"We're here!" Mr. Yamamoto announced, opening his arms.
Behind him was an imposing stadium with modern structures. It was the largest stadium most of the Wushia High School boys had seen in their lives, so everyone was impressed.
"Ohhh! It's so big!"
In fact, the Asset Minato Soccer Stadium was much bigger than the small stadiums in their town. The roof of the stands was a futuristic steel and glass structure with solar panels that powered the stadium with renewable energy. All around the entrance, bright and colorful banners displayed images of professional players participating in the Chubu Region Summer Championship, serving as advertisements.
"Look at that, guys," said Kenji, the team captain, with a smile on his face as he pointed to a championship banner with the symbol of Adidas, a world-famous clothing brand.
Adidas sponsored the championship with sports equipment.
The boys began to act excited like, well, soccer-mad boys. This was the first championship for most of them, so they were excited.
Suddenly, as everyone was getting off, a bus pulled up next to them. Players from another school got off the bus. Their uniforms were bright blue with white details. Their confidence was evident with every step they took toward the stadium entrance.
"Hey, check it out." One of the boys from the other school said with a mischievous smile. "Looks like we got a bunch of rednecks here today."
Nishida, known for his no-tolerance temper, felt his blood boil. His hands clenched into fists and he took a step forward.
"What did you say?" said Nishidaangrily. "Bumpkin is what you'll become after I stick my hand in your face, because you'll never want to live in a society with a disfigured face again!"
The boys from the other school were startled, thinking they had spoken so softly that no one could hear.
"Calm down, Nishida. Calm down." Mr. Yamamoto intervened, stepping in front of Nishidato stop him from attacking the boys from the other school. "There's no point in fighting over this. Let's prove our worth on the field, not out here."
Some boys from the other school laughed at the scene of an old man trying to hold back the boy with the spiky tuft, but before the situation could get any worse, a girl approached the boys who had provoked this situation. She was short, with blue hair pulled back in a ponytail, and her eyes showed authority.
"Hey, assholes!" she said, slapping the two laughing boys on the head. "Show some respect."
The boys immediately fell silent, rubbing their heads where they had been hit.
"I'm sorry for their behavior," the girl said, bowing to Mr. Yamamoto and the Wushia High School boys. "They're not usually like this, I promise. By the way, I'm Hasumi Seiya from Hanrahan High School."
Mr. Yamamoto was grateful for the intervention. "Thank you, Miss Seiya. I'm Mr. Yamamoto, coach of Wushia High School."
Hasumi smiled and turned to his colleagues. "Come on, guys. Show everyone that we know how to behave."
As the players from the other school entered the stadium, Nishidastill looked angry. His fists were still clenched, and he was muttering through his teeth.
"We can't let this go to waste," he said to Tanaka, who was standing next to him.
"I know, Nishida," Tanaka replied calmly. "But Mr. Yamamoto is right. Let's prove ourselves on the field. This place is full of strong schools. We can't let anyone underestimate us or call us bad or weak. Right now, they think we're just salmon in a sea of sharks. Let them keep thinking that, because when they least expect it, we're going to show up as killer whales."
Nishidawas surprised by Tanaka's mature reaction. His eyebrows went up, but then he became serious, put his hands in his coat pockets, and nodded.
The Wushia High School boys followed their coach down a long corridor that led to the locker rooms.
"I have to say, this place is emptier than I expected." Toshinori, the starting goalie, said with a serious look on his face. He was 16 years old, and this was his first championship.
Since it was the summer championship, everyone expected many schools from all over the Chubu region, but there were only six school buses in the parking lot and not many kids in the hallways.
Mr. Yamamoto smiled at the corner of his mouth. "That's because we're weak."
The coach's answer stunned everyone. How could he say something like that just a few minutes into the game? Despite their surprise, no one dared to argue with the coach and waited for him to continue.
"Wushia School is one of the few schools invited to this tournament for social reasons. We haven't had any significant results in the past few years, and we're known as THE WEAKEST because of our performance in the National Championships over the past ten years. We haven't even won our first qualifying match in four years. The only reason we still have official matches and friendlies against other schools is because of the history that the alumni of Wushia High School have built."
At the same time as Mr. Yamamoto was explaining, they entered the locker room area. On the walls of this long, wide corridor, there was a long sticker with pictures of various famous players from around the world.
"But to me, that's the fun of soccer," Mr. Yamamoto said.
"What's so cool about it?" asked Yuuga.
"Isn't it exciting for you, too, to know that when you play well and win, you're literally making history with your feet? Every goal you score, every victory you win, you go down into the team's history. That's the part that excites me the most about soccer. The power to make things bigger, the power to change. Today, Wushia High School is weak, but you can write a story in this championship and write your names in the history of Wushia High School as the players who brought this school back into the spotlight."
They hadn't even entered the locker room or stood on the sidelines yet, but Mr. Yamamoto's speech made them feel as if they were already on the field playing soccer.
Lucas Tanaka was in shock. He didn't remember Mr. Yamamoto's speech, so hearing it was like a slap in the face. He clenched his hands and thought:
'The old man is right! We have to do this! I have to do it! My first goal as a professional is to win this championship and change the history of Wushia College.'