Not Yet -2
“Uh... Ah, over there.”
It took quite a while to find our seats.
Partly because it was such an old stadium that it was a bit unfriendly, but also because our seats were very close to the front.
Our seats were at the front of the stadium, the closest ones to the field.
“Wow, these are great seats. So close.”
I sat side by side with Jiu in those seats.
Wow, it's really close. So close that I could clearly see the faces of the players warming up on the field.
This old stadium really is small.
“Wow, my heart's pounding. Why am I so nervous?”
Still, I think it has its own charm.
A charm that only a small stadium can have.
How should I put it... Because it's so cramped, everything feels more vivid, I guess.
The cheering from the spectators sitting across from us feels like it's coming from right in front of me.
I could feel vibrations from that cheering in my seat.
Ahi ahi ahi-!
Magica Viola-!!
È triste il mio cuore lontano Da te-!
Magica Viola alè-!!
A purple wave that colored the entire stands.
Every time that wave crashed, it let out a powerful roar. Though I couldn’t understand it exactly, I could tell it was our team’s chant.
Magica means, literally, like magic. And Viola is our team’s nickname.
“Wow... This is insane, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I finally feel like I’m in Italy...”
Jiu said, looking around the stands with her mouth slightly open, and I nodded too.
I think I understand what she means by finally feeling like she’s in Italy.
Usually, when you think of Italians, you’d imagine they’re very emotional, hot-tempered, easily excited, things like that. But the people here in Florence felt calmer and gentler than that.
But coming here and seeing this, I realize Florentines are definitely Italians too.
They all explode like that here, so it’s no wonder they’re calm outside.
Honestly, it looks like they come here to relieve stress rather than to watch soccer.
“But, will our Jian be okay?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I’m asking if you can play soccer in a place like this. Among all these people. I feel like our Jian would be lucky not to burst into tears.”
“Who’s gonna cry.”
I laughed at Jiu’s words as if they were absurd.
But honestly, she hit the nail on the head.
How do you play soccer in a place like this?
I mean, the stadium is so small that if you stand near the touchline, you can probably hear what the spectators are saying.
If I made even one mistake, I’d probably hear all kinds of curses.
And besides, how nervous would you be playing soccer in front of all these people watching?
If I imagine myself in that position... My whole body would stiffen and my mind would go blank.
“...”
Come to think of it, the coach had said something.
He told me to go watch the match and think about how it would feel if I were playing out there.
Hmm. Well.
I don’t know, but I think it would take quite a while to get used to it. No, would I even be able to get used to it?
At least coming here today and learning what the stadium atmosphere is like might be a good thing.
If I hadn’t known, I could’ve been in big trouble later.
Well... it’s not like I’ll be playing here for several years anyway.
While I was briefly lost in thought, Jiu asked from beside me.
“Do you know all the players over there? Are they acquaintances?”
“Over there?”
I shifted my gaze to where Jiu was pointing and saw players in purple uniforms warming up.
They were our team's first-team players.
Hmm... I don’t really know. I’ve never kept up with first-team matches.
I might recognize a few by name, but just by looking at their faces, I have no idea who is who.
Geez.
Still, they’re our team, and they’re all my seniors, so I should pay more attention.
How do I not know a single one...
“...Huh?”
“What?”
“I know someone!”
“Who?”
I thought I wouldn’t know anyone, but I saw a familiar face and shouted without realizing it.
It was Gino, who I had trained with.
“His name’s Gino. He’s a year older than me. We trained together until recently.”
“A year older, so seventeen? Wow, he must be really good.”
“He’s good.”
Wow, I knew Gino was good, but still.
Didn’t he move up to the U-19 team about a month ago?
To think he made it all the way to the first team in just that one month. That’s amazing.
Well, I heard our team doesn’t have that big a squad, so they sometimes fill part of the squad for cup matches like this with youth players.
Still, it’s fascinating either way. And impressive.
