Morning rose over Tokyo.
Rikuo went downstairs, gently petted Rocky, their loyal dog, and Yuki, their white cat.
He had breakfast, then noticed a note on the table:
"Have a good day, my son. Do your best and impress them all, my pro!"
It was a message from his father.
"Heh… Dad, I can only have a good day now. Thanks, Dad," Rikuo murmured with a smile.
He was ready.
He stepped outside and closed the door behind him.
"I'm heading out. See you later," he whispered, his heart beating fast.
The bus dropped him in front of the Tokyo CF training center.
The glass doors reflected the morning light, and Rikuo felt a mix of excitement and nervousness.
At the entrance, he spotted Senda—the man who had guided him during the three days of trials.
Senda walked toward him with a wide smile.
"There you are, Rikuo. Congratulations.
I'll always be here to support you.
I work behind the scenes, alongside the coaches."
Rikuo smiled, his stress easing a little.
"Thank you, Senda," he replied.
He knew this man had believed in him from the very beginning, and that quiet support gave him great strength.
As Rikuo walked through the long corridor leading to the pro locker room, he saw the history of Tokyo CF on the walls—from the club's early days to today.
He felt it deeply: he could write his own chapter here and leave his mark in the memory of this club.
In the pro locker room, everything was prepared.
His clothes, his new equipment—everything was laid out.
Rikuo had seen something like this before, back when he played for France's youth selections, but this felt different.
There was a sense of nostalgia.
The football he had always dreamed of… he was about to find it again.
Heart pounding, Rikuo finally stepped onto the main training pitch, where the professionals were already there.
The morning sun lit up the perfect grass.
The head coach, Satō Takumi an experienced man Rikuo had seen the day before with the president was waiting at the edge of the pitch, arms crossed, his gaze serious but sharp.
"Welcome, Rikuo," Satō said calmly.
"You showed talent during the three-day trial… but now you'll learn what professional football is like every day.
You'll start with the second group of the team. I'll explain everything later."
The pros were already there.
Some looked at him with curiosity, others with polite smiles.
Rikuo felt an exciting tension.
He was here to learn, but also to prove that he deserved his place.
Then he saw Takuma, his new friend, discreetly waving at him. Rikuo joined him.
Satō gave the instructions:
"Today we'll work on attacking combinations, positioning, and quick ball movement.
Rikuo, Takuma, you will train with the professional group today.
Observe, take part, and above all, stay focused."
They nodded.
From the very first drills, Rikuo felt the difference:
the speed, the precision, the intelligence of the game everything was more demanding than anything he had known before.
But he felt alive.
This was his football too, and little by little, he managed to keep up with the pace.
Every dribble, every pass, every run reminded him why he had chosen this path.
During passing drills and combinations, some players tested his patience and speed.
Since he was new and unknown to some of the pros, they were tougher on him at first, wanting to test his resilience.
But Rikuo stayed calm and precise.
He quickly showed that he could keep up and even dominate certain moments with his smooth dribbling, vision, and excellent passing.
Takuma, training alongside him, stayed close.
Little by little, the team began to recognize Rikuo's value, and the duo naturally grew stronger.
Again, Takuma truly enjoyed playing with him, in a completely honest way.
After a series of passes and team exercises, Rikuo stopped for a moment to retie his boots.
He looked around once more the professionals, the training pitch, the open space around him.
The cool air brushed his face.
A thought crossed his mind:
"This is where begins the King's Ascent "
Rikuo felt it clearly he was exactly where he belonged, ready to face every challenge, surrounded by people who could push him to the highest level.