The next morning, the entire squad gathered on the field in sleeveless training gear, training masks strapped over their mouths as they sprinted lap after lap around the pitch.
At the front, Kurogami was leading the sprint with his eyes steady, stride sharp, refusing to slow.
Right behind him, Haruma was sprinting forward through the exhaustion, sweat pouring off his body as his muscles tightened with every stride.
Behind them, Koujin, Souma, and Gaku fought for air beneath their masks, breaths turning ragged, but their legs kept pumping.
Jiho ran with eyes slightly wide and a violently heaving chest, pushing through the burn without showing a hint of backing down.
Behind him, Raya and Nagisa kept moving with steady faces despite their pounding lungs, grinding through the brutal morning run step after step…
anwhile, inside the headquarters building, Kento sat in his office, papers scattered across the desk in uneven stacks.
His eyes moved steadily across the pages, gazing over it carefully before leaning forward he began writing down on the papers, sketching out notes between docunts as if piecing together a larger plan.
Just then a sharp knock broke the silence.
Without lifting his gaze, he spoke in a calm, steady tone. "Co in."
The door opened, and the president of the Japan Football Federation stepped inside.
Spotting him, Kento started to rise from his seat, but the president of the Japan Football Federation lifted a hand with a small smile, signaling him to stay seated.
Kento paused for a mont, then settled back into his chair, while the president took the seat across the desk.
"So… how are the preparations going, Kento?" The president asked.
Kento gave a slight smile, confident and assured.
"It's going amazing. The boys are giving everything, effort, focus… heart. Every session, they're pushing beyond limits."
Maintaining his calm smile, the president leaned slightly forward.
"That's great to hear. You know we're all behind you—whatever you need, just ask."
Kento gave a quick, grateful nod, his expression steady.
The president continued, tone firr now.
"You know how excited I am for this tournant… not just , but the entire country. And trust , this isn't just national attention anymore. The world is watching us."
At that, Kento's smile softened slightly, fading just a touch at the edges, but his eyes stayed firm, confident, and unshaken.
"This youth has impressed us a lot," the president continued, voice steady but carrying weight. "Engagent for Japan football has risen significantly in recent tis… and after a long silence, Japan is beginning to feel dangerous."
He let the words settle for a mont, then his tone hardened slightly.
"But you know how this system works. The kids… they are new, they are young. And with the coming years packed with relentless tournants, pressure, expectations, I'm afraid many of them may not survive it."
Kento remained still, listening without interruption. His expression held steady confidence, but the smile that had been there earlier faded at the edges, replaced by a quieter, sharper focus as the reality of those words sank in.
"And you know," the president continued, eyes steady, "you're the only one I trust with the future of Japan."
"So it's your responsibility now. I'm giving you full authority, full control. Do whatever it takes, but make sure those boys stay ready, physically and ntally."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Especially that one superstar… Haruma Kusaka."
Kento kept his calm smile and nodded once.
"Haruma Kusaka is a disciplined boy," he replied evenly. "I'll do everything I can to keep him on the right path and in the best condition."
The president gave a small, approving nod, and without another word, he reached into the inner pocket of his coat, pulled out a thin file, and placed it on the desk, sliding it forward toward Kento.
Kento took the file and opened it slowly, his gaze tightening as his eyes scanned the pages with sharp, deliberate focus.
"The regulation file for the U19 Asian Cup," the president stated flatly.
Kento didn't respond imdiately, only continued reading, absorbing the structure, the schedule, the weight behind every line. A quiet confidence settled in his expression.
"This tournant is very important," the president continued. "Here… the world will witness the arrival of this new Japan."
Silence followed.
Kento finally lifted his eyes from the file.
Across the desk, the president t his gaze, both locked in, neither breaking the mont.
Two minds aligned on the sa mission, steady, determined, unshaken…
Back at the training ground, the squad had finally broken formation, players scattered across the field, so gulping water, others bent slightly forward catching their breath, towels dragging across sweat-soaked faces.
Yet Kurogami remained standing, facing the squad. His voice still cut through the air, sharp, steady, commanding short instructions as if the session never truly paused.
Then, a staff manager sprinted onto the pitch.
"Hey everyone!" he called out loudly.
The voice snapped through the resting atmosphere, and one by one, all eyes shifted toward him, including Kurogami's, as silence tightened across the field.
