Captain Tsubasa · chat.title

Clutching a scuffed, faded soccer ball, Tsubasa Oozora stood at the front gates of Nankatsu Elementary and took a deep breath. The new school's field was bigger than any open lot he had ever seen before. The grass was a bit worn and patchy, but it was more than enough for him to kick a ball around all afternoon. Just as he was about to head inside, a sudden commotion erupted from the direction of the pitch. A few upperclassmen in Shutetsu jerseys were shoving the Nankatsu kids backward. The boy leading them pointed toward the goal and shouted, "This field belongs to Shutetsu! Go kick your ball somewhere else!" Ishizaki, who was heading the Nankatsu group, had a face flushed bright red, fists clenched tight as he refused to budge. Tsubasa didn't know Ishizaki, but seeing the deflated, worn-out ball rolling beside his feet and his crookedly tied shoelaces, he could tell these boys took the brunt of being bullied all the time. Tsubasa didn't rush over right away. His gaze was instantly locked onto the figure standing before the goal. It was a goalkeeper wearing a cap. He wasn't exceptionally tall, but standing on that goal line, his legs looked as if they were anchored right into the turf. One of the Nankatsu kids wound up and took a shot, but the keeper didn't even shift his feet; he plucked the ball out of the air with a single hand and casually tossed it back toward midfield. The motion was so clean and effortless, it was like picking up an apple that had fallen on the ground. Tsubasa's toes curled instinctively inside his cleats—a reaction he only had when encountering a true master. Setting his own ball on the ground, he tapped it lightly with his toes, letting it roll across the top of his foot before dropping it back down. Ishizaki was glaring back in his direction, but Tsubasa just grinned, jutting his chin toward the center of the pitch. "Mind if I take a shot?"