《Limit 90》 Limit 90 Prologue: The Last Attempt My name is Jun. I''m 16 years old, and I''ve always dreamed of stepping onto a soccer field as a professional player. But reality is cruel¡ªI wasn¡¯t born with natural talent, I stand at only 1.49 meters, and to make matters worse, I suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). I¡¯ve trained relentlessly, yet no club has ever shown interest in me. I don''t fit the mold of what a soccer player is supposed to be. Even so, today I¡¯m transferring to a new academy. And although I have no reason to believe things will be any different this time, something inside me refuses to give up. ¡ª"JUN! Get down here! Breakfast is ready, and Sakura is here!" my mother calls from the kitchen. ¡ª"Coming!" When I arrive, I find my family having breakfast, and Sakura, my girlfriend, waiting for me with a smile. ¡ª"Good morning, Jun," she says, greeting me with a kiss. ¡ª"Good morning," I reply, returning the gesture. We''ve been together for a year, and even though she¡¯s taller than me, she¡¯s never cared about that. As we eat, I feel her hand gently squeeze mine under the table. ¡ª"Do you think this time will be different?" she asks softly. I lower my gaze and take a deep breath. ¡ª"I hope so." We finish breakfast and head out together, hand in hand. ¡ª"You have volleyball practice today, right?" I ask. ¡ª"Yeah, I''ll be staying late," she replies with a smile. The walk to the station is short, but it feels special. When the time comes to say goodbye, Sakura dramatically exaggerates her voice. ¡ª"Oh, my love, this is the moment our souls part ways¡­" I play along. ¡ª"No, my divine love, why must fate be so cruel?" We both laugh, pressing our foreheads together. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡ª"See you later," she says, giving me one last kiss before stepping onto her train. When mine arrives, I barely manage to squeeze in among the crowd. ¡ª"I''m getting crushed!" I complain, struggling to breathe. Through the window, I see the academy¡¯s soccer field. It''s perfectly maintained, the grass glistening with morning dew. "This will be my last attempt¡­" The Beginning of the Challenge Upon arriving at the academy, I¡¯m amazed by the sheer number of sports clubs. Each booth is decorated with flashy images, promoting their teams. ¡ª"This is amazing¡­" I whisper as I walk through them. When I see the soccer club, my heart races. They''re holding selection trials. Without hesitation, I grab a flyer. After the first class of the day, I decide to head to the field. Upon arrival, I see tall, athletic players¡ªclearly experienced. I swallow hard but step forward with determination. ¡ª"Hurry up! Put on the green or orange bibs!" the coach orders. ¡ª"We don¡¯t accept mediocre players in the Tigers," adds a third-year player with an arrogant grin. As I get ready, I feel a tap on my shoulder. ¡ª"Hey! Looks like we¡¯re on the same team. My name¡¯s Toru, what¡¯s yours?" His friendly tone catches me off guard. ¡ª"Jun¡­ nice to meet you." ¡ª"No need to be so formal, relax. What position do you play?" ¡ª"I don¡¯t really know¡­" ¡ª"If you want, stay on the right midfield. I¡¯ll be up front as the right winger." ¡ª"Alright." ¡ª"Alright, let¡¯s start the match!" the coach announces. The whistle blows, and the game begins. The orange team dominates possession from the start. They attack aggressively. A forward gets a clean shot in the box and¡­ ¡ª"Goal!" The scoreboard changes to 1-0. ¡ª"They''re strong¡­" Toru mutters, wiping sweat from his forehead. ¡ª"Especially their number 10. What¡¯s his name?" I ask, watching him closely. ¡ª"Ren. He¡¯s the central midfielder, the brain of the team." We restart play. The ball reaches Toru, and his expression shifts. ¡ª"Let¡¯s see how good they really are¡­" With quick movements, he dribbles past two defenders. Then, he makes a one-two pass with a teammate, surges forward, and without hesitation, takes a shot. The ball curves perfectly and smashes into the top right corner. ¡ª"What a goal!" ¡ª"That was incredible!" I exclaim, amazed. The first half ends with the score tied at 1-1. Second Half and the Change At the start of the second half, Ren takes the ball and advances fearlessly. He effortlessly