After the match ends, the Shūdan-teki players return to the locker room, all of them demoralized.
They start changing in silence.
Feeling the heavy tension in the air, Riccardo stands up and moves to the center of the room.
"Guys… I want to apologize. It's my fault we ended up going to penalties. We could've closed the match earlier… if only I had passed that ball."
A moment of silence follows.
"Don't be ridiculous," Kaneko says, surprising Riccardo. "It's not just your fault. We were already losing before you even came on."
Noguchi nods. "That's right. This wasn't a single mistake, it was a collective one. Everyone made errors… big or small, and all of them led to this result."
Then Noguchi looks at Riccardo. "And if it weren't for you causing chaos in Tōen's defense, Nakamura wouldn't have found those spaces."
Riccardo lowers his head for a moment. "But that doesn't change the fact that the biggest mistake was mine—"
"Riccardo…" Nishimura interrupts. "The biggest mistake might have been mine."
"What do you mean?" Riccardo asks, confused.
"I was afraid to take that penalty. That's why I asked Nakamura to take it instead of me. I hoped he would score, and that Andou would save the next one. But it didn't go that way… When I finally faced the goalkeeper, I didn't know what to do. I chose the safe option, and that's what led to our defeat. The one who messed everything up was me."
Riccardo looks at him seriously. "Being afraid isn't a mistake."
Nishimura is struck by those words.
The door opens and Coach Ishii walks in. "Admitting your mistakes is always a good thing…"
He steps into the center of the room.
"You played a great match."
The players look at him in surprise.
"But we lost…" Tanaka says.
"That's true. But you fought head-on against Tōen. Not many teams can say that."
Those words lift the players' morale.
"And if we really want to talk about mistakes," Coach Ishii continues, "mine weren't tactical, but mental. I didn't fully consider the psychological state of some of you, and I didn't make the right substitutions with penalties in mind. Those were my errors."
Coach Suzuki, who had heard everything while entering, lets out a small laugh, drawing everyone's attention.
"What is it, Coach?" Shimizu asks.
"Nothing. Just that we're still the Shūdan-teki boys' soccer club," Suzuki replies with a smile.
Noguchi nods. "Yeah… we were eliminated just one step away from the Inter-High nationals."
"Don't underestimate your journey," Coach Ishii says. "You're coming off a streak of important victories that clearly show your level for the next national qualifiers in September."
He heads toward the exit.
"And for this club, a semifinal finish is nothing to be ashamed of. Ask your second- and third-years."
Shimizu sighs. "It's hard to admit it… but last year we were eliminated in the second match."
"And two years ago, we were out in the first match, losing 3–0," Noguchi adds. "Not to mention our striker missed two penalties in that game." He says it maliciously while looking at Kaneko.
The third-years burst out laughing, embarrassing Kaneko.
"I was a first-year back then, it's normal to be nervous…"
"That wasn't nerves! You missed two penalties!" Kinoshita jokes.
The locker room fills with laughter. Riccardo watches them from his seat, smiling.
"Genpaku… I think I'm slowly starting to understand what my goal is at this school."
Nishimura looks at him, confused. "If you say so…"
[A few minutes later]
Riccardo is about to leave through the school's main gate. He looks at his phone, seeing several missed calls from his mother.
"Now I'll have to tell them we lost…" he mutters annoyed. "They'll tease me for a whole week."
Before stepping out, he stops and grips his phone tightly, his expression tense.
That's not why I don't want to tell them… I don't want to bring them more bad news…
He passes through the gate—and notices Sato waiting near the wall on the left. She sees him.
"Riccardo…"
He tries to hide his emotions when he notices her. "Shiori… what are you doing here? Isn't it late?"
She hesitates, emotional. "I watched the match…"
"Oh… I'm sorry you had to see such a bad performance. But that's part of the game—"
"That's not true! You played really well… you made us feel so much!"
Her words slightly pierce Riccardo's chest, and he smiles faintly. "Thank you… but we played badly. We all know it. If we had played well, we would've won."
"It's true that you lost, but results don't always reflect performance… that's also part of the game."
Surprised again, Riccardo lets out a small laugh.
"Wow, you really turned that around… well done."
Sato blushes lightly and smiles. "Someone helped me learn how to express myself better."
"That person must be pretty impressive."
"He have no idea how much…"
A brief silence follows.
"I'll walk you home—" Riccardo starts.
"It's fine. I know you live near Shibuya, I'm in a completely different area."
"But it's getting dark, and you're alone…" Riccardo says, concerned.
"I know. When I decided to wait for you, I was aware of that. And you must be tired after the match and everything…"
Riccardo lowers his head slightly. "Yeah… I'm tired…"
"Then I'll see y—"
"Tomorrow's Saturday. How about we go out?"
Sato is caught completely off guard. "What?"
"I'll treat you to something in return… I don't know, maybe dessert?"
"Y-you don't have to… we promised we'd support each other," she says, embarrassed.
"That's true… but I'm doing this for myself too. When I talk to you, I feel better. And that's what I need right now."
Sato seems to give in.
"If that's what you need…"
"Then it's settled. See you tomorrow."
"Y-yes… see you tomorrow."
They part ways, both smiling.
[Later, Sato arrives home]
"I'm home!" she says, taking off her shoes.
Her sister comes to greet her. "Finally back. Did you have club activities?"
"Hi, Mei. I went to watch a match of the boys' soccer club. Two of my friends play there."
"I see…"
"Good evening, Shiori," her mother says as she comes out of the kitchen. "Dinner's ready."
Sato quickly straightens herself. "Yes, thank you, Mom."
Her mother and sister exchange glances.
"You seem unusually energetic. Did something happen?" her mother asks.
"U-um… no, nothing really…" Sato replies hesitantly, raising suspicion.
"If you say so…"
Her phone buzzes with a notification. She checks it—it's a message from Riccardo: "Sorry, Shiori. We forgot to decide the time and place. How about 10:30 at Shibuya Station?"
Sato reads the message and smiles brightly. A message from Riccardo… asking me about this… date!?
She realizes the meaning of it and blushes. The two notice immediately.
"Shiori? Are you okay?" Mei asks, confused.
"Y-yes! I'm going to wash up before dinner!"
She practically runs off, leaving them puzzled.
"Did she say why she got home so late?" her mother asks.
"Apparently she watched a match of the boys' soccer club… where some of her friends play."
Her mother smiles knowingly. "I have a feeling she's especially interested in one of them."
Mei returns the smile. "I feel the same way."