With the bracelet in his inventory, Lucas Tanaka left the bathroom. He was on his way to the infirmary, as he had promised his teammates, when he almost bumped into a blue-haired girl standing there, as if waiting for someone.
Their eyes met briefly, and Lucas remembered seeing her outside the bus on the first day. She looked just as serious as before.
"Sorry," he said, taking a step back to avoid shock.
"You're Lucas Tanaka, right? From Wushia High School?" She asked without apologizing.
"Yes, I am." Lucas raised an eyebrow, confused by her tone. "And you are?"
"Hasumi Seiya, from Hanrahan High School. I saw you play earlier." She crossed her arms and looked at him so steadily that he felt a little uncomfortable.
"Ah, yes. I hope you liked what you saw," he replied, trying to be polite while feeling nervous at her serious look.
Hasumi let out a short, dry laugh. "Did I? Actually, I thought you played like an animal."
Lucas frowned. "What did you say?"
"I mean, you have no finesse. You replaced the other number 10, and you're even a little better, but a real number 10 plays with elegance, like he's wearing a suit. You just run around like a wild man. You're desperate, you're rash, you don't show any composure at all. Even during the game, you look scared."
The criticism hit Lucas like a punch in the gut, and he felt the blood rush to his head.
"Really? And what do you know about soccer? Have you ever played?"
"More than you know," she replied without flinching. "And I'll go further in my criticism... If you keep playing like this, you'll never be a professional."
Lucas gritted his teeth and tried to remain calm. "I play my way. And so far it's worked out very well."
"Well? I wouldn't say it's been good. I don't know if you're aware, but your team's first two games are just qualifiers for the main bracket of this summer's tournament."
Every syllable of the criticism seemed to resonate like a gong, echoing in the self-confidence of the defeated Lucas of the future. He knew that anger could easily take over, so he decided to take a deep breath before answering her again.
"I know I'm not perfect. I know I have a lot to improve on, and that's why I keep trying every day."
Hasumi raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised by Lucas' answer. She didn't want to provoke an explosive reaction from him, but she knew that it was normal for boys his age not to take harsh words from strangers like her so easily. It would be normal if he decided to call her names, because that's what she usually got when she criticized the players at her school.
"But..." Lucas continued, taking a step forward. "...my style of play will never change because of criticism. I'm going to play any way I can to keep winning. I don't have to be the same as other No10s to be good. I may not have the elegance of a player like Kaka or Messi, but I have the strength and passion that makes me chase the ball like a hungry monster. And it's that passion that will take me far. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment at the infirmary."
Turning away, Lucas continued on his way.
Hasumi stood for a few moments. She had never expected someone to respond to her criticism with such calmness.
As Lucas walked away, he felt the weight of Hasumi's words a little. He managed to answer her, but he wasn't sure if he really looked scared during the game.
Did the others see me like that?
At least he knew now that he had to work on his calm and control during the game, because the system wouldn't help him with that.
Arriving at the stadium's infirmary, Lucas pushed open the door and entered what looked like the reception area. The atmosphere was quieter than expected. A young woman in her early twenties looked up from the papers on the table and smiled when she saw him.
"Ah, come in, please." She asked, her voice echoing through the empty reception area.
"Hello, my name is Lucas Tanaka. I'm from the soccer club at Wushia High School. I came to see how Yukihiro is doing. He was injured during the game."
"Yukihiro? He was taken care of earlier, but he's out now. My colleague brought him to your locker room after taping his sprained ankle. He didn't have to stay because it was only a slight sprain, but I don't think he'll be able to play for at least three days."
Three days? That means he'll be out of the game tomorrow and the day after. Lucas thought, worried because Yukihiro was the only speedster on their team.
"I see," Lucas said, bowing his head in thanks to the nurse. "Thank you for the information."
He turned to leave the infirmary when an unexpected message appeared in his peripheral vision. A message from the Champion system.
The text floated in front of his eyes, clear and concise:
[New Mission!]
[Mission Name: Flirt
Description: You wasted your life between High School and work. Then you focused on working as hard as possible to please your superiors. That didn't make you popular with the girls, but maybe that can change now.
Objective: Kiss the nurse named Moeka Tahara.
Rewards:
+ 1 Uncommon loot box.
+ 1 Mysterious Card].
Lucas froze, his heart racing. The idea seemed absurd, completely out of context, and invasive. He didn't know how to react. There was no penalty for not completing the mission, but if he succeeded, he would receive +1 Mystery Letter.
He glanced at the nurse, who had gone back to concentrating on her papers, oblivious to the internal conflict he was experiencing.