[31] Teaching

"Hah!"

Several players started leg-hopping steel bars on the ground while yelling incomprehensible words in the air.

On the other side, some players were maneuvering around orange cones arranged in straight lines while keeping the ball on their feet.

Meanwhile, a few grouped up together as three and started passing balls to each other in a quick motion.

And Izumo happened to be in one of those groups with Akai and Saiki.

"Hernia, huh?"

Saiki quipped and smiled, attempting to initiate a conversation.

Sadly, it seemed it wasn't working as all he got was a very deep stare from Izumo in response.

"Ehem... so, Izumo"

"...?"

"Can I ask you a favor?"

Hearing him, Izumo couldn't help but raise his right eyebrow, looking quite interested while he received a ball and passed it along to Akai.

"What sort of favor exactly?"

"I... I want you to teach me"

"Teach you...?"

Izumo became even more interested after hearing him as he raised his hand, expressing to pause the practice for a bit.

On the other hand, Akai was curious and interested as well as he stopped just in time to pass the ball to Saiki.

"Teach you, huh... that's an interesting favor"

"Is that... a no?"

"No, not at all"

Upon hearing him agree, Saiki let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if a big load was taken off his shoulders.

After all, he had been worried lately that he might never get to play as a regular with how great his teammates were, especially the seniors.

He thought that it would take him until the 3rd year before he even got to play on the field.

With no choice, he swallowed his pride and asked the closest skilled player he knew.

"So, what'd you want me to teach you?"

"Everything?"

"Yeah no"

Hearing him, Izumo immediately denied since for one, he didn't have the patience nor the time, and two...

He wasn't even that close to him in the first place for him to teach everything.

In the end, Saiki discreetly clicked his tongue in disappointment and chose something else instead.

"Defense...?"

"Oh? Defense, I can teach you that"

Izumo agreed nonchalantly and didn't have a problem with it.

"Since you chose defense, I suppose you're committing to being a center back now, yes?"

"Tch... I hate to admit it but yeah"

Saiki clicked his tongue in annoyance since he just pointed out the very thing he didn't want to acknowledge.

After the mock battle months ago...

He couldn't help but admit that he had fun playing as a center-back.

The feeling of confronting and successfully destroying their offense just brings a sort of satisfaction inside him.

And now, it felt strange playing as a winger anymore after experiencing such delight.

Perhaps, it was the reason why the coach assigned him the position because he saw something in him.

"Hold up, do you even know anything about defense?"

Saiki suddenly paused, just realizing now that Izumo was a forward in the first place

After all, he had rarely seen the guy play defense.

Most of the time, this guy just rushed forward and outmaneuvered everyone.

The only time he had seen him defend was months ago during the first mock battle during the first half.

"Of course, I might not show it much but I could easily pass as a center back if I wanted to"

"Really?"

Saiki looked doubtful, staring at Izumo with a questionable look.

Seeing this, Izumo just formed a small smile and gestured at Akai to pass him the ball which he did.

And as he received the ball with his feet, Izumo crouched down and took the ball before throwing it towards Saiki.

"...??"

Catching the ball, Saiki looked confused and stared at Izumo before he saw him make a provocative gesture toward him.

"Actions speak louder than words"

Izumo said as he didn't have to say anything more since it was obvious what he wanted.

He was basically asking him to attack while he defends.

"Fine, you ask for it!"

Saiki stepped on the ball before rushing toward Izumo confidently.

He might have felt some apprehension if it was the other way around since even he, himself recognizes Izumo's ability as a forward.

But as a defender instead?

Naturally, he had some doubts, coupled with him being a winger player once...

He felt that he might actually have a chance against this genius.

And shortly after, the two closed in as Saiki was about to engage him when Izumo suddenly took a step back, avoiding confrontation.

"Heh"

Thinking that Izumo was afraid of being defeated, Saiki moved forward arrogantly and attempted to bypass him.

But the more he tried to do so, the more he felt annoyed and frustrated.

'Dafuq is this shit?'

Saiki thought as every time he wanted to engage or maneuver around Izumo, he stepped back and followed closely in front, always keeping a safe distance from him.

Whenever he moves left, Izumo moves to the right...

Or when he tries to ram his way in, Izumo would slippery avoid while still blocking his way.

There was practically no way forward to cut in with how restricted his movement had become.

He would rather match against physicality than deal with this.

After a while, Saiki had to halt his steps and stop playing as he started to become exhausted.

"Hm, how about it?"

"..."

"Believe me now?"

Seeing him give up, Izumo strolled toward him and crossed his arms, looking at him with a small smug smile.

"How... how did you do it?"

Saiki slightly crouched and used his knees as support while staring at Izumo, wanting to know how he did it.

And Izumo was about to answer when a certain limped man with a cane responded first.

"It's the eyes"

Kousuke suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and butted into the conversation.

Meanwhile, Saiki hearing his answer, turned his head around to stare at his coach in confusion.

"The eyes?"

"Yes, of course, it's the eyes. Are you deaf? I already said it and I'm not gonna repeat myself again"

Kousuke grumbled, looking at Saiki as if he was an idiot for asking, making the young man shut his mouth in disbelief.

For a moment, Saiki wanted to punch him but decided not to since he was afraid that he might not ever get the chance to be promoted to the regulars if he did so.

On the other hand, Akai who was listening in simply chuckled while Izumo just rolled his eyes in response.

"This brat is reading your vector"

"Vector...?"

Upon hearing an unexpected answer, Saiki tilted his head and still looked baffled, not understanding the meaning behind it.

"I believe what he meant to say was..."

"..."

"I'm predicting your momentum"

Izumo chimed in and explained to Saiki in simpler words.

Indeed, it was one of the things Izumo had learned from Ao Ashi that he incorporated into his play.

It was a technique that read an opponent's vector or momentum to simulate their predicted path.

And it had been a very useful skill for him since not only could he use it for defending, but he could also use it for playmaking.

"Defending is not always about confrontation..."

"..."

"Occasionally, there are just times when your opponent is much stronger than you in physicality"

"..."

"It's situations like that, that you have to play using your mind instead rather than the body"

Izumo calmly explained to Saiki, making him slowly understand the concept behind it.

Meanwhile, Akai was also listening in carefully since this was the first time he had heard of such a technique.

Perhaps he could even employ it for himself.

After a while, Saiki finally understood the theory as his eyes glinted with a light.

On the other hand, Kousuke was quietly staring at Izumo with an interested look before he walked up toward him.

"We need to talk"

"Hm?"

Izumo turned his head to stare at his coach, wondering what he was about to talk about.

"I want you to play as a midfielder, no... be the playmaker next game"

"...?!"

Upon hearing him, Izumo was surprised while Akai and Saiki who was in earshot were shocked.