Chapter 80: Half-Time Banter.
*RingRing! RingRing! RingRing!*
The sound of ten alarms echoed across the field, a reminder for both teams to take a break before the second half commenced. The sudden blare of phones, set to ensure the players didn't lose track of time amidst the intensity of the match, marked the end of the first half.
"Well, that calls it," Akeshi said as he casually flicked a bead of sweat off his forehead. The players from both teams dispersed, heading to opposite benches, ready to hydrate and strategize.
The Chidori team settled on their bench, each of them grabbing their water bottles as they tried to make sense of the first half.
"How many years have they been playing football?" Kagami asked between gulps of water, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"I don't know about the Chabashira guy," Mikage replied, "but from what I've heard, only Namak and Ren has any real experience. They played when he was younger. The rest? Completely inexperienced."
Kagami's eyes widened, almost comically, as he stared at Mikage in disbelief. "You...are kidding."
"Nope, I'm not," Mikage shook his head firmly. "They only took a week to train."
"The fuck are these people? And that guy, chabashira, didn't even look like he knew shit about football. How the hell did he make those defenses?"
Everyone on the Chidori bench was just as shocked as Kagami, though most of them tried to hide it.
"I want to ask," Myushi raised his hand in the air, waving it slightly, "but did anyone understand what just happened? That last goal—I mean, how did that even happen?"
The group wore a collective look of contemplation, their expressions gradually twisting with confusion. Kagami was the first to break the silence.
"I don't think I have a logical answer, but I've got a supernatural one. Would that work?"
"What do you mean by 'supernatural'? Like source-users?" Keitaro questioned, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
Kagami shook his head. "No, not like that. By supernatural, I mean something beyond human reach."
"Explain," Rentaro said, his tone edged with curiosity.
"So, basically, that tarazune guy already saw what would happen before it even happened," Kagami started. "It's like he predicted it. He analyzed all of our personalities, crafted a plan at the start of the match, and when I showed up unexpectedly, he adjusted it on the fly. Every time I got close to him, in those split seconds, he saw through my personality, reworked his strategy, and manipulated the field. He made that Chinese mixed guy the star."
"That's...not something a human can do, right? Mass manipulation like that? And seeing through someone so easily?" Okabe's voice wavered as he spoke, echoing the unease of the group.
The others, including Kagami, couldn't hide their shock. Mikage finally let out the thought that had been brewing within him since the first half of the match ended.
"Alright then, let's change gears. Rentaro, you're going on GK duty, and I'll take the lead. As for the rest of you, keep your eyes on everyone except akesh-san. That's our main objective. Am I clear?"
All of them nodded in unison, solidifying their resolve as they discussed the new strategy.
Meanwhile, on the Roward side of the field, the atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed.
"So, what will we do?" Haruto asked, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
"Well, Chabashira will handle the goalkeeper position, while Namakemono moves forward as the striker. Chen will revert to being a center forward, and the rest will remain the same," Akeshi explained, his voice calm and measured.
The team nodded, satisfied with the plan. But Chen, always the thinker, raised another point.
"I think we should talk about something else—like who's going to take the spotlight this time."
The others looked at him, intrigued but also slightly puzzled.
"I think I didn't come across the way I wanted to," Chen clarified. "So here's the gist of it: who's going to score the goal?"
"It'll be anyone who can score it. What's there to ask?" Akeshi replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Tarazune don't act dumb. You know what I meant. Who are you going to support with your pass? That's the question."
Akeshi let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "I'm not in the mood to play favorites. I'll just pass and see who can get it, even if it's the enemy team. They'll probably focus most of their guards on you guys, not me."
Yuuki eyed him suspiciously. "I thought they'd guard you, though? Was I wrong?"
This time, it was Namakemono who answered. "In normal circumstances, you'd be right, but here they'll be more concerned about the pass Akeshi gives being out of their reach. So they'll guard us to receive or intercept those passes."
Akeshi glanced at his phone, noting that their break was almost over. "We sure talked for a long time, didn't we?"
The others checked their phones and nodded, getting up from the bench. Other than Namakemono, everyone seemed eager to start playing again.
"But is that all the strategy meeting we'll be doing? Nothing extra?" Haruto looked at Chen, a hint of skepticism in his voice.
"No. Just make sure you do your job well," chen replied.
"I will," Haruto responded, determination in his voice.
Both teams stood stiff, facing each other on the field, the tension palpable. There was an unspoken challenge in the air as they prepared for the second half.
"So, both of us decided to change things up, huh?" Akeshi remarked, his tone casual yet sharp.
"Yes, we thought a little change wouldn't hurt," Kagami responded with a smirk.
"Let's begin."
With a smooth backheel shot, Akeshi passed the ball in chen's direction, who darted forward, only to be intercepted by Keitaro. The rest of the Roward players were already marked by their opponents, each move carefully anticipated.
'This is going according to Tarazune/Tarazune-san's prediction and Yukimiya/Namakemono's deduction,' the Roward players thought as the second half commenced. The air was thick with anticipation, the outcome of the match hanging in the balance.
Tokusake Ren, however, was not entirely present in the moment. His mind wandered, caught in a loop of thoughts that he couldn't quite shake off. The game was intense, yes, but there was something else gnawing at him—a sense of dissonance that had been growing steadily over time.
Ren had always been a mystery, even to himself. The duality within him had always been a source of confusion, a constant battle between two personas that could never quite reconcile. The child who rejected light and the adult who was rejected by it—they were two sides of the same coin, yet utterly incompatible.
His thoughts drifted back to the first time he realized something was fundamentally wrong with him. At that time , after he was sent back in time , he was shocked , too shocked to fully understand the complexities of identity. The child in him was cold, distant, refusing to feel anything that might make him vulnerable. The adult, on the other hand, was a mercenary, devoid of humanity, driven by a relentless need to prove something—to himself, to others, to the world.
But now, on this football field, he felt that same sense of dissonance creeping back in. The game was a distraction, a way to momentarily silence the conflicting voices in his head, but it was only a temporary reprieve.
His feet moved automatically, his body following the motions he had practiced, but his mind was elsewhere. The ball was passed to him, and he kicked it with precision, sending it to Namakemono, who deftly maneuvered past his opponent. The others told him , instructed him , but Ren barely heard it. The noise was distant, a dull hum compared to the chaos inside his head.
As the game continued, Ren's focus wavered, his thoughts looping back to the same question: Who am I? The child who rejected light or the adult rejected by it? The mercenary or the distant, unfeeling boy? Or was he something else entirely, something that didn't quite fit into either category?
The pressure built up inside him, threatening to explode. He felt the weight of expectations—his own, his team's, his friends'. Everyone expected him to be something, to fulfill a role, but what if he couldn't? What if the two halves of him could never merge into a coherent whole?
The ball was passed back to him, and this time, he hesitated. Just for a moment, but it was enough. Keitaro saw the hesitation and lunged forward, stealing the ball with ease. Ren cursed under his breath, frustration boiling over.
But then, something snapped. It was as if the two personas within him collided, creating a third, new identity. The child who rejected light and the adult who was rejected by it—both dissolved, leaving behind something raw, something undefined, but undeniably him.
His movements became sharper, more deliberate. He no longer hesitated, no longer second-guessed himself. The noise around him faded into the background, and all that mattered was the game, the ball, and the goal.
Akeshi noticed the change immediately, a chuckle escaping his lips . "Looks like someone's finally waking up," he muttered under his breath.
Ren sprinted forward, his eyes locked on the goal.
He didn't know that this happened only momentarily. But he subconsciously knew better than anyone that he should enjoy this feeling while it lasts.