---
[Are you ready to ball?]
Jerry stared at the notification with a dumbfounded expression on his face. He completely blanked out.
"Hey man, you've celebrated enough."
He didn't snap out of his reverie until Moses nudged him on the shoulder.
"Let's get back to our positions before the referee starts handing out yellows."
Jerry blinked for a few moments and saw that everyone was already walking back to their respective positions. He shook his head a few times to snap out of his thoughts and refocus on the game. He had plenty of time to wonder about what he just saw after the match—right now, he had to play well. His father was watching.
The referee gave Jerry a stink eye as he walked back to his position. Seeing this, Jerry could only let out a wry smile. It seemed the referee didn't like him already.
After everyone had settled, the referee blew his whistle, and the match continued.
The rest of the first half wasn't nearly as exciting as the first seven minutes. James Charles Academy were a side that didn't like to have too much of the ball. They thrived in transition and counter-attacks. As such, they were the perfect opponents for Jeremiah Hayes Football Institution, a team that liked to dominate possession while creating chances.
Unfortunately for James Charles Academy, Jeremiah Hayes Football Institution were a well-drilled side that didn't leave too many opportunities for counter-attacks. As a result, they were really quiet in the first half. On the other hand, Jeremiah Hayes Football Institution couldn't create many chances either, as James Charles Academy were incredibly compact defensively. Consequently, the first half ended with a one-nil scoreline.
"Fucking hell." Jerry let out a long breath as soon as he entered the locker room.
Victor was about to start drilling everyone when Jerry raised his hand.
"Could I go to the bathroom?" Jerry asked.
"Yeah," Victor nodded. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah… I just, uh… I need to take a dump," Jerry said. "A very long, watery dump."
Jerry's second sentence caused everyone's face in the locker room to crease in disgust.
"You could've just said you needed to take a shit," Victor said. "You didn't have to bother us with the details. Nobody wanted to know that."
"Sorry, coach," Jerry muttered under his breath as he stepped into the bathroom.
As soon as he entered, he staggered over to the sink and turned on the tap. He used his hands to scoop up some water and splashed it on his face.
"What the—?"
No matter how much he splashed water on his face, the same stupid notification still floated in front of him.
Jerry wasn't the kind of person who read lots of fantasy novels, so he didn't have a clue as to what was happening. He thought it might be the pressure of playing in front of his father getting to him, but the more he stared at the notification, the less likely that seemed.
[Are you ready to ball?]
"Fuck it," Jerry muttered under his breath. He might as well be going crazy. "Yes. Yes, I'm ready to ball."
[Ding! System has finished downloading.]
[Project Mbappe: A system designed to assist second-generation footballers in living up to the expectations placed upon them by fans. You have been chosen out of hundreds of thousands of second-generation footballers. Use this opportunity wisely.]
[Downloading player information...]
If Jerry hadn't already thought he was going crazy, the new words that popped up after he said he was ready to ball made him certain of it.
[Name: Jeremiah Hayes Jr. (Jerry)]
[Club: Nil]
[Position (This is the position the host is best suited for, not the position he has been playing):
Primary: Central Attacking Midfielder
Secondary: Left Winger, Right Winger, Second Striker, Center Forward]
[Player Stats]
[Speed: 75]
[Pace: 72]
[Passing: 56]
[Control: 32]
[Shooting: 34]
[Shot Power: 31]
[Technique: 36]
[Physique: 22]
[Overall Player Rating: 33]
[Player Skills]
<
><
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[--]
[Titles: None]
[Awards Won: None]
Jerry stared at everything in front of him with a dumbfounded expression. His eyes were particularly fixed on the section where his position was displayed.
He had been a striker for as long as he could remember. When he played for the Under-9s and Under-13s, he was an out-and-out striker, poaching goals and all. It was only when he joined his father's football academy that the coach made him into a pseudo-striker. He would always drop back to allow the wingers space to run into.
Even then, it wasn't because he wasn't a good striker. That was just the system the coach preferred: a 4-2-2-2 disguised as a 4-2-3-1.
Although his role had changed slightly, he still considered himself a striker. His dad had been a striker, so he assumed the same position. He never realized he was more naturally suited to play another role.
"I'm not a striker, huh?" Jerry didn't even realize when he transitioned from disbelief to believing what the system was showing him. "I wonder how he'll react if I tell him that."
Jerry took another deep breath and washed his face again. When he looked up, the notifications had disappeared, leaving him confused once more.
"Something's really messing with me," he muttered under his breath.
He waited for a few seconds, and after confirming he wasn't seeing anything else, he heaved a small sigh of relief.
After sighing, he turned to the toilet and sighed again. He… He really did need to take a dump.
---
A/N: Alright, new book! If you like it so far, please don't forget to leave a review and comment on it. It hasn't been vetted yet, so you can't vote, but once it is, please don't forget to.