CHAPTER 58:- Second Triumph – Strategy, Rage, and Advancing Forward
Akebono vs Takara – One-Sided Dominance and Humiliation
The announcer's voice echoed clearly across the stadium as the next match prepared to begin.
" Ladies, the third match of the morning bracket is about to start. On one side, Akebono Comprehensive High School, led by their fearless captain Saki Nakamura. On the other, Takara Women's Academy, captained by the talented Miko Tanaka. We can already feel the tension rising between these two strong teams."
The referee placed the ball at the center circle. Both teams stood ready, eyes locked across the pitch. With a sharp blast of the whistle, the match began.
Takara Women's Academy took the first kick-off. Their forward struck the ball cleanly and immediately moved forward, supported by several teammates who quickly formed an attacking shape. They passed the ball with quick, short touches, trying to find a path toward Akebono's goal.
Akebono's defenders reacted fast. They closed the space, pressing high and cutting off passing lanes.
One of Takara's midfielders tried to break through on the wing, but an Akebono player stepped in cleanly, stole the ball from her feet, and launched a long, powerful clearance straight toward the opposite goal.
The ball flew fast and true. Takara's goalkeeper rushed out but couldn't reach it in time. It sailed into the net.
1–0 to Akebono Comprehensive.
Just like that, the opening goal had been scored.
Haruya sat on the bench in the team area, watching the match on the large screen with a strange expression on his face. He tilted his head slightly, eyebrows drawn together in quiet disbelief.
"*What the hell…?* he thought. *They're this weak? If I were on the field, I wouldn't have let that goal happen so easily. They call these girls lightning-fast wing players? I'd call them grilled chicken wings instead.*"
He continued watching, comparing everything he saw to the football he remembered from his previous world.
The pace, the decision-making, the technical level — none of it came close. The famous teams he had followed back then played with a sharpness and intelligence that felt miles ahead of what he was seeing now.
*These teams are nowhere near the level of those professional sides. They're not even close… they're miles and miles behind.*
The match continued for many long minutes. Both teams fought hard, but Akebono's direct, physical style gradually wore Takara down. Takara's attacks became more desperate and less organized. By the final whistle, the score was painfully one-sided.
Akebono Comprehensive – 20
Takara Women's Academy – 2
The match ended in a heavy defeat for Takara.
As the final whistle blew, Saki Nakamura, captain of Akebono, turned toward the Takara players with a smug grin. She raised her hand and deliberately showed her middle finger to Miko Tanaka and the rest of the opposing team.
Miko Tanaka's face turned red with fury. Her blood boiled at the open humiliation, but there was nothing she could do on the pitch. She clenched her fists tightly, swallowing her anger in silence.
In the VIP section, the principal of Akebono Comprehensive stood up proudly, loudly praising his team's performance and flexing their dominance over Takara Women's Academy. The principal of Takara sat nearby, face stiff with humiliation and quiet rage, forced to listen to every word.
The crowd murmured at the unsportsmanlike display, but the focus quickly shifted as the announcer's voice rang out again.
"The next match will be the highly anticipated clash between Akebono Comprehensive High School, once again led by captain Saki Nakamura, versus Sakura High School, led by captain Reina!"
The atmosphere in the stadium shifted noticeably. Whispers spread through the stands. Many eyes turned toward the tunnel where Sakura High would soon emerge.
Inside the Sakura High team restroom, the mood was focused and serious.
Reina stood at the front, whiteboard filled with fresh diagrams. She spoke clearly, explaining the new strategy they had prepared specifically for Akebono.
"We need to stay compact and patient. Akebono likes to press high and play direct, so we'll use short passes to draw them out of position. M32 will drop deep to receive and then turn. We protect the center at all costs. If we keep possession and move the ball quickly, their defense will start to open up. Everyone stay disciplined — this is our chance to show what we can really do."
The girls listened attentively, nodding along as Reina went through formations and key tactical points. Haruya sat quietly among them, absorbing every word with his usual calm focus.
Meanwhile, in Akebono Comprehensive's restroom, the mood was loud and aggressive.
Saki Nakamura paced in front of her team, voice full of confidence and fire.
"We just crushed Takara like they were nothing. We can do the same to Sakura High. Crash them completely. Show them who the real boss is on this pitch.
That boy of theirs? He's just a distraction. We take the ball from him easily and end this fast. Let's go out there and dominate!"
