SEPARATE WORLDS

As Setoshi prepared for his first practice session at Yuto FC, excitement and nervousness mixed together. He had only one thought in his mind: "I'll show that I belong here." The Yuto FC field was very different from Hajita's small and modest field. Everything was disciplined, professional, and in great order. Even the energy of the players working on the field made Setoshi feel like he had something to prove.

Nakamu-san slightly raised his eyebrows when he saw Setoshi on the field early in the morning, but didn't say anything. "Watch and learn," he said before practice. Setoshi carefully followed the other players' movements. Although he felt like he was a little behind in his first pass practice, he quickly caught Nakamu's gaze when he put his foot on one of his opponents and caught the ball.

"Setoshi, we'll work with you one-on-one," Nakamu said. His voice was serious, but it didn't carry a mocking tone. Setoshi saw this as an opportunity. Nakamu demonstrated a few technical moves and asked Setoshi to do the same. Although it was difficult at first, he soon got used to the ball and began to move beyond simple moves. Nakamu watched him out of the corner of his eye for a while before shaking his head slightly. "There's talent, but no discipline," he muttered.

Meanwhile, Osiko was trying to get used to his first day at the academy. The training sessions were tiring and his opponents were talented, but what really confused him was Kojima's constant eyes on him. "I hope it's a good sign that everyone's eyes are on me," Osiko thought. When he made a mistake during his first check, Kojima immediately came to him and said, "Mistakes are part of football. But what matters is whether you can learn from them."

Although Osiko felt a little nervous that Kojima was so careful, he realized that this was a stroke of luck. When the training session ended, his entire body was tired. However, one of his new friends at the academy, Tanaka, came to him. "Osiko, how was your first day? I heard you defeated Hosogoshi's son and came here. I look forward to training with you," he said. There was no hostility in Tanaka's voice, but these words seemed to put a new burden on Osiko.

While Setoshi was wiping his sweat in a corner of the Yuto FC field, the other players had gathered around Nakamu-san for the last part of the training. "Who is this kid? Is he too brave?" They were whispering. Although Setoshi didn't seem to care about their conversation, these whispers echoed in his mind. "They underestimate me. But I will stay here with determination."

At the end of training, Nakamu called Setoshi over. "You weren't bad today. But being bad here isn't enough. You have to be disciplined. You have to show more tomorrow," he said. A spark lit up inside Setoshi. "Show more? I will show you everything I am, Nakamu-san," he thought.

Meanwhile, Osiko was adjusting to his new life at the academy, and Setoshi was feeling the absence. A mixture of jealousy and pride inside him made him realize that he missed Setoshi's competitive nature. However, these thoughts did not last long, as Kojima's training program never left his empty. One day, during a practice session on the court, Kojima suddenly shouted, "Osiko! What kind of shot is this?! You can do it better! Even elementary school kids wouldn't make those shots!" This harsh criticism shook Osiko a little, but it also instilled a stubbornness within him. "You'll see, Kojima. I'll show you and everyone how far I can go," he thought.

In the following days, things started to get harder for both Osiko and Setoshi. Osiko could feel that the training at the academy was getting harder every day. Kojima's team was going to have a friendly match in a few weeks, and this match was Osiko's chance to prove himself. But he needed to improve quickly to compete with the other players on the field.

Setoshi, on the other hand, was fighting to find his place among Yuto FC's players. After each training session, Nakamu would give him a few words of feedback. These words were short but powerful: "You use your legs, but you need to learn to use your mind."

The two old friends and rivals were trying to achieve the same goal on different teams: to be the best. However, on this journey, the rivalry continued not only on the field, but also within themselves. When Setoshi and Osiko's paths crossed again, this encounter would not be just a match. This would be a confrontation that would test their friendship, rivalry, and limits. Meanwhile, Hosogoshi was watching the training from the sidelines. He didn't come to the field very often. He also seemed a bit listless, not taking a single note, just sitting and staring at Osiko. Kojima got curious and asked Hosogoshi what the problem was, which he actually knew very well, and Hosogoshi explained that when his son couldn't do well here, he went to tryouts for Team Yuto and invited them to train. While listening to this, Kojima had a genius and sneaky plan in mind...