Donning a more comfortable expression, I spoke in an uncertain tone, making infrequent eye contact, "Well, you see, I went to sleep like every other day on Thursday night and experienced a lengthy dream with so much detail that it seemed real"

Pausing to stare at the floor, I continued, “In the dream, I saw my dream self growing up while aspiring to be a professional football player. He struggled to debut due to his comparatively inferior physical talents, but after years of polishing his skills and playing at the semi-professional level, he was able to debut for a league 2 team"

“Over the next few years, he tried his best to improve but failed to advance to a higher league, retiring after a short career spanning just over 6 years. Now in his late 20s, he attended university and later worked as a football analyst”

Having to pause to push down the waves of emotions threatening to spill out, I looked up to find James trying his best to not scream 'bollocks!' after observing my serious yet tearful expression.

Brushing off his reaction that was quite expected, I channeled my confusion and absurdity about my current situation and finished, “When I woke up, although I forgot most of the details, for some reason, I found myself knowledgeable on tactics and strategies in football. As I was able to pinpoint all the things I was doing wrong, just one training session spent fixing the majority of those mistakes made football seem easy”

With my heart pumping frantically now in anticipation, I silently waited as James tried to process my tale.

‘Would it have been better to act ignorant? No… I need his connections to facilitate a transition to a decent academy and while my story is pretty out there, kids my age claim even more absurd stuff’

The silence stretched to what felt like an eternity before James broke it, quizzing me, “What did you make of the tactics used today?”

Widening my eyes at his calmer-than-expected reaction, I answered after putting my thoughts together, “Since we faced a very specialized team rarely seen in a professional football, the formation you came up with while also overseeing 2 other teams is actually quite impressive”

“Concentrating the defense in the center was a good counter to their overreliance on using the middle. Since teams with a Kick-and-Rush strategy tend to skip any build-up in the midfield, ordering our midfielders to move up and press in collaboration with the offense was a smart way to hinder their 'Kick'. A flaw that you seemed to have overlooked was the risk of the kids getting confused in a new formation and committing mistakes early, potentially risking giving away the lead. But, seeing as the finishing of the other players was lackluster at best, I realized you had taken that into account too” I finished, taking a deep breath.

Speechless at my response, James took a moment to compose himself, perhaps reconsidering the truthfulness of my story. I could almost picture the gears turning in his head as he looked at me with a complicated expression.

“To be honest with you, I find it hard to believe your story, but seeing that it is as good an explanation as any of your current abilities, I’m willing to believe that you had a unique and mystical experience. Tell me, are there any other, say, side effects of this dream”, he said with difficulty, still very much uncertain.

Deciding that now would be as good a time as any to inform him of my future plans, I replied, “Well, I don’t know if it is a side effect, but I’ve started to love every moment on the pitch. That’s why, I want to try to become a professional footballer”

Taken aback at my sudden declaration, he replied, looking glad, “Very good! You’re too talented to just play it recreationally” before expressing caution, “But, aren’t you scared of failure, especially due to your dream?”

His question struck a chord, bringing the doubt and fear I have been trying my best to ignore to the surface again, almost breaking my calm facade. Channeling my newfound desire, I spoke with conviction, “A dream is just a dream. I won’t know unless I try”

James flashed a proud smile and exclaimed, “Excellent! Keep that mindset and you’ll be able to overcome any obstacle you face, however big it may be. Now, is there anything else you’d like to consult me with?” he asked.

“Yes! The reactions of our opponents made me want to compete with people who are serious about football as I felt the limits of Tier 2 today. That's why, I plan to join an academy soon after the tournament. I'd appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me” I shamelessly requested, knowing that he could seriously help my plans come to fruition much faster.

“I see. While you will be missed, I am glad that you’re taking charge of your future. I’ll look into my contacts and see what I can do for you. But, you do know that the best way to catch the eye of a scout is to perform. And there is a certain competition coming up that would be the perfect stage for that”

“I am well aware of it, and to plan to give it my all as it might be last with my mates here”, I answered while clutching my fists.

***********************

The scratching of pencil on paper accompanied me as I jotted down tidbits of future knowledge that I could recall on the fly. The conversation with James had been a wake-up call as I had a hard time recalling useful details, especially ones nearer to the current time, leading me to establish a new rule - note down any details that might occur to me during the day, be it football or otherwise. Who knows, there might be a gem of information that could prove invaluable in the future.

*Ding*

[Data compilation finished. Initiating system]

"Finally! Now show me why you keep stalking me”

*Ding*

[Setting User Interface. Applying {Games} theme. Incorporating {Gatcha} for probabilistic gambling]

*Ding*

[Welcome, Host. Football Gacha System is ready to launch]

After reading the messages in trepidation, I was baffled, “UI? Games? Is it some sort of game?”

Waiting for the ‘System’ to launch patiently, I hesitantly spoke out loud, “Um, System? Can you hear me?” feeling glad that I was alone. To my utter surprise, a huge window that looked suspiciously similar to future football games appeared.

My jaw dropped.

///Author's Notes:

We have the status screen!!!! I cannot overstate how bad I am pacing. I imagined this to be around ch 10 (⊙…⊙ )

For everyone who has stuck with me, I commend your patience and thank you a lot!

I'll be trying to improve the pace after this arc, fingers crossed.

Hope you enjoyed reading :)