Game Changer | Petalz 🌸🍃

Chapter VI

The sixtieth minute of the match passes when Juventus scores their second goal of the match.

Yunjin punches the grass in frustration as she lifts from the ground after her failed attempt to save the striker's shot, but no one could blame her for that goal. The defenders were more at fault, having been too slow in their reactions and allowing for the striker to slip past them.

Sakura curses under her breath as the scoreboard changes from 1:0 to 2:0. They still have some time to make a comeback but seeing how their team has troubles getting on Juventus' half of the field, she slowly starts to lose hope.

The strategy she worked on with Kazuha and practiced during their last training session was useless in the face of their midfielders playing too cautiously. It's like they are afraid of the Juventus players and rather than face them head on, they keep passing back to the defenders. As a result, they force her and Kazuha to go deeper into their own side of the field as well.

The state of the game looks so hopeless that even their coach seems to have given up and stopped shouting his directions at them.

After another Juventus attack, which thankfully only ends with the ball flying way over the crossbar, both coaches call for changes.

Sakura uses the short pause in the game to try and come up with some plan B. But when she arrives at nothing, her eyes seek out Kazuha, in hopes that maybe the girl has some idea on how to save this doomed game.

Yet looking at Kazuha only worsens Sakura's annoyance as the girl smiles at her from across the field like she's not bothered at all by the fact that their team plays as if they were a bunch of amateurs. She even has the audacity to give her a thumbs up, which makes Sakura suspect that Kazuha's idea to win the game is to manifest it through positive thinking.

Even when the game looked doomed, you were relentless in your attacks till the very last second, Kazuha's words ring out in Sakura's mind all of a sudden. And she realizes that the girl isn't in denial. She may not have a plan as to how to win the game but that doesn't mean she has given up already. She smiles because the match hasn't ended yet and there's still time.

Their whole team needs to realize that. But when Sakura sees their tired and discouraged faces, she can tell that unlike Kazuha, they have lost all hope and just waited for the match to end.

"Chaewon!" Sakura shouts to the midfielder as Yunjin prepares to take the goal kick and resume the game. She won't let her team surrender like that and embarrass them all. If Kazuha can smile, refusing to give up, so can the rest of them. "There's still time! Just play forward!"

After Chaewon gives her a thumbs up, she runs quickly to Kazuha.

"Listen, I'll go deeper into their half but don't pass to me, okay?"

Kazuha gives her a puzzled look.

"Offside traps, remember?"

The girl's lips form an 'o' as her eyes twinkle and she nods enthusiastically.

Sakura stifles a chuckle. Now really isn't the time to appreciate Kazuha's cute reactions. They have a game to win. Also, where did that even come from? Anyway! Back to the game!

"Do everything you can to lose your defenders. They're fast, but you're faster." She pats the girl on the arm and runs to take her position. As expected, two Juventus defenders follow her, ready to catch her in an offside position if there's ever a pass coming her way.

Yunjin resumes the game with a long pass that Chaewon traps midair with her chest. Kazuha manages to lose her defenders, and the midfielder immediately takes that opportunity to deliver the ball to her. Finally, the girl breaks into a sprint, running full-speed in Sakura's direction.

Sakura smirks as the distance between them is getting smaller and smaller.