The morning sun peeked through the curtains as Shun tied his short ponytail, preparing for his daily jog. The fresh air of Tokyo felt different from the intense atmosphere of the state-level tournament. Though he had trained non-stop, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
As he stepped out of his apartment complex, he noticed someone standing at a distance, hesitating. A girl with short hair, looking slightly out of place yet oddly familiar.
It was Rika.
Shun blinked, thinking his mind was playing tricks on him. But before he could say anything, Rika took a deep breath and called out.
"Shun!"
He stopped in his tracks, staring at her. "You... What are you doing here?"
Rika folded her arms and smirked. "Surprised?"
Shun sighed, rubbing his temple. "Yeah. You just suddenly appeared in Tokyo?"
"Not exactly. My father got transferred, and now..." she trailed off before pointing at herself with a confident grin. "I'm in your school now."
Shun's eyes widened slightly, but before he could respond—
"OI! WAIT FOR ME!"
A loud voice echoed from the distance. A sleepy-looking boy with messy hair and a bag half-zipped was sprinting toward them.
It was Renji, one of Shun's teammates.
"You didn't wake me up, you traitor!" Renji panted. "And—wait a second—who's this?" He glanced between Shun and Rika, then gasped. "No way... Did you finally get a girlfriend?!"
Rika and Shun, in unison: "SHUT UP!"
Renji smirked. "Ohhh, so she is special to you."
Before Shun could counter, Rika kicked Renji's shin lightly. "Stop running your mouth early in the morning."
Renji yelped, hopping on one foot. "Oww! You're just like him!"
Shun sighed, ignoring the chaos and continuing his jog. "Are you coming or not?"
Rika smirked. "Try to keep up."
With that, the morning rivalry was reborn.
First Day at Fukura High – Unexpected Reactions
By the time they reached school, students were already buzzing about the new transfer student.
"Did you hear? There's a new girl in our class."
"I saw her at the gate! She's kinda cute!"
As soon as Rika entered the classroom, all eyes were on her. The boys whispered among themselves, and a few even blushed.
The teacher entered and tapped the board. "Everyone, settle down. We have a new student joining us today." He motioned for Rika to introduce herself.
She stepped forward, exuding confidence.
"I'm Rika Aizawa. Nice to meet you."
The boys in the class immediately exchanged glances.
"Aizawa... Aizawa..."
One of the girls pulled out her phone and started flipping through pictures. State-level tournament photos.
And then—
"WAIT. ISN'T SHE THE ONE WHO PLAYED WITH SHUN?!"
The room exploded in chatter.
"The one who passed to him?"
"The one who helped him score that crazy bicycle kick?!"
"She was that good?!"
Meanwhile, Shun just sat at his desk, arms crossed, completely unfazed.
Rika, on the other hand, was slightly startled. She didn't expect this much recognition.
Then, the inevitable happened—
"Rika! Tell us! What's Shun like outside of soccer?!"
Rika blinked. "Huh?"
The girls swarmed her desk.
"Does he really not have a girlfriend?"
"Is he always that serious?"
"Where does he live?!"
Rika felt like a deer in headlights. She turned slightly, glaring at Shun.
"This is your fault!"
Shun sighed, already regretting this school year.