Aki High School Football Ground.
6 a.m.
The sky was still dark and foggy and cold when kojiro arrived on the campus.
He came early expecting empty ground, but the situation was different. The senior players were already there doing their personal routine, it seemed.
Just as he was looking around, one of the seniors doing warm-up came towards kojiro.
"If you are spectating, do it from outside the fence."
The senior was tall and burly with a menacing face and brown hair like a bear.
Kojiro replied immediately.
"Kojiro Arashi, first year joining the club today."
"First year... I am vice captain, Yuzo Takeuchi. Instead of looking around, go to the locker room, get changed and stay put. The coach will be here by 6:30."
He said that he went back to his warm-up.
Kojiro hurried to the locker room, placed his bag, changed into his jersey and began his daily warm-up routine at the corner.
He picked up the spare football and started doing alternative keep upps. Then, all of a sudden, he kicked the ball up high as it came down. Instead of stopping it he accurately kicked it high up again. This drew the attention of everyone as it was not something a high school player should be capable of doing.
There were murmurs and discussion within the players.
Yuzo Takeuchi, the vice captain who had just finished his warm-up, looked at this spectacle with a smile, "Interesting..."
While warming up, one by one people began to appear.
Some were second year seniors and some newcomers like him changed and stayed put in a corner with him.
6:32 a.m.
The coach arrived and blew a whistle and started giving orders.
Form a line.
All players, regardless of the year, formed lines: first string players, second string players and two lines formed by first year newcomers.
"Ryota, Yuzo... are these all the newcomers joining the club?"
Captain Ryota and Vice Captain Yuzo both stepped forward.
"Yes, Coach."
The coach turned towards newcomers.
"I am Kumada, Head Coach."
"Introduce yourself one at a time from right to left."
"Yes, sir."
There were twelve people in two lines of six, Kojiro was standing in the last place of the first line.
Newcomers started introducing themselves.
"Takuto Ishimura from Sasaki middle school, preferred position is left wing. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Others followed in a similar manner till kojiro's turn.
"Kojiro Arashi from Crystal Palace FC U16s, preferred position is Central Attacking Midfielder. Nice to meet you."
The seniors and newcomers went silent for a moment till the coach said, continue.
Everyone's introduction was over, and the coach gave further instruction,
"Ryota and Yuzo start with 10 laps on the ground. Yuzo lead the first years."
"Yes, sir."
They ran ten laps at a modest pace, everyone was able to follow, including the newcomer.
After the morning run, Yuzo led the newcomers, explaining the morning drills to execute.
It was a simple routine of passing drill, shooting drill, A rondo with six people and two groups.
Time flew by as they executed these drills.
The coach, seeing the time, blew the whistle and had everyone line up.
"Listen up, all main positions will be reverted to zero before the Inter high regional tournament."
"There will be a scrimmage match in the afternoon. Newcomers, you will be rotated in the match according to your preferred position. Everyone show me some spirit and fight for your positions."
"Dismiss."
"Yes, Sir."
Everyone scattered in two and threes. Kojiro also went along with his new friends from first year to take a shower and head to class.
The class bell rang as Kojiro was chatting with the minato and trio.
Yuzuki-sensei came in for homeroom and started with the selection of a class monitor with ballots. In the end, Azuki Nanami, the petite girl, and Yamada Jun, a nerdy glasses guy, were picked as class monitors.
Classes went on without a hitch and soon it was afternoon.
Football ground.
Players gathered and warmed up one by one.
Coach blew the whistle and gathered everyone like morning.
"Listen up."
"This match will determine your initial position in the first team and the loser will have additional punishment. I will read the starting eleven for both teams."
He read both the starting elevens.
"First Team : Goalkeeper Hamada, Centre back Ryota , Yamabe, Full back Satou Mifune, Midfielder Yano, Kato, Arashi, Forward Ryo, Kojima, Hattori.
"Second Team: Goalkeeper Manaka, Center back Sugi, Mouri. Full back, Takahiro, Sanada, Midfield Yuzo, Hiro, Watanabe, Forward Hiroto, Daigo, Taiga."
