A NEW TALENT IS EMERGING

Osiko and Setoshi suddenly found themselves on a large field. Hajita's young players had finished their training and cleared the field. A few trainers and scouts, who were watching them, waited silently on the sidelines. Hosogoshi turned to the children and handed the ball to Osiko. "Okay, children, what's important here is not your talent, but your determination. First impressions are very important for all of us on this field. Let's start," he said.

Setoshi seemed much more prepared for this than Osiko. He had already been to Hajita's facilities many times and had gained a small reputation here with his performances at a young age. Osiko, on the other hand, was still struggling with the voices in his head. "What if I fail? What if I tarnish my father's name?" But at that moment, a friendly hand extended to him by Setoshi distracted him from his thoughts. "Come on, let's start. I'll pass the ball to you, and you try to score," he said.

The coach divided the children into two and directed them to play a mini-match. Osiko and Setoshi were on the same team. When the ball reached Osiko's feet, the silence on the field suddenly gave way to tension. The coaches were watching him intently. As Osiko dribbled the ball, the wave of uncertainty inside his suddenly subsided. He thought of how his father had looked on the field for years; cool, strong, and focused. "The ball should always feel like a part of your feet," his father's words echoed in his mind.

Osiko quickly passed the ball past the opposing player and dribbled forward. As he approached the goal, Setoshi shouted at his, "Osiko! Pass!" But Osiko's eyes were only focused on the goalkeeper in front of him. He quickly changed direction to the goalkeeper's left and hit a hard shot. When the ball hit the net, the only sound that echoed on the field was the sound of the ball hitting the net.

Hosogoshi's applause could be heard from the sidelines. "Excellent shot!" he said. The coaches looked at each other, nodded, and began scribbling in their notebooks. However, Osiko could not experience the joy of this moment for long. While taking a deep breath, he also thought about what the coaches' observations meant. "Is this good or bad? Can I be as good as my father?" he asked himself.

Setoshi ran towards Osiko, patted him shoulder and frowned. "It would have been better if you had passed the ball, but it was still good." Osiko nodded in surprise. "You can score next time, it's just a practice session." he said.

At that moment, Kojima-san, one of the oldest coaches on the field, walked towards the children. His expression was stern, but his eyes reflected the interest of a professional scout. "Osiko, be back here tomorrow at 8 o'clock," he said. Then, turning to Setoshi, he added: "You too, Setoshi. I want to see you as a real football player."

These words created both excitement and a sense of competition between the two. Setoshi's smile faltered for a moment, but then quickly returned. "This is going to be fun!" he said. Then he turned to Osiko and said, "We can be on a team together! This is great! Our dreams will finally come true!" and smiled. Osiko thought about Kojima's words. "I'm one step closer to following in my father's footsteps," he thought to himself. However, there was something Setoshi didn't know and it was confusing his father. There was only one place left in the club's youth academy. Setoshi could feel the conflict between his mind and his heart. Could he have done his son a disservice by bringing Osiko?