Aki High School Football Ground.
6 a.m.
The sky was still dark and foggy and cold when kojiro arrived at the campus.
He came early expecting an empty ground but situation was different. The senior players were already there doing their personal routine it seemed.
Just as he was looking around, one of the senior doing warm up came towards kojiro.
"If you are spectating do it from outside the fence."
The senior was tall and burly with a menacing face and brown hair like a bear.
Kojiro replied immediately.
"Kojiro Arashi, first year joining the club today."
"First year... I am vice captain, Yuzo Takeuchi, Instead of looking around go to locker room get changed and stay put coach will be here by 6:30."
He said that went back to his warm up.
Kojiro hurried to locker room placed his bag and changed into his jersey and began his daily warm up routine at the corner.
He picked the spare football and started doing alternative keepy uppies. Then all of a sudden he kicked the ball up high as it came down instead of stopping it he accurately kicked it high up again. This drew attention of everyone as it was not something a high school player should be capable of doing.
There were murmurs and discussion within the players.
Yuzo Takeuchi the vice captain who had just finished his warm up looked at this spectacle with a smile, "Interesting..."
While warming up, one by one people began to appear.
Some were second year senior and some new comers like him changed and stayed put in a corner with him.
6:32 a.m.
The coach arrived with and blew a whistle and started giving orders.
Form a line.
All players regardless of the year formed lines first string players, second string players and two line formed by first year newcomers.
"Ryota, Yuzo... are these all the newcomers joining the club."
Captain Ryota and Vice captain Yuzo both stepped forward.
"Yes, Coach."
Coach turned towards newcomers.
"I am Kumada, Head Coach."
"Introduce yourself one at a time from right to left."
"Yes, sir."
There were twelve people with two line of six, Kojiro was standing at the last place of the first line.
Newcomers started introducing themselves.
"Takuto Ishimura from sasaki middle school, preferred position is left wing, it's pleasure to meet you."
Others followed in similar manner till kojiro's turn.
"Kojiro Arashi from Crystal Palace FC U15's, preferred position is Central Attacking Midfielder, Nice to meet you."
Senior and newcomers went silent for a moment till coach said continue.
Everyone introduction was over and coach gave further instruction,
"Ryota, Yuzo start with 10 laps around the ground, Yuzo lead the first years."
"Yes, sir."
They ran ten laps at a modest pace, everyone was able to follow including newcomer.
After the morning run, Yuzo led the newcomers explaining the morning drills to execute.
It was simple routine of passing drill, Shooting drill, A rondo with six people and two groups.
Time flew by as they executed these drills.
Coach seeing the time blew the whistle and had everyone line up.
"Listen up, All main positions will be reverted to zero before Inter high regional tournament."
"There will be a scrimmage match in the afternoon. Newcomers, you will be rotated in the match according to your preferred positions, everyone show me some spirit and fight for your positions."
"Dismiss."
"Yes, Sir."
Everyone scattered in two and three's, kojiro also went along with his new friends from first year to take a shower and head to class.
The Class bell rang as Kojiro was chatting with minato and trio.
Yuzuki-sensei came in for and homeroom started with selection of class monitor with ballots. In the end, Azuki Nanami the petite girl and Yamada Jun a nerdy glasses guy were picked as class monitors.
Classes went on without a hitch and soon it was afternoon.
Football ground.
Player's gathered and warmed up one by one.
Coach blew the whistle and gathered everyone like morning.
"Listen up."
"This match will determine your initial postion in first team and loser will have additional punishement, I will read the starting eleven for both teams."
He read both the starting elevens.
"First Team : Goalkeeper Hamada, Center back Ryota , Yamabe, Full back Satou Mifune, Midfield Yano, Kato, Arashi, Forward Ryo, Kojima, Hattori.
"Second Team: Goalkeeper Manaka, Center back Sugi, Mouri. Full back, Takahiro, Sanada, Midfield Yuzo, Hiro, Watanabe, Forward Hiroto, Daigo, Taiga."
