11'
Kasugano corner threat. But instead of whipping it, they play it short — drill a rehearsed pattern.
Fujimori → Iseri → Tsubaki cutting inside. Quick one-two. Half-chance.
Shot deflects off Hayato's shin — he read it late, but arrived.
Ball out for throw.
Kasugano keep them pinned.
---
12'
The pressure finally bends the shape. Yuki (SS) is having to drop so deep to help that he can't link forward quick enough.
Sera shouts, "hold the line," calming breath, but the midfield screen is thin now.
The sense grows —
Kasugano goal feels close.
They're not stronger by talent alone —
they're stronger through repetition.
Kitonohara are reacting. Kasugano are rehearsing.
---
14'
Kasugano reset again, patient. Iseri (CM) drifts left now, dragging Sera with him — creating a vacuum between Hayato (DMF) and the CBs.
Fujimori (LMF) checks inside, Minato (CF) drops like a false 9 for a second, and that half-step of confusion is all it needs.
Nagasawa (LCB) fires a flat pass straight into Minato's feet.
Gen (CB) reads it, steps, but Minato lays it off first touch → Iseri.
Withdrawal pass → vertical pass. Clockwork.
Hayato turns his hips late, and Iseri is already threading one more line-splitter.
Tsubaki (RMF) flies in diagonally behind Jirō.
A crack in shape, finally punished.
---
15' — GOAL, KASUGANO (0–1)
Jirō tries to angle the recovery, but Tsubaki gets the extra half-stride. He doesn't blast it —
just slides it across the box, low, first-time finish from Minato (CF), right instep, inside net.
Simple. Clean. Boring if you don't know football. Lethal if you do.
Kitonohara almost had no touch on the ball that whole sequence.
---
Kickoff resumes (16')
Akira (CF) picks the ball from the net himself. Sets it on halfway quietly.
He doesn't complain. He just feels the gap — not skill, not fitness, cohesion.
Yuki (SS) keeps glancing forward like he wants space, but Kasugano deny it with shape, not speed.
Hayato (DMF) looks rattled — not physically, but mentally chasing shadows.
Sera (CM) pats his arm once. "Stay. Don't chase," just a short instruction.
Gen (CB) calls back, "reset lines," voice low, steady.
---
18'
Kitonohara start showing tiny sparks — Sera begins switching play short-side to relieve pressure, and Akira finds a pocket once.
But Kasugano recover quick. Their block slides as one.
---
19'
Kasugano slow their tempo again. They don't rush after scoring — they suffocate rhythm.
Iseri (CM) keeps showing short, Minato (CF) pins Gen just enough to stop him stepping, and both wide mids hold touchlines so Hayato can't commit.
Kitonohara regroup, but they're still reacting — not dictating.
---
21'
A loose ball drops near the halfway line. Hayato (DMF) steps in late but wins it on a stretch tackle.
It spills to Sera (CM) — he turns out of pressure with a simple body feint, pops a pass to Yuki (SS).
For a second, Kasugano's line tilts wrong.
Akira (CF) senses it early, starts a diagonal dart between the CBs.
Yuki tries the threaded pass…
…but Nagasawa (CB) reads it, hip already set before the ball is kicked. Interception. No danger.
Gen claps once — not encouragement, but recognition: they almost timed one right.
---
23'
Kitonohara drop deeper. They try not to let the game stretch.
Kasugano move it from side to side, testing.
Fujimori (LMF) whips a teasing ball behind the line. Gen (CB) clears calm — chest, settle, volley long.
It's not flashy. It's just competent. The kind of defending a weak team doesn't have.
Even Kasugano's midfield pause a second, noticing it.
---
26'
Finally — a break.
Sera (CM) intercepts a sloppy exchange between Iseri and Tsubaki. Quick head up, plays early into space for Yuki.
Yuki sprints, cuts in, Akira flares wide to drag the stopper…
Left-foot strike. Clean hit. But straight at the keeper.
