The whistle blew.
Final.
5 4.
For a second
everything stopped.
Then the noise hit.
Shouts from the sidelines. Teammates yelling. Some laughing, some just dropping to the ground, completely drained.
"LET'S GOOOO!"
"WE WON!"
"NO WAY THAT WAS CLOSE!"
Yusuke didn't move.
He stood inside the box.
Looking at the net.
The ball was still there, resting against the back.
His chest rose and fell slowly.
Breathing steady.
Not rushed.
Not chaotic.
Calm.
"…Hah."
His foot shifted slightly, like it still remembered the strike.
The sound.
The contact.
The moment.
"YO!"
Riku slammed into him from the side, grabbing his shoulder.
"That was insane!" he shouted. "You just decided to end it yourself, huh?!"
Yusuke barely reacted.
"…It was open."
"Don't 'it was open' me," Riku laughed. "You cooked them."
Sora rushed in next, practically bouncing.
"Bro, that last goal was clean!" he said. "And that earlier one too wait, how many did you even score?"
"…Didn't count."
"Of course you didn't," Sora said, grinning. "You're annoying."
"OI!"
Yuma's voice cut through everything from behind.
"NUMBER 13 FINALLY WOKE UP!" he yelled. "ABOUT TIME!"
A few of them laughed.
Yusuke just exhaled.
"…Loud."
Takumi walked over more calmly.
Same steady expression.
Same sharp eyes.
He stopped in front of Yusuke.
"…You finally played properly."
Simple.
Direct.
Yusuke looked at him.
"…Guess so."
Takumi nodded once.
Then stepped back.
No extra praise.
No hype.
Just acknowledgment.
Off to the side
Kaito stood still.
Watching.
Silent.
His jaw tightened slightly.
No smile.
No reaction.
Just… quiet.
Yusuke's eyes shifted toward him for a second.
Kaito didn't look back.
"…Tch."
He turned.
And walked off.
No words.
No congratulations.
Just gone.
Sora noticed.
"…He's mad," he muttered.
"Obviously," Hiroto said, walking up slowly. "Game turned into a one man show."
Yusuke glanced at him.
"…Didn't ask."
Hiroto shrugged. "Still true."
A small pause.
Then
"…That match was messy," Hiroto added. "Fun though."
"Fun?" Yuma scoffed. "I almost died out there."
"You say that every time."
"Because it's true every time!"
Tsubasa walked over from the goal.
Still composed.
Still calm.
He looked at Yusuke.
"…Good finishing."
Yusuke nodded slightly.
"…Good saves."
Tsubasa didn't respond.
But his gaze held for a second longer.
Then
"Oi."
Daniel D.'s voice.
Everyone turned.
"Over here."
They gathered.
Slowly.
Still breathing heavy.
Sweat dripping.
The energy hadn't settled yet.
Daniel stood in front of them.
Arms crossed.
Eyes sharp.
"You won."
No reaction.
No celebration.
"But that wasn't clean."
Silence.
"Five goals conceded," Daniel continued. "That's not acceptable."
A few expressions shifted.
Daichi looked down slightly.
Ren stayed still.
Yuma clicked his tongue.
"They broke you too easily," Daniel said. "Especially through the middle."
His eyes shifted slightly.
"Kurogami."
The name hung in the air.
"He got into your box too many times," Daniel continued. "Too freely."
No one argued.
Because it was true.
"You lost control of the game more than once," Daniel added. "If this was a stronger team…"
A pause.
"You lose."
Silence.
Then
His gaze moved.
Landing on Yusuke.
"For someone who 'just showed up,'" Daniel said, "you changed the game."
Yusuke didn't respond.
"But," Daniel added, "don't rely on that."
A small pause.
"Instinct alone isn't enough."
Yusuke's eyes shifted slightly.
"You won today because you acted," Daniel said. "Not because you thought."
Another pause.
"That won't always work."
Silence.
Then
"Fix it."
Simple.
Direct.
No praise.
No softness.
Just truth.
"…Got it," Riku said.
Others nodded.
Some quietly.
Some reluctantly.
Kaito wasn't there.
Yusuke noticed.
"…Of course."
Daniel stepped back.
"Rest."
That was it.
The team slowly broke apart.
Some heading toward the bench.
Some grabbing water.
Some just sitting down where they stood.
Yusuke walked off alone.
Across the field
VANTA was already leaving.
No noise.
No complaints.
Just calm.
Kurogami walked at the front.
Same expression.
Like nothing had happened.
Mikael walked beside him, hands behind his head.
"Close game," Mikael said casually. "That was fun."
No response.
"Next time we win," Mikael added.
Still nothing.
Behind them
Shirogane moved quietly.
Eyes focused.
Like he was replaying every moment in his head.
Analyzing.
Fixing.
Improving.
Yusuke walked past them.
Then
Stopped.
Kurogami stopped too.
For a second
they stood there.
Facing each other.
No one spoke.
Then
"You finish well," Kurogami said.
Flat.
Direct.
Yusuke shrugged.
"…It went in."
A pause.
Kurogami's eyes didn't move.
"Next time," he said, "I won't lose."
Yusuke met his gaze.
"…Then don't."
Silence.
Then
They walked past each other.
No handshake.
No respect shown openly.
But
It was there.
Behind it.
A few teammates glanced over.
Riku raised an eyebrow slightly.
"…That's gonna be a problem," he muttered.
But he didn't interrupt.
Later
The field emptied.
One by one.
Players left.
Voices faded.
The energy died down.
Yusuke walked toward the exit.
"…Oi."
Riku.
Yusuke stopped.
"What."
Riku walked up, hands behind his head.
"We're not done, you know."
"…Obviously."
"That was just one team," Riku said. "There's stronger ones coming."
Yusuke didn't react.
"We need to get better," Riku added. "As a team."
A pause.
"You included."
Yusuke looked at him.
"…I'm just here."
"Yeah," Riku said. "Not for long."
Yusuke frowned slightly.
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
Riku grinned.
"You're already in it."
A small pause.
Yusuke didn't answer.
Riku turned.
"See you tomorrow."
And left.
Yusuke stood there for a second.
"…Tch."
Then started walking.
The streets were quieter now.
Night had settled in.
Streetlights flickered on.
The air felt cooler.
Calmer.
Yusuke walked without thinking.
Same route.
Same pace.
But something felt different.
Not empty anymore.
His mind replayed it.
The runs.
The shots.
The moment he didn't pass.
"…I chose it."
He stopped.
The park.
Same one.
Same goalpost.
Still worn down.
Still empty.
Yusuke stared at it.
For a second
he imagined it.
The ball.
The movement.
The shot.
Clean.
Perfect.
His foot moved slightly.
A small motion.
Like he was striking it again.
"…Hah."
A faint smirk.
Barely there.
But real.
"…Next time…"
He looked at the goal.
Eyes sharper than before.
"…I'll score more."