Later that evening, Matsuda entered the subway and boarded a train home. He took his seat by the door, put on his earbuds, and waited. Soon, the train became packed. Just as the doors were about to close tightly, an inconspicuous-looking cat squeezed through a small gap before they shut completely.
"Finally, I got away from that maniac,* the cat thought. "Even after helping him with his career, he still doesn't want to let me go. What a guy."
The cat looked around, then maneuvered through the legs of the passengers, slipping under the seats like a shadow. "Undetected, perfect," it mused, until something caught its attention. *Oh, what's this?* The cat felt a faint glimmer and activated its senses to explore further. "Another potential? Already? Just after I left the last one?"
It focused and saw a boy, glowing with a bright yellow light. However, this light was overshadowed by a dark purple hue, as if the two colors were in conflict. "This young man has potential, but he doesn't know it yet. I'll keep an eye on him and see where this goes."
Meanwhile, Matsuda got off the train and headed home.
Before entering his house, Matsuda stopped by the small shop next door. He stood at his front door, searching for his keys. After rummaging for a while, he muttered, "Shit, I left my house key under my desk. Damn it."
With a sigh, he walked to the shop behind his house and knocked on the door. He couldn't go back to school now, so this was his only option. "Mr. Mori?" he called out, but there was no response. "I hope he's in,"he thought. "I'm coming in," Matsuda said as he opened the door.
Inside the shop were all kinds of sports equipment—balls, football shoes, and jerseys. He glanced around for a moment, and his eyes landed on a bright red shoe with black stripes, gleaming inside a display case. "This…"Matsuda thought, intrigued. He knew the brand, Adidas, but had never seen this particular model before. *It looks expensive,* he mused, noticing it was the only shoe placed in a glass case.
As he inspected the shoe further, a loud voice echoed through the shop.
"No, no, no, no! Put that back! What are you doing?" An old man with white hair and a balding head rushed out, snatching the shoe from Matsuda's hands. "Do you know how much this shoe costs? It's reserved for top customers! Are you a top customer?"
"So it's expensive, huh?" Matsuda replied sheepishly. "But I'm your neighbor, remember?"
"Neighbor? A neighbor who doesn't even patronize my shop?" the old man scoffed.
"What are you talking about, old man? I do patronize you! You've given me most of the boots I have at home."
The old man raised an eyebrow. "You mean the boots you still haven't paid for since last year?"
Matsuda scratched his head, unable to meet Mori's gaze. "Don't be like that…"
"So, what brings you here?" Mori asked, crossing his arms.
"Oh, I forgot my key at school, so I was wondering if you still had the spare to my house?"
"Ah, if that's the case, why didn't you say so sooner?" Mori grumbled, heading to the back of the shop. "Wait here and don't touch anything."
Matsuda sighed and looked around the shop while Mori went to fetch the spare key. There were boots, jerseys, and new balls of various sizes. His attention shifted to a photograph hanging on the wall—a black-and-white image of a younger Mori holding a small boy in a football kit. "Is this Mori? And his son?"
The boy in the picture looked happy, while Mori, much younger then, seemed content. "What happened to his son?"Matsuda wondered as he wiped away some dust from the frame. Just then, Mori returned.
"I told you not to touch anything!" Mori snapped. "Do you like the picture? That's my son, Dory. He used to love football and wanted to play professionally."
"Used to?" Matsuda asked, his curiosity piqued. "What happened?"
Mori scowled, dodging the question. "You dare ask!...Didn't I warn you not to touch anything? Here's the key. Now go, go, go!" He hurried Matsuda out of the shop.
Matsuda unlocked his door and entered his house, unaware of the inconspicuous cat that had slipped in behind him.
Later that night, after tossing his bag aside, Matsuda went to bed. He got up for a midnight snack, then sat at his study table. "What a long day" he thought before grabbing his console and playing an online match.
The next morning, Matsuda was still awake, playing video games instead of sleeping. After a few hours, frustrated, he shut off his console. "Damn it, these online players are too good," he grumbled. Just as he was about to lie down, the sound of a rooster crowing reached his ears. "Shit, it's already morning," he muttered as his alarm went off.
Dragging himself out of bed, Matsuda got ready and headed to school. He dozed off during class, but when break time came, he was out on the field, ready to play football.
"Hey, you again!" one of the boys shouted. "You already got to pick last time. Let me pick first this time!"
"Fine, you pick," Matsuda said, crossing his arms.
The game continued until the main school players arrived. Matsuda, though part of the team, wasn't skilled enough to be a core member. He had been passed over for the upcoming tournament, despite being a second-year student. Only the top players were selected for the preliminary matches.
As the team jogged, Matsuda's side began to ache, and he clutched his knee, struggling to keep up. The coach finally announced the players: Ryunosuke, Kazuki, Hange, Tobayashi, Haruto, and Ishmael. Each would pick their teammates.
As the picks went on, Matsuda was left standing. Even the lesser-known players were chosen before him. The coach glanced at him briefly before assigning him to Kazuki's team as the last player.
Kazuki's team reluctantly accepted him, and they all took their positions for the match. The first game was about to begin.