The ball rolled back to the center.
Scoreboard unchanged.
1 2.
But the feeling
was different now.
Yusuke stood just behind the line, eyes locked forward.
No frustration.
No doubt.
Just focus.
"…We're close."
Beside him, Kaito exhaled.
"…Then stop missing."
Yusuke didn't respond.
The whistle blew.
Kickoff.
Riku tapped the ball back.
Hiroto received.
Shin stepped.
As expected.
Cutting the lane immediately.
Hiroto didn't force it.
He turned his body slightly
then passed sideways.
Takumi.
Kenta closed him down.
Fast.
Takumi didn't hold it.
One touch.
Back to Hiroto.
Reset.
"…They're still tight," Hiroto muttered.
"Then we stretch them," Riku replied.
Yuma shouted from the back.
"MOVE!"
Sora pushed wide.
Takumi drifted inside.
Kaito stayed high.
Yusuke dropped slightly.
New shape.
The ball moved again.
Cleaner now.
More deliberate.
Hiroto to Riku.
Riku to Takumi.
Takumi back to Riku.
Shin followed.
Always.
Watching.
Reading.
"…Come on," Riku muttered.
He shifted right.
Pulled Shin with him.
Then
passed left.
Sora.
Sora controlled.
Renji sprinted toward him.
Fast.
Sora didn't panic.
He tapped the ball forward
then cut inside.
Renji followed.
Yuma shouted from behind.
"Don't lose it!"
"I won't!"
Sora slipped the ball back to Hiroto.
Hiroto turned.
Shin stepped.
But this time
Hiroto didn't hesitate.
He played it forward.
Yusuke.
The pass reached him.
Clean.
For once
no immediate pressure.
Daizen was a step off.
"…Now."
Yusuke turned.
Drove forward.
Daizen stepped in.
Calm.
Same as always.
Yusuke pushed the ball left
Daizen shifted.
Then right
Daizen stayed.
"…Still not enough."
Yusuke passed.
Wide.
Kaito.
Kaito received.
Shot
Blocked.
Ryo.
Again.
"…BRO!"
The ball bounced out.
Takumi chased it.
Kept it in.
Cross.
Low.
Yusuke moved.
Shot
Saved.
Eiji.
Again.
"…How many times?"
The ball bounced away.
Sora reached it.
Shot
Blocked by Masaru.
Cleared by Jin.
Out.
"…We're getting everything blocked," Sora said.
"Keep going," Riku replied.
"Something will break."
Play reset again.
Throw in.
Hiroto received.
Passed to Riku.
Riku turned.
Shin stepped.
But this time
Riku didn't fight him.
He passed early.
Takumi.
Takumi moved inside.
Kenta followed.
Sora ran wide again.
Pulling Renji with him.
Space opened.
Small.
But real.
Takumi saw it.
Passed.
Yusuke.
He received.
Inside space.
Daizen stepped.
Again.
Same matchup.
Same pressure.
Yusuke didn't hesitate.
He pushed forward immediately.
Daizen moved.
Yusuke cut left
Then right
Then forward
But Daizen stayed.
Blocked the lane.
"…Damn it."
Yusuke passed back.
Reset.
Kaito clicked his tongue loudly.
"…You're not breaking him like that."
"…I know."
"Then do something different."
Yusuke exhaled.
"…I will."
The game continued.
Midfield battle again.
Hiroto stepped in.
Won it clean from Toma.
"Now!"
Riku took it.
Turned.
This time
he slowed.
Controlled.
"Build."
Takumi moved.
Sora adjusted.
Kaito held his run.
Yusuke dropped deeper.
The ball moved.
Hiroto.
Riku.
Takumi.
Back to Hiroto.
Then
forward.
Yusuke.
First touch.
Clean.
Shin stepped.
But this time
Yusuke didn't try to beat him.
He passed instantly.
Back to Riku.
"…Good," Riku said.
They moved again.
Faster now.
One touch.
Two touch.
No hesitation.
The defense shifted.
Trying to keep up.
Then
opening.
Sora made a sudden run.
Wide.
Unmarked.
Riku saw it.
Passed.
Sora received.
Looked up.
Kaito ran.
Yusuke ran.
Both inside the box.
Sora crossed.
High.
Perfect.
Kaito jumped.
Ryo jumped with him.
Contact.
Heavy.
Kaito got a touch
Header
Saved.
Eiji again.
"…THIS GUY!"
The ball bounced.
Loose.
Yusuke reacted instantly.
Shot
Deflected.
Off Daizen.
Still in play.
Takumi rushed in.
Shot
Blocked by Jin.
"CLEAR IT!"
Jin smashed it away.
Again.
"…How are they stopping everything?" Yuma shouted.
"They're not panicking," Hiroto replied.
"That's the problem."
Yusuke stood still for a second.
"…They're always in position."
He looked at Daizen.
At Shin.
At the defense.
"…Then I stop playing their game."
Next play.
Throw in.
Hiroto received.
Passed to Riku.
Riku turned.
Shin stepped.
Same pressure.
Same control.
But this time
Yusuke didn't wait.
Didn't drop.
Didn't ask.
He ran.
Early.
Before the space opened.
Before the pass was even ready.
Riku saw it.
"…Now."
He passed.
Through.
Perfect.
Yusuke ran onto it.
Daizen turned.
Late.
For once.
Yusuke reached it first.
Inside the box.
Ryo shifted across.
Fast.
Kaito shouted.
"PASS!"
Yusuke ignored him.
Shot
Saved.
Eiji.
Again.
"…ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
The rebound bounced.
Kaito reached it.
Shot
Saved.
Again.
"…BRO!"
Silence.
For a split second.
Just disbelief.
Yusuke stood there.
Breathing.
"…This guy…"
Eiji stood up slowly.
Calm.
No reaction.
Like it was nothing.
"…We're not beating him like this," Takumi said.
"…Then how?" Sora asked.
No answer.
Not yet.
The ball rolled back into play again.
Shin received.
Turned.
Passed.
Kazuo moved.
Explosive.
Daichi stepped.
Ren covered.
Kazuo shot
Blocked.
Ren.
The ball bounced.
Yuma cleared.
"…We're holding," Yuma said.
"Barely," Hiroto replied.
Yusuke looked forward.
At the goal.
At Eiji.
"…Then I just have to break him."
He stepped forward again.
Faster.
Earlier.
No hesitation.
No waiting.
No thinking.
The next play started
And this time
he was already there.