First Confrontation with Nagumo Miyabi

The setting sun dyed the track of the sports field a warm orange. Shangguan Che clung to the chain-link fence, watching the members of the Soccer Club who were already deep into their intense practice, and tried to sneak into the crowd.

"As long as I slip in fast enough, no one will notice I'm late..."

"Shangguan, you finally made it!" A clear voice suddenly rang out. Hirata stood in the center of the field and waved at him, his voice loud enough for the entire sports field to hear.

Shangguan Che's footsteps faltered, and he wailed internally, No way, Hirata! Your eyes are more accurate than a homeroom teacher catching a truant, and could you keep your voice down?

He braced himself and walked over, waving his hand, "Don't say it, don't say it. Just pass me a ball, I'll join the training right away!"

"Wait a second, the captain is looking for you." Hirata grabbed him and pointed to the bench on the sidelines—the captain of the Soccer Club was standing there with his arms crossed, wearing an expression that said, "I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Shangguan Che's heart skipped a beat. He shuffled over, his mind already calculating, How about I apply to be the water boy? Or maybe get a title like 'Special Technical Consultant'? That way, I could legitimately skip training.

After all, his soccer skills were effectively zero. If he wanted to improve, it would be a massive hurdle to go from zero to one. Just thinking about such a struggle made his head ache; it would be much more comfortable to just slack off.

"Captain, did you need me for something?" He tried his best to smile innocently.

The captain pulled out a bottle of water and tossed it to him, saying slowly, "It's nothing major. It's just that the former ace of the Soccer Club, the current student council vice president Nagumo Miyabi, heard that a 'genius' joined the club and wants to have a match with you. Don't be too nervous when the time comes."

Shangguan Che's eyes lit up. He leaned in and whispered, "Captain, do you think I can win?"

He knew perfectly well that in Japan, juniors had to be respectful to their seniors, especially since the other guy was from the student council. The captain's words were surely a hint for him to "go easy."

"Play however you like, it shouldn't be a problem." The captain took a sip of water without giving a direct answer.

Shangguan Che immediately "understood" and patted his chest, "Thanks for the guidance, Captain! But you got one thing wrong—I'm not a genius, I'm a 'monster'; I've already transcended the category of humans!"

The captain was amused by him and waved his hand, "Go on, Nagumo is still waiting for you over there."

"Oh, which one is he?" Shangguan Che stood on his tiptoes to look.

"The blonde one, standing by the goal."

Shangguan Che looked in that direction and saw a blonde boy leaning against the goalpost, wearing the Advanced Nurturing High School uniform, which looked completely out of place with the Soccer Club's sportswear.

"Why does he look a bit like Hirata? Does everyone in this school who likes soccer and has a name look like this?" Shangguan Che muttered as he walked over.

"Hello, Nagumo-senpai. I'm Shangguan Che from Class D, first year."

Nagumo Miyabi turned around with a gentle smile, "Hello, junior. I heard from the members that your soccer skills are amazing and that you have high talent."

"Not at all, I only know the basics." Shangguan Che had his own little scheme—aside from the talent skills provided by the system, he only knew basic rules like "you can't touch the ball with your hands" and "you score by kicking the ball into the opponent's goal." That wasn't a lie.

"You're quite humble, junior." Nagumo Miyabi raised an eyebrow and pointed to the field, "Want to have a match? How about it?"

"Sure." Shangguan Che agreed readily.

"You pick your team first. I'll let you have a bit of an advantage," Nagumo Miyabi said with a smile.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony!" Shangguan Che scanned the members present and shouted, "All first-years, plus a few third-years! I heard the senior is a second-year, so you can go all out and don't have to go easy on me."

He felt happy inside—isn't this what youth is all about? Talking a little trash during a match, then shaking hands and being good brothers afterward.

Nagumo Miyabi was stunned for a moment, "Are you sure?"

Sure! I'm so sure I could bite into your 'sure'! Shangguan Che complained internally, but kept a straight face, "Absolutely sure!"

