"Remember, if you miss this, Team Red takes the lead." A boy with wavy hair patted his teammate on the back as he approached the penalty spot.
It was a sunny day at Akane High School. On the soccer field, which resembled a small stadium, a group of teenagers were locked in a tense penalty shootout.
The boy in the blue bib was facing the Red Team's goalkeeper.
He took a deep breath, lined up his shot, and—boom! He aimed for the bottom-right corner. But the goalkeeper had anticipated it, diving swiftly to save the ball with both hands.
"Damn it!" the boy cursed loudly. His teammate sighed. Until that point, both teams had scored all their penalties.
With that missed shot, the advantage now belonged to Team Red.
Kisaki, the captain, who had warned his teammate not to miss earlier, sighed as he watched.
"I'm so sorry, captain," the boy apologized, his expression gloomy.
"Don't worry, we still have a chance," Kisaki said, patting him on the shoulder.
Now it was their goalkeeper's turn to face the next shot.
The Red Team's player placed the ball on the spot, a cheesy grin on his face. He took a slow, deliberate run-up and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-right corner, wrong-footing the keeper completely.
It was a penalty taken with such composure that it seemed like there was no pressure at all.
Kisaki sighed again. They were now at a significant disadvantage. Their only hope was for their next player to score—if not, they would be eliminated.
All eyes turned to a skinny, fair-skinned boy with brown hair and an average appearance: Matsuda.
"So, Matsuda's up next... We're really done for," one of the boys muttered, voicing what everyone was thinking.
Matsuda, who had been staring off into the distance, blinked. "Oh, it's my turn," he said, finally realizing.
No one said anything as they stepped aside, allowing him to take his place at the penalty spot.
Matsuda approached with surprising confidence, carrying the ball under his arm like a seasoned pro. He set it down, glanced at the goalkeeper, and offered a slight smile.
Seeing this, even the Red Team players shook their heads in disbelief.
"Where are you going?" one of them asked as his teammate slung his bag over his shoulder, preparing to leave.
"What's the point in staying?" the boy replied. "The moment Matsuda stepped up, our defeat was sealed."
"Come on, don't go. He might score," the remaining player said, though his voice lacked conviction. It was a strange sight—the opponent offering hope to the other team.
"Don't worry. Even if you lose this time, you can try again next week. It's not the end of the world if you lose one lousy bet, right?" the Red Team's captain, Namit, said, patting his own teammate on the shoulder.
Namit couldn't believe they might win like this after such a close game, but it seemed inevitable. With all the other players having taken their shots, Matsuda was team blue's only option.
Matsuda stretched his legs from side to side, loosening up with a series of exaggerated motions, making sure to get out all the creaking sounds.
"Bro, are you seriously stretching right now?" one of his teammates muttered.
But Matsuda ignored him, continuing to stretch as he pleased. He rolled up his sleeves and even adjusted the cuffs of his trousers.
"Why are you rolling up your sleeves? You're not a farmer," someone else joked.
Matsuda started bouncing lightly from one foot to the other. "Bro, calm down. This isn't a UFC match," another player said.
Finally, after his bizarre display, Matsuda was ready.
He began his run, moving slowly and deliberately, before suddenly speeding up just before reaching the ball.
Kisaki, who didn't have high expectations for Matsuda, still had to watch. "Does he really have a chance of scoring?" he wondered.
Even though everyone doubted it, they all watched intently. Even the goalkeeper had to lock in, just in case.
But all the attention proved unnecessary. The moment Matsuda's foot made contact with the ball, it sailed over the bar, flying completely out of the stadium.
"…"
"Uh, what the…?" some of the spectators reacted.
"Damn, that guy really kicked the ball into outer space."