Her teammates cheered, fired up by her words, ready to repeat their earlier performance.
---
Sakura High vs Akebono comprehensive – Coordinated Play and Final Score
The announcer's voice filled the stadium once more, clear and excited.
"Both teams, please make your way onto the pitch. The next match is about to begin — Akebono Comprehensive High School versus Sakura High School!"
The crowd stirred with fresh anticipation.
First, Sakura High emerged from the tunnel. Reina led the way, followed closely by the rest of the team. Haruya walked near the center, calm and composed as always, his black hair catching the bright stadium lights.
The moment he appeared, a noticeable wave of murmurs and soft cheers rose from the stands. Many eyes followed him closely.
Akebono Comprehensive came out moments later. Saki Nakamura walked at the front, chin high, her teammates moving with the confident swagger of a team that had just delivered a crushing 20–2 victory. They looked ready to repeat their dominance.
Both teams lined up facing each other. The referee placed the ball at the center circle and gave a sharp blast of the whistle. The match began.
Akebono took the kick-off and immediately tried to seize control. Saki Nakamura received the ball early and pushed forward, her mind already racing ahead. She was certain they would win this match just as easily as the previous one. In her thoughts, she pictured the celebration afterward — approaching the boy from Sakura High, asking for his number, and smoothly convincing him to transfer to Akebono. The idea made her smile inwardly as she dribbled forward.
But the daydream lasted only a few seconds.
Haruya, Saeko, and Reina moved together with quiet coordination. Haruya stepped in calmly, took the ball cleanly from Saki's feet with a precise tackle, and passed it smoothly to Saeko. Saeko controlled it with one touch and quickly laid it off to Reina.
Reina took a single glance up and struck the ball with perfect timing. It flew low and hard past the Akebono goalkeeper.
The net rippled.
1–0 to Sakura High.
The referee's whistle blew to confirm the goal. The scoreboard updated immediately:
Sakura High – 1
Akebono Comprehensive – 0
Saki Nakamura stood frozen in place, her mind completely blank for a long moment. She had let her guard down for just two seconds, and it had cost them the opening goal. Her teammates quickly gathered around her, voices rising in confusion and frustration.
"Captain, why didn't you defend the ball?" one of them asked sharply.
"What happened? You had it!"
Saki's face twisted with anger. She shouted back at them, voice loud and sharp.
"Shut up, all of you!"
She took a deep breath, trying to regain control.
"How the hell did they get the guts to take the ball and score like that? I thought it would be easy… but I won't make that mistake again."
The referee placed the ball back at the center circle for the restart. Another whistle blew, and the second round began.
This time Saki came forward with full speed, ignoring her team's planned formation. She took the ball and began dribbling aggressively, trying to dodge past Sakura's players on her own. She weaved left and right, determined to break through by sheer force.
But Sakura High was ready.
Reina had positioned the team perfectly. They formed a compact trap around Saki, closing every possible passing lane and leaving her with nowhere to go. No matter which way she turned, a Sakura player was there to block her path.
Frustrated, Saki jumped upward, balancing the ball on her foot, and attempted a powerful strike toward Sakura's goal.
One of Sakura's defenders rose to meet her and cleanly blocked the shot. The ball rebounded loose.
Haruya was there in an instant. He took control of the loose ball and, with a calm, measured touch, advanced a few steps before striking it cleanly toward Akebono's goal.
The ball sailed past the diving goalkeeper.
2–0 to Sakura High.
The scoreboard updated again:
*Sakura High – 2*
*Akebono Comprehensive – 0*
Saki's rage grew stronger. She shouted at her teammates, demanding more effort, but her own play remained reckless. Her teammates kept urging her to stick to the formation and play more strategically, but Saki refused to listen.
Even the viewers in the stands began to react. Murmurs of disappointment and light boos started rising toward Akebono's captain.
"Play as a team!"
"What is their captain doing?"
In the upper section of the stands, Miyahara Yume watched everything from her private seat, a quiet smile hidden beneath her mask. She felt genuinely happy seeing how smoothly Haruya and his team were playing together.
In the team section, Akari, Yuzuki Arai, and Coach Yamamoto all wore small, satisfied smiles. The strategy was working exactly as planned.
Ayame, as always, couldn't contain her excitement. She jumped up and down in her seat like an energetic kangaroo, cheering loudly for Haruya with every good play.
