Chapter 7: Game Over

  On the day of the World Cup, I was determined. Determined that I would earn my team a victory. With the help of Jude and motivation from Coach Vance, I knew it was possible. As well as with the teamwork from everyone else, I knew today was the day all my training would pay off.

  Mom drove me and Laura to the stadium, “Woah, I’ve never actually been here before... It’s so much bigger than what I’ve seen online!” Laura said.

  “Me neither. I also haven’t seen this pce up close.” my mom said.

  “Guess I’m the only one who has...” I said.

  My mom turned to me, “Since when have you been here, Chi-Chi?” she said, “If I haven’t been here, I know I couldn’t have taken you…”

  “After I took Laura home from our date, I decided to come here to come see the stadium up close.”

  “That makes sense.” my mom went silent, “Wait, but you don’t have a car...” she said confused.

  I looked at Laura next to me and gave her a shush gesture and said, “Don’t worry, mom, I have my ways.”

  Laura nodded and giggled. After our date, I eventually told her the truth about the Porsche. I mean I didn’t want to lie forever.

  “Anyways, I gotta go meet up with the team.” I started unbuckling my seatbelt, “Wish me luck, I’ll see you ter!”

  Laura said, “Good luck, Hai-Chi, I’ll see you after the game, okay!”

  My mom said, “Good luck, Chi-Chi, I love you! Do your best out there!”

  “I’ll see you guys ter.” I opened the door and smiled, ready to fully embrace my new career for real this time.

  I walked through the parking lot, trying to find the entrance. There were quite a few people parked in their cars, waiting to be let in. Right now, the only people who were allowed inside were the teams and staff, but soon this pce will be packed.

  After circling around the stadium, I found the entrance.

  That took long enough…

  I walked past the security and empty line to the automatic doors. When I got close enough, they opened, and I walked in. There was no security outside, probably because the game wouldn’t start for another hour. But what will Laura and mom do while waiting. That’s a pretty long time to be doing nothing.

  It makes me happy that Laura’s wearing the pants I bought her, I thought as I walked up to the reception desk.

  “Are you here to check in?” the receptionist asked.

  “Yes.” I said, “I’m Hai-Chi Sakka. I py on the American team.”

  “Can I see your badge.” he asked.

  Crap, I think I forgot about that.

  “Um… Hold on, give me a minute.” I nervously rummaged through my bag.

  Where is it…

  “If you don’t have your badge with you, I can’t let you in. Sorry, company policy.” the receptionist said.

  “I know, I know. Just… give me a minute.”

  Please don’t do this to me…

  I wiped the sweat of my forehead, “Phew.” I gasped, “Here it is.” I handed him my identification badge.

  Mom must’ve packed it for me before we left… Thanks mom, you really saved me.

  He took a good look at it before saying, “You’re good, you can pass. Locker rooms are straight down and then take two lefts.”

  “Okay, thank you. I said, appreciatively.

  “Yeah, no problem. Good luck out there.” after he said that, I followed his directions and made my way over to the locker rooms.

  Straight down and then two lefts. Ah, here it is.

  “Wait, which is which.”

  I looked at the door before nervously walking inside.

  Looks like it’s the right one. It’d be so embarrassing if I walked into the other team’s locker room.

  “Ay, if it isn’t our star pyer, MVP Sakka!” Jude looked in my direction as soon as I opened the door. All the others looked at me as well. I peered around the room and gnced at Eren, who quickly looked away. I ignored him and replied to Jude.

  “Ha, yeah... It’s me...” the instant pressure made me awkwardly chuckle.

  “You’re gonna do great out there.” Jude assured me, “But just remember to follow what I say so you don’t end up selling the game, alright.”

  “Y-yeah. Of course.” I replied.

  “Now that you understand, I can be confident that we’ll win...” Jude said.

  Everyone started gring at us with a concerned look. I heard our teammates whispering under their breath, but I couldn’t quite make out what any of them were saying.

  “Sakka!” Coach Vance walked out from the bathroom, “There you are! We’ve been waiting for you.” he flicked the water off his hands.

  “Now that you’re here, we’re only waiting on Jasper Caldwell.” he said.

  If I remember correctly, he’s the right wing. I haven’t actually seen him in action, but I’m sure he’s an essential asset for the team.

  “But he should get here soon enough.” he said, “Once he arrives, we’ll go out on the field for a short little practice session, before the actual game.”

  “Okay.” I replied.

  Jude stepped forward to ask coach a question, “Is it alright if me and Hai-Chi go out on the field before Jasper gets here?”

  “Hold on, Jude, shouldn’t we wait for everyone?” I asked.

  “Nah, it’s fine. They’ll just hinder our performance.”

  Coach Vance interrupted us, “The staff are getting the field ready, so not right now.” he said, “But they should be done before Caldwell gets here.”

  “If not, we’ll have to wait until they’re finished.” coach said.

  “Oh alright.” Jude said, “I guess we gotta wait, Hai-Chi… real bummer.”

  “Y-yeah… I don’t mind.” I said, “But to be honest, I didn’t really wanna go out just yet.”

  “Why’s that?” Jude asked, quizzically.

  “Because I don’t want to overwork my legs.”

  I started thinking... Why is it that Jude always wants to practice? It’s like he never gets tired of it. Does he love soccer that much or is he just fully invested in my future?

