The System Makes Me a Player

The second half had barely begun, and the tension was already thick in the air. The sun beat down on the smooth court, casting reflections that blinked like silent warnings. Breaths were heavy, but no one wanted to step back.

Takumi controlled the ball in the defensive field, passing it to Leo, who tried to push through the middle, but Ian's pressure came like lightning. He didn't hesitate.

"Ian... not now", he murmured to himself, eyes locked on the ball.

With a precise lunge, like a thief in the dark, he stole it. The sole of his cleat scraped against the floor with a dry sound, pulling the ball from Leo's feet with a subtle spin — no foul, no hesitation.

Kelvin was already freeing himself on the wing, and Ian didn't think twice. With a quick flick of his ankle, he sent a low pass — just as fast and aggressive as before — slipping past Takumi and reaching his partner.

Kelvin received it easily, adjusting with the outside of his foot, and raised his gaze. A faint smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

"I think I'm gonna have some fun too"

[Skill Activated: Instinctive Dribble]

He surged forward.

He reached Leo, brushing past him with a short, sharp feint. A simple dribble, but full of class. The number 8 tried to recover, but Kelvin was already two steps ahead. His ball control was almost provocative. He advanced calmly, almost disrespectfully, as if testing the court's limits.

Then Takumi appeared ahead, planted, eyes serious, legs spread. This was the duel everyone had been waiting for.

Kelvin smiled again, his eyes shining with adrenaline. He slowed his pace, nearly walking, then suddenly accelerated, trying to break through with a brutal change of direction. His right leg came firm, faking a cut, then his body spun the other way.

Takumi followed him. Step by step. Eyes fixed. And for a brief second, the two stood side by side, sharing the same space, the same tension.

Kelvin noticed, in that fraction of frozen time, that Takumi could have taken the ball. He was in the right moment, the perfect position. All he had to do was extend his leg. Just one more movement.

But he didn't.

He hesitated...?

Kelvin didn't know why.

He saw it in his eyes. It wasn't slowness. It wasn't fatigue. It was a choice. Takumi chose not to take the ball.

"Hmph", Kelvin let out, almost a whisper.

He passed Takumi, feeling the vacuum left by the absence of challenge. With one more touch, he adjusted the ball to his right foot and shot. Not with rage, not with haste. With precision.

The ball flew like a controlled shot. Low, fast. It hit the bottom corner of the goal, bounced off the post, and went in.

A stunner.

But Kelvin didn't smile.

He didn't raise his arms.

The crowd erupted instantly, with screams and applause, but Kelvin's reaction didn't match the sound around him. He just stood still, staring at Takumi, who still watched him from across the court. Their eyes met.

In the stands, only one person understood.

Kazana leaned forward, his gaze locked on Kelvin.

"He noticed too...", he murmured.

Dante, beside him, looked excited.

"What a play! What a goal! Why isn't he celebrating?"

Kazana didn't reply.

On the court, Ian approached Kelvin, still catching his breath.

"That was insane. Celebrate, man. We're in the lead now"

Kelvin looked away, still wearing that almost cynical smile.

"He could've stopped me. But he didn't want to",

Ian frowned.

"You mean he let you go?"

Kelvin nodded, just barely.

"I don't know why, but he wanted me to pass. Maybe to test me, or maybe he was just analyzing... trying to prove a point. But it was his choice"

On the other side, Takumi simply walked back to the center of the court in silence. Leo looked at him, confused.

"You could've taken that ball"

Takumi shrugged.

"He's not all that, Leo"

Leo narrowed his eyes.

"What's going on?"

Takumi answered in a low voice, heavy with something hard to define.

"I'm not interested anymore"

The match continued, but something new lingered on the court. A different silence, a tension that wasn't just from rivalry... but from doubt.

In the stands, Kazana watched like a strategist witnessing the course of a war change.

And on the court, Kelvin stared at Takumi, still trying to understand that moment of hesitation. Ian beside him, breathing deep.

"Let's keep up the pace", said Ian

Kelvin nodded, but deep down, he knew: something had changed the moment Takumi backed off.

The whistle blew, and the game resumed. Leo passed the ball to Takumi, who quickly locked eyes on Kelvin.

In the middle of that packed place, Takumi did something unimaginable — something no one understood. Except for one person who was there.

He looked at Kelvin... and passed the ball to him.

It came low, straight, like a disguised provocation masked as a gesture of kindness.

Kelvin received it naturally, without hesitation. He didn't even look at Ian, waiting on the other end. He knew what this meant. Takumi was inviting him to dance again. But this time, the song had changed.

Kazana straightened on the bench. He felt it. He understood what Takumi was doing.

Kelvin pulled the ball close, as if taking one last breath before a jump. The noisy crowd became a distant echo. Everything narrowed down to those two.

"So that's what this was?", Kelvin whispered to himself, eyes narrowed at Takumi

"A test?"

[Skill Activated: Instinctive Dribble]

He took off.

This time, faster. The dribble came first — a dry cut with the outside of the foot, shifting to the side and accelerating. Takumi didn't move.

Kelvin spun his body, tried a shoulder fake. Takumi just slid sideways, as if he already knew every step before it happened.

Kelvin pushed harder. Pulled back, faked retreat, spun again. Still nothing. It was like running into an invisible wall — one that moved at the same rhythm.

Kelvin's breathing began to strain. Sweat dripped from his temples. His hands tensed slightly, eyes still searching for an opening. A mistake. Any flaw.

And then came the mistake.

Not Takumi's.

Kelvin's.