Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

Fifteen minutes. Lucas had to be ready in just fifteen minutes. With no time to lose, he put the blanket aside and went to the closet, where his uniform hung on a solitary hanger.

Inside the closet, part of the men's uniform hung on a hanger: the jacket was a dark blue with subtle details such as the institute's coat of arms on the chest. An impeccable white shirt was folded perfectly, accompanied by a tie in the same shade of blue as the jacket that complemented the outfit. Straight-cut black pants and black shoes.

"Right, let's go." He quickly put on his shirt and then his jacket, which weighed slightly. Then he hurried to put on his pants and adjust his tie, a task that required more concentration than usual, given his haste. The tie slipped a few times, but with a last effort, he tied it in a proper knot. The last touch was the shoe, which he hurriedly put on, feeling time pass relentlessly.

"Please don't let me be late." he asked the universe, as if the stars could hear his pleas.

With his backpack already packed beside his bed, Lucas picked it up and put it on his back. He was about to leave when a thought struck him: the protein bar. He quickly opened his backpack, took out the packet and put it in his mouth, chewing awkwardly as he opened the door.

The door opened, revealing the well-lit corridor of the Seyek Institute. The building was similar in style to some Japanese buildings, with open-air corridors. From above, he could see that there was hardly any movement on the institute's campus.

Lucas ran, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. He turned a corner and entered the stairwell.

His breathing was light, mixing with the echo of his hurried footsteps. He had a purpose, a goal: not to be late for the first day of school. However, as he left the dormitory building and started running towards the main building, which was a large three-storey building in the center of campus, an authoritative voice called out to him.

"Hey, you! Stop running now!"

Lucas stopped abruptly, scraping the soles of his feet on the ground. He turned around and found a girl with long dark blue hair, an impeccable uniform and a disciplinary committee armband on her right arm.

"What's your name?" she asked with one hand on his waist.

"Lucas Tanaka. And you?"

"I'm Kate Dyer. I'm a member of the disciplinary committee at this institute. What year are you?"

Lucas hesitated for a moment, then, trying to sound nonchalant, replied: "I'm a sophomore."

Kate arched an eyebrow, but instead of criticizing, a slight sigh escaped his lips. "Right. So why are you running around campus? That's not an example of conduct for a student at our institute."

"Oh, I... I'm doing a morning run. To warm up for classes."

"Morning run? Are you sure? Then why do you have messy hair?"

Instantly, Lucas ran his hand through his hair, trying to tame the unruly strands that were spreading out indomitably.

"Good, now it's better. If you're really a sophomore and you're not late, you should know that your first class isn't in the main building today, but in the basketball gym."

Lucas widened his eyes. "The basketball gym?"

"What? Why?"

"The initiation ceremony, of course. Do you know where the basketball gym is? If so, go there immediately. Maybe the ceremony has already started."

"W-well, where is this gym?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Kate sighed again, seeming to weigh up the options. "Look, I'll cut you some slack because you're new, but you need to hurry. Come on, follow me." she replied, turning around and walking.

Lucas hurried after her, trying to keep up. The girl moved with an agility that surprised him; even without running, she seemed to float, her dark blue hair swaying behind her.

At that moment, he couldn't help but notice how different the girls' clothes were. While the boys wore uniforms in darker shades, the girls sported an almost entirely white palette - white skirts, short-sleeved shirts with a delicate beige hue, and a dark blue bow tie, which made them look more elegant.

Noticing Kate's outfit, he also noticed how long, white and beautiful her legs were, but he glanced away, a little embarrassed by his own thoughts.

"Damn it, Lucas. You can't look at girls like her like that yet... You're already mentally overage." He scolded himself.

"Come on, you can't fall behind!" Kate shouted, without turning to look.

Lucas picked up his pace, trying to keep up with her. It didn't take long for them to reach the gymnasium, and Lucas could already hear the din of voices coming from inside the enormous building.

Kate paused at the entrance, and Lucas almost bumped into her. "Here we are. Come in and find a place to sit. The initiation ceremony must have already begun."

Lucas stepped forward, but before entering, he turned to thank her. "Thank you, Kate. E... sorry about the work."

"Don't worry, it's my job. Now go. You're in luck. The ceremony hasn't started yet."

Lucas walked in and immediately felt all that youthful energy. Students from different years were mingling, chatting and laughing as they settled down. The stage was decorated with colourful banners and the Seyek Institute emblem, and behind him, a group of teachers was organizing the ceremony.

He headed for one side of the gymnasium, where a few chairs were still available, but suddenly he felt someone tug at the sleeve of his jacket. He looked back and saw Raphael Portiolli, who was grinning broadly.

"Hey, man! It's been a while, hasn't it? You didn't see the message I sent you earlier, did you? I was waiting for you for ages in front of the dorm."

Lucas was pleased to see a familiar face at last. "Oh, man, I'm sorry. I got to my room yesterday and blacked out. I woke up about ten minutes ago and didn't even have time to look at my cell phone."

"Eh? Really? If I'd known your room number, I'd have knocked. But come on, sit down. I've saved you a seat. They've announced that the ceremony is about to begin."