the opposing yers.


    "And that guy from earlier is ying defensive mid!" Mumbled Hiro sounding a bit surprised.


    While studying about the opposing yers, Hiro had learnt that the guy who tried to provoke him earlier was a centre back. Thus, he was a little surprised to see him in defensive midfield position instead of his original ce.


    While he was thinking of such things, referee took a peek at his watch and blew the whistle.


    Beep!!


    Passing the ball back, Takumi initiated the kickoff.


    Calcting his moves, Hiro pushed forward to support Tatsuki who was pressing for the ball.


    Without breaking any sweat, Aomori''s yers began to pass the ball among themselves inside their own half. While trying to draw out the opposing yer to their side of the pitch, they kept hold of the ball.


    Along with the yer named Takuto Kuribayashi, another yer Yushi who was ying as the centre midfielder was also tailing him.


    Although unlike Takuto who was man marking him, Yushi maintained his distance with Hiro. And if one were to see them from afar, they could hardly notice that Yushi was also tailing him. Not too far yet not too close, Yushi was always lingering around Hiro at a distance where he could catch Hiro easily by sprinting for a while.


    asionally Hiro could feel the gaze of another yer named Tora who was ying as a centre defender in that match.


    And unlike the two of them, Tora stayed glued to his position. However Hiro could tell that even that guy named Tora was watching his moves.


    ''Just like those two morons mentioned, I am indeed getting marked by those guys named Takuto and Tora.'' Thought Hiro while pretending to act like he was getting troubled by them marking him.


    While Hiro was acting like he was troubled, those three who were marking Hiro looked rather satiated.


    ''So those two morons did actually spill their tactics identally.'' Thinking such, Hiro let out a subtle smile.


    Cautiously waiting for opportunity, Hiro continued to y the role of the victim.


    "Seems like they''re targeting Hiro." While making a worried face, Akihiro mumbled while biting his lips.


    Hiro''s acting was so perfect that he was even managing to trick his own teammates.


    "You should probably ask your coach to get you substituted. Afterall you won''t get past me today. Hahaha..." Looking all arrogant, Takuto suggested Hiro to ask his manager to take him out of the game while smiling.


    "Tch-" clicking his tongue, Hiro pretended to act like he was trying to break free.


    Hiro then began to fall back to make Takuto believe that Hiro was getting restless and his strategy was working on him.


    "I''ll follow you wherever you go. Afterall our coach has permitted me to y freely today." Smiling, Takuto began to chase Hiro.


    And while he was chasing Hiro, a space created in the spot where he was positioned. However yers of Aomori were thoroughly instructed as the centre back and other defensive midfielder quickly covered the space left open by Takuto.


    And that was what Hiro wanted to test as well. He wanted to see whether Takuto''s other teammates will fill in his gap or not.


    Thus, for some while Hiro continued to act like he was getting restless. Running all over the pitch, he tested different things.


    "They''re ying dirty by marking him. That number 4 has stuck to him like a parasite since the beginning of the match." Spoke one of the fans of Kawasaki.


    Hiro''s acting was so perfect that he was even managing to deceive his supporters.


    And finally after confirming all of his doubts, Hiro was now ready to take his actions.


    Although Aomori''s team did attack them few time while he was testing his doubts. Fortunately the score was still tied with both teams failing to register any goals.


    At 33rd minute of the match, Hiro sensed an opportunity. Thinking that they were in control and they had managed to neutralise the ys of the ace of Kawasaki, the opposing team was showing signs of letting down their guards.


    Yushi who was one of the yer who was marking Hiro, passed the ball back to one of their centre back to attract the yers of Kawasaki, so that they could initiate a counterattack.


    But just as Yushi passed the ball back, Hiro making use of his skill ''Lightning steps'' sprinted towards the direction of ball.


    The defender who was expecting for the ball was caught off-guard. Even Takuto who was man marking Hiro wasn''t expecting Hiro to sprint all of a sudden.

 Chapter 164 Kawasaki vs Aomori III

    Chapter 164 Kawasaki vs Aomori III


    After lying low for almost 30 minutes, Hiro made his move for the first time in the game at the 33rd minute of the match. Making use of his skill ''Lightning Steps'', Hiro elerated towards the ball when almost every single opposing yers had lowered their guards.


    The opposing defender who was waiting for the ball was startled by the sight of Hiro who was rushing towards him, out of nowhere.


    Within few breathes, Hiro managed to reach the ball. Intercepting the pass, Hiro then initiated a sudden counter attack.


    Tora and the other defender, both of them reacted quickly and rushed forward to block Hiro''s shooting course. Having seen Hiro''s previous matches, both of those two opposing defenders were aware of Hiro''s shooting capability.


    Warily Aomori''s keeper widened his legs while anticipating a shot from Hiro. Having been told by his coach to be on an alert everytime when Hiro was in possession of the ball, Aomori''s keeper was extra sensitive at that time around.


    [Just when you think that you''ve got him cornered, he shatters your expectations and breaks out of your clutch. Out of nowhere Hiro has reversed the situation of both the teams. A while ago Aomori was on the attack and Kawasaki was on defense. But right now, Kawasaki is attacking while Aomori are forced to defend.]


    As if Hiro was challenging both of the defenders of Aomori, after noticing them rushing towards him, instead of slowing down, he kept his pace and rushed towards them without showing any signs of hesitation.


    ''If we let him go. He''ll score for sure. So we must stop him even if it means fouling him.'' Gritting his teeth, Tora thought while rushing towards Hiro.


    Upon approaching close to Hiro, Tora slid down as he performed a sliding tackle.


    But just as he slid down, Hiro lightly kicked the ball to his left where Tatsuki was making his run to support Hiro.


    Tatsuki then without trapping the ball, yed a one touch through pass to Hiro who was still rushing forward after jumping over the legs of Tora.


    [This duo makes everything seem so simple. A precise pass by Tatsuki at a precise time.]


    Noticing the lethal through ball, Aomori''s keeper reacted quickly by leaving his position. While rushing towards the ball, he could tell that he can''t reach the ball before Hiro. Thus after approaching half close to the ball, he slid down to block the ball with his body.


    However contrary to his expectation, Hiro lofted the ball above his body and scored a goal by executing a cheeky chip above him.


    "Goaaaaallllllll!!"


    [Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!]


    Although few, fans of Kawasaki spared no effort to convey their feeling of happiness. Cheering from the bottom of their heart, they began to celebrate Hiro''s goal while still following the rule of the ground- Cheering or yelling loudly is prohibited.


    Running towards Tatsuki to celebrate his goal and to thank Tatsuki for providing him the assist, Hiro leaped towards Tatsuki as he reached close to him.


    Embracing Tatsuki, Hiro let out a victorious roar, "Yeaaaaah!!" while throwing his fist in the air.


    Hiro''s teammates, soon caught up to him and Tatsuki. All of them then began to celebrate the goal while bumping and jumping atop eachother.


    [What a marvelous goal that was. elerating like a cheetah, Hiro first interrupted the pass. And while keeping his pace, he rushed forward. Just how did he manage to elerate that fast in such short amount of time. Also we can''t forget the through pass of Tatsuki. Without his pass, Hiro might not have been able to pull out such an amazing goal. Thebination of those two sure is deadly]


    Cheerfullymentating about the goal Hiro scored in the 33rd minute of the match,mentator praised Hiro and Tatsuki.


    While Hiro and his teammates were celebrating their goal, Takuto was ring at Hiro. His eyes bloodshot, his veins popping out and his fist tightly clenched, Takuto was ring at Hiro with eyes full of anger.


    In order to stop Hiro, Tora who was even prepared tomit a foul was looking at the direction of his goal-post while thinking about what went wrong.


    ''Did I time my tackle wrong? Or was I not rough enough?'' Thought Tora while thinking about the tackle he performed a moment ago.


    Contemting about the y which he just witnessed, a middle-aged man probably in histe thirties who was dressed in a windcheater and a track, standing at the sidelines began to scribble something on a note which he was carrying.


    Short ck hair which was slicked back neatly with the help of ab, he had ck eyes and square shaped face.


    And just as he finished scribbling something, he called out to another middle-aged man seated at the substitution bench, "Coach Yuto, can youe here for a second?"


    Hurriedly standing from his seat, the man grabbed his note and walked towards the man who called him, "Yes manager Masaki?"


    The man dressed in windcheater was the manager of Aomori Yamada High School football team. And the other middle aged man named Yuto was one of the assistant coaches of Aomori Yamada High School.


    "Takuto alone won''t be enough to mark him. Perhaps we should change our strategy. Take a look at it and tell me what do you think?" Pointing at the notebook he was carrying, Masaki suggested a tactic change.


    As instructed by Masaki, Yuto took a look at Masaki''s notebook. After looking at it for a while, Yuto opened his mouth, "Yes sir, man marking him will be hard. So I agree with your suggestion on switching into zone marking."


    "Let''s ce Yushi in between the position of midfielder and defensive midfielder. That way he can focus more on defense. Takumi and the two other right and left attacking midfielders will be enough in the front." Yuto suggested after taking a look at manager Masaki''s notebook.


    Nodding his head, Masaki then began to call one of his yer who was close to him.


    Entrusting him with the responsibility to convey the information to other yers, Masaki filled him with the details of the change in tactics.

 Chapter 165 Kawasaki vs Aomori IV

    Chapter 165 Kawasaki vs Aomori IV


    Smiling while staring at Hiro, manager Makoto was celebrating the goal scored by Hiro with other yers seated at the substitution bench.


    His eyes filled with joy and his face showing how satisfied he was with Hiro''s progress, Makoto couldn''t stop himself from praising Hiro for persevering through such rough training session day in and day out without everining, "Sometimes I wonder how can a boy who''s only thirteen be this good. But then again I look at you training. Till this date, you''ve neverined about the intensity of the training. Infact you''ve done more than what you''ve been asked for. I''m sure that the day isn''t that far when you''ll seed in the world stage."


    While mumbling such, manager Makoto''s eyes moistened all of a sudden. Feeling the moisture in his eyes, Makoto then gently rubbed his eyes.


    After celebrating for a while, all the yers in the field started to walk back towards their respective position to continue the match. Afterall celebrating for a long period of time was considered time wasting and for that offence, referee could even book the yers.


    Getting to his position, Hiro noticed something off. Although Aomori had made no yer changes and they were still ying in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Hiro could tell that their yers had shifted their positions slightly. For example, he could tell that Yushi had moved a little back and their right and left midfielders had moved a bit towards the center.


    ''So they''re making some changes huh!'' Thought Hiro while analysing the formation of the opposing team.


    While he was contemting, referee blew the whistle and resumed the match.


    Beep!!


    Dark clouds had almost swallowed the entire sun as it veiled more than 80 percent of the sky. While the persistent rays of sun was still trying to find it''s way out the dark clouds, surrounding temperature had dropped drastically.


    The moderate cold wind which was blowing was making howling noises as it collided with the roof of the stands.


    Fans were rushing from the open stand towards the part of the stand which was roofed to shelter them from the unavoidable rain.


    Sticking to their traditional counter-attacking ystyle, Aomori was trying to find the back of Kawasaki''s. However even with their improved strategy, they were still failing to equalise the match because of the presence of one particr yer.


    And that yer was Akimasa Nakahara. Monster in aerial duel, he was clearing every ball away.


    Just 1 minute before the end of the first half after the attack of Kawasaki failed, Yushi sent a through ball to their right attacking midfielder.


    That right midfielder inturn yed a through ball to Takumi who''s also known as one of the fastest yer in the league.


    [This could be very dangerous. If Takumi get''s hold of that ball, then Aomori might get a goal back.]


    Making use of his quick feet, Takumi was sprinting towards the ball at almost 31 km/h speed. And even though Nakahara and Minato were way ahead of Takumi, judging by their speed, it seemed like Takumi would reach the ball ahead of Minato and Nakahara.


    And just like the three of them, Shun was also sprinting towards the ball.


    Contesting for the ball, all four of them were trying their best to reach the ball before anyone else.


    However after few short breaths, the contest was won by Takumi. Witnessing the ball in the feet of Takumi and seeing both of his teammates still chasing after Takumi, Shun had no other choice but to defend the ball all by himself.


    And since Shun was about few steps out of the penalty box, he retracted few steps to get inside the penalty box, so that he could use his hands.


    Afterall unlike other yers, he wasn''t good at defending. Despite being an exceptional keeper, hecked when it came to defending without using his hands.


    And thus to increase his chances of defending, he returned back to the penalty box. However even doing so, he never looked away from the ball. Cautiously retreating, he was prepared for any long shots.


    Takumi too didn''t try to take a long shot. Instead he dribbled the ball forward to increase his chances of scoring.


    And as Takumi got closer to Shun, he stretched his leg to shoot.


    And as Takumi stretched his leg, Shun dived. But just as Shun dived, Takumi tapped the ball lightly and faked his shot.


    From the very beginning when he stretched his leg, he wasn''t nning on making a shot. He was only trying to deceive Shun.


    After deceiving Shun by faking a shot, Takumi dribbled the ball opposite to Shun. He then kicked the ball towards the empty.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!"


    [Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!]


    [Finally Aomori has managed to tie the game at the final minute of the first half. Scoring the goal at 44th minute of the match, they had equalised the game.]


    [Almost for the entirety of first half Takumi seemed like he was struggling. But despite struggling so much, he proved it that he only requires one chance to prove his worth.]


    And while Takumi and his teammates were celebrating Takumi''s goal, Shun who was still lying on the ground bit his tongue out of disappointment.


    Disappointed that he was tricked so easily, he wasn''t even being able to lift himself up. Nakahara and Minato had almost the same expression as Shun.


    Squatting on the ground, with their chin lowered, they were panting heavily. Totally speechless, most of the yers of Kawasaki were either sulking their head or looking at the sky while wiping their sweat.


    "You may have caught me off-guard some moments ago. But it''ll be us who''ll win the game eventually." Walking close to Hiro, Takuto sneered. There was bit of intimidation in his words.


    Hearing Takuto''s words, Hiro lifted his gaze towards the face of Takuto. However instead of acting irritated, Hiro smiled at him and left towards his side of the pitch.


    Takuto who was expecting Hiro tosh out at him was totally dumbfounded by Hiro''s unusual reaction.


    Perplexingly staring at the back of Hiro who was walking away, Takuto began to have several thoughts inside his head, ''Why did he smile? Is he somekind of psychopath who enjoys getting mocked?''

 Chapter 166 Kawasaki vs Aomori V

    Chapter 166 Kawasaki vs Aomori V


    After the celebration of Aomori high school came to an end, the game then resumed normally with the kickoff of Kawasaki Frontale U-18.


    While trying to regain their lead, yers of Kawasaki fiercely put pressure on their opponents by going on attack right from the kickoff after conceding the goal at 44th minute of the game.


    And while the yers of Kawasaki Frontale were trying to regain back their lead, referee was constantly checking his watch, time and again.


    And just as 45 minute passed in referee''s watch, referee then added another 2 minutes as additional time.


    Standing outside the sidelines, manager Makoto was staring at Hiro who had the ball in his feet with a mixed feeling of excitement, anticipation, fear and nervousness. Almost on his toes, Makoto was about to jump from his spot.


    With only few seconds remaining for the end of the first half, Hiro was trying to break through the defense of Aomori Yamada High School.


    Shaking his mark and getting past another defensive midfielder, Hiro was about 30 yards away from the goalpost.


    With his teammatespletely marked, he had no other choice but to take the shot. Thus just as referee put his whistle in his mouth, Hiro released the ball from his feet at the same time.


    Waiting for the oue of Hiro''s shot, the referee was holding on to his breath while looking at the ball which was flying towards the post.


    Just like how manager Makoto was on his toes, holding on to his breath, fans of Kawasaki had almost the same reaction. Holding on to their breath, they were anxiously staring at the ball with their eyes wide open.


    Masanaga Isomura, Aomori''s goalkeeper leaped towards the direction of the ball while stretching his hands to his utmost limit to save the iing ball.


    However despite his efforts, the ball still slipped through his fingers.


    Tung!!


    Slipping through the fingers of Isomura, the ball then hit the pole and bounced away. And just as the ball bounced away, the referee who was holding on to his breath, loudly blew the whistle while drawing air from his diaphragm.


    Beep!! Beep!! Beeeeeeeep!!


    [And with this, the first half hase to an end. For a moment, it seemed like Kawasaki was going to take back their lead. But unfortunately it seems like the luck isn''t on their side today. Even so, we cannot berate the attempt made by Hiro. If only that shot was lowered by about a degree or more, it would have surely went in. But s! If that happened then there was also a possibility of it being saved. With that said, the first half has ended in a tie.]


    After the referee''s whistle, with his hands rested atop his thighs, Hiro was panting while sulking his body, looking at the post infront.


    Beads of sweat formed on his temple was running down his face while he was gasping for his breath, lookingpletely disappointed.


    Although the distance was quite far away, he was still expecting to score a goal.


    And while Hiro was sulking infront of the opponent''s penalty box, Tatsuki began to slowly walk towards Hiro.


    cing his hands on Hiro''s back, Tatsuki then began to apologise all of a sudden, "Sorry"


    Whilst still remaining in the same position, Hiro slowly turned his head towards Tatsuki to face him.


    "Why are saying sorry?" Asked Hiro while looking at him with a baffled look on his face. He couldn''t understand the reason behind Tatsuki''s apologies.


    Lowering his head, Tatsuki then answered with great difficulty, "It''s because.... I couldn''t free myself from my mark that you were forced to make that shot."


    Hiro could clearly see how difficult it was for Tatsuki to confess his faults to him. Thus, in order to soothe Tatsuki''s worries, Hiro took the me on him.


    "You don''t have to say sorry. I choose to take the shot not because you were marked. But I had seen a space that''s why I decided to take thatst shot. So even if you were free, I wouldn''t have passed the ball to you." Calmly answered Hiro. There wasn''t even a bit of regret in his words.


    Upon listening to the reason of Hiro, Tatsuki lifted his head and replied yfully with a smile on his face, "You greedy bastard"


    After that the two of them exited the pitch along with their other teammates.


    Tatsuki who was feeling a lot better after hearing Hiro''s reasons, cheerfully made his way towards the locker room while joking and giggling with his other teammates.


    Hiro on the other hand followed them silently without speaking anything. As if he was contemting something, he didn''t utter a single word while walking towards the locker room.


    ''Apart from ''Lightning steps'' I don''t have any other useful skills which I could use right now.'' While slowly making his way towards the locker room, Hiro thought.


    ''Ahh no! I do have that skill magic vision. May be I can use it to check the stats of their best yer. But I have to be careful while selecting the yer to use that skill.''


    Remembering about the skill ''Magic Vision'', Hiro began to contemte.


    To find out the most influential yer of Aomori, Hiro then began to analyse the first half of the game.


    Although Takumi seemed the most influential to fans and other people, for most part of the game, he was totally useless.


    And even without the help of system, Hiro could tell Takumi''s strong points. So he didn''t bother to use the skill Magic Vision on Takumi.


    Finally after thinking for a while, he decided to use that skill on Yushi. The guy who was always observing him.


    Although Yushi made a mistake at the 33rd minute of the match by giving away the ball which resulted in Kawasaki''s goal. That only happened because of Hiro''s X-factor which neither Yushi nor anyone else in his team was aware of.


    Plus that guy was executing beautiful passes while also keeping Hiro in check.


    Using the skill Magic Vision on Yushi, Hiro began to take a peek at Yushi''s stats.

 Chapter 167 Kawasaki vs Aomori VI

    Chapter 167 Kawasaki vs Aomori VI


    [Name: Yushi Tanigawa]


    [Age: 18 years old]


    [Attributes]


    Physical: B


    Dribbling: C-


    Pace: D+


    Passing: B


    Shooting: C


    Defending: B


    Mentality: B


    IQ: C+


    Overall grade: B-


    [Specialty: Observationalist, good at hiding his presence, opportunist]


    As mentioned by the system, even Hiro with his heightened vision had barely noticed Yushi during the game.


    And almost for the entirety of the match, Yushi was always shaking his head. Shaking his head in every direction, he always looked like he was searching for gaps.


    "So I was indeed right. You were the main culprit afterall." Rolling his pupils sideways to look at Yushi, Hiro murmured under his breath while revealing a sinister smile on his face, after finding out Yushi''s specialities.


    But then again, he wondered why he could see Yushi''s specialities and couldn''t see manager Makoto''s specialities.


    The joy from the moment ago was still lingering in Aomori''s squad. Laughing and joking, all of them were in a pretty good mood despite only managing to tie the game.


    Talking loudly while making their way towards their locker room, some yers were singing praises of Takumi.


    "Your goal was the best senior Takumi. Outrunning two of their defenders and even managing to deceive their keeper. When you scored that goal, I was literally having goosebumps." One of the yer whom Hiro hadn''t seen on the pitch, spoke in his ttering tone.


    Another yer about the same height as the yer who was ttering Takumi was nodding his head and ttering Takumi as well.


    Upon hearing such sugar-coated words, Hiro contorted his face in disgust. Sticking his tongue out, he acted as if there words were making him sick. Well their words did make him sick.


    But as he kept listening to their voices, he couldn''t help but feel nostalgic. As if he had heard their voice before, Hiro couldn''t stop himself from contemting about where he had heard their voice.


    And just as he was thinking, he finally remembered where he had heard those voices, ''I see. So they are the fools who were talking loudly in the restroom before the start of the match.''


    While Hiro was thinking such, Akihiro who was walking beside him spoke while smiling, "Don''t they look like puppies?"


    Hearing Akihiro''s words, Hiro once again nced at the direction of those two yers who were singing praises of Takumi.


    And as he looked closely, he did find them simr to puppies. Just like puppies wagging their tails at their master, they were flocking over Takumi with bright smile on their faces.


    Imagining them as some puppies, Hiro chuckled, "Hahaha... Yeah you''re right. They do seem like puppies."


    **** ****


    After about 10 minutes rest, yers of both the teams once again made their way towards the pitch for the second half.


    And as they made their way out of the tunnel, their faces which once was smeared with dirt looked really clean and fresh.


    However the sky was a lot darker than it was some moment ago. And it seemed like it was going to rain at any moment.


    Slowly marching out of the tunnel, Hiro paused all of a sudden. He then once again nced at the direction of Yushi.


    During the halftime break, he revealed part of the information which he obtained via system to manager Makoto to help him improve his strategy.


    Makoto inturn, along with other coaches designed their strategy to counter the strategy of Aomori Yamada High School.


    Giving their fullbacks more freedom to move forward along the nks, manager Makoto then improvised his strategy based on his observation and based on Hiro''s findings.


    Beep!!


    And as everybody positioned themselves in their respective position, second half of the gamemenced with the sound of the referee''s whistle.


    Movingpletely different than how he moved in the first half, Hiro who was running all over the pitch during first half was now walking on the pitch.


    Calmly analysing the situation on the field, he was observing every yers positions and searching for gaps in the field.


    ''What is he doing? Did he give up on attacking? Why is he behaving like this?'' Such thoughts appeared on Takuto''s mind.


    He was extremely confused by sudden change in Hiro''s behaviour.


    By limiting his movement on the pitch, Hiro was also indirectly limiting the movement of the opposing yers who were marking him. Especially Takuto and Yushi.


    At 68th minute in the match, Hiro dropped deep all of a sudden. Almost at the position of defensive midfielder, he dropped deep enough to receive the ball.


    Receiving the ball from his team''s defender, Hiro easily dribbled past Takuto who was following him even in his side of the pitch.


    After that Hiro passed the ball to Kenta who was making his run in the left nk.


    Kenta inturn began to dribble the forward in a straight line. Making use of his quick feet, Kenta sprinted with the ball as fast as he could. However not even before he could make it to the opponents defensive third, he found his pathpletely blocked.


    Standing infront of him was Aomori''s right back and to his right was Aomori''s defensive midfielder.


    Unable to find a path infront, Kenta passed the ball to Tatsuki who was making his run towards the penalty arc.


    The opposing right back slid down in hopes of reaching the ball. But he still couldn''t reach the ball.


    At the same time both of the centre defenders of Aomori rushed towards Tatsuki.


    Whilst still running, Tatsuki hit the ball with the back of his his heel and passed the ball back instead of trying to break free from the clutches of two opposing centre backs.


    Running behind Tatsuki was Hiro who had started running from the moment when he passed the ball to Kenta.


    Upon receiving the ball, Hiro quickly released the ball in the right nk where Minato was making his run.


    Running all the way from their defensive third to attacking third, Minato was acting as instructed by manager Makoto.


    Cutting inside, Minato then shot the ball towards the post while taking advantage of the distracted opposing keeper.


    The ball as it left his feet directly flew towards the post. Masanaga couldn''t react on time and thus ended up conceding goal.

 Chapter 168 Kawasaki vs Aomori VII

    Chapter 168 Kawasaki vs Aomori VII


    While the crowd and his teammates were ecstatically celebrating his goal, Minato was staring at the ball with his eyes wide open. In a state of daze, Minato who was staring at the post infront looked like he was having trouble discerning between reality and dream.


    However he was soon brought back to his senses by the sudden touch of Tatsuki. Running towards Minato, Tatsuki jumped atop Minato''s back while ecstatically shouting, "Why aren''t you celebrating your goal, you bastard?"


    Minato who waspletely lost in his own world tumbled and fell down as he failed to support Tatsuki''s weight. Along with Minato, Tatsuki too fell down.


    But even so, the smile on Tatsuki''s face didn''t fade away. Infact as he fell down, Tatsuki let out a cheerfulughter, "Hahahaha"


    And instead of helping Minato to stand up, other yers joined the two of them and  jumped atop Minato one after other to celebrate Minato''s goal.


    [Seems like yers of Kawasaki are very happy with that goal. Just by looking at them celebrate the goal with such joyous expression on their faces, we could tell what this goal means to them. Afterall with only 30 minutes remaining, this goal could very well be a game changer]


    While almost every yer except Shun was jumping atop Minato, Hiro was pping his hands with a smile on his face while standing beside the piles of fallen bodies. But even so, his eyes were showing signs of worries.


    And even though Hiro was genuinely happy for Minato, Hiro was a little fearful as well. Fear of failing the quest was preventing him from fully expressing his happiness.


    Afterall he hadn''t performed as well as he had performed in the previous two matches that day.


    Making it''s way out of the dark cloud, few drops of rain started pouring down freely on the surface below.


    Feeling a drop of rain on his temple, Hiro lifted his head up. And as he lifted his head, those dark clouds reminded him of his worries and those fresh droplet of rain which was falling from the sky reminded him that everything was going to be okay.


    Finally the gloomy sky which was showing signs of rainfall since the beginning of the match finally burst forth while Hiro and his other teammates were still celebrating Minato''s goal.


    "It''s gonna be okay." Murmuring such, Hiro closed his eyes while trying to feel the drop of rain which was making contact with his face.


    And as more and more rain droplets started falling from the sky, Hiro''s worries washed away along with the rain.


    Rejuvenated by the fresh rain and wind, Hiro was now once again full of energy.


    His teammates who were still celebrating Minato''s goal weren''t even aware of the light rainfall happening at that moment until they left each others embrace.


    After celebrating for a while, all of them left towards their position to continue the match.


    And after that goal from Minato, their eyes were now glowing with determination. Staring at the ball with their sharp eyes, they lookedpletely focused.


    Beep!!


    With referee''s whistle, the game resumed once again with Aomori''s kickoff.


    Determined to get the goal back, Aomori''s yer started ying aggressively from the get go.


    Having seen through their ys, Hiro could now somewhat guess their ystyle. Thus without wasting any time, Hiro directly rushed towards Yushi who was the person responsible for creating goalscoring opportunities for Aomori high school.


    Their roles reversed. The hunter was now being hunted.


    His movements restrainted, Yushi found it very hard to break free from Hiro''s mark. And although Hiro wasn''t particrly good at defending, he was still preventing Yushi from making his move.


    Positioning himself in a position where he could easily intercept the ball before the ball could even find it''s way to Yushi, Hiro was circling around Yushi like an eagle circling around it''s prey.


    ''You might be stronger than me physically. But I''m faster than you.'' Thought Hiro while rolling his eyes towards Yushi who was trying to find spaces.


    ''Your vision and passing won''t amount to anything, if you can''t get the ball.''


    Takuto, the man who was responsible to mark Hiro was also finding it difficult to mark Hiro after that second goal.


    As if he was facing apletely new opponent, he was having trouble following Hiro because of Hiro''s weird off the ball movement.


    And to make matter worst, everytime when he tried to provoke Hiro, Hiro always replied his provocation with a smile.


    Just like a mirror reflecting the light, Takuto''s provocation was actually working against himself instead.


    At 94th minute of the game, Aomori earned a corner kick.


    And even during that moment, Takuto''s eyes was still looking at Hiro who''s body was slightly bent.


    Gasping for breath, Hiro was trying to recover even a bit of his strength while the ball was still out of y.


    ''As expected, you are indeed tired. It would have been a miracle if you were okay even after running that much for the entire game.'' Arrogantly thought Takuto while looking at Hiro.


    By thinking such, he was being self-centred. As if his condition was any better, he was judging Hiro while he himself was gasping for breath. With his legs wobbling like jelley, Takuto was even having problem standing straight.


    Afterall tailing Hiro was an exhausting job, since most of the time Hiro never stayed still and always kept on moving.


    Takuto too was forced to move all the time. Since it was his job to mark Hiro, Takuto was denied of any moment to rest in the entire match.


    Even his coach was surprised by Takuto''s perseverance.


    ''May be I should use perseverance. Although it''s a pity that I didn''t think of using this skill 15 minutes ago, since it''s duration is 15 minutes. I should still use that skill. afterall it get''s reacharged every 24 hours. And I also don''t have any match tomorrow.''


    Completely exhausted, Hiro was thinking about using one of his skill called "Perseverance" to recover his stamina.


    And just as he was thinking about using the skill "perseverance", a sudden inspiration hit him.


    ''What if I use perseverance and use lightning steps? Won''t I be able to use lightning steps twice a day?''


    identally, Hiro discovered a loophole in the system.


    ''System can I do that?'' Asked Hiro inside his head.


    [...]


    The system however remained silent. As if it was unwilling to ept Hiro''s idea, the system was refusing to speak.


    ''Since the system is refusing to answer. That must mean I''m right.'' Smiling inwardly, Hiro felt satisfied by the reaction shown by system.


    After that Hiro activated the skill perseverance. And just as he activated the skill, the cramps and soreness in his muscles quickly faded away.


    His heartbeat and breath, both stabilised. And the piercing pain in his ankles, disappeared instantly.


    As if his whole body was being healed, he felt an unknown sensation of warmth all over his body. The spark in his eyes returned as he straightened his back.


    Takuto who was staring at Hiro was left bbergasted. Although he couldn''t tell what happened, Takuto could feel that something was happening to Hiro. Instinctively he could feel something off.


    The once tired Hiro, lookedpletely fresh and full of energy all of a sudden.


    ''Am I hallucinating or has he really recovered from his fatigue?'' Thought Takuto while dumbfoundedly staring at Hiro.


    Takuto then shook his head andughed awkwardly, "Haha... I must be tired. Afterall it''spletely impossible for someone to recover from such grave fatigue in such short amount of time."


    Tailing Kawasaki by a goal, Aomori was losing the game till that moment. Thus, they were desperate to get a goal back from thatst set-piece.


    Desperate to get a goal back, even their keeper Masanaga had came forward for thatst set-piece.


    [I''m not sure what happened to Kawasaki after the first half. But since the beginning of the second half, they havepletely dominated the game. Be it in terms of possession or shoots, they are way ahead of Aomori Yamada High School.]


    [But thisst set-piece could very well change the oue of the game. With only few seconds remaining, this set-piece might very well be thest opportunity for Aomori Yamada High School to tie the game. On the other hand, Kawasaki must do anything and everything to defend this corner kick, if they want to keep staying on the top.]


    While thementator was speaking such, Yushi who was going to take the corner kick rushed towards the ball.


    Kicking the ball high inside the penalty box, he supplied a marvelous cross.


    And to everyone''s surprise, Masanaga was the one who reached the ball.


    In that final moment, even the dull fans of Aomori were full of excitement. Their heart pumping faster and faster with every passing seconds, they were anxiously looking at the ball while holding on to their seats.


    Rising high above everyone else, Masanaga headed the ball.

 Chapter 169 God of Lightning

    Chapter 169 God of Lightning


    Looking at the direction of the ball while falling down, for a while Masanaga felt like the time was flowing slower for him.


    Slightly raising their body forward, anxious fans of Aomori were following the direction of the ball while holding on to their breath.


    At that time one yer in the field was reactingpletely opposite to the rest. Instead of rushing towards his own goal-post, Hiro was running towards the opposing goalpost.


    And as the ball flew towards the post, performing a short run-up, Shun leaped towards the direction of the ball.


    Shun''s jump was as impressive as ever and his reflexes, unquestionable. Shun easily managed to punch the ball away.


    Even so despite punching the ball away, Shun instantly stood up to prepare himself for second round of attack.


    As impressive as Shun''s reflexes were, Shun was also aware of his weakness- he took time to get back on his feet after diving.


    Thus, as soon as hended on the ground, he immediately rose up. Although he was still somewhat sloppy and his body was still not coordinative well enough, his will to correct his mistakes was real.


    But as he stood up and prepared himself for second round of attack, he noticed Hiro rushing towards the opposing goalpost with the ball in his feet.


    Behind Hiro, almost the entire squad of Aomori was chasing him. And for a while it seemed like Hiro was fighting 1 vs 11.


    The rain water which had umted in the pitch was slowing everybody in the field. But not Hiro. Making use of his skill "Lightning Steps", Hiro was running towards the opposing goalpost which was totally open.


    However while he was making his run, referee was constantly checking his watch while tailing Hiro. And it seemed like, he would blow his whistle at any moment.


    And Hiro was well aware that he didn''t have much time to run all the way to the opposing goalpost. Thus as he reached the halfline, he shot the ball from his own side of the pitch towards the opposing goalpost.


    Without the presence of Aomori''s keeper, Aomori''s post was like a watermelon in a chopping board which was ready to be chopped.


    Hiro only required enough power in his shot to make it to the post and perfect precision so that he won''t miss the post.


    Both of which, Hiro wasn''tcking. Afterall his shot uracy and shot power could already rival some pro yers.


    The ball as it flew towards the direction of Aomori''s goalpost was cutting through the rain while making it''s way towards the post.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"


    [Gooooaaaaallllllll!!]


    Both the crowd andmentator erupted as they witnessed the ball crossing the goal-line. Smiles on their faces, fans of Kawasaki began to cheer happily while following the movement of Hiro.


    Hiro on the other hand, directly ran towards the sidelines to celebrate his goal. Upon reaching the sidelines, he made a gesture of pulling an arrow towards the sky.


    And just as he released the imaginary arrow from his hands, lightning shed in the sky all of a sudden.


    The sh of lightning inturn illuminated the whole stadium. And for a while it seemed like it was Hiro who was summoning the lightning in the sky.


    A thunderous sound of thunder which reverberated all over the stadium made Hiro''s celebration even more dramatic.


    [Hoho... Can you believe that? Is it only a coincidence or has Hiro really summoned the lightning? For a while it seemed like the "God of Lightning" itself had shown it''s appearance on the pitch. May be now that exins why he is so fast.] Thementator joked while exaggerating Hiro''s shy celebration, linking him to God of Lightning.


    While some fans were closing their eyes and covering their ears, some were looking at Hiro in awe.


    Under the sh of lightning, silhouette of Hiro seemed very oppressive for a moment.


    And although the sound of thunder had silenced the crowd for a while, just as the sound of thunder faded away, those fans who were staring at Hiro in awe, once again errupted in cheers.


    Hiro''s teammates did the same as well. While the lightning was shing in the sky, they dared not to approach Hiro.


    But just as both the shes of lightning and thunderous sound of lightning vanished away, they all ran towards Hiro to celebrate his goal.


    Hiro on the other hand remainedpletely calm for the entirety of his shy celebration.


    Somewhat bbergasted, Hiro was at a loss of words. Since he himself wasn''t expecting such a coincident to happen to him.


    And after a while as the celebration ended, the referee blew his whistle and ended the game as well.


    Beep!! Beep!! Beeeeeeeep!!


    [And with this the thrilling game between the 1st and 2nd team finally hase to an end. And both of these two teams has delivered as per expected. Unfortunately Aomori has still lost the game despite the performance they put up in the game.]


    [Even so all of us, let us congratte Kawasaki Frontale U-18 for winning the game. For the entirety of the match, they have put an amazing performance and showed us the beauty of attacking gamey.]


    [The man of the match obviously goes to Hiro who has scored two goals and provided an assist. Without his contribution, the oue might have been different. Not to mention his shy celebration after scoring that goal in the stoppage time. The shes of lightning may be coincidental but his skills aren''t. All I can say is that he''s a true star in the making.]


    Laughing while joking and hugging each other, Hiro''s teammates were celebrating their victory with eachother.


    Tatsuki and few other guys in his team who had took of their t-shirt were flinging their t-shirts while celebrating their victory.


    Hiro on the other hand was waiting for the notification of the system to hear the oue of his quest.


    Although he had scored two goal and delivered an assist, he was still somewhat skeptical about the oue of the quest, since he believed that his performance wasn''t on par with his performance in the previous two matches.


    And while his teammates were celebrating their victory, Hiro finally heard the notification of the system.


    [Congrattions host forpleting the quest]


    [You have attained an impressive rating of 9.3]


    "Sweet" murmured Hiro as he heard the notification of the questpletion.


    Smile on his face, Hiro''s face looked unusually fresh for someone who had ran for more than 90 minutes.


    And while almost everyone in the pitch was panting, Hiro''s breath was as stable as the head of a chicken.


    Completely drenched in rain, yers of both the team exchanged quick handshakes and made their way out of the pitch since the rain was getting stronger.


    And also to prevent the yers from falling sick, coaching staffs of both the team were rushing the yers to head inside.


    Inside the tunell while all the yers were making their way towards the locker room, Shun approached Hiro with somewhat puzzled look on his face.


    And as he got closer to Hiro, Shun questioned Hiro out of nowhere, "No matter how much I think about it, I still can''t figure out why you decided to run forward at thest moment?"


    "With one less yer, it would have been really dangerous if somehow the ball was still inside the box. So why did you decide to take that risk?" Shun continued.


    Upon hearing Shun''s doubts, Hiro started to panic. Since he couldn''t tell him the truth that he made that run in thest moment whimsically, Hiro had no other choice but to think of an excuse.


    Inwardly Hiro was sweating profusely. However he maintained a calm appearance outwardly.


    And while Hiro was taking time replying, Shun''s gaze towards him was getting more intense. And even though Hiro wasn''t looking at his direction, Hiro could still feel Shun''s intense gazes on him.


    Just as Shun ran out of patience and was about to speak something, Hiro spoke, "At thatst moment I noticed Masanaga''s touch on the ball. Although it seemed perfect to others, Masanaga was still being pushed. Thus, he couldn''t execute a perfect header."


    "And there was no way that you''d have conceded that weak of a header. I know how sharp your reflexes are. So I just trusted your reflexes and made that run."


    Answered Hiro with a solemn look on his face. Shun who was staring  at Hiro couldn''t even tell that Hiro was lying. Without questioning anything, Shun simply believed Hiro''s words.


    Not because Hiro''s words were believable, but because Hiro was praising him.


    Upon hearing such praises, Shun''s stiffened face suddenly brightened as a smile formed on his face. Shun then replied with a big wide grin on his face, "Hahaha... Yeah you did the right thing. You can just leave the worries of the post to me. You just need to attack. With me in the goal, we''ll never lose. Hahahah"


    Hearing his cheerful words, Hiro let out a subtle smile as he squeezed some words out of his mouth, "Simpleton"

 Chapter 170 Post-match Interview

    Chapter 170 Post-match Interview


    Just as Hiro was about to enter the locker room, Hiro was abruptly stopped by manager Makoto on his way.


    "Wait Hiro we need to talk." Mumbled manager Makoto while standing infront of the door of locker room, blocking Hiro''s way.


    Upon noticing manager Makoto infront of him, Shun who was apanying Hiro, smiled nervously as he hurriedly left inside the locker room, leaving Hiro all by himself, "I''ll... Head inside first."


    Slightly wrinkled face of manager Makoto looked a little stiff at that moment. And judging by Makoto''s stern face, Hiro could somewhat guess what manager Makoto wanted to talk about with him.


    Nodding his head, Hiro replied while looking at the direction of Shun, "Umm... I''lle after awhile."


    Manager Makoto then pulled him aside. And just as they got far enough, manager Makoto started questioning him, "Why did you decide to run away at thatst moment?"


    ''As expected. He was indeed going to interrogate me for myst y.'' Thought Hiro as he heard manager Makoto''s question.


    While he was clearing Shun''s doubts earlier, Hiro was somewhat prepared for being interrogated about hisst y by manager Makoto.


    Just like how he had made up an excuse while answering Shun''s doubts, Hiro answered manager Makoto''s question with the same excuse while adding few things more to make his words more believable.


    "Although it might seem like an excuse. But sir I don''t know if you''ll believe me or not. I can somewhat guess the trajectory of the ball. Although I''m not urate all the time. My guesses are still pretty urate." Ambiguously answered Hiro.


    Listening to his vague answers, manager Makoto pondered for a while. As if he was thinking something very serious, he stood still while staring at the floor beneath with a stern expression on his face.


    Finally after few breathes, he breathed a short sigh as he turned towards Hiro. Resting his hands atop Hiro''s shoulder, manager Makoto broke his silence, "May be you''re right. I too had such doubts when I saw you catching Nozomi''s and Kensuke''s crosses while training. And you even managed to score a goal by making that decision. However from next time onwards be careful while making such risky decisions."


    His words sweet and his face solemn. Hiro could feel the genuineness behind manager Makoto''s words.


    Thus without wasting any time, Hiro sincerely nodded his head.


    Manager Makoto then smiled a bit as he removed his hands from Hiro''s shoulder. And just as he removed his hands from Hiro''s shoulder, Makoto added, "Go get changed fast. Some reporters are waiting to interview you."


    Hiro''s face brightened as a smile appeared on his face after hearing manager Makoto''s words. Excited about the interview, Hiro then hurriedly rushed towards the locker room to get changed.


    **** ****


    Chatter!! Chatter!!


    Holding on to their mic, cameras and phones some reporters were gathered in a spacious hall.


    Arriving at arge hall filled with reportes, Hiro was filled with excitement. And just by looking at their attires and equipments, Hiro could deduce that only few of them were from famous broadcastingpanies while the most of them were probably small time independent reporters with some even being newtube reporters.


    In his previous two matches, because ofck of exposure he hadn''t had any chances to provide an interview, despite performing so well.


    But now that he had caught the attention of peoples by his outstanding performance, reporters could no longer ignore him.


    And although he had gotten interviewed in his elementary school years, he hadn''t had any chances to get interviewed after moving to Kawasaki which had upset him a little bit.


    But finally as he got his chance to get interviewed once again, Hiro felt really happy about it.


    "There hees" answered a man dressed casually in white shirt and ck pants as he witnessed the sight of Hiroing from the hallway.


    Just as the man spoke such, every single reporter gathered at the hall, immediately turned towards the direction of Hiro. Even so, nobody rushed towards him. They continued to remain at their ce and patiently waited for Hiro''s arrival.


    Witnessing their behaviour, Hiro couldn''t help but feel shocked. In his imaginations, reporters were always those people who always seemed like they were in some kind of rush.


    Unless they were in some kind of press conference, they always seemed like they were in a rush.


    Feeling quite confused, Hiro turned towards manager Makoto. And just as he rolled his eyes towards him, manager Makoto exchanged nces with him while revealing a subtle smile on his face.


    That smile answered all his doubts. He could tell that it was manager Makoto who had asked the reporters to not swarm up on him.


    "Go ahead. You''ll be giving such interviews more often from now on. So you should treat this interview as a practice interview." Softly mumbled manager Makoto with a smile on his face.


    Hiro then nodded his head and approached the reporters. And just as Hiro approached the reporters, manager Makoto requested, "He''ll be answering a question at a time. So please question him one by one. Also if we find some questions inappropriate to answer, we won''t make anyments. Hope you all will respect our decision."


    And as manager Makoto finished making his request, one of the reporter rose his hands.


    Finely dressed in navy blue suit, that man''s appearance looked very handsome.


    "Yes please ask your question" pointing towards that guy dressed in navy blue suit, manager Makoto spoke.


    "Hello I''m Akiyama Takeuchi from TV Tokyo. I''d like to ask Hiro about hisst y. Did you decide to make that run after thinking carefully or did you decide to take a gamble?"


    shes of lightsing from the camera was shining on Hiro''s face while he was standing infront of the reporters. Even so, hisposure was calm despite facing so many reporters at once.


    His attitude was unlike any kids of his age. Either while facing this many reporters kid''s of his age would get nervous or act overtly excited. Hiro on the other hand was as calm as night sky aglow with moons and stars.


    "It was both. After analysing the opponent yers position and opponent keepers touch on the ball, my instincts told me to make that run. So you can say that I gambled after analysing opponent yers." Answered Hiro in a calm way while maintaining a poker face.

 Chapter 171 Wholl be the new captain?

    Chapter 171 Who''ll be the new captain?


    Upon hearing Hiro''s answers, Akiyama Takeuchi smiled a bit as he concluded his question. He was impressed by Hiro''s answers and the way Hiro addressed to his questions.


    After that another reporter rose her hand and started asking her questions, "I''ve read many articles about you. And we all also know that you''ve already signed contract with an agent from Europe. So my question for you is, are you nning on leaving for Europe in near future?"


    Hearing her senseless question, Hiro wanted to scream crazily, "Are you for real woman? Why would I sign with a foreign agent if I don''t want to go abroad?"


    But even so he refrained himself from screaming. Instead he continued to maintain his poker face and answered in a sensible way, "Who wouldn''t want to y in Europe? I doubt if there''s any yer in this world who hadn''t dreamt once to y for club in Europe."


    His words polite and his face calm. Hiro calmly answered that reporter''s question.


    "So do you mean that Japanese football iscking?" As if that reporter was intentionally trying to create a controversy, she ruthlessly attacked Hiro.


    Manager Makoto who was standing beside Hiro could tell what she was intending to do. Thus he was about to step in.


    But just as he was about to step in, Hiro answered with the same demeanor and tone as before, "Japanese football is evolving. And may be in near future, we could also rival the top leagues of the world."


    Suddenly his voice changed a bit and his facial expression turned cold, "But if you''reparing J-league of now to the top 5 league of Europe then I must say it is indeed no way near top leagues. And I believe every single one of you among here would share the same feelings."


    Hiro''s words were very straight. And there wasn''t even a hint of hesitation on his face when he said those words.


    While Hiro was making himself clear, for a while surrounding aura around him had changed. And for a while, the reporters felt like they were interviewing a professional yer instead of a kid who has barely set his foot onto the professional stage.


    The reporters infront as silent as the night sky, they were all bbergasted by Hiro''s answers. Even thedy reporter who was deliberately trying to create controversies had her mouth shut after hearing Hiro''s answers.


    Manager Makoto who was standing beside Hiro was also somewhat shocked by Hiro''s way of handling such controversial questions.


    ''Looks like he wouldn''t require any training to face interviews.'' Smiling meekly, manager Makoto revealed a satisfied expression.


    After that the interview progressed smoothly without any problems. And as for thatdy who was deliberately trying to create controversies, she didn''t get any opportunities to ask Hiro another question.


    **** ****


    Late in the night while Hiro was holed up inside his room, manager Makoto along with few other coaches were discussing something inside manager Makoto''s office.


    "How can we send one of our star payer? What is manager Oniki thinking about?" Coach Kensuke''s wrinkled face wrinkled even more as he erupted furiously.


    Manager Makoto who was silently sitting at his seat was looking like he was trying to think something.


    "But it''s the order from the higher ups. We have no choice but to do as they say." Answered coach Fuji while trying to calm coach Kensuke.


    "But with Tatsuki gone what will we do if our form deteriorates? We have already lost Tomoyasu. But now you want to send another of our captain away? Although Kenta is somewhat okay. But he doesn''t have the required leadership skills to lead other yers. He doesn''t have that decision making skill. Plus he alsocks personality to be a leader." Coach Kensuke made his point clear.


    Since Tatsuki was being called by the senior team and their first choice captain Tomoyasu was also injured, the coaches were debating about Tatsuki''s senior call up.


    And just by listening to the words of Kensuke, it was clear that Kensuke wasn''t willing to let go of Tatsuki.


    However coach Fuji on the other hand who was a rule-follower, although reluctant was supporting Tatsuki''s departure. Since youth coaches couldn''t deny the order of senior coaches, coach Fuji was simply following the rule.


    "What about Minato and Nakahara? They''re good candidates to rece Tatsuki as the captain?" Manager Nozomi presented his opinion.


    Hearing manager Nozomi''s opinion, coach Kensuke sneered, "Minato? Seriously? He can''t even pull his own shit. How can he lead others? And Nakahara? He''s way too aggressive. He''ll only create problems if we let him be the captain."


    "Then what about Shun? He has previously captained the U-15 team. He''s a good candidate." Replied coach Fuji in a calming tone.


    "May be after this year, he might be suitable. But for now, he''s out of the picture." Still somewhat grumpy, Kensuke refused to agree with the suggestion of coach Fuji.


    Finally just as Kensuke finished his sentence, manager Makoto broke his silence, "Then what about Hiro? He ys well, he''s also cool headed and I believe he even have that leadership qualities in him."


    Hearing Makoto''s suggestion, Kensuke went into a state of trance for a while as he began to ponder.


    And as coach Kensuke quieted down an eerie silence engulfed the entire office room.


    In somewhat doubtful way, coach Fuji was the first one to break that silence, "But what about his age? Isn''t he too young for such heavy responsibility?"


    "You''re concerned about his age?" Asked Makoto in a surprising tone. "If it''s his age that you''re concerned about then I assure you, he''s way mature than anyone else in our squad." Replying such with a determined look on his face, manager Makoto took assurance of Hiro''s age.


    Makoto then turned towards Kensuke who was still pondering something. And as he turned towards him, Makoto spoke, "You were with me at the time of interview. Do you think that he''s childish?"


    Coach Kensuke who also happened to observe Hiro''s interview close hand earlier was out of words. Although he was hesitant to appoint someone so young to be the captain of the U-18 team, he was also aware of Hiro''s personality.


    And personally he too believed that Hiro had leadership qualities in him. But even so, just like other coaches, he too was concerned about Hiro''s age.


    Seeing coach Kensuke''s reluctance to speak, manager Makoto added, "Let''s give him a chance. Has his age been a problem for us till now? Infact despite being the youngest in the league, he has performed way better than most yers in the league. So let''s give him a chance. I have a feeling that he can be a great leader."


    Hearing Makoto''s insistence on appointing Hiro as the new captain of the team, coach Kensuke finally heaved a sigh of relief as he let go of his worries.


    He then finally lossened his stiff body and face. After that he nodded his head and agreed to the suggestion made by manager Makoto, "I agree. He''s our best candidate. He''s calm, he makes quick decision, he''s not easily provoked and moreover the yers trust him. And he''s also the most skilled yer in our squad. So let''s give him a chance."

 Chapter 172 Ambipedal

    Chapter 172 Ambipedal


    Comfortably lying on his bed, Hiro was skimming through the system while his coaches were discussing about the appointment of new team captain in manager Makoto''s office.


    "If I could draw some amazing talent like before, I would be unstoppable." Mumbling such with a smile on his face, Hiro mused at the thought of obtaining some rare talents.


    And while he was musing on such thoughts, the roulette wheel which was spinning infront of his eyes finally stopped as itnded on a tinum coloured card.


    Witnessing the colour of the card, Hiro mistook the colour of the card as silver and assumed that he had drawn something insignificant than the previous talent he had drawn which was "Kevin De Bruyne''s Passing Sense", a gold coloured card.


    His smile faded away as he witnessed the colour of the card. Thus out of disappointment, he clicked his tongue, "Tch- I have probably drawn something insignificant."


    Then again he shrugged as he opened the card without much expectations.


    [Congrattions host for obtaining talent Ambipedal]


    [Talent: Ambipedal (S)]


    [As the name suggests you''ll be able to use both of your feet equally well. And to top it off, your both legs will be able to execute the same shooting power as your current strong foot]


    [Note: This skill cannot be upgraded further]


    Upon seeing the text infront of his eyes, Hiro couldn''t help but feel bbergasted. His eyes open wide and his facial expression simr to that of a person who was high on marijuana, Hiro was utterly shocked by the talent he had drawn that he wasn''t even being able to reciprocate his inner feelings.


    After few seconds, he rapidly blinked his eyes and vigorously rubbed his eyes to test if he was seeing things. But the text in the screen remained the same, no matter how many times he rubbed his eyes.


    "Ambipedal" murmured Hiro in a state of daze.


    Although there are few Ambipedal yers in the footballing world, not every single Ambipedal yers could execute the same shooting power in both their legs.


    Even Heung Min Son who''s one of the famous two-footed yer in the world has more goals from his right foot than from his left foot. Infact despite being bipedal, the shooting power in his left footcksparably to the shooting power in his right foot.


    And while Ambipedal yers were already rare in football world, the talent Hiro drew also enabled him to shoot with the same power regardless of the foot he used, which was a great advantage. Considering that he could already the shoot the ball at a speed of more than 90 km/hr with his right foot which was already on par with few professional yers ying in Europe''s top five league.


    And although Hiro could still rtively use both of his feet well, he still couldn''t shoot the ball with the same power from his left foot as he could with his right foot.


    Thus, what amused him the most was the fact that by using  that talent he could finally get rid of one of his major weakness.


    Finally as Hiro epted the reality that he had drawn such an amazing talent, his face brightened as his brows and corner of mouth lifted up.


    Feeling very excited, heughed maniacally and suddenly yelled in ecstacy forgetting that the sky outside of his room had turned pitch ck, "Hahahaha..... Now I''m freaking unstoppable. No one can stop me now. Hahaha...."


    In a state of excitement, hepletely went crazy for a while. And if anybody happened to be in his room at that moment, they would have probably assumed that Hiro was either mad or got possessed by spirits. In the worst case scenario, they would have phoned mental hospital.


    Hiro''s excited roars which reverberated all over the hostel building, scared few of the yers.


    "Yikes!!! Has Hiro gone crazy?"


    Few yers who were staying in the room next to his spoke out of trepidation.


    "Who''sughing and yelling like this at this moment of time?" Questioned Tatsuki as he paused his evening stretches.


    Shun who was already asleep and was sleeping like he had sold all his worries, didn''t even react.


    And while most of the yers were either scared or confused, coaches in manager Makoto''s office who had just finished their discussion about the appointment of new team captain had slightly different reaction.


    They were pissed.


    "Which idiot is yelling at this time?" ring his nostrils, coach Kensuke mumbled furiously as he heard the maniacalughter which was reverberating all over the hostel building.


    Upon realising that he was yelling crazily and it was still dark outside, Hiro immediately shut his mouth out of fear and embarrassment.


    ''What was I thinking? It''ste in the night.'' Thought Hiro while covering his mouth with his hands.


    But again, he cheered up at the thought that he had drawn such an amazing talent. And as he cheered up, heughed meekly.


    He then immediately activated the talent he had drawn at that moment.


    And just as he activated his talent, he felt a wriggling sensation in his legs. As if something was happening inside his legs, he felt like small insects were running inside his leg. Especially his left leg, it felt really hot for some moment. Although it didn''t hurt him, he still felt quite weird.


    "What''s happening? What''s this unusual sensation?" Confusedly asked Hiro to himself as he touched his legs.


    Finally after a while, the sensation faded away as his leg muscle stopped wriggling further.


    He then began to lightly stretch his legs fearing the lingering consequences which he might suffer. But as he began to stretch his legs lightly, nothing happened.


    There were no abnormal sensation or pain in his leg. Infact his legs felt a lot lighter than usual. As if he had just taken of about 5kg weight from his legs, he felt a lot lighter.


    Hiro then carefully stepped out of his bed to turn on the lights.


    Click!!


    And just as he turned the lights on, the whole room got illuminated as the darkness faded away. Hiro then began to examine his legs.


    His leg muscles were a lot more well defined aspared to before. Especially the calf muscles and thigh muscles, they were a lot more well defined thanst time.

 Chapter 173 Famous again

    Chapter 173 Famous again


    Seeing the changes in his leg muscles, Hiro couldn''t refrain himself from testing his newly obtained talent. Thus even at thatte in the night, he started to jump and perform several leg exercises.


    And for some reason, he even felt that he was jumping much higher than before. But since, he had never really recorded his jumps, he wasn''t sure if his jumping power had increased.


    "If only I have a ball with me right now, I could have tested my feel on the ball" Mumbled Hiro while heaving a sigh of disappointment.


    Then again as if something perked inside him, he raised his head as he began to walk towards his table. He then took a notebook out of his school bag.


    After that he began to tear some papers from his notebook. And as he tore quite a few paper from his notebook, he scraped one of the paper and began to roll it in a shape of a ball. Layering other papers over that small roll of paper, he made a paper ball about the size of a tennis ball.


    "Having empty notebooks surees in handy at times." Murmured Hiro while staring at the paper ball which he was holding in his hands with a look of pride in his eyes. He was quite proud of his thinking.


    After that he began to juggle the ball. At first he found it quite difficult to juggle that small paper ball which weighed way less than a tennis ball. Plus the rough edges around the paper ball was making it bounce irregrly which made it hard for Hiro to control the ball.


    "It''s a lot harder than what I''ve imagined." Murmured Hiro as he was having trouble controlling the bounce of the ball.


    "Just controlling this paper ball is hard enough, I wonder how hard it would be to juggle your boots. Messi made it look so easy." Mumbled Hiro while recalling a video which he had seen in his previous life where Messi wasfortably juggling his boots.


    After a while of trying, perspiration ran down his forehead while he was still trying to control the bounce of the paper ball.


    His breathing a little irregr and his face a bit flushed, his eyes were sharply focused at the paper ball and his legs.


    Finally for the first time in 15 minutes, he was able to juggle the ball for more than 50 times. Alternating his legs, he was now juggling the ball with ease.


    And as he could get a feel of the paper ball, he finally could perform tricks with the paper ball just like how he can perform tricks with regr ball.


    After a while of ying with the paper ball, Hiro finally stopped. That constant need to concentrate on the paper ball hadpletely drained his energy. And for some reason, he felt very tiresome as he sat down on his bed.


    "May be there''s some improvement in my stats."


    Thinking about his stats, he then began to check his stats.


    While checking his stats, he noticed that apart from his mentality, IQ and vision attribute, all of his other other attribute had risen by a point or more. Especially shooting and passing, they had risen by 2 points.


    "Sweet." Murmured Hiro while looking at the improvement in his stats. "With this kind of progress, I''m sure I''ll be a world ss yer in no time."


    "If I debut at the age of 18 for a club in Europe, will I be able topete against Mbappe and Hand? With the departure of Messi and Ronaldo, they''ll turn into absolute beast. Not to mention how fast Erling Hand will broke goal scoring records of both Messi and Ronaldo. If I''m not wrong Erling Hand''s breakthrough should be next year."


    Thinking about the stuffs from future, he started to contemte.


    Hiro was quite happy about his progress in recent days.


    "Damn! I wish FIFA didn''t bring that rule which allowed clubs to sign foreign yer only after the age of 18. If not for that rule, I would have already gone to Europe. And may be like Lamine Yamal, I too would have debuted in the age of 15 for a club in Europe."


    While creating such fake scenarios inside his head, Hiro fell asleep.


    **** ****


    The next day when he arrived at the school, he was immediately swarmed by the students of his school because of his interview.


    The post-match interview which he gave yesterday had gone viral and was all over the inte. Especially the part with thedy reporter, it had attracted unusuallyrge amount of peoples.


    Some small time Newtuber who happened to be at the scene had posted the video of the interview on his newtube channel by making some shy edits.


    And that video alone had blown up in the inte. Crossing the threshold of more than 300k views, that video was trending on newtube and few other social media tforms.


    Some people had even started making meme out of that video which inturn had boosted the reach of the video.


    Ultimately with that interview, Hiro had once again risen to fame. Overnight, he had once again turned into inte celebrity.


    "Just when I thought I could study peacefully, I''m famous again." Sighed Hiro while thinking about the earlier encounter with the students of his school.


    Currently he was inside his ssroom and history teacher was lecturing while standing infront of the lectern.


    ''Then again I don''t actually study. Haha'' while thinking such, Hiro let out a subtle smile.


    His smiling gesture was caught by the teacher infront.


    "Takahashi Hiro, am I telling a joke right now?" Staring at Hiro, the teacher coldly questioned him.


    The teacher''s voice made him nervous as he started to panic. Hiro then hurriedly stood up and apologised, "Sorry sir I wasn''t paying attention to your lecture. My mind was wandering elsewhere."


    Upon hearing Hiro''s sincere apology, the teacher infront released a sigh as he politely answered, "I know you''re thinking about that interview. I too have seen it. And I know because of that interview, you''re getting unusual amounts of attention. But still you shouldn''t act absent-minded in ss. You''re still a student. And as much as football  is important to you, you still shouldn''t neglect your studies as well. Afterall I''m sure you n on going abroad. And for that you probably need to learnnguage of that country."


    "And the better you are at studies, the faster you can learn and adjust. So focus a little on your studies as well."


    His words polite and his suggestion considerate, Hiro could feel the goodwill of his teacher.


    Thus, he once again bowed his head and apologised to the teacher for his misbehaviour.


    And as he refocused his attention on the lecture, he began to contemte, ''Teacher''s telling the right thing. I should focus on my studies as well.''

 Chapter 174 Sunday match

    Chapter 174 Sunday match


    July 19, 2022


    Kanagawa Prefectural Hodogaya Park Ser Field


    Inside a stadium packed with 100 or more peoples, a match was taking ce in full swing between Kawasaki Frontale U-18 and Yokohama F Marinos U-18.


    With only 10 minutes left on the clock, the scoreboard read as such- Kawasaki Frontale U-18: 4 and Yokohama F Marinos U-18: 2.


    Since the match was taking ce in weekend and the venue was amunity ser field which was easily essible to any people, apart from the fans of both the teams, normal people such as school students, elderly people, were also present in the stadium to enjoy the match. People who hade with their families were also present in the stadium to enjoy some quality time with their loved ones.


    After slightly lifting his head to look at the ball which was levitating in the air, Hiro sprinted forward towards the opposing goal post.


    [An impressive long pass by Akihiro. But will Hiro be able to reach the ball?]


    Perspiration falling off his forehead like droplets of rain pouring down from the rain clouds, Hiro was dashing forward while making use of his skill "Lightning Steps".


    And this was already his second time using that skill in that day. After figuring out the loophole in the system, he had once again activated the skill "perseverance" first before activating the skill "Lightning Steps" again to reduce the chances of injury.


    While the defender''s of Yokohama were blocking his path infront, midfielders and forwards of Yokohama were reluctantly chasing him from behind him.


    Even so, no one in the pitch was able to match his speed.


    While most normal fans were enjoying the sight of Hiro chasing after the ball with smiles on their faces, fans of Kawasaki and fans of Yokohama had different reactions.


    While the faces of fans of Yokohama disyed trepidation, faces of fans of Kawasaki showed a glimpse of anxiousness and expectation.


    Expecting Hiro to reach the ball before it went out of bounds, they were anxiously following Hiro''s movements while holding on to their breaths.


    The scorching summer heat which was at it''s peak was causing them to sweat profusely. But even so, they seemed unbothered by the summer heat.


    Hiro on the other hand waspletely focused. Even while making that run, his sharp eyes were focused at the spot where he had predicted that the ball would fall.


    Skimming through the defender''s of Yokohama like wind passing through the gaps of the mountains, Hiro was swiftly evading defenders of Yokohama while also making his run.


    And since the ball was heading outside the penalty box of Yokohama F Marinos, Yokohama''s keeper was hesitating to leave his position.


    Just then as the ball was about to fall a little infront the goal-line at the left corner, Hiro slightly lifted his left leg and tapped the ball before it touched the ground.


    And as the ball bounced off his foot, Hiro immediately spun and turned around. The ball which bounced off Hiro''s left foot, bounced over his head and also over the head of the right back who was behind him.


    After spinning about 180 degree, Hiro then once again lightly touched the ball as he began to dribble the ball towards the goal-post.


    [What an amazing move by Hiro. The ball simply flew over Yuma''s head and he didn''t even realise.]


    Sharply staring at Hiro who was cutting in at the moment, Yokohama''s keeper was as vignt as ever.


    And while Hiro was moving the ball forward, one of the defender of Yokohama was rushing towards him, while the two other defenders were positioning themselves inside the penalty box.


    Dribbling the ball along the outer edge of the penalty box, Hiro was trying to find himself a suitable location to shoot the ball.


    Just when he was at one corner of the penalty box, he was faced with Yokohama''s defender who was rushing towards him.


    With no changes in his facial expression, Hiro slightly touched the ball with the outside of his right foot and dribbled past that defender.


    Upon witnessing Hiro dribbling past his team''s defender who was supposed to stop Hiro, Yokohama''s keeper sensed a sudden danger. His intuition was telling him that Hiro was going to make his shot.


    Thus he who was already vignt was now even more vignt than before.


    ''He''ll probably shoot with the right foot. Aferall he''ll have to change his direction if he want to shoot with the left foot. And behind him there''s already two of our defenders. So it''s definitely gonna be right.'' In a split second, Yokohama''s keeper deduced Hiro''s future actions based on his observations.


    And he was indeed right too, since Hiro was moving toward the right, it was easier for Hiro to shoot with his right foot.


    And he would have done exactly as predicted by the keeper under normal circumstances. But now that he was ambidextrous and he could shoot equally well and equally powerful with both his foots, he no longer had to perform as per others prediction.


    Also even after obtaining the talent "Ambipedal", Hiro had rarely revealed his cards. And although he had scored couple of goals with his left foot, his goal tally still tilted more towards his right foot.


    Thus, because of such reasons, people normally assumed that although he was good with both legs, he was still right-footed.


    But just as Yokohama''s keeper was about to dive, Hiro shot the ball with the outside of his left foot instead.


    The ball inturn curled towards the top right corner. Swiftly evading the reach of one of the centre back present inside the box, it flew towards the top right corner.


    Yokohama''s keeper who had predicted that Hiro was going to shoot from his right leg was caught off-guard. Thus, because of that his reaction was dyed.


    But even so, he dived towards the top right corner in hopes of saving the ball.


    Due to the unusual spin on the ball, the ball''s trajectory curved as itnded at top right corner of the post.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!"


    [Gooooaaaaallllllll!!]

 Chapter 175 Summer vacation

    Chapter 175 Summer vacation


    And as the ballnded inside the post, the anxious fans of Kawasaki suddenly burst into cheers as they rose from their seats.


    "Hirooooo!!! Hiroooo!!!"


    p!! p!! p!!


    Rhythmically pping their hands while shouting Hiro''s name as if they were singing, a bunch of teenage kids gathered at one section of the stadium began to cheer as they witnessed the goal scored by Hiro.


    They also held a bright blue coloured banner withrge ck letters written on it. The letter as a whole read- Pride of Kawasaki Middle School "Takahashi Hiro".


    Those kids were the students of Kawasaki Middle School.


    "See! I told you that it''s gonna be fun." Excitedly spoke Rin while celebrating Hiro''s goal.


    Masao who was happily rooting for Hiro replied whilst still celebrating Hiro''s goal, "Thank you for bringing me here."


    There was a hint of gratitude in Masao''s words. And unlike the time when he used to get bullied, the current smile on his face reflected a sense of genuineness.


    Their loud cheers which reverberated all over the stadium didn''t go unnoticed as Hiro too ran towards the section of the stand where they were cheering for him to celebrate his goal along with them.


    Raising his hands above his head, Hiro waved his hands back and forth as if he was some kind of celebrity greeting his fans.


    [The stadium sure is lively today. Especially those kids who are celebrating Hiro''s goal at the east stand. If I''m not wrong they should probably be the students of Kawasaki Middle School which means they''re Hiro''s schoolmates. It''s really a blessing to have such passionate supporters]


    The joyous celebrationsted for a while. And as the celebration ended and all of the yers returned back to their original position, referee blew his whistle and resumed the match.


    With the score of 5:2, Kawasaki was currently winning the game.


    [I doubt Yokohama could make ae back now. Even to tie the game, they''ll have to score 3 goals in less than 13-15 minutes. Although that much time is a lot. It''ll still take Yokohama considerable amount of effort to score 3 goals in such a short period of time. And I don''t believe Kawasaki will let down their guard. Even at this moment, they look as sharp as ever.]


    For the next 13 minutes, Yokohama desperately tried to score some goals. But all of their attempts were futile against Kawasaki''s imprable defence.


    And thus, the game ended with the score of 5:2. Kawasaki easily defended their lead as they went on to win the game with a huge goal difference.


    Beep!! Beep!! Beeeeeeeep!!


    [With this Kawasaki Frontale U-18 has extended thier winning streak to 11. And they''re the only team in the league to do so. Not only have they not lost a single game, they also haven''t drawn a single game. Till now they''ve simply gone undefeated.]


    [Comfortably sitting at the top of the table, they''re dominating the league. And if this same form continues, then I doubt they''ll lose even a single point this season. They could very well create a new history.]


    As mentioned by thementator, Hiro''s team had yet to lose or draw a match. Even after the departure of Tatsuki to senior team, Hiro''s team were still winning the game under Hiro''s tutge.


    Maturely handling every situation like a real leader, Hiro had proved his leadership qualities from the very first day.


    And although there were quite few yers in the team who were not happy with coach''s decision on appointing Hiro as the new captain, most of the yers in the squad readily epted him as the captain from the very first day he was appointed the new team captain.


    And since it was manager Makoto who was the first one to suggest appointing Hiro as the new captain of U-18 team, his head was literally in the clouds.


    Overjoyed with happiness, he was embracing his yers with a big wide smile on his face while running wild in the pitch at the moment.


    Flinging his long-coat, he was acting as if he had lost his mind.


    [Seems like manager Makoto is really happy with his team''s progress. That smile on his face reveals everything about him.] Letting out an awkwardughter,mentatormented about manager Makoto''s victory celebration.


    And while manager Makoto and few other yers were celebrating their victory, Hiro and few other yers of Kawasaki were currently infront of east stand where kids of Kawasaki Middle School were singing joyously.


    After celebrating for a while, Hiro began to gather his other teammates to thank their supporters for their support.


    "Senior Minato, senior Nakahara, please help me gather all the yers." Asking for the help of his seniors, Hiro asked Minato and Nakahara to help him gather all of his teammates.


    Minato and Nakahara nodded their head and stormed towards the far side of the pitch where the reserve yers were gathered.


    And while they were gone, Hiro began to gather the yers close to him, "Everyone gather around."


    "Everyone gather around"


    While shouting such, he began to gather his teammates.


    And as they all gathered, they all headed towards the east stand. Upon reaching close to the east stand, they all bowed their head down to show their gratitude.


    p!! p!! p!!


    Moving along the stands, they continued to express their gratitude to all the fans present in the venue.


    Finally as they finished thanking all the fans for their support, in a single file, they walked towards the opposing yers to exchange handshakes with them.


    And as they finished expressing their gratitude, they all began to slowly head towards the tunnel.


    While on their way, Shun took his gloves off as he spoke to Hiro, "So you''ll be heading home tomorrow?"


    Hiro ruefully nodded his head as he continued to make his way towards the tunnel. Although he was happy to go home after so long, he was a little sad to leave his friends with whom he had spent his time for almost about a year.


    Even though it was only for a month, he was used to life in Kawasaki''s hostel. So leaving Kawasaki for about a month for summer vacation, still made him somewhat sad.


    Smack!!


    "After almost about a year, you''re finally heading home. So why are you making that long face?" yfully hitting Hiro on his back, Shun tried to cheer him.


    Forcing a smile on his face, Hiro exchanged looks with Shun, "What about you? Won''t you miss hostel food, friends and training?"


    "Hahaha.... Why would I miss such things? I can finally chase after girls freely for a month. Why would I be sad?" Cheerfully answered Shun.


    There wasn''t even a hint of sadness in his voice. His face as cheerful as ever, Shun was genuinely happy to head home.


    "Although I might miss you guys asionally." Added Shun.


    His voice a little softer than before, his eyes also felt a little heavier.

 Chapter 176 Home coming

    Chapter 176 Homeing


    After packing his clothes and tidying his room, Hiro was now standing infront of the mirror.


    Under the light of the morning sun which was flowing inside his room from the window, Hiro''s skin was glowing.


    His appearance as handsome as ever, some strands of his curly ck hair were dangling infront of his eyes, partially obstructing his vision.


    Slightly slicking back those lose strands of hair, Hiro muttered to himself as he looked at his image in the mirror, "May be I should cut my hair during my home visit."


    While muttering such, something perked up inside him as he began to stare at his image in the mirror even more closely.


    Staring at his own figure, he began to softly feel his face as he mumbled to himself, absent-mindedly, "I never knew that I was this good looking."


    Because of the constant struggle to prove himself, he had never paid much attention to his face in neither of his lives.


    Especially in his previous life, because of the dream he was chasing after, he was so busy with improving himself that everything aside from football felt insignificant to him.


    Completely neglecting every people who were close to him, he desperately tried to improve himself. But s! No matter how much he struggled, his injuries always prevented him from attaining his dream.


    Reminiscing about the times when he ignored his parents, his only close friends, his heart sank a bit as he felt remorseful about ignoring them in his previous life. He then muttered in a low voice while berating his previous self, "What a jerk you used to be." while staring at his figure in the mirror.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    Just then, he heard a sudden knock on his door. Quickly regaining hisposure, he styled his hair as he answered, "Yes,e in"


    And as the door opened, four people entered his room. Each one of them dressed equally well, they all looked very elegant.


    "Woah!! Look at this bastard dressing so well. You''ll cause the air hostesses to fall in love if you enter the airne looking like this." Joked Shun, as he entered the room.


    Dressed in a in white shirt made up of silk, blue jeans sort and a pair of Jordan-1 red and ck, Hiro looked damn good looking at that moment.


    "Hahaha... If you ever get a girlfriend, you should probably hide your girlfriend infront of him." Breaking intoughter, Yuya joked while lightly tapping Shun on his shoulder as if he was trying to console Shun.


    Tatsuki and Shunta who were also present in the room, joined them as all of them started to make fun of each other.


    Laughing, joking and conversing about the matches and embarrassing stuffs that happened to them in the past, the four of thempletely forgot the reason why they hade to visit Hiro.


    And for a while it seemed like their jokes and conversation wouldst forever.


    Thus in order to put a fullstop to their idle conversation, Hiro had to step infront. And even though he was enjoying their silly conversations, he still had a flight at 12.


    "Guy''s! You do realise that I have a flight at 12?" Interjecting their silly conversation, Hiro reminded them about his departure time.


    Hearing his words, all of them quieted down as they stopped their unnecessary talks.


    After that Shun stepped infront and extended his hands towards Hiro. Looking at the hand infront, Hiro grabbed his hands.


    And as he grabbed his hands, Shun pulled him closer as he hugged him and mumbled, "Have a safe flight you bastard. And don''t ignore football while you''re enjoying your vacation."


    Just as Shun was saying such, Tatsuki too added, "Yeah!! Make sure to train regrly. Don''te back looking like a pig after a month."


    After saying such, Tatsuki too joined Shun and Hiro. Shunta and Yuya followed as well.


    The five of them embraced each other for a while.


    And only after exchanging good-byes did they released each other from their embrace.


    **** ****


    [Attention everybody!!]


    [If anybody haven''t fasten their seatbelt, please fasten your seatbelt and stay at your seat. The ne will bending now.]


    Hearing the announcement, Hiro lightly grabbed his seatbelt as he turned his head towards the window.


    Looking outside the window, he felt quite excited as he witnessed a familiar scene outside the window.


    Hills, forests, houses,ndmarks, which he was used to seeing, brought him a feeling of nostalgia as he witnessed those scenes once again.


    Suppressing his smile, he kept on looking at the familiar scene outside the window as the ne continued it''s descent.


    [Everybody please exit the ne in a queue without pushing each other. Also do check for your items before exiting the ne.]


    As he heard the announcement, Hiro untied his seatbelt and rose from his seat. He then as mentioned by the announcer checked his pockets and bag carefully, before exiting the ne.


    Coming out from the airport, he took his phone out as he began to phone his father.


    Ring!! Ring!! ck!!


    Not even three seconds passed and his father already picked his call. As if his father had the phone in his hand at the moment when he was calling him, Takashi picked his call right away.


    "Hello Dad!! Where are you?" Questioned Hiro while looking here and there.


    "I''m at the taxi stand. Where are you right now?" Takashi questioned him back.


    "I just came out of the airport. Wait I''lle to you." Saying such, he cut the call as he began to walk towards the taxi stand.


    Arriving at the taxi stand, he easily found his father. Standing infront of one of the taxi, Takashi was excitedly waving his hands.


    "So that''s your son?" A middle-aged man seated at the driver seat of the taxi, questioned Takashi as he noticed a young man entering the taxi stand.


    "Yeah he''s my son Takahashi Hiro." Proudly replied Takashi with a smile on his face as he stormed towards Hiro.


    The taxi driver too stepped outside his taxi.


    Upon reaching Hiro, Takashi immediately embraced Hiro tightly before giving him any chance to speak.


    Hiro too dropped his luggage as he locked his hands behind his father''s back.


    Getting embraced by his father after so long, he felt really warm as he started feeling a tingling sensation inside him.


    His lips curled and his brows arched. He was genuinely happy to meet his father in person after so long.


    Takashi who was meeting his son after so long couldn''t contain his happiness as well. Thus, he continued to embrace Hiro for a while without saying anything.


    Hiro did the same as well.


    Looking at the father-son duo, taxi driver who was watching them from a distance softly mumbled to himself with a smile on his face, "They sure do love each other a lot. It''s quite rare to see such bonding between parent and children in this age. But is he really thirteen though?"

 Chapter 177 Home sweet home

    Chapter 177 Home sweet home


    After embracing Hiro for a while, Takashi cracked a joke about Hiro''s miraculous growth, "May be the time when I''ll have to raise my head to look at your face wille a lot sooner than my expectations."


    Infact Hiro had indeed grown up by more than 5 inches in less than a year. And it was all because of the body enhancing elixir and talents which he acquired via system.


    Currently Hiro was almost 160 cm tall which even though wasn''t as ridiculously tall aspared to kids of Nethends or some other countries with tall genes, it was still considered tall ording to Japanese standard, considering he was only thirteen years of age.


    Letting out a subtle smile, Hiro answered while releasing his father from his embrace, "May be in two or three years"


    After that the two of them headed towards the taxi where the taxi driver was waiting for them.


    While on their way, taxi driver questioned Hiro, "I heard from your father that you''re a football yer. And I also heard that you y football for Kawasaki Frontale''s youth club. Don''t you find it difficult to stay away from your parents at such a young age?"


    Without any hesitation, Hiro politely answered, "At first it was a little hard. But then again there are so many kids in the club who''s situation is simr to mine."


    Making such idle talks, they continued their journey back home.


    **** ****


    Finally after sometime, the taxi stopped infront of his house. Looking at his house through the window, Hiro''s face brightened as he softly murmured to himself, "Home sweet home."


    After that he stepped out of the car and stood straight infront of his house while staring at his house. His face solemn and his eyes brimming with happiness, he was very d to be back.


    Just then while he was staring at his house, his father called out to him after unloading his luggage from the car, "Why are you standing there staring at your own house like you''vee to a foreign ce? Head inside, your mother''s probably waiting for you."


    Even though his mother was aware about his arrival, neither Hiro nor his father had told her about their arrival time. In order to surprise her, his father had devised that n.


    Nodding his head, Hiro then slowly walked towards his house.


    Ding!! Dong!!


    As soon as the door bell rang, his mother immediately opened the door. As if she was eagerly waiting for his arrival infront of the door, she excitedly opened the door as soon as she heard the door bell.


    Her eyes brimming with joy, her cheeks flushed, she was so happy to see Hiro that she immediately covered her mouths to prevent herself from screaming out of excitement.


    Lifting the corner of his mouth, Hiro revealed a sweet smile as he cheerfully mumbled, "I''m back, mom"


    Whenever he used to video call her during his stay at the hostel, she always used to nagg at him about things like- Are you eating well? Are you resting well? You shouldn''t train like a maniac and many other stuffs.


    And although he didn''t mind her nagging since he knew that she was only worried about him, he still wished that she would talk about other stuffs rather than ask him such questions everytime he called her.


    But now that he was facing her face to face after almost about a year, he could very well see the joy in her eyes and how much she had longed to see him.


    Thus before she started crying, he immediately threw him up on her arms as he wrapped his arms around her back and embraced her.


    Even while embracing him, the first thing she said was, "Did you eat?"


    "Uh-huh" shaking his head, Hiro answered.


    She then unwrapped her arms as she spoke, "Go freshen yourself. I''ve prepared your favourite dish chicken curry"


    Hiro nodded his head as he released her from his embrace. At that moment, his father who had done paying the cab fare walked towards him and spoke, "Let''s head to your room first."


    After that his mother headed towards the kitchen while he and his father directly headed towards his room.


    Posters of several yers pasted in the walls, neatly folded nkets and thoroughly cleaned room, he could tell that his mother was taking good care of his room even during his absence.


    Not even a spec of dust had umted in his wardrobe and tables. Even his room''s window was as clear as stream water.


    The medals and trophies which he had umted during his elementary school years were neatly ced at the top of his cupboard.


    Going through his stuffs, he smiled as he softly whispered, "The room is exactly the same as when I left for Kawasaki."


    Just when he was staring at the picture he had taken with his teammates when they had won the nationals trophy, he heard his mother''s voice.


    "Hirooooo!! Come down quick. I''ve set the tables."


    Hearing her voice, he yelled back,"Coming mom"


    After that he headed downstairs. And before heading towards the kitchen, he first went to bathroom to wash his face and hands.


    "Come have a seat." Spoke his father while sitting in one of the chair.


    Hiro quietly walked towards the seat where he used to sit before he left for Kawasaki. And as he sat down, his mother served him food.


    "You should eat a lot. Look how skinny you''ve got. Don''t they feed you well in hostel?" Speaking such, she served him a bowl full of rice, even more than what he used to eat previously.


    Looking at the quantity of food served, he recalled Tatsuki''s words "Don''te back looking like a pig"


    And as he recalled Tatsuki''s words, a smile formed on his face, subconsciously.


    Seeing him smiling without any reason, his mother squinted his eyes as she asked, "What''s so funny?"


    As he heard her question, he helplessly looked at his father.


    "Let him eat first." His father spoke.


    And as he spoke such, his mother rolled her pupils towards his father. Giving him side eyes, she looked at him coldly which immediately made him to shut his mouth.

 Chapter 178 Get-together after long

    Chapter 178 Get-together after long


    As if the road was vaporising, heat waves were rising from the empty road while the sun was almost at it''s zenith.


    Even so, despite the glorious weather, bunch of kids were gathered at the bus stand in the roadside.


    Probably to shade themselves from the sweltering heat, those bunch of kids were all clustered beneath the roof of the bus stand.


    Fanning his sweaty face with the help of his hands, one of the youth who was lethargically leaning his body against the wall while sitting at a seat ced at the bus stand,ined, "Senior Akashi, when will senior Hiro arrive?"


    "He should be here anytime soon." Replied Akashi while looking at one of the direction of the road.


    With beads of sweat clustered in his temple, Akashi''s face was somewhat reddish.


    "Akashi, you should have set the time a little earlier. You know how he used to be alwayste for school." Another youth who''s condition was almost simr to that of the previous youth, lethargically mumbled as he heard Akashi''s reply.


    And while they wereining, Akashi''s impatient eyes were getting even more impatient with the time.


    Vigorously tapping his feet against the ground, he was impatiently staring at one end of the road while asionally stretching his head and squinting his eyes to get a better view of the scene infront of him.


    Finally after few minutes while he was still looking, a figure appeared from the direction where Akashi was looking at currently.


    And that figure belonged to none other than Hiro. Witnessing Hiro heading towards them, Akashi excitedly yelled, "There he is."


    And as he mumbled such, two youths who were lethargically leaning their body against the wall, quickly rose from their seat as they looked into the direction where Akashi was staring.


    "Look at him walking. He probably doesn''t even realise that he''ste." Gritting his teeth one of the youth muttered while staring at Hiro. And judging by the tone of his voice, it was clear that he was pissed.


    Hiro on the other hand was walking normally without any care. Completely carefree, he wasn''t even aware of the fact that he waste for the meetup.


    Finally as he witnessed the sight of his friends infront of him, he began to wave his hands. Smile on his face, he was genuinely happy to see his friend after so long.


    And even though he clearly knew that he was way older than them inwardly, he was still a thirteen year old kid outwardly.


    So just because he was older than them inwardly didn''t mean that he couldn''t make friends with the kids of his age.


    Infact Hiro had already epted the fact that no matter what his real age was from the inside, he still had to mingle with the kids of his age if he wanted to look like an ordinary person. Afterall it would have been extremely weird if he started making friends with people who were like the age of his dad.


    Just like the calm before the storm, for a while Endo, Rin and Akashi remainedpletely silent even after Hiro''s arrival.


    Hiro on the other hand was dumbfounded by their strange behaviour, "Why are you guys not speaking anything?"


    Just as he asked such question without even realising about his mistake, his nonchnt expression triggered them.


    The three of them then errupted at the same time, "Why are you sote?"


    "Do you even realise what time is it now?"


    "We''re supposed to meet at 11. And it''s already 11:35." Pointing at his watch Endo exasperated.


    The sight of three of them yelling was like a dragon spitting fire. Giving Hiro absolutely no chance to defend himself, they continued to nagg him for his unpunctual behaviour.


    "You''re probably the only Japanese who''s alwayste." Endo sneered.


    "Yeah! I thought that you''d change after going to Kawasaki but you''re still same senior Hiro." Ichijou Rin who was the youngest among them, spoke grumpily.


    And while they were spitting fire, Hiro kept on apologising. It took a while for the anger inside them to get totally extinguished.


    After a while, Akashi sighed as he spoke in a forgiving tone, "Anyway, it''s great to see you after so long."


    Nodding his face, Endo''s once grumpy face revealed a smile as he spoke calmly, "Yeah, it''s great to meet you after so long buddy."


    After exchanging greetings with each other, the four of them then boarded a bus to head to the amusement park.


    The night of Hiro''s arrival, they had nned this trip. And while a lot of people couldn''t make it because of personal reasons, there were quite a lot of them who didn''te because they weren''t close to Hiro during his time at the elementary school.


    While on their way to the amusement park, Hiro suddenly questioned Endo, "How tough is the west league senior Endo?"


    Currently just like Hiro, Endo was also participating in the Takamado Premier League. But unlike Hiro who was ying in the east league, Endo was ying in the west league.


    Upon getting scouted by "Shizuoka Gakuen High School" of Shizuoka prefecture right after the nationals, which is one of the powerhouse football school of not only Shizuoka prefecture but also of Japan, Endo was currently ying for Shizuoka Gakuen High School in west league.


    Unlike Hiro who had enrolled through special admission and had also readily obtained the position in the starting eleven of both Kawasaki Frontale U-15 and U-18 team, Endo had struggled a lot to be the starter of his team. Infact for first few months of his middle school, he wasn''t even the second choice goalkeeper of his team. And only in his second year of middle school did he actually became the second choice goalkeeper. But once he was given opportunity, the journey after that was rather smooth.


    "We''re doing okay. We''re still in the top four. But those guys from Sagan Tosu and Vissel Kobe U-18, they''re monsters." Replied Endo while contorting his face in fear.


    "Specially that guy Shinnosuke Kido, he''s simply unstoppable. Everytime he gets ball in the attacking third, he bes a goal machine."


    "Which team does he y for?" Questioned Hiro as he remembered something after hearing that name.


    "He ys for Cerezo Osaka U-18."


    Just as he heard the name of the team, Hiro immediately blurted, "But isn''t C Osaka at the bottom of the table?"


    And as Endo heard Hiro''s question, Endo sighed, "Phew!!"


    "He''s getting pulled behind by his team. He''s a phenomenal yer and he''s also the top scorer of our league. With 8 goals in 11 matches, he''s leading the goal scoring chart but despite the amount of goal he scores, they have still lost most of the game until now."

 Chapter 179 Amusement Park

    Chapter 179 Amusement Park


    Even though Hiro had nothing to do with the aforementioned yer, Hiro still felt a little sad after learning about the situation of such an amazing yer.


    But then again, he wasn''t willing to show his concerns. Thus, he kept his sympathy to himself and decided to change the topic of their conversation.


    However just as he was about to speak, Akashi interjected him, "Although I pity him, I think a part of fault lies within him as well."


    Akashi''s words which came out of nowhere, baffled both Hiro and Endo who were conversing with eachother.


    Turning his head towards Akashi, Endo gave him perplexing look as he questioned him about his ims, "Why do you think so?"


    "He could have very well chosen another team, couldn''t he?" Akashi replied nonchntly while questioning back the two of them.


    Hearing Akashi''s question, Hiro and Endo, both of them pondered for a while.


    "Now that you mention about it. Indeed he could have chosen another club. Even if he was an academy yer, he could have chosen to transfer to another academy during his high school years." Mumbled Hiro while making a serious expression.


    "But then again Cerezo Osaka''s senior team is pretty good. And they perform equally well as other top clubs in the league. So it''s not a problem if he makes it to the senior team." Continued Hiro with the same expression on his face.


    "Yeah it''s his decision. So let''s not ponder about someone else''s choice." Saying such, Endo shrugged.


    Then he shifted his gaze towards Hiro as he spoke with a bright smile on his face, "Top of the table, winning all 11 games, currently at 11 game winning streak, top goalscorer of the league, inte celebrity, top assist provider of the league, yer with the most MVP, youngest yer in the league, youngest captain and so on. What do you have to say about your performance?"


    With 15 goals under his name, Hiro was dominating the goal scoring charts of his league. And not only was he leading the goal scoring charts, he was even leading the assist charts with 7 registered assists under his name.


    Just as Endo revealed such information about Hiro, both Akashi and Rin immediately turned their attention towards Hiro.


    Their eyes gleaming with reverence, their face disyed a mixed emotion of reverence, curiosity and excitement.


    Hiro who was ufortable talking about his achievements with his friends, shied as he tried to avoid locking eyes with the three of them.


    Then again while keeping a pretentious straight face, Hiro answered as if such achievements weren''t a big deal for him, "I think my performance is pretty decent. I''m helping my teammates, my teammates are helping me. We''re all helping each other. And because of our efforts, we''re winning the games. What more could I ask for?"


    While speaking such, Hiro paused all of a sudden. He then exhaled a deep breath as he continued, "And all in all, I''m enjoying the game."


    For a moment to the youths who were staring at Hiro, it felt like they were listening to an interview of a veteran yer who had achieved everything in football. To them it didn''t feel like the words of a kid who had just started his professional football career.


    Staring at Hiro lookingpletely daze, their mind wentpletely nk for a while.


    And while they were staring at Hiro without saying any words, for a while the only sound that resounded around them was the noise of moving bus and the chatters of other passengers seated in the bus.


    Finally after a moment of speechlessness, Akashi opened his mouth, "Woah!!! What did I hear just now?"


    In a state of trance, Rin too spoke while keeping his eyes fixated at Hiro, "He''s gotten a lot more humble than before."


    While conversing such, after about 15 minutes the bus stopped as they arrived at their destination.


    The four of them then got off the bus and headed towards the direction of the amusement park.


    The amusement park was grand. Spread in quite arge chunk ofnd, the amusement park that they were headed to had many rides such as Ferris wheel, rollercoaster, bumping cars and many more. And even more amazing was the fact that each and every ride were amine-themed. For example, the cart of rollercoaster was designed as shenlong from Dragon Ball Z.


    Witnessing the amusement park infront of his eyes, Hiro was mesmerized by just the sheer size of the entrance of the amusement park.


    Instead of a door, the entrance of the amusement park was the mouth of a titan. However that entrance was only for people of the age thirteen or above. Fortunately Hiro was thirteen years of age.


    For the kids below the age of thirteen another entrance was set up which was themed on doraemon, shinchan and few other kids show based anime.


    "Let''s get the ticket guys" excitedly spoke Hiro as he was about to strode towards the ticket counter.


    But he was instantly stopped on his track by Akashi. Catching his hands, Akashi prevented Hiro from moving forward, "Wait... I''ll go"


    Hiro was a little dumbfounded by Akashi''s request.


    Stopping on his track, Hiro looked back at Akashi as he spoke, "It''s okay. I''ll pay for the tickets. You guys stay here."


    Hearing Hiro''s words, Akashi started to get anxious. As if he was hiding something, he replied in somewhat suspicious way, "No... No... Let me pay for the tickets."


    Hiro could very well tell that Akashi was hiding something by the reaction he was disying. But Hiro chose to remain silent as he nodded his head while agreeing to Akashi''s request.


    Akashi then immediately let go of the hand of Hiro as he stormed towards the ticket counter without replying anything.


    Just as Akashi left towards the ticket counter, Hiro looked at the direction of Endo and Rin. Looking at them with questioning gazes, he questioned, "What happened to him?"


    Endo and Rin both of them shook their head as they feigned ignorance.


    After a while Akashi returned from the ticket counter.


    "Then shall we head inside guys?" Asked Hiro as Akashi returned back with the tickets.


    "Let''s... wait for a while." Akashi stammered.


    Judging by the reactions, Akashi was disying since a moment ago, Hiro could very well tell than something was not right. But he couldn''t tell exactly why Akashi was behaving as such, thus he had no other choice but to ask Akashi,"But why?"


    Faced with Hiro''s questions, Akashi started to panic. His countenance became pale as he began to think of some excuses.


    He then let out a nervousughter, "haha.. look at the number of people queued up infront of the entrance. If we go now then we''ll get stuck."


    "Akashi"


    Just when Akashi was nervously speaking such, Hiro heard a voice of a girling from behind him. That voice was calling Akashi''s name.


    Turning behind to look who was calling Akashi''s name, Hiro''s pupils erged as he noticed someone.


    His brows knotted as his eyes widened in shock. Totally speechless, he could neither blink his eyes nor could he bring himself to look away.

 Chapter 180 Familiar face

    Chapter 180 Familiar face


    Medium-long jet ck hair which smoothly flowed down upto her shoulder des like waterfall, soft, wispy bangs which hung freely over her small forehead, she had a small yet delicate round face.


    Her pitch ck eyes which were as dark as the midnight sky was mysteriously drawing him into their mysterious depths.


    And while standing under the sunlight, her milky white skin was glowing like crystals. There was a subtle blush on her cheeks, entuating the radiance of her rosy red lips, which held a hint of shy but alluring smile.


    She was one of the most beautiful girl, he had seen in his lifetime. But what drew him was neither her charms nor her beauty, Hiro was simply drawn by the sense of familiarity her face provided him.


    And even though there was another girl standing beside her who was equally charming, his eyes were only focused at the girl who was giving him a sense of familiarity.


    "What took you two so long?" Mumbling such, Akashi strode towards the direction of the two girls infront of Hiro''s eyes, walking past Hiro.


    Hiro on the other hand remained frozen at his ce with a greivous look on his face. But as Akashi entered into his sight of perception, he finally realised the reason behind Akashi''s earlier weird behaviour.


    ''How did he get to know her? Is he dating her?'' Thoughts like this surfaced in his mind as he witnessed Akashi talking to the girl infront.


    While staring at their sight, without even realising Hiro was subconsciously disying a face full of envy. His eyes bloodshot, he was ring at Akashi everytime when he was happily talking to the girl infront.


    Rin who was standing right behind him was also lost at the sight of the two girls infront. Thus, he too failed to notice the changes in Hiro''s facial expression.


    However Endo had a different reaction. Since he wasn''t drawn by the beauty of the two girls infront, he was instead looking at the direction of Hiro.


    ''Why is he making such facial expression?'' Thought Endo while staring at Hiro.


    Then again, he followed the direction of Hiro''s eyes. And as he followed Hiro''s eyes, he found Hiro staring at the girl infront.


    And as he began to analyse Hiro''s reaction, he found that everytime when Akashi was acting friendly with one of the girl, Hiro was disying expression full of envy on his face.


    ''Is he in love with one of the girl infront?'' Thought Endo after analysing Hiro''s reactions. However he was not sure, if his thoughts were urate or not. But based on his observation, he could atleast tell that the reason behind Hiro acting such was definitely rted with the girl infront.


    In order to prevent those girls or Akashi from seeing Hiro''s envious expression, Endo immediately tapped Hiro''s shoulder forcing Hiro to shift his attention away from those people infront.


    "Those two girls will also be joining us today." Mumbled Endo. "Sorry Hiro! Akashi had told us to not tell you about the addition of those two girls."


    And while Endo was exining that those two girls will be joining them, the three of them then began to walk towards the direction where Hiro, Endo and Rin were standing currently.


    And as they reached closer to them, Akashi began to introduce the two girls to them.


    But just as Akashi was about to introduce one of the two girls to Hiro, Hiro subconsciously blurted her name, "Ishikawa Sumire"


    Hearing her name, Sumire smiled as she thought that Akashi had already told about her to Hiro. But just as she turned towards Akashi to speak something, she found him with a expression full of shock.


    Judging by the expression Akashi was disying, she could tell that Akashi hadn''t introduced her to him.


    Thus instead of introduction or greeting, she questioned him instead, "Have we met somewhere before?" with a puzzled look on her face.


    Neither she could remember his face nor she could tell the reason behind him knowing her name.


    Just as Hiro heard her question, he realised that his mistake of subconsciously blurting her name.


    And even though he knew a lot about her, since she was one of the person who was very close to him in his previous life, he couldn''t tell her so. Afterall in this life he had never met her once.


    Thus, Hiro began to panic as he began to think of excuses to make him seem less suspicious. Afterall he didn''t want to leave a negative impression of him.


    Finally using the knowledge of his previous life, he thought of a perfect excuse, "Aren''t you that girl from the temple in the hill?"


    Hearing Hiro''s question, her eyes widened in shock. She couldn''t believe how he knew about her past. Thus she asked him with a look of surprise on her face, "How did you know?"


    Even Akashi and another girl who was standing  beside her was shocked after Sumire confirmed Hiro''s ims. None of those two who had known her were familiar about her connection with the temple in the hill.


    "My family used to visit that temple a lot when I was younger. And everytime when we visited the tmeple, I always noticed a little girl who was always helping the priest of the temple." Nonchntly replied Hiro.


    His words sounded so genuine that she couldn''t even detect an ounce of lie in it. However his words somehow still felt unconvincing to her.


    Afterall when she used to help the priest of the temple she was still very young.


    "The priest of the temple is my grandfather. So I did went there to help him during my early years. But I was very young back then, so how could you tell that it was me?" In somewhat suspicious way, Sumire questioned Hiro after revealing few things about her past.


    Infact Hiro knew very well that at that time Sumire was only about 7 or 8 years old. However he was still prepared for her question.


    Thus without any sort hesitation, he answered a bit cheesily, "Your eyes are still the same as they were before."

 Chapter 181 White lies

    Chapter 181 White lies


    Hiro''s answer left Endo, Rin and Akashi, all three of them dumbfounded. As if they had heard some holy wordsing out from Hiro''s mouth, they simply couldn''t believe that Hiro could speak such cheesy words.


    Afterall their impression of Hiro was someone who was obsessed with only football and nothing else.


    And infact even in school years when he was getting hit on by many beautiful girls, he never paid any attention to them.


    But now at this moment, infront of their eyes, Hiro was tantly hitting on Sumire.


    Akashi who was the most shocked among the three of them looked towards the direction of Rin and Endo and uttered with a look of shock on his face, "Is this really happening?"


    While the three of them were all bbergasted, the same couldn''t be said to another girl who was standing beside Sumire.


    Her cheeks flushed, her eyes gleaming and her heart thumping heavily, she was overtly excited by the scene taking ce infront of her eyes.


    As if she was watching a romantic drama, she was desperately trying to hold her back from screaming aloud.


    Sumire on the other hand, squinched her eyes as she started making faces. She found Hiro''s cheesy words extremely cringy.


    Even though she found Hiro really cute, she was still not expecting him to speak in such a way.


    "Umm... May be you''re right." Awkwardly answered Sumire.


    Hearing her response, Hiroughed as he replied, "Haha... Sorry. I was just teasing you. I could recognise you because of the pendant that you''re wearing. Isn''t it the pendant which yourte grandmother left you?"


    Pointing at the pendant which Sumire was wearing, Hiro lied to her that he recognised her because of the pendant.


    Although Hiro was right about the story about the pendant, Sumire was still unconvinced by his vague answers.


    "You''re right about the pendant as well. But I''m still not sure how you came to know about both the pendant and the fact that I used to assist my grandpa in the hill temple. And howe you know this much about me and I don''t know anything about you?" Sumire responded in somewhat suspicious way.


    The more the conversation went further the moreplicated Hiro''s words seem to her.


    "The summer of 2016. Don''t you remember about the one day camp held in the temple? We even spent an entire day polishing the statues in the temple because nobody wanted to do such tedious work." While making use of the knowledge from his previous life, Hiro responded.


    As she heard about the summer camp of 2016, her eyes glowed with excitement as she raised her voice all of a sudden, "You were that kid from the camp?"


    Her words reflected how shocked she was to find that Hiro was the kid from back then.


    Lifting the corner of his mouth, Hiro revealed a gentle smile as he nodded his head and answered, "May be you''ve already forgotten about that day since there were a lot of kids participating in the camp. But it''s understandable since more than 5 years had already passed and after that I never showed up in the temple."


    Everything he was making was made up. Infact he had never been to the temple. Nor had he encountered her in his early days. Neither in his previous life nor in his present life.


    But still his words were all true. The thing about the hill temple, the story about the pendant and the story about the boy from the summer camp of 2016. Each and every single one of those stories were true.


    And each and every single one of those things was told to him by Sumire in his previous life.


    And about the story about the boy from the camp of 2016, she had personally told him that she had spent an entire day with a boy during that summer camp of 2016 but since that boy never showed up again, she forgot both his appearance and name.


    The only thing which she still remembered was the memory of that time.


    Making use of the fact that she had forgotten the appearance and the name of the person, Hiro meticulously used that story to cover up his lies.


    All of a sudden, Sumire''s face brightened as a smile formed on her face. She then excitedly mumbled, "Somewhere in my heart I always believed that I could meet you again. And finally fate has brought us together."


    As she was speaking such, her tone changed as she began to apologise, "You recognised me immediately. But I never recognised you. I even doubted you. I''m really sorry for not recognising you."


    Her words reflected how regretful she felt for not recognising him instantly.


    Hearing her apology, Hiro couldn''t help but feel a little bad about using her cherished memories in such way, ''I''m really sorry for using your cherished memories like this. But I simply couldn''t think of any other way to get close to you.''


    Although he felt a little sad inwardly for lying to her, he still forced a smile on his face as he answered cheerfully, "How have you been Ishikawa? You''re smile is still the same as back then. It''s still pretty."


    And just as Sumire was about answer, Akashi and the rest of the guys interrupted their reunion.


    Previously it was Hiro who was acting jealous. But now it was Akashi who was getting jealous.


    "It''s all great to see that you two have finally reunited after such a long time. But how long are we going to stay here? The amusement park will close at 5." Akashi sneered.


    Both Hiro and Sumire burst intoughter as both of them said to each other, "Let''s head inside."


    ''Here goes my chance of having a girlfriend.'' Akashi wailed inwardly.


    Witnessing them acting so friendly with eachother, Akashi could instinctively tell that once again the girl he liked was about to get stolen from him.


    Thus he made a long face as he began to have some depressing thoughts.


    Akashi''s long face was noticed by Endo and Rin. And witnessing his long face, they couldn''t help but pity him.


    Even the other girl who was apanying Sumire felt pitiful about Akashi''s condition. Thus while walking towards the entrance of the amusement park, she whispered softly, "You''ll get another girl." while trying to cheer him up.


    Even though Sumire studied in the same school as Akashi, she was of different section. Thus, even Akashi barely knew her.


    However Sumire was the friend of the other girl. And that other girl was Akashi''s ssmate.


    Akashi had to go through extreme lengths to convince the other girl to bring Sumire to the amusement park.

 Chapter 182 Invitation

    Chapter 182 Invitation


    After entering the amusement park, the time flowed rather smoothly. And without even realising, more than five hours had passed.


    Excluding Akashi who was looking like someone who had his heart broken, each and every single one of them had big wide smile on their faces while they were making their way towards the bus stand.


    Far in the horizon, while the sun was descending towards the horizon, the sky had transformed into a breathtaking canvas of warm hues.


    The surrounding air was filled with a sense of tranquility and for a moment it seemed like that the world was slowing down.


    Their joyousughter and conversation which was filled with excitement was resounding in every ce they passed while they were making their way towards the bus stand.


    Spending a whole day with his old friends and the girl who he used to like in his previous life, Hiro was also in a pretty good mood.


    Finally as they were about to arrive at the bus stand, another girl who had been apanying them, walk towards Hiro as she suddenly grabbed Sumire''s hands.


    Leaning her body against Sumire''s, she then turned her head towards Hiro as she spoke excitedly, "Can I ask you for a favour?"


    Reflecting the warm light of the setting sun, her eyes were sparkling. And looking at her puppy face, he could very well tell that he wouldn''t be able to reject her.


    Well he could have still rejected her but he had no good reasons to do so. Plus, he also didn''t want to leave a negative impression on Sumire.


    Thus he reluctantly nodded his head and answered softly, "As long as you don''t ask me to do something crazy."


    Just as Hiro agreed to her request, her face brightened as her brows raised and a smiled appeared on her face, "Don''t worry I won''t make you do anything crazy. You just have to make an appearance in my newtube channel."


    Although he didn''t find her request that hard, he still found it quite bothersome. Thus, he indirectly tried to make her change her mind, "But I''m not even that famous. I''m just a football yer who''s ying in a youth league. It would have been a different story if I were ying for J-league teams."


    Despite Hiro''s effort of trying to discourage her, she was very optimistic. And just like how he had predicted, she wasn''t going to take no for an answer.


    "Yeah! The most sought after youth yer in all over japan, currently." She scoffed as she looked at Hiro with her determined eyes. "So, don''t try to discourage me. I''m not going to change my mind."


    Both her words and her emotions were very clear. And when she spoke those words, Hiro could instinctively tell that she wasn''t going to be persuaded no matter what.


    Thus having no choice but to agree to her request, Hiro docilely nodded his head as he agreed to her request, "Okay where should Ie and at what time should I meet you?"


    Sumire who was walking between Hiro and the other girl mused as she found Hiro''s reactions very sweet.


    Faced with Hiro''s questions, she then took her phone out. Tapping few times, she opened her Instagram ount and asked, "Tell me your insta ID, I''ll add you and text you the details."


    "It''s Wizard" Hiro mumbled a bit hesitantly.


    She then began to search and as she finished sending a follow request to Hiro, she spoke in somewhat excited tone, "Done! I''ve sent you a follow request. So make sure you follow me back as well."


    Nodding his head, Hiro replied, "Okay, I''ll follow you back but please don''t tell it to others. I don''t want a lot of people to find my personal ount. I just want to keep this ount private."


    While pleading such, Hiro turned towards Sumire, "Can we add each other as well?"


    Sumire smiled as she nodded her head, agreeing to his request.


    **** ****


    Late in the night when Hiro was going through his phone while lying on the bed, his eyes widened all of a sudden as he noticed something in the screen.


    The thing which had caused him to react in such a way was a message from manager Makoto.


    "I... I''ve been invited by the national U-17 team!!" Hiro muttered after reading the context of the message sent by manager Makoto with a look of disbelief in his eyes.


    His eyes reflecting the light of the screen, his mouth agape and his thumb frozen atop the screen, Hiro couldn''t believe the words he was reading currently.


    "Is this for real?" In a state of daze, Hiro muttered while staring at the screen infront.


    Unsure about whether what he was seeing was real or not, Hiro rechecked the context of message few times. But no matter how many times he checked the validity of the message, nothing changed.


    The message was legit.


    And as he confirmed the validity of the message, his face brightened as he abruptly rose from his bed.


    Without wasting any time, Hiro then immediately dialed manager Makoto''s number as he began to call him thatte in the night.


    Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!


    Few seconds passed, yet manager Makoto wasn''t picking the call. And the more he heard the ringing sounding from the phone, the more he got impatient.


    "Why is he not picking the call?" Anxiouslyined Hiro.


    ck!!


    "Look at the time before saying such."


    Answered manager Makoto as he heard Hiro''sints while he was waiting for manager Makoto to pick the call.


    Upon hearing manager Makoto''s response, Hiro started to panic, "I''m sorry... Sorry... Sir. I didn''t  mean to say such."


    Makoto shrugged as he asked the reason behind Hiro''s call, "Never mind. Just tell me, why you called me sote in the night?"


    Manager Makoto''s voice sounded a lot deeper than usual.  It sounded exactly as if he had just awoken from his sleep.


    The first thing Hiro did after hearing manager Makoto''s question was to apologise him for disturbing him sote in the night, "Sorry sir. I just opened your message right now. And after opening the message I just couldn''t hold myself back from talking with you regarding that topic."


    The apologetic tone of Hiro''s voice clearly reflected his genuine intentions.


    Just when Hiro finished speaking, manager Makoto let out a yawn as he responded, "If you called me regarding the email I sent you, then yes that email is legit. You''ve been invited by the national U-17 team. Although your spot is still in limbo. You''ve been invited to join the training camp which will be held about at thest week of the summer vacation."


    "However you''ll have to make your decision within fifteen days."

 Chapter 183 Glimpse of past

    <h4>Chapter 183 Glimpse of past</h4>


    His heart started beating faster as he began to have an urge to scream aloud while listening to the words of manager Makoto.


    Barely holding back himself, he suppressed his emotions nheless.


    ''I shouldn''t miss this opportunity. No matter what I should get selected. Afterall the U-17 world cup will be taking ce next year.'' Thought Hiro after hearing about the invitation from national U-17 team.


    And while he was thinking such, his eyes were glowing with determination even in that dark room.


    Under the pale glow of moonlight which spilled through the window, his shadow was elongated on the floor beneath.


    Lost in his own thoughts, he waspletely ignoring the fact that he was still on a call.


    Failing to hear any response from the other party, manager Makoto was repeatedly asking, "Are you listening?"


    Only after asking for three times, did Makoto finally heard Hiro''s response, "Yes sir. I''m listening. And sorry for not replying sir. I was just lost for a moment."


    Even though Makoto was a bit agitated by Hiro''s absentmindedness, he still acted unbothered, "It''s alright. Just answer me within 15 days. And it would be even more better if you can answer me in the next 7 days too. Also Shun has been invited as well."


    Saying such, manager Makoto ended the conversation as he cut the call and went back to sleep.


    Hiro on the other hand was already starting to think about the training camp. Afterall who in their right mind would reject a call up from the national team.


    So despite the time manager Makoto had provided him to make his decision, his decision was pretty obvious. He was going to take the call.


    "Well I know why manager Makoto wanted me to make my decision within 7 days. He probably wants to hear my answer fast so that he can immediately start working on the strategies which doesn''t revolve around me."


    Thinking such, he shifted his attention towards the window.


    Just like diamond dust which was scattered across a velvety canvas, countless stars were flickering in the night sky.


    The moon, a silver crescent hanging delicately in the sky was glowing with soft ethereal light, giving out a sense of tranquility to everyone who looked at the sky.


    "The night sky sure is peaceful." Muttering such, Hiro closed his eyes. After a while, his consciousness drifted away as he fell asleep.


    **** ****


    Inside arge spacious room illuminated by countless lights, Hiro was seated infront of a mirror with somewhat grumpy look on his face.


    The girl from yesterday who had asked Hiro to appear on her newtube channel was currently putting some light make-up on his face.


    And while watching the scene where Hiro was getting dolled up, his friend Akashi who was standing behind him was trying his best to suppress hisughter while taking a peek at the reflection in the mirror.


    It was clear from Hiro''s reactions, he wasn''t enjoying the process.


    "Why do I need makeup? I''m not even a girl." Comined Hiro as the girl who was putting makeup on him began to tap powder brush atop his face.


    "Just stay still for a while." Saying such, she refocused her attention on the task underhand.


    "You still need to look good. I''m not telling that you don''t look good. Infact your look is alreadyparable to that of an idol. However a little makeup won''t hurt, will it?"


    "Also judging by the pace you''re developing, I''m sure you''ll soon get offer to appear on advertisements. May be you''ll even get a sponsor soon. At that time you''ll need to put on some makeup when you appear infront of the cameras. So treat it as a training for the future that''s about toe."


    While she was saying such, Hiro''s attention drifted towards the direction where Sumire was standing currently.


    Positioning the cameras, she was totally focused at the task infront of her.


    And just as his gazended on her, she slightly slicked back some lose strands of her hair behind her ear. And although she did that unknowingly, her appearance at that moment was dreamlike which inturn made Hiro''s heart to flutter.


    ''You''re still as beautiful as ever.'' Thought Hiro while looking at her.


    The look on his eyes gradually changed as he kept looking at her. And while there was a hint of longing in his eyes a moment ago. Now his eyes disyed an emotion full of grief and regret.


    ''Even back then you were just as beautiful and cheerful as you are now. But I still had to let you go because of circumstances. No if I really wanted to be with you then I shouldn''t have let you go in the first ce.''


    ''It was just me ying the victim. I med the circumstances for making me to let you go. While you tried your best to stick with me, I kept pushing you away.''


    Thinking about his past where he had let go of the hand which held onto him when he was at his lowest, his heart sank as he remembered about his past.


    In his previous life, Hiro had dated Sumire for quite a while. Infact it was during middle school years when he first met Sumire in his previous life.


    Although nothing happened between them in their first few years together at the school at that time, it was also at those moments when they got to know each other.


    And only in his third year of middle school, did they actually grew closer to each other. While one was an introverted person who rarely talked to peoples. Theter was also an introverted person but didn''t seem as lonely as the former


    Despite having a lot of people to talk to, Sumire of back then always felt like there was a hole in her heart.


    Some jealous of her looks while some simply persuing her for her looks, she knew that almost everyone whom she talked to were putting facade.


    The girls in her ss acted sweet infront of her while they bitched her behind her back. The same was with the case of most boys, they were only after her to own her.


    Thus despite being surrounded by peoples she always felt lonely.

 Chapter 184 Glimpse of past II

    Chapter 184 Glimpse of past II


    However she never realised that the warmth she was longing for would be found in someonepletely unexpected.


    It was during one summer afternoon in their third year of middle school, she had a real conversation with Hiro for the first time.


    It''s not like that they didn''t talk to each other at other times but before that their conversation was always short.


    At that time, Sumire was all alone in the ssroom with her eyes full of tears. Grieving over the loss of her grandfather who recently passed away, she was crying in the ssroom while everyone in her ssroom were gone.


    Those who were not part of any after school club had left the school while those who were part of some after school club were either busy with their club activities or gathered in their respective clubroom.


    Sumire who was interested in photography and was a part of photography club had skipped the club meeting that day.


    And call it fate or coincidence, Hiro who was a part of ser club encountered her that day when he returned to the ssroom because he had forgotten his bandages that day.


    And even back then Hiro was only focused on one thing and that was football. Neither was he interested in her nor was he attracted to her.


    Thus at first, he tried to ignore her and headed straight towards his bag to get his bandages without any changes in his facial expression.


    However he still wasn''t a cold-hearted bastard who would ignore someone crying infront of him.


    Thus out of pity, he felt like at least he should apany her. Afterall he also was once in that situation when he had to give up his dream because of his injuries.


    And only he knows how much he had cried and how much he had suffered. If not for the support of his parents, he couldn''t even imagine if he''d be able to survive another day in this world where his dream was shattered.


    Thus just like how his parents had supported him in his time of need, he lend a handkerchief to the crying Sumire.


    Apanying her until she felt better, he asked nothing and did nothing. He only stayed beside her without uttering a single word, just keeping herpany.


    And only after she stopped crying, she was about to open her mouths to thank Hiro. However by the time she stopped crying, even the club activities had ended.


    And just as she was about to thank Hiro, waves of students who had just finished their club activities made their way inside the ssroom one after other.


    Among them few of Sumire''s friends directly rushed towards her as soon as they entered the ssroom, preventing her from speaking.


    Witnessing the sight of Sumire''s friends, Hiro silently stood up from his seat without even casting a nce at her. Hiro then indifferently walked towards his sit and grabbed his bag.


    Without uttering or looking back, Hiro walked out of the ssroom leaving Sumire in a limbo.


    Sumire who was surrounded by her friends, helplessly looked at the direction of Hiro without being able to say her thanks.


    But even so, she wasn''t going to be stopped by anybody as she hurriedly grabbed her bag and rushed towards the direction where Hiro had left after saying her goodbyes to her friends.


    But s! She wasn''t fast enough. By the time she walked out of the ssroom, Hiro was already gone.


    Disappointed and sad, she looked around her, hoping to find Hiro. But he was nowhere to be seen. And just as she was about to give up, she remembered that Hiro was a part of football club.


    And a moment ago, he was in club''s jersey. So she thought that he had just went to the locker room to get changed.


    Thus as she figured out that Hiro had left for the locker room, she immediately ran towards the entrance of the school.


    Standing beside the entrance of the school, she waited for Hiro.


    Finally after a while Hiro walked out of the entrance. And just as he stepped outside, he noticed her standing beside the entrance, leaning her body against the wall.


    Under the setting sun, her figure was like that of an angel. Sweet and gentle, her eyes which was as clear as crystal was glowing with golden colours.


    Her silky smooth hair was dancing along with the afternoon breeze. And while she was standing there, she was radiating an aura of innocence around her.


    Emboldened by her radiant presence, Hiro couldn''t resist reciprocating a bashful smile tugging at his own lips.


    She then slowly turned her head towards him and as she looked at him with her glowing eyes, she mumbled while revealing a gentle smile on her face, "Thank you for apanying me."


    In the current timeline, just when Hiro was lost in his thoughts of the past, he was awoken from his reveries by Hinata''s words.


    A faint sound which was calling his name echoed in his ear while he was recalling his past,"Hiro!! Hiro!!"


    Slowly and gradually while the memories he was recalling started to get blury, the volume of the faint voice which was calling his name kept on increasing.


    And it increased until the point when he could no longer recall the memories he was visualising a moment ago.


    Finally as he regained back his consciousness, he found himself infront of the mirror in Hinata''s room.


    Beside him Hinata with a worried expression in her face was calling his name time and again. And she only stopped momentarily when Hiro turned his head to look at her.


    Her brows knotted and her eyes revealing the worries in her face, she was casting a deep gaze filled with worries at Hiro.


    "Are you alright?" She spoke while looking at him with a worried look on her face.


    Reciprocating her feelings, Hiro spoke in his gentle voice as he assured her she was worrying for nothing, "I''m alright. I was just getting a little sleepy, sitting here doing nothing."


    And as she heard Hiro''s response, a smile appeared on her face as she punched Hiro lightly, "Let''s start the shooting."

 Chapter 185 Messi or Ronaldo??

    Chapter 185 Messi or Ronaldo??


    Under the dazzling light present in Hinata''s room, her whole room felt like a medium-sized studio.


    The walls were painted invender colour and the ceiling in white. At one side of the room where the shooting was going to take ce, a stage was set.


    And to make the video more appealing, posters of several great football yers such as Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Messi, Ronaldo, Honda and many more were hung on the wall to make the background even more interesting.


    Infront of the wall covered with posters of several yers, two bean bags and a table was set. And atop the table a football and aptop was ced.


    The whole thing was looking so professional, be it the carefully nned stage or camera setup or the ways the lights were positioned.


    Coupled with a flowery aroma which was lingering all around the room, the ambience of the room was extremely soothing.


    While smoothing her costume which she had especially prepared for the show, Hinata spoke after she remembered something, "Ahh right!! I forgot to tell you earlier. But this video will be live."


    Hearing her words, Hiro abruptly turned his head towards her as he gave her a perplexing look, "And you''re telling it to me now?"


    With no changes in her facial expression, Hinata replied as if she was unbothered by the fact that she had forgotten to provide Hiro the full details of the video, "Sorry, I just forgot to mention it to you."


    Hiro then indifferently shrugged as he thought that nothing would change either way even if the video was going to be live, "Well what can we do then. Let''s just get done with the video as soon as possible."


    "Action!!"


    As Sumire spoke such, the shooting finally began.


    "Hello everyone. Wee to my newtube channel."


    In her cheerful voice Hinata who was hosting the show greeted the viewers while making some cute gestures.


    Immediately as the video started rolling, several of her subscribers joined the video.


    [Our little angel Hinata is back!!]


    [She''s wearing the football jersey of our national team]


    [Who''s that guy sitting infront of her?]


    [So the theme of today''s show is football]


    Immediately thement section started to flood withments of peoples. And one after the other, thements kept on piling.


    Well it was to be expected, afterall despite only being 14 years old, she had already amassed a masive 63k subscribers in her newtube channel.


    And even Hiro found her professionalism and show hosting ability quite impressive.


    Looking at theptop screen ced infront of her, Hinata mumbled, "I know, I know. You all may be wondering about the identity of the guy infront of me. But it won''t be interesting if I introduce him directly, so let''s y a game. Anybody who recognises the identity of the guy infront of me within 30 seconds, I''ll give him/her a shout-out."


    [Since the theme of today''s show is rted to football, he should be a footballer]


    An anonymous viewer spected.


    [How can you be so sure? He looks so good looking. He could also be an idol]


    An anonymous viewer with an username "Idolfangirl" replied to thement of the previous guy.


    One after the otherments kept on piling, however nobody was able to guess the identity of Hiro.


    Finally after 20 seconds a subscriber with an username "Egoist" urately revealed the identity of Hiro.


    [Isn''t he that thirteen year old kid from Kawasaki Frontale U-18? I''m pretty sure he''s the top goalscorer of Prince Takamado Premier League East]


    Just as Hinata noticed thement of "Egoist", she winked her eyes as she pointed at the camera and spoke in her cheerful voice, "Bingo!! He''s Takahashi Hiro. The youngest yer to y in the Prince Takamado Premier league and also the top goalscorer of the East League. Shout-out to Egoist for answering urately."


    Waving his hands at the screen, Hiro introduced himself with a smile on his face, "Hello everyone. I''m Takahashi Hiro."


    And just like this the video resumed. And for first few minutes all they did was talk about Hiro''s experience in the league.


    "Now then as we have finished the introduction. I''ve got some challenges for our rising star." Saying such, she took out a question slip.


    "The challenge is very simple. For this challenge I''ll ask Hiro some questions and he''ll have to answer if he prefers this or that." Saying such, she looked at Hiro. "So are you ready Hiro?"


    Hiro nodded his head.


    "Win a world cup without scoring any goals or lose the world cup by scoring the most amount of goals?"


    Even the first question which Hinata asked him made him shut his mouth.


    "Damn! That''s a difficult question." Muttered Hiro as he began to ponder.


    [What''s more to think? It''s world cup we''re talking about]


    [Yeah the answer should be obvious]


    And while Hiro was thinking, Hinata revealed some facts, "Fun fact guys, even Oliver Giroud, one of the top goalscorer of France''s mens national team had failed to register any goal in the 2018 World Cup despite winning the tournament."


    And as she was speaking such, Hiro answered earnestly, "Although not being able to score in the world cup will make me a little sad, I''ll still prefer to win the world cup."


    [That''s right. Team achievement over individual achievement]


    [Atta boy, you chose the right thing]


    And as Hiro made his decision, almost all of thements were praising him for making that decision.


    Although there were few who were making fun of his decision, non of thements were actually negative.


    "Messi or Ronaldo?"


    Her eyes revealing the evilness in her question, Hinata looked at Hiro sinisterly while asking him that question.


    ''No matter his choices, it will surely create a controversy.'' Thought Hinata as she awaited for Hiro''s reply.


    In the world of football, people always liked to hear who the uing talents idolised. The topic of Messi or Ronaldo always intrigued football fans.


    The time when football''s next superstar Killian Mbappe tantly dered his love for Christiano Ronaldo, it had created a new topic of discussion.


    A topic of discussion which involved who the football''s next great talent idolised. And that discussion was so heated that almost everytime when someone from the younger generation was interviewed, the interviewer always asked them whether they preferred Messi or Ronaldo.


    And Hinata who had carefully selected her question was very aware of that fact.


    However contrary to her expectation, Hiro took side of neither one.


    "Both"


    "Ronaldo for his hardwork and Messi for his talents. Ronaldo for charisma and Messi for his ability to keep the fans entertained. Ronaldo for his speed and Messi for his dribbling. Well I could go on and on. I idolise and respect both of them equally."


    "But if I really had to pick one then I''ll pick Messinaldo, hahahah"


    While replying Hiro burst intoughter all of a sudden as he introduced a new term "Messinaldo"


    [Messinaldo hahaha]


    [That''s a great answer and a great name]


    Even the viewers who were watching the live broadcast began to flood thement section with the newly invented term by Hiro as they burst intoughter.

 Chapter 186 A foreigner??

    Chapter 186 A foreigner??


    And as Hinata finished asking such questions, Hinata made Hiro demonstrate his skills by making him perform few tricks with the ball.


    Hiro who was her show''s guest did as he was instructed withoutining.


    Performing freestyle with the ball by demonstrating few skills like around the world, side-head stall, hop the world and some more juggling skills, Hiro amazed everybody who were involved in the live video.


    Just like that the video shoot finally came to an end after about half an hour.


    **** ****


    For next 20 days, Hiro''s days passed normally. Meeting with friends, goofing around, practicing football, getting yelled by his mother for waking upte, he spent almost his entire summer vacation without doing anything special apart from appearing in Hinata''s newtube channel.


    And by that time, he also grew a lot closer to Sumire and her friend Hinata.


    Because of the way Hinata hosted the show and also because of the way Hiro responded to her answers and entertained the audience, Hinata''s newtube channel gained almost 40k subscribers in 20 days time period.


    The video blew up as well, as it easily surpassed her previous videos with the most views. Till date that video has amassed a whopping 370k views. However after the seventh day of the upload, the number of views has been decreasing steadily.


    While Hiro was packing his bags, he heard his father''s loud voiceing from downstairs, urging him to hurry up.


    "Hurry up Hiro."


    "Just a minute dad." Hiro yelled back as he hurriedly stuffed his clothes inside his bag.


    Right now, Hiro was packing his clothes to leave for the summer camp held by the national U-17 team.


    epting the invitation at the day of the video shoot, Hiro made his intentions clear. And by no means was he going to be persuaded. He was totally determined to grab a spot at the national U-17 team.


    Looking somewhat anxious, Hiro''s father who was walking back and forth mumbled, "From whom did he inherit that trait of gettingte?"


    Looking at the anxious face of her husband, Momo revealed a gentle smile as she indirectly gestured towards him, "You were alwayste for our dates back then. So we can deduce from whom he inherited that habit of beingte."


    Her words were as sharp as dagger as it directly pierced through Takashi''s heart. Takashi then answered in somewhat flustered tone, "I worked part-time job back then."


    Hiro''s mother slightly nodded her head as she supported his statement, "Yeah, yeah."


    Just then while they were conversing such, Hiro''s elongated silhouette appeared in the staircase.


    Noticing the shadow of Hiro, Takashi immediately put off the conversation as he began to check for his belongings.


    And just as Hiro descended the stairs, Takashi immediately walked towards him.


    "Give me the bag. I''ll put it in the car. Hurry up and put on your shoes." Grabbing Hiro''s bags, Takashi then hurriedly rushed outside the house, portering Hiro''s luggage.


    Hiro on the other hand began to put on his shoes. And just as he finished putting on his shoes, he looked at his mother.


    Unlike before when he had left for the Kawasaki, currently there was smile on her face. However her eyes still looked a bit sad. As if she was forcing herself to smile, her smile seemed fake.


    And although Hiro wasn''t an expert who could read people''s faces, he could still somewhat guess that his mother was sad.


    Thus without saying anything, he walked towards her and locked his arms around her back. Giving her a gentle warm hug, he spoke, "Take care of yourself mom. I''ll be heading out now."


    His mother who was a little bbergasted when he hugged her all of a sudden without saying anything, smiled as she closed her eyes while tightening her grip around his back.


    Although she was sad that she had to once again bid her son farewell for a while, she was also happy to see him fulfil his dreams.


    And just like any other loving mother in the world, she was genuinely happy to see him climbing thedder of sess.


    "You too take care of yourself Hiro. Your mother will always support you. Remember me and your dad will always be your biggest supporter." Saying such in her gentle tone, she lossened her grip as she released him from her embrace.


    Hiro then nodded his head and head out of the house.


    **** ****


    "Woah!! Look at all this people. I wonder how many of the nations best U-17 yer are gathered around here."


    His eyes sparkling with excitement and his bright face revealing a smile, a boy about the age 15 or 16 who just entered the venue where the yers invited by the National U-17 team were gathered, spoke excitedly.


    Beside the entrance, leaning against the wall a tanned dude with straight ck hair indifferently spoke as he heard the remarks of the boy, "The best U-17 yer huh? Nation''s best U-17 yer has yet to arrive."


    Hearing the remarks of the tanned dude, his smile faded away as he turned to look at the guy.


    "Is that so? Then can you tell me the name of the guy whom you''re proiming as Japan''s best U-17 yer?" Coldly asked the boy.


    "He is non other than my friend Hiro." Excitedly spoke Shun as he proimed Hiro as the best U-17 yer in all over Japan at the moment.


    ''At least he didn''t say his name.'' His eyes drooped as he made disappointed face.


    "And who exactly are you?" Questioned the boy.


    "I''m Shun Yabuzoe. Goalkeeper of Kawasaki Frontale U-18 team. Currently we''re at the top of the table in our League." Shun introduced himself proudly.


    There was a hint of superiority in his voice. And even his face looked smug while he introduced himself and his team.


    Acting as if he was impressed, the boy mumbled as he looked at Shun with his eyes sparkling, "Woah!! Your team must be great."


    Then again the spark in his eyes disappeared as he ignorantly mumbled, "But I still don''t know about your team."


    The smugness in Shun''s face disappeared instantly as he heard the response of the boy beside him, "Don''t you watch J-league?"


    Shun''s face seemed flustered as he questioned the boy.


    With no changes in his facial expression, the boy indifferently shook his head as he replied, "No. I don''t."


    Upon hearing his response, Shun released a deep sigh as he responded, "Do you even live in Japan?"


    Although Shun only spoke such words in sarcastic way, the boy infront of him took his words seriously, "I was born and raised in Japan. But because of my father''s job we had to move to Belgium. It''s been 4 years and I only returned to Japan about a week ago."

 Chapter 187 A new friend??

    Chapter 187 A new friend??


    As Shun heard the response of the boy infront of him, he lifted his head to look at him to see if he was joking.


    But the look on his face was dead serious. And hence the expression of the boy greatly confused Shun.


    Shun then replied in somewhat confused and suspicious manner, "Really??"


    It waspletely reasonable for him to be suspicious about the words of the boy infront. Afterall his Japanese was way too good for someone who had moved to a foreign country for 4 straight years.


    "Well I can''t join a football academy but I''ve been learning football in one of the school sponsored by SK Beveren in Beveren city." Answered the boy in dutch.


    As fluent as his Japanese was his dutch was fluent as well. However Shun who didn''t know any dutch, understood nothing.


    Thus he could do nothing but scratch his head. Confusedly looking at the boy infront, Shun''s figure was like that of a monkey who was trying toprehend humannguage.


    After Shun failed to understand thenguage spoken by the boy infront, he meekly questioned, "Can you speak in Japanese?"


    The boy then repeated the words he spoke before in Japanese so that Shun could understand him. And he also told Shun that he only spoke in dutch to clear his doubts about himing from Belgium.


    Just when they were talking, Hiro too arrived at the scene. However since the two of them were so engrossed in their conversation, they didn''t even notice Hiro until he came near them and spoke.


    Entering the pitch, Hiro noticed Shun talking with the guy from Belgium right beside the entrance.


    "Yoh Shun! Is he your friend?" Spoke Hiro as he walked towards them.


    Upon hearing Hiro''s voice, Shun who was still conversing with the guy from Belgium looked at the direction of Hiro.


    Out of nowhere a smile appeared on his face as his eyes started glowing with excitement. Shun then walked towards Hiro.


    And as he got close to Hiro, he rested his right hand atop Hiro''s shoulder. Shun then with a big wide smile on his face introduced Hiro proudly, "This is the guy I was talking about to you earlier. He''s the best U-17 football yer in Japan currently."


    Finally being able to meet the guy whom Shun was bragging continuously without any pause a moment ago, Yutaka''s eyes widened as he began to analyse the guy infront.


    Under the shorts he was wearing, Hiro''s exposed leg muscles seemed extremely well defined.  And his perfectly proportioned body was even visible to Yutaka''s naked eyes.


    While observing Hiro, somehow Yutaka could feel an intimidating aura around him.


    ''Somehow this guy infront whom I''m meeting for the first time is giving me chills.'' Thought Yutaka as he stared at Hiro.


    ''May be my mind is just influenced by this guy''s words.'' Thought Yutaka as he looked at the direction of Shun and shrugged.


    Being stared at by the guy infront for such a long time, Hiro began to feel creepy. Hiro then squinched his eyes as he thought to himself, ''Is he one of those weirdo? But his appearance looks way too innocent.''


    Finally as Yutaka finished analysing, he spoke, "You seem really muscr."


    Yutaka''s sudden words baffled Hiro as he uttered, "Huh!??"


    "Ahh sorry!! I should introduce myself first." Saying such Yutaka then introduced himself while extending his hands forward for a handshake, "Hello!! I''m Yutaka Inoue. I''m 15 years old right now. And I only returned to Japan a week ago."


    Grabbing his hands, Hiro casually introduced himself , "Hello. I''m Takahashi Hiro. Right now, I''m thirteen years old."


    Hearing Hiro''s age, Yutaka couldn''t help but feel shocked, "You''re only 13 and you''re invited to the trial of U-17 team?"


    Shun who was patiently waiting for Yutaka''s expression filled with shock from a moment ago, grinned as he stroke his nose with his thumb, "He''s just that talented."


    They then conversed for a while. And each and every time when Shun revealed Hiro''s achievements in the Takamado Premier League, Yutaka''s expression filled with shock returned.


    And while conversing with Yutaka, Hiro too learned many things about Yutaka. The fact that Yutaka was learning football in Europe. The fact that the institution where Yutaka learnt football was sponsored by a club in the Belgium''s second division.


    Yutaka too learnt a lot from conversing with them. He learnt about J-league, Prince Takamado Premier League and many other stuffs which he hadn''t paid any attention to, previously.


    "So you''re saying that you''ll be transferring to one of the school in Kobe?" Questioned Hiro after learning about the present situation of Yutaka.


    Nodding his head, Yutaka replied calmly, "Yeah, my dad''spany has decided to appoint him in one of thepany''s branch in Kobe, so after four years we''ve once again returned to our homnd."


    Shun who was looking all curious couldn''t refrain himself from asking the question he was most curious about, "Then will you be attending any clubs? Or will you be ying for school?"


    "Yeah I''ve been invited by Vissel Kobe U-18 team. And it''s also close to the ce where we''re staying. So I''ll be ying for Vissel Kobe U-18 for a while." While replying such, Yutaka deliberately lowered his voice as he tried to hide the word "for a while".


    Hiro found Yutaka''s case really interesting. The fact that he was invited by a top level team despiteing to Japan only a week ago was already fascinating.


    But what was even more interesting was the fact that despite ying for a school in Europe which was not even a football academy, Yutaka was invited to join the selection camp of U-17 national team.


    Thus feeling all curious, Hiro couldn''t refrain himself from asking, "Damn!! How did you even get invited?"


    Without even thinking of the consequences, Yutaka casually revealed the reason why he was invited, "It''s probably because of my then coach Yoshimura. He''s a close friend of my dad''s brother. Right now he''s working as an assistant coach for Vissel Kobe''s senior team."


    Now that Hiro heard the reason behind Yutaka''s invitation to Vissel Kobe everything started to fall into ce.


    ''Probably that coach Yoshimura was also behind his invitation to U-17 team. He must have sent his video''s to the national selectionmittee.'' Thought Hiro as he tried to understood Yutaka''s situation.


    ''Still I wonder how talented he is, that only his video could also convince the selectionmittee.''


    Narrowing his eyes, Hiro began to ponder. Finally Hiro decided to use his skill "Magic Vision", which he had been saving forter to use on Yutaka.

 Chapter 188 Lets play a game

    Chapter 188 Let''s y a game


    Since Hiro was unsure about what kind of talented yers he''ll meet at the training camp, he had been saving his skill "Magic Vision", so that he could use it in his time of need.


    But now that he learnt about Yutaka, Yutaka''s situation extremely fascinated him and also made him curious.


    Thus out of sheer curiosity, Hiro decided to use his skill "Magic Vision" on Yutaka.


    And just as Hiro used the skill "Magic Vision" on Yutaka, Yutaka''s whole stats became visible to Hiro.


    [Name: Yutaka Inoue]


    [Age: 15 years old]


    [Attributes]


    Physical: C+


    Dribbling: A


    Pace: B


    Passing: A


    Shooting: C


    Defending: D


    Mentality: D


    IQ: C+


    Overall grade: B


    Potential: ????


    [Wow-factor: Smooth dribbler, Spatial awareness, Hawk eyes, Passing expert, Prodigy]


    [Note: Please upgrade the system to see the potential and minute details of the yer or coaches]


    Upon reading the stats of Yutaka, Hiro''s eyes widened in shock. Afterall for the first time since he acquired the skill "Magic Vision", he witnessed somebody who had a better passing stat than him.


    Considering the fact that his passing was already good, he wondered how better of a passer was Yutaka aspared to him.


    Andpared to Hiro who had increased his sats with the help of system, Yutaka was the real prodigy. Which further increased his curiosity.


    Even the wow-factor which Yutaka possessed were extremely useful.


    And judging by Yutaka''s stats, Hiro could somewhat deduce that Yutaka yed either in midfield or forward.


    However the fact that Hiro had never heard about such an amazing yer in his previous life greatly confused him.


    ''What could have gone wrong for such an amazing yer to not make it big?'' Hiro contemted.


    Just then as Hiro was about to ask Yutaka''s ying position, an old man about the age 50 or 60 appeared on the field apanied by few other people.


    Witnessing the sight of head coach of U-17 team, Hiro shrugged as he decided to not concern himself with other''s situation.


    His hair, a mixture of ck and white and his brows knotted, he had a very stern looking face.


    And just as he walked inside the pitch, one of the guy behind him who was following him announced, "Everybody gather around."


    And since that guy was speaking on a portable announcement speaker, his voice was magnified by the speaker.


    His loud voice immediately caught the attention of everybody present in the field. Be it the yers who didn''t notice the appearance of the old man or the yers who were busy conversing with other yers.


    The old guy then followed by several other adults walked towards the center of the pitch.


    "Let''s go guys" spoke Shun as he began to walk towards the direction where the old guy was headed to.


    Curious about the identity of the old guy, most of the yers present in the field started to make different assumptions about the old guy.


    "Is he the head of the selectionmittee?"


    "Is he the appointed coach of U-17 team?"


    While different yers were making different spections, Hiro who was aware of the identity of the old guy kept his mouth shut as he looked into the direction of the old guy.


    As calm as the night sky, Hiro appeared unbothered while the yers around him were anxiously looking at the old guy infront.


    "Silence everybody" spoke the guy from before who was carrying the announcement speaker.


    His loud voice which reverberated all over the pitch silenced the chatters of yers gathered infront.


    And although his voice made them shut their mouths, it still couldn''t dissipate the curiosity in their eyes.


    That guy with the speaker then swept his gaze across the crowd of yers. After that, he continued, "First of all, I''d like to wee all of you to the selection camp organised by National U-17 team."


    "Secondly I''d like to tell all of you that starting from today the selection process will take 7 days in total."


    And while the guy was speaking, few other casually dressed people walked inside the field while pulling a huge container.


    "What are they bringing?"


    "Are those training equipments?"


    Witnessing the sight of the container, few yers present in the field questioned out of curiosity as they looked towards the direction of the container.


    Seeing the yers getting distracted by the container, guy with the speaker tried to refocus their attention towards him, "Everyone pay attention. I''ll gradually exin about the container as well."


    And as he said those words, all of the yers once again turned their attention towards him.


    Their eyes glowing with curiosity, they looked even more curious and baffled than before.


    "As you see, those containers contains your Jersey''s. Each and every one of you will be allocated jersey with different numbers. And I''m sure you all are familiar with games right?"


    Silently everybody nodded their head.


    "Just like in games. We''ll be allocating you Jersey based on our judgment. The lower the number the better the yer."


    His words which came out like a sudden earthquakepletely shook them to the core as they heard his words.


    However before they could evenpletely disy the emotion of shock which they felt, he dropped another banger, "Each day based on your progress, your jersey number will change. And as you may know that there are more than 60/70 of you in the pitch right now. And obviously we can''t take all of you. Thus out of all of you, only 26 will be selected by the end of the selection camp. Which means only the guys with jersey number 1 to 26 will be selected for the national U-17 team."


    While hearing the words of the guy infront, the look of shock on their face gradually changed into look of anxiousness.


    Even so among the yers with anxious face there were few yers in the field who showed no changes in their facial expression. They weren''t a slight bit bothered by the announcement of the guy infront.


    Among such yers, one was Hiro. Indifferently looking at the guy infront, Hiro began to think, ''I see, so they''re tantly exposing the strength of the yers to increase thepetitiveness spirit of the yers. But what if it backfires? Like what if the weak start to group up and ignore the strong? Afterall football is a team sport. And when grouped together even sheeps can hunt wolves.''


    Hiro''s way of thinking waspletely reasonable. It was true that exposing the strength of the yer would increase their sense ofpetitiveness.


    Since only 26 yers were going to be selected the yer outside the 26 would need to perform well to climb thedder while the top yers would require to perform well to keep their position.

 Chapter 189 Teamwork makes the dream work

    <h4>Chapter 189 Teamwork makes the dream work</h4>


    Those who were not confident of their abilities were looking extremely anxious while those who were confident of their abilities showed no changes in their facial expression.


    Overall just after the guy with the microphone finished making that particr announcement, suddenly the ambience around them got pretty tensed.


    And almost everybody instantly became wary of each other.


    And just like Hiro who was thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of the number system, quite few yers were also thinking the same as well.


    The only difference being he wasn''t thinking about manipting the poeple while some yers were nning to take that route.


    And while the person with absolute strength may not fear anything, the same couldn''t be said to the person with less strength, they''ll always try to scheme against the one above them.


    "I know after this almost every single one of you will try to show your own charm. Almost all of you may start ying selfish as well. Afterall you all are ying for yourself. And it''s fine as well."


    Until this moment, his facial expression looked quite normal and even his voice sounded normal.


    But suddenly, he squinted his eyes as he swept a cold gaze at the yers infront of him. He then continued, "As long as you produce the results. But the moment you fail to do so, remember you''re spot is in jeopardy. So you better choose your option wisely."


    That guy with the microphone had a dead serious look on his face while he spoke those words.


    The already silent crowd got even more intimidated as he said those words. Trepidation reflecting in their eyes, anxious yers from a moment ago were the ones who suffered the most after hearing that announcement.


    Their already anxious face looked even more pale as a cold sweat ran down their body.


    And as he finished making that announcement, he turned around as he began to walk towards the coach of U-17 team to hand him the speaker.


    With same indifferent look on his face, coach of U-17 whispered to him as he took the speaker from his hands, "You''re deviating from our motto Kazan. Remember we Japanese y as a team."


    Just as Kazan heard such words, he forced a smile on his face as he replied in a gentle tone, "That motto hasn''t won us any world cup yet coach Haruki."


    Just like gunpowder making contact with the fire, coach Haruki got triggered as he heard Kazan''s words.


    But before he could speak anything, Kazan handed the speaker and walked past him as if nothing happened between the two of them.


    It was clear from their conversation that they didn''t get along well with each other. While Haruki was a stern believer of tradition, Kazan was opposite of him. He believed that Japanese football needed a reform to win anything special.


    Despite being the most sessful team from asia, recently Japan had failed to win any international trophies.


    Even in the previous asia cup of 2019, despite performing well they still couldn''t win the Trophy which they had won for five times, previously.


    Although Japan still performed well, it was evident to everybody that just like the powerhouse footballing nation Brazil, Japan were alsocking something.


    Facing the tensed crowd of yers, coach Haruki cleared his throat as he lossened his stiff expression. Coach Haruki then tried to ease the mind of the yers infront, "As mentioned by coach Kazan, all of you are indeed ying for yourself. But don''t forget that you''re also ying for the country. So without teamwork no matter how much talented you are individually, you won''t achieve anything. A team does need talented individuals but more than individual abilities, a team needs teamwork."


    "Remember football isn''t necessarily won by the best yers. It''s won by the team with best attitude."


    Coach Haruki''s motivational words captivated the hearts of every yer.


    Thus, even before coach Haruki finished his sentences, yers infront burst into cheers. Their fearful face from a moment ago changed into a motivated face. And even their fearful eyes now showed a hint of excitement within them while they roared excitedly, "Yeah!! We''re a team."


    Chanted the yers infront. And most of the yers who were chanting such words were the same yer who were disying fear a moment ago.


    Although Hiro didn''t dislike the words of coach Haruki, he couldn''tpletely disregard the words of coach Kazan as well. Afterall he too believed that Japanese football needed a reform.


    It was also clear from coach Haruki''s words that he was a better leader aspared to coach Kazan.


    "So as important as your individual abilities are, I''ll be judging you based on your teamwork as well. So get along well with each other. A team needs every yer to fulfill their role."


    "Ahh right! Before I go. I''ll tell you the most important thing. yers will be judged ording to their positions. And goalkeepers will be alloted different numbers. So note that apart from goalkeepers only 23 yer''s will get selected. Thepetition is tough, so give your best."


    Saying such, coach Haruki finished his sentence.


    And just as he finished his sentence, a thunderous sound of apuse and cheers resounded in the pitch.


    Motivated, even the yer who were not confident about their abilities had a spark of fire burning in their eyes.


    And while they were energetically cheering, Hiro was trying to recall the identity of coach Kazan. During that process, he was staring at coach Kazan who had a grumpy look on his face.


    ''May be because of his attitude, he didn''t make it big.'' Thought Hiro as he failed to recall Kazan''s identity.


    After that the people who had brought the container, started to distribute the jersey to the yers.


    During the process of jersey distribution, different yers disyed different emotions. Some happy, some sad, some anxious while some fearful, different kinds of mixed emotions filled the entire pitch.


    "I''m number 2." Excitedly mumbled Shun as he held his jersey.


    "I''m number 7" mumbled Yutaka, "What about you Hiro?"


    "Number 1"

 Chapter 190 5 representatives

    <h4>Chapter 190 5 representatives</h4>


    Just as Hiro revealed his jersey number, one of the yer who was standing beside him, abruptly looked towards his direction with his eyes wide open as he heard Hiro''s voice.


    While almost every yer present in the field were trying to find out the identities of the top yers, he had identally found the yer who was at the top of the food chain.


    But within few breathes, his expressions changed as a feeling of envy and fear surfaced within his heart.


    He then became extremely vignt of Hiro. Grabbing on to the clothe of another yer beside him, he whispered while gesturing with his eyes, "He''s the guy with jersey number 1"


    "Wait... Isn''t he the current top scorer of East League?"


    And just like that one after the other, the news regarding Hiro being the yer with jersey number 1 spread all over the field just like wildfire spreading on dry grassfield. In no time almost everybody knew about the identity of the yer with jersey number 1.


    "It would have been ridiculous if you were not invited." With a cheeky smile on his face, one of the yer who recognised Hiro muttured.


    While some of the yers in the field couldn''t recognise Hiro, almost every yer present in the field immediately recognised Hiro as they looked towards his direction.


    Distracted by the announcement and their personal issues, they hadn''t noticed the presence of Hiro earlier. But now that they witnessed Hiro''s figure, they immediately be wary of Hiro.


    And as everybody got their jerseys, Kazan lifted the speaker and announced, "Now then everybody go and get changed. The training will begin after 20 minutes. So if anybody fails to return to the pitch by then, something bad might happen to them."


    Casually saying such words, Kazan ordered the yers to get changed.


    And the way he spoke so lightly of the consequences made him look like a person with sadistic personality.


    As instructed by Kazan, every yer returned within the given time frame. And not even a single yer gotte.


    After that Kazan once again swept his gaze across the yers queued up infront of him. And as he finished looking at the yers, he announced, "Now that everyone''s here. We''ll begin the training with a match. yers will be divided into five teams. The representatives of the team will be the top 5 yers. So yers with jersey number 1 to 5, pleasee infront."


    Answering to the call of Kazan, Hiro and other four yers stepped infront.


    And while he recognised two of the yer among those four, one of the yer whom he recognised waspletely out of his expectation.


    Short ck hair, sharp deep ck eyes which resembled snake eyes and a mean looking face, it was Akutsu.


    Exchanging looks with Hiro, Akutsu lifted the corner of his mouth as he smiled at Hiro. And even his smile seemed a bit sinister because of his mean looking face.


    And even though his smile gave chills to some of the yers who were looking at him, it still didn''t intimidate Hiro.


    Instead, Hiro just smiled back at him and nodded his head as if he was greeting Akutsu.


    Hiro then swept his gaze at the yer with jersey number 3.


    Tanned skin, robust body, double chin, he had a very manly appearance. As if he was somekind of Hollywood actor from thete 90''s, he was Kiryu Daichi High School''s ace defensive midfielder.


    And even though he appeared a little older than the yers present in the field, he was infact only 16 years old right now.


    ''So you''re here as well Takeshi Ono'' thought Hiro as he looked at his figure.


    Hiro then shrugged as he looked towards the direction of other two yers whom he couldn''t recognise, ''May be they''re from West League. But Akutsu isn''t from the East League as well.''


    Just when he was contemting about the identity of the top five yers, he was distracted by Kazan''s voice.


    "These five yers will be the representatives of 5 teams. They can also choose to be the captain or they can appoint the captain from the yers in their team as per their wish."


    "But you may ask what''s the point of being representative if the only thing you could do is choose the captain of the team."


    "However that''s not the only authority which they''ll be granted. Being the representative of the team, they can decide on the strategy of the team. In short they''ll be acting as the yer manager."


    Just as Kazan mentioned about the authority of the representatives, almost everybody''s face disyed a mixed emotion of fear and envy. While there were few who showed no changes in their facial expression. Apart from those few, everybody''s face looked quite anxious.


    "Not only can they decide the strategy of the team, they''ll also get to choose two yers for their team. However remember as I''ve mentioned before, the rankings will change on daily basis. So if the current representative can''t hold onto their position, a new representative will appear."


    "Then that new yer will also get the benefit of being representative. And naturally along with the position, they''ll be able to enjoy the power as well. Teams will also keep on changing everyday."


    The fact that they were allowing the representative to choose only two yer was because of two reason. One was because of unfamiliarity between the yers and the second and most important reason was to bnce the team.


    Despite granting the representatives the power to make their own strategy, they still couldn''t allow one team to have all the good yers.


    After Kazan finished exining the details, he then asked the representatives to choose the yer. ording to the sequence of their jersey number, Kazan let them pick the yers.


    Thus, Hiro who had the jersey number 1 got to pick first.


    Without any hesitation, Hiro named the two yers whom he wanted in his team, "Goalkeeper Shun Yabuzoe and jersey number 7 Yutaka Inoue"

 Chapter 191 Unexpected Twist

    <h4>Chapter 191 Unexpected Twist</h4>


    Shun''s selection was as per their expectations. However the selection of Yutaka whom nobody recognised in the field waspletely out of their expectation.


    At first almost every yer present in the field had the same questions when Hiro picked Yutaka, "Who''s that yer?"


    "In which team does he y?"


    But as they witnessed Yutaka''s jersey number, they wentpletely silent.


    Among 70 yers, he who was almost unknown to every single one of them had jersey number 7.


    "Number 2 keeper and number 7 yer, damn I wanna join them as well."


    "Don''t forget that the best U-17 yer in all over Japan is with them as well. With him as the captain they''ll be unstoppable if they get even more low numbered yers."


    After Hiro finished selecting his teammates, ranked two yer named Tominaga Nijichi from Vissel Kobe U-18 selected his teammates who happened to be rank 1 goalkeeper from his club and rank 6 yer also from his own club.


    Then came the turn of Takeshi Ono, he too first picked a keeper for his team. As if almost every single one of them wanted to grab the highest ranking keeper, they all firstly picked keeper for their team.


    And again this number 3 keeper was someone familiar to Hiro. It was non other than Kurosawa Taki, Endo''s younger brother.


    Meeting him after so long, Hiro couldn''t help but feel nostalgic. Just by witnessing Taki''s face, Hiro started to recall the goal he had scored against him in elementary school.


    ''So you made it to the team as well.'' thought Hiro as he looked at the direction of Taki.


    Then again he shrugged as he thought his way of thinking was just too ridiculous, ''Well it would have been somewhat ridiculous if future national yer of Japan wouldn''t have made it this far. And if not for me, you''d also have been the youngest yer here.''


    And while Hiro was thinking, Takeshi Onopleted his selection.


    Then came the turn of Akutsu who was currently ying for Otsu High School in the West League.


    His first pick was the rank 4 keeper as well. After that he picked rank 9 yer for his team and concluded his selection.


    Then atst came the turn of rank 5 yer named Kaito Kizuna from the club Sagan Tosu U-18.


    The remaining yers were then allocated by the coaching staffs. 11 starting yers and 3 reserve yers, just like that each group contained 14 yers.


    Finally after some while, the selection finally came to an end.


    **** ****


    By the time the team formationpleted, the lighting from the sun was a lot dimmer than the moment they first arrived at the pitch.


    As if the sun could set at any moment, it was already close to the horizon. Under the golden light of the sun, their silhouette on the ground were elongated.


    "Now that the team has been set up. I''m sure everybody would be wondering about the odd number of teams, right?" Kazan questioned the yers.


    Faced with Kazan''s question, all of them nodded their head.


    Afterall as mentioned by Kazan, they were indeed confused by the odd number of teams. Since the teams were not static, everyone had some sort of doubts about the matchup.


    Even if four teams yed together, one team would be forced to sit out. And ying matches after matches didn''t feel practical as well. So it made everyone wonder why there were 5 teams instead of 4 or 6.


    Just when everyone was wondering about the odd number of teams, Kazan spoke, "Someone from the staff please tell the team outside to enter."


    Just as Kazan ordered the staff, yers shifted their attention towards the entrance. Wondering about the remarks made by Kazan, they all were trying to figure out the meaning behind Kazan''s words.


    Just then another batch of yers dressed in Japan''s national football team jersey entered the pitch.


    And as they strode towards the pitch, they emitted an intimidating aura around them which terrified few of the U-17 yers present in the field.


    Among those bunch of yers dressed in national team''s jersey, Hiro saw few familiar faces. Those faces belonged to Tatsuki, Naoto and Kazuya.


    "Isn''t that national U-23 team captain, Kein Sato from Werder Bremen II?"


    "And that''s Masato Sasaki, Naoto Miyashiro."


    "Don''t tell me that we''ll be facing against this guys?"


    Immediately as everybody recognised the yers who entered the pitch, cold sweet ran down the body of few yers.


    Even the surrounding aura felt a lot heavier as those yers of National U-23 team entered the pitch.


    "Interesting" mumbled Hiro with a subtle smile as he witnessed the sight of those yers.


    "Now then I present to you the sixth team who''ll be participating in the training camp. Japan National U-23 team." Kazan announced excitedly.


    Exuding an aura of oppression, yers of national U-23 team stood infront of the five teams with a look of confidence in their eyes.


    However while almost every yer were trying to maintain theirposure, Tatsuki was behaving differently.


    Looking at the direction of Hiro and Shun, he was waving his hands.


    "Now then we''ll randomly draw out lott to determine which team will be facing against which team. If lucky you might get a chance to y against the national U-23 team. However do remember no matter the oue of the draw, whether you face your own peers or national U-23 team, you''ll be judged equally."


    "Even if you feel unfair, the results won''t change. After all you''ll have to face even more tough opponents once you start ying internationally. And before we begin to draw the lott, I''d also like to tell all of you that your opponents will only get tougher."


    Saying such, Kazan finished his sentence as he retreated few steps to write something on a piece of paper.


    He then brought six folded pieces of paper with him. After that he asked the representatives of all six teams to step forward to draw out the lott.

 Chapter 192 Losers complain, winners train

    Chapter 192 Losersin, winner''s train


    And as every representative of the six team drew their lott, some yers who were anxious a moment ago heaved a sigh of relief while few yers disyed intense worry on their faces.


    While those same yers were rejoicing their luck for getting chosen in the team of best U-17 yer a moment ago, now those same yers were cursing their luck.


    Their faces as e as white paper, as if the sky had fallen upon them, they looked quite devastated.


    "Thank god we didn''t drew them."


    That was the thought which first appeared in the mind of few yers as they witnessed the result of the draw.


    "How can your luck be so rotten." Cried out Shun as he got to know about the opponents which they''ll be facing.


    The conclusion of the draw was- team 2 vs team 4, team 3 vs team 5 and team 1 vs National U-23 team.


    "Now then shall we proceed with the match. Team 2 and team 4 follow the staff members to another pitch, team 3 and 5 also do the same. And team 1 and national U-23 team, please get ready for your match. You all have 10 minutes to strategise." Kazan spoke after the conclusion of the draw.


    There was a subtle smile on his face as he spoke those words. As if he was happy about the results of the draw, his face looked a lot brighter than a moment ago.


    Despite drawing out the worst possible opponent, Hiro wasn''t a bit bothered. Infact his reaction was quite contrary to his teammates who were ming their luck.


    And although his face looked calm from the outside, he was actually quite happy and motivated from the inside.


    Even so, he couldn''t express his inner feelings outside. Afterall if heughed and rejoiced at that moment when all his teammates were sulking their head and acting dispirited, it would have made him look like a madman.


    And by no means, he wanted to look like a madman. Afterall he was already considered an odd fellow because of his insane talents. Thus to add another name tag would have been quite bothersome.


    "Although I pity you. I also feel quite relieved that we didn''t draw the national U-23 team." Spoke Akutsu while he prepared to leave the pitch.


    That wasn''t something one''s supposed to say after meeting with someone familiar after such a long time.


    Even so Hiro didn''t mind his words. Afterall he wasn''t close with Akutsu in the first ce. So he wasn''t expecting any warm words from Akutsu.


    With his lips tightly shut, Hiro stood at his ce without replying anything. His face showed no reaction and he only tilted his head slightly, indifferently looking at Akutsu.


    Upon looking at Hiro''s indifferent expression, Akutsu felt a little weird. He couldn''t tell whether Hiro was extremely nervous about the situation that he couldn''t even react or was simply unbothered by the situation.


    A sudden burst of curiosity rose in him as he tried to analyse Hiro''s reaction. And just as he was about to speak something, Hiro interjected him, "Don''t you have to leave?"


    Hearing Hiro''s question, Akutsu tucked his doubts within him as he left in a hurry.


    After that Hiro too walked towards his teammates. Being the leader of his team, he had to do something about the morale of the team which was at rock bottom currently.


    But even so, Hiro wasn''t a smooth talker. Afterall it was also his first time being stuck in such a situation where almost every single one of his teammates had already admitted defeat inside their head even before the start of the match.


    As there is a saying, "If you admit defeat even before the start of the game then by default you''ve already lost the game."


    But by no means, Hiro was going to ept that fact. And by no means, he was going to y a lousy match.


    He was prepared to give his best. He was determined to win the match. It didn''t matter to him whether his opponents were National U-23 team or even the National men''s team.


    Regardless of the opponent, he won''t admit defeat even before the start of the match.


    Slightly clearing his throat, Hiro then first asked his teammates to gather around him. And as everybody gathered around him, he spoke, "I know that many of you are terrified. And I know that many of you think that it''s impossible to win against them."


    His words as calm aske water, he tantly pointed out their fears and doubts calmly.


    "But just like us they are human as well. What they can do, we can do as well. And even if we were to lose the game, I''d prefer to lose without any regrets."


    ''Easy for you to say'' few yers scoffed inside their head as they heard Hiro''s words.


    "But does any of you remember about the 2003/2004 champions league?" Asked Hiro as he swept his gaze across the yers gathered around him.


    One of the yer raised his hand as he spoke meekly, "Yes... I do. But what about the champions league?"


    Coupled with the stupefied look on his face, his tone clearly reflected his confusion.


    "Then do you remember about the winner of the Champions League that year?"


    "Isn''t... Isn''t it Porto?"


    Just as Hiro heard the reply of the yer, his eyes lit up as his voice deepened, "That''s right. Porto was the winner that year. Even with their aging yers, even when every odd was against them, despite being the underdog, despite ying against the giants of champions league like Real Madrid, Liverpool, AC Mn and more, they won the champions league."


    "And do you think they won the champions league with attitude such as ours? Do all of you think that they''d have won the Champions League, if they''d have admitted defeat even before the starting of the tournament?"


    And while Hiro was asking such questions to his teammates, nobody dared to answer until Shun and Yutaka took the initiative.


    "No!! They would have lost the moment they would have taken their hands off the table." Spoke Shun with a confident look on his face.


    "Yeah!! As there''s a saying by Jose Mourinho the winning manager who guided that team of Porto to victory- loser''sin, winner''s train." Yutaka added


    Upon hearing the quote mentioned by Yutaka, Hiro felt even more motivated. The spark in his eyes now grew uncontrobly into a raging falme as he repeated the quote said by Mourinho, "That''s right everybody. Losersin, winner''s train."


    Hearing Hiro''s energetic roar, almost every yer repeated after him as their fears amd worries faded away, "''Losersin, winner''s train"

 Chapter 193 Deadly duo

    <h4>Chapter 193 Deadly duo</h4>


    Kein''s messy ck hair was dancing with the rustling evening breeze while he was looking at the direction where Hiro and his teammates were gathered.


    There was a subtle smile on his face while he was musing at the scene taking ce at a certain distance away from him.


    "Didn''t I tell you, he''s special. With him in the team, even we''ll find it difficult to win the game."


    A voice echoed from behind him while he was musing at the sight he was looking currently.


    "Yeah" murmuring such, he then nodded his head, "There''s indeed something different about him Tatsuki."


    Just by hearing the tone of the voice, Kein could instinctively tell that that voice belonged to Tatsuki without even looking back.


    "We''ll have to heavily guard him if we don''t want to embarrass ourselves." Mumbled Tatsuki while looking at the direction of Hiro. And while he spoke those words, there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes.


    Finally as the alloted 10 minutes ended, once again Kazan lifted the speaker and made the announcement, "Time''s up. Now then shall we get into the position."


    Upon hearing Kazan''s announcement, yers of both the team got into their respective positions as they prepared to initiate the match.


    "Just like any normal match, the duration of the match will be 90 minutes. Any team who scores the most in those 90 minutes will be dered winner. May the best team win."


    As Kazan said those words, the appointed referee of the match looked at his watch and blew the whistle.


    Beep!!!


    The game started in full swing with team 1''s kickoff.


    Opting for position y, Hiro''s team were ying in a 4-1-2-3 formation with two attacking midfielders to maximise the output of every yer present in the field.


    Although Hiro wanted to y Yutaka in the wing position, he felt like he should let him y in his original position.


    Making use of every single yer present in the field, Hiro had carefully devised that formation while also taking the emotions of the yers into consideration.


    Afterall nobody would want to y in a position which they are not ustomed to y.


    ying short passes, Hiro''s team tried to go on the offense right from the start.


    And somehow ying with two attacking midfielders made it a lot easier for them to move the ball forward.


    With both attacking midfielders being exceptional passers, everything went quite smoothly.


    Even Hiro who wasn''t familiar with Yutaka, found it quite easy to y alongside him. The two of them clicked instantly as soon as the match started.


    "They''re coordinating a lot better than my expectations." Kein mused.


    At the 11th minute of the match, using his skill "Lightning Steps", Hiro broke through the midfield of the opposing team.


    But even so, as if the opposing team was well prepared, their defence immediately blocked his route towards the goal.


    Having his route blocked, Hiro had to forcefully stop his movement.


    "Watch out for his dribbles and sprint." Shouted Naoto from the behind.


    Their eyespletely focused at him, those two defenders who were blocking his path looked as sturdy as mountain.


    And by no means did those two showed any weaknesses. Completely covering the spaces behind them by positioning them in better spot, they were inplete sync.


    Even Hiro who was exceptionally good at finding gaps found it quite difficult to locate a gap to pass those two defenders infront.


    Even so there wasn''t even a hint of anxiousness in his face. His face as calm as ocean, he was vigorously rolling his eyes to look for an open space.


    Instead of trying to break free through their clutches by using some fancy dribbles or lightning fast motions, Hiro casually walked towards the two defenders who were blocking his route to the goal.


    As if Hiro was intentionally taunting both of those two defenders by gesturing e and snatch the ball away from me", he was walking in their zone, carefree.


    It wasn''t Hiro''s first time using such methods to get past yers who looked immovable. Infact even back then he had used this method to get past some tricky defenders.


    "Don''t fall for his tricks." Shouted Tatsuki who was rushing back.


    But it was toote, by the time his words reached the ears of those two defenders, both those defenders left their position and rushed towards Hiro.


    Their veins bulging and their eyes bloodshot, clearly Hiro''s taunt had worked on them.


    As there''s a saying, "The moment you get inside your opponents head is the moment you''ve gained an upper hand on them."


    Simr to that saying, a while ago when those two defenders infront of him were calm, he found it very difficult to break through them.


    But the moment they hastily left their position to rush towards him, Hiro located the space left behind by them because of their hastiness.


    Performing few side steps, Hiro tried to trick those two defenders. However they still remained unfazed.


    And as instructed by Tatsuki earlier before the start of the match, they tried to overpower Hiro using their physicality. Afterall it was the one of few aspect which Hiro wascking aspared to the yers of U-23 team.


    Despite building muscles, Hiro''s sturdiness wasckingpared to the older yers.


    Even so Hiro held his ground and continued to perform sidesteps.


    Suddenly while performing sidesteps, just as Hiro rolled his right foot over the ball, he touched the ball with his heel while he tried to step-over the ball with his left foot.


    Both those two defenders who were trying to snatch the ball away from Hiro were caught off-guard by Hiro''s y.


    And as Hiro hit the ball with his heel, it rolled behind him where Yutaka was rushing.


    Yutaka inturn with minimum force chipped the ball above the heads of the two defenders infront.


    And as those two defenders turned behind to chase after the ball, they found Hiro infront of their eyes.


    Hitting the ball before it touched the ground, Hiro shot a powerful volley towards the goalpost.


    Naoto tried his best to stop the iing shot by stretching his body to his utmost limit.


    Even so the ball avoided his reach as it found it''s way to the back of the.


    "Goaaaaallllllll!!!"

 Chapter 194 Dual personality

    <h4>Chapter 194 Dual personality</h4>


    Their eyes wide open and their mouth agape, most of the selecters outside seemed quite stunned. Even their countenance were ghastly pale as if their soul had left their body.


    It was clear from their expression that not even in their dream had they expected Hiro''s team to be the first team to open the scoresheet.


    However among those stunned faces, one face was standing out.


    His eyes reflecting emotions of thrill and joy, his lips greatly curled up, Kazan was smiling uncontrobly while looking all excited.


    Just like greedy businessmen looking at their possessions, their was some greed in Kazan''s eyes.


    "See I told you before. We need to man mark him." Looking quite disappointed, Tatsuki spoke as he walked past Kein.


    In response Kein smiled and nodded his head, "I just didn''t want to y dirty against a kid."


    Completely aware of Hiro''s abilities, Tatsuki found Kein''s words quite displeasing.


    "If you keep being soft on them, then mark my words, even before half time we''ll concede another 3 or 4 goals."


    While Tatsuki spoke those words, he wasn''t lying or joking. He truly believed that if they continued to y like the way they were ying currently, Hiro''s team would definitely put 3 or 4 goals past them.


    While Tatsuki and Kein were having such conversations, Hiro was celebrating his goal with his teammates.


    Completely unbothered by the fact that his opponents weren''t ying seriously with him, Hiro was naively enjoying the moment and so were his teammates.


    That goal scored by Hiro greatly boosted their morale- to the point that they even started thinking that U-23 team weren''t as fearsome as they imagined before.


    Tilting his head towards the sky, Kein heaved a deep sigh as he murmured few words softly, "You''ve unleashed this upon yourself Takahashi Hiro."


    After murmuring such words, he lowered his head and shifted his gaze towards Hiro who was happily celebrating his goal.


    While ring at Hiro, suddenly a glint of coldness shed in his eyes as he slicked back some hair with his hands, revealing his forehead.


    Kein lookedpletely different from before. Even the warm aura which he was exuding a moment ago changed into cold.


    While one side of his face was glowing dimly reflecting the rays of the evening sun, another side of his face was covered with shadows.


    Even the evening sun was portraying his true personality.


    After some celebrations, the game then resumed with U-23 teams kickoff.


    Right from the kickoff, as if something had changed within them, they seemed totally different.


    They weren''t the sameckluster team from before.


    Previously they could snatch the ball from them if they positioned themselves well. But now all of a sudden it became a lot harder to get the ball back.


    Their passes as smooth as butter, there wasn''t a single w in their ystyle. Each yer from U-23 teamplimented each other. They were like a totally different team,pletely in sync.


    Especially Kein the Maestro, he was in a zone of his own. Dictating the midfield like a king, he was the one who was controlling the pace of the game.


    Acting as a bridge between the attackers and defenders, he was present almost everywhere in the pitch.


    Just like a Maestro connecting different musicians and music together to create a beautiful symphony, Kein was connecting every yer of U-23 in the field inturn creating a beautiful symphony with the ball.


    Just 5 minutes after Hiro scored that goal in the 12th minute of the match, Kein supplied a deadly through ball inside the box to Tatsuki.


    Tatsuki as clinical as ever, struck the ball without any mistake.


    As he struck the ball with his right leg which also happened to be his strong foot, the ball which left his leg flew like a cannonball shot from a canon.


    Bam!!!


    Even the sound which was produced during the collision of his foot and the ball was simr to that of firing canon.


    Shun who was used to stopping Tatsuki''s powerful shot tried his best to clear the ball. But despite trying his best, the ball simply slipped through the tip of his fingers.


    And even after slipping through Shun''s fingers, as the ball found it''s way to the back of the, it kept spinning for a while.


    Eventually after few seconds as the rotation of the ball slowed down then only did the ball fell down.


    After witnessing such dominating ys, one would think that Hiro would look quite dejected. But on the contrary, he was enjoying the game.


    But the same couldn''t be said to his teammates. The morale boost which they had gained a moment ago was starting to fade now as their inner fears were trying to resurface, once again.


    Unable to snatch the ball away, for those five minutes they felt like they were being toyed by the U-23 yers.


    The spark of determination in their eyes was dimming. Clearly their morale had taken a huge blow.


    "As expected they only scored that first goal because the U-23 team weren''t ying seriously." Spoke one of the selecter while smiling a bit awkwardly.


    Some other selecters nodded their head in agreement. However Kazan remained indifferent.


    Neither was he happy nor was he sad, his eyes were only focused on the yers at the field.


    And just like that National U-23 team equalised the game with the help of Tatsuki''s goal and Kein''s brilliant performance.


    Even after that goal, U-23 team maintained their dominance.


    Their passes as smooth as ever and their ys as clinical as ever, they continued to dominate the possession of the match.


    Refusing to give even a glimmer of hope to the opposing team, yers of U-23 team were ying the game as if their life depended on it.


    On the other hand, team 1''s form was deteriorating with every passing seconds. They were making more and more mistakes.


    May be they were anxious or may be they were scared, or worst of all may be they were both anxious and scared, whatever the reason, they weren''t ying like they were ying before.


    And because of their lousy performance, Hiro had to fall back to cover their mistakes.


    He had to fall back to the point, he was now ying as a defensive midfielder instead.


    Almost 20 minutes had passed since thest goal. The score was still tied with both team scoring one goal each.


    Having spent his skill "Lightning Steps" so early in the match, Hiro couldn''t even use it again. Since he''d have to use his skill "perseverance" to activate the skill "Lightning Steps", he had absolutely no choice but to rely on his natural talent.


    Even so, Hiro dropping deep only provided his team an extra yer in their half.


    Since Hiro wasn''t particrly a skilled defender himself, he could only slow down the pace of the opponents by using his knowledge of positioning.


    "That kid''s fit to be a leader. Despite being an attacking midfielder, he isn''t ashamed to fall back during the time of need. And although he can''t defend properly, somehow he''s able to slow down the opposing yers. He''s definitely aware of his strengths and weaknesses." Thoughtfully speaking such words, one of the selecter nodded his head while giving Hiro an approving gaze.


    It was clear from his words that he was impressed by Hiro''s leadership qualities and decision making qualities.


    "You''re right. If he had the same teammates as Kein then may be he''d have been able to disy even more amazing performance. But s!! Other yers around him aren''t as impressive as him." Another selecter sighed deeply as he said those words.


    Almost all of the selecters present in the field were pitiful of Hiro.


    Kazan on the other hand wasn''t a bit pitiful or sympathetic about Hiro''s situation.


    Instead he was hoping to see more of Hiro. He was hoping to see Hiro ovee the adversaries he was facing currently.


    ''If you fail here then how could you survive while going against the world. You either fall here or you''ll rise from here.'' Giving Hiro a thoughtful look, Kazan thought to himself.


    Just then while he was thinking such, Hiro got hold of the ball after so long in his own defensive half.


    Intersecting a pass meant for Tatsuki, Hiro intersected Kein''s through ball.


    And it wasn''t simply because of coincidence, Hiro had been patiently waiting for this moment sincest 20 minutes.


    And finally when the opportunity came knocking on his door, he grabbed the opportunity.


    As there''s a saying, "whenever an opportunity presents itself to you, you need to grab it or it''ll slip from your hands".


    And by no means Hiro was going to let that opportunity slip.


    Using his natural pace, Hiro sprinted towards the opposing goalpost, gradually increasing his pace.


    0 km/h, 1 km/h,..... 29 km/h.


    By the time he crossed the centre line, he was already sprinting at his top speed.


    And although it wasn''t as shy as the skill "Lightning Steps" which allowed him attain his top speed instantly, his natural speed was still something to be feared.

 Chapter 195 A foul!?

    Chapter 195 A foul!?


    There were yers blocking his path. Standing infront of him like a huge sturdy mountain, they were the yers whom Kein had put his trust to stop Hiro.


    One of them being U-23 team''s defensive midfielder with bulky body.


    He was one of those few guys whose face and body greatly contrasted with each other. wlessly sculpted cheekbones, captivating dark hazel eyes and a perfectly straight nose, his face was simr to that of magazine models.


    However his body which was rather muscr and big made him look like a giant with small head.


    Already 22 years old, if one tried to guess his real age based on his looks then they''d greatly mistaken him as somebody who''s still 16 or 17 years old.


    He was Mao Suzuki, National U-23 teams defensive midfielder and also a reserve yer for Celtic.


    Transferring to the club only recently, his ying minutes were numbered. And because of the intensepetition, he hadn''t had many chances to y for the club. But even so, he had already made his debut for the team.


    And although his debut wasn''t as impactful as what was expected of him, his performance wasn''t terrible either.


    Now, that same yer who had made his debut in Scottish Premiership was blocking his path.


    Exuding an intimidating aura around him, he was giving the vibe of a minotaur which was guarding the gate of abyrinth.


    Even so, Hiro wasn''t a bit intimidated by his presence. On the contrary, he was more than prepared to take on that guy all by himself. He wasn''t afraid of challenges.


    Still sprinting the ball at his top speed, he approached Mao Suzuki who seemed very calm and unbothered.


    Dribbling being his greatest arsenal, he tried to dribble past the imposing defensive midfielder infront of him.


    However Mao Suzuki gave him no opening to dribble the ball past him. Not only did he keep Hiro upied, he also prevented Hiro from moving the ball further deep inside their territory.


    Intentionally stalling for time, he kept Hiro upied while waiting for his teammates to catch up.


    By that time, Hiro''s eleration had already slowed down. He tried to look for his teammates to pass the ball but all of them were upied.


    Even the yers behind him were being tightly marked. Despite that Hiro was still able to keep the hold of the ball against such an impressive yer.


    Being able to keep hold of the ball against a professional yer was already considered an impressive feat for most of the U-17 yers. But not for Hiro, since he was the best U-17 yer in all over Japan, he couldn''t afford to be normal.


    Even without anybody''s support, he had to get out of that predicament. Such was a burden ced upon Hiro.


    ''Now what will you do? You''re like a bird trapped inside a cage.'' Kazan thought while focusing his attention on Hiro.


    But little did he knew, Hiro wasn''t a bird trapped inside a cage. Rather he was a ferocious tiger trapped inside the cage who was constantly trying to look for an opportunity to break free from the cage.


    Hiro continued to struggle for a while. And just when Kein was about to catch up to him from behind, Hiro pretended to fall back.


    But then again instead of actually falling back, he made use of his fancy footworks and tried to dribble the ball past Mao Suzuki.


    And he sessfully managed to get the ball past Mao Suzuki. However just as he was about to chase after the ball, Mao Suzuki swayed his body inturn knocking Hiro on the ground.


    Thud!!


    Hiro fell down hard on the ground. He fell his side first. And instantly a stinging sharp pain circted all over his body as he shed against the ground.


    Beep!!!


    "Ahhhhh!!" Holding his right arm, Hiro cried out while writhing in pain.


    Mao Suzuki who was involved in that ident dumbfoundedly looked at the direction of Hiro. He was sure that he hadn''t pushed Hiro that hard. Infact he had only swayed his body a little to slow down Hiro.


    And as Hiro''s shrill cries resounded all over the pitch, the pitch got chaotic all of a sudden.


    While most yers from Hiro''s team avoided themotion, Shun, Yutaka, Tatsuki and Naoto came rushing towards the scene.


    Referee too, immediately rushed towards the scene of collision. Without even hearing anyone''s pleadings, he immediately took out a yellow card from his pocket and pointed it towards Mao Suzuki.


    "What?? I didn''t even push him that hard!" Upon getting booked for no reason, Suzuki tried to plead against referee''s decision.


    But the referee wasn''t willing to listen to him. He was adamant about his decision.


    And while some yers of U-23 team were swarming the referee to convince him to rethink his decision, Shun, Yutaro, Naoto and Tatsuki were gathered around Hiro.


    "You alright buddy?" Naoto spoke while supporting Hiro to stand, giving Hiro a concerned look.


    Acting like he was in pain, Hiro pretended that he was hurt, "Argh!! It just pains a little. I''m... alright"


    While he spoke those words he wasn''t lying. It did hurt him a little bit more than what he had expected.


    But apart from the light pain, he actually was pretending. Infact he had intentionally bumped against Mao Suzuki.


    Bumping against Mao Suzuki right when Kein was about to catch up to him. Letting out shrill cries even though he wasn''t hurt badly.


    Everything was staged by him.


    Completely aware that Mao Suzuki would use his massive body to block him if he tried to escape from him, Hiro had actually nned that collision.


    And since he rarely fell down and faked such fouls, nobody even became suspicious of Hiro. Afterall who could be suspicious of him if he could even deceive his own teammates.


    "I told them to y hard but I didn''t tell them to y this roughly." Tatsuki exasperated while looking at the direction of Kein and others.


    Tatsuki then strode towards the direction where Kein and few other yers pf U-23 were gathered.

 Chapter 196 A look of shock

    <h4>Chapter 196 A look of shock</h4>


    His body boiling with rage and his fist clenched, Tatsuki strode towards Mao Suzuki, while ring his nostrils.


    "He could have been injured seriously! Why are you ying so roughly?" Questioned Tatsuki as he reached closer to Suzuki.


    His voice carried a hint of anger and even his eyes were burning with rage.


    Just like how he did with the referee, Suzuki feigned ignorance as he pleaded, "I didn''t even push him that hard. Is he that frail?"


    Witnessing the two of them arguing with each other, Kein being the captain of his team immediately stepped in between them as he tried to separate the two of them, "Look we know Mao, I''m sure he just somehow slipped when he got pushed a little. Nobody among us want to injure him."


    Hiro who was only slightly hurt, smiled inwardly as he witnessed his n taking it''s effect.


    Winning the foul was only the initial part of his n, his main focus was to disrupt the harmony between the opposing yers.


    He knew that it was Tatsuki who had revealed his ystyle to the opposing yers. Thus, if his club teammates were going to use his weaknesses then he was also prepared to do whatever he can to win the match.


    ''Don''t me me for ying dirty Tatsuki. Afterall it was you who started this thing first.'' Thought Hiro while looking at the direction where Tatsuki was arguing with Mao.


    After some while yers of U-23 lined up together forming a wall infront of the freekick spot.


    And even though the freekick spot was like 30 yards away from the post, they still erected a wall to hinder Hiro''s shot.


    They very well knew that Hiro was capable of scoring from even the half-line.


    "Watch out for any possible gaps." Shouted Naoto from behind while guiding his teammates to cover up the spaces.


    Retracting few steps from the ball, Hiro stood straight infront of the ball. After quickly analysing the position of the yers infront, he then looked towards the direction of the ball.


    Waiting for the signal of referee, Hiro exhaled a deep breath before making his run towards the ball.


    Beep!!


    And as the referee blew his whistle, Hiro ran towards the ball. Hitting the ball with as much force as he can, he hit the ball in a spot where he could maximise his output.


    Bam!!!


    A loud sound resounded as Hiro''s leg made contact with the ball. There was so much power in his shot that even the ball wobbled vigorously before it left Hiro''s feet.


    The ball flew high above the wall of yers, straight towards the opposing goalpost. And as the ball attained it''s maximum height, it fell down rapidly. He hit an insanely powerful Knuckleball.


    While the wall acted as a safety measure to block the ball early in it''s track, it also greatly obstructed the vision of the keeper.


    Thus Naoto who had little to no vision of the ball could only rely on his wits to make that save. Naoto relying on his wits, dived towards the top right corner since most of the time Hiro only took freekick from his right.


    And a freekick from that distance, he was about 70 percent sure that Hiro was going to aim at the top right corner.


    But to his great surprise the ball actually flew opposite to the direction he had predicted.


    And before he could even dive towards the direction he had predicted, it was already toote. The ball found it''s way to the back of without any disturbance.


    The whole thing happened so fast that it felt like it happened in the blink of an eye.


    Thus for a short moment, the whole pitch got ghastly silent.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"


    Suddenly out of nowhere, yers of Hiro''s team erupted all of a sudden.


    At 39th minute of the match, Hiro once again gave his team the lead by scoring a magnificent freekick from 30 yards away.


    Drawing the talent "Ambipedal", sure came in handy. Moreover it also gave him the freedom to let him use the talent "Roberto Carlos''s Freekick", with both legs.


    Thus Naoto who wasn''t aware of the fact that Hiro could shoot equally powerful shot with both his feet was caught totally off-guard.


    "Damn!! He could shot that powerful shot with his left leg?" In a state of shock, one of the selecter mumbled.


    "Wasn''t his previous freekicks all from right leg?" Another selecter who had seen Hiro''s freekicks previously questioned with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    His eyes gleaming with excitement, Kazan''s heart was boiling with thrill and excitement. While focusing at the scene infront of him, arge amount of dopamine was being released in his mind making him feel extremely happy.


    ''Interesting so you''re saying that you can shoot such powerful shots with both your leg? Now what more can you do?'' Kazan mused.


    Putting two goals past that dominating U-23 team, it was clear that Hiro wasn''t your above average talent. He was someone capable of disying one man show.


    He was someone worth building the team around.


    Even Tatsuki who was part of the wall of the yers had a look of surprise on his face. Afterall it was also his first time seeing Hiro take such insane freekick with his left foot.


    Although he had seen Hiro take freekicks with his left leg before. But back then Hiro always went for a curl while taking freekicks with his left leg. And usually, he only used his left leg to take freekicks near the penalty box.


    He never took a powershot freekick with his left leg.


    Gradually the look of surprise on his face changed into trepidation as he realised how fast Hiro was evolving.


    In presence of Hiro, Tatsuki felt like he was standing infront of a huge mountain which kept growing.


    It hadn''t even been that long since hest yed with Hiro. In less than half a year, Hiro had already evolved to an unfathomable point, beyond his expectations.


    Looking at his lonely shadow, Tatsuki mumbled meekly, "If you continue to develop like this, we''ll always stay in your shadow."

 Chapter 197 Hope and Despair

    <h4>Chapter 197 Hope and Despair</h4>


    For a while almost every opposing yer were disying mixed emotions of astonishment, fear and disappointment on their faces. Especially Kein and Mao who were currently ying in Europe.


    ying in Europe, those two had seen all kind of yers with exceptional talents but even to them, Hiro seemed like a yer who was cut above rest.


    "With talent such as yours, it''s only a matter of time before you make it to Europe." With a subtle smile on his face, Kein mused.


    As cold as Kein looked a moment ago, he was once again smiling while looking at Hiro.


    After that goal, despite being the weaker team, once again Hiro''s team took the lead. Statistically looking, U-23 team were the better team in the field and there was no denying to that fact. But even so, Hiro''s team were more clinical.


    Till date they had only shot two shots and both of those shots were not only on target but both those shots had been converted into goal as well.


    And as the celebration of the yers came to an end, all of the yers returned back to their original position to resume the game.


    The flickering spark of mes in their eyes which was on the verge of extinguishing once again illuminated brightly as it ignited furiously. Once again, yers of Hiro''s team were starting to be hopeful.


    But it wasn''t only the yers of Hiro''s team whose eyes were glowing with determination, Tatsuki, Kein and few other yers of U-23 team were too now more motivated and determined than ever.


    Not even 2 minutes passed since Hiro''s second goal, Kein was already at the edge of the opposing penalty box.


    Stretching his legs, he was preparing to shoot the ball. His eyes as sharp as katana, Kein looked extremely intimidating at that moment.


    Just then as some defenders of Hiro''s team desperately stretched their legs to block Kein''s shooting course, Kein released the ball from his feet.


    Swiftly evading the reach of those defenders, the ball flew like a missile towards the goalpost.


    Noticing the iing ball, Shun leaped towards the direction of the ball, desperately trying tond a touch on the ball.


    But once again the result was rather disappointing, Shun couldn''tnd a touch on the ball. Barely avoiding the reach of Shun, it curled towards the top right corner of the post.


    Kein once again showed everybody present in the field why he''s the appointed captain of U-23 team despite having yers like Mao Suzuki who was already ying for a tier 1 team in Europe.


    His leadership qualities unquestionable, Kein was extremely skilled in terms of passing and controlling the pace of the game.


    However those weren''t the only traits which made him dangerous. He was exceptionally well at shooting balls from outside the box.


    And even though his shots weren''t as powerful aspared to Hiro or Tatsuki, it was still very precise. And moreover what made his shots dangerous wasn''t power, his shots were dangerous because of his technique and precision.


    As if he could see the path leading to the goal, most of his shots always ended up in the back of the as it left his foot.


    However because ofck of power, his shooting range was limited. And mostly he only took shots once he got close to 20-25 yards range.


    The game was now tied once again. But even so, the game was pretty much one sided. With U-23 team dominating the possession and shots, it was pretty much clear to the selecters outside the field that Hiro''s team wasn''t a match for U-23 team.


    And the only reason why they still looked like a contender was because of few extraordinary yers in Hiro''s team.


    To the selecters it didn''t matter if Hiro''s team won or lost, afterall there main focus was to identify the yers with better talents. And until now, they had roughly figured out abilities of all those 11 yers of Hiro''s team on the field.


    Despite conceding two goals, Shun wasn''t at fault. Afterall he was trying his best. And he only conceded two goals out of the 11 shots shot at him.


    Statistically speaking, Shun was saving almost more than 80 percent of the shots which is pretty impressive.


    So the problem sure didn''t lie on the keeper. Anybody who understood football could figure that out.


    Even so, despite saving most of the shots, Shun''s face was saying otherwise. He wasn''t a least bit proud. Infact he was quite furious and in a bitter mood.


    He wanted to cuss but he very well knew that if he cussed, he''d get a card. He was extremely frustrated, yet he spoke nothing to his teammates for their mistakes.


    And even Hiro was aware of the fact that anger inside Shun was bubbling like boiling tar.


    And it would have been a lie if he said that he wasn''t frustrated about the oue of the team. Afterall he had to spend so much effort to give his team the lead.


    And his teammates, they were easily blowing the lead away. As if Hiro could give them lead endlessly, they were so easily blowing their lead away to the point it seemed like his efforts were all useless.


    And it even seemed like they were mocking his efforts.


    After conceding that second goal, while Shun was still lying on the ground covering his eyes, looking all devastated, Hiro walked towards Shun.


    Looking at Shun''s bitter face, Hiro felt very sympathetic. Even when he conceded three goals in one of the Takamado Premier League match, he wasn''t as devastated as he was right now.


    Gritting his teeth, he was covering his eyes with his one hand while tightly clenching onto the grass with his other hand. His body was shaking and he seemed like he was on the verge of breaking.


    Upon looking at such pitiful sight of Shun, Hiro even started to doubt whether he said encourage him or leave him alone for a while.


    As such doubts started to surface on his heart, Hiro clenched his fist and mustered up some courage. After that he approached Shun. Stretching his hand towards Shun, Hiro spoke while looking at him, "What are you doing lying here, looking all pathetic. We still have more than 45 minutes left. We''ve got a game to y. So stand up."


    Hearing Hiro''s words, without uttering a single word Shun lifted his hand which was clenching onto the grass. And as he lifted his hand, he grabbed Hiro''s hand.


    Hiro then pulled him up.


    Although he was still feeling bitter about the goal which he had conceded just now, he tucked his feelings as he forced himself to speak, "No matter what. Even if we concede another 7 goals, I''ll still give my best. I''ll rather get beat down than lose the will to y the game."


    His voice was a little shaky and his eyes a little moist. But even so, his words were as heavy as blue whale.

 Chapter 198 Winning mentality

    <h4>Chapter 198 Winning mentality</h4>


    Just as Shun spoke those words, something perked up inside Hiro.


    He realised how wrong he was to think that his friend had lost his fighting spirit. Although he looked devastated, he hadn''t lost even a bit of his fighting spirit.


    The me inside him had dimmed but it hadn''t been extinguished yet.


    And even though he had approached Shun with the intention of cheering him up, Shun''s words actually cheered him instead.


    Hiro then nodded his head as he spoke, "Yeah let''s give our best."


    While saying those words, suddenly he realised something. He realised how devastated Yutaka would be feeling right now with his D+ mentality.


    Hiro then immediately shifted his gaze towards Yutaka. Looking at the direction of Yutaka, his premonition did actuallye true.


    Sulking his head, Yutaka was anxiously biting his nails. His countenance ghastly pale, he had a worried look on his face.


    Not only Yutaka but more than 5 or 6 yers of his team were in the same state as Yutaka. They all looked like zombies in jerseys who had lost their will to y any further.


    As if they were praying for the match to end right away, they all had an anxious look on their faces.


    However there were still some yers who looked a lot betterpared to the rest.


    As much as it pained to concede that goal, it also gave Hiro the opportunity to see the real colours of his teammates.


    Analysing and taking everything into ount, he finally knew about the yers he needed to continue the game.


    As there''s a saying, "A person with winning mentality sees opportunity even in adversaries."


    And by no means Hiro had a loser mentality in this present life. Although his previous life was a different story. In this present life, aftering this far, he had both the skills and healthy body of which the former hecked in his previous life.


    With less than 5 minutes remaining on the clock for the first half to end, Hiro began to rummage his mind to think of a strategy to turn the table.


    However he was also aware of his limits, so he wasn''t overstating his capabilities. With the avable yers, it was near to impossible topletely turn the table.


    At most he could only slightly reduce the dominance of opposing team.


    But right now he couldn''t do anything. Afterall they''d have to resume the game immediately thus giving him no time to talk to his teammates.


    Hiro could only sigh deeply while looking at the pathetic scene taking ce infront of him. Right now he was like a puppet king without any power.


    Even so he couldn''t simply watch while keeping his hands folded. Afterall he was still the captain of the team.


    So before the start of the match, he gave a short message to all the yers of his team, "Let''s all defend until the end of first half."


    Beep!!


    The game then resumed normally with referee''s whistle as every yer got to their respective positions.


    National U-23 team as aggressive and wless as ever, they continued to attack for the next five minutes giving Hiro''s team no break to regain theirposure.


    Showering Shun with shot after shot, they went on full offense. Coupled with the morale boost which they had attained after that goal from Kein, they were even more lethal now.


    Even so they couldn''t take the lead.


    As instructed by Hiro, everybody from Hiro''s team yed defensively for the next 5 minutes. And even though their form didn''t improve, they still somehow prevented the opposing team from scoring another goal and taking the lead.


    By the time the first half came to an end, almost every yer of Hiro''s team looked like surviving soldiers who had returned from the battlefield after a fierce battle.


    Sweat dripping from their body, their faces smeared with dirt and some with their legs wobbling, they looked extremely exhausted.


    Especially Shun, his condition was way terrible than the rest.


    Diving constantly and making that many saves, some part of his body were bruised. Even part of his green coloured jersey was tainted with blood.


    With his sweat invading his minor cut wounds and his body very sore, he looked like he was in lot of pain.


    Although he didn''t let out a single moan of pain, Hiro could notice Shun pursing his lips and gritting his teeths.


    Hiro''s condition wasn''t better either. After dropping deep, he had to throw his body countless times to prevent the opposing team from scoring goal.


    For the first time in his life, he had yed a game while putting his life on the line.


    National U-23 team on the other hand looked a lot better than Hiro''s team. Although their jerseys were drenched in sweat and some of them even looked exhausted, however most of them looked like they were still full of energy.


    And as the yers walked out of the pitch, some medics walked towards both the side to treat the injured yers.


    Nobody had expected that a simple friendly game to select the yers for U-17 team would turn this intense.


    Even the selecters were amazed by the tenaciousness and perseverance shown by Hiro, Shun and few other yers of Hiro''s team.


    The sky a mixture of ck and blue, sun''s rays were already dimmed as it was on the verge of setting downpletely.


    Mist like white clouds were floating in the sky. Stars and moon had finallye out of their hiding while the sky was turning darker.


    Just when Hiro was looking at the sky and thinking how peaceful the sky looked, sudden bright lighting from the floodlights made him squint his eyes.


    And as the floodlights were turned on, once again the ground was illuminated brightly.


    The ground wasn''t the only thing which the floodlights illuminated, his mind was also illuminated as he remembered that he had a job to do.


    Hiro then walked infront of his teammates while the medics were treating the injured yers.


    Even the yers who were not looking infront were drawn by Hiro''s silhouette as they noticed Hiro''s elongated shadow falling towards them.


    Looking at Hiro''s lonely figure, they started to wonder about Hiro''s announcement. They could very well telll that he stood infront of them to speak something.


    His expression solemn and his tone full of vigor, Hiro spoke, "Most of you may think that it''s impossible to win against National U-23 team, but I very much disagree with that thought. They were dominant but since the beginning of the match we were in the lead."

 Chapter 199 Subtle changes

    199 Subtle changes


    And as Hiro began to speak, eyes of every yer in his team were naturally drawn towards him.


    "They can strike all they want. But I don''t fear them. Do you know why?"


    While making his speech, Hiro suddenly questioned the yers who were listening to his speech.


    Even so, nobody had any answers to his questions. They were absolutely clueless. Thus, nobody dared to answer his question.


    However their reaction was pretty much within his expectations. He knew for sure that nobody had answers to his questions. Afterall their situation was so miserable that it would have been a miracle if anybody in his team was still somewhat cool-headed to answer his questions.


    Even so he was intentionally asking them such questions to see if there were yers who could defy his expectations. But s! There was none.


    "Because I know Shun will protect the goal. As long as he''s guarding the post he''ll even give his life to protect every single iing ball."


    Upon hearing his name spoken with such reverence, Shun who was currently being treated couldn''t help but look at Hiro with look of astonishment on his face.


    Different kinds of emotions such as admiration, happiness, astonishment started to bubble inside him as he heard Hiro''s words.


    Afterall it was his first time hearing such words of praises from Hiro. And even the mere fact that Hiro trusted him so much was enough for him to regain his confidence.


    And Hiro who spoke such words may or may not be aware about the impact of such words on Shun. But Shun who was listening to his words was greatly touched by his words.


    To the point, for a while, while listening to Hiro''s words Shun even forget the pain he was feeling. He was so lost in his thoughts that Shun couldn''t even hear Hiro''s words properly for a while. To Shun, Hiro''s figure infront of him was like a video without any sound.


    Hiro however hadn''t finished his speech, "Just like how Shun is defending the goalpost, if every single one of us execute our roles well then we''ll even challenge the U-23 team. If one yer ying with all his effort could have such an impact on the match then imagine what would happen if every single one of us y like our life depends on the match?"


    As Hiro spoke such words, the intention behind his speech became clear to some of the yers. And as if they came to a sudden realisation, subconsciously those yers nodded their head as they clenched their fist tightly while looking Hiro with a determined look on their eyes.


    "Remember, the thougher the opponent the more highly we''ll get evaluated. So everyone in the next half let''s give our best." Saying such Hiro ended his speech.


    His speech however didn''t seem much effective as few yers still looked the same. They still looked like they hadpletely given up on the match.


    However the yers whom he had identified with better mentality back then lookedpletely different. Clearly to them, his intentions had been made clear as they all looked more motivated than before.


    ''Well I''m not a public speaker who can move people with my words.'' Hiro sighed deeply while looking at the state of some yers.


    Then again he shrugged as he looked at yers who were now more motivated than ever. At least his speech wasn''t totally wasted as it still produced some results.


    Hiro then made few changes to his team. Substituting few yers, he made slight changes to the formation.


    And even though Yutaka''s condition wasn''t much better aspared to those yers he had substituted, he didn''t substitute Yutaka. Afterall Yutaka was one of the most important yer he needed for his n toe into fruition. He was one of the most important cog to turn his wheel.


    After 10 minutes break, yers of both the team once again positioned themselves in their respective positions to continue the second half.


    National U-23 team made only a single substitution aspared to Hiro''s team who made use of 3 substitutions.


    However given the severity of the situation, if there were 5 extra yers in his team, Hiro would have even considered making 5 substitutions instead of 3.


    Changing their formation from 4-1-2-3 to 4-2-1-3, Hiro was now ying in defensive midfield position instead of his original position which meant Yutaka was the only attacking midfielder in his team currently.


    Positioning at the defensive midfield position, Hiro began to analyse the changes in opposing team.


    Only substituting one of the yers, there wasn''t much changes in their formation.


    Just when Hiro was analysing the formation of the opposing team, referee blew his whistle and signalled the start of the second half.


    Beep!!


    With referee''s whistle, the second half then begun.


    Still pretty much one sided, National U-23 team continued to dominate the game. However unlike before, they weren''t able to move the ball in the opposing defensive third as effortlessly as before.


    Hiro''s choices of adding new yers was proved to be right as those new yers who were added in the second half were covering a lot of distances unlike the previous yers who were standing in the pitch like somekind of mannequin.


    Because of the constant movement of opposing yers, yers of U-23 were finding it a little hard to move the ball forward.


    But it didn''t mean that they weren''t able to move the ball forward. They were still moving the ball in the opposing defensive third and they were still taking shots.


    However their movements and ys were a little more restrained aspared to before.


    At 70th minute of the match, one of yers of Hiro''s team made a terrible mistake, he failed to clear the ball properly.


    During the process of clearing the ball because of the pressure from Tatsuki, right back of Hiro''s team in a state of panic couldn''t clear the ball properly. He rashly kicked the ball. The ball thennded on the feet of Kazuya, Hiro''s previous teammate.


    Kazuya inturn quickly passed the ball to Mao Suzuki who left his position to go on offense. Just like a charging bull, Mao Suzuki made use of his physique and speed to get past through Team 1''s midfield.

 Chapter 200 Ronaldo Chop

    <h4>Chapter 200 Ronaldo Chop</h4>


    Mao Suzuki then as he got infront of the penalty box made a shot. Taking shot from his right foot which also happened to be his strong foot, he performed a powerful long range shot.


    His shot was even more powerful than Tatsuki''s. The ball as it left his foot instantly found it''s way at the back of the after swiftly evading Shun''s reach.


    Despite the power Mao put into the shot, Shun tried his best to save the ball nheless. However his effort were still proved to be futile as the ball still evaded his reach and found it''s way to the back of the.


    Scoring a fabulous goal from outside the box, Mao Suzuki gave his team the lead for the first time since the begining of the match.


    And even though Shun was upset, unlike before, he immediately got up. He then walked towards the post and grabbed the ball, gesturing his teammates to start the match immediately without wasting any time.


    Shun''s actions caught attention of few of his teammates. They all were impressed by Shun''s fighting spirit.


    Hiro''s earlier praises and Shun''s present action coincided perfectly as they noticed the determined look on his face.


    Taking the ball out of the, Shun yelled, "Don''t mind. Don''t mind. We''ll get one back. Everyone return to your position."


    His words extremely encouraging and full of vigor, yers in the field could only look at him with eyes full of respect.


    Shun''s actions and words didn''t go unnoticed as the selecters outside the field caught a glimpse of Shun''s unwavering mentality.


    "That kid has the potential quality to be leader as well."


    "Yeah! He''s a good seed. Mentality, tenaciousness, talent, he possesses all."


    Few selectors outside the field looked quite impressed. They were all praising Shun.


    At that time, Hiro too approached the guy who cost them that goal. However he didn''t approach him to vent his anger. Instead he approached the guy to elevate him and cheer him up for that guy looked quite depressed.


    "Don''t worry. It''s not your mistake. You were just pressured." Softly spoke Hiro to the guy who cost them that goal as he tried to cheer him up.


    "But it was because of me that we conceded this goal. I... Became nervous after seeing senior Tatsuki approaching." Meekly spoke the guy.


    His voice trembled as he spoke those words. Clearly he was quite regretful.


    "Sorry... Hiro. You put so much... Trust in me... But I broke your trust."


    Clearly the guy was thinking that it was his fault that they conceded that goal. It was true that he was one of the reason why they conceded that goal just now. But he wasn''t entirely at fault either.


    He did panic while making that clear. But it was also the job of Hiro and other few guys in the defence to stop Mao from moving forward.


    "Don''t me yourself anymore Kentaro. We too failed to stop Mao from moving the ball forward. It''s our fault too. So don''t put the entire me on yourself."


    Saying such, Hiro tried to ease up his guilt.


    Although Hiro''s words didn''t cheer him uppletely, it still cleared some of his doubts as he finally lifted his head to look Hiro in the eyes.


    Until now, due to guilt, he had been trying to avoid making eye contact with Hiro.


    But as he lifted his head to look at Hiro, he found Hiro with a solemn look on his face. It didn''t seem like he was there to reprimand him. Hiro''s eyes disyed genuine worry.


    Kentaro then mustered some courage, "I won''t get intimidated again Hiro. I''ll try my best not to drag the team down."


    Hearing kentaro''s response, Hiro slightly lifted the corner of his mouth as he revealed a gentle smile on his face. Satisfied with kentaro''s response, Hiro sincerely nodded his head, "That''s why I selected you Kentaro."


    After that Hiro rushed towards his position as he gave instructions to his teammates to cheer up and position themselves to resume the match.


    This time Hiro''s team went on the offense. Despite ying in defensive midfield position, team 1''s y was still centered around Hiro.


    Moving the ball upfield after getting past Kazuya, Hiro was now at the edge of the attacking third.


    Just when moving the ball forward, he noticed the sight of Yutaka in the periphery of his vision.


    Hiro then passed the ball to Yutaka and activated his skill perseverance simultaneously.


    Yutaka quickly returned the pass as he performed one-two pass with Hiro. Hiro inturn performed a chop and once again returned the ball back to Yutaka.


    Just like that those two evaded Mao Suzuki and one of the centre back of U-23 team.


    Hiro then making us of his skill "Lightning Steps", dashed towards the inside of the box.


    Yutaka made a through ball to Hiro who was closing towards the post.


    Passing the ball right between the leg of the only centre defender who was rushing towards Hiro, Yutaka showed why he possessed the talent passing expert.


    Till this moment, despite his weak mentality, Yutaka had rarely made any wrong passes. Infact until now all of his passes have been so urate.


    Even the yers of U-23 team couldn''t help but wonder how he was doing such. Afterall Yutaka''s anxious face was giving them the impression of him being a weak minded guy who would panic and make a lot of mistakes.


    However contrary to their expectations Yutaka had rarely made any mistakes.


    Even now, he had supplied a brilliant through ball to Hiro.


    As clinical as ever, Hiro didn''t waste this godsend opportunity. Stretching his left leg, it seemed like Hiro was going to use his left leg to shoot the ball.


    However instead of shooting with his left leg, he rolled his leg over the ball as he faked the shot. Instead he used his right foot to make the shot.


    While most yers only used chop to dribble the ball, Hiro used "Ronaldo Chop" to score the goal.


    Misguiding the keeper, Hiro tricked the keeper and scored the goal.


    At 79th minute of the game, once again Hiro''s team tied the game as Hiropleted a hattrick.

 Chapter 201 Sadness

    Chapter 201 Sadness


    The moon, a silver crescent, casted a soft glow upon thendscape, illuminating the world below in a spellbinding dance of light and shadow.


    Under the moonlight, the once lively pitch was now as silent as a grave. And only the rustling sound of wind could be heard in the once lively pitch.


    However the same couldn''t be said to the two-storey building which was a little far from the pitch where Hiro and his teammates yed a match some moments ago.


    Bustling with the chatters and noise of utensils shing against the furnitures, yers were gathered in the cafeteria to have their dinner.


    While some had already gotten their dinner, some were standing in the queue to get their dinner.


    The food was being served ording to the ranking of the yers which meant the lower the number, the faster they could get their dinner.


    While some were cheerful, some were depressed, some annoyed, some indignant and some indifferent.


    In that spacious cafeteria, different emotions were shing against each other just like different colours mixing together to form a marvelous painting.


    "We won the game today and I even scored a goal today. I''m sure I''m gonna be rated highly in today''s match. I just can''t wait to wear jersey with improved number tomorrow." Excitedly spoke one of the yer while flinging his chopsticks.


    "Yeah we won the game today. So our rankings should change."


    "But what happened to team 1? They had drawn the most fearsome team today."


    "I heard that they lost the game."


    "Well it''s no surprise that they lost the game. Afterall they were up against U-23 team."


    "So does that mean his ranking will fall down?"


    Such were the talks going on between the yers. Everybody were discussing about the earlier match.


    Those who had won their match were pretty excited about the ranking announcement which was going to be held tomorrow morning.


    However those who had lost the match had a dark face. As if dark clouds were looming over their head, their face looked pretty gloomy.


    Sitting at the corner of the cafeteria, Hiro was looking quite lost. In a state of trance, Hiro was nkly staring at the food infront of him.


    Although his eyes were looking at the food ced infront of him, his thoughts seemed like it was drifting somewhere else.


    Same was the situation with Shun who was sitting infront of him. As if he was dead inside, there was no spark in his eyes and his eyes lookedpletely dull and lifeless.


    Some part of his face looked swollen and quite a few blue and red marks could be seen on his handsome face.


    Clearly he had suffered a lot in today''s match. While the yers infront didn''t have to make use of all their body parts, he had to use every part of his body to make the saves.


    Diving countless times to make countless saves, he had saved 18 important shots in today''s match.


    Grabbing onto his chopsticks, he was thinking about the earlier match.


    Especially the moment when he conceded the goal in 90th minute which cost them the match.


    Even that winning goal in the 90th minute, he conceded it purely because of his fatigue and exhaustion. Making countless saves in the match, he was so worn out that it was even a miracle that he was able to stand properly till the final whistle.


    That tragic scene was reying repeatedly inside his head to the point, he wasn''t even able to react now.


    After equalising the game in the 79th minute of the match with Hiro''s third goal, they tightened their defence.


    They were determined to draw the game at the least. And everything seemed like it was going well as well. However at thest minute of the match, Tatsuki scored an incredible goal and won the match for his team.


    Slurp!! Slurp!!


    Just then while thinking about the match, a slurping sounding from beside them woke them up from their reverie.


    Awakening from their reverie, those two looked towards the direction where the slurping sound wasing from.


    Just as they turned their gaze towards the direction where the sound wasing from, they found Yutaka gulping the soup while making loud slurping noise.


    Unaware about the gaze from the two people seated beside him, Yutaka continued to drink his soup, totally unbothered.


    While putting down the bowl, as he identally turned towards the direction of Hiro, Yutaka finally noticed the gaze which were focused on him.


    Meekly Yutaka then turned towards Shun.


    Noticing their gazes, he realised how carefree he was being right now. Even though he was at a much worst situation than the two of them before in the match, currently he was acting so carefree.


    As if the lost in the earlier match didn''t bother him in the slightest, he was happily having his dinner while his friends were still depressed about the match.


    He wasn''t the type of yer who would think about the lost he incurred for a long time. He was just the type of person who would just be sad for a while then forget about the loss and go on living his normal life.


    He didn''t give a shit about improving after incurring failure. And that was probably one of the reason why he wasn''t being able to live upto his potential and also probably the main reason behind his weak mentality.


    He was simply too carefree.


    However Hiro and Shun were different. After incurring a loss, they weren''t the type of yer to forget their losses so easily.


    Even until now, they were depressed about the loss. And even now, those two were analysing what went wrong.


    They were the type of yers who liked to learn from their failures. But they were also the type of yers who hated losing more than anything else.


    Even in Hiro''s previous life when he was a nobody, he was the same. He hated losing more than anything else.


    But that was also one of the reason which took his life. He took losses so personally that when he found out that he couldn''t y anymore, he even forfeited his life.


    Yeah his mentality was that of a loser. But his passion for football, it was all genuine. He loved football even more than his own life.


    Now in this life after suffering such a defeat despite attaining the best possible talent, it was only natural for him to be upset.


    Afterall he had given his all in today''s match. He had tried so hard yet he lost the game with a score of 4:3.

 Chapter 202 Priority targets

    <h4>Chapter 202 Priority targets</h4>


    Going eleven match undefeated, his first defeat of the season came in today''s match against National U-23 team.


    And even though those bunch of yers from National U-23 team were talented, by no means he considered himself inferior to them.


    And probably that''s one of the main reason why he''s so upset about the loss he incurred a moment ago.


    While most of the yers of his team simply consoled themselves by telling themselves that they lost to National U-23 team because they were just too inferior to their opponent, Hiro thought differently.


    And probably because of that reason most of his teammates had already recovered from the shock.


    "They did lose the game today. But didn''t you hear the full details?"


    Bunch of kids were still gossiping about the match between team 1 and national U-23 team.


    "What details?" Curiously asked another kid.


    "They only lost by a goal. And their captain even managed to score a hattrick against those invincible looking national U-23 team."


    "What!!!"


    "He scored hattrick against them?? Are you sure you''re not joking with us?"


    Since every yer headed to their respective dormitory after the end of the match, it wasn''t possible for the yers in other pitches to know about the result of Hiro''s team firsthand.


    They could only wait until tomorrow, if they wanted to know the result from the mouth of the coaches.


    For now they only got to know about the result through the rumour surfacing in the camp. Although the source of rumour remained unknown and nobody knew from where the rumour circted.


    "Yeah I''m not sure but I heard that while returning to dormitory some guys heard the coaches and selecters talking about how impressive his performance was against National U-23 team."


    As one of the yer spoke such words while overtly exaggerating the rumours he heard, everyone in their group curiously turned towards the location where Hiro was seated.


    Stealing a peek of Hiro, they were cautious enough to avoid locking eyes with Hiro or any other yer who were seated beside Hiro.


    And even though Hiro was frowning at that moment, those yers mistook Hiro''s expression. Instead of thinking that he was simply sad about the match, they mistook his worried face thinking that he wasn''t even content with scoring a hattrick against national U-23 team.


    "Damn!! If I had scored that many goals against such opponents I would have been flying in the clouds right now." Enviously stated one of the yer.


    "Don''tpare yourself to him." Another yer seated beside him scoffed, "He''s the national prodigy whom everybody is expecting to be the next big thing in world football. You both are like heaven and earth apart."


    Hearing his words, the yer from before who made such an enviousment turned totally speechless as his face flushed, "....."


    "Hahahaha"


    "Yeah Hideyoshi is right. Hahahah....."


    The other yers gathered beside them burst intoughter.


    Just then Hiro who was looking at the direction of Yutaka shifted his gaze towards those bunch of yers who were looking at him.


    Those bunch of yers immediately retracted their gaze as they tried to avoid meeting eyes with Hiro.


    Acting as if they were not looking at him, they pretended to look away from Hiro.


    ''Do I look too sad that even those bunch of kids noticed my sadness?'' Thought Hiro while looking towards the direction where those bunch of yers who were staring at him a moment ago were seated.


    ''No it won''t do. I need to stop thinking about the loss. We still have many more matches left. I can''t distract myself with this match only.'' Thought Hiro as he lossened his stiff expression.


    Thinking such, Hiro tried to free his mind from thinking about the loss which they incurred a moment ago.


    After that he tried to cheer Shun who was also in the same situation as him, "Shun we need to stop thinking about the loss now. After this loss our ranking might drop. However, remember we also have four more matches left."


    Hearing Hiro''s words, Shun nodded his head as he spoke, "Yeah, you''re right. We still have four more matches. We''ll perform well in those matches and get selected in the U-17 team."


    Saying such, the two of them finally started eating. Pondering for a long time, their food had gotten somewhat cold.


    Even the boiling hot miso soup had be lukewarm.


    **** ****


    At the same time while Hiro and other yers were having their dinner, some old guys were gathered in a spacious office room.


    At the middle of the room was a rectangr long wodden table. And around the table were about 16 chairs ced at a certain distance apart from each.


    Among those 16 chairs, 9 seats were currently upied in total. And the seat at the first row was out of ce as the person who was seated at that seat was currently standing infront of one end of the long table.


    At one end of the wodden table was a movable whiteboard. And infront of the whiteboard was the head coach of U-17 team giving his presentation.


    "In today''s match, Akutsu was really impressive. His flexible ying style is exactly what we need in a centre defender. Not only can he defend well, he can also disrupt the form of opposing yer." Spoke the head coach while vouching for Akutsu.


    Just as he finished his words, Kazan who was also seated at the first row chair opposite to head coach Haruki Ozeki stood from his seat.


    "From our side of the pitch, I''ve mainly three yers in my mind. Takahashi Hiro, Shun Yabuzoe and Yutaka Inoue. They are the ones who impressed me the most."


    "No matter the result of the training camp, we need to draft this three yers in the team. If we let go of even one among those three we''ll regret it."


    While Kazan was speaking, coach Haruki interrupted Kazan, "How can we do this? We still have 6 more days left to decide. We can''t decide the team based on a single match."


    As coach Haruki finished his sentence, some selecters who were present in the match between Hiro''s team and national U-23 team too expressed their dissatisfaction with Kazan''s decision.


    "Although I agree with selecting Hiro as the priority target I don''t get why Shun and Yutaka are also given the priority?"


    "Yeah didn''t Shun actually concede 4 goals? The most among all those three matches held today."


    "And Yutaka was so out of ce in midway and he also looked quite nervous."


    While they expressed their dissatisfaction, Kazan spoke nothing. Instead he listened ardently without interrupting them.


    But as they finished their words, Kazan spoke, "Don''t forget who they were ying against. And also he conceded only 4 goals among 22 which were shot at him. Not to mention those game changing clearance and cool-headedness."


    "And Yutaka, his passing is way too urate. Also you all seemed to be forgetting the passes which he made despite looking nervous. He may be frail but his talent isn''t frail."

 Chapter 203 Changes in the ranking

    <h4>Chapter 203 Changes in the ranking</h4>


    Slowly illuminating the east sky with it''s golden rays, morning sun made it''s appearance, signifying the arrival of dawn.


    And as the morning sun made it''s appearance, the sky transformed from a deep dark blue to a warm orangy-pink, like a watercolour paintinging to life.


    Under the golden glow of the morning sun, it seemed like that the earth was awakening from it''s slumber.


    However despite the light in the sky, some yers were still yawning while standing in the pitch. Their eyes half closed, they were having trouble waking themselves fully from their state of sleepiness.


    Fluttering along with the wind, Hiro''s curly ck hair was dancing while his skin was glowing in golden colours reflecting the rays of the morning sun.


    Standing in the front row of one of the queue, Hiro was standing attentively. Hiro''s brown eyes looked rather focused today. Unlike yesterday, there were no worries in his eyes.


    Just like Hiro, many yers present in the pitch were also looking at the direction of the entrance of the pitch as if they were eagerly waiting for somebody''s arrival.


    Some gossiping while somezing around, some expectant while some anxious, different yers were showing different reactions.


    Just then while they were waiting, coaches and selecters of National U-17 team entered the pitch. Slowly walking towards the location where the yers were gathered, some of them were carrying notebooks in their hands.


    With the arrival of the coaches, those yers who were continuously yawning, their eyes finally opened fully as they straightened their drooped shoulders.


    Just likemon soldiers queued up infront of their senior, almost everybody straightened their backs immediately as they assumed an attentive position.


    "Good morning yers." Greeted head coach Haruki Ozeki. Despite the warm greetings, his voice still sounded a little hoarse and his face still looked the same.


    "Good morning sirs."


    In an energetic tone, most of the yers replied while few continued toze around.


    "I''ll cut straight to the chase. Most of you yed well yesterday. While few of you seemed quiteckluster. So I''m sure everybody knows the motive of this meeting, right?"


    "Yes sir" Replied most of the yers while nodding their head.


    "Then no matter the results, I''m hoping that every single one of you will ept the oue gracefully without making any scenes."


    Haruki then without wasting any time began to announce the name of the yers. The yers whose name were spoken walked towards the coaches to collect their jerseys.


    One by one, they distributed the jerseys to the yers. Yesterday after the match, they took the jersey from the yers so that they could swap the jerseys.


    And as thest yer got his jersey, jersey distribution finally came to an end.


    Upon getting their hands on the jersey, some yers face brightened while some yers face darkened. Few were excited about the jersey which they received while few looked pretty dejected.


    As if it wasn''t the oue which they were hoping for, some yers looked quite unsatisfied. Still as instructed by head coach Haruki, nobody dared to speak a single word.


    Hiro who had gotten his jersey before anyone else looked indifferent. Just like a huge sturdy mountain, his gazes remained unfazed as his facial expression showed no changes.


    Even after losing the match yesterday, his ranking remained unchanged. He was still the yer with the jersey number 1.


    However Shun''s face showed somewhat unexpected reaction. No matter what ranking he''d get, he had pretty much steeled himself to ept the oue without anyints.


    However even so, a part of him was hoping for him to maintain his ranking while a part of him was fearing his downfall.


    Now that he got his jersey, his temples were wrinkled while his eyes were open wide. He had a look of surprise on his face.


    "This..." Murmured Shun while looking at the jersey in his hands.


    "Is this for real?" Still somewhat bbergasted, Shun pinched his cheeks as he tried to test whether he was in dream or reality.


    But the moment he pinched his cheeks, his eyes glowed as a smile formed on his face. Just like a blooming flower, his face bloomed as he suddenly mumbled in ecstasy, "My ranking improved..."


    Hearing Shun''s loud voice, Hiro who was standing infront of him abruptly turned behind.


    Turning behind, his eyes firstnded on Shun who was looking all cheerful. After that his eyes slowly drifted on other yers in his team.


    Most of them seemed pretty depressed while only few looked somewhat better. Judging by the reactions which they were disying, Hiro could pretty much tell that almost most of the yers in his team had dropped their ranking while only few had managed to either keep their ranking or improve their ranking.


    "What number did you get Yutaka?" Questioned Hiro as he finished analysing the reaction of the yer in his team.


    "Somehow I still got the number 7." Casually replied Yutaka.


    While Hiro was conversing with his friends, few other yers were also gossiping about Hiro.


    The way they talked about Hiro made it seem like they cared for Hiro''s ranking more than they cared about their own.


    As there''s a saying, "Jealous people cares more about others than they care about themselves."


    "Do you think he got demoted?"


    "Judging by his reaction, it doesn''t seem like he got demoted"


    "He could be putting facade too?"


    "No way, he''d do that. That''s just his natural expression. Sometimes it makes me feel like that he''s somekind of robot."


    After a while, selecters and coaches then began to name the yers who performed exceptionally well in yesterday''s match.


    They also pointed mistakes of the yer''s who performed poorly in yesterday''s match.


    Speaking about their strengths and ws, coaches continued to guide the yers for a while. And only after they finished pointing the strengths and ws of the yers did they start the morning training.


    Training in the morning and matches in the evening, that''s how Hiro and other yers were going to spend their days.

 Chapter 204 End of training camp

    Chapter 204 End of training camp


    Following the same routine day after day, six more days passed. Training in the morning and matches in the evening.


    However unlike the days before, on the sixth day something different happened. The rank changes no longer took ce on the sixth day.


    Obviously the sudden change rose the curiosity of the yers. So they did raise their voice to question about the changes.


    In response, the coaches simply replied, "We are in the crucial stage of deciding the yers. And we''ve already selected most of the yers however there are still some spots left vacant, so everybody give your all to grab the spot."


    The meaning behind those words weren''t profound and was rather as clear as crystal. It was simply to encourage those yers who were ranked lower until then and also to test the attitude of top yers.


    And somehow their words did produce some results as well. Because of those words, some yers who were ranked bottom gave their all to make it to the team while some yers simply quit.


    Probably the reason behind why they said those words was to test the mentality of the yers.


    Probably they wanted to see if top yers could still maintain their demeanour and give their best despite hearing that most of the yers were already selected.


    It was also to test the mentality of the yers in the bottom. They probably wanted to see if yers who were ranked bottom could still give their best despite having little to no hope to grab onto the spots which were left vacant.


    Regarding the sixth team also known as the wild card team for the rest of the days, they faced different University teams and finally at thest day, they faced the previous J-2 league champion Jubilo Iwata a professional team based in Iwata, located in Shizuoka prefecture.


    Obviously Hiro never dropped his ranking in the entire 5 days. He maintained his dominance and clenched the top spot for the entirety of the ranking evaluation.


    And since he maintained his ranking, two yers from his team remained unchanged. Those two yers were obviously Shun and Yutaka.


    Learning from his mistakes and failures, Shun showed the most improvement out of those three.


    Yutaka with the influence of Hiro and Shun, he  too improved slightly. Especially his mentality, he was now starting to put some effort in improving himself. Although he couldn''t maintain his focus for a long time, it was still better than before.


    And only in the fourth day did Hiro''s team faced the wild card team again. As for the rest of the days, they faced the team of the yers present in the camp.


    Racking an impressive 16 goals in 7 matches, Hiro was way too dominant. To the point, the second person who scored the most after Hiro had only 6 goals.


    And although Hiro didn''t gain any skills or talent from the seven day training camp, he gained something even more valuable.


    He gained insight about his shorings and also he tasted the bitterness of defeat after so long time.


    And in those seven matches he only lost one single game, even the game against one of the university team in the fourth day, his team somehow drew the game.


    **** ****


    Queued up in the pitch, all those 70 yers were now awaiting for the announcement of the coaches. Their seven day training camp had finally came to an end.


    And unlike other days, today all those yers were dressed in casual clothes. Their hands grabbing onto their luggage, they were preparing to bid farewell to the training camp.


    Also they were awaiting for the announcement of the name of yers who had made it to the National U-17 team.


    Not even a single cloud marred the perfection of the vast expanse, as if nature in it''s benevolence had decided to gift humanity with a day of unblemished beauty. Sunlight cascading abundantly from above, today''s weather was very clear.


    Under the sunlight, countless shadows of the yers standing in the pitch had covered a quarter of the area of the pitch.


    Soon some more shadows appeared in the ground as coaches and selecters entered the pitch.


    Even till this date, head coach Haruki''s face looked the same. His eyes sharp and his brows knotted, he had the same stern looking face.


    Infact in all those seven days, not even a single yer saw him smile. As if he had vowed to keep that expression for the entirety of his life, head coach Haruki no matter how impressed he was, he never smiled in those seven days.


    May be he did smile secretly. But since nobody saw him smile, who knows if he smiled or not.


    Finally those shadows stopped as coaches and selecters stood infront of the yers.


    Swiping his gaze across the yers standing infront of him, head coach Haruki stepped infront to speak something.


    At first he slightly cleared his throat and then only he started speaking, "Ahum!!!"


    "First of all, I''d like to congratte each and every single one of you for making it this far without any injuries."


    As stated by coach Haruki, not even a single yer had gotten injured gravely in those seven days. Although few got injured slightly, everyone evaded serious injuries.


    p!! p!! p!!


    yers started pping their hands as coach Haruki congratted them. Then again, they quickly stopped as they noticed coach Haruki hadn''t finished his speech.


    "You guys have done well. Although few of you performed lousily, most of you have done well. Especially Hiro, just in 7 matches, he has managed to score 16 goals. So I''d also like to request all of you to p your hands to honour his remarkable achievement. He deserves it."


    As coach Haruki requested the yers to show some respect to Hiro''s achievements, all of the yers started to p their hands.


    Some envious while some genuinely happy for him, even so all of the yers pped their hands.


    "It''s pretty much fixed that he''ll get selected."


    Those were the thoughts of most of the yers.

 Chapter 205 Farewell

    <h4>Chapter 205 Farewell</h4>


    After praising Hiro, head coach Haruki continued to praise those yers who performed exceptionally well in those seven matches and training.


    Other yers whom coach Haruki praised were Shun, Akutsu, Yutaka, Taki, Takeshi Ono and Tominaga Nijichi.


    While he praised those yers who performed well in the training camp, he also didn''t hold himself back from reprimanding those who didn''t perform well in the training camp.


    However even though those words carried deep meanings, those weren''t the words which most of the yers wanted to hear at the moment. All of them were eagerly waiting to hear the name of the selected yers.


    Thus most of the yers didn''t pay much attention to the yers who performed well or who didn''t perform well.


    They couldn''t care less about others. Everybody had to worry about themselves first before worrying about someone else.


    Even so, the same could not be said to every yers as there were still few yers who ardently listened to the constructive criticism given by coach Haruki.


    Afterall only a yer who wants to improve would know the real value behind the criticism from such an experienced coach.


    Finallying to the topic which everybody wanted to hear, head coach Haruki continued, "I''m sure that every single one of you are dying to hear the name of the yers who are selected for the national U-17 team. However we are not going to announce the name of the yers today."


    As coach Haruki said those words, almost at the same time most of the yers sighed deeply as they mumbled in surprise, "What??"


    "What does he mean by saying that the yer announcement won''t happen today?"


    "Does this mean that yer selection hasn''te to an end yet?"


    "Do we have to face even more trials?"


    Such were theints of the yers as they heard the announcement of coach Haruki.


    But before the issue got even bigger, coach Haruki assured the yers that selection had indeede to an end.


    "Before you all start to think that the selection process is still ongoing. I''d like to clear such doubts. The selection process has indeede to an end and there won''t be more trials as we have already made our decisions."


    "However the announcement regarding the selected yers, it won''t happen today. You all will be notified about your results via emails. And the results will also be made public, so make sure to check newspapers and JFA''s official webpage."


    Saying such, coach Haruki finished his speech and retracted his steps back to join other coaches.


    After that assistant coach Kazan stepped infront to speak few words.


    Sweeping his gaze across the yers, Kazan cleared his throat as he lifted his portable speaker. That white coloured portable speaker which he was carrying had be his identity in these seven days.


    Everyday he''de to the pitch while carrying that same speaker. And because of such reasons, Kazan had even gained the nickname of "Speaker Devil"


    Nobody knows from whom or where that nickname emerged. But everybody called Kazan with such nickname instead of calling him with his real name.


    Obviously nobody dared to call him with such nickname to his face.


    "As mentioned by coach Haruki, you all will be notified about your results via your email within few weeks. So make sure to check your emails time to time. And those who are part of the club, we''ll also mail their club. Also the same goes for the yers who ys for school, we''ll mail the school."


    "Those who have performed well in those seven days, they don''t need to worry. However those of you who have not performed well in those seven days, you pretty much have no chance to make it, so you lot should also not worry as you''ll only worry for nothing."


    Unlike coach Haruki, Kazan didn''t give a shit about hurting the feelings of yers. He liked those with good mentality and despised those who seemedckluster.


    Even in past seven days, he was always strict regarding his evaluation. Just because somebody ranked higher didn''t mean he''d evaluate them better than those who ranked lower.


    May be that was also one of the reason why he denounced most of the yers from Hiro''s team in the first day.


    **** ****


    Walking out of the main entrance, Yutaka stopped all of a sudden. Upon seeing him stop, Hiro and Shun who were walking right beside him, both stopped their movements respectively as both of them turned towards Yutaka.


    "So I guess this is where we part" meekly mumbled Yutaka while increasing the grip on his luggage as he prepared to part ways with Hiro and Shun.


    His voice soft and his brows frowning, it was clear that Yutaka was quite sad about the parting. And the way Yutaka was clenching onto his luggage made it seem like he was quite reluctant to part ways with the two of them.


    In this seven days, he had spent so much time with them, be it in the pitch or off the pitch, he was always with the two of them.


    Because of that he was even more close to Hiro and Shun than he was with his own club teammates.


    Even though there were yers like Tominaga Nijichi and few other yers from the club he was going to y for, he still spent almost all his time with Hiro and Shun.


    During those seven days, he never spoke with his soon to be teammates. Neither he approached them nor they approached him.


    May be yers of Vissel Kobe U-18 weren''t aware about his signing that''s why they also didn''t approach him.


    "Well if there''s a start then there''s a end. However it''s not like we''ll not meet anymore. Who knows we might meet even sooner than expected." Mumbled Shun as he heard Yutaka''s words.


    The way Shun spoke it seemed like he was confident that the three of them would get selected for the National U-17 team.


    Shun then took a few step forward towards Yutaka. And as he got close to Yutaka, Shun yfully hit Yutaka on his back.


    "Cheer up!!" Cheerfully mumbled Shun as he tried to cheer Yutaka.


    Even though they were going to part ways, Shun had a bright smile on his face. He wasn''t a least bit sad about the parting.


    Not because he wasn''t attached to Yutaka like Yutaka was attached to the two of them. But because Shun didn''t want to see sad expression on the face of a friend.


    That''s right, Yutaka may or may not be aware of this, but Shun had already considered Yutaka his friend.


    Finally as he got hit by Shun, Yutaka slowly lifted his head to look at Hiro who was standing a certain distance away from him.


    As he lifted his gaze to look at Hiro, Yutaka found Hiro with a smile on his face.


    Despite spending seven days with the two of them, it was Yutaka''s first time seeing Hiro smiling like that.


    His smiling face was like refreshing cold breeze in hot summer, shimmering stars in dark night sky.


    And even though Hiro''s smile said a lot about his intentions, Yutaka still asked, "Will we meet again?"


    Faced with Yutaka''s questions, Hiro nodded his head as he answered, "We''ll definitely meet again. However not as friends but as foes."


    Even while saying such, Hiro still had a smile on his face. However his eyes looked rather sharp and determined.


    Not as friends but as foes?


    Hiro''s response waspletely out of his expectations. Thus for a while, Yutaka turnedpletely speechless.


    He couldn''t understand the meaning behind Hiro''s words. Isn''t it the opposite?


    Afterall if they get selected in the national U-17 team then they''ll y as teammates not as foes. So what was the real meaning behind Hiro''s words?


    While Yutaka was wondering about the meaning behind Hiro''s words, Hiro continued, "Make sure to qualify for the yoffs. From our league we''ll definitely qualify for the yoffs, so from your side you too should qualify for the yoffs. And to do that you need to y well."


    His eyes shining with determination, Hiro''s tone was full of confidence.


    Finally Yutaka understood the meaning behind Hiro''s words.


    And just as he understood the meaning behind Hiro''s words, his gloomy face finally lit up as he revealed a gentle smile on his face.


    Yutaka then nodded his head as he replied, "I''ll do my best. We''ll definitely meet again. But right now, can we be friend on insta?"


    Before Hiro could answer, Shun ecstatically answered in his loud voice, "Sure, let''s be friends on insta."


    After that three of them exchanged their insta ID''s and became friends on insta.


    And only after exchanging their insta ID did Yutaka bid his farewell.


    Hiro was going to leave with Shun. Afterall their destination was the same.


    With the summer vacationing to an end, they couldn''t return home since it''d take a lot of time. That''s why the two of them were heading straight to the club.

 Chapter 206 End of season

    Chapter 206 End of season


    After returning from the training camp, Hiro and Shun''s days passed rather smoothly. And even though both of them had spent almost an entire month away from football, the two of them integrated to their daily life at the club right away because of the training camp which they attended.


    Other yers only returned after 2 or 3 days of their arrival and they also took about a day or two to adapt to the life at the club once again.


    Mostly training, studying and ying matches, Hiro and his teammates spent their days. And just like that about four months had passed.


    The temperature which was scorching hot in the month of August had now fallen drastically as snow clouds were seen hovering over the skies of Japan.


    In the month of December, the weather had gotten really chilly.


    Veiling almost the entirety of the sky, snow clouds were reigning supreme. And judging by the movements of those snow clouds, it seemed like it could snow anytime.


    However even in this cold weather, a match was taking ce currently in the stadium of Kawasaki.


    White mist forming everytime they exhaled, yers were seen panting heavily while the spectators were enjoying the match dressed in warm clothes.


    Rubbing their hands, some fans were blowing hot air from their mouth to heat their cold body. While most of the fans didn''t seem like they cared about the cold.


    Beep!! Beep!! Beeeeeeeep!!


    Just then a loud ringing sound of whistle was heard in the pitch.


    "We are the champions!!!!"


    "Hooooray!!!"


    "Yeahhh!!!"


    With the sound of the whistle, yers halted their movements as most section of stands errupted in thunderous cheers.


    "Kawasaki has managed to remain undefeated throughout the season."


    Even among those loud cheers, one voice was standing out. Loud and cheerful, it was the voice of thementator who wasmentating for the match between Kawasaki Frontale U-18 and Kiryu Daichi High School.


    "The 22nd and the final match of Kawasaki this season has finallye to an end with them winning the game with a score of 2:1. No team in the history of thepetition has been this dominating. And it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that this achievement is only possible because of Hiro. Without him, they might have still won the league but they wouldn''t have been able to do it in this way."


    While thementator was making suchments, Hiro''s teammates were ecstatically running around the field. Congratting each other, each and every single one of them had big wide smiles on their faces.


    Even in this cold cloudy day, their smile was like summer sun which was illuminating brightly in the sky.


    Because of cold, Hiro''s nose had turned bright red and steams of sweat could be seen oozing out of his body. Just like an engine oozing steam while cooling, Hiro''s body was reacting in the same way because of the cold weather.


    Even so, his breath wasn''t hurried like that of other yers in the field. Infact it was rather stable. Part of the reason why his breathe seemed so stable was because he hadn''t yed the entirety of the 90 minutes today.


    He had only stepped into the field at the 60th minute of the match while the score of the match was 1:1.


    Until his arrival it seemed like it''d be anybody''s game. However after his arrival, everything changed.


    Kawasaki''s performance instantly shot up as they became more terrifying all of a sudden.


    Then at the 81st minute of the match, Hiro scored the winning goal, giving his team the lead, eventually giving his team their 22nd victory in the tournament.


    His brows arched and his lips curled into smiles, even in the absence of the sun, his eyes were sparkling. Carrying on a smile on his face, Hiro''s whole face was unsually lit.


    While Hiro was on his way to join his teammates, he was suddenly stopped on his track by Kiryu Daichi High School''s ace Takeshi Ono.


    "Congrattions on your victory." Spoke Takeshi as he extended his hand to congratte Hiro.


    His voice deep and his face revealing a smile which greatly contrasted to his usual cold expression, Takeshi didn''t look sad even after losing the game.


    "Thank you" replied Hiro as he grabbed his hands, epting his congrattions.


    Even though the two of them hardly knew each other, Hiro could tell that Takeshi wasn''t faking his emotions at the moment. He was genuinely congratting him.


    Sensing no malice or envy from Takeshi, Hiro too politely epted his congrattions.


    Takeshi then smirked a little as he locked eyes with Hiro.


    "You really are the rising talent of Japan. I hope you can disy that talent of yours in the U-17 world cup too." Mumbled Takeshi as he retracted his hands.


    His voice rather gentle, Takeshi had a smile on his face.


    Hiro gracefully epted hisments as he nodded his head and replied, "As long as we all support each other, I believe we can definitely rise."


    Hiro was quite humble.


    As mentioned by the two of them, both of them had been selected for the national U-17 team.


    About a month after the end of the training camp, the result of the selection camp was made public.


    However yers were informed about their selection way earlier.


    At the 13th day after the end of the selection camp, Hiro and Shun got the news regarding their trial. Along with the news, they were also sent their respective jerseys.


    As per Hiro''s expectations, he got the jersey number 10 while Shun got his favourite number 1 meaning he was the first choice goalkeeper of national U-17 team.


    Since Hiro was almost sure about his selection, he didn''t reveal much of his emotions.


    Even when manager Makoto revealed the news regarding their selection to them, Hiro''s reaction was rather mild aspared to Shun who started to jump and shout as soon as he heard that he got selected.


    Reacting as if he had literally won the world cup, Shun celebrated the news like there was no tomorrow while unting his jersey.


    Almost for an entire day, he wore his jersey that day. Even when they went to cafeteria to eat, he wore his jersey.


    And Hiro heard from Yuya that Shun didn''t let go of his jersey even during his sleep.


    He only stopped wearing the jersey after getting scolded by manager Makoto.


    Just like the two of them, Takeshi Ono had also received his jersey the same day he got the mail regarding his selection.


    Along with the three of them, Yutaka, Akutsu, Taki, they also got selected.

 Chapter 207 Champion of East league

    Chapter 207 Champion of East league


    After conversing with Takeshi for a while, Hiro then made his way to the location where his teammates and coaches were gathered at the moment.


    Even coach Makoto and other coaches were letting them lose today. Celebrating their triumph whileughing and singing loudly, everybody looked very happy.


    Almost the entire stadium was filled with the sounds ofughter and cheers of fans.


    "Champions!! Champions!!"


    "We are the champions"


    Big wide smile on his face, manager Makoto''s already wrinkled face was now even more wrinkled.


    And while he was joyously celebrating the triump of his team, he seriously looked likeughing buddha because of his huge belly and round face. Even his already small eyes were now almost non existent.


    yers smiling, fans cheering, the already festive mood in the stadium was getting even more festive with every passing second as if a huge carnival was taking ce in the stadium. And for a while, it felt like the only thing which seemed to becking was some fireworks and music.


    Even with the presence of 300 fans, the sounds which were echoing in the stadium was giving the vibe that there were more than 1000 people present in the stadium at that moment.


    Dun!! Dun!! Dun!!


    Thundering sounds of apuse and drums filled the entire stadium as almost every people present in the stadium immersed themselves into a celebratory mood.


    Old folks were cheering at the top of their voice while locking arms with theirpatriots while young fans also didn''t hesitate to spare efforts.


    It was a pure show of passion.


    Seeing the joyous expression on the faces of his teammates, Hiro too couldn''t hold back himself as he immediately joined them and blended together with them.


    Singing and jumping while locking arms with each other, Hiro and his teammates continued to celebrate their triumph infront of their fans.


    And the fans too didn''t shy to resonate their feelings.


    For once, Hiro too let him lose as he celebrated his team''s achievements along with his teammates.


    And while most fans of Kiryu Daichi High School team started to exit the stadium after staying for a while, some fans stayed behind and continued to spectate the celebration taking ce in the stadium.


    Even with that many people, celebration of Kawasaki Frontale U-18 team''s achievements looked quite grand.


    And even though their team lost the game, those away fans who stayed behind felt like they should cheer the opposing yers for their deserved victory.


    There was no denying to the fact that their team had lost fair and square.


    A part of them was bitter about their team''s loss but even so they were also happy that such talented yers had emerged in their country.


    Those away fans who stayed behind were looking at the bigger picture. Instead of being narrow-minded and grieving the loss of their local team, they were cheerful that their country had gained so many talented yers.


    "The future of Japanese football looks quite bright" mumbled one of the fan of Kiryu Daichi High School.


    "Even though our team didn''t make it to the yoffs, I''ll definitely buy the tickets to see them y"


    "If not for that number 10 kid, our team wouldn''t have lost the game."


    "Just when can our team get such talented yers?"


    Some optimistic, some envious, fans of Kiryu Daichi High School who stayed behind to spectate the celebration of Kawasaki Frontale U-18 showed different reactions.


    However even though Hiro''s team had won the east league, they hadn''t won themselves any trophy. They had merely won themselves a spot at the yoff final.


    After this they''d sh against the champions of the west league andpete for the trophy of Prince Takamado Premier League.


    And only after defeating the west league champions will they get their hands on the trophy of the Prince Takamado Premier League.


    "Keeping their lead since the begining of the league, Kawasaki had maintained their lead for 8 whole months. And Hiro who had topped the goalscoring chart since the first day is by far the most outstanding yer in the entire tournament. That''s right, I said entire tournament and not only the east league."


    "Be it in east league or west league, he has scored the most goals. With a record breaking 37 goals under his name, he has outscored the top scorer of west league by a huge margin of 17 goals. As a matter of fact even Kawasaki''s second top scorer Tatsuki has scored one more goal than the top scorer of west league."


    "After 9 days in the National Stadium, Kawasaki will face Sagan Tosu U-18 in the yoff final topete for Prince Takamado Trophy. The winner will be crowned the champions of U-18 league while the loser will go empty handed. I''m sure champions of both league will give their all to grab the ultimate trophy. It''ll be an amazing match to witness, so everybody I hope you all can make it to the match."


    As mentioned by thementator, Yutaka''s team failed to qualify for the yoff.


    Speaking of Yutaka, despite joining the league only in the second of the season, he still managed to be the top assist provider in the west league by recording a record breaking 11 assist in 11 games.


    While the winner of the east league was pretty much determined even before the end of the season, the winner of West League was only determined after the final match of the season which happened just yesterday.


    Tied in terms of points with both teams having 52 points each, crown of west league was going to be decided between Vissel Kobe U-18 and Sagan Tosu U-18.


    However at thest match of the season, Vissel Kobe drew their game while Sagan Tosu managed to win their game.


    Thus at the end of the season, Vissel Kobe U-18 lost the title of the league champion by a narrow margin of only 2 points.


    Coming out victorious from their league, Sagan Tosu U-18 was now going to face Kawasaki Frontale U-18 for the crown of the Prince Takamado Trophy on sunday, December 11.

 Chapter 208 Final training session

    Chapter 208 Final training session


    What followed Hiro and his teammates after theirst victory in the league wasn''t flowers and vacations, instead for the next nine days, they had to go through rigorous training to prepare them for the final match.


    Well obviously they didn''t train everyday with the same intensity. Afterall the club couldn''t afford to register even a single injury at such a crucial moment.


    Thus after every three days of training they were given a day off to rest and recover from their fatigue.


    However even in those rest days, they still had to show up in the video analysing room. Meaning although they didn''t train or perform any physical exercises that day, they were still forced to study the tactics and gamey of the opponent team.


    Afterall as much as football is a physical sport, it is also a mental sport. And without learning the tactics of the opposing team and preparing ordingly, no matter how good a team is, the chances of their victory will drastically fall off.


    Thus along with training, they had to study and analyse the tactics and gamey of their opponents as well and prepare in ordance.


    Even so, nobody actuallyined. Infact everybody diligently followed the instructions of the coaches.


    Just like that eight days had passed. And currently almost every yers were gathered in the pitch for their final training session before the ultimate showdown between the champions of east league and west league.


    Days in the winter were quite short and the sun had already settled down.


    Veiling the entire sky, misty grey clouds had nketed the starry sky over the city of Kawasaki.


    Just like white dandelions dancing along with the wind, snowkes were dancing and twirling as they fell and clustered on the surface beneath.


    And under the lights of the floodlights which were illuminating the training ground of Kawasaki, those intricate patterns made by those snowkes were quite mesmerising to look at.


    Because of that gentle snowfall, temperature had also gone down drastically. And right now, it was quite freezing.


    Even the usual green pitch of Kawasaki Frontale U-18''s training ground was now lightly nketed by snow.


    While rubbing his palm against each other, Hiro walked out of the hostel building and started to walk towards the pitch.


    Moving along the path filled with the dark shadows of the mesh fence, Hiro casted a nce at the pitch.


    Most of his teammates were already gathered in the pitch. And surprisingly even Shun had already arrived in the pitch today.


    The sight of his teammates gathered at the pitch without doing anything greatly confused him as it made him wonder why nobody had started to warm up today.


    Even so he continued to walk towards the pitch with a huge question mark above his head.


    Step!! Step!! Step!!


    Walking over the snow covered pitch, the ground beneath his feet made crunching sounds and also left a trail on the pitch as he continued to tread his way towards the location where his teammates were gathered.


    "Why is nobody warming up?" Questioned Hiro as he got close to Shun and Tatsuki.


    The reason why he questioned such was because by now previously even in the absence of the coaches yers would be warming up their body to prevent themselves from catching cold.


    However unlike other days, nobody was showing any movements today. They all were clustered at one ce.


    Their brows knotted and their eyes drooped, most of the yers present in the field seemed pretty tensed right now.


    "Everybody''s waiting for manager Makoto." Casually replied Shun.


    His voice a little deeper than usual, he too seemed a little different than his usual self.


    While speaking white mist could be seening out from their mouth because of the cold. And while standing in the pitch, light snow had umted over the head and shoulders of some yers.


    "But why?" Asked Hiro.


    Beforeing to the pitch, he hadn''t been informed about any meetings. Thus, he had absolutely no idea on why they were waiting for the arrival of manager Makoto.


    Afterall even the coaches had advised the yers to keep warming up their body until their arrival because of the cold weather.


    "Manager Makoto has something to say before the start of today''s evening training." Tatsuki quickly answered.


    "But I didn''t hear anything about the speech" mumbled Hiro as he turned towards Tatsuki.


    "That''s because, we were informed only a moment ago."


    Just then while they were still conversing, manager Makoto entered the pitch apanied by all the coaching staffs.


    Dressed in a long ck coloured puffer jacket which was about the length of trench coat, manager Makoto and the rest of the coaching staff made their way towards the location where the yers were gathered.


    And as they made their appearance, everybody straightened their back as they followed their movements.


    Just like coaches, all of the yers had also put on puffer jackets to keep them warm.


    With their appearance the already silent pitch got even more eerily silent. And the only thing which were heard at that moment was the muffled sound of yers breathing and sound of footsteps of the coaches.


    Finally after the coaches stopped their movements as they stood infront of the yers, even those sound of footsteps disappeared.


    The coaches then without saying a word stood infront of them while sweeping their gazes across the yers.


    Under the gaze of the coaches, some yers body tensed even more as they tried to focus their attention on the coaches.


    Step!! Step!! Step!!


    Then after some seconds, manager Makoto calmly stepped infront. Unlike his usual self, even he had a stiff expression today.


    Cough!! Cough!!


    Manager Makoto then coughed a few times before speaking.


    "Tomorrow is the judgement day. Tomorrow is the day when we''ll get to know the results of our years worth of effort. Until now, you''ve all performed well and I''m sure that even tomorrow you''ll continue do the same."


    "You lot are hardworking fellows and there''s no denying to that fact. But remember history doesn''t remember hardworking fellows, it only remembers the winners. Either you win and etch your name on the pages of history or you lose and fade away along with time. It''s all up to you."

 Chapter 209 Ultimate Showdown

    Chapter 209 Ultimate Showdown


    December 11, 2022


    Japan National Stadium, Tokyo


    After yesterday''s light snowfall, today the sky had cleared up to some extent and it had stopped snowing. Although there were still few lumps of grey cloud floating in the sky, most of the sky was painted with shades of pale blue colour.


    As mesmerising as the sky above looked right now, the surface beneath looked even more amazing. Enveloped by lightyer of snow from yesterday''s snowfall, snow coveredndscape was looking like some kind of winter wondend.


    Rays of the dimly lit sun which was hanging freely in the sky above, was further entuating the beauty of the snow covered buildings, pathways and branches of trees by making them glow in golden colours.


    Plop!! Plop!!


    Slowly the snow gathered in branches of the trees nted beside the stadium were falling down because of the constant movement of the people who were walking towards the National Stadium.


    Honk!! Honk!!


    Chatter!! Chatter!!


    Bustling with the noise of people of different age group, National Stadium of Japan also known as the Olympic Stadium where the final match between Kawasaki Frontale U-18 and Sagan Tosu U-18 was going to take ce in a moment wasing alive today.


    Not only the Stadium space, even the space and pathways outside the stadium was currently upied by countless people.


    "I never imagined that these many people woulde to watch the match today."


    "Why is the queue not moving?"


    "Who do you think will win today?"


    Such were the concerns of the people who were standing in the queue right now.


    Some irritated because of the long queue, some excited about the match, some sad that their team didn''t make it to the final, every kind of emotion could be seen in the National Stadium of Japan right now.


    Carrying the banner and gs of the respective team, people were excitedly walking towards the ticket counter.


    And judging by the amount of banners and gs, it seemed like most of the supporters present were supporters of Kawasaki.


    Not only were there hardcore supporters of both teams, there were even some fan groups.


    Mostly consisting of girls, they were carrying huge banner with Hiro''s picture imprinted in it.


    Not sure if Hiro  was aware of this or not, but he had amassed quite a number of fan girls because of his pretty face.


    "Yutaka I heard that you were quite close with Hiro, so are you here today to support him?" Asked a boy who was apanying Yutaka.


    Yutaka along with some of his teammates had travelled to the venue today to watch the match. Although he was a bit regretful and sad that he didn''t make it to the final and failed to fulfill his part of the promise, he was still genuinely happy for Hiro.


    "He''s my friend. So obviously I''m here to cheer him and his team." Replied Yutaka.


    Just like Yutaka, many other yers who hadn''t made it to the finals were also present in the venue today to witness the ultimate showdown between the East League champions and West League champions.


    "As you can see right now guys, behind me is the crowd of people who are here today to witness the match between Kawasaki Frontale U-18 and Sagan Tosu U-18" a guy who was performing a live broadcast right now announced to his viewers.


    Many small time and big time Newtubers were also present in the Stadium today to broadcast the match in their Newtube channel.


    Not only yers and Newtubers but even some celebrities hade to the venue to watch the final match between two giants of U-18 football in Japan.


    "This is Himawari from NBC news. And right now I''m in Japan National Stadium to cover the match between Kawasaki Frontale U-18 and Sagan Tosu U-18. The most awaited match between the champions of East League and West League is happening today."


    "And as you all can see the queue behind me is pretty long and the atmosphere around the stadium is pretty lively. Even so the yers haven''t arrived yet."


    Carrying their cameras and microphone, many reporters were also present in the venue, live broadcasting the scene taking ce in the stadium right now.


    Some interviewing the supporters while some speaking about the details, it was evident that almost the entire nation was interested in the match happening today.


    The match was going to take ce at 11 AM. And it was only 9:30 right now.


    Despite there being more than an hour left, people were still continuing to swarm the venue. It was quite rare to see such huge number of people arriving at the venue that early.


    Even many professional J-league matches didn''t have this many peopleing to watch their matches.


    After half an hour, a huge white bus with the logo of Sagan Tosu club arrived at the venue.


    Noticing the arriving bus, supporters of Sagan Tosu erupted in joyous cheers.


    "Go boys! You can do it"


    "Show them your powers boys"


    "As you can see guys, Sagan Tosu U-18 are the first team to arrive in the venue today." Announced one of the Newtuber to his audience in live broadcast.


    And as the bus moved forward, it only found it difficult to enter the venue.


    Because of the crowd of people swarming infront of the entrance, that bus was finding it difficult to enter the venue. It was pretty much stuck in the crowd.


    However to let them enter the venue, some guys dressed in guard uniform immediately headed towards the direction of the bus.


    They then started to disperse the crowd to make way for the bus.


    And only when they started to disperse the crowds did the bus got the chance to move forward.


    Just when the bus was about to reach the entrance, some yers of Sagan Tosu excitedly took their head out of the window to greet their supporters.


    However they were immediately forced to pull their head inside as they were scolded by their coaches for their act of impudence.


    "Don''t take your head out of the window. And keep your window closed. If I again find any of you taking your head out of the window, I''m going to drop your from the team today." Furiously roared the coach of Sagan Tosu after seeing the childish behaviour of his yers.

 Chapter 210 Arrival of champions of East

    Chapter 210 Arrival of champions of East


    With every passing minute, more and more people were showing up in the venue.


    For every one person who entered the venue another was spawning at the back of the queue, making the queue unshrinkable.


    And for a while it seemed like the queue of people was never ending as one after other people were spawning like monsters spawning endlessly in RPG games.


    Because of that, staffs working in the ticket counter were having quite a hard time dealing with that many people.


    "Move your hand fast guys, we have to clear the crowd as fast as we can" a guy encouraged some people who were currently handling the tickets.


    "We''re doing our best sir" cried out one of the staff member.


    Although the management had expected that they''d have to deal with quite arge amount of people but even so, the current situation had far surpassed their expectations.


    The reason why they hadn''t expected such a surge of people was because only about 5 or 6 thousand people had pre-booked tickets online.


    And based on that information, they had at most expected about 20-30 thousand peoples.


    However judging by the amount of peoples who were queued up infront of the ticket counter, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the match was going to be sold out.


    For a while seeing that many people queued up infront of the ticket counter, it really felt like that the whole 68000 capacity National Stadium was going to be houseful today.


    "Aigo!! I told you that we should have left early. Look because of you we had to stand so long in the queue."


    Climbing up the stairs to get to their seat, Hiro''s mother was seenining while Hiro''s father was making a pitiful face.


    Obviously his parents had came to the stadium to watch their son y. Afterall how could they miss such a crucial match which meant a lot for their son.


    "There''s still like about an hour left for the match." Takashi retorted in a low voice while frowning his brows.


    His soft voice was almost impossible to be heard at the moment because of the loud noiseing from the stands.


    That''s why Hiro''s mother who was currently walking infront of his father couldn''t even hear his voice. If she had heard hisints, she''d have definitely scolded him or threatened him by saying, "I''ll deal you after the match" or "Wait until we get home"


    However since she didn''t hear his voice, nothing bad happened to Takashi at the moment.


    "Poor guy, he''s getting nagged by his wife"


    Some passerby''s who were passing by them felt quite sympathetic about Takashi''s situation.


    Since Hiro had gifted his parents tickets for VIP seats, there weren''t as many people aspared to ordinary pathways in the pathway they were walking right now.


    Now one would question, how Hiro had managed to get VIP tickets. However the answer was rather simple.


    Because he was the Starman of his team, he had made use of his connections with the coaches and used his achievements as the bargaining chip to get the VIP tickets.


    Obviously to the coaches as long as he didn''t wish for 5 or 10 VIP tickets, they could pull some string and grant him that favour.


    Afterall considering Hiro''s achievements, his wish wasn''t that hard to fulfill.


    Finally as the crowd of people started to diminish, Kawasaki''s bus was seen arriving at  the venue.


    Painted in colours of ck and blue which also happened to be the colours of their jersey, a huge logo was imprinted on both side of the bus.


    The sheer size of the bus was a lot bigger aspared to buses which the locals used for transportation.


    Not even a single scratch or dirt smeared on the bus, Kawasaki''s bus looked really clean and luxurious.


    For today''s match, Kawasaki Frontale U-18 team had borrowed the bus of the senior team.


    With the arrival of the bus of Kawasaki, crowd of people present outside the stadium immediately burst into cheers as they noticed the arriving bus.


    Some running towards the direction of the bus, some spreading the banner that they were carrying, every person cheered excitedly.


    "Woooooo!!!"


    "Go Kawasaki!!"


    "All the best Hiro"


    "Let the thunder rain on the stadium of Tokyo today"


    "Go dolphins"


    Flinging their banners and yelling at the top their voice, fans who were present outside the entrance erupted into cheers as they showed their support to the team they supported.


    Compared to the cheers which Sagan Tosu U-18 received when they first made their appearance in the venue, the sound of cheers of fans right now seemed more energetic and lively.


    Even reporters who were busy reporting something different, immediately stopped their actions as they all rushed towards the bus of Kawasaki.


    "Finally the champions of east league who has managed to go undefeated this season have made their appearance." Pointing towards the bus behind her, one of the reporter reported.


    "With only 45 minutes left for the start of the match, Kawasaki Frontale U-18 team have finally arrived in the venue."


    Although the windows of the bus remained shut and curtains of the bus remained closed, still themotion taking ce outside the bus could be heard as clear as crystal inside the bus.


    But under the gaze of manager Makoto nobody dared to lift the curtain or open the window to take a peek outside.


    "Damn!! Listen to cheers of people. It''s so loud and lively."


    With his heart beating faster because of excitement, Shun excitedly spoke.


    Beside him Hiro was lying soundly in his seat with his eyes shut. As if themotion taking ce outside the bus didn''t interest him, Hiro showed no reaction despite hearing the loud cheers of the fans outside.


    Currently even in this chaotic environment, he was contemting about something else.


    Yesterday night, he had received a sudden quest from the system.


    ''Score a perfect hattrick'' pondered Hiro with his eyes closed as he thought of the title of the quest.


    ''To do that I''d need to score a goal each from my left and right foot and also a goal from header.''

 Chapter 211 Ultimate Showdown I

    <h4>Chapter 211 Ultimate Showdown I</h4>


    Dressed in striped light blue and blush pink coloured jersey, yers of Sagan Tosu U-18 were standing in a queue at one side of the tunnel.


    Queued up side by side were the yers of Kawasaki who were dressed in their home jersey which was abination of dark ck and dark blue.


    There wasn''t much gap between the two teams at the moment, just enough to fit two people side by side.


    Despite the limited gap, yers of both sides were mostly minding their own business and rarely interacting with each other.


    Some yers praying while some yers looking unbothered, some yers eyes glowing with determination while some yers eyes desperately trying to focus, overall the atmosphere inside the tunnel seemed pretty tensed.


    While the front part of the tunnel was illuminated by the bright lighting from outside the tunnel, most part of the tunnel was dark and dimly lit by red light.


    Bright light wasn''t the only thing which wasing from outside the tunnel. Thunderous sounds of cheers was also reverberating from outside the tunnel.


    Reflecting the red light, Hiro''s sharp brown eyes were glowing crimson red, seemingly looking like eyes of demon.


    Behind him, his teammates were standing in an erect position just like soldiers preparing to go on a war.


    Hearing the roars of the fansing from infront, most yer''s heart was pounding faster. And with every passing seconds, some yers were getting even more anxious.


    Even Hiro who was usually calm on such situation was quite exhrated by the cheers of the fansing from outside the tunnel.


    Slightly lowering his head, Hiro then raised his right hand as he tried to feel his heartbeat.


    Dung!! Dung!!


    And for sure, his heart was pounding faster.


    ''I wonder how many people are present in the stadium today. Ten thousand? Twenty thousand? No, judging by the sounding from outside the tunnel, it seems like that there''s even more spectators today'' thought Hiro as he slowly raised his head to look infront of him.


    The mere thought about performing infront of so many people thrilled him.


    And that feeling of thrill further fueled his determination as the me in his eyes burnt uncontrobly.


    "Now let us wee the yers of both the teams who''ll be performing today"


    Just then they heard the announcement of thementator. And as they heard the announcement of thementator, both the team started moving.


    Step!! Step!! Step!!


    The more closer he got to the entrance of the tunnel, the more clearly and loudly Hiro heard the roars of the fans.


    p!! p!! p!!


    Finally as he exited the tunnel, what awaited him and other yers was a thunderous sound of cheers and apuse from the numerous fans seated at the stands.


    "Honey, look our son hase out" pointing her finger at the direction of Hiro, Hiro''s mother eximed.


    "This is only the begining honey. We''ll have to get used to seeing him on the big stage" replied Takashi while making a proudful expression.


    Both of his parents were truly grateful to see him progressing in his life. Both of them were aware of his love for football, thus they were genuinely happy seeing him standing on such a big stage.


    Slowly sweeping his gaze across the huge stadium, Hiro felt even more exhrated as his heart started beating faster.


    His heart wasn''t pounding because of anxiousness, rather it was pounding out of excitement.


    With only few seats unupied, almost the entire seat of the stadium was currently upied by numerous fans.


    ''Woah!! I''m going to perform infront of this many people'' Hiro mumbled in disbelief inside his heart.


    He couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of people present in the stands.


    The 68000 capacity National Stadium was filled almost to the brim.


    Even so, Hiro maintained hisposure as he kept his cool.


    However not everybody had such abilities as Hiro. In presence of that many people, legs of most of the yers had softened and their face had gotten a bit pale.


    The sheer number of fans present in the stadium had overwhelmed them to the point that they were starting to ckout.


    "Soo.... Soo... Soo many people" Shun shuddered as beads of sweat started forming on his forehead even before the start of the match.


    Not only Shun but almost every yer from the both the teams felt a cold sweat prating their body.


    This was their first time performing infront of that many people. So obviously they''d be overwhelmed.


    Standing at the pitch right now, their earlier preparation to steel their mind seemed totally useless as their mind started to go nk.


    Inhaling a deep breath, Hiro inhaled the crisp cold air as he tried to freshen his mind.


    "Finally the day to decide the ultimate winner hase. And I''m really grateful to get invited to be thementator for such an amazing match" spoke thementator.


    His voice carrying a hint of gratefulness, his voice was resonating all over the pitch.


    And while thementator wasmenting, coin toss was taking ce between the leader of both team to decide the side of the pitch.


    "One team with an impressive record of 22 match undefeated while the other team barely managed to clench the spot at the final, regardless of their situation, both of this two team fully deserve to be standing on this pitch right now."


    And as the coin toss concluded, yers of both the team shook hands onest time before positioning themselves in their respective position.


    Standing over his position, Hiro took a final nce at the system screen.


    [Quest: Score a perfect hattrick]


    [Requirements toplete the quest: Score with your left foot, score with your right foot and score with your header]


    [Reward onpletion: Holographic practice dummies]


    [Penalty on failure: random loss of one acquired talent]


    Looking at the screen, Hiro couldn''t help but frown. Although the reward was tempting, punishment was even more harsh. Not to mention the quest itself. This quest was rather hard evenpared to all the other quests he had done before.


    Scoring three goals in a final was already a hard thing. But to make matter even worst, he had score a perfect hattrick.


    Although he had the talent Ambipedal because of which he could use both of his leg equally well, how could the opposing team allow him to score a goal in the final?


    Since he had already revealed his cards on many asions, for sure the opponents would have studied his y and prepared ordingly.


    And Sagan Tosu U-18 team was even notoriously known as the team with imprable defence.


    Scoring a perfect hattrick against this club in the finals, it was like stealing prey from the mouth of hungry tiger.

 Chapter 212 Ultimate Showdown II

    <h4>Chapter 212 Ultimate Showdown II</h4>


    After contemting about the quest for a while, Hiro then shifted his attention towards his opponents.


    And sure enough, they were ying in their usual 5-3-2 formation. After researching and analysing the tactics and gamey of their opponents, they had found out that the opposing team mostly yed in 5-3-2 formation with five defenders and rarely did they changed their formation.


    Notoriously known for their imprable defence, Sagan Tosu U-18 were a team which specialised in defensive gamey.


    As there''s a saying, "If used properly defense is the best offense"


    And sure enough Sagan Tosu U-18 whose ystyle was based on defense held that saying with great regards.


    While analysing the position of the opposing yers, Hiro''s eye suddenly froze at one ce as he focused his attention on one particr yer.


    "The adhesive of Sagan Tosu, Ryotaro Imamura" absentmindedly murmured Hiro as he focused his attention on one of the centre back of the opposing team.


    Short messy ck hair which was styled in a mullet, his eerie ck eyes were unusually sharp and he looked extremely calm andposed. Exuding a concentrated cold aura around him, Ryotaro was standing at the middle of that five man defensive formation.


    Already 18 years old, it was hisst match with U-18 club. And rumours has it that he has already signed a pro contract with a team from Europe.


    Despite being a member of National U-23 team, Hiro hadn''t met him previously when he yed against National U-23 team because of the injury which Imamura had sustained back then.


    Considering the importance of the game and also considering the fact that he was already aware of the identity of the most important yer from the opposing team, one must wonder why Hiro hadn''t used his skill "Magic Vision" on Ryotaro Imamura even before the start of the match.


    It wasn''t because Hiro had forgotten to use his skill or he was simply ignorant.


    It was simply because he was cautious. He didn''t want to waste one of his skill so early in the match and regret itter.


    He was cautious about the variations which might urter in the match. That''s why he was preserving his skill until then.


    While thinking about Ryotaro Imamura''s gamey, Hiro''s eyes shone as he remembered about his threatening gamey which reminded him of Liverpool''s ace defender Virgil Van Dijk.


    Inhaling a deep breath, the referee then blew the whistlemencing the start of the match.


    Beeeeeeeep!!!


    Finally the much awaited game between the champions of east league and west leaguemenced.


    And since Hiro''s team had won the coin toss, opposing team were starting the kickoff.


    Calm andposed, the two forwards of the opposing team began to drop back after passing the ball back to their midfielder.


    Just enough to maintain some pressure on the opposing team, Tatsuki calmly chased after the ball. His breathing stable and his steps rather small, Tatsuki was in no hurry to win the ball back.


    Supporting Tatsuki, Hiro and other yers who yed offensively, they all positioned themselves around Tatsuki while Tatsuki was chasing after the ball.


    The opposing team continued to y the ball inside their own half while trying to attract as many yers from Kawasaki as they can, into their own half.


    Hiro''s team who had studied their gamey didn''t charge forward recklessly either. They weren''t going to be provoked just by that.


    Hiro on the other hand was constantly trying to find gaps in the formation of the opposing team.


    However from the beginning of the match, he was getting a bad vibe. Around him, he could feel the presence of three yers.


    As if they were intentionally trying to imprison him, they were deliberately keeping their distance from him while also limiting his interaction with the ball.


    At first he wasn''t sure whether he was getting marked or not since he wasn''t getting man marked, however as time progressed he soon realised that he was indeed getting marked.


    Sure enough, the opposing team had considered him the real threat.


    Even so, he didn''t try to shake off his mark. Infact, he pretended as if he was struggling and wasn''t aware of the mark.


    He simply wasn''t willing to act so early. He wanted to observe a little more before acting.


    And as time progressed, he started to notice some pattern. He noticed that yers of Sagan Tosu were spread apart from each other in a honeb like pattern.


    They were neither too close to each other nor too far from each other.


    Even after desperately searching for gaps in the formation of opposing team, Hiro hadn''t been able to find that many gaps as he could in his previous matches.


    asionally he did find some gaps, however before he could even react, he was quickly surrounded by the yers who were marking him from a distance.


    Well even though he was pretending at first, he couldn''t deny the fact that it was rather hard to escape from the superficial human cage which the opposing team had prepared.


    Finally at the 28th minute of the match, he broke from his marks. Pretending to struggle for so long, he finally found the opportunity he was waiting for.


    Just when one of the opposing centre mid was going to pass the ball back to Ryotaro Imamura, Hiro sprinted from the blind spot of one of the opposing yer who was marking him.


    If it wasn''t for his skill "Lightning Steps", he may not have been able to shake his mark. But since he had such an OP skill which could defy the logic, he swiftly shook his mark as he intercepted the pass.


    Obviously the opposing yers were aware of the fact that he could elerate so fast in so little time. Still no matter how much they paid attention to him, there was bound to be a moment where they''d get distracted as well.


    And Hiro took advantage of that momentary distraction of one of the yers who was marking him.


    Even after intercepting the pass, his pace wasn''t showing any signs of slowing down.


    However just because one of the yer lowered their guard didn''t mean other yers lowered their guard as well.


    Reacting quickly, Ryotaro Imamura to whom the pass was meant for, immediately rushed towards Hiro to snatch the ball.

 Chapter 213 Ultimate Showdown III

    <h4>Chapter 213 Ultimate Showdown III</h4>


    Although Ryotaro Imamura acted fast, that didn''t mean he acted on impulse without thinking. yer of his stature couldn''t allow such amateurish mistakes afterall unless he was in some short of predicament.


    However right now, he was as calm as still water. And most of all, he was very much aware of Hiro''s capabilities.


    Thus before leaving his position, he had already called for the reinforcement from other defenders who were closed to him.


    And the reason why Ryotaro Imamura was called the adhesive of the Sagan Tosu U-18 team was very much because of such reasons.


    As the term adhesive referred, he was like adhesive which held the formation of his team together. And whenever he acted, he always acted while taking the position of his teammates into consideration.


    However not only was his team y top-notch, his defending was top-notch as well. He was very much capable of defending one on one. And till now in the west league, he held an impressive record of winning 86 percent of the duels.


    Not only was he cunning, he was also very tenacious. Once hees one on one against any attacker, he''d try to stick with the attacker no matter how many times he gets dribbled past.


    Even so whileing face to face against such a tenacious and cunning defender, Hiro didn''t look a bit flustered.


    Neither did Hiro slowed his pace nor did he changed his direction. Hiro was openly challenging Ryotaro Imamura to try his luck.


    Seeing the scene taking ce right now, most people in the stands were either thinking that Hiro was acting reckless or some may even be thinking that he was overestimating his abilities and digging his own grave.


    And it was reasonable for them to think like that, afterall he was against five defenders and one of them even happened to be Ryotaro Imamura who was holding the title of the best defender in West League.


    Holding onto their breath, most of the fans present in the stand were following Hiro''s movements very carefully while carrying an anxious expression on their face.


    As Hiro got close to Ryotaro Imamura, he swayed his upper body towards the left side and rolled his left leg over the ball making it seem like he was going to dash with the ball towards the left side.


    However just as he rolled his left leg over the ball, he spun his whole body and made a 360 spin.


    Halfway while spinning his body, he lightly tapped the ball with the heel of his right leg, kicking the ball between the legs of Imamura.


    Imamura who wasn''t expecting such shy trick from Hiro couldn''t react in time and ended up getting dribbled past by Hiro.


    "What!?"


    A big question mark appeared above the head of most fans as they tried to figure out what just happened.


    The way Hiro dribbled past Imamura, he made it look so easy that for some moment people couldn''t even believe their eyes.


    They all were expecting a fierce sh between the best defender of the west league and the best yer of the east league.


    However nobody had expected that the best defender of the west league to get beaten so easily.


    "Can you believe it? He dribbled past the best defender of west league that easily. The way he dribbled past Imamura made it look like he was toying with some kid and not the best defender of the west league." Commentator made an exaggeratingment, overtly glorifying Hiro''s skills.


    One thing was sure, after this whichever club Imamura had signed for would definitely re-evaluate his signing.


    However getting past Imamura wasn''t the difficult part. Infact Hiro was confident that he could dribble past Imamura 7 out of 10 times.


    The difficult part was to dribble past the yers who were supporting Imamura. Imamura was only the initiator, he wasn''t the finisher. The finisher were those four defenders who were behind him.


    While Imamura would distract the opposing attacker, those four defenders would react simultaneously and prevent the opposing attacker from advancing further.


    Their tactics could have worked well against some other yers but against Hiro who was exceptionally good at dribbling, it''s effectiveness was reduced by a lot.


    And soon Hiro proved it right as well. Before the second defender who was behind Imamura could reach the ball, Hiro kicked the ball towards his left side where Tatsuki was making his run.


    However Tatsuki''s course was blocked by another defender of the Sagan Tosu.


    And even Imamura who was beaten a moment ago had already started chasing after the ball.


    Angle was tight and one of the centre back was putting pressure on him, preventing him from moving forward and restricting his movement.


    Tatsuki knew that his chances of moving the ball forward was quite slim. And even if somehow he managed to get past the defender who was holding onto him, he had to still face the opposing right back who was awaiting a little ahead.


    Thus instead of losing the ball, Tatsuki decided to return the ball back to Hiro. Even returning the ball back was struggle to him because of the pressure from the defender who was holding onto him.


    Despite that, he somehow managed tond a hit on the ball. However he couldn''t manage tond a solid hit.


    "Tch-" clicking his tongue, Tatsuki expressed his frustration.


    The ball as it left Tatsuki''s feet lofted towards the direction where Hiro was making his run.


    Because of theck of power, the pass fell short as it couldn''t manage to fall infront of Hiro. Instead the ball fell behind Hiro while he was still running.


    It was evident that to receive that pass either Hiro had to turn around or the ball would hit him and roll back.


    Turning behind meant giving up the momentum and Hiro didn''t wish to give away the momentum which he had acquired after painstakingly putting so much effort.


    Just then when everybody was assuming that the attack was disrupted, a miracle happened. More like Hiro performed a miracle.


    While still running, Hiro hit the ball with the back of his heel causing the ball to float above his head andnd infront of him.


    The defenders who were running alongside Hiro were caught totally off-guard. They weren''t expecting such reaction from Hiro.


    Even so they couldn''t afford to be shocked by Hiro''s y. If they failed to defend the ball then Hiro woulde face to face against the keeper.


    And knowing Hiro, he''d convert the goal with 99 percent uracy.


    Thus they continued to chase after him. However because of that momentary distraction, Hiro had already left them behind.


    And as the ball was about to fall infront of him, Hiro shot the ball mid-air with his left foot.


    Connecting a brilliant volley, Hiro scored a magnificent goal which caused the whole stadium to erupt thunderously.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"

 Chapter 214 Ultimate Showdown IV

    <h4>Chapter 214 Ultimate Showdown IV</h4>


    As the ball evaded the reach of the keeper of Sagan Tosu and crossed the goal-line, the once tensed supporters of Kawasaki immediately rose from their seats as they yelled at the top of their voice, "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!"


    Excitement at it''s peak, there faces were brimming with joy while they were letting out thunderous roars from the bottom of their heart.


    With the cheers of the fans, the whole stadium had lit up with the joyous chants of celebration.


    However not every fans present in the stand were happy about the oue, some were quite shocked and depressed as well.


    Grabbing onto their head with both their hands, they were grieving over the goal their team had just conceded.


    While one group of fans were rejoicing the goal another group of fans were grieving the goal. One oue, two different reactions.


    Still the sounds of joyous cheers was byfar overshadowing the sounds of disappointment and jeers.


    Also since the match was being broadcasted live today, not only in the stadium but sounds of cheers could be heard from different parts of the country as well.


    A lot of people were paying attention to the match between Kawasaki and Sagan Tosu right now.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!"


    Such chants could be heard from different parts of the country.


    Inside arge spacious room, some kids were joyously celebrating Hiro''s goal. Among those kids, figure of Akashi, Rin, Hinata and Sumire could also be seen.


    While Akashi and Rin were energetically dancing and shouting, Hinata and Sumire were quietly sitting infront of the television screen.


    "You must be quite happy right now" mumbled Hinata as she turned her head towards Sumire who was currently looking at television screen with a smile on her face.


    Her eyes glowing while reflecting the image of Hiro and her cheeks flushed, Sumire was currently smiling while staring at the figure of Hiro in the television screen.


    Although nobody among those two had confessed their feelings, after talking for such a long time, Hiro and Sumire had gotten quite closed to each other.


    Honk!! Honk!!


    And while the stadium was resounding with the chants of celebration, drums and horns, Hiro was also running towards the sidelines to celebrate his goal.


    The atmosphere around the stadium was quite festive and lively.


    Chased by his teammates, Hiro roared back at the crowd, "Yeaahhhhh!!!" as he celebrated his goal while throwing both his arms in the air, out of excitement after reaching the sidelines where the cameras where positioned.


    He deliberately ran towards the side with cameras to increase his exposure and also to let his friends who were supporting him from behind the television screen see him up close.


    Soon Hiro''s teammates caught up to him and began to throw themselves over him as they too roared back at the crowd while waving their hands to the crowd.


    "Who else if not him? Once again the best yer of east league has showed why he''s called the best." Commented thementator.


    Showering Hiro with praises continuosly, for some while, it seemed like even thementator was biased towards the opposing team.


    Just like this, at 29th minute of the match, Hiro broke the stalemate as he scored the first goal of the game and gave his team the early lead in the game.


    After celebrating for a while, all of the yers began to return back to their original position to resume the match.


    While returning back to his position, Hiro casted a final nce at the opposing post before whispering to himself, "Left foot goal,pleted. Two more goals left."


    As he whispered those words, his eyes shone with determination as he clenched his fist before shifting his attention away from the post.


    For sure, he was keeping track of the quest.


    Not only that goal gave his team the lead, it also gave Hiro a confidence boost.


    Once again while positioning himself in his position, Hiro quietly observed the faces and bodynguage of the yers.


    He wanted to find out how his goal had impacted the opposing yers.


    May be it was because there were still more than 60 minutes left or may be it was because they had expected to concede some goals, not many yers of Sagan Tosu U-18 looked anxious.


    There were obviously few who looked quite devastated. Mostly the yers who had failed to mark Hiro, they seemed the most anxious.


    The reason why Hiro was trying to analyse the facial expression and bodynguage of the opposing yer was to find out the yers who were panicking at the moment.


    A calm person is the most hardest to deal with, however once someone starts to panic, he or she''s bound to make some mistakes.


    And Hiro wanted to take advantage of such yers.


    However even though he had easily dribbled past Ryotaro, he was still worried about Ryotaro the most. So during his observation, he casted his gaze towards Ryotaro.


    However Ryotaro who was humiliated by Hiro a moment ago had no changes in his facial expression. He was still the same. His eyespletely focused at the ball, he looked the same as he was at the beginning of the match.


    As if he was totally unbothered by the earlier humiliation, he was currently calmly analysing the field infront of him.


    ''Guess it''s still not enough to break hisposure'' thought Hiro as he retracted his gaze from Ryotaro.


    Only if Hiro could hear Ryotaro''s thought, he''d have been able to find out how wrong his thoughts were right now.


    Ryotaro was only putting a facade by disying an indifferent expression. Truth be told, Ryotaro was fuming with anger right now.


    How could he not be angry? Afterall his hard earned reputation was tarnished by Hiro so easily in such a short period of time. So how could he not be angry?


    No matter how cool andposed he showed himself, Ryotaro was still a kid who was in his teen years.


    ''That fricking kid made a fool out of me. Just you wait now. I didn''t meant to y dirty but it seems I can''t win without ying dirty'' thought Ryotaro while thinking about the moment when he was tricked by Hiro.


    Not only Ryotaro but many yers from the opposing team were thinking the same. After seeing Hiro in action, they all had came to a realisation that they couldn''t win against Hiro fair and square.

 Chapter 215 Ultimate Showdown V

    Chapter 215 Ultimate Showdown V


    Beep!!


    The game then continued with Sagan Tosu''s kickoff.


    Now that Hiro had showed them what he can do, opposing yers were now even more vignt towards Hiro.


    Subconsciously without knowing, some opposing yers had even started to fear Hiro.


    ''Have I be their main target?'' questioned Hiro to himself as he felt the sharp gazes of the opposing yers around him.


    After scoring that goal, he was finding it a bit more difficult than before to move freely.


    Not only from the yers who were marking him but he could feel the gazes from almost every single opposing yers.


    A cold sweat ran down his spine as he realised the situation he had gotten himself into.


    Although it was the situation he was hoping for, experiencing such situation was still somewhat bone chilling even to him.


    Then again, he heaved a deep sigh as he thought to himself, ''Good, keep your gazes fixated on me.''


    Having all gazes fixated on him meant freedom to his other teammates. So Hiro wasn''t much worried about the gazes of the opposing team.


    Infact he was quite thankful that every opposing yers were paying attention to him.


    However while thinking about the benefits his team could reap because of the predicament, he was forgetting that he still had a quest to fulfill.


    Having more gazes on him meant, lesser freedom to him. Coupled with the fact that he had to score two more goals in two different ways, currently he was digging his own grave by shining brilliantly in the field right now.


    As there''s a saying, "The nail that sticks out the most get''s hammered first"


    For next 10 minutes nothing happened. Although the opposing team tried to return the goal, they still couldn''t get past the defense of Kawasaki.


    With the presence of yers like Minato, Akimasa Nakahara, Kawasaki''s defence was as good as Sagan Tosu''s even though Kawasaki specialised in offense.


    Also there was "Shun the wall" in the goal-post. The best U-17 goalkeeper.


    Just like that 45 minutes passed and referee added 2 minutes extra.


    At the extra time of the first half, Sagan Tosu made onest attempt to move the ball forward.


    Their two fullbacks simultaneously moved up the field at the same time, leaving their position to support the attacker of their team.


    Ryotaro Imamura kicked the ball hard towards one of the two top forward of his team.


    The forward inturn made a one touch through pass towards the right full back who was currently at the right nk of middle third.


    To block him, immediately Minato and Akihiro rushed towards him.


    While Akihiro closed his gap, Minato maintained his distance from the opposing right fullback who was currently moving the ball forward from the right nk.


    While the opposing right fullback was moving the ball, their left fullback was sprinting as fast as he can in the left nk.


    At the same time their forwards were also rushing forward towards the penalty box.


    It was evident from their y that Sagan Tosu was initiating their attack using their fullbacks.


    Because the opposing team had initiated their attack all the way from their defensive third, offensive yers of Kawasaki were taking time to fall back.


    Hiro''s condition was no better than his other teammates. With his movements restricted, he too was finding it difficult to fall back.


    And he wasn''t even being able to sprint at his full speed because of the three yer marking, who were limiting his movement.


    Even so he was trying to fall back as fast as he can.


    While falling back, Hiro was constantly rolling his eyes here and there to analyse the positions of the opposing yers.


    During his observation, he noticed that the left back who was running alongside the left nk was totally unmarked.


    Everybody from his team were focused at the right nk and the opposing forwards who were trying to break through the centre.


    Although the left back was quite far away from the yer with the ball and wasn''t even moving towards the penalty box, he could deduce that in this attack that left back was the key yer.


    "Ehara return to your position" yelled Hiro as he ordered Ehara the right back to return to his position.


    However just as Hiro gave that order, the opposing right back lofted the ball towards the opposing left back who had been sprinting upfield all alone.


    Even while sprinting upfield, that left back was quite careful about the position of the yers of Kawasaki. And because of that carefulness, he avoided being in an offside position.


    As that left back received the pass from the right back, he began to cut in like an inverted left winger.


    Sure enough, he was right footed too.


    And just before Ehara could catch up to him, he released the ball as he shot the ball towards the post.


    Step!! Step!


    Shun strode few big steps before leaping towards the direction of the ball. Stretching his hand and body to his utmost limit, he desperately tried to save that ball.


    That shot made by the opposing left back was aimed at the bottom left corner of the post.


    Swoosh!!


    Grazing tip of Shun''s fingers, the ball crossed the goal-line as it found itself in the back of the.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"


    Erupted the fans as they witnessed the ball touching the of the goal-post.


    "A magnificent goal from Kosuke Shinzawa has equalised the game"mented thementator.


    His voice sounding energetic, he rose from his seat as he made thosements.


    Witnessing the ballnding inside the, Hiro stopped his movement as he lowered his head. Frowning his brows, he raised his left hand as he pinched the area between his eyes.


    He was quite disappointed and frustrated by the oue. Disappointed because he still couldn''t prevent the goal despite predicting the oue.


    Frustrated because he was only few secondste to predict the y.


    Sure enough even though, he had the talent and skills which allowed him to perform really well, he was stillcking.


    And that y from the opposing team made him realise how self-conceited he was at the moment.

 Chapter 216 Ultimate Showdown VI

    <h4>Chapter 216 Ultimate Showdown VI</h4>


    Beeeeeeeep!!!


    Just like that, the first half came to an end with the opposing team equalising the score at the nick of time in the first half.


    Sulking their head, most yers of Kawasaki slowly made their way towards the tunnel while frowning as they heard the sound of referee''s whistle.


    Their lips tightly shut and their eyes looking quite dull, nobody spoke a single word while walking towards the tunnel.


    Sure enough it was evident from their reactions that it wasn''t the oue they were hoping for. And also since it happened just few seconds before the end of the first half, quite a lot of yers were feeling regretful right now.


    "Why couldn''t I hold back for some more seconds?"


    "Why did I lose my guard at thest moment?"


    "If only I reacted fast, I could have prevented that goal"


    Such were the questions yers of Kawasaki were asking to themselves.


    On the other hand, yers of Sagan Tosu who were walking infront of them hadpletely different reaction. Since it hadn''t been that long since they scored that equalising goal, happiness and joy from a moment ago could still be seen in the faces of Sagan Tosu''s yers.


    Their eyes brimming with joy and their faces showcasing bright smiles, they were quite loud while making their way towards the tunnel.


    "Nice goal Kosuke"


    "We knew we could trust senior Ryotaro"


    "If we continue this momentum, may be we can even win the match"


    "We just have to keep marking their captain and this game is as good as ours"


    Basking in the glory of the goal which they scored just a moment ago, they were totally drunk in their achievements.


    They were drunk in that short moment of happiness to the point that they were acting like they had already won the game.


    Completely ignoring the presence of yers of Kawasaki, they were even tantly ndering the yers of Kawasaki right in their faces.


    Even the loud noiseing from the stands were not able topletely mask their voices right now.


    May be it was a tactic to provoke the yers of Kawasaki or may be they really didn''t care, who knows what their reason was. But one thing was certain, yers of Sagan Tosu were quite satisfied about the oue.


    Well why wouldn''t they be satisfied? Afterall against that dominating team of Kawasaki, they had managed to hold their ground and y on equal terms.


    While even most of their fans were anticipating their defeats, they had managed to keep Kawasaki at the bay.


    Even Tatsuki who was normally short-tempered was being tolerant and had kept his mouth shut right now despite hearing the taunts of the opposing yers.


    Right now he couldn''t care less about the taunts of the opponents. He had a muchrger issue on his hands.


    Being the striker of his team, he hadn''t managed to score even a single goal till now. And to make matter even worst, he had wasted more than 3 precious passes from Hiro.


    Each and every single one of them near the penalty box.


    Unlike Hiro, he wasn''t even getting marked by three yers. Neither was he denied of opportunities. Infact he had plenty of chances to score in the first half.


    It''s just that he failed to convert the chances he was presented with. While most of his shot were denied by either the opposing defenders or keeper, many of his shotscked uracy today.


    However what Tatsuki hadn''t realised yet was that his uracy wasn''t off but his uracy was deliberately made off by the opposing yers.


    Deliberately forcing him to shoot, defenders of Sagan Tosu were actually manipting him to shoot from bad angles which was causing his shot to go astray.


    Just like that with a bitter mood, yers of Kawasaki made their way towards the locker room without speaking a single word.


    And as they got to their locker room, everybody threw themselves on their respective seats.


    Some put towel atop their face to cover their faces while some went into a trance like state, almost everybody in locker room of Kawasaki looked quite dejected.


    After few seconds of their arrival in the locker room, manager Makoto apanied by few other coaching staffs appeared in the locker room as well.


    Entering the room, manager Makoto swept his gaze across the entire room, checking the condition of his yers.


    As he observed his yers, he felt a bit happy and proud of his yers. The reason why he felt that way despite seeing the dejected state of his yers was because despite drawing the game, his yers weren''t satisfied with merely drawing the game.


    He could feel the strong desire of his yers to win the game.


    However it wasn''t the time to act happy or proud right now. He had to alleviate the mood of his yers.


    Being the manager of the team, it was his responsibility to uplift the mood of his yers. Even though he could feel their strong desire to win the game, he couldn''t allow them to act dejected just because they had drawn the game until now.


    Thus, he briskly cleared his throat as he spoke, "Why are you all acting like you''ve lost the match?"


    His voice despite being a little hoarse was still loud and clear.


    Hearing the voice of manager Makoto, yers who had put towel on their faces dropped the towel as they turned their attention towards their manager.


    Dressed in apletely ck outfit whichprised of puffer jacket, wollen sweater and casual cotton pants, his neck was covered with Kawasaki''s muffler.


    While speaking or breathing, white mist wasing out from his mouth just like an angry beast blowing steam from it''s mouth and nose.


    Faced with manager Makoto''s question, everybody remained silent until Hiro opened his mouth.


    He had noticed manager Makoto before anybody else.


    "Because we are not satisfied with the oue. We wanted to continue to dominate the game"


    His words sounding very energetic, everybody could feel the energy contained in his words.


    While Hiro spoke those words, he wasn''t speaking on impulse. Infact he stayed silent most of the time when somebody asked such questions.


    However today he decided to act because he wanted to help manager Makoto to uplift the mood in the locker room.


    Plus he was also the captain of the team. If not him, who else would dare to speak at such times?


    "Yeah we are not satisfied with this oue. We know that we were the dominant team" spoke Akihiro as he spilled the frustration within him.


    "That''s right, we should be winning. We hadn''t prepared restlessly to just draw the game."


    Soon other yers joined in as well.

 Chapter 217 Ultimate Showdown VII

    <h4>Chapter 217 Ultimate Showdown VII</h4>


    In an instant, the atmosphere around the locker room changed as every yer started to spill their feelings. And sure enough, almost everybody shared the same feelings.


    They all wanted to be at the lead. Even drawing the game was considered a lost to them right now.


    And as one after other, everybody shared their feelings, the once tensed locker room now resounded with the voice of yers.


    If not for Hiro, they might have still kept their feelings to themselves. But because Hiro decided to speak up, everybody could no longer keep their mouths shut.


    Witnessing his yers answering, manager Makoto subtly curled the corner of his lips as he revealed a satiated expression.


    "If you''re not satisfied with the oue then change the oue instead of overthinking about what has already happened. So stop thinking about that equalising goal" spoke manager Makoto as he made himself clear.


    Only after hearing manager Makoto''s words did most yers stopped thinking about thatst second goal in the first half. That goal was haunting most of them at the moment.


    Specially Shun and Ehara. They were troubled the most by that goal.


    Ehara because he had left his position and failed to notice the opposing left back, causing his team to concede the goal.


    And Shun because he was only focusing at the ball despite being able to see the whole field.


    One advantage being the keeper was that the keeper could see the entire field aspared to other outfield yers.


    And Shun had failed to make use of that advantage by focusing solely on the ball and the yers near to the ball.


    After that manager Makoto started to point the ws of the yers. And sure enough, he also mentioned Shun''s w which was not using the advantage to see the whole field.


    Manager Makoto and rest of the coaching staffs also did a detailed analysis of the opposing teams strategy. And based on that analysis they also found some loopholes in the strategy of the opposing team.


    "Listen Tatsuki don''t try to force your way in. The opposing defenders are deliberately leading you to a bad spot and because of that you are not being able to shoot properly."


    One by one manager Makoto pointed out the mistakes of the yers.


    And sure enough, most of the things which manager Makoto said were as per Hiro''s expectations. Although there were a lot more stuff which he had missed because he couldn''t observe the entire field like the coaches could do from the sidelines.


    "Hiro I know that your movement is restricted, so in the next half I''m thinking of moving Akihiro into the position of centre mid to support you and attract some of the attention of the opposing yers."


    Until now Hiro''s team was ying in 4-1-2-3 formation but with Akihiro moving upfield, they were now going to y in 4-3-3 formation.


    Akihiro moving upfield could lessen his burden in theory as opposing team would have to now pay attention to Akihiro as well.


    And since Akihiro was also a good passer, Hiro could definitely make use of his support too.


    However it was easier said than done. Akihiro moving upfield also left the gap in the area between midfield and defence, meaning their defence would definitely be hampered by this decision.


    And judging by the gazes which Hiro felt at the pitch, it didn''t seem like his markings would lessen just because of the addition of another yer.


    Also if Hiro''s coaches could see his struggles then wouldn''t the opposing coaches could also see his struggles.


    So wouldn''t they think the same as his team''s coaches?


    Based on that judgement, Hiro partially denied the opinion of manager Makoto, "Sir, I can handle the marks on me."


    His answer confused the coaches a little. So manager Makoto hesitatingly questioned, "So.... you don''t want Akihiro to move upfield?"


    Hiro immediately denied, "No sir. Let him move upfield. However let senior Yuto drop back to the position of the centre mid as well. I''ll y as the sole attacking midfielder"


    Saying so, Hiro turned his head towards Yuto, asking his approval.


    Yuto approvingly nodded his head without questioning him anything.


    And since the yer in question had already approved to Hiro''s suggestion, manager Makoto too trusted Hiro''s decision.


    **** ****


    "Thatst moment goal was really a banger right?"


    "Well that was good but not as good as Hiro''s. If only there was puskas for yer under the age of 17, he would have literally won puskas with that goal"


    "When will the second half begin?"


    Chattering with their colleagues, fans were growing restless while waiting for the return of the yers.


    Everybody wanted to see more from the two teams.


    Finally after 10 minutes, yers of both the team started to walk out of the tunnel to resume the match.


    "Look they''reing" mumbled a fan in excitement as he pointed at the yers who were currently walking out of the tunnel.


    Inside the tunnel.


    "Yoh! Little Captain. Are you ready for getting imprisoned" mumbled one of the yer of Sagan Tosu as he walked past Hiro before exiting the tunnel.


    "Please don''t say to others that we''re bullying you little Captain" another opposing yer spoke as he brushed past Hiro.


    "Yeah, please don''t cry little Captain" another one made a crying gesture.


    Their gestures provocative and their voice carrying hint of mockery, they were clearly taunting Hiro.


    Hiro however paid no attention to their taunts and pretended as if their voice was air brushing past him.


    Neither was he angered by their provocation nor did he care, he simply continued to tread his way towards the pitch.


    Outside the tunnel, fans were already cheering at the top of their voice. But as Hiro excited the tunnel, the sounds of cheers intensified tenfold, "Hiiiiiiiirrrrrooooooo!!!!"


    "Hiiiiiiiirrrrrooooooo!!"


    A lot of fans were ecstatically chanting his name. Sure enough, his poprity has soared even more with that goal in the 29th minute of the match.


    Hiro then while looking at the stands, shifted his gaze towards the VIP stands where his parents were seated.


    Although he couldn''t see them well since they were quite far away from him, he could still see them excitedly waving their hands towards him.


    Noticing them waving their hands towards him, he smiled as he lifted his hands and waved them back at his parents.


    "Then shall we win this match" mumbled Hiro as he clenched his fist.


    His eyes glowed with determination as he spoke those words. Inhaling a deep breathe, he felt rejuvenated as he felt the cold air prating his lungs.

 Chapter 218 Ultimate Showdown VIII

    <h4>Chapter 218 Ultimate Showdown VIII</h4>


    As all the yers positioned themselves in their respective position for the start of the second half, as per usual Hiro first swept his gaze across the yers infront of him.


    And as per his expectation, Sagan Tosu had indeed switched their formation thinking Akihiro would move forward to support Hiro.


    However judging by the dumbstruck expression which most yers of Sagan Tosu were disying at the moment, it seemed like they weren''t expecting the position change of Yuto.


    Even those three yers who were deliberately trying to provoke Hiro earlier, they had the same dumbstruck expression.


    Their haughty eyes were now filled with panic. Just like withering flower, the vitality in their face seemed like it was sapped away as their face looked a little pale right now.


    At the same time while Hiro was observing the situation infront of him, manager Makoto too was looking towards the opposing substitution box.


    And during his observation, while noticing the anxious expression of the opposing coach, he was chuckling inwardly.


    "You were indeed right Hiro" manager Makoto grinned as he felt a sense of satisfaction upon seeing the expression of the opposing coach.


    Beep!!


    The second half then resumed with the sound of referee''s whistle.


    The atmosphere around the stadium once again turned lively as fans started cheering even louder than before.


    Upon hearing the sound of referee''s whistle, Tatsuki passed the ball back and initiated the kickoff.


    And as he passed the ball back, without wasting anytime, he started moving upfield. Kenta and Takeshi, the two wingers of Kawasaki both rushed upfield as well.


    Sure enough, they weren''t going to lie low. They were ying an all out offensive game right off the bat.


    The bbergasted opposing forwards rushed towards Hiro staggeringly as they chased after the ball.


    Without exerting much effort, Hiro smoothly dribbled past those two forwards as he moved the ball upfield.


    If they were in their right mind, those two would have moved forward carefully instead of just ganging up on Hiro at the same time.


    However since, they weren''t in their right mind at the moment, both of them took the route of force. They wanted to forcefully snatch the ball away from Hiro.


    Thus both of them rushed towards Hiro at the same time, instead of making use of their numbers against Hiro.


    Upon witnessing Hiro effortlessly dribbling past their teams forwards, midfielders of Sagan Tosu started to panic.


    Before they could even position themselves around Hiro to mark Hiro, currently Hiro was already charging towards them. Instead of them initiating the battle, Hiro had initiated the battle this time.


    And because of that, they were at a disadvantage right now.


    Even so, those midfielders shook their head and regained theirposure as they became wary of Hiro.


    Although it wasn''t the situation which they were expecting, they very well knew that anything could happen in the game at any moment.


    Football may be 99 percent talent, hardwork, teamwork, mentality, strategy and execution of strategy but even if it''s only 1 percent, no one can deny the element called luck.


    If favoured by luck even an underdog team cane out victorious against a powerhouse team.


    So one must be able to make quick decision to counter the so called uncertainty.


    "He''s weak against physical ys. So let''s pressure him" mumbled one of the opposing midfielder as he notified hispanion of his thoughts.


    The other midfielder beside him nodded his head before rushing forward towards Hiro.


    At the same time while those midfielders were rushing towards Hiro, Ryotaro was givingmands to his fellow defenders, ordering them to maintain their formation while keeping eye on the opposing forwards.


    The anticipation in the eyes of the fans grew uncontrobly as they kept their eyes fixated on Hiro.


    Some eyes filled with horror while some eyes filled with anticipation, different people were making different reactions at the moment.


    Faced with two midfielders, instead of retreating Hiro charged the ball forward. But as he reached close to them, he didn''t try to dribble the ball. Instead he hit the ball with the back of his foot while moving the ball.


    The two midfielders who were thinking of making use of their physique to stop Hiro were left dumbfounded by Hiro''s actions as both of their attention drifted towards the ball.


    However Hiro paid no heed to them, instead he continued to rush forward.


    And as the ball left Hiro''s feet, it found it''s way towards Akihiro. From the moment when Hiro had started to move the ball forward, he and Yuto had been chasing after Hiro.


    Hiro was the pointy tip of the triangle while those two were the bases of the triangle. Those three were currently positioned in a triangr shape.


    Akihiro then passed the ball to Yuto. Yuto inturn immediately sent a long ball to Kenta who was sprinting along the nks.


    Kenta too didn''t hog the ball for long and immediately released the ball to Tatsuki.


    At that time Tatsuki was at the edge of the opposing penalty box.


    Witnessing the ball rolling towards Tatsuki, the opposing defenders who were keeping eyes on Tatsuki immediately rushed forward towards Tatsuki.


    However they didn''t rush forward rashly. While one of the defender rushed towards Tatsuki another stayed close to him.


    They were very careful while rushing forward.


    Ryotaro on the other hand had strategically positioned himself in a spot where he could both initiate the attack and intercept the pass to Hiro.


    Until now, everything seemed so easy. However the difficult part had just arrived. Getting past that five man defensive formation was the hardest part.


    ncing towards the post, Tatsuki squinched his brows as he looked for spaces to move the ball forward.


    Although he could see space open to make some shots, he wasn''t confident enough to score. And also taking manager Makoto''s earlier suggestion into consideration, he knew that he couldn''t shoot rashly.


    Thus, he began to looke for passing options.


    Hiro was marked and so was Kenta.


    The only option he could see right now was to pass back. However if he did that he''d throw up their momentum.

 Chapter 219 Ultimate Showdown IX

    Chapter 219 Ultimate Showdown IX


    With every passing seconds Tatsuki was growing even more restless.


    Even though he had an another option which was to try to dribble the ball past the opposing defenders, he wasn''t confident enough right now.


    Just then while slowly moving the ball upfield, at the periphery of his vision, he noticed Takeshi making his run in the right nk.


    Although Kosuke Shinzawa was tailing him, passing the ball to Takeshi seemed the safest option right now.


    However just as he thought of passing the ball, he hesitated. His pride didn''t allow him to run from the challenge infront of him.


    The defenders who were infront of him were clearly taunting him to try and dribble the ball past them.


    Although he couldn''t hear the words they were whispering, he could clearly see their gesture telling him to beat them if he had the guts.


    Seeing their eyes filled with mockery, how could he run away?


    Although it may seem like a lot, he had thought of all those things in only few seconds while sweeping his gaze around him.


    Thus, he gave in to his pride as he thrusted the ball upfield, rushing towards the opposing defenders.


    Making use of his explosive pace, Tatsuki epted the challenge of the opposing defenders as he tried to reim his honor.


    Seeing Tatsuki moving upfield, Hiro immediately rushed towards opposite direction to lure the defenders who were marking him.


    He wanted to open up some spaces for Tatsuki.


    Ryotaro on seeing Hiro running in another direction made a gamble as he chased after Hiro, leaving his position.


    Even though he couldn''t tell why Hiro was acting in such a way, his instincts told him that leaving Hiro unmarked would only create him and his teams some unnecessary troubles.


    Thus at the risk of leaving a gap for Tatsuki, Ryotaro chased after Hiro.


    Now that he had decided to chase Hiro, he had no choice but to trust his fellow defenders to somehow block Tatsuki.


    Tatsuki then making use of his dribbling prowess, easily dribbled past the first defender. However just as he was about to reim the ball, another defender who was just behind that defender whom he dribbled past slid down as he cleared the ball away.


    Tatsuki stumbled upon the feet of that defender and fell down.


    However the referee didn''t stop the game. Clearly it wasn''t a foul.


    Still the crowd had a different reaction. Some were grumpily shouting and cursing at the referee, "Are you blind ref?"


    "That''s a foul"


    "Why aren''t you blowing your damn whistle?"


    With a mixed reaction from the crowd, the stadium tured chaotic for a moment.


    The ball thennded on the feet of the opposing midfielder. That midfielder inturn started to move the ball forward.


    At the same time both their fullbacks sprinted forward as well.


    "Sagan Tosu are now counterattacking"mented thementator.


    Hiro immediately turned around as he rushed backwards to help defend against the impending counterattack.


    Yuto stepped forward to stop that opposing midfielder who was moving the ball upfield. And while Yuto stepped forward, Akihiro rushed backwards.


    He was quick to decide on the yer he had to mark at that moment. He rushed towards one of the opposing forward.


    Shun having learnt from his mistake became vignt as he rolled his eyes all over the field looking for any possible threats.


    "Ehara watch out for that left back."


    "Minato keep track of that right back"


    "Nakahara watch out for the forwards"


    Instructed Shun as hemanded his team''s defenders to be more vignt.


    Although there were only defenders left in their half at that moment, Shun''s eyes were as calm as still water. He wasn''t a least bit panicked. Infact he was very coolheaded at the moment.


    The opposing midfielder passed the ball to another midfielder. That midfielder inturn released the ball to one of their forward.


    However the pass was short. It wasn''t aimed to reach the feet of the forward as behind that forward, Akimasa Nakahara was waiting for his opportunity like a snake to hack at him.


    Understanding the intention behind that pass, that forward who was currently being stalked by Akimasa Nakahara rushed towards the direction of the ball to collect the ball.


    After collecting the ball, he then started to move the ball upfield.


    Nakahara wasn''t dumb either, he had noticed the intention behind that pass as well. Thus the moment when that forward rushed forward to collect the ball, he had rushed forward as well.


    Witnessing the sight of Nakahara, that forward started to look for his teammates to pass the ball.


    However unlike the previous time, each and every single one of his teammates who were in the attacking third were now marked.


    Right back was marked by Minato, left back was marked by Ehara and the other forward was marked by Yuhito.


    Seeing all of his teammates infront of him marked, he panicked for a moment.


    However he regained hisposure immediately as he advanced towards Nakahara with unwavering determination.


    Just as he reached Nakahara he tricked Nakahara by using body feint and got past Nakahara.


    And as he dribbled past Nakahara, he noticed a gap between the defence of Kawasaki. However he could feel that gap narrowing because of the iing defenders.


    Thus without wasting anytime, seizing the opportunity he shot the ball from outside the box. His eyes glowed with hope and his lips curled up to a smile as he made that incredibly powerful long shot.


    He was quite optimistic about that shot.


    However the glow in his eyes and the smile in his face didn''tst long. What followed soon after was a feeling of disappointment.


    In his eyes, the figure of Shun making a superb save and denying his chance of scoring was reflecting at the moment.


    Just like a wall, Shun was standing between him and the goal.


    "What an incredible save!!" Commented thementator.


    The ball then as it touched Shun''s palms went out of bounds.


    With that save, the opposing team were awarded a corner kick and Kawasaki had prevented a possible threatening situation.

 Chapter 220 Ultimate Showdown X

    <h4>Chapter 220 Ultimate Showdown X</h4>


    Although they had prevented a possible threatening situation just now, that didn''t mean they werepletely safe. The threat was still lingering around them as they had an impending corner to defend against.


    Thus, they still had to keep their guards up and prepare ordingly to face the corner.


    And as one of the opposing yer began to march towards the corner to take the corner kick, yers of both the teams started to position themselves inside the penalty box of Kawasaki.


    For that corner almost every single one of the opposing yers had came forward, even though it wasn''t even thest corner kick of the match. Those opposing yers were currently swarming inside the penalty box of Kawasaki like ants gathered for a feast.


    And because of that faces of most yers of Kawasaki looked quited tensed at the moment.


    Givingmand to his fellow teammates, Shun was standing in an alert position right beside one of the left pole while facing the set-piece taker.


    His jersey smeared with dirt and his eyes looking a little restless, clearly even Shun was affected by the pressure of the opposing team.


    However even in that moment, he still hadn''t lost his cool.


    Along withmanding his team to cover up the vacant spaces, he was also trying to figure out the intention of the set-piece taker.


    Where will he pass?


    Will he y a short pass?


    Will he deliver a long pass?


    Such were the thoughts which were running on Shun''s mind right now.


    The opposing set-piece taker thenunched the ball inside the box. yers of both the team leaped upwards as theypeted for the ball. However the one who reached the ball before anyone else was Shun.


    Leaving his position, he punched the ball away as he once again prevented an impending danger.


    As the ball flew outside the penalty box, Ryotaro who wasn''t at the penalty box and was at the centre circle sprinted towards the direction of ball as he shot a powerful volley from outside the box.


    May be it was because he put too much force on the ball or may be he simply couldn''t connect well, whatever be the reason, his shot went astray as it flew over the post, into the stands behind the post.


    Crowds of people who were seated behind the post tried to head or punch the ball as they let out an euphoric and disappointed roar.


    "Ahhh!!"


    "Someone has to remind Ryotaro that he''s not ying American football right now, hahahah"mentator made a sarcasticment as he tried to crack a joke to alleviate the mood in the stadium.


    Witnessing the ball flying above the post, Ryotaro made an ugly expression as he disappointedly clicked his tongue,"Tch-" before returning back to his position.


    After that for some while, game went into aplete stalement as neither side seeded in scoring another goal.


    Until the 77th minute of the match, it was anybody''s game. Although statistically speaking, Kawasaki were dominating the match, they still hadn''t been able to find the back of the.


    Despite both team failing to score another goal, fans weren''t bored either. The match was just too fierce and exciting for anybody to feel boredom, despite theck of goals.


    Then at 77th minute of the match, a potential goal scoring opportunity presented itself as Hiro received a long ball from Akihiro.


    It was pass most yers couldn''t trap. However to Hiro who had an excellent ball control receiving passes like this was child''s y.


    Breaking through the defense of opposing midfielders, once again Hiro came face to face against Ryotaro.


    Having learnt from his past mistakes, this time Ryotaro didn''t rush forward all alone, instead he gestured two of his fellow defenders behind to charge towards Hiro while he maintained his distance and kept guard.


    While moving the ball forward, Hiro rolled his eyes to his left and right as he tried to look for his teammates and possible openings.


    If those two defender came at him at the same, as long as he was not physically pushed or fouled, he was confident that he could dribble past those two defenders.


    However even if he managed to evade those two defenders, there was still a mountain lile figure infront of him.


    Already in a bitter mood because of thatst shot which he made, Ryotaro Imamura was fiercely staring at Hiro. Just like a hungry tiger waiting to initiate it''s attack, Ryotaro was ring at Hiro while also keeping a solemn facade.


    ''What if I strugglingly dribble past these two defenders and use my skill to catch him off-guard?'' Instantly thought Hiro as he failed to find any spot open.


    Hiro then tried to dribble past those two defenders without using any shy skills. He pretended like he was struggling to get past those two defenders to deceive Ryotaro who was observing the situation from behind, patiently waiting for a perfect moment to make his move.


    But just as he got past those two defenders, Ryotaro slid down as he tried to tackle Hiro.


    Hiro who was just about to use his skill "Lightning Steps" had to alter his n at the nick of time.


    He wasn''t expecting such a rough tackle from Ryotaro out of nowhere. He had nned to deceive him to lower his guard, that''s why he struggled to get past those two defenders, even though he could get past them with ease.


    Fortunately he made a quick decision as he leaped upwards the figure of sliding Ryotaro while also lifting the ball above effortlessly.


    For a moment it seemed liked the ball was glued to his feet. And the way he spread his arms made him look like an eagle soaring high in the sky.


    Hiro then safelynded behind Ryotaro as he avoided the reach of Ryotaro.


    But just as hended, he noticed the two other opposing fullbacks rushing towards him.


    At the same time the opposing keeper was also closing in towards him. At this moment even if he used his skill Lightning Steps, he''d probably get tackled by the opposing keeper even if he did managed to evade those two fullbacks.


    His other teammates were all behind him and Tatsuki who was the only person infront of him was in an offside position as well.


    He had no other choice but to shoot the ball. Well he could also have chosen to close the distance between him and keeper, eventually tricking the opposing keeper and dribbling past him, thereafter scoring an easy goal.

 Chapter 221 Ultimate Showdown XI

    <h4>Chapter 221 Ultimate Showdown XI</h4>


    However Hiro chose another option which was to shoot the ball from his current position. His chances of scoring would have turned 50/50, if he had chosen to use his skill Lightning Steps at that moment because of the keeper''s intervention.


    But since his arsenal''s didn''tck any powerful long range shots, he didn''t require to make that gamble.


    Instead he could just shoot the ball from his current position without much troubles.


    But since those two full backs were closing in towards him, he had to make his decision quickly. If he did not make quick decision, not only would he get obstructed by the opposing fullbacks, Ryotaro behind him would recover as well.


    Hiro then slightly tapped the ball sideways with his right foot as he positioned the ball in a spot where he could bring out his maximum power.


    And as he stretched his legs to shoot the ball, both those fullbacks who were only some distance away from him, desperately tried to reach him.


    While stretching his legs, his body had tilted at a 60 degree angle from the ground.


    Just as Hiro''s right foot made contact with the ball, the two of them threw their body towards the direction of the ball to block the ball.


    Their timing was a little off as they couldn''t block the ballpletely despite trying so hard.


    However for a while one of the defender felt like the luck was on his side today, as he felt the sensation of the ball slightly touching his head.


    But before he could rejoice, he crashed against his teammate who had leaped towards the direction of the ball almost at the same time.


    Because of those two jumping towards the ball, their keeper''s vision was greatly obstructed.


    Bam!!


    As the two of them crashed against each other, both of them fell down, slightly moaning in pain, "aargh!!"


    Their crash although hard wasn''t much painful because of the adrenaline rush they were feeling at the moment.


    As if he was jumping in the dark, Sagan Tosu''s keeper dived blindly while relying on his intuition and the observation before his teammates blocked his vision.


    And based on his judgement, he could tell that ball was aimed at the top right corner of the post.


    However just as he fell down, he noticed the ball at the opposite to the direction where he had dived.


    Turning behind to look at the oue, opposing left back who was rejoicing a moment ago because he had managed to touch the ball, his face turned grim as he witnessed the oue.


    The hope in his eyes and pain in his heart vanished away like salt vanishing aftering in contact with water.


    He no longer felt the pain from the earlier crash.


    Instead what was left of him was pure sadness. If not for him, his team''s keeper could still have some chances to save the ball.


    But because the ball touched him and deflected off his head, his team conceded that goal.


    Even though it wasn''t his fault. Even though he was only trying to save his team. Even though it wasplete coincidence that the ball bounced off his head. He began to me himself for costing his team that goal.


    His face turned pale as he thought, ''All because of me. What have I done?''


    On the other hand, the stadium resounded with the euphoric sound of celebration.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"


    The crowd made an euphoric roar as they celebrated Hiro''s goal.


    Most of the fans jumped on their toes as they swung their hands in the air, joyously chanting,"Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!"


    "What a brilliant goal by Hiro!! But will it be counted as his goal? It seemed like it got deflected off the head of Ryu" although thementator sounded cheerful, even he was a bit skeptical about the goal.


    Hiro''s teammates all rushed towards him as Hiro stayed still at his ce.


    He didn''t look a least bit happy. His brows knitted and his lips pursed, he had aplicated look on his face at this moment.


    Scoring that goal, he should be celebrating right now. So why was he standing in his ce with thatplicated look on his face?


    Was he shocked?


    Or was he finding it hard to believe that he had scored that goal?


    It was neither. He was simply worried because he too had seen the ball deflecting off the head of the opposing left back.


    He was worried that this wouldn''t be counted as his goal. After painstakingly scoring such an amazing goal, his credit could be stolen.


    However he wasn''t being selfish. If he hadn''t had that quest to score a perfect hattrick, he would have been rejoicing the goal no matter the oue.


    But since he still had that quest and time running out of his hands, he had to seize every opportunity. He simply couldn''t let go of the goal.


    Thus instead of celebrating, he looked at the scoreboard. While his teammates kept jumping atop him, celebrating the goal, he kept on staring at the scoreboard.


    Under normal circumstances, Hiro should be dered as the goalscorer. Since it was only defected off the body of opposing yer.


    But if his shot was off target then it would be counted as own goal.


    Although he was confident about his uracy, he was still worried about the oue. Afterall everything depended on the match officials right now.


    He was literally powerless. All he could do right now was to wait.


    Just then while keeping his gaze fixated at the scoreboard, his name popped in the screen as he was dered the goalscorer.


    Only after seeing his name did he let out an euphoric roar, "Yeeeaaaaa!!!!"


    "Hahaha.... Seems like Hiro really wasn''t willing to let go of that goal." Chuckled thementator as he witnessed Hiro''s reaction.


    Rushing against the time, Hiro now had to score a goal with his head toplete his quest. Obviously it was the most difficult part to him since he was neither a striker nor was he very tall.


    Although he could jump high, he still had to get the opportunity. Unlike previous times where he could create opportunities himself, this time he had to seize the opportunity created by others.

 Chapter 222 Ultimate Showdown XII

    Chapter 222 Ultimate Showdown XII


    With that goal from Hiro, Kawasaki once again took the lead. And as such, the scoreboard at the 78th minute of match read as such; Kawasaki-2 and Sagan Tosu-1.


    At the sidelines while looking at the scene unfolding infront of his eyes, manager of Sagan Tosu was fuming.


    Gritting his teeth and ring at his yers with his bloodshot eyes, he was barely holding back himself from letting lose by tightly clenching his fist.


    If not for the fact that he was the manager, he would literally thrown a fit right now.


    The veins in his hands and neck was bulging because of the raging anger boiling inside of him. Sure enough, he wasn''t happy with the oue.


    Just like how Kawasaki had prepared, he had also prepared his team to win the match. Day and night, he had studied and analysed Kawasaki''s previous matches.


    He knew that his team''s chances of winning against Kawasaki was slim. But still, he formted his ns by relentlessly studying both the matches of Kawasaki and habits of it''s yers, day and night.


    And unlike the star packed Kawasaki, his team didn''t have many stars. Infact the only one who could be considered as a star yer in his team was Ryotaro Imamura.


    There were countless night where he didn''t even sleep much because of the analysis. But now that he was witnessing his meticulously crafted ns failing infront of him, he was feeling like all his efforts were going down the drain.


    Huff!! Huff!!


    Inhaling and exhaling few deep breaths, he then calmed himself. After that he walked towards his assistants and whispered something in their ear.


    And as he finished whispering, those assistant of his immediately rushed towards the direction of assistant referee.


    Clearly manager of Sagan Tosu was going to change some of his yers and most probably also make some strategic changes.


    Although his team was ying well, manager Makoto was also preparing to make some yer changes.


    Especially he had some concerns regarding Tatsuki''s performance today. Thus he was currently in a dilemma, whether to substitute Tatsuki or not.


    And since he couldn''t bring himself to decide, he chose to consult with his assistants regarding the matter.


    "I''ve got some concerns regarding Tatsuki''s performance today, so I''d like to listen to all your opinions regarding Tatsuki''s substitution" spoke manager Makoto while facing his assistants.


    His face was solemn and his voice was calm.


    Some were in favour of Tatsuki''s substitution while others were against Tatsuki''s substitution. Although his performance wasn''t satisfactory today, he still was one of the best yer of their team.


    Thus most of the assistant coaches were reluctant to substitute him.


    Taking him off meant losing one of their star yer which could inturn put more pressure on Hiro, as with him gone other yers focus would point towards him and they''d target him even more.


    Right now although Tatsuki wasn''t performing well, his presence was still domineering and had also somewhat elevated some burden from Hiro''s shoulder.


    And even though he wasn''t performing as per coaches expectations, he was still drawing some of the attention of the opposing yers.


    However despite that, manager Makoto still decided to substitute Tatsuki.


    "Renji go warm up" manager Makotomanded Renji who was currently seated at substitution box, itching to y.


    Manager Makoto''s words were like music to his ears as he excitedly answered, "Yes sir!"


    In absence of Tatsuki, during the first half of the season, he had been ying as starter. And although his achievements weren''t as impressive as Hiro or Tatsuki, he still had scored decent amount of goals.


    Infact even after ying as substitute for most part of the season, he had bagged 11 goals under his name.


    Considering not many starting strikers of other team had that many goals under their name, Renji was clearly not a bench warmer.


    However hispetition was just too tough as he had topete for his spot against Tatsuki the goal machine.


    It was same situation as with Erling Hand and Julian Alvarez.


    And thus Renji was forced to stay within Tatsuki''s shadow, continuouslypeting for a spot in the starting eleven.


    Given the fact that he could y such well, he would have be starting striker in almost any other team in the league.


    Obviously before joining he was informed about thepetition he''d have to face for a spot in the starting eleven. But since he chose to sign with Kawasaki even after hearing about his situation, his decision greatly reflected his resolve topete for his spot.


    Now that his opportunity had finally arrived, how could he let go?


    While most yer''s legs would turn numb in such situation, Renji was actually excited at the moment.


    "Since senior Tatsuki has failed to score a goal. I''ll show them by scoring a goal that I''m better suited to y as a starter"


    His eyes glowing with determination and fire raging inside his heart, Renji whispered with a determined look on his face as he stood beside the assistant referee waiting for him to lift the substitution board.


    Finally as the ball went out of bounds, assistant referee lifted his substitution board indicating for a yer change.


    Two from Kawasaki and three from Sagan Tosu.


    By that time the match had already started and there were only 7 minutes left for the end of the second half.


    But even so, despite knowing that he could only y for some while, Renji wasn''t a bit discouraged. Infact he was itching to show his worth on the field.


    Although Tatsuki wasn''t happy about the substitution, regardless he wished Renji well as he sped hands with Renji, "Good luck"


    Saying so, Tatsuki exited the field as he walked towards Kawasaki''s substitution box.


    "You yed well"


    "Well yed"


    yers seated at the substitution box and coachesplimented his effort as Tatsuki took his seat.


    After the substitution, right from the get go, Renji pressured the opposing yers. Since he was full of energy, he charged ahead relentlessly, trying to win the ball.


    He was determined to disy his worth.

 Chapter 223 Ultimate Showdown XIII

    <h4>Chapter 223 Ultimate Showdown XIII</h4>


    Opposing yers who were already on their wits end started to get even more flustered as they tried to keep hold of the ball against Renji who was chasing after the ball like a mad hound.


    With less than 5 minutes remaining, they were already in a tight spot. But now faced with Renji''s relentless attack, it was getting incredibly difficult for them to move the ball forward.


