Chapter 5: To Each Their Own Carrot
He was terrified of the man in front of him. The reason he had given up his dream, trampled on it like a filthy thing, stared at him through dark-tinted glasses. He had seen him from close-up about twice but this was the first they were in the same room alone, face-to-face. Despite his mind telling him to run, his feet remained planted in the red carpet. Fear had frozen him.
"You have been skipping club to observe the soccer team," the coach said in a deep voice that resonated through the dim office. He felt weak and mediocre, facts he had accepted, but the Coach went further and shoved them down his throat. He didn't answer and the man continued.
"You know it's against the rules, don't you?" His emotions must have shown on his face, for the man's words contained a hint of amusement. He nodded immediately and looked down, blonde locks covering his eyes. He gulped. It wasn't that he was being careful or ashamed of being caught red-handed. The possibility of being found and its consequences hadn't crossed his mind. No one cared enough to warn him.
"If you don't want to be punished, be useful and spy on Kidokawa Seishuu's soccer team. If you succeed and prove yourself worthy of being in my team, there will be another tryout for Teikoku's second team when you return."
It took a few seconds for the words to sink. He raised his head slowly, a dumbstruck expression on his face, and the man cracked a devilish grin.
"...Understood," the boy replied seconds later without hesitation. He would do anything to play soccer as long as it didn't taint his heart any further.
To Each Their Own Carrot | End