  “How do you not get worn out from training so much?” I questioned.

  Jude immediately gave me a response, “Think of it like this.” he said, “When you do something, you can never be sure when you’ll reach your peak until after you’ve been there. It’s like a gambler risking his fortune on the slightest chance he’ll win big. Even if he loses everything, he will keep going until he recims what he lost, and even then, the cycle never ceases to continue.”

  And what does gambling have to do with soccer?

  “You finally get it yet?” Jude asked with impatience.

  “Y-yeah... I think I understand.” I replied, unsure of my answer.

  Jude interrupted me, “Thinking isn’t enough, Hai-Chi!” he threw his hands into the air, “You have to feel the answer surge throughout your body!”

  “Even if I get tired, I push through so I can become the greatest soccer pyer of all time!” he yelled.

  Wait, hold on. Something isn’t adding up. If he says he trains to get better, then why is it that he always focuses on me, and not himself. I mean those actions are contradicting to each other. Shouldn’t he be spending his time trying to hone his skills instead of wasting it on mine. He’s literally been telling me that he’s doing it for me. But if that was the case, then why did he say it was so he could be a legend?

  “Wait, but didn’t you say that you’d train with me so you could help polish my skills?” I said, “You even tried practicing with me, even after you knew I nearly broke my leg.”

  Jude has a look of shock and panic. But his panic quickly disappeared. Instead, it was repced with a look of concern, “Oh yeah, I forgot...” he said, “How is your leg doing anyways?”

  “Oh... well...” I said surprised, “It’s doing fine I guess... It’s almost made a full recovery somehow.”

  “Danggg.” Jude said with excitement, flipping the topic, “Your leg is like a D1 soccer gzer!” he said, “That thing healed so fast because it knew it was missing soccer!”

  “Ha, yeah. I guess you could say that...” I chuckled, “Anyways, I’d just much rather not do anything soccer reted for the time being.”

  “Yeah, yeah... I understand.” Jude said, “To be honest, the main reason I asked Coach Vance was just because we weren’t able to do it back at the facility.”

  “Oh well, if you put it that way, it makes sense.” I said, “You should’ve just said that from the beginning.”

  “Yeah, well I thought if I said all that, it would help motivate you.” Jude said.

  “It’s fine, don’t worry.” I said, “Well, I’m gonna go sit down for a bit.”

  “Alright. I’ll let you be for a minute.” Jude said.

  I nodded and went to sit down on the bench with everyone else. While sitting down, I decided to go on my phone and start up a chat with Laura,

  ‘Sorry you guys are still waiting.’ Delivered

  ‘I promise it’ll be worth it when you guys see me on the field.’ Read

  ‘It’s okay, it’s not your fault.’ Received

  ‘Me and Ms. Sakka are just listening to music in the car right now.’ Received

  ‘You know you don’t have to call her “Ms. Sakka” all the time.’ Read

  ‘It just feels weird.’ Read

  ‘But if that makes you uncomfortable then don’t worry about it.’ Read

  ‘No don’t worry, it’s fine.’ Received

  ‘I think I’ll take you up on that. It would make me feel closer to you.’ Received

  ‘sorry if that sounds weird.’ Received

  ‘It doesn’t.’ Read

  ‘That’s good.’ Received

  ‘Well I can’t wait to see you’ Received

  ‘Me too. I’ll look around the crowd and I promise I’ll find you.’ Read

  ‘I’ll be cheering you on the whole time.’ Received

  ‘Just remember that.’ Received

  ‘Don’t worry, I will.’ Read

  ‘After the game we should go out on another date.’ Received

  ‘I know we just had one but still.’ Received

  ‘I’ll think about it.’ Read

  ‘Okay!’ Received

  ‘I’m so excited!’ Received

  ‘Yeah yeah.’ Read

  ‘Anyways I’m gonna go.’ Read

  ‘I’ll see you ter.’ Read

  ‘okayyy.’ Received

  ‘see you ter!’ Received

  Eren, who was next to me, heard my tiny ughs and gnced at my smile, “you look happy.” he scooted down the bench.

  “You could say that.” I said while smiling at mine and Laura’s conversation.

  “must be nice...”

  “who is it...” he asked.

  My response made me smile even harder, “My girlfriend.”

  “what’s her name?” he asked.

  “Laura.” I said.

  I waited for a moment, “Also... I’m sorry about all that.” I said, “You know, for just dropping you out of nowhere.”

  “It wasn’t right.” I said.

  “it’s okay.” Eren said, “you did what you had to after all...”

  “Knowing myself, if Jude came up to me with whatever he told you, I probably would’ve done the same thing...”

  “How’d you know it was Jude?” I questioned.

  “I could just tell…” it looked like he was thinking about adding something to his response.

  We stayed silent for a little bit.

  “I don’t know if I want to stay with Jude any longer.” I said nervously, “But I’m just not sure how I would go about telling him.”

  “It’s just… the way he treated you...” I said, “it feels like I’m being maniputed…”

  Eren nodded in acknowledgement, and we stayed silent one st time. Soon after our silence though, my stomach started to feel like Chernobyl, so I decided to stand up and make my way to the bathroom. Once inside, I heard the voice of Jude in one of the stalls. It sounded as if he was angry at something, “You good?” I questioned.

  For a moment there was no response.

