System... Let me eat that Ramen!

Kai recomposed himself after several minutes of self-motivational speeches. He had been devastated by how the System cruelly rated him. His already small ego disappeared into nothingness has Kai lost his pride and dignity.

Shaking his head, Kai picked up his pace as he jogged to his destination. Past the open road, Kai took a discrete turn as he entered a shabby neighbourhood in the district. But Kai didn't just kept running, he actually kept an open eye for a hidden corner. Kai was looking for a hidden area where he can do this business. Suddenly, Kai spotted a forgotten alleyway that was full of unwanted products.

Finding the location to be a perfect hiding space, Kai dashed into the alleyway. Taking off his sports bag, Kai used the opportunity to shed his dirty unkempt jacket, shoes, and socks. Kai also had to take off his whole team shirt and socks.

Under the rapidly sinking sun, Kai was changed his sports attire into a casual red T-shirt with unwashed blue jeans. The reason why he was changing into another set of clothes was simple. He mustn't let his parents know what he was doing behind their backs.

Kai remembered when he was still little, his parents already wanted him to decide on his future career. His parents wanted him to be a doctor or an engineer, or even a lawyer. Kai didn't have any interest in pursuing a career in these fields.

What he really wanted was to be a football player. So, even if his parents pushed him to become a doctor, he still wished to pursue his dreams. Let alone his tryout at the club, Kai's parent's didn't even know he had a football match today.

As soon as Kai changed into his attire, he made his way home. He didn't know how long he would take to reach home, so he wasn't looking for any stop signs.

Minutes passed by as Kai continued jogging home. He noticed the neighbourhood was eerily quiet. He was still lost in his own thoughts and his legs felt fresh. After taking a few more steps, Kai noticed something glimmering under the shadow of a tree. It was a pile of old newspapers.

Kai skimmed through the headlines on the newspaper:

"Supermarket's Top Rated Big Mac Has Been Discovered! (Women) Buy More Big Macs After Seeing This Commercial?"

"Maia Thorne 'Adopted'!"

"Chelsea Sailing to Premier League Title." The Special One", is back!"

His eyes widened in bewilderment as he read the last title.

Kai examined the cover page of the newspaper. There was large image of Mourinho, sprinting down the pitch as he raised his finger in the air. It was only a simple photograph, but it already conveyed so much. Kai was from the future, he knew how the result would come out.

For the 2014-2015 season, Jose Mourinho would go all the way to lead the Chelsea Football Club to another English League Title. It was inevitable as Kai actually watched the Chelsea team secured the Premier League title 3 matches before the end, following their win against English side Crystal Palace.

Kai rattled his brain. He transmigrated to the day he turned 18, the current year is 2015. Kai had just finished High School. Originally, Kai would go on to study in university before getting a boring white-collar job. But now that he transmigrated back, with the Football System he shall conquer the world!

What school? Kai wouldn't pursue a future as a doctor, engineer, or lawyer. He would become a footballer.

Kai thoughts continued. Before he had even realised, Kai arrived at a block of apartment buildings. The apartment were no more than 3 stories tall. Arriving at the front of his parents apartment, Kai fixed his hair, making sure he was acting natural before entering.

"I'm homeeee!"Kai announced

As Kai entered the door, he noticed the home was empty. There wasn't even a human voice could be heard.

"MOM, DAD?!" Kai yelled out, but no response came back. As he took off his old sneakers, Kai felt his stomach rumble. Kai realised he was hungry after the football match.

There was only one thing to do. Make his way to the kitchen.

When Kai walked into the kitchen, Kai was welcomed by a surprise of a life time. The kitchen was a complete mess. Only half of the countertop were closed. The fridge was open and some food was still on the table. It seemed his parents left in a hurry.

There was also a pile of papers lying in front of Kai. He quickly scanned through the papers. It seemed the papers were all legal documents of his parents' financial files. Amongst the many papers scattered across the floor, there was a particular bold and red letter with the word "Eviction Notice"

Kai knew what this was about. Their family was poor. Kai and his parents had been trying to earn a living since he was old enough to crawl. But his parents had been able to put food on the table after intensely labouring all day. Kai's parents shed blood and tears to support Kai's growth. They wanted him to study hard so Kai had a stable career, so he wouldn't need to starve, die or have his liver donated for money. But after 10 years of trying, Kai's parents' hard work had paid off.

Kai tried his hardest at school. He wasn't the brightest student, nor was he blessed with incredible intelligence. But after crunching through high school, Kai received an offer to study in one of the best universities in France. But at this point in time, Kai knew he shouldn't go to university. He shouldn't follow his old path, because his potential in football is much much vibrant and fulfilling.

Kai sighed. He bent over as he collected the loose paper scattered on the floor. He didn't know where his parents went, but Kai still felt responsible to at least clean up the mess.

Afterwards, Kai searched the kitchen for some snacks. But the cupboards were completely bare.

After rummaging through the cupboards for a good 5 minutes, Kai was starting to get hungry. But the only thing Kai could find in the cupboards was some ramen. He checked the expiry date, only to realise it was expired a week ago.

There was a minute of silence, and then Kai shrugged off the warning. Kai's parents had been living a dull life. They work like animals for the whole year. They don't even take a break, having multiple jobs to support him. Their entire day revolved around work and they had become unable to enjoy life anymore. Kai's parents made such a big sacrifice so their son wouldn't suffer like them.

Compared to the sacrifices his parents had to make, eating a bowl of expired ramen didn't seem like a big deal. Kai grabbed a pair of chopsticks. He stirred the noodles, expecting a delicious meal.

[ HOST! ]

[ WHAT ARE YOU DOING! ]

[ DON'T YOU DARE EAT THAT!!! ]

Kai was stunned by the system's sudden outrage. Normally, the system is very calm and tranquil. It would occasionally insult him but it had never expressed such rage before.

He was speechless. "But it's my cup of noodles!" Kai whined.

[ HOST. GET. AWAY. FROM. THE. FOOD. IT. IS. SPOILED. ]

"I know that. But I can't let this sit on my hand any longer. If I don't eat, I'll become anemic."

[ HOST. DO. NOT. TOUCH. THE. FOOD. ]

"System, it is only 1 week past the expiry date. I would be fine."

[ Host. You are an athlete. You must become the god of football. You think professional sportspeople eat instant noodles and other junk food?! ]

Stunned, Kai was silent as he listened to what the system had said.

[ Host, you are an athlete. Even if you are financially struggling. You deserve much better than instant noodles. You could at least eat some fruits or vegetables. ]

Kai dropped his chopsticks. He nodded at what the system had to say. Kai imagined the likes of Ronaldo and Kante. The protagonist just couldn't imagine those football stars sitting on the couch, eating some supermarket instant noodles that costed 2 dollars.

[ Host. You deserves the best. You can't afford to waste a second of your potential. You can't become the best if you don't treat yourself the best. ]

Kai agreed but...

"System, if you're not satisfied with the ramen, then what do you want me to eat huh? I would go outside to buy some groceries if I can, but my parents keep their credit cards and money very tightly! I don't even know where they hide the money in the house!"

[ Host, it's your job to feed yourself. The system doesn't cover your food expenses. ]

"This is ridiculous! I don't even have a single penny on me! How do you expect me to eat anything else?" Kai argued.

"System? System?"

Kai was confused. The system abruptly ended the conversation and didn't reply to him anymore. Suddenly, Kai had a premonition.... was the system ignoring him?

"System! System? PLEASE? I was only trying to talk some sense into you! What am I supposed to do now?!"

[ ... check system shop ]