One month. That's all it took for everything to change.
Takeshi stared at the system window floating in front of him as he laced up his cleats for what felt like the hundredth time this month.
[CURRENT STATUS]
Level: 8
Rank: Starter A (98% progress to Amateur)
Quests Completed: 28/30 daily runs, 30/30 training sessions
Hidden Quest: [LOCKED - Requirements almost met]
Almost there. Almost at Amateur rank.
The past month had been absolutely insane. After that first hat-trick, everything had snowballed faster than he'd expected. Tokyo FC's youth team hadn't just won their opening Youth Cup match, they'd demolished everyone in their path.
"Yo, Takeshi!" Hiroshi jogged over, his face flushed with excitement. "Did you see the bracket? We're in the semifinals! The fucking semifinals!"
Language, Hiroshi, Takeshi thought with amusement. But he couldn't blame his best friend for being hyped. In his previous timeline, Tokyo FC's youth team had been knocked out in the second round. Now they were four matches away from a trophy that hadn't been won by a Tokyo club in thirty years.
I'm changing everything. Not just my future, everyone's.
"Yeah, I saw," Takeshi said, trying to play it cool even though his heart was pounding. "We've got work to do though."
Coach Tanaka's whistle echoed across the training ground, sharper than usual. The old man had been different lately—more intense, more hopeful. Like he was starting to believe in something he'd given up on years ago.
"Alright, you little monsters!" Coach barked. "Three weeks until semifinals. Three weeks to prove that Tokyo FC belongs with the big boys!"
The team gathered in their usual circle, but the energy was electric. These weren't the same kids who'd played that opening match a month ago. Winning did things to people—it made them believe in impossible things.
"Sato, you're starting to read the game like a veteran. Keep it up. Matsuda, your crosses have been getting better every match. And Yamamoto..." Coach's eyes found Takeshi across the circle. "Whatever you're doing, don't stop. I've never seen improvement like this in thirty years of coaching."
If only you knew I've got a cheat code running in my head.
Training was brutal as always, but Takeshi had found his rhythm. Twenty-mile runs at dawn, school, afternoon practice, homework, sleep, repeat. His body had adapted to the punishment, and the system rewards kept him motivated.
[SKILL UPGRADE: Intermediate Endurance Level 2 → Level 3]
[New Ability Unlocked: Tactical Vision Level 1]
[Starter Rank A progress: 99%]
So close to Amateur rank I can taste it.
During the scrimmage, something incredible happened. Takeshi was tracking back to help defend when he saw it, a pattern in the opposing team's movement that his adult brain recognized instantly. Three passes from now, their striker would make a run behind the defense.
I can see it before it happens.
He positioned himself perfectly, intercepted the pass that had yet to be played, and launched a counterattack that ended with Hiroshi scoring.
"How did you know that was coming?" Matsuda asked afterward, shaking his head in amazement.
Thirty-four years of watching football, kid.
"Just got lucky," Takeshi shrugged, but inside he was buzzing. The system was making him better in ways he hadn't expected.
After training, the team hit their usual convenience store for snacks and drinks. It had become a ritual, eight sweaty kids crowding into the tiny store, arguing over who got the last melon pan, sharing Pokemon cards and stupid jokes.
In my previous life, I was too serious for this stuff. Too focused on being 'professional.'
Now, sitting on the curb outside 7-Eleven with his teammates, sharing a bag of chips and laughing at Hiroshi's terrible impressions of their teachers, Takeshi felt something he'd forgotten existed: pure happiness.
"You know what's crazy?" Sato said, washing down his onigiri with strawberry milk. "My dad actually came to watch our last match. First time ever."
"Really?" Kenji's eyes went wide. "That's awesome, man."
"Yeah. He said he'd heard people at work talking about us. About how we might actually win something this year."
That's the ripple effect. I'm not just changing our futures, I'm changing their families, their relationships, everything.
The conversation was interrupted by Hiroshi suddenly pointing across the street. "Oi, isn't that the guy watching our matches?"
Takeshi looked up and felt his blood freeze. Standing outside a coffee shop, pretending to read a newspaper, was a tall European man in an expensive suit. He'd been at their last three matches, always in the same spot, always taking notes.
A scout. Already.
In his previous timeline, European scouts hadn't shown up until he was at least twelve. But he was changing the timeline, accelerating everything.
This is too early. Way too early.
The man's eyes met Takeshi's across the street, and he smiled. Then he folded his newspaper and walked away.
"Think he's a scout?" Matsuda asked excitedly.
"Nah," Kenji waved dismissively. "We're just kids. Why would scouts care about eight-year-olds?"
Because one of those eight-year-olds is playing like he's got twenty-six years of experience.
Takeshi said nothing, but his mind was racing. If European clubs were already watching him, it meant his cover was blown. People were starting to notice that something was different about Takeshi Yamamoto.
That night, during his regular twenty-mile run, the system finally gave him what he'd been waiting for.
[MILESTONE REACHED: 30 consecutive days of training completed]
[HIDDEN QUEST REVEALED]
QUEST: "Miracle Run"
Lead Tokyo FC Youth to their first semifinal appearance in 30 years
Current Progress: 4/4 matches won
Reward: Massive stat boost, Special Ability [Zone Entry Level 2], Rank promotion to Amateur
Holy shit. The hidden quest was about the team, not just me.
The realization hit him like a truck. The system wasn't just about making him individually better; it was about lifting everyone around him.
We're already in the semifinals. The quest is basically complete.
But as he rounded the corner toward home, another system window appeared.
[WARNING: Major challenge detected ahead]
[QUEST UPDATE: Semifinal opponent confirmed - Yokohama Elite Academy]
[Special note: This team contains future professional talent]
Takeshi's blood went cold. Yokohama Elite Academy. He remembered that name from his previous life. They'd been the youth team that had destroyed everyone in their path, featuring a striker who would eventually become Real Madrid's leading scorer.
Daichi Suzuki. The kid who would terrorize every defense in Europe.
In his original timeline, Takeshi had faced Daichi twice in youth matches. Both times, he'd been completely outclassed. The guy was a natural-born killer in the penalty box.
But this time is different. This time, I'm ready for him.