The next few weeks felt like a storm building beneath a calm sky.
Every afternoon, Rebellion FC trained in the cracked backcourt behind the school. We weren't pretty to look at—kids in slippers and hand-me-down jerseys—but we were beginning to move like a unit. My touches sharpened. My vision expanded. Coach Erwin kept pushing us, watching me like I was both captain and experiment.
Skill Update:
Ball Control → Level 3 Tactical Awareness → Level 2 Stamina: Level Up (+1) Team Chemistry: +3 (Core forming)
But not everything was smooth.
Randy didn't take his dethroning lightly. He'd formed his own squad—Sun Valley Hoopers FC, a name meant to mock our football obsession in a basketball town. They trained on the other side of campus, loud, flashy, full of ego. Randy's team wore makeshift jerseys and carried Bluetooth speakers that blasted hip-hop while they trained. And somehow, they were getting better too.
Word spread quickly.
A game was brewing. An unofficial showdown. Pride was on the line.
And Maria? She watched everything.
She came to our practices sometimes. Sat under the old mango tree and took notes in a little red notebook. When I passed by, she'd glance up and smile—a soft, quiet smile that unnerved me more than any of Randy's trash talk.
[Alert: Emotional Anchor Point Fluctuating – Maria Reyes]
Status: Undefined
Observation Bonus Active (+1 to Empathy Detection)
One day, after practice, I found her waiting near the gate.
"You looked… happy out there," she said.
"I was focused."
She held up her notebook. "I've been writing something. A story. You inspired it."
I stared. "Why me?"
She hesitated. "Because you're real. You carry something. I don't know what, but it matters."
I didn't know what to say. The girl who once tore me apart was now watching me become something again. And I couldn't tell if that meant healing… or another wound waiting to open.
System Prompt:
[Confront Her] [Let Her In] [Stay Focused: No Distractions Before Match Day]
I closed my eyes and chose the only option that made sense right now.
[Stay Focused]
"I've got a game to win," I said.
She nodded, a bit disappointed but respectful. "Then win it."
That night, Coach Erwin gathered us.
"You want to play for real?" he said. "Then here it is. One game. You versus Randy's crew. This Friday. No teachers. No trophies. Just pride."
New Quest Unlocked: The Underground Match
Objective: Defeat Sun Valley Hoopers FC
Reward: +2 Reputation (Campus), Unlock Special Move: Counter Press
I stared at the roster. Randy had a good squad. Bigger kids. Faster ones. But they didn't have what we had.
They didn't have the System.
They didn't have the fire.
They didn't have me.
Friday couldn't come fast enough.