Hirata quickly helped him gather teammates. While introducing them, Shangguan Che's gaze remained locked on a boy with short black hair—the boy played just as well as Hirata, and most importantly, he had a name: Shibata Sou, from Class B, first year.

"The others don't matter. If this were written into a novel, they probably wouldn't even have names," he muttered to himself.

With the team assembled, Shangguan Che waved his hand and set the strategy: "Me, Hirata, and Shibata will handle the offense, everyone else just defend the goal. Simple and brutal!"

Once the match started, Shangguan Che used his talent skills to weave through the field. Hirata and Shibata coordinated perfectly, and within no time, they had scored three goals.

Nagumo Miyabi stood on the sidelines, the smile on his face gradually fading. Only one thought remained in his mind: Is this really a first-year student? These skills are even more outrageous than mine were back then!

After briefly saying goodbye to Nagumo Miyabi, Shangguan Che immediately found the captain and laid out his "grand plan," "Captain, I'd like to apply for... reasonable time management. I don't have to come for training every day, is that okay?"

The captain stared at him in silence, his expression complex.

Shangguan Che fabricated a reason for himself, It must be because that match was too stunning; the captain is shocked by me and it's normal that he hasn't reacted yet.

After a long while, the captain finally spoke, "You... forget it. Come whenever you want. If your skills regress, come back immediately for extra training. Also, work on your stamina. That stamina of yours will drag you down sooner or later."

"Got it! I guarantee my level will only go up, not down, and I'll work hard on my stamina too! I'm heading out now, see you later, Captain!" Shangguan Che slipped away faster than a rabbit.

As soon as he left, the female manager of the Soccer Club walked over, looking puzzled, "Captain, you're just letting him go like that? Isn't it a pity not to polish him more?"

The captain watched Shangguan Che's retreating figure and sighed, "His skills have already hit the ceiling; there's no room for breakthrough. I haven't interacted with him much, but I have a feeling that unless this kid takes a big fall, he won't change easily."

"He's still young. Suffering a setback early isn't a bad thing."

"So that's how it is. You've considered this very thoroughly, Captain." The female manager nodded, and together with the captain, she watched Shangguan Che say goodbye to Hirata and disappear at the end of the sports field.

The captain actually had one more thing he didn't say: the fact that the guy was from Class D made him very difficult to deal with.

Back at the school building, Shangguan Che and Sakura had an early dinner at the cafeteria and confirmed the details about the photoshoot.

"Let's chat about the time and place for the photos on our phones, shall we?" he suggested. He had his own little agenda—he was afraid that Sakura cared too much about his feelings and wouldn't dare to express her own thoughts. If that happened, wouldn't he become the sinner who hindered her passion for photography?

If they chatted on their phones, she should be able to speak freely. Maybe he would even get to see her without her glasses!

I really am a considerate person. I'm looking after her feelings while also getting unique photos. Two birds with one stone! The more Shangguan Che thought about it, the more pleased he felt.

Back in the dormitory, Shangguan Che activated his "daily observation mode" as usual.

Through Clairvoyance, he saw Karuizawa Kei standing in the hallway with a few other girls, her arms crossed and her chin tilted slightly upward as she spoke—the spitting image of a "gal ringleader." That's not right. She doesn't look like someone who's been bullied at all. Did I analyze this wrong?

But the moment the thought surfaced, Shangguan Che suppressed it: "Impossible. I wrote this character profile myself! Besides, I told her to 'show her true self,' so this current appearance is clearly an act. Looks like I'll have to keep a closer eye on her; can't let her fool me."

He shifted his gaze toward the direction of Ichinose's dormitory, where he saw her sitting in a circle with several classmates, notebooks in hand, discussing something while laughter erupted from the group every now and then.

"As expected of a top-tier extrovert, her social skills are just too impressive. She can organize class activities without breaking a sweat," Shangguan Che muttered, curling his lip. "Too bad there's nothing of value to be found. I wasted all that time watching for nothing."

He stretched his back and collapsed onto his bed: "Another perfect day of youth, though I wonder when the student council notice will arrive... Whatever, I'll just take a nap first!"