Sunday morning in Tokyo was usually calm
But this one felt heavy
Even the clouds hung lower
Reiji walked alone through a back alley near Ueno Station
Wearing a hoodie over his head
Hands in his pockets
No phone
No earbuds
He wasn't running away
He was hunting
Hunting for something he couldn't name yet
---
The night before
After his monstrous performance in Shanghai
He returned to his tiny apartment
Sat in front of the mirror for almost an hour
Didn't blink once
Not because he was proud
Not because he was lost
But because he felt
Nothing
No satisfaction
No regret
No fear
And that was the problem
---
Meanwhile
At the Tokyo National Institute of Sports
An old man was unlocking the doors to the underground training hall
His name was Kamisaka Daigo
Once called "The Mastermaker"
He was a legend in the coaching world
But had disappeared after a scandal five years ago
People said he'd gone insane
Others said he just couldn't stand what football had become
Kamisaka entered the building
Turned on one light
And waited
He had received the USB last night
From Mika
With a note:
"You said you'd never coach again
But what if the next king's already becoming a tyrant"
He watched Reiji's footage
Every movement
Every decision
Not with excitement
But concern
"That's not playmaking
That's programming" he whispered
---
At lunchtime
Reiji found himself outside a tiny ramen stall
Run by the same old lady who once gave him free miso when he was broke in junior high
He sat down quietly
Ate slowly
And then
She asked him
"You still playing boy?"
He nodded
She smiled
"You always had this storm in your eyes
But now
Feels like it's swallowing you instead"
He paused
Then asked
"You know a coach named Kamisaka?"
She looked surprised
"Daigo?
Yeah
He used to come here
Taught all those genius boys back then
But he stopped
Said he wasn't raising monsters anymore"
Reiji stood up without finishing his bowl
"I want to meet him"
---
It took Reiji two more days to track him down
He skipped practice
Ignored Shadowgate's messages
Even ditched Leo's calls
On Tuesday afternoon
He stood outside the old training center Kamisaka had quietly built years ago
No sign
No logo
Just an iron gate and silence
He knocked once
No answer
Then again
Finally
A voice from inside
"I don't train anymore
Go away"
Reiji didn't leave
He stood there
For two hours
Then Kamisaka opened the gate slightly
"You the Ghost?"
Reiji didn't answer
"Figured
Only someone that broken would come looking for me now"
---
Inside
The facility was dim
Old mats
Wooden walls
Not a football in sight
Kamisaka sat on a chair and stared at Reiji
"You want to be great?"
"No"
"You want to win?"
"Not really"
"Then what the hell do you want?"
Reiji finally spoke
His voice colder than winter
"I want to destroy the system
And rebuild football
My way"
Kamisaka chuckled
"That's what every arrogant genius says
Right before they burn out"
Reiji took a deep breath
"I don't need you to teach me how to play
I need you to teach me how to not lose myself"
The old man's smile faded
For the first time in years
He felt it
A presence
A kid with not just talent
But darkness
"I'll give you three sessions
No drills
No tactics
Just truth
If you lie once
I kick you out"
Reiji nodded once
---
First session
Kamisaka didn't ask him to touch a ball
He made him sit
And watch
Hours of match footage
Not his own
But of legends who failed
Prodigies who vanished
"He was faster than you"
"He had a better shot than you"
"He read the game better than you"
Reiji didn't flinch
"But they all fell"
"Why?" Kamisaka asked
Reiji thought for ten seconds
"Because they chased perfection
And forgot how to breathe"
The old man leaned back
Eyes narrowing
"Not bad
Most say ego
You said breath"
---
Second session
He blindfolded Reiji
Put him on a small indoor pitch
Then released five players against him
"Survive"
No directions
No ball
Reiji used sound
Steps
Breathing patterns
He dodged every tackle
Predicted each charge
Then Kamisaka threw in a sixth player
A girl
Fast
Silent
Reiji got clipped
Fell once
Didn't complain
Got back up
And kept moving
---
At the end
Kamisaka finally said it
"You're a ghost alright
But ghosts don't have hearts
And if you keep playing like this
You'll kill the joy in everyone who watches you
Even yourself"
Reiji stayed silent
Then whispered
"Good"
---
But something else stirred inside
A part of him
That wanted to play for more than just rebellion
He remembered Leo's jokes
Kenta's clumsy passes
Coach Nakamura's dumb whistle
And Mika's eyes
Was he really ready to throw that all away?
---
That night
Back in his apartment
He finally turned on his phone
59 messages
All from Leo
"Bro where the heck are u"
"Did u quit school??"
"Coach said he's gonna expel u"
"Mika's looking like she's gonna strangle someone"
Then
One voice message
He tapped play
"Reiji
Whatever you're doing
Don't forget who u are
Even if the world calls u a monster
We still see u
So don't disappear
Not yet"
---
Reiji sat on his bed
Hands over his face
For the first time in months
He felt something burn in his chest
Not pain
Not anger
But doubt
And maybe
Just maybe
That was a sign
He wasn't lost yet