[ Ikeda Osamu's POV ]
I blew the whistle.
'Let's see what these kids can do.' I thought, arms folded, eyes scanning the field.
It didn't take long to get a read on them. In the blue team, Soda Makoto showed real composure in defense, sharp positioning. Up front, Ide Mitsuru was dangerous, a few times finding pockets of space and creating chances. But the white team's goalkeeper, Tsuji Ryota, was holding firm.
Mitsuru managed to break through at one point, quick cut inside and a solid shot, but Tsuji dove to his right and tipped the ball out with his fingertips. Impressive.
Tsuji wasted no time. He grabbed the ball and launched a high, deep clearance down the pitch.
The ball landed right at the feet of the new kid—Orochi Shin.
"Alright, kid… show me what you've got."
[ Shin's POV ]
The ball dropped in front of me. One bounce, and I took it under control with my right foot. Immediately, I began driving forward. A defender stepped up to block.
Perfect. I slowed down, baited him with a little body feint, then snapped a flip-flap (elastico) to my right.
He lunged, but I was already gone, hugging the touchline and speeding down the right wing.
"Ergh!" I heard behind me as he stumbled.
I kept my eyes up. Two more defenders were closing in—one of them was Soda.
"I'm going through." I said out loud, more as a warning than anything.
"Try it, then." he replied. First time I'd ever seen that serious look on his face.
I came at them fast. Quick stepovers, one after the other—then I slid into a roulette, dragging the ball with my sole and spinning past the second defender.
I slipped past Soda just as he tried to reach for the ball. I was through.
One-on-one with the keeper now. I didn't hesitate. I opened up my body, curled the shot with my left foot toward the top left corner.
A nice effect as I like them.
Net ripples. Goal.
I let out a short breath and jogged back to my position. My teammates clapped, cheered, slapped me on the back.
[ Ikeda Osamu's POV ]
Still standing there, arms folded… but now with a faint smirk on my lips.
"Looks like we've found our ace." I muttered to myself.
'His control, his creativity, the way he used both feet... That was...'
"Interesting…"
[ Coach Ikeda's POV ]
The match resumed with a quick restart. The white team regained possession with a clever interception by Yoshida Koji, who immediately sent the ball up the field to the midfield. A couple of quick passes later, and once again, the ball found its way to Orochi Shin.
I narrowed my eyes.
[ Shin's POV ]
The ball was at my feet again. One touch, two, clean. I noticed the defenders rushing toward me, expecting another solo run.
But this time, I had other plans.
I faked another drive forward, dragging the ball with the inside of my foot. Both defenders hesitated, expecting the same trick as before. That split-second pause was all I needed.
I glanced up and saw Mihashi Shohei making a run.
With the outside of my right foot, I curled a perfectly-weighted through ball, splitting the defense. It rolled just past the outstretched leg of a sliding defender and into Mihashi's path. He was one-on-one with the keeper—just him and the net.
"Easy." I whispered.
[ Ikeda Osamu's POV ]
'Brilliant pass.' I thought, barely containing my approval.
Mihashi took a touch, lined up his shot—
But out of nowhere, a flash of blue sprinted across the box.
Soda Makoto, having tracked back all the way from midfield, launched into a sliding tackle. His timing was flawless. The ball deflected off his foot, spinning just wide of the post.
'Now that… that's commitment.' I thought.
The intensity never dropped. The game flowed back and forth.
I only made them do the first half.
When the final whistle blew, the score read.
White Team: 3 — Blue Team: 1
[ Ikeda's POV ]
"Alright, circle up!"
The players gathered, sweating, breathing heavy, but grinning.
"I've seen your strengths. And your weaknesses." I said, looking from face to face. "That was a good session. Plenty to build on. Start your cooldown, then hit the showers."
[ Shin's POV ]
As we stretched, Sasaki Daigo leaned over.
"You've got magic in those feet, Orochi."
I smiled, a little embarrassed, even if I agree. "Thanks, Sasaki. I still have a lot to work on."
After cooling down and cleaning up in the showers, I was about to grab my things when I heard my name.
"Orochi Shin."
I turned.
"Yes, Coach Ikeda?"
He paused a moment, looking me in the eyes.
"Keep this up." Then he turned and walked off.
I started heading home, my bag slung over my shoulder and my ball tucked under one arm. The sky was beginning to turn a soft orange, it had been a long day, but a good one.
"I'm home." I called out as I stepped through the front door. I took off my shoes and slipped into my indoor slippers.
My grandfather was sitting on the couch, a cup of tea in hand, his eyes focused on the TV.
"How was your first day?" he asked without looking away from the screen.
"It went well." I answered as I joined him on the couch.
He nodded slowly, a small smile playing on his lips. We started talking casually while watching an old football match on the screen. At one point, the commentator mentioned a familiar name, and my grandfather suddenly perked up.
"See that guy there?" he said, motioning toward the TV with his chin. "Roberto Hongo. This man had a good shot, it's a shame he hasn't been on the football pitch for some time... His strikes were something else."
I nodded slightly. 'He's probably training Tsubasa right about now and inquires about his eyes.' I couldn't help but think.
My grandmother joined us a moment later, moving a little slowly, a hand resting against her lower back, she looked tired.
"I'll cook dinner tonight." I said, standing up.
They didn't argue. My grandfather just muttered a quiet. "Thank you, Shin." as I made my way into the kitchen.
I rolled up my sleeves, opened the fridge, and got to work.
This was my way of taking care of them.