  “H-hey... Hai-Chi.” he said, “Yeah, I’m fine... Just having a hard time here.”

  “Okay...” I walked over to one of the stalls, sat down, and dropped a nuke. When I was finished, I walked out to wash my hands and saw Jude leaning against the counters.

  “We have to win this. I know you have what it takes...” he said, “Were the only hope.”

  I shrugged him off and said, “Yeah, I know... With your help, we can do this.” while walking back to the benches.

  “I believe in you man...” he said loudly as if to notify everyone in the room.

  Coach Vance came out of his office and told us to settle down, and that Jasper should be here any minute. Literally seconds ter, the door opened with the bright fluorescent lights shining on Jasper.

  “Hey guys, I’m here.” Jasper set his bag down against the wall and walked to Coach Vance, “Sorry it took so long, coach.”

  “That’s all right, Caldwell.”

  “Now that everyone’s here, we can go out on the field for some practice.” Coach Vance took the radio out of his pocket and spoke into it, “This is Dante Vance. Are we cleared to use the field?”

  “Mhm. All right. I understand.” he muttered, “You’re probably right. I guess that’s the only thing left to do.”

  The answer must’ve been a no because he turned to us and said, “Sorry guys, but it seems we can’t py until the actual game.”

  One gnce around the room and you’d know that wasn’t amazing news.

  “But...” he said. The suspense of his words was building up in all of us.

  “If you guys want... We can meet the other team early...” he spoke softly, his tone composed.

  Everyone murmured and whispered to each other eagerly. Even so, Jude stayed calm, “Hai-Chi... I wouldn’t recommend talking to the other team members.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “It’s harder to win if you make friends with your opponent.”

  “Well... I mean, I get it but come on. It’s just a little meet up.”

  “Hai-Chi, no. Trust me, you don’t understand.”

  “Just this once, come on.”

  “I said, no. It’s not worth it. You won’t understand until we start pying.”

  I immediately snapped, “No. You’re the one who’s not understanding. I’ve been trusting you this whole time. Every single thing you tell me I should do, I’ve done. You were begging to train even with my leg injured. You won’t let me pick my friends. You don’t let me train with my teammates. You’re pushing everyone away from me. I know what you’re doing and it’s not something I’m going to be involved in anymore.”

  “Hai-Chi, you’re letting your emotions get to you.”

  “Do you not see? They’re controlling you.”

  “AND YOU’RE THE ONE CONTROLLING ME! STOP PRETENDING LIKE YOU KNOW WHO I AM! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR ME! YOU DON’T KNOW ME!”

  The room went dead silent, “SAKKA! SILENT!” Coach Vance yelled. I gnced at Eren, who looked stunned. Then I turned my head around the room, hearing the whispers. A few seconds ter, Coach Vance regained his composure, “Sakka, what’s going on.”

  “N-nothing...” my words faltering anxiously.

  “Don’t worry coach. He’s right, it’s nothing. A bad memory must’ve surfaced in Hai-Chi’s head or something.”

  “Alright, alright. Just don’t let that happen again.” he said in a stern tone.

  “Yeah, don’t worry.” Jude replied.

  I stared at Jude before walking over to Eren, “What was that all about?” he asked.

  “Nothing, don’t worry about it.”

  “S-sure...”

  Eren leaned over and looked through his bag. He took out his cleats and jersey and put them on. Watching him, I did the same. Everyone else had their stuff on already, so me and Eren were making the group wait.

  “You boys coming?” Coach Vance asked.

  “Yeah, hold on.” Eren replied, trying to get his cleats on.

  I’ve done this many times already, so I got ready before Eren.

  “Were ready now.” Eren told the coach.

  “Alright.”

  Coach opened the door, and we walked through the hallway making our way to the main center. The pce where the entrance is. Jude was walking up front with everyone else while me and Eren were cking behind.

  “Hurry up guys!” Eren quickly listened to the coach, and I followed behind him, walking faster to catch up with the team. After the short walk, we turned the corner to see the other team waiting for us.

  “Hello, I’m Dante Vance, it’s a pleasure to meet you and your team.” he extended his hand for a handshake, but the other coach didn’t reciprocate the gesture.

  “Oh alright...” coach took his hand away.

  The other coach seemed cold, but his team looked excited. Both teams greeted each other and started talking about soccer. I didn’t shoot up any conversations with the pyers. Maybe what Jude said was still lingering in my head. No stop. I need to forget about it.

  I brushed it off and another pyer walked up to me and introduced himself. I think he was one of the younger pyers on the team. At least that’s what it looked like when you compare the other pyers to each other.

  “What’s up bro...” he said, “I’m Sebastiaan Adrichem, nice to meet you.”

  Wait... Is this really him! I’ve seen him all over the internet! He’s the Nethernd’s trump card when it comes to pyers.

  He extended his hand for a handshake, and I eagerly shook his hand.

  Woah, this guy’s pretty strong.

  “It’s really nice to meet you, Sebastiaan...” I said, forcefully shaking his hand, “I’ve heard all about you.”

  “Oh really.” he awkwardly chuckled, “I’ve heard some things about you too.”

  “You’re that guy they selected from Japan, right.”

  “Yea-” I got cut off.

  “That was a rhetorical question, I wasn’t finished.” he said.

