The System Makes Me a Player

The match begins with possession for Sanu's team. Ian positions himself beside the ball in the center circle and gives it a gentle tap, pushing it to Kelvin

"Let's do this, Kelvin!"

Ian shouts excitedly.

Kelvin barely touches the ball when he already feels the pressure. Samuka, one of the twin opponents, charges in at full speed, closing his space aggressively

"You're not getting past me, kid"

Samuka says, shadowing Kelvin closely.

But Kelvin simply smiles, as if he'd seen this move before

"You sure about that?"

With a sharp, fast touch, Kelvin sends the ball diagonally to the right and accelerates immediately. Samuka tries to keep up, but the difference in speed is obvious. He stretches, pushing himself, but his steps seem heavy compared to Kelvin's effortless movement across the court.

"He's fast… too fast…"

Samuka thinks, struggling to stop the advance.

Desperate, Samuka throws himself into a slide tackle, aiming to halt Kelvin by force. But the exact moment he hits the ground, Kelvin slows down, leans his body, and makes a subtle feint with his foot, pretending to shoot

"Watch your step"

Kelvin mocks with a calm, superior look.

Samuka slides uselessly across the court, landing several meters ahead, wide-eyed and flat on the floor. The crowd erupts with screams and applause. The Sanu kid had just dropped his opponent with a simple feint.

Samuel, the other twin, immediately reads the situation and bolts toward Kelvin, trying to cover the defense.

But Kelvin had already seen him. And he smiles.

[Skill Activated: Precision Reading]

In a calculated, almost artistic move, Kelvin lets the ball slide to the side of his foot and makes a low, precise pass, the ball slips right between Samuel's legs before he can react

"Thanks, man!"

Ian shouts, appearing in the open space, ready to finish.

Without hesitation, Ian shoots it first time. The sound of impact echoes. The ball flies straight into the right corner — the keeper stands no chance.

1–0 to Sanu.

The stands go wild. The crowd chants Kelvin's name. Ian runs back and wraps him in a celebratory hug.

The match had barely started, but one thing was clear: the boys from Sanu didn't come just to play, they came to win it all

"How do they know my name, Ian?"

Kelvin asks, jogging back to their half.

"No clue, man. I guess someone mentioned it or something"

As the two friends talk, Samuka and Samuel head up to restart the match — clearly irritated.

Uchi resumes the game. Samuel passes hard to the side, hitting his brother's feet. Samuka controls it smoothly and locks eyes with Kelvin

"Come on, then!"

He taunts, tapping the ball with the sole of his foot.

Kelvin, standing just a few meters away, replies with a calm smile

"With pleasure!"

In a blink, he charges forward. His steps are light, his body tilted, eyes locked on Samuka's feet. He gets so close, so fast, Samuka barely reacts in time. Samuka fakes left and right, but Kelvin's gaze follows every move with laser focus

"You're really annoying"

He mutters, losing his cool.

Kelvin doesn't answer. He's focused.

Trying to mimic Kelvin's earlier move, Samuka attempts a fast diagonal pass. But it's predictable. Kelvin intercepts with ease, stretching his leg at just the right moment to cut the ball cleanly

"Thanks for the free meal"

He says, already spinning into a counterattack.

With the ball glued to his foot, Kelvin bursts forward. The court opens up in front of him. But the sound of Samuel chasing makes him glance over his shoulder.

"He's coming in hot…"

And he is. Samuel dives in with a violent slide tackle. The sole of his cleat hits Kelvin's right leg hard, sending him crashing to the floor alongside the ball

"Ref!!"

Kelvin screams, writhing in pain and anger.

The whistle pierces the air. The referee rushes over and raises a yellow card

"That was nothing, ref!"

Samuel protests, hands raised.

But the decision is made.

Kelvin sits on the ground, rubbing his leg, and calls out

"Ian!"

Ian jogs over quickly

"What's up?"

"I'll let you take the free kick... but pass it to me, alright?"

Ian nods, signaling "okay" while Samuel lines up in the wall.

The referee blows the whistle.

Ian rolls a low, calculated pass to the side. Kelvin, already poised, steps forward, but Samuka is right there again

"Not again!"

Samuka yells, rushing him.

Kelvin controls the ball softly, then scoops it up with his foot, lifting it right over Samuka's head.

The ball floats gracefully, and Samuka spins around, completely lost.

The crowd explodes again with cheers, whistles, and applause. Kelvin sprints, retrieves the ball behind Samuka, and without wasting time, launches a powerful shot toward the far corner.

The ball hits the net hard.

2–0 to Sanu.

The makeshift stadium shakes. Kelvin turns to Ian, who's sprinting toward him, and they celebrate with a high five.

This time, not even the Uchi twins knew what to do.

The crowd was still buzzing from the second goal when the ball was quickly placed at the center for the restart. The ref whistles, and Uchi tries to stay calm.

Samuel passes it to Samuka again, this time, harder

"Let's go, Samuka! Don't mess it up!"

Samuel shouts.

Samuka struggles to control it and looks to the side — but Kelvin's already there, flashing in

"You again?!"

Samuka groans.

Kelvin stays silent. He closes in, feinting a tackle. Samuka hesitates, steps back, tries to dribble... but gets stripped again

"This is getting old"

Kelvin says, taking the ball like it belonged to him.

He spins and bursts forward, this time down the left side. Samuel runs to cut him off, but Kelvin chips the ball forward, squeezing through a narrow gap between Samuel and the sideline

"How did he get through that?!"

Someone in the stands shouts.

Kelvin sprints with the ball, but he knows he can't do it alone. He spots Ian making a run on the far side, waving his arm

"It's yours, Ian!"

Kelvin shouts, lifting his head.

The pass is strong but accurate. Ian controls it on his chest, the ball bounces once. He sets it up, ready to shoot, but Samuel's already closing in

"Not this time!"

The opponent yells.

Ian, caught off guard, steps on the ball and pulls back. Kelvin is already beside him again

"Pass it"

He says, calm but focused.

Ian taps it over and moves out, dragging the defense with him. Kelvin receives it facing the goal — but Samuka's right on him again

"I learned now"

Samuka growls.

"Then show me"

Kelvin answers.

He fakes a long-range shot. Samuka bites. That's what Kelvin wanted. He spins with a sharp pivot, and Samuka slides past.

The crowd roars. Kelvin adjusts his body and blasts the ball.

It flies low, fast, into the opposite corner. The goalkeeper dives, but it's too late.

3–0 to Sanu.

Ian throws his arms up and runs to Kelvin, who simply smiles, catching his breath

"You're on fire, man!"

Ian shouts, thrilled.

"This is too easy"

Kelvin replies.

Across the court, Samuka punches the ground in frustration. Samuel pulls him up, trying to keep his cool

"We're turning this around. I swear"

Samuel mutters through clenched teeth.

But even he didn't know if that was possible.

As he prepared to restart the match... the whistle blew.

Halftime.