The whistle blew, signaling the start of the first half. Kogane High's team gathered on their side of the field, observing Seiryuu High's new lineup. Koenji and Kaminari stood out immediately—Koenji as the running back and Kaminari as the wide receiver.
Although they weren't that famous in the world of flag football, Kogane at least have heard of them due to their insane plays in the past. After all, they were considered prodigies when they were still in middle school.
But now, they were only the remnants of their past, rotting away in a school that didn't even have a decent flag football team or decent players for that matter.
The rest of the Seiryuu team looked unfamiliar, a ragtag group borrowed from other clubs to make up the numbers. There was one person who looked familiar to them, though— Kazemachi Sota.
His blue hair and ocean-colored eyes pierced their soul, but they ruled it out as someone whom they've met in passing before. After all, his weird actions were more noticeable than his facial features.
On the sideline, Kogane High's players eyed the Seiryuu team curiously. "Where's their quarterback?" one of them asked.
Another pointed to a figure, the one with blue hair and blue eyes standing off to the side. "Isn't that him?"
Takeru Hayashi, Kogane's star quarterback, squinted at the blue-haired player. "He looks familiar, but why is he wearing his jersey inside out?"
Renji Takahashi, the running back, shrugged. "Maybe he's embarrassed. Look at their team—they barely have enough players."
"Ughh~ I want to disappear. I hope the ground will swallow me up right now." Sota muttered to himself.
He stood awkwardly on the sidelines, feeling the weight of their stares. In embarrassment, he tugged at his own jersey, wishing that he would disappear right then and there.
Because he brought his jersey on a whim, and because the team didn't have extra jerseys, he was forced to wear his own. However, he didn't take into account that his previous team's name was on it, and he felt embarrassed wearing it in front of everyone.
Left with no choice, he decided to turn it inside out before wearing it. Koenji teased him about it at first, but he told him to shut up.
Seiryuu's makeshift team huddled together, their manager, Aiko giving them a pep talk. "We know we're the underdogs, but let's give it our all. Koenji, Kaminari, you two need to carry the team. We need some plays to keep Kogane on their toes."
Koenji nodded, determination flashing in his eyes. "Aiyo~ and by the way, Aiko-san, we're going to make Sota sit this one out, as per agreed."
Nodding her head, Aiko turned around, heading back to the bench as she let out an exhale, marking her nervousness. "Just do your best out there. Give 'em a hard time."
Ever the optimist, Kaminari saluted towards their bubbly manager. "Got it manager-san! We'll show them what we've got."
With that said, the two teams walked forward and shook each other's hands. Although the game hasn't even started yet, they were already glaring at each other, like mad dogs waiting for their chance to bite.
With a toss coin deciding the ownership of the first snap, everyone held their breaths as it was released in the air.
"Heads, Seiryuu High." The umpire announced. (the umpire is just the PE Teacher).
The first play began.
With the center snapping the ball after the signal, "Set, Hut!" the ball flew into the quarterback's hands, who then handed it off to Koenji. He sprinted towards the line of scrimmage, darting between defenders with surprising agility.
Kogane High's defense moved quickly to counter. Renji, the running back, charged at Koenji, forcing him to change direction. Koenji dodged one tackle but was caught by another defender, his flag pulled off.
"Argh~ as expected, they're strong." Koenji commented. They haven't even advanced that much.
On the forty-yard mark, the snap was played on Kogane High's possession. Takeru, the quarterback, started eyeing the defense. He couldn't believe that the defenders weren't even trying to corner him before they could charge after five seconds.
One.
Two.
Three.
Kaminari stood still, waiting for the best moment to strike. As soon as he counted up to five, his ankles snapped, kleats digging into the ground as he made a huge jump forward.
He pulled the flag.
"Wha—" Takeru didn't even see it. One moment, Kaminari was in front of him, a couple of meters away. The next moment, he was right on his leg, pulling the flag on his left side.
"Got it." Kaminari said.
A few plays later, Seiryuu attempted a pass.
"Set, Hut!" and the ball was snapped.
This time, it went to Kaminari, who raced down the field as a wide receiver. He leaped for the ball, but Takeru was right there, intercepting the pass.
Kogane's offense took over, their precision and teamwork evident. Takeru called the play, and the ball was snapped. He dropped back, scanning the field before launching a perfect pass to Renji, who caught it and sprinted down the sideline, evading Seiryuu's defenders with ease. He crossed into the end zone, scoring the first touchdown of the game.
Now that he knew how fast Kaminari could go, he just had to pass before the five-second mark, and then race down the fields with everyone else. "Those two are good... but they're not a team." Takeru licked his lips.
The score was 6-0, Kogane's favor. Seiryuu tried to regroup, but their makeshift team struggled to keep up. Kogane's defense was relentless, blocking every attempt Seiryuu made to advance the ball.
Timeout was called, and Aiko huddled the team together. He could tell that their spirits were low... or maybe, they just weren't up for the game since most of them weren't even part of the club.
"Keep your heads up! We can do this. Stick to the basics and don't let them intimidate you." Aiko advised, referring to Kaminari and Koenji who resolutely nodded their heads in response.
Prrrrt~!