𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐌𝐀 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐒 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝟷

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 10 - Rivals Again

I feel completely recovered now, so I decide to head back to school. As soon as I arrive, I walk straight to the soccer clubroom. When I open the door, I'm instantly pulled into a tight hug-actually, two.

"I-I can't breathe!" I manage to choke out

"Sorry!" Norika and Ootani quickly let go, laughing

"We were really worried about you" Ootani says, her eyes filled with concern

"I'm fine now, really. Nothing to worry about" I smile to reassure them

"We're just glad you're okay" Asuto adds with a warm grin

Clap clap

"Everyone! You did wonderfully in the last match!" Coach announces proudly "Which is why I had you play it without any strategies-"

"Wait... it's not because you ran out of ideas, is it?" I interrupt, squinting suspiciously at him

Coach begins to sweat nervously, and his expression turns awkward.

"Wait, don't tell us you actually did" I say, stepping closer

"You seriously ran out of strategies?" Golem asks, incredulous

"No... no way..." Han-chan murmurs in disbelief

"Don't worry! I still have plenty of strategies!" Coach laughs nervously. Just then, the notebook in his hands slips and falls open... revealing completely blank pages

"It's blank!" we all shout in unison

"Ahem! Moving on!" Coach suddenly changes the topic "Your next match will be the final one in the Football Frontier preliminaries"

"He totally changed the subject!" we all groan

"Seishou Academy is ranked first with five wins and no losses" Coach explains "As you all know, a win earns 3 points and a draw earns 1. Teikoku has finished their six matches and sits at 13 points"

"We've won four matches and lost one" I say, thinking aloud "So we're at 12 points. That means... we can't afford a draw in the next game"

"There's no need to overthink it," Asuto says confidently "Like always, we just have to aim for victory!"

"Yeah!" we all cheer

| Time Skip - After School |

School ends early, and practice finishes quickly. I head straight home, change into comfy clothes, and settle into my gaming chair to play on my computer. I'm peacefully grinding through a game when my phone rings. I check the caller ID-it's Aki.

"Hello?"

"[F/N], it's me, Aki! Are you doing anything? Natsumi wants us to meet at the mall. It's been a while since we all hung out. I called Haruna, but she has a match, so she can't come"

"Sounds good! I'm not doing much here. I'll just change and head out"

"Perfect! I'll meet you there. Bye!"

I quickly change, grab a small shoulder bag, and head out. Yeah, we actually have seven cars, but since I'm still a minor and don't have a license, we only use them when my parents or sister drive.

At the bus stop, the bus pulls up and I hop in. I take a seat next to a red-haired boy who looks about my age.

I pull out my phone and launch Call of Duty Mobile, keeping the volume off since I forgot my earphones.

As I rack up kills, the boy next to me watches silently for a while before finally speaking.

"You're really good at that game"