Chapter 69 – Observation
Pambara arrived before everyone else.
Again.
The field was still damp from the early morning rain, patches of water reflecting the pale grey sky overhead. The air smelled fresh, cold enough that each breath lingered faintly in front of him. Nobody else had shown up yet.
But Pambara was already there.
Ball at his feet.
Notebook in his hands.
"…Okay," he muttered quietly to himself.
He looked down at the page.
Names.
Positions.
Arrows.
Tiny notes scribbled everywhere.
Yuma – pushes too early when angry.
Takumi – hates unpredictable movement.
Hiroto – scans left first under pressure.
Yusuke – shoots faster after failed dribbles.
Pambara stared at the notes for a second longer before nodding slightly.
"…Got it."
Then he placed the notebook down carefully near the bench.
And started training.
It wasn't impressive.
Not even close.
His dribbling looked awkward. His turns were too stiff. His acceleration barely existed. Every movement felt just a little slower than everyone else on the team.
But he kept going anyway.
Again.
Again.
Again.
By the time the others arrived, Pambara was already drenched in sweat.
Yuma stared at him from the entrance.
"…Why are you here so early?"
Pambara looked up immediately.
"O-oh. Morning."
"That didn't answer my question."
"…I wanted more practice."
Yuma clicked his tongue.
"…Practice athleticism next."
Sora snorted laughing as he walked past.
"That was kinda foul."
"…Was it wrong?" Yuma replied.
Pambara scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"…I am pretty slow."
"See?" Yuma pointed immediately. "Even he knows."
Training started not long after.
Short passing drills.
Movement exercises.
Pressure rotations.
Pambara struggled immediately.
"Move faster!"
"…Sorry!"
"No, not sorry. FASTER."
The ball came toward him during a possession drill.
Pambara trapped it awkwardly.
Too far from his body.
Kaito instantly stole it.
"…Too loose," Kaito muttered.
Another drill.
Another mistake.
Pambara turned the wrong direction during a rotation.
Takumi stopped immediately.
"…What are you doing?"
"I thought Ren was shifting left."
"He was obviously moving right."
"…Oh."
Yuma groaned loudly.
"Bro's got negative football IQ and negative athleticism. That's a generational combo."
Pambara laughed weakly again.
"…I'll work on it."
"Work harder."
The drills continued.
And somehow—
Pambara kept smiling through all of it.
Not fake.
Not forced.
Just… calm.
That started bothering Yusuke.
Most people would've snapped by now.
Or quit.
Or gotten angry.
Pambara did none of those things.
Instead—
he watched.
Constantly.
Every time someone moved, his eyes followed.
Every pass.
Every habit.
Every mistake.
He noticed everything.
During a scrimmage, Hiroto pushed the ball wide instinctively under pressure.
Pambara moved there before the pass even happened.
The ball rolled directly toward him.
Hiroto blinked slightly.
"…Lucky guess."
"…Maybe."
A few minutes later, Ren cut inward during a defensive rotation.
Pambara drifted into the exact space left behind.
Again—
the ball reached him.
This time Takumi noticed.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…How'd you know he'd move there?"
Pambara froze slightly.
"…I just thought he might."
Yuma immediately stole the ball off him anyway.
"…Cool prediction. Still weak."
Training continued.
Hours passed.
The sun climbed higher overhead.
Everyone grew more exhausted.
Then came shooting drills.
Yusuke stepped forward first.
The ball rested near the edge of the box.
Tsubasa moved into goal lazily.
"…Don't break my fingers."
"No promises."
Yusuke took a breath.
Ran forward.
Shot.
The ball curved hard toward the left side.
Top corner.
Goal.
Pambara spoke immediately.
"…Left again."
Silence.
Yusuke turned slightly.
"…What?"
Pambara blinked.
"…Oh."
He pointed awkwardly.
"…You tighten your shoulders before emotional shots."
Yuma stared at him.
"…What the hell are you talking about?"
Pambara shrank slightly under everyone's attention.
"…S-sorry."
Yusuke grabbed another ball.
This time—
he focused.
Relaxed his shoulders deliberately.
Then shot.
Right side.
Goal.
Pambara's eyes widened slightly.
"…Oh."
Yusuke stared at him now.
Properly.
"…You noticed that?"
Pambara nodded slowly.
"…Your body changes before you shoot."
Takumi crossed his arms slightly.
"…That's weird."
"…Yeah," Sora added. "Really weird."
Pambara lowered his head slightly.
"…Sorry."
"No," Hiroto interrupted quietly.
Everyone looked at him.
Hiroto's eyes stayed on Pambara.
"…Do it again."
Pambara blinked.
"…Huh?"
"Predict."
Yusuke grabbed another ball silently.
Placed it down.
Pambara stared carefully.
Not at the goal.
At Yusuke.
His stance.
His posture.
His breathing.
"…Low right," Pambara said quietly.
Yusuke shot.
LOW RIGHT.
GOAL.
Silence hit the field.
Even Yuma stopped talking.
Pambara immediately panicked slightly under everyone staring at him.
"…I-I just guessed."
"You did not guess," Takumi said immediately.
Pambara looked down awkwardly.
"…Sorry."
Yuma pointed at him slowly.
"…You're creepy."
"…I get that a lot."
But this time—
nobody laughed.
Because for the first time since he arrived—
Pambara didn't feel invisible.
And that scared them a little.
To Be Continued.