"Yo, Yosuke, this doesn't look like a friendly match to me."
Wearing his team jersey and stretching his ankles, Kitagawa Ryo glanced at Hirata Yosuke with mild disbelief. The crowd turnout was far beyond what Yosuke had said on the phone.
"Well… technically, the other school started it. But since we're hosting, I figured we might as well use our home turf advantage. And I may have, uh, leaked the news that you'd be playing… so now it's become this huge thing."
Yosuke scratched his cheek awkwardly. The turnout had indeed exceeded expectations—students, alumni, even a few teachers from both schools had packed the bleachers. Cheer squads from both sides filled the stands to the brim, and people were even peeking in from the aisles.
"Did you prep the safety protocols? Emergency response plans and evacuation guides all handed out?"
Even though he'd graduated six months ago, Ryo barked orders like he never left.
"Student council members are already maintaining order. The team you left behind is still solid, senpai."
"Credit goes to them, then."
After tightening his shoelaces, Ryo led his team onto the field.
"Let's go."
Only three minutes into the match, Ryo capitalized on a botched pass from the opposing team just past midfield. He intercepted cleanly and immediately charged forward with the ball.
All eyes naturally shifted to him. The crowd wanted to see if this ridiculously handsome senpai could play as well as he looked.
Despite being out of practice, Ryo moved with finesse. With his left foot, he nudged the ball half a meter forward, stabilized himself with his right leg, then launched into a powerful kick. The ball sailed off from the left side, about ten meters from the center line, crossing the field in a diagonal arc.
Thousands of eyes locked onto that ball. And just as it was about to hit the ground, Hirata Yosuke came sprinting into view, closing in on the landing spot with blinding speed.
The defenders trailing behind him gritted their teeth, desperately trying to catch up. But they'd underestimated the synergy between Ryo and Yosuke.
Back when Ryo was captain of the soccer club, he and Yosuke had developed a near-telepathic understanding. This long pass was exactly the kind Yosuke was used to.
"Beautiful pass! Hirata Yosuke's one-on-one!"
The club's faculty advisor, invited as commentator, nearly lost his voice yelling into the mic.
For spectators who didn't understand the rules, soccer was simple: get the ball into the goal. And right now, Hirata Yosuke was charging straight at it. The entire crowd held their breath as the offense unfolded.
Under such pressure, the opposing goalkeeper lost his nerve and rushed out prematurely. But with his deft footwork, Hirata Yosuke easily sidestepped him and scored into the empty net.
The entire stadium erupted. Waves of cheers crashed over one another.
Yosuke, thrilled by the goal, sprinted toward Kitagawa Ryo and leaped into his arms, only to be pushed off seconds later.
"Chill. It's just the beginning of the match. Save your energy."
Five minutes later, Yosuke faked a cross from the right and sent a brilliant cutback pass. Ryo, firing on all cylinders, ghosted into the arc just outside the penalty box. No defenders were within three meters of him.
As if he had eyes on the back of his head, Ryo planted his right foot, wound up with his left, and struck the incoming ball.
With a muffled "thud," the ball changed course and rocketed like a cannonball toward the top-left corner of the goal. The defenders couldn't react in time. Neither could the keeper—by the time he moved, the net was already billowing.
"It's in!"
The commentator roared with excitement.
"Ten minutes into the match, Kitagawa Ryo scores a brilliant long-range goal after assisting the first! It's now 2–0 for the home team!"
As the crowd exploded again, Ryo jogged toward the home crowd, pointed to the school crest on his jersey, and grinned:
"Welcome to our school!"
The new freshmen—barely thirteen—erupted. They were thrilled with their choice of middle school. Some might have even decided that day to join the soccer club.
If you scored in front of your crush, would they fall for you?
Ryo didn't know what those younger boys were thinking. After high-fiving his teammates, he got back into position.
The opposition soon recognized Ryo's threat level. Though he dialed it down a bit, the opponent managed to close the gap. The first half ended 2–1.
"Senpai, water."
Ryo took the bottle from Yosuke, sipping as he asked, "Our school never had a cheer squad, right?"
"Only added this year."
Yosuke wiggled his brows, nodding toward the girls in light-blue cheer outfits.
"Well?"
Short skirts fluttered, toned waists flashed with each bounce. Ryo leaned back, enjoying the show—until his mind conjured up Ichinose Honami in the same outfit.
"Ahem..."
Coughing awkwardly, he grabbed his phone and saw a message from Honami: "Just finished work. Be there soon."
He replied casually, then glanced back at the field.
The visiting cheer squad—dressed in bright yellow—was now performing. Their cropped tops and long white socks turned heads, even from the home crowd.
"Hmm?"
Ryo frowned. "Yosuke, does the girl on the far right in the second row look... off to you?"
"Where?"
Yosuke squinted. From their distance, all he could see were pale legs.
"Never mind. Probably just imagining things."