  “Oh sorry… Go on”

  Oop. Damn it. That better not have ruined his first impression of me…

  “You're okay.” he said, “Anyways, I was going to say, that doesn’t happen often. It’s pretty much unheard of to be honest.”

  “You’re lucky. If the wrong team picked you, it would’ve been wraps for your future.”

  Oh really? I knew it was important but that much?

  “I didn’t know that could make or break my career…” I said.

  “Yeah.” Sebastiaan replied, “Now that I think about it, your English is pretty good.”

  “Oh really, thanks. Yours too.” I responded, “Yeah, ever since I was little, I used to watch a ton of western cartoons. My mom also used to be obsessed with western culture, but she phased out of that a while ago.”

  “That’s the main reason why I’m kinda fluent in English.” I said, “I must’ve learned it from tv as a kid.”

  “That’s cool… It would’ve been nice to learn like that. Personally, my parents forced me.”

  “Damn” I said.

  Sebastiaan nodded.

  “If I had to be real, you don’t look too Japanese either.” he stated.

  “Really?”

  “I know my mom is a hundred percent Japanese.” I said, “But my mom did tell me my dad’s Norwegian or something, so that’s probably why.” I said.

  “Your mom told you?” Sebastiaan incquired.

  “Yeah, my dad wasn’t all in my life and stuff. Nothing too serious though.” I replied.

  “Sounds reasonable.” he said.

  “Wait how exactly do you know me?” I asked.

  “Are you being serious? Everyone who’s tuned into soccer knows who you are.”

  “Wait really!”

  “Mhm.”

  He looked at Eren, “Anyways, who's this guy?”

  “Oh, he’s Eren, my teammate.” I said, “He’s also my friend, too.”

  Eren stepped up and said, “I’m Eren Nelson, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” they shook hands.

  Eren’s by far not the reserved type… I wonder if he just didn’t want to interrupt our conversation.

  “Hmm… I haven’t heard of you before…” Sebastiaan said.

  “Well, you have now!” Eren said, “Trust me, I hold this team together. I am the best pyer after all!”

  … I don’t know about that one, lil bro…

  “Sure, you are, pal.” Sebastiaan said, “I’ll believe you for now.”

  “If you don’t prove yourself though…”

  “Yeah, I know. If you don’t see my crazy moves, you won’t believe me.”

  “But don’t worry about that. I have some tricks up my sleeve.”

  Coach Vance broke our little group chat, “Team! We’re going back to get ready for the game.”

  “I guess that’s my queue to leave.” Sebastiaan said, “I’ll see you two out on the field.”

  He said, “You better not disappoint.” and walked to his team, vanishing with them around the corner.

  “Woah, he was like… super professional.” Eren said.

  “Yeah. He acted twice his age.” I responded.

  “Nelson! Sakka! Hurry up, get over here!” Coach Vance yelled.

  We ran over to the rest of the team and started heading back to the locker rooms to form a game pn. And, of course, to refill on water and other necessities.

  More than halfway there, Laura and my mom created a group chat,

  Mom — ‘Chi-Chi, we’re heading inside. We’re so excited!’ Received

  Laura — ‘Yeah, we can’t wait!’ Received

  Mom — ‘I’ll be rooting for you!’ Received

  Laura — ‘Me too!’ Received

  Hai-Chi — ‘You guys are the best.’ Read

  Hai-Chi — ‘I won’t let you down I promise.’ Read

  Mom — ‘The only promise I need is that you come back safe, alright.’ Received

  Hai-Chi — ‘Okay, I promise I’ll come back safe.’ Read

  Hai-Chi — ‘But I won’t go down without a fight.’ Read

  Laura — ‘Our date is on the line here so please don’t get hurt.’ Received

  Mom — ‘Wait what?? Another one already?’ Received

  Hai-Chi — ‘Well…’ Read

  Laura — ‘Yup!’ Received

  Laura — ‘It was his idea too!’ Received

  Mom — ‘Is that so.’ Received

  Hai-Chi — ‘Well yeah…’ Read

  Hai-Chi — ‘Anyways I gotta go. Make sure to find a good seat.’ Read

  Mom — ‘Alright, Chi-Chi. See you after. I love you.’ Received

  Laura — ‘Good luck, Hai-Chi.’ Received

  Laura — ‘Do you best, okay!’ Received

  I put my phone down and stood up.

  ...It’s time. It’s finally time...

  “Hai-Chi, you ready.” Eren asked with determination.

  “Yeah. This is our time to shine. Our big debut is just around the corner.”

  I reached my hand out and Eren dapped me up full force. The sound echoed through the locker room and grabbed everyone’s attention. One more decibel louder, the windows would’ve shattered.

  “EVERYONE, THIS IS OUR MOMENT!” Coach Vance yelled tenaciously, “THESE NEXT FEW HOURS WILL DETERMINE THE COURSE OF YOUR FUTURE!” he took a deep breath...

  “ARE YOU GUYS READY…” he stopped abruptly, “to py ball…”

  The room went silent. The team’s face slowly lit up one after another. Soon, the silence turned into cheering. Everyone started chanting “VIC-TO-RY,” “VIC-TO-RY.”

  I soon joined the chant, getting more hyped as the seconds passed.

  One of the pyers yelled in a mind shattering pitch, “WERE GONNA WIN!!” and coach started leading us out to the field. Right before I walked through the door though, Jude grabbed my shoulder and told me something, “be careful. They’re good…”

  But I quickly shrugged him off and walked past with Eren beside me.

