Chapter 102: Immersion
"FLOW State?"
Kira mentally commanded the system to absorb it.
[Absorption Successful.]
[FLOW State Overview: Immersion in challenging focus...]
[Using this skill grants a 20% boost to all stats. You will be fully immersed in the football match. In this moment, you are an artist on the field!]
[Duration: 20 minutes]
[Cooldown: 3 hours]
[Silently chant 'Use FLOW' to activate!]
'Is this the state Yoichi Isagi just entered?'
Kira had a rough idea of what it was.
The FLOW state, also known as "The Zone."
In psychology, it referred to a mental state where a person is fully immersed in an activity with energized focus. It's the feeling of pouring your entire spirit into a single action. While in Flow, one experiences heightened excitement and a deep sense of fulfillment.
For example: when playing a ranked MOBA game. You become hyper-focused. No matter how tired you are, the moment the match starts, you forget everything around you. As you practice a hero over and over, you get smoother, your skills sharpen, and you become more confident in your gaming ability. That confidence and positive feedback loop push you to challenge even higher difficulties.
The state the system described was basically the same thing, just applied to football.
But entering this state required strict conditions. It wasn't something you could just switch on at will.
Kira knew that having this skill meant he could force that immersion in future matches and training, allowing him to elevate himself even further.
***
"Isagi! That was amazing! You were incredible!!"
Nanase practically flew into Isagi's arms, tackling him.
"Eh?"
Caught off guard, Isagi was knocked to the ground by Nanase's enthusiasm.
"How did you do that? How did you steal the ball from right under Kira and Rin's noses and score?"
Nanase was equal parts excited and curious.
"Get off me first!!"
Isagi shoved him off, looking just as confused. "Honestly? I don't know what happened either. I just listened to Hiori, and then... before I knew it, I just moved..."
"Holy crap... you're seriously amazing..."
Nanase's eyes were practically sparkling with stars.
"Not bad, Yoichi Isagi. I could feel your cells sparking."
"That explosion of yours... I actually kinda liked it."
Shidou walked up to Isagi with his hands in his pockets, looking effortlessly cool as he offered praise.
"Hmph. You don't even understand the logic behind your own shot. You just got lucky and stole the ball from my feet..."
Rin's eyes were filled with irritation.
Clearly, he was pissed that Isagi had ruined his final showdown with Kira.
"Hey, hey. Just admit it. If you can't even praise someone else's brilliant light..."
"You're going to drop from a second-rate player to a third-rate player, you know."
Shidou actually stood up for Isagi. Clearly, he had been won over by Isagi's performance.
"What did you say?"
Rin snapped, cracking his knuckles as he stepped forward.
"If you want to fight, I'm ready anytime."
Shidou didn't back down, looking equally eager for violence.
"Can you two stop being so childish? Seriously."
Seeing a brawl about to break out, Kira quickly stepped between them.
"Kira-chan, don't protect this guy. He can't see anyone's merits but his own. I've been sick of him for a long time..."
"Always acting high and mighty, self-righteous prick."
Shidou pointed right at Rin's nose, continuing his verbal assault.
"You pink-haired freak. You spend all day grinning like an idiot with no discipline. How did you even become a player?"
Rin hadn't been able to stand Shidou for a long time either.
"Stop arguing! No fighting!"
"Ouch! Watch the face!"
Kira dodged left and right in the middle of their scuffle. Relying on Kira alone wasn't enough to hold back two guys bursting with battle intent.
Karasu watched the scene with an amused expression. 'What a bunch of overgrown children.'
Afraid Kira might get hurt, Chigiri rushed in to help pull them apart. Seeing this, the others couldn't just stand by and watch, so they all stepped in to separate the two.
Kira touched his face. 'Safe. No friendly fire.'
Playing bad football was one thing. But getting disfigured? That would ruin his future.
Beep-beep!
"If there is any more violent behavior during the selection, you will be disqualified."
"Disperse immediately and prepare for the next match."
With the announcement from the speakers, Rin and Shidou were finally dragged apart.
"See you, Kira. Until next time."
Isagi said goodbye to Kira with a satisfied look. Nanase and Hiori also greeted Kira before leaving.
Chigiri looked at Kira, his mouth opening as if he wanted to say something. In the end, he left with a look of unwillingness.
Rin, still fuming, stormed into the tunnel alone.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, only Shidou and Kira remained on the field.
Kira looked at Shidou, who had a budding bruise on his face, and spoke exasperatedly. "Tone down your temper. In the future, no matter which team you go to..."
"With a personality like that, it's going to be hard for teammates to accept you."
Shidou, who had closed his eyes to rest, opened them and looked at Kira.
"That lecture is boring. Why do you talk like those adults?"
"I am me. From the time I was born until now, I've always followed my own heart. That is Ryusei Shidou's way of life."
Seeing this, Kira didn't bother trying to preach anymore. He prepared to head to the rest area; he still had matches to play.
He had walked halfway when Shidou suddenly spoke up.
"To be honest, I don't really like you..."
"You don't have the vitality and drive that someone our age should have."
"You smell like an adult. Come on, we're high schoolers. Pretending to be a mature grown up... doesn't it get tiring?"
Kira paused in his tracks.
He didn't turn back. He just continued walking away.
'Sorry, Shidou.'
'I am a boring adult...'
***
Meanwhile, in the audiovisual room.
Isagi, Nanase, and Hiori were gathered there after the match.
After washing up, they were reviewing the footage of the first game back and forth while waiting for the second match to start.
"I see..."
"At that moment, I did this, then this, then that."
"And then I scored."
Isagi seemed to grasp something.
"Question! What exactly is 'that'?" Nanase raised his hand foolishly.
"Uh... Isn't it right there on the screen?" Isagi rolled his eyes at Nanase.
"Then question! Did you plan all of that before you moved?" Nanase asked again.
Isagi rubbed his chin, recalling the moment, then shook his head. "No. It was entirely based on instantaneous intuition..."
"It's the first time I've ever pulled off such complex movements."
Hiori leaned in and nodded. "To be honest, I didn't expect you to score either."
"When I passed, I thought the one scoring would be Kira or Shidou."
"Hiori, I have a question. Why did you tell me to try replacing thinking with reflex?"
Isagi was curious about Hiori's reasoning.
Patiently, Hiori explained the concept of FLOW State to Nanase and Isagi.
The two nodded continuously as they listened.
"So that's it. Isagi's performance just now... was it because he entered the FLOW State?"
Nanase actually asked a good question for once.
Hiori nodded.
Isagi felt a sudden clarity.
However, Isagi knew that while this was a brand new state for him, he hadn't fully mastered it yet.
'If I can reproduce that feeling frequently...'
'I can definitely go higher and further!'
But Isagi also knew this wasn't something he could rush. He needed to take it slow.
'There's probably no one in the world who can use that state at will, right?'
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