Chapter 190 Brace
"Are you up for the challenge?" The question lingered in the air as the players looked at each other, waiting to see who would step forward first.
Kicking the ball with the top of their foot to alter its trajectory in the air wasn't an easy task, demanding accuracy, shot power, and precision.
While they deliberated, Alfred's voice rang out, "I will try," he declared proudly as he stepped forward.
A low murmur spread among some onlookers, skeptical of his performance given his previous training session.
Coach Nami, pleased that someone had accepted the challenge, welcomed the initiative. "That's nice. Is he the only person willing to try?" she inquired.
Suddenly, a chorus of "no" echoed from the players. They all wanted to give it a shot; they just needed someone to take the lead. Hands shot up, signifying their collective interest.
"Good," Coach Nami acknowledged.
"Since many of you want to try, I'll record your individual performances on paper. After that, I'll announce your overall standings, starting from the lowest to the highest."
Her words heightened the competitive atmosphere, and the players engaged in indistinct chatter among themselves.
Coach Nami reached for her writing materials in her bag, but to her dismay, she only found a single sheet of paper. Searching the other pockets proved futile.
"I must have forgotten the inscriber at home, I believe," she admitted.
Turning to the players, she instructed, "Kan, you seem to have fast feet. Go get me an inscriber at the shops in the school compound. Try to be fast." Coach Nami urged Kan into action.
Kan nodded and promptly dashed out of the pitch to secure the needed inscriber.
"If only I can pass this test, Coach Nami might notice me, and I could participate in the competition," Kan thought as he hurried through the walkway.
What was once crowded is now almost empty, with only scattered empty containers and bags.
While running, Kan noticed an empty bottle perfectly positioned for a free kick.
He also spotted a nearly full trash can at the other end of the walkway. The setup was too tempting to resist, so Kan decided to give it a try.
Approaching the bottle with speed, Kan recalled Coach Nami's instructions to take the free kick with the top of his foot.
As he kicked the bottle, it flew straight instead of having the expected curly movements in the air.
Unfazed, Kan muttered, "It's just a bottle; it won't be that perfect," wishing it were an actual ball.
Seeing another perfectly placed bottle for a free kick without a trash can in sight,
Kan decided to kick it aimlessly. Surprisingly, the bottle went airborne, changing its trajectory from left to right, mimicking Coach Nami's technique.
Kan paused in amazement, not expecting the bottle to behave like a ball in the air.
"I did it! I can do it!" he joyfully shouted after stopping. Determined, he looked around for another target.
Unable to find one, he opted for the same trash can behind him. Kan retrieved the bottle, ran swiftly, and kicked it once more.
Unfortunately, it went straight, unlike his previous trial. Frustrated, he complained to himself, "Ahhh, why is this not working?"
Encouraging himself, Kan picked up the bottle once again.
He positioned himself, rushed towards the bottle, and, filled with frustration, kicked it at the almost end instead of the center as he intended.
The bottle went airborne, changing its direction slightly from left to right, somewhat resembling his initial attempt.
"Huh?" Kan stood still, pondering what just happened.
"I miskicked the bottle, but it appeared to be a perfect kick. Or is that how I was supposed to kick it actually?" he wondered. "I will give it another try," he said.
He picked the bottle up and placed it where he kicked it before. This time, he kicked the bottle at almost the end. It went airborne, replicating the same movement as the last time.
Kan jumped once more, laughing, "I can do it now! I can!" he said happily.
"So Coach Nami only told us to kick the ball with the top of our foot, but she expected us to figure out that we should kick the ball by the side and not the middle," Kan reasoned.
"Fuck!!!"
He quickly remembered he was on an errand, so he rushed to the school shop to get the inscriber.
Fortunately, there were not many students waiting, so there wasn't a queue.
"Coach Nami needs an inscriber, please," Kan said, and the shopkeeper provided what he asked for. Kan rushed back to the pitch once more.
As he sprinted through the walkway, he couldn't resist trying his newly learned skill once more.
