Chapter 3.

The meeting with the coach was a really short one. He didn't have anything of great importance to share, so we did some self introduction.

He also went further to explain to us how the matches work and the rewards we get for each match.

"And most importantly, I'll be leaving for a few days or maybe weeks, so I won't be training with you guys now. But rest assured, the game's still in a few months." Was the last thing he said before leaving.

It didn't go exactly as I had expected. My excitement just wore off immediately after he left the dormitory.

"So... what now?" Tamura asked as we all looked at each other.

"Beats me. Ha… I really want to relax."

"I'd love to go shopping. I saw many stores when I came here."

"Hm…"

"Maybe, sharing chores." Nakamura suggested.

"Y-yeah, that seems alright." Tanaka said, smiling at him.

*These guys...*

"Well, cleaning can be done in pairs, roommates." Tanaka said.

*Why don't they look bothered?*

"Kimishita-kun, Yusuke-kun, looks like you guys are first."

*They were brought to a different world, but yet they don't look so bothered. Well, I mean, who am I to say that.*

"Huh? Why do I have to clean up with this dummy?" Kiichi asked.

"HUH?! 💢💢, who are you calling a dummy, you asshole?" Nakamura asked.

"Huh?!" They said in unison.

"Hmph."

"Well, I guess that's settled."

"Yeah."

"Wait a minute, what about food?" Akatsuki, one of the other guys asked.

*That guy…*

"Yeah, that's a problem, I can't really cook." Tanaka said.

"W-well, we have the girls." Kiichi said, smiling and facing the girls who looked away while whistling.

"Oh no." Nakamura said.

"Don't tell me that..." Kiichi started.

"They are really bad at cooking." They both said.

"Huh...?! Don't go copying me, stupid💢."

"I should be telling you that, punk."

"Grrrrr!!! Tch💢." They both faced another direction.

*Ugh... do these guys ever see eye to eye. Well, it's just cooking. Something I'm good at.*

"I… might be able to take that up." I said as they all turned towards me.

"Huh? You can cook... Oshiba-san?" Saitō asked.

"Yeah, you could say that." I answered, rubbing the back of my head.

"Whoa, you really are a life saver." They said.

"Okay! We've got our cook! Let's try our best to assist him." Tanaka said.

☆ ☆ ☆

Something else to look forward to. The rewards you have per match played.

Our basic necessities are to be bought by us, from the points we realise per match.

The start-up reward is for the ones who successfully registered as players in their world. Any other point will be from the way a team or particular player performs per match.

With that reasoning, there's no way a team would decide to play nonchalantly since their comfort is riding on that.

"Hey, Atsushi-kun." Tanaka called, walking into the Exercise room.

We had two different rooms in the building next to the dorm. The exercise room where exercise equipment was kept and the team room where we were to have pre-match meetings.

"Um... hey, good day." I said, sitting on a bench.

"Looks like you've been out here working out. I've seen it for the past two days now. Why don't you go to the field to play, though?" He asked, sitting beside me.

"Ah… I haven't really played soccer for a long time now. So… I don't get it either." I answered.

*True, I just have this bad feeling. It's as though I won't get it if I tried to play it.*

"Huh... well, I've played before. Back in junior high, though." He said, handing a bottle of water to me.

"Thanks." I said, grabbing it.

"You know, I really don't know how to react to this problem we are in. It feels like a dream to me." He said.

*I mean, it's an illusion.*

"Yeah, same here."

"Are you always alone, like I mean back in reality?" He asked.

"W-well, yeah." I replied, looking away.

*It's only natural. I understand if they think I'm weird cause I don't stay with them but... this is how I grew up. I can't just become a social person in two days' time.*

"Oh."

"Hey! You both." Kiichi called, walking into the room with the other guys.

"Hey." Tanaka said, smiling.

"Don't 'Hey' me." Kiichi said.

"Look at you guys leaving us out and exercising."

"We weren't really..."

"Get the balls, Koenji-san."

"Huh? But the coach didn't tell us where they were." Saitō Koenji said.

"HEH?!"

"Seems like we have a job to go find the balls first."

"Huh? So you guys really planned on training without us?" Hayashi Chika asked, hands Akimbo.

"N-n-no, we were about to call you guys." Nakamura explained, smiling at them.

"Then let's go find those balls." Hayashi said as they began searching for them.

"Let's join them." Tanaka said, smiling.

"Mmn." I said, standing and looking around with them.

*They do take this seriously, after all. Thank goodness.* I thought.

"Mmn." I said, standing and following from behind.