[BACKSTORY] PAIN BEHIND SMILE (KIYOSHI)-

Start from chapter 16-

Kiyoshi Shenzuki sat alone in the garden, holding his jersey tightly. He was not the type of person to sit quietly he was the one who always wore a creepy yet sweet smile. The one who motivated others, cheered them on, and kept the energy alive. But today, he was alone.
 

He felt heavy, yet there was no shoulder for him to lean on.
 

The day was bright, almost as if it represented happiness itself spreading warmth and joy. The wind carried a positive aura, flowing with an uplifting energy. Small, noisy black clouds drifted in with the breeze, but the sun continued to shine, as if whispering, No matter what happens, always keep shining.
 

"Is this the end? The end of my dream to become a great footballer?" Kiyoshi muttered in a low, sorrowful voice, his gaze fixed on his jersey. Then, he whispered again
 

"I still remember the day when I was nine years old."

"The day I touched a football for the first time."
 

Nine Years Ago-
 

Kiyoshi, only nine years old, was home alone watching cartoons on television. His father was at the office, and his mother had gone to the market to buy groceries.
 

After some time, his mother, Akiko, returned.
 

"I'm home," she called softly from the entrance, taking off her shoes.
 

"Huh?"
 

"Mommm!" Kiyoshi shouted excitedly. He rushed toward her, whispering repeatedly
 

"Mom-mom-mom!"
 

As soon as he reached her, he hugged her tightly.
 

"What did you bring for me today?" he asked with a bright, innocent smile.
 

"Ohh, Kiyoshi, let me come in first!" Akiko giggled.
 

"Hmm! Okay!" Kiyoshi replied eagerly, grabbing her hand and leading her inside.
 

She sat down in the hall, and Kiyoshi ran into the kitchen, returning with a glass of water. He handed it to her with a wide smile.
 

Akiko drank the water, then noticed Kiyoshi watching her with sparkling eyes he was waiting impatiently to see what she had brought for him.
 

Smiling, Akiko took out a football and handed it to him.
 

"Wow! A volleyball!" Kiyoshi exclaimed.
 

"No, silly! It's a football, not a volleyball," Akiko corrected him with a chuckle.
 

"Football?" Kiyoshi asked, confused.
 

Akiko changed the TV channel to a football match and pointed at the screen.

 

"See, Kiyoshi? This is football. Those players are kicking the ball that's a football."
 

"When someone kicks the ball into that netted goal box, it's called a goal. The team that scores more goals wins the match."
 

Kiyoshi listened intently as his mother explained the rules.
 

Holding the football in both hands, he stared at the screen. In that moment, he fell in love with the sport.
 

That entire day, he did nothing but watch football matches.
 

That evening, when his father came home, Kiyoshi rushed to him excitedly.
 

"Papa! Papa!" he shouted, grabbing his father's arm.
 

"Papa, I want to be a footballer!"
 

But his father barely reacted.
 

"Do whatever you want," he muttered before walking away.
 

Kiyoshi's father was drunk again. His mother noticed and immediately got angry. She hated alcohol.
 

A heated argument broke out between them in the kitchen.
 

Kiyoshi, hiding behind the door, watched them fight.
 

That night, as he lay in bed, hugging the football his mother had given him, he made a decision.
 

"I will play football. I will join the school team."
 

And so, he started playing football. He practiced for hours, day after day.
 

But every time there were team trials, he failed to make it onto the team.
 

For four years, he kept trying.
 

At thirteen, he was finally selected. He played his first match and even scored two goals. But his team still lost.
 

Heartbroken, he returned home with a defeated expression.
 

Akiko noticed immediately.
 

"Why do you look so sad?" she asked, cupping his cheeks lovingly.
 

Kiyoshi sniffled, trying to hold back his tears.
 

"I-I lost, Mom," he whispered.
 

"Oh, Kiyoshi… so what if you lost?" Akiko smiled gently. "It was your first match."
 

She wiped his tears away.
 

"Listen to me carefully, my boy. Losing is just a part of winning, and winning is the reward of losing. That's why always keep smiling, no matter what. The true victory is when you smile through your losses."
 

"Now, no more crying. Be Mama’s good boy."
 

She gently ruffled his hair.
 

That was the first time Kiyoshi showed his signature creepy, toothy smile.
 

From that day on, he never stopped working hard.
 

Even though he played many matches, he never won a single one.
 

But he always smiled.
 

Then, something happened that changed his life forever.
 

His parents divorced.
 

When Kiyoshi was fifteen, his mother finally left his father.
 

The court ruled that Kiyoshi would stay with his father.
 

Before leaving, Akiko cupped his face one last time.
 

"Kiyoshi… I don’t know where life will take me," she whispered. "But no matter what, I will always be with you. I will always be your mother, and you will always be my good boy."
 

She hugged him tightly, kissed his forehead, and smiled.
 

"Keep smiling."
 

Then, she walked away.
 

Kiyoshi stood there, watching his mother leave.
 

Tears streamed down his face, but he smiled through them.
 

"Mom… don’t go," he whispered.
 

That night, he clutched the football she had given him six years ago and cried.
 

His father took care of him, but he never supported his football dreams.
 

Three years later, at eighteen, Kiyoshi was about to play a crucial match against Shiranogi High School.
 

Before the game, his father spoke to him for the first time in a long while.
 

"You've been playing football for nine years."
 

"And you still haven’t achieved much."
 

"If you lose today, it’s over. No more football. It’s just a waste of time."
 

Then, he walked away.
 

To everyone else, this was just another match.
 

But for Kiyoshi, it was do or die.

End of Chapter 17-

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