Wow... Gino really is something else...
“So, if you’re a soccer genius, then is he a super-duper soccer genius?”
“...Huh?”
“Isn’t he? He’s only a year older than you and he’s already playing out there. Doesn’t that mean he’s a bigger genius than you?”
Jiu said that, then covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.
Was she trying to tease me?
But every word was so true that I didn’t feel anything.
However...
“That’s something you can’t know. Who knows where I’ll be in a year.”
I pouted my lips for no reason, acting tough.
Even if I thought that inside, I hated losing outwardly.
“Ooh. What’s with the confidence? So you’re saying you can play out there within a year?”
“Well, what’s so impossible about it.”
“Wow, you really do change when the topic is soccer. What if you can’t?”
“Just watch me.”
Jiu smiled at my words, saying she would.
...Geez. What did I just say again?
Anyway, this damn mouth is the problem. My mouth.
Entering the first team within a year? Me?
I should say things that make sense. Jian...
“Wow, it’s starting.”
I sighed inwardly and started watching the match.
*
“The goal won’t go in...”
“They should’ve scored on that corner kick earlier.”
“The first half is almost over. Shouldn’t we be winning by now?”
“Well, yeah, but... we have to see more.”
The match was fiercer than expected.
The first half was ending, but it was still 0-0.
Today’s opponent, Palermo, was a Serie B team, but they didn’t look like an easy opponent.
They defended tenaciously against us without conceding a goal.
I don’t know if I should say this as a Fiorentina player, but the opponents looked more impressive to me.
To think they could hold out so well at an away stadium.
If it were me, I would’ve been intimidated and unable to do anything.
“Ah, it’s over.”
“It’s over.”
“What was the problem? You said they’re a second division team. Shouldn’t we have easily won?”
“Just because they’re a second division team doesn’t mean they’re bad.”
“Then explain it to me. What did our soccer genius think was the problem?”
“Problem? Hmm...”
I fell into thought for a moment at Jiu’s question.
The problem with the first half... well.
If I dared to venture a guess, there were things like poor finishing and low accuracy on crosses.
But more than that, the fundamental problem seemed to be that the attacking patterns were too monotonous.
Our team had maintained over 60% possession throughout the first half while continuing to attack.
Yet most of that attack consisted of crosses following wing breakthroughs.
Actually, it wasn’t even just most—about nine out of ten were crosses.
The attack was so simple that it must’ve been easy for the opponent to defend.
Well, if it had been simple but sharp, that would be one thing... but it wasn’t even that. That was the problem.
They needed more creative play.
“Hmm, I see. Honestly, I don’t really get it even after hearing it.”
Jiu scratched her head at my explanation.
Honestly, talk is cheap.
Anyone can sit in the stands and run their mouth. Actually doing it on the field is the hard part.
Even that scary-looking skinhead coach over there.
The first-team seniors couldn’t possibly not know what I know. Conversely, there are probably things I don’t know.
If I were on the field instead of in the stands?
I probably couldn’t do even half of that.
I’d just stand there blankly, and all my shortcomings would be exposed.
If Jiu saw that... ugh.
“Ah, it’s frustrating. If our Jian went in, you could turn everything upside down. Right?”
“Huh? Uh...”
...If the day ever comes that I move up to the first team, I hope that day is as far in the future as possible.
Hmm... no.
But then the words I said earlier would become a lie.
Sigh.
This is why people should live honestly.
*
Waaaaah-!!
Around the 15th minute of the second half, the stadium shook violently.
“Wow, it went in!”
Finally, our goal went in.
The persistently attempted cross finally hit our player’s head, and that header tore through the net.
Lorenzo-!!
Lorenzo-!!
Lorenzo-!!
The roar that erupted from all directions the moment the goal went in soon merged into chants of one name.
So they call out the name of the player who scored.
It gave me an inexplicably thrilling feeling, and when I looked beside me, Jiu was rubbing her arms too.