Takigawa
(GK) catches it, no rebound.
Kasugano bench still calm.
Kitonohara bench… quietly leaning forward now. Hina scribbling notes without looking up.
28' — The trigger
Kasugano push again, but this time a pass toward midfield ricochets awkwardly.
Ball pops free near the center circle.
Hayato (DMF) sees grass in front of him —and for the first time— he doesn't hesitate.
He kicks it long past midfield then chases it himself.
Kasugano's CM is high, the CBs are temporarily spread, and the keeper is off his line.
Gasps from both benches.
---
29'
Hayato hits top speed. Nobody expected him to keep going.
The ball keeps rolling… and suddenly he's beyond the halfway line, alone, Kasugano scrambling back.
He reaches it first, tries a driven touch toward the box—
but the turf angle forces him wide. He tries to shoot anyway, towing the ball with his laces…
It skips high, just over the bar
— brushing the roof netting.
The Kasugano goalkeeper freezes, then exhales hard.
That… was almost 1–1 from the halfway corridor.
But as Hayato lands from the strike, his ankle twists awkwardly — a small buckle, a flash of pain across his face.
He slows. Grimace. Looks down.
---
30' — Halftime whistle
Kasugano players jog back normal.
Kitonohara jog back in fragments: some looking at Hayato, some still replaying the near-goal in their heads.
Not a bad half. Not a good half.
Score: Kasugano 1 – 0 Kitonohara.
The game now feels real.
HALFTIME (bench scene)
The boys come off breathing heavy but not defeated.
Hina and Domon move down the line with water bottles. Everyone's energy is light — not celebrating, but relieved they're not getting crushed.
Quiet smiles. Some shoulder taps.
Hayato sits last, stretching his ankle once… winces.
Sera (CM) notices first. "Oi. You okay?"
Hina bends down. "Hold still a second."
She presses around the joint — mild swelling. Her face shifts.
"…This looks bad. You shouldn't go back in."
Hayato lifts his head. "I can still play."
Gen (CB) immediately: "No. You've done more than enough."
Hayato blinks — surprised by how firm his tone is.
"You're not even part of the club. I can't ask more from you than this. It would be greedy."
The others quiet. The mood dips again.
Akira exhales softly. "So… six in the second half?"
Yuki frowns. "Then— what about Domon? Can he fill?"
Gen turns slightly, serious. "Domon is still a kid. He doesn't have football touch yet."
Hayato raises a brow. "…Then what am I? A training cone?"
Everyone bursts into a short laugh. Even Gen cracks a bit at the edge.
Domon is red but raises a hand awkwardly: "I'll… I'll play. Even if it won't help much."
Gen looks at him straight. "You sure?"
Yuki nods next to him. "He plays with me sometimes. He won't run away."
Domon swallows. "I'm sure."
Gen finally nods once — a captain's nod. "Then help us finish this."
Hina hands Domon the spare match jersey. He grips it tight, breath short — half terror, half excitement.
Gen turns back to the board (just a cleared patch of dirt, but treated like tactics).
"We change shape.
Domon holds the screen.
Hayato rests."
Domon nods.
SECOND HALF — 32'
Kitonohara restart.
Akira (CF) drops a step toward halfway. Yuki (SS) opens his body early, asking for the ball. Sera (CM) claps once — "let's go."
Gen (CB) plays the first pass short.
They move higher.
Livelier.
Breathing sharper, but smiling a little.
Kasugano don't bite.
They retreat a step, not pressured. Lines compact.
Waiting.
Domon (sweeper) stays behind Gen and Jirō, checking shoulders over and over — nervous, stiff, but trying.
Sera (CM) turns, spreads play right.
Akira drops in.
Yuki angles wide.
The tempo feels good.
They're camped in Kasugano's half for a minute, maybe two — crowd energy rising just from territory.
Gen senses it — "keep it simple," he mutters — but even he's a bit pulled forward by the moment.
Kasugano are patient.
They want this shape first.