Chương 47: Chapter 47 – Respect
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Sorry for the late update! 🙇🙇
My fitness still hasn't recovered 100%, but I'm back to work at least.
And let me tell you, we are swarmed! SWARMED! This last quarter is going to be busy as we have a lot of events planned. Management said to put in extra effort to close out this year with a bang, honest that's what he said, quote unquote.
In addition, I'm also taking online class.
So, the update will just be one chapter per day from now on if I'm available.
With that said, Enjoy the chapter!
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Nagi pumped his fist in the air after the successful goal. Kira's pinpoint pass, the unspoken message behind it, and the fiery battle between Kira and Shidou on the field stirred something deep within him. For the first time, Nagi felt a spark of genuine curiosity—an urge to push beyond his usual boundaries. He wanted to evolve, to explore what lay beyond his comfort zone as a football player.
"Good job, you lazy bastard," Raichi said, slapping Nagi's hand in a high-five. Nagi simply nodded in response, his mind still buzzing from the thrill of the goal.
Kira approached and fist-bumped Nagi as well, acknowledging his effort.
The game restarted with the white team once again on the attack, sticking to their original strategy. Kurona and Hirakazu continued to work the ball, attempting to break through the defense with crosses and through balls, all designed to create one-on-one situations for Shidou. However, Kira and Raichi were relentless, intercepting passes and blocking Shidou's attempts to shoot.
"At this rate, you're gonna lose, freak-eyes," Kira taunted, his words dripping with confidence. Shidou, visibly irritated, was beginning to lose his composure.
"Though, as much as you're a fox in the box, you're useless without the ball," Kira added, smirking as he kept Shidou at bay.
"Huh!? You think this is all I've got?" Shidou barked back, his temper flaring.
"I've got you locked down," Kira said with unwavering certainty, and Shidou felt the weight of those words. After his second goal, he had been consistently blocked, frustrated at every turn. Even when he managed to break through and take a shot, that infuriating Raichi was always there to block it.
"This is my win, Shidou!" Kira exclaimed, a gleeful smile spreading across his face. Shidou's annoyance boiled over as he struggled to find a solution to the suffocating defense.
But Shidou wasn't one to give up easily. His mind raced as he analyzed the situation, formulating a new plan. He knew exactly how to turn the tide, but he needed to test something first.
Without hesitation, Shidou sprinted toward the penalty box, his eyes focused. "Launch the ball!" he yelled, signaling for his teammates to send it his way.
Kurona responded immediately, launching the ball into the heart of the box where Shidou and Kira battled fiercely for position. This time, the confrontation was more brutal—Shidou used his physicality to bully Kira, who was visibly exhausted from the relentless effort of containing the unstoppable forward. The struggle between them was intense, but Kira, drained from their earlier duels, was losing ground.
With no time to waste, Shidou struck the ball with force, sending it hurtling toward the bottom-right corner of the goal with blistering speed. The shot was precise and powerful, but not unstoppable.
Raichi, ever alert, swooped in at the last second. Having kept a close eye on the ongoing battle between Kira and Shidou, he anticipated the moment Shidou would break free. As the ball rocketed toward the goal, Raichi leapt into action, his head connecting with the ball and sending it flying out of danger into a corner kick.
Raichi had saved the goal yet again, stepping in to protect the team whenever Kira couldn't.
Shidou smiled to himself, unfazed by the missed shot. He turned to see Kira, kneeling on the ground after their fierce confrontation, gasping for air as he tried to catch his breath. Feeling Shidou's gaze, Kira looked up, their eyes locking in an intense stare.
Neither of them was willing to break eye contact first, turning the moment into a silent standoff. Shidou's grin grew wider, his confidence palpable, while Kira's left eye twitched with the strain of holding his composure. Without a word exchanged, they both knew—this encounter was the turning point. The game from here on would be different.
Shidou cackled softly as he jogged back to his position on the left wing. Kira, though exhausted, pushed himself to his feet, ready to continue the battle. No matter how tired he was, he wasn't backing down.
Kurona positioned himself to take the corner kick. His eyes scanned the field until they found Shidou, who subtly signaled for a specific type of pass. Kurona raised an eyebrow in curiosity at Shidou's request but decided to trust him. He started the corner with a short pass to Hirakazu, and together, they quickly executed a one-two combination with Nagi and Raichi on the right side, drawing the defense toward them.
With most of the defense now distracted, Kurona spotted his opportunity and sent a well-placed pass to Shidou, setting up a one-on-one confrontation with Kira at the edge of the box. Shidou received the ball smoothly, a predator's gleam in his eyes as Kira stood between him and the goal.