Ryo clapped his shoulder. "Get ready. Second half's starting."
-------------------------------------
When Ichinose Honami arrived on campus alone, the sun was beginning to set. The heat of summer had subsided slightly, and after checking her direction, she walked toward the open east gate of the soccer field.
Though she didn't attend the same middle school as Kitagawa Ryo, both were intimately familiar with each other's campus. From classrooms and cafeterias to favorite lunch spots, they had explored them together. Because of today's soccer match, the gates were still open, and she soon found herself at the field.
Honami was a strong athlete among her peers, though soccer wasn't her area of expertise. Thanks to Ryo, however, she understood the basic rules. Although she arrived late and could only find space in the aisle, barely able to see the field even on tiptoe, she quickly noticed the massive digital scoreboard.
4–4. The clock read 91:03.
It was the final minute of extra time.
Standing on tiptoe, Honami saw the opposing team attempt a final shot. Amidst thunderous cheers, the home goalkeeper dove right and caught the ball.
Ryo, sensing the opportunity, signaled for the keeper to throw the ball to him on the left.
They'd played together many times before, so the keeper understood immediately. Dodging the players in front of him, he took a running start and hurled the ball to Ryo.
Ryo had already tallied two goals and two assists that game. Seeing him move for the ball, three defenders rushed over to intercept.
But Ryo coolly passed to an unmarked Hirata Yosuke.
The defenders realized the trap too late.
Ryo exploded forward into the opposing half. Yosuke gently shifted the ball to his right, adjusted slightly, and launched a long pass down the center.
Though not as accurate as Ryo's, Yosuke's pass flew cleanly toward a waiting striker. Both teams were fatigued from the intense match, and as the striker slowed, the defense finally caught up.
Then came a small smile—and a soft push with the inside of his foot.
A deafening roar swept across the field.
The opposing team's captain hadn't even noticed when Ryo started sprinting up the middle.
He tried to catch up, but Ryo was simply too fast.
Only one defender and the keeper stood in Ryo's way.
The defender lunged, aiming to foul Ryo, but Ryo flicked the ball ahead and blazed past him.
The keeper rushed forward, thinking he could intercept. But Ryo, already at top speed, got there first.
The keeper hesitated—his worst mistake.
Ryo adjusted the ball, planted his foot, and chipped it high.
"A lob shot!"
The ball arced gracefully—and plunged into the empty net.
"5–4! It's over! A spectacular finish!"
The crowd exploded into cheers. People love last-minute miracles.
One of Ryo's teammates sprinted to the stands, took a bouquet of roses from a friend, and jumped onto the bleachers.
"Sakakami-san, I like you! Please go out with me!"
"Say yes! Say yes!"
The crowd chanted as the blushing girl accepted the roses and kissed his cheek.
The striker ran wild in celebration.
Ryo chuckled, hands on his hips. "He's got more energy after full time than during the match."
"Senpai," Yosuke said, wiping sweat from his brow, "I heard someone say they saw Ichinose."
Ryo's heart leapt. She'd seen his game-winning goal.
He raised his hand, made a heart gesture, and dashed toward the stands.
The crowd fell silent.
Kitagawa-senpai... was he going to confess?
In his three years as student council president and soccer club captain, Ryo had been the talk of the school. After the last romantic confession, everyone assumed another one was coming.
All eyes followed him—but after sprinting around the entire field, Ryo realized:
She wasn't there.
Girls shouted, "He likes me! He just couldn't find me!" but most accepted it was just Ryo greeting his juniors.
"Honami?"
Frustrated, Ryo changed out of his uniform and called her.
"Sorry, Ryo! Maki called just then, and I had to step outside. But I saw your last goal—everyone was screaming!"
Honami's cheerful voice came through the phone.
"Maki said our cat's not feeling well. Could you take it to the vet?"
"I'm a bit busy these days. I'll send you a clinic's number. Just take Maki and the cat there."
He subtly covered for Honami. He had moved out of her building precisely because Maki had shown a crush on him.
Had Honami noticed?
Ryo never underestimated his childhood friend.
"Should I meet you outside the east gate?"
"Yup! It's so crowded here. I'm waiting by the gate."
"Got it. See you soon."
"Later!"
Ryo ended the call and turned to Yosuke.
"So, have you decided which high school you want to go to?"
"I'll think about it later. I'm not like you, with a family business to inherit."
As they joked, a group of girls approached.
"Can we help you?" Yosuke asked politely.
They were the visiting cheerleaders. Not exactly threatening.
"Kitagawa Ryo-senpai, right?"
The lead girl yanked another girl forward.
"My... friend wants to confess to you."
The girl stumbled. Ryo caught her gently.
"Are you okay?"
She didn't answer. Her bangs covered her eyes. Her lips trembled.
"I… I like you. Please go out with me."
Ryo frowned. Her voice was cracked, her eyes dull.
Then, he smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Sure. I accept."