Yuki would be walking down the street while he juggled a football at his feet. Masaki would be looking at Yuki raising a brow,

"Since when did you get back into football?" Masaki asked. Yuki looked surprised,

"Oh crap, I forgot to tell you... I got back so late, It slipped my mind." Yuki said. Yuki pulled the note out of his pocket while he continued to juggle the ball and handed it to Masaki. Masaki unfolded the note, reading it. His eyes widened,

"NO WAY!?" Masaki said, folding the note back up and handing it to Yuki.

"Yep," Yuki said, following the ball up and down with his head.

"Did you win?" Masaki asked. Yuki shook his head,

"Nope," Yuki said, chipping the ball into his hands. Masaki nodded,

"That's alright... You haven't played since junior high so it only makes sense." Masaki said. Yuki nodded,

"How about we join the school's club?" Masaki said. Yuki shrugged,

"They any good?" Yuki asked. Masaki chuckled awkwardly.

"Uhm... The last time we got into a tournament was-"

"Yeah... I get it..." Yuki interrupted. Yuki would have a flashback.

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden hue over the junior high soccer field. The air was thick with the energy of the game, the shouts of teammates, and the cheers of classmates. Yuki, Ryo, and Masaki had been playing together since elementary school, their synergy on the field a testament to years of friendship and countless hours of practice.

With just minutes left on the clock, their team was down by a single goal. The pressure was palpable, but Yuki, Ryo, and Masaki thrived in moments like these. Yuki glanced over at Ryo, who nodded slightly, understanding Yuki’s unspoken plan. Masaki, always quick on his feet, intercepted a pass from the opposing team and took off down the field.

Masaki dribbled past two defenders with ease, his movements fluid and controlled. As he approached the halfway line, he spotted Yuki making a run up the right flank. With a swift and precise pass, Masaki sent the ball soaring towards Yuki.

Yuki received the pass with grace, his touch light and deft. He quickly scanned the field, his eyes locking on Ryo, who was positioning himself near the penalty area. Without hesitation, Yuki sent the ball to Ryo with a perfectly timed pass.

Ryo controlled the ball with his chest, taking a moment to steady himself. The defense closed in, but Ryo was calm and composed. He spotted Yuki continuing his run into the box and, with a flick of his foot, sent the ball back to him.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The exchange was seamless, their movements synchronized like a well-rehearsed dance. Yuki, now in prime scoring position, drew his leg back and struck the ball with power and precision. The goalkeeper lunged, but it was too late—the ball sailed past him and into the back of the net.

The crowd erupted in cheers, a roar of approval and excitement. Yuki, Ryo, and Masaki rushed towards each other, their faces lit with triumphant smiles. They embraced in the middle of the field, their arms slung over each other's shoulders as they jumped up and down in celebration.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Yuki exclaimed, his voice filled with joy.

"WHAT A SHOT!!," Ryo replied, grinning broadly.

"WHAT RYO SAID!!" Masaki added, giving both of them a playful shove.

As the referee's whistle blew, signaling the end of the game, the three friends continued their celebration, the bond between them stronger than ever. Yuki looked at the ground, smiling.

"I want that feeling again..." Yuki said. Masaki raised a brow.

"What do you mean?" Masaki asked. Yuki looked at Masaki with his eyes glowing.

"That feeling of Me, You, and Ryo all playing on the same team again! It's like we were unbeatable!" Yuki said. Masaki looked surprised,

"But he plays for a different school...?" Masaki said. Yuki sighed,

"That doesn't matter, we'll all end up playing for different clubs in Europe but when we have our time, we'll take Japan all the way to win a World Cup!!"

"Together!!" Yuki said. Masaki nodded,

“Sounds like a deal,” Masaki said. Yuki nodded, a few minutes later, the two arrived at school. They walked over to Ryo’s sister. She looked up at the two, raising a brow.

“Can I help you…?” She asked.

“You’re Ryo’s Sister, right?” Masaki asked. She nodded. Masaki bowed,

“Masaki Sano, nice to meet you.” Masaki said. Yuki looked the other way,

“Yoshiyuki Nakamoto… Just call me Yuki…” Yuki said. She nodded,

“Aya Tamaki… Nice to meet you two…”

“So do you guys like, need something?” Aya asked. Masaki nodded,

“We wanted to ask if we could know where Ryo is going to school?” Masaki asked. She sighed,

“Yuguretaka…” Aya said. Yuki and Masaki looked shock, then looked at eachother.

“That’s our school’s rivals, no?” Masaki asked. Yuki nodded. The two then looked at Aya, bowing.

“Thank you, have a nice day!” Masaki and Yuki said in unison. The two then sped down the hall as the bell rang. She looked confused. A few minutes later, Yuki would be sitting in at his desk, staring out thw window at the empty soccer pitch below. He would blink and he would have a flashback of him taking a penalty kick at a tournament final.

As Yuki stepped up to the penalty spot, his heart raced with a mixture of nerves and determination. He glanced at the goal, the net seeming both infinitely far away and tantalizingly close. Memories of countless hours of practice flooded his mind, his coach's words echoing in his ears.

"Focus. You've got this," he whispered to himself, trying to drown out the roar of the crowd. But doubts crept in, whispers of fear and uncertainty threatening to cloud his mind. What if he missed? What if he let his team down?

But then he remembered his team’s unwavering support, the countless times his teammates had encouraged him, believed in him, even when he doubted himself. With a renewed sense of purpose, Yuki blocked out the noise, honed in on the ball, and visualized his shot. This was his moment to shine, to prove to himself and to everyone watching that he had what it took to seize victory.

Taking a deep breath, Yuki focused all his energy on the task at hand. With one final burst of determination, he approached the ball, his mind clear, his body poised. And as he struck it with precision, he felt a surge of elation, the ball sailing into the net with the force of his dreams. He blinked coming back to the present and smiled.

“… I truly do…”

“… Love this sport…”