June 28, 2019
With the appearance of the golden light across the sky from the east side of the horizon, the shimmering lights of twinkling stars started to fade away, along with the black heavens.
Slowly and gradually as the brightness of the golden light intensified, the piping hot red sphere of sun made it’s appearance from the direction of the light.
And as the sun began to rise over the horizon, the sky became aglow with a tapestry of red and orange hues.
While Hiro was taking his sweet time packing his cleats and shin guards inside his bag in his hotel room, Mr. Musashi was waiting for him outside his hotel.
“Hiro hurry up!! We need to leave ASAP.” His mother spoke while putting on her shoes. And as she finished putting on her shoes, she placed the key of the room on the bed close to the door. “I’ll be waiting for you outside. So make sure to come fast. And make sure to lock the room before you leave, okay?” Saying such she grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. She then opened the door and left the room in a hurry.
Finally as he finished packing his stuffs inside his bag, he zipped his bag. He then lifted his bag and left his room in a hurry. Running down the stairs, he rushed outside the hotel.
“Good morning Hiro.” Mr Musashi greeted him while opening the door of the car for him.
“Good morning Mr. Musashi.” Hiro greeted him back while hopping inside the car.
And as he made himself comfortable, his mother and Mr. Musashi both of them hopped on the car as well.
While Mr. Musashi took the steering, his mother sat beside him in the back seat.
“Fasten your seatbelt.” Mr. Musashi spoke as he stepped on the accelerator.
**** ****
After about twenty minutes of car ride, they arrived near the stadium of Kawasaki Frontale club.
“We’re here.” Mr. Musashi exclaimed while driving the car towards the stadium of the club.
“Where??” Hiro mumbled while looking outside the window.
While casting his gaze outside the window, he noticed several buildings and stores painted in black and blue colour.
Almost every store and the buildings were showcasing either the banner of the club or the logo of the club.
While driving through those streets painted in black and blue, Hiro couldn’t refrain himself from feeling excited.
And even though, he didn’t see the stadium of the club while looking outside his window, he could feel the attachment of the people living in those streets for the club in their neighborhood.
“Look ahead.” Mr. Musashi spoke while driving the car in a straight road between the streets.
The stadium of the Kawasaki Frontale club was just at the end of the straight road which they were driving in, at the moment.
Upon hearing his reply, he excitedly took his head out from the window and looked infront of him.
The giant stadium of Kawasaki Frontale club which had the capacity to host more than 26 thousand people at once became even more gigantic as they approached near the stadium.
“Don’t stick your head outside the window.” His mother intoned as she pulled his head inside.
“Sorry!! I got too excited.” He apologized for his reckless behaviour.
Finally as they arrived infront of the entrance of the club, Mr. Musashi hit the break all of a sudden.
The gate ahead was blocked. A black and yellow striped log like structure was placed at the entrance blocking the pathway of the vehicles and also preventing people from entering the club.
Just then a man dressed in blue uniform made his way towards their car.
“The stadium has not opened yet.” The man spoke grumpily as he got near to the car.
“I’m hired by the club.” Mr. Musashi spoke as he pulled out a card from his pocket. He then handed the card to the man infront of the car.
The man kept on staring at the card for a while. And as he finished checking the validity of the card, the man lifted the barrier.
“I’m sorry I didn’t realise that you’re hired by the club.” The man in uniform apologized for stopping them previously while letting them inside the gate.
“No worries. You’re only doing your job.” Mr. Musashi replied while driving past the guard, towards the parking lot.
And as he parked his car, Hiro and his mother got out of the car. Giant posters of the players of the club were displayed on the outer walls of the stadium.
Alongside the posters was a gigantic painting of the club’s logo. With a picture of dolphin in between the vertical stripes of black and blue, the logo was completed with a gigantic text of Kawasaki above the dolphin.
He marveled while looking at those posters and the gigantic stadium infront of his eyes.
“Let’s head inside.” Mr. Musashi spoke as he got out from his car.
After parking the car at the parking lot, Mr. Musashi began to guide them inside the stadium.
And even after verifying their identity at the front gate, they still had to verify their identity and purpose multiple times to the staffs while making their way towards the ground.
Finally after walking for a while, he found himself infront of the tunnel which lead to the pitch of Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium.
While inside the stadium, he wandered his eyes around him. The walls were painted with portraits of the club legends and philosophy of the club.
Suddenly while making his way towards the pitch, the surrounding around him started to get darker.
‘Why did it get dark all of a sudden.’ He wondered as his eyes struggled to adapt to the darkness.
“Careful!! There are stairs infront.” Mr. Musashi warned him, while leading the way.
Just then as he casted his gaze towards the direction of Mr. Musashi, he noticed a sign glowing in red colour. The sign was indicating the presence of stairs infront.
While walking down the stairs, he noticed a bright light coming from at the end of the tunnel.
And as he made his way towards the light, he found himself at the pitch of the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium.
“Woah!! The stadium looks damn magnificent.” With his eyes opened and jaw dropped, he mumbled while looking at the seats of the stadium infront.
The magnificent sight of the stadium had paralysed him in his place.
While he was marveling at the sight of the stadium, he heard a voice coming from behind him;
“Magnificent right?”
“I agree.” He mumbled without thinking while staring at the stadium infront.
“One day you’ll play in this stadium.” The voice from behind him stated.
Still unaware of the presence of the person behind him, he nodded his head.
“Then can we start the trial now?”
“Can’t we wait a little more Mr. Musashi.” He spoke while turning his head back.
And as he turned his head back, he was greeted with an unfamiliar face. Upon witnessing the unfamiliar person, he clumsily retracted a few steps back.
For that whole time when he was hearing that voice coming from behind him, he had assumed that the voice belonged to Mr. Musashi.
But on the contrary, the voice belonged to a silvery grey bearded old man with a dad bod.
Dressed in a black tracksuit and a whistle hung in his neck. With a round face and small monolid eyes, he had the appearance of laughing Buddha with grey beard.
“May I ask who you are sir?” Hiro questioned the person infront.
“Hahaha…, The man who’s going to conduct your trial today.” The man replied while laughing.
Just then Mr. Musashi made his way towards Hiro. “Oh you’ve already met him. He’s Makoto Kenzaki, the youth coach of Kawasaki Frontale club.”
The bearded man with a dad bod was the U-18 coach of the Kawasaki Frontale club.
“What!!! He’s the coach!!!” Hiro blurted out in disbelief. 𝙚𝙙𝙤𝒗𝒆𝒍．𝒄𝙤𝙢
He couldn’t believe how someone like him could coach a professional youth team.
“Yes!! He’s the coach. So you should watch what you speak.” Mr. Musashi intoned after hearing his poor choice of words.
“I’m sorry Mr. Kenzaki. I didn’t mean to belittle you.” Hiro apologized for speaking ill of him.
“Hahaha…., Don’t worry!! Don’t worry!! I get that a lot.” Mr. Kenzaki replied with a smile. He didn’t mind his choice of words. “I get that a lot afterall. But let me remind you, a coach works with his mind not with his body.”
“I’ll remember it from next time onwards.” Hiro nodded his head.
“Now then shall we test out your skills?” Mr. Kenzaki questioned while looking at him.
Hiro nodded his head.
“Then you should go get changed. Yoichiro will show you the way towards the locker room. And if you look at the front seat of the locker room you’ll find a jersey. Just change into that jersey and come to the pitch in 5 mins. I’ll test your physicality.”