"Alright game in five minutes. I will rotate the remaining players. No one is safe on the pitch. Anyone not up to standards will get hooked."
There were roughly 35 players at the club, including 12 newcomers.
The people not chosen were waiting on the sidelines. The seniors, especially, were gossiping and guessing the coaches intention in dividing the team, with the captain and vice captain leading each team and the main players divided almost equally.
Ryota and Yuzo gathered their respective teams in a huddle.
Arashi, in the huddle, looked at the team captain, tall and full of muscle, playing center-back.
Ryota looked at everyone in the huddle with a mean look.
"I hate losing, and I assume everyone on my team as well, so if anyone has any other thoughts, get off this pitch right now."
Looking at everyone's face, seeing no one backing down and refuting.
"Formation will be 4-2-3-1. Press from front and attack freely."
As he was saying that, Kojiro, with a serious look and lightning flashing in his eyes.
"Captain, Let me lead the press."
Ryota looked at Arashi with an amusing look.
"Sure... but not without any price. The press must be effective and lead us to score a goal within 10 minutes. If you fail, no one will pass the ball to you for the rest of the match...are you willing to pay the price?"
"Bring it on captain, I am ready to create a storm."
Everyone in the huddle looked at Arashi with a different lens.
"Okay, we will follow your lead. All right guys, let's win this game."
"yeah."
Five minutes went very fast. Coach Kumada was the referee of the game. Kick-off would start with the second team. The coach, seeing everyone was in position, blew the whistle.
The kick-off started with the second team kicking the ball back to the goalkeeper.
Simultaneously, all the players on the pitch started moving, with Kojima Hattori and kojiro leading the press.
The second team were not in a hurry and instead of hoofing the ball in the opposition half, they preferred to build the attack from back passing the ball to each other.
Kojiro was marking yuzo and scanning around the pitch. As soon as the game settled for a minute, everyone was man marking each other, but, strangely, first team players started pointing fingers at the person they were marking, creating confusion for second team players for a second.
Kojiro, after confirming everyone's position, lifted his right hand in the air and gave a thumbs up.
While marking yuzo, drawing a irritated shoulder push from him in the process as a provocation.
The ball went back and forth between the keeper and defenders.
Full back Takahiro got the ball and tried to pass it behind the lines by passing midfield, but pressing Hattori tackled the ball out for a throw.
The ball was thrown back to the defender to reset the attack, and passes from side to side with Kojiro leading the press pointing towards the desired location.
Defender Sugi tried to forcefully pass the ball to Hiro in the midfield and was intercepted by Yano, but he could not control the ball and Yuzo got the second ball and passed it back to the goalkeeper due to Kojiro pressing him.
The game went on like this for 3 minutes with the second team not being able to get out of their half and break the press.
Kojiro, seeing the timing was right, gave a signal to Kojima and Hattori to force the ball to the right side.
The ball was passed by Sugi to Takahiro with Kojima pressing and Hatori from the front. Seeing the situation, Yuzo went to the side of Takahiro to provide a passing option but Kojiro was right behind him.
Takahiro, with no choice left, passed it back to the goalkeeper.
Kojiro was waiting for this moment and bypassed Yuzo and intercepted the ball before the goalkeeper and yuzo followed him behind.
Goalkeeper Manaka, left in no man's land, decided to charge forward to reduce the angle but Kojiro went around him with ease.
Yuzo, predicting this, went through the other side of the keeper in hope of blocking the shot with a slide. He timed it perfectly, but at that moment, Kojiro, with a sly grin, faked a shot, looked at the opposite side of the goal and made a no-look back heel pass to Kojima, running in the box to slot the goal in the empty net.
Yuzo, after sliding, knew he was fooled and looked at the shaking net.
"This guy..."
Kojima, after scoring the goal, went towards Kojiro and jumped on his back.
"You bastard, that was such a wonderful pass."
As they were celebrating, they were both pushed down by Hattori and other teammates piled up on them later.
Captain Ryota gave a hand to Kojiro on the ground.
"Nicely done, Lead the press and score more."
Kojiro, with a smile said, "Yes, Captain."