Nishimura looked up and passed the ball to Shimizu on the right flank, who immediately crossed into the box. Waiting were Aoki, Ueno, and Ono in red, while Tamura, Kaneko, and Riccardo wore yellow.
Several clashes erupted in the box. Riccardo broke free from Ono, cutting toward the near post and deflecting the ball toward the far post, where Kaneko scored effortlessly.
Coach Ishii and Mr. Suzuki applauded, clearly satisfied.
Kaneko gave Tamura a high five, then Riccardo approached, expecting one too.
"Great job!" Riccardo said sincerely. But after a look from Kaneko, he was ignored.
Mr. Suzuki observed them."Mister Ishii, those two could play really well together."
Ishii glanced briefly, then returned his gaze to the pitch."You mean Kaneko and Aliberti?"
"Exactly. We know two players are irreplaceable: Nishimura, our number 10, and Aliberti, our starting striker. But with only one striker in our formation, Kaneko often ends up on the bench. He may not have Aliberti's qualities, but he brings other important strengths."
"I've considered that," Ishii replied. "But changing to two strikers introduces technical issues. I thought of a 3-4-1-2, but the wingers would have to handle both attack and defense. Players like Shimizu and Tanaka would struggle and lose their best asset: dribbling."
"Then Ueno and Sugimoto could play on the wings. They have more stamina and can deliver solid crosses."
"They lack the technical finesse of Shimizu and Tanaka. On counterattacks, they couldn't support our attackers properly."
"So Kaneko and Aliberti can't play together from the start?"
"Not initially," Ishii said, watching Kaneko head the ball toward Riccardo, who scored again. "But as a mid-match option, it's definitely viable."
Riccardo once more sought a high five from Kaneko. This time, Kaneko hesitated, then returned it.
[The next day.]
Riccardo woke up, checked the time: April 29, 2025, 8:35 AM.
He put his phone away, resting his head on the pillow with a smile."I love holidays!"
After breakfast and walking the dog, he sat on his bed, groaning."I have no idea what to do..."
By 9:53, he glanced at his gym bag—the one he used for club activities.
Soon, Riccardo arrived at school, already feeling the heat."I like the heat… but this is too much."
He headed to the boys' soccer gym, put on his training gear, and started working out with music blasting through his headphones.
Eventually, the heat and sweat forced him to stop."E ch' cazz!" (What the fuck!) he shouted in Neapolitan, glancing around. Seeing no one, he took off his shirt.
Meanwhile, near the athletics area, a girl in school uniform emerged from the locker room, also suffering in the heat. She noticed the gym window was open.
Someone training in this heat on a holiday!? she thought, curious.
She leaned closer, peeking inside, and froze.
Riccardo was lifting weights—shirtless.
"Wow…" she whispered, ducking quickly, convinced she'd been seen.
After a moment, she peeked again, realizing he wore headphones. Relief washed over her.
Then her eyes caught his well-defined body.I can't believe… that's the recommended student? That half-Italian boy… not bad.
Her gaze landed on a tattoo on his right hip: a rose with thorns on asphalt, a soccer ball beside it.
I have to show this to the girls… she thought, secretly snapping a photo and sending it to her classmates.
[In a girl's room]
A girl lay on her bed, fanning herself."So hot…"
Her phone buzzed: a notification from Kaho."Kaho sent a photo…"
Curious, she opened it, shocked to see Riccardo shirtless.
"Who is this guy!? That's our school gym!"
She read Kaho's message:"It's Riccardo Yui Aliberti, first-year, admitted on recommendation."
She blushed, looking again at the photo."I have to admit… he's really handsome…"
Her eyes landed on the tattoo."A tattoo…"
The photo spread through various student chats like wildfire.
[The next day.]
Riccardo and Nishimura walked through school as usual, but something felt different.
"Um… I don't know… something feels off," Riccardo said.
"Since when are you an expert at reading eyes?" Nishimura teased.
They entered the classroom. Silence fell, as always, but they ignored it.
Then the teacher entered, immediately noticing Riccardo."Good, he's here."
Riccardo blinked. Soon after:"Vice Principal, you may come in."
The Vice Principal entered."Aliberti, come with me to the principal's office."
Riccardo and Nishimura exchanged shocked glances."Okay," Riccardo sighed calmly.
As they left, whispers spread.
"He asked for it…""Delinquent, maybe…""Having a tattoo at this age… definitely…"
— Nishimura's alarm bells rang.
Oh shit…