Chapter 6: Familiar Foe

Accepting the quest, he tried to focus on the teacher's words. With utmost concentration, he stared at his teacher. However, every time he tried to concentrate on her words, the noise from the background would somehow distract him. Maybe it's because I'm so far away from her, that's why I'm not able to listen to her. He mumbled. While his teacher was reading a children's book, he raised his arm. "Yeah, Hiro? How may I help you?" The teacher exclaimed, looking at his raised arms. In Japan, students are taught to raise their hands before speaking or calling out for teachers to ask questions so as not to disturb them while teaching. "Sensei, I want to sit in the front row to hear you better." He exclaimed. His chances of hearing her words were much better in the front row than from his current place. Hearing his response, the teacher gave him a perplexed look. Previously, Hiro used to be one of those few troublemakers in the class. He would fold papers into the shape of balls and kick them. Celebrating as if he scored in a World Cup or Champions League final whenever he scored a goal against his classmates. And he rarely paid any attention to his studies and the teacher's lectures. Around the time when she would be teaching, he would be napping at his desk. "Are you sure, Hiro?? Or are you not feeling well?" She replied with a concerned look on her face. "Thank you for your concern,n Sensei. But I'm alright. I just want to listen to the story you're reading a little better." He replied without any hesitation. However, from inside, he was extremely nervous. After all, Lf knew the reason behind her baffled look. The teacher took notice of his sincerity and called him forward. She then exchanged his seat with one of the students in the front row. After that, she continued to read the children's book. Finally, he was able to hear her better. Although he could still hear the chatter of the kids behind him. However, with some concentration, he could focus on her words without being distracted. Which is exactly what he did; he kept his eyes fixated on her lips so as not to miss her words. Ding!! [Congratulations to the host for completing the quest.] [New skill focus is rewarded for the completion of the quest.] [Please check your status window for more info regarding the skill.] 'Yes!! Finally, I completed the question.' He was celebrating like crazy inside his mind upon completing the quest. However, he didn't show any emotions outwardly and maintained a poker face as if he were listening attentively. 'Status window' He mumbled. [Focus(skill description): When using this skill, the user can immerse himself completely in any kind of task he's undertaking, negating any kind of distractions.] [Skill duration: 10 minutes] [Skill CD: 24 hours] [Note: The skillCD can be lowered as you upgrade your grades, and skill duration can be increased, respectively, as well.] 'Damn!! Such an OP skill. Doesn't it mean that I can negate any kind of distractions when using this skill? I can use it to negate the oppressive cheers of rival fans, and I can even use it to negate the negative taunts of the opponents.' 'If Andrés Messi had this skill in 2the 015 Copa America, then he wouldn't have missed his penalty.' He chuckled. "Hmm.. Hi, o is everything alright?" The teacher questioned, witnessing his wry smile. Without even realising, he was smiling like a maniac. "Ah,h sorry teacher!! I'm alright.ht" He apologized for his behaviour while trying to regain his composure. Ding!! Dong!! The bell of the school rang. He was so focused on the task that he didn't even realize how fast the time flew by. "Seems like this much for today." "I'll see you tomorrow." The teacher exclaimed. "Thank you,u Sens.ei" The students replied in unison. Although they were still kids, they were taught to appreciate their teachers since their age. Hiro was packing his bags before the teacher even finished her sentence. As he carried the bag, she looked at him. "Hmm.... Where are you going, Hiro? You have cleaning duty today. Don't you remember?" The teacher exclaimed while collecting her books. "Huh!! I'm on cleaning duty today.? Why does it have to be today?" He frowned. In Japan, the schools don't hire any janitors for cleaning duty. Instead, the students are required to clean their classrooms by themself. To teach the students humility and discipline, the school makes the student clean their respective classrooms and hallways. He forgot that he was on cleaning duty. Another batch of kids who didn't have cleaning duty packed their bags. However, even after packing the bags, they didn't leave the classroom. They were required to wait for their parents to show up before they could head home. Everyone who was on cleaning duty grabbed their respective mops, brooms, and other tools required for cleaning. He remembered that he had previously cleaned the blackboard to complete his cleaning duty so that he could leave quickly. The kids whose parents didn't show up stayed late to help with cleaning. Hiro glanced at the duster in front of the teacher's desk. Satoshi, a snotty kid, was about to pick the duster. Worried that he'd get the duster before him, he ran towards the duster. Just before Satoshi's hand reached the duster, he snatched the duster from him with lightning speed. "Hehe... I could even outrun Usain Bolt. Hahaha" He laughed maniacally. 'Is something wrong with his mind?' Satoshi gave him a perplexed look. Not only Satoshi but everyone in his classroom looked at him as if he had gone crazy. He looked around him, and to save himself from embarrassment, he calmly exclaimed; "Ahum!! Please excuse my behaviour." He spoke in a confident tone as if nothing ever happened in the first place. He then went directly towards the blackboard without looking at anybody and began to clean the blackboard. 'Feuh!!! That was lost.' It didn't take him long to clean the blackboard, and by the time he finished his cleaning his father had arrived as well. "Hiro!! Takahashi Hiro!!" The teacher called his name. "Ye, ma'am!" He yelled. "Your dad is here. You can go home if you've finished your cleaning duty." She exclaimed. He then placed the duster in the teacher's drawer and carried his bag. If he went directly towards the futsa, he could still make it to the tournament in time. But he didn't have his cleats with him. So he needed to go back home to fetch his cleats. "Argh!! I should have brought my boots with me." He frowned. As he walked in front of the entrance, he noticed his father carrying a bag. "What's that,t Dad?" He questioned. "I knew that you'd forget your boots. So I brought it with me." He replied with a smile. Hiro returned the smile. Because of that simple gesture of his dad, he could make it to the tournament in time, and he didn't have to go back home to fetch his boots. "Thank you, Daddy." Grateful for his gesture, he thanked his father while revealing a big, warm smile. He hopped onto his father's bicycle. And both of them headed towards the futsal. The futsal was about 20 minutes away from the school. As they reached the futsal at the front gate, he saw his mother waiting for them. "What took you so long? The game's about to begin." She exclaimed with a worried face. They hurriedly ran towards the field and barely reached the futsal in time. While the coaches were assembling the team, he was tying his boots. Flexing his Andrés Miniestra jersey, he walked towards the field. But nobody even took notice of him except his parents, who were cheering loudly for him. At the center of the pitch,h many kids were gathered in a circle. Different kids dressed in different jerseys. Most of them were dressed in the Andrés Messi and Cristian Romero jerseys. While of them were dressed in the jerseys of the national team and other clubs. He looked extremely average, which is why nobody took notice of him. While most of the anonymous kids who showed up alone were gathered in the middle. The kids who showed up in teams were far in the right and left corners. However, among those numerous teams, one team stood out from the rest. Every member of that team was dressed in a pink jersey. And most of the kids in that team looked older than the rest of the kids who showed up for the tournament. Behind their backs were huge letters which read 'Sakura FC youth club'. They were the team of the organiser. Their keeper was almost 4 feet tall. Compared to the rest of the kids, he was extremely tall. Even the goal post was barely 4.5 feet tall and 5 feet wide. He could instantly recognise the keeper of the Sakura FC youth club. 'So we meet once again, huh? Kurosawa Taki' He mumbled, looking at him. He could never have forgotten his face. After all that, keeping in front of him was the future keeper of the national team. And because of hly, he was previously denied many goals. Even when the coach in front of him was assembling the team, his eyes were fixated on that keeper. "Just you wait, I'm gonna humiliate you so much that you'll beg me to have mercy."