  Right before we stepped foot onto the field, Coach Vance stopped us.

  “Alright, listen up! You all know why we're here. You feel it, don't you? The weight in your chests, that knot in your stomach. They stand before us, another obstacle, another wall we must tear down. Some of you may be scared. Some of you may doubt your strength. But that's alright. We're all human. Fear is a part of us. But look around you. Look at the faces of your comrades. These are the people who have bled with you on the training grounds. These are the ones who have pushed you harder than you thought possible. These are your brothers on this field. We have faced setbacks. We have tasted defeat. We know the bitterness of falling short. But has that even broken us? No! Every stumble, every loss, has forged us to become stronger. It has taught us resilience. It has sharpened our resolve. Today, we stand. We will not falter. We will not let fear paralyze us. We will not choose the path of retreat or the path of safety. Ask yourselves, why are you here? What is the legacy you want to leave? We came here to fight! We came here to win! We came here to prove that the sacrifices we've made, and the hours we've poured in, mean something! This won't be easy. They won't hold back. They will test our limits. But we will meet their challenge with determination and grit. We will push beyond our limits. We will fight with every fiber of our being! Think of the feeling of victory. The roar of the crowd. The knowledge that you gave it everything you had. That is what awaits us if we stand victorious! So, clench your fists! Steel your hearts! Let the fire in your hearts burn brighter than any doubt! We move forward, not as individuals, but as a unified force! We fight for each other! We fight for our team! We fight for victory! Now, let's go out there and show them what we're truly capable of! Now Advance God Dammmit!! ERENS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU DO NOT FALTER”

  The air around us went still, “YEAHH!!” the whole entire team took to the coach’s orders and yelled, running full speed out onto the field. My nervousness was starting to consume me, but the moment I stepped foot out on the grass and saw the audience, my demeanor changed. My worries had all vanished right in thin air.

  Just like Jude said, I couldn’t let my emotions get to me. Because right now, the two people I love are watching me as well as another few tens of thousands of people.

  Once we were all lined up on the field, the game announcer started speaking, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2025 FIFA World Cup, coming live from SoFi Stadium, California. Today, we will witness the long awaited, and heated battle between the teams of America and the Nethernds!”

  “Starting off on the American side, we have pyer #1, Asher Beckett, the goalkeeper. Though he may be one of the youngest pyers on the team at only 19 years old, his legacy will not be forgotten anytime soon. And the person standing beside him is pyer #3, Eren Nelson. At only 19 years of age as well, this midfielder has been dominating the field with his strategic pys and cunning sportsmanship. This next pyer has been scouted multiple times back in his high school days and is known for his incredible striking power and superb reflexes. I’m of course talking about 24-year-old pyer #9, the undefeated striker Jude Everett! Coming up next to him is 17-year-old special pyer #4, Hai-Chi Sakka! This pyer has been recently scouted and specially chosen specifically by the American team for his intense kicks and brute speed on the field. Everyone is dying to see what skills he has up his sleeve and how he’ll handle his opponents! And that concludes the honorable mentions.”

  The announcer went on to list the rest of our normal pyers. Then he started listing the other team’s honorable mentions (Aka: best of the best).

  “Now looking on the left side, we have the champion team of the Nethernds. Pyers like #6, Sebastiaan Adrichem, the 18-year-old striker, and pyer #12, 18-year-old Chad Wickman, left wing, with their incredible accuracy and shot precision!”

  Huh wait what… Chad Wickman. I think I’ve heard that name before.

  “And finally, pyer #22, 19-year-old Crence Nucleus, right wing. These pyers are top of the line when it comes to owning the field. Surely our home team will have trouble facing these pyers...”

  Just like our team, the announcer started naming the other normal pyers and soon, my nerves started getting to me.

  Mom, Laura... You better be watching me... and only me. Are you guys ready to see what I’m made of.

  My nerves started to settle and were now fully prepared for these next few moments. I’ve been practicing nonstop with Jude these past few weeks after all. I’m not letting all that time go to waste. One of the referees got his coin ready for the coin toss. Unfortunately, the coin nded on tails, which meant the other team would be starting out with the ball. Mere seconds ter, the crowd roared, and the referee blew the whistle, “This intense showdown has now begun!” the announcer excimed with excitement.

  Sabastiaan kicked the ball with all his strength toward his teammate Chad Wickman, and the game finally started. Chad, who had the ball, dribbled around Eren then quickly passed to Crence. He was sprinting and weaving through our pyers, effortlessly, with perfect dribble form.

  Not on my watch!

  I started running full speed past his teammates, trying to cim the ball. Crence was way ahead of me, but he seemed to be slowing down. Almost as if he was losing his stamina already.

  Wait no...

  Based on the other pyers, I must’ve gotten faster.

  “Ahah!” I murmured, “You underestimate us!” I smirked

  My opponent soon realized his ck of speed compared to me and passed the ball back to Sebastiaan. But...

  “OH... It looks like Eren Nelson has taken possession of the ball!” The announcer yelled

  “Crence Nucleus must’ve seen his opponent gaining more speed than he anticipated and through the nerves failed a pass to his teammate!”

  Eren stole the ball from Crence, and everyone had their eyes on him. Me personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps the ball with him and doesn’t try to pass. Even though I want him to kick the ball to me...

