"Enough."
Coach Ramirez clapped once.
"Balls down."
The touches stopped.
A few players rolled the ball under their foot before letting it rest.
Ramirez looked across the field.
"Five a side. Full width. Play properly."
No explanation.
But the tone was different.
Teams formed quickly.
Li Shen didn't pay attention to how.
He stepped into position.
Looked up once.
Ethan stood on the other side.
"Start."
The ball moved.
Short passes.
Cleaner than before.
Less noise.
More intent.
Li Shen watched.
Positioning.
Spacing.
Timing.
Same structure.
The ball came to him.
First touch—clean.
Jayden was already moving on the right.
Straight line. Fast.
"Play it!"
Li Shen held for a fraction.
Measured the gap.
Too early.
Jayden kept running.
The space opened.
Then tightened.
Now.
He passed.
Sharp. Forward.
Jayden stretched—
Late.
The ball rolled past him.
Out.
"Yo, what was that?" Jayden snapped. "Just play it when I call it."
Li Shen looked at him.
"Late."
"What?"
No follow-up.
Reset.
They started again.
The ball shifted left.
Diego received.
Step.
Touch.
Another touch.
He slowed it.
Drew one defender.
Then another.
"Pass," someone said.
Diego ignored it.
Tried to push through.
Lost it.
"I had it," he muttered.
Li Shen watched.
Too long.
The ball came back through midfield.
Daniel took it.
One touch.
Side pass.
Safe.
Again.
Same rhythm.
Nothing broke.
Nothing changed.
Too stable.
Marcus held the back.
Didn't chase.
Didn't bite.
Just stood where he needed to be.
The game continued.
Clean.
Predictable.
Not enough.
The ball bounced loose between two players.
A half-second of hesitation.
Li Shen stepped in.
Early.
He reached it first.
Marcus moved up.
Cut the angle.
Li Shen shifted left.
No reaction.
Shift right.
Still there.
"…you're readable," Marcus said.
Li Shen paused.
Then passed back out.
Reset.
Blocked.
The game moved again.
Slightly faster now.
More pressure.
Li Shen adjusted his position.
Not toward the ball.
Ahead of it.
The pass came.
He didn't settle it.
One touch.
Forward.
Into space that wasn't open yet.
"Wait—"
The ball slipped through.
A defender turned.
Too late.
Ethan stepped in.
Clean control.
No hesitation.
Second touch.
Play continued.
Smooth.
No break in rhythm.
Li Shen watched.
He adjusted.
Ethan didn't look at him.
Didn't react.
Just kept the flow.
The ball cycled again.
Li Shen moved earlier this time.
Before the shape formed.
Received.
Redirected.
Ethan was already there.
Another clean link.
The movement stretched.
Opened.
For a moment—
it held.
Then broke.
Like everything else.
Li Shen slowed.
That's it.
Not complete.
But closer.
"Again," Ethan said.
Li Shen glanced at him.
A short pause.
"Okay."
They reset.
The next sequence came faster.
Ball.
Movement.
Space.
Li Shen stepped in early.
Passed without stopping.
Ethan adjusted again.
Kept it moving.
The play flowed.
Not perfect.
But smoother.
Voices shifted.
Less complaining.
More reacting.
Jayden adjusted his run once.
Caught a pass clean.
Didn't say anything.
Daniel sped up slightly.
Still safe.
But quicker.
Even Diego released the ball earlier once.
Small changes.
The game continued.
"Time."
Everything stopped.
Breathing heavier.
Some players bent forward.
Others walked off.
Li Shen stepped back.
Calm.
Coach Ramirez approached.
Looked at him for a moment.
"You."
Li Shen met his eyes.
"Stay after."
No tone.
Just decision.
Li Shen nodded.
"Alright."
The others started talking again.
"You're weird to play with."
"…but that worked."
"Do that again."
Li Shen didn't respond.
He looked back at the field.
The space.
The lines.
The movement.
Not enough.
A pause.
Closer.