The match continued.
One round after another, Akebono Comprehensive kept losing ground. Their image in the minds of the spectators crumbled with every mistake. Saki's solo runs became more desperate, but Sakura High's disciplined formation repeatedly trapped and neutralized her.
Finally, after many hard-fought minutes, Saki seemed to calm down. She tried to play more cooperatively with her team. For a brief moment, Akebono managed to score one goal through a lucky counter-attack.
But it was too little, too late.
When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard showed the clear result:
*Sakura High – 19*
*Akebono Comprehensive – 1*
The announcer's voice rang out across the stadium.
"The winner of this match — and advancing to the next stage — is Sakura High School!"
A loud cheer rose from the crowd. Many spectators who had been neutral or skeptical earlier now openly cheered for Haruya's team. The atmosphere had completely shifted in their favor.
Sakura High's players were called onto the stage to receive their trophy for winning against Akebono Comprehensive. As they stood together under the bright lights, the cheers grew even louder, especially whenever the camera focused on Haruya.
---
After the Match – Support and Hidden Recordings
The final whistle had long since blown, and the excitement of the stadium was slowly fading into the background. Inside the Sakura High team restroom beneath the stands, the girls and their teachers gathered their belongings, preparing to head home. The air was filled with a mix of tiredness and quiet satisfaction after a long, successful day.
Haruya sat on one of the benches, calmly drinking water while the others moved around him. Reina, Saeko, and Ayame stayed close, chatting softly as they packed their bags.
"I think we supported Haruya really well today," Reina said with a small smile, glancing toward him. "We need to keep doing even better next time so we can stay ahead of the others."
Saeko nodded quickly, her cheeks still slightly flushed from the match. "Yes… I want to be even closer to him. We have to protect him more than anyone else."
Ayame, who had been unusually quiet since entering the room, added with determination, "Exactly. But we already win sports competition but if it to haruya No one else gets to get too close. We were the ones supporting him on the field today, and we'll do it again next match."
The three girls exchanged glances, each silently competing in their own way to be the most important person in Haruya's circle. Haruya noticed their energy but only offered a gentle, appreciative smile without saying much. He was used to their protectiveness by now.
Akari stood near the door, arms crossed, watching the group with her usual cool expression. She had already spoken with the manager about transportation.
"The manager arranged a special vehicle for us," she said. "It will take us straight back without any trouble. We should leave soon."
The team slowly made their way out of the restroom and toward the exit. None of them knew that just outside the stadium, a large group of reporters had gathered, cameras and microphones ready.
They were especially eager for Haruya — a boy playing at this level was rare enough to draw serious media attention. The manager had planned the vehicle carefully to avoid the main crowd and slip away quietly.
As they walked toward the waiting car, Reina, Saeko, and Ayame continued their soft conversation, each trying to position herself as Haruya's strongest supporter.
Haruya walked in the middle, listening quietly, while the teachers kept a protective eye on the group.
Eventually, they climbed into the vehicle and left the stadium behind, heading back toward home and school. The long day was finally coming to an end.
Meanwhile, in a quiet corner far from the stadium noise, Miyahara Yume had already slipped away unnoticed.
She sat in the back of her private car, mask and cap still in place, holding her phone tightly. On the screen were full recordings of every moment Haruya had played today — every touch, every pass, every goal.
She had captured everything carefully, planning to watch the footage again later in the privacy of her penthouse.
A small, soft smile touched her lips beneath the mask as she replayed one of Haruya's calm turns in her mind.
She said nothing aloud, but the thought was clear in her heart.
This was only the beginning.
—To be continued…
---
Author note 🧾
Hey readers, your author is not dead
So… slight disaster on my end. A few days ago, while I was out on my bike (feeling like the main character, obviously), my phone decided it no longer wanted to be part of my life and jumped out of my pocket. To make things worse, it got run over, and the display completely gave up on existence.
Finding a nearby technician? Impossible. So I had to send it to the company, thinking it would be a quick fix… yeah, that took way longer than expected.
That's the reason I couldn't upload chapters for a while, and I'm really sorry for the delay. But hey, I'm finally back, and today's chapter is up!
If you enjoy it, don't just silently disappear like my phone tried to—drop a comment below. I'd really love to read your thoughts.
Thanks for sticking around.
—king_fuzu_