Chapter 15 – Joining the First Team

Lately, the weather in England had been acting strangely.

A whole week had passed without a single drop of rain, and the sun was shining brightly. Even the usual drizzle was nowhere to be found.

The breeze was cool, and the humidity wasn't high, making it perfect for training.

Kai entered the first-team training ground with an excited expression.

Since he had arrived early, there weren't many players around, but the faces were familiar.

Teammates he had played alongside.

They had lifted various championship trophies together, enjoying a glorious era, and now, seeing them again felt nostalgic.

"Arsenal is a good club, but if you're thinking about your career, moving on makes sense. I respect his decision."

"Same here."

"Why? Are you planning to leave too?"

"No, not really, but honestly, I do want to win the league at least once. Arsenal is a strong team, but..."

"It's not easy. They can't afford to buy the right players."

Kai deliberately made his footsteps loud as he entered the training ground.

The moment they heard the sound, the players stopped their conversation and turned around.

Feeling a little awkward, Kai stepped forward, and Arsenal's center-back, Thomas Vermaelen, greeted him warmly.

"Arata! Nice to meet you. I'm Thomas Vermaelen. I heard you were coming today, but you're pretty early. Were you excited?"

"Well, yeah, something like that."

"Haha. Let me introduce you to the guys you'll be sweating with. This way."

"Thanks."

With a bright smile, Vermaelen introduced Kai to the players one by one.

Among them were top-tier striker Robin van Persie, key midfielder Aaron Ramsey, and Alex Song.

Kai shook hands with them, exchanging a few words to build rapport.

Naturally, the topic of conversation was Kai himself.

A special prospect who had signed a professional contract and been promoted to the first team at just 16 years old.

A young Asian player whom the club had kept under strict management, completely blocking media access.

There had been plenty of rumors, but for most, this was their first time meeting him in person.

"I've heard a lot about you. They say you tore up the youth league."

At Van Persie's comment, Kai shrugged indifferently.

"You guys were also recognized for your skills and made it to the first team. I don't think my career is anything special."

"Your red card record is insane, though. Is that true?"

"…Back then, I just had a bit of a temper. I'm not like that anymore."

"How did it feel to be under special management?"

"I didn't really mind."

As long as the questions weren't too personal, he answered them sincerely.

Unlike the reserve team players, these were his teammates now.

Of course, some of them would eventually leave, but Kai wanted to keep as many of them as possible.

'Especially Robin van Persie. I absolutely can't let him leave.'

The 2011-12 season was when Van Persie hit his prime.

Despite his incredible performances, Arsenal failed to win the title, leading him to leave for a rival club.

As a replacement, Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski were brought in, but neither could match Van Persie's dominant presence.

'I carried that season on my back.'

The Premier League and FA Cup double in the 2012-13 season had come at the cost of Kai exhausting himself.

If Van Persie had stayed and the club had spent just a little more money, they could have challenged for the treble.

His absence was a huge regret.

"Kai! You're finally here!"

From a distance, Frimpong came running, shouting his name repeatedly.

As soon as Kai spotted him, he let out a deep sigh.

Alex Song, sensing something amusing, asked with a smirk.

"Arata, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You and Frimpong don't get along?"

"We're close. He's just too much of a handful."

The others chuckled and nodded knowingly.

Aaron Ramsey shrugged as he chatted with Theo Walcott.

"That guy is way too energetic."

"Yeah, but he's fun."

"Fun to mess with?"

"Exactly. He reacts so well."

"True. Last time, I caught a bug and held it near his face, and he freaked out, screaming."

So even here, he's the team clown.

Kai smirked and firmly pushed Frimpong's attempted hug away.

"Kai! That's too much!"

"You smell like sweat."

"Come on! Aren't we friends?"

"Of course not. This is strictly a business relationship."

At Kai's cold response, Frimpong pretended to choke him, only to end up getting overpowered instead.

The other players laughed at their antics.

Having the youngest player liven up the atmosphere on his first day made the training ground feel more like a family.

'I didn't intend this, but I'm glad they're enjoying it.'

Kai finally let go of Frimpong, who exaggerated his suffering like a true comedian.

"You never lose, huh?"

"There's no reason to."

"Oh… yeah, good point. Anyway! I knew you'd make it to the first team! Let's do our best together!"

"Yeah."

Frimpong playfully smacked Kai's back, but Kai took a step back and bent his knees.

"Ugh!"

Frimpong tripped and fell to his knees, making the others burst into laughter.

"Arata's got quite the personality."

"He got sent off ten times in the youth league. This is nothing."

"I'm a little worried, but at least he's fitting in well."

There was some murmuring, but the start was much smoother than before.

'Last time, things went wrong from the beginning.'

Previously, the first-team players hadn't been too welcoming toward Kai, who had gained a reputation for causing trouble in the reserves.

But now, things were different.

The label of a troublemaker had faded, and his talent was being recognized.

Thanks to Frimpong, the rigid atmosphere had also softened.

That alone was a big change.

