Kai sat at the kitchen table, his fork idly pushing around a pancake drenched in syrup.
His mom, Mira, who was a Japanese woman, moved about the kitchen, her cheerful humming filling the small space.
The warmth of the moment might have comforted him once, but his mind was elsewhere.
The date on the calendar caught his attention.
August 20, 2012.
Exactly two weeks.
That's all that remained of summer vacation before the school year began—his final year of middle school.
Two weeks to change his destiny.
For Kai, it was about securing a spot on the starting eleven of the school's Football team.
Without it, he wouldn't get the exposure he needed to impress scouts and earn a place in a high school with a strong Football program, which wasn't a given in America, where other sports like Basketball are more dominant.
This would be the first critical step toward his dream of going pro.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed, Kai felt his determination sharpen.
He had one week to complete his system's quests and earn the promised reward: The Potential Enhancing Elixir.
If his assumptions were correct, this item that would enhance his potential could help him improve his skills faster.
The second week would therefore be dedicated to putting the Elixir's effects to work. Even the smallest improvement could set him apart.
He glanced at his reflection in the fork, his thirteen-year-old self staring back at him with a mix of uncertainty and resolve.
He had been dreaming about a chance to right his wrongs.
And now, thanks to the Supreme Soccer System, here he was, given a chance to do exactly that.
The system wasn't just a game or a helpful tool—it was both his greatest opportunity and his most relentless taskmaster.
Its stats, quests, and rewards were enticing, but the looming punishments for failure were harsh enough to keep him awake at night.
This wasn't just a redo of his past; it was a second chance. Back then, Kai had been relegated to the second team—an experience that had shattered his confidence and dimmed his aspirations. But now? That hadn't happened yet. He still had time to fight for his place.
He looked at the clock ticking on the wall, then back to the calendar. Two weeks wasn't much, but it was enough. It had to be enough.
"Mom." he said suddenly, his voice cutting through the silence.
She turned, her hands busy drying a plate. "Yes, honey?"
Kai hesitated for a moment. Then, with a forced smile, he said, "I'll be out training later. Don't wait up for me, okay?"
Her expression softened, a mix of pride and concern flashing in her eyes. "That's my boy. Just don't overdo it, alright?"
Kai nodded, but the resolve in his chest burned hotter. As she turned away, he clenched his fists under the table.
'Don't overdo it... huh?' That wasn't even a question anymore.
He had a deadline now. Two weeks to improve himself to earn his spot in the team.
This time, things would be different.
------⚽------
Kai stood on the worn pavement of the neighborhood park, a soccer ball resting at his feet.
The place felt both familiar and foreign, wrapped in the hazy nostalgia of summer afternoons long gone.
Beside the park was the simple football field he had spent countless hours on as a kid—two rusty goalposts without nets, framing an open patch of grass.
Chain-link fences bordered the area, their surfaces scribbled with graffiti. The field wasn't much, but to Kai, it was enough.
Today, though, the field was empty.
Not surprising, it was summer, but this was America, and Football, or soccer as they call it, wasn't exactly the sport of choice.
Most kids were drawn to the basketball court nearby, where a group of kids were shooting hoops and laughing, their voices ringing through the warm air.
Kai glanced at them for a moment, his expression a mix of envy, quickly turned into resolve as he turned his gaze back to the field.
His focus sharpened as he dropped the ball of his hand and caught it with his foot, scanning the grass for spots to practice free kicks and penalties.
The field had no lines, no markings, but that didn't matter. He'd make it work.
Before he began, he summoned the now-familiar translucent screen in front of him.
[Daily Quest]
Run 3km: 0/3
Complete 30 Sit-Ups: 0/30
Complete 25 Push-Ups: 0/25
Complete 100 Juggles: 0/100
Score 25 Free Kicks: 0/25
Score 50 Penalties: 0/50
Kai stared at the list for a moment, preparing himself for the grueling training to come.
He crouched down, tightening the laces on his sneakers.
Then, without hesitation, he took off, jogging along the park's perimeter.
The first few hundred meters felt fine, even easy.
His legs moved smoothly, and his breaths were steady.
But as he hit the 2-kilometer mark, the burn set in.
Sweat poured down his face, soaking his shirt. His lungs felt like they were on fire.
His twelve-year-old self had never trained like this before.
Back then, running was something he did during games or drills—not as an actual workout.
The realization struck him hard: he'd wasted so much potential simply because he didn't push himself when he could have.
But this time was different.
The memory of his previous life spurred him on—how much his fitness improved once he'd started conditioning seriously, how it had transformed his game.
Back then, it took hitting a wall in his progress to get serious about training.
Now, he had the chance to start early, to become even greater, and even change his fate.
Fueled by determination, Kai pushed harder, increasing his pace.
Huff! Huff!
His lungs screamed, his legs felt like lead, and every step was a battle.
Yet, somehow, he kept going.
Flashes of his high school drills came to mind: endless sprints, grueling practices under the sun, and the unrelenting drive to improve.
It hurt then, and it hurt now, but the difference between them was that this pain felt like progress.
Finally, he staggered to a stop, his legs trembling beneath him.
"Haa... Haa..."
He bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for air. His shirt clung to him, drenched in sweat.
A soft chime broke through the pounding of his heart. The screen blinked to life, acknowledging his progress.
Kai looked at the message, a grin spreading across his face despite his exhaustion.
His chest heaved as he stood upright, wiping the sweat from his brow.
This was only the beginning.
And for the first time in a long time, he felt truly alive.
His hope to become a professional footballer, which was extinguished long ago reigniting once again.
------⚽------
Moments ago, when the kids at the basketball court paused their game to rest, the sound of the bouncing ball died down as they turned their attention to the soccer field.
"Yo, what's that kid doing?" a tall boy asked, pointing at Kai, who was jogging around the park's perimeter.
"I dunno," a shorter kid replied, spinning the basketball on his finger. "Looks like he's training or something. Who does that during summer break?"
"Isn't that the Montclair kid?" a taller boy said, squinting.
"You know him?" the other asked.
"I've seen him around before. He's always carrying that soccer ball." he replied.
"Soccer?" another scoffed. "Who even plays that sport?"
Still, they kept watching as Kai pushed on.
Sweat soaked his face, and his pace was uneven, but he didn't slow down.
"Not bad." one of the younger kids said, seemingly impressed.
"Yeah." the tall boy added, a hint of respect in his voice. "Looks like he's serious about it."
"Serious or crazy," the first kid muttered, turning back to the game.
But even as they resumed playing, a few of them couldn't help but glance back.
They didn't really get it, but the way he kept running, despite him clearly being on his last breath, had left an impression.
A quiet curiosity lingered in the air.