The floodlights blazed down on the pristine grass of Tokyo FC's youth training facility, casting long shadows across the field where dreams were born and shattered in equal measure. Eight-year-old bodies darted across the pitch with the kind of fearless energy that only children possessed, their voices echoing through the evening air.
But one small figure stood frozen at the center circle, his dark eyes wide with confusion and overwhelming recognition.
This can't be real.
Takeshi Yamamoto's mind raced as he stared at his tiny hands, still trembling from what should have been impossible. Moments ago, or was it twenty-six years from now? he had been dying alone in a cramped Tokyo apartment, his liver finally giving up after decades of abuse. The last thing he remembered was the burning sensation in his chest and the bitter taste of regret on his tongue.
Now he was here. Eight years old again. Standing in the exact spot where his life had once held so much promise.
"Yamamoto! What are you doing? The match is starting!"
Coach Tanaka's voice cut through his paralysis. This was the same Coach Tanaka who had believed in him all those years ago, before everything went wrong. The man looked exactly as Takeshi remembered from his childhood, stern but caring, with graying hair and eyes that could spot talent from across a field.
The youth cup match. The one where I scored my first hat-trick.
The memory hit him like a physical blow. He knew this moment. He had lived it before, in what now felt like another lifetime. This was the match that had started everything—the scouts in the stands, the newspaper articles, the beginning of his rise and eventual fall.
But something was different this time.
As Takeshi blinked, translucent blue text appeared in his vision, floating like a heads-up display in a video game.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
Welcome back, Takeshi Yamamoto
Current Level: 1
Age: 8 years old
Position: Attacking Midfielder
STATS:
Technical: 15/100
Physical: 8/100
Mental: 45/100 (Boosted by previous life experience)
Special: 0/100
ACTIVE QUEST: Youth Cup Debut
Score at least one goal in your first match
Reward: +2 Technical, +1 Physical, Skill: [Basic Shot Power]
WARNING: Your adult consciousness in a child's body may cause physical strain. Use abilities wisely.
Takeshi's breath caught in his throat. A system, like those web novels he'd read during his darkest hours, when alcohol wasn't enough to numb the pain of his wasted potential. But this wasn't fiction somehow; impossibly, it was real.
"Yamamoto!" Coach Tanaka's voice was sharper now.
"Are you feeling alright? You look pale."
"I'm... I'm fine, Coach." Takeshi's voice came out higher than he expected, the sound of a child rather than the broken man he'd been just moments before. He took a shaky step forward, nearly stumbling as he adjusted to his smaller body.
Focus. You have a second chance. Don't waste it.
The opposing team, Kawasaki Frontale's youth squad, was already taking their positions. Takeshi recognized several faces, kids who would grow up to become professional players, some successful, others forgotten. In his previous life, he'd only known them as distant memories. Now they were his competition once again.
But this time would be different.
As he jogged to his starting position, Takeshi noticed his teammate and best friend, Hiroshi Sato, waving at him with a bright smile. In his previous life, Hiroshi had been the one constant friend who'd tried to help him even as his career crumbled. They'd lost touch when Takeshi's drinking had gotten bad, and by the time he'd wanted to reconnect, it was too late.
Not this time. This time I'll protect the people who matter.
The referee's whistle pierced the evening air, and the match began.
Immediately, Takeshi noticed the difference in his perception. Where once he'd relied purely on natural talent and instinct, now he could see the game unfolding like a chess match. His adult mind processed the positioning of all twenty-two players on the field, calculating passing lanes and predicting movements with an accuracy that shouldn't have been possible for an eight-year-old.
[MENTAL STAT BONUS: Advanced Game Reading Active]
The system message appeared briefly in his peripheral vision as a Kawasaki defender charged toward him with the ball. In his previous life, Takeshi might have attempted a flashy dribble, trying to beat his opponent with pure skill. But now he saw a different option.
Hiroshi's making a run down the right wing. The left-back is ball-watching.
