Beyond the Pitch

The next morning, Gabriel woke before his alarm.

The soft glow of dawn seeped through the curtains, casting a faint orange hue across his room. For a moment, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling, letting the quiet settle over him. 

With a deep breath, he pushed the blanket off and sat up. His body was still sore from the match of yesterday, but he ignored it as he got dressed. The folded registration form sat on his desk, waiting.

He grabbed it, slipping it into his bag before heading out.

The apartment was silent except for the occasional sound of movement from the kitchen. As he stepped into the hallway, he saw his mother at the table, sipping her morning tea while reading through some papers.

"Leaving early?" she asked without looking up.

Gabriel adjusted his bag on his shoulder. "Yeah."

She finally glanced at him, eyes soft but searching. "You're really going through with it?"

Gabriel nodded. 

She studied him for a moment before sighing. "Just… don't overwork yourself, alright?"

Gabriel didn't respond—just gave a small nod before heading for the door. As he put on his shoes, he heard soft footsteps behind him. Turning slightly, he saw Aiko standing in the hallway, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"You're leaving already?" she mumbled.

Gabriel knelt down, ruffling her hair. "Yeah. I'll see you later, okay?"

She pouted but nodded. "Promise you'll eat dinner with us?"

Gabriel smirked. "Promise."

With that, he stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

The morning air was crisp as Gabriel walked toward school, hands in his pockets. His thoughts drifted to practice later that day. Joining the team felt like a step forward, but he wasn't sure if it would be enough.

As he entered the school gates, familiar voices called out to him.

"Yo, early bird!" Ryota grinned, jogging up beside him.

Kenta and Daichi followed closely behind. "Didn't think you'd show up this early," Kenta teased.

Gabriel smirked. "Didn't think you'd care."

Ryota laughed, slinging an arm over Gabriel's shoulder. "So, today's the big day, huh? Officially joining the club?"

Gabriel just shrugged his shoulder.

Daichi cracked his knuckles. "You ready?"

Gabriel shrugged. "We'll see."

Before they could continue, a voice interrupted.

"You guys only talk about football, huh?"

They turned to see Ayane standing nearby, arms crossed, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Can you blame us?" Ryota grinned. "It's the most important thing in life."

Ayane rolled her eyes. "I guess Gabriel's officially stuck with you guys now."

"Unfortunately," Kenta muttered, earning a jab from Ryota.

Gabriel chuckled but didn't say much. Ayane tilted her head, studying him. "You're not nervous?"

Gabriel met her gaze. "Why would I be?"

She smiled. "Guess we'll see after practice."

The bell rang, signaling the start of classes. As they headed inside, Gabriel felt a small flicker of anticipation.

The sun hung lower in the sky as Gabriel arrived at the field with Ryota, Kenta, and Daichi. Other players were already gathering, stretching and chatting.

After a few minutes, the sharp whistle of the coach cut through the noise.

"Listen up!" The coach's voice boomed. "We have a new addition to the team."

All eyes turned toward Gabriel.

"Gabriel will be joining us starting today. Work with him, push him, and don't go easy just because he's new."

Murmurs spread through the players. Some nodded in approval, others simply observed.

A tall figure approached. Takahashi, the team captain.

"I'll introduce you to the others," he said, motioning for Gabriel to follow.

They stopped in front of four players first.

"You already know them," Takahashi said. "Renji, Hikaru, Jun, and Akira. They're the seniors of the club, the most experienced players."

Renji, a serious-looking midfielder, gave Gabriel a nod. "You held your own yesterday."

Hikaru, a right winger with sharp eyes, smirked. "Not bad for a first impression."

Jun and Akira simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Takahashi led Gabriel to the next group. "This is Gen, Kirin, and Joon. We don't have a large team, but these guys make up most of our lineup."

Kirin, the shortest of the three, grinned. "Guess we got ourselves a new workhorse."

Joon studied Gabriel for a second before shrugging. "Hope you can keep up."

Gabriel took it all in. The team wasn't big.

As he walked back to where Ryota and the others stood, he glanced around.

"Where's Takeshi?" he asked.

