Chapter 3: Talent copying system
Now that the final match of the world cup had ended and he was lying in his bed, he couldn't sleep for some reason. And as much grateful as he was for being granted a second chance to see his family once again, his mind was focused on something else.
While staring at the ceiling above his head, he started to wonder about the course of action he needed to perform moving forward.
Previously he gave his all to football and solely focused on his dream. The dream of representing his nation in world cup, the dream of playing football professionally. But things didn't work out as he expected.
Despite his brilliance, he struggled to make it to pro. The first major tragedy happened when he was age 13. In a middle school tournament match, he tore his ligament when an opponent player performed a rash tackle on him from behind him.
His team was leading the game with a score of two to nothing. And it was in 57 minute of the match when he was sprinting the ball towards the goal, the opponent player couldn't trail him and in desperation he performed a sliding tackle on him, from behind him. That tackle missed the ball but it landed critically on his legs which in turn costed him his legs.
Recovering from that tackle wasn't an easy thing. He was bed ridden for months and it took him more than 6 months to get back on his feet. And it took yet another month to finally walk on his feet.
After a year when he could finally run and was back on the pitch, he couldn't play the way he used to play. He was more of a fantasista who could score and assist at the same time. And what made his plays more effective was his fast pace and insane ball control.
Every time when he stretched his legs to shoot the ball after the injury, he felt excruciating pain in his legs. His legs were capable of shooting the ball at an insane speed of 65 miles per hour, which was even better than some professionals. But after that injury, he could never hit the ball with that power once again.
Unable to perform according to his will, he started to change his playstyle. Before, he was more of a versatile offensive player who could play both as a forward and as a midfielder. But after that injury, he changed his playstyle to that of a poacher.
Even after the injury, his finishing was still top notch. He could shoot accurately, but even so his shot lacked power.
He continued to train himself into a striker who waited for the pass infront of the opponents goal. He couldn't run back deep and fall back to take the ball as he once used to.
He continued to thrive in that position but his plays lacked creativity and his shot lacked power, hence he couldn't perform well. He was just an average player who scored only tap ins.
And his approach was still fine until he reached adulthood. Unable to sign a pro deal, he had to work part-time if he wanted to continue playing football.
While some of his friends were already professional and some had settled well in life, he was working part-time and playing football in a local league.
As much as he wanted to deny, he was jealous of their success. How could he not be jealous, afterall he used to be way better than them before his injury. But now he was shadow of his former self.
He was flat broke and his future looked extremely bleak. He was constantly juggling between his job and football. At some point in his life, he even thought of quitting football.
But his passion for football was much more than his reason to quit. He continued to play football despite the struggles.
And finally at the age of 27 his perseverance was bearing fruit as one of the scout of a struggling team in the 4th league took notice of him. They were fighting a battle of relegation. If they were to be relegated, they would have to fall out of the professional league. Thus, in desperation the team decided to take a gamble and wanted to sign him.
Finally when his dream of making the pro was about to get fulfilled, tragedy struck him once again.
Unable to sign the pro contract, some of the teenagers in his local team got jealous of his success. Out of jealousy they pushed him off the staircase. Falling from the staircase, he broke his tibia(leg bone). As he hit his head upon the fall, he lost his consciousness.
And when he regained back his consciousness, he found himself in hospital bed. His leg was covered in plaster of paris.
The injury which he had picked up when he was young escalated further after that fall.
Due to fractured bone, he missed the opportunity to be signed by a professional team. And to make matter even worst, the doctor informed him that he could never play football once again.
The sky fell upon him as he listened to the doctor. He stumbled and fell down unable to handle the truth. He was devastated by the news of never being able to play football again.
At the age of 27, he lost everything. He had neither money nor could he play football again. He went back to live with his mother. His mother who was already a single mother struggled to feed him.
Witnessing the struggles of his mother, he felt even more miserable. And as the time passed, he started to develop symptoms of depression.
Suicidal thoughts started to appear in his mind. And finally succumbing to his suicidal thoughts, he took his own life walking infront of the moving truck. As the truck hit him, he thought that he could finally escape from his struggle and rest in peace.
Or so he thought, but how wrong he was. Instead of a peaceful death, he returned back to the time when he was still 5 years old.
"Should I study well and become a doctor or lawyer and fulfill my mother's wish?"
"Or should I use the knowledge of the future and bet money on the winning teams and earn money?"
Hiro contemplated.
"I don't want to go through that same tragedy once again."
He whispered, clenching his chest.
The tragic experience he had gone through in his previous life caused an intense pain in his heart whenever he remembered of the day, he lost his everything.
No matter how much he tried to reason, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about football. Even after somehow he had got a second chance in life, he still wanted to continue playing football.
He couldn't give up on his dream.
"But what if that tragedy repeats again?"
He mumbled, doubting his choice.
"If I strengthen myself physically, I might prevent that tragedy from happening once again. Afterall the reason that I injured myself before was because of my weak physique. I focused too much on football that I ignored my physicality."
"If only if I were a little more sturdy back then, I wouldn't have injured myself."
He frowned.
"Whatever I'll play football once again. And this time I'll prepare myself thoroughly. I won't be beaten by some lame ass injury. I'll give my all, train myself every day and night. Just wait and watch, I'll be the greatest player alive."
Unable to quit football, he raised his hands and clenched them tightly. Steeling his resolve, he was determined to make it to pro.
Ding!!
[The host has fulfilled the requirements for the awakening of the Talent Copying System]
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