  “Hai-Chi, you got this!” Eren aggressively passed me the ball. I looked at Eren with shock and he gave me his big iconic smile. Crence must have also become shocked because he hesitated and accidentally made an opening for the perfect pass between us. I gave Eren the look. It was the look that meant our secret skill that we practiced when we first met. The secret skill? I backheel kicked the ball lightly, moving back with it, catching the ball with my chest and passing it back to Eren. Everyone gred with anxiety. Crence stood there, frozen. Eren then effectively megged Crence. We pushed forward with the goal in site. Eren and I kept passing back and forth, closing in on the goal.

  Chad quickly caught up to Eren. As soon as he noticed, he passed back to me one st time before getting slide tackled.

  I know for sure, that wasn’t legal...

  But then I looked down. The ball. It was now in my possession. I have now become the center of attention within the entire stadium.

  Back within the crowd, my mom stood up and cheered, “THAT’S MY BABY BOY!”

  Laura followed my mother's lead and yelled, “YOU GOT THIS HAI-CHI, I BELIEVE IN YOU!!”

  Some guy sitting next to them dumbfoundedly asked my mom, “Do you mean to say that the amazing pyer with the ball is your son?!” my mom turned to his family with a big smile and said, “Yup! That’s my boy! I’m so proud of him.”

  Back on the field, my heart was racing...

  I can’t fumble. Not now. Not when everyone has their eyes on me, I thought as Abel, one of the normal pyers on the other team, swiftly exploited my tenseness as I tried to dribble away. He kicked the ball out from my feet by executing a slide maneuver that made me trip and almost fall ft on my face.

  Wai- What! That can’t be legal. The referees... They must been payed...

  I regained my bance and looked over toward the ref who disregarded the clearly illegal move.

  Yo wtf... Was that not an illegal move he just pulled?? Or at least a foul? Damn cheaters.

  “AY ADAM!” Abel got his teammate Adam’s attention and fiercely passed the ball. Abel gnced at me with a slick smirk and continued running.

  Oh no you don’t...

  I didn’t realize how close Sebastiaan was to our goal. Adam dribbled through our team with ease going from left to right by passing everyone, including Jude. He forcefully kicked the ball to their striker, Sebastiaan, who then swung his foot back so far back, almost as if he was going to kick his own head in. Sebastiaan shot it towards our goal with strength that wasn’t of human ability. Even though he’s our opponent, I have to admit, his shot power was nothing short of incredible.

  Everyone in the crowd immediately began to sit on the edge of their seats while the whole stadium went silent. Everyone gasped with a mix of anxiety and nervousness.

  “Oh Chi-Chi... please...” my mom prayed.

  “No way, no way... Hold on just a minute!” the announcer shouted.

  I closed my eyes knowing what’s to come. Then I heard the announcer's voice and subconsciously blocked it out. Then I heard the ball hit something with full force, but... It wasn’t the sound of a net. As I looked up, I saw Asher. Eyes wide, ball in hand. Everyone on the field, still.

  Wait... No way! Did he actually catch it!?

  Why was I acting like we had no hope. We clearly have a fully functioning goalkeeper.

  “AND ASHER BECKETT WITH THE SAVE!” the crowd erupted, “THE INTENSITY IN THOSE LAST FEW PASSES WERE OUTSTANDING!!”

  I wasn’t expecting Asher to be ready for a catch with the amount of speed that was formed. Asher threw the ball over to Caleb, our wing back, and he began dribbling to the opposite side of where I was positioned. He cleverly traversed the field, trying to establish himself in a better location to create a decent angle for a pass. Everyone was pretty much on top of him, trying to steal the ball away, but Caleb wouldn’t let up that easily. Once he detected a clear opening, he didn’t hesitate for a single second to take it. He yelled my name before raising his leg and kicking the ball at me with intense brute strength.

  Caleb’s explosive kick went tumbling towards my direction. Without thinking, I instinctively leaped into the air so the ball would nd on my chest. The moment it made contact, a shockwave rippled throughout my entire body. It was like a pain I had never felt before. Even though it hurt, it made me feel alive. Even so, I couldn’t let that make me face away from my ultimate target. I began sprinting faster than I ever had before, ramming through my enemies. They started backing away from me, seemingly fearing my abilities. This was the same feeling as before when I was at practice with Jude.

  The field in front of me was still filled with opponents. Noticing the state the surrounding field was in, I hesitantly decided to make a quick pass to Theo. The lot of our team was now inching upon their goal. Theo, who before I passed to him, had nearly nobody close to him, now had my attacking pyers rushing to his location. He swiftly passed back because now I had no pyers in my way.

  And after some thought, I soon made up my mind. This next kick I was about to unleash would send all the spectators into shock. Inside the stadium or out. This next kick will engrave my name into the history books. I’ve technically only done it once at full power, but today, even without putting any training towards it, I knew it was the only option to secure my spot as a legend. I would dispy a speed no one has ever been able to achieve before in soccer. No one. No one is ready for what I’m about to pull. I am of course talking about the one and only newly acquired move...

  “Dragon’s Fury.”

  “I think it’s time to let you out of your cage...”

