Once Coach dismissed them, Ryo headed over to Ren, who stood a little apart from the group.
"Hey, Ren-nii, ready to go? I'm tired and hungry—I just want to leave."
Now that the match was over, the exhaustion hit him all at once. His stomach growled; usually, he wasn't hungry this early, but all that running had caught up to him.
"Yeah, me too. Let's go," Ren said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "You played great today. There's no way you're missing the first team."
"I could've scored more if I weren't stuck on the back line."
"True. But after today, a lot of people probably think you're a defender."
"Hopefully that doesn't last. Defense is fun, but offense is way more fun for me."
"Of course. Nothing beats scoring goals. But be careful—you'll have to compete against me to score. You might be my little brother, but I want to score too."
Ryo opened his mouth to fire back, but before he could think of a witty comeback, Ren had already pulled open the restaurant door.
Being the first Monday of April—the start of the new school year across the city—the place was packed. Both of their parents were busy working, as usual. Ryo and Ren were used to it, though; they'd spent countless evenings here.
Technically, it was called a "restaurant," but it felt more like an oversized food stall. Twenty steps would take someone from one end to the other. A few long tables lined the left wall, while the right side had a bar-style counter wrapped around the small kitchen. Near the entrance, a handful of two-person tables filled the space. Nothing about it was grand, but keeping up with the demand was still a grind, and their parents never slacked.
Even so, no matter how hectic it got, they always made time for their sons.
As Ren stepped inside, their mom, balancing a tray of steaming dishes, caught sight of them and smiled.
"Hey boys, come on in. We're in the middle of the dinner rush, so the only free table is that small one in the corner. Your dad and I will fix something for you once the orders die down—and I want to hear all about your first day of school." Without missing a beat, she spun around and hurried off to deliver the dishes to the hungry customers.
"Okay, Ryo, let's sit. I'm beat," Ren said, heading toward the empty table.
Ryo trailed after him and dropped into a chair, propping his head on one hand. "So, how'd your game go, Ren-nii?"
"It went well. Most of the players were fifth and sixth years; a few were from the first and second teams. We ended up winning three–one. But honestly, a lot of them were pretty good—it'll be tough competition to make either team."
"Really? None of the players in my matches were that impressive."
Ren laughed. "That's just because you outshone them. Even the coaches were impressed with how you played."
"I hope I can make the first team," Ryo said. "I want to start playing in real games soon."
"Don't worry. There's no way you don't get onto a team."
Ryo gave a small nod. I'll probably make at least the second team. However, I doubt I showed enough to get into the first. My team barely coordinated, and I know I could've done better. Oh well. No use in overthinking—we'll have to wait and see the results tomorrow.
Finally being able to relax a bit, now was a good time to check the new exhaustion info. Lowering his gaze to the table to avoid Ren's attention, Ryo quietly called upon The System.
{Exhaustion: 34}
(Exhaustion Level)
[0–25, Well-Rested, The Player Is In Optimal Condition.]
[26–50, Slight-Exhaustion, Adrenaline And Dopamine Start Influencing The Body, Allowing For Optimal Growth.]
[51–75, Exhausted, The Player Starts Feeling Fatigued And Thirsty. Lactic Acid Starts Building Up, Causing Sub-Optimal Muscular Efficiency. Growth Is Possible, But It Is Recommended For The Player To Take A Break.]
[76–90, Over-Exhausted, The Player Starts Using Up The Last Of Their Energy, Losing Electrolytes, And Feeling Sluggish. Any Exercise Here Is Counterproductive, And Injury Is More Likely. The Player Should Stop As Soon As Possible.]
[91–99, Critical, The Player Starts Suffering From Lack Of Energy, Overwork, Dehydration, And Heat Exhaustion. The Player Should Rest Immediately.]
[100, Shut-Down, Because Of Extreme Conditions, The System Enacts A Final Contingency That Renders The Player Unconscious Until Their Exhaustion Returns To 0. The Player Should Never Reach This Point.]
[Many Factors Are Taken Into Account To Calculate Exhaustion Level. Some Factors Include: Dehydration, Remaining Energy Reserves, Lactic Acid Buildup, and Body Temperature Regulation, Along With Many Others. These Factors Are All Measured By The System, And Exhaustion Level Is Computed Based On These Values.]
[A Higher Physicality Means The Player Accumulates Exhaustion Slower. Based On The Player's Data, If A Player Eats Well 90 Minutes Before Strenuous Exercise, Their Energy Stores Are At A Maximum While Minimizing Sluggishness. Keeping Hydrated And Stretching Are Good For Reducing Exhaustion Factors. High-Stress Environments May Increase The Rate At Which Exhaustion Accumulates.]