    At the sidelines, manager Makoto with his hands folded and lips curled up was revealing a satiated expression while watching Renji''s pursuit of ball, "Good, you didn''t disappoint me Renji"


    At the same time, manager of Sagan Tosu had a different reaction. The anger from a moment ago was starting to surface inside his heart once again while watching the scene unfolding infront of his eyes, "Just what the hell are those morons doing. Didn''t I tell them to y long balls? So why the fuck are those morons ying short passes?"


    Clearly manager of Sagan Tosu was in a pretty bad mood right now.


    And even though he wasn''t speaking loudly, the aura leaking around him was making him look quite ominous right now.


    Time was running out of hands. And the more the time was passing the more anxious yers of Sagan Tosu were getting.


    However they weren''t the only ones who were bing anxious right now. Hiro was the same as well.


    Fear of failing the quest was gnawing upon him.


    Even the assistant referee outside the field had already lifted his board to announce the addition of extra time.


    Anxiously ncing at the board lifted by assistant referee, Hiro noticed that he had only 3 minutes left toplete the quest.


    Just like a poisoned man who was on the verge of death, his situation was getting dire with every passing seconds.


    His usual calm andposed face was now pale and anxious. There was a hint of fear and restlessness reflecting in his eyes.


    At this moment, Hiro acted without thinking. Making use of the skill perseverance, he first increased his endurance. Simultaneously he used his skill Lightning Steps to close the gap between him and the opposing yer who was currently hogging the ball.


    Upon witnessing Hiro appearing infront of him literally from out of nowhere, his heart skipped a beat as he wobbled a little.


    His eyes disyed extreme fear as he got startled by Hiro''s sudden appearance.


    Hiro had approached him from his blind spot and because of that Hiro''s arrival was totally unexpected.


    It was like, Hiro''s figure had appeared infront of him out of thin air.


    Taking advantage of the situation, Hiro quickly snatched the ball away from his feet. And as he snatched the ball away from his feet, he then started to dribble the ball.


    As he dribbled the ball, Hiro then sent a through pass to Kenta who was making his run along the nks.


    The reason why he did that was because he had to score a header right now and for that he needed someone to supply him the cross.


    And Kenta was perfect option for him right now as he knew how good Kenta was at supplying crosses.


    And because of that reason he bet his chip on Kenta. Just as he passed the ball to Kenta, Hiro started to make his run inside the box.


    However what he didn''t expect was the intervention of Ryotaro. Even before his passes could reach Kenta''s feet, Ryotaro split his legs to maximum, in an attempt to touch the ball somehow.


    And he did managed to touch the ball. The ball then as it touched Ryotaro''s tip of the boots went out of bounds.


    Beep!!


    "Good defending!! Although there''s literally no hope for Sagan Tosu to turn the tables, Ryotaro seems like he isn''t willing to let another goal"mented thementator, "But even so, Kawasaki are awarded a corner. Infact it''s probably thest corner of the match as the time has already ended"


    As mentioned by thementator, it was indeed thest corner kick of the match. Even the extra time had just ended right now.


    And while Hiro''s teammates were celebrating their imminent victory, Hiro was growing more restless. He knew that it was his veryst chance toplete the quest.


    "It''s thest corner, so let''s just y a short pass and shoot the ball" excitedly mumbled Akihiro.


    "Yeah, we have already won. So let''s just get it done"


    "It doesn''t matter whether we score this corner or not."


    Most of his teammates were talking about bottling the corner as they had already won the game.


    However while his teammates were thinking of attacking recklessly, Hiro was thinking something else.


    It was a matter of life and death to him. He had to score this goal with his head, no matter what. He simply couldn''t afford to bottle.


    Thus listening to his teammates words caused him to get angry.


    "What the fuck are you talking?" Hiro growled ferociously as he red at his teammates.


    As his voice travelled to the ear of his teammates, it sounded like a raging thunder which immediately caused them to shiver.


    Hearing his ferocious growl, every single one of his teammates who were gathered beside Hiro, abruptly turned towards Hiro as they stared at him with fear in their eyes.


    They were startled by Hiro''s voice. But once they witnessed Hiro''s face full of anger, they started developing fear.


    Some of them even took some steps back as they locked eyes with Hiro. They had never seen Hiro that angry before.


    His face grim and his eyes bloodshot, Hiro looked extremely scary right now.


    Soon Kenta mustered his courage to speak, "We have already won the game, so is there any need to take this corner seriously"


    His words polite and his voice gentle, Kenta nicely questioned Hiro.


    Hearing Kenta''s voice, Hiro eased his brows as he dropped his anger.


    What Kenta said right now, made sense. Afterall they had already won the game, so there was actually no need for them to try hard.


    But just because they had already won the game didn''t mean they shouldn''t push any further.


    It''s like saying I''ve got enough money to feed myself for lifetime so I should just quit working any further.


    However if even the opposing yers who had already lost the game were trying hard to defend another goal then shouldn''t they also try hard to score another goal?


    Their act right now was a mockery to the efforts of the opposing yers.


    And although Hiro had a different motive, he was also furious about his teammates goofy behaviour.


    One must push as long as he can. Just like one must breathe as long as he/she''s alive, as long as they get chance, they should score.


    Sometimes showing pity can also be considered as mockery. And not every people in the world appreciates the act of pity.

 Chapter 224 Ultimate Showdown XIV

    Chapter 224 Ultimate Showdown XIV


    After hearing Kenta''s question, Hiro started to rack his mind to think of an excuse which could not only mask his intentions but also convince his teammates.


    Rolling his eyes to his left and right, he could clearly see the anxiousness and trepidation in the faces of his teammates.


    Finally he thought of an excuse, "If even our opponents are trying their best to prevent the goal then shouldn''t we also try hard to score? If we just respond halfheartedly then won''t it look like we are mocking their efforts?"


    His tone polite and his face solemn, while speaking such Hiro looked in the eyes of every teammates who were standing infront of him.


    Immediately most of them retreated thier gazes as they locked eyes with Hiro.


    Faced with Hiro''s questions, how could they not be moved. Afterall their opponents were indeed trying hard to defend.


    Even at the moment, they were all clustered inside the penalty box, strategically positioning themselves to prevent the goal.


    And what were they doing at the moment? They were thinking of bottling the corner kick.


    Pondering about Hiro''s statement, they all subconsciously looked at the scene unfolding infront of their eyes. And as they noticed the efforts those opposing yers were putting currently, they all felt ashamed of themselves.


    Looking at their reaction, Hiro could tell that he had hit the nail.


    ''Let''s strike the iron while it''s still hot'' Hiro mused inwardly.


    "Whether we seed to score or not, it depends on fate. But let us all give our best guys" mumbled Hiro as he tried to instigate his teammates to give their best.


    "Yeah our captain''s right guys. Whether we score or not, we should still give our best until thest moment" roared Akihiro as he dered his support for Hiro.


    His eyes glowing and his voice full of passion, Akihiro seemed like he was full of vigor at the moment.


    That feeling of burning passion which Akihiro was feeling at the moment proved to be extremely contagious as it immediately spread to other yers who were present beside him at the moment.


    And soon everyone rallied together as all of them agreed to Hiro''s suggestion, "Yeah!! Let''s give our best guys."


    "Yeah!! Let''s score another goal guys"


    Determinedly yelled the yers of Kawasaki who were gathered infront of Hiro. Their voices full of vigor, they were brimming with determination at the moment.


    ''Instead of getting angry at them a moment ago, if I had chosen this route I wouldn''t have looked bad in their eyes'' sighed Hiro inwardly as he regretted his earlier actions.


    Then again he smiled as he felt his n seeding.


    All of them then rushed towards the penalty box with a fire burning in their hearts and eyes. They were all hungry for another goal.


    On the other hand, Hiro before leaving his spot, whispered something in Kenta''s ear.


    Probably he asked Kenta to supply him the cross. But since nobody heard it, who knows what he said?


    Just like all his teammates, Hiro then positioned himself infront of the goal-post.


    Despite it being probably thest corner of the match, Shun had still stayed behind to prepare for any counterattacks. He simply couldn''t let his guard down.


    Kenta then before kicking the ball raised his hands gesturing something.


    That gesture was meant for Hiro. And since nobody beside the two of them knew about the meaning behind that gesture most of them thought that it was a signal that he was going to make the cross.


    Even Sagan Tosu''s yers were dumbfounded by Kenta''s gesture.


    At this moment just as Kenta rushed towards the ball, Hiro too used his skill Lightning Steps to rush towards Kenta.


    It was his third time using the skill "Lightning Steps" today. His daily limit was only two. But now that he had surpassed his limit there was bound to be some sort of consequences he''d have to face.


    But since he had decided to use that skill, most probably he was prepared to face the aftermath.


    Ryotaro who was marking Hiro wasn''t expecting Hiro to rush forward either. Thus the moment, he saw Hiro running past him, his eyes widened as he also tried to chase Hiro.


    But there were just too many opposing yers behind him. Leaving his position meant gifting his opponents opportunity to score another goal.


    Thus despite seeing Hiro running past him, he sticked to his ce.


    Kenta kicked the ball towards the penalty box. Hitting the ball with the inside of his right foot, he supplied a cross towards the box.


    However for a moment it seemed like his shortcked the power as before even reaching towards the middle of the box where most of the yers were clustered, it''s velocity decreased as it started to descend at the outer edge of the penalty box where Hiro was making his run.


    Spectators in the stand held on to their breath as they followed the movement of the ball. Anticipation and fear in their eyes, for a while the whole stadium turned silent.


    Just then as he reached the ball, Hiro leaped from the ground. Turning his head while making contact with the ball, he headed the ball towards the post.


    The ball as it headed towards the post, evaded the reach of many yers present in the box.


    It was headed to the opposite corner of the post which happened to be the right corner.


    The keeper of Sagan Tosu who was positioned at the pole close to the set-piece taker, extended his hands as he leaped towards the direction of ball, hoping to save the ball.


    The ball was well within his reach. And for a while it seemed like he could defend that ball as well.


    However the next moment the ball changed it''s direction. Previously it was headed towards the top right corner.


    But in an instant he found the ball in his top left corner.


    Clearly someone had touched the ball midway.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"


    Roared the fans in ecstasy as they jumped from their seats.


    Looking at the direction where the ball fell down, Hiro''s face was filled with horror. His eyes dull and his expression grim as if he had seen ghost, Hiro was devastated by the oue.

 Chapter 225 End of Ultimate Showdown

    Chapter 225 End of Ultimate Showdown


    While all of his teammates roared in ecstasy, Hiro stood still at his ce, nkly staring at the ball. His lips tightly shut and his eyes reflecting disbelief, Hiro had aplicated look on his face at the moment.


    On one side, his teammates were rejoicing. On another side, opposing yers were grieving. And then there was Hiro who was neither happy nor sad, frozen at his ce with aplicated look on his face.


    s! He had failed the quest.


    After some moments, Hiro then turned his attention towards the side where his teammates were clustered, celebrating joyously.


    There in the crowd, the centre of attention was Renji.


    Big wide smile on his face and his eyes gleaming with joy, he was letting out euphoric roars while waving his hands at the crowd, celebrating his goal.


    Looking at Renji''s big wide smile, Hiro started recalling the moment where he witnessed the failure of his quest and aslo the failure of his meticulously crafted n.


    Just at thest moment when the ball was approaching it''s final hurdle which happened to be the hands of the opposing keeper, Renji appeared between him and the sess of his quest.


    Sticking his head in between, Renji changed the direction of the ball, inturn stealing Hiro''s only chance ofpleting the quest.


    Although it was questionable whether the ball could have evaded the reach of opposing keeper or not, Renji''s intervention had surely caused him to fail his quest.


    Right now, Hiro could neither bring himself to celebrate Renji''s goal nor could he get angry about Renji''s goal.


    He could only stare at Renji nkly andment his fate.


    Just because he wasn''t happy, didn''t mean he resented Renji as well.


    Whether it was for good or for bad, he couldn''t tell as his sight was blurred by his obsession toplete the quest.


    Although he had nned meticulously toplete his quest and everything seemed like it was falling in ce as well, however not everything goes as per one''s wishes in the world.


    "And with this goal, Kawasaki have won both the match and trophy of the best U-18 team in Japan. And what a way it is for them to win the trophy. They definitely have won the match in a style of their own. Their names will be carved in the pages of history and their names will be remembered for years and years toe."


    "23 matches and no defeat, for the first time in the history of this tournament has any team been this dominating. And I doubt their record will be broken any time soon"


    While praising Kawasaki''s achievement,mentator''s gazended on Hiro who was standing all alone, excluded from his teammates, "With that being said, why is Hiro standing over there all alone?"


    Despite noticing Hiro''s pitiful state,mentator couldn''t just casually speak his heart on the mic. He had to be careful about his words as Hiro was the main man of the tournament.


    Making randomments would surely create some problems for him. He''d even have to face bacshes of the peoples.


    "Perhaps he''s having hard time believing that his team has finally won the tournament?" Commentator guessed.


    Hiro then straightened his back as he lifted his head, heaving a deep sigh, "Phew!!!"


    White mist came out from his mouth and floated above, eventually vanishing in thin air.


    And as he released a deep sigh, he raised his chin to look at the sky.


    Partly clear, just like his mind right now the sky seemed a bit blurry to him. And the sun, though present, appeared dim and distant, struggling to cast it''s light rays on the earth surface.


    Even so under the presence of that dimly lit sun, snow umted at the roof of the stadium was slowly melting.


    The chill in the air although cold felt quite refreshing right now. And even in that noisy stadium, Hiro could feel the sound of his heartbeat.


    Finally he inhaled a deep breathe as he tried to clear his mind. The crisp cold air felt rejuvenating to him.


    Finally he let go of his worries.


    Hiro then slowly made his way towards his teammates. Joining his teammates, he mixed with the crowd.


    Every single one of his teammates looked extremely happy right now. All of their faces contained big wide smiles.


    At the same time, from the sidelines manager Makoto along with other coaching staffs and reserve yers were rushing towards their side.


    Together with the whole squad, the intensity of the celebration only continued to increase. The ambience of the stadium turned festive as every fans of Kawasaki indulged themselves in the celebration which was taking ce at the moment.


    From one side to another, yers of Kawasaki roamed the entire field, celebrating their victory with each and every single fan present in the stand.


    And as they approached the stand where Hiro''s parents were seated, Hiro noticed the bright smile on his parents faces.


    While his mother''s eyes were full of moisture, his father''s eyes were brimming with pride. He was very proud of his son''s achievement.


    Seeing their happy faces, his heart felt even lighter and full at the same time as his lingering worries all vanished away.


    He was no longer worried about the failure of the quest.


    Hiro then finally revealed a smile as he waved his hands towards the direction where his parents were seated.


    The crowds continued to chant victory slogans as they continued to celebrate their team''s victory.


    Not only in the stadium but outside the stadium as well, people were celebrating their victory.


    Infront of the television screen, many people were rejoicing their victory.


    Outside the electronic stores people were clustered infront of the television screen rejoicing the scene unfolding infront of their eyes.


    Even the passerby who weren''t interested in football were stopping to inquire about the reason behind the celebration of those people gathered infront of the shop.


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say but whole of nation was paying attention to the match.


    In the stadium.


    Finally after celebrating for a while, the organisers brought the trophy out.

 Chapter 226 Coronation ceremony

    Chapter 226 Coronation ceremony


    The shiny trophy glimmered in the spotlights, captivating the hearts of every yer and fans present in the stadium.


    It''s tinum luster shone like a beacon of sess, a testament to years of hardwork and dedication of the yers who werepeting for this trophy.


    And as the staff members carried that shiny trophy which was reflecting its light everywhere, sea of fans present in the stand roared even more euphorically as they sang their hearts out.


    "Champions, champions, We are the champions"


    "We are the champions"


    Right now, the stadium was pulsing with energy and the air around the stadium was thick with excitement and joy.


    Witnessing the shiny trophy which could have been theirs if they had won the match, most yers of Sagan Tosu were contorting their face in frustration and regret.


    The feeling of so close yet so far was gnawing upon them.


    Some were even on the verge of tearing while some were pursing their lips trying to hold back themselves.


    Steams of sweat was oozing out of their body while they were making their way towards the organiser to receive their medal.


    Whileing of the stage after receiving their medal, each and every single one of them were pitifully ncing at the trophy.


    yers of Kawasaki on the other hand were brimming with joy and excitement as they awaited to lift that shiny trophy which was being disyed at the moment.


    Most of the cameras present in the stadium were focused on them right now, recording each and every minute detail.


    Be it their facial expression or their reaction, their every action were being recorded and closely observed right now.


    Yet after getting so much attention, most of them weren''t paying any attention to their attire or appearance.


    Although their jerseys were smeared with dirt and although their faces were looking rather dirty right now, most of them didn''t care.


    Their eyes were only focused at that shiny trophy which was disyed infront of them right now.


    Artistically sculpted, the trophy infront of their eyes was the most beautiful thing that was infront of their sight right now.


    It was like apple to their eyes.


    After handing out the medals to the yers and staff members of Sagan Tosu U-18, it was now their turn to receive the medal.


    And as they ascended the stage one by one to receive their golden medal, their already lit faces illuminated even more brightly.


    One by one as they received their medals, they walked towards the spot where the trophy was erected.


    Staring and feeling the texture of the trophy, their eyes sparkled with a mixture of pride, ecstasy and pure bliss.


    However they still couldn''t lift the trophy as they had to wait for their captain.


    Finally as everybody received their medal, it was Hiro''s turn to receive the medal. Being the captain of the team, he was thest one to ascend the stage.


    Slowly making his way to the stage where the president of JFA was distributing the medal, he shook hands with every great personalities who were present in the stage before making his way towards the president.


    "Well yed"


    "Good game"


    "You have a bright future ahead"


    Receivingpliments as he shook hands with celebrities who were lined in the stage, Hiro slowly made his way to the president.


    Finally as he reached the spot where the president was standing while holding the medal in his hands, Hiro first bowed his head to show him respect.


    After that he shook hands with the president.


    "You yed really well out there"plimented the president.


    His hair a mixture of ck and grey and his face wrinkled, currently he was carrying a huge smile on his face.


    "Thank you sir" bowed Hiro as he epted hispliments and medal at the same time.


    After receiving his medal, Hiro then walked towards the spot where the trophy was erected.


    ncing at the trophy his eyes gleamed as he began to have shbacks of the suffering they endured, the joy of the victories, gruelling training sessions and every precious moment they umted on their journey to this moment.


    Slowly he then wrapped his arms around the trophy. The trophy felt so cold yet so warm at the same time.


    At first while lifting the trophy from it''s spot, his hands trembled from the sheer magnitude of the moment. But slowly his grip became firm as he walked towards the direction where his teammates were gathered, awaiting for his arrival.


    Everybody''s eyes were filled with anticipation and joy as they awaited for Hiro. The golden medal hung around their neck was glistening under the radiant of the lights.


    Holding the shiny trophy in his hands, Hiro stepped forward while carrying a contagious smile on his face.


    One by one, the yers made way for Hiro.


    Till now the crowd continued to cheer. However the moment Hiro positioned himself in the middle of the crowd of yers, suddenly almost the entire stadium turned silent as everybody shut their mouth.


    For a moment, everything froze as the stadium turned into a paused video.


    But then again as Hiro slowly started to raise the trophy, everybody started making anticipating noises making the moment even more grand, "oooohhhhhhhh!!"


    Hiro''s hands shook along with the trophy as he continued to instigate the anticipation of the crowd and yers.


    Finally he raised the trophy high above his head as he jumped on his toes flinging the trophy.


    "Woooooooooaaaaaahhhh!!!"


    "Yeeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh!!!"


    Collective roars errupted from the stands as the grinning supporters echoed the yers jubtion.


    Bam!! Boom!!


    At the same time as Hiro lifted the trophy, numerous colourful papers burst forth upon them like fireworks making their celebration even more grand.


    Be it the yers, the coaches or the fans, everybody indulged themselves in this joyous moment.


    Tears welled up in the eyes of manager Makoto as he witnessed his yers lift the trophy. Pride and joy radiated from his face and his voice was momentarily lost amidst the uproar.


    This moment right now, transcended the confines of the stadium, seeping into the hearts and souls of each an every person who witnessed it.

 Chapter 227 Aftermath

    Chapter 227 Aftermath


    shes of camera continuously illuminated for some moment, capturing the joyous moment in the reel of the cameras. Sure enough, most of those pictures were going to be the cover photo of most newspapers and magazines.


    The air around the stadium right now was filled withughter and cheers. Streamers were live streaming the joyous moment in their channel while people of all ages and background were gleaming with happiness and excitement.


    Amidst the raging celebration, suddenly Hiro felt a stinging pain surfacing within his body.


    Feeling the surging pain intensifying rapidly, Hiro quickly handed the trophy to one of his teammates who was closed to him.


    Realisation hit him. It was the aftermath he was facing after pushing his body to his utmost limit.


    His leg muscles started to convulse at an rming rate. And the pain continued to intensify to the point that he started having difficulty standing upright.


    He knew that he had to get off the stage and walk to the locker room or else he''d copse anytime soon.


    His heart started to palpitate, hisplexion turned pale and out of nowhere he started to sweat profusely.


    He could feel the tears in his muscle.


    Even so despite the stinging pain, he tried his best to endure the sharp pain by gritting his teeths. But with every passing  seconds, the pain only intensified making it even more intolerable.


    It was like hundred needles were piercing him at the same time.


    By copsing on the stage or on the ground, he didn''t want to ruin his teams grand celebration. Thus, he thought of an excuse to leave the pitch without raising any suspicion.


    Hiro then slowly got off the pitch and walked towards manager Makoto.


    Leaving the pitch without telling anything would definitely raise suspicions, thus he decided to inform manager Makoto about his leave.


    Although his pain was getting intolerable, he desperately tried to maintain hisposure so as not to look suspicious in other''s eyes.


    "Sir, my stomach''s really upset right... Now. So I... Have to get to the.... Toilet" mumbled Hiro with great difficulty.


    Despite his effort, his voice sounded rather shaky right now.


    Hearing his shaky voice, manager Makoto started developing suspicion regarding Hiro''s condition. He could feel that something wasn''t right with Hiro.


    However since Hiro was tightly holding on to his stomach right now, he could do nothing but agree. Seeing Hiro in that situation, he couldn''t bring himself to ask him any more questions.


    Although not many yers of his team cared about his situation right now because of all the raging celebration taking ce at the moment. But far in the stand his parents noticed something off.


    Furrowing her brows, Hiro''s mother mumbled, "Honey, is there something wrong with our son?"


    Her eyes reflecting worry and her voice sounding a little shaky, she was worried about her son''s condition.


    Faced with his wife''s worries, Takashi squinted his eyes as he tried to figure out the situation, "The way he''s holding on to his stomach, seems like something is indeed wrong"


    "Let''s head over there quickly" mumbled Takashi as he too started to feel worried about his son''s condition.


    A moment ago both of their faces disyed intense joy and pride. But right now, their emotions were reced with worry.


    The two of them without wasting any time, immediately rushed towards the direction of the stand above the tunnel to observe the situation up close.


    Halfway through their destination, Hiro copsed on the ground all of a sudden.


    Seeing her son''s copsing figure, his mother let out a shrill cry as she called Hiro''s name anxiously, "Hiiiiiiiirrrrrooooooo!!"


    With that she became even more concerned about her son''s situation. Tears started rolling down her eyes.


    "Oh what''s this? All of a sudden, Hiro has copsed on the floor" announced thementator.


    He was bbergasted by the sight of Hiro''s figure which was lying on the ground, motionlessly with his face facing against the ground.


    Manager Makoto who still hadn''t taken his eyes off  from Hiro, immediately sprinted towards Hiro.


    And as he reached Hiro, he immediately lifted Hiro''s fallend body as he rolled his body to let him breathe properly. Fortunately there wasn''t any noticeable injuries on his head despite falling his face first.


    The next moment, he shouted, "Medic!!"


    Hearing manager Makoto''s roar, medical personnels immediately rushed towards the direction of Hiro.


    At the same time, both the crowd and the yers turned silent as yers of Kawasaki started rushing towards Hiropletely stopping their celebration.


    Afterall how could they celebrate when their teammate was lying motionlessly on the ground right infront of their eyes?


    "What happened to him?"


    "Did he injure himself earlier?"


    "I hope it''s nothing serious"


    "We can''t lose such a brilliant yer"


    "Lord please help that poor boy"


    The crowd started to get anxious and restless. Some of them joined their hands together and started to pray for Hiro''s wellbeing.


    Some started to sob. Almost the entire stadium turned pale upon witnessing the scene unfolding infront of their eyes.


    Their eyes full of nervousness darted towards the direction of Hiro.


    And just like this, the once festive aura around the stadium started to turn dark and gloomy. It was like as if the clear blue sky was veiled by dark thunder clouds in an instant.


    One after other, yers of Kawasaki ran towards Hiro. But at that moment, Shun acted up as he prevented the yers from clustering infront of Hiro.


    "Don''t crowd around him. You all will suffocate him" yelled Shun while furrowing his brows.


    His voice a little deeper than usual sounded extremely gloomy at the moment. Sure enough, he was upset by the condition of his friend.


    "He''s still breathing but we need to carry him to the hospital as soon as possible" spoke one of the medic with a concerned look on his face, after feeling Hiro''s pulses.


    Another medic put on a oxygen mask over Hiro''s face. Another kept on rubbing his foot.


    Based on Hiro''s body temperature which was way above normal human body temperature and Hiro''s palpitating heart, they could tell that Hiro''s condition although not life threatening was still somewhat serious.


    At that moment, just when the medic''s were about to put Hiro on the stretcher, Hiro''s father came rushing towards the pitch.


    Evidently he had jumped over the fences to enter the pitch.


    And because of that, he was currently being chased by the security personnels.


    Even so from the look on his face, it felt like he didn''t a shit about their chase. All he could see right now was the figure of his son.


    Apart from that nothing was important to him at the moment.

 Chapter 228 Trauma

    Chapter 228 Trauma


    Slowly opening his eyes with great difficulty, Hiro contorted his face as he squinted his eyes because of the bright light.


    Although the bright lighting from the window beside him first made him to squint his eyes. However slowly and gradually as his eyes got adapted to the light, he rolled his eyes to his left and right.


    On one side of his bed, he found his mother sleeping beside him while holding his right hand. While on the other side, he found some intravenous fluids injected on his wrist.


    From the looks of it, he could tell that he was lying on a hospital bed.


    However as soon as he realised that he was lying in the hospital bed, his heart started beating faster and he started to panic.


    His breathing became irregr and he struggled to breathe properly. As if he remembered something he had forgotten a long ago, his body started to react weirdly as he tried to rise from his bed.


    It was the trauma from his previous life. Finding himself lying in the hospital bed, his trauma from previous life kicked in.


    And because of that trauma taking it''s effect, his mind wentpletely nk making him forget everything about yesterday''s events. The first thing he remembered when he realised that he was hospitalised was his past experience when he was pathetically lying on the hospital bed with his dreams shattered and his legs crippled.


    Just because he didn''t remember his past trauma till now didn''t mean that his brainpletely forgot about it. Somewhere deep inside his brain, his past trauma was still lying dormant waiting for an opportunity to surface.


    And the environment he found himself in right now perfectly fit the requirements for his trauma to surface.


    At that moment, he wanted to scream, yet he couldn''t bring himself to open his mouth. It was like as if someone was pressing their hand upon his mouth, suffocating him.


    His pupils erged and the grip in his hands tightened as he forced his body to rise. However his body was just too weak. But since he had lost his reasoning for a moment because of the trauma, he felt like a devil was sitting atop his chest, preventing him from rising. As if he was in a state of sleep paralysis, he struggled but to no avail.


    Finally sensing the increase on the grip on her hands, his mother awakened from her slumber; only to find her son in a miserable state right now.


    Her heart sank as she witnessed her son''s miserable state. Yelling in her shrill voice, she immediately rose from her seat, "Doctor!! Nurse!! Anybody??"


    "What''s wrong... Hiro." Caressing his face, his mother asked while making a worried face.


    Her voice trembled as she spoke.


    Her heart beating faster and her eyes disying intense worry, she was greatly concerned about Hiro''s situation.


    Until the arrival of the nurse, she continued to console Hiro, trying everything within her power.


    Even though she was on the verge of crying herself, she stayed beside his side,forting him.


    Finally after few seconds, one of the doctor arrived apanied by a nurse.


    And although Hiro continued to struggle and panic for some moment, after some time because of the doctor''s treatment, he closed his eyes and went to sleep once again.


    "Is he alright doctor?" Hiro''s mother concernedly questioned the doctor.


    Her voice meek and her eyes watery, she was really concerned about her son''s wellbeing.


    Seeing her worried expression, the doctor tried to console her by saying, "Don''t worry madam, your son is alright. His life isn''t in any kind of danger. It''s just he''s too fatigued right now, so he''s probably having nightmares"


    The reason why the doctor said those words was because earlier when the doctors asked about Hiro''s medical history to his parents, they had clearly said that he didn''t have any medical histories.


    So based on their testament, he couldn''t link Hiro''s situation to any trauma. And Hiro''s body was too healthy for their to be any kind of medicalplications.


    That''s why the doctor attributed Hiro''s condition to fatigue and mental exhaustion.


    Although the doctor''s words relieved some of her worries, it still didn''tpletely calm her down.


    Thus she couldn''t restrain herself from questioning, "Will he be okay doctor?"


    Upon hearing her words filled with concern, the doctor subtly smile as he answered, "Don''t worry Mrs Takahashi, he''ll be okay"


    Saying so the doctor and the nurse walked past her.


    Even so, she couldn''t help but worry about her son''s condition. Thus she continued to nce at Hiro with her eyes full of concern.


    Although she didn''t show it openly but she was extremely terrified right now.


    Hiro''s father on the other hand was currently at the hospital cafeteria, getting some lunch for his wife.


    Since yesterday night the two of them hadn''t had anything to eat. Constantly keeping watch on Hiro, the two of them stayed by Hiro''s side whole night.


    And although Takashi wasn''t worried about himself, he was worried about his wife getting weak as well.


    Thus right now, he was at the cafeteria to get some food for his wife.


    On the other hand, Hiro''s teammates only visited him after the end of the celebration. Not that they didn''t want to visit him but since manager Makoto had ordered them to remain at the stadium to entertain the crowd, he didn''t allow anyone to go with the ambnce beside him and Hiro''s parents.


    Although the celebration without Hiro''s participation somehow became a little nd and uninteresting, yers of Kawasaki still entertained the fans.


    Even so the celebration was short lived as it ended way earlier than what was expected.


    And as soon as they finished the celebration, all of the yers rushed towards the hospital without even changing their attire.


    By the time they flooded the hospital, they were still covered in sweat and smeared with dirt.


    However since Hiro hadn''t regained his consciousness around the time they visited, they were once again chased by manager Makoto who was the only one from the team staying at the hospital tillte night.


    But since Hiro''s parents urged him to go back, he didn''t stay overnight to look after Hiro. Afterall Hiro still had his parents who were looking after him.

 Chapter 229 A dream

    Chapter 229 A dream


    With the sun on the verge of setting down, the sky was transforming into a mesmerising canvas of deep purple and indigo hues.


    Walking along the streets filled with the shadows of the tall buildings, trees and other infrastructures, people of all age dressed in warm clothes could be seen.


    Most of them had mufflers wrapped around their necks.


    Especially middle aged office workers dressed in ck suit, carrying a briefcase, after a long hectic day in office, right now most of them were either heading back home or heading to a bar to relieve their strees.


    Bringing along the chill of the night, soft cold breeze which was blowing in the surrounding was making most pedestrians to cough and shiver in cold.


    Imminently along with the descent of the darkness, some dots of twinkling stars could also be seen flickering in the sky.


    And as it continued to get darker outside, temperature started to falter even more, making the pedestrian walking outside to hasten their pace.


    Standing beside the hospital window, Hiro''s mother let out a soft sigh as she murmured, "Days are getting colder" while looking at the scene unfolding outside the hospital building.


    Although she was rtively warm since she was inside the hospital, she couldn''t help but sigh upon seeing the action made by the pedestrian outside the hospital building.


    While staring outside the window as her pupils constricted a little, she saw the reflection of her son''s figure in the ss window.


    Sleeping soundly in the bed behind her, Hiro was lying motionless, looking weak and fragile aspared to before.


    Staring at her son''s figure, her gaze softened as she felt extremely pitiful about her son''s condition. She then while squinching her brows walked to the corner of the window and started to pull the curtain.


    Just when she finished covering the window with the curtains, Takashi walked inside the room holding two cup of coffee in his hand.


    Directly walking towards her, Takashi handed one of the cup he was holding to her.


    "He hasn''t woken up yet?" Mumbled Takashi as he looked towards Hiro.


    Momo silently shook her head while giving Takashi a pitiful gaze.


    Sleeping soundly, unable to hear anything, currently Hiro was dreaming.


    In a dimly lit room, seated in a wheelchair a man with messy hair, outgrown beard and sickly appearance was dazing while staring at the sky outside the window.


    Wispy clouds, tinged with shades ofvender and peach, stretched out like feathery tendrils in the west horizon.


    From behind those wispy clouds, sun was spreading it''s majestic rays while on the verge of setting down.


    And although the sky looked extremely majestic and beautiful right now, the man''s eyes looked rather dull, deprived of vitality as he showed no reaction.


    ''Just like my life even that sun is setting down. However it will rise again tomorrow, but I will never be able to rise again.'' thought the man while staring at the setting sun.


    Hisplexion yellowed and sallow,cking the healthy glow of vitality. Dark circles punctuated the hollow beneath his eyes and his cheeks gaunt, devoid of any chubbiness or rosiness.


    And although his eyes were reflecting the glow of the setting sun, his eyes looked lifeless as if he had given up on life itself.


    The unevenly outgrown beard which masked most of his face further entuated his sickly appearance, making him look like a beggar.


    Up close if you look at him closely, you could see that he shared resemnce with Hiro. And it was indeed Hiro as well.


    Getting discharged from the hospital it hadn''t been that long since he was told that he couldn''t y football anymore.


    And currently he was all alone in his mother''s house, staring at the setting sun.


    ''What''s the meaning of my life? Neither do I have a degree nor do I have any savings. All I did was chase after my dream since young and look where I am today?''


    ''With my legs broken, I can neither carry heavy load nor y football. I''m just a burden.''


    Thinking such, his already lifeless face turned even more grim. As if he was sitting atop a quicksand, he was getting swallowed by darkness with every passing thoughts.


    ''Relying on mother? How can I do that after abandoning her for so long? After father''s death, she took on the responsibility to both feed me and look after the house by herself. Losing the love of her life, it must have been a lot difficult to her. But even so, instead of weeping and losing herself, she stood strong and consoled me.''


    ''Time and again she reminded me to focus on my studies. But I never listened to her. Instead of heeding her suggestion, I even rebelled against her.''


    ''I even went as far as to steal her hard earned money to buy cleats, jerseys, pay forpetition participation fees and fund my pathetic dream, I''ve been nothing but unfaithful to her.''


    ''Looking back to moment, I''ve only made her life more miserable. And till this moment, I have done nothing but be a burden to her.''


    At this moment, even from his dead eyes, drops of tears started falling down. And although his expression didn''t change, tears continued to fall.


    Finally as those drops of tearnded on his hands did he notice that he was already crying.


    However seeing the drops of tears on his hand, instead of stopping, he burst into tears as he started to weep.


    Right now he was regretting his past actions. However it was toote for him to feel regretful at this moment.


    With his legs crippled and dreams shattered, he could do nothing but regret. He couldn''t see any hopes nor any future. All he could see right now was pitch ck darkness.


    And the more he tried to walk, the more he got engulfed in the darkness. It was as if he was trapped in an infinite dark space.


    At this moment just as he wiped some of his tears and looked towards the window, he saw his younger self''s reflection on the window ss.


    Seeing the reflection of his younger self, his eyebrows raised and his eyes opened wide. His mouth felt dry and his heart sank.


    "Who... Who... Are you?" Hiro stuttered while staring at the reflection on the ss window.


    As he said those words while stuttering, the figure in the reflection however didn''t move. It stayed still at it''s ce, pitifully looking at him.


    Seeing the actions of the figure in the ss window, his body started to shiver and beads of sweat started running down his temple.


    He felt extremely creepy as he tried to move back. However at this moment, he couldn''t even lift his hands. As if his whole body down bellow his neck was paralysed, he could only move his head.

 Chapter 230 A bad dream?

    Chapter 230 A bad dream?


    The figure in the ss window did nothing but give him pitiful gazes for some moment. Neither did it speak nor did it change it''s facial expression.


    The already silent room started getting even more silent. As if he was losing his sense of hearing, he couldn''t even hear his own voice at this moment.


    An eerie silence engulfed the entire room as his eyes became glued at the reflection on the ss window. And the more he stared at the reflection, the more he felt like he was getting sucked inside the brown pupils of the figure in the window.


    It wasn''t because he wanted to stare at the reflection. Infact he desperately wanted to look elsewhere, however as if he was hypnotised, he couldn''t take his eyes off the reflection in the ss window.


    His heart started pounding faster and faster, to the point it felt like it could jump out of his throat at any moment.


    He was on the verge of copsing.


    But just as he was about to lose his consciousness, he noticed some changes in the reflection; the reflection in the ss window started moving it''s lips.


    As if the figure was trying to speak something, it moved it''s lips. However he couldn''t hear anything.


    Setting aside his fear, he tried his best to concentrate on the lips of the figure to hear what the figure was speaking.


    Instinctively he felt like it was his only chance to get out of this predicament. If only he could decipher what that figure was speaking.


    Thus, since he couldn''t hear anything, he tried lip-reading.


    ''You.... Have.... Failed.... The.... Quest!''


    Although slow but just as heprehended the words which the figure in the ss window was trying to speak, his sense of hearing returned.


    But at this moment, cacophony of noises which repeated the same thing at the same time in a robotic manner filled his ears.


    "You have failed the quest"


    "You have failed the quest"


    "You jave failed the quest"


    Hearing the same thing time and again, he started freaking out. His already disturbed mind started going frenzy and he started feeling a throbbing pain in his ear and head.


    At this moment, he desperately wanted to cover his ear but his body didn''t respond as per his wishes. His face started contorting and he desperately tried closing his eyes.


    His face wrinkled as he struggled to close his eyelids. Finally as he could no longer hold himself, he cked out.


    But at the next moment, he abruptly opened his eyes. Panting heavily, he exhaled hurried breathes, "Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!"


    For some moment he continued to pant heavily while staring at the white ceiling above. Finally after few breathes, as his breathing stabilised, he lowered his gaze from the ceiling.


    Lowering his gaze, he found his mother sleeping beside him while his father was nowhere to be found in the room.


    Although he couldn''t recall his previous awakening, he felt like he had been in this kind of situation previously as well, d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    But this time, he didn''t panic like before. Looking at the scene, he softly eximed as he med his breathes, "So.... I was dreaming!"


    He concluded.


    "But why am I in hospital bed?" Murmured Hiro as he felt confused by his situation.


    His voice muffled, almost as if he was whispering.


    His thoughts were still messed up by that nightmare, making him unable to recall anything.


    Finally after some moment passed as he organized his thoughts, he remembered the reason behind him being in the hospital.


    ''Right I fainted in the final match. But how long has it been since I lost my consciousness?'' while thinking such, Hiro subconsciously turned his gaze towards the window.


    However the window was covered by the curtains, making him unable to discern whether it was day or night.


    He tried looking at the walls in hopes of finding a wall clock. But the walls were simply empty with no decorations whatsoever.


    After trying for a while, unable to find any clues, he gave up.


    Hiro then let out a deep sigh as he tried recalling the moment when he lost his consciousness.


    Although somewhat hazy, he still remembered fragments of the memories right before he lost his consciousness.


    ''I never imagined that the consequences of exploiting the system would be this severe.'' thinking about the consequences, he abruptly lifted his nkets as he turned his attention towards his legs.


    His heart started to race as he started to panic all of a sudden. Fear was evident on his face, right now.


    He was extremely worried about his legs.


    Fortunately his legs looked fine, since he didn''t have any cast. However his legs were still covered in bandages.


    Although he was relieved to some extent after seeing his legs not covered in casts, he was still worried.


    Thus, out of worry, he tried to wiggle his toes. It wiggled as per his wishes. Although a little hard, he felt a little more assured after seeing his toes wigglingpletely fine.


    Hiro then tried to lift his legs.


    And as he willed to raise his legs, he felt a stinging sensation of pain in his legs.


    However he could still lift his legs, which calmed his heartpletely.


    Right at this moment, his mother woke up only to find her son acting weird, once again.


    However since Hiro was so engrossed in testing his legs, he didn''t notice his mother''s awakening. He kept on trying different things like rotating his ankles, wiggling his toes, bending his legs and many more leg movements.


    And the more he tested, the more his smile widened and the more his face brightened. His heart was already calm, right now. Infact he was even feeling quite ecstatic at the moment.


    Only when he dropped his nkets did he notice his mother''s gazes.


    She was staring at him with eyes full of worry. Her brows tightly knitted and her eyes moist, she was concernedly looking at him right now.


    Seeing her face filled with worries, his mouth turned dry as he spoke, "You''re awake mom?"

 Chapter 231 Surfacing of fear

    Chapter 231 Surfacing of fear


    Hiro had a stupefied look on his face while his mother had a worried look on her face as if she was on the verge of crying.


    And as he finished his words, his mother''s moist eyes could no longer hold back her tears as it burst forth like collected water bursting from a dam after it''s copse.


    With eyes full of tears, she threw herself in Hiro''s arms and embraced him tightly.


    Although she threw herself on his arms, she was careful enough not to hurt him.


    For some instance, Hiro was dumbfounded by her sudden reaction. He couldn''t understand why she was acting like this.


    "Finally.... you woke up. Sob!! Sob!! I... I... I... Was so worried.... About you.... Sob!! Sob!!" She wept like a child as she expressed her concerns while shuddering.


    Only then did Hiro realised how much trouble he had caused her. While he was sleeping soundly, each and every moment she was suffocating from his worry.


    At this moment, he no longer cared about his condition, he no longer cared about his inner age. He just wrapped his arms around her back as he started weeping himself as well.


    "Sorry mom! Sob! Sob! I''m sorry for worrying you. Sob!! Sob!!"


    While one expressing her worries and another apologising, both of them cried like kids as both of them held each other in their embrace.


    The two of them remained in this state until their tears dried.


    His father who had arrived at the room when they were still weeping like kids was touched upon seeing them in such state. Thus he left without saying anything, refusing to interrupt their touching moment.


    **** ****


    Outside the window, little white kes of snow while falling from the dark heaven seemed like it was dancing in the frigid air.


    With no traces of sun or the blue sky, today''s sky waspletely veiled by the dark snow clouds. However the view outside the window was still breathtaking to look at.


    The building and the trees stood adorned with glistening white coats and their sharp edges was softened by the nket of the snow.


    Although rtively warm, Hiro who was watching the scene outside the window could feel the refreshing chill from the snow prating his body.


    Just like the world outside the window, with the absence of his parents and hospital staffs, his room waspletely silent.


    At this moment while looking outside the window, his thoughts wandered to the moment where he learnt about the talent which was going to be forfeited.


    [Since host has failed toplete the quest as a means of punishment your talent Roberto Carlos''s Freekick will be forfeited]


    "Sigh!!"


    Thinking about the moment where he lost one of his talent, Hiro let out a deep sigh and frowned his brows.


    "At least it''s not other talents. Although it helped me a lot andbined with my another talent Ambipedal it''s lethality had increased even further, but at least it''s still better than losing other talents" murmured Hiro while weighing the pros and cons of losing the talent.


    Although he was sad, he wasn''t devastated.


    "However I did lose some stat points too. So it''s a little concerning. But I guess I should still be happy. I mean it could have been even worst if I had lost the talent Ambipedal or Passing Sense Of Kevin De Bruyne. If I had lost any of those two talent, my stats would have been reduced significantly." Murmured Hiro sounding a bit thanful.


    As mentioned by Hiro because he only lost his talent "Roberto Carlos''s Freekick" which was more like a skill given it''s uses, he was actually quite d that the system didn''t take his other talents which would have been quite detrimental to his growth, considering he was soon going to participate in U-17 world cup which was going to be held in Indonesia.


    If he could perform well in this tournament, not only will he be able to recuperate his losses, he could also advance one step even more closer to his dream.


    Thinking about the world cup, his frowns suddenly disappeared as his eyes glowed with determination, "That''s right what has happened has happened. I can''t change the past but I can definitely change my future"


    But just as he determinedly spoke about changing his future, the image of his older self sitting in the wheelchair shed in his mind.


    That dream was so vivid that remembering about it still gave him chills.


    And as such a cold sweat ran down his spine as he imagined about his sickly older self sitting in the wheelchair,menting his life and thinking about giving his life.


    ''This life will be different. I have attained many things which I couldn''t attain in my previous life. It will be different'' thought Hiro as he tried to console himself that his present life would be different.


    Although he was thinking so, somewhere in his heart, he knew that he was still afraid about failure. He was afraid to see him in that same miserable situation.


    He could even imagine his current image ovepping with his sickly older image.


    Before now after regressing he hadn''t thought much about failure since he had been achieving sess nonstop but right now as heid in this hospital bed with his body wrapped in bandages, he was starting to think about failure.


    Getting hospitalised had triggered his inner fears.


    Currently his situation was like that of an eagle on the verge of it''s first death.


    There''s a saying that says that eagle has two lives. Well obviously they only live once.


    But as eagle approaches the age of 40, it''s once long and sharp beak, starts to bent, it''s long and flexible talons can no longer catch prey and it''s heavy wings starts to stick to their chest, making it difficult to fly.


    Basically after 40, it starts heading to the death door.


    One may assume that it''s because they''re approaching the end of their lifespan. But it''s not the case since their lifespan is about 70 years which is the longest among any other bird species.


    So why would it approach it''s doom only after living half of it''s lifespan?


    The reason is rather simple, it''s because the heaven don''t allow anything to thrive continuously without suffering.


    Only after suffering will one be able to rise. There''s no sess without suffering.


    Great yer''s spends thousands of hours in training, tormenting their body. Do they not feel pain? Do they not feel like giving up?


    Who wouldn''t feel like giving up when the time get''s tougher?


    Having been born as mortal, we all would want to give up at hard times. But what sets great people apart from normal people is that great personalities perseveres through tough times while normal ones will sumb to the tough times.

 Chapter 232 Recuperation

    Chapter 232 Recuperation


    And as eagle approaches it''s doom despite living only about half of it''s lifespan, it''s left with two choices; one is to die and another is to go through a lengthy painful process of breaking it''s beak, ws and wings to have a chance to live for yet another 30 years.


    Right now just like an eagle in it''s fourties, Hiro was left with two options; either to sumb to his fear and be a mediocre or face his fear ande out victorious.


    Now the choice was entirely upto Hiro.


    In life everybody''s presented with such choices. Be it yers ormon folks, abled or disabled, everybody receives such do or die choices in their life.


    Right at this moment while Hiro was contemting about his future, his parents entered the room.


    Walking inside the room, the two of them headed straight towards Hiro.


    "We''ve got your coach''s permission. Let''s go home?" His mother said in a gentle tone while revealing a sweet smile on her face, breaking the eerie silence in the room.


    With the conclusion of the final match between the champions of the east league and west league, the season had came to an end which meant that they didn''t have any other matches until the beginning of new season.


    And taking his injuries into consideration, it was much more suitable for him to head home instead of going back to hostel.


    Thus without any sort of hesitation, Hiro agreed to his parents request and replied, "Umm... Let''s head home" while nodding his head.


    Obviously his parents had already applied for his sick leave from school as well.


    **** ****


    For about a week, after he got discharged from the hospital, he spent his time in his home resting and recuperating his injured body.


    In that time period, he didn''t perform any kind of strenuous task which put strain to his body. However just because he didn''t perform any strenuous tasks didn''t mean he simplyid down in his bed from morning to noon, idling.


    Although a little painful, he wasn''t bedridden and could walk from the day he got discharged from the hospital.


    Thus he spent his time wisely. Sleeping not more than 10 hours, he allocated his time in different segments.


    After waking up, he did some flexibility exercises and yoga to increase his mobility and flexibility.


    After that he''d freshen up and head to the kitchen to get something to eat. Obviously he only ate healthy meals for better recovery.


    During day time, he even started self-studying. Although he often dosed midway while studying, at least he started putting efforts.


    Then after studying for a while, he watched some matches mostly world cup matches since the world cup 2022 was still ongoing at the moment. Although Japan had already been knocked out by Croatia, he still followed every match.


    But not for the purpose of entertainment since he already knew about the results. But for the purpose of learning, he watched those matches.


    And just like that at evening time, he once again did some rehabilitation exercises. Finally before sleeping, he meditated for a while to increase his focus and to stabilise his mind and body.


    That''s how he spent his time. Eveyday repeating the same course of actions.


    Right now he was sitting at the living room infront of the television screen apanied by his father.


    Along all this year one thing which remained static was his father''s habit of drinking beer while watching football matches.


    "So who do you think will win today?" His father questioned him in a cheerful tone.


    His eyes reflecting the light from the TV screen, Takashi''s flushed red face was brimming with joy at the moment.


    Holding a can of beer in his hand, Takashi was currentlyfortably sitting beside his son, waiting for the start of the final match of world cup 2022 which was happening between two powerhouse teams.


    Eachpeting to add a third star in their respective jersey. One side being led by a young emerging star while the other side being led by a veteran star who was on the verge of retirement.


    Some people were calling it a match between new and older generation while some people were calling it the match that was going to rewrite the history.


    Captivating the hearts of people of every nation, almost more than half the poption  of the world was paying attention to this very match right now.


    Arguably the greatest sporting event in the history of the world.


    It was the final match of the FIFA world cup 2022 between France the defending champion and Argentina the new challenger.


    Currently it was already dark outside. But flocks of people could be seen in almost every public ces, specially in bars and restaurants.


    Even though their country had already been knocked out, a lot of Japanese people were also paying attention to this match in the television screen right now.


    The brightly illuminated streets of Japan was echoing with chatters and cheers of people at the moment.


    Faced with his father''s question, Hiro smiled inwardly as he started imagining his father''s disappointed face after some moments.


    He knew who his father was rooting at the moment. He was supporting France.


    His eyes brimming with confidence, Hiro answered smugly, "Obviously it''s Argentina"


    Looking at his son''s smug face and listening to his son''s confident tone, Takashi burst intoughter as he dered his support for France, "Hahaha.... Then I''m going to support France. Let''s see who''ll win this time."


    Right at this moment, his mother walked in while carrying a bowl full of freshly cut fruits in her hand.


    Squinting her eyes, she coldly stared at his father, giving him side eye. If stares could stab then Takashi would have been stabbed by hundred swords right now.


    Clearly she was annoyed by Takashi. She wasn''t annoyed because of his cheerfulughter but because Takashi was acting drunk at the moment.


    Takashi who was totally engrossed in the television screen didn''t notice her gazes. Completely carefree, he continued tough andment.


    And only when she appeared close to him did he notice her presence.


    Noticing her presence, Takashi''s cheerful smile turned into nervous smile. Still he didn''t dare to speak anything rashly.


    Momo stared at Takashi coldly as she spoke in a cold manner, "I''m only allowing you to drink freely because of Hiro but if you continue to act like this I might have to go back on my words"


    Listening to her words and looking at her icy cold gaze, Takashi felt chills as he felt like his body was getting invaded by an invisible chilly aura, making him shudder.

 Chapter 233 Vila Miseria

    <h4>Chapter 233 V Miseria</h4>


    As much as Takashi loved his wife, he also feared her.


    Upon hearing her harsh words, Takashi shrunk his body as he tried to avoid making eye contact with his wife.


    Currently Takashi''s state was like that of a dog who was scolded harshly by it''s owner. Just like a dog tugging it''s tails, Takashi tugged hisughter and loud voice.


    Although Hiro sympathised with his father''s sorry state, right now he mused silently upon witnessing his father''s sorry state.


    Not because he enjoyed seeing his father in such state but because he felt grateful being born in such a good family.


    Obviously physically his father was stronger than his mother. So one may question why he would endure such scoldings and naggings.


    However the answer is rather simple. The reason why his father acts so docile against his mother is because he loves her.


    To other it may seem like torture but to him it has be a kind of lovenguage. To him her nagging has be some kind of weird music which although sounds irritating, he still wants to hear it.


    His mother then retreated her gazes and turned towards Hiro.


    Probably because of his injuries, she had be even more softer to him in recent days. Always giving him warm smiles, she had been doting him a lot in these recent days.


    At this moment too upon facing Hiro, she lifted the corner of her lips as she revealed a gentle warm smile on her face.


    Her icy cold eyes was now radiating a feeling of warmth and her once tensed brows were now arched. In a mere second, she hadpletely changed her facial expression.


    "Eat this fruits while watching the match. But make sure to hit the bed right after the end of the match, okay?" She spoke in her gentle tone, smiling at Hiro.


    Probably anyone who heard her words and witnessed her smile at this moment would assume that she spoke such words out of concern and would probably fail to detect anything else.


    But Hiro who knew his mother like the back of his hand could see beyond that smile and beyond those gentle tone.


    As much as it was question out of concern, it was also a warning to him. Meaning if he didn''t sleep right after the end of the match, she''d kick his ass.


    Knowing the meaning her words, Hiro silently nodded his head, "Don''t worry mom. I will head to bed right after the end of the match"


    After hearing his reply, she smiled at him and once again, she looked at his father.


    "Honey make sure to send him to bed right after the end of the match, okay?"


    As she spoke such, she looked at him threateningly. It was a clear indication that if she found Hiro awake tillte night even he''d share part of Hiro''s beatings.


    Not daring to face his wife, Takashi gulped some of his saliva and docilely nodded his head.


    Getting her husband''s approval, her mood lightened. She then turned around, preparing to leave the room.


    But just as she turned around, Takashi grumbled, "If you''re this worried about him, why don''t you stay and watch him?"


    Although his voice was muffled, his mother still heard his father''s grumble.


    "Did you say something honey?" Pretending a smile on her face, she asked him politely.


    Her eyes burning with rage. If one looked at her right now, one could see two horns growing out her head.


    Takashi immediately shook his head as he shuddered, "No.. no.. no.. I didn''t say anything. I just said goodnight honey"


    Currently his drunk face was all sober and perspiration could be seen on his forehead. Clearly he was shit scared.


    Hearing Takashi''s reply, she smiled at him and turned to leave.


    Looking at her leaving figure, Takashi finally heaved a sigh of relief. But the next moment his mother paused her movement right at the foot of the door.


    "I''ll only watch such matches once my son ys in it"


    Hearing her voice, Takashi''s heart sank as he started to panic, once again.


    **** ****


    Misery Vige, Argentina


    In the southernmost part of the city of Buenos Aires lied a crampy neighborhood called misery vige also famously known as "vi miseria".


    A stark contrast to the tall majestic buildings not far away from it''s location, it''s filled with the thick stench of poverty.


    Along with ramshackle, crampy concrete buildings closely built next to each other, many other houses built of sheets of rusty metals, woods and salvaged materials could also be seen in this neighbourhood.


    Because of the houses and buildings constructed in such a disorganised manner, the winding path in this neighbourhood were rather narrow and confusing, making it seem like arge maze if looked from above.


    Puddles and piles of garbage were like it''s special features which could be seen almost everywhere. Mismanaged electric wires which run down through the entire neighborhood was like it''s blood vessels.


    Right now with the sun on the verge of setting down most of it''s houses was starting to light in dim yellow colours.


    While most of it''s alleyways in absence of light was starting to look sinister, under the presence of the light of streetmps some walls of the neighborhood which was covered with graffiti was looking extremely exquisite right now.


    And with the arrival of the night, more and more houses was being lit with yellow and orange hues.


    Even so, despite the descent of the darkness, some streets of the neighborhood was starting to be livelier.


    Large number of kids of all age could be seen ying football in roads and open spaces under the yellow light of the streetmps.


    As such in one of the cramped alley, some bunch of kids could be seen ying football currently. At each side of the alley, a single stone could be seen erected, probably acting as goalpost at this moment.


    The lightsing from the streetmps were rather dim and shadows of buildings, fences, objects and people could be seen all over the rough stoney surface.


    To the back of the post where there were no streetmps, it waspletely pitch ck.


    And right now at this alley, at this moment, a ck hodded kid whose face was half covered with mask was running along with the ball.


    In his side there stood only a keeper while infront of him stood 5 other kids, ganging upon him.


    His face half covered with mask only revealed his eyes which was glowing yellow while reflecting the dim light of the streetmps.

 Chapter 234 one vs five

    Chapter 234 one vs five


    Each of their eyes glowing with indignance and each one of them staring at him with bloodshot eyes while emitting bloodthirsty aura around them, it was evident from their reaction that they weren''t on good terms with the hooded boy.


    Suddenly out of those five kids who were blocking his path, three of them rushed towards the hooded kid with the ball at the same time.


    The hooded boy''s eyes however looked indifferent as he skillfully evaded the reach of those three boys who were aggressively charging at him.


    With three of their teammates beaten, two other guys who were the only remaining ones among those five kids exchanged quick nces with each other before rushing upfield.


    Just then after reaching close to the hooded boy, one of them slided down to tackle him while the other concealed himself behind that guy who slid down.


    Tapping the ball lightly with his right foot, he lifted the ball above the legs of the guy who just slid down. Inturn getting past the reach of that guy who just slid down.


    That guy who just got beaten, clicked his tongue in frustration as he smacked his fist on the ground furiously.


    However just as he got past the fourth guy another guy with a massive frame stretched his legs towards him. He wasn''t aiming at the ball, instead he was aiming at his legs.


    Even so, he didn''t looked worried in the slightest. With the same indifferent look in his eyes, he quickly swayed his body to the left along with the ball. For a moment it seemed like that the ball was glued to his feet.


    Even that guy who wanted to foul him was bewildered by his reaction speed.


    The hodded boy avoided a lethal foul by a hairs breadth.


    At this moment a cold light shed in his eyes as he looked at the direction where the b of brick was erected.


    Without losing the momentum, he then executed a beautiful rabona inturn kicking the ball towards the erected b of brick.


    The ball then as it left his feet flew towards the b of brick.


    ck!!


    A sping sound of brick against the concrete paved ground echoed in the alley as the ball sent the brick flying aftering in contact with the brick.


    Just as the brick fell down, his hood got lifted revealing his messy long blond hair and his sharp sword like thick eyebrows.


    His forehead neither too big nor too small and his reddish-white skin glowed golden while reflecting the dim light of the streetms.


    His azure blue pupils looked even more fierce and cold as he indifferently gazed at the direction of the ball.


    Suddenly while he was staring at the fallen b of brick, a cheerful voice echoed in his ear from behind him, "That was damn amazing Mateo"


    That was the name of the hodded boy. Despite half of his face being concealed with a ck mask, one could tell just by looking at his piercing gaze that he wasn''t someone who could be trifled with.


    Mateo then turned around as he heard the voice which wasing from behind him. It was the voice of the guy who was guarding his post.


    Small in stature, he was currently ecstatically jumping up and down while praising Mateo''s skills at the moment.


    Mateo however ignored the praises of the boy with small stature. Instead he slowly walked towards the guy who just now tried to foul him.


    Mateo then coldly red at the guy with big frame while extending his arms.


    That guy with big frame felt indignant as he pursed his lips. While reaching his hands inside his pocket, he felt a surg of anger rising within him.


    Even so, without uttering a single word while ring at Mateo with his bloodshot eyes, he hesitatingly took out some money from his pockets; exactly one, thousand peso bill and handed to Mateo.


    His hands shook as he gritted his teeths while handing the money to Mateo. Mateo however without retreating his gazes, indifferently took the money from his hands.


    More like he snatched the money since the boy with big frame looked reluctant to let go of his money.


    Compared to boy infront, Mateo''s body frame was much smaller. Only about 163 cm tall, Mateo had a lean body.


    Even so, right now while snatching the money from the hands of a boy with bigger frame; almost twice of his own, he didn''t have any fear in his eyes.


    It was like hyena snatching lion''s prey.


    And as he collected money from that boy with huge frame, he approached other four guys and collected thousand peso bills from each one of them.


    Just as he collected money from each one of them and was about to walk away, one of the boy sneered, "Mateo Gomez, we''ll remember this humiliation"


    His face reddish and his eyes bloodshot, his voice filled with raze sounded bone chilling at the moment.


    And although the face of the boy walking beside Mateo turned pale after hearing that voice, Mateo showed no change in his expression.


    However hearing the voice Mateo paused as he slowly turned around. Stretching his hands, Mateo then took of his mask revealing his bare face.


    Several small bruised and cut marks could be seen in Mateo''s face. Especially one apparent scar which stood out than the rest made him look extremely terrifying.


    As if he was hacked by a knife, a scar stretched from below his eyes to his upper cheeks.


    Although the wound looked like it was from long ago, given the condition of the scar, it still made his appearance extremely terrifying to look at.


    Coldly ring at those five guys Mateo scoffed harshly, "Then remember this face when youe to find trouble next time"


    Coupled with the terrible wound on his face, his cold voice gave chills to those five guys present there at the moment.


    Some of their legs even softened as they heard and looked at him. As if he was not a human but a demon, Mateo''s appearance was extremely horrifying to look at under the dim light.

 Chapter 235 Tattered old house

    <h4>Chapter 235 Tattered old house</h4>


    Trepidation reflecting in his eyes and his mouth opening and closing, again and again as if he was having trouble speaking his hearts, coupled with his irregr breathing and face full of perspiration, it seemed like that the boy who sneered at Mateo a moment ago was startled to his core at the moment upon seeing Mateo''s bare face and hearing Mateo''s voice.


    Every single one of them were tongue-tied at the moment.


    From their reaction, one could tell that nobody among them had seen Mateo''s bare face previously.


    Thus right now, upon seeing Mateo''s horrifying face, every single one of them were startled at the moment.


    Mateo then sneered at them as he shrugged and veiled his face with the mask again.


    Without saying anything, Mateo then started to leave.


    Looking at Mateo''s leaving figure, finally those five kids heaved a sigh of relief as they mustered their courage and started to scoff about Mateo.


    "So that''s why he''s wearing mask huh?"


    "He looks freaking ugly"


    "That grotesque face gave me chills..."


    "But still... that fucker..... won the bet and took our money" gritting his teeth, one of the guy sneered as he stared at Mateo''s leaving figure with bloodshot eyes.


    Without looking back, Mateo and the other guy kept on walking.


    After some moment, those two disappeared from their sight as they blended in the darkness of the alley.


    Curious about Mateo''s earlier action, the guy with small stature who was walking beside him had aplicated look on his face.


    "Why did you show them your face today Mateo?" Asked the boy, unable to hold himself back any longer.


    "If I hadn''t strike them first then they would have strike us instead. Andpared to them we were far outnumbered. Not only will they have beaten us, they''d even have snatched our hard earned money" spoke Mateo in a profound way.


    As mentioned by Mateo, situation would have indeed turned ugly if he hadn''t acted that way. Showing his face horrified those boys, making them lose theirposure for some moment which inturn provided Mateo and his friend some leeway to escape.


    By showing his face and by revealing his intentions, Mateo once again avoided a predicament today.


    It wasn''t his first time acting in such a way. Growing up in slum, he had understood that to survive in this harsh environment one must be ruthless and fearless.


    The one who gets scared gets picked on most. The one who shows weakness gets trampled. That''s what he had learned after countless beating.


    And even in that moment, he might not have been their match but if they had dared to strike him, he''d have fought back, regardless.


    Hearing Mateo''s words, the guy with small stature frowned his brows as he spoke in a muffled voice, "We should... Probably stop... Betting Mateo"


    Mateo however kept his mouth shut as he pretended to ignore his rants.


    Although the heaven hadn''t blessed him with good fortune, it had still blessed Mateo with footballing talents. And he''d have been making fool out of himself if he wasn''t using his talents.


    Now one must wonder why with such talents, he wasn''t ying for any clubs or ying football professionally.


    It''s not that he didn''t wish to y professionally. Infact he had tried out for local clubs previously. But since youth yers can''t earn anything in youth clubs, he had given up on the chance to y for clubs.


    "I know that you have told me the reason. But still with your talents, why don''t you y football professionally?" Asked the boy while deeply looking at Mateo.


    Mateo however spoke nothing and took out the money which he had won a moment ago. He then handed two, one-thousand bill to the boy and left without saying anything.


    Bewilderment, sorrow and indignance. With such mixed emotions, the boy fixedly looked at Mateo''s leaving figure while continuously blinking his eyes.


    "We can''t pay you much Mateo. The most we can pay you right now is 5 dors per week and 1 dors per goal." A middle-aged man spoke with a concerned look on his face.


    His gaze reflecting his helplessness and his tone extremely sincere.


    Mateo who looked a lot smaller right now, helplessly gazed at the middle-aged man with expectant eyes.


    "Sir can''t you increase it a little more? I really need money" Mateo begged helplessly.


    "Mateo I know how talented you are. But it''s the maximum amount our club can pay you. You know right youth yers don''t get paid? Infact most youth yers even have to pay instead. However considering your talent we are breaking the rules. But we can''t raise the price any more than this Mateo" the middle-aged man who was currently speaking with Mateo helplessly sighed as he tried to convince Mateo.


    "Unless you start to y for the main team we can''t really pay you Mateo" continued the middle-aged man.


    Suddenly as he spoke those words, the figure of the middle-aged man and the environment around Mateo started to get hazy.


    Soon as the fog in his sight cleared, Mateo found himself infront of a small tattered house made up of brick and rusty metal sheets. Creaking from the tiny holes of the metal sheets and from space beneath the door, yellow light was creaking out.


    "Ahh... Why am I remembering that scene again?" Murmured Mateo as he stood infront of a tattered wooden door infront of a tiny old house.


    His gazes looking at the yellow lighting from the house and his feet frozen infront of the house, clearly he was hesitating to go inside for some reason.


    Even so, despite not feeling good walking towards the house infront, Mateo strode forward.


    Creak!!


    The fence like wodden door made creaking noises as Mateo pushed it.


    Woof!! Woof!!


    Hearing the creaking noises, some street dogs started barking.


    After entering Mateo tried to push the main door of the house from where the light was creaking outside. The door however was locked from the inside. Thus, he started to knock on the door.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    "Who''s this?"


    A voice came from the inside. The voice sounded feminine meaning it was a voice of a female.


    "Alexia, it''s me Mateo" answered Mateo as he stood outside the door.


    Soon after he answered, he heard someone opening the door.


    And as the door opened, a figure of a small girl probably about 11 or 12 year old emerged from within the house.


    Silky smooth blond hair which cascaded down her head towards her shoulder like waterfall, innocent looking azure blue eyes, reddish-white skintone and a little flushed cheeks, she was Mateo''s younger sister Alexia.


    "Why do you alwayse homete Mateo?" Concernedly spoke Alexia.

 Chapter 236 Destination

    <h4>Chapter 236 Destination</h4>


    August 10, 2023


    Currently inside a moving bus filled with people; majority of them being teenagers dressed in identical clothing, Hiro''s figure could be seen beside the window in the middle row of the bus.


    While his eyes remained shut, his head which was leaning against the seat was swinging freely along with the motion of the bus.


    Time and again while the warm rays of the sunlight which prated it''s way from the gap of the dangling curtain fell upon his sleeping face, his fair skin glowed like a golden sculpture under light.


    However not only Hiro, countless other kids who were present in the bus were in simr condition as him.


    While some covered their face with scarf, jersey and other clothes to veil themselves from the light, some were leaning their head against the seat infront of them.


    With only few being exceptions who were either listening to music on their headphones while gazing outside the window or reading books, most of them were dozing currently.


    And while most of the curtains and windows in the bus remained shut, some were open.


    And from those open window, a refreshing gust of cold wind was blowing while carrying the fresh scent of the nature.


    Along with the wind, golden rays of the sunlight was also creeping inside the bus from those open windows, making the interior of the bus glow in golden colours.


    Rustling sound of the wind and pping sound of the curtains as it danced along with the wind was filling the entire bus.


    And coupled with the soothing golden light of the sun, the ambience around the interior of the bus was quite dreamy.


    Just as one of the teenager seated infront of Hiro pushed aside the curtain beside him and opened the window, a gust of cold breeze came rushing towards Hiro, inturn sending a chill to his warm body, forcing him to open his eyes.


    Along with the pping curtain beside him, his hair also dangled freely as it danced along with the winding from the open window infront of him.


    Feeling the sensation of the cold wind brushing past his face, Hiro tried to open his eyes. However because of the winding from infront of him and also the golden light which directly fell onto his eyes, he immediately shut his eyelids, once again.


    Hiro then tried to slowly lift his eyelids. And as he squinted his eyes, he was graced with the sight of molten sky glowing in golden, yellow, red and orange hues.


    Dreamy bubbles of golden light filled part of his vision as he looked at the setting sun in the distant horizon. Although the light was somewhat overbearing to look at, it wasn''t bright enough to hurt his eyes.


    After some seconds, Hiro finally opened his eyes fully.


    The distant hills where the golden rays of the setting sun was flowing smoothly was glowing ethereally while the molten clouds which were hovering above the setting sun and hills was making the scenery extremely picturesque to look at.


    Sparse forest consisting of various trees which stretched from the foot of the mountain was ending it''s trail after reaching the periphery of the field where different crops were nted.


    Breathing in the fresh airing from the open window and looking at the picturesque scene outside the window, Hiro''s heart was filled with tranquillity while his eyes were glowing warmly.


    His face solemn and his mood tranquil, Hiro continued to look at the scenery outside the window without uttering a single word.


    He waspletely lost at the moment.


    At times his vision was obstructed by trees as the bus passed through the forest and at time his vision was obstructed by some electric poles erected beside the road.


    It was evident from the vast field outside the window that currently they were moving along a countryside.


    Although it only felt like it happened yesterday, almost about half a year has passed since Kawasaki''s triumph over Sagan Tosu. During that time period nothing much have taken ce in Hiro''s life.


    Training, ying football, studying, goofing around, his life had mostly revolved around football.


    Afer some break, the league had already resumed. And right now, half the matches of the season had already been concluded as well.


    However this time around, they hadn''t won every matches of the league like the previous time. Although they werefortably sitting at the top of the league, Kawasaki had also lost 3 games out of 11 games they''ve yed so far.


    Some senior yers who had graduated highschool had left the team while some fresh yers like Yuya and Shunta had moved up the ranks and joined the team.


    Hiro''s goal tally was still as impressive as ever in the league. With 11 goals under his name from 7 starts, he was once again dominating the score chart of the east league.


    Coming back to the present.


    After some moment of sightseeing, Shun who was sleeping beside him with a thin scarf wrapped around his eyes, pulled down the scarf and spoke in his sleepy voice, "Are we there yet?"


    Hiro replied softly while keeping his gaze fixated at the scenery outside the window, "No... It might take some more time"


    Casting it''s ethereal rays above the hills, forest, field and every surface in his vision, as if the sun was chasing him, it was following him everywhere while the bus was moving forward to it''s destination.


    "The view of Chinese.... Yawn!! countryside is no different than Japanese countryside. Yawn!!" mumbled Shun while yawning.


    With the world cup nearing, currently they were in China to participate in the Asian qualifiers.


    To participate in the U-17 world cup which was going to be held in Indonesia in November, 20 elite team from asia werepeting for a spot in the world cup in this Asian qualifiers.


    Teams were split into groups of five into four different groups; A, B, C and D.


    And Japan were ced in group B along with countries like India, Vietnam, Jordan and Philippines.


    However among these 20 teams, only two were going to participate in the world cup with Indonesia being exceptions since they were hosting the world cup so they were getting a free pass.


    Hiro pretended to ignore Shun''s rants as he kept focusing at the beautiful scenery outside the window.


    While looking at the scenery outside the window, his thoughts started to drift elsewhere.


    ''It''s a pity that we won''t get to face South Korea until the final.'' thought Hiro as he was looking forward to ying against South Korea.


    Not because he held any animosity against South Korea but because South Korea was one of the most toughest team in the Asian qualifiers.


    And if his memory served right then along with Japan, it was also one of the team which made it to the world cup.


    Because of the influence of yer like Heung Min Son, Hwang Hee Chan, Kim Min Jae, Lee Kang In and many other famous korean footballers who yed overseas, Korean football was developing rapidly.


    And because of the fact that Japan and South Korea were close door neighbours and also both were one of the most powerful team in Asia, there was a feeling of rivalry between the two countries.


    South Korea was the one of the most difficult opponent to y against in these qualifiers.


    Some other teams which were to be feared were Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Mysia, Yemen and also the dark horses India and Vietnam which were both in their groups.


    The qualifier would have been even more tough if the teams from Oceania such as New Zend and Australia joined the qualifier as well. However Oceania, they were holding their own qualifier.


    "I sincerely thank the organisers for cing us in such an easy group" chuckled Shun, his tone carrying mockery and thankfulness.


    Sure enough, he was taking other teams in his group lightly.


    His tone filled with arrogance got on Hiro''s nerves as he shot a cold gaze at Shun. While giving side-eyes to Shun, Hiro''s eyes glowed with a cold glow.


    His tone deep and his words threatening, Hiro reprimanded Shun''s statements, "What makes you so sure that we''lle out in top?"


    Shun who wasn''t looking at Hiro''s face, failed to notice Hiro''s cold gaze. And also because of the sound of the wind, he couldn''t hear Hiro''s tone clearly. Thus, he had absolutely no idea that his words had pissed Hiro.


    "Because they are all small fry" replied Shun casually.


    His tone extremely proud and his face smug, sure enough he didn''t consider the team in his groups as threats.


    Although Shun had a hardworking and unwielding personality, Shun also had a proudful personality.


    As there''s a saying, there''s no such thing as perfect humans.


    And just like the saying, Shun also had his ws. And that w was his arrogant personality. He took pride in his skills and he also learnt from his failures but at the same time, he also liked to unt his skills.

 Chapter 237 Resort

    <h4>Chapter 237 Resort</h4>


    After about 15 minutes of bus ride when the setting sun finally shot it''s final dying rays atop the western hills, the bus which was carrying the yers of Japan national U17 team stopped at the entrance of the resort where they were going to spend their night.


    The entrance leading to the main building of the resort was huge. Made up of metal, it was coated with gold paint and just like a gate to a mansion owned by nobles, different intricate patterns carved in the metallic gate was making it seem quite opulent.


    However at the moment the gate was closed.


    Honk!! Honk!!


    The bus driver honked few times to alert the guards about their arrival.


    Hearing the irritating sound of the horn, although the guards of the resort didn''t arrive immediately, few yers inside the bus immediately woke up from their slumber and started to grumble irritatedly.


    "Ahm... Please stop!"


    "Yawn.... Are we there?"


    Evidently most of them were suffering from jeg and right now they''d eat a horse for a chance to get a peaceful sleep.


    Few yers covered their ears as they buried their face in the clothes which they were using to block the shade.


    Hiro on the other hand was captivated by the silhouette of the castle like resort located at a certain distance away from him.


    ''Damn!! That''s the resort we are staying in today? That''s more like a castle than a resort'' thought Hiro while looking at the silhouette of the mansion glowing with lights, located at a certain distance away from him.


    Finally after few seconds, the guards of the resort arrived infront of the bus and checked few things before opening the main gate of the resort.


    As the gate split open, bus driver stepped on the gas pedal and the bus started moving once again.


    It was already dark outside and the pathway leading to the resort was lit by beautifulmpposts.


    Lush green bushes and flower beds which were nted at either side of the pathway further entuated the beauty of the paved pathway leading to the main building of the resort.


    Looking at the view outside the window, Hiro felt like he was seated inside a luxurious carriage moving along a flower paved pathway leading to a majestic castle.


    In the west horizon, the once molten clouds had now lost their glow and the once bright sky was now filled with the shimmering lights of the flickering stars.


    And rtively high up in the sky among the stars, crescent moon hung freely, casting it''s luminous glow across the surface and the entire night sky.


    May be it''s because the resort was built in such a remote ce or may be not many guests were staying in the resort right now, nothing much could be heard other than the moving sound of the vehicle and rustling sound of wind as it made contact with the leaves of the trees and nts.


    It was quite peaceful.


    Buzz!! Buzz!!


    asionally buzzing noises of cicada and different nocturnal insects could also be heard.


    The more closer the bus got to the main building, the more clearer the sight of the main building got.


    Lit by countless lights, decorated artistically with marbles, it''s walls were well polished and coloured beautifully.


    It''s corridors lit by expensive chandeliers which hung freely in it''s ceilings. Beautifully sculpted white pirs which supported it''s frame made it look like a luxurious mansion straight out of a fantasy world.


    And just infront of the three-storey vi which stretched far and wide, a medium sized fountain was erected.


    Finally as the bus arrived at the front door, it stopped. And as the bus stopped, the automatic door of the bus opened with the push of a button.


    One of the coach who was seated at the front row got up and began to wake up the yers, "Everyone get up. We are here. Without any further dy, exit the bus one by one in a queue without pushing"


    Some yers started to stretch their hands as they spoke, "Argh... Finally!!"


    "Damn!! That was a long bus ride"


    "It''s only been 45 minutes"


    Chattering such, one by one everybody started to exit the bus. Some took quite a lot of time because of their luggage while some took time arranging their stuffs.


    Eventually after 5 minutes, as everybody boarded off the bus, coach Kazan started taking attendance of the yers.


    And while coach Kazan was taking attendance, an elderly man dressed in fine clothes walked out of the vi followed by few other people who seemed like staffs working in the resort, wearing a bright amicable smile on his face. Evidently that elderly man was the owner of the resort.


    Now one may wonder, why the owner of the resort came in person to greet them. Afterall they weren''t neither famous celebrities nor VIP''s. But it wasn''t to greet the yers or any other person. That owner had walked out in person to greet his acquaintance who happened to be manager Haruki.


    Well coach Haruki was a reputed coach, so it wasn''t that strange for him to be acquainted with the owner of the resort.


    Who knows what sort of connections, he''s got? However one thing was certain, he was definitely someone who couldn''t be trifled with.


    During the process of taking attendance, while looking at the scene of the owner of the resort talking amicably with manager Haruki, Hiro finally understood the reason behind them staying in such a luxurious resort.


    With national team''s budget how could they afford to stay in such an opulent looking resort?


    But the scene of the owner and manager Haruki talking amicably, answered all his doubts.


    After some moments, all of the yers were led to their room.


    While walking along the hallway and path leading to their room, yers of the national team passed through many majestic statues, armours, expensive paintings and expensive decorations.


    Passing through suchvish decorations, many yer''s jaws dropped time and again as they walked past those decorations.


    Sure enough one thing was certain, the resort they were staying in was definitely out of their budget under normal circumstances.

 Chapter 238 Provocative words

    <h4>Chapter 238 Provocative words</h4>


    After spending a peaceful night at the luxurious resort, currently yers of national U17 team were gathered in a pitch which looked like some kind of training facility.


    Right in the morning after having avish breakfast in the resort, they were transported to this training facility.


    Evidently they were only staying at the resort for a night and not for their entire trip.


    "That sleep I had yesterday in thosefy beds, it''s the best sleep I had in my entire life till now. I wish... I could stay there a little longer" spoke Shun while adjusting his gloves.


    His eyes were reflecting a sense of longing right now while his tone filled with grief was like that of a person who was separated from his/her loved ones.


    Yutaka who was fixing his jersey, standing beside Hiro and Shun, chuckled as he nodded his head in agreement.


    "I agree... That sleep was the best I had till now. However that lobster meat we had in this morning tasted even better" Yutaka answered while nodding his head.


    Talking about the lobster meat, Yutaka''s thought drifted to the moment they had their breakfast today. Thinking about of the moment, he subconsciously started to drool.


    Although Hiro shared the same feelings as the two of them, he was a bit hesitant to express his feelings openly like those two. Thus, he kept a poker face and continued to remain silent.


    Sure enough because of their stay in such a luxurious resort, morale of the yers in the training facility was quite high even this early in the morning.


    Moments like this made the yers extremely grateful that they were ying football.


    Life of luxury, who doesn''t dream about it? ying football to earn money, what''s wrong with it? Everybody have their own motive to y football.


    And passion alone won''t feed you. So if you are one of those people who curse yers for selecting money then you''re just a hypocrite.


    Just then while the three of them were conversing with each other, one of their teammate approached them.


    ck hair, eerie ck eyes and a cold indifferent expression as if he was looking down on everyone, out of nowhere Tominaga Nijichi walked towards Hiro while exuding an aura of arrogance around him.


    Since he was Yutaka''s club teammate, Yutaka immediately rushed forward to face him upon seeing Nijichi walking towards him, thinking that Tominaga approached them because he had something to talk about with him, "Are you looking for me captain?"


    However Tominaga Nijichi walked past him without uttering a single word, totally ignoring Yutaka''s presence.


    Yutaka was baffled by Tominaga''s attitude. Then again, he kept his eyes fixated on him with a perplexing look on his face.


    Tominaga was headed towards Hiro who was currently stretching his legs.


    "Winner of Takamado Cup, Takahashi Hiro?" coldly spoke Nijichi as he approached Hiro.


    His voice sounded neither amicable nor malicious. But sure enough, he hadn''t approached Hiro to befriend him or ask for some suggestions.


    Turning behind to look at the source of the sound, Hiro found Nijichi staring at him with his cold ck eyes.


    "Yes?" Answered Hiro as he looked Nijichi in the eyes without wavering.


    "We have some ounts left to be settled" mumbled Nijichi while shooting cold res at Hiro.


    Hearing Nijichi''s words, his eyes opened wide and a big question mark appeared atop his head.


    ''Huh? What ount?'' thought Hiro as he heard Nijichi''s words.


    He waspletely dumbfounded by Nijichi''s words. Afterall despite meeting once previously, it was his first time talking to Nijichi. Thus, he had absolutely no idea about what Nijichi was talking about.


    Sensing danger, Shun who was standing beside Hiro immediately walked infront of Nijichi as he felt like Nijichi was there to find some troubles with Hiro.


    His tone a bit harsh and his gazes glowing with cold light, Shun confronted Nijichi without any fear, "What ount? Would you mind sharing with us?"


    Seeing the scene taking ce infront of his eyes, Yutaka immediately rushed towards the direction where the three of them were gathered.


    At one side, it was his clubs Captain and at another side, it was his friends. Although he found himself in dilemma, he knew that he had to do something to separate the three of them.


    Thus he rushed towards them with an intention of preventing conflicts.


    Tominaga Nijichi averted his gaze from Shun as he spoke coldly, "Scram, you small fry!! I don''t have any issues with you"


    As if Shun wasn''t even worth looking at, Tominaga didn''t even bother to stare at Shun.


    Hearing such provocative words, the rage inside Shun started to bubble like boiling tar. With his fist clenched, he shot gaze full of rage towards Tominaga Nijichi. It was evident that Shun was about to explode.


    Yutaka who was rushing towards them with the intention of solving the conflict, his heart sank as he heard such provocative words from his captain''s mouth.


    ''It''s over!'' Yutaka thought as he stopped in his tracks.


    Just when Shun was about to raise his fist, Hiro stretched his hands to grab his.


    Feeling the sensation of touch, Shun''s gaze averted from Tominaga Nijichi for the first time since he approached Hiro.


    Looking at Hiro''s hands, he rolled his eyes towards Hiro''s face.


    Hiro was gesturing him to calm down.


    Immediately Shun loosened his strength as he rxed his fingers.


    Hiro then slowly rose and asked coldly, "So what ounts are you talking about?"


    Locking eyes with Nijichi, he coldly stared him in the eyes without blinking his eyes.


    His tone sounded extremely arrogant as he spoke, "You might have beaten me previously in the selection camp. And I was quite regretful that I didn''t make it to the finals. But since we''re both here, let''s have a duel."


    ''Pft- hahaha what?? Duel?? So you were here to ask for a duel?'' Hiroughed inwardly as he found the situation quite funny after hearing Nijichi''s words.


    All along he had approached Hiro, just to ask him for a duel. And all along, he had thought that Nijichi was going to talk about something serious.


    However it was only a challenge request. Well the way he spoke, it didn''t seem like a request. It sounded more like a threat. Still it was only a challenge.


    Hiro lossened his tensed expression as he answered, "I don''t mindpeting against you. But what do you want topete against?"


    "Since you''re good at freekicks. Let''s do a freekick challenge" spoke Nijichi with the same indifferent tone.


    Based on his expression and tone, it seemed like he was quite serious about the challenge. However he acted the same since the moment he approached him, so who knows if he was serious or not?


    [Ding!]


    [New quest unlocked]


    [Defeat Tominaga Nijichi]

 Chapter 239 Taste of his own medicine

    Chapter 239 Taste of his own medicine


    Just as Tominaga Nijichi spoke about the theme of the challenge, sound of the notification from the system started ringing in his ears.


    Hearing the sound of the notification, for split seconds Hiro''s gaze averted from Tominaga Nijichi before itnded on Nijichi, once again.


    Checking  the contents of the quest, Hiro subtly lifted the corner of his lips as he let out a sly smile.


    ''A quest out of nowhere? Right what I needed. With Roberto Carlos''s Freekick this quest is gonna be a piece of cake'' thought Hiro while cackling inwardly.


    Sure enough, Hiro had forgotten that he had already lost that talent quite a long time ago.


    Just as he was thinking about using the talent Roberto Carlos''s Freekick, a sudden thought shed in his mind as he was hit by a sudden realisation, ''Right!! I don''t have that talent anymore. How could I forget?''


    Thinking about the moment where he had lost the talent, his smile faded away and his expression turned nk all of a sudden. A sudden feeling of emptiness gnawed upon him.


    "So do you have the guts to ept my challenge Takahashi Hiro?" Firmly questioned Nijichi while staring at Hiro with his eerie ck pupils.


    Hiro who''s eyes were fixated at Nijichi, rolled his pupils above Nijichi''s head. Atop his head the holographic blue panel of the system was showing it''s contents.


    However right now as he was faced with Nijichi''s question, other contents of the quest seemed blur as his eyes were only focused on two things.


    [Reward: Host can select one item as per his wish from the system shop]


    [Failure: You''ll lose half of your attribute points]


    Currently Hiro had around 300 attribute points which he was saving to upgrade the system. Obviously he could have also upgraded his attributes, however after weighing the pros and cons, Hiro had found it more feasible to upgrade the system for long term benefit.


    Tasting the horror of the failures after that final match between the champions of east league and west league had left a deep impression on him.


    Not only that encounter with his past self in his dream had made him think about long term, it had also made him more wise than before.


    While skimming through the contents of the quest, Hiro suddenly thought of a devilish method to minimise his loss, ''What if I spend all these attribute points right now? That way I won''t have to lose any points even if I failed. Hahaha....''


    [Note: The quest has been issued taking your current attribute points into consideration. So your attribute points are freezed at the moment]


    Just when he was nning about exploiting another loophole of the system, the system spilled water on his ns and once again, his smile faded away, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth inturn causing him to contort his face in irritation.


    Hiro''s actions of looking away from him gave Tominaga Nijichi an impression that Hiro wasn''t taking him seriously which further fueled his desire to crush Hiro.


    Although unintentional, Hiro''s goofy behaviour was getting on Nijichi''s nerves. However he still maintained hisposure and continued to show that same indifferent expression.


    Finally Hiro sighed helplessly as he replied sluggishly, "Fine... then let''s do it"


    "But I''m sure you wouldn''t want either Hanagaki or Shun to be the keeper? Or do you want to go with Hanagaki as the keeper?"


    Hanagaki was the keeper of Vissel Kobe U-18 also the ranked 2 keeper in the national U-17 team.


    As Hiro asked question to Nijichi, he shook his head.


    "Then that let us with only one option, Kurosawa Taki" mumbled Hiro after thinking deeply for a short while.


    As he mentioned about Taki, both of their gaze drifted towards Taki who was currently stretching his upper body.


    "Then Kurosawa Taki it is" Nijichi agreed with Hiro''s suggestion.


    And as such the two of them asked Kurosawa Taki to be the keeper for this challenge.


    "What are those three doing?" Questioned one of the yer as he found Hiro, Nijichi and Taki preparing for the challenge.


    "Are those two going topete?"


    "Ohh!!! Seems like they''re dueling"


    "Isn''t that Hiro and Tominaga Nijichi?"


    "Those two giants arepeting?"


    "Damn!! I wanna see whoes out on the top"


    Such gossips filled the entire pitch as Hiro and Nijichi''s duel piqued interest of every yer in the training camp, right now.


    The gossip about them dueling spread like wildfire and soon it got to the ears of every yer present in the field.


    And while Hiro and Nijichi discussed about who was going to shoot first, yers of national U17 team started to flock around the side of the pitch where they were going to conduct their duel.


    "It''s gonna be best of five. One from the left corner, one from the right corner, one from the twenty yards, one from 30 yards and one from the half line. Do you agree with this set-up?" Asked Nijichi as he exined about the detail of the duel while pointing at the spots from where they were going to take the freekick.


    Hearing his exnation, Hiro nodded his head at first. Then again, he raised a question, "What about the walls? Or are we going to shoot without any walls?"


    Because of the ongoing situation, Nijichi had forgotten to think about that aspect.


    However even though he had forgotten, he didn''t lose his cool. Instead he immediately answered in a haughty tone, "How can it be considered freekick without any walls. Obviously we''ll select the tallest yers to act as the walls"


    Saying so, Nijichi walked towards the crowd and brought some yers along with him. Each and every single one of them being either the tallest or sharpest or with high jumping power.


    Sure enough, he wanted to defeat Hiro fair and square.


    Feeling Nijichi''s earnest intentions, Hiro let out a subtleughter, "Hahaha... Seems like he''s damn serious about it. Then why don''t we check his stats"


    As he muttered those words, he willed the system to use magic vision on Nijichi in his heart.


    [Name: Tominaga Nijichi]


    [Overall grade: B+]


    [Potential: ????]


    [Wow-factor: Freekick specialist(A), Penalty specialist(A), Poacher(B), Powerful long-range shot(B+), Instant eleration(C)]


    "Damn!! Every single one of those wow-factor corresponds well with his position." Mumbled Hiro in awe as he witnessed Nijichi''s stats.


    Tominaga Nijichi was a striker. To be more precise he was that typical number 9, who''s sole job was to score goals. In short, he was like a goal machine in development.


    While he was still in awe, he chuckled as he figured the reason behind the theme of the duel, "Hahaha... So that''s why you chose this challenge huh? May be I''m tasting my own medicine this time"


    Hiroughed heartily as he thought about how all those yers felt when he had such amazing talent to score freekick from anywhere.

 Chapter 240 Cheeky Shot

    Chapter 240 Cheeky Shot


    After bringing some yers to act as the walls for the duel, Hiro and Nijichi yed a game of rock, paper, scissors to determine the order of the freekick taker.


    Hiro won the game and hence Tominaga Nijichi was forced to take the freekick first.


    Even so he didn''t look worried in the slightest. Infact his expression was more sharper than ever and his confidence was at an all time high.


    Just like Hiro and Nijichi, Taki who had agreed to help them conduct this challenge had his own intention.


    He wasn''t helping them out of goodwill. Neither was he helping them because they were his teammates.


    He had his own motive to help them in this challenge. Mostly he wanted to impress the coaches who were currently watching the duel taking ce in the pitch from the sidelines. Indirectly he wanted to appeal the coaches to increase his ying minutes.


    He knew that with Shun and Hanagaki in the team, his chances of getting any ying minutes was pretty slim. Thus, right now he was prepared to stop any shots shot at him.


    Obviously it was a good thing. Since that way the result would be even more fairer.


    The zing hot sphere which hung rtively high up in the eastern horizon was a kaleidoscope of yellow and orange.


    Spreading it''s majestic aura upon the surface, it was warming the entire surface.


    The azure blue sky being it''s yground and the fluffy white clouds being it''spanion, the sun was as lively as ever, even in this early in the morning, signifying the arrival of the summer.


    Despite the sun shining upon him, Nijichi''s eyes were glowing with a cold light while he was preparing to take the freekick.


    Enveloped by an aura of coldness, his eyes looked as sharp as ever while he focused at the ball.


    Just by looking at his stance and eyes, one could tell how focused he was at the moment.


    Infront of him a wall of five yers was erected. And since he was taking the freekick from the left nk just about 10m away from the goal-line, the shooting angle was quite tight.


    "Huff!!"


    Exhaling a deep breath, Nijichi then started his run-up. At the same time, Taki squinted his eyes, focusing intently at the ball.


    Using power from this angle and at this distance was like a suicide. The ball was bound to go astray or hit the wall or get blocked by the keeper.


    Thus the only ideal way to score from this spot was to either curl the ball or shoot a knuckle ball.


    And Hiro who had seen Nijichi''s stat was almost sure that Nijichi wasn''t a technical yer.


    Sure his shots were impressive, sure his stats were impressive and sure his wow-factors were impressive, however he was stillcking in technical aspects. Tominaga Nijichi simply wasn''t a technical yer.


    Thus as predicted by Hiro, Nijichi went with power. Instead of curling the ball at the top right corner which was the most ideal position to hit the ball from this angle, Nijichi hit a powerful shot which inturn got deflected as it hit the wall of yers.


    "Tch!" Nijichi bitterly clicked his tongue as he witnessed his shot failing to pass the wall.


    "Ohh... Missed!!"


    "Damn!! That was a powerful shot"


    However as he received that shot, one of the yer in the wall fell on his ass after defending that powerful shot.


    Immediately other yers who were beside him started checking his condition as they helped him get up.


    "Damn!! That was a powerful shot" mumbled that yer while letting out a subtleughter.


    His forehead as red as tomato, he was trying to act tough at the moment, despite feeling a burning pain.


    While the bunch of yers who were surrounding the yer who just fell down were making jokes andughing heartily, Hiro disyed a worried look on his face.


    His brows knotted and his face ghastly pale, he was pursing his lips while looking at the scene of the yersughing heartily.


    ''Sure that shot was powerful. But if they can''t even handle that much power then how are they gonna handle African yers? They shoot like missiles.'' panicked Hiro while thinking about the miserable state of his teammates.


    His worries weren''t baseless. No disrespect to any other countries out there in the world. But young African yers are really a force to be feared. Although non of the African countries had yet to win the senior world cup.


    This U17 world cup which they were going to participate was heavily dominated by African countries. Although the current U17 champion was Brazil a footballing powerhouse nation, still the team with the most championship with five titles uder their name, it was Nigeria, a team from Africa.


    Immediately seeing such state of his teammates, Hiro was brought back to reality. His dream of lifting the trophy seemed quite farfetched.


    After that blunder, Nijichi scored two goals out of five freekicks. He missed the next freekick which he shot from the right nk.


    However he converted both the freekicks from the 20 yards line and 30 yards line. And even thest freekick which he shot from the halfline, he only missed it because Taki made a brilliant save.


    No doubt, his abilities shone brilliantly when he could shoot from a distance.


    The result of his performance had greatly shaken him as his eyes no longer radiated an aura of confidence.


    His face a little pale than before. Sure enough he had taken a hit.


    The fact that he knew about Hiro''s feat of scoring from the halfline further intensified his worries. And right now, his worries were evident from the wrinkles on his forehead.


    However what he didn''t know was that Hiro couldn''t shoot like before. If only he knew about this secret, his worries wouldn''t have been this severe.


    Now it was Hiro''s turn to take the freekicks. During the process while Tominaga Nijichi was taking the freekick, after taking his reduced power into consideration, he had deduced that the only way he could win this challenge was by scoring the first three goals.


    Since he was a technical yer and with the loss of such a precious talent, he could only thrive in short distance freekicks at the moment, he had no other choice but to score those first three freekicks if he wanted to win.


    However with such tight angle, it was easier said than done.


    With that being said Hiro was currently taking his stance beside the ball preparing to take his first freekick.


    As much as Nijichi was worried about Hiro''s freekicks, Taki who had faced him once was even more worried and so were other yers acting as the wall.


    ''For sure he''s going for top right corner'' thought Taki while staring at the ball.


    ''For sure he''s going to curl the ball above our head.''


    ''I need to jump as high as I can to block the ball''


    Such were the worries yers in the walls were thinking about while looking at Hiro with grim look on their faces.


    And as Hiro started making his run-up, some yers in the wall gulped their saliva before jumping as high as they can.


    However the next moment as they leapt from the ground, their expression turned from grim to shock. They were utterly stupefied.


    Why you may ask?


    It''s because Hiro shot the ball right beneath their legs. Instead of shooting the ball above their heads, he shot below their legs, making use of the gap created by the yers in the walls as they leapt from the ground.


    Taki''s situation wasn''t any better either. Thinking that Hiro was going to shoot at the top right corner, he had jumped towards the top right corner to have a better probability to save the ball.


    Making a cheeky shot, Hiro scored the first goal.

 Chapter 241 Second Round

    Chapter 241 Second Round


    "What!?"


    Everybody who were paying attention to Hiro at the moment were leftpletely stunned. Their eyes disying shock and their face disying utter disbelief, they all had a stupefied look on their face.


    Just by looking at their facial expression, one could tell that almost no-one in that pitch had expected Hiro to make that shot.


    Considering Hiro''s reputation, it simply didn''t seem like something Hiro would do.


    For some moment, the surrounding environment around Hiro turned ghastly silent after he made that shot.


    And the only thing which could be heard at the moment was the rustle of the mild breeze as it blew along the pitch.


    Gently caressing his face, Hiro''s hair was fluttering along with the wind.


    Finally Shun broke the silence as he let out a cheerfulughter, "Hahahaha.... That was a damn amazing goal. Completely out of everybody''s expectations"


    As soon as Shun''s voice echoed and broke the silence, almost everybody started making all sorts ofments.


    "Damn!! How did he think of doing that?"


    "I''ve rarely seen anybody shooting freekick beneath the walls"


    "Hahahaha... But one has to admit, that goal was indeed something special"


    Hiro was as sly as fox. All along since the beginning of the challenge when he witnessed Nijichi''s shot getting deflected, he had been pondering about different ideas to procure the ideal result.


    Exploiting his reputation of a direct freekick taker and exploiting the fear and doubts in the heart of other yers, he had executed this move after thoughtful consideration.


    And now as he witnessed the fruit his nning bore, Hiro was quite satisfied with the results.


    This move not only will give him the lead and kickstart. This move will further increase the vignce of the yers against him.


    Now after this goal, they''ll have to worry about one more thing which was to watch out for any ground shots.


    At a certain distance away from the spot where Hiro had scored his first freekick goal, Nijichi could be seen frowning.


    The worry in his face had now turned into fear. His pupils, shrunk to pin-sized and his clenched fist trembling vigorously, he was desperately trying to mask his emotions at this moment.


    It was evident that his confidence which had already taken a hit was now on the verge of shattering.


    Hiro however paid no attention to Nijichi. Neither did he celebrate his goal. Infact currently he was already thinking about his next step.


    ''With this they''ll have to worry about one more thing. But how should I go with the next move?'' pondered Hiro while thinking deeply.


    Just then while thinking about his next move, the corner of his lips lifted up slightly and a cold light shed in his eyes as he disyed a sinister smile on his face.


    "One of the yer, please lie on the ground to prevent such incident from happening again" yelled Taki as he suggested a preventive measure to counter Hiro.


    Although he was pleading, his tone was extremely deep and loud as he said those words to the yers.


    Sure enough not only that move by Hiro had shocked him, it had also made him feel humiliated.


    Afterall unlike Nijichi''s shot filled with power, Hiro''s shot was more like a pass. If he hadn''t acted so early, he would have easily made that save.


    And as Hiro prepared to take his second freekick, he could see one of the yer lying on the ground behind the group of yers acting as the walls.


    Even so, he kept his poker face. As if he was expecting such scenario, he didn''t look bothered in the slightest.


    However although they had solved the problem of ground shot, now they also had one less person in the wall. One less person in the wall meant more space in the wall.


    "Ohh!! They''re learning from their mistake" mused one of the coach as he witnessed the action taken by the yers.


    "But you gotta admit, this Takahashi Hiro is really an impressive yer"mented another coach in a ttering tone.


    Once again, as Hiro stood before the ball to take his second freekick, the yers infront of him looked at him nervously.


    Each trying to figure out his motive, they all were intently staring at Hiro, observing every minute details.


    Taki who was trying his best to see from the gaps of the wall was having it the hardest. With no vision whatsoever, he had to mostly rely on his intuition.


    Thus at this moment he couldn''t afford to panic. With his eyes squinted, he was trying his best to figure out Hiro''s move from the gaps of the walls.


    Just then Hiro started to run. And as Taki noticed Hiro''s movement, he tightened his muscles as he vigntly took his stance.


    Since everybody knew that Hiro could shoot equally well with both legs, they all were focusing intently at Hiro''s movement.


    Guessing the right foot could greatly determine Hiro''s shooting course. Thus, everybody in the wall right now werepletely in sync.


    After a short run-up, Hiro stretched his left leg after approaching near the ball.


    Seeing that Hiro was going to use his left foot, everybody in the wall became joyous for a moment.


    Shooting with his left foot from the right nk most probably meant that he was going to aim at the top left corner. Thus right now, some yers in the wall were even smiling.


    However once again, as if they''re thrown into a fiery pit of the hell straight from the heaven, their smile quickly faded away as they noticed the trajectory of the ball.


    Contrary to their expectations, it waspletely on the opposite side. The yer from whose side the ball flew could even hear the swishing sound of the ball as it travelled some inches beside his head.


    Once again, Taki had predicted wrongly.


    Instead of the top left corner, the ball entered the post from the top right corner.


    It shouldn''t be possible? How can it be possible?


    Under normal circumstances such shot wouldn''t have been possible. However for this shot Hiro had used the outside of his foot.


    If he had hit the ball with the inside of the foot, the ball would have curved in the top left corner. However since he used the outside of his left foot, the ball curved towards the top right corner.


    Not only this goal tied Nijichi''s tally, it also shattered everybody''s expectations, once again.


    Their already shocked face was now even more shocked. Their jaws wide open which could fit a fist in it.


    Their eyes wide open as if their eyes coulde out from their eye sockets. Once again, Hiro had silenced almost every yer in the field with his marvelous freekick.

 Chapter 242 End ot the duel

    <h4>Chapter 242 End ot the duel</h4>


    Thud!!


    Plop!! Plop!!


    Perspiration fell down from his face, wetting some section of the artificial pitch beneath his face as Taki furiously punched the ground in rage after failing to prevent yet another goal.


    His veins popping out, his eyes crimson red with anger, right now Taki was madly pounding the ground with his fist while gritting his teeth.


    At the same time, faces of most yers in the wall seemed quite grim at the moment. Dark shadow lingering atop their face, most of them were gritting their teeths with their head lowered. As if in this very instant, their head had be so heavy for them to lift it, all of their head were lowered to the point it seemed like it would sink in their chests.


    "Two out of two!" One of the yer eximed, his voice muffled and his expression dazed.


    "Is he for real?"


    "How many shots would it have taken you before you scored one from that spot?"


    "Probably..... more than 50"


    Some yer staring at Hiro with reverence, some with horror while some with astonishment, once again the entire pitch was filled with his talks.


    After scoring his second goal, Hiro turned towards Nijichi expecting to witness something interesting.


    However at this moment, contrary to his expectation,Tominaga Nijichi was standing still, totally expressionless. His eerie dark pupils looked quite deep and mysterious at this moment, making it hard for him to determine Nijichi''s true feelings.


    Either he was utterly shocked to the point he couldn''t even express his emotions or he really wasn''t bothered. Whatever the reason, right now Nijichi showed no reaction at all.


    Witnessing Nijichi''splex expression, Hiro felt confused, "What''s wrong with him?"


    ''What the fuck? Am I going to lose again? How the hell was he able to bend the ball like that?'' such thoughts filled Nijichi''s head as he stood still, staring at the post.


    Although he wasn''t showing it outside but at this moment Nijichi was greatly panicking inwardly.


    His thoughts were running amuck inside his mind while fear of losing the duel was gnawing upon him.


    His pride had taken a lethal hit at this moment.


    Just like that Hiro once again scored the next freekick, scoring 3 out of 3 freekicks. After that he missed both the fourth and fifth freekicks.


    Even so, he didn''t look discouraged. Afterall it was all as per his expectation. Although after missing the fourth freekick, he did feel the emptiness of losing his talent Roberto Carlos''s Freekick.


    However he didn''t ponder over that feeling for long as he shrugged and cheered himself by telling him that he had to work even harder so that he can have his own signature freekick.


    Afterall with enough practice, he could learn to score freekick from such distance without relying on any skills and talents.


    Finallying to the result, Hiro won the duelfortably after scoring 3 out of 5 freekickspared to Nijichi''s 2 out of 5 freekicks.


    "Well... Not the desired oue. But still a win is a win" sighed Hiro afterpleting the duel.


    [Ding!]


    [Congrattions to the host forpleting the quest. You can choose your reward by going on the system shop interface]


    While walking towards Nijichi who''s expression was a lot clearer right now, Hiro heard the notification of the questpletion which further lifted his mood.


    With a smile, he approached Nijichi. However just because he was smiling didn''t mean that he wasughing at Nijichi''s loss.


    Afterall inwardly Hiro was way older than Nijichi. Although he never considered himself to be that typically matured guy, he still held no animosity towards Nijichi.


    And even though he was quite old inwardly, his body was still that of 14 year old kid. Although he could mitigate his childishness, he still couldn''t fend of the hormones which his body produced naturally.


    Thus at times without even him realising, his body would also react naturally.


    "You can shoot really well" cheerfully mumbled Hiro while stretching his hands forward towards Nijichi, trying topliment his efforts.


    Nijichi on the other hand mistook Hiro''s intention and red at Hiro coldly before pping his hand away refusing to shake hands with Hiro.


    Although rude, he still admitted his defeat, "It''s my loss... But I won''t lose again"


    Speaking such, he rudely brushed past Hiro.


    However Hiro didn''t mind his behaviour. Instead he kept his smile as he found Nijichi''s earnesty quite cute.


    The same couldn''t be said to Shun. Right now, he was fuming with anger. Shooting daggers at Nijichi with his bloodshot eyes, Shun looked quite pissed.


    "That rude son of a bitch. Can''t he just ept his defeat gracefully?" Shun cussed at Nijichi, ring his nostrils.


    Hearing Shun''s words Hiro let out a subtleughter before speaking, "Hahaha... No need to get worked up. Afterall we are in the same team. Let him be, he''s just to prideful"


    At this moment manager Haruki and coach


    Kazan both returned to the field. Evidently both of them had gone to attend a meeting.


    With their arrival, chaos fell upon the field as yers began to hurriedly rush towards the manager.


    And as everybody queued up infront of the manager, manager Haruki spoke few words before begining today''s training.


    They were going to face Jordan in their first match which was going to happen after 3 days.


    Finally after an intense training session for about 3 hours, their training finally came to an end.


    Because of the intensity of the training, almost every yer were on the verge of copsing at this moment.


    Their jerseys drenched with sweat and their irregr breathing quite heavy, yers were totally exhausted.


    The zing sphere which was at it''s zenith was burning intensely in the azure blue sky, making it even more difficult for the yers to stand any longer in the pitch.


    Thus despite their convulsing muscle and aching body, right now as the training ended yers were desperately trying to bring their tired body out of the pitch with everyst bit of strength remaining in their body.


    As if the ground was spewing fire, it was really hot to lie on the ground at this moment.


    "Huff!! Huff!!"


    "Why the hell is it so hot?? What the hell is wrong with the sun? It''s literally spewing fire." Eximed one of the yer while walking out of the pitch.


    "Huff!! Huff!! How... How are we going tost in the match?" Comined another yer while panting heavily.


    While his teammates wereining, Hiro was acting as if he wasn''t bothered by the heat in the slightest.


    Walking towards the locker room, he was right now skimming through the system.

 Chapter 243 New Skill

    <h4>Chapter 243 New Skill</h4>


    While all the other yers were rushing towards the shower room to cool their aching body, Hiro was currently seated at the locker room all alone.


    Tossing his sweat-drenched jersey aside, right now he was seated at the locker room half naked with his face facing the ceiling.


    And as he sat there with his head tilted, sweat dripping from his sweaty body was creating several small puddle of sweat at the floor, dyeing the floor with his sweat.


    Looking from outside, his behaviour didn''t seem unusual at all. Instead it seemed like he was just resting casually while starting at the ceiling.


    However right now, he wasn''t actually looking at the ceiling. Instead he was looking at the holographic panel of the system which was floating above his head, right infront of his eyes.


    In the holographic blue panel, currently three options were being disyed. And he had to choose one among those three.


    "Great Heal, Roar of the captain and Great actor" muttered Hiro while looking at the screen.


    Those were the three options avable at the system shop right now.


    Just as he finished muttering the name of those options, Hiro furiously stomped his feet in anger as he spoke harshly, "What the fuck? How can there not be a single useful item in the system shop. Is this system fucking joking with me"


    As he spoke those words, his voice echoed like sound of thunder in the locker room.


    Fortunately however nobody were present in the locker room at this moment. Otherwise they might have greatly mistaken Hiro as a madman or they''d have simply assumed that he was possessed by some kind of ghost.


    As those words flew out of his mouth, suddenly he nervously swept his gaze around him as he searched for people around him.


    His heart was racing while he looked around him. Sure enough, his heart was panicking after cussing so loudly without any reason.


    After sweeping his gaze across the room, he wiped the sweat off of his forehead and once again leaned his head against the wall behind him.


    And as he leaned his head against the wall, he released a deep sigh inturn trying to calm himself, "Phew!! I was too loud. I should be mindful of my behaviour"


    Muttering such, he once again turned his focus at the system screen. Lazily rolling his eyes, he sighed helplessly.


    In the system interface, three item with three different icons was being shown. While beneath the title of the items, description of the item was being shown.


    One item looked like a giant cross while the second item looked like a figure of lion with it''s mouth wide open and finally the third item looked like a mask with differentplex emotions.


    [Great Heal]


    [You can instantly heal any injuries as long as it is not life threatening and as long as it is not any sort of mental injuries]


    [Usage: One time use item]


    ''I know it''s a cheat like item and I know I might regret not selecting this item. However right now I''m not injured whatsoever. And choosing this item which I can buy with 200 attribute points feels like a waste of the opportunity I have got'' while reading the description of the item once again, Hiro sighed.


    [Roar of the captain]


    [Once consumed, you can boost the morale of your team thrice every match. However the item is applicable only for captains, meaning if you''re not the captain of the team, this item is basically useless]


    [Usage: Once consumedsts until one''s lifetime]


    ''This item is also tempting but the drawback is simply too great. Being able to boost the morale of yers, it''s like a wide area blessing that could turn the tide of the game. However it''s only applicable when I''m the captain of the team. And I might not necessarily always be the captain of the team. Sigh!! The cons far outweighs the pros'' again Hiro sighed.


    [Great actor]


    [Once used you can fake your emotions. Your chances of deceiving the referee''s will also heighten, inturn helping you to win more fouls. However too much use of this skill will affect the effectiveness of the skill.]


    [Usage: Once consumedsts until lifetime]


    ''Another great skill. However it''ll lose it''s effectiveness eventually. So it''s not very convincing either''


    Sure enough he wasn''t satisfied with the items shown in the system shop.


    After reading the description of all the item shown in the system shop, once again, Hiro rolled his eyes toward the bottom of the screen where there was a option which could let him refresh the items of the shop at the cost of 100 attribute points.


    Although every item in the shop looked tempting, right now non of them matched his needs. Sure those item if appeared in the real world, a lot of people would have gone crazy over it and spent their entire fortune to get their hands on it.


    However Hiro knew that he could get even more amazing items as long as he had the system with him.


    Thus after some hesitation, Hiro finally decided to give up on those current items. In hopes of getting better items, Hiro then spent 100 attribute points to refresh the items of the shop.


    And as he spent his attribute points, the current items of the system got reced by new batch of items.


    "me shot, Lucky Escape and Eagle eye" muttered Hiro, reading the title of the items.


    One item looked like a burning football which was flying while leaving behind a trail of fire, next item looked like a silhouette of person making an escape and finally the third item resembled the eye of an eagle.


    [me shot]


    [Usage: Twice per day]


    [Once consumed your shooting power will increase drastically. However you''ll only gain temporary boost. At most twice a day]


    [Lucky escape]


    [Usage: Once consumed it''llst until entire lifetime]


    [Once consumed, this skill will greatly boost your mobility and dribbling, making it easier for you to escape the encirclement of opposing yers. However this skill will take effect if and only if the user is surrounded by 6 or more yers]


    [Note: This skill won''t be applicable to yers who are of much higher level than the user]


    ''Both this skill are great. However both these skill only boost my stats temporarily. And for the second skill the requirement to activate the skill is just simply to strenuous. Sigh!! It''s not like I''m gonna be surrounded by 6 or more yers everytime.'' Weighing the pros and cons of the disyed skills, Hiro sighed helplessly.


    His eyelids turned heavy as he started getting lightheaded. A feeling of regret started gnawing upon him as he felt extremely unlucky. He had spent 100 attribute points and he hadn''t gained any good skills.


    Just by reading the description of this two skills, his enthusiasm had greatly diminished. And because of that he wasn''t even hopeful of the next skill.


    Without even reading the description of the next skills, he had already assumed that next skill would also disappoint him.


    Even so he started reading the description of the final skill.


    [Eagle eye]


    [Usage: Once consumedsts until lifetime]


    [Once consumed, this skill will greatly enhance the vision of the user. You''ll be able to locate the gaps more easily. You''ll also get a bird eye view of the entire field for five seconds. However you can only use this skill thrice a match]


    [Duration: 5seconds]


    [Note: This is an upgradeable skill]


    While reading the description of the skill, just as he neared the end, his eyes suddenly glowed with a cold light.


    At the same time, his eyebrows lifted and he became alert.


    Unlike the previous skills, although this skill was pretty simr to other skills, it had a upgradeable tag.


    For a ymaker like him, it was the perfect skill. If used properly not only could he create himself scoring opportunities, he could also create scoring opportunities for his teammate.


    Sure other skills were also tempting. Specially the second skill. For a dribbler like him, it was the perfect skill.


    Who wouldn''t dream of dribbling past the entire opposing team?


    However that skill also had a major w, it couldn''t be used against yers who were at a much higher level than him.


    Every skill and item which were disyed in the shop had it''s own advantages and disadvantages.


    Even though it entirely depended on the ability of the user to make use of the item and skills, some skills were just too OP.


    And as such this skill which Hiro was about to choose fitpletely well with his present situation. Not only will this skill increase his probability to score, it''ll increase the probability of his entire team to win the match.


    Thus after some pondering, Hiro choose the skill "Eagle Eye" as his reward forpleting the quest, "defeat Tominaga Nijichi in the duel".


    "Then eagle eye it is" mumbled Hiro while selecting his reward.


    Just as he selected the skill eagle eye, he felt a warm sensation in his eyes.

 Chapter 244 Silent Captain

    <h4>Chapter 244 Silent Captain</h4>


    Feeling the sensation of warmth, Hiro shut his eyes tightly. As if some small worms were wiggling around his pupil, he felt a tingling sensation in his eyes.


    Although the feeling was somewhat weird, it wasn''t painful at all. Infact apart from that weird tingling sensation, he felt the warm sensation quite soothing.


    Finally after few seconds, as the tingling sensation vanished overtime, Hiro slowly opened his eyes.


    And as he opened his eyes, to his surprise he found the world around him even more clearer than before.


    Quite surprised by the changes in the world around him, his pupils erged as he muttered to himself, "Damn!! Everything looks so... Clear"


    As if he was seeing through a lens which was customised to cure his visual defects, his vision got more sharper at this very instant. It was like everything he was seeing was in HD.


    However as he continued to look around him with his heightened vision, his eyes started to hurt and he started feeling lightheaded all of a sudden. Just like how any normal person would feel after wearing high powered sses for the first time, he felt the same.


    Hiro then lightly covered one side of his eyes and let out a subtleughter with his head lowered, "Haha... This sensation feels... Quite amazing"


    Perspiration was running down his face and hisplexion had turned somewhat pale. One could clearly see that he was in pain right now.


    Even so, instead of contorting his face in agony he was smiling at this moment.


    Even though his eyes were hurting, he looked like he was enjoying this newfound sensation.


    One might really mistook him as a madman if they were to see him in such state.


    After gaining this new skill "Eagle Eye", for the next three days until the arrival of the match with Jordan, Hiro continued to use this newfound skill to get familiar with the usage of the skill.


    The first time he used his skill in one of the training match, it was such a terrifying experience that he was literally frozen at his ce. The shock he had received was just too great for him to digest in that short while.


    For a while it felt like his world was shattering right before his eyes while using that newfound skill "Eagle Eye".


    Just like an eagle observing the ground beneath from high heaven, he could see every minute details of the entire field. Be it the position of yers, ball, position of manager, he could see it all.


    Observing the entire field from above, he felt like he was a god watching over puny mortals from above. It was such an exhrating experience which he could never forget in his entire lifetime.


    Just like that for the next three days he tried to get familiarise with the new skill as much as he could. Although the skill provided him great vision, it also limited his movement.


    It was just too strenuous and mind boggling to focus at his movement and the field at the same time.


    **** ****


    In the vast expanse, the zing sphere of fire was shining brightly while casting it''s warm golden rays across the surface.


    Drifting along with the cool breeze, puffy white clouds of different shapes and sizes were floating aimlessly in the sky.


    Brightly illuminated sun, azure blue sky, mild warm breeze, white puffy clouds floating in the vast expanse, as if it was some kind of live wallpaper, right now the peaceful sky looked like it could calm the heart of any onlookers.


    However the surface beneath looked quite chaotic at the moment. Filled with the cheers of the peoples, right now the stadium where the match between Japan and Jordan was supposed to take ce was echoing with the voice of different peoples.


    Although most part of the stadium remained vacant, about 20 percent of the stadium was upied by peoples.


    Most of them being yers of different nation and local people, looking from high above those people in the stadium looked like tiny moving dots.


    "Okay guys! I want you all to pay attention to this match. At the end of the day, I''d like to hear all of your opinions. So pay attention to this match" an elderly male with dad bod and white beard spoke in a deep voice.


    About 167cm tall, darkplexioned, big round eyes, his wavy short hair, a mixture of back and white, he was the manager of Indian national u17 team.


    Just at a certain distance away from the stand which was upied by Indian national U17 team, yers and managers of national u17 team of Vietnam and Philippines were also seated at one section of the stand each, awaiting to spectate the match between Japan and Jordan u17 national team.


    While Philippines didn''t have any match until the day after tomorrow, Vietnam and India both were going to y against each other, tomorrow in this very stadium.


    However the current stadium wasn''t only going to host group B''s match, after about 4 hours it was also going to host the match between China and South Korea as well.


    And that was the reason why the local people of china hade to the stadium right now. It wasn''t because they were interested in the match between Japan and Jordan. Rather it was simply to book a seat early for the match between China and South Korea.


    However that didn''t mean that there weren''t any supporters of Jordan or Japan. Few football enthusiast of both nation had travelled to China to show their support to their national team.


    "Hello everyone! Wee to the first match of the group B of the Asian qualifiers" a lively voice echoed as thementator greeted the people in the stands.


    Sure enough thementator being a Chinese man wasmentating in Chinese right now.


    And in this moment, even though the stadium looked quite vacant, flock of people were queuing outside the stadium.


    Slowly and gradually the stands of the stadium was being filled.


    Inside the tunnel, U17 yers of both the team were queued up side by side.


    While one group of yers remained mostly silent, another group of yers were being quite noisy.


    Chatting in their cheerful voices, not even a bit of tension and nervousness could be seen in their faces.


    Brimming with confidence, most yers of Japan were currently joking with each other.


    "Who do you think will be the highest scorer of this tournament?"


    "How many goals do you think we''ll score in today''s match?"


    "May be 4 or 5. Hahaha....."


    On the other hand, faces of most yers of Jordan looked quite stiff and grim. Despite reflecting the lighting from one end of the tunnel, their eyes seemed quite dull and listless.


    Their brows tightly knitted, their expression grim, as if they were bothered by something, they looked quite tensed right now.


    Why wouldn''t they be tensed? Afterall they were going to face one of the favourites of the tournament.


    Also just like national team of Japan, they didn''t have much information regarding the yers of Japan as well.


    If and only if they could face Japan in their second match, perhaps they wouldn''t have been this worried.


    However call it bad luck or fate, they were facing Japan with only limited information.


    As there''s a saying, "Unknown is the most terrifying thing in the world"


    Well by that logic yers of Japan should also be worrying right now.


    But the reason why they were not worried was mainly because they trusted the assembled team. With superstar yers like Hiro and others, how could they not be confident?


    Unable to bear the jokes of his teammates, Hiro stepped out of his position and walked towards the group of yers who were being noisy at this moment.


    Staring coldly at those yers, Hiro mumbled, "Let''s give some respect to our opponents, shall we?"


    As those yers heard Hiro''s voice and locked eyes with Hiro, a cold sweat ran down their body.


    Those bunch immediately shut their mouth and docilely nodded their head.


    Hiro''s action didn''t go unnoticed as yers of Jordan noticed his action as well.


    Some anxious yers of Jordan started to shiver inwardly as they developed a fear against Hiro.


    ''Damn!! He''s scary'' cried out one of the yer of Jordan while looking at Hiro.


    Although he made his intentions clear, Hiro wasn''t done yet. Thus before returning to his position, he scoffed at his teammates for their arrogant behaviour, "Confidence is good but not overconfidence"


    Although the yers of Jordan couldn''t understand Hiro''s words, they still felt chills after hearing the tone of his voice.


    Just by observing the bodynguage of people, one could roughly differentiate between strong minded and weak minded people.


    All along, for the entirety of their stay at the tunnel, Hiro hadn''t spoken anything, despite wearing the captain armband.


    Most of the time, it should have been the captain doing the talking. However seeing te opposing captain as calm as night sky, yers of Jordan were quite nervous all along.


    But now as Hiro opened his mouth while emitting a terrifying aura around him, their nervousness changed into fear.

 Chapter 245 What’s wrong with Hiro?

    <h4>Chapter 245 What''s wrong with Hiro?</h4>


    Just as Hiro finished his sentence, the atmosphere around the tunnel got silent all of a sudden as yers of both the team subconsciously shut their mouth.


    Specially those bunch who were talking loudly a moment ago, right now theirplexion had gotten ashen.


    Among those bunch, while Hiro was still speaking, one of them was thinking of justifying their actions by saying that they were only joking to raise their morale.


    However upon witnessing Hiro''s dead serious expression, he couldn''t even bring himself to open his mouth.


    For a moment, he felt like he was a tiny rabbit cornered by a huge tiger. Under the gaze of those icy cold eyes, he felt like he was striped naked in a snowy field.


    Knowingly or unknowingly Hiro had became a tyrant in eyes of those yers who had witnessed his ruthless behaviour, right now.


    After finishing his sentence, Hiro then returned towards his position without saying anything, any further.


    yers like Nijichi and few others who weren''t in good terms with Hiro didn''t seem like they approved Hiro''s approach.


    Although they didn''t speak or retaliate, it was quite evident from the reaction those bunches were disying that they were quite annoyed by Hiro''s behaviour.


    Sure those bunches were being loud. But still he could have talked to them nicely, couldn''t he? There was absolutely no need for him to talk that harshly.


    Despite being well aware about their hostile gazes, Hiro feigned ignorance as he kept a poker face. As if he wasn''t bothered by their hostile gazes at the slightest, he didn''t even bother to turn back to look at them.


    Refusing to talk to anybody, Hiro stood straight at his ce with a dead serious look on his face.


    Shun on the other hand was neither angry nor terrified, infact right now he was quite perplexed. As much as he knew about Hiro, he found Hiro''s current behaviour extremely weird.


    ''Seems like the opposing captain isn''t in good terms with most of his teammates'' captain of Jordan u17 national team guessed while observing the ongoing situation.


    He could clearly feel the hostile gazes of Nijichi and few others shot towards Hiro.


    Witnessing such unusual situation unfolding infront of his eyes, all of a sudden he started feeling quite light. As if a heavy burden was lifted off of his shoulder, his whole body felt light right now.


    His once tensed brows now eased up and the corner of his lips slightly curled up, inturn letting out a subtle grin.


    "Now let us all wee the yers with a big round of apuse"mentator urged the crowd to greet the yers as the yers of both the team walked out of the aisle.


    p!! p!! p!!


    Walking out of the aisle, most yers looked quite shocked. Their eyes wandering all over the stadium, they were having hard time believing upon seeing that many people present in the stand.


    The number of spectators who were present in the stand had far outnumbered the expected number of spectators they were hoping to see in the field.


    It would have beenpletely understandable to see that many people in the stand if they were ying in their home ground or ying against the host country. However right now they were neither ying in their home ground nor against the host nation.


    "Woooooooooaaaaaahhhh!!" Unknowingly Shun who was walking right behind Hiro let out a murmur full of shock.


    "Why are you acting like you''re shocked? Remember we yed infront of even more spectators in the finals?" Indifferently mumbled Hiro while walking.


    Heading towards the center of the pitch, yers of both the team lined up to click pictures before starting the kickoff.


    Despite it being only a group match, there were still a lot of cameras focused at them right now.


    After clicking few pictures with their respective teammates, holding pennants of their respective national team, captains of both the team walked towards the center of the field for coin toss.


    Ginger haired, about 180 cm tall, the referee who was going to referee their match today was German.


    Even so regardless of thenguage barrier, he wasmunicating well with the captains of both the team. Not only did he speak in english, he also gestured while speaking, like showing heads in the coin when speaking head and pointing at the tails when speaking tails.


    "Head or tails?" Asked the referee after pointing head and tails in the coin.


    After that incident in the tunnel, captain of Jordan u17 national team had aplete turnover. His face no longer seemed tensed. Infact right now he was brimming with confidence.


    His eyes no longer looked the same dull and listless. Right now his gazes were quite sharp, radiating a lively aura while his head no longer sunk to his chest like before in the tunnel.


    And because of that same confidence, when the referee asked, he smugly pointed at Hiro; urging him to pick first.


    Meeting his gaze full of confidence and ring at his smug face, Hiro gritted his teeth as he furrowed his brows while ring at the captain of Jordan national U17 team.


    Although he looked quite pissed and restless from outside, however from inside Hiro was smiling. Inwardly he was enjoying the reaction of his opponent.


    Still from outside, Hiro looked like he was boiling with rage.


    ''I was right about him. He''s that type of yer who could be provoked easily'' Ahmed Al-Sheikh mused inwardly as he confirmed his suspicion.


    ''Enjoy the moment while itsts'' mused Hiro inwardly while still ring at Ahmed Al-Sheikh, ''The more you think that you''ve figured about me, the more interesting it''ll be to see your reactionter, hehe..''


    Even before the start of the game, a mental game was happening between the captain of both the team at this moment.


    However while one side was under great misunderstanding, another side was deliberately causing the misunderstanding.


    While one side was as shallow as water in a bucket, the other was as deep as the deepest part of the ocean.


    "Heads..." Hiro grumbled as he pretended to bite the bait.


    Hiro''s loud and deep voice, filled with anger was like a soothing music to Ahmed''s ears. The more Hiro growled, the more his mood was getting lifted.


    Referee then flipped the coin high above his head. And as the coin left the hand of the referee, it spun vigorously for a while before falling down rapidly.


    "Tails" spoke the referee as he announced the result of the coin toss.


    Hearing the result, Hiro indignantly clicked his tongue in fury, " Tch-"


    After the coin toss, captain''s of both the team exchanged the pennants which they were carrying with each other, before joining their teammates.


    While one walked with a glowing smile on his face another walked with a bitter face.


    "Japan should have selected a better captain. This captain of Japan acts so childish. He can''t even control his emotions" spoke one of the yer of Indian national team while looking at the screen.


    Since every action in the field was being recorded and disyed at the big LED screen in the stadium, almost everybody present in the field could see the minute details of captains of both the team.


    "That captain of Japan national team is prone to provocation" another yer smiled deviously whilementating about Hiro.


    A lot of people shared the same concerns about Hiro in the field.


    A lot of yers were musing at the sight of Hiro at this moment. The worries which they held a moment ago before the arrival of the yers of Japan and Jordan, had been mitigated to a great extent.


    Now even those yers who were anxious a moment ago was brimming with confidence and joy.


    The same yers who were cursing their fate a moment ago for being ced in the same group as Japan were now thanking their fate for being ced in the same group as Japan.


    "Seems like this Japanese national team isn''t as threatening as rumours made them sound" another yer chuckled while saying such.


    And soon even before the start of the match, almost every yers of the team who were ced in the same group as Japan were smiling.


    "Guy''s here me out" spoke Ahmed as he made it to his team.


    As he spoke such, all of his teammates began to gather around him.


    "Most of you should have figured out the personality of their captain right?" Sweeping his gaze across his teammates, Ahmed asked.


    Under his gaze, all of his teammates nodded their head. Even those thickheaded yers who didn''t figure out, nodded their head without any hesitation; following the crowd.


    Seeing the response of his teammates, Ahmed smiled as he continued, "Then today''s match, we can win as long as we exploit the weakness of their captain. Everybody try to provoke him as much as you can. Don''t hold yourself back from speaking shit. Try to get inside his head as much as you can."


    While speaking such, Ahmed revealed a sinister smile.

 Chapter 246 Beast unleashed

    <h4>Chapter 246 Beast unleashed</h4>


    Although a lot of yers in Hiro''s team felt weird about Hiro''s attitude, still nobody dared to ask him about his attitude.


    Most of them simply assumed that Hiro was in a bad mood today. As if he was greatly troubled by something, he seemed quite irritated too afterall.


    Shun who was the closest to Hiro tried few times to ask him but Hiro provided him absolutely no chance as he got shunned by Hiro everytime when he tried to speak with Hiro.


    For the entire time when Hiro borated the tactics, he didn''t provide any opportunity to any of his teammates to retaliate.


    Just like that after instructing everybody about their roles, Hiro dismissed the short tactical meeting.


    "Perhaps, Is something wrong with him today?" Concernedly looking at Hiro, manager Haruki muttered under his breath.


    Just like manager Haruki, a lot of other yers who were seated at the reserve seats were also showing signs of concerns towards Hiro at this moment.


    Kazan however as usual showed no expression and remained mostly expressionless. As if he was lost in some kind of deep thoughts, unlike others he didn''t seem bothered at all.


    And as everybody positioned themselves in their respective position, referee took a quick nce at his watch before blowing the whistle which he had trapped between his lips.


    Beeeeeeeep!!!


    Beneath the azure blue sky, as the sound of the whistle rung, spectators seated at the stand roared ecstatically as the match betwen Japan and Jordan finallymenced.


    The match being broadcasted internationally was being observed by few thousand fans overseas as well.


    Combined with the fans present in the stand, one could say that it was a fairly popr match.


    As the sound of the whistle rung, Nijichi sent the ball flying backwards, towards Yutaka.


    With two ymakers in their team, Japan national u17 team were ying in 4-1-2-3 formation.


    On the other hand their opponents were ying in traditional 4-4-2 formation which put emphasis on both offense and defense.


    Their captain Ahmed Al-Sheikh who was fairly big in size was ying as a centre-back.


    The seed of misunderstanding which Hiro had nted in the hearts of opposing yers gave an impression of sprouting at a rapid pace as yers of the opposing team intentionally picked on Hiro, right from the get go.


    Trying to pressure him, using their physique, it was amon sight in the field right from the start of the match.


    Just like that more 10 minutes passed.


    Other yers watching from the stand mused while seeing the suffering of Hiro. At the same time, yers of Jordan continued their assaults on Hiro in the field.


    However since they had to defend against other yers too, they didn''t focus solely on Hiro. But since Hiro got the ball most of the times, it was a lot easier for them.


    Right now while Hiro was trying to move the ball forward, he was getting squeezed by two of the opposing yers.


    Blocking his pathpletely, they were standing infront of him like two giant mountains.


    Smiling sinisterly while looking at him, those two yers were moving their lips. As if they were tantly challenging him or berating him, those two looked quite fearless while standing infront of him.


    One of them was even signalling him toe forward with his hands. Not even an ounce of worry could be seen in their faces.


    It wasn''t the first time since the beginning of the match that he faced situation.


    Although Hiro couldn''t tell what they were telling since he didn''t know theirnguage, he could still clearly see their gazes filled with mockery and their smiles full of arrogance.


    Sure enough, they were trying to maintain a domineering presence to terrorise Hiro.


    Already suffering their assaults multiple times by now, Hiro had somewhat grasped their ystyle and their intention.


    One thing which he noticed about them was that although they tried to provoke him, they didn''t act rashly either. They always maintained their distance from him while provoking him.


    Sure enough they were being careful.


    Hiro then tried to break through the defense of those yers standing infront of him.


    He acted a bit annoyed before trying to break through clutches which further increased the confidence of the opposing yers.


    And as such one of them dashed forward just as Hiro started making his movement while the other one remained behind the back of the yer who charged forward to cover him.


    However soon their confidence turned out to be poison instead of elixir as Hiro swiftly got past through team.


    Moving like a snake, he easily got past through them without even breaking any sweat.


    At that instant, a lot of mouth in the crowd opened wide while a lot of smile faded away as well.


    Specially those two opposing yers, right now they were frozen at their ce while Hiro had already dribbled past them.


    Their eyes reflecting astonishment while their faces a little pale. Their once wide crescent like smile had faded away.


    ''What... Just happened?'' with a big question mark above their heads, both those opposing yers were pondering while revealing a stupefied look on their faces.


    Other yers reaction was no better than their''s.


    Specially captain of the Jordan national u17 team. As if his whole world was shattering right infront of his eyes, he looked shocked the most out of any other yers.


    But before he could evene back to his senses, Hiro who was like 15 steps away from him had already closed the distance between him and Hiro.


    Right now as he forcefully tried to stabilise his mind, he was facing Hiro who was just 5 steps away from him.


    ''Tch- I was careless...'' Ahmed clicked his tongue as he regained hisposure.


    His movement erratic and his breathing hurried, he charged forward as he left his position to defend the iing attack.


    That shock which he received was so great that for a while he was in a state of trance. And because of that, right now he was panicking while seeing Hiro infront of him.


    As if he wasn''t a human but some kind of cold-blooded creature out on a hunt, Hiro''s eyes looked so intimidating at this moment.


    Since the beginning of the match, Hiro''s face had looked quite tensed. As if he was on his wits end, he was struggling to break through.


    But right now, his expression seemed as cold as ice. And the aura around him had suddenly be intimidating.


    In a state of panic, as Ahmed tried to force his way, he charged towards Hiro like a wild enraged boar.

 Chapter 247 Subduing a wild boar

    <h4>Chapter 247 Subduing a wild boar</h4>


    Hiro however showed no fear as he continued his charge despite seeing the charging captain of the opposing team.


    By not halting his movement, Hiro had made his intentions clear, he was going to answer offense with offense.


    It was a battle between the captains.


    The same crowd whomented Hiro''s attitude earlier was on their toes right now. The same crowd who berated Hiro''s struggle had bepletely silent.


    Those yers who berated Hiro at the start of the match were tongue-tied right now as they intently stared at the field where the sh between captains of two team was going to take ce in any second.


    Since Hiro''s transition took so fast, most people in the crowd and most yers in the field didn''t even get time to react.


    But one thing was certain, all of a sudden the intensity of the match had surged far above everybody''s expectation.


    And it hadn''t even been fifteen minutes since the beginning of the match.


    Right now while Hiro was charging towards Ahmed, only 13 minutes had passed on the clock.


    Making use of Ahmed''s momentum who was dashing towards him like enraged wild boar, Hiro performed a simple roulette to get past charging Ahmed.


    His touches delicate and refined. Even that simple roulette, he made it look so elegant that stars could be seen in eyes of some spectators in the stand.


    Just with that simple roulette, Hiro not only managed to get past the aggressively charging Ahmed but also managed to captivate the hearts of many onlookers in the stadium.


    All along, he had been using his skill Lightning Steps, but now as the effect of the lightning step waned, his eleration decreased all of a sudden.


    However it didn''t matter any longer. Now he was already on his way towards the penalty box. Getting past the reach of Ahmed, Hiro now had only a keeper to be worried about.


    Other defenders who were chasing from his left and right, they still needed some time to reach him.


    The effect of his omnipotent skill ended, so what? There were defenders charging towards him from both sides, so what?


    All he could see right now was the post and the gaps in the post.


    Although the keeper had positioned himself in a way to minimise his chances of scoring, Hiro could still see the gap where he needed to shoot the ball to score the goal.


    Along with dribbling, finishing was also one of his forte.


    Hiro then moved a little bit closer taking the movements of the charging defenders into ount. The reason why he moved closer was to increase his probability of scoring.


    At the same time the opposing keeper too moved forward to reduce Hiro''s chances of scoring as much as he can.


    It was a wise decision made by the opposing keeper to move forward. The more he got close to Hiro, the more tighter Hiro''s shooting angle would get.


    Just then as he noticed some changes in Hiro''s movement, he stretched both his legs and extended both his arms wide in an attempt to prevent the goal.


    However the next instant as he stretched all four limbs of his, his pupils rolled above as his head tilted a little while looking at the ball flying high above his head.


    ''He.... Chipped the ball!?'' cried out the keeper as he helplessly followed the motion of the ball.


    Far behind Hiro, at the other side of the field Shun was fixedly staring at Hiro. His eyes carrying a hint of anxiousness and his hands tightly clenched into a fist was trembling slightly.


    Just then all of a sudden, he lifted his hand high above his head as he let out an ecstatic roar, "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!"


    At the same time as the ball struck the of Jordan''s post, a loud celebration echoed in the stadium.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!!"


    Shaking the stadium to it''s core, thunderous sound of cheers reverberated all over the stadium.


    For a moment people no longer cared about the nature of match.


    So what if it wasn''t the match of their home country?


    Right now they were so engrossed in the moment that such vague reasons didn''t even matter to them. They simply expressed their raw feelings without holding back themselves.


    Pure passion!


    Filled with the passionate roars of people, right now the whole stadium had lit up.


    Some shocked, some anxious, some happy, different kinds of reactions could be seen in the stand right now.


    Hiro on the other hand rushed towards the crowded stand and celebrated his goal by closing his eyes while pointing his right index finger at the side of his forehead.


    From his gesture it was clear that he was telling people to not doubt his mentality.


    With that celebration, hepletely shunned all of his doubters.


    However even this celebration was a part of his n.


    To the onlookers, it looked like Hiro was silencing his doubters. Superficially, they were correct too.


    However if one wanted to know about the true meaning behind this celebration, one should take a peek at the faces of the opposing yers.


    Gritting their teeth, they were intently ring at Hiro with their bloodshot eyes. That gesture of his was a tant provocation.


    Specially Ahmed Al-Sheikh''s face was a sight to behold. Because of intense anger, his face had turned red and blue out of anger.


    Anger surging within him like violent tides of ocean under harsh weather condition, right now his bloodshot eyes were burning with fury while ring at Hiro.


    His fist tightly clenched was trembling while bulging veins could be seen by naked eyes.


    Even so, one may ask why was he so angry just for conceding a single goal?


    He wasn''t angry because his team conceded the goal. Right now, he was furious because he was made a fool by Hiro.


    The way Hiro executed a simple roulette to get past him was shing right before his eyes.


    Gritting his teeth, Ahmed squeezed a word out of his mouth with great difficulty as he witnessed Hiro''s celebration, "Hiiiiiiiirrrrrooooooo....."


    The one whom he thought could be manipted was manipting him all along. But blinded by his fury, he still hadn''t realised that he was being manipted by Hiro yet.

 Chapter 248 Tight spaces

    <h4>Chapter 248 Tight spaces</h4>


    After that goal, yers of Jordan became even more aggressive towards Hiro. In a span of 25 minutes after they conceded the first goal of the match, they fouled Hiro eight times already.


    However even after getting fouled that many times, as if his body was made up of steel, Hiro was still standing upright in the pitch looking totally fine.


    "Those yers of Jordan are ying quite dirty" grumbled one of the spectators.


    "Aren''t they afraid of getting sent off?"


    "In just 25 minutes they''ve umted four yellow cards. If their assaults continues, soon...sigh!! one of them will get sent off..." Another spectator sighed.


    Quite a lot of people were feeling sympathetic towards Hiro at this moment after watching his suffering in the field.


    Even so, a lot of people were admiring his willpower as well. Even after getting fouled so many times, he was still standing tall in the pitch and he was still drawing the attention of opposing yers.


    Right now as the first half of the match was nearing it''s end, once again Hiro was running along with the ball.


    About 30 yards away from the goal-post, currently he was trying to find gaps in the formation of the opposing team.


    His jersey and face smeared with dirt after suffering countless tackles looked rather dirty.


    And his dishevelled half sleeve jersey could hardly cover the bruises he had suffered.


    Although his breathing seemed a little hurried, his eyes were still as sharp as ever. Rolling his eyes while vigorously turning his head, Hiro was multitasking at the moment.


    With the ball in his feet, he had to watch out for the enemies too.


    However despite that he didn''t look flustered at the slightest. Calmly analysing the field as he moved the ball forward, he was currently in the middle third of the pitch.


    The opposing yers after umting four yellow cards were being wary of Hiro at this moment. And hence, right now even though Hiro was slowly charging forward, they were intentionally trying to maintain their distance from Hiro.


    However just because they were maintaining their distance from Hiro didn''t mean that they were afraid of approaching Hiro.


    They were only maintaining their distance in search of a perfect opportunity to strike him. And Hiro was well aware of that fact.


    Thus he too wasn''t acting rashly either.


    ''Eagle Eye'' Hiro willed in his heart after failing to find any gaps.


    As he activated his skill eagle eye for the first time in this entire match, his vision got alleviated as everything in the field became extremely vivid to him.


    Right at this moment at 42nd minute of the match, as Hiro activated his skill "Eagle Eye", he got a bird eye view of the entire field.


    At this instance, nobody could hide from him, be it the yers who were trying to sneak behind him from his blind spot or the yers who were gesturing something sneakily.


    Literally nothing in the field could hide from his vision at this moment. However although the skill allowed him to get a bird eye view of the entire field, it still had a major w.


    Right now this omnipotent skill could only allow him to see this view for mere five seconds. Thus, every second was of great importance to him.


    He simply couldn''t afford to waste any time.


    And since it wasn''t his first time using the skill, immediately after the activation of ths skill, he avoided unnecessary actions and unnecessary yers. Instead he focused his attention around him, trying to find an open space which he could exploit.


    At this moment, while observing the field from above, he noticed Nijichi trying to break in.


    But his movement was being followed by Ahmed. To his left, he saw his team''s left-winger who''s positioning was rather bad as he was positioned right infront of opposing right-back.


    To his right he saw his team''s right-winger who was trying to cut towards the middle. And at a certain distance away from him, just like him Yutaka with his exceptional spatial awareness was cutting in from the blind spot of the opposing yers.


    Before he could even finish observing, his vision returned to normal as the duration of his skill "Eagle Eye", ended.


    As his unkempt hair swayed and some beads of perspiration fell down from his face, Hiro then lofted the ball above the head of the yers who were blocking his path toward Yutaka.


    At the same time one of opposing yer whom he had seen trying to sneak on him from behind him during the usage of the skill, slid down at a rapid pace, inturn tackling him.


    Hiro tried to avoid being tackled as he tried to jump out of the way. But he was a mere secondte as he ended up getting tackled from behind him despite noticing the iing tackle.


    It was also one of the major drawback of the skill. Although he could see everything, he couldn''t focus everywhere at once.


    Afterall he was merely a human. Our mind is programmed as such that we can only focus at one thing.


    He still had to divide his focus on the most important thing, if he wanted to utilise the skill to it''s utmost limit.


    And because of the momentary distraction when he made that pass to Yutaka, he failed to react the iing tackle on time.


    "Ahhhhh" Hiro let out a short painful scream as he copsed on the ground after being tackled from behind.


    Thud!!


    During his fall, he collided with the opposing yer who had tackled on him. Although the fall of his impact was cushioned by the opposing yer, he still felt a sharp pain in his feet where he had been struck by the opposing yer.


    The yer atop whom he had fallen too suffered a minor injury. Thus after Hiro rolled to the side, he too began to let out painful growl, "Argh..."


    Beep!!


    The referee immediately sounded the whistle upon witnessing that harsh collision.


    After stopping the game, the referee came running towards the site of the collision. As he approached the site of collision, he noticed both the yers lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

 Chapter 249 Drama in the field

    Chapter 249 Drama in the field


    Yutaka who had just received the ball was forced to halt his y midway after listening to the sound of the whistle.


    The post was right infront of him. His chances of scoring was right infront of him. Yet he had to stop. He was so close yet so far.


    Since he hadn''t seen Hiro''s copsing figure, right now as he heard the sound of the whistle, he furrowed his brows as he contorted his face in annoyance.


    However the moment he turned around with a bitter face to look at the figure of Hiro lying on the ground, groaning in pain, his expression quickly changed from irritated to grim.


    Hisplexion got ashen as he rushed towards Hiro, carrying a worried look on his face, "Hiro...."


    Quickly yers of both the team gathered around the site where Hiro and Musa Al-Arab was lying on the ground.


    "Come on ref, what''s  there to think about, that''s a straight red card..." Growled one of the spectator while looking at the scene unfolding in the pitch.


    Immediately amotion started to take ce as yers of both the team got into a heated argument.


    Each side while defending their own teammates, argued with the other side.


    Although Hiro had fallen atop Musa, there was no doubt that it was Musa''s fault. Even so because of themotion taking ce at the moment, referee was hesitating to provide his verdict.


    Musa Al-Arab who had tackled on Hiro was well aware about the situation. If he didn''t fake his injury, he''d definitely get sent off. Thus despite suffering only a minor injury, he pretended as if he had suffered a heavy injury.


    Letting out agonising scream, he curled his body as he grabbed his chest, "Argh!!! Huff!!"


    Hiro on the other hand who was the real victim paled inparison to Musa''s acting.


    Grabbing his ankle tightly, he was gritting his teeth, trying to endure the pain as much as he can. Compared to Musa''s loud painful screams, Hiro''s muffled groans were like meowing of cat infront of a roaring tiger.


    Finally after some moment, as the referee separated the yers of both the team, he presented his verdict by taking out a yellow card from his pocket and showing it to Musa.


    Musa acted like crazy yet he couldn''t change the verdict of the referee.


    Just as the referee booked him, Musa immediately stood up. As if he received a miraculous healing, as if his pain vanished in thin air, he abruptly rose from the ground with an anxious look on his face.


    Rising from the ground, he startedining to the referee, "Why are you booking me ref? I am the victim. He fell upon me. Are you out of your mind?"


    His voice extremely loud, echoed like the sound of thunder. It was evident from the tone of his voice and from the way he spoke, he was extremely pissed.


    "Hoho... Can you look at that. All of a sudden the opposing number 9 who was groaning in pain just a moment ago seems like he has regained his vitality. Hahaha... As if his pain vanished in thin air, he looks quite lively..." Looking at the scene unfolding in the ground,mentator broke intoughter.


    The reason why Musa was acting such was because he had already been booked previously. So receiving yet another yellow card meant that he was getting sent off.


    Right now as Musa argued with the referee regarding his decision, he looked extremely enraged.


    And probably that was the reason why he was acting such right now.


    As there''s a saying that when you''re angry you''re prone to make mistakes the most.


    And by failing to control his anger, Musa had dug his own grave. He had hit his own leg with his own axe.


    Looking at the arguing figure of Musa with the referee, audience present in the stadium, their faces turned ugly as they felt extreme resentment towards Musa''s behaviour.


    "You little scoundrel, where did your pain vanish away?" Angrily growled one of the spectator.


    "That kid is too vicious..."


    "All along he was acting..."


    "Look at him arguing, hmph!! so shameless"


    "Ref quickly send that kid away..."


    The response of the audience immediately turned ugly after Musa started arguing with the referee.


    Musa''s teammates smacked their lips as they witnessed Musa''s idiocy.


    So what if he got sent off? So what if they had to lose one of the yers? If he was acting, he should have kept his acting.


    By overeacting, not only Musa had dug his own grave, he was also pulling his teammates along with him.


    Even his teammates who were supportive of him earlier was now looking at him with eyes full of resentment.


    Because of his one single mistake, now they were going to face the bacsh of the audience. Not only that, their reputation had also been tarnished by him.


    Before the matter escted any further, Ahmed quickly intervened as he pulled away Musa from referee.


    Right now Ahmed desperately wanted to punch Musa to knock some senses in him. However if he did so, he''d also get sent off. He couldn''t risk his team getting down to 9 yers.


    Thus he only pulled Musa away and tried to calm him down. He could only put a temporary halt to his madness.


    The manager of the Jordan national team looked quite enraged too. Furrowing his brows, he was yelling from the sidelines, "That idiot... What the fuck is he doing?"


    If only there were to be some assistant referees around him, he''d get sent off as well. However right now, most of the assistant referee''s focus were all drawn towards the scene unfolding in the pitch. Thus, nobody noticed his cussing.


    Hiro on the other hand while still groaning in pain was enjoying the scene unfolding infront of him.


    Although he disyed a pained expression from outside, he wasughing inwardly, ''Hahaha... Struggle more. Although I couldn''t react on time, luckily I didn''t suffer any injuries. This is best possible situation I could ask for. Hahahaha...''


    Finally after themotion died down, referee took his red card out of his pocket and showed it to Musa.


    Although still grumpy, this time Musa didn''t rebuke and gracefully epted his verdict as he walked out of the stadium in a bitter mood.


    Before leaving the stadium, he shot gaze full of loathing towards Hiro.


    It was clear from his expression that he hated Hiro to his core.


    Hiro however paid no heed to him and continued to tend to his injury.


    The area where he got struck by Musa had swollen. Although he could still move his footpletely fine, he still needed to treat his injury. Thus, right now some medical personnels were tending on to his injury.

 Chapter 250 Extending a hand of friendship

    250 Extending a hand of friendship


    Because of themotion which took ce in the pitch, a lot of time had been wasted. Due to which, the referee was forced to add a ridiculous 7 extra minutes for additional time.


    Although the incident was settled with only one yer getting sent off, still a lot of yers from both the team involved in themotion had received a warning.


    Which meant Jordan who still had three yers booked ying in the field was at higher risk of losing yet another yer.


    As such to mitigate the risk and also to restore the bnce in their formation, manager of Jordan national u17 team decided to make some changes in his team.


    Substituting three yers at once even before the end of the first half, he totally altered his team''s formation.


    Substituting both their left and right midfielder for a defensive midfielder and a defender and substituting one of their defender who had already received a yellow card for yet another defender, Jordan national u17 team was now going to y in 5-3-1 formation.


    They hadpletely switched their ystyle from bnced to defensive.


    With this not only did they took two of their booked yers out, they also reduced their chances of losing.


    Afterall even with their full force they had been struggling against Japan. But now that they even lost a yer and their number was reduced to 10, their chances of victory had been further reduced.


    Just then as everybody positioned themselves in the field for the freekick, Hiro who had been receiving treatment at the sidelines, limped his way towards the freekick spot after applying some muscle rxing spray.


    Although Hiro was the appointed freekick taker of his team, he wasn''t going to take this freekick. Even so nobody in his team was aware of his intentions.


    Thus until now nobody was making a fuss for the freekick. Right now all of his teammates were waiting for him to take the freekick.


    Just as Hiro reached the freekick spot, he started walking towards Nijichi who had positioned himself inside the box.


    All of Hiro''s teammates gave him perplexing gaze as Hiro walked towards Nijichi instead of positioning himself behind the ball to take the freekick.


    "What is he doing?"


    Such thoughts filled the mind of many yers standing in the pitch, right now.


    Most of the yers couldn''t figure out Hiro''s intentions. Today they were struck dumbstruck by Hiro''s behaviour since the beginning of the match.


    First he acted weirdly and now he was even giving up his chances of scoring. Seriously what the hell is wrong with him today?


    Even Nijichi who was pissed a moment ago because of Hiro''s decision of choosing Yutaka instead of him was baffled right now.


    As Hiro approached closer to him, carrying a gentle smile on his face, Nijichi who wasn''t in good terms with Hiro felt his eyes twitching.


    "What? What do you want?" He spoke hurriedly in a flustered tone.


    His tone carrying a hint of bewilderment and his expression looking a bit skeptical, Nijichi right now was like a person trapped inplete darkness, unaware of his surroundings.


    His eyes glowing with brilliance, Hiro kept his smile as he replied, "You take the freekick"


    "Huh??" Nijichi eximed in shock as he heard Hiro''s request.


    His wide-opened eyes fixedly stared at Hiro. Nijichi''s stupefied expression gave an impression that he had heard something totally unexpected.


    Hiro however while keeping that gentle smile glued in his face, repeated once again without any hesitation, "I said that you should take the free...."


    Before Hiro could even finish his sentence, Nijichi interjected him as he exasperated, "I heard it already. But why are you giving away your opportunity? Neither did I win the freekick nor am I the appointed freekick taker. So why are you giving away your opportunity?"


    It was clear from the way Nijichi interpreted his statement that he was extremely doubtful of Hiro''s intentions.


    As much as he knew about Hiro, even at the club level he had always been the set-piece taker. So to him, it was totally unreasonable for Hiro to give up his chances.


    Faced with Nijichi''s question, Hiro calmly replied, "It''s because you are good at taking long distance freekick. And plus my ankles hurt right now. So are you gonna take the freekick or not?"


    Despite hearing Hiro''s reasoning, Nijichi hesitated to answer.


    Seeing Nijichi''s reluctance to answer, Hiro turned around as he shrugged, "Forget it, if you don''t want to"


    While Hiro was saying such, Nijichi exasperated once again, "Who said that I wasn''t going to. If you don''t want to then it''s your loss. I''ll happily take this freekick"


    Saying such, Nijichi strode towards the freekick spot.


    Looking at Nijichi''s figure, Hiro''s lips curled up into a smile as he whispered under his breath, "With this his attitude towards me will definitely improve."


    The reason why Hiro asked Nijichi to take the freekick was to improve the harmony in the team. He knew that Nijichi was hostile towards him.


    And since they were ying in the same team, such hostility will only hamper their team''s performance.


    Now one may wonder that he didn''t have to go through such lengths just to improve the harmony in the team.


    He could have just talked to Nijichi regarding that matter?


    Well the reason why he didn''t do that was because he was aware of Nijichi''s personality. Nijichi was very prideful and arrogant. And Hiro wasn''t a smooth talker either.


    Thus he could only do such things to improve their rtionship.


    But is their a need to improve their rtionships?


    If they were ying for a different team or if Nijichi wasn''t talented, he wouldn''t have gone through such lengths to improve their rtionship.


    But since both of them were ying in the same team and since both of them were the starter of their team, having bad rtionship among each other could only benefit their opponents and reduce their chances of victory.


    Thus he could only take indirect route to improve the harmony in the team.

 Chapter 251 With great talent comes great envy

    251 With great talentes great envy


    After inciting Nijichi to take the freekick, Hiro positioned himself beside the ball to confuse the opponents.


    The wall of yers stood straight at a certain distance away from the ball as they prepared themselves to defend the freekick.


    At the same time, Nijichi inhaled a deep breathe. During the process of inhtion, his shoulders broadened slightly, inturn making him look slightly bigger than usual.


    Nijichi then exhaled a deep turbid air before starting his run-up.


    His eyes seemed extremely sharp as he concentrated at the post infront of him. As he concentrated his attention at the post, the air around Nijichi suddenly started to felt heavy.


    Just before he started his run-up, his eyes shed with a cold light.


    With swift nimble steps, Nijichi tore through the air as he dashed towards the ball.


    Some eyes in the wall infront of him shed with anxiousness while some eyes in the wall shed with determination before jumping upwards to defend the ball.


    Bam!!


    However the next instant as they lept from the ground, the flying ball bounced beneath their feet as it got past through their blockage in a lightning speed.


    Upon seeing Nijichi''s freekick, Hiro''s eyes widened for a while as he disyed an expression full of shock. However the next instant, in a blink of an eye, his lips curled upwards as he let out a subtle smile.


    The ball as it bounced beneath the feet of the yers acting as the wall, it''s speed increased further.


    And before the keeper could even react to the ball, it brushed past him as it found it''s way to the back of the, leaving him totally bewildered.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!"


    The crowd andmentator yelled almost at the same time as both side expressed their excitement.


    At the same time, a lot of yers ran towards Nijichi to celebrate the goal.


    However Hiro who was standing the closest to Nijichi, stood frozen at his ce. Smiling and pping his hands, he celebrated Nijichi''s goal silently from afar.


    At the same time, Nijichi who was surrounded by a lot of yers, nced at Hiro with a haughty expression as if he was telling Hiro, "See I''m a better freekick taker than you"


    Hiro however only smiled lightly and gave him an approving nod without getting irritated by his smug face.


    Hiro wasn''t bothered in the slightest.


    10:57


    Far infront of Japan''s goalpost, Shun let out a subtle grin as he murmured under his breath, "So that rascall did learn few things from his duel with Hiro"


    Although Nijichi was the one who scored the goal, almost every Japanese yer present in the field attributed that goal to Hiro.


    Having seen Hiro pull out such stunts few days ago, almost everybody knew that Nijichi was inspired by Hiro''s freekick.


    However even though almost everybody shared the same feelings, nobody spoke of it aloud.


    After that second goal, situation got even more dire for Jordan as that second goal not only acted as the morale booster but also increased Japan''s team y.


    Before Nijichi and Hiro were hardly coordinating with each other but now even their coordination had slightly improved.


    Although their coordination didn''t improve drastically, it was still slightly better than before.


    And for the remaining minutes of the additional time, Jordan faced countless threatening attacks.


    Beeep!!


    The referee then blew his whistle, announcing the end of the first half.


    "And with this, a thrilling first half has finallye to an end. Be it Hiro''s solo goal or Nijichi''s freekick goal or Ahmed''s brilliant defending or thest minute drama, right from the beginning this match has been very interesting. But with one yer down, if Jordan''s manager doesn''t take appropriate measures to counter Japan''s offensive ys then Jordan is sure to meet with misfortune in the second half. Just thinking about the second half is making me excited"mentator expressed his excitement as he made hisment on the match.


    Although the first half ended with Jordan losing by two goals, if not for Ahmed''s brilliant performance they would have conceded two more goals in the remaining additional time.


    **** ****


    After about 10 minutes, once again yers of both the team walked out of the aisle.


    Most yers of Jordan carried a gloomy face while most yers of Japan were glowing with determination.


    Hiro''s once dirty face which was smeared with dirt now looked extremely tidy and fresh. Although there were still few bruises in his hands, legs and face, he looked quite rejuvenated right now while walking out of the aisle.


    As if he hadn''t sustained any injuries before, he was even walking normally without any limping.


    ''May be I should stop my act now. I''ve already achieved most of my objectives. Now I just need to provide few more assists and score few more goals to win their trust and further increase the chemistry of the team. Sigh!! If only I could force them I wouldn''t have to put up this facade'' while thinking about his acting till now, Hiro sighed.


    Until now, Hiro hadn''t been able to disy his full potential because of his ns.


    One could say that Hiro had been intentionally suppressing himself up till this moment.


    Hiro was well aware of the division in the team. Although nobody showed in the surface, but he was well aware about the internal factions created in the team.


    One side was supportive of Nijichi while another was supportive of Hiro. Although Hiro was the most talented yer in the team, he still was the youngest in the team.


    Thus there were quite a bit of yers who were dissatisfied with the decision of the coaches to make him the captain of the team.


    Sure, he was talented. Sure he had already proven his talent. But still there were quite few peoples who were extremely proud.


    And those yers didn''t want to listen to the orders of somebody younger than them.


    Although their thinking was childish but what can one do? It''s not like Hiro could just yell at them? It''s not like he could give up on being the captain of the team.


    He could only earn their trust slowly and gradually.


    Sure there were better ways to solve this problem. He could simply make everybody admire him by disying his talent.


    However football isn''t an individual sport. It''s a team sport. Thus even to disy his talent he''d need the coordination of his teammates.


    And with Nijichi and few other starting yers already hostile towards him, shining individually may even cause them to have some misunderstanding.


    They could even assume that he was intentionally trying to belittle them.


    Well everything has it''s own merits and demerits. And talent isn''t spared either.


    With great talentes great envy.


    And envy of people in team sport often lead to ostracization.

 Chapter 252 Unrestrained

    252 Unrestrained


    Sweeping his gaze across the yers infront of him, Hiro exhaled a mouth full of turbid air while analysing his skills, ''Since I''ve already used lightning steps once, I can use it only one more time. And as for eagle eye, I can still use it two more times''


    The sun, a golden ball of light, illuminating the whole sky with it''s majestic rays was still shining brightly in the sky without any obstruction.


    Under the brilliance of the dazzling sunlight and echoes of the cheering fans, stadium where the match between Japan u17 national team and Jordan u17 national team was taking ce had livened up.


    And even though the pitch was green, right now it was divided into two different shades. One side was dominated by the figures dressed in jersey in red while the other side was dominated by figures dressed in jersey in blue.


    Even so, it was evident to the people present in the stand that figures dressed in the jersey in blue was the dominating side in this pitch right now.


    With their numerical advantage, not only were they covering more spaces, they also looked more organised and more threatening than the other side.


    While most of Jordan''s forces were clustered at one ce which happened to be their defensive third, forces of Japan was equally spread to every part of the field.


    With Nijichi, Honda and Ryu in their offense, Hiro, Yutaka and Takeshi Ono in their midfield and Akutsu, Yumeki, Keita and Shotaro in their defense and Shun in their goalpost, be it defense or midfield or offense, every position of this team of Japan was packed with talented yers.


    And while the yers of both the team positioned themselves in their respective position, referee took a nce at his watch before blowing the whistle trapped between his lips tomence the second half of the match.


    Beeep!!


    As the sound of the whistle echoed in the stadium, cheers of the fans present in the stand also intensified while they expressed their support to the yers.


    "Go Japan!!"


    "Teach those devious yers a lesson"


    Most of the spectators present in the stand were openly expressing their support to Japan without any hesitation.


    Their support was purely because of Musa''s act of conduct in the first half. Because of his acting, right now despite their pathetic state they were facing the bacsh of the audience.


    And because of that right now, yers of Jordan were at a great pressure.


    Passing the ball back to his teammates, Jordan started the kickoff this time around. And hence with this the match finally continued.


    Already behind by two goals on top of ying with 10 yers against 11 yers, Jordan were also facing the boos and jeers of the audience.


    Truly in this moment, every odd were against them. With no sight of light, right now they were walking in a dark tunnel.


    Hiro who had been suppressing himself since the beginning of the first half now as he let himself lose dashed towards the direction of the ball in lightning speed right from the get go.


    Brushing past Nijichi who should have been the one to chase after the ball, Hiro rushed towards the opposing yer with the ball.


    "What the-?" staring at Hiro with his eye opened wide, Nijichi muttered in shock.


    However Nijichi wasn''t the only one who was bbergasted by Hiro''s instant movement. Opposing yers were even more bbergasted than Nijichi at this moment.


    As there''s a saying, "To deceive your opponent you''ll have to deceive your allies first"


    And right now if even his teammates were caught off-guard then shouldn''t the opposing team be in the same situation?


    Not only the yers present in the field, spectators seated in the stand were almost in the same situation as them.


    Their eyes widened and their heart filled with excitement, right now all of their eyes were fixedly staring at Hiro.


    Filled with anticipation; whether Hiro could get the ball or not, right now they seemed quite thrilled.


    Hiro however as he rushed towards the opposing yer wasn''t using his skill Lightning Steps right now. Thus his speed wasn''t as fast. However that didn''t mean that he was slow either.


    Afterall his skill Lightning Steps only allowed him to decrease the time taken for him to reach his maximum eleration.


    Gradually his speed was increasing at a threatening pace.


    And given the reaction of his opponents, it was highly likely for him to snatch the ball away.


    As such the opposing yer to whom the ball was passed, upon seeing the approaching figure of Hiro, he started to panic.


    In a state of panic, he tried to return the ball back without even thinking that Hiro was charging him from the same direction where he was trying to return the ball back.


    "Tch- that idiot...." Ahmed clicked his tongue while contorting his face, upon seeing the blunder of his teammate.


    Immediately he then sounded an order, "Everybody hold your position and fall back steadily"


    As he said those words, those who were at the defense tightened their defence while those in the midfield and offense steadily falled back while charging towards Hiro.


    At the same time, Hiro''s teammates all rushed forward in their top speed from every direction.


    Honda who was the fastest among the attacker was the quickest one to react.


    Hiro then easily intercepted the pass and began to rush forward without losing his momentum.


    Opposing forward charged towards him from behind. However he simply wasn''t his match in terms of speed.


    Even while he was on the ball, he left behind the chasing opposing forward in dust. The opposing forward could only try hard to somehow catch up to him.


    Simrly their two midfielders quickly charged towards him from the front at the same time.


    Without losing his momentum, Hiro performed a few step overs and body feints to get past them.


    Just like a hot knife running through a b of butter, Hiro easily prated through their defence without any unnecessary movements.


    As if each and every single one of his movement was like the current of the stream, he nimbly got past through their midfielders and now approached their defensive line.

 Chapter 253 Solo Run

    253 Solo Run


    Upon witnessing the figure of Hiro approaching their defensive third, Ahmed signalled two of his teammates who were guarding their defense line together with him to rush forward to stop Hiro.


    As he gavemand to his teammates, he shook his head few times to look for possible gap in their defence.


    To his left in the left nk, Honda was trying to break through. But Honda was still quite far away. And as for Nijichi and other yers of Japan, they were even more further away from Hiro.


    Thus after careful analysis, Ahmed came to a conclusion that Hiro was going to attempt to break through all alone without relying on any of his teammates.


    Ahmed then signalled other two fullbacks to follow-up as well.


    And as predicted by Ahmed, Hiro indeed continued his solo run.


    But what if he predicted well? There''d be no meaning behind his prediction if he can''t stop Hiro.


    Just like a massive tsunami or a violent tornado, Hiropletely obliterated every obstacle which presented itself infront of him.


    Simply nobody could stop Hiro right now. Infront of Ahmed''s very own eyes, he witnessed his teammates getting toyed.


    Not only Hiro dribbled past those four opposing defenders in an instant, he made a fool out of those defenders.


    Let alone touch the ball or dy Hiro, they couldn''t even foul him.


    With simple step-overs which looked rather simple yet hard to execute, Hiro first got past through two defenders who charged towards him and for the remaining two defenders who followed after, he executed a beautiful rainbow flick to get past through both of them at once.


    As if he was creating a beautiful symphony with the ball, as if he was dancing along with the ball, Hiro easily dribbled past through every opponent who walked infront of him with the intention of stopping him.


    A lot of jaws dropped, a lot of hearts throbbed, a lot of eyes opened wide, right now almost every people in the stadium was charmed by Hiro''s performance.


    The type of football which had been lost for quite a while. The type of shy entertaining football where one yer dribbled past through numerous yers.


    Many old football enthusiast present in the stadium felt quite nostalgic. Some even shed drops of tears out of nostalgia.


    "How many yers did he already dribbled past?" Asked one of the spectator.


    Another who was sitting right beside him, without taking his eyes off Hiro answered, "That makes it six"


    Even after dribbling past through that many yers, his eleration hadn''t decreased in the slightest.


    Right now even when he was charging towards Ahmed, Hiro''s speed was still the same. As if in this instant, he didn''t even consider Ahmed a threat, he fiercely charged towards Ahmed who was the only defender remaining in the defensive third and also thest line of defense of the opposing team.


    At this moment, a lot expectation was ced upon Ahmed. A lot of hopeful eyes from the substitution box of Jordan national u17 team, pitifully looked at Ahmed.


    As if they were begging Ahmed to stop Hiro at any cost, almost the entire yers in the substitution box got on their knees, staring at Ahmed with hopeful eyes.


    Just as Hiro got close to Ahmed, Hiro''s eyes shed with a cold light as his pupils rolled towards his left side.


    Following Hiro''s eye movement, Ahmed swayed his body towards his right side, ''Even if I had to crash against you. I''ll put an end to your attack''


    Right now Ahmed was prepared to stop Hiro at all cost. Even if he had to foul him, he wouldn''t step back.


    However just as he swayed his body towards his right side, Hiro nimbly spun his body.


    During the process of spinning his body, at first he lightly tapped the ball with his right heel. At the same time, he made use of his left foot to kick the ball towards his right side.


    By executing a wless roulette like skill, Hiro nimbly got past through Ahmed, once again making a fool out of himself.


    Without losing his bnce Ahmed immediately tried to follow-up as he desperately stretched his hands to grab Hiro''s t-shirt.


    ''Please... Reach him'' Ahmed gritted his teeth, desperately trying to bring Hiro down.


    A feeling of despair started gnawing upon him and his eyes reflected a feeling of hopelessness.


    Finally after few seconds of desperate struggle as his hands grabbed Hiro''s t-shirt, his dull eyes glowed all of a sudden.


    His tensed face lossened and a subtle smile appeared on his face. He then exerted all his strength to bring Hiro down.


    However he was still a split secondte. Before he could even pull down Hiro, Hiro released the ball from his feet; inturn shooting a powerful shot right from the edge of the penalty box.


    Although Ahmed managed to bring down Hiro, he still couldn''t prevent Hiro from shooting the ball.


    The ball as it flew towards the post tore through the air before ending up at the back of the.


    Their keeper tried his best to stop the shot, however he still couldn''t match Hiro''s power. Just like Ahmed, he too fell short.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!"


    Spectators who were already on their toes, let out an euphoric roar as they celebrated Hiro''s second goal of the match.


    "Absolutely beautiful!! What a goal!! What a goal!! Within only 17 seconds since the start of the second half, Takahashi Hiro has further increased the lead of Japan" cried out thementator.


    While most faces in the stand was brimming with joy, some faces in the stand looked quite pale right now.


    As if they had witnessed something totally unbelievable, their listless eyes right now was filled with horror while theirplexion had gotten ghastly pale.


    "Is he for... real?" One of the spectator uttered in shock.


    "Takahashi Hiro, just what is he?"


    Upon hearing the euphoric cheers of the spectator, Hiro who was lying on the ground immediately stood from the ground without any difficulties.

 Chapter 254 Unstoppable

    254 Unstoppable


    As if he was trapped inside a vacuum or as if he had lost his sense of hearing, right now as Ahmed stood kneeling at the ce where he had fallen along with Hiro, despite the loud noise circting around him, the whole world around him had turned ghastly silent.


    His face expressionless, his shoulder drooped, his listless eyes fixedly staring at the ball without blinking, right now while everybody around him showed different reactions, Ahmed stood frozen at his ce in a trance like state.


    His teammates on the other hand looked quite dejected.


    However although Ahmed didn''t act like his other teammates, it was quite evident from the look on his face that he was devastated the most.


    Just some moment ago, although he couldn''t stop Hiro, he could still reach him. But now, not only Hiro left him behind in dust, he couldn''t even see Hiro''s back.


    Currently in this world full of colours, he was the only colourless entity.


    At the same time after this magnificent solo goal, just like a phoenix soaring high in the sky Hiro''s reputation soared even higher among the crowd.


    As of this moment, a lot of people were chanting his name. In this foreignnd, he had not only managed to captivate the hearts of people, he had also made a name for himself.


    Finally after some moment as Ahmed took his gaze off the ball to look at Hiro, his expression started turning ugly.


    Witnessing the bright smile on Hiro''s face, differentplicated emotions started to surface within him.


    Helplessness!!


    Shame!!


    Indignance!!


    Rage!!


    Such emotions started wailing inside him as he pursed his lips. Right now, at this moment, he wanted nothing but to bring Hiro down.


    However after this goal, the situation only got worst for both him and his team.


    Hiro who had finally let himself lose was simply unstoppable. Opposing yers tried out countless tactics to stop him, however nothing worked against Hiro afterwards.


    Only after 5 minutes since they conceded the third goal of the game, Jordan conceded yet another goal. After 8 more minutes they conceded yet another goal.


    Even so their misery didn''te to an end. Infact it only worsened.


    Their situation only kept on worsening. Not only did they concede goal after goal, Japan didn''t even give them a moment of breather.


    Pounding them with barrage of shots one after other, after second half, the game became totally one-sided.


    It was like an army of 1000 bowman facing an army of 10000 gunman.


    It was one sided massacre.


    With only 5 minutes remaining on the clock, the match had finally entered it''s climax.


    "Aigo!! This match has be totally one-sided since the beginning of the second half"


    "Even though Jordan''s yers were despicable in the beginning, it still feels quite saddening to see them in such miserable state"


    "They''ve already scored 7 goals, yet that captain of Japan isn''t slowing down"


    A lot of people in the crowd was sympathising with Jordan''s situation.


    Right now Jordan was tailing Japan by 7 goals. However even at this moment, Hiro was still charging as fiercely as before.


    As if he wasn''t exhausted at the slightest, Hiro still seemed like he was full of energy.


    Carefully approaching the defensive third of the opposing team with the ball in his feet after breaking past their midfield, right now Hiro was swiftly shaking his head while vigorously rolling his pupils in search of an opportunity to break free.


    Although his face looked sweaty and his body seemed like it was drenched in sweat; giving an impression of exhaustion, his breathing was still stable while his brown eyes was radiating with vitality.


    By now Hiro had already used his skill eagle eye to it''s limit. Thus he couldn''t make use of his skill eagle eye again.


    Even so he still had his other skills. His skill perseverance was still in effect while he still had his trump card i.e lightning steps.


    Thinking about his skill Lightning Steps, Hiro let out mouth full of turbid air as he lossened his body.


    His opponents who were right infront of him got startled upon seeing his sluggish attitude. At this moment almost at the same time, a premonition came to them.


    Instead of confusion, an overwhelming sensation of fear enveloped the two of them as both of them gritted their teeth while tightening their muscles.


    ''Not good! We.... need... To strike first'' both of them thought at the same time.


    Just as the two of them sprinted towards Hiro, a cold light shed in Hiro''s eyes as he elerated all of a sudden.


    His hair dangled with the wind while he elerated using his skill Lightning Steps.


    While the two of them took one step, Hiro took three steps at the same interval.


    Before the two could even stretch their legs, Hiro performed high intensity chop simultaneously while passing the two of them in a blink of an eye.


    How could he perform such chops simultaneously without wasting any movement? Is it even humanely possible?


    Such thoughts filled their heads as their eyes faced the back of Hiro.


    At this instant Hiro''s figure was like that of a shadow phantom, fast and agile.


    Although Hiro seemed omnipotent at this moment, he was also prone to injury the most at this moment.


    One simple tackle could sent him flying. The more the speed the more dangerous his fall. At this moment, even one single tackle could give him a serious injury.


    However he didn''t look concerned at the slightest. Even after getting past through two defenders, there were still three defenders infront of him, blocking his way.


    With the same intensity, Hiro then performed some high intensity variant of step-overs. His move seemed like a step-over, however it wasn''t actually a step-over.


    When he swept his right foot above the ball he''d hit the ball with the same foot and at the same time he''d also make use of his left foot. Simultaneously while he swept his left foot above the ball, he''d do the same which made his movement extremely unpredictable.


    Not only was he a fast runner, he was also a skilled dribbler. And coupled with fast pace dribbling styles, he was simply undefendable.

 Chapter 255 Greatest honour

    255 Greatest honour


    Just like that with his unpredictable style of fast-paced dribbling, he easily got past through next three defenders as well.


    Now he was well within the reach of the goalpost. All he needed to do now was to shoot the ball.


    However just as he stretched his legs to shoot the ball, a leg came flying towards his ankle from behind him which inturn sent him rolling on the floor before he could even release the ball.


    As he got hit, his pupils rolled upwards while he let out an agonising scream, "Aaaaaa!!" before falling with his face first against the ground.


    Beep!!


    The referee immediately sounded the whistle as he put a halt to the game.


    Just as the referee sounded the whistle, a lot of yers of Japan furiously rushed towards the spot where Ahmed was lying with malevolent intentions.


    "That coward!! He intentionally fouled him" growled one of the yer while sliding his sleeves upwards.


    However since referee wasn''t far away from Hiro and Ahmed, he immediately rushed towards the spot; inturn blocking the yers of Japan from approaching Ahmed.


    Although it was somewhat hard to stop their march, while making use of his authority referee immediately put a halt to their actions.


    Against referee''s authority nobody dared to make a move. They could only bite their tongue and back off.


    After subduing the furious yers of Japan, this time without dying any further, referee immediately came to a conclusion.


    Walking towards the spot where Hiro was lying, groaning in pain, he reached his hands to his pocket and raised his hands above his head as he took a card out from his pocket.


    It was a straight red card!


    And the one who received that card was Ahmed Al-Sheikh, captain of Jordan national u17 team.


    Even while receiving the card, Ahmed didn''t refute with the referee.


    Furrowing his brows, he simply wiped off the sweat in his forehead before standing and walking out of the pitch without uttering a single word.


    "That foul was intentional"


    "He wasn''t targeting the ball. All along he was targeting his legs"


    "Even he knows that foul was intentional. Hmph!! Look at him, not even denying"


    A lot of people scoffed and berated Ahmed for intentionally fouling Hiro.


    "It doesn''t look like an ident. From the way Ahmed''s acting, it seems like that this foul was intentional"mentatormented in a heavy voice.


    At this moment, even while watching his team''s captain getting sent off, unlike before when Musa was sent off, manager of Jordan national u17 team seemed quite calm.


    Sure enough, he had already given up on the match. Afterall they were not losing by one or two goal but by whopping seven goals.


    The difference was simply too big.


    With less than 5 minutes remaining on the clock, it simply wasn''t possible under any circumstances for them to reverse the situation.


    On the other hand, manager of Japan national team, while carrying a grim expression on his face was yelling at the medics to hurry up towards Hiro.


    With such a harsh tackle like that, an injury was probably unavoidable. And a lot of people were prepared for that as well.


    They were all prepared to send off Hiro gracefully.


    This young captain not only had entertained them but he had also ignited the passion within them with his brilliant performance.


    However against all the odds, Hiro came out totally unscathed with only minor bruises.


    At the site where he got hit, a bluish red bruised marks of spike of cleats could be seen. However apart from the bluish red bruised mark, everything else was fine. Fortunately he hadn''t fractured his bones.


    Even so he was still going to get substituted regardless of his condition. Afterall he had already done more than enough.


    Scoring four goals and providing two assists, he had disyed a one man show.


    Right now as Hiro stood up with the support of the medics, all of a sudden a thunderous sound of p started to resound in the stadium.


    p!! p!! p!!


    Upon hearing the sound of the pping, Hiro turned to look at the stands.


    The instant he turned towards the stand, his pupils expanded as an overwhelming sensation of shock enveloped him.


    At this moment, the scene which was reflecting in his eyes was something out of this world, something he never had imagined.


    Almost the entire stadium was on their toes right now, pping their hands, praising Hiro''s efforts. The spectators in the stands were giving him a standing ovation.


    In history only few yers have achieved this marvelous achievement. And right now, Hiro who was only 14 years old was receiving the greatest honour a yer could ever attain in their life.


    Receiving standing ovation from the home crowd isn''t that big of deal. However receiving standing ovation from away crowds, it''s something only few have achieved.


    "This young captain totally deserves the praises of this people. From scoring brilliant goals to providing out of this world assist, this young captain of Japan has literally put an one man show." His tone cheerful,mentator was full of praises.


    After a moment while witnessing the breathtaking scene infront of his eyes, Hiro''s face lit up as a smile appeared on his face.


    He was deeply touched by the sincerity of the crowd.


    Hiro then raised his hands off the shoulder of the medics who were supporting his stance. The medics who were supporting him were reluctant to let him go.


    "Please" looking at them with his puppy eyes, Hiro requested them to let him go for a moment.


    And as he discarded the support of the medics, he stood straight with his chest puffed and head raised.


    Hiro then bowed his head to thank the spectators for bestowing him such honour.


    He bowed his head in every direction, thanking everybody present in the stand.


    Witnessing his genuine gesture, crowd started respecting him even more. Looking at Hiro with eyes full of reverence, each and every single one of them continued to shower him with praises and ps.


    Hiro then after thanking the audiences, once again rested his hands atop the shoulder of the medics as he borrowed their support to walk out of the pitch.


    While leaving, as the captain of the team, he entrusted the penalty to Yutaka.


    Despiteing so close so many times, Yutaka still hadn''t managed to score any goals. Thus with this penalty, Hiro wanted to boost Yutaka''s morale.


    And because of that instead of giving the penalty to the person who was most likely to score the penalty, Hiro handed the penalty to Yutaka instead.

 Chapter 256 Final group match

    256 Final group match


    After Hiro walked out of the pitch with the support of the medics, another yer entered the pitch; inturn recing him.


    Not only the people present in the stadium but even his teammates who were seated at the substitution box were looking at Hiro with eyes full of reverence.


    Despite leaving the pitch, Hiro didn''t stay at the stadium. Instead he was taken to hospital for further checkups.


    Shouldering the responsibility left behind by Hiro, Yutaka stepped forward to take the penalty kick.


    Yutaka who was appointed as the penalty taker by Hiro didn''t let Hiro down as he easily slotted the goal from the spot and registered his first goal in the tournament.


    However that goal proved to be the veryst goal of Japan and also thest goal of the entire match.


    And with that the match finally came to an end and Jordan''s misery also finally came to an end. Japan easily defeated Jordan more like they easily obliterated Jordan.


    In the LED scoreboard, the final score of the match read as such; Japan U17: 8 and Jordan U17: 0.


    After the end of the match while the yers of Japan rejoiced their victory, yers of other team who were yet to face this abomination of a team called Japan u17 national team after few days, slowly walked out of the stadium carrying a grim expression on their face.


    Their eyes filled with horror and theirplexion a little ashen, nobody among them dared to think that they could easily beat Japan like before.


    Seed of fear had already began to sprout within their heart.


    **** ****


    About a day has passed since the match with Jordan national u17 team.


    Currently inside a spacious room, Hiro was lying on a bed while a person dressed in white coat was examining his legs.


    Beside him manager of Japan u17 national team was standing upright, concernedly looking at the examination taking ce.


    Frowning his brows, everytime when the person in white coat pressed Hiro''s legs, as if he was the one who was hurt instead of Hiro, manager Haruki was squinting his eyes while making painful expression.


    Everytime when he made those pained expression, wrinkles on his face simr to growth rings on trees was being exposed.


    Although Hiro hadn''t suffered any serious injuries still unfortunately that bluish red spot where he had taken the hit had started to swell.


    "Does it hurt?" Asked the doctor while increasing his pressure on the swelled area. Since the doctor was speaking in chinese, he couldn''t understand. Thus he turned to look at manager Haruki.


    Surprisingly manager Haruki was fluent in chinese. Even he hadn''t known about that matter before.


    It was matter of shock when he found about that matter.


    Manager Haruki who was fluent in chinese, tranted the doctor''s words to him.


    Until now, while gritting his teeth, Hiro had been trying his best to endure the pain. At the same time he had also been trying his best to hold back himself from screaming in pain.


    But now faced with doctor''s question, Hiro didn''t dare to hide his pain. Thus he answered genuinely, "It... hurts a lot doctor"


    He was well aware of the fact that if he answered with such sincerity infront of the manager, his chances of ying in the next game could be reduced.


    Even so, he didn''t hide his injuries. Hiding his condition from doctor could lead to a disaster in the future.


    And he who had already suffered once wasn''t willing to risk another suffering.


    The doctor then slowly released his pressure and lifted his hand from Hiro''s legs.


    Facing manager Haruki, he then spoke, "It''s just a normal swelling. You don''t have to worry about it. With time it''ll heal by itself. However considering that he''s an important yer of your team, I''d suggest to rest him for few games"


    Manager Haruki immediately bowed his head thanking the doctor, "Thank you sir"


    Speaking such, doctor then turned to leave while the nurse who had been standing beside him started applying some cream on the swelled area.


    Despite hearing the words of the doctor, Hiro understood nothing because the doctor was speaking in chinese.


    Thus he could only guess.


    **** ****


    Because of the doctor''s suggestion, Hiro was forced to sit out for the next two games.


    However even without him, his team still managed to attain victory in both those game. Although they couldn''t dominate their opponents like they did when he was ying they still managed to clench victory in both the games.


    In their second match with Philippines, they narrowly clenched the victory with a score of 3:2. Likewise in their third match with Vietnam, once again they managed to win the game with one goal lead.


    Because of his sudden absence, a lot of audience who had came to see him y had to leave the stadium with a dejected face.


    With three wins team Japan wasfortably sitting at the top of the league. With two wins and one loss Vietnam was sitting at the 2nd ce right below them. Likewise at the third ce Jordan, at fourth ce India and atst Philippines.


    Despite sitting at the top of the table, they still hadn''t managed to secure a spot at the yoffs. Only top team from each league could advance to the yoffs.


    And Vietnam who were right behind them were eyeing for their position like hungry hyenas. With two wins and one loss, they hadn''t been ruled out of theetition.


    If somehow Japan were to lose and Vietnam were to win with more than 6 goals, in such a scenario Vietnam would advance to the yoffs on the basis of goal-difference.


    Thus if Japan wanted to advance to the yoffs they had to either win or draw theirst game.


    And right now, at one of the stadium Japan''sst group match was taking ce.


    More than 60 minutes had already passed. However the scoresheet remained tied. With each team scoring two goals each, both Japan and India were trying their best to win the game.


    Even though India had already been ruled out of thepetition, they were putting up theirst struggle to stop Japan from advancing forward.


    As if they had taken an oath to stop Japan at all cost, even without any real gains, India were ying this match as if it was thest match of their life.


    Currently at this very instant after Japan failed to score from their offense, India were counter attacking and the situation was looking very bleak for Japan.


    With only Akutsu in the defense almost the entire Japanese team had moved upfield to attack India.


    Faced with India''s counterattack, Akutsu was carefully retreating while keeping his gaze fixated at all three forwards of India.


    His eyes as calm as night sky, his breathing a little hurried, Akutsu wasn''t panicking despite finding himself in such tough situation.


    Not only was he retreating steadily, he was also forcing the opposing centre forward to move towards the direction he wanted him to move.


    Seated at one of the seat in the substitution box, Hiro was carefully observing the situation unfolding infront of his eyes.


    Despite seeing his team in such dire situation, there wasn''t even a hint of panic in his face.


    Infact right now he was analysing the y with a solemn look on his face, ''Akutsu really is top ss defender. Even faced with three opponents, it''s impressive how he''s maintaining hisposure. And not only is he maintaining hisposure, he''s also forcing the opponent to move towards the direction of his will'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    While he was analysing the situation unfolding in the pitch, a voice rung in his ear out of nowhere.


    "Hiro, go warm up"


    It was the voice of manager Haruki.


    Turning to look at manager Haruki, Hiro''s eyes glowed with excitement. Completely discarding his analysis of the match, he immediately stood up.


    Finally after 63 minutes, he had finally got the chance to step on the field.


    Just then at the same time, all of a sudden the opposing centre forward sent the ball flying towards the left nk.


    He sent a through ball towards the left nk.


    Akutsu who had been leading the opposing forward towards the left nk, immediately rushed towards the left nk.


    And since his body was already facing the left nk, Akutsu reacted immediately without wasting any time.


    Opposing right winger came sprinting towards the nk where the ball had been sent flying.


    Looking from afar, it seemed like Akutsu would lose out to the opposing right winger. And he did lose too as opposing right winger got to the ball before him.


    However although he lost the battle of speed, he didn''t lose the battle of attrition as he still managed to defend the attack.


    By performing a sliding tackle, not only did he managed to disrupt the momentum of the opposing team, he also managed to clear the ball away.


    All by himself, he managed to defend his goal against three opponents. This showed how capable he was as a defender.


    As the ball got out of bounds, assistant referee raised his gs, signalling a throw in.


    At the same time, all of a suddenly the stadium erupted with the cheers of the fans.


    It wasn''t for Akutsu who had managed to put an stop to a threatening counterattack.

 Chapter 257 Captains arrival

    257 Captain''s arrival


    Nobody knows from where it originated or who started it, but just like a wildfire spreading at an rming rate, soon the entire stadium was engulfed with the mes of excitement.


    "Hirooooo!!"


    p!! p!!


    As the stadium resounded with the cheers of the fans, a burst of liveliness burst forth from the stadium which inturn made the ambience around the stadium extremely lively.


    Looking at the rising intensity in the stands, Hiro''s blood started to boil as his eyes glowed with excitement.


    Crack!! Crack!!


    Feeling the thrill, he cracked his neck few times before revealing a smile full of excitement on his face, "Hoh!! This feels amazing"


    Intertwining the strings of his cleats, he tightened his shoces.


    "It all depends on you captain" one of the yer whom Hiro was recing spoke in a heavy tone as he sped hands with Hiro while looking at Hiro with eyes full of hope before walking out of the pitch.


    Nodding his head, Hiro replied in a confident tone, "Rest assured, we''ll win this game"


    His words weren''t empty words neither was it his overconfidence.


    Although he was forced to sit out of the match until now, he wasn''t sitting idle. All along, he had been observing the game, analysing the game and trying to find the weaknesses of the opposing team.


    Thus when he said those words, he wasn''t making empty promises. He meant what he said.


    Hiro then before entering the pitch, gently touched the ground as he expressed his gratefulness to get the opportunity to y.


    Every yer of Japan turned to look at the sight of Hiro.


    "Finally here" mumbled Shun as he let out a subtleughter.


    Just with the appearance of Hiro, a me was kindled within the hearts of the yers of Japan.


    As if they had seen light at the end of the dark tunnel as if they had seen an oasis in the scorching hot desert, Hiro''s appearance provided them a sense of reassurance inturn greatly boosting their morale.


    At the same time, opposing yers started to despair.


    The image of Hiro dribbling past the entire squad of Jordan started ying in their head as they turned to look at Hiro. Subconsciously the fear which had been suppressed within them started to surface.


    Their eyes filled with horror and their mouth tongue-tied, some of them gulped their saliva upon Hiro''s arrival. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The game then resumed with the opposing team''s throw-in.


    Since they were already close to the post of Japan, opposing team was opting for a long throw-in, inside the penalty box.


    As such opposing yers started to cluster inside the penalty box. At the same time Hiro''s teammates also clustered inside the penalty box, marking every possible opposing yers.


    However Hiro didn''t position himself inside the penalty box, instead he positioned himself at the penalty arc.


    The opposing yer who was holding the ball ran towards the sidelines while carrying the ball above his head.


    His hands were stretched well beyond his head; at the back of his neck.


    That yer as he approached the sideline, tightened his muscles and stretched his body to his utmost limit before throwing the ball with as much force as he could gather.


    The ball went flying towards the penalty box of Japan where a lot of yers from both sides were clustered at the moment.


    Each and every yer contended for the ball, leaping high above the ground. However at the end, non of those head managed to touch the ball.


    Instead it was Shun''s hand which managed to make contact with the ball.


    Although yers could jump high, how could theypete against the aerial reach of the keeper who could use his hands?


    By trusting his teammates, Hiro had taken a gamble. If they had failed to defend then they''d have conceded a goal.


    However since his teammates managed to defend the goal, now as the ball fell infront of him, he immediately took control of the ball.


    Trapping the ball at his chest, he exquisitely controlled the lose ball.


    However because of his reputation, although it seemed like nobody was marking him, it wasn''t the case. As soon as Hiro took control of the lose ball, one of the opposing yer came rushing towards him, trying to obstruct Hiro''s y.


    Hiro however gently tapped the ball at it''s lower part, inturn lofting the ball above the head of the iing yer.


    After that without wasting anytime, he switched his attention to offense as he kicked the ball hard and sent it rolling couple of distance ahead of him.


    Hiro then immediately activated his skill Lightning Steps to sprint towards the ball and started to chase the ball.


    Noticing Hiro''s intention, one of two opposing defender who had stayed behind the half-line immediately rushed towards the ball to get to the ball before Hiro.


    Although Hiro was fast, he wasn''t the fastest. There were few yers in the tournament who could match his speed.


    And unluckily Hiro was facing one such yer right now. Team India''s speedy sweeper center-back Pramveer Singh.


    Along with his team''s captain Korou Singh and his team''s ace centre forward Thanlsoun Gangte, he was one of the backbone of his team.


    Because of his fast running legs, instead of the other defender who was actually close to the ball than him, he rushed towards the ball.


    It was a close battle as both Hiro and Pramveer reached the ball at almost the same time.


    However at the nick of the time, Hiro reached the ball before him. Still Hiro didn''t keep hold of the ball.


    Instead Hiro once again kicked the ball.


    Pramveer who was so engrossed with Hiro was only thinking of stopping Hiro. Thus because of his thinking, he didn''t even think that Hiro would let go of the ball instead of trying to dribble past him like he normally did.


    Pramveer was caught off-guard. Before he could even react, it was already toote as Hiro had already rushed past him leaving him behind to stare at his back.


    The momentum of the game had totally tilted towards the side of Japan.

 Chapter 258 Off to the playoffs

    258 Off to the yoffs


    The moment Hiro got past Pramveer, opposing defender who had stayed behind, his eyes shrunk to pin size and a cold sweat ran down his face.


    The more closer Hiro got to him, the more his heart started to palpitate and a feeling of helplessness started to gnaw on him.


    Even so, he was thest straw of his team. If he were to waiver now, his team would copse for sure.


    And he was well aware of that fact.


    Thus at this desperate moment, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as he tried to suppress his fear.


    Gritting his teeth, he somehow managed to suppress part of his fear and regained hisposure.


    At this moment, Hiro was already about five steps away from him. If he didn''t react properly, his doom was inevitable.


    "If youe against this type of yer remember to keep your calm. Don''t rush forward blindly. Try to analyse their eye movement, foot movements and body movements as much as you can before taking any actions"


    Whileing face to face against Hiro, the opposing centre-back recalled the words of his coach.


    Thus before rushing forward, he tried to analyse Hiro''s eye movement and foot movements.


    By this time, effect of the skill Lightning Steps had already withered away. Even so Hiro''s eyes looked as sharp as katana.


    As if those pair of eyes could see beyond the figure of the defender infront of him, he immediately found a space behind the defender.


    The defender on the other hand upon meeting the gaze of Hiro, felt his heart trembling. As if an unknown force was pressing upon him, he desperately felt like taking his gaze away from Hiro.


    Even so, he was thest hope of his team. How could he bring himself to look away? He was well aware of the consequences of looking away at this moment.


    Thus despite the bone chilling feeling he was feeling at this moment, he continued to track Hiro''s eye movements.


    Just then Hiro''s eyes gleamed with a cold light simr to the light reflected by a sword under the moonlight.


    The defender was quick to realise. Thus without wasting any more time, he immediately rushed forward.


    He swept his feet towards the direction of the ball as he tried to make a clearance.


    However Hiro gave him no opportunity. The instant he swept his feet, Hiro performed a swift one-two move using both his feets.


    His movement wless, his timing precise, the opposing defender could only look at Hiro with eyes full of terror.


    And in no time, Hiro swiftly got behind the defender with the ball in his feet.


    As if in this moment, he had teleported behind the back of the defender, he left the defender behind with only one move.


    Despite witnessing such a thrilling scene taking ce in the pitch, fans present in the stadium kept their mouth shut.


    Hiro''s immediate impact on the field was evident to every person present in the field. It hadn''t even been one minute, yet right now Hiro was already infront of the opposing goalpost, one on one with the keeper, posing a threat to the opposing team.


    Manager of Indian national team right now as he stood straight infront of the substitution box was sweating profusely.


    As if his heart would jump out of his throat, he could feel his heart beating extremely fast.


    Situation of the yers on the bench of Indian national u17 team wasn''t any better either. Right now, they all were praying in their heart.


    Praying for a miracle to happen, praying for Hiro to halt his movement.


    The opposing keeper kept his cool as he rushed towards Hiro while keeping his eyes fixated at Hiro.


    As of this moment, he could feel his senses heightened as he kept his guard up while rushing towards Hiro.


    Just then he noticed Hiro stretching his right leg due to which he assumed that Hiro was going to shoot.


    Just like his assumption Hiro swept his feet towards the ball. However he didn''t hit the ball, instead he swept his leg over the ball inturn tricking the keeper and sending him in wrong direction.


    Just as Hiro faked his shot, he hit the ball with his left foot. At this critical moment, he pulled a rabona against everybody''s expectations.


    Even the fans were deceived by Hiro''s movement. When Hiro stretched his right leg, imitating a kicking movement, everybody had assumed that he was going to shoot.


    Not even in their wildest dream had anybody present in the stadium assumed that Hiro was going to shoot a rabona.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"


    The fans who were itching to shout, euphorically erupted at the same time as the ball crossed the goal-line.


    Within few seconds of his arrival, Hiro scored a magnificent goal and finally broke the stalemate which had been going on for quite a long time.


    How many yers in history are capable of such immediate impact? Only few yers in the history are capable of such feats. And usually every single one of those yers are world ss yers.


    And Hiro proved that he was yer of such calibre. As per everybody''s expectation, he delivered.


    The yer who had heard Hiro''s words beforeimg into the pitch was on the verge of tearing, "He.... He..... really delivered as per his statement"


    The entire substitution box of Japan lit up at this moment. Finally the stalemate had been broken. Finally they could breathe a sigh of relief.


    After this goal, Hiro scored yet another goal and sealed their victory. And just like this Hiro managed to send his team to the yoffs.


    The match ended with a score of 4-2 and Hiro''s goal were the deciding factor of the game.


    Without his goal, at most they''d have only drawn the game.


    Joyousughter, blissful crowd, dancing yers, after the match every yer of team Japan let themselves lose as they celebrated their victory and their achievements.


    With this they''d have to win only one more game to book themselves a spot at the u17 world cup.


    Well even though they had to y two more games, as long as they could win the next game, they could advance to the final.


    And the two teams who advanced to the final were guaranteed a spot in the u17 world cup regardless of the conclusion of the final match.


    Because of the joy of reaching the yoffs, celebration among the teamsted for quite a long time.


    Forgetting their exhaustion, every yer of Japan indulged themselves in the celebration without holding back themselves.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 259 Pushing your limits

    259 Pushing your limits


    Chatter!! Chatter!!


    Inside the youth facility of Kawasaki Frontale, most of the yers were gossiping about the performance of Japan national u17 team in the Asian qualifiers among themselves while having their dinner.


    "So they''ll be facing Saudi Arabia in the semi finals?" Casually asked Yuya while putting down his chopsticks.


    "Yeah, it has only been about an hour since the result of the draw was made public. We''ll be facing Saudi Arabia while South Korea will be facing Qatar" replied Shunta.


    Yuya''s eyes flickered as he mumbled enviously in a soft tone, "Only one more win... and they can y in the world cup. I wish...." Suddenly he paused for a while before tilting his head a little and dragging his words, "I could also represent our country"


    While Yuya spoke those words, almost every eyes around him flickered with envy. They all shared amon feeling.


    Although they were happy about the achievement of their fellow teammates but more than happiness they felt envious of their teammates who were going to represent their country in the big stage.


    As a yer, every yer would want to represent their country in the big stage. And this youngsters weren''t an exception either.


    **** ****


    The night sky was a tapestry of ck and blue, enshrouded by ayer of mysterious grey cloud.


    Hidden behind those grey cloud, crescent moon, just like a radiant smile etched upon the face of the night was glowing against the darkness, illuminating the entire night sky with it''s luminescence.


    A sharp contrast to this tranquil night sky, loud sound of a soft object colliding with some kind of metal could be heard in a dimly lit grassfield.


    Thud!! Thud!!


    Tracing towards the source of the sound, a silhouette of a person moving in the grassfield could be seen.


    "Not enough... Not enough..." Muttered the person with some difficulty.


    His voice sounded a little hoarse while his breathing sounded a bit irregr. Based on such signs, one could specte that this person was exhausted to some extent.


    Even so, he didn''t remain still at his ce for a long time, instead he immediately lifted his tired body and rush forward.


    While he continued to sprint, the more closer this person got close to the source of light, the more clearer his appearance got.


    Finally as he entered the radius of the light field, his figure became clear to the eyes.


    ck hair, eyes as brown as tree trunk, his cheeks a little blushed from exhaustion, he was none other than Hiro.


    During his sprint, after slipping down his face, beads of sweat continuously fell on the ground after some interval in an unset pattern.


    Hiro then halted his movement all of a sudden as he got close to a ball. There wasn''t only one ball, altogether there were four balls lying around him.


    Hiro then lifted one of the ball close to him with his feet with only a flick of his feet. As the ball hovered above, he gently lowered his upper body; inturn trapping the ball delicately in his back.


    After he trapped the ball in his back, he once again flicked the ball above him. This time, he trapped the ball with his head.


    Finally he then rolled the ball down from his head and caught it with his hand.


    Although there weren''t any people watching him at this moment, he casually disyed such amazing skills for such a simple task of picking the ball.


    After that he did the same with other three balls as well.


    He then immediately sprinted back to his original position from where he had began his running a moment ago.


    As he got to his original position which was about 30 yards away from the post he was facing at the moment, he squinted his eyes as he tried to focus his attention at the top corner of the post.


    As he tried to focus his gaze at the top corner, a strange metallic light entered his eyes. And the source of that light was a silver painted ring. At each side of the top corner of the post, a metallic ring was dangling freely while being tied by thread.


    While he was focusing at the metallic ring hung on the corner of the post, all of a sudden his ck hair dangled and a cold sensation prated his body as a cold breeze rustled past him. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Hiro then let out a mouth full of turbid air before starting his run-up. Just as he started his run-up, his eyes flickered with a strange light.


    Swoosh!!


    The ball after leaving his feet, flew towards the post, curving along the path.


    The ball however missed it''s taget as it hit the pole of the post instead.


    Tung!!


    A tung sound resounded as the ball collided with the pole and reflected back.


    "So close..." Muttered Hiro in disappointment.


    After that he shot the next two balls one after other. While one hit the metallic ring, another missed the ring.


    After firing three shots consecutively, he halted his movement for a bit to recover from his fatigue. Although he wanted to continue, he could feel his legs numbing out from pain.


    09:00


    He knew that he had already surpassed his limit. Yet he wasn''t willing to give up.


    Sweat fell down uncontrobly from his face. As if he had taken a shower with his clothes put on, the jersey he was wearing was already drenched with sweat.


    Despite having an above average endurance, even Hiro was on the verge of copsing right now. Nobody had forced him to do this, yet he was forcing himself to push further.


    Huff!! Huff!!


    Panting heavily, Hiro wiped off the sweat which had found it''s way to his eyes, blurring his vision.


    "499..." Hiro muttered as he lifted his head to look at the post.


    That was the number of times he had shot the ball today. He had started to shoot from 5 in the evening and it was well past 8 right now.


    Yet it didn''t seem like he''d stop anytime soon.


    Hiro then while gritting his teeth, forced himself to stand straight.


    Sensation of pain ran all over his body as he tried to stand straight. At lightning speed his nerves carried the sensation of pain to each and every part of his body.


    "Argh!!" Feeling the sensation of pain, he let out a muffled cry.


    Yet he still tolerated the pain with great difficulty by consoling himself saying, "one more... one more shot"


    Tucking his pain, he then rushed towards the direction of the ball, aiming at the only ring left hanging on the post.


    Swoosh!!


    The ball made swooshing sound as it flew towards the post at a rapid pace.


    Right after shooting the ball, Hiro''s noddle legs could no longer support his stature. He immediately copsed on the floor.


    He could no longer concern himself with the matter of hitting the target.


    The pain he had desperately tried to suppress, surfaced immediately as he fell on the ground.


    Part of his body felt extremely sore while his legs felt like it was being cut by a knife or hit by a hammer.


    His leg muscles kept on convulsing, making his situation extremely miserable. Unable to endure the pain any longer, Hiro finally surrendered to his urge as he let out an agonising scream, "Aaaaaaaa...." filled with intense sensation of pain.


    [Ding!]


    [The host haspleted a hidden quest]


    At this time, a voice resounded in his head. However he couldn''t care less about the voice ringing inside his head.


    Right now, as his muscle convulsed, Hiro couldn''t care about anything except the agonising pain he was feeling at this moment.


    The night sky although cloudy, still couldn''t hide the beauty hidden behind those clouds.


    Flickering in the dark heaven, glittering lights of stars could be seen. At the same time, crescent moon while spreading its silver radiance was further entuating the beauty of the grey clouds.


    Even though it hurt like crazy, even though he surrendered to his urges, Hiro didn''t close his eyes. He wasn''t willing to pass out.


    Thus despite this suffering, Hiro tried to hold on to his consciousness.


    Gritting his teeth, clenching the cold grass beneath his body, Hiro endured the pain to his utmost limit.


    Now people may say, didn''t he brought this misfortune to himself? Isn''t he the one who''s responsible for his misery?


    However to answer those questions, we''d need to talk about yers who have left their mark in the history.


    One such yer who has sacrificed a lot to remain at the top is Cristiano Ronaldo.


    Everyday he spends hours and hours on gym. Now doesn''t he get tired?


    Everyday he eats the same repetitive diet food. Now doesn''t he get disgusted?


    He probably wouldn''t want to torture his body, if he could easily attain the spot where he is sitting right now after countless sacrifices.


    If we could attain the top spot without torturing ourselves, why would anybody would want to torture their body?


    Hiro''s situation is the same, he''s torturing his body to improve. He''s suffering this pain to be the greatest.


    No people in history have be great without sacrificing anything.


    Sess demands sacrifices. And you''d have to ept it whether you like it or not.

 Chapter 260 Grand stage for new skill

    260 Grand stage for new skill


    Inside a stadium filled with sea of passionate fans d in different colours, an intense match was raging on the field.


    Their cheers and chants were blending together to create an undting wall of sound that echoed throughout the concrete structure, shaking the stadium to it''s core.


    Mixed with the cheers and jeers, sounds of drums could also be heard.


    Beep!!


    Suddenly as sound of a whistle sounded in the pitch, the electrifying atmosphere in the stadium came to a sudden halt.


    However the next instant, those cheerful crowd began to spit daggers as they started to badmouth. Their expression turned ugly while their mouth started spitting venom.


    "Just because you can''t stop him, you''re resorting to force." Grumpily yelled one of the spectator.


    His eyes burning with indignation while his body was making different irritated gesture.


    The situation of the people around him wasn''t any different either. They all were expressing their dissatisfaction as well.


    "That''s foul for sure. However Hiro doesn''t look that hurt. But thanks to Mohammad''s timely intervention Saudi have prevented a potential goal. Although it''s not inside the box, a freekick from this spot is still quite dangerous"mentator spoke as hemented about the situation unfolding in the pitch.


    Right now at the field, yers from both teams were clustered around the spot where Hiro was lying.


    Their eyes filled with disdain and their expression a bit ugly, yers of both the team were carrying hostility towards each other.


    yers of both the team were shooting gaze full of disdain towards each other. And by the looks of it, it could be concluded that both the team were certainly not amicable towards each other.


    However despite the evident rising tension between the two teams, referee was still handling the situation well.


    Preventing both teams from shing against each other, he was reaching his hands inside his pocket.


    Sure enough, he was about to take his card out.


    At the same time, Hiro was also trying to lift his body from the ground. Making use of his hands to propel himself upwards, Hiro was slowly rising with the support of his hands.


    The referee then brought his hands out of his pocket and lifted his hand high above his head while holding a yellow card in his hands.


    "Sure enough, Mohammad was going to receive a booking at the least for that tackle"mented thementator.


    A lot of people in the stand expressed their dissatisfaction as they witnessed the action of referee bringing his card out.


    Some dissatisfied with referee booking Mohammad while some dissatisfied with referee for bringing out a yellow card instead of a red card.


    Hiro on the other hand, as if he wasn''t concerned with the decision of referee feigned ignorance as he walked towards his teammates without even casting a nce at the yer who had brought him down.


    Right now about 60 minutes had already passed. And till this moment Japan were winning the game by a score of 3-1.


    After the referee finished handing out the cards, yers from both team started to cluster in the defensive third of Saudi Arabia.


    A group of five yers stood infront of the spot where the referee had marked with his vanishing spray to act as a wall.


    Each and every single one of them being the tallest in their team, they covered every nook and canny, leaving no space for Hiro to exploit.


    They didn''t even spare the bottom as one of the yer lied on the ground in an attempt to prevent Hiro from shooting the ball beneath the legs of the wall.


    Their keeper who was about 6 feet tall was yelling at the top of his voice while guiding his teammates to position well.


    While he was shouting such, restlessness could be seen in his eyes.


    Hiro on the other hand was focusing on something else, right now. Although his eyes seemed like it was looking at the post, he wasn''t actually looking at the post.


    Instead right now, he was looking at the holographic blue panel which was floating infront of his eyes,pletely invisible to other people besides him.


    [Skill: Fireball Shot(S-??)]


    [Skill description: enhances your shot power and technique while shooting from outside the box. While using this skill, host''s shooting and technique stat will temporarily rise a rank] n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Number of usage: 3 per day]


    [Note: Can''t be used inside the penalty box meaning it''s only applicable for long range shots]


    [Hidden effect: if used while taking freekick host''s stat will rise temporarily in ordance to the number of people present in the wall]


    This skill was the reward which Hiro had obtained after shooting more than 500 times in one single sitting.


    For Hiro whocked a decent skill dedicated to freekick after the loss of his talent, Roberto Carlos''s Freekick, it was a game changing skill.


    Not only this skill enhanced his long range shots, it also provided him additional benefits while taking freekick.


    Specially it''s hidden effect which increased his stat in ordance to the number of yer present at the wall was totally broken.


    Right now because of the presence of six yers in the wall, Hiro''s shooting and technique stat had risen significantly.


    For example right now, Hiro''s shooting stat with a score of 77 was at rank B+ and his technique stat with a score of 79 was also at a rank B+, but now with the use of this newly obtained skill both his shooting and technique had risen a rank, meaning both of them had risen to 81.


    However because of the hidden effects both his shooting and technique had gained +6 additional stat, meaning both his shooting and technique stats were right 87.


    With such rise in his stats, Hiro could right now shoot at the same level as average professional yers ying in the big league.


    Although his skill could still not bepared with the world ss experts, right now he could even score against 4 out of 10 freekicks even against top ss keeper.

 Chapter 261 Earthshattering!!

    261 Earthshattering!!


    Although it doesn''t seem much of a difference, however every single stat difference is infact quite massive.


    For example a defender with 81 defending would find it quite troublesome to defend against a striker with 82 dribbling despite the gap between their stat being separated by only a measley one point.


    In the same way now against those semi-professional yers, Hiro who had the stat of professional yers, he''s probability of scoring from that freekick was more than 90 percent right now.


    Meaning Hiro would miss only one shot out ten shots he fired right now.


    It was as if a team from 3rd division of professional football league was facing against a yer of first division.


    Looking at the screen, Hiro subtly lifted the corner of his mouth and revealed a slight grin. At the same time, his eyes glowed with satisfaction as he let out a gust of turbid air.


    With small nimble steps, Hiro then rushed towards the ball as he started his run-up.


    The grass beneath his feet deformed into pathetic state while trying to shoulder Hiro''s body weight.


    Unable to withstand the pressure, few strands of grass even got swept away under his feet.


    Warm breathe released by countless people coupled with the constant heating from the zing sphere hanging freely at the azure vast expanse, temperature around the stadium was quite hot right now.


    It didn''t take Hiro long to finish his run-up. And as Hiro got close to the ball, he tilted his body a little while stretching his left leg to his utmost limit.


    Because of his newly obtained skill, his pre-posture had improved significantly. Thus right now his body was perfectly positioned in a way to bring maximum shooting power.


    Although this posture and movement was creatingrge amount of pressure on his legs and was putting a lot of strain to his lower spine and legs, however because of the usage of the skill "Fireball Shot", his pressure was negating by itself.


    If such movements were to be executed by other yers, overtime they''d either deteriorate their reflexes or get inflicted with a serious injury.


    Just like a bow stretched to it''s utmost limit, at this moment Hiro''s left leg had also stretched to it''s utmost limit.


    The instant he released the grip on his legs, it was bound to make a powerful impact.


    And the same happened as well. The instant Hiro released his legs and collided with the ball, a ear piercing loud bam sounded resounded while the ball wobbled before it left it''s position.


    Bam!!


    If watched under slow motion camera, even ripples could be seen on the ball.


    Such was the impact, Hiro''s leg had created on the ball.


    The ball as it got lifted from the ground, flew at a lightning speed above the heads of the walls of yers.


    The impact was just so fast that they couldn''t even time their jump.


    Because of the rotation put on the ball, the ball curved along the path. The spin on the ball wasn''t the only thing which was unpredictable.


    After reaching close to the post, it dropped slightly whilst still retaining it''s speed.


    Despite being 6 feet tall, the keeper of Saudi Arabia couldn''t even move from his position. Before he could even react, the ball had already found it''s way inside the back of the. The keeper of Saudi Arabia was utterly speechless,pletely stunned.


    And it wasn''t until after a second, sea of spectators finally erupted with the chants of the goal.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!"


    Hiro on the other hand was simply standing at his ce, staring at the post. His wide-opened eyes were carrying a glint of disbelief while his expressionless face was screaming that even he was having hard time believing that he had scored that goal right now.


    11:02


    "Goal!! Goal!! Goal!! Magnificent, extraordinary, out of this world, earthshattering, even words will fall short to exin this stunning screamer from Hiro. Just how in the world is he able to achieve such techniques?" Commentator''s cheerful voice echoed in the stadium as he made exaggeratingments.


    At once, an euphoric roar resounded in the stadium as people jumped on their toes, wearing big wide smile on their faces. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Tossing their pennants, g, scarf and jersey, Japanese people who had flown to China celebrated the goal of Hiro as if they had seen a diator ying a behemoth.


    At this moment, the whole stadium transformed into a huge colloseum and shook with the sounds of celebration.


    Dung!! Dung!!


    Along with the cheers of people, sounds of drums also intensified which further made the ambience around the stadium extremely festive.


    A sharp contrast to this lively atmosphere, yers of Saudi on the other hand looked quite gloomy. As if their vitality was sucked out of their body, most of theirplexion had gotten ashen.


    Those yers who were acting as the wall wearing a stunned expression on their face was dazedly staring at the post.


    At the same time, matching the vibe of the stadium yers of Japan were rushing towards Hiro with big wide smile on their faces.


    Hiro on the other hand was simply standing at his ce, staring at the post. His wide-opened eyes were carrying a glint of disbelief while his expressionless face was screaming that even he was having hard time believing that he had scored that goal right now.


    ''Did... Did I really shoot that ball?'' at a world of his own,pletely isted from the lively outer world, Hiro was lost in his own thoughts, doubting his own abilities.


    The shot which he demonstrated right now had far surpassed his previous shots he took with the help of his talent Roberto Carlos''s Freekick.


    This was the true capability of S ss skill.


    Manager Haruki''s eyes opened wide, his mouth agape, right now a fist could fit in his mouth. Sure enough, he was greatly shocked.


    As his eyes blinked few times, he finally shut his mouth before opening it again.


    "Did... Did anyone record the speed of the ball?" Manager Haruki who was standing at the sidelines uttered with great difficulty.


    The yers seated behind him were jumping to and fro, hugging and sping hands, shouting at the top of their voice, celebrating the goal scored by Hiro.


    Kazan on the other hand, although his eyes reflected a glint of surprise was the only person with unchanged expression in that area right now.

 Chapter 262 Forgotten celebration

    262 Forgotten celebration


    Only after his teammates got close to him did Hiro finally regained his senses. Their cheerful faces filled his vision while their cheerful voice reverberated in his ear.


    Quickly in no time, those bunches of yers encircled him,pletely trapping him in the middle.


    Each and every single one of them were carrying hint of excitement, reverence, joy and bewilderment in their eyes.


    "Were you hiding your capabilities?"


    "How did you manage to score that goal?" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Such were the questions ringing inside his head.


    Even though his teammates kept on pestering him with such enthusiastic questions, Hiro didn''t speak anything. Instead he brushed past them as he broke free from their encirclement and ran towards the sidelines.


    Hiro''s sudden reaction greatly baffled his teammates. Thier eyes revealed confusion as they stared at Hiro.


    Audience weren''t any different either.


    Looking at Hiro''s sudden reaction, they were utterly dumbfounded as well. Nobody knew why Hiro had decided to run out of nowhere.


    "Why is he running now?" One of the spectator blurted out while confusedly looking at Hiro.


    However it didn''t take his teammates long to break free from their bewilderment. After they broke free from their bewilderment, one by one without questioning anything, they started to chase after Hiro.


    Upon reaching the sidelines, Hiro then leapt from the ground. As he hoovered in mid-air, he lifted both his hands above his head; crossing them.


    Watching Hiro, some of the fans present in the crowd understood his intention. Thus just as Hiro opened his mouth and let out an euphoric roar, those fans who understood his intention enthusiastically parroted after him, "Siuuuuuu!!!"


    At once the whole stadium resounded with the celebratory chant. Like the sound of the thunder, an electrifying unified roar swept the whole stadium.


    Followed by the celebratory chant,ughter filled the entire stadium as most of the fans present in the stadium burst intoughter which inturn greatly livened up the ambience of the stadium.


    Afternding on the ground, Hiro himself couldn''t hold himself back from smiling. His face lit up while his eyes glowed with excitement.


    Although he wasn''t sure why he was feeling so excited right now, however right now, he felt quite exhrated.


    After the celebration came to an end, the match resumed normally.


    Hiro''sst goal from the freekick spot proved to be a great morale booster as after that goal when the match resumed, yers of Japan yed even more vigorously.


    Pressuring the opposing team from the get go, they didn''t give their opponents any chance to break free.


    Faced with such overwhelming attacks, opposing team could only impose defensive tactics and try their best to withstand the fierce offense of Japanese yers.


    Specially Hiro who had entered a flow like state, he was simply unstoppable. Be it creating chances for his teammates or nullifying the defense of the opposing team or shooting from long distance, he made the heart of yers of opposing team tremble with his every single move.


    As if he had finally freed himself from the shackle which was holding him back, as if he had leveled up significantly, it seemed like nobody in the opposing team could be his opponent.


    Even so, until 80th minute, Saudi yers still managed to withstand the pressure of Japanese yers.


    Although Hiro gave them headaches and heartaches countless times with his fast-paced dribbling, out of world passes and powerful long shots, they still managed to hold their ground.


    However it wasn''t an easy feat for them to withstand their ground. In order to stop Japan from scoring another goal, they had to expend a lot of energy.


    And right now because of that most of their yers werepletely exhausted. They were at their limit.


    Panting heavily, sweating profusely, some yer''s legs were even wobbling like crazy. Their condition seemed very pathetic.


    However their misery hadn''te to an end. They still had to hold their ground for yet another 10 minutes.


    But even so that didn''t mean that they could win the game. They were losing by andslide score of 4-1.


    So why were they struggling so hard? Their situation was way beyond salvageable.


    At this moment when they should be creating chances, taking risks to turn the tide of the match, they were holed up inside their defensive half like turtle hiding it''s neck under it''s shell.


    It was already evident to the sea of supporters present in the field that they have already lost the game.


    So why were they struggling so hard? What was the meaning behind their struggles? Just by defending, their situation wouldn''t be better. Infact it might be even worst.


    So why were they holding their ground?


    It''s because of their pride. Although they were aware of the fact that they were going to lose the game, they still weren''t willing to lose pathetically.


    At the least, they wanted to lose with honor. At least they wanted people to say that they tried their best.


    However a win is a win and a loss is a loss. Does it matter how you win or how you lost?


    On the other hand, most of the Japanese yers still seemed like they could still run for yet another 30 minutes.


    Because Hiro shouldered most of the burden, most yers of Japan could preserve their energy and coupled with the yer changes which wa made during those twenty minutes, Japanese side seemed quite full of energy.


    And Hiro who had the skill perseverance which could supply him unlimited stamina for 15 minutes, he wasn''t even breaking sweat right now.


    Hiro''s stable condition was further adding salt to the wounds of Saudi yers.


    Seeing Hiro in such lively state, they couldn''t help but despair. Some yers were even questioning their choices at this moment.


    ''Is their any meaning behind our struggle?''


    ''Why are we suffering so much just to prevent another goal?''


    ''Does he not feel tired? He has been running the most, yet it doesn''t seem like he''s exhausted''


    Such were the thoughts revolving around the head of some opposing yers while looking at Hiro.

 Chapter 263 Pride

    263 Pride n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As the match resumed with the goalkick of opposing team, Nijichi who was drenched in sweat sprinted towards the opposing defender to whom their keeper had yed the ball.


    At the same time, Hiro too sneakily dashed forward after scouting the area around him.


    Seeing Hiro rushing forward, three of the opposing yers who were marking Hiro, their heart skipped a beat as their facial expression turned pale.


    Despite being heavily watched, Hiro had escaped their encirclement from their blind spot right when they changed their focus to the ball.


    They had been gravely warned by their captain to stop Hiro if not atleast restrict his movements.


    But now as those three witnessed Hiro rustling past them, they couldn''t help but look at Hiro with eyes full of terror.


    After this mistake, no matter the result, they were surely going to get reprimanded by both their coach and their captain.


    With slight dy, they then immediately started to chase after Hiro.


    Running with those tired legs, to them it felt like trying to run while under the presence of leg weights.


    Each and every step felt so heavy, yet they gritted their teeth and persevered. Relentlessly chasing after Hiro, those three were determined to correct their mistake.


    However the instant they were about to catch up to Hiro, Hiro swayed his body and changed his direction.


    Running in straight path was already difficult for them but now as they tried to change their direction midway, two among those three yers felt a sharp excruciating pain rising while changing their direction.


    Immediately they halted their movement as both of them copsed on the floor almost at the same time.


    They were suffering from muscle cramps.


    As those two copsed on the floor, they let out agonising cry, "Arghhhh" while holding their legs.


    Their loud cries, immediately caught the attention of the yers, referee,mentator and spectator present in the stands.


    Immediately the opposing yer with the ball kicked the ball out of the pitch upon seeing his teammates lying on the ground, groaning in pain.


    Beep!!


    "Ah!! Two yers of Saudi Arabia have copsed almost at the same time. And by the looks of it, it seems like both of them have cramped their legs. And because of their sudden copse the referee has halted the game"mentator expressed his pity towards those two yers who were letting out agonising cry in the field.


    That third yer who was chasing after Hiro, eased his muscles as he paused his movement. Immediately he squatted down and heaved a sigh of relief, "Phew!!!!"


    Although he was aware of the situation of his teammates, he couldn''t afford to care about them. Afterall his situation was no better than their''s.


    He was aware of his limits. And most importantly he was aware of his conditions. Even so, he knew that he couldn''t afford to copse like his teammates.


    Their team had already used three of their substitution meaning they had only two more substitution left.


    Now if he were to lie down and ask for help, situation of his team would be even more dire. Thus out of concern for his team, he endured his pain.


    Quite a lot of people felt extremely sympathetic about the condition of those two yers lying on the field.


    "Poor boys, they had been tailing after Hiro for so long without any rest. Their coach should probably take them out now"


    "They''ve done all they can do. However it''s quite mysterious that despite running more than any other yer in the field Hiro still looks more lively than the rest"


    While most yers were expressing their concerns, one of the spectator casually cracked a joke at this moment, "Perhaps he has drunk some kind of elixir which gives him unlimited stamina"


    As he made suchments, a lot of head turned towards his direction, ring coldly at him; shooting gaze full of disdain.


    How could this person afford to joke at this moment? Doesn''t he have any ounce of humanity in him?


    At this moment, while most yers were using this moment to rest their tired body, Hiro was racking his mind, ''I have already used Fireball Shot to it''s maximum. However I still have one more use of lightning step and eagle eye. Although it has been a little hard to break through their defence, if Ibine my skill eagle eye and lightning steps, may be I can create a chance''


    As he thought of using both his skills to create an opportunity, his eyes flickered with a sharp light.


    At this moment, those two injured yers were carried out of the pitch on stretchers. Recing those two injured yers, two new yers entered the pitch from Saudi''s side.


    Manager Haruki too took advantage of this opportunity and substituted two of his yers.


    Tired and worn out Honda was substituted for speedy Kaminari and consequently Yutaka was substituted for Kuma.


    Denji Kaminari was about 172 cm tall with straight ck hair and ck eyes. His nose and mouth were a bit pointy, making it seem like a fox.


    On the other hand Kuma was quite jacked. His face shape was a bit squarish while his eyes were quite small aspared to his face.


    And unlike Yutaka, Kuma was a box to box midfielder. And Kaminari''s main weapon was his speed.


    Aside from his stamina and speed, both his crosses and finishing were pretty decent.


    The game then resumed again with Japan''s throw-in. Kaminari yed it short as he threw the ball towards Nijichi who had positioned himself close to him.


    Nijichi was immediately surrounded by opposing yers.


    Upon getting surrounded, he first tried to break through. However there were simply too many opposing yers and all of them were simply unyielding.


    Even so Nijichi tried his very best. Afterall he was the starter of team Japan and also an ace striker of his club. And moreover he was extremely prideful.


    If Hiro can do it, why can''t he?


    Thus he tried to force his way through the barrage of yers present infront of him who were all determined to stop him on his tracks.


    Unlike Hiro, Nijichi''s dribbling was rather practical instead of eye appealing. His dribbles relied on his speed and reflexes instead of some fancy footworks.


    Nijichi with his simple yet effective dribbling managed to dribble past about three of the opposing yers.


    However because of that risk which he took, he now found himself cornered at the corner.


    Surrounded by opposing yers, he had no ce left to run except forward.


    However right when he thought that he had no choice, he noticed Hiro sprinting towards him.


    Although he was getting chased by opposing yers, Hiro was his only hope.


    If he could somehow pass the ball to Hiro, he could break free from that encirclement.


    However he started to hesitate because of his pride. Passing ball to Hiro at this moment meant he wasn''t capable of breaking through the defense of the opposing team all by himself.


    It was like announcing the world that he could only disy his potential by relying on Hiro.


    His hesitation was caught by the yers of Saudi. And thus, they immediately charged towards him.

 Chapter 264 Game sealed

    <h4>Chapter 264 Game sealed </h4>


    His eyes became restless and his expression turned ugly. At the same time his mind started to think of different scenarios.


    The more closer the opposing yer got to him, the more his thoughts started to be messy. After few breathes, he could no longer think clear-headedly.


    Having no choice, he then decided to grab the most optimal choice which was present right infront of him; he chose to pass the ball to Hiro.


    The moment his gazended on Hiro a light shed past his eyes as an image of Hiro gesturing him to make his run reflected in his eyes.


    After releasing the ball from his feet, he then immediately started to run without wasting any time.


    The ball rolled between the leg of one of opposing yer before finding it''s way to Hiro.


    There were already two yers tailing him from behind. Thus without even looking, Hiro then performed a chop as he sent the ball out of the box.


    "What?!"


    Those two yers who were tailing him, murmured in shock almost at the same time.


    However before they could adjust their thoughts, Hiro nimbly swayed his body and changed his direction.


    His footworks insane, his vision unparalleled, when everybody were focused on him, he managed to shift the attention away from him and disappear from the limelight only to appear again after short while.


    That chop pass was meant for Kaminari who had almost disappeared after performing that throw-in a moment ago.


    The moment yers closed to Hiro shifted their attention towards Kaminari, Hiro immediately disappeared from their sight.


    As those two yers who were tailing after Hiro, refocused their attention towards Hiro, he was nowhere to be seen.


    Unable to find him, their heart skipped a beat as they vigorously looked around them in a state of panic.


    ''What?! When did he get behind me?'' thought one of the yer after seeing Hiro behind him.


    Those defenders who were trying to take advantage of Nijichi''s carelessness had already changed their target to Kaminari. And right now, all of them were rushing towards Kaminari.


    Kaminari on the other hand, without even trapping the ball yed a one-two pass to Hiro who had already left his position and relocated himself in a new position.


    All along to perform this high intensity movements, Hiro had been making use of both his skill Eagle Eye and lightning steps.


    Eagle eye to locate the most optimal options and lightning steps to increase his mobility.


    All these ys had happened so fast that some opponents were still in daze.


    As Kaminari returned back the pass to Hiro, after facing Hiro''s long shots countless times, opposing yers naturally assumed that Hiro was going for a shot.


    However all along they were still forgetting one thing. Nijichi had started to run but now he was nowhere to be seen.


    Subconsciously Mohammed had also assumed that Hiro was going for a shot. However because of some unknown reasons, he was feeling quite restless.


    As if something wasn''t right or as if his senses were telling that something was amiss.


    The moment most of the yers raised there legs to block Hiro''s shot, Mohammad who was rushing towards Kaminari finally realised the reason which was making him restless.


    The shot Hiro had pulled off was way off target. Although it contained power, it wasn''t aimed at the post.


    As if he was intentionally hitting the ball outside of the post, unlike his previous urate shots, this time it was way off target.


    But right at this moment, Mohammad''s pupils expanded greatly and his lips became dry. He should be shouting, yet he stood their frozen at his ce.


    Hiro had never meant to shoot that ball. From the beginning he was nning to pass the ball.


    That shot wasn''t actually a shot instead it was a powerful pass to Nijichi who had been running since a moment ago.


    From one side to next, right now Nijichi was on the opposite nk rushing towards the ball.


    Before most yers could even turn around, Nijichi slid down while extending his legs. Because of the power Hiro had put on the ball, Nijichi didn''t even require to kick hard.


    All he had to to do was put his legs in between and change the direction of the ball.


    And that''s what he did. He only extended his legs without even trying to kick the ball.


    The ball as it bounced off Nijichi''s legs, changed it''s direction towards the post.


    The keeper of Saudi Arabia had already made his dive earlier to prevent the shot, shot by Hiro. But now while facing this unexpected turn of events, he could do absolutely nothing.


    He could only watch like a spectator.


    Apart from his height, he knew that he wasn''t anything special. His reflexes were decent not like those world ss keepers with insane reflexes. Thus he couldn''t change his direction midway and make another dive.


    At once, sea of spectators erupted into euphoria as they witnessed the ball crossing the goal-line.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!"


    Their loud cheers reverberated all over the stadium like deafening sound of thunder.


    Although the main orchestrator who had orchestrated this amazing y remained silent, Nijichi who had delivered the final flow immediately lifted his body from the ground and rushed towards the sidelines.


    Sliding along the way on his legs, he celebrated his goal by yelling at the top his voice, "Yeaahhhhh!!" While throwing his fist in the air.


    "Magnificent!! Absolutely magnificent. A brilliant disy of team y by yers of Japan" spoke thementator.


    yers of Japan continued to celebrate for a while. And only after sometime, did they stop their celebration to return back to their position.


    And just like this, they further expanded their lead. Finally as the referee blew the final whistle of the game, announcing the end of the game, all of the yers halted their movement.


    And just like this Japan easily won the game against Saudi Arabia by andslide score of 5-1.

 Chapter 265 Off to the worldcup

    <h4>Chapter 265 Off to the worldcup </h4>


    At the same time, some yers of Japan dropped on their knees while some yers started hugging each other.


    Their faces beamed with triumph and relief.


    In the midst of chaos, some yers rushed towards Hiro who had been remaining silent. Urging him to celebrate with the team, they forcefully dragged him towards the spot where most of the yers were gathered.


    They then started to jump and sing while the crowd further instigated them to celebrate.


    Soaking in the adtion from the euphoric roars, Hiro''s heart pounded with a mixture of pride and tion.


    Right now, at this moment, the air around the stadium was filled with chants and cheers, echoing the name of team Japan.


    The condition of the coaching staff wasn''t any different either. Specially manager Haruki, his eyes were glistening with tears of exhration.


    Although they still had another match to y, however with this victory they had already guaranteed themselves a spot in the worldcup.


    Thus even though it wasn''t the final match, yers, coaches and everybody present in the field who supported Japan were quite ted at this moment.


    While the celebration continued on the field,mentator kept on bombarding the speakers, congratting team Japan for their deserved victory.


    Hiro while basking in the glory, took a moment to reflect on his journey. The selection camp, first defeat in the selection camp, first group match, his injury which took him out for two games, the night when he copsed after shooting five hundred shots, everything started to sh before his eyes as he reminisced his journey.


    While reminiscing his past experiences, he let out a subtle smile as he turned to look at the scoreboard which was disying the result of the match that had taken ce in this stadium.


    That scoreboard was the proof. It was the proof of his hardship.


    Hiro then let out a mouth full of turbid air and spoke determinedly, "Worldcup... here Ie"


    Just like this their celebration continued for a long while.


    However they weren''t the only one who were joyous at this moment, at a certain stadium, yers of South Korea u17 national team were also celebrating their triumph over Qatar u17 national team.


    Narrowly defeating their opponent with a score of 3-2, just like Japan, South Korean u17 national team had also booked themselves a spot at the u17 worldcup which was going to take ce in Indonesia after some time.


    And just like the people present on scene, people who were supporting those two team behind the screen were also celebrating their triumph.


    Few of such people were people who were close to Hiro; his parents, his friends and coaches who had coached him previously.


    "Fly high my son..." Looking at the screen, Takashi who was brimming with pride, muttered softly.


    "Remember everybody, this is my friend Hiro" Akashi who was currently watching the match alongside his friend, announced while beating his chest.


    **** ****


    The moon, a luminous crescent hanging freely in the dark heaven was illuminating ethereally while casting a soft glow over thendscape.


    Apanying it, countless stars were also flickering in the night sky. With fewer clouds, the beauty of the night sky had been unfolded to it''s maximum.


    "Sigh!!" Looking at the night sky while leaning his body against the window, Hiro heaved a deep sigh.


    Apart from the moonlight which was entering his room through his window, his room was quite dark.


    At this moment, a figure of a person slowly emerged from within the shadows.


    Step!! Step!! Step!!


    As the sounds of the steps intensified, his figure became bigger. At the same time, his appearance became clear as he stepped outside of the shadow.


    Jet ck hair, ck pupils, tanned skin, he was wearing a smile on his face.


    His white teeths sparkled as he opened his mouth, "Why does our captain looking so sad?"


    Hiro who was aware of the arrival of that person didn''t bother to turn back to look at him.


    "Then why are you so happy?" Asked Hiro whilst still looking at the sky.


    Hearing Hiro''s question, Shun chuckled as he replied in a cheerful tone, "Hahaha... We''ve qualified for the u17 worldcup, why wouldn''t I be happy?"


    Listening to Shun''s response, Hiro let out a mouth full of turbid air before replying, "Precisely that''s why I''m worried"


    He was worried because they had qualified? Shouldn''t he be happy instead?


    Hiro''s responsepletely baffled Shun. Unable to understand the meaning Hidden behind Hiro''s words, Shun blurted out, "Huh?? What do you mean?"


    Hiro then slowly retracted his gaze from the night sky and turned around.


    Locking eyes with Shun, Hiro frowned his brows before answering, "We''ve merely qualified for the worldcup. We''ve not won it, so why should I be happy?"


    Hiro''s question rung in Shun''s ear. But Shun found it quite unsettling to hear such remarks from Hiro.


    Why you may ask?


    Because there were countless teams who were dying to y in Worldcup, yet his team''s captain wasn''t satisfied with qualifying for the worldcup.


    Was he arrogant? Or was he dumb?


    As much as Shun knew about Hiro, he knew that Hiro wasn''t arrogant. And speaking of being dumb. Apart from studies, when it came to football, he was one with the highest IQ.


    So why was Hiro saying such words?


    Shun''s mind continued to think at lightning speed. He tried to decipher the meaning behind Hiro''s words, but to no avail.


    He couldn''te to a conclusion no matter how much he thought.


    Right now at this moment, Shun''s figure was like that of a monkey trying to do maths.


    Seeing Shun''s troubled expression, Hiro decided to clear his doubts for him.


    Hiro then eased his brows a little and cleared his throat before speaking, "Ahum!!"


    "Until now we''ve faced decent opponents. But in worldcup we won''t be able to face decent opponents. We''ll be facing the toughest and sharpest in the entire world. There''ll also be yers who are already ying with professionals"


    "Unlike us who are ying with the kids of our age group, we''ll face against those yers who have already started ying professionally. Their game knowledge will be better than us, their experiences will be greater than us and unlike us to them football is more than a sport."


    As Hiro spoke such words, Shun''s expression turnedplicated as he started realising the meaning behind Hiro''s words.

 Chapter 266 Flames of determination

    <h4>Chapter 266 mes of determination </h4>


    Hiro''s words run amuck inside his head, making him forget about the joy of victory he was feeling a moment ago.


    Lost in deep thoughts, he couldn''t even bring himself to deny Hiro''s words. Afterall the words spewed out of Hiro''s mouth were all true facts and no matter how much he wanted to deny them, he couldn''t.


    Hiro''s words were like quicksand, gradually dragging him inside.


    Whirlpool of thoughts started to appear inside his head as he kept thinking, ''It totally makes sense. We''ve barely qualified for the worldcup. Our struggle only begins now''


    Finally he realised how much of an ignorant he had been. He and his other teammates were blinded by their superficial victory.


    Their hardship hadn''t finished. Infact it had only started.


    As realisation dawned upon him, he finally opened his mouth, "Then what will we do Hiro? Should we start preparing right away?"


    His voice a little deeper than usual contained a glint of understanding. Shun genuinely wanted to tackle the aforementioned problem by Hiro.


    Shun''s genuine intentions touched Hiro. He felt like his words weren''t wasted in vain. Thus Hiro slightly lifted the corner of his lips and eased his tensed brows.


    Hiro then softened his tone a little while letting out a subtle chuckle, "Haha.. For now let them enjoy. They''ve all earned this victory. But we need to increase our effort after celebrating for a while"


    Having such conversations, two of them then continued to converse for a long time while their teammates continued their celebration.


    Totally unaware of the conversation taking ce right under their nose, yers of Japan u17 national team freely celebrated their victory by having a feast without any worries.


    But one thing changed after that conversation- Shun''s vision broadened.


    The night quickly passed and as the first ray of the sun broke through the sky and illuminated the east horizon, dawn arrived.


    At this time while most yers of Japan remained asleep, a silhouette of a person could be seen moving in the field.


    Huff!! Huff!!


    His face a little sweaty, his cheeks a bit flushed and his breathing a little hurried, right now this person was running around a field.


    His ck hair was dangling as he moved along the field. Although his face looked a bit tired, his eyes were glowing with determination.


    All of a sudden, as a light shed past his eyes, he increased his pace.


    Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!


    Panting heavily, he halted his movement all of a sudden. He then slightly crooked his back as he ced both his hands atop his knees inturn resting his upper body.


    At this moment, a voice echoed, "Quite fancy seeing you here so early in the morning"


    The voice a bit cheerful contained a hint of sarcasm.


    He wanted to answer yet he couldn''t because of his breathing. He couldn''t stop gasping for breath. His heart was pounding, he could even hear his heartbeat.


    For a while, he continued gasping. Finally as his breathing stabilised a little, he spoke with great difficulty, "I... I never... Huff!! realised that... Huff!! my stamina was so bad Huff!!"


    As soon as he finished answering, followed by a cheerful voice, a burst ofughter echoed around him, "Hahaha.... That''s why I kept on telling you to increase your stamina. Although you don''t require to run much, stamina stilles in handy even for you"


    He then slowly lifted his upper body and straightened his back. And as he looked infront of him, a figure of a person reflected in his ck pupils.


    ck hair, brown eyes and sharp nose, his face looked really attractive simr to that of a magazine model.


    "Just how do you manage to run everyday Hiro?" He spoke while locking eyes with Hiro.


    Although his breathing had stabilised to a great extent, a mixture of emotions such as surprise and reverence could be seen on his face.


    Faced with his question, Hiro rolled his eyes away from him before rolling them back to him again, "You too know it Shun"


    Saying such, Hiro finished his ambiguous answer with a smile.


    Shun who was still gasping for breath found it hard toprehend. Thus he disyed a perplexed expression.


    ''How would I know?'' He thought while looking at Hiro with a question above his head.


    As Hiro lowered his body to put on his cleats, he mumbled casually, "Practice Shun. The more you practice the better you be"


    It wasn''t a mystery to the people present around Hiro that Hiro took practices very seriously.


    Most of the time he''d arrive early before everybody and leavete. And even when there wasn''t any practice session organised by the team, he''d practice by himself.


    He was like a training maniac who loved torturing his body. And most people in his club had already started calling him by that nickname behind his back.


    Like who''d even want to torture their body when they''re not required to?


    There''s a saying that goes by, "Hardwork beats talent". But what if talented people work hard too?


    Then will it be possible for any normal people to catch up to them? The answer to that question is yes.


    Although some people are born innately talented. As long as one keep up his dedication and doesn''t sway away from his path whilst still working hard, even a normal person with average talent can outperform a talented person.


    Talent will find it''s way to you as long as you remain disciplined and work hard.


    Even in football, most of the time talented yers only stay at limelight for a while, while hardworking yers remain at the limelight for the long run.


    There are countless people who strive to be professional. Wouldn''t there be many talented yers among them?


    But not many of those talent can ovee the temptation of procrastination and greed. And only those who remain consistent till the end find themselves in the spotlight.

 Chapter 267 Day-off

    <h4>Chapter 267 Day-off </h4>


    And by the time, Shun was about to open his mouth, Hiro had already left his sight and started running.


    Although still tired, after finding Hiro jogging about some distance away from him, Shun immediately began to chase after Hiro.


    Even though Hiro hadn''t talked about anything special, the spark of determination which had been kindled within Shun since yesterday burned even more furiously as he became even more determined to improve himself.


    Although hidden from the outside world, something was definitely taking ce inside Shun right now.


    While Hiro and Shun were running in the field infront of the hotel which they were staying, manager Haruki who had been observing those two since some moment ago lifted the corner of his lips.


    His eyes sparkled and his face lit up.


    Intently staring at the two of them, he then mumbled softly while letting out a subtle chuckle, "These two are the only ones from this entire team who are ready for the world cup"


    Mumbling such, he then retracted his gaze away from those two and walked away.


    Manager Haruki wasn''t the only one who was watching these two boys right now. Kazan was also paying close attention to them.


    Since the day of their arrival, he had been monitoring Hiro. From Hiro he could feel a deep sense of ambition which he couldn''t feel from other yers.


    Although Shun wasn''t part of his focus before, but now even Shun had entered his radar of focus.


    "Another seed has started to sprout" Kazan mumbled in his husky voice while looking at the figure of those two boys running in the field.


    His eerie ck eyes seemed extremely mysterious while his indifferent expression further entuated the mystery hidden behind that face.


    **** ****


    Dressed in casual fitted fancy clothes, Hiro and the gang were right now standing infront of a huge ss door decorated by bright lights of different colours.


    The world beyond the ss door was filled with the sounds of nging machines, shing lights and excited chatter.


    That door which they were standing infront right now, seemed like an entrance to a fantasy world.


    "We''re finally here" excitedly spoke Yutaka.


    His eyes reflecting the colourful lightsing from inside the door was glistening with joy and excitement. At the same time, cresent like smile was etched on his face.


    "I''m gonna enjoy this moment to it''s fullest" enthusiastically shouted another person from the group of people gathered around Hiro.


    Hiro and the gang then slowly walked towards the door. And just as they pushed open the door, a gust of thick scent of sweat, popcorn, coke envaded their nose.


    However nobody among them seemed bothered by the thick scent as most of them became even more excited upon entering through that ss door.


    Compared to the air outside the door, the air inside the door was quite heavy.


    A sharp contrast to the world outside the door, the ce where they were standing right now was very colourful.


    Every nook and canny of this huge ce infront of them was being lit by led and neon lights of different colours.


    Kids and teens of different age group were wandering around the aisles in search of their next game.


    Right now, Hiro and the gang were inside an arcade. After theirst victory, coaches had decided to award the yer with a day-off where they could enjoy themselves to the fullest.


    However not every yer had chosen to visit the arcade. Their were quite a lot of yers who had decided to do different activities.


    "Should we try bowling first?" Yutaka spoke excitedly while pointing at bowling ball segment.


    "No we should first try our luck on w machines" another yer rebuked.


    "What are you all talking about? We should probably go over there first" Shun suggested while pointing at one of the segment.


    Following the direction of Shun''s finger, everybody turned to look at the direction pointed by his finger.


    In the direction pointed by Shun''s finger, a very attractive looking girl was leaning into a racing game. Her body swaying in time with the car''s movement on the screen.


    Her heart shaped face was framed by cascading waves of lustrous, honey-colored hair that tumbled down to her shoulders, asionally catching the light and disying a stunning array of golden hues.


    With twinkling eyes that sparkled like stars, she exuded a captivating charm that drew people towards her effortlessly.


    Immediately as they witnessed the figure of that girl, they were instantly charmed by her beauty; bewitched by her appearance. Hearts could be seen forming in their eyes.


    A lot of yers then began to express their agreement with Shun''s suggestion.


    "Yes, I agree with Shun" one of the yer spoke while nodding his head with a straight face.


    "I too agree"


    "I agree as well"


    "We should y some car games to pump our adrenaline"


    Although every single one of those who agreed were trying to mask their emotions by disying a straight face, one could tell just by looking at them that they had totally fallen head over heels for that girl in the racing segment.


    Just like people charmed by subus, they hadpletely lost their reasoning.


    They had totally given in to their desire. And Hiro who was still clear-headed could clearly see behind those faces.


    He knew that they couldn''t be persuaded no matter what. Thus he readily agreed to their decision, "Those who want to go can go. Everybody''s free to choo-"


    Before Hiro could even finish his sentence, almost all of them who had entered the arcade with him, stormed towards the direction where the girl was seated.


    "-se whatever they like to y" a bit slowly, hepleted his sentence.


    They were like hungry crocodiles, running towards their prey. Every single one of them wanted to reach the segment first. They all werepeting among themselves.

 Chapter 268 Arcade

    <h4>Chapter 268 Arcade </h4>


    Yutaka who was one of the few guys who had stayed put, let out a mischievous chuckle upon seeing Hiro''s distressful state, "Hahahah... Seems like they''re forgetting that they''d need tickets to y"


    "Well let''s leave them be" mumbled Hiro as he turned towards other guys who had stayed behind, "Then does anybody have any suggestions on where we should go first?"


    Among those few guys who had stayed behind, one was Takeshi Ono.


    Compared to other guys of their group, he was really standing out because of his massive physique. Dressed in dark green coloured varsity jacket, white t-shirt and jeans, he really seemed like a bouncer.


    "Should we try that punching machine?" Takeshi suggested.


    Takeshi had remained silent the whole time. And it was the first time, he had spoken since their arrival.


    Having no better alternatives, everybody nodded their head in agreement.


    "That works with me"


    "I''m fine with the suggestion as well"


    Since nobody objected to Takeshi''s suggestion, they then headed towards the direction of the punching machine.


    Already a lot of people were gathered around the punching machine. While one of the guy was preparing tounch his fist, some guys gathered around him were shouting frantically, wearing smiles on their faces.


    "Yeah 879 baby!!" Shouted one of the boy in foreignnguage.


    The kids gathered around the punching machine, broke into excited cheers as they hooted for the guy who was had just finished hitting the punching bag.


    Their loud excited cheers managed to grab the attention of Hiro and his teammates as well.


    "That guy looks tough" Hiromented in awe upon seeing the score disyed in the screen.


    "Yeah, it''s the highest score" Yutaka who was standing right beside Hiro, nodded his head in agreement.


    "Do you think you can beat that score?" Hiro asked while turning his gaze towards Takeshi.


    Faced with Hiro''s question, Takeshi replied in a humble tone, "Well I can try"


    After some moment, as the group gathered finished their turns, Takeshi stepped infront.


    Seeing the big guy walking towards the machine, a lot of people gave him astonishing gazes, awed by Takeshi''s massive physique.


    "Woah!! Look at him"


    "He''s damn huge!!"


    Paying no heed to the onlookers who were intently staring at him and gossiping about him, Takeshi began to stretch his arms, preparing to hit.


    Witnessing Takeshi''s actions, crowd gathered around Takeshi started growing even more curious. Everybody wanted to witness the might of this titan of a man.


    Amidst the rising curiosity in the eyes of spectators, Takeshi finally took his stance as he prepared to swing his fist.


    Bang!!


    At once a loud bang sound resounded as Takeshi fiercely swung his fist at the punching machine.


    Receiving Takeshi''s strike, the whole punching machine shuddered while the red number disyed on the screen of the machine continued to rise.


    As the number continued to rise, most eyes which were staring at Takeshi disyed a look of shock while most faces turnedpletely pale with shock.


    And as time passed those eyes filled with shock slowly turned anxious with anticipation.


    ''Will he beat the high score?''


    ''What score will he get?''


    Such thoughts appeared in the heads of most of the onlookers upon seeing the changing number on the screen which kept on rising.


    Slowly the number crossed the 900 mark with ease. Still it didn''t seem like it was going to stop any moment soon. It was still rising rapidly.


    Finally after short while, the numbers stopped rising.


    "989...." One of the onlooker blurted subconsciously while looking at the screen.


    At once as the number finally stopped, Yutaka and the rest erupted hysterically as they began to shout enthusiastically.


    "Woooooooooaaaaaahhhh!!!"


    "A new high score"


    Even Hiro couldn''t help but admire Takeshi''s strength. Not only was his physique like that of a bear, even his strength was like that of a bear.


    After spending some time at the punching machine, Hiro and the gang began to wander through aisle after aisles, trying every single game within their sight, enjoying themselves to the fullest.


    While they continued to navigate through the arcade, time continued to pass. However Shun and the rest who had separated from their earlier were nowhere to be seen.


    Even so nobody paid any attention to them and continued to enjoy themselves.


    Just like that while skimming through different games in the arcade, they arrived at a spot where a lot of people were gathered.


    The loud sounds of cheers andughtering from the crowd immediately caught their attention.


    Thus at once all of them halted their movement. Since the whole area was surrounded by people and they were a little far from the ce, they couldn''t understand the reason behind themotion taking ce infront of them.


    "What''s happening over there?" Hiro questioned while pointing at the direction where crowds of people were gathered.


    "May be something interesting is happening over there" Yutaka spoke excitedly.


    "Wait isn''t that Honda?" Takeshi spoke while pointing at one of the person.


    Just as Takeshi said so, all of them turned to look at the direction pointed by his finger.


    "Not only Honda but look Denji''s over there as well" Yutaka replied while sweeping his gaze around the crowd.


    As they continued to observe, they found many of their teammates mixed in the crowd.


    "Seems like everybody''s gathered here." Hiro spoke nonchntly after finding most of his teammates mixed in the crowd, "Shall we go check out what''s happening over there?"


    As he said so, all of his teammates gathered around him nodded their head in agreement. They then collectively walked towards the direction where the lively crowd was gathered.


    Honda who wasn''t aware of his teammates arrival was worriedly looking infront as if something was troubling him.


    "Honda" as Takeshi called out for Honda while putting his hands atop Honda''s shoulder, Honda''s heart skipped a beat as he let out a horrified scream, "Ahhhh!!"


    Honda was startled and thus his body reacted subconsciously and tried to flee from Takeshi''s reach.

 Chapter 269 Arcade II

    <h4>Chapter 269 Arcade II </h4>


    As those people fumbled, a gap formed in one part of the crowd. From those gap, Hiro saw the image of Shun.


    However before anybody could find out the reason behind themotion, Takeshi quickly pulled out Honda and dragged him away.


    "Who''s that?"


    "Can''t you stay put?"


    "Who pushed me?"


    The crowd of people who were affected, as they stabilised their bnce began to rebuke furiously, trying to find the culprit behind the source ofmotion.


    Unable to find the person who caused themotion, some of them began to point fingers at each other.


    Soon a heated argument started in the crowd. However the argument didn''tst long as something interesting diverted their attention away from the argument.


    By now, Honda had calmed down as well. At first he was startled but after seeing the familiar faces of his teammates, he immediately calmed down.


    Immediately as the situation calmed down, Hiro started to interrogate Honda, "So what''s happening over there? Why are you all gathering around here? Why is Shun surrounded by this crowd?"


    Before Honda could even answer to Hiro''s question, Yutaka interrupted as he raised his own question, "Shun''s over there as well?"


    Since most of them hadn''t seen Shun among the crowd, they were quite shocked to hear that Shun was among the crowd and that too at the center of the crowd.


    Just as Yutaka opened his mouth, Hiro tilted his head towards Yutaka, coldly staring at him, "Let him answer first"


    His deep voice carried a hint of annoyance.


    Although he didn''t voiced his opinion but his gaze right now was screaming, "Wasn''t I asking the same thing? Was it necessary for you to repeat?"


    Facing Hiro''s gaze, Yutaka immediately zipped his mouth as he diverted his gaze away from Hiro.


    Hiro then once again turned towards Honda and asked, "Then will you tell us why?"


    "It all happened a moment ago. While we were trying to make an impression on that cute girl from before, some Korean guys showed up and pushed Ken. Seeing those guys bullying Ken, Shun stepped infront. But we were just too few in numberspared to them. However since there are CCTV cameras installed, those guys also didn''t dare to fight with us in open."


    While hearing Honda''s exnation, Hiro felt a sense of uneasiness rising within him. Honda''s exnation wasn''t sitting right with him. He felt as if something was amiss.


    Thus to satisfy his uneasiness, he interevend Honda''s exnation with a question, "So you''re saying that they came asking for troubles without any reason?"


    Just as Hiro asked this question, Honda''s neck reddened, beads of sweat started appearing atop his forehead and his eyes tried to desperately avoid Hiro''s gazes.


    Hiro who was closely monitoring Honda immediately caught onto his distress. Sure enough he had hit the nail.


    Sure enough he figured out that something wasn''t right with Honda''s exnation.


    While rolling his eyes away from Hiro, Honda shuddered while continuing, "Well... They did find trouble with us first"


    Hint of hesitation could be found from Honda''s words. As if he was trying to mask the truth, Hiro could tell that Honda wasn''t speaking the truth.


    Why would they start a fight over an unknown girl whom they don''t even know?


    Even that part about Ken being pushed, sounded kinda fake. Like there are so many CCTV cameras installed, how could someone be so courageous to tantly push someone infront of that many cameras?


    From earlier Hiro had been suspicious of Honda''s words. Although it''s rude to say, however Ken was kind of a creep.


    Especially his habit of staring was really creepy. He''d stare at any beautiful female without taking his eyes off her.


    And now upon seeing, Honda''s expression filled with anxiousness and trepidation, Hiro finally confirmed his suspicion.


    Thus to squeeze the truth out of Honda, Hiro started to put pressure on Honda, "So you''re telling me that they pushed Ken right under the nose of camera for absolutely no reason?"


    Hiro''s question made Honda even more flustered than before. Even his hands started to tremble at this moment.


    And just as Honda was about to open his mouth, Hiro further added the pressure on him, "Honda, this story sounds extremely made up. I know you''re hiding something. So it''s better if you tell us the truth"


    Suddenly a chill ran down his spine as he heard Hiro''s words. He tried to sneakily take a peek at Hiro.


    But upon meeting eyes with Hiro, he felt like he was striped naked under the snow. As if those piercing gaze was not looking at him but looking at his soul, he felt like he couldn''t hide anything from those eyes.


    Thus he resigned to his fate and answered honestly without hiding anything, "That girl whom we were trying to approach. We thought she was alone. But turns out that she was sister of one of the yer from Korean national u17 team and she wasn''t all alone."


    As if ayer of cloud lifted from his sight and revealed the mystery hidden behind the cloud, Hiro started to understand the situation which had taken ce.


    Probably Ken would have creeped her out. After that the girl called her brothers. And finally they got into this mess.


    "We tried to converse with her, however since she spoke in Korean we couldn''t understand her. We then decided to give up pursuing her. However Ken didn''t. Even after we stopped pestering her, Ken kept on following her. I''m not sure what she spoke. But I can tell that she probably would have told him to stop following him."


    As Honda was saying such, Hiro intervened, "Then why didn''t you guys stop him?"


    "All of us were busy doing something else. Probably most of us didn''t even see him. And I also only found that out on my way to restroom"

 Chapter 270 Arcade III

    <h4>Chapter 270 Arcade III </h4>


    Hiro on the other hand upon listening to his exnations began to contemte. He could roughly summarise the situation that was unfolding currently.


    "So she called her brother on you guys?" Yutaka couldn''t hold himself back from questioning.


    Honda helplessly shook his head before answering, "No... She didn''t"


    "She didn''t?!" Yutaka blurted out in shock with both his voice and brows raised.


    Honda''s answer greatly surprised everybody. His answers werepletely out of their expectation. Even Hiro who had thought that he had figured out the situation was stunned by his answer.


    In one way or other, every one of them who were listening to Honda''s exnation had thought that the girl had called her brother on them.


    However when Honda denied that im andpletely obliterated their expectation, they couldn''t help but disy look full of surprise.


    ''Then why did theye to find trouble with them?'' Hiro pondered after listening to Honda''s response.


    The fog which he had thought had cleared from his mind suddenly became dense as it totally veiled his vision.


    However the next sentence which came out from Honda''s mouth, once again cleared that fog which was clouding his mind, "She didn''t but her brother found it out and thus he came with his teammates to discipline Ken. After that to defend Ken, Shun stepped forward. And here we are now,peting against them with the bet that the loser has to kneel down and beg for forgiveness"


    Finally everything fell into ce. However judging by the tone of Honda and judging from his earlier anxious expression, Hiro could deduce that they were losing currently.


    Even so, to confirm his doubts, Hiro decided to question Honda beforeing to a conclusion, "So what''s the theme ofpetition? And are you guys winning or losing?"


    "The theme of thepetition is to score the most number of goals from penalty and freekick against that robot goalkeeper ced over there. And as for whether we are winning or losing. Currently we are...." While Honda was speaking, he paused all of a sudden. His eyes flickered with hesitation.


    Sure enough, judging by his reaction, everybody present there could tell that they were losing currently.


    Thus many of them frowned while seeing Honda''s hesitation.


    "Can we switch yers?" Hiro asked.


    Upon hearing such wordsing out Hiro''s mouth, out of nowhere Honda''s gaze perked-up as it jolted towards Hiro.


    The me of hope which was on the verge of extinguishing flickered with unprecedented light as it ignited even more furiously.


    He knew that if Hiro were to step in, situation could still be salvaged. He knew that with Hiro''s help, they could turn the tides.


    Honda''s gaze flickered with hope as he hurriedly answered while vigorously nodding his head, "Yes as long as it is from our team we can. Only about 4 shots have been shot, so we still have 6 more penalty shots and 10 more freekick shots"


    It had been a lot time since they started to interrogate Honda. So obviously, they''d have shot more shots than that.


    "Then let''s hurry up" Hiro spoke as he asked Honda to lead the way.


    Squeezing their way out of the crowd, they then arrived at the scene. Right now the opposing team had scored 5 out of 7 penalty. On the other hand, his teammates had managed to score only 3 out of 7 penalty.


    The difference although seemed small was infact quite huge.


    Considering the absence of most of his team''s attacking yers, one could say that they were performing fairly well.


    However that didn''t mean that Hiro was impressed by his teammates. On the contrary, he was quite upset with his teammates.


    While they still had a game in hand, they had created a ruckus with their opponents even before the start of the game. And that too, on a foreignnd.


    If coaches were to find out about this incident, they were surely going to get reprimanded. Even worst they might never be allowed to leave on their own afterwards.


    "Woohoo!!"


    "Good shot!! Good shot!!"


    The crowd gathered around the space were shouting while an anonymous young boy with ck hair was preparing to shoot the ball.


    The post infront was just about the size of real football post. And the inanimate keeper made out of stic was about as tall as the post.


    The boy then tried to shoot the ball at the top right corner, however the robot keeper blocked his shot with ease.


    Although the inanimate keeper could only move left and right, it could cover almost the entire post.


    To beat that keeper, either you''d have to shoot precisely at the top left or top right corner or you''d just have shoot faster than the keeper''s reaction.


    Considering that the keeper could sense the direction of the ball because of the sensor ced inside the ball and urately judge the timing of save, it was almost near to impossible to trick that robot keeper.


    And even that former option to try to slot the ball at the top corner, it was easier said than done.


    However Hiro who had seen way advanced technology than this let out a subtle smile upon seeing this marvel of a man.


    In future there''d be robot yers who could not only imitate the movements of real yers but could also surpass the reaction speed of world-ss yers.


    Specially that holographic AI training assistant, although still far from perfect, it revolutionised the modern training.


    However Hiro never got the opportunity to experience any of those things. Those things were only reserved for the elite clubs.


    And Hiro who couldn''t even make it to the professional stage could only watch them on the screen from afar.


    Upon seeing Hiro, Shun and other who were participating in thepetition, their face lit up as a bright smile formed on their face.

 Chapter 271 Arcade IV

    <h4>Chapter 271 Arcade IV </h4>


    A moment ago when they were losing, they were quite anxious. But now their expression had aplete turnover.


    However their cheerful expression and their eyes flickering with hope didn''t go unnoticed as opposing yers managed to catch a glimpse of their hopeful faces as well.


    Upon seeing those same people who were despairing a moment ago, brimming with joy, they couldn''t help but feel uneasy.


    A sharp contrast to the cheerful faces of their opponents, their faces right now was filled with doubts and confusion.


    Just like premonition to their impending doom, they felt extreme uneasiness upon seeing those smiling faces.


    They then followed the direction where those hopeful eyes were looking. As they followed their eyes, they found out a figure of a young boy dressed exquisitely.


    His finely chiseled features were as delicate as porcin, framed by tousled locks of jet ck hair. His sharp almond shaped eyes were the color of wood, glistening with vitality.


    As if his face was sculpted by a master sculptor, he looked very attractive.


    However the moment, theynded their eyes on him, they immediately recognised the person.


    Unwittingly some of them blurted the name of the boy whose image was reflecting in their eyes right now, "Takahashi Hiro"


    In this short tournament, Hiro had already made his name known. There were hardly any yers in the tournament who didn''t recognise him.


    Top scorer of the qualifier, top assist provider of the qualifier, yer with the most MOTM despite missing two games, a yer who could singlehandedly change the flow of game all by himself, an absolute ace.


    "So you''ve finally showed yourself" one of the boy present among the opposing group mumbled.


    His eyes glowed fiercely with determination as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist while looking at Hiro.


    The beef between these two team may seem simple superficially. However it was rather dark.


    Like why would those South Korean yers go to such lengths to settle score with them? They could just threaten and warn Ken for his behaviour. Or at worst, they could just gang up on Ken in an area with no security cameras installed if they were really that upset.


    Why would they make such ridiculous bet despite knowing that the other team was on the wrong?


    This wholepetition was infact a farce. A set-up to lure Hiro. A stage to tests Hiro''s capabilities.


    A moment ago when Hiro and his team had just entered the arcade, one of the yer from South Korean national u17 team had luckily encountered them.


    After that he had been following Hiro and the others secretly. However since Hiro and the rest split up, he could only follow one group.


    At first after their split up, he wanted to follow Hiro''s group. However upon seeing the sister of one of his teammates getting approached by Shun and the rest, he decided to follow them instead.


    Sneakily stalking them from the shadows, he kept his eyes fixated on them, waiting for an opportunity.


    However after getting turned down by Kim Tae-ri, all of them stopped pestering her.


    Witnessing such scenario unfolding infront of him, he felt quite dejected and was about to give up.


    However right when he was about to give up, his gazended on Ken.


    After that he followed Ken. Even though Ken was kinda creepy he was still only trying to befriend her. However Kim Tae-ri found it rather creepy because of Ken''s unsightly appearance.


    If a handsome man tries to talk to a girl, it''s flirting or he''s just being nice. However if a man with poor appearance tries to talk to an unknown girl, it''s harassment. Such is the nature of this world.


    Taking advantage of this scenario, Park Seung-gyu unfolded his brilliant n leading to this current situation.


    ''Finally I can test your abilities. I wasn''t expecting to meet you guys here today. But I was really lucky to find you guys. I had to go through extreme lengths to set this stage. However since you didn''t show up, I thought that all my efforts of setting this stage was going to go in vain. But I''m really d that you finally showed up Takahashi Hiro hahahaha" Park Seung-gyu mused inwardly.


    Shun and the rest, wearing joyous smile on their face walked towards Hiro.


    "You need to redeem us Hiro"


    "Only you can turn the tides Hiro"


    As they approached Hiro, they began to ask him to help them. They all ced their expectations on Hiro.


    To them Hiro was the saviour who could save them from public humiliation.


    Hiro however coldly swept his gaze towards them before answering, "I''ll take over. However this ruckus which you''ve all created, you need to pay for your mistakes afterwards. I hope every single one of you are prepared"


    Saying so, Hiro walked towards the spot and spoke, "Will it be a problem if I participate?"


    As he spoke such, all of the opposing team confusedly looked at him.


    Upon seeing their puzzled expression, Hiro quickly realised his fault. He was speaking in Japanese with Koreans. Obviously they wouldn''t understand it.


    However if they couldn''t understand Japanese then who suggested thepetition?


    Hiro was pretty sure that none of his teammates present in the arcade knew Korean. So how was thepetition set up?


    The more he thought about it, the more confusing it got. As if he was stuck trying to untangle aplicated structure of many strings tangled together, he found it extremely hard toe to a conclusion.


    In a trance like state, Hiro kept on pondering. However the next instant, wordsing out from the mouth of one of the Korean yer finally cleared his doubts.


    "No worries. Since you are there teammate, you can participate. We won''t object" Park Seung-gyu spoke as he expressed his willingness to let Hiro participate in thepetition.


    Most of the crowd who were Chinese couldn''t understand the conversation happening between the two of them. Even so, they could tell that something was taking ce between them.

 Chapter 272 Arcade V

    <h4>Chapter 272 Arcade V </h4>


    ''So you are the culprit'' Hiro thought while looking at the figure of Seung-gyu.


    Fair skinned, pointy nose and almond shaped ck eyes, he was about 3-4 inches taller than Hiro. His short ck hair which was parted in the middle was cascading smoothly to his ears.


    Wearing an amicable smile on his face, Seung-gyu continued, "You can join thepetition. However upon losing you''ll also have to share the punishment"


    "You..." Shun greeted his teeth as he shot gaze full of rage towards Seung-gyu.


    Not only Shun but all his teammates who were involved in this mess present there at the moment shot gaze full of disdain towards Park Seung-gyu.


    Sure enough, they all were disgusted by Park Seung-gyu''s words.


    Park Seung-gyu however as if he was unfazed by their gaze full of disdain, totally ignored Shun and others.


    Maintaining the smile on his face, he was only looking at Hiro.


    Although his voice sounded gentle and seemed rather amicable to the onlookers, Hiro however felt like Seung-gyu was trying to provoke him.


    Those words were more like a threat and provocation than a reminder.


    Still Hiro maintained his poker face as he indifferently answered, "Of course I''ll share the punishment if we lose"


    Hearing Hiro''s response, Seung-gyu revealed acent expression as he let out a satiated grin, "Then help yourself"


    Saying so, Seung-gyu retracted his steps and joined his teammates whilst still wearing that smile on his face. He then started to converse in Korean with his teammates.


    "Show this bastards the result of their arrogance Hiro" Shun scoffed while furiously staring at those bunch of Korean yers who were stationed at the other side.


    "Yeah seek justice for us Hiro"


    "Despite apologising they shouldn''t have pursued this matter to this extent. Hmph... They''re too arrogant"


    It was quite evident from the way his teammates were speaking that they were extremely agitated by the opposing yers.


    Hiro however wasn''t listening to any of their scoffings at this moment. He was instead thinking of something else.


    ''That guy feels so familiar, I''ve definitely seen him somewhere before. But I can''t remember it clearly'' While standing infront of the ball Hiro contemted.


    Then again he shrugged his thoughts as he diverted his attention to the task on hand, ''Let''s stop thinking about him for now and focus on scoring this penalty''


    As he thought so, he jolted his eyes towards the ball ced infront of him.


    "Why is he taking so long?"


    "If you can''t then just give up"


    "Isn''t he that boy whom we saw on TV?"


    The more Hiro took his time, the more impatient the crowd grew. Still those foreign words, he couldn''t understand anything.


    However even though he was trying his best to ignore those noise produced around him, still because of the distance between him and the crowd, his focus was being hampered to some extent.


    To counter this noise, Hiro then willed the system to use one of his skill, "Focus" which he hadn''t used often in recent days.


    Since he was already capable of ignoring most of the noisesing from the crowd, he simply didn''t require to use this skill much. Thus it was quite pushed aside.


    However at this moment as he activated the skill, he immediately felt it''s effect. In an instant, the surrounding around him got ghastly silent.


    Although everything around him was still moving like usual and the people around him were still moving their mouth, he couldn''t hear any sounding out of those mouth.


    Even those nging noises of the machines, he couldn''t hear them as well. It was like he was inside a world without any sound.


    Most people might panic or find such silence terrifying, Hiro however didn''t find this silence terrifying. Rather he felt quite tranquil.


    Hiro then looked at the post infront of him. A moment ago, he had already witnessed the might of that inanimate robot keeper.


    Although he was a good penalty taker, he wasn''t overtly confident that he could score against that keeper with hundred percent certainty.


    Thus instead of taking a gamble when his side was already losing, he decided to make use of his another skill, "Penalty Expert" which could guarantee him a goal from penalty regardless of any situation.


    Since the time he had acquired this skill, he had only used it few times. Not because he didn''t take penalty much but because of the limitation ced on the skill.


    He could only use this skill once a day.


    And right now, he was using this opportunity to try to decrease the gap between the opponent side and his side.


    Hiro then willed the system to activate the skill. After that he sprinted towards the ball.


    Just as he made contact with the ball, his eyes shed with a cold light as he heard sounds of moving cogs.


    And at the same time, the robot keeper moved as well. It moved precisely towards the direction where Hiro had shot the ball.


    Sure enough it tracked both the projectile and speed of the ball.


    However even though it moved towards the right direction, it still couldn''t block the shot. The ball easily avoided it''s reach as it found itself in the back of the.


    At once the crowd around him went crazy as they yelled loudly out of excitement and awe.


    With just only one shot, he captivated the hearts of so many onlookers present there at the moment.


    Korean yers however disyed aplicated look on their face filled with shock, fear, awe and indignation.


    "Sure enough he''s the real deal" revealing a smile on his face, Park Seung-gyu whispered under his breath as if he was already expecting such situation.


    Hiro on the other hand who was still under the effect of his skill focus looked rather puzzled instead of happy despite scoring from the spot.


    ''Did I hear wrong? Under the effect of skill I shouldn''t have been able to hear anything. But I swear I heard the sounds of cogs turning.'' Rigidly staring at the post infront of him, he contemted.


    Under the effect of his skill, he shouldn''t have been able to hear anything.


    While Hiro was still contemting, his friends approached him and broke his contemtion.


    However right at this moment, he once again heard the sounds of cogs turning like before.


    Upon hearing the sound, he immediately turned towards the post.


    Just in time, he managed to take a glimpse of the robot keeper moving back to it''s original.


    ''So I really wasn''t hallucinating. It wasing from that keeper. Probably what I heard was the sound of it''s mechanism being activated'' based on the evidence he collected, he conjured that the sounds of cogs turning which he heard was probably the mechanism of robot keeper being activated.


    However such events hadn''t happened to him before while using his skill focus. Although it was a long time, he could still remember it.


    While using the skill, every noise around him would negate unless he''d willing allow particr sound to enter his ears.


    Since thepetition was still ongoing, he couldn''t keep standing over there blocking the spot for long. Thus while returning to his side, he decided to check on his skill to see if something had changed.


    Afterall he hadn''t checked on this skill since a long time. Because of its limited use, he hadn''t been paying attention to this skill.


    [Focus]


    [When using this skill, the user can immerse himselfpletely in any kind of task he''s undertaking, negating any kind of distractions]


    [Skill duration: 15 minutes]


    [Skill CD: 18 hours]


    [Hidden effect: During the effect of this skill, host may gain some foresight leading to the sess of the task]


    As he read the description of the skill, a spark of realization perked up within him as he realised the reason behind being able to hear those sounds of cogs turning.


    ''I see. So this is why I heard those sound. If I follow this sound closely, I''ll be able to deduce the timing of the keeper. That way I''d be able to shoot even more urately'' Hiro thought after reading the description of the skill.


    Now that he figured out the reason behind him being able to hear those sounds, another problem presented.


    Why did he gain this hidden effect all of a sudden?


    Hidden effect wasn''t the only thing which he had gained. Even the cool down has been reduced subsequently the skill duration had increased as well.


    Was he missing something?


    While the opposing yer prepared to take his turn, Hiro kept on pondering about this matter.


    He couldn''t care less about the opposing team at this moment. This hidden effect could be a great help to him.


    Like during the time of dribbling, he''d be able to deduce the direction of opposing yers trying to sneak on him.


    However because of the word "may" written, his expression turned sour.

 Chapter 273 Glimpse of future

    <h4>Chapter 273 Glimpse of future </h4>


    Sure the hidden effects were great. However he had no control over the hidden effects. It was more like a hunch.


    The hidden skill was just too random.


    But still something''s better than nothing.


    ''Well it did say that it was an upgradable skill. So may be it got upgraded the moment when I upgraded the system'' Thinking so he stopped pondering about the skill and diverted his attention to Park Seung-gyu.


    Before it was somebody else from their team who was taking the penalty kick. But now Park Seung-gyu himself had stepped on the field.


    Not only was Park Seung-gyu extremely cunning, he was also talented. Simr to Hiro, Park Seung-gyu had made a name for himself. He was the next big thing emerging out from South Korea.


    Since the time Hiro hadnded his eyes on Seung-gyu, a strange feeling of nostalgia was gnawing upon him. As if he had seen Seung-gyu somewhere before but wasn''t being able to recall urately, he was having quite a hard time.


    To appease his curiosity and to gain some foresight, Hiro then decided to use his skill magic vision.


    [Park Seung-gyu]


    [Age: 17 years old]


    [Attributes]


    Physical: B


    Dribbling: B


    Pace: B+


    Passing: C+


    Shooting: A+


    Defending: D


    Mentality: B+


    IQ: A


    Overall grade: A


    Potential: ????


    [Wow-factor: Knight in the area(A+), Puppet Master(A), Legs of steel(A+), Penalty Expert(A+), Eyes of predator(B+)]


    Under the effect of the skill, Park Seung-gyu''s stats became visible to Hiro.


    However upon seeing such ridiculously powered stats, Hiro''s eyes couldn''t help but reveal extreme shock. Not only was this stat the most impressive he had seen till now, it was also better than his stats to some extent.


    Specially shooting, it was a grade higher than his. Based on this stat, one could say that Park Seung-gyu was already more than ready to step onto the professional stage.


    ''What''s with this ridiculous stat? Even with the help of the system I''ve only managed to equal him. Not to mention those wow-factors, what kind of effect does those wow-factors have on him. By the looks of it, he''s a natural born number 9'' mesmerized by the ridiculous stat of Park Seung-gyu, Hiro couldn''t help but think highly of Park Seung-gyu.


    Although Hiro seemed indifferent from outside, right now Hiro''s eyes were glowing withplicated emotions like admiration, determination, fear and shock.


    While he was still in awe, his eyes suddenly blossomed with bright light as a thought perked up inside his head, ''Yeah... It''s him. The guy from Korea who was signed by AC Mn at the age of 22''


    Finally Hiro managed to recall the identity of the guy infront of him. And the moment he recalled the identity of Park Seung-gyu, his eyes sparked with brilliant light as it glowed with admiration.


    Even though, Seung-gyu was his opponent and also the man who had plotted against him, he still couldn''t help himself from looking at Seung-gyu with gaze full of admiration.


    This boy right infront of him had managed to get signed by a club full of history and great yers. The club where great yers like Pirlo, Maldini, Kaka and many others yed, he had managed to y for such a great club.


    However the glow in his eyes didn''tst long as it faded immediately after a while. Hiro then heaved a deep sigh before thinking, ''Sigh.... Although he managed to sign for AC Mn and also managed to score decent number of goals, he got injured after two years just when he started to perform well. After that he was forced to leave the club.''


    Those eyes which were disying admiration just a moment ago, now was filled with pity.


    Hiro''s sigh became even more deeper as he thought about the miserable fate that this boy infront of him had yet to suffer, ''Afterwards because of his injury, he retired at the age of 26. No wonder I failed to recognise him. Sigh!!''


    "Woohoo!!"


    "Woooooooooaaaaaahhhh!!"


    While he was still pondering about the future of the boy infront of him, he was brought back to reality by the electrifying sound of cheersing from the crowd around him.


    Coming back to reality, he noticed that the ball was already slotted inside the post.


    At the same time, his teammates who were standing beside him were grumbling while making disappointed faces.


    "I hate that smile..."


    "No wonder he suggested thispetition.."


    "Tch- he had been toying with us"


    On the other hand, yers of South Korea were ecstatically celebrating Seung-gyu''s goal.


    All those pondering had made him miss the shot taken by Seung-gyu.


    Diverting his gaze towards Seung-gyu, Hiro found Seung-gyu looking at his direction with a bright smile on his face.


    ''So how do you like my shot kiddo?'' Thinking such, Park Seung-


    gyu was smiling at Hiro with acent look on his face.


    However little did he know, Hiro wasn''t even paying attention to his shot on the first ce. The shot which he was so proud of, Hiro didn''t even witness it.


    I wonder what kind of expression Seung-gyu would have made if he found that out.


    ''Is he expecting me to say something?'' Hiro thought while locking eyes with Seung-gyu.


    The way Seung-gyu was staring at him made him wonder if Seung-gyu was expecting something from him.


    p! p! p!


    ''May be he wants me to apud him'' thinking such, Hiro then started to p his hands.


    However the moment he started to p his hands, Seung-


    gyu''s smile froze on his face as his eyes started twitching, ''Is that kid mocking me?''


    [Ding!]


    At this moment, sound of notification from the system rung inside his ears.


    Although he was already used to hearing this sound, he was still a bit surprised upon hearing this sound out of nowhere.


    The sound of the notification made him stop his hands.


    [You''ve received a new quest]


    [Win thispetition]


    [Reward uponpletion: Host can copy any one wow-factor of Park Seung-gyu]


    [Failure: You will lose one of your skill temporarily]


    [Would you like to ept the quest?]

 Chapter 274 Scale of victory

    <h4>Chapter 274 Scale of victory </h4>


    But now out of nowhere, he received the opportunity to get his hands on one of those wow-factors.


    Before he was merelypeting to redeem his teammates. But now upon receiving this quest, his motivation surged as he became extremely excited.


    Such godly opportunity, how could he let it go? Thus without any sort of hesitation, Hiro immediately epted the quest.


    Just as he epted the quest, a bright light shed in his eyes as it glowed with determination. Unwittingly he revealed an extremely excited smile on his face.


    However Seung-gyu who was staring at Hiro mistook Hiro''s expression as he found Hiro''s smile extremely provocative. It was like Hiro wasughing at him, mocking him.


    Because of that misunderstanding, Park Seung-gyu became extremely furious. Rage started boiling inside him like boiling tar.


    At the same time, veins started popping out of his neck and hands.


    Seung-gyu gnashed his teeths as he shot gaze full of fury towards Hiro.


    The only thing he hated the most in the world was to be looked down. And right now, he felt like he was being looked down by Hiro.


    ''Damn!! Whose face did I see early in the morning to get such a good opportunity? Almost every single one of his wow-factor is of grade A'' Hiro mused inwardly as he exited the system.


    However just as he shut the system panel, he was met with Seung-gyu''s gaze full of fury. Hiro couldn''t understand why Seung-gyu was ring him like that.


    He was quite perplexed by Seung-gyu''s gaze.


    ''Ehh!! Did I do something wrong to him?'' Hiro thought whilst still locking eyes with Park Seung-gyu, pondering if he did something wrong.


    Hiro''s aloof behaviour however further instigated the fury rising within Seung-gyu.


    ''Just you wait Takahashi Hiro. I''ll make sure to strip that smile from your face until the end of thispetition'' thinking so, Seung-gyu returned back and joined his teammates.


    After that without heeding any attention to Seung-gyu''s gaze full of fury, Hiro stepped infront for his turn with a newfound motivation.


    As the intensity of thepetition rose, even more people started to show up around them. The loud sound of cheersing from the crowd gathered around them managed to catch the attention of almost everybody present in the arcade.


    Taking advantage of such a massive crowd, Kim Tae-ri who was present in the crowd brought her phone out of her pocket and started streaming.


    However she wasn''t the only one who was streaming this intense battle happening infront of them right now. Many other people gathered around them were doing the same thing- recording and streaming the battle.


    The penalty shootout ended up with the victory of South Korea. Although Hiro managed to score three of his penalty, he still couldn''t takeover Korea''s lead.


    South Korean yers barely won the penalty shootout with a score of 8-7.


    And because of that right now the morale of their side was quite high. With each and every single one of them wearing big wide grin on their faces, they seemed extremely joyous.


    Amidst the raging celebration, appearance of Hiro''s teammates seemed rather unsightly. Their listless eyes were filled with disappointment and indignance.


    Just like a hole formed within the sky filled with dark clouds, a sharp contrast to the gloomy faces around him, Hiro''s face however showed no reaction. It was as if he wasn''t affected by the loss in the slightest.


    Why would he feel sad? His side had only lost penalty shootout not the deal. The deal was to score the most number of goals from freekick and penalty.


    And right now, only one half of the battle was over. The rest was still yet to be decided.


    "As you all can see right now our yers are in the lead" Kim Tae-ri excitedly eximed in her cheerful voice, announcing the result of the penalty shootout to her viewers.


    While she was streaming, her phone was getting bombarded withments one after the other.


    Many kinds of emojis which were floating one after the other was making her phone glow in different colours.


    An anonymous viewer with nickname Jukbalmented, "Sister Kim Tae-ri is the prettiest in the world"


    Right after hisment several otherments of anonymous viewers were piling one after other


    "Let''s go boys"


    "Brother Park Seung-gyu is the pride of our nation (heart emoji¡Á3)"


    "Those Japanese kids shouldn''t have messed with us (angry emoji¡Á2)"


    Most of thements were either berating Japanese national u17 team or praising their yers or supporting their team or ttering Kim Tae-ri the streamer.


    There were also somements which wereplimenting Hiro''s looks. And judging by the nicknames, most of thosementers seemed like females.


    One of the anonymous viewer nicknamed Pretty Noonamented, "That Japanese guy looks like an Idol (heart eyes emoji¡Á3)"


    Because of suchments which wereplimenting Hiro''s looks, even Kim Tae-ri couldn''t help herself from taking peek of Hiro.


    While staring at Hiro, Kim Tae-ri''s face which as white as snow turned red as she found Hiro quite attractive.


    "He does look quite good" she whispered under her breath while letting out a subtle chuckle.


    The scale of victory which was tilting towards the side of South Korea a moment ago started tilting towards Japan as the next round of the battlemenced.


    Bam!!


    "Woooooooooaaaaaahhhh!!!" Shun and the rest yelled out of excitement as they celebrated Hiro''s third freekick goal in a row.


    Although the crowd was as energetic as ever, some people looked rather solemn.


    Their eyes were filled with awe and disbelief.


    "He''s really on a roll"


    "It''s his third in a row, right?" One of the person from the crowd, asked with a dazed look on his face.


    The guy beside him wasn''t any different either as he nodded his head. His eyes were filled with awe and disbelief.


    Why you may ask some people looked rather dazed than excited?


    It''s because while Park Seung-gyu was only capable to score one out of three shots he had shot, Hiro had managed to slot each and every single one of his shot without any mistake.


    The scene hadpletely reversed. The same bunch of South Korean yers who were rejoicing their teams victory a moment ago now had gonepletely silent.


    Their cheerful eyes were now filled with horror and despair. The sh of hope shining in their eyes was dimming with every passing minutes.

 Chapter 275 Arcade Climax

    <h4>Chapter 275 Arcade Climax </h4>


    The reason why Hiro could score those freekicks sessively in a row was because of his skill Fireball Shot.


    His skill Fireball Shot could enhance some of his stats temporarily while taking freekicks and long range shots for three times.


    However all along although he had been relying on his skill to score these freekicks, he hadn''t been overtly relying solely on the skill as well. Afterall his skill wasn''t actuallyplete.


    Infact Hiro could only disy a fraction of it''s original might because of one particr reason- there were simply no living people standing infront of him who acted as the wall.


    To disy the full potential of the skill, living people were needed. However right now what stood infront of him, acting as a wall wasn''t people but mannequins.


    Stillbined with his own efforts and skill focus, he was still somehow able to manage to score this three freekicks in a row without failing.


    "Ohhhh!!"


    "So close..."


    The crowd cried out as they expressed their disappointment upon witnessing Park Seung-gyu missing his freekick again.


    It was already his fourth shot and till now, he had only managed to score once.


    Anxiousness shed past Park Seung-gyu''s eyes as his expression turned bitter upon seeing his shot miss the post.


    "Tch..." Park Seung-gyu bitterly clicked his tongue out of disappointment.


    Only being able to score once after trying for four times, even Park Seung-gyu who was determined to strip Hiro''s smile was now growing anxious.


    Afterall why wouldn''t he be anxious? While he only managed to score once from four tries, his opponent had managed to score three out of three.


    And who knows if Hiro will even miss?


    Thus it was totally reasonable for Park Seung-gyu to get anxious and agitated.


    "Ahhhhh so close..."


    At the same time, South Korean yers with their faces contorted in displeasure, grabbed their heads as they grumbled while expressing their disappointment.


    Their faces as pale as paper and their eyes a bit listless, it seemed like a dark shadow was looming over the faces of South Korean yers.


    On the other hand, Japanese yers with their eyes brimming with joy seemed quite ted.


    "Yessssssss"


    Their energetic loud voice was like the sound of thunder- piercing the eardrums of everybody present around them.


    For South Korean yers, their cheerful shout filled with ecstasy resonating all over the ce was like rubbing salt on their wounds.


    However to Japanese side, the grumble of the opposing yers was like music to their ears; extremely soothing. And Park Seung-gyu''s failure was like fuel to the fire of excitement which was burning within them.


    Although after this miss from Park Seung-gyu, Hiro had the opportunity to further increase his side''s lead, Hiro however wasn''t reacting like his teammates.


    With no changes in his facial expression, he seemed as calm as ocean.


    With three urate shots, he had already managed to turn the tables. Leading the duel with a score of 10-9, but now he had another opportunity to further increase his sides lead by two goals.


    Still not even a spec of happiness could be found on his face. It was like Hiro wasn''t even interested by the thoughts of increasing his sides lead.


    However that wasn''t the case. Outwardly he was maintaining his demeanor while inwardly he was celebrating, ''Yesss... With this I''m a step closer topleting this quest''


    While his teammates could only save themselves from humiliation, Hiro had the opportunity to grab a wow-factor which could most probably elevate his performance to a level further if his side won this duel.


    So why wouldn''t he be happy? He was the one who was most happy right now. Not only could he gain his teammates recognition, he could also benefit personally.


    Even so why wasn''t he reacting? It''s not like anybody would harm him, if he reacted.


    However his calm demeanor was only a facade. Infact he was only maintaining his demeanor to intimidate his opponents.


    By intentionally showing no chanes in his facial expression, he was trying to get inside the head of his opponents.


    Afterall a calm person is much more difficult to deal with than a dramatic person.


    After Park Seung-gyu retreated, Hiro calmly stepped forward for his turn.


    "Will he score again?"


    "Please miss..."


    As Hiro stepped forward, a lot of curious, pleading, wishful gazesnded on him.


    Hiro however didn''t pay any attention to this gazes and solely concentrated all his focus on the post infront of him. He didn''t even bat an eye to the people around him.


    Since Hiro had already used his skill Fireball Shot to it''s limit, he couldn''t use it any more. Meaning right now, he didn''t have any skills to rely on.


    He could only try to score the goal with his own effort. Luckily there was still some time for his skill focus to lose it''s credibility.


    Thus even at this moment, he could avoid the unnecessary noisesing from the crowd.


    Free from distraction, Hiro then focused his attention to the ball ced infront of him. Intently staring at the ball, Hiro slowly rolled his eyes towards the mannequin, keeper and the post as he prepared to take his freekick.


    ''All those three freekicks which I shot before, I shot them either at the top corner or the bottom corner'' While staring at the ball, Hiro began to contemte his past actions.


    Learning from his past actions, although he couldn''t use his skill Fireball Shot anymore for today, he still wanted to replicate his previous action to convert this freekick.


    Thinking about the freekicks he had taken before, his focus peaked.


    Finally Hiro eased his tensed shoulder and let out a mouth full of turbid air before starting his run-up. Since he wasn''t much far away from the ball, he didn''t take long to reach the ball.


    Within few seconds, he appeared infront of the ball.

 Chapter 276 Arcade End

    <h4>Chapter 276 Arcade End </h4>


    Be it his focus, stance, stillness or his run-up, every single one of his actions greatly amplified the emotions of people present around him.


    Curious hearts grew even more, anxious eyes grew even more anxious, fearful minds got even more fearful. Hiro''s actions greatly amplified the emotions of the people.


    And right now while he was second away from shooting the ball, as many people present around him held their breathes, the air around him got extremely heavy.


    Prayers of South Korean yers intensified as some of them tightly shut their eyes- unwilling to see their doom.


    Even those cheerful faces which were radiating with joy, now seemed a bit pale as it carried a hint of anticipation.


    Bam!!


    A loud sound echoed as Hiro''s left foot made contact with the ball.


    Countless eyes jolted towards the direction of ball as it rigidly followed the path of the ball. Almost nobody present in the crowd could take their eyes off the ball.


    Only Hiro who had yet to stabilise his posture wasn''t looking at the ball.


    "Please miss"


    "Please miss"


    "Please miss"


    Suchments kept on piling as many people prayed like crazy while watching the video streamed by Kim Tae-ri.


    Kim Tae-ri however was marvelled by the scene taking ce infront of her. Her ck pupils were glowing with admiration.


    However that didn''t mean that she wanted Hiro to score. Her desire was simr to every other fellow Koreans- she desperately wanted Hiro to miss.


    Despite wanting Hiro to miss this freekick, her eyes were saying otherwise as it was reacting quite opposite to her desire. She should be despairing, yet her eyes were showing signs of excitement.


    "Low" Park Seung-gyu who was intently staring at the scene unfolding infront of his eyes unwittingly blurted as his eyes revealed a deep shock.


    The ball was still flying, so how could he tell that Hiro was aiming low? He could tell it by judging the trajectory of the ball.


    The ball, after leaving from Hiro''s foot had already started dropping even though it hadn''t even crossed half the path.


    As the ball dropped some distance away from the keeper, South Korean yers heart sank. Their brows knotted as their eyes disyed horror hidden within.


    Predicting the direction of the ball, keeper dived towards the direction of the ball.


    However after dropping infront of the keeper, the ball bounced irregrly because of the spin ced on the ball.


    Although Hiro couldn''t use his skill Fireball Shot, Hiro was still a technical yer with insane ball control and technique.


    The keeper however still moved up and down continuously, trying to predict the direction of the ball to make a save.


    Barely missing the reach of the keeper, the ball then crossed the goal-line as it mmed against the.


    At once a loud sound erupted, "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!"


    Those curious and anxious gazes were now filled with marvell and disbelief.


    The crowd went wild as they shouted like crazy. Many people present in the crowd, they couldn''t believe what their eyes witnessed at this moment.


    Shun and the rest, jumped as they hugged each other while shouting, "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!" energetically at the top of their voice.


    They couldn''t care less if their throats dried or their voice subsided. Their already high morale was now trying to reach the heaven.


    Hiro was like a magician.


    That shot was neither powerful nor straightforward. The short distance curve, the spin on the ball and the thought to drop the ball infront of the keeper to trick the keeper, everything was out of ordinary.


    A lot of people had tried this game, yet Hiro was the only one who had thought to use such technique.


    "That little boy is a magician" one of the spectator joyously eximed.


    A sharp contrast to this euphoric atmosphere, faces of South Korean yers which were already as pale as paper, paled even further as it turned grim.


    The hope which they were clinging on to, shrinked even further as a feeling of helplessness and despair started gnawing upon them.


    ''Why is he so good at taking freekick?''


    ''The god is really unfair''


    ''We will go up against such a monster?''


    Such thoughts appeared one after other as South Korean yers distress further intensified. The fear within them started growing uncontrobly.


    Hiro on the other hand who had actually gambled this shot thanked his luck, ''Thankfully it went in''


    Although to others it felt like a meticulously thought up shot, in actuality it was more like a gamble. Hiro knew that the keeper would dive upon sensing the ball.


    Thus by making the ball bounce infront of the keeper, he''d dy the arriving time of the ball. And if he added spin to it, that would make the timing and direction of ball even more irregr.


    And Hiro wanted to take advantage of this irregrity. However he wasn''t sure about the reaction of the keeper.


    Whether the keeper would stay at one ce or move vigorously. He wasn''t sure of that before.


    His thoughts were infact rather simple. If the keeper only moved once, the ball would bounce above the hands of keeper.


    However if the keeper moved to correct it''s mistake, he could only rely on luck. And he hadn''t thought of this.


    However the moment when the keeper moved up and down, truth be told, even he was anxious. Afterall he hadn''t thought so far.


    While many people around him continued to celebrate, Hiro secretly heaved a sigh of relief, "Sigh!!"


    Hiro was extremely grateful that this n worked out somehow.


    Because of this goal, a lot of heart broke at the same time a lot of people were left disappointed. Specially thoseizens watching this event from behind the screen.


    With this goal, Hiro further increased the lead between the two sides.


    However Park Seung-gyu was very reluctant to admit his sides defeat. Although he was losing, he didn''t give up.


    He tried to imitate Hiro''s technique, however ot failed. Even so Hiro too failed to score afterwards.


    And just like that the duel went on. Finally after some time, Hiro''s side won the duel with a score of 14-12.

 Chapter 277 Hiro’s authority

    <h4>Chapter 277 Hiro''s authority </h4>


    "We won"


    "We are the winner"


    "Yeaahhhhh!!"


    p!! p!! p!!


    The crowd around them burst into apuse as theymended Hiro''s efforts and congratted their side for attaining this deserved victory.


    Having witnessed such marvellous and entertaining show, everybody present in the crowd seemed quite satisfied and exhrated. They felt like this show was worth their time and attention.


    Thrilling moments which took ce during the duel was shing in the minds of some people even to this moment.


    People present in the crowd simply couldn''t hide their excitement.


    The opposing yers however were wailing. Their watery eyes filled with grief and regret was desperately trying to avoid meeting the gazes of the people around them.


    Losing this duel meant public humiliation for them. And what more, they even had set the condition of the duel themselves.


    Thus right now, they were being haunted by a sense of humiliation and regret.


    The sense of humiliation was so overbearing that some of them were even thinking of retorting or running away.


    But if they did that they knew that their reputation would get tarnished. Thus they were quite reluctant to resort to that option as well.


    ''Is there really no other way? Do I really have to kneel and ask for forgiveness?'' While sweating profusely, Park Seung-gyu thought while gritting his teeth.


    As if a dark shadow was looming over his face, his face seemed quite ashen.


    He had extreme confidence in his abilities. That''s why he had suggested this duel. Had he known that Hiro was better than what he had expected, he wouldn''t have suggested this duel in the first ce.


    Infact he wouldn''t even have deliberately found trouble with them.


    But now there was simply no turning back. The bullet had been fired and the result was right infront of his eyes.


    He had hit his own leg with his own axe.


    At the same time, congrattory message from the system was resounding inside Hiro''s head.


    [Congrattions to the host for sessfullypleting the quest]


    Amidst the raging chaos taking ce around him, it was like music to his ears; extremely soothing and rejuvenating.


    The fatigue which he had umted both physically and mentally was getting washed away upon hearing this message.


    ''So which wow-factor should I choose?'' Hiro mused inwardly.


    Thinking about the reward, unwittingly his face lit up as his eyes shone with excitement and his lips curled into a smile.


    The reward which he was about to attain was just too appealling for him to hide his happiness. Thus unwittingly despite trying his best to maintain his demeanor, Hiro disyed a joyous expression.


    However at this moment, while he was still pondering about the selection of the reward, his teammates suddenly stepped infront and started to walk towards the opposing side.


    "I''m sure you all remember about the bet, right?" Shun snickered as he spoke in a disdainful manner while facing the South Korean yers.


    "Yeah, it was your side who suggested this bet afterall" Honda who was right beside Shun sniggered as he supported Shun.


    He was no longer timid like before when he was on the losing side.


    Just as South Korean yers heard this, their eyes shone with indignance. Veins popped out of their forehead as they clenched their fist tightly.


    They wanted to retort however they were simply powerless at this moment. They could only gnash their teeth and ept the punishment without any struggle.


    Although their body said otherwise, extreme sense of helplessness pressed them down from moving their body as per their will.


    They were like fish on the chopping board.


    The crowd upon hearing about the bet became extremely curious. Non of them had heard about the bet. They were only thinking about this as a casual duel.


    "So they had made a bet?"


    "No wonder both side seemed so ferocious earlier..."


    While such chatter resounded among the crowd, Hiro who was still pondering about the reward selection strode towards the direction of his teammates.


    Witnessing the hesitation of the opposing yers, Shun snorted grumpily, ''Hmph.. unwilling to admit your loss. But I won''t let you go''


    As he thought so, he probed further with a disdainful tone, "As per the deal, you all should apologise to us while kowtowing"


    The other yers who were standing beside Shun expressed their agreement as they probed the opposing yers to fulfill the bet ced between them.


    "Yeah, it was you all who set the condition"


    "Are you going to go back on your words"


    Ken who had been made an scapegoat by Park Seung-gyu before was the most adamant. The lingering sense of humiliation which he had felt before, he was determined to pay them back tenfolds.


    Thus, he wasn''t willing to let go of this moment under any cost. He desperately wanted to see this people kneeling infront of him. And only after that would his anger and hatred subside.


    However Hiro''s next sentencepletely spilled water on his desire, "You all don''t need to fulfill the bet. That bet is simply childish"


    As Hiro said those words, yers from both the side abruptly shot their gaze towards Hiro. Their eyes filled with shock and surprise couldn''t stop looking at Hiro.


    Opposing yers were perplexed by his decision however Hiro''s teammates were even more perplexed.


    Most of his teammates eyes flickered strangely as they reflected displeasure and unhappiness.


    They then immediately started to rebuke his decision, "Why are you exempting them from this punishment? No... You can''t simply say so..."


    Ken who was the most furious was the one who was most dissatisfied with Hiro''s decision.


    Thus out of everyone else who were rebuking his decision he was the one who was strongly rebuking Hiro''s decision as he expressed his disagreement to ept Hiro''s decision, "No... No... No... They''ve already lost the duel. And the condition of the duel was set by them. Thus they should fulfill the bet. It won''t be fair to us if they are exempted from the bet."

 Chapter 278 Harvesting the reward

    <h4>Chapter 278 Harvesting the reward </h4>


    "..." Immediately Ken became tongue-tied as his expression became ashen upon meeting eyes with Hiro.


    His brows frowned as a chill ran down his body. Suddenly his legs turned weak as he staggeringly retreated few steps. He could no longer muster his courage to speak while facing Hiro.


    As Ken stopped his bickering, slowly Hiro then swept his gaze over his other teammates.


    Most of them shut their mouth not because they were afraid of Hiro but because it was all thanks to Hiro that they were spared from the public humiliation.


    And raising question against his decision was like saying that they ungrateful towards Hiro for saving them.


    At once as everyone stopped their bickering, the surrounding became somewhat less noisy but notpletely silent.


    The crowd were in marvell once again by the domineering presence of Hiro. Just his single gaze alone made all his teammates tongue-tied. They simply couldn''t fathom his authority.


    Kim Tae-ri who was witnessing this scene first hand was also marvelled by Hiro''s attitude.


    ''Such dominance...'' She couldn''t help but look Hiro with eyes full of reverence and astonishment.


    Hiro then continued, "You don''t have to fulfill the bet. However I think, at the least we still owe an apology from you guys, don''t you think so?"


    Hiro''s words immediately uplifted his teammates mood to some extent. And as he said so, once again they all abruptly turned towards Hiro.


    However this time there gaze concealed a hint of gratitude and happiness.


    Park Seung-gyu and few others immediately understood Hiro''s intention. He was giving them face by nullifying the deal to some extent. But he also had to think about his teammates feelings.


    If he simply exempted their punishment totally, his teammates would be unhappy about his decision. But by altering the contents of the bet to some extent, he was trying to create a stalemate.


    In this way he could both appease his teammates and give face to his opponents.


    Afterall kneeling infront of this many people would surely tarnish their reputation and they might develop deep hatred towards Hiro and Japan overall.


    So it was the least Hiro could do to prevent such oue.


    And this whole event was being recorded and streamed by countless people as well. Thus everybody were actually quite reluctant to abide by the contents of the bet.


    But now that Hiro had provided them some leeway, they''d only be a fool if they don''t agree to his verdict.


    Although Park Seung-gyu still had to apologise to his opponents and was a bit indignant, Park Seung-gyu let out a subtle smile as he heard about Hiro''s final verdict.


    ''No wonder this guy is the captain of his team at such an young age'' his admiration for Hiro grew substantially.


    Even with this reformed punishment, most of Park Seung-gyu''s teammates were still hesitant to apologise.


    Specially Kim Tae-ri''s brother Kim Il-sung, he was the most adamant. Not only was his sister harassed, now he had to lower his head and apologise to the culprit instead.


    How could he ept such oue?


    But the next moment, his eyes opened wide as it disyed extreme shock, ''Why?? Why is he stepping forward?''


    Before his eyes, Park Seung-gyu was stepping infront.


    The same guy who had instigated him to confront Japanese yers. The same guy who had suggested this bet.


    Now he himself was the first one to step infront and apologise.


    Kim Il-sung felt betrayed upon seeing this scenario. He felt confused. He couldn''t tell whether to be angry, sad or perplexed.


    His face became extremelyplicated as it reflected indignance, sorrow and humiliation.


    His mouth opened as he was about to rebuke Park Seung-gyu''s decision. However before any words could be formed, one after other all of his teammates followed after Park Seung-gyu as they apologised to their opponent.


    Kim Il-sung felt even more ridiculous upon seeing his teammates apologising to the opposing yers.


    But if he kept being stubborn and refused to apologise, people might think ill of him and his reputation might be tarnished.


    People might even brandish him as irresponsible and weak-


    minded.


    To save him from public bacshes, he bit his tongue as he reluctantly submitted to his fate. Afterall once his reputation bes bad, he''d find it really hard to get into a club. Since clubs values reputation greatly, bad reputation would only make him less appealing.


    His career might even be hampered badly if he kept being stubborn.


    Thus at the end, he too followed suit as he apologised to the culprits who had harassed his sister with a bitter mood.


    Although the response of the crowd was still negative, it wasn''t as negative as it would have been if they had refused to abide the bet.


    "So they had made a bet that whoever losses the duel has to apologise"


    "I guess something must have taken ce between them"


    Most of the crowd were kept in dark. Nobody among the crowd knew about the conflict which had led to this duel.


    They simply assumed that there was some sort of misunderstanding between the two teams.


    After apologising to Japanese yers, Korean yers started to leave the premises.


    Before leaving Park Seung-gyu however whispered something while walking past Hiro, "You won this duel. But I won''t let you win the final match"


    Hiro however wasn''t affected by such taunts. Instead he calmly replied with a smile on his face, "Then be prepared. Because this won''t be the only time you''ll see me victorious"


    Faced with Hiro''s reply, Park Seung-gyu however smiled instead of bing agitated.


    Watching the receding figure of Park Seung-gyu, Hiro curled his lips as he made his decision after analysing all the wow-factor he could copy, "Then as for my reward, I''ll be choosing this Knight in the area"


    Just as he made his decision, the description of the wow-


    factor presented itself before his eyes.


    [Knight in the area(A+->SS)]

 Chapter 279 New encounter

    <h4>Chapter 279 New encounter </h4>


    [Knight in the area (A+->SS)]


    [Slightly raises your attacking stats such as shooting, finishing, sharpness, dribbling, passing, vision, every time while inside the penalty box in a match; inturn increasing the probability of scoring]


    [Note this wow-factor will only work while the host is in contact with the ball]


    [Upgradable; automatically upgrades with grade increment]


    As Hiro went through the description of the wow-factor, his eyes shone with unprecedented light. Unwittingly his lips curled into a smile.


    From deep within his heart, a surge of happiness started to rise which made his whole body tingle.


    His skill Fireball Shot could already increase his stats temporarily while shooting from outside the box. But now he got his hands on something even better.


    The uses of his skill Fireball Shot was limited but this wow-factor which he attained, it''s uses was unlimited.


    As long as he could prate inside the box with the ball, his attacking stats would receive a slight boost.


    However as wonderful as the wow-factor seemed, it also had a w. The w was that he needed to be in contact with the ball to activate this wow-factor.


    And how often would he be in contact with the ball? There was also a probability that the opponent would stop him before he could even reach the penalty box.


    The skill would still work while recieving the ball inside the box. However he would have to position himself better for that.


    But that wasn''t a problem for Hiro either. He already had the skill Eagle Eye topensate for that w. He could easily position himself in a better position with that skill.


    In his current situation, one could say that it was the perfect solution to his problem. With this wow-factor, he''d be even more clinical and lethal.


    Not only the opponent would have to be wary of his long range shots, they can''t even afford to let him inside the box.


    However if he wanted to make better use of this wow-factor, he''d have to slightly change his ystyle and position. Instead of maneuvering the y from the midfield and dropping deep at times, he''d have to be more offensive.


    Thus right now, it''d be more ideal for him to y as a false nine.


    ''Although his other wow-factors are quite appealing as well but I''m sure it''s the core wow-factor which allowed him to flourish in my previous life'' Hiro thought to himself while smiling.


    However all of a sudden his smile froze on his face as a realisation dawned upon him, ''If I can make use of this wow-factor then so can Park Seung-gyu. And plus he has other set of wow-factors whichpliments this talent of his. Like that eyes of predator and legs of steel. One allows him to position himself better and smell the goal while the other increases his shot power. Facing him inside the box would be a terrifying experience for our defenders''


    The more Hiro analysed Park Seung-gyu, the more he realised the danger of Park Seung-gyu. Meeting him here and meeting him on the field waspletely different.


    Although he beat him in this duel right now, he wasn''t sure if he could beat him while facing him on the field.


    Park Seung-gyu was a threat. A threat which he needed to subdue at any cost, if he wanted to win the tournament.


    After racking his mind for a while, Hiro heaved a sigh of relief and eased his tensed shoulder while muttering softly, "Phew!! Well there''s no point thinking about it right now. I''ll talk with the coaches once we get back"


    As he came back to his senses, he realised that most of the crowd had already started dispersing slowly. Since the duel has alreadye to an end and South Korean yers were already leaving, there wasn''t any point staying here.


    Thus everybody started to disperse and wander in search of the games they wanted to y. Some stayed behind to try this scoring game.


    Shun and the rest who were joyous a moment ago were right now trying to run away. Although they were joyous about the victory, they hadn''t forgotten about Hiro''s words.


    Now that the chaos had subsided, they knew that Hiro would probably find them and retaliate.


    Thus right now, except those who hadn''t involved in this mess, those who had involved in this mess were trying to run away.


    Hiro however wasn''t willing to let go of them. Thus he furiously called out their name and ordered them to halt their movements before running after after them, "You all stop where you are"


    Yelling such, Hiro was about to chase after them. However he was stopped on his track.


    Taking advantage of Hiro''s momentary pause, every single one of them pretended as if they didn''t hear Hiro''s voice and frantically ran away without looking back.


    "We''ll meet you after some time Captain"


    "I still have some games that I''d like to y"


    "There''s still some time for our return"


    Saying such, Shun and the rest hurriedly stormed away leaving Hiro and rest behind.


    Making irritated expression, Hiro watched their fleeing figure. He couldn''t do anything because right now a person was standing infront of him with her arms extended, trying to stop him on his track.


    Hiro snorted unhappily while watching his teammates fleeing figure before tilting his head to look at the sight of the person infront of him.


    "Can I borrow some of your time? I promise it won''t take much" Kim Tae-ri spoke in an alluring tone while staring at Hiro with her puppy eyes.


    Surprisingly Kim Tae-ri was very fluent in Japanese.


    Hiro wanted to walk past her but she was streaming this moment right now. Thus he couldn''t even bring himself to reject her outrightly.


    Plus his teammates had already scattered in different directions. Even if he wanted to give a chase, he wouldn''t be able to catch them all.


    Thus he sighed deeply as he nodded his head, agreeing Kim Tae-ri''s request.

 Chapter 280 Unfaithful

    <h4>Chapter 280 Unfaithful </h4>


    A crescent like smile that could melt the heart of any onlookers appeared on her face while her milky white cheeks turned slightly red.


    Her smile was like spring breeze; extremely soothing and rejuvenating. Her sparkling eyes were like the shimmering stars in the night sky; ethereally beautiful.


    "Yeah, thank you very much" she spoke excitedly.


    Her sweet voice was like a beautiful symphonyposed by a master musician; soothing and enchanting.


    Even Hiro couldn''t deny the beauty of her appearance. And unwknowingly his heart skipped a beat as it fluttered upon seeing her cheerful face.


    ''No wonder boys went head over heels for her'' Hiro thought to himself with a flustered look on his face.


    Hiro however immediately dispelled any romantic thoughts about her. Afterall how could he think romantically about some stranger when he was already pursuing somebody else.


    Although right now Hiro wasn''t in any sort of rtionship but he had already been pursuing Sumire.


    "Guys the guy whom you wanted to see up close has agreed to spare some of his time for us" She announced cheerfully while lifting her phone, speaking in her alluring voice.


    At once lots ofments flooded the screen. Hiro could see many heart emojis andplimentary messages on the screen.


    The reason he could tell those wereplementary messages was because those messages were in Japanese. However most of thements were written in Korean thus he couldn''t understand it very well.


    "Then can you tell use your name?" Kim Tae-ri asked while facing Hiro, looking at him with her bewitching gaze.


    "Hello everyone" Hiro shyly greeted everyone, waving his hands at the screen before introducing himself, "I''m Takahashi Hiro"


    He kept his introduction sweet and short. Nothing fancy, just his name.


    Although he kept his introduction short, it still caused an uproar in the stream. Many who recognised Hiro and many who were mad about their earlier defeat immediately bombarded the screen with differentments.


    "What''s the secret behind your skills?"


    "Do you train a lot?"


    "What''s the secret behind your freekicks?"


    "Hmph... I''m still mad with you for defeating our yers"


    "Stay away from our fairy goddess Kim Tae-ri"


    Judging by the emojis, Hiro could tell that there were a lot of hatements.


    Noticing those wrathfulments, Hiro could experience the wrath of the viewers first hand. Still Hiro shrugged as he pretended to ignore those hatements.


    "Hahaha... It seems our guest is a bit shy or may be he''s camera shy" Kim Tae-ri chuckled upon looking at Hiro''s flustered expression.


    "Earlier you scored so many goals from penalty and freekick. Perhaps do you train your shooting a lot?" She questioned in her cheerful voice.


    Hiro''s training wasn''t a secret to many peoples and he hadn''t hoped to keep it a secret as well. Thus without any sort of hesitation, he answered earnestly, "Well I train just enough"


    Although Hiro didn''t hide the information, Hiro also didn''t reveal everything. He just answered in an ambiguous way leaving many people guessing.


    Kim Tae-ri was tad bit disappointed by Hiro''s answer. However she was also impressed by Hiro''s ability to keep cool.


    A moment ago, Hiro seemed all flustered. But now as if he was totally different person, he seemed as calm as ocean.


    "Then do you use any social media? If yes then would it be possible for you to tell us your ount information?" As she asked this question, her gaze flickered revealing her true motive.


    However she didn''t dare to tantly ask for Hiro''s ount. Instead she concealed her intentions meticulously saying that she was trying to increase his fame and followers, "I''m sure that a lot of people would love to follow you"


    Hiro however always wanted to keep his profile private. Thus he didn''t speak of the ount which he used but instead revealed the information of the ount which he used for general public, "Umm... I don''t use social media much. But I do have an ount. You all can just search Takahashi Hiro in Japanese if you want to know more about me"


    Kim Tae-ri immediately tranted Hiro''s response to her audience.


    While she was tranting his words, Hiro''s eyes glowed with astonishment and bewilderment while looking at her.


    Admiration reflecting in his eyes, he dazedly stared at her. He was really impressed by her ability to move the mass, speak more than onenguage and not to mention about hermunication skills, it was top notch.


    Her charm was unparalleled, her voice was extremely soothing and her conducts was extremely eye appealing. She had a natural charm to draw anyone towards her effortlessly.


    At some distance away from Hiro, Yutaka and rest who were spectating this interview happening infront of them were baffled by Hiro''s attitude.


    "Don''t you think he''s acting a bit weird?" Yutaka questioned, giving Hiro aplicated look filled with confusion and suspicion.


    Takeshi who was standing right beside him, silently nodded his head.


    Just like this the interview went on for some time. During the process, Kim Tae-ri disyed her ability to it''s fullest, questioning Hiro about many things, tranting Hiro''s response and also entertaining the viewers.


    She really was a person who could move the hearts of the masses.


    Hiro too only answered those questions which weren''t too personal or too secretive. He was very careful to reveal his cards and he only revealed those cards which he could control.


    Finally as Kim Tae-ri bid her goodbye to her viewers and ended the stream, she let out a mouth full of turbid air, "Huffff....."


    Judging by her expression, it seemed like she was damn exhausted. Although she enjoyed live streaming, she still couldn''t hide that streaming for long tired her out as well.


    Looking at her exhausted figure, Hiro felt a bit pitiful and asked out of concern, "Are... you all right?"


    Frowning his brows, he worriedly looked at her.


    Kim Tae-ri however revealed a bright smile on her face before answering, "Hahaha... I''m alright. Just a bit exhausted"

 Chapter 281 Common ground

    <h4>Chapter 281 Common ground </h4>


    His words carried a hint of concern and sympathy. He wasn''t trying to dissuade her from being an influencer.


    And Kim Tae-ri was neither blind nor deaf. She could clearly see the concern written over Hiro''s face and she could audibly feel the genuineness behind his words.


    Thus she didn''t feel offended by Hiro''s question. Instead she felt quite grateful. She could feel a strange sensation of amicability from Hiro''s words.


    As if it was a good friend of her questioning her right now, she didn''t sense any sort of malicious intention concealed in those words.


    It was rather strange how she was getting a strong amiable vibe from someone whom she had just met.


    But what can we do, all sorts of things happen in life. Sometimes we feel closer to a stranger than to a person whom we''ve known for ages.


    Thus because of such strange feelings, she let out a subtle smile as she answered amicably without any restraint, "Just like how you enjoy ying football, I enjoy making videos,municating with different peoples and sharing the world my experience."


    At this moment while looking at her figure, Hiro''s pupils expanded as it glittered with a strange light. Out of nowhere his heart started beating faster as he was taken aback by her words.


    Her alluring voice was like a melody yed by angels. Her sparkling eyes were like starry sky; dazzling and beautiful. And the gentle smile on her face was like the first ray of morning sun; soothing and warm.


    She sounded extremely free. Like she wasn''t constrained by any shackles of this world.


    Right now as if the world around him had turned blurred, Hiro''s eyes could only focus at the fairy like figure of Kim Tae-ri.


    Hiro was mesmerized by her dedication and passion. He could feel how passionate Kim Tae-ri was for her interest.


    More than her appearance, he was captivated by her words. Her words were like honey; sweet and fragrant. Because just like how she loved making videos andmunicating with people, Hiro too loved ying football. Both of them had one thing inmon- both of them were extremely passionate about their interests.


    Even without knowing her properly strangly he could rte to her. It was such a strange feeling which he couldn''t even express.


    But good moments don''tst for long. Amidst the surging sensation of warmth he was feeling, a strange sensation of doubt immerged within his heart.


    ''If she really lovesmunicating with people then why did she decline Ken''s request back then? Perhaps she''s putting up a facade?'' Hiro''s feeling took a U-turn as he began to doubt Kim Tae-ri''s personality.


    She seemed too sweet. Infact too sweet that it seemed too good to be real.


    Although he felt a bit sceptical about her personality and the incident which took ce before, he still kept a gentle smile on his face.


    "How can you be so sure that I enjoy football?" Hiro asked politely without revealing a trace of doubt.


    As Hiro questioned her, she lifted her hands and covered her mouth. For a while, she spoke nothing. The way she was reacting made it seem like she was deeply pondering something.


    Meanwhile Hiro''s doubtful eyes kept on analysing her reaction. However no matter how many things he pondered about, he couldn''te to a conclusion.


    ''Was that part about her being the culprit behind the incident made up?'' Hiro couldn''t figure out.


    Just at this moment, Kim Tae-ri''s sweet voice resounded and forced him to step out of his mental world, "I''m not sure if you notice it or not but a moment ago while ying, you seemed truly free. And also you wouldn''t be this good if you weren''t interested in football, would you?"


    ''I see so it''s both a gut feeling and a simple analysis'' Hiro''s tensed body lossened a bit as he heard her response.


    ''With Park Seung-gyu''s nature, may be she herself is only a victim. May be I''m just thinking too much''


    Thinking so, Hiro chuckled, "Hahaha... Well you do make some sense.


    **** ****


    Inside a locker room.


    Thud!!


    "Why did you back out?" Kim Il-sung burst into fury as he furiously mmed his hands on the metal locker.


    His hoarse voice filled with indignance was extremely terrifying, like the grumbling sound of thunder.


    Park Seung-gyu who was changing his clothes opposite to Kim Il-sung, despite hearing Kim Il-sung''s furious roar was rather calm and collected.


    His face showed no fear and no remorse or guilt. His eerie ck eyes remained indifferent while he continued to change his clothes without paying any attention to Kim Il-sung''s hissy fits.


    However the more Park Seung-gyu remained silent, the more angrier Kim Il-sung got. Since yesterday, he had been refraining himself from questioning Park Seung-gyu, hoping that Park Seung-gyu would provide him answers on his own.


    But despite keeping his mouth shut, Park Seung-gyu pretended as if nothing had taken ce between them. Not only did he not provide him reason, he didn''t even apologise to him.


    Unable to tolerate Park Seung-gyu''s silence any further, he turned around to look at Park Seung-gyu.


    He then once again growled ferociously while ring at Park Seung-gyu, "Why did you ce the bet if you''re going to submit? You were the one who told me that one of their yer harassed my sister. But not only could I not bring justice to my sister, I also had to apologise instead"


    His hands tightly clenched into fist was slightly trembling while veins could be seen popping out of his forehead.


    Still Park Seung-gyu however showed no changes in his expression. His face was still solemn while he continued with his task, totally ignoring Kim Il-sung''s rants.


    Seeing Park Seung-gyu''s calmness, Kim Il-sung who was like a volcano on the verge of erupting could no longer hold himself back.


    However just as he was about to speak, Park Seung-gyu who had been silent all along opened his mouth, "What are you crying for? The real match hasn''t even started"

 Chapter 282 Tactical meeting

    <h4>Chapter 282 Tactical meeting </h4>


    Demanding answers, Kim Il-sung right now was extremely terrifying.


    Still his oppressive aura had little to no effect on Park Seung-gyu. Just by looking at him, one could tell that he wasn''t even fazed by Kim Il-sung''s threatening tone.


    However Kim Il-sung wasn''t satisfied with Park Seung-gyu''s response. It wasn''t the answer he wanted to hear.


    Thus even though his response managed to shut Kim Il-sung''s mouth for a while, it still couldn''t appease his anger.


    Infact his response made him even more furious, "What the fuck are you talking about? Tell me the reason why you backed down"


    "Because we had made a bet" Park Seung-gyu answered nonchntly without any hesitation, "And remember you were also present there when making that bet and also don''t forget that you had given the green light as well."


    While he was speaking, suddenly Park Seung-gyu released a threatening aura as he squinched his eyes and coldly red at Kim Il-sung, "Now don''t pester me again and again with such trivial matters. Just do your best in the match against them if you want to redeem your lost pride"


    Suddenly a cold sweat ran down his spine. His eyes which were glowing with indignance a moment ago now dulled with trepidation.


    Kim Il-sung who was barking like a mad hound earlier couldn''t even bring himself to open his mouth.


    Although he wanted to rebuke, he couldn''t bring himself to rebuke because he was very aware of Park Seung-gyu''s influence on the team. He was there star yer.


    The yer who wins the game for them. Falling in favour with him was like seeking his own doom.


    Even though he was one of their core yer, he wasn''t the one with the most influence.


    In every organisation whether someone likes it or not there''ll always be a set hierarchy. And football which is a team sport isn''t spared either. And most of the time, the star yer who was trusted by both coach and fans would be the one at the top of the hierarchy.


    And Park Seung-gyu who was their team''s star yer was literally untouchable.


    Infront of him, Kim Il-sung''s worth was little to nothing. And Kim Il-sung who was purely acting on his emotion a moment ago, right now was faced with the cruel reality.


