On Monday, after class, Sato and Yuzuki are walking around the school.
"Ugh, we have tests in the first week of the month... I know I'm going to do badly." Yuzuki says, discouraged and down.
"Come on, it won't be that bad." Sato tries to cheer her up.
"Easy to say. I can't handle both training and studying..."
"Well... I can't blame you."
Yuzuki hugs Sato from behind.
"Can you tell me how you do it?" she asks, looking at her friend with puppy dog eyes.
Sato smiles. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, don't play dumb. In middle school, you were always at the top of the exam rankings, even though you practiced every day."
"Well... I think it just takes determination."
Hearing Sato's words, Yuzuki breaks down again.
"Isn't there an easier way?"
Sato laughs, just as three adults approach them, one of them holding a video camera.
"Excuse me, could you tell us where the boys' soccer team's field is?" one of them asks the girls.
"Um... keep going straight and you'll find it on the right," Sato replies.
"Thank you very much! Sorry to bother you!"
The three adults set off, following Sato's directions.
The girls watch them leave.
"Are they scouts?" Sato asks.
"It looks like it," a voice says, Inoue approaching.
"Oh, hello, Inoue." Sato notices her arrival.
"The boys are starting to make themselves noticed," Yuzuki adds.
"Do you want to go watch their practice?" Inoue suggests.
"Yes! Let's go!" Yuzuki exclaims excitedly, bouncing Sato back and forth.
"Okay, okay!" Sato replies, completely overwhelmed by Yuzuki.
The three of them head towards the field, where the team is running at a moderate pace.
"They must have just started practice," Yuzuki says.
The scout who had asked Sato for directions notices them and approaches.
"Sorry to bother you again... I'm Sōta Hoshino, as you probably guessed, a soccer scout. Since you're here, I wanted to ask if you know anything about the players on this team, maybe someone in your class or someone who just hit you."
"Um... I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't know much. I only know Kenji Tanaka, he's in my class and the only thing I know is that he's very fast," Inoue replies.
"I see..." the scout replies, a little disappointed. He then turns to the other girls. "What about you?"
"We know a little bit. We once watched one of the team's practice matches," Yuzuki replies, implying that Sato was there too.
Hoshino perks up, visibly interested.
"Really? Tell me more! What impressed you?"
"That match was incredible! The ball moved so fast, there were quality individual plays, it had everything... From that moment on, I thought: this year's team really has something special, more than any other team that has come along in the last ten years!" Yuzuki says.
"Awesome! Are there any players in particular that have stuck out to you?"
"I'm not so sure... there are a lot of good players, but based on the style I like, I'd say number 10 - his name should be Nishimura - and number 11, Shimizu. The way they handle the ball is just incredible!"
"You seem to know a lot about soccer... do you play too?" Hoshino asks Yuzuki.
"Yes, I play on the women's soccer team!"
"Interesting..." Hoshino then turns to Sato. "And you? Do you have a favorite player?"
Sato seems taken aback by the question.
"I... don't know much about soccer." she replies, almost embarrassed.
"You saw the practice match, right? Someone must have drawn your attention." Yuzuki says, prompting her to think.
Sato remembers the two goals scored by Riccardo and the assist after dribbling past the entire team.
"Well... I think there is one. Their number 24—"
She is interrupted by Hoshino.
"He's my favorite too!" Hoshino's enthusiasm almost scares the three students. "He's like a tank! His speed is insane and his strength is incredible for someone his age! But what really sets him apart is that normally, players like him lack technical finesse, but not him. He's on the same technical level as the numbers 10 and 11! And what's more, he's the one who pushed Itsuki Takahashi, the future defender of the Japanese national team, to the limit!"
Yuzuki is stunned by Hoshino's last statement.
"Itsuki Takahashi... you mean the captain of Maebashi Ikuei!?"
"Yes! Don't you know they played a friendly match against them?"
"Excuse me, but who are Maebashi Ikuei?" asks Inoue.
"Maebashi Ikuei won the national tournament last year... and in recent years they have often reached the semifinals or finals." Yuzuki explains, still surprised.
"Wow... how did the match end?" Sato asks.
"A spectacular 3-3! What a match, both for the players and the coaches! No. 24 scored two goals, and No. 9 scored the third, making it 2-3. Only a penalty in the last minute allowed Maebashi Ikuei to equalize!" Hoshino replies.
"Ahh... now that I know, I wish I could have seen it too..." Yuzuki says, visibly disappointed.
"Anyway, you better get used to seeing more scouts at your school from now on," Hoshino says, watching the team gather in the center of the field near Coach Ishii. "After the prefectural tournament, many more people will notice... many of these guys are destined for great careers... I feel it."