After the celebration, the field slowly emptied. One by one, the girls waved goodbye, their voices echoing in the night air.
Girls (in chorus):
"Good night, boss!"
"Good night, Coach!"
"Later, old man!"
Lucas (smiling):
"Heh. Good night, my girls. Rest well."
As they disappeared into the night, Lucas slung his backpack over his shoulder and started packing up the cones and marker pens.
Lucas (thinking):
What a day… that speech from Aria, the way the team worked today… we're finally becoming something real.
Just then, a voice called out behind him.
Sofia:
"Lucas! Lucas!"
Lucas (turning):
"Huh? Who's—oh, it's you, Sofia. What's up, boss?"
Sofia (with a gentle smile):
"Stop that. Want me to drop you home? You must be tired."
Lucas (serious):
"…Do I look like an old man with no stamina?"
Kuro:
"Technically… you are."
Sofia (flustered):
"Wha—No! No no no! I didn't mean it like that!"
Lucas (grinning):
"Pfft—Hahahaha! I'm just messing with you, Red Tomato. Come on, let's go."
Sofia (blinking):
"Red… tomato?! Why are you calling me that?!"
Lucas (already walking):
"No reason, no reason~"
They got into the car.
Inside the Car
Sofia:
"So… how are you feeling?"
Lucas:
"Pretty good. You?"
Sofia:
"Mm… I guess I'm good too."
(pause)
Lucas:
"Thanks for today, by the way. The cake, the celebration… the girls really loved it."
Sofia:
"It was nothing. You helped more than you think."
Sofia (softly):
"So… how's the training going? Will you win?"
Lucas (confidently):
"We will. Just trust us."
There was a small silence. The streetlights flickered across Sofia's face as she drove.
Then came the words that snapped something inside Lucas.
Sofia:
"…What if you lose? I could talk to my father. Maybe we can change the bet. You wouldn't have to leave, you know. Even if you did lose—"
Lucas's expression changed instantly.
Lucas (voice rising):
"Don't say that again."
"I made that bet because I believe in them. In this team. In myself."
"If I lose, I'll leave. That's the promise. I'm not someone who needs saving by pity or favors."
"You think this is just about a damn job?"
"I'm doing this because those girls deserve to win. Because they can win. And if I can't make that happen…"
"…then maybe I don't deserve to be here."
"So don't try to change the bet, Sofia. Just believe in me. Like they do."
Silence.
The car suddenly felt colder. Neither of them spoke. The tension was so thick it could be cut with a butter knife.
Lucas:
"…Stop here. I'll walk the rest of the way."
Sofia (worried):
"But…"
Lucas (quiet but firm):
"Please."
Sofia slowed down. The car came to a halt. Lucas grabbed his bag and stepped out.
Lucas (not looking back):
"…Thanks for the ride."
He shut the door gently. Not slamming it—but not softly either.
Lucas (thinking, walking under the streetlights):
She still doesn't trust us. Or maybe… me.
But I'll prove her wrong. I'll prove them all wrong.
That Night
Dinner was quiet but warm.
Marie:
"You look tired, Lucas."
Lucas (smiling faintly):
"Just a long day."
They ate together—rice, curry, and some pickled radish. Then Lucas went to bed early, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Tomorrow was a new day. And it was one step closer… to the showdown.
Next Day – Queen's High School
The locker room was quiet.
I walked in, but my mind wasn't really there.
Sofia's words from the other night… they kept echoing in my head.
"What if you lose… I'll talk to my father..."
Lucas (thinking):
Tch. Why does that still bug me? I said I'd prove them wrong. I meant it. So focus, damn it.
Shaking it off, I threw on my jacket, grabbed my whistle, and headed out to the pitch.
The moment my foot touched the grass, something in me clicked.
It was game time—not literally, but in spirit. The girls were already jogging, stretching, warming up. I joined them.
And just like that, our brutal training grind began.
Week 1: Hell Begins
We drilled like soldiers.
Day 1: Conditioning and tempo drills.
Day 2: Central midfield dominance + rapid transitions.
Day 3: Set-pieces and gritty 1v1 duels.
Day 4: Tactical discipline. High press drills until our lungs burned.
Day 5: Light technique, set-piece rehearsals, walk-throughs.
Then we repeated the cycle.
Mornings. Evenings. Rain. Shine. Bruises. Tears.
We kept pushing.
No shortcuts. No slacking.
We trained like hell.
Day 18 – Final Day of Training
Lucas (blows whistle):
"PHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The girls froze. Panting. Sweating. Eyes sharp.
Lucas:
"That's it! Girls, that's the final training session. You're done."
A wave of exhausted cheers followed. Some collapsed onto the turf. Some hugged each other. Some just stared at the sky, eyes glazed from fatigue and pride.
Lucas (thinking):
They made it. All of them. They stuck through every damn drill. Every punishment. Every speech. And now… it's almost time.
Lucas (gathering the team):
"Listen up."
The chatter died instantly. All eyes turned to me.
No movement. No breath. Just focus.
Lucas (serious, pacing slowly):
"I know how hard you've worked. I've watched you fall, get up, fall again… and still come back stronger."
"Some of you made mistakes. Some of you doubted yourselves. Some of you… thought you were weak."
He stopped walking. His voice rose.
Lucas (eyes burning):
"As a coach—and as someone who used to be in your shoes—there's one truth I want burned into your brains."
Lucas (shouting):
"KEEP. TRYING!"
The girls flinched, then straightened.
Lucas:
"Take risks! Sometimes you'll lose the ball—that's fine! But hear this—"
Lucas (firm, clear):
"If you keep making the same mistakes, that's a problem."
"But if you're learning from them… if you're growing… if every day, you're cutting out more and more errors…"
Lucas (voice deepening):
"Then you're on your way to becoming top players."
He took a breath.
Lucas (quietly, but firmly):
"A wise man once said… 'Being weak is okay. But staying weak isn't.'"
Silence.
Then he pointed to the badge on their training kits.
Lucas:
"In two days, you're going to walk onto that field—not as 'just girls,' not as the team people laughed at, not as underdogs—"
Lucas (fierce):
"—But as Queen's High warriors."
"Are you ready to show this school who you really are?!"
The ground trembled.
Girls (shouting):
"YES, COACHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"