Takeshi called for the pass, his voice carrying the authority of someone who'd played at the highest levels. His teammate looked surprised but complied, sending the ball rolling across the grass. As soon as it reached his feet, Takeshi could feel the difference in his touch. His technical ability was still that of a child, but the system seemed to compensate, making the ball stick to his foot with unusual precision.
[QUEST UPDATE: First Touch Successful - Technical +0.1]
Without hesitation, he played a perfectly weighted through ball to Hiroshi, who was now one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The pass was inch-perfect, something that should have been beyond his eight-year-old capabilities.
"Goal!"
Hiroshi's celebration was infectious as he wheeled away from the net, his arms spread wide. But instead of joining the celebration immediately, Takeshi found himself staring at his own hands again, marveling at what he'd just accomplished.
The system chimed softly in his mind:
[ASSIST REGISTERED - Technical +0.2, Mental +0.1]
[HIDDEN QUEST DISCOVERED: Perfect Assist]
Create a goal-scoring opportunity with a pass accuracy of 100%
Reward: Skill [Precision Passing Level 1] - COMPLETED
This is really happening.
As his teammates mobbed Hiroshi in celebration, Takeshi allowed himself a small smile. For the first time in either of his lives, he felt something he'd almost forgotten—hope.
But the match was far from over, and his active quest still required a goal of his own.
The game resumed with Kawasaki pushing forward more aggressively, their young faces set with determination. Takeshi found himself dropping deeper to collect the ball, his adult tactical awareness telling him to help control the midfield. Every touch brought small improvements, tiny increases to his stats that he could feel in the responsiveness of his body.
Then, in the seventieth minute, his moment came.
A loose ball fell to him twenty-five yards from goal, with the Kawasaki goalkeeper slightly off his line. In his previous life, eight-year-old Takeshi would never have attempted the shot—the distance was too great, the angle too tight. But the man inside the boy's body knew better.
I've scored from here before. Just not in this lifetime.
He struck the ball with everything he had, his small frame generating surprisingly clean contact. The shot sailed through the air in a perfect arc, dipping just under the crossbar as the goalkeeper scrambled desperately backward.
The net bulged.
The silence that followed lasted only a heartbeat before the Tokyo FC bench erupted in celebration. Even Coach Tanaka, usually composed, pumped his fist in the air.
[QUEST COMPLETE: Youth Cup Debut]
Goal scored - Technical +2, Physical +1
New Skill Acquired: [Basic Shot Power]
Level Up! You are now Level 2
[NEW QUEST AVAILABLE: Hat-trick Hero]
Score two more goals in this match
Reward: +5 Technical, +2 Physical, Special Skill [Zone Entry Level 1]
Takeshi's chest heaved as he stood over the ball for the restart, his teammates still celebrating around him. But his eyes were fixed on the system messages floating in his vision. A hat-trick. Just like in his original timeline.
But this time, it's just the beginning.
The final twenty minutes of the match passed in a blur of controlled aggression. Takeshi found himself playing with a confidence and vision that awed the spectators in the small grandstand. Parents who had come to watch their children play began pointing at the small boy who seemed to see passes that shouldn't exist and take shots with the composure of a veteran.
His second goal came from a rebound in the eighty-second minute—a scrappy finish that his improved technical stats helped him convert. The third arrived with just minutes remaining, a curled effort from the edge of the box that showcased his growing mastery of the system's abilities.
[QUEST COMPLETE: Hat-trick Hero]
Level Up! You are now Level 3
Special Skill Acquired: [Zone Entry Level 1] - Allows temporary enhancement of all abilities during crucial moments
As the final whistle blew, signaling Tokyo FC's 4-0 victory, Takeshi found himself surrounded by teammates, coaches, and even some of the opposing players who wanted to congratulate him on his performance. But through it all, his mind was elsewhere.
This is my second chance. My road back to the top.
But this time, I won't fail.
He looked up at the night sky, where the first stars were beginning to appear, and made a silent promise to the man he'd been and the boy he was now.
I'm coming for you, Ballon d'Or. And this time, nothing will stop me.