The next day felt brighter than the previous one for Rikuo.
His father had left a note on the table with a message of encouragement:
"Stay strong, my son. Show them who you are."
His cat Yuki and his dog Rocky were there, asking for attention and cuddles.
Before leaving, Rikuo received a call.
"Why is Hideo, my agent, calling me now?"
It was Hideo, the agent he had met a few days ago.
"Yo Rikuo, how are you?"
"Hello Hideo, I'm good, thanks. And you?"
"I'm good, I'm good. Listen, I'll keep it short. I heard that you joined Group 1 faster than expected, even if it's temporary, I know," Hideo said on the phone.
"Uh… yeah, that's right."
"Then listen carefully. You absolutely need to play your first match this weekend, Rikuo."
"What? You expect me to play my first minutes just like that, right away?"
"Yes. And listen, I'm not your coach. I'm here for everything around your career, on and off the pitch. But if you debut this weekend, you'll be taking your first step onto the big professional stage in Japan. A lot of people will start paying attention to you. You understand?"
"Yes, I understand. It makes sense… and ?" Rikuo replied, curious.
"If many people start knowing your name, there will be brands, sponsors, and most importantly, there could be scouts from the Japanese national team. You know that, right?"
"Mmh… I honestly hadn't thought about that at all. But now that you say it, it makes sense. It's the opening match of the season, and we're facing the defending champions," Rikuo said, scratching the back of his head.
"Exactly. I've already told you, but for me, one day you'll be on the list of every coach in the world. That's where you're headed, Rikuo. Give it everything you've got. And if I can help in any way, I'm here even if I'm not your coach," Hideo finished, laughing but clearly serious.
"I admit, you surprised me with this call. I didn't expect you to say that. And honestly, whether they're there or not doesn't really matter to me," Rikuo said seriously.
"What?! What do you mean by that, Rikuo? I don't understand," Hideo replied, surprised.
"I'll be quick because I don't want to be late to the club. I don't care about people watching me for now, because I know that one day they'll be the first knocking on my door, Hideo. So I'm not worried about that. I'm starting to see how to reach the top of football, and first, I need to climb step by step inside this club. Don't worry, it'll be fine."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"Hahaha… seriously, Rikuo, I don't know if you'll ever stop surprising me, but I'm in. I'll follow your plan. Stay strong, Rikuo. I'll be here if you need anything."
"Perfect. Thanks, Hideo. I made the right choice signing with you. See you," Rikuo said positively before hanging up.
On the bus ride to the training center, Rikuo murmured to himself:
"National team scouts… right now, it's hard to even think about that. As long as I haven't earned the respect of the Group 1 players, I can't allow myself to be happy over that. They're not even here for me yet. I'm still nobody."
"But I'll become someone very soon in this club. And today, I move forward. Yesterday is forgotten."
At the club's training center
In the locker room, after greeting everyone, Rikuo found his friend Takuma.
Before that, he looked at the board and thankfully, his name was still on the Group 1 side.
"Hey Riku, so you're surviving in Group 1?" Takuma teased.
"Pff, who do you think I am, Taku? Yesterday was tough, yeah. But today and tomorrow? It'll be fine, you'll see," Rikuo laughed.
"You mean today, kid."
It was Rivelinho, casually joining the conversation.
"Yeah, today and tomorrow, that's what I said," Rikuo replied, confused.
"Haha, you didn't get it, kid. There are two days left before the match. The day before the game, we don't train hard here. It's more video sessions and light work. So if you want to prove something, it's today, garoto," the Brazilian laughed.
"Oh… so if I want to prove I belong in this group, today is the day. Perfect. No excuses," Rikuo murmured.
"Hey Rivelinho, Minato, all of you today you'll see a very different Rikuo than yesterday. I wasn't in the mood yesterday. Today won't be the same. Get ready," Rikuo said, pointing at Rivelinho and Minato sitting behind him.
"I'm waiting for that, prodigy. I just want to have fun with a young genius like you. This is your second chance," Minato replied.
