"5 more laps to go! Remember, the last man gets an additional 5!" The coach yelled.
They were currently running the 15th lap out of 20.
"Boo-hoo, I don't want to run anymore."
"I can't feel my legs."
"No talking or complaining! Anymore of that, and you all get more laps."
5 laps later, they all sat on the floor, panting breathlessly.
"Don't get lazy! You've got just 5 minutes of rest. Well, continue immediately after that."
"W-wait? There's still more?!"
Atsushi panted heavily, 'So this is why the reward is high.'
After 5 minutes of rest, the coach called the team back.
"Okay! Line up!" He shouted, clapping his hands.
"Ugh..."
The coach looked serious once again as he stood before the team.
"You guys don't impress me. You're not good enough in the basics."
Their heads drooped as he spoke.
"Soccer has basics. Fitness, control, awareness on and off the ball, passing, and movement. We're still on fitness, and I worry about your future." He sighed, then strode towards a box which was placed a little farther from them.
"But don't worry. Everything's got a beginning, after all. If you were perfect, you wouldn't have been here." He picked up the box and smiled.
They all turned to him, their gloomy expressions slowly fading away.
"Let's take things step by step. We'll get where we want to at the right time, so I'll not lose hope. For now."
"Coach..."
"Okay, that being said, the basics will be drilled in before the match on Saturday. We'll be having fitness drills throughout today."
"Yeah!!"
"Ah! Before I forget..." He opened the box and showed them what was inside.
"What's this?" Ichiro asked.
"It's your personal ID card. You use it to access every facility in the club."
He handed the cards to everyone.
"I thought we could use our SW all to access them."
"You can, but this is much better. You'll find out how useful it is later. Now, let's continue with the fitness drill."
"Yes, coach!"
They continued with the fitness training and refused to stop till evening.
---
—[6 MORE DAYS TILL MATCHDAY]—
"Okay! Your stamina/endurance has improved a lot after yesterday's training. Your stats can bear witness to that. But still, it's not enough."
Everyone lined up in the main pitch, waiting for that days training to commence.
"We'll be focusing on your speed and agility today." He explained.
Akaji raised his hand, "But coach, not everyone needs those."
"You're right, but also wrong."
"How?"
"It's indeed crucial for strikers, wingers, and midfielders to be proficient in these, and because of that, some defenders ignore this aspect." He continued.
"Defence isn't just about strength. It's about not being late."
"Attackers choose where to run, the defenders have to follow. So, if you can't change directions faster than theirs, don't tell me you know how to defend."
He went on and explained, "If your first step is slow, you're already beaten. Perfect positioning is a lie. Everyone makes mistake, and the best way to overcome that is through speed. React faster, fall and rise again, immediately."
"Strength helps you win battles, movement helps you avoid losing them."
He turned to Akaji and smiled, "I'm sure you understand. Now, let's start with the first phase of sprinting."
Excluding Koenji and Misaki, who served as the time keepers, the rest of the team lined up beside the racing track.
"We'll be testing your speed at 100 meters to and fro. The first 6 are Akaji, Atsushi, Ryuto, Shoichi, Kimishita, and Yusuke." The coach announced.
"Heck yeah! Get ready to be crushed by me!" Kimishita cracked his neck, standing on his mark.
"Make sure you don't eat dust." Ryuto grinned widely.
"Once you hear the sound of the whistle, you run. Mind you, the last man will run 5 laps today." The coach informed.
Atsushi furrowed his brows as his eyes fell on the white lines.
'Don't be overconfident, and don't be diffident. Don't go too fast, but don't go slow either. You must not be first place, just be there.' He exhaled deeply and then looked straight ahead.
"Oh, try to push past your limits. I've got your stats here, so don't try to play smart with me. If your speed doesn't match your stat, I'll be taking 100 points from you." The coach curled his lips.
Atsushi's breath hitched.
'He can see my stats? Well, that's troublesome. I guess some things can't stay hidden.'
"Hmph! There's no need to hide how fast I am." Kimishita said.
"You must be dreaming if you think he's talking about you." Shoichi chuckled.
The coach blew the whistle, and they began running.
"Oh, Kimishita isn't all talk after all." Yui watched in awe.
"But look at Atsu go! He's already running back." Aira said.
"Whoa! He's really fast."
'Dammit! He's way faster than I am! But that's to be expected. He did say he was only good at running.' Akaji grimaced.
'Well, I'll let him off the hook even though he didn't go as fast as his stats show. I wonder why he's trying to hide it, though. This could be a great asset for him.' Haruya rubbed his chin as he stared at Atsushi, who chuckled awkwardly.
"You were really fast." Emi complimented.
"Haha, you think so?" Atsushi rubbed the nape of his neck.
"Yeah, what else are you good at?" Yui asked.
"I'm average at every other thing."
"Eh...?"
"Okay, girls! It's time for you to run!" The coach announced.
"Yes."
"Looks like your hard work is paying off." Akaji smiled, walking towards Atsu.
"Really?" Atsushi asked.
Then his expression turned anxious, as if he was thinking moodily about something.
"I feel like I'm not yet at the level I want to be at." He muttered.
Akaji stared at him for a long time before looking away.
'He's still not satisfied with this? I guess he wasn't joking about working hard. Dammit, this makes me feel useless. I still need to work hard.' He thought.
"Let's both strive hard to get where we want to." Akaji said, raising his arm.
Atsushi breath caught as he looked up at Akaji.
Then he raised his arm as they bumped wrists.
"Yeah!" He smiled brightly.
'Now this is going somewhere.'