dribbles past five players. ¡ª"I''ll stop him!" I shout, sprinting towards him. But with a single move, he leaves me behind. ¡ª"Damn it!" Ren keeps advancing and, spotting his forward in a perfect position, sends a spinning pass. I sprint with all my strength, trying to intercept it. ¡ª"You¡¯re not catching up, shorty," the forward mocks. I leap with everything I have, barely grazing the ball. The forward heads it¡­ Post! The ball rebounds and hits me square in the head. My vision blurs. Suddenly, I¡¯m on my feet. Something inside me has changed. My mind feels foggy, but my body moves on its own. I charge at Ren with an intensity I don¡¯t recognize. ¡ª"Huh?" Ren frowns, noticing my gaze. I cut off his teammate¡¯s pass and, without hesitation, send a precise through ball to Toru. ¡ª"What a perfect pass!" he exclaims, surprised. I sprint towards the box, and Toru instantly understands. He crosses the ball to me with pinpoint accuracy. ¡ª"I won¡¯t make it¡­" But my body doesn¡¯t agree. I leap into the air, strike the ball with a flawless volley, and¡­ ¡ª"Goal!" Teammates and opponents alike stand in shock at what just happened. The match ends 2-1. My teammates rush to embrace me, but I¡­ I don¡¯t understand what just happened. ¡ª"That was incredible, Jun." ¡ª"Amazing shot!" ¡ª"Great play!" Ren, still on the ground, clenches his fists and pounds the turf in frustration. ¡ª"Damn it!" The coach steps forward. ¡ª"I¡¯m about to announce the selected players." My heart pounds in my chest. After so much effort, after so many rejections¡­ ¡ª"Jun, you¡¯ve been selected." The words echo in my mind. I can¡¯t believe it. ¡ª"I¡­ I did it¡­" My legs shake. My eyes fill with tears. ¡ª"I DID IT!!!" His journey was only just beginning. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Thank You for Reading! I hope you enjoyed this introduction to my first story, which I¡¯m creating with great excitement and passion. Soon, I¡¯ll start publishing longer and more detailed chapters. Let me know what you think and if you¡¯d like to see more! Instagram: @Jaiderlara11 See you next time! ?? Chapter 1: A Change of Pace --- Jun couldn''t believe it. His name was on the list. He had made it. He dropped to his knees on the damp grass, running his fingers through the earth. ¡ª"I did it¡­ I broke that curse¡­"¡ª he whispered, a mix of exhaustion and relief washing over him. Around him, the setting sun painted the sky in shades of orange as the selected players gathered at the center of the field. ¡ª"Congratulations to those who made it this year. As for the rest, you can try again next time,"¡ª the coach announced in a firm voice, scanning them all with his sharp gaze. ¡ª"For those of you who were selected, I''ll see you tomorrow after school for your first training session. But let me warn you¡ªit won''t be easy." Some players exchanged uneasy glances. Jun, however, couldn''t be more excited. This was his first time being part of an official team, but instead of nervousness, he felt pure exhilaration. From a distance, Ren, who had been listening to the coach''s words, glanced at Jun with clear disdain. ¡ª"I''ll personally make sure you get kicked out of here,"¡ª he muttered with a cold smirk. ¡ª"That''s all. You''re dismissed,"¡ª the coach finished. Toru, one of the selected players, passed by Jun and gave him a pat on the shoulder. ¡ª"See you tomorrow." Jun grabbed his things and headed toward the school''s entrance. However, when he arrived, he saw Ren waiting for him. He tried to walk past, but Ren clapped his hands slowly, speaking in a mocking tone. ¡ª"Congratulations, shorty." Jun stopped in his tracks. ¡ª"I have to admit, that last move of yours surprised me¡­ but let''s be honest, that was just luck,"¡ª Ren''s voice was as cold as ice. Jun hesitated. For a moment, doubt crept into his mind. ¡ª"You won''t last. Why push yourself so hard for something that doesn''t make sense? Just quit now and spare yourself the humiliation." Jun clenched the straps of his bag. Memories of the past crashed into him like a storm. "Give up, shorty!" "You don''t have what it takes to be a football player!" "Son, why don''t you just quit?" His own insecurities clawed at him from every direction. But this time, he refused to