Before the game restarted, the orange side made their privileged substitution: the young left winger Imao stepped out, allowing his fellow junior, Young Naziko, number thirteen, to enter the game.
Their positions were altered only a bit now, Young Nicholas stepped left to take the place of the substituted winger. And Young Naziko went to position himself as an Attacking midfielder.
"This is going to be fun," Don commented to Saki. "Now they're destroying their midfield. Lucky for us!"
Saki had already told them about staying sharp to their midfield. But was he right? Because if he was, then their midfielder wouldn't just decide to abandon his position and occupy the wing.
Unless he could offer his creativeness even from there. And it was possible.
"One more thing!" Said the female referee, "You're remained with 30 minutes, no additional time, and I don't think it even matters."
Then she blew the whistle.
Kenta sending the pass wide to Young Nicholas, it was Saki his immediate opponent who didn't want to go blindly as he did last time and got tricked foolishly.
He slowed down as Young, brilliantly made his fluid movements, Don came supporting him and they both try to wall him back. But he left his pass go to the pacing midfielder, the kid who just got substituted.
He received the pass and run deep trying to escape to the left side, and the entire orange team started to storm on their side. On the far right side of the orange side, Joha lingered almost predatory and even Saki didn't even notice he was there.
The guy was like a shadow in the pitch. A true inside finisher.
Young Naziko was down to the blue corner side the ball still with him, Don closed in to block him, but magnificently made a successful nutmeg and deftly run behind him to win the ball.
Though that wasn't good enough to take down Don. Who made an abrupt turn to arrive just as the moment the kid tried to take the ball away. And as they physically battle, the kid kicked the ball to deflect Don and it was out.
Tsssss!
It was corner kick as the referee gestured to the corner side.
Young Naziko dragged himself and picked up the ball and run to the corner to get it swung in.
That was when Saki finally spotted Joha running from his shadow space and positioned himself outside the box just near the D.
Why would he do that?
He hesitated for a moment, then ignored him as the kid prepared to take the inswing, making sure he'd be ready—unpleasant as it might be—to get rid of him if he tried to make a run once the ball was played in.
Young Naziko stepped back, raised his arm, and drove the ball in—not toward the crowded box everyone expected.
Instead, the cross curved outward, bending away from the mass of players and drifting toward the edge of the area.
For a moment, it looked misplaced.
Until Saki followed its path.
Joha.
He was already there, positioned just outside the D, completely unmarked.
Realization hit too late.
The ball dropped perfectly from the air, and without attempting to control it, Joha adjusted his body in one smooth motion and struck it cleanly on the volley.
The contact was flawless.
A sharp, thunderous strike that sent the ball flying toward the goal with unstoppable pace and precision, leaving the goalkeeper rooted as it crashed into the net.
There was no one to blame there more than himself! Thought Saki regretful as the Orange team went into alive celebration for the first time.
"Four - three!" Yelled the female referee who didn't even blew the whistle.
"What do we do now?" It was Lumi who came to ask him. "Clearly, it's not just the midfield they need to win the game."
"I say we stop being smart ass and go direct in," said Akio Saito, their center midfielder. "It doesn't matter that now they're on the lead again, and from a goal like that I bet that guy- Joha can go score his fourth goal before the game's over."
Saki exhaled deeply, thoughtfully considering why he felt so much pressure in what was just a friendly game.
"I bet you're right," Saki replied firmly, his teammates looking surprised.
"What happened to that playing smart notion you said just the other half?" Asked Papu who was folding his hands coolly.
"Well," he said, "we are playing smart but it seemed relying much on defending is naturally not our game, our Defensive wall is easy to break so-"
"Do I need to remind you lot, time isn't on your side!"
Yelled the referee beckoning them to reposition themselves for a restart.
"So you're saying," Frederico added quickly before they could split up, "we should be attacking more just as the first half?"
"Yes." Responded Saki.
For a second, none of them moved.
Then Akio Saito grinned.
"Finally."
Frederico cracked his knuckles as he turned toward the center circle. "About time we stopped babysitting our defense."
Lumi exhaled and nodded once. "Alright… then we go all in."
The referee raised her whistle.
Both teams were already set.
"Play!"
The whistle cut sharply through the air and the blue team restarted immediately.
Papu tapped the ball backward to begin the play, intending to recycle possession through the defense.
But the pass lacked strength.
It rolled too slowly toward Don.
Kenta saw it instantly.
The orange center forward burst all in, cutting across Don's path and stealing the ball cleanly before the defender could even react. In the same motion, he pushed the ball ahead and released a quick pass toward Joha.
Joha had already started moving.
Saki, who had briefly exchanged positions with Lumi, rushed across to shut him down before he could turn.
But he was a step too late.
Trying to stop the play, Saki lunged in aggressively and crashed straight into Joha just as the ball arrived.
The impact sent Joha stumbling while the ball skipped loose across the grass.
The whistle blew sharply.
"Foul!"
Players slowed as the referee ran toward them, already shaking her head.
Saki knew it the moment he saw her reach into her pocket.
A yellow card flashed in the air.
"For reckless challenge."
"Sorry guys!" Papu apologized quickly, raising a hand as if the mistake still weighed on him.
Saki waved it off with a short shake of his head. It had started with the bad pass, sure—but the foul had been his decision.
He was about to step away and let the referee restart the game when a voice stopped him.
"Hey."
Saki turned.
Joha stood a few steps away, dusting grass from his shorts. His expression was calm, almost casual, as if the collision from a moment ago hadn't mattered at all.
"You're getting desperate," Joha said.
It wasn't loud, but it carried just enough for Saki to hear it clearly.
Saki frowned slightly. "Or maybe you're just getting lucky."
Joha tilted his head, amused.
"Lucky?" he repeated softly.
"Three times?" he added, "we all know who is taking the bench here," he stopped for a while. "It wouldn't be you exactly, but your teammates, the kid in the right-"
"Lumi!" Saki interrupted him.
"Yeah him, and the rest of them!" He pointed with his eyes.
Saki felt a small spark of irritation rising in his chest, but he kept his face calm.
"You talk too much," he replied.
Joha only shrugged.
"We'll see."
The referee blew her whistle again, signaling the restart.
Players quickly spread back into position as the orange team prepared to take the free kick.
Saki jogged back toward his half, the yellow card still fresh in his mind. Thirty minutes had once sounded like plenty of time.
Now it felt like it was slipping away far too quickly.
Across the pitch, Joha was already walking back into space again—quiet, watchful, and waiting for the next chance.