    Whether he likes it or not, he has to tuck his pride and ept the oue.


    **** ****


    In a brightly lit spacious room, many elderly men were seatedfortably with grim expression on their faces while a youth with ck hair was scribbling something on a board.


    Dark shadows of furniture ced inside the room and people present in the room was blending perfectly with the room.


    And although the room was somewhat warm, the air around the room was rather heavy.


    "So what I''m saying is that sir for us to win this final match, we need to pay special attention to Kim Il-sung and Park Seung-


    gyu" Hiro spoke while pointing at the tactics board.


    As he spoke such, those elderly men who were intently staring at him since a moment ago, their gazes became even more tensed as their expression stiffened.


    Suddenly a man with clean shaven face who was sitting with his legs crossed, opened his mouth, "You are indeed right. Although Park Seung-gyu is their main man, Kim Il-sung is like their backbone. Not only is he good at controlling the flow of the game, he''s also good at keeping hold of the ball and defending"


    The man speaking right now was Kazan. Although he was maintaining his calm demeanor right now, his eyes were flickering with admiration.


    Truth be told, he was quite impressed by Hiro''s thorough analysis of the opposing team. Hiro''s analysis was almost simr to his.


    While many people would assume that Park Seung-gyu was the main man of the team because of his ability to score goals and disregard the presence of Kim Il-sung who remained hidden from the spotlight for most of the time.


    Infact even Kim Il-sung hadn''t realised his importance on the field.


    Not only was he good at keeping hold of the ball and retaining the ball, he could also dictate the pace of the game to some extent.


    However since he didn''t involve directly for most part of the game, his presence would go unnoticed most of the time.


    Coach Haruki''s wrinkled forehead was like the waves of the ocean. Thinking deeply about Hiro''s analysis, he solemnly nodded his head, "Indeed that kid is the pivot of South Korean team. If we allow him to act freely, we''ll suffer great damage. And I''m sure that most of you have already realised that that kid Park Seung-gyu his finishing from inside the box is literally top notch. I''ve run some data on him and I found that he has an astronomical 96% finishing ratio in this whole tournament"


    As he said this, a lot of coaches became slightly flustered. It was like this discovery was totally new to them. However still all of them nodded their head as they pretended to be aware of this fact.


    "Indeed his finishing is good from inside the box. However from outside the box, he hasn''t managed to score a lot."


    "So as long as we stop this kid from advancing into the box, we can reduce our chances of loss by a lot" another coach suggested.


    However his suggestion was quickly rejected as manager Haruki shook his head, partially rejecting this suggestion, "Stopping him on his track would definitely increase our chances of victory. However this kid, his sense of positioning is very good. So it''s gonna be quite difficult to stop him"


    The tactical meeting kept on progressing as everybody presented their ideas one after other.


    Earlier Hiro had asked to be part of this tactical meeting. And the privilege of being the captain of his team allowed him to not only be part of the meeting but also allowed him to present his ideas.


    And Hiro who was aware of Park Seung-gyu''s wow-factor was determined to put a halt to the tyranny of Park Seung-gyu.

 Chapter 283 Grand Stage

    <h4>Chapter 283 Grand Stage </h4>


    In that vast expanse, right now a moving ck shadow could be seen from the ground. It''s movement pattern was quite predictable. And upon closer inspection, one could tell that that it was a bird, a fairly bigger one at that.


    Flying high up in the sky even higher that most clouds, a lone eagle was circling around an invisible perimeter. Sometimes pping it''s majestic wings while sometimes letting it''s body move on it''s own, it''s sharp eyes were moving rather erratically as if it was searching for something. Probably it was searching for a prey right now.


    However during it''s pursuit for it''s prey, right now a scene was being reflected in it''s sharp eyes. The scene of a stadium filled with seas of passionate supporters.


    Surrounded by those seas of supporters was a green field with different white lines engraved on it and that was the pitch where Japan u17 national team and South Korea u17 national team were going to sh against each other in a moment.


    However all those things reflecting in it''s eyes seemed rather insignificant to this mighty eagle as it immediately jolted it''s eyes away from the scene of the stadium.


    Even so, it continued to hover at the same location, continuing it''s search for it''s prey.


    "Here theye" one of the fan present in the stadium, excitedly spoke as he pointed at the direction of the tunnel from where the yers began to march.


    Upon entering the field as Hiro looked up to check the weather, he couldn''t help but notice that lone eagle flying in the sky, ''At the end of the match, only one team will emerge out victorious''


    The figure of that lone eagle hovering in the sky made him think about the battle which was about to begin.


    "Honey look Hiro hase out" Hiro''s mother who was watching Hiro''s match in the television screen eximed excitedly.


    Takashi on the other hand, right now was hurriedly grabbing his beers from the fridge. He was very fond of watching a football match while sipping a beer.


    At the same time on the field, numerous fans erupted into excited cheers as the queue of yers finally walked out of the aisle after a lot of anticipation.


    While the yers took time to enter the field, they had been waiting for the yers. Some of them had even spend more than 2 hours.


    Thus at once as the yers entered the field, the electric buzz of anticipation mingled with the loud roars and created an intoxicating atmosphere around the stadium.


    Banners and gs, representing both the teams, fluttered proudly in the wind, disying colours that ignited fierce loyalty.


    At once as the yers entered the pitch, a peculiar scent of the freshly cut grassbined with the scent of mouth-watering snacks from the concession stands, gushed towards the noses of the yers.


    Even so most of the yers kept their cool as they strode nonchntly, following the lead of the match officials who were going to officiate this game.


    Japanese yers dressed in their signature blue jersey while Korean yers dressed in their orange coloured jersey walked in a disciplined manner like marching soldiers.


    Infront of them bunch of people were grabbing the edges of their respective gs. Those bunches instead of moving forward, moved sideways. And at a certain distance, they then halted their movements.


    Even the match officials then after moving certain distance, halted their movement as they turned to face the part of the staidum from where they entered the field.


    yers of both the team followed suit as they walked towards separate side of the pitch. With referees standing in the middle, yers of respective team stood alongside the referee in their respective half.


    And as all of the positioned themselves together alongside referees, cameraman who were following their movements since they were inside the tunnel began to take pictures of them.


    Click!! Click!!


    Numerous clicking sound continued to echo as they stood there upright, posing for the pictures.


    The rhythmic beating of the drums resonated throughout the stadium, fostering an infectious rhythm that fans instinctively adopted while encouraging their team.


    Cheers and chants reverberating from end to end was creating a thunderous chorus that was enveloping the very essence of the game.


    To experience this moment, a lot of yers felt extremely grateful. Their eyes shining with determination was barely able to conceal the excitement hidden within.


    However all of a sudden the stadium went silent as thementator announced, "Now lets us all keep a moment of silence to honour the national anthem of team South Korea"


    As he finished speaking, a song started ying in the background. As soon as the music started, yers of South Korea lifted their hands towards their heart as they stood upright and began to sing.


    Fans be it Korean fans or Japanese fans or outsiders who were simply present here to enjoy the match, everybody stood from their seats as they kept their mouth shut until the end of the anthem.


    p!! p!! p!!


    At once as the music stopped ying, a thunderous sound of apuse reverberated from the stadium.


    However the sound of apusested only for a while as thementator announced themencement of national anthem of Japan.


    Before the start of the song, a ghostly silence engulfed the whole stadium.


    The game and the vibe were important but respect was even more important.


    Hiro and the rest of the Japanese yers and Japanese people be it the people present in the stadium or the people seated behind the screen, stood still as they ced their hands on their heart and began to sing.


    Although he was used to this feeling but no matter how many times he did it, Hiro always felt extremely proud while singing the national anthem of his country.


    Being able to represent his country, being able to wear the colours of his country and being able to sing his country''s national anthem infront of so many people, Hiro felt extremely grateful.

 Chapter 284 Qualifier finals I

    <h4>Chapter 284 Qualifier finals I </h4>


    Their expression filled with pride and their eyes glowing with determination, cameramen captured all this moment up close without missing any details.


    Finally after a while as the song came to an end, at once thunderous sound of apuse began to reverberate all around the stadium.


    p!! p!! p!!


    pping their hands, Hiro and his teammates expressed their gratefulness.


    After a coin toss, yers of both the team began to shake hands with each other before running towards their respective side and positioning themselves in their respective position.


    ''At least try to conceal your emotions'' Hiro thought as he continued to shake hands with the opposing yers.


    Since the beginning, right from the moment when he had met them today, he had been getting a lot of malevolent res from the yers of opposing team.


    They were openly ring at him like as if he had robbed them of a heavenly treasure.


    Although Hiro was used to such res since oftentimes he offended a lot of people due to his talent, he still couldn''t deny the fact that he was kinda annoyed by such gazes.


    Getting two or three such gazes waspletely normal to him but right now he was getting it from the whole Korean national team except Park Seung-gyu.


    Earlier while he was shaking hands with Kim Il-sung, he could even feel the concentrated ominous aura leaking around Kim Il-sung.


    But even so, Hiro could do nothing. Since he had already offended them by unintentionally humiliating them before, it was quite natural for him to face their wrath.


    Thus Hiro sighed helplessly upon thinking about his present situation, "Sigh!!"


    At this time, the person who grabbed his hands chuckled upon hearing his helpless sigh, "Hahaha... Seems like you''re quite troubled right now"


    Hiro who was trying to ignore the malicious res of the opposing yers was soo lost in his own thoughts that he wasn''t even aware of his surroundings.


    He was simply leafing over the opposing yers without paying any attention to the yers, like wind.


    Previously while shaking hands with other yers, he''d either hear nothing or hear them cursing him.


    But now all of a sudden, as something totally different happened, he couldn''t help but be a little startled.


    As Hiro heard the chuckle, his dull eyes which were looking absent minded suddenly sparkled as it shed towards the person who was holding his hands right now.


    But before he could open his mouth to speak, Park Seung-gyu who was holding his hands looked him in the eyes with a smug look on his face and continued, "I hope that you''re still confident enough to fulfill your promise"


    Clearly he was trying to provoke Hiro. And Hiro who was already a grown up from inside wasn''t so much of a fool to easily give in to his provocation.


    Infact Hiro didn''t even want to concern himself with the matters regarding the opposing team. However right now he didn''t feel like staying silent.


    Hiro then slightly lifted the corner of his lips, revealing a smile on his face and answered in rather casual tone, "I''m still confident. But what if you start crying? That would be a little painful to watch"


    If Hiro could keep his cool despite the provocation then so can Park Seung-gyu. Hearing Hiro''s response although his eyes twitched a bit, he kept a smile on his face as he maintained his demeanor, "Then I hope you won''t do the same when the tables are turned against you"


    Saying so, he moved forward without waiting for Hiro''s reply. And because of that Hiro didn''t get a chance to reply back.


    Hiro however wasn''t irritated in the least. Infact he shrugged Park Seung-gyu''s provocative words with a smile on his face.


    Even before the start of the game, one could vividly feel the tension rising in the pitch right now.


    Hiro was coolheaded, however most of his teammates weren''t. While he ignored almost the entire squad of South Korea, his friends answered rage with rage.


    Trying to overpower each other, both the teams battled an invisible battle of strength by exerting their force in the handshake.


    In that process, a lot of yers from both side suffered as they hurt their hands while trying to overpower each other.


    Right now as Hiro diverted his attention from Park Seung-gyu, he found most of his teammates blowing air in their hands. As if it was mmed by hammer, most of their hands seemed quite reddened.


    "What happened to them?" Hiro was baffled by their condition.


    At first Hiro was a little baffled but it didn''t take him long to figure out the reason. Because he himself had experienced it a moment ago while shaking hands with some of the opposing yers.


    "Seems like they tried to retaliate andpeted against them" Hiro muttered to himself whileing to a conclusion.


    It''s just that Hiro didn''t wish to engage in such trivial childish fights. Thus even when opposing yers increased their grip, he didn''t react at all which caused the opposing yers to lose their interest.


    But his teammates weren''t like him. When the opposing yers struck them, they struck them back and replied attack with attack.


    However in process, yers of both the team suffered quite a lot.


    Hiro however escaped unscathed.


    Shun and opposing keeper also escaped unscathed as both of them valued their hands. As there''s a saying for a keeper the most valuable thing in his entire body is his hand. Thus he must not only treasure it but also nurture it.


    After that Hiro gathered his yers and reminded them of their tactics which they had worked painstakingly.


    "Guys didn''t I tell you to keep your cool?" He questioned them after reminding them of their tactics.


    Everybody knew what Hiro was talking about. Thus they felt quite ashamed and became tongue-tied upon hearing Hiro''s question.


    Looking at their embarrassing figure, Hiro could only sigh helplessly and remind them again with a fierce tone, "What has happened has happened. But from now on, nobody would let their emotions drive them. Did you get it?"

 Chapter 285 Qualifier finals II

    <h4>Chapter 285 Qualifier finals II </h4>


    The long awaited match finallymenced as the referee sounded his whistle. For once cheers became even more louder before it subsided gradually.


    Park Seung-gyu who was standing close to the ball kicked the ball back to his teammate; inturn officially initiating the kickoff.


    In today''s match both the team were ying in the same formation. Both the teams with their attacking philosophy were ying in 4-3-3 formation.


    After the kickoff, for some while opposing yers kept passing the ball between themselves; trying their best to attract the yers of Japan while searching for a gap to exploit.


    They were calm andposed. Their passes precise and fluid.


    yers of Japan weren''t in any kind of rush either. Thus they also didn''t pursue aggressively right from the beginning.


    Both the team were ying it safe.


    It was quite evident from the way both the team were ying that both of the team had studied each other thoroughly and were vignt against the other.


    Hiro on the other hand wasn''t wasting any moment; he was constantly on the lookout for any kind of opportunity. But he wasn''t open about his intentions either.


    Like a wolf hiding in sheeps cloth, he waspletely blending with the surrounding. His actions today weren''t anything shy.


    At times he''d chase after the ball, at times he''d cooperate with his teammates and at times he''d turn his head to look for gaps.


    After ying it safe for so long, all of a sudden at the 11th minute of the match, one of the opposing defender sent the ball flying towards the other half.


    And as he sent the ball flying, out of nowhere the intensity of the match surged as opposing yers ferociously dashed forward.


    It was so sudden that almost nobody had seen iting. Obviously opposing team while ying it safe for so long was cooking something.


    However Japanese yers hadn''t let their guard down either. Thus as soon as the opposing defender sent the ball flying, immediately most of the Japanese yers began to fall back without any sort of hesitation.


    At the same time Takeshi and few other defenders from Hiro''s team, scattered around as they began to cover up the gaps in their defense.


    The ball was headed towards the direction of Park Seung-gyu. Anybody could tell just by looking at it.


    So how could the Japanese yers fail to notice it?


    Immediately Takeshi and another defender rushed towards the direction where the ball was going to fall. Those two sandwiched Park Seung-gyu leaving him no space to jump.


    Akutsu who was the core of Japanese defense stayed behind to prevent any sort of mistakes and to stabilise the defense line.


    Just as the ball was about to fall, Takeshi leapt from the ground, trying to head the ball away. However Park Seung-gyu to whom the pass was yed, remained unresponsive.


    He didn''t even try to contend with Takeshi for the ball. Behind him Ayase was blocking his path and infront of him Takeshi was trying to clear the ball away.


    It was like he was intentionally letting Takeshi to intecept the ball. But why would he let him do so? Was it because he was simply helpless? Or was there another motive behind his unresponsiveness? If so what benefit would he gain?


    Just as Takeshi was about to clear the ball away, Hiro who had been falling back felt an ominous feeling as he intuitively sensed danger.


    "Not good" Hiro muttered to himself as he contorted his face and increased his pace.


    The ominous feeling which he felt suddenly turned into reality as in the next moment Takeshi lost his bnce mid-air for absolutely no reason.


    As Takeshi Ono lost his bnce mid-air, he couldn''t head the ball away. Thus the ball slipped past his reach.


    Upon witnessing the ball slipping past Takeshi, Ayase who had been guarding Park Seung-gyu immediately reacted as he jolted forward to cover up the mistake made by Takeshi Ono.


    Taking advantage of Takeshi''s momentary unbnce, Park Seung-gyu who had been lying low, nimbly swayed his upper body as he swiftly turned around.


    At the same time while turning around, the ball hit his back and bounced behind Ayase. Ayase was caught totally off-guard.


    His eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat and he started to panic a little. Fear and shock was evident in his eyes. He was greatly startled and shocked by Park Seung-gyu''s move.


    The audience on the other hand, upon seeing this exquisite performance were marvelled as most of them were left with their mouth agape and eyes sparkling.


    Takeshi however somehow managed to prevent himself from crashing as he stabilised his bnce while falling. But the look on his eyes wasn''t that of relief.


    Instead right now, his eyes were glowing with absolute rage. Furrowing his brows, he turned around as he gnashed his teeth and squeezed a word out of his mouth, "You bastard...."


    Takeshi hadn''t made any mistake. Rather he was forced to make mistake.


    Park Seung-gyu was a yer who could naturally position himself in a better position. And earlier while exploiting his talent to it''s maximum when Takeshi leapt from the ground, he infact had slightly pushed Takeshi before he could even reach his maximum jump which had caused Takeshi to lose his bnce mid-air.


    However all those actions, he had done sneakily while avoiding the gaze of the referee. He deliberately had positioned himself in a spot between Takeshi and Ayase to block the view of the referee.


    A still swing wouldn''t make much impact upon getting it''s ropes cut but a moving swing would definitely make much greater impact upon getting it''s ropes cut while it''s still moving.


    If it''s in ground battles Takeshi could easily manhandle Park Seung-gyu but to control his bnce mid-air without any sort of preparation was simply an impossible task.


    Now after getting past two of the obstacles Park Seung-gyu began to rapidly move towards the penalty box.


    Witnessing the approaching figure of Park Seung-gyu, Akutsu who was staying back smiled instead of being startled, "You were right about him Hiro. He''s indeed a sly fox"

 Chapter 286 Qualifier finals III

    <h4>Chapter 286 Qualifier finals III </h4>


    Thus he had ignored his warning thinking that he was only worrying needlessly.


    Not only back then, even today before the start of the match, Hiro had reminded him to be wary of Park Seung-gyu.


    And just like back then he had once again turned deaf ear to Hiro''s reminder. But now upon witnessing the craftiness of Park Seung-gyu first-hand, he felt a bit regretful that he didn''t listen to Hiro sooner.


    While the referee may have failed to notice the collision because of the obstruction, Akutsu who had remained in the backline had clearly seen the sneaky move made by Park Seung-gyu.


    With every passing seconds Park Seung-gyu was getting closer to the penalty box. And not only Hiro but also the coaches had strictly warned the yers from letting Park Seung-gyu inside the box.


    Akutsu then checked his left and right before moving forward himself to block the iing attacker.


    At first Park Seung-gyu tried to dribble the ball past Akutsu. However Akutsu was like a snake, coiling it''s body around him.


    Not only was he finding it difficult to dribble the ball past him, he was also feeling that his movement was being restricted to some extent.


    Park Seung-gyu''s way of dribbling was quite straightforward. He tried to trick Akutsu by using body feints but to no avail.


    He tried to use his pace but Akutsu simply didn''t provide him any space to escape.


    Not only that time was also running out of his hands. With Ayase and few other opposing yers closing in towards him, his hopes of moving forward was getting slim with every passing seconds.


    Finally after trying to dribble past Akutsu for a while, Park Seung-gyu''s forehead right now was covered with beads of sweat while his eyes were showing signs of anxiousness.


    Unable to dribble the ball past Akutsu, he had only one option left and that was to pass the ball to his teammate.


    However the moment he kicked the ball, Akutsu slid down with his legs stretched; inturn intercepting his pass.


    This unforeseen event totally caught Park Seung-gyu off-guard as he made a bitter expression before falling back.


    Japan''s victory until this stage could mostly be attributed to Hiro. However that didn''t mean Akutsu''s contribution was any less.


    Hiro''s contribution was just too big of a factor that it was shading the contribution of Akutsu and the others.


    The crowd was exhrated by Akutsu''s defending. Not only did he subdue Park Seung-gyu, he even managed to snatch the ball away from Park Seung-gyu.


    At that time both Ayase and Takeshi were falling back. Thus after getting deflected, the ball thennded on the feet of Ayase.


    Ayase inturn send the ball rolling towards Takeshi and initiated a counterattack.


    The yers of Japan who were falling back quickly changed their direction as they moved upfield for the counterattack at lightning speed.


    At the same time opposing yers who were on the offense a moment ago began to fall back with a flustered expression. The tables had turned now and now it was their turn to defend.


    Despite having excellent physique, Takeshi wasn''t fast. His main arsenal were his ball control, defense and passes. Speed wasn''t his forte.


    And he was well aware of his shorings. Thus he didn''t keep the ball with him for long. As he found an opportunity, he immediately released the ball towards Yutaka who was charging from the left side.


    Yutaka wasn''t like Takeshi. Although he wasn''t fast like Hiro. His passing stats was even at the same level as Hiro.


    However within some moment of receiving the ball, Yutaka ran into a trouble. He came face to face against Kim Il-sung.


    Enveloped by a thick overpowering aura, Kim Il-sung as he came face to face against Yutaka, red at Yutaka with his eerie ck eyes while ring his nostrils.


    Immediately a cold sweat ran down his face as he locked eyes with Kim Il-sung. Even so it might have been a different scenario if they had met outside. He''d have even run away if he had met him outside.


    But right now, he was in the field. How could he let this menacing man affect him?


    **** ****


    "You need to be more courageous Yutaka. In field no one can harm you directly. So what are you afraid of? The only thing you should be afraid of is not being able to disy your full potential while you''re on the field" gently cing his hands atop Yutaka''s shoulder, Hiro encouraged Yutaka, pointing out his ws.


    The sky was a tapestry of red and orange. The sun while on the verge of setting down was casting an ethereal glow on the surface.


    Hiro and Yutaka''s silhouette were elongated on the grassy green field which was glowing with golden hues right now.


    Upon hearing Hiro''s gentle words, full of encouragement, Yutaka who had been looking down since a moment ago, slowly lifted his head to look at Hiro.


    His glossy eyes were filled with reverence and timidness. Surge of emotions was rising within his heart. However he wasn''t being able to convey the feelings in his heart.


    The golden rays of the sunlight which was shining on their faces was making their sweaty face sparkle. And the gentle wind which was blowing while caressing their body was making their jersey and hair flutter.


    The golden sunlight, the ethereally beautiful sky filled with the hues of red, orange, purple and pink and theradeship this two friends were sharing was making this whole scene extremely dreamy.


    However this was not a dream. It was something which had happened in reality some days ago.


    **** ****


    While facing Kim Il-sung, this particr memory shed in his mind. And out of nowhere, a surge of courage rose within his heart. Although it didn''t entirely helped him cope with his fear, it still gave him a bit of courage to face his fear.


    "I''ll be fine" muttering such, Yutaka strode forward with a new found courage. His eyes which was shrouded with a thick veil of fear glowed with courage; inturn lifting the curtain of fear from his eyes.


    However reality struck him hard instantly as he found it extremely difficult to get past Kim Il-sung. He tried his best but he was no match to Kim Il-sung.


    He was so focused at facing his fear that he was even ignorant of his strengths. He wasn''t a natural born dribbler like Hiro.


    Although he could dribble pretty well. Right now the opponent infront of him was just too tough.

 Chapter 287 Qualifier finals IV

    <h4>Chapter 287 Qualifier finals IV </h4>


    And because of such repeated failures, not only Yutaka''s but the condition of the entire team was getting extremely dire with every passing seconds. They were starting to lose their momentum.


    At the same time, opposing yers were rapidly falling back at an incredible pace. Filling in the gaps and increasing their pressure.


    Yutaka''s newfound confidence was taking a major hit and his confidence was getting shaken.


    His breathing was getting a bit hurried, his forehead was covered with beads of sweat and his eyes which were glowing with confidence was starting to show signs of anxiousness, ''Why is he so hard to beat?''


    Even his fluid movement had be somewhat sluggish than before. Right now his condition was like a castle made up of cards which could fall with a single gust of wind.


    Kim Il-sung although a bit moody wasn''t an idiot who couldn''t read the obvious signs present infront of him. He was well aware of Yutaka''s condition.


    Thus at this moment, his eyes suddenly shed with a cold light as he struck his legs forward while trying to disrupt Yutaka''s bnce using his body.


    During the process, he collided hardly with Yutaka as he tried to push Yutaka.


    Coming in contact with Kim Il-sung, Yutaka felt the pressure of Kim Il-sung. Thus he lost his footing which inturn made him lose his bnce.


    However although he lost his bnce, he didn''t lose the hold of the ball. It was like the ball was stuck in his legs.


    Even so, Kim Il-sung was adamant. He wasn''t willing to let go of Yutaka. Still Yutaka was somehow holding his ground by keeping hold of the ball.


    This really showcased Yutaka''s ability to keep hold of the ball to it''s fullest.


    But even though it seemed like Yutaka could hold his ground against Kim Il-sung. It wasn''t the case. With every shes, Yutaka was finding it extremely difficult to keep hold of the ball. If this situation continued for some more while, he was bound to lose control of the ball.


    No matter how good of a control he had, how could he endure this repeated assault? Afterall there was just too much of a difference between their physique.


    And although Kim Il-sung was making use of his strength, he wasn''tmitting any foul. Afterall he wasn''t openly pushing Yutaka with his hands, he was merely using shoulder push to overthrow Yutaka.


    Finally just when it seem like the momentum of Japan would get lost, Hiro who had been heavily marked by Korean yers shook his mark and came to Yutaka''s rescue.


    If there were any teammates free, Yutaka wouldn''t have taken this risk. He would have already passed the ball.


    However since every single one of his teammates was being heavily guarded, he was forced to face Kim Il-sung all by himself. Thus, until now everything depended on him.


    If he could get past Kim Il-sung, he could create a space for his teammates. But since he wasn''t able to get past Kim Il-sung, the situation until now had gone into a stalemate with neither side advancing forward.


    However at this moment as Hiro shook his mark, finally an opportunity was created.


    The yers who were marking Hiro were forced to leave their position which inturn formed a hole in the defense of opposing team.


    Seeing the running figure of Hiro who had broken free from his encirclement, Yutaka''s eyes sparkled with hope and joy.


    The feeling of anxiousness which was growing inside his heart totally vanished away as he witnessed the figure of Hiroing to his rescue.


    Yutaka then immediately made a through pass to Hiro.


    The pass was extremely urate and ridiculously powerful. It was more like a ground shot than a pass.


    Kim Il-sung who had been relentlessly pounding Yutaka made a flustered expression as he frowned his brows and anxiously turned towards the direction of the ball.


    Although he panicked a little, he didn''t stood paralysed at his ce. Instead, he immediately changed his target and rushed towards Hiro.


    All of sudden, everybody''s focus drifted towards Hiro and Hiro became the centre of the attention.


    Taking advantage of this moment, every yer of Japan who''s movements were restricted a moment ago broke free as they all made their own move.


    Be it Nijichi, Yutaka, Honda or others every yer started moving respectively.


    The movement of all this yers put the opposing yers in a predicament.


    Should they focus at Hiro? Or should they give those yers a chase?


    Many opposing yers started to panic and hesitate. Leaving Hiro alone would certainly spell a doom. Hiro was just too big of a threat.


    Not only could he score by himself, he could also create opportunities for the yers around him.


    Even if they stopped him outside the penalty box, he could hit a long range shot.


    Their hesitation however was only momentary hesitation as all of them immediately regained their cool and started to chase after the yers who had broken free.


    At the same time, three people including Kim Il-sung rushed towards Hiro to put a stop to his march.


    Kim Il-sung and another yer chased him from behind while one of their central defender named Kim Ji-hoon charged towards him from the front.


    Compared to Kim Il-sung, Kim Ji-hoon had a slightly small frame. However despite his small frame, he was remarkably agile on the field. Considering his pace he should be a fullback but the reason why their coach had ced him in the centre defender position was to utilise him as a libero.


    While his team has the ball, he''d step up. And when they''re on defence, he''d step down. Even a moment ago when they''re on the offense, he was actually at the half-line.


    But as soon as Japan started their counterattack, he immediately fell back using his speed.


    Apart from ying as a defender, you''ll even find him ying as a defensive midfielder most of the time. Kim Ji-hoon was really a versatile yer.

 Chapter 288 Qualifier finals V

    <h4>Chapter 288 Qualifier finals V </h4>


    Infact he was rather calm. Not even a hint of anxiousness could be seen on his face.


    However Kim Ji-hoon''s eyes seemed rather panicked. And he also seemed a bit hesitant.


    Despite noticing Hiro charging towards him, he wasn''t making any moves. As if he was intentionally holding him back from moving forward, despite being a speedster he was actually moving rather slow.


    ''Speedster Kim Ji-hoon let''s see who''s legs are the fastest'' thinking so, Hiro activated his skill Lightning Steps.


    Kim Ji-hoon''s eyes shed with cold light as he reacted quickly. Exerting a great amount of pressure on his legs, he elerated towards Hiro. Just like Hiro had studied about him, he had also studied about Hiro.


    Kim Il-sung and another yer who was pursuing Hiro felt the sudden rise in Hiro''s speed. However neither of those two could afford to lose their sight of Hiro.


    Thus despite their inability to run fast, they gritted their teeth as they continued to pursue after Hiro by giving their all.


    Even so just after few seconds despite trying their best those two were ruled out of the picture. And right now only Kim Ji-hoon was able to barely match Hiro.


    However even he seemed like he was struggling a lot. His breathing was extremely hurried and he was panting heavily. His face had be extremely sweaty and beads of sweat were continuously pouring down his face.


    Instead of moving towards the goalpost, Hiro was actually moving towards the edge of the penalty box.


    Everybody were both awed and baffled by Hiro''s actions. They were marvelled by his speed but at the same time they were baffled by Hiro''s choice of moving away from the post instead of moving in the straight line.


    However at the nick of time, Hiro performed a chop and quickly changed his direction.


    The moment Hiro pulled off a chop, while trying to abruptly change his direction, Kim Ji-hoon lost his footing and fell down.


    Thud!!


    While sprinting in that speed, Kim Ji-hoon just couldn''t afford to change his direction swiftly. And thus, he suffered the bacsh.


    Hiro however after changing his direction shot the ball from outside the box with his left foot. Hiro had the talent Ambipedal. And having this talent sure came in handy.


    Unlike other yers, he didn''t need to worry about adjusting the ball to fit their strong foot.


    While shooting, he made use of his skill Fireball Shot. The skill inturn amplified his shooting. The ball as it left Hiro''s foot flew towards the post at lightning speed.


    Tearing the space around it, the ball spun rapidly towards the post.


    Lee Hae-won, keeper of South Korea u17 national football team took few step forward before leaping from the ground and throwing his body towards the direction of the ball.


    His body arched as he stretched his whole body to his utmost limit while trying to save the shot.


    Not only did he possess good reflexes, he also possessed an unwavering fearless spirit. He was among those keepers who wouldn''t get scared to throw his body to prevent the goal.


    Because he stepped forward before diving, he managed tond a touch on the ball. If he had simply stayed back and tried to save the ball, no matter how much he stretched his body, he wouldn''t have been able to touch the ball.


    However right now because he closed some distance, he managed to touch the ball while it was still rtively lower.


    As he made contact with the ball, a feeling of joy emerged within his body. However the feeling died down as soon as it emerged.


    Upon getting obstructed, the balls trajectory changed a bit. Thus instead of ending up inside the goalpost, it hit the pole and bounced back.


    Lee Hae-won who had made that save fell down harshly on the ground. However despite that he tried to get up as fast as he can.


    Opposing defenders including Kim Ji-hoon who was lying on the ground a moment ago rushed towards the ball to clear it away.


    However Nijichi who had been waiting for an opportunity since a moment ago was the first one to reach the ball.


    Even so, Nijichi couldn''tnd the final blow as he was sandwiched by the opposing defenders. The ball thus once again hit the post and bounced back.


    However this time it bounced back quite far away from the range of both the opposing keeper and opposing defenders.


    Only Kim Il-sung and few others who were rtively far from the post were the ideal ones to clear that ball.


    Nijichi could do nothing this time, he was simply too far away. Honda and Suzuki both were also the same.


    Just when it seem like the ball would get cleared away, something unexpected happened. Kim Il-sung who was about to head the ball away, his eyes were filled with terror. The silhouette of a sturdy rod like leg was covering his vision.


    At this moment, as if Hiro had grown wings, he had leapt quite high from the ground. And his sturdy legs were righy now extending towards the sky while his hovering back was facing the ground.


    Bam!!


    A loud sound resounded around a small perimeter as Hiro''s legs made contact with the ball.


    Many eyes present in the crowd glittered with excitement and marvel while many expression became frozen. It was like the sea of supporters had suddenly turned into lifeless mannequin.


    However the next instant, those same people jumped on their toes as they threw their hands in the air while shouting at the top of their lungs, "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!!!!"


    At once an electrifying sound of cheers circted within the stadium, shaking the whole stadium to it''s core.


    The once deathly silent atmosphere buzzed with liveliness as people celebrated the bicycle goal of Hiro.


    However at this time, Hiro was lying on the ground; trying to lift his body from the ground.

 Chapter 289 Qualifier finals VI

    <h4>Chapter 289 Qualifier finals VI </h4>


    While the deafening sounds of cheers kept on circting within the stadium, Hiro who was lying on the ground slowly tried to lift his body with the help of his hands.


    Looking back whilst still trying to get up, he found the ball inside the post.


    Immediately his expression changed as his lips curled up into a smile. Just like a blooming flower, his whole face opened up as an intense feeling of joy assaulted him.


    The opposing keeper however was making a devastated expression.


    In simr fashion, the opposing yers face had lost their lustre. Most of their eyes were frowning while some of their eyes were glowing with rage.


    Clearly non of them were happy.


    The scene in the substitution box of Japan was one that of extreme joy and celebration. With yers and coaching staffs shouting and hugging each other, it was really a scene worth watching.


    Immediately as soon as Hiro stood up, Yutaka and others threw themselves towards Hiro. Having no time to react, he could only shoulder their weight.


    One after other, sweaty bodies of yers collided as their celebratory chants reverberated all over the pitch.


    With their eyes glistening with joy and their sweaty face a bit flustered, almost every single yer of Japan let them lose as they celebrated their lead.


    Within just 12th minute, Japan took the lead of the game. Thus everybody were extremely happy right now.


    "That''s the price for losing sight of Japan''s young captain. You can never rest for even a second when there''s this guy present on the field" Commentator was full of praise


    Be it yers of Japan or some people in the crowd, everybody be it knowingly or unknowingly had started relying on Hiro. When their team''s on the losing end, they''ll look at Hiro; expecting him to do something miraculous.


    With him in the team, everybody could feel a sense of assurance. It was like having an insurance.


    The celebrationsted for a while before yers returned to their original position to kickstart the game once again.


    And as Hiro returned to his position, he once again began to survey his surrounding.


    With their eyes in distress, the aftershock of that goal was still lingering in the opposing team. While most of them had calmed down there were still few who seemingly looked dejected.


    Specially their defender Kim Ji-hoon, he seemed the most disappointed. Probably he was still remembering about the moment when he had fallen down while chasing after Hiro.


    That fall was quite embarrassing afterall. Not only he had failed to stop Hiro, his fall had even created an opportunity for Hiro to make that shot which imminently led to this goal.


    One could say that that his failure to stop Hiro was one of the main reason behind them conceding this goal.


    While surveying, Hiro could vividly feel the tension rising in the opposing team.


    ''The more you panic the more spaces will be created'' Hiro mused inwardly, enjoying the evident tension rising in the opposing team.


    Beep!!


    The game then resumed again.


    As the game started, the cheers of the spectators became even more louder. The sounds of drums once again filled the entire stadium while the fans continued to cheer for their team.


    With only 12 minutes passed on the clock, the game was far from over. Thus although the opposing fans were disappointed about the previous goal, they hadn''t fully lost their hope.


    And right now they were fully supporting their yers; encouraging them to bounce back.


    As there''s a saying fans are the twelve yers of a team. With supportive fans, even an underdog team could perform more than their limit.


    And right now those encouraging cheers was eliminating the distress within the hearts of Korean yers while also raising their morale at the same time.


    Despite earlier disappointment, right now opposing yers were ying normally like how they yed before the goal.


    Their tactic was pretty much the same. Trying their utmost best to attract the opposing yers towards them to create openings for them to exploit.


    And Japanese yers who had received a morale boost because of the previous goal was right now overflowing with energy. It was like they had gained another extra pair of legs.


    At times they charged furiously while at times they slowed down their speed. It was like a game of cat and mouse.


    The mouse being the ball while the cat being the yers.


    However the role of cat was ever changing. Sometimes Japanese yers would turn into cat while at times Korean yers would turn into cat.


    For some while the game continued normally with both teams taking turns to attack each other. However neither of the team seeded in scoring another goal.


    South Korean yers tried their utmost best to repay the disappointment. Specially Park Seung-gyu and Kim Il-sung, those two were like beast.


    Those two had be extremely ferocious. Kim Il-sung was supplying crosses after crosses to his teams attacker while also retrieving the ball skillfully.


    At the same time, every single one of Park Seung-gyu''s shot were right on target. It was like he had gained an enlightenment.


    If not for Shun and others, by now Hiro''s team would have already conceded three goals.


    However that didn''t mean that Hiro and his team''s attacker weren''t doing their best. They weren''t stepping back either.


    If opponent team was shooting three shots at them, they were replying with four shots.


    Now with the copied talent of Park Seung-gyu, Hiro''s threat level had surged to a next level.


    Afterall as long as he could enter the penalty box, he could spam that talent infinitely. There was just no stopping to Hiro.


    Even so most of his shots were either getting saved by Lee Hae-won or deflected by Kim Ji-hoon.


    It was neck and neck battle between the two teams.


    Beep!!


    All of a sudden in the 37th minute of the match, the referee sounded his whistle as he put an halt to the game.


    At oncemotion started to rise as yers of both the team collided with each other. Immediately the once peaceful game took a chaotic turn as yers began to argue with each other.


    "What foul? How is that foul? I didn''t even touch him" Ren one of the centre back of Japanese national u17 team started arguing with the referee.


    Beside him a yer was lying on the field while group of South Korean yers and Japanese yers had surrounded him.


    His ck eyes were filled with unsatisfaction while his voice was full of helplessness and rage. His in looking face right now was full of disbelief and rage.


    Earlier while trying to defend against Park Seung-gyu, Ren Tanaka had simply performed a simple tackle to steal the ball from Park Seung-gyu.


    And he even managed to touch the ball. However at final moment Park Seung-gyu intentionally tripped on his legs and fell down; causing the referee to put an halt to game while also dering a foul.


    "So you can just kick someone and dere innocence? Is it so easy to fool the referee?" Park Ji-hye one of the attacking midfielder of opposing team, rebuked.


    His sugar-coated words were filled with ridicule and ttery. And the way he said those words made it seem like each and every single one of his words were carefully selected to obtain a desirable oue.


    Clearly he was trying to manipte the results by ttering the referee. At the same time he was also trying to agitate Ren Tanaka.


    Hearing Park Ji-hye''s words, Ren Tanaka who was trying to prove his innocence felt his eyes twitching as a gust of anger started to surface within his heart.


    His eyes became extremely agitated while he clenched his fist. Sure enough he was about to do something totally idiotic.


    However just when he was about to turn to Park Ji-hye, Hiro grabbed his arms and signalled him to calm down, "Shall we think with our head first?"


    Mumbling such with a subtle smile on his face, Hiro advised Ren to quite down and subdue his anger.


    Hiro''s expression were telling something while his words were telling a different story.


    And Ren Tanaka although a little block-headed clearly understood the meaning behind Hiro''s words.


    Thus despite his extreme urge to punch a hole in that face of Park Ji-hye, he wolfed his anger as he lossened his clenched fist.


    After that Hiro stepped infront to appeal, "We agree with your decision ref. However the foul was unintentional and he''s also sorry for his actions. So would you please consider giving only a warning?"


    The referee who was about to take his cards out of his pocket earlier, calmed down as he heard Hiro''s appeal.


    Thus he let go of Ren Tanaka with only a warning.

 Chapter 290 Qualifier finals VII

    <h4>Chapter 290 Qualifier finals VII </h4>


    However while all this things took ce, Park Seung-gyu who was ying the victim, kept on lying on the floor, pretending to be hurt until the end.


    Even while dealing with his teammate and the referee, from time to time Hiro had been observing Park Seung-gyu, trying to find out the real deal.


    However all this time, Park Seung-gyu never acted a least bit suspicious. Groaning in pain while lying on the floor,pletely ignoring the incident taking ce right beside him, it was like as if he was really hurt.


    After seeing such realistic performance from Park Seung-gyu, even Hiro had started doubting his ims.


    And just as the referee presented his verdict, opposing yers started helping Park Seung-gyu to stand straight. Supporting him, they slowly lifted him from the ground.


    ''Is he really hurt?'' Hiro thought while staring at the limping figure of Park Seung-gyu.


    However soon his doubts totally vanished away in thin air as he stood face to face against the yer who was going to take the freekick from the opposing team.


    "So you were faking it afterall" Hiro muttered to himself in a muffled voice while standing alongside his teammates, acting as the wall.


    Park Seung-gyu, the same person who was limping some seconds ago as if he had received a miraculous healing was standing behind the ball, preparing to take the freekick, lookingpletely fine.


    There wasn''t even a spec of pain reflected in his eyes. Neither was he smiling nor was he making painful expression, right now he was as cold as ice.


    His eyes which were fixedly looking at their direction actually wasn''t even looking at them. It was like as if they weren''t even present there at the moment.


    Those cold eyes of Park Seung-gyu right now was totally fixed at the post, ignoring any kind of obstruction present along the path.


    Seeing the standing figure of Park Seung-gyu, a lot of people present at the stadium grumbled as they made unhappy expressions.


    "He should have been booked for diving. Earlier that kid was obviously faking his injuries" one of the elderly spectators, wrapped in colors of Japan grumbled in a hoarse voice, expressing his dissatisfaction.


    Although there were a lot of dissatisfied voices circting around the stadium, there were also those voices which were defending him and cheering him.


    Some were even impressed by his acting skills and cold demeanor.


    Faking an injury is one thing while making others believe that you''re actually injured that''s a skill only few yers in the world has managed to master.


    And Park Seung-gyu was very well among those yers.


    Although a lot of normal people might find such kind of tactics cheap and unsightly, however football isn''t a sport for the softies. No matter how much people advocate football as a fair spot, in actuality football isn''t a fair sport by any means.


    Politics, monopoly, preying on weak, mind games, greed, such things and many other negative things are actually muchmon in football. It''s just hidden behind the mask of being fair and for the fans.


    Thus right now although most of his friends were agitated by the deceptive method used by Park Seung-gyu, Hiro was actually smiling despite knowing that they had been deceived.


    His gaze were flickering with admiration andpetitiveness while his lips were curled up into a devilish smile.


    He really wanted topete against Park Seung-gyu and topple him. He wanted to win against this cunning forward.


    While preparing for his freekick, Park Seung-gyu''s upper body expanded as he inhaled a deep breath.


    However the ergement of his body didn''tst long as it gradually started shrinking while exhaling the air he had inhaled.


    Huffff!!


    As he let out a mouth full of turbid air, all of a sudden his eyes shed with a cold gleam. The gleam on his eyes didn''tst long either.


    Park Seung-gyu thenunched towards the ball at rapid pace. Within blink of an eye, he appeared infront of the ball.


    Bam!!


    After getting close to the ball, he struck the ball with all his might, without restraining even a bit of his strength.


    The ball as it left the ground flew towards the post like a spearheaded missile. Spinning continuously, it tore the wind apart as it travelled towards the goal-post of Japan at lightning speed.


    At the same time, Hiro and his teammates who were standing in between, leapt from the ground as they tried to block the ball midway.


    However non of them managed to seed. The ball simply flew over the head of Honda by a hairs breath, barely touching Honda''s hair.


    Witnessing the scene of their yers failing to prevent the ball, fans of Japan grew extremely anxious. Most of them tightly clenched their seat while some of them started to bite their nails out of anxiousness.


    Trepidation and anxiousness was evident in their eyes.


    At the same time, fans of South Korea, their heart flutter while their eyes glowed with warm light. Stimtion of joy struck them as they followed the path of the ball.


    After travelling for a while the ball started to drop. However the spin on the ball still allowed it to retain most of it''s speed.


    Akutsu and few others who were positioned behind the wall of yers, tried their absolute best to reach the ball. Opposing yers who were positioned behind the wall, did the same as well; trying their best to reach the ball with the intention of leading the ball to the goalpost.


    Shun who''s vision was mostly obstructed by the battalion of yers scattered infront of him mostly had to rely on his intuition to make this save.


    Infact right now, all he knew was the fact that the walls erected infront of Park Seung-gyu had failed to stop the ball.


    Guided by his intuition, Shun then leapt towards the direction where he predicted the ball would appear.


    Based on the initial prediction of the trajectory of the ball, he intuitively stretched towards his right while stretching his body to his utmost limit.


    The dot like figure of the ball became bigger with every passing seconds before it filled his vision to fullest.


    As predicted by him, it did came towards the direction he had dived. However even with all those prediction and analysis, he still couldn''t manage to save the goal.


    Despite covering almost the entire post, his timing was a tad bit inurate. The ball barely slipped through his fingers and crashed against the behind him while crossing the goal-


    line.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!"


    Thud!!


    Even the sound of his collision was muffled by the sound of celebration.


    At once as the ball ended up inside the post, deafening sound of cheers reverberated all over the stadium.


    Sea of spectators stood from their seat as they shouted at top of their lungs, openly expressing their joy.


    "There was simply no stopping to that shot. Marvellous!! Truly marvellous!!" Praises ofmentator mixed with the celebration taking ce in the stadium created an extremely festive atmosphere around the stadium.


    If one looked from the above, one would find many small dots wiggling and moving frantically. Looking from above the scene would be like thousands of ants clustered inside a tiny ss jar.


    Park Seung-gyu who was the protagonist responsible for creating this festive scene was getting showered with praises from all over the stadium.


    And he himself was celebrating this moment with a triumphant celebration. Sprinting towards his teams substitution box with his arms stretched, he was basking onto the cheers, enjoying the moment.


    Simr to a king enjoying the tribute of his subjects, Park Seung-gyu was enjoying the praises shot towards him. Instead of making a joyous expression, he was actually making a satiated expression, like he was having an orgasm.


    "That cheap bastard, if not for his deceptive tactics, we wouldn''t concede this goal" Ren Tanaka cried out with fury.


    His eyes were bloodshot while his face was red with anger. Instead of being sad about the goal, he was actually fuming.


    Thud!!


    Shun who was lying on the ground, furiously mmed his fist against the ground as he buried his face in the grass.


    Those celebratory chants circting around the stadium was like a devilish screech to him. He simply couldn''t bear hearing them.


    With every passing seconds, he could feel his ears bleed.


    While his teammates were either despairing, sad or fuming, Hiro however was rather calm this moment.


    Some might mistake him for a weirdo because of such behaviour. However right now, he was more sane than any of his teammates.


    Although that didn''t mean that he wasn''t upset about the goal. Just like most fans of Japan, he was also quite disappointed.


    However right now more than dissatisfaction, he was seeing something else. He was looking at the bigger picture.


    The Park Seung-gyu whom hepeted against in the arcade was nowhere to be seen. He hadpletely transformed into a different person on the field at this moment.

 Chapter 291 Qualifier finals VIII

    <h4>Chapter 291 Qualifier finals VIII </h4>


    "Don''t you think it''s unfa...." Yutaka who was about toin instantly became tongue-tied as he turned towards Hiro, noticing the maniacal smile on Hiro''s face.


    Immediately his furrowing brows knotted into frown while his hoarse voice lost it''s texture. And his expression turned grim as he felt a shiver running down his spine.


    Completely engrossed in his own thoughts, Hiro didn''t even notice the fear stricken face of Yutaka. It was like right now, he was in totally different world.


    And Yutaka who was terrified by Hiro''s current appearance didn''t even dare to speak a single word either. With a fear stricken face, he stood there paralysed at his ce.


    Unable to move his eyes away from Hiro, Yutaka stood there fixedly staring at Hiro with countless questions rising within his heart, ''What''s wrong with Hiro? Why is he smiling so creepily at this moment?''


    However the moment Hiro turned towards him and Yutaka met eyes with Hiro, he subconsciously retracted few steps as he desperately tried to roll his eyes away from Hiro.


    But it was toote. Hiro had already seen him and noticed his frantic state. And the way he tried to look away made him seem even more suspicious. Just based on the clues present infront of his eyes, Hiro could tell that something was wrong with Yutaka without even needing Yutaka to speak.


    However he wasn''t aware that he was the culprit behind Yutaka''s frantic state.


    "Are you not feeling well?" Hiro asked with a confused look on his face.


    Yutaka nervously shook his head before denying Hiro while stammering, "No.. no.. nothing''s wrong with me."


    Although Yutaka denied his ims, Hiro still couldn''t help himself from inquiring Yutaka. Thus just for confirmation, Hiro insisted in a concerning tone while making a pitiful expression, "You sure??"


    Whilst still trying to avoid looking Hiro in the eyes, he let out a nervousughter as he answered, "Hah... Hah.. ha.. Yes yes.. I''mpletely fine"


    Hiro was very well aware that something was wrong with Yutaka. But seeing Yutaka''s unwillingness to answer truthfully, Hiro didn''t pursue the matter anymore either. Thus he decided to change the topic.


    "If we want to win this match then we''d really need to change our tactic" his tone became somewhat deep as his expression turned solemn.


    And although Yutaka was trying to avoid looking Hiro in the eye, he could still feel the change in Hiro''s tone. Thus because of that change in Hiro''s tone, he could no longer avoid looking at Hiro.


    He then immediately turned towards Hiro. However the moment he turned towards Hiro, he found Hiro with apletely different expression.


    Shrouded by ayer of cold aura, he was determinedly staring at Park Seung-gyu who was currently celebrating his goal.


    Just by looking at him, he could tell that Hiro was dead serious about winning. Hiro was really acting unusual today.


    While the celebration continued, Hiro gathered his teammates and began to share his tactics which he had thought of after taking every variables into ount.


    "I know it''s sudden but we need to reform our tactics." Hiro spoke while sweeping his eyes all over his teammates who were gathered around him.


    Just by listening to the tone of Hiro''s voice, most of them could feel the severity behind those words.


    After some moments of celebration, nning and grieving, the game which was now back to level where it had started, continued as yers of both the team took their stance.


    Beep!!


    Just as referee blew his whistle, Nijichi kicked the ball back towards Hiro and initiated the kickoff.


    At once most yers of both the team started to scatter around the field. And as usual Park Seung-gyu who was the opposing team''s sole striker, charged forward; pursuing the ball.


    Making use of Yutaka''s talents, Hiro easily got past the reach of Park Seung-gyu and their attacking midfielder Park Ji-hye.


    Even Takeshi Ono who was ying as defensive midfielder moved upfield to support Hiro and Yutaka.


    Maintaining a triangr formation, those three marched forward, tearing the formation of the opposing team.


    However unlike Hiro and Yutaka, Takeshi was rather slow. He simply couldn''t keep up with the pace of those two. Hence after moving forward a little bit, he didn''t continue to march forward into the defensive line of the opposing team.


    Although those three managed to get past the reach of their attackers and midfielders, they still couldn''t manage to find an opportunity to get past the defensive line of the opposing team.


    It was like an invisible wall was erected at the penalty box of the opposing team, preventing them from marching forward.


    Just like them, the opposing team had also bolstered their tactics by making some changes in their tactics.


    By sacrificing their dominance in midfield, they had created an almost imprable defence around their defensive third.


    Kim Il-sung who was ying as defensive midfielder had moved even more deeper into the field. It was like he was a centre back instead of a defensive midfielder.


    However just because he had moved deeper didn''t mean that he had given up on his responsibility as defensive midfielder either.


    He simply had changed his role to a libero simr to that of Kim Ji-hoon.


    With two libero''s in their team they had formed a four corner shape in their defensive and middle third.


    The only draw back to this strategy was that they could no longer y attacking football like before.


    If Kim Il-sung were to remain at his original position, they''d still have been able to execute the attacking gameys more fluently.


    However with Kim Il-sung moving down the field, they had improvise their gamey. They were right now ying a hybrid gamey of counter attacking and attacking gamey.


    Still Japanese yers had the upper hand. With their extremely offensive tactics, although they were blocked at the defensive third of the opposing team most of the time, they were still retaining the position of the ball.


    Infact they werepletely dominating the position after that goal from Park Seung-gyu.


    But as long as they can''t produce results, does position even matters?


    It''s not like that position will win you the game. To win the game they''d need to score.


    And that was the aspect they werecking the most right now.


    On the other hand, although the opposing team was getting less chances aspared to them, they were still making full use of their chances. Infact right now they were even more clinical than the Japanese team.


    The morale of the team which had started to lower after that goal from Park Seung-gyu was already on the verge of hitting rock bottom too because of the inability to produce results.


    The setbacks were causing the yers morale to worsen. And yers of Japan were right now starting to show signs of anxiousness too.


    This was the mistake of strategising openly infront of the enemies. Earlier they had held an open tactical discussion.


    So obviously the opposing team after witnessing their gathering would do the same as well.


    With both team failing to score, the first half was about to end in draw. Even the referee had already added 2 minutes as extra time.


    And even that extra minute was running dry. However right now the ball was with Japan and Yutaka was hogging the ball at a threatening spot.


    Moving the ball at the attacking third, Yutaka was trying to break through the defensive line of the opposing team from the nks.


    At the same time, attackers of Japan were rushing towards the penalty box of the opposing team, expecting a cross from Yutaka.


    Hiro was getting marked by both Park Ji-hye and Kim Il-sung at the same time while Nijichi was getting marked by Kim Ji-hoon.


    With a yer rushing towards Yutaka, it was unlikely that he''d be able to supply an urate cross that could lead to a goal.


    However right at this moment, Hiro made use of his skill Eagle Eye and spotted a gap in the defensive third.


    The angle was quite tight but if he could shake his mark and use his skill Lightning Steps, something miraculous could be created.


    It was a gamble. If he failed to shake off his mark, his whole n would crumble. At worst they''d lose this opportunity and the first half of the game would end up in a draw.


    Despite knowing the risk, Hiro decided to take the gamble. Making slight changes in his n, Hiro first activated the skill Lightning Steps to lead the two yers who were marking him away from the post.


    Thus instead of moving towards Yutaka, he did the opposite by moving away from Yutaka towards the opposite nk.


    Both Kim Il-sung and Park Ji-hye sensed danger as they saw Hiro moving all of a sudden. Thus both of them left their position and charged towards Hiro.

 Chapter 292 Qualifier finals IX

    <h4>Chapter 292 Qualifier finals IX </h4>


    Taking advantage of that opportunity, Nijichi shook his mark as he positioned himself in a better position.


    If it were Kim Il-sung or any other yers who were exceptionally good at defending, approaching Yutaka at this moment, he might have failed to move the ball forward.


    However right now the yer who was approaching him wasn''t of that calibre. Although he was good at defending and was one of the core of the defensive line of the opposing team, he was still not at the level of Kim Il-sung or Kim Ji-hoon. With few simple step-overs, Yutaka sessfully managed to dribble past the opposing defender who was rushing towards him.


    However despite getting past his mark, he still wasn''tpletely free either. He only had about 2 or 3 seconds at most before another opposing yer woulde rushing towards him; blocking his path once again.


    After getting past that defender, Yutaka then slightly lifted his head to take a quick peak at the positioning of his teammates.


    Almost all of his teammates were marked. Andpared to his teammates, opposing yers were clustered in a greater number inside the penalty box.


    Even though he had managed to dribble past one of their defender and was in a good spot to supply the cross, with his teammates outnumbered, the situation was still rather dire.


    Unable to find any open spaces, Yutaka then nced at the post, thinking of shooting a long range shot.


    However upon witnessing the exceptional positioning of the opposing goalkeeper, he quickly dismissed that thought too.


    Just then while he was hesitating to decide, all of a sudden Yutaka''s eyes flickered as he struck the ball hard at the bottom. The ball upon getting hit, levitated in the air.


    Noticing the approaching ball, several yers jumped one after other to reach the ball. Be it his teammates or opposing yers, everybody fiercelypeted for the ball.


    "Urgh!!" Nijichi jumped as high as he could to reach the ball, ''It''s too high''


    However the ball simply flew atop the head of every yer present inside the box. It was like as if that ball wasn''t meant for any of them who were inside the box.


    For a moment a lot of people in the stadium were stupified, enraged, disappointed and relieved.


    In this uproar, everybody seemed like they were forgetting about one of the most important yer on the field.


    Hiro who had sessfully led two important figures of opposing team away from the box was still running along the opposite nk, chased by both Kim Il-sung and Park Ji-hye.


    Witnessing the sprinting figure of Hiro who was running towards the direction where the ball was about to fall, a spark of hope kindled within the hearts of the onlookers who supported Japan.


    At the same time, yers who had failed to reach the ball a moment ago began to regain theirposure as they positioned themselves for a possible second attack.


    Assistant referee who was paying close attention to the ball, narrowed his eyes as he fixated his eyes at the ball and the goal-line. With his knees slightly bent, he was in a squatting position, preparing to lift his g.


    However he didn''t get the opportunity to lift the g as even before the ball bounced away from the goal-line, Hiro perfectly timed his shot and saved the ball from crossing the goal-line.


    The ball then once again flew towards the box. And once again yers of both the team started topete for the ball.


    However at this time Kazuki Suzuki one of the skillful winger of Japan luckily managed to connect the ball as he managed to head the ball by throwing his body towards the post.


    If not for his decision of throwing his body without any care, the ball might have went astray and the referee might have blew his whistle, announcing the end of the first half.


    But right now because of his decision, not only did he save the ball from going astray, he also gave his team the lead.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll"


    The stadium erupted with cheers as fans of Japan leapt out of their seats and hugged each other, screaming with joy. Flinging their banners, scarf and jersey, they continued to celebrate the goal.


    At the same time, on the field, Kazuki Suzuki who managed to create this euphoric atmosphere, rushed towards Hiro who had supplied him with the cross.


    The wide smile on his face and the joy in his eyes were distinguishable. And from the affectionate gaze he was shooting towards Hiro, it was quite evident that he was extremely grateful towards Hiro.


    It was Suzuki''s first goal in this whole tournament afterall. And it sure was an incredible feeling to score his first goal. Thus right now, his feet was over the clouds.


    "Kazuki Suzuki has managed to give his team the lead at the final moment. And with this goal Japan have took the lead once again in the first half"mentator spoke in his cheerful voice.


    Upon approaching close to Hiro, Suzuki threw himself in Hiro''s arms and hugged him tightly. His eyes were on the verge of tearing.


    Hiro was taken aback by Suzuki''s reaction.


    "Thank you... Hiro" Suzuki spoke in a shaky voice. His tone was filled with extreme gratefulness and the way he was clenching onto Hiro clearly disyed his sincerity.


    Hearing Suzuki''s words filled with appreciation and gratefulness, a feeling of warmth started to surge within Hiro''s heart. Hiro simply couldn''t ignore the feeling of Suzuki.


    Appreciating the feelings of Suzuki, Hiro then lossened his body as he reciprocated the feeling by gently patting him behind his back while letting out a gentle smile on his face.


    Soon as other yers of his team caught up to them, they also began to throw themselves atop Hiro and Suzuki as they all converged on Hiro into a giant group hug.

 Chapter 293 Qualifier finals X

    <h4>Chapter 293 Qualifier finals X </h4>


    Obviously where there''s light there''s bound to be shadow. Just like that where there''s joy there''s bound to be misery.


    In simr fashion right now while yers and supporters of Japan were celebrating, yers and supporters of opposing team were grieving over the goal.


    Beep!!


    Just like this, first half of the match finally came to an end with a score of 2-1 with Japan being in the lead.


    Frowning their eyes and with their head lowered as if they were desperately trying to avoid looking at the stands, most yers of the opposing team sloppily started exiting the pitch. While exiting the pitch, their face seemed rather pale.


    "What are you all doing? Do you expect Park Seung-gyu to carry you all deadbeats on his back alone?" One of the supporters of opposing team furiously growled, venting his anger.


    He wasn''t the only one who seemed vexed right now. Infact there were quite a lot of supporters who were yelling at the yers, furious about their yer''s performance.


    After witnessing their yers getting toyed by a single opposing yer, it was quite reasonable for them to get agitated.


    Not only once but Hiro had toyed with their defense line countless times in only matter of fourty five minutes.


    The performance of their team had really let down the fans who had travelled from so far just to see them y.


    And in this whole tournament until now it was the first time South Korean team was on the losing end in the first half.


    A sharp contrast to the Korean side, Japanese side was all sunny. Their yers eyes were glistening with joy while their supporters were full of praises.


    Laughing, chatting and joking, they were exiting the pitch in pretty good mood unlike their opponents who were exiting the stadium carrying a bitter expression on their faces.


    Although winning and losing are part of the game. But who likes losing?


    The winner enjoys the praises while the loser gets hauled with curses. And the same scene was happening in the stadium right now.


    Supporters of Japan who were extremely joyous were praising the performance of their yers. Specially Hiro, he was the talk of the town. Almost in every part of the stadium, he was getting mentioned.


    "We''re really blessed to have such a good yer in our team" one of the supporter of Japan eximed with extreme gratefulness, praising Hiro.


    "I wonder if some of them would win us the world cup someday" another supporter mumbled in an expectant tone.


    Once a yer starts to shine, he/she''s bound to garner expectations of the people around them. And the more he/she shines, the more expectations will be ced upon them.


    However being the reason behind people''s expectations is both a curse and a blessing. If you could stand onto their expectations you''ll be praised and worshipped. However if you fail to deliver as per their expectations, you''ll get cursed and haunted.


    Such is the burden a talented yer has to carry. And also because of such kind of expectation ced upon them a lot of genarational talent sumbs to the pressure and fails to deliver as per their original potential.


    Right now, Hiro was facing the same situation. Even before the tournament, with his performance in Takamado Cup, he had already started attracting the expectations of the peoples.


    But now as he continued to shine on even bigger stage, representing his country, he was garnering even more expectations.


    However right now, although Hiro was well aware of the expectations put on him, since he hadn''t experienced such feeling in his previous life, he was pretty much new to such experience.


    ''Second half will be even more tougher. I''ve already exhausted most of my skills. Although I still have two turns of fireball shot and two turns of eagle eye left, I''ve already used my skill Lightning Steps to it''s maximum. But considering the use of the skill perseverance, may be I can pull another one. However I need to leave that for only desperate moments. I shouldn''t pull that skill casually'' thinking about his skill usage, Hiro started to analyse his skills with a solemn look on his face.


    Just based on the skill consumption of Hiro, one could tell how tough andpetitive this game was in actuality.


    While his teammates were all smiles andughter, Hiro was one of the only person from his team who wasn''t wearing a smile on his face.


    His teammates were blinded by their superficial lead. They were so distracted by their lead that almost non of them were thinking about the bigger picture.


    Only the first half hade to an end. The game was only half over. Thus it was just too early to celebrate.


    However most of his teammates were already acting like as if they had already won the game,pletely ignorant of the fact that the opposing team might be even stronger in the second half.


    Only Hiro and few others from his team knew about the severity of the situation.


    Their tactics had mostly been exposed, thus their opponents would definitelye up with a counter measure in this 10 minutes break.


    And once theye up with the counter measure, it was only a matter of time before they''ll lose their lead.


    One should enjoy the moment. However one shouldn''t be shortsighted either. And right now his teammates were blinded by the temporary victory.


    At this moment, while he was still pondering about the tactics, Shun walked towards him and spoke in a deep voice, "Was Park Seung-gyu hiding his skills?"


    Hearing Shun''s voice, Hiro immediately turned towards Shun, looking somewhat puzzled.


    "Earlier while stopping his attacks it felt like he was testing something. Like as if he was leveling mid game"


    The stuffs which Shun spoke made Hiro ponder even more deeper. He could somehow rte with Shun''s exnation.


    He was getting that feeling that Park Seung-gyu''s gamey was continuing to increase with every passing seconds.

 Chapter 294 Qualifier finals XI

    <h4>Chapter 294 Qualifier finals XI </h4>


    But now as he heard Shun''s statement, something clicked inside him. It was like as if theyer of fog which was clouding his mind had suddenly got lifted up.


    As he figured out the reason behind his unsettling feelings, unwittingly Hiro then blurted out, "So that''s it..."


    It was so random that Shun who was walking beside him was startled by Hiro''s voice. For a split second he felt like he had fallen from a cliff. He then immediately jolted his eyes towards Hiro, looking somewhat disturbed, "What??"


    Faced with Shun''s startling gazes, Hiro came to a realisation. He realised that he had acted without thinking. Thus he immediately regained hisposure before speaking in a manner as if he had gained a spark of inspiration, "I''ve figured out a n. A n which will increase our probability of winning"


    Upon hearing Hiro''s response, Shun''s startling gazes shone with curiosity as he became extremely curious about the so called n mentioned by Hiro.


    If it were any other person, he wouldn''t have been this curious. But it was non other than Hiro. If he had thought of some n then it was bound to be amazing and effective.


    As such Shun''s eyes grew impatient as he asked hurriedly, unable to hold himself back, "Quick.. quick tell me what''s the n?"


    Hiro however snubbed his curiosity as he replied, "Wait for a while. I''ll exin it in the locker room"


    It wasn''t the answer he wanted to hear. Thus the curiosity in Shun''s eyes dimmed as his once curious gaze was reced with a frown.


    Even so, he didn''t rebuke. Instead he answered in a longing tone, "Then let''s hurry up so that we''ll have enough time to improvise"


    Saying so in an impatient manner, Shun then increased his pace as he walked briskly towards the tunnel.


    Not only did he increase his own pace, he even urged other yers infront of him to walk fast.


    ''If I''m not wrong, Park Seung-gyu is probably saving his energy to use it in the final moment. Otherwise why would he not exert his full effort despite having countless amazing wow-factors?'' looking at the briskly walking figure of his teammates, Hiro contemted.


    ''Although I have not seen much of his matches in my previous life. But there were moments when he''d bring out his explosive pace. But today he hadn''t done that often''


    Hiro wasn''t the only one who was contemting as of this moment. Park Seung-gyu who was walking towards the tunnel with a solemn look on his face was doing the same as well.


    ''No matter how amazing he is, I''m sure even he has got his limits. Even in the footage of his previous matches, I haven''t seen him pull that instant eleration thing for more than twice. But how could someone elerate so fast? He''s probably god gifted. But even so, his body is still that of human. And there''s barely much a human body can do. Not to mention elerating like that multiple times. I''m sure that it would put a lot of strain on his body. So may be that''s why he always refrains such strenuous movement from using more than twice'' absentmindedly contemting about Hiro''s actions,pletely detached from his surrounding Park Seung-gyu made his way towards the tunnel.


    Although he seemed totally calm from outside, right now when his teammates looked at him, they could feel their heart tremble. It was like the calm before the storm.


    Thus subconsciously almost every single one of his teammates avoided Park Seung-gyu at this moment.


    They deliberately tried to maintain a distance from him. Even when getting close to him, they could a feel bone chilling aura prating their body to it''s core.


    Geniuses are really something else. Even at the moment of despair, they would remain calm and expressionless. And their mentality was like that of a monster, unwavering and unfazed.


    However at this moment, Lee Hae-won dared to approach this guy whom everybody were desperately trying to avoid.


    "Do you know that you and that number 10 kid from the opposing team are kinda simr?" Lee Hae-won tried to initiate a conversation.


    Immediately Park Seung-gyu lossened his stiff expression as he slightly lifted the corner of his lips while turning towards Lee Hae-won.


    "How so?" Park Seung-gyu questioned with a smile on his face.


    Simr to snow melting under the sun, the coldness in Park Seung-gyu''s eyes had melted away and right now it was nowhere to be seen.


    His deep gazes looking at Park Seung-gyu, revealed an amicable glow as he answered frankly without beating around the bush.


    "You both exude a threatening aura while inside the box. It''s like you both can smell the goal"


    Although he was being frank, the answer was rather vague. It was more of a hunch than an analysis from which Park Seung-


    gyu could benefit.


    And from this vague answer, Park Seung-gyu couldn''t find anything useful. Even so he didn''t scorn Lee Hae-won''s suggestion.


    Giving an understanding nod, Park Seung-gyu acted like he appreciated Lee Hae-won''s opinion, "I see. Then we should prevent him from breaking our defensive line as much as we can"


    "I''ll be counting on you" Lee Hae-won revealed an amicable smile.


    "Hiro...."


    At this time while exiting the pitch, Hiro heard someone shouting his name. Just like the yers, fans were also temporarily leaving the stand to either get something to eat or freshen up.


    There were even those fans who were clicking photos of yers and themselves.


    Even though the stadium was filled with different kinds of noises,the reason why Hiro noticed that call was because the person who was calling his name was repeatedly shouting his name without any stop.


    And after having his name called repeatedly like that, even he couldn''t continue to ignore the call. Afterall that could be a fan. And ignoring a desperate call of a fan would only ruin his reputation.


    And it wouldn''t seem polite either. Thus Hiro turned to look at the direction of the sound.

 Chapter 295 Qualifier finals XII

    <h4>Chapter 295 Qualifier finals XII </h4>


    There in the stand, at a certain distance away from him, his eyes halted at one ce as he located a familiar face.


    Noticing that familiar face, for split second he was taken aback, ''Is it her? Why is she waving at me like that?''


    That familiar person while wearing a bright smile on her face was excitedly waving her hands towards him.


    Although he knew her, right now he had absolutely no intention on looking amicable with her. Thus as soon as hended his eyes on her, he immediately tried to roll his eyes away from her, trying to pretend that he didn''t see her.


    However before he could even roll his eyes away from her, Kim Tae-ri who was excitedly waving her hands towards him yelled in her cheerful voice, "I know you''ve already seen me. So don''t you dare take your eyes away from me Takahashi Hiro."


    Some fans who were present around her, upon hearing her words immediately turned towards her. The way she spoke, it made it seem like she was familiar with Hiro.


    And the mere fact that she was familiar with Hiro, immediately attracted their attention as it piqued their interest and curiosity.


    "She''s pretty. Is she his girlfriend?" One of the onlooker questioned upon seeing her acting so friendly with Hiro.


    "But she''s wearing Korean jersey"


    Some were intrigued, some were sceptical while some were fuming upon seeing this interesting scene taking ce infront of them.


    Hiro however tried his utmost best to pretend as if he had not seen her. However she was just too persistent.


    "I know that you''ve already seen me. So don''t pretend like you don''t know me now. If you continue to do so then I''ll be forced to announce our rtionship status livestream" Making a pitiful face, she spoke as if she and he were in some sort of special rtion.


    It was evident to Hiro that she was trying to make him feel uneasy and get on his nerves to gain his attention.


    Even so, for some while Hiro continued to ignore her. But as he got closer to the tunnel, he could no longer ignore her.


    Thus he gave in to her persistence. Hiro then let out a short sigh before turning to look towards her.


    Raising his hands up, he waved at her while pretending to be surprised, "Oh you''re here as well?"


    Finally getting the attention of Hiro, Kim Tae-ri was ted. But the words Hiro spoke made her eyes twitch.


    "Why wouldn''t I be here? My brother ys for the national team" She spoke while maintaining the smile on her face.


    Although she was a tad bit irritated by Hiro''s behaviour towards her, she still didn''t show it on her face.


    "Ahh right, then best of luck" casually answering such Hiro stepped inside the tunnel without waiting for her reply.


    Hiro''s goofy actions got on her nerves as she felt ignored and snubbed. The smile on her face froze and her eyes twicthed uncontrobly as her face turned red with anger.


    She couldn''t even bring herself to utter a single word. She was tongue-tied.


    She had never been treated like this. Usually it would be her who would treat others this way. But now while standing on the receiving end, she simply couldn''t stand such treatment and control her rage. Her pride simply didn''t allow her to endure such humiliation like this.


    Unable to hold back herself, she tried to appease her foul mood by pouring her frustration towards Hiro at first.


    But he simply had vanished from her sight. Thus she then tried to direct that frustration on her phone. But as she was about to raise her hands to swing the phone she was holding in her hands, she paused midway realising the worth of her phone, ''No it''s too expensive''


    She then tried to kick the metallic bar infront of her to vent her anger. However once again, she paused midway, ''I shouldn''t.. I''ll only hurt myself''


    The onlookers who were present beside her, upon seeing her acting so crazily, felt a little terrified and tried to avoid her.


    And as she turned around, she found those people present around her looking at her with eyes full of difort. Then only did she realise how weird she was acting infront of this many people.


    ''Ahh!! I should have been careful of my surrounding. Now what will this people think of me? They''ll think of me as some kind of weirdo'' she cried out inwardly, totally embarrassed, ''I''ll make you pay someday Takahashi Hiro. Because of you I''m in this kind of embarrassing situation''


    However instead of running away, she owned her actions and began to apologise to the people present around her for her act of conduct, "I''m really sorry for my actions. I should have been mindful of my surroundings"


    Outwardly she was apologising to the people around her but inwardly she was cursing Hiro. She was really determined to make Hiro pay for causing her such inconvenience.


    Inside the locker room for yers of Japan, Hiro and the rest were seated at their seat. Some half naked while some with their face covered by a wet towel, most of them were resting their tired body, awaiting coach Haruki and others.


    A sharp contrast to Japanese locker room, loud growling noises could be heard in the South Korean locker room.


    "What is the defense doing? They''re literally breaking the defense line one after the other" one of the yer of South Korea furiously yelled as he med the defenders for causing this misery.


    "Huh?? So you fail to score and then me on us? Then what about the attackers? You all don''t even fall back when they''re pressing. Not to mention, you can''t even prate their defense" Kim Il-sung rebuked as he shot disdainful gaze towards Park Seung-gyu and others.


    It was evident that he had some beef with Park Seung-gyu. And he only needed a reason to express his unsatisfaction.

 Chapter 296 Qualifier finals XIII

    <h4>Chapter 296 Qualifier finals XIII </h4>


    At worst if it were to be overheard by their fans, it would have greatly affected their already degrading morale and would have probably created a scandal.


    Despite his teammates arguing barbarically around him, Park Seung-gyu who was seated at his seat with his back upright was rather calm. It was like as if he wasn''t paying any attention to the fuss taking ce around him.


    His eerie ck eyes, devoid of any kind of emotion was looking at the bigger picture while his thoughts were dwindling elsewhere.


    Not because he didn''t care for his teammates and didn''t want to get involved but because he wanted them to drain some of their energy by venting their anger first so that he could intervene at the right moment and salvage the situation.


    As time progressed, the fuss which had originally begun as an argument continued to intensify violently as some yers started getting violent.


    Earlier they were simply arguing with their mouth but now some of them were even on the verge of retorting to physical violence.


    "Wasn''t it you who failed to stop him one on one and costed us the first goal?" Saying so in a fierce tone full of anger, Park Ji-hye rushed towards Kim Ji-hoon and grabbed him by his cor while also mming him against the locker.


    Having forcefully pinned against the locker out of nowhere, Kim Ji-hoon''s eyes became startled as he let out a muffled groan, "Argh" while contorting his face in pain.


    Immediately Kim Il-sung who was the closest was about to react by forcefully tossing Park Ji-hye away from Kim Ji-hoon.


    ''It''s time'' Park Seung-gyu''s eyes shed with cold glint as he finally decided to react.


    But just as Kim Il-sung was about to intervene, a familiar voice filled with coldness rung in the room, causing him to pause midway.


    "Enough!!"


    His authoritative voice as it echoed in the locker room caused everybody to freeze at their ce.


    "Enough with all your mes and rants. Why don''t you all use this energy on the field instead of disying it here against your own teammates." While speaking such, he diverted his cold gaze towards Park Ji-hye, "And you Park Ji-hye, don''t act like you haven''t done any mistakes. We all have made mistakes. Whether you all like it or not, that''s the truth. So own your mistakes and quit acting like brainless children. If you can''t perform then just exit the pitch there are other''s who are dying to take your spot"


    Park Seung-gyu''s bold voice as it echoed in the locker room caused everybody to be tongue-tied. And instantly the once noisy room became ghastly silent.


    However before the yers could even process the words spoken by Park Seung-gyu, another voice filled with the vicissitudes of time resounded in the room out of nowhere, "Indeed, he''s right"


    As that deep voice echoed in the room, those gazes which were concentrated at Park Seung-gyu immediately jolted towards the direction of the voice.


    Upon turning their gazes towards the direction of the voice, they found their manager standing infront of the door, staring at them with a frown.


    Right now his time-worn face was full of wave like wrinkles while his raven-ck eyes was filled with concern and disappointment.


    They would have only felt bad if he was angry but not even an ounce of anger could be seen on his face at this moment. Looking at those face full of concern and disappointment, rather than feeling bad, yers felt extremely guilty.


    Out of guilt, they couldn''t even bring themselves to look him in the eyes. Thus no sooner as they locked eyes with their manager, they immediately withdrew their gaze from him.


    Their manager however didn''t stop sweeping his disappointed gaze across the room. Even so he couldn''t bring himself to point out the ws of his yers.


    He knew that this yers were only frustrated. Usually they wouldn''t act like this. Although he had only been appointed the manager of this team recently, he still had ran thorough analysis of their personality and had also spent subsequent amount of time with this yers.


    Thus despite their barbaric behaviour, he didn''t reprimand any of them. Instead he let out a deep sigh and started to advise them in his gentle tone, "I know you all are frustrated. I know that the game isn''t going as per our wishes. But we still have 45 minutes left. So why are you all crying as if we''ve already lost the game? There''s still so much you all can do"


    His words filled with warmth and encouragement as it rung in their ears, most of them started feeling apologetic. They felt like they owed an apology to their manager and their teammates whom they''ve hurt a moment ago because of their pride.


    "Although we are making mistakes, we aren''t ying badly either. It''s just that the opponent that we are facing this time is rather tough. And precisely because they''re a tough opponent, we need to be even more united. If we be divided then it''ll only be more advantageous to them." While speaking such, manager Kim Seong-Hwang tried to alleviate the mood of his yers and raise their morale of the team.


    Having coached clubs like FC Seoul and Jeonbul Hyundai Motors previously, he was a renowned figure in Korean football.


    As a yer although he hadn''t attained any impressive feats but as a coach even though he hadn''t achieved any international sess, he had bagged quite a lot of sess domestically.


    It was even him who had brought the best out of Park Seung- gyu. Before he took the lead of the club FC Seoul, Park Seung- gyu was just an average yer ying in the youth team.


    ying as a midfielder, although he was scoring decent amount of goals, Park Seung-gyu before getting discovered by Kim Seong-Hwang was just a nobody.


    Let alone ying in the national team, he wouldn''t even had got a professional contract if it weren''t for coach Kim Seong-


    Hwang. It was also coach Kim Seong-Hwang who had managed to bring out the best of Park Seung-gyu''s potential by changing his position from midfielder to striker.


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to ount Park Seung-gyu''s achievement to manager Kim Seong-Hwang. Without him who knows, he may still be a nobody or he might have just taken a lot more time to get to the limelight.


    Thus even Park Seung-gyu, he held a lot of respect to manager Kim Seong-Hwang.


    While manager of Korean national team was giving a pep talk and uplifting the mood of his yers, manager Haruki was doing the same as well.


    Although they were winning, he had noticed that his yers were getting somewhat arrogant of their lead.


    And oftentimes arrogance and overconfidence will only being disasters. Thus to prevent any kind of anomaly from happening, he was trying to remind his yers to keep their cool and y the game normally.


    "So are you all happy about our lead?" Manager Haruki wearing his usual smile on his face questioned his yers.


    With bright smile on their faces, most of the yers nodded their head without realising the intention behind that question.


    But the moment they nodded their head, manager Makoto''s expression turned grim as he spoke in a heavy tone, "Hmm... So you all are satisfied with your performance."


    Suddenly manager Haruki rose the pitch of his voice as he yelled, "Why are you happy about having one goal lead? We could lose that lead any moment."


    Just as he spoke such, the smile on the faces of the yers vanished away and their cheerful faces turned grim. Instantly the air around the room became heavy as an eerie silence engulfed the whole room.


    We are not even allowed to celebrate our lead? Why is he yelling at us even when we''re winning the game?


    Different kind of thoughts started to surface within their hearts as they fixated their eyes on manager Haruki who seemed quite furious at this moment.


    Inparison to the reaction his teammates were disying, Hiro however seemed rather calm at this moment. He wasn''t a least bit upset by manager Haruki''s words.


    Infact he was rather joyous with manager Haruki''s words. He knew that his teammates were starting to show signs of overconfidence and arrogance. And even if manager Haruki wouldn''t have brought this matter up ahead, he would have brought this matter himself.


    Upon seeing the tensed up expression of his yers, manager Haruki then toned down his voice as he said to his yers, "I''m not discouraging you from celebrating your lead. But it''s just too soon to celebrate"

 Chapter 297 Qualifier finals XIV

    <h4>Chapter 297 Qualifier finals XIV </h4>


    In the meantime while the yers were getting schooled by their coaches, a buzz of anticipation and excitement was growing in the stands.


    From different parts of the stand, people excitedly talking about their favourite moment of the game could be heard.


    "That freekick was truly extraordinary" a young fan enveloped in the colours of Korean national team expressed his feeling with great admiration towards the scorer.


    "Indeed that freekick was truly marvellous. I literally had goosebumps while watching the ball getting past the reach of their keeper" another young fan who was seated right beside him nodded his head as he agreed with the statement of the previous fan.


    Another fan who was seated alongside them however frowned his brows and made a concerned remark, "But can we... win against them though? They seemed really.... tough"


    As he spoke such, all of a sudden the smiles on the faces of those two previous fans froze as they frowned. However they immediately dispelled the negative feelings and once again lifted the corner of their lips before speaking in an energetic tone, "What are you so afraid of? Obviously we''re gonna win"


    And finally after 10 minutes break, yers of both the team started entering the field once again via the tunnel.


    Upon seeing the yers entering the field, the crowd went wild with excitement as they broke into loud cheers.


    Those loud prating cheers tore through the air as it resounded all over the field, uplifting the mood of the entire stadium inturn making the stadium extremely lively.


    However unlike the scene in the first half, right now yers of both the team seemed rather calm andposed. Unaffected by the cheers resounding in the stadium, they strode towards the pitch with determination burning in their eyes.


    Sure enough something had changed. And even people present in the stand could sense the change.


    Thus while looking at the figures of the yers walking towards the pitch, they felt even more exhrated as their eyes grew impatient with anticipation.


    Just as Hiro stepped at the foot of the tunnel leading to the pitch, he was bombarded by a shockwave of the loud cheering noisesing from the mouth of the tunnel.


    Upon hearing the bustling noise, Hiro''s calm face which was rejuvenating with vitality after a quick wash revealed a slight grin, amused by the enthusiastic chantsing from outside the tunnel.


    Just by listening to their cheers, Hiro could vividly feel the enthusiasm those fans were showcasing without even needing to look at them.


    Almost all of his teammates had already exited the tunnel and right now it was only him inside the tunnel.


    Walking along this dimly lit tunnel, the more closer he got towards the mouth of the tunnel, the more his heart raced with excitement.


    Those loud enthusiastic cheersing from infront of him intensified with his every steps.


    Finally upon stepping out of the tunnel, everything became clear to him as he swept his gaze across the stadium, marvelled by majestic sight whichy infront of him.


    Thousands and thousands of voices upon mixing together was creating a breathtaking symphony filled with enthusiasm and vitality. Their emotions upon mixing together was adding colours to this stadium, further entuating the beauty of this stadium.


    Compared to the first half, the scene inside the stadium had aplete turnover. The people were just more enthusiastic than ever.


    Although it wasn''t his first time experiencing such situation, Hiro could still never get enough of such experiences. May be somewhere in his heart, he too yearned for attention.


    After enjoying the lively atmosphere of the stadium for a while, Hiro then rolled his eyes towards the pitch as he diverted his gaze towards the opposing yers.


    At the same time, the smile on his face faded away as his once joyous face turned grim and solemn.


    ''Sure enough, you all wouldn''t sit idle either'' just by looking at the faces of opposing yers, Hiro could deduce that something had taken ce in their locker room.


    They had already reconciled with each other and now they look more unified than ever.


    While sweeping his gaze through the opposing team, his gaze crashed against Park Seung-gyu''s as he turned to look at him.


    Just like him, he had also been spying on the opposing team. And since he couldn''t find Hiro, he had been awaiting for him.


    Locking eyes with each other, those two stared at each other without any sort of expression on their faces.


    However although it seemedpletely normal from the outside, right now sparks could be seen flying because of the collision of their gazes if looked closely.


    ''So what kind of strategy have youe up with?'' shooting his gaze towards Hiro, Park Seung-gyu thought.


    ''Still not showing any emotions huh?'' Hiro thought while staring at Park Seung-gyu.


    Those two continued to stare at each other for a while before taking their eyes off each other at the same time.


    While making his way towards his position, Hiro turned to look at his teammates, "You all remember right?"


    Upon hearing his question, everybody determinedly nodded their head.


    Not only both the teams had improvised their strategies, both of the team had used some of their substitution card as well.


    Honda was reced by Kaminari Denji at the same time after causing that ruckus in the locker room, Park Ji-hye was taken out to set an example for the yers in the team.


    And that exemry methods effectiveness could clearly bee seen on the field as the yers of the opposing team looked more unified than ever. The harmony in the team had been restored.


    In the substitution box of the opposing team, ome could clearly see the dissatisfied look on Park Ji-hye''s face. Furrowing his brows while contorting his face, he sat there fuming about the coach''s decision.


    Afterall it wasn''t only him who had acted out of line. There were others who had acted inappropriately as well.

 Chapter 298 Qualifier finals XV

    <h4>Chapter 298 Qualifier finals XV </h4>


    He very well knew that he was used as a scapegoat to set an example for others. But even so he simply couldn''t stand the injustice.


    Sure he had grabbed Park Ji-hoon''s cor and sure he had forcefully pinned him against the locker.


    But there were others involved in the argument as well. There verbal insults and abuse means nothing?


    Not only the disciplinary act of the manager, he was also dissatisfied with Park Seung-gyu as well. Although Park Ji-hye was a bit moody and unruly, he wasn''t a block-headed like most of his teammates.


    He could clearly see behind the schemes of Park Seung-gyu. Earlier when he had faked his injuries which led to the freekick, he was well aware that Park Seung-gyu was pretending.


    Even so he helped him to get by. But how did he repay the favour? He simply berated him and also snitched on him.


    Was it all a coincidence that he decided to intervene right at the time when the coach entered the room? No...


    It probably wasn''t a coincidence. He was probably waiting for this moment.


    Thinking about the moment how he was made a scapegoat, Park Ji-hye clenched his fist tightly and shot his gaze full of hatred towards Park Seung-gyu who was acting totally carefree, ''You... Sly fox. I should have known that feeding a snake would only lead to your death''


    Right at this moment, Park Ji-hye who was fuming with intense fury, felt a wave of extreme hatred rising within him. But even so he was totally helpless. Thus he tucked his anger and maintained his calm.


    ''Sigh~ Guess I need to watch out my mouth from next time onwards'' sighing inwardly, he let go of his anger as he learnt a lesson from this experience.


    As every yers positioned themselves in their respective spots, referee took a nce at his watch before blowing his whistle and announcing the continuation of the game.


    Beep!!


    As the sound of the whistle resounded, the once froze clock started ticking once again, showing the time to the viewers.


    Constantly moving along the field, yers from both the team tried to score. Sometimes going on the offense while sometimes staying at defense.


    Position of the ball was ever-changing as it moved constantly in the field without any break. Sometimes it moved right while sometimes left.


    It simply didn''t remain stationary at one ce.


    Having no will of it''s own, it could only follow the will of the person who get''s hold of it. And it followed their will diligently without questioning orining.


    Yet whenever the person who held it couldn''t produce their desired oue, they would curse it, acting as if it was it''s fault.


    Time and again opposing team''s strategy shed against their''s which inturn nullified the collective efforts of both the team.


    Unable to produce results from the strategy they had painstakingly created, opposing yers were showing signs of anxiousness and frustration.


    And because of that miss passes were often happening in the field.


    Even so, Hiro and his teammates weren''t able to take advantage of those miss passes either. While strategising they could clearly see the goal. But while employing those strategies, they simply couldn''t find the back of the.


    nning was easy but executing the n perfectly was rather hard.


    And yers of Japan were starting to feel the difficulty behind the execution of their n.


    All of a sudden, Kim Il-sung who mostly had remained in the backline left his position as he started to charge forward all by himself with the ball.


    The one who had been controlling the flow of the game from behind, suddenly initiated the attack on his own.


    His actions came as a shock as yers of Japan were caught off-guard. However at this stage, they simply couldn''t afford to act surprised. They needed to pull their shit together as fast as they can.


    And they needed to expect the unexpected. Otherwise a mistake was bound to happen.


    And yers of Japan did the same as well. They immediately steeled their mind as they rposed theirposure.


    As much as Kim Il-sung leaving his position was a threat to them, it was also an opportunity. With one of their defensive core out of ce, if they could get hold of the ball, they could create another opportunity to further their lead.


    And no yer of Japan wanted to let go of such a god given opportunity.


    Looking at the rushing figure of Kim Il-sung who was charging all alone, Hiro''s eyes glowed with determination and trepidation as he rushed towards Kim Il-sung to stop him.


    Takeshi Ono upon looking at the charging figure of Kim Il-sung, swiftly moved his head around him to observe his surrounding before rushing towards Kim Il-sung. Contracting his muscles, he let out a short snort before charging towards Kim Il-sung.


    Just like him, Kim Il-sung''s build was also somewhat big. Butpared to Takeshi Ono, he was like a baby.


    Kim Il-sung who had the ball in his feet was well aware of the build difference between the two of them. Even so, he was proud of his physicality, balence and ball holding capabilities.


    Thus instead of passing, he headed straight towards the iing Takeshi Ono who was sprinting towards him like a bull.


    His steely eyes glowing with determination looked straight at Takeshi as not even an ounce of fear could be seen in it. His breath was as stable aske water without any disturbance.


    It didn''t take those two long from reaching each other. Takeshi who boasted an impressive B+ stat in defending wasn''t a yer that could be trifled with either.


    First to take advantage of his strength, he intentionally tried to put Kim Il-sung in a difficult position.


    And as he got Kim Il-sung cornered into a difficult spot, he made use of his strength and tried to trip Kim Il-sung using his monstrous strength.


    However Kim Il-sung was like daruma doll, he wasn''t getting outperformed despite countless tries from Takeshi.


    Takeshi then tried to use his full force to push Kim Il-sung. However just as he did that Kim Il-sung retreated all of a sudden, causing Takeshi''s bnce to falter.

 Chapter 299 Qualifier finals XVI

    <h4>Chapter 299 Qualifier finals XVI </h4>


    Just as Takeshi lost his bnce, Kim Il-sung while taking advantage of Takeshi''s situation, swiftly sprinted forward with the ball.


    His fall was inevitable and Takeshi himself knew that by the time he could regain his bnce, Kim Il-sung would probably pull off some distance from him.


    Thus in desperation, he stretched his arms out towards Kim Il-sung, trying his best to pull him down along with him to stop him. He was about tomit a strategic foul.


    All of a sudden, his desperate eyes glowed faintly with joy as he lightly grabbed the jersey of Kim Il-sung.


    However his joy was short-lived as Kim Il-sung forcefully jerked his body and shook Takeshi''s hold, causing his hands to slip.


    If Takeshi could properly get a hold of Kim Il-sung, he wouldn''t have failed miserably like this. However he had only got hold of him lightly and before he could even get a proper grip, Kim Il-sung forcefully jerked his body causing his already loosened grip to slip.


    Failing to get a proper grip of Kim Il-sung''s jersey, Takeshi fell down miserably on the ground, however the referee didn''t put a stop to the game.


    He didn''t even bat an eye towards Takeshi. Instead he kept his gaze fixated towards the person with the ball and continued to rush forward, following the ball.


    After skillfully getting past the reach of Takeshi, Kim Il-sung continued to rush forward with the ball.


    Now with one down and few still yet to catch up to him, he had one less problem to worry about. However his problems were far from over. With Akutsu and three more defenders infront of him, although he was getting close to his destination, he was still nowhere near his destination.


    Looking upfront to find any possible gaps, he found Akutsu perfectly covering the whole area around him, leaving no possible gaps. While keeping Park Seung-gyu in check, he was also blocking the pass course around him.


    Unable to find any gaps infront of him, he could only expect to find gaps in his left and right. If he couldn''t find any gaps even to his side then he''d be left with only one choice and that is to break through this seemingly imprable defence line all by his own. And considering his dribbling prowess that was thest thing he wanted to do.


    Akutsu''s sharp eyes which was focused at Kim Il-sung, noticed the hesitation contained within those eyes. Noticing the hesitation in those eyes, he gestured the yers around him to strengthen their defense.


    After that he slowly moved upfield to confront Kim Il-sung. Since he also had to keep the yer behind him in check, he couldn''t afford to charge blindly.


    He could only approach Kim Il-sung cautiously without leaving any gaps open for him to exploit.


    Despite him getting past Takeshi, Akutsu knew that Kim Il-sung wasn''t a dribbler. And if he were to confront him one on one, he was extremely confident to put a halt to his movement.


    Right around this time as he began to slowly move upfield to confront Kim Il-sung, Park Seung-gyu who was struggling behind him a moment ago suddenly rushed forward.


    Immediately Hiroshi Tanaka one of the core of their defense reacted quickly as he chased after Park Seung-gyu. He knew that the guy infront of him spelled danger.


    And ording to his coaches, his finishing inside the box was extremely urate. To let him loose infront of the post would be the least much thing, he''d like to do at this moment.


    His jet-ck hair and his sweat drenched jersey dangled as he sprinted towards Park Seung-gyu with all his might.


    Compared to Takeshi or Akutsu, he wasn''t as impressive as those two. Neither was he tall nor was he bulky. Infact he was of average height while his physique was much simr to that of Hiro, extremely athletic demonstrating hismitment to fitness and agility.


    For most part of the tournament he had remained hidden from the limelight. Not because he wasn''t bright. But his light was simply overshadowed by those bright light around him.


    If he was like a small candle then those around him who were performing well were like bonfire. He simply couldn''tpare against those guys.


    Also the fact that he was a defender caused him to get even less attention from the crowd.


    However right now for split second it was his moment to shine. If he coud sessfully prevent this attack, he was bound to get some recognition from the crowd.


    Looking at the figure of Park Seung-gyu sprinting infront of him, his eyes red with determination as his agile feetunched towards Park Seung-gyu.


    At the same time noticing the changes taking ce infront of him, Kim Il-sung who was about toe face to face against Akutsu who after noticing the changes taking ce behind him explosively rushed towards Kim Il-sung,unched the ball.


    Kicking the ball at it''s lower part, Kim Il-sung chipped the ball above the head of Akutsu. Mid-way while running Akutsu jumped as high as he could to somehow obstruct the ball that was flying over his head.


    Although because of his eleration, he could higher than normal times, he still couldn''t manage to reach the ball.


    The ball simply flew over his head, leaving him disappointed. And also because of his eleration, he couldn''t stop immediately as he nearly collided with Kim Il-sung.


    Upon seeing the flying ball which was headed towards the box, many heart started to race as their eyes grew extremely anxious.


    The worst was about to happen. The thing that they had feared was about to be reality. They were about to lose their lead.


    At this moment, all of their hope pointed towards one guy who was desperately trying to salvage their hope.


    ''Please save it''

 Chapter 300 Qualifier finals XVII

    <h4>Chapter 300 Qualifier finals XVII </h4>


    All of a sudden as those anxious eyes converged on him, Hiroshi felt an unusual feeling burdening his heart. The feeling was like that as if the fate of his whole team depended on him.


    The abrupt feeling onlysted for a split second as he determinedly strode towards Park Seung-gyu, prepared to do anything to stop him on his track.


    As such just as the ball was about to fall infront of Park Seung-gyu, he leapt from the ground while making use of his momentum.


    Extending his legs, as if he was about to perform a flying kick, he hoovered in the air.


    Park Seung-gyu''s eyes widened all of a sudden upon seeing the leg which was flying beside his chest, stealing the ball which was meant for him right infront of his eyes.


    As Hiroshi made contact with the ball, the crowd roared in ecstasy, thrilled by Tanaka''s athletic abilities and the amazing clearance made by Tanaka.


    At the same time, fans of the opposing team grabbed their heads as they grumbled upon seeing this unbelievable clearance made by Hiroshi Tanaka. They were totally disappointed.


    Hiroshi made a clearance in an unforgettable way by putting his body on the line. And the whole crowd went wild upon seeing his method of clearing the ball.


    "Woah.... What''s up with Japanese yers today? How are they pulling such miraculous stuff so easily?" Thementator was on his toes whilementing.


    His facial expression full of disbelief was having hard time believing while his eyes reflected the thrill contained within him.


    The scene at the substitution box of Japan was one that of extreme joy and excitement. With yers roaring enthusiastically and some still trying to process the scene which took ce infront of them, they were both shocked and enthralled.


    The ball then as it touched the feet of Hiroshi flew away, towards the sidelines. Totally unobstructed, the ball easily crossed the sidelines inturn awarding the opposing team a throw-in.


    Witnessing the ball crossing the line, the assistant referee who was positioned at the sideline raised his g, dering a throw-in.


    At the same time the official referee blew his whistle putting a hault to the intensity of this match.


    Beep!!


    Both the fans and yers of Japan breathed a sigh of relief upon listening to the whistle of the referee.


    Although the impending danger on them hadn''t came to an end yet, they were still relieved to see the loss of the momentum of the opposing team.


    However the opposing yers didn''t seem like they were in a mood to be lenient as their winger who was close to the sidelines immediately rushed towards the sidelines.


    It was evident from the way he was acting that he was going in for a quick throw-in while most of the yers of the opposing team was taking a moment of breather.


    He wanted to make use of theirck of vignce.


    Seeing the action of the opposing winger, Hiro immediately shouted, "Everybody get in position, we don''t have any time to rest"


    As his words travelled to their ears, most of the yers in his team were startled awake by his words. Immediately they then began to assume their position, preparing for the throw-in without wasting any more time.


    At the same time, Hiro also rushed backward to guard against the throw-in. While rushing behind, a particr memory shed in his mind, ''Corner taken quickly''


    Fans of Japan who were momentarily letting their guards down upon seeing this act of the opposing team felt disgusted as they started hauling negativements full of frustration on the opposing team, "How could you be so shameless??"


    "Taking advantage of the momentary distraction of our yers"


    Before they could even finish theirments, the throw-in had already been taken. And it was a pretty long throw-in as well.


    The ball was headed straight towards the penalty box where Park Seung-gyu had positioned himself. Aside from Akutsu and Hiroshi, there were barely any yers present close to Park Seung-gyu.


    And even among those two, Akutsu was the only one who had sticked close to Park Seung-gyu. If not for his vignt nature, right now Park Seung-gyu would have been totally free.


    Hiro was still some distance away from the three of them. And by no means it seemed like he''d reach them before one of them would get the ball.


    Despite his efforts, Hiro was totally helpless. He could only put his hopes on his teammates once again.


    However although he was far from them, he hadn''t lost any hopes and by no means he was nning on stopping.


    Even if he couldn''t reach there on time, he was still determined to be there. Who knows Park Seung-gyu may not be able to shoot? Who knows the ball might get cleared?


    The game of football continues until the veryst whistle of the referee. Even if you''re losing and the time is running out, you ought to put effort until thest moment.


    You ought to keep those legs moving until your body can no longer push itself.


    And right now Hiro was doing the same as well. He wasn''t taking any chances. As much as he had faith in his teammates, he trusted himself more than anyone else.


    And he wanted to grab that potential opportunity which might present itself in a while.


    As the ball was about to fall down, both Park Seung-gyu and Akutsu leapt from the ground almost at the same time.


    Akutsu being knowledgeable about defending tried his best to limit the jump of Park Seung-gyu by intentionally bumping on him. However he was also cautious enough to hide his tricks.


    Both of them being inside the penalty box, he knew that he couldn''t push him openly or y tricks on him openly or else he might fake his injuries and appeal for a foul.


    Getting a foul in this spot was almost instant doom. Knowing Park Seung-gyu, he would surely put in the penalty kick if he were to get his legs on the penalty kick.


    Thus he purposely didn''t act on open and only made it seem like both of them collided against each other at the same time.


    However Park Seung-gyu who was inside the box right now had his abilities enhanced because of his talent.


    With his enhanced abilities, his physicality had also been improved slightly. Meaning right now he was a bit more sturdy and a bit more athletic than before.

 Chapter 301 Qualifier finals XVIII

    <h4>Chapter 301 Qualifier finals XVIII </h4>


    Yet despite his efforts, he failed in the end as Park Seung-gyupletely outmanoeuvred him and beat him to win the ball.


    In that instance, Shun''s eyes constricted as he sensed danger. Shun then slightly twisted his feet, solidifying his footing to prepare himself for making a dive while keeping his eyes on the ball.


    After outmanoeuvring Akutsu, Park Seung-gyu flicked his head as he headed the ball towards the post.


    Bouncing off of his head, the ball then flew towards the direction of the post. At the same time, Shun''s body showed signs of movement as he shot himself towards the direction of the ball.


    Leaping from the ground, he stretched his arms to his utmost limit. His reaction speed was like that of lightning, extremely quick.


    However although his reaction was quick, the speed of the ball wasn''t slow either. Rapidly heading towards the post, it was evident that if Shun failed to stop this shot, Japan were bound to concede a goal.


    This heart palpitating moment caused many fans of Japan to contort their face in horror. Their eyes became extremely frantic upon seeing the action taking ce on the field.


    ''Please save it'' such desperate thoughts started to surface in their mind as they unwittingly started to pray.


    Barely touching the ball with the tip of his fingers, Shun managed to slightly change the direction of the ball.


    Tung!!


    However fate had something else stored for them as even after slightly obstructing the path of ball, the ball hit the pole and still found it''s way inside the.


    Swoosh!!


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll"


    The once tensed crowd who were on their wit''s end rose from their seat as they shouted at the top of their lung, relieved and joyful.


    Their happiness knew no bound as they celebrated the goal scored by their yer by letting thempletely lose. It didn''t matter to them who was sitting beside them at this moment. If they were celebrating like them, then they wouldn''t shy and hesitate to hug the person close to them.


    In this moment the entirety of the fans of South Korea became united as they celebrated the hard-earned goal of their team which now tied them with the opposing team.


    This goal was a game changer. With only 17 minutes remaining on the clock, one could say that this was one of the most important goal of the game for South Korea.


    The morale of the team shot to an all time high since the begining of the match as yers of South Korea rushed towards Park Seung-gyu wearing big wide smile on their faces to celebrate the goal.


    It was like finding a log while on the verge of drowning.


    Even the scene at the substitution box of South Korea was a sight to see. With both their yers and coaching staffs jumping and shouting, they seemed extremely enthralled and joyous.


    It was like, at this moment the whole of Korean national team had be united. The harmony in the team literally seemed unbreakable as they continued to celebrate the goal.


    However the scene at the other side waspletely different. If the scene at the South Korean side was all sunny and bright then the scene at the Japanese side was all dark and gloomy.


    With their head lowered and their face seemingly looking grim, they all seemed extremely disappointed at this moment. Not even one of them who was on the field had the heart to open his mouth.


    Their eyes dull, their face pale and their expression grim, right now their dejected look was like that of a troop who had suffered miserable loss in the war.


    As there''s a saying, Heroes rise at the desperate moments.


    And right now in this moment, a hole was starting to form in the dark cloudy sky. A ray of hope was starting to descend onto this gloomy dejected team.


    "Don''t mind guys, we still have more than 15 minutes on the clock. We can still change the oue guys" while encouraging his teammates, Hiro walked towards the direction of Shun with his usual calm demeanor as if he wasn''t affected in the slightest.


    Compared to his teammates dull eyes, his radiant eyes were glowing with vitality and hope. Even his facial expression showed no signs of sorrow in them.


    Devastated by the goal, Shun was lying on the ground with his face against the ground.


    Those words full of warmth and encouragement was like a light of candle, flickering in the dark room. Although it wasn''t enough topletely dispel the darkness of the entire room, it was still enough to at least brighten up some spaces.


    It was still enough to give those living in the darkness a hope.


    "Guys let''s not wail over this goal. The game hasn''t ended yet. And we haven''t lost yet either. It''s sad to lose the lead and I''m sad as well. But just by grieving over this goal, we won''t win the game. So guys put your shit together and rally like your life depends on it" saying so, Hiro approached Shun.


    Despite having his face buried in the ground, Shun was still listening to the words of Hiro. Previously he had promised Hiro that he would give his best. He had promised to himself that he would be the best keeper in the world.


    But what was he doing right now? He was grieving and wailing. That wasn''t the attitude of a winner. That was an attitude of loser.


    Yes, he did concede the goal. And yes he had every right to get disappointed.


    But even so, instead of burying his face on the ground, he could have been encouraging his teammates like Hiro. There were still a lot of things he could have done even in this miserable situation.


    But what did he choose? He chose to shut his mouth and grieve over his failure instead of trying to correct his failure.


    Thinking about his actions, he felt extremely guilty.

 Chapter 302 Qualifier finals XIX

    <h4>Chapter 302 Qualifier finals XIX </h4>


    Yeah, it wasn''t his fault that they conceded the goal. But he couldn''t still deny that his inability to stop the goal was one of the factor which led to this disaster.


    If he wanted to evolve then he needed to be responsible for his actions. And there''s no denying to the fact that he was beaten miserably by the opposing team. It was his utter loss.


    If only he could defend better. If only he could react better. If only he could be more reliable then there wouldn''t be such situation.


    At once, waves and waves of emotions started rising within Shun''s heart. Eventually his guilty concise made him purse his lips tightly and be angry at his own pathetic self, ''Just trying isn''t enough...''


    He then while tightly clenching his fist lunged his fist at the ground as he tried to lift his body in a seemingly push-up like position.


    With the help of his hand, he then lifted his tired ass off the ground.


    Upon seeing Shun''s actions, Hiro who had stretched his hand forward towards him felt like a fool. His eyes twitched uncontrobly as he felt extremely embarrassed while his body froze at it''s ce.


    He simply couldn''t fathom how to tackle this embarrassing situation. So he just stood there frozen at his ce with his arms stuck out like an idiot.


    Upon seeing this hrious scene, many of his teammates burst intoughter as their once tensed mood lightened up slightly.


    "Pft.. Hahaha" Akutsu who was standing rtively close to them couldn''t hold back hisughter anymore.


    Although his smiling face seemed a bit creepy given his looks, however it didn''t scare anybody at this moment.


    Just like this the mood of the entire team lightened because of an idental situation.


    Although he wanted to lighten up the mood of his teammates, it wasn''t his intention to make a fool out of him.


    But upon hearing theughter of his teammates, the feeling of embarrassment which he was feeling a moment ago vanished in thin air as he straightened his back and pulled his arms back, acting as if this situation had never happened. Even this embarrassment felt worth it to him at this given moment.


    Shun on the other hand who was unaware of the uneasiness he had caused Hiro turned towards Hiro with a fire of determination burning in his eyes.


    Totally unaffected by the sounds ofughter circting around him, he sternly apologised to Hiro, "I''m sorry Hiro. I was unable to stop the ball"


    Hearing his apology, Hiro couldn''t tell whether he was block-headed or he really wasn''t aware of the situation. Though looking at Shun''s stern expression, Hiro found his sincere apology quite amusing.


    Thus he let out a subtle smile as he ced his hands atop Shun''s shoulder and said firmly with a gentle tone, "It''s okay. We still have time in our hands. We''ll obviously win this game"


    Only after listening to Hiro''s answer did Shun finally mustered his courage to look Hiro in the eyes. However as he rolled his eyes towards Hiro, he found Hiro with aplicated look on his face.


    Although he was smiling however at the same time he also looked a bit pissed.


    ''Did I say something wrong?'' Shun pondered upon seeing Hiro''s facial expression.


    After that he then turned towards his teammates and once again started to apologise in a loud voice, "Sorry guys, I wasn''t able to save the ball"


    Those apologetic words as it travelled to the ears of his teammates immediately made them stop theirughter.


    They all knew that it wasn''t his fault. Yet he was apologising for the mistake which he hadn''t evenmitted.


    Listening to his apology made them feel extremely bitter as many of them started feeling guilty about their actions.


    "I''m also sorry for being unable to prevent the attack" Akutsu also made an apology.


    Following Akutsu''s apology, more and more yers started to apologise.


    "I''m also sorry for my performance"


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t be there in time"


    The morale of the team which was starting to falter, once again started to stabilise as everybody admitted their mistakes openly.


    Looking at the scene unfolding infront of his eyes, Hiro felt extremely relieved. Yeah it was quite heartbreaking to lose their lead but as long as his teammates didn''t lose their hope, there was always an opportunity to get back their lead and turn back the situation.


    The morale of the team was the most important thing that mattered at this stage. And seeing the surging morale of his teammates, Hiro couldn''t help but feel happy about the situation.


    Slightly lifting the corner of his lips, Hiro mused. After that he then started reorganizing his teammates to prepare them for a counterattack.


    They had indeed conceded a goal. But he wasn''t nning to sit idle. He wanted to return back the favour and he wanted to win this game at any cost.


    Thinking about the remaining 17 minutes, Hiro''s eyes shone brightly as mes of determination surged uncontrobly inside his heart.


    South Korean team who were celebrating their goal like as if they had already won the game this time were so drunk in their celebration that they didn''t even catch a glimpse of this typhoon which was headed towards their way.


    Even while they were celebrating like crazy, non of the yers of the opposing team were thinking about them. They were all busy healing their wounds and preparing for the future.


    Although it may seem a lot, however in actuality only a short amount of time had passed in the field. The whole action which took ce in the side of Japan had onlysted for only about a minute at most.


    After this short moment of celebration and regrouping, the game then continued with the sound of the referee''s whistle


    Beeeeeeeep!!

 Chapter 303 Qualifier finals XX

    <h4>Chapter 303 Qualifier finals XX</h4>


    They were expecting to see some disputes and tension on the opposing side. But what graced their eyes wasn''t tension or dull looking eyes of the opposing yers instead it was one that of determination and theposure that of a man without any fear.


    Witnessing those eyes ring with determination, somewhere deep inside their heart some of them felt their heart shiver as they nervously gulped their saliva.


    Most of them even started having a bad premonition like as if they were stranded in apletely unknown ce devoid of any light.


    The sun, a golden sphere of light while spreading it''s brilliant warm rays was shining brilliantly in the vast azure expanse.


    Yet even this piping hot rays of sun felt insignificant whenpared to the rising intensity in the field.


    Not only the yers but even the fans and the whole stadium was bustling with intensity right now ¡ª the yers with their intense performance on the field and the fans with their intense cheers off the field.


    Right now the ball was lying infront of Shun,pletely motionless. Just before, Lee Jun the opposing left winger while firing the ball from outside the box had barely missed the post inturn granting the opposing team a goalkick.


    At this point, it was anybody''s game. With only 9 minutes remaining on the clock and both team failing to capitalise their opportunity, the score of the match was still tied.


    It wasn''t that Hiro and his teammates weren''t trying enough. Infact after conceding that second goal, with unwavering determination they had beenunching themselves towards the opposing team without any rest.


    However it''s just that they weren''t being able to find the back of the. Call it bad luck or simply inability to produce results, even with everything in ce, they were still not being able to procure results.


    And the fans who were witnessing their performance were quite aware of their struggles. They knew that their yers were trying their best. But the opposing team wasn''t an easy opponent either.


    That''s why their efforts weren''t showing any results. However even though they were aware of the performance their yers were putting on the field, they still couldn''t help but be disappointed and anxious upon seeing no changes in the scoreboard.


    They wanted their team to win. Not only Japanese fan but the Korean fans was the same as well. Both of those fan groups wanted their respective team they supported toe out victorious.


    Thus despite being aware of their struggles, they were still putting pressure on their yers by yelling at them to do even more better and push their limits.


    Some of them were even going as far as to say that they could have yed better than the yers on the field.


    Obviously those were simply empty words. If they could have performed better than this yers in the field then they would have been the one who''d be ying on the field instead of the yers if they were aged less than seventeen of course.


    Every onlookers at some point in their life while looking at the game thinks they could have done it better. It''s like there''s a hidden manager or a yer in all of us.


    Before rushing towards the ball, Shun stood upright at a certain distance behind the ball, observing and analysing the position of his teammates and the opposing yers.


    Even though he was one of the most helpless yer on the field given his inability to move forward to provide assist or score a goal.


    Still he didn''t want to sit behind with his arms folded, doing nothing. Although he had faith in his teammates, he didn''t want topletely rely on them to produce changes in the game.


    Despite being aware of his helplessness, he wanted to get involved.


    Goalkeeper contributing to the goal, although it wasn''t a new thing. However it still rarely happened in official matches. And most of the times in top leagues, keepers wouldn''t even leave their box.


    It''s not that they couldn''t get involved. It''s just that the gap they would leave behind while trying to get involved directly with the goal is just too big.


    Leaving their position to move forward to contribute to the goal was a risky decision. And oftentimes managers of most of the team would despise such keepers.


    Obviously there are few exceptions such as Manuel Neur or Ederson of Manchester City, however even while looking at them moving upfield at times their managers heart would start to bleed.


    Shun however couldn''t imitate those goliaths. His ball skill was simply terrible. Those goliaths were thriving in their position because not only were they good with hands, they were also good with feet.


    But Shun, he was just averagely good with his feet. His main weapon were his reflexes and his ability to use his hands.


    However that didn''t mean that Shun was extremely terrible with his feet either. Although he was bad at dribbling and ball holding, being a keeper not only had he trained his hands but he had also trained his feet. And he had trained enough to sent the ball flying in the field.


    Suddenly Shun''s eyes shed with a bright gleam as he sprinted towards the ball; preparing to take a long goalkick.


    At this time, Hiro who was trying to find spaces suddenly jerked his body as he swayed his body to his left then to his right.


    The reason why he changed his direction in rapid session was to trick his mark and shook his mark. One could say that given his abilities to easily dribble past multiple opponents at the same time, his off the ball skill was one of his major w.


    It''s not that his off the ball movement was bad. It''s simply that his on the ball movement were so refined that his off the ball movementpletely paled against it.

 Chapter 304 Qualifier finals XXI

    <h4>Chapter 304 Qualifier finals XXI</h4>


    But this 14 year old boy who was right nowpeting against those who were like 3 years older than him, people had totally disregarded his age given his performance.


    cing unrealistic expectations upon this fourteen year old kid, they were burdening him with their unrealistic hopes without realising the impact that would put on him.


    Even those people who deem themselves as those who wouldn''t have such high expectations from this fourteen year old kid right now were on their toes, expecting this kid to create a miracle and guide them to victory.


    Right now while thousands and thousands of eyes were set on him, Hiro was swiftly moving along the field, avoiding the opposing yers, navigating his way towards the goal.


    While using his skill eagle eye and forcing himself to use lightning steps once again, despite surpassing it''s daily usage limit already, Hiro was trying to surpass his limits right now in this moment.


    While sprinting, he was so focused at moving forward and dodging the opposing yers that he wasn''t even turning back to look at the ball. It was as if he knew where the ball wouldnd without even looking.


    Should they chase after Hiro or should they solidify there defence to prevent the iing ball? Right now opposing yers were having difficulty thinking about their decision. Their thoughts were in turmoil.


    Kim Il-sung who could be said as the heart of their midfield, even he seemed like he was having difficulty making his decision.


    His eyes seemed irritated while his brows were frowning. Constantly turning his head to shift his gaze between Hiro and the ball, he was hesitating to make his decision.


    Looking above, he could see the ball approaching towards him and diverting his gaze downwards he could see the figure of Hiro sprinting forward while swiftly cutting through his teammates like a phantom.


    The longer he took to make his decision, the more irritated and anxious his eyes got.


    Finally after hesitating for a while, he took a onest nce at the ball which at that moment while covering the sun seemingly looked like a sr eclipse to him.


    He then gritted his teeth as he made his decision after some analysis regarding the trajectory of the ball and the path of Hiro. Suddenly his eyes glowed with a faint cold light as he left his position and rushed towards Hiro like a wild boar.


    Noticing the iing Kim Il-sung, Hiro who was already pushing his limits panicked a little as his heart sank for a quick microsecond.


    Considering the importance of Kim Il-sung in the defense of the opposing team, Hiro had mostly expected him to remain back to prepare for the iing attack.


    However that didn''t mean that he hadn''tpletely eradicated the thought of him leaving his position toe after him.


    While making this attack, he had taken many variables into consideration. And although Kim Il-sung leaving his position surprised him a bit, he wasn''t shaken by his actions.


    Quickly regaining hisposure, Hiro made slight changes in his n midway while running. He simply couldn''t afford any kind of changes to spill water on his ns right now.


    After moving forward for a while, all of a sudden he turned his back against Kim Il-sung as he prepared to trap the ball.


    To Kim Il-sung it seemed like Hiro was trying to trap the ball in his chest. Thus just as Hiro turned his back against him, at first he tried to outmanoeuvre him.


    ''How the hell is he so sturdy?'' Kim Il-sung was taken aback by Hiro''s rigidity.


    He never expected that this kid who wasn''t even as jacked as him could withstand his strength without even breaking a sweat. He simply couldn''t fathom how this kid who paled inparison to his physique could stand still despite him trying his best to push him.


    Exerting great amount of pressure to his muscle, Kim Il-sung repeatedly tried to outmanoeuvre Hiro. Yet no matter how hard he tried to push him, he couldn''t even budge him in the slightest.


    It was like as if he was pushing an unmovable mountain right now.


    Unable to push Hiro, his heart started to panic as his eyes became extremely irritated. His pride took a hit.


    Witnessing this scene from behind, Takeshi mused as he thought inwardly, ''Trying to push him? Good luck.... Even I have difficulty trying to push that sturdy monster and you think you can outmanoeuvre him? Hahahaha....''


    Subconsciously Kim Il-sung rose his hands as he stretched towards Hiro. He then grabbed Hiro''s jersey and tried to pull him back towards him.


    Sure if he did that the referee would book him for sure. But so what? Is he getting booked more important than conceding a goal? If he could prevent this threat, then he was willing to make sacrifices.


    Thus unknowingly he grabbed Hiro''s jersey, hiding his malevolent intentions behind the facade of struggle. Outwardly he maintained his struggling expression while inwardly he was prepared to take a loss for his team.


    Just as the ball was about to fall infront of him, Hiro who had been feeling a push since a moment ago suddenly felt someone trying to pull him back.


    Because of the sudden change, Hiro was caught off-guard as he couldn''t react on time. In that moment, Hiro then lost his footing and became unbnced.


    Without even needing to tell, he knew that his fall was inevitable. No matter how much of a superhuman strength he had, he simply couldn''t lift his body mid-air.


    While trying to endure the constant push of Kim Il-sung, he had already exhausted most of his strength.


    Although to others it seemed like he was withstanding the pressure of Kim Il-sung with ease. However only he knows how much he was struggling to stand his ground.


    Just as Hiro was about to fall, he did something totally unexpected. Catching almost everyone present in the stadium by surprise, while falling down, he stretched his leg towards the sky inturn hitting a halfhearted bicycle-kick.

 Chapter 305 Qualifier finals XXII

    <h4>Chapter 305 Qualifier finals XXII</h4>


    Upon witnessing Hiro''s actions, Kim Il-sung''s eyes constricted as panic took hold of him. Theposure of his face changed as it lost it''s lustre and became pale as paper.


    He had tried every possible methods to bring Hiro down. He even went as far as to foul him. But what was the oue?


    He still managed to connect the ball.


    Why was he so tenacious? Why couldn''t he simply fall down? Just why??


    Such thoughts appeared one after other in his head as Kim Il-sung cried out as he felt his heart bleed upon experiencing Hiro''s tenacity.


    Having done everything in his power, right now he couldn''t do anything anymore; he was totally helpless.


    Despite catching the glimpse of Kim Il-sung dragging Hiro down, the referee didn''t put a halt to the game, instead he signalled for an advantage as he allowed the game to continue without any stop.


    All of a sudden the already intense game became even more intense as a climax like scene unfolded in the pitch.


    The audience who were already on their toes, their heart started pounding faster as they felt their blood boiling. Their eyes which was fixated at the ball showed differentplicated emotions such as anxiousness, desperation, anticipation, fear and many more.


    Thud!!


    Hiro fell down hard on the ground. But he had already done what he could do. Now it was all upto his teammate.


    However even so, he wasn''t nning to sit back and rest. Thus no sooner than he collided against the ground, he tried to regain hisposure as he stood up with great difficulty and once again was about to give a chase to the ball.


    The ball flew straight towards the box where Nijichi and few other opposing yers had positioned themselves.


    Their keeper Lee Hae-won immediately made his decision upon seeing the iing ball. He then left his position and rushed forward to defend the iing ball.


    Although the path of the ball seemed a bit erratic, however in reality it wasn''t erratic at all. Infact even in that desperate moment, Hiro had meticulously struck the ball with great precision so that it could find it''s way to Nijichi while avoiding the opposing yers and even their keeper.


    However that didn''t mean that the ball would fall right infront of Nijichi. If he wanted that ball then he''d have to push himself like Hiro had pushed himself.


    He''d have to jump a bit higher than his normal jump or he''d have to rack his mind to get the ball by himself.


    As much as it was a n, it was also a gamble. And oftentimes Hiro hated taking gamble. He wanted to be the one who could decide the oue¡ª he wanted to be in control of his actions.


    But this time the situation had forced him to make this gamble.


    Despite making timely decision, Lee Hae-won still needed some time to get to the ball. Thus to shorten the time he needed to get to the ball, after sprinting for a while, he leapt from the ground while extending his arms towards the ball, trying to punch the ball while making use of his momentum.


    The ball was meant for him. And Nijichi was aware of the fact. However if he messed his timing, he was bound to meet with failure.


    Thus without wasting any time, Nijichi too leapt from the ground as he jumped towards the ball.


    Park Ji-hoon and another defender who was tailing him also leapt from the ground, trying to obstruct him and get to the ball before him.


    Right now in that penalty box, four figures were hovering in the air,peting for the ball. Each and every single one of them, extremely desperate and tenacious. Simply no one was willing to let go.


    Three with the intentions of clearing the ball while one with the intention of slotting the ball. Not only was this a physical battle, it was also a battle of wills.


    Theoretically speaking the keeper should be the one to have an advantage when it came to aerial reach. But because of the distance, even that advantage of keeper was nullified.


    One could say that it was anybody''s ball at this moment.


    The anxious eyes of few of the supporters perked up as their pupils started to erge and sparks of joy shed in their eyes. At the same time, few thousand eyes lost their glow as their pupils started shrinking and their eyes darkened with horror.


    In all those thousands of eyes, one image reflected right now ¡ª the image of Tominaga Nijichi beating all those three who werepeting against him.


    Beating all those three opposing yers to reach to the ball, Nijichi headed the ball towards the post.


    Lee Hae-won''s eyes constricted as panic surged within his heart. Mid-air his face contorted as he became extremely frantic.


    The worst possible oue he could have imagined was unfolding right infront of his eyes and he could do nothing about it.


    Before he could snap out of this nightmare, he collided against Nijichi.


    Bam!!


    Just as Nijichi fell on the ground, a loud deafening sound of cheers erupted and shook every nook and canny of this massive stadium which hosted more than 30 thousand spectators at once.


    As those euphoric fans jumped and hugged each other out of joy, the stands of the stadium vibrated like a mini earthquake was striking the stadium.


    However not all those fans looked joyous. There were quite a lot who were wailing and frustrated as well.


    Still the sound of the cheers far outweighed the sound of wails.


    "Gooooaaaaallllllll!!!!!"


    "Goooaallll!! Goooaallll!! Gooooaaaaallllllll!!! A truly spectacr goal at a truly spectacr timing. They simply couldn''t hope for a better oue than this at this stage" Thementator''s visage was full of excitement as his ecstatic voice rung in the stadium.

 Chapter 306 Qualifier finals XXIII

    <h4>Chapter 306 Qualifier finals XXIII</h4>


    At once as those passersby heard those deafening sounds of cheersing from the stadium, many of them became startled as they simply couldn''t refrain themselves from looking at the stadium.


    "Seems like one of the team has scored a goal" an old man who was passing by the stadiummented with a smile on his face as he looked towards the stadium.


    "Yeah or may be the match has finallye to an end" another passerby who was also looking towards the stadium, presented his opinion.


    Right now inside the stadium, fans of Japan were celebrating like crazy while swinging their banners, gs, jersey as a huge wave of celebration was engulfing the entire stadium.


    In the pitch, Nijichi who was sent flying a moment ago was ecstatically running towards the sidelines.


    With a huge bright smile etched on his face and with his eyes glittering with joy, a shark contrast to his pathetic appearance from a moment ago after the collision, he looked seemingly unfazed.


    Despite supplying an unbelievable assist, Hiro however had vanished into the background at this moment. Right now he wasn''t the main character.


    Nijichi who had scored this goal and provided their team with the lead was the main character right now.


    And honestly speaking, Hiro couldn''t care less about being the main character. With a crescent like smile etched on his face, he was pping his hands, celebrating the goal scored by his teammate.


    Although he wasn''t joining the group, he still was genuinely happy for Nijichi. Moreover he was happy about the lead.


    His teammates while colliding and jumping atop each other continued to celebrate the goal, totally ignoring the presence of Hiro,pletely engrossed in the joyous moment. At this moment, most of them were totally drunk in this amazing feeling of celebration. And by the looks of it, non of them seemed like they wanted to sober this celebratory feeling which they were feeling.


    Yet even so Yutaka after celebrating for a while backed out as he couldn''t find Hiro among the crowd of yers swarming Nijichi.


    At first he too had let himself lose to celebrate the moment. But as time went on and celebration raged on, he realised the absence of his friend, he realised the absence of the most important person who had made this moment possible.


    Although everyone deemed Nijichi as the main character, he knew who the real main character was. Without Hiro''s pass, this moment wouldn''t have been made possible.


    After backing out, he started to search for Hiro. But the more he looked around him, the more disappointed he got.


    "Where is he?" Unable to find Hiro around him, Yutaka''s brows frowned as he muttered with an anxious tone.


    After looking for a while, he still didn''t find Hiro around him. It was as if Hiro wasn''t even present in the field.


    However the moment he dejectedly looked at their side of the post, his eyes perked up all of a sudden as he found Hiro in their post alongside Shun.


    How could everyone forget about the main man who had made this moment possible? By supplying an amazing long ball from one side of the pitch to another, this moment was made possible, all thanks to Shun.


    Realisation dawned upon him as his heart felt a bit heavy. An unusual feeling of dampness rose within him as his eyes became slightly moist upon seeing Hiro.


    The respect which he had towards Hiro, after witnessing Hiro''s current gesture surged even more as he couldn''t stop himself from admiring this friend of his.


    "I never knew that you could shoot like this... Tell me honestly, did you eat a miracle ginseng this morning? Hahah" Hiro chuckled as he joked about Shun''s impressive long pass.


    "Hahahaha.... I was just hiding my skills. Next time I''m gonna score a goal from one post to the next... Hahahah" Shun responded to Hiro''s joke with a joke of his own.


    While their teammates continued to celebrate in the other side of the post, those two friends continued to joke with each other while making happy faces; smiling and talking nonsense.


    They were really enjoying the game.


    The same couldn''t be said to the opposing team though. Currently they were fuming. With the game nearing it''s end, a goal at this moment was extremely detrimental to them. Not only was this goal a huge blow to them, this could also determine the oue of the game.


    ''Hmph~ that''s what you get for taking me out'' while most of his teammates continued to wail, Park Ji-hye who was still upset by his manager''s decision to bring him out thought as he remained indifferent to this oue.


    It''s not that he wasn''t loyal to his country or he harboured no feelings towards the loss of his team. Like many other of his teammates, he too loved his country and wanted the team he was ying in to win. However right now, he was simply frustrated about the injustice he had to suffer.


    And right now that frustration was masking his inner feelings, causing him to remain indifferent towards the present oue.


    Soon though, he started feeling bad about the present oue, ''If you''re bringing me out then at least show your worth for being on the field....''


    Anxiously thinking so, he gnashed his teeths while making a worried expression.


    No matter how much he resented his coach for taking him out of the game or making him a scapegoat, he still didn''t want his team to suffer loss. His love for his country was simply greater than his hatred.


    While the celebration continued to rage on the field, all of a sudden one of the yer of Japan cried out with a frantic look on his face, "Bloo.... Bloooood!!!"


    Just as the scream echoed, amotion started to rise as everybody shot their nce towards that yer.

 Chapter 307 Qualifier finals XXIV

    <h4>Chapter 307 Qualifier finals XXIV</h4>


    ?Upon following the eye of the yer who was frantically shouting right now, they found Nijichi''s face soaked in blood.


    Constantly from his nasal orifice, blood was dripping out while his face was smeared with blood which inturn was making his face look quite horrifying.


    The earlier collision had definitely affected him in some way or other. It''s just that he was just too high on adrenaline that he didn''t even notice his own injuries.


    Soon upon seeing Nijichi''s blood soaked face, other yers started bing frantic as well as most of them started shouting in panic, "Medic... Quick we need medic..."


    At this moment the referee was busy taking care of Kim Il-sung for his earlier action of deliberately trying to foul Hiro.


    Even though the referee had signalled for an advantage previously that didn''t mean that he was nning to turn a blind eye to such malevolent intention.


    It''s just that considering the importance of the game, he simply couldn''t put a halt to the game at that moment.


    But right now, the situation was different. The dire situation had alreadye to an end. Thus he needed to uphold justice.


    The referee then took out a yellow card from his pocket and booked Kim Il-sung for his earlier action.


    Although Kim Il-sung looked a bit disappointed upon getting booked but he didn''t try to retaliate. It was like as if he had already epted his fate.


    Afterall he had no right to retaliate. Earlier while trying to foul Hiro, he knew that he was inevitably going to get booked and was prepared to ept any oue. Thus with a frown, he acknowledged the decision of the referee without any sort of retaliation.


    However just as referee pointed his card towards Kim Il-sung, he heard the frantic cry of the yers of Japan. At first the scream startled him as it made him abruptly turn towards the source of the noise.


    However no sooner, he regained hisposure as he rushed towards the site of themotion.


    Themotion which was taking ce in their groupd didn''t go unnoticed. Immediately it drew the attention of almost every person present in the stadium.


    "What''s going on?" Several fans started panicking as they started to inquire about the situation taking ce on the field with a worried look on their faces.


    Just some moment ago, they were celebrating like there was no tomorrow. But now all of a sudden, while the celebratory mood was still lingering around the stadium, a problem arose on the field.


    The sudden change in the scenario was just too quick for them to process.


    Immediately the coaching staff of the Japanese side upon witnessing themotion taking ce on the field, urged the medics to hurry up towards the field as they all snapped out of their celebratory mood.


    With their heart pounding faster and faster with every second, they started to grow extremely anxious.


    When everything was going right, when they were so close to victory, now they were going to lose one of their best yer. What could go more worst than this?


    Just when they were wailing about the situation getting dire in the pitch, all of a sudden Hiro felt a stinging sensation of pain in his legs.


    It was like as if he was getting pierced withrge number of needles. With every step of his, the pain only kept on intensifying.


    Just like most of his teammates, he was also rushing towards the site of themotion. But this excruciating pain which he felt out of nowhere immediately jammed his movement as it became extremely difficult for him to walk.


    However he wasn''t surprised by this turn of events. He knew that he had pushed himself beyond his limits a moment ago. And this pain which he was feeling right now was the aftermath of his previous reckless actions.


    Although he wasn''t surprised but he also didn''t want the situation to go south so suddenly. There were still some minutes remaining in the clock. And an injury at this moment which could very well take him out of the game was quite detrimental for his team.


    Still Hiro tried to act normal despite suffering excruciating pain with every single muscle movement. He gritted his teeth as he clenched his fist, trying his best to endure the pain.


    He didn''t want to exit the pitch. He wasn''t willing to exit the pitch. Thus he desperately tried to cling on to thest bit of hope.


    [Warning!!]


    [The host has pushed himself beyond his limits. It''s suggested host to not make any further movements otherwise the host might suffer serious injury]


    The warning from the system kept on ringing in his ears, yet he ignored the warnings and kept on trying to push himself.


    He simply couldn''t afford to go down at this moment when the situation of the team was already getting dire.


    [Warning!! Warning!!]


    The system kept on sending him warnings one after other without any stop. Yet he continued to ignore all those warnings.


    As he tried to push himself, perspiration started umting in his body which inturn after sometime caused his whole body to get drenched with sweat. Even hisplexion started bing pale and bluish as if he was getting suffocated.


    Even so because of thergemotion taking ce upfield and his act of trying to look normal, nobody managed to caught a glimpse of Hiro''s suffering.


    Finally he could no longer push himself any further as he sumbed to the intolerable pain. The moment he couldn''t push himself any further, his legs turned weak as he lost all his strength.


    Those weak leg of his couldn''t support the weight of his body any longer which inturn caused him to abruptly fall down.


    Thud!!


    Despite falling down, he desperately tried to cling on to his consciousness. His eyelids felt heavy causing him to close his eyes on multiple asions.


    The bulging sensation of pain kept on lingering in his legs, causing him to gnash his teeth out of agony. Even so not even a slightest bit of scream left his mouth.


    Because of his unwillingness to sumb to the pain, he didn''t even call out for help. He thought that somehow he could subdue the pain.


    But however the situation only kept on worsening as the pain only kept on intensifying with every passing seconds. He was hoping that a moment of rest could cure him to some extent.


    At this moment, he wished for nothing but a miracle to happen. However miracle don''t happen so easily, do they?


    The miracle he wished for never happened. And he could no longer put up with this facade of trying to look normal either.


    And as he continued to remain seated on the ground, coaching staffs and the fans upon seeing his state immediately noticed something wrong with him.


    ''No.... Not Hiro'' manager Haruki upon witnessing Hiro''s state cried out internally with aplicated look on his face.


    His eyes became extremely frantic while hisplexion started turning pale. The worst possible situation he could hope for, was happening right infront of his eyes.


    He simply couldn''t ept such an oue. Not only was he going to lose Nijichi, he was also going to lose Hiro now.


    Losing such an important yer at this moment could very well spell their doom. But even so, if Hiro couldn''t perform, he couldn''t force him as well.


    "Ohh... What''s this? Has Hiro also suffered an injury?" Thementator upon witnessing the state of Hiro on field, inquired.


    While one batch of medical personnels was tending to Nijichi, immediately another batch of medical personnels rushed towards the site of Hiro.


    ''Is... Is it because of me?'' Kim Il-sung thought as a sense of guilt started gnawing on him, upon seeing the state of Hiro.


    Although he had wished to bring Hiro down, he hadn''t wished to hurt him seriously. But now that he noticed Hiro''s pathetic state, he couldn''t help but feel guilty.


    His already darkened face darkened even more as he listlessly stared at the sight of Hiro.


    At this moment, a silhouette of a person appeared beneath his feet. The moving silhouette kept on growing. It was as if somebody was getting close to him.


    However since his eyes were fixated at the sight of Hiro, he failed to notice the silhouette growing under his feet.


    All of a sudden, as he felt a sensation of touch, his body trembled as a cold sweat ran down his spine. At the same time his pupils shrunk and he abruptly turned backwards. He was startled to his wits.


    The moment he turned around with a frantic look on his eyes, he found Park Seung-gyu with a subtle smile on his face.


    ''What does he want from me? Why did he sneak upon me?'' thoughts run amuck as he tried to rpose hisposure and figure out the intentions of Park Seung-gyu for approaching him out of nowhere.


    However the next sentence which he spoke left himpletely baffled and disturbed, "Good job"

 Chapter 308 Qualifier finals XXV

    Chapter 308 Qualifier finals XXV


    ??The way he spoke and the creepy smile which he carried on his face, upon experiencing such dreadful encounter, Kim Il-sung''s already pale face paled even further as he felt extremely horrified by Park Seung-gyu''s ruthlessness.


    Although he hadn''t yed with him for a long time, but still he had spend quite some time with this person. And even though he found Park Seung-gyu''s personality somewhat unlikable given his arrogant and crafty nature. However it was his first time witnessing this nasty side of Park Seung-gyu.


    How could he enjoy someone else''s misery so casually? How can he be so heartless? What if he suffers a career ending injury?


    If it wasn''t anything serious, probably he too wouldn''t have paid any heed to Hiro''s condition. However judging by the reaction which Hiro was disying at that moment, he simply couldn''t help but think about the worst possible situation.


    Sure he did have some beef against Hiro and he didn''t have any favourable impression of Hiro either, but still he didn''t hate him to the point that he wanted to end Hiro''s career by dealing a career ending injury to him. Although it would have been entirely different scenario if he could simply do that by his performance.


    However right now more than the guilt of injuring Hiro, Kim Il-sung was overwhelmed by the horror of thement and the smile of the person who was standing close to him. Was he really the same person? Or was he simply hiding his true nature all along?


    No matter how hard he thought about it, he simply couldn''t figure out. Right now all he could do was stand still at his ce and stare at Park Seung-gyu with differentplicated emotions rising within his heart.


    Because of the bulging sensation of pain, Hiro could feel his senses worsening with every passing seconds. The once loud noise from the stand which was ringing in his ear was now starting to be faint and muffled with every passing seconds. Not only his auditory senses but he was also starting to lose his sensation of smell and touch.


    Despite him trying his best to remain sane, the intense sensation of pain was slowly and gradually robbing him of his sanity. While remaining idle on the floor, he had already felt his vison blurring and darkening multiple times in such a short span of time.


    If this situation continued any further and he continued to remain stubborn, refusing to ask for help, he was surely going to faint from this intolerable pain.


    ''Do... I really... need to walk out?'' Hiro thought to himself whilst still gritting his teeth in agony.


    At this moment, he heard faint sound of footsteps closing in towards him. Although the sound was barely audible, those sound of footsteps both gave a hope and made him despair at the same time. Hope because he could tell that help was arriving and despair because exactly help was arriving which meant he could no longer hide his condition.


    Immediately after approaching close to Hiro, medics started to give him some first aid to relieve him from the pain. After that, they began to run some tests on him.


    "Why is he looking so dehydrated?" while running some tests on Hiro, one of the medical personnel inquired with a worried and confused look on his face after noticing theplexion of Hiro.


    "Probably he has exhausted himself to extreme extent which caused his body to use his water reserve at an rming rate. If I''m right then he''s probably suffering from extreme cramps because of dehydration as well" another female medic presented her view after analysing the situation.


    And as the medics began to run tests on Hiro for some while, they finally proimed Hiro unfit to continue the game any further.


    Hiro who was still desperately clinging on to his consciousness, upon hearing the verdict of the medics felt his heart tightening. Although he was starting to feel relieved and he could vividly feel his condition getting better but he still couldn''t bring himself to admit that decision.


    The medics then started to prepare the stretcher to bring him out of the field. Just as they were about to put him on the stretcher, Hiro mustered all his remaining strength to grab the medical personnel close to him to share his intention.


    Upon feeling her sleeves being grabbed out of nowhere, her heart skipped a bit as she became extremely startled. Immediately, she then pulled her arms back and abruptly turned towards the direction from where she felt the sensation of being grabbed.


    However as she turned to look at the direction from where she felt that feeling, she found Hiro''s pitiful looking face intently staring at her as if he was pleading her for something. Although his faced seemed pale and sickly, his eyes seemed especially sharp and full of vigor.


    Just by ncing at those eyes, she could tell that those eyes didn''t belong to someone who was defeated rather those eyes belong to someone unyielding even to the fate.


    How could somebody suffering from such extreme muscle cramps have such eyes? How could he still be willing to go further when his body has already reached it''s extreme limits?


    She was greatly taken aback by those eyes ring with determination. However soon her arched eyebrows turned into frown as she felt extremely pitiful about Hiro''s situation. Even if she wanted, she could do nothing about the situation. Just like Hiro himself, she was totally helpless as well.


    Hiro who witnessed the frown in her face could very well see the pity on her eyes. Although the medic didn''t spoke of anything, after observing her reaction he could vividly tell the answer hidden behind that silence.


    Thus, he also didn''t continue to pester her any further with his desire to y.


    After that the medics swiftly transferred him onto the stretcher with utmost care. And in one go, they then lifted him up and began to exit the pitch.


    Nijichi''s side wasn''t any better as well. After stopping his bleeding, he was getting escorted out of the pitch for further treatment as well. Unlike Hiro just based on the visible clues one could tell that he had broke his nose in earlier collusion.


    However his condition, even though it seemed dire to the onlookers given his blood smeared face and constant bleeding, wasn''t as much dire and fearful as Hiro. And it still depended entirely on him whether he wished to continue or rest.


    While hurriedly moving towards the direction of the medical personnel who were escorting Hiro out of the field in stretcher, Manager Haruki who seemed extremely anxious as of this moment asked in a hurried manner, "How''s he doctor?"


    Shaking his head while contorting his face in grief, one of the medical personnel broke the news, "I''m sorry coach but you have to look for recement immediately"


    Just as the medical personnel broke the news, manager Haruki''s facial expression turned grim. To him, it felt as if the sky fell upon him. His already frantic eyes filled with concern and anxiousness became totally dull as he staggeringly took few steps forward to take a nce at the yer who had singlehandedly led this team to this present score.


    Those eyes which once radiated with vitality and unwavering determination was currently hidden beneath those frail looking hand full of callouses¡ª a testament to the hardwork Hiro had put in day in and day out.


    Yet while looking at this valiant figure, manager Haruki instead of feeling grief felt ashamed. From starting to the end, he was depending on him to bring his team to glory. Although it wasn''t his intention to depend on Hiro but still unwittingly he had grown dependent on Hiro. And that was a fact which he couldn''t deny even if he wanted to, because he himself knew that he was growing dependent on Hiro.


    On the pretext of giving opportunity to the one who deserves the opportunity the most he had grown dependent on Hiro. Even some moment ago when he found Hiro copsed on the floor, somewhere in his heart he wished for Hiro to not suffer any major casualties.


    Now one may ask how is wishing for someone to not suffer major injuries be a bad thing? However the question simply wasn''t that of bad or good.


    Although his wishes was wise but he wished so because he wanted Hiro to y until thest moment. And that was purely his own greed and selfishness.


    Finally as manager Haruki realised his mistake, he then cheered his frowning face as he spoke to Hiro in a reassuring way, "Be proud Hiro, you''ve already given your best. Now leave the rest to us."


    Being away from the pitch, although the fans couldn''t hear the decision of the medics, still they could vividly tell that things haven''t worked out fine on the field based on their observation. The panic stricken face of the coaching staffs was giving out the oue

 Chapter 309 Qualifier finals XXVI

    Chapter 309 Qualifier finals XXVI


    ??Although those words weighed heavy on his hearts, yet still Hiro couldn''t bring himself to open his mouth. Neither could he bring himself to face his manager at this moment. Covering his eyes with his hands, he continued to remain silent.


    ''Why are you making it more harder for me to leave?'' Hiro thought to himself while gritting his teeth.


    Instead of providing him a sensation offort, right now those words offort had quite the opposite effect on him. They were more like harsh winter wind instead of a refreshing spring breeze to him.


    However despite experiencing Hiro''s unresponsiveness, manager Haruki didn''t mind Hiro''s attitude. Observing him closely from the shadows, he knew Hiro''s situation the best. Haruki knew that Hiro wasn''t trying to disrespect him by staying silent nor was he being stubborn. It''s just that right now, he was having a really hard time epting the oue.


    Thus, Haruki didn''t probe this matter any further and decided it would be best to let Hiro rest. Signaling the medics to take Hiro away, Haruki then continued with a stern look on his face, "Rest assured Hiro, we''ll definitely win this match"


    After that while taking advantage of the momentary stoppage, Haruki then began to reorganize his thoughts, ''Previously even though we were ying with two ymakers, given the presence of Hiro it wouldn''t be unfair to say that Yutaka was pushed into a secondary ymaker position. But now in absence of Hiro, will he be able to fill the gaps left behind by Hiro?''


    Pondering about the gap left behind by Hiro, Haruki''s gaze drifted towards Yutaka who seemed quite anxious as of this moment. Looking at that frail looking boy who was sweating profusely, Haruki began to have second thoughts, ''Will he be able to carry the burden?''


    But as soon as he had those thoughts, he immediately discarded it as well. He knew that that kid was talented, just that his mentality wasn''t up to par. Skill-wise he had absolutely no doubts that Yutaka could fill in the shoes of Hiro.


    It''s not that there weren''t any other ymakers in the team either. However whenparing them to Hiro or Yutaka, they were rather nd. Mostly those other ymakers in the teamcked creativity like Hiro or Yutaka. And having another ymaker at this point was pretty much meaningless as well since they were already in the lead and the game was also nearing it''s end.


    It would be better to bring in defensive yer instead of an offensive yer. Given their current situation, it would be more beneficial to bring in a defensive yer and defend their lead. And that''s what manager Haruki decided after pondering for a while as well.


    Thus in ce of Hiro, he brought in another defensive midfielder who not only yed as a defensive midfielder but also yed as a center back.


    "With the unfortunate injury of their star yer, Japanese side has decided to bring in Kenta Tanaka, a defensive midfielder who can y as center back equally well. Thest time we saw him on the field was against team India where he yed as a center back"


    Just as Kenta entered the field,mentator borated his previous records to the audience as he announced that he''ll be recing Hiro.


    Aside from substituting Hiro, no other changes were made to the team, except the fact that they were no longer ying in their previous 4-1-2-3 formation. Right now with addition of Kenta Tanaka, they were ying in 4-2-1-3 formation with Yutaka as the sole offensive midfielder.


    Nijichi with cotton stuffed on his nose to prevent bleeding stood behind the half line seemingly giving off the aura of an injured lion. Even after wiping the blood stains from his face, his nose still looked somewhat disfigured and kinda red and blue. And upon closer inspection, one could tell that his nose was swollen.


    Despite looking seemingly injured, his morale was at an all time high. The goal which he scored previously was definitely one of the factor which led to this surge of morale. However it wasn''t the only factor which caused his eyes to re with determination.


    Hiro''s absence was one of the main factor, leading to this sensation as well. With Hiro''s absence, he was the sole ace of the team. If he could score another goal, he could very well bag the MOTM award for himself.


    So unlike most his teammates who were either grieving or despairing, right now he was quite joyous. The simple thought of snatching the limelight of the show was enough to make his blood boil and his body to steam.


    Beep!


    Just as the referee blew his whistle, the game resumed after the seemingly endlessmotion on the pitch. Once again the fans roared furiously as the yers on the field started moving their tired bodies again.


    Given the current scenario one would expect Japanese side to have the momentum because of the goal which they scored just a moment ago, however the reality was quite different. Right now, opposing team were in charge of the momentum.


    Their hungry eyes were like that of a predator which had been starved for weeks¡ª ruthless and starved. Those eyes were hungry for goals and right now those eyes wanted nothing more than to see them scoring a goal.


    On the contrary, eyes of most of the Japanese yers looked rather panicked and restless while one thing was repeating again and again in their mind, "Please sound the final whistle as fast as you can"


    Right now, they desperately wanted the game to end, so that they could loosen their bodies and bepletely free from this tormenting feeling which was making their heart throb at an rming rate.


    Despite the opposing yers relentless assault and despite their heartining about the intensity of the match, yer of Japan continued to persevere. Resisting the all out assaults of the opposing team, they put their bodies on line to prevent the opposing team from scoring.


    With only couple of second remaining to end the match, the victory was very well within their sights. However one yer from their side looked seemingly unsatisfied.

 Chapter 310 Qualifier finals XXVII

    Chapter 310 Qualifier finals XXVII


    ??Amidst the raging chaos taking ce on the field while ring his nostrils, he turned to look at the scoreboard¡ª his eerie dark eyes hiding the storm contained within it, could hardly conceal the frustration he was feeling at this moment.


    "Tch..."


    Bitterly clicking his tongue, he then immediately drifted his gaze off of the scoreboard.


    However the moment he looked away, all of a sudden his eyes perked up, revealing the abrupt sensation of joy which he felt for split seconds. In those eerie dark eyes, a figure of a dark haired boy who had just recently intercepted the pass of the opposing yers was being yed.


    Immediately upon seeing that familiar looking face, possessing the ball, he couldn''t help but open his mouth while at the same time sway his body and twist his legs. Opening his mouth, he then made a frantic shout, "Pass.... here"


    Shouting such, he gestured the dark haired boy to pass him the ball, despite knowing that the time was almost over. Even so, right now he was more desperate than his opponents. He could faintly hear the clicking sound of the clock despite there being no ticking clock at all.


    And what more, how could someone possibly hear the ticking of a clock in a ce filled with the cheers and jeers of thousand and thousands of people? Unless the speaker ced in the stadium was making those noises, there would simply be no possibility. It''s absolutely ridiculous and hypothetic to be able to hear the sound of clock in such noisy environment.


    But even so, he could hear the sound of ticking ringing in his ears. What more, he could even feel his heart beat rising with every click of that sound. It was like , he was being chased by pack of hungry wolves or as if he was in a life and dearth situation with every passing second, he could feel his death approaching.


    Rushing against the time, right now, he was extremely high on adrenaline.


    Yutaka who had managed to intercept the pass which could very probably lead to their demise became even more frantic upon hearing the yell of Nijichi who was right now asking him for a pass.


    Getting hold of the ball at this point of time, if they could only hold their ground then they might very well win the game. But charging forward was an extremely ridiculous option. That was ast thing he should do given the despondent moment they were facing currently.


    However right now, his was mind was muddled. The fear of blowing the game away and the responsibilities which had been ced upon him was interfering with his thought processes, causing him to grow extremely anxious with every passing seconds.


    Thus because of anxiousness, unlike his usual self, when someone stretched their hands towards him where he would at first try to analyse the situation, he immediately grabbed the hand without any further thinking.


    Perhaps because when he saw Nijichi at the frontline, his mind immediately came to a conclusion that by passing the ball forward, he could avoid the risk of getting the ball stolen and also mitigate the risk at their side to some extent. Clearing the ball forward, instead of calmly keeping hold of the ball seemed the most feasible option to him right now.


    Thus without having any second thoughts, without any sort of hesitation, Yutaka after reiming the position of the ball immediately sent the ball flying towards Nijichi after hearing his call for the ball.


    "Nooooo..... Yutaka"


    Along with the coaching staffs, several yers in the substitution box cried out as they witnessed the action of Yutaka on the field. Most of them seemed extremely frantic at this moment. It was like they were witnessing someone carelessly pulling the pin of the grenade right infront of them.


    However the bullet had been fired and there was absolutely nothing they could do at this moment except ce their hopes on the person to whom the ball was yed.


    But soon their already frantic eyes became even more frantic as perspiration ran down their face while cold sweat ran down their body. Their heart started pounding faster and faster to the point it felt as if there heart would jump out of their throat at any instant.


    Nijichi to whom the ball was yed didn''t even get to keep hold of the ball for ball. One could say that as soon as he got hold of the ball, he lost the ball as it got stolen by the opposing yer. Making use of their coordination, withbined efforts Park Ji-hoon and Kim Il-sung snatched the ball away from the feet of Nijichi with ease, leaving him on the ground to taste the grass.


    "What are you doing?"


    "How pathetic can you get?"


    "Get up you motherfucker"


    Witnessing that scene of Nijichi''s downfall, countless fans in the stadium hauled curses at him as they all expressed their dissatisfaction. A moment ago this same crowd was showering praises at him¡ª treating him like a treasure. However right now, the same crowd was hauling curses at him¡ª treating him like a shit. All because he screwed at such an important moment.


    The reputation which he had earned didn''t take long to crumble as it instantly plummeted with his downfall. It''s just like the saying, "To earn a good reputation, one would need to do countless good deeds but to crumble that reputation requires only one bad thing"


    And the same happened to Nijichi right now. In an instant, he got thrown to hell from heaven.


    Taking advantage of the moment when the opposing yers were already in a state of distress, South Korean yersunched a full out assault while making use of every bit of energy they had hidden in some part of their body.


    Right now, it was like as if they were drawing energy from an unknown source. And even the sensation of pain and exhaustion which they were feeling a moment ago had been nullified. Right now they were surging with energy, despite having been pushed their body to their utmost limit.

 Chapter 311 Qualifier finals XXVIII

    <h4>Chapter 311 Qualifier finals XXVIII</h4>


    ?ying swift one-two passes, opposing yers after regaining control of the ball immediately started their counter-attack. From defenders to attackers, everybody got involved in this onest struggle as they all moved forward for an all out attack.


    On the other hand, upon witnessing this hordes of yers charging towards them like enraged wild beast, yers of Japan started to panic as they all began to fall back. Simply keeping watch on the yer close to them wasn''t enough.


    If they wanted to stop this tsunami like wave which was rushing towards them at a threatening pace with outrageous strength then they ought to be willing to put their bodies on the line while at the same time keep their mind open-minded. Anything could happen in this moment.


    A simple carelessness could very well deter the oue of the game.


    Not only the yers on the field but even the people outside the field, everybody became extremely tensed as the match entered it''s climax. Tightly clenching onto their seats, several fans while holding onto their breath watched this scene anxiously.


    Takeshi, Suzuki and Kenta all of them were trying their absolute best to win the ball back. However despite their desperate efforts, opposing yers were still retaining the position of the ball with their excellent coordination and footwork.


    Right now, their whole team had united for a greater cause¡ª to score a goal and sent the game into extra time. Not only the yers but the entire fanbase of the opposing team had united and were all rooting for their yers.


    "Don''t stop...."


    "Go team go..."


    Right now with score at 3-2, the stadium was erupting with every passes and every tackles. Elongated shadows of the yers on the field was ever changing just like their movements.


    Given the looks of the yers, anxiousness and resolve was shing in their desperate eyes. With neither side backing down, the situation in the field was getting dire with every passing seconds. Even the air around the stadium right now was thick with anticipation.


    The sounds of the drums and cheers were raging louder than ever. Truly the game had entered it''s climax.


    All of a sudden, the already intense game became even more intense as the opposing midfielder sent the ball rolling towards the left nk. Along the way as the ball got past the reach of several yers, it left a bitter taste in the mouth of every opposing yer who failed to stop the ball.


    Rolling at an lightning speed, the ball then found itself at the feet of Lee Jun, one of the opposing winger of the South Korean team with quick reflexes and lightning fast footwork.


    Upon witnessing this scene several fans of Japan who were already on their toes became even more anxious as dark shadow started looming over their seemingly anxious face.


    Quickly to recover this mistake, Japan''s right-back rushed towards the direction of the ball with the sole intention of intercepting or preventing Lee Jun from moving forward. He wanted to snap this danger called Lee Jun as fast as possible.


    Thus despite him being already on the verge of copsing, he moved his legs as fast as he could to reach Lee Jun before he could cut in or make a pass. Every single step he took felt like he was walking on fire, still that didn''t stop Takumi from making his move.


    But Lee Jun was no fool as well. He had noticed the sprint of Takumi from the moment he had started his sprint. Even so, he didn''t have any intention of making an error. Right now, he couldn''t see any of his teammates free which meant he needed stall for time.


    However stalling for time at this stage was like a double edged sword. As much as it could slice through his enemies, it could also slice him.


    They were simply rushing against the time. If he hogged onto ball for even a second more than the time he could hog onto the ball, then the final whistle was bound to be rung. Thus not only he needed to stall time for his teammates to free themselves, he also needed to keep track of the time.


    Right now, even after receiving the ball, he was under great pressure. As much as this moment could make him a hero, it could also turn him into viin.


    But as the saying goes, "The greater the risk, the greater the benefit"


    Steeling his mind, Lee Jun then charged forward with unwavering determination. Immediately in no time, he caught up to Takumi who was rushing towards him with the sole intention of stopping him from moving forward.


    If situation required it, Takumi was even prepared to use his body as meat-shield or a human barricade to stop Lee Jun. However fouling him at this location had much greater risk than reward. Sure a tactical foul could put a stop to this threatening Lee Jun.


    However they had already experienced the brilliance of Park Seung-Gyu. If he got an opportunity in this position, for sure he''d convert the freekick. And Takumi wasn''t willing to take that risk.


    Intending to stop him from advancing forward, while making use of his physique Takumi tried to interject Lee Jun. And although Lee Jun was a fairly good dribbler, Takumi''s defending couldn''t be taken lightly either.


    But the next instant as Lee Jun got close to Takumi, instead of trying to dribble past Takumi or passing the ball to one of his teammates, he kicked the ball forward where seemingly no-one from either of the team was present.


    This action greatly shocked Takumi as he couldn''t help himself from looking at the ball with frantic look on his eyes.


    However the next instant as he was about to rush towards the ball, his pupils constricted as he noticed the figure of the person who a moment ago was behind him but now was sprinting in front of him.


    Wasn''t he behind me? Now why is he infront of me? When did he got past me?


    Several questions started popping one after other while he moved his legs to try to keep up with Lee Jun whose back was the only thing which he could see at this moment.

 Chapter 312 Qualifier finals XXIX

    312 Qualifier finals XXIX


    After kicking the ball forward where literally no-one from either side was present, Lee Jun sprinted towards the ball while making full use of his legs. Literally it was like, he was making a pass to himself.


    That scrawny looking back of Lee Jun which although wasn''t huge, felt quite huge and broad to Takumi at this moment. Not only was that back obstructing his vision, it was also casting an eerie dark shadow over him.


    This scene made the crowd go wild with excitement and frustration. Although his legs weren''t particrly long and he wasn''t taking huge leaps either yet still as both of his legs moved in quick session, it didn''t take Lee Jun long enough to reach the ball.


    And all this while, Takumi who was chasing after Lee Jun could do nothing but helplessly continue his pursuit. Immediately as soon as Lee Jun reached the ball, he then took a quick peek at the opposing box and shot the ball towards the penalty box of the opposing team without any dy or hesitation. The ground rumbled as yers of both the team ran like crazy while desperately charging towards the ball. But the next moment an intense feeling of joy overcame the anxiousness of the opposing fans as they witnessed an incredible scene taking ce in the box. Their eyes glittered with shiny lights while their lips curled into a smile. As there''s a saying, "hero''s arise at times of desperation"


    In simr fashion when Korean fans desperately wanted a hero, the hero which they desperately hoped for, made an appearance in the form of Park Seung-Gyu. Getting to the ball before anyone else, he kindled the hopes of both his teammate and the fans who supported his team.


    South Korea got their hero, but what about Japan? Where was their hero? Had fate forsaken them?


    This scene made their already bitter face even more bitter as many of the Japanese fans grabbed their head out of frustration and cried out frantically, "Urgh..."


    Off the pitch, the joy of Korean fans shed against the frustration of the Japanese fans while on the pitch, the desperation of yers of both the team shed against each other as they all made an onest attempt to change the oue of the game.


    Akutsu who had guarding Park Seung-Gyu since earlier couldn''t believe his eyes when he witnessed the figure of Park Seung-Gyu grabbing the ball.


    ''How did he get there? When did he get there? I had been keeping watch on him'' such thoughts ran amuck on his mind as he tried toprehend the situation unfolding in front of his eyes.


    But he didn''t have the luxury to waste his timeprehending the situation when there was a bigger problem present right in front of him. Thus as soon as those thoughts started appearing, he immediately dispelled those thoughts from his mind and refocused all his attention at preventing Park Seung-Gyu from taking his shot.


    Stopping Park Seung-Gyu was his top priority right now.


    Sparing no efforts, he then rushed towards the direction of Park Seung-Gyu, however for some reason he felt quite slow. It was like while he took one step, his opponent was taking two steps.


    Just then his eyes opened wide as his face turned pale. The thing which he feared most at this moment happened before he could even reach his opponent.


    Shun who had left his position to have a better chance at stopping the ball, stretched his legs and hands wide as he tried his best to block the ball. At this moment, he couldn''t care less about his face or his testicles.


    If he gets hit on the face then so be it. And even if he gets hit on his balls as long as he could prevent the shot, he was willing to make those sacrifices. He simply wasn''t afraid of getting hit. Thus even while facing the ball which was travelling at a rapid pace from such a close distance, he didn''t look away from the ball.


    Shun was absolutely fearless at this moment. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    And his fearlessness paid as well as he managed tond a touch on the ball with the tip of his leg. That one simple touch deterred the whole oue of the game as after getting deflected from his foot, the course of the ball got slightly changed.


    Beeeeeeeep!!


    s! This intense match finally came to an end as the referee sounded his whistle.


    In the stands several people became expressionless as their face became ghastly pale. Perspiration continuously ran down their face but they couldn''t bring themselves to move their body. With their eyes opened wide, they simply stood frozen at their ce like a statue.


    For an instance a collective silence engulfed the stadium. "Yeahhhhhhhh!!!"


    Just after the brief silence, a victorious yell erupted in the stadium which in-turn caused the whole stadium to go wild. Sounds of cheers and apuse resonated throughout the stadium afterwards. "Team Japan have finally done it.... They have finally won this neck and neck game after such a thrilling, nerve wrecking battle...."


    Thementator was full of praises of Japanese yers. The joy and thrill which he was feeling right now was evident in his tone. At the nick of time, luck shone on Japanese side as thatst save made by Shun allowed Japan to fortify their victory over the opposing team who at thest moment was just an inch closer to take this game into extra time.


    After the ball touched Shun, it''s path got slightly changed causing it to derail from it''s original path. And upon derailing from it''s original path, it missed the post and instead hit the pole. However even after hitting the pole instead of deflecting inside the post or deflecting back, it deflected sideways; away from the box. Luck was so cruel that the opposing team weren''t even awarded a corner kick to salvage themselves. If only the ball would have crossed the goal-line, be it of the post or away from the post, they''d still have chance to redeem themselves.


    But the ball simply deflected sideways away from the goal-line; away from the box which in turn led the referee to blow his whistle.

 Chapter 313 Qualifier final end

    313 Qualifier final end


    Immediately along with coaches and staff members of Japan, reserve yers of Japan rushed onto the field to celebrate this auspicious moment with the team. Jumping and yelling along the way, they made their way towards their teammates carrying big wide smile on their faces. However because of the noise generated from the stands, their voices right now was barely audible. Not only the yers and coaching staff members, even the cameramen who were recording this match, ran onto the field as they tried to capture this moment in their camera lenses. At the same time, because of exhaustion those yers who had given their all until now, instead of celebrating this moment, copsed on the ground as they could no longer keep themselves standing.


    To tend those who were seemingly looking injured, medics once again rushed onto the field. Victorious smiles and eyes glistening with pride wasn''t the only thing which was reflecting in the pitch right now. The sniffs and wails of opposing yers was equally resonating throughout the stadium. "So, it''s finally over huh?" dazedly staring at the scoreboard, Kim Il-Sung muttered.


    And as he finished his sentence, suddenly he felt a hollow sensation as his heart started feeling heavy. Moisture started developing in his eyes which were staring at the scoreboard. Yet he barely held himself from letting out those tears umting in his eyes. Just then a drop of sweat entered his already moist eyes.


    That single drop of sweat which irritated his eyes greatly was enough for his tears to flow out. In the pretense of trying to soothe his eyes, he then started wiping the tears formed in his eyes. However the more he rubbed his eyes, the more heavy-hearted he felt.


    "Sniff! Fucking sweat.... sniff!" he cursed as he sniffed. He simply wasn''t willing to admit that he was crying. Thus while wiping his tears, he kept on cursing the sweat for entering his eyes. Right now, he was ovee with grief and frustration of losing the match. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A notable figure of the opposing team, who unlike the rest of his teammates wasn''t showcasing any kind of emotion on his face was Park Seung-Gyu. Slowly making his way out of the pitch, he strode towards the exit with no noticeable changes in his expression; seemingly undetected. It was as if he wasn''t bothered by the fact that he had blown the opportunity which could very well give his team a lifeline. But even so, nobody was pointing their finger on him. Almost every single one of his teammates was so engrossed in the moment that they seemingly couldn''t care less about Park Seung-Gyu. Also even if they were aware of his departure, what could they simply say to him?


    10:53


    It''s not like they lost this match because of him. If not for him, they might not even have held this far. One could argue that he was the sole reason, this team had even hold their ground thus far.


    Even the opposing coach who had noticed Park Seung-Gyu''s departure wasn''t raising a single word, despite seeing his yer leave. With a seemingly dejected looking face, he could only watch his yer leave.


    Sigh!!!


    Yutaka one of the few yer of Japan who was on his knees while medics tended onto him, heaved a deep sigh as he tucked his chin to his chest. Having nearly blown away the match because of his anxiousness, he couldn''t help but feel guilty about his actions. As he continued to sulk suddenly beads of tears started falling down from his eyes onto his already drenched pants, "Sniff... sniff..." With his face facing downwards while the medics tended onto him; afraid of startling or worrying the medics or his teammates, he silently wailed while trying his best to hide his teary face.


    Even though he tried his best to hide his tears, medics who were tending onto him caught glimpse of him crying despite him trying his best. However despite catching him crying, those medics neither tried to console him nor tried to intervene; they simply let him by himself.


    Not because they didn''t cared about this boy who was silently wailing in front of them but because they knew exactly what was going through this boy''s head. Having made a crucial mistake which nearly costed them the game, they could understand the reason behind his tears.


    Thus, while being considerate of his feelings, they left him alone so that he could empty his hearts out.


    From both sides, those who were severely injured were gently guided by the medics towards the sidelines.


    And as the cheers kept on intensifying in the stadium, soon those overwhelming feeling of exhaustion which the yers of the victorious team was feeling gave way to an overwhelming sense of aplishment. A mingling feeling of joy and sadness coursed through their veins.


    They had finally done it. And even though they were not getting trophy for their aplishment, it didn''t matter to them right now. Afterall they were entering the world cup as the champions of Asia. For some while the celebration continued as yers of Japan who could still keep themselves on their toes, greeted their fans and showed their appreciation to the fans by bowing their head to them for their undying support.


    "What a joyous moment for the Japanese fans... They''ll be seeing their yers in the U-17 world cup which will be held in Indonesia in some months time as the champions of Asia. However it''s unfortunate that we couldn''t enjoy this moment with the yer who had made this moment possible...." Commentator was doing his job splendidly but trace of sadness could be heard in his voice when he mentioned about the particr yer who was missing right now. And that sadness wasn''t staged either as he had thoroughly enjoyed watching the ys of that yer, the miracle he had produced and the pure football magic that he had shown. Unknowingly he had fallen in love with Hiro''s ystyle. While even thementator was saddened by theck of presence of Hiro, most of his teammates however overlooked the absence of Hiro as they looked like they didn''t even care about the man who had won them the game. They were just too much exhrated by their victory that most of them didn''t even give a damn.


    Guys do support my new novel

 Chapter 314 Overlooked facts

    <h4>Chapter 314 Overlooked facts</h4>


    ?After hurrying Hiro out of the stadium, he was brought to the nearest hospital to receive treatment. And along the way, right after he was carried out of the tunnel, due to exhaustion and fatigue, as he closed his eyes to take some rest, subconsciously his body gave in; causing him to lose his consciousness.


    After pushing himself beyond his limits, it''s no wonder that his body gave in to the exhaustion and entered a state of recovery to heal his tired muscles.


    And as Hiro opened his eyes after so long, he was immediately bombarded with the harsh glow of the florescent lights. Due to which his eyes became irritated which in turn caused him to close his eyes. However despite the sense of irritation he felt, he slowly tried to open his eyes.


    White ceiling, a brightly illuminated room and the fluttering curtains which was dancing freely with the wind creaking from the window became visible to him the moment he opened his eyes. Judging by the atmosphere of the ce and the medical equipment ced beside him, he could deduce that he was in hospital.


    However it didn''te instantly to him for what reason he was lying in the hospital bed right now. He was still feeling somewhat lightheaded and confused.


    For some while as he tried to recall the incident leading to this moment, confusion clouded his mind. But soon as the mist clouding his mind started clearing, he recalled about the game.


    Immediately the moment he recalled about the game, he became extremely tensed and anxious. He frantically tried to get out of his bed.


    But the moment, he pulled the nket, a nurse entered the room to check on him. Witnessing his frantic state, she immediately rushed towards him, urging him to stay put, "Sir, you shouldn''t move or your bandages mighte off"


    Saying so in her gentle voice, she insisted him to stay put.


    Now how could he refuse her when she''s asking him so sweetly? And also he was well aware that he was a patient and she was a trained medical personnel. Going against the decision of medical personnel would only worsen his rtion with the staff which will be taking care of him for god knows how long? Which in turn would only make his stay at the hospital hard.


    Thus without any sort of retaliation, he obediently slipped back to his bed. Even so, the curiosity regarding the oue of the match was still gnawing on him. And how could he stay put without finding out the oue of the game?


    The nurse was well aware about his identity as the yer who yed for the Japanese u17 national football team and she was also aware of his situation. And luckily she could speak fluent Japanese as well.


    Noticing his irritation, to soothe him, she gave him the answer which he was desperately seeking right now, "Don''t worry, your team has won the match"


    The moment Hiro heard about the news of their victory, he heaved a deep sigh of relief as he felt a heavy burden lifting off of his heart, "Phew...."


    Finally he could rx. Finally he could be at peace. Right now, after hearing the news of the oue of the game, his whole body lightened up.


    Noticing the changes in his expression, the nurse who broke the news to him giggled before congratting him, "Hehe.... Congrattions for winning the game"


    **** ****


    Bam!!


    After entering the locker room as soon as Park Seung-Gyu got close to his locker, he harshly threw his fist at the locker. Immediately as his fist came into contact with the locker, his knuckle became red as slowly blood started seeping out of it.


    Yet his expression remained as cold as ice.


    However his hand wasn''t the only thing that was in tattered condition after this collision as a seemingly visible dent could also be seen in that metallic locker.


    Although he refused to show any expression, one could just deduce based on his actions that he was extremely agitated right now. And this was the side of Park Seung-Gyu that most of the world wasn''t familiar with since he never showed his true emotions on the field.


    A stark contrast to his usual calm demeanor, right now not even his hardcore supporter would dare confront him. Specially that nk look on his face, it was extremely terrifying to look at.


    "This isn''t over Takahashi Hiro..." gritting his teeth he murmured in a cold tone before smashing his fist once again in the locker.


    Bam!!


    As he shot another shot at the locker, from his already bruised and bloodied hand, blood sttered like ink sshed on the canvas on that already dented locker. No matter how much he tried to hide his true nature, he was still a kid after all.


    And just like most of the yers with elite mentality, he hated losing more than anything else. Sure he had scored two goals and sure he had put up a brilliant performance but does his performance or goal even matter when he couldn''t win the game.


    Now one may ask, does he regret his final choice?


    The answer to that question is a straight no. Even if he could go back to time, he''d still decide to shoot that ball himself even if there were other teammate present around him.


    And although people overlooked this fact but at thatst moment there was actually one of his teammate totally unmarked tailing behind him. And would a yer of Park Seung-Gyu''s caliber fail to notice that yer who was right beside him?


    Again the answer is no. He had noticed him and may be if he would have passed the ball to him, he might have scored as well. But so what?


    Would he give up his chances when he''s so close to the post?


    Never.


    And that''s what he did as well. However although he missed that shot, he wasn''t a least bit regretful about his decision. If he passed aftering that close, he''ll only fail as a striker. A striker must be willing to take risk to score goals.

 Chapter 315 Back to Japan

    Chapter 315 Back to Japan


    ??As the airne which was carrying the yers of Japan after their victorious campaign at the Asian qualifiers descended through the clouds, yers of Japan who a moment ago were totally fine became extremely tensed. A sense of excitement and anticipation permeated the cabin.


    Anxiously some yers peered out of the window. Immediately upon seeing this picturesquendscape and familiar scene which they had not seen for a long time, their eyes were filled with pure tion.


    Some of them felt so relieved and happy that they couldn''t stop themselves from shedding tears upon seeing this familiar scene which they missed so much during their stay at foreignnd.


    Well why wouldn''t they feel ted? Afterall, after a grueling journey, they were finally returning their home country as victors. And just by the looks on their face, one could tell that many of them were etching to celebrate their triumph with their fans.


    And the closer the ne descended to the runway, the more excited and anxious yers started to feel. They knew that their match was broadcasted all over Japan. And they also knew it beforehand that many supporters would be present at the airport to wee them.


    Thus, because of such reasons, right now many yers were both anxious and excited.


    And Hiro who was seated at one of the window seat was the same as well. Although he wasn''t showcasing this feeling on his face but it would be lying if Hiro said that he wasn''t excited about this moment.


    Would there be a feeling better for a yer than celebrating their triumph with their supporters?


    Sure enough they hadn''t won the world cup yet. But still bing the champion of Asia was a huge deal as well. Not as much as winning world cup. But at finals after apelling battle, they had defeated one of their neighborhood rivals.


    Finally the ne touched down on the tarmac and immediately the roar of the engines was reced by the deafening roar of a waiting crowd. Many supporters were gathered around the airport to show their support to their valiant hero''s who had returned home after a sessful campaign, spreading the name of their country around the world.


    "Can you hear them" Shun who was seated alongside Hiro, excitedly asked him.


    His eyes sparkling with tion while his tone sounding extremely excited gave away his emotions which he was feeling at the moment.


    Maintaining hisposure, Hiro however calmly answered, "Yes, I can hear thempletely fine. But you should calm yourself down first or else you might faint due to excitement"


    Immediately upon hearing Hiro''s response Shun made faces as he frowned his brows while muttering with somewhat dejected tone, "Tch... You''re as stiff as ever"


    Hiro however didn''t mind hisments as he shrugged his answer while turning towards Yutaka who unlike others was looking a bit bothered at the moment.


    "I''m really sorry Hiro... Sob! I nearly blew the game away and spilled water on your efforts.... sob!" Yutaka apologized in his crying voice while shedding tears.


    While looking at Yutaka, Hiro couldn''t help but reminisce the moment after the match when Yutaka came to him and apologized to him while shedding tears. That moment unlike other times, Yutaka seemed really miserable and pitiful.


    It was true that at the final moment when the team counted on him, he nearly costed them their victory because of his inability to make urate decision. But it was also true that he had prevented a threatening attack by making timely interception.


    However even he himself overlooked that fact and only focused at his mistake. Like who doesn''t mistakes? No matter how skilled a yer is, when he''s on the field mistakes are inevitable.


    It''s just that more skilled yers minimize the mistake to some extent.


    However even though Yutaka felt guilty about his mistake, Hiro wouldn''t have put the me on him even if they had lost the game. If anything, he would have med himself for not bring able to do better.


    Finally after a short while the motion of the ne came to an halt and the air-hostesses stood by the door and instructed the yers that they board off the ne one by one in a queue.


    As she said those words, yers started taking out their luggage and started boarding off the ne in a queue.


    "How many people would there be to wee us?"


    "Hehe... I just hope that I could numbers of some girls"


    With joyous smile etched on their faces, they boarded off the ne while joking and conversing with each other. Right now, most of the yers were quite loquacious. And Hiro who was standing at the rear of the queue could hear their loud chatter even at the ce where he was standing.


    "Hmph..... they sure look spirited for someone who didn''t do much in the game" Hearing their idle chatters, Shun couldn''t help himself from scoffing.


    As mentioned by Shun, right now the yers who hadn''t had much impact in the game were being the most loudest while those who had made great impact on the game such as Hiro, Shun, Nijichi and few others were mostly silent.


    Although Hiro himself found such loud chatters annoying but today he didn''t mind any of those chatters¡ª he knew that they were just excited because of their triumph.


    Indeed he didn''t like celebrating minor victories because of his belief to look at the bigger picture instead of indulging with minor victories but today, he didn''t feel like holding himself back either. Like the rest of his teammates, he wanted to celebrate this moment.


    After facing the Korean team led by Park Seung-Gyu, he didn''t feel like it was a minor victory. Coming out victories in that neck and neck battle was a huge feat.


    Thus today, he didn''t bicker about the goofy attitude of his teammate, "Let them enjoy, yer in the limelight aren''t the only yer who should get to enjoy the moment, they have all yed their part equally well. So let them enjoy"


    Hearing Hiro''s answer, an unsettling feeling started taking shape in Shun as he found Hiro''s words extremely perplexing.


    Wasn''t he the same person who lectured me about celebrating our first victory in the tournament?


    Shun thought to himself while giving a "are you for real bro" look.

 Chapter 316 A young fan

    Chapter 316 A young fan


    ??Looking at Hiro with eyes full of doubt and shock, Shun simply couldn''t digest those nice words of Hiro. And right now, he couldn''t even bring himself to look away from Hiro.


    Noticing that strange look on his face, Hiro immediately caught the whiff of the meaning behind that strange stare. Even so, Hiro didn''t feel like exining everything to Shun in detail and thus instead urged him to move forward since he was blocking his path, "How long are you nning on staring at me? Just move fast or give way if you want to remain here"


    Saying so, Hiro gave him a light push which in turn caused him to lose his bnce and stumble.


    Clumsily stumbling forward, heined as he tried to stabilize his bnce, "Why do you have to push? Can''t you use just speak?"


    "I did, so now move forward or else everybody will leave us behind" answering such, Hiro treaded forward while carrying his luggage.


    Walking out of the airport door, immediately yers were greeted by a flurry of camera shes and the booming apuse and cheers of hundreds of fans. Part of this seemingly huge airport was right now cramped with people.


    "Hiro? Hiro..... Please give me your autograph...."


    "Please sign my shirt...."


    "How do you feel on bing the champions of Asia?"


    Mixed with the deafening sound of cheers, reporters were asking various questions and at the same time many fans were either asking for a autograph or a picture.


    Right now, these yers were not just ordinary individuals but a symbol of their country''s collective spirit and unity. They were like celebrities.


    Expecting such scenario to take ce, security personnel were hired by the team to ensure yers safety and clear the path. And right while those people dressed in ck blocked the path of this hundreds of excited fans, yers moved forward while waving their hands to the fans.


    Although the security personnel were preventing a scene from taking ce by blocking the fans, upon receiving the love of fans, by interacting with the fans close to them yers were sending back their love.


    And right now, Hiro was no exception either. With this many people fawning over him, it was impossible even for him to move forward undetected.


    "Seems like we won''t be able to get his autograph today" a kid who was barely 7 or 8 year old mumbled disappointedly upon seeing the flock of people crowding around Hiro.


    Unlike most of the people this kid was dressed in the jersey of Kawasaki Frontale''s youth club with number 10 behind his back. Judging by his appearance, one could deduce that he was a supporter of Kawasaki.


    "Sorry Kota.... It seems like big brother Hiro is really busy today"


    Ady probably in herte twenties apologized to the kid in her gentle tone while showcasing a helpless smile on her face.


    The words of thisdy seemingly had little to no effect on the kid as he continued frowning. Just looking at the dejected expression on his face, it was evident that he was looking forward to meeting with Hiro.


    Unlike most of the kid''s his age who idolized the senior yers of their team, this local fanboy who attended almost every game of Hiro yed home which didn''t ovep with his school was a huge fan of Hiro. Still because of therge number of crowd gathered around Hiro, it seemed like he wouldn''t be able to meet his hero today.


    Moving along the crowd while signing autographs, exchanging greeting, clicking pictures and answering some questions, Hiro couldn''t even see the figure of Kota who was eagerly looking forward to meeting with him.


    Finally after sometime, ignorant of Kota''s presence he walked out of the crowd. But just as he was about to board the bus, he noticed the boy dressed in the colors of Kawasaki seemingly looking dejected getting consoled by thedy from before.


    It wasn''t his first time seeing this boy who was right now on the verge of tearing. He had seen him many times during his matches. Thus, it took only one nce to recognize that familiar face.


    Immediately upon recognizing that familiar face, Hiro informed Shun that he was heading out for a minute, "I''ll be back in a minute"


    "Wait, where are you going?"


    Shun tried stopping him but before he could even finish his sentence Hiro left him behind like wind.


    "Why is heing back?"


    "Did he forget something?"


    The crowd which was starting to scatter after the departure of the yers, upon noticing Hiro rushing towards the airport started hurrying towards Hiro. Those who couldn''t get an opportunity to interact with him, those who couldn''t get an opportunity to get his autograph immediately rushed towards Hiro in hopes of meeting Hiro.


    Hiro however as he came face to face with this crowd politely denied their approach and continued treading towards the direction of Kota, "I''m really sorry but can you please open up a way?"


    "I''m really sorry"


    Apologizing, he squeezed his way out of the crowd.


    "Don''t be sad Kota, I''ll take you to meet him in the training ground tomorrow Kota"


    Unaware of themotion taking ce around them, thedy standing close to Kota consoled her son and tried to cheer him up.


    Yet Kota remained stubborn as he refused to cheer up. Sure he could meet Hiro some other day but being a huge fan of Hiro just like many other fans who had showed up in the airport, he too wanted to meet Hiro this very day and celebrate the win with him.


    He was there when Kawasaki were crowned the champions of east league, he was present in the stadium when Kawasaki were crowned the champions of Takamado Premier Trophy, almost in every joyous moment since Hiro started ying for this clubs youth team he was present there, but today despite being so close to Hiro, he wasn''t able to meet his hero.


    Seeing her son''s dejected look, thedy frowned as she was ovee with the grief of seeing her son''s saddened face. Her heart felt heavy as she couldn''t bear watching her son''s dejected face.


    And just as she turned away, she found Hiro rushing towards her. She immediately wanted to break this news to her son but was stopped by Hiro.


    While rushing towards her, Hiro was gesturing her to remain silent.


    As requested by Hiro, she kept her mouth shut and stopped herself from breaking the news to her son. A subtle smile filled with joy appeared on her face and her cheeks turned slightly red. Her eyes sparkled as she felt extremely grateful towards Hiro.


    She knew that he was already on his way to the bus. She had seen him walking towards the bus. But just because he had noticed her son, he had deserted his teammates and rushed towards them to fulfill her son''s wish.


    Thus, out of Hiro''s consideration towards her son, she felt extremely grateful towards Hiro for his polite gesture.

 Chapter 317 Belief of a young fan

    <h4>Chapter 317 Belief of a young fan</h4>


    ?Squeezing his way out of this crowd, even Hiro felt somewhat exhausted. But finally after some squeezing and sprinting his way out of the crowd, he appeared before Kota who seemed very disappointed at the moment.


    Lightly nodding his head while disying a gentle smile on his face, he addressed thedy standing beside Kota.


    Thedy in turn returned the smile and slightly bowed her head as she expressed her gratefulness towards Hiro''s polite gesture.


    Afterwards he then turned his attention towards that boy dressed in colors of Kawasaki whose face had seemingly lost its luster and was sulking so deeply that he didn''t even notice the arrival of Hiro. Just by looking at the miserable appearance of that boy, one could tell that he was deeply affected.


    ncing at the pen and the picture of Hiro from the time he had lifted the Takamado Cup which this kid in front of him was carrying, Hiro mumbled in a gentle tone, "Don''t I look great in that photo?"


    Who is this person that''s impersonating my favorite yer?


    Kota who was unaware of the presence of Hiro, upon hearing this remark became extremely agitated. And as soon as he heard this voice which was iming to be Hiro, he immediately jolted his eyes towards the direction from where this voice wasing, while clenching his fist¡ª he was preparing to throw a fit.


    "Who.....?!"


    But the moment he turned around, his pupils erged as his words froze in his mouth¡ª he became totally speechless upon seeing the sight of Hiro.


    Witnessing Hiro walking out of the airport, he had almost given up on any hopes of meeting him today. But somewhere in his heart, he still didn''t want to admit it. And because of that he was feeling quite heavy hearted.


    "Hi... Hiro...."


    Upon seeing the sight of Hiro, the little kid stammered as he called out Hiro''s name with great surprise and joy.


    The kid was simply exalted upon seeing Hiro so close to him. He had seen Hiro many times on the field and on screens, but it was his first time meeting Hiro up so close.


    Disying a sweet amicable smile on his face, Hiro answered, "Yup that''s me but what about you? What''s your name?"


    ''I''m talking to Hiro.... And he''s asking for my name''


    Several excited thoughts appeared in his mind as his cheeks turned red with exhration. It was like right now he was in a dream.


    Excitedly he then answered while stammering, "Ko... Kota, It''s Wataru Kota"


    "So Kota huh? That''s a nice name" upon hearing the response of the kid in front, Hiroplimented, "So Kota, do you want me to sign that photo?"


    Vigorously nodding his head, Kota answered in his excited tone, "Yes please and also could you also sign my jersey?"


    Faced with Kota''s favor, Hiro bent down as he adjusted his height in ordance with Kota''s height, "Sure, I can do that"


    While signing his jersey, Kota asked him a question which was most often asked to yers with excellent talent, "How can I y like you?"


    Have a system, I guess.....


    At first Hiro had the urge of saying that but immediately he dispelled those thoughts from his mind as he answered in a more reasonable manner, "Hmm... let me think"


    "Hard-work, discipline, training, mentality, eagerness to learn, ability to ept criticism, all of these things are important but may be the one of the fact which we ignore the most is probably enjoying this beautiful game"


    While answering such, he paused and frowned his brows as he recalled that he himself was right now a fourteen year old kid. Although he had achieved some amazing feats with the national team this time but he was still a kid who had yet to make his debut in senior team let alone in the national men''s senior team.


    "But shouldn''t you ask such questions to yers who are extremely good? I''m just still a kid myself"


    But the next sentence that left the mouth of Kota left him both bewildered and flustered, "You''re already good and I know that one day you''ll became great as well, so I''m just asking for future reference"


    Are these the words a kid his age should be speaking?


    Hearing those encouraging words full of belief, Hiro couldn''t help but deeply analyze the words spoken by this kid in front of him. Kota however had only said those words because he had faith in Hiro that someday he''d make it big.


    It was just pure belief and nothing else. And in actuality there was nothing profound in this sentence and right now Hiro was simply overthinking.


    Even so having aplete stranger having this much faith in him; he was touched by this boy''s words full of faith.


    Reciprocating the feeling he was feeling at the moment, he mumbled in a thankful tone, "Then I''ll send you a ticket when I make my senior debut"


    May be Hiro had simply said those words to express his thankfulness or may be had just spurred it at the moment but those words had a huge impact on the kid in front. Immediately upon hearing those words, a big wide grin appeared on his face and his eyes sparkled with tion.


    "Promise??"


    With eyes glistening with joy, Kota asked while stretching his pinky finger towards Hiro.


    The innocent look on the face of this kid in front of him somehow helped Hiro rx. Unwittingly as he contemted about the innocence of this kid, a subtle smile filled with pure joy escaped his mouth.


    "Promise"


    Stretching his pinky finger forward to make a pinky promise, Hiro yed along with the act of this kid as he made a genuine promise to him.


    These touching scene was sure to make headlines in tomorrow''s news.


    And those crowd of people who were gathered around Hiro found his gesture extremely heart touching. Many of them as they recorded this moment in their phones couldn''t help but shed tear. With this incident, Hiro had got even close to the heart of many of his fans. And with this act of goodwill, he had even managed to make many of those who despised him because of his early rise to the fame see him in different light.

 Chapter 318 Reaching Kawasaki

    Chapter 318 Reaching Kawasaki


    ??Brr! brr!


    Just as Hiro exited the bus, he felt a faint vibrating sensation. And as he halted his movement, he heard his phone ringing. Feeling the vibration of his phone, he then reached out his hands to his pocket while telling Shun who seemed exhrated at this moment to head ahead without him, "I''ll take this call, you head ahead"


    But his words fell on his deaf ear as right now he was so ecstatic that it seemed like he wasn''t even waiting for him in the first ce. Probably he wanted to meet his club teammates to brag about the achievement he had made in this arduous journey.


    Upon seeing Shun''s goofy behavior and unresponsiveness, Hiro felt quite stupid as his mouth twitched uncontrobly.


    He then turned his attention towards his phone.


    "Oh it''s moms call"


    Immediately his face lightened up as a sweet smile bloomed on his face.


    After reaching his dormitory, he had been nning on calling his parents. But luckily they reached out to him first. It''s not that during his stay at China, he didn''t keep in touch with his parents. In fact he had called them often even during his stay at China.


    However there was one instance when he hadn''t contacted them. It was right after he had got injured in the final match. To deliberately hide his injuries he had intentionally not called them that day in pretense of being busy celebrating their victory. But who knew that his ingenuity would backfire instead.


    Some times he can be so dumb. Just how did he even forgot that the match was broadcasted live. Overlooking that simple fact got him into even more trouble aster when he contacted them after getting discharged from the hospital, he got scolded very badly on the phone.


    The scolding was so brutal that most of his teammates who were present with him at the moment quietly left the room; trying to save themselves from getting on the bad side of his mother.


    If not for his father''s efforts, she might have even flown to China out of her worries.


    Picking up the phone, he answered in a docile tone, "Hello mom, I was just about to call you after reaching the dormitory."


    Sounding somewhat grumpy, she replied from the other side of the phone, "Who knows if you would have forgotten like thest time"


    Even after making countless apologies, she was still upset about him not calling her thest time after copsing in the final match. And Hiro could vividly feel the grudge she was holding against him for that matter.


    However he wasn''t surprised by the tone of her voice and the matter of her speech, he knew his mother well enough. And thus, he had already predicted this situation beforehand.


    Yet when facing this situation, he couldn''t deny that it felt somewhat ufortable. Sighing inwardly he pondered, ''I wonder how long will I have to face her wrath this time''


    Nevertheless he didn''t mind her attitude. He knew that she was simply being worried about his wellbeing.


    While trying to change her mood, he then tried to change the topic of the conversation by detailing her about the wee they had received afternding, "Mom do you know there were so many fans present in the airport to greet us a moment ago. And there was also this kid who was a huge fan of mine"


    Listening to his cheerful briefing, she rxed her tone as she felt quite happy that her son was enjoying the moment. Right now, while he continued with his exnation of the moment he had experienced, she could vividly feel his happiness.


    And what more would matter to a parent than the happiness of their child?


    She had just called him to ask about his wellbeing and to inquire whether he had reached the dormitory or not. But listening to his exnation filled with tion, she couldn''t help herself from smiling.


    His stories were just too interesting and his happiness right now was worth more than anything else in the world to her. So while he went on with his exnation, she patiently listened to his briefing with a sweet smile on her face.


    She even forgot that she was upset with Hiro regarding the previous matter.


    Soon though as he continued conversing with her, forgetting any sense of time, his coaches and teammates walked out the gate, wearing a worried look on their faces.


    While Shunhad already arrived, it had been quite a while. Yet Hiro was nowhere to be seen. Thus out of worry that something might have happened to him, they all rushed out of the gate to check on him.


    But the moment they stepped out, they found him glued to his phone, cheerfully conversing with big wide smile on his face.


    At first upon seeing himpletely fine, they were relieved but soon they started feeling a bit angry at him for making them worry unnecessarily.


    Only after seeing their somewhat furious faces, did Hiro came to a realization that he had talking for way too long on the phone. Looking at the phone, he found that he had been talking with his mother for like 14 minutes already.


    Immediately he then tried to bid his mother goodbye as he tried hang up the call, "Mom, I gotta go now. My friend and coaches are waiting for me"


    "Okay. Rest well and take care of yourself. And also eat a lot so that you won''t copse from next time onwards. Also be warned that if you get injured again, I''ll being to you. And boy do I warn you that you wouldn''t want that to happen"


    Hearing her threats, a cold sweat ran down his face.


    But even so, he immediately responded as he tried to reassure her that he would take good care of himself, "Don''t worry mom, I''ll take care of myself. You too take care of yourself and dad. So, bye mom"


    Bidding his farewell, he cut the call as he turned to face his furious teammates and coaches.


    ''Am I getting scolded again?''


    Hiro gulped his saliva as he noticed their fiery face which was spewing fire at the moment.

 Chapter 319 Yuyas distress

    Chapter 319 Yuya''s distress


    ??"Shoot"


    Shouted one of the yer from the backline. However Yuya who had been recently promoted to the U-18 team hesitated despite being right in front of the post.


    Because of his excellent performance in the U-15 team, he had been promoted to the U-18 team because of the vacant spot left behind by Hiro and Shun.


    It''s not like that there weren''t other yers in the reserve team of U-18 but noticing his notable improvement on the field and also to experiment some new strategies, Yuya had been promoted to the U-18 team.


    However although his performance hadn''t been bad but it hadn''t been particrly good either. Specially considering his position as left winger, he should have been getting involved with goals but till now after ying more than four matches, he still hadn''t recorded any assist or goals.


    Which is why even the coaches were starting to reconsider their decision of promoting him.


    What should I do? Should I shoot or should I pass? If I miss they''re probably gonna lecture me...


    Several thoughts run amuck on his mind as he came close to the penalty box of the opposing team. His breathing a little hurried while his heart pounding rather fast than normal times, without even needing to check his surrounding he could very well feel the gazes concentrated at him.


    Right now he was cutting from the nks and although he had already beaten their right back, still there were more defenders of the opposing team left to beat. Albeit a little far from the post, his pathway to the post wasn''tpletely blocked.


    However that path was shrinking at rapid pace with every second because of the movement of the opposing yers. And if he waited for even more, anything could happen.


    He might get tackled or he might even dribble past the defenders. There was also a possibility of Renji freeing his mark anding to his aid. If he could do that, he wouldn''t have to worry about the bacshes from his coaches and teammates.


    Thus, he was desperately hoping for Renji toe to his aid.


    Just then his eyes became frantic as he started to panic. Because of his hesitation the opposing defender had already closed on to him.


    And now he had only two options left; either to shoot or to get past this defender who was charging towards him.


    In a state of panic, he chose the first option. He finally decided to shoot the ball when he still had the chance.


    Bam!!


    "Awhhh!!"


    Both his teammates and the small number of supporter present in the ground cried out as they witnessed the opposing keeper saving the shot, shot by Yuya.


    Bam!! Bam!! Bam!!


    Perspiration fell down his face as Yuya made consecutive shots at an empty post¡ª venting his anger. Right now his whole face was covered with sweet while he was heaving with great difficulty. Layer of dirt had umted in his boot; making it seem extremely mucky.


    And even in this hot weather, steam could be seen oozing out of his body.


    Sure enough just by looking at his exhausted state, one could presume that it wasn''t his first shots.


    Huff! Huff!


    Heaving heavily, he paused as he slightly limped his upper body and rested his arms atop his legs. Slowly, he then raised his head to look at the post.


    Off the five balls he had shot, only three had managed to find its way inside the post. The remaining two had gone astray.


    That scene caused his expression to turn sour as he bitterly clicked his tongue. Those balls which were lying out of the post, triggered his memories of the moment where he had blown his chances away.


    Sure, the coaches hadn''t been strict to him despite blowing those opportunities away. But he didn''t need his coaches to tell that his performance wasn''t satisfactory. Just by experiencing the tension on the locker room, he could vividly feel that the people around him were disappointed and displeased.


    If Hiro was present there at that moment, the atmosphere of the locker room wouldn''t have been like that. Even when losing, he would have uplifted the gloomy and tensed atmosphere of the locker room.


    He could confidently say so because he had heard from his teammates about his feats.


    But now with arrival of Hiro, he was surely going to get demoted to U-15 team, once again. Even so, he wasn''t upset about the arrival of Hiro or angry because he was going to get demoted. Rather, right now he was angry at himself for blowing his opportunity away.


    If only he had capitalized the opportunity he had in his hands, he wouldn''t be getting demoted. If only he had yed well, he could have kept ying with the U-18 team.


    "Oh.. here you are..."


    While Yuya was fighting a battle of his own, suddenly he was startlingly brought back to the reality by a familiar voice he had heard countless times.


    "Strange, but why didn''t I see you while entering the building? I''m sure that at that time when passing through the training grounds, I didn''t find you here"


    Hiro while walking towards the exhausted Yuya, mumbled absentmindedly.


    Upon noticing Hiro, immediately Yuya faked a smile on his face as he tried to hide his original state of grumpiness from Hiro. It''s not that he didn''t know that Hiro and Shun were arriving today. In fact he being their friend very well knew about their arrival.


    Yet he didn''t have the courage to face them when just a day before their arrival, he had blown a match and costed his team 3 precious points. In those five matches he had yed, he had only managed to win one, draw one and lose three times; causing his team to slip down from their rankings.


    When Hiro was still ying, they were ranked first but right now they were ranked third¡ª two points behind the team in second position and five points behind the team in first position which happened to be Aomori Yamada HS.


    With all this matter in hands, how could he muster his courage to face his teammates who had returned victorious; achieving a great feat for the country.


    "Sorry, I didn''t think that you''d arrive this soon"Yuya while faking a smile on his face, nervously apologized.


    Obviously he was lying. He very well knew about their arrival time. He just didn''t have the courage to face them.


    Although he was trying hard to maintain the smile on his face and although he seemed extremely cheerful from the outside, however Hiro could vividly see through his facade.


    Yuya might not have shared about his experiences honestly with them but just because he didn''t share everything with them wouldn''t mean that others wouldn''t as well.


    Shunta who was one of the closest with Yuya, despite not ying for the U-18 team had already caught the whiff of his distressful state and had shared the information with Hiro and Shun.


    Thus despite Yuya''s attempt on hiding the pain he was suffering through, Hiro knew well about his condition and the torment he was going through.


    Yet, Hiro didn''t feel like telling it to him directly. He knew that would only result in an outburst. Just like a dam that''s barely holding ontorge reserve of water, by breaking the news directly to him, he would only destroy the dam and cause it to flood.


    Thus, right now he needed to be extremely careful. Carefully by allowing small potion of water to flow out, he had draw out the water without hampering the dam.


    "Don''t fuss about it. It''s no big deal"


    Hiro spoke in a goofy casual tone and tried to lower the guard of Yuya.


    "I saw you make those shots earlier. And although your form is good but while making those shots, you seem a bit distracted. It''s like somethings weighing heavily on your heart"


    In the pretense of providing a feedback as an observer, Hiro tried to dig deep within the hearts of Yuya. However he was careful about the words he was speaking, thus while speaking he didn''t mention about the issue directly.


    Those words of Hiro struck directly to his heart. And he felt a subtle heartache after hearing those words. He couldn''t even bring himself to deny those ims. Afterall it was all true.


    Experiencing Yuya''s unresponsiveness, Hiro could tell that he had struck the nail. But he still had absolutely no idea on how to soothe Yuya. He wasn''t good with words.


    Thus, instead of speaking, he decided to show him. Afterall it would be easier to show than to speak. Also who knows, doing something he wasn''t ustomed with, might lead to an error and he might idently reveal his real intention.


    It was rather easier for him to show than to exin.


    "Now how do I exin it to you..."


    Muttering such, he walked towards the ball lying on the field and grabbed one of the ball.


    ''Is he going to demonstrate a shot now?'' Noticing the stance Hiro was taking, a thought permeated inside the mind of Yuya.

 Chapter 320 Friendly advice

    Chapter 320 Friendly advice


    ??Stopping at a spot which was about 25 yards away from the post, Hiro retracted few steps¡ª his eyes converged at the ball and his face looking rather calm and focused. Right now, it was as if Hiro had entered a different zone.


    Yuya who was witnessing this scene first hand,pared to a moment before, he could feel the air around Hiro getting rather dense. Noticing the abrupt change, he couldn''t help but deeply look at Hiro with his eyes glistening with curiosity, surprise, reverence and fear.


    "When you''re shooting, you shouldn''t be thinking about unnecessary things. Shooting in itself is quite simple. It''s just because of our unwanted thoughts we make it look much harder"


    Mumbling such while still keeping his eyes fixated at the ball, Hiro eased his body.


    "Obviously techniques and other stuffs are important too. But as long as you don''t have the guts to take charge what meaning would technique and power have? The ball itself has no will of it''s own. It just follows the will of the person in charge of it. So why are you so afraid of taking shots?"


    Saying so, Hiro dashed towards the ball.


    Bam!!


    The next instant after he appeared close to the ball, a muffled sound created a stir in the air¡ª it was the sound of his feet colliding with the ball. And what followed after was the disappearance of the ball from the original spot.


    Right now, what reflected in Yuya''s sparkling eyes was the image of Hiro with pair ofrge white wings grown behind his back. Although in actuality, he had only lifted slightly from the ground but what reflected in Yuya''s eyes was the image of Hiro levitating with the help of the imaginary wings grown behind his back.


    Those wings to him looked like the symbol of freedom.


    And unlike him, who was restrained with countless imaginary chains which he had formed himself, right now Hiro was totally free.


    Witnessing that magnificent scene, Yuya couldn''t stop himself from admiring Hiro. But somewhere in his heart, he also felt quite jealous of this person in front of him.


    He had seen this person shoot countless time and most of the time while watching him shoot and y, he''d always feel this oppressive yet soothing sensation full of admiration and jealousy. It was as if he was of a different breed.


    Yes he was one of his close friend. And yes having such feeling towards a close friend wasn''t a good thing. But no matter how many times he tried to convince himself, he couldn''t help but feel this feeling of jealousy and inferiority gnawing on him.


    Why is god so unfair? Why does he make some people so talented while overlooks other? Aren''t we all his kid? So why does he discriminate so much among his own children?


    "You just need to be calm and focus at your target while shooting Yuya. If your concentration wavers even a little, you won''t see the result you desire. But however, might I remind you that no matter how proficient you are, you won''t seed 100% of the times"


    Acting as if he hadn''t done anything impressive, Hiro gave a friendly advice to Yuya who was struggling at the moment; fighting his inner demons.


    But even those tender words failed to soothe Yuya because of the inferiorityplex he had started to develop after getting promoted.


    He was one of the core yer of the U-15 team and his performance were highly regarded and appreciated by both his teammates and his coaches in the U-15 team. But aftering to the U-18 team, he hadn''t been able to produce such results.


    And it just looked that everybody were better than him in the U-18 team. Sure he had seen them y, sure he had even yed against them sometimes before. But after Hiro got promoted to the U-18 team, it felt like it wasn''t the same team as before.


    From training to match performance, everything was different about this team. And he immediately realized that fact during his first training with the team. But even so, he was determined to earn himself a spot in the team.


    However slowly and gradually, cracks began to appear in his determination as his performance started to falter with every match. Sumbing to the imaginary pressure he put on himself, finally after 5th match, his determination copsed almostpletely.


    Yet he clung on to that remaining determination and here he was right now, venting his anger and trying to improve himself.


    But when Hiro showed him how easy the thing he was desperately working on to improve was, it did more damage to him than help him.


    True Hiro was just trying to help. But those remarks of Hiro felt like a mockery to his efforts than a positive suggestion or help.


    Yet pursing his lips, he tucked his inner feelings as he disyed a rather half-hearted smile on his face while faking confusion, "Haha...., But what kind of thoughts are you talking about? Would there even be time to think while shooting though?"


    ''You know it well about those thoughts yet you are trying to deny the presence of those thoughts. Seems like speaking further will only worsen the situation''


    Upon hearing his ignorant words, Hiro detected Yuya''s hesitation to admit his problems. Thus, he concluded not to press on this matter any further for the time being.


    "You are a good yer Yuya, so don''t let those minor setbacks hinder you from advancing forward" tenderly saying so with a genuine smile on his face, he moved closer to Yuya and put his right hand atop his shoulder¡ª looking him in the eyes, he didn''t say much, "We believe in you, Yuya"


    Hiro wasn''t faking when he said those words. He genuinely had faith in him. And it wasn''t only because of his friendship with him. All in all Yuya wasn''t a bad yer at all. He was just too impatient and easily influenced.


    With time, he believed that he could at least make it to the professional stage of Japan nheless if he couldn''t make it to the professional stage overseas.

 Chapter 321 Seed of Envy

    <h4>Chapter 321 Seed of Envy</h4>


    As he heard those words of Hiro while looking him straight in the eye, differentplicated emotions started to take shape within his heart. Yet he couldn''t bring himself to speak his heart out.


    Experiencing Yuya''s unresponsiveness, Hiro felt quite pitiful and sympathetic towards Yuya. If possible, he wanted to help Yuya. But Yuya had already built a wall around him. And forcefully taking that wall down would only worsen the situation.


    Thus, he decided to leave Yuya by himself for the time being. However that didn''t mean that he was giving up on him. It''s just leaving him alone for some time seemed the best possible oue right now since Hiro wasn''t good with words in the first ce.


    "Then I''ll get going for now."


    Bidding his farewell, Hiro walked past Yuya without waiting for his response.


    For some while, even after Hiro''s departure, Yuya stood frozen at his ce with a hollow heart. He could no longer tell what was right and what was wrong.


    His face betrayed of any kinds of emotions, he simply stood their expressionless; staring at the ground beneath.


    **** ****


    "What was going on your mind when you made that final block?"


    A somewhat timid looking guy who was seated opposite to Shun who right now was surrounded by flocks of yer excitedly asked.


    With a smirk on his face, while puffing his chest and ring his nostril, Shun rose from his seat at once. Brimming with pride, he then answered in somewhat overexaggerating tone, "At that moment when that arrogant captain of the opposing team was rushing towards me, I said to myself that I''d eat this guy alive"


    Listening to his exaggerated exnation, the entire room got silent as they all focused their attention towards Shun who right now was the center of the attention.


    Continuing his exnation, he then jolted his eyes towards Akihiro who had raised this question, "Then I looked him in the eye. In that moment, he too fiercely looked at me. But nheless, I didn''t divert my eyes off of him. Instead I red back at him and challenged him,e at me if you dare"


    Lost in his storytelling, everybody became intrigued as his way of exining details piqued their interest. Almost everybody present there was aware that what seemed to be only few seconds to the onlookers was rather long for the ones experiencing it.


    For example while making a simple save, countless thoughts appear in the mind of the keeper. In those split seconds, he had to read the distance, predict the shoot course and also try to predict the next move the attacker would make.


    Just as Einstein had famously proimed in his one of the renowned theory, "Time is rtive". What may seem to others only a fraction of second to other might be an eternity to the one experiencing it.


    But what we onlookers see is only the oue.


    "Then while he was rushing towards me, I also rushed towards him. I was ready to put my life on the line for making that save. In that moment, I didn''t care if I got pelted on my face or on my balls. Then just as he was about to shoot, I sensed a change in his aura. It was like, all of a sudden he became even more scarry."


    The listeners who were ardently listening to Shun''s exaggerated story was so engrossed in his story that some of them while feeling the suspense, unwittingly gulped their saliva.


    "Then bam!!"


    Just as Shun finished articting his words, Hiro who had walked into the room totally unnoticed; spoke, "So much suspense for one save"


    Hearing his words which to them came out of nowhere and spoiled the fun, startled many of them. But soon they started grumpilyining about his intervention, "Why do you have to spoil the fun when we were just about to get to the climax?"


    "Yeah, couldn''t you at least let him finish his story?"


    Specially Shun, he seemed the most unhappiest out of them all. Afterall why wouldn''t he be unhappy? He was telling such an interesting experience but he walked out of nowhere and ruined his story.


    Immediately, Shun then started retaliating while making an unsatisfied face, "Weren''t you satisfied with your previous intervention?"


    It wasn''t Shun''s first time getting asked this particr question. After the final match, he had been asked this same question by his teammates from the national team. And even that time, Hiro had spoiled his story by intervening in the middle.


    "Well, your story is just too unrealistic"


    Hiro answered nonchntly as if he had done nothing wrong.


    "What''s so unrealistic about it?"


    In somewhat unsatisfied tone, Shun questioned Hiro.


    "From start to finish, everything is unrealistic. First up all, do you even use your brains?"


    His words were like a direct p to his face. And hearing those words triggered Shun as his face became red with anger.


    However next instance just as he was about tounch himself towards Hiro, somebody in the crowd burst intoughter.


    "HAHAHAHA"


    Followed by thatughter, a chained reaction took ce as one by one almost everybody present in the crowd burst intoughter.


    "Hahaha, Hiro''s kinda got a point"


    "Yeah, it''s rather questionable that Shun thought that much, hahaha"


    "Yeah, we''re talking about Shun after all"


    Soon enough, the once tensed mood inside the room became lively asughter of yers echoed all around the room. Followed by several defeats and draws, it had been quite sometimes since the dormitory had been this cheerful.


    And Yuya who happened to caught glimpse of this extremely lively atmosphere from outside the door couldn''t help but feelplicated upon seeing this scene. He should be rejoicing like the rest but yet he couldn''t bring himself to rejoice.


    He had never been treated like this. Let alone someone showing goodwill, during his stay with this team not even a single person had offered even a friendly handshake to him.


    Even the treatment, one would get was based on their skills. Not only did Hiro intervene the story of Shun and spoiled the fun, he even insulted Shun directly to his face, yet nobody was angry at him. Instead they all appreciated his sense of humor.


    Why was the treatment with him and Hiro different? Why was he treated like shit while he''s treated like king?

 Chapter 322 Fragments of memories

    Chapter 322 Fragments of memories


    ??As thest rays of the sun beat down on the dusty streets of Buenos Aires, young Mateo while counting the money he had made by demonstrating his skills in the streets made his way towards his home.


    Though the streets were painted in different lively shades portraying the beauty of the streets and was rather appealing to the eyes right now given the golden rays of sun falling on the streets making it look quite aesthetic, still the thick stench of poverty that was lingering around the streets was rather suffocating.


    All of a sudden, he halted his movement as he arrived in front of his house. Looking at this worn down shabby ce, a look of disdain shed in his eyes.


    Even though it was his home and he had spent his entire childhood in this ce, yet as of recent, he couldn''t bring himself to love this ce.


    If not for this ce tying him down, he would have had a different life¡ª he wouldn''t have to suffer miserably everyday.


    An unfortunate upbringing, an alcoholic father who''s good for nothing, a younger sister who has her needs suppressed and a mother who ves her life away to feed this family of four.


    Every nook and canny of this shabby, cramped house which exuded a thick stench of poverty, he hated it. If possible, he wanted to run away from this ce. And sure he could have done that as well. On multiple asions, he even had such thoughts.


    Yet he could never execute those thoughts.


    Because if he were to leave, he''ll only make his sister, his father and his mother''s life even more miserable.


    Despite his father being an alcoholic, he didn''t despise his father as well.


    Afterall he wasn''t like this originally. The situation had forced him into such a sorry state. If only fate wouldn''t have toyed with him and robbed him of his only medium to sustain his livelihood, he wouldn''t be in such miserable state.


    It was about at the time when he was thirteen. An unfortunate ident which turned his whole life upside down had took ce. One summer day when he returned home after ying football, he was met with an empty house.


    Usually around that time, his mother would be preparing dinner while his father would be sitting in front of the TV screen to watch some football.


    Growing up in Argentina, simr to many other households, his entire family was a huge fan of Messi. Although his father who belonged to a generation before of Messi preferred Maradona more than Messi, nheless, he still liked to watch Messi y.


    But that day as he arrived at his home, he found his home unusually silent and empty.


    "Mom? Dad? Alexia? Where are you all?"


    Mateo called out their names as he searched the entire house. Yet not even a single living entity could be found at that ce apart from him at that time.


    "Where did everybody go?"


    Mateo murmured a bit worriedly and furiously at the same time as his heart started growing a little anxious and furious about their uninformed absence.


    There were instances when nobody would be present at home. But usually they would inform the neighbors about their absence.


    And right now as he couldn''t find his parents and sister at home, he then walked out of the room to ask the neighbors if any information was left for him about their absence.


    But as he inquired the neighbors about their absence, they simply shook their head as they answered that nothing had been informed to them.


    Upon hearing their responses, Mateo grew even more anxious and furious.


    Frowning his brows and with a darkened face full of fury, he helplessly strode back towards his room while mumbling like a madman.


    Currently he was extremely displeased by his families behavior of leaving him in the dark.


    Like how could they leave him by himself? Even if they had to go out or they would arrivete, at the least they could have still left information or a note.


    However right now, he had no clues about their absence.There was simply nothing he could do now than wait.


    Sure his father and mother did carry a keypad phone. But apart from those two phones, there wasn''t any other phones avable in the house. And also he didn''t know any of their phone number as well. In such scenario, what could he do than wait for them to reach out to him first or just wait for their arrival.


    Growl~


    Since having breakfast, he hadn''t had anything to eat. And all these worrying, searching and inquiring further entuated his hunger.


    Grabbing onto his growling stomach, he then walked towards the kitchen in hopes of finding something to appease his hunger. However the moment he turned towards the utensils that had been used in the morning, he found all the utensils empty.


    Not even leftovers could be found in those used cooking pots. Looking at those empty pots, he became even more irritated as he started running his mouth out of fury, "At least, you could have left something to eat... Now what am I supposed to do? Starve to death?"


    The absence of his parents was already getting on his nerves. But now this hunger was driving him insane as well.


    Losing all sense of reasoning, while going through the cooking pots, he was rather harsh while handling those utensils. Several nking noises of utensils could be heard echoing in his house at this moment because of his rough handling.


    Upon hearing this noise, one might think if somebody was throwing a tantrum in Mateo''s house. Well they wouldn''t be wrong though, since Mateo was actually throwing a tantrum.


    Even so, venting his fury on the utensils wouldn''t miraculously fill those empty pots. Which is why, he then turned his attention towards raw vegetables.


    However there wasn''t much vegetable in the vegetable basket as well. Apart from some potatoes, onions, garlics, tomatoes and some beans, nothing much could be found in the entire kitchen. This scene to Mateo, given his already bad mood was rather depressing and frustrating.


    Yet, heaving a deep sigh, he tried to calm himself and resigned himself to his helplessness.


    "Guess I''ll boil some potatoes for the time being..."


    In a dejected tone, he murmured as he turned the stoves on and put a pot filled with water above the burning stove.


    Afterwards, rinsing some potatoes, he then put the potatoes inside the pot.


    "Just where have all of them gone? At least they should have informed the neighbors..."


    Sounding a bit angry, he murmured all alone.


    And after somewhile, as he was about to take those potatoes out, he heard a knock on the door. Immediately upon hearing those knocks, he though of his parents and sister.


    "I won''t go easy on them this time"


    Grumpily murmuring such, he made his way towards the door.

 Chapter 323 A call up

    <h4>Chapter 323 A call up</h4>


    "Where were you all?!"


    Opening the door while making an irritated face, he was ready tosh out at his parents. But the next instant as he opened the door, his pupils constricted as he became tongue-tied upon seeing the gloomy look on the face of his mother.


    Listless eyes that seemed rather puffy and bloodshot, pale looking face and shoulders that were slumped forward, it was as if a dark shadow was looming over her face.


    Seeing her distressful state, Mateo couldn''t help but be frantic, "What happened to you mom?"


    Frowning his brows with a face that was filled with extreme concern, he asked in a rather loud voice. Just by looking at her miserable state, he could tell that something terrible had happened to her. And also right now, she was all alone.


    His mother however didn''t answer. Instead she copsed on her knees as she threw herself in the arms of young Mateo. Those puffy eyes which were struggling to restrain the emotions contained within it burst as she wept like an infant while hugging Mateo tightly.


    Mateo''s mind went nk in that moment upon encountering his mother''s sudden outburst.


    Tears continuously streamed down her face yet she didn''t speak anything. And Mateo couldn''t even bring himself to ask now. All he could do right now was stand still and support her.


    For a while, his mother continued to wept at the foot of the door. And Mateo himself upon experiencing this moment of sadness couldn''t refrain himself from holding back his tears.


    With tears rolling down his face, he stood there like a mountain; supporting her while preventing himself from breaking apart like her.


    Given the age difference, it should have been quite the opposite. However in this instant, Mateo simply couldn''t bring himself to break apart.


    Finally after weeping for a while, his mother spoke in her teary voice breaking the news of the misfortune his father had suffered, "Your father....., he''s at the hospital"


    And that was enough to bring him on his knees . Immediately upon hearing that news, Mateo who had been desperately trying to hold himself from breaking apart felt like the sky had fallen upon him. The tears which was streaming down his face like a light rainfall started downpouring as he felt extremely devasted by the news.


    **** ****


    Coming back to the present, Mateo after hesitating for a while, finally strode towards his home.


    Knock! Knock!


    Standing in front of the main door, he knocked on the door. And soon, he heard a nking sound as he noticed the opening of the door.


    "Good news brother"


    As if she knew without even needing to look at him that it would be him at the door, his sister excitedly spoke while opening the door.


    But immediately no sooner had she opened the door, her smile faded away as she frowned and a look of concern reced the excitation on her face.


    "You scuffled again?"


    Sounding extremely concerned, she asked while looking at him with her eyes full of concern.


    Those bandages taped on his face could hardly conceal the bruises on his face. And without even needing to deeply look at his face, his sister could tell just from a nce based on those bandages that he had gotten into a fight yet again today.


    Afterall it wasn''t her first time seeing him in such tattered condition. And she was also well aware of the bets he would put and the risk he would take to earn some money.


    Yet despite seeing him such a sorry state, she could never bring herself to tell him to stop.


    With her father acting like a total loser and her mother ving her life away to fulfill the basic needs of this family, they were barely holding on. But with her brother earning money, a little burden had been lifted off of the shoulder of her mother who had already started showing signs of sickness.


    Sure he could have also worked some other jobs. So why would he have to do this kind of dangerous stuff to earn money?


    Previously he had tried working as a delivery man but because of his young appearance he would often get scammed and swindled. And the pay wasn''t much either. Forced to drop out of the school to reduce some expenses, he didn''t even have any educational qualification to get a decent job.


    And also because of his young age, he couldn''t be hired legally as well. Which only left him with odd jobs and illegal methods to earn money.


    He could have be a drug dealer or a smuggler. But he hated those stuffs and the risk it came with doing those stuffs.


    He wanted to alleviate the situation of his family. But he wasn''t willing to stoop that low to alleviate the situation of his family either. Finally he then did what he was good at and what he loved the most¡ª y football.


    But once again, a problem arose¡ª youth team didn''t pay much and no professional team was willing to sign him for their senior team.


    "Don''t make a fuss about it and here take this money to buy some books"


    Handing out the money to her, he tried to ignore her concerned gazes which were concentrated at him and tried to walk inside.


    But as soon as he walked inside, he found both his sickly looking mother and his sickly looking father who seemed rather sober today awaiting for him.


    "You''re back Mateo"


    His mother spoke in her gentle tone while looking at him.


    "Yeah"


    Swiftly answering such while nodding his head, he tried to walk away. Unwilling to confront them to not make them unnecessarily worried about him, he didn''t want to confront them right now.


    "A letter came for you Mateo"


    While he was trying to avoid them, his mother continued.


    "It''s from the national team"


    Immediately upon hearing that it was a letter from the national team, Mateo who was trying to walk away halted his movement. His eyes which were desperately trying to avoid meeting the gazes of his parents upon hearing that news, at once jolted towards their direction.


    "They want you to y for the U17 team in the uing U17 world cup Mateo"

 Chapter 324 Mateo’s decision

    <h4>Chapter 324 Mateo''s decision</h4>


    The moment he heard that he been invited by the national team an irresistible feeling of joy emerged within him. Yet he couldn''t bring himself to showcase those emotions.


    A call up for the national team meant that he would be out for many months to train with the national team. And also since it wasn''t a call up for the senior team, he wouldn''t be paid much either. If he wanted to get paid then his only option would be to win the tournament which was a gamble in it''s own.


    But if he could y, he was bound to get some exposure. However unlike many of the yers who had been called up, he only yed in local leagues. Even the fact that he had been called despite that was a miracle on its own.


    Despite this once in a lifetime opportunity that had present itself right in front of his door, Mateo was rather hesitant on epting this opportunity.


    And his parents upon noticing his hesitation felt their heart ache as an overwhelming feeling of grief, pity and self fury made their heart heavy.


    They were well aware of the reason behind his hesitation. They were well aware of the sacrifices this poor little boy had made for them. And most of all they were well aware of his love for football.


    This poor little boy who hadn''t even turned eighteen yet had sacrificed his dream to help sustain his family. And that once pretty face which right now was full of scars and bruises made the situation even worst as it made their hearts bleed.


    Immediately tears rolled down the eyes of his mother as she could no longer hold herself from looking at her son''s miserable state.


    Fate may have deprived him of his legs but he didn''t want his son to give up on his dreams because of him. At this moment, he realized how selfish he had been in the past. Drinking his life out just to forget the pain, he had made his family suffer.


    Sure he had lost his legs and that was devastating blow to him and his family. But what he did afterwards was even worst. While he indulged himself in alcohol to drink his pain away, he neglected the only people who cared about him.


    And right now, he could very well see the consequences of his action. His son with whom he hadn''t had any decent conversation with after the incident, right now looked so pathetic and miserable. And who had forced him into such state?


    It was him.


    Without even anyone needing to tell him, he knew he was the reason behind his son''s miserable state. And upon realizing this, he felt extremely guilty.


    Contorting his face in despair and agony, he tightly pursed his lips; trying his absolute best to endure this sensation of guilt and pain that was coursing through his body. He couldn''t even bring himself to look his son in the eyes.


    He was the culprit behind his sons and his family''s misery.


    Still at this moment, he felt like he had to at least atone for his wrongdoing and try to correct his mistakes. Although no amount of atonement shall ever amount to repay the pain and suffering he had inflicted on his family, still he had to something.


    In a rather shaky voice filled with grief, he then called out to his son, "Ma... teo"


    Upon hearing the call of his father Mateo''s eyes perked up as he drifted his gaze towards his father who had called his name after so long.


    At that moment, he felt an unusually hollow sensation as he found the figure of his father extremely lonely and sad. It was different than usual.


    Hinting him toe towards him, his father gestured him toe close. With a frown Mateo did as instructed by his father and walked towards him.


    Appearing near him, he copsed on his knees to look at his father''s face who was sitting in a rather shabby wheelchair.


    The moment he met his father''s eyes, his father lunged forward his upper body towards him as he wrapped his arms around his back and hugged him.


    Immediately a sensation of warmth coursed through his body. His pupils erged as he felt taken aback by his father''s sudden reaction which caught him totally off-guard.


    But before he could speak anything, his father cut him short as, "My little boy, you have suffered a lot because of this loser father of yours. But you shouldn''t suffer more, you don''t need to make more sacrifices for the sake of your family"


    Those words although warm and soothing, right now stung him like the stings of wasps. And his eyes started bing heavy upon hearing those words.


    He wanted to tell his father that it wasn''t his fault. He wanted to assure him that he was fine. But somehow, he couldn''t bring those words at the tip of his tongue. Slowly tears streamed down his face as his grip around his father''s back tightened.


    This very man whom he was embracing right now was the man who had taught him to y football, the joy football. But this very man right now was in a pathetic condition ming himself.


    Even his sister who was watching this scene from a distance was tearing right now. At this moment, the eyes of this entire family of four was moist and flooded. And every single one of them shared almost the same sentiment¡ª they all were sad and remorseful about their condition.


    It was like as if the scene from the time when his father had lost his legs was ying again.


    "You should go Mateo. You should chase after your dreams Mateo. You don''t have to burden yourself with the responsibilities of this family Mateo" His father spoke; trying to persuade Mateo to grab this opportunity to fulfill his dreams.


    But even so, Mateo was still hesitant, "But wh.."


    Before he could finish his sentence, his father cut him short as he said, "We''ll work things out Mateo, so don''t worry about us. Every one of us here wants you to chase your dreams Mateo. You''ve done already more than enough my little boy"


    "Yes Mateo, your father is right. Don''t worry about us Mateo and chase your dreams"


    "Yes Mateo, you don''t have to sacrifice yourself again"


    His mother and sister added. Their words made him even more sad. But against their reluctance, he couldn''t bring himself to turn them down. Thus, he reluctantly epted their suggestion and decided to take this opportunity.


    Nodding his head, Mateo answered, "Ummm, I''ll go"


    **** ****

 Chapter 325 A mysterious figure

    Chapter 325 A mysterious figure


    ??After that previous encounter with Yuya, contrary to Hiro''s expectation, Yuya became rather distant. Instead of opening up, he became even more reserved. It was like as if he was intentionally trying to avoid Hiro and the rest.


    Experiencing Yuya''s aloofness, Hiro and the rest were quite stunned by his behavior. All they wanted was to help him but Yuya had built up an invisible wall around him.


    "All I wanted do was help but he isn''t even willing to listen?"


    Sounding extremely furious, Shun who had been shut down by Yuya a moment ago when he tried advising him about the mistakes he wasmittingined.


    Hiro however remained silent despite hearing hisints while sizing Yuya with his eyes.


    Witnessing Hiro''s silence, Shun didn''t feel like talking more as well.


    "Fine you can do whatever you like"


    Furiously speaking such, Shun then headed towards his position to resume the training. Unlike Hiro, he had been fed up with Yuya''s behavior and he no longer wanted to concern himself with him.


    Currently they were doing some shooting drills. And Shun being the keeper had noticed some ws that if corrected would enhance the shooting of Yuya. But Yuya wasn''t willing to listen to him.


    Fweeee!!


    "Everybody gather around"


    No sooner had Shun started to walk towards his position, the trainers immediately ordered the yers to gather around. And immediately as the trainers voiced their orders, yers began to gather around the coaches.


    "Now everybody listen up. For our tomorrow''s match as you all know, we''ll be facing Aomori who currently are ahead of us and also the league leaders. And since both Shun and Hiro, our two core yers will be leaving for the u17 world cup, they won''t get to y some of the final matches. Which means that for us to attain the top spot, this match is very important to us. Do you guys get it?"


    One of the instructor, sternly reminded the importance of tomorrow''s game to the yers. Just from the sheer tone of his voice which sounded rather grievous, one could tell how important this match was for the team.


    Thus, everybody present at the field, ardently listened to his words without making a single noise. Even without his reminder, the weight of this match was quite evident in both on and off the field.


    As for past few days, yers of Kawasaki had be rather serious while training. And almost everybody were putting more effort than required. It had also been amon sight to see yers training in the field even after the end of the training.


    But as he reminded the yers, all of a sudden the atmosphere around the training ground became rather heavy while the mood around the ground became quite tensed.


    Rumors such as the team was nothing without Hiro had already started circting among the fans and yers of the team were quite aware of those rumors as well. Still almost nobody was able to raise their voice against such rumors because the results spoke the truth.


    And unwilling to admit it was akin to being stubborn and shortsighted.


    Thus despite the rumor floating around, nobody had the guts to say that it was a false rumor. Yet almost nobody in the team had thought of putting the me on Hiro or the fans. They were trying their best. Butck of Hiro had been quite evident on the field and almost everybody in the team felt the absence of Hiro while ying.


    Sensing the mes of determination burning furiously in their hearts and eyes, the trainers felt quite satiated with their attitude this time around. And although, he was nning on saying more but he upon witnessing their attitude and the mindset they had built, he didn''t feel like telling any further.


    He could somehow feel that his yers were quite ready for the match.


    **** ****


    After an intense training session while the luminous sphere of moon was rtively high up in the sky while lying on his bed, Hiro''s eyes were currently fixated on his mobile phone. In pretense of analyzing the previous matches of his team during his absence, he had got his coaches permission to use the mobile during off hours.


    However right now, he wasn''t watching the matches of his teammates. Rather he was watching the match between Argentina u17 and Brazil u17.


    "What?!"


    All of a sudden, his pupils erged as he abruptly rose from his bed upon seeing a y made by Mateo who had juste up from a substitution.


    "Who is this number 19?"


    Hiro murmured to himself in disbelief.


    Although he didn''t know much about the yers of u17 team of both footballing giants like Brazil and Argentina, he still knew about the notable yers that wouldter go on to make an impact on the world football.


    Yet even in his past life, he had never heard of this yer called Mateo Gomez from Argentina.


    He knew about Kaua Elias, a notable yer from Brazil who at this time was ying for Fluminense or udio Echeverri from Argentina who currently was ying for River te butter would go on to sign with Manchester City, a dominant team in Europe who had made Premier League one of the toughest league in the world look like a farmers league by bagging multiple championship.


    Yet he had never heard of this yer called Mateo Gomez who right now was outshining almost every possible future stars in the field despiteing off the bench.


    "Just how could I miss such and amazing yer in my previous life?"


    Just by the looks on his eyes which were glowing with admiration and the tone of his voice which was fawning over Mateo, one could tell how much impressed Hiro was at the moment.


    But strangely enough, he had never heard of this yer in his previous life which was arousing some doubts in his heart.


    Just then while he was fawning over the ystyle of Mateo, sound of the notification from the system rung in his ears.


    Ding!


    [New Quest Unlocked]

 Chapter 326 Important Match

    Chapter 326 Important Match


    ??[Quest Info]


    [Analyze the ystyle of the yer Mateo ande up with a satisfactory oue]


    [Duration: 30 days]


    [Rewards onpletion; one of the talent of the yer]


    [Failure; loss of one of your skill]


    [Note; you cannot use your skill magic vision on him during the time period]


    As if the gamey of Mateo triggered an eureka, suddenly out of nowhere the system provided him a quest to analyze the ystyle of Mateo who''s ys he had found extremely intriguing.


    Although a bit crude and rough but Mateo''s gamey had a charm in it that could captivate the hearts of people. And Hiro who himself liked watching exceptional yers, nheless was fascinated by his y.


    Even if the system hadn''t provided him with this quest, he would have for sure tried to analyze his ys and tried to employ it himself.


    And also the system didn''t give him any option to reject the quest. It was like a mandatory quest. Not to mention that he couldn''t use his skill magic vision on him. If he could only get a bit of insight of his stats and wow-factors, the quest would have been rather easy.


    However while skimming through the contents of the quest, Hiro was rather perplexed by one thing; its just that the duration was rather long. In fact, the duration for this quest was one of the longest he had got till now.


    But as he tried to look on inte about this unknown yer named Mateo, he found nothing about him. It''s as if before this match, he hadn''t even existed.


    "From where did this yere from? There''s literally no info about him on the inte"


    Hiro murmured in a rather dejected and surprised tone.


    Only after he failed to find anything rted to this yer named Mateo Gomez who had entered the field at 80th minute andpletely changed the flow of the game all by himself, he came to a realization.


    "No wonder system gave me such a long time for this quest"


    Hiro murmured after realizing.


    The reason why he had gotten that long of a time was because of theck of information regarding this yer that he had to analyze. Now with such problems in his hand, if he wanted to analyze the ystyle of this yer then he had only one option and that was to follow this yer through his journey in the qualifiers.


    Every single game which he yed was of utmost importance to Hiro right now.


    Thus, immediately without wasting any time, he brought his pen and paper out.


    Downloading the video so that he could y it offline, he started analyzing the performance of almost every yer. While analyzing, it''s rather crucial to take the position of almost every other yer present on the field.


    Just because he had to submit a report about Mateo''s performance only didn''t mean that he could neglect the position of other yers on the field. Only by taking everybody''s position into ount would he be able to get a thorough analysis.


    "See I told you that he isn''t like others"


    "Yeah, you''re right"


    Two individuals from the coaching staff who seemed rather shady given their carefulness and sneakiness were right now spying on Hiro through the small opening in the door.


    And judging by the conversation which they were having, it seemed like one of the individual was quite dubious of Hiro while the other one had faith in him.


    **** ****


    Aomori Stadium


    ''The way he cut in from the nks and the way he smoothly dribbled past his opponent, it kinda resembled the ystyle of Neymar during his early years''


    Contemting about the performance of Mateo, Hiro right now was lost in a world of his own while he was at the front of a queue leading his teammates in the match between Kawasaki and Aomori Yamada High School.


    Right now, the sun was pretty high up in the sky while the temperature around the stadium was rather hot. As if a giant was smoking a humongous cigarette, white puffy clouds could be seen inrge quantity floating from the horizon.


    Under the azure expanse, right now the stadium was a spectacle to behold. Towering stands draped in vibrant colors lined the pitch, creating a sea of passionate supporters. gs of both the teams billowed and pped in the wind¡ª showcasing the unwavering allegiance to their respective team.


    The reason why this tiny stadium that could barely hold ten thousand people in it was crowdy today was because of the presence of one yer. A yer who right now had be the apple to the eye of many Japanese fans.


    The yer that had disyed outstanding performance in the international stage and spread the name of their country.


    "Sakazuki, don''t you think that the stadium of Aomori''s looking rather cramped and lively today?"


    "Well Kojiro, our national hero is making his arrival today. So, I''m sure all this people are here to wee him and watch him y"


    While the cheers grew louder, filling the air with an overwhelming sense of fervor and anticipation, this twomentators who were responsible toment on this game, made lively talk while trying to lighten up the mood in the stadium.


    "Now let us wee the yers with a big round of apuse"


    Thementators urged the people to wee the yers with big round of apuse.


    No sooner had thementators announced the entry of the yers, yers of the opposing team immediately started moving forward while Hiro stood his ground, still contemting about the ystyle of Mateo.


    "Oi, how long are you nning on staying here?"


    Giving him a light push, Yuya who was right behind Hiroined in a rather annoyed tone.


    Immediately that push caused Hiro to break out of his reverie. Yet he didn''t mind Yuya''s tone or his action of pushing him.


    Coming to his sense, Hiro then started marching forward like a valiant general leading his troops.


    Exiting the dim tunnel, Hiro nced upwards.


    Immediately upon seeing the appearance of Hiro, the fans who were desperately awaiting for his arrival burst into exuberant chants and cheers. Those cheers in-turn bounced off the walls of the stadium and added spice to this frenzied atmosphere.


    "Oh!! How much I miss this crowd"


    Sounding extremely grateful, Shun expressed his thankfulness with his eyes glistening with nostalgia and joy.

 Chapter 327 Pretence

    Chapter 327 Pretence


    ??While Hiro and Shun were enjoying this moment, Yuya on the other hand was sweating profusely. Inside the tunnel, he had been acting all fine but upon confronting the crowds, his legs had lost it''s strength while his palms had be sticky with sweat.


    Those cheerful cheers were like harsh curses hauled towards him. And those cheerful fans were like onlookers who hade to see his doom.


    It was probably hisst chance to prove himself. If he couldn''t capitalize this opportunity, his doom was inevitable and he very well knew about it.


    Which is why, he was anxious even more than before.


    "Well even though you are my teammate in the national team but don''t expect me to go easy on you though"


    Showcasing a smirk on his face, Takumi who was currently acting as the captain of the opposing team reminded Hiro that he wouldn''t go easy on him.


    "Well aren''t you so considerate"


    In a rather sarcastic way, Hiro replied.


    Immediately those sentences which left Hiro''s mouth got on his nerves as he felt his eyes twitching.


    But before Takumi could even respond to Hiro, cameraman who were covering this match caught up to them and started taking pictures. Takumi now had no choice but to smile despite feeling humiliated by Hiro''s response.


    A starting striker for his club but a reserve striker for the national team, because of the presence of a striker like Nijichi, he had been left out of the limelight in the national team.


    But right now, he was one of the core yer of his team. And unlike before, currently he was one of the yer who was at the center of the attention.


    Involving with Hiro in current situation came both with a risk and a reward. And Takumi was very well aware of that fact as well. Thus, he didn''t say anything to Hiro and instead showcased an amiable smile on his face.


    Antagonizing Hiro was akin to antagonizing thousands of fans who supported Hiro. And with his measly reputation, it was like an ant trying to go up against an elephant.


    After a short while as yers of both the team exchanged friendly greetings and positioned themselves in their respective position, the game begun with the whistle of the referee.


    Beep!


    The opposing team started the kickoff.


    And no sooner had the ball started rolling, yers of both the team went into action. As much as this game was important to yers of Kawasaki, it was equally important to the yers of Aomori.


    This one match could define the fate of their teams ranking at the end of the season. Kawasaki being the defending champion wanted to retain their position while Aomori being one of the favorite for the title wanted to dethrone the previous champion and take the crown for themselves.


    Thus both team were rather careful and vignt.


    While moving the ball in their own half, Aomori''s team slowly tried to draw the yers of Kawasaki towards them. But their efforts were in vain as no matter how much they tried to provoke or bait the yers of Kawasaki, nobody was going for the bait.


    Moving in fixed position while staying close to each other, yers of Kawasaki put pressure on the opposing yers without even charging.


    At time only one yer would step froward for the ball while the remaining would retain their position, covering him and closing the gaps for the opposing team.


    From an onlookers point of view, yers of Aomori seemed to be in control of the game; given their dominance on the ball.


    But only upon closer inspection would one realize that the people who were in control of the game was the yers of Kawasaki. Controlling the flow of the game and dictating the open spaces, currently they were controlling this game from behind the scenes.


    Soon enough, yers of Aomori were starting to realize this as well.


    Compared to the opposing yers, they looked rather miserable. Not only were they running out of breath but their minds were also in a distressful state.


    It was getting harder for them to think clearly.


    With yers of Kawasaki scattered everywhere, they were not being able to locate any open spaces or find an opportunity to move the ball forward.


    Focusing their attention on Hiro had costed them quite a lot.


    34 minutes had already gone by and not even a single shot on target had been recorded from both the team. Even Hiro who normally would be one of the most active yer on the field was rather inactive in this match today.


    Apart from scanning and providing passes, he hadn''t done much today.


    And because of such lousy performance from Hiro, seeds of doubts had started sprouting in the heart of the opposing yers.


    Is he injured? Takumi did tell us that he had been hospitalized at the end of the final match, perhaps his injuries hadn''t healedpletely yet....


    While preparing for this match, Takumi had disclosed the condition of Hiro to his teammates so that they could prepare better against him.


    But now until this point of match, upon noticing Hiro''s inactiveness, they were starting to doubt whether Hiro was still recovering and thus was unable to perform like before.


    It would have beenpletely different scenario if he was totally fine. But now that he was injured and his movements were limited, they had it rather easy.


    Instead of guarding him with three of their yers, even a single yer would suffice to guard against this injured beast.


    And by doing so, they would free up two of their yers which would further assist them in building up their gamey and break free from this trap like formation set by the opposing team.


    The reason why they were struggling up till now was solely because of theck of manpower. But now as they decided to ditch Hiro, for sure their gamey would improve.


    That''s what they thought. But man oh man, how careless were they to think that way.


    The beast that had sleeping until this point of time, the moment they let their guard against them immediately lunged towards them and grabbed them by their neck.

 Chapter 328 Skillful maneuver

    Chapter 328 Skillful maneuver


    ??Akihiro also famously known as Monk on steroids by many yers in the league, given his bald headed appearance and bulky build upon intercepting a pass in the middle third sent the ball flying up the field.


    And Hiro, showcasing his excellent off the ball movement, got past his only mark with ease.


    Upon noticing the figure of Hiro that had easily shook his mark and currently on his way towards their post, many of the opposing yers felt their heart palpitating.


    Wasn''t he still injured? So how could he run like that?


    Several questions rose within the hearts of the yers who previously had underestimated Hiro. For their one simple mistake, they were now going to pay a heavy price.


    Making use of his skill lightning steps, Hiro cut through the defense of the opposing team and immediately closed the distance between him and the ball.


    However he wasn''t the only one who was chasing after the ball currently. Desperate to produce results, Yuya who was on his wits end was also blindly rushing towards the ball.


    If it continued, they were bound to ovep. And if that happened, their momentum might get disrupted and the opposing team might catch up to them. However that wasn''t the only concern of Hiro.


    Before speeding, Hiro had been keeping tabs of the position of every yer on the field. And due to that Hiro knew that Yuya was in an offside position.


    So now if he were to touch the ball that would disrupt the whole build up.


    Taking everything into consideration, despite knowing about the possibility that he might ovep with Yuya and the build up might get disrupted, instead of slowing down, Hiro then tried to increase his pace so that he could reach the ball ahead of Yuya.


    "What is that moron doing?"


    "Why is he rushing towards the ball as well?"


    "You idiot, run towards the opposing post to receive a pass..."


    "Who the fuck even let him y?"


    The reaction from the crowd upon seeing the selfish and dumb reaction of Yuya was quite negative. And almost every single fan of Kawasaki wasining about his action.


    Getting to the ball before Yuya, Hiro kicked the ball as he sent the ball rolling ahead of him. At the same time as he kicked the ball ahead of him, he started chasing after the ball.


    Despite losing to Hiro, Yuya still continued his pursuit of the ball. But he wasn''t as fast as Hiro. The only reason why he waspeting with Hiro earlier was because he was way ahead of Hiro in the first ce.


    If those two were to start from the same starting line, he wouldn''t evene close to Hiro even without the use of skill lightning steps.


    But now when he was using his skill lightning steps, he wasn''t even in the same picture as Hiro. He could only try to close up the distance between him and Hiro.


    Upon witnessing the figure of Hiro who was rushing towards him totally unobstructed, opposing keeper could tell that he would have to face against him one on one.


    Just thinking about that possibility caused his heart to sink and his eyes to be frantic. But he knew that he was totally helpless in this situation.


    So, the only person whom he could rely on right now was he, himself.


    Letting out a mouth full of turbid air, he braced his heart as he analyzed the movement of Hiro. And the moment, he calmed down himself, the figure of Hiro became even more clear. He could see those tiny details which he couldn''t see before.


    For some while, he waited for Hiro toe close while also moving forward only up to the point where he could save Hiro''s longshots while at the same time prepare himself for a close encounter.


    Thus, despite having enough time on his hands to leave his box, he didn''t leave his box and instead stayed put inside his box.


    After waiting enough, he had no choice but to rush forward now since Hiro had alreadye close to the box. While putting his guards on to block any longshots, he carefully approached Hiro.


    However despite his carefulness, he had misjudged one thing and made a huge blunder in his judgement. Letting Hiro to close in would probably be his biggest mistake right now.


    With his newly acquired talent, Knight in the area from the recent international tournament, Hiro''s threat level would increase even more inside the penalty box.


    One could even say that him being inside the box was even more dangerous than his powerful long shots using his skill fireball shot.


    Will he shoot? When will he shoot?


    With such thoughts running amuck in his mind, he approached Hiro with his guard raised.


    While his eyes were constantly on the lookout for any subtle changes in Hiro and converged at Hiro, Hiro wasn''t even looking at him.


    Finally as those two closed in their distance enough, the opposing keeper became impatient and threw his body towards Hiro.


    Sensing the iing keeper, Hiro while maintaining a poker face lightly tapped at the bottom of the ball and chipped the ball above the keeper. At same time, he also lifted himself from the ground and jumped over the keeper lying on the ground.


    The crowd erupted in a collective gasp. And in an instant their cheers transformed into a deafening roar as they witnessed Hiro''s audacity and skill.


    It was a masterpiece in motion¡ª an effortless disy of technique and finesse.


    With the keeper lying behind, Hiro found himself in front of an open post. Now all he had to do was to tap the ball in.


    But despite being right in front of an open post, Hiro didn''t shoot the ball towards the post. Instead he shot the ball sideway where Yuya was making his run.


    Yuya was dumbfounded by Hiro''s decision. Instead of shooting the ball towards the post, he had decided to make a pass.

 Chapter 329 One goal

    <h4>Chapter 329 One goal</h4>


    With a dumbfounded look on his face, Yuya upon receiving the pass dazedly stared at Hiro before tapping the ball inside the post.


    This wasn''t simply a pass or an assist to him, it was more like a gift.


    It was an act of kindness and an act of unselfishness.


    Being absent for many games due to the qualifier, Hiro''s goal tally wasn''t much high aspared to his previous season. In fact he wasn''t even the top scorer of the league.


    Yet even after doing most of the work, he was letting him reap the rewards.


    Why was he envious of such a yer? Why was he rude to such a friend who despite being way out of his league was good to him?


    Has all those sess and attention he had received in the u15 team gone over his head? Or has he simply be arrogant?


    As the ball sailed effortlessly in the back of the, fans burst into thunderous roar as they erupted in jubtion. Emotions of joy and disappointment merged in the stand while the gs and banner of Kawasaki billowed freely with the wind.


    Yet Yuya, despite scoring this goal, his face betrayed the emotions of jubtion which was lingering around the stadium.


    It was his first goal in the league. A goal that he had longed so much for that he had even antagonized his friends. But now when he had finally achieved the thing he had desired the most in his recent days, not even a spec of happiness could be seen on his face.


    Instead with his eyes dazedly staring at Hiro, he had rather guilty and dumbfounded look on his face.


    Lifting the corner of his lips, Hiro disyed an amiable smile on his face while congratting Yuya without speaking any words.


    Sure he had gifted Yuya a goal but still he didn''t want Yuya to feel that he did so out of pity or sympathy towards him. Thus despite assisting him, Hiro kept his mouth shut and instead only disyed an amiable smile to congratte him.


    At this moment, Yuya came to a realization that he had been blinded by his inferiority that he had been hating Hiro for absolutely no reason.


    Sure Hiro was gifted but never had he ever deliberately made others feel that he looked down on them. In fact, he had always tried to help those close to him.


    Just take the example of Shunta who after listening to his advice had be a regr in the u15 team.


    But what did he do when he tried to help him?


    He pushed him away and even became envious of the person who was just trying to help him.


    While his teammates were rushing towards him, wearing jubnt smile on their faces, he was standing still at his ce with a feeling of guilt gnawing on him.


    He was so ashamed of himself that he couldn''t even bring himself to apologize. All he could do was silently atone for the mistakes he hadmitted and grieve about his behavior.


    "The more I see him y, the more Ie to admire this guy. Just can you believe Sakazuki that such an unselfish yer exist in this day, in this age?"


    "Indeed Kojiro, it''s really hard to believe that such an unselfish yer exist even in this age when everybody are greedy for goals and recognition."


    "If I''m not wrong then that goal scorer must be the recently promoted yer who had been struggling to perform well"


    "Now that you mention about it, he indeed is that recently promoted yer who goes by the name Yuya"


    "So Hiro did all this to encourage his teammate...."


    For a while because of Hiro''s selfless act, both thementators kept on praising Hiro.


    Even the fans who were currently in a jubnt mood didn''t seem like they minded the idle talk of thosementators. And many of the fans were almost in the same situation as thementators. They were extremely impressed by Hiro''s selfless act.


    In the sidelines, manager Makoto''s time worn face was adorned with a satiated grin while the reserve yers while jumping, yelling, hugging and high-fiving each other were celebrating the goal like crazy.


    Meanwhile about some distance away from them, Aomori''s substitution box looked rather gloomy. With dark shadows lingering on their faces, they were all unusually silent. But unsatisfaction and distress was quite evident on their faces.


    Their coach however was like a variable to that unusually silent environment. Yelling at the top of his voice with rather furious tone, he was expressing his dissatisfaction.


    "Didn''t I tell you to mark him. So why the hell did you let him lose? Are you disobeying my orders?"


    Going on and on about his strategy and how they had failed to execute his strategies, he kept on yelling at his yers. While his yers who were currently on the field seem to be avoiding his runts and his gaze.


    With a rather sour face, they were trying their best to avoid looking at their manager who right now was hauling curses at them for their blunder.


    Many of them knew that the anger of their manager was justifiable as it was their own mistake of underestimating Hiro which had led to this disastrous oue.


    If only they would have stuck with their managers n and didn''t try to be over-smart, this situation might have been avoided.


    Now one may wonder why were they making huge issue out of one goal with so much time remaining. It was because of the sheer importance of this match that every single goal was of utmost importance.


    One goal could very well deter the oue of the game. One goal could increase the pressure on the yers to a level beyond expectation.


    This one goal could also end their hope for the title.


    So would anyone still dare to ask, why would anyone make so much fuss about one goal?


    After a short moment of celebration as everybody started returning to their original position, Yuya chased after Hiro.


    "Thanks"


    With great difficulty while trying to avoid looking Hiro in the eyes, Yuya thanked Hiro for that previous assist.

 Chapter 330 Dropping deep

    Chapter 330 Dropping deep


    ??Just based on Yuya''s bodily gestures, Hiro could feel the sincerity behind his words. And since he never held any grudges against him, despite his recent rude behavior towards him, Hiro readily epted his gratitude without pressing further on that matter.


    "Don''t worry about it and y it cool, no pressure"


    Hiro had countless reason to be furious at him but despite that he neither raised his voice nor pointed out his ws, all he did was to suggest him to take it easy and tried to take some pressure off of him.


    But just because Hiro had decided to let go of the fact that because of his selfishness he had nearly costed his team a crucial goal didn''t mean that others were also willing to let go of him.


    Specially coaches, they couldn''t be swayed by emotions.


    They were well aware of his actions and currently manager Makoto was already nning on recing him. Sure, he finally scored a goal. Sure, he could put the me on his desperation.


    But no matter what reason it be; he had done wrong. And that was a fact that couldn''t be changed no matter what.


    Turning his gaze towards his notebook, manager Makoto scribbled something on his notebook before heading back towards his seat with a solemn expression on his face. Just by looking at him, one could hardly tell what was running on his mind currently.


    Soon as every yers from both the team got to their respective position, referee took a nce at his watch before blowing the whistle he had trapped between his lips.


    Beep!!


    Again with the sound of the referee''s whistle the game resumed in full swing.


    Having made that error which costed their team one precious goal, yers of Aomori learnt from their mistake and started guarding against Hiro.


    They could no longer lower their guard like they had done before.


    But now with this goal, the arrow had already left the bow. And now all they could do was shield against this arrow which was heading towards them at threatening pace.


    Unlike before, now Hiro was running all over the field. And those yers who were supposed to mark him had no choice but to follow him.


    However instead of moving up-field, Hiro was dropping deep and ying as a deep lying ymaker. Before his movements were mostly limited at the other side of the half-line.


    But now that he was dropping deep, he was ying more like a true midfielder rather than a false nine. Supporting his teammates and initiating attacks, he was stabilizing his teams midfield.


    This action didn''t go unnoticed as the manager of the opposing team immediately caught the whiff of Hiro''s intention. But what could he do?


    He had two options; either to yell his findings or wait for halftime to inform his yers. But who knows, until then his team wouldn''t concede another goal because of this trivial change.


    After that previous goal, the pressure on the opposing team had already increased but now that they had to face against this unforeseen variable ¡ª situation have gotten even harder for them.


    And their struggle was quite evident to even naked eyes.


    Even the fans could tell that they were struggling. It was like non of them knew clearly about what to do while encountering such situation.


    And because of their previous blunder they were even afraid to improvise their tactics. Fear of getting med, fear of being the scapegoat and fear of facing the wrath of their coaching staff was preventing them from improvising their strategies.


    Aomori being the league leader had an impressive squad. But since this team emphasized more on discipline, itcked creative yers who could add some spice on the team.


    Sure their yers were physically fit and could execute the strategies wlessly but once a variable urs, everything starts to fall apart. One could even redit that the glory of this team to their strict style of ying football.


    They could be even regarded as a notebook team.


    Acting as an fulcrum, Hiro connected the passes between his teammates while at the same time created spaces in the formation of the opposing team.


    If anybody studied Hiro''s heat map currently, they would mostly find his movements concentrated at the middle third.


    ying one-two passes with Akihiro, all of a sudden Hiro burst into eleration. Immediately the yer that was assigned to Hiro moved his body forward to stop Hiro from advancing forward.


    Such tactics where a yer in front would use their bodies to stop speedy yers was often used by those yers who couldn''tpete against the other yers in terms of speed.


    And almost everybody in league was aware of the speed of Hiro. Once he starts running, anybody could barely catch up to him.


    So as there''s a saying that goes by, "Prevention is better than cure"


    yers of the opposing when encountering Hiro would always try to stop his movement beforehand than topete against him in terms of speed.


    Noticing the intention of the opposing yer, Hiro immediately changed his direction. But so did the opposing yer whose eyes was converged at him solely.


    The moment that yer left his position to chase after Hiro, a space opened up in his original ce from where Akihiro who despite being not fast as Hiro easily got past without any trouble.


    In this attack Hiro was merely a decoy. A decoy to distract the opposing yer.


    Akihiro as he moved forward sent the ball flying toward a boy with pretty face who had a knack for scoring goals.


    Renji was the same yer who had been drafted along with Akihiro in the trial.


    With a pretty face and a haughty demeanor, he had quite the fan following. Although most of them consisted of female fans but yeah he was quite famous.


    Renji then upon receiving the pass easily dribbled past the defender in front of him. But no sooner had he got past the reach of one defender, he immediately got surrounded with two more.


    Which in turn pushed him to make a pass.

 Chapter 331 Lead extension

    331 Lead extension


    However Renji''s options were rather limited.


    The defender he had recently gotten past was right behind his tail while even more defenders were charging towards him from upfront. Keeping position of the ball while trying to find his teammates, Renji moved the ball upfront. The two of his team''s wingers had yet to free themselves from their marks while nobody else seemed avable at the moment.


    ''Do I have to break through on my own?''


    Unable to find his teammates, a thought prated his mind. But just as he was about to pull the unthinkable by taking Aomori''s impressive defensive line all by himself, he heard someone asking for a pass. "Pass here"


    Hiro who was getting chased by his mark had shook his mark and was rushing towards him;ing to his aid. Immediately upon witnessing Hiro''s arrival, he struck the ball with his heel while moving the ball forward. The way he operated himself made it seem like he was actually trying to break through.


    But who he knew that he was going to pass? Countless people present in the stand was mesmerized and perplexed by Renji''s passing while the defenders who were rushing towards him were fooled by him as well.


    The owner of the ball may have changed but their objective hadn''t changed even a little¡ª they still had to disrupt this build up and stop the opposing team from advancing forward. Determined to stop the opposing yers, no sooner had Renji made this unbelievable pass, they shifted their attention towards Hiro and rushed towards him.


    But they couldn''t leave Renji alone as well. Thus while most of them rushed towards Hiro, one of them rushed towards Renji. Standing tall in front of him like a massive boulder, the one who was supposed to stop Renji tried to make use of his body as a meat shield to block Renji''s path.


    Renji however like a slippery eel, easily got past the opposing defender who was trying to stop him from advancing forward. The method he used to get past that massive defender was quite mesmerizing and creative as well. Making use of his excellent footsteps as he approached close to the opposing defender, he abruptly changed his direction all of a sudden. Or so, he made it seem. The moment the opposing defender reacted, he swiftly turned his body and made a 180 degree turn. Smoothly executing this shy move, he then changed his direction; tricking the defender and getting past him without breaking any sweat.


    Hiro who was keeping his eyes on Renji, perfectly timed his pass as he lobbed the ball right above the heads of the iing defenders. During this process of making pass to Renji, Hiro was extremely careful about timing. A second''s dy could end this y by ruling this build up as offside. If it was before the time he had joined Kawasaki or if it was during the time when he was just starting to y with Hiro, he wouldn''t have made this pass.


    In fact he would have even tried to break through or shoot from the distance. But having yed with Hiro, he knew that if he were to position himself in a good position, he would receive the ball back with almost hundred percent certainty. And right now as he noticed the shadow of the ball, his eyes sparkled with joy. He then smoothly trapped the ball and struck a brilliant volley before the ball could even hit the ground. The ball as it left his feet, it sailed towards the post. However an obstacle stood between him and the post. The obstacle was non other than the keeper of the opposing team. Call it his arrogance or call it his confidence, right after Renji shot the ball towards the post, he took his eyes off the ball. It was like he knew with certainty that the ball would end up inside the post. And surprisingly it did as well. As for the confirmation, an euphoric roar erupted from the crowd. "Goaaaalllllll!!"


    Throwing his fist towards the sky with a smirk on his face, he disyed acent look on his face after hearing the deafening sound of celebration echoing from the stand.


    Enjoying the adoration he was receiving from the crowd, without budging even an inch, he stood tall right at the ce from where had scored this magnificent volley with his eyes closed, basking in the momentary glory.


    Right now, it seemed like he was lost in the world of his own. And only after did his teammatese to his side did he finally opened his eyes. Bodies collided as yers of Kawasaki hugged and high-fived each other. But unlike Renji who until this moment had yet to speak anything, they were rather loud. "Damn!! Who taught you to score like this?" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Yeah!!"


    Yelling at each other, they pushed and hugged each other while celebrating the goal. With their actions on the field, they were making quite a scene while celebrating. Hiro on the other hand wasn''t fond of such barbaric way of celebrating. Thus, he kept some distance from his teammates who right now were acting as barbaric soldiers after a victory. Still, although he wasn''t fond of such way of celebrations didn''t mean that he was happy about the oue. He may not have expressed his happiness on his face or on his actions but albeit, he was happy about the oue just as his teammates were about it. Just like this before the end of the first half, they took a two goal lead. Already the first goal was putting a lot of pressure on the opposing team but with this second goal, it would rise even a level further. Who knows what kind of error they would make due to this pressure? Well there''s also a possibility that they might sumb to the pressure and falter apart. And with this second goal, Hiro also extended his assist tally to a whopping 13 assists in the league despite missing many of the matches because of the qualifier.

 Chapter 332 Fan interaction

    332 Fan interaction


    Beep!!


    The first half came to an abrupt end as the referee sounded his whistle.


    No sooner had the referee blown his whistle to announce the end of the first half, manager of Aomori strode towards the tunnel with a rather grumpy look on his face. The mere fact that he didn''t even wait for the yers to exit the pitch was enough to tell how furious and worked up he was at the moment.


    At once, all of the yer present on the field halted their movements. Some heaved a sigh of relief while some kicked the grass out of frustration. "Good game guys"


    "Let''s keep up this performance in the second half as well and win this game"


    Just like on the pitch where bothughter and distress was quite evident.


    In simr fashion, people in the stands were also divided into two separate group¡ª one was the group which supported Kawasaki who were filled with tion and the other was the group which supported Aomori who were filled with disappointment and frustration. And the reason behind this division was disyed in huge number right now at the massive screen of the stadium¡ª Kawasaki-2 and Aomori-0. Those simple looking number was the reason behind the partition of the mood in the stadium.


    Slowly yers of Kawasaki while cheerfully chatting with each other walked out of the field while yers of Aomori followed suit but with a bitter face.


    "Hiro please look here"


    "Renji please give me your autograph" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As yers of Kawasaki made their way towards the tunnel, several fans called out the names of the yers that were rather famous. "How did you like my goal?"


    Slightly slicking back his ck hair, Renji asked those fans who were calling out his name. A smirk adorned his face while his eyes were glowing with pride. "It was the best"


    Almost at the same time, some group of fans which consisted mostly of girls responded in their girly voice. The way they were fawning over Renji made it seem like they were charmed by him. Well given the way he looked, it wasn''t that big of a surprise since young girls liked anybody with pretty appearance.


    Noticing those group of fangirls fawning over Renji, Hiro felt like throwing up while Shun and many other boys contorted their face in envy. The way they gritted their teeth and red at Renji made it seem like they were about to chew him alive. Hiro wanted to scoff but he was in no better position himself as well since there were quite a lot of fangirls who were shouting his name in the stands. But one particr boy in the stand caught his attention.


    It was the same little boy whom he had met in airport. The only difference was that now he was with his friends. Turning his gaze towards them, Hiro slightly curled the corner of his lips and disyed a warm smile on his face. Waving his hand towards them, he addressed those group of little boys who were calling out his name with joy written all over their face. The way they looked at him made it quite obvious that those groups of boys respected and loved him a lot. Receiving their adoration, Hiro felt a sensation of warmth rising for the depth of his body. Moments like this made it worth being a football yer. "See, I told you that big brother Hiro will notice us"


    As Hiro and the rest walked out of the pitch, Kota spoke cheerfully with pride and joy brimming on his eyes. "Yeah, but I''m quite perplexed about his earlier behavior"


    "You''re talking about that first goal right?"


    "Yeah, why did he give it away? Does he not feel like scoring goals today?"


    Those groups of boys chatted among themselves about the match. "Fu!! Fu!!"


    With his brows knotted and his eyes brimming with pride and confidence, Kota disyed a prudent expression on his face. Immediately his visuals caught the attention of all his friends who were discussing about Hiro''s earlier action. Turning their face towards him, they curiously looked at him while expecting for an answer they were not aware of. "Do you know something about it Kota?"


    Asked one of the boy with curiosity brimming in his eyes. "Of course I know about it"


    Maintaining his demeanor, Kota answered in confident tone. "Then tell us"


    Immediately, all his friends began to insist.


    Enjoying their enthusiasm Kota then began to give his own exnation, "You might not be aware but that goal scorer and big brother Hiro used to be teammates in the u15 team previously. But because of big brother Hiro''s talent, he immediately got promoted to the u18 team"


    "Ahh I see, so he did it to help his friend, right?"


    **** **** "How many times did we practice for this match?"


    A loud voice filled with fury echoed in the locker room of Aomori High School.


    "Yet you still keep on repeating those same mistakes I warned you about"


    That voice filled with fury belonged to the coach of Aomori High School who previously had abruptly walked out of the pitch right after the halftime whistle. Currently while all his yers were seated silently at their seat, he was standing in the middle of the room, spewing fire out of his mouth while shooting daggers with his gaze towards his yer. The state of the yers right now was akin to dog that was being scolded by its owner. They could only listen to his words filled with fury while tucking their tails.


    Experiencing his yers silence, manager of Aomori furrowed his brows before heaving a deep sigh to calm himself down. Sure he was agitated and disappointed at his yers. But the time he had on his hand was rather limited. And if he continued to vent his anger, he would only shorten that time even more. Thus, instead of continuing to vent his anger, he then started to exin his strategy and countermeasure to turn the tides of the match. Afterall no matter how much frustrated he was with his yers, he still was their coach. And he had to do his duty before lecturing them. "In second half whenever Hiro drops deep don''t chase him. Instead watch out for other yers and block his route to advance forward. Do you get it?"

 Chapter 333 Anti-Hiro tactic

    Chapter 333 Anti-Hiro tactic


    ??After a ten minutes break, yers of both the team once again re-entered the field for the continuation of the second half.


    Unlike their attitude in the first half, right now yers of opposing team seemed rather calm and collected. It was like as if they were no longer bothered by the fact that they were tailing behind the opposing team by two goals.


    Sure enough something had taken ce in their locker room to have such vivid changes.


    Meanwhile yers of Kawasaki were overflowing with confidence. The strategic discussion had went well and most of them could already see them winning this game, so why wouldn''t they be happy?


    For his blunders in the first half, Yuya had been reced. While the opposing team hadn''t made any changes in their roster. They were going to y with the same set of yers who had started this match.


    Obviously no matter how politely the coach had carried out this decision, Yuya who was getting subbed off wasn''t happy about this decision. More so when he had finally scored a goal.


    "Hurry up, the match is about to start"


    One of the fan who currently was rushing towards the stand urged her colleague who currently was carrying arge quantity of food in his hands to hurry up.


    "Instead of urging me to hurry up, it would be more efficient to help me carry this load, wouldn''t it?" Her colleague responded while sounding annoyed by her urging instead of helping him carry all this load by himself.


    "Urgh!! Just why do you need so much food?"


    Sounding extremely annoyed, she reluctantly took some load off of him and sprinted towards the stands. By the time, she walked out of the hallway, she noticed that already more than five minutes had passed which caused her expression to turn bitter.


    Because of her friends cravings, she had missed five minutes.


    There in the field, Shun was about to perform a goal-kick. And by the looks of it, it seemed like he was going to sent the ball flying into the opposing half.


    Would it be one of those tactics he had used in the international tournament where he would sent the ball flying towards Hiro?


    The audience as they witnessed the scene taking ce on the field were filled with anticipation. Tightly clutching onto their seats, they kept their eyes fixated on Shun.


    But soon, most of them contorted their face out of disappointment as they witnessed him ying a short pass instead. Disappointed cries left out the mouth of many onlookers as a soft cry of disappointment echoed in the stands.


    "Oh....., It seems like we were expecting for nothing"


    Even thementators expressed their disappointment.


    No sooner had the ball left the post, Takumi the striker of the opposing team rushed towards the ball; trying to put pressure and intimidate Ehara.


    Ehara being a skilled right back kept hisposure as he easily handled the pressure from Takumi as if it wasn''t a big deal.


    Not only did he remain cool-headed upon facing Takumi, he even made a fool out of Takumi by passing the ball to his teammate right under the nose of Takumi.


    Disying his ability to remain calm under pressure, Ehara demonstrated why he was one of the core yer of Kawasaki which right now was flooding with many skilled yers.


    Currently Hiro was deep within his half as well. However unlike before, he wasn''t getting chased by multiple yers. Instead yers of the opposing team were positioning themselves well and bolstering their formation.


    And Hiro being quite observant of his surrounding immediately noticed this tactical changes made by the opposing team. Still, it was rather convenient for him to operate from the deep since there weren''t many yers bugging him.


    As long as it was his own half, he was free to move. Which in turn provided him better mobility and helped him maneuver his ys even better.


    Goalscoring wasn''t the only thing Hiro was good at. He was also a skilled passer and a chance creator.


    Provide him a small gap and he would exploit that gap with his explosive dribbles and eleration. And allowing him a shooting space was akin to inviting doom as well.


    Thus, while facing Hiro, opposing team needed to be extra careful. And right now, they were fully disying their carefulness without any error as well.


    Whenever he tried to move up-field, multiple opposing yers woulde rushing towards him. And even when moving in his own half, a yer would tail him like his shadow never leaving his side.


    They were also careful while following him. Since he was a yer of high stamina and endurance, if same yer followed him all the time, he was bound to get exhausted which then would lead to a hole being created in their formation.


    Thus, to prevent such scenario from happening, they were constantly changing yers who tailed him. It was like each yer was allocated a zone of their own.


    And whenever he entered their zone, they woulde rushing towards him while the previous yer would vigntly make way for the new yer.


    One could even say that it was an Anti-Hiro tactic. A tactic specially designed to stop Hiro.


    But just like every other tactics which has its own strength and weaknesses, this tactic was bound to falter sooner orter as well. It was only a matter of time before it copsed.


    Although Hiro struggled for a while because of this tactic; given his failure to advance forward but Hiro was slowly adapting to this tactic and in fact he had already figured out several ways to break free through this cage like tactics that was specifically designed to imprison him.


    ''You''ve prepared well manager Kin''


    Receiving the ball from his teammate inside his own half Hiro thought as he felt amused by the tactic used by the opposing team''s manager.


    ''But if you put too much emphasis on one single person then you''re bound to lose the sight of the bigger picture''


    Exactly as mentioned by Hiro, he wasn''t the only skilled yer in his team. He was cut above the rest but their were equally amazing yers on his team who could carry the game.


    Neglecting those yers and focusing solely on him would definitely create opportunities for the rest of his teammates.

 Chapter 334 Opportunity at last

    <h4>Chapter 334 Opportunity atst</h4>


    And that''s what Hiro did as well.


    After receiving the ball in his own half, he supplied one after another passes to his teammates who were charging forward. By doing this he gave the opposing yers absolutely no chances to stick to him.


    But even while carrying out such tactic, at first Hiro would intentionally keep hold of the ball and only when the opposing yer assigned to mark him would approach close enough to him, he would pass the ball to his teammates.


    It was like, he was luring monkeys towards him by providing them the temptation of banana.


    Not only such actions of Hiro greatly annoyed the opposing yers, it also drained the energy of the opposing yers. Hiro was attacking his opponents both physically and mentally.


    Afterall who would like to make a fool out of themselves and that too on multiple asions?


    Signs of exhaustion and annoyance was getting quite evident on the field with yers of Aomori charging more vigorously whenever Hiro had position of the ball.


    "Tch!"


    Failing to snatch the ball away from Hiro, one of the opposing yer bitterly clicked his tongue.


    Hiro however upon noticing his distressful state mused inwardly as he rushed forward to attack. Based on his evaluation of the emotional state of the opposing yers, Hiro knew that they were about to hit their limits.


    And whenever someone goes out of control, they''re bound to make mistakes. And currently Hiro was waiting for that opportunity.


    No sooner had he guessed that the opposing yers were about to hit their limit, an opportunity arouse in the field in the form of a set-piece.


    One of their midfielder fouled Renji who was moving up the field after receiving a pass from Hiro. Immediately upon noticing the figure of Renji rolling on the floor after getting tackled by one of the midfielder of Aomori High School, referee while sounding his whistle rushed towards the scene.


    Reaching towards his pocket, he then brought out a yellow card and shoved it towards the yer who had fouled Renji.


    Immediately many opposing yer started to refute as they expressed their dissatisfaction about referee''s decision. Surrounding the referee they started toin and appeal.


    But referee upon hearing theirints, only became even more irritated. Trying to get out of their encirclement he remained adamant about his decision and shunned their pleapletely.


    "It seems like that yers of Aomori are not happy about referee''s decision. What do you think of this situation Sakamoto?"


    "Well judging by the referee''s attitude, he may book even more yers if this situation continues, given that he looks adamant about his decision"


    Some of the home fans of Aomori despite their dissatisfaction upon witnessing themotion taking ce on the field started turning anxious. A fear of seeing more of their yers getting booked or even worst getting sent off started gnawing them.


    While most of the fans of Aomori hauled indignant curses towards the referee as they shot gaze full of disdain towards the referee.


    "How is that yellow card ref?"


    "That shouldn''t even be a foul"


    "All he did was stop an impending threat"


    "Are you blind ref? Or did you get bought?"


    Most of the annoyed home fans presented their own verdict as they tried to justify the action of their yer. While the away fans enjoyed the scene taking ce on the field.


    Not only did they thoroughly enjoyed the scene, they also chided with the referee and insisted him to book more of the opposing yers for their act of misconduct.


    "What''s with their rude attitude towards the referee aftermitting a foul? They should get sent off for such rude behavior against the referee"


    "Exactly first they bring our yer down and now they''re evenining"


    With every passing second, the situation at the field was getting even more heated and chaotic. Both the referee and the opposing yers were refusing to yield to each other.


    If the opposing yers continued to press on the referee like that, sure enough he''d be forced to bring his cards out.


    Given their already grievous situation, it was quite reasonable for the opposing team to act that way. Afterall they were already losing by two goals and a set piece at that spot could very well increase the gap further which they absolutely wanted to avoid.


    But pushing the referee to his limit was equally lethal. Thus after some while as some of their yers sensed that the referee wouldn''t change his decision no matter what, they started withdrawing.


    Fortunately enough they acted on time and prevented the referee from bringing out more of his cards.


    In football whether you like it or not, referee''s decisions are absolute and no one can question it. And yers of Aomori although were aware of this, because of their situation they had momentarily forgotten about this universal rule.


    Finally after some while, as yers of the opposing team willingly backed down, situation returned to normal on the field. If only they would have done this from the beginning, they''d not have irritated the referee and left negative impressions on him.


    And falling in favor with referee would only make the situation even worst.


    Now because of their attitude towards him, referee was paying even more attention towards the opposing yers and was being even more strict.


    "Please go back and let me do my job"


    The referee urged the yers of Aomori to retract their steps while he sprayed a vanishing spray to mark the spot for the freekick.


    Just as the referee finished marking the spot, Hiro walked towards the ball. For sure the yer who was going to take this set-piece from Kawasaki''s side was Hiro.


    And based on the expression the opposing yers were making, it seemed like they were already expecting this to happen.


    Currently however as they stood in front of Hiro acting as wall, one could vividly see the fear and anxiousness lingering in their eyes. Sure enough, they were wary of Hiro.


    Having one of the best freekick conversion rate in entire league, they knew what this yer was capable of, so why wouldn''t they be wary of him?


    The reason why they made a fuss out of this freekick, despite it being quite far away from the post was because of this guy as well.


    And right now as they stood face to face against this monster of a yer, many of them held their breathe as they steeled themselves to somehownd a touch on the ball.


    They also prepared one of their yer toy down on the floor to prepare against surprise ground shots.

 Chapter 335 Post-match interview

    Chapter 335 Post-match interview


    ??Retracting few steps back from the ball, Hiro stood upright at a certain distance away from the ball with his arms extended outwards and legs spread.


    Amidst the sea of yers and deafening roar of the crowd, Hiro''s concentration sharpened as he made use of his skill focus.


    Suddenly the entire stadium went silent as he fixated his eyes towards the ball and the post. No longer bothered by the distractions present around him at this moment, Hiro felt as if the time around him had slowed down.


    At the same time, his senses heightened as his focus peaked. Right now all he could see was the ball and his target¡ª the goal.


    Inhaling a deep breathe, he let out a mouth full of turbid air before rushing towards the ball. His sweat-drenched jersey billowed as the eyes of his teammates in the backline converged on the number 10 behind his back.


    Thousands of eyes converged at him; cing their expectation on him. While at the same time, many held their breathe as they looked at him with eyes full of anticipation and worry.


    Hiro''s gaze however was locked onto the distant target while at the same time his mind filtered out almost all the noiseing from the stands.


    Bam!!


    Immediately the yers who had readied themselves as walls, their muscles coiled like a tightly wounded spring primed for release as they leaped from the ground¡ª trying their hardest to make contact with the ball and somehow divert the ball.


    But they were left disappointed as non of them managed to reach the ball.


    As the ball sailed through the towering walls of yer of the opposing team, a sudden surge of confidence coursed through the veins of yers of Kawasaki like wildfire.


    Sparks of joy shed in their eyes while at the same time, a feeling of tion enveloped them.


    For a moment, time seemed to stand still as the ball soared, defying gravity as it sliced through the air. The crowd''s gasps turned to silence as they watched Hiro''s masterpiece unfolding before their eyes.


    It was a glorious sight to behold¡ª a fierce, swerving trajectory that left the opposing goalkeeper rooted at a spot. It was like he had turned into one of those thousands of mere spectators who were witnessing this magnificent scene unfold in the pitch.


    Most of his vision had already been clouded by his teammates which had already made his job of saving the ball difficult. But to top it all, the ball moved so fast that he couldn''t even react.


    Finally as the bulged with the impact of the ball''s formidable force, the crowd erupted with a joyous cacophony, "Goooooooaaaaaaaaallllllllllll"


    At once, a thunderous sound of celebration echoed in the stadium, shaking the stadium to its core. Although a bit muffled but cries of disappointment did reverberate throughout the stadium as well.


    But since the sounds of celebration was so loud that itpletely masked the cries of despair.


    Mirroring the tion of the crowd, Hiro''s teammates rushed towards him to celebrate the goal wearing ecstatic smile on their faces.


    Hiro on the other hand giving in to the emotions of the crowd, rushed towards the sidelines to celebrate this goal, he had scored from the spot.


    Raising his one hand above, he mimicked a gesture as if he was throwing a energy disk at the stands while shouting at the top of his lungs, "Hahhhhhhh!!"


    Not sure why he did that or what inspired him to make such gesture, but the crowd thoroughly enjoyed his celebratory gestures as many of them tried to mimic his celebratory gestures and parroted after him, "Hahhhhh!!"


    In that triumphant moment, both the supporters and the yers of Kawasaki let them lose as they celebrated this goal for quite a long time.


    In fact even after the end of celebration people kept on talking about how amazing that freekick was¡ª it was etched in their memories.


    After that third goal from Kawasaki, many of the opposing yers lost their hearts as they sumbed to their fate.


    With the performance of Kawasaki improving every second and not showing any signs of deterioration, it became extremely hard for them to return even a single goal.


    That goal was like a morale booster.


    yers of the opposing team tried multiple times to score a goal but to no avail. They simply couldn''t get even a goal back which forced them into defense.


    Just like this after some relentless attacking and defending from both the side, the game came to an end with Aomori losing the game with a score of three to nothing.


    Final score of the match read as such, Aomori-0 vs Kawasaki-3.


    Given the stats of the match where Kawasaki mostly dominated the attacking charts, one could even say that this game was totally one sided.


    "Hiro? Hiro? Can we have a moment of your time?"


    Some reporters rushed towards Hiro right after the end of the match when he was returning to his locker room.


    Faced with their request, Hiro turned to look at his manager; asking for his permission. Manager Makoto slightly nodded his head; giving him his approval.


    "Sure" after getting the approval of his manager, Hiro answered the reporter.


    The reporter then led Hiro to a bright ce so that they could get a better footage of him. Nheless Hiro followed them obediently.


    And as they got to the spot, the reporter handed him a microphone.


    Focusing the camera towards Hiro, the reporter then began to ask him some questions, "So how does it feels to be back at the league?"


    "So many people came to wee us, so yes, I feel extremely exhrated to be back" Hiro answered enthusiastically with a smile on his face.


    "Since you have already bagged many MVP awards, I''ll not go there. But can you tell us about that impressive freekick goal you scored? Like what was going on your mind or whether you practiced those kind of shots in training? Anything can be helpful"


    Sure enough the way that reporter was asking questions and initiating the conversation, Hiro could tell that this reporter in front of him was skilled.


    "You tter me too much. To be honest with you, I don''t practice freekicks much in the training. But yeah while taking freekick, I try to visualize the goal. I try to visualize the trajectory of the ball. Haha..., it''s not anything special but while taking freekick or any other spot kick, I try to remain as calm as possible"


    Hiro answered in somewhat awkward manner. Since he couldn''t tell that he actually uses some game like skills to score freekicks, he couldn''te up with a better excuse.


    Thus, his answers were rather ambiguous.


    Listening to his words and looking at his bodynguage, one would barely think that this awkward yer was the same yer who had scored that brilliant freekick previously.

 Chapter 336 Brand endorsement

    <h4>Chapter 336 Brand endorsement</h4>


    Receiving views in millions, likes in thousands, Hiro''s short post match interview blew up. It was unlike any event before.


    An interview of a fourteen year old kid receiving this much attention and appreciation was truly phenomenal. And given the response he had garnered, not only ordinary peoples but even some brands took notice of him.


    The next day, early in the morning when manager Makoto had just returned to his cab after morning training, he noticed countless calls from unidentified sources.


    "Who could they be?"


    Picking up his phone, he pondered as he began to scroll down with somewhat bbergasted and doubtful expression.


    As he scrolled down, he noticed that the calls weren''t the only thing that he had received. There were a lot of messages as well.


    Brrr!! Brrr!!


    Just when he was about to open up a message, his phone started ringing. The number on the screen, once again was unidentifiable.


    Yet, even so, he picked the call with somewhat confused and dubious look on his face.


    No sooner had he picked the call, a feminine voice resonated from the phone, "Hello sir, I''m Nanao Hoshimura, spokesperson of Mizuno. Would you be willing to spare some of your time to discuss a potential brand endorsement deal for one of your yers?"


    **** ****


    The atmosphere in the sleek, modern conference room was serene as Hiro sat poised along with manager Makoto who had volunteered toe with him.


    The room was rather bright and the ambience was quite serene and quite; given its location at a major hub.


    Suddenly, ady dressed immactely in a tailored navy suit entered the room, exuding an air of confidence and authority.


    Immediately, manager Makoto stood upright as he began to prepare his greeting to address thisdy who was apanied by few other men immactely dressed in office suit.


    Hiro too followed suit as he stood up from his chair.


    Before arriving here, he had already been informed about the potential brand endorsement offer he had received from the one of the famous Japanese sports brand called Mizuno.


    With arge market share, it was one of the dominating sports brand wear in all over Japan. And currently, he was going to discuss a potential brand endorsement contract with this famous sports brand.


    Just to receive such an offer was quite unbelievable given his age. Thus, right now, Hiro was quite excited about this meeting.


    But because of his age, he right now needed an acting guardian who could take his responsibility. And since both Eric and his parents were unavable at the moment, manager Makoto had volunteered to be his acting guardian in their stead.


    Disying a sweet smile on her face, thedy greeted him and manager Makoto, "It''s a pleasure to meet you manager Makoto. And we are delighted to have you here Hiro"


    "I called you about discussing a potential brand endorsement this morning, I hope you remember me manager Makoto"


    Laughing out loud, manager Makoto answered, "Hahaha, of course I remember you"


    "Then shall we sit and discuss?" pointing at the chair, she offered in an amicable manner.


    "Sure, sure" manager Makoto replied as he took his seat.


    No sooner had they taken their seats, those men who had apanied her handed a contract. And thedy in turn handed those contract to manager Makoto and Hiro.


    "Ahh before we proceed further I have already informed both your parents and your agent. And both of them have decided to go on with your decision Hiro."


    "Also I have already sent a copy of those contract to your agent. And he had found no ws in it. Still if you''d like to add or remove some things, do tell me?"


    Thedy dressed in suit spoke.


    Thedy had reallye prepared and by the looks of how she was handling this situation, it seemed like she really knew what she was doing.


    After a moment of going through the lengthy contract, neither manager Makoto nor Hiro found any faults in it. And the requirements of the contract wasn''t exaggerating either.


    In fact, one could even say that this contract was prepared with utmost care and concern for Hiro.


    The duration of the contract wasn''t long. And it onlysted until his eighteenth birthday. Though there was a use that allowed him to renew and extend the contract.


    Also the pay was good.


    But there was one thing a little bit unsatisfactory to Hiro. He had shoot advertisement and he had to attend some events organized by thepany.


    Thedy spokesperson immediately caught the whiff of his dissatisfaction. So to appease his dissatisfaction, she tried to reassure him.


    "As the spokesperson of our esteemed sports brand based in Japan, it is my duty to ensure ourpany aligns itself with the best talents, those who embody our core values of perseverance, excellence and determination" she began as her word resonated with conviction.


    "And we have found those qualities in Hiro. Through our thorough analysis, we have found that you could be the next superstar emerging from our nation. So while taking such thoughts into consideration, we have prepared this contract with utmost concern and importance"


    Pausing briefly, she continued with her voice taking a hint of urgency, "So I hope we both cane to an agreement without much alteration, since we have already given you the privilege that no otherpanies in this field could offer"


    Manager Makoto upon hearing her word, nodded his head in satisfaction as he agreed with her. In fact, a contract like this for a fourteen year old kid was already miraculous.


    Not only the pay was great, thepany was even allocating him some shares and percentage in the sales profit. Not to mention about the vision and ideas thepany had nned with Hiro in the lead.


    They were going to make him one of the key figure. It was truly marvelous. A contract Hiro would regret upon refusing.


    Although those use rting to advertisements, bugged him. Nevertheless Hiro epted the contract with a smile on his face as he presented his verdict after going through the contract, "I''d be happy to join this amazing organization"


    Upon hearing those words, her face blossomed like a flower as an intense feeling of tion overcame her, "Thank you for deciding to sign with us. You''ve made the right choice."


    Extending her hands forward, she spoke with her eyes glistening with joy, "Takahashi Hiro, wee onboard. We look forward to working with you"


    Reflecting the passion and joy, Hiro extended his arms as he grabbed hers, "I''ll be under your care mam. Please take care of me"

 Chapter 337 Preparation for a commercial

    <h4>Chapter 337 Preparation for amercial</h4>


    "What is everyone doing? Why has the set not been prepared yet?"


    An angry voice resonated as an old man dressed immactely in khaki pants entered a spacious room equipped with cameras, lights and many other equipment which are mostly used for shooting.


    Immediately upon hearing his furious yell, many of the people who were going on with their tasks became startled as they contorted their face in horror.


    "Sorry sir, we''ll get it done right away."


    Ady with sses came rushing towards the old man and apologized as she tried to appease the anger of that old man who right now was fuming.


    "Everybody move fast. We have to finish it quick"


    She urged those people working currently to speed up.


    Still sounding somewhat grumpy, the old man replied in rather annoyed and furious tone; putting the me on the people present there, "Were you all sleeping? I go out for a minute and everything bes a mess"


    Thedy with the sses however, despite hearing his thorny words kept on apologizing to him docilely without any signs of retaliation.


    "Move your leg fast Nagano, haven''t you have anything to eat?"


    "What are you doing Satsuki? Move those lights more to the right"


    The man continued to spew acid as he nagged andined without any stop. Yet nobody retorted or dared to go up against him.


    After somewhile, a man came rushing towards the scene. Drenched in sweat, he spoke in a hurried manner, "The male model has arrived sir"


    Immediately upon hearing those simple words, his already irritated mood became even more irritated as he cried out in frustration and fury, "Argh!!! Now look the model have already arrived and yet we haven''tpleted preparing the set"


    No sooner had those words escaped his mouth, instinctively everybody working there braced themselves for the impact that was about toe.


    "Can''t you all do one thing in time for once?"


    "Why does every time when I''m not present at the set such problems arise?"


    "Just can''t you do one thing properly without me for once?"


    The old man berated the people working their as he shot gaze full of disdain towards them.


    Even though most of them had already expected this follow up, still hearing those words made their heart bleed. They were fully ustomed with the directors personality but even so who would like to hear such nagging every time?


    "Not only my staff members are unprofessional now I even have to attend to this amateur who doesn''t have any experience in acting" The old man grumbled as he annoyedly strode towards the exit, "If not for it being a huge deal, I wouldn''t even have paid any attention to this kid in the first ce"


    "Who cares if he''s a huge deal or not? I wonder how many shots would I have to retake today..."


    Apanied by a staff member from Mizuno, Hiro made his way towards the studio for recording an advertisement.


    It hadn''t been that long since he had signed that brand endorsement deal with Mizuno. And here he was already forced to shoot amercial.


    ''At least they could have provided me with an acting instructor to learn some acting first? Now what am I supposed to do? Go and stand there?'' Hiro thought as he walked towards the studio where the shooting was going to take ce.


    Though, he remained expressionless from outside.


    But obviously, he was not happy. More than unhappiness and dissatisfaction, he was rather nervous right now. Afterall it was his firstmercial.


    Yes, he had appeared in the screen on multiple asion but he had never acted before. Sure, he did have a Youtube channel in his early days, but he had never acted even in that.


    All he could do was demonstrate his skills and acting wasn''t his forte.


    Even before starting, Hiro knowing his situation knew it for sure that he was screwed.


    "Hello director Serizawa, it''s a pleasure to meet you"


    Disying an amicable smile on his face, the person who was sent by thepany to act as his caretaker until the end of the shooting spoke as he addressed that old man with utmost respect and hospitality.


    Upon hearing the words of his caretaker, immediately Hiroposed himself as he bowed his head; introducing himself and greeting this old man in front of him, "It''s a pleasure to meet you sir. I''m Takahashi Hiro. Please take care of me"


    Hiro tried to be as much polite as he could. And while doing so, he didn''t hold back himself from showing respect to this fellow in front of him.


    Since, he couldn''t get out of this situation and since he had to work with him, having a better rtionship with the director would surelye in handy.


    Thus, with such thoughts in mind, Hiro spoke with utmost respect and sincerity to tter this old man from whom he could sense dissatisfaction even from far.


    Director Serizawa who until a moment ago looked quite tensed


    ¡ª a smile blossomed in his face as he addressed both his caretaker and him in a gentle manner, "Haha, so you''re that famous footballer who has managed to captivate the hearts of many of our country''s fellow citizens huh?"


    "You do look quite young for someone who has attained so much sess. And you''ve got a pretty handsome face, on top of those amazing footballing talents"


    If anybody from his crew were to see this side of him, they would have probably thrown off by now. Afterall his personality had took a 360 degree turn in matter of seconds.


    Was he the same person who was spewing acid back then?


    Just then while they were conversing, a girl dressed immactely in ck skirt and white shirt made her appearance on the scene.


    Her captivating ck eyes, speckled with hints of mystery and intrigue while her lustrous jet-ck hair, cascading down her head, dangled freely as she made her way toward the scene apanied by a male who was holding an umbre, shading her from the sun.


    "Perfect timing" director Serizawa upon taking notice of this girl eximed enthusiastically, "Yourpatriot who''ll be working with you has arrived as well"


    Hearing his words, Hiro slightly turned his head to look at the girl.

 Chapter 338 Commercial shooting

    <h4>Chapter 338 Commercial shooting</h4>


    Just at the time his eyesnded on her, the two of their eyes met for split second before that girl rolled her eyes away from him; giving him cold shoulder.


    ''Not the friendly one huh?''


    Hiro thought to himself upon experiencing her coldness.


    But still he couldn''t deny the fact that she was indeed pretty. However from her, Hiro could also feel an aura of haughtiness emanating from her.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you again director Serizawa. I hope you are doing fine" The girl spoke in her sweet voice as she politely addressed the director.


    It was unlike her previous attitude towards Hiro where she had outrightly ignored him to his face giving him the cold shoulder.


    Sounding extremely cheerful, director Serizawa greeted her back, "You''re still as polite as ever Kagura. Ahh right, allow me to introduce you to yourpatriot who''ll be working together with you in thismercial"


    Saying so, he turned towards Hiro, "He''s Takahashi Hiro, you must have heard about him, right?"


    Bowing his head slightly, Hiro introduced himself, "Hello, I''m Takahashi Hiro. It''s a pleasure to meet you. This is my first time shooting amercial. So, I''ll be under your care"


    Disying his sincerity, he greeted the girl.


    "The pleasure is all mine. I''m Kagura Osaragi." the girl returned the greeting with as much sweetness as she had disyed before.


    A moment ago when the two of them had locked eyes, she had immediately rolled her eyes away from him. But right now, the same girl was acting so friendly towards him.


    Experiencing such radical change in her attitude, Hiro was quite mesmerized.


    ''Well they''re actors for a reason'' Hiro thought to himself as he tried to justify her actions.


    From the beginning, he hadn''t paid any heed to her actions. And it''s not like he wanted to befriend her or impress her.


    If not for themercial, he wouldn''t even have shot a nce at her. Afterall why would he trouble himself with the attitude of a teen girl.


    If she wanted to act as if the world revolved around her then so be it. That had nothing to do with him.


    After some while as the two of them dressed up and appeared on the set, the director exined them their roles. Since, Hiro was aplete beginner the staff members had to pay extra attention to him.


    Action!!


    Shouted the director.


    Drenched in sweat, Kagura copsed on the ground as she exhausted herself.


    Huff!! Huff!!


    "Why?"


    Panting heavily, she shouted in pain with moisture building up in her eyes.


    Her seemingly pretty face was smeared with dirt while there were some apparent bruises in her hands and legs. Right now, she was dressed in a tattered jersey smeared with dirt.


    "I''ve tried so hard. I worked so hard for it..."


    Saying so in her teary voice, she covered her face as she paused momentarily before murmuring weakly, "Yet why?"


    Abruptly she mmed the ground as she spoke with her voice filled with regret, rage, sadness and helplessness, "Why am I not chosen?"


    "What more do you want from me god? Are you mocking my efforts or are you saying that I''m not talented enough?"


    Her scream filled with helplessness and fury resonated through the air as she continued to wail. With her mouth running dry, she now had nothing left to say.


    Even if sheined and wailed, there was nobody to hear her. The only thing left right now was loneliness and the conflict she had within her heart.


    After she stoppedining, suddenly an eerie silence engulfed the surrounding around her.


    Right at this moment however, she heard faint sound of something.


    Thud!! Thud!!


    The sound was extremely muffled yet audible enough to be heard. At first, she thought she was imagining things. But the more she concentrated her attention towards it, the more it became clear.


    The tears in her eyes had yet to dry but that faint sound piqued her interest.


    She was sure that nobody beside her was present in the ground at this moment.


    Wiping off her tears, she then curiously followed the source of the sound she had been hearing for quite a while by now.


    Following the sound, she found herself in the backside of her school building. And at this ce the sound became even more intense.


    Based on the intensity of the sound, she concurred that she wasn''t the only person who was present here.


    But who could it be? And why does this sound so familiar?


    Several thoughts arose in her mind as she became extremely dubious. But still mustering up her courage, she decided to take a peek.


    Carefully, while hiding behind the walls, she slightly lifted her head with utmost vignce; afraid to give her away and startle the person.


    A silhouette of a person became clear. And as she followed that silhouette, she found a boy;pletely exhausted, sweating profusely, drenched in sweat and was in a much more miserable state than her.


    Casting long shadows across the clearing, sun had already drawn closer to the horizon, painting the whole sky in its dying colors.


    Even so, amidst the fading light, the boy''s movement was getting more pronounced, resembling a seamless synchronization with the setting sun.


    ''Isn''t he Satsuki? Why is he pushing himself so far? He isn''t even selected for the team... So, why are you pushing so hard?''


    She questioned in her mind as she recognized the boy in front.


    Bam!! Bam!!


    Multiple times, he copsed on the ground. Even so, he didn''t stop kicking the ball.


    Just looking at his shaking legs, one could tell that he was beyond exhausted. For a moment it seemed that even standing alone would be hard.


    Yet, he proved her wrong countless times as he stood on his legs and started kicking the ball against her expectation.


    Perspiration fell down his face without any pause as he continued to shoot. And even the light of the setting sun was embracing him, emphasizing his tenacity and resilience.


    Thud!!


    Once again, he copsed on the ground. Continuing to watch him, she had already forgotten how many times he had copsed already until now.


    But however, unlike previous times, she couldn''t hold back herself this time from asking him why he was pushing so far?


    Coming out of her hiding, she spoke in a rather desperate tone, "You..., Why are you pushing yourself so far? You''re not even selected in the team?"


    Although hearing her voice startled him, Hiro who was acting as this miserable boy slowly lifted his head as he turned to face her.


    Unwavering determination shed in his eyes as he spoke resolutely, "Because I''ve got a dream to chase...."


    Completing his sentence, he stood with great difficulty and again started towards the ball. However this time while he was trying to shoot the camera focused on his boot and then performed a close up of his face, capturing the emotions wlessly.


    "Dare to dream, Mizuno"


    "And cut" director Serizawa who seemed extremely exhausted announced.


    No sooner had he announced the end of themercial, a collective gasp escaped the mouth of the people present there as everybody heaved a deep sigh of relief, "Phew~~~~"


    It was already the 9th retake after all and thus, everybody were quite exhausted.

 Chapter 339 Nebula

    Chapter 339 Neb


    ??About a week after thatmercial was shot, it was aired on the screen.


    Putting great emphasis to themercial, Mizuno spared no efforts to market thismercial to the people. Their marketing team spent day and night booking led billboards in various part of Japan to broadcast thismercial.


    In Shibuya crosswalk, one of the busiest ce on earth where people wouldn''t even stop for a moment as themercial started ying on the big screens ced on towering skyscrapers, many people took notice of it.


    **** ****


    "Kota, isn''t it big brother Hiro?"


    A boy asked as he pointed towards the advertisement screen of one of the store.


    "It is big brother Hiro" nodding his head, Kota who right now was goofing around with his friends answered in an excited tone.


    "Damn!! He looks so cool"


    "Yeah!! I''m gonna tell my mom to buy me the same boot big brother Hiro is wearing in that advertisement"


    "Me too"


    **** ****


    "Satsuki fill me with the details regarding that ad campaign we''veunched" hurrying her way towards her office, ady dressed immactely in coffee colored suit spoke in amanding manner.


    Running towards her, anotherdy answered as she presented the reports, "Yes mam. Based on the sales improvement we''ve had in recent weeks we can assume that the campaign is a huge sess."


    "Since itsunch, we''ve already sold out our inventory and we also have more than 10 thousand order in pending"


    Giving a satisfying nod, she murmured, "Good.... We''ll continue to ride this momentum and sell even more"


    "Yes mam"


    Thedy who was filling her with the reports responded.


    ''It seems like we still underestimated your influence Takahashi Hiro'' Nanao thought as she leaned her back against her chair.


    Suddenly a sinister smile bloomed on her face as she murmured, "You''re our golden goose Takahashi Hiro"


    **** ****


    "Achoo!!"


    Hiro let out an abrupt sneeze.


    Wiping his nose, he murmured, "Did I stay too long in shower today?"


    "Or somebody could be talking about you" Shun who was seated right next to him joked.


    "Well given that he has be even a bigger star, who knows if it''s only one person or a whole town hahaha...."


    Another of his teammate joined the conversation as he teased Hiro.


    No sooner had those words escaped his mouth, everyone around him burst intoughter. Due to which, all of a sudden it became extremely lively around them.


    Currently all of them were inside the team bus; heading towards their next destination to face their 20th opponent of the season.


    Right now they were sitting in the second position with a game at their hand. If they managed to win even this game then once again they''d move to the first position.


    This match however was thest match Hiro and Shun could attend. After this match, they''d have to join the national team for a closed door training session to prepare for the big tournament¡ª under 17 world cup.


    "Dare to dream, Mizuno"


    Few of his teammates started imitating his roles in themercial. And they seemed quite serious when they did so.


    The follow up however was onlyughter of happiness and carefreeness.


    "Ahh right, they developed a whole new product for you right Hiro?" solemnly asked Akihiro with curiosity shing in his eyes.


    "Yeah, it is totally new brand developed for only you, isn''t it?" another yer chimed in.


    Nodding his head, Hiro answered, "Yeah, it''s called Neb"


    "Neb? As in those gigantic masses of cloud or fog in the sky responsible for creation of stars and gxies?" curiously asked one of his teammate who recognized that term immediately.


    "Well....., not sure. But they did say something like, you''re a star in the process of making and it is believed that Neb''s are star-forming region. So, this boot is a neb because you''ll be a star formed in this boot someday" Hiro answered in a profound way.


    The way Hiro answered about the naming of the boot designed for him sounded so grand and profound that it immediately captivated the hearts of many of his teammates.


    "Woah!!"


    Mesmerized by his words, many of them stared at him with sparkling eyes.


    "Do you want to see it? I forgot to show this to you all before" Hiro questioned.


    In a unified voice, many of them responded in rather irritated tone, "Why didn''t you show it before?"


    Hiro himself had actually gotten these boots delivered to him just this morning. So, he simply didn''t have enough time to show it to his friends.


    And the one he wore in themercial was a prototype sample. It wasn''t the finished product which is why he had no ess to the boots.


    But now as he mentioned about the boots, it piqued everybody''s interest. Previously when they had tried asking him about the boot, he had answered that the one he had wore on themercial was merely a prototype and the real one would take some time to finish.


    However now as they heard about the information of the avability of the boot from him, they simply couldn''t hold back themselves from trying to see the real deal.


    Afterall almost everybody knows that original boots used by the yers are made differently than the replicas sold in the store.


    Apart from the design almost everything is different. Especially the materials used to manufacture in huge quantities are totally different.


    Well its quite obvious why they do it?


    It''s to save the cost and make it affordable. Afterall the original product would cost a lot and not everybody would be able to buy it.


    And this is disadvantageous for both thepany and public. Thepany would suffer losses and lose potential customers.


    On the other hand, general public wouldn''t get ess to the thing they want.


    As if Hiro was taking out treasure from his bag, everybody curiously focused their gaze on his hands.


    Countless light patterns such as purple, red, green merged together in a dark background with many dots of light resembling a neb perfectly. The design of the boot was quite eye catching and mesmerizing.


    It was truly a sight to behold and one of its kind.

 Chapter 340 Endurance training

    Chapter 340 Endurance training


    ??The sky was painted with the brushstrokes of pale pink and soft orange while the sun peeked thendscape from the east horizon.


    It''s first rays were like gentle fingers of light¡ª gracefully reaching out and caressing the sleeping earth. While the surface resonated along with its touch as it seem toe alive with its touch.


    At this moment, some moving silhouette could be seen on a certain grassy field while sounds of heavy gasps could be heard.


    "Anybody who fails to finish theps will have to run extra 20ps"


    A loud yetmanding voice, echoed.


    Yet even this loud voice seem to harmonize with this peaceful morning.


    "Yes sir"


    No sooner had that voice dissipated, a unified roar filled with determination and vigor followed.


    Currently Hiro and his teammates of U17 team were runningps around a football field in an unified procession.


    "Don''t stop your legs guys. Keep on moving. Just 7 moreps"


    A guy dressed in ck trackpants was givingmand from the sidelines while they all continued their march.


    Although every single one of them were answering obediently but the reality was quite harsh. Some of them right now were beyond exhausted.


    And most of them were only putting up a farce.


    "30ps on the first day? Are you kidding with me?"


    "Huff...., Are we training for marathon or football? Huff!! Give me... a break already"


    As they continued to runps, most of them while struggling to keep up with the intensity of the training whined.


    Hiro however had no problems with such endurance training at all. It was just 10 moreps than his regr 20ps around the field.


    In fact right now, let alone running out of breathe, he wasn''t even trying his best. While most of his teammates were already wobbling, he was running as if he was jogging.


    Shun on the other hand was sweating profusely. Struggling to breathe, he was gasping heavily. Just looking at his miserable state, one could conjure that he was exhausted beyond his limit. Yet even so, his eyes said otherwise.


    Those tired eyes were more sharper and determined than most of the yers present on the field at the moment.


    Those eyes were a testament to his strong will and determination. If only those who were whining could witness those spark in his eyes; may be they''d have changed their way of thinking as well.


    Soon enough, holes started to appear in this seemingly perfect procession as some yers started tog behind. Many of them couldn''t keep up and fell behind.


    Even so, none of them were willing to stop their legs as none of them wished to run another 20ps around the field.


    Seeing their miserable state, Hiro felt quite pitiful of them. But somewhere in his heart, he also felt disappointed.


    Running mere 30ps around the field could force them in such situation then how were they going to survive against those teams with monstrous endurance?


    No doubt, they were good yers. But to beat the best, simply being good wasn''t enough. Afterall to beat the best, you have to surpass the best.


    And the best couldn''t be surpassed with such feeble mindset.


    To add salt to their wound, Hiro who wasn''t putting any effort until now started to act. At this moment when their formation was already in a mess, even if he acted out he wouldn''t get scolded by his coach.


    With such thought in mind, all of a sudden, he elerated. It was as if, he had extra pair of lungs.


    His abrupt eleration startled a lot of his teammates but he didn''t care.


    "Seriously? Doesn''t he ever get tired?"


    "Is he trying to showoff?"


    Several yers cried out upon witnessing his eleration.


    No sooner had he elerated, he immediately finished anotherp and caught with his stranded teammates who were gasping heavily and running as if they were on the verge of copse.


    But instead of encouraging or being empathetic towards their condition, Hiro mocked them instead, "Aren''t you ashamed of yourself, even a keeper has surpassed you"


    There was truth in his words. Afterall Shun despite being a keeper was quite ahead of some of the yers who yed as defenders.


    Those words of Hiro cut deep as they felt their stomach churning with fury. All of a sudden, they then increased their pace.


    ''Simpletons'' Hiro upon seeing the increase in their pace, mused.


    After some while as thest person copsed on the ground;pleting his share of 30ps around the field, they were given a fifteen minute break.


    Huff!! Huff!!


    Bodies piled on the ground while hurried gasps escaped the mouth of many exhausted yers. Almost every single one of them had exhausted their whole energypleting thisps.


    Smell of sweat lingered in the air as their sweat drenched body rested atop the grass.


    However at this moment a inspiration struck Hiro as he decided to try something different¡ª something he had seen Mateo do countless times.


    Sprinting alongside the ball, he imagined exact movements executed by Mateo. Not only did he try to imitate exact same movements of Mateo, he even recalled the movements of the opposing yers who rushed towards Mateo.


    With a burst of speed, his feet danced along with the ball. Imaginary opposing yers lunged towards him, desperate to disrupt his rhythm but he still glided past them effortlessly like he was dancing along the field.


    "What is he doing?"


    Several confused eyes looked at him with dazed expression. But soon enough as they witnessed this wlessly executed moves, it enthralled them.


    His dribbling was akin to poetry in motion, a symphony of delicate touches and lightning-fast reactions.


    Some of them even imagined the movement of those imaginary opponents inside Hiro''s head. And seeing those imaginary opponents made them even more curious and excited.


    At this moment, while Hiro executed his wless dribbling, gasps of admiration filled the air.


    Finally as he twisted his body and made the final shot toplete his set of movements, a notification rung in his head.


    [Congrattion forpleting the quest]

 Chapter 341 Greed

    Chapter 341 Greed


    ??While the onlookers around him were still enthralled by his moves, Hiro upon hearing the notification of the system slightly curled his lips.


    As much as it was fun to execute those moves, it was quite tiring as well.


    Given his physicality, he had no problem. But executing thoseplex sets of moves sure exhausted his mental energy.


    After all, he had to concentrate deeply to execute those moves.


    Strangely enough, despite dribbling being his forte, Hiro found Mateo''s dribbling style rather unique. And only after trying to mimic it multiple times, had he figured out the uniqueness of this simple but effective dribbling style.


    But still, he was quite ted about the oue.


    Not only had his knowledge about dribbling broadened, but now he could even copy a talent possessed by such an amazing yer.


    Those hours he had put into analyzing his game, those efforts he had put into figuring out his ystyle, every effort he had put into this quest felt like it was worth it at this moment.


    While he was feeling grateful about the effort he had put into it, the system directed him to his rewards. Oddly enough there weren''t that many talents he could choose from the set of talents Mateo possessed given his expectations.


    Contrary to his expectations, unlike Park Seung-Gyu, Mateo had a limited reserve of talent. However, every single one of them was of huge help to Mateo.


    [Equilibrium(S), Phantom steps(S), Heart of steel(S), Dribbling King(SS)]


    These four talents in particr piqued his interest.


    ''A talent that could increase your bnce while dribbling, a talent simr to that of skill lightning steps but only activates in cases of throw balls, a talent to fortify your mentality, and a talent of the highest caliber I''ve seen until now''


    Every single one of those talents was impressive. And every single one of those talentsplimented each other greatly.


    Truly thosebination of talents could make anyone a skilled dribbler. Also, Hiro being a dribbler himself, every single one of those talents could be of great help to him.


    Upon seeing those impressive assets, Hiro was ovee with desire to the point of salivating over them.


    Selecting one among those fine sets of talents was torture.


    How could he only select one when there were so many good pieces of stuff in front of him? No matter what he chooses, a lingering taste of regret would be left in his mouth.


    But even so, no matter how much he wished to possess all four of those special talents, he''d have to suppress his desires and make his own choices.


    However, he still couldn''t afford to decide in a hurry. He''d have to carefully consider and select one talent that would be of great help to him in the uing tournament.


    So for now, he decided to dy his picking and focus on the training instead. After all the training had yet toe to an end.


    And it was only wise to be careful when picking.


    Exhaling a mouth full of turbid air, Hiro then hurried over to his teammates. No sooner had he joined his teammates, he was met with his teammate''s captivated stares and questions filled with curiosity and bewilderment.


    "How did you execute such wless moves?"


    "Will you teach me those moves?"


    Bombarded by questions, he spent his time answering their questions.


    "Enough rest. Now everybody gather up, we''ll do some drills"


    The coach''s voice rang out as hemanded everybody to gather up for some training drills.


    Upon hearing his loud voice, yers dragged their lethargic bodies towards him. Although they were still exhausted, they had no choice but to obey hismands.


    "It must have been really hard to maintain your center of bnce while executing those moves right?" while making their way towards the coach, Yutaka intoned; pointing out the most important thing required to execute those skillful moves.


    As soon as he heard hisments, Hiro turned his gaze to Yutaka, surprised by what he had said.


    Exactly as mentioned by him, it was extremely important to maintain one''s center of bnce while executing those moves.


    More than those fancy footwork and movement, bodily gestures and bnce yed a huge role in acquiring those skills.


    Even Hiro who had spent days learning about it had only figured it out recently. But Yutaka immediately pointed out his day''s worth of finding in one single nce.


    At this moment, Hiro was both amazed and terrified by his observation. But even so, he couldn''t bring himself to act utterly surprised.


    Thus, no sooner had he disyed an expression full of shock on his face, than he immediately rposed hisposure.


    ''He truly is a genius... Pity, that his mentality is holding him back from achieving his true potential''


    Hiro thought while frowning his brows, pitying Yutaka.


    As the sun began to rise, casting a warm glow on the field, the training intensified. Hiro and his teammates engaged in a series of challenging drills, each one designed to improve their agility, speed, and teamwork.


    Zigzagging between cones, expertly weaving through obstacles like dancers in pursuit of perfection, every single one of them engaged in the drills designed by the coaches with utmost diligence and obedience.


    Although a lot of yersined about the intensity of the training, still they carried out their tasks with diligence.


    And as morning light grew stronger so did the intensity of their training. In conditioned drills and relentless scrimmages, Hiro and his teammates tested their mettle against each other.


    Finally, after a long, arduous training session when the morning sun had fully risen and the field was bathed in its light, the training session came to an end.


    Tattered and exhausted beyond their limits, no sooner had the coach announced the end of morning training than almost everybody copsed on the floor.


    Their sweat-drenched bodyy atop the grassy field as they tried to find sce in the refreshing coldness of the surface beneath their tired ass body.

 Chapter 342 Talent decided

    <h4>Chapter 342 Talent decided</h4>


    Smiling, manager Haruki mused at their progress, ''Although their performance needs improvement, at least nobody gave up halfway'' while sweeping his gaze across the fallen bodies of the yers lying on the field.


    As soon as his eyesnded on Hiro, he couldn''t help but watch him curiously. "I knew he was different," he thought. ''But how different is he? Doesn''t he ever get tired?''


    Lying on his back, Hiro pondered, ''It''s only logical to choose the talent with the highest grade.''


    Even though, he knew that he was being reasonable. But despite that, he couldn''t bring himself to execute his thoughts right away.


    An unsettling feeling was preventing him from taking action.


    As magnificent as those talents appeared, each had its own set of ws as well. And just because one talent was ranked higher than others, he couldn''t make his decision easily without taking itspatibility with him into consideration.


    After all, he had an important tournament uing. And he didn''t want to screw this tournament because of one wrong decision.


    Thus because of such reasons, he was having quite a hard time selecting the talent.


    After some time, as some of them recovered barely enough to move their exhausted body, they started heading out.


    Despite their agitation towards the brutality they had suffered, almost none of them had even an ounce of energy left toin at this moment.


    All they could think at this moment was to get to their dorm as fast as possible and lie on theirfy bed to relieve some pain.


    "Are youing? You don''t seem tired at all," Yutaka asked Hiro as he stood to leave like his other teammates.


    "You guys go on. I''ll catch upter" Acting as if he was intrigued by the beauty of the azure sky above him, Hiro refused.


    "Leave him be. He''lle once he gets hungry" Saying so, Shun turned to leave.


    After some while, as everybody left the training ground, he found himself all alone. The warm rays of the morning sun which was falling onto his body were extremely soothing while the asional gust of breeze was quite refreshing.


    If only he didn''t have to think about the talent to choose, he''d have preferred to just take a nap while lying there.


    Closing his eyes while letting himself lose in the beauty of the moment as he stood still, he started contemting the talent to choose.


    Weighing the pros and cons of each option, he finally decided after much thought, "I''ll go with equilibrium"


    As usual, the moment he locked onto the talent he wanted to possess, he felt subtle changes taking ce in his body.


    Oddly enough, it was quite soothing. It was as if a burden had been lifted from his body and his body had gotten lighter and more stable.


    [New talent acquired]


    [Equilibrium(S)]


    [Improves your stability to a great extent. Provides a permanent boost to your dribbling. Lessens the chances of falls and twisted ankles]


    For an S-rank talent, there wasn''t much description. But it was still enough to understand the sheer importance of this talent.


    The talent that had allowed Mateo to flourish was right now in his possession. If not for this talent, Mateo''s highest-rated talent wouldn''t have amounted to anything at all either.


    Though Dribbling King Talent''s grade was the highest to execute the perks of that talent, a stable body was required.


    And without the aid of equilibrium, it would be just like a car without any breaks.


    But just having a good bnce wouldn''t have amounted to anything either. Without skills, almost anything will amount to nothing.


    And Hiro would have picked the talent dribbling king if he wasn''t a good dribbler. But since he was already a good dribbler himself, he chose the talent Equilibrium to assist his dribbling prowess and many other aspects such as shooting, heading, etc.


    After all, not only would this talent reduce his chances of injury and assist his dribbling, but it would also allow him to shoot more effectively since it would allow him to correct his shooting posture.


    With such thoughts in mind, after careful consideration, he made his choice. And the smile on his face at the moment was a testament to his decision.


    ???? ????


    November 10, 2023


    Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium


    The stadium pulsated with anticipation, its expanse filled to the brim with passionate fans. Lights danced across the pitch, illuminating a stage for a grand spectacle.


    Right now in this very stadium, a grand spectacle was about to take cememorating the start of the U-17 World Cup.


    As the fiery hum of excitement filled the air, the stadium lights dimmed slowly and a hushed silence fell upon the crowd.


    A lone spotlight illuminated the center of the pitch, where a silhouette of a person appeared seemingly out of thin air.


    With a bang of colored smoke, a person emerged from within the smoke. And at once, the stadium came to life as colored lights of different colors ran amuck in the stadium.


    A wave of emotion swept through the stadium as the fans rose to their feet.


    At the same time, music echoed in the entire stadium as that person who right now was the center of attention started singing.


    Apparently, he was a local celebrity with a huge fan following. And since today''s match was going to be held between the host nation Indonesia and Ecuador, home fans had flocked into the stadium in huge numbers.


    The spotlight then shifted to a group of young children, each representing different nations participating in this global event.


    In the background, the music was still ying while those kids trotted onto the pitch, carrying the gs of their respective nations.


    The show continued for a while as one after other famous personalities demonstrated their charms and entertained the crowd thoroughly.


    Finally, as the show concluded, the moment arrived when the teams themselves emerged from the tunnel. Immediately no sooner had both of these teams made their appearance, a crescendo of cheers that shook the entire stadium to its core echoed.


    "Hurry up Hiro, it''s going to start" Looking at his phone, Shun urged Hiro to hurry up in a rather irritated tone.

 Chapter 343 Twelfth player

    Chapter 343 Twelfth yer


    ??Currently, while the opening match was about tomence, every yer from team Japan hade together to enjoy the opening match and also to analyze their opponents.


    Despite the cheerful sounds echoing from the speakers, the room was heavy with a grim atmosphere, evident from their expressions.


    And the reason behind their darkened expression was the group allocation.


    Grouped with teams like Argentina, Senegal, and Pnd in Group D, also called the group of death, how could they rx and enjoy?


    Argentina, the recent senior world champion with an extremely skilled squad, Senegal, a powerhouse team from Africa whose senior team had won the recent AFCON, and Pnd whose youths are wreaking havoc in the European leagues.


    Every single one of those teams is extremely formidable.


    In fact, considering their situation, right now, they should be preparing for their matches instead of concerning themselves with apletely irrelevant match.


    Yet to ease up their morale, manager Haruki had allowed them to watch the opening match. But by the looks of it, it seemed like it wasn''t much effective.


    "Has it started?" Hiro asked as he entered the room apanied by Shun who appeared rather unhappy and irritated at the moment.


    Well considering how much he had waited for Hiro, his bitter mood was quite justifiable.


    "Yeah 7 minutes have passed" While everybody remained silent, Yutaka answered in a rather dispirited tone.


    Yutaka''s response however only got on Shun''s nerves as his already bitter mood turned even more bitter after hearing his response.


    Darting his cold gaze towards Hiro, he gritted his teeth expressing his unhappiness.


    But Hiro who was standing right next to him,pletely ignored him as he trod forward towards Yutaka without even ncing a single look at Shun.


    Right now, the person at fault seemed oblivious while the victim was upset.


    And Shun who was aware of Hiro''s personality knew that he wouldn''t get anything from bing irritated at him. He''d only do himself harm.


    Thus, he let go of his anger and joined the group.


    "They''re ying better than expected, aren''t they?" Surprised by the y the Indonesian yer had shown so far, Shun mumbled.


    Many of them before the start of the match had assumed that the Indonesian team would y defensively because they were the underdogs.


    But not only were they not ying defensively, they had generated a fair amount of chances and they were challenging the opposing team.


    Currently, 20 minutes had already passed and Indonesian yers were holding their ground without any sort of difficulty.


    In fact, most of the time until now, they were the ones on the offense.


    "You shouldn''t underestimate the home team. After all, currently, they''re ying with twelve yers on the field" Hiro answered.


    Shun was perplexed by Hiro''s answer and asked in a confused tone, "Twelve yers?"


    ''Does he mean that they''ve bought the referee?''


    Many of his teammates who were listening to his remarks couldn''t help but attribute the remark about the twelfth yer to the referee.


    ''But until now, he hasn''t made any controversial decision? Or did I miss something?''


    Such doubts surfaced in the hearts of many of his teammates who were listening to his conversation with Shun.


    Well most of them weren''t at fault for thinking such, after all in modern football scandals regarding referees are quitemon.


    And a term about the referee being the twelfth yer is quite popr as well.


    Before anyone could let their imagination run wild, Hiro''s answer left them feeling ashamed. He exined that supporters are often referred to as the twelfth yer on the field, and having such an advantage, Indonesia is performing even better today.


    It''s a shame that in today''s world, football seems to be more about sensationalism and drama than the beautiful game itself. Instead of celebrating the yers and their talents, many people seem to thrive on scandals and defamatory stories.


    And even these young yers who have yet to explore the beauty of this sport are defiled by the negative agendas floating on the inte.


    If some yers perform exceptionally well there''ll always be those envious of him defaming him, attributing his sess to shady means.


    Truly it''s such a shame that those who know nothing about balling are acting as if they know everything about the sport, spreading false news and defiling the beauty of the game.


    Just as they were conversing, suddenly the intensity of the match intensified as the Indonesian yers ferociously charged forward after a failed attempt from the opposing team.


    As the Indonesian yers moved the ball upfield, yers from Ecuador quickly fell back. Failing to stop their momentum would surely lead to a disaster.


    The crowd became extremely excited as a hushed silence fell upon the stadium while watching the y taking ce on the field.


    Getting close to the defensive third of the opposing team, the Indonesian winger lobbed the ball toward the box where their team''s striker was making his run.


    There was almost close to no defender of the opposing team present inside the box. If not for the sole defender of the opposing team, it would be like getting a free shot.


    Still, the Indonesian striker was outnumbered since the opposing team had two yers inside the box while he had no teammates for support.


    At this moment, he was required to produce results by himself. After all, right now he was the center of attention of thousands of eyes filled with expectation.


    And if he missed this golden opportunity, he''d for sure disappoint those expectant eyes. Not only that, he''d also incur the wrath of those expectant eyes.


    The weight of pressure on him was quite heavy.


    Yet even that pressure couldn''t bring him to his knees as he slotted the ball inside the post with a beautiful header.


    At once, as the ball sailed inside the post, a crescendo of cheers erupted from the stadium as the supporters of the home team were ovee with joy.


    In the 22nd minute of the match, the home team took the lead with a stunning header from their team''s striker.

 Chapter 344 A time together with the team

    <h4>Chapter 344 A time together with the team</h4>


    The home team''s joy however was short-lived as within the next six minutes after scoring their first goal of the match, the away side responded with a magnificent goal and silenced the raging fans burning with passion.


    Instantly a hushed silence fell upon the entire stadium while the away side celebrated their goal,pletely disregarding the feelings of the home fans.


    While the fans of the home team continued to express their grief, the yers of Japan began to present their side of the judgment for conceding this goal.


    "They shouldn''t have left him open"


    "How could they fail to stop one yer with three defenders?"


    At this moment while most of the yers wereining about the mistakes of the Indonesian yers, acting as if they were omniscient, Shun''s words left them utterly speechless, "Then why don''t you all try ganging up on Hiro"


    Saying so, he swept his gaze across them. But every single one of them avoided his gaze. Sure enough, they were all bark and no bite.


    ''Why is he mentioning my name?'' Hiro thought as he heard Shun''s remarks, clearly unhappy with having his name mentioned.


    "Hmph..., So much for acting as if they''re better" Shun snorted, sneering at their omniscient attitude.


    Right after conceding that equalizing goal, the yers of the home team regained theirposure as they pushed for a second goal that could give them the lead.


    Supported by countless home fans, none of them dared to ck off as they all gave their very best to meet the expectations set by their fans.


    For the rest of the time, they capitalized on almost every opportunity that came knocking on their door and attacked ferociously, not giving the opposing team a single moment to rest.


    But even so, the opposing side persisted and resisted their flurry of attack.


    Contrary to everybody''s expectations, the Indonesian side was dominating the Ecuadorian side. More so, after that second goal, their whole team had be united and their performance had soared to the next level.


    Still though, even after countless tries, the home team failed to score another goal. The same was true for the away team. They couldn''t score any goals either.


    And just like this, a thrilling first half came to an end.


    No sooner had the whistle to announce the end of the first half had rung, than a collective gasp echoed in the room housing the yers of Japan.


    "Damn! It was such a thrilling first half"


    "Right, especially after that goal from Obando, it was like the game had entered the next level"


    The scene in the room waspletely different than what it was before the start of the game. Filled with the opinions of yers, the once grim and tense ambiance in the room was starting to liven up.


    Seated at a certain distance away from the yers, Manager Haruki revealed a satiated smirk as he felt extremely relieved by the change taking ce in front of him.


    From the moment, the yers found out about the group allocation, the morale of the squad had been quite low which had been concerning.


    But now, finally, when the morale of the squad was showing signs of recovery, he couldn''t help but feel relieved.


    For the past few months, the matter regarding the yer''s low morale had truly been worrying him. And thinking about the solution to improve this situation had been draining him out mentally.


    ''If not for the Indonesian yers performing so well, they might still be sulking. But now that they have witnessed that even the team they thought of as an underdog could demonstrate such a brilliant performance, it will surely boost their confidence


    Feeling grateful towards the Indonesian team, manager Haruki credited the change in the mood of his team''s locker room to the Indonesian yers.