  Everyone’s eyes turned appalled the moment I kicked the ball into the air and jumped after it. The moments stretched out. It felt like time was dragging. Or as if time itself had just frozen in pce. I raised my leg as much as I could. I then concentrated every ounce of my power into my quads and feet. Into each and every blood vessel. Each and every muscle fiber. Just like before, the volume of my legs visibly expanded.

  Then... It happened...

  I rotated my body one-hundred-twenty degrees and kicked. Even though the ball was a few feet above the ground, the grass below ripped apart with immense force. Not even Zeus himself could hold a candle to the raw power I was able to focus. First the grass, then the dirt. It started blowing across the entire stadium, revealing a massive crack within the ground. A crack I created. The velocity of the ball didn’t slow down one bit, not even by the natural force of air resistance. The only force that could stop it would be the w of inertia, but even then...

  It started to fme up. The ball was now on fire, hitting the net with immense force. It kept spinning for seconds after.

  “wha-” the announcer mumbled in shock.

  The announcer took a moment of silent before yelling, “G-GOALLL!!”

  As I fell down onto the field, I felt wind gushing past me. My foot trembling with pain, I nded on my feet as I hit the ground. The moment the atoms in my feet pressed on the ground, I felt another daggering pain.

  “OW...” I tried to whisper.

  I fell to my knees with adrenaline rushing throughout my being.

  I held my leg and looked up at the goal with anticipation, “LETS GOOOOOO!” I screamed, leaving the pain behind.

  The team picked me up and smiled while chanting my name. We were then led back to the middle of the field and all of us got back into our positions. I looked around, everyone was pumped and knew we actually had a chance to end our losing streak and win. Eren was hyped and had a smile. Jude on the other hand, looked depressed and just stared into what was left of the grass, “well... would you look at that...”

  Is he mad about someone dribbling around him and taking his spotlight? Whatever, I gotta stay focused.

  “Okay folks that was one of the craziest stunts ever pulled in the history of the FIFA World Cup. I’ve never seen anything like it... But we must continue on with the match. We can’t waste any time. YOU ALL WANT TO SEE WHAT ELSE HAI-CHI SAKKA HAS UP HIS SLEEVE RIGHT!!”

  All the attendants of the stadium yelled, “YEAH!!” with their fists in the air, including mom and Laura. This still applied to the Nethernds spectators.

  “Halftime is closing in soon, so let’s see what these pyers can do in such a limited amount of time!” the announcer stated.

  After both teams were ready, the referees blew their whistles. Sebastiaan started off by lightly passing to Anton, who really hasn’t gotten much action this whole game. He started jogging with the ball but soon picked up his pace. My teammates and I were honestly burning a few levels of stamina at this point due to the intensity of the st few pys. Though we all know who carried.

  Anton tried to make a clean pass to Crence, but he tripped somehow. Anton was still able to kick the ball in a hope effort, but it was no luck. Jude came up running in the distance and intercepted it in the middle of the field. I was about to steal the ball from them but apparently, I wasn’t fast enough. Jude looked at Anton and gave him a cheeky grin and then gnced over at me and did the same. Eren came running up next to me and asked, “what was that about...” while still huffing and puffing from the exhaustion, “You were clearly closer so why’d he steal it like that. That’s just being petty...” he gasped, “it’s not like he didn’t see you...”

  “It’s nothing, Eren, don’t worry about it...” I wheezed, “I don’t know why he did it... Just keep focusing on the game. Our victory is so close, I can feel it.”

  We kept running before Eren said, “Yeah, you’re right. Our victory is right around the corner... And its nearly halftime so we got no time like the present to go all out.” and he split directions with me. He was heading towards the bunch of the other pyers.

  Seems like he’s going to try and defend Jude.

  I steadily increased my speed so as to not overload my legs out of nowhere. My quads felt as if they were on fire, just like the ball earlier. An excruciating pain that’s only destined to get worse. I couldn’t help but think of being inside a big tub of water, having an infinite thirst replenishing source right at my fingertips. I redirected my attention from my legs to Eren, who was right behind Jude. Theo and Caleb were also inching upon Jude as well. Jude seemed to ignore them. His ego must’ve been blindsiding him. He wanted all the attention on him. The audience’s gaze and the history of this match. He wants them all to fall into his hands, and to py into his little scheme. He’s not going to give any of us a chance any longer. I see that now... And it’s making me more furious. Jude doesn’t care about anyone other than himself.

  Since that’s the case, I’ll just have to give myself a chance. I don’t care if he’s our undefeated striker anymore. Titles don’t matter. It’s our victory that does. Speaking of, maybe I’m blindsided as well. Not from ego but from the thought of winning. I can’t seem to get that damn thought out of my head. But it doesn’t matter as long as I get what I want. I’ll do anything to achieve my goal.

  “NO, YOU DON’T!” I yelled, “GET BACK HERE JUDE!”

  I’M NOT LETTING YOUR EGO RUIN THE GAME FOR ALL OF US!

  I immediately conjured up some sort of unknown power that automatically increased the distance of my leap.

  Forget the match... Forget mom... Forget Laura... Forget my legacy...

  “ARGH!” Eren tumbled on the grass right before my eyes. I witnessed Jude push him away after he got too close, “GET OUT OF MY WAY, EREN!” Jude yelled fiercely.

  “Wait...” the announcer paused. The crowd gasped and went silent, “What’s... What’s going on down there...”

  “It seems there has been an altercation on the field!”

  “Everyone, please stand by...”

