Chapter 63 Football 63 Accepting the Match Invitation

The next morning, Suoh Koki and Kira Ryosuke began their intense training early. The two strode into the training room, followed closely by a large, bustling crowd.

"These are my teammates." Futaba waved to the people behind him and introduced them: "Ryosuke Kira and Koki Suoh."

"Huh? Kira...?" someone in the crowd exclaimed in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Kira Ryosuke stopped his training, picked up a towel and gently placed it on his head. His light brown eyes, like a deep lake, swept over the crowd behind Futaba.

"Is there something you need?"

His milky-white bangs fluttered gently in the wind, revealing his handsome face; his exquisite features were exactly the same as those on the cover of "Football Weekly".

"No... nothing's wrong."

Someone in the crowd answered hesitantly.

"We're just here to check out the training room... Yes, just to check out the training room. I heard that the setup and atmosphere of the training rooms are different for different groups."

"Ah...yes." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Since there's nothing else, we won't disturb your training."

Erzi waved his hand, and the crowd behind him hurriedly left, their steps slightly flustered.

Kira Ryosuke narrowed his eyes slightly, causing his beauty mark to lift as well. His gentle and cheerful demeanor carried a hint of something else. "Yeah, yeah. Good luck to you all."

Unlike Kira Ryosuke, who was still having a friendly conversation, Suoh Koki simply watched them leave coldly, but his stern face and deep eyes made his presence impossible to ignore.

This kind of thing happens frequently these days.

The crowd came and went in droves. They left quickly, as if some ferocious beast was following them.

God knows why Kira Ryosuke is here too.

That's a super famous and popular high school player. If you were to play against him, you'd definitely lose!

The black-haired guy next to Kira looked menacing and didn't seem like someone easy to deal with.

Thinking of this, they quickened their pace to leave.

Before the crowd dispersed, some people couldn't help but secretly cast a few resentful glances at Erzi Yihui. Most of them had looked down on Erzi Yihui because of his short stature and ranking, and almost impulsively challenged him.

The training room door slowly closed, shutting out the noise from the outside world.

"It's like this again."

Erzi took a deep breath and joined the training.

The guys from other groups would look down on themselves because of their size, and then be scared away by Kira Ryosuke's reputation.

A bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong.

The second son imitated Kira Ryosuke by styling his bangs upwards.

He is not someone to be underestimated.

“In this blue prison, everyone is weighing the pros and cons.” Kira Ryosuke rested his hand lightly on his chin, his eyes deep and thoughtful. “If we’re talking about finding an opponent…” He paused slightly, then continued, “he is definitely the best choice.”

Although Kira Ryosuke didn't say it explicitly, Suoh Koki understood perfectly; he knew who Kira Ryosuke was referring to.

Kira Ryosuke gently patted Suoh Koki's hand holding the phone, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Why didn't you suggest forming a team when we were forming teams in the previous stage? It's probably too late to make amends now."

"Maybe... he's waiting for you to speak up too."

Suoh Hyo-hee paused slightly, his eyes flickering, and gave a brief answer to the first question: "I don't know."

In fact, he already knew the answer in his heart—he couldn't do it.

Suoh Hyo-ki knew that once he spoke, he might break the existing balance and force that person to make a choice based on their own will.

How can that be done?

This question kept nagging at me; every cell in my body was struggling with it.

If someone were to actually say things like "Choose me" or "You're the only one left," wouldn't that be moral blackmail? This kind of behavior would undoubtedly put invisible shackles on the other person, preventing them from breathing freely.

Suoh Koki couldn't bring himself to put pressure on Amano Minaka as a friend.

The phone screen flickered, and a new message popped up.

Holding her phone, Suoh Hyo-hee's hand trembled slightly as she stared in disbelief at the message from her senior on the screen.

"He... doesn't play football anymore."

Another public sports field.

Ten no Michū unconsciously furrowed his brows, his slender fingers gently touching his forehead.

"There are absolutely no opponents."

His words were tinged with melancholy.

Hei Minglan sat astride a large chair, his right arm casually draped over the back of the chair, his left elbow lightly resting on his right arm, nodding his head absently. "That's because we're too strong."

"Too strong, too strong."

His head was tilted slightly, and his pink braids swayed gently with the movement.

Qing Luoren stood quietly to the side, nodding slightly without saying a word.

Their team of three received no challenges, and all invitations they extended were rejected. In this treacherous Blue Prison, two members of this trio made it into the top twenty, while most of the other players of similar caliber had already advanced to the next stage.

In other words, in the second stage of the second round of selection, their team was the highest-ranked and strongest team.

Not everyone has the courage and determination of Jie Shiyi to face the strongest opponent and start by challenging No. 1.

Tenno Minaka impatiently tugged at his collar, his movements revealing a hint of frustration and helplessness.

For him, the lack of rivals was merely a facade; his real concern lay with Suoh Koki and Kira Ryosuke.