“Wow... goosebumps...”
Definitely... I bet it feels electrifying.
Even watching, my chest swells with grandeur; what if that were my name?
I think I would feel incredibly electrified in that moment.
Suddenly curious, I asked Jiu.
“What if, right?”
“Yeah?”
“How do you think it’d feel if people called my name like that?”
“Your name?”
At my question, Jiu seemed to imagine it for a moment, then crossed her arms and put on a smug expression.
“Well, I’d feel amazing.”
“...Really?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m the one who raised you. I’d feel so proud. Actually, they should be calling my name instead of yours.”
“...”
“What, that face? Am I wrong?”
“No... you’re right...”
Yeah... she’s not completely wrong...
Well anyway.
Imagining it, I really think it would feel good.
If everyone called my name in front of Jiu... I’d be proud, wouldn’t I?
Would Jiu feel that too?
I suddenly glanced at Jiu, then pointed at her arm and said.
“Goosebumps.”
“Huh?”
“You have serious goosebumps.”
The fine hairs on Jiu’s pale arm were standing on end.
But Jiu covered her arm with her hand and glared at me.
“Pervert.”
“...Huh?”
“Where are you looking? You pervert.”
“W-what are you talking about.”
“Is this how you’ve been secretly looking?”
“D-don’t say weird things.”
What nonsense is she saying.
Jiu kept glaring at me with a strange smile, so I turned my head away sharply.
Ah, it’s hot.
· · ·
Watching the match with Jiu was more fun than I thought.
Maybe because I skipped training to go, the match itself didn’t seem that interesting, but I still enjoyed it.
The first half was a bit frustrating, but anyway, we won after scoring 2 goals in the second half.
It was fun spending time with Jiu meeting before the match, at the stadium, and eating together after.
It felt a bit reminiscent of old times.
Anyway, it felt like a fulfilling day.
Perhaps because I had rested well that day, during today’s Wednesday training, I felt more energized than usual.
I felt like I controlled the ball better, and the training went well.
I realized that resting properly is important too.
I had been doing nothing but resting all this time, so I didn’t know the importance of rest.
Like you don’t know the value of air until it’s taken away.
Anyway.
After finishing training like that, I went to see the coach.
To get my homework checked.
“Oh, right. How was it? Did you watch well?”
“Yes. I watched well.”
“How was it? Well, somehow they won. Still, there seemed to be a lot of problems to me.”
“Uh... was that so.”
“Fan reactions aren’t good either. They said it was a frustrating performance. They’re asking since when Fiorentina became a team that only mindlessly sends in crosses.”
“Ah...”
“Speak comfortably. How did you see it?”
At the coach’s words, I carefully conveyed my thoughts.
I had originally intended to just say it was a good match, that I learned a lot. I was worried I’d look arrogant if I spoke too honestly.
But since the coach spoke like that first, I could speak more comfortably and honestly.
“...I did think that aspect was a bit lacking. Of course, watching and playing are different.”
“So you felt that way.”
The coach nodded after hearing me.
“Actually, Coach Vincenzo has been worried a lot lately. You saw it, right? His hair has all fallen out.”
“...”
Somehow feeling like I shouldn’t laugh, I held it in, and the coach made a face like ‘Not bad?’ before continuing.
“He knows it shouldn’t be like that, but he says there’s no way. He says it’s the only thing the current players can do.”
“Ah...”
“I completely understand. In the end, the players play the matches. You have no choice but to adjust the tactics to fit the players.”
“Yes.”
Perhaps because coaches understand each other, the coach frowned.
“He said there’s no player who can inject creativity into the attack. You need someone with an element of unpredictability to diversify patterns, but there’s no such player in the first team right now...”
“I see...”
“You definitely felt that too, right?”
I nodded at the coach’s question.
Then the coach nodded back and asked me.
“Then, do you want to go try it out?”
“...Excuse me?”
...What?
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