He kicked a random empty bottle on the ground in the same fashion as before, and it changed trajectory airborne.
Although it didn't hit the target he wanted, it could change trajectory, making him happy.
He ran faster than ever, trying hard so that the coach wouldn't notice he spent a long time playing outside.
As he entered the pitch, all eyes turned to him, and Kan knew he was in for trouble.
"They must have noticed I spent much time than I was supposed to," Kan said to himself.
He was almost regretting why he stopped, but at least, he learned something crucial that could help him qualify for the competition.
As he walked to Coach Nami to give her the inscriber, he was expecting a scolding or an inquiry on why he spent much time.
However, he was surprised to hear her praise him. "That was real fast, Kan," she said with a smile.
"You never disappoint," she added and winked at Kan.
He smiled back, albeit weirdly, trying to keep it hidden.
"Phew, that was close. So she didn't even notice," Kan said, relieved.
After joining the other players, Coach Nami stood up and walked to her usual position with the writing materials in her hand.
"Now, Alfred, you start. Remember you have only 2 attempts," she announced.
Alfred smiled, saying to himself, "I only need one attempt; I don't need the second one."
He proudly walked to the ball and positioned himself for the kick.
The goalkeeper in the post was ready and anticipating the ball. Coach Nami blew a whistle instead of giving the usual command.
As soon as she blew the whistle, Alfred ran and kicked the ball. It went airborne, moving from the left side to the right mid-air, almost like what Coach Nami did but not as good.
The goalkeeper effortlessly caught the ball. "The goalie's so good," he said, trying to make it seem like he did well, and the goalkeeper was equally good, or else he could have scored.
The goalkeeper kicked the ball back to Alfred, and he positioned himself for another kick.
"Last attempt!" Coach Nami announced.
Alfred drew a deep breath and then exhaled as he stood before the ball. He moved back and kicked it once more. This time, the ball carried more power and curled more in the air.
The goalkeeper, unprepared for such precision and strength from Alfred, was caught off guard. He dove quickly, but it was too late.
The ball easily found its way into the back of the net with no obstruction.
"Yes!" Alfred shouted in triumph. "I told you!" he declared.
He sprinted in front of the other players, raised his right hand high, and stretched out his left hand as if carrying a load.
With a swift motion, he swung his right hand down and shouted, "Fredo!!!"—undoubtedly his self-invented celebration.
Proud of his achievement, Alfred walked into the crowd with a beaming smile on his face.
As Alfred walked away, there was a particular expression on Wick's face as he observed Alfred's triumphant smile.
He knew Alfred was good; Wick, once the star of the team, now faced the challenge of competition.
"Who's next?" Coach Nami asked.
Without hesitation, Wick stepped forward and declared, "Wick."
He maintained his usual nonchalant look, rarely cracking a smile.
Wick approached the ball, already set at the spot by the goalkeeper.
Aware of his limited prowess in free kicks, Wick aimed to prove himself, especially against Alfred's taunts.
He kicked the ball with the top of his foot, as instructed by Coach Nami, but disappointment struck as the ball traveled straight.
"You ain't going nowhere," Alfred taunted, adding fuel to Wick's growing frustration.
The ball was returned to Wick, and the taunts continued. Alfred's words provoked him, creating a fiery determination.
As he rushed the ball, fueled by anger, Wick kicked it without clear focus. To his surprise, the miskicked ball went curly in the air, following the instructed trajectory from left to right.
Possessing significant shot power, the ball swiftly approached the goal post.
The goalkeeper saw it coming but was unable to react in time, merely grazing it with a finger as it found the back of the net.
"This goalkeeper is too bad, he's not good," Alfred complained.
"Anybody can stop that ball," he added, expressing his frustration at not being the sole scorer.
Wick returned to the group, still wearing an angry expression.
Unnoticed by Coach Nami, the training sessions continued.
"Who's next?" she inquired.
"Kan," replied Kan as he stepped out of the crowd to take the free kick.
Follow current novℯls on f(r)eewebnov𝒆l