Chapter 1: The Weight of a Name

A Stadium Filled with Noise

The stadium shook with the weight of thousands of voices. A mix of cheers, screams, and chants echoed into the night, colliding into a wall of sound that crashed over the field. Bright floodlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the match's final ten minutes.

The scoreboard flashed:

Fukura High - 1

Aoyama Academy - 1

A championship was on the line.

Shun Aizawa stood near the halfway line, his breath heavy, his body drenched in sweat. His short ponytail stuck to the back of his neck, the cool night air doing little to stop the heat coursing through his veins.

His heart pounded against his ribcage like a war drum.

He had worked too hard to let it end here.

But even at this moment—when everything was on the line—he couldn't silence the voice in his head.

Five Years Ago – A Call That Changed Everything

"You're the most worthless brother I've ever had."

Shun remembered every word.

The night was cold. He sat on the edge of the bed in his uncle's house, clutching the phone so tightly that his fingers ached. The voice on the other end was sharp, detached—nothing like the brother he used to know.

Ken Aizawa.

His older brother. His idol. His hero.

Or at least, he had been.

"Onii-chan… when are you coming back?"

Shun's voice was weak, desperate. A part of him still hoped—still believed—that Ken would return.

But Ken's response was ice cold.

"Stop being pathetic."

"I don't have time to deal with a useless little brother."

Shun felt his heart shatter.

Click. The line went dead.

Ken never called back.

From that day forward, Shun stopped waiting. He stopped crying and stopped hoping for someone to save him.

If Ken had abandoned him, he would have made his name.

If Ken was at the top, Shun would surpass him.

No matter what.

Present Day – A Match That Decides Everything

The ball rolled toward Shun.

He snapped out of his memories, his golden-brown eyes locking onto the play.

Forget Ken. Focus on the game.

Aoyama Academy's midfielder lunged forward to intercept, but Shun's body reacted before his mind could catch up.

A sharp cut to the right.

A feint with his left foot.

A burst of explosive speed.

The defender barely had time to react before Shun slipped past him, the ball glued to his feet.

Push forward.

His lungs burned, and his legs screamed for rest, but he couldn't stop now.

Shun darted past another defender, feeling the weight of every second ticking away. His teammates were shouting for a pass, but he barely heard them over the rush of blood in his ears.

The goal was in sight.

Aoyama's last defender rushed in, his eyes locked on the ball. But Shun wasn't slowing down. Not this time.

He let the defender get close—too close—before shifting his entire weight to his right leg.

Now.

His foot tapped the ball forward just as the defender lunged.

The opponent's tackle missed by inches—Shun was already gone.

A single moment of hesitation was all he needed.

The goal was right there.

The goalkeeper was out of position, scrambling to adjust.

Shun didn't think.

He swung his leg with everything he had.

His cleats connected with the ball—a strike so pure that it cut through the air like a bullet.

The stadium held its breath.

The goalkeeper dived—

But he was too late.

The ball slammed into the top corner of the net, stretching the goal like it was about to rip apart.

GOAL.

For a single second, time froze.

Then—

The stadium erupted.

Shun stood there, chest heaving, staring at the goal. His teammates rushed him, grabbing his shoulders, and screaming in his ears. The entire team piled onto him, shaking him, celebrating.

They had won.

But as the final whistle blew and his teammates lifted him into the air, Shun looked up at the sky.

And in his mind—he pictured Ken watching him.

Had he seen it?

Did he care?

Or… was he still looking down on him?

Shun clenched his fists.

It didn't matter.

This was just the first step.

He would reach Ken.

And one day—he would leave him behind.