The classroom was silent as the students listened to the lecture.
By the window, a student yawned, clearly bored, and glanced outside toward the soccer field. A soft spring breeze slipped in, brushing through his dark hair. His half-closed eyes looked tired.
We have practice today… great.
When class ended, he stepped outside. As he exited the building, a tall, dark-haired boy walked past him at a quick pace. He noticed him but didn't see his face.
He's really tall…
After watching him for a moment, he kept walking.
As he moved through campus, he saw students practicing on the basketball, tennis, and baseball courts. But what caught his attention were the men and women observing each team, taking notes and filming with cameras.
He stopped by the fence of one of the two soccer fields. Inside, female students in training uniforms dribbled through cones and worked on drills.
Someone stopped beside him.
"Morning, Nishimura!"
Nishimura turned with a lazy expression. The boy beside him—Shimizu—had neat dark hair and bright red eyes full of energy.
"Morning, Shimizu." Nishimura glanced at the duffel bag in his hand. "Gym already?"
"Yeah. There are fewer people at this hour," Shimizu said with a small smile.
"Lucky you. I've had class until now… and after this, I'll have to face the endless line for the machines."He grimaced, already imagining it. Shimizu looked slightly worried.
Doesn't take much to drag him down…
A sudden cheer from the field snapped Nishimura out of his gloom. The girls were laughing together after a good play. Envy flickered across his face.
Shimizu noticed."The women's team is strong this year—maybe even better than last year."
He then glanced toward the opposite side of the field, where several adults filmed and took notes.
"And you can tell. I've never seen so many scouts around a team… or even around a single player."
"It's normal at Shūdan-teki. This school trains future champions in every sport."
Shimizu's smile faded a little."Yeah, but that doesn't apply to our team…"
He glanced at Nishimura, then suddenly slapped his shoulder, making him flinch.
"But this year, the men's team has a real number 10. Someone who might even push the demon coach to aim high!"
Nishimura blushed as a few students turned to look, including one of the girls on the field.
"That's an exaggeration…" he muttered, walking away.
"See you later, Number 10!"
Nishimura raised a hand in a half-hearted wave and headed back to the building.
Shūdan-teki High School: the most prestigious school in Japan for aspiring athletes.Eighty-five percent of its graduates go pro—whether at low, mid, or elite level. Your future is built through your sport, day after day.
Just before re-entering, he sighed.
The hardest part of this school is the admissions process. Every student must pass written exams and intense athletic tests that create a personal profile. Based on that, coaches recruit their picks—though in the end, students choose which sport to pursue.
Walking through the corridor, he came across a group speaking to a coach.
"Coach, I'd like to change my training plan!"
The student handed him a paper. The coach read it carefully.
"All right… I'll see what I can do."
Nishimura watched the group's excitement before moving on.
Here, coaches matter even more than teachers. They're young, ambitious, and eager to make a name for themselves. For them too, this place is a gateway to the professional world. That's why they push so hard: everything here runs on results.
He stopped at his classroom door, thinking.
"Or at least… that's what they say."
He went to his seat as the bell rang.
A few seconds later, the teacher entered."All right, everyone, take your seats. Should we continue from yesterday, or—"
A knock interrupted him.
"Come in!"
A middle-aged man in a neat suit stepped inside: the vice principal. With calm, confident steps, he approached the desk.
"Good morning, Vice Principal," the teacher greeted him with a bow.
"Good morning, everyone!" The man smiled. "I'm here to announce a new student joining this class."
Whispers immediately spread.
He gestured toward the hallway."Come in!"
"Excuse me."
A boy stepped inside, carrying a folder as he approached the desk. Nishimura recognized his height.
It's him…
The boy had short dark hair, stood around 180 cm tall, and his eyes were a striking mix of green and brown. But his Western features were what drew everyone's gaze.
Several girls were clearly impressed.
He stopped beside the vice principal.
"Introduce yourself," the vice principal said.
"Of course." The boy cleared his throat."Good morning. My name is Riccardo Yui Aliberti. I'm from Italy, near Naples. As you can tell from my name, I'm half Italian, half Japanese. My mother is Japanese, my father Italian. I hope we'll get along."
The class applauded, and some girls whispered excitedly.
"He's Italian?""He looks so mature…"
Nishimura watched him quietly.
He has presence… but that's just the surface.
Riccardo waited for instructions. The teacher didn't speak. The class looked expectant.
Riccardo turned to the vice principal."Um… what should I do now?"
The vice principal paused as if he'd forgotten something.
"Oh, right! Everyone's usually curious about your athletic profile… but you don't have one yet!"
The class froze. Then panic spread like wildfire.
Riccardo forced a small, confused smile."And that is… what exactly?"
The room filled with whispers.
The vice principal kept smiling."Your athletic profile comes from your physical tests. You were supposed to take them before the written exams. But you only took the written ones!"
Why does he only shout the worst parts?! Riccardo thought, horrified.
A girl shot up from her seat."So he got in with a recommendation!?"
Voices piled up. The teacher tried to calm them.
Riccardo tried to speak."Wait—"
"Yes, that's right!" the vice principal cut in. "The principal personally recommended him. I don't know why… but Aliberti will take the physical tests eventually!"
He did it again… Riccardo was speechless.
The class erupted.
In that moment, Riccardo realized how bad it was: they already resented him.
The vice principal checked his phone."Well then, I have other matters to attend to. Have a nice day!"
He walked out. Riccardo lowered his gaze as he passed.
Thanks for nothing…
The teacher looked at him with sympathy."Aliberti," Riccardo looked up, "I'll get you a desk and chair."
"Thank you, sir."
The teacher left. Riccardo stood alone as complaints flew at him.
"How did you get a recommendation!?""You think you're good enough for this school!?"
He stayed silent, head held high.Nishimura watched thoughtfully.
I wouldn't want to be him right now…
The teacher returned with a staff member carrying a desk and chair."Aliberti, sit here."
"Okay."
Riccardo walked past the hostile stares, ignoring them, and sat down.
"Do you have your textbooks?" the teacher asked.
"Yes, I do."
"Good. Open your Japanese textbook to page 95."
Riccardo pulled it out and turned the page.