If he doesn't advance to the next round soon, Suoh Koki and Kira Ryosuke will definitely challenge him, and at that point he'll have no reason to refuse...

Most importantly, he no longer wants to play football.

Tenno Minaka lowered his eyes, his expression unreadable.

Qing Luoren was thinking of teaching those who looked down on him a lesson, while Hei Minglan was pondering who to challenge next so as not to be rejected.

Each of the three had their own thoughts and remained silent.

The huge lounge was completely silent.

"Amano Minaka?" A voice filled with excitement suddenly rang out, interrupting Amano Minaka's thoughts.

A pink-haired boy with wide eyes and a bright smile on his face strode forward without hesitation or any sense of distance, bringing his face close to Tenno Minaka's and greeting him warmly, "Long time no see!"

"Long time no see, Nishioka-kun."

The pink-haired boy is none other than Aomori's Messi—Hatsune Nishioka.

Tenno Minaka looked at Nishioka Hatsumi, who was still talking, and his dark golden eyes met Nishioka Hatsumi's burning pink eyes. His expression wavered slightly, as if he had returned to that tense and fierce arena.

That year, Amano Minaka was hospitalized due to illness, and Kira Ryosuke was unable to participate due to a leg injury. Only Suoh Koki led Matsukaze Black King into the national tournament. In the final match, the one that determined the national champion, they lost to Aomori by a narrow margin of 3:2.

The decisive goal was scored by Hatsuyuki Nishioka.

Amano Minaka was also present at that match, and he naturally witnessed firsthand Nishioka's astonishing goal and the failure of their three-peat.

Time seemed to stand still; the noise and excitement on the field faded into the background, leaving only the perfect arc of the goal in the air and the subsequent cheers.

When Nishioka Hatsumi stood before him again, an indescribable emotion welled up in Amanomi's heart.

He felt as if he and his past self had overlapped in some way—the same person, but with a different state of mind. The doubts of that time and the confusion of the present intertwined, plunging him into deep thought.

Amano Minaka tried hard to recall the feeling at that time, but found that the memory had become blurred.

All I remember is—they worked so hard!

Despite their best efforts, it seems their talent cannot shine.

The defeat in that match was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Suoh Koki, but for Amano Minaka, it felt like a huge weight had finally been lifted from his heart.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "Finally... this can all come to an end."

"Let's have a match!"

The impassioned words brought Tenno Minaka back to her senses.

Nishioka Hajime's large pink eyes gleamed with excitement; he couldn't wait to test his skills against Amano Minaka again. He took a sudden step forward, clenching his fists, his voice filled with undisguised excitement and anticipation: "Let's have a match and see who's stronger!"

This challenge was exactly what Tenno Minato wanted, allowing him to advance to the next round ahead of time and avoid the challenges from Suoh Koki and Kira Ryosuke.

A faint smile appeared on his lips. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He simply met Qing Luo Ren and Hei Ming Lan Shi's gaze, silently asking for their thoughts.

It was only then that Nishioka Hatsumi truly noticed that Amano Minaka's teammates were not the familiar Suoh Koki and Kira Ryosuke, but two boys he had never seen before.

"Hey, you three actually split up?" Nishioka Hatsu tilted his head curiously, looking at Amano Minaka with a puzzled expression. He then quickly turned his gaze to the two boys next to him, whom he had no recollection of, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and inquiry.

The trio, who had dominated the national championships for two consecutive years, were already inextricably linked in the eyes of the public; their names and glory were inextricably linked. However, with the shattering of Matsukaze Black King's dream of a three-peat, their previous consecutive victories ironically became a catalyst for Aomori's rise to fame, making Aomori renowned throughout Japan.

After all, in the world of sports, people often only remember the winners, the glory and the honor.

Amano Minaka was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, but then regained her composure.

“They’re just some nobody,” Nishioka Hatsumi said, shrugging with a hint of disdain. “They might as well join my team! With you on board, we’ll definitely become stronger and invincible.”

Hei Minglanshi stopped exchanging glances with Qing Luoren. "Don't underestimate us, don't underestimate us."

Nishioka laughed provocatively, "So you want to have a match? Let your skills speak for themselves."

Qing Luo Ren nodded slightly, looked at Hei Ming, and his eyes also flashed with a fighting spirit. "Give him a taste of his own medicine."

"Hmph, of course." Kurono Ranse repeated to Nishioka Hatsu, "I'll teach you a lesson, I'll teach you a lesson."

Amano Minaka looked at Nishioka Hatsumi, her voice gentle yet firm: "Then welcome to the team in advance, Nishioka-kun."

Hatsumi Nishioka crossed his arms and rested them on his head, a defiant smile playing on his lips.

"They really won't give a single hint."

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Author's note: Updates have resumed.

However, it will only be updated every other day, and I need to revise the text on the day before. I plan to make a small change.

A flying kiss.