Arata Augustine

For many, football, or soccer, as they also call it, is just a sport. '22 millionaires chasing a ball for 90 minutes—I'm sure this phrase and others like it are not new to you unless you've never spoken to a clearly clueless person. 

Most people view football as merely a form of evening entertainment. A few beers, some nibbles, and a decent game of football on television complete the ideal evening for the typical guy. They don't immerse themselves in what they watch on TV; instead, they stay on the surface and have fun, oblivious to the depth of the art in front of them. 

In my case, it was the profundity that the game of football innately possesses that drew me in and fundamentally determined who I was as a person. It was fascinating to watch 11 top athletes move as though they were one big organism. The interdependence of players' actions, the elegance of timing and decision-making, and both collective and individual brilliance were all displayed on my screen for me to admire.

The pinnacle of mankind, the supreme form of self-expression, is football. the constant conflict between egos, be they players' or coaches', and points of view, whether they be tactical or philosophical. Brains before brawl: the analogy for how humans have evolved and taken over the food chain

Football is the ultimate duel where you challenge yourself before others. Striving for perfection.

"And I don't plan on losing." 

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3rd POV:

He woke up before light had a chance to disrupt his sleep, as the daylight from the window lit up the room and was steadily making its way up to the boys' eyes. He sat on the bed for five minutes before deciding exactly how to start the day, at which point he swiftly stood up and glanced in the mirror. 

A fairly tall boy stood in the mirror with unkempt, wavy black hair that appeared to have survived an explosion. Bright green in tint, the eyes reminded one of the healthiest and sunniest of gardens. Most girls would be envious of the small nose stuck on the white, almost pale face.

Arata Augustine is the name of the boy, a Japanese adolescent of German descent. German-born Arata's father met his mother many years ago while visiting Japan, and their love progressed as if it were a fairy tale. They chose Köln as the location to raise a family, and that is where little Arata was born.

However, unfortunate events led to the father's passing when Arata was only ten. Naturally, raising a child alone in the absence of immediate family—outside of the financially shaky grandparents who lived on the other side of the country—was a tremendous burden for Naomi, who was now widowed. She made the difficult decision to return to Tokyo with Arata.

Arata, who carried the weight of fate on his frail shoulders, found refuge in football. Since it was difficult for him to fit in with peers as a hafu (what they refer to as half-Japanese), who at first could hardly speak the language, he immersed himself in the sport of football.

Even in his room, it was clear how much the sport mattered to him. All childhood photographs were of him with the ball—the same ball that was next to his bed in awful condition and already worn out from repeated use—and posters of his favorite players plastered all over the messy room. 

"You'll be late, Honey!" Arata was startled out of his lethargy when he heard his mother calling out. 

"Yes, mom, I'm coming down." He finally got to the kitchen, where exquisite scrambled eggs with cheese were waiting for him after putting on some casual clothing, brushing his teeth, and placing his sportswear into the bag.

"Good morning, sweetie." Naomi greeted her son with a kiss on the forehead, much to his disdain.

"Aww mom~, I'm not a kid anymore to be greeted like this." Arata pouted and began eating as he felt the chill run down his spine and the hand of death nearing the back of his head, which almost sent him face down into a plate. 

"You brat, what's wrong with greeting my son with a kiss, huh?!" A clearly rhetorical question that,  if answered, might lead to dire consequences. 

"Nothing, ma'am, nothing!" Arata learned his lesson again and continued dining in regret. 

*Sigh* "What will I do with you? Anyway, today's the day, right?" The mother asked him with a big smile on her face, radiating happiness for her son. 

"Yeah, today is the first step towards a dream, mom." Confidently answered a 16 year-old "Hopefully old man will see my way of football." 

"Haha, you talk just like him, Arata." Naomi was looking at her son, who was almost a mixture of both her husband and her younger brother. "Oh, sweetie, tell Tatsuya to call me when he's not busy; I need to talk to him, okay?" 

"Okay." As Arata grabbed the last piece of bread left on his plate, he quickly picked up his bag and called a taxi. 

"Tokyo Esperion, I am here to conquer you."

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After taking a taxi, Arata arrived at Esperion's Academy in approximately 30 minutes. Not bad given how packed the streets of Tokyo are, especially at this time of day. 

But the drive was over for young Augustine in what felt like a blink. His thoughts were occupied with controlling his enthusiasm and anticipation of seeing outstanding players on the field. Arata was so ecstatic that he was finally able to play the highest level of the "beautiful game" that he almost went insane.

While rushing to the training grounds as quickly as he could, Arata almost forgot his bag in the car. Getting cussed out by the driver in the meantime.

Despite his initial hurriedness, there was none of it once he stood in front of the academy. 

'No matter how many times I see it, it becomes even more beautiful, doesn't it?' 

Arata was in awe of the amenities of the Tokyo Esperion because of its size and quality. The boy wasn't going to depart empty-handed, his muscles tensing with absolute readiness and his eyes glistening with ardor.

"Shit, I'm late!"

On the way to the tryouts, a familiar face was seen standing next to a stranger of around the same age. Arata smiled and went to greet his friend, who was in the middle of a conversation, and as he heard her, she was... explaining things to this guy? 

He overheard a last sentence clearly, though, and it got him pretty annoyed.

"As someone from Ehime, do you even have any notable past achievements?" 

The girl was looking at the boy, almost judging, which was pretty unusual for her. The boy however, seemed completely aloof, not even paying attention to her.

"What was my brother even thinking?" 

Arata finally got close enough to do what he wanted. He pushed Hana's cap on her eyes to stop the nonsense that she was spouting to presumably someone participating in tryouts. 

"Oi, what the hell are you even talking about, Hana?" 

The short girl was surprised to hear the familiar voice after getting startled by the sudden darkness that she saw under her cap. 

"Arata?!" 

Augustine smiled after he finally looked into the eyes of his longtime friend, about to criticize her for discouraging a young talent. 

"Since when has the past ever mattered in Football? All of the stuff outside of the pitch holds no value once the whistle is blown, dummy." 

Hana pouted and looked away, irritated, not wanting to give her friend any time of the day.

"Hmph, not like you'd know anything about achievements, A-kun." 

These poison-filled words hurt more than the sharpest blades in the world for someone who has never played organized Football in his life. 

Watching Arata in so much pain made Hana chuckle in amusement.

The stranger to whom Hana was talking earlier was still staring at the pitch without a sound before he spoke up with pure childish happiness, interrupting the friendly banter between the two.

"This green pitch... Can I really play football in such a pretty, luscious green pitch? I wish my big brother Shun could see this!" 

The teen was of around average height, with curly hair on his head and big, bright eyes full of love and determination. Smiling ear to ear, the boy looked back at Hana and noticed someone standing in front of her. 

Being weirded out by the widening smile and eyes of Arata, the boy didn't even utter a word before Augustine stretched a hand for a handshake. 

Arata was ecstatic to find someone with the same passion for this game as he has

"Name's Augustine Arata. I'm sure we will enjoy our time together on the pitch, hehe"