Back at the dormitory, the group gathered in the shared room. Kelvin was wearing his clean uniform, adjusting the shin strap while watching his teammates do the same.

Felipe was stretching against the wall, Ian calmly putting on his wristband, and Rodrigo was already doing small hops in the center of the room, as if his body craved movement. Rafael, as usual, was reviewing some instructions on his phone, probably texting the school's coach.

Kazana, meanwhile, was sitting on the edge of one of the beds, head down and arms crossed. His silence contrasted with the movement around him. Kelvin glanced at him, curious.

That's when Kazana stood up — slowly, but with purpose. Everyone's attention turned to him instantly.

"Listen up", he said, voice deeper than usual. "I know we're tired. I know some of you still feel sore from the earlier game"

Some of the players nodded. Dante even chuckled softly, rubbing his shoulder.

"But now's not the time to think about that", Kazana stepped forward, eyes locked on each of them. "We trained hard to be here. We sweat, we were overlooked, people doubted every single one of us"

He pointed at Kelvin, then Rodrigo, Felipe, and even Ian.

"None of us are stars. No one came in with a big name. But today, we've got the chance to make that name. To show we're not just here to play. We're here to win"

A short silence followed. The words echoed inside each of them.

"I don't just want to win. I want to crush them. I want everyone watching to know that if they're facing our school... they'll have to bleed to beat us", He clenched his fist and raised it. "Let's go all in!"

The players looked at each other, and one by one, they raised their fists too, forming a tight circle in the middle of the room.

"One, two, three...", Kazana said.

"SANUUUU!", they all shouted in unison.

***

Minutes later, already on the field, the team stepped under the stadium lights for the second time that day. The stands were fuller now, and the atmosphere more vibrant. The opposing team, though standing firm, seemed nervous — something Kelvin noticed right after the first touches of the ball.

The referee blew the whistle. The ball was in play.

***

Final scoreboard: 5 – 0.

The victory had been crushing.

Kelvin scored again, with a curved shot after a quick pass exchange with Felipe. Kazana scored two — one of them a header off a corner kick — and the other goals came from Ian and Rodrigo, each capitalizing on gaps in the opponent's defense. The team's chemistry was obvious. Everything seemed to flow naturally, like they'd been playing together for years.

The final whistle blew, and part of the crowd applauded. Even neutral spectators were impressed by the performance.

The team gathered at the center of the field, exhausted but smiling. Murilo, the goalkeeper, collapsed on the grass, gasping and happy. Rodrigo raised his arms and shouted:

"THAT'S IT! AGAIN!"

***

The group walked out of the stadium together, laughing, chatting, carrying water bottles and towels on their shoulders. Kelvin, however, slowed down. Something called him to look up at the bleachers.

And there he was.

Sitting on the top row of the side stands, legs crossed, arms on the railing in front, his head slightly tilted.

Erick.

He wasn't wearing the school uniform. He had on a dark jacket and light pants, but the eyes — the same eyes Kelvin had faced at the diner — were fixed on him.

There was no clear expression on his face. No surprise, no excitement, no anger. Just... focus. As if he were analyzing. As if he had chosen to stop and watch every detail of the game.

Kelvin paused for a second. The stadium, though still noisy, fell silent in his mind. The two locked eyes again. That same look: neutral, curious, deep.

And then Erick looked away. He stood up, turned around, and walked down the steps, disappearing into the shadows behind the stands.

Kelvin remained still until he felt Ian's hand on his shoulder.

"Everything alright?"

"He was there...", murmured Kelvin, still staring at where the boy had been.

"He watched the game?"

"He did"

"And?"

Kelvin took a few seconds, then exhaled.

"I think now he cares"

***

The group made their way back to the dorms, still in a victorious mood. Rafael was texting in the group chat, saying the coach wanted to meet with everyone at breakfast the next day, and Kazana was already talking about strategies for the championship final. The night was falling hard, but the light in Kelvin's eyes shone brighter than any stadium spotlight.

Inside the dorm, the boys were spread out between tossed backpacks, water bottles, and bursts of laughter. The atmosphere was light, different from the earlier tension of the day. The soft hum of ceiling fans filled the room, along with the hurried footsteps of those racing to be the first in the shower.

Kelvin, however, stayed quiet. He sat at the edge of his bed, still wearing his cleats, staring at the floor. His sweaty face was now clean, and something he noticed was that... he wasn't tired — he barely felt any fatigue at all.

Not only that, but Erick having come to watch him play also left him eager to know how he would perform.

Rodrigo flopped onto the bed next to him.

"What a match, huh?", he said, panting, as if the fatigue had just hit him. "If we play like this in the final, the win's a lock"

"I agree", said Felipe, removing his shin guard. "Kazana was amazing today. And you too, Kelvin"

Kelvin chuckled softly, finally pulling off his cleats.

"Thanks"

Ian, lying down with his arms crossed behind his head, chimed in:

"I think Erick's gonna have to step it up if he wants to compete with you, huh?"

Kelvin looked sideways at him. Didn't answer.

Rafael entered the room with his clipboard in hand, tapping his fingers on it.

"Guys, shower and rest. We've got a meeting early tomorrow. We'll fine-tune the last details before the final. But congratulations on today. It was beautiful to watch"

"Tomorrow's gonna be even better", said Kazana, confident, sitting on his bed with arms already crossed.

Rafael just nodded with a proud smile.

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