He took a few breaths to steady himself.
"The coach… he wants to see you all in the eting room."
A brief silence followed as the ssage settled over the exhausted squad.
Kurogami gave a short nod, then turned back toward the team, eting the tired but attentive eyes of every player still catching their breath on the pitch…
Later on a knock echoed sharply through the corridor.
"Co in," Kento's voice called from inside.
The door clicked open, and one by one, the players stepped in. First Kurogami then followed by Haruma, Raya, and the rest of the squad, forming a straight line as they entered the room together, side by side, still carrying the weight of training in their breathing.
Kento sensei was standing at the front of the room, arms folded behind his back, silently waiting as every player settled into formation.
Only when the room fell fully still, every breath controlled, every eye on him. Then Kento sensei lifted a remote and with a single press he flickered the screen on his back to life.
Instantly, the atmosphere shifted.
On the screen behind Kento, the four official groups of the U19 Asian Cup were displayed clearly, each group packed with four nations.
Group A
Australia, Vietnam, Jordan, Uzbekistan
Group B
Korea, Bahrain, India, Iran
Group C
Qatar, UAE, Japan, Iraq
Group D
Saudi Arabia, China, Oman, Palestine
A brief silence hit the room. Eyes across the squad subtly widened as the weight of the draw settled in.
Haruma Kusaka stood motionless, eyes locked onto Group C.
Qatar. UAE. Iraq.
The three nas sat there like a warning.
No weak links. No easy openings. Each one carried strong recent form, sharp records in the most recent U19 Asian Cup.
"Wow…" Jiho breathed out in awe, eyes still fixed on the screen. "These groups are no joke."
Kurogami studied the display with a calm, asured gaze. "Hmm, indeed. Our group is packed with strong teams."
Takezu nodded once. "Yeah, it's going to be tough. Only the top two will advance, UAE and Qatar must be the favorites here."
A smirk flickered in Gaku's expression. "Good. Then it'll be even better when we ruin the party."
Kento sensei then changed the slide, the screen shifting as the full match schedule appeared.
The first match was scheduled on the third day of the tournant, against Qatar. The second clash was set with Iraq. And the final group-stage match, against the UAE.
Turning back to the team, Kento spoke, voice steady and firm.
"As you can see, the opponents standing against us are not easy. They are not teams we can take lightly…"
He paused, letting the weight of it settle in.
"From this point on, every team, and every player, will be unpredictable for us. The only certainty we have is that they are the best their country has to offer."
Kento scanned the players before continuing, his voice rising with intensity.
"So now on, double up your training! Double up your hard work!"
"This first match will decide our future in the tournant. It will set the tone, it will set the montum."
"So charge yourselves up, and push your limits!"
He clapped sharply.
A loud, unified clap followed instantly from the squad, energy snapping back into the room as tension turned into fire, every player now visibly charged and focused…
The sun shone brightly over the quiet Japan Headquarters, where a travelling bus waited outside, engine idling, ready for departure.
Inside the room, Haruma Kusaka stood in his travel suit, the Japan flag and JFF badge fixed firmly on his chest.
He took a slow breath, steadying himself, then adjusted his perfu before glancing over the packed luggage, everything prepared, everything in place.
He then walked forward and picked up his phone.
The screen lit up with ssages, good luck wishes flooding in from all directions, reminders of expectation, belief, and pressure waiting ahead.
A faint smile ford on his face as he kept scrolling through the ssages.
But his eyes paused briefly. There was no ssage from Masaru. No Toru. No Rukia.
The smile didn't fade, but it settled into sothing quieter, more soft.
Without a word, he then slid the phone back into his pocket and tightened his grip on the luggage, steady, firm, ready.
Haruma then closed his eyes.
And for a mont, everything went silent, no room, no noise, no weight of any expectation, only the relentless pounding of his own heartbeat.
He stood still, listening to it like it was the only truth left.
Then he exhaled sharply. A long, controlled breath in, deeper, slower, forcing the chaos inside him into line.
Another breath followed, steadier this ti, his chest settling as discipline took over instinct.
When he finally opened his eyes, sothing had changed. His eyes were now locked in, sharp, unshaken.
A fire of conviction sitting cold and absolute behind his focus.
"Asia… here I co."
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