The morning had been intense.
Rikuo could still feel the fatigue from the quick passes, the sprints, and the team drills.
But he knew the afternoon would be just as important: physical preparation and recovery.
A professional must always take care of his body it is his working tool.
Assistant fitness coaches under Satô Takumi led the players to the club's indoor facilities:
The weight room to strengthen the muscles used during the morning session.
Mobility and balance exercises to prevent injuries.
A recovery session in the club's pool, with light swimming and stretching in the water.
Jacuzzi and sauna to relax sore muscles.
Rikuo let himself relax, enjoying every moment.
It had been a long time since he could combine high-level training with professional recovery a luxury reserved for pros.
After the session, Rikuo and Takuma enjoyed a calm moment and walked around the center, along the pitches and the club's gardens.
"You know…" Takuma began, watching Rikuo walk beside him. "This might sound a bit awkward, Riku…"
Rikuo nodded.
"Go on, I'm listening, man."
"I'm your friend, but I don't really know much about your past. I only know you lived in France. What was it like there?"
Rikuo smiled shyly.
"France… it's the country where I was born, and my mother's country. I grew up there and learned football there."
Takuma nodded and motioned for him to continue.
"I started playing football very young, around seven or eight. Even before that, my father used to take me with my mom to the stadium near our home whenever he could. He played football with me all the time. He really did everything to make me grow up in that world," Rikuo said, smiling with nostalgia.
"That's amazing. Having parents and especially a father like that… I kind of envy you. Go on," Takuma said, listening closely.
"I started in a small club in the suburbs of Paris, and I stayed there until the end. From the age of fourteen, I was playing in the U17 national league. It was incredible. Everyone was watching. We were just an amateur team playing against professional academies, but we competed with them."
"Haha, I can't even imagine how good that must have felt," Takuma said.
"It really was the best period of my life. After that, I started getting attention on social media and in the press. When I was fifteen, I got selected for a world tournament with the France U17 team. I was so proud. My parents were incredibly happy for me."
"I see… playing for France at that age, already in U17, man you were something else. I'm not surprised. But then… if everything was going so well, why are you here today?" Takuma asked, curious.
Rikuo hesitated.
"…That's hard to explain for now, Taku. You're a good friend, and I promise I'll tell you one day. But I'm not someone who talks easily about himself. I like to take my time and move forward with positivity."
There was a brief silence.
Then Takuma laughed.
"It's okay, my friend. You'll tell me when you're ready. We don't know everything about each other yet, and that's normal. We're two young footballers at the start. Maybe one day we'll be rivals but that won't change anything. Take all the time you need to talk about the hard things you've been through, Riku. That's what friends are for," Takuma said, patting Rikuo on the shoulder.
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Taku. And you? When I first arrived, you pushed me away, and everyone called you a prodigy. What's your story?" Rikuo asked.
"Hahaha, mine's not as impressive as yours. I'll keep it simple for now. My father is the president of one of the club's sponsors… Since I was a kid, I've lived under the pressure to succeed here. People always looked at me like money, not like a player. So I decided to speak on the pitch. I wanted my father to look at me, not the money I could make if I turned pro," Takuma said with a forced smile.
"Man… that couldn't have been easy. I can already imagine the prejudice you had to deal with. Like with me, until the day you're ready to tell me more, I won't push. I'm your friend. Today, we're professionals together. Let's make our debuts and silence all those bad voices watching us with jealous eyes, Taku!"
Under the sunset near the stadium, the two friends felt determined.
They had grown closer than before, and their friendship within the club would one day bring some of the greatest moments in its history.
They kept walking, talking about everything:
The matches they watched as kids.
The players they admired.
Their dreams for the future.
Rikuo shared stories from his childhood in France: his first training sessions in small Parisian clubs, national tournaments, wins and losses.
Takuma listened, sometimes speechless, finally understanding the depth of Rikuo's natural talent and hard work.
After the walk, they returned to the locker room to get ready to go home.
Tired but happy, Rikuo knew this first full day with the pros was a real turning point.
Between team training, the goal of joining the first team, physical preparation, recovery, and heartfelt talks with Takuma, he had not only started adapting to professional football but also built bonds that would follow him throughout his career.
On his way home, he thought about his father and his mother.
Their support real or symbolic was always with him, giving him strength to keep moving forward.
But just as he arrived home, Rikuo received a phone call… from the coach himself.
"Good evening, Coach Sato. What's going on?"
"Good evening, Rikuo. I had to call you—it's urgent," Coach Sato said.
"Yes, I'm listening, Coach Sato?"
"Alright. Listen to me carefully…"
…
Rikuo, holding the phone, had no idea what the coach was about to tell him.