NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Off Screen Diffed
The warm light of the setting sun followed me home, the echoes of Nishimura's words still ringing in my ears. 'You were amazing.' I never get complimented like that. Not for my soccer ability, anyway.
The One For All system flashed in my vision, reminding me of my new reality. If people like Nishimura or Okita knew the truth—that my sudden rise was thanks to an overpowered skill—they'd probably look at me differently.
But eh, maybe that didn't matter. When you have a system, use it. Ignore what everyone else says. The system could carry me to the top for all I care.
As I approached my apartment building, a figure leaned against the wall near the entrance. It was Okita, still in his uniform, a soccer ball tucked under one arm.
"Okita?" I called out in surprise.
He straightened up, a sly grin on his face. "I decided to see how our star player was faring; I didn't expect you to be training post-match."
I stiffened. "You were watching me?"
"Not the whole time. Just caught the end of it. Didn't want to interrupt." He tossed the ball up, catching it. "You've been acting different, Haiji. Ever since this morning. What's your deal?"
I forced a laugh. "No deal. Just trying to pull my weight on the team."
He stared at me, his amber eyes sharp. For a moment, I thought he was going to press further, but then he shrugged.
"Whatever you say," he said. "As long as you keep scoring those goals for us, you could be a pervert for all I care. Nationals aren't gonna win themselves."
"Glad to have reached an understanding, Captain," I said with a grin.
"Good." He smirked, spinning the ball on his finger before tossing it to me. "Keep training, Haiji. You're gonna need it."
With that, he turned and walked off, leaving me holding the ball.
The apartment was quiet when I got home. I set the ball down and collapsed onto the couch, the events of the day replaying in my mind. The cheers of the crowd, the thrill of scoring, the weight of Okita's expectations—it was a lot to take in.
Before heading to bed, I grabbed the soccer ball and stood in the small open space of my living room. I juggled it lightly, feeling the weight of it in my control.
"Shizuka Haiji," I whispered to myself, the name feeling both foreign and familiar. "You've got a lot to live up to. But if I'm gonna survive in this world, I'll need to be more than just a system user."
I kicked the ball into the air, catching it neatly on my foot. The rhythmic sound of juggling filled the room as I pushed aside my doubts and focused on one thing: getting better.
This was only the beginning. I'm gonna have to do more when the times comes for Blue Lock to roll around.
And I would.
As I lay in bed, my thoughts swirled about Blue Lock. Picking my phone up, I searched for any news about Blue Lock. I don't really have a concrete timeline. Only that it happened after Isagi's Prefectural Finals match.
I don't know where Isagi is from so I just looked up a more popular person, Kira Ryosuke.
An article I found calling him the jewel of Japanese Soccer states that his school is located in the Saitama prefecture.
Searching for the prefectures' finals match. It's going to take place in November.
Right now, we're at the end of October. So the Blue Lock program is going to happen soon.
In the original timeline, Shizuka Haiji had been part of that program. Relegated to only making up the numbers for the amount of players to have passed the third selection.
And now? Now I had his body, his potential, and the One For All system. I feel ready to dominate that program and all of Japan soccer.
The next morning, I sat in my room, staring at the interface of the system.
(Stats)
Host: Shizuka Haiji
Team: Sakuraoka High Boys Soccer Team
Position: Forward
[Rank: R]
STR: C
AGI: C
SHO: B
SPE: B
VIS: C
END: B
[Skills]
One For All (Lv.1): When the going gets tough, you have to go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!
(Raise all stats by a single rank for five minutes) [Cooldown: 15 minutes]
Fa Jin (Lv.1): Build momentum, unleash power!
(Raises shooting or speed stats by one rank for five seconds) [Cooldown: 3 minutes]
I had everything I needed to surpass the original Haiji to dominate this world. But could I live up to the expectations of the Blue Lock program? With this system, most definitely. More importantly, could I claim a spot without relying entirely on the system? Most likely not.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At school, I found myself standing at the edge of the field, watching the girls' soccer team stretch and jog around. It was a far cry from the high-stakes intensity of the boys' team, but it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
The team captain, Aiko Hoshigaki, a tall blonde with—goddamn how does she play with the... ahem—noticed me and gave a friendly nod. "Thanks for agreeing to help out, Haiji. It'll be great to hear what pointers the school ace has for us."
I gave a small smile, trying not to stare. "I'll do my best."
"Good," she said, motioning for the team to gather. "Let's see what you've got."
The session started with basic drills—passing, positioning, and some light shooting. The girls were skilled, but lacked the precision and strategy that a top-tier program could offer. I activated One For All once, pushing through a series of drills with sharper vision and smoother footwork.
