My system allows me to copy talents

The sky, painted with shades of orange and pink, slowly darkened, signaling the end of the day. But for Shun who had remained on the pitch, long after his teammates had left, it was far from over. His eyes could barely see the ball, yet he continued to train his reflexes.

In front of him, the automatic ball launcher shot multiple shots in his direction rapidly forcing him to make repeated saves without any rest. If he delayed even for a moment, he’d miss the ball.

He wasn’t competing against anybody. So, one may wonder why he was so caught up in trying to save almost every shot. Though he wasn’t competing against anybody, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t competing at all.

His competition was with none other than himself.

As he continued to make saves, sweat poured down his face, glistening in the fading light. His breathing continued to get heavier, yet he refused to stop.

Pushing his limits, despite the evident exhaustion, he continued to make saves. Each dive, each jump, and each catch was an attempt to push his limits, to become better, faster, and more reliable.

His unwavering determination was evident in his eyes.

“I… need to… catch up soon,” he mumbled with great difficulty, gasping heavily as he finally paused after the machine ran out of balls to shoot at him.

Just like most of his teammates, he too had seen Hiro’s performance. And, he did feel happy for him. But, it also left a bad taste in his mouth. The two had shared the same field for many years. And, he had even left the academy earlier than him.

But unlike him, he hadn’t managed to achieve any real-time success. Instead, he had been loaned out to free up the roster.

No, he wasn’t envious of Hiro. Though he hadn’t imagined him to make such a grand debut, he always believed that he’d do well even if the stage were to change. The stage might change, but his quality would remain the same.

However, it didn’t feel good either. He was furious. But his fury wasn’t directed at anyone else but himself.

Even when he had been loaned out, he didn’t feel even a bit enraged. Instead, he was happy to finally get some playing minutes. After all, he didn’t get much opportunity in the team because of the presence of Naoto.

So, he was really happy to be loaned out.

The team he was loaned out belonged to the second division. It was a team called Yokohama FC. No, it’s not a subsidiary team associated with the first-division team with almost the same name; Yokohama FM.

It’s an entirely different team who were pushing for the first division.

The previous season, he had nearly managed to lead them to the promotion. Securing a spot for the playoffs, they had placed fifth in the previous season.

The top two teams of the league get directly promoted to the first division while the teams placing 3rd to 6th battle against each other in playoffs, for an opportunity to secure the promotion.

However, even after the playoffs, the winning team needs to face the 16th-place team from the first division to actually get promoted to the first division.

And, almost most of the time, even after winning the playoffs, the team from the second division would end up losing against the 16th-placed team of the first division.

So, apart from the top two teams of the league, the opportunity for promotion was rather slim for the rest of the teams fighting for the promotion.

Precisely because of his performance, he had gone soft. Though even after his marvelous performance he still failed to get a shot at his parent club. And, this season again he had returned back to the same club.

It’s not that he didn’t get other offers. But, having spent a season already, it didn’t feel like moving to an entirely different team. It was because of the sense of familiarity and the feeling of importance that had brought him again to this club.

This season too, his performance had been nothing but marvelous. As of now, they were placed third in the league and if they continued their momentum, they could even aim for direct promotion.

The feeling of importance, the feeling of others relying on him had gotten to his head; making him forget his goals. He had become lax. His spot on the team was guaranteed, and there was nobody to challenge him for his spot.

Even if he did make a few errors, nobody would criticize him which only added to his already comfort. And, when you get too comfortable, you lose sight of your goals.

Only those who can step out of their comfort zone can improve.

Feeling frustrated at himself for his attitude, Shun pounded his punch on the ground as he remained flat against his face facing the sky.

Unbeknownst to Shun, his coach, Nakamura, stood silently at the edge of the training ground, observing him with a mixture of pride and concern. Nakamura had finished his own work for the day but on his way home, he had noticed Shun’s continued presence on the field.

It was way past the training time. But despite noticing his presence on the field, instead of calling out to him, he chose to watch from the shadows, silently observing and analyzing him.

Shun’s dedication was evident, and it struck a chord with Nakamura. Just like him, once he too was like that; staying up late in the field driven by a desire to improve. Watching him train felt rather nostalgic as he remembered his younger days.

Which is why, he didn’t intervene.

Sure, hard work was important but so was rest. Training tirelessly while ignoring rest would only ruin a player’s career. And, he was well aware of it.

But still, he couldn’t bring himself to tell Shun to stop. How could he do it after seeing such determination in his eyes?

So despite his understanding, he stood on the sidelines, waiting for him to finish his training. It was the only approach he could take right now, he felt so.

The pressure that Shun was putting on himself, he knew that it was a double-edged sword. Nakamuracould see that Shun was not just training hard; he was fighting against the weight of his own expectations and fears of inadequacy.

He knew that Shun was fairly talented. And his dedication was also great. Having coached him for more than a season, he was aware of his personality and traits. And, he also believed that if his progression remained steady, one day he’d make it.

But watching him train to the point of falling apart today, made him slightly worried.

Finally, as Shun collapsed on the floor and remained idle for a while, he decided it was time to step in. He approached the goal quietly, his gaze filled with concern fixated on Shun.

“Shun,” he called out softly.

Startled, Shun turned to see his coach standing in front of him with a thoughtful expression on his face.

‘He shouldn’t be here at the moment. So, what’s he doing here? Is he here to reprimand me? I’ve breached the curfew.’ several thoughts appeared in his mind as he noticed his coach’s presence.

Coach Nakamura had implemented a strict set of rules to maintain discipline in the squad. One of those rules was the implementation of a curfew.

After the end of the training, players were required to leave the premises and prioritize recovery. Having ended his career early due to his recklessness, he had especially reminded them to be mindful of this rule.

Everyone knew that it was for their sake that he had implemented such a rule. After all, as much as training is important, recovery is equally important as well. Not only does resting well allow their fatigued muscles proper time to recover, but it also keeps them sharp.

Fearing the wrath of his manager, Shun said, “Coach Nakamura…,” he paused for a while, trying to catch his breath, and added, “I didn’t see you there.”

It’s not what he wanted to say, but it was all that he could muster right now.

Nakamura walked closer, wearing a solemn look on his face. But the more he got closer, the more his heart thumped. Perspiration trickled down his face, and he started feeling a little tense as if his shoulder were starting to stiffen.

‘He won’t let me?’ he thought, scared.

Contrary to his expectation, Nakamura then placed his hands atop his shoulder, “I’ve been watching you for a while. Your dedication is impressive, but remember, improvement isn’t just about how much time you spend on the field. It’s also about how you use that time.”

It wasn’t what he was expecting. In fact, he was preparing to face his wrath and his punishment. But those words left him utterly speechless. He had broken the rule, but yet instead of getting angry at him, his coach was trying to console him.

For some reason, his words made him feel extremely guilty.