March 25, 2015
A week before the commencement of the All Japan interschool football tournament. The day when the tie-sheet of the tournament would get published.
As usual players of Ookami elementary school were going through a rough training session in preparation for the tournament.
Just then assistant coach Honda made his way towards the pitch while carrying some paper’s in his hands.
Beep!!
With the sound of the whistle, everybody stopped the training. The sudden stoppage of the training confused everybody.
“Alright everyone gather up.”
Honda san commanded everybody to gather around. And with that announcement everybody started to gather around the coaches.
“Is it for the tie-sheet?”
Players began to question each other.
While they gathered around the coach, Coach Miura started to speak;
“The tiesheet for the tournament is out. Pay attention now as I’ll be announcing our first opponent and I’ll also be announcing the starting players for the tournament.”
With that announcement, everybody started to get anxious. While there were few people on the pitch who maitained their composure and didn’t seem bothered by the revelation.
Most of the players seemed extremely flustered and anxious.
“Please God!! Let me make it to the team.”
“I’d be satisfied even if I can play as a substitute.”
The players started to chatter among themselves.
“Silence!!”
Honda san yelled.
After that nobody dared to make a single noise.
“Before I announce the name of the team which we’ll be playing against, I’ve got a good news and a bad news.”
“Good news is that just like our school, we’ll be facing against a newbie school who have entered the tournament for the first time in our first match and -”
“Woohoo!!”
Before the coach could even finish his sentence, the players started to cheer very loudly. They celebrated as if they had already won the first match of the tournament.
“Silence!!”
“Let the coach finish his sentence first.”
Once again Honda san yelled at them.
“Sigh~”
“Don’t celebrate too early. The bad news is that we’re placed in the same group as Karasuno elementary school.”
“Huh!! What??”
The smiles on their face quickly faded away as they heard about the announcement made by coach Miura that they were placed in the same group as Karasuno elementary school.
“Okay!! Okay!! Let’s keep it low for now. We’ve prepared enough, so let’s believe in our efforts.”
Coach Miura tried to raise the morale of the players which was already crumbling just after hearing that they’ve been placed in the same group as one of the favourites of the tournament.
After that coach Miura gestured Honda san to come closer and whispered something in his ear softly. As soon as coach Miura finished his sentence, Honda san stormed outside the pitch.
“Before we end our training, I’ll announce the players who are going to be our starting eleven.”
“Those who’s names are called, step forward.”
“In goal we have Mark Ueto from class 6-B and Kobayashi Endo from class 4-C.”
Kobayashi Endo was the same keeper who he had faced against during the match between the senior team and the junior team. Unlike Mark, Endo was kinda short. Endo was about the same height as Hiro. However his reflexes were top notch. His playstyle was similar to that of Iker Kasillas.
“Centre backs: Daichi Kamada from class 4-B, Shinsuke Negura from class 3-A, Yamamoto Kesuke from class 5-B, Yamazaki Kento from class 6-A and finally Nobara Akashi from class 1-C.
“Right backs: Gagamaru Gin from class 2-A and Iori Sato from class 3-B.”
“Left backs: Wataru Lemon from class 5-A and Kusakabe Sou from class 6-B”
“Midfielders: Ito Rin from class 4-B, Kosei Otsuka from class 3-B, Ashime Suzuki from class 5-A, Asahi Kuon from class 6-B, Ryouske Ruon from class 6-A and finally Takahashi Hiro from class 1-B.”
“Forwards: Sohei Sato from class 6-B, Suzuki Shiro from class 4-A and finally Kurosaki Kuro from class 3-B.”
“All of these players have been selected as the starting players for the tournament ahead. But the list could change anytime, so don’t take your position for granted. Even those who’s names were not called today have an equal chance to make it into the team. So don’t feel sad about it. Do you understand??”
The players who’s names were not called looked extremely gloomy. Some even started to cry in the pitch. While some started to whine and complain.
“Why are those first years selected and not us??”
One of the senior player complained.
“Because you lack the skill.”