[Disclaimer: The System Only Monitors Physical Exhaustion, Not Mental Exhaustion]
Wow… that's a lot. Ryo slowly read through the new information, and things began to click into place. So the game counted as a "high-stress environment," which explains why my Exhaustion increased faster than when I practiced with Ren. If I manage my Exhaustion properly, I can train more efficiently without overdoing it.
The thought made him smirk. The System really is the world's best personal trainer.
Still, one part nagged at him—the mental exhaustion disclaimer. Does higher mental exhaustion make physical exhaustion worse? Does it have its own scale? He frowned. I'm still a kid, so I doubt I'll build up much mental exhaustion in my daily life for now, but maybe I'll learn more later.
By the time he finished the page, his stomach had taken over his thoughts. He killed time chatting with Ren until their mom finally arrived with plates stacked high. She must have guessed how hungry they both were.
After polishing off the meal, while filling in their parents about their first day and the tryouts, Ryo and Ren headed home. Their mom had sent them off with a stern reminder: "You boys go on home. Your father and I still need to close up here. It's a school night, so be washed and asleep before we get back."
Not long after reaching home, Ryo collapsed on his bed and was out like a light.
—————————————————————————————————
The next morning, as Ren and Ryo walked through the school gate, groups of older students buzzed with talk about the tryouts.
"Man, I messed up a few of my shots yesterday. What if I don't even make the second team?"
"How many players do they even take? There had to be a hundred of us out there."
"No clue. If eleven start, maybe around twenty spots per team?"
"Yeah, but most of the first team will be filled by last year's second team. So really, we're all fighting for what, twenty spots at best?"
"Not even. Aoyama Ren and Sato Kenta were already on Team A last year. That's two gone already. More like fifteen spots."
"Reserves aren't much safer either. I heard one guy last year sat on the second team's bench all season and never played a game."
"Well, the second team did top their bracket, so the coach won't lower his standards."
"It's fine. Even if we don't make it now, there's always promotion during the year. If we grind hard enough, we'll get our chance."
The brothers exchanged a glance, then walked on. It's good they're willing to work hard, they both thought as they passed the chattering students.
Inside the main building, Ryo switched into his indoor shoes, left his football gear in the cubby once again, and split off from Ren to head to his classroom. Today marked the start of the academic schedule, and a spark of excitement built in him. I probably know most of the material already, but it'll be fun to learn it with my own eyes. Kanji will be the most interesting.
Languages had always been a challenge in his past life, especially Japanese. Kanji couldn't be properly represented through Tenji, the Japanese Braille alphabet, which Ryo sometimes used. Since Tenji was phonetic, it handled Hiragana and Katakana, but Kanji—a logographic alphabet—was unknown to him.
He remembered only a little of what the characters looked like before losing his sight. That was why he was particularly eager now. He could see the symbolic meanings and could trace the strokes of each character. Hiragana and Katakana piqued his curiosity, too, but he figured their shapes would be simple compared to the complexity of Kanji.
Lost in thought, Ryo arrived at his classroom without realizing it. He slid into his seat just as Kazuki took his own.
"Good morning, Mizuno-san. Were you at practice yesterday? I didn't see you."
"Oh, I was. My sister promised to take me, but she spent forever in the bathroom. She said she had to 'be presentable,' so I only got there a few minutes before practice started."
His sister really needs to stop taking advantage of him… he's too innocent. I can't let him get corrupted.
"By the way, Aoyama-san, how did tryouts go? Did you make it to the scrimmages?" Kazuki asked, snapping Ryo out of his thoughts.
"Yes, I made it. Our team won, and I think I played pretty well. The results will be posted today at practice, so we'll see."
"Wow, that's amazing! It's already tough just to reach scrimmages, but you even won your match!" Kazuki said, his eyes lighting up.
"Thanks. What about you, Mizuno-san? How was practice?"
"It was good. The coaches spent most of the time sorting players by level. I got placed in the advanced group, and we spent the rest of the time introducing ourselves," Kazuki explained.
"Are there many first-years at the open practice? I didn't see any during tryouts."
"Yeah, there are a few, but most ended up in the beginner or intermediate groups."
"Then you must be pretty good," Ryo said simply.
Kazuki flushed slightly and muttered, "You can speak informally with me, Aoyama-san. And… you can just call me Kazuki."
"Alright, Kazuki-kun. Feel free to drop the formalities with me, too."
Kazuki brightened. "Okay! Then… Do you want to go to practice together this afternoon, Ryo-kun?"
"Of course."
Before long, Ichida-sensei walked into the room, and the day officially began.