The sun was barely up when Ren zipped his bag and tied his laces
He did not eat much
Just a slice of toast and water
His stomach was too tight
Outside the air was cool but his palms were already sweating
His mom stood by the door
"Breathe. That is all. Just breathe and do what you know"
He nodded
Then he was off
The train ride to Musashino felt like hours
He stood the whole way
Eyes closed
Replaying drills in his head
When he arrived, the complex looked even bigger than it did in photos
Four pitches
Two buildings
A small group of boys were already warming up
All goalkeepers
Three total
Including Ren
One was tall with a buzz cut and tape on his fingers
The other wore flashy gloves and talked loud to everyone
Ren stayed quiet
Coach Daigo appeared near the benches
He pointed without speaking
The trial had already started
The first drill was shot blocking
No warmup
Just dive and stop
Buzz Cut went first
Solid saves
Quick reactions
Next was Flashy Gloves
He moved well but exaggerated everything
Then Ren stepped in
Three shots
Left corner
Top bar
Low center
He touched all three
The second bounced off his chest
"Reset faster" Daigo said flatly
Next drill
One on ones
Flashy Gloves got beat twice
Buzz Cut blocked a good one but got chipped
Ren stayed calm
Read the striker's eyes
Blocked both attempts and even held the second
Daigo said nothing
Next drill was crosses
Ren hated crosses
Always messy
Bodies flying
But he jumped
Fought through traffic
Punched the ball clear every time
No drops
The other two each spilled one
After an hour, Daigo called break
The three boys sat under a tree
Buzz Cut stretched his legs
Flashy Gloves scrolled through his phone like it was already over
Ren just drank water
Eyes on the pitch
Then Daigo called again
Final test
Scrimmage
A real one
Musashino U14 team vs split squad
Each keeper would take one half
Buzz Cut started
He let in one
Saved two
Solid
Then it was Ren's turn
The sun was higher now
The players faster
This was no school match
These boys passed sharp
Moved without the ball
They tested him right away
First shot low to his right
He reached it
Next one was harder
Far post volley
He dived and parried wide
Then came the corner
Ball whipped in fast
Bodies jumped
He leaped into the crowd
Grabbed it clean
Held on tight
Ten fingers locked on the ball
When the whistle blew he had not let any past
Daigo did not clap
He only nodded once
Then pointed to the gate
"Go home. Results in one week"
Ren bowed slightly
Turned
And walked off
Every step back to the train felt heavier
But his chest felt lighter
He had left it all there
Everything