"You've got a good foundation," I told Aiko after a session of one-on-one drills. "But sometimes, it's about reading the game ahead of you. The boys' team has Okita leading them, and he knows how to anticipate plays better than anyone."
Aiko nodded thoughtfully. "So it's not just physical skill, but mental preparation, too."
"Exactly," I said with a grin. "And a little ego doesn't hurt either."
The girls laughed, enjoying the lighthearted moment, but the competitive fire flickered in their eyes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A week later
At boy's practice, Okita was in full gear, shouting at the team to pick up the pace. His natural leadership had everyone hustling harder than usual, but it also painted a clear picture: he was making everyone focused on the next match.
"Haiji!" he called, motioning me over. "Let's work on finishing drills."
We took turns shooting at the keeper. My shots were precise and powerful. Okita was slightly inconsistent.
Thank you system for showing me the best shooting course.
[System Alert: Training Analysis Activated.]
A faint glow outlined the goal in my vision, highlighting weak spots in the keeper's stance. The next time I lined up for a shot, I aimed for one of those glowing areas. The ball flew cleanly past the keeper into the top corner.
Okita gave me a high-five. "Nice work, Haiji. Keep it up and getting to nationals is gonna be a breeze."
I nodded at Okita. Our upcoming match is the finals held at the Kōnoike Athletic Stadium. The opponents that we'll play to decide who goes to nationals will be Nara Shobu High. Their star player is Tsurugi Zantetsu. The speedy bespectacled idiot of team V. But I'm confident in facing him after the off-screen training I went through. 'Stats'.
(Stats)
Host: Shizuka Haiji
Team: Sakuraoka High Boys Soccer Team
Position: Forward
[Rank: R] Rank Up^
STR: B
AGI: B
SHO: A
SPE: A
VIS: B
END: A
[Skills]
One For All (Lv.1): When the going gets tough, you have to go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!
(Raise all stats by a single rank for five minutes) [Cooldown: 15 minutes]
Fa Jin (Lv.1): Build momentum, unleash power!
(Raises shooting or speed stats by one rank for five seconds) [Cooldown: 3 minutes]
After my shooting stat went up a rank, the system has been notifying me about raising my R rank. I feel like a gacha character every time I look at it.
But I decided to raise all my stats first before going up a rank. I feared it would be harder to raise my stats if I did.
Measuring Zantetsu's speed based on this unit, it's most likely S rank. I can match him in speed for five minutes with One For All, even surpass him if I combined it with Fa Jin, but maybe I don't need to match his speed. As the saying in Haikyuu goes, 'Speed is very charming and cool, but it's not invincible.'
That night, I stood in the park, practicing alone under the dim light of the streetlamps. I activated One For All for the last time that day, feeling the surge of power as my stats jumped. For five minutes, I pushed myself to the limit—dribbling, sprinting, shooting.
When the skill deactivated, I collapsed onto the grass, panting.
I finally decided to raise my rank. Pressing the rank up button, the system screen flashed a sequence of colors going from one colour to the next.
(Congratulations to the host on successfully ranking up)
R --> SR
[You have unlocked a Perk]
At the mention of my reward, I perked up. Hehe.
(Perks are passive skills that give immediate boosts when conditions are met)
[Please choose one of the following perks:]
1. The Symbol of Peace: Inspire teammates when you're on the field
2. Clutch Performer: Raise all stats in critical moments of the match
3. Resilient Frame: Resist minor fouls and physical challenges, making it harder for opponents to knock you off balance.
DAAAAMMMNNN
These perks are insane.
Let's see here, all these effects seem cool, but I think Resilient Frame sounds like the best option here.
Being the best player on the field, I'll definitely get tackled and fouled the most. I'm going to need this the most.
I pressed to choose the third option.
(Perk chosen)
Resilient Frame: Resist minor fouls and physical challenges, making it harder for opponents to knock you off balance.
I don't feel any different, but I guess that's only something I'll find out when I'm in a match.
"I'll make it," I whispered to myself. "I'll make it into Blue Lock. And I won't just survive—I'll win."
The original Haiji had been a good player, but I had the potential to be great. The system wasn't just a tool—it was my edge in a world where only the strongest egos thrived.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Author Notes-
Hey there, here's a new chapter. I did a lot of editing for this chapter and the chapters before. I debated on what I'm going to do in this chapter.
I already have made drafts for the match, even then I'm still not sure how I'm going about it. We'll see what I decide.
If you guys enjoyed this, make sure to donate stones and leave comments. If there's anywhere I could improve, please leave your thoughts.