    Subconsciously at this moment, he had even started to pray for the home team''s victory.


    After a short break, as yers from both teams began to walk out of the aisle, once again everybody''s attention was drawn towards the screen.


    "Guys, it''s about to start"


    Until a while ago, it was still noisy but now that the second half was about tomence, a hushed silence fell upon the room as everybody shifted their attention towards the screen.


    Beep!!


    As the whistle of the referee resounded, the clock started ticking again and the life returned in the stadium alongside the movement of the yers and cheers of the fans.


    Both the teams seemed equally ferocious as neither of the sides was willing to back down. Surely, something must have happened in the locker room.


    Just by looking at the performance of the yers on the field, one could figure out that something must have taken ce in that short break.


    Under the crescendo of cheers, both sides attacked each other and tried to take the lead. But even so, none of the sides managed to score that goal that could give them the lead.


    Even until the 80th minute, the scoreboard remained the same with no changes; Indonesia U17-1 vs Ecuador U17-1.


    With only ten minutes remaining on the clock for the end of the second half, both the team became extremely desperate for that second goal which would grant them precious 3 points and a head start in the tournament.


    But at a moment like this, yers are likely to make mistakes.


    And that''s what happened as well. One of the Ecuadorian yers made a slight error as he let the opposing yer steal the ball from him.


    Witnessing this moment on the screen, many of Hiro''s teammates became extremely excited as most of them subconsciously clutched their hands.


    The closer the Indonesian yer got to the post, the more their eyes grew anxious. As if his scoring that goal would mean something to them, they ced their hopes on him.


    But s!! He blew it away.


    Both their hopes and his team''s victory at the same time.


    Beep!!


    The match came to an end as the opposing keeper saved thest-minute attempt of the Indonesian yer.


    At once, a disappointed sigh echoed in the room as yers expressed their dissatisfaction.


    "Ohhhhh!!!!"

 Chapter 345 Japan u17 vs Poland u17

    <h4>Chapter 345 Japan u17 vs Pnd u17</h4>


    11 November 2023


    Jk Harupat Stadium


    Far in the west horizon, as the sun drew closer to its slumber, the sky transformed into an ever-shifting portrait.


    What had been a brilliant blue canvas just an hour earlier, was now awash in vivid streaks of fiery oranges, deep reds, and zing pinks.


    Wispy clouds, floating above the west horizon seemed to be set alight from within, glowing like hot embers against the deepening background of indigo and violet hues that crept in from the east.


    Down on the pitch, the lush green grass seemed to shine an almost electric emerald under the bright stadium lights that had just flickered to life. The freshly painted lines and crisp markings stood out in stark whiteness, ready to form the boundaries of an impending battle.


    In the stands, the crowd was a rolling murmur of excitement and anticipation while more and more fans were flocking into the stadium.


    Few people dressed in guard uniforms were showing the seats to those who hade to seek help. And while some had already made themselvesfortable, some were still trying to find their seats.


    Though,pared to the capacity the stadium could house, the stadium appeared mostly empty with only a specific portion of the stand being filled with people.


    As impressive as the lively sounding from the stadium appeared, the attendance was rathercking. Well, this much was to be expected, after all, it wasn''t the match of the home team.


    Inside the dimly lit tunnel, the atmosphere was ratherplicated to exin.


    A Crescendo of cheers kept on bombarding from the mouth of the tunnel, yet yers dressed in blue appeared rather tensed while the yers dressed in white seemed unbothered and carefree.


    It''s almost as if an invisible wall was separating these two sides from one another.


    Compared to the looks on the eyes of the Polish side which were brimming with confidence, the defeated looks on the eyes of the Japanese side were like a gloomy day.


    But even so, not every eye appeared lifeless. There was also the presence of eyes which was raring to step foot in the field in front and emerge victorious.


    One such eye was of the person leading this gloomy side.


    His broad shoulders seemed capable of shouldering any responsibilities ced on them while he stood proudly in front, wearing the captain''s armband and number 10 behind his back.


    Jolting his gaze toward the opposing team, he secretively peeked at one of the opposing yers with tousled blond hair, ''Patryk Mazur, currently ying for Juventus, if it weren''t for the help of the system, I''d never have even dreamed of meeting you let alone ying against you. But now that we''ve met, I can''t wait to see how my skills fair up to the talent from one of the best clubs in the world''


    Right now while most of his teammates were anxious about facing yers who''ve been showcasing their skills in one of the best leagues in the world, Hiro was raring to find out the skill difference between him and the world.


    With eyes full of excitement he continued to steal a peek of that blond-haired boy who was unaware of Hiro''s gaze until a moment ago. Suddenly, however, he turned his eyes towards the direction of Hiro.


    ''Why is he looking at me like that?'' Patryk thought as he noticed that sly smile on Hiro''s face.


    Unknowingly right now, out of excitement, Hiro had been smiling while looking in the direction of Patryk Mazur.


    He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn''t even notice the gaze of Patryk which was directed towards him.


    But as he came back to his senses, he finally noticed that Patryk was looking at him weirdly as if he was some kind of psycho or a crazy stalker.


    Now simply turning his head away would only make him more suspicious. Thus, instead, tobat this awkward situation, he forced a sweet smile on his face as he greeted Patryk.


    This action of his however only made matters worse as Patryk contorted his face in disgust upon seeing that amiable smile on his face.


    Immediately, he then abruptly jolted his gaze away from him.


    ''I guess, he''s not fond of socializing'' faced with Patryk''s unresponsiveness, Hiro thought as he tried to justify Patryk''s actionpletely unaware of the fact that he had creeped him out.


    After much waiting, they finally started to move as they headed out of the tunnel after listening to the announcements of thementator.


    However the moment, he walked out of the aisle, the system''s holographic panel floated in front of his eyes.


    [New Quest Avable]


    [Quest Objectives]


    1) Score a goal


    2) Provide an assist


    3) Achieve an 8.5 rating


    [Rewards; Copy one talent of any one yer of the opposing team]


    [Failure; Random two skills you possessed will be suppressed in the next game]


    Such a quest which required satisfying multiple objectives had never urred to him before and that to on random.


    Thus, for a brief moment as it caught him by surprise, it caused him to halt his movement midway while marching towards the field.


    Yutaka who was walking right beside him, given his absent-


    mindedness because of the pressure from the match, bumped into him.


    "Ahh..." Losing his bnce after bumping into Hiro, he let out a soft cry.


    Hiro however didn''t budge even an inch. Well if Yutaka had meant to push him, he''d have lost his footing in the least. But right now since Yutaka himself was walking absent-mindedly like a zombie, even if he was not prepared it could hardly cause him any damage.


    "Why are you stopping so suddenly?"


    The yers from behindined as many of them bumped into each other because of Hiro''s actions.


    Well just like Yutaka, many yers were anxious right now and thus, had lost their focus which caused this incident to take ce in the field.


    But still, the core person responsible for this incident was Hiro.


    Most of the people in the crowd upon witnessing thisedic scene taking ce on the field burst intoughter while some became extremely anxious.


    Just from this incident alone, they could vividly spot the nervousness in the yers they supported.


    Traveling to such a farawaynd, just to show support to their team, how could they rest at ease upon seeing such miserable condition of the yers they were going to support?

 Chapter 346 Japan u17 vs Poland u17 II

    <h4>Chapter 346 Japan u17 vs Pnd u17 II</h4>


    Turning to look at their miserable state, opposing yers as they moved forward, sniggered at them, making fun of their clumsiness.


    "Will they be able to runter in the game, if they''re already like this?" One of the Polish yers remarked in a rather mocking tone, making fun of Japanese yers.


    "Haha, I hope that their fans won''t reprimand us for bullying themter in the match..." Another yer added, sounding extremely full of himself.


    From the moment they had met the Japanese side in the tunnel, they had been aware of the air of anxiousness lingering around the Japanese side.


    And that crappy mood in the opposing side had only acted as a fuel to boost their confidence. This is why, right now every single one of the Polish yers was acting so full of themselves;pletely looking down on the Japanese yers.


    To them, only one yer was worth their attention. The captain of the team Takahashi Hiro.


    Having studied their games before, even they could tell that their captain was of a different breed. And if left alone, he could tear apart their whole team singlehandedly.


    Thus, right from the beginning, they were extremely careful while selecting the opponent they wanted to intimidate.


    And Hiro for sure did not fall on the list of yers, they wanted to provoke to deal further damage to the morale of the opposing team.


    "Sorry for pausing so suddenly" Feeling the sensation of someone bumping into him, Hiro apologized as he turned behind only to notice the sight of a frightened Yutaka.


    "Sorry..., sor...ry, I wasn''t paying attention" As if he couldn''t hear anything, he kept on apologizing while ming himself despite it not being his fault.


    From the looks of it, Yutaka appeared extremely frightened. It was almost as if, he hadmitted a heinous crime and was begging for forgiveness after being caught.


    Even though Hiro was aware of the anxiousness lingering in their dressing room, he hadn''t expected his teammates to be this anxious.


    Especially Yutaka, he right now was a lost cause. Starting him in the match was almost akin to ying with a walking bomb in the team.


    For a moment while looking at Yutaka''s sorry state, Hiro couldn''t help but ponder about the decision of the coach to let him start.


    But then again, most of the other yer''s conditions would be the same as well.


    ying with them for such a long time, he hade to know about the mentality of most of his teammates¡ª glorifying the European yers as some sort of geniuses.


    Devaluing their worth, they feared those who had already started ying professionally for a team in either Europe or South America.


    Well, it isn''t their fault too, after all these kids had grown up watching the brilliance of the yers in Europe and hearing the stories about how good the academies are in Europe.


    And since most of them haven''t experienced ying against those so-called talented yers whom they''ve been hearing so much about since their early days, it''s only natural for them to feel nervous and also scared.


    If not for the system''s help in boosting his gamey, Hiro''s state wouldn''t have been that different from his teammates.


    Now what was he going to do after noticing such low self- esteem of his teammates? Would he ignore them or would he help them ovee their fear?


    It was all up to Hiro to decide.


    Sure, he could just focus on his game and try toplete the objective set by the system by himself. But in doing so, he''d be abandoning his teammates and would be ying with a handicap which would make the game even more difficult.


    And there''s only so much one could achieve by themselves in football. After all, football is a team sport and every head has its value in the match.


    As much as he was aware of the problem his team was facing at the moment, he was also aware of the solution that could if notpletely solve the problem but could solve the problem to some extent.


    Words may work temporarily. But it wasn''t a permanent solution.


    Thus, he''d only be tiring his mouth by trying to encourage these lost causes of teammates using his words.


    What his team needed right now was a boost of confidence.And what better way would there be to achieve such a result than by exceeding the hopeless expectations of his teammates who had already admitted defeat even before the start?


    Thus, for now, Hiro chose to ignore the matter regarding the low self-esteem of his teammates and continued to tread forward while thinking about ways toplete the quest provided by the system.


    Getting an opportunity to copy the talent of one of the future superstars, how could he back out from the challenge?


    Well even if he wanted to back out, he didn''t have any choice since the quest was mandatory.


    But more than the temptation of the reward, he was worried about the punishment. Why you may ask? It''s because their next match was against Argentina.


    And to beat them, he couldn''t afford to lose any of his skills.


    Both the teams then lined up next to each other as they awaited the speaker ced in the stadium to y the national anthem of their respective nation.


    Even though the stadium appeared mostly vacant, more than four thousand fans showed up for this match.


    Shortly after, as the coin toss ended, yers of both teams traded a friendly handshake and walked towards their position to start the match.


    The small number of fans present in the stands was as loud as ever, passionately cheering for their team while fluttering the gs of their respective nation.


    Finally, the game then began with Team Japan''s kickoff.


    Beep!!


    No sooner had the referee sounded his whistle, than the lifeless field came alive with the movement of the yers. Passing the ball back to his teammate, Nijichi started the kickoff.

 Chapter 347 Japan u17 vs Poland u17 III

    <h4>Chapter 347 Japan u17 vs Pnd u17 III</h4>


    Brimming with confidence, the opposing yers started pressing high right from the get-go. Running wildly after the ball like an enraged wild boar, they did what anyone with a brain would do¡ª they tried to take advantage of the obvious weakness Japanese yers were disying right from the get-go.


    They tried to take advantage of the sloppiness and low self-esteem of Japanese yers by intimidating them with their relentless charge.


    And as expected of the Japanese yers, upon experiencing the intense pursuit of the Polish yers, they lost theirposure.


    No sooner had the game started than their formation started showing signs of copse as several holes emerged in their formation. Mispasses, mispositioning, and mimunication had be amon sight on the field right from the start.


    And the Japanese fans, disappointed and frustrated by the miserable gamey that their sides were disying on the field, most of them were on the verge of losing their sanity.


    It hadn''t even been that long, yet most of them were already tongue-tied.


    It was the worst starting they had seen to date from their yers.


    Given their mistakes and clumsiness on the field, it didn''t take long for the opposing side to take control of the game. And the first breakthrough moment came quite earlier than expected as well.


    Stealing the ball from Nijichi who was trying to move up-field, Patryk Mazur who was ying as a defensive midfielder for the Polish side charged forward with the ball.


    To stop him, Hiro rushed towards him since he was the one closest to him.


    Defending wasn''t his forte yet still, he had to stop this man at all costs right now or else he wouldn''t get an opportunity to salvage the self-esteem of his teammates.


    This challenge, as much as it was a crisis, was also an opportunity. But everything depended on the oue whether it would turn into an opportunity or a crisis.


    Sure his defending techniques weren''t as good as the defenders of his team but still he had learned enough basics of the art of defending to cover his ws.


    Keeping his eyes on the ball and the movement of the yer while also keeping track of his eye movements, Hiro approached the iing Patryk who was rushing toward him without any fear.


    Having studied the gamey of Patryk, Hiro was aware that as much as Patryk was good at retaining position, he was also a beast at ball handling.


    And even with his tiny frame, he was quite sturdy on top of that. So, trying to outmaneuver him using his physique was out of the question as well.


    At this moment as Patryk approached closer to Hiro, both their eyes met for a brief moment. Each shing with confidence, unwilling to back down.


    Making it appear as if he was swaying his body to the left, Patryk tried to deceive Hiro with a body feint. But Hiro didn''t move as he was expecting.


    Instead, he calmly moved his body towards him while also keeping track of the position of the yers behind him.


    Rushing forward recklessly would only result in his defeat.


    Being aware of the consequences of recklessness, he didn''t react to the provocation of Patryk. Instead, he maintained his pressure on Patryk by keeping the distance between them close but not close enough for Patryk to make a sudden dash.


    Faced with Hiro''sposure, Patryk''s eyes became a little restless.


    He knew that Hiro wasn''t good at defending. And he was confident enough to take Hiro by himself. But what he didn''t expect was that he could cover the ws in his techniques with his cool-headedness and positioning.


    Once again, he tried to use his body feint. But this time, he didn''t try to fake his movement. Moving along with the ball, he tried to get past Hiro using abination of body feint and stepover at the same time.


    Now, Hiro could no longer keep on maintaining his distance from Patryk. He had to intercept or else Patryk would simply pass the ball to one of his teammates.


    Although he had kept him upied, giving enough time for his teammates to position themselves. But in doing so, he had allowed Patryk time to think and also allowed Patryk to move in their half.


    Now...


    Finding an opportunity after waiting for so long, Hiro swept his leg towards the ball and made his move.


    However, what seemed to be an opportunity was rather a bait.


    A bait, set up by Patryk to lure Hiro into making his move. And Hiro who thought that he had done fairly well by keeping Patryk upied fell for this trap.


    Patryk then simply did a one-two and got past the reach of Hiro.


    Seeing Patryk''s figure sprinting past him with the ball, Hiro''s eyes became extremely frantic as he tried to change his direction as fast as he could and pursue Patryk again.


    And, he sessfully managed to do so as well.


    But Patryk however, didn''t continue pushing forward with the ball. Instead, he made a through pass to his teammate who was trying to cut inside the attacking third from the center.


    While most of his teammates were still unaware of the intention of Patryk''s pass, Akutsu reacted quickly as he noticed the number ten of the opposing team making his run from the nks.


    "A good pass from Patryk Mazur" praised thementator, sounding rather serious and captivated.


    Alongside Patryk Mazur, there was another beast on this Polish side. Their number ten, Jakub Adkonis.


    With exceptional off-the-ball movement and an innate ability to smell goal, he would have perfectly yed the role of a number 9.


    Yet even with such ridiculous goal-scoring capability, he yed as a midfielder.


    And this man who was nearly about 185 cm tall was right now rushing towards the ball with eyes that seemed to be hungry for the goal.


    The crowd upon witnessing this intense sh so early in the match, couldn''t stop themselves from staring at the field with anticipation and excitement shing in their eyes.


    Both Jakub and Akutsu reached the ball almost at the same time. But the one to have thestugh was the opposing midfielder, Jakub.


    With a single touch of the ball, he evaded the reach of Akutsu. However, he didn''t manage topletely leave him behind as no sooner had he got the ball behind Akutsu, than Akutsu started chasing after him.


    Sensing the pursuit of Akutsu, he could tell that if he continued to hog onto the ball, he''d lose the ball eventually.


    Thus, after getting close enough, he fired the ball from outside the box. After all, most of his goals hade from the spot outside the box.

 Chapter 348 Japan u17 vs Poland u17 IV

    Chapter 348 Japan u17 vs Pnd u17 IV


    ??Sensing the threat, Shun slightly widened his steps as he tightened his muscles, and prepared himself tounch.


    Jakub, while preparing to shoot, his leg musclespressed like a coiled spring, building up the tension, gathering the firepower required to send the ball sailing toward the post.


    The next moment as he struck the ball, the built-up tension on his leg got released on the ball which in turn sent the ball flying towards the post.


    Bam!!


    Cutting through the air, the ball sailed toward the post at an unbelievable speed, mesmerizing the eyes of many onlookers while at the same time sending chills to the supporters of the receiving side.


    Unfazed by the iing ball, Shununched himself toward the ball. With his body stretched to its utmost limit, he bravely threw his body with only one thing on his mind¡ª I''m going to save this ball no matter what.


    As Shun went flying towards the ball, a silent hush fell on the stadium


    Thud!!


    A mixture of a collective sigh and excited roar tinged with a hint of relief echoed as Shun made a brilliant save, keeping the flow of the momentum from drifting away.


    Disappointing the opposing fans, as Shun stood on his feet, he let out a loud passionate roar while beating his chest, "Yeah..."


    Many of his teammates who were close to him, rushed toward him and joined him as they all tried to rile him up even more.


    "That was a heck of a brilliant save from the Japanese keeper and you can see it in the eyes of the Japanese yers, how much this save means to them. But I guess someone needs to remind them that they still have to prepare themselves for the corner"mented thementator.


    Exactly as mentioned by the referee, the threat hadn''t been warded off, it had only been dyed for a while.


    And right now, while the yers of Japan were shouting at the field, expressing their excitement, yers of the opposing team were rushing towards the penalty box, probably to catch the Japanese yers unguarded by taking a quick corner.


    "Everybody position yourself, it''s not the time to celebrate" Akutsu yelled, sounding furious.


    Only then did Shun and the others snap back to reality, realizing the threat that was headed their way. Immediately, they then began to scatter as they started to prepare themselves to face the corner kick that Patryk was going to deliver.


    Compared to most Polish yers, their side was like a group of middle school kids going up against high schoolers. And due to the height difference between most of the yers, this situation was rather threatening for them.


    As expected of the Polish yers, before all of the Japanese yers could even make it to the box, they took a quick corner.


    With numerical and height advantage, the situation looked rather bleak for Team Japan.


    But call it their cockiness or their confidence, whatever it be, instead of going for a cross, Patryk tried to score directly from the corner.


    Maybe he had seen an opportunity because of theck of coordination of the Japanese yers or maybe he thought he could score a goal directly from the corner because of Shun''s mispositioning.


    The ball, as it sailed towards the post, Shun rushed towards the opposite pole where the ball was headed. Based on the trajectory of the ball, he could tell it was going for the top right corner.


    Is he nuts?


    Such thoughts ran amuck in the minds of many in the stadium as they glued their eyes on the ball with utmost anticipation and nervousness.


    Still, most of them couldn''t hide the excitement contained within their hearts as well.


    After all, a goal directly from the corner rarely happens in football.


    Throwing himself in the direction of the ball with his arms stretched, Shun made a desperate attempt tond a touch on the ball. However, even with his speed and flexibility, he still failed tond a touch on the ball as the ball simply glided past his hand.


    At this moment, his pupils constricted with fear while he felt his heart sinking, in midair. He couldn''t even follow the ball all the way.


    "Ohhh...."


    A collective cry full of disappointment echoed in the stadium as many people smacked their heads upon witnessing the ball missing the post barely by an inch and flying out of the field.


    No sooner than he fell, Shun immediately turned his head towards the post to check on the goal. Thankfully, he didn''t notice the ball inside the post which relieved him as he buried his face on the ground while exhaling a mouth full of turbid air, "Phew!!!"


    Until a moment ago, his heart was racing. But now as he confirmed that he hadn''t conceded a goal yet, his heartbeat started stabilizing.


    Shun couldn''t be more grateful while at the same time, Patryk couldn''t be more frustrated.


    Kicking the grass while bitterly clicking his tongue, he stormed towards his position.


    His teammates, although seemed quite irritated remained silent as they all stormed towards their respective positions as well. It seemed that they had a lot to say in their mind but they simply couldn''t bring themselves to voice their opinions.


    The game then resumed with a goal-kick.


    But their nightmares didn''te to an end. Instead, it got even more scary as the opposing yers didn''t give them any opportunity to catch their breath. Bombarding them with shots one after the other, the opposing team relentlessly pushed forward for a goal.


    If not for Shun making saves one after the other by throwing his body on the field as if his body was made up of steel, they would have already conceded more than four goals even before halftime.


    It''s not that Hiro hadn''t tried enough but the opposing yers had thoroughly studied him and left him no space to operate.


    More like they blocked all his pass-courses. They made it so that the ball wouldn''t reach him in the first ce.


    Though, he did shake his mark quite often, none of his teammates could manage to connect the ball to him which made it extremely hard for him to demonstrate his skills.


    Beep!!


    Just like this, the first half came to an end with none of the sides managing to find the back of the. Still one could hardly argue that the MVP of the first half was definitely, Shun.


    "What an intense first half it was. Not only the Polish side are dominating the position, but they are giving no space for the star yer of Japan to operate. If the coach of Japan doesn''te up with any strategy to counter, it''s only a matter of time before their impregnable wall falls"

 Chapter 349 Japan u17 vs Poland u17 V

    Chapter 349 Japan u17 vs Pnd u17 V


    ??Seated in their seats with a seemingly dull and lifeless look in their eyes, none of the yers appeared to be in the mood for bickering about each other''s mistakes.


    Hiro, himself who was currently helping Shun with his muscle soreness by applying patches to help him relieve his pain was in no mood to point out the ws of his teammates. After all, he wasn''t in a better position himself to say anything to his teammates.


    Well, it wasn''t particrly his fault but still, he had no achievement under his name until this point of the match to support his voice.


    Hence, with none of the yers speaking a word, the air around the room was rather heavy.


    Just then manager Haruki and his coaching staff entered the room. The moment they entered the room and experienced the dull atmosphere in the locker room, most of the coaching staff couldn''t help themselves from frowning.


    Narrowing his eyes on the yers who appeared to be in much more desperate condition than the rest, Haruki as he swept his gaze across the locker room, sighed internally after finding out about the number of yers who appeared demoralized.


    Unable to see such a miserable sight, he then tried to roll his eyes away. But then again, he couldn''t bring himself to do so.


    He knew that they were giving their best. And he had already expected such scenes but still visualizing and experiencing the actual moment feltpletely different. But more than anything else, these yers here needed his help at the moment.


    He couldn''t deny that it felt extremely horrendous to experience this moment. Yet still, he couldn''t afford to go soft on his yers, despite their situation.


    Being the manager of these yers, no matter what, he was required to take responsibility for his yers. He had to do something to uplift the morale of his locker room.


    Talking about strategy, however, was out of the picture for the moment. After all, what use would the strategy be if his yers couldn''t even execute his strategies well?


    But just as he was about to step forward to speak, assistant coach Kazan beat him to articting his words first.


    "Good job guys"


    As he heard those words of praiseing out from the foul-mouthed Kazan, manager Haruki couldn''t hide his surprise as he jolted his gaze towards Kazan and looked at him with his eyes opened wide. However, the next words from Kazan relieved him.


    "By ying such magnificently, I''m sure you all will take us out of the group stage with ease. No, no... Not only group stage, but you''ll take us out of the whole tournament"


    Kazan''s words were extremely harsh. It was like a sharp dagger shot towards their heart. However, the tone of his voice and the way he spoke those words, totally contradicted the meaning he was trying to deliver.


    Not even a tinge of anger could be found in his voice. Instead, of sounding like harsh criticisms, it sounded more like words of praise.


    Hearing those words, many of them felt like their heart was bleeding. And those sarcastic words of Kazan weren''t least bit helpful to ease their already tense mood. In fact, it made them feel even more worthless.


    ???? ????


    Compared to the scene at the locker room of Team Japan, the scene at the locker room of Team Pnd was rather chaotic and noisy.


    "How could you not even score a single goal by now? Their whole formation was a mess and yet you can''t score a single goal? And now don''t give me someme pathetic excuse about their keeper preventing you from a goal"


    Sounding extremely furious, the manager of the Polish side yelled as he furiously stomped his feet on the floor, radiating a threatening aura of someone who was going berserk.


    Just like docilembs in the presence of the shepherd, yers of the Pnd u17 team listened to the rumbling of their coach with their eyes looking at their feet.


    Most of them were so scared at the moment that they were literally trembling. At the same time, some of them didn''t appear to care at all.


    Even so, the manager of the Polish side wasn''t willing to cut some ck on his yers. Moreover, the more they remained silent the more he exploded at them. Pointing out almost every single yer who wasn''t ying well ording to him, heined as he demanded improvement.


    And the yers who were powerless in front of their coach stayed put as they listened to the nagging of their coach.


    ???? ????


    "With the score tied, it''s anybody''s game. But if Japanese yers continue to y like how they yed in the first half, it''s quite likely for the Polish team toe out as the victor."


    While thementator was expressing his opinions, yers of both teams walked out of the tunnel for the second half of the match.


    Strangely enough, both sides seemed rather sharp. Even the nervous yers of the Japanese team contrary to their appearance in the first half, appeared quite riled up.


    The moment yers walked out of the aisle, the audience weed them back on the pitch with a thunderous sound of apuse.


    The Polish yers, just like in the beginning appeared rather loud, almost as if they were intentionally trying to appear noisy to get into the heads of the Japanese yers.


    Hiro and his teammates, however, unlike beforepletely ignored them this time as they all trod towards the field without paying any heed to the mocking remarks made by the opposing side.


    Well, not that they understood them in the first ce,


    Even in the beginning, the sole reason why they were affected in the first ce by the mocking remarks of the opposing yers was because of their fears. But now after going through the talk that took ce in the locker room during that 10-minute break, they couldn''t afford to be affected by those baseless taunts of the opposing yers.

 Chapter 350 Japan u17 vs Poland u17 VI

    <h4>Chapter 350 Japan u17 vs Pnd u17 VI</h4>


    Just like the rest of his teammates, Hiro too made his appearance on the pitch, walking alongside Shun.


    But seemingly appearing lost in his thoughts, he appeared not to care about the noise going on around him nor did he appear to care about the res of the opposing yers he was getting without any reason.


    Maybe, there was a meaning behind those res as if they were trying to tell him that even in this half they''ll keep him under their pocket like how they had done sessfully in the first half.


    Or maybe they were trying to figure out what he was up to.


    Who knows what their intentions were?


    Right now, all he could think about was how toplete his quest. Registering a goal and an assist is still doable but what would he do about the third objective?


    After all, the match rating would be decided based on his overall performance of the entire match. And after that shitty disy in the first half, achieving an 8.5 rating was rather a difficult task even for him.


    Though Hiro didn''t heed their hostile res, Shun was replying hostility with hostility and res with res.


    ring right back at them while making a face like that of a delinquent, he was provoking them without any care, "What''s ya looking at, you shitheads?"


    It''s like after denying them any goals in the first half, he had gained indomitable confidence. Feeling like a goliath, he felt as if he could do anything at the moment. Let alone going up against those bunch of Polish yers'' res, heck he could even take them on a fistfight all by himself.


    So, was the adrenaline rush, he was feeling at the moment.


    Though none of the opposing yers could understand what he was talking about, they could still tell that he was swearing at them by the simple body cues and the tone of his voice.


    Yet, oddly enough, none of them wished to engage with Shun at the moment. Well after listening to theints of their coach in the locker room, only a fool would try to create a fuss.


    Nothing good woulde by engaging in a battle of provocation with Shun.


    With such thoughts in mind, they then retracted their gaze from them and parted ways, heading to their side of the pitch with their mouth shut.


    Revealing a satisfied grin on his face, Shun scoffed as he continued to re at them even after they parted ways, "Yeah, who are you trying to intimidate shitheads?"


    And only after they walked quite far away from him, did he retract his gaze from them. At this point, he and Hiro had already walked quite far into their side of the field as well and he had to rush back to his position for the referee to start the game.


    All of a sudden, Shun then stopped as he asked something that had been on his mind for quite a long time, "Why are you falling back so often today?"


    Faced with Shun''s questions, Hiro became speechless. He couldn''t tell that he was doing so because he couldn''t trust his teammates to supply him with the pass.


    It would only make him seem untrustworthy.


    Thus, for a while, he continued to search for excuses. But no matter how hard he tried to think of a reasonable excuse, he couldn''te up with any.


    Noticing, Hiro''s silence, Shun decided not to pester him more on that matter because of the urgency of the situation. And he knew Hiro well enough already. If he was remaining silent then there must have been something on his mind which he couldn''t exin.


    Instead, as the time was running out, he tried to encourage him.


    "Leave the backline to me, you just do what you are good at" Saying so in a rather confident tone, he stretched his fist towards Hiro.


    Though it wasn''t the reason why he was falling back often, oddly enough, he still felt assured upon hearing his ims. Truly, Shun was on a roll today.


    Smiling, he then bumped his fist against his as he mumbled, "Sure, let''s do that"


    Beep!!


    The second halfmenced with the sound of the referee''s whistle.


    By now, the sky had already transformed into a breathtaking canvas of ck and indigo filled with countless stars. Alongside the shimmering stars, the crescent moon cast an eerie glow across the sky.


    However, its light faded inparison to the lights of the floodlights installed in the stadium. And rarely did anybody in the stadium take notice of it due to the ongoing match on the field.


    For quite a while, the opposing team pushed aggressively. Especially, Patryk and Jakub, those two seemed even more ferocious than before.


    But, despite their efforts, the score remained the same as Shun continued with his form from the first half. Making countless unbelievable saves, he held his side of the bargain.


    Compared to the first half, Hiro''s situation too got somewhat better. But still, he found it quite troublesome to find the back of the opposing.


    Just then in the 74th minute of the match, after making a brilliant save, Shun immediately yed the ball to Takeshi who in turn sent the ball flying towards Yutaka without wasting any time.


    Even now, instead of going after Yutaka or Nijichi, the opposing team rushed towards him. Sure enough, it was already visible to the audience by now that Hiro was their priority target.


    Rushing towards the left nk, away from Yutaka who was charging from the center, Hiro made use of his skill, lightning steps. There was already a defender stationed at the left nk.


    And one of their center back was also cutting in from the center while Patryk was chasing him from behind. Sure enough, they were trying to iste him and outnumber him.


    "Did he make a wrong pass?"


    Thementator questioned as all of a sudden just before he shed with the yer closing in towards him, Yutaka kicked the ball towards the right nk where seemingly nobody was present aside from the left-back of the opposing team who was sprinting backward after failing to score a goal a moment ago by going on the offense.


    Because the spotlight was focused on Yutaka, he failed to take notice of Hiro who had swiftly changed his direction midway. If not thementator wouldn''t have made that blunder.

 Chapter 351 Japan u17 vs Poland u17 VII

    Chapter 351 Japan u17 vs Pnd u17 VII


    ??In the first half, apart from using his skill fireball shot, he hadn''t had any opportunities to disy the potential of his skill lightning steps.


    But right now, at this moment with an opportunity present right in front of his eyes, how could he let go of such an important opportunity?


    Sure, given his position, the opportunity wasn''t that great. And there was also a possibility of an oue where he wouldn''t make it to the ball in time.


    Also, the opposing left-back himself was a great sprinter. Especially his solo runs, they were really impressive. Even the reason he was an attacking full-back was all thanks to those fast legs of his which allowed him to swiftly switch between offense and defense.


    The audience upon witnessing this thrilling moment became extremely excited as almost every eye in the stadium focused on the two particr yers who werepeting for the ball while running like wild horses on steroids.


    Others were also chasing after the ball. But none were as fast as those two.


    Though, one had it rather easy while the other faced several obstacles on his way. With opposing yers trying to block his way in an attempt to slow his speed, Hiro had to keep on constantly changing his direction which was hampering his speed.


    Yet, he kept on elerating like crazy every time he changed his direction.


    It wouldn''t have been possible for a human to constantly elerate while changing his/her direction without losing his/ her speed. But with the use of his skill lightning steps which allowed him to achieve his top eleration in less than a second, he could retain his speed nonstop no matter how many times he had to change his direction.


    And most of the yers of the opposing team had simply assumed that he could showcase that burst of eleration only once based on the analysis of his previous matches.


    Unaware of the fact that he could spam his eleration nonstop as long as the skill lightning step was in effect, they made a huge blunder.


    And this blunder was bound to cost them a lot.


    Reaching the ball before the opposing left-back could reach it, he caught the ball right at the foot of the outline, barely saving it from going out of bounds.


    And the moment he reached the ball the effect of the skill, lightning steps waned as well. But since he hadn''t used his skill before in the first half, he used it again without any hesitation alongside his skill perseverance.


    Sure, he was not exhausted yet. And sure the path in front of him was quite open. But still, he wasn''t willing to take any chances.


    Who knows if another opportunity such as now woulde or not afterwards?


    It''s better to give your all now when you''ve got the chance instead of waiting for another opportunity that might or might noteter.


    Spamming his skill lightning steps, he then sprinted towards the open goal.


    Witnessing the sight of Hiro who was rushing towards him, the opposing keeper felt a tingling sensation as he vigorously rolled his eyes around him, trying to analyze his situation.


    Polski won''t make it. But his teammates won''t make it as well. So, he''ll have toe all by himself.


    Looking at his teammates and the opposing yers, he started to think as he deducted the possible situation he''d find himself in.


    At this moment, he realized that neither would his teammatese to his rescue nor would the opposing yers woulde to Hiro''s rescue. The fate of his team depended solely on him.


    And, based on all those videos he had watched featuring Hiro, he knew how dangerous Hiro could be. Not only could he shoot a stunner, but he was also capable of cheeky shots.


    A yer of such caliber who excelled in both power and technique was a nightmare to face.


    Still, he had to decide whether to confront him or stick by his post.


    s, after much thinking, he concluded that it would be better to limit his opportunity by not allowing him any gaps than to wait behind for him to get close.


    Leaving behind his post, he then rushed towards Hiro, intending to snatch the ball away from his feet before he could even release the ball. But that didn''t mean that he wasn''t putting his guard up to prepare himself for any possible cheeky chips.


    Just in a few seconds, those two found face to-face against each other. The opposing keeper although a bit nervous didn''t show a slight bit of nervousness on his face.


    Simrly, Hiro appeared as cold as ice and as solid as a mountain. Not even a spec of fear or hesitation could be seen on his face.


    Moreover, he didn''t even look at the ball. Instead, he stared at the opposing keeper right in his eyes.


    For some reason, Hiro''s eyes appeared rather ferocious at the moment. It was like the eye of an apex predator, sharp and intimidating.


    Would he try to dribble past me or will he shoot?


    Concentrating on the ball, the opposing keeper thought as he tried to figure out Hiro''s motive. Though he was intimidated by those cold stares of Hiro which appeared as if it could see right into his soul, he still retained his senses nheless and didn''t ck out.


    He had to remain as rational as possible. And only then would he be able to stop this abomination of a man headed towards his way.


    Their coach upon witnessing this sh was growing restless with every passing second. The condition of the yers in their substitution box was particrly the same; restless and scared.


    All of a sudden their pupils erged as some of them jerked a little, pulling back their heads a little. The reaction was almost simr to that of the feeling of falling off of a cliff in a dream.


    And what caused them to feel such a feeling was a fourteen-


    year-old boy who was way younger than most of them.


    Appearing as if he was about to make his move, Hiro kicked the ball with the outside of his boot, sending the ball rolling toward the right.


    The opposing keeper followed suit.


    Hiro then stretched his legs, preparing to shoot. Though there was less than a 10 percent chance of the opposing keeper saving his shot from this angle, he still was about to take this chance.


    Then, he swung his right foot toward the ball. Just at this moment, the opposing keeperunched his body, stretching his body to its utmost limit, trying to cover that tight angle where Hiro was probably aiming.


    But he missed the ball or so he made it appear.


    From the beginning, he was only acting so to lure the opposing keeper into believing that he was aiming for the tight spot.


    And the opposing keeper fell for his plot.


    "Goalllllllll!!!!!!"

 Chapter 352 Japan u17 vs Poland u17 end

    Chapter 352 Japan u17 vs Pnd u17 end


    ??A burst of euphoric roar erupted forth in the stadium as a change urred in the scoresheet finally after so long.


    Japan u17: 1 vs Pnd u17: 0


    After sessfully tricking the opposing keeper, Hiro slotted a goal in an empty post, giving his team the much-desired lead in the 74th minute of the match.


    "Japan''s ace has done it. He has finally given his team the much-needed push" Alongside the euphoric roars of celebration, thementator''s loud voice full of praise echoed in the stadium as the ambience of the stadium became extremely electrifying.


    At this moment, all of his teammates rushed toward him with their eyes glistening with tion. For the first time in this entire match, the momentum was on their side.


    And for almost every single one of them, it was their first goal against a team from Europe.


    So, why wouldn''t they feel excited about it? They had all the reason in the world for them to feel euphoric at the moment.


    And the yers of Japan showed no hesitation to express those feelings on the field.


    As much as this goal meant the world to his teammates, it meant the world to Hiro as well. In his previous life, he couldn''t even imagine standing on this stage let alone scoring a goal against such a team that had given birth to the likes of world-renowned yers like Robert Lewandowski, Szcz?sny, and many more.


    Ovee by disappointment and rage, the opposing manager was stomping his feet on the field while hauling curses at his yers.


    "You shitheads, how could you not evenmanage to stop one yer?"


    Meanwhile, his assistant coaches were trying to calm him down. They were afraid that if he continued to act this way, he might get booked by the referee.


    Compared to the scene at the reserve box on the Polish side, the scene at the Japanese side was quite different. With both the coaches and yers celebrating the lead their team had gained, sounds ofughter and excitement were ringing around in their reserve box.


    At this time, both supporters and yers of Japan hade together and were in perfect unison, sharing the same feeling of tion.


    Truly, it was a moment of joy and celebration for the Japanese side.


    The celebrationsted for a while as the yers of Japan shared this dream-like moment of joy with their fans, yelling and shouting at the top of their lungs.


    The serene night sky only added beauty to this beautiful moment ying on the field. With stars seemingly appearing as glitters and the moonlight shining on them appearing as a blessing bestowed upon them from the heavens.


    Looking at his teammates who were far on the other side of the field, Shun revealed a subtle grin as he whispered to himself, "And here he goes, stealing my hard-earned limelight in no time"


    Today, if not for him, his team would have already crumbled. And when Hiro was failing to deliver, he stepped in front when his team needed hope the most.


    Yet now, it appeared as if none of them remembered him. Being a goalkeeper, he was quite aware of the fact that he couldn''t be in the limelight like strikers or other yers who score goals for the team.


    But still, he couldn''t deny that it felt a little depressing to get forgotten so quickly. However, it didn''t mean that he wasn''t happy for his team or was envious of Hiro or other attacking yers.


    As much as the audience who supported his team was happy about the goal, he was happy about it in the same way.


    Since there was still a lot of time left on the clock, they couldn''t afford to get overcarried by the joy of scoring this goal. It was still too early to celebrate.


    They then started returning to their respective position to continue the game.


    While returning, Hiro walked a bit deeper into his side, towards the penalty box. But since he couldn''t afford to waste more time, he didn''t go all the way to the post.


    Instead, he stood at a distance from where Shun could still hear him.


    "Oi Shun" he called out for Shun.


    "Yeah, what?" Shun replied while looking a bit curious and surprised.


    "Make sure you fulfill your promise" Pointing at the scoreboard, Hiro spoke while grinning.


    Following his hands as he looked at the scoreboard, he immediately realized what Hiro was talking about right now¡ª he was asking him to defend their lead.


    A moment ago, he had confidently promised Hiro that he would defend their post at all costs and right now, when they had finally gained the upper hand with this goal, he was asking him to fulfill his promise by defending their lead.


    Smiling, he then replied, "Leave it to me"


    ???? ????


    Beep!!


    "What a breathtaking match we''ve witnessed today. But I''m sure the coaches of the Argentinian side would be analyzing this match thoroughlyter on, looking for areas to improve as they go face-to-face against the Japanese side who have narrowly defeated their opponents with a score of 1-0 a moment ago"


    After an intense 90 minutes, the game between Argentina u17 and Senegal u17 finally ended with Senegal u17 clenching the victory.


    Not only did they win this game, they utterly destroyed the Argentinian side by overpowering them in the entire match.


    Though, the scoreboard read as such; Argentina u17-1 vs Senegal u17-2, Senegal had dominated the entire match, and even the only goal scored by the Argentinian team was in the 91st minute which was scored by Mateo aftering off the bench.


    It was barely a constion goal.


    "I''m sure many of the Argentinian yers and fans would like to forget this match as it was nothing more than humiliation. And with this defeat both Argentina and Pnd have lost one game each while Japan and Senegal have both won their first group match, bringing them one step closer towards the knockout"


    At this moment while the yers of both teams were slowly making their way out of the stadium, the limelight was focused on a yer called Amara from Senegal who had managed to score twice in this game.

 Chapter 353 Takeshis discomfort

    Chapter 353 Takeshi''s difort


    ??Inside a finely decorated room, illuminated by the golden lights of the setting sun creeping in from the window, Shun remained seated on the floor imitating different yogic gestures. Currently, he was in the middle of his conditioning exercises.


    Two beds were in front of him, positioned side by side with room between them. One seemed rather unkempt, while the other rather well-kept.


    However, this did not imply that only one was upied while the other remained vacant. The neatly folded garments atop the well-kept bed were a testament to the fact that two individuals shared this room, each bed having its owner.


    With nothing besides his breathing echoing in the room, the room appeared rather serene and dreamy.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    Suddenly, amidst his conditioning drills, he heard a knock on the door. The knock wasn''t too shrill or weak.


    "The door''s open," he said as he continued with his task.


    ck!!


    A cking sound resonated as the handle of the door twisted before the person on the outside gently pushed the door open.


    Slowly as the door opened, Takeshi whose brows were knotted into a frown and was carrying a rather dejected expression made his appearance.


    "Sorry for the disturbance," he spoke apologetically, pushing the door open.


    "No worries, and don''t mind me; I''m just doing some conditioning exercises," Shun replied casually, continuing with his activity.


    Takeshi then humbly stole nces around the room, hoping to find Hiro. But, aside from Shun, he couldn''t find anyone here, which only added to his already damp mood.


    The sole purpose of his visit was to talk to Hiro.


    Noticing Takeshi''s frown, Shun recalled an incident from yesterday''s battle against Pnd as he realized his purpose of visit, "Looking for Hiro?"


    Currently, even with all his efforts to hide his intentions, Takeshi was like an open book. And not only Shun, but almost anyone on the team could tell what he was thinking at the moment.


    However, Takeshi himself wasn''t aware of that fact. Thus, for a split second when he heard Shun''s inquiry, he couldn''t help but feel taken aback.


    His reaction, however, only confirmed Shun''s inquiry. Shun then immediately returned to his normal position and asked while addressing his anxious expression, "Why are you so hung up on that matter? We won the match, right? Plus, Hiro himself has not mentioned anything about that matter. So, why are you troubling yourself?"


    In yesterday''s match, they could have won the match with a score of 2-0 instead of 1-0. In the 91st minute of the match, after making a brilliant solo run from the half-line, even when he had the opportunity to score by himself, Hiro selflessly passed the ball to Takeshi.


    And, all he had to do was to tap the ball inside an empty and they could have easily doubled their lead. But, he couldn''t capitalize on the opportunity created by Hiro and instead shot the ball awry, flying into the stand.


    Shun''s words were assuring but it wasn''t effective enough to lighten his mood. Especially after seeing a devastated expression of Hiro after the match, how could he bring himself to forget about that matter so easily?


    After the match, while everybody celebrated their first victory, Hiro appeared rather sad and irritated. It was almost as if he wasn''t satisfied with their team''s victory.


    But that wasn''t the first time he had witnessed that expression of Hiro. Just a moment after firing the ball into the stand, failing to capitalize on the opportunity created by Hiro, he had seen that same expression filled with grief and rage.


    Although others didn''t think much of that matter regarding him missing a possible opportunity that could have doubled their lead, after catching a glimpse of Hiro''s expression, he knew for a fact that Hiro cared about that opportunity more than anyone else.


    That opportunity he had created truly meant something to him that others weren''t aware of.


    Sure, he didn''t speak anything nor did he me him for the miss. In fact, after the game, he even consoled him regarding that miss.


    But, even so, he could feel the sadness hidden behind that face and voice of his.


    Which is why, he hade to apologize to him right now. The guilt of not scoring that goal had even cost him his sleep.


    Forcing a smile on his face, he thanked Shun for his kind words, "Yeah, I''ll try to forget that. Thanks for worrying about me."


    "But, I''d still like to apologize to Hiro. After all, he had worked so hard for that opportunity and I just blew it away. It wouldn''t do him justice if I didn''t apologize, would it?" He added sounding extremely sincere.


    At this moment, he didn''t sound like he was ming himself. It sounded like he truly wanted to apologize to Hiro for missing out on that opportunity as his teammate.


    Takeshi''s sincerity managed to move his heart. And even Shun was left speechless upon hearing his true feelings. It truly was as mentioned by him, right now he only wanted to apologize to Hiro not because he was trying to get rid of the feeling of guilt he was feeling but to soothe Hiro who had created that opportunity.


    It wasn''t about him, it was about Hiro.


    Shun then pointed outside the window and spoke, "Usually he should be back by now, but maybe it''s really as you said; he might be bothered by that miss"


    The hotel they were lodging at the moment, though it didn''t have any football field still had a huge finely trimmed grassy field. They were also kind enough to permit the yers to use it for recreational activities which included ying mini football or simply practicing football.


    And right now, Hiro was at that field, expressing his frustration on the ball and his body. Though, it wasn''t he who had missed that opportunity still that didn''t mean his performance was good in yesterday''s match.


    For the entire first half, he was rendered basically useless. And, though he improved his performance in the second half, he still couldn''t create many chances for his teammates. Which meant the failure of the quest solelyy on him.


    It wasn''t Takeshi who was responsible for the failure of the quest. It was he who had failed that quest provided by the system in that match against Pnd.

 Chapter 354 Handicapped

    Chapter 354 Handicapped


    ??Huff!! Huff!!


    Panting heavily whilepletely bathed in perspiration as he ran circuits around the field he was currently in, Hiro kept his legs going despite the pain that was coursing through his legs. It had already been over 2 hours since he began running, and God knows how manyps he had alreadypleted.


    To forget that incident from yesterday, Hiro had been tirelessly runningps around the field, deliberately trying to exhaust himself. But even with all these efforts, he couldn''t bring himself to forget about yesterday''s match.


    Yesterday, though they had won the game, but at what cost?


    It was at the cost of losing two of his most cherished skills for the next game; lightning steps, and hawk eyes.


    Sure, even without those skills, he was still pretty fast and aware. But the element of surprise those skills brought along with it, he could never imitate by solely relying on himself.


    And also considering the importance of the uing match, it was really a poor time to lose those skills. With two fewer skills, his performance would for sure be affected in the uing match not to mention the threat that was heading their way. After that shitty disy in the previous match, it was almost guaranteed that the Argentinian team would bounce back even stronger.


    With such worries in his mind, he couldn''t bring himself to forget about the matter of losing two of his most useful skills.


    Suddenly, he came to an abrupt stop as he came up against Takeshi.


    Without beating around the bush, even before Takeshi could open his mouth, Hiro spoke briskly albeit sounding a little out of breath, "I already told you yesterday....., it''s not your fault. So....., you don''t have to apologize"


    But those words had no effect on him. And neither did it console him nor convince him to head back. He was still adamant about his decision to apologize to Hiro.


    Waiting for Hiro toplete his sentence, Takeshi stood there wearing a solemn look on his face. Then just as Hiro finished his sentence, he spoke, "Yes, you said it yesterday too. But, I still feel like I owe you an apology. I can''t just act as if nothing happened after spilling water on your efforts. So, please allow me to say this..."


    "I''m sorry Hiro" Takeshi continued after pausing for a moment to breathe as if to filter his thoughts or to muster up some courage.


    Dragging this matter would only lengthen the conversation, which Hiro desperately wanted to avoid right now. He wanted to forget about that incident so that he could focus his attention on the next match, cool-headedly.


    And just to clear his mind, he had been running tirelessly to the point that his feet were starting to convulse with pain. But now Takeshi was ruining his effort by bringing that matter.


    Unwilling to speak more on this matter, Hiro then epted his apology, "It''s alright. If you''re really apologetic then just do your best in the next game. If you do that I''ll consider that you''re sincerely sorry about yesterday"


    Upon hearing Hiro''s response Takeshi felt as if a burden was lifted off of his shoulder. If Hiro had said otherwise or tried to console him by saying that it wasn''t his fault, he would have felt really sad. But now that Hiro acknowledged his true feelings, he was really happy about it.


    A smile bloomed on his face as he nodded his head and answered in a rather determined and cheerful tone, "I''ll do my best"


    Sure, by agreeing with him, Hiro avoided talking further on this matter. Truth be told he wasn''t bothered in the slightest by that miss from Takeshi.


    If it had happened other days, he would have simply smiled. But yesterday, he was only bothered by it because of the quest. If it were not for the quest, let alone being bothered by it, he wouldn''t have paid it any heed at all.


    ???? ????


    Inside a brightly illuminated room, a silhouette of a person could be seenwhile at the same time some scribbling noises could be heard.


    "That''s right, now I get it" The person mumbled enthusiastically as he took some steps back from the board in front of him.


    His brown eyes which were looking at the board was glistening with realization and excitement.


    "If I y Mateo in the middle, our formation would be much more stable. And I should probably move him to the right..." Mumbling such, he treaded forward toward the board.


    Raising the marker he held in his hand, he then started to scribble again.


    After a while, he heard a sudden knock on the door.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    Right after the knock, a husky voice echoed from outside the door, "Diego, it''s me Gonzalez"


    Diego centae who right now was 47 years old was the head coach of the Argentinian u17 team.


    A rather young fellow among most of the coaches present in the tournament, his appearance defied his age.


    With barely any visible wrinkles on his face, a rather clean shaven face and lush deep brown hair devoid of any grey hair, he had a rather handsome manly appearance.


    "Come inside" Diego spoke while continuing with his task.


    Twisting the handle, Gonzalez slowly pushed open the door and entered the room.


    "Have you figured out what changes you wanted to make in the team?" Gonzalez questioned as he entered the room, his tone sounding rather polite but still hiding the urgency behind it.


    Gonzalez, his assistant coach, albeit a lot older than him, was rather respectful towards Diego. And, it wasn''t simply because he was his senior. It was also because of the talent Diego possessed and his attitude.


    Diego however didn''t reply to his inquiry and kept on going with his task.


    Taking notice of Diego''s actions, Gonzalez too didn''t pester him further on that matter. Instead, he moved closer towards Diego and patiently awaited his reply.


    Diego then lifted his marker and retracted some step.


    "What do you think of it?" Diego asked.


    Gonzalez took a look at the board. And the more he looked at it and tried to understand it, the more he was drawn into it.

 Chapter 355 Dissatisfaction and new strategy

    <h4>Chapter 355 Dissatisfaction and new strategy</h4>


    Mesmerized by the tactics that Diego hade up with, he was hooked by those changes made in their previous formation.


    Those changes although they didn''t seem groundbreaking still pinpointed almost every single w in their game against Senegal. If only those changes would have been made earlier, they might not have lost so miserably.


    And going through those tactics, Gonzalez could tell that the performance of their team could increase drastically if they could execute it perfectly without fail.


    "It''s brilliant but you''ll be pushing aside udio" Gonzalez answered, sounding rather worried.


    Though he believed that these changes would help his team win, he was also worried about the strife that it''d bring along with it.


    Especially, the matter regarding swapping the position of one of their starter, udio Echeverri, and bringing Mateo in his ce who until now was ying as a substitute.


    udio being one of their main man definitely wouldn''t agree with the changes. And being a coach, he had to consider every factor before making any changes.


    "We''d have more use of him in the frontline than in the midfield" Diego answered without any hesitation.


    It seemed that Diego was adamant about making such changes and nothing would change his mind.


    "And I believe that he''ll have more impact that way" Diego concluded.


    Giving in to Diego''s persistence, Gonzalez let out a soft sigh before submitting to his will, "Well, you''re the coach"


    ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï


    Spreading its warm rays while casting several shadows across the vastndscape as the sun made its appearance, slowly the velvetyyer of dark canvas that was veiling the sky started to lift and a beautiful scene full of orange and pink hues unfolded in the once dark and ominous sky.


    At this time, a bunch of silhouettes could be seen moving alongside a certain grassy field.


    Those silhouettes belonged to the Argentinian yers who right now were runningps around the field and were in the middle of their morning training.


    From the sidelines, Diego alongside his coaching staff was keeping watch on his yers.


    As the yers approached closer to him, he took his whistle out of his pocket. Trapping the whistle between his lips, he then blew it loudly.


    Beep!!


    It was a signal for the yers to gather around Diego.


    And, upon hearing the sound of the whistle, at once all of the yers increased their pace as they dashed towards Diego, heeding his call.


    Making an arc around Diego, they then gathered around him, awaiting hismand to kickstart the morning training.


    "Ahum...," Diego harrumphed and said, "It''s been two days since that match and I''m sure you all must be wondering why I haven''t spoken anything regarding that matter until now, right?"


    Exactly as mentioned, Diego hadn''t spoken anything regarding their loss until now which had left everyone on the team wondering. But now that he mentioned the topic of their loss so abruptly, they were left rather perplexed by the timing.


    Why mention it now? Shouldn''t we be discussing about our tomorrow''s match? What''s the point of mentioning that now?


    As they heard Diego''s statement, many of them couldn''t help but think so.


    And, they weren''t wrong to think such as well. After all that''s happened has already happened, instead of worrying about the past that has passed, it would be better to focus on the matter at hand.


    Though, they had several thoughts which greatly contradicted the topic their head coach was about to present, none of them actually dared to speak their mind. They just kept their mouth shut and stood there waiting for the talk Diego was about to present.


    Diego was no mind-reader but he could tell that they weren''t eager to listen about their mistakes now when they had another game in hand. However, it didn''t matter to him since he wasn''t going to criticize their y in the first ce.


    "It''s because you all yed so awfully that I didn''t even feel like talking about it. And, I''m still not going to talk about that match. Instead what I want to talk about is the changes we''vee up with so that we won''t repeat the same mistakes" Diego outrightly criticized every single one of them and sternly announced his decision without giving a shit about anybody''s feelings.


    At once, his decision caused an uproar as the yers started bing noisy, expressing their dissatisfaction regarding that abrupt decision of their coach.


    "But coach, we''re in the middle of a tournament?"


    "What if it backfires? We''ve got only two matches and if we lose even one, we might as well say goodbye to the tournament"


    "Yeah, why change now?"


    Beep!!


    While they were grumbling, Diego blew his whistle forcefully to silence them.


    At once upon hearing the shrill sound of the whistle, everybody came to a pause as all of them stopped their grumbling. It would have been otherwise if any of them had enough influence to cause him to change his decision but none of them were of that caliber yet.


    Thus, nobody had the guts to challenge the authority of Diego.


    Being the person with the highest authority in this team, they had to do whatever he told them. If he ordered them to runps, they run without anyints.


    If he told them to shut their mouth, they shut their mouth. Anybody who dared to speak against him would be challenging his authority and would only put himself in danger.


    After all, he had the authority to bench them or drop them. It would only do them good as long as they didn''t fall out of favor with him.


    Thus, as the cacophonous sound of Diego''s whistle chimed in, what followed was an eerie silence where only the sound of the collective breathing could be heard around them.


    Sweeping his gaze across the yers, he spoke in a rather gentle tone,pletely different from what the yers were expecting, "There won''t be many changes and it isn''t an entirely different approach either. In fact, many of you are already familiar with it. So, don''t worry unnecessarily. Just y freely like your usual self and have fun on the field"

 Chapter 356 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 I

    <h4>Chapter 356 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 I</h4>


    November 14, 2023


    Jk Harupat Stadium


    Many people dressed in the colors of their respective teams were making their way towards the stadium, seemingly all excited. Most fans who appeared overtly excited were singing chants and waving gs while at the same time, vendors lined the streets, selling merchandise and snacks to the hungry fans on their way to the match.


    With these crowds of excited fans flocking into the stadium, the surrounding area outside was quite crowded almost as if a festival was taking ce over there. And the air was rather electrifying with the fans'' cheers, chatter, and chants.


    Such an excited atmosphere, however, wasn''t only limited to the surroundings around the stadium, though a bit less intense than the one at the scene, the scene in different parts of Japan where people had gathered to watch this match was equally electrifying.


    Maybe it''s because of the recent fame of the Argentinian side who had managed to clutch the title of the FIFA World Cup 2022 but though it wasn''t their senior team ying, people of Japan were showing great interest in this match.


    Awaiting the start of the match, they were both nervous and excited.


    Lined up side by side, except for the explosive chants echoing from outside, right now, it was rather silent inside the tunnel.


    For some reason, it appeared as if the yers of both teams were equally nervous about this match. Just from their silence alone and the fact that none of the sides were shing against each other, one could tell how tensed both sides were for this match.


    Not being able to use two of his most precious skills, Hiro himself was unusually tense today.


    In a while, as they walked out of the tunnel, they were met with a stadium buzzing with a cacophonous symphony of cheers.


    Though the stadium appeared rather lively, for some reason, Hiro couldn''t help but feel an unknown pressure weighing on him. The feeling was almost simr to the moment when he first stepped onto the field in the finals of the Takamado Cup.


    As he trod forward, his heart raced with every step he took.


    Looking around him as he noticed those expectant eyes, his heart raced even faster. Immediately, he then rolled his eyes away from the crowd.


    Why am I feeling so nervous today? It''s not like it''s my first time seeing those eyes, then why?


    Walking with his head lowered, he thought as he tried to figure out why he was feeling so tense today. Was it perhaps fear? He couldn''t be certain.


    But whatever the reason be, he couldn''t bring himself to look in the eyes of the supporters today.


    Shun, however, seemed unaffected. Enjoying this moment to its fullest, he walked forward looking around him, radiating an aura of unwavering confidence.


    Receiving the highest rating surpassing even that of Hiro, he was the MVP, the star of the previous match. And, he had brought the confidence of that match with him even in this match.


    Crack!! Crack!!


    While looking around him, enjoying the buzz of excitement lingering in the stadium, he cracked his knuckles, raring to go.


    ''If I can shut them down even the clubs from overseas will have to take notice of me,'' Shun thought, ring with passion to prove his worth.


    The ratings he had received in the previous match were a testament to his improvement. And, if he could deliver even in this match then it would only confirm that he indeed was growing.


    Yutaka on the other hand, appeared as nervous as before. Intentionally shrinking his body so that others won''t take notice of him, Yutaka as he trod forward was desperately trying to hide his presence.


    Well, some could even argue that it was one of the reasons why he could move swiftly in the field. The less he gets noticed the less the chance that anybody would mark him. Though it was as much as a blessing it was also a curse, since he might not get noticed by his teammates as well.


    And, what meaning would be there, if he couldn''t get the ball?


    After all, his greatest arsenal was his vision and passing. And if he couldn''t get on the ball then those blessings would renderpletely useless.


    Part of the reason why Yutaka wouldn''t get passes often in the match was because of his inability to call for passes. He''d always move in silence which often would get him ignored.


    Caressing the scar on his face while moving along with his teammate, Mateo looked at the stadium brimming with fans.


    ying as a substitute until now, this experience of starting waspletely unfamiliar to him. For a while, he couldn''t believe whether all this was a dream or a reality.


    The buzzing crowd that was looking his way, the buzz of excitement lingering around the stadium, and the view he could get while walking out of the tunnel, it was such a magical experience that he couldn''t even put it in terms of words.


    Suddenly though, he felt an incredible feeling of pride almost as if he had aplished something major emerging from the depths of his heart, ''I''ve made it to the starting eleven''


    ''Mom, Dad, Alexia, are you all watching me?'' looking at the digital screen, he thought.


    Mateo was aware that the more exposure he got, the closer he''d get to achieving his dream. And right now, getting a ce in the starting eleven, he couldn''t feel grateful towards his parents who urged him to take this chance.


    If not for them let alone being here, he''d still be as lost as ever.


    Retracting his gaze from the scoreboard as he turned to look in front, he was met with the re of udio who appeared rather irritated.


    Getting in a scuffle with him after the end of the training session regarding the new strategy that the coach hade up with, udio was still holding a grudge against him for stealing his position. However, he wasn''t the only one who was holding a grudge against him.


    The one who had been benched because of him was equally dissatisfied and angry as well.

 Chapter 357 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 II

    Chapter 357 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 II


    ??Turning to look at the stands, overflowing with excited cheers, Mateo felt a familiar surge of excitement tinged with a bit of anxiousness. Then again, to relieve his anxiousness, he clutched his hand into a fist and inhaled a deep breath.


    As he exhaled, his eyes glowed with an unusual sharpness.


    Beep!!


    The air crackled with the roars of the fans as the referee blew his whistle, announcing the start of the game.


    udio passed the ball back to Mateo and dashed upfield.


    Nijichi, their attacker, rushed for the ball, ignoring udio, who easily passed him. At the same time, Hiro rushed towards udio, attempting to block him on his way while everyone in the frontline dispersed to cover more distance and maximize their effectiveness.


    Just as he was about to approach udio, Hiro however, hesitated. Being aware of Mateo''s capabilities, it would be more effective to head towards Mateo than to block udio.


    That is what he told himself. But that was merely a flimsy reason to appease his ego. The true reason he hesitated was pretty profound, and if expressed out loud, it would break his team¡ª he just couldn''t trust Nijichi to stop Mateo.


    It''s not like he hated Nijichi or anything personal, he couldn''t put his trust in Nijichi. But truth be told, Nijichi''s defense was shit and so was his patience. If Mateo gets past him, he won''t even bother chasing him. That''s why he couldn''t put his trust in Nijichi.


    But even so, he couldn''t let udio to pass him. Thus, he hesitated for a while whether to rush towards Mateo or guard udio.


    Then, amidst his hesitation, he looked behind.There Takeshi was standing guard, appearing rather sharp and intimidating.


    Looking at that sturdy frame and piercing gaze of his, for some reason Hiro felt as if he could put his trust in him. Right at that moment, Takeshi also turned toward him, and their eyes met.


    Gesturing to Takeshi to cover for him, Hiro signaled that he would be leaving udio under his care. Understanding his signals, Takeshi gave a light nod.


    Up front, Mateo easily dribbled past Nijichi. And what he had feared the most happened as well, after getting beaten, Nijichi refused to give him a chase which allowed Mateo to operate even more freely.


    Mateo then moved the ball upfield unimpeded, looking for gaps to exploit. However, his independence did notst long since Hiro eventually caught up with him and stopped him from continuing ahead.


    Though Mateo was confident in his dribbling, he was also aware of Hiro''s tenacity. Unlike Nijichi, Hiro wouldn''t leave him alone even after getting past him.


    Taking everything into consideration, he then came to a decision.


    Moving forward with steady steps, he steeled his mind to face Hiro. Appearing as sharp as ever, Hiro too confronted him calmly.


    As those two confronted one other, their focus peaked, and they engaged in a war of wits, each attempting to outwit the other. With each of them being an excellent dribbler and observer, both of them were trying to read each other.


    For a while, the time froze as those two shed.


    Mateo''s body swayed like a leaf in the wind as he dribbled quickly and precisely. Hiro, who appeared calm as water, remained with him, tracking his every move and stopping him from moving forward. It was truly a battle between geniuses.


    And the excited audition, experiencing this sh firsthand were thoroughly enjoying this moment. Appearing rather tensed, they remained seated at their seats as they glued their eyes on those two geniuses who right now were trying to overpower each other.


    Finally, a moment arrived when Mateo outsmarted Hiro. A moment barely enough to put some distance with him presented itself in front of Mateo as he finally managed to get the ball past Hiro.


    The crowd went wild as they witnessed the deadlock being broken.


    But even after being beaten, Hiro appeared as tenacious as ever as he quickly recovered and started to chase after Mateo.


    It hadn''t even been a minute and yet already the match had be such heated that the audience could hardly resist the surge of anticipation coursing through their veins. Right now, the whole stadium was buzzing with an aura of anticipation and excitement.


    Sensing the presence of Hiro who was chasing after him, Mateo didn''t keep hold of the ball for long and decided to let go of the ball.


    Though he was initially nning to pass the ball to his team''s wingers, he noticed a gap upfront where udio was making his run. Thus, he decided to take a gamble and lobbed the ball in front, above the head of the opposing yers.


    Lobbing the ball above the heads of the opposing yers, he supplied a brilliant through-ball. But, now it all depended on udio.


    At this moment, the managers of both teams were ovee with a tense feeling as both of them looked at the flying ball with their brows creased into a frown. Especially manager Haruki''s time-worn wrinkles were as visible as ever.


    Meanwhile, Japan''s yers seated in the substitute box nced at the ball with anxious expressions on their faces, and many of them sped their fists tightly.


    Making use of his small but robust frame, just as Akutsu leaped toward the ball to make a clearance, udio gave him a light push which in turn imbnced Akutsu. udio however was careful enough not to alert the referee into giving him a foul.


    Feeling the push, Akutsu looked in the direction of the referee as he cried for a foul. But the referee simply turned a blind eye to his appeal almost as if he was ignoring him.


    The ball then dropped right behind Akutsu, missing him barely by an inch.


    Taking advantage of the moment, udio then fired a brilliant volley straight towards the post with the uracy of a master archer.


    Goaaaaaallllllllll!!!


    At once the crowd erupted into a jubnt roar as they celebrated udio''s goal. In less than a minute the Argentinian side took the lead.

 Chapter 358 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 III

    Chapter 358 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 III


    ??As the ball sailed past the reach of Shun and touched the back of the, supporters of the Argentinian side shot forth from their seats as they began to celebrate the goal scored by udio with much passion and excitement.


    With their ecstatic cries echoing throughout the stadium, for a moment it felt as if the entire venue hade to life.


    Overjoyed, udio who had delivered Argentina their first lead of the game, upon scoring this marvelous goal rushed toward the sidelines to celebrate. His teammates followed after him but Mateo who had assisted him, stayed put at his ce, grinning.


    Amidst this raging celebration, the disappointed sighs and cries of the Japanese fans could barely be heard. But, even if it was not as audible, it wasn''t non-existent.


    If the cheers of the opposing fans weren''t already heart-wrenching enough, the nagging of thementator was even more brutal. Glorifying the Argentinian side, he harshly criticized the mistakes of the Japanese yers who had failed to stop the Argentinian side and conceded a goal so early in the match.


    While the yers of the Japanese side were devastated by this early blow, the head coach of the Argentinian side and his coaching staff were overjoyed. Though it was still too early to celebrate, they could see a glimpse of the sess thisst-minute change would bring to their team.


    "Diego, I think it might work" excitedly spoke Gonzalez.


    Diego nodded his head as he responded with a smile. Turning to look at the celebrating figure of his yers, he just couldn''t stop smiling even for a second.


    Since their World Cup qualifying matches, he had been painstakingly working on a strategy that could possibly make his team the world champions. But, he hadn''t been able toe up with a suitable one.


    The main reason why he couldn''te up with a good strategy was because of his unfamiliarity with the yers. Despite being the head coach of the team, he barely knew the traits of his yers. And even that was all thanks to the report provided to him by the association.


    But now, he was slowly understanding the traits of his yers which had allowed him to work on a better strategy that could utilize the traits of his yers to the fullest. One such example was the conversion of udio from an attacking midfielder to a striker.


    Though, he wasn''t nning on sticking with this same strategy for the rest of the tournament as even the strategy he had conjured right now had its ws. But for now, he was satisfied with the result.


    While his coaching staff and his yers celebrated the goal they had scored, Diego stood upright with his arms folded and eyes glistening with pride.


    On the other hand, manager Haruki was trying to console himself by saying that they still had the entire match to turn around the score.


    Unlike his colleagues, Kazan who was seated at his seat wearing a poker face appeared as if he was neither bothered by the oue nor worried about the game ahead. Just by looking at his face, one could barely tell what he was thinking.


    But, at this moment, though he wasn''t showing any emotions or expressing his disappointment, he was the one who was thinking the most in the reserve box of the Japanese side.


    ''They have changed their tactic'' analyzing the performance of the opposing yers, Kazan concluded.


    Amidst this gloomy atmosphere, at this moment, one would expect Hiro to sulk and despair like most of his teammates. But instead, right now, he had a weird smile on his face. Sure this goal as much as it pained his teammates and supporters, pained him as well.


    But going up against, one of the finest talents he had seen until now, he just couldn''t resist this urge to test himself. And that too when hecked two of his most precious skills.


    [Potential: SSS]


    He wanted to find out whether he truly had that inner potential or if it was because he possessed the system. So, if he truly possessed that innate ability, he should be able to hold on by himself without relying on the system.


    But, if he couldn''t hold his ground in today''s match, it would confirm that he was nothing without the help of the system.


    Raring to find out if he was truly worthy or not, he then began to head back to console Shun who seemed the most devastated at the moment.


    Beep!!


    With the referee''s whistle, as everybody returned to their position, the game continued.


    With his newfound vigor, Hiro became even more offensive than before. However, his teammates struggled to keep up with him.


    "Another missed pass from Hiro. What''s happening to him today? He doesn''t seem his usual self" Commentatorined.


    "Seems like even that kid is starting to get nervous," Gonzalez spoke, "What do you think Diego?" he added as he asked for Diego''s opinion who was standing right beside him.


    In a rather prudent tone, Diego responded to Gonzalez''s inquiry, "Or maybe it''s his teammates who couldn''t receive his pass"


    Upon hearing Diego''s response Gonzalez''s eyes perked up as he couldn''t help but ask in surprise, "What do you mean by that Diego?"


    "Exactly how it sounds," Diego answered in a rather ambiguous way.


    In the 44th minute of the match, a scenario arrived where Hiro found himself face-to-face against Mateo.


    At this encounter, almost everybody present on the stand became extremely curious and excited. The previous showoff between these yers had left them thrilled.


    Was such a situation about to take ce? Would Hiro get his revenge or would Mateoe on top, once again? They just couldn''t help but feel curious.


    Steadily approaching Mateo, Hiro fearlessly darted his gaze towards Mateo, trying to intimidate him. But, Mateo appeared as calm as the ocean. Intimidation wasn''t going to work on him, he could tell just from looking into his eyes.


    And simple feints or deception wasn''t going to work on him either. If he wanted to get past him, he''d have to do something totally unexpected. He''d have to catch him off-guard. But that was easier said than done.

 Chapter 359 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 IV

    Chapter 359 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 IV


    ??Right now, almost every eye in the stadium was converged on Hiro and Mateo. With those two engaging in a thrilling battle of wills, the atmosphere of the stadium was getting rather heavy with anticipation.


    Twisting and turning his body, while executing fancy footwork, Hiro tried his best to beat Mateo. But, Mateo was rather adamant. Following his every move, he nulled his efforts as if he could foresee every single one of his moves.


    It was really as if he knew where he''d move.Mateo was a very tough nut to crack. And from the looks of it, it didn''t seem that getting past him would be an easy task.


    But, Hiro had already prepared himself. And, right now, he was ying without any restraint. Sure, he couldn''t use two of his most useful skills but he still had many other arsenals under his belt which he could use.


    Especially the talent, ''Equilibrium'' which he had received frompleting the recent quest, it was trulying in handy. That talent had thoroughly boosted his dribbling to another level.


    Though it appeared as if Mateo wasn''t even breaking a sweat, in reality, he was actually struggling to keep up with Hiro''s fancy dribbles as well.


    Why does his dribbling style feel so familiar?


    While trying to keep up with Hiro, a strange feeling of nostalgia struck Mateo. Though he wasn''t sure of this feeling, right now it felt as if he was ying against his carbon copy.


    Using Mateo''s dribbling style albeit with a touch of his vors, one could say that right now, Hiro was using Mateo''s dribbling style against him. And, the reason why Mateo was having a hard time figuring it out was because of the modification Hiro had done.


    But still, it''d only be a matter of time before Mateo would eventually figure it out.


    "It pains me to say it but I gotta admit it, he''s quite skilled," Gonzalez spoke while gritting his teeth, appearing rather anxious.


    ''That''s right, he''s copying me,'' finally, Mateo figured out the strange feeling he was feeling, ''But, how could he be so wless?''


    Having realized that Hiro was copying him, Mateo''s eyes dpidated as he felt a bone-chilling feeling. Not only the boy in front had managed to wlessly copy him, but he had also modified his skills in a way that would suit him.


    For a moment, it truly felt as if he was looking at a genius. But then again, a feeling of joy overcame him. If he was copying him then to some extent he''d be able to tell where he''d move the next moment.


    And, as predicted by him, Hiro did move toward the direction he had envisioned which only added to his joy and satisfaction. Closing in toward him, he leaned his body towards Hiro, trying to block him while at the same time, he swept his feet trying to snatch the ball away from Hiro.


    Slightly curling his lips, he revealed a satiated grin, ''You''re indeed skilled but you shouldn''t have thought of pulling my moves against me''


    That grin on his face, however, didn''tst long.


    All of a sudden, his eyes converged as he became startled by Hiro''s next move. It wasn''t what he had envisioned.


    Pulling a rainbow flick out of nowhere, Hiro left him stunned. That once-satiated grin on his face was reced by a dumbstruck expression as he turned to look at Hiro who had got past him.


    "Woah!!"


    The moment Hiro pulled that rainbow flick, a collective wow escaped the mouths of many onlookers as they were left utterly stunned by this marvelous disy of skill.


    Then, with a burst of speed, he sped up, leaving behind Mateo. However, because of theck of skill Lightning steps, it took him a while to elerate.Mateo however, quickly rposed hisposure and started to give him chase.


    Soon enough, he was confronted with his next obstacle¡ª two opposing defenders stood before him, blocking his path. Yet, he remained unfazed. Right past them, he could see the post of the opposing team. Thus, he didn''t let his focus waver aftering this far.


    Then, one of those defenders rushed toward him while the other followed him closely, ring at him with vignt eyes while appearing as if he would strike him any moment.


    As he got close to the iing defender, in one breathtaking moment of brilliance, he then executed a brilliant move that left the entire stadium in stunned silence. However, no sooner had he got through the first defender, than the other followed as he tried to recover their lost dignity.


    Hiro however, once again with a lightning-quick feint sent the iing defender sliding past him as he dodged both those defenders and locked his eyes on the goal.


    The crowd upon witnessing this marvelous scene became extremely tense and ecstatic. A hope blossomed in the heart of many supporters of Japan, on and off the pitch.


    "Come on Hiro, you can do it, " many people cheered for him as he approached the post of the opposing team.


    In the blink of an eye, after leaving his pursuers in the dust, he appeared at the edge of the penalty box. Entering the penalty area, his talent Knight in the area, kicked in, boosting his attacking stat.


    His eyes shed with an eerie sharpness as he prepared himself to take the shot. From there, he then unleashed a shot of unparalleled power and precision.


    As he struck the ball, the ball rocketed towards the post with unerring uracy. But in the nick of time, it struck the pole and went astray.


    Ahh!!!


    "So close yet so far," both thementator and the audience expressed their disappointment as they cried out loud witnessing Hiro''s miss.


    He rarely missed from that spot. But, today as if the god of bad luck had ced his hands atop his head, even after creating countless chances, he wasn''t able to find the back of the.


    It appeared almost as if he wasn''t destined to score in today''s match.

 Chapter 360 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 V

    Chapter 360 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 V


    ??Appearing as if they were struck with a cmity, right now yers of the Japan u17 team were slumped in their seats with their heads lowered. With none of them speaking, an unusual eeriness had engulfed their locker room.


    Still, despite that silence, the air around the room was rather heavy with a palpable sense of disappointment and frustration.


    Though their performance had been somewhat disappointing, until now, apart from that very first goal which they had conceded in the very first minute of the game, they hadn''t conceded another goal. Yet, despite that, today it appeared as if everybody was thoroughly disappointed with their performance.


    Outside the locker room, Manager Haruki while making his way towards the locker room, apanied by his coaching staff appeared rather worried. With his brows knotted in a frown, he was wondering about the things he should say to motivate his yers.


    Though, they weren''t losing miserably but still after the halftime whistle, it appeared to him that his yers seemed rather dejected which shouldn''t be the case. After all, they rarely reacted in such a way in any of the previous matches.


    Sure they had made countless mistakes but it shouldn''t be enough to turn them this way. Their reaction was rather surprising.


    At first, he was just going to encourage them by telling them that apart from that very first mistake, they were doing quite well. But, after witnessing their reaction, he just couldn''t bring himself to execute his already-thought ns.


    Unable to hear any noise escaping through the door of the locker room, manager Haruki felt his heart pounding as he approached close to the locker room. Usually, it would have been quite hectic right now, but today the locker room of his team was unusually silent.


    That silence, however, only added to his worries as he started feeling a little anxious. His anxiousness however only grew as he got close to the locker room.


    What was he going to tell them? Tell them that they have performed well until now, or tell them to cheer up. Just what was he supposed to say?


    The closer he got to the locker room, the more such thoughts haunted him. However, he could only think of questions but no answers came to him.


    Then as he stepped foot into the locker room, his mind went nk. It was almost as if he had entered a different dimension.


    It had been quite a long time since he started coaching these yers, but it was his first time witnessing them in such a condition. Sure, he had seen them devastated countless times but today more than devastation he could see anger in their eyes.


    And that fury was directed toward themselves and their helplessness, not at others. There was guilt hidden behind those eyes.


    All along, while making his way to the locker room, he had been wondering about what to say once he met his yers. But, now as he came against them, he no longer required to think. Those words he had been trying hard toe up with came naturally as if it was present right in front of him, all along.


    "I''m sure you all are aware of the performance you have put on the field until now. So, I''m neither going to talk about it nor am I going to criticize you all," Manager Haruki''s deep voice broke the air of silence lingering in the room.


    At once, as his voice resonated many of the yers turned to look at him while a few continued to sulk, ignoring him.


    "And, neither am I going to instruct you nor am I going to lecture you. But, I''ll say one thing, if you continue to let yourself be bothered by your performance in the first half, then I can tell with certainty that we''ll be even more miserable in the second half. So, it''s all up to you whether you want to learn from your mistakes or drown in the guilt of your mistakes"


    Saying so, manager Haruki turned around and left the locker room. Based on the way he spoke and the way he reacted, it appeared that he was serious about what he meant¡ª he wasn''t going to speak more than this.


    Witnessing this strange, never-before-seen actions of manager Haruki, other coaches were left perplexed. The head coach had walked out of the locker room without saying much, letting the yers decide for themselves.


    They could have never expected that manager Haruki who was the epitome of professionalism would do such an unprofessional thing. Now, what were they supposed to do, instruct the yers about the strategy? Or try to lift this gloomy mood in the locker room through some pep talk?


    None had any idea. Utterly perplexed, they just stood there awkwardly looking at each other''s faces, trying to think about the actions they should be performing.


    ???? ????


    After a short moment of rest, as the break came to an end, yers from both teams started to enter the field. Each lookedpletely different than what they looked like when they exited the field after the whistle that concluded the first half.


    While the opposing team had made some changes to their formation, the yers of Japan after that abrupt deration of their coach during the break had entered the field with the same set of yers with no changes in their formation.


    Yet despite all that, they appeared more sharper than ever.


    Even the coaching staff of the Japanese side other than manager Haruki and Kazan were surprised at their transformation. After manager Haruki walked out of the locker room, having no idea on what to do, they too had walked out of the locker room.


    Thus, they werepletely unaware of the stuff that happened in the locker room afterward. But now upon witnessing such drastic changes despite having said nothing, they couldn''t help but feel surprised at their transformation.


    What just happened in the locker room?


    With their eyes widened, the coaching staff of the Japanese side thought as they perplexingly looked at the figure of their yers walking out the aisle.

 Chapter 361 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 VI

    Chapter 361 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 VI


    ??As the yers of both teams took their stance, the referee nced at his watch before blowing his whistle to announce themencement of the second half.


    Right now, while most of the fans had already returned to their seats, some were still hurrying to their seats with their hands full of snacks and soft beverages. And, the stands were still as lively as ever with the chants and the chatters of the fans.


    Inrge letters and numbers, disyed on the scoreboard was the present score of the two teamspeting in this match, Argentina u17: 1 vs Japan u17: 0.


    Beep!!


    The clock started ticking again.


    Both teams started ferociously, each more sharper and daring than before. shing against each other, each tested their resolve. And, the audience upon witnessing such shes taking ce on the field became even more excited.


    For some while, the momentum continued to shift without any stop. But none managed to procure any results from it.


    Finally, in the 67th minute of the match, the opposing team stumbled upon a threatening opportunity that could make a difference in the scoreboard. Failing to connect a pass, Takeshi gave the ball away.


    Capitalizing on the blunder made by Takeshi, the opposing yer immediately pressed forward without wasting any time. With swift passes, they quickly moved the ball forward while Hiro and his teammates started to fall back.


    Shun and other defensive members of his team immediately became alerted as they started fortifying their defense line, checking on every member and possible gaps the opposing team could possibly exploit.


    It was a moment of emergency. And, no one was willing to let the other team dictate the game any further.


    Falling back while appearing rather troubled, Hiro looked around him to see if he could find an opportunity to disrupt the build-up of the opposing team before they could even reach their defensive third.


    With three forwards up front and three midfielders providing support to those forwards, they left no spaces open. And, the way they were rushing forward, altering each other''s position was somehow confusing his teammates.


    Though they had numerical superiority, the opposing yers barely disyed any hole in their formation for them to exploit. And, from the backline, their fullbacks were also pressing forward to provide support.


    Truly, it felt as if every member of the opposing team was behind this attack.


    If only he had his skill,Hawk eyes,he might be able to locate gaps that he might not have been able to locate right now. Oh, how handy that skill would havee right now.


    But, he could do nothing about it. And, whining about it wouldn''t make the situation better either. Right now, all he could do was try his best to stop the iing attack of the opposing team.


    Then all of a sudden, Takeshi performed a sliding tackle on udio who was moving the ball forward.


    Beep!!


    The referee blew his whistle, stopping the game midway after witnessing that sudden tackle from Takeshi which sent udio flying away.


    That tackle seemedpletely unnecessary given the position of udio who was quite far away from the post and was surrounded by the yers of Japan. Even if he broke free from Takeshi, Yutaka and Akutsu were right behind him.


    But those desperate eyes of Takeshi spoke everything about that tackle. Probably he did so because he felt like he had to redeem himself since he was the one to give the ball away.


    The tackle in itself wasn''t rough but the intention behind that tackle appeared quite obvious. It was a tackle that was performed out of desperation. And, for that reason, if not getting booked, Takeshi would probably receive a warning.


    But, the referee decided to go for the worse and booked him. Even so, while his teammates tried to appeal, Takeshi remained tongue-tied appearing rather distressed.


    Since others weren''t as observant as Hiro they were not aware of it but Hiro who had looking his way knew that Takeshi''s emotions were starting to affect his performances. And, if it continued, it might get even worse. Another such tackle and he''d be out of the game.


    Takeshi''s mistake was bound to cost them a lot.


    Thus, unwilling to let one person''s emotional state affect the entire team, Hiro looked at the direction of the substitution box to see whether the coach had noticed this change or not. If he had not, even if it meant upsetting Takeshi, he''d personally suggest the substitution of Takeshi.


    But as he turned to look in the direction of Manager Haruki, he noticed that he was already preparing to make some changes. Witnessing such a scene made him feel at ease.


    Since he wasn''t required to suggest any substitution, he then changed his focus to the thing he could do at the moment. And, that was to calm his teammates. Arguing more with the referee would only result in more bookings.


    In a while as themotion subsided, from the sidelines, the assistant referee raised his substitution board hinting at a yer change for the Japanese side. And, the yer that was going to get reced came as a surprise.


    The Japanese side was recing three yers in total and one of them was their number 10.


    "What? Me?" appearing rather bbergasted while pointing his finger towards himself, Hiro questioned as he heard the announcement about the yer change.


    He getting reced so early in the match, that it had never urred before. Sure, he had made many mistakes today but he was still creating many goalscoring chances. If not for his efforts, they wouldn''t even have registered any shots on target today.


    So, why was he getting reced?


    No matter, how hard he tried to think about the reason behind his recement, he couldn''te up with a satisfactory answer.


    "What? Recing the best yer in the team...., What is the coach thinking about?"


    "Seriously, taking out our best yer?"


    Many fans cried out, as they expressed their shock and disappointment upon hearing the announcement about the yer changes.

 Chapter 362 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 VII

    Chapter 362 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 VII


    At once, after that announcement regarding yer change, the stadium became extremely noisy. Many fans looked in the direction of Manager Haruki with eyes full of disbelief while many shot furious gazes at him and appeared rather furious at his decision.


    Hauling disappointed curses at him, they expressed their dissatisfaction. But, manager Haruki pretended to not hear them as he kept a poker face turning deaf air to the nders hauled towards him. "Based on the reaction from the crowd, I don''t think they fancied the decision of coaching staff of the team Japan," the Commentator expressed his opinion, "Just what is the coaching staff of Japan thinking to achieve by making such a big decision?"


    Simr to the furious crowd, Hiro was in no better position himself. Slowly making his way towards the sidelines, he fixed his eyes on the coaches, demanding an answer. But, apart from a few coaches almost every single one of them ignored him.


    "Why do you think they took him out, Diego?" Gonzalez feeling rather perplexed by the decision of the opposing coach, questioned. This time, however, Diego remained silent. Even he couldn''t understand why the opposing coaches substituted their best yer on the field. Sure, he had made quite a lot of mistakes but by far he had been the most lethal from the opposing team.


    Though Hiro was upset about getting taken out of the game, he still kept his cool as he wished the yer that was going to rece him luck, amicably without holding any hostility. But, even so, he couldn''t stop himself from asking the reason he was taken out of the game. If it was because of the mistakes he had made, he wouldn''t be satisfied to hear such vague reasons. Though, he had yed a little more selfishly than before it was because he was forced to do so. Since none of his teammates could capitalize on the opportunity he had created, he had to take the matter into his own hands. Then just as he was about to ask Manager Haruki about the reason for his withdrawal, Manager Haruki interjected him in a rather concerning tone, "I''ve already informed the medics, you should get checked"


    What was he talking about?


    Upon hearing Manager Haruki''s response, Hiro couldn''t help but look at him with eyes full of confusion.With his brows raised, he looked at him appearing rather dumbfounded. ''Why should I get checked? What has happened to me? Did I appear injured on the field today? Or was I unaware of something?'' Keeping eyes fixated on him, Hiro thought. No matter how much he thought, Hiro couldn''t understand the meaning behind Manager Haruki''s statement. Thinking that he might have missed something, he even checked his condition. But, no matter how many times he looked at him, he appearedpletely fine. Unable to find any defects in his body, Hiro became even more confused. But he could do nothing now that he had been taken out already. All he could do was put his faith in his teammates and hope that they somehow win the game without him. "Oh, It looks like he had been injured that''s why he was taken out," thementator announced after witnessing Hiro getting examined by some medics on the sidelines. Though thatment wasn''t entirely true still, it appeased the anger and frustration of the furious crowd. Hiro however only got annoyed upon hearing the statement made by thementator, ''Just because I''m getting examined you think I''m injured huh?''


    First getting pulled out for no apparent reason and now, getting dered injured when he wasn''t even injured in actuality for no reason. How could Hiro not help but feel annoyed by it?


    Still, he was utterly helpless. Apart from getting annoyed, he could do nothing. The medics were still running some tests on him, applying muscle-soothing spray, and massaging his feet, treating him with a superficial injury that wasn''t even present there. Well, at least he wasn''t rushed to the hospital and was allowed to observe the game from the field. In the field, both udio and Mateo were positioning themselves behind the ball while their teammates were gathered in the penalty box. Though the ball was quite far away from the post, still it was in a rather suitable position for a skilled free-kick taker with enough power to convert that spot-kick into a goal.


    And, udio whose shot carried a rather heavy impact was the perfect person to take this freekick. But, Mateo being there was rather questioning. For sure, since he didn''t possess much firepower, he wouldn''t be the one to take the free-kick. And, if he was going to take the free-kick why would udio be there? Was he there for simply deceiving the opposing yers or was he present there to act as a decoy?


    None could tell why he was there. Then as the referee blew his whistle, both of them started running almost at the same time. Mateo was the man leading the run-up while udio was following from behind, maintaining a close distance from Mateo. Almost everybody who hade up together to set a wall to stop this impending attack upon witnessing this was sure that Mateo would simply roll over, acting as a decoy. Thus, everybody braced themselves to face udio who was running behind Mateo. Maybe the reason why they were doing such a bizarre run-up was to hide udio the main man so that the opposing yers wouldn''t be aware of his intentions. Just then as Mateo got close to the ball, he did something totally unexpected of him that stunned the opposing yers¡ª he struck the ball. In a state of panic, yers of Japan jumped uncoordinatedly as they tried to block the ball that was heading their way or that''s what they thought. But the reality was totally different. Mateo wasn''t nning on shooting from there all along. He was just present there to confuse the opposing yers and create an opportunity for the man who was going to make use of his firepower. Mateo simply chipped the ball so that udio who was following him could execute a brilliant volley. Bam!! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Tilting his body to exert maximum power, udio struck the levitating ball and shot it towards the opposing goalpost.

 Chapter 363 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 VIII

    Chapter 363 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 VIII


    None were expecting such a turn of events. It''s not like such tactics hadn''t been used in football before. But, not every day one would see teams implementing such tactics. And, based on the expressions on the opposing coaches'' faces, it appeared that even they were surprised by the oue. Sure, Diego had designated udio as the free-kick taker, but he had never seen his guys practicing such maneuvers during training.


    Also, udio and Mateo''s rtionship status was rather sour. Moreover, after that previous tactical change, their rtionship had further deteriorated. udio disliked Mateo for taking away his position while Mateo disliked udio because he was being such a bitch.


    But, the way those two were ying today, it didn''t ur to anybody that there was any disagreement between those two. So, how could they disy such a well-crafted y while having such a bad synergy? It was a total mystery to both the coaching staff and the yers as well. As udio struck the ball, the ball sailed above the heads of the yers of Japan who had made a huge blunder thinking that Mateo was going to take the strike. Now, they had messed up their timing, there was no going back. All they could do right now was to anxiously follow the ball, hoping that somehow Shun would make the save and salvage them from embarrassment.


    Having his vision blocked, Shun could hardly see the ball. Not to mention the blunder of his teammates which greatly misled him into thinking that the ball wasing. "Gooooaaaaaalllllllll!!!!!"


    The entire stadium shook as thousands of fans shot forth from their seat while erupting into an ecstatic roar upon witnessing the ball sailing inside the post. Jumping and hugging, as they celebrated the goal, the stadium atmosphere became extremely lively. Resonating to the joyous chants and cheers of the fans, udio ran to the sidelines with his eyes full of ecstasy and excitement. It was his second goal of the game and the response he was getting from the fans was even more electrifying than before. While thementator was singing his praise, fans were showering him with love and affection. At this moment, he truly felt like he was at the top of the world. It was such a magical experience that he just couldn''t stop himself from smiling and drowning in this experience.


    Even Mateo who hadn''t involved himself in the previous celebration was celebrating like crazy, right now. Hiro on the other hand while getting treated on the sidelines was out of words. The disappointment was palpable in his eyes, yet not even a single gasp was escaping his mouth. He shouldn''t be feeling such. But, even while feeling disappointed by the oue, he couldn''t lie to himself that it was one of the best goals he had seen so far. A powerful volley from a spot-kick from that far, he had rarely seen such urrences take ce in football.


    Though, he wasn''t uttering a single word it didn''t mean that it was peaceful around him. In fact, with all the uproar taking ce in the stadium, it was rather noisy. Not to mention the disappointed cries of his teammates who were seated alongside him in the substitution box. The state of his teammates who were present on the field was no different than those of his teammates in the substitution box. Frustration and disappointment were palpable in their eyes and those dull faces were a testament to their falling morale. After this second goal, the match however only went downhill for the Japanese side as yers of Japan struggled to move the ball forward. Let alone scoring back, they couldn''t even register any shots on target.


    Nijichi who had to carry the whole burden on himself was the one who suffered the most.With both Hiro and Yutaka gone, nobody was present there to provide him with passes which only decreased his maneuverability. Then again, to make matters worse, the Argentinian side scored their third goal of the game in the 87th minute of the match, extending their lead even further from an urate shot of Mateo. After this, one could say that the game was as good as over. And, from the defeated and exhausted looks of the Japanese yer, it was rather evident that they wanted this match to end faster so that they wouldn''t have to suffer anymore. Literally, they had no motivation left to keep their legs going any further. They were at their limits. Still, the Argentinian side however showed no mercy. It didn''t matter to them if their opponents had lost their will to fight. As long as the clock was ticking, they would keep on attacking without any mercy. And, that''s what they did as well. While only a few yers from the Japanese side fought until the end, most of them didn''t even botherpeting. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Despite being agitated by theck of effort of his teammate and fury towards himself for failing to stop those three goals of the opposing team, Shun kept on fighting until the end. Standing as if nothing had happened after each fall, he continued to defend the post, unwilling to bend. "What the hell are you doing Rin? How could you let him run past him?" criticizing the mistake of Rin who had let udio run past him, Shun yelled, "Put some effort fu....," but as he was about to cuss, he paused midway noticing the referee. "Tch!!" clicking his tongue, he then zipped his mouth. Watching his teammates allow the opposing yers to slip past them time and again, he had been utterly disappointed. More than the pain of defeat, he was furious at theck of effort from his teammates. If only everyone did their job properly, he wouldn''t be getting this worked up. With seconds remaining for the match toe to an end, Mateo then lined up at the corner to take the veryst corner of the match. It was thest corner of the match, yet he appeared hungry.

 Chapter 364 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 IX

    <h4>Chapter 364 Japan u17 vs Argentina u17 IX</h4>


    And so did most of the Argentinian yers. They were hungry for a goal even in the veryst second of the match.


    It being thest set-piece of the game, almost every single opposing yer was rushing upfield to be part of this set-piece. And, with all those yers flocking in, the penalty box of the Japanese side was getting rather cramped.


    As if asking for permission to leave his post while ncing at the sidelines, the keeper of the opposing team looked at Diego, their coach.


    The moment Diego locked eyes with the keeper of his team, he immediately understood his intentions.


    Even though Diego liked such an attitude where his yers would thirst for the goal until the final moment of the match, today they had already won the game, and permitting him to move upfield was akin to disrespecting the opposing team.


    Thus, for such reason, he shook his head as he prevented the keeper of his team from moving upfield to participate in this final set-piece.


    As Mateo prepared to take the set-piece, he raised his right hand to signal that he was now going to deliver the ball. And, the moment Mateo struck the ball, his eyes glowed with an eerie sharpness.


    Kicking the ball with the inside of his feet, he lobbed the ball inside the box where countless yers werepeting for the ball. Pushing each other, each tried their best to win the ball.


    But the one who managed to win was Shun. Flying above the heads of every yer present in the box, his hand made contact with the ball as he punched the ball away, preventing another catastrophe from taking ce.


    Beep!!


    And as the ball went out of bounds, the referee blew his whistle, signaling the end of the game. With a humiliating score of three to nothing, the Japan u17 team lost the game.


    No sooner had the final whistle rung, than a lot of disappointed fans started to exit the stadium. At the same time, upon hearing the final whistle, fans of the opposing side started to celebrate as they congratted their yers for their deserved victory and cheered them for disying such an amazing performance.


    The scene waspletely different than thest time when they had lost the game against Senegal.


    While Argentinian yers exchanged friendly gestures with each other to celebrate their victory, Japanese yers started copsing on the field appearing utterly defeated.


    Their face was gloomy, their eyes listless, for a moment it appeared as if their vitality was sucked out of them. Yet, not many of them appeared devastated or frustrated by the loss. Instead, it appeared as if they were relieved that the game had finally ended.


    Unable to see such miserable state of his yers, Manager Haruki rolled his eyes away from them. But as he rolled his eyes away, his eyes fell on the scoresheet.


    Staring at the scoresheet made his heart pain. Frowning, he whispered, "Where did it all go wrong?"


    There was pain in his voice and guilt hidden beneath his warm pupils.


    Then, he again rolled his eyes away towards the substitution box. At this moment, Manager Haruki and Hiro''s eyes met. But none uttered anything. And, no sooner had he identally locked eyes with Hiro, than he immediately jolted his gaze away from him.


    He knew where he had gone wrong. It was after substituting Hiro.


    In that split second, though he didn''t hear anything from Manager Haruki, Hiro could tell from the looks on his face that he felt really bad about this loss. Probably, he might have even been ming himself.


    Despite that, Hiro couldn''t bring himself to console his coach either. He couldn''t even bring himself to be sad about this loss.


    Ghosting the game when his team needed him the most just because ofck of some skills, at this moment he felt as if he wasn''t worthy to lead this team. A true ace would show up when his team needs him the most.


    But, today in such an important match he couldn''t help his team when they needed him the most. Sure, he had done everything he could. Sure, he could me others since they couldn''t capitalize on the opportunity he had created.


    However, by doing so, he would be running away. Those were all reasonable reasons to console himself and retreat into hisfort zone. But, if he did that he wouldn''t grow.


    If only he didn''t have to lose two of his skills, the oue of the game might have been different.


    Such thoughts did cross his mind on multiple asions. And, even now when the game hade to an end, it was crossing his mind again.


    "No, I can''t sit here idly," he mumbled determinedly as he shook his head, "It''s my loss. I have been defeated fairly today"


    Mumbling such, he stood up. His legs were wrapped in bandages. But, he wasn''t feeling any physical pain.


    Though they had been defeated, there was still something he needed to do right now. The game might have ended but his responsibility as the captain of this team hadn''te to an end.


    Being aware of the stat of most of his teammates, he couldn''t me them for the poor performance they had disyed at the end of the game. And, neither could he me them for feeling relieved.


    Apart from a few, most of their mentality was rather weak. There were even some whose mentality was on the same level as Yutaka. But, even Yutaka had started to change.


    And, the most prominent of them was still Shun. After that qualifying tournament, he had been growing exponentially which had left him wondering about Shun''s true potential.


    Since he still couldn''t see the potential of other yers, there was no way for him to know about their potential. In fact, during his observation of their growth, he had also found something quite shocking.


    Talent could be acquired. Though, he wasn''t sure what triggered it.


    While heading towards the direction of his teammates, suddenly Hiro came to an abrupt pause as he came against the scar-faced boy maestro of the opposing team.

 Chapter 365 Swap

    <h4>Chapter 365 Swap</h4>


    Standing in front of him, Mateo blocked his path. Not thinking much of it, Hiro tried to walk past him. But, no matter where he went, Mateo moved along with him and continued to block his path.


    At first, Hiro thought that it was only a coincidence and didn''t attribute it to anything. But, after a while as Mateo continued to block him, he realized that he was doing that intentionally.


    Was he looking for a fight or was he trying to mock him?


    If it were any of those two, he wasn''t interested in confronting him. But, if it were not any of those two then what could it be?


    Even if he were simply trying to converse with him, they didn''t speak the samenguage. So, he wouldn''t know what he was talking about.


    "Wh..at? You... ne...ed so...mething?" Hiro asked albeit sounding a bit funny in English, thinking that Mateo would happen to know.


    Mateo however upon hearing him, disyed a quizzical look on his face. It appeared he didn''t understand English either.


    ''You don''t even understand English, or are you expecting me to speak Spanish?'' Hiro thought as he looked at Mateo, appearing rather annoyed.


    He had much greater matter to tend to. Yet, Mateo was blocking his way for God knows what reason. And, the more Hiro looked at him, the more he got annoyed.


    To the point that he was about to shove him away or yell at him for blocking his path in Japanese.


    Then, Mateo began to take his shirt off. Witnessing Mateo''s actions, Hiro finally understood why Mateo was blocking his path.


    He wanted to swap shirts.


    The guy whom he studied for months, right now was offering to swap shirts with him. It meant that he recognized his talents.


    Though the yer in front of him wasn''t anybody great from his past life, he could tell that if he continued to y like this he would make it big in no time. Sure, he wasn''t a big-shot but he held his talents in high regard.


    But that same yer, whom he spent months learning from was offering to swap shirts with him on his own ord.


    A feeling of joy pounced on him as his eyes glistened with joy. His team was defeated, and his teammates were in a mess but here he was feeling happy to exchange shirts with an unknown yer of the opposing team.


    If only it were with great yers like Messi or Ronaldo whom he admired the most, it would have felt reasonable to feel so. No, even if it were them, he shouldn''t feel happy when his team had just lost the game.


    Such an attitude wasn''t befitting of a yer of the national team.


    But, since it wasn''t him who approached first, it wouldn''t hurt to feel a little happy about it, or would it?


    Rposing himself, he then started to take his shirt off, epting Mateo''s offer. After all, even though his team had lost miserably, he didn''t need to turn down Mateo''s offer and shun him. If he did, not only would it tarnish his reputation, it would show that he couldn''t bear the loss.


    Taking off his jersey, he then handed it to Mateo while at the same time, Mateo handed his number 19 jersey to him and concluded their exchange with a friendly handshake.


    "You yed well today. But next time we meet, I won''t lose to you," Mateo spoke while shaking Hiro''s hands.


    Hiro however didn''t get a single thing spoken by him. But, still, he kept a smile on his face as he continued to shake his hand without replying.


    The cameramen were quick to capture this scene. Perhaps it might spark some controversies or perhaps it might alleviate their reputation, who knows what kind of reaction this footage would garner? Only time will tell.


    ???? ????


    [Japan''s humiliating loss]


    Written in big letters, Japan''s humiliating loss made the headlines of countless newspapers.


    "What do you think of yesterday''s match Masaki san?" asked a well-dressed middle-aged man while pointing at the headline of the newspaper he was holding in his hand.


    "It was utterly disappointing to look at. There was a time when there used to be yers from our country who would put their lives on the line to defend the dignity of the nation. But, the way those kids yed seemed like they were taking their spot in the national team for granted," spoke an elderly man with well-kempt hair, dressed in a formal suit.


    "Indeed, you''re right Masaki san. The way those yers yed, it seemed as if they had already admitted defeat even before the end of the game. But, what do you think of the performance of Hiro and would it be possible to get your view regarding that picture of Hiro with the opposing man of the match after the game?"


    "I think we shouldn''t burden him with so much hope and expectation. For sure, he''s a good yer. Given his age, he''ll get even better in the days toe. And, someday he might even represent our senior team on the world stage. But, I believe those expectations are starting to affect him. And, we could even see it in yesterday''s match."


    "Also given his age, I believe it would have been better to reappoint our captain. I''m not saying that he''s not fit to be captain. By all means he''s an excellent yer. But, he simply doesn''t speak much. A captain needs to be ferocious, he needs to be someone capable enough to move the hearts of his teammates. But, right now, he can''t do those things."


    "And regarding that picture with Mateo, I think he should have spent his time consoling his teammates who were spread all around the field"


    "What the f*ck is this bastard talking about? My son was the only yer on the field who had managed to graze the opposing post. What more do you want you bastard? And what''s wrong with swapping shirts, you f*cker?" Appearing rather furious, Hiro''s father hauled curses one after the other without any pause at the host who was criticizing his son on the television screen.


    Right now, he was seated in his seat watching a show that was talking about the match between Japan u17 and Argentina u17.

 Chapter 366 Worries of a mother

    Chapter 366 Worries of a mother


    ??While Hiro''s father was hauling indignant curses at the host of the show he was watching, Hiro''s mother walked in while wiping her wet hands.


    "Who are you shouting at hon?" She asked, puzzled by her husband''s indignance.


    She had rarely seen him acting so worked-up. Yet, today he seemed awfully worked up.


    Normally during her presence, no matter how pissed he was, he''d still have rposed himself. But this time, even her presence didn''t stop him from being mad at those hosts on the TV screen, who were criticizing his son.


    Though her presence didn''t soothe his anger, it still stopped his grumbling as he stopped cussing after she entered the room. With his brows knotted, he remained seated, intently ring at the screen with his bloodshot eyes.


    The way he was ring at the screen made Momo quite curious as she linked her husband''s ill temper to the thing he was looking at the moment.


    Then, as she turned to look at the screen, she found several articles criticizing her son and the national u17 team for their poor performance in yesterday''s match. Those articles made her shudder as they broke her heart.


    Even though she was aware of the dark side of a yer''s career, she still found those articles aimed at her son quite heartbreaking. Sure, almost everyone present on the team was getting criticized and it wasn''t only aimed at Hiro specifically but still, it pained her to see her son getting criticized.


    Like, how could they criticize a fourteen-year-old?


    Immediately upon seeing those articles, her eyes became frantic as she thought of calling Hiro. If it was doing so much harm to them then what about Hiro? If he were to see this, he''d be devastated.


    They had tried calling him after the match to ask about his condition, to console him but he wasn''t avable at that time. Well considering the time difference and umted fatigue after the match, they didn''t think much of it.


    But now, if he were to see such news, she feared that it''d break his heart. Thus, upon seeing those articles, she immediately rushed to pick up her phone. As she opened the chat with her son, she only found her messages but there was no reply yet. Hiro hadn''te online since thest time they talked.


    Despite that, she still tried contacting his other friends. But, none were avable.


    "Why is nobody answering?"


    "Yeah right, I should try contacting his coaches....," sounding extremely desperate, she mumbled absentmindedly as she tried contacting other people close to him.


    But no matter whom she tried contacting, none answered which only made her more agitated and anxious.


    For some while, Takashi kept his mouth shut as he let her do whatever she wanted. But, seeing her acting so desperate, he couldn''t allow himself to sit back any further watching his wife with such an anxious expression.


    Walking up to her while she was continuing with her actions, he silently grabbed her hands. Just as he grabbed her, she jolted her eyes towards him as she yelled frantically, "What? I need to contact him. He needs us..."


    Takashi however gave her a helpless look as he shook his head and answered in an understanding tone, "Honey, he''ll be fine"


    She however wasn''t convinced by his reasoning as she continued to argue, "How can you say this? Doesn''t it pain you to see our son in such a state? We can''t let him go through this all alone. He''s just a boy"


    How could it not pain him? Being a father, he too wasn''t fond of seeing his son getting criticized like this. But there was nothing he could do at the moment than to trust his son to ovee this situation by himself.


    His wife acting such waspletely normal, thus though those words sounded extremely hurtful, he didn''t get agitated over it.


    Instead, he kept his cool as he tried to calm her down.


    "Honey, you know it pains me too to see my son getting criticized like this and you know that as much as you want to be there for him, I too want to be there for him. But, if we act such then it''ll only worry him," while saying such, he noticed the moisture building up in her eyes.


    She was on the verge of tearing up. Quickly upon noticing those puffy eyes, he pulled her closer as he hugged her.


    No sooner had he pulled her close, than she started weeping.


    "Sniff!! Sniff!! Wh... Wh... Why are they be... ing so mean to my boy?" grabbing her husband tightly, she mumbled as she wept.


    Takashi gently stroked her back as he tried tofort her, "People are like this, and they are quick to forget. But you know how tough our son is right? So, can''t you have faith in him, honey? I''m sure that he won''t sumb to such mindless criticism. So, as his parent, let''s trust him, okay?"


    ???? ????


    While drying his wet hair with a towel, Hiro walked into his room. Then, he walked toward the mirror to take a look at his face.


    And, as he stood in front of the mirror, he realized that his hair had grown quite a lot. "It seems like I''ll need a haircut soon," he whispered.


    Though he didn''t use any skin products, nheless he still had clear skin. It wouldn''t be entirely urate to state that he didn''t use any skin products at all; after all, he did apply sunscreen. And, due to that, he rarely got any tan either.


    After the Mizuno advertisement went viral, he was approached for a number ofmercials. However, because he needed to focus on thepetition, he had to decline most of them. In addition, among those several advertisement offers, he was also asked for amercial for beauty items on several asions.


    But, surprisingly, he hadn''t been approached for any advertisement rted to hair products until now.


    While caressing his hair, Hiro then opened his drawer to bring out hisb. And, as he opened his drawer, his eyes fell on his phone. After yesterday''s match, he had switched off his phone so that he wouldn''t have to face others.


    "I should probably call mom and dad, " Hiro muttered.

 Chapter 367 Whirlwind of emotions

    Chapter 367 Whirlwind of emotions


    ??Picking up his phone, he then turned on his phone. No sooner had he turned on his phone, notifications chimed continually, and he was besieged with texts one after the other. It was the exact reason why he had turned off his phone.


    After that loss, he was certain that he would receive a flood of messages, not to mention condemnation from the media and the general public. Sure, the majority of them woulde from his family and friends, but still, he didn''t want to be disturbed for a while.


    He needed time to recollect his thoughts. No, he wasn''t depressed but still, he required some time alone to think.


    As he skimmed through his phone, he noticed that most of the messages he had received were from his close friends and his parents. There were also a few from anonymous sources, asking him about his view regarding the match and a few asking him for an interview.


    But, those anonymous messages meant nothing to him, the only ones that mattered to him were from his friends and family members.


    "Damn, she must have been quite worried," he mumbled as he noticed the flood of messages and calls he had received from his mother.


    Even so, he didn''t call her back immediately. Considering the time difference, he thought it''d be better to leave a message to assure her of his well-being than to call her. One by one, he then started to text back as he responded to the worries of almost everybody worried about him.


    There were quite a lot, so it did take him quite a while to text everybody back. Despite that, he didn''t leave anybody on read.


    While he was on his phone, he thought of checking the result of the other match from their group between Senegal and Pnd.Since the coaches hadn''t informed them about the other match due to their dreadful state, practically all of them were kept in the dark regarding the result of the other match.


    And with only one match remaining, a win for Senegal would be extremely detrimental for them. But on the other hand, if Pnd were to win the game, each four of them would have one win each. However, it was extremely unlikely to happen.


    Despite the odds, he had no choice but to be hopeful.


    However, as he checked on the result of the other match, it made him utterly speechless as it spilled water on the me of hope kindling within his heart, extinguishing it in one fell swoop.


    Senegal had won the match with a devastating score of 4-1 which had put them at the top of the table, and Pnd after losing two games consecutively was sitting at the bottom of the table.


    Since the top three teams of the group were qualified for the knockouts, they were still a contender for the knockouts considering their position in the group. But, that didn''t mean they had already qualified either.


    Pnd could still redeem themselves and qualify for the knockouts if they managed to beat Argentina by arge margin.


    Witnessing those results, Hiro couldn''t help but reveal a heavy sigh, "Great, now we need to beat Senegal at all costs"


    Tossing aside his phone, he then threw himself in his bed. By now, his hair was no longer wet. Just as he was beginning to recuperate from yesterday''s defeat, another task, if not harder, but almost as difficult, presented itself to him.


    But, surprisingly as he kept thinking about it, instead of feeling tired or agitated, he felt an unusual feeling of excitement. For some reason, he felt as if his veins were tingling with excitement. The thought of ying a do-or-die battle excited him.


    It kindled the mes ofpetitiveness and excitement hidden deep inside his body.


    Lying on his bed t with his face facing the white ceiling above, he raised his arms as he mimicked a gesture as if he were grabbing onto something.


    "I won''t lose again," smiling, he murmured while staring at his raised fist with his eyes glistening with an unusual vigor.


    [Ding!]


    [New quest avable]


    At this moment while he was talking to himself, appearing quite excited about the final group match against the group leaders, the sound of the notification chimed in.


    [Survive the ordeal, and qualify for the knockouts]


    ???? ????


    As the golden hues of the setting sun painted the sky in shades of orange and pink, Kurosawa Taki found himself all alone on the pitch.


    With no training scheduled today because of yesterday''s match against Argentina, aside from him, nobody was present on the field, and an eerie silence lingered around him. Yet, he didn''t appear to be at peace.


    Setting the shooting machine, he then assumed his position in the post as he prepared to face the shots shot by the machine that shot countless random shots without any break.


    And, as the machine started to run, with eyes full of desperation, he nced at the machine. Then, a ball came flying toward the post at a rapid speed.


    Gauzing the direction of the ball, he then leaped towards the ball. No sooner had he made that first save, another ball came flying toward him, giving him no moment to catch a breath.


    With each thud of the ball against his gloves, he poured his heart and soul into each save, his movement fueled by a potent mix of determination and desperation. Soon though, he started to gasp heavily as perspiration ran down his forehead continuously.


    Yet, despite his unwaveringmitment, the lingering question that had been gnawing him for quite long remained; Why was he not getting any minutes on the field? Was he present here for the sole purpose of watching the match from the sidelines?


    Right now, though he appeared physically exhausted, his mind was in a turmoil with whirlwind of emotions, swirling inside him like a tempest.


    Sure, he was the third-choice keeper, but still he wanted to y. He wanted to showcase his potential. But, no matter how he looked at it, until and unless Shun was present on the team, it seemed like he wouldn''t get any ying minutes.

 Chapter 368 A short talk

    <h4>Chapter 368 A short talk</h4>


    Thud!!


    Among those 20 shots fired his way, he saved 16 of them. But, falling and rising without any rest to make those saves had left him utterly exhausted.


    Huff!! Huff!!


    Even so, while his body was drenched in perspiration and he was panting heavily while lying on the ground, he had an unusual spark in his eyes. It was almost as if he was desperately trying to prove something, even though there was nobody on the field besides him.


    "F*ck...., it won''t do," he cussed as he forced himself to stand.


    With great difficulty, he then tried to stand on his feet. But just as he stood straight, he staggered as he got a feeling of noddle legs.


    "Hah..., Can''t even stand straight huh?" he murmured as he revealed a subtle mocking smile on his face while looking at his wobbling silhouette on the floor.


    But somehow, he brought himself to stand straight. And, the moment he finally stood firm, his gazended on the distant horizon where the sun was casting long golden rays almost as if a divine being was casting its blessing from behind it and the sky had transformed into a breathtaking canvas of pink and orange hues.


    For some while, for some reason, he couldn''t bring himself to take his eyes off of the sky. It was as if that picturesque scenery had charmed him. Forgetting all those emotions swirling within him, he stood firm lost in the beauty of the setting sun.


    While he was absorbed in the scenery, a person walked towards him. Though, Taki didn''t even notice his presence.


    "It''s beautiful, isn''t it?" spoke the person upon getting close to Taki.


    Upon hearing the sudden voice of the person who had walked close to him without getting detected, Taki was startled by his voice, "Ahh!!"


    But the moment his eyesnded on the person to whom that voice belonged, he immediately calmed down. It was none other than Manager Haruki.


    Immediately upon finding out the identity of the mysterious person who had walked so close to him without getting detected, he began to apologize, "Sorry sir...,"


    "Sorry for what?" Manager Haruki asked with his eyes fixated on the distant horizon where the sun was setting down.


    "It was supposed to be rest day today....., but I disobeyed you, " Taki answered earnestly.


    "Don''t fret over it? It''s no big deal," Unbothered by Taki''s words, Manager Haruki responded while still looking at the distant horizon, "But when I walked into you, I asked you a question, didn''t I?"


    Even though he had broken the rules, Manager Haruki wasn''t upset about it. Not only that, but he wasn''t even going to reprimand him. Was he for real? That stern coach who was the epitome of professionalism was okay with him breaching the rules?


    Those responses of Manager Haruki left him dumbfounded.


    If he was okay with breaching the rules, then why should he care about it or dig deeper into that matter? But why was he so fixated on apletely irrelevant question? Was there some hidden meaning behind that question? But, what had he even asked him?


    Taki who was so lost in the moment that he didn''t even notice his presence until he heard his voice, how could he even remember what he had said to him when he first walked into him?


    But seriously what had he asked him?


    Even while trying his best to remember, he wasn''t able to remember what had he asked of him. Almost as if by a stroke of luck, after thinking about it for a while, it came to him.


    ''Right, he had mentioned about something being beautiful. But...., what was it?''


    Why was he putting so much emphasis on such a simple thing? If he didn''t remember about it, he could have just asked again, or so one might say. Sure, he could have done so and saved himself from that unnecessary trouble, trying to remember what he had spoken.


    But, he didn''t want to seem inattentive. The reverence for the coach and the desire to y had pushed him to such a point that he didn''t want the coach to see even a tiny w in him.


    Thus, he was going to such a length for such a simple thing.


    Then, he noticed Manager Haruki looking into the far horizon. From the beginning, he had been staring at the distant horizon.


    "Yes sir, it''s very beautiful and calming," Taki answered earnestly upon figuring out the question Haruki had asked him.


    "But, you won''t get to see it at any other time of the day, would you?" Manager Haruki asked in a rather calming tone.


    Of course, you won''t get to see it any other time of the day. What type of question was that? After all, the sun only sets once per day.


    Taki was left dumbfounded by Manager Haruki''s nonsensical question. Inwardly he was making faces but, outwardly he kept hisposure as he answered, "No, we won''t sir. After all, the sun only sets once per day"


    "That''s right everything has its timing and so, does everyone,"


    All along while conversing with him, he didn''t even nce at him for once. And, neither did he change the tone of his voice, nor did he change his expression. It was almost as if, he was muttering to himself.


    But, this time upon hearing the coach''s response, he could tell that it was directed towards him. Even though he hadn''t bluntly pointed it at him, he could tell that he was trying to assure him by telling him that his time woulde, so he shouldn''t get impatient.


    ''Since, how long had he been observing me?'' Taki thought as he jolted his eyes toward Manager Haruki, staring at him with eyes glistening with reverence.


    Even though he wasn''t being forthright about it, hearing such remarks from him soothed his concerns about being neglected. Now, at least he got to know that he wasn''t getting neglected and there was still hope for him.

 Chapter 369 Rapid growth

    <h4>Chapter 369 Rapid growth</h4>


    Those simple words of Manager Haruki were enough to soothe some of his worries. And, for such reasons, he found sce in those simple words as he felt appreciated.


    For a while, he kept staring deeply at Manager Haruki without uttering anything.


    Then, without saying anything further, Manager Haruki turned to leave. Until the end, however, he still didn''t look at him.


    It seemed as if he was only present there to say those few words. Or it might be, that he''s just bad at expressing himself. Who knows what it could be?


    But, Taki didn''t mind his attitude not in the least. Instead, his respect for the coach only grew. From this exchange, he got to know that even though the coach doesn''t talk much, he''s still looking at them.


    ???? ????


    November 17, 2023


    Before the sun could even grace the surface with its presence, Hiro found himself awake in his bed quite early in the morning. For some reason, an unusually early awakening had seized him, rousing him from slumber even before the insistent chime of his rm could intrude upon the silence.


    Yet, despite his wide-awake state, he lingered beneath the covers with his eyes fixed on the ceiling. It was almost as if a peculiar reluctance was anchoring him to the bed. No, it wasn''t fatigue that tethered him nor sheerziness; but rather, an inexplicable inertia seemed to hold him in its grip.


    In fact, since he hadn''t done anything tiresome yesterday, he was fully rested. And, neither was he a victim of procrastination. Yet still, he remained suspended in that liminal space between wakefulness and action.


    But, since he had already woken up, he didn''t feel like going back to sleep either. He then slightly cocked his head to look at the digital rm clock ced atop the drawer beside his bed, its numbers casting a faint glow in the dim room.


    It was 4:43 AM right now. And, there were still 17 minutes for his rm clock to start ringing.


    Then again, his gaze fell on the person sleeping on the adjacent bed.


    Snore! Snore!


    In the other bed, Shun was in a state of deep sleep, snoring loudly, sleeping like a pig. Looking at him, it felt as if even an apocalypse wouldn''t be enough to wake him from his slumber.


    Listening to him snore like that, one might really wonder how one could even sleep in such a noisy environment. Nheless, Hiro, however, had developed a special talent for sleeping amidst his ear-piercing snores.


    After getting out of bed, he then turned off the rm so that it won''t start ringingter. Then, with deliberate steps, he approached the window, drawn by the allure of the pre-dawn stillness awaiting beyond the veil of curtains.


    Parting the fabric, he opened the window to get some fresh air. Beyond the pane, the worldy cloaked in darkness, illuminated only by the faint glow of the waning moon and the distant shimmer of stars, casting a spell of tranquility over the nocturnalndscape.


    Breathing in the crisp air, he felt quite rejuvenated. And, even that lingering drowsiness that was hiding somewhere deep in his body, immediately faded away as he felt the sensation of the cold air rustling outside the window caressing his skin.


    "If we lose today, our journey might end here. But, if we win today, we can still dream about the road ahead," Hiro murmured in a low whisper, his eyes glowing with determination.


    Today was the day when they were topete against Senegal, the group leader of their group. And, it was also the day that would determine their fate in the tournament.


    Yet, even though he had woken up just recently, his mind was as clear as ice. Not to mention his determination, he was more determined than ever.


    "There''s still some time for morning training," he continued, looking at the sky.


    Since, it was match day, even though they weren''t going to train intensely, they still had to attend some light training to maintain their sharpness. But considering the timing of the match, it was also perfect timing for revising their strategy as well.


    Though there was still some time left for the morning training session, he still didn''t feel like sitting idle, waiting for it to begin.


    Then, he went to fetch his cleats. Since he performed routine cleanups, his cleats were rather clean and tidy. They were almost as good as new. Packing up his cleats and clothes, he then headed out to the training field.


    After a short walk, he arrived at his destination. But for some reason, upon his arrival, he noticed that the lights were on. And, there were two possibilities; either somebody was present there or the staff had forgotten to turn the lights off.


    The second was unlikely to happen which only left him with the first possibility.


    Who could it be? He wondered as he walked inside, appearing rather curious.


    Then as he entered the field, he was taken aback by the figure of the person that was present on the training grounds.


    "Taki?" he muttered, pausing his steps.


    Already dressed, right now when there was still an hour left for the morning training to begin, Taki was stretching his body.


    It was the first time, he had seen someone on the field clocking in earlier than him since their World Cup campaign had begun. Once, Shun had beaten him to clock in first but other than him none had ever arrived earlier than him.


    "Did something change in him since thest time we met?" he muttered absentmindedly while remaining still at his ce, "Or..., did he grow too?" after a brief pause, he added.


    The thought of someone growing so suddenly made him quite excited. It had happened before but he hadn''t noticed it right away. But, today it was different.


    Using his skill magic vision on him, he then analyzed his stats. Sure enough, he had grown exponentially from thest time he had checked his stat.


    Slow growth was pretty muchmon, but there were instances where somebody''s stat would shoot forth to another level as if they had received some kind of divination.

 Chapter 370 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 I

    Chapter 370 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 I


    ??Upon witnessing such drastic changes, his heart started to pound faster as his eyes glistened excitedly. Those stats were almostparable to Shun.


    Yet, more than anything, it confirmed his doubts.


    The path to advancement extended far beyond the confines of physical conditioning. Epiphanies, chance encounters, moments of inspiration¡ªall of these were also the catalysts that propelled a yer''s trajectory toward greatness.


    Having borne witness to the seismic shift in statistics, he became convinced of the transformative power inherent in life''s myriad experiences. Such encounters had the potential to awaken dormant abilities within a yer.


    And, such experiences were almost like a cheat code or a golden finger hidden deep within a yer, waiting to surface at random. Previously, it had happened to Shun, then Yutaka, and now it has happened to Kurosawa Taki.


    If it wasn''t enough to confirm his doubts then what could be enough?


    Soon, as he confirmed his doubts, a sudden urge to test him rose within him as he curled his lips, revealing a rather excited look that screamed like he was raring to go. He simply couldn''t refrain from testing out Taki''s growth.


    Thud!!


    Releasing his grip on the bag he was carrying, he let go of it. Then, he unzipped his bag and took his cleats out.


    "I wonder how good you''ve be," excitement shed past his eyes as he murmured while tightening theces of his cleats.


    Then, just as he finished tying theces of his other cleat, he tossed aside his bag and trod toward the direction of Taki. In excitement, he even forgot to warm up today.


    Even upon noticing the iing figure of Hiro, Taki wasn''t the least bit surprised. After all, him being here so early in the morning, was a normal thing. But, his approaching him, wasn''t a normal urrence at all.


    They had rarely had any conversation until this point. And, apart from the time they had conversed in the presence of Endo, they rarely talked with each other for long.


    "Wanna block some shots?" Hiro questioned straightforwardly without hiding his intentions.


    There was absolutely no reason for him to ignore Hiro''s challenge. Instead of a challenge, it was an opportunity to test him out.


    ''A challenge huh? Sure, I''ll take on that challenge'' Taki thought as he paused his stretching.


    Then, he lifted his head to look at Hiro and answered, "Sure, but in return I''d like you toe at me with everything you''ve got. I don''t want you to hold back."


    As much as it excited Hiro to test him out, Hiro''s proposition also excited Taki. He too wanted to test himself. If he could block shots of one of the best shooters in the tournament, then he might be able to block the shots of others as well.


    He truly wanted to find out his standing in the tournament at the moment.


    "Sure, let us both go all out then?" Hiro replied as he picked up the ball with ease and started to juggle his way, away from Taki.


    ???? ????


    The stadium buzzed with a palpable tension, a dichotomy of emotions swirling through the air like an unseen tempest. On one side, fervent fans of the opposing colors radiated optimism and jubtion. Their enthusiasm was rather palpable in every cheer and chant.


    Yet, juxtaposed against this fervor, a cloud of apprehension hung heavy over the supporters of Japan. With nothing but worry and doubt etched on their faces, the only hymn that escaped their mouth were the prayers for their yers.


    It was as if the radiant rays of a sunlit sky had intermingled with the somber shadows of twilight, casting an otherworldly glow upon the arena.


    Despite it being such a difficult match for their team, a lot of supporters of Japan had shown up to the stadium to show their support for their team. Looking at the people dressed in blue, the sheer number of supporters of Japan was quite visible even from the field.


    In a simr fashion to the atmosphere outside, a visible difference could be seen inside the dimly lit tunnel as well. It was almost as if an invisible wall was separating the two teams.


    On one side, a palpable energy pulsed through the air, buoyed by animated chatter and spirited camaraderie. Meanwhile, on the opposing side, a solemn pall hung over the yers, their faces obscured by shadows of apprehension and uncertainty.


    Leading these yers with darkened facial expressions, Hiro stood at the forefront like a beacon of calm amidst the storm of emotions. Though he could vividly feel the tension within the tunnel, even so, there wasn''t a spec of worry in his eyes.


    ''Today, I won''t make the same mistakes from the match before'' he thought as he clenched his fist.


    The match against Argentina had taught him a lot of things. Previously, instead of taking chances, he had focused on ymaking, trying to improve the gamey of his teammates. If only he had taken his chances right from the get-go, the oue might have been different in the previous game.


    And though he learned this lesson the hard way, he was still thankful that at least he had learned this lesson which was why he didn''t feel regretful about the previous match.


    Not only the lesson, he was also humbled by that previous match. So, having learned his lesson, he wasn''t willing to make the same mistakes as in the previous match.


    Then, just as he heard the announcement of thementator, he started to walk. Leading his teammates, he then walked out of the tunnel with his gaze fixed firmly on the path ahead.


    And, as they stepped out of the tunnel and onto the hallowed grounds of the stadium, a roar erupted from the crowd, enveloping them in a wave of sound and emotion. But, the roar of their fans appeared rather muffled.


    Looking at the stand, the anxiousness on the faces of their supporters was rather palpable.


    With each step they took onto the field, Hiro could feel the weight of expectation pressing down upon them, but still, he refused to falter.

 Chapter 371 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 II

    <h4>Chapter 371 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 II</h4>


    A stillness pervaded the air, settling like a heavy shroud as he cast his nce at the stand.


    From a nce alone at the stand, Hiro could feel the sheer weight of the expectations ced upon him and his teammates. Their grim expression and hopeful eyes were a testament to the sheer importance of today''s match.


    It was a match they couldn''t afford to lose under any circumstances.


    Appearing rather stiff, many of his teammates were walking quite clumsily almost as if their movements were constrained by the looming specter of pressure. For sure, they were pressed by the hopes and anticipation.


    Yet, amidst this stifling atmosphere, Hiro remained an oasis of calm amid the storm.


    It wasn''t that he was oblivious to the mounting anticipation swirling around him; on the contrary, he was vividly aware of the weight of those expectant gazes. But long before, even arriving at the venue, today he had resolved within himself to face any scenario thrown at him.


    Today, even more than those excited roars and the taunts of the opposing fans, it was the silent gazes of their supporters that were affecting them.


    Standing upright facing their supporters, they then prepared themselves for their national anthem. While facing their supporters, many of his teammates were ovee by nervousness as they found it extremely difficult to look at the stands.


    Hiro however, regardless of the suffocating grip of pressure lingering in the stand, looked straight ahead while singing the national anthem with much vigor.


    p!! p!! p!!


    And, as the national anthem came to an end, a round of apuse followed. Simrly, right after their national anthem ended, music started to y again as the national anthem of the opposing team began.


    ''I won''t lose today,'' With steely determination as he looked in front, Hiro vowed.


    At this moment, the opposing yers were readying themselves to start the kickoff while his teammates were also positioning themselves to start the match.


    The opposing team had quite an impressive lineup. And even though their advancement was already guaranteed, they didn''t rest any of their best yers.


    Calmly sweeping his gaze across the field, he then identified a few of the opposing yers that they needed to pay extra attention to.


    Diouf, their number ten who had scored a brace against Argentina had been nothing but exceptional since the start of the tournament. And, Gueye who had scored a hattrick in the previous match against Pnd, those two were on a roll.


    Sure, every single one of the opposing yers appeared threatening but those two were even special among specials. Thus, they couldn''t afford to lose sight of them under any circumstances.


    Beep!!


    ncing at his watch, the referee then blew his whistle,mencing the start of the game.


    No sooner had that shrill sound of the whistle echoed than the yers sprang into action. And, as the yers became active a whirlwind of movement and anticipation engulfed the field as the match unfurled before them.


    On one side of the pitch, the opposing team stood resolute in a traditional 4-4-2 formation. Meanwhile, on the other side, Hiro''s team took to the field in their signature 4-3-3 configuration, poised for the battle ahead.


    Instead of their usual aggressive stance where they pressed high from the get-go, strangely the opposing yers opted for a more cautious approach by ying the ball in their half¡ª tempting them to venture into the opposing territory.


    Having studied their previous games, they could tell that the opposing team was up to something by ying in such a risky way. After all, such tactics are usually a bait.


    Even so, they couldn''t afford to sit back today. They had to y like their lives depended on it. Nothing but a victory could salvage their fate in the tournament.


    Covering the possible gaps in the middle while supporting his teammates who were pressing upfront,peting for the ball, Hiro vigntly moved ahead. All along while moving ahead, his gaze darted from teammate to opponent, tracking as many yers as he could on the field.


    He couldn''t afford even a slight moment of carelessness today. He had to be prepared at all times and all costs. Only then might he be able to stop the opposing team? And, even with all this vignce, it still wasn''t sure if they could win the game.


    Despite ying the ball in their half, none of the opposing yers showed any signs of nervousness. Even when facing the opposing yers, they remained as poised as ever which made it extremely hard for Hiro''s teammates to snatch the ball away.


    For some while, the opposing team continued to dominate the position. And when the opportunity arose, they didn''t hesitate to press forward either,unching calcted attacks that kept Japanese yers on their toes.


    In the stands, the Japanese supporters watched the match with growing trepidation and their brows furrowed with concern as they grappled with the realization that their team was struggling to assert themselves on the pitch. How could they dare to dream of victory when their yers couldn''t even maintain possession?


    Then, in a heartbeat, the tides shifted. In the 39th minute of the match, with a deft flick of the ball, Hiro tricked their number ten as he evaded his grasp. Threading a precise through pass to Nijichi who was streaking down the nk¡ªa moment of opportunity poised to tip the scales in their favor.


    A sense of urgency rose within the hearts of the opposing yers upon encountering this attack from team Japan.


    Given the numbers of the opposing yers, they were still outnumbered. Yet, despite that, more of the opposing yers were rushing back to defend. This showed how much they cared about this attack that was heading their way.


    And, by no means it looked like they were going to let them pass.


    Yet, still after making that pass to Nijichi while avoiding the opposing yers using his skill Hawk eye, Hiro rushed up-field with his eyes full of hope.


    If only Nijichi could supply a cross, they might be able to take the lead. But, considering Nijichi''s personality, it was unlikely to happen.

 Chapter 372 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 III

    <h4>Chapter 372 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 III</h4>


    With only two of them charging forward, they were outnumbered. Yet, they had no choice but to push forward.


    In this critical moment, a moment of hesitation or a brief moment of pause could very well disrupt their momentum. And, if they lost the momentum right now, who knows if such an opportunity would present itself another time or not.


    Due to the usage of his skill Hawk eyes, right now, Hiro could see almost everybody present around him. And, because of it, he could move ahead without getting obstructed by the iing opposing yers rushing toward him.


    Though the skill allowed him to determine the yers'' positions around him, it wasn''t omnipotent since he still had to find the path himself. The skill although powerful had its own set of ws.


    At this moment while he was swiftly moving forward, avoiding the opposing yers, Nijichi was struggling against the relentless pressure. Though he clung to possession of the ball, he was being inexorably pushed toward the sidelines and his grip on the game was slipping with each passing moment.


    If it continued, it would only be a matter of time before he loses the position of the ball.


    Witnessing the surge of intensity on the field, even the usually calm andposed manager of Team Japan was acting quite worked up, urging his yers to push forward.


    "Move, move, move!" Manager Haruki cried, his words echoing across the stadium as the tension on the field reached its zenith.


    As much as others were aware of his situation, Nijichi himself was aware of it as well. And, he knew it very well that if it continued, he''d eventually lose possession of the ball.


    Then with a burst of speed, he charged forward as he tried to get past the reach of the defender that was pressing on him. But in doing so, he underestimated his opponent.


    Reacting to his sudden burst of speed, his opponent lunged toward him with a perfectly timed tackle, trying to stop him on his track.


    Fortunately, Nijichi reacted in time as he avoided the tackle. Leaving the opposing defender who had lunged toward him in dust, he then elerated forward with the ball. But, even after getting past one of the defenders, it still wasn''t enough for him to cut inside.


    There were more of them preventing him from cutting inside. And, it seemed as if his only option right now was to close in from the nks. At the moment, attacking from the nks seemed the safest option.


    That option in itself wasn''t bad, but it prevented him from taking the shot himself.


    How could he give up the opportunity to score? He was a striker and it was his job to score. But, moving along the nks meant giving up on that opportunity.


    Unwilling to give up such a precious opportunity, he then nced to his side, hoping to find a space open for him to cut inside. But, the defense of the opposing team was impable. Sticking close to each other, they had sealed every possible hole in their defense.


    Such a scenario only added to his worry as it caused his already bitter expression to turn even more bitter. Unable to identify any gaps in the defense of the opposing team, he became even more irritated.


    Just then while trying to locate any possible gaps in the opposing defense, he noticed Hiro charging ahead. Swiftly avoiding the opposing defenders, he was closing inside the penalty box. And, by the looks of it, he was sure to make it inside the penalty box of the opposing team.


    Even so, the thought of crossing the ball to Hiro, he didn''t fancy it. Until the end, even if it meant losing the possession of the ball, he wanted to be the scorer. The mere thought of assisting aftering so close to the goal made his stomach churn with pain.


    This is why, even after witnessing the run-up of Hiro, he tried to cut inside himself.


    Once again, making use of his arsenal, he tried to get past the opposing defender who was blocking him from cutting inside. Though he wasn''t the only one who was blocking him, he was the one who was nearer to him.


    If he could get through him, he might be able to locate the gaps he hadn''t been able to a moment ago. With such thoughts in mind, he then challenged the opposing defender close to him, despite noticing the presence of Hiro.


    Witnessing such foolhardy action of Nijichi, Manager Haruki became even more irritated as his face started turning red from frustration.


    "What the f*ck is that fool doing at this stage? Can''t he just move along the nk and cross the ball to Hiro?" Manager Haruki cussed, albeit in a low whisper despite the obvious rage churning within him.


    It''s not that Manager Haruki wasn''t aware of Nijichi''s personality. But, because of the pressure, even he had forgotten about it.


    The situation of other reserve yers was no different. They too were making frustrated faces and their sentiment was almost simr to that of their manager. Almost nobody in their substitution box wanted Nijichi to cut inside at the moment¡ª they all wanted to see him move along the nks and make the cross to Hiro.


    After all, the person with the best finishing in the team was none other than Hiro. And, it was only wise to entrust him with the opportunity.


    Even at this moment, the crowd was as loud as ever. Especially the opposing fans, were quite full of vigor, shouting at the top of their lungs, encouraging their yers, and intimidating the opposing yers with their chants. They sure were full of vigor. Meanwhile, Japanese supporters were still as anxious as ever.


    And, the man at the center of attention at the moment was none other than Nijichi. Trying to take on the opposing defense by himself, he was rushing straight toward the opposing team. It was like a single individual trying to take an army.


    With abination of body feint and shy footwork, Nijichi somehow got through the first defender heading his way. And, that greatly boosted his confidence as he felt even more confident after that sessful dribble.


    Upon getting through the first defender, a subtle smile blossomed on his face and a surge of confidence rose from within. But, before he could even savor this feeling of getting through, another defender closed in toward him.


    Lunging toward him with a perfectly timed sliding tackle, he didn''t give him any moment to enjoy his achievement of prating the firstyer of the opposing defense.


    As much as the offense of the opposing team had been impressive until now, their defense had been equally impressive. Conceding abined total of only two goals in two matches against the likes of Argentina and Pnd, their defenders were one of the best in the tournament.


    And, not only had they conceded fewer goals, they had been quite dominant too. With their impressive set of yers and strategies, they had rarely allowed any yer to prate their defense.


    Upon witnessing such an impressive tackle which sent the ball rolling away, opposing supporters became extremely excited.


    But, their joy was short-lived as before they could even celebrate the tackle of their yer which caused the Japanese team to lose possession of the ball, something unexpected happened.


    Hiro who had been running all along, took hold of the loose ball right after Nijichi lost possession of the ball. It was almost as if he was expecting Nijichi to lose possession of the ball.


    Otherwise, how would one be able to exin about his positioning and his timing?


    Appearing at the perfect spot at the perfect time, it was just too good to be a coincidence. And, also since earlier he had been rushing from the middle. So, how did he appear in the right nk where Nijichi lost possession of the ball?


    Right from the beginning when he had made that pass to Nijichi, he was aware that he wouldn''t receive the pass. This is why, though he made it seem like he was closing from the middle, expecting a cross from Nijichi, his true motive was the loose ball.


    Knowing Nijichi, he knew that he''d get carried away after making one sessful dribble. And, there was a huge possibility of him losing possession of the ball.


    And, it yed exactly as he wanted. However, Nijichi getting through the first defender was rather surprising. But, in the end, it yed it as he wanted.


    Without wasting any time, while taking advantage of the mispositioning of the opposing yers, Hiro then elerated forward making use of his skill Lightning steps. After the use of Lightning steps, in no time he found himself inside the box of the opposing team.


    Then, a hushed silence fell upon the stadium as he prepared himself to take the shot. His talent which he had copied from Park Seung-Gyu came into effect the moment he stepped inside the penalty box, boosting his attacking stat.

 Chapter 373 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 IV

    Chapter 373 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 IV


    ??An insatiable hunger to score rose within him as he found himself in front of the goal, one-on-one with the keeper.


    And, as he prepared to shoot, a hushed silence fell upon the stadium as many people held their breath. Their heart rate spiked as they fixated their gaze on Hiro. Anxiousness shed past their pupils while they held onto their seats.


    However, at this moment, neither did those anxious gazes matter to him nor the expectations of his teammates or his supporters, right now, all he could see was the goal. And, apart from the post and the desire to score, nothing mattered to him.


    A moment before his feet made contact with the ball, an eerie light shed past his eyes, making his appearance extremely dreadful to look at.


    The opposing keeper who happened to catch a glimpse of those gazes felt a chill run down his spine for a brief second. Those gazes were like the gazes of a predator eyeing its prey. Nheless, he still made the effort to save the ball.


    Desperately trying to save the ball from finding the back of the, he shot toward the direction of the ball with his arms extended.


    Thousands of eyes converged on him as almost everybody present in the stadium turned their gazes towards him. Some looked at him with eyes full of hope while some expected him to make a blunder, right now thousands of expectations shed against each other as he sprung towards the direction of the ball.


    Yet, he still failed tond a touch on the ball. Because of that moment of hesitation or because of his untimely decision, the ball just slipped right past his fingers, missing his hand barely by an inch.


    Though he couldn''tnd a touch on the ball, nheless he still followed the ball as he arched his body to witness the oue. However, he could only follow the ball for a short period. And, before long, he crashed against the floor.


    "Gooooooaaaaaaaalllllllllllll"


    A jubnt roar erupted forth before the opposing keeper could even pick himself up. He didn''t even need to look back to find out the oue, that euphoric roar resonating in the stadium was enough to tell him about the oue.


    Upon witnessing the oue, Hiro''s teammates in the reserve box jumped on their toes from their seats as they celebrated the goal scored by Hiro with a bright smile on their faces. The coaching staff weren''t spared either as they started to celebrate the goal with each other.


    Especially, Manager Haruki who appeared quite tensed a moment ago, he looked like he was on top of the clouds and his happiness knew no bounds.


    That joyous feeling was rather contagious as in no time, it spread all across the stadium like wildfire, engulfing all the supporters of Japan present in the stadium. The influence of that goal however wasn''t limited only to the stadium as it influenced the people watching this match from behind the screen to spring into action as well.


    "Suck that you dickheads," Takashi yelled as he shot forth from his seat with his arms pointing at the TV screen, celebrating his son''s goal.


    Probably, he was addressing those hosts who had criticized his son previously. His mother who was seated right beside his father, even though she appeared quite ecstatic, seemed quite pissed about her husband''s behavior.


    While many people were celebrating his goal, Hiro however stood still at his ce with both his arms extended wide. Not even a spec of happiness could be seen on his face. It was as if he wasn''t even happy about his goal.


    But, that wasn''t true. Scoring such an important goal, and giving his team an early lead in such an important match, how could he not be happy?


    Only a grumpy person might not enjoy such a scene. And, by no means was he a grumpy man.


    Wearing a stoic look on his face, he then turned around to his post, to face his teammates whilst still extending his arms like a king savoring the praises of his subjects.


    Almost the entire stadium was singing his praises. And, right now, he beamed with pride and seemed to relish the moment.


    Apart from Nijichi who had nearly cost them such an important opportunity, all his teammates rushed towards him, wearing joyous smiles on their faces to celebrate the goal.


    Yelling and jumping, they celebrated for a while right in front of the opposing post. It was like they were running wild in the opposing front yard without giving a damn about the owners.


    This scene greatly irritated the opposing yers, yet they were unable to do anything about it besides making faces. The most they could do right now was ignore them if they didn''t feel like watching it.


    But how could they even bother to ignore them when they were dancing right in front of their eyes? Even if they did close their eyes, they could still audibly hear their cheerfulughter.


    Tucking the rage, opposing yers stood their ground, waiting for Hiro and his teammates to finish their celebration.


    ''Not only did he initiate the attack, he even finished it despite his teammate''s uncooperativeness.... Just what in the world are you?'' The opposing coach looked at him with eyes full of admiration and wonder.


    Witnessing such an impressive y from one single yer, he couldn''t refrain from marveling at the talent of Hiro. Most of his yers on the field might not be able to observe his brilliance, since their vision was limited on the field.


    But, observing the game from the sidelines, he could see a lot more than the yers in action. And, observing the movement of Hiro, he knew exactly how threatening Hiro was on the field. There was just more to what eyes could meet.


    The y that Hiro demonstrated while scoring this goal was impressive. But, so were his other ys which failed to produce results. Right from the beginning of the match, he had been nothing but a pain in the ass for their team.


    And, if left alone, he might wreck even more havoc.

 Chapter 374 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 V

    <h4>Chapter 374 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 V</h4>


    Lost in his thoughts, the opposing coach continued to scrutinize Hiro''s every move. It wasn''t just about his sessful ys; he delved into the depths of his unsessful ones too. And, no matter how many times he recalled, it only reaffirmed one undeniable truth¡ª change was needed.


    With a decisive nod, he then swiveled on his heel, turning around to face his reserve yers. Then, he swept his gaze across his yers before barking some orders in a rather serious tone. No sooner had he finished ordering, than some yers rose from their seats and started warming up.


    It was quite evident that he was going to rece some of his yers.


    And, witnessing this scene, some of the opposing yers felt their heart pounding. Just from a nce alone, they could tell who was going to get substituted. And, none of them wished to exit the game so early.


    After a brief moment of celebration, everybody returned to their position to continue the game. Although the Japanese side had taken the lead, the game was still far from over. With more than 50 minutes left, victory remained elusive and the match remained an open canvas awaiting its final strokes.


    And, as everybody positioned themselves, the referee''s shrill whistle pierced the silence, igniting a flurry of movement from both teams.


    Beep!!


    With the referee''s whistle, yers of both teams sprung into action.


    Witnessing the changes that were about to take ce on the field, opposing yers who felt their position threatened could no longer keep theirposure as they craved an impact that would stabilize their spot in the team.


    If they wanted to remain in the game then they had to deliver. Otherwise, they''d get substituted for sure.


    Those threatened yers scrambled to prove their worth.


    And, because of such thoughts, they started bing impatient which led to the disruption of the harmony in the team. With their ystyle differing from their teammates, their ys started bing disoriented as they ovepped with their teammates which led to them making even more mistakes.


    Their desperation only sowed discord in the team. And, due to this the once-cohesive unit now resembled scattered puzzle pieces.


    It was an utter chaos on the field that even thementator couldn''t keep his mouth shut after watching them y in such a disorganized way. The way they yed right now waspletely different from before.


    "It seems like the damage of that goal was much more severe than it appeared," thementator mused as he linked the current performance of the opposing team with the aftermath of the goal they had conceded.


    In a way, he was correct as well since their performance had started to fall off after that goal.


    Yet, despite their faltering performances, the Japanese side still faltered to capitalize on the ring vulnerabilities of the opposing side. Not that they didn''t try, but their efforts were simply thwarted by those who remained steadfast, denying them from taking advantage.


    The game had truly developed into a battle of resilience, where every misced pass and errant shot carried weight.


    Then, just as the ball went out of bounds, the much- anticipated changes finally took ce as the opposing team substituted two of their yers even before the halftime whistle. Minutes were remaining on the clock and there was absolutely no need to make those changes right now. Yet, they still decided to go with the change.


    With the addition of those new yers, suddenly they started reverting to their original form. And, in no time, they even surpassed their original form. Not only did their gamey be more stable, but they became even more dangerous afterward the addition of those two yers.


    Once again, the Japanese side was forced into defense.


    And, as the clock ticked closer to halftime, the atmosphere grew increasingly charged. In that span of minutes left on the clock, the opposing side showered them with barrages of shots while the Japanese side prevailed, resisting the flurry of attack from the opposing yers.


    But with each missed opportunity, the opposing side became even more frustrated as their frustration bubbled to the surface, manifesting in heated exchanges and frantic gestures.


    On the sidelines, Manager Haruki was watching the dominating performance of the opposing side with a mix of anxiety and determination. With seconds, remaining on the clock, all he could do right now was to have faith in his yers.


    After all, only after the halftime whistle would he be able to make some changes.


    On the contrary, the opposing coach watched the match with much excitement.The decision to shake up the lineup had ignited a spark in his team and hadpletely transformed the team to the next level.


    But still, he was a bit skeptical about the changes. He still couldn''t be sure whether that spark would ignite a ze of redemption or whither away before it could even salvage his team.


    Then just as a powerful long-range shot of Diouf went awry, the referee blew his whistle announcing the end of the first half.


    Beep!!


    Finally, the Japanese side could take a moment to breathe. Facing the relentless attack of the opposing team had left them utterly exhausted.


    And, no sooner had the shrill sound of the whistle resonated, instead of heading to the tunnel, most of them copsed on the floor, breathing a sigh of relief.


    They had persevered and they had sessfully managed to defend their lead, despite the reluctance of the opposing yers.


    Shun''s condition was the worst. Completely soaked in his sweat, he appeared out of breath. Well, why wouldn''t he look bad? Considering the amount of saves he had made time after time, it was only natural for him to look so beat up.


    Looking at the exhausted state of his yers, Manager Haruki couldn''t help but frown. Though they had managed to defend their lead, it was quite evident to him that the level of most of his yers wascking whenpared to the opposing yers.


    Just like the opposing coach had done to his team, he too had to make some meaningful changes that would give life to this team. Then, while thinking of changes, he turned to look at Taki.

 Chapter 375 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 VI

    Chapter 375 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 VI


    ??While the rest of his teammate rose from their seats, Taki, however, remained seated in his seat even after hearing the halftime whistle. His team had survived such a difficult challenge from the opposing side, yet there was no joy in his face.


    Instead, he appeared rather stoic.


    His calm andposed eyes were fixed on the field, but there was something about them that held a strange glimmer of determination.


    The air around him felt heavy, almost as if he were in a different zone. It was such an inexplicable feeling, but for some reason, he seemed to be in a world of his own.


    A moment ago, Manager Haruki was still hesitating to make his decision. But, as he looked at him, that strange feeling which was preventing him from making his decision waned away.


    "Let''s do this," he muttered as he gave himself a decisive nod.


    ???? ????


    A rather silent yet heavy atmosphere permeated the locker room of the Japanese side as the yers remained seated in their respective seats with their mouths shut.


    Many sweat-drenched jerseysy scattered around them as many of them remained topless.


    Though they had somehow managed to retain their lead, yet there wasn''t even a spec of joy shing in their faces. Instead, it seemed as if time seemed to be frozen in this ce.


    Breaking the silence, Manager Haruki and his coaching staff entered the room while discussing some tactics with each other. They weren''t talking that loudly, yet due to the silence in the room, their voices could still be heard.


    But, none paid any heed to it as all of them remained lost in their world,pletely isted from their surrounding.


    Though the scene at the locker room was rather unlively, it was still better than seeing them quarreling with each other.


    Before speaking, Manager Haruki swept his gaze toward Shun to reaffirm his decision. Having yed him continuously without any break, he was aware of the burden he had put on that tiny frame.


    Yet despite the suffering, he had always delivered. Even in that previous match, despite the barrage of shots shot toward him, he had made countless saves, torturing his body to stand after each fall without anyint.


    He had pushed his body to the brink of copse, yet hadn''tined once.But, the toll from those previous matches was starting to be noticeable.


    And, even today, he didn''t have it easy.


    "Ahum....," Manager Haruki harrumphed and said albeit in a rather appreciative tone, "You all have done well, persevering against the pressure put forward by the opposing side, and I''m proud of you all for that"


    "But, we still can''t continue this way. So, I hope that you all won''t think negatively of the decision I''m about to make. And, keep this in mind, it has nothing to do with your performance," he continued.


    Sure enough, just by hearing him, they could tell that he was about to make some big changes. Subconsciously, however, upon hearing Manager Haruki''s words, many of them couldn''t help but look at Hiro.


    Was he going to substitute Hiro again? Or, is he injured for real?


    They couldn''t help but wonder. Just from the mention of difficult changes, they all subconsciously linked the changes with Hiro.


    But, the next word that escaped Manager Haruki''s mouth left them stunned. It wasn''t the kind of change they were expecting. Rather, it waspletely unexpected.


    "Shun, you''ve been nothing but fabulous until now, and I know you''d still do the same in the second half, but I''m resting you in the second half," Manager Haruki announced bluntly without any hesitation.


    Upon hearing the news, for a moment Shun was left utterly speechless as he couldn''t bring himself to digest the news. With a stupefied look on his face, he just stood there staring fixedly at Manager Haruki.


    Then, before Manager Haruki could continue, he snapped, "But, why coach? What did I do wrong?"


    Yes, Manager Haruki had already informed them about the difficulty of the decision. Yet, he couldn''t take this decision peacefully.


    Sure, he had asked them to be considerate of his decision. But, having done nothing wrong, he just couldn''t help but feel wronged upon hearing such a harsh decision. If his performance hadn''t been satisfactory, he''d have obediently taken this decision without anyints.


    But, how could he expect him to take this decision obediently when he had done nothing wrong? Preventing all those shots, he had been nothing but fabulous until now. If anybody could be attributed for the opposing team''s failure to find their back of the then it would have been Shun without any questioning.


    However, even after delivering such a magnificent performance, now his manager was telling him to walk out. He had put his body on the line for the team, but how was he getting rewarded for his selfless effort; by being taken out of the game when he still could do much more?


    Just, how in the world does he expect him to agree with this decision without any resistance?


    Even when faced with Shun''s tantrums, Manager Haruki however remained unfazed. And, it didn''t seem like he was going to change his decision under any circumstances. He seemed determined to make this change, regardless of anyone''s objection.


    "I''ve said it already Shun. You''ve been nothing but impressive," Manager Haruki replied calmly.


    "Then why coach?" Shun raised his voice, asking for an exnation.


    Even so, Manager Haruki didn''t budge. Instead, he answered briskly, "Because, we need you in perfect condition in another match"


    "Then the more reason I...,"


    Just as Shun was about to argue more, Hiro stepped forward, interjecting him, "You might not feel it because of your desire to perform, but you''re starting to show signs of fatigue Shun. And, he''s only being considerate of your feelings for not bluntly speaking it in front of everybody. So, why can''t you just ept his decision?"


    Shun wasn''t expecting such an attitude from his friend. But, more than anyone, he trusted Hiro. After all, he wasn''t like others who would lie to please somebody. Most of the time, he had always been blunt.


    Thus, he didn''t continue arguing further on this matter. Instead, he just epted the decision without much resistance.

 Chapter 376 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 VII

    Chapter 376 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 VII


    ??Despite his evident displeasure, he acquiesced to Hiro''s decision without further protest. Sinking into his seat with a begrudging eptance that belied his discontent, Shun then sat down.


    "Thank you, captain" Manager Haruki acknowledged Hiro''s help with genuine gratitude.


    Manager Haruki felt truly appreciative of Hiro''s help. Because of him, he didn''t have to spend much time, convincing Shun. It saved him quite the effort and time.


    With a nod of appreciation towards Hiro, Haruki then redirected his attention to Shun once again, his tone softened in an attempt to assuage the lingering tension. "As Hiro pointed out, we''re a team. And, just because you''re not ying doesn''t mean that you''re not involved in the game. There''s still much you can do. So, I hope you all can have faith in your teammates," he reassured, his words imbued with a sense of understanding and encouragement.


    But even so, Shun remained unmoved, his gaze fixed firmly ahead as he nursed his wounded pride. Though he refrained from causing a scene, the shadow of his dissent loomedrge, casting a pall over the room despite Haruki''s efforts to console him.


    ???? ????


    After a short break, yers from both teams started to make their way out of the tunnel, and onto the field to resume the match.


    Just at the threshold of the tunnel, Taki who was going to step out of this tunnel, onto the field for the very first time as a yer who was going to y instead of warming the seats of the reserve box, felt his heart pounding upon hearing the sounds of cheering from the outside.


    He had heard this sound many times, but right now, he just couldn''t help but feel nervous upon hearing this familiar sound as he felt an invisible barrier enveloping him, preventing him from moving ahead.


    Though he remained frozen at his ce, both the opposing yers and his teammates walked past him one by one without any care, almost as if he was invisible at the moment.


    "So, they''re changing their keeper huh?"


    "Who''s he?"


    "Are they being serious?"


    Opposing yers while passing him were making manyments. But, since they spoke in their mother tongue, he couldn''t get any of it.


    Well judging by their nces, he could somewhat guess their intentions. But, even so, he didn''t have any luxury to worry about theirments. They might be looking down on him, and it was only natural for them to do so since it was his first time stepping onto the field. But so what?


    With Shun''s extraordinary performance casting a towering shadow of expectation, the pressure on Taki was nothing short of immense. Registering more than 15 clean sheets in a span of 45 minutes, he had delivered a never-before-seen performance.


    And, if he failed to fill in his shoes, he''d only get criticized by the fans. The sheer weight of the expectations ced upon him was so heavy that even though he had fortified his mind, he still couldn''t help but feel nervous.


    Clutching tightly onto his gloves, he drew in deep breaths in a desperate bid to steady his nerves. Yet, despite his efforts, a persistent tremor of anxiety persisted, refusing to be silenced.


    It did help him feel better, but still, it didn''t eradicate his nervousness.


    Then all of a sudden while he was drawing deep breaths to stabilize his heart, he felt a sudden touch from behind him. That abrupt touch startled him as he startlingly jerked his body.


    "Woah..., you seem quite tense," witnessing Taki''s reaction, Hiromented.


    Only after confirming that it was Hiro who had tapped his shoulder did he release a sigh of relief, finding sce in Hiro''s presence, "Huff...., It''s you"


    Just from a nce, Hiro could tangibly sense his nervousness. After seeing such a state, one might be worried about entrusting such a big responsibility to someone so nervous. Yet, Hiro had no such worries.


    If he were worried about Taki''s performance, he wouldn''t have stepped forward earlier in the first ce. The reason why he supported manager Haruki''s cause was solely because of his faith in Taki.


    Having dueled him early in the morning, he knew what he was capable of. And, right now, all he needed was a light push for him to show what he had shown him earlier in the day.


    "You know what; if Endo were here, he wouldn''t have been tense like you," Hiro mumbled casually, attempting to trigger him.


    By deliberately mentioning Endo''s name, Hiro was trying to get on his nerves so that he would forget his nervousness and instead focus his attention on trying to prove him wrong.


    And, it seemed to work as well, as right after the mention of Endo, Taki started getting flustered.


    "If he was so great then he''d have already made the team," Taki responded raising his voice.


    "Sure, he may not have your talent, but his mentality is still better than yours," replied Hiro, without paying any heed to Taki''s reaction. He then started to walk out and added, "Still, don''t take forever toe out. We still have a match to y."


    No, he didn''t hate Endo or had any inferiorityplex. In fact, he looked up to Endo.


    But, as much as Taki looked up to Endo, he still was someone who wanted to be the best and was somewhatcent. And, because of such personality traits, he used to get triggered often when someonepared him to somebody close to him.


    "Bastard!" Taki gnashed his teeth as he shot a furious gaze toward Hiro.


    Stomping his feet, he then started to head out. Taking wide steps, he walked out with a newfound determination to prove Hiro wrong.


    And, just as he walked out of the tunnel, he was besieged by the electrifying roars of the people present in the stand. Slowly, while sightseeing, he made his way toward the post. And, as he got to the center of the field, he was mind-blown.


    The view from the center of the field was much different than from the stands.

 Chapter 377 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 VIII

    Chapter 377 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 VIII


    ??Then while looking around him, he assumed his position between the poles. From behind, he could see almost the entirety of the pitch. And, the scene around him was so mesmerizing that he simply couldn''t take his eyes off it.


    "Yes, it should be like this," he murmured, nodding his head while feeling the pressure.


    The pressure on him was nothing but immense. Yet, he couldn''t afford to get devoured by the pressure built up around him.


    The moment he had desired the most had finally presented itself. So, how could he afford to let his nervousness ruin this precious opportunity?


    Pulling his gloves, he then tapped both sides of the pole to ease his nerves and ready himself for the match. Normally, he only made such a gesture during penalties. But, for some reason, he just couldn''t stop himself from making such gestures.


    Not only, did it help him soothe his nervousness, but he also believed that by doing so, he''d get more lucky. Sure, it was nothing more than superstition. But, if he believed in it then what''s so wrong about doing it?


    Beep!!


    After everyone assumed their respective position, the referee blew his whistle, announcing the continuation of the match.


    At once as the shrill sound of the referee''s whistle echoed, the stadium came to life with the cheers of the audience and the movement of the yers on the field. The opposing side hadn''t made any changes while the Japanese side had some major changes in their squad.


    Especially the substitution of Shun. It came as a surprise for many fans as they just couldn''t help but feel skeptical about the changes. Shun had been nothing but impressive in the first half. So, despite his solid performance and form, why was he getting benched?


    They just couldn''t help but question the changes that have been made. But, despite their skepticism regarding the changes, they could do nothing but ept the change and have faith in their coach''s decision.


    Even after that short break, the opposing side''s momentum didn''t show any signs of slowing down as they pressed high from the get-go. Just like minutes before the end of the first half, they charged ahead ferociously.


    Their efforts however bore no fruit as they failed to get past the defensive line of the opposing side. Almost as if they had drunk some kind of divine elixir, Akutsu and the rest of the yers in the defense put up an impressive performance,pletely neutralizing the opposing yers from closing into their post.


    ''What''s up with them? Are they the same yers from before?''


    Just like almost everyone in the stadium, Shun couldn''t help but feel surprised by the performance of his teammates. If only they would have yed like this from the get-go, the burden on him might have lessened.


    Seeing such a marvelous performance, he should be cheering them. Yet, upon seeing their performance, he couldn''t help but feel a bit angry about it.


    All of a sudden they had be quite dependable. And, due to their performance, Taki didn''t face any dangers for a while.


    But, Taki still couldn''t afford to take it easy. Despite his teammate''s reliability, he still couldn''t afford to lower his guard.


    Though the opposing side dominated the position, Hiro and his teammates still didn''t sit idly as they responded with a ferocious counterattack whenever they got the opportunity. However, they still couldn''t extend their lead as they failed to produce any results despite their efforts.


    Just like this, the stalemate continued until the 70th minute of the match as both teams failed to score any more goals in the second half.


    However, even though both teams failed to score goals, the match wasn''t boring in the least. Instead, those near-goal experiences kept the audience on their heels at all times. They didn''t give them any opportunity to look away.


    Then in the 74th minute of the match, Gueye broke free from the entanglement of the defenders of team Japan. Making use of his greatest arsenal¡ª his speed and footwork, he tore through the impable web-like formation of the Japanese defenders.


    "He''sing," Taki murmured under his breath.


    His heart rate spiked upon seeing the iing attacker of the opposing team.


    ''Should I run out and intercept him, or should I wait for him?'' he ransacked his mind.


    Then, he vigorously shifted his attention, looking for possible threats heading his way. As he looked around him, his vision broadened. Multiple opposing yers were heading his way, and so were his teammates.


    Based on his observation, he could tell that leaving his position would be a pretty bad decision as Gueye seemed extremely fast. But, he just couldn''t sit back and wait for Gueye to make his shot. He still had to obstruct him somehow.


    Allowing him time to prepare would only put him in danger. But, so will leaving his position. Right now, he was quite in a tight spot.


    ''Don''t just sit back there...,'' Shun prayed desperately, furrowing his brows.


    Though he remained silent, one could tell just from a nce that he was quite anxious at the moment. Trepidation was evident in his terrified eyes.


    But, it wasn''t just Shun who was terrified at the moment, almost everyone who supported Japan was terrified. And, the state of his teammates seated beside him was even worse than his. Trepidation shed in their eyes while at the same time, they were desperately yelling, "Please, don''t let him score"


    Then all of a sudden, Taki left his position and rushed towards the ball. Upon seeing the dispositioning of the opposing keeper, Gueye became excited as he increased his pace.


    He had already been moving so fast. Yet, he still increased his pace even further all of a sudden. Many upon witnessing this scene became extremely horrified.


    "Wasn''t he already running on his top speed?"


    "How much faster can he get?"


    "Just why?"


    Many cried out, their frustrated cries echoed in the stadium casting a gloomy pall over the stadium.


    Then all of a sudden, Taki slowed his pace.

 Chapter 378 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 IX

    Chapter 378 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 IX


    ??Though he slowed down his pace, he didn''t stop advancing.


    ''Is he nning on returning the moment I release the ball?'' Gueye upon witnessing Taki''s erratic actions couldn''t help but doubt.


    Then again, no sooner had that doubt prated his consciousness, than he immediately dispelled it as he focused on the empty post behind Taki. Even if he was nning on retreating, so what? All he needed to do was to avoid chipping.


    Target the corner and avoid the keeper.


    Thinking so, he nced at the corners.


    Most of the time, corners are the safest option to opt for whening face-to-face against a keeper since keepers tend to position themselves right in the middle.


    The moment he nced at the corners, he found it tantly open almost as if Taki had deliberately left his sides unguarded for him to exploit. Usually, keepers tend to leave their sides unguarded but an experienced keeper would always position himself in a spot where he could reach those unguarded spots at his will.


    Yet, Taki''s positioning seemed quite unusual. Is he simply inexperienced or is he just trying to deceive me?


    Those vacant spaces were just too good to be true. And, he justcouldn''t help but feel skeptical about Taki''s stance.


    Then again, he shifted his gaze toward Taki. And, the moment his gazended on him, he found himself being intently stared at. Those prating gazes of Taki were fixedly staring at him and nothing else. And, he appeared dead serious.


    It was almost as if those eyes were tracking every detail of his.


    But instead of feeling creeped out or scared, he felt those stares quite tantalizing. A sudden urge to trample those confident eyes arose within him as he felt his blood boiling with excitement.


    Then, as he got close enough, he struck the ball at its bottom and lobbed it.


    The moment he struck the ball, Taki changed his course instantaneously and he started to fall back rapidly. He ran as fast as he could almost as if his life depended on it.


    A hushed silence fell upon the entire stadium as the ball hoovered towards the post. Joy shed in the eyes of the supporters of Senegal while at the same time, supporters of Japan felt their heart pounding upon seeing the hoovering ball.


    Until now, though their team hadn''t been impressive, they still had somehow managed to put up a fight against the mighty opposing team. But, if they conceded, it might very well shift the tide of the game. And, who knows if they might be able to score another goal or not?


    After all, based on their performances in the second half until now, it seemed quite unfeasible for it to happen.


    As the clock ticked, the expression of the supporters of Japan changed from anxious to dreadful. Many even closed their eyes.


    No matter how they looked at it, it didn''t seem that Taki would make it in time. And, even Taki himself was aware of the fact that he wouldn''t make it in time if he continued doing what he did.


    However, just as many of the supporters of Japan were starting to give up, Taki did something that left them mind-


    blown.


    Launching himself toward the direction of the ball, he hoovered mid-air extending both his arms forward. At this moment, he appeared to be more of a volleyball yer than a footballer.


    Then, he struck the ball with the bare minimum, just enough for him to clear the ball away. Just like one of those diving saves made by a volleyball yer, he managed to clear the ball away from the post.


    The ball then as it touched his hands bounced behind him, away from the box. But while doing so, he found himself tumbling inside the post as he couldn''t pause midway.


    Though he managed to keep his post clean, he couldn''t prevent his crash. And, if not for the behind, he''d have probably tumbled even further. Maybe, he''d have crashed against the sponsor board outside the lines.


    "A magnificent save from the newly appointed keeper keeps them in the game," the Commentator praised Taki sounding rather thrilled. Then again, no sooner had he made thosements, than his tone became serious as he added, "But, the danger remains"


    However, even though he managed to prevent the imminent danger by making a crucial save, danger continued to lurk around him.


    Like a famished predator after its prey, Gueye immediately rposed himself as he started to chase after the cleared ball right away. It was almost as if he hadn''t made any mistake.


    But unlike before, he wasn''t alone this time. Akutsu and others who had caught up to him were also chasing after the loose ball. For sure, it wouldn''t be easy to gain control of the ball whilepeting against those bunches.


    Even so, it didn''t deter him the least.


    At this moment, the cheers of the opposing supporters got even louder, fueling their yers to perform even better.


    If they can cheer then so can we. Thinking such, supporters of Japan who had been tense and somewhat silent until a moment ago, started to cheer with much vigor at the top of their lungs.


    With their cheers resonating in the stadium, suddenly the whole stadium was lit with a buzz of electrifying cheers which only added to the already rising intensity of the match.


    Thepetition for the control of the loose ball only became heated with every passing second as yers from both sidespeted for the ball, trying to outperform each other. Pushing and pressing, they allpeted for the ball.


    Their bodies collided against each other as theypeted for the ball. Coming out on top, Akutsu headed the ball away in the end, after many shes, thwarting the effort of the opposing yers.


    And, suddenly as Akutsu headed the ball away, the tide of the game shifted as the opposing yers found them on the receiving end.


    Counterattack.


    Since most of the yers of the opposing team were present in their half, they immediately went on offense after they sessfully fended the attack from the opposing side.

 Chapter 379 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 X

    Chapter 379 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 X


    ??Fortunately, the ball didn''t fall on the feet of any opposing yers and instead fell on Takeshi''s feet after getting cleared. Otherwise, it''d have been quite dreadful.


    This provided them an opportunity to counterattack.


    And, Takeshi grabbed the opportunity without wasting any dy. Immediately, after getting hold of the ball, he started to move the ball forward while searching for his teammates.


    During his search for his teammates, he found three possible candidates. One was Nijichi who was way ahead of anyone else, another was Yutaka, and the third was Hiro.


    Though most of the opposing yers were behind him, there were still a decent number of them in their half, guarding their post like guard dogs. Right now, even though they had the upper hand, it still didn''t seem enough for them to score.


    After weighing his options, Takeshi then released the ball.


    But his actions instead of providing assurance, frightened their supporters.


    Where is he kicking? Who''s even present there?


    They couldn''t help but wonder upon witnessing the direction of the pass. It was headed to the left nk where nobody was present¡ª not his teammates or any opposing yers.


    A moment before heunched the ball into that open space, he had received a signal from Hiro telling him to shoot the ball there. At first, he hesitated to do so; considering the absence of his teammates in that vacant space.


    But if it''s Hiro''s decision then he must have thought of it, wouldn''t he? There''s no way, he''d do something thoughtless, would he?


    And because of his faith in Hiro, even though it seemed quite reckless, he nheless executed it. Now, it all depended on Hiro. There was nothing he could do. If the ball goes out of y, he''d have to bear the responsibility for blowing away such a golden opportunity.


    Making use of his skill Lightning steps, Hiro then rushed towards the left nk where the ball was headed. However, it wasn''t only him who was heading that way as one of the opposing yers rushed towards the spot as well.


    Sure, from the looks of it, it seemed that the ball would go out of bounds before anybody could reach it, but still, they couldn''t rx and sit back. If anything even if it went out of bounds, they still had to try to reach it nheless.


    But still, they couldn''t afford to chase after the ball leaving the opposing yers. And, thus only one of them rushed after the ball while the rest continued to fall back.


    While moving towards the ball, Hiro''s expression stiffened as he noticed Nijichi running in that direction as well. If it was only Nijichi heading that way, it wouldn''t have made much of a difference. But by moving that way, he was also pulling his markers that way.


    ''What the heck is he doing? He can''t even draw some of the yers away?'' Hiro gnashed his teeth as he continued to rush towards the direction of the ball without any pause.


    It wasn''t what he was expecting. But, even if the situation turned out differently than what he had anticipated, he could only me himself for thinking so shallowly.


    Tucking his irritation, he then once again focused his attention on the task at hand.


    With other yers heading his way, it wouldn''t be simple to win the ball. But, so what? Just because it wasn''t going to be easy didn''t mean that he could abandon his pursuit and run away.


    If the situation was going to get fierce, then all he could do was brace himself and fight.


    There wasn''t any other arsenal under his belt that allowed him to increase his pace further. Which meant, he could only rely on himself.


    If only he didn''t have to dodge all those opposing yers, he could run more effectively without losing much of his speed. But, how would he be able to do that?


    There''s no way that the opposing yers would leave him be.


    Then again while trying to think of ways to improve his speed, he thought of a crazy idea.


    Swiftly changing his direction, he then cut towards the nk. Afterward, he started to run alongside the outlines. That way, he didn''t have to exert much of his energy to bother himself with the opposing yers.


    Running in a straight line, he left behind all others who werepeting for the ball. But even so, it still appeared that the ball would go out of bounds.


    By now the ball was already rolling towards the sidelines. But Hiro was right behind it. However, there was still some distance between him and the ball.


    Then to prevent the ball from going out of bounds, he slid towards the ball to increase his reach and his chances of preventing the ball from going astray.


    Somehow, by doing so, he managed to keep the ball in y as he prevented the ball from crossing the outline. But in doing so, he slipped way past the ball as he failed to control his momentum.


    "You rarely get to see something so amazing in football matches nowadays," thementator praised Hiro''s efforts.


    At the same time, words of astonishment escaped the mouths of many fans as they felt thoroughly enthralled by Hiro''s recovery.


    However, even though he slipped quite far away, nearly crashing against the sponsor board, he still managed to recover himself. Making use of his hands, he swiftly changed his direction while taking advantage of his momentum.


    Then, before the opposing yer who was chasing after him could reach the ball, he immediately took hold of the ball and started to rush toward the opposing post.


    Unwilling to repeat his previous mistake, the opposing keeper rushed towards him without wasting any time. If he allowed him time like he did previously, it would only make things even more difficult for him.


    And, this time his shooting angle was quite tight as well. If he could just stop him from advancing in the center, he could limit his shot which would only make his job even easier.


    After all tight shooting angle meant limited spots to shoot.


    With such thoughts in mind, he prevented Hiro from advancing to the center and forced him into the corner.


    Then right at the edge of the penalty box while the opposing keeper was trying to force him into the nks, minimizing his shooting angle, he took his shot nheless. Any more deeper than this then he might really have to shoot from a zero-degree angle.


    Even from such a tight angle, he curled the ball towards the post.

 Chapter 380 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 end

    Chapter 380 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 end


    ??Right now, the audience seated behind the post of the opposing team had the best view ever. They could witness this breathtaking scene firsthand, up so close.


    To them, for a moment it felt as if the time had slowed down as they watched this incredible scene with their eyes wide open.


    It was truly a blissful moment for them.


    Due to the spin on the ball, it curled toward the opposite top corner, sailing high above the head of the opposing keeper.


    Regardless of its height, the opposing keeper still attempted to somehow reach the ball. But, despite his efforts, he still fell a little short as he failed to obstruct its path.


    Swoop!!


    The ball then effortlessly glided inside the post.


    "Gooooooooaaaaaaaalllllll"


    At once as the ball touched the back of the, those anxious fans who had been waiting for this moment for quite a long time erupted forth from their seats, shouting at the top of their lungs. Ovee with jubtion, they simply couldn''t hold back themselves from celebrating like crazy.


    Immediately after scoring this goal, Hiro rushed towards the sidelines to celebrate his goal. Getting close to the sidelines, he paused all of a sudden. Then he mimicked a gesture as if he was drawing a katana. Then he made a gesture as if he was raising his katana high above.


    "Hyoooooooooooo!!!" He yawped as he swung his imaginary katana.


    The crowd went wild upon witnessing his unique celebration. And soon his teammates caught up to him as well.


    "Magnificent, simply magnificent. He has done it once again," thementator sounded quite energetic at the moment.


    However, he wasn''t the only one who appeared to be rejuvenated. Right now, the entire stadium was pulsating with the cheerful voices of the Japanese fans.


    Well, why wouldn''t they be happy? It was the second goal for their team and that too against an opponent who was way above their league.


    Many had predicted their loss, but right now with this goal, not only were they winning the match, but they had also doubled their lead.


    Not only did this goal provide them with assurance, but it was also a beacon of hope for them. It was a much-needed crucial goal for them that could very well determine their fate in the tournament.


    Even though more than 20 minutes were remaining on the clock, they were celebrating almost as if they had scored thest-second winning goal.


    And, upon looking at their celebratory gestures, many would probably think they''re being overly dramatic. But, if only one would put them in their shoes, they''d realize the true worth of this goal.


    Completely engrossed in the jubnt atmosphere around him, Hiro who had made this moment happen was thoroughly enjoying this moment to its fullest without any reservation. Alongside his teammates, he was celebrating his goal, sharing this precious moment with his fans.


    And, the whole crowd who supported Japan was responding as well. Cheering on him, they were showing their full support and appreciation. They were truly grateful to Hiro.


    For a while, the celebration raged on and off the field. And, it didn''t show any signs of slowing down either as they remained equally energetic and loud as they were at the beginning of the celebration.


    Eventually, due to the raging celebration, the referee had to intervene.


    And, only then did their celebration finallye to an end. But, the referee''s intervention came at a price as they were warned of time wasting.


    "Everyone return to your position," the referee intoned, sounding somewhat grumpy.


    Since the referee spoke in English, not many of them could get what he was trying to convey. But, even if they couldn''t understand him, they could vividly see his irritation. And, based on his expression and tone, they could tell that he wasn''tplimenting them.


    Responding to the referee''s call, they all then stopped their celebration. Apologizing to the referee, they then headed back to their position to resume the match.


    "Sorry sir"


    "Sorry sir"


    "We won''t do it again"


    For sure, they could tell that he was warning them against time wasting. They had simply lost track of the time because of the ongoing celebration.


    But now as they came back to their senses, realization dawned upon them.


    "How could we lose track of time?"


    "Damn!!"


    "We celebrated quite a lot"


    Murmuring such, they all rushed to their position. They just couldn''t afford to stroll since they had already wasted a lot of time.


    "Seems like the Japanese yers were so lost in the moment that they just lost track of time. Hahaha...., it''s good to enjoy but you ought to be careful," thementator made fun of them.


    ''Let''s go for a hattrick'' Determination shed in Hiro''s eyes as he looked up at the scoreboard.


    It was already his second goal, and it was only natural for him to want more. Normally, he''d have been satisfied as long as his team won the game, but for some reason after scoring this second goal, he couldn''t resist this urge to score a hat trick today.


    Then as everybody assumed their position, the referee nced at his watch before blowing the whistle that he had trapped in between his lips.


    Beep!!


    As the shrill sound of the whistle echoed, the match resumed in full swing.


    After conceding this recent goal, opposing yers appeared even more furious. And, the look on the face of their coach wasn''t quite docile like before. With his brows knotted into a frown, he was shoutingmands to his yers.


    It appeared to be apletely different side of his that he hadn''t shown until now. Not only for the audience but even for his yers as well.


    However, as the game progressed, he only became even more agitated. Despite his yer''s relentless attack, they still couldn''t get even a goal back. And, the situation became even more bleak as the clock ticked.


    And just like this despite their effort to change the oue of the game, they still lost the match at the end with a two-goal difference, failing to prate the defense of the opposing team even once.


    Beep!!


    The referee then blew his whistle, announcing the end of the game.

 Chapter 381 Joy and grief

    Chapter 381 Joy and grief


    ??Just as the sound of the final whistle echoed in the stadium, supporters of Japan rose from their seats wearing big wide smiles on their faces. Cheering at the top of their lungs, they celebrated their victory against the opposing team.


    Meanwhile, on the field, many yers from Japan got down on their knees. Ovee with joy, they couldn''t even bring themselves to stand. Tears trickled down their face while smiles of joy blossomed on their faces.


    They had done it. They had handed the opposing team their first defeat. And, they had salvaged their journey.


    Sure, they hadn''t won the tournament. But, by winning this game, they had at least saved themselves from elimination.


    And, as long as there''s an opportunity, they could still dream of lifting the cup.


    No sooner had the shrill sound of the whistle chimed, than the reserve yers of Japan rushed onto the field. Invading the pitch, they headed straight to their teammates to celebrate their victory, appearing quite ecstatic.


    "Shun, let''s go?" asked one of his teammates.


    "You go, I''ll jointer," Shun replied politely with a smile on his face.


    "Suit yourself," saying so, he flung onto the pitch.


    Now with everyone gone, he was left all alone in the substitution box. And, with their absence, the previously packed substitution box became quite empty. However, despite their absence, it wasn''t the least bit silent.


    With all the noise circting in the stadium, how could he expect it to be peaceful?


    Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he found sce in this noisy environment. Those cacophonous cheers though loud were like music to his ears. It was a testament to their triumph.


    Leaning his body close to his knees, he then cast a solemn look at the scoreboard before turning his head to look in the direction of Taki.


    "Seems like I can''t rest easy from now on," he murmured while curling his lips.


    For sure he was implying that his position in the team won''t be guaranteed like it had been until now after this brilliant performance from Taki. Now, if he wanted to safeguard his position then he''d have to be even better.


    Apetitor had shown up. And, a quite capable one on top of it.


    Then, he again diverted his gaze toward Hiro. Fixing his gaze on Hiro who right now was joyously celebrating the victory, he murmured, "Just what made you so sure about him?"


    Remembering the time Hiro had stood up for Taki in the locker room during the halftime, he couldn''t help but feel perplexed. It was really like he knew the future.


    While he was contemting, looking at him, suddenly Hiro called out to him.


    "What are you doing over there all alone? Come, join us..."


    Upon hearing his call, his expression eased up and a smile blossomed on his face. Nodding to himself, he whispered, "There''s no point contemting. You were always like this. Unpredictable and mysterious"


    Then he rose from his seat and yelled, "Coming...."


    ???? ????


    Beep!!


    "Finally after an exciting 90 minutes, the game hase to an end. And, my oh my, what a one-sided game it was," announcing the end of the game, thementator made hisment, "And, for sure after such a devastating performance, it''ll be theirst game"


    "Only a miracle could keep their hopes of continuing the tournament alive"


    Right now, the scene at the stadium that hosted the game between Argentina u17 and Pnd u17 was quite heartbreaking to look at. And, even the stadium appeared mostly empty.


    However, it wasn''t empty like this before. Some moment ago, it was pulsating with the cheers of the fans from both sides. But, right now, Argentinian fans dominated the stands.


    The reason for such an event was quite evident on the scoresheet.


    Argentina u17: 4 vs Pnd u17: 0


    Exactly just as the scoresheet read, the Polish team lost the match with a devastating score of four to nothing. Conceding two goals even before the end of the first half, this game had been nothing but a one-sided pounding to them.


    The final scoresheet was already disheartening enough to look at, but if one looked at the match statistics, they''d be even more devastated. One would even question why they conceded so little if one were to look at other stats of the match.


    Against their 2 shots on target, the Argentinian side had a whopping 16 shots on target. Against their measly 23% positioning, the opposing side dominated almost the entirety of the game with a 77% positioning.


    Other stats such as corners, and freekicks, were even more ridiculous.


    And, it''d only be a shame to mention those stats.


    With performance as such, one might question if the football association of the Polish side was even serious about thepetition. Or, they just chose yers at random.


    Based on the results, one could conclude that this campaign was an utter failure for the Polish team.


    However, to be honest, they had fared really well against this Argentinian team today. From the whopping 16 shots on target, they had only conceded four of them, avoiding a whole 12 of those threatening shots shot at their way.


    And, considering how dominant the opposing side had been, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that they have yed decently today.


    It was just after that match against Japan, that something had really changed for the Argentinian team. All of a sudden they had be even more threatening.


    But no matter what, despite their performance, the only thing that matters in football is the result. No matter how good a team ys, if they can''t outscore the opposing team, then there''s no meaning at all.


    Who cares if a team ys well? Who cares if a team ys fairly? As long as a team doesn''t win, nobody will care.


    Only the victors will be remembered in the end while the losers fade away with time.


    And just like this after their third defeat in a row, the Polish team got eliminated from Group D while Japan with their win against Senegal still somehow managed to stay afloat.


    Now, they had topete against several other third-ce teams for an opportunity to reach the knockouts. Though they had won the game, they were still ced third in the group due to the goal difference.


    ???? ????

 Chapter 382 Conclusion of group stage

    Chapter 382 Conclusion of group stage


    ??After that victory over Senegal, they secured third ce in their group which allowed them topete against several other third-ced teams from other groups for an opportunity to advance to the knockouts.


    In total to qualify for the knockout, six third-ce teamspeted against each other. And among those six teams, only four of them advanced to the knockouts.


    Surprisingly, the South Korean team didn''t even make it out of the group stage. Losing all three of their group matches, they exited the tournament quite early.


    It was surprising to see them exiting the tournament so early despite theposition of the team in their group. With the likes of the USA and Burkina Faso ced in their group, it truly was quite surprising to see them finishst.


    At their opening match, they were obliterated by the American yers. Scoring three goals past them, the American team easily won the first match against them with an embarrassing score of three to one.


    Then in their second match which was against France, they put up a worthy show of their stature. However, they still failed to win or tie the match. In the end, they lost the game with a single goal scored in thest minute of the match.


    As for their third match, once again they drew the short straw as they lost the game with a single goal difference.


    Just like this, after losing all three of their game, one of the strongest teams from Asia exited the tournament without even being able topete in the knockouts.


    As for Park Seung-Gyu, he put up a noteworthy performance despite the poor performance from his teammates. And, due to it, despite them exiting the tournament so early on, nobody med him.


    Instead after this tournament, his reputation only grew.


    From Group A, Moro and Ecuador made it to the knockouts, whereas Indonesia qualified for the ranking of the third-ced teams after cing third in their group.


    From Group B, Spain and Mali qualified for the knockouts, and Uzbekistan ced third in the group. From Group C, Ennd and Brazil qualified for the knockouts, and Iran made it to the ranking of third-ced teams.


    Among all other groups, Group C was rather peculiar as it saw an influx of goals. And, it was possible because of the presence of one team called New Caledonia.


    In their first match, they lost the opening game against Ennd by andslide score difference of ten to nothing. Respectively, they lost their second match against Brazil by a massive score difference of nine to nothing. Then, they again lost their final match against Iran by a huge score difference of five to nothing.


    In total, they conceded a total of twenty-four goals in just only three games. 10-0, 9-0, and 5-0, they lost all their three games without scoring once.


    After losing such miserably, one might even question their participation in the tournament. Just, how did they even make it to the World Cup?


    In group D, after their recent performances, Argentina took the first spot, dethroning the reigning group leader Senegal after they suffered a loss in their final group match against Japan. However, even after losing the final game, they still made it to the knockouts due to the goal difference, despite losing the same number of games as Japan.


    And, since Japan couldn''te in second, they had topete against other third-ced teams for a spot in the knockouts.


    Simrly from Group E, France after winning all three of their group matches, easily made it to the knockouts. Whereas, the USA clenched the other spot for the knockouts aftering in second.


    Finally from Group F, Germany qualified for the knockouts after winning all three of their group matches, followed by Mexico who came up in second who won a game, lost a game, and drew a game. However, their journey to the knockout wasn''t smooth sailing either as they barely made it to the knockouts based on goal difference.


    Venezu who also happened to win a game, lose a game, and tie a game barely missed the opportunity to secure a direct ticket to the knockouts because of the goal difference ced third in their group.


    Just like this, the group matches concluded with 12 teams securing a spot in the knockouts while 6 teams had topete against each other for the remaining four slots in the knockouts.


    As for the goal tally, Mateo and Hiro led the scoring sheet followed by Brunner of Germany and Elias of Brazil. Despite Ennd''s and Brazil''s goal difference against New Caledonia, none of its yers could clench the top spot.


    With that being said, while the yers of the teams that booked their spots in the knockouts enjoyed their day off after the end of the group stage, yers of the third-ced team who werepeting for the remaining spots bust their asses off in the training even after the end of the group matches.


    They just couldn''t get even a single moment to rest as they had topete in the third-ced matches right away without any break.


    They couldn''t evenin as it waspletely fair. Despite theck of rest periods, it was still better than going home, wasn''t it?


    This is why, yers of Japan trained obediently without anyints despite theck of rest. They had barely made it out of the group.


    And, also because of Taki''s performance, training sessions got even more heated as many of them who didn''t get minutes felt quite motivated after witnessing Taki''s performance.


    Just like them, he hadn''t got any minutes in the match until now. Yet, now look at him. Putting up such a brilliant performance, he had already marked his presence on the radar of the coaches.


    Now, even the first-choice keeper had to be sharp and vignt. Otherwise, his position might get snatched away.


    Who knows if they trained hard, they might be next?


    But, even so, one thing''s for sure, they could never covet Hiro''s position unless he gets injured. However, if he did get injured, it would only hamper their performance in the tournament.


    So, it''s better if he continues to y.

 Chapter 383 Opponent for the knockouts

    Chapter 383 Opponent for the knockouts


    ??While the yers of the qualified teams spent their time leisurely, the yers of the third-ced teams found themselves locked in a fierce battle for survival.


    With their tournament hopes hanging in the bnce, each match became a desperate bid to secure a coveted spot in the knockout stage.


    Even for Hiro and his teammates, the stakes had never been higher since it was their only chance to salvage their journey.


    Yet, even on the brink of elimination, they remained calm andposed as they tackled the obstacle with determination and confidence.


    The match against Senegal proved to be a turning point for the Japanese side as they won all of their games to qualify for the knockouts, finishing top of the league.


    Alongside them, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Venezu also qualified for the knockouts while Burkina Faso and the host Indonesia''s journey came to an end.


    ???? ????


    As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky in a canvas of warm colors, a lone figure could be seen on the edge of a grassy pitch.


    Twisting and turning, he moved along the intricately ced cones on the field. Alongside him, moved his silhouette and the ball. Even so, apart from him and his silhouette, no other entities could be seen on the field.


    Perspiration dripped as he continued to move. Yet, despite appearing quite exhausted, he didn''t stop moving. Instead, he became even more fluid as he pushed him to his limits. The way he was moving made it seem as if he was trying to prove something or trying to surpass something.


    wlessly avoiding those obstacles ced on the field, he continued to hone his skills. Then, after a while, he finally let go of the ball as he released it at the empty post at the end of the pitch.


    And just as he let go of the ball, instead of copsing on the field, he pushed himself to the sidelines without looking back.


    Step!! Step!! Step!!


    elerating toward the sideline, he took hold of his stopwatch. In the disy of his stopwatch, numbers were changing continuously without any stop. Immediately he then pressed its button to stop those changes.


    5:17:19


    Those were the numbers that shed on his watch''s screen. He took exactly 5 minutes, 17 seconds, and 19 microseconds toplete his drill.


    Huff!! Huff!!


    Staring at his screen, he continued to gasp heavily due to the intense drill he had performed right now which had left him utterly exhausted. Perspiration trickled down his face like rain as he remained stationary looking at his watch''s screen.


    Some of those droplets of perspiration found their way to his eyes causing some irritation. He squeezed his eyelids to help soothe his pain. Then, he raised his hand to wipe his eyes.


    Rubbing his hand against his eyes, he tried to wipe away the sweat that had umted on his wet face. After wiping his sweat, he then opened his eyes again.


    Standing upright, he turned around to look at the ball. There were quite a lot of balls in that direction.


    For sure, based on the sheer number of balls, it could be determined that it wasn''t his only shot. Instead, it was a testament to the hours of hard work he had been putting in.


    Staring fixedly at the post, he then murmured, "Hah..., I''ve improved...."


    Both his breathing and heart had yet to stabilize. And, even now when he was faking his exhaustion, his heart was still pounding like crazy.


    Just then while he was resting, another person made his way to the pitch.


    "Alex"


    Upon hearing the call, he jolted his gaze to look at the person who was calling him. That voice sounded extremely familiar to him. And, even though he could tell whom it belonged to, he still turned around to face him, nheless.


    With a fairplexion and a stature that stood tall, he possessed finely groomed blond locks that framed his face. Yet, it was a quality in his countenance, perhaps the pearl-like hue of his eyes, that bestowed upon him an air of innocence.


    It was his teammate and one of his closest friends Simon Garcia, the backbone of the u17 Spanish team, the man responsible for the security of their post, the keeper of the team.


    "Has your practice ended yet?" Simon asked as he walked toward Alex.


    With tousled brown hair that framed his little tanned face, and deep thoughtful eyes that seemed to hold the weight of the world, Alex had an aura of intensity tempered by a gentle kindness. While at the same time, his athletic build hinted at the hours spent honing his skills on and off the pitch.


    Alex was one of the starting yers of the Spanish u17 team. Blessed with incredible ymaking abilities, he was their number 10 and a midfielder with an innate ability to change the flow of the game.


    As Alex heard his friend''s question, he shook his head.


    That gesture of his however seemed to annoy his friend as it made him furrow his brows before answering in a quite unhappy tone, "You practice-freak..., Just how much do you enjoy torturing your body?"


    Alex however remained silent. And, it was one of the reasons why despite his skills he wasn''t chosen as the captain of the team. He had a rather introverted personality and often he didn''t talk much with anyone; be it his teammates or his coaches.


    Familiar with Alex''s personality, Simon too dropped his annoyance as he changed the topic of their conversation. Alex had always been a man of few words and he being one of his closest friends knew about it quite well.


    "Do you know who we''re ying against in the knockouts?" Simon questioned, sounding quite excited.


    Dedicating himself to his training schedules, Alex rarely paid attention to such topics. Well, he''d get to know about it from his coaches nheless, so why should he bother looking up such things? That''s what he believed.


    Instead of getting distracted by such things, it''d be better to focus on yourself to improve, wouldn''t it? And, due to such reasons, he rarely used his phone to look up the news.


    Yet again, upon being faced with his friend''s inquiry, he remained tongue-tied, utterly emotionless.


    Just from his expression alone, Simon could tell that he wasn''t aware of it. With a sigh, he then broke the news, "We''re facing Japan"

 Chapter 384 Goal contribution

    Chapter 384 Goal contribution


    ??While breaking the news, Simon seemed quite excited. It was almost as if he was desperately wishing to y them.


    Alex, however, showed no changes in his reaction as he refused to react. Wearing a rather solemn look on his face devoid of any emotions, he answered uninterestedly, "Oh..."


    For a while, Simon continued to stare at him with longing eyes, anticipating further words from Alex. However, Alex remained silent, creating an awkward and eerie silence between them.


    "Only Oh?" Simon raised his voice as heined, "Aren''t you going to say something more?"


    "But, what should I say?" Alex responded, dumbfounded by his friend''s insistence.


    Alex''s attitude was getting on his nerves, yet Simon couldn''t bring himself to speak further as he was well aware of Alex''s personality. Right now, all he was capable of was to calm himself down.


    Then to calm him down, he started taking deep breaths.


    Noticing the palpable annoyance on his friend''s face, Alex couldn''t help but wonder why he was reacting so weirdly for no reason.


    Perhaps, something''s wrong with him? Or did I say something to annoy him?


    "Didn''t you say back then that you liked their captain''s game?" Simon questioned afterposing himself.


    "Did I?"


    "Yes, you did," Simon eximed, raising his voice, "Don''t you remember? Back then when some of us were watching the highlight of the match between Senegal and Japan, you praised his performance," he added, trying to help his friend recall.


    Yet, even after his friends attempt on trying to help him recall his memories of the time he praised Hiro''s gamey, he still can''t remember it.


    But, since his friend was putting so much effort into it, he couldn''t bring himself to deny his ims either. As such, he acknowledged his ims even though he couldn''t recall them.


    "Maybe I might have said it so," Alex replied.


    The whole reason why Simon brought up this topic was because of his friend''s interest. Yet, somehow right now experiencing his friend''s forgetfulness, it only felt like he was making a fool out of himself since he was the only one who remembered the incident.


    Alex''s vague response sapped the excitement out of him. At this point, Alex''s indifference was mirroring his own disinterest in the matter and he couldn''t care less about the matter either.


    Observing the crease of concern etching on Simon''s brow, Alex couldn''t help but feel a pang of bitterness.


    Sure, he would eventually get informed about this news by his coaches. Even so, because of something he had spoken probably on a whim back then, his friend had rushed all the way to him to inform him about the news, thinking he would be interested in it.


    Now, how could he ignore the kindness behind Simon''s gesture?


    It wouldn''t be fair to dismiss his friend''s effort entirely, would it? As such he reasoned with himself, understanding the weight of Simon''s actions.


    Out of consideration for his friend''s feelings, he then tried to lengthen the topic. He still had his training toplete, but leaving Simon in such a despondent state didn''t sit well with him.


    "What''s your take on him?" Alex probed, hoping to divert the conversation away from his own lukewarm reaction.


    "Well, he''s a threat for sure. Not only is he good at ymaking, he''s also good at scoring," Simon answered honestly.


    "Then do you think you can take him on a one-on-one situation?"


    Upon hearing such a question, Simon''s frown deepened. Then after a brief pause, he answered in a rather serious tone, "Honestly speaking, I might not be able to stop him"


    For real? Simon Garcia, one of the hot prospects of both Real Madrid and Spain is saying such? He hadn''t made his senior debut yet. But, it''s rumored that in a year or so, he''d sign a professional contract with Real Madrid.


    Be it in this tournament or the league games back at home, he had been nothing but impressive. And, his goalkeeping abilities aren''t a joke either. It''s one of the best in both this tournament and in the league back home.


    As Alex processed Simon''s words, memories of their past encounters flooded his mind. He started to recall the intensity of their one-on-one battles, the fiercepetition, and the undeniable talent Simon possessed. His skepticism, however, grew as he pondered whether Simon''s humility was genuine or merely a facade.


    "Don''t sell yourself short," Alex started to say, a hint of doubt creeping into his voice before he hesitated, unsure if he should voice his reservations.


    But before he could finish, Simon''s serious tone cut through the air.


    "I''m being honest, Alex. He''s something else," Simon replied, his expression earnest and his words weighted with sincerity.


    Faced with Simon''s unwavering conviction, Alex''s heart sank.


    He had always known Simon to be confident, even cocky at times, but this admission of vulnerability was unlike him. It made Alex question his own abilities, stirring a sense of unease within him.


    ''Is he really that good? Maybe, I should check on him too.'' Alex thought.


    "But, there''s only so much he can do by himself," Simon''s tone softened and his face lightened when he spoke those words.


    Exactly, even if he''s some kind of genius, there''s only so much one yer can do. For sure, if he''s as impressive as Simon made it sound then it''d be somewhat tough to face him.


    But, they could always corner him and neutralize him.


    "Does this mean that there aren''t any other notable yers other than him in his team?"


    "There are some, like their keeper and a central defender. But apart from them, they don''t have much. In fact, they''re quite heavily dependent on him. He''s involved in almost more than 80% of their goals. So, you can tell just from it how much they''re dependent on him," Simon answered in a way as if he had already researched them.


    More than 80% goal contribution? It was quite a high number. Impressive as it may sound, it was a stain on the record for the team.

 Chapter 385 Discomfort

    Chapter 385 Difort


    ??Such heavy dependence on a single yer would often leave a team vulnerable. Iste the yer responsible for the havoc and their team immediately falls apart.


    Upon hearing about the statistics, Alex couldn''t bring himself to imagine the opposing team''s tactics in the absence of Hiro. It''s like telling him, that if not for Hiro, they wouldn''t even have made it out of the group stage.


    "Damn!! So, they''re a one-man team?" Alex asked.


    "Well," Simon prolonged his words as he started thinking. Then, after careful consideration, he answered, "Statistically speaking, it does look like they''re a one-man team. But if you watch them y, you can see that almost everyone on the team is putting in equal effort."


    "Indeed, we shouldn''t be quick to assume," Alex felt like he was being superficial by assuming their whole tactics based on the statistics he heard.


    Although stats can tell a lot about a team or a yer, one should still not be quick to judge. After all, there''s only so much data can tell.


    "Do you wanna see their matches?" Simon asked.


    "Uh...," Alex couldn''t bring himself to ept his friend''s offer.


    Though he wasn''t putting it in terms of words, Simon could tell that Alex didn''t want to. He could see his answer clearly in those hesitant eyes.


    Afraid to make it more difficult for him, Simon took back his words, "Forget about it..., Either way, we''ll have to watch their gamey since we''re ying against them. You must still be busy with your training right?"


    Even though Simon retracted his invitation with a smile, Alex could tell he meant otherwise. And, he felt quite bitter about it.


    Now, how could he disappoint him?


    "No, let''s watch it," Alex answered.


    Hearing Alex''s response a smile blossomed on his face. Compared to the forceful smile he had put up a moment ago, it appeared quite genuine. And, those glimmer in his eyes were a testament to his happiness.


    Simon was quite overjoyed. But, before he could reply, Alex interjected him, "But, only if you help me with my training"


    "Sure, I''ll go get my gloves then," abruptly speaking such, he then darted towards the exit like a dog running after the ball thrown by its owner.


    ???? ????


    Seated beside the window, Akutsu right now was in the middle of something.


    "Huff!! Here goes nothing," inhaling a deep breath as if he were preparing for something painful, he murmured.


    Then, he tightly shut his eyes before twisting his ankle, "Argh..."


    The moment he twisted his ankle, a stinging pain in his joint coursed through his body which in turn caused him to scream in pain.


    However, no sooner had he screamed than he immediately shut his mouth. Even though it hurt like crazy, he didn''t want others to find out.


    "Seems like I''ve really busted my ankle in that match," he murmured.


    After that match against Venezu, he had been feeling slight difort in his ankles. Though it didn''t hamper his performance in the match, asionally he''d feel a stinging pain.


    And, because of that, he didn''t bother checking it up. But, recently the pain has been worsening and he could no longer choose to ignore it.


    Sheesh!!


    His feet tickled with cold as he applied the muscle-rxing spray on it.


    "Ahh... It feels good," feeling the cold sensation of the spray, he felt quite relieved.


    "It''s still bearable, but I guess I should get it checked after tomorrow''s match"


    By tomorrow''s match, he was referring to the match against Spain. Tomorrow, they were going to y against the mighty Spain in a do-or-die match. If they failed to defeat them then that''d be the end of their journey in the tournament.


    But if they somehow defeat them then they''d reach the quarter-finals.


    However, defeating Spain wasn''t an easy feat they could pull up. They had assembled quite a formidable team of quality yers with enough depth, likely to win the whole tournament. Unlike them, they were considered one of the favorites to win the whole thing.


    But going by that logic, Argentina shouldn''t have lost against Senegal either. And, even though they didn''t have depth like their team, they still had quite a good squad too.


    In those 90 minutes, anything could happen.


    "They''re formidable indeed but they''re not invincible," he murmured, attempting to motivate himself, "But, if I feel any difort in tomorrow''s match then I should exit the field. Just for my selfishness, I can''t drag others in it"


    Even though he was raging to go, he wasn''t willing to put the game at stake. As a starting yer who had yed in every match, he didn''t want to sit out. However, he was aware of his condition. And, he knew that he couldn''t take his condition for granted.


    Which is why, he was prepared to sit out if anyplication were to arise in the match.


    By now, the pain in his ankle had subsided quite a lot. But still, he didn''t feel like getting up. After all, he had nothing better to do than to lie down.


    Morning training had already ended. And, due to the game, they were forbidden to leave the hotel. Fearing potential injuries, they were also forbidden to train by themselves.


    Throwing back his arm, he leaned against his arm,zily, "Should I just check on my friends back home?"


    Having nothing to do, he thought of checking on his friends back home. But then again, he remembered the time difference and immediately dispelled that thought from his mind.


    "Maybe I should just analyze the gamey of the opposing team instead of doing nothing"


    Right now, he was feeling quite lethargic for some reason. Maybe it''s because he had nothing else to do or maybe it could be the weather outside.


    Turning to look at the window, he found it quite sunny. If not for the AC in his room, he''d have been turned into a steam dumpling by now.


    The sun was at its zenith and it was quite hot outside.


    "Or, maybe I should just take a nap"

 Chapter 386 Akutsus restlessness

    Chapter 386 Akutsu''s restlessness


    ??The afternoon slump hit him hard, making it impossible to keep his eyes open. And, as soon as he let his eyelids fall shut, he slipped into an instant, deep sleep.


    While he remained asleep, time flowed away like sand through an hourss¡ª smoothly and undisturbed.


    What was meant to be a brief nap stretched on, turning into a lengthy rest. And, by the time he finally stirred and opened his eyes, the light in the room had changed; it was already evening.


    "How long did I fall asleep?" he murmured in a state of sleepiness, ncing toward the window.


    Outside the window, the sky had turned into a stunning disy of red and orange, signaling dusk. Though it seemed quite dreamy and serene to look at, upon noticing its shades, his eyes jolted awake.


    "Shit... I overslept," he yelled albeit in a state of restlessness.


    It was as if he had missed something.


    "Why did no one wake me up?" speaking such, he turned to look at the wall clock.


    It was 5:55. He felt a little relieved upon seeing the time for a brief moment.


    "Huff!! There''s still five minutes left for the meeting," he murmured, "If I hurry up, I can still make it in time"


    Then he began to arrange those supplies scattered around him. After sorting them quickly, he quickly changed his clothes and headed out in a hurry.


    Thud!!


    He closed the door and stormed away in a rush. Time-pressed so hard on him that he didn''t even check the lock twice. Right now, he had to be as quick as possible.


    While rushing towards the meeting room, he nearly bumped into one of the hotel employees. Yet, he didn''t even have time to apologize properly. All he could afford at the moment was a brief and hurried apology.


    Finally, after sprinting like crazy, he arrived at the meeting room. Panting heavily, he stood in front of the door,pletely drenched in sweat.


    "Huff!! Huff!!"


    "I hope I''m... not thatte," he mumbled as he tried to stabilize his breathing while standing in front of the door.


    It might be due to the sound of his breathing but he couldn''t audibly hear any sounding from inside the room. Since they were going to discuss strategy for tomorrow''s match, he should still be able to hear some kind of noiseing from the room.


    But even after pressing his ear against the door, he still couldn''t hear anything at all. This made him somewhat dubious.


    "Has it not started yet?"


    He couldn''t figure it out. And, he possibly couldn''t figure it out by remaining there either. If he remained there, he''d only waste more time. Thus, instead of wasting any more time, he decided to head inside.


    Then after stabilizing his breathing, he wiped the sweat off of his face.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    He knocked on the door. But didn''t hear any reply from inside which made him doubt if he had arrived at the wrong location.


    To confirm his doubts, he once again checked the room number.


    "It says seventeen...., so it doesn''t look like I''m in the wrong room either. Then, why is nobody answering?"


    Due to theck of response, he felt quite perplexed for a while. For a while, he stayed still at his ce; perplexingly staring at the door.


    Knock!! Knock!!


    Applying more force, he knocked even louder than before. Yet again, he didn''t hear any response from the inside. It was still as silent as ever.


    Finally, he could no longer tolerate the silent treatment. Then, he decided to barge inside.However as he tried to push open the door, he found it locked.


    This meant that either nobody was present inside the room or everybody was already inside the room. Though he didn''t get the meeting location wrong, there was still a possibility of a change in the meeting ce at thest moment.


    And since he had slept until thest moment, he might not have been aware of it.


    The former seemed the most feasible option than theter. After all, if they were present inside the room, why would nobody answer him?


    "Is anybody in there? Hello...," while knocking continuously on the door, he called out.


    While Akutsu continued to knock on the door, inside the room everybody was seated obediently in their respective spot while the coaching staff was busy setting up the projector.


    "He''s been calling out restlessly from a moment ago, why isn''t the coach reacting?"


    "Perhaps he hasn''t heard it? Should I tell him?"


    "Idiot..., how could he not hear it when it is so loud and clear?"


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "What else would I mean you idiot? He''s deliberately ignoring him because he iste for the meeting. Remember what he had said before?"


    "Ahh right, he had sternly advised us to be on time for the meeting"


    While Manager Haruki and the coaching staff continued to ignore the knocks from outside, yers continued to gossip.


    As of the moment, it was not that anybody hadn''t heard those loud knocks or calls of Akutsu, they were simply ignoring it, fearing the wrath of their manager.


    Finally, as the coaching staff finished setting up the projector, Manager Haruki''s husky voice rung, "Somebody go and open the door"


    As he gave thatmand, the yer close to the door rose from his seat and walked towards the door. Then he twisted the doorknob and unlocked the door.


    However just as he unlocked the door, Akutsu who had been pushing the door from outside came flying inside the room, knocking onto his teammate who had opened the door for him.


    Both of them tumbled as they crashed against the floor.


    If only the mood in the room would have been lighter then most of them would have burst intoughter upon seeing this scene. But right now, the atmosphere in the room was quite heavy and damp.


    Thus no one dared tough despite seeing their fall.

 Chapter 387 Rising pressure

    Chapter 387 Rising pressure


    ??Even though the fall wasn''t very impactful, the loud sound it generated echoed through the silence of the room, drawing everyone''s attention. Almost every eye present in the room turned towards them with a mix of curiosity and concern evident in their nces.


    Witnessing the mishap, many felt the urge to assist. They then helplessly looked toward Manager Haruki as if they were seeking his permission to act.


    But upon seeing the expression on Manager Haruki''s face, no one could muster the courage to move from their seats.


    He didn''t appear angry. In fact, his face bore a solemn look. However, there was something unsettling in those calm eyes; a stillness that hinted at an impending storm.


    At this moment, after witnessing those set of calm eyes many unterally agreed in their hearts that trouble was about to befall Akutsu.


    "Sorry... sir," Akutsu mumbled as he struggled to stand, "I... overslept today"


    Manager Haruki however didn''t say a single word and patiently waited for him to finish. Akutsu kept on apologizing nonstop.


    Finally, only when he stopped did he open his mouth, "I think I was clear about this meeting. Or did you not understand what I said earlier in the day?"


    "No, sir, you were very clear," Akutsu replied, his voice tinged with timidity.


    "You''re one of our starting yers; you should be setting an example for the others. Yet, arrivingte to the meeting for an important match suggests that you''re not even serious about it," Haruki said calmly, without raising his voice. "Or are you perhaps really not serious about the match?" he added.


    Faced with Manager Haruki''s pointed questions, Akutsu found himself unable to respond. Even if he answered honestly, it would feel like arguing with the coach.


    The room''s silence grew heavier with each passing second. The other yers sat frozen with their eyes darting between Akutsu and Manager Haruki.


    Was he getting scolded? He couldn''t even tell since it didn''t even feel like scolding. Yet still for some inexplicable reason, he felt quite disheartened upon hearing those words. Those words prated deeply, deep into his soul.


    Why was he getting so worked up over such a trivial matter? And, it''s not like he arrived halfway through the meeting either.


    Such thoughts found their way to his head as he remained unresponsive. He couldn''t even bring himself to look straight. All he could do right now was to ardently listen to his nagging with his gaze lowered.


    Seeing his apologetic stance, Manager Haruki felt like he had said enough. Any more than this then he might be going overboard.


    Manager Haruki then took a step closer, his gaze never wavering. "We all have off days, Akutsu. But showing upte, especially today, undermines the team''s morale and the hard work everyone has put in. You need to reflect on yourmitment."


    Feeling the weight of Manager Haruki''s words, Akutsu nodded. "I''m sorry, sir. It won''t happen again," he managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper.


    Manager Haruki''s stern expression then softened slightly. Though his eyes remained the same.


    "As long as you understand, I''ll let it slide this time. You''re a valuable yer, Akutsu. Don''t let your actions suggest otherwise," he spoke sounding rather gentle than before.


    Then he turned to address the rest of the team. In a rathermanding tone, he continued, "All right, let''s refocus. We have a crucial match ahead. So, everyone needs to be at their best, both on and off the field."


    As he said those words, everybody straightened their body as they darted their eye away from Akutsu, toward the projector ahead.


    "You too Akutsu, take your seat," saying so, he turned around.


    Akutsu was well aware of Manager Haruki''s personality. And thus he didn''t bear any grudges against him.


    A moment ago, though he felt quite annoyed about the nagging he received. But now upon hearing those words of concern, he realized that it was his own mistake and Manager Haruki was just trying to maintain discipline in the team.


    With peace of mind, he then took his seat and participated in the meeting.


    Then the discussion began in full swing. At first Manager Haruki showed them the data he had collected.


    While ying the matches of the opposing team, he pointed out several strengths and ws in the gamey of the opposing team. He also encouraged active participation from the yers as he asked for their opinions frequently.


    And no matter how insignificant their opinions were, he didn''t demean any of them. Instead, even when somebody''s opinion soundedpletely foolish, he always replied, "I''ll take it into consideration"


    Manager Haruki always encouraged his yers to speak their minds. It wasn''t anything new. And it was probably one of the reasons why his analysis session always remained fascinating for the yers.


    From there they learned quite a lot.


    And as the session neared an end, he announced the starting squad members that''d be participating in tomorrow''s match.


    The squad announcement however left many utterly shocked.


    "How could it be?"


    "Is this the correct list?"


    "Perhaps there''s something wrong with it?"


    "Coach..., there seems to be some kind of mistake in it"


    Many raised questions upon seeing the list. Most of the yers in the list were pretty much expected but the absence of Akutsu from the list didn''t sit well with them.


    The very person responsible for this mass reaction was utterly speechless at the moment. Unable to find his name on the list, he couldn''t bring himself to ask the reason why he was left out.


    Fixedly staring at the screen with his eyes opened wide, he remained seated in his seat.


    "Silence!!"


    Manager Haruki''smanding tone resonated in the room, causing everybody who was being noisy to shut their mouth.


    As everyone shut their mouth, a dreadful silence enveloped the room while the yers looked at their manager with a fear-


    stricken look.


    "Are you unsatisfied with my decision?" Manager Haruki asked straightforwardly, looking in the direction of Akutsu.


    Did I get found out?


    Looking at Manager Haruki''s determined eyes, Akutsu couldn''t help but wonder.


    Though he didn''t want to admit that it sucked to sit out, he knew that it was a wise decision considering his difort.


    "No sir, I believe you''re right," he answered honestly.

 Chapter 388 A Captains Charisma

    Chapter 388 A Captain''s Charisma


    ??While the yers of the Japanese team were preparing for their match, a palpable heaviness had enshrouded their locker room.


    The scent of liniment and freshlyundered jerseys was mingling with the aromatic fragrance of the solvent used to clean the floor; generating a familiar andforting aroma for the yers. Yet, they didn''t seem like they were in the mood to rx.


    Each of them had upied their own space. Some were sitting in quiet contemtion while some were having small talks about the strategy they had discussed before. Their voice however was barely audible.


    For a room filled with teenagers in their rebellious phase, such a scene was quite unusual. Usually, they should be either joking, talking shit, or doing something idiotic, but yet somehow this group of teenagers despite being enclosed in a room with no adults weren''t making a single noise.


    And, just like the rest of them, Hiro who was seated in hispartment was unusually silent as well. Since he didn''t talk much at other times too, it wasn''t anything abnormal.


    Methodically wrapping tape around his ankles with unwavering focus, he didn''t seem bothered by the silence around him.


    Nearby, Shun was adjusting his gloves while beside him Yutaka with disheveled hair was taking in deep breaths. His right foot was continuously tapping against the floor, generating a muffled sound almost as if somebody was continuously striking a wood against the floor in the locker room. And, it seemed as if he had no control over it.


    Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the people around him seem unbothered by the sound of his foot tapping. It could also be that they couldn''t afford to care about it.


    Then as Hiro finished taping his ankles, he got up from his seat. ncing around him, he found himself surrounded by a thick aura of fear.


    Thud!!


    He tapped hard against the floor, generating a loud sound that immediately caught the attention of everybody present in the room. Many who were lost in their thoughts were startled awake upon hearing that loud sound which to them came out of nowhere.


    Those distracted eyes which appeared to be searching for a ce to hide jolted toward him with a mix of trepidation and curiosity.


    What was he up to? Is he going to say something?


    They were startled, they were curious, and some of them were furious too, yet none dared to speak anything. Unterally, they all chose to remain silent and hear him.


    If only the mood in the locker room had been even a little lighter, he wouldn''t even have thought of doing this. But how could he remain silent when many of them appeared distressed and demotivated?


    He was no face reader, but he could tell what was on their mind at the moment. They were all nervous about the match. They were that easy to read.


    And, if they marched with such nervousness onto the field, then what''s the meaning of even trying? Might as well give up instead of embarrassing themselves in front of the masses.


    Hiro''s gesture had a significant impact on everyone in the locker room, especially on Yutaka, it had a much greater effect than on anyone else. Not only did it force him out of his reverie, it also scared the shit out of him.


    After grabbing the attention of everybody present in the room, Hiro then moved towards the center of the room. As he moved, those eyes fixated on him followed him.


    As he reached the center, he came to an abrupt halt. Then, he swept his gaze across the locker room to see if he had the attention of everybody present in the room.


    While sweeping his gaze, he could vividly feel the curiosity lingering in the room. Those questioning gazes were looking at him, expecting him to give a reasonable exnation.


    However, he didn''t feel even a little bit overwhelmed by those gazes fixated on him.


    Drawing in a deep breath, he felt the collective heartbeat of the team and then began to speak with a strong and steady voice that captivated everyone.


    "Guys, every single one of you knows that the expectation on us hadn''t been much since the beginning. In fact, we weren''t even expected to make it out of the group stage. But, now look, we''re in the knockouts."


    "This is it. We''ve trained for months, pushed through pain and exhaustion, and sacrificed so much to be here. Every drop of sweat, every bruise, every early morning andte night ¨C it alles down to today."


    As he said those words, he paused for a brief moment, allowing his words to sink in. Following his speech word by word, everyone knew what he was saying was correct.


    Having been ced in such a difficult group also called the group of death, they weren''t even expected to make it out of the group stage. Yet, now they were challenging for the quarter-finals. Not only had they proven their doubters wrong, they had also proven their excellence on the field.


    Now, no matter how big or small, every team has to take notice of them; the world has to take notice of them. They had made it clear with their previous winnings that they were here for the title and not for some shit purpose like winning the hearts of the people.


    By now, he had already ignited the spark of determination in their eyes. And, all he needed to do was to blow some air in it to make it aze.


    Hiro then met eyes with all his teammates, one by one, conveying his unwavering belief in them.


    "We are a team. We win together, we lose together, and today, we fight together. Trust in your training, trust in each other, trust the support of our fans back home. y with heart, with intelligence, and with the courage that got us this far. And in this match today, let us once again prove our doubters wrong."


    "Let''s win this match and announce to the world that we''re not here for mere fame or recognition. But, we''re here for the glory"


    No sooner had Hiro finished his sentence, than Shun sprung into action. It wasn''t just because it was his friend who had said it, but he truly felt uplifted when hearing those words. Exactly as mentioned by Hiro, many doubted them at first.


    And, by no means were they less than anyone else. ring with determination and vigor, Shun then yelled at the top of his voice, excitedly while throwing his arm in the air.


    "Let''s win this game and this whole fucking tournament"

 Chapter 389 Knockouts I

    Chapter 389 Knockouts I


    ??For a brief moment, an awkward silence enveloped the entire locker room after Shun dered his intentions in front of everyone.


    Aical scene where he alone stood excited unfolded in the locker room. To tackle the situation, he didn''t budge and instead turned to Hiro for help. Helplessly ncing at Hiro with his arms raised he begged for help.


    He simply couldn''t bring himself to act as if nothing had happened. So, he turned to Hiro for help.


    Seeing his face, Hiro could barely hold hisughter. Yet, he also couldn''t help but feel grateful for his gesture, ''Thank you for your help. You couldn''t have made it more memorable than this... haha''


    Then he yawped, trying to rally, "Yeah, let''s show them what we''re made of"


    "Yeah, let''s go"


    "Let''s go"


    The whole locker room became noisy as everybody let their emotions out and rallied after Hiro, dering their determination to win.


    Unlike a moment ago, the scene at the locker room drastically changed. It was no longer gloomy. Right now, it was filled with the determination and ambition of the yers.


    "You were right in appointing him as the captain," one of the coaching staff said to Haruki, praising his decision to appoint Hiro as the captain of the team despite his introverted personality.


    He couldn''t feel more wrong about his opposition back then.


    Manager Haruki who was standing just outside the door of the locker room couldn''t help but smile upon seeing such an atmosphere in the locker room. More than being right about appointing Hiro as the captain of the team, he was happy to see his yers raging with determination.


    At this moment, he truly believed that they could pull off the unthinkable by defeating the mighty Spain team despite their reserves of talent in their team.


    Previously though he had devised a strategy that could potentially allow his team to defeat the opposing team, somewhere in his heart he still doubted its credibility. But, now upon seeing the state of his yers, he started believing in it.


    Kazan on the other hand, remained as stoic as ever. Doesn''t he get tired of wearing the same reaction every day, every time? One might even wonder if he had been born with that stoic face since he hardly smiled at anything or anybody.


    ''If only we''d have a striker that could match him'' Kazan thought as he looked at Hiro who was mingling with his teammates at the moment.


    Instead of being happy about the state of the team, he felt extremely pitiful. He knew that Hiro''s potential was even greater than what he had shown until now.


    ''Takahashi Hiro, it''s truly a pity that you can''t even disy your full potential in this team''


    He didn''t mean to demean other yers by thinking such. But after witnessing previous matches of Hiro, especially the one against Argentina, he believed that Hiro''s dormant potential had still left to be tapped in.


    More than a goal machine, he believed he had much to show. Killer passes that could change the oue of the game any moment, he possessed those and he was sure of it. But, right now there wasn''t anybody who could receive those passes yet.


    It was gettingte. And, if they continued to wait on them, they might not arrive on the pitch on time. So, even though he didn''t want to interrupt their moment, Manager Haruki had to step inside to remind the yers about the match.


    p!! p!! p!!


    "Now, now, now. It''s all great that you''re motivated. But, you all got a match to y," Saying so, Manager Haruki stepped inside.


    But since it was already noisy inside, most of them didn''t even notice him for a while. And, only when some of the yers caught a glimpse of him did they finally stop chanting. Finally, as they all stopped chanting one by one, the noise subsided.


    Then as everybody shut their mouth, Haruki swept his gaze around them. He felt really proud to coach this set of amazing yers. And, he couldn''t be more happy about the state of his yers.


    Remembering their chants from a moment ago, he added some words of encouragement to further uplift them, "So when you step onto that field, leave everything out there. No regrets, no what-ifs. Give it everything you''ve got. And most importantly, enjoy it. This is your moment. Let''s make it one to remember."


    Getting lost in the heat of the moment, despite being fairly old, he raised his fist in the air signaling a gesture of unity and determination, "Together on three. One, two, three¡ª"


    "Together!" the team echoed, their voices strong and united, responding to his words of encouragement.


    With that, they then headed for the pitch with a newfound determination and courage. Unlike before when they had no confidence to eye for the win, right now they were pulsating with confidence to defeat their opposition at all costs.


    "What''s with them? Are they trying to act tough?"


    The opposing yers who were already queued up at the tunnel couldn''t help but question upon seeing the smug look on their faces. Not only had they arrivedte, but they also appeared quite cocky for some reason.


    And, the opposing team couldn''t help but take notice of it.


    Leading this pack of yers pulsating with vigor was Takahashi Hiro, the captain of the team. Not the tallest, not the bulkiest, but definitely the most athletically built than anyone else in the team.


    Especially those sets of shades of brown, it was glowing with confidence. And under the crimson glow of the tunnel, it appeared quite scary too.


    "Takahashi Hiro" Alex murmured as he turned behind to look at Hiro.


    "Seems like it''s not going to be an easy match as we''ve expected," Simon chuckled.


    Cracking his fingers, Shun shot a cold gaze at Simon. It''s not that he meant to antagonize him or he hated him. But, since he knew about Simon''s achievement, as a yer who dreamt of ying for Madrid one day, he couldn''t refrain from finding out whose better among them.

 Chapter 390 Knockouts II

    Chapter 390 Knockouts II


    ??Outside, the stadium was a cauldron of anticipation and excitement. Streaming through the turnstiles, fans dressed in their team jerseys were hurrying to their seats. Some painted faces could also be seen in the stands.


    gs and banners were fluttering freely in the evening breeze. The stands were filling rapidly and it was getting crowded with every passing moment.


    Currently, the entire stadium was pulsating with the collective energy of thousands of voices. Chanting and singing in unison, their voice was creating a symphony of support that was reverberating throughout the stadium.


    In the VIP sections, the presence of some notable figures could be seen. Exchanging polite conversations that defied the festive mood in the ordinary stands, they were casting eager nces at the stands and the pitch.


    "Here theye"


    Finally, after a little wait, yers emerged on the field. As they made their appearance, they were weed by a deafening roar from the stands.


    By now most of them had already gotten used to the extravagant reception. Thus, nobody appeared awestruck despite the thunderous reception they received at the moment.


    Cameramen followed them as they struggled to capture their faces with the camera lenses. The giant screens around the stadium flickered to life, disying their determined faces in it.


    Then, they all lined up for the national anthem.


    p!! p!! p!!


    A round of apuse followed right after the end of the national anthem. Then they all exchanged friendly handshakes with each other before walking to their position to start the match.


    Beep!!


    Then, with a sharp st of the whistle, the game began, and the stadium exploded into a frenzy of noise and movement, each yer driven by the roaring encouragement of their fans and the weight of the momentous asion.


    Fueled by the earlier words of encouragement, yers of Japan sprung into action as they led the charge. They were determined to get a goal.


    However, opposing yers remainedposed as they tackled the frontal assault of the opposing side. They were in no hurry. And, as such they began to spread first to broaden their options.


    The y styles of both teams were almost identical to each other¡ª both of them yed a passing-style football.


    Despite generating quite a lot of chances, neither side could deliver the final blow that made an impact on the game. And, the score remained the same.


    Today, the Japanese side was ying quite an interesting game. Not sparing any effort, they were all giving their all. And, due to that the opposing side despite their talent reserve was finding it quite difficult to find the back of the.


    ''They''re not even a defense-based team. Yet, why can''t we prate their defense?''


    Unable to prate the defense line of the opposing team, many of the Japanese yers couldn''t help but wonder if they had made some kind of mistake or if it was just that their approach was wrong.


    Frustration was evident on their tired faces.


    It''s not that they hadn''t tried to prate the defense line of the opposing team. But, somehow every time, when they tried to prate their defense line, they were running into a wall.


    Through passes, solo dribbles, long passes, you name it, any method they tried to break their defense was getting neutralized time after time. And, it was starting to get on their nerves. Just why were they not being able to break into their penalty spot?


    While they were starting to show signs of exhaustion, opposing yers seemed totally fine. Well, why wouldn''t they be in better condition than them since they had been tirelessly running all over the field since the beginning of the match?


    On the other hand, the opposing side had barely run. Yet, somehow they were covering the entire field without even breaking a sweat.


    The reason why they were able to do so was rather simple. They hadn''t invented any sort of new ying styles and neither was there anythingplex going on. They had assembled a great squad where every yer was equally talented.


    And, unlike them, they didn''t rely on one single yer to produce the result. Every single one of the opposing yers contributed equally to the team which greatly lessened the burden ced on individual yers.


    ''It''s really tough to y against a team with three quality ymakers'' Hiro thought while ncing at the midfield trio of the opposing team with a mix of envy and admiration.


    They too had a midfield trio simr to the opposing team but Takeshi leaned more toward a pure defensive midfielder position than a ymaker. Truly speaking, his passing wasn''t very impressive. The only thing he was good at was winning back the ball.


    And, often due to Takeshi''s shorings, Hiro would have to drop deep to support him.


    Having studied the game of the Japanese team, the opposing side was fully aware of the person responsible for the build-up. And, they spared no effort to neutralize the person responsible. Be it by cornering him or by limiting his chances, they did everything to keep him in check.


    However, while keeping him in check, they didn''t sacrifice their gamey. They just positioned themselves better so that they could spring into action at any moment. Their role simply wasn''t limited.


    Yet still, despite the vignce of the opposing yers, today Hiro had often broken free from their encirclement. Making use of the gaps left behind in the formation of the opposing team, he had been organizing the gamey of his team.


    Like a skilled maestro, connecting different musicians to create a beautiful symphony he had been moving freely on the field, connecting his teammates.


    Yet somehow, they hadn''t been able to score today.


    Just minutes before the end of the first half, Hiro sensed an opportunity when one of the opposing fullbacks rushed up-


    field leaving his position. However, to utilize this space left behind the opposing yer, he first had to win the ball as the ball was still in their possession.


    Signaling Takeshi to swap with him, he then positioned himself in the defensive midfield position while Takeshi rushed in front to snatch the ball away from Alex who was preparing to send a long ball to the nk where the opposing fullback was making his solo run.

 Chapter 391 Knockouts III

    Chapter 391 Knockouts III


    ??There wasn''t much distance between him and Alex. So, Takeshi gave a relentless chase, trying his hardest to win the ball.


    Alex saw himing. Yet, he didn''t panic at all. Instead, he calmly approached the iing Takeshi as if he were inviting him with open arms.


    As impressive as Takeshi''s defense was, Hiro couldn''t trust him fully to win the ball for them.


    If he somehow wins back the ball, that''d be for the better. But, even if he didn''t manage to, he couldn''t care less. Right now, Takeshi was no more than a decoy.


    Since the opposing fullback had made up a run from behind and they were distracted by the midfield trio of the opposing team, most of his team''s yers hadn''t noticed his run. That is why, none were on their guard against the iing threat.


    But he had seen iting. Yet, he couldn''t speak of it or else he''d draw the attention of the opposing yers.


    Then while rushing back, he made use of his skill Hawk Eyes. The view of the entire field came to his vision as he used his skill. Nobody was spared, be it his teammates or the opposing yers, he could see them all.


    Previously he had noticed the run of one of their fullback. But now as he used his skill, he could see their other fullback charging from the opposite nk. If not for his skill, he might have missed it. Thus, upon finding out this important piece of information, he couldn''t help but feel grateful for having such a handy skill.


    ''Who''ll he pass?''


    Though he had found out their tactics, he still couldn''t figure out precisely whom Alex was hinting toward. But, it didn''t matter whoever he chose. Since he had already figured out their tactics, now all he needed to do was to neutralize it.


    However, he couldn''t do it alone¡ª he needed help. So, he turned towards his nearest teammate for help which happened to be Yutaka.


    Not the best option, still better than not having any option.


    While running past him, he mumbled briskly, "Rush to the left"


    He only dropped a hint since he didn''t have any time for an exnation. Now, it was all up to Yutaka. If he doesn''t get it then they won''t be able to stop the opposing team''s build-up. But, if he figures it out, then they might be able to turn the situation.


    Since the defense line of the opposing team right now was full of holes, if they could somehow win the ball back, they''d turn the tables on them. With a quick counterattack, they could catch the opposing yers off-guard.


    "Huh?"


    Yutaka heard something when Hiro passed him, but he couldn''t tell exactly what he had heard.


    "Left?" he mumbled, trying to recall what he had heard.


    But, due to the heat of the moment and the noise in the background, no matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn''t recall.


    Though he couldn''t recall the full sentence of Hiro, he still turned to the left. Having great vision, it didn''t take him long to figure out what Hiro meant upon seeing the iing fullback who was charging from the left nk.


    Immediately he then darted towards the left nk, trying to intercept the iing fullback. He wasn''t confident of his defending, yet still, he could position himself before him to at least stall him.


    Unlike Hiro who rushed furtively, Yutaka appeared rather shy.


    Steadily approaching Takeshi, Alex got past him with ease. Using his own momentum against himself, Alex performed a simple stepover to get past him; making a fool out of him. Yet still, even after getting dribbled past, Takeshi continued his pursuit.


    Immediately he changed his direction and started pressing from behind. Maintaining constant pressure on Alex, he did everything in his power to win the ball.


    Takeshi''s relentless pressure did the trick as it disrupted the focus of Alex. Alongside searching for his teammates, he also had to deal with Takeshi which made it rather difficult for him to concentrate.


    Alex knew about his teammate''s run. But still, he had to stall time for them to be useful. He couldn''t just toss the ball to them.


    Sure, he had other options, but those were rather risky. And, he only liked to make choices he was sure about. Which is why, for a while, he kept on hogging the ball.


    Then finally after a short while, he sensed an opportunity. Both the fullbacks of his team were exceptional runners and exceptional passers. And, having yed alongside them, he knew that he could trust them.


    Once again using Takeshi''s own momentum against himself, he easily sidestepped him. Then, he immediately shot a killer pass to the right nk.


    Noticing Yutaka, he didn''t pass it to the left. Instead, he passed it to the right where seemingly nobody was present. Until he saw the figure of Hiro emerging out of nowhere.


    For a split second upon noticing the figure of Hiro, his eyes widened in surprise and horror. Wasn''t he rushing back? So, from where did he arrive?


    Alex''s heart sank upon seeing him. And, his face contorted in horror. But, he couldn''t afford to remain confused. He had to pull his shit together and defend.


    He was surprised and so were many others present in the stadium. That interruption from Hiro sent chills to many. And, it nearly got the entire stadium on their toes.


    Interrupting the pass midway, he pushed upfield without losing momentum. Under the spell of the skill Lightning Steps, currently, he had no match on the field. And the ones who could match him were both dispositioned.


    It was unlikely they could catch up to him.


    Then with a burst of speed, he charged. Opposing yers came rushing toward him, attempting to stop him from advancing. Yet with swift and nimble steps, he got past them with ease.


    Witnessing the march of Hiro, Simon started feeling a bit tense. If their defenders too couldn''t stop him, then he''d have to face this monster of a man in a one-on-one battle.


    Exploiting the gaps in the defense of the opposing team, Hiro charged from the nks. And, in no time, he found himself in front of the penalty box of the opposing team.

 Chapter 392 Knockouts IV

    Chapter 392 Knockouts IV


    ??Simon''s mind raced with thoughts as he thought of countless scenarios. In front of him, Hiro was about to breach theirst line of defense.


    Now, what was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to wait for him? Or was he supposed to rush on him to intercept him?


    There was only so much he could do in such a situation.


    Thest line of defense fell as Hiro swiftly got past the final defender and started cutting inside at a threatening pace. Now, nobody could possibly obstruct him.


    Perspiration trickled down his forehead like a monsoon downpour as he closed into the opposing team''s penalty box. His breathing was a little hurried, and his focus was unwavering. Right now, he could vividly feel his heart pounding.


    The noise around him was subsiding with each passing moment.Taking a quick nce at the post, he locked eyes with the opposing keeper.


    Those set of calm eyes were as deep as the ocean¡ª mysterious and unpredictable. A true definition of a yer of high caliber, Simon seemed extremely calm even in the face of danger.


    But, even so, he couldn''t afford to act impressed by Simon''s qualities. After all that much was expected of him since he was chosen as the keeper of such an elite team.


    Then, he cast a quick nce behind him to see if anyone from the opposing team was pursuing him. He also wanted to find out the position of his teammates.


    Who knows they might be right beside him and he might miss their presence because he was too absorbed in what was in front of him. At all times, he needed to keep his perspective broad so that he wouldn''t miss opportunities.


    The more choice, the better.


    But he couldn''t locate any of his teammates. They were allgging far behind him. And, if he waited for them, he''d miss the opportunity at hand.


    Unable to locate any of his teammates, Hiro then came to a quick decision that it''d be better for him to take charge. It''d be better toplete the task he had initiated by himself than wait for anyone else to do it.


    The post was in front of him, and he had the ball in his feet.


    ''He''ll probably need to cut inside to find a suitable angle'' Simon racked his mind, ''Wait.. no, I shouldn''t be quick to judge. After all, he''s bipedal. So, his positioning wouldn''t matter to him much. But, I can still limit his shooting angle''


    In just a quick second, he thought of countless measures to limit Hiro. The pressure on him was great, yet he still kept on racking his mind as if he had nothing to worry about.


    His ability to think and analyze even during dreadful moments was what set him apart from other mediocre yers. It wasn''t his athletic abilities nor was his reflex that set him apart from his counterparts. But, his ability to think and predict urately based on the clues present in hand is what set him apart from his counterparts.


    Finally, after thinking for a while, he started moving.


    However, right now, he wasn''t the only yer with such an incredible ability present on the field. Hiro too possessed this ability.


    The ability to make quick decisions. The ability to improvise at the nick of time.


    Despite catching the whiff of Simon''s intentions, Hiro yed along with it. Simon was trying to lead him away from the post. Yet, instead of trying to counter him, he purposely moved as per Simon''s wishes.


    Having entered the penalty box, the skill Knight In The Area was in effect. And, right now his attacking stats had received a slight boost due to it.


    Not only was he more agile than before, but his senses were also greatly enhanced. Despite that, he couldn''t see as many opportunities as usual.


    This really showcased Simon''s potential. He wasn''t easy to trifle with.


    Almost the entire audience held their breath as they kept their eyes fixated on the field. A fierce battle was unfolding on the pitch. A mix of trepidation and excitement was evident in the eyes of the Japanese supporters.


    Sessfully managing to lead Hiro to his desired destination, Simon was quite happy about it. His confidence right now was at its peak.


    ''You''re trapped. Now, let''s finish it.''


    He thought as he took a few quick steps to close in the distance further and leaped towards Hiro.


    All along, he had the impression that he had outsmarted Hiro. But, how wrong was he to think so? If only he could see glimpses of the future would he be able to see his shorings?


    Slightly lifting the corner of his lips, Hiro smiled wryly.


    The moment he had been anticipating for a while finally presented itself before him. His eyes shed with a sense of gratification.


    Then, he performed a quick sidestep at the nick of time, barely avoiding Simon. Though he managed to keep the ball away from the clutch of Simon, he didn''t avoid Simon. Instead, he purposely slowed down his movements.


    He could easily avoid Simon. But, he didn''t want to avoid him. Yet, he couldn''t be open about his intentions too. He had to make it seem as if he was trying to avoid him and go for the goal. And, he needed to make it believable.


    If he wanted he could have scored a long ago. He didn''t need to go through all these troubles. But, his real intention wasn''t the goal.


    His real intention was to rile up Simon and the other yers of the opposing team.


    They could easily return the goal. But, mental distress, how would they get rid of it immediately? Sure, they needed this goal. But the opposing team was way too calm to face the whole ny minutes. They needed some sort of distress in the opposing team for them to make idental mistakes.


    His teammates were running out of gas. But, the opposing team, they were still as energetic as ever. In the long run, they''d lose for sure if it continued.


    So to have a better chance of winning, he purposely went to find trouble with them.


    Beep!!

 Chapter 393 Knockouts V

    Chapter 393 Knockouts V


    ??Beep!!!


    The referee sounded his whistle as he witnessed the fall of Hiro.


    That whistle acted as a trigger as no sooner had it resounded in the stadium than a huge uproar took ce in the stadium. Appearing rather disappointed and frustrated, people startedining inrge numbers. And, amotion took ce in the stadium.


    Simon had badly crashed against Hiro. Though it wasn''t his intention to crash, nheless the fact remained true that he had crashed against Hiro.


    And, no matter how one looked at it, the fact remained undeniable that it was foul.


    "Take your card out, ref..."


    "Diving, it''s diving, ref..."


    Supporters of both sides stood firm beside their team as they tried to defend their yers. Nobody was willing to back down. And, soon a heated debate took ce in the stands.


    yers of both teams rushed toward the scene, each appearing extremely riled up. The importance of this opportunity was written visibly on the faces of the Japanese yers. While at the same time, the opposing yers weren''t willing to hand over a penalty either.


    What''s a keeper supposed to do midway? Magically change direction to avoid making contact with the attacker? A collision was bound to take ce in a close sh between a keeper and an attacker. So what''s the fuss about it?


    Grabbing his ankles as if he had been hurt badly, Hiro remained immobile on the ground, moaning in pain, "Argh..., Argh..."


    He could audibly hear the conflict taking ce around him. Yet, he couldn''t afford to turn his head or stop his cries. His acting had to remain wless for it to convince the referee to search his pockets.


    "Are they trying to injure our teammate?"


    "They''re ying aggressively, ref"


    "How''s that a foul?"


    "His faking his injury ref"


    "It''s a dive ref"


    yers of both teams were putting a lot of pressure on the referee. Each pleading for the innocence of their teammates, a heated debate was taking ce on the field. Yet, somehow no sort of physical resistance had taken ce.


    Simon himself was pleading his innocence alongside his teammates. He knew that he was in a pinch. Even if he pretended to act injured, there was almost a 90% chance that the decision wouldn''t be in his favor.


    He hadn''t touched the ball. If only he''d have touched the ball, it wouldn''t havee to this. And, the situation wouldn''t be this ugly.


    Penalty was guaranteed for sure. And, Simon being on the receiving end knew well about it.


    Then why was he pleading so desperately if he knew that the odds were stacked against him? The answer however was rather simple¡ª he wanted to avoid the card.


    Penalty wasn''t his concern. But, the card was.


    Receiving a card at this point would be detrimental to his team. In the worst-case scenario, if he received a red card then the game might as well be over even before the full-time. Even a yellow card would greatly affect his team''s morale.


    Not only that, he''d have to y even more safely. And, who knows what kind of mistakes it would lead to if he started ying safely.


    As a keeper, he had to y daringly. But, if he received a booking then he''d have to be even more conscious of his actions. He''d lose the freedom to y daringly as he''d get shackled by the fear of receiving another card.


    Thus, even though he couldn''t change the decision of the referee, he''d have to somehow convince him not to book him.


    But the worst-case scenario unfolded despite his relentless attempt to persuade the referee. Even after so much pleading, the referee still reached out for his pocket.


    The supporters of the opposing team weren''t happy to see this sight. Disgruntled, they were extremely furious at the referee for his decision.


    Now one would expect the supporters of Japan to be happy about it. And they were happy; most of them were. But, few were still dissatisfied with the referee''s decision.


    "It should have been a straight red, ref..."


    "Yeah, sent him off"


    The card that the referee brought out wasn''t to their liking. They wanted him to bring out a red card instead of a yellow card for the rough tackle on their star yers.


    However, Hiro was satisfied with the oue. It wasn''t his intention to get him booked. All he wanted was to stir the emotions of the opposing yers. But, his actions surprisingly yielded a great harvest.


    ''Should I stop pretending now?'' he thought while still continuing his act.


    Themotion around him wasn''t showing any signs of slowing down. So, he was wondering when he could finally stop his act. After all, he wasn''t a great actor to begin with. And, due to that, he feared getting found out if he continued this act incessantly.


    Yutaka had remained by his side all along with his brows knitted into a frown. And, even he hadn''t found out Hiro''s acting.


    Watching his friend writhing in agony, he was truly worried about him. And, the concern was evident on his darkened face. Literally, he was on the verge of tearing.


    "Should we send our medical staff?" Manager Haruki asked, concernedly.


    "Yes, let''s send them. He really appears to be in quite a lot of pain"


    Most of the coaching staff unanimously agreed with manager Haruki''s suggestion. However, Kazan remained silent as usual.


    After getting the approval of his coaching staff, Manager Haruki was about to send in the medical staff to treat Hiro. But, before he could speak, he was interrupted by Kazan, "No, let''s wait..."


    "But, why?" Manager Haruki couldn''t help but feel perplexed by Kazan''s disagreement.


    Why would he want to risk the injury of such an important yer? What if he''s really injured?


    "Don''t you find it quite strange?" Kazan asked.


    "What''s so strange about it? What are you talking about?" Haruki couldn''t understand the meaning behind his question.


    "He had a lot of opportunities to score. But, why did he decide to close in?" Kazan reasoned.


    Now that he mentioned about it, he couldn''t help but wonder. Sure, the shooting angle was somewhat tight for him. But, why did he decide to close in? After all his long-range shoots were equally impressive.


    Just when he was contemting, he saw Hiro rising on the field. If he was really injured, he wouldn''t have gotten up, would he?


    For some reason, upon seeing him stand up, he couldn''t help but smile, "Just from where did you learn such wless acting?"


    Then after everybody dispersed, Hiro stood before the ball, preparing to take the penalty.

 Chapter 394 Knockouts VI

    Chapter 394 Knockouts VI


    Though themotion around him had subsided to a certain extent, it was still rather noisy around him. While standing upright before the ball, he could audibly hear the disagreement of the opposing fans.


    The opposing fans were still not dissatisfied with the referee''s decision. At the same time, he could also hear the desperation of his supporters. He had won them the penalty, but if he couldn''t convert it then it wouldn''t amount to anything. That''s why most of them were quite worried at the moment. Only if they knew that Hiro possessed an absolute skill that''d allowed him to score without fail, they might not have been as tensed as they were right now. Letting out a mouth full of turbid air, he then fixated his eyes on the ball. His focus was unbreakable, his determination irond. At this moment, suddenly it felt as if the air around him had started getting heavy. ''Where''s he going to shoot?'' Since Hiro wasn''t looking his way, he couldn''t be sure of it. If only he could track his eyes, he might have been able to tell where he was going to shoot. But, what was he supposed to do when he didn''t even shoot a nce at the post?


    Now, he could only rely on his intuition. Beep!!


    The referee''s whistle cut through the tension. Hiro began his run-up, every movement deliberate and measured. Just as his foot was about to strike the ball, his eyes shed with an eerie sharpness, the only moment he nced at the post.


    Bam!!


    The ball soared, cutting through the air with precision and power, barely allowing the opposing keeper any opportunity to react. Nheless, Simon dived in an attempt to save the ball despite not being able to see where it was headed. Yet, somehow he managed to dive in the right direction. But the speed at which the ball was moving was just too fast that even though he reacted correctly, he still failed to save it. The ball effortlessly glided inside the post, unimpeded. "Gooooaaaallllll" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    At once, a euphoric roar erupted forth in the stadium as supporters of Japan started to celebrate. Cheers from Japanese supporters surged like a tidal wave, drowning out the frustrated groans of the opposing fans.


    The noise was deafening, a symphony of joy and relief. For a moment, Hiro stood still at his ce, firmly staring at the post ahead, letting the rush of victory wash over him.


    While he remained still at his ce, his teammates swarmed him. pping him on the back, and ruffling his hair, they celebrated the moment, appearing extremely ted. Letting himself lose, he too started celebrating the goal alongside his teammates. ncing at the stands, he could vividly see the jubnt faces of the supporters of Japan. And, it only acted as a catalyst to his celebratory spirit, fueling him to enjoy this moment to its fullest. For a while, the celebration resumed. Then after that, they all started heading back to their position to resume the match. As usual, thementator was full of praise. Then as they started regrouping, Hiro''s thought briefly drifted to the next challenge. They had taken the lead. But, the game was still far from being over. There was still more than enough time to turn the tide of the game. However, the damage had already been done. The opposing team had to be more careful about their approach from now on. Still, neither he nor his teammates could afford to get cocky. After all, they weren''t ying against any riff-raff team¡ª they were ying against an extremely formidable team; a team consisting of yers of elite mentality and talent. But, for now, he could at least enjoy the feeling of celebration for a brief moment. Beep!!


    Immediately as he heard the shrill sound of the referee''s whistle, he snapped back to reality. Rposing himself, he fixated his eyes in front of him. The opposing team kicked off. Despite themotion, they appeared unaffected. It was almost as if nothing had taken ce in the field a moment ago. Neither did they appear riled up nor they appeared discouraged. With minutes left on the clock for the end of the first half, the opposing team tried their best to level the score. Yet, before they managed to level the score, the referee blew his whistle, announcing the end of the first half. Just like this, the first half came to an end with them taking the lead. Almost every single one of Hiro''s teammates heaved a collective sigh of relief upon hearing the halftime whistle. They couldn''t be more d about the timing. Utterly exhausted from running all over the field, they had drained themselves out. Sure, they had managed to take the lead but it still hadn''t lifted the exhaustion. They needed a much-needed rest to recuperate. And, now they could do just that. They could finally rest. Thus, every single one of them was d to hear the halftime whistle. After the halftime whistle, everybody slowly marched towards the tunnel. While the fans too got out of their seat to relieve themselves and get something to eat. The stadium provided a wide variety of snacks they could enjoy while watching the match. And, looking at the movement of the people in the stands, it appeared that many weren''t willing to miss out on the selection of snacks the venue amodated. As people walked out of their seats, the stadium started bing empty. And, the sound of the music yed on the speaker due to the absence of the people appeared louder than before. While making his way into the tunnel, Hiro received a lot of stares from both the fans and the yers of the opposing team. He could vividly feel the hostility behind those stares. Yet, he kept a stoic face, appearing as if he wasn''t even concerned about those hostile gazes. ''Well, I knew this wasing. But, it''s a lot more than my initial expectations.'' Initially after pulling off that stunt, he had expected some kind of negative reaction from the opposing fans and yers. But, even he hadn''t expected that he''d piss off the entire fanbase.

 Chapter 395 Knockouts VII

    Chapter 395 Knockouts VII


    With just one move, he had managed to antagonize the entire opposing fanbase. If it were any yer other than him on the receiving end of those hostile gazes, they might have a mental breakdown by now. However, he didn''t appear to be bothered in the slightest. "Seems like you won''t be able to sleep well today," making his way to Hiro, Shun joked. "If we win this game, not even a nightmare will prevent me from having a deep sleep let alone their hostility," Hiro responded calmly. p!! p!! p!!


    He apuded Hiro, shooting a gaze full of admiration. Even when faced with such hostility, how could he remain so calm? Shun couldn''t help but apud Hiro''s unwavering mentality. "Well said," he spoke as he walked into the tunnel alongside Hiro. They then disappeared into the tunnel. However, he didn''t receive any break even after leaving the pitch. He continued to receive hostile gazes from the yers of the opposing team. But among those hostile gazes, one was filled with admiration.


    ''Just how could you remain so calm?'' Alex couldn''t help but wonder about the secret that allowed Hiro to remain so calm in such a dire moment. And, only after they went their separate ways did he have some peace of mind. Even he couldn''t deny that it felt quite rxing to not be the target of those hostile gazes. "Huff!!" Hiro heaved a sigh of relief. As if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders, he felt quite lighter after separating from the opposing yers. ???? ????


    "Wee back, folks. It''s halftime here at the stadium, and what an intense first half we''ve witnessed. The score is level at 1-1, and both teams have shown remarkable spirit. Let''s break down the action so far. What are your thoughts on the game, Mike?"


    "It''s been a fascinating first half. Both sides came out with a lot of energy. The Japanese team started strong, and that penalty goal by Hiro was executed with such precision and calm under pressure. He''s truly shown his skill and why he''s such a vital yer for his team."


    While thementators were discussing the match, yers emerged out of the tunnel for the second half. The stadium had been nothing but noisy till now. Yet still, when they emerged out of the tunnel, it became even more noisy. Filled with the joyous chants of the fans, it lit up. The euphoria from Hiro''s goal was still lingering among the Japanese supporters. And, they were rather excited for the second half. While at the same time, the opposing fans were filled with anticipation and rage. From the tone of their voice and their gestures, it was evident that they hadn''t forgiven Hiro for what he had done in the first half. They were thirsty for revenge. Truly at this moment, Hiro felt like he wasn''t in a stadium but in a colosseum filled with an audience that wanted to see him dead. ''Seems like they don''t wanna see David beating Goliath'' Hiro couldn''t help but sneer at the gestures of the opposing fans. They were the underdogs. Yet even so, they were expected to win fair and square. Aren''t they being just narrow-minded? ''Well, what can we expect, it''s totally different when ites to international games. Patriotism reigns supreme after all'' Hiro shook his head, submissively. Then he diverted his gaze back to the field from the stands. He had a much greater concern ahead of him. Observing the state of the opposing yers, he could faintly feel that something had changed. Sure, after that short break, they''d be better rested. So, they''d appear slightly different. But his hunches told him that it wasn''t only that. It wasn''t just that they appeared well rested but something about them was different. The look in the eyes of the opposing yers had changed. They appeared more sharper and determined than ever. Were they now going to unleash their full potential? As they assumed their position to kickstart the second half, it felt like he was preparing to enter a battlefield. His enemies were right in front of him, dressed in red jerseys, raring to go. However, he wasn''t all alone. Beside him were his teammates who were just as ready as him to face this situation. Beep!!


    The second half resumed with the referee''s whistle. Intensity soared on the field as yers of both teams pressed aggressively. None of them were willing to spare any effort as they all gave their all. The Japanese team pushed forward, trying to maintain their lead and possibly double their lead. But the opposition was simply relentless. They gave them no opportunity. Instead, they tested their defense over and over with their coordinated attacks. And, soon they were forced into defense. Let alone moving the ball forward, even winning back the ball became a challenge to them. It felt like it wasn''t the same team from the first half they were facing at the moment. Upon seeing this turn of events, opposing fans became extremely exhrated. Finally, the match was ying as they had envisioned. Just like how their team had dominated previous matches, once again they were dominating the ball possession and the entirety of the match. Hiro and his teammates struggled to endure the relentless press from the opposing yers. Yet, somehow they managed to defend their lead. However, despite their best efforts, cracks started to emerge in their formation. And, the opposing yers often exploited these cracks, making their way into their penalty box. It put a huge burden on Shun as he had to make countless extraordinary saves to keep them in the match. Let alone scoring another goal, even defending their sole lead started bing difficult for them. The absence of Akutsu was starting to get visible too. The opposing yers were often breaching their defense from the center. In the 71st minute of the match, Alex sent a brilliant through pass right in the middle. Sato who had reced Akutsu slid down to interrupt the pass. But, failed to do so.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 396 Knockouts VIII

    Chapter 396 Knockouts VIII


    ??The failure of Sato to stop the ball disappointed their supporters. While at the same time, it made the opposing fans extremely ecstatic.


    Squinching their eyes, they looked at the ball with horror. They could vividly feel their heart palpitating, yet couldn''t do anything about it. At this threatening moment, the Japanese supporters could only turn to the invisible forces for help.


    And, as such some of them started praying.


    Meanwhile, the cheers of the opposing fans intensified, sending shockwaves throughout the stadium. It was as if they wanted to let the yers know that they were rooting for them even at the heat of the moment.


    If only Sato had timed his tackle well, he might have been able to reach the ball. But, now that he left a massive hole in the defense due to his mistake, it was going to cost them a lot.


    The opposing striker who was sprinting toward the ball with rming speed wasn''t going to let go of this golden opportunity. For sure, he''d punish them for their mistake.


    Even when faced with such a threatening situation, Shun reacted quickly as he made a quick decision to go for the ball.


    Yet still, despite his best efforts, he couldn''t reach the ball before the iing opposing striker. Competing against a speedy striker in terms of speed was a foolish decision. And, he was well aware of it.


    Even so, he couldn''t sit still with his arms folded, could he? He had to do everything he could. And, he did it without any hesitation.


    Shun knew well that he wouldn''t be able to reach the ball before him. But, what if he were to slide down with his legs extended? He could reduce the gap and possibly reach the ball before him too.


    Though he executed his thoughts well, he still didn''t manage to get the ball. Instead, he brought the opposing striker down with his tackle.


    Aware of the weight of his actions, his heart started racing. He knew what wasing. Just like the opposing keeper, he was going to get booked, wasn''t he?


    Immediately the sound of the whistle sounded.


    But so did the celebratory chants of the opposing fans.


    "Goooooooooaaaaaaaallllllllll"


    The entire stadium buzzed with the feeling of euphoria as opposing fans celebrated the equalizer.


    At the nick of the moment when he was about to make contact with him, the opposing striker released the ball at the empty post. But in doing so, he couldn''t avoid the collision. Although he managed to guide the ball to its destination, he couldn''t avoid Shun''s tackle.


    Which led to the present situation.


    Slowly Shun turned around with fear in his heart. But as he turned around, he noticed that the opposing striker whom he had tackled was already on his way to celebrate his goal.


    That sight relieved him a little. He was d to find that he hadn''t injured his opponent.


    But then again the feeling of disappointment washed over him. Gushing at him like the tidal wave of a Tsunami, a bitter feeling struck him, leaving him utterly disappointed in himself.


    Why was he so relieved? Shouldn''t he be feeling disappointed instead?


    He had let his team down, but here he was d to find out the state of the opposing yer instead. The priority should be his team.


    Even though the opposing striker seemed totally fine that didn''t mean that the referee was going to ignore his actions. He had brought him down. And, it was a dangerous tackle nheless.


    So, he should at least receive a warning for his actions.


    Making his way toward him, while the opposing yers were celebrating their goal, the referee left him a warning for his actions, rubbing salt in his wound.


    It was already painful for him. But, now he had to listen to his warning too.


    Nheless, he tucked his wounded pride and silently listened to his warning. Though he couldn''t tell what he was talking about, he could tell that he was asking him to y a little less aggressively.


    The opposing team''s celebrationsted for a while.


    Unable to bear the loud voices of the opposing fans, many supporters of Japan covered their ears. At the same time, many chose to express their frustration by yelling at the yers.


    "Just who let him in the team?"


    "Sub him out..."


    Most of the fans were quite tolerant and supportive. But, some were quite toxic.


    ''They are right. Maybe I should just leave''


    With a darkened face devoid of any emotions, Sato who had cost them this goal was doubting his own abilities, ming himself for the fault. His will to y was starting to fade. And, his confidence was starting to hit rock bottom.


    If it continued, he''d be no more than a lifeless zombie walking on the field.


    Thud!!


    While he was lost in self-doubt, suddenly he felt a light smack on his back. Who could it be? Do they want toin? Or perhaps they share the same sentiment as the crowd.


    Several thoughts popped one after the other as he nervously darted his gaze behind to look at the person. Fear gripped his heart.


    And as he turned around, he found Hiro. It was Hiro who had struck him.Immediately upon seeing his face, he thought of apologizing.


    "Sor..."


    But before he could finish his sentence, he got interjected.


    "It''s not your fault. Don''t jest it."


    ''It''s not my fault? What is he trying to say? How is it not my fault? No matter how you look at it, if I had prevented the ball from going through, we wouldn''t have conceded''


    Hiro was trying to console him. But, he wasn''t in a state to be consoled. The criticism of the fans had already gone to his head. So, how could he act fine?


    Even so, he couldn''t bring himself to argue. Terrified, he could only nod his head.


    Though he was nodding his head as if he had understood what he was trying to convey, he could still see the guilt in his eyes.

 Chapter 397 Knockouts IX

    Chapter 397 Knockouts IX


    ??It wasn''t only him who was affected by this goal. There were others too. In particr, Shun should be the most devastated.


    But now, was he going to leave him? Sure, he appeared to be a lost cause, a person beyond saving. But still, he couldn''t leave him now, could he?


    Though not out of pity, he decided to stick by his side and try to console him.


    "We all make mistakes now and then. But, if we let it bother us then we won''t be able to advance. So, learn from your mistakes, Sato. Don''t let it hinder you," Hiro said, trying to alleviate his worries and guilt.


    He wasn''t good with words. So, it was the best he coulde up with at the moment. Now, it was all up to Sato how he wished to interpret it.


    Hiro hardly knew anything about him. And, he wasn''t anyone special either. From what he had found, he was a yer who could barely make it to the professional stage. So, why would he bother trying to cheer him up? There were a lot of yers who could rece him.


    His stats were mediocre. And, he didn''t possess anything special either. One could also say that he was an average yer with no specialty.


    So, why was he going out of his way to cheer him?


    The reason behind it was quite selfish. He was trying to cheer him because he was their best option at the moment.


    Then while trying to cheer him, he noticed some movement in the substitution box. Akutsu was leaving his seat. It meant that he was now going to warm up.


    That sight relieved him. Since Akutsu was going toe in, now why should he bother trying to cheer up Sato?


    "Cheer up, you''ll get more opportunities" Saying so, he was about to walk away.


    But as he prepared to walk away, Sato''s gloomy expression triggered a dormant memory. That look on his face was exactly the same as his when he was told by everyone that he''d do better in the next game and he shouldn''t overthink his mistakes.


    Had the fame got to his head? Or had he started bing arrogant now that he could y better? If not for the system, would he even be standing here?


    Sato who had made it this far without the help of any cheat, how could hepare to someone like him? Previously he hadn''t made it to the team. But, Sato might have made it.


    Since he couldn''t recall his name, he couldn''t tell. But there''s a possibility that he might have made it to the team even in his previous life.


    Recalling those memories of the past, he turned around.


    Seeing him turn around, Sato felt as if his expression wasn''t convincing enough. So, he spoke hurriedly, trying to get on his good side, "I get it. I''ll y more cautiously from now on."


    Hiro could vividly see the nervousness that Sato had tried so hard to mask. Sato was trying his hardest to make him believe that he was all alright now. But, despite his best efforts, he could tell that it still troubled him.


    So, unlike the previous times when Hiro''s attempts at constion had been tinged with selfish motives, this time he genuinely wanted to lift Sato''s spirits.


    He then gently ced his hands atop his shoulder. Softening his tone, he spoke with genuine empathy. "I know it''s not easy to shake this feeling, Sato. And you might even be doubting yourself right now."


    For a while, he had been trying to avoid locking eyes with Hiro. But upon hearing those words offort, he jolted his eye toward Hiro.


    Locking eyes with Hiro, he noticed how gentle and caring he appeared at the moment. Those gazes of Hiro were full of concern. Why was he trying so hard to avoid those gentle gazes all along?


    A feeling of guilt washed over him as he realized how idiotic he had been up till now. Previously when Hiro had tried to console him, he had even belittled him by thinking that it was easy for him to say because he was talented.


    But now that he met gazes with him, he could feel his genuine intentions. He was truly concerned about him. His eyes sparkled as a flicker of hope and forgiveness mingled within them.


    At the same time, an intense feeling of apology rose within him. But before he could bring himself to speak, Hiro cut him short.


    He wasn''t done yet.


    Hiro continued, his voice steady and reassuring as before, "But remember, every yer goes through this. The important thing is to learn and grow from it. Mistakes don''t define you¡ªhow you respond to them does."


    Indeed as mentioned by him, everyone makes mistakes. Even the best yers aren''t spared. But unlike others, they learn from their mistakes. And, that''s what makes them the best.


    Realization struck him.


    Sato then nodded slowly, "Thanks, Hiro. I just don''t want to let the team down."


    "You won''t," Hiro assured him, tightening the grip on his shoulder. "We''re all in this together. Trust in your abilities and in your teammates. y your game, and everything else will follow."


    Right now, he wasn''t only saying those words to Sato but to himself as well. Instead of You''ll do better in another game or some words without feelings, he wanted someone to say those words to him in the past. He wanted someone to believe in him.


    When there''s someone to believe in you, you can ovee any obstacles. Such is the power of belief. It can transform amon man into someone special.


    Probably his belief in the system had brought him this far as well. It wasn''t that hecked potential but sometimes even the mightiest of the mountains crumbles under the pressure of the storm.


    Even a mentally strong person can develop self-doubt if put under pressure for long. And, at that time, having someone to believe in them can give them the much-needed strength.


    A tentative smile appeared on Sato''s face, a sign that Hiro''s words had struck the chord.

 Chapter 398 Knockouts X

    Chapter 398 Knockouts X


    ??Hiro then smiled and left. He still had much to do. After all, Sato wasn''t the only person who needed a helping hand. There were others too who appeared to be in dire need of a helping hand.


    Pausing, he then turned around to look at Sato. His face had lightened up and his eyes were glowing with a renewed determination. Those subtle clues were enough to tell him that he had managed to help him.


    But upon seeing those determined gazes, he started feeling a little heavy. When he had finally managed to ovee his ordeal, he was now going to get subbed.


    ''You''ll get more chances. Hang in there...'' Hiro could only offer his well wishes to him.


    Sure, it might not be him. But for some reason, Hiro could tell with certainty that he was going to be subbed off.


    Even after the end of the celebration, the stadium continued to buzz with anticipation. The air was thick with tension and excitement. And, the pressure on them was astronomical now that they had blown their lead away.


    The only way out of this situation was to score. And for sure it wasn''t going to be easy. It was akin to snatching meat from a lion''s mouth.


    As Hiro took his position, he squinched his eyes to look at the post of the opposing team. Previously it didn''t seem so far. Yet now, it appeared quite distant all of a sudden.


    Looking at the post, made him wonder, ''Has it always been so far?''


    The post appeared quite far but he couldn''t afford to weigh him down. Trying to uplift his spirits, he then let out a mouth full of turbid air, ''If it''s far then I just have to run more''


    Afterward, he retracted his gaze and swept it around him. Sweeping his gaze around him, he couldn''t help but smile. It wasn''t only him who was high in spirits. Currently, his teammates too share the same resolve. And, he could vividly see it in their expressions.


    That''s right what''s there to worry about? It''s not like it was the first time they were facing a formidable team. They had faced adversity before, and they would do so again.


    Beep!!


    The referee''s whistle pierced the air, signaling the continuation of the match. The game resumed with ferocious intensity, each side pushing to gain the upper hand.


    Though the opposing side came at them even more ferociously, they fought back valiantly. Responding offense to the offense, they fought back as that recent failure proved to be a wake-up call for them.


    Their passes became even more fluid and their synchronization started to improve. It seemed that almost everyone on the team had realized that if they didn''t give their all they might have to bid farewell to the tournament.


    And, almost none of them wished to exit the tournament.


    Rallying alongside his teammates, Hiro rushed upfront. With swift one-two passes andbination ys, he steadily advanced, creating a dangerous scenario for the opposing team. Just like a skilledposer connecting different notes to create a beautiful symphony, he connected his teammates to create an impressive build-up.


    It greatly worried the opposing yers as some of them started panicking a little. They had already breached their midfield and now were on their way to the defense.


    What were they supposed to do? Focus all their attention on the person responsible or spread out to cover a greater distance?


    Seed of confusion started to sprout within the hearts of many as they struggled to decide. One wrong move could potentially blow up the entire game as there wasn''t much time left on the clock.


    The clock was ticking steadily.


    Then before they could even decide, Hiro appeared before them. But, he wasn''t all alone. Alongside him were his teammates. Six of them in total.


    Compared to their numbers, they paled inparison. The entirety of their offensive yers were involved in this attack. And, from the nk more wereing for reinforcement.


    While their teammates were scattered all over the field. Now, it was all up to the defense to stop their frontal attack.


    From behind Simon was shouting instructions. Having a better view of the field, he could see something they might have potentially missed. So, they needed to trust his instructions.


    Following the instructions of Simon, they then stuck close to each other. Close but not so close. After all, they needed to watch out for the nks too.


    Somewhere in their heart, most of the opposing defenders could assume that it''d be Hiro who''d take the strike in the end. But, it was only an assumption after all. So, they couldn''t move based on their assumption either.


    It''s not like that opposing teamcked quality yers besides Hiro. There were still some who could threaten their peace. So, they couldn''t afford to be shortsighted.


    At this moment while almost all of his teammates were falling back, Alex didn''t appear to be in any kind of hurry. Unlike his teammates who appeared to be in a state of panic, he seemed unusually calm.


    And, due to the heat of the moment, none noticed his calmness or his actions. It was almost as if he had disappeared from the pitch.


    Was there some kind of meaning behind hisckluster actions? Or was he tired? It was really hard to figure out what was going on in his mind.


    Then with a burst of speed while ying swift one-two passes with his teammates, Hiro managed to breach the defense line of the opposing team.


    Though he managed to get past the opposing defenders, he didn''t manage to find a lot of space to operate which led him to decide to shoot immediately.


    Right now, he was just at the edge of the penalty box. He could vividly see the entire post right in front of him. The previously distant post now was so close to him; just within his reach.


    But time was pressing on him and he had to hurry. Or else he''ll lose this opportunity as opposing fullbacks were just inches away from him. Rushing him from both sides, they were seconds away from reaching him.


    Fireball Shot.

 Chapter 399 Knockouts XI

    Chapter 399 Knockouts XI


    ??Pinpointing a location, he struck the ball right from the edge of the box. Almost simultaneously, both opposing fullbacks who were closing on him lunged to intercept, their bodies a blur of desperate motion.


    However, both of them fell short as neither managed tond a touch on the ball. They simply couldn''t time their intervention and the ball zipped past their outstretched legs.


    Gliding past the legs of the opposing fullbacks, the ball flew straight toward the post at an incredible speed, uninterrupted.


    While the ball rushed toward him, Simon bided his time as he patiently awaited for the perfect timing to act. Then he took a few steps beforeunching toward the direction where the ball was headed. He could urately predict the direction of the ball.


    Almost the entirety of the stadium had gone silent at the moment.


    Right at this moment, Alex who was slowly withdrawing felt a tingling sensation rising within him. For some inexplicable reason, his instincts screamed for him to act. Then he abruptly changed his direction and dashed toward the opposing post.


    The ball curved through the air, closing the distance to the goal with every heartbeat. Simon''s outstretched fingers brushed the ball, but the momentum was too strong. It nced off his gloves, altering its path, ricocheting into the pole.


    Thud!!


    The ball produced a ringing sound as it hit the ball and bounced back. Simon managed to keep the ball away. The danger however continued to lurk.


    Luckily however as it bounced away, it found his teammate and Simon couldn''t be more d about it. Seeing the turn of events, a subtle smile blossomed on Simon''s face.


    Immediately as the ball descended towards him, he cleared it away. Whilst still levitating in the air, he kicked it and sent it flying behind him.


    The ball then soared high in the sky. Upon seeing this scene, many Japanese yers felt their hearts palpitating. More than half of them were present in the opposing half and their defense at the moment was wide open.


    If any opposing yer were to take advantage of it, they might not even be able to react let alone prevent it.


    Trouble was brewing upfront. And, it had left them all terrified. But when they finally noticed Alex, it made their heart shudder.


    What is he doing there? When did he reach there?


    They couldn''t help questioning as they noticed the figure of Alex sprinting in their half. Luckily most of their defenders had stayed behind. And, they could only put their trust in them. Now, it was all up to them to stop him.


    They knew that they wouldn''t reach him in time. Yet still, they couldn''t afford to sit behind. So, immediately they began retreating.


    The moment that defender had cleared the ball away, Hiro had started retreating. And, now he was way ahead of any of his teammates who until a moment ago were just behind him.


    ''When did he?'' Simon thought as he picked himself up, astonished.


    As the ball descended steadily, Alex gently took control of it whilst still maintaining his pace. He barely slowed down for a mere second while trapping the ball. Then again, he immediately tapped into his zone as he elerated with the ball.


    Soon though, he found himself face-to-face against Sato. Swaying his body, he tried to trick him with a body feint. But failed to do so. Sato stuck to him like a parasite.


    While Sato kept Alex upied, Hiro steadily closed in the distance between him and Alex. Now, all he required was a few more seconds to reach him. If only Sato could keep him upied for a little longer, he''d be able to gang up on Alex.


    Seeing the speed at which Hiro was moving, many people were left astonished. Just only a moment ago, he was at the forefront. And, now he had made it all the way back while most of his teammates were still tailing him.


    Just how fast can he get?


    But before Hiro could make it to Alex, Sato got beaten. He could no longer keep Alex in check. Persistence could only bring him so far. The time he had brought was his limit.


    Mimicking his training drills, Alex finally got past Sato. Yet, it didn''t make him happy. Instead, he bitterly clicked his tongue as he advanced, "Tch¡ª"


    He wasted a lot of precious time on Sato. And, he couldn''t help but feel irritated about it. He shouldn''t be struggling. Yet for some reason he struggled to get past a single defender. He couldn''t be more disappointed in himself.


    But it wasn''t the time to let out his feelings. He could reflect on his mistakes after the match. Now, he had a much bigger concern, a much bigger responsibility in front of him.


    After getting past Sato, it didn''t take him a lot to get past the other defender. In the blink of an eye, he got past thest remaining defender of the Japanese team.


    It greatly worried the Japanese supporters as they held their breath in exasperation. Alex was right in front of their post, and he only had a keeper to beat. If he scored this goal, it might very well plunge their hope of advancement.


    Despite his best efforts, Hiro could no longer reach Alex. Even so, he wasn''t willing to admit defeat. Nheless, he continued to chase. After all, who knows Shun might somehow bring him down.


    Almost every supporter of Japan put their trust in Shun. Some locked their fingers and started praying desperately for a miracle to ur.


    Responding to the demand of the situation, Shun left his post and rushed toward Alex. But he couldn''t afford to be careless. While leaving his post, he had to be concise of his post too. If he were to move too far, Alex might chip the ball above his head and he wouldn''t be able to do anything.


    As much as it pressured Shun, the pressure on Alex was huge as well. If he missed this opportunity, who knows what kind of negative reaction he would receive? For sure, he''d incur the wrath of the entire fanbase.


    He had to convert it under any circumstances.

 Chapter 400 Knockouts XII

    Chapter 400 Knockouts XII


    ??Carrying the hopes of thousands of supporters, Alex steadily approached the opposing box. While at the same time, Shun confronted him in a one-on-one duel.


    The intensity rose in the field as thousands of eyes converged on the two of them. And, suddenly an eerie calm swallowed the entire stadium.


    Fearlessly, Alex then closed into Shun without ever losing his momentum. Then he swerved to the right. Shun followed,unching him onto Alex''s feet.


    Alex however chipped the ball over Shun''s outstretched hands and avoided his reach. Then he himself jumped over Shun to avoid getting tackled by Shun.


    Bam!!


    Alex struck the ball cleanly, sending it hurtling toward the empty post.


    "Goal"


    The stadium erupted in a cacophony of sound. Cheers and groans mingled in a whirlwind of emotions. The Spanish supporters exploded joyfully, their triumphant cries echoing through the stands.


    While at the same time, a crushing silence fell over Hiro''s team. Many of his teammates buried their faces in their chests as they ceased their chase. It was toote for them to chase now. The damage had been done.


    Hiro who had been desperately chasing after Alex slowed down as well. Finally, he then came to an abrupt pause. There was nothing more he could do.


    The opposing yers on the other hand were running amuck on the field. Alex was buried under the bodies of his teammates who hade to celebrate the moment with him.


    Seeing them in such a jubnt mood one could hardly differentiate their faces from a moment ago when they were under a pinch. Just a moment ago, they appeared to be shaking with fear and now look at their happy faces. It waspletely different.


    And so was the atmosphere in the stadium. It was totally different than what it used to be.


    The scene at the opposing bench was no different either. Their reserve yers had sprung onto the sidelines to express their joy. Even their coaching staff had joined the celebration. Yelling and hugging, they were celebrating this moment to the fullest.


    A pr opposite to the scene at the opposing box, the reserve yers of Japan were wailing in their box. It was a huge blow. A blow that could possibly knock them out.


    Yet still, they hadn''t lost the game. Though a rather crucial goal, the game was far from over. So, they had to pull their shit together and prepare themselves for what was about toe.


    After wailing for a while, most of them rposed themselves for the remaining time. Hiro too did the same as he let go of the worries that shackled him for a brief moment.


    If only he had scored that goal, the scenario might have been different. He couldn''t help but feel guilty about missing such an opportunity. But he couldn''t continue to sulk. What has happened has happened.


    "No risk, no reward," Hiro reminded himself, freeing his mind from the guilt that had been weighing him down. He knew he had to move forward and learn from this experience.


    Tilting his head up, he nced at the sky.


    It was already dark and the shimmering lights of the stars had begun to dot the vast expanse. The stadium lights were casting a bright glow on the field, contrasting sharply with the night sky. And, the atmosphere was still as electrifying as ever.


    Still, he didn''t feel overwhelmed by the buzzing atmosphere in the stadium. Instead, he felt quite calm about it. Be it when the cheers were for him or against him, it was the ce where he belonged to.


    So, he felt quite at ease now that he made peace with himself. Even if it was because of his inability to score that led to this situation, he still couldn''t shy or hesitate from taking risks.


    He took a deep breath, feeling the cold night air fill his lungs. Then he walked to his position to resume the game.


    After a while of celebration, all of the yers regrouped for the continuation of the game. Just as they positioned themselves, Manager Haruki decided to make some changes in the team.


    Along with Akutsu, he made several other substitutions. In ce of defenders, he brought in attackers,pletely altering the formation of the team.


    It was a risky move. But, they could no longer shy from taking risks. What''s the worst that could happen? They might concede yet another goal.


    But does it even matter? They were already losing and if they did nothing about it, they''d get thrown out of the tournament.


    Their hope for advancement depended on this victory. So, they had to do everything in their power to win this game.


    Beep!!


    Once again the game resumed with their kickoff. And from the had to do everything in their power to win this game.


    Beep!!


    get-go, they rallied toward the opposing post, vying for a goal. Theyunched a full-frontal attack as every single one of them made a desperate struggle for an equalizer.


    However, despite trying their absolute best, they failed to score.


    As the final whistle sounded, the opposing yers erupted into a triumphant cheer as the realization of their victory washed over them.


    They copsed to the ground, some lying on their backs, staring up at the sky with a mixture of exhaustion and tion. Others knelt, heads bowed in prayer or thanks, overwhelmed by the intensity of their emotions.


    At the same time, a rather heavy feeling of defeat gripped the hearts of the yers of Japan, making them wail. Many covered their face in shame as they couldn''t bring themselves to face their supporters.


    Slowly, tears trickled down their face. At first, only some wept. But as time passed, more and more of them started weeping. And soon an outburst took ce in the field.


    Even the toxic fans could no longer bring themselves toin after seeing the burst of emotion on the field. Now how could they bring themselves to tell that they didn''t try hard enough after seeing them weeping like that?


    They had given their best but it wasn''t enough. And what could be more concrete proof than those tears?

 Chapter 401 Timeskip II

    <h4>Chapter 401 Timeskip II </h4>


    Taking small steady steps, Kota trudged up the path to his house. His muddy cleats slung over his shoulder, while his jersey appeared to be in a tattered state¡ª a testament to the hard-fought battle he had just recently.


    The neighborhood was eerily quiet, and the afternoon sun was casting long shadows on the ground. Right now, he was on his way home after a tiresome match.


    Despite a hard-fought match, his team had lost and he couldn''t shake this feeling of uneasiness gripping his heart. For the most part of his journey back home, his eyes full of distress remained fixated on the ground beneath.


    And, it almost appeared as if he was moving barely on instinct.


    As he neared his house, he ran into many familiar faces. Seeing his dispirited state, they concernedly asked him if he was alright. Yet, he couldn''t even bring himself to respond to their worries. And, so he walked past them without uttering a word,pletely ignoring his presence.


    Those people too didn''t find his attitude rude. Instead, they looked at him with eyes full of pity as they started sympathizing with him.


    "He must have lost the match"


    "Sigh~ I hope he doesn''t take it to his heart"


    They whispered among themselves as they tried guessing.


    Then finally, Kota reached his house.?Wearing a dispirited look on his face, he opened the door. A familiar creak resounded as he stepped inside.


    "Mom, I''m home," he called, his voice heavy with fatigue and disappointment.


    "In the kitchen, Kota!" his mother''s voice rang out, filled with an unusual excitement that Kota was too tired to notice.


    He tossed his cleats aside and started heading upstairs. Disappointed, he then headed straight to his room. Coming from a football match, usually, his mother would nag him to get cleaned first. And, for sure, looking at his state, he needed a much-needed cleaning.


    If he rushed into his room without getting cleaned, he''d probably incur the wrath of his mother. But, he wanted nothing more than to lie down on his bed at the moment.


    Even so, he couldn''t bring his sweat-drenched jersey to his bed now, could he? So, as he slid the door of his room and walked into his room, he undressed and tossed his sweat-drenched jersey onto theundry basket.


    With a wall full of football idols, a fair amount of trophies, and certificates disyed in the cab, Kota''s room was neatly cleaned and perfectly organized. Even his only table was immactely organized. There wasn''t even a single drop of trash on the floor.


    Among those walls full of football idols, one figure reigned supreme. Just above his bed was a huge poster of Hiro. Even at his table, you could see his picture with Hiro at the airport, framed. Not to mention his autograph.


    If any looked at his room, they''d tell at one nce how much big of a fan he was of Hiro.


    Changing into a pair of casual clothes, he then jumped onto his bed. Lying with his face facing the ceiling, he mumbled while looking at the poster of Hiro right above his head, "When will I get to y like you?"


    "You''re really impressive Hiro. Just how did you manage to change your adversity into your strength? I really can''t fathom how you overcame one of the biggest losses of your life and even improved from it"


    "That World Cup campaign, even when you were the most impressive yer of the campaign, you took the whole me on you"


    While he was reminiscing about the scene of the U17 World Cup 2023 where Japan had lost against Spain, a scene of the press conference shed in his mind.


    Defeated as Japanese yers returned home, reporters bombarded them with questions. Criticizing their performance, they didn''t spare a little empathy as they med the yers for their failure. Unlike his other teammates, Hiro didn''t receive much criticism.


    Yet he sprang onto the camera as he took the entire me on him to shield his teammates from the public defamation.


    "We''re sorry for disappointing you. But all of the yers have given their absolute best. So, if there''s anyone to me then it should be me for not being an idle captain," as he said those words, he looked straight into the camera. Then silently he bowed his head before apologizing, "I''m sorry for not being able to fulfill your expectations"


    When he apologized publicly in front of so many people, everybody was stunned by his actions. They couldn''t bring themselves to open their mouth as they were left utterly speechless by his choice of action. A stunned silence filled the space.


    Why was he shouldering the me? He had been nothing but impressive. Yet, right now he''s shouldering the entire me.


    Reporters and fans alike, they couldn''t bring themselves to me Hiro. Some reporters even felt apologetic for pressuring the team. While the general public upon witnessing Hiro''s gesture started bing furious at the reporters.


    But before they could haul curses at the reporters, other yers, and coaching staff, all of them bowed their heads as they apologized for not letting them down.


    And, the situation became even more awkward for a while. Then the entire space resonated with the words of encouragement as fans started cheering. The entirety of the fans became united as they showered the yers and the staff with words of encouragement and appreciation.


    Even though he didn''t bring them the glory that they desired, heter was nominated as the best yer of the tournament for his performance. However, he couldn''t finish on top as he barely missed out on the top spot against Mateo.


    Even so, Mateo''s led team couldn''t clench the glory as well. The title ultimately got snatched by the Germans. It would be injustice and disrespectful to use the word snatch though.


    Since they defeated all those title contenders fair and square, it''d be more eptable to say that they deservingly won the cup. They didn''t have any one single-star yer who stood out from the rest in the tournament.


    But instead, they had a whole batch of star yers who yed as a team. That''s why they won the title. As there''s a saying teamwork makes the dream work.

 Chapter 402 Ticket

    <h4>Chapter 402 Ticket</h4>


    Step!! Step!! Step!!


    Then while he remained t on his bed, suddenly he heard sound footsteps heading his way. It looked like his mother wasing to him. And, since he hadn''t cleaned himself, he''d probably get scolded by her.


    But for some reason, he wasn''t scared of her scolding today. So, despite noticing her footsteps, he remained idle on his bed. He then rolled over to face the wall, so that his mother won''t get to see his face.


    The door to his room slid open and his mother walked in, "Kota, you need to check this out..." she spoke as she entered his room.


    This wasn''t what he expected. The tone of her voice didn''t sound mad even the slightest. Instead, it sounded quite cheerful. Perhaps did she not see his dirtyundry?


    ''What is she talking about? What do I need to check?''


    Several thoughts made it to his mind as he remained idle in his bed with his back facing his mother.


    "Kota, you got something in the mail today," she said, holding out the envelope. "I think you''re going to want to see this."


    ''Huh, mail? Who''d mail me? In this day and age, people still send mail?'' he was quite perplexed to hear that someone had sent him a mail.


    Then he turned his head to face his mother. Just as he looked at her, he saw her with a smile holding an envelope. At first, he thought that she was making things about the mail. But now that he saw her with an envelope, his doubts all vanished.


    Someone had really sent him a letter. But who could it be? Nobody came to his mind no matter how hard he tried to think about the person who could possibly send him a mail.


    Skeptically, he got out of his bed to take a look at the envelope. For some reason, his mother couldn''t stop smiling. He hadn''t applied for any clubs, so it shouldn''t be either. Or did a club scout him?


    He couldn''t rule out the possibility after seeing the cheerful expression of his mother. This kindled a spark of hope within him.


    Then he took the envelope from his mother, noting the elegant paper and the official-looking seal. His heart skipped a beat as he carefully tore it open. Inside was an invitation letter, printed on thick, cream-colored paper. The header read, "Kota, You are Invited to the Professional Debut Match of?Takahashi Hiro. Much love Hiro"


    The letter although short was direct. And, along with the invitation came a ticket for the match.


    He read the words once, then again, unable to believe his eyes. "No way," he whispered, his fatigue forgotten, reced by a rush of exhration. "Mom, can you believe... this? this is... this is amazing!"


    His mother beamed at him, her joy matching his own. "I know how much Hiro means to you, Kota. You''ve followed his journey so closely. I''m so proud of you."


    The reality of the invitation began to sink in. He was going to see Hiro, his idol, y in his first professional match.


    Ovee by exhration, Kota jumped on his toes swinging the tickets, expressing his joy. He couldn''t believe that the person he had admired the most was inviting him to the match. And that too the debut match.


    But all along he had been forgetting something.


    Seeing the ecstasy of her son, his mother couldn''t help but feel touched by the gesture of Hiro, "He''s really something. He even remembered the promise he had made back then"


    As he heard those wordsing out of her mouth, a realization dawned on him. That''s right how could he forget about the promise? Hiro had kept his promise even when he had forgotten about it. It was way back then but he still remembered his promise.


    Thinking about it made him feel guilty. Suddenly, his eyes started getting moist, and soon tears trickled down his face as he could no longer hold back himself.


    Noticing those tears, his mother immediately embraced him.


    "Mom... sob! sob! I didn''t... even remember our... sob! promise. But he remembered it," he started sobbing as he spoke his heart.


    Holding up in her arms, she could feel the guilt in her words. But at this moment, her respect for Hiro grew exponentially. Her son might have forgotten the promise, but still he kept it. This showed how nice of a person he was.


    Not only was he a great yer, but he also was a nice human being.


    ''Thank you, Hiro. You really are the perfect idol to follow.'' She thanked Hiro in her heart, feeling touched.


    But the match was tomorrow on the weekend. And, they had nned a family dinner. His father had already reserved a table too. So, would it be still possible to go to the match?


    Then Kota released his grip and pulled back. Looking at his mother with teary eyes, he spoke, "But, what about the dinner Mom? Dad seemed really excited about this family dinner."


    Noticing the concern in his voice, her tone softened as she spoke, "Don''t worry about it. I''ll talk to Dad. We all will go see him y instead. I''m sure he''ll be happy about it"


    "Can we go? Can we really go?" he asked, his voice trembling with hope.


    His mother nodded, her smile unwavering, "Of course we''ll go. And we''ll all go together too"


    His brows arched as a smile blossomed on his face upon hearing those words of approval.


    "But for now, go get yourself cleaned," she continued, sounding a little mad.


    For sure, she hadn''t forgotten that he had not cleaned yet. And, she wouldn''t let it slide. But it didn''t make him sour. Instead, he happily nodded his head and excitedly stormed off.


    "On my way"


    That night, Kota could hardly sleep. Hey in bed, clutching the invitation, staring at it, imagining the roar of the crowd, the sight of Hiro stepping onto the pitch, and the thrill of seeing his hero in action against the big boys.


    It had been two whole years since he witnessed Hiro on the big stage. Thest match he saw Hiro on the big stage was against Spain in the knockouts of the U17 World Cup.

 Chapter 403 Debut or not?

    Chapter 403 Debut or not?


    ??Finally, the day of the match arrived.


    Putting on his favorite jersey, he arrived at the venue alongside his parents. The stadium was buzzing with the cheers of the excited fans and the air around the stadium was electric with excitement.


    As they approached the venue, Kota''s excitement grew. The crowd was a sea of team colors, with people of all ages sporting jerseys of their favorite yers.


    But he was the only one dressed in a youth jersey. However, it didn''t make much difference since both the jerseys for the senior team and the youth team were almost identical.


    And if not for the sponsor part, one could hardly differentiate those two.


    "Mom, can we visit the merchandise store first?" Kota asked, pointing eagerly at a stall selling the club''s gear.


    Though he already had Hiro''s jersey, still he wanted to get his hands on those of the senior team instead of the youth team.


    His mother smiled warmly and nodded, "Sure, let''s go."


    Since it was a home game, the stadium was fairly crowded, though not as packed as during derby matches. Still, there were plenty of people around, creating a lively atmosphere.


    Squeezing his way, he arrived at the stall. Excitement shed past his eyes as he reached the merchandise stall.He then began searching for Hiro''s jersey, but as he rummaged through the piles, his excitement turned into disappointment.


    Unable to find what he was looking for, he approached the shopkeeper, a rather old man with kempt hair, who was busy attending to other fans.


    "Sir, I can''t find any jersey with Hiro''s name on it," Kota said, his voice tinged with frustration and disappointment.


    The shopkeeper looked at him, a bit surprised. "Hiro? You mean Takahashi Hiro?"


    Kota nodded enthusiastically.


    The shopkeeper sighed and spoke while shaking his head. "Little guy, he ys for the youth team, and we don''t sell youth team merchandise here."


    No sooner had he finished his sentence, than Kota blurted out, "But he''s ying today!"


    He knew that Hiro was ying today with certainty. He had even received a ticket personally from Hiro. So, how could he tell that he wasn''t going to y today? No matter what, he wasn''t going to take no for an answer.


    As he blurted out a murmur spread through the nearby crowd.


    "What''s that little kid talking about?" someone asked.


    "Takahashi Hiro is making his debut in today''s match?" another echoed, sounding intrigued.


    "But I didn''t hear any announcement," a fan nearby said, frowning in confusion.


    Kota''s words stirred a buzz of gossip. Though many recognized Hiro''s name, few had heard of his debut. The excitement in the crowd grew as they began to discuss Hiro''s unexpected debut, specting about his performance.


    Even though it was a wording out of a kid''s mouth, they were intrigued to hear that Hiro was making his debut. Well, why wouldn''t they be intrigued? After all, he was the wunderkind they all wanted to see in the pro league, so eagerly.


    For a while, his statement generated quite a lot of stir. But after a while, they allughed it off as they thought of it as nothing but a kid''s fantasy. Even with Kota''s seriousness, they couldn''t take his word seriously.


    "Just like you, we too wanted to see his debut. But it''s not gonna happen today kid," one of the fans spoke as he denied Kota''s ims.


    Then another chimed in, "Yeah, the club would have made the announcement, if he were to debut"


    And soon everybody discarded his ims as a joke.


    Furrowing his brows, Kota tried to defend himself as he started throwing a tantrum, "He''s going to y today"


    But still, no one took him seriously. Instead, many of themughed at him and ridiculed him. While many replied considerately as they tried to soothe him.


    ''Is Hiro really not ying today? But, I''ve personally read his letter. So, it shouldn''t be the case. Then it means that his debut was kept secret'' Kota''s mother tried to figure out the situation.


    She knew the truth. Yet, she chose not to argue with those whoughed at her son. It wasn''t worth arguing with them. So, she turned to her son.


    Looking at him with eyes full of support, she tried to console him, "Kota, don''t be sad. They just don''t know about it because unlike us Hiro hadn''t personally sent them the tickets. They''ll know about it once they see him"


    Her words had a magical effect on him as they immediately made him feel better.


    They then made their way to their seats. The stadium''s energy was palpable even when the yers were yet to make their appearance. While making their way to their seats, many gave them a strange look.


    While some gossiped andughed about him behind his back, "Look it''s that strange kid who said that Hiro was debuting today"


    No matter where you go, you''ll always find some toxic people. And it wasn''t any different in the stadium either. There were quite a few toxic people present in the stands.


    But his mother didn''t allow their negativity to get on him.


    And finally, after walking for a while, they arrived at their seat. It was quite near to the pitch. And the view from there was one of the best in the entire field.


    Looking at the pitch in front, his heart pounded with excitement. It wasn''t his first time watching a football match in a stadium. Yet, he couldn''t stop feeling excited about this match.


    Then after a while, starting yers emerged out of the tunnel. Kota excitedly looked at the yers emerging out of the tunnel, his eyes desperately searching for Hiro.


    But, he couldn''t find him in the starting lineup.


    This greatly disappointed him. And many people even ridiculed him for his earlier confident ims. Frowning, he turned to his mother, "Mom, Is he really not ying?"


    Speechless, his mother hesitated to reply. More like she had no words to reply to. What was she going to tell him? She didn''t want to disappoint him. But, she had to at least console him. After all, he was her son and she couldn''t leave him like that.

 Chapter 404 Hes playing!

    Chapter 404 He''s ying!


    ??"Isn''t that Hiro?"


    "Where?"


    Hiro''s entrance immediately caused an uproar in the stadium. Many looked at him with awe and surprise as he emerged out of the tunnel alongside the reserve yers.


    Kota''s frown lifted upon seeing Hiro. Recing the previous frown, an ecstatic smile blossomed on his face.


    He excitedly waved his hand as he cheered at the top of his voice, trying his hardest to get Hiro''s attention, "Big brother Hiro, best of luck"


    At this moment, Hiro turned to look in his direction. Smiling, he waved back his hand as he responded to his cheers.


    This gesture of Hiro made him even more ecstatic. His words reached him and he couldn''t be more happy about it.


    It''s not that Hiro could hear him. But it was more like Hiro knew exactly where he''d be sitting. So, he addressed him based on the location of his seat, since originally it was him who had sent him the tickets.


    "Hmph..., I told you all," sweeping his gaze around him, Kota mumbled proudly.


    At this moment the same people who until a moment ago were criticizing him wandered their eyes as they tried to avoid locking eyes with him.


    They were guilty of their behavior andments. And, he could see it vividly in their gestures. But he didn''t need their apology. Their guilt was enough to satiate him.


    As much as it caused an uproar in the stadium, it created even more of an uproar outside the stadium. Even Hiro''s teammates weren''t aware of it let alone the general public.


    "He''s making his debut today?"


    "I thought that he was going outside"


    "Wasn''t anybody aware of it?"


    yers of the youth team discussed among themselves as they noticed the figure of Hiro on the projector screen. Right now all of them were gathered together to watch the match. There were quite a lot of new faces.


    After that World Cup campaign, he helped his team to two consecutive league titles. While also managing to bag the title of the most valuable yer of the tournament and top scorer of the tournament for both those years.


    He had been nothing but sensational since his debut. And, he definitely left his mark on the league by bagging three consecutive league titles along with three consecutive yer of the tournament and top scorer of the tournament.


    Shun had already made his debut but he was out on a loan. And, among the previous prospects with whom he had shared his moments in the youth league, only two were remaining in the team. Others all had left the club to either advance in their career or the club had to let them go because their performance wasn''t satisfactory.


    Surviving the ruthless selection of the fittest, Tatsuki Seko and Naoto Miyashiro managed to secure their spot in the team. Though Tatsuki had been poached by several other teams outside Japan, he rejected them all.


    It''s not that he didn''t want to move overseas. But more like he was waiting for an offer from the top five leagues so he rejected them.


    Mostly he had been approached by teams from the Scottish Premiership like Motherwell FC, Ross County FC, and teams from the Saudi league who offered him quite a lucrative sry.


    "Seems like I''m no longer the star of the team," Tatsuki cracked a joke while moving forward.


    Though he was a starter for the team, he wasn''t starting today. Having yed six matches without any rest, it was bound to happen sooner orter. And, right now he was apanying Hiro to the reserve box.


    "Says the one who''s the top scorer of the team," Hiro responded sarcastically while still waving his hand at the stand.


    Bagging 11 goals in 7 matches, right now he was the top scorer of their team and was only a goal behind the top scorer of the league. Their position in the league however wasn''t impressive as currently they were sitting in 7th position.


    Losing one, drawing three, and winning three, their form wasn''t very impressive. Not to mention the injury of their Brazilian ymaker Ericson. His injury had put them in an even tighter spot.


    And, Hiro was expected to fill in his shoes.


    "So, he''s that fanboy whom he talked about previously?" looking in Kota''s direction, Hiro''s mother remarked to her husband who right now was seated by her side.


    "Yeah, seems so."


    Obviously, he had invited his parents.


    Then the two of them sat beside each other as they reached the substitution box. Aside from him and Naoto, he hardly knew anyone else on the team.


    The crowd was still as energetic and excited as ever. Eventually, as the match kicked start, people focused their attention on the match and forgot about him. But asionally, they''d still nce at the substitution box to see if he wasing in.


    They just couldn''t hold their excitement of watching him y. Such was the anticipation in the stand today.


    They were ying against Gamba Osaka who were a rather formidable team. Currently ced at the second ce, they had not lost a single game yet. And, it didn''t seem like they were going to lose this game as well.


    Formidable in both offense and defense, they were in charge of the game. Dominating the ball possession, they hardly made any mistakes.


    Still, the stalemate continued despite their efforts to score.


    As impressive as ever Naoto, made countless amazing saves to keep them in the game. But if it continued, it seemed as if it was only a matter of time before the opposing team scored a goal.


    Even so, Naoto continued to make countless impressive saves.


    But despite his best efforts to keep them in the game, he still ended up conceding a goal in the 42nd minute of the match. Then again, before he could evenpose himself, he conceded yet another goal just minutes before the end of the first half.


    Just like this, the first half ended up with them tailing behind the opposing team by 2 goals.

 Chapter 405 Reputation stat

    Chapter 405 Reputation stat


    ??Conceding two goals in a matter of minutes had left them utterly disappointed and frustrated. And, right now an unusual silence had gripped the air around their locker room.


    A palpable sense of heaviness was lingering around the locker room making it appear quite suffocating and difficult ce to be at.


    Yet, having no choice Hiro remained seated in his seat, silently observing his surroundings, hoping for a change of scenario. It wasn''t his first time experiencing such moments. He had experienced a lot. But it was his first being so helpless.


    Being new on the team, he didn''t have any right to speak his heart. And, he couldn''t even bring himself to tell them to cheer up as it wasn''t his ce to speak.


    Helpless, he just sat at the edge of his seat.


    Then finally a change took ce as a middle-aged man with kempt hair, dressed in a casual fitted suit, made his way into the locker room.


    His face was devoid of any emotion, and he appeared as if he was surrounded by an unusual aura of calmness. Unaffected by the pervading heaviness in the room, he calmly swept his gaze across the room.


    "Alright, listen up," Coach Tatsuya began, pping his hands to gather everyone''s attention. "We''ve had a tough first half, but this game is far from over. We need fresh energy out there, then only can we turn things around."


    Standing at the center of the room, he began his speech, one filled with passion and hope.


    Though he didn''t say much, it still was enough to divert the attention of the yers away from the tragedy that had struck them a moment ago. It was enough to fill most of them with newfound hope and determination.


    Even Hiro couldn''t agree more that his speech moved him deeply.


    He had already met this man whom everyone addressed as the manager. But since he was a man of few words, he didn''t get to know him well.


    Regressing to the past, changes had already started taking ce. And, he was well aware of it. But there was simply nothing he could do about it than to face those changes.


    Previously at this time, the team was still managed by the previous manager. However, due to his intervention, things had started to change. A butterfly effect had already started, and he could no longer be sure of the future.


    Among those many changes was the appointment of Tatsuya as the new manager of the team.


    Seeing Tatsuya in action; was a different experience. It was almost as if he was meeting a new person than the one whom he had previously met.


    Simr to him, he was also new here. In fact, he had only arrived here just a year ago. But the amount of influence he had on the team was something many couldn''t even achieve in a long time.


    When he talked, everybody listened without any exception. Well, why wouldn''t they listen to him? After all, he kept his message short and precise, no bullshit.


    "Now, Hiro," Coach Tatsuya said, turning to him with a steady gaze. "You''re going in. Show them what you''ve got."


    Hiro felt his heart race. For a while, he couldn''t even bring himself to react as he remained still, trying to digest the announcement.


    He hadn''t expected to be subbed on so early. At most, he had expected to be subbed after the 70th minute of the match. But he was now going to debut.


    Excitement filled him as he heard the announcement. However, he couldn''t keep his manager waiting now, could he?


    So, he immediately nodded his head. Determination shed in his eyes, he could barely conceal his excitement from leaking. But despite his attempt on trying to hide his emotions, right now he was like an open book; anybody could read his emotions if they carefully looked at him.


    Tatsuki who was seated right beside him nudged him lightly as he whispered, "Go out and shine"


    Then after speaking a little more, he dismissed the meeting. However just as he was about to walk out, Tatsuya turned to look at Hiro and spoke, "Give it your all out there"


    Most of the yers in the locker room were happy about the change. But some appeared quite dissatisfied with it as well. They were reluctant to give their spot to a teenager who was barely 16 years old.


    Fearing the wrath of the manager, they still kept their dissatisfaction to themselves as they just grunted and stormed away without saying anything.


    Hiro had already expected it. So, it didn''t bother him much as well. He just turned a blind eye to their disgruntlement and instead focused his attention on the match ahead.


    He knew exactly why he was given the opportunity. They were losing at the moment, and he was expected to deliver.


    If he failed to deliver, it would negatively affect his chances of getting any more gaming minutester on. But, if he manages to turn things around, his evaluation would improve drastically.


    Sure, being only 16 years old, people might not ce such high expectations on him in the first ce. But, he always liked to think otherwise. He liked to put himself under pressure so he wouldn''t sway away from his path.


    If they don''t have such high expectations of him then the more better. But if they did, then he didn''t want to disappoint them.


    Well truth be told, the coaching staff might not have such high expectations of him. But what about the people? Seeing him y, they''d probably have huge expectations of him. They''d probably want him to make a change.


    Just as he was about to walk outside of the room, he got stopped by Naoto. It appeared as if he was about to say something.


    His eyes glistened with pride as he converged his eyes on Hiro. Then he spoke, "d to y alongside you once again"


    When he was speaking those words, Tatsuki too joined in.


    "We believe in you," Naoto added while Tatsuki nodded in response.


    [New quest]


    [Requirements]


    [(1) Score a goal]


    [(2) Achieve a match rating of more than 7]


    [(3) Avoid loss]


    [Reward: Copy a talent of your choice from one of the opposing yers]


    [Failure: Deduction of a point from your reputation stat and limit on one of your talents for the next game]


    After making it to the pro, his system had changed quite a bit. And, new features had been unlocked. Just like the reputation stat. It was one of the stat that was unlocked after he made it to pro.


    Currently, he has 27 reputation stat points out of 100. Curiously, he had asked if there was a system to grade yers based on the reputation stat numbers. And, for some reason, there was indeed a grading system as such;


    90-100: Legendary


    80-89: Elite


    70-79: Star


    60-69: Notable


    50-59: Known


    40-49: Recognized


    30-39: Established


    20-29: Emerging


    10-19: Local Talent


    0-9: Unknown


    Normally, kids his age were mostly regarded as local talent. But he had already surpassed it. There was also a consequence for dropping reputation points¡ª just like in real life when one yer made a bad decision or had a poor performance, it would negatively affect his rtion with the club and the fans.

 Chapter 406 Brute force

    <h4>Chapter 406 Brute force</h4>


    Having closely observed the game until now, he could tell that it wasn''t an easy feat to fulfill all three requirements of the system. Yet, he didn''t feel discouraged either.


    Nor did the quest surprise or startle him.


    As Hiro reached the periphery of the tunnel, all of a sudden the stadium lights felt brighter than they did a moment ago. The cheers sounded louder and for some reason, his heart started pounding.


    The announcement had already been made. And, he could vividly feel the anticipation of the fans. It wasn''t his first time experiencing such a nerve-wracking moment. But it was his first time making a senior debut for a pro football team.


    In his previous life, he had been just one step short of experiencing this moment. But now he could vividly experience this moment firsthand.


    So, it made him a little tense.


    All of his teammates had already left him and right now, he was all alone in the tunnel. Standing still, he tried to savor this moment and the emotions he was feeling at the moment.


    He could audibly hear the loud cheersing from outside. Mixed with the cheers, he could also hear his name being called out. Just from the cheers alone, he could tell that it was rather hectic outside.


    Taking deep breaths, he then tried to calm himself. Then as his heart rate stabilized, his eyes shed with determination, "Let''s do this!"


    The moment he walked out of the tunnel, he was met with a roar of excited fans. The excited cheers of the fans resonated all over the stadium, shaking every nook and canny of the stadium. Seas of passionate supporters were chanting his name, greeting him, and expressing their excitement.


    Hiro himself couldn''t fathom the wee he received from the fans. It far exceeded his imagination. Yet, he kept his cool as he walked onto the field.


    Taking steady steps, he positioned himself in his position while the camera followed every single detail on the field.


    "I bet he''s quite nervous to even look at the stands," his father joked.


    "If you were to walk onto the field in the presence of this many people, let alone y, you wouldn''t even be able to take a single step forward," his mother replied sarcastically.


    "Go get ''em, big brother Hiro!" Kota shouted, his voice lost in the roar of the crowd but his spirit unwavering.


    Beep!!


    The second half began, and the energy shifted almost immediately. The cheers of the supporters muffled a little as they concentrated on the game. And, the noise subsided a little.


    Being the youngest yer on the field, the pressure on him was nothing but huge. And even his build aspared to the rest of the yers, he looked kind of scrawny despite having a muscr build.


    Since the opposing team was starting the kickoff, he didn''t get to touch the ball immediately. People had to wait some while for his first touch.


    Then just minutes after the start of the second half, he ran into his first obstacle of the game. He came face-to-face against an opposing yer in the midfield.


    ''I''m sure you''re gifted boy, but in front of absolute strength, your talents won''t amount to anything'' the opposing yer who byparison was much bulkier than Hiro thought as he saw Hiro approaching him.


    Confidence took possession of him as heunched himself straight at Hiro. It''s not that he was arrogant but he couldn''t find his teammates open, so he had to create chances by himself by getting past Hiro.


    Having studied his opponents, Hiro could tell with a little certainty how his opponents would react. And the yer in front of him mostly liked to y physical games. He wasn''t the typical dribbler with fancy techniques, but he could hold on to the ball pretty well taking advantage of his build.


    And, noticing him rushing toward him, Hiro could tell that he was going to take advantage of his build. Well, why wouldn''t he take advantage of his build? Just look at their sizes; he was almost thrice his size.


    Even with such an advantage, he''d only be a fool if he wouldn''t take advantage of the advantage he had over him.


    Despite knowing that, he wasn''t afraid at all. Instead, he was prepared to face him. But he''d only be a fool if he was going to respond brute force with brute force.


    Even if he tried to put all his strength into handling him, he wouldn''t be able to. And, he was aware of his weakness.


    However, as much as his build was advantageous to him, it was equally disadvantageous too. Even if he could manhandle Hiro, he had to be careful while tackling with him. One wrong move and he''d get booked.


    Yet despite the disadvantage, he still approached Hiro intending to use his build against him. It wasn''t his first time facing yers who were weaker than him. And, he was well aware of the stunts those weaker yers would try to pull against him to hinder him.


    But now if he got worried about harming them or fouling them, how could he y? Physical contact is oftenmon in football and football isn''t a sport for kids.


    Then just as he approached Hiro, he did what he was best at. He tried to shove Hiro away, overpowering him with his strength.


    And, Hiro didn''t avoid him. Nor did he try to pull any of those stunts to curry favor from the referee. Instead, he fought back.


    ''You''re quite sturdy huh, kid?'' the opposing yer thought as he felt the strength of Hiro.


    But it still wasn''t enough topete against him.


    Yet it intrigued the sea of supporters. Despite being on the weaker side and despite defending not being his forte, he was putting up a fight against an opponent who surpassed him. They just couldn''t help but apud his efforts. But they knew that he wouldn''tst long either.


    So, they didn''t put much faith in him to stop the opposing yer.

 Chapter 407 Assist

    <h4>Chapter 407 Assist</h4>


    As if they had already predicted the oue, they made an all-knowing expression as they witnessed the fall of Hiro. After struggling for a while, Hiro''s resistance finally broke as he got overpowered by his opponent.


    Steadily, he started falling to his side first.


    At this moment, a subtle triumphant smile formed on the face of the opposing yer, ''You''ve got great potential kiddo''


    Just when he started to think that he had managed to get past Hiro, his expression changed rapidly. His eyes widened with surprise as he found that he no longer had the ball in his feet.


    Realization struck him as he realized his fall was intentional. He had been tricked. Hiro faked his fall to lower his guard. He made him feel superior only to snatch the ball away from him. From the beginning, he had been aiming for the ball.


    During his fall, he swept his feet at the ball. Managing to hit the ball, he snatched the ball away from him.


    His way of stealing the ball from his opponent who was almost thrice his size left the entire stadium shocked and excited. The way they looked at him with eyes full of surprise made it seem as if they had never seen such a way of stealing the ball.


    They could no longer keep their omniscient attitude. It was way beyond their expectation.


    Mesmerizing the entire stadium, he walked away with the ball, leaving his opponent with a flustered expression. And, even after stealing the ball from such a tough opponent, he didn''t disy a single shred of happiness on his face.


    Instead, he appeared as if he was already preparing for his next move. Which actually was true. Making use of his skill Hawk Eye, he scanned the entire field in search of his teammates.


    Many were still processing what had urred in the field.?While many had already started moving.


    His skill had limits. But he didn''t have any time to worry about it. Right now, his sole focus was to get a goal back. As he searched gaps throughout the field using his skill, his focus peaked. And, suddenly everyone around him felt like they were moving in slow motion.


    It hadn''t happened to him before even while using the skill. Immersed in this incredible feeling, he didn''t even realize he had tapped into something extraordinary.


    Though, it was only for a slight moment. It did ur to him as if everything was moving in slow motion. At the same time, everything around him got silent. It was as if he was present inside an isted space.


    Then just as he was about to confront one of the opposing yers, he struck the ball. Cutting through the formation of the opposing yers like a hot knife slicing through butter, it traveled toward the opposing box, leaving the opposing yers stunned and the fans in awe.


    The ball was struck with both power and precision.


    Then as it approached the arch of the opposing box, it slowed. At this moment, his team''s veteran forward appeared in front of the ball.


    Because of his age, previously when they were under attack, he hadn''t dropped back. So, not only did it allow him to conserve his energy, but it also allowed him to make a swift transformation by locating a gap.


    Though he read the pass well, he still wasn''t agile enough to outperform his pursuer. So, his only option was to immediately take a shot from outside the box. And, he did just that.


    Bam!!


    He struck the ball with power.


    As he struck the ball, it glided toward the post. Though he wasn''t agile enough, he had an impressive shooting. Precise and powerful, his technique was one of the finest in the entire league. And, his finishing was unquestionable.


    The opposing keeper dived with his arms stretched out.


    "Goal!" the announcer''s voice boomed.


    At the same time, the crowd erupted in cheers as the atmosphere of the stadium turned electric. They finally managed to get a goal back. And, Hiro with his first touch managed to make a difference.


    "An assist in his first game. What a way to announce his arrival. The crowd will remember his performance, the history will. The youngest yer in the league to register an assist," Thementator was full of praises.


    Hiro felt a surge of adrenaline rushing through his veins but still kept his cool. Ten Miyagi, the veteran yer, rushed toward him while pointing his finger at him to thank him for the assist and dedicated the goal to him.


    While at the same time, his teammates whom he barely knew also rushed toward him. Even those who previously appeared dissatisfied by the coach''s decision, rushed toward him to celebrate the goal wearing ecstatic smiles on their faces.


    "What are you?"


    "Just how did you even notice him?"


    Everybody praised him as they treated him as equal. At this moment, he wasn''t just a special kid but he was one of their teammate. Their faith in him took a leap as they became more trusting of him.


    The celebrationsted for a while and the entire stadium joined the celebration. Cheering at the top of their voice, they disyed their support for the team.


    With the score now 2-1, the team was back in the game.


    Then as the celebration came to an end, everybody returned to their position to resume the game. The opposing team tried to regain control, but Hiro''s presence disrupted their rhythm. His performance only continued to improve after that assist.


    With his speedy dribbles, he ran amuck in the field, creating many opportunities for his teammates. And, the opposing yers could hardly stop him. Competing against him in terms of speed, it was almost near to impossible.


    After watching him y, it was clear to the opposing yers that he had something special in him. And, if they continued to let him lose, it''d only be a matter of time before they lost their lead.


    So, they started ying more aggressively.

 Chapter 408 Here to improve

    Chapter 408 Here to improve


    ??In the 75th minute, Hiro spotted a gap in the opposing formation. It was a rather small gap, and it was rather questionable that he''d even reach it. Nheless, he had to at least try.


    Then he tricked his marker and rushed toward the gap he had spotted at full speed. It wasn''t easy to trick his marker who was sticking to him as if he was his shadow. But still with his swift movements, he managed to leave him.


    At the same time, Tatsuki who had the ball noticed his run and struck the ball with power and precision toward the designated spot where he was headed.


    Opposing yers rushed to intercept the pass. And immediately the scene around the field became extremely chaotic.


    Despite his attempt, it urred to him that he wouldn''t make it to the ball in time. So, he had to think of something else. He had to think outside the box to reach it.


    Noticing the gap between him and the ball, opposing fans became joyous. And a smile formed on many of their faces.


    However, the smile on their faces didn''tst long.


    Stretching his legs, Hiro slid as he tried to control the ball. Let alone control the ball, one might even have difficulty controlling their own body. But, it seemed as if he had no difficulty in doing so. He skillfully controlled the ball, leaving both the opposing fans and opposing yers stunned.


    Just how good of a control does one need to possess to pull off a trick like that? After witnessing this action of his, none could doubt his abilities.


    It wasn''t just because of his achievements in the youth league or the poprity that had earned him a spot on the team. But he truly deserved this opportunity, so he was ying here right now.


    At this moment, it became crystal clear to everyone watching him that he was here to make a difference and he rightfully deserved to be here.


    After controlling the ball, he immediately rposed himself. Then without losing momentum, he advanced. There were two defenders in front of him, both equally skilled and twice his size.


    Yet, their presence failed to terrify him or make him doubt.


    Hiro looked at them with his striking eyes as he challenged both of them at once. He had alreadye so far and he wasn''t going to stop. It''s not that he didn''t want to stop but he couldn''t locate his teammates around him.


    And, it urred to him as if the only way was ahead. He just couldn''t back down.


    More and more opposing yers were rushing on him from behind. So, taking a step back wasn''t an option either.


    Veteran Miyagi had been already reced by Tatsuki too.


    Then he dashed towards them with the ball. With confident and fluid movements, he got through their clutches with ease. Continuing with the same determination, he headed toward the box.


    After passing those defenders, he found himself all alone in front of the opposing box with only a keeper left to beat. But it wasn''t going to be easy. And, he knew it well.


    The opposing keeper wasn''t an easy opponent. And, he couldn''t afford to get carried away either since he had dribbled through those two defenders.


    Keeping hisposure, he steadily approached the opposing box. At the same time, the opposing keeper sensing an urgency left his position to rush on him. He knew that he was theirst line of defense. Yet, he was unusually calm.


    It might be due to the appearance of his opponent. Or it might be due to his experience. Who knows what allowed him to remain calm even in such a scenario?


    Unlike other yers, he didn''t have much information on Hiro since it was his first game in the league. But, he had faced countless strong opponents in his tenure. So, he knew what most of the young yers would do in such a situation.


    They''d try to shoot with as much power as possible. But his senses said otherwise. Watching Hiro y, he had a foreboding that he might do otherwise.


    Since he was a skilled dribbler, he might try to dribble him.


    So, he carefully approached Hiro with his guard raised. He had to be prepared if anything unusual were to take ce.


    Almost at the edge of the box, Hiro encountered the opposing keeper. It wasn''t an ideal position for the keeper. But it wasn''t ideal for him either. Now, he had only two options; either to shoot or try to dribble him.


    Ideally, most yers would tend to shoot from here. And, almost all of the young yers would do the same too. But, he wasn''t going to take the easy way.


    He was here to challenge himself. He was here to test himself. So, he had to ovee his fear of missing first if he wanted to improve. He had to take risks. And, only by doing so, would he be able to improve.


    So, what if he were to get taken down? Did it even matter? He could improve and try another time. But now if he hesitated to take the risk, he might be able to score but he''d forever be stuck where he was right now.


    Kicking the ball with the outside of his foot, he swerved to his left. And, it became obvious to everyone present in the field that he was going to try to challenge the keeper.


    You''ve already proven yourself, so why are you taking this risk? Just shoot the goddamn ball.


    Many contorted their face in despair as they watched him trying to take on the opposing keeper. They were worried that he''d fail.


    Perhaps if they were winning right now, they''d be cheering on him. But reality was different; they were losing at the moment and they desperately needed a goal to equalize.


    His one mistake could very well jeopardize their spot in the league. Winning the previous league championship, they had already qualified for the AFC championship and they had also booked themselves a spot in the Club World Cup 2025.


    However, their form as of recent, had been nothing but disappointing.

 Chapter 409 Tatsuki’s improvement

    <h4>Chapter 409 Tatsuki''s improvement</h4>


    The opposing keeper followed as he chased after him. Then the moment he raised his legs, he became extremely alert.


    Just as he made contact with the ball, the opposing keeper spread his legs, trying his hardest to block his shot. But he didn''t release the ball. Instead, he tapped at the ball and feigned a shot at the crucial moment, causing the opposing keeper tomit.


    With a delicate chip, he then sent the ball sailing over the keeper''s outstretched arms. Helpless, the opposing keeper could only look at the ball with frantic eyes.


    And, as the ball sailed inside the post, the rippled with its impact.


    At this moment, the crowd went wild with ecstasy. And, all of a sudden, the entire stadium came to life with the excited cheers of the fans.


    "Goal!!!!"


    Kota jumped from his seat, screaming with joy, "He did it! He did it! He scored a goal!"


    It was rather noisy around him with all these people celebrating Hiro''s goal. Yet, it didn''t matter to him whether his voice could be heard or not. Right now, he was genuinely happy for Hiro, his idol who had not only registered an assist in his debut but had also scored a goal in his debut.


    Those weren''t his only achievements. By scoring this goal, he also helped his team tie with the opposing team. Now the score was 2-2. And, the previously hopeless game had suddenly be entertaining to watch.


    The game was level now which meant that it was only starting.


    Sure, after conceding this goal, the opposing team wouldn''t sit idly. They needed to respond, or else they''d be criticized heavily.


    Dominating the game only to blow away their lead to some teenage boy who made his debut. If they were to lose or tie, only criticism awaited them.


    Their fans right now were fuming. Many of them were hauling indignant curses at the yers. They had allowed a teenage boy to change the flow of the game. Just how useless can they be for them to allow a single boy to toy around their formation?


    If they didn''t respond positively, who knows what kind of reaction their fans would show after the end of the match?


    No sooner had he scored this goal, than Hiro got swarmed by his teammates. The same yers who shot him disdainful gazes in the locker room had an unusual spark of happiness glistening in their eyes at the moment.


    Their joy was rather infectious as it immediately infected him as well. Giving in to the moment, he too celebrated his goal alongside his new teammates.


    Out of three objectives, with this goal, he fulfilled one of them. And, if he continued to y well, it''d only be a matter of time before he''d fulfill all three of it.


    However, the match was still far from over. If the opposing yer got one goal back, it''d very well send his effort down the drain. So, he and his teammates were both required to be sharp to avoid the worst possible oue.


    The match then resumed as they all took their position after the celebration. For a while, the stadium continued to buzz with joy.


    As expected opposing team came hard at them after conceding the second goal of the match. They yed more intensely than before with better concentration and teamy.


    Yet still, they struggled to score. Their manager made some changes to change the situation. But still, they fell short as they failed tond a decisive shot that could possibly win them the game.


    And as the match approached its end, intensity surged even further. Both teams pushed for that decisive goal that could win them the goal.


    Despite his fatigue, Hiro continued to give his all. From the moment he had stepped foot on the field, he hadn''t had any chance to rest. Not to mention his decoy run and his dribbles which created many opportunities for his teammates, all of it consumed a lot of energy.


    Even so, he couldn''t afford to stop. He had to keep on moving until the final whistle.


    Then in the 89th minute, Hiro received the ball again. This time, he saw Tatsuki making ate run. With a perfectly weighted through ball, he split the defense of the opposing team, supplying a superb pass to Tatsuki.


    One of the opposing defenders came rushing at him, intending to snatch the ball away from him at all costs. Even if it meant fouling him, he wasn''t afraid to do so to stop him. And, Tatsuki could visibly feel his intentions.


    It wasn''t his first time being in such a situation after all. A goal at this moment could possibly cost them the entire game, so everybody would be desperate in such a situation.


    But instead of stopping to control the ball, Tatsuki kept on moving forward. It was almost as if he had no intention of waiting for the ball. Which confused the opposing defender.


    However, it was all the better for him. Since he didn''t have to pull any foul to stop him if he willingly gave up on the ball.


    The opposing defender rejoiced. But just as he was about to kick the ball away, Tatsuki''s heel reached the ball before his legs could reach the ball.


    By pulling off this stunt, not only did Tatsuki get past the opposing defender, but he also avoided any kind of battle with the opposing defender.


