Ren tightened his gloves as the ref blew the whistle
It was his first official start. Not a practice match. Not just subbing in for a half. This time, his name was on the team sheet
Tōyō Junior High vs Minamisuna
Minamisuna had a rep. Quick wingers. One striker who already got invited to a J.League camp
Ren watched their highlights all night
Now he was staring him down
Number 11. Shun Takeda
Tall. Fast. Cocky grin
Ren bounced on his toes, checking his angles. Dirt pitch again. The white lines barely visible. The sun beating down
Midfield kicked off
Tōyō's defense was decent, but they played nervous. Too many side passes. A few slips. Ren could feel it. The tension building
It came in the sixth minute
Long ball. One bounce. Then Takeda broke through the line like a knife
"REN" someone yelled
No time to think
He surged forward
Takeda chipped it
Ren leapt
The ball brushed his fingertips
It wasn't enough
The net shook
0–1
He sat in the dirt, watching Takeda jog back to midfield with a smirk
Coach Anzai didn't yell. Just scribbled something on his clipboard
Ren stood. Dusted off his knees
"Shake it off" their captain called
He nodded
But his blood was boiling
The second chance came fast
Another breakaway. This time, Ren didn't hesitate. He closed the gap early, spread wide, and blocked the shot with his chest. The ball rebounded. Chaos in the box. But the defender cleared it
Cheers
That was all he needed
Confidence
By halftime, it was still 0–1, but Ren had made two more saves
In the huddle, Anzai looked at him
"You're not here to be perfect. You're here to survive. Understand"
Ren nodded, breath sharp
Second half started
Tōyō fought harder. Midfield started pushing. In the forty-first minute, they equalized. Scrappy rebound goal. But it counted
1–1
Now the game was alive
Minamisuna pushed hard. Takeda wanted his brace
But Ren was awake now
He punched out corners. Dived low to his right. Yelled louder than he ever had before
Then final minute
A foul just outside the box
Takeda lined it up
Ren crouched. The wall was set. His heart thudded like a drum
The whistle blew
Takeda curled it over the wall
Ren moved late but fast
His hand slapped it away
The ref blew for full time
Draw
But to Ren it felt like a win
As they shook hands, Takeda looked at him once, didn't smile, just said, "Good hands"
Ren didn't answer
He didn't need to