In Olivia Lee's eyes, Ryan Howard's back at this very moment overlapped with that lonely figure standing on the sidelines during PE class.

The setting sun stretched his shadow long and far across the ground, reaching all the way to the girl's feet.

Chapter 9: Do You Want to Play Soccer?

Helen Shaw saw her son standing in front of her like a mud monkey and was instantly furious. She raised her arm, but in the end, the slap didn't land. Instead, she let out a heavy sigh: "If your dad sees you like this, there's no way you'll escape a beating!"

"I fell off my bike!" Ryan Howard protested. "I'm clearly the victim here, so why should I get beaten?"

"Who are you trying to fool! Do you think your dad will believe your nonsense? Go take a shower, and don't just throw your clothes in the washing machine. I need to scrub the mud off first... Can't you just give me a break?" With that, Helen Shaw turned and walked toward the kitchen—the food was still cooking in the pot.

Behind her, Ryan Howard asked, "Mom, is Dad stopping me from playing soccer because he knows I have no talent for it?"

Helen Shaw's figure paused as she walked to the kitchen. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Yeah, you're right. Dad just hates soccer himself, that's why he won't let me play." With that, Ryan Howard turned toward the bathroom.

Helen Shaw looked back at her son's retreating figure and sighed softly.

※※※

Under the warm glow of an orange lamp sat a small square table, with two dishes and a bowl of soup on it—both meat and vegetables, but not in large portions.

"Qingqing, how was your first day at school? Are you getting along with your classmates?" John Lee asked his daughter across the table, holding his bowl of rice.

But his daughter didn't respond.

"Qingqing?"

John Lee looked up at his daughter and found her eyes unfocused, clearly lost in thought.

He waved his hand in front of her eyes, and only then did her gaze regain focus.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Ah, nothing. My classmates are all pretty friendly to me... Oh right, Dad, there's someone in our class who's really good at soccer. He'll probably make the school team, right?"

"You mean Kevin Carter?" John Lee nodded. "I've heard about him. Unless something unexpected happens, he should be selected. He's the strongest among the freshmen."

Olivia Lee thought of Ryan Howard again. That guy actually wants to join the school team too... The two of them are worlds apart, one in the sky and one on the ground.

I only said that to get him to give up his pointless struggle sooner. After all, wouldn't it be better to give up now than to be rejected by the school team in front of everyone later?

As Olivia Lee thought this, that silhouette in the sunset appeared in her mind again.

※※※

In the cramped, narrow bathroom, Ryan Howard stood under the faucet with his head down, letting the hot water run over the back of his neck.

Olivia Lee's words still echoed in his ears:

"You can't even get on the field during our class soccer games, and you want to join the school team and play in inter-school matches?"

"You're not suited for soccer. With coordination that bad, you'll never play well."

So all my practice was for nothing?

Is my body just not suited for soccer?

Is there a reason for all those people laughing at me?

Should I just go play PUBG with Big Scott?

Like hell I will!

Just thinking about Kevin Carter's arrogant face and his number one lackey Brian Lee gloating made Ryan Howard feel a lump of frustration stuck in his chest, unable to let it go.

Should I really deny all my hard work and dreams just because of a few words from others?

No way!

"Ryan Howard! How long are you going to take in the shower? Are you eating or not?!"

His mom's roar sounded from outside the bathroom.

"Coming, coming!" Ryan Howard stuck his head under the water, gave his hair a quick, messy rub, and hurriedly turned off the tap.

※※※

After her shower, Olivia Lee sat at her desk by the window. If she leaned out a bit, she could see the empty lot where she and Ryan Howard had played soccer that afternoon.

It was pitch black out there now, but Olivia Lee's gaze still pierced the darkness, staring blankly at a spot where Ryan Howard's soccer ball was hidden.

Will that guy... give up?

He probably already has, right?

Actually, giving up isn't so bad. If you like soccer, just play for fun. Why insist on joining the school team? How many people actually make it? Does that mean everyone who doesn't make the team isn't worthy of loving soccer? If you truly love the game, does it matter where you play?

Even though coordination can be improved through training, there's only about a month left before the school team tryouts. With that boy's foundation, how easy could it be to improve?

Besides, the golden age for coordination training is between eight and thirteen years old. After that, even if you can improve through training, the results are very limited.

※※※

Ryan Howard sat upright in the chair at his desk. From behind, he looked like a diligent student, with no sign of what he was really up to—he was searching on his phone: "How to train if you have poor coordination?"

His mind was already made up.

He admitted his coordination was poor, and the problems that girl pointed out were all true.

But just because your coordination is bad, does that mean you can't train it?