    One wrong move and he''d have disrupted their build-up. Yet, he took his chances, disying his ability to take risks and remain cool-headed even at the direst moment.


    Even to Hiro, he appeared like apletely different person. Previously when he had yed with him, he wasn''t as daring andposed as he seemed today. Sure, he watched his matches often but he couldn''t notice many changes.


    However, right now, he could tell that he had improved a lot. No wonder, even teams from Europe came knocking on his door to sign him.


    Tatsuki then while keeping hisposure approached the opposing post. Then just as he got near enough, he slotted the ball at the bottom right corner.


    3-2.


    The stadium erupted in a frenzy.

 Chapter 410 A perfect debut

    Chapter 410 A perfect debut


    ??As the final whistle sounded, yers of Kawasaki tossed their hands in the air. Their joy was evident in their ecstatic faces.


    Their fans rallied together as they celebrated this moment of triumph together with the yers. Cheering and swinging their banners, they appreciated the team''s hard-fought victory. They were genuinely happy about this win.


    Opposing fans on the other hand weren''t happy about the result. In fact, they were mad at their yers for bottling the match. Clearly, for most of the game, they had dominated the game. And, they even had a two-goal lead against the opposing team until the second half.


    But after the first half, it''s as if somebody had cursed them, their performance only deteriorated while the opposing team''s performance skyrocketed.


    Letting the triumphant feeling of victory sink in, Hiro nced at the stand. The stadium was buzzing with the sweet melody of celebration. It was grandiose. Every moment felt grand.


    A perfect debut.


    Registering two assists and a goal, he had yed a perfect game, rallying his team to victory. Not only had aplished the objective given by the system, but he had also exceeded it.


    While enjoying the moment, his gazended on Kota. Jumping and cheering with all his might, he was thoroughly enjoying the moment. It made him smile.


    Smiling, he lifted his hand triumphantly and started waving at him.


    There was an unusual sparkle in his eyes, one that of admiration and joy. Not only was he fortunate enough to watch his debut, but he was also fortunate enough to witness his hero leading his team to victory. What more could he wish?


    Then he searched for his parents among the seas of supporters. He knew where they were seated. But despite that, he found it quite difficult to locate them due to the ongoing madness on the stands.


    People were present in so great of a number, that it made it almost impossible to locate them. Still, after tirelessly searching for them for a while, he finally found them. Hidden behind the walls of supporters, he could barely see them.


    But he managed to catch a glimpse of happiness in their faces. Which made his smile even wider.


    Though, he couldn''t continue to sightsee as he got swarmed by his teammates. Congratting him for his performance, they expressed their gratification. Some ruffled his hair, while some patted his back, and each expressed their gratefulness and pleasure to y alongside him.


    [Quest Completed]


    While at the same time, he heard the notification for thepletion of the quest. This only added to his joy.


    But he was in no hurry to decide whose talent he was going to copy. iming the reward could wait until after the end of the celebration, he thought so and ignored the notification.


    "Hiro!!"


    "Hiro!!"


    It only got even more sweeter as suddenly the crowd of supporters started chanting his name. Upon hearing his name being called by so many people, he couldn''t help but feel touched. Such an honor, how could it not affect him?


    Wandering his eyes all over the stadium, he paid homage to those supporters for their gesture. Right now, the entire stadium was buzzing with his name.Reporters and cameramen flocked over him, trying to interview him and capture this wonderful moment with their camera lenses.


    They could smell big news. And, almost every single one of them was sure that it''d make headlines in tomorrow''s news. Not only that it''d provide great coverage for their channels. So, none were willing to miss out on this moment.


    The stadium was lively, but so was the street. In the streets, people were singing his praises while at the pub people were discussing his performance with much passion. Just from a single match, he had be the topic of discussion.


    "Damn!! I wish I could also y like him"


    "He''s too good"


    "y like him huh? Then you gotta practice like him as well"


    In the dormitory, youth yers were mesmerized by his performance. Many wished to y like him while many were sneering at those who wished to y like him. Well, it was to be expected since most of them hadn''t spent time with him.


    But, it was known all over the dormitory that he trained like a beast. Even after graduating from the academy, coaches often mentioned his name as an example of discipline and effort. They wanted to instill the philosophy of discipline and effort in the new recruits, so they often used his name.


    Well during his time at the academy, he had been the pride of the academy. So, it was only natural for the coaching staff to use his name to educate others.


    Unknowingly, he had already be the inspiration of many uing footballers despite only being 16 years old. He had many admirers who admired his dedication and his gamey.


    Hard work beats talent. We''ve often been told this from childhood. But what if geniuses work hard too? Then you meet a monster, a person beyondprehension.


    And, Hiro was the very definition of that person. Not only was he already gifted but he also worked the hardest. So, he remained at the pinnacle during his stay at the club.


    Not even once did anybodye closer to beating him. To many, he was like a wall that couldn''t be surpassed no matter what. While to others, he was a sturdy mountain they could rely on. There were also those who considered him their rival.


    But many dismissed those thoughts afterpeting against him for a while. Among those many, one was Nijichi. Though he had shared the same jersey with him, he never once considered Hiro hisrade. To whom, he always remained a rival he needed to surpass in order to be the best.


    "I won''t be defeated Hiro," Nijichi mumbled while clenching his fist, "We''ll meet soon"


    Being older than Hiro, he had already made his debut for Vissel Kobe who currently were sitting at the top of the table. Though he hadn''t been as impressive as Hiro, he had been named the young yer of the tournament the previous year due to his amazing performance.


    Back at the stadium, people continued to shower him with praises for his performance. Some could even see a glimpse of the future when he led the national team to the World Cup. Their eyes glistened with hope as they felt extremely hopeful about his future. They just couldn''t wait to see more of him.


    The World Cup was just around the corner. And so was the Asia Cup. Though he hadn''t debuted for the senior team yet. If he continued to y like this, then who knows he wouldn''t be included in the team despite being only 16 years old.


    But there was a slight problem. There wasn''t much time left for the Asia Cup. And though they had already qualified for the tournament, his future continued to remain uncertain due to the amount of ying minutes he had left for him to convince the national representatives to include him in the team.


    With all those yers from overseas who were already proving their worth in Europe''s top five leagues, it was a rather difficult task for him to convince the national representative to give him a shot at the team.


    Just like in this match, he''d have to prove his worth in every single match from now on. He couldn''t afford to y decently if he wanted a spot in the national team.


    But still, despite the limited ying minutes, Hiro was more than ready to take on this seemingly impossible challenge. He wasn''t afraid in the least.


    Instead, he was rather looking forward to the challenges.


    Then after the celebration, as he started making his way to the tunnel, he got blocked by several reporters who were dying to interview him. Pausing midway, he stopped to answer their questions. After all, ignoring them wouldn''t do any good for him. Instead, it''d only bring him harm and nder.


    If he ignored them, they''d probably spread rumors saying he was arrogant and ignorant. Worst, they could also jeopardize his candidacy for the national team.


    Staying on their good side only benefited him. And, who knows due to the media coverage, his chances of getting noticed by the national representatives might increase. After all, there are times when a yer is chosen based on the hype rather than their performances.


    With such thoughts in mind, he sweet-talked the reporters. Sugarcoating his words, he answered their questions in the humblest possible manner.


    "How did you feel when you stepped out onto the pitch?" one of the reporters asked.


    "Well, I would be lying if I told you that I wasn''t nervous," he said, his words sweet and polite, "But I was prepared for this moment. From the moment I got the call-up, I reyed the moment of debut time and again in my mind to prepare myself"


    While speaking such, he paused for a while and released a sigh, "But even after all those visualizations, when it came to the actual moment I still got scared hahaha..."


    "If not for the trust of Coach Tatsuya and my teammates, I might have locked myself in the bathroom. So, I''m really thankful for their words of encouragement" Sweet-talking his way into the hearts of the reporters, he expressed his gratefulness to his coach and his teammates.


    His humor lightened up the atmosphere a bit.

 Chapter 411 MOTM

    <h4>Chapter 411 MOTM</h4>


    Humorously answering their question, he kept them thoroughly entertained. By now, the stadium had already started to look empty.?Still, the buzz continued as home supporters stayed behind cheering on him.


    The atmosphere was still electric, fueled by the excitement of his ster performance.


    "Two assists and a goal, what do you think of your performance?" another reporter asked.


    When asked such a question, he didn''t hesitate even for a moment. The answer was obvious to him. But, he didn''t feel like answering straightforwardly. Like how would a young yer feel upon having such a marvelous performance in their debut match?


    Isn''t the answer obvious? Obviously, they''ll feel great about it. It''s a dream debut, so obviously they''ll feel ecstatic. So, why was he asking such obvious questions?


    He couldn''t help but scoff upon hearing his question. But, he couldn''t speak his heart now, could he? Present in front of so many people, he couldn''t speak anything he wished. Otherwise, it''d ruin his image.


    Despite his obvious annoyance, he had to remainposed and answer considerately.


    Even the people present around him shared the same sentiment. It was written on their face that they were annoyed by his question.


    "Well, how would you feel if you were the one to do it?" he countered with a subtle smile on his face, his tone sweet and polite.


    "Yeah, what kind of question is it?"


    "If you''re here to waste time then allow others to speak"


    Other reporters expressed their annoyance. Clearly, they weren''t happy about him asking such a simple question.


    Faced with everybody''s annoyance, the reporter who asked him that question became extremely flustered. If he persisted on this matter, he''d probably get pressured by other reporters. So, he backed down, apologizing, "Sorry, it was foolish of me to ask such an obvious question"


    It didn''t take a lot for others to forget his idiocy. After a while, once again the mood around them lightened as other meaningful questions followed. As the crowd continued to thin, Hiro couldn''t help but reflect on this surreal experience.


    For a while, everything felt like a dream. He even tried pinching himself to test whether he was in a dream or not. The pain that followed after he attempted trying to awaken himself hurt him. Yet, it made him smile instead.


    His debut had exceeded his wildest dreams, and he was overwhelmed by the support and admiration from the fans and media alike. It was such a joyous moment¡ª one he wouldn''t forget for the rest of his life.


    But he knew that it was just the beginning, a stepping stone on what he hoped would be a long and sessful career. So although it warmed his heart, he couldn''t allow himself to get carried away. He could savor it but he couldn''t allow it to get over his head.


    The trial had only begun.


    The interview wrapped up, and he finally had the chance to return to his team. At this time, one of the match officials brought him the trophy the MOTM to award for his excellent performance in the match.


    "I''m sorry, I couldn''t bring it to you sooner. I tried to bring it to you but you were swarmed by the reporters which made it almost impossible to squeeze in. So, I hope you''ll understand the dy," he apologized as he handed him the trophy.


    It was shiny. One he had only seen on the screen before. But now it was well within his reach. He then gracefully epted the trophy.


    Holding it in his hands, he felt really proud. For a while, he kept on staring fixedly at it. Then he vowed, ''It won''t be thest''


    Cameramen clicked his pictures while he stood there holding the trophy in his hands. They couldn''t miss such an iconic shot.


    After some more pictures, he walked towards the locker room. But just as he was about to walk inside, he noticed his parents in the stand. Their eyes were glistening with pride while they had a smile on their face.


    Each appeared genuinely happy for him. Noticing their smiling faces, he lifted the trophy high above his head, addressing his parents. At this moment, the crowd erupted and it got even more noisy.


    "You deserve it kiddo"


    "Congrattions!"


    The supporters congratted and cheered on him as he lifted the trophy. Though they were only cheering on him, he could feel the sheer weight of expectation behind those cheerful cheers and those smiling faces.


    He could tell that they were expecting great things from him. But it didn''t scare him. Instead, he vowed to keep improving, to never let his supporters down.


    Finally, after addressing the crowd, he was about to exit the pitch. But then again, he saw a familiar face in the crowd. Kota hadn''t left the stadium yet. And, due to his small frame, he was getting tossed by the sea of supporters.


    Hiro could see his struggles. So, he decided to address him for his dedication.


    "Kota....," he shouted as loud as he could, trying to attract his attention.


    Despite the loud cheers, he audibly heard Hiro''s voice. He was calling him. But there was only so much he could do to stick out. It was almost near impossible for him to get in front. So, he could only squeeze his way to look at him.


    "Thank you for your support," Hiro thanked him, his voice loud and clear, "And thank you all for your support as well" he added as he bowed his head before heading inside.


    In the heat of the moment, he actually wanted to gift his jersey to him. But as he thought about it, he couldn''t bring himself to part ways with his debut jersey. As much as the support of that little guy was precious to him, his debut jersey was also precious to him.


    Though his actions made him seem generous in many instances. But deep down, he was selfish in his heart too.


    ''Sorry, I just can''t give it to you. But if there''s a next time then I''d dly do so. Please don''t hate me Kota'' he thought as he apologized to Kota in his heart while walking down the tunnel.


    He felt a little guilty about his selfishness. But, he just couldn''t bring himself to part ways with his jersey. It was just so dear to him.

 Chapter 412 Warm reception

    <h4>Chapter 412 Warm reception</h4>


    Walking down the tunnel, he kept thinking about the moments outside. The energy of the crowd, the support of the fans, and the amazing moment on the pitch, it was such a blissful and memorable moment, that he just couldn''t stop smiling.


    Then he approached his locker room. Due to the intervention of the reporters and the moment he shared with the fans, he had to stay upte on the field. Thus, right now he was all alone. There wasn''t a single teammate apanying him.


    They were all inside the locker room.


    Approaching close to the locker room, he could audibly hear the noiseing out of the locker room. He could hear their cheerfulughter and their excited chatters. And the more closer he got to the locker room, the noise only intensified.


    It made his heart pound. And for some inexplicable reason, it got him tense. Tightening his grip on his trophy, he approached the locker room.


    Then just as he was about to enter, he took a deep breath.


    The moment he entered, he was met with a warm reception from his teammates. They sped their hands as he entered the room, apuding him for his marvelous performance. They cheered on him, showered him with praises, and congratted him for his performance.


    Emotions welled inside him as he stood frozen in his ce. His eyes glistened with joy while his heart thumped.


    "Well done, Hiro," Coach Tatsuya said, his voice steady and reassuring. "This is just the start. Keep working hard, and there will be many more nights like this."


    Darting his gaze to Coach Tatsuya, he nodded his head, absorbing the words of the coach. He knew the road ahead would be challenging, but he was ready. The only thing that he wasn''t ready at the moment would be this unusual reception.


    It was such a warm reception but he wasn''t used to it. Well, it wasn''t his first time receiving such a reception but it was his first time receiving such a reception from the yers whom he had admired since his previous life.


    So, he was a little taken aback by their response.


    The final whistle might have blown for this match, but for Hiro, it only marked the beginning of a new journey, one filled with promise and potential. And, he was more than ready to embark on this arduous journey.


    epting everybody''s congrattory words, he then took his seat. Slowly, he ced his trophy in his cab. While the people around him became busy with their own chatters and tasks. All along, he couldn''t take his eyes off the shiny trophy.


    "You deserve it, Hiro," gently sping on his back, Naoto spoke.


    "Yeah, but I won''t hand it over to you in the next game," Tatsuki sounded dead serious when he said those words.


    And, Hiro could vividly feel his resolve. Though it might have sounded like a joke to others, he knew that he wasn''t joking. Rather it was a challenge. After all, Tatsuki had apetitive spirit.


    "Then I''lle for your spot," Hiro replied, his resolve unwavering.


    His response left Tatsuki confused for a while as he tried to figure out what exactly he was talking about when he mentioned that he wasing for his spot. Was he aiming for his spot in the starting eleven? That didn''t feel right to him since he yed as a striker whereas Hiro yed as an attacking midfielder.


    So, what exactly was he talking about? Tatsuki ransacked his mind as he tried to figure out the meaning behind his response.


    While he continued to ransack his mind, Naoto immediately caught on to what he was trying to say. So, he let out a subtle chuckle. But kept the news to himself.


    Then Hiro began to get changed. But while changing his jersey, his eyesnded on his phone. Suddenly, he got an urge to click a photo of him with the trophy. Such urges hadn''t urred to him previously.


    But for some reason, he got this urge to have his picture taken. Sure, he had already gotten his picture taken out there in the pitch. But they were public photos anybody could use it. He wanted some for himself tomemorate this moment.


    So, he asked Naoto to take some pictures of him.


    Posing along with the trophy, he got his pictures taken. But as he continued to take pictures, soon his teammates bombed his photo. It was meant to be a solo picture. But somehow it turned into a group photo.


    Naoto who was taking pictures nonstop too couldn''t resist the urge to be in the frame. So, instead of taking pictures from the rear camera, he started taking selfies.


    Hiro got squeezed as everybody tried to fit in the frame. It became extremely chaotic. With all those sweaty bodies colliding with each other, he felt both suffocated and hot. But still, he kept up with their actions as he continued to click pictures with them.


    Though it felt ufortable, it also felt exciting to take pictures and bond with the team.


    Witnessing all of them taking pictures while making silly poses,ughing, and struggling, the coaching staff was extremely happy about the moment. Until some moment ago, some were fearful of Hiro not being able to bond with all these yers.


    But now, their fear was alleviated as they witnessed Hiro with all the yers. So, they couldn''t stop smiling at the state of their yers. They were genuinely happy about the oue. So, none tried to stop them and instead let them do whatever they wanted.


    Just like this, they spent quite a lot of time in the locker room. Then after themotion died down, they all got dressed and headed outside. Hiro too got changed and joined his teammates to the bus.


    Stepping out of the stadium into the cool night air, Hiro took a deep breath. The city lights shimmered in the distance, and he felt a wave of contentment wash over him. Tonight had been a dreame true, but he knew it was just the beginning.

 Chapter 413 City lights

    Chapter 413 City lights


    ??No sooner had they settled into their seats than some of the yers immediately fell asleep. The exhaustion was evident on their faces. Although they hadn''t shown it previously in the locker room, the match had left them exhausted.


    And as thest of them settled, the bus driver stepped on the gas pedal and started the bus. The venue, which had previously been alive with roaring fans, was now almost deserted, a stark contrast to the earlier electric atmosphere.


    Outside, the city lights flickered brilliantly, casting a vibrant glow over the deserted arena. Though the energy of the match had dissipated, the city''s nightlife was just awakening.


    While the bus continued to tread its path through the streets, Hiro gazed out the window, observing the cityscape whiz by. The streets were alive with activity, filled with people navigating the night, especially the sry workers d in suits and carrying briefcases. They wandered from one pub to another, seeking to wash away the stress of their day.


    The bustling nightlife of the streets reminded him of his previous life. There was a moment in his life when he too would unwind in such ces. Though his circle of friends had been small, there were still a few of them with whom he had a pretty decent rtionship.


    Especially Sumire, she''d help him with his hangovers, listen to hisints and self-loathing, and help him to his room. Truly she had suffered a lot due to him.


    Reminiscing such moments, made him feel guilty. Even when blessed with such generous people, he had been nothing but ungrateful, a truly unruly son and an unruly partner.


    It was supposed to be a joyous night for him. But, now that he remembered a glimpse of his past life, he couldn''t help but frown.


    The bus rumbled through the city, and he found himself lost in thought. Hispanion beside him was already sound asleep, and so were the most of yers on the bus. The pulsating rhythm of the nightlife outside the window felt both familiar and distant, evoking a sense of nostalgia.


    There was a bittersweetness in watching the world go by outside, a strange mix of longing and contentment. And, all of a sudden all his previous glory felt like it amounted to nothing.


    But life had given him another chance. A chance to turn things around. An opportunity to atone. So although he couldn''t change his past, he still had the opportunity to make things right.


    Then shaking this heavy feeling of guilt and remorse, he took his phone out of his pocket. Turning on his phone, he opened his ount. But just as he opened his ount, he noticed a flood of messages.


    Congratting him for his earlier performance, many of them expressed their feelings. Fewined about him not informing about his debut. Overall, it seemed that everybody was genuinely happy for him.


    Reading their messages, brought a smile to his face. Without even realizing it, he had started smiling again. And even those heavy feelings that gripped him for a moment ago alleviated on their own as he went through their message.


    Then he answered their message and sent them the pictures he had taken previously. Few were still online, so they responded immediately. There was still some time left before they reached their destination, so he too engaged in a conversation with them.


    "You bastard! Do you even consider me your friend? You didn''t even inform me about your debut," Akashi messaged him, sounding quite furious.


    "It was meant to be a surprise. Sorry for not telling you sooner," Hiro apologized.


    "Congrattions on making your debut. You were really great out there," Sumire''s text message read as such.


    "Thank you. You were watching?" Hiro texted her back.


    For some while, he continued to reply to all the texts he had received from his close ones. And, he answered all of them.


    Then after a while of texting, he turned off his phone to receive his reward from the earlier aplishment. After all, he had yet to im his reward from the quest. But since almost everyone around him was sound asleep, and he had quality time alone, he didn''t feel like waiting.


    He wanted to im his reward in silence after getting back to his room. Moving out from the academy, he had been staying with Tatsuki and Naoto.


    ''System activate,'' he thought as hemanded the system to activate.


    As usual, a holographic blue panel appeared before him just as he made thatmand. Though to the outside world, it remained invisible, he could vividly see it. A lot has changed since he advanced to the professional stage.


    With the addition of new features such as the reputation stat and all others, it had be even more sophisticated. One of the special features was the fusion. It was a feature that allowed him to fuse two or more talents based onpatibility. It also allowed him to fuse his talents with his skills, but it had a much greater cost and also a lower probability of obtaining something remarkable out of it.


    However, he had yet to try this skill because he required sufficient experience points which he could only earn through quests. After a major update, the feature of the attribute point was reced with the experience point as well.


    There were quite a lot of changes in the system.


    As he skimmed through the system interface, he headed to the reward section to im his reward. There were quite a lot of options avable. But most of them were practically useless to him. So, he ordered the system to eliminate the useless ones and present him with a few that could possibly be some help to him.


    [First Touch (A), Powerful Right (S), Phantom Steps (A+), Clinical Finishing (S), Leadership (B), Aggression (B+), Injury Resistance (A)]


    ''Pro''s really are something else. Even after so much elimination, look at all these talents. Even the lowest is of at least B rank,'' his eyes glistened with awe and greed as he skimmed through the talents he could copy.


    Unlike the times, he tried to copy from his peers his age, it was a different experience. Almost every single one of those talents was of great use to him. They''d surely increase his potential and be of some help to him in his career.


    He could only marvel at the sheer number of choices in front of him. Yet, he could only pick one.


    But most of them were already simr to the ones he possessed. However, even those weren''t wasted at this moment with his fusion feature. Even if he selected a simr talent, he could just fuse itter when he had the required experience point.


    Yet, he still needed to weigh his options and pick carefully. So, he went through their description before deciding his pick.


    [First Touch (A)]


    [Helps improve your positioning, and initial control of the ball upon receiving a pass]


    ''Well, my first touch is already good. So, I don''t think I''ll need it,'' he thought as he went through its description.


    His first touch even without the aid of this talent was already one of the finest in the league. But that didn''t mean that it wouldn''t help improve his skills even further. If he were to choose this talent, he''d receive a boost to his already impressive ball control. It''d probably take his ball control to a level further.


    But despite the benefits, he decided to give up on this talent.


    [Powerful Right (S)]


    [Increases the muscle mass in your right leg, giving you more firepower and slightly decreases your chances of injuring your right foot]


    ''It''s a great talent. But if I chose it, it might contradict my other talent Ambipedal, and create some disbnces. It''d also affect my gamey as it''d make me reliant on my right,'' he deduced as he went through its description.


    The talent was great. But, it wasn''t suitable to his style of y since he used both his legs. If he were to choose it, it''d make him a little more reliant on his right foot which would disrupt his harmony. So, due to such worries, once again he decided to give up on another talent.


    There were benefits, but there were drawbacks too. So, he had to be careful while choosing the talent he wanted to copy.


    Onto the next talent, Phantom Steps (A+).


    It wasn''t his first time seeing this talent making its appearance. He had already encountered it in the qualifiers for the U17 World Cup. It was one of the talents that allowed the star yer of the Korean National Team, Park Seung-Gyu to flourish after all.


    Back then it had intrigued him, but since he didn''t have any use of it due to the presence of a simr skill he abandoned it.But, it was a different case right now. With the presence of the feature Fusion, he could fuse it with his skill Lightning Steps.

 Chapter 414 Talent Chosen

    <h4>Chapter 414 Talent Chosen</h4>


    Before deciding to scrap it, he carefully thought for a while, weighing its pros and cons. The benefits were great but yet he couldn''t decide easily. So, he didn''t fully abandon it and instead put it on hold.


    ''I''ll get back to itter. But for now, let''s look at other options'' he thought as he moved ahead with his task at hand.


    After all, he was in no rush to decide.


    [Clinical Finishing (S)]


    [Enhances goal-scoring efficiency, might allow the user to enter a zone-like state when in a pinch]


    He already had a talent that provided a boost to his attacking stat. So, initially while going through its title, he was about to ignore it. But as he went through its description, his perspective shifted slightly.


    Especially the thing regarding the zone-like state intrigued him.


    Entering the state of flow is not something that anybody could achieve. And, though it didn''t guarantee to allow him to enter the state of flow, it increased his probability. Even if it was by 0.1%, it still made a huge difference.


    Who knows, he might activate it in some crucial match. So, it got him into some deep thought as he paused to evaluate its benefits.


    ''Flow huh? It''de in handy if I could use it in big matches. And, it also stated that it might trigger the flow-like state if he were to be in a pinch. Although I don''t know how much it''d increase my chances of triggering it, it''s still worth the shot,'' he analyzed.


    By far it was the talent that intrigued him the most. Still, he decided to put it aside before making his final decision. After all, there were still more options left to be explored.


    Then he shifted his attention to the other remaining talents.


    All those other remaining options were quite lucrative as well which made it even more difficult for him to make his choice. Apart from a few, every other talent charmed him. Yet, he only had one choice. So, he got a little frustrated while trying to choose.


    ''Argh! Why do I have to choose only one?'' he grunted, feeling frustrated.


    Then again he released a deep breath as he consoled himself, ''At least I have the opportunity to choose. Some people would train their whole life to unlock one talent. But here, I''ve got the opportunity to copy the talent of others and make it mine easily.''


    Finally, after some more deep thinking, he made his choice. Though it still pained his heart a little while making the choice, he still had to choose one.


    ''I won''t have any use of leadership right now, so I''ll pass on it. As for Injury Resistance, I''d definitely need it. But it only slightly increases my chances of avoiding an injury. If only it were even more lucrative or its grade were higher, I''d have chosen it. But then again, it''s not of the highest grade and it can''t be upgraded as well. So, I''ll pass it as well,''


    ''Phantom Steps, I''d have to pair it with Lightning Steps, so yeah I''ll pass it as well. Then that leaves me with only one option; Clinical Finishing. I''ll bet on that slim chance of triggering the state of flow. I''m sure it''de in handy since I''ll be facing a lot of tougher opponents from now on,'' after much contemtion, he finally made his decision.


    Though he hated to gamble, he chose to bet on the talent of Clinical Finishing for the slim opportunity that enabled him to enter a flow-like state.


    The state of flow is much more beneficial than any temporary boost. One might be capable of doing the impossible stuff when they are in a state of flow. Not only would it boost his one particr stat, but it''d instead boost his entire stats.


    Already experiencing such a state, he knew how enormous its benefits were. So after much careful consideration, he chose it.


    [Are you sure you want to select Clinical Finishing as your reward?]


    The system inquired as he made his decision.


    ''Didn''t you see me contemting? Why would I pick it if I were not sure?'' Hiro thought, clearly annoyed by the system''s inquiry.


    The system could only read the thoughts he allowed it to read. So, it didn''t hear what he thought of the system''s inquiry.


    ''Yes, I''m sure,'' he made it clear.


    [Command received]


    [Initializing the process]


    [Copying talent Clinical Finishing (S)]


    [Please wait for a while]


    [1% 2% 3%...96% 97% 98% 100%]


    [Congrattions, you''ve sessfully copied the talent]


    Upon hearing the message of the system, he leaned back against the seat. The task although simple was rather tiring. So, he felt a little relieved.


    ''I can''t wait to test it out in a match,'' he thought, excited to try his newly acquired talent.


    But just when he was getting all excited to try out his newly acquired talent, he startlingly jerked his upper body as he heard something.


    [To fully familiarize the talent, the host needs to achieve certain targets]


    "Huh, what?!" he blurted as he heard the message of the system.


    For a while, he seemed to have forgotten that he wasn''t alone. But rather he was in the presence of other people. If they were to hear him speak in such a way, they''d probably think of him as some kind of lunatic.


    Immediately he shut his mouth as he suspiciously checked around him if anybody had heard him. Fortunately enough, nobody seemed to have noticed his sudden outburst. Which calmed him a little.


    But the irritation from the message of the system was still evident on his flustered face.


    ''It never happened previously. So, why now all of a sudden?'' Hiro couldn''t help but wonder why all of a sudden the system presented him with requirements to fully familiarize himself with the copied talent.


    But as usual, the system gave him robotic answers, devoid of any feelings.


    [The talent is of a high level, so the host is required to meet the criteria to fully familiarize himself with the copied talent]


    ''There were no such requirements when I acquired the talent Ambipedal even though it''s of the same grade?'' he questioned as he felt it really unfair to fulfill requirements all of a sudden.


    [Some talents require some conditions to be met to use]


    The system answered, cutting him short. It didn''t make any sense to him, and it felt truly illogical to him. Yet, he couldn''t bring himself to ask further.


    He knew that no matter how much he whined, he''d get the same robotic response devoid of any emotions. In the first ce, the very existence of the system was illogical, something straight out of a fantasy novel.


    So, if there were some requirements to be able to use the talent, then he could only obediently try to fulfill them. There was nothing he could do¡ª he was utterly helpless.


    Submitting to his ridiculous situation, he then proceeded further with the requirement of the system to be able to use his newly acquired talent.


    [1) The host needs to take 100 shots inside the box in a real match]


    [2) The host needs to take 100 shots daily until hepletes the first requirement]


    ''So, I need to take 100 shots every day until Iplete 100 real match shots huh? Since it didn''t tell me that I''d have toplete all those 100 shots in one match, then it must mean that I canplete it in as many matches as I can. Well, it''d be ridiculous if I had to take 100 shots in one match after all,'' he ridiculed himself.


    Registering 100 shots in a real match, it''s almost near to impossible task. After all, let alone a single yer even a team wouldn''t be able to register more than 20 shots in a match.


    From the looks of it, it would take him almost 20 or so matches toplete the first requirement. Which meant it''d take him more than three months to be able to use his newly acquired talent.


    But, he didn''t seem discouraged even in the slightest. Instead, he appeared to be already thinking about ways toplete the quest as early as possible.


    ''Since it mentioned only shots, even the shots that aren''t on target would count. That means if I''ll at least register 10 shots in every single match, I''d be able toplete it in ten matches,'' he figured.


    It eased his worries a little. But just when he was starting to rejoice, he remembered about the second requirement; 100 shots each day.


    ''Damn!! On top of all that training from the club, now I''d even have to shoot 100 shots every day,'' he sighed as he thought about the hell he was about to suffer.


    ''But wait? Aren''t I forgetting something?'' he felt as if he was forgetting something.


    ''Don''t I shoot more than 100 shots each day already?''


    Exactly, even without intentionally trying to shoot more than 100 shots, he was already shooting more than 100 times in training alone. All those frustrations had gotten into his head, making him forget something so simple.

 Chapter 415 A place called home

    <h4>Chapter 415 A ce called home</h4>


    Upon reaching his room, firstly he offloaded his luggage and turned on the lights. He paused for a moment, taking in the sight of his new space. It hadn''t been long since he moved into this room, so it still bore an air of unfamiliarity to him.


    The room was mostly empty, sparsely furnished with just a bed, a closet, and a study table.


    The walls were painted a bright blue, the color lending a cheerful and calming aura to the space. Despite its simplicity, the room felt weing. The cozy red carpet on the floor contrasted nicely with the blue walls, adding a touch of warmth and homeliness.


    Overall, it was a smallfort, a piece of personal space in an otherwise hectic life.


    Then he walked to his bed and tossed himself on his bed. Lying on the bed with his face facing the ceiling, he took a deep breath, reminiscing the day''s events.


    He had finally made his debut. Not only that, he even managed to score a goal on his debut. And, the trophy of the MOTM was like a cherry on top.


    "It still feels like a dream," he murmured as he recalled the day''s events.


    Just a moment ago, he was surrounded by thousands of fans, scoring goals against teams he could only dream about ying previously. And, now he was all alone in his room. He could still audibly hear the noise circting in the stadium, and he could even vividly recall the scene at the stadium.


    But as he remained idle in his silent room, it almost fell as if he were dreaming. For a while, he continued toy idle.


    "I should probably sort things out," he mumbled as he started feeling a little drowsy.


    His eyelids were starting to get heavy and his consciousness was also starting to dwindle. He knew that if he continued to lie down, he''d eventually fall asleep.?After all, it was only natural for him to fall asleep after such a hectic day.


    But he still had some things left to do before falling asleep. So, despite the evident feeling of sleepiness, he forced himself to stay awake.


    Then he got out of his bed and opened his bag. Taking out his first-ever MOTM trophy, he carefully ced it on the table. Then he took his jersey out and carefully hung it in the closet. He was nning to get it framed as a memento.


    Now, he could fall asleep if he wanted to. But something caught his eye when he was about to put his bag away. Walking to his study table, he picked a framed photo, one dating back to his elementary school years.


    Though he hadn''t had the time to add new things to his room, he had added some personal touches to the room to make the room feel more like home. A framed photo of his family sat on the study table, alongside a photo of his elementary school teammates and his youth club teammates.


    Those pictures were a reminder of the people who believed in him and supported his dreams. Even though they had shared memorable moments on and off the pitch, he had already lost touch with many of them.


    And, though once they had shared and fought for the same dream, many had already quit, while many were still fighting for their dreams. Only a few had managed to realize it. And, he was fortunate enough to be one of those few.


    If it were his previous self, then he''d have already be content with what he had achieved. But this time it was different. Making it professional wasn''t his only goal. Rather it was just the beginning of his much grander objective.


    His ultimate goal was to lift the World Cup with his nation. So, how could he be satisfied with just making it to pro? Well, if it were his previous self then it''d have been a different case.


    But now he could dream more, dream grand. And, he had the means to fulfill his grand dream.


    "I can''t worry about those who have already chosen to give up on their dreams," he said as he tried to alleviate this heavy feeling he was feeling when looking at the picture frame of his teammates.


    He felt sad for those who couldn''t continue ying. But, he knew that he didn''t have any luxury to worry about others when he had a dream to chase. During his journey, he''ll encounter many more people like them whose goals and dreams would align with his.


    But not every single one of their dreams would get fulfilled. Who knows even his might not get fulfilled?


    He pitied them, but he couldn''t bring himself to get angry at them for choosing to give up on their dreams. Neither could he ridicule them for their choices. After all, they hadn''t made the choices because they liked it. But rather the situation had forced them to give up on their dreams.


    His eyes shed with determination as he said, "Though many of you couldn''t fulfill your dreams, you don''t need to worry. I''ll carry your will and fulfill it for you"


    It was the only thing he could do at the moment. And, for sure many of them might not share the same feelings. If possible they''d like to chase their dream on their own rather than relying on someone else to fulfill it.


    By saying so, he was only trying to console himself.


    Then he put down the picture frame in its original ce and headed to his bed. That picture evoked some nostalgia which made him recall his earlier days. Even with his eyes closed, he could only think of those moments.


    Thinking about those moments made him realize how far he hade. From winning national champions to winning the Takamado Cup to now making his professional debut. He really hade so far.


    Along the way, he made some valuable friends, suffered heartbreaking defeats, and experienced the sweetness of victory. It had been nothing but blissful. And, yet there was more toe. Which made him excited about the future.

 Chapter 416 Training begins

    <h4>Chapter 416 Training begins</h4>


    The early morning sun cast long shadows across the training ground as Hiro arrived. Apart from him, nobody had made it to the training ground. And from the looks of it, he appeared to be the first one to reach the pitch.


    Yesterday, he fell asleep while thinking about his past and?future. But despite the exhaustion from the match, out of habit, he had awoken quite early in the morning.


    There was still plenty of time remaining for the morning training session to begin. But, having nothing better to do, he still decided to leave for the pitch. This act of his would probably affect his rtionship with his teammates as they''d think that he was trying to show off by arriving earlier than anyone else.


    After all, when an individual sticks out from the herd, they''re bound to face some bacsh from the other members of the herd. Worst, he might get bullied for his actions.


    Even so, he couldn''t just stay home and do nothing. So, now having arrived so early, he was the only one present on the pitch. And, it''d be a while before anybody would show up.


    "Seems like I''m the only one at the pitch right now," he broke into a subtle chuckle as he wandered his eyes around the pitch.


    The grass, still a little damp with dew, glistened under the glowing light. The distant chirps of the birds only made it even more soothing. Relishing this serene atmosphere, he inhaled deeply, feeling the crisp air.


    Excited, he then began his warm-up routine. Methodically stretching and jogging around the field, he warmed up his body before picking up the ball.


    "I should probablyplete those 100 shots first," before proceeding with other training, he thought ofpleting the requirement given by the system first.


    Perspiration trickled down his forehead as he continued to shoot. Since the system didn''t mention any specific way of fulfilling the requirement, he could have just proceeded with normal shots from outside the box.


    But it didn''t sit right with him. So, he intentionally made it even more challenging for him. By visualizing the toughest opponents he had faced up to date, he purposefully made the training even more difficult.


    Twisting and turning, he dribbled the ball around the field. Just like this not only did he train his shooting, but he also trained his dribbling too.


    And as he continued to train, he noticed the first signs of life stirring at the training ground. The soft hum of a car engine reached his ears, and soon, other yers began to trickle in.


    Most of their movements were rather slower, and only some looked as if they had rested well. Many made their way to the pitch,ining about the training.


    "Why do we have to train so early in the morning right after a match?"


    "Yeah, we could just train in the evening, can''t we?"


    Then as they walked onto the field, they noticed the sight of Hiro drenched in sweat. Even without asking, they could tell that he had been on the pitch for quite a while by now.


    "Woah... look at his training so early in the morning?"


    "I wish I could be young again"


    As they walked closer, they greeted him. Some even asked him to keep his arrival a secret from the coaches so that they won''t pester them to arrive so early in the training too.


    If not for his previous performance, he might have gotten a different response. But due to his previous performance, nobody thought negative of his actions. Instead, many joked while many praised his work ethic and professionalism.


    Some even advised him on his techniques while some taught him new things. And, as more and more yers joined him on the field, the once-silent pitch became noisy.


    Coach Tatsuya arrived shortly after. Upon his arrival, other yers became less noisy as they stopped their idle chatters andints. They became more diligent with their drills.


    For a while, he let them be as he continued to scan the field. His gazended on Hiro who was already deep into his training. A faint smile crossed his lips as he looked at him. Though he might not have been on the field, he knew about Hiro''s early arrival.


    Having such a dedicated yer on his team made him feel quite ecstatic. But he couldn''t allow himself to show his ecstasy. So, he maintained a rather solemn look on his face. Although his eyes which were glistening with pride and approval said otherwise.


    Most of the young yers who experience sess so early in their life tend to be rather arrogant. But Hiro''s attitude said otherwise. Not only was he talented, but he was also dedicated. Just from his actions alone, he could tell that he was different.


    For a while, he continued to observe Hiro.


    "Alright, everyone, gather around," Coach Tatsuya called out, his voice firm yet encouraging. "I know yesterday was tough, but today is a new day. We have work to do, and I want to see the same level of effort andmitment that you showed in the match."


    No sooner had yers heard his voice, than they immediately hurried to the coach. Forming a circle around Coach Tatsuya, they lined up, awaiting his orders. Hiro too stood among them, glimming with a feeling of a sense of pride and responsibility.


    It wasn''t his first training session with the team. He had already trained once with them. But it was his first time training with them after sharing a moment together on the field. After his previous performance, they no longer looked at him the way they looked at him when he arrived here for the first time.


    At first, many of them looked at him with eyes full of suspicion, while many looked at him with mockery. But now he had managed to change those gazes with his performance.


    He knew that his actions could inspire his teammates, and he was ready to give his all, both for himself and for the team.

 Chapter 417 Bonding

    <h4>Chapter 417 Bonding</h4>


    As the training session began in earnest, the atmosphere shifted from one of fatigue to one of focus and resolve. The yers pushed through their soreness, driven by the desire to improve and seed.


    Despite consuming so much of his energy, Hiro continued to give his all. Leading by example, he poured every ounce of energy into his performance, leaving no room for error orints. And the way he devoted himself made it seem almost as if he had an infinite reserve of energy.


    Both his work ethic and enthusiasm were rather contagious. Not only did it influence his peers by arousing theirpetitive spirit, but it also influenced the coaching staff, making them even more enthusiastic about the session.


    The training ground, once quiet and still, was now alive with the sounds of effort and determination. While they marched on the field, the sun kept climbing high up in the sky. And, by the time their training session came to an end, it was already 10 of the morning.


    Beep!!


    The shrill sound of the whistle tore through the air, causing the yers to cease their actions on the field, signaling the end of the session. The training had been nothing but intense. And the sheer intensity of the training was evident on their exhausted faces.


    The training had left them gasping for breath.


    Panting heavily as they ceased their movement, many of them copsed on the field. While some stripped their sweat-soaked jerseys to cool themselves. Hiro on the other hand tried to stabilize his breathing. Though it drained him, yet still it felt quite rejuvenating.


    "Good work everybody, you all have worked really hard today. Keep it up," Coach Tatsuyamended, apuding his yers for their tenacity and dedication, "I''ll meet you all in the canteen"


    With that, Tatsuya left the pitch before others while discussing some tactics with his peers.


    "Thank you for your hard work," The yers responded in unison, their voices full of vigor.


    Even after the departure of the coaches, Hiro stayed put on the pitch for some while, attempting to bond with other yers. He knew that performing well in matches wasn''t enough; building strong rtionships with his fellow yers was equally crucial for sess.


    "Little guy, I''m expecting your reply to my post," Asahi Miura one of the veteran yers of the team who was well over thirty spoke in a friendly manner.


    At well over thirty, Asahi was a pir of experience and skill in the team. His tall, muscr frame and sharp eyes exuded confidence and determination, while his graying hair and lined face told stories of countless battles on the pitch.


    Asahi was not just a yer but a legend in the league. His achievements were remarkable; a four-time league champion, and a two-time MVP of the league, and despite ying as a midfielder he had been the top scorer of the league for two consecutive times during his prime.


    His presence on the field wasmanding, and his knack for reading the game made him an invaluable asset to the team. And for that reason even though he didn''t move as much as others, he was still valuable for the team.


    It''s not that he hadn''t received any offers from overseas. During his prime, he was even linked with one of the powerhouse teams in Germany, Borussia Dortmund. It was rumored that they wanted to bring him to their ranks.


    Thoughter he denied those ims of Dortmund trying to recruit him so nobody knows whether it''s just a rumor or truth.


    Surprisingly just at the moment when those rumors were circting, he had injured himself. At that time, he had been out of action for almost half the season due to his injury. So, even though he had denied those ims, it remains a matter of debate whether he was approached for real or not.


    Hiro looked up, smiling at Asahi. "Of course, Asahi-san. I''ll get to it right after this."


    Asahi chuckled, pping Hiro on the shoulder, "Good. You''ve got a promise, kid. Keep pushing, and you''ll go far."


    Hiro nodded, appreciating hispliment, "I''ll do my best to live up to not disappoint you"


    "Good, good..." Asahiughed, "You should visit us sometime. You know my daughter is a huge fan of yours?"


    Asahi''s daughter was only a year younger than him, so he felt a little hesitant to respond. Even though Asahi was acting friendly, he knew that if he said anything wrong he wouldn''t let him go. After all, it was a well-known fact in the team that he was overprotective of his daughter.


    Who knows what he''d do to him if he said something wrong?


    Even without looking at him, Hiro could tell that he was intently staring at him, waiting tosh out. Since he mentioned it, he could tell that his words were true. But he also knew that he was testing him by mentioning his daughter''s name. This made him quite nervous.


    Helplessly, he looked in the direction of Tatsuki and Naoto to bring him out of this situation. But just as he looked in their direction, both of them avoided his gaze.


    It was as if they were telling him to handle his situation by himself.


    Since they decided to abandon him, now he had to handle this situation all by himself. One wrong word and he might get his head chopped.


    "Thank you for the invitation Asahi-san. I''ll definitely try to visit you in my free time," Hiro replied politely.


    As for his daughter, he didn''t even mention it. He deduced that it''d be better to ignore his daughter so that he wouldn''t get any reason to pour on him.


    His response left no room for Asahi tosh out.


    "You''ve said it. So, do visit when you''ve got time," Asahi replied, "Also I''ve followed you on Insta. Be sure to follow back," he added.


    Hiro nodded his head, "I will"


    They weren''t aware that he had two separate ounts. So, he knew that Asahi must have followed him in his other ount which was meant for the public.


    It had been quite a lot since hest opened his ount.

 Chapter 418 Open Shower

    Chapter 418 Open Shower


    ??Hiro made full use of this opportunity to try to bond with his fellow teammates. Especially his bond with the veteran Asahi deepened even more after that short conversation.


    Then after a while yers began to disperse, heading toward the canteen for a well-deserved meal. Hiro however lingered for a while more on the pitch. He took his moment to absorb the scene; the bright blue sky above, the smell of the freshly cut grass, and the distant hum of the yers.


    It was moments like these that reminded him why he loved the game so much.


    While enjoying this peaceful moment, a sudden feeling of nostalgia struck him, "I hope you''re doing fine Shun" he mumbled as he thought of the moment when he used to train alongside Shun and others.


    It wasn''t just Shun. He thought of others too who had gone out to chase their dreams. He''d only be heartless if he didn''t even think of them after spending so much time with them.


    "Just hang in there guys," he whispered, shifting his focus back to the present.


    Walking slowly, Hiro then headed toward the canteen while reflecting on what he had been through. The intensity, the camaraderie, the encouragement from the coach and the senior yers, he could vividly recall it.


    He knew the road ahead would be tough, but with teammates like Asahi and a supportive coaching staff, he felt ready to face any challenge.


    "Considering my previous performance, I''d probably get some ying minutes in the next game. But what would I do after Ericson recovers?" he pondered.


    He had only started. But after his impressive debut, he was sure that he''d get some ying minutes in the next game too. However, he worried about his future once Ericson, the established star of the team, returned.


    His position shed with Ericson. And, it was a known fact that Ericson who had already established himself on the team would get priority over him. But he didn''t want to sit out or y as a substitute just because of him. He wanted to start.


    Just ying as a reserve yer wouldn''t satiate him. After all, he had a much grander goal to achieve. There was also a possibility of changing the formation to fit in two attacking midfielders. But considering the core philosophy of the team, it was rather doubtful.


    To y in two attacking midfielders, they''d require another midfielder capable of retaining the ball, and who''s equally good in offense and defense. However, after going through the list of avable yers on the roster, he knew that they didn''t possess anyone of such caliber.


    Which meant that they could only try to bolster that position in the transfer window. But there was still much time left for the transfer window to open again.


    "I won''t back down no matter what," Hiro''s eyes shed with determination.


    There was no point in thinking about this matter. Tactical decisions were all up to the coaching staff after all. Though he couldn''t influence their decision directly, it didn''t mean that he couldn''t do it indirectly. As long as he performs well, they''d be forced to put him on the team¡ª evenif it meant choosing him over their star yer Ericson.


    And, he was here to be the best. So to be the best, he''d have to beat the best.


    In the canteen, the atmosphere was rxed. A stark contrast to their previous self, all of them appeared thoroughly cleaned and refreshed. But their numbers appeared rather iplete.


    "Ahh!!" he paused as he remembered something, "How could I forget to hit the showers?"


    All those thinking had made him forget about hitting the shower first before heading to the canteen. How could he eat with a sweaty and dirty body? The stain marks from a moment ago were still evident on his face and jersey.


    And he also reeked of sweat.


    Then he headed to the shower to get cleaned before heading back to the canteen to eat. Arriving at the shower, he was met with the sight of men wandering around the shower, naked. It was an open shower, and it wasn''t his first time here either.


    Though it wasn''t his first time here, he still couldn''t used to such a sight.


    But what was there to get embarrassed? Although still a boy on the outside, he was way older than anybody present here if he added the years from his previous life.


    Yet when he looked at some of the yers with big guns, he couldn''t help but feel insecure about his little thing.


    Being born as a man,parison was unavoidable. Especially when hepared his thing with the foreign yers, it''d leave him devastated and ashamed.


    ''What''s there to fuss about'' he thought as he looked at his thing down there, appearing rather worked up, ''I still have time to grow''


    Even though he said those words to console himself, he knew that even if he did have more time to grow, his thing would never surpass those foreigners. Which made him feel slightly gloomy.


    Just at this moment when he was showing a plethora of emotions, one of the foreign yers of the squad approached him. It was Ricardo, one of the Brazilian yers on the team. Robustly built, he had a rather muscr body.


    And even down there, he was damn impressive.


    "Kid, your skills are that of a Brazilian. But...," Ricardo paused as he disappointingly lowered his head.


    Even without him mentioning it, he knew what he was about to say. But he didn''t want to hear it.


    "But..., except that little thing of yours. Sigh~" Ricardo sighed as hepleted his sentence, mocking Hiro''s libido.


    Hearing hisment, anger boiled inside him like bubbling tar. His face turned red with anger. Yet, he somehow refrained fromshing out.


    "I still have room to grow, Ricardo-san," he replied politely, maintaining hisposure to the best of his ability.


    After spending more than four years in Japan, Ricardo''s Japanese was almost perfect. Except for his ent which made him sound different. And for obvious reasons when he said those words full of mockery, it struck a nerve.

 Chapter 419 Outrage

    <h4>Chapter 419 Outrage</h4>


    The sky, painted with shades of orange and pink, slowly darkened, signaling the end of the day. But for Shun who had remained on the pitch, long after his teammates had left, it was far from over. His eyes could barely see the ball, yet he continued to train his reflexes.


    In front of him, the automatic balluncher shot multiple shots in his direction rapidly forcing him to make repeated saves without any rest. If he dyed even for a moment, he''d miss the ball.


    He wasn''tpeting against anybody. So, one may wonder why he was so caught up in trying to save almost every shot. Though he wasn''tpeting against anybody, it didn''t mean that he wasn''tpeting at all.


    Hispetition was with none other than himself.


    As he continued to make saves, sweat poured down his face, glistening in the fading light. His breathing continued to get heavier, yet he refused to stop.


    Pushing his limits, despite the evident exhaustion, he continued to make saves. Each dive, each jump, and each catch was an attempt to push his limits, to be better, faster, and more reliable.


    His unwavering determination was evident in his eyes.


    "I... need to... catch up soon," he mumbled with great difficulty, gasping heavily as he finally paused after the machine ran out of balls to shoot at him.


    Just like most of his teammates, he too had seen Hiro''s performance. And, he did feel happy for him. But, it also left a bad taste in his mouth. The two had shared the same field for many years. And, he had even left the academy earlier than him.


    But unlike him, he hadn''t managed to achieve any real-time sess. Instead, he had been loaned out to free up the roster.


    No, he wasn''t envious of Hiro. Though he hadn''t imagined him to make such a grand debut, he always believed that he''d do well even if the stage were to change. The stage might change, but his quality would remain the same.


    However, it didn''t feel good either. He was furious. But his fury wasn''t directed at anyone else but himself.


    Even when he had been loaned out, he didn''t feel even a bit enraged. Instead, he was happy to finally get some ying minutes. After all, he didn''t get much opportunity in the team because of the presence of Naoto.


    So, he was really happy to be loaned out.


    The team he was loaned out belonged to the second division. It was a team called Yokohama FC. No, it''s not a subsidiary team associated with the first-division team with almost the same name; Yokohama FM.


    It''s an entirely different team who were pushing for the first division.


    The previous season, he had nearly managed to lead them to the promotion. Securing a spot for the yoffs, they had ced fifth in the previous season.


    The top two teams of the league get directly promoted to the first division while the teams cing 3rd to 6th battle against each other in yoffs, for an opportunity to secure the promotion.


    However, even after the yoffs, the winning team needs to face the 16th-ce team from the first division to actually get promoted to the first division.


    And, almost most of the time, even after winning the yoffs, the team from the second division would end up losing against the 16th-ced team of the first division.


    So, apart from the top two teams of the league, the opportunity for promotion was rather slim for the rest of the teams fighting for the promotion.


    Precisely because of his performance, he had gone soft. Though even after his marvelous performance he still failed to get a shot at his parent club. And, this season again he had returned back to the same club.


    It''s not that he didn''t get other offers. But, having spent a season already, it didn''t feel like moving to an entirely different team. It was because of the sense of familiarity and the feeling of importance that had brought him again to this club.


    This season too, his performance had been nothing but marvelous. As of now, they were ced third in the league and if they continued their momentum, they could even aim for direct promotion.


    The feeling of importance, the feeling of others relying on him had gotten to his head; making him forget his goals. He had bex. His spot on the team was guaranteed, and there was nobody to challenge him for his spot.


    Even if he did make a few errors, nobody would criticize him which only added to his alreadyfort. And, when you get toofortable, you lose sight of your goals.


    Only those who can step out of theirfort zone can improve.


    Feeling frustrated at himself for his attitude, Shun pounded his punch on the ground as he remained t against his face facing the sky.


    Unbeknownst to Shun, his coach, Nakamura, stood silently at the edge of the training ground, observing him with a mixture of pride and concern. Nakamura had finished his own work for the day but on his way home, he had noticed Shun''s continued presence on the field.


    It was way past the training time. But despite noticing his presence on the field, instead of calling out to him, he chose to watch from the shadows, silently observing and analyzing him.


    Shun''s dedication was evident, and it struck a chord with Nakamura. Just like him, once he too was like that; staying upte in the field driven by a desire to improve. Watching him train felt rather nostalgic as he remembered his younger days.


    Which is why, he didn''t intervene.


    Sure, hard work was important but so was rest. Training tirelessly while ignoring rest would only ruin a yer''s career. And, he was well aware of it.


    But still, he couldn''t bring himself to tell Shun to stop. How could he do it after seeing such determination in his eyes?


    So despite his understanding, he stood on the sidelines, waiting for him to finish his training. It was the only approach he could take right now, he felt so.


    The pressure that Shun was putting on himself, he knew that it was a double-edged sword. Nakamuracould see that Shun was not just training hard; he was fighting against the weight of his own expectations and fears of inadequacy.


    He knew that Shun was fairly talented. And his dedication was also great. Having coached him for more than a season, he was aware of his personality and traits. And, he also believed that if his progression remained steady, one day he''d make it.


    But watching him train to the point of falling apart today, made him slightly worried.


    Finally, as Shun copsed on the floor and remained idle for a while, he decided it was time to step in. He approached the goal quietly, his gaze filled with concern fixated on Shun.


    "Shun," he called out softly.


    Startled, Shun turned to see his coach standing in front of him with a thoughtful expression on his face.


    ''He shouldn''t be here at the moment. So, what''s he doing here? Is he here to reprimand me? I''ve breached the curfew.'' several thoughts appeared in his mind as he noticed his coach''s presence.


    Coach Nakamura had implemented a strict set of rules to maintain discipline in the squad. One of those rules was the implementation of a curfew.


    After the end of the training, yers were required to leave the premises and prioritize recovery. Having ended his career early due to his recklessness, he had especially reminded them to be mindful of this rule.


    Everyone knew that it was for their sake that he had implemented such a rule. After all, as much as training is important, recovery is equally important as well. Not only does resting well allow their fatigued muscles proper time to recover, but it also keeps them sharp.


    Fearing the wrath of his manager, Shun said, "Coach Nakamura...," he paused for a while, trying to catch his breath, and added, "I didn''t see you there."


    It''s not what he wanted to say, but it was all that he could muster right now.


    Nakamura walked closer, wearing a solemn look on his face. But the more he got closer, the more his heart thumped. Perspiration trickled down his face, and he started feeling a little tense as if his shoulder were starting to stiffen.


    ''He won''t let me?'' he thought, scared.


    Contrary to his expectation, Nakamura then ced his hands atop his shoulder, "I''ve been watching you for a while. Your dedication is impressive, but remember, improvement isn''t just about how much time you spend on the field. It''s also about how you use that time."


    It wasn''t what he was expecting. In fact, he was preparing to face his wrath and his punishment. But those words left him utterly speechless. He had broken the rule, but yet instead of getting angry at him, his coach was trying to console him.


    For some reason, his words made him feel extremely guilty.

 Chapter 420 The Road

    <h4>Chapter 420 The Road</h4>


    Upon hearing his coach''s words, he looked down, trying to avoid his gaze. But he couldn''t pretend not to hear him. Coach Nakamura was present right before him, expecting an answer from him. And, it would only appear as if he were fleeing had he chosen to remain silent.


    A mixture of embarrassment and guilt shed in his eyes as tried to speak his heart, "I just want to get better, Coach. I feel like I need to do more."


    He was well aware that he had breached the rule. And, he shouldn''t be saying such stuff right now. Instead, he should be apologizing. But yet, he couldn''t bring himself to apologize either. He felt as if he had to offload these unsettling feelings off of his heart.


    "I understand," Nakamura replied gently. "But sometimes, less is more. Pushing yourself too hard can lead to burnout or injury. You need to find a bnce. Trust in the training sessions, and trust in yourself."


    Nakamura could clearly see the conflict in his eyes, his resolve to improve, and his fury at himself. But he knew that hastiness wasn''t the answer to his problems. After all, improvement takes time and dedication.


    Just by pushing your limits one day in the gym, you won''t see any results.


    And, even if one were to push past their limits on a daily basis, it''s not guaranteed that one might actually get better. People require rest to function. Especially for athletes, it''s even more true. Since they engage in physical exercises, they need even more rest than normal people for their muscles to recover.


    Overworking oneself would only increase the chances of injury.


    Even famous yers like Cristiano Ronaldo who spends most of his time training put rest in their major priority. They know that as much as training is important, recovery is equally important.


    Many people assume that by working more, you achieve more. But it''s not entirely true. When putting the right effort into the right thing, one can improve more than the one who mindlessly works hard.


    And, right now he was doing the exact same thing. Driven by his fury at himself, he was overworking his already tired body to improve. It was unlikely to happen.


    They had a match tomorrow. And, now due to his recklessness instead of doing him good, he had tired himself. In his present condition, he was unlikely to be in a perfect condition in tomorrow''s match. And, for sure if he were to start in such a condition, mistakes were inevitable.


    Shun then nodded, taking in his coach''s words. He respected Nakamura immensely and knew he was right. "I''ll try, Coach," he said, his voice tinged with a mix of relief and exhaustion.


    Nakamura gave him an encouraging smile. "Good. Now, let''s call it a day. You''ve done enough for tonight. Go home, rest, ande back fresh tomorrow."


    Before they could walk out of the field, he felt an intense urge to speak something. Though his heart hesitated to say it, he couldn''t bring himself to keep it either.


    "About tomorrow''s match... I think it''s only fair for you to bench me. I think..., I deserve it," Shun spoke with great difficulty.


    And Nakamura could very well feel the difficulty. It was a sign that he was maturing. It was a sign that he was guilty for his actions. And, it was a sign that he was trying to own up to his actions. This gesture of Shun brought a smile to his face.


    His lips curled into a smile, and his eyes glistened as he got washed by an intense feeling of joy and pride. To be part of his yer''s improvement, what more could a coach desire?


    He wanted to praise Shun. But he couldn''t bring himself to do it. He feared that it''d hinder his path of improvement. So he kept it to himself.


    "Rest well," he replied briefly in his usual tone.


    "Yes sir," Shun responded, his voice full of vigor."Then I''ll clear up this mess first before heading home," he added.


    The balls were scattered all over the ground, and so were the equipment. So, it was only natural for him to clear up his mess. Since it was he who caused this mess in the first ce.


    But just as he was about to head away to collect the balls, Coach Nakamura prevented him, "Go and get the. Two hands are better than one"


    Coach Nakamura was offering to help him clean up this mess. So, how could he refuse it? And as he said, it''d be quicker with the two of them instead of him doing everything alone. For reasons like this why he respected Coach Nakamura.


    Though he appeared stern from the outside, he was really afortable person to be with.


    "Make sure to catch well," Nakamura added as Shun was about to leave.


    Then while Shun grabbed the, Nakamura began to shoot the scattered balls in his direction, one by one. His shots were quite precise, showing his quality as a yer. Even though it had been quite a long since he hung his boots, he hadn''t rusted.


    It was as if he were taking freekicks during his time as a yer. And, Shun who was on the receiving end could vividly feel the weight behind those shots.


    ''Once a yer, always a yer'' he thought as he caught the balls in the without missing any.


    With the two of them working together, they quickly managed to clean up the pitch. Then after collecting everything, they walked out of the field together.


    As they walked off the field together, thest light of the evening faded into the night. The training ground, once filled with the sounds of effort and determination, now fell silent.


    While getting off the field, Shun nced back at the goal onest time. And as he nced back, he felt a renewed sense of purpose and gratitude for his coach''s guidance. Just as Coach Nakamura had said, the road to improvement was long and arduous.

 Chapter 421 Meetup with Eric

    Chapter 421 Meetup with Eric


    ??As Hiro''s performance on the field continued to dazzle fans and critics alike, his fame soared to a level anything like before. In a month''s worth of time, his reputation surpassed that of an emerging talent. Each match brought new des, and his reputation as a rising star soared.


    Registering a goal contribution every 70 minutes, he earned himself a spot in the starting eleven. Initially, he shed with the team''s star Ericson. Butter as they worked together to tear the defense of the opposing teams apart, they got ustomed to each other''s y.


    Now together, they haunted their opponents.


    But due to the hole in the defensive midfield position, they still couldn''t find a rhythm. And, though their performance had improved significantly, still they hadn''t managed to clinch the top spot. Comfortably sitting at the second spot, they were right now ced second in the league.


    With every goal and assist, his social media following exploded, and brand endorsements flooded in, vying for his attention. Not only regionally, but his poprity also spread worldwide as even some international fans started taking notice of him due to the media exposure and the clips circting on social media sites.


    Yet despite his sess, he was finding it quite overwhelming to handle his sess. The constant notifications from his social media ounts, the never-ending stream of emails from potential sponsors, and the need to maintain his public image were starting to take a toll on him.


    Previously he didn''t have to be conscious of his image. But now he couldn''t even show his face in public or roam the streets peacefully. Every time, he''d walk out of his house he''d get bombarded by fans.


    Even doing grocery shopping had started bing a hassle. He hadn''t handled such a level of attention previously. Though he had been fairly known previously, he could still roam around the streets peacefully.


    But now, if he went out in public without a mask or a cap, somebody would notice him. It''s as if he had be a national-level celebrity.


    Such a level of affection and attention however was starting to affect both his personal life and professional life. He couldn''t even attend his training without being noticed.


    One early morning when he arrived at the training ground to train, he noticed a flock of supporters guarding the gate, awaiting his arrival. Unaware of their intentions, as he tried to get through them, they stopped him and started interacting with him.


    And though they meant no harm and were merely present there to see him and interact with him, he wasted more than an hour''s worth of his time trying to get through them.


    Then one day he got a call from his agent Eric Parker. In the call, Eric told him that he was right now in Japan for some business deals. So since he was in Japan, he asked to meet with him. It had been quite a lot of time since hest met Eric in person, so he readily agreed to his suggestion.


    As he prepared to head out, Hiro nced at the ck mask and ck cap resting atop his bed, "Do I really have to keep on wearing these?" he murmured, sounding rather tired.


    Earlier while getting dressed, he was quite excited about the meeting. But now as he nced at his mask and cap, he couldn''t help but frown. He really didn''t want to wear those.


    Nheless, he still put them on. Well if he didn''t, who knows if he''d even get to the meeting in time? And, he didn''t want to mess up.


    So for such reason, he put on his mask and his cap, against his will. Since they had a match the other day, the coach had given them a day off today. So, he was free for the entire day today.


    "Jeez..., you look like a kidnapper," Tatsuki who was in front of the TV ced in the hall, joked about his appearance.


    Naoto at the moment was in the kitchen preparing something to eat. The aromaing from the kitchen smelled quite fragrant. Since both he and Tatsuki were bad at cooking, Naoto handled the cooking.


    And for some reason, Naoto was quite skilled at cooking. Not only were his goalkeeping skills top-notch, but his cooking skills were even better. Was it because he was good with his hands, that he naturally was good at cooking too?


    Neither he nor Tatsuki could figure it out. But one thing both of them agreed on unterally was the fact that after retiring Naoto would go on to open his own restaurant. Both of them could vividly visualize it as well.


    The fragrant aroma of herbs and salmon blended together, creating a mouth-watering sensation. And, since he hadn''t had anything to eat, Hiro started to salivate upon smelling it. The aroma intensified his hunger as his stomach started making growling noises.


    Growl!!


    If not for the sound of the television, Tatsuki would have immediately found out.


    "Well, I''m on my way to kidnap your Golden Boot," he replied sarcastically.


    His response triggered Tatsuki which made him jump out of his seat. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he looked at Hiro with eyes full of agitation. It appeared as if he was trying to say something but couldn''t find the right words to say it.


    Just at this moment, Naoto walked in. And, he immediately caught the whiff of the thing that had taken ce here at the moment. He could tell that it was Tatsuki who had started the fight and Hiro would have replied something that caused him to get agitated.


    Naoto sighed as he ignored Tatsuki and looked at Hiro, "You''re meeting Parker-san today right?"


    Hiro had already informed them about his meeting with Eric. After all, both of them took care of him as if he were their own little brother. So, it wouldn''t be fair to hide such stuff from them now, would it?


    Hiro gently nodded his head as he answered, "Yeah,"


    Naoto''s eyes shed with concern as he asked, "Will you be alright? If you want we coulde with you?"


    Naoto was genuinely worried about him. And, he could feel it too. But troubling them for his matter would be really selfish of him. So, he politely declined his offer, "No, it''s alright. Eric said that he''ll be sending a driver over so I''ll be fine. But thank you for your concern."


    After hearing Hiro''s response, Naoto felt a little relieved. He was aware of the troubles Hiro had been suffering due to his increased fame.

 Chapter 422 Personal Manager

    <h4>Chapter 422 Personal Manager</h4>


    After about a 25-minute ride, Hiro arrived at his destination. It was a traditional restaurant known for its exclusivity, a ce often reserved for the society''s elite.


    The restaurant, with its serene garden entrance, papernterns, and tatami rooms, provided a peaceful respite from the chaos of the outside world. And it was also located quite far away from the city.


    Upon his arrival, he was warmly greeted by a few of the standing staff members of the restaurant who were dressed beautifully in traditional Japanese attire. He politely returned the greeting as he bowed his head.


    "This way sir," one of the staff members said, her tone sweet and melodious.


    It was as if they were awaiting his arrival. Their hospitalitybined with the peaceful ambiance, helped him to feel at ease. It was the most peaceful he had felt in a long time.


    As he entered, he was assaulted with the scent of freshly brewed tea and the soft sounds of a Koto ying in the background. The ambiance inside the ce was rather tranquil.


    Then thedy showed him to the private room that Eric had reserved. The room in itself wasn''t anything extravagant, but somehow it felt like entering a different dimension when he walked through the door.


    The sunlight entering from the window, the scenic garden outside, everything felt so soothing that he just couldn''t help but admire the understated elegance of this ce.


    "Mr. Eric will arrive soon, until then please take a seat," thedy said as she showed him to the table.


    Nodding his head, he followed her. Then he sat with his legs crossed. There were no chairs in this room, but only a tea table and some cushions.


    Then as he got seated, thedy left. She again entered the room holding a teapot and a cup. Then she brewed him some tea to enjoy until the arrival of Eric.


    Taking the cup from her, he took a sip. It was rather hot but refreshing. Just from a sip alone, he felt as if his mind was melting. While enjoying his tea, he then awaited Eric''s arrival.


    Shortly after Eric arrived wearing a familiar smile on his face.


    "Hiro, it''s been too long," he greeted warmly, extending his hand.


    "It has, Eric," Hiro replied, shaking his hand firmly. "This ce is amazing."


    "I thought you''d appreciate the peace and quiet," Eric said, settling down on the cushion opposite Hiro. "And I wanted to discuss something important in a rxed setting."


    Then as the two of them settled down, the waiter served both of them some green tea before taking their orders. Since Hiro hadn''t been to such an extravagant ce before, it only felt right to him that it''d be better for Eric to handle the ordering.


    After a little thought, Eric ced his order. Getting their order the waiter turned to leave. And the two of them continued to converse. Catching up on old times, and reminiscing about past games, performances, and achievements.


    While they continued to talk, the waiter entered the room with a handful of delicate tes of sushi. Since they were in Japan, and also in a traditional authentic Japanese restaurant, Eric felt it''d only do the ce justice if they were to order some sushi.


    So with such thoughts in mind, he had ordered sushi. And just from the looks of it, Hiro could tell that it was damn expensive.


    Having nothing to eat, he could eat a boar right now. Though he maintained hisposure from the outside, he was salivating from the inside. Upon seeing the nicely ted sushi in front of him, he swallowed secretively.


    "Then shall we proceed? You must be hungry, right?" Eric asked.


    Hiro nodded his head. This was the moment he had been waiting for long. So, how could he refuse the offer?


    Then the two of them started eating. Eric ate rather elegantly while Hiro despite his attempt on trying to hold him, wolfed down as if he was starving for three nights. Eric however didn''t mind his gesture as he found it quite interesting.


    To Eric, it seemed as if apart from his appearance, his eating habit was the only other child-like thing Hiro possessed. Watching him chow down the dishes, it really felt as if he was in the presence of a kid and not somebody mature.


    After all, the way Hiro talked and orchestrated himself defied his age. So while talking to him, he couldn''t help but shake this feeling that he was lying about his age.


    While they ate, they continued to exchange their pleasantries, trying to know more about each other''s situation. Eric had gone up to be one of the top agents in Europe. And, he had been constantly trying to contact the top clubs in Europe to get him signed.


    Even though despite his reputation he hadn''t had any real-time sess until now, he was still trying his best to get him signed. Also, he got to know from Eric that Mateo had been signed by Girona for his excellent performance in the World Cup.


    Having insider news, Eric shared that it wasn''t just Girona who were after him but top clubs like Barcelona, AC Mn, Benfica, and even Manchester City were interested in him. But afraid that he wouldn''t get much ying time in these top clubs, he chose Girona in the end that''s what Eric spected.


    It wasn''t just Mateo, but Alex, Simon, and many others had already embarked on their professional journey in Europe. There were still many remarkable exceptional talents who were already showing their charms in Europe due to which clubs were rather hesitant to sign some unknown talents outside Europe and America.


    Even though there were quite a lot of exceptional talents emerging from Africa and Asia, the prejudices regarding the race continued to remain.


    "I''ll try my best from my side, but you need to show your qualities on your part as well Hiro," Eric said as he tried to encourage Hiro.


    "I''ll do my best Eric," he answered earnestly, determination shing in his eyes.


    After the initial pleasantries, suddenly Eric''s expression grew serious.


    "Hiro, we also need to discuss your increasing fame and the demands thate with it," Eric began, leaning forward. "I can see it''s starting to overwhelm you. Previously I thought that it''d be a while before you reach such a stage so I neglected it. But your growth is even beyond my expectations."


    Hiro sighed, setting his teacup down. "You''re right, Eric. Handling all these endorsements and my social media is bing too much. I get flooded with emails all the time. And, it''s bing increasingly hard trying to handle my social media ount as well. I could no longer choose to ignore it like I did it before."


    "Then how about hiring someone who could handle all that stuff for you?" Eric presented his opinion after listening to Hiro''s worries.


    Hiro felt rather unsure about it as he knotted his brow into a frown, "But I''m not sure about having someone else handle my personal life and information."


    Eric nodded, understanding his hesitation. "I get it, Hiro. It''s a big step to trust someone with that part of your life. But think about it¡ªhaving a professional manage these things will allow you to focus more on what you do best: ying football. They can filter out the noise, handle the logistics, and ensure that your public image remains intact."


    "Almost all of the professional yers do it," he added.


    Hiro started pondering over Eric''s words. The logic was clear to him, but it still bugged him to have someone handle his personal information,"It''s not just about trust. It''s also about privacy. My personal life is... personal."


    What if they misuse his information? Having someone manage his personal information meant that he''d be at risk of getting his identity misused. So, he was rather hesitant about the idea of letting someone else handle his personal information.


    Catching on the whiff of his hesitation, Eric smiled gently as he tried to assure Hiro, "Of course, and that''s why I''m suggesting someone who''s not only skilled but also trustworthy."


    Since it''s a person who has managed to gain Eric''s trust, it wouldn''t do him any harm to hear about the person now, would it? With such thoughts in mind, he meekly asked about the person, "Let''s hear about them first"


    "There''s a young woman, a recent college graduate, who has excellent reviews. Her name is Ayumi Tanaka. She''s 21, lives here in Japan, and she''s very professional and she''s skilled as well. Plus, she''s got the right bnce of energy and expertise to handle the demands of your career."


    Still, even after hearing Eric''s praises of her, Hiro hesitated about the idea of having a stranger manage his affairs. However, a part of him seemed interested as well, so he asked, "Tell me more about her."


    Sensing Hiro''s interest, Eric continued, "Ayumi graduated top of her ss in business management."

 Chapter 423 A visit to the cafe

    Chapter 423 A visit to the cafe


    ??"She''s handled internships with some toppanies, and everyone who''s worked with her speaks highly of her. Besides her professional qualifications, she''s got a knack for social media and understands the intricacies of managing a public persona."


    Eric was full of her praises. And, it almost seemed as if he were her patron.


    He ardently listened to Eric as he continued to vouch. Then as he finished his sentence, Hiro looked at Eric, weighing his options. Eric had a strange glimmer in his eyes, almost as if he were expecting a positive response from him.


    It made him a bit ufortable. But as he remembered the constant barrage of notifications and demands flooding his way, he couldn''t help but think otherwise.


    After all, the thought of having someone skilled to handle these hassling aspects of his life was rather tempting.


    "Do you really think she''s the right fit for me?" he asked concernedly.


    Eric nodded confidently as he answered, "Absolutely. I wouldn''t have suggested her if I didn''t think so. I''ve seen her work and believe she can make your life much easier. Give her a chance. If it doesn''t work out, we can always reconsider."


    It was exactly as he said. If it doesn''t work out what''s the worst that could happen to him?


    As he heard him, Hiro thought for a while. Seeing Hiro lost in his thoughts, Eric too remained silent as he awaited his decision. And, while he took his time to think, it got eerily silent around them.


    Then after a long pause, Hiro let out a sigh, feeling the weight of his decision, "Alright, Eric. Let''s meet her. But I want to be clear about boundaries and privacy."


    Though he was willing to let her handle his personal information, he didn''t want her to strictly control his schedules for him.


    As Eric heard Hiro''s response, his eyes glistened with joy. He was both relieved and excited to hear his decision. He knew that it would be beneficial to him.


    "Of course, Hiro," Eric agreed, his toneced with excitement. "I''ll arrange a meeting with her. You''ll see¡ªthis could be a game-changer for you."


    Though he had already made his decision, he still wasn''t sure if it''d bring him some positive results or negative. But still, since it''s a professional who''s handling it, he was assured that it''d reduce the pressure on him by a lot.


    Since they are trained in such kinds of stuff, obviously they''d deal with it better than him. For now, he could rx and enjoy his time. After all, not every day would he be able to taste such delicious delicacies now, would he?


    And also, not every day would he be able to rx like the present moment. So, he needed to savor this moment as much as he could so that he could recharge his mind and soul.


    Enjoying the scenic garden view, the melodious chime of music in the background, and some other delicacies that the restaurant had to offer, Hiro spent his time wisely.


    ???? ????


    The next day, Eric once again set up a meeting at another exclusive venue; a quiet cafe with an elegant, and minimalist design. There wasn''t any game today as well, but he still had to show up for the training.


    Since he hadn''t missed even a single training session since the beginning of his professional career, he could have asked for a leave. But despite having the privilege to apply for a leave, he finished his training before heading to the meeting location.


    Arriving early, he stood in front of the cafe, scanning for the person who matched Eric''s description. The cafe wasn''t crowded, and everyone seemed engrossed in their own world.


    For today''s asion, since he was going to meet a new person, he had chosen to dress in formal attire to leave a good impression on the person he was scheduled to meet. It wasn''t Eric, but the person whom Eric had mentioned previously.


    He continued to search for a while through the window panel, but he couldn''t locate anybody who matched Eric''s description. So, he retracted his gaze as he ended his search. Then he looked at his reflection in the mirror.


    He was dressed in a white linen shirt and a formal ck pant.


    Due to the rush, his shirt hade untucked. So, he tucked it again, smoothened it a bit, and fixed his cor before heading inside.


    As he stepped inside the cafe, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled his senses. The cafe was brightly lit and had a rather warm glow to it.


    For a while, he stood at the entrance, appreciating the elegance of this ce.


    Only after one of the staff members approached him did hee back to his senses, "Woah..., you''re Takahashi Hiro right?" she eximed, her eyes wide with excitement.


    Though he had left his cap back home, he still had his mask on. So, it should be still quite difficult to notice him.


    As he came to his senses, he noticed the girl in front of him.


    The staff girl was dressed in the cafe''s uniform of a crisp white shirt and ck apron. She had a rather friendly, and weing demeanor. Her short brown hair framed her face, and her eyes were sparkling with enthusiasm.


    However, despite her professional demeanor, it was clear that she was thrilled to see Hiro in person.


    Hiro could have easily denied her ims and ignored her. But for some reason, he didn''t feel like denying her.


    "Yes, that''s me," Hiro replied while pulling down his mask a bit, showcasing a warm smile on his face.


    As he lifted down his mask, her eyes sparkled with excitement.


    "I can''t believe you''re here!" she said, her voice filled with genuine excitement. "I''d love to ask for an autograph or a photo, but I''m on duty, and I don''t want to get in trouble."


    Though she appeared to be excited, she was well aware of her boundaries. She knew that it''d cause trouble if she were to ask him to do something. He was their customer at the moment, and it was their duty to serve him to the best of their abilities.

 Chapter 424 A wish of a fan

    <h4>Chapter 424 A wish of a fan</h4>


    Hiro could vividly feel her genuine intentions. Again, he could ignore her wish and continue with his task. But it''d probably leave her disappointed. And, he didn''t want that. So, he nodded his head as he appreciated her dedication, "I understand. Maybeter?"


    Upon hearing his words, her face lightened.?"That''d be amazing," she eximed cheerfully.


    "Do you have a reservation here? Or would you like me to find you a perfect ce for you?" The staff girl asked.


    "I''ve got a reservation," he said as he showed her the reservation that Eric had sent to him.


    Then she led him to his ce. He took his seat and ordered a cup of coffee. He was more of a tea person than a coffee person. Nheless, he enjoyed it both.


    As the minutes passed, he couldn''t help but notice the staff girl ncing his way asionally. The excitement on her face was still palpable. But he ignored her presence as he continued to wait for Ayumi''s arrival.


    Soon, a youngdy elegantly dressed in formal attire with a professional demeanor and a warm smile approached his table. Just from a nce alone, he could tell that she was Ayumi Tanaka, the person whom he was supposed to meet today.


    She matched Eric''s description perfectly.


    Approaching him, she extended her hand as she introduced herself, "Hello, Hiro. I''m Ayumi Tanaka."


    Hiro shook her hand, noting her firm grip and confident presence. The way she carried herself, surprised him quite a bit. But he couldn''t keep her waiting now, could he? So without wasting any time, he introduced himself, "Nice to meet you, Ayumi. I''ve heard good things about you."


    "Thank you," Ayumi replied, her eyes meeting his with a steady gaze. Then without beating around the bush, she headed straight for the topic of discussion that they were supposed to have, "I understand the importance of trust and privacy, especially for someone in your position. My job is to make your life easier withoutpromising your personal space."


    For sure, Eric would have informed about his concerns to her. If not how could he exin her response? He hadn''t even begun, yet she already knew his concerns. At this moment, his senses told him that it wouldn''t be easy to back out now.


    But as they discussed the specifics of her role, surprisingly Hiro found himself impressed by Ayumi''s professionalism and understanding of his concerns. To him she was way younger than him, considering his real age. But her intellect and her confidence blew him.


    She outlined exactly how she would manage his endorsements, handle his social media ounts, and filter out unnecessary distractions, all while keeping him informed and in control. She already had a detailed n ready.


    And was only awaiting his approval. If he were to approve her, she''d start right away. There was nothing but benefits in it for him. Although she was rather expensive to afford, considering her skills and experience, he truly felt as if she was worth every penny she asked for.


    Perhaps this really was the solution he needed.


    By the end of the meeting, Hiro felt a sense of relief as he heard her. "Alright, Ayumi," he said with a small smile. "Let''s give this a try."


    After hearing so much, there really wasn''t much room for him to waste his time deciding. So, he immediately came to a decision.


    Her eyes shed with determination as she nodded, "I won''t let you down, Hiro"


    "d to have you on board," Hiro extended his hand, wearing an amicable smile on his face.


    Ayumi shook his hand as the two of them came to a verbal agreement. Now all that was left was to sign the contract to fully finalize the deal.


    After the conclusion of the deal, they exchanged some pleasantries as they tried to learn more about each other. For Ayumi, Hiro was a precious client, so she had to learn more about him in order to do a better job.


    While for Hiro, she was somebody who could tone down the hassles in his life. So, it was equally important for him to get to know more about her. After all, she''d be handling most of his personal information from now on.


    And as the meeting concluded, both of them turned to leave.


    "Then I''ll email you the details of the contract," Ayumi said as she rose from her seat.


    The bill had been already taken care of by Eric, so none of them were required to pay. Well, they hadn''t had much to eat, so even if that were not the case, it wouldn''t have been a problem for either of them to take care of the bill.


    Then after the meeting concluded, Hiro put on his mask and made his way back to the entrance, where the staff girl from before was still working diligently.


    Seeing her, he remembered about the earlier request. So, he approached her with an amicable smile on his face, "Hey, I have some time now. Would you like that photo?"


    As she heard him, her face lit up, "Really? Thank you so much!"


    The two of them took a quick photo together, and Hiro even signed an autograph for her as well. This humble gesture of Hiro, she couldn''t forget for the rest of her life. She was over the moon as she repeatedly thanked Hiro.


    Appreciating her gratitude, he left the cafe in a hurry before anybody else would take notice of him. He was really satisfied today.


    Despite the overwhelming demands of his rising fame, he still couldn''t deny that moments like this were really amazing to experience at times.


    Later that evening, she posted the picture on her social media, proudly showing it off to her friends and followers. "Guess who I met today? The one and only Takahashi Hiro! He was so nice and even took a picture with me! #DreamComeTrue #HiroTakahashi"


    That shared post of her received tons of attention as she was bombarded with likes andments. Many who were present in the cafe at that time, expressed their grief for not being able to meet him in thements as well.

 Chapter 425 Face-off

    Chapter 425 Face-off


    ??The locker room of Kawasaki was charged with palpable tension at the moment as yers prepared themselves for the match against the league leader, Kobe. Most of them had already got dressed and were waiting for their coach''s final words while some appeared to be in some kind of slump.


    Currently, there were two kinds of people present in the locker room; one who was excited about the match and the other who was anxious about the match.


    Yet still, it was rather quiet here at the moment.


    Already ustomed to the ways of his teammates, the quietness in the locker room before the start of an important match wasn''t a new thing for Hiro. Often, they preferred to remain silent to prepare mentally against what was about toe.


    "You nervous, kid?" Asahi tried to initiate a conversation with him.


    "Well, a little, but not much," Hiro answered honestly without hiding anything.


    After all, it''d be lying if he were to say that he wasn''t even a bit nervous at all. The opponent they were going to face today was a rather formidable team full of stars. Even the legendary Andreas Iniesta had yed for this club.


    And, even now they weren''tcking yers of high caliber.


    Everyone was already aware of the difficulty of the match, and thus many were rather quiet at the moment.


    "At least you''re honest about your feelings," Asahi said.


    Then while they were conversing, Coach Tatsuya walked inside. Upon his arrival, everybody stopped their gossip as they directed their attention towards him.


    Standing at the center of the room, he swept his gaze across the entire room, scanning each yer''s face, and gauzing their readiness.


    "Alright, everyone," Coach Tatsuya began, his voice steady but powerful, cutting through the anxious silence. "We all know what''s at stake today. Vissel Kobe is at the top of the league, and we have a chance to change that. We''ve trained hard, and we''vee a long way. This is our moment."


    They were right behind the league leaders, so even though they had plenty of matches left to be yed, today''s match wasn''t just any match, but this was the match that could very well redefine their season.


    Both being a formidable team, it was unlikely for either of them to lose many of their other matches. So, as much as it meant to them, this match was equally important for the opposing team as well. After all, they had an opportunity to extend their lead even further.


    While Hiro and his teammates had an opportunity to surpass them.


    His words had an immediate effect as they drew the attention of his yers towards him.


    "Remember the preparation we''ve put in. Every drill, every strategy session¡ªit all leads to this. Trust in your skills, trust in each other. y with heart, and don''t forget why we love this game."


    They had been preparing intensely for this match for a while by now. Analyzing their y, creating strategies to nullify their y, and going through a rigorous training regime, they had been training intensely for the past few weeks for this match.


    And, Tatsuya''s words exactly reflected the amount of effort they had put in.


    Tatsuya then paused for a while to let his words sink in, "This match means everything. It''s not just about the points; it''s about pride, it''s about proving ourselves. You have the talent, you have the drive, and now, you have the opportunity. Let''s seize it."


    As he said, a murmur of agreement rippled through the team. The tension began to ease and was reced by a burgeoning sense of determination.


    "Stay sharp, stay focused. And most importantly, enjoy the game. Let''s go out there and show them what we''re made of," Tatsuya finished, pping his hands together.


    Just as he finished his words, the team roared in unison, and suddenly it got extremely noisy. A sharp contrast to the previous atmosphere at the locker room, right now it was bustling with energy and passion.


    Then they all exited the locker room. Their morale was at an all-


    time high, and so were their spirits. It was almost as if they weren''t worried about the match at all.


    And, as they approached the tunnel, Hiro could audibly feel the noise from the stadium growing louder with each step. The closer he got to the exit of the tunnel, the more the noise grew on him. Then they all stood in a queue, awaiting the announcement to walk out onto the field.


    Many of his teammates, mostly the experienced ones who had been ying for quite a while by now, started exchanging friendly greetings with the opposing yers. But he preferred to remain silent and hidden.


    There were familiar yers on the opposing team. Yet, he intentionally chose to ignore them as he tried to hide his presence. They were familiar but they weren''t close to him, or so he felt. That''s why he wasn''t willing to be involved with them.


    But despite his best efforts to remain undercover, he still got found out by the curious gaze of Tominaga Nijichi.


    "Well, well, if it isn''t Takahashi Hiro," Nijichi said, a smirk ying on his lips. "Ready to lose today?"


    Hearing his voice, Hiro turned to look at him.He appeared quite confident and as arrogant as usual. Nothing much had changed, except the fact that they were no longer wearing the same jersey.


    Previously they had shared the field while ying for the national team. But now both of them were dressed in different jerseys, queued in different queues.


    Since he was already found out, Hiro had no reason to remain hidden anymore. So, he looked Nijichi in the eye. For sure, he could tell that he wasn''t here to greet him or had any good intentions. The tone of his voice and that smirk on his face were proof of his bad intentions.


    But he didn''t feel bothered in the slightest. After all, he was well aware of his attitude problems. So instead of getting annoyed, Hiro smiled.


    With a calm, unruffled expression, he responded, "Good to see you too, Nijichi. We''ll see who loses today."

 Chapter 426 Kawasaki vs Kobe I

    <h4>Chapter 426 Kawasaki vs Kobe I</h4>


    Upon hearing Hiro''s response, Nijichi''s smirk faltered slightly. Annoyance flickered in his eyes as he said, "You''ve got a lot of nerve, Hiro. Don''t think your luck will hold out."


    The smile on Hiro''s face widened. He could vividly see the effect of his words. And, he felt quite amused upon seeing Nijichi''s reactions. So, he decided to continue, "Luck? It''s not about luck, Nijichi. It''s about skill and passion. And, if only you''d have shown a bit of that skill before, who knows we might have won a World Cup by now? But, don''t let it bother you. Those are stuff from the past. Let''s see which team has more of that today."


    Nijichi''s mouth repeatedly opened and closed as if he was trying to say something but couldn''te up with anything. And, before he could respond, the announcement echoed. So, both teams started moving.


    The exchange left Nijichi visibly irritated, but Hiro remained asposed as before.


    Even so, as they moved out, he kept staring at him with bloodshot eyes. He appeared quite pissed and seemed as if he''d take out his frustration in the field.


    Hiro however wasn''t bothered by his res at the slightest as he moved while turning a blind eye to his res. The tension between them was palpable, and the yer close to them could vividly feel it.


    Yet, none decided to meddle as they kept their distance from the two of them. However, Nijichi''s state made some of his teammates a bit worried. After all, often emotions are a weakness for a yer. It could meddle with their rationality, leading them to make bad decisions.


    Then as Hiro emerged from the tunnel, the roar of the stadium hit him like a wave, its intensity almost knocking the breath out of him. The sheer volume of the crowd was overwhelming. A cacophony of cheers, chants, and the sounds of drums was echoing through the air, making the stadium extremely lively.


    Every seat was filled, and the stadium was a sea of colors. Banners billowed freely as they fluttered with the fervor of the supporters.


    His heart pounded as he moved forward. Yet still he maintained his cool.


    On one side, his team''s supporters were in full voice, their chants rhythmic and unified. He could even hear his name being called out. Along with the chants, he could vividly feel the weight of expectation ced on him as well.


    They were expecting him to perform his magic on the field.


    Lately, due to his marvelous performance on the field, he has gained some nicknames such as Magician, Genius, Little Monster, Goal Machine, and many more.


    On the other side, Vissel Kobe''s fans were just as passionate. Their chants were equally loud, creating a fierce symphony of rivalry.


    This match meant a lot for both the supporters. So, it was only natural for them to act in such a way. The tension between the two sets of supporters was almost tangible.


    Thementators'' voices cut through the noise, adding to the electric atmosphere. "And heree the yers," onementator announced. "Today''s match is quite an exciting one. It''s a match between two goliaths. And, also a match between two prodigies."


    "From Kobe''s side, Tominaga had already proven his worth. And, from Kawasaki''s side Takahashi Hiro, the young prodigy who''s been lighting up the league with his performances has already shown us his qualities as well. But the question remains, can he deliver today against the league leaders?"


    "Indeed he has already proven his worth and there''s no questioning about his abilities, but Vissel Kobe won''t make it easy," anothermentator added. "Their defense is rock-


    solid, but Hiro has a knack for finding the back of the. This is set to be a thrilling encounter."


    Hiro could feel the weight of their words, the expectations ced upon him. But instead of feeling pressured, he felt a surge of confidence. He was ready.


    In the stands, fans held up their phones, capturing the moment. Social media was buzzing with live updates and photos.


    One young fan, barely able to see over the heads in front of him, stood on tiptoe, trying his hardest to get a clear view of the field. His eyes were wide with excitement as he watched his hero step onto the pitch. "Look, Mom! It''s Hiro!" he shouted, his voice filled with pure joy.


    Another group of fans unfurled a massive banner that read, "We believe in you, Hiro!" It was a testament to the impact he had made in such a short time, a visual representation of the faith the fans had in him.


    The atmosphere of the stadium was quite electric.


    Then as they all held their respective position on the field, the referee nced at his watch, preparing to start the match. At this moment, Hiro swept his gaze across the field, noting the position of the opposing yers.


    It was exactly as they had visualized. There wasn''t much change to it. They were ying in a 5-3-2 formation with five defenders at their core. Their strategy seemed heavily based on defense. And they yed counter-attacking football.


    Meanwhile, his team d in ck and blue jerseys had spiced their strategy a bit. They weren''t ying in their usual 4-3-3 formation. But rather, they were ying in a 4-1-3-2 formation. They had still yet to find a perfect defensive midfielder to cover the gap in their center.


    But they had to do just with the yers avable in the team at the moment.


    Despite the changes in the formation, their core value remained the same. They liked to y attacking football, and it hadn''t changed today as well.


    Erickson however, had dropped deep today. Instead of ying as the attacking midfielder, he was ying as the central midfielder in today''s game.


    Asahi had moved down to a defensive midfield position as well. Among the current yers avable to fill in the role of defensive midfielder, he was their best option. He was great at ball retention, his experience allowed him to make quick decisions, and mostly he was a good passer with excellent vision.


    The only problem however was his speed.

 Chapter 427 Kawasaki vs Kobe II

    <h4>Chapter 427 Kawasaki vs Kobe II</h4>


    As all the yers assumed their positions on the field, the referee nced at his watch before sounding the whistle to kickstart the match.


    Beep!!


    The shrill sound of the whistle tore through the cacophony of cheers resounding in the stadium, announcing the start of the match.


    The opposing side started the kickoff.


    "And we''re off! The stakes couldn''t be higher today, with Vissel Kobe at the top of the league and Kawasaki looking to dethrone them."


    Movements unfurled in the pitch with the sound of the whistle. Calm and steady, opposing yers slowly retreated as they tried to lure them to their side of the pitch.


    At the core of their defense was their captain, Kenji Yamamoto, a veteran defender with an uncanny ability to read the game. It wasn''t just his ability to read the game that made him formidable. He was also exceptionally good at long passes.


    Despite being a defender, his assist tally was quite impressive.


    Their forwards gave chase as they tried to win the ball. Meanwhile, Hiro and others in the midfield spread wide to put some pressure on the opposing yers.


    The intensity of the match was immediate, with both teams fighting for control.


    For some while, opposing yers continued to y the ball between themselves, ying short and precise passes. Meanwhile, Hiro and his teammates continued their pursuit.


    Having studied their ys, it was clear to them that by ying short passes in their half, opposing yers were aiming for an opportunity to y long balls. That''s why, Tominaga and one other attacking yer of the opposing team named Ryuji Nakamura hadn''t dropped down despite the pressure on their team.


    On the sidelines, Coach Tatsuya was watching the match intently with his eyes rolling all over the field, trying to locate ws and openings. Though he was a man of few words, when he was on the pitch, he was an entirely different person.


    Barking instructions, he was trying his hardest to encourage his yers.


    Just like most of his yers, he was aware of the importance of this match. And even though he hadn''t been pressured by the higher-ups of the club, he was well aware of the weight of expectations ced upon him.


    "Coach Tatsuya looks animated on the sidelines, barking instructions. He knows how crucial this game is." one of thementators said.


    Anxiously, Tatsuya nced at one of the VIP boxes. There the club president and some of the higher-ups in the club were watching the match with great concern on their faces.


    President of Kawasaki Frontale, Mr. Nakamura, sat with a stern expression, asionally exchanging tense words with his colleagues.


    Across the stadium, Vissel Kobe''s president, Mr. Suzuki was leaning forward in his seat with his eyes fixated on the field.


    The President and higher-ups of both teams hade to watch this match. The gravity of the match was quite evident in their furrowed brows and tight-lipped silence.


    It wasn''t just the president of both clubs, but many notable figures from the business and entertainment worlds had also gathered in the stadium to witness the sh. Their presence had added a touch of mour to the match.


    As the first half progressed, the tension only grew. Daichi Tanaka, one of the star midfielders of the opposing side, a ymaker known for his pinpoint passes and vision, orchestrated Kobe''s attacks with finesse, threading countless through balls, testing the defense of Kawasaki.


    Then in the 25th minute of the match, Tatsuki managed to corner Kenji. After ying ball so much in their half, it was bound to happen. As much as their ystyle allowed them to win games, it was a double-edged sword.


    No sane team would y such a risky game. But as there''s a saying no risk no reward.


    While Tatsuki tried to win the ball, Hiro looked for possible gaps. But as he looked around him, he felt a little strange for some inexplicable reason. Daichi was running back as if he was trying to support Kenji, and so was Ryuji.


    But Tominaga had other ns. Instead of retreating, he appeared as if he was preparing to advance. Sure, he too was falling back. But if looked closely, one would be able to see that he wasn''t actually falling back.


    His movements were just too casual for someone whose team appeared to be in danger. There wasn''t even a spec of worry on his face, and neither did he appear to be in a hurry.


    Hiro couldn''t help but shake this weird feeling that was gnawing at him. But he couldn''t be sure about it either. Was it Hiro couldn''t help but shake this weird feeling that was gnawing at him. But he couldn''t be sure about it either. Was it a hunch? Or was he just thinking too much?


    Then all of a sudden, Tominaga turned his body as he swiftly got past his mark. At that moment, Hiro knew that the uneasy feeling that was gnawing at him wasn''t a hunch.


    Just at this moment, Kenji got past Tatsuki with ease. Then without wasting any extra movement, he fired the ball toward the opposing side.


    Ryuji who had been steadily falling behind, too changed his direction as he started advancing. Daichi did the same as well.And all of a sudden, every single one of the opposing attackers charged forward.


    ''Shit!'' Hiro thought as he hurriedly retreated.


    ''I got careless. I should have studied Tominaga''s stat.'' He thought as he witnessed the eleration of Tominaga.


    He had grown quite a lot. And, he was really fast. His steps were extremely nimble almost as if he was stepping on feathers.


    ''Did he unlock new talents?''


    He couldn''t be sure. It had been quite a lot since hest observed his stats after all. And, it wasn''t entirely impossible for one to attain new talents out of the blue. So, he couldn''t rule out that possibility either.


    But at the moment, he had much greater concern than his carelessness.


    Tominaga was cutting through his teammates like a hot knife ced atop butter. Slippery like an eel, his movements were wless, while his eyes were fixated on the goal.


    Until this moment, he had been lying dormant. But right now, a beast had been unleashed on the field and it was heading right their way at a threatening pace.

 Chapter 428 Kawasaki vs Kobe III

    Chapter 428 Kawasaki vs Kobe III


    ??As he noticed the iing attack, Naoto''s heart raced. That iing attack made him quite tense. The ball had been so far up the field just moments ago, and now Tominaga Nijichi was charging straight toward him with terrifying speed.


    It was totally out of his expectations.


    His eyes became frantic as he looked at the iing attacker and the ball. Hardly anyone on his team could stop Tominaga from advancing.


    The sudden charge from the opposing side had caught him off-guard which had startled him. But he couldn''t afford to be anxious. So, he tried to steady his breath as he swept his gaze in front of him. It was his responsibility to alert his teammates of possible danger.


    "Mark him! Don''t let him through!" Naoto barked, his voice carrying over the roar of the crowd.


    His teammates were scrambling to fall back into position, but the threat was imminent. So, he raced his mind as he tried to assess the situation.


    "Hold your line! Stay tight!" he yelled, his voice a mix of urgency and authority.


    After getting past almost the entirety of the opposing defense, Tominaga found himself in front of Kazuki, the stalwart center-back of Kawasaki. Known for his powerful tackles and calm under pressure, he was the foundation of their defense.


    And, even he was aware that it won''t be easy to get past him. Yet still, he had to at least try. He couldn''t afford to waste any time. While making his run, asionally he had been keeping tabs on the iing ball, so that he wouldn''t lose track of it.


    But now as he found himself in front of Kazuki, it made him slightly anxious. The feeling of urgency gripped him as he turned to look at the descending ball.


    If not for his early start, he wouldn''t even have made it this far.


    However despite his impable timing, if he couldn''t get past Kazuki then all his efforts woulde to naught. So, he tried to force his way through Kazuki. But Kazuki was as sturdy as a mountain and as tenacious as chewing gum stuck in hair¡ª he just wouldn''t let him through.


    From the midfield, alongside Asahi, Ayato, a really agile midfielder, with quick feet was rushing onto Tominaga. And, it seemed like it''d only be a matter of seconds before he''d reach him.


    Naoto''s voice cut through the chaos. "Watch the runners! Kazuki, don''t dive in! Ayato, cover the right!"


    At this moment, the stadium''s energy was electric. Fans from both sides were on their feet, their collective gasps and cheers were creating a thunderous backdrop to the unfolding drama on the pitch.


    This moment however was making the president of both teams quite anxious. With concern etched on their faces, they watched with bated breaths.


    Tominaga couldn''t dy any further, so he jumped as high as he could to reach the ball. He had to time his jump perfectly or else he''d miss it. The stakes were high, but he had to take the risk.


    Due to his heavy build, Kazuki was well aware that he wouldn''t be a match to Tominaga if he were topete for the aerial ball. So, he had to try to limit Tominaga''s jump instead for an opportunity to win the ball.


    But he couldn''t make visible contact either or the referee would dere a foul against him. So, he had to keep physical contact at a minimum while at the same time, he had to dy Tominaga''s jump. It wasn''t an easy task, but he had to take the risk.


    So, he tried to limit Tominaga''s jump as much as he could by desperately clinging onto him.


    However, despite Kazuki''s best efforts, Tominaga still managed to reach the ball. He wasn''t just agile, but he was also sturdy.


    Though he managed to reach the ball, he couldn''t keep the ball. He had to let go of it if he didn''t want to lose possession of the ball. So, he flicked it hard and headed it to the right.


    Almost nobody was present there at the moment. Or so almost everyone had the impression until they saw the emergence of Ryuji.


    Though not as agile as Tominaga, he was equally impressive. And even though he had been behind until a moment ago, right now he was one-on-one with the keeper.


    Ryuji possessed one unique talent called Instant Burst. It was almost simr to the skill Lightning Steps Hiro possessed. Except it was a talent and not a skill. But it had its ws too. Its toll on the body was huge.


    If people required mana to use their abilities then it''d be an ability that''d be heavy on mana; meaning it''d deplete the mana reserve of a person in a moment.


    But if used wisely and sparingly, it''de in handy.Which Ryuji had mastered.


    He knew when and where to use this talent of his. He could have used it from the get-go to get to the ball before anyone else. But if he did so then he''d attract attention from the opposing yers which would lead to him getting blocked and targeted.


    But if he remained incognito and used it when people paid the least attention to him then he''d catch them off-guard. Which is what he was doing right now.


    He bided his time and waited for the opportunity to disy his abilities to his best. So that he could make full use of his talent.


    Part of the reason why he could use his talent so wlessly was due to the presence of Nijichi in the team. If he didn''t shine and garner the attention, then he wouldn''t have such a perfect opportunity to disy his talents.


    For that reason, he was rather grateful to Tominaga.


    Ryuji then easily took hold of the ball. Despite that Naoto quickly positioned himself. It might have been a surprise for others but he couldn''t afford to get surprised like others.


    Immediately, he positioned himself to face Ryuji.


    Without wasting any time, Ryuji unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

 Chapter 429 Kawasaki vs Kobe IV

    <h4>Chapter 429 Kawasaki vs Kobe IV</h4>


    Excitement shed past Ryuji''s eyes as he released the ball. The ball swerved dangerously as it glided toward the post.


    However, the spark in his eyes didn''tst long as Naoto managed to keep the ball away from the post. Stretching his fingers, Naoto dived in the direction of the ball.


    If not for his quick reflexes, it might not have been possible to keep the ball away from the post. But since he reacted timely, he managed tond a touch on the ball. Which in turn changed the course of the ball, and due to this it missed its intended target.


    And, instead struck the pole.


    "Oh, what a strike from Nakamura! And an equally impressive save from Naoto. This game is living up to its billing."


    The near miss heightened the drama on the field, and the crowd''s energy surged. Especially the opposing supporters, many of them were on their toes. They were all ready to erupt. But the oue left them disappointed instead.


    Meanwhile, supporters of Kawasaki, roared enthusiastically as they cheered for Naoto for making that unbelievable save. If not for his efforts they might have already conceded a goal. So, it was only natural for them to cheer for him.


    Naoto too after making that save, roared passionately.


    But the danger was far from over. The opposing side still had an opportunity to score from the corner kick. Though the failure of their y left them disappointed, they didn''t sulk for long. Instead, they quickly rposed themselves and began to prepare for what was about toe.


    Quickly, they gathered inside the box of the opposing team for the corner kick. Ayato rushed toward the corner to take the set piece.


    As much impressive and crucial as Naoto''s save was, he couldn''t afford to celebrate for long. No sooner had he made that save than he had to prepare for another set of attacks.


    This however didn''t discourage him the least. Instead, he appeared to be all fired up. After that save, his confidence received an astronomical boost. So, he immediatelyposed himself and began to shoutmands.


    "Everybody gather up, we don''t have much time to lose," he shouted as he urged his teammates to prepare for what was about toe.


    In no time, the penalty box of Kawasaki became extremely crowded as yers from both teams gathered inside the box. Naoto''s vision was rather limited due to the presence of such arge number of yers.


    Yet he still appeared to be rather confident.


    Ayato then raised his hand, signaling to his teammate that he was about to deliver the ball. Contrary to everybody''s expectation, he yed a short pass to one of his teammate close to him. This action of him came as a surprise to not only the yers of Kawasaki but for his own teammates as well.


    It seemed as if it wasn''t in ordance to what they have practiced in the training session. Judging by the expression of Tominaga, it seemed like he should be getting the ball.


    But Hiro and his teammates had no time to worry. They had adapt, and they had to do it quick.


    After receiving the pass, he tried to shoot. Or so he made it seem like. But instead he faked his shot and passed it back to Ayato. He was intentionally wasting time for Ayato toe onside.


    Due to the sheer number of yers present inside the box, it was rather difficult for the yers to move freely. Even so, they had to obstruct Ayato.


    So, Hiro rushed out to stop Ayato. However, Ayato easily beat him without breaking any sweat. Defending wasn''t his forte, and he couldn''t utilize the talents he possessed at the moment which led to him getting beaten.


    Getting through him, Ayato then took his chance by firing the ball from a rather tight angle. Even so, he took his chances as he tried to curl the ball to the top right corner.


    Naoto correctly predicted the trajectory of the ball. So, he jumped to the right, trying his hardest to make another save.


    However, he still failed to save the ball like he did previously, despite predicting the direction of the ball correctly. But no one could me him for it.


    While trying to clear the ball away, Kazuki made an error. Though his intentions were genuine, he helped the opposing team instead.


    "Goal!!"


    "He must be really disappointed at himself. Instead of heading the ball away, he scored an own goal,"mentators voice rang, criticizing Kazuki''s error.


    The crowd erupted euphorically as they celebrated the goal. The entire stadium buzzed with celebration while the yers of the opposing team celebrated their goal like crazy. Considering the importance of the game, it could very well be a deciding factor.


    Even though only 25 minutes had passed on the clock, and there was an entire game left to yed, this goal was huge.


    In games of such caliber, a single goal would often be the deciding factor. So, fans of Kawasaki were rather anxious about it. They were equally disappointed as well.


    While the opposing yers went on with their celebration, Kazuki covered his face. His mistake had costed his team a crucial goal. So, it was only natural for him to be disappointed.


    Yet still none of his teammates criticized him or med him. Instead, they started consoling him. Everyone was aware that he was just unlucky.


    Hiro on the other hand, he couldn''t even bring himself to speak. Though everybody''s focus was on Kazuki, the person involved in this disappointment. But to him, he was the one at fault.


    If only he had managed to stop Ayato, this wouldn''t have happened. He was aware of his weakness. But the way Ayato got past him, it made him realize how terrible his defending actually was.


    Against youth teams, it had worked. But it was different scenario when it came to professional teams. He had to improve his defending.


    After this encounter, he came to realize that he had to increase his defending stats too. Previously he had been so caught up in trying to improve as an attacker that he hadpletely negated his defending stat.

 Chapter 430 Kawasaki vs Kobe V

    Chapter 430 Kawasaki vs Kobe V


    ??Conceding such a crucial goal made many of the yers of Kawasaki anxious. But since they still had quite a lot of time, the damage wasn''t irreparable.


    However, even though it wasn''t irreparable, it still left a bitter taste in their mouth.


    Being the captain of the team, Asahi had to step up. The weight of leadership rested heavily on his shoulder, and he was well aware of it. Turning to look at the captain''s armband tied around his arm, he graciously embraced his responsibility.


    His team needed him.


    "Keep your heads up!" Asahi shouted, his voice cutting through the air of disappointment lingering around them.


    As they heard his voice, they turned to look at him.


    "It isn''t anybody''s fault. We were just unlucky. Until now, we are ying well. And we still have time to turn things around. So, everybody let''s stop sulking because we''ve got a match to win," he swept his gaze, looking everybody in the eye with eyes full of determination.


    At the moment, his presence wasmanding while his tone was resolute. He truly appeared as someone whom the yers could rely on.


    Witnessing such a scenario unfolding on the pitch, a smile formed on the face of Coach Tatsuya. For the situation as such, he had appointed Asahi the captain. And Asahi only continued to prove him right for his decision.


    Asahi then walked toward Kazuki who appeared to be most devastated on the field, probably due to his error.


    Kazuki however started sweating profusely. Asahi''s words had been nothing but reassuring and encouraging. But he still feared that he''d criticize him for his error. He wasn''t young like Hiro, and he had plenty of experience too.


    But to make such a simple error in such a crucial match, for sure everybody would be disappointed with him. They weren''t saying it, but he could feel their piercing gaze aimed at him. The situation was making him extremely tense.


    His heart raced as Asahi got closer. There was nothing he could do, he was utterly helpless. He couldn''t even stand up for himself, since it was his fault and he knew about it.


    So, he just braced himself as he steeled his heart to face Asahi.


    But Asahi''s gesture left himpletely bewildered. It wasn''t what he was expecting. As Asahi got close to him, instead of scolding him, he gently tapped his back and said, "Let''s show them what we are made of."


    Let alone criticize him, he didn''t even mention his mistakes at all.


    For a while, he couldn''t do anything but nod his head. So, when Asahi said those words to him, he just nodded his head without responding. It was as if he was pre-programmed to react such.


    Only after Asahi walked past him did he realize that it was him who was making unrealistic scenarios. Sweeping his gaze around, he noticed that none of them were targeting him or staring at him. It was as if those piercing gazes he had noticed a moment ago were nothing but an illusion.


    Realization dawned on him as he realized that none of his teammates were ming him but rather it was him who was ming himself. Everything was inside his head.


    "Asahi is truly stepping up as captain. His leadership is exactly what Kawasaki needs right now." one of thementators praised Asahi.


    "Absolutely. You can see how he''s lifted the team''s spirits." the othermentator chimed.


    Then as they regrouped with a renewed sense of determination, the game resumed. That goal was frustrating but it wasn''t the end. After all, the match had only begun and there was much left for them to do.


    Beep!!


    The opposing yers too didn''t overindulge in their glorious moment as they reorganized and focused their attention on the match. They couldn''t afford to be careless.


    And as the game resumed, Kawasaki tried to charge their way through the opposing formation. Their passes were more fluent than ever while their synchrony was better than ever. ying as a single unit, they dominated the ball possession.


    Especially Ayato and Hiro, those two proved to be a headache for the opposing yers. With their creative passes and synchronization, they wreaked havoc.


    But despite all their effort, they still failed to find the back of the.


    Daichi''s knack for reading the game came in handy as he mobilized his teammates efficiently to neutralize the opposing attack. Having a defender with such incredible ability, both Hiro and Tatsuki struggled miserably.


    And the opposing team managed to defend their lead sessfully for the better part of the first half. But at thest minute of the first half, something changed.


    The same yer who until some moment ago was finding it quite troublesome to get through the seemingly imprable wall of Kobe consisting of five defenders, did something remarkable, mesmerizing the entire stadium.


    Cutting from the center, Hiro dazzled the audience with his marvelous dribbling as he broke through the entrapment of the opposing midfielders.


    Leaving three midfielders behind, Hiro elerated from the half line, heading straight toward the wall of Kobe without any fear.


    Everything became silent as he started to dribble. The passive effect of the talent Clinical Finishing kicked in, allowing him to enter a flow-like state. He could see the entire field and the yers. He could vividly feel all his senses heightening.


    It was almost as if he had been shot with an adrenaline shot.


    High on adrenaline, he approached the opposing defense. He could see countless threads toiling, running all over the field. It was as if they were showing him the way, leading him to his destination.


    What was happening to him? He couldn''t be sure of it. Neither was he interested in finding out about it at the moment.


    But for some reason, he was convinced that it led him to the goal. The choices however were many, and he had only limited time.


    Then while elerating, he grabbed one of the threads. Just as he grabbed one, every other thread vanished. He had made his choice.

 Chapter 431 Kawasaki vs Kobe VI

    <h4>Chapter 431 Kawasaki vs Kobe VI </h4>


    It was such an ethereal scene that only he could see. For the spectators, opposing yers, and his teammates, all they could see was Hiro in motion. Yet, it seemed as if he was operating in an entirely different universe.


    Then as he made his choice, a path opened up for him. Following the path, he steadily approached the opposing backline. The crowd''s anticipation surged as a palpable wave of energy rippled through the stadium.


    They were curious to see his next move.


    "Here he goes! Hiro is weaving through the defense with such grace!"


    "Look at his control and precision! It''s like watching a master at work."


    Both thementators seemed extremely excited.


    Daichi utilized his teammates as he tried to stop Hiro while he strengthened his position. He had to position himself better to stop Hiro. For some reason, he could feel his senses tingling almost as if it was trying to warn him of impending danger.


    But precisely at the moment as such, he had to maintain his cool the most. So, he shook the feeling and focused his attention on Hiro.


    The iing defenders failed to move him as he moved with unparalleled fluidity. Each touch of the ball was purposeful and precise while his mind and body were in perfect sync. Effortlessly bypassing the iing defenders as if they were mere obstacles in a choreographed dance, Hiro steadily approached the goal.


    Then as he got through their entrapment, he came up against Daichi, the final hurdle in the defense of the opposing team.


    Daichi''s heart pounded as he saw the figure of Hiro steadily closing on him. But he knew that he had to remainposed, after all, he was thest line of defense against Hiro''s onught. If he fails to stop him, with Hiro''s current form, he''d definitely level the scoresheet.


    "It''s Hiro versus Daichi now! The crowd is on the edge of their seats!"


    "This is the moment of truth. Can Hiro get past Daichi?"


    While steadily approaching the goal, Hiro looked in front of him only to lock eyes with Daichi. He could vividly see the determination in his eyes. It was as if he was silently issuing a challenge. But he didn''t feel afraid.


    The world around him slowed down as he got closer to Daichi. Then as he got near to Daichi, he feinted left with a sudden burst of speed, trying to draw Daichi.


    Daichi stretched his legs to stop him. But the ball remained glued to his feet as he effortlessly evaded Daichi''s outstretched legs with ease. Daichi stumbled as he failed to stop Hiro. And before he could recover, Hiro left him behind in the dust.


    "He''s done it! Hiro has dribbled past the entire defense!"


    "What a phenomenal disy of skill andposure! Hiro is unstoppable right now!"


    Almost the entire stadium got on their toes as they witnessed him take on the entire defense of the opposing team. He had nearly dribbled past the entire opposing team by himself.


    Hiro, now one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper, maintained his focus. Though he had managed to get through the entirety of the opposing team, his efforts would amount to nothing if he were to fail now.


    The moment he stepped inside the box, his other talent Knight In The Area, kicked in which further heightened his attacking stats. With all those boosts, it''d be extremely disappointing if he were to miss now.


    Failure wasn''t an option.


    The time had been almost spent, and the referee was already preparing to blow the whistle. If he were to miss, he wouldn''t get a second chance, at least not in the first half.


    The opposing keeper steadily approached him. The way he moved made it seem as if he was extremely cautious and prepared. He had maintained just enough distance between him and the post while at the same time, he was trying his earnest to limit the shooting angle of Hiro.


    But it didn''t intimidate him the least. Instead, he steadily approached the post. Then with a swift, decisive strike, he sent the ball soaring into the back of the.


    "Goooooaaaaaalllllll!!!!!!!"


    The goal sent waves of euphoria through the stadium. The supporters of Kawasaki roared in unison as they celebrated his goal while chanting his name. He had equalized the score in the final seconds of the first half, keeping their hopes alive.


    His teammates rushed to embrace him. Their faces were alight with joy and admiration. It was nothing but a sort of miracle. Not only had he tied the score, he had done it in such a marvelous way. From their half to the opposing post, he had carried the ball all by himself while also taking on almost the entirety of the opposing yers.


    Dribbling past eight opposing yers, he had scored this stunner giving his team the much-needed goal. It was such an iconic goal that''d probably go down in the books of history as one of the greatest goals a yer has scored.


    At the moment, the entire stadium was a cauldron of emotions with people celebrating and grieving over the goal. The fans of Kawasaki were extremely ecstatic. Meanwhile, the fans of Kobe didn''t seem quite happy about it.


    ''I was right to choose it'' he thought while continuing his celebration with his teammates.


    It was rather noisy and lively around him, but he was lost in his thoughts. Calcting the benefits he had gained, he had no regrets about the amount of effort he had put into acquiring this talent. The feeling of the state of flow, though it had waned, he still couldn''t bring himself to forget.


    It was like tasting marijuana for the first time¡ª highly addictive and ethereal.


    On the sidelines, Coach Tatsuya appeared to be in a high spirit. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pitch opposing coach appeared to be in a slump; he couldn''t even bring himself to scold his yers.


    The president of the club was equally impressed and ecstatic. One could vividly see the joy in his eyes, and also greed in it.

 Chapter 432 Kawasaki vs Kobe VII

    <h4>Chapter 432 Kawasaki vs Kobe VII</h4>


    Beep!!


    The time had been spent, so the referee blew the whistle, announcing the end of the first half. Thatst-minute equalizer left a bitter taste in the mouths of the opposing yers as they walked out of the pitch.


    Meanwhile, Hiro and his teammates walked out of the pitch in high spirits.


    It was the same with the fans. Fans of the opposing team appeared rather gloomy while the fans of Kawasaki appeared to be in a jubnt mood.


    The sweet taste of thatst-minute equalizer was still lingering in their mouth, so why wouldn''t they be in a cheerful mood?


    While making his way into the locker room, Hiro was met with the figure of Tominaga. It seemed as if he was waiting for his arrival to say something.


    "Seems like he is waiting for you," Naoto spoke as he pointed in front.


    "And it doesn''t seem like he''s here to congratte you for your goal," Tatsuki chimed in, sounding rather sarcastic.


    Brows knotted into a frown, eyes filled with irritation, Tominaga appeared quite pissed. So, it was no wonder Tatsuki made thosements after seeing him.


    Even so, Hiro wasn''t concerned. So what if he were here to cause some trouble? There will always be yers who think that the world revolves around them. And there will always be yers with attitude problems.


    And Tominaga was one such yer with such problems. Though he had the skill to back his words. There was no denying the fact that he was a skilled yer.


    However considering the age difference, Hiro didn''t think much of his shit talks. To him, it was nothing but a tantrum of a teenager.


    "No, you two can head ahead. I''ll join you in a while," Hiro responded as he declined their offer to keep himpany.


    Though he has declined their offer, it appeared as if Tatsuki wasn''t willing toply. He seemed like he wanted to apany him.


    But before he could open his mouth, Naoto interjected him, "Then we''ll see you in a while."


    Saying so, he pulled Tastuki and dragged him with him.


    "Wait..., what if he''s here to cause problems? We should stay here," Tatsukiined while he got dragged by Naoto.


    "He can handle it himself," Naoto responded as he continued to drag him to the locker room.


    All along the way, Tatsuki kept onining but Naoto turned a deaf ear to hisints.


    ''Is it only me or does he really behave like Shun?'' Hiro thought, amused by the semnce.


    "Now then, shall we listen to what he has to say?" He mumbled as he trod towards Tominaga.


    "Don''t get cocky. It''s not over yet," Tominaga said, his tone sounding rathermanding and arrogant.


    His words didn''t surprise Hiro at all. Considering Tominaga''s personality, he could tell pretty much that he was here to annoy him. After all, it''d have been a miracle had heplimented him instead.


    Still, since he was waiting for him, he could at least say something else, couldn''t he? Like something important perhaps?


    Hiro sighed as he heard him, "Sigh~"


    "That''s all?" He asked disappointedly.


    If that was all he was here to say then why even bother waiting for him? He could have said those to him on the pitch too.


    "What do you mean that''s all? What else do you want me to say? Praise you? Never..., so don''t get cocky over just a single goal," Tominaga raised his voice as he answered irritatedly.


    At this moment, Hiro couldn''t help but ovep his image to a self-obsessed kid making a fuss over having his position taken by someone else.


    This only made Hiro even more disappointed. He was here to face challenges, to improve himself. But instead, right now, he was facing the tantrums of a teenager.


    "Score one first and talk. Otherwise quit yapping," Hiro answered, his tone full of mockery.


    He deliberately answered in such a way. He could have chosen to ignore him and walk past him. But that''d have only lengthened the conversation with him. Which he wanted to avoid the most at the moment.


    So, instead, he just gave him the response he was seeking to end the conversation quickly.


    Saying so, Hiro walked past Tominaga, leaving him fuming.


    For sure, it made him even more furious than before. But at least, he avoided him for the time being.


    Tominaga tried to provoke Hiro, but Hiropletely ignored him as he walked without looking back.


    That gesture however only added fuel to the burning mes, making Tominaga even more irritated than before.


    Unable to get any response from Hiro, he then stomped his way to his locker room.


    ''What is he? eight or something?'' Hiro thought about Tominaga''s actions as he made his way to his locker room.


    Then as Hiro walked into the room, many of his teammates gave him a thumbs up as theyplimented him for his y.


    "Herees our star of the first half," Asahi announced just as he entered the locker room, drawing everybody''s attention toward him.


    Just as he announced, the locker room got extremely noisy. Almost every single one of them was inplete agreement.


    This scene was totally normal and Hiro was already used to it. It wasn''t just him but anyone who''d y exceptionally, the team would cheer on him to lighten the mood and also to encourage the yer to continue ying as such.


    It was a method the yers in his team used to lighten up the mood, strengthen the spirit of camaraderie, and promote healthypetition among the team.


    After all, everybody likes to get praised and be at the center of attention. And such actions allowed the yers to get their minds off of the match for a while.


    Hiro graciously epted theirpliment as he took his seat.


    Just when he took his seat, Tatsuki said, "I thought it''d take a while."


    He was hinting at the earlier exchange with Tominaga.


    "Yeah, he was just there to talk shit," Hiro responded uninterestedly.


    "What''s with his obsession with you?" Naoto couldn''t help but feel curious.

 Chapter 433 Kawasaki vs Kobe VIII

    Chapter 433 Kawasaki vs Kobe VIII


    ??"Who knows?" Hiro feigned ignorance.


    As Coach Tatsuya entered the room, the meetingmenced. He meticulously highlighted their ws and strengths, pointing out gaps in their formation, and shared his analysis of the opposing team. Notably, he made no mention of any tactical changes, indicating his satisfaction with the current squad.


    However, time and again, he kept on mentioning the importance of the game.


    Time slipped away like sand through an hourss as Coach Tatsuya delivered his talk. By the time he wrapped up, halftime hade to an end. The yers then quickly hydrated and cooled down in the remaining moments before heading back to the pitch.


    After the end of the halftime, slowly yers of both teams emerged onto the pitch. Fans who had left their seat to get something to eat hurried to their seats. At the same time, as yers emerged onto the pitch the stadium shook with the cheers of the fans.


    ncing at the scoreboard, Hiro took a deep breath, feeling the surge of energy lingering in the stadium. "Here we go," Hiro muttered to himself, steeling his resolve.


    Then as they all positioned themselves in their respective position, the second halfmenced.


    Beep!!


    As much as they yed with a renewed sense of vigor, the opposing team was not to be underestimated either. They had already recovered from thest-minute disappointment in the first half. And, right now they were ying as if they had been reborn.


    Their defense was like a well-oiled machine.


    It wasn''t just the yers, their fans had also recovered from the loss. And, right now, they were showing their full support to their yers.


    Alongside the electric cheers, the sounds of drums echoed in the stadium, further enhancing the atmosphere and the appeal of the stadium. The electrifying atmosphere of the stadium only added pressure on the yers, making the match even more intense.


    "Damn..., What''s with the fans today?" one of the reserve yers of Kawasakimented, appearing rather anxious.


    "It feels like I''m in a colosseum," another replied.


    As the minutes ticked by, tension only rose in the stadium. Kawasaki pressed forward relentlessly, desperately trying to take the lead, but Vissel Kobe''s defense held strong as they nullified their efforts.


    asionally the opposing team responded with quick counterattacks, but Kawasaki''s defense managed to hold them at bay. Kenji being the pir he was, kept on supplying deadly long balls, creating opportunities for his teammates, while at the same time, he fulfilled his defensive responsibilities superbly as well.


    By disying such a marvelous performance, he made his presence known on the field. He disyed a performance worthy of his reputation.


    Yet still despite the efforts from yers of both teams, neither managed to score the next goal. Even so, the scoreless second half failed to bore the fans.


    The clock showed sixty-five minutes when Asahi found himself in possession of the ball at the halfway line. Steadily moving the ball forward, he searched for his teammates, analyzing the options avable to him.


    Immediately, Daichi rushed onto him, trying to stop him. At the same time, Tominaga sneaked on him from behind, trying to catch him off-guard.


    Asahi however, appeared rather calm almost as if they possessed no threat to him. Calmly, he approached Daichi. His eyes were as fearless and tranquil as ever. Hisposure made it seem almost as if he wasn''t in a real match but in training instead.


    "Asahi-san, look behind"


    Almost everybody in the reserve box was shouting warnings at him, trying to warn him of the impending danger rushing in from his blind spot. They were extremely worried that he''d let the opposing team steal the ball from him.


    But little did they know, Asahi had already seen through the tricks of Tominaga. And, he had already caught the whiff of what he was trying to achieve.


    Daichi swept his leg, trying to snatch the ball away from Asahi. But Asahi simply pulled the ball back as he evaded Daichi''s outstretched legs.


    Even so, Daichi didn''t appear worried in the least. Instead, a subtle smirk graced his lips. It was as if he was intentionally trying to miss the ball.


    Just as Asahi pulled the ball behind, Tominaga swept his legs, trying to snatch the ball away from Asahi. He had approached him from his blind spot. So, it was extremely unlikely for him to notice him. Even if he did notice him, it was toote for him to react.


    But little did he know, it wasn''t them who had outsmarted him. But it was Asahi who had outsmarted both of them.


    Asahi''s reaction was quick. A lot quicker than anyone had expected of such an old yer. Perfectly timing Tominaga''s reaction, Asahi lobbed the ball, causing Tominaga to strike the air.


    With just one touch, he managed to trick both Daichi and Tominaga at the same time. Then without wasting any time, while the opposing yers were still in confusion and awe, he struck the ball hard and sent it flying.


    That momentary distraction proved to be quite fatal for the opposing team. Not only did they allow Asahi space to operate, but they also dyed their positioning.


    Taking advantage of their momentary distraction, Hiro rushed in from the nks.


    "Watch out," Kenji shouted as he retreated rapidly.


    His heart raced as he looked at the figure of Hiro. Previously, he had beaten the entire defense of their team. And, having seen such a marvelous performance, he couldn''t help but worry about Hiro recreating the scene from before.


    So, while retreating, he focused his attention on tightening the defense of his team. Making Hiro his priority target, he immediately ordered his teammates to fill in the gaps so that he wouldn''t get any chance to break free.


    However, due to his obsession with Hiro, he made huge errors. Hiro wasn''t the only attacker he had to be cautious of.


    Tatsuki being the poacher he was, sneakily approached the goal from the blind spot of Kenji, the defensive cog of the opposing team. If it were any other time, he might not have been able to do so. But, now Kenji''s whole attention was drawn toward Hiro.


    So, it was possible for him to sneak in.


    It wasn''t just Tatsuki, but Ayato as well. He too sneaked his way into the opposing box. Roberto had moved up the field to provide some support to Hiro as well.


    So Kenji had to be cautious of him as well. Though they had the numerical advantage, Hiro was enough to cover up their numerical superiority by himself.

 Chapter 434 Kawasaki vs Kobe IX

    Chapter 434 Kawasaki vs Kobe IX


    ??ying a swift one-two pass with Roberto, Hiro easily got through their defense. However, Kenji had already anticipated his moves.


    But that didn''t stop Hiro from advancing. Though he was met with Kenji, he continued to elerate. Kenji continued to track him, limiting his space to operate. Just then as he approached the edge of the box, he elerated along the nks.


    ''So, you''re going for a cross?'' Kenji analyzed as he stuck with him.


    All of a sudden, Hiro paused as he swiftly changed his direction. Kenji however, couldn''t react on time and fumbled. Taking advantage of Kenji''s dispositioning, Hiro then struck the ball with his other foot.


    Being able to use both his legs, he had the freedom to move however he wanted. So, unlike other yers who had to find a perfect stance to shoot, he could shoot from any angle at any time.


    It was obvious to Kenji that he wouldn''t make it in time. But still, he wasn''t willing to ept. So instead, he jumped forth as he tried to somehow obstruct the ball with his head. He might not be able to make it, nheless, he had to try.


    So, he did whatever he could.


    Even so, despite his efforts, he still couldn''t reach the ball. The ball simply glided past his head. As it glided past Kenji, it curved toward the top corner.


    The opposing keeper could vividly predict the trajectory of the ball. But, his positioning was rather terrible. He hade out too far. And, there was only so much time for him to fix his positioning. Yet still, the ball wasn''tpletely out of his reach.


    He could still make it. So, before shooting himself, he elerated slightly to increase the power of his jump. Taking advantage of the inertia, he dived with his arms stretched.


    Only when he made his jump did he realize that there was something wrong with the ball. It wasn''t as fast as he had previously assumed. And for a moment, it urred to him as if it wasn''t even a shot aimed at the post.


    It appeared more like a pass.


    But who could jump such high?


    Just then, Tatsuki came flying toward the ball. His reach was quite high almost as if he was levitating mid-air. It was almost as if he had grown a pair of wings behind his back.


    Sure enough, Hiro wasn''t aiming at the post.


    Bam!


    Tatsuki struck the ball hard as he headed the ball opposite to the keeper. The ball effortlessly sailed inside the post, producing a crisp swooping sound as it touched the back of the.


    "Goooooooaaaaaaallllllllllll!!!!!!"


    At once the stadium erupted euphorically. gs and banners billowed freely as supporters of Kawasaki flung them high above out of excitement.


    "GOAL! They have done it again! Hiro has done it again! What a goal! What a pass! He''s simply out of this world. Just how did he even see himing?"


    "This young man is a star! Just why has the national team not called him yet?"


    Thementators were full of praise. They were thoroughly mesmerized. So were the fans, they were extremely delighted to have Hiro in their team. From his debut, almost everybody could tell that he was special.


    But now, upon witnessing his brilliance in such a big game, they had no doubts that he was the next big thing from Asia.


    Uponnding, Tatsuki pointed his finger toward Hiro, dedicating his goal to him, showing his appreciation for supplying him with such a brilliant pass. Considering Hiro''s abilities, he was well aware that Hiro could have very well taken this opportunity by himself.


    But instead, he chose to supply him with the pass.


    It showed how unselfish of a yer he was. So, how could anyone not like such an amazing yer? The team''s strength had only increased since he joined the team.


    The celebration raged on for a while as the yers of Kawasaki celebrated the goal with their fans. Meanwhile, opposing yers with their sunken heads faded into the background.


    As the team celebrated, Hiro nced at the stands. In the VIP section, he noticed the club president and higher-ups, their expressions a mix of pride and relief. Even the president of Vissel Kobe, couldn''t help but apud the brilliance of Hiro''s y.


    "How much would it cost for us to buy him?" he inquired.


    "Who, Hiro or Tatsuki?" his delegate seated beside him asked.


    "Why would we need another young striker? We already possess an exceptional one. Obviously, I''m asking about Hiro," he said.


    "Will they even be willing to sell him in the first ce?"


    "Everything has its price. There''s nothing in this world that can''t be bought with enough money." the president replied.


    Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Shun was watching the match on TV with growing excitement. He was thrilled by Hiro''s spectacr performance.


    Back on the pitch, the game resumed with heightened intensity. Vissel Kobe, stung by the goal,unched a series of counterattacks. Their effort however was thwarted by thebined effort of Naoto and the defenders of Kawasaki.


    "Stay tight! Mark your men! No gaps!" Naoto''s voice cut through the noise, his leadership shining through.


    Though he had managed to keep the ball away from the post, due to the barrage of attacks the opposing yers were hauling his way, Naoto was starting to grow a little anxious. Even more, so as the game approached its ending.


    As the match entered its final phase, managers of both teams made use of their substitutions. They could no longer, remain patient.


    The final minutes were a blur of desperate attacks and valiant defenses. Opposing yers became even more desperate to tie the scoresheet. While Hiro and his teammates tried to defend their lead to the best of their abilities.


    Exhaustion gripped the yers of both teams. Even so, none slowed down.


    When the referee finally blew the whistle, signaling the end of the match, the scoreboard read 2-1 in favor of Kawasaki. The victory was theirs.

 Chapter 435 Kawasaki vs Kobe X

    <h4>Chapter 435 Kawasaki vs Kobe X</h4>


    After the end of the match, the yers, exhausted and ted, gathered in the locker room. They had fought valiantly, dethroning the current league leaders to assume the throne. Almost every single one of them had yed the entirety of the match, leaving them utterly exhausted.


    Even so, despite the evident exhaustion, noneined about the difficulty of the match.


    The air around the locker room was thick with the scent of sweat and the sound of the jubnt chatter. Everybody was talking about the match.


    Then Coach Tatsuya entered the room, wearing a proud smile on his face.


    "You did it," he said simply, his eyes shining with pride. "You yed like champions."


    The yers roared in unison as they heard his praise, cheering on their effort. Indeed as mentioned by their coach, they had yed like champions today. Especially in the game''s final moments, the match''s difficulty had soared to another level.


    Desperate for the goal, the opposing yerspletely discarded their philosophy of counter-attacking football and went into full assault mode. Launching a full-fledged assault with their entire yers, they initiated countless fearsome charges.


    "Huff! It truly felt like an eternity when they went all out," Naoto sighed as he recalled the final event of the game. His voice carried the weight of the tension he had felt, the pressure of defending against relentless attacks.


    "Exactly," Tatsuki nodded in agreement. "But we still won. So, let''s forget about it and celebrate," he added, urging his teammates to celebrate. There was a sparkle in his eyes, a mix of relief and triumph.


    As everyone reveled in their victory, Hiro felt his phone buzz in his bag. He was reaching out for some bandages, but the buzz caught his attention. Curious, he pulled out his phone and saw a message from Ayumi.


    "Check your email. You''ve been called up by the national team for the uing preparation camp."


    As he went through the content of the message, his heart skipped a beat. He was going to represent his nation. The Asia Cup was right around the corner, and he had been called up for preparatory matches.


    While the entire room continued their celebration, Hiro stood frozen in ce with his eyes wide. He could hardly believe the contents of the message. For a moment, it even felt like he was dreaming.


    Then he swept his gaze around him to look at his teammates. Everybody seemed absorbed in the moment, so none took notice of him.


    He rechecked the contents of the message. It wasn''t a dream. He really had been called up by the national team.


    Noticing his silence, Tatsuki couldn''t help but wonder if something was wrong with him. So, he walked over and asked, "Is something wrong?"


    Engrossed in the content of the message, he could barely hear him. So, Hiro remained silent. But hisck of response only aroused the curiosity of Tatsuki.


    Since he wasn''t replying and was only staring at his phone, he figured out that his reaction must be rted to his phone. So, he took a peek. Just as his eyesnded on the screen, and witnessed the content of the message, his eyes widened in surprise.


    "Hiro! You''ve been called up to the national team!" Tatsuki announced, his voice echoing through the locker room.


    As his loud voice resonated in the locker room, everybody fell silent for a moment before erupting into cheers and apuse. Immediately his teammates crowded around him as they began to congratte him for making it into the national team.


    "Well done, Hiro!"


    "You deserve it!"


    "That''s amazing news!"


    "I knew that you''d make it."


    "Obviously if not him then who? They''d have to be blind if they failed to recognize his talents."


    "This is just the beginning, Hiro," Asahi said, cing a hand on his shoulder. "Stay humble, work hard, and always give your best. The national team is a great honor, but also a huge responsibility."


    Hiro, overwhelmed with emotion, nodded gratefully, "Thank you, Asahi-san. I''ll do my best."


    The entire team rallied around him as they celebrated the news. Though not many of them had been called up, and almost every single one of them wished to represent the national team one day, most of them appeared genuinely happy for him.


    But that didn''t mean that everybody was happy for him. Few were envious of him as well. Only sixteen years of age and he was already representing the national team. Not only that he was already an important yer of the club as well.


    With feats as such, how could people not envy him?


    Though none showed it on the outside. They pretended to be happy while they envied him deeply. People are so adept at pretending that it''s extremely difficult to identify the pretender.


    Unbothered by the envious gazes, Hiro continued to celebrate this brilliant piece of news with his teammates. Then after a moment of celebration, the locker room went silent as yers slowly exited the locker room.


    Hiro however stayed put. His mind raced with thoughts as he thought about his journey ahead. He had been called up, but he still had to earn his ce if he were to represent his nation in the Asia Cup. For sure, it wouldn''t be an easy feat.


    A senior call-up at the tender age of sixteen was a huge achievement. And, as stated by Asahi, it was a huge responsibility too.


    If he failed to deliver, he might get criticized a lot. But there was some perk to being young; the bacshes he''d received if he were to fail somehow wouldn''t be as huge.


    But he had other ns. To him, this opportunity was once in a lifetime opportunity. And, even if people were to go easy on him, he wasn''t willing to go easy on himself. He was determined to show his true potential and prove the national team coaches right for their decision to call him.


    However, right now, he wanted nothing more than to share this brilliant piece of news with his parents and friends.

 Chapter 436 Tominaga’s resolve

    <h4>Chapter 436 Tominaga''s resolve</h4>


    "I can do this," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I have to."


    He said to himself as he tried to encourage himself.


    Then with trembling fingers, he reached for his phone. He had to share this moment with his parents. After all, they had sacrificed so much for his dream. So, they should be the people to get to know about it before anybody else.


    For sure, they''d be overjoyed to hear it.


    Ring! Ring!


    The phone in Hiro''s house kept on ringing. Yet none picked it.


    "Why aren''t they picking?" Hiro mumbled, sounding a little impatient.


    They were taking way too long to pick up his call. Usually, he''d have been considerate. But right now, he desperately wanted to share this wonderful piece of news with them.


    Ring after ring echoed in his ear, sending a pang of disappointment through his chest. Where were they? He couldn''t help but feel a bit anxious.


    But little did he know, a very different scene was unfolding in his house. His father was slumped before the TV with an empty beer can at his feet. Meanwhile, his mother was in the kitchen doing her dishes.


    The loud sound of the television only muffled the ring.


    "Maybe they''re not home," he thought as the call failed to connect.


    As the call failed to connect even after several tries, he thought of giving up. After all, he had all the time he needed to inform them.


    Then he lifted his bag and exited the locker room. It''d be a little troublesome for him if he were to keep the team waiting. So with that thought in mind, he headed straight to the shower.


    As he entered the shower, he noticed that most of his teammates had already left. So, he hurriedly took a shower and left the shower to catch up with his teammates.


    "What took you so long?" Asahi questioned.


    The team had been waiting for him. And, he was thest to arrive. So, it was only natural for them to question him.


    "It must be the excitement. If it was me, I''d have done the same as well. Hahaha,"


    One of his teammates teased, sounding rather cheerful, leaving him no opportunity to exin. Others chimed in as well. For a moment, everybody forgot their exhaustion as they cheerfully talked about him.


    Then as everybody got seated, the bus driver stepped on the gas pedal.


    Later that day, he finally got the opportunity to share this piece of news with his parents. As he broke the news, it left them utterly stunned for a while. Though they had pretty much expected him to make it someday.


    They were still shocked to find that he had been called up at such a tender age.


    In the locker room of Vissel Kobe, Tominaga sat with his face buried in his hand. The room was eerily silent, a stark contrast to the thunderous roars of the stadium just moments ago.


    His mind reyed the match in excruciating detail, each moment etched with the burning rity of regret. But one moment stood out above all others¡ª the moment when Hiro took on their entire team all by himself, effortlessly gliding past defenders as if they were mere training cones and managing to score.


    That moment was so vivid that he couldn''t forget it even if he wished to forget it. Like how was he supposed topete against such a yer?


    Remembering this scene, his fists clenched involuntarily. Along with the memories, he saw his helpless figure on the pitch that had turned into a mere spectator to Hiro''s brilliance. His nails dug deep in his palm as he recalled his helpless figure.


    The ease with which he controlled the game, his lightning-fast reflexes, and his uncanny ability to read the flow of y - it all seemed so unfair. Nijichi''s jaw tightened, a muscle twitching beneath the skin as he fought to maintain hisposure.


    "Damn it," he muttered under his breath, careful not to let his teammates see his frustration. He had a reputation to uphold, 17:56


    after all. Tominaga Nijichi, the absolute ace, the goal machine, the cyborg. But today, that cyborg had crumbled before Hiro''s onught.


    He had failed to deliver. It was an absolute disgrace. To make matters even worse, the person whom he considered his rival had not only scored a goal but also delivered the game-


    winning assist to win them the game.


    Hiro''s talent was undeniable, a fact that gnawed him.


    Why was he not granted such talent? What did heck? Why wasn''t he chosen?


    Tominaga''s mind raced as he thought about Hiro''s talent.


    He was aware of hisck of talent. He hadn''t been the brightest of the yers during his early years. From an early age, he was well aware of his weaknesses.


    But what hecked in raw ability, he made up for in sheer determination and grit as he poured all his energy into training.


    Later as his efforts bore fruit, people attributed his performance to talent. If only they knew, he wasn''t the kind of talent they thought, what kind of reaction would they make?


    Lacking talent, he envied those who were gifted. That''s why, he didn''t have a favorable impression of Hiro because every time he looked at him, he reminded him of the person whom he could only wish to be.


    Sure, having the opportunity to y alongside him, he had seen him train equally hard. But even so, why could he get everything easily while he had to spend months and years perfecting it?


    Indeed, he didn''t have any ulterior motive. He might not even be aware of it. But every time, Hiro was around him, he felt inferior.


    The way he mastered new techniques easily was like looking down on his efforts.


    Maybe it might only be him who was obsessed with surpassing Hiro. And maybe they might even call him pathetic for being stuck on such a childish thing. But even so, he would rather struggle than admit defeat like the rest.

 Chapter 437 A different version

    Chapter 437 A different version


    ??The god might have deprived him of talent. But that didn''t stop him from advancing. He had made it this far with sheer determination alone and he''d continue to do the same.


    But if only he were to be aware that he wasn''t entirely talentless, what kind of expression would he make? Would his perception of yers with talent change? He possessed dormant potential which he could only unlock through determination and efforts.


    ''I''ll show them,'' he thought, a spark of defiance igniting in his chest. ''I''ll outwork everyone. I''ll train harder, longer, until my body breaks if I have to. Talent isn''t everything.''


    As he thought so, he stood up abruptly, startling a nearby teammate.


    Is he still bothered about the game? Or is it too much for him to handle? Well, he did provoke their yer, and now he has made a fool out of himself. If I were him, I''d have probably died of humiliation. Don''t fret it, Tominaga. You''ve yed well.


    His teammates gave him acent look as he stood up abruptly. But none stepped in front to confront him.


    Tominaga then squared his shoulders, adopting the tough exterior he wore like armor.


    "We''ll get them next time," he dered, his voice carrying a bravado he didn''t entirely feel. "This is just a setback. We''lle back stronger."


    His words left his teammates utterly stunned. It wasn''t what they were expecting of him. They had expected him tompoon, orsh out. Instead, he epted his defeat graciously. Was he the same Tominaga they knew? Or was he an imposter?


    Perhaps the defeat was so shocking that it affected his mind.


    They couldn''t help but look at him with a mixture of surprise and hope. Some even felt sympathetic.


    Tominaga however didn''t flinch. It didn''t matter to him how they looked at him. He swept his gaze as he met eyes with his teammates, channeling every ounce of confidence he had mustered. Inside, doubt gnawed him, but he refused to let it show.


    He was the ace, and he couldn''t afford to let his teammates down.


    "It''s just as he said," Kenji nodded. "We can''t let it bother us. This is just a setback and the season is far from over. We''ll reim our spot," he added as he tried to rally his teammate.


    "I agree," Ryuji stood up.


    Soon everybody joined as they all rallied together. As they all rallied together, the previous bleak atmosphere of the locker room transformed. The defeat no longer bothered them and they gained a new purpose.


    Then as they began to fill out of the locker room to face the waiting media, Kenji stopped Tominaga.


    "Thank you, Tominaga. I''m grateful for what you did earlier," Kenji thanked Tominaga for stepping up during their time of peril. "It was supposed to be my responsibility, but after what happened in the pitch...," his face darkened and his tone became heavy as he paused to breathe.


    There was guiltced in his voice, and Tominaga could feel it.


    The indomitable defender, the unyielding wall, had crumbled before Hiro today. It''s no wonder, he was having difficulty facing his teammates.


    "I understand, Kenji-san," Tominaga said in an understanding manner.


    The feeling of shame, regret, and helplessness gnawing on Kenji, he knew it better than anyone else in the room. He could resonate with it. After all, he was going through the same shit. So, who else but he would understand his feelings?


    However, he couldn''t allow it to bother him. He had to ovee it to be able to conquer it. And only by conquering his setbacks would he grow. Even so, he shouldn''t forget the bitter taste it left in his mouth.


    Every failure is the seed of an equivalent sess.


    He had made it this far because he had failed a lot. But after every failure he had stood up. And he''d continue to do the same. No matter how many times he gets knocked down, he''ll continue to rise until he finally reaches the top.


    That was the mindset of Tominaga.


    As he heard Tominaga, his lips curled into a subtle smile. He knew that he didn''t have to exin himself any further. This was the side of Tominaga he had never seen. And if not for today''s setback, he might have never experienced it too.


    So, he started to feel a little grateful for the setback. It wasn''t right of him to think so, but he couldn''t help it.


    That arrogantd had suddenly matured a lot today. Who knew that there was such a side of him? And, Kenji couldn''t help but see him in a different light.


    Kenji nodded as he turned to leave. Just before he left, he said, "Might I ask you a favor?"


    "A favor?" Tominaga repeated.


    "Take the interview today," Kenji said straightforwardly.


    The way he put it in words, it didn''t sound like he was asking for a favor. But rather it sounded like he was leaving it to him whether he liked it or not.


    "But.., how can I?" Tominaga refuted.


    But Kenji couldn''t care less about his refusal. He simply waved his hand as he dumped the matter to him and left the room without responding.


    Now, Tominaga had no option but to ept it. So, he inhaled deeply as he tried to steel his heart to face the media.


    "Just what kind of captain are you? You take all the winning interviews and bail out when you face a troublesome one?" Tominagained.


    Despite his attempt to calm himself, he got irritated when thinking about the loss. For sure, the reporters would bombard him with unreasonable questions. He wasn''t even trained. So, how was he supposed to answer their questions?


    What if he messes it up?


    That''d probably tarnish the reputation of the club.


    It wasn''t because Kenji didn''t want to take the interview. Or he was bailing out because of the loss. But today, he had seen something different in Tominaga. So, he had faith in him that he''d do well. That''s why he left the interview to him.

 Chapter 438 Special Guest

    <h4>Chapter 438 Special Guest</h4>


    In the wake of his dazzling performance against Vissel Kobe and his unexpected call-up to the national team, Hiro found himself thrust into a whirlwind of attention.


    Ayumi, his newly appointed personal manager, had somehow managed to secure him a spot as a special guest on one of Japan''s most popr reality shows. The show was renowned for its engaging format, featuring celebrity interviews interspersed with unique challenges designed to showcase the guest''s talents entertainingly.


    So, it was rather popr among people of all age groups due to its uniqueness.


    On the day of the shoot, Hiro left for the studio quite early. Though he was trying his hardest to maintain his solemn demeanor, he couldn''t help but shake the feeling of nervousness that was gnawing at him.


    The poprity of the show was well known to almost everybody residing in Japan. And, Hiro was no stranger to it as well.


    Almost the entirety of the nation watched it.


    As his ride got close to his destination, his heart started to race. The view of the studio became clear to him as he looked out of the window. That towering structure intimidated him. There were some people outside, holding a bouquet, awaiting his arrival.


    The sight of those people further made him anxious. Involuntarily, he reached out for his tie to loosen it a bit. For this special asion, he had dressed in a sharp suit.


    Initially, he wasn''t nning to dress such. After all, he preferredfort over style. But it was his manager Ayumi who had insisted him to dress such. So giving in to her insistence, he dressed formally for the show.


    Then as the ride stopped in front of the studio, he inhaled deeply in an attempt to wash away his nervousness. After all, he couldn''t afford to show his nervousness.


    "Don''t stress it. It''s not your first time being in front of a camera," Ayumi who had apanied him to the studio said as she tried to calm him.


    ''Easy for you to say'' he thought as he tried to calm himself.


    Her words did not help him in the slightest. He just couldn''t shake this feeling. To handle all those people waiting outside, Ayumi stepped out first.


    "You''ve got this, Hiro," he tried to encourage himself.


    Then as he stepped out of the car, he was bombarded with greetings. But somehow, he was able to keep his cool. He graciously epted their warm greeting with a smile on his face.


    "Shall we head inside?"


    "Sure, let''s go," he responded warmly.


    They then led him inside the studio.


    As Hiro stepped into the bustling TV studio, a maelstrom of emotions churned within him.


    The adrenaline from the match against Vissel Kobe was still coursing through his veins, mingling with the euphoria of his national team selection and a newfound nervousness about his television appearance.


    This was uncharted territory, far removed from the familiar confines of the football pitch.


    Ayumi, efficient and reassuring, guided him through the initial formalities and introduced him to the crew. She had done her homework and was well-versed with the crew.


    "Hello, Hiro," Suzuki the host of the show approached Hiro with a smile on his face, weing him.


    Hiro shook his hand as he ryed the greeting politely.


    "I''ve been following you even before you made your debut," Suzuki said.


    For a while, he kept on yapping about his impression of Hiro. From the way he mentioned his achievements, it appeared that Suzuki was quite a fan of Hiro as well.


    While the host of the show led the conversation, Hiro could only nod, and return thepliment. He just couldn''t get any opportunity to speak.


    "Ah right!" Suzuki stopped midway through their conversation as he remembered something. "Congrattions on making it into the national team," Suzuki congratted Hiro.


    "Thank you, Suzuki-san," Hiro graciously epted.


    "Now then, I should probably leave. The crew will call you, so be on standby," saying so, Suzuki turned to leave.


    He was the host of the show after all, so he couldn''t keep the crew waiting.


    That warm conversation with the show''s charismatic host momentarily eased his jitters. It helped him to calm down.


    Then he was led to the make-up room. He was a special guest on the show, so he had to look good on the screen. Though he wasn''t a huge fan of make-up, nheless, it was a formality, so he had toply.


    "Takahashi Hiro, please be on standby," one of the crew members asked him to be on standby as they finished their make-up.


    "Have you ever thought of taking acting as your career? With that face of yours, I''m sure you''d get offers even if youcked acting," Ayumiplimented his appearance.


    "I''ll stick to the thing I know," Hiro refused her offer as he left the make-up room and trod toward the backstage.


    As the cameras began to roll, Hiro took a deep breath to ease his nervousness.


    It was a tough challenge, buthe''d faced even tougher challenges on the field. So what was there to fret about the show?


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a true rising star with us today!" Kazuki''s voice boomed across the set. "Fresh from his match-winning performance against Vissel Kobe and hot off his call-up to the national team - please wee Takahashi Hiro!"


    The audience erupted in apuse as the host finished the announcement.


    ''It''s show time''


    Thinking such, he forced a smile on his face before walking out onto the stage. Waving and smiling, he greeted the audience, warmly. The audience was mesmerized by his appearance.


    "Is it only me or does he look entirely different right now?"


    "Exactly, he looks much more handsome in reality."


    The audience was fawning over his appearance. He was like eye candy, extremely pleasing to the eye.


    "Exactly what I expected," Ayumi who was witnessing this scene of the audience fawning over him, nodded. Then a sinister smile blossomed on her face as she turned to look at Hiro. At the same time, greed shed in her eyes as she murmured, "Your face is the most marketable"


    For absolutely no reason, Hiro felt a shiver run down his spine.

 Chapter 439 Soccer Challenges

    <h4>Chapter 439 Ser Challenges </h4>


    As he settled onto his seat opposite Suzuki, he felt the weight of the expectation pressing down on him. He was no longer just Hiro the talented teenager; he was Hiro the national team prospect, Hiro the giant yer who had toppled league giants like Vissel Kobe.


    Finding out about his appearance on the show, he had trained himself to remain calm. But still, when he swept his gaze around, he felt a little intimidated by the audience.


    It wasn''t his first time being in front of the people. In fact, the number of audiences present in the studio at the moment couldn''t evenpare to the number of people in the stadium.


    Yet still, he couldn''t help but feel a bit iffy.


    It wasn''t the audience but the show''s aura that made him feel a bit ufortable.


    Then as he settled, the interview began.


    Suzuki''s questions were insightful yet entertaining, covering everything from Hiro''s early days in football to his recent heroic performances on the field, and his call-up to the national team.


    Hiro answered his questions with pride and humility, all the while acutely aware of how his words might be perceived.


    Midway through the interview, Suzuki announced a twist. "Now, Hiro, we know you''re incredible on the pitch, but how about showing us some of those skills right here? We have a few ser challenges lined up for you!"


    Hiro had been expecting it. So, the announcement didn''t surprise him. Instead, he felt quite relieved upon hearing the announcement. This, at least, was familiar ground. It wasn''t an uncharted territory.


    The crew quickly set up a mini-ser field in the studio,plete with targets and obstacles. The efficiency with which the crew members set the stage mesmerized him.


    ''I wonder how much they have trained to be able to operate with such quick precision'' Hiro thought as he looked at the staff members with a mix of curiosity and awe.


    In no time, they set up a stage for him to showcase his ability.


    "So, shall we witness the brilliance of Hiro firsthand?" Suzuki said while looking at him. It was almost as if he was looking forward to it.


    The audience let out an excited roar as they responded to Suzuki.


    The first challenge was a target practice, where Hiro had to hit specific spots on a goalpost from varying distances.


    To him, it was a child''s y to hit those targets.


    "Now then before we kickstart the challenges, shall we make some bets to make it even more entertaining?" Suzuki announced.


    ''Huh! Bet?''


    Hiro was surprised to hear the mention of the bet. What kind of bet was Suzuki talking about?


    But it didn''t take long for him to figure out what he was talking about.


    "I''m sure you lot have downloaded our app. So, I want you to open it and ce your bet. The one lucky winner who manages to guess correctly will receive a prize. So, be sure not to mess it up," Suzuki announced enthusiastically.


    It was an era of technology. So, it''d be rather strange to collect the bet in the old-fashioned way. By the looks of it, it seemed as if the thing regarding the bet was pre-nned.


    As soon as they heard his announcement, they immediately began to ce their bet. After all, if they guessed correctly, they''d receive a prize.


    While the audience became busy cing their bet, Hiro nced backstage, searching for Ayumi. He hadn''t been informed about the bet. But she must have been informed about it. So, why didn''t she inform him?


    However, as he turned to look at her, he found her as clueless as him.


    But what does it matter anyway? It''s not like he was the one to give away the prize.


    The thing regarding the bet was rather simple. The audience had to ce their bet on how many targets he''d hit urately.


    "Can I warm up a bit?" Hiro asked.


    The audience was taking way too long. So, he was getting bored awaiting the challenge to begin. After all, he had the ball in his feet.


    "Sure, go ahead," Suzuki gave his approval.


    While the audience took their sweet moment to ce the bet, Hiro started kicking the ball. He purposefully missed the targets so as not to obstruct the challenge. He didn''t want to ruin it before it even began.


    This action of his, however, misled the audience into thinking that he wasn''t in good form today. After seeing him miss, how could they bring themselves to ce their bet confidently? Even those who had already ced their bets began to have doubts.


    "It doesn''t look like he''ll hit many today"


    "I shouldn''t have ced my bet hastily"


    Worried cries resounded as many of them regretted their decision.


    "Times up everyone," Suzuki announced. "Now then, shall we see how Hiro performs today?"


    As he announced, he turned to look at Hiro, "Are you ready, Hiro?"


    Hiro nodded, "Umm"


    Then he assumed his position. The entire audience''s focus converged on him as he took his position. Some were anxious, some worried, and some confident, there were all kinds of faces in the audience.


    But Hiro wasn''t bothered in the slightest.


    The bet they had ced on him, didn''t amount to anything to him.


    Confidently, he nced at his targets as he prepared to shoot. It was just a simple drill, so he wasn''t going to use his skills. To hit those targets, he didn''t need to rely on the system. He could manage it all by himself.


    And, even if he were to miss some, what would it matter?


    It''s not like he got any reward or anything.


    Bam!


    The first target was the top right corner. He had to slot the ball in the top right corner. And he nailed it perfectly.


    The audience cheered as he made the first target.


    Then second, third, fourth, and so on, he nailed every single one of it precisely without missing any. Surprised, and stunned, the audience could only look at him with eyes full of awe.

 Chapter 440 The final hurdle

    <h4>Chapter 440 The final hurdle</h4>


    They had been misled. And, now they could do nothing about it.


    The same audience who until a moment ago were worried about having ced their bet hastily were now rejoicing. Meanwhile, the people who had ced their bet confidently after thoughtful consideration were frowning.


    Even Suzuki, the host of the show was thoroughly mesmerized by his uracy. Just how could one not miss any?


    He nailed the first challenge.


    Next, he had to dribble through a series of cones in record time. Once again, he mesmerized the audience as he effortlesslypleted the challenge with flying numbers.


    For the final hurdle, he was required to bend the ball around a wall of cardboard defenders into the top corner of a small goal.


    The challenges had been nothing but easy until now. And it also didn''t seem much of a challenge to him.


    ''It''s just a freekick drill'' Hiro thought as he analyzed the content of the challenge.


    Then he took his stance for the final challenge. He inhaled deeply as he started to visualize his shot. The distance from the goal was almost 15 yards.


    So, he figured out that he should prioritize technique over power.


    But as he turned to look at the post, he found the post quite small. There was barely any space for the ball to slide inside.


    For this challenge, not only was he required to avoid the cardboard defenders, but he also had to pay attention to his precision. A single error could lead the ball astray.


    Now that he had taken a closer look at it, he found it quite difficult.


    ''It''s barely enough to fit the ball'' he thought as he looked at the small circle on the post.


    Nheless, it failed to scare him. Instead, he felt even more excited. After all, challenges should push one to their limit. Then only would it feel exciting.


    Huff!!


    The challenge seemed a bit bothersome, but still, he had no ns of relying on the system.


    His concentration peaked as he visualized his shot. The audience held their breath as they stared fixedly at him with a mix of curiosity and nervousness.


    Would he be able to score?


    They were curious to find out. Meanwhile, those who had guessed urately until now appeared to be rather desperate. They desperately wanted him to score so that they could im their promised reward.


    As his concentration peaked, the world around him went silent.


    Then he executed his shot perfectly without any mistake. He struck the ball right where he had been nning to strike.


    The ball sailed, curving over the cardboard defender. After attaining maximum height, it dropped rapidly. It almost appeared as if he had simply lobbed the ball.


    But there was more to it.


    Instead of a side spin, he had put a top spin on the ball, causing it to fall rapidly after attaining its maximum height.


    It was a dipping shot.


    To be able to control the spin of the ball as per his wishes, he''d have to have excellent ball control and technique. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be possible.


    Fortunately enough, he excelled in both. Not only did he possess one of the finest ball control in the league, but his techniques were also top-notch.


    Effortlessly, the ball slid inside, leaving the spectators mesmerized.


    The studio erupted in apuse, and even the usuallyposed Suzuki looked genuinely impressed.


    "Unbelievable! This man is a magician with the ball!" Suzuki eximed, shaking Hiro''s hand.


    Backstage, the crew buzzed with excitement. They just couldn''t stop singing Hiro''s praises after witnessing his brilliance.


    The energy was contagious, and it was clear that Hiro had made asting impression.


    Hiro heaved a sigh of relief.


    ''Did I tap into the zone?'' he tried to recall.


    For a moment when he was preparing to take the shot, it felt as if he had entered the zone. But as he recalled, he realized that it wasn''t anything like before. So, he discarded it.


    As much as it was captivating the heart of the audience present on the stage, it was having an even greater impact on its viewers.


    In living rooms and cafes, fans were watching him with rapt attention. The excitement on their faces was almost akin to the moment when he had scored for the country.


    In one cozy apartment, Tatsuki and Naoto, two of Hiro''s teammates, sat on a couch, their eyes glued to the TV.


    "Did you see that shot?" Tatsuki said, his voice filled with admiration. "He''s on fire!"


    Naoto nodded, a proud smile on his face. "He''s something else."


    "He''s turning into a celebrity," Tatsuki said as he leaned against the sofa.


    "Am I smelling something?" Naoto sniffed. "It smells like jealousy," he added as he teased Tatsuki.


    Tatsuki became flustered as he stammered, "What do..., you mean? Why..., why would I get jealous?"


    "Because you''re no longer the only star of the team. Because he had already surpassed your goal tally. Because he''s more popr than you...,"


    Tatsuki couldn''t take it anymore. Yet, he couldn''t deny either. Every single one of the things Naoto mentioned was true after all.


    At the moment, Hiro was the top scorer of the team with 13 goals under his name. Meanwhile, Tatsuki despite the early lead was tailing him.


    So, he covered his ears.


    Naoto wouldn''t stop, and he couldn''t bear to hear. So, it was the only option he had.


    In another part of the town, a group of youngsters had gathered in a small cafe.


    "You really yed with him?" one of them asked.


    Akashi puffed his chest as he replied proudly, "If you don''t believe me then you can ask Sumire here"


    It had been quite a long time since hest visited his home. So, he hadn''t had any opportunity to meet his friends from home.


    Sumire nodded her head as she supported Akashi''s statement.


    The entire cafe went wild.


    "I can get you his autograph during his visit," Akashi said proudly as he tried to unt his connection with Hiro.


    ''You''ve really made it, Hiro''


    Sumire couldn''t help but blush while looking at the figure of Hiro on the screen.


    ''If I dedicate myself, do you think I can make it too?''

 Chapter 441 Young sensation

    <h4>Chapter 441 Young sensation</h4>


    As the program wrapped up, Suzuki turned to Hiro with a smile.


    "Thank you for joining us today, Hiro. You''ve not only entertained us but also inspired many young athletes out there," he said.


    A humble smile adorned Hiro''s face as he bowed his head slightly, "Thank you for having me. I enjoyed being on the show."


    Although in the beginning, he felt quite nervous, now as the show came to an end, he felt thankful for the invitation. He had nothing but gratitude to the staff.


    From the beginning, they had been nothing but weing.


    So, he bowed his as he said his thanks to the staff members for their hospitality. Before wrapping, he also thanked the audience and the viewers for their love and support.


    "Thank you everyone for the support you have blessed me. I''ll forever be grateful for your support," Hiro deeply bowed his head as he said his thanks to the audience and the viewer.


    As he said his thanks, he thought of the national team, the Asia Cup, and the challenges thaty ahead of him.


    Though he had managed to ovee one such challenge, his true test was yet to begin. And, he was well aware of the difficulty he had to face to ovee it.


    Finally, the show came to an end. As for the reward for the event back then, the winner was promised a front-row seat for Hiro''s next game, as well as an opportunity to tour the stadium and spend a day with the yers.


    After the show, as Hiro was getting ready to leave, one of the staff girls who had greeted him earlier approached him shyly.


    She was petite with a lively expression while her eyes were sparkling with excitement.


    "Mr. Takahashi, I''m a huge fan," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I was wondering if... maybe I could get a photo with you?"


    As she asked for a photo, Hiro was reminded of his new reality. He was no longer just a promising young yer, but he was bing more of a public figure, a role model.


    His stardom had risen significantly after his debut. And so did his reputation stat. If it continued then it was only a matter of time before the world took notice of him.


    The prejudice regarding Asian yers had already started to wane due to the collective effort of world-ss Asian yers. So, if he continued to deliver, then the big move he had dreamed of since his past life, it''d no longer remain a dream.


    Hiro smiled warmly, "Of course."


    It wasn''t a big deal for him. And, he was in no rush to head home. Though he was a little tired due to the day''s events, he had no other ns.


    And the day was still far from over.


    They then took a picture together. The girl beamed with joy as she took some pictures with him. She was way older than him, probably in her early twenties. But her joy was like that of a child after getting their favorite toy.


    The joy on her face warmed his heart.


    She was quick enough to post the photo on her social media, captioning it with excitement and pride, "Met the young sensation today! Takahashi Hiro is just as amazing in person as he is on the field, humble and handsome."


    Hiro was quite mesmerized by her typing speed.


    ''She must be one of those keyboard warriors'' he thought as he looked at her.


    Just then Ayumi walked inside. She had been away to handle some formalities. So, he was waiting for her.


    "So, I can go home right?" Hiro asked.


    He hadn''t been informed about any other activity. So, it was only natural for him to head home.


    "Actually...," uncertainty shed in her eyes as she made a rather distressful expression.


    It was as if she hadn''t informed him of something very crucial. Or she had made somest-minute changes without consulting him.


    Well, he did provide her the liberty to operate on her own. But still, it''d have been better if she asked him before making further changes.


    "They have asked us to join them for the dinner," Ayumi spoke meekly.


    A sharp contrast to her usual confident demeanor, right now she appeared as if she had made some huge blunder.


    Well, it wasn''t a big deal. And neither was it a taxing request.


    But still, it''d have been better if she had consulted with him first before epting the proposal. He knew that she had already epted the proposal. Though, she hadn''t mentioned it. He could tell based on her expression.


    If she had been here to consult, she wouldn''t have appeared so nervous.


    Even so, he was hungry. So, he didn''t feel like making it an issue.


    "Thank god! I was starving," Hiro said sounding rather grateful.


    As she heard him, her face lightened up. Her eyes glimmered with relief, while a crescent-like smile adorned her beautiful face.


    Until now, she had been nothing but perfect. She hadn''t made any errors and had carried out her responsibilities superbly. But even so, she was only a human.


    There were bound to be moments when she messed up.


    However, as he thought of her actions, he felt a bit uneasy. An unsettling feeling gnawed at him as he tried to figure out her action.


    It was not like her. Maybe there''s some other motive for epting the invitation. Sure, she wouldn''t have agreed to it because she was craving food.


    Butter as they got to the dinner, everything became clear to him.


    The reason why she had epted the invitation without even consulting with him was all because of an individual. The individual with the highest authority. It was the president of the mediapany that owned the show he had been part of.


    As ambitious as she was, she probably wanted to make use of this opportunity to build some ties with the powerful man.


    Her motive became as crystal clear as water.

 Chapter 442 Ayumi’s ambition

    <h4>Chapter 442 Ayumi''s ambition</h4>


    She likely saw this as an opportunity to build connections with the giants of this industry. If it was him, he''d have done the same thing.


    After all, who doesn''t want to one-up their career?


    Ambitious as she was, how could she miss such an opportunity?


    Finding out her motive, Hiro couldn''t help but steal a nce of her. ''You may have epted the invitation, but how are you going to approach him?'' he thought.


    Exactly, he''d likely turn her down if she approached him carelessly. After all, she was nothing more than a mere stranger to him.


    Though she was handling his affairs, it wasn''t enough for a man of that stature to be interested in her. So, she had toe up with something if she wanted to build some connection with him.


    This, however, made him extremely curious. And, he just couldn''t help but wonder if she had something prepared.


    As they did earlier, they weed him warmly. Many of them seemed quite excited to have him.


    Even the president approached him first despite his stature as the person with the most influence in the room. For a person of his stature, he appeared quite humble.


    Or maybe it was precisely due to his position, that he took the liberty to approach him first? Who knows what he had in his mind?


    They say that usually powerful are multi-faced people. So, it might be a facade.


    During the dinner, Ayumi''s ambitious nature was on full disy. Not only was she able to talk with the president, she even befriended several other top executives of thepany.


    She skillfully navigated the conversations, subtly steering them towards topics that''d benefit Hiro''s career. She wanted to put his charm to better use.


    Hiro could only marvel at the sight.


    Well, she was charming and professional. And, her people skills, it wasn''t something that could be underestimated. After all, she had convinced him to hire her as his manager against his skepticism and worries.


    He was thoroughly impressed by her finesse. But, he couldn''t help but feel a tad bit skeptical.


    She was wonderful, and he couldn''t deny it. But he couldn''t help but wonder if one day her ambition would lead her to make decisions that weren''t in his best interest.


    After all, he wanted to be able to keep ying football. If possible, he didn''t want to endorse anything that wasn''t rted to football.


    Then again, he enjoyed the attention he got. After all, fame is one of the most wonderful parts of being a footballer. There''d hardly be any footballer who''d hate fame.


    The feeling of importance, who doesn''t like it?


    Everybody likes to feel important.


    And, he wasn''t any different either. Though he denied it on the outside, he hade to like this feeling of importance. The feeling that he was valued.


    Well, he also couldn''t deny that some days he felt it too burdensome.


    Everything has a price.


    After the dinner, as they walked back to their car, Hiro couldn''t shake off his unease.


    "You did well in there," he said, breaking the silence.


    Ayumi smiled as a hint of pride shed in her eyes. "Thank you. It''s important to make these connections. They can open up more opportunities for you."


    It was exactly as she had said. And, it was something she specialized. The ability to engage in conversation with people confidently. It was a key factor for somebody in the marketing field. And, he was her product.


    So, she had to advertise him properly so she could get more offers for him.


    She couldn''t just wait for people to make their bid. She had to reach out to the potential clients.


    Understanding her point, he nodded. But still, he couldn''t help but feel a bit wary, "Just make sure to keep me in the loop next time, okay?"


    He didn''t want her to add new things for him out of the blue. After all, he had hired her to organize his schedule so that he''d have time for himself.


    He hadn''t hired her to make thingsplicated for him.


    If she continued to add new things to his schedule, he''d have no time for himself. Which he wanted to avoid the most.


    So, he was hoping for her to include him before making any decisions.


    "Of course," Ayumi replied, her tone sincere. "I promise I won''t make decisions without consulting you first."


    This reassured his heart a little.


    Even so, as they drove away, Hiro couldn''t help but think about the delicate bnce between ambition and trust.


    He knew Ayumi had his best interests at heart, but he would have to remain vignt to ensure her ambitious nature didn''t lead them astray. He had only known her for a while.


    And even though, she was capable. But her earlier actions made him slightly worried.


    They then drove home. Along the way, Ayumi presented her idea of marketing his looks as she talked about making a cameo in different movies.


    But Hiro sounded unsure about it.


    He wasn''t entirely against her ideas. But he was simply a terrible actor.


    "Ah right, don''t you n on ying abroad?" she asked curiously.


    She was well aware of his agent Eric. After all, it was he who had introduced her to him. During her internship, she had a fortuitous encounter with Eric. So that''s how she came to know him.


    But until now, Hiro had rarely talked about moving abroad. So, she couldn''t help but ask about his ns. Even if she didn''t work with him at that time, she still wanted to be of some help to him. Her intentions were genuine.


    "I''ll probably move abroad after I turn 18," Hiro answered honestly.


    There wasn''t anything for him to hide. By now, most people would have already guessed it as well.


    Though he was thankful for the opportunity to y in the toughest league of his country, he wanted topete against the world.


    His response didn''t surprise her. But she furrowed her brows as she replied, "Then why haven''t you started learning any foreignnguages?"

 Chapter 443 Hectic Schedule

    <h4>Chapter 443 Hectic Schedule</h4>


    Exactly, why hadn''t he thought of it? If his goal was to move abroad then he couldn''t just rely on a trantor. He had to learn theirnguage tomunicate with the team.


    So, why hadn''t it crossed his mind yet? Was it because he was too absorbed in his game? Or was it simply his negligence?


    Now how was he supposed to reply?


    "Uh.., I haven''t thought about it," he answered. "Can''t I learn it after signing for one? I mean I don''t even know which club I''d be joining."


    Ayumi heaved a deep sigh after listening to his response, "Sigh~"


    Then she frowned her brows as she looked at him disappointedly.


    ''When ites to thinking, he really is an idiot'' She thought.


    "Does it even matter? Just narrow down the possible clubs that you want to join and start learning thenguage," She advised. "You''ve got the time right now. And, if we start early then you won''t have much troubleter," She added.


    Indeed, he had all the time he needed. And considering his learning capability, it''d take him some time to learn. So, it was the right time for him to start.


    Once again, he got lost in his thoughts.


    "For instance, why don''t we start with English? It''s a globally spokennguage after all," She suggested, trying to ease up his worries.


    She could tell just from a nce that despite her suggestion of narrowing down the list of clubs he wanted to join, he was having trouble deciding.


    He nodded in agreement. It was exactly as she said.


    "Then, can I leave it up to you?" he asked.


    She smiled, "Sure, that''s why I''m here."


    Later that night, as Hiroy in bed, his emotions swirled like a tempest. So much had happened today. Pride in his achievements, excitement about the call-up, nervousness about the weight of expectation ced upon him, and a steely determination to prove himself worthy.


    Also, he was excited to start his lessons.


    Academically, he wasn''t gifted. So, it''d definitely take him a lot of effort to learn. Still, if he wanted to keep on ying, he couldn''t just focus on his ys, he had to be equally apt in other fields such asmunication.


    He''d definitely struggle if he couldn''tmunicate with his new teammates. And, that would affect his overall performance on the field.


    Even Lionel Messi, one of the greatest in the world had suffered due to thenguage barrier after leaving Barcelona.


    Then he fell asleep while thinking about the day''s events.


    Training in the morning, school during the day, and some English lessons in the evening, he spent his days leisurely. Although he found it a bit bothersome in the beginning, soon he got used to his new daily schedule.


    He had yet to graduate high school.


    Though he could apply for leave during matchdays, he still had to attend sses online, and diligently turn on his assignments.


    Being a star yer, he wasn''t exempted from his academic duties.


    Because of his hectic schedule, he barely had any time for himself. There were even days when he felt burned out due to his hectic schedule.


    Even so, he couldn''t afford to rx. After all, he had to remain sharp for the preparation camp too.


    "Ugh!!" feeling drained, he threw himself on the couch as he returned from the English lessons.


    He barely had any energy left to move his body. So, he didn''t even bother to turn on the lights. He wanted nothing more than rest.


    Both Tatsuki and Naoto were away today. They were called for some charity events.So, he was all alone in the house.


    In no time, as he shut his eyes, due to the exhaustion, he fell asleep. It was supposed to be a quick rest, but he simply couldn''t elude sleep.


    It was as if he had no control over it.


    "Seems like Hiro hasn''t returned yet," Naotomented as he nced at their apartment window.


    It was already night yet the light hadn''t been turned on. So, he could deduce that Hiro wasn''t home yet.


    "Maybe, he''s out somewhere," Tatsuki who was holding onto some bags answered.


    But as they walked inside, they found Hiro sound asleep on the couch. His bagy beneath his feet giving an impression that he didn''t even have the time to organize it.


    Naoto looked at him pitifully, "Seems like he had a rough day today"


    "Well, considering his schedule, I doubt if he''d have any energy left," Tatsuki said. "Sucks being him," he added.


    "Sometimes I forget that he''s still in school," Naoto said.


    "I hate to admit it but he''s too good for his age."


    "Now that you mention age, didn''t a sixteen-year-old deliver a performance to behold in Euro the previous year?"


    "The wunderkind of Barcelona huh?"


    "Yeah, I heard that he had to attend sses even while ying Euro."


    "Hahaha..., Yeah, I too heard that he had to submit homework even when representing his nation in one of the biggest tournaments. It was damn hrious," Tatsukiughed.


    The two of them cheerfully conversed.


    The smile on Tatsuki''s face waned as he looked at the sleeping figure of Hiro, "They''re already making a name for themselves while we continue to struggle. At his age, we were still a nobody."


    "Who says that we were nobody? We were the backbone of our team," Naoto tried to cheer him. "Comparison is the thief of joy," he added.


    Exactly as he said, if he started topare himself with others, he''d never be happy. After all, there''d always be someone better in the world.


    And, better talent would continue to emerge.


    So, if he were topare himself with them rather than focus on himself, he''d never be satisfied. It might do him more harm than good.


    Why was he evenparing himself with others?


    Some people wished to live his life. Some people envied his talents. So, instead ofparing himself, he should be honing the talent he possessed.


    Only if he did that would he be able to improve.

 Chapter 444 Absentmindedness

    <h4>Chapter 444 Absentmindedness</h4>


    He thought about it deeply.


    Then he nodded his head as he teased Hiro, "Well, at least I didn''t have to toggle between football and school."


    Naoto burst intoughter as he heard him.


    "But seriously, what should we do with him?" Tatsuki inquired.


    "Let him rest until dinner," Naoto said.


    After that, the two of them went on with their business without paying any heed to him.


    The sky was a tapestry of soft pastel hues, with streaks of pink and orange blending seamlessly into the azure while the morning sun bathed thendscape in a gentle golden light, casting long shadows, and illuminating the dew-kissed grass.


    Birds chirped melodiously, filling the crisp fresh air with their songs.


    Hiro who had been out on a run even before the sun hade out was right now in a park near his residency. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he looked around him, taking in the serene beauty of the morning.


    The people were few, so he didn''t need to worry about running into someone.


    Well, if he wanted to run, he could have just headed to the training grounds. But for a change of pace, he opted for themunity park instead.


    After all,ter in the day, he was going to depart for the preparation camp. There he''d spend some days training with other members of the national team.


    Obviously, he''d miss some of his club matches.?It was an international duty after all.


    Standing under a lush tree, listening to the chirp of the birds, a feeling of tranquility washed him. Havingpleted multipleps around the park, he was soaked in perspiration. His breathing was a little ragged while his heart was racing.


    Yet still, he felt at peace when standing underneath the tree.


    "It''s finally the day," he muttered as he nced at the azure sky.


    Then as he took a moment to enjoy the scene, he noticed the park getting crowded. More and more people were starting to show up.


    "I better hurry," he said.


    Tightening hisces, he then stormed away, leaving the park.


    The city was beginning to stir, with the distant hum of the traffic and the asional bark of the dog adding to the symphony of dawn.


    As he swerved through the streets, he came across several street vendors. They were preparing to open their stall and shops.


    He had been living in this ce for so long yet hadn''t got the opportunity to explore the city during the early hours. But today, he got to experience it all.


    Seeing people clocking into their work, the bustle of the streeting alive, it was a different kind of sensation that he hadn''t experienced much.


    Even in his previous life, due to his lifestyle, he barely had any opportunity to experience it. With training, a part-time job, and matches, he barely got any time to explore the pleasantries that life had to offer.


    Yet still, after many sacrifices, he never fulfilled his dream and died with regrets in the end.


    Though he didn''t need to work anymore, even in this life, he had been nothing but busy. Apart from his rise to stardom, and fulfilling his previous dream, he hadn''t had many opportunities to explore the simplest experiences that life had to offer.


    Just like the one at the moment. The opportunity to explore the city early in the morning, due to his obsession with training, he hadn''t been able to experience it.


    The early morning activity of the street mesmerized him.


    Sometimes happiness and peace of mind can be found in the simplest things in life.


    Often we get so lost in our journey to the top that we all forget it. While thinking about the future, we forget to enjoy our present.


    Thinking about the future in itself isn''t a bad thing. But often in doing so, we forget to live our life. After all, who knows what the future has in store for us? We have little to no control over it.


    But the present, it''s within our reach. So, why not live every moment to its fullest?


    Honk!!


    "Ahhh!!" he screamed as he nearly got hit by a car.


    It was around the corner, so he didn''t see the caring. And, he had been so absorbed in his surroundings that he didn''t even hear the honk of the car.


    If not for the driver''s quick reaction, he''d have been run over.


    It scared the shit out of him. At first, he panicked, but as he found himself safe, he felt at ease.


    However, the driver wasn''t going to let it slide. It wasn''t his fault after all. But if he hit him, he''d be the one to get med.


    Furiously, he stomped out of his car, cussing and yelling, "You bastard! Didn''t you get any other car to die?"


    Hauling indignant curses, he stomped his way to him.


    "Sorry sir..., sorry sir," Hiro kept on apologizing.


    Bowing his head, he asked for forgiveness. It was his fault after all, so it was only natural for him to ask for forgiveness.


    It didn''t seem like the driver was in any mood to let him go. But as he got close to him, his brows eased as his expression changed.


    "You''re Hiro right?" he asked politely.


    A stark contrast to his previous domineering attitude, he soundedpletely different. It was almost as if he never was furious in the first ce.


    The shift in his personality and attitude was pretty obvious. It was due to his fame.


    But if it had been any other person, for sure, he wouldn''t have had such drastic change in such a short period.


    Slowly, Hiro lifted his head to face him. He couldn''t help but wonder about the change in his tone. But it didn''t take him long to figure out that it was possible due to his stardom.


    Though he was taking advantage of his stardom, he felt quite relieved.


    Nheless, he apologized, "I''m truly sorry sir. I wasn''t paying attention."


    "It''s really you, Hiro," the man eximed, his eyes shining bright with excitement and surprise.

 Chapter 445 Mess

    <h4>Chapter 445 Mess</h4>


    Excitement shed past his eyes as he confirmed his identity. At the same time, his lips curled into a smile. He couldn''t believe that he had run into a celebrity so early in the morning.


    "My son is a huge fan of yours," he said, his toneced with excitement. "Can you give me your autograph?" he added as he hurriedly searched his pockets.


    Hiro nodded, smiling.


    It was just a simple request. Plus he got to dodge the matter with ease. It was all the better for him. So, he was happy toply.


    The man then hurried to his car. Skimming through his belongings, he took out a pen and a notebook. After such rigorous searching, his car was in a mess, but he didn''t appear to care. All that mattered to him at the moment was the autograph of Hiro.


    Seeing the excitement on his face, Hiro couldn''t help but ponder about the benefits of fame. Just a moment ago, he appeared as if he was going to eat him alive. Now, he was in front of him with a pleasant smile on his face, requesting his autograph.


    Such drastic changes, all due to fame.


    After that, he took some pictures with him. The man even offered to drop him home, but he politely declined his proposal. After all, he was out on a run.


    So, why would he want somebody to drop him home?


    Along the way, he couldn''t help but think about the change in the behavior of the person who he had met identally. All along, it was his fault. Yet, he easily found a leeway due to his influence.


    If fame could get you such benefits, wouldn''t there be people in the world who''d exploit their privileges?


    This one random encounter made him think deeply.


    "Well, it''s not like I forced him to smile. It was he who refused my apology, " saying so, he tried to justify his actions so that he wouldn''t feel guilty about having taken advantage of his privilege.


    Though he had managed to get away with ease, he couldn''t help but shake this feeling of guilt that was gnawing at him. It was on his mind constantly, bothering him.


    And, no matter what, he couldn''t stop thinking about it.


    As he got home, he noticed both Naoto and Tatsuki had already begun their preparation. After all, it wasn''t just him who had been called.


    Naoto and Tatsuki had been delivering consistently for the team. So, it was no wonder they have been called.


    But apart from them, no one else had been called from their team. It was just the three of them who had been called.


    Even veteran yers like Asahi hadn''t made it to the team. But considering his age, it wasn''t that concerning. However, the same couldn''t be said for other yers.


    For example, Ayato had been nothing but amazing. Yet despite his brilliance, he hadn''t been called by the national team. It was such a shame. But it couldn''t be helped.


    Most of the spots in the team had been taken by yers performing abroad. So, local league yers had barely any chances of making it to the team.


    It was great enough for the three of them to get selected.


    Part of the reason why Asahi and other older yers hadn''t been selected was because of the new policy that Japan was experimenting with.


    They wanted to develop the next batch of yers to perform for the team. It was a long-term project aimed at improving the standard of the Japanese football.


    But that didn''t mean that they hadn''t called up any older yers at all. After all, experimenting with only young yers had proven to be fatal most of the time. It''s evident in the history.


    As much as a team requires new blood, it also requires the wisdom, experience,posure, and leadership of the older yers to create a sessful team.


    Only with the mix of new and old blood can a team seed in the long run.


    But for the position that relied on speed, they couldn''t afford to draft older yers. That''s why older yers mainly filled in the defensive positions.


    Asahi could y in defensive midfield well. But, despite his finesse and experience, how could hepare with the likes of Wataru Endo from Liverpool and Hidemasa Morita from Sporting CP?


    They both have proven their capabilities in their league.


    "You''re back," Naoto addressed him as he saw him standing at the front door. "Go get ready, we have to leave in an hour," he added as he urged him to hurry.


    An hour was more than enough for him to prepare. But it wasn''t enough for Tatsuki. He was the type of person who''d take quite a long time to decide. Often he''d waste time picking his clothes and getting ready.


    In order to make it in time, Naoto often helped him so that he wouldn''t dy.


    Packing for the camp, the house was in a mess. But Hiro had already gotten used to it.


    He then headed to shower to get cleaned. After all, he had been sweating profusely. So, if he were to head out without showering, he''d obviously smell.


    Also morning showers after training helped him to calm down. It was like a daily routine to him. As for school, he had already gotten permission to miss the sses.


    Ayumi took care of things as such. So, he didn''t need to bother himself with it.


    After about 45 minutes, as he got dressed and packed his luggage, he stood in front of the main door, awaiting Naoto and Tatsuki.


    Even with Naoto''s help, Tatsuki still took quite a lot of time to get dressed and pack his things up. He believed that decisions taken in haste would only bring him to ruin. So, he took his sweet time to prepare.


    If only he knew that the world wouldn''t slow just because of him, maybe he''d start hurrying up a little. But no matter how many times, he''d been told, he just never listened.


    "Just pick the ck one already. It''s not like we''re going out on a vacation."


    Naoto''s frustrated voice could be heard even from the outside.

 Chapter 446 Shocking news

    Chapter 446 Shocking news


    Hearing him, Hiro couldn''t help but feel sorry for him. Naoto wasn''t the type of person who liked to yell. And, he wasn''t the type of person who got tensed easily. The way he carried himself, it was more like a gentleman. Well, it''s different when he''s on the pitch though. There he had to be loud, and he had to appear domineering. If not, he''d have no presence on the field. But right now, he could feel the same aura in the house. That peace-loving Naoto was forced to yell. All because of one person. Well, it''s not like that he couldn''t rte to him. After all, he too was a victim of Tatsuki''s selective picking. It seemed like it''d take a while. So, he turned his focus to his packed bags. While they took their time, he started rechecking his necessities. One by one, he went through his belongings. And, only when he confirmed he had put everything did he feel satisfied. It wasn''t that he had any doubts. He was sure that he had already packed his necessities. But still, when he rechecked his stuff, he couldn''t help but reveal a satiated grin. Just then the two walked out. Naoto appeared quite disgruntled, a stark contrast to his usual calm demeanor. Meanwhile, Tatsuki appeared as if he had nothing to care for. Sometimes, when seeing this duo together, it made him wonder how Naoto could tolerate Tatsuki. Well, he wasn''t the one to talk though. Since he had been tolerating him as well. Overall, Tatsuki was a nice guy. But he could be so annoying sometimes. But looking at their state, he couldn''t help but giggle. "Yo, newbie, ready to go?" Tatsuki called out, a rxed smile adorning his face. It was rather ironic that the person who had kept him waiting had the nerve to ask that question. Sure, he was the newbie. But it should be him asking him that question. Naoto''s eyes twitched uncontrobly. It was as if he had already pushed past his limit. Any more word from him, and he mightsh out for real. Just as Hiro was about to respond, his phone rang. Brr!! Brr!! Brr!!


    "Take it quick," Tatsuki said as he heard the ring. "If it''s not important then you can take it on the bus too or else we''ll bete," he added. Ironic how the person responsible for the dy was the one worried about beingte. Says the one who caused the dy in the first ce, Hiro wanted to respond in such a way. But he refrained himself. Naoto on the other hand, couldn''t take it anymore. He erupted like a volcano as he smacked him hard, sending waves of pain across his body. Tatsuki let out a painful cry, "Argh!! What has gotten into you?"


    "Just shut up," Naoto yelled, his eyes bloodshot. While they continued to squabble, Hiro nced at his screen. The call was from his mother. The squabble of the two was already entertaining enough. But now he had gotten a call from his mother. So, he couldn''t stop smiling. Since he had informed her about the date of departure, he assumed that she had called him to wish him good luck. Smiling, he answered the call with a cheerful tone, "Hey, Mom. I''m just about to leave."


    His mom''s voice, usually calm and reassuring, was filled with a tremor that immediately set off rm bells in Hiro''s mind. "Hiro," she began, her voice breaking slightly, "there''s been an ident. Your father...., he''s in the hospital."


    The words hit him like a freight train. Time seemed to stand still as the world around him blurred. The cheerful morning suddenly felt heavy and oppressive. He could barely register what his mother was saying, his mind struggling to process the information.


    The smile on his face withered away. Despair filled his eyes, as he felt the world around him turning upside down. "What? What happened?" Hiro''s voice was shaky, his heart pounding in his chest.


    His tone wasced with extreme worry. He broke down. Immediately as they heard him, both Naoto and Tatsuki turned to look at him. They couldn''t help but cast gazes full of concern. They hadn''t seen him so much worked up until now. Just from a nce, they could tell that it was something serious. But neither could muster any courage to ask what had befallen him. "There was a car ident. He''s in the hospital now. The doctors are doing everything they can," his mother exined, her voice filled with anxiety and fear.


    Hiro felt his knees weaken, a knot forming in his stomach.


    He had been so focused on his uing journey, so excited about the opportunity to represent his country, and now this news had shattered his world. He could hear the worry and helplessness in his mother''s voice, and it tore at him.


    "Which hospital? I''ming," Hiro said, his voice steadying with determination.


    Forget about representing his nation, nothing was as important as his family. At the moment, he simply couldn''t think straight. His mind became clouded with worry and fear. If something were to happen to his father again, he wouldn''t be able to bear it. The event he thought he had prevented, came down knocking on him like a sudden massive wave of tsunami, ttening him to the ground. Finally, Naoto and Tatsuki could muster their courage.


    "What''s wrong, Hiro?" Naoto asked with concern etched on his face.


    Hiro could barely hear their voice. He could only think about one thing, to be present beside his father''s side, to be there for his family. He tossed the bag he had been holding aside as he prepared to storm away. But before he could leave, Tatsuki jumped onto him. Grabbing him tightly, he prevented him from storming away. Naoto was startled. But he immediately joined in as well. The two of them held onto him tightly, preventing him from escaping. Seeing him break down like that, they could tell that it was shocking news enough to make him throw away such a precious opportunity. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Against theirbined strength, Hiro was helpless. Yet still, he struggled to break free, "Let go of me! I have to go! Let me go!"


    He yelled desperately while trying to break free. At the same time, tears streamed down his face like a monsoon downpour.


    Even with theirbined strength, Naoto and Tatsuki found it quite difficult to restrain him. "Calm down, Hiro," Tatsuki said repeatedly in an attempt to calm him down. "Snap out of it," Naoto said.

 Chapter 447 Mentality

    Chapter 447 Mentality


    Tears streamed down his face as he continued to struggle. Naoto and Tatsuki exerted all their strength as they tried to restrain him. They gritted their teeth. Even so, it was getting increasingly difficult to restrain him. In their desperate struggle to keep him from leaving, they couldn''t help but marvel at the raw strength of Hiro. It was such a frail body, yet it housed the strength to overpower two grown adultsbined. Even so, they couldn''t loosen their grip. They couldn''t allow him to leave even if it meant immobilizing him. Who knows what steps he would take afterward? It was clear to both that he wasn''t able to make reasonable decisions. So, they had to tie him down no matter what. Finally, after a while, Hiro withdrew his strength. It wasn''t because he had expended his energy reserve. But it was because he couldn''t take it anymore. He broke down. They both felt the pressure lifting. Since a moment ago they had been struggling to keep him in check. But all of a sudden they felt light. Even so, none loosened their grip. They worried that Hiro might break free. So, even after Hiro had withdrawn his strength, they continued to cling to him. "What''s wrong Hiro?" Naoto asked concernedly. It was the same as before, he remained silent. Apart from his feeble sobs, they couldn''t get anything from him. His silence left them disappointed. Even so, they weren''t going to force him to speak. They just wanted to prevent him from making unnecessary decisions. If he didn''t feel like sharing it, then he didn''t have to.They were okay with it. Who knows what''s he going through right now? So, they weren''t going to make it more difficult by pestering him. Naoto only asked him because he was worried for him. As he continued to remain silent, Naoto and Tatsuki exchanged nces, shaking their head. It seemed both of them were on the same page. "It''s my dad," Hiro said meekly. His response surprised them. They hade to an agreement that he wouldn''t speak of it. "He''s been in an ident," he continued, his toneced with grief. "I need to go to the hospital."


    Everything became clear to them as they heard him. Hearing him, their grip loosened involuntarily. The news made their heart heavy. Even so, they couldn''t agree with him. They couldn''t let him leave. Naoto ced a reassuring hand on Hiro''s shoulder, "But what would that change? It''s not like you being there will heal him."


    If it was any other day, he''d have even offered to go with him. But it was such an important opportunity, and he couldn''t allow him to blow it away. Sure, nothing''s greater than family. But, he didn''t even know the situation fully. Yet, he was acting such desperate. Did he even inquire if his father''s condition was fatal or not? Just because he was hospitalized didn''t mean that the situation was dreadful. It''d have been entirely different if his father had been in a fatal condition. But if that wasn''t the case then he''d only blow away such a precious opportunity to represent his nation. After hearing such news, there''d hardly be any person in the world who''d be sane. So, it was all natural for him to want to be there for him. But Naoto had to think realistically. Though he couldn''t fully rte to what he was going through, he couldn''t allow him to make foolish decisions. He had to prevent him from going astray. So, he asked, "Have you inquired about your father''s state? What about your mother''s opinion?"


    Previously, Hiro was in no mood to hear such nonsense. But now as he calmed down a bit, he couldn''t help but think. After all, he wasn''t just a teenager. He may appear as one from the outside. But he wasn''t one from the inside. Initially, he may not have acted as such. But he couldn''t help but link this event to the one from his past life. He couldn''t help but worry. He had already lost his father once and he didn''t want to lose him again. He took a moment to breathe. Worrying needlessly wouldn''t do him any good. Naoto was right. He hadn''t even understood the situation fully, yet he was acting as if he was already on his deathbed. Also apart from consoling his mother, what could he even do if he were to be by his side? It''s not like he could cure him. It was exactly as he said. Perhaps, he was worrying needlessly. Perhaps, he was overreacting. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Inhaling deeply, Hiro tried to calm himself. His heart was still racing almost as if he was facing a grave danger. Seeing him trying to stabilize himself, Naoto couldn''t help but marvel at his mentality. Initially, he had assumed that it''d take more to convince him. But he hadn''t expected him to cool down so fast. It took only a few words to calm him. It''s not normal or so he thought while staring at Hiro. Tatsuki was at a loss for words. He had nned to step in after Naoto. But as he looked at Hiro, it seemed unnecessary. "Thank you," Hiro genuinely appreciated their concerns and their actions. If they didn''t stop him, perhaps he might have made a huge blunder which he''d have regretted for the rest of his life. "I shouldn''t have acted in haste," he admitted his w. "I should have inquired about the matter beforeing to a decision."


    Until now, they were still holding onto him. But as they heard his answers, they released their grip. They no longer had to worry about him making foolish decisions. They felt assured. But still, his transition mesmerized them. Just a moment ago, he was panicking as if the world wasing to an end. But now, he seemed all normal. It was as if his previous self was nothing but a mirage. "Ahh, okay. Then let''s contact your mom first, " Naoto suggested.

 Chapter 448 Supporting figures

    Chapter 448 Supporting figures


    Taking up his suggestion, Hiro proceeded to call his mother. Though he sounded extremely sad when he heard him a moment ago, he still couldn''t help but inquire. It was the right thing to do. They were runningte. Yet, none seemed bothered about it. Their only priority at the moment was Hiro''s well-being. After all, how could they leave him alone in such a state? Knowing him, he''d probably have done the same thing if they were the ones in such a situation. As the sound of the ring sounded, the air around them grew thick with tension. What if his father''s condition was vulnerable? How were they supposed to console him at that time? They didn''t want the oue to turn out in such a way, but they couldn''t rule out the possibility. Even Hiro who had finally managed to calm himself couldn''t help but feel anxious hearing the ring. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After a few rings, his mother picked up the call. "Yes, Hiro," she said, her voice hadn''t softened yet. She still sounded sad. Hearing her, he couldn''t bring himself to speak. Even so, he had to ask, "Mom, how''s dad?"


    As she heard him, she nced through the window, at her husband whoy in the bed almost in a vegetative state. The frown on her face deepened. A drop of tears rolled down her watery eyes. Then her pupils constricted as she saw her reflection on the window. She could tell that he was worried. And, he had already informed him about his date of departure. Now if she were to tell him the truth, she''d definitely ruin his chances. It was already foolish of her to inform him about the matter. Just why did she even choose to inform him of such bad news on such an auspicious asion?


    If only she''d have kept her mouth shut, she wouldn''t have ruined his day. Her husband''s condition was critical. While her eyes continued to shed tears, she forced a smile on her face. "He''s out of danger. And the doctor has said that he''d recover in a week or so," she lied. Her tone sounded a little relieving. If only he could see her in person, he might have been able to catch her lies. But since he could only hear her voice, he had no other choice but to believe her. The phone was on the speaker. Hearing her, Naoto and Tatsuki heaved a sigh of relief. However, Hiro couldn''t eliminate the unsettling feeling. So, he insisted, "Is it so?"


    "Umm," she responded. "Right now, you can''t talk to him since he''s sleeping. But after some days, once he recovers enough, I''ll let you talk to him."


    She could tell that it wasn''t enough to convince him. So, she hastily added, "Plus, I''m here to take care of him. So, don''t worry."


    She deliberately didn''t mention anything about the camp so as not to arouse his suspicion. She was already reaching her limits. If she continued any further, she''d burst into tears. And, it was bad news. But she couldn''t hang up the call in haste either. She was in such a limbo. "Yeah, you''re right. With you by his side, everything will be okay. Even so, if anything happens don''t hesitate to call me, " Hiro said, his tone etched with concern. "I''ll let you know," she said warmly. "I''ve got to go now, the doctor''s here," she added as she tried to hang up the call. "Okay, bye mom. Take care of yourself and Dad," he bid his farewell. Beep!


    As she ended the call, she couldn''t hold back her tears any further. Those watery eyes that had been desperately trying to hold back the tears burst out like a dam under pressure. Sob!! Sob!! Sob!!


    She wept. "It''s exactly as she said. She''s there to take care of him. So, you should focus on your debut as well. Otherwise, you''ll only worry her," Naoto tried to console him. "Exactly," Tatsuki agreed. "It''s only a matter of two weeks. You''ll get to see himter. So, let''s focus on the camp for now, shall we?" he added. "Yeah, you need to be in your best form to perform against Brazil and Norway," Naoto tried to encourage him. "Though they might not y their best yers. But it''d still be a good learning experience for us. Well, we won''t be ying with our best yers too."


    To prepare for the uing Asia Cup, the Japanese Football Federation arranged two friendly matches with other teams. "I wonder if we''ll get to y against Erling Hand," Tatsuki sounded as if he was wishing for it to happen. Then he snapped back to his senses as he said, "Even so, I doubt you''d get any y...,"


    It was obvious what he was going to say. So, Naoto interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. They were trying to cheer him. But he nearly ruined it. "Ouch!"Getting hit by Naoto, Tatsuki wailed. Immediately, he realized that he nearly messed things up. So, he changed his tone. He made it sound cheerful, "Hahaha..., you''ll get to y. Who else would they select if not you? I mean some of our main squad members couldn''t make it due to the ongoing club matches. So, there''s a chance that you''ll get to y."


    To speak out in turn, it was just like Tatsuki. So, Hiro didn''t mind his words at all. Well, it''s not like he had expected to start anyway. But considering his recent performance in the league, he was hopeful enough to get some ying minutes. It cheered him a little. Their effort also made him grateful. He was blessed to meet such fine people in his life. Naoto was like a supporting older brother. Meanwhile, Tatsuki was like the middle child with whom he could squabble. "Well, if we don''t leave then we might not even get the chance to join the camp in the first ce. So, let''s worry about the ying minutester," saying so, Hiro grabbed his bag. Though he was still worried about his father''s condition, the two of their conversation diverted his mind away from the matter regarding his father for a while.

 Chapter 449 In the mountains

    449 In the mountains


    Indeed, they were runningte. So, they hurriedly stormed out. As they reached the pick-up spot, they noticed the bus on standby. Some staff members were waiting outside. Seeing their figure, they urged them to hurry. "Hurry up, you three."


    As they entered the bus, he was greeted with the sight of yers whom he had only seen on screen previously. Contrary to his initial expectation, the sheer number of people on the bus left him bewildered. The bus was overflowing with yers. All these yers were selected? He couldn''t help but wonder. Shouldn''t there be only 23 yers? But it seemed like there were already more than 20 yers on the bus. Not to mention the absence of some starters. So, if he had to sum up all those yers, it easily exceeded 25. How could that be?


    For a while, he stood frozen at his ce, pondering. Most of the yers on the bus didn''t even bother to notice. They went on with their task. Some appeared interested in him. At the same time, most of them ignored his presence. Tatsuki then gave him a light push, waking him up from his reverie. "Let''s hurry to our seats," he said after finishing his greetings. He knew quite a few of them despite ying as a substitute. Naoto was the same as well. He wasn''t their starter. Even after settling down, he couldn''t stop wandering his eyes. ''He got selected as well?'' seeing the figure of Tominaga, Hiro couldn''t help but question. Sure, he had been performing well. But weren''t they overdoing it? Like how could they draft so many attackers? Like seriously, what was happening?


    Tatsuki caught the whiff of it as he sensed his confusion. "Ahh, I forgot to tell you. The team selection hasn''t beenpleted yet."


    "What do you mean it hasn''t beenpleted yet?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Three yers will be going home after the training sessions," Tatsuki tried to rify. "So, what you mean is that we have topete among ourselves to qualify?"


    "Exactly, you need to deliver good results in the training session to qualify for the final 23."


    Now, it all made sense to him¡ªthe presence of all these people. So, even if he had missed the training camp, it wouldn''t have mattered to the team. Luckily, he didn''t miss the training camp. Or else, he wouldn''t even have this opportunity topete for the spot.


    Hiro then started to inquire about other yers. As he toggled through the selection process, he became aware of hispetitors. He was an attacking midfielder. So, he had topete against other midfielders. But it wasn''t as simple as he had envisioned. Since some yers were regarded as untouchables. They were mostly the yers ying overseas.


    Even though they weren''t going to join the camp, their spot in the team was almost guaranteed. Only a threatening injury could put their spot in jeopardy. It wasn''t a fairpetition. Part of the reason why they were called was to train themselves to prepare for such a scenario. It meant that even if they weren''t selected they could be regarded as emergency reserves.


    After all, football is an uncertain sport. Anything could happen at any moment. The journey to the training camp was filled with animated conversation, nervousughter, and asional pep talks. Along the way, he attracted quite a lot of stares too. Most probably they were wary of him. Well, considering his performance, they probably regarded him as a threat, apetitor they needed to be wary of. Though their gaze bothered him slightly, it didn''t affect him in any way. Partly because they were prioritizing themselves instead of looking at the big picture. It''s important to havepetitions. But if it affects the performance and camaraderie of the team then what good would it bring?


    They were a team after all. And, their objective should be to help the nation instead of worrying about their spots. But the way they looked at him, he could tell that they weren''t going to make things easier for him. Most probably, they''d do everything in their power to keep him out of the game. Humans are selfish beings. So, it didn''t surprise him when they looked at him warily. Even so, he wasn''t going to go easy on anyone. Those prating gazes had quite the opposite effect on him as they propelled him to give his best. It made him even more determined to get selected. It fueled his determination to y. Finally, they arrived at the training camp.


    The journey was quite long. Some had even slept on the bus. As he nced outside the window, he noticed that the ce was rather secluded. It was deep in the mountains surrounded by lush forest. Initially, Hiro had thought that they''d head to Tokyo. But instead, right now, they were in the countryside. If it was such a long journey, why didn''t they take flight? That way they would have arrived early. Or was the federation so cheap that it couldn''t even afford the cost of flight?


    He couldn''t help but feel dissatisfied. And from the looks of it, many shared his dissatisfaction. They had left quite early in the morning. But right now, the sky had already darkened. Though it wasn''tpletely dark yet still, some stars were visible in the sky. The sky was a tapestry of deep blue and light purple. "Everyone, wake up, we''re here," one of the staff members called out. As they heard him, some yer yawned while some began to stretch their body. "Yawn~ Seems like we''ll be plowing the field for the training," Kenjiro joked as he looked outside the window. Some yers giggled as they heard him. The guy who was cracking all thoseme ass jokes was called Kenjiro Watanabe. He had short ck spiky hair, a lean and athletic build, and a perpetual twinkle in his brown eyes. Since he yed for Urawa Red Diamond, Hiro had already met him. In his team, he was also known as Joker for his humor.

 Chapter 450 Bothered

    450 Bothered


    Most of the yers on the bus were already familiar to him. But there were some unfamiliar faces in the team as well. Especially, Kaoru Sato, he was rtively unknown in the team. He was already in histe twenties. He had short, dark hair that was slightly graying at the temples. The beard patches on his face only added to his mature appearance. All along their journey, he had remained rtively silent. He wore a stern expression and was shrouded in ayer of mysterious aura. For someone his age, he seemed quite difficult to approach. Just like him, it was his first time on the team as well. So he was rtively unknown in the team. A yer his age making his debut for the first time? It was rather umon. But he had noticed him looking at his phone screen many times on his journey. But even so, he never fiddled with his phone once. So, it got him curious. Well, he could have used his skill to find out a little about him. But he couldn''t spam his skill mindlessly either. So, he refrained it from using on him for the time being. Slowly, they disembarked the bus. Though it was pretty dark outside, the ce seemed quite rxing. The vi where they were going to reside temporarily was a two-story vi decorated withnterns, nts, and opulent lights. It was like a medieval vi built for nobility. The training ground wasn''t that far from the vi. It was just beside the vi. Floodlights were installed on the ground.


    "Everyone, carefully head to the reception. You''ll get your room key, " informed the staff member as they got out of the bus. "Your luggage will be sent to you."


    As they heard him, they made their way to the vi. A pretty girl weed them at the reception. She handed them their room key after confirming their identity. They weren''t required to share rooms as everybody got separate rooms. "Did you all get your keys?" asked one of the staff members. "Yes"


    They replied in unison. "Good, then everybody freshen up ande to the cafeteria to have dinner," he said, pointing at the cafeteria. They then headed to their respective rooms. Each room came with an attached bathroom, so they weren''t required to shower together like they did in the club. Despite its traditional architecture, the vi was a blend of modern and traditional from the inside. It was both cozy and opulent. For a moment, it almost felt like a vacation to him. After having dinner, many headed to their room to get some much-needed sleep. The arduous journey had left them exhausted. But Hiro had other ideas. He wanted to get some fresh air. It wasn''t just the journey but also the day''s events. The news regarding his father''s ident, he still couldn''t shake it. Though his mother''s words had calmed him to some extent, he still couldn''t help worrying. So, he wanted to get some fresh air to freshen himself. Also, he wanted to enjoy the scenery outside. After all, the night sky in the countryside, it''s a sight to behold. For some reason, Tominaga ignored him. It was rather surprising considering his previous actions. After seeing him on the bus, he was already prepared to face him. But he did nothing despite being so close to him. Seeing such changes, at first, made him extremely curious. But he didn''t have the luxury to worry about others. So, he didn''t think much of it either. After all, it was all the better for him to avoid unnecessary problems. Who knows if his provocation might trigger him? And, he mightsh out. "Hiro, do you want to join us?" Tatsuki asked. He and some yers were going to y cards in his room. For today, they were free to do anything they liked. And, it''s not like ying cards was illegal until and unless it involved money obviously. But a bunch of adults probably wouldn''t be satisfied with ying cards for fun now, would they?


    Besides the coach wasn''t present here to supervise. Even so, Hiro didn''t want to get involved. So, he rejected their offer, "I''ll pass"


    "What about you Naoto?" after Hiro''s rejection, he turned to Naoto, asking him. Naoto declined as well, "I''d rather get my sleep."


    Hiro then walked out to get some fresh air. The night sky was a breathtaking canvas, adorned with countless stars that shimmered like diamonds scattered across a dark velvety expanse. The moon hung low, casting a gentle glow over the serene surroundings.


    As Hiro gazed up at the starry night, a sense of calm washed over him. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The beauty of the night sky contrasted sharply with the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions swirling within him. The stars seemed so distant and constant, a stark difference from the unpredictable nature of his life.


    He took a deep breath, inhaling the cool, crisp air.


    The tranquility of the moment allowed him to reflect on his journey, the recent news of his father''s ident, and the overwhelming pressure of the uing training camp. Each twinkling star felt like a whisper of encouragement, reminding him of the dreams he had chased since childhood.


    But despite the serene ambiance, an undercurrent of anxiety tugged at him.


    The news about his father''s hospitalization kept lingering in his mind, making it hard to fully embrace the peaceful night. He felt a pang of guilt for not being by his father''s side. He had stepped outside to calm himself. But the loneliness only allowed him time to think. So, instead of calming down, he started to think even more deeply about his father''s state. Often when we are all alone, we tend to overthink. They say that an empty mind is a devil''s workshop. He shook his head as he kept pondering about the news. "It won''t do," he said. Instead of remaining idle, he felt like he needed to do something. So, he made a bold decision as he decided to head on the pitch for a run. Maybe, he won''t get time to think about it if focuses his mind elsewhere. Thinking so, he stormed to the pitch.

 Chapter 451 Traditional defender

    451 Traditional defender


    The pitch was brightly illuminated by the floodlights. So, he didn''t have to worry about the dark. He got there rtively fast. Well, it wasn''t that far to begin with. So, it didn''t take him much time to get there. But as he got to the pitch, he was greeted with a silhouette of a person. Somebody was already on the pitch, shooting balls in an empty.


    He squinched his eyes to get a better view of the person. As he looked closely, he found out that it was Kaoru Sato. Though his personality had gotten him curious he hadn''t paid much attention to him in the cafeteria. So, he didn''t notice him leaving. But right now, he was all alone on the pitch, shooting the ball inside the empty post.


    He didn''t want to bother him. So, he maintained his distance as he kept his presence hidden. Silently, he observed him from the distance. Why was he here sote in the night? Just to shoot some balls? They had training early in the morning. So, why was he here at this time? Excitement? Impatience? Or motivation? Hiro couldn''t figure it out. "Woah!" Kaoru''s shot left him mesmerized. He could shoot some really powerful shots.


    But as he continued to observe, the spark in his eyes dulled. At the same time, he couldn''t help but frown. "There''s power in his shot. But..., itcks technique and precision," Hiro sighed. "I wonder what position he ys? Surely, he''s not a striker. Maybe a defender perhaps?" He guessed as he tried to figure out his position on the field. "Is he from the second division? Or perhaps from some overseas club?" If he was from the first division, he''d have known him. But since he didn''t know him, he could only assume that he was from the second division or overseas. Should he just approach him? But he didn''t seem approachable. Or maybe he had been nervous some moments ago. Even so, it wouldn''t leave a good impression on him if he were to find him spying on him from the shadows now, would it?


    He then thought of using his skill to analyze his stats before approaching him. "Magic Vision," he activated the skill. Name: Kaoru Sato


    Age: 29 N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Position: Central Defender (CB)


    Overall Rating: 76


    Pace: 65 Dribbling: 30 Shooting: 60 Defending: 88 Passing: 70 Physical: 85


    Upgrading the system, he could now see the numbers instead of just grades. Considering his age, his stats weren''t that amazing. Most of his stats were garbage. And the only thing he appeared to be good at was defending. The 60 in his shooting stat exined why he missed so often. He had raw power butcked the technique to convert his shots. Based on his stat, Hiro could tell that he was more of a traditional central defender instead of a modern central defender. The only good thing about him was his physique and his defending. Well, he was a defender after all. So, those were the only stats that mattered. His job was to prevent the opponent from moving forward. Who cares if he can''t run fast? Or who cares if he can''t dribble well? Those weren''t his responsibility. The only thing that he needed to be good at was his defending. And, his defending even rivalled the ones from the top leagues. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say, but if his other stats were as impressive, he could even start at the European clubs. Maybe he got selected due to his defensive abilities. He couldn''t rule out the possibility. Then he went on to greet him. "It''s a lovely night, isn''t it?" Hiro said as he tried to initiate a conversation with Kaoru. Kaoru was a little startled when he heard his voice. He had been so engrossed in shooting balls that he hadn''t paid much attention to his surroundings. So, he didn''t see himing. But why was he asking if the night was lovely? Was he blind or something? Can''t he see what he was doing? He wasn''t here to enjoy the night sky. Also, why was acting so friendly? Though Hiro may not have known him. But he was familiar with Hiro. Well, considering his poprity there''d hardly be any person on the team to not know of him. How long had he been here? Is he the only one?


    Kaoru searched as he tried to find if there were other people on the field beside him. But he couldn''t find any. He felt assured. Then he turned his attention towards Hiro. There was an unusual spark in his eyes. His face was adorned with a warm smile. He appeared truly amicable. Considering the age difference, he was just a kid to him. So there was no reason to act rude to him. Also, apart from his poprity, he knew him personally. "Indeed, it''s a lovely night," he responded while stabilizing his breath. He had been sweating profusely due to those repeated shots he had taken a moment ago. His breathing was a bit ragged. "So tell me, I''m a terrible shooter right?" He continued. He knew that he''d have been watching him for a while. "You can be honest. I''m open to criticism," he added. The way he carried himself surprised him a little. He had been expecting him to be more of a reserved type of person. So, he wasn''t expecting him to speak so much. It was so unlike him. Maybe he had misjudged him. He shouldn''t have been quick to assume. Even so, if he was open then it was all the better. After all, there were a lot of things he was curious about. So, he wanted to slowly ask him. "You''ve got the power. But if I had to be honest, you''recking the technique to execute your potential," Hiro answered earnestly. Since he was open to criticism, he had nothing to hide. So, he didn''t hold back too. His words failed to surprise him. "As expected of the nation''s rising star. You''ve seen through my weakness in only a moment," Kaoru smiled.

 Chapter 452 Late Bloomer

    452 Late Bloomer


    Kaoru readily epted his ws. He was indeed open to criticism. [New Quest Unlocked]


    [Challenge Kaoru for a duel and earn his acknowledgment]


    [Reward: Copy one of his talents]


    [Failure: Temporary disablement of some random talents] Hiro''s eyes perked up as he heard the notification. He was presented with a quest from out of nowhere. The reward appeared tempting since hecked defensive talents. So, it was exactly what he needed at the moment. But the condition of the quest seemed rather demanding. He had to convince him for a duel. And, he also had to earn his acknowledgment. Simply beating him wouldn''t be enough. Also, the punishment was rather cruel. After all, he needed his talents to get selected. So, if he were to lose any talents now, it''d be quite detrimental to his journey ahead. Even so, he had no other option than to ept the quest. For some reason, Hiro started regretting his decision to approach him. If he hadn''t approached him then he wouldn''t have gotten this quest. Hiro sighed submissively. "Is something wrong?" Kaoru asked, baffled by his sudden expression. "It''s just that I wanted to ask a favor"


    "Favor?"


    "Yes, I wanted to ask you for a duel," Hiro said earnestly. "A duel huh?"


    It wasn''t that big of a deal. Honestly speaking, he too wanted to test himself against him. So, he epted it. "Sure, let''s duel. But what do you want topete against? If it''s shooting or dribbling then I doubt that I''d be any match to you."


    Hiro heaved a sigh of relief as he heard his response. If he were to reject his challenge then he''d fail the quest even before starting it. Also, he had no idea how to convince him. Fortunately enough, his straightforwardness worked. Well, if not for Kaoru''s openness, he might not have been so straightforward. If he was rather reserved then he might have actually tried to provoke him. But since he seemed like a nice guy, he preferred to be direct. "Since you''re a defender then how about you defend and I try to beat you?" Hiro suggested. So he knows that I''m a defender huh? He hadn''t told him that he was a defender yet he knew he yed defense. Also, he hadn''t talked to anyone yet. So, his knowing his position came somewhat of a surprise to him. But, he didn''t think much of it. "Did Shun tell you?" Kaoru asked. He knows about Shun! Just who is he?


    His eyes opened wide as he heard the mention of Shun. Wait a minute. Kaoru Sato. Where have I heard this name? Hiro started to rack his mind, trying to recall his name. Since he appeared as if he was familiar with Shun then he could only link up with him. He tried to recall his conversation with Shun. Yokohama FC. Right, he''s the defender whom Shun had mentioned previously. Finally, after much thinking, he recalled his identity. The dependable one. Thete bloomer. Because of his busy schedule, he hadn''t had much opportunity to know about him. But he knew that he had heard of him from Shun. "You''re his teammate right?" he asked. He nodded his head as he replied, "Yeah. But why do you look so surprised? Didn''t you approach me because you knew me?"


    Now what was he supposed to tell? How was he going to tell that he approached him out of sheer curiosity? And he didn''t even know of him until a moment ago?


    An rm went off inside his head and he started panicking. But he kept hisposure. He couldn''t afford to show it on his face. Flustered, he answered smiling nervously, "Yeah..., Hahaha..., you appeared so familiar but I couldn''t be sure. So, I had to approach you." Despite his attempt of trying to mask his nervousness, Kaoru saw through his facade. If he had chosen an acting career, he wouldn''t have gotten many film offers. Yet still, he wasn''t bothered. It was exactly as he said, he didn''t know him at all. 23:18


    "So, is it true that you were ying in the third division until the age of 24?" he had heard that he had been ying in the third division until he was 24 years old. "I can tell from your face that you didn''t recognize me at all. Well, I wouldn''t me you for it though. Since we haven''t met once. But, I''ve heard a lot about you from Shun. He keeps on talking about you all the time."


    It was exactly as he said, he didn''t know him at all. "So, is it true that you were ying in the third division until the age of 24?" he had heard that he had been ying in the third division until he was 24 years old. Only at the age of 25, he was discovered by a second-division club FC Gifu. Yet still, he continued to struggle as he failed to make an impression. If not for Yokohama FC signing him, he''d have quit football by now. But somebody who was on the verge of quitting football was right now in front of him, called up by the national team despite ying in the second division. Just how good one has to be to be able to achieve such a feat?


    His stats were pretty mediocre. No, it was even below average. If not for his defending, he wouldn''t even be considered fit to y for the second division.


    So, howe such a yer has been called up?


    "Yeah, it''s a bit embarrassing. No, it''s extremely embarrassing. But until 24, I was a nobody. Let alone to get this opportunity, I had even thought about quitting football. If not for FC Gifu offering me a contract, I''d have already quit football, " He was rather earnest about it. Hearing his story, he couldn''t help but ovep his previous self''s reflection with him. But unlike him, he could talk about his failures cheerfully. Just how could he bring himself to smile after all those sufferings?


    For sure, he wouldn''t have it easy. So, how could he smile so warmly? Hiro couldn''t figure out. It didn''t make any sense to him. All those setbacks, did they not have any effect on him? Though they had suffered the same fate, he was different. Kaoru had risen through his setbacks. In contrast, he had chosen to give up. They were identical and different at the time. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 453 The dependable one

    453 The dependable one


    Kaoru then let out a mouth full of turbid air before frowning, "Huff! It wasn''t as easy. My wife was pregnant. So, I had to take care of my family as well. The part-time job felt exhausting. And, I barely had any time to train."


    "I almost gave up." he sighed. Truly, he had gone through a lot. Finally, he could see the pain hidden beneath thoseyers of smiles. Who knew those warm eyes could make such an expression? Hearing about the things he went through, he couldn''t help but pity him. This made his journey even more amazing. It was truly amazing how a person who had suffered through such a fate had made it to this stage. His respect for him only grew as he heard him. Truly, he was a person worthy of admiration. "But you didn''t," Hiro said, trying to cheer him up. He seemed pitiful when he shared his story. It was almost as if it evoked his hardships. But now, he could tell that he was just like any other person. It''s not that he was fine despite going through such hardships. It''s just that unlike others he had epted his fate as it is. His perception was different. Revealing a gentle smile, Kaoru looked at him deeply as he heard him. Looking at him, he couldn''t help but ponder why he was sharing his story with him. He wasn''t obliged to share with him. Yet for some reason, he found himself sharing his story. Even so, he felt a little lighter after sharing. He smiled and started to walk away without responding. "Let''s start," Kaoru said as he flicked the ball to him. Hiro''s eyes shed with determination as he prepared himself for the duel. It was already prettyte. And the moon was already pretty high in the sky. Fireflies roamed around the vicinity, adding a touch of beauty to the already serene night. Surely, it wouldn''t just be his build that he needed to be aware of if he wanted to get beat him. His instincts told him that there was more to his ridiculous defending stat. At first, when he stood in front of him, he swept his gaze through him, trying to find possible openings. But for some inexplicable reason, he failed to see any openings. It was as if there was no opening at all. Slowly, he approached him. He wanted to test him out, so he didn''t activate any of his skills. Should I go for a feint? He weighed his options as he got close to him. Meanwhile, Kaoru kept his distance from him. His wary eyes followed the ball. But, he didn''t make his move. He patiently waited for him. Hiro found it extremely difficult to see through him. Then all of a sudden, Kaoru rushed toward him without any warning. Just a moment ago, he appeared as if he was analyzing him. Hiro''s eyes dpidated as he saw him. Immediately, heposed himself. However, instead of retreating, he advanced, taking him head-on. Since Kaoru had the build difference, it was only obvious for him to use his advantage. But as he got close enough, he stopped. What was he trying to do? His actions surprised Hiro. But even so, he didn''t stop advancing. Using body feints, he tried to get through him. But Kaoru as if he could predict his moves stuck to him like a leech, giving him no space to operate. However, it wasn''t enough to make him lose control of the ball. If it had been this easy to snatch the ball away from him, he wouldn''t have been regarded as one of the best dribblers in the league. His reputation lived up to itself as he maneuvered himself against the relentless pressure put forward by Kaoru. Even so, he struggled to get through him. Whilst still maintaining the pressure, Kaoru suddenly stuck his leg from behind. In an attempt to win the ball, he collided with him harshly. But it wasn''t a foul. He wasn''t intending to foul him. In a sport involving physical contact, collisions were unavoidable. It nearly sent him off-bnce. For sure, it was a rough tackle. But if that was all that it took for him to lose control of the ball, he wouldn''t have been regarded as the best dribbler in the league. Hiro felt the impact. Yet still, he didn''t lose possession of the ball. It was as if the ball was glued to his feet. Then in the pretense of falling, he lifted the ball before kicking it slightly in midair, causing the ball to fall behind him. As the ball hovered above him, he quickly turned his body before chasing the ball.


    Kaoru had little to no time to react. There was only so much he could do in such a situation. Yet still, he didn''t appear panicked. Instead, he seemed as calm as before. He leaned his body a little. Barely enough to get in his way. Hiro collided and lost his footing. Had he not noticed this change, he might have actually tripped very badly. And, he couldn''t even call out for a foul.


    Though he somehow managed to prevent his fall he lost his eleration greatly. Previously, he had vowed not to use his skills. But if he didn''t use his skills then he might not earn his acknowledgement and fail the quest. You''re indeed as great as they say, kiddo. But, I''ll take this one. Kaoru thought as he dyed Hiro. Just as he was about to get to the ball, Hiro left him in the dust. He came like a breeze, swift and silent. He wasn''t expecting him to recover in time. But not only did he recover from the fall, he also got through him in the blink of an eye. For a moment when he noticed him rushing past him, his eyes widened in surprise. He wasn''t expecting him to recover so fast. Immediately, he gritted his teeth as he tried to outpace him. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 454 Extraordinary Talent

    454 Extraordinary Talent


    But how could he be a match to him in terms of speed?


    Even if he exhausted himself, he''d be no match to him. But despite that, he tried his best to catch up to him. Unfortunately, he only struggled in vain as he failed to catch up to him. Hiro easily took the lead. Then as he began to elerate, he didn''t stop until he reached the post. But then as he got to the goal line, he paused and turned around to face Kaoru. With a smirk on his face, he said, "I''ll take the first one."


    Kaoru could only nce at him submissively with a smile on his face. "I''ll let you have this one. I won''t go easy on you next time," he said confidently. Huh? You call this going easy on me? You could have injured me multiple times already by now if I was not careful enough. Hiro couldn''t help but scorn. After that Kaoru only made it more difficult for him. But he was prepared. The two engaged in a fearsome battle of wits, technique, and strength. However, Hiro came out on the top in the end. Out of five times, they challenged each other, Kaoru only managed to stop him once. From this duel, Hiro could somewhat figure out the reason why he was chosen for the camp despite his mediocre stats. He was well aware of his strengths and weaknesses. So, he always tried to lead the opponent to the spot of his choice to make better use of his strengths. Also, he excelled in team y rather than solo y. He wasn''t the type of defender you could count on in one-on-one situations. But he was exactly the type of defender one would need in one''s team. Even in the first duel, if he wasn''t alone, he might have neutralized Hiro. By keeping him upied, he created chances for his teammates to clear the ball away. He was the type of yer whoplimented his team¡ª a team yer. Perspiration trickled down his forehead. His breathing was a little ragged while at the same time, he struggled to stand straight. The duel left him utterly exhausted.


    It was as if he had performed a high-intensity cardio workout without any break for the entirety of the duel that took ce. "You''re truly as great as they say," Kaoru praised, a smile on his face. 22:18


    [Quest Completed] N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "You''re truly as great as they say," Kaoru praised, a smile on his face. [Quest Completed]


    At the same time, Hiro heard the notification of the system. It signaled that he meant what he said. He was genuinely praising him. "It was really difficult to go against you," Hiro replied. "Don''t jest. I''m sure you''ve faced much tougher opponents in the league," Kaoruughed as he tried to remain humble. "No, I mean it," Hiro insisted. "It''s only a matter of time before you get an offer from the clubs in the upper division."


    For a while, the two conversed, each humble.


    Then as he got to his room, instead of sleeping, he started to skim through his rewards. Earlier, he couldn''t do it because he was with Kaoru. But now, he was all alone in his room. And, he had all the freedom to do whatever he wished. From his conversation with Kaoru, he got to know a lot about him. And, undoubtedly, despite his mediocre stats, he was rather skilled. This caused him to doubt the credibility of the system. Sure, he had a knack for defending. But his stats were much higher than his. So, why did he struggle against him? Based on the stat difference, he should have toyed him. But instead, he struggled to get past him. Perhaps, he possessed some amazing talents?


    Greed shed in his eyes as he thought about it. He couldn''t help but look forward to the amazing talents he was about to acquire. [Aerial Dominance (A)]


    Effects: Increases the ability to win aerial duels and enhances heading uracy for set periods both defensively and offensively. Can stay up in the air for a slightly longer period. +4 jumping +3 heading uracy. "I won''t lie. It''s an amazing talent to have. It provides a permanent boost to two stats."


    Hiro found it quite tempting talent. A talent suitable for both a defender and a striker. But he was neither. Also, he had little to no use of it. He might not have the best jumping ability in the league. But his uracy was as good as any other yer in the league. Even so, he rarely had any opportunity to score headers. So, after weighing the pros and cons, he decided to give up on it. Then, he hopped to the other. [Tactical Awareness (S)]


    Effects: Boosts one''s ability to read games and intercept passes. Also helps improve one''s positioning, making him harder to bypass. +5 Interception +5 positioning. It was exactly the type of talent he required at the moment. He wasn''t defensively apt. But if he were to have this talent then he could at least cover some of his ws. The best part about this talent was that it helped him to position even better. If parried with his skill ''Hawk Eyes'' he might generate even more chances. Also, the good thing about possessing this talent was that he could improve his defense. As he went through its contents, he figured out why Kaoru seemed unpassable a moment ago. It was all due to his positioning. The talent that allowed Kaoru to shine. It was this talent. He had somewhat guessed that he possessed something simr to it. But he wasn''t sure previously. However, everything made sense as he saw it. "I knew it. No wonder, I felt ufortable back then," he shouted excitedly as he confirmed his suspicion. Previously when he hade face-to-face against Kaoru, he had been bothered by his positioning. It was almost wless. Just how could he position himself so urately? It had got him thinking. But since he didn''t have much time, he couldn''t ponder about it for long.

 Chapter 455 Locked

    455 Locked


    As he began to recall his duel, he remembered Kaoru''s sharp gaze. They were so focused on him that he could hardly forget it. It was as if he was being monitored closely by a higher entity. "Geez~"


    A cold shiver ran down his spine as he recalled those prating gaze. ''Does he also possess some kind of talent like intimidation?'' he pondered. Well, it''s not like he hadn''te across such talents previously. So, he couldn''t help but link. Some yers were naturally quite intimidating on the pitch. And, it was always a hassle to go up against such yers. Probably it was due to their aura or it might be due to their appearance. Often yers with ruthless faces and bulky bodies were the ones possessing such talents. Well, some yers despite their frame and natural appearance had developed the ability to intimidate their opponents due to their ruthlessness on the pitch. yers like Sergio Ramos, and Pepe had developed such skills due to their brutality. But some yers appeared naturally intimidating. Though Hiro had already made his choice, he continued to skim through his options. And as he had predicted, he did find one such talent in him. [Eyes of Predator (A)]


    Effects: Intimidates any who looks in the eye. Activates passively when in a desperate situation. +4 fear +3 vision


    Sure enough, he possessed one such talent that inflicted fear on his opponent. But it had its limitations. He couldn''t spam it as per his wishes. The effect was triggered passively when he was in a difficult situation. ''So, he was desperate when he faced me?'' Apart from these three talents, others were almost garbage. However, he possessed some incredible talents. No wonder, he could perform so well despite his mediocre stats. Even so, his decision remained unchanged. He had already made his choice. So, he proceeded with his decision as he selected his reward. [Tactical Awareness (S)]


    [Copying the talent...]


    [1%2%3%.....]


    While the countdown continued, he started to think of its uses. He finally got his hands on a defensive talent. So he couldn''t stop smiling. Neither could he stop pondering about its marvelous effect. The effects were permanent. So, he wasn''t required to fulfill conditions to unlock its potential. It was one such talent that was active throughout the game. ''I wonder how it''d affect my performance''


    Finally, after a short wait, he noticed the countdown approaching its end. It was almostplete. So, he got even more excited. [The talent has been copied sessfully] N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Finally," he mumbled excitedly, rocking his legs. He had been wondering for a while if he''d feel the changes right away. So, it had aroused his curiosity. He was looking forward to the changes he''d experienced. "...."


    "Huh!?" The spark in his eyes dulled as he failed to experience any changes. It wasn''t what he had been expecting. Since it granted permanent changes, he should experience some changes. But he couldn''t feel any changes at all. "Seems like it''s one of those talent"


    It wasn''t his first time experiencing such an oue. So, he didn''t take long to ept the oue. Even so, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. He resigned as he heaved a disappointed sigh, "Sigh~~"


    He was looking forward to the marvelous changes it''d bring. But nothing happened. [The host needs to fulfill...]


    "Argh~ Not again...," he frowned as he heard the notification. He knew what he was facing. It had happened to him before. In fact, it has been happening quite frequently, recently. Whenever he selected talent of the highest grade he had been required to fulfill certain conditions to wield the talent. And, he was once again presented with such a condition. The sad part about it was that there was nothing he could do. He was utterly helpless against the conditions put forward by the system. He could only obey it obediently to reap the reward. [Sessfully intercept 50 passes]


    "Why do I need to fulfill conditions? Isn''t it called reward?" Hiro couldn''t help butment. The condition in itself wasn''t demanding. And, it didn''t tell him that he had to do it in official matches either. So, if he paid attention then he could finish it in training as well. Even so, he wasn''t satisfied with the system. ???? ????


    Early in the morning, he was the first to arrive at the field. Or so he thought. But there was already somebody on the pitch. "Who is he?" Hiro wondered. He could see a silhouette of a person runningps on the field. However, due to the limited visibility, he couldn''t identify the person. Surely, it wouldn''t be Tatsuki or any other who apanied him. After all, they did stay upte ying cards. So, it was unlikely that any of them would arrive early. The stars were still visible in the sky. Far on the eastern horizon, a few shards of light could be seen, signaling sunrise. While most of the sky was enveloped in velvety darkness. It was a little foggy outside.The air was crisp and refreshing. Squinting against the fog, he tried to identify the person. However, due to the limited vision, he struggled to identify the person on the field. As he exhaled his breath formed a thinyer of white cloud. It must be due to the location of the training camp. Or it could be a sign of the arriving winter. Whatever the reason, it was pretty chilly outside. "Tominaga?"Hiro''s eyes perked up as he called out his name. The one on the field who had arrived earlier than him was Tominaga. Though he worked hard it was unlikely of him to arrive so early in the pitch for training. He had spent enough time with him to know about his nature. Sure, he never arrivedte in the training back then. But, he didn''t arrive early either. To be more precise he was the type of person who ran with the time. If they were required to show up at 5, he''d show up at exactly 5. Neither early norte.

 Chapter 456 New Coach

    Chapter 456 New Coach


    Maybe he might have made some errors. How could it be Tominaga? Hiro found it extremely hard to believe. So, he squinted his eyes. He rubbed his eyes but still nothing changed. The person runningps on the field remained unchanged. It was hard to believe but it was true. ''People are unpredictable. So, who knows he had some kind of encounter that made him want to try hard? Let''s not make a big deal out of it.''


    If only he knew that it was him who had triggered him. While he continued to observe him from the sidelines, Tominaga closed the distance. Since he was going to y alongside him, he thought of greeting him. Though there had been some skirmishes between them previously, he hadn''t taken his words to heart. And, he wasn''t childish enough to hate him either. So putting aside their past skirmishes, he tried to greet him, "Good morn...,"


    "...."


    "That arrogant punk! Did he just ignore me?" his eyes twitched uncontrobly while the nerves in his forehead bulged as he fell victim to Tominaga''s cold shoulder. He simply ran past him without even sparing a nce at him. It was as if he wasn''t even present there. He treated him like air¡ª invisible to the naked eye. "I wanted to start anew. But this punk isn''t worth the effort."


    He inhaled deeply. If he didn''t feel like talking then so be it. It''s not like he was dying for his attention. Then he put on his boots and began to stretch. After stretching, he began to runps on the field. It was part of his daily routine. I wonder if we''ll get to meet the coach today? As he ranps around the field, he couldn''t stop pondering. He had yet to meet the coach of the national team. So, he was a little curious about his personality.


    Due to some personal issues, he couldn''t join the team. The previous coach Hajime Moriyasu who had led Japan in the recent World Cup had been reced by Hiroshi Nanami. Though Moriyasu''s sess against strong footballing nations such as Spain and Germany vouched for his ability to lead the team, he had not been able to deliver results. Despite creating a team that could rival elite teams around the world, he hadn''t been able to win the titles. So, due to such performance, despite his achievements, he had been sacked. It''s a no-brainer that he was a good coach. There''s simply no doubting his abilities. But even so, if he couldn''t win them titles then what good would his leadership be? N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A team could dominate possession. A team could y the football that hooked up people. But if it couldn''t win titles then what good would those possession bring?


    Even if they win with a goal, what matters in the end is winning. Possession and creative ys amount to nothing if a team cannot win. Recing him, Hiroshi Nanami had been appointed in hopes of fixing the team. Japan had many elite yers but theycked a winning mentality. Just ying well wasn''t enough to secure the title. After all, history is written by winners. Nobody remembers how good a team ys if they don''t win anything. Eventually, they''ll be forgotten if they fail to win. In hopes of fixing the attitude of the national team, Hiroshi Nanami had been appointed. ''I wonder what kind of person is he?'' Though Hiro had seen him on the screen in his previous life, he hadn''t met him in person. So, he was quite curious about his personality. Just like in his previous life, Nanami had been appointed as the head coach of the national team. Though the timing was rather off. In the previous setting, he was only appointed as the Head Coach of the national team after Japan failed to lift the uing World Cup. Though their performance had beenmendable it wasn''t enough to satisfy the fans. They were regarded as title contenders. Yet still not only did they fail to win the Asia Cup, but they also blew the chance to lift the World Cup after reaching the quarter-finals. So, the higher-ups had to make some bold decisions to enforce the team. One such decision was the resignment of Hajime Moriyasu as the Head Coach of the national. Recing him, Nanami had been appointed to be the Head Coach of the national team. "Sigh~" Hiro let out a sigh as he recalled the events from his past life."He onlysted for a year previously. I wonder if it''d turn out the same."


    Nanami''s tenure as the Head Coach of the teamsted only for a while in his previous life. Due to his entric personality and his approach, he waster removed as the Head Coach of the team. The team was already in shambles before his arrival due to the constant losses in major tournaments. The locker room was divided. There were factions in the locker room. The morale of the yers was at an all-time low. Despite the countless difficulties he had reformed the team. But due to theck of results, he was sacked as well. Or so they said to the public. But there was a huge conspiracy. The team was starting to take shape. For the betterment of the team, he insisted on retiring some of the legends.


    However, some people in the position of higher-ups were against his decision. Even so, he remained adamant about his decision. Falling victim to dirty politics, he waster exempted from his duties. After that, it was only a downhill ride for the national team. There were rumors that he was approached to coach the team again, but he sternly refused the proposal. Later on, he went on to coach South Korea and led them to the next Asia Cup. "Truly pitiful that our people lost such a gem"


    Hiro frowned as he recalled the events revolving around Nanami. Though his approach was rather entric, there was no doubt that he was a revolutionary coach.

 Chapter 457 Superstar Keeper

    Chapter 457 Superstar Keeper


    Despite being on the pitch simultaneously, Hiro and Tominaga trained separately.


    Slowly the sky opened up as the sun illuminated the entire sky. The morning sun cast long shadows on the ground, while the crisp air carried the sound of their efforts. Yet still, they refused to talk. As the minutes ticked by, more yers began to trickle onto the field. However, the absence of the coach led to a rxed atmosphere.


    Some yers chatted idly, others stretchedzily, and a few even lounged on the grass, enjoying the rare moment of respite.


    "He''s here," Naoto said, pointing toward the entrance.


    All eyes turned to see Coach Hiroshi Nanami making his way across the field.


    He cut an impressive figure with his lean, athletic build and slightly disheveled salt-and-pepper hair. His sharp, prating eyes seemed to see right through everyone, assessing and evaluating with every nce.


    Dressed in a tailored suit, Nanami exuded a mixture of professionalism and entricity. His assistants nked him, carrying notebooks and tactical boards, ready to implement whatever innovative strategies he had in mind.


    As Nanami approached, the yers began to scramble to their feet. Many appeared quite panicked. The atmosphere shifted fromx to alert. It was his first training session since his appointment as the next head coach of the national team. But it didn''t take long for his presence to be known. It might be due to the absence of older yers. Most of the yers in the field right now had been called for the first time. Just from the presence of yers on the field, one could tell that he had been involved in the squad selection. Though it was rather questioning, yet still, they could do nothing but have faith in his selection. "Good morning, everyone," Nanami began, his voice calm butmanding. "I hope you''ve enjoyed your warm-up because we''re about to get serious."


    As he started speaking, he turned to look at the yers who until a moment ago were taking it easy. Probably, he was trying to appear sarcastic. The yers who were targeted by his gaze, rolled their eyes as they tried to avoid meeting eyes with him. Guilt and fear were evident in their eyes. For a moment he paused to look at the yers. Then he rolled his eyes to the young faces.


    At that moment, Hiro locked eyes with him. His gaze was sharp but it failed to intimidate him. From a moment ago, he had been curious about him. But now as he stood face-to-face, he felt quite exhrated. He was in the presence of a tactical genius. Though he was excited to learn, he couldn''t help but feel a bit worried as well. What if he ruins his y by changing his position? What if he forces him to y differently than his preferred ystyle? There have been several cases of genius coaches ruining the career of a yer. It wasn''t anything new in the footballing world. A coach can either make or break a yer''s career. Jurgen Klopp had created a monster out of Robert Lewandowski, Pep Guardi had created a monster out of Lionel Messi, and Sir Alex Ferguson had created a monster out of a scrawny Cristiano Ronaldo. These are only a few of the examples of a coach turning yers into great ones. But the same coaches who had turned some yers into legends had ruined the careers of others because of their coaching philosophy. So, Hiro couldn''t help but feel a little worried. However,pared to his excitement, his worries were rather miniscule. "Today, we''re going to challenge everything you think you know about football. Prepare to be ufortable, and prepare to grow."


    Challenge everything we know about football. What kind of training is he going to organize? They couldn''t help but feel curious. Many were left dumbfounded by his statement, while many were left enthralled. What kind of unorthodox training is he going to introduce?


    Many couldn''t help but feel excited. Nanami''s unconventional methods soon became apparent as he divided the team into smaller groups, mixing starters with substitutes, and veterans with neers.


    Hiro found himself paired with Kaoru Sato, thete-blooming central defender. "d to y alongside you," Sato greeted with a smile on his face. The opposing team appeared rather tough. Most of the good ones were on the opposing side. Since there weren''t many veteran yers on the pitch, most of his teammates were rather young and inexperienced. Naoto and Tatsuki were ced in the opposing team. And so were the other starters. Naoto was the only second-choice keeper. The first-choice keeper was the present keeper of Bayern Munich, Aya Matsuda. Started his early career in a local club in Yokohama, Japan, he became the starting goalkeeper of the Japanese national team at the age of 25 after his marvelous performance in the league. Later he signed with FC Bayern Munich at the age of 27 where he spent his first season as a second-choice goalkeeper. But in his next year, he encountered a fortuitous encounter when the first-choice keeper of the team got injured. Recing him, he took the post. Though he struggled at first which nearly got him left out. However, in the face of adversary and skepticism, he proved his worth. Now he''s a core member of the team. He has also managed to bag the Best Goalkeeper award once making him the first Asian to earn that prestigious award in the Bundesliga. It wasn''t just Matsuda. There were many other notable figures on the opposing side. Considering his age, he should have been ced among their ranks. But since he was the starter, he got ced on the opposing side. While the opposing team had two goalkeepers, they had only one; Ryota Nakamura. Hiro was familiar with him because he had gone up against him multiple times. He yed for FC Tokyo in the J-1 league. He was 27 years old. But despite his age, he was regarded as the third-choice keeper in the team. It wasn''t due to his age though. Naoto was just too good. So, he simply had no opportunity topete against him. Standing at an impressive height of 6''1", he was pretty tall. But he still fell short whenpared to Aya Matsuda who towered over him with an impressive height of 6''3". Naoto paled inparison. He was just 5''11". A lot shorter than the first-choice keeper. But he didn''t rely on his height unlike the two. He relied on his superhuman reflexes and his ability to read the game. Many seemed dissatisfied with the team selection. But Hiro was more than ready. The training progressed as they settled.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 458 Training match

    Chapter 458 Training match


    The training was unlike anything they had experienced before. It didn''t make sense for neers to go up against the starters. Shouldn''t it be the opposite? The neers should be paired with the starters for learning experiences. While one team was overflowing with experienced yers the other was filled with inexperienced yers. "y well. Who knows your evaluation might depend on it?" Nanami casually dropped a hint, further adding a touch of re. It was already difficult enough for their side with their current roster. But upon his mention of evaluation, it further fueled the opposing side to take this match even more seriously. Well, how could they rx when their spot was in jeopardy?


    Beep!


    The match began. Tominaga yed the ball back as he initiated the kickoff. Immediately, Tatsuki rushed ahead like an enraged bull chasing after the ball. A moment ago, he appeared sleep-deprived, yawning all the time. But now, he seemed to be full of energy. It was like he was pretending. Even so, against his fearsome onught, Kenji Fujimoto, one of the veterans representing their team kept his cool as he swiftly avoided his tackle with ease. Already 35 years of age, he was one of the oldest yers in the camp. They started strong. But as the match progressed their ws started to be evident. Compared to the opposing side who was used to ying as a single unit, most of his teammates yed selfishly. They were desperate to procure results. It might be due to Nanami''s earlier statement. But because of the disharmony in the team, they started to struggle. Even the veteran yers were rendered useless due to their selfishness. Frowning, Nanami watched the yers, "Sigh~ As expected."


    He spoke as if he had already anticipated this turn of events. Then why did he make such a setup in the first ce? Judging by his reaction, it seemed as if he was a little hopeful for the situation to turn out against his initial expectations. But since it turned out as he had envisioned, he couldn''t help but frown. It didn''t take long for the opposing side to take the lead. Capitalizing on the mistake of one of his teammates who was trying to disy his ability, Kein Sato initiated a counterattack. It didn''t take long for the opposing side to take the lead. Capitalizing on the mistake of one of his teammates who was trying to disy his ability, Kein Sato initiated a counterattack. He was the same Kein Sato whom he had faced previously in the match against the U23 team. One of the previous captains of the U23 team. Sessfully stealing the ball, he rushed ahead all by himself. Then he made a brilliant through pass to Tatsuki which gave them the early lead. Invested inpleting the conditions required to unlock his newly acquired talent, Hiro yed rather defensively. So, he couldn''t generate as much chances either. ''It won''t do'' he thought as he realized the gravity of the situation. It was getting increasingly difficult for their side to retain the possession of the ball. And they were losing more and more chances due to it. The harmony on the opposing side was showing no signs of falling apart. It was as if every single one of them knew their responsibility. Let alone fulfilling their responsibility, most of his teammates weren''t even making passes. It wasn''t just the attackers but the defenders as well. They were finding it extremely hard to cope with the pressure.


    Something had to be done. Troubled, he rolled his eyes to the sidelines.


    ''Can''t me him'' he thought as he looked at Nanami''s displeased reaction. Then he began to scan the field. As he swept his gaze through the field, he noticed the flustered faces of his teammates. Well, considering their performance it was no wonder that most of them appeared frustrated. But it wasn''t the case with the veteran yers. ''Does it not bother them?'' Noticing their rxed expression, he couldn''t help but wonder. ''Now that I think about it. When did they stop mentoring?'' he thought about it deeply. Earlier when they made errors they made an effort to guide them. Later they stopped. But why? Considering their performance, he couldn''t help but link it to their stubbornness. I mean who would want to nag someone repeatedly? N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But still, something didn''t sit right with him. They were also losing. So, why do they appear unbothered?


    Do they not care about winning? Or does it not affect their evaluation?


    He thought about it deeply as he moved along the field.


    Unable to find any answers, he could only choose to give up. After all, he had a much more serious matter in his hand which required his utmost attention. He couldn''t allow himself to be distracted. For most of the game, Hiro had gone unnoticed today. But hisck of presence didn''t stop the opposing yers from marking him. Constantly right from the start, he had been marked. They tailed him as if they were his shadows. Even so, he had made him avable. And, he continued to do the same. In the 32nd minute, he tricked his marker and broke free to receive the pass. Making his run, he called out to his teammate for the pass.


    "Pass!"


    He was wide open. Though not in a suitable position, he was open to receiving the pass. But instead of passing him, his teammate crossed the ball inside the box, supplying a risky pass to Tominaga. Tominaga leaped, trying to head the ball. However, he fell short as the opposing Daiki Shimizu headed the ball away. Hiro could only click his tongue in frustration. If only he''d have passed the ball to him, he''d have created some chances. Having analyzed the field, he knew that the cross wasn''t going to work. So, he could only choose to give up and try to open a path for himself. It wasn''t the first time, he was ignored today. He had been ignored a lot. How could a mere marker keep him from reaching the ball? Having mastered his off-the-ball movements there was simply no stopping him. But when your teammates don''t pass you the ball how are you supposed to deliver?

 Chapter 459 Training Match II

    Chapter 459 Training Match II


    "Tch~" he bitterly clicked his tongue. The ball flew inside the box. But he changed his direction. Instead of rushing ahead like most of his teammates, he paused as he began to scan the field. It''s not that he didn''t trust Tominaga. But it would take something special for him to reach the ball against the odds. First, the delivery was rather weak. Second, he was going up against three defenders who towered over him. Third, Matsuda could easily punch the ball away if he timed his jump. Against all this odd, it was unlikely that he''d reach the ball. So, rushing ahead would only put them in danger. Hence, while his teammates rushed ahead blindly, he paused. "Why is he not supporting his teammates?" one of the coaching staff said, displeased by his momentary pause. However, Nanami had a different reaction. His eyes bulged with excitement while a subtle smirk graced his lips. It was as if he was enthralled. ''He can see it'' Then as Daiki headed the ball away, it fell on Sato''s feet. His teammates panicked as they began to retreat hastily. The look on the face of the one who made the cross was a sight to behold. rmed, he began to falter. Without wasting any second, Sato struck the ball hard sending it flying. It was headed in the direction of Yuki who was often regarded as the strategist. He had an uncanny ability to find open spaces in the field. And, his tactical acumen and vision on the field, it was otherworldly. To top it all, he was a great dribbler too. But Hiro had already seen it. He had seen the pass. But the only thing that prevented him from intercepting the pass was the distance. He was way too far away from him. Well, it''d have been near-impossible for others. But it wasn''t the case with him. Spamming his skill ''Lightning Steps'', he closed the distance instantly. Noticing his eleration, Yuki stepped in front. He couldn''t wait for the ball to reach him. If he waited long enough, the pass might not even connect. So, he made a quick decision as he stepped ahead to receive the pass. Yet still, Hiro didn''t stop his pursuit. He continued to elerate even after knowing that he wouldn''t get to the ball before Yuki. His effort seemed pointless. And, almost all the coaching staff were frowning. But only Nanami remained indifferent. The pass connected sessfully as Yuki reached the ball before anyone else. If only Hiro would have started his chase three seconds earlier, he''d have intercepted the pass. But if he''d had started his chase earlier, Sato wouldn''t have made the pass in the first ce. For sure, he''d have made a different decision if he had seen Hiro. Desperate to steal the ball, Hiro attempted a sliding tackle on Yuki. Yuki swiftly avoided his tackle by making a simple turn.


    But just as he made that turn, he lost possession of the ball. Kaoru tackled him from behind when he was vested in Hiro. Hiro was merely a decoy. Only when the ball got stolen from his feet did realization dawned on Yuki. But him being a yer of high caliber, how could he remain dazed? N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As soon as the ball got stolen from him then he tried to win the ball back. He had no time to grieve. Immediately, Hiro made use of his arms as he changed direction. Kaoru wasn''t good with dribbling. So, it was only a matter of a second before he got the ball stolen again. Aware of his ws, Kaoru immediately let go of the ball. But since most of his teammates were getting chased, he had to pass it to somebody open. And, who would be better than Hiro?


    Presently no one marked him. And, he was also the person nearest to him. However, Yuki was right behind him. So, he couldn''t make a back pass either. Alongside his dribbling stat, he had a rather impressive passing stat as well. Since he couldn''t make a back-pass, he passed it to his side with the right amount of force. If he struck too hard, opposing yers might steal it. But if he passed too soft, Yuki would reach it. He had to strike with the right precision and force¡ª neither too hard nor too soft. Only then would it reach the desired target. Once again, Hiro spammed his skill ''Lightning Steps'', to reach the ball. He couldn''t afford to reserve his skills. The quota was limited. So, it was only natural for the weak tobine their strength to topple the strong. However, if he were to deliver results then they could no longer ignore him. The pass connected sessfully as he reached the ball before anyone else. Even so, instead of controlling the ball, he struck the ball hard as he sent the ball rolling ahead of him. Watanabe who was right in front of him, his eyes dpidated as he saw the ball rolling between his legs. He was prepared to stop him. He was fully focused on trying to stop him. Having faced him multiple times, he was aware of the kind of footballer Hiro was. That''s why he hadn''t expected him to kick the ball. Error. It was an error on his part. And, he had to fix it ASAP. Flustered, he turned behind to see his teammates rushing to the ball. His brows eased a little as he saw his teammates. Fortunately, he wasn''t going for a pass. It''d have been troublesome if there were yers from the opposing team behind him. How would he exin to the coach about getting nutmegged in the middle of the match?


    Now, if I just block him, I should be able to dy his chase. Watanabe was aware that he couldn''tpete against Hiro in terms of speed. So, he opted for the most reasonable option¡ª block him before he gets to use his feet. But before he could rejoice further, Hiro easily avoided him and rushed towards the ball.


    Running parallel to the sideline, he reached the ball almost at the same time as the opposing defender. Then he pulled a Maradona Turn to trick the defender.

 Chapter 460 Training Match III

    Chapter 460 Training Match III


    It was a close call. If he had been even a little careless or if his opponent had touched the ball even slightly, he wouldn''t have been able to stop the ball from going out of bounds. But even in such a dire moment, his ball control was top-notch. He easily managed to get the ball through the defender before him. However, there was only so much space left for him to operate. So, he had no choice but to pursue the ball from outside the field. Aya Matsuda gritted his teeth as he vigorously looked around him. Apart from Daiki Shimizu, he had nobody beside his side. As impressive as Daiki was, his chances to stop Hiro in a duel were minuscule. So, he couldn''t help but feel a little anxious. What was he supposed to do now?


    It''d take a while for his teammates toe to his aid. And Hiro wouldn''t wait for it to happen. Hiro would definitely try to finish the job as soon as possible. He had faced multiple opponents of such caliber. So, he knew from experience that it''d be extremely difficult for him if he were to face him one-on-one. As Hiro began to cut inside, his talent ''Knight in the Area'', kicked in which in turn boosted all his attacking stats. Yet for some reason, he failed to tap into the zone. But it didn''t bother him.


    Now, all he had to do was to beat the defender in front of him. Hiro rolled his eyes as he tapped the ball with the outside of his left foot. Thinking that he was about to cut inside, Daiki swayed his body inside. But contrary to his expectations, he went the opposite. His eyes rolled sideways as he followed Hiro closely. However, it was toote for him to change his direction. Even so, he couldn''t sit idly.


    He had to do something.He had to stop him. Desperate, he stretched his arms, trying to grab him by his shirt. It was the only thing he could do. It was only a practice match. So, did he have to go that far to stop him?


    It was a question of debate. But he felt it was the only sensible thing he was capable of performing. So, he grabbed him by his shirt and tried to stop him from advancing. Hiro felt the pull. But he wasn''t willing to go down. So, he tried to resist the pull. However, against Daiki''s strength, his efforts proved to be futile as he simply couldn''tpete against a grown adult. Having trained his body repeatedly, he was confident of his strength. But he was only a childpeting against an adult. That too against a man who was known for his impressive strength. If he went down, he would earn his team a penalty. But it was not guaranteed that he would be the penalty taker. Moreover, yers would even fight among themselves for the penalty. If it happened, it would further disrupt the harmony of the team. They were already uncooperative enough. So, he didn''t want another trouble. Well if it settled peacefully, he was happy to give up the opportunity. But that was unlikely to happen. So, he fought against Daiki''s pull. Though he couldn''t resist it, he managed to buy him enough time for him to shoot. Bam!


    Before getting pulled down, he struck the ball with the inside of his left foot. As he struck the ball, it curved toward the top corner. "Was there any need for him to shoot?"


    "Can''t he simply go down?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Many staff members didn''t appear happy about him shooting the ball. They couldn''t help butbel him as selfish after his selfish decision to go for the goal even when he could earn a foul. Now that he shot the ball, his fall couldn''t be ruled as a foul either. They were so focused on pointing out his ws that they didn''t even notice the brilliance behind that shot. It was just like Robben''s signature shot that curled inside to the opposite top corner. Sometimes we are so absorbed in finding ws that we fail to notice the strengths. Blinded by their judgment, they failed to find the beauty behind that shot of Hiro. Initially, Hiro was brought down. But he had already done what he had to do. So, his fall didn''t matter to him. All that mattered was the goal. Despite Naoto''s desperate attempt to save the ball, he failed. As the ball hit the back of the, it produced a swooping sound. The moment the ball crossed the goal line, the expression on the faces of the coaches who a moment ago were criticizing him changed like a chameleon changing its color. They were overjoyed by the goal. "His shots are as impressive as they appear on the screen."


    "There''s no doubt that he''s a talented yer."


    ''Observation, skills, decision making, and theposure to face challenges'' Coach Nanami looked at him thoughtfully. ''We''ve got a gem. Now, if only we''d put him to good use he''d be an invaluable asset to the team. But his position shes with Yamada. He''s not here at the moment due to the ongoing UCL campaign but when he arrives it''d surely get messy'' ''Considering that guy''s personality, it''d be quite troublesome. But his talent is the real thing. He has the ability to back his words.'' Nanami frowned. He appeared to be in a dilemma. While the yers were rejoicing, a conflict was taking ce inside his head. Some yers had yet to arrive at the training camp. But they were the ones whose spot in the team was already guaranteed. They were the elite among the elites. ''We''ll need both their strengths. Age doesn''t matter.'' he concluded. Though many remained quite reserved even after he scored the goal to equalize, many also started to open up. Well, it was to be expected since they werepeting for the spot. So, if somebody performed well that''d further decrease their chance of getting selected.

 Chapter 461 End of the match

    Chapter 461 End of the match


    And, who in their right mind would willingly give up the avable spot?


    However, it became clear to many that they''d benefit more from cooperating with him than colliding against him. Well, it was inevitable for a faction to be created. After all, human beings are selfish creatures. And in the face of peril, they tend to care more about their benefit than the glory. But now that he had some ally by his side, it''d get much easier for him to operate. So, Hiro was all grateful for their change of heart. As the game progressed, he began to y more offensively than before. Even so, due to the ongoing shes between the yers, he couldn''t generate many chances. He yed as a pivot who connected his defense and offense. However, he couldn''t disy his full potential because of his teammate''s uncooperative behavior. In many situations where they had to y quick one-two passes his teammates would leave him hanging after receiving the ball from him. Instead of returning the pass, they''d often choose to advance by themselves. While in other cases, theycked the timing to execute ys. Running all over the field, one may wonder if he had an extra pair of lungs. He had been running tirelessly without any stop. While doing so, he did intercept a few of the passes. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that he was holding the entire midfield of his team all by himself. A minute before the end of the first half, they conceded yet another goal from open y making the score 2-1. Beep! n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The first half came to an end as they failed to equalize in the remaining minutes. Exhausted, they ceased their movements. Many appeared quite frustrated. But all in all, they didn''t seem devastated by the loss.


    The expression of the veteran yers, however, remained unchanged. They were still as cheerful as they appeared in the beginning. Laughing and chatting among themselves they walked out of the pitch. Sweeping his gaze across their face, Hiro still couldn''t help but feel a bit unsatisfied. Does it not bother them? How could they act as if nothing happened? They should lead by example. But here they were acting as if they were not responsible for the loss. Exactly being the yers with most experience they should be leading as an example. But let alone leading as an example they were influencing the yers in a wrong way. Just what''s wrong with them? Hiro couldn''t help but wonder. Well, they still had another half to y. So, he had all the time he needed to figure out what was wrong with them. However, more than the matter regarding the veteran yers, he had to figure out how to fix the core problem of his team. Something had to be done. If only they were a little more cooperative and organized, he would have been able to generate more chances. It''d benefit them equally. But how was he going to convey it? Persuasion wasn''t his forte. When thinking about it, he couldn''t help but nce at the veteran yers. It''d have been a lot easier with their cooperation. If they helped him out, it''d have been a lot easier. It''s not that hecked leadership qualities. But right now, he was in an entirely different environment, surrounded by strangers. And, he wasn''t the extroverted type. So, unless others approached him first, he had no means to convey his heart. "Huff!" Thinking about it only strained his head. So, he exhaled deeply. "Okay everyone, gather up," Nanami stepped forward. Everyone?


    The yers appeared rather confused. Why would he want all of them to gather? Did he have some kind of instructions? Or was he going to make some changes? Or perhaps, he was going to point out their ws in the open?


    The yers couldn''t help guessing. It wasn''t just one particr side, but he wanted the yers of both sides to gather. As they heard him, they began to scramble around him. "You''ve all yed well. But the match ends here," he announced. "Huh!"


    "What about the second half?"


    "Is he for real?"


    The yers appeared dumbfounded by his sudden announcement. The announcement came in as a shock leaving them utterly surprised and panicked. The end of the match meant the end of the evaluation. For many, their first-half performance had been nothing but a disaster. And those who were unsatisfied with their first-half performance were the most devastated. They had been thinking of improving their performance in the second half. But when they heard that there was no second half, they couldn''t help but panic. After all, if the evaluation was done based on the performance of the first half, it was almost guaranteed that they wouldn''t make it. So many couldn''t help butin, calling his decision unfair. Nanami however, remained adamant about his decision. It was as if nothing they said would change his mind. Just like many, Hiro appeared rather shocked as well. He wasn''t expecting it to end so soon. Until a moment ago, he had been nning his ys in the second half. But now, he was told that there was no second half. Just how was he supposed to take the announcement?


    ''Why didn''t he mention it before the start of the game?'' If he had done that he''d have given his all. He wouldn''t have held back. But as he thought about it, realization dawned on him. ''Wait! What if his motive was to see our performance when we werex? If he had mentioned the twist, for sure, we would have yed even more energetically. But since he didn''t mention it, we yed reservedly.'' Now that he thought about it, everything made sense to him. ''Just because a match has 90 minutes doesn''t mean that the first half isn''t important. Right from the kickoff, one needs to be prepared, one needs to give their all.'' To differentiate a great yer from the ordinary, you need to observe him when he''s off the pitch. Simrly, if the yers aren''t serious about the match from the very beginning, you can''t expect much from them.

 Chapter 462 Nature of the test

    Chapter 462 Nature of the test


    It was a test to gauge their attitude. Yet, none were aware of it. Well, it wouldn''t have been an attitude test had they known about it. There wouldn''t be any meaning to it. Were they aware of it?


    Hiro thought as he noticed the unchanged reaction of the veteran yers. Now that he thought about it, before starting the game, Kenji Fujimoto was discussing something with the coach. "Kenji, don''t intervene when they make mistakes. Let them handle their affairs. It doesn''t matter whether they perform well or not. Just don''t intervene." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    These were Nanami''s instructions to Kenji before the kickoff, which Kenji had quietly ryed to his fellow veterans.


    That''s why for the entirety of the game, despite their numerous blunders, they kept their mouths shut. As he recalled, everything began to fall in pieces. ''It''d only make sense to judge our abilities without any third-party influences. So, he must have asked them to turn a blind eye to our mistakes.'' The buzz in the field was growing increasingly loud. "Silence!" Unable to tolerate theirints any further, one of the coaching staff stepped up. His voice echoed like the sound of thunder, immediately grasping everyone''s attention. It even startled many. At once as they heard him, they immediately stopped theirints. "It wasn''t a test to gauge your performance. From the beginning, the purpose of the match had been to gauge your mental fortitude and self-reliance in high-pressure situations," he began steadily, revealing the true nature of the test.


    Then he swept his gaze disdainfully, "And, do I need to tell you how you performed?"


    The yers who until a moment ago wereining about the unfairness lowered their heads in shame as they heard him. They couldn''t even refute it. Suddenly, it got eerily silent as the buzz died down. After saying that much, he quietly stepped back to his position. "As coach Akira said, it was a test to gauge your mental fortitude and your ability to cope in high-pressure situations. But it isn''t the end of the training. There are a lot more tests left to be conducted. So, be prepared," Nanami said, attempting to cheer up the yers. Initially, he wasn''t nning on revealing the nature of the test. But now that hispatriot had revealed it, he couldn''t remain silent. "With that being said, let''s continue the training," he added. Though the match hade to an end, the session had yet toe to an end. Rather it had only begun. But at least, they were d to hear that they had many more chances to redeem themselves.


    However, one thing became clear to the yers after this encounter¡ª they couldn''t lower their guard for the entirety of the training camp if they wanted to secure a spot in the team.


    They had to take every drill seriously. The training then progressed. While the yers continued to train, Nanami turned to Akira, one of his assistants. "Sorry coach," Akira apologized for his earlier behavior. It wasn''t his ce to speak. But he spoke anyway. So, it was only right for him to apologize. However, Nanami wasn''t there to find faults with him. So, he revealed a subtle smile before saying, "You don''t have to apologize. In fact, I should be rather thankful to you for stepping up. If you hadn''t stepped up, I might have not been able to stabilize the ongoing riot."


    Akira felt a little taken aback when he heard him. It wasn''t what he was expecting from him. Previously, he had heard that he had a rather strict personality. And, he disliked others intervening in his matters. But it was the opposite. So, he was left dumbfounded by his response. Unlike other coaches, he and Nanami were new to the team. So neither were familiar with each other''s personalities. So, despite his reluctance to ept his apology, he still felt the need to apologize. But before he could put his words in voice, Nanami began to inquire him about something.


    "Have you heard anything from Dr. Haruki? I''m pretty sure that he said that he''d be here by today."


    Upon the mention of Haruki, he began to check his phone. "Ah right, he has left a message saying that he might be a littlete due to some issues regarding the Athlete Insight," Akira conveyed the message. Upon hearing the news, Nanami couldn''t help but frown. "If only he were here we would have been able to track the performance of the yers even better," murmuring so, he paused before turning to Akira again, "What about theputers? Has it been installed already? If not the training would get even more dyed."


    Nanami appeared rather concerned when he asked him. "Yes coach, we''ve already installed theputers. Now, we only need Dr. Haruki to operate it. We can begin it as soon as he arrives. So, if everything goes as nned we can start the program by evening''s training," Akira answered obediently. Satisfied, Nanami nodded. Then he shifted his focus to the yers who were training with a renewed sense of vigor. He could vividly see the seriousness in their face. Seeing the effectiveness of the training, he couldn''t help but reveal a satiated grin. ''I guess it was indeed better to reveal the purpose of the test.'' he thought, feeling grateful to Akira for helping him out. ''The federation must have spent a hefty sum of money to persuade Dr. Haruki. Otherwise, how could they convince someone of his stature to assist the team? At least, I''m grateful that they spared some funds to fulfill my wishes.'' Originally, it was Nanami who had requested the help of Dr. Haruki. However, he wasn''t sure that the federation would be able to convince him. But when he found out that the federation had managed to convince him to assist the team, he was overjoyed to hear the news. Dr. Haruki was someone who had introduced a new revolutionary sports technology to the market called the Athlete Insight. As the training progressed, it soon became known to the yers that Coach Nanami''s coaching methods were rather entric. And, the match before was proof of it.

 Chapter 463 Lunatic thoughts

    Chapter 463 Lunatic thoughts


    After some time, a man probably in his early 40s, dressed in a white suit entered the training ground holding a briefcase.


    He had short ck hair which was neatly styled.A pair of rectangr framed sses with golden rims adorned his triangr face. Though it could hardly conceal the eye bags beneath his eyes. "You''re here, Dr. Haruki," Nanami walked over to him as he saw him. The man was Dr. Haruki Tanaka. Adjusting his sses, he revealed an awkward smile as he greeted Nanami, "I''m sorry, I couldn''t arrive on time."


    "Who''s he?" "Another coach?"


    In the middle of the training, some yers paused to look at him. They couldn''t help but feel curious about him. He just appeared too peculiar to go unnoticed. Their coach was addressing him with such respect. So, it was only natural for them to feel that way. "You three where are you looking?" They got scolded harshly because of their inattentive behavior. Although many were not familiar with the person who had arrived just now, Hiro was a bit knowledgeable about him. ''Isn''t he that Dr. Haruki? He looks so much like him.'' It''s not that he wasn''t famous. Featured in many articles, he was a rtively well-known figure in the sports world. However, his fame was almost simr to the many other roles indirectly involved in the sports such as sports director, physician, or scout of football clubs. Despite their role being an important one people barely know them. But in his field, he was quite well-known among his peers. "So Doc when can we implement the device on the yers?" Nanami was quite straightforward as he got straight to the point. Athlete Insight was the name of the cutting-edge wearable device developed by Haruki. This device tracked a multitude of metrics, including speed, precision, stamina, heart rate, and even mental fatigue, providingprehensive data to optimize training and performance.


    Even though it was still in its early phase, many clubs in Europe were already implementing it in their training. Since FIFA and UEFA banned the use of any such device in actual games they weren''t able to use it in actual games. Well, installments of such devices would probably disrupt the game. "If you want, we can implement it right away." Haruki smiled. "No.., no.., it''s alright. There''s not much time left for the training session to end. So, let''s implement it starting this evening?" Nanami revealed an awkward smile as he said. If they prolonged the session to test the device, it would only affect the yers. So, he decided to put that matter aside for the time being. "For now, would it be okay for you to exin its working mechanism thoroughly to me? I have read about it. But I think it''d be better to hear from the person who invented it." he added. Having studied about it, he had been impressed by it. So, he wanted to know more about it. That''d further provide him insight into the device. Haruki nodded his head and asked, "Shall I begin here or should I demonstrate it to you instead?"


    "I''d prefer a demonstration. So, shall we head to yourb? We''ve set up ab as per your instructions."


    "Great, sorry for the trouble Nanami-san"


    "Just give me a minute doc," saying so, he walked to coach Akira. He had to leave someone in charge of the training if he was going to leave the field. But as he got close to Akira, he couldn''t help but wonder, ''Shouldn''t it be more effective if we all learn about it? It''s only right for all of us to attend the demonstration together.'' Since they were going to be working together, it was only right to share the knowledge regarding the device between themselves to avoid any conflict in the future. If they all learned about it then they could avoid possible conflicts due to the difference in opinion. As he thought about it, he nced at his watch. ''There''s not much time left for the session toe to an end. So, let''s end it early for now.'' Thinking so, he instructed Akira to wrap up the training in about five minutes and meet him at theboratory afterward. "Where is he going?"


    The yers couldn''t help questioning his early departure as they saw him walking out of the field alongside the newly entered person with the sses. ''For sure he''s Dr. Haruki.'' Hiro confirmed his identity. ''The future''s getting even more unpredictable. The addition of Dr. Haruki wasn''t supposed to happen so early. I''m not sure about the club he was supposed to be working but I''m sure that he wasn''t supposed to be here right now.''


    Thinking about the changes that were taking ce, his brows knotted. If such changes kept on happening frequently, soon he''d no longer be able to select a safe route for him to follow. If the future was going to get unpredictable then he could only adapt to it. Well, he was partly at fault since he was the anomaly in the present. A butterfly effect. It was bound to happen since he interfered with the present. Let alone get called up by the national team, he wasn''t even supposed to be ying professionally. Originally, someone else should be here right now instead of him. It wasn''t the ce where he belonged to. ''They say that when you change something in the past a different timeline is created. So, by that logic, it should be an alternate world.'' Though he diligently performed the drill assigned to him, his mind was elsewhere. However, most of the stuff that he was thinking was from movies. Even so, he couldn''t rule out the possibility of it happening either. After all, he had regressed to his early days after dying. If he talked about it, he''d certainly getbeled as a lunatic. Just his regression alone was already something straight out of a fantasy novel. But he also possessed a system that helped him realize his dreams. Just how would people react if he said that he heard some voices in his head?


    Thinking about all the unrealistic stuff that had taken ce in his life, he couldn''t help but reveal a grin. Just a moment ago, he was thinking about the future. And, now his thoughts had already wandered somewhere else. yers who were watching him were already getting chills looking at him making different reactions for absolutely no reason. "Is he alright?" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Did he get possessed by a ghost?"


    "What''s wrong with him?"


    Hiro hadpletely forgotten that he wasn''t alone.

 Chapter 464 Fire vs Fire

    Chapter 464 Fire vs Fire


    When he came back to his senses, he noticed all those stares he was getting. Those stares made him flinch a bit.


    ''Why are they looking at me in such a way?'' He couldn''t help but ponder why they were looking at him so weirdly. Hiro was utterly clueless. Just then before he could think any further, Akira announced the end of the session, drawing everyone''s attention to him, providing him a moment of respite from those stares. "Okay everyone, let''s wrap up for now"


    They were both surprised and relieved to hear the announcement. Wasn''t it ending so soon? Well, the earlier the better. "Ah right before you leave, clean the mess. As for who has to clean, you can decide among yourselves," saying so, Akira walked out of the field alongside his fellow peers. Organizing the equipment wasn''t a tedious task. And, they had more than enough energy left to spare. Yet, many weren''t willing to do the cleanup. It''s not that they didn''t want to do the cleanup. But the question was who was going to do the cleanup? The coach had asked them to decide among themselves. But who in the right mind would volunteer for such stuff?


    Even before deciding on the people, some yers from the winning side were already leaving the field, acting as if it wasn''t their responsibility. "Where are you all going without finishing the cleanup?" asked one of the yers, dissatisfiedly. Most of the yers who were leaving the field were the old yers who had been on the team for the longest. But that didn''t mean that only the older yers were leaving. Some yers from the losing side were also walking away. We all are responsible for the task. Yet, why do they get to evade the responsibility? If they are not obliged then why must we adhere to themand?


    That was what most yers who had stayed back to do the cleanup were thinking at the moment. They were unsatisfied with the attitude of the yers who were leaving. "Huh? Cleanup? Why must we do it? We won, right? So, it''s only fair for the losing side to do the cleanup. Didn''t you learn that in school?" tersely responded one of the yers who was walking away. But his response didn''t sit well with most of the yers from the losing end. After all, they weren''t told that the losing side should do the cleanup. They had been told to discuss among themselves. So, who were they to decide? Just because they were seniors didn''t mean that they had the right to boss around. They were furious at their response. But couldn''t muster the courage to speak up. They could only tuck in their fury andply. Well, Hiro wasn''t nning to argue from the beginning. It didn''t matter to him if any stayed behind or not. He was going to volunteer for the cleanup. And, speaking out of ce would only get him in trouble. So, he helplessly shook his head as he heard the debate, ''Hierarchy, it''s unavoidable no matter where you go''


    Also, what''s wrong with staying behind to do the cleanups? It''s not like he had any urgent matter to attend to. So, despite the scuffle happening in front of him, he chose to remain silent. But the one who had questioned the leaving yers was fuming. Furrowing his brows, he stood tight-lipped with his palm tightly clenched into a fist. ''Wherever he goes, trouble is unavoidable'' Hiro thought as he ignored him. The person who was trying to stand up against the hierarchy right now, Hiro was familiar with him. He was called Kenta Ishikawa, a twenty-year-old winger/forward who yed for FC Tokyo. He had a rather fierce temper. And, while ying against him, he had shed with him often despite being a neer. Well, he had a pretty nasty reputation in the league, colliding against almost at least a yer from every single team in the league. But since he delivered consistently, it was rather hard to point a finger at him. "So, you''ve got any moreints rookie?" He wasn''t the type to lower his head. However, he had no other choice than toply this time. So, he unwillingly backed down. If only another yer stood up, he wouldn''t have backed down. But since he was all alone, he had no choice but to retreat. Well, even if his club teammates weren''t stepping up for him then why must other yers step up?


    "Seems like you don''t" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The older yers then turned to leave. As themotion died down, it got eerily silent for a while. The silence, however, onlysted for a while before Kenta''s furious growl tore through the silence. "And, where do you think you are going?" he yelled, calling out to Tominaga who was leaving the field silently. However, Tominaga remained unresponsive as he steadily walked to the exit without even turning back to look at him. It was as if he couldn''t even hear him. His unresponsiveness only further infuriated Kenta. Furious, he stomped his way in front of Tominaga, blocking his path. ring at him with his bloodshot eyes, he yelled, "Didn''t you hear me?"


    If Kenta was fire then so was Tominaga. "Huh? Who are you to block my way?" he responded coldly. His cold gaze remained unchanged as he looked him in the eye without any fear in his heart. A sh seemed unavoidable at this moment. The air became thick with tension as the two faced each other. Other yers, silently observed their debate. It seemed as if no one was willing to confront the two at the moment. Most probably, they wanted to stay away from the trouble. If words of their disagreement got to the ear of the coaches, it''d for sure get them into some serious trouble. So, why must they intervene? They didn''t want to get involved. And, it was only the safest route for them to stay out of trouble. Hence they remained as a mere spectator to the sh happening right in front of their eyes.

 Chapter 465 The end of the scuffle

    Chapter 465 The end of the scuffle


    "Geez, youngsters these days are so hot-heated," Kenji Fujimoto said with a smile on his face, almost as if he was enjoying the show in front of him. Shouldn''t you stop them instead? Hiro thought as he heard him, clearly irritated by his gesture. Yet still, he didn''t say it out loud. "And, who do you think you are to desert your responsibility?"


    Annoyed by his attitude of trying to act as if he was in control, Tominaga snorted as he tried to brush past him, "If you like doing it then do it yourself. You don''t tell me what to do."


    Adamant, Kenta stood in his way as he prevented him from walking away. His repeated attempts to stop him from leaving were only getting on his nerves, causing him to clench his fist tightly.


    Gnashing his teeth, Tominaga said, "Move!" as he tried to force his way through him.


    However, it didn''t seem that Kenta had any intention to let him go.


    If the situation persisted any further, it seemed as if a fight was inevitable.


    Unable to stand back any further, Naoto who had stayed behind to help, stepped forward.


    Finally, someone was willing to intervene.


    "Cut it out, you two," yelled Naoto as he rushed to stop them.


    The moment he stepped in, all eyes turned to look at him. His voice was like the rumbling of thunder, immediately drawing everybody''s attention to him, startling some. And, by no means did Naoto appear calm.


    Unlike his usual calm demeanor, he appeared extremely pissed. Even Hiro had rarely seen him so pissed.


    Naoto seemed as if he wouldn''t hesitate to teach both a lesson.


    However, it wasn''t just Naoto. No sooner had he sprung into action, Tatsuki joined as well.


    As for why he joined, it wasn''t to shield Naoto from the temper of the two who were causing themotion.


    But it was to save the two from the wrath of Naoto. Usually, calm and polite, one might expect him to be meek and harmless.


    However, that wasn''t the case. Having experienced his wrath, he knew how scary he could get at times.


    So, before Naoto could get close to Kenta and Tominaga, he hurried to stop him.


    "Yeah, nobody''s forcing you to stay. So, just cut it out already," Tatsuki said as he rushed in between Kenta and Tominaga.


    Then he looked them in the eye, before continuing, "You can leave if you want to leave."


    Kenta wasn''t satisfied with his statement. But he couldn''t bring himself to refute. It was as if he was fighting over nothing.


    Tominaga scoffed as he silently left the field after hearing him.


    Then Tatsuki announced, "It''s the same for all of you here. If you want to stay then stay, if not you''re free to leave."


    As they heard the announcement, many started leaving the field. After all, if they were not required to stay then why should they stay?


    "I''d rather prefer a cold shower than remain here in this heat"


    "Yeah, let''s go"


    Kenta could only gnash his teeth and turned to leave. He was utterly helpless.


    "Hmph!"


    Sneering disdainfully, he stomped his way out of the pitch. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Tatsuki could only let out a sigh.


    Was it a good decision or a bad one, he couldn''t tell. But at least, he prevented a scene from taking ce.


    The matter was settled peacefully due to Naoto and Tatsuki''s intervention.


    But now that more than half of the yers had left the field, it''d definitely take a lot of effort to wrap up the cleanup.


    Probably, it''d leave them exhausted.


    And, he only realized it after seeing the number of people left on the pitch. However, it was toote for him to regret.


    So, he could only choose to work more diligently to finish the task.


    Amused, Hiro fixedly looked at Tatsuki, "He has such a side too?"


    It was his first time seeing Tatsuki stepping up to stop a scuffle. Ironic how a troublemaker was stepping up to break a fight.


    "He''s gotten a lot more mature than thest time I saw him," Kenjiplimented. Hearing him, Hiro could only roll his eyes in disdain to look at him. Instead ofmending a youngster, it''d have been more helpful if you had decided to step up. It''s not that he wasn''t aware of the man before him. He was a well-respected figure in the Japanese football. So, he could have easily ended the scuffle with his reputation alone. Yet, while all those took ce, he stayed behind enjoying the show. Hiro couldn''t tell what was going on in his mind. He might have been ordered by the coach to not intervene in the match. But the match had already ended. So, why did he stay put even after the end of the match?


    Perhaps he liked watching scuffles?


    As much as Hiro knew about him, it wasn''t the case. Well, it didn''t matter anyway. So, he willingly gave up on thinking about it. He figured that it''d be more beneficial to focus on the matter at hand than to ponder about his reasoning. So, Hiro got back to his task, collecting the training equipment. Though he had chosen to ignore him, it wasn''t the case with Kenji. He deliberately approached him, "Hey, Star-kid, does the scuffle in the team not bother you?"


    ''It doesn''t matter whether it bothers me or not. But, I can tell for sure that it doesn''t bother you at least,'' Hiro scoffed inwardly as he heard him. Fighting against his urge to reply sarcastically, he spoke coldly, "I''m here to y, not to fight"


    Acting as if he was impressed by his response, Kenji continued, "Woah! I guess our youngest is pretty mature for a fight like this." He paused and continued in a demeaning tone, "Or, you''re just scared to stand up?"


    Why was he trying to rile him up? For what purpose was he taunting him?


    Hiro couldn''t tell. Was it a test? Even if there was some ulterior motive behind his taunts, it did not affect Hiro.

 Chapter 466 Interaction

    Chapter 466 Interaction


    Solemnly, Hiro nced at him before responding, "I could ask you the same"


    There was no ill motive behind his words. Neither was he trying to taunt him. But since Kenji appeared curious about the matter, Hiro couldn''t refrain from asking. If he wasn''t curious then why would he bring it intentionally?


    For sure, he wasn''t trying to test his patience. Faced with Hiro''s curiosity, Kenji frowned before responding cheerfully, "Hahaha...., I''m way too old to get myself involved in the quarrels of youngsters."


    Excuse. It was nothing more than an excuse. Hiro could tell it. Yet still, he chose to ignore it. After all, what good would he receive even if he were to speak his heart?


    There was simply no benefit to it. So, he dismissed the matter. "You''re right Kenji-san, we youngsters ought to resolve our conflict among ourselves. We need to be responsible for our actions then only will we grow."


    All of a sudden, Hiro appeared even more mature than before. Kenji had been finding him quite strange since a while ago.


    Even in the field when he was getting targeted by other yers instead of whining about the unfair treatment, he stepped up for himself. Even now, he was deliberately trying to provoke him but there wasn''t even an ounce of irritation on his face. Instead, it seemed as if he understood him. Just how can a kid so young act so mature?


    His age and his attitude were pr opposites to each other. They simply didn''t match. Kenji was taken aback by his response and his eerie calmness. You''re telling me this kid is sixteen? It''s not only his skills that exceed his age but the way he carries himself too. His curiosity only grew as he talked to him. Previously, he had approached him due to his sheer curiosity. The way he remained silent, he had assumed Hiro to be somewhat cocky. Well, given his talent, it wasn''t a huge deal for him to be a little arrogant. But as he engaged in a conversation with him, he realized how wrong he was to think so. There wasn''t even a shred of arrogance in this boy. Which was pretty rare for someone his age. In his career, he hade across many youngsters who were drunk on their fame. Arrogant and rebellious, they would kick a fuss whenever someone tried to provoke them. However, despite his repeated attempts to provoke Hiro, he couldn''t detect even a shred of rebellious mentality in him. This was pretty new to him. "Tell me the truth. Your birth certificate is fabricated right?" Kenji asked jokingly. Though he seemed as if he was jesting from the outside, he was not. There was only a slight possibility of fabricating the birth certificate but he still couldn''t rule out the possibility. After all, no matter how hard he thought about it, Hiro didn''t appear sixteen to him. "I''d have been grateful if it was the case. If only they increased my age by at least two years, I''d have been eligible to leave for a club overseas by now," Hiro replied casually, wearing a poker face. Kenji nced at his face, giving him a weird look upon hearing his response. You wish to increase your age!


    For a while, he couldn''t bring himself to speak. This kid is different.


    He couldn''t help but view Hiro in a different light. "Tell me honestly, you''ve already received offers from Europe, right?" Kenji asked. Considering what he said, he could only link it to the possibility that he had been already contacted by a few of the clubs in Europe. He has already proven his worth in the league, so it''s not that surprising that he wants to move abroad to a morepetitive league. Kenji had already confirmed his attitude. So, he could tell by no means was he trying to mock thepetitiveness of the J-league. And, it''s only natural for a yer of such caliber to wish to y for the best clubs in the world. Well considering he was already scouted by an overseas agent so early in his career, it''s only natural to assume that he had already been linked to some of the clubs overseas. By now, it seemed as if Kenji was trying to interview him. The conversation was getting way too much personal. But it''s not like he had anything to hide. So, he answered it earnestly without hiding anything, "I do want to move to Europe. But I haven''t been contacted by any clubs yet."


    His talents were already enough for him to get targeted by at least a few of the renowned clubs in Europe. Yet, he hadn''t been contacted?


    It didn''t sit right with Kenji. If not the big clubs, he should already be getting offers from at least mid-table clubs. Yet, he hadn''t received any offer?


    How is that possible?


    Or was he deliberately hiding something?


    Even so, it didn''t appear as if he was lying. There wasn''t any loophole in his facial expression. It was extremely difficult to read his expression or the tone of his speech. Perplexed, he stared at him fixedly. "For real?" he uttered. Hiro nodded his head as he answered, "Umm..., It''s not that I haven''t received any offers yet. But it''s because I want to focus on the matter at hand right now."


    It was exactly as he said. There wasn''t any rush. He still had a lot of time on his hands to decide his ns. And, he was quite young as well. It made sense. Often young yers are so in a hurry that they don''t think their decision through which often leads to a career full of regrets. Well, it''s not wrong to dream big. And, it''s not wrong to wish to y for a big club. But before making any decision, it''s always good to do some research. So, what if you get scouted by a big club but don''t get many ying minutes? n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Young yers require ying minutes to develop. They require experience to develop. You can''t expect them to y well just because they trained well.

 Chapter 467: Regret?

    Chapter 467: Regret?


    ?


    As he heard him, Kenji felt a pang of regret weighing him down. Just like many other passionate young yers, he once had made the same error of deciding in a hurry.


    When the team he loved offered him a contract at the beginning of his career, he grabbed it without much thinking.


    Before concluding, he should have at least researched the current yers, profiles of the coach, how often the coach yed young yers, and many other things. But he drew to a conclusion without giving much thought to it.


    Due to this, he struggled to get any ying minutes. It''s not that he didn''t get any loan offers. He had received a ton. But it was his stubborn nature that had nearly brought him to ruin.


    Adamant about earning his spot in the team he loved, he refused to go out on a loan.


    Though it had hindered his career greatly, it was all due to his foolishness.


    As much as there were yers who struggled there were also yers who performed well. Just take the example of Lamine Yamal, despite being integrated into the first team of Barcelona so early in his career, he flourished.


    However, we can''t overlook the risk it brings to yers as well. Ansu Fati, who was deemed as the next heir to Messi''s legacy, nearly had to hang up his boots so early in his career due to a career-ending injury.


    So, we can''t just look at the sess.


    After all, who knows Hiro might turn out differently than him.


    Nodding his head, Kenji praised his thoughtfulness, "You''ve thought it through huh?"


    While they were conversing leisurely, others had finished most of the task. If not for Kenji, he''d have been more efficient.


    At this moment, he heard the voice of Naoto.


    "Hiro, can you pass me those balls?"


    Turning to look at him, he realized that they had almost finished, all that was left was the five balls scattered a certain distance away from him.


    When did they get so much done?


    He felt a little guilty for not being much help. Though he had volunteered to help, he hadn''t done much. Rather he had spent most of his time chatting with Kenji.


    So, collecting those remaining balls was the least he could do to atone for hisckluster behavior.


    "Do you need any help?" Kenji offered.


    You kept me busy and now you''re offering to help?


    Hearing him, he couldn''t help butmpoon. Yet still, he maintained hisposure as he politely declined his offer, "I can handle it."


    "Suit yourself"


    It was just five balls. Why would he require his help to collect it?


    Bam!


    He struck the first ball with precision, easily slotting it in the bin despite the distance. "Impressive," Kenji uttered, impressed.


    The smile on his face faded gradually as he witnessed the brilliance of Hiro. He slotted four shots consecutively without missing a single one.


    If it was basketball, he would be shooting from the half line.


    Along with his fading smile, his face grew paler as Hiro slotted four consecutive balls into the bin without breaking a sweat.


    It was as if it was his daily routine.


    The ball control, power, and precision. He couldn''t fathom how someone so young possessed such striking qualities.


    He had seen him y. But he hadn''t had the chance to experience it in person since he yed for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.


    Though he started his career in Hamburg, unable to procure any noteworthy results he had to return. Then for the better part of his career, he yed for Urawa Red Diamonds.


    Finally, he found a ce where he belonged as he went on to win J. League MVP twice in his career. He also led his team to the AFC Champions League final where he nearly missed out on the title.


    Though he failed to lift the title, his efforts were recognized as he earned himself a transfer to Celtic. It was prettyte in his career that he earned himself an opportunity to y in Europe.


    So, he was rather hesitant to ept the offer.


    But it was one of his close friends Kyogo Furuhashi who at the time was breaking multiple records for Celtic convinced him to sign for the club.


    If not for him, he''d have possibly missed out on the opportunity.


    Though he had already confirmed, once again as he watched him he couldn''t help but doubt his age, "Is he really sixteen?"


    The angle and the distance were rather difficult for the fifth shot.


    Almost close to the sideline and behind the half-line, it was a rather difficult shot to make.


    By now, the field was already buzzing with his praise. Well, after leaving everyone stunned by delivering four marvelous shots, it was bound to happen.


    They were thoroughly impressed by his shots.


    But even so, when they saw him preparing to take the fifth shot at such a difficult angle, they couldn''t help but feel skeptical about him generating the same oue as before.


    "Even if it''s him, it''s still difficult to make this one"


    "He''d have to materialize the soul of Roberto Carlos if he wanted to make it," giggled one of the yers on the field.


    Kenji however, remained tight-lipped as he watched him with a growing sense of curiosity. He didn''t want to jump to the conclusion.


    Instead, he was curious whether he''d make it or not.


    To score in an open post from that distance although difficult was feasible. But he was going


    to slot the ball in a bin so small that it wasn''t even half the size of the post.


    For sure, his abilities will be tested to their best if he were to make this shot.


    "Do you think he''ll make it?"


    "Nah!"


    "I say, he''ll make it," Tatsuki intervened.


    Had he gone crazy?


    The moment they heard him, they couldn''t help but look as if he had gone crazy.


    "No way!"


    They immediately refuted.


    "Wanna bet?" Tatsuki challenged confidently.


    As much as he seemed confident about Hiro, they were confident that he wouldn''t make it as


    well. So, they immediately epted the bet without any hesitation.

 Chapter 468: Bonding

    Chapter 468: Bonding


    ?


    Tatsuki''s eyes lit up as they agreed on the bet.


    Excitedly, he spoke, "Then how about the loser buys the winner a new pair of sneakers?"


    For a while, Tatsuki had his eyes on a rather expensive sneaker. In fact, he had been thinking of buying one after the end of the training camp.


    It''s not that hecked the funds to buy it.


    But when he encountered his teammate''s skepticism against Hiro, he sensed an opportunity. Why would he waste his precious funds on it if he could get it for free?


    Thinking so, he proposed the idea.


    "If I lose, I''ll buy you each a pair. But if you lose, you only have to buy me one. So, do we have the deal?" He added as he tried to make his more lucrative.


    It was an offer they couldn''t refuse.


    They were paying half the price while he was paying twice the price. Obviously, the deal was in their favor. So, why would they refuse it?


    The duck had willingly ced its head on the chopping board.


    So they readily epted his offer without any hesitation.


    Curling his lips slightly, he revealed a grin. ''They''ve taken the bait''


    Probably they might have refused the bet if only they knew what they were getting into. However, blinded by their greed, it was toote for them to back out now.


    Since they had ced a bet on him, naturally the two became even more interested in Hiro.


    Completely unaware of the matter taking ce around him, Hiro casually nced at the bin before returning his focus to the ball. It didn''t matter whether he scored or missed.


    To him, it was nothing more than a random task.


    So, why would he put importance to scoring?


    However, it would have been a different case if he had known about the stake. He would have probably missed the shot on purpose.


    But since he was unaware of the stake, he didn''t feel like missing.


    After analyzing enough, he made a light runup. As he approached close to the ball, he stretched his leg, his muscles coiled like a spring, preparing to unleash its power.


    A cold gleam shed past his eyes as he unleashed a powerful shot.


    Bam!


    Upon contact, it produced a rather peculiar sound almost as if somebody had shot a gun.


    Everybody present on the field at the moment, closely followed the ball. At this moment, it appeared as if even a cmity wouldn''t distract them.


    "What power!"


    Kenji''s eyes widened, his mouth agape.


    Gliding past the field, it headed straight to the bin. There was enough power in his shot. So, it didn''t ur to anyone that it wouldn''t reach its destination.


    Perhaps, it would even fly away.


    A smile blossomed on the faces of the yers who had ced a bet on him as they saw the ball flying quite high in the sky.


    Based on the speed at which the ball was levitating, it was likely that it''d miss the target. However, their smile gradually started to fade and instead got reced by a frown as they noticed something strange. After a while, the ball dropped rapidly.


    It was a drive shot.


    Something even the professionals found hard to master.


    Yet, what they were seeing was totally unbelievable. A kid sixteen years of age had mastered the drive shot? Are you kidding me?


    Incredulous, the two rubbed their eyes.


    Meanwhile, Tatsuki''s grin widened while his eyes glistened with joy.


    Unlike the two before him, he had seen him closely. So, he knew what Hiro was capable of. From the beginning, he did not doubt his ability.


    Their face grew even more paler as the ball effortlessly swooped inside the bin.


    "I hope you remember the bet," grinning, Tatsuki said.


    The two could only tuck in the disappointment and nod their head. After all, they had lost the bet fair and square.


    Why does he look so overjoyed?


    Finding out Tatsuki with a wide grin on his face, Hiro couldn''t help but wonder why appeared


    so ted. Simrly, he couldn''t understand why the other two beside him were sulking.


    But before he could rack his mind, Kenji approached him with a smile on his face.


    "Your shots are quite impressive," he praised. "Is your uracy always like this?" he couldn''t refrain himself from asking.


    "Thank you," he humbly epted his praise. "I haven''t really thought about it. But yeah,


    most of the time it''s pretty much the same as now."


    Why were acting so interested in his shots all of a sudden? It''s not like he had scored for them in a crucial match. So, why were acting all so chummy?


    Hiro found their interest in him a little strange.


    Earlier when he had scored a magnificent goal for his team, he didn''t get this much attention. But now when he just made some random shots they were acting all interested in him. They were looking at him with eyes full of affection.


    Well, whatever.


    It wasn''t particrly a bad thing to be at the center of the attention. In fact, it was rather helpful. Since he could bond with the yers, he wasn''t bothered by the affection he was receiving all of a sudden. Rather, he was grateful.


    So, he took his time responding to every curious question thrown his way.


    He was well aware that as much as individual abilities mattered, it was equally important to bond with the yers around him. Previously, he was confused about his approach.


    But now, all of them were approaching him willingly. So, it saved him quite the effort. Even after the cleanup, they stayed in the pitch for quite a while, chatting. The conversation quickly steered away from him due to which he got to know a lot about other yers.


    Even Kenji who appeared reluctant to open up about his history opened up to others. Due to this, they got to learn a lot about the footballing world.


    Other yers were really appreciative of his openness.


    To those who had just started their journey, it was an invaluable knowledge.

 Chapter 469: Insignificant peoples

    Chapter 469: Insignificant peoples


    ?


    It was a good learning experience for Hiro. So, he didn''t shy away from the opportunity.


    After all, it would have been quite difficult for him to bond with his introverted nature if they hadn''t approached him first.


    Later in the day as per his expectations, they were called by the coaches to familiarize themselves with the revolutionary tech developed by Haruki.


    Throughout the introduction, many yers struggled to understand the functions of the device. But as they were told that it was a device that measured their abilities in quantitative terms they finally understood the assignment.


    Unlike many, Hiro was somewhat familiar with the device. So, it didn''t take much to learn about the device. Rather after the exnation, his wisdom even broadened.


    But all along the exnation, he couldn''t help but wonder about the uracy of the data. Since he already possessed a system that showed his stat in terms of numbers, he couldn''t wait topare the data.


    They were then handed an armband to put on which monitored their condition at all times. It was quite simr to the fit bands trending in the market.


    So, many even wondered if it was anything revolutionary.


    After a brief exnation, they were dismissed.


    As they walked out of theb there was quite a lot of fuss regarding the device among the yers. But one thing was clear, now with the introduction of the device, it wouldn''t be easy to convince the coaches.


    They had to be careful at all times.


    Who knows if there''s a microphone or a camera installed in it?


    "Do you think they''ve installed any hidden camera in it?" one of the yers asked curiously while lifting his arm.


    Now that he mentioned it, yers couldn''t help but feel a bit scared. If it was really the case then wouldn''t they have difficulty continuing with their daily life?


    After all, how could someone poop in peace when you know that you''re being monitored?


    "Kenji-san, would you mind asking the coach about it?"


    Kenji being the oldest on the squad, it was only natural for other yers to turn to him. Though if it had been before, they might not have turned to him.


    However, after having conversed with him before, they felt a lot easier tomunicate with him.


    "You all think too much. There''s no way that coaches would do something to inconvenience the yers," he said, attempting to ease their worries.


    It was actually as he had said. How could the coaching staff approve of something that inconvenienced the yers?


    That would only affect the morale of the yers.


    Hearing him, many heaved a sigh of relief after pondering for a while.


    "Exactly, you''re all worrying over nothing. That device only monitors your condition by measuring your heartbeat," Akira assured as he walked out of theb.


    It wasn''t his intention to intervene. But hearing the fuss going around, he couldn''t hold back himself from finding out about the fuss.


    Upon learning their concern, how could he keep his mouth shut?


    So, he walked up to them to help ease their worries.


    This statement from the assistant coach further confirmed their doubts. So, they felt at ease upon hearing him. A collective sigh echoed in the hallway as they heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Trust me, you all will improve even more significantly with the help of the Athlete Insight. Dr. Haruki whom you all had met before in theb has worked with many top clubs in Europe. In fact, you should all be thankful to him for making time to help you improve"


    Akira was full of praise. It was as if he worked as an advocate for Dr. Haruki.


    Isn''t he getting paid though? For sure, he''s not here for free.


    Many thought as they heard him.


    Why must they be thankful to him? It''s not as if he was doing them a favor. So, why must they be thankful to him?


    It was what many had in their heart. Yet, none dared to speak.


    They simply stood there nodding their head.


    Seeing theck of interest or gratitude on their faces, Akira could only choose to stop. If only


    they knew how great Dr. Haruki was, they wouldn''t be acting in such a way.


    But what could he do? It''s not like he could force them to act interested.


    So, he sighed submissively, "Hah! Alright, if you don''t have any more concerns, you can all head back. I''ll see youter in the evening."


    Bidding his farewell, he walked away.


    ''For sure, if it had been some famous footballer they wouldn''t be acting such. Well, it''s understandable. After all, footballers are more famous than other personalities involved in the sport''


    He couldn''t me the yers for acting uninterested. After all, he was the same when he was younger. Only after starting coaching had he learned about the importance of other people involved in the game.


    It''s not only the yers and the coaches who win the game. But it''s the collective effort of other people such as the cook who prepares food for the yers, physicians who look after the condition of the yers, cleaners who make sure their jerseys are clean, and many other people with seemingly insignificant jobs to the general public.


    But most of these yers were too young to realize it.


    "Ahh right! The meeting!" he paused as he remembered about the meeting. "I better start preparing for it"


    Coach Nanami had asked each of the assistant coaches toe up with a few training drills for the evening training session. He wanted to know about their individual opinion before finalizing a unanimous routine they agreed upon.


    Sure, he had the authority toe up with the decision himself.


    He could also arrange a meeting to discuss it together. However, he valued individual opinions. So, he allowed the coaches toe up with their ideas before ultimately deciding


    on the routine.


    It fully disyed his trust in his fellow assistant coaches.


    Thinking about the meeting, he stormed to his cabin.

 Chapter 470: Be glad that you approached me!

    Chapter 470: Be d that you approached me!


    ?


    Later in the evening, yers slowly made their way to the field for the evening training session. The buzz regarding the Athlete Insight had yet to die as yers could be heard talking about it.


    yers were curious about it.


    While at the same time, Hiro was also eagerly looking forward to the test results. He couldn''t wait topare the test results with the stats provided by the system.


    However as he walked to the field, he couldn''t help but nce in the direction of Tominaga and Kenta. Even now, they appear at odds against each other.


    Well, considering the fact that they had made quite a fuss on the field earlier, it was to be expected.


    Even so, matters as such shouldn''t be taken lightly. After all, it''d disrupt the harmony in the


    team.


    Sooner orter the coaches should find out about it. Yet earlier when they gathered for the meeting, coaches acted as if they hadn''t noticed anything.


    Howe they were not punished?


    Maybe they were turning a blind eye to the ruckus.


    If they were willingly ignoring it then who was he to raise the issue?


    So, he gave up on the matter as well.


    After a while as they all lined up, Manager Nanami began to borate about the training drills. They wanted to test their physicality first. Hence, even the keepers were forced to participate along with others.


    Usually, they could train under the goalkeeping coach.


    But even they weren''t spared today.


    The morning training had been ratherx. So, most of the yers had already expected the evening training to be rather intense.


    However, when Nanami began his boration on the drills, they couldn''t help but frown. Sprints, shooting, weighted sprints where they had to run with a weight jacket on, and fast- paced passes were a few of the drills they were going to perform in the session today.


    On top of it, though the coaches hadn''t mentioned it, they could tell that they were going topete among themselves for the best result.


    Anyone could tell that it was more of apetition than a normal drill.


    Determination red in their eyes as they prepared to perform the drills. They were then divided into groups of five for the test.


    Hiro was paired with some extremely agile yers like Tominaga, Kenta, and a few others. It was as if the coaches had intentionally set them up together in a group.


    It was even better for him since he got to test his ability against people who matched him.


    So, when he heard about the group allocation, he was pleased.


    However, it wasn''t the case with the yers who were paired against him.


    Tominaga and Kenta neither appeared worried as they maintained a poker face when they heard the announcement. However, this wasn''t the case with the remaining two. Those two appeared scared.


    "Of all the people why must I pair with them?" cried out one of the two while turning to look at Hiro, Kenta, and Tominaga, worriedly.


    "Exactly, if only we were ced in other groups, we could have evene out on top of the group"


    The other shared the same emotions.


    The eyes that were ring with determination now lost all their luster and appeared rather dull and listless. Those two had lost all their motivation even before the drill had begun.


    For sure with such attitude they were bound to be cedst even when they were one of the fastest yers in the squad.


    However, Hiro didn''t want it to happen.


    So upon noticing their worried faces, he walked toward them intending to cheer them up. It''s not that he was doing them a favor.


    But since one of them took the liberty to talk to him previously, he didn''t feel like watching them suffer due to their attitude.


    So they should be rather d they took the liberty to talk to him.


    If not, he wouldn''t have cared at all.


    Even so, Hiro wasn''t a person skilled at consoling others. So there was only so much he could do for the two. It depended on them on how they interpreted what he was trying to convey.


    As for the other two who were paired with him, he couldn''t care less.


    Walking up to the two, he cheerfully said, "Competing among two of the fastest yers on the squad, it''d be fun"


    At first, the two were stupefied when they heard him. But faced with his cheerful face, they forced a nervous smile on their face as they replied a bit unenthusiastically, "Yeah..., It''ll be fun."


    That was the only thing he had to say as he left after hearing their response without responding.


    It was as if he had approached the two to say only those words.


    Dumbfounded, they fixedly followed him, expecting a response. But they could only see his back and nothing else.


    Is he a weirdo?


    They watched him as if they were watching a weirdo.


    But if one of the fastest yers in the squad regarded them as such highly then why were they doubting their own abilities?


    It appeared as if Hiro had much more faith in them than they had in themselves.


    Exactly, why were they worried?


    It''s not like their selection depended on the results.


    Even if it did depend on it, all they had to do was to give their best and try to beat others. They


    might not be capable of defeating the yers in their group.


    But as a whole, they weren''t less than any.


    Also, it wasn''t the only test that was going to take ce before the squad announcement.


    They had much more days left for the selection.


    As Hiro left, the two nkly looked at each other, unable to decipher what had just happened. He came in like a breeze and left like one.


    But for some inexplicable reason, his words kept on ying in their head. They just couldn''t stop thinking about it.


    While the two were still pondering his words, the first group consisting of Tatsuki and a few others prepared to take the test.

 Chapter 471: The fastest!

    Chapter 471: The fastest!


    ?


    The first drill was a 30-yard dash.


    As they began to sprint, it didn''t take long enough for the yers and coaches watching from the sideline to determine the winner. The difference was like night and day.


    Tatsuki easily took the lead, leaving behind his fellowpatriots far behind in no time. Hispetitors could only look at his wide back with little hope of catching him.


    From the sideline, the coaching staff were ardently observing the movement of the yers. At the same time, Dr. Haruki was filling them with information regarding their heart rate and mobility via earbuds.


    The oue of the first group was pretty much expected. There were no upset nor were there any miracles.


    "He seems to have improved quite a lot since thest time"


    "Yeah, just look at the timing, it''s faster by more than two seconds than his previous result"


    Impressed, some coaches who hadn''t left the team along with the previous manager were discussing Tatsuki''s progress among themselves.


    In this regard, Nanami and Akira were quite new.


    Even so, it remained an undeniable fact that Tatsuki was quite agile. So both appreciated his agility.


    The test progressed smoothly. However, even though it was only the first test among many others that were yet toe, yers''petitiveness was at an all-time high.


    They appeared quite fierce.


    As much as the tion was evident on the faces of the ones who had performed well feeling of disappointment was equally evident in the faces of the ones who had performed poorly.


    It showed how much the test meant for them.


    Finally, after a while, it was time for Hiro and his group to step up. Suddenly, all eyes turned to look at them as they made their way to the starting line.


    The battle of the fastest.


    It was the moment they were eagerly looking forward to.


    Until now, the field had been nothing but noisy. But as they stepped up, all of a sudden a hushed silence fell upon the field.


    Hiro solemnly nced around him as he stood before the starting line.


    Tominaga appeared quite calm. However, upon closer inspection, one could see the fire burning in his eyes. It was as if he was raring to go.


    As for Kenta, for some reason, he had closed his eyes. It was as if he was visualizing something.


    The other two although they appeared calmer than before, upon closer inspection one could still see the concern etched on their faces.


    One of them was clumsily tying hisces while the other was tightly clenching his fist almost as if he was trying to encourage himself.


    Should I use my skills or not?


    Hiro was in a dilemma. He had been pondering about it for quite a while by now.


    Would it be unfair if I used it?


    Despite pondering about it for quite a long, he hadn''t been able to conclude. Using the skills felt like cheating. So, he was rather hesitant about it.


    But they also possessed their skills. And, my skills are part of me. So, why would it be unfair to use something that''s already a part of you?


    Finally, he concluded that it felt justifiable to use his skills after weighing his options.


    The skills he possessed were already a part of him. The method he took to acquire those skills might have been a little unorthodox. Nheless, it wasn''t unfair to use what he possessed. If it was anybody else who possessed the system, would they consider such thoughts? Determination shed in his eyes as he concluded.


    "Ready?" Akira asked.


    They silently nodded their head while keeping their focus fixated on the finish line.


    As he confirmed their response, Akira nced at his stopwatch before blowing the whistle, announcing the start of the test.


    Beep!


    At the same time, he initiated the countdown of his stopwatch, he blew the whistle.


    Immediately, Hiro and the rest started to sprint.


    All the other yers present on the field held their breath as they ardently observed their sprint.


    Having used his skill ''Lightning Steps'', Hiro had a rather favorable start than the rest. It didn''t take him a lot of time to put some distance from hispetitors.


    Even so, Tominaga tailed right behind him.


    He might not be a match against Tominaga in a long-distance sprint. But when it came to a short-distance sprint, hardly anyone would match him.


    Tominaga was agile and his strides were quite hugepared to the strides Hiro took.


    Well, considering the height difference between the two, it was only obvious that his strides were bigger than Hiro''s.


    But while Tominaga took two strides per second, Hiro took four strides per second. This phenomenon was all attributed to his skill ''Lightning steps''.


    His initial burst of speed was useful for short-distance sprints. But as the effect of the skill ''Lightning Steps'', waned, his pace could gradually decrease.


    In that scenario, Tominaga with his longer strides would surely outperform him.


    "Hiro''s speed is indeed the fastest among the bunches present here."


    "Indeed, he''s like a wild horse on steroids"


    "But we can''t ignore Tominaga''s pace as well. Just look at him keeping up with Hiro."


    "For sure, these two would easily exceed the timing of Tatsuki"


    The coaches were conversing among themselves, presenting their views and praising the agility of Hiro and Tominaga.


    Kenta''s agility was pretty noticeable as well. But whenpared to Hiro and Tominaga, it paled inparison. Yet still, it didn''t seem like he was going to give up.


    Those fierce eyes of his were yelling that he wasn''t done.


    In fact, if it had been a contest of endurance, he''d havee second to none. Sadly, it wasn''t a contest of endurance. So, he could only ept his fate ofing third.


    "Damn! Hepleted it in less than 4 seconds"


    Hiropleted the dash in 3.37 seconds, leaving everybody stunned with his performance.


    The fastest among the bunches who had performed the test until now.


    It was at the level of Olympic runners.


    He would have probably won gold if he had run like this in the Olympics.

 Chapter 472: Test results

    Chapter 472: Test results


    ?


    As the session progressed, Hiro dazzled everyone with his brilliant performance. He aced almost every test, leaving no room for error.


    By the time the final test had concluded the sun had already sunk. The sky was a vast canvas painted in the dark with glittery stars shimmering against the darkness.


    Beep!


    The shrill sound of the whistle echoed as the test concluded.


    Exhausted, yers dropped to their knees as they heard the whistle. After going through such


    a hell of a session, almost no one had the strength left to stand upright.


    Sweat trickled down their face onto the grassy field, enrichening the grass petals with their


    sweat.


    "I know, you all are tired but let''s wait for a while to get the test results," said Akira, trying to console the yers.


    The yers didn''t even have the strength left to object. Many couldn''t even bring themselves to speak as they were panting heavily.


    Their heart rate was at an all-time high. And though they had ceased their actions, they could still feel their heart racing.


    However, a few of them still had the energy left to talk.


    "At least, we could rely on their physicality," said one of the coach, satisfied with their performance.


    "Yeah, some of these yers are so young yet they can easily outperform the adults," one of the coaches said hinting at Hiro and a few of the younger yers.


    Meanwhile, Hiro was contemting about his performance. He had performed to the best of his abilities. So, even if they were to be ranked, he shouldfortably ce in the top 3.


    But how urately will the device record their data?


    It had him questioning.


    Then he swept his nce around him, observing the state of other yers. Along with exhaustion, he could also see the concern etched on some of their faces.


    While sweeping his gaze, his eyesnded on Naoto.


    It was rather surprising to see him perform so well in the drills before. Despite being the second-choice keeper, he outperformed both Aya and the third-choice keeper.


    It was rather surprising to see him perform so well in physical drills.


    Though it wasn''t a new thing to Hiro, it probably was pretty surprising for others. However, something had got him to contemte.


    ''Shun might have a chance''


    In terms of physicality, Shun could even outperform Naoto despite being younger than him. So, if the keepers in the national team couldn''t even defeat Naoto, it''d imply that Shun was superior to the keepers of the national team in terms of physicality.


    Hence, he believed that it wouldn''t take long for Shun to make it to the team.


    But a keeper relies more on intuition and experience rather than physique. After all, it''s the only position in the field where a yer doesn''t need to keep moving constantly.


    And in terms of reflexes and technique, he paled inparison to the others.


    Thinking about the other aspects of goalkeeping, he immediately dispelled the thoughts in his head, shaking his head vigorously, "Or not"


    However, as a friend, he wanted to believe in him. It''s not that he hadn''t been following his progress but recently he could tell that he had started getting a bit cocky due to the fame.


    It had got him worried since he didn''t want his friend to waste his potential.


    But after a recent talk with him, he confirmed his resolve to improve. So, he wasn''t as concerned as he was before.


    Finally, after a short wait, Coach Nanami stepped forward holding his tablet. The result had been sent to his tablet.


    Even before he began to speak, yers could tell that the results were out.


    So, despite the exhaustion, they forced themselves to stand as they began to gather around Nanami. Most of their breathing was still ragged while most were still sweating profusely. Even so, everybody present on the field was curious about the results.


    "Cough! You all have done well. So, I want all of you to ept your result as it is. We still have the time to improve. So, don''t get discouraged about the results," Nanami harrumphed before proceeding to speak.


    At this moment, many yers frowned.


    They could tell that the results were rather devastating. Otherwise, why would he try to console them even before showing them the results?


    Those who had performed poorly felt their heart palpitating.


    The coach only announced the overall result by averaging the data they had collected from the yers over several tests conducted just now.


    The list went as follows:


    1) Hiro Takahashi: 91/100


    2) Tatsuki Seko: 89/100


    3) Tominaga Nijichi: 85/100


    and so on...


    It wasn''t a surprise to others, Hiro clearly dominated the chart. Though it came as a surprise to Hiro. The numbers were rather high.


    To older yers present on the field, it was quite astonishing for the youngest yer to be


    rated so highly among all others.


    It was like a direct p to their face.


    You''re telling me he''s got an even greater physique than us who have trained in European ways? What load of bullshit is this?


    They were furious.


    Though the elites had yet to arrive they weren''t someone that should lose to a child.


    "Coach, perhaps the result isn''t urate?"


    "Yeah coach, how could we ce so low?"


    It hadn''t even been a minute since Nanami announced the result then the older yers startedining about the result.


    Disgruntled, they weren''t satisfied with the result.


    However, it was only the yers belonging to the club outside Japan who were acting as such. The yers from the home league although a bit disheartened weren''tining about the


    test result,


    After all, most of the tests had been taken right in front of them and they had witnessed the marvel of Hiro.


    Yet they were shamelesslyining about the authenticity of the oue.


    It was as if the coaches had forged the results to favor Hiro.


    "There''s no problem with the report. It''s totally just," Nanami rified confidently. "Later we''ll send you your test results and individual attribute scores to your phone. You all can analyze it yourself. Until then I don''t want any of youining about the result. You got


    it?"

 Chapter 473: Friends and Foes

    Chapter 473: Friends and Foes


    ?


    While rifying, Nanami indignantly swept his gaze, ring at the yers who were making the fuss.


    The dissatisfaction regarding the result was evident on the faces of some senior yers. Yet when they heard Nanami''s words they couldn''t bring themselves to pursue the matter further.


    Albeit a little reluctantly after they heard Nanami''s rification they quitted down.


    Though it didn''t bother Hiro.


    All along while they raised the issue, he remained indifferent to the fuss. He simply stood there with his mouth shut.


    Then as the grumbling died down, he turned to look at Hiro. The knot in his brows loosened as he turned to look at him.


    Though he didn''t say anything, Hiro could feel the concern hidden beneath those eyes.


    He could tell that he must have been worried for him. Well, if only he knew that their retaliation hadn''t bothered him in the slightest, perhaps he might be at ease.


    Nheless, as he met his eyes, he felt a little grateful to him for his concern. After rifying, he dismissed.


    Just like that, the session came to an end.


    Naturally after the earlier fuss, many yers avoided him. Well, it was to be expected as he had unintentionally earned a few haters on the field.


    Though they didn''t show it in their face, he could tell that a few of the senior yers disliked him.


    And many young yers weren''t willing to get on the bad side of the senior yers. So they started avoiding him as well.


    Even so, Hiro remained indifferent about it.


    They could avoid him all they want for he wouldn''t even bat an eye. If it was his fault, he wouldn''t back down from apologizing. But he hadn''t done anything wrong. So, why must he try to make peace with the yers who disliked him for no reason?


    Also how immature do they have to be for them to envy a child?


    The previous two from his groups whom he had lent a helping hand though they couldn''t muster the courage to thank him, nodded their head lightly before leaving the pitch as they silently disyed their appreciation.


    "What are they dissatisfied about huh? The test was conducted right in front of them yet they dared to make a fuss about the result as if the coaches had favored Hiro," Tatsuki grumbled, ring at the yers who were causing a ruckus earlier regarding the result.


    Hearing his voice, Hiro nced at him.


    Hiro could vividly see the irritation on his face. If not for the presence of the coach, he wouldn''t have held himself from confronting those bunches earlier.


    It wasn''t the only time that he hade to his aid. In the league, he had always been the first person to rush toward him whenever he was confronted with the mistreatment of the opposing yers. So, hising to his aide wasn''t anything surprising.


    But what was surprising was the sheer number of people who supported him.


    It wasn''t only Seko and Naoto who stood by his side. Other yers such as Kenji and Kaoru were also standing by his side.


    "Don''t let it affect you Kiddo. You''ve done well today," Kenji said, trying to console him. "Yeah, you''ve performed well Hiro"


    Even though he had earned himself some haters with his talent, he had also gained a few dependable allies in the team.


    Hiro''s lips curled into a smile as he saw those people standing by his side.


    Even though their ignorance hadn''t affected him, he still couldn''t help but break into a smile upon finding people who supported him. After that earlier fuss, he had pretty much expected to be ignored.


    After all, he had already experienced such a moment before.


    So, it wasn''t anything new to him.


    But what he hadn''t expected was the support of so many people. He hadn''t expected other yers except Naoto and Tatsuki to stand by his side.


    So, it was rather surprising to see all these people standing by his side.


    Meanwhile, it was an entirely different atmosphere in the locker room. Those yers who were dissatisfied with the result earlier were expressing their dissatisfaction with themselves. Earlier due to the coach''s intervention they couldn''t say much.


    But now that they were all alone they couldn''t help bickering Hiro''s performance.


    "Sure, he ran well but he didn''t perform that well in other tests. So, how the hell did hee out on the top?"


    "For sure, coaches are favoring him"


    They weren''t bickering about Hiro''s results just because they were envious of him. Beneath those agitated veils was a person who was afraid of losing his spot to a younger yer.


    After all, it wasn''t only Hiro who had performed well.


    Other younger yers such as Tominaga, Kenta, and many others had performed equally impressive, outperforming many senior yers.


    However,shing out against the entirety of the younger generation wasn''t feasible. So, they targeted the silent one.


    After Hiro remained silent despite the nderingments thrown at him, it boosted their confidence further earlier, leading them toin even more vigorously.


    Had he dared to speak, most wouldn''t have anything to say.


    But precisely because he remained silent they attacked him ferociously.


    It was like a group of hyenas teaming up against a lone alpha wolf.


    Many weren''t unfamiliar with his talents in the camp. After all, many had been toyed by him in the league games. But who in their right mind would ept they paled inparison to a


    sixteen-year-old?


    Their pride wouldn''t allow them to acknowledge him.


    "Let''s just show that arrogant kid that he couldn''t mess with the ones who havee before


    him"


    "Yeah, we need to teach him a lesson"


    "But would it be fair? I mean ganging up against a kid? Isn''t that cruel?"


    While many were scheming against Hiro, one of the protestors appeared a bit hesitant. Though he was scared about losing his spot, he couldn''t bring himself to perform such an underhanded method to a kid.


    "The world has never been a fair ce to live. The sooner he learns about it the better."


    Amidst the ongoing hesitation, a sole figure emerged, his voicemanding,ced with malevolent intent.


    "Plus, even if he doesn''t get selected he has many other opportunities lying before him. But for many of us, it might be ourst opportunity"

 Chapter 474: Tension off the pitch!

    Chapter 474: Tension off the pitch!


    ?


    As they heard, everybody''s attention shifted to the person who had spoken up. Earlier while they had gone on with their rants this individual had remained rtively silent.


    In fact, he hadn''t even joined them earlier on the pitch.


    However, right now, none of it mattered. What he said immediately piqued their interest, making them forget about hisck of participation.


    This individual stood at a height of 5''11" with a lean, athletic build. Possessing sharp, dark eyes, and a clean-shaven face, he often wore a friendly smile on his face.


    He had a rather gentle appearance.


    Even now, upon looking at his face, one might wonder how someone could speak of something so devious with such calmness.