let them win. ¡ª"Maybe you''re right¡­ maybe I should give up." The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Ren raised an eyebrow. ¡ª"But I want to play. I know that dreams alone won''t get me anywhere, but if I don''t try, I''ll regret it for the rest of my life. I won''t waste this opportunity." His eyes burned with unwavering determination. Ren stared at him for a moment before letting out a scoff. ¡ª"Pfft¡­ those are just words. I''ll prove it to you tomorrow." Jun didn''t respond. He simply kept walking, his resolve stronger than ever. The Journey Home On the train, Jun rested his head against the window, watching the city blur past him. His headphones blocked out the noise, but in his mind, Ren''s words kept repeating. When he got off, he stopped by a small bakery and bought a red bean bun. He walked home, taking slow bites in silence. That night, before going to sleep, he was reading a book on football strategies when his phone buzzed on his nightstand. Sakura. Jun answered with a smile. ¡ª"Hey." ¡ª"Hey¡­"¡ª she responded, her voice carrying a slight nervousness. ¡ª"How was your day?" Jun sighed. ¡ª"Terrible." ¡ª"Oh¡­ I''m sorry, Jun. If you want, I ca¡ª" ¡ª"I got accepted." There was a long silence. ¡ª"WHAT!? Jun, don''t mess with my emotions!" Jun chuckled. ¡ª"It''s true. I start training tomorrow." ¡ª"That''s amazing¡­ I''m so happy for you." ¡ª"Thanks. What about you? How did it go?" ¡ª"Great! Actually, I''m going to the inter-school tournament with the girls." ¡ª"That''s incredible!" ¡ª"Yeah¡­ but I won''t distract you any longer. You need to rest. Sleep well, okay? Bye, sending you a kiss." ¡ª"Yeah, same to you." Jun hung up with a smile. But on the other end of the call, Sakura let her phone fall onto her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. She bit her lip, her eyes reflecting a mix of emotions. ¡ª"I¡­ didn''t get selected." First Training Session The sun was at its peak. The football field felt like an oven as the players lined up, sweat already forming on their brows. The coach, standing under the shade of an umbrella, looked at them with a calm but firm expression. ¡ª"We''ll start with a test of endurance. 20 laps around the field." Some players groaned internally, but no one dared to complain out loud. Jun swallowed hard, surprised at the amount, but he didn''t hesitate and began jogging. Around him, his teammates were already struggling. From the bench, the coach drank water, making small gestures for them to keep going. ¡ª"This guy¡­"¡ª one of the players muttered between ragged breaths. Not even 10 laps in, and many were reaching their limits. Ren, however, continued as if nothing had happened. Beside him, Toru matched his pace effortlessly. ¡ª"I can''t give up now,"¡ª Jun told himself, pushing forward. But with only two laps left, his vision started to blur. At that moment, Ren ran past him, speaking in a taunting voice. ¡ª"Didn''t you say yesterday that you wouldn''t give up? What happened to that attitude?" Jun wanted to reply, but his body refused to move. His world turned black. He felt nothing. He couldn''t move. He could only see. As if he were just a spectator in his own body. Then, suddenly, his body stood up. His breathing was steady, his posture perfect. His gaze¡ªempty, devoid of emotion. Everyone turned to look at him, confused. The coach, however, seemed unsurprised. ¡ª"Again¡­?"¡ª he muttered under his breath. Ren frowned. ¡ª"What the¡­?" Moving with eerie precision, Jun completed the remaining two laps with flawless form, as if his body was moving on its own. Once finished, he collapsed onto the grass, gasping for air. Blood trickled from his nose. The coach smiled with interest. ¡ª"Alright. Next, we''ll have a 6-on-6 match. Grab a vest and form teams." ¡ª"This is worse than military service¡­"¡ª one of the players groaned. Jun and Ren ended up on opposing teams. Kouta, the team''s number 9, approached Jun. ¡ª"You''ll play as a defender." ¡ª"Alright!" Toru walked past, flashing a grin at Jun. ¡ª"Looks like we''re facing off." Jun took a deep breath. His body was exhausted, but his mind was set. ¡ª"This is where I prove I deserve to be on this team." And with that, Jun''s first real match was about to begin. ---