Sato walked down the school halls until she spotted a boy.
He was about 1.83 meters tall, with medium-length dark hair and striking yellow eyes.
"Good morning!" he greeted.
"Good morning, Inoue!" Sato replied, smiling.
They walked together.
"I saw you practicing yesterday afternoon… You set a new personal best. Congratulations!" he said.
"Thanks! Every day I feel like I can push myself even further."
Inoue grinned. "Same here. Among the first-years, I had the longest jump!"
"Good job!" Sato encouraged.
"Although I think they'll let me compete in the Youth B tournament…" he continued.
"I think the same for me… Our senpai are incredibly strong."
"Yes… they're practically professional athletes already."
Inoue's expression grew serious. "Speaking of senpai, I heard one of yours got seriously injured…"
Sato looked at him. "You mean Senpai Ito?"
"Exactly. She ruptured her Achilles tendon completely, right?"
Sato nodded. "Yes… During a starting drill, she must have pushed herself too hard physically, and suddenly… it gave out."
Inoue frowned. "That must have been excruciating…"
Sato's expression darkened. "She screamed in pain for a long time… We were all shocked."
"Where is she now?"
"I don't know… probably in a trusted hospital for surgery."
"Injuries like that take at least six months to heal… and for athletes like us, sometimes up to a year."
Sato's gaze hardened. "I know, but she's strong—the best 100-meter sprinter this school has had in ten years. This won't end her career!"
"I hope you're right…" Inoue said quietly.
He stopped in front of a door. "I'll stop here. Are you training with us today?"
"Yes, see you later!"
"See you!" he called as she left.
[On the track]
Sato lowered herself into the "set" position on the track. Her fingers dug into the red surface, her breathing became heavy. Her whole body vibrated, torn between tension and the upcoming sprint.
The coach's whistle blew.
She sprinted as fast as she could, reaching the finish line.
Panting, she looked at a girl in a training uniform holding a stopwatch.
"12.50 seconds!"
The 100-meter club girls clapped."Great job!""Keep it up!"
The coach approached Sato. "Great run… You almost matched yesterday's record."
Sato smiled shyly. "Thank you, coach!"
"But I noticed you looked tired on the home straight. Are you getting enough rest, or overdoing your training?"
Sato nodded. "I'll be more careful…"
The coach placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're doing great. The future is yours, but don't rush things unnecessarily."
"Okay…"
"I'm glad you understand!"
The coach walked away.
"Next!"
As she stepped aside, a group of boys appeared on the track. They seemed to be searching for someone.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
It was Riccardo, Kaneko, Noguchi, and Aoyama.
Kaneko stepped forward. "Good afternoon. We're here on behalf of Coach Ishii. He asked if we could borrow two of your resistance sleds and some weights."
The coach raised an eyebrow. "Coach Ishii?"
All the girls watched, whispering."Who are they?""That guy," one said, pointing to Riccardo, "isn't bad at all!""Could he be that half-Italian who got in through a recommendation?" another guessed.
Sato's heart skipped a beat. It's him…
The coach nodded toward the sleds and weights. "They're over there. We've used them before."
The boys bowed. "Thank you!"
They approached the sleds.
"Are you sure you can carry them alone?" The coach asked.
Kaneko looked at her calmly. "Don't worry! We can handle it."
Noguchi and Aoyama balanced the weights on the sleds. Then Noguchi and Kaneko lifted one sled, while Aoyama and Riccardo lifted the other effortlessly.
The coach and the girls stared, amazed.
"Thanks again! We'll return them as soon as possible!" Kaneko called over his shoulder.
The coach muttered under his breath, still astonished. How strong are they?!
Sato watched them leave, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. What kind of training are they doing…?
[A few hours later, on the soccer field, the boys took turns at a grueling drill.]
They dragged the sleds with weights from the three-quarter line of the field to the edge of the penalty area, then sprinted into the box to try and score from crosses.
After each run, another teammate delivered the cross.
Riccardo dragged the sled with difficulty to the penalty area, then sprinted into the box where Ueno crossed. He met the ball perfectly with a header and scored.
Coach Ishii clapped. "Good! Now go cross!"
Riccardo, panting, ran to the ball placed by Coach Suzuki.What kind of training is this?!
Coach Ishii turned to Tanaka. "You're last."
Tanaka dragged the sled but collapsed onto his knees halfway. This is the tenth… maybe the eleventh round… I can't do this anymore!
Coach Ishii whistled sharply. Tanaka looked at him, desperate."Keep going!" Ishii ordered.
"I… can't…"
The coach's glare turned menacing. "Finish the exercise, or do ten laps around the field."
Miraculously, Tanaka pushed himself to his feet and dragged the sled again.I can't do ten laps…
He lunged forward into the box as Riccardo crossed. Tanaka tried to slide for the ball but missed, collapsing onto the grass, panting.
Riccardo sank onto the field beside him, exhausted but determined.
Coach Ishii scanned the team, noticing their fatigue."You all look completely drained. That's it for today. Put everything away!"
Then he called out to Riccardo, Kaneko, Noguchi, and Aoyama."You four, return the sleds and weights to where you got them."
The boys shivered at the task, then approached the equipment.
Riccardo and Kaneko reached the same sled. Kaneko gave him a cold glare."I'd rather carry it myself."
Riccardo smiled faintly. "No problem…" He walked away, pretending not to care, while Kaneko's gaze burned into him.
Noguchi stepped forward. "I'll help."
Kinoshita came over and lifted the weights off the sled. "I'll carry these."
Riccardo and Aoyama took the other sled, while Aoki carried additional weights.
The boys crossed the courtyard, the sun dipping below the horizon as the day ended.