"…nothing."
Riku stood there a second longer.
The others had already started leaving the field.
Laughing.
Talking.
Moving on.
He didn't move.
The ball sat at his feet.
Still.
Waiting.
"…Fine…"
He repeated it under his breath.
Then nudged the ball forward.
The field was quieter now.
Not empty yet.
But close.
"Oi, you coming?"
A teammate called from a distance.
Riku looked up.
"…Yeah."
He jogged over.
Slow.
Not thinking about the game anymore.
Not really.
Just that word.
Fine.
They sat near the sidelines.
Water bottles passed around.
Shoes scraping dirt.
Voices overlapping.
"Did you see that shot?"
"Bro that was insane!"
"I swear I meant to do that."
"Shut up."
Laughter.
Riku sat down.
Took a bottle.
Opened it.
Drank.
No one looked at him.
Not even once.
"…Hey."
He spoke.
The guy next to him glanced over.
"…What?"
"…That pass earlier."
"…Yeah?"
Riku hesitated.
"…Nothing."
"…Okay."
And that was it.
The conversation moved on without him.
Riku stared at the ground.
"…Right."
The memory shifted again.
Another day.
Same field.
Same people.
But Riku didn't play the same.
He held the ball longer.
Ignored the first call.
Moved forward instead.
"PASS!"
He didn't.
Cut inside.
Past one.
Then another.
Shot
GOAL.
Silence.
"…Nice."
Same tone.
Same reaction.
No change.
Riku stood there.
"…Still the same."
The next play came faster.
He got the ball again.
This time
he didn't even look up.
Just moved.
For himself.
Not for the play.
Not for the team.
For himself.
Another shot.
GOAL.
"…Nice."
Again.
Riku let out a short breath.
"…So that's how it is."
The memory skipped.
Practice.
No one else.
Just him.
Ball.
Goal.
Repeat.
Shot
GOAL.
Walk back.
"…Again."
Shot
GOAL.
No voices.
No reactions.
No "nice."
Just the sound of the net.
Again.
GOAL.
Again.
GOAL.
His breathing got heavier.
"…If no one says anything…"
Another shot.
GOAL.
"…Then I'll just keep going."
Again.
GOAL.
"…Until they have to."
He stopped.
The field was empty now.
Completely.
The sun sat lower.
Shadows stretched longer.
Riku stood there.
Ball at his feet.
"…I get it now."
His voice was quiet.
"…It's not about doing it right."
A pause.
"…It's about making it impossible to ignore."
He picked the ball up.
Walked toward the center.
Dropped it.
Stepped back.
"…So I'll score."
A breath.
"…Again…"
Shot
GOAL.
"…And again…"
Shot
GOAL.
"…And again."
Shot
GOAL.
The net shook harder each time.
"…Until they see me."
The memory faded.
Back to the present.
The same feeling.
The same weight.
But now
clearer.
Riku stood alone on the field.
"…That's where it started."
His grip tightened slightly.
"…And it's still the same."
A pause.
Then
he looked forward.
"…Not for long."
Cut.
Several days later.
The air felt heavier.
Different.
Southside United stood near the pitch.
All eleven of them.
No laughter this time.
No casual talk.
Just focus.
"Everyone ready?"
Hiroto asked.
"…Yeah," Sora replied.
Kaito cracked his neck.
"…Let's go."
Takumi adjusted his sleeve slightly.
"…Stay sharp."
Yuma bounced on his feet.
"WE'RE WINNING THIS."
Riku stood still.
Quiet.
Yusuke glanced at him.
"…You good?"
Riku didn't look at him.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…I'm better now."
The whistle hadn't blown yet.
The other team stood across the field.
Unfamiliar.
Silent.
Waiting.
No introductions.
No names.
No faces focused on.
Just opponents.
Riku stepped forward slightly.
His eyes sharpened.
"…This time…"
A quiet breath.
"…they'll see me."