{New Quest!}
[Situational Quest – Dribble Past Your Brother Once And Impress Him With Your Skill.]
[Time Limit – Before Dinner]
[Reward: +3 Stat Points, +1 Ball Control]
[Penalty: None]
Beat Ren? I don't want to miss out on the rewards… but I also don't want him to feel bad if I get past him. Maybe if he wins enough first, it won't bother him when I finally beat him.
"Ready, Ryo?" Ren asked, ball at his feet.
"Yes! What do you want me to do?" Ryo replied eagerly.
"First, just get used to touching the ball," Ren said. "Move it around a bit—it'll help you get comfortable. And remember to use the inside of your foot, like I showed you."
Ryo tried a pass. The ball rolled toward Ren, not perfectly, but close enough. Ugh… that felt clumsy. Even if I know how to pass, my stats are holding me back. Still, the ball reached Ren's feet.
"Hey, nice pass, Ryo!" Ren said with a grin. "Now, when I send it back, stop it with a soft touch. Just tap it so it stays close to you."
Ren sent the ball back, and Ryo managed to control it—though a little awkwardly.
"You're doing great for your first time," Ren encouraged. "Let's keep it going."
For the next half hour, they passed back and forth, Ren's instructions mixing with Ryo's improving touches. By the time thirty minutes had passed, a new screen came into view:
{Player Stat Increase!}
[Short Passing 20 —> 21]
[Trapping 10 —> 11]
{New Total!}
[Ball Control 12 —> 13]
[Passing 20 —> 20]
[Overall 15 —> 15]
Before Ryo could even glance at the system, Ren spoke up.
"Great job, Ryo. Before we eat, let's try something different," Ren said, eyes gleaming. "We'll take turns dribbling past each other. I'll go first."
Without waiting for Ryo to answer, Ren moved the ball to his feet and suddenly charged forward. The sight tugged at something deep in Ryo. This feels so familiar… He hadn't played against Ren since before his injury.
After his injury, all Ren could do was to coach him from the side, unable to play himself. But now, seeing Ren's movements filled him with a sense of familiarity. It's been so long since he's moved like that.
All of his movements are fluid. He is fast and precise, seemingly carrying the ball. If I didn't know his dribbling like the back of my hand, I would have been in trouble for the quest.
Ryo recognized everything—the way Ren leaned his shoulders, how he sold his feints, even the subtle pause as he switched direction. He could see it all.
But he let himself get beaten. Ren headed one way, then flicked the ball with the outside of his foot and burst past Ryo in the opposite direction. Ryo just watched as Ren carried the ball past him.
There weren't many flaws left in Ren's dribbling. His control was clean, his feints were illusory, but his acceleration, though? It was lethal.
Truly fitting for a striker.
"I got you that time," Ren said from behind him. "When you defend, keep some distance. If you get too close, it's easy for me to slip by. You have to wait for the perfect moment to put pressure. If you do it right, nothing will ever be able to get past you." He kicked the ball toward Ryo. "Your turn."
Ryo controlled the ball and looked up. Ren stood across from him, eyes sharp, legs ready. He started forward, dribbling cautiously, keeping the ball close. But his movements were unnatural. He wasn't completely used to his smaller frame yet.
His short legs trying to betray his finesse. Getting past Ren will be harder than I thought. Ren maintained a good distance, waiting to intercept the ball. And eventually, one touch came off too heavy, and the ball slipped a step too far.
Ren instantly pounced on the opportunity, stealing the ball away with ease.
"Keep it closer," he said, keeping the ball close to his feet. "If the ball strays too far, defenders will eat you alive. The harder they press, the tighter you keep it."
They went back and forth like this, trading turns. Each time, Ren slipped by; each time, Ryo lost possession. He's much better than I thought he would be. Who knows how far he would've made it if he hadn't gotten injured?
At first, he had told himself he'd let his brother win—but playing with him made him realize that all of his losses were genuine. He wasn't at the level his mind remembered. Not yet.
As the last light faded behind the mountains and as the cool night broke through the sky, the backyard slowly settled into darkness. Their breath rose in white puffs, and the glow from the kitchen spilled across the grass. Dinner would be ready soon. He had one last chance.
Ryo exhaled, his breath condensing against the cold air. He once again took his position, ball at his feet, arms relaxed, and his mind clear. He locked eyes with Ren and the next moment, decidedly pushed forward. He headed right, keeping his touches precise, the ball close to his body.
When Ren closed the space, Ryo cut hard inside, mimicking the move his brother had beaten him with earlier. Ren adjusted, body shifting to block the path. A clean, effortless tackle was coming—if Ryo kept going straight.
However, Ren's shift had left him vulnerable for a split second, and during that sliver of imbalance, Ryo struck. With the inside of his left foot, he snapped the ball at a sharp angle back across, instantly reversing its direction.
Ren, having not expected that last touch, could only watch as the ball flew in front of his legs. Ryo instantly followed the ball and burst past on the opposite side. Ren turned, stunned, as his little brother blazed by.
That move… even I'd struggle to pull it off.
"Great job, Ryo! That was awesome," Ren grinned. "How'd you even pull that off?"
"Thanks," Ryo said, trying to sound casual. "I just… felt like I'd lose if I kept going left, so I cut back across."
"Man, on your first day, too? Maybe you'll end up better than me in a few years." He scratched the back of his head, half-proud, half-worried.
"I will," Ryo said with a small smile. "I'll play on the same team as Ren-nii."
Ren laughed, ruffling his brother's hair. "Alright then. I'll be waiting."
Before they could say more, their mom's voice rang out from inside. "Dinner's ready! Three minutes, or we're starting without you!"
"Eek!" Ren yelped, still remembering his earlier scolding. He scooped up the ball and bolted for the door. "We're coming, Mom!"
Ryo followed more carefully, slipping off his shoes at the entryway. Just as he straightened up, a translucent screen came into view in front of his eyes.
{Quest Complete!}