Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

Chapter 61 60 - Farewell

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"What a match, my friends! Nishikawa High School have just secured victory and their place in the semi-finals in a tight contest! Namiki's last-gasp penalty save was the final blow, and they now advance in the tournament! But hats off to Wushia High School.

These boys gave their all on the pitch, faced a strong opponent and, even with a limited coaching staff - just one coach, no assistants, no analysts - they made it far."

"Absolutely! Unfortunately, the penalty mistakes weighed on them. But in all honesty, these boys had an incredible campaign. Wushia High School doesn't have a recent sporting record, but it looks like that could start to change!"

"Yes, yes! And coach Yamamoto deserves applause too. He's managed to tie this group together, even without the resources and structure we see at other schools. They may have lost today, but the future looks bright for this team."

However, at that moment, the boys couldn't hear the words that were trying to comfort them. Anyway, if they could hear them, for the boys the weight of defeat was stronger than any external recognition.

The bitter taste of defeat still lingered in Lucas' mouth. He wanted to shout, to punch something, but at the same time, all he could do was walk with his head down, in silence, following the flow of the players. He was no longer a young man who couldn't control his emotions.

In the dressing room, no one said a word.

Kuwabara, sitting on a bench, was still in disbelief at the mistake he had made. He pressed his face into his hands, clearly ashamed, sad, disappointed, frustrated...

"I'm sorry..." muttered Kuwabara. "I've ruined everything."

The weight of that mistake was evident, but his companions knew that it wouldn't be fair to put all the responsibility on Kuwabara. Everyone knew deep down that there were points in the game where they could have done better, made different decisions. It was a collective defeat, not just the result of individual failure.

Nishida raised his head and walked over to Kuwabara, then put his hand on his shoulder.

"You did your best, man. It was a penalty shootout, anyone can make a mistake. It's not the end of the world."

Kuwabara only nodded slightly, still visibly dejected.

Toshinori opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the right words. Everyone was emotionally drained after such a long and short championship at the same time.

When coach Yamamoto entered the locker room, there was no anger or disappointment in his countenance, which was different from what many had expected. He was calm and his eyes swept the locker room before he finally addressed the boys.

"I want you to listen to me, men. What you did today was something extraordinary."

The players' eyes turned to the coach, confused. After all, they had lost.

"I know losing hurts. I know you wanted to be on the other side of that match, celebrating. We have been. But that's part of sport. For someone to win, someone else has to lose. Even though we lost today, I want you to know how proud I am of everyone here." He raised his right hand and, before the boys' eyes, he closed it into a fist.

"You've taken the name of Wushia High School further than most people could have imagined. And, above all, you played as a team."

Yamamoto looked at each of the players and smiled.

"Today, you have taken the first step towards bringing back Wushia High School's sporting legacy. And that's no small feat... Most of you are in your first or second year. That means you'll still have plenty of chances to play soccer. To compete. To win.

And if you keep working hard, as you have done so far, I have no doubt that you will achieve even greater things. Hold your heads high. Today was just a battle. The real goal is still ahead."

Lucas looked around and saw that his teammates also seemed less discouraged. Yamamoto's words had struck the right chord, bringing a little light to that dark moment.

"You're a good coach, old man..." muttered Tsukada, finally breaking his self-imposed vow of silence.

"I do what I can." Yamamoto laughed softly, and many others laughed too. "When you're all ready, pack your things and we'll head back to the hotel."

Before leaving, Lucas went to the restroom outside the locker room because the one in the locker room was, as usual, too noisy. He leaned on the sink and stared at his reflection.

"System, this time you didn't give me an assignment. Why did that happen? Did you already know about my defeat?" Lucas asked.

[Missions are offered to encourage you to do your best. This time, you didn't need any more motivation to win than you already had].

"Ah, so that's how it works."

[Stimulating you isn't the only function of missions, but it is the main one.]

"I imagine that the other functions are to help me improve, make me mature and so on... Yeah, anyway, I haven't managed to be any better."

Lucas's black hair was still messy and he still had the expression of someone who was struggling internally to process what had happened. The penalties... the missed opportunity... the look of despair in Toshinori's eyes when the ball went in. It all repeated itself like an endless cycle in his mind.

"I should have done more." He punched the sink lightly.

[Indeed. You could have used your skills better. You didn't get the best out of yourself or your team].

"I know..."

Lucas had become accustomed to criticizing himself. Since the start of the championship, every mistake, every inaccurate pass, was an extra stone heaped on his shoulders. After such a narrow defeat, the feeling of inadequacy seemed unbearable. It was at that moment that the bathroom door opened. Lucas looked up, expecting to see one of his teammates.

However, the person who entered was not one of his friends, nor was it someone from Wushia High School or even a male, considering that the bathroom was for men only. It was Hasumi Seiya, the young coach from Hanrahan High School.

Her light blue hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she was wearing a blue jacket from her school, the badge embroidered on the sleeve.

"Y-you?! What are you doing here? You're in the men's room, what if someone sees you?"

Seiya didn't seem in the least bit bothered by the likelihood that Lucas had pointed out. She crossed her arms with a calm expression and said:

"If someone sees me, it's not your concern, Tanaka. I came here to talk to you."

Lucas arched his eyebrows. She wanted to talk to him? At a time like that, after a defeat? He imagined that Seiya was there to criticize him again, perhaps to point out his mistakes or even ridicule the team's performance.

"I know you're probably blaming yourself for today's result." She began, and Lucas felt a knot tighten in his throat. "But I didn't come here to tell you how bad you are as a number 10."

Lucas blinked, surprised. "Then what did you come for?"

"I came to congratulate you."

"Congratulate? We lost."

"Yes. Just as I predicted would happen." Hasumi Seiya agreed. "You lost. But you... well, you showed that you have the potential.

Sure, you're not a leader on the field, you're far from be creative with the ball on your feet and you can't even be tactical, but you stand out from the rest for your physical composure, your finishing, your passing, your drive, your defensive work, your attacking work and your midfield work. You have what it takes to be a good footballer."

Lucas was used to criticism and demands, especially from himself, but the praise, especially from Hasumi Seiya, took him by surprise.

"Why are you saying that?"

Seiya stepped forward and held out a hand. "It's because I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of player you'll become, Tanaka. By the time I reach my goal and am coaching the Japanese men's national team, I hope you'll have made a name for yourself in professional soccer, because I'll still be keeping an eye on you."

Those words sounded like thunder in Lucas' mind. He was facing one of the most promising figures in Japanese soccer. A young coach who, despite her age and because she was a woman, had already won the respect and admiration of many in the sporting world.

"Me? Do you really think I...?"

Seiya smiled. "I don't know. You have some of the qualities I value in a player. The difference is that you need to keep improving your strengths and weaknesses. You need to work harder, be more strategic on the pitch and technically better. You're on the right track and I don't think I'm the only person who has noted it.

But you also need a team where you don't have to work so hard, think so much about others and focus more on your game."

"What do you mean?" Lucas frowned and asked.

"I think you know the answer... It's the end of the school year. Think carefully about your opportunities and evaluate them."

[New Main Mission!]

[Name of Main Mission: Farewell

Description: Wushia High School has a good school soccer club, but to follow a different path you may need to do more than make different decisions, you may need to breathe new air.

Goal: Leave Wushia High School.

Rewards:

+1 Mysterious Function].