บท 14: The Fourth-Year Senpai Watching Over
Tension was rising as the two groups faced each other. Once again, it was Seiryuu's position, and there was just a one-point difference.
This time, they were going to make it count!
"Se——t, hut!"
With rising anticipation, Seiryuu attempted another run. The ball was snapped, and Koenji took off again, dodging one defender but getting caught by another. He managed to gain a few yards, but it wasn't enough to make a significant impact.
"Our school's really struggling, right?"
"Of course, why wouldn't they struggle. This is the Kogane High we're talking about. They were able to reach top sixteen in the regionals, you know."
"It's not good... but it's not bad either. Is our team really that bad?"
The track and field members who were standing by the sidelines, intently watched the match. "Yeah, our team's bad. Look, only two players are playing in the field." One of them commented, referring to Kaminari and Koenji.
Kogane's offense resumed their assault. Takeru called another play, and the ball was snapped. He faked a handoff to Renji and then threw a deep pass to one of their wide receivers, who caught it in stride and ran it into the end zone. Another touchdown for Kogane.
"Dang it!" Kaminari exclaimed. He was this close to pulling the flag, but someone stood in front of him, causing him to halt.
The score climbed to 12-0. Seiryuu's spirits were flagging, but they refused to give up. They tried a passing play, with Kaminari running a slant route. The ball was snapped, and the quarterback threw it high.
Fwooosh~!
Without slowing his momentum, Kaminari jumped, fingertips grazing the ball, but he couldn't hold on. The pass was too high. "Oi, Koenji, you're better than that." He commented, but he didn't show any animosity towards him.
"Osu~!" Koenji responded his eyes burning as he focused intently on the game.
Kogane's offense took over again. Takeru and Renji led the charge, their plays executed with precision. A short pass here, a run there—they steadily advanced down the field. Takeru faked a pass, handed off to Renji, who ran it in for another touchdown.
18-0.
Seiryuu called another timeout. Aiko tried to rally the team, but frustration was setting in. Sota watched from the sidelines, feeling helpless. He wanted to be out there, to make a difference, but his turn hadn't come yet.
Returning to the field, Seiryuu attempted a trick play. The ball was snapped, and the quarterback pretended to hand it off to Koenji before tossing it back to Kaminari. Kaminari took off, trying to find a gap in Kogane's defense. He managed to break through, gaining significant yardage before being stopped.
The play gave Seiryuu a glimmer of hope. They tried another pass, the quarterback looking for Kaminari again. The ball was snapped, and the pass was made, but Takeru was there, intercepting it once more.
Kogane's offense took over, and the cycle repeated. Takeru called the play, the ball was snapped, and another seamless pass connected with a wide receiver. The receiver broke free, dodging defenders and sprinting for the end zone.
Another touchdown.
24-0.
Seiryuu's team was demoralized, but they kept fighting. They tried another run, Koenji taking the ball and dodging defenders. He managed to gain some yards before being stopped, but it wasn't enough.
"Pass the ball, Koenji, you gotta pass it." Once again, Kaminari commented on his play.
It was clear that Koenji was agitated, and the added pressure caused him to act by himself. "My bad." He muttered in low spirits.
This was the first time Sota saw Koenji's face. His brows were dripping in sweat, but his eyes burned with an intense gaze. He didn't want to lose just yet.
But having the passion wasn't enough. It was clear that Seiryuu High was overwhelming them in everything.
"To think that our top players aren't even present... and we're already dunking on them." Renji grinned. "I guess this is how much Seiryuu High amounts to, huh,"
Another play was made by Seiryuu High, and yet, it fell short. There was nothing they could do.
Prrrrt~!
The whistle blew, signaling the end of the first half. Seiryuu's players trudged off the field, exhausted and frustrated. They hadn't scored a single point, while Kogane had racked up 24.
As the teams gathered for the second half, Sota felt a surge of determination. He couldn't let this be how the game ended. He said he was going to do his best... and yet, seeing everyone try their best ignited the embers within him.
There was no way he'd let that pass... not when the majority of the student body were watching.
Stealing a glance, Aiko could tell that Sota was more than ready. His face darkened in expression, and his eyes burned with flames. His usual ocean-colored eyes turned into a deeper shade of blue.
"It's just 24-0, technically 4-0. It's not that much. Koenji, we're going to sub you out as per your agreement." Aiko said, tapping Koenji on the shoulders. "You did well, but try to stay calm. You're always hot-headed."
Koenji stepped aside, his expression a mix of relief and frustration. "Good luck," he muttered, turning briefly towards Sota.
Meanwhile, Aiko warmly smiled at Sota, patting him on the shoulders. "Sota, show them what you got. I believe in you."
Sota nodded, taking his place as quarterback. The team looked at him with renewed hope. They had one half left to turn things around, and Sota was ready to give it everything he had.
—
From the fourth floor of the school, by the side-window, a student was busily writing some notes. It was in the middle of the lecture, and yet the noise from the school field below was distracting them.
"Hey, did you hear,"
"What?"
"Kogane High's having a match against our team. I didn't even know we had a flag football team."
"Whoa, really? Man, I want to watch it."
The student stopped writing on his notes, his pencil dragging through his notebook before its lead snapped. His eyes lit up momentarily before darkening once again.
"I see... so they're playing against Kogane High this early huh. Hopefully they learn their lesson. When would they give up." He muttered to himself.
Even then, he couldn't help but take a peek out the window. As usual, the flag football team was made up of other students from other clubs. As usual, there were only a handful of regular members.
"Wait... isn't that... ?!" Before he knew it, he bolted upright from his seat, recognizing a face he'd never expected to see in their school. "N-no wayyyy, nah, I'm probably hallucinating right now."
Whack~!
Before he could react, a blackboard eraser hit him directly on the forehead, causing him to snap his head backward in surprise.
"Focus on the class." The teacher said, adjusting his glasses.
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