The buzzing of an alarm echoed through a small, dimly lit room. The sound was persistent, intrusive, but for Kaito Suzuki, it had become nothing more than an annoying background noise to his daily routine. His eyes, heavy from a night of tossing and turning, flickered open. The clock on his nightstand read 6:00 AM. With a groan, he sat up in bed, running his hands through messy, dark hair. His body felt stiff, a result of long hours spent on the field and even longer hours spent dreaming of becoming a football legend.
But today was different.
Today, a letter had arrived.
It was odd, Kaito thought, that he had received a letter at all. He was just a regular high schooler—nothing special. A forward for his school’s underdog football team, training every day with his best friends, dreaming of playing for the national league. He wasn’t some kind of prodigy. But the letter had arrived for him, and the words printed on the envelope were unlike anything he had seen before.
"The National Football Talent Selection: Only the Best Will Survive."
Kaito tore open the envelope, heart pounding. Inside, there was a thick sheet of paper with bold black lettering:
"Congratulations, Kaito Suzuki. You have been selected to join the Elite Football Training Program."
The rest of the letter went on to explain the details, but Kaito barely registered the words. All he could focus on was the promise—an invitation to join an exclusive, nationwide training camp. A place where only the best of the best would compete for the coveted title of Japan's top football talent.
And what did that mean for him?
A chance to go beyond the limits of his current skill.
Kaito jumped out of bed, his sleepiness instantly replaced with a rush of adrenaline. His heart raced as he pictured it—what it would be like to stand among the country's top players. The idea was dizzying. He had been good in his school league, sure, but would he really be able to compete with players from across the nation? The competition would be fierce, cutthroat. He knew that much.
Still, the hunger for greatness burned deep inside him.
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That evening, Kaito stood in front of a modest local stadium where his team practiced after school. He wasn’t the best on the team, not by far, but his drive was unmatched. And that, he believed, was what would take him farther than anyone else.
His teammates, still unaware of the letter’s contents, were going through their usual warm-ups. Kaito’s best friend, Ren Tanaka, jogged over to him, wiping sweat from his brow.
“Yo, Kaito! What’s up? You’re looking extra serious today,” Ren grinned, clearly unaware of the internal storm brewing in Kaito’s chest.
Kaito grinned back, but there was a certain intensity in his eyes. “I got in,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ren raised an eyebrow. “Got in? Got in where?”
“The Elite Football Training Program. I’m going,” Kaito said, now standing tall, his chest swelling with pride. “I’m going to be the best player in Japan.”
Ren blinked in disbelief, his expression shifting from confusion to excitement. “What?! No way, dude. That’s huge! Wait, but... are you sure? You’ve seen how tough those guys are. Are you really ready for it?”
Kaito took a deep breath, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “I’m ready. I have to be. This is my chance to make it big.”
Ren’s face softened, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes. “Just don’t forget where you came from, okay? No matter how big you get, don’t leave us behind.”
Kaito smiled. “I won’t. I’ll always come back for you guys.”
But deep down, something gnawed at him. The Elite Training Program wouldn’t be a place for camaraderie. It would be a battlefield, a place where only one player could stand on top. His friends and teammates—they weren’t coming with him. This was his fight, and his fight alone.
The next morning, Kaito boarded a bus that would take him to the unknown.
The stadium where the camp would be held was massive, an imposing fortress of steel and concrete. There were hundreds of players milling around, all wearing the same uniform—a black jersey with a red and gold emblem on the chest. Kaito swallowed his nerves and stepped off the bus. His heart raced. He could see the competition already. Young men, all in peak physical condition, most of them with looks of confidence or arrogance in their eyes. But Kaito knew one thing for certain: they weren’t going to take this spot away from him.
He walked into the arena, where a man dressed in a sharp black suit stood waiting. He had a calculating, almost cold expression on his face, and the moment Kaito laid eyes on him, he knew he was in the presence of someone who had seen it all.
The man spoke.
“Welcome to the Elite Football Training Program. I am Coach Kuroda, and here, you will compete for a chance to prove yourself. Only the top player will emerge victorious. Everyone else will fall. Do you have what it takes?”
Kaito’s eyes narrowed. He could feel the weight of the question, but there was no hesitation in his voice when he replied.
“I do.”
Coach Kuroda smirked, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling mix of interest and cold calculation.
“We’ll see, won’t we?”
The door to the next chapter of Kaito's life had just opened. But inside, there would be no mercy. Only the relentless pursuit of greatness.
And the first test... was about to begin.