The field was smaller.
Rough.
Uneven.
Grass barely covering the dirt in some areas.
The goalposts leaned slightly to one side.
It wasn't anything special.
Just a local field.
A kid stood near the halfway line.
Riku.
Shorter.
Lighter.
But already focused.
Already watching everything.
The ball rolled toward him.
He stepped forward.
Trapped it clean.
"Pass!"
A voice shouted.
Riku looked up.
Teammates.
Running.
Calling for it.
He saw the options.
He saw the lanes.
But instead
he moved.
One touch forward.
Then another.
The defender rushed him.
Riku shifted the ball to the side.
Went past him.
Another one stepped in.
Too slow.
Riku cut inside.
"SHOOT!"
He did.
GOAL.
The net shook lightly.
Riku stood there.
Breathing slightly heavier.
"…Nice."
That was it.
No cheering.
No reaction.
Just
"Nice."
Riku blinked.
"…That's it?"
The ball was already being brought back.
The game already restarting.
"Pass earlier next time," someone said.
Riku frowned slightly.
"…I scored."
"…Yeah."
A shrug.
"Still."
Riku looked at him for a second.
"…Okay."
The game continued.
This time
Riku got the ball again.
He didn't push forward.
He passed.
Clean.
The teammate ran onto it.
Shot
GOAL.
"YES!"
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"
"GOOD SHOT!"
The energy changed instantly.
Louder.
Sharper.
Riku slowed down.
Watching.
The player who scored got surrounded.
"BRO YOU'RE CRAZY!"
"THAT WAS CLEAN!"
Riku stood a few steps behind.
"…I passed that."
No one heard him.
Or maybe
they just didn't care.
The game reset again.
Riku touched the ball once.
Then passed.
Again.
Moved.
Pressed.
Did everything right.
But nothing changed.
No one said anything.
No one reacted.
It was like
he wasn't there.
The coach stood at the side.
Watching.
Riku glanced at him once.
Then kept playing.
The match ended.
"Good work," the coach said.
He pointed.
"You."
Not Riku.
Another kid.
"Nice positioning."
More words.
More praise.
Riku waited.
Just a second.
"…What about me?"
The coach looked at him.
A pause.
"…You're fine."
Fine.
That word again.
Riku nodded slowly.
"…Okay."
But this time
he didn't look away immediately.
He stayed there.
Thinking.
Watching.
Listening.
Trying to understand it.
Why that felt wrong.
Why that didn't sit right.
Why
it wasn't enough.
The field felt quieter now.
Even with people around.
Even with voices.
It felt empty.
Riku looked down at the ball.
"…Fine…"
The word didn't feel good.
Didn't feel bad either.
Just
nothing.
And that somehow felt worse.