09 - Nishida
Right after breakfast, Lucas Tanaka hurried out of the house again.
Hana looked at Ayumi and asked with her mouth full:
"Mom, why did brother leave so early? We're on summer vacation, there's no school today. Did he forget?"
Ayumi smiled at Hana and put more rice on the table. "No, he didn't forget that he's on vacation. I think he's just a little upset with himself."
"Hmm?" Hana didn't understand what Ayumi meant. "Why should he be upset?"
"Because Mr. Yamamoto didn't start him in the first game of the summer league."
The confused look on Hana's face didn't change, even after her mother explained. Hana was the kind of girl who thought soccer was cool, but she only knew the basic concept of which goal was cool.
"Huh? Is Mr. Yamamoto still strict?" A heavyset person entered the conversation. It was John, Lucas' father, who entered the kitchen.
Ayumi laughed at her husband's remark. "Do you still think he's strict because he didn't let you coach the team?"
"He should have, but he said I was too American to know the rules that make soccer different from football." John adjusted his tie and approached Ayumi. "Please, dear, help me with this."
"Does that mean brother is bad?" Hana asked, stuffing more food into her mouth.
John looked back over his shoulder and explained, "Of course not! Your brother is a very good player, but Mr. Yamamoto is very strict. I bet he's doing this to Lucas to teach him a lesson. Don't worry, I bet Lucas' team will make it to the semi-finals and we'll be able to watch them live in Nagoya."
"That's right. And he'll score a lot of goals." Ayumi said after she finished tying John's tie. Then she kissed his cheek and said, "Now go eat before the rice gets cold, dear."
*
Surprisingly, Lucas managed to complete the exercises faster than the night before.
[Daily Mission Completed]
[Congratulations! You've completed the "Effort X Reward" daily mission.]
[You have increased your Physique by 1 point.]
[You have increased your Speed by 1 point].
[You have received the following rewards: +1 Star Point and +1 Loot Box].
Still, he was panting heavily and sweating profusely. He could barely breathe, but he smiled with relief when he saw the mission completion message.
"Haa... I don't know how I'm holding up..." He said to himself, panting.
Staggering, Lucas went to the water fountain in the local park and stuck his head under the tap to cool off. He let the cool water run down his face, feeling every drop relieve the stifling summer heat.
The sound of the cicadas was almost deafening, an incessant chorus echoing through the still empty park.
Then he slowly turned away from the faucet, ran a hand through his wet hair, and took a deep breath.
As he staggered to a nearby bench, Lucas' mind began to replay the events that had brought him to this point. It hadn't been long since he had been nothing more than a tired wage earner, stuck in a relentless work routine. For years he had buried his passion for soccer, believing it to be a dying flame, a youthful dream that would never come true. But on the night he died, everything changed.
Either by luck or for some mysterious reason, he was given a new opportunity to rewrite his story and decided to dedicate himself with all his being to fulfilling his dream of becoming a professional soccer player.
The summer championship was his big chance, and he couldn't afford to miss it.
He looked up at the blue sky, his eyes squinting against the intense glare of the sun. "I'll make it," he muttered to himself, feeling a wave of renewed determination. "I have to make it."
The sound of his cell phone vibrating interrupted his thoughts. Lucas quickly took the device out of his pocket and saw that it was a message from Nishida, his best friend.
[Nishida: I'm already in the usual place, waiting for you.]
[Tanaka: What? Why?]
[Nishida: ?]
[Nishida: Don't you remember what I asked you to do?]
[Tanaka: Oh yes! I just remembered. I'm in the park now. Can you come?]
[Nishida: What? You didn't even wait for me? :|!]
[Tanaka: Sorry, I ran out and didn't realize! Sorry, sorry!]
[Nishida: Dude, I'm coming. I'll be right there].
It was only through Nishida's messages that Lucas remembered that he had promised to help Nishida learn how to pass, and that he hadn't been chosen by Mr. Yamamoto as a starter at his last chance, either. Such old memories didn't come easily, but reliving those moments made it easier for him to remember.
Anyway, even though he had promised Nishida that he would try to help him, there was nowhere for him to go. He just sat on the bench, closed his eyes and waited.
A light breeze brought the sound of approaching footsteps faster than Lucas had expected. He opened his eyes to see Nishida running toward him, a soccer ball tucked tightly under his arm.
"Hey, shall we go?" Nishida said, looking focused.
After that, the two of them went to the park's futsal field. The court was empty, surrounded by a wire fence and with a weathered concrete floor.
Nishida was the classic center forward. He was tall and physically stronger than most players, not to mention an absurd finishing ability. However, Nishida lacked all the skills expected of a striker. In fact, most of the time, Nishida didn't even know how to pass the ball without making a mistake, so the ball almost always came to him for him to finish.
Nishida was bothered by his own limitations, so he was determined to change.
"Okay, Nishida," Lucas said, catching his breath after laughing. "Let's start with the basics. First of all, you need to learn how to stop the ball and make accurate passes. Without that, no matter how much you run or shoot, you won't be able to create good opportunities for others. Go to the area, I'll demonstrate, and you should repeat afterwards."
"All right."
Lucas kicked the ball into the corner. In the futsal field, the space was much smaller and therefore did not require as much strength and technique. Lucas then kicked the ball and made a perfect cross. The ball came in high and slightly curved, right where Nishida was standing.
Suddenly, Nishida bent his legs and made an impressive leap to head the ball straight into the goal.
The ball went into the back of the net with a satisfying thud.
Nishida fell to the ground with a huge smile on his face. His greatest joy was scoring goals.
"It was a perfect ball." Nishida thanked him.
Lucas didn't even react to the goal. To Nishida, Lucas seemed to stare into nothingness.
"Are you okay, man?"
However, Lucas was focused on something else in front of his eyes.
[The player Tsuyoshi Nishida has just demonstrated the skill