Barely a week into the new school year in Hinami, the day promised to be more eventful than any player on the Pirates could have anticipated. A transfer student was set to join them, potentially becoming a new addition to the team. And if Gonda’s sources were correct, that new kid could very well be the missing piece he was so desperately searching for all this time.

“You called for me, coach Gonda?”

It was right before the newbie was about to be tested on the field for his first training session, when the coach had asked for the team’s captain to visit him in his private office.

As Gonda blew out a puff of smoke, he nodded.

“That I did.” The man leaned forward, and gave his player the rundown. A few simple things. Simple, yet peculiar.

“So you said his name is Yuusaki Reo?”

“Indeed.”

“And you want me to… rile him up?”

“Exactly.”

The coach smiled at the captain, visibly satisfied at his plan. He had set a hard-working, serious young man to be negative towards a potential slacker after all. His plan was both morally upright and tactically sound.

“May I ask why?” Housen maintained an unwavering expression throughout the interaction, his demeanor as unyielding as stone.

“I just need him to take it seriously. I have a feeling he won’t.”

“If I may, coach…” The young man’s eyes narrowed, “If he doesn’t take it seriously then he doesn’t deserve to be on—“

“Uh-uh, that’s where you’re wrong. Well, not exactly but…” The coach sighed, and smiled even wider than before. “I have plans. Trust me on this one, Housen.”

“Okay, Gonda-san… I’ll do my best.”

With the board laid out and the pieces in position, everything was set. Gonda had a knack for scheming, sometimes even overestimating his own abilities. However, for this particular plan, he felt an unusual sense of optimism. Perhaps, just perhaps, he could make it work.

The information he possessed was too valuable to let this opportunity go to waste.

❖ ⚽ ❖

Right after Reo, the newbie, had dropped the team’s captain on the ground without even touching him, Housen realized what his talk with Gonda was all about. A part of him that is.

Another had more questions than ever before. Housen had a nagging feeling as he made his way to the locker rooms…

On his way there, he made a point to catch up with his coach.

“Coach Gonda!” The captain called.

“Housen-kun! Great job!” Not the words a defender who got humiliated expected to hear, but the coach couldn’t hide that smile of his. He patted his player on the back, but the kid was…

Tense.

“That newbie…” Housen spoke in a hushed manner, his tone betraying slight awe. It wasn’t every day he got as thoroughly schooled as a defender, not even during training.

And the thing, that made him feel the worse, was that…

The young man didn’t even seem to be trying.

“Just who is he…?”

Facing that question, Gonda patted Housen again, his smile easing and his eyes narrowing.

“Somebody that will undoubtedly help us. And maybe we can help him in return.”