Ryota shrugged. "No clue. He's always like that."

Before Gabriel could question further, the coach clapped his hands. "Alright, warm-ups! Ten minutes!"

The team broke off into small groups, jogging around the field and stretching. Gabriel followed along, falling into rhythm.

After warm-ups, they split into groups for a double rondo drill, two teams facing off, passing under pressure. Gabriel moved quickly, adjusting to the tempo.

For 25 minutes, the drill pushed their reflexes and awareness. The air was filled with the sound of quick passes, sharp calls, and the occasional laugh when someone got nutmegged.

"Break time!" the coach finally called.

Gabriel grabbed his water bottle, catching his breath.

"Not bad," Kenta admitted. "Thought you'd struggle more."

Gabriel smirked. "Still getting started."

After the break, they moved to their next drill: pass, follow, 1-2 & finish—a combination of passing sequences and finishing on goal.

As Gabriel stepped into the rotation, the energy of the team felt different they were a lack of energy from certain player like they were no real emotions.

But he didn't mind, he just didn't want to be left behind. 

Gabriel wiped sweat from his brow as he stepped into the passing drill rotation. The intensity of the practice had settled into a steady rhythm, but something felt… off.

The passes were crisp, the movement was sharp, yet the energy from some of the players was subdued, almost mechanical. It was like they were going through the motions without any real passion behind them.

Gabriel furrowed his brow as he knocked a quick one-two pass with Kirin before sprinting forward. The return pass was a little heavy, forcing him to adjust, but he managed to get a clean strike off, sending the ball into the net.

"Nice shot," Takahashi called out, nodding in approval.

Gabriel jogged back into line, but his mind lingered on the atmosphere of the team. He had played enough football to know when a team was connected—and when it wasn't.

The drills continued, each player taking their turn. Renji and Hikaru barely spoke, their communication limited to short calls. Gen and Joon played their part but never pushed beyond what was necessary. Jun and Akira were efficient but quiet.

It was strange.

Gabriel had expected more excitement from a team preparing for a new season. Instead, he was met with a group that felt… disconnected.

He glanced at Ryota, who was grinning as he finished his turn. At least he and Kenta still had energy. But even Daichi seemed to notice something was off, his usual enthusiasm tempered.

After a few more rounds, the coach blew his whistle. "Alright, that's enough for today! Everyone, cool down and stretch!"

As the players broke off, Gabriel walked over to Ryota and the others.

"You guys notice that?" he asked, lowering his voice.

Ryota wiped his face with his jersey. "Notice what?"

Gabriel gestured toward the rest of the team. "The energy. It's weird. Feels like half of them don't care."

Kenta crossed his arms, looking toward the others. "Yeah… it's been like that for a while."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Ryota hesitated before shrugging. "It's complicated."

Gabriel looked at Daichi, who sighed. "Let's just say… the team hasn't been the same since last year."

Before Gabriel could ask more, Takahashi approached.

"Good work today," he said. "You're adapting faster than I expected."

Gabriel nodded. "Thanks..."

Takahashi hesitated for a moment before adding, "I know you're new, but if you have questions about the team, you can ask me."

Takahashi hadn't failed to notice that his tone had changed slightly, as if he already knew what Gabriel was thinking.

So it wasn't just in his head.

Still, Gabriel wasn't going to push right away. He decided to wait, observe a little more before asking the real questions.

As practice wrapped up, the players slowly dispersed, heading toward the locker rooms. Gabriel was about to follow when he noticed someone approaching from the side.

Takeshi.

He hadn't been at practice, but now he was here, walking across the field with his bag slung over his shoulder.

Ryota noticed too and called out, "Yo! Where the hell were you?"

Takeshi barely glanced at him. "Busy."

Gabriel studied him carefully. He hadn't interacted much with Takeshi yet, but something about him seemed… distant.

Gabriel met his eyes. 

Takeshi didn't say anything. Then, he just walk past them.

Gabriel frowned, watching him disappear toward the locker rooms.

He had a feeling that whatever was going on with the team… maybe Takeshi was at the center of it.

And Gabriel intended to find out why.