"Let's settle this!" Shidou growled, wasting no time as he drove forward aggressively, dribbling toward the left side. Kira remained calm, maintaining just enough distance to react while trying to force Shidou into making a mistake.
But in an instant, Shidou slammed his foot down, pulling the ball back sharply and cutting inside. The move was quick and precise, creating just enough space for him to wind up for a shot. Kira, desperate to recover, lunged to block him, but it was too late.
Shidou's strike was clean, the ball grazing Kira's hair as it soared toward the top left corner of the goal, too fast for the keeper to stop.
The ball slammed into the back of the net.
Red Team 3 – 3 White Team.
Shidou stood on the tips of his toes, lifting his heels off the ground as if ready to float, his face tilted toward the sky, soaking in the thrill of the moment. His entire body quivered with pleasure, his grin stretching wide, nearly ear to ear, while a faint blush tinged his cheeks. His eyes rolled back slightly, lost in the pure ecstasy of the game.
"Hmm... 🎶" Shidou hummed in a state of bliss. "This... is the best feeling in the world 🎶."
While Shidou basked in his moment of triumph, Kira's mind was spinning, replaying their last confrontation in detail. He had done everything right—the distance, the rhythm, the timing for the shot. He had predicted Shidou's move perfectly.
'I was a step too late because of exhaustion,' Kira analyzed, his thoughts running over the situation. 'If I wasn't, I could've blocked that shot.'
But then, he dismissed the excuse. 'No, I should've adapted, even if I was tired,' Kira scolded himself, frustrated that he hadn't adjusted in time.
Kira glanced toward Shidou, who still stood in that absurd, triumphant posture. 'I'm not going to lose,' he resolved, forcing himself to push beyond his limits. Unbeknownst to himself, his concentration has reached its peak, giving him access to an ability coveted by even the best in the world.
The game resumed with the red team pushing forward aggressively, their triangle formation seemingly unstoppable. But Shidou's equalizer had breathed new life into the white team. Their defense became more energized and chaotic, much like their leader.
"You guys get it now!?" Shidou shouted as he pressed Kira, his voice dripping with intensity. "People who can't explode are trash!" He chased after the ball as Kira passed it to Nagi.
"If you can't live in the moment, then don't show up in my story!" Shidou added, shoving Nagi toward Kurona. The two of them quickly trapped Nagi, leaving him with nowhere to go. Nagi wasn't like Kira—stealing the ball from him was far easier for Shidou.
Kurona swiftly seized the ball and darted toward the goal. But just as he approached the edge of the box, Raichi appeared, bracing himself for impact. "Try it, and I'll crush you, princess!" Raichi barked, positioning himself to cover both Kurona and any potential attackers.
But Kurona didn't falter. With ice-cold calm, he chipped the ball over Raichi's head, sending it toward the center of the box. The ball sailed through the air toward its intended target—Shidou—who was shoulder-to-shoulder with Kira, battling for position. Shidou, sensing Kira's weakening defenses, used his raw strength to push past him and create space to shoot.
At that crucial moment, Nagi arrived in front of Shidou's trajectory, his eyes burning with determination. "You're not scoring this time!" Nagi declared, his entire body bracing to stop the beast before him.
Shidou's grin widened. "My name..." he began, trapping the ball with finesse before putting a spin on it, creating a fake shot to throw Nagi off balance. "...is Ryusei Shidou!"
With a swift motion, Shidou struck the ball, curving it sharply toward the ground. The spin caused the ball to change its course mid-flight, twisting nastily from what seemed like an out-of-bounds shot to a wicked curve that curled just inside the right goalpost.
The net rippled.
Red Team 3 – 4 White Team.
Shidou leaped into the air, his body soaring as he roared triumphantly toward the sky. His teammates rushed to celebrate with him, knowing they were now just one goal away from clinching this electrifying match.
Kira, wiping the sweat from his chin, watched Shidou closely. In all his years of playing football, he had never faced a player like him. Shidou's instincts, his mindset, his raw power, and his unorthodox skills—it was unlike anything Kira had seen in a Japanese player.
'And more than that,' Kira thought, his mind sharpening with each revelation, 'his selfishness and insatiable thirst for goals... is what drives him forward.'
Kira's eyes narrowed, his focus intensifying as he understood more about the enigma that was Shidou. 'He's the embodiment of a true striker.'
This realization didn't discourage Kira—it ignited something deep within him. For the first time, Kira felt genuinely excited. No one he had faced in the first selection had ever come close to matching him in spirit, passion, and skill. His teammates, his opponents—they hadn't challenged him. The first selection had almost bored him.
But now, in Shidou, he had found a rival worthy of his effort. His eyes gleamed with a molten fire, his exhaustion seemingly forgotten. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, unable to hide his anticipation.
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