    But they weren''t unfamiliar with this person. After all, he was one of the few yers from the club outside Japan. With multiple caps under his name, he was sort of like a legendary figure in the national team.


    He went by the name Daichi Kurosawa.


    Having won the Swiss Super League multiple times with his club FC Basel, he was sort of a celebrity figure in the team. However, precisely because he yed for a club outside the top 5, his poprity wasn''t as high.


    But among his peers, he was pretty well-known.


    "Exactly, we need to teach him that the world isn''t so simple"


    After hearing him, one of the senior yers roared. Soon, everybody came to a unanimous conclusion.


    As for Daichi, he quietly faded into the background. He didn''t participate further in their cause. It was as if those were the only words he was nning on saying.


    Nheless, it triggered those yers who were momentarily caught in a dilemma. If not for his intervention, mostly they''d have forgotten about it.


    But due to his intervention, their resolve was more resolute than ever.


    Just then while they were still active, other yers who had nothing to do with their cause arrived in the locker room.


    It was Tominaga, another yer who was solitary by nature.


    Tominaga directly barged into the room, unbothered. He didn''t even nce at those bunches who were being quite loud.


    The appearance of Tominaga startled the bunch. It would be a problem if their intention were to be revealed. Hence, upon noticing him, immediately they shut their mouth.


    They pretended as if they were simply having a conversation to deceive Tominaga.


    Well, even if they were nning something devious, it didn''t concern him. So, Tominaga willingly avoided those bunches.


    While the bunches were still cautious of him, he changed his attire and left the locker room, acting as if their stares didn''t bother him in the slightest.


    Finally, as he left the room, those bunches heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Did he leave?"


    "He didn''t hear our n, did he?"


    Although they were quite relieved now that he had left the locker room, they were also worried about him overhearing their n.


    That''s why they couldn''t help but feel anxious. After all, if he were to reveal what they were talking about in the locker room to the coach, cmity would befall upon them. And for such obvious reasons, they couldn''t help but feel anxious.


    "Let''s be optimistic about it"


    "Even if he did hear it why would he care? After all, his rtionship with Hiro isn''t great anyway. In fact, we''d be doing him a favor by eliminating him."


    A moment ago at least they were trying to hide their intention. But now, they were openly discussing it. They also had the audacity to justify their actions.


    If such talks were to find their way to the ear of the coaches it wouldn''t end well for those bunches. Moreover, if it were to be known by the public, only god knows what awaits.


    As for Tominaga though he hadn''t managed to hear everything, he had heard the mention of Hiro. And from the earlier fuss, he could tell that they were nning to obstruct Hiro''s progress.


    He could tell that they were up to something.


    But why would he care about it?


    Whatever they intended on doing, it had nothing to do with him. Hence, he turned a blind eye to their gesture.


    After a while, Hiro and the rest walked out of the pitch as well. Though Hiro didn''t wish to get involved in any troubles the same couldn''t be said to Seko.


    He was hot-headed after all.


    But he was also professional. His personality was rather mysterious. Like he was a


    troublemaker but he knew where to act smart as well.


    The respect he had for the coaches was unprecedented.


    And so was his work ethic.


    If somebody came finding trouble with him, he wouldn''t step back from getting his hands dirty. But if somebody came extending their hand for a handshake, he wouldn''t step away from taking the person''s hand either.


    A friend for a friend and a foe for a foe.


    That would be the correct way to define him.


    "I''m telling you, don''t find unnecessary trouble"


    On their way to the locker room, Naoto kept on reminding him to avoid unnecessary troubles.


    It''s not that he didn''t care for Hiro.


    But he didn''t want either of his friends to get kicked out because of some minor


    misunderstandings in the pitch.


    Hence, he kept warning him repeatedly.


    Hiro wouldn''t get provoked easily. So, he didn''t have to worry about him. But Tatsuki was a


    different case. It wouldn''t take much to provoke him.


    So, Naoto was rather fearful that he might get into trouble.


    Arriving into the locker room they were greeted with the sight of those bunches who had openly expressed their dissatisfaction a moment ago.


    Tatsuki was disgusted by their sight.


    Though he had shared the same field with those bunches, he never truly liked those bunches. Some of them acted quite haughty even during his earlier days.


    So, he hade to dislike their personality.


    But having been forced to share the same field, he was forced to adapt. That''s how he adapted


    to the team.


    Though he was disgusted by their sight, he wasn''t someone who willingly got into trouble. Also remembering the words of Naoto, he avoided them and proceeded with his task.

 Chapter 475: Authority

    Chapter 475: Authority


    ?


    Those bunches, despite having left the pitch quite earlier, still lingered around the locker room. It was as if they had intentionally stayed behind to find more trouble with Hiro.


    Well, earlier they had been cut short due to Nanami''s intervention. So, seeing those bunches hanging around in the locker room wasn''t surprising.


    As he had done earlier, Hiropletely ignored their presence. And so did his friends. They weren''t impulsive enough to find trouble.


    But the same couldn''t be said about those bunches.


    They shared a different feeling.


    After all, the matter from earlier was still far from over. And they were still hung up in it.


    However, just when they were about to bring up the matter again, Kenji made his presence. Seeing him, all of them kept to a halt.


    Though he wasn''t anybody special, he had quite the reputation in the team. After all, he was one of the veteran yers on the team. And if he were to speak this matter to the coaches, it wouldn''t end well for them.


    Smiling, he addressed those yers who were scheming against Hiro a moment ago, "You guys are still here? What interesting thing are you guys talking huh?"


    How were they supposed to respond?


    They couldn''t possibly tell the truth. So, his question made them feel slightly ufortable. "You guys aren''t still upset about the result, are you?" seeing their unresponsiveness, he took the initiative to address the issue.


    "No, no, why would we be upset about such a small matter"


    They nervously denied his ims while forcing a nervous smile on their faces.


    Either way, he would retire soon. So, why get on his bad side? That was the thought they had in their mind. Hence, despite his poking questions, they could only bring themselves to smile.


    Hearing their response, Kenji brought intoughter as he said cheerfully, "Hahaha..., That''s great to hear. After all, we are a team. So, we shouldn''t fight among ourselves."


    Then he walked to them and patted one of their shoulders, "Being the older yer in the team, we should set an example to the younger yers. After all, it''s our responsibility to guide these younger yers. Don''t you agree?"


    As he concluded, he deliberately put more emphasis on his final sentence.


    More than a suggestion, it seemed like a threat. It was like if they answered otherwise, it wouldn''t end well for those bunches.


    At this moment, it urred to those bunches that staying here would only put them in danger.


    Though he appeared to have a neutral stance regarding the issue, he leaned more toward Hiro''s side. They could tell.


    But what they couldn''t tell was when Hiro gained his favor. Just when did he gain his favor? It hadn''t been that long since he met him. So, when did he befriend him?


    Staying there any longer would only put them at a disadvantageous spot. Hence they nodded their head in approval as they tried to squeeze out of the room.


    "Indeed, you''re right Kenji-san"


    "We''re sorry about the earlier matter Hiro"


    "Yeah, please forgive us"


    How could they be so shameless? Do they not have any ounce of pride?


    Until a moment ago, they were criticizing him. They were even nning devious measures to eliminate him. Yet now, under the pressure of someone with more authority, they were shamelessly apologizing to him without any guilt?


    It was quite surprising to see them apologize.


    But what surprised Hiro wasn''t their apology but the authority of Kenji. Just a few words from him had brought them to their knees.


    Was he the same person with whom he was conversing casually some moment ago? Though Kenji appeared quite gentle and amicable to others, it wasn''t the case with those bunches who were facing him at the moment. To them, he was rather domineering.


    "That''s how teammates are supposed to bond," Kenji remarked, smiling.


    After apologizing those bunches immediately ran away.


    They were like dogs running away with their tail tucked behind.


    As they ran away, the yers left behind couldn''t refrain from theirughter any longer. Hence the locker room burst intoughter.


    "Did you see them running away? Hahaha..., it was so hrious."


    "Exactly, hahaha..., they were like please forgive us, Hiro. Hahaha..."


    Tatsuki and a few others began to make fun of them.


    As for Hiro, he kept a poker face. It didn''t matter to him whether they apologized to him or not. After all, he could tell that their apology wasn''t even genuine.


    But it was a little hrious to watch them ask for an apology.


    While the locker room was still cheerful, Kenji approached him, wearing a gentle smile on his face. Then he looked at himcently, his smile fading away.


    "Be careful kiddo. They''ll definitelye after you," he said in his husky voice, his toneced with concern.


    Though he didn''t need him telling something so obvious nheless he appreciated his concern. Thus he nodded his head deeply before thanking him for stepping up for him,


    "Thank you"


    "You don''t need to thank me, kid. Just watch out your back," he said concernedly in a low


    whisper.


    For some while the locker room remained chaotic as theyughed and joked. Then as they got dressed they left the locker room together, heading for the shower.


    After getting to his room, Hiro immediately opened his phone.


    He had been nning on analyzing the final data from the test. But due to the earlier fuss on


    the field, he couldn''t bring himself to do so.


    But now that he was all alone, he finally had the time to analyze.


    "I wonder how urate the results will be," he murmured, his eyes glistening with


    excitement.


    While there were people who were scheming against him, here he was excited about the test result,pletely unbothered by the ill motive of people around him.


    It was quite ironic to see him so carefree.


    Well, it would have been rather concerning if he were to get worried over such matters. After


    all, he was the type of person who got excited over matches and training. So, him remaining so coolheaded wasn''t anything new.

 Chapter 476: Childish wishes

    Chapter 476: Childish wishes


    ?


    Shifting his focus to the test results, he began to analyze his results. As mentioned by the coaches, it was rather detailed, highlighting individual attributes to the fullest.


    However, he wasn''t intrigued by misceneous attributes. After all, it was rather hard to measure those stats. But the physical characteristics should be pretty urate.


    eleration: 96


    Ball Control: 89


    Bnce: 83


    Stamina: 89


    Reaction: 87


    Those numbers were quite impressive. So, he couldn''t help but marvel. Even by international standards, one could tell it was impressive. Especially the eleration, it was ridiculously high.


    Just how impressive one needs to be to achieve such impressive numbers.


    "What are these numbers? Am I really that impressive?" Hiro murmured perplexingly.


    There could be faults in the data. After all, Athlete Insight was still in development. Even so, weren''t his numbers ridiculously high?


    Even Hiro was finding it hard to swallow.


    Those numbers were near-perfect numbers.


    Shaking his head, he proceeded topare the given data to the ones provided by the system. Just as he willed, a holographic blue panel presented itself in front of him.


    [Name: Takahashi Hiro]


    [Age: 16 years 167 days]


    [Position: Attacking midfielder/Winger/Forward]


    [Club: Kawasaki Frontale]


    [Overall: 85]


    At the top of the page was his personal information. Though he yed mostly as an offensive midfielder, he was rather versatile.


    He could y almost any offensive position on the field.


    Yet due to his personal preference, he hadn''t explored the other positions. And most of the coaches had yet to figure out his versatility.


    However, at the moment, he wasn''t interested in any of this stuff. What he was interested in was his stat. It hadn''t been that long since he checked his stats. So, he was rather confident in finding some huge margins between the data collected by the Athlete Insight and the ones from the system.


    [Attribute]


    Finishing: 87


    Shot Power: 88


    Positioning: 85


    Dribbling: 89


    eleration: 92


    Ball Control: 88


    Bnce: 82


    Stamina: 85


    Reactions: 86


    The list went long. The reason why he wasn''t rated ridiculously high was because of his defensive stats. If he was rated based on his offensive stats, his overall rating would easily exceed 90.


    But for a sixteen-year-old to have such great numbers, it was rather miraculous.


    One could say that he was more than ready to take on the world stage. Probably, it was the reason why he was dazzling the home audience in the league games.


    Going through his stats, Hiro nodded deeply.


    Though the results from Athlete Insight weren''t precisely urate, it wasn''t entirely off either. The results were like 90% urate.


    To be able to calcte such urately despite being in the development phase was rathermendable. If given time, it could precisely record the data.


    Mesmerized, he couldn''t help but admire the genius mind of Dr. Tanaka, "Woah! I knew that he was amazing. But seeing the result with your own eyes, you can''t deny his genius."


    "If I continue to develop at such a pace, would I be able to be the highest-rated yer in the world someday?"


    Going through his stats, he couldn''t help but wonder.


    "I wonder, how much will I be rated in next year''s EA FC game?"


    Though he wasn''t the type of person who was interested in video games, after going through his stats, he couldn''t help but ponder his ratings.


    After all, it wasn''t possible this season due to histe debut. Though he was avable in the game, he hadn''t been rated high enough as he still yed in the youth team.


    Well, to be part of such a popr game, almost every yer wishes. And every yer wants to be rated high.


    It was true for Hiro as well.


    After all, it wasn''t possible in his previous life. So, he wanted to fulfill this petty wish of his in this life where he could be rated among the best.


    Previously, he had simply wanted topare the two stats. But now his mind was wandering everywhere. His thoughts were running loose.


    Just like this while pondering about different things, he fell asleep after a while.


    Time slipped like the sand from an hourss.


    Ring! Ring! Ring!


    Early in the morning, he woke up to the sound of the rm clock.


    Yesterday had been quite an exhausting day. So, if not for the rm clock, he wouldn''t even


    bother opening his eyes.


    Though he could audibly hear the sound of the rm clock, he couldn''t bring himself to open his eyes fully. It was as if his eyelids were glued.


    Despite sleeping soundly for more than 8 hours as he woke up to the sound of the rm clock,


    The found his body aching.


    His entire body was bulging, making it harder for him to lift his body.


    Considering the rigorous training session they had suffered, it was no wonder that his body was sore. He could vividly feel the pain.


    "Argh!"


    Grumbling, he stretched his hand, trying to turn off the rm clock.


    But he had ced the rm clock far enough for his hand to reach from his bed. Well, it was


    he who had ced it that far in the first ce so that he couldn''t make excuses to get some


    extra nap.


    To reach the rm clock, he would need to walk to the clock.


    If not it''d keep on ringing, making it extremely unbearable to sleep.


    Usually, he would wake up at the first sound of the clock or even before the ring of the clock. However, due to the excessive training he had done yesterday, it was extremely difficult for


    him to move his body.


    ''I don''t want to wake up''


    He cried out while covering his ear.


    After all, he had more than an hour left to show up to the training. So, he could have simply


    chosen to get some extra minutes of sleep.


    ''I''ll just skip it today''


    The pain was unbearable while the pleasure of sleep was undeniable.


    So, he even had the thought of skipping the personal training to get some more sleep even


    though he had slept more than 8 hours.

 Chapter 477: Tominagas growing restlessness

    Chapter 477: Tominaga''s growing restlessness


    ?


    Even so, it''d be quite difficult to remain asleep amidst the discordant ringing. Hence, he forced himself to wake up.


    Sleepwalking, he made his way to the rm clock.


    His eyes were barely open due to which everything around him felt quite fuzzy. But when he was just about to shut the rm all of a sudden, a feeling of uneasiness washed over him.


    After snoozing the rm, he was nning on heading to bed again. Yet for some reason just as he was about to hit the snooze, his eyes startlingly opened wide.


    ''I''m already up yet why am I thinking about going back to sleep?''


    Dazedly staring at the rm clock, he questioned.


    ''I''m making excuses, aren''t I?''


    It wasn''t the only time he had the thought of skipping training. Either from exhaustion orck of motivation, he had such thoughts in the past.


    After all, only a freak would enjoy busting their ass on the training repeatedly.


    If even great yers aren''t immune to such problems then who was he toin?


    ''The only way to cope with the problem is to take action''


    Right now, a conflict was raging inside him. A part of him wanted to rest while the other part of him was urging him to take action.


    It was like two different voices were echoing in his head.


    Finally, after a while, he struck the snooze button of the rm clock and ended its discordant chime. All of a sudden, it got eerily silent around him.


    The silence coupled with the conflict inside his head was quite overwhelming.


    If he remained any longer in his room, he might give in to the temptation of sleep.


    Hence, after hitting the snooze button, he immediately grabbed his bag and stormed out of his room. Having prepared his bag already in advance saved him the effort to pack his bag.


    As he stepped out of the mansion a bone-chilling gust of wind struck him. That gust of wind thoroughly awakened him. Until a moment ago, he couldn''t stop yawning while making his way to the field.


    "Achoo!"


    The cold gust that swept through him made him sneeze.


    The temperature shift was rather drastic. Until a moment ago, he was inside his room, wrapped under the cozy nket. But now, he was outside in the freezing cold. The sudden shift in the temperature was a little too overbearing for his body to take.


    ncing at the darkened sky, he murmured, "It''s getting quite cold"


    Then before proceeding to the pitch, he rubbed some air in his palm to warm him.


    Upon reaching the field, he noticed a silhouette of a person moving along the field. Just like yesterday, somebody had already reached the field before him.


    But unlike yesterday, he wasn''t in the dark. He was aware of the person on the field.


    Yet just to be sure, he squinched his eyes against the limited light on the field, trying his hardest to find the identity of the person.


    The person on the field was none other than Tominaga.


    A moment ago, he was hesitating to wake up, thinking of skipping the training. But now upon seeing someone training so early on the pitch, he couldn''t shake the feeling of guilt.


    Sure, he could me his exhaustion for missing the session.


    However, who knows if he won''t make another excuse?


    Do it tired, do it motivated, do it when you don''t feel like doing it, do it anyway.


    You reap what you sow.


    Though seeing Tominaga on the field made him feel slightly guilty he couldn''t get caught up in it. After all, it wasn''t a battle against anybody.


    So what if others train harder than him? So what if others are more earnest than him?


    The only one he should bepeting against is him from yesterday.


    Shaking his head, he tried to shake the feeling of guilt that was gnawing him. As he did that his eyes glistened while his frown unfurled.


    Then a subtle crescent blossomed on his face as he said enthusiastically, "Yes, let''s start training, shall we?"


    Saying so, he got changed and hit the field with the ball.


    Tominaga tried his best to ignore Hiro. Yet whenever he looked at him, he kept remembering about the scheme of those bunches from yesterday.


    At first, he said to himself that he didn''t care whatever happened to him.


    But the more he tried to ignore the more it poked him.


    Irritated, he growled, "Why is it bothering me so much?"


    Even though he had been running tirelessly on the pitch for some reason he couldn''t rid of the thought about Hiro from his head.


    With each passing moment, he was growing even more restless.


    Meanwhile, Hiro was utterly clueless about his growing restlessness. Performing his drills


    enthusiastically, he was more red up than ever.


    Finally, Tominaga couldn''t take it any further. Hence, he stormed toward Hiro.


    If it proceeded any further, it would only affect his training.


    ''What does he want?''


    Seeing Tominaga in front confused him. Just why was he standing in front of him? Was he there to find some trouble with him?


    Knowing him, it wouldn''t be entirely incorrect to assume so.


    Well, if he wanted to find trouble then he was more than ready to take him. Bracing himself,


    he took the liberty of asking him first, "You need something?"


    Tominaga remained silent, hesitating to speak.


    ''Is he here to obstruct my training?''


    Noticing his silence, he couldn''t help but ponder. His silence was growing on him, making


    him even more skeptical about his intentions.


    ''Perhaps he wants to train together but can''t ask''


    "Do you want to train together?" Hiro asked politely.


    Yet still, he remained silent which only made Hiro even more irritated than ever.


    ''Just what''s with him? Is he really nning on obstructing my training? If not why is he not


    speaking?''


    Tominaga''s silence irked him. Yet still, he kept hisposure.


    But he was running out of patience. If he was simply present there to waste his time then he


    didn''t wish to get involved with him any further.


    "You need... to be careful" he blurted abruptly and stormed away.

 Chapter 478: Coachs Concern

    Chapter 478: Coach''s Concern


    ?


    That sudden warning left him perplexed. What just took ce?


    Blinking his eyes, he nkly stared at Tominaga while trying to figure out his situation. For a while, he was at a loss of words.


    Only after Tominaga got far away from him could he bring himself to speak, "What just happened right now?" he muttered, his toneced with confusion.


    All those hesitations to speak only that much? Wasn''t it a little too excessive? Was it really that hard for him to speak?


    Sure, he could tell that Tominaga didn''t have any favorable impression of him. But had he offended him so much that he had to hesitate that much to say something so trivial?


    There were many things that he couldn''t understand. But it wasn''t difficult enough for him to understand that Tominaga wasn''t as much of a jerk as he had thought.


    After all, he had the choice to remain silent.


    But maybe there''s some righteousness left in him.


    ''Seems like I''ve misjudged you previously'' Thinking so, he smiled while looking at him.


    Then he went on with his training.


    After a little longer, other yers began to show up on the field. Soon the once silent pitch got extremely lively.


    The training wasn''t as intense as it was yesterday. It was probably due to yesterday''s session. After all, high-intensity training needs to be done in moderation otherwise it will lead to injuries.


    Hence to avoid unnecessary injuries the session today was ratherx.


    However, the mini-matches at the end of the training weren''t asx as it was supposed to be. It was supposed to be a fun activity to help yers loosen up and bond. But contrary to the expectation of the coaches it proved to be rather detrimental.


    They yed the matches as if they werepeting in an international match. Their ferocity knew no bounds as some of the yers yed quite roughly.


    Fortunately enough, it didn''t lead to any injuries. But it was rather concerning since the target of most of the fouls was a sole yer- Takahashi Hiro.


    It was as if they were deliberately targeting him.


    But when the team was reshuffled those same yers who were targeting him previously avoided him once they yed in the same team.


    However, they were rather careful. They didn''t openly reveal their intentions. Instead, they hid it under a facade by appearing cooperative at times.


    Even so, how could they fool Nanami''s observant gaze? If it was that simple to fool him, he wouldn''t be standing in his current position.


    However, despite catching the whiff of their intention, he remained silent for the entirety of the session. Well, it''s not like he could force them to bond. Even if he tried to intervene, he''d only escte the situation even further.


    But he couldn''t ignore the unsportsmanlike behavior all the time. If he let them loose then they''d only be even more daring. He had to confront the bullies. He had toe up with a n to restore harmony in the team.


    If it continued, how was he supposed to lead the team in the Asia Cup?


    Though he didn''t reveal any concern on his face, he was quite troubled at the moment. While the yers were preparing to leave, he was standing on the sideline,cently looking at the yers.


    ''Should I just give them enough time to bond?''


    After all, Rome wasn''t built in a single day. So, it seemed the most practical option was to give the yers time to familiarize themselves. But what if things don''t work out? What if it worsens because he chose to ignore the matter?


    The team was divided. He could tell just from a nce.


    In fact, it had been gnawing on him since yesterday evening. Since the dissatisfaction of the older yers regarding the result of Hiro, a foreboding feeling had been gnawing at him.


    However, today his skepticism proved to be true as he watched the performance of his yers in the training firsthand.


    Then he shifted his focus to Hiro.


    A feeling of pity welled inside him as his eyesnded on him. The boy was so talented. Yet other yers around him were trying to drag him down.


    If he was born in other footballing nations, he''d be treated with utmost care. Just like how Spanish yers defended Lamine Yamal, he''d have been treasured for his gift.


    But despite being one of the brightest yers on the team, he was being targeted by other yers. Just what kind of grudge they had against him?


    "Are you worried about him, boss?" Akira asked after finding him staring at Hiro.


    Though Nanami had perfectly hidden his concern, he could tell that he was worried.


    Otherwise, why would he be so silent?


    Also, it wasn''t only Nanami who had noticed the division. If one observed carefully, one could


    tell what was going on the pitch.


    And he was one such person who had been ardently paying attention to the session


    progressing on the pitch.


    Nanami''scent look only solidified his suspicion.


    As he heard him, he immediately shifted his attention away from Hiro so as not to raise any suspicion. But he had already been found out. So, even if he tried to deny it, he couldn''t avoid Akira.


    "I''ve noticed their performance earlier. Though they passed the ball to him they only yed safe passes to him. I know it''s not enough to suspect them but I have analyzed their ystyle. So, I found it quite strange for them to be ying such lousily today"


    Akira provided his thorough analysis.


    It was exactly as he said. Nanami had analyzed the ystyle of almost all of the yers present in the camp. So, he could discern if they were ying seriously or not.


    Hearing him, Nanami could tell that he couldn''t hide it from him.


    Thus, while revealing a helpless sigh, he chose to speak the truth, "Huff! It''s exactly as you said. There seems to be some kind of conflict going on in the team. And as you''ve guessed the target is obviously Hiro. I don''t know what kind of conflict is taking ce in the team. But I''ve got a favor to ask you Akira."


    "Can you help me identify the trouble?"

 Chapter 479: Trouble in the team

    Chapter 479: Trouble in the team


    ?


    It was easier said than done.


    But Akira knew that this matter required immediate attention. Hence, out of concern for the team, he readily agreed to help him investigate the trouble.


    "Don''t worry coach, you can leave it to me," Akira said confidently.


    However, it was merely a facade. Though he appeared confident he wasn''t. If he replied haphazardly it would only add to Nanami''s worries.


    Hence, he couldn''t bring himself to speak the truth.


    Nanami slightly curled his lips and revealed a subtle smile as he heard Akira''s response. Seeing the confident look on his face, he subconsciously began to have faith in Akira. His gut feeling told him that he could rely on Akira.


    "Then I''ll leave it to you"


    Saying so in a gentle manner, Nanami proceeded to leave.


    After he left, Akira''s expression quickly changed. The smile on his face faded away while at the same time, his brows knotted into a frown.


    Frowning, he nced at the leading figures of the yers before sighing helplessly, "Hah! Just how am I supposed to find the trouble now?"


    ''Should I conduct a survey? Or should I install a hidden camera in the locker room?''


    Different ideas popped into his mind as he began to rack his mind. However, neither of them seemed feasible to pull out.


    If he directly questioned the yers, it might alert the bullies. It might also indicate that theycked trust in the yers.


    As for hidden cameras, it might take some time to figure out the problem.


    And they werecking time. There was less than a week left for the friendly match against Georgia. If he couldn''t figure out the problem by then it might affect their performance greatly.


    So, he had to figure out an efficient method that required less time.


    But how was he supposed to find the problem?


    While he was contemting the problem, Kenji approached him.


    "Is something bugging you, coach?" Kenji asked curiously.


    After seeing his weird gestures on the field, Kenji couldn''t help but notice his distressful state. So, out of sheer concern, he couldn''t help but ask if something was bugging him.


    It wasn''t Kenji''s intention to startle him. However, since Akira was so lost in his own thoughts he wasn''t aware of Kenji''s arrival. Thus when he heard him from out of nowhere, it startled him.


    "Ah..!" he let out a startling scream.


    But it didn''t take him long topose hisposure. Regaining hisposure, he asked, "Oh Kenji, did you say something?"


    There wasn''t much age gap between the two. And the two were rather familiar with each other as well. So they didn''t use any honorifics when conversing.


    "I said that you look troubled," Kenji answered while maintaining a poker face.


    "Ah..," he paused just as he was about to speak.


    At first, when Akira heard Kenji, he was going to deny it immediately. But realization struck him just as he was about to answer. He realized that it was an opportunity to solve his crisis.


    Other yers might not be avable for the survey. But if he were to ask Kenji, a yer part of the team whom he was familiar with, everything would be much easier.


    For sure, he''d know the details of the ongoing crisis in the locker room.


    Seeing him pause in the middle of a conversation, Kenji couldn''t help but wonder if everything was fine with him. Just why was he acting so weird?


    Is he alright?


    He stared at him concernedly but didn''t ask. Instead, he stood at his ce, fixedly staring at him, waiting for him to rify.


    Since he was behaving weirdly, he must be gued with some troubles.


    The sight of Kenji conversing with the coaching staff didn''t go unnoticed. The bullies upon seeing him talking with Akira their hearts started to palpitate.


    Did he notice our scheme?


    Is heining about our behavior to the coach?


    Their face darkened as sweat trickled down their forehead upon seeing the sight of Kenji conversing with Akira. Fear gripped their heart preventing them from leaving the field. The more they conversed the more their heart sank.


    What will happen to them once they figure out their scheme?


    "So, you''re saying that there''s a dispute going on in the team?" after hearing Kenji''s exnation, Akira asked rubbing his chin.


    Nodding his head, Kenji countered, "Yeah, so what will you do now?"


    Akira began to think deeply. The matter wasn''t as simple as it appeared. After all, it included a lot of important yers on the team.


    If it was a few insignificant yers, he could have provided his judgment on the spot. But it included a lot of important figures. Also, he didn''t have the authority to decide such a matter of importance on his own.


    It required much consideration and discussion. And it had to be dealt with swiftly without causing much harm to the team.


    Expecting a response from Akira, he stood still at his ce, fixedly staring at Akira. He didn''t require anybody to tell him that this matter was much more grave than it appeared. Though it seemed pretty simple, it wasn''t.


    So, he patiently awaited his response.


    Finally, after much consideration, Akira opened his mouth, "Neither can we afford to ignore it nor can we take immediate action. I think I''ll need to consult with the manager before deciding. Until then would you help me keep those bunches in check?"


    Well, he didn''t need to ask him. Even if he didn''t ask him, he was going to do that nheless. After all, he had grown fond of Hiro.


    So, he wanted to help him in any way he could.


    Nodding his head, Kenji replied with conviction, "You can leave that up to me. But you need toe up with some measures to solve the dispute as soon as possible. Otherwise, those bunches of tyranny wouldn''t stop."


    Hearing such a response from Kenji, Akira felt assured. He could tell that he could count on him. Hence he felt a little light after finding the trouble guing the team.

 Chapter 480: Nanamis Toughness

    Chapter 480: Nanami''s Toughness


    ?


    Those bunches watched the exchange between Kenji and Akira with growing horror. With each passing moment, they felt their limbs turning cold.


    They had made a terrible blunder by thinking that Hiro was an easy prey that they could pick on. But it turned out, he wasn''t a person they could afford to mess with.


    Just why did they have to get involved with him?


    Doubts began to surface in their heart as their face darkened with horror. Subconsciously they turn to look at Daichi, expecting help.


    But Daichi didn''t even bother to look at them as he proceeded to leave the field.


    Daiki, a muscrly built defender, frantically eximed, "I told you that we shouldn''t do this at that time. But you lot didn''t even bother to listen. I even mentioned to you all yesterday that he was supported by Kenji and others. But you lot still ignored my ims. Now look at the consequences."


    "How would I know if he had already made allies or not?" Kazuhiro responded appearing as frantic as the others.


    Well, since they were the types to prey on the weak, it wasn''t surprising to see them such panicked at the moment. After all, if their deeds were to surface it wouldn''t end well for those bunches.


    And though they had convinced themselves previously, deep down they were fully aware that whatever they were doing wasn''t correct.


    After that discussion with Kenji, Akira proceeded to leave the field.


    Immediately after figuring out the problem, he proceeded to Nanami''s office to inform him about his findings.


    Knock! Knock!


    Hearing the knock, Nanami who was seated in his chair, appearing rather distressed was startled by the sudden knock.


    ''It must be Dr. Haruki''


    He assumed.


    After all, it hadn''t been that long since he left the field so he could only assume that Dr. Haruki had paid a visit. For sure, Akira wouldn''t locate the trouble so early.


    "Yes,e in," Nanami said.


    However, the moment the door slid open, his eyes widened in shock. It wasn''t whom he was expecting. Rather it was the person he had least expected.


    Akira?


    Did he already figure out the problem?


    He couldn''t help but feel a bit optimistic seeing him. However, no sooner had it crossed his mind than he immediately dispelled the thought.


    After all, it hadn''t even been that long since he asked him that favor. So, how could he find out the problem so fast?


    "Coach, I''vepleted the task," Akira said as he entered the room.


    You''ve what? Are you for real? It hadn''t even been half an hour since I''d left the field. Yet you''re telling me you have already solved the riddle?


    A dumbfounded expression adorned his visage as he heard him. He found it quite unbelievable to even think.


    Was the matter really that simple for him to identify in a matter of minutes?


    Regaining hisposure, he asked in a t tone, "So, what did you find?"


    "There''s a feud going on in the locker room, coach. And it''s regarding the results of yesterday''s test. Daiki, Kazuhiro, and a few others are upset about the results." Akira exined his findings.


    "So, that''s what''s going on," Nanami murmured, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I had more or less expected it to be the case. But who told you about it?"


    For sure, he would have asked someone on the team. If not how could he find out the problem so soon? So, he couldn''t help but wonder about his source of information.


    Before proceeding to tell, Akira carefully closed the door. If anybody heard that about his helper they''d probablybel him as a snitch. So, he didn''t want to sow another discord in the team. Hence before revealing the name of his backer, he carefully checked the surroundings.


    Finally, after confirming that there weren''t any people listening to their conversation, he proceeded to speak, "I heard it from Kenji, coach. He said that there was some sort of disagreement in the locker room, yesterday."


    "I see. So, it was Kenji huh?" Nanami muttered in a low whisper,cently looking at his table.


    "Coach, we need to do something about it soon. We can''t allow such activity on the team. We need to take action."


    Akira sounded quite anxious almost as if he was worried that the feud in the team would hamper the performance of the team greatly. But one could see his sincere concern for the team. He truly cared for the team.


    Hence, upon hearing him, Nanami heaved a sigh of relief. His expression lightened as he said in an appreciative tone, "Thank you for the trouble, Akira. I understand your concern for the team. But you needn''t worry anymore. I can take it from here."


    Hearing his pleasant voice, Akira felt a bit confused at first. There was such grave trouble guing the team, yet he appeared such calm. Just how was he able to remain calm in the face of such danger?


    Then as the feeling of confusion lifted, his eyes glistened with marvel. He couldn''t help but admire his ability to remain coolheaded in such a dire moment.


    Truly, he had the mentality of an elite.


    For some inexplicable reason, a refreshing feeling washed over him as he felt unusually calm. It was as if he was under the presence of a mighty tree in a scorching desert.


    Then he lowered his tone as he responded, "Then I''ll leave it to you, coach"


    Later in the day, Daiki, Kazuhiro, and a few others were summoned to Nanami''s office. Though they hadn''t been informed about the reason for the sudden call, it was evident to them that it must have been something to do with the matter regarding their trouble with


    Hiro.


    It wasn''t hard to figure out that they were in trouble.


    But contrary to their expectation, when they got to Nanami''s office they weren''t scolded by the coach. Neither were they threatened. Instead, he warmly addressed their concern and provided them with some counseling as if they were the victims.


    Stupefied, they could only hear him obediently. However, as they heard him, a feeling of guilt started gnawing on them.


    It made them wonder why they had done something so evil.

 Chapter 481: Squad Announcement

    Chapter 481: Squad Announcement


    ?


    After talking some sense with the yers responsible for the disruption, he proceeded to have some talk with the victim. After all, it must have affected him negatively. So, he wanted to


    provide some moral support to Hiro.


    However, when he tried to speak with Hiro, Hiro''s demeanor shocked him. Contrary to his expectations, he was doingpletely fine.


    Just how can a child so young be so tough mentally?


    He couldn''t help but ponder upon hearing him. There should have been some sort of difort or hostility in the least. But he neither held any hostility toward the bunches nor did he feel ufortable about being the target of their malevolent scheme.


    It appeared that he didn''t require any counseling.


    Though it relieved his worries, he couldn''t help but marvel at Hiro''s mentality. This exchange with Hiro was supposed to help Hiro but it was he who gained some invaluable insight from this exchange.


    Still, he felt relieved after he talked with his yers.


    It might be due to Coach Nanami''s peaceful approach but the matter was resolved peacefully.


    kkkk k???


    A week passed in the blink of an eye.


    Finally, it was the day of the announcement of the squad members who''d be taking on Georgia and Brazil. As for the unselected ones they''d be heading home.


    The training camp hade to an end.


    As usual, yers had gathered on the field. They were waiting for their coaches to announce the squad. Most of theirplexion appeared rather pale. At the same time, some could be seen with their eyes closed almost as if they were desperately praying.


    The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation.


    An eerie silence had engulfed the pitch.


    Hiro on the other hand didn''t appear bothered in the slightest. Enveloped by ayer of a tranquil aura, he was akin to a sage who had mastered his mind.


    Well, why would he be worried about the announcement?


    Only those who haven''t performed well would worry. As for him who had performed well in the sessions, he had nothing to worry about.


    So, why would he get anxious?


    No, he wasn''t being arrogant. It was simply his confidence in himself that prevented him from freaking out like the rest.


    Solemnly, he rolled his eyes as he silently observed the yers'' state. The tension on the field was palpable. Yet still, it failed to move him.


    ''Would worrying change the oue?''


    He couldn''t help but think when looking at their distressful state.


    ''It''d only worsen your state. But we humans instead of trying to solve the problem like to overthink the problem.''


    While pondering about the state of other yers, he began to recall his performance in the camp. From this training camp, he had learned quite a lot.


    The knowledge he gained from this exchange wasn''t limited to just techniques and skills on the pitch. But he had also learned a lot about the life of a footballer outside the pitch.


    So as he began to recall his experiences a feeling of gratefulness swelled inside his heart. Just then Coach Nanami apanied by his coaching staff appeared on the field. Though the result was pretty much predictable there was still room for some variables. So most of the yers who appeared rather desperate at the moment were wishing for that variable.


    At once as they saw the figure of the coaches, anxious yers their faces paled even further. Their heart sank while at the same time, an oppressive aura pressed down on them, making them unable to move or speak.


    The atmosphere of the pitch grew even heavier.


    Yet still, those confident in their abilities remained unaffected.


    "Good morning everybody," Nanami greeted, trying to lighten the mood. He could vividly see the concern on their faces.


    And it did make him slightly ufortable when seeing their deste faces.


    Well, he could have avoided seeing such a look on their faces by simply sending the announcement to their phone. But he didn''t want to do that. If he did that it''d be like disrespecting their effort.


    Only by telling them to their faces that they''ve all done well would it bring justice to their effort, he felt so.


    So even though their disheartened expression made him ufortable, he still maintained hisposure. After all, he couldn''t afford to show it on his face.


    Then he solemnly swept his gaze across the yers before speaking in a t tone, "I want you all to remember that it isn''t the only opportunity. You''ll get a lot of opportunities as long as you don''t give up. So with that being said, I''d like to announce the result. Those whose names are called up, step forward."


    They could tell that he was simply saying those words to help ease their worries. But even so, it was like throwing a bucket of water in the volcano.


    It wasn''t enough to calm their worries.


    Yet still they could only look forward to the announcement.


    Opening the slip of paper he held in his hand, Nanami began to announce, "Goalkeepers: Aya Matsuda, Naoto Miyashiro, Ryota Nakamura"


    Well, it wasn''t much of a surprise. After all, the spot for the goalkeeper wasn''tpetitive enough to begin with.


    As their names were called out they quickly stepped forward.


    Then Nanami proceeded to call the names of the defenders. Surprisingly, even Kaoru Sato was included in the team.


    The moment his name was called out, he froze in his ce. A look of disbelief adorned his mature visage. He had been called up by the team for the first time. Yet, he had made it to the final team afterpeting with some of the best yers in Japan.


    He simply couldn''t bring himself to believe.


    Everything felt like a dream. So, despite the coach repeating his name multiple times, he simply stood frozen in his ce.


    Though this halted the event slightly, he couldn''t be med. After all, someone so old that too from a second-division club breaking into the national team was a rare scenario. It had only happened a handful of times in the past.


    So, his shock was justifiable. He was simply overjoyed by the news.

 Chapter 482: Announcement Continues

    Chapter 482: Announcement Continues


    ?


    Though Kaoru''s performance had been rather impressive, Hiro held some doubts regarding his selection previously. But at this moment, he felt genuinely happy for him.


    A subtle smile adorned his visage as he heard the announcement.


    ''So, you''ve made it''


    He thought while looking at him.


    Kaoru on the other hand had a look of disbelief on his face. It appeared that he was having trouble processing the news.


    However, it wasn''t just him who had the look of disbelief. Many other yers on the field were equally stunned at the announcement.


    Just how did he get selected?


    Sure, his performance had been impressive. But he was already nearing his thirties. In this generation of fast-paced games, he paled.


    Though his defending seemed rather impable, he was slow and inflexible.


    So against all those speedy ball-ying defenders, how did this old mane out on top?


    Their prejudice was mainly because he yed in the second division. It had nothing to do with his ability. After all, despite the progressing gamey, a defender''s main responsibility is to defend. What use would a defender be if he can''t defend properly?


    Sure, ball-ying speedy defenders had taken over the game presently due to the increasing intensity of the matches. But traditional defenders were still sought after even in this era of modern defenders.


    Awareness, defending, and courage.


    Any defender who possesses these abilities can be regarded as a top-notch defender. And though Kaoru might not possess other abilities of a modern defender, he possessed all those qualities.


    There was no doubt about his defending abilities.


    After enough celebration as he came to his senses, he immediately apologized to the coach for his unresponsive attitude. It wasn''t his intention to ignore his calls. But the excitement had simply outweighed him.


    Nervously, he nced in the direction of Hiro.


    One of the major factors leading to this moment was Hiro''s help. If not for his help, he might not have seeded. Hiro had gone out of his way to help him. After the regr training


    session, he had helped him individually by dueling against him.


    From their past exchange, he had learned a lot from him.


    But it wasn''t all because of Hiro either. Though he had helped him, if not for his attitude toward learning, it might not have been possible. After all, he was way older than Hiro. So precisely because he put his ego aside and kept his mind open, he was able to develop.


    It was his attitude toward learning that had allowed him to grow exponentially in such a short period. If he had rejected the criticism from Hiro simply because he was older than him then he might not have grown into the yer he was today.


    As he turned to look at him with eyes full of appreciation their eyes locked.


    Hiro nodded his head as he raised his thumb, giving him a thumbs up.


    While the two were silently exchanging gestures of appreciation, Coach Nanami proceeded to announce the names of other yers.


    ''Just what did the coach even see in him?''


    ''If such a slow yer can be selected then why shouldn''t I be selected?''


    Though there were yers who appreciated his effort and dedication some yers in the pitch right now were burning with envy.


    The more the announcement drew to an end the more they grew envious. It was to the point that they subconsciously started ming him for their elimination.


    ''Has the coach gone senile selecting such second-division rubbish instead of a first-rate yer like me?''


    They had nothing but hatred against him.


    Yet while all those malevolent thoughts were swirling inside their head they maintained a smile on their face outwardly. It was as if they were happy for him.


    If only one could read mind. s! Kaoru was too generous to suspect. Having shared the same pitch and ce for almost a week, he had bonded well with other yers.


    At first, he was pretty reserved. But as days passed and other yers began to open up, a sense of camaraderie grew in the team.


    Or that''s what he thought.


    However, it was merely a facade.


    The sweet talks,ughter, and many of the exchanges they had were merely a facade to fulfill their selfish desire.


    Amb separated from the herd is the first one to get devoured.


    As the announcement proceeded further, many yers'' faces turned unsightly from envy. Rather than analyzing their shorings, they med the coaching staff for poor decisions and envied those who got selected.


    Hiro on the other hand was genuinely happy for those who got selected.


    If one followed the progress of the yers in recent days, it wasn''t hard to figure out the yers that had the greater probability to get selected. And Hiro who had closely monitored the performance of a few of the yers close to him had somewhat guessed the yers.


    Though he couldn''t keep tabs on everyone, he had kept tabs on those who had shown remarkable growth in this limited period.


    Finally, he was called as well.


    "Takahashi Hiro, Kenji Fujimoto,....."


    Even though he had expected him to make it to the team when he heard his name called out, his heart skipped a beat nheless.


    An intense feeling of tion welled inside his heart, making his heart beat faster. At the same time, he felt light for some reason. It was almost as if something heavy had been lifted off of


    his body.


    "Let''s go, Kiddo," Kenji who was standing close to him said with a subtle smile on his face.


    Nodding his head, he responded with a smile before proceeding to step forward to join the yers that had been selected.


    As for the reaction of the crowd, it was rather mixed.


    Most of them had almost expected him to make it to the team. So, it wasn''t much surprising


    for them to hear his name.


    While few contorted their face disdainfully. A look of disdain shed on their faces as they sneered inside their heart.


    They weren''t happy about his selection.


    Though they had expected him to make it to the team, it wasn''t a pleasant experience for those of them who held a grudge against him to witness his sess.

 Chapter 483: Sudden Outburst

    Chapter 483: Sudden Outburst


    ?


    An eerie silence engulfed the pitch as the announcement drew to a conclusion.


    It had left many visibly devastated.


    Despair gripped their heart as they stood still at their ce with their head drooped. Many could hardly bring themselves to ept the reality.


    Had they not sweat enough? Had they not cried enough? Had they not tried enough?


    So, why? Why were they not chosen?


    Questions of self-doubt emerged in their head as they began to question their ability.


    Soon those feelings of self-doubt changed into envy and a burning rage overtook their body, making them clench their fist.


    Even so, gnashing their teeth they stood still at their ce. After all, making a scene wouldn''t benefit any at the moment. They could throw a fit. But this would only affect their future opportunities. So they desperately tucked their rage within.


    At this moment, Hiro felt as if an invisible barrier separated the two sides. A side of the chosen ones and the other of the discarded ones.


    One side seemed much livelier while the other seemed as if they were at their wits end.


    It was the same with many other yers. They couldn''t help but feel aggrieved by the hanging faces of the remaining yers.


    However, some remained indifferent about the failure of the yers that failed to qualify. It was as if they were used to such a sight.


    However, the same couldn''t be said for Coach Nanami. Maybe it was due to his inexperience or maybe he had a soft side, he appeared rather disheartened.


    Looking at the sorry figure of those who were not chosen, a rather heavy feeling welled inside Nanami''s heart despite his early preparation. Before making his way to the pitch, he had prepared himself mentally so that he wouldn''t break down.


    But even so, while looking at the sorry state of the remaining yers, he couldn''t help but feel a tad bit gloomy.


    Winning and losing are the two sides of the same coin. If there are winners there''s bound to be some losers. It was all a part of the game and a part of life as well.


    But only those cane out victorious who fight until theirst breath. As they say, a winner is a person who never gave up.


    So though they hadn''t been chosen presently, it wasn''t the end. There will be many other opportunities. As long as they persevere they will make it. After all, only they get to decide when to give up.


    Consoling himself, he tried to raise his spirit.


    After all, he still had things left to do. More like there was more he could do. He could have chosen to end this announcement quickly by dismissing those who were not selected. But he didn''t feel like it was the right way to end the matter.


    Well, he was aware of the harshness of the real world. Yet, he couldn''t bring himself to end the matter in that way.


    He felt that it''d be like mocking their efforts.


    Then he harrumphed before speaking, "Cough! First of all, I''d like to congratte those that were selected. And secondly, I''d like tomend everyone who participated in the camp for their effort. You all have done well. So, you can be proud of yourself."


    "Some of you might have not been selected today. But it isn''t the end. Neither is it the end for those who have been selected. You all have much to do, much to face. It''s only the beginning. The real test is yet to begin."


    It was the same, "Try again" nonsense, he was spewing. So even though his intention was pure, it didn''t prove to be a tad bit helpful to those who had failed.


    The atmosphere of the pitch continued to remain damp despite Nanami''s efforts to cheer the yers who hadn''t made it to the team.


    Rather it had a negative effect on the yers. Instead of providing them assurance, it was like rubbing salt on their wounds.


    It was like saying your efforts weremendable but it wasn''t enough.


    Akira could only sigh upon noticing the unmoved state of the yers in front of him. Well, if he were on the receiving end, he''d probably behave the same as well.


    He simply couldn''t help but empathize with the sulking yers.


    All of a sudden, Nanami spat on the ground, "Ptooey!"


    At the same time, a fierce light shone on his eyes. Furrowing his brow, he harshly criticized, "Gave your best, my foot! For sure, you all wanted to hear those words of pleasantries. But, the only reason that you are leaving home today is because you are weaker than the ones that are selected."


    All of a sudden, every eye turned to look at him. The sudden change in his tone stunned many present on the field.


    His words immediately grabbed the attention of all the people present on the field. Those harsh criticisms pierced like dagger and many felt their heartache upon hearing such criticisms.


    What happened to the saint-like aura he illuminated a moment ago?


    Was he the same person who until a moment ago was trying to console the devastated


    yers?


    The temperament with which he carried himself waspletely different. The gentleness in his eyes was long gone. It was the same with his tone- It didn''t hold a slight concern.


    But for some reason, many devastated yers felt better this way.


    It was as if they wanted to hear the truth.


    And right now, whatever he was saying was fact.


    Indeed, it was because they were weaker than the selected yers that they didn''t make it to the team. It had nothing to do with their efforts.


    "If you don''t do well enough, someone else will outperform you. It doesn''t matter if you''re talented if you don''t put in the effort. The same person whom you''ve underestimated before will outperform you if you don''t put in the effort."


    Upon hearing such remarks, many turned to look at Kaoru who himself was ardently listening to Nanami. Exactly as he said, earlier many could easily outperform him. Due to this, they had dropped their guard against him.


    Underestimating him, many didn''t even think of him as apetitor.


    But now, he was on the side that was leaving for Georgia tomorrow while they were on the


    side that was leaving home.


    Their eyes twitched as they recalled the words of the coach. They couldn''t help but rte.


    He had said a lot but he wasn''t done yet even though he had conveyed what he wanted to say. Meanwhile, yers were observing him sharply, listening to his words ardently.

 Chapter 484: A trip to Georgia

    Chapter 484: A trip to Georgia


    ?


    Nanami slowly stepped forward, vigntly sweeping his gaze across the faces of the remaining yers. He could tell that his words had some effect on the yers.


    Even so, he should end his speech before he spewed something stupid. So while he was still at the center of attention, he decided to end his speech.


    Any more and it would start to sound insincere.


    For once, since he began criticizing, his tone softened, "But as I''ve said before..... It''s not the end. You can either choose to learn from it or you canment your weakness. The decision to change... it''s all up to you"


    Earlier they were muddled due to the frustration of getting left behind. But it was different right now. They could think more clearly due to the coach''s criticism.


    Hence when they heard his words of encouragement they couldn''t contain the energy that was surging to show itself.


    At once, it burst forth, rekindling the spark that had been smothered by the disappointment. It was exactly as said him. If they changed their perspective and thought of this moment as an opportunity to learn they''d benefit a lot from this failure.


    Upon hearing him, a few of the bunches clenched their fist tightly, making a silent vow to improve themselves and challenge again.


    However, not everyone received the speech positively. Some still chose to me the outside factor for their missed opportunity.


    After finalizing the squad, they boarded a ne for Georgia for their match against the Georgian team. The ride wasfortable, and theynded safely without any issues. Upon arrival, they were warmly received by their hosts.


    On the way to their hotel, Hiro couldn''t take his eyes off the European architecture. It was his first time in Europe, and everything seemed surreal to him-the cobblestone streets, the charming houses with ornate balconies, and the ancient buildings that stood as silent witnesses to history.


    It wasn''t only him who seemed fascinated by the architecture.


    Most who were seated by the window had the same gleam of fascination in their eyes. The scenery outside left them thoroughly enthralled.


    As for the veteran yers, most maintained theirposure as they kept a poker face. They acted uninterested and remained unfazed by the beauty outside.


    "Hahaha...., For once Hiro seems like a normal teenager," Pointing at Hiro, Kaoru spoke with a subtle smile on his face.


    "I was once like them as well," Kenji spoke with a feeling of nostalgia. "But you don''t seem fascinated by the scenery outside. Perhaps, you''ve already been to Europe before?"


    While all those who had been to Europe for the first time acted interested, Kaoru seemed unusually calm. So Kenji found it rather weird.


    Was it because he had already been to Europe before?


    He couldn''t help but ponder. After all, when he got to Europe for the first time, he was simr to the yers who were drawn by the beauty of the unfamiliar environment.


    So why was he different?


    Kaoru let out a soft nervous chuckle before responding, "Haha..., No it''s my first time here." "Then perhaps it doesn''t interest you?" Kenji asked curiously.


    It was his first time in an unfamiliar soil. Yet still, the scenery doesn''t pique his interest. How could that be?


    "Ah..., No. Truth be told, I''m afraid that I''d lose myposure if I acted with too much interest. So, I''m trying to avoid sightseeing as much as possible."


    Kaoru revealed his reason for avoiding the scenery outside.


    It wasn''t that the beauty of the street outside intrigued him but it was because he was afraid that he''d lose hisposure. That''s why he avoided looking outside.


    After all, what you can''t see, you won''t fear.


    So, he was simply afraid, huh? Now that he rified, it made a little sense to him. Well, it''d have been quite strange if he simply disliked the scenery outside.


    Even so, it was a rather unique response.


    So when he heard it he couldn''t help but feel a little surprised.


    Upon hearing his response, Kenji looked at him deeply. Since he was already mature enough by the time he left his country, he hadn''t been such nervous.


    However, it was different during his younger days.


    Outwardly, you couldn''t see any nervousness on Kaoru''s face. But from the inside, he was extremely nervous. If not for him telling him, Kenji might have never been able to figure it


    out.


    But now that he heard him, he could tell that he was simply trying to put a facade to hide his nervousness. After all, it was his first official match for the country.


    So, how could he not be nervous?


    Then what about Hiro? How could he act so normal despite it being his first match? He even had the leisure of sightseeing.


    Abruptly his gaze shifted to Hiro.


    At this moment, Hiro seemed deeply absorbed in the scenery outside. Instead of nervousness,


    he had excitement written all over his face.


    He was like a child who had seen his favorite toy.


    Then his gaze turned to look at others who were representing the country for the first time. Their expression appeared rather dark, almost as if a dark shadow was looming over their head. Some were even chewing their nails.


    One could tell simply from a nce that they were nervous.


    Then again, his gaze shifted to Hiro.


    As realization struck him, Kenji''s eyes widened while a cold shiver ran down his spine. Just what kind of mentality did this child possess?


    It couldn''t be ignorance for sure.


    He could tell that much after interacting with him in the recent week.


    ''He''s a monster''


    He thought that he had figured out Hiro. But it seemed as if he had much to learn about him.


    As for Hiro, he wasn''t aware of the gaze that was pointed at him.


    He was simply overjoyed to be here. The mix of old and new buildings, with modern shops nestled between centuries-old structures, the vibrant colors of the buildings, the greenery in the parks, and the bustling streets filled him with a sense of wonder, it all enchanted him, making him unable to take his eyes off.

 Chapter 485: World Class Player

    Chapter 485: World ss yer


    ?


    Soon they arrived at their hotel.


    The hotel was a beautiful blend of ssic European design and modern luxury. The lobby was spacious, with high ceilings and grand chandeliers that gave it an air of sophistication.


    yers were then escorted to their rooms.


    As for Hiro, he had to share the room with an adult since he was still a minor.


    Hiro''s room offered a stunning view of the city. He stood by the window, taking in the panorama of rooftops and spires. The excitement of being in a new country mingled with the anticipation of the uing match was creating a whirlwind of emotions within him.


    "They really know how to build a city," standing by the window, Hiro said with a hint of excitement.


    "Indeed Europe has birthed some great architects in the past"


    Kenji said while unpacking his luggage. He had volunteered to share the room with him. Well, Naoto was more than ready to share the room with him. But since Kenji offered, Nanami appointed him as his acting guardian.


    After all, he was the one with the most experience on the squad. So, it''d benefit Hiro a lot if he were to be under his guidance.


    For a while, those two kept on conversing about the architecture and ces in Europe. Since Kenji had been to a lot of ces in Europe, he knew a lot about its architecture and history.


    The stories he heard from him further piqued his interest in Europe.


    "But I must say as a yer though liked the enthusiasm of the fans but there are some stadiums that I don''t wanna visit as an opponent."


    "Are they that scary?" Hiro asked curiously.


    "It feels like a battlefield. Their jeers are so oppressive that you could barely think. Just how do I put it in words... It''s just too intimidating"


    All of a sudden while reminiscing his memories, he started bing a little dreadful. It was as if he could still vividly portray those moments of nightmares.


    Hearing him, Hiro got even more curious. After all, he had heard about some of the famous stadiums that got its fame due to its home crowd.


    Without even Hiro needing to ask, Kenji could tell that he was curious about the stadium he was mentioning right now.


    "You''ve heard about the Yellow Wall of Borussia Dortmund?"


    It wasn''t an unfamiliar term to Hiro. So, he readily nodded his head.


    The enthusiasm with which he was focusing on him, Kenji found it rather satisfying. So, he became even more enthusiastic to share his story.


    "We were ying against them on their turf. From the moment we stepped onto the field, we were bombarded with the cheers of the fans. Though it wasn''t a cheer meant for us. Every time we got the ball, we were booed until we lost possession of the ball. The onughtsted almost for the entirety of the game." Kenji spoke, his tone full of dread.


    Then he turned to look at Hiro. He could tell that he had grabbed his attention.


    A thought entered his head as he looked at him, ''How would you fare if you were in my spot?''


    More than talent, what one required in such a situation was mental toughness. And he could tell that Hiro was rather resilient. So, he couldn''t help but wonder if he would have easily fended off the invisible pressure from the home fans.


    The two spent their time talking with each other. Kenji shared his experiences while Hiro ardently listened to him. It was much better to hear from the person who had experienced the scene firsthand than through TV or any other media.


    However, contrary to Kenji''s attempt of trying to scare him, it only made him more interested. Seeing such interest, Kenji couldn''t help but look forward to the future of Hiro.


    ''The day this guy makes his debut, I''d like to see it firsthand''


    While they spent their time conversing, other yers spent their time resting due to the jetg. Even so, they were given a day off to recover.


    Arriving at the venue, Hiro slightly lifted the curtain, sneakily ncing at the venue.


    The venue was filled with fans d in white and red. Even though it was a friendly match, a lot of fans showed up for the match.


    It might be due to their recent performances in the Euro but those fans seemed unusually enthusiastic. Most were d in the number 7 jersey.


    But the reason for their arrival could mainly be linked to a sole individual.


    Their national hero was partaking in the match. Hence despite it being a friendly match, arge number of the audience had showed up for the match.


    Hiro who was aware of the reason wasn''t surprised by the marching fans d in white and red. Fans of Japan were rather rare. You could hardly spot any fans dressed in the blues.


    Going up against a world-ss yer nominated for the Ballon d''Or multiple times, Hiro was rather excited about the match.


    Even now when seeing the flock of marching fans d in the opposing jersey, he wasn''t terrified the least. Contrary, he was excited to feel the so-called atmosphere of the home


    fans.


    Previously, he had heard from Kenji about his experience and it had got him thinking if it''d be any different than the experience he had faced before.


    How would it feel to y in a stadium filled with opposing fans to its brim?


    Would it be as intimidating as Kenji had said?


    While Hiro was eagerly looking forward to the match, Kaoru appeared unusually silent. Though he didn''t reveal any emotions on his face, one could tell from his clenched fist that he was rather nervous.


    Sensing his unease, Kenji whispered, "It will be alright"


    As for most of the other yers, they were prettyx. Well, why would they worry? For many,


    it wasn''t their first international game.


    They had already experienced such matches before.


    Rather they were confident.


    As for their confidence, it was mainly because they believed they were the superior side.

 Chapter 486: Georgian Star

    Chapter 486: Georgian Star


    ?


    Though they had a world-ss yer on their side. In terms of squad depth, they were superior even without most of their core yers.


    Also, they ranked much higher than their opponent.


    So, why would they worry about a side weaker than them? Sure their recent performance had been outstanding. But even so, it wasn''t outstanding enough to make them worried.


    Rather many among the veteran yers didn''t even put much importance to this match. Their eyes were set on the match against Brazil.


    In their words, it was like a warm-up.


    Even for the coaching staff, it was a match to test their newly prepared tactics.


    However, it didn''t mean that they were taking this match less seriously. They were as serious as they would be during the World Cup matches.


    In fact, the pressure on the coaching staff was rather huge. Theycked their core yers. The squad was almost divided. Even worse most were newly appointed coaches.


    So as much as this match was a test for the yers it was also a test for the coaches.


    After a while, both sides entered the field for some warm-ups. At once as the Georgian yers emerged the crowd went wild with excitement.


    At the center of the attention was a man named Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, a renowned footballer who had been nominated for the Ballon d''Or multiple times.


    The star yer of the opposing side.


    The aura with which he carried himself was entirely different than the rest. It was akin to the aura of an emperor. Even at a nce, he simply stood out. He was like an authentic jade, shining brighter than everyone else in the opposing squad.


    Hiro''s eyes fell on him as he nced at the opposing half.


    ''Would it be a one-man show?''


    Hiro thought as he watched him. He had been eagerly looking forward to meeting this man.


    The opposing number seven was a great dribbler. A performer sought after by many top clubs in Europe. In many ces, Hiro and he shared many simrities as well. Both relied on their explosive eleration and creativity.


    Yet it didn''t cross his mind once that he could outperform him.


    Though he had the talent how could hepare against someone who had already made his presence known? So, he didn''t think aboutparing himself with him.


    At this moment while he was deeply looking at him, the opposing number seven started walking toward their side. Upon noticing his movement, he couldn''t help but worry that he had been caught staring at him.


    Was I too obvious?


    The closer he got the more his heart raced.


    Why is heing here?


    He couldn''t help but attribute it to him. After all, he was looking straight at him. Nervously, Hiro tried to roll his eye away.


    Then just as he rolled his eyes, he noticed Aya walking to the opposing side.


    Aya yed for Bayern while Kvaratskhelia yed for Paris Saint-German. They had faced each other a couple of times in the Champions League. So it wasn''t that shocking that they knew each other.


    Until a year ago, he had been ying for Napoli. However, only recently he had earned himself a big money move to PSG.


    Kvaratskhelia himself denied that it was for money. And said that he was intrigued by the project put forward by PSG in a recent interview when asked about his sudden move to Paris.


    But everyone knows that it''s for the money.


    After losing Kylian Mbappe, Paris desperately needed someone to rece him. So they went on a signing spree, signing multiple yers from various top clubs.


    Rumor has it that they even offered crazy money for the young sensation of Barcelona. The estimated amount amounted to more than 250 million pounds.


    ''Just how many zeros are there in such a staggering amount?''


    At this moment, while recalling the recent events in the world of football, subconsciously his eyes turned green with greed.


    Even he couldn''t deny the allure of such a huge sum despite his love for the sport. It was even more amazing how Barcelona rejected such arge sum of money when they were going through a financial crisis.


    Well, rumor had it that in 2012 Chelsea had offered a staggering sum for Messi. But even at that time, they rejected the bid.


    Those weren''t the only times they were offered such a lump sum of money for their yers. Ansu Fati, Pedri, Gavi, the list could go on and on. Had they cashed in on their yers they would have easily exceeded the billion-dor revenue.


    ''They only know how to reject. If only they were such wise when it came to signing perhaps the club would have been in a much better situation right now.''


    Thinking about the poor management of Barcelona, Hiro couldn''t help but shake his head dismissively.


    But why was he thinking all that stuff right now? That too in the middle of a match. Without even realizing his thoughts had derailed.


    So, he immediately brought his attention to the present.


    In front of him, Aya and the opposing number seven were exchanging greetings. The way they carried each other when they spoke, it seemed that they were on amicable terms despite the two practically being enemies.


    Alongside Japanese, Aya could fluently speak Italian and German as well. If not for his ability to speak Italian the two might not be able to converse so fluently.


    "I don''t see any Yamada or Endo," Khvicha said as he swept his gaze through the opposing squad. Then his tone got a little t as he furrowed his brows, "Or is it that you lot are underestimating us?"


    "Endo has picked an injury. So did Ito. The injury he had pickedst season is affecting him negatively. As for Yamada, I don''t know about him," Aya rified, trying to reassure him. At this moment, he rolled his eyes, turning to look at Hiro. Then he confidently said, "However, rest assured, we aren''t underestimating. We have a quality squad."


    Upon seeing his confident smirk, the number seven couldn''t help but follow his eye.

 Chapter 487: Quest!

    Chapter 487: Quest!


    ?


    Right at this moment, Hiro heard a sudden notification.


    [Ding!]


    [A new quest has been unlocked]


    [Leave asting impression on the opposing number seven. Uponpletion, the host will be awarded a random talent of the opposing number seven. The grade of the talent will be determined ording to thepletion rating]


    [On failure, the host will lose a few reputation points]


    The moment he heard the mechanical voice of the system, Hiro''s attention was drawn to the sudden quest. He becamecent as he began to ponder about the information provided by the system.


    The system didn''t state any criteria for thepletion of the quest. But he could more or less assume that he had to deliver a shy performance to mesmerize the opposing number seven toplete the quest.


    After all, it only stated that he had to make asting impression on the opposing number seven.


    Though it sounded simple it wasn''t as simple as it sounded. If he were only required to deliver an outstanding performance, he could fully focus his attention on the game without worrying about anything else.


    But he was required to make asting impression on a single individual. For that, he would need to be in his presence at all times.


    However, if he concerned himself too much with him, it would probably affect his game. So although it sounded simple it was a rather challenging quest.


    ''A talent from such a yer''


    Pondering about the reward, he turned to look at the opposing number seven. Coincidentally he was also looking at him.


    As their eyes met, he smiled at him.


    ''Is he smiling at me?'' Hiro thought, appearing rather perplexed, turning his head to look at other yers around him.


    Most of his teammates were looking his way. But it seemed that he was indeed the one whom he was looking at the moment.


    Perhaps it had something to do with Aya. Maybe Aya had vouched for him.


    He couldn''t help but ponder. After all, Aya was also staring at him with a smirk on his face.


    If that was the case then it only made his quest more easier. After all, he required all the help he could get toplete the quest.


    Appreciating his assistance, Hiro smiled warmly, reciprocating the feeling of the opposing number seven. Despite being the center of attention of such an amazing yer, Hiro wasn''t intimidated.


    ''Is it confidence or ignorance?''


    The opposing number seven lifted his brows. He was taken aback by Hiro''s gesture. That yer appeared so young yet unlike many other yers on the field, he didn''t seem nervous at all.


    He had noticed many yers with a frown earlier.


    From their expression and gestures, he had deduced that many yers of the opposing squad were pretty new. That''s why he had walked to Aya to confirm his suspicion. To confirm his suspicion, he had intentionally provoked Aya earlier.


    Though his assumption proved to be true he hadn''t expected to see such a reaction from Aya. After all, even though they were ranked lower than Japan right now they were ying with their full force. But the opposing team was ying without their core yers.


    Were they overestimating their prowess?


    It had gotten him a bit confused.


    Even now, he couldn''t see through the appearance of Hiro. But his attitude had piqued his interest. He couldn''t wait to find out how they''d fare with such a new squad against their fully packed squad that had led a sessful campaign a year ago.


    Then his gaze turned solemn as he extended his hand.


    Aya took up his hand and shook it.


    "Let''s y a good game?" he said amicably with a smile on his face.


    Aya''s eyes glistened as he responded amicably while shaking his hand, "Yes..., let''s y a good game."


    While turning to leave, he nodded at Hiro before joining his squad. Hiro appreciated his gesture as he nodded back before focusing his attention on the warm-ups.


    The crowd''s energy was as energetic as ever. Even during the warm-ups they didn''t stop cheering. The presence of their yers on the field was enough to fill them with tion.


    Though many fans were aware of the ranking of the two teams on the field they were confident of their victory. As for the reason behind their confidence, it could be attributed to the venue.


    The game was being held on their home turf. So how could they lose with such a massive advantage? Plus their yers were performing really well in recent matches. So they believed that they would put on the same performance even in this match.


    After the warm-ups came to an end yers of both sides headed back to the locker room. As for the fans they patiently awaited the return of the yers.


    In the locker room, yers were preparing for the game.


    Some had already gotten dressed while some were still in the middle of getting dressed. It might be due to the closure of the match but some yers seemed unusually tense at the


    moment.


    Even a simple task as simple as tyingces proved to be rather challenging for some of the


    yers.


    As for Hiro, he was unusually calm. There wasn''t even a hint of anxiousness on his face. His gaze as sharp as a razer looked straight ahead.


    At this moment, it was as if he was an entirely different person.


    His calm demeanor was no surprise to any in the locker room. After all, they had shared the same room for more than a week.


    As for the veterans they didn''t bother to look at him. To them, he wasn''t an existence worth their attention.


    After a little while, Coach Nanami apanied by his coaching staff entered the locker room. The look on their faces was rather stern.


    At once as they entered the room many turned to look at them while many didn''t seem bothered by their appearance.


    Nanami then swept his gaze around the locker room. The scene at the locker room failed to


    surprise him.

 Chapter 488: Scene at the locker room

    Chapter 488: Scene at the locker room


    ?


    The scene in the locker room was a mix of tension and confidence. Well, it was the first international match for many so the nervousness on their face was justifiable.


    So, Nanami wasn''t overly concerned.


    Yet still, it was his responsibility to help ease the tension in the locker room. As for how they received his words it depended entirely on his ability to convey.


    "Okay everyone, we''ve already gone through the tactics previously. But let me repeat it once more, nheless. I''ve already talked about it in our previous discussion, we need to pay special attention to their attacks from the nks."


    Nanami began to talk about their strategy.


    Even though they had already discussed the strategy before rather than choosing to provide some motivational talks he chose to rediscuss their strategy in hopes of diverting their attention away from the feeling of unease some were feeling at the moment.


    Plus he wasn''t good with words. So, it was the only method he could think of to help his yers.


    "Often they initiate their attack from the offense. And it could be attributed to their wingers."


    It wasn''t a mystery to any present in the locker room that the opposing side possessed some great wingers in their team. So they didn''t take long to understand what Nanami was trying to -convey.


    At this moment, Nanami turned to look at a rather tall figure seated quietly at one of the seats and called out to him, "Tomiyasu..., Can I leave the opposing number seven to you?"


    Tomiyasu who yed for Arsenal nodded his head before replying with conviction, "Yes coach"


    Hearing him, Nanami gave an approving nod to him before proceeding to further exin their tactics. He knew that he could count on him. So, he felt assured when he heard his response coated with conviction.


    After a while, as everyone slowly walked out of the locker room to participate in the match, he stopped Hiro on his track.


    "Hiro...," Nanami called out to him.


    Upon hearing the sudden call, Hiro stopped on his track to look behind him. There he found his coach appearing as if he wanted to discuss something with him.


    Did he have something to say to him? If so why didn''t he speak of it a moment ago? Maybe he wanted to talk something in private.


    Hiro was puzzled.


    Curious, he asked, "Yes coach, do you need something?"


    "No..., I don''t need anything from you," he was quick to deny. Then he nervously scanned his surroundings before asking him, "I just wanted... to ask about how you are feeling right now. I know starting against such a team in a venue crowded with rival fans at such a young age can be intimidating"


    It just so happened that he was worried about Hiro. Well, even though he hadn''t shown a hint of nervousness on his face, it was only natural for the coach to get worried.


    After all, it was his debut match for the national team.


    It would have been an entirely different scenario had it been on their home soil but unfortunately, his debut was rather unfortunate.


    For such obvious reasons, he had even thought of starting him from the bench. But since it was only a friendly match, he wanted to observe how he''d fare with the pressure. He wanted to test if he truly was as tough as he appeared in the training.


    Even an adult would lose their temper in such an oppressive atmosphere and he was only a child.


    Yet, despite his initial thoughts he still couldn''t help but worry about Hiro. After all, if he faltered here, it might affect him negatively. Who knows he might even be traumatized?


    But the resilience of Hiro had convinced him to put him on the starting eleven.


    At this moment, Nanami was like an open book. Thus Hiro easily figured out his thoughts. He could tell that he was worried.


    "I feel perfectly fine coach. Thank you for asking," Hiro replied politely with a smile on his face.


    Though it was a rather positive response, Hiro''s response was a lot different from what he had initially assumed. So, he couldn''t help but feel slightly baffled by his response.


    Was he really fine? Or was he simply trying to put a facade?


    Although Nanami had already figured out about Hiro''s mental toughness, he still couldn''t help but feel it was too good to be true.


    It was his very first match for the national team. So, how could he be so calm? Was he really telling the truth?


    The main factor leading to his unsettling feeling was Hiro''s age.


    Sure, he believed that age was nothing more than a number. And there were plenty of examples that proved it right. But some had also fallen victim to early stardom.


    So, how could he rest easy?


    Yet when he conversed with Hiro, he felt a soothing feeling well up inside his heart. Be it the smile on his face or the way he talked, he couldn''t help but put his faith in him.


    He radiated an aura that was unlike any he had met before.


    There was something about him that made him extremelyfortable talking with him. It


    was such an inexplicable feeling he couldn''tprehend.


    "Is that so?" he asked absentmindedly after hearing Hiro.


    "Yes, sir, I''m more focused than ever and won''t disappoint the trust you''ve ced in me, coach," Hiro said determinedly.


    Hearing him, he couldn''t help but curl his lips.


    Subconsciously, he felt as if he could put his trust in him. For some when he heard him, a strange feeling of pride almost as if he was watching his son seeding in life welled inside his heart, causing his chest to widen with pride.


    His eyes glistened with pride as he patted Hiro on his shoulder, "You''ve got this Kid"


    Though Hiro was happy to hear such warm words, he couldn''t help but feel annoyed upon being called a "Kid". After all, he wasn''t a kid at all.


    Even so, he was grateful for the trust the coach had put in him. So, he didn''t retaliate despite his evident annoyance.

 Chapter 489: Early attack

    Chapter 489: Early attack


    ?


    The stadium burst with energy as the yers walked out of the tunnel. The cheer grew louder while at the same time, many Japanese yers of Japan felt an oppressive aura grip their hearts.


    Especially the new recruits.


    They couldn''t help but feel anxious. Even though they had already experienced the stadium atmosphere, it was unlike before. If the previous energy of the stadium could bepared to a spark of lightning then what they were experiencing at the moment could only be described as the rumbling of thunder.


    As for Hiro, he remained unfazed by the electrifying atmosphere of the stadium.


    The opposing side had the home advantage. But he couldn''t be bothered by their advantage. After all, he had a quest toplete. So while walking down the field, he kept pondering about the quest given by the system.


    As they say, opportunity and danger go hand in hand.


    Though theycked supporters on the field it wasn''t the case when it came to supporters off the field as right now many people in Japan were watching the match with utmost focus.


    Especially people closely rted to Hiro.


    Even Hiro''s mother watched the match on the screen despite her husband''s condition. However, precisely because of her husband''s condition, she couldn''t bring herself to smile even when seeing her son on national colors for the first time.


    But ignoring him wouldn''t do him justice either. After all, he had sacrificed much to be there. So as a parent, she at least had to watch him y.


    As the camera turned to Hiro, her eyes glistened with joy. But her face struggled to disy the feeling that she felt.


    It was a moment of pride. Yet she was unable to express her emotions.


    Joining her hands, she thought, ''Just why god? You know how much Takashi had been looking forward to seeing his son represent the country. Yet today when his wish is finally getting fulfilled he can''t even watch. Just why are you so cruel?''


    On such an auspicious asion why did a cmity befall her family?


    She was in turmoil as she felt a mix of frustration, grief, and joy. More than anything else, she felt utterly helpless at the moment.


    After a while, as both sides took their position on the field the match began.


    Beep!


    Maeda initiated the kickoff by passing the ball to Ryo.


    No sooner had the match begun than the opposing forward started to chase after the ball. As for their wingers, they nimbly spread forward.


    Since they had the home advantage, they were in no rush to score a goal. Also, it was a friendly match, so aggressive pressing from the beginning wasn''t needed.


    But Hiro had some other ns.


    Precisely because the opposing team was rxed, he could catch them off-guard by initiating a swift attack.


    So even before he got the ball, he signaled Tatsuki to go for the run.


    Then as he got the ball, he immediately lobbed it above the head of opposing yers,unching straight into the opposing defensive third.


    Upon seeing the ball soaring above their head many opposing yers started to panic. Their heart raced as they tried to process the sudden charge.


    The game had only started. And it had only been ten seconds at most. Yet he was already attacking. Isn''t this too ridiculous?


    Their heart raced for a brief moment as they steadily retreated.


    However, upon noticing the trajectory of the ball they became at ease. Many assumed that their keeper would easily collect the ball since they failed to see the eleration of Tatsuki so they slowed down their movement.


    If only they were vignt they might have noticed the runup of Seko.


    s! They were toox to notice the sprint of Seko. After all, it hadn''t even been that long since the game started so why would someone y aggressively from the beginning?


    Soon the expression on their face changed as Tatsuki emerged in their line of sight. But no sooner had he appeared than he disappeared as well.


    "Watch out"


    Many eximed in fright as they tried to warn their teammates.


    Upon noticing him, some of the opposing yers tried to stop him on his track. But he was too tricky for them to stop.


    Tatsuki snaked his way around the yers, skillfully evading every obstacleing his way. The opposing keeper was in a dilemma. Should he leave his post to clear the ball or should he trust his defenders to do the job?


    It wasn''t only the opposing keeper who was in a dilemma. It was the same with the opposing defenders as well. Since they had been caught off-guard they were having trouble deciding whether they should withdraw or wait.


    Amidst their confusion, Tatsuki moved like a breeze as he made his way to the opposing defensive third without losing his momentum.


    Though he had changed his direction multiple times to avoid the opposing yers, he hadn''t lost his momentum. There were instances when opposing yers tried to intentionally bump against him to stop him.


    But he was like a slippery eel that couldn''t be caught.


    As the ball descended, Tatsuki controlled it wlessly. At this moment, he was at the edge of


    the penalty box. The angle to shoot from there was rather tight.


    But he noticed that the keeper was rather dispositioned.


    Should he shoot immediately or should he try to find a better shooting angle?


    If he dyed, he would most probably lose this opportunity. But if he couldn''t shoot


    urately then also he''d blow this chance away.


    Worse, he had to take the shot with his weak foot.


    But he could sense the opposing defender right behind him. So if he dyed any further, he might probably lose the ball.


    Even though he had managed to control the ball, he wasn''t in a favorable situation.


    Immediately after controlling the ball, he stretched his leg to shoot the ball. The opposing keeper was dispossessed so, even if he tried to save the ball, he wouldn''t make it in time.


    With that thought in mind, he shot the ball.


    The ball as it left his feet glided straight toward the post, unimpeded.

 Chapter 490: Early Goal!

    Chapter 490: Early Goal!


    ?


    The opposing keeper made a desperate leap, trying to reach the ball despite his unfavorable situation.


    Even so, he failed tond a touch.


    Upon seeing the scene on the field, many in the stands grew anxious. Their heart thumped while their expression turned sour.


    Swoop!


    The stadium that had been bursting with energy until a moment ago became eerily silent as the ball glided inside the post.


    Their heart sank as a feeling of shock gripped their heart.


    Just what took ce on the field?


    Many yers on the opposing side had a look of disbelief on their faces. Everything happened so fast that they couldn''t even bring themselves to react.


    While those who had failed to stop Tatsuki seemed quite dejected.


    On the other hand, Hiro and his teammates began to celebrate. It had only been a few seconds since the start of the match. Yet they had already taken the lead.


    A feeling of euphoria washed over the yers of Japan. Especially Tatsuki, his feet were in the clouds. However, due to the limited number of Japanese fans, he could only celebrate the goal among themselves.


    While they were busy celebrating, Kvicha''s gaze fell upon Hiro. Though it was Tatsuki who had scored, he knew that it wouldn''t have been possible without the help of Hiro.


    Despite the simplicity that through-pass seemed so unreal. Just how daring was he to execute such a move with such confidence?


    It was almost simr to the one he had seen previously once.


    To execute such a move wasn''t an easy feat.


    Fortunately, it was only a friendly match. Otherwise, their reputation would have taken a hit for sure had it been in an official match. They''d bebeled as the nation to concede one of the fastest goals in the history of football.


    ''Was it a fluke or was it our ignorance?'' He thought.cently staring at Hiro.


    Despite the brilliance behind that pass, he was reluctant to admit that it was pure skill. Yet still, one thing was bing clear to him; they couldn''t y safe just because it was a friendly match or else they''d be humiliated.


    Their celebration didn''tst long due to the limited number of fans present at the venue. So after celebrating for a little while they returned to their position to resume the match.


    Less than a minute and the home side were already trailing. This dampened the mood of the home fans a little. But precisely because they had a lot of time remaining, they were still optimistic to level the score.


    Beep!


    The match resumed as everybody assumed their position.


    The opposing yers appeared much more vignt than ever after conceding such an embarrassing goal. For sure they had learned their lesson.


    Carefully treading their way they tried to level the score.


    Even so, how would the Japanese yers make it easy for them to aplish their goals?


    Their every effort to equalize was thwarted by the Japanese yers. It didn''t matter whether they struck them from the nks or center.


    As for their star yer, Tomiyasu delivered on his promise as he pocketed him.


    Tomiyasi wasn''t particrly strong. But he had an uncanny ability to read the game. Relying on his ability, he put a stop to the opposing number seven.


    As for Hiro, he fully made use of his newly acquired talent to its fullest. Mostly operating in the center of the pitch, he fully covered the midfield area.


    He wasn''t particrly good at defending but relying on his newly acquired talent, he made many sessful steals throughout the first half.


    Previously defending had been his weakest link but right now it seemed that he had found something to cover his ws. Well, he wasn''t required to defend in the first ce since he was an attacking midfielder.


    But as a midfielder, defending was still one of his responsibility.


    If only he was a striker, it wouldn''t have been an issue. But he was a midfielder, so he was required to participate in the defense as well.


    On the sidelines, Nanami had a rather satiated expression on his face. Though his team hadn''t been able to score another goal, he was satisfied with the improvement of Hiro.


    ''You stayed true to your words'' he thought while recalling Hiro''s earlier words. Though he was feeling quite ted with Hiro''s progress, he didn''t show it on his face. After all, he decided to start him. Despite his talent, many were against starting him due to his age. But he had put his trust in him.


    And right now, he only proved it right.


    ''I was indeed right to start you.''


    Almost forty minutes had passed since the start of the match. But after that early goal from Japan, neither side had managed to score.


    And the score had remained 1:0 until now.


    Just then in the 42nd minute of the match, Hiro once again made a brilliant steal after calcting the y of the opposing yers. To many, it seemed like a blunder from the


    opposing yer.


    But if only they could see what''s on Hiro''s head they would know that it wasn''t a blunder but a calcted tactic.


    The shocking part was that it was Kvicha who had given the ball away.


    It was supposed to be a thorough pass to one of his teammates. But how did he calcte where he was aiming? It wasn''t as simple as a steal. Without knowing how to position


    himself, it would have been almost impossible to steal.


    So, he must have waited for him to make the pass.


    Upon finding the ball stolen, Kvicha panicked as several thoughts shed past his mind. But he immediatelyposed himself as he tried to right his mistake.


    But if only he knew about Hiro''s trump card, he might have thought differently.


    However, since he was unaware of Hiro''s trump card, he made a grave mistake by rushing to him. He had predicted that he could win the ball back by sprinting onto him.


    But he wasn''t aware of Hiro''s eleration since they didn''t have any records of him. They had studied other yers but not him.

 Chapter 491: One Man Show

    Chapter 491: One Man Show


    ?


    "Huh?!"


    Many showed an expression full of shock as they witnessed the mesmerizing eleration of Hiro on the field.


    The way he sprinted was unfathomable to the naked eye.


    Their number seven who was one of the fastest couldn''t evenpare against him.


    Storming his way to the opposing half, Hiro was elerating at an unprecedented speed at the moment, leaving many bewildered and panicked.


    At most after stealing the ball, they had expected him to make a pass. But it hadn''t crossed anybody''s mind that he would instead start elerating.


    Was he out of his mind?


    After all, he was sprinting all the way from his half.


    It would have been a different scenario if he was open. But he had several obstacles in his way. Almost the entirety of the opposing yers leaving their attackers were concentrated inside the opposing half.


    So what was he trying to achieve by sprinting all the way from his half?


    Soon, Hiro encountered his first obstacle in the form of the opposing center mid.


    However, he evaded his first obstacle with ease. But he couldn''t rest easy as no sooner had he dribbled past the opposing center mid than another midfielder showed up.


    At the same time, another midfielder showed up as well. The two ganged up on him and imprisoned him. Simultaneously they swept their legs attempting to snatch the ball away from him while at the same time they pressured him.


    Yet despite their repeated assault, he didn''t give away the ball.


    It was as if the ball was stuck in his feet.


    Many of his teammates came to his aid while opposing yers tried to stop him. However, Hiro remained adamant about keeping the ball as he refused to pass.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to pass but he couldn''t locate a space to pass.


    His teammates might not be aware of it but they weren''t actually free. But they didn''t see it that way. They simply thought that it was his selfishness.


    "Pass!"


    "Pass!"


    Many of his teammates cried out loud for the pass.


    They were pissed.


    The only route that had been left open was behind. But if he passed back it''d probably put an end to the attack. So, he was adamant to pass the ball.


    Somehow, he had to get out of their entanglement. That was the only way, he concluded. Also, why was only the back open? It was as if they had purposefully left the back open.


    For a while, due to their repeated assault, Hiro struggled to keep hold of the ball. But if it only took their strength to stop him then he wouldn''t be trying in the first ce.


    With a few shy tricks, Hiro finally got through their entanglement.


    Apart from one of the defenders of the opposing side, most had maintained a safe distance from him so that they could keep other yers in check. Hence, after getting past the entanglement of those two midfielders, he had only a sole defender to worry.


    But it was clear from the recent progression that Hiro wasn''t an easy opponent.


    Not only did he possess explosive eleration that allowed him to sprint like crazy in a matter of seconds, but he was also an excellent dribbler capable of retaining the ball.


    So as he got through the entanglement of those midfielders, other opposing yers immediately rushed on him. They tried to give him as little space as they could to limit his mobility.


    But they couldn''t leave their mark either.


    It was as if they were chained to some pirs. Though they had the liberty to move they couldn''t move far due to the length of the chain.


    Yet still they couldn''t allow him room to operate.


    The Japanese yed in a 4-3-1-2 formation. On the other hand, the Georgian side yed in a ssic 4-3-3 formation.


    If not for it being a counter-attack Hiro would have other yers by his side. But right now he only had two other yers in front of him.


    On the other hand, the opposing side had a numerical advantage with four defenders avable. Two of them were chained to Tatsuki and Maeda. But two were free to operate.


    With a quick body feint, Hiro got through the defender in front of him making it his fourth victim to get dribbled by him.


    By now, his skill had already waned away.


    Though he could use it again, it wasn''t a wise decision to use it as he had little to no room for him to operate.


    If only he could tap into the zone, he might be able to produce a miracle. But the effect of his talent was random, so he couldn''t tap into it willingly.


    He had only one option left.


    Though he was a little far from the post, he could only try his luck.


    Fireball Shot!


    About 26 yards away from the post while the opposing defenders were blocking his path, he stretched his leg. His body swayed as he prepared to shoot. While the muscle in his legs coiled like a spring, preparing to release the tension.


    Bam!


    At once, he released the stored tension on the ball, causing it to soar above the head of the opposing yer that was blocking his way.


    The ball made a beautiful arc in the air due to the spin on the ball.


    As for the defender in front of him, he was left in awe. So were the fans present in the stadium. They could only follow the ball, helplessly.


    They shouldn''t be feeling exhrated in such a perilous moment. Yet seeing the ball soaring above the heads of their yers, some couldn''t help but feel exhrated.


    As for the opposing keeper, most of his view was blocked by his teammates. So, he couldn''t catch a better glimpse of the shot. At most, he could only predict the direction of the ball.


    So, having predicted its trajectory, he made a dive.


    Yet still he fell short, once again.


    Goal!!


    Exhrated, some opposing fans nearly shot forth from their seat to celebrate. While many cried out in disappointment.

 Chapter 492: Rise of a prodigy

    Chapter 492: Rise of a prodigy


    ?


    It was a one-man show.


    All the way from his half to the opposing half, he had carried the ball all by himself. From the beginning to the end, he had been thoroughly engaged in this attack.


    Getting past multiple yers was already a grand feat. But to add a cherry on top, his shot that led to the goal could only be described as something ethereal.


    Such monstrous power from such a small frame.


    Just what does he even consume to have such ferocious shooting power?


    In the stands, along with the despairing faces, one could also see a glimpse of confusion and shock. It was as if those confused faces were pondering about his surreal shot.


    Just where did such a yere from?


    After this goal, many present in the stands became intrigued. They couldn''t help but wish to find out more about him.


    "It''s him right? The one who assisted the first goal?"


    "Yeah, he''s the same guy"


    "Have you heard about him anywhere?"


    "No..., it''s my first time seeing him. Though I remember the goalkeeper, I don''t think I''ve heard about him previously"


    "Just who is that number ten?"


    Since he had piqued the interest of many in the venue, it was only natural for them to want to know more about him.


    Hiro on the other hand was unbothered by the furious and curious gazes shot at him. Neither was he worried about their interest. But he wasn''tpletely uninterested either. After all, he had a quest toplete.


    For that reason, after scoring the goal, he deliberately rushed to the spot where the opposing number seven could see him better to celebrate his goal.


    Those who were pissed a moment ago due to his selfishness joined him in his celebration as well. After all, it wouldn''t look good to others if they didn''t participate.


    The celebration was raging on the sidelines as well.


    His goal and his performance had provided a glimmer of hope to those new recruits who were sulking due to their anxiousness. Until some moment ago, they could hardly bring themselves to smile. But right now they had a wide smile on their faces.


    As for Coach Nanami, he was equally impressed by Hiro''s performance.


    Though earlier when Hiro was surrounded by the opposing yers, he had felt a bit anxious. But right now, he was ted.


    Yet still despite the lingering feeling of tion, after celebrating for a moment, he immediatelyposed himself as he maintained a stern look on his face.


    Contrary to the feeling of tion on the Japanese side, yers of the opposing squad appeared devastated and frustrated. Sulking their head they stood with a feeling of helplessness and defeat. It was only a single yer and they couldn''t even stop him.


    So, how could they bring themselves to face their supporters?


    The opposing coach despite the look of calm on his face, his inside was churning with rage and frustration. It was their home turf and they had such a massive advantage, yet they were losing. So, how could he bring himself to ept the reality?


    Plus he was aware that the opposing side wasn''t even ying with their core yers. This fact further rubbed salt on his wounds.


    At the moment, his knuckles were white from clenching his fist tightly. Just from his


    trembling fist, one could determine how much he was holding inside him.


    If someone even poked him a little, he would erupt right on the spot.


    So, many on their side kept their distance from him.


    "They didn''t want to shelter his wrath.


    The game then resumed as everybody got back to their position.


    After his recent goal, yers of the opposing squad became more alert to him as they began


    to closely monitor him. It was clear to the bunches that he was a threat.


    If left unchecked, he''d probably wreak havoc on the field.


    So they monitored him closely, putting a man on him at all the time. It was the order from their coach after all. And they couldn''t go against it.


    But instead of feeling worried, Hiro was rather relieved.


    Having a marker on him meant that he had made enough impact for the opposing side to take notice of him. It was a clear indication that he was heading the right way.


    Just like that the first half concluded with the Japanese side taking the lead thanks to a goal and assist from Hiro.


    Beep!


    Just as the whistle sounded yers halted their movements.


    "And here goes the whistle to conclude the first half. The first half has been nothing but intense. But undoubtedly we can conclude that it was the opposing number ten who had been the most impressive on the field."


    "Be it his first touch which led to the first goal or his mesmerizing dribble and powerful shot which increased their lead, he has been nothing but impactful."


    Thementator praised Hiro while the cameramen focused their lenses on him.


    As for Hiro, he slowly exited the field wearing a smile on his face, happily chatting with his friend. He wasn''t concerned by the praises or the gazes he had been getting.


    There were a lot of yers on the opposing side who were ring at him. At the same time, he had been getting a lot of res from the opposing fans as well.


    It was as if he had made enemies out of thousands of people within forty-five minutes. A feat unlike any in the world.


    But only after they learned his age did some retract their hostile gaze from him.


    "What...? He''s only sixteen?"


    "Yes..., At the moment he''s the youngest on the field."


    Upon learning his age, many were left shocked. Such brilliance from such a young fellow was something unbelievable.


    Though there had been many youngsters rising it still surprised people when they witnessed such brilliance at such an age.


    The discussion regarding his age spread like wildfire. And soon everybody in the stadium was singing his praises. They were impressed, scared, and excited to find such a talented


    youngster.

 Chapter 493: Personal differences

    Chapter 493: Personal differences


    ?


    In the Georgian locker room, tension had reached a boiling point. "Why didn''t you stop him? If it weren''t for your mistake, we wouldn''t be losing so badly," one yer shouted.


    "How is it my fault? You''re the goalkeeper, you should have blocked him! So, why didn''t you stop him?" another retorted, their voices rising with each passing second.


    Some yers were arguing in loud voices inside the Georgian locker room. While others were trying to resolve the issue.


    The argument had started soon after they conceded the second goal, with tempers ring in the heat of the moment. But fearing to cause a scene both parties involved in the disagreement had held back at that time.


    However, now that they were inside the locker room, away from the eye of the public, it had escted into an all-out confrontation.


    The two involved in the debate were openly criticizing each other.


    Giorgi Mamar, the goalkeeper, and Luka Locho, the defender who failed to stop Hiro, were at each other''s throats. If not for their teammates intervening, it looked like it might have turned into a physical fight.


    "You''re just bitter because your girlfriend left you for me!" Luka snarled, his words hitting a


    nerve.


    Most of the yers present there weren''t strangers to the enmity between the two. So upon the mention of such a sensitive topic, they knew that things were about to get even more heated. Until a moment ago they were merely arguing because of each other''s performance.


    But now, things were starting to get personal.


    So, quickly more yers rushed to separate the two.


    As for Georgi, upon hearing the mention of the bitch that left him for another guy, he became red with anger. Rage bubbled inside him like boiling tar while he shot daggers at him. He was like a volcano ready to erupt.


    Forcing his way to him, he growled indignantly lunging at Luka, "You coward! You can''t stop a single yer and now you''re bringing our personal issue. Just say that you aren''t qualified."


    If not for his teammate''s intervention, he would probably knocked him.


    "You bastard! You''re talking as if you''ve yed so well. Don''t forget that it was you who conceded two goals. Just quit goalkeeping if you can''t even stop such simple shots."


    Their personal grievance was starting to take a violent shift. And it didn''t seem like either were willing to back away.


    As for the ones who were trying to separate the two from confronting, they were growing increasingly tired. They could barely keep them away.


    "Just what the hell is going on here?"


    Willy yelled furiously, annoyed by the scene in the locker room. It hadn''t even been that long since the end of the first half, yet his yers were already causing a scene.


    Their condition was already perilous enough yet his yers were busy infighting. Do they not have a shred of professionalism in them? They were like a bunch of savages.


    His growl was like the rumbling of thunder.


    At once as his furious voice sounded, it startled many. At the same time, the locker room turned silent as yers stopped their rumbling.


    Then they turn to look at him.


    Furrowing his brows, he stood at the door with bloodshot eyes, ring at his yers. Even the coaching staff behind him despite their evident agitation appeared much more docile than him. It was as if a demon had descended.


    "What''s all this fuss about? Is it because you are losing in front of your supporters?"


    While speaking, his gaze turned to look at the yers who stood out from the rest. The ones at the center of this mess. The ones responsible for the mess.


    "Didn''t I warn you two that your personal grievance shouldn''t affect the team?" Willy said in a t tone, ring at the ones responsible for the mess.


    "But it''s..."


    The two tried to retaliate. But before they could form their words, Willy raised his hands, signaling them to stop. He wasn''t in the mood to hear theirints. Since the two were good yers he had given them the chance despite their grudges.


    But at this moment, he couldn''t help but doubt if he was wrong.


    Sure, they were amazing yers. But if all they did was to disrupt the harmony in the team why would he bring them along?


    They were more of a liability than an asset.


    Willy then rolled his eyes to Kvicha, the team captain, with a look of disappointment. "After Guram''s dismissal, I trusted you. But you''ve let me down."


    He had vouched for Kvicha, believing in his leadership qualities. Now, he couldn''t help but wonder if he had made a mistake.


    Should I have appointed someone else as the captain?


    As the reality of the situation sank in, Willy felt more disheartened than angry. How was he supposed to fix this mess? The team was in disarray, and theck of unity threatened their chances on the field.


    Meanwhile, in the Japanese locker room, the atmosphere was vastly different. With afortable lead, the team was in high spirits. Hiro, who had both scored and assisted in the first half, was the center of attention.


    Despite some initial doubts about his ability to perform under pressure, Hiro had proven himself. His brilliant y had silenced any critics, earning him the respect and admiration of


    his teammates.


    Now, nobody could point a finger at him.


    They could see that he was in a league of his own.


    Hiro''s confidence was soaring to new heights. Yet amidst the ongoing praises, he still couldn''t afford to let his sess get over his head.


    And he was well aware of it.


    So despite the praises, he stayed down to earth. After all, who knows what kind of tactic the opposing side woulde up with in the second half?


    The game had yet to be decided.


    So, he couldn''t celebrate early.


    And there was that matter regarding his quest as well. He couldn''t afford to lower his guard. Instead, he had to remain sharper than ever.


    Then after a brief period of rest, yers began to enter the field for the second half. For some reason, it appeared as if most of the opposing yers were distressed.


    Walking by their side, Hiro couldn''t help but wonder.


    ''Did something happen in their locker room?''


    It might be due to their performance in the first half that they looked different. But it wasn''t


    enough to justify their reaction.


    So, it got him wondering when he saw their downcast faces.

 Chapter 494: Jeers!

    Chapter 494: Jeers!


    ?


    As he swept his gaze through the faces of the opposing yers, Hiro couldn''t help but feel uneasy. For someone who held the home advantage, they were unusually silent.


    Shouldn''t they be red up instead?


    Also, why did they change their keeper?


    Sure, he conceded two goals in the first half, but it wasn''t his fault initially. Rather he had yed decently in the first half despite conceding those two goals.


    So, he found it a little strange when he noticed the early substitution of the opposing side. It didn''t make any sense to him.


    Just what are they trying to achieve?


    If only he knew it was merely because of a disagreement, he wouldn''t be pondering such deeply. But he wasn''t aware of it so, all he was capable of at the moment was to piece every clue he got to find the answer.


    But his contemtion didn''t get him far as he failed to decode their unusual strategy.


    Hence, he chose to give up on the matter.


    It wasn''t worth the headache.


    It wasn''t only him who was confused by the unexpected substitution. The fans on the stand were equally confused by the sudden change of their starting goalkeeper.


    Georgi yed for Valencia.


    He had been excellent for the team since he took on the starting goalkeeper role. Sure, his game had been a little off today. But it wasn''t enough to take him out.


    But unlike Hiro, they were aware of something which he wasn''t.


    Amidst the confusion, some were quick to notice the absence of Luca on the field. Seems like he wasn''t ying either.


    That''d only imply that they had quarreled backstage.


    It was only an assumption.


    But based on their history, it was the only answer to their question.


    So once somebody mentioned the reason for their absence, it spread like wildfire. And soon everybody in the venue was talking about it.


    Upon learning the truth many fans present at the stadium were infuriated by their disy. Their team was losing yet they were hung up on their personal differences.


    "They don''t deserve to wear the national jersey"


    "Yeah, even at a time as such they are fighting between themselves. Do they not have a shred of patriotism?"


    "Those ungrateful bastards!"


    Many fans after learning the truth couldn''t help butment the involved yers for the mess they had caused. Hence they began to chant angryments at the yers involved.


    The fury of the fans didn''t go unnoticed.


    "What''s happening?" one of the Japanese yers asked in confusion.


    They were startled by the sudden shift in the atmosphere. Just a moment ago when they entered the field those fans were cheering on their yers as if there was no tomorrow. But now, what had caused them to shout such angry chants?


    Hiro and his teammates were in a daze.


    All thosements mixing was creating a discordant chanting. Their emotions were vivid but their words weren''t audible.


    Due to this Hiro and others from the Japanese side were finding it extremely hard to decipher the cause of their fury. What had gotten them so pissed?


    Some of them were even scared.


    "Is... it because we are winning?"


    "They must be trying to demoralize us by intimidating us."


    Some couldn''t help but link themotion to their performance. After all, they were ying on foreign soil in front of such a massive flock of supporters so, it wasn''t entirely unfeasible for them to be the target of those jeers.


    However, when they noticed the silence of the opposing yers they couldn''t help but feel skeptical. Why were they acting as if they hadmitted some mistake? Shouldn''t they beposed instead?


    Why were they acting such weirdly?


    As for Willy, he could only sigh helplessly. It was only natural for the fans to be infuriated since their yers had let them down. Also, he wasn''t in the mood to me any.


    After all, he was partly at fault too.


    Despite themotion in the locker room, he wasn''t required to make any changes. He could have chosen to turn a blind eye to themotion.


    After all, the public wasn''t aware of the quarrel. So as long as nobody spoke a word about it everything would have turned out to be fine.


    He could have also chosen to drop only Luca since Georgi had a much better reputation than him. But if he did that it would arouse more unwanted trouble his way. It would give others the impression that as long as they were reputed they wouldn''t be punished.


    However, if he dropped both then he''d probably face the wrath of the fans. He was well aware of the consequences his actions would bring.


    Yet despite all those, he dropped both in the end.


    As a coach, how could he turn a blind eye to such a serious event? Even if it cost him his job, he couldn''t afford to be bothered by it.


    He did what he felt was right.


    So, even after facing such a bacsh from the supporters, he wasn''t bothered by their jeers. After all, he had already expected it to happen.


    "Isn''t it unusual?" one of the Japanese yers in the reserve box said after noticing


    something weird on the opposing side.


    "Huh? What''s unusual?"


    Another who was right by his side asked in confusion. What''s weird about getting booed? It''s only natural to face such a scenario when ying on someone else''s turf.


    "I... think they''re not aiming at us," he said deeply.


    Furrowing his brows, he dismissed roughly, "What nonsense are you spouting?"


    Before the yers could figure out the reason for the sudden shift in the atmosphere of the stadium they were ordered by the referee to return to their position so that he could start the


    second half.


    The opposing side started the kickoff.


    Beep!


    The emotions of the fans might have spiraled. But it wasn''t anything new. Such scenarios are moremon than they appear in football.


    Be it when Figo signed for Real Madrid or when Messi was booed by his supporters at PSG such scenarios where home fans turn against their team it wasn''t anything new.

 Chapter 495: Rabona!

    Chapter 495: Rabona!


    ?


    Willy hadn''t only dropped Georgi and Luca from the squad but he had even ordered the two to leave the premises.


    If those two stayed on the pitch, it wouldn''t end well. The already perilous situation might even escte further. So due to such concern, he dismissed them entirely from the venue. As for their punishment, it could be decidedter. After all, he still had a match to prepare.


    So, he couldn''t be bothered by their dismissal.


    Even after their dismissal, he calmly exined his strategies so that they could y well in the second half. But even so, he could only put his hopes on his yers to execute his strategies. There was nothing he could do but trust his yers.


    The opposing side started the second half strong despite the pressure from the supporters.


    Especially their captain, he was more clinical than ever.


    From the nks, he generated countless opportunities for his teammates in a matter of minutes. It was as if he had finally decided to y seriously.


    Compared to his performance in those few minutes after the start of the second half, his performance in the first half seemed like he wasn''t ying seriously.


    But how could they allow him to move freely in their watch? Just because he began to y more impressively didn''t mean that they would sit back with their arms folded.


    As soon as they sensed danger they immediately put him under their radar. They kept a close watch on him and every time he got the ball they pinned two yers on him.


    Taking him on a duel was akin to providing him a free route.


    Yet despite all their efforts in the 54th minute of the game, he broke free from their entanglement. Firstly he tricked his marker who at all times shadowed him like his shadow. Then as he received the ball, he once again tricked Tomiyasu who was supposed to stop him. Taking advantage of his eleration, he purposefully created a scenario where they had topete for the ball. It was a battle of speed which Tomiyasu failed.


    But even so, he didn''t let his team down. Though he couldn''t salvage the ball, he forced Kvicha into a rather tight spot, greatly limiting his chances to shoot.


    Kvicha, however, swiftly changed his direction to move into a more favorable spot.


    Before deciding, he swiftly nced around him in hopes of finding his teammates. Since he was already inside the opposing box if he could pass the ball they''d have a much better chance of scoring.


    Also, he wasn''t selfish enough to take the shot from such a difficult spot.


    The chances of seeding in that position were rather minuscule. There was a huge


    probability that the shot might go awry.


    So before concluding, he tried to weigh his options.


    Though it might appear as if he had been thinking a lot. But in reality, he didn''t take much time to think. A nce was all it took for him to conclude.


    Then he swept his leg.


    Aya who had been observing him ardently was quick to react. The moment he swept his leg, he spread his legs, attempting to block the shot.


    However, he was fooled.


    Although the opposing number seven made it seem as if he was gonna shoot when he swept his leg he didn''t actually shoot. Instead, he crossed his leg and shot from his other foot. Rabona!


    From a spot so tight, he pulled a magnificent rabona!


    At once as the ball swerved past Aya and rattled the, the entire stadium erupted.


    "Goal!"


    Forgetting all their hatred they relished the moment. Cheering at the top of their voice they could hardly restrain themselves from relishing the moment.


    Their captain had delivered.


    The moment they had been desperately waiting for was finally here. So, how could they refrain from celebrating?


    Listening to the euphoric roar, Willy couldn''t help but put a faint smile on his face. It was such a joyous moment yet for some reason, he couldn''t bring himself to indulge fully in the


    moment. It might be because they still were losing despite the goal.


    But unlike his peers, he didn''t shout out loud or cheered excessively when they scored.


    The cheers of the crowd grew even stronger after that goal. As for the performance of the opposing yers, it continued to rise steadily.


    The fans no longer pursued the matter regarding the dismissal of their starting goalkeeper which made it easier for the opposing yers.


    Regaining the support of their supporters, it became even more easy for them to y. Their passes became more fluent than ever and the mistakes they made also lessened.


    Willy who had been watching his yers from the sidelines was satisfied with the performance of his yers. But even so, he couldn''t help but feel slightly uneasy.


    It was a feeling as if his team was still missing something.


    But he wasn''t sure what it was.


    As the match progressed soon he realized what had been causing that uneasy feeling in him. After that second goal though their performance seemedmendable, they still failed to


    score.


    No matter how hard they tried after that first goal, it seemed as if they couldn''t prate the opposing goal. It was as if they were hitting an invisible wall.


    ''It''s almost time''


    Nanami thought as he watched his yers struggle.


    Though they had done amendable job keeping the opposing side at bay, he could vividly


    see their struggle.


    In today''s match, he had started many new faces.


    And they hadn''t disappointed him either. But he knew that it was time he made some changes.


    So as the clock passed the 70-minute mark, he decided to make some changes.


    Then he solemnly turned to look at the reserve box and said in a t tone, "Kenji, Sato,


    Tominaga, Watanabe, Kubo, you''re up. Go warm up."


    They had been focused on the match. But when they heard hismand they immediately


    stood up. Finally, it was their turn to shine.


    "Seems like the Japanese coach is finally deciding to make his move"


    Thementator said upon noticing the movement in the Japanese reserve box.

 Chapter 496: Substitution

    Chapter 496: Substitution


    ?


    Though the opposing coach had decided to make some radical changes most fans didn''t even bother to bat an eye. They simply couldn''t afford to be bothered by the changes of the


    opposing side amidst their team''s magnificent performance.


    In the 75th minute, Hiro was brought down by the opposing yers about 40 yards away.


    Beep!


    Immediately upon seeing him rolling on the floor, the referee sounded his whistle. Since the tackle wasn''t anything serious, he didn''t bring out his cards.


    Instead, he let go of the yer with a simple warning.


    Yet still, despite seeing him rolling on the ground when the referee called out for a foul most fans made disgruntled noises as they tried to oppose the decision of the referee.


    Well, since they were running against time, it was only natural for them to feel irritated.


    Right at this moment, the assistant referee lifted his substitution board, hinting at a yer change from the Japanese side.


    Many turned to look at the referee.


    The moment their eyesnded on him their eyes widened in shock. Seeing the yers lined side by side they couldn''t help but express their shock. Just how many yers was he nning to substitute?


    It was almost half the squad.


    Had he gone insane?


    They were baffled by his decision.


    The opposing yers had the same look of surprise in their eyes. At the same time, some couldn''t help but feel a bit intimidated as well.


    As they swept their nces through the yers who were about to enter the field realization struck them hard like thunder.


    They were already having problems dealing with the avable yers. Yet they weren''t even ying with half their might?


    Just what kind of ridiculous squad had Japan assembled?


    For a split second, they couldn''t help but disy a look of horror on their faces. But they were also elites so how could they let themselves be intimidated?


    Though the Japanese squad seemed impressive they had faced much more tougher opponents. It''s just that most of the yers in their squad were also new.


    Unable to keep up with the game most of the performers who had performed in the Euro had retired due to their ages.


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that they were also ying with their reserved squad. Immediately upon entering the field, Kubo passed the message he had been tasked to pass from his coach to other yers. Since three attacking yers were entering the field they obviously had to change their formation.


    So they changed to a 4-3-3 formation.


    Tatsuki who previously yed as a center forward moved to the wings while Maeda was substituted for Tominaga. As for Kubo, he also moved to the wings.


    But there was still the matter regarding the freekick.


    Who was going to take it?


    If it was near the penalty box, Kubo would have stepped up.


    Since it was at such a distance, it was only fair for Kenji to take the shot. As for Hiro, he wasn''t even considered to be on the list.


    Even though he was an impressive talent, he still had yet to prove himself.


    "Do you want to take the shot?" Kenji asked Hiro jokingly.


    Since he had seen Hiro shoot, he initially did not doubt his ability. But even for him, it was quite far. So, he didn''t think that he would take him on the offer.


    But to his surprise Hiro epted.


    "Sure," Hiro said casually.


    As he heard his response, he couldn''t help but feel ufortable. How was he going to exin to him that he was merely joking?


    Kenji became flustered.


    The look on Hiro''s face only made it even more ufortable for him to exin.


    He looked dead-serious.


    Then a thought crossed his mind. Well, it wouldn''t be that bad to let him have the shot after all, he''s an excellent passer.


    From such a distance, he probably wouldn''t try something as foolish as to go for the goal. With that thought in mind, he agreed to let him take the opportunity.


    There wasn''t any harm to it.


    Even if he messed up it wasn''t an important game. So, it would be a learning experience for


    him.


    "The ball is all yours," saying so, Kenji backed down with a faint smile on his face.


    As for the yers they were also a little surprised to see him preparing for the shot. Since they had practiced the set-piece at such a distance with Kenji as the set-piece taker they naturally assumed that it was going to be Kenji who would take the freekick.


    So they were a little taken aback by Hiro''s presence.


    Taking in a deep breath, Hiro fixated his gaze on the post. From such a distance even the post appeared rather small, and he could hardly find any open spaces.


    Be it his teammates or the opposing yers, they were all clustered around the opposing box. As for the wall, he only had two yers to be worried about.


    Since it was at such a distance not even the opposing yers were expecting him to score. But some still appeared a bit skeptical. After all, he had already disyed his power to its fullest when he scored the second goal.


    So, it wouldn''t be wise to underestimate him.


    His teammate in front might be expecting a pass from him but he had already made up his mind. From the moment he epted the offer, he had already prepared himself to take a


    direct shot.


    It might have been selfish.


    But he wouldn''t have epted to take the shot if he wasn''t going for the goal.


    Right at this moment, when he was preparing to shoot, his focus peaked. Suddenly everything around him turned silent. At the same time, his gaze narrowed to the small gaps in the


    opposing post.


    Several routes unfolded before him.


    It was the same experience he had once experienced before.


    Zone!


    Then with a short run-up, he rushed toward the ball. The opposing keeper with his limited


    vision could hardly see him.


    Yet still from the narrow gaps, he was able to see him move.

 Chapter 497: Complete Dominance!

    Chapter 497: Complete Dominance!


    ?


    As he prepared to take the shot, Hiro felt as if the entire world had slowed down. Colorful strings wrapped the entire field, leading him to his destination.


    It was as if he had entered a different dimension.


    He could even feel the sensation of the cold breeze gently caressing him as it rustled past him.


    It was such an ethereal experience.


    Upon getting close to the ball, he threw his arms back while at the same time he stretched his legs. At this moment the weight of his whole body was concentrated on one single point. It was as if the entire force of his body was converging at one point.


    Bncing the weight of his entire body, his other leg was under huge pressure. But by no means was he ufortable.


    Then as he swept his leg to hit the ball, the stored-up energy transferred from his dominant foot onto the ball.


    It was a clean strike.


    As for his gesture, it was like a samurai swinging his katana.


    Upon contact, the ball rippled before soaring high above the heads of yers. Hiro himself couldn''t help himself from hopping due to the momentum.


    Bam!


    An ear-piercing sound echoed as he struck the ball. The sound was akin to a canon being fired. While the speed of the ball, it was simply unfathomable.


    At an incredible speed, it traveled to the post in front, swerving through the reaches of the yers in front.


    As for how impressive its speed was one could figure out from the stunned expression of the opposing goalkeeper who couldn''t even bring himself to react.


    He could feel its presence but he couldn''t bring himself to react. It was as if somebody had fired a bullet at him. The bullet merely grazed him so he knew that he had been shot but he was so helpless that he couldn''t bring himself to react.


    A stunned silence enveloped the entire stadium. A ce as such which hosted thousands of people to turn silent was simply breathtaking.


    Even thementator couldn''t bring himself to speak for a while.


    The entire stadium was stunned.


    It was as if somebody had frozen the time.


    Only after a while did thementator''s voice bring everybody back to their senses, "Magnificent. Simply magnificent. Just what in the world was this shot? Such raw power. Such technique. It''s simply unbelievable."


    "I can''t believe it. And it doesn''t look like many can either. This boy here is a living missile."


    Thementator was full of praise as he expressed his shock.


    "Just what in the world was that shot?"


    Many fans were in a daze. They disyed a mix of emotions such as shock, fear, awe, and bewilderment on their faces as they tried to make sense of the reality they had witnessed.


    Hiro''s shot sent tremors throughout the stadium.


    Previously when he had scored the second goal for his team, he had already disyed his power. And many had already acknowledged his power.


    But right now as they saw him surpassing the already impressive shot they couldn''t help but feel dazzled by his disy.


    At the same time, many felt their heart palpitate.


    Dribble, shot, passing, vision, uracy, power.


    Was there anything he wasn''t good at?


    Many opposing yers couldn''t help but question. Until this moment, he had fully disyed his abilities to the best. And witnessing his performance on the field though he was their rival they couldn''t help but acknowledge him.


    As for Hiro, he was as calm as if he had scored in an amateur league against some nobodies. He had scored such a stunner yet he didn''t reveal even a hint of joy on his face.


    Lost in his thoughts, he stared absentmindedly at the post, ''Isn''t it more powerful than usual? Did I unlock sometent talent?''


    Even Hiro was finding it hard to believe. Previously, he had never experienced such tremendous power. But all of a sudden, he could shoot even better.


    Just what was happening?


    Confused by the progression, he even checked his panel.


    [Host: Takahashi Hiro]


    [Age: 16 years 174 days]


    [Position: Attacking midfielder/Winger/Forward]


    [Club: Kawasaki Frontale]


    [System Shop: Open]


    [Overall: 85]


    [Possessed Talents: Tactical Awareness (S), Clinical Finishing (S), Knight in the Area (S)


    Bipedal (S), Equilibrium (S))


    [Possessed Skills: Focus, Lightning Steps, Magic Vision, Fireball Shot,.....]


    As he went through his attribute panel, he couldn''t find anything strange. Everything was just


    the way he remembered.


    What''s with that indifferent expression?


    Hiro was always unpredictable. So, it wasn''t a shock for most of his teammates to see him


    such calm after scoring a screamer.


    But to the opposing yers, it didn''t make any sense at all. They simply couldn''t see through his expression. It was as if he had put up a mask to hide his emotions.


    Just like this Japan widened their lead.


    Then as everybody got to their position, the game resumed.


    After conceding the third goal of the game opposing yers became even more desperate. In desperation, they tried everything possible to level the score. They upped their tempo and yed more aggressively while at the same time, they became even more vignt of Hiro.


    They had seen his might.


    And even after seeing his might if they left him unchecked, it would only hint at their ignorance. So how could they leave him alone?


    But it wasn''t only him who required attention now that other yers had entered the field.


    Kubo was equally threatening.


    And they couldn''t leave him unchecked either.


    With so many yers to look after, it became increasingly difficult for the opposing side toe up with a strategy to nullify all the outstanding yers.


    Hence they find it quite troublesome to score.


    Taking advantage of their weakness, Kubo who had onlye up recently further widened


    their lead by scoring a goal in the 83rd minute.


    Even so, despite scoring so many goals, they didn''t put a halt to their rampage.


    Just before the end of the second half, Kubo delivered a brilliant pass to Hiro which Hiro capitalized by scoring a brilliant volley to end the game.


    Japanpletely thrashed the home side with an overwhelming score of 5:1, leaving the home supporters utterly disappointed.

 Chapter 498: Move for the Jersey!

    Chapter 498: Move for the Jersey!


    ?


    Beep!


    As the whistle sounded, finally the game concluded.


    It was an overwhelming disy of might from the Japanese side. It was a testament to the squad that the Japanese side had assembled.


    As for Hiro''s debut, it was nothing but something straight out of a fantasy.


    A hattrick and an assist in his very first game for his national team, it was something many yers could only wish to achieve. But he had made it into a reality.


    To many opposing supporters, even the shrill sound of the whistle sounded like a sweet melody of respite. Finally, their torment hade to an end.


    They didn''t have to see their yers suffer any further.


    However, to many, it was a signal of their defeat. At once as they heard the sound of the whistle rage welled up inside them. Their veins bulged while their eyes became crimson with fury.


    Even though they had been venting their frustration since the moment they started losing the match they still couldn''t refrain from venting further.


    Well, after bearing such a humiliating defeat on their home turf, how could they remain silent?


    Sure, the opposing side yed well, and one may argue that the yers had given their best. But if their best efforts brought such humiliation then what use of their efforts?


    They might as well leave the team.


    Though they didn''t expect their team to win a major trophy they still held some expectations towards their team.


    But today''s disy was nothing but shameless.


    "Did you leave your mind somewhere? Only that would exin yourck of attention during the game," a burly man scoffed as he couldn''t take it any further.


    "You call yourself senior yers? Hmph! I bet even the under-twenty team performs better than you" another added.


    Soon others chimed in as well.


    Just from their gesture, it was clear that they were unsatisfied with their performance.


    As for the yers, they could only endure the frustration of their fans with their heads lowered in shame. After such a humiliating defeat, it was only natural for them to be treated in such a way.


    The fans didn''t spare a shred of mercy on the yers as they hauled them with indignant and ndering chants.


    By now many fans had already left the stadium while many were preparing to leave. While the opposing yers were grieving, Hiro walked towards the opposing number seven. He had a disheartened look on his face almost as if he was finding it hard to digest the defeat. By no means did he appear in the mood for a conversation.


    But Hiro couldn''t give up either.


    Since he hadn''t heard the prompt from the system, he could only link it to the iplete quest. Perhaps the quest hadn''t ended yet, who knows?


    Considering his performance, under any circumstances he shouldn''t fail the quest. If he failed even after such a marvelous performance, it would only imply that the system didn''t want him toplete it.


    There was his selfishness regarding his quest.


    But the most important reason for his approach was because he wanted his jersey. Though the timing wasn''t suitable, he still had to try his luck. After all, how could he pass on such an opportunity?


    Then as he got to him, he put on a gentle smile. Extending a hand, he said in an amicable tone, "It''s an honor to y against you."


    Upon seeing the extended hand, Kvicha tilted his head to turn to look at him.


    He was seated on the ground with his head slumped. After suffering such a humiliating defeat, he couldn''t bring himself to face either his teammate or his supporters. So, right after the whistle, he got to his knees and sat on the field with a frown on his face.


    But seeing someone extending their hand to reach out to him, how could he ignore him?


    Also, he couldn''t understand him well since the person was talking in English. Though he had a vague understanding of English, he couldn''t understand him well.


    Just who was it that approached him? It couldn''t be any of his teammates since the person was speaking in English. So who could it be?


    A pang of curiosity struck him as he heard him.


    Then as he lifted his head, he found the young sensation who had singlehandedly destroyed them with an amicable smile on his face.


    At first, he found his approach quite perplexing.


    First, you destroy us then you act as if you''ve done nothing? Are you for real?


    If it was someone with a quick temper, he would have alreadyshed out after experiencing his gesture. He might not hold any hostility but after suffering such humiliation they could only attribute his gesture as an act of mockery.


    However, Kvicha wasn''t such a person. So he stared at him nkly for a while before grabbing his hand andplimenting him for his marvelous disy.


    It was only the right thing to do.


    "Huff...," releasing a short sigh, he extended his hand to grab his. Then as he picked himself up, he said politely, "The honor is all mine"


    Out of habit, he spoke in Italian leaving Hiro dumbfounded.


    It had taken him countless hours of effort to be able to learn English. But now, he was present with another hurdle. Just speaking English wasn''t enough to converse with other yers.


    ''Doesn''t most people in Europe speak English?'' He thought as he heard him.


    Though he was panicking from the inside, he maintained his calm on the outside. He couldn''t afford to show his nervousness on his face.


    It also crossed his mind that he shouldn''t have gone out of his way to converse with him. He was ashamed of himself. In fact, he was so embarrassed that he could drown in a cup of water to hide himself from the embarrassment.


    But seeing his unresponsive gesture, Kvicha recognized that he was having trouble responding. Yet still, since he wasn''t fluent in English, he could only try to put off the conversation with a few words he knew, "I... am sorry. But I... can''t speak English. But you...


    yed good today"


    Ah! It seems that he didn''t know how to speak in English so that''s why he responded in Italian


    before.

 Chapter 499: Career Achievement!

    Chapter 499: Career Achievement!


    ?


    [Congrattions host! You havepleted the quest!]


    [Your rewards are being calcted]


    [Career Achievement! You have scored a goal on your national debut]


    [Career Achievement! You have scored a Hattrick on your national debut.....]


    Inside his head, the system prompt buzzed continuously without any stop, quickly drawing his attention. Hearing the buzz, he couldn''t help but feel exhrated.


    This momentarily distracted him.


    And by the time he came to his senses, he found the opposing number seven missing. Puzzled, he looked around him only to find the number seven leaving the pitch.


    Seems like he had taken too much time to reply.


    If he ran, he could still make it. But he could tell from their earlier conversation that he wanted to be alone. So, if he ran up to him, it''d only bother him.


    If he was on the receiving end, he might have been the same.


    So, out of consideration, he gave up on the idea to ask for his jersey this time. If he remained consistent, he''d get other opportunities.


    Well at least, he had earned his recognition.


    The reporters were swarming all over the field with their cameras and microphones, searching for the perfect news story to publish. Unfortunately, they caught him staring in a daze at the figure of the opposing number seven.


    For sure they''de up with something spicy. Who knows they might even publish an overtly exaggerated story that''s far from the truth.


    Right after seeing him leave, he was about to explore his rewards. But upon noticing the flock of cameras converged on him, he couldn''t bring himself to do so. Who knows they mightbel him as a lunatic if he stood in a state of trance.


    Multiple times, he had been reminded by his personal manager to be mindful of his image. So, he didn''t want to hear anything further from her.


    Hence, he put a triumphant smile on his face as he faced the cameras. Then he gently waved his hand at the cameras before heading back to join his teammates in the celebration.


    ''Those bastard are always hungry for scandals''


    While heading to his team, he thought.


    ''Can''t a man who had already died once peacefully fulfill his wishes?''


    He couldn''t help but feel annoyed.


    In the dormitory of Kawasaki, many young yers were gathered in front of a huge projector screen, watching the match that had ended only recently.


    "Damn! What a match it was. From here onwards, it''s only an uphill ride for Hiro"


    "Can you believe, he scored a Hattrick on his debut?"


    "And he''s even younger than some of us?"


    "The record breaker has done it again. Be it here or anywhere, he keeps on breaking records."


    The room buzzed with chatter as the yers who had been silent until a moment ago began to talk about the match andpliment Hiro''s performance.


    Even the youth coaches who had trained Hiro couldn''t help but look at him with eyes glistening with pride. Their chest was puffed while their face disyed a proud smile.


    Some even started recalling their impression of Hiro.


    He was the first one to arrive at the training and thest one to leave. There was even a time when he got into trouble. The solo dribbles, his impressive set-pieces, everything was so vivid.


    The trophies they had won. They were the most dominating team. Other teams would tremble upon hearing their name. Their name was used to evoke fear in their opponents.


    For a while, they were so lost in their past glory that they didn''t even notice the cacophonous noise resonating around them.


    Then as they woke up from their reverie they couldn''t help but sigh.


    Their recent performances hadn''t been as impressive as it was when they had Hiro in their ranks. Winning the league used to be so easy. Yet now they were struggling to retain their position in the top three.


    Their downfall had been nothing but unfortunate.


    Frowning, Makoto nced at his yers before regaining hisposure. Despite their recent disappointing performance, he couldn''t dwell on their past glory.


    After all, the past has already passed. As for the future, it''s yet toe. So, he could only focus on his present. With the avable yer in his hand, he had to make do with his present situation.


    Then he raised his voice to silence the yers, "Silence! This is not a fish market for you to be shouting so much."


    At once as they heard him, immediately everybody present in the room quietened. They dared not disobey his orders. After all, he was the man in charge.


    And as everybody quietened they continued to watch the broadcast in silence.


    ''Fly high, Kid.'' He wished Hiro well while looking at the image of Hiro on the screen.


    Though Manager Makoto was a bit disheartened by the present state of his team, he was still happy for Hiro.


    As for the yers they had a mixed reaction. Some were happy for him while some were envious of him. Once they had shared the same field but he was already on his way to the top while they hadn''t even gotten a contract yet.


    So it was only natural for those yers to be envious of his sess.


    Finally, as they got back to their hotel, he could have some time alone. Though the match had left him exhausted, he wasn''t feeling sleepy. Rather, he was excited about the rewards.


    Since he couldn''t open his rewards in public, he had put away the matter earlier.


    But right now, when he was all alone, it was the perfect time to explore his rewards. Just from the sheer number of prompts he heard earlier, he could tell that he had received a generous reward.


    He revealed a gleeful smile on his face as he said excitedly while rubbing his palm, "I wonder how wholesome the reward will be... Since it''s the talent of a world-ss yer it ought to be


    something special."


    "System open," he intoned excitedly.


    He wasn''t required to spell it. But he couldn''t help himself from calling out the system out of


    excitement.

 Chapter 500: Congratulations on your debut

    Chapter 500: Congrattions on your debut


    ?


    Knock! Knock!


    Just when he was about to explore his rewards, he heard a sudden knock on the door. Upon hearing the knock, his expression turned bitter.


    The smile on his face waned away while at the same time, his eyes became dull.


    Just who the hell was knocking on his door?


    Finally, when he could explore his rewards, someone had toe and interrupt him.


    All he wanted was to be left alone to explore his rewards. Was it too much for him to ask? The system panel was right in front of him.


    ''A moment of peace... Is it too much to ask for?'' He cried out inwardly while turning to look at the door.


    "Hiro..., Are you inside?"


    Someone spoke from the other end of the door. The voice sounded rather familiar to Hiro. Upon hearing the voice, he reckoned who it was- Tatsuki.


    Recognizing the owner of the voice, he gritted his teeth as he muttered, "Yes...,"


    "Great... Then can you open the door? Or are you ying with your little brother?" Tatsuki joked.


    His voice sounded rather jolly. If only he knew how irritated Hiro was, perhaps he wouldn''t be speaking such cheerfully.


    Hearing him, Hiro''s nerves twitched. Just what did he want at this hour? Though they had agreed to celebrate their victory together there was still some time left for the banquet.


    Normally, he wouldn''t have thought much about his jokes. But as he was onto something important at the moment, he couldn''t help but feel irked by his jokes.


    Yet still, Hiro kept himselfposed.


    Tucking his fury, he inhaled deeply to calm himself. But there''d better be something important or else he would suffer his fury.


    Getting up, he trudged to the door and hastily unlocked the door.


    Just as he opened the door, several people jumped on him, chanting loudly.


    "Congrattions Hiro!"


    Hiro subconsciously took a step back while his eyes widened in bewilderment. Just what was going on? He was startled.


    Dazedly, he swept his nce as he tried to figure out his situation.


    Almost the entirety of the squad had shown up before him and they were congratting him for some strange reasons.


    At first, he was confused and startled by their happy faces.


    But when his gazended on the cake Naoto held in his hand, understanding dawned on him. They were here to congratte him on his debut.


    Something that should be done before the start of the match.


    Yet still when he found out the reason for their approach, a sensation of warmth rose in his heart. At the same time, moisture began to form in his eyes.


    Hiro was touched by their disy.


    "Congrattions Kid, you''ve yed a great game," Kenji said with a smile.


    "You were really great today," Kaoru added.


    Previously after the end of the game despite his marvelous performance, they hadn''t said a lot about his performance which was rather weird.


    At that time, though he felt a little strange, he didn''t think much about their attitude. It seemed that the attitude of the national yers was quite different.


    But now, upon receiving such a warm gesture, he couldn''t help but feel moved.


    For a while, he remained still at his ce, unable to speak anything. Overwhelmed by emotion, it was simply too much for him to speak.


    "Why aren''t saying anything?" Tatsuki asked revealing a grin on his face.


    Hearing him, Hiro looked at him deeply, his eyes glistening with tion. Then he said while stammering a little, "Than... Thank you, everyone"


    "Huh? We didn''t hear you? Can you talk a bit louder?"


    Someone from the crowd said.


    They could vividly see that he was touched by their gesture, so much so that he was having trouble speaking. Yet still they didn''t spare any mercy on him as they insisted him to speak.


    Well, he was the hero of today''s match.


    So, it was only natural to hear some words from him. After all, he was the center of the attention.


    Increasing his voice, he once again thanked everybody who showed up, "Thank you, everyone. I''ll continue to work hard so that we can bring the trophy home"


    This time, he had already calmed himself. So, he was able to speak his heart.


    "I hope you will bring us the trophy"


    "Yeah, we''re counting on you"


    The crowd responded to hismitment. They weren''t expecting such a bold statement from him. But now that he mentioned it how could they let him go easily?


    Everybody was already fully aware of his ability to remain calm under pressure. So they didn''t think much when pinning their hopes on him.


    "Now, shall we cut the cake?" Naoto asked as the mood lightened.


    "Who has the knife?" Tatsuki raised his voice.


    "What about the tes?"


    "I snuck some from the dining hall hahaha...,"


    "I swear if you didn''t y football, you''d make for a great robber..., hahaha"


    Joking they got inside to cut the cake. Celebrating in the hall would be a little too much after


    all.


    "You deserve it, Hiro."


    "Looks like they''ll be having fun all night today."


    "I don''t see Kubo anywhere?"


    "Now that you mention it, I don''t see Ryo either"


    "Perhaps they are exhausted. So they didn''t show up."


    Some of the yers were live-streaming the whole celebration. In thement section, many viewers were expressing themselves, talking among themselves, and being part of the


    celebration.


    Most of the live-streams had already amassed more than a couple thousand viewers among which many were home supporters while some were foreigners.


    "What are they celebrating for?" Someone asked in English.


    "You see that guy with the knife? They''re celebrating his debut." another responded to their


    comment.


    "But who is he? I entered the chat since Kenji was live-streaming."


    "Remember his name, he''s Takahashi Hiro. Someday, he''ll be the best yer in the


    world"


    "You jest! First, tell him to be the best yer in Asia then we''ll talk"


    Though most of thements from the home fans were positive still not everyment was


    positive. There were many negativements as well.


    But one thing was certain, Hiro''s poprity had begun to rise.

 Chapter 501: Grand Prize!

    Chapter 501: Grand Prize!


    ?


    Finally, after the momentary celebration, Hiro got the opportunity to explore his rewards. But he still had to attend the banquetter, so he had little time.


    Whatever it was, he had to be quick.


    [For scoring on your debut, you have been awarded 50 points]


    [200 points have been awarded for scoring a hattrick on your debut]


    [For achieving an incredible feat 300 points have been awarded to the host]


    Combined with his already existing points, he now had a little over a thousand points. These points could either be used to increase his stats or buy something from the system shop.


    Truly, he had reaped a lot from today''s match.


    Hiro revealed a satiated grin on his face before eximing in shock, "Damn! I can already max one of my stat if I put it all in one stat."


    For reference, if he puts all the points in his dribbling, he''ll have 99 dribbling. Given the present evaluation hundred was supposed to be the max.


    But what if he could raise his stats beyond a hundred?


    Would that be possible?


    Although it seemed unlikely to happen, Hiro couldn''t reject the possibility. Who knows, it might be possible to raise the stat beyond a hundred.


    The concept was rather enticing.


    But it wasn''t the time to entertain such thoughts. So, he immediately dispelled those thoughts. After all, it was only the appetizer. The main dish was yet to be served.


    [Congrattions host, you have sessfullypleted the quest. You have managed to leave a deep impact on the target]


    [You have been awarded the talent Shadow Tactician (SS)]


    The name sounded quite grand. As for its rating, it was the highest caliber talent he was about


    to possess. So, Hiro felt quite exhrated when he saw his grand reward.


    His heart was already thumping with excitement while he had a glee on his face.


    However, when he went through its contents, his eyes dpidated. While at the same time, his smile froze on his face.


    Then slowly he gasped before mumbling, "Holy Shit!"


    [Shadow Tactician (SS)]


    [Description: Allows the host to constantly exert a subtle influence over the game, causing opposing yers within a 10-yard radius to have slightly reduced reaction times and making them just a fraction slower to reposition. This effect makes it harder for the opposing team to anticipate and respond to the host''s moves, allowing the host to maintain better control over the game''s flow.]


    [Unique ability: At unpredictable moments during the match, it dramatically enhances the host''s influence for a brief period. The effectsst for about 7 seconds and can ur multiple times in critical situations, helping the host to turn the tide of the game. At this period, all opposing yers within a 15-yard radius will experience a 20% reduction in reaction time while at the same time, the host will gain a +10 boost in passing uracy and a +5 increase in speed. The host will be able to detect the activation of its unique ability.]


    It might be because of his excellent results but he wasn''t required toplete any condition to dive into the talent; meaning he was able to immediately tap into it.


    A talent that could mask his presence while at the same time giving him a massive boost. Such a talent was indeed rare toe by.


    It was almost like a cheat.


    But what intrigued Hiro was its unique effect. An ability that reduced the reaction speed of every opponent present within a 15-yard radius was something to fathom. Also, it gave him a massive boost in speed and passing uracy.


    Truly, it was a talent that he could sell his soul to demons to get his hand.


    The only downside was that it activated at random.


    Well, at least he was able to tell when he activated its unique effect. It would have been quite upsetting if he couldn''t tell its activation.


    But the mere fact that he could activate the unique effect multiple times in a game was something to rejoice.


    "Wouldn''t I be invincible with this talent?" Hiro murmured.


    After going through its description, he couldn''t help but think about using this talent in a real game already. For an explosive dribbler like him to be able to reduce the reaction speed of his opponents was something omnipotent.


    In many instances, he was already able to dribble past multiple opponents when their reaction speed was as sharp as a cat.


    Now, what would happen when their reaction speed was reduced by 20%? They''d be utterly helpless against him.


    Before they could even reach him, he''d leave them behind.


    But right when he was entertaining the thoughts of passing his opponents with ease, systems prompt rang in his ear, making his delighted mood bitter.


    [Just like the host, some individuals will possess the ability that counter the effect of the host''s talent. So it''s unlikely that the host would be omnipotent]


    The system spilled water on his bliss.


    A moment ago, he was already imagining the havoc he would be causing after equipping himself with his newly acquired talent. But now he got to know that there might be individuals to whom his ability might have no effect.


    Was the system trying to be sarcastic?


    Or was he overestimating the ability of his newly acquired talent?


    "So basically it means that if I encounter such individuals then I''m on my own huh?" He murmured sounding a bit dejected.


    The previously cheerful eyes that were glistening with excitement now became dull as he figured out the reality. It seems that he still has to be cautious despite possessing such a marvelous talent.


    But as he pondered about how he was copying the talents of others via his system, his expression turned solemn.


    "Well, it won''t be entirely unfeasible for someone to possess talents that could counter the talent that I possess. After all, I myself have obtained these talents from others. So, it''s not entirely impossible for someone to have talents that could counter mine," Hiro tried to make do with the situation through his analysis.

 Chapter 502: Rio de Janeiro

    Chapter 502: Rio de Janeiro


    ?


    The next day after the celebration banquet, Hiro spent his day exploring the city with his teammates. Even Kaoru who had previously vowed to exclude himself from exploration until after the match joined the rest in exploring the city.


    Although he didn''t get many minutes on the pitch, he still got to y. So, he was satisfied with the amount of minutes he had gotten on the pitch. After all, he hadn''t expected to get a lot of minutes to begin with.


    Spending a whole day exploring the city they enjoyed their stay in Georgia.


    Then the next day they boarded the ne to Brazil.


    It took them quite a while to reach their destination. Inside the airne, Hiro had many encounters as some people recognized him due to his performance in the exhibition match against Georgia.


    To a great extent, his poprity could be attributed to the opposing number seven who had many fans who monitored his actions closely.


    Someonepletely unknown had demolished their favorite yer''s team. So, how could they not take notice of him?


    Until now, he was rtively unknown in the world.


    But after delivering a marvelous performance in the match against Georgia, Hiro''s reputation had soared to new heights.


    After a longfortable flight, the ne entered the Brazilian territory.


    "We''re here," Tatsuki eximed excitedly, his eyes glistening with joy. "Look it''s Jesus" he added nudging Hiro as he tried to inform Hiro who was seated right beside him.


    The journey was going to be long. And Hiro wanted to take the opportunity to explore thend of football to its fullest. So, Hiro was deep asleep.


    Feeling the touch, he drifted awake.


    "What...?" Hiro asked in a half-awake state.


    "We have arrived in Brazil," Tatsuki said excitedly.


    As he heard the mention of their arrival, he slowly opened his eyes. Then he pushed Tatsuki to his seat before stretching his head to take a peek outside the window.


    Just as he looked out of the window, a magnificent gigantic stone statue of Jesus stood before his eyes. It seemed as if the statue could touch the clouds.


    Even from a distance, he could clearly see the statue. As for other structures, it seemed like scattered ants when looking from above.


    Hiro''s eyes glistened with awe as he looked through the window. At the same time, his head buzzed with excitement. Finally, he arrived at the nation which was famously known as thend of football around the world.


    It had been his wish from his past life to visit this nation once.


    The country that birthed legends of the game like Pele, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, Kaka, and many others, he couldn''t help but wonder what it''d look like.


    Would there be people ying football everywhere he went like the rumor he had heard previously?


    Until the ne began to descend, Hiro kept on fixedly staring out of the window. Though his actions irked Tatsuki, he wasn''t concerned about him the least.


    As the ne began its descent, Hiro suddenly felt unusually light. The sudden feeling made him clench his fist while at the same time, it made him hold his breath. Though he desperately maintained the calm on his face, he was a bit terrified.


    Only after the ne''s sessfulnding did he heave a sigh of relief.


    The feeling of weightlessness that he''d get during the ne''s descent, he could never get used to it.


    After theynded, Seko gave him a strange look before asking him, "Are you really terrified of the ne''s descent?"


    Hearing him, Hiro blinked his eyes before rolling his eyes away from him, "You''re scared of ghosts. So, why can''t I have a fear ofnding?" he replied coldly.


    How did he know that I''m scared of ghosts?


    Hearing the mention of his phobia, his expression changed. He hadn''t mentioned his phobia to him before. So, how did he find out that he was terrified of ghosts?


    He became rmed as he heard the mention of his phobia.


    Immediately, he tried to defend himself, "Who... said that I''m afraid of ghosts?"


    Well, seeing him warily making his way to the restroom at night after staying up watching a haunted movie, Hiro could tell that he was afraid of Ghost.


    But even though he had noticed his fear, Hiro never mentioned it.


    "Naoto," Hiro answered briskly shifting the me to Naoto. Then he stood from his seat to leave.


    So, it was Naoto who had sold him out.


    Upon the mention of Naoto, he darted his eyes to Naoto, ring at him.


    If it was Naoto then it made sense. After all, he was the only other person than his parents who


    was aware of his phobia.


    They then exited the airport.


    The sun was almost at its zenith. Sparse clouds were floating in the azure blue sky, masking the brilliance of the sun at times.


    Some people were gathered in a certain stadium.


    Bam!


    "Your shot has improved quite a lot, Thiago," Gabriel who was a robustly built yer praised


    the effort of his friend Thiago who had a rather lean and tanned body.


    Just now, Thiago, a tanned skin guy with curly hair had fired an impressive shot from a distance. Perspiration could be seen on his face to a great amount, a testament to the hot and humid climate of Brazil.


    Even though he was praised, Thiago didn''t look happy. Instead, he had a rathercent look on his face. It was as if he was unsatisfied with the results.


    Noticing the frown on his friend''s face, Gabriel couldn''t help but address his worry, "You don''t look happy about it. Is something boggling you?"


    Heaving a deep sigh, Thiago said in a low tone, "I don''t know but I still feel like I''m missing something. Like I canfortably nail the shots in training. But in an actual match, I don''t know why I keep missing by a hair''s breadth"


    Thiago often shared his thoughts with Gabriel. And the two were rather close to each other despite ying in different leagues. Gabriel represented Arsenal while Thiago yed for Fluminense FC. So, there wasn''t any need for him to hide his worries from him.


    Though they had started their career together Gabriel had already gone on to y for a top- six club of the premier league while he was ying for a team in the Serie A which constantly struggled in the relegation zone.


    However, it didn''t mean that he was jealous of his friend''s sess. It was just that he was starting to feel ashamed to call him his friend.


    He was well aware that his friend never thought about him in such a way.


    But he couldn''t help thinking about it.

 Chapter 503: Prodigal Youth

    ?


    Upon hearing the worries of his friend, Gabriel couldn''t help but frown. Having known him for a long time, Gabriel naturally knew how hard-working his friend was.


    In fact, during their early years, he often dazzled everyone who watched him.


    Due to such a dazzling performance, many people had spected Thiago would make it grand on the world stage once he debuted.


    But contrary to their expectations, he had turned out to be an average yer.


    The expectations on him were great but he failed to fulfill them. Rather he was outdone by his friend whoter went on to be a starting yer of the national team while he struggled to get a call-up.


    So, it was only natural for him to feel frustrated.


    Gabriel looked at him deeply before responding, "You are doing well, Thiago. So, you shouldn''t feel burdened about it."


    Thiago was well aware that Gabriel was merely trying to cheer him. Even so, he was in turmoil. After all, he was well aware that performance was all that mattered on the pitch.


    Effort doesn''t matter if it can yield results.


    It doesn''t matter if you perform well if you don''t get your hand on silverware. People might remember you for your performance for a while. But they''ll eventually forget about you because of yourck of achievements.


    Just from hisck of response, Gabriel could figure out he wasn''t convinced. So, he tried to change the topic of conversation in an attempt to shift his attention elsewhere.


    "Ahh right! I heard that there''s an amazing youngster in the Japanese squad. Just some days ago, he slotted three goals against Georgia despite ying with the reserve squad."


    Thiago''s eyes perked as he heard him.


    It seemed that this topic was to his liking. Gabriel who had been watching him closely immediately caught his interest.


    Just from his eyes, Gabriel could tell that he had hooked him.


    Gabriel walked close to him, closing the distance between the two. Then he revealed a grin on his face before continuing, "And do you know what''s the best part? I heard that it was his debut and he''s only sixteen."


    Just how good was he to score a hattrick on his debut?


    There''s been only a handful of yers who have managed to do so. And you''re also telling me that he''s only sixteen?


    Also, it wasn''t against an unknown team but a full-fledged squad with a solid foundation. Just what kind of ridiculous talent was he?


    Thiago was stunned by the revtion.


    Here, he was having trouble registering a goal for his nation. But there a sixteen-year prodigy had already managed to score three goals on his very first game.


    For a while, he could only look at him without being able to open his mouth. Then he acted mesmerized as he said, "Damn! Even the youngsters from our squad weren''t able to have such an impressive debut."


    Then he paused as he calmed himself before continuing in a calm tone, "Georgia must have yed their reserve squad for them to get scored three goals by a debuting teenager"


    Thiago wanted to dismiss the topic.


    "But the fact that he scored three goals on his international debut that alone is praiseworthy. So, he must be a talented individual...," Saying so, he walked towards the ball close to him.


    "I heard that it was the opposite. The Georgian squad yed with their starting yers but the Japanese side started their reserve yers. Many of their star yers were absent in the match," Gabriel said.


    As Thiago heard him, he stopped on his track. He couldn''t believe the words he had heard just now. After all, by no means was Georgia a weak team.


    Their recent performances had been quite impressive. But apletely unknown kid demolished their squad?


    Disbelief clouded his eyes as he rolled it towards Gabriel. Was he trying to y a prank on him?


    Inside a hotel room, Hiro was seated right beside the window, his gaze fixated on the smartphone in his hand.


    The smartphone screen disyed the chats he had with his mother.


    His expression appeared a bit dejected.


    It had been quite a while since hest talked to his mother. Previously, during his abroad stay, she''d call him every day. Buttely, she hadn''t called him much.


    And even if he tried contacting her, she wouldn''t answer. It''s not like she didn''t return the call. But by the time, she tried contacting him back, he wouldn''t be avable. Then again, it could be attributed to the time difference.


    Going through their conversation, his brows knotted as a thought popped inside his head, ''I hope father''s doing well''


    Hopeful, he called her again.


    Ring! Ring! Ring!


    The more the phone buzzed the more desperate he got. He desperately wanted her to pick up the call. Subconsciously, he crossed his fingers as he clung to the tiniest hope of her picking up


    the call.


    But it seemed that she wouldn''t pick up again.


    Right when he had thought of giving up, she answered the call.


    "Hello..., Hiro," she said, her voice sounding a little unusual.


    Even so, it had been quite some time since hest heard her. So, upon hearing her familiar


    voice, he couldn''t help but rejoice.


    The knot in his brows eased as his expression lightened.


    Sounding a bit shaky, he answered, "Hello..., Mom. How are you doing?"


    There were many things he wanted to ask. But for some reason when he heard her, he couldn''t


    bring himself to ask those pre-prepared questions.


    "I''m good... How about you? Are you eating well?" she responded in a low whisper.


    Usually, she was quite loud.


    In normal times, she''d bombard him with her worries. But recently, her voice had lost its liveliness. But the concern she had for him, even at such a time hadn''t diminished.


    "Yes, mom. I''m eating well..." Hiro paused for a while before getting to the main topic,


    "Dad..., How''s he doing?"


    At this moment, Hiro''s eyes reflected deep concern.

 Chapter 504: City exploration

    Chapter 504: City exploration


    ?


    Even though she couldn''t see him, she could tell he was worried. Hence, as she heard him, she replied immediately to alleviate his worries, "Don''t worry, he''s doing well. Lately, he has been able to stay awake for long. By the time you return, he''ll probably start walking too."


    She responded, her tone reassuring.


    Hiro couldn''t detect any shred of lies in her voice. So, he heaved a sigh of relief as he heard her. After confirming his father''s well-being, he conversed with her for a while.


    The matter regarding his father''s health had been troubling him for quite a while. But now that he confirmed his well-being, he felt quite delighted. It was as if somebody had lifted a heavy burden from his shoulder.


    As he ended the call, he walked to his bed and hopped onto the bed. With his arms spread, hey t on the bed, his back pressed against the soft mattress.


    For a while, he remained still at his ce.


    Then he raised his arms, bringing his phone close to his face.


    "I wonder how others are doing? It has been quite a long time since west talked," Hiro murmured while staring at his phone screen.


    There were many unread chats shown on his phone screen. Those messages were mostly from his friends. After all, only a few close people could text him on this ount.


    One by one, he then started to reply to the messages sent to him.


    Most of them were about his debut.


    They were congratting him for his magnificent debut.


    "Congrattions, Hiro. You are quite something. I thought that you were simply trying to cheer yourself up when you said that you would score on your debut. But after watching your performance, you have left us all speechless."


    Read one of the messages. It belonged to Ishikawa.


    When he was in Japan, he used to almost converse with her daily, apart from the matchdays. Their conversation mostly consisted of their daily activities.


    But since his departure from Japan, they hadn''t talked much.


    Smiling, he answered, "Thank you. I saw that your channel is doing quite well too. So, congrattions to you too."


    Teaming up with Akashi and a few others, Ishikawa had been running a YouTube channel. It was the same channel, where Hiro once made an appearance.


    Lately, because of their cooperation, it has been doing quite well.


    Some of its fame could also be attributed to Hiro''s rising poprity. After all, due to Hiro''s rising poprity their channel had been getting quite a traffic. All those people who searched for him were led to their channel.


    Buzz!


    Ishikawa''s phone buzzed.


    At the moment, she was in front of her study table, doing some schoolwork. Themp on her table shone on the notebook ced on her table.


    Coincidentally, she was just about to take a break.


    Hearing the buzz, she reached for her phone. Then as she turned on her phone, she found the message from Hiro.


    Upon seeing the text, her face bloomed like a blooming spring flower while at the same time, a subtle smile graced her plum lips.


    But when she went through his message, her face withered. She had left him with such a long message but all he replied was a simple thank you.


    Was he for real?


    Then again as she recalled his personality, she couldn''t help but sigh. It was just like him. At times, he''d be the most interesting person to talk with while at times, he would be the most boring person.


    Thinking about his split personality, at times, she couldn''t help but think if he had a split personality disorder.


    "Most of it is thanks to you."


    "No, it''s all because of your collective effort," Hiro responded.


    "Are you trying to act humble now? If you are then you are quite a terrible actor."


    "You know well that I can''t act well. If only, I could borrow Akashi''s acting talent, I might


    have been even better. Ah talking about Akashi, how is he?"


    "As usual, he keeps on boasting about you. He never misses a chance to introduce you to every new people he meets. Sometimes, I wonder if he''s running a fan club."


    Exchanging conversations the two talked for a while. Alongside lengthy texts, many shy emojis could be seen on their screen.


    Since he had all day to himself, he could do as he pleased. So, he spent most of his free time, conversing with his friends.


    Though he couldn''t get in touch with all of his friends, he still got to talk to a few of his closest friends. As for Shun, he couldn''t reach him.


    But he had received a warm message from him as well.


    The next day, Hiro and his teammates hit the street in the evening.


    They were apanied by a local who went by the name Carlos.


    With tanned skin, curly hair, and sharp prating eyes, he had a rather lean body. Carlos worked as a waiter in the hotel they were lodging at the moment.


    But right now, he was their guide to the city.


    Yesterday, some guys from the team put forward the proposition of exploring the city to the coaches. However, even though they were practically grown-ups, it was quite risky to let them wander on their own.


    After all, it was an unknown ce. So, who knows if they''d wander into some ces they shouldn''t enter? Worse they might get robbed or kidnapped.


    With such dangers lurking around, how could they allow them to leave?


    But they couldn''t deny their proposal either.


    So to prevent such disasters, the coaching staff asked the manager of the hotel for a favor. Responding to their concerns, the manager of the hotel hired a local to guide the yers. And that person whom the manager had hired to guide the yers was Carlos.


    Carlos could fluently speak English. Also, he was a local who knew his way around the city. So for such reasons, he was hired as their guide.


    "Carlos, you remember about our deal, don''t you?" Hiro asked.


    Carlos gave him a wry smile before responding, "Don''t worry, I''ll take you to an amazing ce you''ll never forget."

 Chapter 505: Street Football

    Chapter 505: Street Football


    ?


    Previously, Hiro had struck a deal with Carlos.


    Since they were only granted permission to explore the safer part of the city, Hiro had bribed Carlos to take them to the part of the city where they could experience the culture of the city to its fullest. And for that, they had to delve into the part of the city that was considered forbidden.


    As they followed Carlos''s lead closely, after a while the scenery around them started to change. Previously they were surrounded by tall concrete buildings, wide paved roads, and rather extravagant-looking ces.


    But right now they passed through rather shabby-looking ces.


    They had entered the so-called slum areas.


    "Hiro..., are you sure about it?" ncing around him timidly, Kaoru asked.


    For someone his age, he seemed rather frightened. If he had known that they''d be entering such a ce he wouldn''t have followed them.


    But by the time, he was informed about their ns, it was toote for him to back out.


    "Haha..., Kaoru-san, it doesn''t suit someone your age to chicken out," Tatsuki said cheerfully. "Also, what''s there to be terrified about? It''s not like we''ll get kidnapped or anything," he added.


    Just at this moment, suddenly a dog jumped out in front of Tatsuki.


    Bark! Bark!


    "Ah....!!"


    He was startled by the sudden appearance of the dog.


    Immediately, he took several steps back as he hid behind Hiro. As for Hiro, he wasn''t startled. Due to his excitement, he had been observing his surroundings. So, he had already seen the dog. Also, the dog was chained.


    So, while many shouted out of startlement, he remained calm about the situation.


    "Hahaha...., Big words from someone terrified of chained dogs," Naoto eximed, his tone full of mockery.


    At once as realization struck him, Tatsuki felt embarrassed.


    Then he calmly answered, pretending as if nothing had taken ce, "But we still need to be vignt while walking here."


    Upon hearing his remarks, others let out a heartyughter.


    "Hahaha..., Yeah, we need to be vignt around here. Who knows another dog might jump on us?"


    "We can''t rule out cats too, hahaha..."


    Carlos who was leading the bunch also couldn''t help but break into smiles. Though he understood nothing, he still found their way of conduct funny.


    He found those bunches extremely amicable.


    Though many of them were already earning big bucks not a shred of arrogance could be seen on their face. They seemed like the type of people who could mingle in any clique.


    Walking along the narrow alleys that at times passed through someone''s front door, Hiro and his friends weaved their way through the alleys. If it wasn''t for Carlos''s guidance they might easily get lost in it.


    On the far western horizon, the sky had transformed into a fiery pit while the eastern horizon had started to darken.


    Some houses had already lit up while many were following suit. Yet still more and more people were chilling outside. The temperature had dropped, so many people hade out of their houses to enjoy the gentle breeze.


    It seemed almost everyone in the neighborhood was familiar with Carlos.


    The greetings didn''t stop no matter where they went. But since they spoke in Portuguese, Hiro and thepany failed to understand. They were like circus animals in an exhibition.


    At times they''d chance upon some local kids ying football in the narrow alley under the streetlight. While at times they''d chance upon some local gangs.


    Those encounters were rather dreadful as every time they''d chance upon those bunches they''d re at them in an intimidating manner. By no means did they appear friendly.


    If not for Carlos, who knows what would happen to them?


    But for some reason, despite the intimidating gaze he would get asionally, Hiro found the ce rather lively.


    The developed part of the city although it looked extravagantcked the soul. But here though the ce appeared rather shabby, it was full of life.


    "You''re not ufortable, are you?" Carlos asked as he led the way.


    "Ufortable? Why would I be? If I had to be honest then I''d say that I was ufortable in the hotel than here," Hiro responded.


    Hearing his response, Carlos chuckled as he said, "Hahaha...., You''re quite funny. Many people living here dream of spending a night at the luxurious hotel in which you''re staying but you feelfortable in such a shabby ce."


    Finally, after walking for a while, Hiro and the rest started hearing some loud noises. It was as if many people had gathered together at a ce to do something.


    "We''re getting close," Carlos said.


    Upon hearing his words, Hiro''s eyes lit up with excitement. Finally, after walking so much they were close to their destination.


    Then as they walked, it got even more noisier. While at the same time, something became visible in the far corner.


    Amidst the dim alleys, a ce was dazzling with bright light.


    Pointing at the brightly illuminated ce, Carlos said with a smile, "We''re here..."


    The ce in front was bustling with life. Sounds of cheers, balls colliding against metal fences, running of people, music, and many other sounds wereing from that ce. It was almost as if a party was taking ce over there.


    Then as they rounded up the corner, a concrete pitch surrounded by a mesh fence came into their sight. In the pitch, a group of people consisting of both young and adults, male and female was engaging in an intense showdown.


    It wasn''t just the people present on the pitch but many others were watching the match from the sidelines, cheering and jeering on the yers ying.


    The atmosphere of the ce was electrifying.


    "Campo de Santana, here you''ll find people of all age groups ying together in harmony. As you can see, some of these guys areborers who have returned after a day''s work while some


    are kids who spend their entire day balling"


    Carlos began to talk, introducing the ce to Hiro and others.


    "And all those people you see on the sidelines, don''t confuse them as mere supporters.


    They''re waiting for their turn to y."

 Chapter 506: Do you want to play?

    Chapter 506: Do you want to y?


    ?


    Excitedly, Hiro swept his gaze.


    Street football, although a popr sport worldwide was different here in Brazil. Here the people worshipped football as a religion.


    Be it, children or adults, everyone liked ying football.


    Even now, Hiro could see people of varying age groups ying together.


    Hiro had always wanted to experience Brazilian street football. Though he couldn''t experience it in his previous life, now he can experience it.


    It was at such ce that many legends were born.


    "Damn! What''s with that kid? He doesn''t look older than 15 but look at him go."


    "What the heck is with that uncle? How can he pull such wless moves despite being out of shape?"


    Most of Hiro''s teammates were stunned by the performance of the yers on the field. Those wless shy dribbles and passes had captivated their heart.


    Watching the excitement on Hiro''s face Carlos couldn''t help but ask, "I''m sure you hadn''te all the way here to watch. So, what do you say about a match?"


    Exactly, he hadn''te all the way here to watch the match from the sidelines.


    Hiro hade here to experience the game firsthand.


    But their coach had forbidden them to take part in any physical activities outside the training until their scheduled match. It was a precautionary measure to prevent unwanted injuries.


    So, although Hiro desperately wanted to y, he couldn''t bring himself to speak about it.


    "A single game wouldn''t hurt," Naoto said as he noticed the frown on Hiro''s face. He could tell just from a nce that Hiro wanted to y. But because of their coach''smand, he couldn''t bring himself to go against his true feelings.


    Hearing him, Hiro rolled his eyes to look at him.


    His eyes glistened with a deep feeling of gratitude. Hiro was touched but before he could bring himself to speak, Naoto gave him an understanding nod.


    Usually, he wasn''t the type of person who''d go against themand of the coach. Rather, he had an obedient personality.


    Thus upon hearing such disobedient wordsing out of his mouth, Tatsuki couldn''t help but stare at him with his eyes opened wide in disbelief.


    What happened to rules over personal interest?


    "What?" Naoto asked as he caught him staring at him.


    "Why such a change of heart?" He blurted in response as he asked dazedly.


    "If you don''t want to y then you can sit out," Naoto responded dismissively as he tried to shift the topic of their conversation.


    He didn''t want to rify his reasons.


    Knowing him, he should have figured it out. But he was just too stupid to figure it out by himself. And Naoto didn''t want to rify either.


    "What about you all?" Naoto turned to ask others.


    Even if they wanted to sit out, he wasn''t going to force them to y. So, it was all up to them to decide whether they wanted to participate or not.


    Apart from Kaoru who seemed a bit reluctant, others readily agreed to participate. But since he was already here, he agreed as well.


    "Then it''s decided."


    After confirming their participation, Naoto turned to look in Carlos''s direction, "We five will join the match," Naoto announced.


    "Five! Why are you excluding me?" Tatsuki growled.


    "I thought that you were going to sit out"


    Naoto responded calmly without a shred of guilt in his voice. It seemed as if he was truly excluding him from the team.


    This further infuriated Tatsuki. Thus he began toin even more vigorously, "Why should I sit out? When did I say that I was going to sit out?"


    Yet still amidst his rampant, Naoto maintained his cool.


    Although Carlos found their situation quite amusing, he couldn''t help but feel slightly awkward.


    A lot of people were looking their way, giving them strange nces. It was as if a show was taking ce here.


    So, Carlos couldn''t help but feel a bit awkward being at the center of attention.


    "Even so, one of you still needs to sit out. After all, it''s a 5v5 game," Carlos said in an attempt to control the situation.


    "Then it''s decided, he''ll sit out," Naoto presented his verdict with a solemn expression on his face as he pointed at Tatsuki.


    "Huh? Why me? Why don''t you sit out instead?"


    At this point, it seemed as if Naoto was intentionally teasing Tatsuki.


    Seeing him so riled up, Hiro and the rest couldn''t help but chuckle. Even if they were causing a scene, Hiro was finding the situation quite amusing.


    But if it went on any longer who knows if it wouldn''t escte any further. Also who knows if they wouldn''t get kicked out for causing a fuss?


    So to prevent such a scenario from happening, some of them volunteered to sit out.


    "Then, I''ll sit out for now"


    At once two people volunteered to sit out. One was Sugawara while the other was Kaoru.


    Coincidentally both said it at the same time.


    So they couldn''t help but exchange nces.


    "You can y Sugawara-san, I''ll sit out," Kaoru said as he tried to persuade him to change his


    decision.


    "No, it''s alright. You can y, Kaoru-san"


    Both were trying to be courteous to each other. So for a while, neither of them could conclude.


    Each was willing to sit out for the sake of the other.


    "Ah..., What are they talking about?" Carlos was confused by their exchange.


    Although he could somewhat tell what was taking ce between the two, he couldn''t


    understand the two. So, he had to turn to Hiro for help.


    "Ah..., They''re fighting over who gets to participate. Each of them wants to sit out for the sake


    of the other." Hiro exined.


    "Then can you tell that both of them can participate? After all, a single substitution is


    allowed." Carlos said.


    "Guys...," Hiro intervened. "All of us can y. We can substitute for each other."


    As they heard him both felt quite embarrassed. In an attempt to be courteous, they hadpletely ruled out the possibility of substitution.


    Then as the confusion cleared, Carlos walked inside the pitch.

 Chapter 507: Diamond in the rough

    Chapter 507: Diamond in the rough


    ?


    As he walked inside the pitch, many took notice of him. Then he walked to some people and began to converse. It seemed as if he was making some sort of arrangements.


    The people whom he was talking to showed a greedy smile on their faces as they talked with him. Then he returned after conversing for a moment.


    Smiling, he returned as he said with a glee on his face, "It''s done. You''re up"


    What do you mean it''s done?


    Weren''t they supposed to wait for their turn?


    Just how did he convince those people to let them skip the queue?


    They were puzzled to hear. After all, just a moment ago, Carlos had said that all those people


    on the sidelines were waiting for their turn. So, how did he manage to convince them to let them jump the queue?


    Seems like he had struck a deal with those bunches. Otherwise, how could they allow such special privileges to them?


    Even so, why does it matter what deal he had struck with those people?


    Excitedly, his friends entered the pitch. But, Hiro couldn''t help but ask, "Carlos, what kind of deal did you strike with them?"


    He let out a mischievous chuckle before responding, "I said that they could earn a thousand dors if they beat you. To top it all, I also said that they could assemble the very best yers here. So they readily agreed to let you y."


    Hiro had only bribed him with five hundred dors to guide them to this ce. But he was betting twice the amount. Did he have such faith in them to bet the money out of his pocket?


    Hiro couldn''t help but wonder.


    But before he could have some other thoughts, Carlos added, "Obviously, if they lose they''ll have to pay me two hundred dors but if you lose then you''ll have to pay them a thousand dors. I''ve got nothing to lose, hahaha...."


    Hiro wasn''t surprised by his words.


    Rather it was expected. After all, knowing him, if he could go against the words of his senior for money then how could he be expected to pay money out of his pocket?


    It seemed that Hiro was getting his hopes high for nothing.


    So, upon hearing him, he revealed an awkward smile on his face.


    But since a thousand dors wasn''t arge sum to him, he didn''t mind his actions. Also, if they wanted to take his money then they''d have to defeat him first.


    "Ah right, be aware of that kid in Barcelona Jersey"


    Before sending them off, Carlos warned Hiro about a kid dressed in Barcelona Jersey.


    As he heard him, Hiro swept his gaze to the kid dressed in Barcelona Jersey. He appeared rather emaciated almost as if he hadn''t had anything to proper to eat for months. Even the Jersey he wore was smeared with countless stains.


    If one looked closely behind his back one could see something written on it. The letters had already faded but upon closer inspection, one could see Neymar written on it.


    He had a curly ck hair. As for his dark eyes, it was full of determination and confidence. The sun-kissed skin of his which was a testament to the countless hours he had spent under the scorching sunpleted his looks.


    As for his pair of old, beat-up sneakers, it could be disyed in some antique museum.


    ''Shall we check his stats briefly before starting the match?''


    Hiro thought as he decided to run a quick scan before proceeding with the match. Name: Jo?o Silva


    Position: Free


    Age: 16


    Height: 170 cm (5''7")


    Weight: 52 kg


    Pace: 86 Dribbling: 90 Passing: 78 Shooting: 74 Vision: 80 Agility: 88 Physicality: 65 Defensive Awareness: 55 Stamina: 82 Technique: 87


    As Hiro analyzed him, he couldn''t help but stare at him with a look of disbelief in his eyes. The person in front of him could already y on the professional stage. Yet, he appeared so miserable at the moment.


    Isn''t Brazil famous for producing megastars?


    So, howe he wasn''t scouted yet?


    Those numbers could easily rival his. Hiro could tell for certainty that he was a diamond in the rough. But he couldn''t tell why he wasn''t noticed yet by anyone.


    What''s a yer of such caliber doing here, fighting for spare change?


    It''s just that he couldn''t get to look at his talents. Otherwise, he''d have known more about him. Yet still, after going through his stats, Hiro couldn''t help but feel curious about the talent he possessed.


    Nheless, it was clear that Jo?o was greatly emaciated.


    "I can already tell that he''s a formidable yer," Hiro said after going through his stats.


    Hearing him, Carlos broke intoughter before responding, "Hahaha..., You''ve got quite the intuition. Indeed, he''s quite tricky. So, be careful while approaching him. After all, you need to earn me some more bucks."


    Though Hiro had discovered a diamond in the rough, he wasn''t worried about it. Rather he was excited to ss against this raw talent.


    ''Let''s see whoes out on top''


    Hiro thought as his eyes glistened with excitement and determination.


    Then he proceeded to tell his teammates about his findings. Based on the stats, Hiro could somewhat guess his style of y. So, he instructed his teammates ordingly to prevent any unwanted disasters from taking ce.


    As they stepped onto the field the crowd roared.


    "Show these foreigners that it isn''t easy to y against the mighty Brazil"


    "Who wants to ce a wager?"


    "I bet fifty real on the home side"


    "I bet ten real on the foreigners"


    "What? Why are you betting on the foreigners?"


    "Hahaha..., because the stakes are much higher"


    All of a sudden the venue got extremely lively. At the same time, the already electrifying atmosphere of the pitch got even more electrifying. Many people also began to bet.


    "Woah..., look at all those people shouting. It somehow feels like even if we win the game, we''ll experience the wrath of these people," Tatsuki said timidly.


    As they prepared to start the match, Carlos announced, "The first team to score three wins the


    match"

 Chapter 508: Can we start the real game?

    Chapter 508: Can we start the real game?


    ?


    Carlos held the ball in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the yers as he dered, "The one who gets the ball after it bounces starts the game. Got it?"


    Hiro, representing his side, nodded confidently. But the burly man with a tattooed arm, who stood as the opposition''s leader, smirked arrogantly. He said something in a condescending tone, though Hiro couldn''t understand his exact words. It was clear, however, that the man was taunting him, perhaps saying something like, "Go ahead, take the ball."


    Hiro wasn''t fazed by the man''s arrogance. If his opponent were willing to give up the opportunity, Hiro would dly take it.


    Carlos then tossed the ball high into the air.


    As the ball ascended, the burly man casually stepped back, as if to make way for Hiro. The crowd''s cheers grew louder, almost as if they were in on some joke. Grins spread across their faces, dripping with mockery.


    But Hiro remained unbothered by their derision. He was focused on the opportunity at hand, grateful for the chance to take the ball. With a nod of appreciation, he stepped forward, epting the opposing side''s "generosity."


    The burly man and his teammates watched with smug smiles as Hiro moved into position. To them, he wasn''t even a threat-so much so that they didn''t even bother to position themselves defensively.


    ''If you''re all being so courteous,'' Hiro thought, a glint of determination in his eyes, ''then it''s only fair I return the favor.''


    In a sh, Hiro unleashed a thunderous volley, sending the ball rocketing toward the opposing goal.


    The change in the opposition''s expressions was immediate theirplexion pale, smirks wiped clean, reced by wide-eyed shock. They couldn''t even bring themselves to react.


    At the same time, a stunned silence fell upon the venue.


    The haughty opposing keeper who until a moment ago was taking Hiro lightly hadn''t even prepared himself. Against Hiro''s quick onught, he was rendered helpless- reduced to a mere spectator to Hiro''s impressive volley.


    Let alone expecting such an impressive shot from the half line, he hadn''t even expected him to strike so early in the game.


    At most, he had thought that he''d pass the ball to y it safe.


    But who would have expected that he''d unleash such a formidable shot so early in the match?


    Fortunately, it missed the post by a hair''s breadth.


    The ball hit the pole and bounced right into his arms, leaving him utterly stunned and relieved simultaneously.


    But it became clear to him that he couldn''t underestimate the opposing side any further. Who knows if others are even more threatening than him?


    Just from a single strike, it became clear to everybody present at the venue that they couldn''t be underestimated. Who in their right mind would underestimate such a formidable opponent after such an unfathomable disy of might?


    But when they noticed with his head bowed down, it became even more crystal clear to the people present on the field that they couldn''t be underestimated.


    "Now that I have returned the favor for your courtesy, shall we begin the real match?" Hiro said politely as he stood in a respectful position.


    The burly man looked in the direction of Carlos as if he were asking him to interpret his words.


    Carlos who had a wide grin on his face, proudly interpreted his words to him, "He said that he has returned the favor for your courtesy and he wants you to y the match seriously."


    Upon hearing the interpretation they couldn''t help but look at Hiro with a mixture of shock, awe, fear, and rage. How were they supposed to react?


    What was he trying to say?


    Was he trying to say that he purposely missed the shot?


    They also couldn''t help but feel slightly skeptical of his ims. But it didn''t matter if he was unting or not. The shot he had disyed was enough to prove his skills.


    Their arrogance had almost cost them.


    Now, they could no longer afford to act arrogant. They had learned their lesson.


    So, at once as they realized the threat level of the opposing team their expression turned serious. A moment of carelessness might cost them greatly.


    Before they had thought of this as an easy opportunity to earn some big bucks.


    But now their perception hadpletely altered.


    It was clear to them that if they wanted to win this match then they''d need to go all out.


    Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the burly man shouted, "Everyone, go all out. Don''t hold back. I''ll kill anyone if they don''t y seriously."


    A strange glint shed past their eyes as they nodded in agreement.


    After learning about the level of Hiro and his teammates, the perception of the crowd changed as well. Many people started to bet on them. At the same time, many people became interested in the match.


    Previously, it had failed to excite many of the people present there. They had only thought of it as some kind of exhibition match. And most had already predicted the loss of the other side. If not for Hiro''s action who knows if they''d still be thinking of them as the same? Then Hiro turned to face his teammates as he announced determinedly, "Everyone, prepare yourselves. The real match begins now."


    "Showoff!" Tatsuki scoffed jokingly.


    Naoto revealed a helpless sigh as he figured out Hiro''s intention, "Sigh! What a pain in the ass! Now, it doesn''t seem like I''ll have afortable time."


    "Hahaha..., it''s so like him," Kenji said with a smile on his face. It almost seemed like he was enjoying the show.


    The opposing keeper then tossed the ball to his teammate to resume the game.


    ying quick short passes, the opposing yers moved the ball.


    There wasn''t much space to y long balls. So, short passes were the only effective option.


    Due to thepact size of the pitch, it was easier for the retaining side to lose possession of the ball if they weren''t careful enough. So ball control yed an important role. If a yer wasn''t good with ball retention then it would hamper the entire team negatively.


    Fortunately enough Brazilian yers who had grown up ying on suchpact pitches didn''t have any issues with ying here.


    But for Hiro''s side who were mostly used to ying in full-size pitch, it was rather difficult for them to operate. And their weakness quickly became evident as they struggled to adapt to


    the pitch.


    Tatsuki who often relied on his explosive eleration found it quite difficult to operate.


    But Hiro who excelled inpact dribbling didn''t find it that difficult to y.

 Chapter 509: Jo?os brilliance

    Chapter 509: Jo?o''s brilliance


    ?


    In the opening minutes, Hiro''s team struggled to find their rhythm. Pass after pass missed its mark, leaving them disjointed and frustrated.


    Then, in the 8th minute, disaster struck. Jo?o, ever alert, intercepted a careless pass from Kaoru. Kaoru, who had misjudged the ball, felt his heart lurch as he watched it stolen right before his eyes.


    For a split second, panic gripped him, but Kaoru quickly steeled himself, determined to right his wrong.


    Jo?o wasted no time.


    With a burst of speed, he darted forward, his movements so fluid that Kenji could do nothing but watch as the Brazilian phenom left him in the dust.


    Kaoru, however, was ready. He positioned himself like a grizzly bear towering over its prey, his eyes locked onto Jo?o, trying to read his next move.


    ''Which way will he go?'' Kaoru''s mind raced, every muscle in his body tense and ready.


    Jo?o feinted to the left. Kaoru, not one to be fooled easily, lunged to block him. But in an instant, Jo?o vanished from his view, as if he had never been there.


    Kaoru''s eyes widened in shock. Where had he gone?


    A momentter, he realized with a sinking feeling that Jo?o had already slipped past him. The Brazilian had pivoted with the grace of a dancer, leaving Kaoru frozen in ce, his failed attempt to intercept a ring reminder of Jo?o''s brilliance.


    To the onlookers, it seemed as if he was dancing on the pitch.


    With a wide grin on their face, they stood on the sidelines enjoying the show. Their eyes hinted at a feeling of euphoria.


    After dribbling past Kaoru, Jo?o took a quick nce at the post before sending the ball flying. The post wasn''t that big, barely half the size of the real post. Even so, Naoto found it rather troublesome to stop the shot. It might be because it was from such a close distance. But despite his attempt to save the ball, he failed.


    The ball as it slid past his reach shook the.


    "Goal!"


    The venue erupted into euphoric cheers. Along with the cheers of the people, the rattling sound of the fence could also be heard.


    Jo?o who had scored the goal ran up to his teammates to celebrate the goal.


    Hiro looked at him with intrigue, ''Does this guy even realize that he had scored against pros?''


    Since Carlos hadn''t revealed their identity, they mostly thought of them as some random foreigners who wanted to experience their culture.


    So, Hiro couldn''t help but wonder about his reaction if he were to know about their identity. Would he demean them if he knew about their identity?


    Or would he act surprised?


    As for Naoto who had failed to stop the shot, he could be seen with a smile full of amusement on his face. Despite his attempt, he couldn''t save the goal but still wasn''t disheartened by his failure to stop the ball.


    ''Previously when seeing the post, I was confident to stop any shots. But it seems like it isn''t as easy as I have thought'' Naoto thought while reaching out to the ball behind him.


    Just then Kaoru came over to him.


    His brows were knotted in a frown and he had a rather dejected expression. Then he said with an apologetic tone, "Sorry, it''s my fault"


    Naoto revealed a subtle smile as he said, "Don''t fret over it, Kaoru-san. It''s just a friendly match. So, just don''t think too much about it and enjoy the game"


    Well, if only he knew that Hiro''s money was at stake. Perhaps, he wouldn''t be taking the match lightly.


    Kaoru gave him a light nod in response.


    Then Naoto threw the ball to Hiro to resume the match.


    ''Since he dribbled past two of our yers, it''s only right for me to return the favor twofold'' Hiro thought, a smirk adorning his visage.


    As the match resumed, he elerated with the ball.


    "Stop him," shouted the burly man as he steadily retreated to position himself better.


    Jo?o and one other guy rushed onto him, attempting to stop him.


    A dark brilliance shed past Hiro''s eyes as he quickly nced at the people before him. The other guy felt a foreboding feeling as he locked eyes with him.


    It might be due to the terror he had struck earlier with his magnificent shot.


    Or it might be an invisible force.


    But for some reason, he felt quite out of ce.


    It was due to the unique effect of his newly acquired talent. Then the next second, Hiro broke free from their entanglement in one fell swoop.


    ''What?''


    Jo?o and the other guy were stunned as they desperately attempted to follow him. Just in a split second, he had left the two behind.


    They could only see his back which for reason appeared broader than it was in reality.


    ''Was he always that big?''


    The other guy thought as he looked at him.


    After leaving the two behind, he then approached the remaining yers. At this moment, he pulled a move that almost resembled the move Jo?o had pulled out a moment ago.


    The entire venue was left speechless by his tant disy.


    Just how was he able to perform such skills so wlessly?


    Many were left in bewilderment as they tried to figure him out. At the same time, for some inexplicable reason, many couldn''t suppress the feeling of excitement.


    They could feel their heart racing.


    It was almost as if they were the ones facing the danger.


    In a couple of seconds, Hiro had dribbled the entire team. And now after dribbling past the entirety of the opposing squad, he found himself before the post.


    There was only a keeper to stop him.


    Hiro could have closed the distance even further after all, he was all by himself. But instead, he let out a mouth full of turbid air as he nced at the opposing keeper.


    The opposing keeper, squeezed his glutes as he prepared himself for what was toe. He could feel his senses tingling, almost as if it was warning him about a foreboding danger


    heading his way.

 Chapter 510: Finding out the truth

    Chapter 510: Finding out the truth


    ?


    For a split second, he felt his heart shudder.


    Was it fear?


    The inexplicable feeling he felt for that split second, he couldn''t be sure about it.


    Shaking the feeling, he thenposed himself as he prepared himself for what was about toe. The appearance of Hiro appeared quite threatening. Yet still, he couldn''t afford to bring his gaze away from him.


    Neither could he afford to hesitate.


    Just then Hiro unleashed a powerful shot. The sheer magnitude of the shot was so great that it sent a ripple across the ball, causing it to wobble.


    Bam!


    The crowd watched the ball with their eyes opened wide.


    Their heart thumping with excitement.


    As for the opposing keeper, hisplexion paled while at the same time, cold sweat umted on his forehead. For some reason, he felt his body stiffen.


    He also felt a chill running down his spine.


    Even so, he forced his body to move against the intimidating aura pressing on him.


    As the ball got close to him, it appeared bigger than what it looked like a moment ago. It was as if the ball was multiplying in size.


    As for the reason why it was multiplying in size, it was because it was headed straight to his face. If he didn''t block it, his face might get squashed like a tomato.


    That''s what his guts told him.


    A part of him wanted to duck to avoid getting hit but the pride of being a goalkeeper wanted to brace the impact at all cost to prevent the ball from going inside.


    Even if it meant sacrificing his face, he didn''t want to move away.


    However, at the final moment, he still slightly ducked his head to avoid the impact. Though he had his hands raised, he closed his eyes out of fear a moment before the ball reached him. This action of his although prevented injury cost his team the goal.


    "Goal!!"


    "Damn! Just what kind of ridiculous shot was that?"


    "What are you doing Romero?"


    The people standing on the sideline were mesmerized. At the same time, many wereining about the goalkeeper''s cowardice.


    If only, he hadn''t moved his head, he could have prevented the goal.


    s! He was too scared to do so.


    Although the opposing goalkeeper was fairly talented, he wasn''t an ambitious person. The person was already 32 years old. Yet still, he had been ying better than many youngsters.


    They had rarely seen him make such a mistake.


    Romero after allowing the goal, looked at his hands, feeling empty inside. His face devoid of any emotion appeared ratherplicated. As for his hands, it was trembling violently.


    For a while, he couldn''t bring himself to act.


    Even though it was noisy around him, he couldn''t hear any noise. It was as if the entire world around him had gone silent.


    Looking at his trembling hands, he was reminded of the dread he felt from the shot.


    Soon, despair wed his heart as he realized the severity of his actions, ''I... got scared!'' Romero felt as if he was plunged into an empty void with nothing but darkness around him. For some reason, it triggered the memory he had always wanted to forget.


    "Romero, I''m sorry to say but you... can''t y anymore"


    It was the words of the doctor after he injured his legs in a match. Upon hearing such cruel words, he was plunged into a whirlpool of darkness.


    How would you feel when you''ve helped your team earn a promotion but you learn that you have to give up on your dream?


    As a young talent, he was one of the promising talents from the hood.


    He even went on to y for a professional club.


    But after helping his team with a promotion to the first division, he had to learn about the unfortunate news that he couldn''t y anymore.


    After that injury, although he had recovered enough to y, his life hadn''t been the same as it had been before his injury.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But the mere fact that he could y was enough to prove the words of the doctor wrong. He had said that he wouldn''t be able to y again. However, here he was right now, ying.


    Clenching his fist, Romero gritted his teeth as he muttered through the gaps of his teeth with great difficulty, "Fuck... it"


    Then he mustered his strength to stand.


    Though he had been defeated once, he wasn''t done yet.


    Romero had much more to give.


    As he rose, his fighting spirit rekindled. At the same time, his dull eyes gained the spark they had lost a moment ago.


    With a newfound vigor, he then turned to look at Hiro who was celebrating at a distance.


    "Are you okay, Romero?" Jo?o asked, his toneced with concern.


    Until now, he hadn''t seen such a devastated sight of Romero. So, he couldn''t help but worry


    about him after seeing him in such a miserable state.


    He feared that it had left a deep impact on Romero.


    But Romero''s words relieved him, "It''s okay. I was just shaken a bit. Rest assured kid, I won''t repeat the same mistake."


    Romero sounded quite reliable at this moment.


    So, Jo?o could only have faith in him.


    Then Romero leaned closer to Jo?o as he said in a serious tone, "Kid, I think we are ying against professionals. They aren''t just some random foreigners."


    "Although some of them appear clumsy, I can tell that they are professionals. So, be extra


    careful when dealing with them. Alert, others as well"


    Upon hearing him, his eyes jolted toward their direction.


    Though he had been feeling that these guys weren''t simple, he hadn''t thought that far. But


    now that he heard him, everything became clear to him.


    Now that he learned about their identity, he could no longer rest easy.


    Then he shared the findings with others as well.


    "What are they doing?"


    The people outside were confused by their gestures.


    "Are they discussing strategy?"


    The people outside could only guess.


    A glint of seriousness shed past their eyes as they learned the truth. Now that it became clear that they were up against professionals they had to be even more careful.

 Chapter 511: Awakening of the Genius

    Chapter 511: Awakening of the Genius


    ?


    Their expressions grew serious as they snapped to attention upon realizing the truth.


    Sure, it was bad news, but with the match already halfway through, there was no turning back. Despite facing professionals, they didn''t show any signs of fear. Instead, their minds were already racing, strategizing ways to outy their opponents.


    They quickly huddled together to discuss their tactics.


    During this, Jo?o''s eyes lingered on Hiro. Just moments ago, Hiro had dribbled past their entire team with an effortless grace, as if he was dancing with the wind. How did he pull off such wless moves?


    Jo?o could tell at a nce that Hiro was a natural talent.


    But there was no time to be starstruck-they still had a match to win.


    Adjusting their formation, the opposing side resumed y. Their weaknesses had been exposed, so sticking with the same strategy was out of the question.


    As the game restarted, those watching from the sidelines couldn''t help but frown. After seeing them huddled in discussion, the crowd had expected some intense action. But to their disappointment, the team was ying even more cautiously.


    This wasn''t what anyone had anticipated.


    Frustration began to bubble up as the spectators watched the team y defensively.


    It had been five minutes since they conceded the goal, yet they hadn''t created a single promising opportunity.


    Instead, they kept passing the ball among themselves, refusing to advance. Theckluster y was getting on the fans'' nerves.


    "If you''re going to y so defensively, sub me in. I''ll show you how the game should be yed," one of them grumbled.


    Though the jeers from the fans were starting to wear on them, the team maintained theirposure, focusing on the game at hand.


    ''Hmph! Easy for you to say,'' some of the opposing yers sneered internally, dismissing the crowd''s criticism.


    By now, Kaoru and Tatsuki had adjusted to the pitch, and as they grew morefortable, their mistakes dwindled. Their performance began to improve significantly.


    With fewer errors being made, Hiro found the game even more exhrating.


    Their coordination on the field had reached a new level, and even the crowd was captivated by their seamless y. Just moments ago, the team had been struggling, but now it seemed as though they were born to y here.


    At the center of it all was the young yer who had equalized the score for the opposing side with a brilliant shot. He was everywhere on the pitch, orchestrating the game like a maestro piecing different instruments together to create a grand symphony.


    Then, after a series of fluid ys, Hiro scored another goal, putting his team in the lead. It was a cross from Kenji that Hiro converted with precision, and the opposing team''s desperate attempts to defend were in vain. Despite their efforts, they couldn''t stop the inevitable.


    "How could you let him get past you?" The burly man, who had been rtively quiet since conceding the first goal, suddenly erupted in anger.


    All eyes turned to him as he vented his fury. "You brat! Didn''t you hear the instructions? You were supposed to fall back immediately when he got the ball. What''s with your pathetic reaction?"


    "Sigh, here we go again," someone muttered, the exasperation in their voice clear. It seemed this outburst was expected.


    "Some things never change," another added, as those on the sidelines exchanged knowing nces and began to gossip.


    The man''s words were as harsh as the coldest northern winds.


    Jo?o, who bore the brunt of the tirade, felt his heart sink despite being used to the man''s personality. Though he wanted to block out the insults, they still stung.


    If only he were stronger, he wouldn''t have to endure such humiliation.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But all he could do now was swallow his anger.


    ''Why act like you''re better than the rest?'' Jo?o sneered inwardly, trying to push the rage down.


    "Quite a sight, isn''t it?" Tatsuki remarked, clearly entertained by themotion.


    Hiro, however, remained indifferent. Though he couldn''t understand the man''s words, the enraged expression made it clear that he wasining.


    ''If only you knew how to use him properly, you wouldn''t beining right now,'' Hiro thought as he observed the scene calmly.


    Jo?o had been ying out of position all along. Despite his impressive stats, he was being forced to defend when he should have been attacking. Even as an outsider, Hiro could see where the opposing team was going wrong.


    But they weren''t aware of it.


    s! They wouldn''t find their faults either now that the situation had turned such unsightly. The more heins the more he''ll fall out of favor.


    As a result, yers will start ying unharmoniously.


    The disagreement in the team would also increase. And by the time they realize it''ll already be toote to turn back.


    Thinking about their inevitable loss, Hiro couldn''t help but reveal a deep sigh, "Sigh! Seems like it won''t be exciting any further."


    More than anything, Hiro wanted to enjoy the game.


    But now that the opposing yers were arguing among themselves, he could tell that their performance would worsen even further.


    If it were an important match, he''d be rejoicing the scene before him. s! It wasn''t an important match. So, he couldn''t help but feel a bit aggrieved upon seeing them arguing.


    But only if he knew that it wouldn''t turn out exactly as he had envisioned, perhaps he''d still y the match with utmost excitement.


    ''When Neymar moved to PSG many had criticized him. Many had called him he had failed to meet his potential. If only he hadn''t left Barcelona, he might have actually gone on the be one of the best in history.''


    ''Even so, despite the criticism, he proved himself with his y. And right now, I need to prove myself with my performance as well.''


    Jo?o thought as mes of determination ignited in his eyes.


    Then the next moment as the game resumed, he pulled a move that was almost simr to


    what Hiro had disyed before scoring his first goal.


    As he dribbled past his opponents with lightning-fast dribble, he left the onlookers in awe. Then within a couple of seconds, he equalized the game.

 Chapter 512: Clash!

    Chapter 512: sh!


    ?


    While his teammates were frozen in shock, Hiro''s face lit up with exhration as he watched the figure before him. A subtle smirk tugged at his lips, and a strange surge of energy pulsed through his veins like lightning.


    Naotoy on the ground, bewildered, his expression mirrored by the rest of the team, who were equally stunned.


    Standing tall before them was a figure that seemedrger than life, his presence more imposing than it had ever been. His cold, indifferent eyes were fixed on the goal, exuding a sense of superiority, like a king surveying his subjects.


    He didn''t move, yet there was something about him that made everyone feel uneasy as if he were radiating an aura of intimidation that gripped the hearts of those watching.


    Even his teammates seemed caught in a trance.


    What on earth just happened?


    ''So, you''ve finally decided to show your true colors,'' Hiro thought, his excitement growing as he watched with keen interest.


    A thrill coursed through him, an overwhelming urge to take on the figure before him. Suddenly, the previously quiet venue exploded with thunderous cheers. The spectators, who had been left in awe, could no longer hold back their excitement.


    The marvel they felt at witnessing this transformation could only be expressed through their voices.


    Chaos erupted as the crowd reacted, their disbelief palpable. Even those familiar with their neighborhood star had never seen anything like this. It was almost as if he had transformed into a different being.


    "What''s happened to him?"


    "Is he possessed or something?"


    Whispers of shock and amazement spread among the crowd.


    At that moment, Jo?o finally turned around. His gaze, icy and intense, locked onto Hiro, who had been staring at him with unwavering focus.


    As those cold eyes met Hiro''s, a chill ran down his spine.


    Those eyes carried a silent challenge.


    Hiro felt it deep within, and his excitement only grew. The thrill ofpetition surged through him, and his smile widened in anticipation.


    ''Bring it on, genius,'' he thought, meeting Jo?o''s gaze with unwavering confidence.


    A silent battle of wills had begun, sparks flying between them as they stared each other down.


    Then the next moment as the game resumed, Hiro took charge.


    The effect was immediate as the crowd felt the rising intensity of the match. The intense showdown between the two geniuses only aroused their excitement.


    Yet for a while, neither side managed to score the desired goal to clench the victory.


    The game had prolonged to the point that it was wearing down some of the yers on the field. Exhausted and out of breath they appeared as if their vitality had been sapped out of their body.


    Yet still,pared to the opposing yers, Hiro''s teammates appeared rather energetic. They might catch up to them in terms of skill. But when it came to physicality, professionals would have the upper hand against any normal person.


    After all, how could people who yed football leisurely fare against those who trained day in and day out?


    The gap between the two sides became even more evident as the match progressed.


    The matter that they had held their ground against pros for such long was alreadymendable. But s! The gap between the two sides would only continue to grow as the match progresses further.


    So realizing their weakness, opposing yers opted for one final strike to conclude the game. If they failed to score on this attack then their defeat was inevitable.


    Despite the risk, it was the only way for them to change the situation.


    They had already given their all to stop the onught of the opposing yers. But if they continued to do the same then eventually their body would give out, causing them to make some mistakes.


    For sure their gueri tactics would eventually fall against the continuous onught of the opposing yers.


    So, rather than waiting for such an incident to ur, it was better to take the initiative.


    At once as they concluded, all of them charged ahead.


    Even Romero walked out of his zone to take part in the attack.


    The strike started from Romero as he supplied the pass to one of his teammates. Then he made a short run-up to attract Tatsuki. Just as Tatsuki was about to reach him, he let go of the ball, making a short pass to his other teammate.


    Hiro stepped up to intercept him.


    But before he could get to him, he passed the ball back to Romero who in turn sent the rolling in the center of the pitch where Jo?o took hold of the ball.


    Kenji had already seen him move. So, he rushed to intercept him.


    But Jo?o skillfully avoided Kenji''s tackle with ease.


    Making use of his eleration and fluidity, he avoided Kenji, leaving him in a daze. Just as he got past Kenji, Hiro retreated from his blind spot.


    After getting past Kenji, Jo?o steadily approached Kaoru. However, unlike before, he couldn''t find any spaces to exploit. It might be because he was distracted by the sight of the burly man who was making a run from the nks.


    Completely unmarked, he had all the room to operate.


    So, if he could just get the ball to him they might actually win the game.


    A sudden thought popped into his head as he noticed the sight of the burly man.


    But he should at least try to draw the opposing yer a bit closer to him before making a pass


    to make things easier for his teammate. After all, who knows if he''d immediately chase his teammate right after he made the pass and managed to take him down?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Due to such concern, he tried to close the distance between him and Kaoru before making a


    pass.


    After getting close enough, he was about to make the pass.


    But right then Hiro swept the ball from him.


    "Huh?!"


    At first, Jo?o was puzzled.


    But soon his expression changed as he felt his heart palpitate.


    Just from where did hee?


    No sooner had Hiro got the ball than he elerated. Then right from the half, he attempted a


    shot at the empty post.

 Chapter 513: Ill take the win for now

    Chapter 513: I''ll take the win for now


    ?


    After skillfully stealing the ball from Jo?o, Hiro immediately surged forward.


    The sudden burst of speed sent a wave of rm through the opposing team. Romero who was caughtpletely out of position, felt a pang of dread as he saw Hiro with the ball.


    Of all yers, why did it have to be him?


    In a panic, the opposing yers scrambled to retreat.


    But before Romero could regain his position or any other yers could get to him, Hiro unleashed a powerful shot from midfield.


    The crowd held their breath, their eyes wide with a mix of horror and anticipation as they watched the ball soar toward the goal.


    The ball''s trajectory was steady and unwavering.


    Despite being out of position, Romero made a desperate attempt to save it, hurling himself toward the post with arms outstretched.


    One nce was enough to see that hisnding wouldn''t be gentle.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The rough concrete beneath him promised injury, and he knew it better than anyone. But the passion and determination he disyed in that moment, risking it all for the save, were nothing short of remarkable.


    Yet despite his attempt, he failed to save the ball in the end. Evading his reach the ball effortlessly glided inside the post.


    As Jo?o watched the goal, differentplicated emotions started to well up inside his heart. A moment ago, he had daringly issued a challenge to him.


    But now, he had turned into a mere spectator to Hiro''s brilliance.


    He had been utterly defeated.


    His expression froze as he watched him with a defeated look on his face.


    The figure before his eyes appeared mightier than the mightiest mountain. It was as if he was in the presence of some mighty figure whose foot had been kissed by the god of football himself.


    Even though he hadn''t considered himself a genius, afterpeting against many yers in the arena, he believed that he was cut above the rest.


    But right now, against a behemoth who seemed like he could score from any part of the pitch, he felt like he was overestimating himself.


    About a certain distance away from him, Romero who had failed to stop the goal was writhing in pain. He could barely bring himself to keep his eyes open.


    Clenching his chest tightly, hey on the ground with an expression full of pain.


    Many people rushed to him to check his condition. Even though they had already predicted the oue still watching his painful expression made them anxious.


    Upon seeing him writhing in pain, many people couldn''t help but have an ill omen about his condition. They couldn''t shake the feeling of terror they felt upon seeing him in such a miserable condition.


    "Romero, Romero"


    They called out to him worriedly.


    Romero could audibly hear the voices of the feeling around him. But the stinging pain in his leg was making it hard for him to speak.


    If he hadn''t cushioned his fall with his hand, he might have actually broken his ribcage. But right before his collision, he shielded most of the impact with his hand.


    Even so, he couldn''t help prevent the inevitable collision.


    So, during the collision, he hurt his legs. Well, it was already hurt to begin with. Most probably, he had triggered his dormant injury.


    Thankfully, it wasn''t anything major.


    More and more people rush to him to check his state leaving a few of the people exasperated. All of them crowding around him was worsening the situation.


    So, one of them yelled, "Don''t crowd over here"


    Around this time, taking advantage of the chaos, Roberto the burly guy who had made the bet tried to sneak his way out of the pitch.


    But how could he evade the greedy eyes of Carlos?


    "Roberto, going somewhere?" Carlos said in a questioning tone while standing before him.


    Roberto with his huge feature towered over Carlos who was rather lean. Yet still, now that he had been found out, he couldn''t help but droop his shoulder.


    Rubbing his palm, he disyed a timid smile on his face, "Haha.., I was just going to get some first aid for Romero." He exined himself.


    "Oh..., Forgive me for thinking that you were trying to run away without paying," Carlos said in an apologetic tone while emphasizing a few words, "Run away without paying".


    Upon hearing him, he let out a nervousugh as he said, "Hahaha..., you know me well, don''t you Carlos? I''d never... do such a thing."


    Carlos, however, looked at him strangely without uttering anything.


    ''I know well what kind of person you are'' he scoffed internally but didn''t show any of his emotions on his face.


    "But...," Roberto paused as he looked at him the way a greedy businessman would look at his lender after being unable to pay up the money he owed, shamelessly.


    Carlos asked, feeling a premonition, "But what?"


    "But can you give me some time to pay you back?"


    At this moment, Carlos couldn''t help but regret his decision to make a bet with him. Carlos, contorted his face in disgust and agitation as he heard him.


    But then again, he had brought this upon himself by making a deal with such an unreliable person in the first ce. So, if he ended up fleeing without paying then he was the person to


    me.


    Revealing a helpless sigh, he looked at him, "Sigh! Then why did you even make a deal if you were going to payter?"


    "I thought that we''d win easily since we were ying against some foreigners. So, I didn''t think about losing," He exined himself.


    There wasn''t even a hint of shame reflecting on his face.


    Just how could someone be such shameless?


    Don''t you have any pride?


    But if he allowed him to walk away now, he wouldn''t get his money. That much Carlos was aware of it. Also, the fatso in front of him wasn''t being entirely truthful either.


    Even if he had to let him go, he had to keep something that belonged to him as coteral to


    get his money. So, he walked to him.


    Then he skillfully reached out to his pocket.


    Before the burly man could even resist him, Carlos already snatched his phone away from his


    pocket.


    Enraged, he watched him with his bloodshot eyes, gnashing his teeth.


    He wanted to retaliate but if he did that he''d probably get pummeled by the people present in the venue. So, he could only tuck his fury.


    Flinging his phone, Carlos said with a casual tone, "Until you repay me, I''ll be holding your phone as coteral. But if you don''t bring me my money by the end of this week, I''ll sell it."


    "Though I doubt that I''d get enough money topensate," he added.

 Chapter 514: Hurrying back!

    Chapter 514: Hurrying back!


    ?


    Now that he had his phone confiscated, he didn''t have any option but to pay. So, he couldn''t help but re at him.


    The phone itself wasn''t expensive.


    But the contacts he had, he couldn''t ignore it. So, even if it was for the sake of the contacts he had in his phone, he couldn''t discard his phone.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With that said, Carlos turned to leave.


    Since he wasn''t going to pay immediately, why must he bother with him right now?


    By now, Romero had recovered somewhat. Until a moment ago, he could barely bring himself to speak. However, right now, with the support of a few people, he could bring himself to talk. Even hisplexion had recovered somewhat.


    Confirming his well-being, Carlos heaved a sigh of relief, "It seems that everything is fine" Then he whimsically raised his head to look at the sky.


    The sky stretched wide, an endless expanse of calm, painted with soft hues that blended seamlessly into one another. The moon surrounded by countless shimmering stars hung like a pearl, its silvery light casting a gentle glow that bathed the world in a serene, otherworldly beauty.


    Carlos felt an unusual calm while looking at the sky above him, "Why does the sky appear so serene today?" looking at the sky, he couldn''t help but mutter.


    It might be because he had earned himself quite a hefty sum today.


    "But..., why do I feel like I''m forgetting something?"


    For some inexplicable reason, he couldn''t help but feel uneasy at the same time. It was as if he was forgetting something important but wasn''t sure what exactly it was.


    At once, his eyes widened in rm as he realized, "Time..., What time is it now?"


    Immediately, he raised his arm to check the time on the watch on his wrist. As he checked his watch, panic began to set in.


    He was supposed to bring them back to the hotel by eight but he had already exceeded the time he had been given.


    As he realized his predicament, he hurried his way to Hiro.


    At this moment, Jo?o was trying to convey something to him. However, since Hiro didn''t understand him, he could only watch him in confusion.


    Jo?o''s eyes lit up as he saw Carlos.


    Now, he could have him trante his words. So, he rejoiced upon seeing him.


    "Great..., Carlos, can you help..."


    But before he could ask him for a favor, Carlos said something to Hiro in a rush and pulled him away. He didn''t even spare a nce at him. He ignored him as if he were invisible.


    Yet still, he didn''t feel disappointed by such silent treatment.


    Rather, he could feel the urgency in his voice.


    "Sorry, we need to leave right now," Hiro said as he bid his farewell to Jo?o who had been attempting to tell him something for a while by now.


    Jo?o could only nod his head and wave him goodbye.


    As he watched Hiro and others leave the pitch in a hurry, he whispered under his breath, "Maybe next time if we meet, I''ll be able to tell that you were truly amazing to watch"


    Young Jo?o was greatly impacted by this encounter.


    The reverence he held for Hiro could be seen in his eyes which were fixedly following Hiro. Soon, as they hurried their way out of the venue, their figure vanished in the distant dark alley. After hitting the road, Hiro and thepany took a cab to get to the hotel.


    Having stayed over the time limit, if they walked to the hotel, who knows how long it''ll take? Although others could be seen panicking, Hiro for some reason appeared more tranquil than anyone in the cab. It was as if he wasn''t worried about what was toe.


    Though he appeared to be looking outside the window, he appeared lost.


    His eyes, a deep, enigmatic hazel, seemed as if it was looking past the blinding lights outside that they passed along their way to their destination.


    "Just what is he looking at so amusingly?"


    Upon catching a glimpse of him looking outside wearing an amusing smile on his face, Tatsuki couldn''t help but wonder.


    After all, how could he remain so calm when they were clearly in trouble?


    Curious, he turned to look outside.


    As he looked outside the window, he noticed the street filled with people.


    People dressed elegantly flocked the streets while at the same time bars and restaurants lit in vibrant colors hade to life. They had bright smiles on their faces. Also, it appeared as if they were glowing.


    It wasn''t as crowded when they had stepped outside of their hotel.


    But right now the world outside was oozing life.


    For a moment, even he couldn''t help but feel captivated by the ambiance outside the window.


    He felt as if the street outside was inviting him to be part of it.


    Sadly, however, he was shackled by the responsibility of a yer.


    If only, he didn''t have any limit, he might actually step out of the cab to experience the wonders of the ce before him.


    As such desires welled up inside his heart, he shook his head to bring him back to reality.


    ''Temptation, it''s only a temptation''


    He reminded himself as he tried to resist the urge to party.


    ''Those happy faces are nothing but facade''


    He kept reminding himself.


    After all, it wasn''t his only encounter with the nightlife of a city. Thoughpared to what he was used to seeing, it was on a slightly different level.


    Nheless, it was the same.


    Then as he snapped back to his senses, he rolled his eyes to look at Hiro. Staring at him, he couldn''t help but feel a bit disappointed upon noticing him looking outside so eagerly, ''Don''t tell me he''s already sinking in this shithole''


    Having yed professional football for quite a while by now, he was well-versed with the


    dark side of some footballers.


    Many yers although appeared humble on the outside had a pretty nasty side where they let themselves wild partying.

 Chapter 515: Joke!

    Chapter 515: Joke!


    ?


    Somehow, he seemed as if he was captivated by the world outside. So, he couldn''t help but feel disappointed in him.


    A yer of such caliber shouldn''t be distracted by the allure of worldly desires.


    There had already been countless victims of such temptations. So, he didn''t want Hiro, who was like a brother, to join the victims'' list.


    If only he knew about Hiro''s thoughts, perhaps he might not be as worried about him.


    s! He was in the dark. So, he couldn''t stop worrying about him.


    Then he nudged him, shaking him out of his reverie, "Hiro..., what will say to the coach if he asks us about the dy?"


    Rolling his eyes to him, he answered solemnly, "Then we''ll have to tell him the truth" Was he for real?


    Hearing him, he couldn''t help but feel taken aback.


    For a while, he stared at him fixedly. He appeared unusually serious. It was almost as if he was telling the truth.


    Was he nuts?


    "Do you understand what you are saying?" he asked as he failed to decipher his expression. After all, if they revealed the truth they might get into even greater trouble. So, how could they answer honestly? Wasn''t it like intentionally asking for trouble?


    If they had to answer honestly then what was even the point of hurrying right now?


    Even others couldn''t help but nce at him, dazedly.


    Again with no changes in his expression, he said, "I''m saying we should tell the truth if we are asked about our dy."


    ''Yup, he''s lost it''


    ''He''s gone insane''


    They thought as they heard him.


    All of a sudden it got eerily silent inside the cab.


    Then Hiro chuckled as he said, "Haha.., obviously we''ll make some excuses. After all, who in their right mind would dig their own grave? Unless they''re nuts obviously"


    They were left dumbfounded for a while.


    Then as they heard him, everyone let out a heartughter as they realized that he was trying to pull their legs a while ago.


    The atmosphere around them was rather tense a moment ago. But right now, his pranks had lightened the mood. They no longer felt threatened as before.


    Even if they were to get penalized, it didn''t matter at all.


    Later as they arrived at the hotel, although they were asked to rify they evaded the punishment with only a warning.


    ********


    Time passed like the slipping sand in an hourss.


    Beep!


    The shrill sound of the whistle pierced through the heated atmosphere.


    On a certain pitch, a match was taking ce.


    A sea of people mostly dressed in yellow could be seen in the stands surrounding the pitch. They were the Brazilian fans who had shown up to show their support for their team who right now were ying a match against Japan.


    The match was already more than halfway done as seventy minutes had already gone by.


    Brazil: 3 vs Japan: 1n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The scoreboard read as such hinting at the victory of Brazil at the moment.


    The faces of the supporters of Brazil held great delight and passion as right now their team was leading the game. They were exhrated beyond measure that even when the game had been paused for a corner against their team, they couldn''t stop cheering.


    The energy in the stadium was palpable.


    "Although their effort ismendable, how could theypete against us?" one of the fans spoke with pride.


    "Yeah, they had been defending almost for the entirety of the game yet they are losing" another added as he presented his opinion.


    "I think they might be trying their defensive tactics. Sadly..., it was against us hahaha..."


    Many people in the stand were presenting their opinions of the game until now. Arrogance was dripping from every word they said.


    Well, considering the opposing side''s performance until now, it was only natural for them to talk in such a contemptuous manner.


    Japan had been on their edge almost for the entirety of the game.


    Though they had tried to attack in the beginning after experiencing the offense of the Brazilian side they were forced into defending.


    Even the single goal they had registered in the match was an own goal.


    Their delightful mood was further enhanced by the performance of one man- Thiago.


    Having scored a hat-trick, he was on a roll today.


    Yet just from a nce, one could feel the hunger in his eyes. It was as if he was hungry for even


    more goals.


    There was simply no stopping this man today.


    Right then an announcement regarding yer change sounded in the stadium, interrupting many fans'' conversation.


    As they heard the announcement they turned to look at the sidelines where three yers were lined side by side, preparing to enter the field.


    Many recognized one of the yers among the three- Kubo of Real Sociedad.


    As many people here followed the Spanish league closely to watch their yers like Vinicius, Rodrygo, Raphinha, and many others, they also recognized some other yers who stood out


    in the league.


    And from Japan, Kubo was one such yer alongside Yamada who stood out in the league.


    So as they noticed him they immediately recognized him.


    As for the other two, they didn''t recognize either of them. But since they appeared so young they couldn''t help but feel delighted.


    "Tch! Tch! Tch! Seems like they are throwing the game away now that they realize that they can''t beat us," one of the fans said in a condescending tone, clearly mocking the decision of the opposing coach to bring out such young yers.


    While many were making fun of the decision of the opposing coach, some appeared rather anxious. Their eyes were filled with terror almost as if they had seen something horrible.


    "Isn''t he that guy?" someone whispered, recognizing Hiro.


    "Yeah, he looks the same"


    Until a moment ago, even though Tatsuki and Kenji were already on the field they couldn''t recognize either because they had forgotten their faces.


    After all, their impression of others who had participated in the match they had witnessed


    some days ago wasn''t as deep as Hiro''s.


    But when they saw his visage it triggered their memories of him.

 Chapter 516: Gol Olimpico

    Chapter 516: Gol Olimpico


    ?


    Their expression paled as they remembered the horror they had witnessed a few days ago. They watched him as if they had seen a ghost.


    Beads of sweat appeared on their forehead.


    That familiar face didn''t bring any fond memories.


    "Hmph! It''s that stinky brat," Roberto who had to bear a heavy loss because Hiro snorted in disdain. At the moment, he was present at the venue to witness the match.


    Crack! Crack!


    As he prepared to enter, Hiro cracked his neck to loosen up some stiffness. Then he turned to face Kubo who was standing right beside him.


    "Can I take the corner?" he asked.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Since Kubo was the appointed set-piece taker, Hiro had to ask him for the opportunity.


    Upon hearing his request, Kubo looked at him briefly before responding, "Sure." Though he hadn''t had much time to familiarize himself with him, he had observed him closely in the training.


    Especially his freekicks, it had left a deep impression on him.


    Even now, he could palpably feel the confidence oozing out from him. Those shades of hazel held a strange charm that could captivate the hearts of any onlookers.


    So, how could he deny it when faced with such innocence?


    Wearing an expression filled with sorrow, some yers made their way out of the field. They were the yers who were getting substituted.


    They had a rather defeated look on their face.


    "Now, it''s all up to you guys," said one of the exiting yers dejectedly, his voice filled with grief.


    Even until now, Hiro remained fairly unknown. Many ignored his presence as if he was just another random kid making his appearance for the first time.


    But to those few who recognized him, he appeared as if he was some kind of cmity that had befallen from heaven.


    "Oh, he''s gonna step up for the corner?"


    Many were slightly intrigued to see him making his way to the corner.


    It hadn''t even been a minute yet he was already springing into action. So, many couldn''t help but feel slightly interested in him now that he was going to take the set-piece for his team as soon as he entered the field.


    As he stood before the ball, he swept his gaze in front of him.


    Making use of his avable skills, he analyzed the position of the yers before him. Almost every yer of the opposing team had crammed inside that small penalty box making it seemingly impossible to find any ws.


    As for his teammates, they were struggling to position themselves.


    There were only a few of his teammates to whom he could supply the cross if he wanted to make a cross inside the box. They were the only capable ones who could head their way in. Hiro was already familiar with the specialty of most of his teammates. So, he was fairly knowledgeable about the strong points of his teammates.


    But even that advantage seemed to have no effect against the intimidating pressure and tight-knit tactics of the opposing yers.


    The only option he had was either to y it short or risk it all.


    And by no means he had stepped up to y it safe. So, it only left with thetter option.


    Letting out a mouth full of turbid air, he retracted his gaze to the ball. He could audibly hear theints of the fans close to him.


    They were urging him to hurry.


    Frustration was evident in their speech. Since he had been taking his time to deliver the corner, it was only natural for them to feel irritated by his gesture.


    An eerie calmness shed in his eyes as he started sprinting toward the ball.


    Rotating his hip, he swept his leg with full force.


    Bam!


    The ball went flying as he struck it, producing a crisp sound.


    Theining mouths turned silent as the irritated eyes followed the trajectory of the ball with the utmost attention.


    Chaos befell on the pitch as yers from both sides moved into action.


    At once, many shot themselves from the surface, attempting to reach the ball. Yet despite the attempts of many, it evaded the reach of all those who tried to reach it.


    It was almost as if it had transformed into a slippery eel that couldn''t be caught.


    For a while, it even appeared as if it was going astray.


    But then just when many had assumed it to go out of bounds, something unexpected took ce. The ball glided inside the opposite top corner effortlessly after evading the reach of many who had tried to reach it.


    The opposing keeper Bento who had been excellent until now couldn''t even bring himself to react.


    At this moment, he had been reduced to a mere spectator between the poles.


    His eyes filled with shock turned to look at the ball that had glided inside the post. While hisplexion had gone pale.


    The entire stadium had gone silent.


    The supporters who had shown up inrge numbers had gone silent.


    Just what the hell had they witnessed?


    There was an evident disbelief in their eyes. Those same eyes that were glistening with


    tion and confidence had shock written on them right now.


    Their expression full of arrogance had been reced with a frown.


    Yet amidst this rtively silent atmosphere, certain sounds could be heard. It was the sound of the celebration of the Japanese yers.


    After confirming the goal, almost everybody present on the scene rushed to Hiro to celebrate the goal. Compared to the dull and tense expression on their face until a moment ago, now their face was glistening with tion.


    It was as if they had finally found the spark of hope in the darkness.


    Then as those sounds of cheers reached their ears, many turned to look at Hiro who was standing at the corner with an indifferent expression on his face.


    Upon seeing the cold and indifferent expression on his face, many couldn''t help but feel a mix of emotions such as rage and fear at the same time.


    Theck of expression on his face annoyed them. At the same time, it evoked a certain fear in them. It was almost as if he was saying that he wasn''t satisfied with just this goal.


    Nheless, Hiro had made his presence known.

 Chapter 517: Against a world-class defender

    Chapter 517: Against a world-ss defender


    ?


    It hadn''t even been a minute since he stepped inside yet he had already scored a goal with his very first touch. Just how ridiculous was it?


    Then as the match resumed, slowly the tide of the match started shifting.


    Hiro proved extremely tricky for the opposing yers to handle as he weaved his way through the pitch, orchestrating countless ys for his team.


    The change was so palpable that any person present at the venue could tell that they had to limit him or else some great cmity might befall their team.


    If even the onlookers could identify the problem then it was only obvious for the yers to identify the problem as well. Yet, they weren''t being able to put a stop to him.


    It wasn''t just Hiro that they had to be vignt against; Kubo was proving equally difficult to handle.


    The opposing coach was growing equally anxious.


    However, it was his responsibility to handle such a situation, so he was racking his mind to his fullest to figure out a solution.


    Rubbing his chin, he squinched his eyes as he thought with a frown, ''Seems like the opposing coach had allowed him to y as a free man''


    After much analysis, he figured out that Hiro had been ying as a free man, unshackled by the responsibility of a mere position. Though he was supposed to be an offensive midfielder, he had been running wild on the field.


    At times, he''d drop deep while at times, he''d be far in front.


    It was as if he didn''t have a fixed position almost making him seem like a yer who could roam every part of the field freely.


    Yet despite ying freely, he wasn''t making any errors.


    Upon leaving his assigned position, it was inevitable for him to leave some gaps.


    Yet even after leaving his position multiple times, he couldn''t see any ws left by him. It shouldn''t be possible unless some other yers fill in the gap he left behind.


    There had to be some loophole.


    Thinking so, the opposing coach intensified his observation.


    Just then as he saw Hiro leaving his position to drop down, he noticed Kubo dropping down to fill in the gaps left behind by him while at the same time, he also caught a glimpse of the opposing forwards shifting their position.


    Tominaga who hade up as a winger moved to the center.


    Exactly, how could he move freely without support from his teammates?


    The opposing coach''s eyes perked up as realization dawned on him. Then a sinister glint shed past his eyes as he turned around to look at his reserve box.


    Upon receiving the ball deep in his half, Hiro instantly elerated, leaving behind his pursuers. Even deep in his half, his talent "Shadow Tactician" was in effect.


    Combined with his already impressive arsenal of talent, Hiro was simply unstoppable.


    As he got past his first pursuer, many onlookers felt their hearts palpitating. For some inexplicable reason, seeing him on the ball invoked an eerie feeling in them. It was almost as if they were having some kind of foreboding.


    Then as he got through another yer, a foreboding sense of horror gripped their heart, causing their expression to turn pale.


    "Stop him!"


    They desperately wished for someone to stop him from advancing.


    At the same time, the opposing coach lost the smile on his face. Just when he had finally figured out the secret behind the opposing team''s smooth y he had to witness the sight of Hiro getting through his yers like a hot knife ced atop the butter.


    "Mark those two," he shouted anxiously as he tried to warn his yers.


    Though he had managed to get past two opposing yers with ease, Hiro wasn''t an idiot who overestimated his prowess. He was well aware of his limitations.


    So, if he tried to push his luck farther than this, he might ruin the chance.


    Against a solid defender like Marquinhos, he wasn''t going to push his luck. Even though


    Brazil was mostly renowned for their offensive yers, their defense couldn''t be


    underestimated either.


    Hence, he searched for his options before trying to advance further.


    Kubo was right beside him.


    But he couldn''t pass him hastily. Before deciding to pass, he must draw the attention of the defender in front of him.


    Only by doing that would he be able to create space for Kubo to operate.


    Luckily, Hiro specialized in ying as a decoy.


    Due to his high offensive stats and threat level, he was the best there was in the entirety of the Japanese squad who could act as the decoy.


    He could even be regarded as the greatest decoy in the entirety of the team.


    At first, he bravely charged ahead as if he was hell-bent on taking the ball all the way to the finish line by himself. There wasn''t even a single fluctuation in his expression that others could detect.


    Despite his experience, Marquinhos found it rather troublesome to see through him. He couldn''t tell whether he was really challenging him or simply provoking him into making some mistake.


    So, at first, he maintained his distance from him.


    After all, he wasn''t like any other defender who would rush blindly in the face of danger. Before even deciding, he had to weigh his options.


    Obviously, he was experienced enough to process all those thoughts in a sh.


    As a defender, timing and observation were extremely crucial.


    A momentary hesitation could cost his team greatly. So, he had to remain on guard at all


    times.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As expected Hiro couldn''t see through his indifferent eyes.


    Well, it was the same for his opponent too.


    By now, Hiro was too close for him to avoid, so, he didn''t have any option but to rush on him.


    Even if he was against a world-ss defender, Hiro wasn''t a bit panicked.


    Instead, he calmly took on the challenge of Marquinhos. As for why he decided to challenge


    him instead of passing the ball originally as he had thought was because of the activation of


    the unique effect of his talent "Shadow Tactician"


    A fierce showdown began as the two engaged in a battle of skill.

 Chapter 518: Acrobatics

    Chapter 518: Acrobatics


    ?


    Due to the special effects of his talent, he held a certain advantage over the tall defender before him or so he thought. Hence, he confidently approached him.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Yet for some reason, he struggled to get through him.


    The man before him stood tall like a fortress, unmoving and solid. It didn''t matter how he tried to get through him. Body feints, shy footwork, quick eleration, all his efforts were getting thwarted effortlessly.


    At this moment, it seemed like his greatest achievement was to keep possession of the ball.


    It took him a while to realize that he couldn''t get through him with his current self even with the help of the system. Probably, Marquinhos possessed some talent that allowed him to overpower Hiro. After all, it wasn''t unlikely for a yer of such caliber to possess some terrifying talents.


    Hiro had hit a wall.


    It wouldn''t be an overstatement to say that he had been humbled.


    After failing to get past him, he passed the ball to Kubo. Though he didn''t want to admit it, still it was an undeniable fact that he had lost in a one-on-one duel.


    So as he let go of the ball, he felt a pang of shame wing his heart.


    Still, it wasn''t the time to be feeling demotivated after all the match was far from over. Hence, he immediately made a run right after he let go of the ball.


    Upon seeing him making a pass, many rejoiced as they felt triumphant for some reason.


    They were so intoxicated by that momentary satisfaction that they failed to look at the bigger picture. Sure, Hiro''s defeat was evident but it didn''t mean that they were out of danger.


    They were still under siege.


    Hiro might have been their biggest concern but he wasn''t their sole concern.


    So, what were they even rejoicing?


    As soon as Kubo got the ball, he elerated.


    Since Marquinhos was upied with Hiro, it provided him space to elerate which he didn''t waste. Hiro wasn''t the only yer who was fast on the ball.


    Kubo, being the star yer he was, wasted no moment to strike terror in the hearts of the opposing fans with his threatening pace.


    The opposing yers scrambled to their positions as they prepared to face him. Hiro was a wildcard but Kubo wasn''t.


    They were familiar with his ystyle so, they didn''t waste any moment to obstruct him. But how could stopping him be so simple?


    If it was that easy to stop him, many yers in the Spanish league wouldn''t be struggling against him. Kubo''s small frame only added to his advantage as he could bring out even more explosiveness in his dribble thanks to his center of gravity being low.


    Kubo easily got through the first defender, forcing Marquinhos to stop his pursuit of Hiro.


    After all, if he didn''t stop Kubo what use would pursuing Hiro do?


    So, he momentarily retracted his focus from Hiro to stop Kubo.


    As for the remaining opposing defenders, they were upied by Tominaga and Tatsuki, leaving Hiropletely unmarked.


    Even so, making a pass in the center was like giving away the ball. So, Kubo couldn''t hastily make a pass in the center.


    Was forcing himself the only way?


    A desperate thought shed in his mind as he failed to find any options avable.


    Right at this moment, he caught a glimpse of something; Hiro was sprinting at an unbelievable speed to the opposite corner. A cold gleam shed past his eyes before he struck the ball, sending the ball flying toward the opposite corner.


    If the pass was short, someone else might intercept it.


    So with that thought in mind, Kubo was only left with the other option.


    By no means could he deliver a pass right at Hiro''s feet as it''d only result in the ball being stolen.


    Hence, he sent a long ball.


    If Hiro wanted to reach this pass, he''d have to push past his limits.


    Since it was far away from the post, despite catching the whiff of Kubo''s intentions, Bento couldn''t leave his position to chase the ball.


    After all, it wasn''t just Hiro that he had to worry about but another opposing yer was already rushing in that direction as well.


    So, he couldn''t hastily leave his position.


    Following the soaring ball, many in the stand were already on their toes. Curiosity and fear gripped their heart making their heart thump.


    Would he make it?


    There''s no way, he''ll reach that ball.


    Many had different views regarding the oue.


    As for Hiro, although he had been humbled just recently, he had already let that matter go. At this moment, his attention was solely concentrated on the moment at hand.


    The only thing he was concerned about was reaching the ball.


    Many eyes lit up as they figured out that Hiro wouldn''t reach the ball. The distance between him and the ball was so great that he''d have to fly to reach it.


    Seeing the distance between Hiro and the ball, they couldn''t help but rejoice.


    However, the next moment their eyes dpidated as they witnessed something they hadn''t


    even thought in their wildest imagination- Hiro seemed to be flying.


    The daily conditioning and flexibility exercises he did seemed to be proving useful as right now, he was soaring above the surface.


    More like, he seemed to be performing a butterfly kick.


    Such acrobatic moves were rarely seen in football.


    The onlookers were left stunned by his amazing disy of acrobatics. The way they stared at


    him almost made it seem as if their eyes would pop out of their eyes.


    Due to the spin, Hiro could cover a great distance in a short moment. So, it was rather


    practicable for him to be performing such a move.


    If it connects, there''s no doubt, it''d be one of the greatest goals one would be able to witness


    in their lifetime.


    Even if he doesn''t connect, people will still have to admire his performance.


    After all, how many could have the courage to disy such techniques in a real match?


    But to everybody''s astonishment, he connected.

 Chapter 519: Anonymous person

    Chapter 519: Anonymous person


    ?


    It was a shot packed with an unimaginable might.


    Spectators watched the spectacr disy of Hiro''s acrobatics with growing enthrallment. Who would have thought he''d pull such a move that would stunned almost everybody?


    Even though he yed against them, for a slight moment, they couldn''t help but cheer on him.


    The ball glided straight inside the post without any obstruction.


    Bento who was supposed to protect the goal couldn''t even bring himself to react. It was simply too fast for him to respond.


    So while the ball glided inside the post, he remained rooted at his spot.


    The stadium went into an uproar as many spectators sprung from their seats to celebrate the goal. It was a goal against their side. Yet they couldn''t bring themselves to sit still. Such a magnificent goal deserved all the praise.


    Just as Hiro scored that stunner, many of his teammates ran to his side to celebrate the goal. As for Hiro, he was on the ground, trying to raise himself.


    Kubo who had assisted him, said as he appeared before him, "You are truly built differently. Truth be told, even though I had made that cross, I didn''t expect you to reach it."


    There was an unusual hint of tion hidden in his visage. As for the emotions he was feeling at the moment, it was as clear as the clear night sky to Hiro.


    Hiro could tell that he was captivated by his disy.


    Yet still, while many were congratting him, Tominaga watched him from the distance, albeit appearing unwilling to join the celebration.


    Well, since he didn''t have a great rtionship with some, he couldn''t expect everybody to feel the same. So, he didn''t pay any heed to his unwillingness to join.


    For a while, Hiro continued to celebrate alongside his teammate.


    He could audibly hear the sounds of apuse from the stands. It was a sign of appreciation. So, he didn''t put on an excessive disy of celebration even if he had scored a stunner. While celebrating, he put on a humble appearance on his face as he reciprocated the feeling with a bow.


    "Seems like he''s not the arrogant type"


    Upon seeing his gestures, many couldn''t help but view him in a different light.


    With that, Hiro leveled the score, keeping the hope of victory alive for his side. Rather it wouldn''t be an overstatement to say that he had revitalized the team with his performance. The previously struggling Japanese side had been revitalized.


    After the celebration came to an end, the match proceeded with rising intensity as the opposing coach made some changes in his team.


    Now that he had figured out the strategy of the opposing team, how could he stay idle?


    He didn''t waste any moment to implement the result of his finding.


    As such due to his timely intervention, both sides struggled to register any goal afterward, pushing the match into a dreadlock.


    Despite the changes he had made, the Japanese side who had been revitalized put up a magnificent disy as they challenged the opposing side. They refused to let the other side score a goal on them.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Finally, even after countless efforts, the match ended in a draw.


    Beep!


    As the additional time that the referee had given was spent, he concluded the match by sounding his whistle.


    Upon hearing the sound of the whistle, many Japanese yers heaved a sigh of relief as they slowed down. Finally, their torment hade to an end. So, they couldn''t help but feel relieved.


    Those final minutes of the match had been nothing but intense.


    Defending against those flurry of attacks from the opposing yers wasn''t an easy task. So, it was only natural for them to feel relieved.


    Even now they could feel their heart racing.


    The fatigue from defending tirelessly had left them exhausted. So, many couldn''t help but sit for a while to recover some of the energy.


    Many felt an urge to remove their cleats to relieve some pain.


    The reactions of the opposing yers werepletely different of the Japanese yers. While the Japanese yers felt relieved hearing the final whistle they felt frustrated.


    Well, considering how they blew away the match, it was only to be expected. They were leading by two goals until the 70th minute of the match only to give away equivalent goals in the remaining minutes.


    Also, it was clearly evident that they were the superior team. Yet they could only manage a draw against a weaker side.


    If only they had a minute more they might have won the game.


    s! There wasn''t any point in thinking such now that the match had concluded. The result of the match was already before their eyes.


    Moreover, it was a single yer who had driven them to such a desperate situation. The yer who had singlehandedly changed the oue of the game- Takahashi Hiro.


    As they thought about the turning point of the game, they couldn''t help but roll their eyes to look at Hiro.


    At that moment, he was interacting with his teammates.


    "It sucks that we couldn''t win the game" one of the people present on the standined.


    Another who was right by his side nodded his head, "Yeah, it sucks. But at least the match wasn''t boring until the end"


    "Now that you mention it. Indeed, after the opposing side made those substitutions the entire match took a drastic turn. Especially that kid with the number ten, he was really fun to


    watch"


    While some people were chatting about the match, a man dressed in a floral shirt seated right beside those people stood up from his seat with a smile of intrigue on his face.


    Then he swept his nce toward Thiago who was giving an interview.


    "I look forward to seeing you perform for the club," he said, a hint of excitement escaping his


    lips.


    Then he swept his gaze to find Hiro before leaving.


    As he left the pitch, he heard his phone buzz in his pocket. So, he reached out to his phone to


    receive the call.


    "The match should have ended right?"


    Someone asked him from the other side of the phone.


    "Yeah, it ended just now. Don''t tell me that you were seated right beside your phone to call me as soon as the match concluded?" he asked jokingly.


    "It doesn''t matter. Just tell me, what do you think of Thiago?" the person said dismissively.


    A hint of amusement escaped his mouth as he curled his lips to reveal a smile, "I think we can put him to use instantly. He''ll fit right into the system of Manchester United"

 Chapter 520: Offers keep on flying!

    Chapter 520: Offers keep on flying!


    ?


    Later that night, Hiro found himself alone, seated by the window. The room was quiet, and the world outside seemed to have settled into a peaceful slumber.


    The soft glow of the moonlight bathed his face in a silvery hue, casting delicate shadows across his features. His eyes, calm and reflective, gazed out into the night as if searching for something beyond the horizon.


    The cool breeze whispered through the open window, gently tousling his hair. He seemed to be lost in thought, the tranquility of the night wrapping around him like aforting embrace.


    His posture was rxed, yet there was a quiet intensity in the way he observed the world outside as if the serenity of the night mirrored the calm before a storm within him.


    At that moment, beneath the luminescent glow of the moon, Hiro appeared almost ethereal ¡ªa solitary figure deep in contemtion, harmonizing with the stillness of the night. "Finally, we''re heading home," he muttered as he withdrew his gaze from the night sky. Their international campaign had finallye to an end. During this period, he had experienced a lot. Be it the setbacks he faced against Marquinhos or the acquisition of his newly acquired talent, he had gained a lot from this encounter.


    Yet, he couldn''t help but feel somewhat upset.


    Though he had disyed a performance worthy of praise, he couldn''t help but feel bothered by the recent setback he faced against Marquinhos.


    Frowning, as he recalled the events of the day, he sighed, "It seems like I still have much to learn"


    For a while, after his performance against Georgia, he had started believing that he was more than ready topete against the world.


    But it seemed like he still had much to learn.


    Luckily, he still had more than a year to develop before he could set foot in Europe. So, he could fix his weakness during that period.


    However, it wasn''t the time to think about leaving for Europe. After all, he still had to prove himself in the national team. Also, he couldn''t neglect the league either.


    After returning, he had to devote himself fully to the league.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even though they werefortably sitting at the top of the table, who knows what will happen if they lower their guard?


    Hiro''s thoughts ran wild as he sat there pondering about different things.


    Then he walked to his phone as he recalled something.


    As he switched on his phone, the harsh lighting from the phone made him squinch his eyes for a moment. Since his eyes had been adapted to the darkness, the sudden light from the phone irritated his eyes.


    It took a moment for him to adapt to the brightness.


    Then as his eyes adapted to the light, he started browsing through his phone.


    He had received a fairly good amount of messages.


    But as he started skimming through the messages, he couldn''t help but frown, "Why hasn''t Ayumi contacted me yet?"


    Before leaving for international duty, he had tasked Ayumi to reach out to his parents to check on his father''s condition. But it had been more than a week already since he left, yet he hadn''t heard any response from her regarding his parents.


    Unable to find any response from her, he couldn''t help but feel agitated. He hadn''t asked a lot from her. So, what was the meaning behind thisck of response?


    All she had to do was inform him about the well-being of his father.


    Was it too much to ask?


    Furrowing his brows, he said, "What''s taking her so long to respond?"


    On normal days, she was one of the most efficient and reliable people. But just when he needed her, suddenly she lost all of her res.


    He even thought of reaching her. But refrained from doing so. After all, he was returning home tomorrow. So, was there any need to contact her?


    Exhaling deeply, he tried to calm himself.


    As he calmed down, he again started skimming through the messages. Seems like he had recently received a message from Eric his agent.


    So, it made him slightly curious.


    "Congrattions on your performance. You''ve disyed a performance worthy of your reputation. I do want to speak more about your performance but I''m not texting you to praise your performance today. Recently, I''ve got a few offers for you from several European clubs" Hiro''s eyes perked up as he read. At the same time, his heart started thumping.


    Has he finally caught the eye of European scouts?


    He couldn''t help but ponder upon going through the message.


    A rush of euphoria washed over him as he thought about it. So, he hurried to read the remaining message.


    "At first, I thought to keep it to myself since you still have a season to y. So, I didn''t want to distract you by bringing the offers. But if I did that, I''d be keeping you in the dark. So, I''m going to reveal to you a few of the exciting offers in hopes of motivating you to push further."


    What''s with this unnecessary suspense? Just reveal it already.


    As he went through his text, Hiro couldn''t help but feel annoyed. Eric was talking in circles which was keeping him at bay.


    "I know, you are already starting to get annoyed, hahaha..."


    Seems like he was intentionally provoking him. Well, Eric often liked teasing him. So, it wasn''t anything new. However, he couldn''t help but acknowledge the fact that since his regression he was the only person who was able to annoy him.


    "So, I won''t test your patience any further. But let me clear just one final thing before getting to the main topic. Some of these clubs are the clubs I''ve reached out to while some have willingly reached out to us first."


    Even though he could say all that stuff in one single text, he had sent him several iplete texts to add to the suspense. Based on his text, it was clear that he had done it deliberately to


    annoy him.


    And for some reason, it was working as well.


    "Real Sociedad, Brighton, RB Salzburg, Eintracht Frankfurt, Celtic, Bologna FC, also for some reason I''ve received ast-minute inquiry from Manchester United"

 Chapter 521: Hiros dilemma

    Chapter 521: Hiro''s dilemma


    ?


    Hiro''s eyes sparkled with excitement as he went through the list of the clubs that had approached him. There were many big-name clubs. So, he couldn''t help but feel his heart thumping upon seeing those names included in the list.


    A deep feeling of euphoria rose through his heart.


    For some reason, upon going through the list, he felt an unusual sensation of fulfillment. It was almost like he had achieved a milestone.


    Well, he had indeed achieved a milestone.


    After all, it wasn''t easy to capture the attention of such famous clubs.


    "Am I dreaming?" Hiro said as he found his reality hard to believe. "If it is a dream then God please don''t wake me up"


    Disbelief clouded his vision as he found his reality difficult to believe. It wasn''t just one or two offers that he had received. So, how could he bring himself to believe something so ridiculous?


    For a brief moment, he even entertained the thoughts of Eric ying a prank on him. But he immediately discarded such a possibility after he failed to find any more texts from Eric.


    If he had indeed yed a trick on him, he would have disclosed it.


    Without even stepping foot in Europe, he had already managed to attract the attention of such famous clubs. For sure, it wouldn''t have been possible without Eric''s connection.


    He must have vouched for him to receive such offers.


    As he thought about it, he couldn''t help but feel grateful to Eric. He wasn''t one of the top agents in Europe in his previous life for nothing.


    From deep within his heart, he felt an urge to thank Eric.


    So, he immediately sent a message thanking him for his efforts, "Eric, I''m bbergasted to receive such offers. I''m sure it was all thanks to your effort. So, thank you, Eric. Also, please continue guiding me going forward"


    Even though he expressed himself, he couldn''t shake the feeling of gratitude and tion. Right now, he felt as if he was soaring in the clouds.


    For a while, he couldn''t calm his racing heart.


    Then after a while, as he calmed himself, he couldn''t help but reveal aplicated expression on his face. There were many great clubs interested in him. Although he was ted about it, he couldn''t help but find it troublesome to choose.


    He couldn''t choose hastily.


    But theplicated expression on his face was short-lived.


    If it was any other person they might struggle to decide but it wasn''t the case for him. After all, he had some knowledge of the future.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He couldn''t dere himself well-versed in future knowledge.


    But he still had enough information about the future to help him assist in making his decision.


    So, as he thought about his advantage, he couldn''t help but reveal a cheeky grin on his face, "Kekeke..., how can such a trivial matter bother a regressor like me?"


    If any saw him right now, they''d probably assume that he had gone senile. Fortunately, others weren''t around him at the moment.


    Then again, his expression darkened as he realized something, "But... what if the future had changed again?"


    Hiro couldn''t rule out the possibility either. After all, he had already experienced such oues before. So who knows, if he''d experience it again?


    With how unpredictable the future was, he couldn''t feel proud about his uncertain advantage.


    So, he couldn''t help but frown upon realizing it.


    Then again, he tried to cheer himself, "Even so, I can at least choose the correct club for me. One where I''d get plenty of ying minutes to develop"


    As a young yer, he''ll need a lot of ying minutes to develop. So, he couldn''t opt for the club solely based on their reputation.


    Sure, a few exceptions started their career in big-name clubs and Hiro could do the same as well. But realistically speaking, he''ll need some time to adapt.


    For that, he''d require the support and trust of the manager. So, he had to be even more meticulous when selecting the club.


    Hiro revealed acent look on his face as he said deeply, "I''ll have to perform some research on my part before concluding."


    After that, Hiro put aside the matter for now.


    After all, he wasn''t in any kind of rush to decide his future. He still had about a year to ponder about his decision. However, during that period, he had to improve himself to be a sellout star instantly.


    Who knows he might even attract the attention of even bigger clubs if he performed well.


    Speaking of which, he had two asions to market himself on the international stage. One was on the Asia Cup if he made the team.


    With his current performance, it''d take a miracle to stop him from making it to the team.


    As for his other option, he could participate in the Club World Cup matches. But that''d put him under a lot of pressure.


    Realistically speaking, he wouldn''t be able to attend both tournaments.


    After all, some of the matches of thepetition ovepped with each other. So, Hiro had only one opportunity to market himself; Asia Cup 2025.


    After dismissing the matter regarding his choice, he turned to look at the serene night sky outside the window.


    The fact that he had attracted the interest of many famous clubs brought great delight to him. So, he couldn''t help but reveal a joyous smile on his face.


    "I wonder how Dad would react upon hearing the news?" he muttered albeit in a low whisper.


    He couldn''t help but want to inform him about the offers he had received immediately. Sadly, he couldn''t right now.


    But uponnding, he was determined to take a leave for a few days to visit his parent. Hiro had already made up his mind. So, even if he wasn''t permitted to leave, he''d leave nheless, despite the consequences he might face.


    As he thought about the reaction his father would make upon hearing the news, he couldn''t help but entertain the thoughts about receiving a chance to y for the mightiest club in Europe; Real Madrid whom his father supported crazily.


    A subtle giggle escaped his mouth as he thought about it, "Haha.., he''d probably go into aa if he heard it."

 Chapter 522: Receival for national heroes

    Chapter 522: Receival for national heroes


    ?


    Uponnding, Hiro was assaulted by an almost unbelievable sight- a great number of people had shown up at the airport to receive them.


    The crowd was so huge that a moment after theynded they were informed that they


    couldn''t even leave through the hidden chambers. It appeared as if the entire airport had been seized by the supporters who had disyed in great numbers.


    So, they didn''t have any option but to face the supporters.


    When they were informed about the news, he hadn''t thought much about it. For sure there wouldn''t be more than a few hundred people. That''s what he had thought initially after learning about the predicament from some people who had rushed to inform the news.


    But as they got closer to the exit, their auditory senses were bombarded with the cheers of people. As they got closer to the exit the more the noise grew.


    For a while, many couldn''t help but ponder if a carnival was taking ce.


    Even then, Hiro kept his cool as he didn''t think much about it.


    However, when he got close to the exit and gazed outside the airport doors, his eyes opened wide in shock. The sheer number of people outside the airport surprised him. It was as if there was almost no end to the number of people outside.


    Outside traffic was so huge that some league games wouldn''t rival it.


    It seemed like their recent performance in the international friendlies had sparked a massive sensation at home.


    "Just how are we going to get through?" someone in the team voiced their concern upon looking at the sea of supporters outside the airport.


    While many appeared excited about the scene outside, some disyed an expression full of anxiousness as they found it quite difficult to cope with the pressure.


    Even Hiro who was already used to seeing such a massive flock of people couldn''t help but feel somewhat uneasy.


    Sure, he was both ted and excited to experience the love and support of the people. However, he was also in a hurry to return home.


    Who knows how long it''d take to deal with such arge number of people?


    Well, if it was only the people, he wouldn''t be much concerned. But where there are such a great number of people, there''s bound to be some reporters. So, he was mostly concerned about the reporters rather than the people.


    They''re the ones who''d take most of his time after all.


    Sure enough, when he swept his nces, he found quite a lot of reporters waiting outside. This made him frown his brows as he sighed helplessly, "Hah! As expected"


    His gesture didn''t go unnoticed as Naoto who was right by his side caught him sighing, "What''s the matter, Hiro, you don''t seem happy?"


    "You know, how I wanted to rush home, right?" Hiro said a bit dejectedly.


    Hearing him, Naoto couldn''t help but pity him. After all, while his father was bedridden, he had been contributing to the team.


    Even faced with such odds, he had delivered a performance worth remembering. So, he couldn''t even bring himself to fathom his talent.


    The more he thought about it, the more his respect for Hiro grew.


    Suchposure and professionalism at such a young age was something that deserved recognition and respect.


    But what could he do right now? Wasn''t there any way to help him?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing him in such a distressful condition, he couldn''t help but want to help him out. Just then while pondering, a thought shed in his mind as an idea urred to him.


    Then he turned to Hiro and said in a cheerful voice, "Don''t worry, Hiro, I''ll help you out" Hiro was a little dumbfounded by his sentence. He couldn''t tell how he was going to help him out after all, he hadn''t even mentioned his worries yet. So, what was he trying to say?


    Was he going to find a hidden passage solely for him?


    Although he was dumbfounded, he couldn''t help but feel slightly assured upon hearing him for some inexplicable reason. For some reason, he felt as if he could rely on him.


    But before Hiro could bring himself to speak, he stormed away.


    "As you can see, a lot of people have shown up here to receive our yers who had returned after a magnificent campaign," a reporter dressed in formal attire said.


    "Today, a great number of people have shown up to wee our yers. Well, after how amazingly Hiro had yed in the games against such giants, it was only to be expected"


    "An international hattrick on his senior debut... Just how many people can you name who can pull such a feat?" another reporter added excitedly.


    You could hear the excitement in his voice and see the eagerness in his eyes.


    The reaction of the crowd was even more wild. There were people involved in constant squabble to reach the front. Many were struggling to maintain their position up front. Constantly, people were pushing each other to covet the better position.


    You could palpably see the passion in their eyes. Moreover, you could audibly hear them chanting the name of Hiro.


    Even before he debuted for the senior team, he had already dazzled people with his talent. But many still held a fear that he''d flop once he debuts for the senior team.


    However, right now, it appeared as if they were simply being fearful for nothing.


    After his performance with such big teams as Brazil and Georgia, it was clear that he wasn''t someone who could only perform at home level but was someone capable of leading their team to the next level.


    Hiro was their messiah to their hope to win international silverware one day.


    Maybe, they could go on to win the Asia Cup this year.


    Many couldn''t help but want to believe in him.


    Japan although appeared as a title contender team had failed to live up to the expectations.


    The long trophy drought that they faced was a testament to theirck of conviction.

 Chapter 523: Chaos outside Airport

    Chapter 523: Chaos outside Airport


    ?


    It was evident that Japan wascking a missing piece toplete the puzzle to their hopes of winning international silverware. And it seemed that Hiro was that final missing piece toplete the puzzle.


    Hence, many eagerly looked forward to meeting him.


    Just then yers began to walk out of the airport. Just as they began to walk out the cheers grew even louder as the crowd grew even wilder.


    Desperate to catch a glimpse, many people started pushing even harder as they tried to forcefully open up a path. At the same time, police and airport security personnel who had been tasked to handle the people began to make way for the yers.


    Against the constant pressure from the numerous supporters even they struggled to open up a path for the yers to safely leave the premises.


    "Huh, why are the yers wearing masks?"


    Many people were puzzled to find yers with their faces covered. They had been eagerly waiting to see the yers but now it appeared as if the yers were intentionally hiding their appearance.


    Was it some kind of gimmick?


    Despite the attempts of the yers to conceal their appearance, it didn''t stop the reporters from attempting to interview the yers.


    It seemed as if they wouldn''t move unless they got to interview Hiro.


    After all, you could hear them chanting Hiro''s name without any pause. It was as if they were adamant about interviewing Hiro.


    However, even the reporters were struggling to identify Hiro.


    "Hiro, how do you feel about your debut?" one of the reporters asked as he stopped one of the yers who appeared quite identical to Hiro.


    "I felt great about my debut. I wonder how you feel about my debut?" the yer answered.


    Upon hearing him, the reporter couldn''t help but reveal a somewhat skeptical look on his face. It was as if something wasn''t right.


    "You have scored three goals on your debut. A feat that very few could manage to achieve. Were you nervous before going to the match?" he continued nheless.


    When everybody was struggling to locate Hiro, somebody in the crowd caught a glimpse of the scenario. So, he immediately shouted, "He''s here..."


    Just as they heard him, their eyes jolted toward the youth who had been stopped by one of the reporters to interview.


    At once, along with people other reporters who were also struggling to locate Hiro rushed to him thinking that they had finally managed to locate Hiro.


    Now that they had located him, how could they sit still?


    They had to get their hands on the piece of pie or else, how would they face their boss upon returning to work?


    Wouldn''t they get reprimanded if they returned empty-handed?


    At this moment when everybody was focused on the so-called Hiro, Hiro who had disguised himself as one of the airport staff sneaked his way out of the chaos before him.


    "Well..., who wouldn''t be nervous about their debut?" the youth replied as he appeared to be stalling for time for some reason.


    At this moment, a bunch of security personnel had circled him, preventing people from rushing on him. If any looked at him being protected to such a degree, they would probably assume him to be someone important for sure.


    Maybe it was because of themotion around them that most of the reporters failed to find anything strange or out of order.


    Well, it''d be a miracle if any found out that the youth in question wasn''t Hiro amidst such a chaotic atmosphere.


    Yet still, amidst the ongoing chaos, someone managed to find something odd.


    Strangely, he didn''t sound like Hiro at all.


    It was one of the reporters who had interviewed Hiro on multiple asions.


    "You''re not Hiro, are you?" a rather young-looking female reporter tantly pointed out as she shot a gaze full of skepticism at him.


    Just as she said so, everybody looked at him suspiciously.


    Sweeping his gaze across, he concluded that he wouldn''t be able to keep up the role-y any further. So the youth in question revealed a subtle chuckle before taking his mask down, "Hahaha..., Who said that I was Hiro? I thought that you were questioning my debut"


    The person who was getting interviewed was Tatsuki.


    Many upon seeing his appearance contorted their face in annoyance. They couldn''t help butin about the matter.


    His appearance left them utterly disappointed.


    "You shouldn''t discriminate between yers," Tatsuki said sounding somewhat gloomy. It was as if he was deeply hurt by their treatment. "I have scored multiple goals for the national team, yet you treat me with such indifference sob... sob..." he added as he began sobbing.


    As they saw him frowning, they couldn''t help but feel guilty.


    After all, whatever he said was indeed correct. He had been performing for the team consistently. Yet, they were treating him as if he didn''t mean anything.


    That was how some fans felt when hearing him.


    As for most of the reporters, they couldn''t care less about his grievances. After all, they had to target the person at the center of the attention.


    However, right now, he clearly wasn''t at the center of the attention.


    Tatsuki couldn''t be bothered by their indifference either. After all, he was merely acting. Even


    though he liked the attention, he wasn''t an attention whore.


    At the moment, he was merely helping Hiro by stalling time.


    The more he stalls time for him, the more helpful it''ll be for Hiro.


    "But if you''re still adamant about searching for Hiro, he should be somewhere among us," Tatsuki pointed out at the bunch of yers who were steadily making their way out.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Immediately, reporters ran to catch up to the yers in hopes of interviewing Hiro.


    However, by now, Hiro had already left the premises in a private car called out by manager


    Nanami.


    Currently, he was already on his way to the railway station.


    As for why he couldn''t take a flight home, it was because he couldn''t find a flight that


    ovepped with the time of his arrival.


    If he waited at the airport, he had to wait for about seven or eight hours to book a flight home.


    So, there wasn''t any point waiting that long when he could simply travel on a train.

 Chapter 524: Turbulence of emotions

    Chapter 524: Turbulence of emotions


    ?


    Inside a rather fancy-looking cafeteria, some youths were gathered. They appeared to be looking at the phone screen of one of the youths with tanned skin and spiky dark hair in his hand.


    Upon closer inspection, you could vividly see the confusion and curiosity hidden in their eyes. "Do you think Hiro is intentionally hiding himself?" one of the youths asked curiously.


    "Well, considering how things are ying out, it seems to be the case," another responded deeply making him seem as if he had answered after much thinking.


    "Then do you think they could find him?"


    While the other around him kept talking, the youth holding the phone kept his mouth shut as The fixedly stared at the screen.


    Right now, his screen disyed the scene at the airport- The confusion,motion, and chaos- everything taking ce in the airport was being broadcast live.


    "What do you think about it, Akashi?"


    Just then one of the youths asked after the discussion started to get heated. Even after discussing so intently, they couldn''t conclude, hence, they decided to ask him his opinion.


    The tanned skin, spiky hair youth was none other than Akashi, Hiro''s childhood friend. After an arduous game, right now, he was at the local cafe to get some food with his friends.


    Akashi wasn''t a stranger to the hardship Hiro was going through at the moment. He was aware of the recent ident that his father had gotten into.


    Well, even if they didn''t talk as much as ofte, he still held their friendship in high regard. After all, he was aware of Hiro''s personality.


    The reason why they couldn''t talk as much wasn''t because he was ignoring him now that he had gotten famous or he had gotten arrogant. It was because he was busier than ever.


    After all, he wasn''t the Hiro of the Okami Elementary School, he was acquainted to.


    But he was Hiro, the national treasure, the wunderkind, the hope of the nation, the prodigy rookie, the rising star of the J-league, and the holder of many such amazing titles. In short, he was an extremely sought-after yer who was destined to carry the hopes of the nation.


    So, even though theirck ofmunication saddened him, he didn''t me Hiro.


    During the recent week, he had paid multiple visits to the hospital. As for the reason why he visited the hospital, it wasn''t because of Hiro.


    Rather he was truly concerned about the condition of Uncle Takashi who had taken great care of him during his younger days.


    Even after the departure of Hiro, he hade to support him on multiple asions as if he were someone close to him. If there were any matches in the neighborhood and he was avable, he woulde to see him y.


    Sometimes, he would even go out of his way to treat him and his friend to some nice meal after the match. Truly, he had been nothing but generous.


    After pondering for a while, he stood from his seat.


    His sudden gesture startled his friend. Then again, they revealed a frown as they asked, "What''s the matter Akashi?"


    Recently, Akashi had started acting somewhat weird if they had to be honest. He used to be quite loquacious back then, however, recently he had gone somewhat silent.


    Even his fierce temper in the field wasn''t the same. It was almost as if something was bothering him. Yet they couldn''t tell what exactly was it since he didn''t talk about it. Then Akashi lifted his bag and said in a t tone, "I''m leaving"


    "Huh! What do you mean by your leaving?"


    "We have only gotten here"


    "Didn''t you agree that you would at least share a meal with us this time?"


    As they heard him they couldn''t help butin. It had taken a lot of convincing to convince him to stay for a meal. But now, he wanted to leave. Was he for real?


    It was as if they didn''t have any value.


    So, when they heard him, they couldn''t help but feel a mix of emotions such as agitation, grief, and worthlessness. Even if he didn''t want to stay, he could at least inform them about his worries. Couldn''t he even do that much?


    How could he treat them like strangers after spending so much time together?


    Was he trying to cut ties?


    Despite their protest, Akashi left the cafe without uttering a single word. In doing so, he didn''t feel even an ounce of guilt. Rather, he couldn''t even bother about their feelings to be more precise. Right now, his heart was full of unwillingness and overwhelming grief.


    Although he was happy for his friend now that he was doing well, a part of him was denouncing him for his decision to choose football over his father. Even though he was aware of his personality, he couldn''t help but feel unsatisfied with his gesture.


    With his talent, he might get another opportunity.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But what if due to such a decision, he might never get to see his father again?


    Uncle Takashi hadn''t awakened for more than a week already. Who knows if he''ll even open his eyes? Contrary to Hiro who was in the dark, he who visited him almost daily was aware of his condition and even he was frightened.


    In more than a week, he hadn''t seen one single favorable progression.


    Akashi was aware of the lies Aunt Momo had told Hiro. But that wasn''t an excuse to abandon Uncle Takashi in such a critical period.


    So, he couldn''t help butment Hiro''s choices.


    Sure, his thoughts might be immature. After all, who would want to miss such an opportunity that would elevate one''s career to the next level?


    Akashi couldn''t me Hiro for his decision. But he couldn''t precisely forgive him for his decision either. He was unsatisfied with him.


    But he was certain about a thing after watching the news- Hiro wasing home.


    So, he wanted to confront him.


    Hence, instead of returning home, he headed to the hospital after informing his mother about his decision to stay a night at the hospital.

 Chapter 525: Reunion

    Chapter 525: Reunion


    ?


    Akashi wasn''t willing to let him slide without any exnation.


    After about more than ten hours, Hiro showed up at the hospital. His breathing was rather ragged and he appeared to be drenched in sweat.


    However, right now, Akashi who had stayed awake for almost the entirety of the night in his wait was deep asleep.


    But even so, Hiro recognized him at a nce.


    Seeing him brought great delight to him and his face brightened.


    Then again he recalled something upon seeing him. Previously, he had also asked Akashi to help him with this matter. However, at that time, he made excuses saying that he was out of town for a tournament that was taking ce.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Then did he also rush here after the game?


    Hiro hadn''t doubted him, so he could only think it was the case. So, seeing here brought great delight to him.


    Yet, seeing him in such deep slumber, he didn''t feel like waking him up. So, he walked past him without disturbing him. Then he proceeded to visit his father.


    But first, he''d need to find his mother. So, he started looking around for her. Well, he could have called her. But he wanted to keep his appearance a surprise so, he didn''t call her and kept on searching for her.


    Since he was informed about the room number in advance, it didn''t take him a lot of time to find the room where his father was getting treated.


    Even after being aware of the room number, it was still quite a hassle to find the exact location. Well, since he hadn''t visited before and it was his first time here, it was only natural for him to struggle for a while despite knowing the room number.


    A delightful glee appeared on his face as his face blossomed like a blooming flower after finding the room he was desperately searching for a while.


    ''Mom, Dad. I''m here'' he thought as he looked ahead, his heart pounding with anticipation.


    Then he slowly walked to the room, his heart thumping with excitement. ording to the information he had received from his mother, his father although bedridden was out of danger. So, he was looking forward to seeing him.


    ncing through the window, he saw the figure of the people he had been longing to see for quite a long. Seated beside the only bed present in the room, his mother seemed to sleeping peacefully with her head resting atop the bed, right beside his father.


    As for his father, he appeared to be sleeping soundly as well.


    Although he was covered in all kinds of bandages and seemed to be breathing through the oxygen mask, he felt relieved to see him.


    His eyes moistened as all sorts of emotions such as joy, grief, and guilt churned within him. Though he was relieved to see him alive, he couldn''t help but feel his heartache upon seeing him in such a desperate condition.


    It wasn''t how he had hoped to reunite with his father after leaving home.


    This wasn''t the sort of reunion he had hoped for.


    Well, it could have been much worse.


    Thankfully, he was still alive. So, he should feel a little grateful to be able to meet him. Just then while he was staring at his parents from outside the door, a nurse caught a glimpse of him from afar. Apparently, she hade to perform her routine check-up.


    But finding him staring while standing before the door, she couldn''t help but feel disturbed. Who was this anonymous person? She hadn''t seen him before. Also, he was dressed in some kind of security personnel uniform.


    From the looks of his uniform, he didn''t appear to be someone from the hospital.


    Who was this man? She hadn''t seen him before. Despite her wariness, she knew she couldn''t avoid him her job required her to enter the room.


    So, pushing aside her difort, she approached the door, while Hiro remained rooted to the spot, his emotions a tangled mess as he gazed at his sleeping parents.


    Since he was deeply absorbed in the sight before him, he failed to notice her presence.


    "Excuse me, Sir. I need to head inside," she said, sounding somewhat annoyed.


    Her voice jolted Hiro awake as it brought him back to his senses. Immediately, he stepped out


    of the way and said, "I''m sorry, I didn''t realize I was blocking the path"


    The nurse, however, ignored his apology as she proceeded inside without uttering anything any further. She couldn''t give a damn about him.


    She was already frustrated enough. So, she didn''t want some stranger to add more to the te.


    ''Seems like I''ll encounter all kinds of weirdos but not Hiro'' she thought as she pushed the trolley inside while sighing in her heart.


    After finding out that the patient before her was the father of the famous young prodigy Hiro, she had been eagerly looking forward to meeting him.


    But after finding out about Hiro''s international trip, she was left disappointed. Yet still, she firmly believed that Hiro would visit after the trip abroad.


    So, she had been waiting for him.


    Yet it seemed like she wouldn''t be able to meet him. She will be on leave tomorrow. So, what if he''lle tomorrow and she misses the opportunity to meet him?


    It worried her. So, she was in a rather foul mood because of it.


    Just as she started walking inside without paying any heed to him, Hiro also walked inside.


    For a while, she didn''t notice his presence as she was already in a bitter mood.


    However, as she was about to check on the patient, she found him inside the room.


    Only rtives of the family were allowed inside. So, how could he walk inside without asking permission? This irresponsive gesture of his enraged her.


    Furrowing her brows, she confronted him, "Sir, even if you''re rted to the patient, you can''t casually walk inside at such a time. You have to wait for the visiting hours if you want to visit the patient."

 Chapter 526: Hiding the truth

    Chapter 526: Hiding the truth


    ?


    Hiro became a little startled when he heard her. His face flushed as he felt slightly ufortable. He didn''t know what to tell her.


    So, he remained rooted at his ce, hearing her rants without being able to utter a single word.


    Just how was he supposed to exin that he was the son of the patient when she didn''t give him any break?


    It seemed like he wouldn''t be able to convince her. Even so, he wasn''t willing to leave the room either.


    For a while, she continued to scold him.


    Then after a while, his mother who had awakened due to themotion taking ce in the room said, "You''re here"


    Ignoring the rants of the nurse before him, Hiro turned to look at his mother. Hearing her, he nodded his head as he said, "Umm..., I''m here"


    Then he started walking toward her.


    But the nurse who was fixated on him stood in his way as she prevented him from advancing, "Sir, I''m already being polite to you. So, why don''t you understand? You have to leave the room immediately or else I''ll be forced to call security"


    She said as she daringly stood before him, ring at him. It seemed like she wouldn''t budge an inch.


    "I appreciate your work ethic but it''s alright. You don''t have to stop him, he''s my son," closing on the nurse from behind, his mother rified the situation.


    Upon hearing her words, the nurse froze in her ce for a while. She had a stupefied look on her face. At the same time, Hiro also took off his mask, revealing his face.


    Her face flushed as she witnessed the sight of Hiro.


    She felt ashamed of the fact that all along she was stopping Hiro. Words didn''te out of her mouth for a while.


    Then as she got to her senses, she immediately began to apologize, "I''m so sorry..., I wasn''t expecting it to be you. I''m so sorry for talking such rudely with you"


    Hiro tried tofort her, "No.., No.., You are only doing your duty."


    Despite Hiro''s attempt tofort her, she kept on apologizing for a while. It seemed that she was truly troubled by the matter.


    Then after a while, as she calmed down, she proceeded to check on his father.


    While the nurse was upied with his father, his mother brought him outside to converse with him. There wasn''t any need to bring him outside but even now, if possible she didn''t want him to find out the truth regarding his father''s condition.


    She didn''t want to worry him unnecessarily. Deep down, she did feel guilty about her actions but even so, she didn''t want him to find the truth.


    He was doing well. And she could tell that he would continue to perform well. But if he learns about the truth, he might lose hisposure.


    For sure, the truth would affect him deeply.


    "You should have told me that you wereing," she said as she pulled him outside.


    Why was she talking in that way? It was as if she didn''t want him toe here. So, upon hearing her words, he couldn''t help but feel his heart tightening.


    Frowning, he replied, "Aren''t you happy to see me? I was really concerned about you and Father"


    As soon as she heard such words from him, she rolled her eyes away as if she was afraid to look him in the eye. Then she responded in an indifferent tone, "Why wouldn''t I be happy to see my son? Of course, I''m happy to see you. Still, you should have said that you would be rushing here."


    Seeing her expression, Hiro started getting an unsettling feeling. It was as if she was hiding something from him. Hiro started feeling suspicious of his mother.


    Hence, he asked while making a serious expression, "Mom, tell me the truth. Is Dad alright?"


    "Didn''t I already tell you? He''s fine and he''s out of danger," she responded whilst avoiding looking in his eye.


    Though she answered him calmly, something didn''t sit right with Hiro. He could tell that she was panicking at the moment. The way she was avoiding looking him in the eye and the way she was acting right now, all seemed too weird.


    "You''re hiding something, aren''t you? Mom, tell me the truth"


    Hiro kept on insisting.


    "Why would I hide anything from you? I''m telling you the truth, your father is alright"


    It seemed like she wouldn''t tell him the truth. So, he directly rushed inside the room to find


    out the truth.


    "Where are you going?"


    She chased him attempting to stop him.


    Hiro, however, wasn''t going to be persuaded. He had to find out the truth. She might have her reasons but he had the right to know the truth. So, he charged ahead.


    As he entered the room, he found nothing out of ce.


    His father was still lying on the bed while the nurse was changing his bandages. The machine that recorded his heartbeat showed that his heart was beating normally. So, he couldn''t find anything out of the ordinary.


    For a moment, he even felt as if he was overreacting.


    As his mother said, why would she hide anything from her?


    Was he overreacting?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If so, he was relieved. But still, he felt the urge to ask the nurse to rify his doubts.


    "Excuse me, Is he alright?" he asked.


    From behind, his mother was shaking her head as if she was signaling the nurse to hide the matter from him.


    Hiro caught the sight of her trying to mislead the nurse. Now, even if the nurse hid things from him, he was sure that something was indeed wrong.


    So, her response didn''t matter to him that much since he had already figured out the truth. There seemed to be something wrong with his father which he wasn''t aware of.


    And even his mother didn''t want him to find out.


    But what could the matter be?


    This, he couldn''t be sure.

 Chapter 527: Different views

    Chapter 527: Different views


    ?


    What was she hiding? Why did she seem so anxious?


    Hiro couldn''t shake these questions as he carefully observed the nurse. With each passing second, his presence grew more intense as he sought to pry the truth from her. His eyes narrowed, boring into her as if he could see straight through to her soul.


    The nurse felt a shiver run down her spine under his gaze as if she were standing exposed in a blizzard. How could a sixteen-year-old possess such an unsettling stare? Why was she, a grown adult, feeling so intimidated by him?


    She couldn''t exin it, but she knew she couldn''t reveal the truth. With a nervous smile, she forced out a response, "Haha... yeah, he''s alright."


    Hiro''s gaze only grew sharper as he pressed, "Then why hasn''t he woken up yet?"


    The nurse quickly replied, "It''s the sleeping pills..."


    His mother immediately chimed in as well, "Yes, he was having trouble sleeping, so the doctor prescribed some sleeping pills to help him rest and recover faster."


    Hiro scanned their faces suspiciously, but they remained firm, refusing to reveal more.


    It was clear he wasn''t going to get the truth from them.


    Reluctantly, Hiro shifted his gaze away. While he hadn''t uncovered the full story, he had already pieced together enough to realize something was off. Even if he asked the doctor, he doubted he would get a straight answer. If the nurse was in on it, who''s to say the doctor wasn''t as well?


    But why were they treating him like he couldn''t handle the truth?


    Whatever it was, it had to be something serious. Something terrible must have happened to his father. Probably, she was worried that he wouldn''t be able to take it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    So, even though he vaguely figured out the truth, he didn''t pressure her to reveal the truth. Right after hearing their response, he dropped the matter and changed the topic.


    While they conversed, the nurse carried out her duty diligently.


    After a while, Akashi who had awakened from his slumber stumbled upon Hiro on his way to check on Uncle Takashi.


    However, he wasn''t surprised to see him here. After all, he had already expected him toe. "You two should catch up. I''ll head inside for now," saying so, his mother walked inside upon taking notice of Akashi''s presence.


    "How have you been?" Hiro asked as he got close to Akashi.


    "I''ve been doing well," Akashi responded gruffly.


    It might be because he had woken up just now that his voice sounded a little deeper than usual.


    Hiro noticed something off in Akashi''s tone, a subtle coldness that hadn''t been there before. But before he could probe further, Akashi shifted his gaze toward the hospital room where Hiro''s fathery. His eyes lingered there for a moment, filled with a mixture of concern and frustration.


    "So, how was the tournament?" Akashi asked, but his wordscked the usual warmth. There was no smile, no genuine curiosity-just a pointed question that felt more like an usation.


    Hiro hesitated, sensing the underlying tension. "It was pretty good," he said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "But... that''s not important right now. I feel like Mom is trying to hide something from me... Like, I can''t help but feel worried about Dad" he added.


    Akashi''s eyes flicked back to Hiro, and the coldness in them seemed to deepen. "Your dad? Now you''re worried about your dad?" he said, his voice edged with bitterness. "Where was that concern when you were off ying football while he was lying here?"


    Just what happened to him all of a sudden?


    Hiro was a little startled to see him so agitated. It was as if he had enraged him. He could tell that he was somewhat dissatisfied with him but he couldn''t tell why he was dissatisfied with him.


    Also, why was he acting as if he had abandoned his father?


    Wasn''t he tantly using him?


    Hearing him, he felt enraged. Just how could he dump all the me on him as if he was enjoying his time while abandoning his father?


    But didn''t he do the exact same?


    Hiro flinched at the words, guilt washing over him. "I didn''t know it was this serious. Also, Mom said that he was fine," he defended weakly, but even to his ears, the excuse sounded hollow.


    Excuse. He was merely making excuses at the moment.


    Even he could tell that he was making excuses. How could he fail to learn the truth? But since he was having the time of his life being able to fulfill one of his greatest desires, he refused to ept the truth.


    Even now, after seeing the state of his father, he was trying to avoid facing reality.


    Akashi shook his head, clearly unimpressed. "You should''ve been here, Hiro. Your family needed you, and you chose football instead. What''s the point of winning a game if you''re losing what truly matters?"


    Hiro opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He had been so focused on his goals, and his dreams, that he hadn''t stopped to think about the consequences. He''d justified it to himself by believing he was doing it for his family, but now, seeing Akashi''s anger and the truth in his words, he wasn''t so sure.


    Could he me Naoto and Tatsuki for persuading him?


    After all, he had tried to return. But it was their joint effort that had prevented him from returning. Even during his time abroad, he had tried to reach out.


    And he was aware of it as well.


    After all, he was one of the people whom he had reached out to for help.


    So, how could he talk like he had abandoned his father?


    "I''m here now," Hiro finally managed to say, though it felt inadequate.


    Akashi gave him a long, hard look. "Yeah, you''re here now," he repeated, his tone heavy with disappointment. "But don''t think you can just walk back in and everything''s fine. You can''t just pick and choose when to care."


    It was clear that he was aware of something. But the words he said cut deep inside his heart. It was as said by him. He couldn''t just appear as if it wasn''t a big deal.


    Hiro remained unresponsive as he began to ponder deeply.


    With that, Akashi turned away, heading towards the room where Hiro''s fathery. "I''m going to check on him. Maybe you should think about what''s really important."


    Hiro stood there, frozen, watching his friend disappear into the room. The exhration he had felt earlier after scoring important goals for his national team now seemed so distant, reced by a sinking feeling of regret. For the first time, he truly questioned his choices.


    As he stood there in the quiet hallway, Hiro realized that he had done something uneptable. What if he had lost his father?


    But aren''t there yers in the world who put their career over football?


    So, why was he wrong to do so?


    There are many instances when despite the grievances yers would go on to perform. Like how Luis Diaz kept on performing for Liverpool when his father was kidnapped.


    But it didn''t mean that he wasn''t affected by the kidnapping. Probably, he was terrified beyond measure. But that didn''t mean that he could abandon his profession. After all, there was only so much he could do given his circumstances.


    So, it was better for him to focus on what he could do.


    And Hiro had done exactly the same. Even if he had returned home, what could he even do?


    It''s not like he could miraculously cure his father.


    If he could then he wouldn''t hesitate to return.


    Although it was Naoto and Tatsuki who had done the bidding, it was he who had epted the choice. So, he couldn''t put the me on others.


    With that being said, it wouldn''t be an overstatement to say that it was Hiro who had made


    the final choice.


    So, along with guilt, he felt a mix of emotions such as rage and sorrow. Sure, he might have done something uneptable. But it didn''t give others the right to ridicule him. If they were in his spot who knows if they had also made the same choice.


    Was it wrong to fulfill his lifelong obsession?


    Hiro stood in the hallway pondering deeply about the affairs at hand. At times, he felt as if he hadn''t done anything wrong while at times he felt as if he had wronged something.


    However, despite pondering about the matter for a while, he couldn''t conclude.


    But the scale tilted more toward him being just. After all, he had sessfully debuted in the national team and his father was also alive. So, wasn''t it all good?


    Although he was a bit enraged at him for using him, Hiro''s impression of Akashi only became more favorable.


    For a while, it appeared that he was concerned about his father more than him.

 Chapter 528: Professional or Unfilial?

    Chapter 528: Professional or Unfilial?


    ?


    After a while, Hiro stepped inside as well. The moment his gazended on his father, he felt a bittersweet mix of emotions.


    Now that he had learned the truth, he couldn''t help but feel his heartache.


    Then he trod to the bed where his fathery and stood beside him. For a while, he could only stare at him nkly with differentplicated emotions swelling inside his heart.


    The man who was the epitome of positivity to him right nowy before him motionless, and covered in bandages. Upon closer inspection, the texture of his skin seemed sickly pale almost as if he was terminally ill.


    Even before heading inside to face him, Hiro had prepared himself mentally. But when he stood by his side, he couldn''t help but feel hollow from inside.


    Moisture began to umte in his eyes making it seem like he was on the verge of tearing. The frown on his face didn''t go unnoticed as his mother who was right by his side noticed it. She could tell that he was suffering inside.


    Seeing such an expression, she wanted tofort him.


    But as she was about to speak, her gazended on his hand clenched into a fist. It appeared that he was struggling to keep himself from breaking apart.


    It seemed like her son was a lot stronger than she had imagined initially.


    If she acted now, she might do more harm than good. So, she refrained from acting out even though it pained her to see him like that.


    She pursed her lips as she swallowed the pity she felt toward her son.


    Hiro then slowly reached out to his father. Holding his hand, he gently caressed. But he couldn''t feel much warmth from it.


    Though he could feel some warmth, it was a lot colder.


    The coldness in his hand made his heart shudder and the knot in his brows deepened further.


    At this time, Akashi who had been watching his gestures left the room. The nurse did the same as well.


    With the two gone, now Hiro was left with his mother and father.


    An eerie silence descended upon the room. Apart from the beeping sound of the medical equipment, nothing else could be heard in the room.


    Then after a while, Hiro''s mother broke the silence as she said gently, "Hiro... I''ve been hiding something from you. Your father hasn''t awakened since the day of the ident"


    She said with a heavy heart.


    A moment ago, she was trying so hard to hide the truth. But now, she was revealing the truth on her own ord.


    But it didn''t surprise Hiro. After all, he had already figured that something was amiss. So, he didn''t react when he heard the truth.


    Without any change in his expression, he listened to her reveal more terrible news. Yet still, even upon learning the truth, he remained unfazed, making it seem almost as if he was a stone-hearted person whocked emotions.


    The calm on Hiro''s face although it frightened her at first. But a part of her felt grateful that the news didn''t break him.


    She was relieved to see that her son had matured.


    She didn''t know how she would react if he couldn''t take the news.


    For some reason after telling him the truth, she felt relieved as well. Before, the feeling of guilt was gnawing at her. But now, she felt as if she had emptied her heart.


    "I''m sure, you must have had a really tough time. But now that I''m here, you don''t have to bear the burden alone, Mom," Hiro said, his toneced with concern.


    It wasn''t only his father who seemed pale. After spending the entire week in the hospital, his mother also appeared somewhat sickly.


    Though she found his words assuring, she couldn''t help but ask, "But what about your club? Have you thought about it?"


    In the heat of the moment, he had spoken without thinking. But now that she mentioned the club, what was he supposed to say?


    He hadn''t even asked for permission from the club.


    So, he couldn''t bring himself to respond immediately.


    Hiro''s mother could see that he hadn''t thought about it thoroughly. Theck of response and


    the hesitation on his face was a testament to his irresponsive attitude.


    "Tell me honestly..., You haven''t asked permission from the club yet, right?" she narrowed her eyes as she probed.


    Hiro might have matured drastically. However, there were a few things that wouldn''t change that easily.


    "I''m sure...., they''ll understand once I tell them," he responded haphazardly as if he was unsure of his ims.


    A few days wouldn''t be troublesome. But from what she could tell, he wanted to be here for a long period. And this she couldn''t allow.


    She might have been more than happy to have him here if he wasn''t needed in the club. But from what she could tell, he was an important yer in the club.


    Just because of his personal problems the entire team shouldn''t suffer.


    And she wasn''t willing to let that happen.


    So, she rose from her seat and stared at him deeply. Then she ced her hands atop his shoulder as she said, "I know that you are worried about your Dad. But your father would want you to keep ying. This is what you''ve worked so hard for. We''ll be fine here."


    "But-"


    "No buts," she interrupted, her tone firm. "You''ve done what you can. Now, focus on your training. We''ll be here when you need us."


    Reluctantly, Hiro nodded.


    For some reason, he couldn''t bring himself to deny her. There was something in her eyes that made him unable to go against her.


    Sumbing to her, he said, "Then I''ll do as you say. But if something happens, please...,


    don''t hesitate to call me, Mom"


    Now that he had agreed, she responded with a calm, "Don''t worry. I''ll let you know if something happens. Just give your best, your teammates need you"


    He kissed his mother''s cheek, squeezed his father''s hand onest time, and left the hospital. As he walked down the sterile hallway, he couldn''t shake the feeling that he was leaving something important behind.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Unbeknownst to him, the nurse who had been attending to his father had taken a discreet photo of Hiro during his visit.


    She was struck by the young man''s quiet intensity and his unwavering dedication to both his


    family and his career. The image, captioned with a simple "Dedication in the face of adversity," was soon posted to her social media ount, where it quickly began to gain


    traction.


    The post didn''t take long to attract the attention of reporters always hungry for a story, especially one involving a rising football star.


    As the image circted online, spection began to mount.


    What was Hiro doing at the hospital?


    After he had stormed away from the airport without even showing his face, people were curious where about his whereabouts. For the past few days, they had repeatedly visited the club training ground in hopes of seeing him.


    But despite their efforts, they were unable to find him.


    However, now that someone had posted him, it was only natural for them to feel curious


    about the reason for his sudden disappearance.


    "Did he injure himself?"


    "Is he there to visit someone?"


    "I contacted the hospital and it seems like he was there to visit hisatose father"


    "So, he stormed away from the airport in a rush to see his father?"


    "I hope his father recovers soon"


    "We''re with you, Hiro"


    Differentments floated around the inte.


    Soon, a full-blown investigation was underway. Reporters dug into Hiro''s background,


    eventually uncovering the truth about his father''s critical condition. The revtion hit the


    news like a bombshell.


    At first, the story was sympathetic. Many praised Hiro for his professionalism, and for continuing to train and y even while his fathery in a hospital bed.


    Headlines described him as a "young athlete with unshakable dedication," a "son who honors his father by pursuing his dreams."


    But as the story spread, the narrative began to shift. Some critics emerged, questioning Hiro''s


    decision to leave his father''s side for the sake of football. "How could he abandon his family


    in such a time of need?" they asked. "What kind of son chooses his career over his dying


    father?"


    The public''s reaction was split. On one hand, there were those who admired Hiro''s focus and dedication, who believed that he was doing what any professional would do in his situation.


    On the other hand, there were those who viewed his actions as heartless, as the behavior of someone who had lost sight of what really mattered.


    Social media was flooded with conflicting opinions. Some users posted messages of support,mending Hiro for his resolve. Others condemned him, calling him selfish and ungrateful. The debate raged on, with Hiro caught in the eye of the storm.


    At the club, Hiro''s teammates were quick to rally around him, but the tension was palpable. The media frenzy had brought an unwanted spotlight to their training sessions, with reporters constantly hounding Hiro for a statement.

 Chapter 529: Unwanted Attention

    Chapter 529: Unwanted Attention


    ?


    Though Hiro tried to focus on his training the weight of the criticism was hard to ignore. Every time he opened his phone, he was bombarded with opinions-some supportive, but many harsh and unforgiving.


    The voices of doubt began to creep into his mind, making him question whether he had made the right choice.


    One evening, after a grueling practice session, Hiro sat alone in the locker room, staring at his phone. Thetest headline shed on the screen: "Hiro Takahashi: Professional or Heartless Son?"


    He clenched his fists, the conflicting emotions swirling within him like a storm. The praise and the criticism were like two sides of the same coin, and he found himself unable to escape either.


    During his trip to the hospital, he had already sorted his feelings. Yet now, upon finding himself in the middle of such chaos, he was starting to dwindle.


    Just then while he was staring at his phone, the door creaked open, and Naoto stepped inside. Instantly, he hid his phone.


    But Naoto had already seen him frowning. Recently, he seemed like something was troubling him. And since he was already familiar with his situation, he was also aware of the matter that was troubling him.


    "Still bothered about the news?" Naoto asked.


    "Nah, I''m already over it," Hiro responded with a calm.


    He might be looking calm right now. But Naoto could still see through the facade he had put on. So, he couldn''t help but frown.


    Recently, he and others in the team had made every attempt to defend him. Even the coach of the national team had stepped forward to defend him.


    But it wasn''t enough. Though Hiro never talked about it they were partly at fault too. After all, it was he and Tatsuki who had prevented him from leaving.


    So, he couldn''t help but shake the feeling of guilt.


    "I know you''re a tough fellow Hiro. But truth be told if it weren''t..."


    Just as he was about to apologize, Hiro interrupted him, "No, you''re not the one to me"


    The way he responded made it seem as if he could tell what he was about to say.


    Naoto was a little taken aback when he heard him.


    "The media is just exaggerating the matter" he added. "And I''m thankful for what you two have done for me. If not for you two, I might have regretted my decision. So, please don''t feel guilty"


    It was the first time that he had talked so much after he returned.


    For some reason, he hadn''t talked much after he returned. It was as if something terrible had happened. Seeing him in such a state had made them worried.


    However, finally, he had opened up.


    Naoto stared at him deeply, weighing his options. It seemed like he truly didn''t hold the two ountable for the cmity that had fallen upon him.


    Naoto felt d that he didn''t hold any ill feelings towards them.


    "I''m d that you think so. But still, let me apologize," Naoto said firmly.


    And it didn''t seem like he was going to be persuaded.


    Hiro let out a helpless sigh as he said, "In that case, I ept your apology"


    Later when Hiro was about to head home, he received a message. It was a message from the manager, asking to see him in the office before heading home.


    At first, it got him curious.


    What made him want to see him in the office alone?


    He was right before him in the training ground a moment ago. So, if he had something to say he could have said it before.


    After pondering about it on his way to the manager''s office, Hiro thought of two possibilities; one, he wanted to discuss tomorrow''s match, and the other he wanted to talk about his present affairs.


    He preferred the former to thetter.


    Since he was tired of exining. Almost every day people woulde to him asking him about the matter. So, he would like to cut some ck from thinking about the matter.


    Knock! Knock!


    Hiro knocked on the door.


    A mature voice sounded from inside, "Yes, enter"


    Hiro pushed open the door and stepped inside, "You wanted to see me, sir?"


    Before him, Manager Haruki was scribbling something on the tactics board. But when he heard Hiro''s voice, he ceased his action to address him.


    It seemed like he was preparing tactics for tomorrow''s match.


    Since he returned from international duty, it''d be his first match. But when he nced at the board, he failed to find his name. It appeared that the manager was nning to keep him on the bench for tomorrow''s match.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It didn''t sit well with Hiro.


    Though he had been acting a bit strange recently, he hadn''t performed poorly in the training. Neither was he exhausted.


    So, why was he getting dropped from the starting eleven?


    Getting benched for absolutely no reason annoyed Hiro. However, he couldn''t disy his annoyance in his face. After all, it would be unprofessional tosh out.


    Also, he might have called him to discuss the matter regarding it.


    So, he patiently awaited the manager to reveal the purpose of the call.


    "Oh, Hiro. You''re here. Come have a sit," he said in an amicable tone.


    Hiro took on the offer and sat before him. Manager Haruki himself sat down as well.


    "Tell me, how are you doing?"


    Didn''t he see him on the ground before? So, why was he asking about his condition, right


    now? Hiro felt a little puzzled when he heard him.


    Nheless, he answered with a straight face, "I''m fine, sir."


    "Good, good. You shouldn''t feel pressured."


    The manager mumbled while nodding his head.


    "I wanted to discuss something with you regarding tomorrow''s match."


    Seems like he had guessed it right. He wanted to discuss tomorrow''s match. So, Hiro leaned


    closer as he said, "Am I getting benched?"


    Well, after finding that he wanted to discuss the match, Hiro didn''t have to hide what he had found out. So, he went for the topic directly.


    "Ahh, you must have seen the board. You''ve got quite an extraordinary vision," Haruki


    praised him, attempting to lighten the mood.


    Then all of a sudden, he became serious, "Yes, you''re right. I''m benching you..."

 Chapter 530: Emperors Cup

    Chapter 530: Emperor''s Cup


    ?


    Then again, Haruki showed deep concern in his eyes as he added, "Don''t get me wrong Hiro. I''m not benching you because of the circting matter. It''s purely a strategic decision. So, you don''t have to feel concerned."


    Now that he heard him, it seemed like he was overthinking. So, he felt at ease when he heard him.


    "The opposing fan might target you. So, I want you to get limated to the pressure before stepping inside," Haruki continued.


    It did make sense. After all, for better or worse he was in the limelight presently. So, it wouldn''t be strange for him to be the target of the jeers.


    Earlier, he might have misinterpreted his decision. But now, he came to an understanding that he was just looking after him.


    So, he nodded his head as he said in an understanding tone, "I understand, Sir. I''ll go with your decision."


    Upon hearing him, Haruki revealed a subtle smile on his face, "You can leave now"


    Before leaving Hiro added, "Thank you for looking after me, Sir"


    ********


    The sun, a smoldering ember on the horizon, bathed the heavens in a rich gradient of gold and amber, fading into a tender blush of pink. Wisps of clouds, like delicate brushstrokes, driftedzily across the expanse, tinged with violet and indigo, as if kissed by the departing day.


    Despite the fading light, at this moment, in a certain pitch, a silhouette of an individual could be seen moving on the field.


    The silhouette belonged to Shun.


    "Just 15 more minutes and I should wrap things up" he murmured as he paused to look at the sky that was quickly transforming.


    Perspiration seemed to trickle down his face while at the same time, he appeared to be drenched in sweat. His breathing was ragged and he seemed to be panting heavily.


    Yet still, visible excitement could be seen in his eyes.


    Then just as he was about to return to his training, a familiar voice pierced his ear.


    "I knew, you''d be here..."


    Hearing the voice, he turned to find the person.


    "Didn''t the coach warn you from training excessively before?"


    The person who said those words to him was rather jacked-looking. He had ck hair and a somewhat tannedplexion.


    "I was about to head out, Kaoru-san," Shun responded with a smile on his face.


    "That''s what you always say when someone catches you," Kaoru responded in an all-knowing way as if he was familiar with him.


    Hearing him, Shun revealed a subtle chuckle. Well, he couldn''t bring himself to deny it, after all, it was the fact.


    "You know me...," he said while breaking into a subtle smile.


    "I also know that you''re excited about tomorrow"


    "How did you know?" Shun acted surprised as he asked.


    "It''s written all over your face... I can vividly see the excitement on your face," Kaoru replied with his eyes narrowed.


    Shun''s face brightened as he heard him.


    "Yeah, we''ll be ying against Hiro after all," he responded with a glee on his face.


    Tomorrow they were going to face Kawasaki. Although he yed for Yokohama, he was loaned out from Kawasaki. So, he couldn''t help but feel excited about the prospect of returning home.


    Though he had been wanting to y with Hiro, he wasn''t going to go easy on him. More than his excitement to return to his parent club, he was excited to go up against Hiro.


    They were scheduled to face Kawasaki in the Emperor''s Cup.


    The excitement on his face was rather contagious. And even Kaoru couldn''t help but feel excited, "Indeed..., I''m looking forward to the match as well"


    After witnessing the brilliance of Hiro on the international stage, he had been eagerly looking forward to their scheduled sh. Now that it was so near, he couldn''t shake the feeling of excitement.


    However, by no means was he overestimating himself.


    He was well aware of the threat Hiro possessed. However, precisely because of such reasons he wanted to go up against him.


    Previously, when he went up against him, he had been utterly defeated. So, he wanted to pay him back for the defeat back then.


    "He''s gonna give us a lot of trouble from the get-go tomorrow," Shun said excitedly.


    The statement of Shun ignited a spark in Kaoru''s eyes.


    "Exactly, it''s not gonna be easy to go up against him..." Kaoru said with a trembling voice.


    Both of them were well aware of the threat Hiro possessed. Hence the two shared the same sentiment when it came to Hiro.


    They were both frightened and excited.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "But with how the situation is ying out, he might not be at his best tomorrow," Kaoru


    added while frowning.


    He wasn''t unaware of the mess Hiro had gotten himself involved. So, he couldn''t rule out the possibility of him being affected by the criticism circting.


    Even though he feared him, he held no ill motive toward him. Rather he wanted to face him when he was at his best.


    But Shun thought differently than him.


    He wasn''t bothered by the situation. He knew what kind of mentality monster Hiro was. So, he believed that he would be at his best despite the unfavorable situation.


    "You think too lightly of him," Shun said. "Such adversary won''t affect him. If you go easy on him tomorrow just because you pity him, you''ll get utterly humiliated," he added with a yful smirk on his face.


    It was almost as if he could already imagine the oue.


    "Even at the moment, that guy would probably be training," he continued. Then he paused to look at the sky before continuing, "People say that hard work beats talent. But what if


    geniuses start working hard as well?"


    Though he casually said those words it got Kaoru thinking.


    With acent look on his face, he began to ponder. In less than a week, he had improved


    his defending. Also thest match against Brazil, he had disyed something out of this


    world.


    It wouldn''t be an overstatement to say that he singlehandedly carried the match.


    And even now, he was still developing.


    For an average yer, their prime would be around their twenties. But he was already disying overwhelming strength when he wasn''t even twenty.


    So, how good would he be in a few years?


    Maybe he might even go on to win the Balon d''Or before twenty. With how fast he was developing, it was certainly possible.


    At least that''s what he believed.


    Thinking about it, he felt a shiver run down his spine. He couldn''t even bring himself to


    imagine how threatening he would be in a few years.


    Subconsciously, he blurted, "It''ll birth a monster!"

 Chapter 531: Emperors Cup II

    Chapter 531: Emperor''s Cup II


    ?


    The sun, a brilliant golden orb, hung high and proud, casting its warm, benevolent light across thend. The air was crisp and clean.


    Beneath the azure expanse, a group of people moving toward a certain direction could be seen. Be it children or adults, you could find people of all age groups. Filled with anticipation and excitement, these bunches were headed to the stadium to witness the match.


    You could also find flocks of reporters broadcasting the news.


    Just then a luxurious bus decorated in blue made its appearance. Immediately a wave of sensation rippled through the crowd as people recognized the bus.


    It was the bus that carried the yers of Kawasaki.


    Upon recognizing the bus, people began to crowd at the sideline to get a glimpse of the yers inside the bus, shouting the names of the yers. But despite their effort, the curtain remained shut.


    The closed curtains of the bus left them in a frown.


    As for the reporters, it was a scoop. They made severalments over such a minute gesture that it almost made it seem as if it was a big deal.


    "Is Hiro afraid of the truth?"


    "Seem''s like, he doesn''t want to face the people"


    They made different spections igniting the dissatisfaction of a few of the supporters.


    Inside the bus, Hiro was seated in the third-row seat.


    "There seems to be quite amotion outside," Tatsuki who was seated beside him spoke upon hearing some noise.


    "It''s the same," Hiro said in an uninterested tone.


    He could audibly hear the noise outside. He could even hear his name being called out. But, so what? He wasn''t obligated to show his face just because they called him.


    It''s not that he had grown arrogant.


    He just wanted to avoid the reporters, that''s all.


    One moment they''ll worship you as God, and the next moment they''ll condemn you as a demon.


    Yes, he was aware of the personality of the reporters. But how could they uncover such a sensitive topic to garner the attention of the public?


    Hiro was dissatisfied with them exposing the condition of his father.


    He was also dissatisfied with their forceful ways of trying to interview his mother. Their attitude disgusted him.


    Hence, he declined their interview request every time they came knocking on his door. After what they did, he had grown to loathe the reporters.


    "You can''t just avoid the reporters forever, Hiro. Trust me, he''ll help you"


    That was what Ayumi had said to him a few days ago after he declined almost every interview request that came his way.


    She wanted him to approve an interview with one of her close associates to help him. But he declined the proposal as he didn''t want to have anything to do with reporters.


    "The more you run the worse it''ll get, Hiro"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    That''s what she said in the end after he denied the request.


    ''They''re the same anyway'' he sneered inside as he recalled her words.


    Slowly as people began to flock, the stadium seats began to fill. At the same time, the atmosphere of the stadium witnessed a drastic change.


    Filled with the chatter of the people, it started getting lively.


    Then after a while, yers emerged on the field. At once, the atmosphere of the stadium became electrifying as people began to cheer.


    However, the match wasn''t going to start anytime soon. There was still some time left for the match to begin. In the meantime, the vacant seats in the stadium were also getting filled.


    For a while, it seemed like the stadium would be filled to its fullest.


    Just as Shun stepped outside the tunnel, he froze in his ce.


    His eyes glistened with tion and excitement as he swept his gaze through the stadium. It was the stadium that he had dreamt of ying one day.


    And here he was standing before arge crowd in the stadium that he wished to y. However, as an opposing yer.


    Yet still, he was excited to be here.


    "Herees the yers of Yokohama. This season they have been dominating the league.


    And it wouldn''t have been possible if not for their young keeper Shun."


    "I''m sure the fans are delighted to see him. After all, he''s one of their homegrown talents. So, how will this sensational keeper perform against his parent club today?"


    "Ahh right, today we''ll be seeing four youth academy yers on the same pitch"


    Thementators talked among themselves as they discussed various topics.


    It wouldn''t be an overstatement to say that Kawasaki''s youth academy is one of the most sessful youth academies in Japan at the moment.


    After all, we don''t get to see so many yers from the same academy on the big stage every day.


    "To produce such fine talents in a single time frame, how many teams have been able to perform such a miracle?"


    "At the moment, I can''t name any clubs in Japan. But La Masia, Barcelona''s academy has been able to produce such fine talents almost consistently."


    Shun stayed put at his spot for a while, enjoying the scene before him. He was also waiting for Hiro and the rest. After all, it had been quite a while since hest met any of them.


    So, he was looking forward to their reunion.


    But it seemed like the yers of Kawasaki would take a while to emerge out. So, after waiting


    for a while, he headed to his team.


    After all, he had to begin warming up.


    Also, he could meet them in the tunnelter. So, he hurried to his team.


    Just after he left, the yers of Kawasaki also emerged on the field. At once the stadium went


    wild with excitement upon seeing the yers.


    Since the stadium was dominated by Kawasaki''s fans, it was to be expected.


    They had waited long enough to see the yers. So, how could they remain silent after finally


    seeing the yers?


    Their excitement knew no bounds.


    Cheering at the top of their lungs, they disyed their enthusiasm to the fullest.

 Chapter 532: Emperors Cup III

    Chapter 532: Emperor''s Cup III


    ?


    Shun was delighted to hear the announcement. And he couldn''t help but roll his eyes to look at the people he hadn''t seen for a long time.


    "You''re finally here," he muttered as he looked.


    However, it wasn''t the time to act cheerful. After all, he wasn''t on their side. So, he immediately rposed himself.


    Hiro too rolled his eyes to look at Shun.


    At that time, Shun was blocking some amazing shots from his teammates. Seeing such impressive reflexes, he couldn''t help but break into a smile, "Seems like, you''ve vowed to stop us today. But it won''t be that easy."


    As much as Shun was looking forward to meeting him, Hiro was equally looking forward to reuniting with him. After all, he was one of his cherished friends.


    "He seems to have improved a lot, right?"


    While he was fixedly staring at Shun, Naoto said to him.


    Hearing him, Hiro nodded his head, "He had to do that much if he wanted to take your spot"


    Naoto couldn''t help but reveal a frown as he heard him, "Who''s side are you in?"


    "Whoever performs better"


    Hiro answered with a straightforward look on his face, making it seem as if he was serious about what he had said.


    Naoto let out a self-deprecating smile as he said, "Frompeting with the best keeper of Japan topeting with an uing talent. If I be even a bit careless, I might lose my spot. Hah..., Did I birth in the wrong era?"


    Even Hiro could tell that Naoto was someone exceptional. From the moment he had seen him, he held no doubts that he''d leave a mark on the history.


    But Naoto wasn''t the type of person who''d go out of his way to improve.


    He didn''t mean that he wasn''t hardworking enough.


    After all, he was one of the most professional he had seen in this field. But it''s just that he only did what was required of him.


    Hiro who had seen the talent he possessed was aware of his potential. If only he put in a little extra work, he might have be even better.


    That''s what Hiro believed.


    And he had tried to convey his sentiments to him many times. But Naoto never took him seriously. So, he could only choose to give up.


    But Shun was theplete opposite of him.


    He had a rather aggressive personality and he wasn''t afraid to y rough. He would also go to extra mile to improve. He was someone who could embrace the pain. In short, he had the mentality of a warrior.


    If he had been born a little earlier, he would have made into a perfect kamikaze soldier.


    So, Hiro could tell that he had put in a lot of effort to get to this level.


    Hiro had nothing but admiration for him.


    Then he proceeded to their side of the field.


    Due to his rising poprity, from the moment he stepped on the field, he was at the center of attention. Cameramen followed him closely, capturing every single detail while at the same time, the fans fixated their gaze on him.


    Hiro, however, kept himselfposed even when faced with such attention.


    Be it his touch or his movements, everything seemed so wless that it left many in awe. Hiro had the aura of a star.


    Then he proceeded to practice some shooting.


    People paid close attention to him, their cameras on standby.


    Every time he took a shot, people released a mesmerized exmation. To the point that it


    even got the attention of the opposing yers.


    They couldn''t help but wonder what had gotten the fans so excited.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Just what''s happening on the other side?"


    They had been trying their best to remain focused. But how could they focus when they kept


    getting bombarded with the asional wows of the opposing fans?


    The wow sounding from the other side had piqued their curiosity.


    So, they paused their activity to check on the opposing side.


    As they turned to look at the opposing side, they were met with the sight of Hiro who was preparing to take a shot from a distance.


    He stood quite far from the post.


    It''s just a single yer taking long shots, so why are they so excited about it?


    Some couldn''t help but think.


    Although Hiro was a famous personality, it didn''t mean that they had to get excited every time he touched the ball. At this point weren''t they exaggerating?


    Some felt as they looked at him.


    But then again when he started taking shots, they were left bbergasted. They couldn''t bring themselves to think.


    Almost every shot he took, he nailed it.


    Just how good does one need to be to perform such a feat?


    Theirplexion paled as they felt intimidated by his disy. The match hadn''t even started


    yet he was already disying such an overwhelming disy of might.


    Was he purposefully trying to intimidate them?


    They were at a loss for words.


    The opposing coach upon finding the state of his yers knew that he had to do something. So, before things worsen, he called them.


    Then after some warm-ups opposing yers began to head inside. Just after a while, the


    yers of Kawasaki also headed inside.


    As the yers left the field, many people began to talk among themselves.


    "It seems like, Hiro won''t go easy even against his friend"


    "You''re talking about Shun, right?"


    "Yeah, when they yed together, those two conquered almost every possible title in the


    youth division. Be it Hiro or Shun, both were equally impressive."


    "But we can''t forget Naoto. Though he failed to stop the shot right now, it was because his


    opponent was Hiro"


    "Sure, almost every single one of them had grown to be an amazing yer"


    "The future of our club looks quite bright"


    The ability of those young prospects delighted the fans. Even if Shun yed against them today, their club held the right over him.


    With such amazing yers, how couldn''t they help but feel excited about the future?


    But they seemed to be forgetting that both Hiro and Shun could soon leave the club.

 Chapter 533: Emperors Cup IV

    Chapter 533: Emperor''s Cup IV


    ?


    Inside the tunnel, the Yokohama yers arrived first, their faces set with determination. A tense air hung around them, and it was clear something had urred in the locker room. They moved like soldiers marching into battle, their resolve evident in every step.


    But Shun stood apart from the others. His eyes darted around as if searching for something- or someone. His expression changed the moment he spotted the Kawasaki yers entering the tunnel.


    His face lit up with a smile, the anticipation in his posture making it clear he''d been waiting for them.


    "Well, well, look who''s here," Tatsuki grinned as he pointed to Shun, nudging his teammate.


    As Tatsuki reached Shun, he gave him a friendly pat on the back. "Couldn''t wait for us, could you?"


    Shun chuckled, brushing off Tatsuki''s yful hit. "You guys sure know how to keep a man waiting," he replied, his eyes gleaming with excitement.


    "Thought you''d be more serious before a match like this," Tatsuki teased, crossing his arms.


    "I am serious," Shun replied, his tone growing firm but lighthearted. "Just excited to crush your hopes today."


    Tatsuki raised an eyebrow, grinning back. "We''ll see who does the crushing. Ready to back up all that talk?"


    Shun smirked, "I''ve been ready. Let''s make this one to remember."


    Tatsuki could vividly see the mes of determination burning in his eyes. So, he couldn''t help but feel excited.


    "But where''s Hiro? Is he stuck somewhere?" Shun asked as he failed to find Hiro.


    "He''s benched," Tatsuki responded.


    Well, it wasn''t a matter that he couldn''t talk about. So, he revealed it without any hesitation. However, just as he revealed the matter, many opposing yers turned to look at him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Their eyes disyed a mix of emotions such as disbelief, joy, and curiosity.


    It was almost as if they were relieved to hear the news.


    Shun, however, frowned his brows as he asked, "But why? Is he injured?"


    "Well, can''t reveal the inside news to an opponent now, can I?" Tatsuki teased.


    But Shun understood what he meant to say. It was a fact that he was right now ying against them. So, he couldn''t pry further.


    Hence, he nodded his head, "You''re right"


    After a while, the yers emerged out of the tunnel.


    The moment the yers walked out of the tunnel, the cheers of the fans got louder than before. The sea of supporters erupted as they cheered.


    But soon, someone discovered that Hiro wasn''t in the starting eleven.


    So, it got them curious.


    "Isn''t Hiro ying today?"


    "I specially came here to watch him"


    It didn''t take them long to find him on the bench.


    Even thementators were surprised, "Seems like coach Haruki is resting most of his yers for their next match"


    It wasn''t just Hiro who was benched but a few other starting yers were also rested. So, it didn''t take long for thementators to figure out the absence of Hiro on the pitch.


    Yet still, people weren''t satisfied with his decision. So, some of them couldn''t help but express their dissatisfaction.


    Coach Haruki, however, didn''t seem bothered by the jeers of the dissatisfied fans. More like, he couldn''t be bothered by their jeers.


    He knew what he was doing. And he didn''t need a bunch of fools telling him what to do. So, he maintained a poker face as he calmly greeted the opposing coach.


    Beep!


    The match then began with the referee''s whistle.


    Immediately yers sprang into action as they heard the whistle. They knew that they had to act fast. So, right from the get-go, they charged aggressively as if their life depended on it. With the absence of so many starting yers from the opposing squad, it was their only opportunity to take the lead. So, how could they let go of such an opportunity?


    Most of them were simply benched. They weren''t excluded from the entirety of the match. So, who knows when the opposing coach might deploy those yers?


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that they had the advantage at the moment.


    With their experienced squad, it wouldn''t be a pipe dream to win the match against the mighty Kawasaki.


    Their motive was clear- take the lead and then park the bus.


    At that time, even if the opposing team deploys their ster yers, it would be hard to get a goal back. So, they had to do all they could to secure that first goal.


    Even so, despite their effort, it was proving to be rather difficult to prate the opposing goal. Despite theirck of experience, the opposing squad was holding well against their onught. They were even producing many opportunities.


    If not for Shun, it would have been their side who would have already conceded two or more


    goals.


    "Even the youngsters of Kawasaki are different"


    The opposing coach mumbled with a frown.


    For most of the game, he had been on edge. It''s not that his yers weren''t trying hard


    enough but the opposing squad was simply too organized.


    More than half the squad of the opposing team was made up of rotational yers. Yet still, it


    was proving extremely difficult to score a goal.


    More than thirty minutes had already passed. Yet still, the score remained the same with


    neither side managing to take the lead.


    The unchanging scoresheet had got the opposing coach worried.


    Previously, he had thought that Manager Haruki was underestimating him. But now, he couldn''t bring himself to think such.


    He had to admit that his tactical brilliance was one of a kind.


    But just then Kaoru made an important tackle. At this time, most of the opposing yers were


    dispositioned.


    Seeing such a scenario, his eyes perked up with excitement.


    Then he shouted, "Push!"


    Almost immediately after winning the ball, Kaoru sent the ball flying. At this point, his


    team''s forward was already charging ahead.


    All he had to do was y a sessful pass.


    Sensing the threat, the yers of Kawasaki began to retreat. Especially the defenders began


    to sprint blindly.

 Chapter 534: Emperors Cup V

    Chapter 534: Emperor''s Cup V


    ?


    The opposing fans who had been rather silent for the better part of the game stood up in anticipation. They felt that this was their chance.


    As for the fans of the Kawasaki, their expression changed drastically as desperation began to kick in.


    The opposing number 9 sprinted as if he were a horse on steroids, leaving behind every single one of his pursuers. It seemed like he wouldn''t stop until he reached his destination.


    Even Hiro who was seated on the sideline was on his edge.


    Desperation and anticipation collided, creating a tense atmosphere in the stadium. It was like the match had suddenly entered its climax.


    Even though more than fifty minutes were remaining, it felt like the match had reached its climax. Such was the intensity on the field.


    Naoto''s mind raced as he made several calctions in an instant. He could tell that his teammates wouldn''t be able to reach the ball before the opposing number 9.


    So, he had to take matters into his own hands.


    Hence, he rushed to clear the ball. Compared to the speed of the opposing number nine, he was like a rabbit fared against a cheetah.


    It was a gamble on his part.


    But considering the distance, he had deduced to have an almost fifty-fifty odds to get to the ball.


    Also, it was better than waiting.


    In a while, he proved to be right about his decision to leave the post as he managed to head away the ball.


    However, even after he managed to clear the ball away, he still ended up conceding the goal. As he cleared the ball away, unfortunately, it fell on the feet of another opposing yer. The yer then attempted a shot for the goal from behind the center line.


    At that point, all it required was uracy which he didn''tck.


    From a distance, the opposing number eight released the ball. Naoto couldn''t have made that one even if he busted his ass.


    Tearing through the air, the ball glided straight into the post.


    "Goal..."


    At once, the opposing fans jumped from their spot, cheering. Smile on their face and excitement in their eyes, they couldn''t hold back their tion.


    Filled with the cheers of the opposing supporters the stadium became extremely lively.


    Shun, however, didn''t celebrate the goal. He just stood rooted at his spot, pping his hands. You could see a subtle smile on his face he wasn''t celebrating.


    How could he bring himself to celebrate against his parent club?


    So, he refused to take part in the celebration even when approached by his teammates. This gesture of his didn''t go unnoticed as many fans took notice of it.


    They appreciated his modesty.


    Even the opposing fans couldn''t bring themselves to criticize. At the same time, they couldn''t help but envy the opposing team.


    For a while, the opposing yers couldn''t stop grinning. Many of them even wished the game to end immediately.


    Unfortunately, there were still more than fifty minutes left.


    Just as the game was about to resume, the opposing coach signaled something. It was as if he was conveying some secret message to the team.


    Kaoru nodded his head as he spread themand to the rest of his teammates.


    "Here it begins," Hiro murmured to himself as he caught the whiff of their intention.


    Hiro was familiar with the concept of "Park The Bus". It was a strategy often employed by a weaker side when facing against a stronger side.


    And now that the weaker side had taken the lead, they wouldn''t let go of the lead. They''ll want to defend this lead with their whole soul.


    Knowing that they''re the weaker side, it would be rather idiotic to go on offense. There are indeed some exceptions to it.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But Yokohama who didn''t specialize in offensive gamey wouldn''t be among those exceptions.


    The game then resumed.


    As expected almost the entirety of the opposing yers dropped deep immediately. On the sidelines, their manager was prepared to make some substitutions- most probably defensive yers.


    Just at this moment, Manager Haruki turned to look at Hiro.


    He didn''t appear a slight bit flustered. He had that usual calm on his face. But Hiro could tell that he was soon going to be deployed.


    And he was more than ready to enter the field.


    Just a word from him and he would start warming immediately.


    Satisfied with Hiro''s determination, he refocused his attention on the match.


    ''With him here, we won''t have trouble breaking your fortress'' Haruki thought as he curled his lips to reveal a confident smirk.


    For the next few minutes an expected scene yed in the field.


    The opposing yers clustered in their half to form an imprable fortress, focusing their entire attention on defense.


    It appeared that they had given up their ambition to go for another goal.


    The yers of Kawasaki tried every possible means to prate the fortress set by the opposing yers. However, even after countless trials, they seemed unable to prate the sturdy line of defense the opposing team had erected.


    Their failed effort was starting to hamper the morale of the team. Many young yers were starting to show signs of frustration.


    "Juste out of your shell, you damn turtle bastard"


    One of the Kawasaki yers cussed, clearly annoyed by the tactics of the opposing team.


    Their defense was testing his patience.


    Finally, he had been allowed to disy his talent. Yet, he couldn''t bring any results. If it continues, who knows if he''ll get another opportunity?


    So the stubbornness of the opposing team toe in front was growing on him.


    It wasn''t just him. A few others were in a simr situation.


    Almost sixty minutes had already passed. And if it continued they''d turn into aughing stock. The mighty team from the first division lost against a team from the second division.


    Just ridiculous would it sound?


    The reporters andizens would haul them with criticism.


    Moreover, they''d bebeled as a team that couldn''t even manage to win a game against a club


    from the second division without Hiro''s help.


    Just then the crowd who seemed to have their vitality until a moment ago started cheering all


    of a sudden.


    Just what caused such a change?


    Many yers couldn''t help but feel curious about the sudden cheers.


    Curious, many nced at the crowd amidst the ongoing match. However, they couldn''t find


    anything in the stands.


    Then they turned to look at the sidelines.


    There they found Hiro warming up.


    All of a sudden everything made sense as they saw him.

 Chapter 535: Emperors Cup VI

    Chapter 535: Emperor''s Cup VI


    ?


    He hadn''t even stepped on the field, yet he could bring out such an energy. Just from a nce, one could tell about his impact on the game.


    The reaction that he could bring out from the crowd was something magical.


    It was as if he were a glimmer of hope in a despairing situation that could unite people. Hiro was like a brilliant ray of the sun in a sky full of dark clouds to the people in the stadium.


    ''They''re expecting me to deliver a miracle. I can''t disappoint them.'' Hiro thought as he heard the cheers of the fans.


    The more he heard their cheers, the more it fueled his desire to produce a miracle. He didn''t want to disappoint them. So, he became even more focused as he loosened his stiff body. Even before stepping on the field, he could feel his resolve getting stronger.


    Many of Kawasaki''s yers found sce in the sudden cheers. At the same time, some contorted their face in annoyance.


    However, the opposing yers felt an intimidating pressure descending upon them. It was almost as if the pressure in the field had suddenly intensified.


    They couldn''t help but feel their feet getting cold.


    ''I hate to admit it but even I couldn''t help but feel my legs turning numb. Just how could you exert such an intimidating aura at such a young age?'' Kaoru thought while wiping sweat from his forehead.


    He was looking in the direction of Hiro, a nervous smirk gracing his lips, his eyes disying a mix of emotions such as awe, reverence, excitement, and fear.


    He was excited by the prospect of facing him. But at the same time, he couldn''t help but feel intimidated by the aura he exerted on the field.


    Previously, he was on his side, so, he couldn''t experience it.


    But now that he was ying against him, even he wasn''t spared.


    The way people were looking at him wasn''t ordinary. It almost seemed like they were looking at a veteran superstar than a rookie.


    To be able to exert such dominance at such a young age was something truly magical.


    Hiro, however, appeared calm despite the pressure. Almost any young yer would sumb under such pressure but he was different.


    He appeared as if he could bear the weight of those expectant gazes.


    Beep!


    Because of a rough tackle from an opposing yer, Kawasaki was awarded a free kick.


    Just as the sound of the whistle resonated, immediately a huge uproar generated in the stadium. The people who had been waiting for Hiro to step onto the field couldn''t contain their excitement upon seeing him preparing to enter the field.


    "You can hear the anticipation and excitement in those voices. Just by listening to it, you can tell that they were waiting for him. Is this the influence a sixteen-year-old should possess?"


    Thementator couldn''t stop talking about the scene unfolding in the stadium. He was mindblown beyond measure.


    "The weight of expectation on him is huge. Would he be able to deliver?"


    Yusuke who was being reced didn''t seem happy about his substitution. As he made his way out of the field, he didn''t even bother to look at Hiro.


    Well, he hadn''t been able to perform well. So, it was only natural to see him in such a mood. "Good jo-"


    Hiro wanted to high-five him. But he ignored him and walked past him without saying anything.


    "Seems like we''ve got quite a situation in Kawasaki''s squad. It doesn''t seem like Yusuke was happy about the decision."


    Thementator who happened to catch the sight of the tension between Hiro and Yusuke, immediately presented his opinion.


    Hiro was momentarily stunned by Yusuke''s gesture. But he didn''t take it on his heart as he immediately shifted his focus on the game.


    He couldn''t be bothered by such a minute conflict when he had a game to win.


    Although Hiro forgave him, the fans weren''t generous enough to forgive him. They began to curse at him as they felt that he was being rude to Hiro.


    "Just because you can''t do it yourself, you vent your anger on others, aren''t you ashamed of yourself?"


    "You damn brat! Fix your attitude or else, I''ll do it for you"


    Haruki initially gave him a side eye but didn''t say anything to him. Yusuke on the other hand ignored everybody and threw himself on the substitution bench.


    He covered his face with a towel and tilted his head as if he didn''t even care about the match any further. It almost seemed like, he didn''t even want to be there.


    In the field, Hiro prepared to take the free kick.


    Although the distance and angle appeared a bit challenging, he wasn''t bothered by it. After all, he could shoot equally well with both his feet.


    Shun who was aware of Hiro''s prowess couldn''t allow himself to be even a bit careless just because the distance and the angle were challenging.


    So, he began to shoutmands at his teammates.


    He couldn''t allow a single gap in their defense.


    "Look at Shun, can you tell that he''s a rookie keeper? Just look at him barking orders... It almost seems as if he could easily take rein over his teammates"


    Thementator couldn''t help but praise Shun''s efforts.


    Well, he did have aposure that defied his age. So, it was something peculiar to see. To be able to givemand to the yers more experienced than him was an ability only the top keeper possessed.


    The opposing fans were impressed. So, were the home fans, after all, he would be their future


    keeper.


    After setting the ball, Hiro retracted about ten steps from the ball. Then he activated some of his skills before turning to look at the post.


    Letting out a mouth full of turbid air, he rxed his shoulder.


    His gaze was as sharp as an eagle''s, his focus as deep as a predator eyeing its prey, it almost felt like he could warp the space around him.


    Shun and many others who watched him couldn''t help but see a dark intimidating aura oozing


    out of his body.


    Many even felt their heart palpitate momentarily while looking at him. A cold sweat ran down their forehead as they gulped their saliva.


    Then a dark brilliance shed past Hiro''s eyes as he set off.


    Each stride he took seemed to rumble the ground beneath. It was almost as if a mighty cavalry was on its way. The steps he took sounded like a galloping horse, evoking terror in the hearts


    of some who faced him.


    They couldn''t tell why but they felt like running away for some inexplicable reason. It was almost as if they were being used as a meat shield to shield an iing missile. Almost the entire stadium held their breath as they watched Hiro with much anticipation.


    As Hiro got close to the ball, preparing to fire his shot, his muscles coiled like a spring preparing to release the tension.


    To add momentum, he swung his body.


    Then with a bam, he fired the ball.


    Bam!


    A soothing sensation permeated his mind as Hiro felt good about the shot. He knew that he


    had connected well. He felt that it was one of the best shots he had taken till now.


    The tingling sensation he felt was proof of it.


    So, he couldn''t help but feel delighted about the shot.


    Tearing through the void, the ball soared. Witnessing the iing ball, some yers felt


    their hearts shudder to stand in front of its path.


    Fear gripped their heart, preventing them fromunching them to stop it.


    Shun had prepared well.


    Yet still, due to the hesitation of some of his yers, it ended up costing him.


    The ball glided past the head of the wall of yers. However, the sheer power of that shot was something unfathomable. It felt as if it could even prate the walls before it.


    Although Shun guessed the direction of the ball, he failed to stop it.


    Due to the sheer power and rotation of the ball, Shun couldn''t stop it. The ball simply slipped


    past his fingers as if his fingers were jelly.


    Even the aftershock was quite off the chart.


    As the ball forced its way past Shun''s reach, it didn''t drop immediately even after hitting the


    net. Rather it kept spinning, making it seem as if it would dig a hole in the.


    Only after losing a bit of its momentum did it finally drop.


    "Goal-"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The entire stadium erupted in cheers.


    The movement of the onlookers shook the entire stadium as it sent ripples throughout the


    stadium. It was like thunder, destructive and loud.


    The excitement was palpable in the atmosphere.


    Many spectators felt their blood boil with excitement. That shot was unlike any they had seen


    before. Such unfathomable destructive force, such precision, such terror, they couldn''t help


    but keep thinking about it.


    In just a matter of seconds, Hiro turned the tides.


    He was like a cheat code.

 Chapter 536: Emperors Cup VII

    Chapter 536: Emperor''s Cup VII


    ?


    Upon scoring Hiro ran straight to the corner. Then as he approached the corner g, he punched it hard while roaring enthusiastically, "Yeah-"


    He couldn''t tell why he got the urge to punch the g. It was almost like he was venting his anger on the g.


    Well, he was bothered by the matter regarding the reporters invading his personal space. So, it might be because he wanted to warn those folks that he won''t stay silent.


    Or it might be pure enthusiasm.


    The g pole wobbled vigorously for a while.


    Even so, Hiro''s enthusiasm was well received by the people as they felt even more excited seeing such passion leaking out of him.


    Reciprocating to his enthusiasm they roared alongside him.


    They couldn''t help but cheer him.


    It was like the battle cry of the Vikings, fierce and intimidating.


    While the entire stadium was in an uproar, Shun who had failed to stop the shot nced at his palm. For some reason, his hand was slightly shaking and he could feel a bulging sensation almost as if he had been hit by something hard.


    His gloves appeared a little worn down. Also, there were some obvious signs of tears at the tip of his fingers. That was the part that had managed to touch the ball.


    Gritting his teeth, Shun then furiously smacked his hand on the ground.


    After the celebration ended, Hiro and the rest returned to their position. Hiro, however, was warned by the referee for his celebratory gesture. After all, he could have caused some disruption if he had broken the corner g.


    So, he was told that his gesture was uneptable.


    Hiro was aware of it as well. But he had merely acted on a whim earlier. It wasn''t his intention to punch the pole. So, he just apologized and went back to his position.


    Beep!


    The game resumed with the referee''s whistle.


    Coach Haruki looked at the other side, peeking a nce at the opposing coach, "Now, what will you do? Will you continue ying the same way?"


    He was curious about their decision.


    After all, initially, they probably wanted to win the game by preserving their lead. However, now that Hiro had equalized, he couldn''t help but wonder if he was going to make some changes to their strategy.


    Park the bus didn''t seem suitable given their situation.


    Well, it wasn''t entirely unfeasible. After all, they could still opt for a tie. Then again if they chose that option they''d have to defend the score for almost an hour if we include the extra time.


    Then they could hope to win the match in the penalty shootout.


    However, even if they opted for that option, it was unlikely that they''d gain an advantage. After all, Naoto''s track record in the penalty shootout was equally impressive if not less than Shun''s.


    Also, most of the opposing yers were rather skilled.


    The skill difference between the two sides was already evident.


    For a moment, it appeared that they were bound to get knocked out of the round of sixteen.


    But since they had put so much effort into reaching here, they weren''t willing to back down easily without putting up a fight.


    For the next twenty or so minutes, Kawasaki dominated the match.


    Hiro with his uncanny ability to find space tormented the opposing yers giving them nightmares without any break. He was like a magician that could appear and disappear at will.


    One minute they''d find him in the nk, the next moment he''d appear in the center almost as if he was teleporting.


    Kaoru could tell what he was doing.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Almost all the time, he found him turning his head as if he was scanning the field. But at the same time, he never stopped moving even for a second.


    Just how was he able to scan the field while running and supporting his teammates at the same time? He found it hard to believe that he was doing all of it at once.


    Even Messi the genius had to pause to look for space.


    But Hiro, a sixteen-year-old could scan the field without stopping. It was simply ridiculous.


    If someone had told him, he could multitask such difficult tasks like it was normal, he might not have believed them.


    However, he could experience it firsthand.


    Did he improve even further in that short period that I didn''t see him?


    He couldn''t help but wonder.


    Kaoru was baffled upon finding the truth. It was hard to believe but he didn''t have any other option than to believe.


    Despite Hiro''s brilliant performance, they struggled to find another goal.


    However, the constant onught of Kawasaki was straining the opposing yers. Though they had managed to hold on until now, exhaustion was evident on their faces. Panting heavily, Kaoru turned to look at the scoreboard, "Seven more minutes huh? Huff¡ª"


    Although the fans were delighted by the performance that the yers had put up on the field, the unchanging score was making them anxious.


    They hated to admit it but the opposing side was putting up a fight worthy of respect.


    "Tch! If it continues the match will go on extra time"


    "I thought that Hiro would win us the game but seems like it''s gonna be difficult"


    The fans couldn''t help but worry.


    By now, Hiro had covered more distance than many who had yed since the beginning of the match. Even so, one couldn''t find any signs of exhaustion on his face.


    It was almost as if he could run an hour more like he had been running until now.


    The stamina he possessed was somendable that even the opposing coach couldn''t help


    but praise him.


    "Our yers are already looking exhausted. But on the other side, he appears as if he hadn''t even broken a sweat. Just what kind of ridiculous stamina does that kid possess?" the opposing coachmented with a deepening frown on his face.


    Dark clouds loomed over his head.


    But at the same time, he couldn''t help but feel a little hopeful. If his yers continued to


    defend like this, he coulde up with some strategy in the extra time.


    However, just as he entertained such thoughts, his eyes widened in horror.

 Chapter 537: Emperors Cup VIII

    Chapter 537: Emperor''s Cup VIII


    ?


    In the field, Hiro appeared to be elerating at a threatening pace.


    "STOP HIM!"


    Instantly, his heart rate spiked upon seeing the eleration of Hiro and he couldn''t help but shout. That movement gave him a foreboding feeling as if something terrible was about to descend upon him and his yers.


    At the moment, Hiro felt as if the world around him had slowed down. The people around him felt like mere bystanders.


    His heart was thumping at an abnormal rate.


    But he felt calm and exhrated. It was like the feeling of adrenaline rush, stimting his senses. He could see numerous colorful threads running around the field.


    Those threads appeared to be guiding him.


    But he knew that each thread led him to a separate route. So, he had to be meticulous when selecting those illusionary threads.


    It wasn''t his first time experiencing such a magical feeling. So, he wasn''t intimidated or baffled by it. Rather he was excited.


    Weaving through the field, Hiro elerated skillfully, easily avoiding the obstacle in his way. The ball appeared stuck in his feet as anyone who contested him for the ball failed to snatch it away.


    Upon closer inspection, you could see a subtle smile gracing his lips, making it seem as if he was enjoying the moment.


    Each stride he took seemed to take him closer to the post.


    At the same time, each stride he took evoked terror in the hearts of the opposing fans. They desperately wanted someone to stop him.


    Hiro, however, appeared unstoppable.


    With every opposing yer he left behind, he felt incredibly excited. At this point, he could feel as if his heart would jump out of his throat.


    Shun, on the other hand, couldn''t help but feel anxious. He knew that he had to be calm but still, he couldn''t shake the feeling.


    It wasn''t the movement of Hiro that was making him ufortable but it was the smile on his face. Seeing that smile, he couldn''t help but associate him with some kind of demon.


    To him, it felt like he hade across a demon.


    That creepy-looking smile on his face was giving him an ominous feeling. He wanted to look away but he couldn''t.


    ''The more I look at him the more he resembles a demon''


    He thought while revealing a nervous smirk.


    Then he braced himself to face him. He knew that he woulde before him. It was his


    instinct that told him that he wouldn''t be stopped.


    And as expected, he did appear before him. At this moment, it seemed as if Hiro was shrouded


    in an ominous dark mist, making him appear incredibly threatening.


    Then before he released the ball, Shun was met with a sinister smile.


    It was like looking at your reflection in the mirror at night and suddenly your reflection reveals a smile on its face.


    Seeing that smile, he felt chills. Cold sweat ran down his forehead and he felt his heart shudder for a slight moment.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Then again, he braced himself as he whispered under his breath, "Come demon!"