"Alright game in five minutes. I will rotate the remaining players no one is safe on the pitch, Anyone not up to standards will get hooked."
There were roughly 35 players at the club including 12 newcomers.
The people not choosen were waiting the sidelines. The seniors especially were gossiping and guessing coaches intention in dividing the team with captain and vice captain leading each team and main players divided almost equally.
Ryota and Yuzo gathered their respective teams in a huddle.
Arashi in the huddle looked at the team captain tall and full of muscle playing Center back.
Ryota looked at everyone in the huddle with mean look.
"I hate losing and I assume everyone on my team as well, so anyone has any other thoughts get off this pitch right now."
Looking at everyones face seeing no one backing down and refuting.
"Formation will be 4-2-3-1, Press from front and attack freely."
As he was saying that kojiro with a serious look and lightning flashing in his eyes.
"Captain, Let me lead the press."
Ryota looking at arashi with amusing look.
"Sure... but not without anything on line, press must be effective and lead us to scoring a goal within 10 minutes, if you fail no one will pass the ball to you for rest of the match...are you willing to pay the price?"
"Bring it on captain, I am ready to create a storm."
Everyone in the huddle looked at arashi with different lens.
"Okay, we will follow your lead, all right guys lets win this game."
"yeah."
Five minutes went very fast, coach kumada was referee of the game. kick off would start with second team. coach seeing everyone was in postion blew the whistle.
The kick off started with second team kicking the ball back to goalkeeper.
Simultaneously all players on the pitch started moving with kojima hattori and kojiro leading the press.
Second team were not in a hurry and instead of hoofing the ball in opposition half they preferred to build the attack from back passing the ball to each other.
Kojiro was marking yuzo and scanning around the pitch as soon as game settled in a minute everyone was man marking each other but strangely first team players started pointing fingers at the person they were marking creating confusion in second team players for a second.
Kojiro after confirming everyone's position lifted his right hand in the air and gave a thumbs up.
while marking yuzo drawing a irritated shoulder push from him in the process as a provocation.
The ball went back and forth between keeper and defender's.
Full back Takahiro got the ball and tried to pass it behind the lines by passing midfield but pressing Hattori tackled the ball out for a throw.
Ball was thrown back to defender to reset the attack, passes from side to side with kojiro leading the press pointing towards the desired location.
Defender sugi tried to forcefully pass the ball to hiro in the midfield and was intercepted by yano but he could not control the ball and yuzo got the second ball and passed it back to goalkeeper due to kojiro pressing him.
The game went on like this for 3 minutes with second team not being able to get out of their half and break the press.
Kojiro seeing the timing was right gave signal to Kojima and Hattori to force the ball to right side.
Ball was passed by sugi to takahiro with kojima pressing and hattori from the front, seeing the situation yuzo went to side of takahiro to provide a passing option but Kojiro was right behind him.
Takahiro with no choice left passed it back to goalkeeper.
Kojiro was waiting for this moment and bypassed yuzo and intercepted the ball before goalkeeper and yuzo followed him behind.
Goalkeeper manaka left in no mans land decided to charge forward to reduce the angle but kojiro went around him with ease.
Yuzo predicting this went through other side of keeper in hope of blocking the shot with a slide, He timed it perfectly but at that moment Kojiro with sly grin faking a shot looked opposite side of the goal and did a no look back heel pass to kojima running in box to slot the goal in empty net.
Yuzo after sliding knew he was fooled and looking at the shaking net.
"This guy..."
Kojima after scoring the goal went towards Kojiro and jumped on his back.
"You bastard that was such wonderful pass."
As they were celebrating both were pushed down by hattori and other team mates piled up on them later.
Captain ryota gave a hand to kojiro on the ground.
"Nicely done, Lead the press and score more."
Kojiro with smile said, "Yes, Captain."