Thiago didn't expect anything the day after the showcase.
He walked onto the pitch like it was a normal morning—sun in his eyes, warm-up shirt sticking to his back, boots tight around swollen ankles.
But everything had changed.
He saw it in the way the staff watched him. The way teammates moved slightly to give him more space in drills. The way João gave him a subtle smirk during stretches, like he knew something Thiago didn't.
And then Coach Moreira walked over with a sheet in his hand.
"Thiago."
He stood straight.
"You're training full-time with the U17s now," Moreira said. "As a winger."
A pause.
"It's official."
Thiago didn't respond right away.
He just nodded.
And when the coach walked away, he let the tension in his chest slowly unravel.
He was done proving he could play two sides.
Now he was ready to take his own.
The first day back in the winger role full-time was smooth—too smooth.
The drills felt natural. Diagonal cuts, feints, crosses, attacking patterns. Things that had once been locked up inside him now flowed out like they were part of the air he breathed.
But with it came the whispers.
From behind.
"Of course they moved him up.""Guess playing defense is just a stepping stone now.""He's flashy. Not reliable."
Guilherme didn't say anything directly. But he stopped passing in team rondos. Looked away when Thiago made a clean play.
João caught up with him during cooldown.
"You hearing this stuff?"
"I don't care."
"You should."
Thiago didn't answer.
But part of him did care.
That night, as he juggled the ball alone near the fence, the System chimed softly in the back of his mind.
System Update:Primary Role Preference Shift DetectedUpdating stat progression focusWinger track prioritizedFullback growth deprioritizedQuest Unlocked – Play With PurposeObjective: Earn 2 Assists or 1 Goal and 1 Assist over next 3 matchesReward: +2 Dribbling, +1 VisionPenalty: None
Level: 6EXP: 33 / 200Attributes:Pace – 68Dribbling – 66Shooting – 56Passing – 61Physicality – 62Mentality – 53Skill Points: 2Unlocked Passives:– Muscle Memory I– Pain Resistance I– Instinctive Flair I– Balanced Vision I– Momentum Surge I
He closed the System window.
No gimmicks.
Just focus.
The next morning, a different coach—Paulo, one of the assistant scouts—pulled Thiago aside before training.
"You've been shortlisted," Paulo said casually. "Regional Sub-17 Cup. Starts in two weeks. Palmeiras is fielding a side."
Thiago raised his eyebrows.
"You're in the pool. Not confirmed. Final selection comes after the next match."
"Understood."
Paulo gave him a look. Not cold. Just measured.
"They'll be watching. Not just us. Scouts from Bahia, Cruzeiro, even Gremio. This cup leads to the national youth ladder. Understand?"
"Yes."
"You ready?"
Thiago didn't hesitate.
"I've been ready."
The next match was a high-pressure friendly against a visiting São Caetano U17 squad.
Their defenders were rough—older, physically matured, and not afraid to press high and hit hard.
Thiago started on the left wing, shirt clinging to his skin from the start, nerves masked by steady breathing.
He touched the ball early—once to trap a looping pass, another to redirect it around his mark with a single controlled tap.
The third touch was the one that changed the match.
Midway through the first half, he received the ball just past midfield. His marker stepped in too aggressively, reading a backward pass.
Wrong.
Thiago let the ball run wide, then cut back hard, sending the defender sliding past with nothing but grass underfoot.
Now he had space.
He charged down the line, boot laces slapping turf, eyes locked on the box.
Another defender came—this one more disciplined.
Thiago stopped. Dropped low. Shifted his weight.
Stepover.
Step.
Then he pushed the ball through the tightest seam between the defender's legs.
Nutmeg.
The crowd along the sideline erupted—players banged the fence, even the São Caetano bench howled.
He didn't pause.
One final step and a curved low pass into the six-yard box—
Goal.
System Notification:Assist LoggedQuest Progress – Play With Purpose (1/2)+1 Dribbling+1 Vision+5 EXPMatch Rating: 7.3
In the second half, São Caetano adjusted.
They sent a double mark. Forced him inside. Tried to isolate him near the touchline.
It worked—for a while.
Then came the 81st minute.
He picked up a loose ball off a poor clearance and turned with speed, skipping past one defender with a body feint, bouncing it off his thigh, and catching it mid-air.
From twenty yards out, he didn't hesitate.
He shot.
The keeper dove.
Too late.
Bottom corner.
Goal.
System Notification:Quest Complete – Play With Purpose+2 Dribbling+1 VisionEXP Gained: +20Level: 6 → 7Skill Point EarnedWinger Progression +Stat Update:Dribbling – 66 → 68Vision – 63Shooting – 57
He didn't celebrate loud.
Just a small fist pump. A nod to João who came sprinting to him. A glance to the sideline, where Paulo stood scribbling in his notepad.
When the final whistle blew, São Caetano's players were bitter.
They lost 3–1.
Thiago had one goal and one assist.
More importantly?
He had his position.
His path.
After the match, while the others hit the showers, Paulo pulled him aside.
"You're on the final list," he said.
Thiago let out a slow breath.
"Regional Cup?"
"Confirmed."
Paulo narrowed his eyes.
"From here on out, the spotlight grows. So does the target on your back. Don't let it change you."
"It won't."
"You're not the same kid who showed up playing barefoot."
Thiago looked him dead in the eyes.
"I'm still that kid," he said. "Just better dressed."
Paulo cracked the faintest smile.
"Good."
That night, Thiago sat under the floodlights alone, juggling the ball with calm, clean touches.
Inside, the System rested.
No prompts. No quests.
Just progress.
And silence.
The kind you get when you're finally walking in the right direction