The whistle echoed again but this time Amano didn't move forward
Instead he walked backward slowly toward his own goal dragging two defenders with him
They hesitated confused
The ball was at midfield yet Amano kept retreating eyes scanning the entire pitch like he was watching a movie only he could see
Coach Kurosawa frowned from the sideline
"What's he doing...?"
Hibiki didn't blink
"He's baiting them. Like feeding sharks with blood"
The defenders finally stepped off him
And that's when it happened
Amano sprinted forward in one straight line like a bullet through traffic
No feints no dribbles just clean ruthless speed
A midfielder panicked and passed the ball sideways but Amano had already calculated it
He slid into the pass didn't steal it didn't control it
He just tapped it gently behind his heel mid-slide
The ball rolled perfectly between two legs into the box
One of the street kids who hadn't touched the ball all game was right there
Bang
Goal
Amano stood up covered in grass stains staring at the opposing bench
The clean-suited coach didn't say a word
But his jaw clenched
He knew
This kid wasn't just reading the game
He was reading them
Reading the system
Reading the lies
Every move Amano made wasn't for this match
It was for something bigger
---
After the game Hibiki caught up to him
"You've been playing like you already know how they'll react before they do"
Amano didn't stop walking
"I'm not playing football anymore"
Hibiki raised a brow
"Then what are you playing?"
Amano looked up toward the city lights
"Chess with no board"