Keep It Cool

"Damn! I can't believe how you didn't pass to me! I stood open and had no defender on my ass, unlike Kunigami!" Raichi was still angry and ranted on.

The atmosphere inside the locker looked threateningly hostile. At least it was an improvement from the dreaded and massive shitload problem that was their despairing attitude from around the 20 minute mark.

"Be quiet, already. Your position had a bad angle and Baro could still have reacted to you by just standing still and closing up gaps for you to shoot at. Kunigami was the right choice in that situation." Haruo pushed the hothead to the side and stared straight into his face.

"You bastard! I had enough of your fucking attitude. You tell yourself we are on equal ground but with this bunch of low-ranked losers gathered up how do you expect positive outcomes? I don't care if the ranking really is a scam or not but we won't win shit with the way you all play. Isagi made a clear statement with his retarded pass when he could have scored himself." Raichi had a point with that statement.

Isagi did pass instead of using his chance that Bachira had created with a critical pass.

But, in the end, not every player was ultimately poled towards being a poacher.

"Are you so desperate to try and become the top scorer? Looks to me you are worth nothing much otherwise if you are despairing like this." Haruo only scoffed at his outburst.

Then turning around he could see Isagi contemplating about something. It was probably what Baro had said before they left the field.

Words that seemed to affect him greatly. Those that Haruo had heard many times in his previous life.

"Isagi, don't let yourself hanging. What Baro said is only one aspect of a striker. The most important duty of a striker is getting goals. It doesn't matter if you are the one doing them or someone else." Haruo tried to give him some advice.

"So you are not denying that he is talentless." Raichi scoffed again hearing Haruo talking to Isagi. "I say it was a damn stupid idea to have him as our forward. It was a clear mistake. Let me to the front."

"Shut up already!! It's your fucking fault this whole team has started to behave like some monkeys! Your damn action at the start of it got a massive snowball rolling!" Haruo had enough and raised his voice. "How about I tell you to do nothing and sleep. Would you do that if it saved your ass? Are you playing football or some shitty battle royale game!? Get your head out of your arse!"

"What, you want to fight, bastard!? Look at you talking about monkeys wanna have a banana you mix-breed!?" Just when Raichi asked that and started insulting him with racist remarks it just ended there.

Haruo punched him and sent him to the floor of the locker room.

Everyone was shocked and Kuon went over and pushed Haruo away from a clearly shocked Raichi placing a hand on his left cheek.

"Garbage...That is what you are worth. That I held your talent as a player in high regard makes me nauseous...Do what you want. I am at least going to try and win this." Haruo then turned around and tried to leave the locker room. "Bachira, Isagi, Chigiri, Gagamaru, Kuon...I am counting on you guys."

With those last words, he left the room.

"HEY! Come back you asshole!!!"

Haruo heard Raichi rage out but the locker room stood shut behind him. The others probably held him back.

Walking further away Haruo leaned with his back at the wall and let himself slump down. Sitting he sighed.

'Man I feel tired...' It was not his body that was tired but his mental health really was strained currently.

Was it really too much to ask for a normal working team. It didn't even matter if they would abandon their positions as long as they played together.

Raichi even got so agitated that he started to become a little bit racist.

That made Haruo laugh wryly. That hot-head probably just said those words out of the spur of the moment. But it still made him rather mad.

Looking at his own hand he massaged the wrist that still hurt from the punch.

Closing his eyes and lowering his head he breathed in and out and after getting his bearings back and then stood back up walking to the field on his own.

The match would resume in 5 more minutes but Haruo needed to get his focus away from the problem that his team posed.

Juggling the ball slowly he focused on nothing but this round object on his feet.

It didn't take long and a small smile reappeared on his face.

'Right. I nearly forgot how frustrating and competitive this sport can be at times. But I still feel happy doing this.'

Trapping the ball underneath him at the kickoff position Haruo looked over to the goal that would become their opponent's goal.

Hearing the doors opening again he saw Team Z walking unto the field.

For some reason, everyone looked rather serious.

Raichi glanced at Haruo and frowned. Then his gaze was cast aside when he positioned himself in his supposed position.

That got Haruo to raise his eyebrows in slight surprise. Everyone in Team Z finally had taken their position that they were supposed to play.

Haruo wondered what happened after he left the locker.

But when Isagi walked over to him, Haruo could see a smile on the blue-eyed youth.

"What is your weapon, Sugewara?", asked Isagi and looked intently at Haruo.

Haruo started grinning. He immediately understood the question.

"Hmm, I say I got pretty good eyes to see what defines the phenomenon we call talent? You know...The determination in those eyes of yours. I really like where this is going to go. So, are you guys finally ready to trample on Team X?"

-[Yoichi Isagi]-

[Football Prodigy: A+2] [NEW]

[Maestro of the Field: B+] [NEW]

[...]

There definitely happened something that Haruo wanted to know.

"Then can you see it? My weapon, that is?" Isagi seemed to be curious.

"Didn't I say it already? Those eyes of yours are really interesting...." Haruo just avoided a direct answer because at that moment Team X also entered the field.

But for Isagi it was enough and he made a thumbs up.

Team X that looked at Team Z was somehow curious as to why the opponent was already back on the field so soon.

The only one from Team X that seemed to frown lightly was Baro.

Either he could feel the pressure that Team Z was now emitting or he was just annoyed that they still had enough fighting spirit to oppose his kingly display.