“Excellent! Rick, a bit more movement would be good! Let’s try that again!”

With that, the practice match resumed, as the attacking team tried to pierce the defending team. The six-on-six asymmetrical game was the idea of James to test out new formations.

--------An hour ago--------

“So I was thinking, how about we prepare for the tournament properly this time?”

James frowned at my suggestion, “What do you mean by ‘properly’? You know I make sure everyone gives it their best”

Shaking my head, I elaborated, “You know that the summer tournament becomes a de-facto playground of the tier-one academy teams in the later stages”

James nodded, “Well, that’s to be expected since their squads are typically more driven and they are tactically more sound”

“Exactly, but I want to challenge that. Since we don’t really need to worry about losing the top spot, how about using the extra time to try out different variations of attack? With my increased understanding, I could instruct them better on the field, cutting down on any mistakes”

A glint of understanding appeared in his eyes, “Not a bad suggestion. Do you have any ideas you want to try?”

I relaxed since the brunt of convincing was over, “Well, I have been mulling over Coach Lewis’ suggestion. Although I still very much like scoring goals, occasionally dropping down to play as a shadow striker or even an attacking midfielder could potentially provide completely new options for us”

Closing his eyes while reclining on his chair, James replied after a few moments, “OK, got it. I’ll get a few different formations and strategies ready for the attacking team”

--------Flashback End--------

Perhaps seeing my labored breathing, Coach Lewis ordered us to rest and approached me, “Maybe this will annoy the actual midfielders, but your understanding of space and vision is top-notch. Not to mention, your passing has improved a lot”

Looking up, I nodded while heaving deep breaths, which caused him to frown a little, “Your stamina, though, continues to be a problem. Why don’t you invest some of your training time in improving that?”

I smiled bitterly, “I already am, I have been alternating jogging and cycling every day before getting ready for school”

Raising an eyebrow, Lewis patted my back, “That’s good! Keep at it, and you’ll running rounds during matches before long”, before walking away.

I sighed as I glanced at my abysmal physical stats while facing his retreating figure when I suddenly felt an arm wrap around my shoulder, “Why is our best player sighing like my grandpa?”

Turning to Rick, I snorted, “Maybe because I’m reconsidering leaving the attack to my partner who seems to have cubes for feet”

“Ohhh!! That was brutal! Gotta say, I am loving the new aggression” commented Alex while Rick acted out taking a bullet to his heart.

“He’s not wrong, though. Rick’s been missing sitters today. Did you forget your lucky bracelet at home or something?”, Gary joined in, talking about an imaginary charm.

“Ok, I get it. I’m so bad today. Just wait, I’m going to pepper the goal now”, Rick vowed, only to get comically interrupted by Ivan’s nonchalant reply as he passed by, “The only thing you’re going to pepper is the fence behind”

All of us were rolling on the floor until Lewis instructed us to restart.

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

“Holy Sh*t! How did you know?!”, demanded Patrick the moment he saw me, gripping my shoulders.

I feigned innocence, “What do you mean? Also, you might wanna reconsider grabbing hold of a kid almost half your age”, I advised while nodding my head toward a group of parents keeping watch on their kids.

Whipping his head towards the park bench with confusion strewn across his face, he quickly let go after spotting a few concerned mothers with one even seemingly making a call while pointing to us.

I waved to reassure them as Patrick continued in a calmer tone, “You know very well what I’m talking about”

I smirked, “So, how much was the payout?”

I already knew the answer from the mission window but still decided to test him out since I didn’t know how much I could trust him.

He flashed a huge grin, “It was more than nine times, you b**tard. Congrats, you’re rich now”, as he showed me the actual slip from the betting company. £731 was stamped at the bottom.

As I glanced at the piece of paper, he asked, “Hey, so how do I get it to you? Do you want it in cash?”

I looked back at Patrick with confusion, “Who told you I was done?”, drawing the most ridiculous expression from him.

***********

Time passed as I got into a routine of building my stamina and regaining my skills while also helping Patrick. His shock at my continuous winnings quickly turned stale.

Although Patrick had consistently shown me the original slip after every successful bet, to effectively eliminate any chances of his betrayal, I persuaded him to add his own funds to the mix.

He was quite reluctant at first, but it all disappeared when he laid his eyes upon the doubled money. Alas, since he had only joined in during the semifinals, he couldn’t make the same level of profit since there weren’t any upsets.

With Brazil celebrating its 5th World Cup win, cementing its dominant status in the world of football, I received a hefty suitcase from a visibly shaken Patrick, “Kid, a-are you sure you don’t want to let your parents know?”

I scoffed, “You don’t know my dad, I’ll only be beaten black and blue while this will be taken away for ‘securing my future’”

Still extremely nervous, he quickly scanned our surroundings before whispering, “But this is almost twenty grand we’re talking about. What will you be even doing with all that?”

I grinned, “I’ll let you know soon enough. That is unless I get jumped because my partner looks like he’s carrying gold bars up his arse. You better chill out, big guy”

He flinched, before shaking his head while muttering, “Where’d he get those balls?”, and walking away, seemingly too scared to join me.

*********

[Ding]

[Mission accomplished]

[Congratulations! Store Unlocked]

I was greeted by a welcome notification the moment I set foot in my home, “Huh, I guess could still be robbed in front of my house”

//Author's Notes:

This is the beginning of a small time skip until the start of the tournament. The tournament starts next week along with the reveal of the chapter name xD.

Hope you enjoyed reading :)