    A strange light shed past his eyes as he strengthened his resolve.


    At the same time, a dark brilliance shed past Hiro''s eyes as he lifted his feet to shoot. He had already spotted a gap. So, he released the ball.


    Bam!


    A clear distinct sound echoed as he struck the ball.


    Shun dived with his arms outstretched, his eyes glowing with determination. It was just like how he used to face him in the training before.


    He was fully aware that Hiro would go for the corner.


    "How can you score every time? It''s like you could score for guaranteed from the penalty spot"


    "It''s rather simple. You just have to target the corners" Hiro responded in an aloof manner. It was what Hiro had revealed to him during one of their session. At that time, he spoke in a way as if he wouldn''t be able to stop him even if he shared his secrets.


    This had been proven to be true until now since he hadn''t been able to block him much even after learning his secrets.


    ''But this time, it will be different''


    With his arms outstretched, Shun managed tond a touch on the ball. His eyes glistened with joy as he blocked Hiro''s shot from close range.


    The ball rolled sideways allowing him to rx for a little. Even with Hiro''s eleration, he wouldn''t be able to get this ball.


    But before he could rejoice, Tatsuki came out of nowhere and slotted the ball from an almost impossible-looking angle.


    "Goal-"


    The stadium lit up with tion. People burst from their spots with their arms raised. Their collective roar sounded like a sound of thunder.


    An ecstatic atmosphere permeated the stadium as Kawasaki took the lead in the final minutes


    of the match.


    Shun who had been so engrossed in Hiro failed to notice Tatsuki. If only he hadn''t been madly preupied with Hiro things might have been different.


    But he felt that it was entirely his fault that led to this oue.


    Intense guilt overcame him as he failed to refrain his emotions from showing.


    The opposing yers were celebrating the goal.


    Amidst the ongoing cheers of the people, he tried to bury his emotions. He began tounch a flurry of punches on the ground in an attempt to vent his frustration.


    He was frustrated at his ignorant self.


    He knew that he could have prevented the misfortune had been a little sharp and open minded. But because of his obsession with Hiro, he had cost him his team the goal and also


    the match.


    Most of his teammates were upied with their own struggles. So, almost none of them bothered to console him. After that humiliating disy against Hiro, how could they hold


    their head high?


    Drowned in shame they stayed rooted at their spot with their head lowered.


    But right at this time, Shun heard a familiar voice, "The match hasn''t ended yet, my friend"

 Chapter 538: Emperors Cup IX

    ?


    Slowly, Shun tilted his head to look at the person. As he rolled his eyes, he was met with a gigantic silhouette of a person who stood tall before him, casting an overwhelming shadow over him.


    Shrouded in darkness, the face of the person before him appeared quite obscure.


    But without even needing to look at it, he could identify the person.


    "Is it okay for you to be here? Shouldn''t you be celebrating instead?" Shun asked albeit sounding a bit discouraged.


    "Just here to check on you- thought you might be crying"


    The response of the person irked him slightly.


    His face flushed as he answered in a flustered tone, "Dream on-"


    Hiro revealed a subtle satiated smirk as he heard his response. He was delighted to find that he hadn''t changed a lot. Then he stretched his hand to help him stand, "Then why don''t you stand up for now"


    "Yeah, it''s far from over," saying so, Shun grabbed Hiro''s hand and propelled himself up.


    However, it didn''t go as Shun had hoped. Let alone put on a fight, many of the opposing yers couldn''t even defend properly in those remaining minutes.


    Coupled with their dwindling morale and exhaustion from tirelessly defending until now, it became overwhelming for the opposing yers, and in the remaining few minutes, they failed miserably.


    Hiro took advantage of their declining performance and scored another goal to secure the win.


    Just like this, the game came to an end.


    The final score of the match was Kawasaki: 3 vs Yokohama: 1


    ''When did it all go wrong?''


    Many opposing yers couldn''t help but ponder. After all, they were in the lead for quite a substantial time. Yet, the result wasn''t in their favor.


    Wearing a gloomy expression, they looked at the scoreboard.


    Then they shifted their gaze to Hiro, ''It was when he subbed in''


    They automatically concluded that it was Hiro who had caused their downfall singlehandedly. If not for him, they would be smiling instead.


    But the reality was right in front of their eyes, so, they couldn''t even deny it even if they didn''t want to believe it.


    "Good game"


    Shun walked to Hiro, extending his hand.


    Although he also felt disappointed by their loss, he couldn''t bring himself to ignore Hiro and the others. After all, he would have done the same if he had lost.


    The defeat was disheartening but he didn''t have any regrets.


    He had given his best. So, he couldn''t even bring himself to whine.


    "You too-" Hiro grabbed his hand as he said, "You have improved a lot"


    Shun let out a self-deprecating smile as he said, "Yeah- enough to be under your shadows, I guess"


    Previously, he had thought that he could at least follow him. But after witnessing him perform, he felt like he had already vanished from his sight.


    It felt like he had to climb over the gate of heaven to be able to reach him.


    Hiro felt so close and so distant at the same time.


    Though he was saying so with a smile, Hiro could tell that he thought otherwise. But even so, what was he supposed to say at such times?


    Hiro wasn''t the best at consoling others.


    So, rather than saying something superficial to cheer him, he spoke his heart instead, "You''re already doing great for someone your age Shun. It hasn''t been that long yet you''ve already developed so much."


    Hiro''s choice of words did more harm than good as Shun couldn''t stop thinking about one particr line he said, "Someone your age"


    What did he mean by that? Did he mean that he was only good for someone his age? Knowing him, he probably didn''t mean it as an insult, but it stung nheless. He let out a soft sigh as he said in a serious tone, "I understand what you mean, but you should probably refrain from consoling others. You''re quite terrible at it."


    The two chatted for a while before Hiro was taken away by the reporters. This time, he couldn''t avoid the interview even if he wished.


    After all, he was the MVP of the match.


    Well, considering how he had flipped the game, it wasn''t much of a surprise that he had been selected as the yer of the match.


    The post-match interview was intense, the atmosphere charged with excitement and tension. Hiro had scored two goals and assisted in another, earning him the MVP of the match. Cameras shed as reporters pushed forward, eager to ask their questions.


    "Congrattions on your performance, Hiro! Two goals and one assist-how does it feel to turn the game around like that?"


    Hiro kept his tone measured, despite the rush of adrenaline still coursing through him. "It was a team effort. We capitalized on the opportunities we had, and I''m d I could contribute."


    But as the questions came, they quickly turned personal. "Hiro, some people are questioning your decision to prioritize football over your father''s health. What do you say to those


    critics?"


    The crowd fell silent, the intensity of the question hanging in the air. Hiro''s jaw tightened slightly, but he remainedposed. "I''m doing what I believe is best. My family understands that, and I don''t feel the need to justify my choices to anyone."


    Another reporter chimed in, "Your father''s condition is serious. Do you think bncing


    football and family is the right call?"


    Hearing him, he couldn''t help but assume that they had pried really deep into the matter so much so that they might even know about the details of which he wasn''t aware.


    Hiro''s eyes shed with frustration, though he kept his response calm. "It''s not an easy situation, but I''m focused on both my career and supporting my family in the best way I can. People will have their opinions, but I know what I''m doing."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The tension grew as the questions persisted. Some reporters pushed harder, while others backed off, sensing the difort. Yet amidst the criticism, a few praised his


    professionalism.


    "You showed incredibleposure on the field today despite everything going on in your personal life," one reporter noted. "How do you stay focused?"


    Hiro paused for a moment before answering. "Football has always been my escape. It''s where


    I can clear my mind. Right now, it''s about keeping that focus and giving everything I''ve got when I''m on the pitch."


    Although Hiro maintained his calm, he was in turmoil. There were instances where he straight wanted to throw the microphone on some of their faces.


    As he walked out of the interview, he snapped, "Those bastards! If you''re that curious then investigate who had put him in such a state"

 Chapter 539: World Cup Qualifiers

    ?


    Time psed like the sand in an hourss.


    September 5th, Thursday


    The season had already changed and it was starting to get colder with each passing day. The winter was on the rise.


    Today, however, marked a historical event for Hiro.


    Though he had already debuted in the friendly match against Georgia, at the moment, he was about to y his first-ever World Cup qualifier match.


    At the moment, Hiro was seated inside the locker room. With most of the yers gone, the locker room was in a state of mess. There were clothes scattered almost everywhere.


    Hiro, however, wasn''t concerned about the mess.


    Neither was he concerned by the mixture of disgusting smells like the smell of the dirty shocks or the smell of the sweat mixed with adrenaline in the room.


    Even though it stung his nose, he was used to the smell.


    After all, it wasn''t his first time being inside the locker room. However, he was still a little troubled about the match.


    Recently, the squad had undergone a major change.


    "Quite odd to see you looking so worried," Naoto said while looking at him.


    Just a moment ago, he was lost in contemtion. But upon hearing the voice of Naoto, he couldn''t sit still.


    Raising his brow, Hiro responded, "Worried- Who me?"


    Naoto was a little puzzled. Had he read it wrong? He couldn''t help but second-guess his analysis upon seeing such a reaction from him, "You seemed troubled."


    ''It seems that he misunderstood me. I was just pondering about the dinner.''


    Since Hiro mostly consumed diet food on normal days, a moment ago, he was contemting dinner as it was his cheat day today. But he must have acted concerned without even realizing it. So, Naoto should have mistaken him.


    Hiro immediately realized that Naoto had merely misunderstood his gestures.


    But, he couldn''t bring himself to tell that he was thinking about dinner either. After all, he was about to y in an important match.


    So, how could he tell his peer that he was thinking about food at such an important moment?


    Hiro then suddenly got serious as he said, "I was just thinking about how many goals we would score against the opposing team today"


    Hiro''s response left Naoto a little surprised.


    Was he always like this?


    Naoto couldn''t help but think.


    Then again, he eased his expression as he thought, ''Who else but he dares to say such bold words before the match''


    "How many are you nning to score?" Naoto asked.


    "Five should be doable"


    ********


    The stadium buzzed with anticipation.


    The Japanese supporters who had traveled a long distance to support their team appeared excited about the match.


    Billowing the gs and banners, they cheered with an ecstatic smile on their faces.


    On the other hand, despite it being on their home turf, the opposing fans paled inparison to the sheer passion showcased by the Japanese supporters.


    More than excitement, one could see anxiousness on their face.


    Well, it was understandable. After all, they were the weakest side. China PR, the 87th-rank team was about to take on the 18th-rank team.


    So, it was natural for them to feel anxious.


    From the massive rank difference between the two sides, one can figure out the game''s result. There might be some upsets like how Saudi Arabia, ranked way below Argentina, managed to win over them in a thrilling battle in the World Cup.


    So, one couldn''t jump straight to a conclusion just because of the rank difference.


    However, Japan''s previous records had been nothing but amazing. They had been dominating the matches like a conqueror who had set out on a conquest.


    Inside the tunnel, as Hiro arrived on the scene, many opposing yers cast a wary eye on him. Though what met their gaze was a young individual with dark tousled hair, jade-like white skin, and innocent-looking eyes with a shade of hazel, they couldn''t help but keep a wary eye on him.


    They were aware that looks can be deceiving.


    At a nce, you couldn''t find anything to worry about him. But they had studied him thoroughly so, they were aware that he would give them a lot of trouble if left alone.


    "Seems like you are quite famous globally as well," Naoto who hade with him couldn''t help but remark on the stares he felt.


    Hiro naturally was aware of the stares, but he didn''t find it bothersome. So, he didn''t say anything about it. After all, it was only natural for a stronger enemy to get the attention.


    Those stares he got were merely a testament to his rising strength.


    But he couldn''t help but feel slightly dumbfounded too. After all, he wasn''t the only person they needed to be aware of.


    There were others like Kubo, Yamada, Endo, Minamino.


    So, why only target him?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It couldn''t be that they thought of him as a bigger threat than the rest.


    ''I''m getting too full of myself''


    Just as the thought of him being more threatening than the rest appeared on his mind, he immediately discarded it.


    ''But it still feels good to be recognized''


    Hiro couldn''t help but smile.


    "You seem to enjoying those stares," Naoto remarked after noticing the subtle smirk that


    graced his lips for a mere moment.


    Naoto was familiar with Hiro''spetitive spirit. So, he didn''t find anything strange about


    hisughing despite being targeted.


    After all, Hiro was the type of person who liked difficult situations.


    ''This brat, did he just smile while looking at us?''


    The opposing yers, however, didn''t think the same. They felt that he was taking them


    lightly. It was as if they were ants before his eyes.


    ''Is he taking us lightly?''


    ''Is he telling us that he isn''t afraid of us?''


    That involuntary small gesture of Hiro was starting to get on their nerves. Just thinking about


    it, made their blood boil.


    The fact that he was looking down on them didn''t sit well with them.


    Rage bubbled inside them like boiling tar.


    Intensifying their res, they shot daggers at him.


    Even Naoto upon noticing their sudden res, couldn''t help but feel intimidated. But when


    he looked at Hiro, he found him with the same calm as before.

 Chapter 540 World Cup Qualifiers II

    540 World Cup Qualifiers II


    Amidst the intimidating re, Hiro walked out of the tunnel like a king unbothered by the stares of the peasant. Seeing such calmposure, Naoto couldn''t help but develop feelings of admiration toward Hiro. Just how was he able to maintain such calm against such pressure?


    At once as they walked out of the tunnel, they were met with excited cheers from the supporters. They were chanting all sorts of cheerful chants. With a demeanor unlike any other, Hiro followed the queue. "Can you believe, we''ve got a yer who''s only sixteen here with us today?"


    "Are you talking about the Japanese number 19?"


    Previously, Hiro yed under jersey number ten due to the absence of Yamada. But since he had returned, Hiro couldn''t get the number. So, he chose the number 19. "Takahashi Hiro, I wonder what kind of magic this little magician will show us today? I''m looking forward to his performance, and I''m sure the people in the stadium can agree with me..."


    "What were you doing when you were sixteen?"


    Thementators were full of praise. Well, it was to be expected. After all, he was the youngest on the field today. And people always liked to hype the young talents. The rise of a young sensation was always sought after in the world of football. Be it in the past, present, or future, football fans always get excited about the prospect of a future superstar in the making. As yers lined up for the national anthem, Hiro wandered his gaze. It was as if he was searching for something. Then he lowered his gaze as he frowned, ''Dad, I''m moving one step closer to my dream.'' If he had been well, he''d probably be present in the stadium. But even at the moment, he was still bedridden in a vegetative state. There wouldn''t be any yer in the world who wouldn''t wish to y in the World Cup and win it one day. And, Hiro wasn''t an exception either. He had always longed to y in the World Cup. Although winning the World Cup was a far-fetched dream, Hiro hadn''t ruled out the possibility. But to win the World Cup, you have to y in the World Cup first and foremost. So, right now, he was moving a step closer to his dream. Hiro wanted his father to witness this moment. But sadly, he hadn''t awakened yet. So, thinking about his absence, he couldn''t help but feel a pang of grief. **** ****


    "Look¡ª it''s Hiro," a young teen said excitedly while pointing at the screen. At the moment, a bunch of teenagers were gathered in a local cafe. Excitement could be seen on their faces. Among those teenager was a young girl dressed in white and blue. Her jet-ck hair cascaded down her shoulder like a waterfall, and her innocent willow-like eyes that seemed to hold the mystery of the night sky exuded an innocent yet alluring charm. Though she didn''t show it on her face, you could see a subtle anxiousness hidden beneath her deep eyes. Beneath the table, her hands were clenched into fists, ''You can do it, Hiro'' "Sumire, doesn''t he look even more charming on the screen?" A friend of hers whispered in an enchanted tone as she appeared to be charmed by Hiro''s appearance. Sumire, however, was aware that she was merely teasing her. The girl who said those words to her was aware of her feelings toward Hiro. But, she had been hesitating to speak her heart. So, she wouldn''t leave a single moment to tease her whenever she got one. A subtle blush adorned Sumire''s jade-like white cheeks as she said, "You might upset Akashi if you say so. Look he seems to have already heard you."


    They turned to look at Akashi, who seemed to be in a distressful state. His brows were knotted into a frown, making it seem as if he was dissatisfied with something. "Seems like he''s quite pissed about what you said," Sumire added. **** ****


    Beep!


    Just as the shrill sound of the referee''s whistle echoed, the matchmenced. Immediately yers of both sides sprung into action. It almost appeared as if he was their mortal nemesis. 17:29


    With fluid calcted movement, the Japanese yers moved the ball forward. However, almost from the start, many opposing yers flocked over Hiro. Their eyes were burning with determination. It was as if they had vowed to stop any ball from finding him. From the get-go, it became evident that the main target of the opposing squad was Hiro. Just what had he done for them to be so invested in him?


    It almost appeared as if he was their mortal nemesis. "How could they be so cheap to deploy so many yers on a young boy?"


    Japanese supporters were enraged by the tactics of the opposing squad. Many hade to witness his brilliance. But it seemed like, they wouldn''t be able to see much from him today. Hiro, however, wasn''t concerned by their strategy. After all, it wasn''t his first time being targeted. Also, the more they focus on him, the more it''ll generate opportunities for his teammates. Although it pained him that he wouldn''t be involved in the goal contributions. Nheless, he wasn''t a selfish yer who only cared about his personal achievement. As long as the team wins, he will be satisfied. For a while, Hiro struggled to break free from the entrapment of the opposing yers. But with his talent, "Shadow Tactician" in motion, he maintained constant pressure on those yers who stuck to him. Just the pressure alone was draining the opposing yers. Hiro knew that he''d get his opportunity if he persevered. So, he didn''t panic despite being targeted by the opposing squad. Like a predator biding its time to hunt the prey, he awaited his moment in the dark while sharpening his fangs. Due to them being so vested in Hiro, it didn''t take Japan that long to take the lead. Just within fifteen minutes, Japan took the lead with Minamino''s goal. Then again, in the 29th minute, he doubled the lead for Japan. By now, it became clear to the opposing squad that they couldn''t solely focus on Hiro. Sure, they had managed to neutralize him until now, but at what cost?


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 541 World Cup Qualifier III

    541 World Cup Qualifier III


    Just as the opposing yer loosened their guard around him to cover other areas of the field, Hiro left the encirclement. From the beginning, he had been waiting for this opportunity. So, how could he let go of such an opportunity?


    It was about time he bore his fangs. The constant pressure emitted from Hiro had already put a toll on their body. So, when he decided to act up, they couldn''t bring themselves to act immediately. It was almost as if something heavy was pressing on them, making them unable to react. The feeling of immobilization was so strong that it almost fell as if an invisible force had chained them to their spot. With a clear concise, Hiro darted his way to the goal. Kubo yed an excellent through pass right in the center after detecting the presence of Hiro. He had passed him from behind. But for some inexplicable reason, he could vividly feel his presence. Bam!


    Without pausing to stop the rolling ball, Hiro attempted a shot at the goal from outside the box. The sheer power with which he had struck the ball almost gave a feeling as if he was venting his frustration. Well, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that he had finally exploded onto the scene. The opposing keeper couldn''t even bring himself to react. Stunned, he remained rooted at his spot, unable to react. Although he felt something breezing past him, he couldn''t tell what it was for a moment. From his posture, one could tell that he was prepared to make the dive. But for some reason, it seemed that he had changed his mind in the nick of time. It almost seemed like he had been turned into a stone statue, unable to move. "Goal¡ª"


    A deafening cacophony of cheer descended upon the stadium as the people erupted in jubtion. However, Hiro didn''t budge even an inch from the spot where he had shot. He remained at his spot with an indifferent look on his face. It almost made it seem like that he wasn''t content with his goal. Many of his teammates rushed to him to celebrate the goal. And only when he felt their presence did he smile. As the game progressed the opposing team trailed even behind. It was to the point that it seemed like the gap would only continue rising. In the first half alone, they ended up conceding four goals. The score at the end of the first half was Japan: 4 and China PR: 0. Their momentum didn''t show any signs of slowing down even in the second half as they utterly dominated the match. Be it ball possession or attempted shots, Japanpletely outpowered the opposing side. It was to the point that the opposing side couldn''t even register one shot on target. Even breaching the defensive third of the opposing side was like scaling Mount Everest. On the other hand, the Japanese would constantly bombard them with threatening shots. The sheer difference in the level of the two teams was evident to the naked eye. And it would take a miracle for the opposing side to close the gap. In the 60th minute, Hiropleted his hattrick giving his team a massive five-to-nil lead. "The beast has been set loose,"mented thementator. Well, it wasn''t an overstatement. After all, he had been lying dormant for quite a long time at the beginning of the match. But now, it was a different story. Hiro was simply unstoppable. It seemed like even if the opposition ganged up on him with their entire squad, he might break loose. The opposition''s already hopeless face was now starting to get desperate. Their face had lost all their luster and right now appeared paler than snow. Especially, their keeper, he couldn''t stop spewing curses. Frustration was evident in his eyes. "Just what the hell are you doing? How can you let him loose?" Some of the opposing fans despite it being their home ground were already leaving the pitch. It was evident that they didn''t feel like staying here any longer. As for the Japanese supporters, they were all ecstatic. On the sidelines, the opposing coach could be seen with a frustrated look on his face. Even the yers on their bench weren''t in a better state. With a face deprived of vitality, they watched the match with growing horror. Some could even be seen praying.


    It wouldn''t be an overstatement to say that their morale had hit the rock-bottom and it would take a miracle for them to put up a fight. On the contrary, it was theplete opposite on the Japanese side. Manager Nanami although he didn''t appear jubnt, you could tell that he was content with the performance of his yers. And the atmosphere on the bench was jubnt. ''It seems like we won''t have any difficulty to win the match. So, I should probably let other guys in'' Nanami thought as he cast a nce at the scoreboard. They were already winning the match. So, he thought of using the subs. It wasn''t a strategic decision but merely a decision to help other yers gain the experience. "Sato, Tatsuki, Mitoma, you guys are going," Nanami said firmly. By now, it was clear that it wasn''t a fair match but aplete one-sided domination. It was such a one-sided domination that it even felt like Hiro and the rest were bullying their opponent. Many of the opposing yers had a dull and listless look on their faces, making it seem as if they had been tortured excessively. Their movement had already grown sluggish and they were often making mistakes. Taking advantage of their exhaustion, Hiro again widened the score, scoring his fourth goal of the game. Since, he had said that he would score at least five goals before the start of the match, he wasn''t willing to slow down. ''It makes his fourth goal already and there''s more than twenty minutes left on the goal'' Naoto smiled while looking at Hiro who was celebrating in the distance. Then again, his smile froze as he muttered, "Don''t tell me¡ª"


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 542: World Cup Qualifier IV

    Chapter 542: World Cup Qualifier IV


    ?


    Naoto stared at him with widened eyes, "Don''t tell me that he''s serious about what he said earlier?"


    Previously when Hiro said that he''d score five goals, he had merely assumed it was a self- motivating speech. But right now, when he was approaching the aforementioned figure, he couldn''t help but feel shocked about it.


    Just then an announcement resounded in the stadium.


    It was the announcement for yer change.


    On the sidelines, three yers of Japan queued, preparing to embark. Each looked like they were eager to get on the field.


    "Just when you think that it will get easier now that many core yers are gone, Japan could easily bring out other sets of superstars on the field"


    Well, Kaoru Mitoma had already earned a name for himself in the premier league and was one of the recognized Asian yers on a global scale.


    So, to be able to bring out yers of such caliber from the bench was something to envy.


    The squad depth of Japan this time was truly amazing.


    It was like when Argentina could bring out yers of excellent caliber from the bench like Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dyb, and many more.


    There are teams in the world whock one yer of world-ss caliber and there are teams who could bring one after another world-ss yer as if they were some cheap goods sold in the flea market.


    Hearing the announcement, the faces of the opposing yers paled even further. Their ghastly pale face almost resembled someone who had seen a ghost.


    You could even hear them whining.


    It almost felt like that they had already given up on the match.


    And the opposing coach was aware of the dropping morale in the team. So, to counter it, he sent some reinforcement, making some changes in the squad as well.


    "I know the game is a lost cause but at least we shouldn''t show such a pathetic side to our fans. So, I''m entrusting you with the responsibility to revive the fighting spirit of the team. Do you think you can do it?"


    The opposing coach said to one of his yers whom he was about to send out.


    It was a tough-looking fellow who appeared to be somewhat bald. From the looks of it, he seemed like he had intentionally shaved his head. After all, he appeared too young for someone to have gone bald so early.


    Although he had a robust body, it wasn''t his body that made him seem tough. Rather it was his pitch-ck snake-like eyes that made him seem that way.


    Nodding his head, he asked solemnly, "Can I y it my way?"


    When he asked that, for a moment it seemed as if the opposing coach was somewhat hesitant. It was almost as if he was reluctant to agree to his request.


    Then with a bit of reluctance, he said, "Have it your way¡ª"


    A cold glint shed past his eyes as he let out a wry smile on his face. Then he prepared to step onto the field.


    From the sidelines, he stared at Hiro. Smiling, he whispered, "It''s about time we cut your wings"


    "Wei Zen ising?"


    "Is the coach serious about it?"


    As they noticed the appearance of the monk-like yer who was preparing to enter the field, the opposing yer''s expression changed rapidly.


    With a horror-stricken face, they talked among themselves about his involvement as some kind of taboo.


    For a moment, they even forgot about their despairing fate.


    Even the six-goal lead that they were tailing became insignificant for a moment.


    At the same time, some rejoiced his arrival.


    "Finally, someone who can save us."


    "Just what took it so long for the coach to decide."


    Unaware of the malicious intention directed towards him, Hiro at the moment was cheerfully chatting with his teammates.


    "Leave some goals for us too," Tatsuki said jokingly as he approached Hiro.


    "Then score some if you''re that eager"


    The match then resumed as both sides made some changes to their squad.


    Though he had made a few changes to the squad, the opposing coach appeared quite anxious.


    Sweeping his nce at the yer who had entered just now, he mumbled with a sense of foreboding, "Wei Zen, the tyrant has entered the field."


    Just as he entered the field, Wei Zen''s domineering presence dampened the mood of many yers. When he started giving outmands, almost all of them submitted to his will without any resistance.


    They had suddenly transformed into a bunch of docilembs.


    "Just who is that guy?"


    Many of the Japanese yers couldn''t help but feel curious looking at how he was reshaping


    the entire team.


    They were both curious and marveled at him.


    ''To be able tomand so many people, it doesn''t feel like this guy is just another


    substitute''


    It was clear to Hiro that this guy had a presence unlike any he had seen before.


    Before long, he hadpletely reshaped the team.


    While he was givingmands to the yers, many yers showed slight difort in their expressions. It was almost as if they weren''t willing to receive hismand.


    They even cast a helpless nce at their coach, hoping for him to resolve the situation.


    But even the coach would either avert his gaze or pretend he hadn''t seen them asking for hisn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    help. It almost made it seem as if he was intentionally avoiding their plea for help.


    ''He seems like a big shot in the team''


    Hiro deduced after experiencing the tension on the field. To be able to subdue the entire squad, he has to be someone extraordinary.


    "But why haven''t I heard his name before?" Hiro couldn''t help but mumble.


    There wasn''t a single yer from the opposing squad he could recall from his memories. So,


    he had assumed that none were any special in his previous life.


    But the appearance of this snake-eyed bastardpletely altered his perception. It made him doubt his judgment.


    After all, he had only seen a handful of yers in the world who had such amanding


    presence.


    Even Hiro wasn''t able to imitate it.


    [Ding!]


    [The host has unlocked a new quest]

 Chapter 543: World Cup Qualifier V

    Chapter 543: World Cup Qualifier V


    ?


    All of a sudden, the system prompt rang in his ear.


    Hearing the prompt, he solemnly swept his gaze to the system panel with a bit of curiosity.


    [The host has unlocked a new quest]


    [Subjugate The Tyrant]


    The title of the quest sounded more and more like the title of a quest he''d see in a game. Nheless, it fueled his curiosity.


    Hiro was already amazed by the ability of Wei Zen tomand his teammates. But now that he witnessed that even the system was referring to him as a tyrant, he couldn''t help but feel even more curious about him.


    Such a grand title for someonepletely unknown, the system must value him greatly.


    "That''s what he thought when he saw the title.


    Then he started reading the description with a hint of amusement on his face.


    [Beat Wei Zen in a dual three times]


    [Sessfully tackle him three times]


    [Score a goal after dribbling past him]


    There were actually three requirements toplete the quest. Hiro wasn''t worried about the first and the third requirements. But he couldn''t help but feel anxious about the second.


    After all, defending wasn''t his forte.


    And by the looks of it, Wei Zen appeared to be a defensive midfielder specializing in defense. So, he found the second requirement a bit exaggerated.


    Frowning, he muttered, "If it was only once, it might have been doable. But three times... Isn''t it a bit too much?"


    Hiro felt quite skeptical about the second requirement.


    Even so, he couldn''t avoid it even if he didn''t like it. So, he steeled himself and proceeded to the reward.


    [Reward: You can copy a talent of the highest caliber from Wei Zen]


    [Failure: Temporary closure of the system shop for six months]


    The reward was definitively tempting. After all, from what Hiro could see Wei Zen appeared to be an extraordinary yer. So, he must possess some high grade talent.


    Although the punishment didn''t seem as excessive,tely he had been thinking of making use of the points he had umted to buy something from the shop.


    So, if he failed the quest, he might not be able to buy his desired item for a while.


    This saddened him a little. But it didn''t appear that huge of a deal. Also, even if he wished to ignore the quest, he couldn''t since it was mandatory.


    Letting out a soft sigh, Hiro muttered, "Sigh- We''ll see how it goes."


    Even though the clock was ticking, Hiro couldn''t afford to be hasty. He could tell that Wei Zen wasn''t a simple character but he couldn''t tell about how impressive he was.


    So, he tried to make use of his skill "Magic Vision" on him.


    [Name: Wei Zen]


    [Age: 27]


    [Overall: ??]


    [Potential: ??]


    [Possessed Talent: ??]


    Hiro rubbed his eyes in disbelief. For an instant, he even thought that the system was malfunctioning when he failed to see through him.


    But no matter how hard he tried to look through him, it showed the same result. For some reason, it appeared that he couldn''t see through him.


    That had only happened a handful of times before. Mostly due to the target being too high level for him to use his skill.


    "Wtf?" Frustrated, he couldn''t help but cuss under his breath.


    If he said it loudly, he''d get reprimanded by the referee. And although it frustrated him, he was still conscious of what to say.


    ''Just when you need it, it bes unreliable''


    After the failure to see through him, Hiro felt an extreme urge toment the system.


    However, even if he made a fuss about it, there wasn''t anything he could do. So, it didn''t take him long to dismiss the matter.


    He couldn''t afford to be bothered by it when he had a quest toplete.


    "I guess... There''s only one way to find out," he whispered dismissively.


    Then he turned to look at Wei Zen.


    Surprisingly, he was right before him and he was staring at him with a nasty smile on his face. Seeing him so close startled him and that nasty grin on his face sent chills.


    ''When did he get here?''


    ''Was I spacing out for too long?''


    ''I didn''t even feel his presence.''


    Several thoughts popped into his head as he subconsciously took a step back.


    But he immediately calmed himself.


    "Did you see a ghost?" Wei Zen saiding closer to him.


    It was another surprise that he could speak fluent Japanese.


    Hiro, however, didn''t respond.


    Hiro''s unresponsive attitude fueled Wei Zen''s amusement and he couldn''t help but reveal a bemusing chuckle.


    "Kekeke"


    ''What a weird guy'' Hiro thought as he noticed him smiling weirdly alone.


    However, it didn''t Hiro long to notice that the effect of his talent "Shadow Tactician" had almost no effect on him. The person was even smiling all the time while marking him.


    The game had already begun.


    And Wei Zen had stuck to him like a parasite. It was as if Hiro was the host and he was the parasite mooching off him.


    Previously, Hiro had wanted to test him. He wanted to test the water before setting foot in it. But after experiencing the attitude of that guy, he couldn''t even bring himself to act.


    Something about him was making him ufortable.


    Even so, it didn''t take him long to fulfill a part of his objective. He sessfully managed to tackle him twice. Also, he also managed to beat him in a duel once.


    However, for some while, after he had stepped on the field, it became difficult to score


    against the opposing team.


    ''Just how did this guy organize the team so urately?''


    The previously pathetic-looking opposition had somehow regained their vitality. No, it


    might be better to say that they had been resurrected to life.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They still appeared as lifeless as they were before.


    However, their movement and positioning were more organized than before.


    "Is your father well?" Wei Zen whispered while marking him.


    ''So, you''re resorting to trash talking huh?''


    Hiro thought as he heard him.


    He could tell that he was about to talk shit about his personal life to get on his head. However,


    he probably didn''t know that he was a tough nut to crack.


    So, he ignored him as if he were a breeze passing him.

 Chapter 544: World Cup Qualifier VI

    Chapter 544: World Cup Qualifier VI


    ?


    Wei Zen could try all he wanted but he wouldn''t care about him. In the end, he''d only be exhausting himself. It would be like talking to a wall.


    "You have to be this tough to ignore your father. No wonder, some people say that you won''t even shed a tear when your father dies."


    Even now, Hiro remained unfazed by his nderingments.


    Then he let out a nasty smile as he said with a hint of amusement, "Or could it be that he''s not even your real father?"


    Although he was prepared to face his trash talks, it still stung nheless. But even so, he maintained his calm.


    However, Hiro could tell that it would get much worse if he stuck with him. So, he tried to shake him off.


    Hiro tried to shake him off but he wouldn''t let him go.


    "Probably, your mother must have fu*ked someone else. No..., she must have fu*ked a lot of men in her life. That''d be the only exnation behind you possessing so many talents. I''m sure you must have inherited all those talents."


    The more he heard him the more he was starting to run out of patience.


    Despite Hiro''s effort to remain calm, he could feel an inexplicable feeling welling up inside him. He could feel his insides churning. He felt as if he''d copse if he didn''t let that feeling


    out.


    Was it rage? Was it hatred? Or was it the mix of both?


    Since he was attempting to remain calm, his conscious mind was dominant at the moment. But he could feel his consciousness slipping away.


    His eyes were turning crimson and he could feel his blood boiling.


    Any longer and he might actually snap.


    Hiro had faced many trash talkers before. But he was on a whole other level.


    Hiro was well aware that as long as the referee didn''t hear it, one was free to say anything on the field. Even so, this guy was really getting on his nerves now.


    Taking in deep breaths, he held onto his consciousness. But the guy wouldn''t stop yapping. It wasn''t only trash-talking but this guy also yed rough.


    Just then as Wei got the ball, Hiro who was driven by his rage made a risky tackle on him from behind. There wasn''t any need for him to perform such a risky tackle but he couldn''t resist the urge to get one back on him.


    After all, he had been trash-talking him since the moment he entered the field.


    Beep!


    The referee sounded his whistle as Wei fell hard to the ground.


    It was clear that Hiro had taken him out.


    Immediately, yers from both sides began to gather around the ce of collision.


    Enraged the opposing yers began to protest. Some even looked like they would pound on him for the tackle.


    "Just because you y well doesn''t mean you get to do anything you want."


    "I''ve been tolerating you fu*king bit*h. But now you''re even starting to get violent because you struggled against him."


    If it weren''t for Tatsuki and a few other guys protecting Hiro, he might have actually gotten beaten by now. The opposing yers looked madly infuriated at him.


    Chaos unfolded on the pitch as the yers of both sides shed against each other.


    Even the fans couldn''t bring themselves to defend Hiro. Although Wei Zen was constantly marking him, they couldn''t hear what he said to Hiro.


    So, just because he was struggling to shake him off, didn''t give Hiro the right to perform such a rough tackle on him.


    Nheless, they had to defend him. After all, he was their star yer. So, despite knowing in their heart that it was Hiro''s fault, some still stuck with him.


    In the pitch, it was pure madness.


    The referee could barely prevent an outbreak from happening. He appeared to be on the edge. Just separating the two sides was mentally and physically challenging for him.


    And if it dragged any longer, who knows what would happen?


    With that thought in mind, he brought a card out of his pocket. Then he walked to Hiro and shoved a yellow card straight on his face with a warning.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Hiro was muzzled. He couldn''t bring himself to think straight. So, he didn''t even bother looking at the referee. Neither was he concerned about the res and the threats of the opposing yers.


    ''Did I do that? Did I just let rage take over me?''


    Hiro kept pondering about his actions.


    He could tell that he was enraged. But it wasn''t to the point that he''d perform such a deadly tackle on another yer.


    Sure, he irritated him greatly. But that didn''t mean that he could perform such a career- ending tackle on him. After all, he had experienced such a scenario previously. So, how could The bring himself to exact the same fate on others?


    Even if he loathed that person, he wouldn''t be able to do that.


    So, he was terrified by the prospect that he could perform such a deadly tackle under the impression of being blinded by rage.


    ''What if I had ended his career?''


    Hiro kept doubting himself. Then he slowly turned to look at Wei whoy on the ground with


    a face full of concern.


    For a while, he couldn''t bring himself to look away from him.


    He felt guilty for his condition.


    Thus, he got the urge to apologize. He felt like he had to apologize or else, he wouldn''t be


    able to forgive himself.


    Even if it tarnished his reputation, he had to apologize.


    However, just as he was about to walk to him to apologize, he noticed a subtle grin thatsted


    as soon as it appeared on the faces of other opposing yers who were checking on him.


    ''Was it just an illusion?''


    Hiro thought after noticing their grin.


    However, it made him think about their earlier collision. Sure, he had tackled him from his


    blind spot. But with how aware he was, he should probably have seen himing.


    So, why didn''t he move away?


    Also, now that he thought about it, there was something even more strange.


    If I had tackled him then why didn''t I feel much contact?


    Unless he jumped on his own ord!

 Chapter 545: World Cup Qualifier VII

    Chapter 545: World Cup Qualifier VII


    ?


    The realization struck him like a freight train.


    Thinking that he was worrying about a fox who was merely putting up a facade infuriated Hiro.


    Hiro had even prepared himself to lower his head even though he hated him. But that sly fox was deceiving him. To think that he felt pity for such a person disgusted him.


    ''This cunning fox nearly deceived me.''


    Hiro gnashed his teeth as he red at Wei Zen.


    "Ptoo-" Hiro spat a mouthful of spit before turning to leave.


    Then he stomped away, ''I won''t forget this, you cunning fox."


    Seeing him walking away, many opposing fans became even more agitated at him. His gesture was unsportsmanlike.


    "That arrogant brat, now that he can''t do anything, he''s finally shown his true colors." One of the opposing fans scoffed.


    "Indeed, it seems that he has quite a nasty temper."


    Another chimed in.


    Now that the momentum was shifting to their side, the opposing fans looked more united than ever and even their lost enthusiasm was starting to return.


    With that being said, they were more eager to support their yers.


    As for the Japanese supporters, although they were still winning the game, they were starting to feel anxious by the growing tension on the field.


    They didn''t want their star yer to receive such a nasty reputation.


    All of a sudden the atmosphere of the stadium shifted.


    Boo!


    The jeering sound filled with disapproval echoed in the stadium as the opposing fans started booing Hiro.


    The sudden shift in the atmosphere of the stadium drew the attention of almost everyone present in the stadium.


    "It seems like almost every opposing fan present in the stadium has antagonized Hiro. Until just now, he had been having a fairytale-like run. However, it appears that it''s as far as he could go. You have to feel sad about him."


    Thementator couldn''t help but remark on the sudden change in the stadium.


    It was as said by thementator. If anybody saw the scene taking ce in the stadium right now, they''d probably think that Hiro had antagonized the entire opposition.


    It truly appeared as if the entirety of the venue was against him.


    Upon hearing the jeers, Naoto turned to look at Hiro, casting a concerned gaze on him. Even though he was fully aware of the mentality he held, Naoto couldn''t help but feel worried about him.


    The pressure was overwhelming to the extent that it even made him weak.


    So, how could a kid who''s only sixteen fare off against such overwhelming pressure?


    However, when he turned to look at him, he found something strange. He might be imagining things but he definitely felt a cold aura leaking from Hiro.


    Hiro appeared like a predator.


    There wasn''t even a shed of fear oozing from him. Rather, he appeared more confident than ever. It was like he was a wounded lone soldier bathed in blood and covered in wounds, walking with a striking presence in a scene of carnage and destruction.


    Those voices that were booing him were like the resentment of the souls that had died in his hands. With each step he took, he could hear them growing louder.


    He could palpably feel their resentment against him.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But it didn''t scare him.


    Rather he feltfort in it.


    Revealing a sinister grin on his youthful face, Hiro whispered under his breath, "The greater themotion the greater the satisfaction."


    Wei Zen''s attitude might be the cause of it. But something had definitely changed in Hiro after he found out about his deception.


    He felt that he had been quite naive to be deceived by such a low level of acting. More than anything else, he felt disgusted by the naive mentality he had.


    There was already a lot going on in his life. Yet the people around him don''t give him any break. Theye after him one after another.


    Previously, he had assumed it merely as a fate.


    He had thought that it was due to his poprity. But now that he faced an opponent who was taking advantage of his silence, he understood something¡ª it wasn''t his fate but rather his weakness that had brought him into such a situation.


    If only he had decided to act instead of remaining silent, the situation might have been different. If only he dared to fight back, it might have been different.


    The one who got himself into this situation was himself.


    Finally, Hiro realized the fact.


    And the one to get him out of this misery would also have to be him. There won''t be anyoneing to his aid.


    He has to drag him out of this misery himself.


    An ominous intent shed past Hiro''s eyes as he vowed to wipe off that smirk from Wei Zen''s


    face, "Just you wait you cunning fox..."


    "Are you okay?" Tatsuki timidly asked him.


    There was an evident concern on his face. And he appeared quite worried about him.


    Hiro looked at him deeply before answering, "Let''s y the best game of our life today."


    Tatsuki felt puzzled upon hearing him. But he also felt d that Hiro didn''t seem affected by the jeers targeting him.


    He was well aware of Hiro''s mental fortitude. But he felt even more mesmerized when he saw the calm and collected expression of Hiro at the moment.


    Tatsuki nodded his head as he said with determination, "You''re right. Let''s silence this bunch of freaks."


    At the moment, Manager Nanami was thinking of substituting Hiro. After all, he had already done enough. So there wasn''t any need for him to go even further than this.


    But he was also hesitating that it might affect him negatively if he brought him out so abruptly after he got booed. So, he couldn''t bring himself to decide.


    ''Let''s wait a bit more before deciding''


    Unable to decide, he put the matter on hold.


    He wanted to have faith in Hiro. And he wanted him to ovee the situation himself. If he


    brought him out, he would be depriving him of that opportunity.

 Chapter 546: World Cup Qualifier VIII

    Chapter 546: World Cup Qualifier VIII


    ?


    Beep!


    The game then resumed with the opposition''s freekick.


    Since it was quite far away from the opposing post, the opposition yed it safe by ying a short pass to resume the game.


    There wasn''t any need to take the risk.


    Also, although they had regained the momentum, they weren''t thinking of pulling an upset. After all, it was almost impossible to score seven goals in a matter of twenty minutes.


    In other words, they had already given up on the game.


    And as there''s a saying a person who doesn''t strive for victory will never achieve victory.


    The sole purpose of the opposition was to put up a respectable fight so that they wouldn''t face much bacsh from their fans.


    If they could only pull two or three goals in the remaining minute, it''d be great.


    With that thought in mind, they nned to slowly build their momentum. But Hiro had other intentions. He wasn''t willing to let them have their way.


    Even though they were already almost guaranteed to win the match, now that they had pissed him off, he wasn''t willing to end the match with the present score.


    In those remaining minutes, he wanted to score as many goals as he could.


    Now he wouldn''t be satisfied with just a victory. He wanted to demolish the opposing team and he wanted to humiliate them.


    Instantly, as soon as the matchmenced, he charged straight into the opposing territory like an enraged bull driven by madness.


    If it was only Hiro, it might not have gone well.


    But with the support of his friend Tatsuki, he seemed moreposed. It didn''t seem like he was mindlessly going after the ball like a dog running after the stick without any sense of direction purely driven by the desire to get the stick.


    The sudden surge of intensity startled the opposing yers.


    It was only two yers but both looked threatening. It was like they hade up against Yama.


    Previously, Hiro avoided collision as much as possible. But now, it appeared that he would even take on a person twice his size.


    Wei Zen tried to catch up with Hiro but he wasn''t his match when it came to speed.


    The constant pressure from Hiro and Tatsuki created quite a lot of space for their teammates. Also, it created many opportunities.


    However, it was a double-edged sword.


    Since they moved out of their position to charge forward, they were bound to leave behind spaces. But the opposition could take advantage of those spaces only if they could remainposed against their constant onught.


    However, Hiro and Tatsuki simply gave them no chance to react.


    It didn''t take Hiro long to collect one of the loose balls. Due to their constant pressure, the opposition was making countless mistakes.


    Capitalizing on their mistake, Hiro caught on an opportunity.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Then without slowing down, he charged ahead. At this point, he wasn''t even concerned about the quest. All he wanted was to humiliate the opposition.


    The burning desire to score goals hadpletely overtaken him.


    It even felt as if he wasn''t his real self at the moment. He felt more like a ferocious beast that was hungry for goals.


    Many people in the venue could vividly see a glimpse of the intent he was revealing.


    It was enthralling and intimidating at the same time.


    It almost looked like, he was shrouded in a mixture of blood-red and pitch-ck aura, making it seem as if he had awakened supernatural abilities.


    When looking at his closeup on the screen, they could see his thirst for goals.


    Those were the eyes of a predator that had fixated its gaze on its prey.


    Seeing the determination in those hazel eyes, the supporters of Japan couldn''t help but feel enthralled for some reason. It was like an invisible force was attracting them to him.


    At the same time, when the opposing fans looked at it, they felt their heart shudder. They felt as if they were in a nightmare and he was the ghost of the nightmare after their life.


    Indeed right now, Hiro had entered the zone.


    But the feeling he felt at the moment was different than what he normally felt when he entered the zone. It was a different feeling and different experience that made his heart pound to an unprecedented level.


    Hiro''s heart beat like someone was beating a drum.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    With lightning-quick steps, he breached the opposing defense. Then with a few simple touches, he made a fool out of the entire opposing defense.


    Nutmegging three defenders in a row and an over-the-top rainbow flick on thest one, he


    shot an impressive volley, scoring his fifth goal of the game.


    Both the bystander and the yer who watched him were left in awe.


    They felt as if a new dawn was breaking on their side.


    As for the opposition, it felt as if an eternal darkness was approaching. The glimmer of hope that they had seen a moment ago hadpletely plundered.


    Many even felt as if they had awakened someone they shouldn''t have awakened with their early jeers. He was threatening before but he wasn''t as threatening as he was now.


    The being of the nightmare was materializing right before their eyes. And they were rendered to mere spectators against it.


    They could only look at it with growing horror.


    Even the sixth goal didn''t take long for him to achieve as right after he scored his fifth goal, Hiro scored his sixth goal almost immediately.


    Then again, he supplied a brilliant assist to Tatsuki to increase their lead to 9:0. The game has indeed turned into a nightmare for the opposition. And the scary part was that there were still ten minutes remaining on the clock.


    What''s more, Hiro didn''t show any signs of slowing down.


    If you look at him closely, you could even see steaming out from his mouth. It was as if


    he were telling that he had much more to give.


    "Please-stop it already"


    "Please... I beg you lord. Please end the match."


    At this moment, some of the opposing fans had even started to pray. Their faces were full of despair making it seem as if somebody had tortured them.

 Chapter 547: World Cup Qualifier IX

    Chapter 547: World Cup Qualifier IX


    ?


    Even the tenth and eleventh goals of the game didn''t take long toe as in a matter of a couple of minutes, Japan widened their lead to a staggering eleven to nothing.


    By now, almost the entirety of the stadium had emptied.


    The opposing fans couldn''t bear to see such a humiliating oue. Even those who had remained appeared as if they were in great turmoil.


    Truly, it was beyond embarrassing.


    Yet still, it didn''t look like the Japanese side would show any mercy. It looked as if they wouldn''t stop until the final whistle.


    Especially Hiro who had been tirelessly running around the field for a while even now when they had achieved such a massive lead, there was hunger in his eyes.


    Continuing with his relentless pursuit, he chased after the ball even though it was the final minute of the game.


    Wei Zen stood before him appearing a lot different than how he appeared earlier. There was hardly any smugness left in his face.


    Furrowing his brows, he red at Hiro who was closing on him.


    ''YOU F*CKING BRAT! HOW DARE YOU RUIN MY MOMENT!''


    With burning rage, he gnashed his teeth indignantly. You could vividly see blue veins popping in his forehead and it looked like he was in great difort.


    Earlier after he managed to infuriate Hiro, he had thought that he had him in the palm of his hands. But who could guess that Hiro would transform as such?


    He was extremely agitated at him.


    He had already begun to imagine the praise he would receive after the match. But Hiro whom he had assumed to have full control over suddenly assaulted his hopes like a massive hurricane,pletely obliterating the dreams he had weaved.


    If it wasn''t for the sudden change, he''d have been glorified by the entire nation.


    But with such a humiliating result, he might even get kicked out of the team. For sure, after this humiliating performance what awaited their team was a major reform.


    Blinded by rage, he could no longer discern good and bad. At this moment, all he desired was to destroy the person who was responsible for his misery.


    With a burning desire to obliterate Hiro, he thrusted hard at him.


    It didn''t matter to him whether he could snatch the ball away from Hiro or not. Even if it meant sending him on a stretcher, he just wanted to ruin this bastard who had spilled water on his n.


    So, without any intention of touching the ball, he tackled Hiro.


    Hiro had foreseen the tackle so, he swiftly moved out of his way. But even so, he couldn''t


    avoid the fate of getting taken out. Just as he leaped over Wei Zen, he intentionally swept his leg up while Hiro was hovering above him.


    Any who had an eye could see that it was an intentional foul.


    §£§Ö§Ö§â!


    Immediately as Hiro fell to the ground, a riot broke out in the stadium. Before falling, Hiro stretched his arms out attempting to cushion the fall.


    But in doing so, he twisted his arm.


    "Argh-"


    Hiro billowed in pain.


    With his eyes shut, he rolled on the ground as an agonizing pain coursed through his body. The pain was so intense that he felt like he could pass out any instance.


    While he wailed in pain, he felt as if he was being poked by thousands of microneedles. Just from the pain alone, Hiro could tell that he had either broken a bone or dislocated his arms.


    The stadium got extremely noisy as the enraged Japanese supporters hauled indignant curses at the opposition. Especially, Wei Zen who had caused the incident, they didn''t spare him any mercy as they cussed and cursed him without any stop.


    Some of the fans even looked like they''d jump out of the stand to personally beat Wei Zen.


    As for the Japanese yers, they were equally enraged.


    At this moment, the entirety of the team had be united. Even Naoto had rushed out to confront Wei Zen.


    Tatsuki who was near was the first to react.


    As soon as Hiro fell to the ground, he immediately rushed to confront Wei Zen. Shoving aside one of the opposing yers who was trying to shield Wei Zen, he directly headed to him. Then he directly grabbed him by his cor and began to jerk him vigorously while ring at him with his bloodshot eyes, "YOU F*CKING BASTARD I''LL KILL YOU!"


    Wei Zen, couldn''t even bring himself to resist his grip.


    Immediately, Wei Zen''splexion paled as fear gripped his heart when facing the person who grabbed him by the cor. He began to sweat profusely and his heart pounded vigorously.


    Yet still, with a horror-stricken face, Wei Zen tried to escape from his grip.


    At this moment, his primal instincts were screaming in rm that this person before him was dangerous, and if he didn''t get away from him, it might threaten his life.


    Wei Zen could palpably feel the killing intent oozing out from him.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''This person really wants to kill me''


    He felt his heart shudder upon this finding. A chill ran down his spine as he felt the killing intent of the person holding him by the cor.


    ''Escape... I need to escape.''


    Desperation wed his heart as he struggled to free himself from Tatsuki''s grip. But he just couldn''t seem to free him from the bear-like grip of Tatsuki.


    He even wanted to scream for help but words won''te out, "Help..."


    Tatsuki had caught him firmly and he wasn''t going to let him get away. He thoroughly wanted


    to beat this person to a pulp.


    Just then he caught a glimpse of Tatsuki preparing to punch him.


    Wei Zen tightly shut his eyes thinking that he would get hit. But just in the nick of time, somebody prevented him from experiencing the wrath of Tatsuki.


    Yamada arrived at the scene just in the nick of time and managed to drag Tatsuki away from Wei Zen. If it wasn''t for his intervention, Tatsuki might have punched a hole in his face. Even after not feeling the sensation of being hit for a while, Wei Zen weakly opened his eyes.

 Chapter 548: World Cup Qualifier End

    Chapter 548: World Cup Qualifier End


    ?


    Upon opening his eyes, he witnessed that the person who had grabbed him by the cor was being detained by another person. The sight relieved him and he couldn''t help but feel that he was saved.


    Finally after confirming that he was out of danger, he eased his expression a little.


    It was suffocating back then but finally, he could breathe.


    He was d that someone hade to his rescue. But just when he was rejoicing a few other yers washed over him like a tsunami.


    Even the barricade of his teammate didn''t seem like it could shield him from the wrath of the infuriated opposing yers.


    Just looking at their agitated face made his heart palpitate.


    Finally, when he saw a glimpse of the referee, he felt relieved. The referee even though he was about to expel him from the game appeared like a saint who hade to his rescue.


    So, he couldn''t help but rejoice upon seeing him.


    He hadn''t been this d to see the referee.


    For the first time in his life, he felt deep gratitude towards the referee.


    ''Just what took you so long?''


    He looked at the referee with his eyes sparkling with joy.


    As for Hiro, after watching his state, medical personnel had already arrived on the pitch to check on him. After examining him, they signaled for the stretcher.


    Manager Nanami although disheartened and agitated had to carry out his duty. So, when he saw their signals, he immediately prepared a substitution.


    With a heavy heart, he watched Hiro being taken out on a stretcher.


    He also felt a pang of guilt wing on him. After all, they had already won the game. So, he could have taken him out to give him some rest.


    He felt that it was due to his mistake that Hiro was in such a state.


    He just couldn''t help but me himself.


    If only he had acted timely, he could have prevented the misfortune.


    Wei Zen was taken out of the game as expected for the offense. Also, there were a few others who received cards for their actions.


    The game ended with the same score in the end.


    After Hiro was taken out, Japan didn''t manage to score any extra goals. And thus the game concluded with Japan''s victory.


    The final score of the game was Japan: 11 Vs China PR: 0.


    The result evoked a sensation around many parts of the globe. But more than the result, the highlight of the event was the mesmerizing performance of Hiro and the brutal tackle that sent him to hospital.


    Even at the end of the game, the tension continued to linger on the pitch. Many of the Japanese yers couldn''t bring themselves to forgive the opposition for their nasty tackle on Hiro.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Many yers even refused to shake hands to celebrate the spirit of the game.


    Just like this, the game came to an end.


    But the aftermath of the game proved to be even more extreme than what one had imagined. The home yers of China who had suffered such a humiliating loss were harshly criticized by both the fans and the media outlets.


    As for the Japanese team, they were praised for their performance.


    The video of Tatsuki grabbing Wei Zen by his cor after he fouled Hiro spread like wildfire and became an instant hit among the people.


    Although most of the people received it positively there were a few who were against it. Manymended him for standing up for his teammate while many called him short-tempered and unprofessional.


    There were both positive and negative reviews. However, it was mostly positive.


    ********


    [Japan! Unstoppable Force]


    [Rising Star Hiro Scores a Double Hat-Trick in Japan''s 11-0 Victory Over China]


    [How Long Will Hiro Be Sidelined?]


    Hiroy on the hospital bed, scrolling through the endless stream of headlines flooding the inte. The attention both fascinated and frustrated him in equal measure.


    As Hiroy on the stiff hospital bed, his arm wrapped in bandages and supported by a sling, a steady stream of thoughts ran through his mind.


    The sharp scent of antiseptic filled the room, and the steady beeping of the monitor beside him was the only sound, save for the asional rustle of sheets as he shifted to find afortable position. His phone screen glowed faintly in the dim light, disying a barrage of articles and social media posts discussing his recent performance.


    "Double hat-trick," he muttered, eyes scanning the headlines. Six goals in one game. Yesterday''s match against China PR had been a resounding sess. Japan had dominated the field with an overwhelming 11-0 victory, and Hiro had been the undeniable star.


    Yet, today, lying here in the quiet, the triumph felt hollow.


    His right elbow throbbed beneath the bandages. A sharp, agonizing pain had shot through it from the moment he had been fouled, leaving him unable to even lift his arm without a burning sensation that felt like fire coursing through his veins.


    The doctors had confirmed it-he had torn his tendons.


    How long? The question echoed in his mind, reflecting the words of every article he had read. How long would he be out? Could he afford to miss the crucial uing games? Would this injury haunt him forever?


    Fortunately, it wasn''t his leg.


    After all, if he had injured his leg, it would have been much worse.


    Thus he wasn''t as pressed about it.


    If it had been his legs, he wouldn''t be acting like this. Probably, he would have been plunged


    into despair.


    He had himself to thank for his quick decision.


    If he hadn''t cushioned the fall with his hand, he might have to sit out of the game for who knows how long.


    Just then while thinking about it, the door to the room creaked open, and Hiro looked up to see Coach Nanami stepping inside, followed closely by Naoto and Tatsuki.


    The coach wore a concerned expression, his usually strict andposed demeanor softened in the dim light of the hospital room. Naoto and Tatsuki, dressed in casual clothing, looked equally uneasy.

 Chapter 549: Hospital Visit

    Chapter 549: Hospital Visit


    ?


    Immediately upon seeing their appearance, he hid the phone away. It wouldn''t look good checking on the phone at such a moment.


    For some reason, upon seeing them he tried to get up.


    It might be because he wanted to greet them. But in doing so, he totally forgot that he was injured. Only when he felt the difort did he realize that he had been injured.


    "What are you doing? You should be resting," Nanami rushed to him with concernced all over his face. Then he helped him lie down.


    After that, he raised the bed a little to make himfortable with the remote.


    Then he stared deeply at Hiro before speaking, "Hiro..., how are you feeling?"


    Hiro gave a half-hearted smile, though it didn''t quite reach his eyes. "I''ve been better, Coach."


    "That was some game yesterday," Tatsuki chimed in, trying to lift the mood. "Six goals- double hat-trick! Man, you were on fire!"


    Although saddened, he felt the urge to lighten the dampened mood. So while suppressing his initial emotions, he spoke cheerfully.


    Hiro chuckled softly, then winced as the movement sent a sharp twinge of pain through his arm. "Yeah, I guess I was. But I wasn''t nning on ending it like this."


    Well, he had foreseen the tackle but he couldn''t imagine that Wei Zen would cling to him with such desperation. Also, it might be due to his desire for the goal that led to this.


    If he hadn''t been such shortsighted, perhaps he might have avoided the tackle.


    And to add to his already dampened mood, he had also failed the quest. So, now he couldn''t even buy a recovery potion to recover quickly.


    Judging from the circumstances, he''d most likely get sidelined for the rest of the season.


    Fortunately, he could still make it to the World Cup if he managed to impress the selectorster. It''d most likely mean that starting next season, he''d have to start from scratch.


    Although he was worried a little, he wasn''t greatly concerned about it.


    After all, once the restriction over the system shop gets lifted, he''d be able to ess the system shop to exchange the point he had stacked.


    At this moment, Naoto, always the quieter of the group, stood at the foot of the bed, his gaze fixed on Hiro''s injured arm. "Does it hurt a lot?"


    Hearing him, Hiro turned to look at him.


    "It''s not fun, I''ll tell you that much," Hiro replied, his tone light, but his frustration was palpable. "Doc says it''ll take some time before I can even think about getting back on the field."


    Coach Nanami''s brow furrowed, and he ced a reassuring hand on Hiro''s shoulder. "You''ve done more than enough already, Hiro. Your healthes first. We''ll manage, and when you''re ready, we''ll wee you back."


    Hiro felt slightly reassured when he heard him. But he wasn''t delusional enough to blindly trust his words. After all, he was aware of the cruelty in the field.


    Even if he had gotten injured while ying for the team he wouldn''t get selected if he doesn''t perform well. The world discards the yer who can''t perform.


    It doesn''t matter if you sacrifice your life for someone.


    Once you be a liability, they are quick to toss you away.


    So, although he could feel the honesty behind his words, he wasn''t willing to put his faith in him.


    Hiro turned to look at him and then smiled meekly before responding, "I appreciate the concern coach. But I know I can''t be part of this team-"


    Before Hiro could evenplete his sentence, Naoto exasperated, intervening to him, "You''re a big part of this team."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His sudden promation left the three present in the room startled and they couldn''t help but turn to look at him.


    Naoto then slightly lowered his voice before speaking in a gentle tone, "You''re a big part of this team. But... you don''t have to carry it alone. We''ll hold things down while you recover. No one''s expecting you to be a hero every time."


    Tatsuki nodded. "Exactly. You need to focus on healing. We''ve got your back."


    For a moment, Hiro let their words sink in. He appreciated their support, but the weight of his injury still loomedrge over him. The drive topete, to push himself beyond his limits, was in his nature. And now, his body had betrayed him just when he was at his peak.


    Even now, he didn''t want to ept the reality.


    But even if he wanted to deny the reality, it wouldn''t change anything. So, he didn''t have any other option than to ept the reality and think about the future.


    From the moment he had gained consciousness after the tackle till now, he had been pondering about the matter.


    One moment he''d feel that it wasn''t that big of a deal and another moment he''d feel that it was a huge deal.


    Especially, the timing of the closure of the system shop, just thinking about it, he couldn''t help but curse the system. If only the timing hadn''t been this bad, he could resolve the situation as quickly as possible.


    But since he had to rely on his natural healing factor, there wasn''t much he could do.


    However, right now, as he heard their concern, he felt at peace. He felt that unlike before when no one was expecting him to get back in shape, right now there were people who appreciated him and loved him.


    It was really as the saying, when you''ve got someone by your side the journey bes much easier. So, he felt a subtle courage welling up inside him as he was introduced to their


    support.


    Finally, he revealed a genuine smile on his face and said, "Thank you, guys. I''ll return much stronger than before."


    Seeing such deep camaraderie, Nanami couldn''t help but smile. He could tell that with such yers in the team, it wouldn''t be a pipe dream to lift the silverware soon.


    But he was still a bit skeptical about Hiro.

 Chapter 550 Press Conference

    550 Press Conference


    As the flightnded, Hiro was met by a spectacr sight¡ªhundreds of people had shown up at the airport to receive the yers. Many of them held banners wishing him a speedy recovery. If you scan the crowd, you could even find some overwhelmed by emotion. They were shouting his name. Some revered him as a hero while some as their messiah. The number of people grieving for him was equallyrge. At this moment, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that he was at the center of attention despite being in the presence of Japan''s biggest superstars. The camera shutters shed continuously with blinding lights, capturing his every movement in detail. However, unlike before, the reporters appeared more cautious than ever. It might be due to the cast on his arm. Hiro could palpably feel the love and support of those fans. As he stood there with a dumbfounded expression, overwhelmed by emotion, the doubts that he had been having seemed to vanish away. "What do you want to do Hiro? Should we proceed to the bus directly?" Coach Nanami who was right by his side asked him. Hearing those words, he returned to his senses. Until a moment ago, he was overwhelmed by the massive support shown by the fans. Then he looked at the crowd before him before deeply responding, "No, I should at least address the support of these people who havee to support me."


    For some reason, he didn''t feel like avoiding the reporters. Also, he felt if he avoided the interviews and proceeded straight to the bus, he''d be betraying the support those fans had shown for him. "Then let''s proceed to the exclusive press conference," Nanami responded in a gentle tone. Due to the massive sess of the team, there was already a press conference scheduled at the airport. Even if Hiro had refused to participate, other yers would have attended the conference. However, since Hiro was the hot topic and the person the reporters desperately wanted to interview, Nanami had to pull some tricks to refuse the conference. But now as he heard Hiro''s response, he couldn''t help but feel relief. Nanami was well aware that Hiro disliked getting interviewed. Also, considering his present state, he had refused the request from the higher-ups to have him attend the interview before. In doing so, he had created a rift between their rtionship. But if he couldn''t even protect his yers, what''s the use of being a coach? N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Slowly, Hiro was led to the location where the press conference was being held. Meandering a few corners and walking a few hallways, they arrived at the location. A booth was set up with a table full of microphones. In front, the reporters were seated, talking idly and preparing the interview materials. They appeared to be quite high-spirited. Then a representative entered the set to announce the beginning of the interview, asking the reporters to ready themselves. All of a sudden, as the representative announced themencement of the conference, it got eerily silent. Even the previous bustling atmosphere became heavy with tension. Immediately, countless blinding shutter lights shed continuously as he walked in. At that instant, Nanami appeared slightly different than what he used to appear. It almost felt like looking at a different person. He wasn''t pressured by the people before him who stared at him as if he were some sort of prey. Hiro had attended quite a lot of press conferences before as well but this one felt slightly different somehow. It might be due to the presence of the international reporters. There weren''t only domestic reporters on the scene but there were also some international reporters present on the scene. They appeared equally eager and serious. Also, the aura with which they carried themselvespletely set them apart from the reporters present outside. They weren''t like those bunch of reporters who''d make a fuss over everything. As Nanami got seated, he greeted the people present there, "Good afternoon everybody. I hope that you all are doing well. But I''m sure you''re not here to ask about the well-being of each other. So, without further wasting any time, shall we proceed directly to the questions?"


    "So, who wants to go first?" he added as hepleted his sentence. No sooner had he finished his sentence than a lot of people raised their hands. Scanning through those raised arms, Nanami randomly pointed at someone, "Yes, you there with the sses."


    A man dressed eloquently in a suit with a rather handsome-looking appearance stood, "Hello. I''m Nishida from NJK, thank you for allowing me to speak."


    "11-0. That''s the most we have scored in thest decade. There''s no doubt that it was a marvelous disy of attacking football. But it also cost us a rising superstar."


    Just from the nature of the question, one could tell where it was headed. It seemed that the man wanted to put Nanami in a difficult situation. A cold glint shed past his specs as he slightly adjusted it while continuing with his question,"There are a lot of people who say that you could have taken him out of the game. That way, you would have prevented this unwanted risk. However, you didn''t. So, what do you think about your decision?"


    The man was oozing confidence. When he asked that question, Hiro couldn''t help but ovep the image of the reporter with a bloodthirsty lunatic charging at Nanami with a dagger. ''It has only started yet the conference has already started to get heated. Just what''s with this intensity? Isn''t that person wholly ming the coach?''


    Hiro who was at the backstage thought. He even got a sudden chill. He felt that the question was a bit too intense. So, he couldn''t help but cast a concerned look at Nanami. However, when he turned to look at Nanami, he found him with an eerie calmness on his face. There wasn''t even a slight hint of panic on his face.

 Chapter 551 Press Conference II

    551 Press Conference II


    With a steadyposure, Nanami began, "Before responding to the question you asked, I want to ask you something. Did you watch the full match?"


    "Yes, I did," Nishida answered firmly. "You must be lying"


    Nishida had actually watched the match in full. So, when Nanami called him a liar, it didn''t sit well with him. With a slightly flustered tone, he responded gruffly, "I had watched the match in detail. From the moment Minamino scored to the Tatsuki''s goal. I have watched the entire match. But what does it have to do with the question I asked you?"


    "You could have also watched highlights instead? How can I tell that you didn''t watch the match highlights to prepare for the conference?"


    Every sentence Nanami spoke was getting on his nerves. But since he was a professional reporter, he couldn''t bring himself to show that anger on his face. So, despite feeling frustrated, he remainedposed. "Let''s say I haven''t watched the match. But what rtion does my watching the match have to do with the question I asked?" although he made it appear as if he retracted a step yet still he charged at him with full force.


    Nanami, however, didn''t appear to be in intention of backing down either. Then a cold gleam shed past his eyes as he said steadily, "If you had seen the entire match then you wouldn''t be asking this question to me right now. From the moment Hiro earned a booking, you could have felt his thirst for the goal."


    "If I as a coach had subdued his desire then how could I bring myself to call as a coach? As a coach, your responsibility is to allow the yers an opportunity to grow."


    Nishida stood rooted at his spot with a stupefied expression on his face as he heard Nanami''s words. There was some punch to his reasoning. But how could he bring himself to ept it? Nishida was unwilling to ept his reasoning. However, before he could bring himself to refute, another person stood up with a follow-up question. With a calm demeanor, Nanami answered all their question earnestly. Usually, he would only take a few questions. But today, he answered one after another. Even the reporters felt a bit strange about it. "So, can you tell us how long will Hiro be out?" Upon hearing the question, Nanami rolled his eyes at the backstage. Then he answered firmly, "Why don''t you ask about it himself?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Earlier they were told that Hiro wouldn''t participate in the conference. But now when they heard such a remark from Nanami, curiosity and anticipation surged in the room. Hiro''s here? As the reporters began to discuss among themselves, it got noisy. Just then Hiro entered the stage. Amotion rose in the conference room as they saw his appearance. They were surprised to see him there. At the same time, they were excited beyond measure. Finally, they could get to interview the man of the moment. All of a sudden the once peaceful room was plunged into madness. The camera shed continuously while at the same time, the reporters began to raise their voices. It seemed as if they had forgotten their etiquette. As for Hiro, he didn''t show any drastic change in his expression. Maintaining a calm demeanor, he assumed his seat. "Everyone please be seated."


    The staff urged the reporters to remain seated as right now the reporters werepeting among themselves to get Hiro''s attention. Had they been informed about Hiro''s arrival beforehand, it might not be this chaotic. However, since they weren''t informed about it they couldn''t help but make a fuss out of it. Finally, after a while, the room quietened down and returned to its previous calm. But you could vividly see the excitement on the faces of the reporters. They appeared as if they were in a supermarketpeting for the item in sale. ''Seems like I thought too highly of them'' Hiro thought with a nervous smile on his face. "We''ll be taking questions now."


    No sooner had the representative finished speaking than the reporters raised their arms. You could vividly see the eagerness in their eyes. Witnessing their enthusiasm, Nanami let out a subtle sigh, "Sigh! Do these bunches not get tired?"


    Answering their question one after the other, he had hoped to drain their energy to make it easier for Hiro. But seeing their enthusiasm, he felt that he had only drained himself. Observing the conference from a spectator perspective, Hiro was much aware of the personality of the reporters present before him. So, he didn''t feel burdened to choose the person he felt much easier to handle. Scanning through the people before him, Hiro found something strange, ''Even those foreigners are stepping up?''


    There were two reporters of foreign origin in the room. But previously they didn''t stick out their arms until the end. It almost made it seem as if they weren''t interested in interviewing Nanami. One was ady reporter with brownish hair while the other was a blond guy with aqua eyes. Seeing those raised arms, Hiro couldn''t help but feel curious. He felt curious about their purpose of visit. It wouldn''t be merely to talk about the insignificant match. So, what could it be?


    Even before they didn''t ask much. "Yes, you over there," Hiro pointed at thedy reporter with brownish hair who was dressed beautifully in formal attireprising of a white shirt and maroon zar. "Thank you for providing me the opportunity to speak," said the female reporter in English. As she spoke, a stern-looking man beside her was about to interpret what she said. But before he could bring himself to interpret her words, Hiro interrupted him, "Yes, what would you like to talk about?"


    Thedy appeared surprised and impressed for a brief moment but she immediatelyposed herself. The reaction of other people present in the room was almost simr. They were surprised to hear Hiro speak fluent English. "In a recent interview, Eric your agent had said that you''ve received a lot of offers from clubs across Europe among which Manchester United are one."


    Many of the reporter''s mouths opened wide as their eyes jolted to Hiro, disying utter shock.

 Chapter 552 Sidelined!

    552 Sidelined!


    Just the mention of Manchester United was enough to pique their interest. After all, it was one of the biggest clubs in the entire world. Although their form had been declining recently it was an undeniable fact that they were one of the big six in the premier league. So, if such a prestigious club showed interest in talent from their nation, it was bound to create a sensation among the people. With a mix of curiosity and surprise, they looked at Hiro and the female reporter, their eyes moving back and forth between the two. They couldn''t help but look forward to their exchange. Hiro, however, remainedposed as he answered, "I don''t know about the interested clubs. So, it might or might not be true. At the moment, my sole focus is to recover well and get back on the pitch as soon as possible."


    Since it was a sensitive topic, Hiro didn''t want to talk about it. So, he intentionally tried to divert the topic elsewhere. After all, he could tell that Eric wouldn''t have shared the information. The reporter before him should have acquired the information from another source. Although he couldn''t be sure about the source, he could tell that it wasn''t Eric. So, there wasn''t any need for him to give himself out. As they heard Hiro''s response, many of the reporters frowned. They were left visibly disappointed by Hiro''s response. It seemed like Hiro wasn''t as naive as they thought and it''d be rather troublesome to make him open up. Even so, the female reporter couldn''t bring herself to give up. She was reluctant to make him speak about the matter, "I understand that recovery is your priority at the moment. But as you know there are already yers in Europe who are making headlines despite their age, aren''t you worried that you''ll be left behind if you don''t make your decision quickly?"


    As she mentioned, while he was recovering there were already many young sensations who were making headlines across the world. So, it''d only make sense if he acts upon it as soon as possible. However, even if he rushed things, who could guarantee that he''d do wellter?


    With a year left in hand, he wasn''t in any rush to make decisions about his future. Hiro looked her in the eye as he spoke confidently, "Why should I be afraid of getting left behind? I''m notpeting with them. They have their own path and I have my own. It''s not me against them, it''s me against me. I hope that answers your question."


    After that, Hiro spent some time answering their questions. However, unlike manager Nanami, he didn''t answer all of them. After all, he wasn''t obliged to answer all their questions either. So, after answering a few questions, he left the stage. Although the reporters pressed him to answer a few more questions, he left nheless. After returning to the club, the club ran a few medical tests on him to determine how long it''d take him to heal. The results showed that he''d need at most three months to recover. Since it was already September, it meant that the season was over for Hiro in theory. After all, there were only about three months left for the season to end. Fortunately enough, they had been dominating the charts. Even if Hiro were to end his season now, it''d take a miracle for the yer tailing him in the goal tally to catch up to him. So, it was almost guaranteed that he to win the top scorer award despite having yed much fewer matches than other yers. "How did the resulte out?" Naoto asked as Hiro walked out of the infirmary with the report. Hiro revealed a subtle smile as he said, "I''m done for the season."


    Upon hearing Hiro''s response, Naoto and Tatsuki frowned. Their expression turned gloomy as a dark shadow loomed over their head. "Cheer up, guys. There''s no need to be sad about it," Hiro said in an attempt to cheer the people before him. "How can you smile so brightly, Hiro? Aren''t you upset about the news?" Naoto asked albeit appearing somewhat heartbroken. It was as if he was the one suffering at the moment.


    Hiro let out a subtle chuckle as he said, "What''s there to be sad about? You can''t change the past. So, it''s better to ept and progress than to get stuck in the mess. Don''t you agree?"


    Seeing such a warm smile on his face, Naoto and Tatsuki couldn''t help but stare at him. They were mesmerized by his attitude. It seemed as if he would remain unfazed under any adversary. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    So, if he wasn''t making a fuss over the matter, how could they bring themselves to dampen his confidence?


    They let out an encouraging smile as they looked at him with reverence. "Indeed, it''s just as you said. You just have to ept the fact and move on. Seeing you made me realize that you''d definitelye back even stronger. So, until then let us burden the responsibility of guarding the spot that you''ve earned us," Tatsuki said firmly, determination shing in his eyes. "Exactly, we''ll guard the spot that you''ve earned us with our lives," Naoto chimed in. As he heard their resolve, Hiro''s eyes glistened with joy. He felt that he could hold them ountable for what they said. Hiro nodded his head, "Then I''ll leave the rest in your hands."


    After conversing a little more with them, Hiro left the facility. Since he''d be out of the sideline for the next three months, there wasn''t any need for him to remain there. So, he returned home to be by his parent''s side. The day he arrived home with a broken arm, his mother nearly burst into tears. First, it was her husband and now it was her son. It seemed as if their family had been cursed. One after the other, cmity would befall their family. It took a lot of convincing to assure his mother. Well, it should have been Hiro who needed the constion. But somehow, he ended up being the one providing the constion.

 Chapter 553: Boredom

    Chapter 553: Boredom


    ?


    In the next few days, many people visited him after finding that he had returned home. Be it the neighbors next door or his old friends, he had to deal with many people.


    Some local reporters wanted to interview him.


    Fortunately, his mother came to his aid as he scared them away. Who knows how many more people would have shown up if it wasn''t for her?


    To sum it all up, Hiro''s days were rather hectic.


    Just like that while dealing with the people, several days passed. Although the absence of his father dampened the atmosphere of the house.


    The sun, a zing sphere hung high in the azure heaven illuminating the surface with its majestic radiance. A few wisps of clouds of different shapes and sizes floated freely in the vacant space.


    At this moment, Hiro was seated cross-legged on the floor. His gaze was fixated on the world outside the window.


    ''They must be training right now.''


    He thought while dazedly staring at the azure heaven.


    Even though he had promised his mother that he wouldn''t think about ying until the doctors cleared him, he couldn''t stop thinking about football. After all, it was the only thing that he was interested in.


    So, how could he possibly bring himself to divert his thoughts elsewhere?


    ''Akashi and others would probably be in school.''


    Being alone, he couldn''t help but wander his thoughts.


    ''Just what should I do? I never thought that it''d get this boring.''


    At this moment, Hiro realized that he had no other interests besides football. He didn''t even have a hobby other than football.


    Even he couldn''t bring himself to deny that he was the epitome of what people call a dull person.


    ''Should I watch some football?''


    Once again, after being unable to figure out what to do, he returned to the familiar territory. Realizing that he again wandered to the topic of football, he shook his head reminding himself that he had to think of other things.


    During this period, he wanted to take a break from football. But no matter how much he tried to think, he couldn''t think of other things besides football. It was as if he was obsessed with football.


    The fact that he couldn''t think of other things besides football irritated him.


    After pondering for a while, he threw himself on his back andy on the floor. With a dull thud, he copsed on the floor.


    As hey there, he realized that the surrounding was rather silent.


    Although he found it peaceful, he also couldn''t help but find it a bit strange. It might be because he was used to being near people or because he was used to the hustle and bustle of the stadium.


    The silence although soothing gave him a rather strange vibe.


    ''Maybe I should use this time to study.''


    Truly, he must have gone insane. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be thinking of studying. After all, it was one of the things that he hated the most.


    ''Mom said that she doesn''t want me at the hospital. She also forbade me from going out on my own ord. Just what the hell am I supposed to be doing sitting here?''


    Hiro let out a disappointed sigh as he thought about it.


    The boredom was killing him.


    Then he turned to check his phone, "Ah right, I haven''t checked my bnce till now. Shall we look at how much money we''ve got?"


    Despite earning a substantial amount of money, Hiro didn''t check his bank bnce frequently.


    "If I remember correctly, I should be earning 80 million yen annually. Also, the sponsor deals and others, if I consider all that I should have roughly 60 to 70 million yen." Hiro mumbled to himself as he tried to estimate the amount of money he''d have in his ount.


    But when he checked his ount, he couldn''t help but frown, "Only 22 million yen! Did my ount get hacked or something?"


    Seeing the figures on the screen, he couldn''t bring himself to believe.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Hence, he counted multiple times to check if he had seen it wrongly. But it didn''t matter how many times he counted, the amount remained the same.


    Panic gripped his heart as he confirmed the figure on the screen.


    He was well aware that much of the money had been spent on hospital bills. But even so, if he counted all that spent money, he couldn''t bring himself to believe that he only had about 22 million yen left in his ount.


    Considering how much he earned through brand endorsements and the sry he got from the club, even if he had spent a lump sum on his father''s recovery, he still should have much more money than this.


    "Mom couldn''t have spent it all, could she?" he couldn''t help but link the disappearance of the money to his mother.


    After all, she was the one who managed his ounts.


    Even Ayumi and Eric weren''t aware of it.


    So, howe he had so little money? It just didn''t make sense to him.


    Then he checked the statement history. A substantial amount was deducted for tax and the rest his mother had invested on a fixed deposit.


    It seemed that rather than losing money, he was gaining instead.


    Seeing that he hadn''t lost any of his money, he felt relieved at the same time he couldn''t help butmpoon, "You fool. How could you doubt your mother?"


    Again, he found something strange, "But wait a minute... It seems like the money that I have earned until now hasn''t been touched yet. So, who paid for Dad''s medical bill?"


    As the realization struck him, he felt extreme guilt, "Don''t tell me mom paid the expense out


    of her pocket?"


    He always had the impression that his mother was a money grubber.


    But it seems that he had the wrong impression.


    As he thought about it, a feeling of guilt welled inside him, making him feel hollow from the inside. To have such a wrong impression of his own mother, how could he bring himself to


    call him her son?

 Chapter 554: Misunderstanding

    Chapter 554: Misunderstanding


    ?


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    To make up for thinking such lowly of his mother, Hiro decided to spend some money on buying a gift for her. After all, he had plenty of it, so, he could spend as he wished.


    "What use piling money when you can''t even use it?" He said determinedly.


    However, the sparks of determination didn''tst long as soon he was met with another problem- he didn''t know what to buy.


    Frowning, he thought about it, "But what should I buy?"


    As he began to ponder, his expression becamecent. For a while, he thought about every possible thing that''d interest his mother. But even after racking his mind for a long, he couldn''te up with a conclusion.


    Unable toe up with a conclusion, he let out a frustrated sigh, "Sigh! Just what would she really want? Jewelry?"


    "Jewelry sounds good. But it''d do more harm than good once she finds that I spent money recklessly. I''d probably get scolded."


    As he thought about the oue, he couldn''t help but feel scared. So, he dismissed the idea of buying an expensive-looking gift.


    Although he didn''t want to gift her anything cheap, he couldn''t buy something extremely expensive either. As he thought about it, he found himself in a dilemma.


    "Maybe, I should just ask someone else."


    Since he wasn''t able toe up with a decision, he thought about asking for someone else''s help. But again, he found himself in a tough situation- he didn''t know whom to ask.


    A few people came to his mind.


    So, he picked up his phone to contact those people.


    Buzz! Buzz!


    The phone buzzed as he waited patiently for the person he was calling to pick up the call. "Hello, Hiro."


    A feminine voice sounded as the call connected.


    "Hey, Ayumi. Do you have a moment?"


    Without beating around the bush, he directly went to the topic he wanted to talk about.


    "Umm, tell me what do you want to talk about?"


    "Umm..., I was wondering if you wanted to gift someone, what would you gift them?" Hiro asked albeit sounding a bit reluctant.


    Upon hearing the reluctance in his voice, Ayumi couldn''t help but feel something strange about it. Why does he sound so weird? It was as if he was selecting a gift for someone important. What could make him so nervous?


    Wait don''t tell me, he''s going to confess to somebody.


    Ayumi''s eyes perked up as she came to a realization. Her fluffy snowy white cheeks became red as she entertained the thoughts. But she couldn''t be sure about it.


    So, she asked for confirmation, "Is it for a girl or a boy?"


    ''Ahh right! I didn''t tell her whom the gift was for.''


    As Hiro heard her, he realized that he hadn''t disclosed the person whom he wanted to gift. So, he immediately answered, "It''s for a girl."


    He merely assumed that she was asking about the gender of the person. He didn''t detect any abnormalities in her question.


    Ayumi''s already red face became as red as a tomato as she heard Hiro''s response. Now, she was convinced that he was going to confess to somebody. After all, he was still in his teens. So, it was only natural for him to be attracted to a person of the opposite sex.


    Also, it was around the time that he found a girlfriend.


    As Hiro''s manager, she should have actually shunned him for his decision to have a girlfriend. But she was much aware of Hiro''s personality. So, she worried that he''d be a loner for the rest of his life.


    With that concern in mind, she felt ted to find that he was actually interested in someone that''s not rted to football.


    So, she was supportive of his decision.


    "What type of gift would you want to look at? Something expensive or something humble?" She asked.


    Although she was supportive of his decision if he answered the former then she''d dissuade him from getting into a rtionship.


    Expensive gifts at such a young age would only indicate that the person is only after his reputation and wealth. And how could she allow Hiro to fall victim to such a person?


    She desperately hoped that he''d respond thetter.


    "Something humble."


    The response brought great delight to her face and she couldn''t refrain from smiling. Her eyes glistened with joy and excitement at the same time her heart thumped rapidly.


    It was almost as if she had found great joy.


    With a cheerful tone, she said, "Then how about you buy her a dress or a ne?"


    As he heard her, Hiro couldn''t help but ponder. Upon pondering, a moment shed in his mind. It was a memory from when he was in elementary school.


    In the sh of memory, he saw his mother, her silky smooth hair cascading down her shoulder like a beautiful waterfall, her willow-like eyes seemed like a pair of amber pearls that glowed with faint radiance under the sunlight, and the white dress she was dressed in fluttered like the wings of the butterfly spreading a soothing calm.


    She appeared like a goddess who had descended from the heaven.


    Thinking about that moment brought great joy to him and he couldn''t help but feel nostalgic.


    It was like the moment had urred only yesterday. It was so vivid and lively.


    A subtle smile formed on his face as his face lightened up without him realizing it.


    Hiro had made his decision.


    Ayumi was still talking about other options but he had already made his decision.


    "Thank you, Ayumi. I have made up my mind," Hiro said in a cheerful tone.


    A subtle smile escaped Ayumi''s lips as she answered, "d to be of help to you."


    Then Hiro hung up the call. It was still afternoon, so, he couldn''t head outside immediately. Also, he didn''t feel like ordering the dress online.


    Just as Hiro hung up the call, Ayumi whispered, "Best of luck, Hiro."


    "It''d be a little awkward wandering around the girl''s section alone. So maybe, I should ask a girl toe with me. But I can''t ask Mom, since the gift is for her. So, who should I ask about


    it?"


    Hiro began to ponder.


    "Ishikawa-"

 Chapter 555: Inner Feelings

    Chapter 555: Inner Feelings


    ?


    It had been a long while since the twost met. Also, other than his manager Ayumi, Ishikawa was the only other girl with whom he had a close rtionship.


    So, it wasn''t that much of a surprise when he thought of her immediately.


    Thinking about her, Hiro couldn''t help but frown, "I wonder how she''s doing? Will she even agree if I ask her to meet now?"


    Hiro sat there pondering.


    He might me his schedule for theck of interaction with her but he couldn''t run away from the fact that he didn''t make an effort to make time for her.


    If he wished to, he could have visited her.


    But the reality was that he made no effort to meet her. Perhaps, he had been so obsessed with football that he subconsciously regarded such interpersonal rtionships as irrelevant.


    However, now that he thought about it, he felt guilty about it.


    At this juncture, Hiro had two options before him- either he could run away from it or he could take action to right the wrong.


    In such a scenario, most people subconsciously lean on the former option. As for the reason why they lean on the former, it probably has something to do with human nature that prevents us from stepping out of ourfort zone.


    Hiro feltplicated inside as he thought about the rtionship he had with Ishikawa. It was he who had approached her first and it was also him who had ghosted her.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Although Ishikawa neverined about it he couldn''t turn a blind eye to it and approach her as if everything was normal.


    ''Did I lose affection for her? If not then why didn''t I make an effort to win her?''


    Hiro pondered if he had lost feelings for her.


    ''But then why do I think of her? Is it tofort myself for the wounds I have inflicted on her?''


    Different thoughts shed past his mind as he thought deeply about the matter. Even though he thought and thought about it, he couldn''t reach an answer.


    The more he thought about it the more he felt confused.


    It was like he was getting sucked into a plethora of thoughts.


    Although he couldn''t figure out how he felt about her, he could tell that he didn''t dislike her in the least. With that much being clear, he resolved to meet her, "Let''s see how things unfold."


    ********


    The sky was dyed orange and red with the dying rays of the setting sun. From the eastern horizon, a velvety pitch-ck darkness rushed to nket the entire sky.


    Inside a school building, students dressed in a mix of navy blue and white uniforms could be seen packing their bags. Some were gossiping, some were jesting and some were cleaning. Looking through the window, you could see quite several people leaving the premises.


    Though the world outside appeared to be entering a state of slumber, it was rather lively inside the ssroom. Filled with the excited chatter of the students and the liveliness of the youth, the room was buzzing with vitality.


    "Su-Mi-Re-, let''s go to Karaoke."


    A girl with a ponytail said in an amicable yet cheerful tone. She had a bright smile on her face.


    Sumire who was organizing her stationeries looked stunningly majestic under the glow of the setting sun. The gentle golden rays of the setting sun fell on her entuating the fairness of her already fair skin.


    Her slightly long ck hair hung freely highlighting her features and her obsidian eyes dazzled like the starry night sky.


    As she heard the call of her friend, she slowly tilted her head to look at her.


    Then while revealing her pearly-white teeth, she revealed a gentle smile, "Sure, let''s go."


    Upon hearing Sumire''s response, the girl with the ponytail revealed an ted smile on her face. Out of excitement, she even jumped on her toes.


    However, right then, Sumire''s phone buzzed.


    She checked on her phone to find that Hiro was asking to meet her. While going through the content of the message, her cheeks started to redden.


    The smile on her face, however, started to fade away.


    "What''s the matter, Sumire?"


    Seeing the expression of Sumire, the girl with the ponytail couldn''t help but show some concern.


    For a while, Sumire just stood there without uttering a word. It was almost as if something in her phone had stunned her.


    Her expression darkened as she looked at Sumire. She feared that something must have happened to her.


    Then Sumire slowly turned to look at her.


    With an apologetic tone, she said, "Forgive me Kaori, I won''t be able to apany you today."


    "It''s alright. But did something happen?" Kaori, the girl with the ponytail asked concernedly. A light blush appeared on Sumire''s cheeks as she said in a low tone, "Hiro wants to meet." Kaori was one of her closest friends in the school. So, she naturally knew about her affection for Hiro. So, when she heard that she was going to meet Hiro, a bright smile formed on her face.


    An overwhelming feeling of joy washed over her as she said excitedly, "You''re going to meet Hi-"


    But before she could finish her sentence, Sumire covered her mouth, preventing her from speaking. They weren''t alone in the ssroom and she was speaking way too loud.


    To prevent others from finding, Sumire had to shut her mouth.


    Fortunately, she was quick to react. Otherwise, Kaori would have announced it to everyone and who knows how many of them would rush to her.


    As expected many turned to look at them.


    Kaori realized that she was being way too loud due to her excitement. So, she immediately apologized, "I''m sorry, Sumire. I didn''t mean to."


    "I know, you didn''t mean to. But let''s keep this between us, okay?" Sumire said in a gentle


    tone.


    Kaori nodded her head as she whispered, "I won''t tell anyone."


    With lightning-fast speed, Sumire packed her bag. Then she bid her friend goodbye in a rush,


    "Then I''ll be off."


    "Best of luck!"


    Kaori winked at her as she wished her luck.

 Chapter 556: Ishikawa

    Chapter 556: Ishikawa


    ?


    A hooded person with a ck mask dressed in ck stood around the corner of an alley, right beside the vending machine under the streemp.


    Seeing the hooded individual, Ishikawa couldn''t help but feel slightly uneasy.


    There weren''t many people around and she couldn''t help but feel skeptical about him. So, as she noticed the hooded individual from afar, she changed her path to maintain a distance from the individual.


    While keeping a wary eye on the individual, she walked. Her previous excited face disyed a noticeable change as she looked rather tensed.


    ''Why is he staring at me?''


    She couldn''t help but feel her legs weaken as she noticed the individual''s stare. From the moment, she had gotten close to the hooded individual, he kept staring at her.


    So, it further alleviated her fear.


    Her heart thumped the more she got close to the man. She even felt a desperate urge to run away. So, she hastened her steps.


    But she couldn''t be too obvious about her fear.


    Who knows what the man would do to her if he discovered she was scared?


    So, she tried to put up a brave facade.


    However, as she got close to the man, he started heading her way. This further panicked her and she started turning pale. She tightly squinched the bag in her hand and prepared to swing the bag if he took any action.


    Then the man called out to her, "Sumire."


    ''Who is this man? Is he a stalker? How does he know my name?''


    Different thoughts ran amuck as her heart rate spiked when she heard him calling out her name. Perspiration trickled down her forehead and her palms became sweaty.


    She hastened her speed further, ignoring the man''s call.


    "Wait, Sumire," the man hastened his pace as he tried to catch up to her.


    Ishikawa, however, became even more scared. Out of fear, she started running away, "Who are you? Why are you calling my name?"


    The man chased her down immediately and caught up to her. Then he grabbed her by hand. Just as he grabbed her, Ishikawa felt a chill run down her spine.


    In a state of panic, she swung her bag while at the same time, she jerked her hand to try to free herself from the man''s hold. "Leave me," she yelled.


    "Woah, calm down."


    The hooded individual ducked his head as he avoided the blow. Then he immediately let go of her hand and pulled down his mask, "Sumire, it''s me."


    Ishikawa was ready to escape, but when she saw the person''s face, her furrowed brows rxed, and a look of relief washed over her.


    "Oh- It''s you, Hiro." She said.


    Hiro, however, appeared panicked. Drenched in sweat, he looked at her fixedly while maintaining a safe distance from her.


    "Now, can you put your bag down?" he said.


    Even now, she still had her bag raised as if preparing to strike again. Although her expression had softened, she still looked fierce.


    "Oh- Sorry about it," she lowered her bag.


    "But why are you dressed so suspiciously? You nearly scared the shit out of me." Ishikawa said.


    "I should be the one to say that," Hiro mumbled albeit in a low whisper.


    "Did you say something?" Ishikawa felt that she heard something but couldn''t tell what it


    was.


    "Ahh, nothing. I just said that I can''t walk freely now."


    "That makes sense," she murmured with a thoughtful look. "People will recognize you if you don''t hide your appearance."


    "I''m sorry. But still, can''t you at least make a call or tell me beforehand that you''d be here with that appearance?" she nagged.


    Well, he couldn''t refute. After all, he did look suspicious in that all-ck attire. From head to toe, he looked like he was dressed in ck- a pair of ck boots, ck pants, ck shirtyered with a ck leather jacket.


    On top of it, he wore a ck cap and a ck mask to cover his face.


    In every possible way, he looked like a suspicious person.


    ''Maybe wearing all-ck was a bad idea.'' He thought after hearing her.


    "I''m sorry. I should have been more careful," Hiro apologized after pondering briefly.


    Now that she felt at ease, she couldn''t help but take notice of Hiro. Although he looked suspicious in the beginning, he also looked stunningly good-looking.


    The leather jacket fit him perfectly, highlighting his broad shoulders and lean body. Also, the


    cap sat perfectly on his head entuating his facial features.


    Especially, the top unbuttoned part of the shirt that revealed his fair yet slightly tanned skin was a feast to the eyes.


    If one looked closer, they could even see part of his corbone.


    ''He''s got quite a noticeable Adam''s apple and his corbone is quite defined. I wonder if he''s got abs.''


    Ishikawa who had been staring fixedly at Hiro couldn''t help but blush as she thought about how eye-appealing Hiro looked at the moment.


    Her face reddened as she thought while looking slightly embarrassed, ''What are you thinking about Sumire? From when did I start thinking such pervertedly?''


    ''Come to your senses, Sumire.''


    Hiro was talking with her but she who had been lost in her thoughts couldn''t even hear her.


    "Sumire? Are you okay?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As she came to her senses, she was met with the sight of Hiro looking at her with eyes full of


    concern.


    "Yeah, I''m fine," she responded in a hurry, her tone slightly embarrassed.


    Clueless as Hiro was, he said, "You sure? You look all red. Are you having a fever? If you''re not


    okay then we can go some other time."


    "No, I''m okay. Let''s go, it''s getting a littlete." She said rmingly while attempting to


    divert his attention away from her reddened face.


    Although she was embarrassed beyond measure, she didn''t want Hiro to find out that she had


    been having perverted thoughts about him.


    Upon hearing her, Hiro looked at the sky and said, "Yeah, let''s go."


    "But where are we going?"


    As they began to walk, Ishikawa couldn''t help but ask.

 Chapter 557: Ishikawa II

    Chapter 557: Ishikawa II


    ?


    Since Hiro hadn''t disclosed the purpose of their meeting, Ishikawa wasn''t aware of his intention. So, she couldn''t help but wonder if he had requested to meet her because he wanted to see her.


    "We''re going to the shopping mall," Hiro responded.


    "Shopping mall? Are you going to shop for something?" she asked feeling a bit puzzled.


    "Yeah, a dress."


    "A dress?"


    Ishikawa felt even more puzzled as she heard him, ''Does he need my help with picking him a dress?'' she couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Yeah, I want you to help me select a dress for ady."


    ''Ady?! Did I hear it right?'' she felt a mix of emotions such as shock, rage, and envy. ''There''s a woman in his life?''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Her face became pale as she thought about it. At the same time, she felt a burning rage welling up inside her body that made her stomach churn.


    Yet she maintained aposed demeanor as she asked, "Ady?"


    "Yeah, I''m somewhat confused. I wanted to gift her a one-piece. But I think it wouldn''t be appropriate to gift one piece to an olderdy. So, can you help me find the appropriate dress?" Hiro answered without putting much emphasis on his words.


    ''Hiro''s into an old woman?''


    The revtion hit her like a freight train leaving her utterly shocked and speechless. She had heard her friends say that some boys have weird fetishes.


    But she hadn''t expected Hiro to be one of them.


    After all, he was only sixteen. Yet, he didn''t seem interested in girls his age but was interested in older women instead. If you think about it, it''s weird and could be counted as a fetish.


    She wanted to deny it.


    However, as she ransacked her mind, she couldn''t help but feel devastated. She''d rather prefer him to be homosexual than see him with other women.


    As she came to the realization, her face paled even further.


    For a brief moment, she even felt as if she had lost all her power. With a gloomy face, she walked like a zombie that was merely alive.


    ''The first guy I ever liked in my life has fetishes for older women. Now, what should I do? Just why does it have to be him? I can''t even bring myself to hate him.''


    As usual, Hiro talked endlessly.


    But Sumire who had turned into a mere walking dead couldn''t even hear him. She felt heartbroken, furious, and envious all at the same time.


    For the better part of their journey, she only responded with a nod or a smile. If you looked closely at her eyes, you could see that her eyes had turned dull.


    As they walked inside a shop, they were greeted by a sweet-looking girl, "Wee to our shop. Are you looking for any specific dress?"


    She had big dark eyes and a sweet smile adorned her visage.


    Hiro took a nce at her and said, "No, it''s alright. Can we explore first?"


    "Sure, sir. Let me know if you need any help."


    Hiro and Sumire then began to explore the women''s section. They wandered around the section for a while until something piqued Hiro''s interest.


    It was a bright cream-colored dress with different floral imprints. It was light and eye- catching. Even from afar, Hiro could notice it.


    Upon taking notice of the dress, Hiro hastened his pace. Then he grabbed the dress and asked, "How does it look?"


    "It''s alright," Sumire answered halfheartedly.


    It was almost as if she wasn''t even interested in it.


    ''Is it bad?'' Hiro couldn''t help but wonder after hearing her response.


    Although he found the dress appealing, he couldn''t bring himself to ept the dress after witnessing her lukewarm response.


    He wasn''t an expert in dress selection. Also, it was his first time selecting a dress for a woman.


    So, he put the dress where it belonged and then proceeded to explore. Hiro kept searching and found several items but they didn''t seem to appeal to Ishikawa.


    After a while, even he started getting tired. Just why is she acting in such a way? Even he could tell that it wasn''t his choice that was bad but it was her who didn''t like it.


    She appeared way too much uninterested.


    He had brought her to help him. But she wasn''t providing any help to him. Rather it wouldn''t be an overstatement to say that she was a burden instead.


    Just why is she hindering me?


    Hiro couldn''t help but feel bitter about her attitude. Unable to take it any further, he decided to confront her, "Sumire- Is something wrong?"


    "No, why do you ask?" she responded.


    "Then are my choices that bad?"


    "When did I say that your choices are bad?" she said.


    "No, you didn''t. But from your reaction, it appears as if you aren''t satisfied," Hiro responded sounding a bit annoyed at this point but he kept hisposure, nheless.


    If somebody looked from afar they''d think that these two were arguing with each other. Although Hiro didn''t show it to his face, she could tell that he was annoyed. It should be her that should feel annoyed. So, why does it look like he''s the victim?


    He brought her along to shop for another woman. So, how would she feel? Yet, he dared to point the me on her, acting as if he were the victim.


    Maybe she had expected too much from him.


    Even though she didn''t want to get angry at him. But for some unexinable reason, she couldn''t bring herself to suppress her anger.


    It might be due to her feelings toward him. But from deep within, she felt that she was being taken lightly. Why does he have to choose someone else instead of her?


    Was it her who approached him?


    Was it her who talked pleasant words to him?


    But now that she started to develop feelings for him, he abandoned her. Yet he dared to say


    that she looked unsatisfied.


    "THEN WHY DID YOU EVEN CALL ME?" She snapped.


    Although she appeared enraged, she also appeared to be on the verge of tears. Her obsidian eyes were red with grief.

 Chapter 558: Ishikawa III

    Chapter 558: Ishikawa III


    ?


    As Ishikawa poured out her emotions, Hiro''s eyes snapped toward her, taken aback by the intensity of her sudden outburst.


    However, when he looked closer, he saw more than just anger. Her face was twisted with conflicting emotions, and though she seemed furious, her reddened eyes brimmed with unshed tears, revealing a deeper sadness.


    ''Did I say something wrong? Is this my fault?''


    Hiro stood frozen, his mind racing to understand the cause of her distress. But noforting words came to him. He remained silent, unsure of what to say.


    His silence only seemed to fuel her anger, as if she had been waiting for some kind of response from him.


    Ishikawa''s mouth opened to say something but she refrained from saying. Then she turned away to leave without uttering a word.


    Hiro was puzzled by her gesture.


    Even so, when he found her leaving, he rushed to stop her. Then he grabbed her hand and said, "Where are you going?"


    "Does it matter?" Ishikawa said as she tried to break free from his clutch.


    "Did I say something wrong?" He asked.


    "No, you didn''t. It''s just I expected way too much." She responded sounding in a way that seemed as if she was somewhat overwhelmed with grief.


    Although she tried to hide what she saidter, Hiro with his sharp senses still caught the whiff of it. So, he couldn''t help but ponder if he had done something that infuriated her.


    As he began to ponder, he recalled that earlier, he was annoyed at her. So, he couldn''t rule out the possibility that she might have been pissed because of it.


    He had heard that most girls were rather sensitive. But he hadn''t envisioned that they would be this sensitive. Still, since it was he who had infuriated her, he owed an apology.


    So, he hurriedly apologized, "I''m sorry. Earlier I got a little annoyed. I know it was me who had called you for help. But I shouldn''t have tried to raise my voice out of discontentment." "It''s just that I wanted to buy a gift for Mom. So, I got a little annoyed after getting shunned time and again," he added.


    Even though Hiro apologized to her, she was prepared to leave. But when she heard the real reason why Hiro had called her, she froze in her tracks.


    The expression on her face changed rapidly. Her cheeks and ears started to redden and she felt extremely embarrassed.


    It wasn''t Hiro who had misguided her but it was she who had misunderstood him. But now that she had caused a ruckus, how was she going to exin him?


    Her mind went nk and her vision turned blurry.


    Slowly, panic began to set in and she felt as if the world around her was starting to wobble, ''What...? Do I... do now?''


    At this point, continuing with the act seemed the only usible option. But if she did that her rtionship with Hiro would turn sour for sure.


    So, she couldn''t even bring herself to walk away. Caught in limbo, it seemed as if she had no way to retreat. Right then the staff of the shop who were alerted by themotion arrived at the scene.


    "Sir, Mam, You can''t disturb others like this."


    Immediately upon hearing the voice of the staff, Hiro let go of her hand. It seemed like he had garnered some unwanted attention.


    "Please, don''t misunderstand us. We weren''t fighting. We had a small disagreement regarding our contradicting choices," Hiro hurriedly tried to rify.


    It would be troublesome if they misinterpreted the situation. So, with that in mind, he began


    to rify about their situation. But he still feared about Ishikawa''s cooperation.


    If she said otherwise, who knows what would happen to him?


    "Yeah, sorry about themotion. We had a little disagreement regarding our contradicting choices."


    Thankfully, Sumire testified his statements.


    Hearing their testament, the staff gave a deep look. Then she left with a warning, "Even so, I''d like you both to keep it quiet here. You can''t disturb others with your disagreements. I hope respected sir and mam would adhere to it."


    With that said, she turned to leave.


    Hiro heaved a sigh of relief and turned to look at Sumire, "I''m sorry about earlier."


    "No, I''m sorry about getting angry at you."


    Sumire apologized as well.


    Since they sorted the argument between them, Hiro didn''t ask her anything further about the matter. He felt that it''d be wise to leave it at that than talk about it.


    The two then quietly shopped. The mood between the two after they sorted their short conflict was much more lighter and cheerful than before.


    Plus Sumire was more cooperative. So, with her help, Hiro didn''t take long to find the perfect fit for his mother. At that moment, he really felt d that he had brought her along with him.


    If he hade alone, he might have regretted his choice.


    With her guidance, he bought the best possible gift for his mom. Along with the dress he bought, he also bought a ne that didn''t seem too extravagant.


    Coming out of the mall, Hiro couldn''t refrain from expressing his gratitude for her, "Thank you, Sumire. You really helped me a lot today."


    A yful smirk adorned her visage as she responded, "Save your thanks forter. I didn''t help you out of courtesy. Since I''ve helped you this much, shouldn''t you treat me to a nice dinner?"


    Right now, she appeared quite bold.


    But he didn''t dislike her boldness. So, he responded with a grin, "Then how about we get something to eat before we head home?"


    "Since you''re a footballer who earns big bucks, it''d only be right for our dinner to be a little extravagant. Don''t you think so?" she said in a yful tone.


    "Then lead the way," Hiro answered.


    Well, it''s not like hecked money. So, he didn''t see any reason to refute her request. Also, he


    didn''t want to spoil the mood either.


    After that short conflict inside the mall, she had changed drastically.


    It was as if she had started to open up.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 559: Ishikawa IV

    Chapter 559: Ishikawa IV


    ?


    Following her lead, they arrived at a shop adorned with hangingnterns which gave a unique appeal to the shop.


    Most of its frame was carved with wood and the sliding tatami door further entuated its ambiance. If one looked closely, one could see some silhouette on the door.


    Atop the door, a board hung high with "Midnight Ramen" written in bold letters.


    Under the faint glow of the moonlight, the Ramen shop was like a beacon of light. Even the fragrance outside the shop smelled ridiculously appetizing.


    "Since, when did this ce exist here?" Hiro couldn''t help but ask in surprise.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although he had spent quite a lot of time here, he hadn''t been in this location. Also, the ambiance of the ce was rather serene.


    For him to miss such an amazing ce, he must have been living under a rock.


    "Since before you were born," Ishikawa responded yfully.


    Now, it made him even more curious. If the ce existed even before he was born then why hadn''t he encountered it till now?


    If hebined the age from his both life, he''d be well above forty. Yet still, he hadn''t heard of this ce till now.


    "Are you going to stay here and gaze at the shop all night?" Ishikawa asked after catching him staring fixedly at the shop.


    Then she pulled him inside the shop.


    There was already something ethereal about the shop when looking from outside but as they entered the shop, he found it even more amazing.


    Colorfulnterns hung on the ceiling like stars in the sky, and the ce was decorated with a few traditional paintings and flower vases. The paintings hung on the wooden wall made it seem as if they had entered an art exhibition instead of a ramen shop.


    Judging from its appearance, one would expect it to be crammed with customers.


    However, when Hiro swept his nce around, he couldn''t find many customers there. Most of the tables were empty and the number of people could be counted on hand.


    A shop of such stature receiving only that many customers, he couldn''t help but find it rather strange.


    ''Maybe it''s an exclusive shop'' He thought.


    In front of Hiro, he could see a rather old-looking man with a clean-shaven face and a face covered in wrinkles. From the appearance of the old man, Hiro could tell that the person before him was the chef.


    While Hiro was analyzing the shop, wandering his eyes, Ishikawa walked to the counter.


    "Grandpa Yoshida, how have you been?" she said cheerfully as she leaned closer to the counter.


    The old man turned to look at her with a smile, "Oh, Sumire-chan. I am alright but where you busy with your studies? It''s been a quite while since youst visited the shop."


    Hiro seeing the two chatting, couldn''t help but feel curious. So, he walked closer to the two. Judging from their interaction, Hiro could tell that Ishikawa was familiar with the old man.


    "Yeah, I have been studying for the exams. So, I couldn''t visit the shop much as ofte. I hope you''re not angry with me," Sumire said politely.


    "Young people should focus on their studies. So, I''m d that you are a diligent student," Yoshida responded with a delightful smile on his face. "Is he your friend?" he couldn''t help but ask since Hiro had been standing right beside her for a while by now.


    Ishikawa rolled her eyes to look at Hiro.


    Then a mischievous smirk appeared on her face briefly before it faded away, "I don''t know him, Grandpa. He had been following me for a while. So, so I walked here. But he must have followed me inside as well." she whispered on Yoshida''s ear.


    Yoshida, upon hearing that, his expression changed as he squinched his eyes to look at Hiro. An ominous light shed past his eyes as he grabbed the pan before him.


    Hiro, however, was unaware of it.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll help you teach this stalker a lesson," whispering such, he walked out of the counter.


    Pushing the cloth that hung on the door of the counter, he walked outside the counter and appeared before Hiro. Then he stood before him and red at him.


    ''Why is this old man looking at me like I have done something wrong?'' Hiro pondered as he stood before him.


    Although he towered over the old man, still he couldn''t help but feel uneasy when standing before him.


    "Hey, you. Why are you bothering her?" Yoshida asked in an intimidating tone.


    Upon hearing him, Hiro couldn''t help but feel surprised. What was this old man talking about? When did he ever bother her?


    Hiro felt confused by his words. For a while, he couldn''t bring himself to understand what that old man was talking about.


    Only when he witnessed the mischievous smile on Ishikawa''s face did everything be clear to him. It seems like she was ying pranks on him.


    At that moment, he couldn''t help but wonder why she was so different from what he knew about her. She was like an entirely different person.


    Perhaps, he hadn''t known everything about her.


    Immediately, Hiro tried to reason with the old man, "Grandpa, you''ve got the wrong person. I''m not following her."


    "You brat, you look so young. So, why do you resort to such methods? If you''re a real man, you shouldn''t make a woman ufortable."


    It appeared that he couldn''t talk sense with the old man.


    Seeing Hiro in such a predicament, Ishikawa burst intoughter, "Hahaha...."


    Upon hearing herugh, even Yoshida could tell that something was wrong, "Sumire, did you


    set me up?"


    "Sorry, Grandpa, I was just joking. He''s a friend of mine," Ishikawa rified while still


    giggling.


    Yoshida got a little angry at her for ying such awful pranks. Then again, he immediatelyposed himself to apologize to Hiro, "I''m sorry, kid. I must have scared you."


    "No, it''s alright."


    Hiro didn''t want the old man to apologize after all, it was Ishikawa who yed the pranks.

 Chapter 560: An old fan

    Chapter 560: An old fan


    ?


    As things sorted, Yoshida left to prepare their order, leaving the two alone. Hiro and Ishikawa sat in one of the front-row seats, chatting while awaiting their order.


    Steam oozed out of the counter window that led to the kitchen.


    Soon after, Yoshida arrived, carrying two bowls of steaming Ramen and a fewplimentary side dishes, "Here''s your order. If you need something else, give me a call."


    Hiro was a bit puzzled when he saw the amount of dishes Yoshida had brought out. He recalled perfectly that they had only ordered Ramen but why were there so many dishes?


    "Sir, I think you''ve got the wrong order." Hiro couldn''t help but exim.


    "Did I?" Yoshida said with a confused look on his face.


    "You did," Hiro remarked. "We only ordered Ramen."


    Yoshida let out a heartyugh as he said, "Haha..., don''t worry. It''s on the house."


    Ishikawa smiled as she said, "You''re too kind to us, Grandpa."


    Hiro was about to refute. Even though he probably did it out of kindness, he felt guilty to receive so much from him. But he couldn''t bring himself to refute.


    "Don''t worry. Young people should eat more and you and your friends have helped me a lot. So, it''s the least I can do." Yoshida responded humbly.


    "But I don''t see Akashi and otherstely. Even before, he looked a little troubled. Is everything alright with him?" Yoshida asked.


    While the two chatted, Hiro felt as if he didn''t belong to the ce.


    Those two were way too familiar with each other and it seemed that Akashi and others also often visited the shop.


    It wasn''t his intention to eavesdrop on their conversation but since they were talking so close to him, he couldn''t help but overhear.


    After conversing for a while, Yoshida turned to look at the door and frowned.


    Ishikawa managed to catch the sight of him frowning, "Are you waiting for Yuki?"


    "Yeah..., she said that she''d be studying in the library but it''s starting to get dark," Yoshida said concernedly. "Usually, she always returns on time but today, I don''t know why she''s taking so long to return..."


    "Don''t stress about it, Grandpa Yoshida. I''m sure, she''ll return in a while," Ishikawa tried to cheer him.


    "I hope so," he whispered.


    Right about Yoshida was about to leave, somebody from behind said, "Yoshida-san, can you turn on the television? The match is about to start."


    Yoshida despite the feelings of concern swirling inside him put on a facade as he forced a smile on his face when he greeted the man who requested him, "Sure. Just a moment."


    Then he turned on the television above the counter window.


    "Oh, we are ying today," Hiro mumbled in surprise as he saw the name of the team disyed on the television screen.


    He had almost forgotten that Kawasaki was ying today.


    "Boy, are you one of Kobe''s fans?" Yoshida upon hearing Hiro couldn''t help but interrogate.


    "No, Grandpa, he''s also one of us," Ishikawa interrupted in a hurry.


    A pleasant smile, one that resembled the aura of spring blossomed on Yoshida''s face as he said, "It''s always pleasant to meet fellow supporters of Kawasaki."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Hiro''s lips twitched as he witnessed such rapid change in his expression.


    ''This person should have been an actor.'' He couldn''t help but think.


    "Right now, we are at the top of the league. We''re also looking favorably to win the Emperor''s Cup. We are also doing well in the AFC Champions League. There''s also the matter regarding the New Club World Cup." Yoshida spoke with great pride.


    Then again, his expression changed drastically as he said with a frown, "But right when everything was looking good, one of our best yers got injured."


    To hear that he was the best yer from someone else''s mouth from so close, Hiro couldn''t help but feel proud.


    "But..., I''m sure they''ll do well. After all, we still have Naoto, Tatsuki, and Erison with us. We also have elite defenders in our team that have maintained a steady form," Hiro said, trying to cheer the old man before him.


    Although the old man felt a little relieved, he couldn''t easily shake the uneasy feeling, "Indeed¨D We''ve got them but without Hiro, it''ll be a little difficult to maintain our current position. But you sure do know a lot about our club."


    "I''m convinced that you''re a devoted follower."


    Yoshida praised Hiro. But then again, he fixated his gaze on him as he added, "But..., why do you sound so familiar?"


    Instantly, Hiro became flustered as he heard him. He didn''t want to reveal his identity. So, he began to speak in a flustered tone, "Hahaha..., I get that a lot. People normally tell me that I sound like someone in their circle."


    "Is that so?"


    The old man gave him a deep look before retracting his gaze away from him.


    After that, Yoshida got engrossed in the match and he didn''t pay any attention to Hiro. At times, he heard his excited voice while at times he heard his frustrated yells.


    Hiro could tell that he was a devoted football enthusiast who enjoyed watching football. After all, he was like that too.


    "Is something wrong?" Hiro asked Sumire after finding her giggling for a long while.


    "How does it feel to be praised by a person you have just met?" she asked.


    ''Was I that obvious?'' Hiro thought as he heard her.


    Maybe he hadn''t noticed it but he had been acting differently since he heard his praise from Yoshida. But Sumire who was sitting right next to him noticed the glee in his eyes and the subtle blush on his cheeks.


    "It feels good," he answered humbly.


    "I see. But why didn''t you reveal your identity? I mean there aren''t that many people here. And he''s one of your biggest fans, so, there wasn''t any need to hide your identity." Sumire said feeling a bit curious about Hiro''s actions.


    "If I had done that he wouldn''t have been able to focus on the match now, could he?" Hiro


    answered.


    Truth be told, he didn''t have any idea why he didn''t reveal himself. So, he made an excuse on the spot. It was a tant lie with a confident face.

 Chapter 561: The Shop

    Chapter 561: The Shop


    ?


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, he looked so convincing that any would mistake him for telling the truth. It wasn''t just that he seemed convincing but he also sounded convincing.


    Ishikawa couldn''t notice anything different. So, she believed what he said without thinking much about the matter.


    "Also, I wanted to enjoy the delicious food he brought in peace," Hiro added.


    "Indeed, the food here is quite delicious. Also, it''s rather peaceful here."


    "I couldn''t agree more." Hiro nodded before continuing to slurp the noodles before him. The slurping sound was muffled by the sound of the television reverberating in the shop.


    "But why is it so vacant? I mean, with such good-tasting food and ambiance, shouldn''t it get a ton of customers? But there are so few people here," Hiro had been feeling curious about it for a while. So, now that they were talking about the shop, he couldn''t help but bring in the matter.


    Around many ces, people would visit the business just based on its attraction and appeal. So, it was rather strange to find such a good ce to get so few customers.


    Though he was concerned about theck of customers, Hiro wasn''t bringing up this matter because he wanted to be surrounded by people. Rather he enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of the shop due to theck of customers.


    But for a business to flourish, it needs to attract customers.


    At the same time, if a business doesn''t receive customers, it''s bound to get ruined.


    A momentary hesitation shed in her eyes as she heard Hiro. Then she said with a soft sigh, "It''s because of some hooligans."


    "Huh, hooligans?" Hiro repeated.


    "Yeah, some people keep disrupting the business. Theye in a group and threaten Grandpa. Sometimes they even injure him or break the furniture." Ishikawa said, her tone indignant.


    ''Probably due to such repeated disruptions, the customers got too scared to visit and it negatively impacted the restaurant.'' Hiro deduced.


    "Then why didn''t hein about it to the police?" Hiro asked.


    "Once he tried, but they became even more agitated. Also, the police couldn''t do anything to them." She answered in a helpless tone.


    ''I know that there are times when the police can''t do anything. But to be able to get by despite engaging in such grave offense..., Is someone influential behind it?'' Hiro pondered.


    "The police couldn''t do anything?" Hiro asked.


    "Yeah, they have ties to a big criminal organization. And rumor says that they are supported by politicians. So, even if Grandpa Yoshidains about the matter, nothing changes," Ishikawa''s voice started to crack as she said.


    It was evident that she felt infuriated at those bunches that troubled the shop owner. Plus, she was also aggrieved by the sufferings the shop owner had to go through.


    But Hiro couldn''t understand why those bunches targeted such an old man without any reason. There must be more to it.


    So, with that thought in mind, he asked, "But why are they troubling him like that? Are they causing a ruckus for no reason whatsoever?"


    Now that he asked, Sumire became even more hesitant, "Grandpa Yoshida, borrowed some money from a person during the pandemic. But it''s not like he''s running away with their money. So, can''t they be a little considerate and let him pay?"


    A lot of time has passed since the pandemic. So, even if he had borrowed quite a substantial amount of money, he should have been able to pay it up.


    But he hadn''t paid the money till now?


    There''s something more than what eyes could meet and what ears could hear. Hiro felt a bit skeptical when he heard her.


    "You said that this shop existed even before I was born, right? So, what made him want to borrow money from someone else? I mean, shouldn''t he have earned enough?"


    It didn''t matter how he thought about it, he couldn''t bring himself to agree with what she said. He could tell that there was definitely something more to it.


    Ishikawa became even more reluctant as she heard him. For a while, she couldn''t bring herself to speak and remained utterly speechless.


    "It''s because his son wanted to start his own business. So, he needed money."


    Just then while Ishikawa was hesitating to answer another voice chimed in. Following the voice, Hiro found a rather fair-looking girl with jet-ck hair and hazel eyes standing before him.


    With a thin frame and innocent-looking face, she red at Hiro with her fiery eyes.


    Although she appeared gorgeous, at the moment, one could clearly see that she wasn''t in a good mood.


    However, when Sumire turned to greet her, the look on her facepletely changed, "You''re here, Yuki."


    "Yeah, Grandpa told me that you havee," she responded in a cheerful tone, disying an amicable smile on her face.


    "Yuki, let me introduce you to my friend over here," Ishikawa said amicably.


    "I know, he''s Takahashi Hiro. The one who you and others talk about a lot," Yuki cut her short as she revealed Hiro''s identity casually.


    Although Hiro had lifted down the mask, he had his face covered enough. Yet to be able to recognize him so easily was an incredible feat.


    Hiro''s eyes opened wide in marvel as he listened.


    Even Ishikawa revealed a look of surprise as she found it baffling. Her observation ability couldn''t be taken lightly.


    "How did you know it was him?" Ishikawa asked in surprise.


    "You wouldn''t be here with other guys alone. Also, the broken arm and his physique," she answered nonchntly.


    It wasn''t just her observation skill but her ability to deduce and analyze was also incredibly sharp. The more Hiro heard her, the more he was amazed by her.


    To be able to deduce urately with only a few simple cues, Hiro could tell that this pale- looking girl before him possessed some extraordinary talents.


    Marveled by her, Hiro slowly lifted the ck baseball cap he wore and revealed his face, "As you said, I''m Takahashi Hiro. It''s a pleasure to meet you." Hiro greeted her politely with a


    smile.

 Chapter 562: The Shop II

    Chapter 562: The Shop II


    ?


    Since they were in a chamber-like location surrounded by paper walls, even if he were to reveal himself, he wouldn''t get found out by others.


    Also, he had already been found out. So, there wasn''t any point in hiding his identity. With that thought in mind, Hiro revealed himself to greet the girl before him.


    Yuki, however, wasn''t impressed by Hiro''s gesture.


    Previously, whenever he was seen in public, people would flock to him. However, at this moment, he felt as if he was an ordinary person before her.


    Unaffected by Hiro''s fame, she responded to his greeting in a cold indifferent tone, "I''m Uzumaki Yuki, the granddaughter of the owner of this shop."


    "If I''m not being too blunt then can you tell me more about what you said earlier?" Hiro asked politely. "It''s fine if you don''t want to talk about it."


    Before responding to him, Yuki sized him up. Then she looked at Ishikawa as if she wanted to confirm something.


    "To invest in my father''s business, my grandfather sold many of his assets but fortune yed pranks on him as just when his business was starting to bloom pandemic struck. However, after selling many of his assets, my father somehow kept the business afloat despite the perilous situation."


    "Even so, it didn''tst long. So, we had to borrow some more to sustain the business. My father genuinely believed that once he got through the crisis, he could pay off all the debts. And my grandfather didn''t want his belief to die. So, he burrowed some money from the local loan sharks at a high interest."


    "However¡ª"


    Until now, she was fluently interpreting the words without any trouble. But all of a sudden, she paused. Even her face showed a drastic change.


    She appeared to be in great distress.


    Yet still, she continued, "However, just when it seemed like everything was going to be alright, my father and mother got involved in an ident that took their life."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    All of a sudden, it got eerily silent around them for a brief moment. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of the television and the passionate cheers of Yoshida.


    Hiro could guess what happened afterward.


    "I''m so sorry-"


    Hiro was about to say something to console her. However, she cut him short, "But it''s alright because I''m going to stabilize our life."


    She spoke with conviction making it seem as if she meant what she said.


    "We might be buried in debt right now but we will emerge out of it. We won''t remain buried for long," she continued, her eyes glowing with determination.


    It seemed that he didn''t need to console her. With such an attitude, she could face the fiercest of the storm and emerge victorious.


    If someone can remain hopeful even in such a perilous situation, they''re bound to find the light at the end of the tunnel.


    Hiro was thoroughly impressed by the determination possessed by the girl before him. She didn''t look older than him. Yet she possessed such an unwavering attitude.


    So, he refrained from saying anything that evoked sympathy. Instead, he agreed with her, "If it''s you, I''m sure you''ll be able to do it."


    Hearing those words, she squinched her eyes and looked at him with a hint of skepticism, "Are you trying to flirt with me?"


    Immediately, Hiro denied her usations, "No, no. I''m just saying what I felt. No, what I meant is that I''m saying that I get the feeling that you''ll be able to do it... Argh! No! What am I saying? That''s not what I meant."


    Hiro kept on ranting with a flustered tone.


    Seeing such a reaction from Hiro, Yuki let out a soft chuckle, "Pft¡ª Hahaha..., Chill, I''m joking. I wouldn''t dare to say those words before her."


    "Her?" Hiro felt puzzled.


    He couldn''t tell who she was referring to. Was she indicating to Sumire?


    Ishikawa''s face reddened in embarrassment as she heard her. So, she quickly pinched her to make her realize how far she had gone.


    Yuki, upon getting pinched winced in pain before realizing that she had made a blunder. She had assumed that the two had already started dating after seeing the two together.


    But it seems like she had misunderstood the situation.


    So, she immediately corrected herself, "What I meant to say is that I have promised her that I wouldn''t act chummy with anyone before I stabilize our family''s state. So, I can''t say those words before her or anyone else."


    She made it sound so convincing that Hiro couldn''t bring himself to doubt her. Seeing how close, she was with Ishikawa, it wouldn''t be an entirely false statement.


    "Yes, yes. She promised me that she wouldn''t act chummy with anyone before she reached her goals," Ishikawa was quick to aid her.


    "Ahh-Is that so? Then I mustmend your determination," Hiro felt nothing but reverent toward her.


    To be able to make such bold convictions in a world where people of their age are so distracted was something extraordinary.


    There were only a handful of people who shared the same determination and conviction.


    Although Shun had been a bit distracted in the beginning,ter he had the same mes of determination burning in his eyes.


    The three then cheerfully chatted for a while.


    "It''s gettingte, so, should we head home now?" Hiro asked.


    Well, they had been conversing for a long time but they still had to go home. If they had dropped by the ce in the daytime, Hiro would have stayed.


    But he still had to drop Ishikawa home. And if he dyed further, her parents might worry about her safety. So keeping those thoughts in mind, he suggested leaving the ce.


    "Yeah, he''s right, Sumire. It''s getting reallyte," Yuki nodded in agreement.


    The three then stood and left the table. Outside the chamber, Yoshida was still engrossed in the match. ncing on the screen, he found the score tied.


    The score was tied with each team scoring a goal.


    "Just what are you doing? Pass it to the nk... Argh! Why are you passing in the center?" Yoshida couldn''t help but exasperate.

 Chapter 563: The Shop III

    Chapter 563: The Shop III


    ?


    Seeing him so worked up, Hiro couldn''t help but smile. That man although old was oozing passion for the sport. Lately, he hadn''t found such passion among the fans.


    So, it wouldn''t be an overstatement to say that Yoshida was one of the few rare souls with an unrivaled passion for the game.


    "Sir, how much do we owe you?" Hiro called out.


    Engrossed in the game before him, Yoshida hadn''t noticed the presence of Hiro. Only when he heard Hiro''s voice did he see him.


    With a rather agitated and disappointed expression, he turned to look at Hiro, "That''d be 2000 yen."


    Hiro rummaged through his pocket and took out a couple thousand yen bills. Then from the stash of bills, he handed two one thousand bills to Yoshida, "Here, you go."


    Yoshida kept the money and said, "See, I told you before, they''re ying extremely terrible. Previously, we would have been dominating the game but look at us now-huff! We can''t even move the ball steadily."


    Hiro let out a soft chuckle before responding, "I''m sure they''re giving their best. So, we should also be a little patient with them, shouldn''t we?"


    Yoshida didn''t seem pleased by Hiro''s reasoning. After all, he was ustomed to seeing his team winning. So, how could he be satisfied with a tie?


    "That''s the issue, we don''t have a lot of time on our hands. The season ising to an end and with such a performance, we might bottle the league." He expressed his concern.


    "Do you truly think that we might fail to win the league?" Hiro couldn''t resist the urge to ask. He could tell that Yoshida was a passionate supporter. But after hearing what he said, he couldn''t help but feel curious about his faith in the team.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It''s not that I doubt the yers but I can''t help but worry about the team. After all, I''m well aware that some of our starting yers will be leaving soon. So, I can''t help but feel worried about our future performance," Yoshida said with a frown.


    From what he heard, Hiro could tell that Yoshida was a devoted follower of the team. However, right now, he was merely worried about the future of the team.


    It might be because of the recent rumors that are circting all over the inte. After all, there were quite several rumors regarding Hiro''s possible transfer.


    Hiro nodded his head as he said solemnly, "Indeed, it''s as you said. In a few years, there''d be some yers leaving the club. But still, I can assure you that you don''t have to worry about their performance for a short while."


    Yoshida although found a gentle sce in his pleasant words couldn''t bring himself to trust Hiro''s words. He squinched his eyes as he looked at him with eyes full of skepticism, "How can you be so sure about it?"


    "Certainly, you can''t trust the words of a stranger," Hiro mumbled. Then, Hiro lifted his cap and pulled down his mask to reveal his face, "But what if it came from me? Do you still doubt the credibility of my words?"


    Yoshida''s eyes widened in surprise, "You''re... Hiro."


    His withered face revealed a shock as he found it hard to believe that the yer he liked watching was standing right before him.


    "I understand your sentiments. But as I said, you have to be a little patient," Hiro said with a gentle smile on his face.


    At this moment, Yoshida couldn''t be bothered about the talks of the future. There were so many things he wanted to ask him and now that he was present before him, he couldn''t resist the urge to ask those questions.


    Yoshida rolled his eyes to look at the other customers who were watching the television in an alert. Fortunately, they hadn''t noticed it was Hiro.


    Upon confirming that he hadn''t been noticed, he pulled him away.


    Hiro followed his lead without any hesitation.


    "Is it true that you''ll be out for the entirety of the season?" he asked, his toneced with urgency.


    Hiro gently nodded his head, "It''s true."


    Immediately, disappointment washed over him and he contorted his face in disappointment, "Argh, why does it have to be you?"


    While maintaining the smile on his face, Hiro said, "Honestly, I''m rather d that it was me. I can''t imagine watching others suffer."


    Hiro meant what he said. It wasn''t a bravado or a facade. After all, he possessed the system that could create miracles.


    "You''ve got quite a magnanimous heart," Yoshida praised. "But aren''t you infuriated at that Chinese yer who got you in such a situation?"


    Hiro answered immediately without any hesitation, "I''m not angry at him. He did what he had to and I''m doing what I have to do."


    Yoshida looked at him deeply in a daze. He couldn''t seem to understand his sentiments. How could he forgive someone so easily after they inflict such a grave injury on him?


    Yoshida couldn''t understand.


    If it were him, would he have been able to forgive the person? He thought for a while and figured that he wouldn''t be able to.


    But Hiro didn''t even me the person for the injury when the person tantly fouled him. Sure, he had experienced many things in life. But still, if somebody had intentionally sabotaged him, he wouldn''t be able to forgive that person that easily.


    "It''s not only the way you y but the way you think is also different," Yoshida mumbled.


    "Well, even if I want to take revenge on him, what good would it bring? The incident has already passed and I''ve already punished him with the goals I scored that day," Hiro said with a mischievous grin on his face.


    It''s not that he wasn''t infuriated at him. Rather he had been greatly infuriated by Wei Zen''s antics but he had already delivered the punishment befitting the rage he felt.


    So, he didn''t have any lingering feelings.


    Yoshida burst into a heartyugh as he heard him, "HAHAHA..., So that''s why you aren''t infuriated at him?"


    Hiro responded with a grin, "I''m not a sage, you know?"

 Chapter 564: A moment beside the riverbed

    Chapter 564: A moment beside the riverbed


    ?


    Time psed like the grains of sand in an hourss. With each passing day, the temperature fell, signifying the arrival of winter.


    During that period, Hiro routinely went for a checkup. Prioritizing recovery, he avoided any task that would hinder the recovery.


    Although he found it a bit troublesome, he heeded his mother''s words to stay away from football. However, it didn''t mean that he totally ignored it. Though he couldn''t engage in it directly, he studied the gameys of others to broaden his knowledge.


    It took a whole two and half months to remove the cast. Because of the cast, he had a lot of trouble in his daily life activities.


    Especially, wiping his butt was a pain in the ass.


    Fortunately, during this period, his father regained his senses. The recovery of his father wasn''t the only thing that took ce during that period.


    Taking advantage of the resting period, he managed to improve the rtionship that had turned sour due to his absence.


    In this period, after losing to Al Hl, one of the giants in the Saudi League, Kawasaki was knocked out of the AFC Champions League. They were also knocked out of the Emperors club after losing against Kashima Antlers in a thrilling showdown.


    Fortunately, they retained their lead in the league.


    In short, a lot of things had taken ce during his recovery period.


    Right now, Hiro was seated on the grassy riverbed beside the river. The sky was painted with orange pastels with the sun nearing the horizon.


    A silhouette of birds could be seen floating above the setting sun.


    The nting rays of the setting sun fell on his face, giving a golden hue to it. In the gentle breeze, his hair dangled freely.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As for his eyes, it shone like amber under the light.


    At the moment, Hiro''s figure seemed like a character straight out of a painting.


    "Do you always enjoy watching the sky?" Ishikawa who was seated right beside him couldn''t refrain from asking.


    She had been watching him for a while. Yet he seemed as if he was lost in thoughts.


    With his gaze fixated on the horizon, he mumbled softly, "I just find it soothing to watch the sky. Tomorrow, you won''t be able to witness the same scene."


    Ishikawa felt puzzled when she heard him, "What do you mean? The sun will set again tomorrow. So, why won''t you be able to witness the same scene?"


    "Indeed, the sun would set tomorrow too. But you won''t be able to witness the same pattern of the sky. The hue might be brighter or the clouds would be sparse. But the moment you are witnessing right now, it won''te again."


    Suddenly, what was he talking about? Ishikawa stood there staring at him, trying toprehend the meaning of his words.


    Even so, she couldn''tprehend what he was trying to convey. So, she asked, "I don''t get it. Are you talking about the sky or is there any hidden meaning behind your words?"


    Hiro slowly turned around to look at her and said, "What I mean to say is that we should enjoy the present."


    Earlier, she had been talking about him leaving and she had been looking sad since then. So, he wanted to remind her that though they would be parting soon, they were together right now. So, they should cherish the present.


    That was the message he was trying to convey.


    As Ishikawa realized what he meant, her eyes dpidated, ''Is it because I have been talking about his departure? So he''s reminding me that we shouldn''t be depressed about the future but cherish the present.''


    Then she curled her lips to reveal a subtle grin, "Indeed, it''s as you said."


    Just then a ball came flying their way. The ball was about to hit Ishikawa. Fortunately, Hiro reacted quickly and prevented the ball from hitting her.


    "I''m so sorry," someone apologized.


    At the moment, beside the riverbank, some people were ying football. From the looks of it, they appeared to be training.


    "You idiot, I told you that you shouldn''t mindlessly kick the ball," another person scolded the one who just apologized. "Just kicking the ball with power will cause it to go astray."


    Hiro, however, couldn''t be bothered by them. Turning to look at Ishikawa who appeared to be startled, Hiro asked, "Are you okay?"


    She nodded her head as she responded, "Umm..., I''m fine."


    While he was focused on her, the two boys rushed to them to apologize, "I''m sorry, brother. I didn''t mean to hit you."


    Hiro hadn''t paid any attention to them before. But as he looked closely, he found the boy before him quite young.


    Then he took a quick nce at the field and again rolled his eyes back to him, "Was it you who shot just now?"


    The distance from the post was quite far. So, he couldn''t help but wonder how that boy shot this far. Well, if it was him he wouldn''t have any difficulty shooting this far.


    But for a boy so young, he couldn''t help but find it strange.


    Immediately, the boy started whining, "Yes, sir. But I really didn''t mean to shoot at you." Moisture began to umte in his eyes and even his voice started to crack.


    The boy looked terrified.


    Seeing how terrified the boy before him was, Hiro panicked, ''Ahh- Was I too harsh? Did I sound intimidating just now?''


    Hiro''s mind raced with thoughts.


    "Ah¡ª I didn''t mean to scare you. I was only asking... if you had shot with such power," Hiro tried to rify, his tone ridden with guilt.


    "Stop whining already," the other boy with spiky hair who had apanied him scolded.


    "He''s not scolding you."


    "But what if something bad had happened?" the boy who appeared to be on the verge of tears


    said.


    For a while, the other boy with the spiky hair tried to console him by scolding him.


    Nheless, it seemed that the two had a rather close rtionship.


    It almost reminded Hiro of the days he yed for Okami Elementary School.


    Revealing a bemusing smile on his face, he watched the two. Just then his gaze fell upon the


    crest on their shirt, "Where do you guys study?"


    "Ookami Middle School."

 Chapter 565: A proud Senior

    Chapter 565: A proud Senior


    ?


    Indeed, the crest seemed familiar. However, the name although simr sounded a bit unfamiliar. As far as he could recall, there wasn''t any Okami Middle School.


    Hiro''s eyes opened wide, his mouth agape.


    "Huh? Did you say Okami?" he questioned.


    The boys before him nodded their heads in agreement, "Yes, we y for Okami Middle School."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They had a rather proud expression when they answered. It was almost as if they were ying for some famous football club.


    Upon hearing them, Hiro turned to look at Ishikawa as if demanding an answer.


    "It was opened about a year ago," she responded in haste.


    Considering the recent fame of the school, it wasn''t a strange urrence for them to expand. However, he wasn''t aware of it so, he couldn''t help but feel surprised by it.


    After that, Hiro''s eyes drifted back to the boys before him. A subtle smile blossomed beneath his mask as he looked at those boys proudly.


    Though short, he did graduate the elementary school from there. So, he could be regarded as their senior, shouldn''t he?


    Then he asked, "Can you show me your shot?"


    The boy appeared a bit reluctant as he said timidly, "But I''m not good at it..."


    "It doesn''t matter. I just want to see how you shoot. So, would you show it to me?" Hiro continued, his tone gentle.


    The other boy pestered him, "You can''t sully the name of our school, Hiroshi. Let''s show this brother."


    Even with the pestering from his friend, Hiroshi continued to be reluctant. He appeared to have little to no confidence in him.


    Nheless, he couldn''t bring himself to refute Hiro''s request for some reason.


    "Would you like to go with us?" Hiro asked Ishikawa.


    "No, I''ll stay here," she politely declined the offer.


    Then Hiro and those boys headed to the field.


    "Did Hiroshi get scolded by that man?" one of the boys spected as he saw Hiro apanying the boys who had gone to apologize.


    "We need to tell the coach. Where is he?"


    Many of the kids began to panic upon seeing the sight of Hiro. Well, seeing how scared Hiroshi looked, they couldn''t help but worry.


    "Daiki, who is he? Is he here to reprimand us?" one of the boys asked the spiky-haired boy.


    "I don''t know. But don''t worry, he isn''t here to reprimand us. He only wants to see Hiroshi shoot." Daiki assured.


    Upon hearing him, the other kids felt at ease. It''s not that they were afraid of getting reprimanded by Hiro but they were afraid to get reprimanded by their coach.


    Fortunately, he wasn''t there. So, they felt at ease.


    "Still, why does he want to see Hiroshi shoot?" one of the kids asked.


    "Do you think he''s a scout?"


    "Although Hiroshicks in technique, he''s got power. So, maybe he wants to see his power." "Maybe he was sent to sneak on us by other schools?"


    The kids there ran their imaginations wild as they spected different possibilities.


    "Hiroshi, can you shoot with all your strength?" Hiro asked the boy as he prepared to take the shoot.


    Just like Hiro had asked him, Hiroshi took the shot with every ounce of strength he had. However, it went over the bar. The ball traveled far as it covered a lot of distance.


    Hiroshi frowned at the oue, "Just why can''t I shoot properly?"


    Hiro cast acent look as he thought, ''His power is indeed impressive for someone his age. But hecks in technique and confidence. Without these two, you can shoot as hard as you want but the ball won''t listen.''


    "Hiroshi, can I ask you something?" Hiro asked the boy. "Answer me honestly, what do you think before shooting?"


    Hiroshi answered anxiously, "I..., think that the ball would go astray again."


    When someone admits defeat even before trying that person is bound to fail. With that thought in mind, Hiro immediately recognized the main reason why this poor boy couldn''t shoot well despite possessing impressive power.


    And from the gossip he heard around him, Hiro could also deduce that he was influenced by the words of people around him.


    They ridiculed his attempt. So, he might have subconsciously started to believe their words that hecked talent in shooting.


    After all, children are like water. They take the shape of the container they are put in. So, Hiroshi might have started to believe that he couldn''t shoot well after hearing him.


    "Can you shoot again?" Hiro asked politely.


    Hiroshi, however, appeared reluctant. Probably, because he didn''t want to humiliate himself any further. So, he refused Hiro''s request, "I''m sorry. I can''t do this again. Maybe I don''t have a talent for shooting after all."


    "Maybe, I should stick to being a defender," he added albeit in a low whisper.


    Hiro couldn''t find the right words to console him. Even if he were to say something motivating, he might forget.


    "It''s alright, you don''t have to force yourself if you don''t want to," he said politely.


    After that Hiroshi stepped away with self-doubts wing at him. He couldn''t even bring himself to meet eyes with others. He slowly faded into the crowd.


    "Would you mind if I shoot a few shoots?" Hiro asked the young keeper before him.


    The young keeper didn''t think too much of it and readily agreed to Hiro''s request. It didn''t matter how he looked at him, Hiro didn''t look threatening at all.


    Although the mask he wore made him appear a bit mysterious, there wasn''t anything more to it. Rather seeing the thickyer of bandages wrapped in his arm, he looked injured.


    "But it wouldn''t be fair for me to shoot from such a close distance," Hiro said.


    Then he further erged the distance between him and the goal. He went way beyond the half-line and said, "Would it be alright if I shoot from here?"


    The young goalkeeper couldn''t help but look at him weirdly, "You cane more forward if you want to. You don''t have to go through such length."


    After all, although he might seem young, he was already participating in the matches against adults. So, even if Hiro were to shoot at him from the penalty spot, he was confident enough


    to stop him.


    "What''s that guy doing?"


    "Does he think that he''s Ronaldo?"


    The other kids couldn''t help but ridicule Hiro. At this point, many even assumed that he was


    either drunk or a lunatic.


    Hiro, however, couldn''t be bothered about their puny remarks. They were nothing but mere


    whispers to his ear.


    "No, no, it''s alright," Hiro yelled.

 Chapter 566: Lesson from a senior

    Chapter 566: Lesson from a senior


    ?


    While Hiro prepared to shoot, some passersby came to a halt as they got intrigued by the scene before their eyes. For some reason, they felt curious.


    Hiro raised his arm, hinting to the keeper that he was about to shoot. The keeper, a rather young fellow with a towering height pulled his gloves as he fixated his gaze on the ball.


    Although the shot wasn''t significant to him, he wouldn''t perform haphazardly. It wasn''t a real match, but he won''t let his guard down.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Why are you making a fool of yourself?'' he thought as he stared fixedly at Hiro.


    The next moment, however, his face disyed a drastic change. His eyes dpidated as panic began to set in. But before he could even bring himself to react, the ball passed him.


    Any who watched Hiro at that moment were momentarily stunned. Their eyes disyed deep shock with a hint of astonishment included.


    Then a collective roar echoed as they shouted in disbelief, "What was that shot?"


    Hiroshi, who was immersed in self-doubt was startled when he heard the collective roar. Preupied with his thoughts, he had missed Hiro''s shot. So, he couldn''t tell what was going


    on.


    "What happened?" he asked. "Did he score?"


    Daiki looked at him and nodded, "Ren couldn''t even react."


    Upon hearing him, Hiroshi''s gaze darted to Hiro. He couldn''t help but ponder what kind of shot had he disyed to garner such a reaction.


    But based on their reaction, he could tell that it was an incredibly astonishing shot.


    Sadly, he couldn''t witness it. So, he felt a pang of regret.


    Just at that moment, he heard the voice of the keeper, "Sir, let''s try it again. Can you shoot just once again?"


    He seemed desperate almost as if he was begging the man before him.


    Hiro nodded as he said, "Sure, let''s do it again."


    The keeper then kicked the ball high above. It was a pinpoint pass to Hiro. The ball soared high in the sky before dropping.


    Just as the ball hit the ground, he raised his foot to trap the ball beneath his foot cleanly. It was a precise control that showcased his ability.


    "What the heck? Was it a fluke? How could he control the ball so easily like that?"


    Upon seeing Hiro''s first touch, many were left in awe. They were once again astonished. Many even couldn''t help but think it was a fluke.


    "Is he some sort of big shot?"


    "That exins why he''s hiding his face."


    Many even began to assume that he was some big shot. Spection began to float all over the ce as the people ran their imaginations wild. The field was starting to get extremely lively. A lot more people were stopping to take a look at themotion.


    The sideline was starting to get crowded.


    Ren, the young keeper, gulped his saliva as he thought, ''He isn''t any ordinary person. My gut is telling me that this person before me is someone extraordinary.''


    Previously, he was underestimating Hiro. But after experiencing the horror of Hiro, he hade to realize that Hiro wasn''t any ordinary person.


    Even more, after witnessing Hiro''s first touch, he was sure that he was a hidden expert. So, he couldn''t pass up such an amazing opportunity.


    The next shot was even more impressive and once again the young keeper couldn''t save it. Though, unlike the previous time, he was able to react better. Still, he couldn''t save the shot.


    Even so, he wasn''t willing to surrender. So, he begged Hiro to shoot some more. Hiro dly took on his request without any sort of hesitation.


    But it wouldn''t be good to interrupt their training. So, with that thought in mind, after the fourth shot, he asked, "Does anyone want to learn how to shoot?"


    At once, many yelled enthusiastically, "Me!"


    "I want to learn."


    "I want to learn too."


    Hiroshi, however, couldn''t bring himself to speak. Around the field, different gossip was floating about Hiro. Some had even started to specte if the person in the ck mask was Hiro.


    Many volunteered to learn but seeing Hiroshi silent, Hiro couldn''t help but extend a helping hand, "What about you, Hiroshi? Don''t you want to learn from me?"


    Hiro figured that the boy needed a light push. So, he took the initiative to ask him.


    For a brief moment, Hiroshi couldn''t bring himself to answer. It almost looked as if he was in some sort of inner conflict. Then pursing his lips, he said, "Please teach me, how to shoot."


    It was more like a plea for help. Nheless, it warmed Hiro''s heart. So, he said with a light smile, "Sure, let''s go."


    Ishikawa watched the entire scene from the sidelines without interrupting. Even though she had limited time with him, she didn''t want to interrupt him. After all, he seemed to be enjoying the moment.


    ''You''re really in love with football, aren''t you?'' she thought with a subtle smile on her face, staring at Hiro.


    For some while, he taught the kids their shooting techniques, helping them improve their shooting. With Hiro''s guidance, many felt as if they could shoot better.


    "What do you think is the most important thing to shoot properly?" Hiro asked.


    "Isn''t it technique?"


    Some answered a bit differently, however, almost all of them answered the same.


    "Technique is important but it isn''t the most important," Hiro said.


    "It isn''t technique? Then what could it be?"


    The kids fell confused. They ransacked their mind, thinking about every possible answer. Yet,


    they couldn''t convince Hiro.


    After a while, Hiro said in a deep tone while sweeping his gaze through them, making his determination clear, "It''s confidence."


    "Without confidence, you won''t be able to shoot. Only when you''re confident about your shot will the shot beplete. For example, if you convince your mind that you can shoot well then more than half the work is done."


    Many disyed skepticism on their face as they heard him.


    "If even you can''t trust yourself then how can the ball trust you?"

 Chapter 567: Meeting Endo

    Chapter 567: Meeting Endo


    ?


    Just then someone dressed in white arrived on the field. The person came in unannounced and said, "Exactly, if you can''t trust yourself then how can the ball trust you?"


    White jacket and white cap, he had a rather short frame.


    "The coach is here."


    Hiro turned to look at the person. Just as his eyesnded on the individual dressed in white, he immediately recognized the person.


    ''So, you were their coach.'' Hiro thought while staring at him.


    "Coach, Endo. We weren''t cking. This gentleman before us was teaching us the


    fundamentals of shooting," Ren the young keeper, rified.


    He feared that the coach would get the wrong idea seeing them gather there standing idly. So, he rified before he got the wrong idea.


    Endo looked at Hiro as he said, "Yes, I know."


    "Thank you for helping our yers," he thanked Hiro for the lesson.


    "Ahh..., you don''t have to thank me. I was only sharing the things that I had learned. I''m sorry for interrupting the training session," Hiro answered.


    "It''s alright. But can I trouble you by continuing what you were saying? I was fascinated by your words and I''m sure the kids would also appreciate it," Endo asked generously.


    Seeing how he talked, Hiro could tell that he hadn''t been found out. So, he continued the act, "If you say so."


    Then Hiro turned to look at the kids, "As I just said, you must be confident to shoot properly. But confidence isn''t something that can be achieved easily. You might think you''re confident, but it doesn''t mean you''re confident."


    "Huh?"


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "Then how do I tell I''m confident?"


    The students felt puzzled when they heard him. It was as if he was talking in riddles. As they talked among themselves, it got a bit noisy.


    "What I mean is that you have to train your mind in a way that confidencees naturally. After all, you can''t take forever to take a shot, can you? Even without thinking, your subconscious mind should feel it." Hiro said.


    Despite trying his best, it wasn''t helping. The kids before were still as puzzled as before. Many of the terms were new to them.


    "Sir, I don''t get it. Indeed, we can''t take forever to shoot. After all, a momentary hesitation can cost us the game. But if the feelinges naturally then does it mean that some of us don''t possess it?" one of the kids asked.


    Endo couldn''t help butmend the kid, ''Indeed, you''ve thought about it well.''


    Confidence isn''t a resource-limited to only a few chosen ones. Unlike many other talents, it''s one of the fewest talents that everybody possesses.


    Hiro looked at the kid and answered, "It doese naturally but it doesn''t mean that you can''t train it. You can train yourself to be confident."


    "But how sir?" some kids asked curiously.


    "How do you get good at something?" he followed up with a question.


    "Isn''t it by practicing?"


    Some kids answered although they appeared a bit hesitant.


    "Indeed repetition is the key. However, if you blindly repeat without ever improving your mistake then you won''t improve. You excel in the wrong method."


    "We get it. But what if we can shoot well in the training but can''t do it in real matches?"


    "Just as I''ve said a moment ago. Repetition is the key. You can shoot well in the training before you have trained yourself to shoot well in training. But to shoot well in matches, you need to take your chances in real matches as well." Hiro said as he slowly walked to the ball before him.


    "You need to ovee your fear. Sure, a few shots would go astray and you''d get criticized. But you need to ovee your fear of getting criticized and focus solely on your goal. Remember, you don''t grow in yourfort zone. Only when you step out of yourfort zone, will you grow."


    Just as he finished his sentence, he rushed to the ball and shot a powerful shot.


    Hiroshi stood there in silence, pondering over Hiro''s advice, ''You require courage to change yourself. Am I a coward?''


    "Now then shall we continue the training?" Endo stepped up to organize the yers.


    After that, he assigned some individual drills to the yers and walked to Hiro to thank him for the advice he had given the yers.


    "Those were some good advice," he said with an amicable smile on his face. "But why do I feel like I''ve heard your voice somewhere? Also, it''s strange how you remind me of someone I know."


    Upon hearing him, Hiro rolled his eyes to look at the people in the surroundings. Then he revealed himself before Endo, "I''ve got to say. You''ve got quite a keen insight."


    Endo''s eyes widened in surprise. Then a bright smile formed on his face as he said in an ted tone, "Hiro, you''re here. I knew that you were Hiro. How have you been? What about your


    hand?"


    Hiro stared at him, a bright smile adorning his visage, "I''ve been alright and I''ve also recovered. But how have you been senior Endo? You never mentioned that you''ve started


    coaching."


    Endo pulled him closer in his arms as he said, "Just like you I''m doing great. Yeah, it was a little random. So, I couldn''t get the time to inform others."


    For a while, the two talked, diving deep into their past experience. Hiro hadn''t seen Endo for a long time, so, he wasn''t aware of the things taking ce in his life.


    "But why didn''t you contact me?" Hiro asked.


    Endo upon hearing this frowned as he said while revealing a self-deprecating smile on his face, "I was caught up with University. Plus, aren''t you a busy person?"


    From how he reacted, Hiro could guess that he felt guilty about contacting him. However, the fault partly lies ith h as well. After all, he uld


    didn''t either.


    ken the initiative


    "Yeah, I''m sorry. I had been so caught up with the schedule," Hiro apologized.


    talk.


    he


    "Why are you apologizing? You haven''t done anything wrong. But I''m really d to have met you here," Endo responded.


    "I''m d too. I thought that I could meet you in the league but I couldn''t find you even after searching for you. Are you still ying university league?"


    Endo''s frown deepened when he heard that. He was well aware that Hiro wasn''t trying to mock him. Even so, he felt disheartened when he heard that question.


    "Ahh..., I''ve stopped ying football. Now, I only coach," he said with a self-deprecating


    smile.


    Hiro was shocked to hear those words. So, he couldn''t help but inquire, "What?! You stopped! But why? You are such a good yer. So, why did you stop?"


    "A year ago, I injured my wrist. And you know to a goalkeeper their hand is everything,


    right?" Endo answered.


    Hiro''splexion paled as he heard him. He felt as if someone had carved a hole in his heart. Frowning, he said, "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have asked it."


    Endo revealing a bright smile tried to console him, "Don''t worry about it. I''m d that you asked. But it is what it is. There''s no need to cry over a spilled milk."


    Hiro was shaken by the news of Endo''s career-ending injury. He had always held him in high regard. So, when he heard about Endo''s early retirement, he couldn''t help but feel aggrieved.


    However, now that he heard him, everything made sense. The reason why he never heard about the name Endo despite the talent he possessed in his previous life- it was all because


    of a career-ending injury that forced his early retirement.


    Helpless, he could only mourn his loss. There wasn''t anything he could do for him.


    But maybe there was something he could still do for him.


    "Senior, can you gather all the yers?" Hiro asked.


    "Sure," Endo responded albeit looking a bit puzzled. He wasn''t aware of what he was trying


    to do.


    Nheless, he gathered the yers around.


    "What''s happening?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Is that gentleman going to say something again?"


    The kids talked among themselves, puzzled by the sudden call.


    Hiro stood in the middle beside Endo. Then as everybody gathered, he cleared his throat to


    speak, "I''m sorry for interrupting your training. But can I share something with you guys? It


    won''t take long."


    "Do you know Hiro?" Hiro asked.


    "Who doesn''t know him here?"


    "Any who doesn''t know him must be living under the rock."


    The kids answered. It seemed that Hiro was quite popr among the kids.


    "Then what do you about Hiro''s performance?" Hiro asked.


    "Obviously, he''s the best. Is there any need to ask such an obvious thing?"


    "Exactly, he''s the best yer in the league right now."


    Once again, the kids there unanimously shared the same sentiment.


    "Then what if I tell you that very yer whom you regard as the best yer struggled against


    your coach?" Hiro asked.


    The kids couldn''t believe Hiro''s words and they started ridiculing him.


    "There''s no way that he''d have struggled against our coach." "With all due respect to the coach, I can''t believe your words."

 Chapter 568: Final match of the league

    Chapter 568: Final match of the league


    ?


    Their reaction didn''t surprise Hiro. After all, it was well within his expectations. Then he slowly removed the mask and said, "Then what about now? Do you still doubt the credibility of my words?"


    "What? It''s Hiro!"


    Upon the revtion, the surrounding was plunged into turmoil as the kids eximed deep shock in their faces. Their eyes opened wide, their mouth agape, and their entire being shook with a mixed feeling of surprise, joy, and disbelief.


    Immediately, they ran to Hiro and surrounded him. Wearing an exhrated expression, they clung to him as they began to ask for his autograph. Many asked him to sign their jerseys while many begged for a photo.


    The uproar immediately caught the attention of other passersby, raising their curiosity.


    "What''s happening over there?"


    Intrigued by themotion before them, they got closer to inspect. Just as they got closer, at the center of the crowd, they caught a glimpse of Hiro.


    "IT''S HIRO!" one of the individuals shouted.


    Immediately after that, more and more people rushed to the scene. Hiro, however, remained calm despite the pressure.


    "I tell you all. Senior Endo is one of the finest keepers I''ve seen," Hiro continued to vouch for Endo even while receiving their request.


    Endo could see through Hiro''s intention. The reason why he was vouching so dearly for him was to help him build his reputation.


    Since Endo had to retire early, he didn''t have the opportunity to build his reputation. So, there''d definitely arrive a time when he''d get questioned for hisck of achievements.


    But with such great words from him, it''d help him establish his prestige in the squad.


    This would definitely make his work a lot easier.


    Seeing through Hiro''s intentions, Endo couldn''t help but feel thankful to him. There wasn''t any need for him to go out of his way to say those words.


    "Thank you, Hiro," Endo whispered as he expressed his gratitude.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ********


    In a stadium teeming with passionate fans, the match was in full throttle. The thunderous roar of the crowd echoed throughout the arena, vibrating through every corner and crevice.


    "Come on, let''s go!"


    "Push forward, now!"


    The tightly packed stands were alive with the electrifying energy of the supporters. On the field, the team d in blue and ck stripes surged forward in attack, while their opponents, dressed in red, desperately fell back to defend.


    At the moment, Hiro was seated in the VIP lounge, observing the game from the stands. He had a solemn look on his face and his eyes that were looking at the field was full of unwavering focus.


    "Can they take advantage of this opportunity?" Eric who was seated right next to him asked.


    Since it was the final game of the season and he had some free time, Eric had returned to Japan. So, at the moment, he was apanying Hiro.


    Hiro calmly swept his gaze before answering, "The opposing number four would likely interrupt the y."


    "Number four?" Eric darted his gaze to find the opposing number four.


    He wasn''t anywhere close to the ball. So, it was highly unlikely that he''d intercept. Eric, upon seeing the positioning of the aforementioned yer didn''t believe that the y would get interrupted.


    So, he spoke with confidence, "No way. It''d lead to a goal."


    "Let''s see," Hiro mumbled.


    Eric although skeptical about Hiro''s ims, fixedly stared at the pitch, observing the movement of the yers with unwavering focus.


    On the field, Ericson passed the ball to Shota. Shota making use of his quick feet got passed his marks and then made a brilliant through pass to the nks.


    The winger who had been awaiting the pass easily collected the pass. Then with a burst of speed, he charged forward without stopping.


    Until now, Eric couldn''t see any possibility of the opposing number four intercepting the pass. This further bolstered his confidence. And he couldn''t help but look at Hiro with an expression that oozed unwavering confidence.


    "See, I told you," he remarked confidently.


    Just then the sudden disappointed sighing from the stand caught his attention. So, he immediately rolled his eyes to the pitch.


    Indeed as predicted by Hiro, the ball was with the opposing number four. He couldn''t understand how it all happened.


    So, feeling puzzled by the scenario, he turned to look at Hiro.


    With a puzzled expression, he said, "What happened? How did he get the ball?"


    "The opposing number four tricked everybody. He made it seem as if he couldn''t mark Tatsuki. But he had intentionally left him unmarked. So, when the opportunity arrived he bore


    his fangs that he had kept hidden until now," Hiro calmly answered.


    Capitalizing on the opportunity, the opposing team immediatelyunched a counterattack, catching the yers of Kawasaki off-guard.


    The counterattack ended with a goal as they took the lead in the game, disappointing almost the entirety of the stadium.


    In today''s match, the supporters of Kawasakipletely overwhelmed the visiting


    supporters.


    The goal scored by the opposing team sent ripples throughout the stadium as the opposing fans burst out of excitement. Their collective energy surged, muffling the disappointed sigh


    of the opposing fans.


    Cheering on their yers, they expressed their emotions fully.


    Even so, Hiro didn''t look worried. Calm and collected, he continued to observe the celebration


    of the opposing yers.


    "Aren''t you worried?" seeing him unfazed, Eric couldn''t help but ask.


    "Why should I be worried?" Hiro responded calmly.


    "Your team is losing and only fifteen minutes are remaining on the clock," Eric said.


    "A lot could happen in fifteen minutes," Hiro responded with the same calmness as before.


    Eric could only agree with him. After all, it was as he said, a lot could happen in fifteen


    minutes.


    "Well, even if they lose this game, you have already won the league. But for the opposing side, their future depends on it. So, it''s only natural for them to y with such intensity," Eric


    added.


    Kawasaki had already won the league. So, this match was of little to no importance to them. But for Sapporo who were battling relegation, this match was of utmost importance to them.

 Chapter 569: Grand Ambitions

    Chapter 569: Grand Ambitions


    ?


    The stadium echoed with fervent cheers, but it was the reaction of the opposing fans that truly stood out. Leaping and shouting, they erupted in celebration after the goal, their joy palpable. Some looked as though they might leap out of the stands, while others were visibly emotional, tears welling up in their eyes.


    The opposing yers mirrored their supporters'' exhration, gathering together to revel in the moment near the section filled with their fans. United in celebration, they shared the thrill of the goal.


    On the other hand, the Kawasaki yers wore expressions of frustration, clearly disheartened by conceding the goal.


    Every now and often, the cameras drifted to the stand where Hiro was seated. Even now, when a full celebration was taking ce, Hiro could be seen on the screen.


    "I''m sure, Hiro wasn''t expecting such an oue after such an arduous battle against injuries," thementator said.


    "By the way Hiro, have you made your decision?" Eric asked. "Now that you''ve got only a year left, it''d be better if you decide."


    Immersed in the atmosphere of the stadium, Hiro had been looking at the stands. But upon hearing him, he retracted his gaze.


    "I''ve thought about a few clubs," he said with acent look on his face.


    "Hoh! Let me hear," feeling intrigued, Eric asked.


    Well, with how loud the stadium was, they could freely discuss without alerting anyone.


    "I''m thinking about choosing a mid-table team. So, I''m not sure if you''d agree with me," Hiro said.


    Hearing him, Eric couldn''t help but ponder about it. After all, Hiro had piqued the interest of a few top clubs. So, if he selected those teams, he''d be able to collect silverware much earlier. However, he was unlikely to get regr game minutes there.


    So, he also had the thought of pushing him for a mid-table team. But he hadn''t expected that he would make that decision without being told.


    "Let''s hear the names," Eric urged.


    Hiro made himselffortable on the seat before answering, "Right now, I''ve set my sights on either Brighton or Real Sociedad."


    Those were some good options. Especially, Brighton. With the coach of the team favoring young talents, Hiro could get minutes under him.


    However, he couldn''t help but feel concerned. After all, it takes a while to get limated into the premier league.


    Also, Brighton already possessed quite a few ymakers. So, thepetition was rather tough there.


    As for Sociedad, Kubo was already ying there. Although he had great chemistry with him, still, it was highly unlikely that he''d take his spot.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Should I risk it?'' Eric thought.


    Although he wanted Hiro to develop steadily and safely, he also wanted to see him seed. So, among the many options, he was fascinated by the offer from Borussia Dortmund.


    Not only would he get ying minutes, but the league wasn''t as physical as the Premier League. So, the chances of injuries would have halved over there.


    The managers over there are patient too.


    Although the sry they offered was way less than the clubs from other leagues. But still,pared to the opportunity he''d get over there, it wasn''t any major issue.


    "Those were some good options. But tell me honestly, what made you want to choose those leagues?" Eric asked, staring fixedly at him.


    Now, how was he supposed to say that he had always dreamt of ying in those leagues? The invitations from Kubo and Mitoma were a part of his reason but the main reason why he chose those teams was because he had always dreamt of ying there.


    As a young fan who grew up watching Ronaldo and Messi, he always had that dream of ying for either of the clubs.


    Even though he maintained hisposure, Hiro was panicking inside.


    "I just thought that they''d be a good team to develop as both of them support younger yers," Hiro answered calmly.


    "Indeed, they''re a great team. But have you researched their roster?" Eric asked.


    "Yes, I have. I know thepetition is tough but I can ovee it," Hiro said with


    conviction. Sure, it was mostly due to his dream but that didn''t mean that he hadn''t done any research beforehand.


    "You can do that only when they give you enough minutes," Eric responded with a disappointed sigh. He could tell that Hiro hadn''t thought thoroughly about it.


    He had gotten his hopes high for nothing. So, he couldn''t help but frown.


    Hiro was dumbfounded by Eric''s response. Indeed, it was just as he said. For him to overpower hispetitors, he''d require regr ying minutes. After all, who knows if he could instantly produce a miracle?


    What if it takes him time to limate?


    By then wouldn''t he be dropped?


    "Then what do you suggest?" Hiro asked.


    Truth be told, Hiro actually wanted to join a top side. But he figured that he''d be asking too much. So, thinking realistically, he wanted to join a mid-table club.


    Then he''d spend about two or three years there to prepare for a big money move. In simple words, he was actually thinking of those teams as nothing but mere stepping stones to his


    sess.


    Even though some yers would bepletely overwhelmed to receive offers from such teams, Hiro thought of them as stepping stones for some reason.


    Maybe he might have started to get cocky because he possessed a cheat-like system.


    After all, who in their right mind, wouldn''t dream about winning the Champions League? It''s


    the greatest achievement in club football.


    And, Hiro also dreamt of lifting the trophy.


    However, he was also aware that he couldn''t rush the process. So, after all that thinking, he


    had decided to go with a mid-table team.


    "If you trust me then maybe we should actually risk it all and go big," Eric said, his eyes glistening with determination.


    The way he said those words made it seem as if he was really serious about it.


    "Go big?!" Hiro couldn''t help but repeat.


    "Yes. Although it''d be a little hard to get their attention, I''m sure I can pull this off. So, what


    do you say, Hiro?" Eric asked.


    Clearly, Eric was an ambitious person.

 Chapter 570: Season End

    Chapter 570: Season End


    ?


    Hiro was fascinated by Eric''s proposal. After all, who could resist the temptation of ying for a top team? And Hiro who had been dreaming of ying in one of the top teams wasn''t any different either.


    But even so, he had to be realistic.


    Sure, with Eric''s help, he might get into a top team. But the opportunity wouldn''t amount to anything if he were simply loaned out.


    Top clubs hiring talented young yers and sending them on a loan wasn''t anything new in the world of football.


    "It''s alluring but risky at the same time," Hiro answered after pondering deeply.


    "Indeed the risk is high," Eric nodded. "But I can guarantee you, Hiro, I won''t let you sink. If something happens then I''ll immediatelye to your aid," he added, his tone assuring. Most would choose the humble route where the yer develops from scratch. But Eric who believed in Hiro didn''t want him to waste more of his time in developing.


    Sure, if Hiro chose the humble option, he might go on to be the star of that team.


    However, that''d leave him out of the podium for a while. But if he could shine in a bigger team, he''d receive the limelight right away.


    It wasn''t the best option.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Seeing the resolve in Eric''s eyes, Hiro couldn''t bring himself to reject the proposal right away, "Can I think on it a little longer?"


    Eric nodded, "Yeah, think about it. I''ll be waiting for your response."


    The two then shifted their focus to the match. As the match progressed, the battle became even more heated. The opposing team who were fighting for their spot seemed to have resolved that they''d rather copse than ept defeat.


    So, until the end, they fought valiantly.


    Kawasaki, couldn''t prate their defense and the match ended with them losing. Beep!


    The referee sounded the final whistle, bringing an end to the thrilling match.


    At once, as the opposing yers heard the final whistle, they erupted in jubtion. Some copsed on their knees. Some even started to shed tears.


    Overwhelmed with happiness, their fans rallied, cheering the yers.


    "The iron wall they had erected remained unbreached until the end. Sapporo has achieved the unimaginable. They have vanquished the champions to secure their spot in the league."


    The stadium was a cauldron of emotions as the emotions of the opposing fans shed with the emotions of the home fans.


    Hugging and cheering, the opposing yers celebrated their victory.


    After a little while, Hiro stood to enter the field.


    "You''re going?" Eric asked.


    "Yeah."


    Then he left the VIP booth and headed to the field. Just as he entered the field, the cameramen followed him.


    Noticing Hiro on the big screen, the disappointed fans of Kawasaki were brought back to life. Seeing him, hope was kindled in their heart- with him by their side, they could look forward to the performance of the team next season.


    However, Hiro didn''t head straight to his team. Rather he walked to the opposing side.


    The opposing yers felt confused seeing him walking toward them. They couldn''t see through his intention. Was he there to find trouble with them?


    Just as Hiro got close to their captain, he congratted, "Congrattions on your victory." Hiro''s gesture confused many. At the same time, it infuriated many of them. How could he congratte the opposing side after a loss?


    Gnashing their teeth, they red at him with their bloodshot eyes. Even so, due to Hiro''s poprity, they held back from scolding him.


    "I''m sure, many of the fans wouldn''t be pleased with such a gesture from Hiro." one of thementatorsmented.


    "Indeed, congratting the rival team after such an oue isn''t something the fans would appreciate. But you have to remember that Sapporo was battling relegation. So, I can understand why hemended their effort." anothermentator chimed in.


    "Now, that you mention it. I think I understand what you mean. It''s only right tomend a performance worthmending."


    Upon listening to the words of thementators, people couldn''t help but think again. A team battling relegation, defeating the reigning champions to secure their spot in the league. Indeed, it was a praiseworthy feat.


    The loss was disheartening but their performance was praiseworthy.


    Upon realizing this, the fans stood from their seats and began to apud. Initially, the apuse could barely be heard. However, as more and more people joined in, the sound of the apuse increased gradually with time.


    Soon, the entire stadium was reverberating with the thunderous sound of apuse.


    The opposing fans upon experiencing such an honor were brought to tears. They were thoroughly touched by the gesture of the people present at the venue.


    The captain of the team, looked back to find Hiro.


    If it wasn''t for him, they wouldn''t have been able to experience such honor. Looking at the young boy, he couldn''t help but feel grateful.


    At the same time, his respect for Hiro soared, ''To have such influence at such an age. You''re extraordinary, Hiro.''


    After a short while, a group of officials made their way onto the field, carrying the coveted trophy.


    Despite losing the match, Kawasaki had already secured the league title, and the post-match celebration was inevitable. The result of the game had no bearing on the pre-arranged festivities, so the team would still be crowned champions.


    As soon as the trophy appeared, the atmosphere in the stadium shifted. The fans, who had been subdued by the defeat, began to perk up, their eyes now glued to the silverware glinting under the stadium lights.


    The trophy was an impressive sight - a shield-like design, gleaming in polished silver, reminiscent of the iconic Bundesliga trophy.


    Its broad, circr shape bore intricate engravings, and the center held an emblem of victory, symbolizing the hard-fought battles throughout the season. The edges were adorned with subtle patterns that reflected both the tradition and prestige of thepetition.


    As the trophy was paraded towards the podium, a wave of excitement rippled through the crowd. The earlier disappointment was quickly reced with cheers and chants, celebrating their team''s triumph over the course of the season.

 Chapter 571: Trophy

    Chapter 571: Trophy


    ?


    The yers, too, couldn''t help but smile, their heads held high despite the loss. Seeing the trophy brought great jubtion.


    Supporters rose to their feet, waving gs and scarves as the mood in the stadium became celebratory. shes from cameras lit up the venue, and the air buzzed with anticipation.


    Though the team hadn''t won the day''s match, they had won the war - and now, all eyes were on them as they prepared to lift the trophy that signified their dominance throughout the league.


    The entire stadium lit up with jubtion.


    The moment they had been awaiting had finallye. Announcements kept reverberating throughout the stadium.


    The league officials worked steadily as they set up the stage in the middle of the field, preparing for the championship ceremony. The entire stadium was alive with murmurs of anticipation.


    Soon, a few distinguished figures of the league stepped onto the podium, ready to congratte the yers who had fought their way to the top over the course of a long season. Despite his season being cut short by an injury, Hiro had managed an extraordinary feat - securing the top scorer award with 27 goals to his name. His nearestpetitor trailed by nine goals, a testament to the sheer dominance Hiro had disyed on the pitch.


    The crowd, aware of Hiro''s achievements, buzzed with excitement and admiration as his name was mentioned over the stadium speakers.


    You could hear Hiro''s name being mentioned in almost every part of the stadium.


    The Kawasaki yers began making their way to the stage one by one, a line of proud faces receiving their medals. The officials greeted each yer with a handshake, handing them their medals with words of praise and gratitude.


    The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric. Fans waved banners and gs, chanting the names of their heroes. Even though their team had lost the match, it felt like a night of pure celebration, a culmination of all the hard work and sacrifices the yers had made over the season.


    As the queue moved forward, it was finally Hiro''s turn to step up. His presencemanded attention, his achievements speaking louder than any injury could diminish.


    In today''s ceremony, he was the only person who wasn''t dressed in a jersey.


    Just as Hiro stepped up to receive his honors, something magical happened in the stadium.


    All of a sudden, the crowd roared as his name echoed throughout the stadium.


    "HIRO! HIRO! HIRO!"


    Thousands of people called his name.


    Upon hearing his name being called out, Hiro paused to look at the stands. There he witnessed many people on their toes.


    They all stood to cheer him. Waving their banner and cheering passionately.


    Even the opposing yers who had left the pitch a moment ago were present i the pitch. They all looked at him, apuding him.


    Hiro was overwhelmed by the sheer support he was shown. His heart pounded as he felt his breathing getting heavier.


    Overwhelmed by the massive support, he even got goosebumps.


    Even so, heposed himself. The support he received was massive and the pressure he felt was huge. Any sixteen-year-old would probably faint if they were in his foot.


    Hiro walked with a calm but confident stride toward the podium. Even though he had just recovered from a serious injury, he wore the expression of someone who knew his worth and had nothing left to prove.


    But it was still, the beginning. Hiro was well aware that this achievement was only the starting point. Carrying the hopes of the supporters, he would have to deliver even more amazing performances in theing season.


    The uing season would be grueling.


    The league official who handed him his medal smiled warmly, extending a hand. "It''s been a pleasure to watch you y this season," the man said, shaking Hiro''s hand firmly. "It''s a bit unfortunate about the injury, but even so, you''ve already made your mark. Without it, I have no doubt you''d have shattered even more records."


    Hiro returned the handshake with a humble nod. "Thank you for the kind words," he responded. "It''s been an honor to contribute, and I appreciate the faith everyone has in me."


    As he moved along, medal gleaming around his neck, the stadium erupted in apuse once again. The fans knew that, despite the injury, Hiro was the heartbeat of the team - a yer who, in just a few short months, had dominated the league and carried his team with unmatched brilliance.


    If given enough time, he''d surely develop into one of the greatest yers in the history of Japanese football.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, a lot still doubt if he could be the best yer in the world.


    After all, even Son Heung-Min couldn''t manage to do that. So, expecting such a milestone from a kid who was just rising into the ranks wasn''t feasible.


    Nheless, some people wished for it to happen- a yer from Asia winning the Balon d''Or was still a dream of many.


    As Hiro rejoined his teammates, the crowd''s cheers swelled, and the yers began to position themselves around the massive trophy that awaited them at the center of the stage. The anticipation was palpable.


    The captain of Kawasaki Yasuto, a person with short stature stepped forward, grasping the trophy''s gleaming handles as the yers huddled close. The trophy itself was a masterpiece - a shield-like design, its silver surface shimmering in the floodlights, adorned with engravings that celebrated the league''s long-standing history.


    The stadium fell into a moment of hushed anticipation, a brief pause before the inevitable explosion of joy. Then, in one sweeping motion, the captain raised the trophy high into the


    air.


    The stands erupted into thunderous apuse and cheers, the sound swelling through the night as confetti cannons burst in a shower of gold and silver, raining down on the jubnt


    yers.


    Hiro, standing amongst his teammates, couldn''t help but smile as he looked around. This was the culmination of everything they had worked for the sweat, the sacrifices, the countless


    hours of training.


    His injury may have taken him off the pitch earlier than he had hoped, but tonight, that didn''t matter. The title was theirs, and this moment was just as much his as it was anyone else''s.


    As reporters and photographers crowded the stage, shes of cameras lit up the scene. The yers took turns lifting the trophy, embracing one another in a celebration of brotherhood


    and triumph.


    But amidst the jubtion, there were moments when Hiro could see the questions forming in the eyes of the media. He could sense that the reporters were eager to ask about his injury, his decision to keep ying through the pain, and ¡ª perhaps most of all-why he chose to continue ying despite his father''s recent health scare.


    That matter although settled hadn''t been erased entirely.

 Chapter 572: Different Person

    Chapter 572: Different Person


    ?


    Soon, the inevitable came. Hiro was gently pulled aside for an interview, the camera lights shining brightly on his face. The journalist smiled, though Hiro could already tell that her questions would probe deeper than simple match reflections.


    "You scored 27 goals this season, and despite your injury, you''ve taken home the top scorer award. How does it feel to know that you''ve left such a massive impact?"


    Hiro was relieved. At least, it wasn''t anything rted to his personal life. So, he felt d at the reporter''s decision to uphold his professionalism.


    Hiro took a deep breath, keeping his tone measured. "It feels great. It''s always an honor to contribute to the team''s sess, and I''m grateful to have yed a part in securing the title." Hiro answered with utmost modesty. He could have hogged the spotlight all alone. But he decided to share the credit with the rest of his teammates.


    Although they struggledter in the season, he couldn''t help butmend their effort.


    The reporter nodded but quickly followed up. "Many people are in awe of your decision to y on despite your father''s situation. Can you tell us more about why you made that choice?"


    Hiro felt disgusted by the question. Just when he had believed that the reporter before him was different, he showed his true colors.


    Even so, he couldn''t show the annoyance in his face. So, he maintained hisposure.


    However, his smile faltered and his mood dampened. He had expected it to happen, "My father has always supported me and my career," he began slowly. "I did what I thought was best for both my family and my team. Even now, he tells me that I''ve made the correct decision."


    "But," the reporter pressed, "there are critics who say that you should have taken time away from the game, that perhaps it was a selfish choice to continue."


    Just why the hell are they probing on this matter? Do theyck other topics?


    The more he heard them, the more his irritation grew. Didn''t he say that he had already talked things out with his father?


    So, why the hell are they hell-bent on discussing the matter?


    The tension in the air grew palpable, but Hiro didn''t flinch. "Everyone has an opinion, and I respect that," he replied firmly. "But I know my father, and I know what he would want. My decision wasn''t made lightly. And how many times do I have to tell you that I''ve already discussed the matter with him?"


    All along, he had been suppressing his desire to scoff. But they were fixated on the matter as if it was their life goal. Their attitude was growing on his nerves.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Finally, he snapped, "Why are you so fixated on this matter? Being a sports reporter shouldn''t you be asking questions rted to sports? Or do you find someone else''s personal matters interesting?"


    Hiro tantly criticized the reporters without holding back. Neither was he afraid of the aftermaths nor was he afraid of their retaliation. He had enough of their shit.


    The more he refrained from talking about the matter, the more they picked on it. So, if they weren''t going to stop then he held no courtesy towards them either.


    Surely, the media personnel would antagonize him. They''d even make things difficult for him. But it was better than enduring.


    The reporter paused, realizing he wouldn''t get more from him on the topic, and moved on to safer ground. Sure, he hadshed out previously as well but it wasn''t this severe.


    For a moment, he stood there in shock, unable to utter a single word. He hadn''t expected Hiro to lose his cool.


    ''If I continue, it won''t end well,'' a thought popped into his head as he analyzed the situation. However, just as he was about to retreat, someone from his team urged him to continue the matter, "What are you doing? We need to spice up the coverage," whispered an individual.


    The reporter seemed hesitant as he shook his head, "Let''s stop here or else it won''t end well." While they were discussing, Hiro was being interrogated by other reporters. They weren''t the only ones present there.


    After retaliating a little, others had stopped pestering him about the matter. But Hiro still couldn''t shake the uneasy feeling.


    So, he turned to find the reporter who was instigating him.


    Unable to refuse, the reporter from before was about to continue the personal assaults. However, just as he turned to find Hiro, he was met with a cold re.


    Hiro was intently ring at him.


    A cold shudder ran through his spine as he lost all his courage. Facing those pair of intimidating eyes, he couldn''t bring himself to carry out the task.


    It was as if Hiro was threatening him.


    Afraid of the silent threat, he immediately dropped the proposal, ''What''s with those eyes? Are those the eyes of a kid?''


    At that moment, Hiro seemed like an entirely different person.


    As Hiro finished the interview, he returned to his teammates, more certain than ever that, no matter what the media said, he had made the right choice for himself, for his team, and his


    family.


    The celebrationsted for a while.


    People thoroughly enjoyed the moment they shared with their team. yers took turns clicking photos with the trophy, reliving the moment.


    Hiro also participated as he took a handful of pictures with the trophy and his teammates. While the celebration was taking ce inside the stadium, social media was buzzing with the moment taking ce in the venue.


    #Jleaguewinner2025 #Youngesttopscoreroftheleague and many more topics were trending on the inte.


    Amidst this moment of celebration, Hiro, however, was pondering over an important matter - whether he should take up the offer of Eric or not.


    The memories from his past life had started to be unreliable. So, he couldn''t make his decision solely based on it. With his intervention, the future had already started to change.


    So, even if he were to rely on his memories of his previous self, it might not guarantee sess. With that being said, he would need to meticulously n his decision.

 Chapter 573: Astronomical Prices

    Chapter 573: Astronomical Prices


    ?


    Golden rays of the setting sun crept through the window and fell on Hiro''s face as he sat cross-legged in a meditative position with his eyes closed.


    With a bed, a wardrobe, a table, and a trophy cab, there wasn''t much furniture in the room and most of the room remained mostly vacant.


    The room was dimly lit in golden hue and it was mostly quiet.


    The only sound that could be heard was the sound of Hiro''s breathing. Taking a final deep breath, Hiro slowly opened his eyes.


    Unbothered by the light falling on his face, he gazed at the window.


    He felt clearer than ever and he felt rejuvenated now that he hadpleted his meditation. After letting the feeling of tranquility sink in, he stood and walked to the bed.


    Then he grabbed his phone and contacted Eric. The phone buzzed while he patiently awaited Eric''s response.


    "Hello, Hiro," Eric answered.


    Without even sparing time to greet him, Hiro dived straight into the topic he wanted to converse about, "Eric, I''ve made my decision."


    Eric who at that time was about to head to bed felt intrigued by his enthusiasm. He could tell that he had made up his mind. However, the decision he had made remained a mystery to him. Even so, he was delighted to hear the news.


    It had been more than a week since hest talked to him about the matter.


    "Yeah, I''ve been waiting," he said with a smirk.


    Hiro''s eyes lit with resolution as he said, "Let''s take the risk."


    Eric''s heart thumped and his eyes glistened with excitement as he heard Hiro''s response. It was the answer he had been awaiting.


    "You''ve made the correct decision. I won''t let you down, Hiro," Eric said in a firm tone full of confidence. "Leave the rest to me and wait for the good news. You''re gonna make history."


    Hiro nodded, "Then I''ll be waiting for the news."


    With that two ended the call. Hiro had made his decision clear. So, now he could only put his faith in Eric. Eric, after hanging up the call couldn''t bring himself to sleep out of excitement.


    "You''ve made the right decision, Hiro. I won''t let you down," he mumbled to himself.


    Then he immediately started to prepare right away.


    As for Hiro, he threw himself on the bed. Then he willed the activation of the system, "System Activate."


    The blue panel floated before his eyes, showcasing his attributes.


    [Host: Takahashi Hiro]


    [Age: 16 years 361 days]


    [Position: Attacking midfielder/Winger/Forward]


    [Club: Kawasaki Frontale]


    [System Shop: Open]


    [Overall: 86]


    [Possessed Talents: Tactical Awareness (S), Clinical Finishing (S), Knight in the Area (S) Bipedal (S), Equilibrium (S)]


    [Possessed Skills: Focus, Lightning Steps, Magic Vision, Fireball Shot,.....]


    Attribute points: 1340


    Due to the recent injury, he had dropped a few points. If it wasn''t for the injury halting his progress he would have a lot better stat.


    Even so, his stats were ridiculous nheless.


    With the few boosts he''d receive from the talents, he could even perform at a higher level than the stat disyed on the screen.


    For a little while, Hiro frowned looking at the screen. Even though he had recovered from the injury, he couldn''t help but feel sad about the stagnant growth resulting from the injury.


    Although the scar from the injury was unperishable, he couldn''t bother about the time that had already passed.


    So, he tried to cheer himself, "It''s only a minor setback."


    "Now, let''s put these points to use."


    Then he skimmed to the system shop. This time his objective was to use the points he had gathered. Due to the penalty from thest quest, he hadn''t been able to use the feature of the system shop.


    But now that the penalty had been lifted, he couldn''t wait any longer.


    Just as he opened the system shop, three items with varying prices were disyed on the screen.


    [Bone Strengthening Pill]


    [Potion of Recovery]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Phantom Boots]


    The items were each miraculous yet still failed to impress him mainly because he didn''t have any need for the two items. Potion of Recovery could have been useful when he was injured. But now that he had been healed, it wasn''t of any use to him.


    As for the Phantom boots that gave a whopping 10% boost in his agility couldn''t be worn by


    him since he had already signed a deal with Mizuno.


    So, the bone-strengthening pill was the only useful item.


    Hiro wanted to refresh the shop but the cost made him hesitant.


    Frowning, he muttered, "What''s with my rotten luck? How could I draw such bad results? Is


    heaven really disowning me?"


    He threw his arm as heined.


    "Might as well go with the bone-strengthening pill," he muttered, resigning to his fate.


    The Bone Strengthening Pill costs 10 points. Compared to the Potion of Recovery which cost 300 points and Phantom Boots which cost 500 points, it was much cheaper. However, once he opened the tab, his eyes widened in disbelief, "WTF? 10 points each? And to have full effect you need to buy 206 of them? Are you kidding with me?"


    Seeing the actual cost required to equip the pill, Hiro couldn''t help but exasperate.


    "I know that it helps strengthen my bones and ultimately helps in the prevention of injuries. But still, isn''t it too much? It''s fricking daylight robbery. Even after spending the points that I have gathered until now, I can barely afford to strengthen half of my bones."


    The cost of the item left him gasping for his breath.


    Hiro felt his scalp turn numb upon calcting the actual cost, "10 for each bone then we have 206 bones. That''d make 2060 points and once I buy it that slot will be jammed until I purchase


    all."


    "Should I just give up?" After going through the cost of purchasing, Hiro even thought of


    giving up on the item.


    Then he pondered before adding, "Or should I invest in my future?"


    He wanted immediate results. But investing in that item was a long-term investment.

 Chapter 574: Bone Strengthening Pill

    Chapter 574: Bone Strengthening Pill


    ?


    If only he could allocate the pill''s effect, then it''d have been a worthy deal. However, he couldn''t strengthen the specific bone of his choice.


    Comcently staring at the screen, he pondered deeply about the issue.


    Then after pondering for a while, he decided, "Even if it''s random, let''s go with it. I''m sure it''lle in handy in the future."


    With that said, he chose to purchase the item. Spending a thousand points, he purchased about 100 pills.


    Spending such a massive sum emptied his ount. So, he couldn''t help but grieve the loss, "My entire saving... sniff! It''s gone. 106 more to go."


    Frowning, he stared at the piles of pills before him.


    "Can I even consume all of it at once?" Hiro muttered.


    Although the pills weren''t huge, they were still of a decent size. So, swallowing all those pills at once, he''d choke for sure, and consuming one at a time would probably take him a long time.


    Then he picked up a single piece that was the size of a small ss marble and stared fixedly. The pill was deep brown.


    Bringing the pill closer to his nose, he sniffed, "Yuck!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The smell of the pill was intolerably stinky which almost made him want to throw up. It smelled like a mixture of rotten fish and egg, "Just what the hell did they use to concoct it?"


    Hiro then looked at the pile of pills and gulped his saliva. If only pills nearly made him throw up then how was he supposed to consume all those piles of pills?


    Despite the overbearing smell, Hiro wolfed down a few of the pills. With how bad the pill smelled, he figured that if he stopped even for a while, he might not be able to consume the pills. So, without thinking, he wolfed down a few of the pills.


    Fortunately, the pill didn''t taste bad. So, it made it easy to consume the pills.


    Then after consuming about twenty pills, he paused as he felt a burning sensation inside his body. His temperature started to rise as he started sweating profusely.


    The sensation started in his abdomen before making its way to various parts of his body. It was like an electric current was flowing through his veins.


    Hiro could palpably feel the changes taking ce in his body. However, he still had a lot more pills left to eat. So, despite the changes, he continued.


    As he continued to devour one pill after the other, he felt excruciating pain in several parts of his body. The pain was akin to a piercing needle.


    At the same time, a pitch-ck liquid seeped out of his pores. The liquid was unbelievably stinky and nauseating.


    Even so, Hiro continued to devour without any stop.


    Then finally, after a while, he managed to consume the entire hundred pills in one sitting. The task was challenging both mentally and physically.


    The pain got even more excruciating and he felt as if his insides were on fire. Steam oozed out of his pores while at the same time, the ck liquid seeped out of it.


    "Just..., when will it stop?" Hiro gritted his teeth.


    To keep him from passing out, he tried to shift his attention away from the pain.


    Finally, after a while, the pain started to subside and his temperature started to falter. Then a soothing feeling washed over him.


    His previous expression filled with pain eased up. Then he slowly opened his eyes and heaved a deep sigh, "Huff! Finally..., it''s over."


    As soon as he opened his eyes, the stinking smell assaulted his nose making it hard to breathe. Hiro immediately covered his nose, "I need... to shower immediately."


    The shower wasn''t the only concern, he still had to clean up the ck puddle he was sitting atop. Realizing the mess he had gotten himself involved in, he sighed, "If I had known this would happen then I''d have headed to the shower beforehand."


    Hiro felt a little regretful looking at the mess. If he had known about the aftermaths, he''d have taken some precautions before. However, now that he had created the mess, he could only clean up the mess.


    That day, he spent almost his entire evening cleaning up the mess.


    ********


    Since the season had ended, Hiro had a lot of time on his hands. Most of the yers were on vacation. Even Naoto and Tatsuki had left for their home to visit their parents.


    But Hiro had already spent more than three months back home. So, unlike others, he didn''t head home to spend some quality time with his close ones.


    Both Naoto and Tatsuki had also asked him to tag along with them. However, he refused saying that he had some things to do there.


    But now that he was all alone, he was bored beyond measure.


    Having strengthened his bones, he wanted to test out the effect of the Bone Strengthening Pill. But since he couldn''t participate in the training, there wasn''t any way to test it out


    either.


    "Should I just explore the town?" Hiro muttered sitting before the television.


    Ring! Ring! Ring!


    Suddenly, while he was thinking about ways to cure his boredom, his phone buzzed. Hiro picked up the phone and stared at the number, "Shun. Why is he calling me right now?"


    Hiro felt puzzled by the call. Just like everyone else, he also had returned home. So, he found it a bit strange to see him calling him.


    It wasn''t just Hiro who had won the league title. Shun also won the second-division title, helping his club promote to the first division.


    "Hello," he answered the call.


    "Yo, where are you?" Shun asked.


    "Home."


    "Then you must be free right now, right?" he asked enthusiastically.


    Hiro couldn''t tell why he sounded so excited at the moment. Perhaps, he had something to


    say.


    "Yeah," he answered. "Do you need something?"


    Hiro couldn''t help but ask. From his excited tone, Hiro could guess that he had some matters to discuss. Whether it be a favor or an important matter, he would only know after getting


    told.

 Chapter 575: The first to leave abroad

    Chapter 575: The first to leave abroad


    ?


    Hiro listened ardently, pondering about the thing he wanted to talk about.


    "Then wait for me, I''ming over," Shun said.


    "Huh? You''reing over?" Hiro mumbled in haste.


    But Shun immediately hung up the call without providing him any exnations. Hiro had already informed him that he wouldn''t be leaving for home. So, Shun was well aware that he was around the club.


    Feeling confused, Hiro stared dazedly at the phone, "When did he get back?"


    Ring! Ring!


    The sound of the doorbell chimed.


    Hiro, upon hearing the doorbell, slowly walked to the door. Then before opening the door, he peeped through the peeping hole.


    Before the door, Shun stood, casually dressed, his hair done. Wearing an amicable smile, he said, "It''s me. Open the door."


    Hiro opened the door, "When did you return?"


    "Just a moment ago," Shun answered.


    The two then walked to the living room while chatting. Hiro still couldn''t tell what he wanted to talk about.


    "Do you want some juice?" Hiro asked.


    "Juice? In such cold weather? Aren''t you being weird?"


    "Just say that you don''t want to," Hiro mumbled sounding a little annoyed. "Don''t tell me that I didn''t askter."


    "I won''t. I''m not here to freeload. Rather I''m here to invite you to a dinner," Shun said in a cheerful tone.


    Hiro squinched his eyes as he heard him, "For what reason?"


    Knowing him, he was well aware that Shun was a freeloader. So, his offering to treat him, Hiro couldn''t help but feel suspicious. There must be something to it.


    Immediately Hiro recalled the events where he had been taken advantage of by him. The time when he dragged him to a meetup to get the attention of the girls.


    Hiro began to observe him. The neatlybed hair, the smell of perfume, and the way he dressed, all led him to the conclusion that he wanted to use him as a bargaining chip in the pretense of treating him to a nice dinner.


    Shun broke out into a nervousugh as he said, "Hahaha..., Don''t you trust your friend?"


    Hiro outrightly spoke with a straight face, "No!"


    "Tell me who are you trying to hook up with this time?" Hiro added while looking at him suspiciously.


    "That was a one-time thing," Shun immediately responded.


    Hiro squinched his eyes as he said in a deep tone, "Make it three."


    "Yeah, yeah. You remember it. But trust me, it''s not that this time. I wanted to celebrate an auspicious moment with you."


    "Did you get a new girlfriend?" Hiro asked straightforwardly.


    He couldn''t be more serious about it. Since the time he had started to make a name for himself, he had dated way too many girls. It wasn''t anything new for a famous footballer to receive multiple proposals after all.


    Even Hiro had received many of them. But he was well aware that all of them were after him for his fame and fortune. Even if he decided to date, he wouldn''t date such girls. They are nothing more than distractions.


    It''s not that he didn''t advise him against dating. But Shun wouldn''t listen. Well, considering his nature and age, it wasn''t something to be astonished by.


    "It''s not that. Well, no..., I mean I did start dating someone new. But it''s not the auspicious news that I was talking about."


    Hiro couldn''t help but look at him with a disappointed gaze. But he also felt intrigued by what he mentionedter.


    If he wasn''t here to brag about the girl he was dating then what was the reason he looked so happy? Naoto hadn''t left the club so, he wouldn''t get the position of the starting goalkeeper here. So, what made him so excited?


    Did he win the lottery?


    "I''m going overseas," He eximed in an excited tone.


    Hiro''s eyes dted a little as he heard him. He couldn''t believe what he had heard just now, "You... don''t mean you''re transferring to a club overseas?"


    Since Shun was older than Hiro, he was more than eligible to y overseas. But to be able to transfer overseas at the age of eighteen was a big achievement.


    Surprised by the announcement, Hiro couldn''t help but stare at him dazedly.


    "That''s right. I''m going to Europe."


    "Where? When did this happen?" Hiro asked, overwhelmed by the news.


    "Liga Portugal." He said proudly. "About a month ago, I received an offer from Braga. The proposal was great and I was even promised ying minutes. So, I took up the offer."


    Hiro revealed an ted smile on his face. Then again he frowned, "Did you look at the contract? What role are they offering you? What about your sry? What about the yers on their roster? What about the release use?"


    Before deciding to sign the contract, a yer needs to pay attention to many details. So, Hiro couldn''t help but worry about him getting scammed.


    Although the opportunity was great, it wouldn''t amount to anything if he wasn''t given a fair contract. After all, there are a lot of yers from overseas that get scammed.


    Fortunately, he didn''t have to go through such hassles because he had Eric, one of the finest agents in the world with him. But although the agent under whom Shun worked was a decent one, he couldn''t fully trust him.


    After all, he didn''t have any record of overseas transfers to the clubs in Europe.


    "Don''t worry, Aoki-san has taken care of it. So, it will be alright," Shun said in an assuring tone.


    Hiro had wanted to introduce Shun to his agent Eric. But since he had hastily chosen his agent, he couldn''t do anything about it. After all, he was bound by the contract he had signed with


    him.


    Also, he had assumed that Shun wouldn''t transfer overseas before representing Kawasaki. But it seems like he had miscalcted a little.


    With that being said, it seemed like it was highly unlikely for him to change his mind right now. Also, he didn''t want to spoil his mood. So, he dropped the matter.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Congrattions, my friend. It is really an auspicious asion. So, I''m not holding myself back today. You better treat me to some premium A5 Wagyu beef," Hiro congratted him with an ted smile on his face.


    Hiro was truly happy for him. After all, he was already setting to the world stage. So, how could he not be happy for him? Such a big leap in career was a matter of envy for many. However, Hiro wasn''t envious of him in the least. Rather he was truly happy for him from the bottom of his heart.


    From that moment, he experienced his determination and willpower, he had thought that he


    would go on to be one of the best keepers.


    And it seemed like he wasn''t wrong about him.

 Chapter 576: Seventeen

    Chapter 576: Seventeen


    ?


    December 11, 2025


    Sliding the window open, Hiro nced outside. kes of snow danced in the air as they fell from above. The world outside was enveloped in ayer of snow.


    At the moment, Hiro had just woken up.


    With the festive season approaching, he had returned to his hometown.


    Staring at the world outside, he whispered, "Yet another winter hase." His breath immediately transformed into a white mist.


    "Hiro, are you awake?"


    The voice of his mother from downstairs prated his ears, distracting him from his reverie.


    "Yes, Mom," he responded.


    "Thene down and have breakfast," she yelled.


    "Coming," he said before sliding the window shut.


    Just as he got to the kitchen, he was met with the sight of his parents. His father who had recovered enough to make some movements was sitting in his usual ce with a newspaper in his hand.


    The mug before him oozed steam, signaling the presence of a hot beverage.


    His mother was setting the table.


    The kitchen was brightly lit and the atmosphere was rather serene.


    It was the peaceful atmosphere, he had longed to see. Seeing them, he felt at home and he couldn''t help but smile.


    Due to his father''s injury, this peaceful atmosphere had been disturbed. But now, it felt as if everything had been restored back to normal.


    "Did you brush your teeth?"


    His mother asked him just as he was about to take his seat. Hiro felt slightly awkward and soothing at the same time. After all, it had been a long time since he had been asked this question.


    Something was enchanting in the way she asked.


    "You don''t look out for yourself, do you? I''m guessing that with nobody around to remind you, you probably do as you like, don''t you?"


    His mother started to nag. It was as if all she needed was a reason to pick on him. But Jake didn''t mind her nagging. Rather he found it quite soothing instead.


    It was as if those harsh words were music to his ears.


    "Don''t worry so much, Mom. I take care of myself," Hiro assured as he got out of the kitchen to freshen up.


    Even so, his mother couldn''t help but reveal a concerned look on her face, "I''m sure he''s only saying that to console us."


    His father who was the spectator to their exchange, broke into a soft chuckle as he said, "Haha..., You worry too much dear. I''m sure he takes great care of himself. After all, he''s already seventeen now. So, I think you should go a little easy on him."


    Hearing him, she rolled her eyes to look at him, "Obviously, you''ll take his side. But how would he survive in the real world if we don''t be harsh on him? You''re spoiling him too much."


    After that, Takashi couldn''t bring himself to utter a single word, ''I wonder if there''de a time when your temper would change.''


    "It''s already his seventeenth birthday. It feels like just yesterday when he was five years old. Just why do children grow so fast?" she said, her tone filled with grief.


    Takashi looked at her and found her with a gloomy expression, "Indeed, he''s already turning seventeen. Next year, we might not even be able to spend his birthday with him. But we shouldn''t worry about our children growing up fast. Instead, shouldn''t we be happy that he''s growing well?"


    Her heart ached when she thought about parting ways with him. But once a bird grows old, it''ll leave its nest to find a new home. She was well aware that she couldn''t keep him with her for the rest of her life.


    Even so, she couldn''t help but feel sad about it when thinking about it.


    "Sigh~ You''re right...," she sighed deeply. "Instead of worrying about their departure, we should wish them luck and support them."


    "Yeah, don''t worry about it. I''m sure, he''ll be fine. After all, he''s our son," Takashi said with a proud expression.


    "That aside, what are we going to do about his birthday? We should celebrate it. After all, we might not be able to celebrate for who knows how long afterward."


    Takashi nodded, "Indeed, we must celebrate it. After all, ites only once a year. But what gift should we prepare for him?"


    "What would he need?" she asked.


    "I don''t know. Let''s ask him."


    His response got on her nerves. For a while, she even thought if he was being sarcastic right now. But seeing hisposure, she realized that it was hopeless to ask him in the first ce.


    Frowning, she said, "Leave that matter to me."


    She figured that it''d be better for her to n everything by herself. After all, she couldn''t put a strain on him when he was recovering.


    Takashi didn''t go against her. So, he nodded.


    Right then Hiro also arrived. Immediately, the twoposed themselves, pretending as if everything was normal.


    "Sit down, I''ll pour you some soup," she said as she hastily stood.


    "Aren''t you eating, Mom?" Hiro asked upon finding her idle.


    While he and his father ate the prepared breakfast, she was the only one who was not eating.


    "You eat first. I''ll eatter," she responded.


    Then she left the kitchen and came back a littleter.


    Hiro finished his breakfast and headed upstairs. Entering his room, he found his phone buzzing. So, he immediately walked to the phone, "Ishikawa? Why is she calling me right


    now?"


    "Hello, Hiro. Are you free right now?" she said as he picked up the call.


    Well, he didn''t have anything to do, so, he answered honestly, "Yeah, I''m free."


    "Great! Then will you apany me to the market?" she asked cheerfully. "I wanted to buy a few things. So, it''d be great if you could tag along."


    Remembering the time, she had helped him, he couldn''t bring himself to deny her. It''d be too rude to deny her right now.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    So, he agreed, "Sure, when are we leaving?"

 Chapter 577: Surprise

    Chapter 577: Surprise


    ?


    "Sure," he agreed. "When are we leaving?"


    "I''ll pick you up in half an hour. See you soon!" she said, excitementcing her voice.


    Hiro hung up the phone, a slight smile creeping onto his face. Although they had met only recently, he couldn''t help but feel excited for some reason. The time he spent with her was always one to remember.


    He quickly freshened up and put on something warm for the snowy day ahead. As he headed downstairs, his mother noticed the slight change in his expression.


    "Going somewhere?" she asked, eyeing him with a knowing smile.


    "Just out to the market with a friend," Hiro replied casually, though a hint of anticipation was hard to hide.


    "Alright, but be back by evening. We''ve got some... ns," she said mysteriously.


    "ns?" Hiro raised an eyebrow, but his mother simply waved him off, her smile widening. Thirty minutester, Ishikawa arrived. As Hiro stepped out into the snowy street, he noticed she was bundled up in a cozy coat and scarf, her cheeks slightly flushed from the cold. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.


    "Ready?" she asked with a yful grin.


    "Yeah, let''s go," Hiro replied, walking alongside her as they made their way to the market. The streets were alive with the festive season in full swing - shop windows decorated with lights, the aroma of roasted chestnuts filling the air, and the asional sound of buskers singing in the distance.


    They wandered through the market, Ishikawa pausing at stalls filled with gifts and trinkets, while Hiro followed her lead.


    Even though Christmas wasn''t a major festival here, the influence it had was great. "So, what are you looking for?" Hiro asked, hands in his pockets to fend off the chill.


    Ishikawa smiled, picking up a small snow globe from a stall. "Just a few things for the holidays. You know, gifts for family and friends." She nced at him. "What about you? Done any shopping yet?"


    Hiro shrugged. "Not really. I haven''t thought about it much."


    Ishikawa shot him a teasing look. "You''re hopeless. It''s almost Christmas, and you haven''t even started!"


    Under the disguise of buying gifts for Christmas, she was searching for gifts for him.


    Hiro chuckled, feeling more at ease. Spending time with Ishikawa always had that effect on him her lighthearted nature bnced out his more serious side. As they continued to browse the market, they talked about everything and nothing, the conversation flowing naturally.


    At one point, as they passed a bakery stall, Ishikawa paused to warm her hands over a cup of hot cocoa she had just bought. She looked at Hiro thoughtfully, then asked, "How''s your arm feeling?"


    Hiro nced down at his arm, "Better. I''ve already healed. I''m just waiting for the season to start again so that, I could get back on the field."


    While speaking, he couldn''t hide his excitement for theing season. He had been wanting to test out his newly strengthened bone.


    The effect was palpable. With his strengthened bones, he could even punch concrete walls without getting greatly hurt.


    Truly, he had gained superhuman abilities.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But he was still curious about the effect it''d have on a real match. Would he be able to run faster?


    Ishikawa nodded, her eyes glistening with joy, "You''ve been through a lot this year. Yet you always have that passion within you."


    Hiro looked at her deeply and said, "Is that so?"


    Ishikawa took a sip of her cocoa, watching him closely, "You do. But sometimes I couldn''t help but ponder if you''re putting on airs. Don''t get me wrong but sometimes I feel as if you''re hiding the truth behind that smile of yours."


    "I mean, it''s okay to admit it''s hard sometimes," she added.


    Hiro met her gaze, surprised by the intensity in her eyes. She wasn''t just a friend at that moment she was someone who genuinely cared about him. He felt his usual walls crumble, just a little.


    "Yeah... I know," he said quietly. "It helps to have people like you around. But trust me, I''m fine now. I even feel stronger than ever."


    Ishikawa smiled warmly, her cheeks tinged pink not just from the cold. "Then it''s all good. But you have to let us know if you''re having a hard time, okay?"


    Hiro nodded.


    After spending a few hours at the market, they began walking back. The snow had started falling again, lightly dusting the streets with a freshyer of white. Ishikawa nced at Hiro with a mischievous glint in her eye.


    "Hey, there''s one more stop we need to make."


    Hiro raised an eyebrow. "Where?"


    "You''ll see," she said, quickening her pace. They walked through the familiar streets until they reached a small caf¨¦ tucked away in a quiet corner. It was the same cafe he had visited with her on their previous visit.


    Ishikawa held the door open for him, and as Hiro stepped inside, he was greeted by a chorus of voices shouting, "Surprise!"


    The caf¨¦ was filled with familiar faces - his parents, teammates, and friends, all gathered around arge cake adorned with the words Happy Birthday, Hiro written in bright frosting. The warm light inside contrasted with the snowy world outside and the room was filled with


    laughter and joy.


    Hiro blinked in surprise. "You... nned this?"


    Ishikawa beamed, stepping up beside him. "Your mom may have had something to do with


    it," she admitted, "but I thought you could use a good surprise."


    His mother rushed over, hugging him tightly. "Happy birthday, sweetheart! We wanted to do something special for you."


    His father, standing nearby with a proud smile, added, "We''re so proud of you, Hiro. And don''t worry, we''re saving the real celebration for when you''re back on the pitch."


    Hiro, overwhelmed by the love and warmth surrounding him, felt a sense of peace settle over him. He had always thought of birthdays as just another day, but this... this was different.


    It wasn''t just the cake, the gifts, or the party. It was the people who cared about him, who had gone out of their way to make him feel special, even in a time when he felt vulnerable.

 Chapter 578: Special Gift

    Chapter 578: Special Gift


    ?


    As the evening unfolded, filled withughter, stories, and celebration, Hiro found himself ncing at Ishikawa more than once. She was always by his side, ensuring he was enjoying himself, her smile never wavering.


    By the time the night drew to a close, Hiro realized something important: this birthday wasn''t just about celebrating another year of his life - it was about the people in it. And in that moment, as he looked at his parents, his teammates, and Ishikawa, he knew he was fortunate.


    As they stood together outside the caf¨¦, snow gently falling around them, Ishikawa nudged him yfully. "Did you like your surprise?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Hiro smiled, the warmth in his chest matching the coolness of the night. "Yeah, I did. Thanks, Sumire. For everything."


    She grinned, her eyes twinkling, "Happy birthday, Hiro."


    And in that quiet moment, as the snow continued to fall, Hiro felt something new bloom between them a bond that went beyond friendship, something deeper. A feeling that maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something special.


    At that moment, he couldn''t help but feel grateful to have her by his side. But, he couldn''t bring himself to say the feeling he had inside his heart.


    The fear of inflicting pain on her as he had done previously prevented him from speaking his heart out. So, he withdrew his gaze away from her.


    "Shall we head inside?" he asked.


    The two then headed inside. The celebrationsted for quite a while. The invited people thoroughly enjoyed the moment and Hiro also enjoyed the moment to the fullest.


    Later in the evening, Hiro sat by himself, recalling the moment he had spent. Thinking about the moment, he couldn''t help but grin, "It was fun."


    Ring! Ring!


    Just then he heard his phone buzzing.


    "Who could it be?" he mumbled.


    It was Eric who had been calling him. So, he didn''t find it surprising. Considering the time difference, it was to be expected.


    Hiro picked up the call, "Hello."


    "Happy birthday, star boy," Eric wished him.


    Hiro graciously epted the wishes, "Ahh... you remembered? Thank you."


    "Of course, I do. I have even prepared a special gift for you," Eric answered, sounding rather excited.


    "A gift? You didn''t have to do that."


    "You sure, you don''t want it? I mean, you might regret it," Eric teased.


    Hearing him, Hiro felt quite intrigued. He couldn''t help but look forward to the gift he was mentioning about. So, he didn''t shy away from epting the gift he mentioned.


    "Then, I shall receive it," Hiro said.


    At this moment, Hiro''s phone buzzed with a notification. Right at the time, Eric said, "Look at your phone, your gift should have arrived."


    It was a mail that he had received from Eric. ncing at the mail, Hiro said albeit sounding a bit disappointed, "A mail? You''re gifting me a mail?"


    "Look at the content of the mail."


    Hiro opened the mail. Just as he opened the mail, he was met with a contract. Eric had sent him the details of a contract.


    "ATHLETICO MADRID!" Hiro shouted in surprise, overwhelmed by the content.


    Eric lifting the corner of his lips grinned as he heard him through the phone. Then he let out a mischievous grin as he said, "There''s more."


    "There''s more?" Hiro asked his tone a mix of astonishment and disbelief.


    "Yes, there''s more. How could I only manage to pull a single club? Are you doubting my abilities?" Eric said in a teasing voice.


    Exactly, with Eric''s capabilities, there should be more. Upon hearing him, Hiro immediatelyposed himself as he hastily scrolled down.


    "PSG..., RB Leipzig, Dortmund, and even AC Mn?"


    Each of those clubs was a giant in their league. They were all a title-contending team and a regr top four finishing club. Especially, Paris Saint-German, it was the cherry on the top.


    With their record, Hiro could start winning silverware from the beginning. Even if it was only domestic sess. Also, securing a spot in the Champions League would be as easy as snatching candy from a kid.


    Sure, the list didn''t contain the clubs of his choice. But still, to receive an offer from such great clubs wasn''t an easy task to aplish.


    Hiro could only imagine the trouble Eric had to go through to convince those clubs. It''d have been an entirely different scenario if he had already proved himself on the world stage. But since he had only proven himself locally, the offer he received from those clubs was way beyond his wildest imagination.


    Hiro had been content receiving offers from a top-six team from the top five leagues. But he had received offers from the top fours instead.


    He was exhrated beyond measure to receive those offers. However, seeing so many avable options, he couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by the choices.


    Each one of those clubs was great.


    If he had received an offer from a sole club, he wouldn''t have had any difficulty making his decision. But he had received offers from multiple clubs.


    "There were a few others too. Barcelona was also willing to invest but their proposal was rather ambiguous. I talked with their sports director and offered you. He seemed impressed but the offer they had put on the table was rather mocking."


    "It was as if they were buying cheap goods from the market. Like how could they be so shameless to offer such less sry?"


    "I know what you require right now is experience. But trust me, Hiro, looking at their offer I couldn''t feel any sincerity behind it."


    Although Hiro was interested in the offer, he could also sympathize with Eric. With his


    expertise, he should be able to discern the best from the worst.


    If he sounded this annoyed even while mentioning the deal, he couldn''t help but imagine how humiliated he had felt when discussing the transfer.


    "But even with all those lowered sries, they are only willing to provide you the status of a rotational yer. That means unless anybody gets injured, you wouldn''t be able to y."


    "On the other hand, Athletico Madrid are willing to bet their future on you. With Griezmann leaving the club, they are in desperate need of a ymaker. And they see you as a perfect


    candidate."

 Chapter 579: Offer Accepted

    Chapter 579: Offer epted


    ?


    Hiro listened ardently. Hearing him, Hiro couldn''t help but think if Eric wanted him to choose Athletico Madrid.


    Well, considering their influence and the records, it was indeed a good choice. But if he wanted to win silverware, it''d be tough.


    On the other hand, if he were to choose Paris Saint-German, winning silverware was almost a guaranteed thing. However, once again, he couldn''t help but worry about his ying minutes.


    The other offers were equally lucrative. But for some reason, he felt as if he should have faith in Eric''s judgment.


    But before he coulde to a decision, he decided to have a better look at the contracts of all the team. After all, the contents of the contract are equally important if not more.


    So, while Eric exined to him about the scenario he''d have to face, he began to analyze the contract.


    First, he started with the contract that Athletico Madrid offered him.


    The contract was a five-year contract with the option to extend for another year. The club was going to pay him a base sry of 3 million euros per year.


    There were also some performance-based bonuses as stated below:


    Goal Bonuses: €50,000 per goal scored in La Liga, UEFA Champions League, or Copa del Rey.


    Assist Bonuses: €25,000 per assist in the samepetitions.


    Champions League Qualification Bonus: €500,000 if the team qualifies for the Champions League at the end of the season.


    League Title Bonus: €750,000 if the team wins La Liga.


    Copa del Rey Victory Bonus: €250,000 if the team wins the Copa del Rey.


    The performance-based bonuses alone had intrigued Hiro. But when he saw the signing bonus of a million euros that was payable within 30 days of signing the contract, Hiro couldn''t believe his eyes.


    He blinked rapidly, staring at the figure on the screen. Disbelief shrouded his vision as he stared intently at the screen.


    He had been earning fairly here. But even so, when seeing such a massive amount, he couldn''t help but greed over the mentioned amount.


    Other than the duration of the contract, the base sry, and the bonuses, many other uses included image rights, medical and injury protection, loyalty bonuses, relocation and family support, sponsorships and endorsements, code of conduct, confidentiality, and many more. There was also a use that stated that if he could score 15 goals or provide 10 assists in a single season, his base sry would increase by €500,000 for the next season.


    Another interesting use was that if he performed consistently for more than 30 games or won a league trophy, the club agreed to automatically extend his contract by 1 year with a 15% sry increase.


    The contract in itself seemed ratherplex. Yet still, the thing that caught his attention was one particr use that stated that the club guaranteed to let him start a minimum of 20 matches. And if they failed to do so, he could request a loan or transfer to another club.


    No matter, how Hiro looked at it, Hiro could feel the sincerity behind the contact. He felt that they were serious aboutnding him.


    There wouldn''t be any people in the world who wouldn''t long for this feeling of importance. And Hiro wasn''t an exception to it either.


    Although the release use was a bit exorbitant with 100 million euros, he couldn''t help but agree to the contract.


    On top of ying for a top team, he would even get the opportunity to develop properly. Yet still, Hiro looked at other contracts.


    Compared to the annual 3 million base sry Athletico offered, Paris Saint-German was offering him a whopping 4 million base sry.


    If it was all about money, he''d have chosen Paris. But for a technical yer to improve, the best option for him was La Liga. So, he epted the offer without much hesitation.


    "Eric, I''ve made my decision. Let''s go with your suggestion," Hiro said with conviction.


    Eric who had been talking without any pause, paused as he heard him, "Huh! What did you say?" he asked, feeling confused.


    "I said, let''s sign with Athletic Madrid," Hiro answered.


    Eric upon hearing Hiro''s decision felt exhrated. His eyes glistened with joy and at the same time, an ted smile blossomed on his face as he said cheerfully, "Great Decision! You''ve made a great decision. I know that you are insightful."


    Eric was well aware that it was only the beginning. Maybe during the next year''s World Cup, his price might increase even further. Nheless, the contract they were offering was already sufficient enough.


    So, he didn''t want to dy the signing any further.


    "Then I''ll let them know that you''ve epted the deal," Eric said excitedly, his tone carryingN?v(el)B\\jnn


    a hint of impatience.


    It appeared as if he couldn''t wait to tell them Hiro''s answer.


    "Then I''ll the matter to you," Hiro said, reassured. "Thank you, Eric," he added.


    He felt grateful to him for the trouble he had gone through to convince such a big club. If he was all alone, he might not have been able to negotiate such an amazing deal.


    So, he couldn''t help but thank Eric.


    Well, he''d get hismission. But still, if it wasn''t for Eric, he might not have been able to get such a good deal. Who knows, he might not have been able to draw their attention either. With that said, Hiro had finally secured a contract with one of the top teams in the world. The journey ahead was tough and he was well aware that he''d have to prepare thoroughly or else he''d get chewed alive.


    After all, only those who can utilize the opportunity provided to them can remain on the scene. Others will be mercilessly tossed out.


    Although he had signed the contract, he didn''t want to make it public yet. Otherwise, it''d negatively affect the team he was ying right now.


    So, with that thought in mind, before hanging the call, he asked a favor from Eric, "Eric, can we keep this deal confidential until the end of the season?"


    "Please tell them that it''s one of the conditions, I''d like to implement."


    Eric thought for a while and answered, "Don''t worry. I can understand you. I''ll ask them to keep the deal confidential. But for that, I''d probably have to ask them to meet you in Japan instead. Or can you make time to visit Spain?"


    "If possible, can we sign it here?" Hiro answered a bit hesitantly.


    He was aware that if he left for Spain, he''d draw unwanted attention. That way, he might get


    found out too.


    Well, he was well aware that he had been asking for too much. So, if the response came negative then he was prepared to visit Spain despite the risk.

 Chapter 580: A new season

    Chapter 580: A new season


    ?


    Those were only the personal terms, the club had to strike a deal with his parent club before they couldnd them. Well, Hiro could leave the club for free. But, it wouldn''t benefit the club. After all, they had poured so many resources on him to nurture him.


    So, leaving for free might seem like betraying their trust.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Blinded by the opportunity to represent a famous club in Europe, Hiro had nearly forgotten about it. But now that he thought about it, he couldn''t help but worry.


    However, little did he know Eric had already talked about it. So, he was needlessly worrying for nothing.


    "Also, Eric, I know my contract will expire in a year. But still, I don''t feel good about..." Before Hiro couldplete his sentence, Eric interrupted, "You don''t have to worry about that. They''llpensate fairly. So, you focus on the game. Leave those matters to me."


    Hearing him, Hiro felt at ease.


    If he had left for free, he didn''t know how he could bring himself to face the director and coaches of the club.


    With the matter settled, he felt at peace of mind. But at the same time, he got an urge to thank Eric even though he had already thanked him, he felt it wasn''t enough. So, he thanked him again, "Thank you, Eric. I mean it."


    "Don''t mention it, I''m earning my cut," Eric made it sound as if he were doing it for his benefit. "But if you''re still reluctant about it then grow into a big superstar. So, that I can earn big bucks, hahaha..."


    Hiro revealed a light smile and nodded, "Sure."


    With that, one of the pressing matters in his life was settled. Hiro, revealing a solemn expression, nced at the luminescent moon outside the window, the silvery light of the moon falling on his face, generating a soothing sensation of tranquility.


    "I must level up," he whispered under his breath.


    ********


    The holiday season wasing to an end and many yers were starting to return. Among them, Hiro was the first to return. Right after Christmas, he packed his bag and returned.


    For almost more than four months, he had been staying idle.


    So, he was eager to get back on the field.


    Early in the morning, Hiro arrived on the training ground. Far on the horizon, the sun spreading its brilliance teased the surface with its presence.


    The security personnel of the venue, a rather old man with greying temples had only begun to open the gates. Right then, he was met with the figure of Hiro.


    He was still in a half-asleep state and was yawning continuously. So, when he noticed the figure of Hiro, he even thought that he was dreaming, "I must be so sleepy that I''m seeing Hiro here at this instant."


    So, without paying any heed to the hallucination he had perceived, he went with his work. Pushing the gate open, he opened the main entrance.


    Right then he heard Hiro''s voice, "Good morning, Fujimoto-san."


    Had he been so sleepy that he even started to hear things now? He couldn''t help but feel bewildered by the sudden greeting.


    Yet still, upon hearing the voice, he turned to look at Hiro. Rubbing his eyes, he once again tried to figure out if he was dreaming or not.


    But it seemed that he wasn''t dreaming at all.


    So, he felt surprised by the reality.


    "Good... morning, Hiro," he greeted immediately in a haste.


    Though he was well aware that Hiro would reach the premises early, the holiday season had just ended. So, he wasn''t expecting to see him here so early in the morning.


    Even the training session wouldn''t start until a weekter.


    The venue had been open for the staff to organize the ce and the coaches to discuss their stuff. Although yers weren''t prohibited, still he hadn''t seen any yers this eager in his long tenure as the guardsman.


    "How have you been Fujimoto-san? How was the holiday? Did you have fun?" Hiro began to chat with him.


    Fujimoto, immediatelyposed himself, "I have been good and the holiday was really fun. How have you been Hiro? It''s been quite long since Ist saw you. But you look the same as when you arrived here for the first time."


    "I still recall your first day vividly. Even as a kid with huge expectations ced upon him, he looked like a character filled with confidence and determination. I still recall the spark in your eyes the first day you arrived here."


    Hiro let out a warm smile as he responded, "And I still recall the man who had greeted me for the first time I arrived here."


    "You have to tell me, Fujimoto-san. How do you manage to remain the same? I can still see the same spark in your eyes that I had seen the first time."


    Fujimoto looked at him suspiciously, "Have you been practicing ttery all this time?"


    Hiro let out a nervous grin, "Ahh..., You found me."


    "You cheeky brat! At least try to conceal your intentions," he said gruffly. "But were you not informed about the schedules? The training will only start after a week," he added.


    "I''m well aware of it. Today, I just want to kick some balls. Staying out of the game for this long, I can''t help but worry about my sharpness getting dull. So, I need to train before." Fujimoto revealed an all-knowing expression as he said, "Always the diligent one, huh?" After that, Hiro proceeded inside. Then he got changed and hit the field.


    Inhaling deeply, he stared at the field, taking in the scene that had been missed. It had been quite a long time since hest visited here.


    The air was crisp and cold, carrying the soft fragrance of the grass. A sparseyer of snow had nketed the field.


    With him being the first to arrive, the field hadn''t been cleared yet.


    "Feels good to be back," he mumbled.

 Chapter 581 Early Session

    581 Early Session


    Sweeping his gaze across the empty field, Hiro struck the ground with his cleats, the crisp sound echoing in the stillness. After a light round of warm-ups, heunched into his solo session, runningps around the field to get his muscles primed.


    Once his basic drills wereplete, he started setting up the cones and equipment meticulously, preparing for a focused practice on dribbling and shooting.


    Satisfied with the setup, Hiro took a moment to admire his handiwork. "All done. Time to begin," he muttered with a sense of satisfaction, then threw himself into his drills, weaving between cones andunching powerful shots at the goal.


    Just as he was getting into rhythm, a faint sound caught his attention from the stands.


    "Is someone on the field?" came a voice from behind the bleachers.


    Startled by the noise, Hiro paused. He nced toward the tunnel where a few members of the stadium''s maintenance crew had gathered. They had just arrived and were in the middle of pulling on their orange uniforms, preparing for a day of field upkeep.


    "What are you talking about?" one of the crew members said, clearly confused. "The yers aren''t supposed to be back for another week."


    Another voice grumbled, "Yeah, they''re all off enjoying their holidays while we''re stuck working in the freezing cold. Not that anyone cares about what we do."


    "You''re right," another chimed in, shaking his head. "No one ever realizes that we''re part of the team too. We make sure everything runs smoothly, but all the glory goes to the yers." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    An older man, likely the most seasoned among them, sighed as he stood up. "Quitining. It''s our job. We get paid for it. Who cares if we''re appreciated or not?" He was clearly unimpressed by theirints, his tone gruff with experience. "We''re here to do the work. Nothing more, nothing less."


    The younger staff exchanged nces, still clearly frustrated. "What''s wrong with wanting a little recognition?" one mumbled.


    "Yeah," the other agreed. "Without us, the yers wouldn''t even have a field to y on."


    Out on the field, Hiro continued his practice, but now with a distracted mind.


    He spotted the older man who had just spoken, a stern-looking figure with a lean build, standing at the edge of the field. The bright orange uniform gave him away as part of the maintenance crew, and Hiro immediately recognized their role in the team''s sess.


    Realizing they might not know he was there, Hiro paused, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he walked over to the crew. He figured it wouldn''t hurt to say hello.


    "Morning," Hiro called out as he approached them. "Sorry if I surprised you guys."


    The older man nced up, startled, but nodded in acknowledgment. "Didn''t expect anyone out here today, especially not a yer."


    "I just needed some extra practice," Hiro exined with a small smile. "And you guys¡­ well, I know the work you do is just as important as what we do on the field."


    The younger staff members, who had been mid-grumble just moments before, fell silent, their eyes widening a little in surprise.


    One of them spoke up, "You¡­ you think so?"


    Hiro nodded earnestly, "Of course. The field, the equipment, everything we need¡ªit''s all thanks to you guys. Without your work, we wouldn''t be able to y the way we do. So, thank you."


    The crew seemed taken aback, unused to hearing such direct appreciation. The older man, though still reserved, allowed a faint smile to tug at the corners of his mouth, "Not many yers say that," he admitted, his tone softening.


    "Well, they should," Hiro replied with a chuckle. "We''re all part of the same team, right?"


    The maintenance crew, who had started their day feeling overlooked, now exchanged nods of respect with Hiro.


    The grumbles faded, reced by a quiet pride. Hiro waved as he jogged back to continue his practice, leaving the field with a renewed energy that wasn''t just about his dribbling or shooting¡ªit was about connection.


    As he resumed his drills, the cold air didn''t feel so biting, and the field, though empty of fans, felt fuller, as if he wasn''t alone in his pursuit.


    On normal days, there would be some fans watching the practice unless it wasn''t a closed-door session. After he ended his solo drills, he went to greet the maintenance crew. After all, he had yet to introduce himself formally. And it wouldn''t hurt to be a little nice, would it?


    Exchanging a couple of words with the maintenance crew, Hiro left for the showers and ended the morning session. Later in the day, he helped Shun with his shopping.


    Since he was moving abroad, he required quite a lot of stuff.


    The news regarding Shun''s transfer was already causing a sensation on the news. With his brilliant performance the past season, many people paid close attention to him. There were also media personnel who were after him. However, due to the limited schedule, he had to push them away for the time being. Yet still, he had agreed to a single interview before he set off. In the days toe, Hiro spent his days training and helping Shun. They also visited the academy to express their gratitude to the coaches who taught them. They also interacted with their juniors. Although most of them were still away from the club they got to meet a few on their way. Even though it had only been about a year since he left the camp, he found a lot of their photos stered over the walls. Well, considering the impact they had on the team, it was to be expected. Still watching them firsthand, Hiro couldn''t help but feel slightly embarrassed. While they conversed with their previous coaches, the matter regarding Hiro''s transfer was brought a lot into the discussion. But Hiro who had vowed to keep the news confidential refused to reveal the truth. Although he felt a bit guilty, he felt that it was the best option. After all, he hadn''t even revealed the news to his parents yet. So, how could he reveal this to anyone else before?

 Chapter 582 The Representative

    582 The Representative


    Ring! Ring!


    Early in the morning, Hiro received a call. It was a call from an unknown number. "Who is this?" Hiro felt skeptical about the call. He had juste out of the shower after a vigorous training session. Water droplets fell, wetting the floor he passed.


    Although skeptical, he received the call, "Hello."


    "Hello, Am I talking to Hiro?" A rather mature and masculine voice sounded from the other side. The personmunicated in English. Hiro revealed acent expression as he thought, ''A foreigner? But how did he find my number? Also, it appears that the person knows it''s my number.''


    "Yeah...," he answered albeit sounding a bit skeptical. Immediately, the other party''s tone softened, "Great, I''m d I reached you."


    "But who are you? Do I know you?" Hiro asked. The person had yet to reveal himself. Shouldn''t he introduce himself before? So, he couldn''t help but feel uneasy about the call. "Ahh..., I''m sorry. I should have introduced myself. I''m Hugo Castillo, the representative from Athletico Madrid."


    The other party introduced. Upon hearing the identity of the person behind the call, Hiro felt at ease. Immediately, his stiffened expression eased up. "Do you have a moment today? I would like to discuss something about the contract."


    "I do. But...,"


    "Ahh don''t worry. We won''t be altering the content of the contract. We just want to talk a few things with you."


    Without Eric''s presence, Hiro didn''t want to discuss the contract. So, he was a little hesitant to talk about the contract. After all, he had thought that the content of the contract had already been agreed upon. So, he couldn''t help but feel uneasy talking about the contract. However as he heard him, he felt relieved. "Sure, you can pick the time and ce."


    Hiro let him decide the time and ce of their meeting. He wasn''t sure if the time and ce he chose would befortable for the man. So, he let him decide the time and ce to prevent any inconveniences. "Then how about 1 PM? We could meet at the Bamboo Restaurant," Hugo asked with utmost politeness. Hiro agreed and hung up the call, "Then I''ll meet you in the Bamboo Restaurant." Later in the afternoon, he arrived at the ce mentioned by Hugo at 12:45 PM sharp. Upon arriving at the meeting location, he looked for the man. The ce was huge and the decoration was extravagant. Hiro searched around the ce for a while. Unable to find the person, he called the person. "Hello, I''m already here. But I can''t find you," Hiro said. Hugo said in surprise, "You''ve already arrived?" Then he apologized, "I''m sorry, I''m still on my way. I''ll be there in a minute. So, would you mind waiting for a while?" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "You can wait in room number 7. I''ve reserved the ce."


    "You don''t have to apologize sir. I just arrived early. You take your time, sir. I''ll be waiting for you in the aforementioned room," Hiro said politely. "What a great guy," Hugo who was currently inside a taxi couldn''t help but praise Hiro for his mannerism. Hiro sounded so humble and polite. At the same time, he couldn''t help butmend the punctuality of the Japanese people. He had nned to reach the ce about five minutes earlier. But he hadn''t expected Hiro to reach the ce 15 minutes earlier than the agreed time. Hugo was impressed by Hiro''s attitude. Smiling, he asked the driver, "Sir, can you drive a little fast?"


    The driver gave him a deep look and responded in English, "Sir, I can''t break the rules. You should have left early if you were in a hurry."


    Hugo felt a little offended by the response of the driver. But he couldn''t bring himself to respond. After all, he was the one to me. He hadn''t researched thoroughly. After about five minutes, he arrived at the meeting ce. He took a huge bill out of his pocket and handed it to the driver and rushed out in a hurry. "Sir, your change...,"


    Before the driver could return the change, he dashed away from his sight. The driver looked at the dashing figure of Hugo and sighed, "Why are you making things difficult for me?"


    Then he also headed out of the car to chase Hugo. His guilty concise didn''t allow him to keep the spare changes. So, he rushed to catch up to him. Inside the private room, Hiro satfortably with his legs crossed. Blowing the hot steam from the cup of tea he was holding, he took a sip and stared outside the window, ''Are all foreigners like this?''


    Just then, the door to the room slid open and a figure drenched in sweat, panting heavily emerged. Startled by the sudden change, Hiro turned to look at the door. There he noticed a person with tousled blond hair. He had a rather fair skin tone, and he had patches of blond beard. The man appeared exhausted. Panting heavily, he said, "Huff! Sorry..., I''mte."


    Hiro looked at him dazedly. Then he said, "No, I''m sorry. I arrived earlier than the set time."


    Hugo revealing his enamel-coated teeth let out a smile and said, "No, I misjudged the attitude of the Japanese folks."


    "Sir, here''s your spare change. Why did you rush away without taking your changes?" The driver caught up to him and handed him the money. Furrowing his brows, he shunned Hugo for running away. Hugo stared at him dazedly, perplexed by the man before him. Hastily, he refused the amount, "No, sir. I wanted you to keep the changes. I was tipping you."


    Hugo tried to exin himself. Even so, the man before him didn''t seem impressed by Hugo''s generosity. The man refused the kindness bestowed upon him, "No, sir. I''ve already received my payment. You don''t have to go to such lengths. You should keep your money to yourself."


    Hugo felt perplexed by the refusal of the man. He was offering him extra money, yet the man was adamant about receiving it. He couldn''t help but think, ''What''s wrong with this man?''

 Chapter 583: Purpose of the visit

    Chapter 583: Purpose of the visit


    ?


    In the end, Hugo couldn''t convince the man. So, he gave up.


    "What''s wrong with him? I was only doing something nice," Hugoined after the man left the ce.


    Hiro looked at him and said, "Tipping isn''t in our culture. Well, although some might ept the tip, there continue to be some who remain adamant against it."


    Hugo nodded, "Japan sure is interesting."


    He was impressed by the work ethic of the Japanese people.


    Then he got seated opposite Hiro and formally introduced himself, "Hello, Hiro. I''m Hugo Castillo, the representative of Athletico Madrid."


    "First of all, I''d like to thank you again for epting our offer."


    "The pleasure is all mine, sir. I''m d to receive such a sincere and huge offer from such a prestigious club," Hiro said, his tone humble.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "But can I be honest with you sir?" Hiro added.


    Hugo nodded, signaling him to proceed. Staring at Hiro, he scrutinized him. Hiro''s straightforwardness and serious look on his face made him a little curious about the topic he wanted to talk about.


    "Why did you offer such a lucrative contract to me?" Hiro asked.


    Hugo was mesmerized by the question. Previously when he dealt with the client, they''d always show their gratitude. But right now, he was being asked something entirely different.


    Does he find the contract suspicious?


    Hugo couldn''t help but stare at Hiro. The look of seriousness on Hiro''s face, he couldn''t bring himself to see through it.


    Just what was this boy before him thinking about? Shouldn''t he be ted to receive such a huge offer? Even by the industrial standard, the contract they had offered to Hiro was way above average.


    There were even a lot of officials in the club who weren''t satisfied with them offering such lucrative contracts to a talent that hadn''t proven himself yet.


    Sure, he had already proven himself in the domestic league. But still, the investment they were making in Hiro was huge.


    If the investment didn''t bore results then they''d suffer massive losses. The investment in Hiro itself was risky. If it wasn''t for Diego Simeone taking a liking to Hiro, the deal would have already been snubbed.


    Even Hugo himself held huge doubt over the investment.


    Just what had the coach seen in him to go out of his way to vouch for an unknown talent?


    With the investment they were making in Hiro, they could have easily bought a proven talent to fill the vacant position.


    Hugo looked at him deeply. Then he harrumphed, "Cough! To be honest, I''m not sure about it either. But I believe it has to do something with our manager Simeone."


    Just as Hiro heard the mention of the manager, he pictured the image of the manager in question. He recalled his temper, personality, and authority.


    The man had coached the team for more than a decade already. So, the authority he had on the club was of the highest order. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that he was one of the most powerful men in the entire club.


    If that person had taken a liking to him then it exined why he had been offered such a lucrative contract. Though they had invested a great sum in Joao Felix previously, they didn''t receive the investment they had put in him.


    So, what made him want to invest in an unknown talent like him?


    Hiro couldn''t help but doubt the intention of the manager. Pondering for a while, he cast a gaze at Hugo. He wanted to ask him to rify but immediately dispelled the thought.


    Even if he were to ask him, he wouldn''t be able to answer after all.


    Seeing him with such acent look on his face, Hugo tried tofort him, "Although I don''t know the reason why you were offered such a lucrative contract, I can tell you with certainty that you''ll be regarded as an important yer in the team."


    "After all, the coach has taken a liking to you."


    Hearing him, Hiro felt a bit assured. Exactly, if the coach had taken a liking to him then things wouldn''t get difficult for him. So, he didn''t have to worry too much about the contract.


    Although Diego Simeone didn''t have the reputation of developing a young yer like Pep Guardi, he was still a manager with a fortitude of experience and knowledge in his bag.


    With his decades of experience, the experience he''ll receive under his wing would be valuable nheless.


    Even so, he couldn''tpletely eradicate the doubts. After all, the philosophy of the team he was about to represent was focused on counterattacking football and he was used to ying attacking football.


    Be it in the club or the national team, he was used to ying attacking football.


    So, why did manager Simeone take a liking to him?


    The failure of Griezmann in Barcelona was evident to him. Griezmann who was adept in ying counterattacking football couldn''t adapt to the attacking ways of Barcelona.


    So, he might be unable to adapt to the ways of Athletico too.


    Countless doubts were emerging in his mind but he chose to keep those doubts to himself. After all, even if he were to ask the person before him, he might not be able to get any answer out of him.


    But it''d be an entirely different case if he got to talk to the manager directly. So, he couldn''t help but ask about the possibility, "Sir, Is there any way I can talk to the manager?"


    Hugo let out a heartyugh, "Hahaha..., that was the main purpose of my visit."


    Dumbfounded by the remark, he couldn''t help but stare at the man dazedly. Wasn''t he here to discuss the contract? So, what was he saying right now?


    Hiro felt puzzled.


    The man then lifted the briefcase and brought out aptop.


    "Give me a second," he said before using theptop.


    He was video-calling the manager. The very person to whom Hiro wanted to talk about his


    future.


    "As you know the manager is a busy person. So, he couldn''te here in person. So, I hope you understand it," Hugo said.


    Hiro nodded, "I understand, sir. Even getting to talk to him is a huge achievement for me."


    Hiro tried to remain as humble as he could. But he wasn''t sugarcoating his words. He meant what he said. After all, Diego Simeone, a man of his stature was regarded as a legendary manager in the world of football.


    The loyalty he had for the team was an incredible feat that was talked about worldwide.

 Chapter 584: Conversation with the Manager

    Chapter 584: Conversation with the Manager


    ?


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that the current sess of Atl¨¦tico Madrid isrgely thanks to Diego Simeone. Before his arrival, the league was typically dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid.


    However, when Simeone took over and implemented his philosophy-centered on defensive solidity, quick counter-attacks, and a highly disciplined team structure¡ªhe rapidly transformed the squad into title contenders.


    In his debut season, he led the team to Europa League glory and followed it up with even more silverware, including La Liga titles in the 2013-14 and 2020-21 seasons, breaking the long-standing dominance of the Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly. Simeone''s pragmatic approach earned him wide recognition, even though it contrasts with the possession-based philosophies of clubs like Barcelona and Manchester City.


    As the call connected, Hiro was greeted by the sight of an older man with sharp, angr features, piercing eyes, and slicked-back dark hair-Diego Simeone. Dressed in a sleek ck suit, the Atl¨¦tico Madrid manager wore a warm, weing smile.


    "Are you with him, Hugo?" Simeone asked.


    "Yes, sir. I''m with him now," Hugo responded respectfully, before turning to Hiro and asking, "Are you familiar with Spanish?"


    Hiro shook his head. "I understand a little."


    "That works," Hugo replied with a smile. "I''ll help with the trantion."


    As Hugo turned the screen towards him, Simeone spoke warmly, "Hello, Hiro. It''s a pleasure to finally speak with you. Hugo has probably already told you that I personally rmended you for this opportunity."


    Hugo tranted Simeone''s words, and Hiro nodded, replying confidently, "Yes, sir, I''ve heard. But, if I may be direct, I have a few questions I''d like to ask first."


    Simeone appreciated fearlessness in young yers, and Hiro''s boldness earned him a faint smirk. "Go ahead," the manager replied, leaning forward with interest.


    "Why me?" Hiro asked bluntly. "I don''t mean any disrespect, nor do I question your judgment, but I can''t help wondering about your ns for me."


    Hugo, who had also been curious, leaned in to listen closely. Although he knew the club''s situation, even he couldn''t fully grasp why Simeone had chosen a young, rtively inexperienced yer over a proven veteran.


    Simeone''s smirk grew, "Would you believe me if I said it''s partly intuition?" he began. "I can already see you''re a talented yer, and I''m aware of the risk I''m taking. But I do not doubt that you''ll adapt quickly."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "The fundamentals are already in ce, but I''m missing creativity in the squad, and I see you as the perfect piece of the puzzle."


    "You might''ve heard from Eric," Simeone continued, "but in a year, Griezmann will be leaving the club. That doesn''t mean you''ll be expected to fill his shoes immediately, but I see you as a key yer for the future."


    As he spoke, an intensity shed in Simeone''s eyes, "Don''t feel pressured by that¡ªjust know that you have my trust, and the club will be patient with your progress. I guarantee you''ll get ying time."


    Suddenly, Simeone''s tone darkened as he added, "But let me be blunt: you have three years to make your mark. I hope you understand what I''m saying."


    Thesest words struck Hiro deeply. Simeone''s honesty and the time limit he had set felt real and sincere. If the contract was as valuable as Eric had exined, the club would certainly expect a return on their investment.


    Atl¨¦tico Madrid, a top-tier club, wasn''t offering him this opportunity without expecting great things.


    With this, Hiro''s lingering doubts faded. He understood his role: he was being groomed to rece Griezmann.


    The conversation continued, and Simeone patiently answered all of Hiro''s questions. By the end, Hiro had a clear understanding of the coach''s tactical philosophy and the specific role he would y on the team.


    He realized that Simeone had been drawn to him because of his work rate, creativity, and ability to disrupt opposing defenses. It was clear: this was a pivotal moment in his career.


    And with this understanding, Hiro felt ready to face the challenge ahead.


    "Thank you, sir," Hiro bowed his head as he thanked the manager for answering his questions without getting annoyed.


    Simeone smiled warmly, "Are your doubts cleared? If you still have something to ask, I''m more than willing to answer."


    Hiro responded with a smile, shaking his head, "You''ve already answered the questions that I have been curious about. So, I don''t want to trouble you more sir."


    "Is that so," he said with a solemn expression. "Then it was a pleasure to talk to you, Hiro. We''ll meet soon."


    With that, the call ended.


    Hugo stared fixedly at him with an amusing smile on his face. Upon locating the smile, Hiro couldn''t help but ask, "Did I say something wrong?"


    Hugo immediately shook his head and responded in a soft tone, "No, I just found that you''re a rather interesting fellow. And I get this feeling that we''ll get along well in the future."


    Hiro felt confused by the remarks he made. Nheless, he agreed, "Yeah, I hope so too."


    After that, they sat there for a while and left the restaurant after a hearty meal. In the meantime, Hugo shared his experience. As a listener, Hiro patiently listened to him without ever interrupting.


    Later Hiro returned to his home and pondered over the matter he had discussed with the manager. As he recalled the moment, he felt astonished by himself.


    He felt astonished to have talked with such a great manager without being intimidated.


    ''Just how was I able to talk to him sofortably?'' Hiro felt puzzled and astonished by the earlier conversation. ''Just when did I grow this much?''


    The more he thought about it the more he felt puzzled. Unable to figure it out, he stopped pondering about it.


    With a carefree attitude, he revealed a sigh, "Sigh! Seems like I''ll have to procure some result


    in this season to convince the fans."


    Right now, he was lying on the bed with his back t against the mattress.


    Throwing himself up, he stood and said, "Yosh! Let''s go train."


    He was pulsating with energy and determination.

 Chapter 585: Farewell!

    Chapter 585: Farewell!


    ?


    Inconspicuously dressed in ck, Hiro and the rest arrived at the airport. At the moment, alongside Naoto and others, Hiro was inside a taxi.


    The taxi was stuffed and they had to squeeze inside the taxi like a pig squeezed inside a cupboard. With them squeezed together, there was hardly any space to move.


    Filled with ufortable grunts andints, the inside of the taxi was rather chaotic. Even with the AC, it was hot inside.


    Hiro, who was seated at the window seat at the back was finding it equally hard. Normally, the back seat could only fit three yers. But due to the presence of jacked members, he was finding it rather ufortable.


    Previously, he had suggested that they book three different cabs. However, due to one person''s clumsiness, the situation led to this.


    Just as they arrived at the airport, Hiro heard his phone buzz.


    Feeling the vibration, he tried to reach out to the phone in his pocket. However, due to the limited space, he found it extremely hard to reach his phone.


    "Argh! Can you all shut up," Hiro yelled furiously.


    If theck of mobility wasn''t enough, they had to add fuel to the burning fire by being damn noisy. Can''t they shut up for a while?


    At once, Yutaka, Ehara, and others quietened. Even the driver felt startled by the sudden yell and he couldn''t help but steal nces at the backseat looking at the rearview mirror.


    Naoto who was seated at the passenger seat, smiled sheepishly. He was sharing the seat with Kenta.


    Sharing the pitch in the youth leagues, they had met after a long while.


    If it wasn''t for Shun who was leaving the country, the reunion might have still been postponed. At this moment, inside the cab, there were five pro yers.


    The driver, however, waspletely unaware of it. However, from the content of their conversation, he was aware that they were footballers.


    But he didn''t have the slightest idea that he was hosting three national yers.


    If he hadn''t been offered the lucrative sum those bunches were offering, he wouldn''t even have taken on their offer. After all, he had exceeded the amount of people he was supposed to be hosting.


    However, those bunches had convinced him that they''d bear the fine if they were to be caught. Also, they promised him more money than the initial fare.


    It was a shady deal but the pay was great.


    Reaching out to his pocket, Hiro, somehow managed to reach his phone. The call was from Shun. Probably, he was waiting for them.


    After all, the flight was departing soon. So, he must have felt worried that they hadn''t made it to the airport until now.


    "Where are you guys?" Shun was exasperated, frustration and impatience evident in his voice.


    Hiro responded in a soothing tone, contrasting the frustration he had shown a moment earlier, "We''ve just arrived at the airport. We''ll be there in a few minutes."


    Hearing him, Shun''s expression lightened. He felt at ease, "Hurry up, guys. The flight will be leaving soon."


    The cab then swerved a corner and stopped. Immediately, Hiro opened the door. He couldn''t stand any longer sitting there with his legs squeezed.


    Upon exiting the cab, he exhaled deeply, "Huff!"


    The rest followed suit. However, while exiting the cab, Tatsuki and some guys stumbled. Falling on the ground, they whined andined.


    "Argh! Ehara get off my leg," Tatsuki billowed.


    Even leaving the cab was proving to be stressful. Well, from how they had squeezed tightly inside the cab, it was to be expected.


    Grumbling, they got out of the cab. Then Naoto handed the driver his promised bill. He even added a few thousand more yen because he felt sorry for him.


    After all, he had to keep up with their rants all this time.


    Shun was already surrounded by a few other people but when he noticed the sight of Hiro and others, his face brightened.


    "Why are you sote?" He asked.


    Though he was ted to see them, he was also frustrated at theirck of punctuality. If they had beente even fifteen minutes more, he''d have already boarded the ne.


    Faced with his question, almost every single eye turned to look at Tatsuki. Those eyes were clearly saying that it was all thanks to him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Just from their gesture alone, Shun could tell that it had something to do with Tatsuki. So, he didn''t press further on the matter. Rather he was happy that they could make it.


    Seeing all his teammates together, he couldn''t help but feel exhrated. The sight of all his friends with whom he had spent his early years made him nostalgic.


    He felt as if those moments had happened only recently.


    The moments of camaraderie, the fights and disagreements in the squad, the moment they conquered the league together, and all those moments of sorrow and joy, he began to recall all those events.


    For a while, he couldn''t even bring himself to respond. Lost in his reverie, he remained silent while the people around him congratted him.


    Though he remained lost in his reverie, he was smiling. It was as if he relieving those moments of joy at this very moment.


    Some had dressed inconspicuously while some had dressed casually.


    As they waited alongside him, they chatted about their present life and past moments. Relieving those beautiful moments together, they shared their story. Laughing and chatting, they expressed their happiness.


    Some had even quit football while some were struggling. Some had achieved huge sess while some had hung their boots.


    The passerby upon hearing and seeing themotion couldn''t help but steal nces at them. Some found it weird while some found it refreshing. Seeing the passion those youngsters


    shared brought smiles to the faces of many older generations.


    They could tell that they had gathered to send one of their friends.


    "Sir, can you tell those kids to quieten down?" one of the peopleined to the security personnel, pointing at the group of kids that were being loud.


    "Yes, sir. Even if they''re here to send their friend, they should respect the privacy of others. They can''t just be making noise like this, disturbing others," another olddy chimed in.


    Heeding theirints, the security guard said before heading in their direction, "We''ll do something about it, esteemed customers."


    The ones whoined seemed rather opulent. They were dressed luxuriously, hinting at the abundance of wealth they possessed.


    So, he didn''t disobey their request.


    As for those youths, they didn''t seem like any important figure. And even though there wasn''t


    a rule stating that you couldn''t rejoice inside the airport, he didn''t want to offend those important figures over some youths.

 Chapter 586: Unruly Request

    Chapter 586: Unruly Request


    ?


    Acknowledging theints, the security guard responded politely, "We''ll take care of it, esteemed guests."


    The people who voiced their concerns seemed affluent, their attire suggesting wealth and status. The guard, not wanting to offend these prominent individuals, approached the group of teenagers.


    The young crowd, who were full of excitement, didn''t appear to have much influence or importance. While no airport rules prohibited lively goodbyes, the guard understood that keeping the peace was part of his duty.


    As the guard approached the group, Hiro was among them. He had been absorbed in the warmth of his friends''pany, theirughter helping him forget the nervousness that had been tugging at him all morning.


    This farewell at the airport was a bittersweet moment, one filled with excitement about his next step and a tinge of sadness about parting ways with his friends. Just as the guard cleared his throat to speak, Hiro noticed him.


    "Sorry to interrupt, but could you keep it down a bit?" the guard asked, trying to be polite but firm.


    The group fell silent upon hearing him, exchanging nces. Hiro stepped forward,


    understanding the situation, "Of course, we didn''t mean to disturb anyone," he said with a respectful nod. "We''ll tone it down."


    The guard then gave him a respectful nod before turning to leave. Although he didn''t speak rudely, other members didn''t like getting interrupted.


    Especially Tatsuki, he couldn''t stopining, "We can''t even bid farewell to our friend? From when did they start imposing such a rule that stated that you can''t have lively goodbyes?"


    He was annoyed by the guard''s insistence to quieten down. After all, other people inside the airport were being equally loud. So, how could he only demand them to tone it down?


    Hiro, however, didn''t want to create an issue. So, he heeded his request without any signs of hesitation.


    After that, he helped others to quiet down. He wanted to avoid creating a ruckus as much as possible. Aware of Tatsuki''s short temper, he first helped him calm down.


    They then resumed their conversation. Compared to a moment ago, they had quietened substantially. Even so, he found the guard approaching them.


    At this point, they weren''t even being that loud. So, why was he heading their way again? For sure, it shouldn''t have something to do with them.


    Hiro tried to dismiss the thought. After all, he might be overthinking. So, he ignored the approaching guard and continued to chat with his friends.


    However, a littleter, he found the guard stopping beside them.


    "Dear guests, can you quieten your tone a little more? I know I have already said it before and I''m well aware that you have lowered your voices. But other customers are stillining. So, I hope you''ll understand my position," the guard said courteously.


    He appeared genuine about the things he had spoken.


    Even so, Tatsuki who had barely held himself previously couldn''t receive the criticism any further. Hearing his words made his blood boil.


    The previous warning had already spoiled his mood. But now that he was hearing it for the second time, he couldn''t hold back. So, he snapped, "What do you mean by quieten down? We aren''t even making that much noise. Are you targeting us deliberately because we all look young?"


    The guard upon hearing him felt his heart palpitate for a split second. He appeared like the spitting image of an enraged bear.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Even so, he tried to calm the situation. Apologizing continuously, he asked Tatsuki to calm down. But he wouldn''t calm down at all.


    Well, he wasn''t in the wrong.


    Other members were equally annoyed by the unruly request.


    "Yeah, we aren''t even making that much noise. So, why do you keep asking us to lower our voices?"


    "Can''t we even talk?"


    Slowly, themotion spread as others chimed in. The other guards that were stationed away also made their way to them after seeing their colleague in a difficult situation.


    The previous guard was trying his best to mediate the situation. But it didn''t seem like they were in the mood to listen.


    With so many of them fighting against the guard, even Hiro couldn''t contain the situation. But who exactly was this customer, he kept mentioning? Hiro couldn''t help but feel curious about the customers who keptining.


    By now, a lot of people had gathered over there. There were even a few who were making a video. The guards were finding it equally difficult to control the situation.


    Hiro with his mouth shut kept sweeping his gaze through the crowd, searching for the people who hadined.


    There were a few that caught his interest. But he couldn''t be sure if it was them. So, he asked the guards, "Sir, can you tell who those people are?"


    The guard looked at him skeptically. Was he going to find trouble with those people? He couldn''t help but feel worried. So, he felt rather hesitant to point them out.


    Hiro saw through his hesitation and assured him, "We just want to apologize to them directly. You don''t have to feel troubled, sir."


    Though he sounded convincing, the guard couldn''t bring himself to trust him fully. After all, the people before him appeared as if they would punch them in the face.


    Especially, Tatsuki.


    "Why should we apo-''


    "1


    Tatsuki was about toin but was interrupted by Naoto. He could see through Hiro''s intention. So, he didn''t want Tatsuki to disrupt the opportunity he had created.


    The guard then hesitantly said, "If you really want to apologize then I''ll bring you to them.


    But you can''t bring him with you."


    By him, he was indicating to Tatsuki.


    "Sure, sir," Hiro nodded, his tone polite.


    Sighing, the guard then brought him to the people who hadined. They clearly looked unhappy about facing him.


    "We asked you to quieten them down. But why have you brought one of them here instead?" scoffed a rather affluent-looking olddy.


    Thedy was covered in luxurious brands from head to toe. Almost every single part of her body was oozing luxury.

 Chapter 587: Riot

    Chapter 587: Riot


    ?


    Her self-imposing attitude was beyond the bars. Just from a nce alone, Hiro could tell that he couldn''t talk sense with the woman before him.


    The guard, apologized, "Sorry, mam. This gentleman over here wanted to apologize to you personally. So, I brought him over."


    Thedy cast a dismissive nce at Hiro, her lip curling in distaste before she returned her icy gaze to the guard, "You people really can''t handle even the simplest tasks, can you?" she said, her voice dripping with condescension.


    She then turned her attention back to Hiro, eyes narrowing as if he were beneath her notice. "Well, go on then. Apologize quickly and leave. My time is far too valuable for this nonsense."


    Hiro felt his patience being tested, but he held himself together. Anyone else might have lost their temper by now, but Hiro remained calm, determined not to give in to her provocations. "I understand you''re upset, ma''am," Hiro began, his voice steady but firm, "but there''s no need to treat people this way. Respect goes both ways."


    The woman scoffed, clearly unimpressed, "Spare me your lessons on respect. You don''t know who I am or the connections I have," she sneered, her hand waving dismissively as if Hiro''s words were nothing more than an annoyance.


    "Do you think a little speech from a nobody like you matters?"


    She then took out her phone and dialed quickly, a smug smile spreading across her face as she spoke, "Yes, I''d like to speak to the manager. Now."


    Hanging up the call, she sneered, "You lot should be kicked out of the airport for you to understand."


    Hiro, however, didn''t say anything. He wanted to see what thisdy was up to. The guard, however, looked flustered, begging, "Mam, it''s not even a big deal. He''s only a kid. Is there any need to be so harsh on him?"


    He hadn''t expected that the situation would escte this further. Had he known, he wouldn''t have brought Hiro over.


    The guard was even hinting at Hiro to run away. But Hiro was adamant too. So, he refused to leave. He wanted to witness the so-called authority thatdy was unting.


    Within minutes, the airport manager arrived, clearly summoned by her authority. He was a middle-aged man with a stern expression, the kind who had probably dealt with many entitled passengers over the years but was now bowing to the woman''s influence.


    "Is there a problem here?" the manager asked, eyeing Hiro before turning to the woman with a deferential nod.


    "This boy and his friends were disturbing everyone. I asked them to be quiet, but instead ofplying, they act like they own the ce," she exaggerated, her tone oozing with entitlement. "I demand that he be removed from the airport immediately."


    The manager, eager to please, turned to Hiro with a scowl, "You''ve caused enough trouble, young man. We can''t tolerate behavior like this. If you don''t leave right now, we''ll have you escorted out."


    Hiro''s eyes narrowed, he was amused by the prejudicial treatment. He hadn''t even heard their side of the story. Yet, he was already concluding. He couldn''t be more impressed by him, "Escorted out? For what exactly? We were just saying our goodbyes, and we weren''t breaking any rules. There''s nothing written that says we can''t be lively in an airport."


    The manager''s face flushed, his authority being questioned, "It''s not about rules-it''s aboutmon courtesy! You''ve disturbed our valued customers," he snapped, ncing at the wealthy woman as if to validate her importance.


    "Common courtesy goes both ways," Hiro replied calmly but firmly. "What about the way she''s treating everyone around her? Isn''t that a disturbance to the peace? She''s the one being rude, and yet you''re willing to kick me out based on her word alone?"


    The manager''s face turned an even deeper shade of red, clearly flustered. His authority was being challenged in front of the other passengers, and he couldn''t stand it, "You''ll leave now, or I''ll have security remove you by force," he threatened, his voice shaking with anger.


    Hiro stood his ground, "You can try, but before you do, maybe you should know who you''re talking to."


    The manager frowned in confusion, as did the woman, who looked at Hiro with even more disdain as if she couldn''t believe he''d dare challenge her.


    Hiro reached out to his mask and cap. Then he removed the cover he had been using. When the manager saw his appearance, his eyes widened in shock. "You''re... Hiro Takahashi?" he stammered, his anger immediately draining away, reced with panic.


    The woman, noticing the manager''s sudden change in demeanor, frowned, "Who is he?" she demanded.


    Before the manager could respond, whispers began to ripple through the nearby crowd. Some of the onlookers recognized Hiro, and within moments, a small group of people began gathering around, their excitement growing as they realized who was standing before them. "It''s Hiro! The rising football star!"


    "That''s him! I saw him in the news justst week!"


    As more people crowded around, the woman''s smug expression faltered, realizing the situation was no longer in her favor. Hiro remained calm, watching as the manager''s confidence crumbled.


    Naoto and the others too made their way to Hiro.


    "What happened, Hiro?" said Naoto concernedly.


    "He wants to kick us out of the airport," Hiro scoffed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Hearing him, Tatsuki felt his blood boiling. His face twisted into a sneer as he scoffed, "You want to kick us out?"


    Immediately others recognized them as well. Themotion grew evenrger as the people recognized these stars gathered here.


    What were the airport staff thinking? Did they want to kick out their national stars? Is this how they treat their national heroes?


    The crowd of people couldn''t help but feel furious.


    Realizing the predicament he had been caught, the manager immediately changed his


    attitude.


    "I-I had no idea," the manager stammered, trying to regain hisposure. "I apologize for the misunderstanding, Mr. Takahashi. I didn''t recognize you."


    Hiro gave him a level look, "You shouldn''t need to recognize someone to treat them fairly," he said, his voice measured but pointed. "No one should be judged by their wealth or status."

 Chapter 588: Transfer crisis

    Chapter 588: Transfer crisis


    ?


    After resolving the issue with the manager, Hiro and the others turned their attention to Shun, knowing it was time to say their farewells.


    Shun''s expression grew somber, his reluctance to part with the group evident.


    Sensing his hesitation, Hiro stepped forward to console him, saying, "Therees a point when we all face a crossroads. Today, it''s your turn. Tomorrow, it could be me or someone else. The journey that we''ve shared has been unforgettable, but this isn''t the end of our friendship. We''ll stay in touch."


    As Hiro finished, he extended his hand for a handshake. Shun looked deeply at him before ncing at the others, who smiled warmly in return. Their reassuring smiles eased his sadness.


    Feeling a sense of peace, Shun grasped Hiro''s hand and then pulled him into a hug.


    "Don''t leave us out!" someone called, and soon they all embraced in a tight, group hug, just like they did after a major victory.


    The bond they shared was irreceable.


    Click! Click! Click!


    Many onlookers at the airport terminal couldn''t resist capturing the moment, touched by the deep friendship they witnessed.


    ********


    The picture of them hugging went viral. Just in a day, it umted thousands of likes andments. Many people wished Shun well while many couldn''t help but grieve over the loss of an amazing home-grown talent.


    That picture, however, wasn''t simple.


    Many people could see the foreshadowing exit of other young superstars as well. They were well aware that he wouldn''t be the only one.


    He might be the first one from the golden generation of Kawasaki youth to leave but surely, he wouldn''t be the only one.


    Many media outlets covered the news. Amidst the coverage, the incident regarding the tyranny of the airport manager and the richdy also made it to the news.


    That incident garnered a lot of attention. Especially, the manager, he had to shoulder the entire hate. As for the richdy, she came out of it almost unscathed.


    Later the airport, unable to bear the pressure issued an apology which followed with the dismissal of the manager.


    Hiro, however, was unaffected by the event. Neither he cared about their apology nor the dismissal of the rude manager.


    The season was about to start. So, he couldn''t afford to get distracted by such matters. Since he had already signed the contract, it was going to be hisst season here.


    So, he had to leave an impact memorable enough.


    He couldn''t leave the club without giving anything in return. Sure, one might argue that he had already helped them win the league previously.


    But he couldn''t be satisfied with only that.


    ********


    Inside the club office, Haruki and a few other officials sat. The club office was rtively silent and almost everyone appeared anxious.


    Haruki then stood and said in a rather agitated tone, "How could the deal copse?"


    Hearing him, the other people in the room exchanged nces.


    "Coach, we had already agreed personal terms with Yamane. But at thest moment, they decided to go with Yokohama."


    Upon hearing him, Haruki fiercely looked at the sports director.


    He was a middle-aged man with bulging eyes and a high nose bridge. At the moment, he had a rather terrified expression on his face.


    His temples were covered in sweat and his eyes seemed like they could pop out of his eye sockets any moment.


    Although he had a rather broad shoulder, at the moment he had tucked his elbows together.


    Haruki let out a deep sigh, attempting to ease his expression a little. Then he said, "Didn''t you offer him a satisfactory contract? If only you would have offered him a satisfactory contract, he wouldn''t have changed his mind."


    Mukojima had offered him a very lucrative sry. Despite that Yamane chose to y for Yokohama. So, it couldn''t be said that the faulty in him. After all, he had offered him the best possible contract a club could offer a newbie like him.


    Riku Yamane, a rather talented defensive midfielder was built like a rock. He could handle both defensive and offensive responsibilities well. Especially, his ability to retain his position was something that even coach Haruki vied for.


    So, Haruki whocked a robust defensive midfielder had ced him under the most important signing. With their starting defensive midfielder retiring, he was the most idle option.


    So, Haruki had wanted to sign him under any circumstances.


    Initially, they had agreed personal terms with the yer. But at thest moment, they heard the news that Yokohama F Marinos had snatched him.


    So, obviously, they wouldn''t feel good having their key transfer stolen under their nose.


    With him gone, they had to shift their attention elsewhere.


    Mukojima couldn''t help but curse the yer that had gotten him into this predicament. He had to suffer the wrath of the Manager and he wasn''t happy about it.


    Failing to get the deal done, it had left a rather nasty stain on his glorious career.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Infuriated, he thought with his teeth gritted, ''You brat! If you had been dissatisfied with the agreed deal then you should have at least spoken to me before. Rejecting the league champions to side with Yokohama, you have made a foolish deal.''


    Even if he were to make an issue out of it, Haruki was aware that he wouldn''t get anywhere with it. So, he decided to cast the matter aside and focus on the solution instead. After all, the matter regarding the signing of a new defensive midfielder was urgent.


    So, he couldn''t allow himself to remain fixated on a matter that couldn''t be solved. Instead, he had to search for another solution.


    With that thought in mind, he sat down and picked a document from the pile of documents before him. Although Yamane was their key transfer, he wasn''t the only option.


    They had selected a few other options as well.


    In this season, they had to restructure their team. This scenario was mostly due to the foreign


    club targeting their yers after the sessful season they had.


    Since they had been dominating the league for a while, their yers had received a lot of attention from clubs around the world.

 Chapter 589: Betrayal

    Chapter 589: Betrayal


    ?


    With their key transfer faltering, they had no option but to look for someone else. But it was easier said than done.


    Most of the good options had already been snubbed.


    It would have been much easier to sign a forward or a defender. But most of the clubs were unwilling to sell their defensive midfielder.


    Also, defensive midfielders were rather scarcepared to other positions.


    So, despite having adequate funds, they were finding it rather difficult to find a good recement.


    Frustrated by the failure to sign the yer of his desire, Haruki anxiously skimmed through the documents before him.


    At this moment, almost everybody present in the room was looking at him. They were awaiting his decision. Even though the sports director had the authority to sign yers, they still had to discuss the matter with the coach.


    "Takeshi Ono," Haruki mumbled softly.


    Among the options present before him, this one was slightly better. Even so, he couldn''t help but feel uncertain about the signing.


    Although he could tell that the yer before him was talented, he couldn''t help but feel concerned about his history of injuries.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bothered by Ono''s record of injuries, he felt uncertain about signing him. But he could tell that if Takeshi could avoid injuries he''d be a great asset to the team.


    So, he tossed the paper to the sports director and asked, "How is he right now?"


    Since it was Mokujima who had prepared the list, Mokujima was well aware of the details of the yers present in the list.


    Initially, he also thought highly of Ono. After all, he had been fabulous during his younger years and Ono had also represented the nation once.


    When Ono was unhindered by injuries, he had been the main man of Sagan Tosu, earning himself the nickname of "Adhesive of Sagan Tosu", due to his marvelous performance.


    Simr to Hiro, who had earned the title of the most important yer on the team, Ono had also achieved the same recognition on his team.


    But he also had concerns regarding his injuries.


    Despite being a tough guy, Ono was rather susceptible to injuries.


    Even so, he believed that Ono could shine. So, he began to vouch for him, "At the moment, he''s recovering from a minor muscle tear. But he''ll be avable before the start of the season."


    Upon hearing him, Haruki pondered deeply about the matter before giving Mokujima the green light to initiate the signing process, "Then proceed with him."


    Mokujima felt relieved upon hearing him. Finally, he could breathe a sigh of relief. The atmosphere inside the room had been rather tense until now.


    "Yes, sir," he said with enthusiasm.


    ********


    Inside the club office of Sagan Tosu, a rather bulky individual was seated. Before him sat a rather old-looking man dressed in casual fitted clothes.


    The old man appeared rather hesitant. It was almost as if he had been having trouble speaking something.


    The bulky individual with wide shoulders and a rather short frame furrowed his brows as he asked in a worried and anxious tone, "Sir, just tell me clearly what you want to say. Please don''t talk in circles."


    The old man sighed upon hearing him, "Sigh! It seems like I''ll have to be blunt."


    Hearing him, the robust individual started having an omen. His heart sank and he started feeling even more anxious than before.


    Takeshi Ono was the robust individual with a short frame and neatly trimmed hair who sat there at the moment. He was dressed in a tightly fitted grey t-shirt thatplimented his muscles underneath and casual ck shorts.


    To his sidey a crutch resting on the table before him.


    The old man before him was the manager of the Sagan Tosu.


    Frowning, the elderly gentleman reached into the drawer under the table and retrieved some papers. Then he handed the paper to Ono.


    Ono was puzzled and curious to receive those papers.


    He couldn''t help but feel curious about the content of the paper.


    The manager then broke the news in a rather dejected tone, "The club has decided to sell you. These are the offers we''ve received."


    Upon hearing those words, Takeshi felt betrayed. He had given so much to the team. But now when his form had been deteriorating, the club had decided to cast him away.


    Even though he was well aware of the cruelty of the professional league, he still couldn''t help but feel sad about the news.


    It''s not that he wasn''t aware of it.


    He had been hearing some rumors regarding his possible transfer. But he couldn''t bring himself to ept those rumors.


    But now that he heard from his coach, he felt devastated by the news. He felt as if the sky had befallen him.


    With trembling fingers, he reached out to the papers.


    Even the manager took notice of his expression and felt pity for him. During his peak, he was regarded as an untouchable asset.


    But now, the club had decided to cast him away with ease.


    Thinking about Ono''s feelings, he felt guilt for him. However, despite being the manager, he was helpless against the pressure from the higher-ups.


    If only he hadn''t suffered that major injury, he''d have had a glorious career.


    ''The world of professional sport is harsh.'' the old man thought sighing helplessly.


    Takeshi unwilling to ept that he had been cast aside still reached for the papers. Then he began to skim through the offers.


    The offers he had received were all from lower leagues. So, none of those offers excited him. Even though he hadn''t been able to perform well, he was aware that his form hadn''t deteriorated to the level of being demoted to a lower league.


    After skimming through the offers, he looked at the manager, his eyes disying hesitation.


    The manager could tell that he wasn''t satisfied with the offer. Well, he had already read the offer. So, he was aware that it wouldn''t satisfy him.


    If it had been satisfactory enough, he wouldn''t have trouble disclosing the news in the first


    ce.


    Yet still, the club had to offload him due to his sry cap being way too high.

 Chapter 590: Deal Done!

    Chapter 590: Deal Done!


    ?


    Takeshi felt unwilling to ept the offer presented to him. So, he looked at the manager, expecting a helping hand.


    However, upon noticing the manager''s expression, he realized thatining was futile. He could tell that the manager was helpless.


    He was well aware that he''d either be loaned out or sold.


    Frowning, he muttered, "Can I have time to think?"


    The manager nodded, "Take your time, Ono."


    Takeshi bowed and stood, "Thank you for taking care of me until now."


    The manager couldn''t bring himself to respond. He was at a loss for words. He could only look at him pitifully.


    With the support of his crutch, Ono hobbled out of the office.


    "Just where did it all go wrong?" the manager mumbled while looking at the closed door. By now, Ono had already left the room.


    Sagan Tosu had signed him from Kiryu Daichi High School.


    From the moment, he made his debut, his impact was evident, eventually earning him the nickname "Adhesive of Sagan Tosu", for his excellent ball control and ability to connect the passes.


    Due to his immediate impact, he garnered a lot of attention from other clubs. So, the club having no other option had to renew his contract.


    This led to an increase in his sry. At the same time, the club got the opportunity to increase the amount in his release use.


    If it weren''t for the contract renewal, he''d have already been snatched by some other club.


    Although the contract renewal prevented the impending problem now it has be a thorn in their path.


    If they don''t release him, they have to keep paying him the exorbitant sry they have promised him. But if they manage to offload him, they could release the wage cap.


    So, the higher-ups were desperate to get rid of him.


    Even though the manager thought otherwise he was absolutely helpless. Despite being only twenty-one, he had to go through such harshness.


    Right after leaving the manager''s office, Takeshi phoned his agent.


    The phone buzzed for a while before his agent picked up the call.


    "Hello, Takeshi," said the other person on the phone.


    Skipping the pleasantries, he asked directly, "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    The other person on the phone was clearly aware of what he was talking about. So, he couldn''t bring himself to act confused.


    Frowning, he mumbled, "Kosuke asked me to keep quiet about it until he tells you. So, I couldn''t tell you."


    Takeshi was well aware of the rtionship between the manager of the team and his agent. They were brothers after all. So, he wasn''t surprised when he heard that the manager had asked his agent to keep the matter confidential.


    Neither was he angry at those two.


    He was aware that with his deteriorating form, he''d get sold or loaned. Also, he was well aware of the club''s recent purchases.


    From the moment the club signed a new defensive midfielder and promoted a youth whose position ovepped with his, he was aware that his days in the club were limited.


    Even so, he clung on to the tiniest hope that he wouldn''t get sidelines.


    However, right now, everything crumbled apart.


    With a sunken heart, he ended the call without saying anything more. He had already heard enough. So, he wasn''t in the mood to hear their words of constion.


    The decision had to be made whether he liked it or not.


    The agent felt sad about it. Yet still, he couldn''t bring himself to call him again. Having been his agent for a year, he was aware of his personality.


    He was aware that he required time alone right now. So, he didn''t try to contact him immediately. But that didn''t mean that he wasn''t going to contact him.


    He would contact him about an hourter.


    However, no sooner had he hung the call than he heard his phone buzzing again. The caller


    was unknown. Even so, he didn''t feel skeptical about the call.


    After all, he receives a ton of calls from an unknown number.


    So, he received the call, his tone weing, "Hello."


    The caller asked, his tone masculine, "Hello. Am I talking to Kentaro Kitani?"


    Kitani nodded his head, "Yes, how may I help you?"


    "I''m sorry for calling you suddenly. I''m Tatsuru Mokujima, the sports director of Kawasaki Frontale. If you''re avable, I''d like to talk about one of your clients, Takeshi Ono."


    Kitani''s face brightened as he heard the words of the caller. His eyes perked up with joy as he asked in a tone full of reverence, "Yes, sir. What would you like to talk about?"


    They conversed for a while. In their conversation, Kentaro got to know that Kawasaki Frontale was interested in signing Takeshi. This news brought great tion to him and he couldn''t help but feel impatient to share the news with his client.


    Among the offers they had received this one was the best. However, there were a few conditions. So, he had to talk with his client before deciding.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Immediately after the call, he dialed Takeshi''s number.


    Takeshi, however, took some time to pick up the call. Finally, when the call connected, he immediately revealed the news to Takeshi.


    Takeshi, overjoyed with happiness couldn''t believe him at first. He even thought that Kentaro was ying pranks on him.


    After all, Kawasaki''s interest was a huge deal to him. He had already shared the field with Hiro


    a few times.


    But to be able to y alongside him again, he felt exhrated about the possibility.


    "Takeshi, but there are a few conditions," Kentaro''s voice became softer than before.


    "Conditions?"


    "Yes, there are a few conditions. You will be a rotational yer," Kentaro said, his voice sounding a bit gloomy.


    At this point, Takeshi had expected that if he were going to y for an important team, he wouldn''t get the role of the starting yer. So, it didn''t surprise him when he heard the


    condition.


    The opportunity was too good to pass.


    So, despite the condition, he agreed to sign the contract, "I''m ready, Kitani-san. Let''s sign


    the contract."

 Chapter 591: Wind of change

    Chapter 591: Wind of change


    ?


    Casting a brilliant glow on the surface, the mighty sun illuminated brightly in the sky. Wisps of cloudszily stretched across the vast pale blue canvas like brushstrokes from a painter''s hand.


    Basking under the gentle warmth of the morning sun, some individuals dressed in blue could be seen on a certain field.


    They werezily stretching their bodies while chatting idly with each other. asionalughter could be heard among them.


    "Did you hear about the transfers?"


    One of them inquired.


    "Yeah, it feels like catastrophe has hit us," another individual with short ck hair sighed.


    "How could the management sell so many yers in one go?" another individualined while stretching his legs.


    "Indeed, losing five starting yers will definitely hurt."


    While the group of individuals were conversing, a rather tanned-skinned individual arrived at the scene. He had medium-length jet-ck hair, eyes like the night sky, and a rather robust frame with wide shoulders.


    Seeing those groups gathered together, he greeted them, "Good morning, everyone."


    Hearing the greeting, the group of individuals turned to look at him. Seeing him, some of their lips curled into a smile.


    "Good morning, Seko!"


    They greeted Tatsuki cheerfully.


    Smiling, Seko mumbled with a rather nostalgic tone, "It feels like an eternity since Ist saw you guys. How have you all been?"


    Responding to his question, they said that they had been fine. After that, they exchanged some pleasantries and questioned each other about their holidays.


    After a while, somebody mentioned the matter regarding the mass transfers.


    Hearing about their recent situation, Tatsuki couldn''t help but frown. Although he was briefly aware of their ongoing crisis, he wasn''t aware of the entire details.


    So, when he heard from them about the details, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of crisis. Three of their starting yers had been poached by another club, two of their veterans had retired, and two of their rising young talent had also left the club.


    In total, they had lost seven important yers. Even for a club their size, it was a huge deal and a matter of crisis that required immediate attention.


    Even their previous star midfielder had left the club. Erickson had received an offer from the Saudi club Al-Riyad. With his contract expiring and the use that allowed the yer to leave the club, the club couldn''t do anything about the transfer.


    Well, because he had lost his star status to a young yer, it wasn''t anything surprising


    either. After all, he had been ustomed to the feeling of importance.


    "With Erickson gone, there''ll be even more pressure on Hiro," one of them spoke concernedly.


    The others nodded their head in agreement. After all, they were aware that despite Hiro''s age, he was the one leading the team.


    Just then another asked, "Ahh that''s right! I don''t see Hiro. Isn''t he supposed to be the first one to arrive?"


    They swept their gaze through the field. But couldn''t find Hiro.


    Unable to find Hiro, they shifted their focus to Tatsuki.


    Faced with their gazes, Tatsuki immediately answered, "He said that he had some work left to do. So, he left the house early today."


    Upon hearing him, some of them felt intrigued.


    "So, even the cyborg can gette sometimes due to personal issues huh?" one of themmented.


    They let out a heartyugh and continued with their stretches.


    After about fifteen minutes everybody arrived on the field. Even Hiro managed to make it on time. Haruki, however, was the only missing one.


    Due to the absence of the manager, the session was handled by other coaches.


    Yet for some reason, the intensity of the training was rather high. The coach responsible for the session, a rather old-looking individual with a bald head pushed them beyond their limit. It was the very first training session, yet the intensity of the session was on a whole another level. Amidst the training, one could distinctively hear theints of many yers. Especially, the older yers found the session intolerable.


    Runningp afterp left them utterly exhausted. Some were even on their four limbs. Beep!


    Finally, after about an hour, they were given the chance to rest.


    At this moment, many yers copsed on the field. Panting heavily, theyy with their face facing the sky.


    "Huff! Huff!"


    "Why is the training so intense today?" one of the veteran yersined while gasping heavily.


    "Huff! Exactly... The season hasn''t even... started."


    The bald coach was still jotting down something in the notebook he carried. But hearing theints of the yers, he couldn''t help but want to rify their doubts.


    "It''s better you get adapted to the session soon. This season, the coach has introduced a new tactic, and for that, the work rate must be high," Nagai, the assistant coach said.


    Having worked with coach Haruki for multiple years, the yers were familiar with the coaching style of Haruki. Coach Haruki was the type of coach who updated himself with time.


    He wasn''t one of those traditional coach who didn''t want to evolve. Almost every season, he''d introduce something new.


    But this time, they couldn''t help but exasperate.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The training was extremely demanding and was putting their body under huge burden. So, they couldn''t help but feel dissatisfied with the intensity of the training.


    After all, even the younger generation was suffering. So, how could they expect those old bones to execute such a high-intensity training regime?


    Nagai despite hearing their rants couldn''t bring himself to console them. He was well aware of the burden the training would put on the older yers.


    But he wasn''t cruel enough to destroy their bodies.


    So, he had meticulously nned the session to fit the pte of every yer. Despite that, he couldn''t deny that the older yers would find the session a bit more extreme than the


    younger ones.


    Frowning, Nagai looked helplessly at the yers. Then he continued with his task of


    analyzing their performance.


    Just then while the yers were resting, Haruki arrived on the field. Three new faces were


    apanying him.

 Chapter 592: New members

    Chapter 592: New members


    ?


    Most of the yers couldn''t even bring themselves to lift their heads. They wanted to savor the resting period fully and they didn''t want to be disturbed.


    Yet still, when they heard the noise around them, they couldn''t sit idly.


    Intrigued by themotion, they lifted their head to look at the arriving coach. Behind him, they could see three new faces.


    Squinching their eyes, they tried to get a better look at the appearance of those people.


    Immediately upon realizing the identity of those new people, their eyes opened wide. They were perplexed to find those people in their training ground.


    Two of them weren''t special but the third one, they couldn''t believe.


    "Junya Ito!"


    They eximed in shock.


    Junya Ito was a well-known footballer in Japan. Having capped the national team more than 60 times, he was one of the most famous personalities.


    Aside from his achievements with the national team, his achievements on the club level were equally impressive. Previously, he yed for Kashiwa Reysol, scoring a total of 22 goals in 124 appearances.


    Then he went on to Genk on a one-year loan where he won the Belgian First Division League title, Belgian Cup, and Belgian Super Cup.


    After that brilliant performance, he was signed by Red Bull Salzburg where he made his Champions League debut. But since he couldn''t perform well in Salzburg, he was sold to Genk again.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After spending three years in Genk, he signed for Reims.


    In more than 400 appearances, he had scored more than eighty goals, leaving a mark in the pages of history.


    They couldn''t believe their eyes when they saw him on the field. That person was like a legend to many youngsters.


    There hadn''t been any news regarding his transfer. So, they couldn''t be sure if he had transferred to their club. Nheless, they were excited to see him.


    Hiro, however, didn''t seem surprised. Well, before heading to the training ground, he had already met Ono. So, he wasn''t surprised to see him here.


    But the visit of Ito, even he hadn''t expected it.


    At this time, while everybody''s gaze was fixated on Ito, an athletically built individual waved his hand enthusiastically at him.


    Hiro cast a deep gaze at the individual.


    He had short spiky ck hair, obsidian eyes, and a rather handsome and youthful appearance. Hiro recognized the individual almost immediately.


    The person waving his hand to him at that moment was Ichijou Ryu, one of his juniors.


    ''Read the atmosphere, idiot.'' Hiro thought looking at him.


    While everybody looked serious, Ryu was the only one who appeared as if he was present in a different world. He wasn''t even bothered to be around a famous superstar, his gaze fixated on Hiro, his face disying a weing smile.


    Then again, he recalled that he had always been like that. So, he didn''t even feel surprised by his attitude anymore.


    Around Hiro, the yers were expressing their disbelief. Most of them hadn''t even noticed the presence of Ono or Ryu.


    Sighing, Hiro shifted his attention to the man in the spotlight¨D Junya Ito.


    He had fairly long hair which he had dyed blond. His eyes were the color of the night sky and there was something mysterious hidden beneath it.


    He had a rather average-looking appearance with patches of mustache finalizing his looks.


    But despite his average-looking appearance, there was something ethereal in him that garnered the attention of the onlookers.


    ''Don''t tell me he''s here to sign for the club?''


    Hiro hadn''t heard anything rted to this transfer before. So, he couldn''t help but feel skeptical about the sudden visit of Ito.


    "Everybody, focus here for a second."


    Nagai asked the yers to focus their attention on Haruki.


    Standing before the yers, Haruki cast a stern look at the yers before bringing himself to speak, "I''d like to introduce you to your new teammates."


    Hearing the words of the coach, their eyes perked up, excitement and curiosity evident in their gaze. Some even looked as if they''d spring into action the moment the coach finishes the announcement.


    They couldn''t be more obvious about their intention.


    Hiro, however, was different than the rest. He was already aware of the promotion of Ichijou and the signing of Ono.


    With an indifferent expression, he stood.


    Just as Haruki finished, Takeshi and Ryu stepped forward. Ichijou stood with a proud expression facing the other yers. As for Ono, he didn''t look confident. He couldn''t even bring himself to introduce himself.


    "Hello, everyone. I''m Ichijou Ryu. I''m sixteen-years old. I''m a striker. Please take care of me."


    Ryu introduced himself loudly, his tone full of confidence and excitement. From the moment he had entered, he had been smiling.


    Compared to Hiro, he was entirely different. From the moment, he was promoted to the senior team, hardly anyone had seen him smiling.


    Just from the glee on his face, other yers could tell that Ryu was excited about the


    promotion.


    But at the same time, they were equally puzzled.


    They couldn''t help but wonder why Ito didn''t step forward like the other two. Was he here for


    a simple visit? Were they thinking too much?


    After Ryu stepped back, Ono stepped forward albeit with a nervous step.


    Even though he had been preparing for the moment, he couldn''t bring himself to shake this feeling of nervousness.


    He had already faced such a scenario before. So, why was he feeling like that? He couldn''t be sure about the uneasy feeling that had been running rampant inside him, making him unable to confront the people before him.


    It might be due to his recent deteriorating form that he had started bing timid.


    But he couldn''t entirely me his injuries either. After all, he was equally to be med. If he hadn''t holed himself inside hisfort shell, he wouldn''t be like this.


    If only he had mustered the courage to face those critics. Perhaps, it would have been


    different.


    But now that he alreadye so far, he couldn''t me his actions either.


    Rather than ming the actions of his past, he had to break out of this shell. So, he inhaled


    deeply then straightened his head to look at the people before him.


    ''That''s right. These are my future teammates. I can''t be afraid of them.''


    He steeled his mind and swept his gaze with unwavering focus.


    There in the crowd, he met eyes with Hiro who was silently cheering for him or so he thought.


    But in actuality, Hiro was only looking at him like the rest.


    But Takeshi who was searching for hope misinterpreted Hiro''s ordinary gesture.


    Then he confidently introduced himself.

 Chapter 593: An old disciple

    Chapter 593: An old disciple


    ?


    Takeshi inhaled deeply before introducing himself in a loud voice that immediately sent a wave around the crowd: "Nice to meet you, everyone! I''m Takeshi Ono. I''m currently 20 years old and I''m a midfielder. Please take care of me."


    Ono''s voice reverberated all over the field.


    Just after he finished, a pin-drop silence engulfed the field. Ono hesitantly looked in front only to be met with the sight of people staring at him weirdly.


    Upon seeing those frozen expressions, he couldn''t help but panic.


    ''Did I sound too forceful? Did I sound too enthusiastic?'' He thought.


    Although he was panicking inside, he maintained a calm demeanor. But the silence around him made him even more anxious.


    Even Ito was staring at him with a rather amusing smile. The expression on Ito''s face made it seem as if he found the introduction of Ono rather interesting.


    Finally, after a brief silence, life returned on the field.


    Smiling, the yers said, "Nice to meet you, Ono. We''re d to have you."


    While most greeted him amicably, some remained skeptical about him and refused to participate in the undertaking.


    Ono, finally, heaved a sigh of relief.


    He felt at ease seeing their response. ''Their reaction is a lot better than what I had imagined initially.'' He thought, feeling relieved.


    At this moment, a crescent of a smile hung on his face.


    Manager Haruki couldn''t help but nod his head in satisfaction upon seeing the oue.


    Revealing a proud expression, he looked at the yers, ''They''re quite weing.''


    Initially, Haruki had expected some sort of unwillingness in the squad. But after seeing their attitude towards the recruits, he couldn''t help but feel at ease.


    After they quietened, they looked at Ito, curiously. They couldn''t help but wonder if he was going to introduce himself as one of the recruits of the team like the other two had done before him.


    Haruki immediately noticed their curious gazes. So, he stepped up to clear their doubts, "Ahum! Now that you''ve met your new teammate, I''d like to introduce you to one of the yers I''ve coached previously."


    "I''m sure, most of you''ve heard of him."


    Haruki hadn''t even finished his words yet already a wave ofmotion had spread like wildfire around the yers. They were bbergasted to hear that Ito was one of the yers Haruki had coached.


    Disbelief evident in their gazes, they couldn''t help but stare at him with a dumbfounded expression.


    How could he coach Ito?


    When did it happen?


    Several questions were running around in their head. As far as they were aware, Haruki hadn''t coached Kashiwa. So, when did he exactly coach him?


    Right at that moment when everybody was getting curious, Ito stepped in front. Revealing an amicable smile, he said in a friendly tone, "Hello, everyone. I''m Junya Ito, one of the students of Coach Haruki."


    Even the person in question was confirming then who were they to question the validity of Haruki''s words.


    After some time, Haruki and Ito walked away while Ono and Ryu joined the training. From their earlier interaction, the yers learned that Ito was only there to observe and meet his mentor.


    He wasn''t there to introduce himself as the new signing of the team.


    Well, even though he was getting old, he still had some years left behind. So, they realized that they were expecting a little too much.


    But if Ito had really joined them then it''d have definitely bolstered their squad. Even though they already had Hiro, he was still immature.


    However, Ito who had already experienced a lot, could bring something more to the table. Even Barcelona had to retain Lewandowski despite having Lamine Yamal.


    So, when they heard that he wasn''t joining them, many of them felt a pang of disappointment gnawing their heart.


    "Ito, what do you think of my proposal?" Haruki said.


    Ito who was walking beside him slightly tilted his head to look at Haruki. Then he tilted his head with acent look on his face.


    "Indeed, your proposal is enticing. I won''t disagree with that. But...," Ito appeared rather hesitant.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I know you can still perform but you know well that you''ll only be a rotational yer now in your current team. But if youe here, you will y an important role in the team."


    Haruki wanted to convince Ito desperately.


    With Erickson gone, he had to recruit him under any circumstances even if that meant using their rtionship.


    Although he was confident about Hiro, he couldn''t leave the responsibility entirely on him. That would be too much for the kid.


    Haruki made his tone even more persuasive, "I can guarantee your ying minutes and I''m well aware that you are thinking of pursuing a career in coaching."


    Upon the mention of coaching, Ito''s eyes perked up. The topic was to his interest. But he tried to deny that he had an interest in coaching.


    Laughing, he denied, "Haha..., what are you saying coach? Why would I be interested in coaching? I''ve still got some years left on the pitch."


    "You punk! Do you think I don''t know about your coaching lessons? Mino has already revealed what you are up to these days," Haruki said, his tone sharp.


    Upon hearing Haruki''s words, Ito furrowed his brows, ''That brat! Minamino! Can''t he keep his mouth shut for once?''


    At the youth level, Ito and Takumi shared the same team and they were under the supervision of Coach Haruki. So, the two had a rather close rtionship with each other.


    And since both of them were ying for a French team in League-1, they often visited each other and spent time. So, Takumi was well aware of his recent undertakings.


    Now, that Haruki had found out his interest, he couldn''t keep on acting aloof. Even so, he didn''t want to leave France when he clearly had a few years to y in Europe.


    Returning home wasn''t a lucrative option for him given the time.


    "You''re right, coach. I''m indeed interested in coaching. But still, I can pursue the path after retirement too," Ito said bluntly.

 Chapter 594: Unveiling Ceremony

    Chapter 594: Unveiling Ceremony


    ?


    It seemed rather difficult to convince Ito. But Haruki had already anticipated it before putting forward the offer. He was well aware that it wouldn''t be an easy task to convince Ito.


    After all, the offer wasn''t lucrative enough.


    But more than the brilliance of Ito, he required his wisdom and ability to lead. If he paired Ito with Hiro, he''d be able to replicate his vision more brilliantly.


    So, despite sensing the unwillingness of Ito, Haruki wasn''t going to retreat.


    With even more conviction, Haruki said, "Well, you aren''t wrong about it. But if you join us, I can help you shorten the time. Right after you retire, I can integrate you into one of our coaching staff. So, would you be willing to think about the offer now?"


    Kawasaki was a giant club and to be able to kickstart his coaching career here, he couldn''t even imagine it. Even with his portfolio, he wouldn''t receive such an offer if he were to start from scratch.


    Now, he felt so intrigued by the offer that he could no longer turn a blind eye to the offer presented by Haruki.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Sure, Kawasaki could hire someone else. But rather than working with someone who he wasn''t familiar with, Haruki wanted to work with someone already familiar.


    That''s why he was putting so much importance on Ito.


    Otherwise, he''d have already jumped onto another individual. However, that didn''t mean that he hadn''t prepared other options.


    If despite the persuasion Ito decides to reject the offer, he is prepared to board the ship and jump onto the next instantly.


    At this moment, he caught the sight of Ito with acent look on his face. He could tell that he had piqued his interest.


    So, he went for onest push, "You''ve already seen Hiro''s performance right? This season, I wanted to pair you with him. With your abilitiesbined, I wanted to see what kind of havoc you''d unleash on the field."


    "Don''t you want the credit of helping nurture a potential star?"


    A cold glint shed past Haruki''s eyes during the mention of thest sentence.


    Even though the guy before him appeared decent, Haruki was aware of his greed and thirst for recognition. So, he decided to attack that part of him to convince him.


    Despite having a glorious career, Ito was often involved in scandals. Even though many of them were false, Haruki knew that some of them were true.


    Ito turned solemn upon hearing thest sentence.


    With all those conditions, the proposal appeared even more enticing than before. Now, he couldn''t bring himself to turn down the offer.


    How could he reject such an opportunity?


    If he could share the recognition of helping nurture a potential star, his value would skyrocket. Later, he could even receive multiple opportunities.


    After all, a coach who specialized in youth nurturing was much more desirable.


    Revealing a wry smile, Ito epted the offer, "Then I''ll be under your care, coach."


    ********


    After some weeks.


    "Breaking News! Junya Ito signs for Kawasaki."


    "National Star Returns To His Homnd!"


    "Isn''t this a cheat code? Hiro and Ito are on the same team."


    There were multiple articles regarding the transfer of Ito. The inte buzzed with the news regarding the transfer of Ito.


    Given Ito''s star status, the news regarding the transfer immediately became a hot topic in the nation. The transfer received nationwide attention, attracting the attention of almost every football fan in the nation.


    Many media, celebrities, and football pundits spoke about the transfer with great enthusiasm.


    The scale of the attention this transfer received was only inferior to the attention received by the transfer of one of the greatest midfielders in the world, "Andres Iniesta".


    "You''ve made a great choice," Haruki said.


    Ito who was preparing to head out smiled and said, "Well, how can I refuse to reunite with the coach who made me the person I am today."


    Although he sounded full of gratitude, Haruki, however, didn''t feel ted to hear those words. Rather he scoffed inwardly, ''You cheeky brat! You dare say those words of gratitude after all the convincing it took to sign you?''


    Even though he wasn''t impressed by his words, he didn''t show the disdain he felt on his face. He kept those feelings within him and pretended to feel touched, "Say those words on the


    stage, you brat!"


    Ito, looking at the mirror before him smiled.


    "Miss, make it natural, okay?" he said to thedy who was doing his makeup.


    Right now, he was preparing for the unveiling ceremony. The stage had already been set and many reporters were flocking in their way to the venue.


    Outside the venue where the unveiling of Ito was to be held, many small-time reporters were also covering the news. Since they hadn''t been invited they couldn''t enter the venue.


    Even so, they weren''t willing to let go of the opportunity. So, they had camped outside, reporting the atmosphere of the ce.


    "Look who is here for the ceremony- the current yers of Kawasaki."


    One of the reporters who had been covering the news shared enthusiastically as he saw a bunch of Kawasaki yers heading inside the venue where the unveiling ceremony was to be held.


    The inside was already packed. But even the outside wasn''t spared. There were people all around the venue and the club officials had to deploy security personnel to maintain the


    order.


    Hiro and some others also arrived at the venue after a while.


    Even before reaching the venue, Hiro could already hear themotion and the lines of people around the vicinity. Just from the sheer number alone, Hiro could tell that it was a


    huge deal.


    Initially, he had wanted to reject the invitation.


    But he didn''t want to be seen as rude. So, he epted the invitation.


    Although Ito was a great yer with great influence, Hiro who had traveled from the future


    was well aware of the scandals he had gotten himself involved.


    So, he wasn''t optimistic about Ito like others were.


    The yer although great was problematic.

 Chapter 595: The New No. 10

    Chapter 595: The New No. 10


    ?


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Suddenly, themotion grew even bigger after the crowd witnessed Hiro''s arrival. People squeezed closer for an opportunity to interview Hiro.


    Swarming the entrance, they blocked the path.


    The people hired to maintain the order found it increasingly difficult to manage the people. With a rather frantic expression, they began shouting for backup.


    Immediately, those people swarmed him like a flock of zombies.


    Witnessing the swarm of people, Tatsuki panicked, "I...., told you it wouldn''t be a good idea to enter from the front door, didn''t I?"


    Naoto had also tagged along. However, unlike Tatsuki, Naoto was rather calm.


    Grinning, Naoto said, "Well, isn''t it amazing?"


    "Hiro, what do you think about the transfer? Can you share your views regarding it?"


    "Hiro, do you think Ito will be a great addition to the team?"


    Swarming all around Hiro, the flock of reporters began to question him. If it weren''t for the guard who hade to his aid, he might not have gotten enough space to breathe.


    Being surrounded by those people, Hiro found it rather suffocating.


    Even though the weather wasn''t hot, Hiro was sweating. Jewel-like beads of sweat umted on his forehead while he navigated his way to the entrance.


    Given their persistence, it seemed rather impossible to avoid them.


    How was he supposed to say he wasn''t enthusiastic about the transfer of Ito? Hiro found it rather troublesome to answer their questions.


    Inside the venue, a stage had been set. Slightly raising the surface with wooden boards, a raised stage had been set adorned with lights and decorations.


    Beneath the stage, a lot of reporters were seated. While awaiting the man in question, they were chatting idly.


    Even with those people, the venue hadn''t been filled. There were several vacant seats left to be filled and many people were still entering.


    The hall where the unveiling ceremony was to be held was huge.


    Despite having negative views regarding the transfer, Hiro responded positively. He even mentioned that he was looking forward to learning from Ito, and may have exaggerated a little.


    Even though he didn''t view the situation favorably, he couldn''t afford to offend Ito. After all, the influence he had wasn''t something he could criticize.


    Finally, after a while, he made it inside.


    Upon entering, Hiro heaved a sigh of relief. But he couldn''t help but scoff inwardly, ''Hmph! What are they so excited about?''


    Entering a tunnel-like path, Hiro then arrived at the hall where the ceremony was to be held. Immediately upon arriving at the hall, bright lights bombarded his vision making him squinch his eyes slightly.


    As his eyes adapted to the brightness what stood before him was a fully decorated hall. In front of the audience chamber, a grand stage was set with arge LED screen.


    "Aren''t they spending handsomely?" Tatsuki who appeared to be in a daze mumbled in


    amazement.


    Hiro couldn''t help but agree.


    Soon an announcer dressed in a tuxedo walked out to greet the people. Entertaining the guest, he announced themencement of the event.


    All this time, Hiro felt as if he was in an award ceremony. Well, he had been invited to attend one. So, he couldn''t help but ovep the two events.


    In about a week, he had to attend one of the most prominent annual events in Japan that took ce after the end of the season, the "J-League Awards".


    In this event, different kinds of awards such as the Best Young yer Award, MVP of the league, and many more awards were going to be distributed.


    It was Hiro''s first time attending the event. So, he was rather looking forward to the event.


    At this moment, the massive screen was disying the key highlights of Ito''s career. Even Hiro with his initial skepticism couldn''t help but apud the career this veteran had led. Soon after the highlighted footage ended, a thunderous round of apuse reverberated in the hall.


    p!! p!! p!!


    Just then Ito emerged on the stage.


    The noise grew even louder now that he had entered the stage. Camera shutters flew nonstop without any pause while Ito greeted the people who hade to observe the unveiling


    ceremony.


    After that, they signed a prop contract. Then the president of the club handed Ito a jersey with Ito written on the back.


    Beneath the name written in bold letters was the number "8".


    Many felt surprised when they saw the number. A murmur began to grow as the reporters talked among themselves.


    Many even turned to look in the direction of Hiro.


    Hiro, however, ignored their gazes. He was aware of why they were looking at him that way- they were wondering why Ito hadn''t taken the number 10.


    On the national team, the number ten was reserved for Yamada. Here, the number was taken by Erickson previously. But now that he had transferred, Ito was expected to take the number. But looking at the oue, they couldn''t help but feel perplexed.


    The oue was different than what they had expected.


    But they were aware of why the oue was different.


    A few weeks ago, Hiro had been asked if he could abandon the promised number for Ito. But Hiro had declined the proposal.


    Ito, initially didn''t mind him.


    And it wasn''t that huge of an issue. But still, Hiro wanted to y under the number 10 in his final season at the club. So, due to that reason, Hiro denied the request.


    Doing that might have made him seem rude or arrogant. But he couldn''t care less about other''s judgment. In this final season at the club, he wanted to do things his way. Ignoring their gazes, Hiro clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, ''Haven''t I proven myself worthy of the number?''


    Ito and the president of the club then took a few pictures together. After that, the interview began. The reporters bombarded Ito and the coaching staff with questions.


    Hiro and the rest remained seated at their spot as they listened to the interview. Finally, after a long while, the event came to an end.

 Chapter 596: Judging Committee

    Chapter 596: Judging Committee


    ?


    "Breaking News! The New Number 10 of Kawasaki: Takahashi Hiro."


    "Words of the new number 8 of Kawasaki- I''m very delighted to be part of such an amazing club. I believe with our collective effort, we can aim even higher this season."


    "Reunion of a master and a disciple. What will this reunion bring?"


    For the next few days, the media and inte were dominated by the news rted to


    Kawasaki and the J-league.


    With the J-League Award Ceremony getting closer, the talk regarding the event became even more heated. Truly, it felt as if the season of football had begun in Japan.


    "Who will take the MVP award this time?"


    Despite Hiro''s performance, there was a huge question mark regarding the winner of the MVP award.


    Although Hiro repeatedly told himself that he wasn''t nervous about the event, he couldn''t help but feel anxious. The more the event got closer the more anxious he felt.


    Lately, due to the ongoing discussion regarding the award, people around him have gotten rather silent around him. He could tell that they were being careful about the matter.


    Behind his back, they''d be talking about the event. But whenever they met him, they immediately dropped the topic.


    Even though they acted normal, Hiro was aware of the building pressure in the team.


    "Do you think Hiro would win the award?" Yusuke, a rather athletically built individual asked.


    Asahi responded while caressing the patches of beard on his face, "Given his performance, he should be the clear favorite but..."


    Asahi tilted his head slightly and continued, "There hadn''t been a single instance in history where the same yer had won the Best Young yer Award and The MVP of the tournament. So, I don''t think he''ll win."


    Exactly, Hiro was sure to win the Best Young yer Award. After all, there wasn''t any young yer who came close to him that season.


    But just like what Asahi had mentioned, there weren''t any instances where a yer had won both of the prestigious awards. So, he couldn''t help but feel skepticism regarding the decision of the awardingmittee.


    It would have been an entirely different scenario if the award was given based on fan votes. But a judgingmittee was set to dere the winner.


    So, the chances of Hiro winning the main award were rather minuscule.


    Just then Hiro entered the locker room and both of them turned silent. Greeting Hiro, they revealed an awkward smile on their faces.


    "Good work, Hiro!"


    "Yeah, good work today, Hiro."


    It had been some time since the training had ended and most of the yers were already on their way to the shower.


    Hiro, however, had stayed a littlete.


    Hiro didn''t mean to eavesdrop on their conversation but hearing the topic of their conversation, he couldn''t bring himself to show up immediately despite having stayed outside the locker room for quite some time.


    Standing outside the locker room, he had audibly heard their conversation.


    Well, it wasn''t the first time he had heard such talks. Lately, with the event approaching closer, he had been hearing such talk all over the ce.


    So, he wasn''t surprised to hear them talking about the matter.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Hiro bowed his head and said, "Good work too!"


    He didn''t want to appear impolite.


    After that, the two hastily made their way out of the locker room. Perhaps, they felt the atmosphere around them stifling with Hiro''s presence. Or perhaps, they were afraid to talk about the matter in front of Hiro.


    Hiro was aware that they were simply being concerned about him.


    They feared that it''d break his heart. So, they didn''t talk about the issue openly.


    But Hiro was well aware of the predicament himself.


    After the two left, he nced at the entrance and frowned, "Sigh! Do I have to give up on the award this season?"


    Hiro wanted to win the award. But he didn''t want to be seen as greedy either. Rather he was prepared to give up on the auxiliary award to win the main thing.


    ********


    Somewhere in a brightly illuminated room, a group of people were gathered together. Most of them are old with weathered faces.


    "What should we do regarding the main award?" an old man with nted eyes asked while leaning closer to the table before him.


    Another individual with a greying temple and a face full of moles and wrinkles that looked like the ripples in a sereneke rolled his eyes to look at the person who had raised the issue just now.


    Sharply staring at the old man with nted eyes, he said, "Obviously, it should go to Yuya. Didn''t you see him perform?"


    "He scored 18 goals only seven behind the top scorer. He also assisted twelve times. And in almost every single match, he averaged a rating of 7. So, what''s there to think about?" Although the old man sounded convincing, he failed to convince others present in the room. Right now, a group of people were gathered inside a brightly illuminated space.


    They were the judgingmittee set up to decide the winners of the various awards in the J- League Award Ceremony.


    "Sure, he scored and assisted. But by that standard, Hiro should be the clear-cut winner, shouldn''t he?" another individual spoke.


    "Exactly, he scored twenty-five goals. He has also assisted more than ten times. And if we talk about the rating then he has averaged a rating of more than eight in every single game. By far, he has the most excellent performance out of other nominees."


    Another individual, ady with ck hair dressed in a cardigan and white formal shirt


    nodded.


    Hearing the argument of these people, the previous individual who was supporting Yuya Osako of Vissel Kobe furrowed his brows.


    ring his nostrils, he refuted, "He is already being awarded the Best Young yer Award. We can''t spoil him with the main award. We need someone with experience. What if the fame gets over his head? What if he sumbs to the pressure? Also, didn''t he miss more than three months due to injury?"


    He tried to argue using logic. He sternly believed that the award should go to someone more mature than a kid who had only debuted.

 Chapter 597: Discussion Over!

    Chapter 597: Discussion Over!


    ?


    Hearing him, some people in the room nodded their heads. Noticing their expression, the man couldn''t help but reveal a subtle grin of satisfaction.


    He strongly believed that it was too early for Hiro to receive the prestigious award. After all, Hiro was only sixteen. Therefore, he thought that awarding Hiro with the prize would


    diminish the league''s reputation.


    To prevent that from happening he had to win the majority of the vote.


    So, when he found others epting the proposal put forward by him, he couldn''t help but feel ted.


    Naoko, one of the brilliant analysts and sports journalists who was dressed in a cardigan stared at Kenshin who was vouching for Yuya Osako.


    She wasn''t convinced by his words and her beliefs sharply contrasted to his. She believed that the award should go to those who deserved it.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Staring sharply at him, she refuted the ims he had spoken, "Why does age matter? If Hiro has yed well then naturally he should be awarded. And even if age does matter then there''s more of a reason that award should go to Hiro."


    "After all, how often do you see a sixteen-year-old debutant outperforming the veterans?"


    Upon hearing her argument many in the room felt convinced by her words. But Kenshin wasn''t convinced. Rather he felt even more irritated when he heard her. He felt as if his authority was being challenged.


    How could a woman who has never yed football know about football? He thought while gnashing his teeth.


    For a while, the argument got even more heated.


    Finally, after a while, a rather stern-looking man who had been seated with his hands locked together without participating in the debate unlocked his hands to speak, "What do you think about it Kazu?"


    When that person opened his mouth to speak, immediately the room went silent. There was something unusual about him.


    Even the air around him appeared rather dense.


    Kazu Miura, also known as "King Kazu" was regarded as legend in Japan. With his long- standing career and experience across multiple generation of footballers, he had a rather extraordinary perspective on what it took to seed.


    Among all the people in the room, he was definitely the most fitted to be a judge. So, his words carried rather heavy pressure in them.


    Despite his age, he looked rather fit.


    When being questioned, Kazu turned to look at Moriyasu, the previous head coach of Japan. Then he revealed a rathercent expression before speaking, "Hmm..., I think what Kenshin-san said is correct."


    Kenshin''s heart thumped with joy, his face turning bright. He was ted to hear that one of the most influential figure in the room agreed with him.


    With this he believed that his proposal would pass without much opposition.


    But Kazu was yet to be done. He hadn''tpletely finished speaking.


    "But I believe that the award should go to Hiro. Age has nothing to do with the performance. After all, they all are footballer and their value is determined by their performance rather than their age. So, the one who have performed well should be awarded."


    Kenshin''s face changed drastically. Losing the previous glow on his face, the previous


    expression filled with tion was reced by a gloom.


    Although Kazu''s words managed to convince a lot of people, Moriyasu wasn''t entirely convinced. So, he asked in a deep voice, "But don''t you think it''s still too early?"


    Once again, Kenshin''s heart jumped with joy and he felt relived again.


    Kazu answered with a smile, "How old was Ronaldo when he won the ballon d''Or?" "21 years old."


    Someone answered.


    Miura''s smile widened, "Exactly! He was 21 years old. Now, can you tell me who were the other two contenders beside him?"


    Although many people struggled to remember, Naoko answered it almost immediately, "Predrag Mijatovi? from Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane from Juventus."


    Naoko had the feeling thatter Miura would ask their age. So, she answered it before he could ask, "Predrag was 28 years old and Zidane was 25 years old. Both of them had helped their team lift the league trophy."


    Even though she sounded normal, her eyes were telling otherwise- they were glistening with enthusiasm.


    Kazu was amazed by her and so were others.


    "Thank you, Naoko-san," Kazu thanked her for providing the information. Naoko nodded but didn''t say anything in return. Kazu then turned to look at other, "If they had thought like us that season then the award would have gone to Predrag."


    "Now, some of you might even think that Ronaldo was already 21 years old but Hiro is only seventeen now. And there hasn''t been any teenager winning the award previously. But that''s not a reason to deny the person who deserves the prize. We have to change then only will our football change." Miura delivered the thing he wanted to say.


    With this many of them couldn''t help but ponder over what he had said. Their views changed drastically and they couldn''t help but think otherwise.


    Kenshin, however, remained adamant about his decision. But even he couldn''t bring himself to argue anymore.


    "Now then, shall we cast a vote?" Moriyasu''s deep voice prated the silence in the room.


    After that everybody cast a vote. Kenshin until the end opposed to the idea of Hiro winning the MVP award. So, he voted against the decision.


    Even so, he couldn''t eradicate the unsettling feeling inside him. He knew that most people would vote for Hiro.


    After the meeting ended, people began to flock over Miura,plementing the ideas he had shared. Kenshin, however, couldn''t stop himself from ring at him.


    If it wasn''t for Miura, he would have convinced others.


    The meeting adjourned and everybody left the hall.


    ********


    The stage had been set and reporters were flocking over the venue. A red carpet had beenid on the floor outside the venue that led to therge hall inside where the award ceremony was


    to be carried out.


    Everywhere one looked, one could find either a name of a brand or their logo. The show


    received a huge attention. So, it was only natural for it to be sponsored by a lot of brands.

 Chapter 598: Who will be crowned?

    Chapter 598: Who will be crowned?


    ?


    Cameramen and reporters lined up in front of the entrance. Although the event was still to start, they had to arrive early to set up the equipment.


    So, right now, they were working earnestly.


    With the sun on the verge of setting, the sky had transformed into a tapestry of fading light and deepening colors. Hues of orange, pink, and purple stretched across the horizon.


    Working diligently, the reporters were eager to capture the event that was about to begin.


    Among them was a rather young-looking man. With all the work he had put into setting up the equipment, he appeared rather dirty.


    "Ken, are you done?"


    The young man named Ken had just finished setting the lights. He had just graduated high school and worked for an eventpany.


    Ken''s rugged hair fluttered with the gentle breeze, dancing freely like the des of grass against the wind.


    Wiping the jewel-bead-like sweat from his forehead, he turned around. Before him stood a familiar figure with a t cap.


    "Yeah, almost done, Miyagi-san," he said.


    Miyagi, a middle-aged man with a rather distinct appearance had a singlerge mole beneath his left eye.


    Miyagi looked at Ken with a smile and said gruffly, "Others will handle the rest. Let''s head out to eat something first."


    Ken, naturally was hesitant about the offer. But he was aware of the personality of the man before him. In thepany he worked for, Miyagi was a respected senior.


    And he often looked out for him. Right now, even if he were to reject the offer, Miyagi would probably drag him with him.


    So, he couldn''t refute it even if he wanted to.


    Nodding his head, he dusted his clothes and walked to Miyagi. The two then headed to a restaurant nearby. It was a local restaurant without anything fancy.


    The food was cheap and the ce was bustling with the chatters of the men in ck with briefcases. After a long strenuous day at work, these srymen often gathered in such ces to talk about their day and relieve the stress.


    Apanied by cheap alcohol and cheap food, they chatted with their colleagues. It was one of the few moments in their life that provided them a moment of respite.


    The restaurant was dimly lit in yellow. Steam oozed out of the kitchen and the hot food on the table. The ce was also covered in a sparseyer of smoke, mostly from the cigarette.


    Ken and Miyagi quickly found a table in the corner.


    Shortly after they arrived, a waiter arrived to take their order.


    "I''ll have some grilled chicken and Yakisoba. What about you, Ken?"


    Ken looked at the menu and immediately picked a dish, "I''ll have a bowl of Yakisoba and some croquettes."


    Confirming the order, the waiter said, "A te full of grilled chicken, two bowls of Yakisoba, and a te of croquettes. Anything else, sir?"


    "Oh, yeah. Can I also have a bottle of alcohol?" Miyagi said.


    Ken, however, frowned upon hearing the order. Then he furrowed his brow as heined, "Miyagi-san, we still have work to do."


    He was reminding Miyagi that they hadn''t finished their job and they''d have to return to their post almost immediately after eating.


    Miyagi, let out a heartyugh, "Hahaha..., don''t worry I can handle this much. Don''t you know me?"


    Even so, Ken squinched his eyes and looked at him with eyes full of disapproval.


    Sumbing to the gaze of Ken, Miyagi quickly changed the order, "Excuse me. Can I only have a ss full of alcohol instead?"


    The waiter nodded. Then he proceeded to the kitchen.


    "You should control your drinking habit, Miyagi-san," Ken said concernedly.


    Miyagi let out a heartyugh, "Hahaha... Don''t worry. I''m gonna be fine."


    If it weren''t for the admiration he had for Miyagi, Ken wouldn''t even have bothered. But since he admired the man before him, he naturally cared for him.


    Having run from the house, Miyagi was like a father figure to him. From the moment he had joined thepany, Miyagi had treated him more like a son than a coworker.


    So, he has grown attached to this man with tanned skin that had been tanned working under the sun for a long time and a rather withered face and hands full of callouses from the hard work he had endured.


    The line of work they were involved in often required them to carry heavy equipment. But Miyagi always looked out for people like him who couldn''t handle those heavy equipment.


    Not only that he also treated them to dinner and lunch.


    Although he had a rather nasty habit of drinking, he was a faithful husband and a loving father. He was in histe thirties, married, and had a son about 8 years old.


    "Ken, who do you think would win the MVP award this year?" Miyagi asked.


    Their order had already arrived and the two were slurping on their food. Suddenly, however,


    Miyagi brought up the topic of the event they were handling that evening.


    Ken thought for a while before answering, "I think it will go to Yuya Osako. He won the award the previous year too. So, it wouldn''t surprise me if he wins again."


    "Oh!," Miyagi felt intrigued. "But why not Hiro?" he followed with a question.


    "You know it too. The people of the association won''t make it happen. They''re too old- fashioned. They''ll probably think that giving him the award would lower their reputation or something," Ken answered then proceeded to gulp the leftover soup in the bowl.


    Miyagi couldn''t refute the words spoken by Ken, "Exactly. That''s precisely why we stillg. Although traditional thinking has solidified our foundation we fail to evolve forward. Sigh... If only our system could evolve..."


    Upon hearing him, Ken couldn''t help but dazedly stare at him.


    Noticing Ken''s stare, Miyagi asked, "Did I say something weird?"


    Ken said with a solemn expression, "No. I just didn''t think that you could think such


    progressively."


    Once again, Miyagi let out a heartyugh, "Hahaha. But even so, I think that Hiro will winn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    tonight."


    Ken, however, couldn''t bring himself to agree. So, he refused, "No chance."


    Letting out a wry smile, Miyagi said, "Then want to make a bet?"

 Chapter 599: Tension and Curiosity

    Chapter 599: Tension and Curiosity


    ?


    "But what are we betting?" Ken asked.


    Even though Ken was up for the offer, he didn''t have anything of value to bet. So, he couldn''t help but feel confused.


    The smile on Miyagi''s face widened.


    Ken, looking at the smile started feeling ufortable. For some reason, he felt a


    foreboding feeling creeping on him.


    "Nothing much. If I win you''ll have to call your father and apologize."


    Hearing the condition of Miyagi, Ken found himself hesitating. The only family he had left


    was his father whom he had abandoned as well and it had been months since hest contacted his father.


    So, he found it rather hard.


    "But if you win, I''ll buy you the ticket to the baseball game of your favorite team," Miyagi set the condition of their bet.


    Ken leaned more toward baseball than football. So, when Miyagi mentioned that he''d buy him a ticket for his favorite team if he won the bet, he found himself struggling to resist the temptation.


    While he was pondering about the bet, Miyagi was staring at him with a rather smug expression. It was almost as if he was certain that he wouldn''t decline the offer.


    Ken albeit hesitatingly epted the offer, "Deal!"


    ********


    The night sky stretched above, a velvety canvas of deep indigo, dotted with stars that shimmered like diamonds scattered carelessly across an endless expanse. A crescent moon hung low, casting a faint, silvery glow that touched the horizon with a soft luminescence.


    The air was still, imbued with the cool.


    With the arrival of the first guest, the event had finallymenced. The reporters who had been working tirelessly rushed to take pictures.


    The red carpet gleamed under the shes of cameras.


    Walking down the red carpet, the footballer tailored in suits, exuding confidence and excitement posed for pictures. Most of them were apanied by their family member while only a few chose toe alone.


    Finally, the event had started in full swing.


    With each passing moment, the crowd was growing.


    The reporters couldn''t even afford to take a moment to rest and they were working tirelessly without any rest. Even so, they appeared to be full of vitality.


    Reporters weren''t the only people present at the venue. Although only the guests could enter the main hall where the ceremony was to be held, fans could be seen outside the hall, around the vicinity.


    More and more famous personalities were arriving with each passing moment and the atmosphere was getting even more livelier. Yet still, the people at the center of the limelight for today''s event were nowhere to be seen until now.


    It had been already more than an hour since the event had kickstarted.


    Though the event had begun and the atmosphere was looking rather festive, there was a fleeting feeling of curiosity and tension mixed in the air.


    Reporters and fans alike were wondering who would walk out with the coveted main award of the event.


    Compared to the previous season, the news this time was much more confidential that the reporters couldn''t even get a whiff of it.


    Well, considering the nominees this time, it was to be given.


    Ken and Miyagi, alongside their coworkers, were enjoying the scene from the backstage. Unlike the personalities outside, they weren''t permitted to operate in the open.


    In this event, they were nothing but mere supporters.


    Even though most of them were lucky enough to witness the scene firsthand, they didn''t have it easy. They had to be on the lookout and maintain the event.


    However, that didn''t mean that they couldn''t afford momentary rest. Right now, some of their colleague were even smoking cigarettes behind the scenes.


    "As you can see, it''s quite lively out here."


    Amidst the crowd of people, a charming youngdy dressed in a sparkling red dress was streaming the event live.


    Her willow-like eyes adorned with mascara were sparkling like the shimmering star under the moonlight. Her lips were a delicate shade of plum strawberry, full and inviting.


    And her hair, once dark, had been bleached to a soft, buttery blond that shimmered as she moved. It was silky and straight, cascading down her back like a waterfall of liquid gold.


    Her name was Kim Tae-Ri, a Korean Youtuber.


    Even amidst the presence of many famous personalities around, her presence could hardly be concealed.


    Invited as a special guest, she had dolled herself up for the event.


    "Woah! Look at that beauty over there. Isn''t she amazing?"


    "Where?"


    Currently, Ken and a few others were on the rooftop, observing the event happening down. Beneath them, more and more celebrities were walking down the red carpet and the ce was bustling with people.


    Since the event was flooding with people, it was only natural for some of them to check out on girls. After all, the event wasn''tcking.


    Hearing their giggle, Ken turned to look in the direction pointed by the individual beside him. It was dark up there but underneath, the ce was illuminated brightly with the light they had worked so hard to set up earlier.


    Following their gaze, Ken found a rather charming young girl with a camera in her hand.


    Her striking features immediately captivated his heart and made him blush. Even though he wasn''t fond of checking girls like most of his peers, he couldn''t bring himself to take his eyes away from the youngdy dressed in red before him.


    "Isn''t she a 10?"


    "Yeah, a perfect 10."


    "I''d put my entire fortune on the line if I could have her."


    "Hmph! Dream on, idiot. With a face like ours, we won''t even be able to get near her."


