Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

Mr. Yamamoto cleared his throat, catching Lucas's eye. "I know it's a lot to process right now, kid. You don't have to make a decision right away."

Lucas nodded slightly, signaling that he understood, but his mind was still far away. He rose from his chair almost automatically, bowing respectfully to the coach and Otsuka before saying goodbye and leaving the office.

The heat of the summer sun hit him as soon as he left the school building, but strangely it didn't seem to bother him. His thoughts were so charged that he barely noticed his surroundings.

As he walked through the streets towards the house where he lived with his family, Lucas tried to organize the words in his head. He needed to tell John and Ayumi what had just happened, but how could he explain something so... big? He had always imagined that he would follow the normal path: be spotted by a scout, join a youth team and work his way up.

He never imagined living abroad so young, let alone training at an elite club in England.

When he finally got home, the low sound of the television came from the living room and the washing machine in the laundry room was running. This simple house... he had felt relieved to come back to this place after 'dying', and he didn't know how to feel about it now.

John was sitting on the sofa. It was his day off because he'd asked for it because he'd thought he'd go to Nagoya to watch Lucas play in the semi-finals. Well, the plans didn't turn out as they had imagined. John was concentrating on a sports program while Ayumi was bustling around in the laundry room.

"Hi, Lucas! How was practice today?" Ayumi asked excitedly when she saw Lucas in the hallway. "Did you go to the park?"

Lucas took a deep breath and let it out slowly before answering. "Training was... good. But I had to go to school."

Ayumi frowned. "On a Saturday? What happened? Did you forget something on the bus?"

"Actually, Mr. Yamamoto wanted to talk to me and it's something important I need to talk to you about."

John looked over his shoulder at his son, puzzled. "Important, huh? Come and sit here, then." He patted the sofa lightly, inviting Lucas to join him.

Lucas walked over to the sofa and sat down. His hands were restless and intertwined.

Ayumi, sitting down too, looked at Lucas' hands and realized that the matter was quite serious. Experience more on empire

"So, what is it, son?" John asked as he turned off the television.

Lucas began to speak slowly, choosing his words carefully: "Mr. Yamamoto sent me a message, telling me to come to school because he was going to introduce me to someone important. I went and he introduced me to a man called Takashi Otsuka..."

"Takashi Otsuka?" John's eyes widened.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Lucas was surprised too. "Do you know him, Dad?"

"Of course I do! What sports fan in this town doesn't know Takashi Otsuka? A few years ago, he was simply one of the most coveted men to become a coach in the J-League. Everyone wanted him!

"Khum!" Ayumi cleared her throat, drawing John's attention back to what really mattered.

"Ah, yes. Son, please continue." John said.

"Well... Otsuka said he works as an assistant coach at Brighton, a Premier League club in England. They're holding a try-out next week, and he's nominated me to take part."

The television room fell silent. John and Ayumi exchanged glances, clearly shocked, astonished and frightened. It was much more than either of them had expected to hear that morning when the cicadas in the garden were making so much noise.

"A sieve... in England?" Ayumi repeated, as if trying to absorb the information.

"Yes, an open competition in Brighton. They'll be looking at talent for the youth team for next season. But... it's not guaranteed that I'll get through. And there are other costs involved."

"Lucas, do you realize what that means? Brighton! The Premier League! That's the dream of any footballer your age."

"But, according to Otsuka, the trip, the stay, all of that, could cost between 150,000 and 300,000 yen."

"300,000 yen... that's a lot of money, Lucas." Lucas said with a tone as if he'd been stabbed. "And you're still in high school..."

His voice wasn't one of reproach, but of concern. He was clearly pondering the challenges of sending their eldest son to another country at such a young age.

"I know. I know it seems a lot and there's still the question of college. But... if I passed the screening, Otsuka-san said that the club would take care of it. I could continue my studies there, at a special school for athletes, and I'd even have a salary." He paused. He paused.

"It's a unique opportunity. But at the same time, I know it's not easy or guaranteed. And the cost... I don't know if we can afford it."

John looked at Ayumi, who was standing next to him, and asked:

"What do you think, honey?"

Although Ayumi's expression was more restrained, more measured, she smiled: "You've always worked so hard, Lucas. If this is something you want, I don't see why you shouldn't try. But... do you really think you're ready for it? You'll be far away, practically on the other side of the world, and you'll be living alone."

Living alone would be nothing new for Lucas, because he was already an adult. The only problem would be living in another country with a completely different culture.

"And there's the language issue too." Ayumi said.

"Oh, about that... I can speak English."

Ayumi and John looked at each other again, surprised and stunned by the unexpected revelation.

John, who had spent most of his life speaking English at home thinking no one understood him, shifted uncomfortably on the sofa.

"Can you speak English?" John repeated a little louder than usual.

Lucas smiled a little. It wasn't exactly one of triumph, but one of restrained satisfaction, like someone finally revealing a well-kept secret.

"Yes, I've been training for a few years... in secret."

In fact, Lucas had had to learn English in his past life to try to stand out in the design office.

"Hidden?" Ayumi arched her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean you trained in hiding? And why didn't you ever tell us?"

Lucas scratched the back of his head. "Well, it's just... I always wanted it to be a surprise for you, Dad. You've always said that English is the most important language, that it could open doors all over the world. And, to be honest, I knew that, at some point, I could go on a trip or maybe live abroad.

So I thought: what better way to show you that than by speaking fluently when you least expect it?"

John blinked several times, as if trying to remember all the times Lucas could have disguised his attempts to learn the language without him noticing. "So... all this time... you were preparing for this? On your own?"

"Yes. I listened to podcasts, watched series, practiced with language apps and sometimes even spoke alone in my room or when you weren't around. I... wanted to make you proud."

Of all the lies Lucas has ever told his parents, this was probably the most comfortable because, in parts, it was true. He really did do all this, only years later and in another life.

A proud smile began to appear on John's face. "I'm impressed, son. I really am. I had no idea you were dedicating yourself to this. But... that doesn't change the fact that the decision you're about to make isn't just about the language."

Ayumi agreed. "The language is an important part, Lucas, of course, but as your father said, there are so many other things involved. Living alone in a foreign country... it's a huge challenge. And even if you can speak English, cultural adaptation can be much harder than it seems. The things you love here, the people you live with...

Everything will change. It will be very difficult at first. And we're not saying this to discourage you, but to give you an idea."

In fact, life in Japan was always comfortable. It was a safe country, with good food, family and plenty of opportunities. On the other hand, playing soccer for a Premier League club seemed like an opportunity he'd never get otherwise.

"I know. I know it's going to be hard. I also know you're worried... rightly so. But... I feel like I have to try."

"Then let's do it." John said.

"Shall we?" Lucas and Ayumi asked at the same time.

"Of course I'm going with you! You're underage, you can't go to another country on your own and think everything's going to be fine."

"But what about the costs..."

"Don't worry about that. A year ago, Ayumi and I started saving up to help you or Hana with some of your goals. Whether it was living alone or going to college. Well, since we started this not so long ago, we don't have much, but I think I'm over 700,000 in savings."

"700,000?!"

"In yen!"

"That's still a lot of money!"

In fact, it was only a lot to them who didn't have much opportunity to save money. That amount was worth just over 6 thousand dollars.