Chapter 9: The Midnight Turf Battle

Change of Plans

Taro groaned loudly.

"Alright, fine! No game bar. But we're not going home either!"

Kazu grinned.

"Then where?"

Hiroki smirked.

"The turf, of course."

Shun raised an eyebrow.

"At this hour?"

Taro threw an arm around his shoulder.

"C'mon, Shun! This is how friendships are built! Midnight turf matches. No coach. No pressure. Just us, a ball, and endless fun."

Shun sighed but couldn't help smirking a little.

"Fine. But don't start crying when I break your ankles."

Renji grinned.

"Oh, it's on."

The Turf Vibes

The group arrived at the small, fenced turf field near the stadium. The area was dimly lit, but the cool night air and the freshly cut grass made it the perfect setting.

There were six of them:

Shun & RenjiTaro & KazuHiroki & a random player who joined them

"Alright, 3v3. First to three goals wins."

"Losers buy drinks!"

Everyone nodded, stretching and warming up.

"Let's go."

The Game Begins

The ball was kicked off.

Immediately, Shun could tell—his teammates weren't holding back.

Taro, despite being a goofball, had sharp passing skills.

Kazu was fast, his dribbling was clean and controlled.

Hiroki was a solid defender, covering spaces well.

Renji played calmly, always looking for the best play.

Shun?

He was just having fun.

The ball came to him, and in a quick motion, he flicked it over an opponent's leg and spun past him.

"Damn, Shun!"

Taro rushed to intercept, but Shun nutmegged him smoothly.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

The others burst out laughing as Taro fell onto the turf dramatically.

Kazu rushed toward Shun, but he stepped over the ball quickly, confusing Kazu before suddenly changing direction and darting past him.

"Tch! That guy moves like he's in a real match!"

Renji was already waiting.

"You're not getting past me."

Shun smirked.

With a quick fake shot, he got Renji to shift his weight slightly—just enough for Shun to cut inside and send the ball flying into the goal.

GOAL!

"Damn it, Shun!"

Shun just shrugged.

"I warned you."

The Fun Continues

The match continued with fast passes, chaotic defending, and laughter.

Taro tripped on his own feet trying to do a fancy move.

Kazu hit the ball too hard, sending it flying over the fence.

Renji mocked Taro the entire time for getting nutmegged.

After an hour of playing, they finally stopped, exhausted but satisfied.

"Man, that was fun."

"We should do this more often."

"Yeah… but let's not tell the coach."

They all laughed, walking toward the nearest vending machine.

As Shun grabbed a cold drink, he couldn't help but think—

This… feels nice.

No pressure. No expectations. Just pure soccer.

Maybe, just maybe, this was why he loved the game so much.