Saturday morning came with clear skies and tension
Ren stood near the goalpost as Coach Anzai walked across the pitch with someone new
The man wore black slacks and sunglasses. Sharp haircut. No clipboard
Ren noticed the players whispering
"That guy is from Musashino Academy" someone said
"No way. You serious"
"He is a scout. My brother saw him at the U14 regionals"
Ren narrowed his eyes
Musashino Academy was no joke. One of the top youth systems in Tokyo. They only picked elite players. Mostly strikers and midfielders
Keepers got noticed last
Still, the scout was here. Watching
The match started fast
Tōyō was facing a tough team from Katsushika Ward. Bigger players. Harder tackles
By the tenth minute, Ren had already made two diving saves
He stayed alert. Feet never flat. Eyes scanning constantly
The scout stood with his arms folded. Unmoving. Watching everything
Then came the moment
Corner kick
Katsushika's number nine towered over the defense. Ball floated in perfectly
A thunderous header
Ren stepped left
Then launched
Fingertips met leather. The ball cracked against the crossbar and bounced out
Gasps from both sides
Ren landed hard but got right back up
Coach Anzai gave a rare nod
The scout scribbled something in a notebook
Halftime came
The boys crowded around the water bottles. Some stealing glances at the man in black
Ren sat alone. Breathing steady
He did not look at the scout
He did not need to
Second half played out rough
No goals. Lots of fouls
Ren stayed locked in
When the whistle blew, it ended 0–0
Another clean sheet
As the team packed up, the scout spoke to Anzai quietly. Then walked toward the gate
But before leaving, he glanced once at Ren
Just a glance
Then he was gone
Riku came over, grinning
"Bro. I think you made him blink"
Ren half smiled
Back at home, his mom was already up. On her day off. Coffee in hand
"You were good today. I watched from the fence"
"You saw the header"
"I saw everything"
He nodded
She leaned on the counter
"That man in black. He talk to you"
Ren shook his head
"Not yet"
She smiled
"But he will"