Chapter 19 (Part 2): The Aftermath of Shun’s Victory

The Locker Room Chaos

The tension from the match had finally died down, but the energy inside Fukura's locker room was still insane. Some players were yelling, others were arguing over who had the best highlight moment, and a few were straight-up recreating Shun's final goal in slow motion.

"Okay, okay, let me get this straight," Kaito said, standing on a bench for extra height. "Shun first broke through their midfield like a damn hurricane, then went past four defenders, faked out Kazama, and then curled it into the net from an impossible angle?!"

Renji nodded dramatically. "Yep."

"Bro… HOW?"

Shun, who was busy drinking water, nearly choked when Kaito grabbed him by the shoulders.

"You—ARE YOU EVEN HUMAN?"

Shun groaned. "Enough with the cyborg talk."

"But seriously," Ryusei added, walking over. "Even our coach didn't expect you to do that. The way you played today—it wasn't normal."

Shun leaned back, staring at the ceiling. His muscles were aching, but his mind was still racing from that match.

Flow State.

That insane moment when everything disappeared—when he wasn't thinking, just moving perfectly. It had felt… unreal.

Did he unlock something new?

Or was it just luck?

Shun's phone suddenly buzzed in his bag.

[Incoming Call: Ken Aizawa]

His heartbeat skipped.

His older brother—Japan's national team player—was calling him right after the match?

"Yo," Shun answered, trying to sound normal.

"…Not bad," Ken's voice came through.

Shun blinked. Wait, what? Ken never complimented him.

"I saw your match." Ken's voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge to it. "That final goal—you destroyed them."

Shun felt a small smile forming. "Yeah, I guess—"

"But don't get cocky." Ken's voice cut through like a blade. "That was just a high school match. There are players out there who won't even give you a second to breathe. You're still not good enough."

Shun's smile faded.

Ken continued, "If you're serious about surpassing me, don't get comfortable."

Click.

The call ended.

Shun slowly lowered the phone. His teammates were still celebrating, but inside him, something shifted.

Ken's words had hit deep.

"You're still not good enough."

Shun clenched his fist. Then I'll get even stronger.

A Warning from Coach

Later that evening, while the team was packing up their gear, Fukura's coach walked in.

The room went silent.

Coach scanned the team before his gaze locked onto Shun.

"…You."

Shun straightened up. "Yes, Coach?"

"That last goal—" Coach exhaled, rubbing his temple. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

Shun frowned. "What do you mean?"

Coach took out his phone and tossed it onto the bench. The screen showed a message from a scout.

"That #10 from Fukura—Shun Kiryuu—put him on the watchlist."

Shun's breath hitched.

Scouts?

Already?

Coach crossed his arms. "You're now on their radar. But don't get ahead of yourself—this is where it gets dangerous."

Shun felt his stomach tighten. "Dangerous?"

Coach's expression darkened. "Stronger players will be coming for you."

Shun's grip on his bag tightened.

Kazama was already furious about his loss. And now… even more challengers were coming.

"Let them come," Shun muttered.

Coach smirked. "That's what I like to hear."