  I kept rushing closer and closer to Jude. Theo, then Caleb. They both got pushed to the ground, “I SAID BACK AWAY!!”

  Jude was now a completely different person. If you thought he was a misguided and poorly directed human being, then you should look at him now.

  The other team stopped in their tracks, witnessing this disgusting action. No one was chasing after Jude or the ball... Everyone except for me.

  “YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM ME YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!”

  Jude was now mere meters from the goal. I had caught up with him, but he increased his pace, so I did the same. Inching closer and closer, the only person in our vicinity was the goalkeeper, Cas Visser.

  “SHUT IT WITH YOUR ‘YOU DON’T KNOW ME’ BULLSHIT AND COME FIGHT ME LIKE A REAL MAN, HAI-CHI!”

  We sprinted, my momentum carrying me to the edge of the goalpost. Then, a sudden brutal impact. My foot got caught on something simir to a chord or a rope, and the ground rushed up, meeting me with arming speed. The unforgiving metal of the goalpost smmed into my neck with sickening force. An agonizing pressure constricted my throat, and the world began to fade at the edges of my vision. Just before the complete darkness consumed me, the announcer’s voice, raw with terror, cut through the chaos, “OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL! HAI-CHI SAKKA... HE”

  “HE’S DOWN... HE GOT TRIPPED... BUT ON WHAT!? REFS STOP THE GAME, STOP THE GAME!”

  I was now completely faded into the realm unconsciousness. I couldn’t even say goodbye to my mother... Laura too... I’m sorry... I... I got too worked up...

  Seeing my unconscious body, the referees and both teams’ pyers came rushing to my aid. My mom and Laura also came sprinting out of the seating areas and tried to find their way onto the field. No tears. Just fear.

  “Oh god please be okay, please be okay...” my mother prayed under her breath while running.

  “It’s going to be okay, I have faith...” Laura started forming tears.

  Please be okay, please be okay... You promised you’d be okay... Please...

  They found the entrance to the field and took no hesitation to step foot inside. Running to the field, there was no one there to stop them because everyone was with Hai-Chi. Once my mom got a glimpse of my body she screamed, “CHI-CHI!!!” and sprinted even faster. Thoughts of my childhood ran throughout her head, “You promised me, you promised me.” she whispered under her breath.

  Her and Laura found themselves at my body and told the refs everything. Who they were and why they were here. Although that st part is obvious.

  “Hai-Chi he’s going to be good right?” some of the pyers wondered.

  “No, no, no...” Eren said repeatedly.

  Laura took the liberty of asking the ref, “He’s going to be okay right...” while biting her nails and tensing her stance, “Well we’re not entirely sure...” one of the refs answered.

  Please Hai-Chi, be okay... We still have to go on our second date, remember...

  Soon after Laura and mom’s interaction with the refs, the emergency services soon got here, and I was taken away on the ambunce with the company of mom and Laura--

  A dull, throbbing ache pulsed behind my eyes as a muffled beep sound gradually infiltrated my consciousness. The sterile scent of antiseptic stung my nostrils, a stark contrast to the smell of the freshly cut grass present on the field. Slowly, my heavy eye lids fluttered open, revealing a blurry expanse of white ceiling tiles. Disoriented, I tried to lift my arm only to feel an absence of movement. Panic flickered as fragments of memories resurfaced...

  The exhaustion. The sudden fall. The crushing pressure against my throat. The announcer’s almost unintelligible cry. Where... what happened? The sterile environment slowly crified into the unmistakable reality of a hospital room.

  The white of the hospital room swam into sharper focus, but the relief of my wake quickly dissolved into a chilling dread. I tried to wiggle my toes, a familiar habit upon waking, but nothing happened. A cold wave of fear flooded over my nerves as I tried to move my legs, then my arms. Each silent command met with unnerving stillness. My breath hitched in my throat as the horrifying realization dawned. I couldn’t feel anything. Panic cwed at me. A silent scream trapped within my chest. The memories of the fall, the brutal impact against the goalpost, now took on a terrifying new dimension. This wasn't just an injury; this was something far more profound, far more devastating. The muffled beeping of the machines beside me seemed to mock my state of paralysis, each pulse a stark reminder of the life that might have been completely altered.

  “Excuse me, Ms. Aimi Sakka, I’m coming in...” the nurse said, “Do you have any more questions or concerns?”

  It’s been around a week and a half since my injury.

  “No... I think I’m okay...” she looked at Laura and forced a smile, putting her hand on her shoulder, “What about you?”

  I could hear Laura’s sniffle before she shook her head and said, “No...”

  “Well alright... But anyways, I came in to say you have a new visitor...”

  I directed my eyes towards the door and saw a familiar figure.

  “H-hey guys...”

  Laura welcomed him, “Y-you’re Eren right?” she asked, “Hai-Chi’s told me all about you...”

  “Oh, has he now...” he awkwardly chuckled, scratching his chin.

  “Yeah...” she replied, still busy sniffling.

  “Chi-Chi talked about you all the time...” my mom extended her hand to hold mine. Laura then pulled my mother closer and started tearing up again. The tears quickly turned into sobbing. My mother soon followed. Then Eren started tearing up slightly as well. The emotion within the room was evident.

  Eren walked over to me, and put his hand on my chest, “come on samurai dude... just... get better already...” he pleaded, “for your family...”