Kiyoshi Shenzuki sat alone on a stone bench in the stadium garden, his jersey clutched so tightly in his fists that his knuckles turned white. To the world, Kiyoshi was the battery the one who wore the toothy, "creepy" smile to keep everyone’s energy alive. But today, the battery was drained.
The sun shone brilliantly overhead, a cruel contrast to the darkness in his heart. The wind carried a positive aura, whispering that life goes on, but for Kiyoshi, life had just hit a wall.
"Is this it?" he muttered, his voice cracking. "The end of the dream?"
He looked down at the fabric of his jersey. To anyone else, it was just polyester. To him, it was nine years of his life.
Nine Years Ago: The Beginning
Kiyoshi was nine years old, a tiny boy with high energy and big eyes. One afternoon, he was waiting for his mother, Akiko, to return from the market.
"I'm home!" she called out.
"Mommm!" Kiyoshi sprinted to the door, nearly tackling her. "What did you bring me? A snack? A toy?"
Akiko giggled, leading him inside. After drinking the water he dutifully brought her, she reached into her bag and pulled out a black-and-white sphere.
"Wow! A volleyball!" Kiyoshi cheered.
"No, silly," she laughed, ruffling his hair. "It’s a football. Look."
She turned the TV to a professional match. Kiyoshi watched, mesmerized. Men were running, kicking, and screaming with passion. When a ball hit the net and the commentator screamed "GOAL!", something sparked in Kiyoshi’s soul. He fell in love instantly.
That evening, he grabbed his father’s arm as soon as he walked through the door. "Papa! Papa! I want to be a footballer!"
His father, smelling of sake and exhaustion, didn't even look at him. "Do whatever you want," he muttered, pushing past the boy.
That night, Kiyoshi lay in bed, hiding under the covers while his parents screamed at each other in the kitchen. He hugged the football his mother gave him. It was his shield.
Kiyoshi wasn't a natural prodigy. He failed trials for four years straight. He practiced until his shoes fell apart and his toes bled. At thirteen, he finally made the team. He scored twice in his debut and his team still lost.
He returned home, shoulders slumped, tears threatening to spill. Akiko cupped his face, her thumb wiping a smudge of dirt from his nose.
"I lost, Mom," he whispered.
"Oh, Kiyoshi... so what if you lost?" she smiled gently. "Listen to me, my good boy. Losing is just a part of winning, and winning is the reward for having the courage to lose. That’s why you must always keep smiling. The true victory is when you can smile through the pain."
That was the day the signature, toothy smile was born. It wasn't creepy back then; it was a shield against the world.
At fifteen, the shouting in the kitchen finally stopped. His parents divorced. Because of the court's ruling, Kiyoshi had to stay with his father.
On the day she left, Akiko held him one last time. "I don’t know where life will take me, Kiyoshi. But I will always be your mother. Keep smiling for me, okay?"
She walked away, and Kiyoshi stood in the driveway, smiling so hard it hurt while tears streamed down his face. "Mom... don't go," he whispered to the empty air.
The Present: Do or Die
Now, at eighteen, the weight of those nine years felt like a mountain. Before today’s match against Shiranagi High, his father had spoken to him not with encouragement, but with an ultimatum.
"You've wasted nine years on this game," his father had said coldly. "If you lose today, it's over. No more football. You'll get a real job and forget this nonsense."
To the fans, it was just a high school game. To Kiyoshi, it was his last connection to the mother he hadn't seen in years. It was the only thing that kept his smile real.
And he had just lost 6-1.
[End of Chapter 17]
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