A few minutes later, all the players gathered on the pitch.
Coach Satô spoke.
"Good morning. We have today and tomorrow left before our match against Kashima CF at home. Today, I want intensity and rhythm again. We've had good preparation. Let's finish strong before the game."
"Yes, coach!" the players replied in unison.
"Alright, let's go. Warm-up laps. No time wasted!"
The players started moving immediately.
The first laps began.
His body felt better than the day before.
His legs were still heavy, but his mind was clear.
After the dynamic warm-up, the coach didn't waste time.
"Next!"
Match preparation.
Real intensity.
Physical and coordination work
Short sprints with direction changes
Quick footwork
Runs with the ball
Physical duels
Rikuo naturally positioned himself in the right spaces.
He saved his energy.
When he sprinted, he went full speed.
When he could slow down, he did.
Minato glanced at him after one drill.
Rikuo was no longer late.
He was on time.
Then came technical work under pressure.
Ball possession:
Two touches max
High pressing
Simple play required
Rikuo received the ball with his back to goal.
Yesterday, he would've tried to turn.
Today, one touch.
Clean.
Efficient.
"Good!" an assistant coach shouted.
Rivelinho got the ball and passed it straight back to him.
One touch again.
Perfect.
The Brazilian smiled.
"That's good, kid, haha."
Rikuo felt something change.
He wasn't surviving anymore.
He existed in the game.
The coach watched silently, arms crossed.
"He's thinking…" he thought.
"That's better."
After a short water break, the intensity went even higher.
"Alright, players I call out take blue bibs, the rest yellow. Kaito, you're the goalkeeper for the blue team. Let's go!"
Small-sided game.
Contact allowed.
The ball moved fast.
Very fast.
From the first minutes, Rikuo made himself available.
He played next to Minato.
Rivelinho was up front as the number 9.
Then a player came close to Rikuo and whispered:
"Hey little genius, I see you're doing well. I'll be quick. I'm on the left wing when you have the ball, find me between the lines. It'll come naturally. You're the same type of player as me," he laughed.
"Uh… okay, no problem," Rikuo replied.
The player was Raizo, Tokyo CF's number 7, a player in great form and one of the rising names in Japan.
Play resumed.
Rikuo kept moving.
Always an option.
He intercepted a pass in midfield.
Oriented control.
He lifted his head.
Yesterday, he would've forced it.
Today, he waited.
A clean pass to Minato.
Then a run behind the defense.
Minato returned it in one touch.
The one-two worked perfectly.
Rikuo accelerated.
He received the ball at the right moment.
A small feint.
He beat his man.
"Oh, very nice!" Raizo shouted.
Rikuo slipped the ball to Rivelinho on the side.
Goal.
The Brazilian burst out laughing.
"Caralho, garoto! Que passe!"
*Damn, kid! What a pass!*
He slapped Rikuo's hand as he ran by.
"Continua assim, pequeno."
*Keep going like that, kid.*
"Hey, I want one like that too look for me next time!" Raizo said.
"Don't worry, I'm reading the game well now. It'll come," Rikuo replied confidently.
"Impressive… he's not the same as yesterday," Minato thought.
Rikuo felt his heart pounding.
But this time, it wasn't panic.
It was pleasure.
The game continued.
On another action, he pressed intelligently.
He cut the passing lane instead of running for nothing.
Clean recovery.
He kept the ball.
Drew an opponent.
Freed a teammate.
Minato nodded.
"Good read."
Even the most skeptical players started talking less…
And playing with him more.
On the bench, the coach followed every move.
"That's it…" Satô thought.
"Now it's better.
He's starting to understand why he's here."
The opposition became more intense.
The duels got harder.
But Rikuo didn't back down.
He didn't win everything.
But he didn't disappear anymore.
He was part of the game.
The action developed in midfield.
Rikuo asked for the ball with a clear gesture.
Training wasn't over yet.
And for the first time since joining Group 1,
he wasn't a spectator anymore.
He was an actor of the group.