The ball rolled back to the center.
2 2.
For the first time
the game felt even.
Not one sided.
Not controlled.
Balanced.
Kazuo stood over the ball, yellow eyes locked forward.
"…Now it's interesting."
He tapped it back.
Shin received.
Immediately
the tempo changed.
Not faster.
Sharper.
More precise.
"Stay tight!" Riku shouted.
Southside United shifted together.
Hiroto stepped up.
Takumi tucked inside.
Sora tracked back.
Yuma held the line.
Daichi and Ren stayed compact.
They weren't reacting anymore.
They were ready.
Shin moved the ball quickly.
One touch to Toma.
Back to Shin.
Then
wide.
Renji.
Yuma stepped.
"Not getting past me!"
Renji tried to cut inside.
Yuma blocked.
Forced him wide.
Renji crossed anyway.
Low.
Fast.
Kazuo ran onto it
Shot
Blocked.
Ren again.
Clean.
"GOOD!" Daichi shouted.
The ball bounced out.
Hiroto reached it first.
"Go!"
He passed forward.
Riku.
Riku turned.
Shin stepped.
Of course he did.
But this time
Riku didn't hesitate.
He pushed forward anyway.
Shoulder through.
Forced space.
"…Move!"
Takumi ran.
Sora overlapped.
Kaito sprinted.
Yusuke
didn't follow the same line.
He cut deeper.
Between defenders.
Riku saw it.
Passed.
Yusuke received.
Daizen stepped.
Same matchup.
Same pressure.
But Yusuke didn't slow.
Didn't think.
He pushed forward instantly.
Daizen reacted
Half a step late.
"…!"
Yusuke slipped past him.
Inside the box.
Ryo shifted across.
Kaito shouted.
"PASS!"
Yusuke looked
But this time
he passed.
Clean.
Perfect.
Kaito received.
Shot
Saved.
Eiji.
Again.
"…BRO!"
The rebound bounced.
Sora rushed in.
Shot
Blocked by Masaru.
Cleared by Jin.
"…Still not enough," Takumi muttered.
Yusuke stepped back.
Breathing steady.
"…We're breaking them."
"Not finishing," Kaito snapped.
"Yet," Riku added.
The game didn't slow.
It couldn't.
Shin had the ball again.
Passed.
Toma.
Back to Shin.
Then
forward.
Kazuo ran.
Explosive.
Daichi stepped.
Kazuo shifted.
Past him
"…NOT AGAIN!"
Ren moved early.
Body in.
Kazuo adjusted.
Shot
Tsubasa dove
Saved.
The ball bounced wide.
Corner.
Kazuo clicked his tongue.
"…So close."
"Not happening," Ren muttered.
Corner came in.
Hayate crossed.
Jin jumped
Header
Off the crossbar.
"…WHAT?!" Yuma shouted.
The ball dropped.
Chaos.
Daichi cleared.
Hard.
"…That was close," Tsubasa said.
Too close.
Southside United reset quickly.
No panic.
No shouting.
Just focus.
"Build it," Riku said.
Hiroto received.
Passed.
Takumi.
Back to Hiroto.
Then
forward.
Yusuke.
First touch
clean.
Shin stepped.
Again.
Same pressure.
But Yusuke didn't fight it.
He passed immediately.
Back.
Reset.
"…Still adjusting," Hiroto said.
"…Yeah."
Kaito ran past him.
"…Don't overthink it again."
Yusuke didn't reply.
The ball moved again.
Faster now.
Cleaner.
Southside United was controlling possession.
Not dominating
but holding it.
Then
opening.
Sora made a run.
Wide.
Unmarked.
Riku saw it.
Passed.
Sora received.
Renji sprinted back.
Too late.
Sora crossed.
High.
Perfect.
Kaito jumped.
Ryo jumped with him.
Contact.
Heavy.
Kaito got the header
Saved.
Eiji.
Again.
"…HOW?!"
The ball bounced.
Yusuke moved.
Rebound
Shot
Blocked.
Daizen.
"…You again."
Daizen didn't respond.
Just reset.
Always calm.
Always in position.
The game continued.
Back and forth.
No clear control.
Then
mistake.
Toma miscontrolled.
Just slightly.
Hiroto stepped in.
Won it clean.
"NOW!"
Riku took it instantly.
Drove forward.
Kaito ran.
Yusuke ran.
Both open.
Again.
Same moment.
Same choice.
Riku slowed.
Shin was closing.
Daizen shifting.
Ryo covering.
Everything tightening.
"…Choose," Riku muttered.
He passed.
To
Yusuke.
Yusuke received.
Inside space.
Daizen stepped.
Again.
Same wall.
But this time
Yusuke didn't force it.
He didn't shoot.
He didn't hesitate.
He passed.
Back.
To Riku.
"…!"
Riku wasn't expecting it.
But he adjusted.
First touch.
Shot
GOAL.
3 2.
Silence
Then
"GOOOOAL!" Yuma shouted.
"LET'S GO!" Sora yelled.
Riku stood there.
Breathing.
"…That worked."
Yusuke smirked slightly.
"…Different."
Kaito looked at him.
"…You passed that?"
"…Yeah."
"…Tch."
But he didn't complain.
Not this time.
Kazuo stared at them.
Then smiled.
"…So that's your answer."
Yusuke looked back.
"…For now."
The game reset.
3 2.
Southside United leading.
But the match
was far from over.
Yusuke stepped back into position.
Breathing steady.
Eyes locked forward.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Just focus.
"…Let's keep going."