    While Ken was staring at Kim Tae-Ri, others around him were all fawning over her


    appearance.


    "You''re right. Guys like us can only dream about it. Hahaha..."


    They were making fun of their appearance but even so, they didn''t look sad about it. Well,


    they had already epted the reality.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ken, however, was starting to haveplicated feelings swelling up inside him. He was


    feeling pitiful about himself and at the same time, he couldn''t help but feel angry about his


    situation.


    If only he was influential enough. If only he was born into a rich family. If only he wasn''t this


    miserable.


    Perhaps, he would have mustered the courage to approach the girl before him.


    Thinking about it, he couldn''t help but feel bitter.


    He was well aware of his situation. Given his current situation even keeping himself fed was


    hard, let alone having the luxury to date. So, even though he liked somebody, he had


    distanced himself from rtionships.


    But now, while looking at that charmingdy before him, he couldn''t help but feel bitter


    about his situation.

 Chapter 600: Wishful Thinking

    Chapter 600: Wishful Thinking


    ?


    Pursing his lips, Ken was about to turn away. He couldn''t bear himself to think about his miserable situation even further.


    Just then the noise underneath increased.


    This caught his attention and he couldn''t bring himself to look away. The noise beneath intrigued him and distracted him.


    Turning to look at the entrance, he found a rather charming young man. He was dressed in a finely tailored ck suit and ck pants.


    With sharp sword-like brows and a charming youthful face, he looked like one of those handsome models straight out of a fashion magazine.


    But there was something more to him than what eyes could meet.


    Immediately, the moment he arrived he captured the attention of almost everybody present there.


    "Hiro! Hiro!"


    The moment Hiro arrived at the scene, the people at the scene began to chant his name.


    Buttoning the suit he wore, he walked to the other end of the door of the car where he had arrived, avoiding all those people calling him.


    He didn''t seem to be bothered by them.


    Ken stared at him fixedly, unable to take his eyes away from him. Until now, he had seen many famous personalities walk down the red carpet.


    But even he could tell that there was something different about Hiro.


    It might be because he had dolled up but he looked lethally attractive today.


    The fans were equally loud, shouting his name, and asking him for his autograph. Truly, he had the charisma of a star.


    "What''s so special about that Kid?"


    "Just because he ys a little well, look at those people fawning over him."


    Although most of the people were appreciative of him, there were a few who disdained him. Among those few, some were right around Ken as well.


    Truth be told, Ken right now could very well fall in that category of people. After all, he was envious of Hiro as well.


    Well, how couldn''t he be envious of him?


    Compared to him, Hiro had all the things he desired. Be it fame, fortune, talent, or luck, he had every single one of those aspects which hecked.


    Ken''s gaze was filled with a mix of admiration and envy.


    ''Why is God so unfair?'' Ken couldn''t help but think.


    Truth be told, he loved baseball and he was good at it. But unlike Hiro who possessed ethereal talent, he was only lukewarm.


    If only he could have such godly talents, his destiny might have been different.


    s! It was nothing but a wishful dream.


    Hidden behind the curtains of darkness, he could only watch Hiro and other young talent with eyes full of envy. Well, he wasn''t the only one.


    He was well aware that there were countless other talents buried under the cloak of darkness.


    Hiro then graciously opened the door of the car. From inside the car, two people walked outside one ady dressed elegantly in a maroon gown made up of silk. She had a rather stylish shawl wrapped around her neck and she was adorned with beautiful gold ornaments.


    The other was a middle-aged man elegantly dressed in a tailored ck suit adorned with what looked to be an expensive wristwatch.


    They were Hiro''s parents.


    Looking at Hiro, the people couldn''t help butpliment Hiro''s gesture. Even though he was being pursued by others, he put his parents above all others.


    While most kid his age would shy away from showing their parent, he looked proud.


    Walking alongside his parents, Hiro walked down the red carpet. Even when he was being asked to take an individual picture, he didn''t exclude his parent.


    Rather he shot every single picture with them.


    The people noticing those gestures couldn''t help butmend him. Even those who previously doubted his filial couldn''t help but appreciate him.


    How could someone like him be an unfilial child?


    It was clear to the people that Hiro put the utmost priority on his family.


    While Hiro entered the hall exuding an aura of elegance and confidence, Ken could only follow him from the outside.


    ''His parents look so proud of him.'' Ken thought.


    There hadn''t been a single instance in his life where he had made his parents proud.


    ''They looked so happy together.''


    Until now, had he done anything for his parent? He hadn''t.


    But did he not want to make his parents proud? He did. Just like many other kids, he also wanted to make his parents proud of him.


    Looking at Hiro with his parents, he couldn''t help but think about his father. They lived in a rather remote location in Japan called Shiriyazaki. It is located at the northeastern tip of


    Aomori province.


    In an unfortunate event during a major earthquake, he lost his mother quite early in his life, and right now, his dad was the only rtive he had.


    His father was a fisherman who sold fish for a living.


    Even now, he would be around the coast in his boat, surfing with the waves of the ocean in his old motorboat.


    Thinking about his father''s face at this time, Ken''s eyes moistened. For some reason, he felt pitiful about him.


    Even though he had left a letter saying that he''d earn and study in a city, he hadn''t told his father about his departure himself. Basically, he had run away from home to escape life in the vige in hopes of making a name for himself.


    But here he was away from home, working as aborer without any prospect for the future. The only future he could carve working here would be a life full of mediocrity.


    [Do you wish to change your fate?]


    Ken heard a faint voice echoing in his ear. The voice was barely audible. It almost felt as if it


    came from a distant source.


    Nheless, the fleeting voice startled him.


    Ken looked around startlingly.


    "Ken, let''s go. We have to watch over the setup."


    Ken''s colleagues who were preparing to head inside told him.


    Their voice distracted him. Well, he had a job to do and he couldn''t ck. Although most of


    the people in thepany were kind, the supervisor wasn''t like others- he was stingy andN?v(el)B\\jnn


    haughty.


    If he dyed any further he would probably fine him. So, Ken dismissed the thought of hearing something and proceeded inside.

 Chapter 601: An Awkward Reunion

    Chapter 601: An Awkward Reunion


    ?


    Inside the hall, it was getting incredibly livelier with each passing moment. More and more people were arriving.


    Chatting and idling, the people were enjoying the event.


    Hiro who was at the center of attention was receiving a lot more attention than the rest.


    Frequently, people woulde by him and introduce themselves.


    Exchanging greetings with those people was exhausting him. But he couldn''t even refute even if he wanted to.


    ''Just when will the event begin?''


    Hiro couldn''t help but wail. He didn''t want to engage in conversation with the people he didn''t know any further. He had enough of it.


    Just then Kim Tae-Ri approached him with a smile on her face.


    "You''re Hiro, right? Can I have a moment?"


    While he was in the middle of the conversation, she asked him. The people who were around Hiro looked at her with disdain upon hearing her.


    Where did this girle from?


    They couldn''t help but scorn inwardly.


    Hiro, however, was rather relieved.


    He wanted someone toe to him and bring him away. The talk of the people before him had bored him and he didn''t want to stay there any further.


    If it weren''t for their influential status, he would have already walked away. But he couldn''t bring himself to do that either.


    So, he didn''t have any other choice than to entertain them.


    Those people rolled their eyes at her. But when they noticed the camera she was holding, they refrained from what they were about to say.


    Kim Tae-Ri looked at Hiro with her childlike gaze.


    Smiling, Hiro apologized, "I''m sorry for leaving so abruptly. But it seems like I''ll have to leave for now. Let''s talkter, shall we?"


    In a gentlemanly manner, Hiro politely excused himself.


    Then Hiro walked away with Kim Tae-Ri. The two had met previously but Hiro hadpletely forgotten about her.


    To him, she was nothing more than an influencer invited by the show.


    After they found an open space with good lighting, Kim Tae-Ri eximed, "Guys, I present to


    you the man that you have been talking about, Takahashi Hiro."


    She started recording the instance they were alone.


    Hiro revealed a subtle smile and waved at the camera, "Hello, I''m Takahashi Hiro."


    Kim Tae-Ri was live-streaming the entire event.


    Immediately, the screen was flooded with messages. Hiro, looking at her screen couldn''t help but feel astonished. The sheer number of people who watched the stream at that moment was more than twenty thousand and it was still increasing.


    Just from the glimpse of the live follower who participated in the live chat, Hiro could estimate that she must be an influential figure.


    At this moment, he couldn''t help but think about the channel he had started during his early years. Had he continued posting, would he have such an impressive following as well?


    While she was live streaming, Hiro noticed something interesting- the girl before him was speaking two differentnguages fluently.


    ''Is she Korean?'' Hiro pondered.


    "As we are all waiting for the announcement, what do you think will happen? Do you think that you''ll win the MVP award this year?" she asked.


    Well, the topic regarding the winner of the prestigious award has been rather hot. So, Hiro was expecting her to ask him questions rted to the topic.


    But even so, when being asked, Hiro couldn''t help but ponder.


    Did he think that he''d win the award?


    Although he had entertained the thoughts of winning, he wasn''t very confident about it.


    So, when being asked suddenly, Hiro found himself in a dilemma.


    Maintaining a smile on his face, Hiro responded, "Well.... To be honest, I haven''t thought about it. We as a team have won the league. So, I''m quite satisfied with it. Perhaps, sometime in the future, I''d like to win it."


    "But for now, I''m content with winning the league."


    Well, truth be told, he did want to win the award. Even with his humble appearance on the outside, he was somewhat greedy.


    The viewers, however, couldn''t help but appreciate Hiro''s humble nature. They were spewing all sorts of words of appreciation.


    Some of them were even desperately wishing for him to win.


    Kim Tae-Ri and Hiro talked for a while before the announcement regarding the


    commencement of the show.


    Hearing the announcement, Hiro said, "Looks like we''ll have to go now. Let''s talk some other time, shall we?"


    Kim Tae-Ri quickly bid farewell to her viewers. Even though she was allowed to film until now, they were prohibited from filming the content inside.


    Hiro, however, had already left.


    She rushed to him and grabbed his hand.


    Hiro turned to look at her flush face with a rather dumbfounded expression, "Did I miss something?"


    Her cheeks turned red and she muttered in a rather shy tone, "Don''t... you remember me?"


    Hiro let out an awkward smile, "Aren''t you an influencer?"


    It was clear that he didn''t remember her. Thinking about it made her heart shudder and for a little while, she couldn''t bring herself to utter.


    She froze in her ce.


    Hiro looked at her and turned behind. The staff were urging him to hurry.


    "Can we talk about itter?"


    Kim Tae-Ri remained unresponsive. More like she couldn''t even hear him. She was devastated


    by the fact that he had forgotten her.


    She had been looking forward to their reunion. She had even dolled up for the event.


    But she didn''t expect to be forgotten.


    Looking at her stiffened expression, Hiro could tell that something was wrong. But since the


    staff were urging him to hurry, he had to leave her.


    "I''m sorry. But I got to go right now."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hiro left her and walked away.


    Only after a while did Kim Tae-Ri regain her consciousness.


    Pursing her lips, she muttered, "What was I even expecting?"


    She felt like a fool.


    As everybody got seated the event began with a montage of the season''s most unforgettable


    moments: dazzling goals, impossible saves, and the pure moment of genius.


    The audience watched the screen in awe as the screen lit up with the names of those shortlisted for the award, reminding everyone why they were there.

 Chapter 602: Inevitable

    Chapter 602: Inevitable


    ?


    After the end of the montage, a host stepped up on the stage. Then he started to entertain the guests. All of the guests listened to him, their gaze fixated on him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Then after a brief moment, they began to announce the nominees for various awards.


    "Now, for the next award, I''d like to call Mr. Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi to announce the name of the winner of the Best Goalkeeper Award."


    At that moment, a rather charming man with greying temples and a charismatic look walked to the stage. Even though he was old, he still looked charismatic.


    Everyone turned to look at the old man in blue walking his way to the stage.


    They watched him with awe and reverence.


    Then Kawaguchi stood at the rostrum. To add suspense, he intentionally dyed the announcement, "And the winner is...."


    With him pausing, a hush silence fell upon the hall. Even the lights had been dimmed, adding a ir to the suspense.


    Kim Seung-Gyu from Kashiwa Reysol, Masaaki Higashiguchi from Gamba Osaka, and Naoto from Kawasaki Frontale were the main contenders for the award.


    Even though Naoto had been nominated before, he had yet to win the award. So, he looked rather anxious at the moment.


    If you sat close to him, you could even hear his heart pounding.


    Usually, he wasn''t the anxious type and leaned more toward the calm type. But even that person looked extremely anxious at the moment.


    "Naoto Miyashiro!"


    p! p! p!


    What followed after the announcement was a thunderous round of apuse.


    Naoto jumped out of excitement.


    He stared dazedly at the stage, finding it hard to believe that he had won the award. He was named the Best Goalkeeper of the previous season.


    The front screen showed the key montage of the season he had with the club. All the crucial saves he had made the previous season and theposure he had disyed.


    All the people were waiting for him to get on the stage.


    Hiro who was seated beside him, nudged him slightly, awakening him from his reverie.


    Naoto then hurried his way to the stage to receive the award. The award was presented to him and he graciously epted the award.


    "Congrattion, Naoto!"


    Both the host and Kawaguchi congratted him for winning the award.


    Naoto after receiving the award walked to the rostrum and began to speak, "First up all, I''d like to thank all the coaching staff and my teammates who had made this moment possible."


    Naoto wasn''t the type to stammer when speaking in front of the crowd. So, he didn''t find the thank you speech much difficult.


    After delivering a short speech, and thanking the staff and teammates, he returned to his seat.


    His teammates congratted him again. They were genuinely happy for him. But at the same time, some of them were anxious.


    More and more awards were being handed out with each passing moment, celebrating the excellence of the yers.


    Next, the host invited another famous personality to hand out the award for the Best Young yer award. Unlike the previous times, people weren''t curious about the winner this time.


    When the names of the nominees were called out, they turned to look at Hiro.


    Unless the judgingmittee had been bitten by a rabid dog, the result wouldn''t be changed. Most of the people thought that way.


    Even Hiro''s teammates had already begun to congratte him even before the announcement was made. Well, there wasn''t any better candidate than him.


    His winning the Best Young yer Award was inevitable.


    But even so, the host had to keep up the act. He couldn''t disrespect the other contenders. So, for that reason, he kept a cool.


    "The winner of the Best Young yer Award is Takahashi Hiro," announced the special guest invited to unveil the name of the winner.


    p!! p!! p!!


    Again, a thunderous round of apuse reverberated in the hall. People looked at Hiro with eyes full of awe. Even the other contenders couldn''t help but look at him with reverence. Most of them had already epted defeat. Even though they had a magnificent season with the club they yed, they weren''t foolish enough to entertain the thought of winning the award against Hiro.


    Even so, one youth looked unhappy about the decision.


    While everybody was cheering on Hiro, he sat with his arms folded. Let alone apud him, he didn''t even want to look at him.


    That individual was Tominaga Nijichi.


    Furrowing his brows, he remained seated at his spot while Hiro went up to the stage to receive the award. Since he had been expecting to win the award, Hiro had already prepared the speech he wanted to deliver.


    So, he delivered the prepared speech without any difficulties.


    As the event progressed further, the best eleven of the previous season was unveiled. Among eleven, seven yers were nominated from Kawasaki.


    Well, given how well they had performed the previous season, it wasn''t anything surprising.


    Ken who was watching from behind the scenes could only look at them and dream about reaching such heights.


    He was one of those many people who were nothing but mere spectators to the brilliance of those people on the stage.


    Even so, he couldn''t help but feel envious of them.


    Even though quite a lot of them were his age, it felt as if they lived in an entirely different world. They were dressed finely while he looked like somebody from a construction site.


    They were like brilliant stars flickering in the night sky while he was like the dimming mes


    of a candle.


    Even though they lived in the same world, it felt entirely different.


    Finally, after all those awards were handed out, the time came for the main event- to


    announce the winner of the MVP award.


    The tension and the curiosity in the air were even heavier than before. And while the host was talking about the main event, the entire hall was thick with anticipation.


    The nominees sat at the edge of their seats, masking their nerves with smiles while the audience remained captivated, hanging on every word from the presenters.

 Chapter 603: MVP!

    Chapter 603: MVP!


    ?


    The air was thick with anticipation.


    Miura stood at the rostrum with the envelope containing the result, while others were intently staring at him.


    Looking at the result, Miura revealed a faint smirk.


    At that moment, Hiro stood to make way for a friend who had returned from the restroom. Just then, Miura eximed, "Takahashi Hiro!"


    With the announcement, many let out a collective gasp, their eyes widening in disbelief and surprise.


    With dpidated eyes, they turned to look at Hiro.


    Upon seeing him stand, they felt even more perplexed.


    Did he already know that he''d win?


    Was he confident of winning the award?


    They couldn''t help but think. Seeing him stand while everybody remained seated, they found it extremely difficult toprehend the situation.


    Hiro, himself was dumbfounded.


    He had only stood to make way for his friend. But he hadn''t expected that he''d get caught in the timing.


    The stare of the people around was stifling him. But he couldn''t bring himself to react either. Finally, exhaling deeply, he thought, ''Since it has alreadye to this, let''s keep up the act.'' Thinking so, he walked to the stage with an indifferent look on his face.


    Only when he started moving did the people realize that they were forgetting to congratte the winner. They had been utterly stunned by the revtion that they had even forgotten to celebrate.


    p!! p!!


    Immediately the hall became lively again.


    Many of them were still finding it hard to believe. Even the reporters had a rather dumbfounded expression on their faces.


    While the majority of the people were still in shock, a few of them had already epted the oue. Those were the people who believed in Hiro.


    "Can you believe it, honey?" Hiro''s mother with her gaze fixated on Hiro spoke in disbelief.


    Turning to look at her husband, she found him on the verge of tearing. However, at the same time, he was smiling.


    She could tell that he was overwhelmed by emotion.


    "Are you crying, honey?" she said in a rather teasing voice.


    Immediately, Hiro''s father began to wipe his tears, "No..., I''m not."


    Though he had won the award, Hiro''s face betrayed the emotion he felt. With a rather indifferent expression, he got to the stage.


    "Congrattions, Young man!"


    Miura congratted him, extending his hand for a formal handshake.


    Hiro grabbed his hand and bowed, "Thank you, sir."


    Noticing the solemn expression on Hiro''s face, Miura couldn''t help but feel puzzled.


    "Is something wrong, Hiro?"


    "No, sir."


    Hiro felt puzzled by the question.


    "Then why do you look so unexcited?"


    Only then did Hiro realize that he had been maintaining a poker face that made him seem unexcited. Just like many on the scene, he was contemting the result.


    Immediately, Hiro smiled, "Ah! I was finding it hard to believe that I had won."


    Upon hearing him, Miura let out a cheerfulugh, "Hahaha..., Is that so? It seems like you were also surprised by the oue."


    Well, despite his vouching for him, even he wasn''t aware of the oue.


    During the meeting, they had merely cast their votes.


    Even the judgingmittee wasn''t informed about the oue. Only the higher-ups of themittee were informed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Apart from them, nobody was informed about the oue.


    After exchanging a few words with Miura, Hiro stood before the rostrum, facing the people.


    Just moments earlier, he had already given a speech.


    But now, he was again required to provide a speech.


    Hiro calmly swept his gaze and began in a rxed manner, "To be honest, I''m equally surprised about the oue. But I won''t lie to you all, I did imagine winning the award."


    "Even beforeing here, I was looking at myself in the mirror and imagining holding this award," while speaking, he turned to look at the award he was holding.


    The people didn''t find his words overbearing or arrogant. Rather they found his words childlike. It was exactly what a kid would imagine.


    They often liked to imagine themselves at the center of attention.


    And Hiro who himself was a seventeen-year-old thinking that way wasn''t anything strange.


    If they were in his ce, they''d have probably thought the same.


    Hiro''s eyes glistened looking at the award he was holding. The cooling sensation of metal, the texture of the award, everything felt real.


    Tightening his grip, he continued, "Even now, everything feels so surreal. Winning the league with the team, representing the national team, or even standing here before you all. It feels like it was only yesterday when I was dreaming about ying for the country."


    "But today, I''m here, standing before you all. I can''t tell you how grateful I am for the support I have received and words can''t even express how grateful I am to receive this prestigious award. I''m truly thankful to everyone who has supported me until now."


    "This award, I''d like to dedicate to my parents who have supported the whimsical dream of a child, coaches who have trusted me, my friends and teammates, who have supported me, and everybody who has supported me until now."


    "I''ll keep trying to be better. Thank you, everyone!"


    The speech was rather lengthy filled with gratefulness. Many people upon hearing the speech couldn''t help butmend him while many disdained him for acting overtly courteous.


    It was like he was trying to earn public sympathy.


    What followed after the speech was a thunderous round of apuse.


    Among the many who were apuding him, one of them was the contender who had lost by a


    margin to Hiro.


    While the sound of the apuse was getting louder, many people started to stand. Following them even more people stood.


    Soon, almost the entire venue was on their toes, apuding him.


    Hiro looking at the scene before him couldn''t help but feel touched. His eyes glistened with


    tion as he saw them giving him a standing ovation.


    Even the ones who didn''t like him were forced to stand. With everyone standing, they couldn''t afford to remain seated.

 Chapter 604: Rising Sensation

    Chapter 604: Rising Sensation


    ?


    "Breaking News! Young sensation wins the MVP award."


    "Takahashi Hiro: The New Face Of Japan."


    The news regarding Hiro caused a massive uproar throughout the country. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that almost the entire nation was focused on him.


    However, the news was even more heated globally.


    Even though the J-league wasn''t particrly big like the European Leagues, it was still substantial enough to draw the attention of people.


    Simeone who was looking at theputer screen smiled, "Ha..., Who knew that you''d start so early?"


    On theputer screen was the picture of Hiro posing with the MVP award. The photo was taken yesterday after the event.


    Although he routinely followed the progress of Hiro, he wasn''t actually intending to see this news. He was only looking through the news circting the world.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But he wasn''t aware that he''d be seeing Hiro.


    So, when he saw the article describing Hiro''s magnificent season, he couldn''t help but break into a smile. The news fascinated him.


    Revealing a subtle smirk, Eric watched the news with a hint of intrigue shing in his eyes, "Were we hasty to decide? Now, your value will surely skyrocket."


    Later in the day, Eric received multiple inquiry requests for Hiro.


    The request only kept on increasing with each passing day. Even the clubs that had previously rejected him were now trying to recruit him.


    ********


    Several days had passed since he won the award.


    Currently, Hiro is heading to the training field. The people around him had already congratted him before.


    Arriving at the field, he was met with a rather fascinating sight.


    His teammates were queued in a double procession line. They all were looking at him with smiles on their faces.


    Hiro could tell where it was leading.


    Looking at their faces, he couldn''t help but smile.


    "Here,es our young sensation."


    Junya Ito said, looking at him with weing eyes.


    As Hiro moved forward, they patted him on his back and enthusiastically congratted him. Hiro felt overwhelmed by their gesture.


    Everybody looked motivated after the event. Well, many of them had been honored in the event. So, it was only natural for them to feel happy.


    The morale of the squad was at an all-time high.


    Even so, the training was as intense as it could be. Despite their recent achievements, they weren''t given any leniency.


    Their coach wanted to increase the tempo of the game. So, he had been working them tirelessly, preparing for the season.


    With Hiro''s poprity soaring, he didn''t have any moment to rest even after the end of the morning training.


    Right after the training, he had to head to a certain studio for a scheduled interview.


    So, he couldn''t even stay and share a proper meal with his teammates.


    For the next few days, his schedule was cramped as hell.


    ********


    Appearing rather troubled, Ken walked out of a wooden structure. After leaving the event, he had been hearing that voice often.


    At first, he ignored the voice thinking of it as mere hallucination. But even after ignoring it for a while, it seemed like it wouldn''t stop.


    So, he even thought that he was possessed.


    During his younger days, he often heard of people being able to listen to the voice of the unknown or being able to see their deceased loved ones.


    [Do you want to change your destiny?]


    Those were the only words he heard and the voice sounded neither feminine nor masculine. The voice sounded something like a faint whisper but it was clearly audible.


    For some inexplicable reason, only he seemed to hear it.


    So, it added further to his worries.


    The reason why he never responded to the voice was because once he had heard from an elderly woman that if the living responded to the call of the dead, the dead would take them with them.


    So, precisely out of fear he didn''t respond to the voice.


    Right now, he hade out of a shaman''s ce. He wanted to rid himself of possession.


    ''Did it work?'' Ken thought after going through some shady ritual that promised to get rid of the possession.


    Ken halted before the shaman''s ce, trying to listen to the voice.


    Tilting his head, he looked at the sky.


    The sky was blue and there were a few wisps of irregrly shaped clouds floating aimlessly in


    the azure heaven.


    The sun had yet to reach the zenith.


    [Do you wish to change your destiny?]


    Once again, he heard the voice. Hearing the ethereal tone made him frown.


    ''It seems like I can still hear it.''


    Ken had enough of it. So, he resolved if his fate was to be sealed now then so be it. He couldn''t ignore the voice forever and he didn''t want to be startled often.


    So, he resolved to answer the voice.


    "Heck yeah! I''d prefer to live a meaningful life than this shitty one."


    He muttered furrowing his brows.


    If he could change his destiny why would he shy away from the offer?


    It was the deepest desire he held and he had enough of hearing it. It was like the voice was


    mocking him by speaking his desire.


    [Consent received]


    [Preparing to integrate with the host]


    For the first time since he heard the voice, he heard something different. So, Ken felt startled


    when he heard something different.


    He had been expecting something unfortunate.


    Was something unfortunate going to happen to him?


    He couldn''t help but feel panicked.


    "What''s going to happen?" he muttered, his voiceced with concern and fear.


    Then out of nowhere, he started seeing a translucent golden panel. There were some numbers


    on the panel.


    "What''s happening?" Ken uttered, appearing scared.


    He couldn''t figure out what was happening, "Am I going to get transported to another


    world?"


    He had seen such a scene before. But they were in the manga he read. Something like this happening in reality, he found it hard to believe.


    Suddenly, the number hit 100 on the screen.


    Ken startlingly stared at the screen, his heart pounding faster and faster.

 Chapter 605: New Season, Same Hiro

    Chapter 605: New Season, Same Hiro


    ?


    Something strange, something ethereal began to take ce the moment the screen disyed 100. For unknown reasons, Ken started glowing.


    Dazzling light shot forth from his body, startling him in the process.


    "What... What is happening to me?" Ken shuddered.


    Ken''s heart rate spiked to an unbelievable rate while at the same time, he started gasping.


    Everything felt strange and terrifying at the same time. He couldn''t tell what was happening. Strangely enough, he couldn''t feel anything either.


    Even though he was glowing, he didn''t feel anything at all.


    The strange phenomenonsted for a brief moment before the light disappeared.


    [Integration Completed!]


    ********


    The stadium was a cauldron of emotion resonating with the excited cheer of the fans. Finally, after a long wait, they were able to witness the match.


    For Kawasaki Frontale, it was the first match of the new season.


    Many people were drawn to the match due to Hiro''s soaring poprity. They wanted to witness the magic of the little magician firsthand.


    Hence, there was a surge of crowds at the venue.


    Even the season tickets had already been sold out in the very first hour after it was released to the general public.


    After a short wait, the yers walked out of the tunnel.


    In today''s match, Kawasaki was facing Kashiwa Reysol.


    While the yers prepared to start the match, the big LED screen lit up with the names of the yers, disying the formation of the teams participating in the match.


    Hiro calmly looked ahead of him.


    [Season Quest]


    [y more than 25 games]


    [Score more than 20 goals]


    [Provide more than 15 assists]


    [Create more than 100 key passes]


    [Maintain an average match rating of 7.5 or higher]


    [Win 10 or more MOTM]


    [Win the league]


    [Reward onpletion: 5000 points, Exclusive "Rising Star" bundle, and Universal Tongue (S)]


    [Failure: None]


    Hirocently stared at the screen. It was the first time, he had been presented with such a seasonal quest.


    The notification regarding the quest had rung the moment he had stepped out of the tunnel. Looking at the quest, Hiro couldn''t help but salivate at the reward.


    Especially, the talent of "Universal Tongue" fueled his desire toplete the quest.


    [Universal Tongue (S)]


    [Description: Shortens the time taken to learn anguage and helps improve the pronunciation]


    If he could shorten the time taken to learn anguage wouldn''t he be able to learn anynguage with ease? Hiro couldn''t help but feel enticed.


    That''d be extremely beneficial to him.


    And it''d definitelye in handy in his future endeavors.


    Especially, since he was still struggling with Spanish. If he could possess this talent, it''d make


    it a lot easier for him in his next destination.


    The first four conditions didn''t concern him. But thetter three were a little concerning.


    Especially, the condition to average a match rating of 7.5 or more per game.


    Even excellent yers have worst days and Hiro wasn''t an exception to that rule.


    So, he couldn''t help but feel worried about it.


    He could have a fabulous season but if he messes even a single game, he would fail the quest. Wasn''t it too extreme of a condition?


    But against the condition presented by the system, he was entirely helpless. Even if he wailed orined he couldn''t change the oue.


    ''Sigh... Seems like I can only be careful.''


    Hiro sighed as he resigned himself to his fate.


    While the speakers were bombarding the introduction of the yers, somebody rushed to the


    field holding the MVP award that was presented to Hiro some weeks ago.


    Hiro and the club had already talked about it. So, he wasn''t surprised.


    He walked to the person and grabbed the award. Then he lifted the award high up, showcasing


    it to the general public while the announcermented on the situation.


    The crowd went wild as they began to congratte and apud Hiro.


    This scenario was pre-prepared by the club. So, he couldn''t shy away even if he wanted to.


    The supporters of Kawasaki were extremely ted to see him lifting the trophy, sharing the moment with the fans.


    They were pleased and jubnt.


    Their homegrown talent had gone on to be a megastar. Some people followed him from his youth days on the stands.


    Overwhelmed by emotion, many were even on the verge of tearing.


    With rumors regarding the foreign club approaching Hiro, they couldn''t help but feel


    threatened to lose Hiro the next season.


    Although nothing had been made public yet, some had already epted the reality that it


    might be Hiro''s veryst season with the club.


    So, they wanted to savor this moment to the fullest.


    The cheer of the crowd grew even louder with each passing moment. Some of them were even bowing their head out of appreciation.


    After the short event ended, Hiro and the rest got to their position to kickstart the match.


    Ono who was on the bench looked at his previous teammates. He felt a little damp looking at


    them.


    Beep!


    The matchmenced.


    In today''s match, Hiro had slightly altered his position. He had moved further up on the field, ying as a shadow striker.


    The more appropriate term for the position he yed today would be a false 9.


    Immediately after the opposing yers initiated the kickoff, the yers of Kawasaki charged ahead, pressuring the opposing team from the get-go.


    The opposition wasn''t expecting the pressure to be so intense from the get-go. They were caught off guard, which led them to lose the ball almost immediately after the kickoff.


    "Goal!"


    It had only been nine seconds since the start of the match. Yet the opposing team alreadyn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    conceded the goal.


    Their manager looked at the field in disbelief.


    The crowd although puzzled for a brief moment was already celebrating.


    Even thementator was at a loss for words. The match had only begun yet the ball was


    already inside the Kashiwa''s post.


    "Goal! Ah, goal...." thementator eximed in disbelief.


    "What a way to kickstart the match. Kawasaki takes the lead with an urate shot from Hiro


    in less than ten seconds."

 Chapter 606: Tough Match

    Chapter 606: Tough Match


    ?


    While Hiro and his teammates were celebrating the goal, the LED screen disyed the rey of the goal.


    Immediately after the game started, an individual could be seen rushing ahead at an


    incredible speed. d in blue, he had the number 7 imprinted on his back.


    At the same time, another individual d in blue with the number 10 on his back also rushed ahead.


    They were Tatsuki and Hiro.


    The opposing yers appeared mostly rxed. They had the ball but they weren''t in any rush to advance.


    One of their midfielders held the ball and, was searching for his teammate to pass. However, right then, an individual d in blue with the number 7 on his back approached him.


    At that moment, the opposing midfielder panicked.


    So, he hurriedly passed the ball back without taking notice of the other individual who was already rushing in the direction he was about to pass.


    The pass fell short and Hiro took full advantage of the pass.


    But the opposing defender somehow managed to stand in the way.


    However, Hiro without pausing shot the ball from outside the box, between the legs of the defender standing before him.


    The ball soared unhindered, straight into the post.


    Looking at the screen, the opposing manager couldn''t help but contort his face in annoyance.


    ''We can''t afford to be careless.'' He thought furrowing his brow.


    The goal they had conceded recently was enough to tell him that they couldn''t afford to be careless if they didn''t want to get humiliated.


    Winning the game didn''t even cross his mind.


    After watching the rey, he turned to look at Haruki. ncing at the solemn figure of Haruki, he couldn''t help but feel intimidated, ''Just what kind of monster has he bred?''


    He had a foreboding feeling that it wouldn''t be thest time he''d witness such intense pressure from the opposing team.


    So, he immediately got to work.


    From the sidelines, he began to shoutmands at his yers.


    "Minato, drop back and pay attention to your surroundings."


    "Hiroki, don''t spread your leg wide."


    "Inukai, remember what we''ve talked about."


    The opposing manager''s shoutingmand so early in the game didn''t go unnoticed as thementators couldn''t help butment about the situation, "Manager Ihara doesn''t have it easy, does he? Perhaps, he''s seeing something that others couldn''t."


    "Well, they need to be careful if they don''t want to concede more goals."


    After the celebration ended, the game continued.


    But after that goal, the air around the opposing squad had entirely changed.


    As predicted by Ihara, the opposing manager, the match did get even more intense. The


    pressure from Kawasaki was getting more and more intense.


    Fortunately, after ten minutes since they conceded thest goal, their forward Mao created an opportunity to level the score.


    Leaving his pursuers behind, he charged forward.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing the sudden change, Ihara''s heart pounded with joy. With a seemingly exhrated expression, he fixedly followed Mao.


    It was the first chance they had created since the match started.


    So, he was naturally excited for the opportunity.


    With only two opposing defenders before him, Mao who was athletically built had the perfect opportunity to score.


    Manager Ihara, aware of Mao''s breakthrough abilities, couldn''t contain his excitement. He recognized that Mao was the kind of yer who thrived in such situations.


    Steadily, Mao approached the opposing defenders.


    Then with a burst of speed, he tried to break free from the clutches of the defenders before him. But right then, he noticed something unusual.


    Mao wasn''t actually facing two defenders but he was against three. He was trapped.


    "Wait... When did he get back?" feeling confused, Ihara gasped.


    Marcinho, the Brazilian midfielder had already caught up to Mao.


    "Aren''t they afraid of depleting their reserve?" Ihara couldn''t help but feel frustrated.


    From the beginning, they had been maintaining high pressure as if they had an unlimited reservoir of energy.


    In the previous season, they weren''t this intense. So, how could they alter their ystylepletely despite ying under the same manager?


    He rmingly red at Manager Haruki who was calmly seated in his seat. Even though they were under threat, he didn''t even look bothered.


    It was almost as if he wasn''t even feeling threatened.


    Ihara found it extremely hard toprehend Haruki. Pursing his lips, he squeezed some words out of his mouth, "You arrogant fox...."


    Suddenly, he heard a collective gasp from the spectators.


    Hearing the gasp, he turned around to look at the field. But at that moment, he found that Mao had already lost possession of the ball.


    Marcinho, the Brazilian midfielder was steadily advancing with the ball. The situation hadpletely reversed and now they were under threat.


    The sudden change in the scenario made his heart palpitate and he couldn''t help but feel


    rmed.


    "Fall back!"


    Ihara shouted, his voice barely audible.


    The entire stadium was getting heated and the chants of the fans were growing incessantly


    loud.


    While under pressure, the yers didn''t have the luxury to hear the warning of the people from the sidelines. They had to focus their whole attention on the field and they couldn''t afford even a moment of negligence.


    Hence, focusing their entire attention on the field, they retreated steadily while some of their teammates tried to intercept the advancing midfielder.


    Marcinho danced around the field, disying his Brazilian ir. Then after passing some of


    the opposing yers, he struck the ball hard.


    The ball soared above the heads of the opposing yers and fell precisely in the direction


    Hiro was running.


    Hiro, however, didn''t pause to trap the ball.


    Continuing with his run, he advanced. One of the opposing defenders tried to foul him. After


    all, even if he fouled him there, they wouldn''t give away a penalty.


    So, he made a desperate attempt to stop Hiro, clinging to his jersey.


    Rather than being slowed down, Hiro twisted his body and performed an acrobatic move. By


    doing so, he not only got rid of the defender who was trying to bring him down, but he also delivered a cross to Tatsuki who was advancing alongside him.


    "Goal!"

 Chapter 607: Decoy!

    Chapter 607: Decoy!


    ?


    The entire stadium burst into cheers as jubnt Kawasaki fans leaped up, celebrating their team''s hard-won goal. Hugging each other and chanting, they turned the stadium into a euphoric sea of excitement.


    On the field, Tatsuki sprinted toward Hiro with a beaming grin, pointing at him in tribute to his assist, and Hiro weed him with open arms. The opposing fans, meanwhile, fell into silence.


    The crowd joined in unity with the team, brimming with anticipation for what mighte next. In one corner, a group raised arge banner, chanting Hiro''s name in powerful unison.


    On the sidelines, the opposing coach could be seen barking instructions. At the same time, the reserve yers were preparing to head inside.


    Manager Haruki, however, appeared rxed.


    Meanwhile, the reserve yers and the coaching staff of Kawasaki were celebrating the goal. Staring deeply at the pitch with a subtle grin on his face, Ono was seated on his spot, ''Even though it''s the team where I debuted, why don''t I feel bad seeing them lose?''


    He couldn''t help but contemte his feeling of excitement.


    Though he tried hard to hide the emotions he felt, he couldn''t help but feel excited about the moment. From what he had seen, he knew that the opposing team''s predicament hadn''t ended yet.


    Rather it had only begun.


    They had only begun to build momentum and it would get better with every passing moment. Even so, he didn''t feel even an ounce of pity toward his previous team.


    It might be because Kawasaki had lent him a helping hand when he was at his lowest while his previous team had abandoned him.


    While contemting, he cast a nce at the other side of the pitch. There he was met with the infuriated figure of his previous manager under whom he had flourished.


    Looking at him, he felt a pang of sadness.


    Even though the club had treated him miserably, the manager hadn''t treated him that way. So, he couldn''t help but feel sad about it.


    Soon after the celebration ended, the match resumed.


    Despite having conceded two goals, the opposing fans didn''t stop to show their support. Their cheers got even louder and more enthusiastic than before.


    It was like they were telling their yers that they supported them fully.


    With every passing moment, the match became even more heated. The focus, however, was on a single yer- Takahashi Hiro.


    In today''s match, there seemed to be no one who could match him.


    Watching him was a pure moment of bliss for the spectators.


    Be it creating chances or impressive breakthroughs, he seemed to be proficient in every single aspect. Even when faced with multiple opponents, he easily breaks through as if he were a professional paired against a bunch of amateurs.


    Ihara upon seeing such a miserable state of his yers could feel his scalp turning numb.


    And the more Hiro toyed with their defense, the more frustrated he felt.


    Anxiously, Ihara stared at the pitch, his brows knotted into a frown, "What kind of role has they made him y today?"


    Ihara couldn''t help but contemte Hiro.


    Even though he initially started at a false 9 position, he had been dropping deep as if he were


    a deep-lying ymaker. At the same time, he often found Hiro attacking from the nks like a winger.


    It was almost as if he didn''t have any fixed position.


    Contemting, he turned to look at the handbook he had in his pocket. He had been scribbling all the important information he could get from the match.


    Suddenly while he was ncing at the handbook, he was distracted by the intense noiseing from the stand.


    A little startled, he turned to look at the pitch. There he saw, Hiro advancing at a threatening pace, his yers struggling to stop him.


    Immediately, upon seeing the event unfolding on the pitch, he started bing anxious.


    His eyes rolled vigorously as he analyzed the field.


    Immediately, he located three other opposing yers rallying alongside Hiro, each progressing equally fast.


    Seeing those opposing yers made his heart palpitate. Subconsciously, he blurted, "nks! Protect the nks!"


    The yers behind him were equally anxious and some of them looked like they''d jump out of their seats any moment.


    Lightning Steps!


    Suddenly, Hiro''s eleration spiked to an unprecedented level. Seeing the sudden change made many spectators thrilled. Their eyes dpidated while they felt a rush of euphoria.


    The opposing defender had been expecting this sudden spike. So, when they noticed the sudden eleration, they moved closer. Preventing him from leaving was far better than chasing him after they left them behind.


    So, they moved closer to obstruct him.


    However, the moment they moved closer, Hiro released the ball.


    Following the ball, they turned to look at the direction of the ball which led them to shift their attention away from him.


    The moment of distraction was what Hiro needed.


    Taking advantage of their momentary distraction, Hiro sprinted from their blind side, leaving them behind in the dust.


    The ball was headed straight to Tatsuki, who was also sprinting.


    Without even pausing to stop the ball, Tatsuki swept his leg, ying an immediate one-two pass with Hiro, leaving his marker baffled.


    Fortunately, there was another defender who had stayed back while the others had advanced


    to stop Hiro.


    The opposing number two was prepared to make a rough tackle if the situation required him to make one. So, he performed a sliding tackle, attempting to clear the ball away. During the process, he was likely to collide with Hiro. But he couldn''t care less about giving away a spot-kick. He could tell that if he didn''t stop Hiro, they were sure to concede yet


    another goal.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    So, he performed a reckless sliding tackle attempting to reach the ball before Hiro.


    Hiro, however, simply stepped over both the ball and the opposing number two.


    This left the opposing number two baffled.


    Turning behind to look at the direction of the ball, he found Ito preparing to shoot.


    Turns out, Hiro had intentionally left the ball for Ito.


    In this attack, he was merely a decoy, and the opposing yers were so fixated on him that they failed to notice the advance of Ito.

 Chapter 608: Increasing Threat

    Chapter 608: Increasing Threat


    ?


    Ito, having scored a debut goal was overwhelmed by excitement. Immediately, after scoring the goal, he rushed to the sideline to celebrate the goal.


    "Ito....! Scores on his debut match," thementator couldn''t help but amp the moment.


    With him scoring the third goal, the stadium grew incessantly loud. To the people, he was like a living legend. So, seeing him score on his debut, they couldn''t refrain from exaggerating the


    moment.


    Hiro, on the other hand, watched the entire celebration without getting much involved in it. To him, he appeared selfish.


    Rather than celebrating the goal with the team, he cared more about himself.


    Immediately after Ito scored the third goal, the opposing team made some changes in their squad. It hadn''t even been halftime, yet they were already making changes.


    Ono looked at the changes the opposing team was making with his brows knitted. The yer that was about toe on was the very yer whom they had bought to rece him.


    Seeing the change, he felt as if a hole had been carved in his heart.


    Even though he was already aware of it, the change still left him disheartened.


    Being close to the sideline, Hiro managed to take a glimpse of the moment.


    ''Such is the fate of a footballer. You''ll only receive the limelight when you are performing well. The moment you stop contributing, you are reced.'' Hiro contemted.


    After the change, the game resumed.


    With their team leading the game with such a massive score of 3-0, Kawasaki fans were in a jubnt mood. On the other hand, the opposing fans were rather silent.


    Previously, they had been trying to encourage their yers. But right now, it appeared as if they had lost their previous enthusiasm.


    Even many of the opposing yers looked sour.


    There was still plenty of time remaining for the first half to end. Precisely, that must be why, the opposing yers seemed sour.


    Hiro swept his gaze, scrutinizing their expression. He knew that they were starting to break. And if the situation esctes any further, there wouldn''t be any chance to retaliate.


    Noticing their irritated expression, Hiro couldn''t help but think, ''It''s only a matter of time before they crumble.''


    Upon resuming the game, the opposing yers began to y even more cautiously than before. It almost looked as if they were afraid to take chances.


    Passing the ball cautiously, for some while they continued to pass the ball among themselves without taking any opportunity to advance.


    Precisely because of their cautiousness, the match became rather boring.


    Even most of their attackers had dropped deep to defend.


    After catching the whiff of the opposing coach''s intention, Haruki rolled his eyes to look at the opposing coach.


    With his brows knitted, Ihara was following the match.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Have you already given up?'' Haruki couldn''t help but scrutinize Ihara.


    Since the two had spent a considerable amount of time in the league, the two had met on many asions. So, it would be fair to say that they were familiar with each other.


    And just like him, Ihara was also the type of coach who liked ying offensive football. But right now, witnessing the scene before him, he couldn''t help but feel disappointed in him. Ihara had abandoned his philosophy.


    Sighing, he shifted his attention to the match, "Sigh! Seems like you''re desperate this time."


    However, even with them ying defensively, they couldn''t hold on against the offense of the Kawasaki yers. Especially, Hiro the disruptor of the formation, there was simply no stopping to him.


    With him on the opposing side, they found it increasingly troublesome to defend.


    Although they managed to barely prevent him from scoring, they couldn''t entirely stop him from moving the ball.


    Facing him was already tough enough but his vision was proving even more troublesome. He could locate spaces that seemed almost impossible to locate.


    Beep!


    The ball went out of bounds. At that moment, one of the opposing defenders with a number four on his back heaved a deep sigh, "Sigh.... How much do we need to hold?"


    Mumbling, he turned to look at the time. There he noticed that they had to hold out for three more minutes.


    "Just how does he locate such tight spaces?" looking at the departing figure of Hiro, he exasperated.


    Panting heavily, he was drenched in sweat.


    He could feel a bulging sensation of pain ringing underneath. Even his jersey was all messed up from tackling tirelessly without stopping.


    Yugo who was already thirty-one years old was one of the toughest defenders in the league and it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to point him as the best in terms of defending in his team.


    Having an uncanny talent for man-marking, he was appointed to mark Hiro. Well, given the way he had been tailing him, it would be more urate to call him Hiro''s bodyguard for the match whose sole job was to prevent the ball from reaching Hiro.


    Although he had failed to stop him from possessing the ball, he had done an excellent job keeping Hiro as far away from the post as possible.


    But even with him keeping Hiro away, Hiro was still managing to contribute to the team.


    With his vision that seemed to transcend the world, he kept finding spaces that seemed impossible to locate.


    Even now, if it weren''t for a lucky ident, he''d have delivered a magnificent through-ball. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he revealed a wry smile, "If I hadn''t stumbled, who knows what would have happened."


    He felt relieved to have been able to stop Hiro until now. But he was growing increasingly anxious. Having stuck to Hiro until now, he knew that it would be a matter of moment before Hiro broke through him.


    Even with his experience and physicality, if he had to keep facing those speedy breakthroughs, sooner orter, he''d probably be unable to stop him.


    Well, fortunately, the lucky ident saved him this time. But he knew that his body was starting to break after following him.

 Chapter 609: The Greatest Feeling

    Chapter 609: The Greatest Feeling


    ?


    Yugo looked at Hiro dazedly, "Isn''t it your first match since you recovered?"


    Previously, he had assumed Hiro to be a littleckluster considering that it was his first match after the injury that sidelined him for almost three months.


    But now upon experiencing the never-before-seen form of Hiro, he couldn''t help but feel astonished.


    Wasn''t he injured?


    Thinking about it, he couldn''t help but doubt.


    With a quick throw-in, the match resumed almost immediately. Yugo, gnashing his teeth, rushed to stop Hiro.


    The quick throw-in didn''t even allow him a little time to recover. So, he couldn''t help but feel irritated by the oue. He had only paused for a moment to catch his breath. Yet, the opposing team had already resumed the game.


    With short one-two passes, Hiro steadily advanced, leaving Yugo without any opportunity to retaliate.


    But since he had been tasked with stopping Hiro, he couldn''t care less about other yers. Hence, Yugo stuck with Hiro.


    Almost immediately after the throw-in, Yugo found himself facing Hiro. If he could stop him there, he might be able to change the momentum.


    Rolling his eyes to look around him, Yugo cautiously retreated. He knew that he couldn''t be hasty or else he''ll lose the duel.


    So, while Hiro was closing, he steadied his breath.


    With his eyes fixated on Hiro, his focus peaked to a whole other level. It felt almost as if the whole world had gone silent.


    He was no longer bothered by the noise around him and he could see even the tiniest of the detail. It felt as if nothing could escape his grasp.


    Upon sensing some subtle changes, he lunged forward in an attempt to stop the behemoth of a person who was charging toward him.


    Until a moment ago, Hiro seemed like a silhouette inside a painting, unmoving and ethereal. But now, he could sense some ominous aura leaking from him.


    But rather than feeling intimidated, he felt excited for some reason.


    There had been only a handful of times he had felt this exact emotion.


    The moment he lunged forward, Hiro swiftly changed his direction. Following Hiro, he also adjusted himself to tail him.


    With them fighting for dominance, the air crackled with tension. Their duel captivated the hearts of the people, attracting their attention to them.


    With each passing moment, Yugo''s eyes narrowed, tracking Hiro''s every move with unyielding focus, like a hunter sizing up its prey.


    Hiro could palpably feel the intensity radiating from Yugo-it was a mix of grit and quiet confidence that only a seasoned defender could possess.


    As Hiro tried to slip past, Yugo matched him step-for-step, his movements precise and almost instinctual. Hiro feinted to his right, but Yugo didn''t bite. Instead, he held his ground, reading Hiro''s intentions as though he could see the y unfolding in his mind.


    Hiro could sense Yugo''s defensive awareness wrapping around him like an invisible, tightening with every step.


    Yugo''s arm brushed against Hiro''s shoulder as he closed in, throwing off Hiro''s rhythm just enough to stall his momentum. With his superb man-marking, Yugo positioned himself in a way that made every inch of space feel hard-won.


    For a moment, it seemed impossible to pass him. Hiro couldn''t tell what was happening. Perhaps, it was something like an awakening.


    After all, until some moment ago, he had been easily passing him. But now, the difficulty had almost surged to an unprecedented level.


    It almost fell as if he was up against some world-ss defender.


    Previously, he had felt the same aura from Marquinhos when he yed against Brazil.


    Then using body feint, Hiro tried to trick Yugo. It''s not that he hadn''t tried to use it before. But all of his previous attempts had been unsessful.


    ''I''m not falling for it.'' Yugo thought noticing Hiro''s intention.


    But when he saw him moving his legs, he couldn''t help but fall for it. Perhaps, he wasn''t actually trying to trick him.


    He moved, almost instinctively, lunging forward. At the same time, he swung his arm in an attempt to disposition Hiro.


    Hiro, however, pulled a rainbow flick.


    Yugo''s eyes opened wide in bewilderment. He couldn''t tell what had taken ce for a moment. It felt as if the ball had vanished from his sight.


    Before he could react, Hiro already passed him.


    Even so, he made a desperate attempt to pull Hiro. Stretching his hand forward, he threw himself toward Hiro, attempting to bring him down.


    People could vividly see that he was attempting an intentional foul. So, many became anxious upon seeing Yugo''s reaction.


    They feared that he would bring Hiro down. At the same time, many felt an intense feeling of anger welling up inside them.


    However, what they feared didn''t happen.


    Yugo never got any opportunity to cling to Hiro.


    Before he could even grab him, Hiro stormed away like a horse on steroids. Like a gust of


    wind, he stormed away, leaving behind Yugo in dust.


    Unable to grab Hiro, Yugo fell hard on the ground.


    Thud!


    The collision was rather harsh, sending a wave of pain all over his body. Even so, he stood almost immediately after he fell. High on adrenaline, he didn''t even notice the pain.


    Driven by his desperation, he began to chase Hiro again.


    However, before he could even reach Hiro, Hiro fired a powerful shot from right outside the


    box. The ball flew straight to the post.


    Only at that moment, did Yugo''s expression change.


    Looking at the soaring ball, he felt a sense of helplessness wing at his heart. His eyes


    became frenzied while his expression sank.


    His pupils reflected the soaring ball that was heading straight to the post.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A pair of hands entered his field of vision. But it barely missed the ball by an inch. Almost immediately after what followed was a wave of jubnt cheers.


    "Goal!"


    Even now, he was trying to catch Hiro. But after Hiro released the ball, he slowed down quite a


    bit.


    Finally, he paused.

 Chapter 610 First Victory

    610 First Victory


    That was their fourth goal. At this moment, many of the opposing yers were starting to feel helpless. Yugo especially couldn''t help but dazedly stare at Hiro''s departing figure.


    The silhouette of Hiro as he passed him kept on shing. The stadium was buzzing with excitement. Yet, he felt lost within. In this dazzling atmosphere, he had turned into a mere spectator to Hiro''s brilliance. As he stared at Hiro, he felt like the stage had been set for him. Even after the game resumed, the opposing team struggled to gain momentum. Instead, it became even more challenging for them.


    Despite their struggle, they managed to stay afloat. Beep!


    Finally, the referee sounded the whistle, signaling the end of the first half.


    Even after the continuation of the second half, Kashiwa still struggled to gain momentum. Despite their countless attempts to score, they failed horrendously. With their attemptsing to naught, it felt almost impossible to breach Kawasaki''s formation. They attempted more than four shots but each failed miserably. Taking advantage of their failed opportunity, Kawasaki scored yet another four goals in the second half and extended their lead to a whopping eight to nothing. Until the 70th minute, Kashiwa somehow managed to neutralize Kawasaki''s attack. However, when Ono entered the game in the 71st minute, the match instantly changed.


    Right aftering from the bench, he scored a goal. With him scoring the goal, Kawasaki became even more threatening. It might be because he was familiar with their tactic. But after he entered, Kashiwa''s whole formation gradually fell apart. Although he didn''t celebrate after scoring, he dealt a huge blow to them. With their faltering morale, they couldn''t keep their heads on the game. Eventually, they lost the game by a huge margin. Beep!


    The match came to an end and so did their nightmare. ncing at the screen, Yugo heaved a deep sigh, "8-0!"


    Most of his teammates with their heads hung low started leaving the pitch after hearing the full-time whistle. The result of the match had left them devastated and they couldn''t be more obvious about it. With a dark shadow looming over their face, they gradually exited the pitch, leaving a few of theirpatriots behind. Even their fans had already left the pitch. However, there continued to remain a few in the stadium, criticizing their disastrous performance. The stadium sparsely vacant continued to buzz with excitement. The remaining spectators cheered and sang in jubtion over their huge victory in their starting match of the season. Kawasaki yers ran around the field, expressing their gratitude to the fans for showing up to support them.


    "Were we wrong?" Yugo whispered with a downcast expression, staring at Ono. He couldn''t help but doubt their club''s decision to abandon Ono. Even though he only yed twenty minutes, he helped them score four goals in those minutes. He still possessed all those abilities, including defensive sturdiness and the ability to connect passes. It was almost as if he had returned to his prime. "Just why didn''t you perform like this when you were with us?" Yugo muttered revealing a wry smile. If only Ono had performed like this, the club wouldn''t have sold him. s! He performed miserably while ying for them. So, the club was forced to make this tough decision. But now, the same yer they had sold was thriving before their eyes. Then again, the expression on his face lightened as he heaved a sigh, "Well, I guess you have found a ce you can call home. Good luck, Kid!"


    Yugo, having yed and trained alongside Ono, knew about the potential Ono had. But after Ono suffered that injury that left him out of the pitch for months, even he couldn''t help but think differently. Yugo could tell that the injury had messed up the kid. Yet still, he couldn''t bring himself to fully rule him out for the rest of his career. While staring at Ono, Yugo noticed him walking toward him. Yugo raised his brows, wondering what he was up to. Uponing close, Ono said, "I''m sorry about the result."


    Yugo furrowed his brow, "Look at this kid. Are you mocking us?"


    Immediately, upon hearing those words, Ono became panicked, "No.. No... That''s not what I was trying to say."


    Yugo let out a heartyugh, "Hahaha... Don''t worry. I was only pulling your legs."


    "Talking about the result. Who wouldn''t be devastated after suffering such a humiliating loss," Yugo continued tilting his head to look at the screen. Seeing the frown on Yugo''s face, Ono started feeling bad about it. The man before him had treated him with utmost kindness while he was there. But right now, the same man was showing a pained expression. And he was one of the people who had caused it. Yugo caught a glimpse of a frown on Ono''s face. So, he immediatelyposed himself and revealed a warm smile, "You don''t have to feel bad about it. I mean I wouldn''t have felt bad if you were on the receiving end. After all, it''s football and whatever happens in the game remains in the game."


    Hearing him, Ono felt a little relieved. "But I''m d that you found a ce you belong to," Yugo added, his tone filled with sincerity. Ono, upon hearing such warm words couldn''t help but feel touched. From the bottom of his heart, a soothing sensation of warmth welled up inside him. Ono''s eyes glistened with a feeling of gratitude. When he left the club, Yugo was one of the people who had actually wished him luck in his endeavor. And even now, he only meant well for him. Soon after, a few other opposing yers walked to them. They were the ones with whom Ono had been close with. For a while, they conversed over different things. Then Yugo looked at Hiro and said, "Is he like that even in training?" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Clearly, he was referencing the performance of Hiro in the match. Yugo was curious if Hiro performed with this level of finesse even in training. Ono, having trained with him couldn''t help but reveal a wry smile, "Compared to the training this is nothing..."

 Chapter 611 First Quest Bonus

    611 First Quest Bonus


    Furrowing his brows, Ken contorted his face in annoyance, "Football! Why does it have to be football? I don''t even like that sport."


    Ken sat in a squat position, staring at the holographic panel floating before him. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead and fell to the floor beneath.


    [59.. 58.. 57..]


    The more Ken stared at the screen, the more he felt exasperated. [3... 2... 1...]


    Finally, as the timer hit 0 Ken copsed on the ground, unable to hold the position any longer. Panting heavily, he stared at the screen. [Ding! Daily Quest Completed]


    [You have been granted 0.1 points]


    [First-timepletion bonus +10 points]


    While Ken remained t on the floor, his ear buzzed with the sound of the notification from the system. Yet when he heard the content of the notification, he couldn''t help but reveal a self-deprecating smile on his face. The daily quest he hadpleted was nothing but a nightmare. ''100 Push-ups. 10 Km run. 10 min squat pulses. 100 sit-ups. Isn''t this too much?'' Ken couldn''t help but exasperate thinking about the daily torture he had to endure. If it weren''t for the fact that he exercised frequently, he''d have already been hospitalized. Even somebody who exercised daily would find those sets of exercises difficult, let alone somebody who hadn''t trained before. It had been months since he awakened this ethereal almost fantasy-like system that promised to alter his fate. At first, when he awakened, he was skeptical about this so-called omnipotent system. But gradually, he epted it. However, even now, he couldn''t help butin. Why you may ask, it''s because he was interested in baseball but he was forced to y football. Is God being sarcastic with him?


    Like, what kind of ridiculous joke is this? If the universe wanted to grant him such a thing, couldn''t they at least grant him something of his interest?


    But since he had received this opportunity, he might as well grab it. So, even though he wasn''t particrly interested in football, he epted it nheless. Well, what could he do even if he refused it?


    Might as well try it than refuse it. With that thought in mind, he had been putting up with the hellish quest it assigned to him. Just like any other normal human being, he struggled toplete the regime in the beginning. But finally, after almost three weeks of endurance, hepleted it for the first time. Savoring the sweet taste of victory, Ken proceeded to use the hard-earned points. ''Finally, I can use it.'' Thinking about using the hard-earned points to improve himself, Ken''s face gleamed with excitement. Name: Nakamura Ken


    Position: Free


    Age: 19


    Height: 177 cm


    Weight: 62 Kg


    Pace: 60 Dribbling: 32 Passing: 42 Shooting: 44 Vision: 50 Agility: 55 Physicality: 55


    Defensive Awareness: 56 Stamina: 63 Technique: 31


    Looking at his stat, Ken couldn''t help but frown. Even he could tell that he was horrendous at football. Strangely enough, upon looking at his stat, Ken couldn''t help but entertain the thoughts of being a defender. From the looks of it, he could tell that he didn''t possess any talent to be a forward. But Ken didn''t hate the possibility of being a defender either. Even while ying baseball, he was more of a catcher and fielder than a batter. That might be the attributing factor leading to this moment. So, he couldn''t rule out the possibility that his previous interest might have something to do with his present state. With his gaze fixated on the attribute tab, Ken began to ponder, "Should I spend the point on the mystery gift or should I increase my stat?"


    There was a feature that allowed Ken to spend some points on mystery gifts. And right now, he had gathered enough points to buy one. Yet still, he couldn''t help but feel skeptical. After all, who knows if he wouldn''t draw something horrible? With the luck he possessed, he couldn''t rule out the possibility of drawing something horrible. Increasing ten attribute points at this stage would probably give him a huge boost. But still, he couldn''t bring himself to decide. The allure of the mystery gift was quite alluring to refute. The more Ken pondered, the more he found himself in a dilemma. Unable toe up with a decision, he grew irritated. "Argh! Just what should I choose?" Ken growled in an irritated and indecisive tone. Both options were equally lucrative. So, it was hard to decide on one. Unable to decide, he thought of an idea to help him decide. "Fate has assigned this system to me then let fate decide the option that I should opt to," Ken mumbled while reaching his hand to his pocket. Rummaging through his pocket, he brought out a coin. Yes, he was going to use a simple method of coin toss to decide. "Heads, I''ll choose the mystery gift, and tails, I''ll spend the points on an attribute," Ken mumbled while cing the coin on top of his thumb. Rather than being a Jack of all trades, Ken would put all the points in one particr attribute if he were to draw tails. Ken then flipped the coin. The coin spun as it soared in the air. Ken fixedly stared at the coin, his eyes filled with anticipation. Briefly after, the coin bounced on the ground. "Head!" Ken muttered looking at the oue. After that Ken proceeded to spend all his hard-earned points on a mystery gift. The content of the gift made him anxious and he couldn''t help but feel worried. With his rotten luck, what if he drew something worthless?


    Then wouldn''t all his efforte to naught? Ken could tell that if he only relied on the daily quest, it would take him 100 days to earn 10 points again. So, when he decided to spend the point, he couldn''t help but close his eyes in a way as if he were about to bid farewell to his beloved possession. [Congrattions!]


    [You have received "Emperor''s Eye"] n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Emperor''s Eye]


    [Grants the user the ability to look three seconds into the future]


    **** ****

 Chapter 612: Presence of Ace

    Chapter 612: Presence of Ace


    ?


    Hiro''s impressive form continued and Kawasakifortably sailed to the top of the league, leaving their opposition behind.


    However, the season came to an abrupt halt due to the approaching World Cup. The league wanted the yers to train. So, they stopped the league activities until the end of the World Cup.


    With the World Cup approaching, the footballingmunity was more active than ever. Different media covered the news rted to the World Cup, talking about the team and the yers participating in the event.


    Yet still, the hot topic of the event remained the same as always- Who would win the World Cup this time?


    Amidst the ongoing curiosity, many teams emerged as favorites. Among them, Argentina, Brazil, France, Ennd, Spain, and some other European countries emerged as the favorites to win the World Cup.


    Be it Japan or any other Asian countries, they werepletely ruled out.


    The World Cup was more like a tournament for either European or South American nations. Well, given their dominance until now, it wasn''t anything new.


    At the moment, some people were gathered in a remote field. Hiro could be seen among them and he could be seen socializing.


    The sun hung low in the sky, casting a serene glow over the surface. The air was rtively crisp and cool, and the temperature was rather warm.


    "Good Morning, Hiro!"


    While conversing, Hiro heard a familiar voice. Most of them had already arrived on the pitch but there were still a few who had yet to arrive.


    Hearing the familiar greeting, Hiro turned to find the person.


    Upon turning around, he found a rather small but athletically built person with dark hair that covered his forehead standing before him with a smile.


    Seeing the person, Hiro''s eyes lit up, "Kubo! When did you return?"


    After sharing the field multiple times, the two had grown close to each other. And even though Kubo was way older than him, Hiro didn''t feel like talking to someone older when talking to him.


    However, that didn''t mean that Hiro talked informally with him. Despite him talking casually, he still adhered to him with respect.


    "It''s been about three days," Kubo answered. "But you seemed to have soared since thest time we met," he added, his eyes shing with intrigue.


    "With our young superstar in form, who knows we might lift the trophy this time?"


    Another familiar voice rang. At the same time, a familiar-looking face popped out from behind Hiro. Hearing the voice, Hiro felt startled.


    And he startlingly turned behind to look at the person.


    "Senior Endo, where did youe from?" Hiro blurted.


    It might be because he was so fixated on Kubo that he didn''t even notice the presence of Endo.


    Endo upon hearing him furrowed his brows, "What do you mean?"


    Immediately, Hiro apologized, "Ah! I mean since when were you standing behind me?"


    "I was there all along. Didn''t you notice me?" Endo replied solemnly. "You can ask Kubo if you don''t believe me."


    Hiro rolled his eyes to look at Kubo, asking for an exnation.


    While Hiro turned away, Endo winked at Kubo. So, Kubo nodded his head, "Yeah, he was there since a while ago."


    For a while, the three conversed cheerfully. Endo being the captain of the team was well-liked by almost everybody in the squad. And he seemed to possess an ethereal charm to initiate conversation with anybody.


    Well, given his cheerful and helpful nature, there''d hardly be any who wouldn''t like him. "Have you decided on a club yet, Hiro?" Endo couldn''t help but bring up this topic. "I mean if you haven''t decided then what about Liverpool?"


    Well, Endo was quite straightforward. He didn''t even try to hide his intentions. Kubo upon hearing him couldn''t help but curl his lips.


    "Aren''t you being too straightforward, Endo-san," Kubo said with a smile. "At least, try to hide your intentions," he added.


    Endo let out a heartyugh, "Hahaha... What''s there to hide? A yer like him shoulde to Liverpool."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "But I think it''d be more beneficial for him toe to Real Sociedad."


    If Endo was being tant about his intention, how could Kubo let him have his way? So, he also revealed his intentions.


    While the two kept arguing over where Hiro should go, Hiro could only reveal an awkward smile. Now, how was he supposed to tell them that he had already signed a contract?


    "If he goes to Sociedad, he can''t even y in the Champions League," Endo argued. "And if he goes to Liverpool then he won''t even be able to y," Kubo scoffed.


    Well, even though they looked friendly on the outside, and if somebody heard them arguing they''d definitely misinterpreted it as a mere conversation between friends.


    But Hiro who had been witnessing their argument knew that it wasn''t anything simple. Both of them were adamant to recruit him under their ranks.


    Well, given the fact that he had been performing exceptionally well, it was only to be expected. After all, the talent those two possessed was undeniable and they''d have probably seen something in Hiro for them to be fighting over him.


    Just then another person emerged on the scene and interrupted in a rather nonchnt manner, "If we are talking about the best club in the world then there''s only one and it''s Real Madrid."


    Upon hearing that tant statement, both Kubo and Endo turned to look at the person who had made this statement.


    Before them stood a giant-like figure towering over the three of them with a height of over 1.8 meters, he had a lean and athletic build. His piercing deep gaze appeared particrly imposing and his short jet-ck hair exuded confidence and authority.


    Looking at him, Hiro felt as if he was looking down on them.


    Although Endo was the appointed captain, the man before them was the actual superstar of


    the team. ying for Real Madrid, he was a genius.


    "Yamada, when did you get here?" Endo immediately spoke.


    Yamada briefly stared at Hiro before rolling his eyes to Endo. Smiling, he said, "I arrived just


    now Endo-san."


    For some reason, Hiro couldn''t help shake this feeling of uneasiness looking at him.


    [Ding! New Quest]

 Chapter 613: World Cup Preparation

    Chapter 613: World Cup Preparation


    ?


    It was Hiro''s first time meeting him and immediately after seeing him, Hiro couldn''t help but feel a sense of foreboding creeping on him.


    For a brief moment, Hiro felt as if he witnessed something sinister in his eyes.


    [Ding! New Quest Unlocked]


    While Hiro pondered about the sinister gleam he had noticed, the notification buzzed in his ears. Hearing the notification momentarily distracted him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''A quest?'' Hiro felt a little baffled.


    Even though the quests were randomly assigned to him, he couldn''t help but feel curious every time he heard the notification.


    From the timing of the notification alone, Hiro could tell that it had something to do with the towering figure with an intimidating gaze before him.


    "It must be your first time meeting Hiro, right?" Endo kept the flow of the conversation.


    Yamada briefly rolled his eyes at Hiro, sizing him up, and nodded, "Yeah. But I''ve heard about him."


    [Dethrone The King]


    [Requirements: Generate more chances and provide more assists than Yamada]


    [Duration: Until the group stage of the World Cup]


    [Reward on Completion: Your skill "Lightning Steps" can be upgraded]


    [Failure: None]


    Basically, it was a duel. As for the rival, he was pitted against, it was the absolute ace of Japan and the man who hade close to winning the Ballon d''Or: Kazuki Yamada.


    Well, the two yed almost simr positions. So, it was rather inevitable for him to be pitted against him. If Hiro wanted to im the position of ace then Hiro would have to dethrone the current ace- Kazuki Yamada.


    The content of the quest failed to surprise Hiro.


    With an indifferent attitude, he began to ponder, ''Havingpleted more chances than anyone, Yamada had the most assists in Europe''s top five league the previous season. If it was apetition based on goals, I might have been able toplete the quest. But chances creation and assists... It''s going to be difficult.''


    Yamada was the type of midfielder who excelled in passing. It wouldn''t be an overstatement to say that Yamada had maxed out his passing stats.


    Pondering Yamada''s passing, Hiro felt a sudden surge of curiosity. Hence, he decided to use his skill "Magic Vision" to satiate his curiosity. Although he didn''t feel optimistic about it. ''Magic Vision!''


    Hiro willed in his mind and stared intently at Yamada.


    [Insufficient Authority!]


    [The yer is of a high level! Unable to view the stats!]


    [Please upgrade the skill to use the skill.]


    Seeing the floating text before him, Hiro let out a sigh, ''Well, I had expected it somewhat.''


    Hiro wasn''t surprised by the oue. After all, it had happened several times before. Usually, this either happened when he tried to peek at the stats of a high-caliber yer or something unfortunate prevented him from taking a peek.


    Letting out a sigh, Hiro dejectedly shook his head.


    "Is something wrong, Hiro?" Yamada who happened to catch a glimpse of him asked.


    Instantly, Hiroposed himself and said, "Ah! No... I just couldn''t help but wonder why the coach hasn''t arrived yet."


    Indeed, now that Hiro mentioned it, the others couldn''t help but feel curious about it. Nanami was indeed taking rather long to arrive.


    Driven by their curiosity, the topic changed and they began to talk about the coach.


    After a while, some bootlickers arrived and started spewing words of ttery. They praised Yamada and talked with their sugar-coated words.


    Uninterested in their words of ttery, Hiro silently faded into the background.


    Soon enough, everybody arrived and the pitch got rather noisy with all the idle chatters of the yers. Even Yuya, the one with whom Hiro hadpeted for the prestigious prize didn''t seem interested in Hiro.


    In the presence of Yamada, Hiro had turned into a mere background supporting character. Well, even though Hiro was a rising prospect, he couldn''tpete against Yamada in terms of fame.


    One was an absolute ace recognized by the world while the other was a regional superstar. Due to Yamada''s performance in the previous season, he was even regarded as one of the contenders for the prestigious individual prize- Ballon d''Or.


    Although they failed to lift the Laliga title, they did win the Champions League and the Copa Del Rey. And he had performed well in almost every single tournament.


    Soon, Nanami arrived and everybody gathered around him.


    "On my way here, I came across an interesting article," Nanami began to speak in a rxed manner.


    Hearing him, the yers looked at him with dumbfounded eyes. They couldn''t tell what he was talking about.


    Walking back on forth, he kept talking, "The article was describing the favorites to win the tournament. There were a few mentions of our nation as well."


    Halting all of a sudden, he rolled his gaze to the yers and swept his gaze, "Do you know what the world thinks of us?"


    The yers could only stare at him without being able to speak. Some shook their head while some remained indifferent about it.


    "Even though they acknowledge the depth of our squad, they still think of us as underdogs rather than contenders for the title," Nanami eximed.


    What''s there to feel bad about it?


    Why is he overreacting?


    Upon hearing the words of Nanami, many couldn''t help but feel as if Nanami was


    exaggerating.


    Noticing their lukewarm reaction, Nanami couldn''t help but feel infuriated. They weren''t


    even furious that the world was mocking them.


    He couldn''t find any thirst for victory from them. Furrowing his brows, Nanami growled, "So, you all are okay even if they''re mocking us by saying that you have an impressive squad but you''ll never win. Are you all okay?"


    In Nanami''s opinion, one of the main reasons why Japan couldn''t reach the semi-finals or finals despite having apetitive squad that could go against the likes of Germany, Spain, and other world-ss countries was because they were okay with their performance.


    As long as they yed well, winning or losing didn''t matter to them. They clearlycked a thirst for victory. They weren''t desperate enough for the victory.


    He held no doubts about their performance but he held huge doubts over their mentality.

 Chapter 614: Lets Go!

    Chapter 614: Let''s Go!


    ?


    Soon after the training began, Hiro trained even more seriously than ever with the quest in hand. Every drill was like a matter of life and death to him. After all, he was pitted against one of the finest yers in the world.


    So, he couldn''t afford to be careless or train half-heartedly.


    Even though he had proven himself on the home stage, it didn''t guarantee him the spot in the starting eleven.


    Given Nanami''s character, he wouldn''t flinch to drop even a world-ss yer well-liked by the people if he disyed poor performance in training.


    He believed the person who didn''t take training seriouslycked the resolve to perform under pressure.


    With Hiro performingpetitively, it was inevitable for him to sh with a few other yers. And that''s what happened during the training.


    He shed with a lot of yers.


    Especially, the one in a simr position.


    Finally, after about three hours, the session came to an end. Battered and exhausted, many copsed on the ground the moment the session ended.


    Panting heavily, theyy on the ground.


    Numerous exhausted bodiesy scattered around the pitch, their hearts thumping, and their panting creating a collective harmony of drums. It was like the battlefield after the end of the


    war.


    Even Hiro with his monstrous endurance was on the ground looking seemingly battered.


    Drenched in sweat, he was trying to stabilize his breathing, "Huff! Huff!"


    Huff! Huff!


    Panting heavily, Yamada turned to look at Hiro, ''He was clearlycking in a few aspects but he could even rival Kante with that endurance. Even in the club, only a few handful could oust him in terms of speed and endurance.''


    Witnessing Hiro''s relentless chase firsthand, Yamada couldn''t help but admire Hiro. Having trained with the likes of Mbappe, and Vinicius, Yamada could tell that Hiro was indeed someone extraordinary.


    Before he held some doubts regarding him. However, now after witnessing the performance of Hiro firsthand, he couldn''t help but view Hiro in a different light.


    He could see the ethereal spark of a star in the making in him. If polished well, he might go to be one of the greatest in the world.


    However, it was still too early for him to conclude.


    After all, there are many examples of a one-season wonder.


    Sweeping his gaze, Nanami curled his lips slightly, revealing a satiated grin. Then heposed himself, "Well done everyone. In today''s session, I could truly feel your enthusiasm."


    With their energy drained, the yers could barely bring themselves to respond. So, they responded in a rather reluctant manner, "Thank you for the hard work."


    Nanami then left the pitch while discussing some matters with his staff. All along the training, he had been noting down something on the handbook he carried.


    Well, their condition was already being monitored.


    It took them a while to recover. Finally, after resting for a while, a few of them began to depart while the others continued to rest and chat.


    Hiro couldn''t help but eavesdrop on their conversation. He heard them saying that despite the session being intense, they enjoyed the session.


    The rush of adrenaline they felt during the training, they couldn''t stop themselves from talking about it.


    Hearing their conversation, Hiro couldn''t help but recall the training session. The hard collision, the intense duel, and the chases, he couldn''t help but smile when recalling the events.


    Catching a glimpse of Hiro''s expression filled with amusement, Naoto said, "There''s a masochist among us."


    "Who me?" Tatsuki pointed at himself with a rather dumbfounded expression.


    Hiro could tell that it was intended for him.


    Naoto smacked his forehead lightly and shook his head, "Yeah, how could I forget that there is another one here."


    For a while, it got cheerful around them. Laughing and joking, they talked among themselves, forgetting their exhaustion.


    ********


    After about more than half a month.


    "Team Japan is departing for the USA today. Will they be able to perform well?"


    "Coach Nanami says that he is confident in his team and he ims that the people can expect great things from the team."


    The whole media outlet was buzzing with the news regarding Japan''s departure and the entirety of the nation was in an upheaval.


    People of different ages could be heard talking about the World Cup and the atmosphere around the country had gotten festive. Especially, the football enthusiasts, they were enjoying this moment more than others.


    The talk regarding the World Cup had be the talk of the town.


    In a rather quiet room, a middle-aged man could be seen seated in front of a television with


    his back slumped. His dark eyes remained fixated on the screen.


    "So, they are departing huh?" He mumbled softly, his voice barely audible.


    Before him, the television screen disyed the departing figure of the national yers who were heading to the USA for the World Cup.


    The tournament was going to be held in three countries: Mexico, Canada, and the USA.


    "Oh herees Hiro, the youngest MVP winner the J-league history."


    The announcement rang, catching the attention of the individual slumped before the television. Immediately, his eyes constricted upon seeing the figure of Hiro.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Just like others, he was dressed in the colors of Japan.


    With his dark tousled hair rustling with the wind, he walked. Although he looked indifferent, there was a certain gleam in his eyes that hinted at his sharp focus.


    "You can do it, son," Takashi mumbled, his eyes moist.


    Though he appeared to be on the verge of tearing up, he was smiling. At the moment, seeing his son on the screen, he was overwhelmed by the feeling of pride and tion.


    He began to recall the time when they made a bet right in that same room. It was the year 2014


    and he and Hiro were watching the World Cup final.


    Now, Hiro was on his way to represent the nation in the very tournament.


    Memories flooded him while he remained seated on the couch staring at the screen before


    him.

 Chapter 615: The Legendary Portuguese

    Chapter 615: The Legendary Portuguese


    ?


    The attention of every footballing fan was fixated on the event. And almost every media outlet was covering the news rted to the event.


    For this short period, it was as if the attention of the entire world was converged on the event.


    Outside, there was quite a buzz regarding the event.


    With the event starting soon, fans from around the world had already started to arrive, and the streets were packed with fans.


    Receiving such a flood of tourists, the business close to the venue was already flourishing eve before the event had officially started.


    Especially, the hotel business was much busier than before. Many of the hotels were fully booked and the ones who hadn''t made any reservations before were finding it extremely difficult to find rooms.


    Walking down a street bustling with people, Hiro and quite a few of the national yers of Japan were engaging in sightseeing.


    "Aren''t there quite a lot of people?"


    One of the individuals with medium-length ck hair and fairly tall stature said. He wore a ck hoodie and mask, making him look somewhat shady.


    However, it wasn''t only him. The other three guys with whom he walked looked equally shady as well. Each had their face covered, making them look like hooligans on their way to rob a bank.


    Fortunately, all of them weren''t dressed in dark colors.


    But among them, one person stood out. Dressed in a Hawaiian floral shirt and half pants, a printed colorful mask and a ck sunss finished his looks.


    Fixing the shade he wore, Hiro nodded, "Indeed, the street is flooding with people from around the world."


    "Are you scared?" Kein asked with his brows knitted.


    Kein who used to lead the U-23 team had already made his World Cup debut. However, Hiro hadn''t debuted yet. Hence, he couldn''t help but feel curious if Hiro was nervous.


    Hiro gazed into the distance, staring at the flood of people before him. The streets were decorated with the gs of the participating nations.


    The cheerful smile on the faces of the people. In that short period, he grasped a lot of things. Then he pondered over what Kein asked.


    ''Do I feel nervous?''


    He asked himself. However, he couldn''t sense even an ounce of nervousness. It was his first World Cup. Yet, he felt unusually calm for some inexplicable reason.


    Even Hiro was surprised, ''I don''t feel nervous.''


    Then he turned to look at Kein and shook his head, "Not really."


    Kein raised an eyebrow, recalling his own debut. That nerve-wracking tension was unmistakable, yet Hiro seemed immune to it. "You''re one tough kid," Kein thought with a mixture of admiration and envy.


    As they continued walking, the buzz grew more intense.


    Suddenly, the atmosphere grew even more intense as a deafening cacophony of excited cheers rippled through the air.


    The yers halted, feeling the atmosphere shift, the significance of the arrival prickling the air. Whispers spread through the crowd.


    "What''s going on?"


    Hiro and the others couldn''t help but feel perplexed. The sudden hype left them baffled. It seemed that the crowd was rushing in one direction.


    "Shall we check it out?" Kein suggested.


    They then headed in the direction the people were headed. Upon turning a few corners, something came into their sight.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A huge crowd had gathered around a slow-moving red bus. They were pacing back and forth, exhrated and amped, a deafening cacophony reverberating in the surroundings.


    Seeing the gathered crowd, Hiro and the rest couldn''t help but exchange nces with each other.


    "Seems like a celebrity has arrived."


    Noticing the amped atmosphere, Tatsuki guessed.


    Well, seeing how they were pacing back and forth, Hiro could tell that someone famous might have arrived.


    With the crowd mped before the bus, the bus was moving rather slowly.


    "There''s only one way to find out," Naoto said, revealing a wry smile.


    "How?" Tatsuki asked with a dumbfounded look.


    Naoto grinned before storming away, "By getting a closer look...."


    "YOU..."


    Immediately after, Tatsuki began to chase Naoto.


    Hiro and Kein, however, remained rooted at their spot, watching the two rushing. Exchanging nces, Kein said, "Shall we run as well?"


    Hiro nodded before sprinting.


    With the swarm of people blocking the way, it was rather difficult to move around. Yet somehow, the four managed to reach the bus.


    The closer they got, the louder the crowd grew and the more cramped it became. With limited spaces to move, finding the way to the bus was an almost impossible task.


    "Portugal!"


    Catching a glimpse of the g of Portugal, Hiro became even more excited. Upon taking a closer look, he noticed that the curtains of the bus hadn''t been drawn and he could vividly see the yer inside the bus.


    In one of the windows, Hiro caught a glimpse of the legendary Portuguese: Cristiano Ronaldo. With his short ck hair slicked behind, he was seated upright without heeding any attention to the world outside the window. It was almost as if he was contemting something.


    Some of the yers were waving their hands, greeting the flock of people following them passionately while most of them didn''t seem to care about the crowd outside.


    Catching a glimpse of one of the people he idolized, Hiro halted. That man despite being 41 years was still hungry for titles.


    "No wonder, the people are chasing after the bus," Hiro muttered with his gaze fixated on the legendary Portuguese.


    While he halted to take a look at Cristiano, people continued to pass him, chasing after the bus. But Hiro was aware that they would meet soon.


    So, he wasn''t in any rush to chase after him. After all, they were ced in the same group.


    Though he was touched by the dedication of the legendary Portuguese, he didn''t intend to go easy on him. Even though Hiro admired him, Hiro couldn''t afford to be cozy with him. Both Japan and Portugal were ced in Group B alongside Colombia and Egypt. It was one of the toughest groups. However, given the FIFA ranking, Portugal was regarded as a favorite to


    top the table.

 Chapter 616: The Opening Match

    Chapter 616: The Opening Match


    ?


    In a short while, the bus disappeared from their sight. However, the street continued to buzz with excitement and anticipation. Even more than before, people could be seen with excited smiles.


    While the crowd began to scatter, Hiro remained fixated on his spot, pondering about the short encounter with the legendary Portuguese.


    Curling his lips into a smile, Hiro heaved a deep sigh, "Next time, we''ll meet on the pitch."


    After that, the four of them continued with their sightseeing.


    ********


    On the street, a horde of people could be seen pacing. They appeared to be moving in the same direction and most of the people were also dressed identically.


    Reporters and police officers could also be seen in huge numbers.


    Hiro stood before the window railing of his hotel room and looked through the ss windows. The sight of jubnt supporters amazed him.


    It was like a parade was taking ce before him.


    The street was bustling with people, the cacophony of cheers echoing in Hiro''s ear.


    "So, it''s today, huh?" Hiro muttered while staring at the excited fans parading beneath.


    Though he was used to seeing such scenes, he still couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of people rallying towards the venue.


    Hiro kept his gaze fixed on the vibrant crowd below, lost in thought as he tried to steel himself for the game ahead. Just then, there was a knock on the door, snapping him back to reality. Opening it, he found Kein standing there with a cheerful expression.


    "Aren''t youing down?" Kein said, his voice barely audible due to the ongoing noise outside.


    With the opening match starting soon, the entire team was scheduled to meet. Although everyone didn''t need to show up. After all, they were merely going to watch the opening match together and the match didn''t have anything to do with them either.


    So, they weren''t required to show up if they didn''t feel like showing up.


    Hiro, however, didn''t have any other ns. So, he decided to watch the match together with the rest of the team.


    Hiro nodded, "Let''s go."


    As Hiro followed Kein down the corridor, he could already hear the excitement buzzing in the air. Just from the noise alone, he could tell that a lot of them had already gathered.


    Pushing the door open, Hiro and Kein entered.


    Decorated in vibrant colors and opulent decorations, the room was extremely spacious. Well, given their position, it wasn''t something unexpected.


    "Come over here," Naoto waved his hand, calling Hiro over.


    Naoto and a few others had already found a spot and they were all gathered together. Responding to Naoto, Hiro and Kein walked over to them.


    The opening ceremony was still minutes away, yet outside the stadium, a chaotic scene was unfolding, far exceeding anything Hiro could have imagined.


    News cameras captured swarming crowds and frantic energy as thousands of eager fans converged on the venue, hoping to make their way inside. Lines were spilling over in every direction, fans jostling for position as tension and excitement mixed in the atmosphere.


    Security staff, overwhelmed by the surge, struggled to maintain order as people pushed forward, desperate to reach the entrance. Small groups of fans called out to each other over the noise, while others waved gs and held banners aloft, adding bursts of color to the already vibrant crowd.


    A few young fans mbered onto shoulders to catch a glimpse of the entrance, while loudspeakers crackled as officials tried to ry instructions that were mostly drowned out by the noise.


    With chants rising sporadically from different parts of the crowd, the mood outside felt like a microcosm of anticipation, nerves, and sheer thrill, all intensifying as the clock ticked closer to the ceremony''s start.


    "Woah! Look at all those people. It''s almost as if I''m watching a zombie apocalypse," Tatsuki paused to exim, clearly mesmerized by the riot outside the venue.


    He was holding a ss of soft drink and so were most of the people in the room. Alcohol was prohibited. So, soft drinks were the onlyst resort they could resort to.


    "Obviously, the scenario should be like this. After all, it''s the match of their nation," Naoto chimed in, rolling his gaze to look at Tatsuki.


    "But is football that popr in the USA?" Tatsuki asked with a rather dumbfounded expression.


    Hearing him, many of them couldn''t help but sigh. With their eyes widened in surprise and disappointment, they turned to look at him.


    They couldn''t tell if he was being real or not.


    "Are you for real?" Kein asked.


    "Did I say something wrong?


    "Were you sleeping when Messi, Suarez, and others came to the MLS?"


    Even Kein who rarely watched Major League Ser had started to pay attention to the league after Messi transferred to Miami.


    After that transfer, football as a sport had bloomed all over the USA.


    Eventually, the Messi craze swept over the entire nation, vitalizing the once-declining sport. After that hype, even the average attendance for any Messi game easily exceeded the attendance for a major J-league game.


    "I stopped following Messi and Ronaldo after they left Europe," Tatsuki exined.


    No wonder, he wasn''t aware of the boom after Messi''s transfer. The others finally understood


    why he wasn''t aware of the rising poprity of the MLS.


    "It''s huge, my friend. Ser is like one of the most popr sports here now," Kein said, putting his hands on Tatsuki''s shoulder, staring at him with eyes full of pity.


    The way Kein stared at Tatsuki felt as if he felt sorry for him.


    Dumbfounded, Tatsuki couldn''t tell what he meant. So, he simply thanked him for helping him, "Ah, Is that so? Thank you for telling me."


    After that Kein turned to look at Hiro. Since he hadn''t spoken anything, he assumed that Hiro was also unaware of the rising poprity of football in the USA.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Don''t you guys ever watch football?" Kein asked.


    Clearly, he was hinting at Hiro and Tatsuki. He had heard that they lived together. So, he couldn''t help but feel curious if they were the types to only focus on themselves.


    "Quiet guys, the ceremony is about to start."

 Chapter 617: The Opening Match II

    Chapter 617: The Opening Match II


    ?


    Upon the announcement, the room fell silent. All of their attention converged on the screen while the opening ceremony began to take ce.


    Different colors merged to create a breathtaking masterpiece as the screen lit up. The


    audience stared at the scene in awe.


    Famous personalities popped one after another, entertaining the audience and the viewers.


    For some while, the stadium continued to buzz with excitement.


    Finally, after about more than two hours, the opening ceremony drew to an end. However, until the end, the audience was kept thoroughly entertained.


    "Now, let us wee the president of FIFA."


    The announcement rang, the stadium speaker bombarding the announcement.


    At that moment, all the spotlight converged at one point- the entrance of the stadium. One after another, people began toe out of the entrance while the audience converged their eyes on the entrance with anticipating eyes.


    "Isn''t it the moment they bring the cup out?" Tatsuki whispered, his gaze fixated on the


    screen.


    Just then, a bald individual with a withered face dressed elegantly in a suit entered the field from the entrance. Upon seeing the appearance of the bald individual, the audience rumbled with excitement and anticipation.


    Seeing the appearance of the bald individual, Hiro slightly lifted his eyebrows.


    ''Does he not age at all?''


    Hiro thought, looking at him. Even before he regressed, the bald individual looked the same as he did now. It was almost as if he had stopped aging.


    ''Despite facing numerous allegations, he remained the president of FIFA even until the time I regressed. Just how was he able to hold his position that long?''


    While everybody was enjoying the event, Hiro was pondering.


    That man on the screen had dictated the position of the president of FIFA even until Hiro''s regression. Thus upon seeing him on the screen, Hiro couldn''t stop pondering about the tactics he had used during his regime.


    After taking the stage, the bald individual began to deliver some kind of speech. With the years of experience he had under his wing, he immediately captivated the hearts of people in the venue.


    Even the viewers weren''t spared.


    The speech was simply exhrating and catchy.


    For a while, he began to talk about the importance and history the World Cup carried with itself. Then he began to talk about the previous winners and the notable individuals that had emerged from the tournament.


    Finally, he concluded his speech by saying, "It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles. So, let''s have a fair game, shall we?"


    A thunderous round of apuse erupted the moment he concluded. It was like the roar of thunder and the entire stadium was buzzing.


    He had ignited a me of passion that spread like wildfire, sending waves of excitement all over the stadium.


    "Man! Oddly enough, I''ve got goosebumps listening to him," Tatsuki said, extending his


    arms.


    "Indeed, that was one powerful speech."


    Kein and the rest nodded in agreement. Even Hiro couldn''t bring himself to deny it. After all, the speech was indeed impactful.


    The sheer response of the audience was a testament to the fact.


    "Guy''s the cup. It''s here."


    A group of people carefully walked in with a wooden casket. At this moment, the entire stadium erupted into loud excited cheers.


    The atmosphere of the stadium turned electric as the cheers of the fans shook every nook and canny of the stadium.


    The moment they opened the casket to reveal the cup shimmering in gold, the yers couldn''t bring themselves to look away. Their eyes gleamed with envy, greed, and all sorts of desire. It was clear that they longed to hold that shimmering trophy.


    It wouldn''t be an overstatement to say that they were bewitched.


    Even Hiro couldn''t suppress his desire to hold that trophy. Even though the trophy was right before him, he couldn''t hold it.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It felt so close yet so far.


    At that moment, Hiro couldn''t help but recall one of the conversations Messi had with his teammate.


    "Leo, would you trade your Ballon d''Or for a World Cup?"


    "I can exchange all my Ballon d''Or''s for the World Cup. Individual titles, I don''t care I want to win something for my country"


    It was the response Messi had made when asked if he''d trade his Ballon d''Or for the World Cup. He didn''t even flinch while responding.


    ''You could only speak those words because you''ve won it.''


    Thinking about the speech, Hiro scoffed.


    However, for once, Hiro couldn''t help but think what would have happened if Messi had really won the 2014 World Cup. Perhaps, he would have retired way earlier than anybody would have


    even expected.


    After all, despite receiving numerous offers from top-flight European clubs, he signed with Inter Miami after he won the World Cup.


    ''Then why is he even participating in the tournament?''


    Hiro once again couldn''t help but ponder.


    It wasn''t only Ronaldo who was participating in the tournament. But even Messi was participating in it despite having won the cup.


    Hiro felt curious about their participation.


    Hiro could tell that Ronaldo was still aiming for the title. But Messi had already earned it. So,


    why was he participating?


    ''It must be the Argentine people.''


    Hiro concluded.


    After all, the people there still wanted to watch their GOAT y. Also, Messi could still


    perform well even though he was old.


    While different thoughts were perking up in Hiro''s mind, the match had already started. One thought led to the next and the next to the other.


    Hiro had been trapped in a loop.


    "Hiro, the match is starting," Kein said, nudging him slightly.


    Kein''s somewhat gentle voice pierced his eardrums waking Hiro from his reverie, and


    bringing him back to reality.


    "Oh...."


    Hiro murmured,posing himself.


    "What were you thinking about?" Kein inquired. He had noticed the aloof state of Hiro.


    "Maybe, he was imagining lifting the Cup, haha..." Tatsuki chuckled.


    "Yeah, yeah and you scored the winning goal," Hiro responded sarcastically with a solemn


    expression.


    "Shhhh! Quit talking. The match is starting," Naoto reminded.


    With that, they diverted their attention to the screen. The match was between the USA and


    South Korea.

 Chapter 618: Upcoming Match

    Chapter 618: Uing Match


    ?


    Beep!


    The matchmenced and immediately, the yers sprang into action. In the 54th minute, Son Heung-Min opened the score, stunning the thousands of home supporters.


    With that goal, the match became even more intense.


    Desperate for the goal, the USA began to take charge while South Korea dropped deep to defend, leaving Son Heung-Min on the top.


    With the clock ticking closer to an end, the air around the room became heavy with anticipation. Hiro and the others, glued to the screen, intently watched the match.


    In the 78th minute, Christian Pulisic began to charge from the left.


    With him charging forward, the air crackled with excitement, sending a ripple of energy throughout the stadium.


    The audience rallied, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.


    Suddenly, the once tense atmosphere became extremely lively.


    Pulisic continued to advance, his eyes gleaming with unwavering focus. Then he momentarily rolled his eyes to scan the pitch.


    Bam!


    He struck the ball hard, sending the ball flying inside the penalty box.


    "Herees McKennie. Will he get the ball?"


    At that moment, only two people could be seen advancing toward the ball. One was the South Korean keeper and the other was Weston McKennie, an extremely agile yer.


    Both of them had their gaze fixed on the hoovering ball.


    With every passing moment, the two drew closer to the ball. However, McKennie won the duel and slotted the ball inside.


    "Goal!"


    The entire stadium erupted in cheers.


    Heaving a deep breath, Naoto said, "Isn''t he quite fast?"


    The rest nodded their head. After all, they had seen him drifting past the South Korean yers like a breeze. Even though two other yers were already charging before him, he left them behind in dust.


    "But who would win if Hiro and McKenni were topete?" Kein asked, his tone full of curiosity.


    Upon hearing the question, they turned to look at Hiro. However, they didn''t utter a word and instead stared at him.


    After the match continued, it became even more intense. Both teams made countless attempts to win. However, despite their attempts, they were forced to share the points.


    Beep!


    The referee blew the final whistle signaling the end of the game.


    Exhausted and frustrated, the yers ceased their movement.


    "Damn! That was intense."


    Many eximed after the match came to an end.


    Finally, the atmosphere of the room shifted. Previously, the entire room had been tense as if their fate depended on the game.


    Considering the game''s intensity, the previously tense atmosphere was justifiable.


    "Son Heung-Min, he was amazing in today''s match, don''t you think so?"


    "Indeed. He was threatening the entire match. Especially, the first goal he scored after sprinting past three defenders."


    "We can''t forget about the assist from Pulisic. In today''s match, he should be MOTM." With them talking, the room buzzed with lively chatters. Hiro, however, didn''t participate in the conversation happening around him.


    He had seen enough and he could tell that the captains of both teams were influential in the match. However, the yer that left an impression on him was neither of them. Rather it was a yer that wasn''t talked about in the room.


    ''Just how much did you grow?''


    Hiro pondered, staring at the screen.


    On the screen, a rather lean individual with parted jet-ck hair was slowly making his way out. Drenched in sweat, he had a rather solemn expression.


    However, he was only shown briefly before the cameraman shifted the focus to the South Korean captain Son Heung-Min.


    ''Will your injury strike again? Or has the future changed for you as well?'' Hiro couldn''t help but contemte.


    In today''s match, Park Seung-Gyu had been extremely valuable. Although he didn''t get the spotlight, he had done his part wlessly.


    He had grown even more terrifying than thest time Hiro had seen him. Thus, he couldn''t help but feel impressed by the shadow runs and the passes he had made in the match.


    However, Hiro could tell that he had shifted his position.


    Rather than ying as a number 9, he had been pushed to the side. If it weren''t for the change


    in the position, Hiro believed that he could have been even more lethal.


    While the others were talking about the match, Hiro was analyzing the performance of the South Korean number 11.


    All of a sudden, Nanami walked before the screen.


    "Is coach going to say something?"


    The yers looked at him curiously. At the same time, an eerie silence engulfed the room.


    Nanami cast a stern gaze and began, "As you can tell by the group we''ve been ced in, the matches will be tough. Portugal, one of the best teams in the world won''t give us an easy time and neither will Colombia and Egypt."


    "Every single one of them is a toughpetitor. However, we are going to win no matter what it takes. Losing isn''t an option. So, be prepared."


    Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room became heavy. Nanami had tantly dered that losing wasn''t an option. But some of them still held some doubts regarding their matches and


    their opponents.


    After all, they had been ced in one of the most difficult groups.


    Egypt was a powerhouse team from Africa and so was Colombia. Especially Colombia, theyn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    couldn''t be underestimated.


    So, despite the powerful speech Nanami delivered, they couldn''t bring themselves to respond with enthusiasm and confidence.


    They had prepared well. But yet still, some of them harbored doubts. Their squad had been massively rotated and there were even many new faces.


    Nanami could tell that some of themcked confidence. However, at that moment, he noticed


    an unusual gleam in Hiro''s eyes.


    His honey-like eyes appeared different than the rest.


    He couldn''t tell what he was thinking but he could tell that he wasn''t bothered by their


    cement like the others.


    Nanami, seeing the unusual gleam in Hiro''s eyes couldn''t help but feel assured.


    Although Nanami had yet to see the spark of brilliance in his team, he still had faith in the


    yers he had gathered. With them, he believed that he could generate some positive


    oues.


    So, he didn''t feel bothered about their uing match against Colombia.

 Chapter 619: Japan vs Colombia

    Chapter 619: Japan vs Colombia


    ?


    Appearing seemingly troubled, a lean individual with short hair was seated in a quiet locker room. He was adorned in green-colored training bibs, and white tape was wrapped around his right wrist.


    Tilting his head against the locker behind him, he sighed, "What am I going to do?"


    For a while, he stared at the ceiling. Then he lowered his head, his brows knitted into a frown, and his amber eyes fixed on his ankle.


    He caressed his left ankle gently and muttered, "Will I be okay?"


    Apparently, he had been feeling a stinging pain whenever he sprinted. Every time he tried to


    shift the direction of the sprint, a stinging pain would assault him, making him unable to continue.


    For an inverted winger like him who liked to cut in from the nks, the difort Luis felt could be a huge issue if left untreated.


    However, given the scenario, Luis couldn''t even bring himself to talk about the difort he felt. What if they found some problem and sidelined him?


    At this juncture when the World Cup was ongoing, he didn''t want to miss out on the tournament.


    "Luis, what are you doing here?"


    A familiar voice knocked him to his senses while Luis was deeply engrossed in his condition. Startled by the voice, he immediately withdrew his hand from his ankle.


    Curling his lips to reveal a smile, he answered in a rather flustered tone, "I... Uh..., I was about to leave too."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The individual before him upon hearing Luis''s response squinched his eyes. He felt a little uneasy about the hurried response. But before he could bring himself to ask, Luis followed up with a question.


    "What about you captain? Why haven''t you left yet?"


    After training, James, the team captain, was asked to meet the coach.


    "I had a few things to discuss with the coach," James responded. "But why haven''t you left yet? Is something troubling you?"


    Having known the man before him for quite a while, James could tell that something was bothering Luis. Perhaps Luis might be feeling anxious about the World Cup.


    However, given Luis''s status as the star yer of Liverpool, James immediately thwarted the idea.


    Luis shook his head, "No, no. I''m fine. I was just thinking about the match with Japan."


    "Well, honestly, I can rte with you. Everybody thinks of Japan as underdogs but I... think differently."


    Hearing the words of the captain, Luis''s eyes gleamed with curiosity. So, he couldn''t but ask, "What do you mean by that?"


    He couldn''t tell if James didn''t even view them as worthy opponents. After all, no matter how he looked, they were a fiercepetitor.


    James rolled his eyes to Luis and announced, "I think they are a strong contender for the title. If anyone underestimates them, they''re bound to fall."


    Luis''s brows raised in astonishment. He didn''t think that James thought so highly of them. It was the first time, he had heard such bold statements from him.


    However, as he began to ponder, he couldn''t help but agree with James. After all, the team consisted of Yamada, the ace midfielder of Real Madrid, Endo, the heart of Liverpool, Aya, the starting keeper of Bayern Munich, and many other talented ones.


    With such depths, they could be considered one of the favorites to win.


    While pondering, Luis''s gaze fell upon his ankle. Once again, a doubt emerged in his heart.


    Will he be able to perform under such conditions?


    ********


    Wisps of clouds driftedzily across the vast blue sky while the sun sat high, casting its warm light over everything below.


    The stadium resonated with cheers, a palpable blend of excitement and anticipation filling the air. Enthusiastic supporters moved in waves, creating a sea of energy in the stands.


    Meanwhile, Hiro and his teammates stood lined up in the tunnel, waiting patiently for their names to be announced.


    The air inside the tunnel was thick with tension.


    Hiro''s heart pounded rhythmically, his breathing a little more hurried than usual, ''Finally, I''m going to make my World Cup debut.''


    He had been visualizing this moment for a long while. Yet still, when it came to the actual moment, he found it hard to maintain hisposure.


    Most of the people around him looked fine. Some of them were even chatting freely a moment ago. However, after that, it had gotten rtively quiet.


    Endo stood at the front with his chest puffed.


    On the opposing side, James stood at the front, appearing equallyposed.


    For a moment, it felt as if he was the only one who was nervous about the moment. Maybe he


    might have been thinking too much about it.


    So, Hiro tried to shift his attention elsewhere.


    ''I only have time left until the group stage. I have to do well.'' Hiro said to himself,


    encouraging him.


    Stabilizing his heartbeat, Hiro exhaled deeply.


    ''This is your moment, Hiro. This is the moment you canpete against the world. This is an opportunity to grow and you must seize it under any circumstances,'' Hiro tightly squeezed


    his palms into a fist.


    More than a tournament, Hiro viewed it as an opportunity to learn and grow. It was the only moment, he could test himself against the world.


    For him, it was both a stage to disy his worth and a stage for him to grow.


    Finally, after a while, the announcement rang and the queue began to progress. In a single- file procession, they entered the field.


    The bright light of the sun fell on Hiro''s eyes, making him squinch.


    At the same time, the enthusiasm of the fans assaulted him, sending a wave of excitement. Listening to their cheers, Hiro felt mesmerized.


    Yet he kept himselfposed.


    Vigntly, Hiro rolled his eyes while maintaining hisposure. He could see a sew of


    supporters both excited and anxious.


    Hiro wasn''t new to this scene. However, the atmosphere was different than what he was used


    to. So, he felt a bit overwhelmed.


    The festival of football had started and he was participating in it.

 Chapter 620: Japan vs Colombia II

    Chapter 620: Japan vs Colombia II


    ?


    "Hello everybody, today we''re here for the first match of Group B, one of the most difficult groups in the tournament."


    "Both the teams have a really solid lineup and both of them have been equally impressive in the qualifier stages. Japan is on an 11-match winning streak while Colombia also has an equally impressive run."


    While positioning himself, Hiro swept his gaze through the field, noting the position of other yers. Sweeping his gaze through the field, he noted the yers he needed to watch out. "Juan Cuadrado, defensively solid and threatening on attacks. Luis Diaz: likes to cut from the nks and high work rate. James Rodriguez: old but sturdy, pinpoint passer, and impressive vision. Daniel Munoz: good on a one-on-one duel, susceptible to provocation, and likes to y rough."


    Hiro had studied them thoroughly before the game. He had noted both their strengths and weaknesses. To do that he couldn''t rely on the match footage alone. Hence, he had also dug out the relevant articles on them.


    However, he couldn''t afford to study all of them in detail. Hence, he had only made thorough studies of their key performers.


    But that didn''t mean that he had left out the others. Though shallow, he had studied others as well.


    ''So, we have to watch out for that number 19 huh?'' James contemted, staring at Hiro.


    Just like how the opposing team had studied them, they also had studied the opposing team. In a way, it could be said that both of the teams had made thorough preparations for the match.


    ''It''s hard to believe that he''s only seventeen. Yamal was already a shocker but I didn''t expect Japan to produce another genius as well.''


    James began to recall the footage of Hiro. The ir Hiro disyed had left an evesting impact on him and he couldn''t bring himself to forget the emotions he felt when he saw him y for the first time.


    Even now, thinking about the footage made him tremble in awe and fear.


    ''Destructive speed like Mbappe, dribbling like Messi, finishing like Ronaldo, and endurance like Kante. Did they produce him in aboratory?''


    James thought, recalling the footage.


    ''On top of all that, he can use both his feet well.''


    After pondering for a while, James recollected his thoughts and shifted his focus to the game. Though Hiro had left asting impression on him, James couldn''t afford to get swayed by it right now.


    Given the fact that he was turning 35, it was probably hisst World Cup. So, he couldn''t afford to be distracted at this stage.


    Soon, the game began.


    Beep!


    Immediately, the yers sprang into action.


    For the next couple of minutes what followed was an intense battle for the domination of the ball. During the struggle for dominance, both teams made countless blunders.


    However, the scoresheet remained the same as neither side could capitalize on the opportunity.


    Just from the intensepetition on the field, it was clear to the audience that both sides had made thorough preparations against each other. They could tell that it would be a difficult match and they couldn''t eliminate the possibility of the game ending in a goalless tie.


    Nheless, the game was thoroughly exciting to watch.


    Engrossed in the match, the audience would often find themselves amped and on their toes. Experiencing the fierce attack of the opposition, their heart rate would spike, making them extremely anxious.


    Once again, suddenly the atmosphere of the stadium became electric.


    It was the 41st minute and Yamada was rolling forward. While advancing, he kept scanning the pitch.


    The yers d in yellow were retreating rmingly, their panic-stricken faces covered with sweat, and their breathing hurried. At the same time, their defenders were solidifying their formation, preparing for the iing threat.


    Meanwhile, the individuals d in blue were sprinting toward them.


    Mito on the right side, Hiro on the left side, and Ueda from the center were rushing to the opposing goal. Yamada had all the options avable. However, the pass routes were blocked. So, even with all those people avable, he didn''t have any opportunity to pass.


    Unable to find any suitable opportunity, Yamada kept hold of the ball, trying to draw a few more opposing yers to him.


    With every passing second, the atmosphere of the stadium turned grim, the faces of the Japanese supporters turning grim.


    Meanwhile, the opposing supporters couldn''t rejoice yet either. They still hadn''t cleared the ball away. So, they also seemed rather anxious.


    Yamada while holding the ball, kept weighing his options, ''Should I go for the goal?''


    From where he was standing, he believed that he could attempt a shot. Yamada could even see an opening. However, the opening looked rather skeptical.


    What if they were intentionally leading him to shoot that way?


    If they managed to get the ball there, they could easily go on a counterattack. At that time, they would find themselves under a serious threat.


    From what he could see, Yamada could tell that if they conceded a goal, it would be extremely difficult to equalize. Given the way the opposing team had defended until now, it was highly likely for the game to end with a single goal.


    So, due to such reasons, Yamada couldn''t bring himself to decide.


    Just then Munoz lunged at him from behind, attempting to overpower him and steal the ball


    at the same time. Yamada who had been scanning the pitch had already foreseen him.


    So, he was about to dodge.


    Just as he was about to dodge, an eerie light shed past his eyes.


    Bam!


    He struck the ball with the inside. But he couldn''t prevent the tackle of Munoz. So, he got


    swept in his tackle. Fortunately, Yamada prevented Munoz from touching the ball.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    So, even if he were to go down there, he''d probably earn themselves a set-piece.


    Thud!


    He fell rough on the ground.


    "Goal!"


    A cacophony of cheers erupted forth, shaking the entire nook and canny of the stadium. Yamada slowly lifted himself only to find others celebrating the goal alongside Hiro.

 Chapter 621 Japan vs Colombia III

    621 Japan vs Colombia III


    With his eyes wide open, Yamada fixedly followed Hiro. The whole stadium was bursting with excitement. Yamada, however, couldn''t bring himself to resonate with the stadium''s atmosphere. One after the other, his teammates passed him while he dazedly followed Hiro. He could vividly see his teammates rejoicing. He could also see the dejected opposing yers. Amidst this cathedral of overflowing emotions, he appeared to be stuck. The world around him was painted in colorful colors while he alone was grey. Just what had taken ce?


    Yamada could recall the moment until he fell. However, after he fell, he couldn''t remember anything. With a rather dumbfounded expression, he nced at the huge screen.


    Immediately after he struck the ball, the ball flew to an open space. The opposing yers were rushing in panic. Suddenly, Hiro entered the scene, sprinting into the open space at a lightning pace. It was like watching a phantom emerging on the scene. When the ball dropped, Hiro swept his leg, sending the ball flying toward the post. The ball curved on its path, leaving the opposing keeper bewildered. In a split second, the ball had already struck the top corner. Yamada retracted his gaze from the screen and rolled it toward Hiro. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Just what made me act without thinking?'' Yamada contemted. He recalled the moment he felt Hiro''s presence. The sharp glint in Hiro''s eyes shed past his eyes.However, he couldn''t understand why he had passed the ball into that space. While he was contemting, the celebration was already drawing to an end. Suddenly, an eerie light shed past his eyes as he realized, ''Is he influencing the yers around him?''


    On the world stage, Yamada had met some yers who could influence the others around them. But they were all world-ss yers. Due to their exceptional qualities, they could influence others around them. However, Hiro hadn''t even matured yet. He was still a budding seed. So, how could he possess such qualities?


    With his eyes widened, he stared at Hiro. Just then Hiro turned to look at him. With his sharp gaze, Hiro locked eyes with him. From there, Yamada could feel something extraordinary. Those pair of amber eyes held something extraordinary hidden underneath.


    Yamada''s pupils expanded, a shiver running down his spine. After locking eyes with him, Hiro nodded, showing his appreciation for the pass. Immediately after, Yamada vigorously shook his head in denial, "Hah! I must be going crazy. How could a kid barely seventeen possess such striking qualities?"


    Soon after they assumed their position, the game resumed. Beep!


    With that goal, Japan had taken the lead. Simultaneously, Hiro had broken a record, establishing himself as the youngest goal scorer in the World Cup. Previously, the record was held by Pele, the person regarded as the king of football. But now that record was broken. The Japanese audience, however, believed that it wouldn''t be the only record he would break. At this instant, the whole world was shaken. The inte was buzzing with inquiries for Hiro. They wanted to find out who this seventeen-year-old sensation was. While the game was still ongoing, Hiro was trending. Who is the number 19 of Japan''s national football team? Is the number 19 of Japan''s football team really seventeen years old?


    More than the inquiries, the footage of Hiro scoring the volley against Colombia went viral. In previous Euro, the footballing fans had been marveled by the performance of seventeen-year-old Yamal. Now, here in the World Cup, another seventeen-year-old was shining. So, how couldn''t the world be interested?


    After Messi and Ronaldo''s departure, the world has always been interested in finding the next GOAT of football. So, how would they react if suddenly another prodigy rose from the ashes?


    By now, the game had already entered the second half. With them tailing, the Colombian yers were charging even more intensely. Especially, their speedy fullbacks were the most threatening. Often, they would pop up on the nks and deliver a threatening pass. After that, they''d swiftly retreat to their position. However, despite all their efforts, the opposition still couldn''t seem to find the much-needed goal to tie the game. Although the Japanese yers appeared to be struggling on the field, they were still able to defend the relentless charge of the opposing team. Just from their performance alone, it could be estimated that they had prepared thoroughly for the match. With the rising intensity of the match, the viewers were also growing in numbers. Well, most of the credit could be attributed to Hiro. The footage of Hiro executing that brilliant volley which gave the Japanese team the lead in the game had gone viral, garnering the curiosity of many. The world wanted to find out how great this next sensation was. Meanwhile, on the pitch, the game had entered a dreadlock with both sides failing to score. On the sideline, the opposing coach was already preparing a few substitutes in hopes of shifting the tide in their favor. Just then, in the 73rd minute, James lobbed the ball to the right nk. Luis easily collected the ball and began to sprint. The Japanese defenders tried to stop him. However, even with their numbers, they failed to stop Luis. Like a sprinting cheetah, he left them by the dust. After getting past two opposing defenders, Luis entered the final third. There he came upon the final hurdle before he could get to the post. Tomiyasu, a rather skilled defender awaited his presence, standing tall before him like a colossal mountain. Luis''s gaze drifted to him briefly before he retracted it to the ball. Step! Step! Step!


    With swift nimble steps, he approached Tomiyasu who had his eyes fixated on him like a hawk looking at its prey. The people in the stadium were prepared to experience a fierce duel between the two. For a brief moment while the twopeted, the entire stadium held their breath and a hush silence fell upon the stadium. Both Luis and Tomiyasu entwined in a brilliant dance, their moves contrasting each other while they tried to outpower each other.

 Chapter 622 Japan vs Colombia IV

    622 Japan vs Colombia IV


    Aya, the Japanese keeper, stood between the poles, his gaze following the movement of the two before him. Even though he had faith in his teammate, he couldn''t afford to lose his guard. Having faced Luis on multiple asions, Aya was well aware of the threat he possessed. So, he slumped his and leaned a little forward as he prepared himself for a possible threat. Suddenly, his pupils dpidated at the sight of Luis breaking past Tomiyasu. In their intense duel, Luis hade out on top. Tomiyasu, however, wasn''t done yet. Despite losing the duel, he stretched his hands to grab Luis. Feeling the contact, Luis jerked his body to shake Tomiyasu''s grip. Fortunately, Tomiyasu hadn''t had the time to tighten his grip. So, he easily managed to shake him off. After shaking off Tomiyasu, Luis began to cut inside. However, before he could position himself, Aya rushed to stop him. Upon seeing Aya rushing to him, Luis''s heart shuddered a little, his eyes constricting. For a split second, he bit his lips before lobbing the ball above Aya''s reach. Though he managed to keep the ball away from Aya, he couldn''t evade the outstretched goalkeeper tackling him. Beep!


    The referee sounded the whistle, signaling a foul. Immediately, the stadium turned chaotic as the opposing fans started hauling curses at Aya and the Japanese yers. With their eyes reddened in fury, they began to make a fuss about the situation. Meanwhile, Luisy on the ground, writhing in pain. Grabbing his ankles, he wailed. His expression was filled with pain and hisplexion looked slightly pale. ''Was he a diver too?'' Aya couldn''t help but contemte while looking at the sight of Luis writhing in pain. He could vividly recall that he hadn''t even tipped him. Rather Luis had tipped off him instead. Sure, it could be counted as a foul. But he hadn''t tackled him to the extent that would injure him. With a stern gaze, Aya approached Luis, "Hey, are you okay? Should I call the medics?"


    While Aya was trying to help Luis, one of the opposing yers rushed to him and pushed him fiercely, "Bastard! What are you trying to do?"


    "You dare mock our teammate," he shouted fiercely. Aya stumbled a little before collecting himself. Perhaps the opposing yer had mistaken him. Aya looking somewhat bewildered stared at him, troubled by his words. What''s he saying? When did I mock him?


    Fortunately, before the matter got ugly, other yers and the referee arrived on the scene.


    While the others engaged in a fierce duel, Aya stared at the hotheaded guy who had pushed him without any malicious intention in his eyes. Though Aya had been wronged, he didn''t want to fight the guy. It wasn''t because he was scared. But rather because he was a professional. Tussling and arguing with each other, the situation was bing uglier. At the same time, the fans were also growing more anxious and agitated. 15:49 n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Given that they had been awarded a penalty, there wasn''t any significance in continuing the riot. However, the opposing yers continued to protest. They were demanding a red card from the referee. Finally, after a while, the referee separated the two sides. Then he walked over to Luis who was still writhing in pain, lying on the ground.


    Taking a quick nce, the referee signaled for medical assistance. Bead-like sweat trickled down the be of the referee as he turned toward Aya. He could audibly hear the cacophonous protest from the crowd. At the same time, he could palpably feel the air getting dense. From what he could tell, the offense by Aya wasn''t anything serious. But right now, the pressure from the stand was weighing him down, interfering with his judgment. Today, the Colombian fans greatly outnumbered the Japanese fans. So, the pressure from those enraged Colombian fans was hugepared to the pressure from the Japanese fans. Then he walked to Aya and shoved a yellow card on his face. Aya, upon seeing the yellow card became frenzied. His eyes constricted, his brows furrowing as he began to protest, "Huh? Yellow card? For what offense?"


    Again, the stadium was sent into chaos. This time, however, it was the Japanese fans and the Japanese yers protesting against the referee. Expressing their dissatisfaction, they fiercely protested against the referee''s decision. The referee, however, remained adamant about his decision. Unable to handle the pressure from the Japanese yers, the referee again pointed another yellow card, booking another Japanese yer. Shogo upon getting booked became even more irritated. However, before he could continue with his protest, Endo emerged on the scene and began to console his teammates. If it weren''t for Endo''s interference, even more of them would have gotten booked. Luis while being carried away could audibly hear the ongoing chaos on the field. If he hadn''t been already feeling some difort, he wouldn''t be wailing that way. However, even though he knew that Aya was being wronged, he chose to remain silent. After all, Aya hadn''t even attempted to foul him. It was he who had messed up the timing because of the sharp stinging pain. After themotion died down, Luis was substituted. In ce of him, a veteran defender entered the field. Just from the substitution alone, it was clear that the opposing side was going to solidify their defense. Nanami, equally agitated by the referee''s call stood on the sideline ring his nostrils. With his arms folded, he red at the referee with bloodshot eyes. However, he didn''t make any fuss about it. After all, he was well aware that they were entirely helpless against the referee''s call. And if he made a fuss about the decision, the situation would only get worse. So, he stood firmly on his spot, ring at the referee, cursing him inwardly without voicing his thoughts. After everything was sorted, James stood before the ball, preparing to take the penalty. Aya exhaled deeply, fixing his gaze at the ball. He was determined to make that save. However, though he managed to predict the direction perfectly, he still failed to save the ball.

 Chapter 623 Japan vs Colombia V

    623 Japan vs Colombia V


    With that spot-kick, Colombia leveled the score. Upon scoring, they rallied through the field, their once desperate fans revitalized. Cheering at the top of their lungs, they celebrated the equalizing goal with great enthusiasm. Perhaps, the goal must have meant something extraordinary for them. Well, given that they were already approaching the end while tailing the opposition by a goal, it would probably be a moment of respite for them. Meanwhile, the Japanese supporters were both dejected and furious. However, their fury wasn''t directed at their yers. Rather it was directed to the departing Luis and the referee. With their head slumped, the Japanese yers stood rooted at their spots while the opposing side celebrated. Hiro, however, didn''t seem troubled. Sure, he felt wronged. But even if he felt wronged, what could he do?


    More than getting stuck on the thing that couldn''t be helped, he was already thinking ahead. ''They have brought in a defender. That would make five defenders. It seems like they''re aiming for a clutch. For sure, they wouldn''t have given up on winning.'' While pondering, Hiro averted his gaze to the defender that had been brought inside to rece Luis. Immediately, Hiro recognized the defender. ''Now, their fullbacks will operate more freely,'' Hiro deduced after taking a look. During the recent Copa America finals, they have used the same strategy. While their forwards disrupted the defense line of Argentina, their full-backs attacked from the nks. Counterattacking football was what they were best at. Soon, the game resumed after the yers returned to their positions. Beep!


    "With this goal, the game could be anybody''s game. However, Colombia has lost one of its core yers. So, it would be interesting to find out how they''ll operate without him."


    The clock ticked, while the yers ran on the field. Just as thementator had mentioned, it did seem like it could be anybody''s game. However, one thing was certain to some degree; the one who scores the next goal would take the three points. In the 87th minute, Hiro saw an opportunity. Delivering a through pass that sliced through the pitch, straight to Kubo, Hiro attempted a breakthrough. Hiro had already spent his skill "Lightning Steps" twice. Hence, he couldn''t make use of the skill again. However, the opposing yers instead of rushing onto him took a step back, preparing for the sudden burst of speed. He wanted to stop Hiro from passing him. But rather than charging front, Hiro sprinted to the side instead. ''What?!'' With a flustered face, the opposing number 8 stared at Hiro before rushing to him. The action Hiro took sharply contrasted with what he had envisioned. So, he hesitated for a moment. That momentary hesitation gave Hiro a huge boost as he put on some significant distance from him. At this moment, Mitoma was already sprinting to the final third from the opposing nk. Simultaneously, Daichi was also advancing from another nk. Caught up in the confusion, the opposing yers found it hard to pinpoint what the Japanese yers were aiming for. Should they go after Kubo? Or should they chase after the others who were advancing? Then what about Hiro? Should they leave him alone?


    Kubo while advancing the ball, left behind the pursuers that were pressing him. Steadily, he advanced with the ball. By now, he was already on his way to the final third. Though three defenders were awaiting him, he didn''t feel pressured. Even the opposing number 8 who was pressing Hiro had started to retreat now. To him, Hiro''s erratic actions didn''t make any sense at all. After all, he wasn''t even attacking. So, what was the point of rushing to him?


    Rather it would be more effective if he retreated to help in the defending. So, he steadily retreated and began to charge toward Kubo, leaving Hiro alone. After Kubo came close to the final third, Munoz sprinted to him. Yet still, Kubo didn''t flinch. Rather, he kept advancing with a solemn look on his face. His heartbeat was a little hurried while his breathing was a little rugged. He was sweating profusely. But he wasn''t tired. Executing sidesteps, Kubo began to charge ahead without any fear. Munoz pressured him, taking advantage of hisrge physique. ''He''s unbelievably sturdy,'' Munoz thought. Despite pressuring Kubo heavily, he hadn''t managed to make him budge. So, he was starting to get frustrated. Well, if only he knew how difficult Kubo was finding, he wouldn''t be anxious like that. Just then Munoz sensed an opportunity and swung his body fiercely toward Kubo. Simultaneously, he stretched his legs attempting to disbnce Kubo. Kubo stumbled after getting pushed harshly. However, before he stumbled he struck the ball with his heel, sending the ball back. Munoz''s eyes constricted in panic. Who? Who is he aiming for?


    The ball was headed to the sideline. There Hiro awaited the ball. While Kubo and others were executing the attack, he had vanished from their side. However, now he had decided to show himself like a sneaky predator that had hidden itself stealthily. But what could he possibly do from there? n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Calming himself, Munoz instantly began to chase after Hiro. But before he could even bring himself to chase him, Hiro struck the ball. In a state of panic, he followed the ball only to find it heading to the opposite nk. The pass was extremely powerful. It easily evaded the opposing yers and swiftly fell into a space where Mitoma was charging. Upon reaching the location where the ball was falling, Mito stretched his legs. His arms swung back while his eyes glowed with an ominous glint. At this instant, one could visibly see his muscles getting stretched. Especially, the muscles on his legs and neck. "Lock on!"


    Bam!


    The pass connected wlessly without any fail while the entire stadium stood still. A ghastly silence engulfed the stadium briefly, the eyes of the opposing fans disying extreme horror while their heart shuddered. Meanwhile, the Japanese fan''s eyes glowed with excitement, their heart pounding heavily while their lips slowly curled into smiles. Upon getting struck, the ball traveled at a threatening pace straight to the post. "Goal..."

 Chapter 624 Youngest in the history

    624 Youngest in the history


    A deafening cheer erupted from the stands, shaking the entire stadium. Japanese fans sprang on their toes, their hands in the air. Meanwhile, on the pitch, Mitoma after scoring the goal that gave them the much-needed lead rushed to the sideline with an exhrated expression. Immediately, the other yers d in blue followed him, a wide grin stered on their faces. As for Hiro, he remained rooted at the spot from where he had delivered that striking pass. He was d that the pass connected. ''Now, we can focus on defending,'' Hiro thought while panting. While the celebration was ongoing, he nced at the sideline. There he found Nanami preparing to make a few substitutions. ''Seems like this is it for me,'' Hiro sighed, revealing a subtle grin. Hiro could tell that he was going to be reced. Even so, he didn''t feel sad about it. Rather, Hiro acknowledged Nanami''s tactical decision. Today''s game had been rather demanding and he was already drained. Soon after the celebration ended, the substitutions lined up on the sidelines while the assistant referee signaled for the substitution. When the announcement of Hiro''s substitution rang, Hiro smiled. "After delivering a goal and an assist, he finally gets substituted. What a day it has been for him. It''s like a dream debut and I''m sure he wouldn''t want to wake up from it," thementator praised Hiro as he began to walk. Suddenly, the stadium erupted in a deafening round of apuse,mending Hiro. Upon hearing the apuse, Hiro was taken aback. "What a brilliant spectacle to witness. The entire stadium is resonating with Hiro''s chants and apuse. To receive such praise in his debut, Hiro must be exhrated. Truly, a new sensation has been born today."


    Hiro swept his gaze through the stands, overwhelmed by the apuse he received. It wasn''t his first time experiencing such a moment of delight. However, to receive such appreciation in his World Cup debut, even he couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by their warm gesture. It wasn''t only the fans who were showering him with apuse but his teammates too.


    "Good job, Hiro."


    "Well yed, Hiro."


    Smiling, Hiro received their gesture of appreciation and walked off the field while pping. "Great job, Hiro. Now, leave the rest to us," Kaoru who was about to rece Hiro said. "Thank you. I''ll leave the rest to you," Hiro responded warmly before tagging for him. "You''ve yed well, Hiro," Nanami lightly nudged him before Hiro assumed his seat. While taking his seat on the reserve box, the others praised him. Hiro graciously epted their praises and settled on the box. ''So, I''ve made it to the World Cup huh?'' Hiro began to ponder while the match resumed. Despite having gone through the experience of debuting in the World Cup, Hiro couldn''t bring himself to ept the reality. It still felt like a dream for some reason. He had always dreamed of this moment. But finally, when the dream became a reality, he couldn''t bring himself to ept the reality. From a washed-up individual to a rising sensation. Hiro''s journey until this point had been nothing but a fairytale. While thinking about his journey, Hiro couldn''t help but ponder if things would have been different if he hadn''t inherited the system. Would he have been able toe this far without the system''s help?


    Beep! n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Finally, the referee sounded the final whistle. Upon hearing the sound of the final whistle, the Japanese yers began to rejoice. With a wide grin stered on their faces, they began to celebrate their victory. The reserve yers sprang onto the field in a jubnt mood. Meanwhile, the opposing yer''s expression sank. With their head hung low, they began to loiter around the pitch in search of sce.


    The ones with strong will tried tofort their fallenpatriots while their fans began to exit the pitch with dejected expressions. Luis, sidelined for injury sustained during the game limped his way to the pitch. Being the yer he was, he couldn''t afford to sit out. So, he offered what little help he could by helping tofort his defeatedpatriots. At that moment, Endo walked over to him, "Good game, Luis."


    Luis rolled his eyes to Endo, his club teammate. He knew that he wasn''t there to mock him. After all, he had known him for a while. "Yeah, you too. You all have yed well today," Luis responded. Though he appeared solemn on the outside, a feeling of guilt was gnawing at him. He wanted to apologize for the ruckus that had been caused for him earlier, but he couldn''t bring himself to apologize. He wanted to confess. However, he couldn''t bring himself to confess. So, he tucked the feeling inside and kept it to himself. Then he nced at Hiro and said, "Where did you find that guy?"


    At that moment, Hiro was surrounded by reporters vying for his attention. For his earlier performance, he received the MOTM award. Well, given the performance he had put on, it wasn''t anything surprising. However, for some reason, he looked a bit flustered. It was almost as if he was finding it troublesome to respond to the reporters. Even though he had dealt with such scenarios many times, Hiro still couldn''t get used to it. Endo chuckled, "Hahaha.... Who knows from where he emerged? But I''m d that he emerged. It would have been a great loss for football if he hadn''t emerged."


    "Yeah, I agree. But has he already signed with a club?" Luis nodded and asked. Endo shook his head, "I don''t know. But most probably he hasn''t."


    "If he continues that performance then he will surely get a ton of offers by the end of the tournament," Luis said with conviction. For a brief moment, Endo and Luis chatted, bonding over their shared interest. Meanwhile, Hiro was getting bombarded by the reporters. "How are you feeling right now after breaking the record of the youngest goal scorer in the World Cup?" asked one of the reporters. Hiro clutching onto the MOTM award, paused briefly before answering, "Did I break the record?"

 Chapter 625 Daily Routine

    625 Daily Routine


    Honestly, Hiro hadn''t even considered breaking records. So, when he was told he had broken a long-standing record, Hiro couldn''t bring himself to react. The reporters were equally baffled by his response. Was he so dimwitted he didn''t even realize such a praiseworthy feat?


    "Yes, you broke the record held by Pele. Before you broke it, he was the youngest scorer in history." One of the reporters rified. Even after hearing that he had broken a long-standing record, Hiro''s expression remained unchanged. It was almost as if he wasn''t even impressed. "Oh. Is that so?" Hiro responded in an ambiguous tone. The reporters stared at him dazedly. They couldn''t figure out if he was retarded or ignorant. Even after being told he had broken a long-standing record, Hiro remained indifferent. Just what was going through his head?


    **** ****


    The next day, Hiro woke up before the rm went off. Themp beside the bed dimly lit the room, the window curtain fluttering gently. A cold gentle breeze crept through the window, caressing his face. Feeling the cold breeze on his skin, Hiro turned to look at the window. Yesterday, after the celebration, he stood before the window to enjoy the scenery of the night sky and the city illuminated with blinding lights. Though the stars were sparse, Hiro recalled enjoying the moment. It might be because he was overwhelmed by their victory over Colombia earlier. Nheless, Hiro found gazing at the distant stars quite soothing. For a while, even after awakening, hey on the bed. "The next match is with Egypt. Then after that, the final hurdle before weplete the group stage: Portugal." Hiro mumbled while staring at the fluttering curtains. Truth be told, he was looking forward to both of those matches. While pondering the uing matches, Hiro''s attention drifted toward the quest involving Yamada. Though he had received the MOTM award in yesterday''s match, Yamada had been equally impressive. Though they had provided the same number of assists, he was curious about the other conditions required to outperform him. So, Hiro opened the system tab to check up on the progress. "I''m winning the quest." Hiro was delighted to see that he was leading at the moment. Curling his lips slightly, Hiro giggled, "Haha... Please don''t stop me Yamada-san. It''s for our own benefit."


    Yamada isn''t even aware of the quest and has nothing to gain from it. On the other hand, Hiro could gain massively from this hypothetical duel. So, if only Yamada lost the challenge, Hiro could upgrade one of his main skill "Lightning Steps".


    In theirter venture, it mighte in handy. But if he were to tell him to lose on purpose, Yamada would most probably think of him as a lunatic. For a while, Hiro even entertained those thoughts before quickly dismissing them. Heaving a light sigh, Hirompooned, "Hah! What am I even thinking?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hahaha. Let''s just get up." In one go, he shoved the nket away energetically. Then he walked to the window and nced outside. The world outside remained shrouded in darkness with the moon and stars visible in the sky. The streets were rather empty and lifeless, contrasting yesterday''s bustling atmosphere. The same street was swamped with people and the atmosphere was extremely lively. However, right now, he couldn''t locate a single soul on the street. "Do American people onlye out at night?" Hiro couldn''t help but wonder. Afterward, Hiro got freshened up and sat on the floor with his legs crossed. Recently, he had started to meditate after waking up. So, following his usual routine, he sat crossed leg with his eyes closed. Focusing on his breathing, he began to inhale and exhale deeply. At the same time, he rxed, and his consciousness drifted to an empty void. Though a few thoughts kept popping up at random intervals, trying to distract him, Hiro immediately shifted his attention to his breathing. It helped him retain his focus and prevent him from getting distracted. After the meditation''s end, Hiro slowly opened his eyes, feeling more tranquil and focused than ever. For some reason, Hiro found the meditation quite soothing. So, he followed through the routine. With a newfound vigor, Hiro mumbled, "Let''s head to the gym."


    Even though their coach hadmanded them to focus on their recovery, Hiro didn''t feel like resting. He craved the adrenaline rush and the feeling of exhaustion after a workout. However, before that, he had another thing to do¡ª take an ice bath. Though Hiro wasn''t fond of it, ice baths offered several benefits. So, he couldn''t skip it even if he wanted to skip the bath.


    Early morning ice baths offered several benefits like; reducing muscle inmmation and soreness, enhancing recovery, improving cirction and detoxification, and boosting mood and focus, and they also helped to reduce swelling from injury or strain. Because of such benefits, Hiro didn''t want to miss out on it. While making an annoyed face, Hiro stood before the tub filled with cold icy water. He checked on the temperature.


    "10 degrees Celsius." He mumbled looking at the recorded temperature. The temperature was optimal. Yet still, he couldn''t help but feel like checking the water. So, he dipped his hand. "Cold!" He blurted, his brows furrowing.


    Briefly, he even thought about skipping the bath. For some reason, even after consistently following the routine, Hiro still couldn''t get used to this freezing bath. Every now and often, he would hesitate to plunge into this cold. After hesitating for a while, Hiro began to undress. Before plunging into the cold water before him, he looked in the mirror. He wasn''t bulky. Neither was he skinny. His muscles were well-defined and his proportions were great. He had a rather slim waist while his shoulders were broad. You could visibly see his biceps and triceps. In short, Hiro had a great physique with well-toned muscles. The secret behind his having that well-defined physique could be attributed directly to his dedicated workouts and proper diet. Ssh!


    "Cold... It''s cold..." Hiro stammered as he stepped inside the cold water. Immediately, a freezing cold washed over him, prating deep into his bones, and sending chills all over his body.

 Chapter 626: Top of the table

    Chapter 626: Top of the table


    ?


    Though they had won their first match, they weren''t at the top of their group. That spot belonged to Portugal, which won its first game with Egypt 3-1.


    Joao Felix scored a brace in that match while Bruno slotted a penalty. On the other hand, Mohammad Sh scored the constion goal for Egypt.


    The other group matches were equally intense.


    In their second match with Egypt, they again won by defeating Egypt by a score of 2-1. During that match, Hiro scored a goal and provided an assist.


    Meanwhile, Yamada failed to contribute.


    However, Portugal drew their match with Colombia.


    After an exhausting workout session, Hiro sat staring at his phone. He was drenched in sweat, his breathing ragged, and his entire body smelling sweaty.


    "You still have the energy to look at your phone?" Naoto said panting heavily.


    At the moment, they were in the gym.


    Engrossed in the phone, Hiro failed to hear him. Rather he started grinning while staring at the screen.


    Noticing the grin on his face, Naoto couldn''t help but feel curious. Just what was making him grin like that? Did he get a girlfriend?


    He couldn''t help but ponder. After all, such symptoms aremon in people in love.


    Driven by curiosity, Naoto leaned over to him and grabbed the phone away from Hiro, "Let me see what''s making you smile like that."


    Hiro felt startled. But when he noticed Naoto, he didn''t react. With a solemn expression, he said, "If you wanted, you could have asked."


    There wasn''t any retaliation in his voice. It was almost as if he didn''t even care.


    Immediately after Naoto saw the content on the screen, he frowned, "Ah. You were looking at the goal-scoring chart?"


    Hiro nodded.


    In the chart, Hiro was ranked among the top three. Seventeen years of age and already in the World Cup top scorer chart, it was a feat worthy of admiration.


    So, Naoto found nothing unusual about him grinning at the chart.


    If it were him, he would have been feeling ted as well.


    "Then can I have my phone back?" Hiro asked.


    If he had found his answers, he should return it now. Though he might have been indifferent about the recent article praising him, Hiro liked the attention a little.


    Even so, he wouldn''t show it in public.


    Naoto was already aware of it. Since they had been living together for quite a long time, he knew Hiro had a somewhat strange personality.


    The Hiro public knew about and the Hiro, he knew about, they were like two different people. It was so astonishing to find those stark differences in an individual. However, by now, he was already used to it.


    So, it didn''t surprise him when he saw him grinning at the chart.


    After that Hiro continued skimming through his phone like a kid watching his favorite shows. Noticing the excitement on Hiro''s face, Naoto couldn''t help but recall his usual indifferent expression.


    ''At times, he does act like a child.'' Naoto curled his lips slightly.


    "What do you think about our uing match, Hiro?" Naoto suddenly popped a question.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The uing match was against Portugal, one of the most difficult teams they''d be facing in the tournament. They had stacked depth and numerous world-ss yers.


    Especially, Bruno was exceptionally well in the midfield.


    So, everyone was expecting it to be a difficult match for Japan. However, given their recent performance in the group stage, they weren''t treated as underdogs like before.


    Now, they were regarded as one of the favorites.


    "I mean, we didn''t get to meet Ronaldo previously. But now, we can meet him up close. So, aren''t you excited about it?" Naoto added, his tone cracking with excitement at certain intervals.


    It was clear just from the way he described that he was eagerly looking forward to the match. Well, he was one of those Ronaldo admirer. So, Naoto acting that way wasn''t anything unusual.


    How would you react if you were told that you''d be meeting your idol?


    "Aren''t you way too excited about it?" Hiro gave him a side-eye. "After all, they are our opponents."


    Immediately, Naotoposed himself. Hiro was right. He shouldn''t act like that right now. But he wasn''t entirely convinced.


    "But I heard that you grew up admiring him," Naoto mumbled.


    Hiro hadn''t spoken about it before. So, how did he know? Sure, he had mentioned that Hiro respected him. But he hadn''t mentioned anything about being an admirer.


    He was taken by surprise. However, he didn''t lose his cool.


    "Well, I like him as a yer," Hiro responded with a solemn expression.


    Hiro''s lukewarm reaction, however, failed to change Naoto''s mind. "Don''t hide it. Your mom told me that you grew up idolizing Messi and Ronaldo. She even said that you had their poster stered all over the walls."


    ''Oh! So, Mom told him. That makes sense.''


    Honestly, Hiro wasn''t much surprised. So, calmly took the response.


    "Indeed, I had their poster stered all over the walls. But along with them, I had a few other posters stered as well." Hiro calmly epted.


    Naoto, however, was a little disappointed. "So, aren''t you excited about meeting the person from the poster?"


    "Well, if it had been me from then, I would say yes. But right now, we both are opponents. So, I should focus on winning."


    "I get it that they are our opponent. But isn''t he someone you idolize? So, shouldn''t you be feeling a little excited?" Naoto was perplexed by Hiro''s reaction.


    How could he be so calm?


    Even though what he said made sense. Yet still, he didn''t have to be so harsh on himself. After


    all, he was still a seventeen-year-old teenager.


    Then again, something struck him. It was like something he had been forgetting for a while. Hiro wasn''t like other kids. He was different than the rest.


    So, it waspletely natural for him to remain focused at this moment.


    Upon recalling, Naoto heaved a sigh and smiled lightly, "It''s so like you."

 Chapter 627: Japan vs Portugal

    Chapter 627: Japan vs Portugal


    ?


    The stadium was a cauldron of emotions, pulsating with anticipation and vibrant hues as the crowd roared, their chants reverberating across the stands.


    A clear partition could be seen in the stands, one side surging with the supporters d in blue and white, while the other zing like a fiery ocean of fire with their supporters d in the iconic red jersey of Portugal.


    It was like the sh of water and fire.


    Japanese supporters enthusiastically waved gs emzoned with the rising sun, their voices united in unshakable support for the team. Meanwhile, the Portuguese supporters proudly fluttered their g and banner, belting an anthem of pride.


    Truly, the stage had been set for one of the most anticipated matches in the group stage. With both their qualification in jeopardy, both sides were desperate to win the match.


    Inside the tunnel, the atmosphere was equally tense, tension palpable in the air.


    Both the teams were lined up side by side. As if a wall had been erected between the two sides, there wasn''t any interaction between the two sides.


    Hiro, however, could feel sharp gazes pointed at him. It felt like he was being stalked but whenever he turned to find out, the gazes he felt would immediately disappear.


    ''Am I the target?'' Hiro thought, after feeling that eerie gaze for the fourth time.


    Hiro silently rolled his eyes, jumping from one individual to the next. But he couldn''t find anything abnormal. It looked like they were minding their own business.


    ''Am I overthinking?'' Hiro questioned himself.


    Finally, after a while, the yers entered the field. Instantly, the atmosphere of the stadium soared to an unprecedented level.


    Like the rumble of thunder, the crowd echoed, their cheer shaking the entire stadium. Upon hearing the electrifying roar, Hiro couldn''t help but steal a peek at the crowd. While sweeping his gaze over the stand, Hiro''s gaze fell on one particr spot.


    At that spot, he noticed a huge poster of the legendary Portuguese, fluttering freely.


    ''They love their GOAT, don''t they?'' Hiro''s eyes constricted a little.


    ncing at the sideline, Hiro found the man himself¡ª Cristiano Ronaldo. He was calm and focused, unfazed by the buzzing atmosphere around him.


    Well, given it was hisst World Cup, he must be anxious right?


    However, Hiro couldn''t detect a sublime hint of anxiousness on his face. Even so, Hiro could tell that he was masking his emotions.


    After all, if they lost the game and Colombia won theirs by a huge margin, they''d qualify instead, ending his dream to win the World Cup.


    Having won numerous titles, it was the most prestigious trophy Ronaldo coveted for a long time. For this reason, he has been pushing himself until now.


    However, right now, Hiro and Japan stand between Ronaldo''s dreams.


    In a while, as the yers lined up, the national anthem of the respective team began to sound. With their head held high and chest puffed, both sides proudly sang their national anthem.


    After the captain of both teams exchanged their respective pennants, the game began with the referee''s whistle.


    Beep!


    Portugal started the kickoff with a short pass.


    Immediately, the yers sprang into motion, dancing to the ball''s rhythm. Hiro, calmly positioned himself, while the rest spread to their respective formation.


    While the opposing side took charge of the ball, Hiro''s eyes drifted from one spot to another. Today, he rested well, and he was more sharp than ever.


    Before arriving here, Hiro had visualized the match many times. Even on their way here, he had skipped the visualization.


    So, immediately, he began to notice some pattern.


    However, he was aware that he couldn''t be hasty. Though he had started noticing some patterns, he had to remain careful. After all, he wasn''t against an average team. They could make spontaneous decisions on the spot.


    Hence, Hiro had to consider carefully before revealing his cards.


    Putting his pride aside, Ronaldo has taken the role of substitute. But that didn''t mean he wasn''t useful at all. He still possessed an enormous threat in the final third. Not to mention, the aura he carried.


    His presence alone could influence the other in the team.


    Even now, despite doing nothing, he seemed to be calcting something. However, he appeared calm on the outside.


    Meanwhile, the match was getting heated on the field. Both teams had begun attacking and they were each fighting for the momentum.


    However, until now, neither side could monopolize the momentum.


    It was like a swinging pendulum as both sides took turns attacking and defending. One


    moment Portugal would take the charge, and the next Japan.


    However, one thing was made clear, Yamada was pulling strings for Japan. So, the entire focus was on Yamada rather than Hiro.


    Even so, Hiro wasn''t upset about it. Rather, he was ted about the oue.


    The less he attracts attention, the more he can operate. With time, he would vanish from their sight, and they''d probably loosen their guard around him.


    That''s the moment, he''d strike.


    In the 39th minute, suddenly the game became even more intense. Bruno supplied a magnificent through ball to Leao. Upon collecting the ball, Rafael began to sprint.


    With swift nimble steps, he sprinted like a horse.


    Immediately, Hiro''s gaze scanned through the pitch. He found a total of five potential threats. The first was the sprinting Felix, the second Goncalo Ramos, the third Bruno, and two


    more rushing up front.


    The most logical option for him would be to stick with Bruno since Bruno was the closest to him. However, Hiro drifted to the defending third instead.


    The second option would be the other two sprinting from the midfield.


    But he knew that Yamada wouldn''t drop deep and Endo himself would position there.


    Rafael easily passed through one of their fullbacks. Then rather than crossing, he began to cut inside the box. There Hiroki Ito awaited him while Tomiyasu man-marked Ramos and at the same time blocked the passing route to Felix.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Suddenly, Felix began to cut inside as well. However, he began to drop back to the edge of the box rather than inside box.


    At that moment, almost everybody anticipated Rafael to pass.


    But instead, he lightly nudged the ball, venturing deep into the box. Hiroki extended his legs to stop him but failed tond a touch.


    At that moment, everybody had thought that Rafael would score.


    The Japanese audience was prepared to wail over the goal, their faces pale and horror- stricken. On the other hand, the opposing fans who stood behind the goalpost were prepared


    to throw their arms in the air and celebrate.


    Their eyes sparkled with excitement. But only some looked dull and worried.

 Chapter 628: Japan vs Portugal II

    Chapter 628: Japan vs Portugal II


    ?


    The shooting angle was tight.


    However, Rafael excelled at shooting from such angles. So, he was calm and rxed.


    Although his heart was beating rapidly from the high-paced moves he had executed, he was calm.


    The goal was right in front of him. He could feel the energy coursing through his veins. At the same time, he could palpably smell the sweet aroma of excitement.


    As he stretched his leg to shoot, his muscles coiled like a spring, his eyes fixated on the opposite pole. Tension built up in his body was about to release.


    But before he could unleash the destructive force he had been building up, a leg came up from behind, leaving him utterly astonished.


    Quickly, the ball was stolen, leaving him striking air.


    Swoosh!


    A distinct swooshing sound was produced the moment Rafael swept his leg, a clear indication of the shot that would have transpired had Hiro not stolen the ball from him.


    The expression of the opposing fans sank upon the oue. While the Japanese supporters gasped in relief. Finally, they could feel relieved.


    Immediately, after snatching the ball, Hiro sent the ball flying. But he didn''t stop there. Instead, he began to sprint.


    Hiro had taken a gamble by chasing Rafael.


    If Rafael had passed the ball to Bruno, things would have gotten ugly for them. Bruno, being an excellent provider would have figured out something. Also, his ability to shoot from a distance couldn''t be taken lightly either.


    However, Hiro was certain that Rafael would try to break inside.


    Fortunately for him, his judgment was correct.


    The ball flew straight to Yamada. Hiro knew that Yamada wouldn''t fall back. So, he didn''t waste any time finding a suitable individual to pass.


    That quick decision from Hiro helped them to swiftly transition into attack.


    "The wunderkind of Japan has once againe to their aid. With a swift tackle, he has left Rafael striking grass," thementator was full of praise.


    The ball smoothly fell before Yamada. It seemed as if the pass had been aimed precisely at him. Yamada''s eyes dpidated while collecting the ball.


    ''When did he even locate me?'' Yamada was left a little baffled.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    However, he immediately began to charge without wasting time. He couldn''t afford to ponder at the moment. With an unwavering focus on the field, Yamada immediatelyunched a counterattack.


    Their swift transition from defense to offense left the opposition in panic.


    There were only three Japanese yers up front against their four defenders. But the person that was charging was Yamada. So, they couldn''t afford to take it easy.


    Yamada was excellent in long-distance shooting, dribbling, and passing. Hence, despite having an advantage in number, they were at a disadvantage.


    rmingly, they began to retreat.


    Meanwhile, the Japanese yers began to charge forward. It was like a golden opportunity for them. With Yamada leading the charge, they were bound to generate some chances.


    They had faith in him.


    So, their faith led them to push their limits.


    "Japan looks threatening."


    They hadunched their counterattack from behind the half-line. However, right now, they had already ventured deep into the middle third. Yamada continued to advance at a threatening pace.


    Just then Ruben Dias lunged at him, trying to stop him.


    However, Yamada managed to remain afloat. Though he wasted a little time trying to escape him, eventually he managed to get away from him.


    But Bruno and several others from the opposing side had already retreated while Kubo and Doan were being tightly marked.


    Although Yamada could fire the shot, he wasn''t in a favorable position to do so.


    So, he was trying to position himself better. However, at that time while trying to get into a suitable position to shoot, he found Hiro drifting past him.


    ''Huh! When did he get here?'' Yamada was perplexed to find Hiro''s presence.


    During the time he took to get away from Dias, Hiro had caught up to him from their final third. Though he was mesmerized by Hiro''s speed, he didn''t waste any more time to make a decision.


    Immediately after noticing Hiro, he made a sneaky pass to Hiro.


    "Huff! Huff!" Gasping heavily, Hiro reached for the ball.


    It was at the nk. So, the shooting angle was rather tight. But Hiro easily located a space for him to exploit. It the was top corner of the nk right next to him.


    The opposing goalkeeper was slightly dispositioned. So, if he could make an urate shot, he could give their team the lead.


    But he couldn''t afford to waste time as Joao Cancelo was already rushing on him.


    Bam!


    He struck the ball immediately.


    The ball drifted to the desired destination he had aimed. However, the opposing goalkeeper managed to touch the ball which slightly altered the path of the ball.


    Beep!


    The referee sounded the whistle, signaling a corner kick.


    The Japanese fans let out a disappointed wail, their voice echoing throughout the stadium. Hiro was on the ground, trying to lift himself.


    Due to the shooting angle being tight, he had to twist his body to make that shot. Combined with the momentum he was charging, he was imbnced due to the contrasting force.


    Frustrated, he fiercely punched the ground, "Argh!"


    "A very fine shot from Hiro that misses the goal by an inch. Well, it seems like Hiro isn''t satisfied with the oue. Such passion from a youngster like him is indeed praiseworthy. But he shouldn''t take it to heart. There will be more opportunities for him."


    Yamada, even now, couldn''t help but stare at Hiro in disbelief.


    "Yamada, the corner."


    While Yamada was dazedly staring at Hiro, Endo called out to him for the corner. He was their corner-kick taker.


    "Okay..." He yelled, heeding to Endo''s call.


    By now, almost all of the opposing yers had retreated. So, there wasn''t any need to hurry. Rather a precise and careful pass would be much better.


    Collecting himself, Yamada walked to the corner, preparing to take the corner, while his teammates filled inside the box, awaiting his delivery.

 Chapter 629: Japan vs Portugal III

    Chapter 629: Japan vs Portugal III


    ?


    Even the corner failed to produce any positive oue. Just like this, the first half ended in a scoreless tie.


    Beep!


    The whistle sounded, signaling the end of the first half.


    Exhausted and drenched in sweat, yers slowly walked out of the field. The fans on their edges for the better part of the game finally rxed.


    They could still feel their hearts pounding. The game had been intense until the end, keeping them on their toes.


    Though they didn''t have much toin about, they couldn''t help but feel disappointed.


    On the pitch, Hiro looked equally gloomy. Though he delivered a magnificent performance, he wasn''t satisfied.


    Especially, the crucial miss at the end of the first half.


    ''What went wrong? It wasn''t supposed to end like that. Did I miss the timing?'' Hiro couldn''t help but contemte the moment.


    Recalling the moment, he could tell with certainty that he had smelled the goal. It was something like intuition. But he had rarely been wrong about it. So, he couldn''t help but feel worried about the miss.


    If that shot had been converted, they would have gained a huge advantage over Portugal.


    s! He blew the opportunity away.


    While pondering the missed opportunity, Naoto approached him, holding a water bottle, "What are you pondering about?" he asked, handing him the bottle.


    Hiro took the bottle, "Nothing."


    However, Naoto wasn''t convinced. So, he stared at him inquisitively, "Are you thinking about thest shot you took?"


    ''How did he figure it out? Was I too obvious?'' Hiro couldn''t help but feel surprised.


    Yet still, he remainedposed. Squeezing the water bottle, he sted a stream of water into his mouth. Then he gargled and spit it out.


    Though he was thirsty, it wasn''t the optimal time to drink.


    "Honestly, I thought that would go in for sure. But the thing that surprised me the most was your sprint before you collected the pass. I knew you were fast but even for you, how could


    you go that fast?" Naoto inquired.


    With an indifferent expression, Hiro responded, "I have always been fast. What''s there to be surprised? Plus I was wide open."


    Knowing Hiro, Naoto knew that he wasn''t trying to brag. However, in thest sentence he spoke, there was something different.


    ''Exactly! Now that I think about it, he was wide open. Usually, he''d have at least one marker. But at that time, nobody was paying attention to him.'' Naoto couldn''t help but feel baffled.


    Soon, the yers left the field and walked inside.


    Simultaneously, the stands started to be vacant as the fans left their seat for recreational purposes. In the stand, you could find a couple of mobile vendors wandering around the stand, selling their products.


    Meanwhile, on the pitch, the maintenance staff began to tidy up the field. The loudspeakers of the stadium kept bombarding loud lively music, maintaining the atmosphere of the stadium. The screen disyed the crucial highlight of the first half.


    Inside the Portuguese locker room, the atmosphere was rather intense.


    While their coach was giving instructions, the yers were ardently listening to him. He was talking about their ws in the first half and the method to correct them in the second half.


    "Iste their number 10 and keep a watchful eye on their number 19. Prevent him from exploiting his strengths."


    While giving instructions, the coach''s eyes rolled to Bruno.


    "Bruno. Keep spreading the ball wide."


    Bruno nodded.


    After giving out the instructions, he rolled his eyes toward Ronaldo who had been rather silent until now, "Now, I''d like your captain to speak a few words."


    Bruno who had the captain''s armband was about to stand. However, he noticed that the captain the coach was mentioning at that moment wasn''t him. So, he couldn''t help but feel annoyed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The coach should have considered his words before announcing.


    ''So, he''s the true captain huh?'' Bruno grunted looking at his captain''s armband. He was dissatisfied with the coach''s attitude.


    He felt mocked. So, he couldn''t help but re at the silent Ronaldo.


    Everybody else was already waiting for him to speak.


    Walking toward Ronaldo, the coach nudged him slightly and spoke in a deep voice, "Be prepared. You''ll be going in."


    An eerie light shed past Ronaldo''s striking eyes and he slowly lifted his head. There were a few wrinkles around his eyes. Nheless, he looked younger than his actual age.


    "We can''t stop here. Not after what we went through to get here. I know that every single one of you has sacrificed a lot to be here and every single one of you deserves to be here. Our family, our people, they are waiting for us to bring the glory," Ronaldo swept his gaze, his words heavy and deep.


    Even with their eyes converging on him, Ronaldo didn''t feel pressured. Instead, he was used to bearing such pressure.


    It would be a lie if he said that he wasn''t anxious. But he had faith in himself and his ability. He was certain that he could change the oue.


    So, even if they performed poorly until now, he believed that he could change the oue. Emitting unwavering confidence, he continued, "I know that you all are just as eager to bring them the glory as I am. So, let''s win this game and keep on winning until we grant our people what they deserve."


    Perhaps, it was the influence he had on the team. But the yers felt an unlimited surge of energy after they heard his speech.


    It was liberating and rejuvenating.


    It was exactly as he said, they hadn''t won a World Cup until now. Despite being one of the powerhouse nations, they hadn''t won the most prestigious award there was for a national


    team.


    Because of that, they would get taken lightly. Now, even more, after Ronaldo''s retirement, who knows if they would even be considered a powerhouse nation.


    Most of the fame they had until now could bergely attributed to Ronaldo.


    The people from other nations mostly supported Portugal because Ronaldo yed here. But after he retires, they would encounter a great loss in their fanbase just like Argentina after Messi retired.

 Chapter 630: Japan vs Portugal IV

    Chapter 630: Japan vs Portugal IV


    ?


    After a brief rest, the yers emerged on the field for the second half. The audience hurried to their seat as well.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Portuguese yers seemed to be in high spirits, their eyes glistening with confidence.


    With their chest puffed and their head held high, they walked the field like proud knights marching on the street.


    "Don''t they look different than before?" One of the Japanese fans couldn''t help but notice the change. It was a fleeting feeling but he could tell that something had changed.


    Another seated right beside him squinched his eyes, trying to find out if something was different. But he couldn''t tell if something was different like he had mentioned.


    "They look the same to me," he said dismissively to the man next to him.


    Soon after, the yers positioned themselves to resume the second half.


    Neither of the sides had made any changes to their squad and both of them were starting with the same set of yers.


    Bruno, however, unlike many of his teammates was still bothered by the matter that took ce in the locker room earlier. He couldn''t get that feeling of shame from his chest no matter how hard he tried to.


    Frequently, he would stare at his armband as if it were weighing him down.


    Out of habit, Hiro swept his gaze while positioning himself. While sweeping his gaze over the field, he couldn''t help but take notice of Bruno''s actions.


    ''Is something wrong with his arm?'' Hiro thought.


    Though he found Bruno''s gestures strange, he didn''t think too much of it. Rather his eyes


    darted to the bench. There he found Ronaldo seatedfortably, looking more focused than ever, ''Not yet, huh?''


    Beep!


    The second half resumed.


    With ever-increasing intensity, the game began, both sides looking threatening on the ball. Neither side wasted any time to build up the momentum.


    After just two minutes, Yamada attempted a long-distance shot. The ball flew over the post, barely missing the post. Nheless, it was an impressive attempt.


    Immediately after that shot, Bruno attempted a shot from outside the box.


    However, unlike Yamada''s shot that flew over the bar, Bruno''s shot was on target and Aya had to stretch his hand to keep the ball away from the post.


    "What are you doing? Don''t let him shoot. Press him," Aya yelled, quickly picking himself up. He couldn''t help but feel enraged at his teammates for allowing Bruno space to shoot. If he had been a tad bit slow to react, the shot would have been converted.


    So, it made him even more furious thinking about it.


    At this stage, they couldn''t allow such mistakes to ur. It was an evenly matched game and a single goal could deter the fate of the game.


    Portugal was awarded the corner. Yet, Bruno appeared to be exasperating. He was frustrated at the oue. Clicking his tongue, he walked to the corner.


    Once again, Hiro caught the sight of him looking bothered. Now, he was more certain that something was definitely wrong with him.


    ''Something must have happened in the locker room.'' Hiro figured.


    While everybody was retreating steadily, Hiro''s eyes gleamed as his lips curled slightly. He had figured out a method to disrupt their coordination.


    So, he dashed to Endo and whispered something in his ear.


    "Are you sure?" Endo asked, a little puzzled.


    Hiro nodded, his eyes gleaming with confidence. Seeing him oozing with confidence, Endo couldn''t bring himself to question him. However, he still felt hesitant to follow Hiro''s instructions.


    "But why me?" Endo asked. "You know well that I don''t trash talk. So, why me?"


    Hiro stared at him fixedly with a look that spelled, "You''re the only option".


    Without even needing to tell him, Endo understood the hidden meaning. Frowning, he muttered submissively, "I know I''m the one close to him. But don''t expect a great oue from me."


    Hearing him, Hiro cheered, "You can do it, Endo-san."


    Endo still didn''t feel like he could do a decent job. Hiro had asked him to get inside Bruno''s head. But he had never trash-talked before. So, he couldn''t help but feel pessimistic about it. After Hiro dashed away, Endo turned to look at Bruno. Looking at him, Endo couldn''t help but feel ufortable, "Forgive me, brother. But I need to do it."


    Endo wasn''t the type of yer who liked to y dirty. But the match had demanded it. So, he was utterly helpless.


    Bruno delivered a brilliant cross. However, they failed to capitalize on the opportunity and wasted the corner.


    "Hey, Bruno. Maybe you should have learned to finish from Cristiano," Endo tailed Bruno, sticking by his side like his shadow.


    Just the mention of Cristiano was getting on his nerves. However, he maintained hisposure and avoided Endo.


    Endo, however, kept on trash-talking.


    Endo had heard the rumor of a feud between Bruno and Cristiano. So, he made use of that to get inside his head. But Bruno''sck of response was making him worried.


    ''I knew it, I''m not cut for it.'' Endo sighed.


    Even after constantly trash-talking him, he hadn''t been able to move him. So, Endo was starting to feel worried. He worried that he couldn''t even get one thing done.


    Little did he know, that things he said were already working.


    ''It''s always Cristiano this, Cristiano that. Even in the Euro, he took the credit while the others did the work. Why can''t they appreciate us? Are we nothing but supporting characters?''


    Bruno''s thoughts and feelings were in turmoil. Though he maintained hisposure outwardly, a storm was razing inside him. He could feel his stomach churn.


    The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.


    ''Sure, he was crucial for the team. But so were we. Sure, the media and the general public hyped him because of his reputation. But at least, he could have rified. Couldn''t he tell them that others yed an equally important role in winning?''


    ''If it weren''t for my injury, I would have also yed an important role in the Euro.'' Bruno had always felt remorseful for not being able to participate in the Euro.


    The reason why Bruno didn''t view Ronaldo favorably was because Ronaldo was self-centered. He put himself above the team.

 Chapter 631: Japan vs Portugal V

    Chapter 631: Japan vs Portugal V


    ?


    Irritated by the thoughts running in his mind, Bruno darted his eyes to the bench. There he found Cristiano preparing to enter.


    ''I''m not going to let you steal the limelight again,'' Bruno gritted his teeth.


    "Here!" Bruno shouted, making himself avable.


    Endo''s eyes gleamed with excitement. Though he had been brushed past, he could tell that his provocation had worked.


    It was the first time, Bruno had forced his way out of him.


    "About time," Hiro muttered before initiating his next step.


    Seeing Bruno brushing past Endo, Hiro could tell he would try to force his way to the goal. However, that didn''t mean that things were done.


    After all, Bruno wasn''t any ordinary yer. Even if provoked, he wouldn''t easily give the ball away. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have be the core yer for a team like Manchester United. While Endo chased after Bruno, Hiro''s eyes rolled vigorously, searching for every possible route avable. Like an eagle watching the surface from above, Hiro could vividly see the position of every yer on the field.


    It was like he had transcended to a higher realm.


    Making use of his skill "Hawk Eye", Hiro felt omnipotent. In that instant, Hiro was the yer while the others were chess pieces on a chessboard.


    Upon identifying a few routes, Hiro began moving.


    Until now, he had remained still. Hence, the movement of the marker around him was also limited. But the moment Hiro started moving, the opposing yers around him were sent into a frenzy.


    They had a look that spelled, "What now?"


    However, their coach had instructed them to track him. Hence, despite their team going on an offense, they couldn''t participate.


    Palhinha, the one appointed to mark Hiro, immediately began to chase after him. But he stopped almost immediately after noticing Yamada.


    He figured that it wouldn''t be wise to leave his position. Like before, Yamada could exploit the open space if he left it vacant.


    Hence, he opted to protect the midfield rather than chase Hiro.


    With Bruno and Silva charging up front, the midfield was vacant. So if he left as well, it''d spell trouble for them once Japan counterattacks.


    They had already faced this kind of situation once and he didn''t want to face it again.


    Everything was well within Hiro''s expectations. The moment he had analyzed the field, he had expected it. So, he couldn''t help but feel d about the oue.


    Now, all that was left was for him to execute his n. Curling his lips slightly, Hiro retreated. Immediately after collecting the ball, Bruno yed it to the nks. There Felix awaited the ball. The pass was on point and he easily collected the ball.


    However, he couldn''t advance deeper into the box. The path ahead was already blocked.


    Despite that Felix tried to force his way inside. However, he only wasted time as he failed to shake the Japanese defenders.


    Persistent and determined, they stuck to him like his shadow, never leaving him alone.


    Unable to get past the Japanese defenders left a bitter taste in Felix''s mouth. But he couldn''t afford to dwell further on this matter. The more Felix wasted time, the more slimmer their chances would get.


    Furrowing his brows, Felix searched for his teammates to pass the ball.


    Almost immediately, he located Bernardo Silva, rushing to his aid. The sight of Bernardo relieved him. Finally, he could get away from their encampment.


    Feeling relieved and ecstatic, he tossed the ball to Bernardo before rushing inside.


    Bernardo quickly yed the ball to Bruno. By now, Felix had made himself avable. He was wide open. If only Bruno tossed the ball to him, he could give their team the lead.


    ''Yes, now, pass me the ball.'' Felix''s eyes gleamed with excitement while his heart thumped.


    However, the excitement on his face was short-lived. Felix''s expression sank as he noticed Bruno preparing to shoot.


    ''You idiot!'' He cried out, his eyes bing erratic.


    Felix had been expecting a pass. So, when Bruno''s actions contrasted with his expectations, he couldn''t help but feel frustrated.


    Although the oue might have contrasted with Felix''s expectations, it greatly aligned with Hiro''s expectations. He had been waiting for Bruno to take this shot.


    So, the Hiro who had seemingly vanished from the field until a moment ago, suddenly emerged behind Bruno. Performing a sliding tackle, Hiro tipped the ball.


    The ball then rolled to Hiroki Ito, who then immediately sent it flying.


    The crowd let out a collective gasp. It was the second time, Hiro had made such a crucial tackle. The Japanese supporters were overjoyed, their eyes gleaming with excitement, their hearts pumping to an unprecedented level.


    They could palpably feel the energy pulsating in the air.


    They knew that it was their moment to attack. They knew that the momentum had shifted to their side. So, they became extremely excited at the oue.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Meanwhile, on the field, Felix let out a loud frustrated roar. Stomping his feet, he yelled, "PASS!"


    Immediately after, Japan began its counterattack. The Japanese yers d in blue sprinted forward at a threatening pace, their jerseys billowing freely with the air.


    Hiro had yed his part. However, the act hadn''t ended yet.


    The ball was yed to Kubo, who was a little deeper onto their side. He easily collected the ball and began to advance. Taking advantage of the momentum of the ball, he steadily rushed


    forward.


    Several opposing yers chased him.


    It was like he had snatched the prey from the hyena''s mouth. Those hungry hyenas chased after him, threatening to tear him apart.


    But rather than feeling pressed, he felt exhrated for some reason.


    After venturing a little deeper into the opposing side, he flicked the ball inside the box. With adequate power and precision, he crossed the ball in a way that it would fall right before Doan who was already charging inside.


    Now, it was all up to Doan to convert that cross.


    Sensing the iing cross, Doan, prepared to head the ball. The opposing defender was


    trying to pull him down, grabbing his shirt.


    But rather than being pulled down, he overpowered him and wlessly headed the ball.

 Chapter 632: Japan vs Portugal VI

    Chapter 632: Japan vs Portugal VI


    ?


    The crowd red up, their excitement over the bars. Suddenly, the previously damp arena was flipped inside out. Finally, the dreadlock had been broken, and Japan had taken the lead.


    The stadium was in turmoil.


    As for Doan who had scored the goal, he was exhrated beyond measure. A wide grin


    adorned his visage as he sprinted through the field with his eyes gleaming.


    Other yers chased him but he wouldn''t stop. He had set his eyes on the stand full of ecstatic supporters, awaiting to celebrate the moment alongside him.


    Hiro, on the other hand, didn''t participate in the celebration. While the others paraded around the field, he apuded from a distance.


    It''s not that he hated being part of the celebration. Instead, it was because he was already thinking about their next step.


    Hiro could tell that it wouldn''t be the end.


    Certainly, they had taken the lead. However, Portugal was tenacious and intimidating. They wouldn''t sit still and take the beating docilely.


    On the field, a clear divide could be seen. One side was high on morale, the other struggling to keep up.


    Despite being the team''s captain, Bruno couldn''t even bring himself to console his teammates. He was well aware that this goal was the result of his selfishness.


    However, he was too proud to ept it.


    So, he didn''t even bother to apologize. Rather he kept his mouth shut and ventured into the field like it was a fluke.


    ''That bastard! Look at him acting like it wasn''t his fault.'' Felix could tell that Bruno was avoiding him intentionally.


    Even now, he was still bothered by Bruno.


    Felix''s bloodshot eyes were fixated on Bruno. However, he couldn''t bring himself to convey his inner thoughts either.


    While their morale was already decreasing, Felix didn''t want to worsen the situation by sowing seeds of disharmony in the team. So, despite feeling furious about Bruno''s selfishness, he tucked his fury inside.


    ''You owe us an apology. But before that, we should do something about the match first.'' Felix clicked his tongue in annoyance.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Prideful as he was, he still put the team first.


    Felix''s eyes darted to Hiro. While the Japanese yers were celebrating, he was apuding from a distance. That face was thest thing he remembered before the Japanese side opened the scoresheet.


    ''Can he predict the future?'' Felix couldn''t help but contemte.


    ''Just why do I feel like we are being manipted?'' Felix started having a negative omen. ''Nah! That can''t be right. I must be overthinking. But one thing is certain, he''s got a good game sense.''


    Even Felix couldn''t help butpliment Hiro. Though Doan had scored the goal, it wouldn''t have been possible without Hiro''s intervention.


    Soon after the celebration ended, the game resumed.


    For the next couple of minutes, Japan faced an intense round of offense. Well, they had expected it. So, they dealt with it finely.


    However, suddenly, the air crackled, and the atmosphere surged. Like the rumbling of thunder, the stadium rumbled.


    Hiro blinked through the haze of excitement, trying to make sense of the energy shift that rippled through every corner.


    The roar of the crowd had intensified, their cheers no longer a simple expression of support but a primal outcry of anticipation.


    "What''s going on?" one of the Japanese yers asked breathlessly, his gaze darting toward the sidelines. Another yer, beads of sweat trailing down his temples, shook his head with confusion and realization.


    And then Hiro saw it the source of the sudden frenzy.


    With the grace and presence of a figure that seemed to transcend the sport itself, Cristiano Ronaldo was stepping forward.


    Even as he pulled off his warm-up vest and handed it to a staff member, his every movement seemed magnified, each step echoing with the weight of a legend entering the battlefield. His name rolled over the crowd like a wave: "Ronaldo! Ronaldo!"


    Ronaldo paused at the sideline, his eyes scanning the pitch with the practiced gaze of a veteran warrior sizing up both foe and field.


    Though his years in football had earned him the title of icon, there was nothing aged about the intensity in his eyes. He exuded confidence, an aura that seemed topress the very air around him.


    Ronaldo then walked to the sideline, waiting to enter the field.


    After a while, the assistant referee lifted the substitution board, signaling for substitution.


    Ronaldo''s influence on the field was almost immediate. Immediately, upon his arrival, the entire atmosphere around the team shifted.


    With their sight set on the goal, they built their momentum.


    Hiro and his teammates found it increasingly difficult to fend off the opposing side. It was already tough for them. But now, with Ronaldo''s addition, it became even tougher.


    However, the toughness didn''t brew solely from Ronaldo''s arrival. Their exhausted state yed an equal role in it.


    Nanami was well aware of their exhaustion. So, he had already started to n some changes. Identifying the exhausted yers, he had selected a few yers to substitute.


    Beep!


    The ball went out of the bound.


    With less than ten minutes remaining on the clock, Nanami substituted three of their core yers including Aya, the goalkeeper.


    In today''s game, Aya yed a huge role.


    Making numerous saves, he had kept them afloat. But in doing so, he had utterly exhausted


    himself. So, Nanami had decided to bring him out.


    Nanami feared that if he kept on going, he might injure himself.


    "I''ll leave the rest to you," Aya said before leaving the pitch.


    Naoto nodded and assured, "I''ll do my best."


    Immediately after the substitution, the game resumed.


    In the 89th minute of the match, Ronaldo broke free from his markers. Though he wasn''t fast


    like he used to be, he had positioned himself perfectly.


    Due to that, he easily got through his markers.


    But he was well aware that he wouldn''t be able to keep up. However, he was confident in his


    shooting and finishing.


    So, after shaking his marker, he attempted a shot from outside the box.


    The shot was on target and it approached the post at a threatening pace. For a moment, many


    of the Japanese supporters felt as if their hearts came out of their mouths.


    Fortunately for them, Naoto came to their rescue.

 Chapter 633: Japan vs Portugal VII

    Chapter 633: Japan vs Portugal VII


    ?


    Gasping, Naoto picked himself up, ''That was close. If I had reacted a secondte, it would have breezed past me.''


    While thinking, Naoto turned to look at his hand. The tip of his glove had a graze mark like something harsh had brushed past him.


    It hadn''t even been that long since he had entered the field. Yet, he was already feeling under pressure.


    ''I can''t let my guard down.'' Naoto averted his gaze from his hand and looked at the clock. "Four more minutes huh?" he muttered after noticing the time that had been added.


    "Good job, Naoto."


    Ito and a few others patted his back, praising him for the save he had made.


    Theirpliment lightened his mood and further red his determination. With a newfound vigor, he shifted his focus to the ball.


    yers of both teams were gathered inside the penalty box, preparing for the set-piece. The crowd was as loud as ever. Even louder were the Portuguese supporters, their voices echoing throughout the stadium.


    While Bruno was preparing to take the corner, the yers of both sides werepeting against each other. Hustling and tussling, they fought for a better position.


    Even Naoto was being pressured right now. The opposition was doing everything in their power to limit him. His vision was partially blocked while he was being cramped.


    Often due to the tussle going on in the box, the referee had to intervene.


    Finally, after a lot of intervention, Naoto could move more freely. But yet still, he couldn''t get a better view of the area before him.


    Compared to the titan-like opposing yers, they were rtively short. So, the Japanese yers were at a disadvantage.


    Despite the height difference, they weren''t willing to admit defeat.


    Though height difference yed a huge role in such a situation, one could lessen the advantage.


    Amidst the hustle and tussle, Hiro found it incredibly hard to position himself. Especially, since Felix was keeping him in check.


    Perhaps, he had figured something but for some reason, Hiro could frequently feel his sharp gazes aimed at him. It was like he was sneakily stalking him.


    With all the stoppage, they had already wasted considerable time and because of it, the crowd was getting even more anxious.


    The Portuguese supporters feared getting knocked out of the group stage. If they failed to equalize their dream would shatter. And, once again, they''d have to experience their legend''s heartbroken figure.


    They had experienced it once and didn''t want to experience it again.


    At this moment, some Portuguese supporters were on the verge of tears while a few could be seen praying. On the other hand, the Japanese supporters appeared equally anxious. Though they were winning, they knew that this set-piece could change the game''s oue.


    So, they couldn''t help but feel worried.


    Finally, after the chaos subsided, Bruno delivered a brilliant cross inside the box. The ball curled inside the box, evading the reach of those who tried to reach it.


    From a nce, it seemed like anybody''s ball.


    The tussling increased even more after Bruno delivered the cross. Both sidespeted against each other for the ball''s domination.


    In the end, a lone figure rose high above the others, towering over those who attempted to win the ball. His shadow engulfed the figure of those underneath.


    With eyes full of shock, Hiro watched this figure.


    It was like he was levitating in the air.


    ''Does he not age at all?'' Hiro marveled at the sight, astonished by the huge leap of Cristiano.


    The spectators were equally stunned. They could hardly bring themselves to believe it happening on the field. It was like the time, he had scored a header against Juventus.


    Suddenly, it felt as if he had returned to his prime.


    Rising high above others, Cristiano headed the ball. The ball traveled straight to the post. However, he lost his bnce and fell hard on the ground.


    "Goal!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The crowd erupted, their excited roar echoing throughout the stadium. Finally, the much- awaited goal had been delivered and it came from the person they expected the most.


    The fiery sea of supporters buzzed like a fiery pot ofva, their emotions traveled far and wide. Hugging and dancing, the Portuguese supporters started to celebrate the goal. Meanwhile, on the pitch, Ronaldo rose slowly. His teammates rushed to him to help him stand. If it were him from the past, he would have already been sprinting to the sideline to celebrate.


    However, unlike those times, he found it hard to stand.


    At this moment, Hiro felt that he had indeed gotten old, ''So, you''ve gotten old. I guess previously you were purely driven by your passion and thirst.''


    ''How can you be so passionate even when your body is clearly showing signs of deterioration? Just why are you so tenacious?''


    Hiro felt a mix of awe and confusion. He couldn''t help but wonder what was driving Ronaldo to push himself. But he couldn''t bring himself to mock him either.


    For a brief moment, Hiro kept staring at him.


    Just then Ronaldo nced at him. Their eyes met for a moment before he averted his gaze


    away.


    Hiro felt a little taken aback. ''Is he telling me that the game isn''t over yet?''


    Hiro could palpably feel a burning passion radiating from those eyes. For a while, Hiro stood


    there contemting.


    "What''s wrong, Hiro?"


    Suddenly, he was brought to his senses by Naoto''s voice.


    "Huh, nothing. Why would you ask that?" Hiro responded.


    Naoto frowned, his expression turning hesitant, "You''re smiling." Naoto answered, his tone sounding worried.


    "Am I huh?" Hiro feigned ignorance. "Let''s focus on the game. Don''t worry about the goal. It isn''t your fault," Hiro added before quickly changing the topic of their conversation.


    Hiro could tell that he must be aroused by the determination he had experienced. Probably, he must have started smiling even without realizing it.


    Hiro had be normal in an instant. So, Naoto didn''t bother about the creepy smile he had witnessed before.

 Chapter 634: Japan vs Portugal End

    Chapter 634: Japan vs Portugal End


    ?


    Even after the celebration ended, the buzz lingered on the pitch.


    "Just when you think that they are done, this manes to their rescue. With him here, you can''t rule them out of the picture until the end," the Commentator praised.


    With that goal, the morale of the opposing side had risen to an unprecedented level. High in spirit, they began attacking, aiming for the win.


    Previously, they were anxious for a tie. Now, even a tie didn''t seem to satiate their appetite.


    Though they attempted to win the game, Hiro and his teammates didn''t allow them to have their way. Thwarting their effort, they spilled water on their grand ambition to win the game. Beep!


    The shrill sound of the referee''s whistle billowed, signaling the end of the game. The sound of the whistle tore through the air, putting an abrupt halt to the fast-paced yers on the field.


    Hiro, drenched in sweat, paused gradually.


    His tense muscles gradually loosened and his pacing heart gradually returned to its normal rhythm.


    Ding!


    [You havepleted the quest]


    Like the chime of the heavenly bell, the sound of the notification chimed in his ear. Hiro felt relieved upon hearing the chime of the system.


    Despite performing well, Hiro held some doubts regarding the quest. However, now all those doubts had vanished in thin air.


    Though they had blown the game at the final minute, Hiro felt ted to hear this notification.


    But he couldn''t afford to reveal his inner feelings. So, he withdrew his attention from the system. He had heard thepletion notification.


    "Good game."


    The moment Hiro withdrew his attention from the system, he found Felix before him. He appeared to saying something in Portuguese.


    Hiro had been taking Spanish lessons and English. But regrettably, he wasn''t taking any Portuguese lessons. So, he found it confusing.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What?" Hiro mumbled in English.


    "Oh, you speak English?" Felix intoned, his eyes widened in surprise. Then he went on to apologize, "I''m sorry. I should have been considerate. I was just saying that you yed well today."


    Hiro was getting praised. That too from such an amazing yer. A yer who had won the Best Young yer award.


    Hiro froze in his ce, dazedly staring at Felix.


    He couldn''t believe that he was being praised by an amazing yer. He found it even more unbelievable because it wasing from an opponent.


    If it weren''t for thest-minute goal Ronaldo scored, he would have ended their dream.


    Yet now, Felix wasplimenting him as if he was his friend. Hiro was a little taken aback by the amicable gesture of Felix.


    But he didn''t find it troublesome. Rather Hiro was d to be recognized by such an amazing yer. So, he revealed a warm smile and thanked him, "Thank you. It was a really tough game. I got to experience firsthand why you guys are regarded as one of the favorites."


    Hiro remained humble. Rather than vying for more attention, he immediately shifted the praise towards them.


    Hearing Hiro''s response, Felix''s eyes widened. Then he revealed a warm smile and said, "Aren''t you being quite modest?"


    "Would you like to swap your jersey with me?" He added.


    Hiro''s pupils erged, his heart thumping with joy. A yer of his caliber was offering to swap jerseys with nobody like him.


    If somebody had told him that he was dreaming right now, he would have believed it.


    But it was happening for real. Though Hiro wanted to swap jerseys with Ronaldo, he wouldn''t refute the offer of Felix.


    However, just as he was about to respond, a rather distinct voice caught his attention.


    "You''ll have to wait Felix. I''ve already called in the dibs, right Hiro?"


    Mind-blown, Hiro couldn''t bring himself to react upon finding the person who had intervened. It was the legend himself - Cristiano Ronaldo.


    Hiro was utterly speechless.


    ''What is happening? Am I dreaming? Is this truly happening?'' Several bubbles of thoughts popped inside his head one after the other.


    Previously, he hadn''t even spoken to Ronaldo. But he imed that he had already agreed to swap jerseys with him. When did that happen?


    Hiro could tell that he was lying. But wait... Isn''t he implying that he wanted to swap jerseys with him? The legend himself was offering to swap jerseys.


    Like a kid meeting his idol, Hiro was exhrated beyond measure.


    "Is that so, Hiro?" Felix asked.


    If Ronaldo was offering to swap jerseys with him, who were he to deny? So, Hiro nodded his head almost instinctively.


    Felix squinched his eyes before leaving with a chuckle, "Hahaha... You should have said so. It''s alright, I''m sure we''ll get some other opportunities."


    Immediately Hiro apologized, "I''m sorry."


    Then he turned to face Ronaldo. His short hair was disheveled and his face glowed like


    porcin. It was almost like he hadn''t aged after thirty.


    For someone who was forty-one, he looked quite young.


    But Hiro was aware that he had undergone some stic surgery to achieve that timeless look.


    However, a huge part of it was due to his healthy way of living.


    He was the living embodiment of discipline and hard work.


    While under his presence, Hiro''s heart raced. It was like he was in the presence of someone he loved. However, despite feeling overwhelmed, Hiro maintained hisposure.


    "I have been watching you since the beginning and I must say that you are quite talented," Ronaldo began, his tone rxed.


    "But unlike other young talents, I haven''t heard of your name frequently. Pardon me for saying but I only heard your name after your recent performances in the World Cup. Shouldn''t


    a yer of your caliber be in Europe?"


    The man whom he had admired was right now praising him.


    Receiving such praise made Hiro''s heart thump.


    "Ah. Thank you for your praises, sir," Hiro mumbled, his tone a little louder and hurried than


    normal.


    However, he immediately toned himself down, "I''m d that you view me such highly. But right now, I can''t be hasty sir. I''ll think about moving to Europe after turning eighteen."


    Hiro was quite frank. He didn''t need to hide his ns.


    He didn''t need to be eighteen to y in Europe. There were quite several loopholes. However, he couldn''t debut officially for a club in Europe before turning eighteen.


    But seeing him so calm, Ronaldo didn''t want to talk about it. Rather he was mesmerized by his calmness. He could detect a hint of excitement from him. Yet, until now he was


    maintaining hisposure.


    He was unlike any other kids he had met.


    The calmness and attitude with which he carried, Ronaldo couldn''t help but admire it.


    After that, he swapped the jersey with him and left, "Good luck ahead, Hiro."

 Chapter 635: Skill Upgraded

    Chapter 635: Skill Upgraded


    ?


    Inside a quiet room, Hiro sat cross-legged.


    With the lights turned off, the room was rather dark. However, the light from the outside world was dimly illuminating the room like the moonlight illuminating the dark sky.


    It had been quite some time since the match had ended.


    [Phantom Steps]


    [Grants the user a sudden burst of eleration. Creates visual "afterimages" or deceptive movements to confuse defenders.]


    [Consumes +10 stamina per usage]


    The "Lightning Step" skill had been upgraded as a reward forpleting the quest. Now, the skill had been converted to a talent he could use frequently rather than once or twice a game. However, he couldn''t spam the talent carelessly.


    "10 stamina points per game? Isn''t it a little excessive?" Hiro exasperated.


    Though Hiro was satisfied with the upgrade, he didn''t feel good about the consumption point. Disgruntled, he heaved a deep sigh, "I''ll have to be more calctive from now on."


    "At most, I can use it four/five times per game," Hiro figured.


    "I can''t wait to test its efficiency," Hiro muttered, his eyes glistening with excitement. Then again, he frowned, "But I''ll have to wait."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Since they had onlypleted the Group matches, they didn''t have any training scheduled for the time being. Hence, to test out the efficiency of the newly acquired talent, he''ll have to wait.


    Hiro was like a kid who had received a new pair of cleats, eager to try out the cleats as fast as possible.


    ********


    After two days, everybody gathered at the field.


    It might be due to their recent performances or the two days they had been given off, the yers appeared to be in high spirits.


    The sun hung rtively low on the sky, spreading its warm brilliance across the surface. The vast space above was like a canvas painted in blue with a few wisps of clouds floating aimlessly.


    It was a pleasant day.


    Even the atmosphere on the field was cheerful, filled withughter and chatter of the yers.


    On one side of the pitch, Hiro with gleaming eyes was tying hisces. He had been looking forward to this day for the past two days.


    Though they had spent their past two days exploring the city, it couldn''tpare to the excitement he felt right now.


    ''Finally, I can test its efficiency,'' Hiro mused thinking about the opportunity.


    Noticing the gleam on Hiro''s face, Kein couldn''t help but remark, "Did something good happen to you today? You didn''t even look this excited when we went sightseeing."


    Kein along with a few others were right by Hiro''s side. They were gossiping about the ces they had visited during their day off.


    Tatsuki clicked his tongue and looked at Kein disappointedly, "Tch... Tch... Tch... It''s been months since you''ve hung out with him. Yet you still don''t know him well, Kein."


    "Exactly... Hiro is a training freak," Naoto chimed in. "This guy enjoys training like no other." While they talked about him, Hiro ignored their rant. To him, there was something more exciting than those rants.


    Soon, Nanami arrived on the field, his expression stern.


    To this date, they have hardly seen him smile. He was like that grumpy old man from the neighborhood who barely expressed himself.


    Upon catching a glimpse of the coach, the yers began to amass hastily.


    "Did you enjoy your time off?" Nanami asked, his authoritative voice tearing through the


    silence.


    "Yes, coach."


    The yers responded, their voices full of vigor.


    Upon hearing their response Nanami nodded, "Good. I''m d you enjoyed it." Suddenly, the look on his face turned serious, a cold gleam shing in his eyes, "Then shall we put that mood to good use?"


    Almost all of them felt their hearts shudder upon hearing him. They could tell that something bad was about toe.


    Some gulped, some flinched, and some turned pale.


    Hiro, however, felt even more excited than before. The harsher the training, the more there is to learn. With that thought in mind, he looked forward to the session.


    Soon, the session began. It was intense right from the start.


    Especially, the drill involving sprints, it was the toughest. They had to sprint while being tied to some weight and those who couldn''tplete the sprint in the allotted time had to face


    the punishment.


    Even for Hiro, this drill was proving to be difficult.


    He was used to sprinting but even Hiro found it difficult to sprint while being tied to weights. It was much harder than he imagined.


    Previously, Hiro used to train with ankle weights or a weighted vest. But pulling a shit ton of weight, he didn''t do it frequently.


    So, he was having trouble adjusting.


    During the training, he realized he wascking in the strength department. But he also found


    out that he had be faster than before.


    The change wasn''t groundbreaking but he could feel he had changed.


    Soon after the drills ended, the coach allowed them to rest.


    "Now, let''s take a short rest. Then we''ll y a 5v5 game," Nanami announced.


    "A match?"


    Many of them wailed, their expression full of hesitation. Drenched in sweat, they were gasping heavily. To many even standing was proving to be challenging. But now, the coach suddenly announced they were ying a mini-game.


    "Isn''t the session over?"


    "Please, no more."


    They continued toin. However, they didn''t dare toin before Nanami. Theyined behind his back.


    Despite being exhausted, Hiro''s eyes perked up upon hearing the mention of the mini-game. He had been waiting for this moment.


    Wiping the bead-like sweat, Hiro began to stabilize his breath. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, The tried to regain his energy.


    "Isn''t it enough coach?" The assistant coach asked. "I mean they are already exhausted. So, it


    might cause injuries."


    The assistant coach was correct. At this stage, they needed to avoid injuries. So, intense


    training like this wasn''t optimal.


    However, Nanami thought otherwise. He didn''t carelessly shove this regime in their face. He had designed this routine alongside their physician and physical coach.


    After taking their condition into ount, he had carefully devised this drill session.

 Chapter 636: Stunned crowd

    Chapter 636: Stunned crowd


    ?


    The gentle breeze rustling around gently caressed Hiro while he stood firm. On the opposing side, Yamada and a few other veterans stood.


    The mini-match was about to begin and the team had been allocated at random.


    On Hiro''s side, they had Naoto, Ito, Kubo, and Kein. The opposing team consisted of Yamada, Endo, Aya, Mitoma, and Tomiyasu.


    With most of them being starters, it looked like Nanami had deliberately made this setup.


    Hiro, however, wasn''t intimidated.


    Before continuing, Hiro looked at his stat. Despite the harsh training, they had gone through, Hiro found out that he still had enough stamina left for the match.


    ''Three times and I''m done. So, I need to be careful.'' Hiro contemted.


    Beep!


    The match started.


    It being a mini-game, the duration wasn''t long. So, they didn''t need to hold themselves back. Instead, they could jump right into action.


    Immediately, Hiro scanned the pitch.


    Hiro had a limited energy reserve but he wasn''t nning on ying safe. So, without restraining himself, he immediately utilized most of his skills.


    Hiro hadn''t simultaneously used multiple skills at the same time previously. But he wanted to find out if it would affect him if he spammed multiple skills during a game.


    In a way, this match was an experimental match for him.


    On the sideline, the non-participating yers were intently observing the match. They were curious about the winner. More than a mini-game, it was more like a sh between two ymakers of the team.


    So, they were even more interested in the match.


    Though Hiro was at a disadvantage, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that both sides were evenly matched to some extent.


    Immediately, Mitoma sprang forward with the ball.


    Utilizing his dribbling prowess, he easily passed Kubo. But he was cornered almost immediately by Hiro and Kein. However, he didn''t flinch despite being cornered.


    Rather he tried to force his way through them.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Hiro who had already figured out multiple possible routes Mitoma would take, gestured for Kein and Ito to stand close.


    Maintaining a tight formation, the three locked him.


    Even so, Mitoma targeted their weakest link- Hiro. He was well aware that Hiro wasn''t good at defending. So, he deliberately targeted him.


    Hiro had been anticipating it to happen.


    So, before rushing to confront Mitoma, behind his back, he gestured for Ito to head to a certain route. At the same time, he briefly rolled his eyes to Kein.


    To mask the n, Hiro took the initiative to defend.


    Mitoma''s lips curled into a smile as he thought, ''You think you can stop me?''


    Overflowing with confidence, Mitoma challenged Hiro head-on. However, Yamada yelled from behind, "Don''t go."


    He had foreseen their trap. But he had noticed itte.


    Before his voice could reach Mitoma''s ear, Mitoma had already dashed.


    ''Is it because of your performance in the actual games?'' Nanami couldn''t help but feel impressed by Hiro''s ability tomand a veteran yer like Ito.


    He was also impressed by Ito''s willingness to trust Hiro.


    ''Things might change if this goes on,'' Nanami felt delighted at the oue.


    He had been wanting for Hiro to develop in this World Cup. But even he was starting to get astonished by the pace at which Hiro was developing.


    It was both scary and astonishing.


    On the field, Mitoma easily breezed past Hiro. It wasn''t anything unexpected. But as soon as The got past Hiro, he lost the ball.


    Ito rushed to him almost from out of nowhere.


    The sudden appearance of Ito startled him. Despite that, he managed to outperform Ito.


    However, he still couldn''t deal with the third attack from Kein.


    Instantly after stealing the ball, Kein passed the ball to Hiro.


    Mitoma attempted to recover the ball. But Hiro passed the ball to Kubo.


    Yamada and Endo rushed to defend. But instead of charging at them, Kubo swiftly changed his direction. He didn''t fear Yamada but Endo was a different story.


    Having faced him multiple times, Kubo was aware that Endo was a defending powerhouse.


    So, he cleverly avoided a direct faceoff by switching to the nks.


    In the meantime, Hiro was already rushing from the center. It was the space Kubo had left vacant. Striking the ball with his heel, Kubo delivered a backheel pass to Hiro.


    By switching to the nks, Kubo had drawn Yamada and Endo to him.


    However, he didn''t manage to draw them to him. They were clever enough to cover the vacant space they would leave if they left their position.


    So, even though Kubo managed to pass the ball to Hiro, he wasn''t entirely open.


    Both Yamada and Endo could reach him instantly. On top of that, Hiro also had to face Tomiyasu, a sketchy defender to beat.


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that Hiro had to take on the entire team if he wanted to get a chance at scoring.


    Hiro, however, was calm. Though he noticed their presence, he wasn''t panicking. Instead, he was already searching for his options.


    Before he controlled the ball, his pupils rolled vigorously, scanning the entire field. He found himself trapped and the space limited.


    But surprisingly he also felt relieved upon finding himself in that predicament. It was the moment like this he had been waiting to test his newly acquired talent.


    With limited space,ck of maneuverability, and multiple opponents, it was the perfect condition to test the efficiency of Phantom Steps.


    Instantly after he got the ball, Hiro''s movement became erratic.


    The eyes staring at him were dpidated at the sight.


    "What kind of movement are those?"


    With stunned gazes, the spectators watched him. They were confused and awed. Some even


    began to see afterimages.


    "What''s going on? Am I seeing things?"


    They were astonished.


    Yamada lunged at Hiro from the side, his feet aiming at the ball. ''I got it.'' He rejoiced. The


    delight on his facested briefly before it vanished.


    ''Huh? Didn''t I get him?'' He thought, confusion and frustration evident in his gaze.


    Before long, Hiro breezed past Endo and Tomiyasu.


    They were caught off-guard. But before they could even react, he was already behind them.

 Chapter 637: Round of 16

    Chapter 637: Round of 16


    ?


    Miami, Florida


    The street was bustling with people. Hordes of people d in blue, white, and red patterned apparel were steadily advancing. Some held banners, some had their face painted, and some adorned gs.


    They had all sorts of appearances, but one traitmon in them was their expression: an expression full of excitement and anticipation.


    Suddenly, they erupted in excitement as they noticed a bus approaching from the distance. It was Team Japan''s bus.


    Today, they were pitted against Croatia in the knockouts who had ced second in their group.


    Inside the bus, Hiro was seated on the fourth-row seat. Until a moment ago, he had been contemting about the match, recalling their preparation.


    ''Previously, we failed to advance from here. But this time, it''ll be different.'' Hiro thought, recalling their previous defeat.


    In the previous World Cup, they lost at this stage to Croatia. Coincidentally, they had been pitted against the team they had lost against.


    So, it was an opportunity to salvage their lost reputation.


    Though Hiro hadn''t taken part in that game, Hiro shared the same sentiment as others who had taken part in it.


    After oveing the likes of Germany and Spain, it was a painful oue to ept. Even now the wound they got from that match was still bulging like a freshly cut wound.


    While thinking about it, Hiro couldn''t help but look at the participating yers.


    Though they appeared calm outside, Hiro could tell they were thinking about the match. He could still remember the expression they made upon finding their next opponent.


    After meandering a few corners, the bus entered the venue. Though their advance was slowed down by the excited fans outside, they made it to the parking lot.


    Shoving the curtain away, Hiro peeked outside the window.


    He found himself in a basement-like ce. Many people gathered to wee them. "Hardrock Stadium, we have arrived," Hiro mumbled, his eyes gleaming with conviction.


    Hiro had long heard of its reputation. So, he had been eager to visit here. But now that he was finally here, he couldn''t help but feel excited.


    Beaming with excitement, Hiro exited the bus.


    Immediately, they were assaulted by the cheers of the awaiting fans. Hiro could palpably feel their excitement. But he couldn''t afford to be bothered by it.


    While the cheers kept getting louder, Hiro and the team entered the venue, ignoring their cheers. Today, they had to remain focused.


    Their attitude might disappoint their fans but they couldn''t afford to get swayed by it.


    While walking to the locker room, Hiro noticed his reputation had soared. There were many fans in the parking lot, chanting his name. Even though that spot was only reserved for the premium fans, there were many of them.


    Lately, he had been focused on the tournament. Due to this, he hadn''t been paying much attention to other things.


    But now, upon encountering the crowd of fans chanting his name, Hiro couldn''t help but ponder about his poprity.


    ''Am I getting even more popr?''


    He wanted to find out if he had grown more popr. But he refrained from doing so. Right now, he wanted to focus solely on the match ahead.


    So, until the end of the tournament, he wouldn''t think about things outside the matches. After a while, they entered the locker room and began to get dressed. For some reason, the other yers weren''t as chatty as before.


    However, Hiro wasn''t bothered by it. Rather he found the silence even more calming. However, the same couldn''t be said about others. They looked anxious as if something was bugging them.


    Soon after they got dressed, Nanami entered the room. He walked to the center of the room, the gazes of the yers following him.


    Then he stopped. "I''m sure, I don''t need to emphasize the importance of this match again. After all, we''ve already talked a lot about it. Some of you don''t have the fondest of memories against them. But even so, leave your emotions right here. Any who acts impulsively on the field, I won''t tolerate it."


    Nanami was well aware of their feeling towards their opponent. Hence, he feared that they would act on impulse.


    The moment he finished, some of the yer''s expressions turned bitter. They could tell that he was referring to them.


    "Do you get it?" Nanami asked, his voice firm.


    The crowd murmured, their voices rather reluctant, "Yes, sir."


    After that, they revised their ns for the match. While Nanami exined their tactics, the rest ardently heard him without losing focus.


    Once the tactical meeting ended, they gathered around. Each one more enthusiastic than before they roared enthusiastically and left the locker room.


    Soon after they were met with their opponent for the match in the tunnel.


    Upon meeting, some exchanged words of pleasantries, some remained quiet. Hiro fell on thetter. Until now, he had rarely talked with anyone and would go unnoticed most of the time.


    But right now, it was different.


    Though he hadn''t taken the initiative to speak, he was at the center of attention. Well, given his recent performances, it was to be expected.


    The opposing team was ring at him as if he had triggered them.


    Noticing the res, Hiro couldn''t help but sigh, ''What did I do to deserve this?''


    From their gaze alone, Hiro assumed it wouldn''t be an easy match, at least for him. Perhaps,n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    he might get surrounded.


    Even so, he wasn''t troubled. Rather he felt even more thrilled. He could feel his blood stifling. It was as if electricity was coursing through his veins.


    It might be because he was excited to experiment with "Phantom Steps".


    Though the air inside the tunnel was dense, Hiro felt even more excited than before. Perhaps, their sharp res evoked a sense of importance in him.


    While standing still, Hiro cast a gaze at the opposing side. Immediately, he noticed a few yers he had to watch out against.


    Having analyzed them, he didn''t feel threatened at all. But he still couldn''t afford to be careless. After all, he was up against the team that had managed to get to the finals. However, after Modric retired, they had to undergo some reformation. So, Hiro wasn''t as bothered.

 Chapter 638: Round of 16 II

    Chapter 638: Round of 16 II


    ?


    Gradually, the queue began to advance. Following the queue, Hiro moved. With each step, he got closer to the exit. At the same time, the sound of cheers intensified.


    With each beat of the drum, Hiro could feel his heart pounding.


    Excitement coursed through his veins.


    Hiro had experienced this sensation several times. But even now, he couldn''t help but feel pumped.


    Instantly, upon exiting the tunnel, a bright light prated Hiro''s eyes. Compared to the sight inside the tunnel, it was a different experience.


    It was like he had entered an entirely different space.


    The sea of supporters buzzed with excitement, their roars traveling far and wide. Waving their gs and banners, they roared.


    Hiro could spot a few noticeable fans. However, the rest had merged with the background and faded in the background.


    Nheless, he could palpably feel their enthusiasm.


    ''They must be expectant,'' Hiro figured. Just like the yers who had been knocked out previously, the fans must be hoping for their redemption.


    Even though Hiro was saddened by their loss, surprisingly Hiro didn''t harbor any ill will towards the opposing side. Given their form, they could have emerged as a dark horse if they had


    Soon after they assumed their position, the game began.


    Beep!


    With the sound of the whistle, the yers burst into action.


    However, neither side took the initiative to attack. Both sides moved cautiously as if they were gauzing each other.


    Hiro, meticulous as usual, focused on solidifying his position in the midfield. At the same time, the others spread around the field.


    With neither side taking the initiative to go on offense, the game experienced a stalemate. To the spectators, this situation seemed rather peaceful.


    However, it was far from the truth.


    The yers on the field could palpably feel the invisible pressure pressing on them on the field. They were aware that their mistake could cost them a lot.


    Even though they moved carefully, they knew they were being monitored at all times and the opponent was waiting for them to make a mistake.


    ''Just why am I getting the feeling of being trapped?'' Yamada despite being unmarked couldn''t help but feel an eerie sensation.


    He wasn''t even being pinned down. Yet, he felt as if he was being cornered for some reason. Before him stood three yers, each a certain distance away from him.


    He swept his nce around him, searching for his teammates.


    While searching for his teammates, he found something even more shocking. Though most of them were unmarked, they were surrounded the same as him.


    Maintaining a certain distance from them, the opposing side created an illusion to deceive them into thinking the space was open.


    But how were they able to create such illusions?


    Yamada felt perplexed for a brief moment before he rolled his eyes forward. There he found that the opposing defense line had moved quite forward.


    ''A high-defense line.'' Yamada could tell from a nce that they were setting an offside trap.


    As convenient as it was, the offside trap was like a double-edged sword. If used properly, it could be a great asset but if executed poorly, it could lead to a disaster.


    Yamada, however, felt relieved after noticing the trap.


    He only had to get through Kovacic and the rest would fall apart.


    Upon figuring, Yamada began to sprint. Mateo Kovacic flinched briefly before bracing himself. He wasn''t expecting him to charge ahead.


    ''He should have noticed he''s surrounded. So, did he decide to break the entrapment by himself?'' Kovacic felt a little perplexed.


    Calming himself, he rolled his eyes around him. Upon sweeping his eyes, he found his teammates by his side on standby. Noticing them by his side made him feel assured.


    Kovacic''s eyes gleamed with confidence, a subtle smirk gracing his lips.


    In a blink of an eye, Yamada had reached Kovacic. With a few twists and turns, he left Kovacic gasping. However, the moment he got past Kovacic, another opponent caught him.


    But before the defender could get close to him, Yamada struck the ball with his right foot outside, sending the ball rolling to the right.


    ''Huh?'' Marcelo Brozovic was perplexed, his eyes widening in panic.


    Under his nose, Hiro was drifting past him. Like a phantom moving under the moonlight, Hiro was steadily sprinting, leaving him bbergasted.


    Marcelo struggled toprehend Hiro''s speed. He was aware that Hiro was fast. But he wasn''t aware that he could go even faster.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''Was he deceiving us the whole time? Was he hiding his real strength? Don''t tell me we haven''t even grasped his real strength.'' Several thoughts popped into his head while his heart palpitated in panic.


    At this moment, the previously lifeless-looking crowd was all riled up. Their eyes gleamed with excitement while their roar seemed to prate the stratosphere.


    Gvardiol stepped forward to intercept. With explosive long strides, he rushed toward the ball. Being the closest to the ball, he felt confident in reaching the ball.


    But despite being farther away, Hiro reached the ball almost at the same instant as Gvardiol. ''No, you won''t...'' Gvardiol squinched his eyes, his expression desperate.


    Right before him, he could vividly picture Hiro rushing to the ball at a threatening pace. For a brief moment, he felt as if he could feel some ethereal aura leaking from him.


    Even the looks on Hiro''s face for some reason felt intimidating.


    He had faced numerous opponents until now. Many of them were world-ss yers. But it was his first time experiencing such a feeling of dread from an unknown existence.


    How could he exert such dominance?


    Gvardiol was both astonished and intimidated.


    However, he wasn''t willing to ept defeat. After all, he was a highly valued defender and


    one of the finest in his position.


    Under the influence of four talents, "Clinical finishing", "Tactical Awareness", "Shadow Tactician", and "Phantom Steps", Hiro''s current attribute had shot up to an unimaginable


    level.


    The boost from "Shadow Tactician" and "Phantom Steps" alone had shot his speed beyond 100. In this given moment, he had be the fastest man alive.


    However, the toll on his body was equally huge.


    If it weren''t for the fact that he had full stamina and was in perfect condition, he wouldn''t have attempted this reckless move.

 Chapter 639: Round of 16 III

    Chapter 639: Round of 16 III


    ?


    While sprinting, Hiro could feel his heart beating faster than usual. It was like the feeling of an adrenaline rush while being chased by a man-eating tiger.


    Underneath his skin, his muscles twitched incessantly while the blood supply was higher than usual.


    As impressive as Hiro''s current form was, it was equally lethal. Rather there were more cons than pros. If he got tipped even a little, the oue he''d suffer would be dangerous.


    Just as Newton said: every action has an equal and opposite reaction, if Hiro got tipped even lightly, he''d suffer great consequences due to his eleration.


    It would be lethal enough to hospitalize him.


    However, Hiro was prepared. He wasn''t a fool. He had brought this out only after a careful analysis. But the part with Gvardiol was still uncertain.


    If he messed up his timing, he''d get sent flying. It was a bit risky, but he was prepared.


    Just as Gvardiol stretched his legs, Hiro lightly tapped the ball, sending the ball rolling between his legs. Then with a change of footwork, Hiro effortlessly avoided Gvardiol.


    With Gvardiol out of his way, Hiro only had a keeper to beat.


    Before shooting, Hiro took a nce at the post. The opposing goalkeeper felt an invisible pressure descending upon him just as he met his eyes with Hiro.


    Nheless, he squeezed his glutes as he prepared to make the save. Though he felt intimidated for a moment, he immediately overcame the sensation.


    However, he couldn''t figure out the direction Hiro would shoot.


    He tried to study his posture but there wasn''t much to learn. Even his eyes were directly staring at him. So, it became even more difficult to predict.


    Now, he could only rely on his instincts.


    Though his eyes were wide open, he felt as if he was inside a void surrounded by pitch-ck darkness.


    ''Where will... he shoot?''


    It could be said the first opportunity of the game. But it was already putting him in a pinch. While the goalkeeper struggled to predict, Hiro lowered his eyes to look at the ball. Like aputer analyzing the ball, he analyzed the spot he needed to kick to draw out maximum power.


    Upon figuring out the ideal spot, Hiro stretched his legs, his arms swung back.


    Then before shooting, he twisted his hips to draw out the maximum power while at the same time, he swung his entire body. Instead of using only the lower body, he utilized his full body to shoot the ball.


    Bam!


    The ball was fired like a missile. Cutting through the air, it traveled straight to the post. Bewildered, the keeper stood firm. He felt the ball rustling past him but couldn''t bring himself to react. The air resistance generated even caressed his hair.


    He could feel the ball had swerved right past the gap between his arms and head, right beside his ear.


    With eyes wide open, he remained paralyzed on his spot while the ball produced a crisp sound upon striking the.


    A stunned silence fell upon the stadium, the spectators looking seemingly dazed. It was like the calm before the storm.


    Then a deafening roar erupted forth, sending waves throughout the stadium. "Goal!"


    The sea of supporters exploded with excitement, their expression jubnt. Standing tall on their toes, they began to celebrate the goal.


    Meanwhile, on the pitch, Hiro rushed to the sideline. He could still feel his heart pounding like crazy. His buzzing eyes filled with exhration while his lips curled into a smile.


    Hiro felt as if he had in a behemoth. The feeling of triumph and the adrenaline coursing through his veins felt like electricity coursing through his veins, riling him up.


    Though plenty of time remained on the clock, Hiro felt he had scored the winning goal. This feeling could be attributed to the hype going on in the stadium.


    Nheless, Hiro found the moment extremely pleasurable.


    Hence, he immersed himself fully in the moment and enjoyed it to his heart''s content.


    Sprinting to the sideline, he lifted himself from the ground, his arms above his head. Then he descended like a falling meteor, swinging his arms.


    At the same time, he roared ferociously as he expressed himself, "Yeah...."


    Simultaneously, the stadium roared, repeating after him. Their collective roar shook then/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    entire stadium, making the atmosphere extremely electrifying.


    "Hiro has done it. Time and again, he has been doing it. When you think he can''t go faster, he shatters your expectations. With him on the field, you can never rest easy," thementator was full of praise, his tone full of exhration.


    Nanami and the others were equally amped up. On the sideline, they were celebrating the goal. On the other hand, the opposing side was wailing in disappointment.


    The opposing coach stared at Hiro with a sunken expression. ''I''ve underestimated you.''


    Meanwhile, the opposing goalkeeper couldn''t help butment himself, ''Did I freeze? I froze at the crucial moment. Was I scared?''


    Staring at his gloves with eyes full of disbelief, he recalled the moment he failed to react. Recalling the moment didn''t bring him any joy. Instead, he felt even more miserable.


    Even so, he couldn''t help but recall the moment.


    Each time he remembered the moment, his frown deepened. But it helped him ovee the feeling of guilt that gnawed on him.


    "Tch! Next time, I won''t flinch," he muttered softly clicking his tongue.


    He was devasted but he couldn''t remain dejected. Being a professional keeper, he had to ovee the feeling of defeat.


    The celebrationsted for a while on the pitch. Seeing them celebrate annoyed the opposing


    yers. But they couldn''t do anything about it.


    So, they stood silently, observing them celebrate.


    After the celebration ended, the game resumed. Though the recent goal had shaken the


    Croatian yers, it had also awakened them.


    Thus, after the game resumed, they immediately went on offense.


    Unlike before, they didn''t wait for the Japanese side to attack first. Rather they took the initiative to attack. It was so that they could catch them off-guard.

 Chapter 640: Demand!

    Chapter 640: Demand!


    ?


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    Inside a dimly lit room, a silhouette could be seen moving. The unstable light from the television screen illuminated the room, producing dark and bright moments.


    Though the room appeared rather vacant, it was lively nheless.


    A telephone ring could also be heard along with the buzzing sound from the television.


    Ring! Ring! Ring!


    The silhouette crept through the wall, expanding and diminishing at certain intervals. From its movement, it was clear that it was headed somewhere.


    Perhaps, it was headed to the ringing telephone.


    After creeping for a while, it came to a sudden halt. On the turquoise wall, it stood firm almost as if hesitating to move.


    The silhouette belonged to Eric.


    Scrutinizing his eyes, Eric stood before the vintage telephone. Though he owned


    smartphones, he was particrly fond of telephones.


    While others had switched to smartphones, Eric had installed telephones in his office and home.


    However, he didn''t share those numbers with many. Only a handful of people possessed those telephone numbers.


    Hence, Eric couldn''t help but ponder who had called him now. One of the difficulties of owning a vintage telephone was that he couldn''t save the numbers as he pleased.


    It waste in the night. Also, the World Cup was ongoing.


    Even now, he was in the middle of watching the World Cup. Hence, he was perplexed at the caller''s identity and annoyed too.


    He didn''t want to be disturbed in the middle of the match, all the more while Hiro was performing so well against Croatia.


    However, he was also aware that the caller must be someone important. Thus before answering the phone, he exhaled deeply.


    "Hello," Eric said, his tone rather solemn.


    "Eric, it''s me Deco. I apologize for calling you sote at night. I hope I''m not disturbing you. Would it be alright to talk for a moment?"


    The tone of the voice was rather masculine, a mixture of hoarseness and deep.


    Eric, however, upon hearing the answer, furrowed his brows. His eyes twitched while his lips curled into a smile that spelled, "Are you for real?"


    However, he maintained calm and responded, "Don''t worry, it''s fine."


    ''I''m sure this sly fox wants to talk about Hiro.''


    Though Eric hadn''t heard from Deco, Eric could tell that he wanted to talk about Hiro.


    ''But, toote now. You think you can take him lightly and shit your attitude to win him over huh?''


    Honestly, now that Eric received a call from him, Eric was curious to find out what he wanted to talk about.


    Previously, it was he who had to beg for attention. Now, the role had reversed. For this reason, Eric found the present scenario rather amusing.


    "I wanted to talk about the yer you offered us previously. I know the condition of the contract wasn''t lucrative enough. But our board has decided to offer an even better contract if you are willing to listen," Deco said, his tone persuasive.


    Eric, upon hearing the mention of the contract, felt ted.


    For some reason, he began to smile and got an intense urge tough. However, he refrained from doing so. After all, it would be too rude tough at this point.


    Eric even felt an urge to make a fool of him. However, it would be unprofessional. Hence, he refrained from doing so.


    Instead, he answered calmly and collectedly, "Let''s hear the details first. Then we can proceed whether to advance or retreat."


    Though he answered solemnly, he wasughing without producing any sound.


    He didn''t say he would sign and Deco wasn''t aware of their signing with Athletico.


    Hearing Eric''s response, Deco started feeling positive about their talk. He was even gleaming with confidence and determination.


    If he could sign Hiro, it would greatly impact his reputation.


    After all, unlike before, Hiro was a prospect eyed by the top clubs in Europe. If he could snatch him under their nose, wouldn''t it help soar his reputation?


    Just thinking about the fame and recognition he''d receive after signing the trending Top Talent in World Football right now, he couldn''t help but drool in glee.


    He had even started to weave golden dreams.


    In an extremely cheerful mood, he had forgotten the past offer he had made to Eric. Now, all Deco could think about was the future after he signed Hiro.


    Deco then went on to provide improved terms of the contract. The contract terms were even more appealing than what Athletico had offered.


    However, Eric was aware that greed was hidden behind it.


    Given the current poprity of Hiro, he was bound to be at the center of the media and people''s attention. Like how important, Son Heung-Min was for South Korea, Hiro could be the Son Heung-Min of Japan.


    Additionally, because Japan is a global economic superpower, the team that signed Hiro could profit greatly by tapping into Japan''s unexplored market.


    Liverpool had already attempted to do so by acquiring Minamino. But things didn''t work out as nned. Hiro, however, was a different story.


    He was young and he had a lot of potential.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Also, the hype around young yers far surpassed those around veterans.


    ''You greedy bastards. Do you think I''m not aware of your intentions?'' while listening to


    Deco''s improved terms and conditions Eric couldn''t help butugh.


    Even so, he didn''t stop him. Rather he kept on listening or pretended to listen. While Deco kept talking, Eric turned to look at the television. asionally, he responded with "Umm" and "Hmm", acting as if he was listening to him.


    But in reality, Eric was thoroughly ignoring him.


    Finally, after about 15 minutes, Eric said, "I understand and am grateful for the offer you have presented to my client. I can feel your sincerity. But would it be alright if I answered after discussing it with my client first?"


    "I''d like to listen to him too. However, right now, he has to focus on the tournament. So let''s wait until after the event."


    Though Eric sounded sincere, he wasughing at Deco inwardly.


    He was even cussing at him, ''F**K You, B**tch. Keep waiting like you made us wait before.''

 Chapter 641: Round of 16 IV

    Chapter 641: Round of 16 IV


    ?


    Beep!


    "Isn''t it a foul?" Aya cried out, demanding for a foul.


    He was outside the box. To make an important save, he had left the box. Luckily for him, despite being cornered, he had cleared the ball.


    The match had already entered its climax and eighty minutes had passed.


    Just now, during a threatening counterattack from the opposition, he had to leave the post to make the save.


    With the opposing forward rushing threateningly, he made a risky tackle.


    Fortunately for him, he managed to tackle cleanly.


    However, the threat was far from over. Immediately after he tackled, the ball went out of bounds. Almost instantly, the ball boy handed the opposing forward with another ball.


    But to prevent them from taking a quick throw-in, Aya tossed the previous ball back to him. Though this decision prevented them from taking a quick throw-in, it enraged the opponent. Enraged, the opposing forward hurled the ball he held at Aya, leading to this moment.


    Immediately after the referee blew the whistle, the yers swarmed around Aya. Both sides exchanged words as they shed.


    Given the state of the match, the opposition looked seemingly desperate. Well, they were losing by a goal. So, it was only natural for them to be furious.


    For a little while, the scene on the field became extremely chaotic.


    With both sidesining, the referee found it incredibly difficult to maintain the order. Despite being swarmed withints, he tried to retain his rationality.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''The fault lies with the Japanese goalkeeper. However, the action taken by the Croatian forward is equally concerning. If only he hadn''t hurled the ball at him, it wouldn''t be this difficult.''


    The referee thought while trying to control the situation.


    Even though he tried to control the situation to the best of his ability, he was being swarmed.


    The fans were growing equally anxious.


    While the chaos continued on the field, Hiro took this opportunity topose himself. In today''s match, he had exhausted himself.


    Especially after utilizing the talent like "Phantom Steps" multiple times, he had been left drained.


    Utilizing the distraction around him, Hiro opened his attribute panel.


    ''Stamina 22, damn! No wonder, I feel so tired,'' Hiro couldn''t help but feel exasperated.


    The other attributes looked equally pathetic. From the current state of his attributes alone, Hiro could tell he had exhausted himself badly today.


    Even though he had expected such an oue, the oue before him far exceeded the oue he expected.


    He had anticipated to lose a few points. But it was more than a few points.


    This was the lowest he had gone since he started monitoring his attribute state mid-game. Hence, he couldn''t help but feel concerned.


    ''These skills and talent do consume a lot of points, don''t they?'' Hiro thought revealing a self- deprecating smile.


    While going through the attribute panel, suddenly something piqued his interest.


    [Substitution Rmended]


    [Low-Energy Level]


    [Current State: Extremely Exhausted]


    "This doesn''t look good," Hiro muttered with a sense of foreboding.


    It was the first warning he had ever seen.


    Well, the system has also issued him several warnings in the past.


    However, it was the first time he had noticed this one.


    Hiro could tell that his depleting energy reserve could be attributed to his overuse of skills and talent.


    Though the warning was concerning, Hiro wanted to y more. He wished to remain on the pitch until the final minute.


    However, he was also aware that he shouldn''t neglect the warnings.


    Now, should he listen to the warning, or should he do as he wished, he was caught in a dilemma.


    Thinking over the warning, his expression becamecent.


    While pondering, he shot a gaze at the reserve box. There he noticed Nanami preparing to make a few substitutions.


    Staring at the box, Hiro''s expression started to lighten. His knotted brows unfurled and a subtle smile graced his plum lips, "Guess, I''ll being out."


    For some reason, Hiro felt relieved upon finding that he would get substituted. Usually, he didn''t like to get substituted. However, this time, he didn''t mind it. Perhaps, he was aware that he''d be holding the team back if he were to remain on the field.


    Then Hiro averted his gaze from the reserve box. Even themotion had died down.


    The final verdict of the referee was a foul in favor of the opposition. However, both the yers involved were warned for their actions.


    ''Let''s make the best of our remaining time,'' Hiro''s eyes gleamed with determination.


    Hiro was aware that he wouldn''t be on the pitch for long. So, he wanted to utilize those remaining minutes to the fullest.


    Beforeing off, he wanted to widen their lead.


    However, right now, he had to focus on defending. After all, the opposition had earned a set


    piece at a threatening spot.


    About 35 yards away from the post, the opposition had earned a free kick. The distance from the post was great but it wasn''t that much.


    So, they had to be cautious nheless.


    A momentary act of carelessness might cost them greatly. Hence, aware of their predicament, the Japanese yers focused all their attention on the set piece.


    Hiro wasn''t an exception either.


    Soon, the opposing team took the free kick. Instead of attempting a shot from the distance,


    they opted for a short pass.


    With a few quick short passes, they breached the Japanese defense.


    Then from a distance, their forward attempted a shot at the post. However, the ball flew


    astray, missing the post.


    For a moment, the Japanese yers were under huge pressure. But now that the ball went out


    of bounds, they couldn''t help but feel relieved.


    Their once tense shoulders lightened as if a huge weight had been lifted.


    Even the audience shared the same sensation. They had been on their toes for a moment, their


    stomachs roiling in terror.


    But now that the ball went out of bounds, they felt relieved.


    However, the relief on their face didn''tst long.


    "Hiro ising out too?"


    Some of them felt devastated upon seeing Hiro walking to the sideline.

 Chapter 642: Round of 16 V

    Chapter 642: Round of 16 V


    ?


    Watching the individual who had been performing like a beast for them until now get substituted, they couldn''t help but feel sad.


    While most people were unhappy to see him leave, some were relieved that he was being reced.


    Especially, the opposing fans. They were d to see him leave. Finally, the thorn that prevented them from winning the game was out of their way.


    Until now, Hiro had been a huge pain in their ass. Time and again, he had prevented their team from building their momentum.


    Be it Hiro''s speed, dribble, passes, or interception, he was exceptional in today''s match. Even the sole goal, the opposition had scored was due to him.


    And they naturally recognized him for the performance he had put on.


    Hence, right now, upon seeing him leave, they couldn''t help but feel relieved. Some had even started to feel optimistic.


    "What are you doing grieving? We should cheer on him for the performance he has put on until now. Come on, get up," one of the fans stood, suggesting the person before him cheer on Hiro now that he was getting reced.


    He was a blond-haired boy in a in blue T-shirt.


    While the old man beside him encouraged him to put on a brave face, he found the moment saddening. With eyes full of moisture, he remained seated.


    It was during the middle school year when Hiro came to his aid.


    "You can be who you want to be, Masao."


    Those were Hiro''s words.


    Before he met Hiro, he used to be a timid boy who was often bullied. And in the darkest of his moments, Hiro had entered his life like a savior.


    While the people around him were starting to apud, Masao lifted his head to look at Hiro. ''You haven''t changed at all.''


    ''Everywhere you go, you keep influencing the people around you.'' Masao smiled, his moist eyes glistening with happiness.


    It had been long since he hadst seen Hiro in person. Having transferred to the USA after being selected for a cultural exchange program, he had thoroughly lost contact with Hiro.


    But he hadn''t forgotten Hiro even for a moment.


    Even though the moment didn''tst long, he cherished the bond.


    The moment he learned that Hiro would being to the USA, he was extremely overjoyed. However, he couldn''t muster the courage to face him.


    Well, unlike him, Hiro had be a big shot. So, even if he wished to meet him, would Hiro even want to meet someone like him?


    After all, unlike Hiro who was an important figure in his life, he was nothing but a mere insignificant character in Hiro''s life whom he would have most probably already forgotten.


    Even though they lived in the same world, they belonged to an entirely different world.


    Nheless, he was ted to see him here.


    However, he couldn''t refrain from recalling the events that had transpired in their lives upon seeing him. Even more so now that he was exiting the pitch.


    But Masao couldn''t help but feel d about deciding toe here.


    Previously, he hesitated to go to the match.


    With eyes on the verge of tearing, he stared at Hiro. Then he stood, his lips curled into a smile. From deep within a feeling of warmth swirled inside him.


    He could tell that he was d to be here.


    The old man standing beside him felt confused seeing the reaction on Masao''s face. He felt perplexed but he didn''t dislike the reaction he witnessed.


    ''This young man must be a great supporter of Hiro.'' He thought looking at Masao.


    On the pitch, upon hearing the thundering round of apuse reverberating in the stadium, Hiro halted. He lifted his head to look at the stands.


    The moment he turned to look at the stands, he was taken aback by the sight he witnessed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A sea of supporters had stood to cheer him, showering him with apuse. The sight of those spectators was one to behold.


    Mesmerized and touched by their support, Hiro froze in his ce for a moment before he lifted his hand to apud.


    To show his appreciation, he walked out of the field pping.


    "Have you ever seen a sight like this before? I bet you haven''t seen such a sight in a long time. The entire stadium is on their toes to appreciate the young sensation as he walks out of the field."


    "Just from their response alone, you can figure out how much this young man means to them. I have nothing but admiration towards this kid who has been performing even better than most veterans here despite being the youngest," thementator was full of praise.


    Enjoying their send-off, Hiro advanced.


    Now that the stadium has started to cheer him, even the opposing yers couldn''t help but apud him.


    Though they suffered greatly at Hiro''s hands, they weren''t particrly hostile to him. And now that he was leaving, it wouldn''t hurt to show some admiration, would it? However, it didn''t mean that everybody cheered on him. Most of them refused to cheer on him.


    Perhaps it was the ovation he received from the opposing yers and the fans that made the moment even more special.


    How many yers would receive such an ovation from the opposing side when they''re losing? "Haven''t you be a fan favorite?" Daichi Kamada who was recing Hiro said to Hiro the moment they bumped their fist.


    "All the more pressure on you senior," Hiro chuckled beforeing out.


    "Don''t worry. Leave the rest to your seniors."


    With determination ring in his eyes, Daichi said with conviction.


    "Good Luck," Hiro wished them luck.


    Immediately after Hiro was substituted, the match resumed. While on his way to the seat, the


    others patted him and thanked him for his performance.


    Daichi and the rest kept their word as they sessfully managed to retain their lead


    throughout the game.


    Beep!


    Finally, the referee blew his whistle signaling the end of the game.


    The match ended with the sole goal scored by Hiro.


    Japan 1-0 Croatia.

 Chapter 643: Historic Achievement

    Chapter 643: Historic Achievement


    ?


    Immediately after the final whistle, the reserve yers sprang on the field, their faces illuminated with jubtion.


    They had broken through the shackle. It was the first time in their history that they had gone past the round of 16.


    As unreal as it felt, they had done it. They had made it to the quarter-finals.


    Only three more hurdlesy before they could wrap their arms around the much-coveted award.


    The entire stadium celebrated this moment, signing and cheering. Some were in tears of happiness, and some were hugging their fellow supporters.


    Finally, their team made it to the quarter-finals.


    Going past the round of 16, it happened for the first time in their history. Thus, this advancement meant a lot to the Japanese supporters.


    Their happiness knew no bounds. With them celebrating, the entire atmosphere of the stadium had turned festive.


    However, amidst the ongoing festive atmosphere, Hiro stood alone, his head tilted and his eyes pointed at the sky.


    ''We''ve done it. We''ve made it to the quarter-finals.''


    Hiro''s eyes glistened. Even though he could hear the buzz around him, Hiro found this moment surreal. This moment was exciting but he couldn''t bring himself to express himself.


    What was he supposed to do now? Should he storm on the pitch? Should he fling his arms and run wild?


    This feeling of achievement, this sensation was new to him.


    "What are you doing here all alone? Let''s go celebrate with the team."


    While Hiro stood alone, shrouded in disbelief, Naoto approached him. Hearing the voice of Naoto, Hiro snapped back to reality.


    Hiro turned to look at Naoto and found him smiling. Those pair of pitch-ck eyes were radiating with excitement. The spark in his eyes hadn''t been this bright before.


    Then an overwhelming gush of euphoria struck him.


    The chime of cheers filled with happiness, the celebrating yers, the buzzing crowd, and the swarming cameramen, he could palpably feel them.


    ''This is real.'' Hiro thought before nodding.


    Curling his lips, Hiro revealed a warm smile. "Let''s go."


    From one side to another, they wandered all over the field, sharing the moment with their fans, and expressing their appreciation.


    While the Japanese side was engrossed in their celebration, the opposing side left the pitch, each cast a gaze at Hiro before leaving.


    Though some wanted to congratte him, they figured it wasn''t the moment.


    Hence, they left without any words.


    It was festive around here. However, it was even more festive back home. Thousands of supporters ran on the street, celebrating this historic moment.


    The local pubs and bars were equally loud.


    In many ces around Japan, people could be seen enjoying this moment alongside their fellow countrymen.


    Be it in the Shibuya crosswalk or other popted ces of Japan, people could be seen celebrating. Even the metro station and inside the metro weren''t an exception.


    Their advancement to the quarter-finals had be a hot topic.


    And at the center of the attention was Hiro. Having scored the only goal that allowed them to advance, the media outlets around the globe were singing his praises.


    Curious about Hiro, people had even started to dig into his past.


    Inside a certain office space in Japan.


    Ring! Ring! Ring!


    A cacophony of telephone rings could be heard.


    "Hello! Ah... From News-Japan. Inquiry regarding Hiro. I''m sorry but you''ll have to wait..."


    "Sir, what should we do? We''re receiving a lot of inquiry requests for Hiro," a man spoke with an rm, he looked panicked.


    "Hiro? We''ll let you know after."


    There were quite a handful of people and all of them looked panicked. They were flooded by calls one after the other, and it seemed as if the telephone rings wouldn''t stop buzzing.


    A rather old-looking man knotted his brows, "I''m happy that we are receiving attention. But it''s too much even for us."


    "Ahh!"


    "What happened?" Upon hearing the sudden shout, the old man asked in a panic.


    He looked extremely concerned.


    The employee who had let out the shout appeared extremely terrified as if he had seen a ghost.


    "Sir..., we''ve gained 1.7 million followers," he shuddered.


    Upon hearing him, the old man couldn''t help but widen his eyes in astonishment. However, he immediatelyposed himself, "It''s shocking indeed. But there isn''t any need to shout over it. So, focus on your work and arrange the requests ordingly."


    While the telephone ring kept on buzzing, he shouted to draw their attention, "Everybody, please look here for a moment."


    Hearing the hoarse loud voice of the old man who appeared to be someone of a higher position, the others turned to look at him, ceasing their action momentarily.


    "I know it''s overwhelming. But I believe in all of you. So, let''s sort out this situation." The old


    man continued.


    The employees were naturally aware of the meaning behind his words.


    ''I guess, we''ll have to work overtime today.''


    They immediately realized their predicament. However, none of them spoke against it. After


    all, it wasn''t the first time, they had worked overtime.


    "So, let''s do our best," the old man encouraged.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With that, they returned their focus to their work in hand.


    "The situation is a little hectic. But I can''t say that I don''t like it," the old man muttered to


    himself, revealing a subtle smile.


    "Aren''t you already a big shot now?" the old man couldn''t help but think about Hiro.


    While he was happy for Hiro, he couldn''t help but frown. He knew that the end wasing. The attention they received right now was a sign of the inevitable future.


    "Seems like this pool has started to be too small for you now. It''s about time you venture into the deep oceans," the old man muttered under his breath, revealing a self-


    deprecating smile.


    This was the scenario inside the marketing and PR department of the Kawasaki Frontale.


    Having known Hiro for a long, the department head viewed Hiro highly. Hence, he could tell that Hiro would be moving soon.


    Well, it was a known fact that he would move out after he became eligible to join the elites. But even he hadn''t predicted it to happen this soon.

 Chapter 644: Politics in the federation

    Chapter 644: Politics in the federation


    ?


    A velvetyyer of pitch-ck darkness shrouded the sky. Glittery stars flickered across the vast expanse. The moon, a silver crescent hung rtively high in the sky, radiating a soothing silvery light, bathing the space around it.


    Rustle!


    A cold breeze rustled, and the leaves of the trees produced a soothing rustling sound.


    Staring at the vast expanse, a silhouette could be seen leaning against a railing on a certain balcony. The silvery light of the moonlight bathed him and behind him what looked like to be a luxurious manor was illuminated brightly.


    "Here you are. I have been searching for you all over the hall," a feminine voice sounded, breaking the silence in the air. "The people in the hall are looking for you."


    From the tone of her voice, she sounded a little annoyed.


    "Hahaha...," the man leaning against the railing burst intoughter.


    This further fueled the annoyance of the female behind him.


    "What''s so funny about this, president? How can the president of the federation be absent in such an important event?"


    Hearing her, the man turned around. He was an old man, dressedvishly. With eyes that resembled the night sky, he watched the female before him.


    She was a young female, dressed in formal attire. Her long ck hair was tied in a ponytail with a few strands falling loosely on her face.


    With eyes that were glittering like the stars in the night sky, she shot a furious re at the man before her. However, she didn''t hold any hostility towards him.


    She was merely dissatisfied with theckluster attitude of her boss.


    Though he could feel the fire burning in her eyes, the old man didn''t mind it. Instead, he revealed a gentle smile, "Hahaha..., They''re only here to improve their appeal. Before when I suggested Nanami as the head coach, many of them were against it. But now that Nanami is producing results they want to reap the rewards."


    "So, rather than watching their act of goodwill, I might as well watch the moon," he criticized while swirling the wine ss he held.


    The female before him upon hearing him panicked. Her brows frowned as she looked around her. Fortunately for her, there weren''t other people around.


    So, she felt relieved. However, she couldn''t help but feel annoyed at the president''sment. She was well aware of the president''s contempt.


    But even so, he shouldn''t talk about it openly.


    Furrowing her brows, she red at the old man before heaving a helpless sigh. She thought of scolding him but she was well aware that he wouldn''t listen.


    So, there wasn''t any point in doing so.


    Hence, she refrained from scolding him.


    "Even if that''s the case. Let''s talk about itter," she said, attempting to soothe his temper. "For now, let''s head downstairs. It wouldn''t look good if the president is missing."


    "I''m telling you all those greedy bastards care about is money," while following her, he kept mumbling without any pause.


    Soon the two entered a luxuriously decorated hall, swarming with elegantly dressed people. Most of them held sses with all sorts of colorful drinks in their hands.


    Many of them were gathered in groups. They were engaging in all sorts of conversations.


    However, upon noticing the old president, their attention immediately diverted to him. Before the old president entered the hall, the hall was rather noisy.


    However, the noise immediately subsided with his appearance.


    "The president is here."


    "Congrattions, president."


    A bright smile adorned their visage as they began to congratte the old president. Filled withughter and congrattory messages, the hall became much livelier than before.


    Smiling, the old president received their congrattions while exchanging words of pleasantries.


    Then a man dressed in a ck suit stepped forward. In the pocket of his suit, he had clipped a golden rose brooch that was shining brilliantly under the bright light of the hall.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His dark ck hair was perfectly styled and he was clean-shaven.


    Just from the effort he had put on to get dressed, one could tell that he was someone who liked to dress well.


    nk! nk! nk!


    "Everybody, please give a moment of your attention. I''d like to speak a few words on this auspicious asion today," the guy dressed in ck with a rose brooch nked the ss of wine he held to draw the attention of the people.


    Upon hearing the nking noise and the announcement, the people turned to look at him. ''What''s he up to now?'' The old president, however, couldn''t help but furrow his brows. "First up I''d like to congratte every one of you here. Due to your collective effort, we have managed to alleviate the level of Japanese football. For the first time in our history, we have managed to get past the round of 16. It wouldn''t have been possible if it weren''t for yourbined efforts," speaking words of ttery, he bowed deeply.


    The others were touched by his words.


    "We don''t deserve the credit. But your words mean a lot to us, Vice President, Masaru Inoue."


    "Yes, thank you for yourpliment, Vice President."


    The people began to fawn over him. However, they couldn''t shamelessly take the credit. So, they refused the credit, revealing their humble nature.


    The people in the hall were all ted to share the credit. However, the old president was fuming, ''First you stand against my opinion and now you are shamelessly sharing the credit. What right do you have to share the credit?''


    "Yeah, it''s president, Takayuki Hoshino whom we should be grateful towards."


    Masaru giggled, "Indeed, we should be thankful to the president the most. If it weren''t for his decision to appoint Coach Nanami, we might not have witnessed this change. So, I''d like to once again thank President, Hoshino for his efforts."


    A moment ago, he was trying to rake in the credits. However, right now, he was openly expressing his gratitude toward the president.


    To be able to change his tone and attitude instantly, this person wasn''t any ordinary person.


    Though Masaru praised him, Hoshino, however, felt even more contemptuous now.

 Chapter 645: Whimpering cry for help

    Chapter 645: Whimpering cry for help


    ?


    Dark clouds shrouded the vast expanse, enveloping the world in darkness. Lighting sparked and thunder rumbled while the wind rustled violently.


    Birds flew in panic, the people fleeing to nearby shelters.


    "A storm ising," Hiro mumbled while looking outside the window.


    The others, however, didn''t seem to care. Some were goofing around, some ying cards.


    On their way to their next destination, they had been alerted of the deteriorating weather conditions. Hence, right now, they were cooped inside a hotel room to take shelter.


    The location of the storm was far from their present location.


    However, it still wouldn''t be wise to move in such a drastic condition.


    The world outside was shrouded in darkness and cold. But inside the room, they were staying in right now, it was all cozy and cheerful.


    It was almost as if they were in an entirely different world.


    Seeing thex atmosphere of the room, Hiro couldn''t help but sigh, ''Do these people not realize about the predicament outside? How can they be so chill?''


    Hiro felt a little confused looking at their present state. They were enjoying their time here as if they were on vacation.


    A bunch of them were gathered here while the other bunch were cooped in different rooms. However, due to the avability of a limited number of rooms, they had to share the rooms. In contrast to the gloomy weather outside, it was quite lively inside.


    However, for some reason, Hiro still found the outside world peaceful. The creaking window upon getting struck by the rustling wind outside, the greyish sky, and the empty streets were somewhat liberating to look at.


    Hence, he again diverted his gaze outside the window.


    Staring at the greyish sky, Hiro began to contemte, ''Our next opponent is tough to beat. Will we be able to beat Ennd?''


    ''On their way to the quarter-finals, they haven''t lost even a single match. And Harry Kane still looks in form despite being one of the oldest in the tournament. Is this the dying struggle of a chicken on its deathbed?''


    In their next match, they had drawn Ennd who had been one of the dominating teams in the entire tournament until now.


    Be it their group stage or their recent match, they had dominated both.


    With more than 15 goals under their name, they were the highest goal-scoring team in the World Cup. So, just from their form alone, Hiro could tell that it wouldn''t be an easy match.


    However, it didn''t mean that he thought they wouldn''t be able to defeat them. Though he was aware of the difficulty, he wasn''t afraid.


    Sure, he was concerned.


    After all, the team they were about to face in the next round was impressive, a powerhouse


    team.


    So, it''d have been strange if he didn''t feel worried at all.


    ''I wonder if they''d be thinking the same about us. I mean we have been an impressive team too. So, will they be worrying about us like we are worrying about them?''


    While pondering, Hiro couldn''t help but wonder if their opponent would feel concerned about them like they were being concerned by them.


    Suddenly while pondering, Hiro noticed a few streaks of rain on the window.


    "Oh! It''s starting to rain," Hiro mumbled, his attention shifting to the falling raindrops.


    Watching the raindrops striking the window, Hiro felt calm. It had been quite a long time since hest enjoyed the rain.


    Well, his days had been nothing but hectic recently. Even more due to his growing poprity.


    Slowly, the rain began to intensify. The rain produced a pitter-patter sound upon striking the window.


    Hiro could tell that the world outside was cold. However, it was warm inside. Hence, while staring at the rain, his consciousness began to drift.


    His eyelids felt heavier and he struggled to keep them open. At the same time, his head began to swing as he struggled to remain awake.


    The livelier buzz of the people around him further intensified his desire to fall asleep.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Everything seemed to be fading. It was as if his consciousness was starting to get muzzled.


    Bark! Bark!


    Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a bark.


    ''A dog?'' Hiro wondered.


    The bark was barely audible, feeling distant yet close.


    At first, Hiro tried to ignore it. However, the more he ignored the more sharper it got. Now, his eardrums were reverberating with the bark.


    No longer able to avoid the bark of the dog, Hiro drifted awake.


    However, as he looked through the window, he couldn''t seem to find anything other than the


    long streaks of raindrops. It was difficult to look through the rain.


    Yet still, Hiro kept hearing the bark. It was even louder than before.


    ''Did somebody leave their dog outside? It wouldn''t be good if that''s the case,'' with a gaze full


    of concern, Hiro scanned the streets in search of the barking dog.


    Perhaps, one of the guests in the hotel had a pet.


    He might be hearing the bark of the pet.


    So, there wasn''t any need for him to get worried over it. However, for some reason, he couldn''t help but feel restless.


    Hence, he kept searching.


    Despite his long search, due to his limited vision, he failed to track the dog.


    Previously it was vigorous bark. However, right now, it was more like whimpering. It sounded


    like a call for help. Thus Hiro couldn''t help but keep searching.


    The pitter-patter sound of the raindrops was muffling the whimpering of the dog. However, Hiro could still listen to it.


    Unable to locate the dog, he closed his eyes and focused all his attention on the whimpering sound of the dog.


    Upon focusing his attention, Hiro could tell that the sound wasing from somewhere close. It didn''t sound like it wasing from a distance.


    Perhaps, he would have to step out to find the dog.


    But the coach wouldn''t allow him to step out in this weather condition.


    So, how was he supposed to go out?

 Chapter 646: Charm like none

    Chapter 646: Charm like none


    ?


    The only answer to that was to sneak outside unnoticed. So, he stepped outside. However, immediately after he stepped outside he was met with the coaching staff.


    But it didn''t stop him from sneaking outside.


    Though he managed to get past the watchful gaze of the assistant coach, the entrance to the hotel was locked.


    "It''s locked. Now, how am I supposed to get out?" Hiro tried to open the door but the door didn''t budge an inch.


    From this, he figured that the door had been locked.


    Perhaps, due to the ongoing situation outside, they had locked the door. But Hiro wasn''t aware of it. Hence, now that he found the door locked, he couldn''t help but frown.


    With the door locked, how was he supposed to get out?


    He had to think of something, or else the poor dog would die out there.


    He had made it here unnoticed. But from here, he''d need the help of the hotel staff. He couldn''t make it out of here alone.


    This much, Hiro was aware of it.


    Hence, he began to rack his mind, ''Now, how would I get the hotel staff to help me?''


    Fortunately for him, there weren''t many staff members out here at the entrance. If somebody had noticed him here, they would have probably asked a lot about him.


    Hiro''s eyes suddenly perked up, his lips curling into a smile, ''That''ll work.''


    Excitement shed past his eyes as he began to roll his eyes around. Sweeping his gaze


    through the interior of the hotel, he tried to find any hotel personnel.


    However, he couldn''t notice any people. Hence, he began to wander around in search of one.


    Soon, he found a group of staff members chatting joyously. But to execute his ns, he couldn''t approach them.


    He would be found out if he approached them. So, he looked for a lone individual.


    Fortunately for him, it didn''t take him long to find one perfect candidate.


    While searching, he found a rather young-lookingdy. She was dressed in a maid uniform. She had blond hair and her rosy cheeks were adorned with freckles.


    She appeared to be sorting out a few appliances.


    Before approaching her, Hiro cautiously looked around. Only after confirming she was alone did Hiro approach her.


    "Excuse me," he said, his voice polite.


    The maid before Hiro paused to look at him upon hearing him, "Yes, how can I help you, sir?"


    For a while before answering, she seemed to be taken aback. Her eyes glistened while her cheeks turned slightly red.


    At 179 cm, Hiro towered over her. Having exercised frequently, Hiro had a rather lean physique with a broad shoulder. Due to the consumption of a healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, Hiro had rather wless skin.


    His eyebrows were sharp like swords. His eyes were striking enough to captivate the hearts of any onlookers. Especially, the opposite sex found him even more charming.


    With a well-sculptured face as if a master sculptor had carved it and a physique that even the guys would envy, Hiro had it all.


    If he quit his career at football and started modeling, he would even find sess there.


    From her reaction, Hiro could tell that he had managed to charm her. However, it was the only first step. From here on, he had to convince her to let him out.


    But Hiro believed that it wouldn''t be difficult now that he had caught her attention.


    Hence, he became even more confident.


    Frowning, he said, "Umm... Can you please help me? I dropped my phone outside but the door was locked. Can you help me retrieve it?"


    Though the girl found Hiro captivating, she still felt Hiro''s request troubling. If the condition out there was normal, she wouldn''t find this request difficult.


    However, now that a storm was raging outside, they were ordered to remain inside. So, the request Hiro was requesting was a little difficult even for her.


    Reluctant, she was about to deny him.


    "Please, it''ll only be a moment. It''s not far. I know where I dropped it," Hiro insisted, shooting a puppy eye at her.


    Now that Hiro was insisting so desperately, she couldn''t even deny him. After all, how could she turn away such a good-looking guy?


    She was in a difficult spot and the more she thought about it, the more difficult she felt.


    Heaving a deep sigh, she said, "Okay, I''ll bring in the key."


    "Thank you very much," Hiro smiled at her.


    ''That smile. Is he some kind of idol? But he''s speaking perfect English.'' The girl was bewitched by Hiro''s smile and she couldn''t stop fawning over it.


    She was like a fangirl who had met her idol.


    Hiro, however, felt guilty for attempting to charm a youngdy. ''I never thought I would be flirting with a young girl apart from Sumire.''


    ''I mean, if wepare our real ages, she''d be like my daughter, wouldn''t she?'' Hiro thought, his eyes dull with guilt.


    ''But my appearance is that of a teen. So, it should be fine, right?'' Hiro was caught in a


    dilemma.


    ''Well anyway, at least things worked out,'' Hiro felt relieved.


    Now, he had to quickly find the dog. He couldn''t afford to dy any further. So, getting rid of the feeling of guilt, Hiro shifted his attention to finding the dog.


    The moment the young girl opened the door, a violent gust of wind blew inside. It was raining cats and dogs outside. The sky was shrouded in darkness, the wind blew violently, lightning shed, and thunder rumbled shaking the entire heaven.


    Just from a nce, one could tell that it was chaotic outside.


    In such weather, many people wouldn''t even think of stepping outside. Even Hiro didn''t want


    to step outside in such weather. However, he couldn''t avoid it even if he wished.


    Upon witnessing the chaos outside, the young girl frowned.


    "I don''t think it''d be right to step outside...," she mumbled, her toneced with concern.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Hiro revealed a bright smile at her as he assured, "Don''t worry, it''ll be alright."


    For some reason, the girl found his words reassuring.


    "Stay here, I''ll be back in a minute," Hiro said before dashing outside.


    It didn''t take Hiro long to find the dog. Just as he had predicted, the dog was shivering in the


    cold. It waspletely drenched and looked to be in a very miserable state.


    It was hiding beside the dumpster, wincing and shivering in the cold.


    Its golden fur waspletely soaked.


    Upon finding the dog, Hiro couldn''t help but pity it.

 Chapter 647: The fate of a dog

    Chapter 647: The fate of a dog


    ?


    Slowly, Hiro approached the shivering dog cautiously. He didn''t want to scare it, so he approached it cautiously.


    "It''s okay, boy," Hiro mumbled, his tone gentle.


    Noticing Hiro, the dog looked at him with its glistening eyes. It looked frightened. But itcked the energy to flee. Hence, it sat there shivering and whimpering.


    The dog didn''t seem like an adult dog. However, it wasn''t a pup either.


    The harsh wind threatened to blow him away. However, Hiro stood firmly on the ground. Upon getting close to the dog, Hiro slowly bent down.


    With his hand stretched, he approached the dog. He didn''t want to startle the poor creature. And he didn''t want to get bit either.


    Upon detecting any hostility, Hiro was prepared to retract his hand immediately. Fortunately for him, the dog didn''t attack him. Hence, he felt assured.


    Gently, Hiro grabbed the dog and lifted it.


    "It''s okay, buddy. You''ll be fine," Hiro said before dashing away.


    Hiro knew the hotel staff wouldn''t be happy about him bringing a stray dog inside. But even so, he couldn''t leave this poor dog out in the open to die.


    With water dripping from all over his body, Hiro entered the hotel. The young hotel staff who had let him out upon seeing him was relieved.


    However, her expression sank immediately after she noticed the soaked dog in his arms.


    "This...," She hesitated to speak.


    "I saw this little guy outside shivering in the cold. So, I couldn''t leave him there. I''m sorry, but please allow this guy to stay here until the storm subsides," Hiro put on an apologetic appearance.


    This had put her in an even more difficult spot. But she couldn''t turn him down either. From the looks of it, if she abandoned the poor dog, it would probably soak to death outside. Though she found this situation difficult, she wasn''t heartless enough to refuse shelter. "Okay. But did you find your phone?" she inquired, her gaze filled with concern.


    Hiro smiled at her and nodded, "Yes, I recovered it. Thank you for your help."


    After that, the girl offered to help take care of the dog. Having caused enough trouble for her, Hiro was rather reluctant about her offer. Initially, he nned to take care of it.


    However, he hadn''t thought about it thoroughly.


    After all, if he returned with the dog, the coaches would find out he had stepped outside in the storm, breaking the rules. Though they might let him, he wouldn''t escape unscathed.


    Yet still, Hiro felt rather reluctant to burden the young staff more.


    However, the girl insisted on taking care of it. So, he couldn''t help but bend to her will.


    Then he returned to the room, unnoticed. Before that, he headed to the restroom where he had hidden a pair of extra clothes before leaving.


    Since he would be stepping outside in the downpour, Hiro knew that he would get soaked. Hence, he had prepared extra clothes beforehand.


    Inside the room, it looked like they weren''t even aware of his disappearance. Well, given their engrossment in their activities, it was highly unlikely that they would notice his absence.


    It took quite some time for the storm to subside.


    However, after a couple of hours, the storm subsided and the sky began to clear. Bright rays of the sun peeked through the gaps of the dispersing cloud.


    An earthy smell of soil after the rain lingered around while puddles were formed in many ces.


    Slowly, people began to fill the streets and the once-empty street started to bustle with activity. The streets looked much more cleaner than before as if the rain had washed away all the dirt.


    Now that the weather had cleared, they would depart from here soon.


    Hence, before they departed, Hiro wanted to visit the dog he had saved. He also wanted to thank the young girl who had helped him.


    "Where are you going?"


    Just as Hiro was about to head outside the room, Naoto asked him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Not so far," Hiro responded, somewhat vaguely.


    Now that the weather had cleared, the curfew had lifted as well. So, he wouldn''t get stopped by the coaching staff like before.


    However, he still couldn''t the hotel premises. After all, they would be leaving the hotel soon. So, though he could step outside the room, he couldn''t go far.


    Fortunately for Hiro, he had already asked about her whereabouts if he wanted to meet her. So, it didn''t take him long to find her.


    He found her in the back of the reception.


    The girl upon noticing Hiro, revealed a bright smile. However, she didn''t exim out loud. Instead, she stealthily sneaked outside.


    There were a few other staff members there.


    "Is he alright, Hannah?" Hiro asked.


    Before Hiro left, the girl had told her name.


    Hannah nodded, "Yes, he''spletely fine."


    Hiro felt relieved hearing the news. Before he feared that there would be some kind ofplications. But now, upon confirming the condition of the dog he saved, Hiro felt


    relieved.


    Hannah then led him to a warehouse where she had kept the dog. Even though she wished to help the dog, she couldn''t do it in the open. Hence, she had to hide him in the warehouse.


    Wrapped in a cozy nket, the dog was sleeping peacefully.


    Its fur appeared much more glistening than before. Like golden silk, it seemed to be dazzling with bright radiance.


    "Thank you, Hannah," Hiro thanked her, his words sincere.


    Before the dog seemed like dying. At least, now he seemed much better than the time he found him. So, Hiro was really d that he could be of help.


    Hannah, however, frowned. Her expression sank as she struggled to speak. She appeared reluctant almost as if something was bugging her.


    Noticing the reluctant expression on her face, Hiro couldn''t help but ask, "Is something wrong, Hannah?"


    At first, she shook her head.


    She didn''t want to bother him anymore. Even though it was him in the first ce who had brought him here, she couldn''t bring herself to shove the responsibility of the dog on him. However, her condition wasn''t any better either and she could afford to take care of it.


    Being an international student juggling between work and academics, she could barely sustain herself. But after she left the dog out in the open, she was well aware that it wouldn''t be long before he returned to his current miserable state.


    On top of its starving state, the dog had wounded itself severely.


    So, she feared that he wouldn''t make it much longer out in the wild.

 Chapter 648: Sorted

    Chapter 648: Sorted


    ?


    However, she couldn''t bring herself to talk about it to Hiro either. After all, he was merely a guest too. So, how could she ask him to take care of it?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Even though she was reluctant to speak of it, Hiro could tell something was troubling her.


    "Do you fear about his safety?" Hiro couldn''t help but ask.


    Though he couldn''t tell it exactly, Hiro could guess her troubled expression was linked to the dog he had brought. He could palpably see the pity and helplessness in her eyes.


    Perhaps, she was reluctant to let him out in the open.


    Initially, Hiro only wanted to shelter the dog until the storm. Though he pitied him, he was just as helpless. Well, he wasn''t in any favorable position to think about it either.


    After all, he was merely a passing traveler.


    It would have been an entirely different scenario if he were a native.


    Although reluctant, Hannah nodded, pursing her lips.


    "Why don''t we contact the animal shelter?" Hiro offered, thinking about it on the spot.


    Honestly, Hiro thought it was a good suggestion. In such a situation, it was the most ideal thing they could do.


    Hannah, however, didn''t find that suggestion helpful.


    Unable to keep the shelter running due to theck of funds, the nearby animal shelter had disbanded recently. So, she wasn''t optimistic about the idea.


    Frowning, she responded, "We can''t. The nearest shelter disbanded only recently and it was the only shelter nearby. Even the rescued animal there had to be moved to a faraway shelter and I doubt given their present condition, the other shelter would be willing to take him in."


    Hearing her, Hiro couldn''t help but frown.


    With that option out, he couldn''t think of anything either. He hadn''t dealt with such a situation previously. Hence, he found this situation rather difficult.


    Hearing the miserable story of the aforementioned shelter, Hiro couldn''t help but pity them.


    Even for such a noble cause, they had shut down because of theck of funds.


    Though he couldn''t think of any other solution, Hiro couldn''t bring himself to abandon it either. Appearing rathercent, Hiro turned to look at the dog.


    For some reason, he felt even more heartbroken while looking at it now.


    "Then can you take care of him," Hiro said.


    Hannah''s brows knotted into a frown as she heard him. She was prepared to reject the suggestion. She had already exined her circumstances. So, she couldn''t help but find Hiro''s suggestion ridiculous.


    "I know what you want to say. But hear me out before deciding. I can''t take care of this right now. So, can you do me a favor and look after him for a while? Obviously, I won''t make you pay for it''s expenses. I''ll wire you the money," Hiro added, trying to convince her.


    Hannah, however, appeared skeptical of him. Even though she didn''t find his words insincere, she couldn''t help but doubt him.


    After all, she didn''t even know him well.


    To her, he was no more than a stranger. So, how could she bring herself to trust a stranger? What if, he runs away after knotting the dog to her name?


    Given her condition, she would be forced to abandon him.


    And she didn''t want to go through that. She''d rather abandon him now than abandon him after bonding with him. At least, it wouldn''t hurt as much.


    Hiro could tell just by looking that she wasn''t convinced.


    "Look, I''m a national yer of Japan. I''m here for the World Cup."


    Hannah''s gaze became even more dubious than before. She couldn''t bring herself to believe him. It sounded like a lie.


    Most of the hotel staff weren''t aware that the yers of Japan were taking shelter here. Part of the reason why they weren''t aware was because Nanami had sternlymanded for their stay to remain confidential.


    Also, they had arrived unannounced without any prior notice.


    Hannah squinched her brows, her face filled with suspicion.


    Hiro could tell she wasn''t convinced. Well, even yers like Messi and Ronaldo go unnoticed in many parts of the world, so who was he to think that people in the world knew him due to his recent soaring poprity?


    Hiro brought out his phone and googled himself.


    "See, I''m not telling a lie," Hiro turned the screen to her.


    Hannah took a careful look, her eyes juggling between him and the screen. The more she looked, the more astonishing it felt.


    The guy before her was telling the truth.


    Upon realizing that Hiro was somewhat famous, her eyes glistened in awe.


    "You were... telling the truth," she eximed, her tone filled with astonishment.


    Finally, Hiro heaved a sigh of relief, "Yes, I''m telling you the truth."


    "If you still don''t believe me, I''ll wire you the money right now. However, I don''t have any means to do it now. So, give me your bank details, and I''ll wire you the moneyter," Hiro


    said.


    Now that she was convinced that Hiro was indeed telling the truth, her suspicion toward him vanished. Even though she was reluctant to take money from him, she didn''t have any choice.


    So, she reluctantly provided her details.


    Hiro noted her details and said, "Then I''ll wire you the moneyter. Please take care of him until then."


    After sorting the matter regarding the rescued dog, Hiro was about to leave. But he was stopped by Hannah.


    She pinched his jacket and lightly pulled him, preventing him from advancing.


    Hiro turned to look at her, curious at her gesture.


    "Is something wrong?" He asked. "If it''s about money then rest assured, I''ll send it to you in


    about an hour."


    Hannah had be much softer than before. Her cheeks were slightly red.


    She shook her head.


    Hiro felt even more confused. He couldn''t help but stare at her.


    "Then is there something else?" he asked.


    Hannah, however, didn''t respond. Her plum lips remained shut.


    Then she said bashfully, "Can we take a picture...?"


    "Sure," Hiro nodded.

 Chapter 649: Quarter Finals

    Chapter 649: Quarter Finals


    ?


    It was a warm Sunday evening, and the city streets were bustling with people.


    The lively hum of conversations reverberated through the air, blending with bursts ofughter and the asional chant.


    On the horizon, the sun dipped lower, painting the sky in a palette of warm amber and softvender hues. Its fading glow bathed the cityscape in a surreal light, while the towering buildings stretched their elongated shadows across the cobblestone streets.


    Among the crowd, a group of rowdy supporters belted out a familiar chant:


    "It''sing home, it''sing home..."


    Their voices cut through the cacophony, brimming with unyielding spirit. Even among the bustling crowd, they stood out. Their jubnt chant was drawing the attention of the passersby.


    Inside the stadium, the energy was palpable. Rows of seats that had been empty hours before were steadily filling with fans waving gs and wearing painted faces.


    The scent of hot dogs and freshly popped popcorn intermingled with the sweat and excitement of the growing crowd. Floodlights illuminated the massive arena, casting the pitch in a brilliant glow that seemed to pulse with anticipation.


    In the locker room, however, a stark contrast unfolded.


    Hiro sat with his eyes closed, breathing steady, despite the deafening silence falling around him.


    Minutes earlier, the room had been a hive of chatter and activity, but as the match drew closer, every voice seemed to have been swallowed by the tension.


    The air was thick, the weight of expectation bearing down on the yers.


    Hiro finally opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the room. The sight of his teammates, usually so boisterous, now unnerved him. Even the veterans of the squad sat in contemtive quiet, their furrowed brows and clenched jaws betraying the pressure they felt.


    Hiro''s heartbeat quickened, not from fear but from an acute awareness of the moment. This wasn''t just a game but a defining chapter in their lives.


    As the silence lingered, a faint, determined smirk crept onto his face.


    For him, the tension wasn''t suffocating-it was fuel.


    Feeling his pounding heart, he thought, ''What is this feeling I''m feeling?''


    The tingling sensation that coursed through his veins, Hiro couldn''t be sure about it. It was a familiar yet strange feeling.


    ''Am I excited?'' Hiro stared at his trembling hand.


    To be able to reach here was already a historic achievement. But Hiro wasn''t done yet.


    While he was contemting the unusual sensation he felt, Nanami entered the locker room. Upon entering he swept his gaze.


    Indifferent to the unnerving silence around him, he halted in the middle.


    "We''vee far, haven''t we?" He said, his deep voice breaking the silence.


    Though they hadn''t reached the final, he wasn''t wrong. Compared to their past achievements, they had indeede far.


    Before speaking further, he awaited the response of the yers. However, they didn''t respond at all and the silence persisted.


    He could tell that they were nervous about the match. Even if they didn''t speak about it, he could see right through them.


    "Be proud of yourself that you''ve made it this far. But our journey hasn''t ended yet, has it?" Nanami asked. However, their reaction didn''t impress him.


    Some of them shook their head while some remained indifferent to it.


    He could tell that they were burdened by the expectations. Even more, now that they had made it this far.


    With every achievement, the weight of expectation on them was growing.


    Now, with even more eyes focused on them, they couldn''t afford to fall here. Previously, though they were under pressure, it wasn''t this huge.


    They wanted to meet their expectations too. However, it wasn''t as easy, and they were fully aware of it.


    Sure, he could tell that they were burdened. But if they entered the pitch feeling like this, it wouldn''t end well for them. This much, he could tell.


    And, he wanted to prevent that from happening.


    "Listen here, you all. What did I say before?" Nanami raised his voice, his brows furrowed.


    Though they were burdened by the match, they answered nheless upon hearing him yell. They had heard him earlier. Hence, they repeated what he had said earlier.


    However, only one among them answered differently.


    "As much as preparation and performance determines the fate of a game, so does your attitude towards it."


    Nanami was delighted to hear those words.


    "Exactly, Hiro," Nanami eximed in joy, his eyes darting to Hiro.


    Immediately, others turned to look at him too. Indeed, the coach had emphasized something like that. But they weren''t attentive enough to answer that he was asking that.


    Hence, none could answer properly.


    "And looking at your attitude right now, I can tell that you are going to fail. I don''t doubt your preparation. After all, I''ve seen you prepare and you all have done well. But the attitude that you''re harboring right now. Seeing it, I can tell that you''ll fail," Nanami scoffed, he was


    blunt.


    He outrightly criticized them in the open.


    However, the yers were aware of his personality. Though some of them didn''t like it, they couldn''t bring themselves to speak against it.


    Gritting their teeth, they endured the humiliation.


    But rather than hearing words of pleasantries, it was a good change.


    "So, once again, I''d like to ask about your resolve. Are you willing to put everything on the line to win?" Nanami''s sharp gaze prated through them, sending shivers.


    Hearing him, they couldn''t help but ask themselves.


    Were they prepared to put everything on the line to win?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Though the others hesitated to ask, Hiro was quick to answer, "Yes, sir. I''m willing to put everything on the line to fulfill that dream of lifting the cup."


    Upon hearing him yell, the others stared at him weirdly. But this didn''t embarrass him. After


    all, it was the truth.


    To lift the World Cup, he was prepared to do anything.


    Hearing the youngest in the team speaking those bold words with conviction, many of them


    felt ashamed of themselves.


    If someone so young was so enthusiastic then why were they hesitating?


    Soon, the entire room was bustling with their resolve.

 Chapter 650: Quarter-Finals II

    Chapter 650: Quarter-Finals II


    ?


    The tunnel was dimly lit while a striking radiance prated from the entrance. Both sides had arrived and were preparing to enter the field.


    Standing next to each other, they awaited the announcement.


    A few of them could be heard chatting while most of them remained quiet. Hiro fell in thetter category. It wasn''t that there weren''t people to chat with. But rather he wished to be left alone.


    At the end of the line, a few cameramen were filming this moment.


    Often Hiro felt like being at the center of attention. However, he didn''t mind their attention. At the given moment, the match was the most important.


    Exhaling deeply, Hiro broke out of his immersion.


    Just then he noticed the gaze of Trent.


    Short dark hair, tanned skin, and an athletic build, Trent stood at the front. Before, he seemed to be chatting with Endo and Yamada.


    But now, he was looking at him intriguingly.


    ''Huh? Did he wave his hand at me?'' Hiro felt puzzled upon finding Trent waving his hand.


    He looked around him before pointing his finger at him.


    Trent nodded the moment he addressed himself. However, Hiro felt even more puzzled now. He didn''t even know that person. Well, he knew who he was. But it was the first time they were meeting.


    So, he couldn''t help but feel perplexed upon finding him taking the initiative to greet him. Then again, he shifted his focus to Endo.


    Endo though short aspared to Trent was standing right beside him, wearing a smile on his face.


    His smile was enough to tell Hiro that Trent''s attitude towards him must have something to do with him. Trent had already left Liverpool. However, Endo had spent a considerable amount of time with him. Hence, the two were familiar with each other.


    Dumbfounded, Hiro raised his hand to wave at him.


    Well, it wouldn''t hurt to greet him back, would it?


    The cameraman felt exhrated to capture this moment. Zooming the camera lenses, he captured this moment with glee.


    After a while, the announcement rang and the yers advanced.


    With every step they took, the cheer of the crowd got louder. The pounding drums, the enthusiastic chants, everything became more clear.


    With the intensifying noise, their heartbeat intensified as well.


    To prevent himself from losingposure, Hiro had already readied himself. Hence, while others started feeling the pressure, he didn''t crumble under the pressure.


    His heartbeat was steady and he was calm.


    Exiting the tunnel, the mindboggling scene of the stadium came into his sight. There were even more people than he had imagined.


    The sea of supporters buzzing with excitement, marveled at him.


    However, he didn''t feel intimidated. Rather he felt even more excited. To be able to perform under the watchful gaze of a packed stadium, Hiro couldn''t be more ted.


    ''I''ll have to use my skills sparingly. I can''t tire myself like I did in the previous game,'' Hiro recalled the time he exhausted himself.


    Having experimented with the skills under his possession, Hiro was much aware of it. Now, he was even more familiar with his limitations and strength.


    Hence, he felt even more confident aspared to the previous match.


    "Hello, football fans across the globe! I''m Ethan, and alongside me in thementary box today is Henry. We''re here to bring you every moment of this highly anticipated sh between Ennd and Japan. A historic night is upon us as both teams vie for a coveted spot in the semi-finals." Ethan thementator cheerfully greeted.


    "Absolutely, Ethan. Enndes into this game with confidence, spearheaded by their talisman, Harry Kane, the tournament''s top scorer with six goals to his name. Kane has been clinical, a nightmare for defenders, and a true leader on the pitch."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I couldn''t agree more with you, Henry. However, let''s not overlook Japan who have captured hearts and headlines in this tournament. Defying all odds, they''ve reached the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, and much of that credit goes to their young star, Hiro," Ethan squeezed the mic he held tightly and spoke, his eyes sparkling with awe.


    "At just 17, he became the youngest scorer in World Cup history. His brilliant performance against Croatia, where he scored the decisive goal, sealed their ce here tonight."


    "That was a remarkable game. Hiro disyedposure well beyond his years, threading through defenders and finding the back of the with precision. This young man is something special, and tonight, he has a massive opportunity to shine on an even bigger stage."


    "You''re right, Henry. But Hiro and Japan face an uphill battle against a seasoned Ennd side. The Three Lions are looking to carry their impressive form into this game, while the Samurai Blue aims to continue their Cindere story."


    As the yers line up for the anthem, the camera pans to Harry Kane, his focused expression reflecting the weight of his nation''s expectations.


    Meanwhile, Hiro, Japan''s rising star, stood among his teammates. With a quiet determination in his eyes, Hiro looked straight ahead.


    The crowd erupted in chants, and a palpable tension filled the air.


    "The yers are ready, the fans are roaring, and the stakes couldn''t be higher. Ennd versus Japan¡ªthe quarter-finals of the World Cup. Who will seize the moment? Stay tuned, folks, because this is going to be one for the ages!"


    Standing firm on his position, Hiro analyzed the field. Ennd were going to start the match.


    Beep!


    With the sound of the whistle, the yers burst into action.


    Harry Kane on the front, Saka, and Phoden on the side, Ennd''s offense was all set. But even without the three, they didn''tck any quality yers in the frontline.


    When they''ve got the likes of Rashford, Palmer, Watkins, and Ivan Tony, each brilliant and world-ss, sitting on the bench, there was only so much Japan could do.


    Unlike the previous Euro, Palmer this time was rested because he had yed the full ny minutes in the previous game. He had already elevated his status in the squad. Now, he wasn''t a bench warmer but a starting yer.

 Chapter 651: Quarter-finals III

    Chapter 651: Quarter-finals III


    ?


    Even for Kane, it might be hisst World Cup. Having failed to lift any silverware with the national team, he probably wouldn''t want to blow this opportunity away.


    Though he didn''t show it outside, Kane was desperate. After losing two consecutive Euros, Kane had grown even more anxious.


    Nheless, he had full faith in the team.


    Against Ennd''s star-studded side, Japan had gathered a well-bnced team.


    However, even with the Japanese team''s depth, the spectators'' eyes converged on one individual-Takahashi Hiro.


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to dere that they wouldn''t have made it this far without his help. Hence, even in this match, the fans wished for him to produce some miracle.


    For the first few minutes, the Japanese side struggled to retain possession. Unable to get hold of the ball, they were reduced to defending.


    With his brows knotted into a frown, Nanami anxiously nced at the opposing reserve box. His gaze darted to a rather old-looking bald individual.


    The man before him didn''t have a spec of hair on his head. He was lean and he carried himself with an aura that seemed to intimidate any who looked at him.


    The man was Pep Guardi.


    Upon resigning from the Man City job, he had taken the managerial role of the English team.


    Considering that it hadn''t been long since he renewed his Man City contract, his resignation was rather surprising. Well, after extending his contract, the team did perform poorly for a while. Even so, he was quick to redeem himself and bounce back.


    At one point, the title contender Man City had dropped to the twelfth position in the ongoing season. However, with his tactics, he helped them finish second in the league.


    Though they couldn''t manage to win the league like they were doing before, he had still retrieved their reputation.


    "It''s already difficult to face a team of this caliber. But if that team is led by Guardi, the strategist, the difficulty immediately soars to an unprecedented level."


    This bald man who observed the match with solemn expression from the sideline could be regarded as one of the best managers in football.


    ''For sure, it won''t be easy,'' Nanami couldn''t help but reveal a self-deprecating smile.


    On the pitch, the English side were overwhelmingly dominating the ball possession. With swift passes, the English side moved the ball around.


    If it weren''t for their thorough preparation, the Japanese side would have already conceded two or more goals.


    ''Guardi likes to dominate the possession. So, they''d move the ball a lot. You can expect them to keep passing the ball. Let them pass. However, keep your senses keen and strike the moment you find an opportunity. Just remember, don''t be impatient, and keep your cool.'' While moving along the pitch, Hiro couldn''t help but recall the words of the manager.


    Though they appeared to be struggling, it was well within their prediction. Hence, Hiro wasn''t anxious at all.


    While moving swiftly, Hiro kept scanning the pitch.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The English yers had scattered all over the pitch, the distance between them small. Even though they appeared to be maintaining apact formation, there wasn''t much space open.


    ''Just how the hell did he manage to make these yers coordinate to this level?'' Hiro couldn''t help but admire Guardi''s tactics.


    Usually when a team full of stars is assembled, their synchronization sucks, leading to many missed passes and mistakes. It''s usually due to their contrasting roles and egos.


    However, Guardi somehow managed to bring this star-studded team together.


    During his reign at Barcelona, he had managed to achieve that feat because most of the


    yers were already familiar with the philosophy of Barcelona.


    The likes of Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta, could pull out brilliant ys because they were familiar with each other.


    However, after he left Barcelona, Guardi struggled too.


    Even though he managed to bring the best out of Bayern Munich, he couldn''t create the ir he did at Barcelona.


    Even Man City took time to flourish under him.


    However, he had managed to pull the same feat in less than a year this time. Hence, Hiro couldn''t help but feel astonished at this change.


    While scanning the field, Hiro''s eyes dpidated suddenly. His heart rate spiked and he swiftly turned around.


    Hiro''s instincts screamed louder than any chant from the stands.


    John Stones, the towering English defender, was racing up the left nk, his movements uncharacteristically aggressive. The ball was passed to him with a precise flick from Den Rice, and suddenly the entire Japanese defense was under siege.


    "Look at this, Stones is charging forward like a man possessed! He''s not just defending; he''s trying to carve through Japan''s defense like a hot knife through butter!"


    Hiro, standing near the halfway line, tightened his stance.


    While others were focused on Stones, Hiro figured that he wasn''t the final piece of the puzzle. He knew what wasing. Stones wasn''t just advancing-he was drawing attention to create chaos in Japan''s already thin backline. A quick nce revealed Harry Kane advancing menacingly in the box, waiting for the cross that could seal Japan''s fate.


    Even though the English side was dominating, this was the first time, the situation had gone this bad for Japan. With limited time to intercept the ball, it was highly unlikely for them to


    stop Stones.


    Stones had generated quite a distance from the nearest opponent.


    Summoning every ounce of speed, Hiro darted toward Kane, who moved cautiously evading the gaze of the opponent near him.


    Making use of their distracted state, he treaded to the opposite corner, away from the


    commotion.


    Upon receiving the pass aimed at him, Stones nced ahead. Then he drifted further into the


    opposing territory.


    However, the moment he changed his direction to cut inside, he wasted a few precious


    seconds. Taking advantage of his lost momentum, Tomiyasu caught up to him.


    Behind Tomiyasu, Hiroki, a short guy with blond hair, and a tank-like physique positioned


    himself. While Tomiyasu took the lead, he awaited Stones.


    Hiroki was prepared to intervene the moment he sensed danger.


    With a feint to his left, Stones tried to slip past. But Tomiyasu anticipated the move,


    stretching his leg out just in time.


    However, even with his timing, Tomiyasu missed the ball.


    Stones cleverly managed to get away from Tomiyasu. Then he immediately tossed the ball


    inside the box.


    Hiroki with his legs stretched managed to touch the ball. But it wasn''t enough to block it.


    The ball soared inside the box, and Aya''s gaze fixed on the ball. Detecting the presence of Kane who was wide open, Aya panicked.


    Having yed alongside him, Aya was well aware of how threatening Kane could be at this


    distance.


    But right at that moment, a savior came to his rescue.


    Time seemed to freeze as Hiro and Kane both leaped for the ball. The crowd roared, their voices merging into a deafening wave. Hiro''s leap wasn''t just about physicality; it was a


    testament to his determination.


    If it weren''t for his early anticipation, Hiro wouldn''t have been able to reach Kane. However, precisely because he had anticipated early, he couldpete for the ball. Even so, due to the sheer height difference, Hiro was at a disadvantage.


    Luckily for Hiro, he had correctly predicted the trajectory of the ball.


    If it weren''t for the slight deflection, the ball might have impably found its way to Kane. However, due to the deflection, the course of the ball was slightly altered.


    Hiro''s forehead connected with the ball, sending it soaring away from the Japanese box. But Hiro''s momentum carried him into Kane, and both yers hit the ground hard.


    For a brief second, there was silence-a collective gasp from the stadium. Then came the sound of whistles and ps as Hiro scrambled to his feet, holding his side but refusing to


    show any weakness.


    Some English yers were demanding fouls. The referee, however, said otherwise.


    "Unbelievable! Hiro just took on Harry Kane and came out on top! Just how did he predict this oue? While everybody was focused on Stones, he was the only one charging toward Kane. What a fearless effort from the youngster!"


    "This is why he''s special, Ethan. This isn''t just talent-it''s heart, pure and unyielding!" Thementators were left in awe. They couldn''t believe their eyes that Hiro who tailed


    behind in terms of height managed to win an aerial duel against arguably one of the best


    strikers on the.


    This was an unbelievable feat.


    However, the reaction of the crowd betrayed the fact. They were extremely amped up, their


    roars filling the stadium.


    With Hiro''s intervention, the ball fell to Japan''s defensive midfielder, Wataru Endo, who immediately spotted a chance. A long ballunched upfield found Kubo, still catching his breath but ready. The counter was on.


    Kubo calmly collected the ball and began to sprint immediately.


    The opposition, experiencing the counter panicked. Until a moment ago, they were the dominating side but now they were under pressure.

 Chapter 652: Quarter-finals IV

    Chapter 652: Quarter-finals IV


    ?


    With them on the counterattack, the stadium roared, and the atmosphere of the stadium got heated.


    While the pitch was in chaos, Hiro lifted himself from the ground. He had collided harshly


    against Kane, but he didn''t want to sit back and recover.


    He''d rather be up ahead than sit here and do nothing.


    Immediately after the ball was sent to Kubo, Hiro began to sprint. With long steady strides, The breezed past the retreating opponents.


    While halfway on the pitch, Kubo had only breached the opposing defensive third.


    ''I can make it,'' Hiro thought, his eyesser-focused.


    At this moment, the entire field was under his spectrum. Hiro could pinpoint the location of each individual on the field.


    Being able to see the field from above, Hiro had a bird-eye view of the entire pitch.


    The steadily retreating yers, the charging teammates, he could see all of them. He could even see the spaces that would be difficult to predict under normal circumstances.


    He was aware that using multiple skills simultaneously would drain him. However, he couldn''t flinch at this stage.


    Upon identifying their locations, Hiro breezed past the opponents. Like a hot knife slicing through the butter, Hiro sliced through their formations.


    Even at this chaotic moment, their formation waspact.


    However, it didn''t stop him from advancing. Kubo being the center of attention also helped him mask his presence.


    With quick feints, Kubo managed to get through the opponent pressing on him. However, he was pushed further to the nk.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Though Kubo managed to venture deep into the opposing box, he couldn''t find a good shooting angle. Hence, rather than attempting to shoot, he searched for his teammates. This wasted quite a lot of time and allowed the opposing team to position themselves.


    Most of the yers on the opposing team were rather quick. Hence, they managed to relocate first.


    This oue made Kubo worried.


    ''Do I have to shoot?'' Kubo was well aware of his strengths and knew that shooting from such a tight angle wasn''t his cup of tea.


    However, the longer he waited, the more difficult it got.


    The opposing keeper had already moved quite ahead, minimizing the shooting angle further. The opposing defenders had sessfully positioned themselves and one was even advancing on him.


    If he waited further, he might blow the chance away.


    Reluctantly, Kubo nced around him onest time. Now, if he failed to find any of his teammates, he''d have to attempt the shot even if it was difficult.


    A part of the reason why he was hesitating was because it was their first real opportunity and he didn''t want to blow it away.


    Thus, he would rather assist than make a selfish decision.


    ''Is this it?'' Kubo couldn''t help but feel bitter.


    He was unable to locate any of his teammates open. However, right when he was about to turn away, he found Hiro at the periphery of his vision.


    Seeing Hiro wide open, his heart thumped in joy. He was d to see him here.


    Without hesitating any further, Kubo passed the ball behind. The opponents couldn''t help but feel surprised at his decision.


    They were expecting him to shoot. After all, they had already cornered him to make that decision. However, seeing him tossing the ball outside the box, they couldn''t help but feel perplexed.


    Who is there?


    Their eyes followed the ball. Then at the end of the ball''s route, they found Hiro.


    They were aware Hiro was fast. However, now that they witnessed his speed firsthand, they couldn''t help but feel astonished.


    From defending the ball to attacking, it seemed like he could do it all.


    Guardi who had been watching Hiro, stared Hiro dazedly.


    However, unlike others impressed by his eleration, he was impressed by his ability to judge the route to run unhindered. Having coached the likes of Iniesta, Xavi, Bosquets, and Messi, each possessing great vision, Guardi knew this boy possessed great vision. However, while others used their ability to make passes, Hiro used it to open spaces for him. Erling relied on his physicality to create spaces. But this guy could find spaces as if he could see through the entire pitch. This guy knew where to run.


    It was almost as if he could foresee the future.


    Upon this discovery, Guardi couldn''t help but feel astonished.


    "Monster!" He mumbled subconsciously.


    The defender panicked upon finding him. They had seen that Hiro could shoot impressively from outside the box. Hence, they didn''t want to provide him space to execute those shots.


    With that thought in mind, some of them advanced.


    In hopes of limiting the space, they advanced. However, before they could get to him, Hiro struck the ball with the inside of his left foot.


    The ball soared above the head of iing defenders.


    The opposing keeper sensed that it was heading to the top right corner. Hence, he


    immediately dashed to the right.


    There was a substantial amount of spin on the ball, helping the ball to curve.


    However, right before the post, its speed decreased and fell short of its mark. By now, the opposing keeper had already lifted from the ground to save the ball.


    He wasn''t prepared for this sudden decrease in speed.


    At that moment, Yamada soared high above everybody in the box and met the ball with a


    stunning header.


    The rippled, the expression of the opposing keeper ashen.


    The stadium erupted in an excited roar, their voice traveling far and wide, shaking every nook


    and canny of the stadium.


    "GOOOAL! Hiro with the assist, and Japan takes the lead! This kid is unstoppable!"


    Yamada having scored the goal, rushed to the sideline with a wide jubnt grin etched on his


    face. His entire body was pulsating with excitement.


    The buzzing stadium around him, the feeling of excitement, he was intoxicated.


    Yamada couldn''t refrain from letting himself lose.


    Hiro was among the crowd that was celebrating. Though it looked like he had been forgotten,


    he didn''t mind it. Rather he was ted from the bottom of his heart.


    Even though he wasn''t the one to score, this goal meant a lot to him.

 Chapter 653: Quarter-finals V

    Chapter 653: Quarter-finals V


    ?


    Midway through the celebration, Hiro turned around. At that moment, his eyes met Kane. There was no malice even though Hiro had collided with him.


    Though this goal had dealt a huge blow, Guardi wasn''t worried. However, he had learned a lot from this y.


    Casting an indifferent gaze over the pitch, he began to contemte. He went through the


    entire y inside his head. Then he walked to the bench and grabbed a notebook.


    With utmost focus, he noted a few things and whispered something to his assistant.


    After the celebration, all of them returned to their position.


    Beep!


    The game resumed.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ennd had conceded the first goal and a lot of people were left bbergasted. Especially, the football pundits, they couldn''t help but gasp.


    However, the buzz died down almost immediately after the match resumed as Ennd pounded even harder than before. Well, it was to be expected. After all, they were on the losing side and they had to salvage themselves.


    Japan was forced into defense again.


    Despite being an attack-minded team, the sheer pressure from their opponent had forced them into defense. Such a scenario wasn''t umon when two teams of different caliber


    yed together.


    It still didn''t imply that they would take the beating without doing anything.


    They had arrived here intending to fight and win. And they wouldn''t leave any stone unturned to aplish their determination.


    Humiliating as it was, they wouldn''t feel ashamed to be forced into defense. What good would pride be if you can''t win?


    While the opposing team took the initiative to attack, Hiro paced around the pitch. Unlike before, there were a lot of eyes converged on him. Often Hiro could feel their sharp gazes on him.


    The eerie sensation he would feel upon noticing those gazes, he couldn''t get used to it. However, he didn''t feel intimidated either.


    He knew that the attention he received was a testament to his rising threat.


    ''The more eyes on me, the more you have on your hand,'' Hiro drifted across the pitch in search of the ball.


    While Ennd struggled to find the back of the, the clock kept ticking.


    Witnessing the development of the game, many spectators had even begun to assume that the first half would end with the present score.


    Though they were relieved at the passing of time, they couldn''t help but grow increasingly anxious at the development of the game.


    With each missed attempt, the English side was getting even closer to the goal. This development wasn''t the type of development they wished to see. Hence, every time, the ball breezed close to their post, the Japanese supporter couldn''t help but feel threatened.


    Given the present development, they could tell that it would be a matter of time before they drew the score.


    Fortunately for them, the first half ended with their team leading. Beep!


    The referee sounded the whistle, signaling the end of the first half.


    Upon hearing the shrill sound of the whistle, the Japanese supporters felt relieved. Finally, this nightmarish development hade to a halt.


    This continuous onught from the opposing team had kept them on their toes. Every moment was filled with dread, apanied by a rush of anxiousness afterward.


    For some reason, now that the first half ended, they couldn''t help but feel lighter. It was almost as if the constant onught had cramped their facial muscles.


    "Huff! Just how aggressive can they get?" Heaving a deep sigh, one of the Japanese supporters eximed.


    "I''m just d that we can keep our lead somehow. Just look at their lineup. They have one of the best squads in the entire tournament. On top of that, they also have Guardi. Isn''t it like cheating?" another fan, a middle-aged man,ined.


    They reeked of alcohol. Their faces were crimson, and their eyes a bit dull. Aspared to the previous World Cup, alcohol wasn''t banned in the US.


    Hence, some of the supporters were quite drunk.


    "I wonder if things will be different in the second half. After all, we can''t keep on defending."


    Meanwhile, the English supporters were unhappy. Even with their dominating performance, they weren''t happy about the oue.


    Hence, they were making quite a fuss about the game.


    Given the current scenario, the atmosphere of the stadium was divided.


    Inside the locker room of the English team, the situation didn''t look good either. With Pep Guardi barking instructions and pointing out their ws, the yers were reduced to mere


    spectators.


    Even with their reputation and status, they couldn''t challenge the authority of Guardi.


    Many of them having trained under him were quite aware of his temper. Hence, they


    remained shut with their gaze fixated on him.


    "Push from the nks and pass the ball. Your timing iste. Look around you before passing.


    Don''t just toss the ball mindlessly," Pep barked instructions.


    With him in the center, the others around him listened. After that, he proceeded to exin their uing tactics followed by a pep-talk to increase their morale.


    Contrasting sharply to the scenario inside the English locker room, the scenario at the Japanese locker room was entirely different.


    The yers sat in the locker room, their faces a mixture of exhaustion and determination. The tension was palpable; despite leading 1-0, the match had been grueling.


    Coach Nanami stood at the center of the room, his presencemanding yet calm. His sharp eyes scanned the room before he began speaking, his tone steady but charged with emotion.


    "Listen up, boys. I won''t sugarcoat it-this isn''t over. Far from it. We''ve battled hard for 45 minutes, and we''re leading because of "effort", "heart", and "teamwork"."


    He emphasized the word effort, heart, and teamwork.


    "But now is when champions are made. This is where we prove that this lead isn''t a fluke, but the result of belief in each other."


    Then he turned his gaze toward Hiro, who was sitting with his head bowed, catching his


    breath.


    "Hiro," Nanami said, his voice softer but firm, "you''ve been phenomenal out there. "


    Hearing thepliment, Hiro couldn''t help but feel ted.

 Chapter 654: Quarter-finals VI

    Chapter 654: Quarter-finals VI


    ?


    "That assist, that counterattack-it''s the kind of y that inspires not just your teammates but everyone watching. You''ve stepped up like a seasoned veteran, and I couldn''t be prouder of you. But remember, this isn''t just your fight-it''s ours, together."


    Nanami''s voice rose slightly as he addressed the team as a whole.


    Normally, he wasn''t like this. However, after witnessing their effort back on the pitch, he couldn''t refrain from praising their efforts. Hence, he was a bit more talkative now than usual.


    Even so, the yers were drawn towards him.


    Surprisingly, they could resonate with him today.


    "You''ve all fought like warriors-every interception, every block, every sprint. I know it''s tough, and I know they''lle at us even harder in the second half," Nanami swept his gaze, his piercing gaze full of determination.


    "But let me ask you this: why not us? Why can''t it be Japan shocking the world? We''ve got 45 minutes to make history. Forty-five minutes to show the world what we''re capable of. Can you give me that?"


    It was a rather intense speech, and the entire room was reverberating with Nanami''s voice. The atmosphere inside the room had be dense.


    The yers nodded, the fire in their eyes reigniting. Nanami smiled faintly but resolutely. "Good. But remember, it''s not about holding on to this lead. We y smart, we y bold. Don''t give them the respect they don''t deserve," Nanami nodded with satisfaction.


    It was the kind of response he had been hoping to see.


    Confirming their resolve, he couldn''t help but feel confident.


    Nanami drew in a deep breath, his lungs filled with passion. For some reason, he felt a pulsing sensation coursing through his body.


    It was like an electrifying feeling. He felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins. "They may have bigger names, more experience, or shier moves. But what they don''t have is the heart and the drive of this team. This is our time. Let''s go out there and finish what we started!"


    Upon concluding, he mmed his fist into his palm, the sound reverberating in the silent


    room.


    The room erupted into cheers as the yers rose, their doubts erased and reced with an unshakable belief.


    "YEAH! LET''S GET THEM GUYS. LET''S SHOW THEM...."


    The electrifying atmosphere persisted for a while. With this, the yers had found a newfound vigor. Their morale was at an all-time high.


    At this moment, they believed that they could win.


    Before some of them were in a doubt. But now, their doubt had vanished.


    Amidst the ongoing buzz, Nanami found Hiro.


    "Hiro-keep finding those pockets of space," Nanami whispered, nudging him slightly.


    Hiro nodded determinedly. He could tell that the coach had faith in him. Hiro could feel it and he didn''t want to let him down. Now, he was even more motivated than ever.


    Hiro wanted to stand for the faith that the coach had put in him. He didn''t want to disappoint this man that believed in him.


    Before they headed out, Nanami yelled, "Defenders stick together like glue, and midfielders, I need you to break their rhythm at every chance."


    Hiro exchanged a determined nod with Coach Nanami as they headed out, ready to face whatever the second half would throw at them.


    Beforeing onto the pitch, both sides met at the tunnel.


    Instinctively, both sides could tell that the second half would be even more brutal. They could palpably feel the change.


    Those determined gaze, burning with passion, both sides could sense it.


    However, neither side exchanged any words-even the yers on amicable terms turned against each other.


    The crowd burst into cheers as the yers walked out of the tunnel. With the second half starting, they were more excited than ever.


    Hiro recalling the words of the manager nced at the sideline.


    Beep!


    The referee sounded the whistle.


    With that, the yers of both sides set into motion. The crowd buzzed and the atmosphere of the stadium turned electric.


    Guardi had met some changes in the team. Hiro didn''t take long to spot the difference. Though the English side started with the same formation, they immediately changed their position the instant the game was set into motion.


    Perhaps, it was a tactic to confuse them.


    However, Hiro caught upon their intention and positioned himself ordingly. To prevent the hard-earned lead from copsing, Hiro was prepared to go to any lengths.


    For a while, his adjusting to their pace seemed to be working as well.


    With Hiro interrupting their momentum, the opposing side was finding it difficult to move the ball smoothly. Every time, they tried to advance, Hiro woulde in their way and prevent them from advancing.


    On the sideline, even after witnessing his ns crumbling before his eyes, Guardi didn''t seem bothered. With the usual calm, he intently followed the game with an unwavering


    focus.


    Perhaps, he had been anticipating this oue from the beginning.


    ''Just like I anticipated, you''re a quite sensitive boy. However, the very arsenal you possess would lead you to your doom,'' Guardi calmly analyzed the match.


    Suddenly, Hiro''s heart palpitated.


    While he was adapting to their changing formation, the opponent began to build up. It didn''t


    take them long to gain momentum.


    ''What!?'' Hiro''s brows furrowed.


    He had dropped out of his position to cover the vacant spaces. However, right now, the opposing team was charging from the spot he had previously left.


    This oue, he wasn''t expecting.


    Perhaps, he should have connected to his teammates before deciding to change his position. Due to theirck of coordination, now they were under siege.


    Approximately ten minutes had passed since the match had resumed and it looked like their lead was already in jeopardy.


    With swift passes and nimble sprints, the opposing side led the momentum. It didn''t take them long to breach their defense.


    And it took even less time to tie the score. With a perfect shot from Saka, Ennd tied the score after about ten minutes since the start of the second half.


    With that, the score was tied and their lead had vanished quicker than anybody hadn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    anticipated.

 Chapter 655: Quarter-finals VII

    Chapter 655: Quarter-finals VII


    ?


    Having scored the equalizing goal, Saka rushed to the sideline. The English fans roared, their cheer reverberating throughout the stadium.


    The entire stadium had turned into a Colosseum and Saka was the diator who had in the beast.


    "GOOOOAL! Saka has done it. He has leveled the score and Ennd are back in the game," Ethan was extremely excited.


    The English fans were even more exhrated. Triumphant emotion ran rampant on the stand as they celebrated the goal. They had been eagerly waiting for this moment and finally, the moment had arrived.


    They believed from here onwards, they''d build their momentum and win the game.


    Being one of the main reasons behind this goal, Hiro didn''t feel well about it. He couldn''t help but recall the event leading to this moment.


    Frowning, he contemted the decision to leave his position.


    ''What have I done?''


    While he contemted about the goal, bead-like sweat covered his forehead. Running down his forehead, a few drops trickled down on the floor beneath.


    His teammates didn''t me him. However, Hiro couldn''t refrain from ming himself.


    On the sideline, Guardi stood with a satiated grin on his face. The other around him were buzzing in triumph. However, he didn''t tag along. He kept his distance from the celebrating people and stared at the pitch.


    His gaze fell on the contemting figure of Hiro who seemed bothered.


    ''You must be doubting your decision now kid. But if you fail here then it just means that you still have a long way to go before you can set foot in Europe.''


    Guardi viewed Hiro highly. He was impressed by his ability to read the game. Especially, the way he tore through the opposing defense, Guardi liked it even better.


    He had always been fond of young talents and Hiro wasn''t any exception. If possible, he even wanted to nurture Hiro.


    He was curious how he could mold Hiro.


    However, it didn''t mean that he would spare any mercy on him.


    Right now, Hiro was nothing more than a rival to him. Even if it meant trampling his


    confidence and making him despair, he wouldn''t back out from it.


    Guardi was a cruel person. He was the type of person who''d do anything to win. More than anything else, he disliked losing.


    Also, having conquered Europe, he had set his eyes on the World Cup for a long time. Hence, to make that dream a reality, he wouldn''t spare any effort.


    The more Hiro contemted, the more he felt tense. Even the harmonious chime around him had suddenly started to feel like harsh jeers.


    For a moment, Hiro felt as if the world had turned against him.


    ''No, don''t overthink. It could have happened to anybody.'' Hiro reminded himself.


    Thinking too much about the goal had started to gnaw at him. He wouldn''t have thought too much about it. However, this match was very important and he didn''t want to be the reason behind their loss.


    Hence, Hiro couldn''t stop thinking about it.


    Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Hiro began to sort his thoughts. He convinced himself that he wasn''t to me for the goal.


    While Hiro was suffering from the guilt, others couldn''t even bring themselves to console him. Entering the pitch in high spirits, now their belief was getting shaken.


    Devastated by the goal, most of them couldn''t even bring themselves to face their fans. With their head lowered, they grieved over the goal.


    Now, the game would get even more tough.


    With the game now tied, it would be even more difficult to win.


    "It''s alright, guys. We''ll get them back. Let''s recollect ourselves and prepare for the rest." While the yers were grieving over their disappointing performance, Endo, the captain of the team stepped up, his sharp voice piercing through the grieving silence.


    Endo was well aware of the blow this goal had dealt to his teammates. He was devastated by the oue too. However, being the captain of the team, it was his responsibility to improve the morale of the team.


    With Endo encouraging the yers, it didn''t take them long to snap out of their


    disappointment.


    Seeing the gesture of their captain, the dejected fans didn''t remain idle either. They began to shout words of encouragement in unison. Sure, the lost lead hurt them. However, their team needed them at this moment.


    Putting aside their feeling of disappointment, they began to chant words of encouragement.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Initially, only a few cheered. But the cheers only grew louder. With each passing moment, more people joined until their collective voice could be heard.


    "What''s this? The supporters of Japan have begun chanting all of a sudden," Ethan was surprised by the sudden change in the stadium.


    "The scene inside the stadium had suddenly be even more interesting. Their chants of support just show how much they support their team. I can''t help but feel astonished."


    Even the celebrating English fans were perplexed for a few seconds. They had just conceded a goal, yet they were chanting like nothing had happened.


    Shouldn''t their reaction be the opposite?


    The feeling of astonishment quickly changed into feelings of rivalry. Though they had scored the goal, the opposing side''s cheers were louder than theirs.


    This was utterly uneptable for them.


    To counter, the English fans began to chant even more fiercely. Soon, the entire stadium was buzzing with the chants.


    On the pitch, the yers swept their gaze around, perplexed by the scenario unfolding before


    them.


    It wasn''t something they had experienced.


    The cheers of the two sides collided to create a discordant symphony that evoked a sense of passion in the yers. For some reason, the yers on the field felt even more passionate


    about the match.


    Now, how could they afford to lose in front of such supporters?


    Fueled by their determination to win, the two sidespeted even more fiercely after the match resumed. Driven by their desire to win the match, both sides attacked relentlessly. Even Hiro had already swallowed the feeling of guilt that gnawed at him previously.

 Chapter 656: Quarter-finals VIII

    Chapter 656: Quarter-finals VIII


    ?


    With each motion of the minute hand, the people grew even more anxious.


    Beep!


    Panting, Hiro turned to look at the time. He was drenched in sweat, his lungs inting and deting with each breath he took.


    Eight-eight minutes had already passed, and the match had entered its climax.


    Since thest goal the stadium had witnessed, both teams had failed to score another. However, the oue could change very quickly.


    Just now, they had earned a free kick, and the game had stopped.


    It was an obvious foul; even the opposing side wasn''t protesting against the referee''s decision. However, the distance from the post was quite far.


    More than 35 yards away from the post, Japan had earned a crucial spot-kick in what could be thest set piece of the game.


    Though they had earned a spot-kick, Hiro wasn''t bothered. He wasn''t the appointed set- piece taker. So, there wasn''t any need for him to feel concerned.


    Hiro took this moment to recover a little stamina. He wanted to take advantage of this momentary stoppage.


    Tirelessly running around the field all this time had exhausted him.


    Bead-like drops of sweat trickled down his face as Hiro nced at his bulging legs, ''I don''t think I can hold out much longer...''


    Hiro could run fast. However, the ability to sprint came with a cost- he exhausted his stamina at an abnormal rate. If he used his talent and skills sparingly, he could easilyst the entire 90 minutes. However, if he overused his talent and skills, he wouldn''tst the full ny minutes.


    Even though Hiro was aware of the consequences, this time, however, he didn''t have a choice. If he cked, they would have been utterly defeated by now.


    The threat they were facing was something that demanded his best.


    After stabilizing his heart beat a little, Hiro rose to analyze the field. He found a lot of yers gathering at the opposing box.


    Hiro was about to head to one of the vacant spots he had found. However, just as he was about to head to the spot, he heard a familiar voice calling his name.


    Hiro turned to look behind and found Endo looking at him. He was drenched in sweat, his lips appearing a little dry, his hands gesturing at him toe closer.


    Hiro felt a bit perplexed. He turned around to see if he was mistaken. However, he couldn''t find anyone. Hence, he pointed at him.


    Endo nodded the moment he pointed at him.


    Confirming that it was him whom Endo was calling, Hiro headed his way.


    Endo leaned closer and covered his ears to whisper something. The way Endo carried himself almost made it seem as if he was plotting something.


    "Hiro, we want you to take the free kick," Endo whispered.


    Upon hearing Endo''s request, Hiro felt baffled. His eyes perked up as it darted to Yamada who was preparing the ball.


    "Don''t worry about him. We have already talked about it," Endo assured.


    He was quick to pick up on Hiro''s unease. Hiro couldn''t believe it was happening. Since the beginning of the campaign, Yamada had been taking the freekicks. However, at this crucial stage, he was giving up the spot.


    Hiro couldn''t believe it.


    It seemed a little too good to be true. Yamada was a selfish man who liked to be at the center of attention.


    And given the importance of this set-piece, Hiro felt even more strange that he was giving it up. So, he couldn''t help but double-check.


    "Are you sure about it?" Hiro asked albeit in a low whisper.


    Endo nodded determinedly and asked, "So, will you take the job?"


    Well, if Yamada was okay with it then who was he to refuse? He needed an opportunity to shine. Also, he needed an opportunity to correct the wrong he did before.


    Hence, he dly took up the offer without any hesitation.


    "Then Yamada will stand behind to deceive the opponent. You know what to do right?" Endo nodded and smiled warmly at him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With that, the preparation for the set piece was done. Now all they had to do was execute the n and take the win.


    "Huh?! Isn''t Yamada going to take the free kick?"


    The opposition felt confused when they found three people standing behind the ball. It appeared that they were purposely doing that.


    Endo did take the role asionally, but they ruled him out.


    This left them with two options; Hiro and Yamada. Having studied Hiro, they had found Hiro to be an excellent set-piece taker. With powerful shots and precision, he could easily rival a well-established set-piece taker.


    However, they hadn''t seen Hiro do it in the campaign until now. Which left them with Yamada. Hence, even though they were uncertain, they believed that Yamada would take the set piece.


    However, even if that were to be the case, they couldn''t afford to lower their guard against others.


    This feeling of uncertainty made it even more difficult to defend.


    With their brows knitted, the wall of yers d in white stared at them, uncertainty evident in their gaze.


    Though they were d that the distance from the post was quite far, they couldn''t rest easy. After all, if they managed to pull a miracle, it might cut their journey short.


    Hence, they were feeling quite anxious.


    Yamada, standing before the ball stared intently at the ball. Exuding an aura of confidence, he stood as if he was prepared to unleash a nightmare and end the hopes of the opposing team.


    The people there were aware of the quality Yamada possessed.


    Even among this flock of talented individuals, he excelled in shooting from a distance. From such a distance, he had converted many goals for Real Madrid.


    Now, he had to do the same thing for his country.


    The Japanese folks had ced their hopes in him and were praying in their heart. Their eyes seemed quite desperate.


    In the 89th minute of the match, the gaze of the people in the stadium converged on this man bearing the number 10 on his back.

 Chapter 657: Hero!

    Chapter 657: Hero!


    ?


    While Hiro prepared to take the free kick, Guardi squinched his brows. At this point, even this man who had been maintaining an indifferent attitude throughout the game was on his toes.


    With his gaze fixated on the scene before him, Guardi stood on the sideline.


    Beep!


    The referee''s sharp whistle cut through the eerie silence in the stadium.


    Immediately, Endo sprang forward, his gaze fixed on the ball. Upon reaching the ball, Endo fiercely swept his leg.


    However, he didn''t touch the ball.


    The opposition was prepared. Hence, they didn''t react when Endo swept his leg. They remainedposed as they prepared for the real threat.


    Their gaze bounced between Hiro and Yamada. Cautious as they were, they were trying to figure out the real shooter.


    While toggling their gaze, they couldn''t help but feel ufortable upon looking at Yamada. Compared to Hiro, Yamada seemed more like a threat.


    Before sprinting, Hiro nced at the ball. The moment Endo would run over, it would be his time to shine. It would be the signal for him to make his move.


    Hiro awaited the signal while staring at the ball.


    The stage was set as Ennd''s towering defensive wall loomed ahead, a fortress of white jerseys anchored by Den Rice, John Stones, and Reece James.


    Behind them, the opposing keeper crouched low, his sharp eyes locked on the ball. However, to be able to keep his gaze on the ball, he had left one side of the post open- the side that was to be covered by the wall.


    Hiro''s eyes glinted with sharp focus, and the crowd''s roar ebbed into an anticipatory hush as The exhaled deeply.


    The ball rested still on the pitch, kissed by the fading glow of the stadium lights.


    Hiro''s jersey clung to him, damp with sweat, as the faintest breeze brushed his face, carrying with it the weight of millions watching worldwide.


    With deliberate, nimble steps, Hiro then began his run-up. The sound of his cleats meeting the grass punctuated the tension. His hair, untamed by the exertion of the match, danced freely in the wind. The air seemed charged as he approached the ball, the stadium holding its collective breath.


    Flinging his arms behind, Hiro stretched his legs and nted his left foot firmly beside the ball, his right leg swinging with precision and force.


    BAM!


    The connection was crisp and produced a distinct sound that reverberated throughout the stadium.


    The ball soared upward, carving a graceful arc through the night sky. Its spin shimmered in the stadium lights, a glinting blur of motion and artistry.


    Unprepared for the strike, the English wall waste to react. A moment before Hiro took off, they had noticed slight changes in Yamada''s movement.


    It looked as if Yamada was preparing to follow up.


    However, what unfolded was a brilliant strike from Hiro. The ball was shot with both power and precision, and it made a beautiful arc as it soared above.


    Even with a slight dy, the English wall leaped nheless, attempting to interrupt the ball. However, their effort proved to be futile as the ball soared above them.


    Jordan''s eyes were wide. He lunged toward the top corner, his gloved hand reaching desperately. But the ball bending with an impossible curve evaded his grasp.


    Yamada was equally stunned. With dpidated eyes, he stared at Hiro''s back in a daze. He couldn''t tell what to do. This oue waspletely out of his expectations.


    He had been told that Hiro would jump over the ball.


    However, right now, Hiro had instead shot the ball, leaving him utterly bbergasted. Soon after, he felt an intense rage bubbling inside him.


    How could this brat steal his shot?


    While the ball soared toward the post, he red at Hiro. But before he could burst onto the scene, the crowd erupted.


    The rippled as the ball nestled in the top corner. It was a masterpiece of precision and power. The split second of stunned silence was shattered by an eruption of sound.


    The stadium exploded with cheers, boos, and gasps.


    Hiro stood still, his chest rising and falling, his eyes scanning the electrified crowd before his teammates engulfed him in celebration.


    Distracted by the noise, Yamada turned to look at the stands.


    ''He scored...'' Yamada was speechless as he stared at Hiro in a daze.


    Before him, his teammates were already rushing toward Hiro. This time he had felt as if the spotlight was on him. However, right now, at this very instance, he could see somebody shining even more ethereally than the sun.


    Even his brilliant performance in today''s match waspletely overshadowed by Hiro. To a genius''s brilliance, he had faded into the shadows.


    With a hollow heart, he stood at his spot, unable to move.


    "Unbelievable! Hiro has just scored a goal that defies belief-a freekick from over 35 yards!"


    "Hiro, the youngest scorer in this World Cup, has just etched his name into history against a team like Ennd. What a moment!"


    Theplexion of the opposing yers had turned pale. They were fully aware of the significance of this goal and they could tell that their fate might very well have been sealed


    now.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With limited time remaining on the clock, it was a near-impossible task to turn the tables. The Japanese fans aware of the importance of this goal couldn''t refrain themselves as they celebrated this goal wildly. The entire stadium buzzed with cheers as they celebrated thiste goal that could see them through the quarter-finals.


    On the sideline, Guardi, now enraged, furiously stomped his feet. Shouting, he expressed


    his anger.


    Meanwhile, the opposing reserve box had an entirely different scene. Even the indifferent Nanami had joined the celebration of those near him.


    He couldn''t feel more ted than this.


    With a wide smile etched on their faces, the Japanese team celebrated the goal.


    As for the man at the center of attention, he was hailed like a king. If it weren''t for this man


    with the number 19 on his back, this moment wouldn''t have been possible.


    To the Japanese people, this young man was their "Hero".

 Chapter 658: Hiro leaves the pitch

    Chapter 658: Hiro leaves the pitch


    ?


    Hiro had been crowned and Japan had regained their lead.


    The English supporters were left devastated, most fuming. They were well aware of the significance behind this goal.


    Even with a star coach and a team full of superstars, if they had to walk out here, they wouldn''t feel good about it. They had high hopes for this team. However, right now, the very hope was starting to dwindle.


    Now, what were they supposed to do?


    On the other side, the buzz of the Japanese supporters was growing increasingly loud. Red and white gs fluttered wildly in the sea of supporters, while drums and horns synchronized to echo their euphoria.


    Their faces glistened with excitement and pride, tears welling in the eyes of some as they shouted Hiro''s name. This wasn''t just a goal-it was a beacon of hope, a reminder of the underdog spirit that Japan had carried throughout the tournament.


    Meanwhile, on the pitch, the celebration continued. Itsted a while before they returned to their position to resume the match.


    Despite the importance of this goal, they didn''t wish to be warned of time wasting.


    Upon returning to their position, they began to solidify their defense. Nanami immediately brought in three more defenders and utilized all the subs he could.


    It was clear to the opposition side that they would defend this goal.


    Guardi ever anxious made some changes as well. With his focus on attack, he brought in the best attacking line-up he could muster.


    Palmer, Saka, Foden, Bellingham, and quite a lot of attackers were on the field at the same time. Now, it was a battle of spear vs shield.


    "Don''t you think it''s quite a bold move from the manager of both the sides, Henry?" Ethan, thementator asked.


    "Indeed, I couldn''t agree more Ethan. However, the situation demands it and the managers are aware of their decision. With four additional minutes added on, we can''t rule out aeback yet. Perhaps, the oue might be different," Henry nodded.


    "Who knows Ennd could pull out ast-minute goal? Nheless, it''s a battle of spear and shield. Let''s see which side triumphs..."


    Hiro was also among the yers that was substituted. However, he wasn''t frustrated at the substitution. Rather, he was satisfied with the substitution.


    He had done everything he could.


    He had assisted once, scored once, and performed to the best of his ability. Though he regretted giving away the goal that tied the score, he had again made a difference.


    Now, even if he wished topete and stay put on the pitch, he couldn''t.


    The moment the announcement regarding the substitution rang, the entire stadium stood to show their appreciation.


    Just like the rumbling of thunder, a big round of apuse erupted forth, leaving Hiro stunned for a brief moment.


    p! p! p!


    Though he was startled by the sudden apuse, Hiro was used to the apuse. Having received multiple standing ovations, Hiro had already lost the count of ovations he had received.


    What could considered to be a great sign of respect, he had been receiving it like it was amon courtesy.


    Hiro looked up at the crowd and sized the crowd. Their ted faces and their appreciative apuse resonated with him. He could feel their emotions.


    However, rather than feeling ted, Hiro felt relieved.


    ''I have done what I can...,'' Hiro heaved a deep sigh, his expression at ease. ''I am beaten... Now, the rest is up to you guys.''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Hiro didn''t regret the performance he had shown. He had exhausted himself badly. However, he didn''t feel bad about it.


    The additional four minutes though looked short. For the people under pressure, it was a long time. So, Hiro couldn''t help but feel worried.


    He had helped them regain the lead. However, the game was far from over.


    One could even argue that the real game had begun now.


    Slowly, Hiro walked to the sideline, his teammates cheering on him. Having exhausted himself, every step felt difficult to tread.


    Hiro could feel the muscles under his skin trembling and bulging. He felt as if he would get a cramp if he took even one more stride.


    Now, that the adrenaline had worn away, a sharp ringing pain coursed through his body. Every stride he took generated a sharp pain, making him convulse in pain.


    However, he didn''t show the pain on his face.


    Like a dignified knight after a fierce battle, he walked the field with a solemn expression. It made it seem as if he could go another mile.


    The people were aware of the fight he had put on the field for this entire ny minutes. Thus, they couldn''t help but revere him even more seeing him walking in a dignified manner.


    He still doesn''t look tired. How is he capable of this?


    They felt curious and astonished, watching him leave the pitch. At the same time, their respect for him grew even more.


    Even though Yamada and others had performed brilliantly today, they didn''t doubt that Hiro was the star of this match.


    Having covered the entire pitch, Hiro''s heat map was insane. Even thementators were shocked to find such a heat map.


    From the heat map, it could be seen that Hiro''s movement was mostly concentrated in the middle of the pitch. In today''s match, there weren''t any yers who had covered as much distance as Hiro.


    It could arguably said to be one of the best performances in the tournament.


    circte.


    Now with a performance like this, Hiro''s value would skyrocket even more. The world would be sent into chaos. Well, rumors regarding Hiro''s transfer had already sta Several articles revealed the interest from the top clubs in Europe like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, PSG, and many more.


    It seemed as if almost every club was linked to Hiro.


    Even though some people still believed that Hiro was overrated, most were desperate for


    their club to sign him.


    Well, they had seen his performance and they were mind blown.


    "You''ve performed well, Kid. Get some rest and leave the rest to your teammates," Nanami


    said to him, patting him lightly.


    Hiro looked at Nanami and nodded, a faint glow of determination shining in his eyes.


    It was like Nanami had said, he had performed well. And Hiro too believed that he had


    performed well today.


    For some inexplicable reason, he was satisfied with his performance. Yet still, a part of him couldn''t bring itself to rest easy.


    It was like a foreboding feeling hidden somewhere deep inside him.


    Well, he might be feeling such because there were still four minutes left on the clock and the game hadn''t ended yet. After all, a lot could happen in the four minutes.


    The game could change in a matter of seconds.


    Hiro grabbed the coat handed to him and wore it. Then he grabbed a bottle of water before


    plonking in one of the seats left for him.


    He squeezed the bottle and a stream of water sted toward his open mouth. He held a mouthful of water in his mouth and started to gargle.


    Then he spat it out.


    The water moistened the wall of his mouth and he felt rejuvenated.


    He was thirsty but he wasn''t hasty.


    Then he leaned back and shifted his attention to the match. Now that he had left the pitch and


    looked ahead, he started feeling anxious.


    The opposing side looked threatening. He could see the entire pitch, the position of yers, and the open spaces without relying on his skill.


    Well, the eyes of the spectator could see a lot more than the eyes of the individual ying the


    game after all.


    That''s why many people like to think that they could do it better if they were on the pitch.


    However, once they are set on the field, their vision is limited instantly. Hence, it''s difficult to


    find a yer with good vision.


    For the rest of the minute, even though the game became threatening, Japan held onto their


    lead. This eased Hiro and the Japanese supporters.


    With every passing second, they felt more relieved.


    However, the intensity of the unfolding game terrified them. Ennd, now on theirst wits


    became even more threatening.


    Beep!


    Seconds before the end of the match, the ball sted toward the Japanese post. Aya managed


    to keep the ball out. However, he couldn''t avoid giving them the corner. Instinctively, everyone could tell that this would be the final set-piece of the game.


    This further added to their tension.


    The entire English team moved up the field for the corner, swarming inside the box. Even the


    keeper had moved up the field, leaving his post vacant.


    Well, there wasn''t any need to defend any further.


    But the team required a goal, and he didn''t want to be ruled out.


    Trent was the one to take the corner. The Japanese yers were all gathered inside the box,


    their faces etched with fear.


    If they failed here, all the effort they had been making would amount to nothing.


    But they couldn''t even afford to think about it.

 Chapter 659: The unexpected hero

    Chapter 659: The unexpected hero


    ?


    The crowd was tense, the tension almost unbearable. With the fans holding their breath, a collective hush fell upon the stadium.


    In this hushed silence, the collective gasp of the yers on the field could audibly be heard. The exchanges, the yers exchanged, the struggle inside the box, and the crisp sound of the boot against the grass, reverberated around the pitch.


    On the sideline, Hiro and the others watched the unfolding scene with growing anxiety. Nanami and Guardi were both on their toes, their brows knitted.


    Inside the field, the English yers, equally desperate, swarmed around the Japanese box with determination written on their faces.


    Trent standing before the ball, exhaled deeply before looking at the ball. Slowly, he averted his gaze from the ball and swept his gaze through the swarm of people before him.


    He scanned the box.


    Then he returned his focus to the ball. His eyes shed with determination as his focus peaked.


    The buzz of the crowd no longer bothered him. The world had gone silent and a tranquil calm washed over him.


    Even though he was under huge pressure, Trent wasn''t bothered now.


    The whistle blew.


    Beep!


    Trent''s boot struck the ball with a perfect blend of power and curve, sending it soaring toward the far post. The ball spun through the air like a missile, its trajectory pinpoint. Gasps erupted from the stands as the swarm of bodies lunged to meet it.


    "Herees the corner! This could be Ennd''sst chance!" thementator shouted, his voice almost drowned out by the roar of the crowd.


    The gazes of the people were concentrated on the hovering ball, their brows knitted. Anxiety gripped their heart and anticipation filled their mind.


    While the ball hovered, it seemed as if the time hade to a halt.


    The closer the ball got to the box, the wider their eyes got.


    Under the watchful gazes of the spectators, chaos unfolded inside the box as the yerpeted for the dominance of the ball.


    Aya leaped forward, fists aimed to punch the ball clear. But towering above the rest, Harry Maguire rose with perfect timing. His head connected with the ball, sending it rocketing toward the.


    Despite being criticized heavily, this man had somehow maintained his spot in the team. Though he had lost the captain''s armband, he was still fighting. Even though he had been demoted to a reserve yer, he hadn''t given up.


    Now, with unyielding determination, he rose high above anybody else.


    At one time, this man was an absolute beast in the defense line. However, after struggling at Manchester United, he had been trolled and criticized badly.


    Even though he would say that those negative criticisms didn''t bother him, he had been falling apart. Every time, he heard those criticisms, an agonizing feeling of despair would gnaw at him, making him unable to move.


    He was well aware criticisms couldn''t be avoided in this line of work.


    Even so, he was giving his best. Yet still, people would criticize him. At one point even his own teammates felt like they were against him.


    It felt as if the whole world was against him.


    It would be a lie to say that he didn''t feel like giving up. The thought of calling it a quit crossed his mind a lot. However, he couldn''t even call it a quit because he loved the sport.


    Alone and hurt, he worked on himself.


    When the whole world was against him, he had found himself pushing further. While going through the torment of criticisms, he had motivated himself.


    He had ovee the intimidating storm alone.


    Now, he towered over all the others inside the box with perfect timing. The eyes of the people, even those who looked down on him before converged on him now.


    Even those people who looked down on him now were putting their faith in him.


    However, even though he had been criticized badly, he didn''t hate these people. He only hoped for them to understand him.


    "Harry Maguire! He''s gone up for it!" cried thementator.


    His head connected with the ball, sending it rocketing toward the. A few hands were pulling him down. However, the strength he had built in those despairing moments of his life couldn''t be looked down upon.


    With the strength of Grizzly Bear, Maguire forced his way and connected wlessly with the ball, sending it rocketing toward the.


    The opponent below contorted their face in despair. They could feel them getting overpowered. This feeling of loss, they couldn''t bring themselves to ept.


    Unable to stop Maguire, a feeling of helplessness gnawed at them, making them contort their face in disappointment.


    Squinching their eyes, they gritted their teeth, struggle and despair evident in their visage. Their heart palpitated in fear.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Maguire''s towering silhouette loomed over their face and shrouded them in an endless void of darkness.


    Aya lunged backward, his body making an unusual arc. Having moved in front, he had to bend his back quite a lot to be able to touch the hovering ball.


    Even though he was aware of the strain it would put on his body, Aya didn''t care about it at this point. There wasn''t any room to hesitate.


    He was totally immersed in the moment.


    To him saving the ball was more important than the burden that would put on his body. If hended roughly afterward, it wouldn''t end well for him.


    There would be some negative consequences. Perhaps, even an injury couldn''t be avoided.


    At this point, it would be fair to say that Aya had gambled his entire career over this one single


    moment.


    His outstretched hand grazed the ball.


    ''It''s not enough...'' Aya squinched his brow.


    He felt a faint sensation of touching the ball. However, he could tell that it wasn''t enough to alter its trajectory. So, he couldn''t help but feel anxious.


    The ball took a faint deflection.


    However, the faint deflection wasn''t enough. The ball struck the underside of the crossbar with a deafening thud and bounced down over the line.


    Thud!


    Ayanded harshly on the ground with his back first. The impact sent an agonizing pain coursing through his body.


    He felt like screaming.


    "ARGH-"


    However, the scream he let out was immediately muffled by the erupting crowd.


    The stadium erupted. The roar of the English fans was deafening, shaking the very


    foundations of the venue.


    Maguire tore away and rushed to the sideline at a threatening pace.


    With fists pumping in triumph, and his teammates chasing him in celebration, Maguire let out an energetic roar that resonated throughout the stadium, "YEAH¡ª"


    Even Jordan Pickford, who had sprinted the length of the field, joined the huddle.


    "GOAL! Ennd has equalized in the dying seconds of the match! This is incredible!" thementator bellowed, his voice brimming with disbelief and excitement. "Harry Maguire has kept Ennd alive with a heroic header!"


    The crowd went wild, the Japanese supporters wailing in defeat. The thing that they feared


    the most. Their nightmare was unfolding before them.


    This was supposed to be the moment, they would rise in glory.


    However, before they could rise to glory, Ennd hade crashing on them like a huge


    boulder over a puny human, ending their hopes and dreams.


    Their dreams and hopes shattered right before their eyes.


    Despair gripped their heart, their heart screaming in panic. A dark shadow loomed over their


    face and they felt like the world hade crashing down on them.


    It felt as if the sky had been flipped upside down.


    On the Japanese side, devastation was etched onto every face. Hiro dropped to his knees, his


    head hung low. Around him, his teammates stared in disbelief, their dreams momentarily


    shattered.


    Hiro couldn''t believe the scene unfolding before him.


    Just a second more and they would be through to the semi-finals. But now, their momentum had suddenlye to an abrupt halt and he was utterly helpless against it.


    With their head hung low and faces etched with despair, the Japanese yers who had been beaten stood on the field appearing seemingly devasted. Some had even buried their face on the ground unable to ept the reality.


    "It''s heartbreak for Japan," anothermentator remarked somberly. "They fought so valiantly, but thiste equalizer has changed everything. The emotions on their faces tell the


    whole story."


    A stark contrast to their previous motivated appearance, the Japanese yers were full of


    despair.


    In the stands, Japanese supporters clutched their heads or covered their mouths, their cheers reced by stunned silence. The English fans, however, were jubnt. gs waved furiously,


    and chants filled the night air.


    However, now that Ennd had equalized, the match was far from over.


    Thus even though they didn''t feel like standing, they had to force themselves to stand. Now,


    that Ennd had equalized, there would be an additional 30 minutes to decide the victor.


    So, they returned to their position to resume the match. However, the moment they returned,


    the final whistle was blown.


    Beep!


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!