The stands were packed.
Banners waved in the wind, painted with team colors. The Eastside students roared as the football team stepped onto the field. Gojo Namena walked at the front, eyes scanning the crowd — not for the fans, not for the pressure.
For her.
And there she was. Hinata Aoki, sitting quietly in the middle row with a scarf around her neck and her hands folded on her lap. When their eyes met, she gave a tiny wave.
Gojo felt his chest tighten. Game time.
****
The whistle blew.
From the very first kick, it was chaos. Hoshikawa played rough — their defense was tight, and their captain, a lanky striker named Daichi, was ruthless.
Gojo ran like his life depended on it. He passed. He pressed. He slid into tackles. By the time the first half ended, it was 2-1 — Hoshikawa in the lead.
In the locker room, silence hung in the air.
Coach Nakamura tried to rally them, but Gojo wasn't listening. He was staring at his cleats, fists clenched.
He thought about Hinata's voice. Her melody. The feeling of seeing her smile.
"I just want you to see I'm serious."
Second half. Gojo was reborn.
He burst onto the field with fire in his veins. Every movement had purpose. He weaved through defenders, slipping past one, then two. His passes were sharper. His vision clearer.
Midway through the half, the moment came.
Rei dribbled down the left wing, drawing defenders toward him. With a flick of his foot, he launched a low cross into the box.
Gojo timed his run perfectly — the defenders were just a step too slow.
He dove forward, striking the ball clean with his right foot mid-air.
The net rippled.
Goal.
The crowd erupted as the score leveled: 2-2.
His teammates swarmed him, but Gojo's eyes instinctively searched the stands. And there she was — Hinata, standing now, both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with awe.
But the match wasn't over.
Final minutes. Exhaustion set in. Muscles burned. The pace slowed for some — but not for Gojo.
Then — a breakaway.
A misstep from Hoshikawa's midfield gave Eastside the ball. Rei spotted Gojo streaking down the center and launched a through ball that split the defense.
Gojo sprinted forward, the stadium roaring in his ears.
It was just him and the keeper.
He feinted left. The keeper moved.
Gojo went right, pulled back — and shot.
The ball flew — straight toward the top corner.
But at the last second, the goalkeeper stretched, fingertips grazing it.
The ball ricocheted off the crossbar.
Gasps filled the air.
The rebound fell too far, and the defenders cleared it.
Then — the whistle.
The match ended: 2-2.
No overtime. A draw.
Gojo dropped to his knees, panting. He didn't win. He hadn't kept his promise.
I said I'd win for her...
As the crowd buzzed with post-game chatter, his teammate and closest friend, Rei Tanaka, jogged over and crouched beside him.
"You good?" Rei asked, breathing heavily.
Gojo nodded weakly. "I should've nailed that last shot… We could've won."
Rei shook his head. "Nah, don't do that. You gave everything, man. No one out there fought like you did."
Gojo stayed quiet.
Rei clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't miss the winning shot — you gave us the reason to fight in the first place. You played like a captain today."
Gojo looked up, surprised. "But I'm not the captain."
"You were today," Rei said simply. "And don't forget — she saw that too."
Gojo followed his gaze — and there she was.
Hinata, walking toward the field, past the gate, onto the grass.
"Gojo," she called softly.
He stood, nervous, wiping sweat from his brow. "I'm sorry. I really thought—"
"You were amazing," she interrupted.
He blinked. "But... I didn't win."
She stepped closer. "But I saw everything. You fought your heart out. For your team. For me."
She looked up at him, eyes gentle and sure. "That's more than enough."
Then, before he could respond, she leaned in — and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
Gojo froze. The world did too.
When she stepped back, she smiled. "Yes. I'll be your girlfriend."
His face flushed red. "R-Really?"
"Really. Just don't pass out on the field."
Gojo laughed, dizzy and overjoyed.
Then—
"YO!" someone shouted from the sidelines.
Rei stood grinning with the rest of the team, jaw hanging. "Was that a kiss?!"
The whole squad erupted.
"No way!"
"Our boy's got game!"
"He missed the winning shot but still got the girl!"
"Gojo, you're a legend!"
Gojo turned even redder, waving them off. "Shut up, shut up!"
Hinata giggled, clearly entertained.
Rei jogged over and clapped Gojo on the back. "Seriously, man. Don't beat yourself up over that last shot. A draw with Hoshikawa is a win in my book — and watching you play today? You left everything out there."
Gojo nodded, breath slowing. "Thanks, Rei."
Coach Nakamura, arms crossed nearby, raised an eyebrow. "Maybe next time you can save the romance for after a win."
Gojo just smiled. "No promises, Coach."
And as the team huddled around him, joking and laughing, and Hinata lingered beside him, Gojo realized something:
He didn't need a trophy to feel victorious.