"Arata! Come here!"

In his past life, Van Persie and Vermaelen had kept their distance, but this time, they personally introduced him to the arriving players.

Because of that, Kai got to speak with Arsenal's captain, Cesc Fàbregas—something he hadn't managed before.

As Fàbregas changed into his football boots, he greeted Kai warmly.

"Arata, right? Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, nice to meet you too."

"How's the first-team atmosphere? Feels okay?"

"Not much different from the reserve team."

"That's good. If you need anything, just ask."

"Got it."

He seemed to be in a good mood.

His voice was noticeably livelier.

Was it because he had been given permission to transfer?

Fàbregas didn't see Kai as a competitor.

Since he was leaving soon, he generously shared his personal tips and advice.

And they were more useful than expected.

Kai nodded as he listened to him.

"The coach is here."

At Vermaelen's words, the players stopped chatting and gathered in the center.

Arsène Wenger, dressed in comfortable training attire, smiled kindly as he looked at them.

His gaze landed on Kai, who was standing in the back row, and he nodded.

"Everyone's here except for one."

The players' expressions stiffened slightly.

The missing person was Samir Nasri, who had been skipping training for days due to transfer talks.

"That's the club's issue to handle. For now, let's welcome Arata to the team."

"We've already done that."

At Fàbregas' cheerful response, Wenger gave him a knowing look and nodded.

"He's still young, so help him out as much as you can."

"Got it."

"Good. Let's start training."

Under the guidance of the coaching staff, the players began their warm-up.

Aside from a few new exercises, there wasn't much difference from the reserve team's routine.

Having done these drills countless times before, Kai followed along effortlessly.

Seeing how smoothly he executed the movements, Frimpong spoke up beside him.

"Kai, did you practice this beforehand?"

"No."

"Then why do you look so natural doing it?"

"I just picked it up as I went."

"Damn, you talent-monster!"

"Hey, you two! No chatting!"

"Yes, sir!"

After an hour of warm-ups, the real training session began.

The fitness coach stepped aside, and assistant coach Pat Rice took the lead.

"Today, we'll take it easy and focus on endurance."

"Endurance training in this weather?"

"We're doomed."

The players groaned, but Pat Rice, the seasoned veteran, simply smiled.

"You'll be running in groups of five. We'll be monitoring your endurance, so don't slack off."

They were divided into groups based on their age range.

Kai was placed in the same group as Frimpong, Aaron Ramsey, Carl Jenkinson, and Ryo Miyaichi.

Since Ramsey was the oldest in their group, he was assigned as the group leader.

He gathered them together.

"Is this your first time doing this endurance drill?"

"Yeah."

Kai and Frimpong had just been called up.

Carl Jenkinson was a new signing, and Miyaichi had just returned from his loan spell in the Dutch league.

Kai glanced at Miyaichi, who was awkwardly kicking the grass with his toe.

'We only exchanged greetings earlier.'

To Kai, he was a familiar face.

Miyaichi had struggled with injuries, and they had spent a lot of time together in the medical room, forming a bond.

Since they were both Japnese and could communicate without any differences, they had become friends.

But after they left Arsenal, they lost touch.

'Miyaichi had talent too.'

He had incredible pace and dribbling ability, which had earned him a spot at Arsenal, but injuries prevented him from reaching his potential.

What kind of player would he have become if he had stayed injury-free?

As Kai was lost in thought, Miyaichi must have sensed his gaze because he turned to look at him.

Kai loosened his expression and grinned.

"?"

Miyaichi looked puzzled.

Before things got too awkward, Ramsey's cheerful voice broke the silence.

"Let me explain how this works! We'll start at this goalpost and run to the opposite goalpost!"

"Huh? That's it?"

Frimpong sounded skeptical, and Ramsey grinned mischievously.

"Of course not."

"Then what's the catch?"

"See those red cones along the field? We have to run to the closest cone and return here, then to the next cone and back, and keep repeating until we reach the farthest one. Fun, right?"

"…"

The players were speechless.

Ramsey chuckled at their reaction and reassured them.

"Don't worry. The other groups have 12 cones, but we only have six, and we're running half the field. That's because you guys are young, and I just recovered from an injury."

Realizing it wasn't as bad as they feared, the players looked more relieved.

"Alright, that's the explanation done. Oh, one more thing!"

"What is it?"

"Coach Colbert will explain the rest. Ah, here he comes now."

Tony Colbert, the first-team fitness coach, approached their group and smiled.

He turned to Ramsey.

"Did you explain everything?"

"Of course!"

"Good. I'll just add a few things, then we'll begin. This drill isn't about running blindly. Maintaining balance while running is key. If you don't follow my instructions properly, you'll have to start over from the beginning."

He then turned to Ramsey.

"Show them how it's done."

"Got it."

Ramsey demonstrated the correct running posture and technique as he sprinted across the field.

His speed and agility were impressive.

The younger players could only watch in awe.

Tony Colbert nodded approvingly.

"See that? That's how you should run. Now, let's start by practicing your posture."