Coach Miura bluntly stated the truth in his face.
“And those who are not satisfied with my decisions are free to leave the team.”
To control the tantrums of the unselected player’s, coach Miura announced that anyone who was not satisfied with his decision was allowed to leave the club.
“So are you going to leave the club?”
He then pointed his finger at the senior player who was throwing a tantrum. The senior player quietly took a step back and shut his mouth. After that nobody dared to speak anything against his decision.
The team mostly consisted of the senior players and the only first years who even got the shot at the starting eleven were only Akashi and Hiro.
After the commotion, the coach adjourned the training. Everybody aside from the starting player’s were advised to leave the pitch.
And as everybody aside from the starting players left the pitch, coach Miura commanded the starting players to follow him.
“I can’t believe, I made it to the team.”
Akashi whispered in excitement while following the coach. Even though he was only whispering, due to his loud voice everybody around them could hear him.
“Shh!! Don’t make noise.”
Hiro insisted Akashi to keep his mouth shut.
“Why is he taking us into the hall??”
Akashi questioned as the coach stopped before the auditorium.
Coach Miura took them inside the auditorium.
Inside the auditorium, infront of the stage, a projection was being displayed by a projector on a huge white cloth hung infront of the stage. Seeing the projection, everybody bewilderingly stared at the projection ahead.
“Are we going to watch a movie??”
Akashi exclaimed in ecstasy.
“No you idiot! We’re probably here for some video analysis.”
“Video analysis?? What is that??”
While most people would avoid Akashi for his appearance and manner of speech, surprisingly Hiro and Akashi had many things in common with each other.
After the first match, Akashi approached him daily and tried to converse with him. At first Hiro felt awkward around him and brushed him off by giving him one word answers.
He expected that he’d stop eventually but contrary to his expectations, Akashi approached him daily without missing a single day. He’d approach him while heading home, he’d approach him in the cafeteria while eating, he’ll even try to converse with him while going to toilet.
Even though Akashi followed him basically everywhere, he didn’t detect any ill motive from him and he could feel that he genuinely wanted to befriend him.
However Hiro who was already 27 years from the inside thought of Akashi as a little kid instead of a friend. But he didn’t want to decline his genuine intentions as well. And thus he befriended Akashi in the end, giving in to his persistence.
Although he talked with Akashi as a friend, he considered him more like a little brother than his friend.
“Okay!! Now, everybody pay attention.”
Coach Miura spoke while standing infront of the stage.
“Now I’ll be discussing our tactics, so don’t get distracted.”
Coach Miura then started to discuss tactics with the starting players. The formation they were going to play in the tournament was 4-4-2 diamond. With two forwards at the top, four midfielders and four defenders, Hiro was assigned the role of attacking midfielder.
Even though Akashi got selected in the team, he wasn’t selected in the starting eleven. And in that whole lineup, Hiro was the sole first year.
Around the time when the coach revealed the starting eleven, he could vividly feel the cold gazes of the senior players. But those gazes weren’t the gaze of jealousy, instead it was a gaze initiating a competition.
“Hiro!! Even though you’ll be playing as an attacking midfielder, I want you to drop deep to receive the ball and play as a deep lying playmaker. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir!!”
The coach wanted Hiro to play as a deep lying playmaker and dominate the midfield.
And just like that after explaining the tactics to the player’s who were selected for the tournament, coach Miura adjourned the meeting.
“Lucky you, You’ll get to play in the starting eleven.”
While they were changing their clothes, Akashi playfully punched him.
“What’s lucky about it. Do you think that I don’t deserve my role??” 𝙚𝙤𝙫𝙚𝒍.𝒐𝙧𝙜
Hiro returned the punch and questioned Akashi.
“Don’t joke!! I don’t know who’ll deserve it, if not you. But even though I’ve been drafted into the official team, I don’t know if coach will even use me or not.”
Akashi frowned.
“Don’t worry you’ll definitely get your opportunity, so keep on improving. Also you’re much softer than you appear. hahaha”
Hiro chuckled as he consoled Akashi.