I get up from the ground, breathing deeply. I look toward the crowd and see them chanting my name.

My eyes waver with happiness. What I've wanted most in my entire life is to be good at this sport, and seeing the reaction of Sanu's fans… I see that I really can be the best at this.

I find my parents in the stands; they wouldn't stop shouting and waving at me. Just above them was Júlia, surrounded by some of her school friends. She pointed her camera at me and began making hand signals, as if trying to tell me something. I stepped a bit closer, trying to figure it out, even waving my hands awkwardly, like maybe I could decode what she meant.

"I think she took some pictures of you, Kelvin"

I turn around and see Ian, completely sweaty, his hair stuck to his forehead, and a tired grin on his face.

"Pictures of me?"

"Yeah, man. You two aren't, like, together or something? You and Júlia?"

I choke a little on my own breath, almost tripping on the field.

"What? No way, Ian"

He laughs, that mocking laugh only he has, and slaps me on the back.

"Relax, relax… I'm just saying what it looks like. But I don't know, anyone watching from outside would think there's something there, for sure… Especially since it's kinda weird that she's always at our practices whenever you're around, don't you think?"

"You're imagining things"

I shake my head, still embarrassed, looking away toward the stands. Júlia was still watching me, now with a faint smile as she chatted with her friends. I tried not to think about it, but I couldn't help the heat rising in my face.

"Come on, let's head to the locker room. The guys are already going, most of them are probably waiting for us there"

Ian just raised his hands like he was saying "alright," and we walked together.

The final whistle had only blown a few minutes ago, but the field still vibrated with the energy of the crowd. The victory was sealed: 5–0 against Zeltin. It was more than a score—it was a statement of who we were now.

We walked through the tunnel leading to the locker rooms. The concrete walls muffled the sound, but I could still hear the fans outside singing our name. A shiver ran down my whole body. I had never imagined living something like this.

Rodrigo burst in, shouting:

"THIS IS IT, MAN! THIS IS SANU!"

He kicked open the locker room door, which slammed against the wall. Felipe came right behind him, laughing.

"You're gonna break the door, you animal"

"What's a door compared to this victory?"

Everyone started laughing. The atmosphere was already thick with sweat, exhaustion, but above all, joy. The sound of footsteps mixed with laughter and excited conversations.

Oliveira came in last, as always, quiet. He just removed the tape from his shin guard and sat in the corner, breathing deeply.

Dante threw himself onto the bench, arms spread wide, as if he'd just fought ten rounds in a boxing ring.

"Man… I'm dead"

"Dead men don't talk, Dante", Ian teased, throwing a wet towel at him.

The locker room erupted into loud conversations and chants, celebrating the victory.

I sat next to Kazana, who was focused on removing his cleats, not smiling much, but with a glow in his eyes. He never celebrated like the others, but I knew this victory meant as much to him as to any of us. Maybe even more.

"Kazana… that shot of yours from outside the box was unbelievable"

He lifted his head for a second, as if weighing my words, and replied simply:

"I know"

That was his way. Direct, no exaggeration. But in his eyes, I could see the pride of a captain.

Meanwhile, Ian kept on with his usual teasing:

"Hey, Kelvin… have you thought about what you're gonna say when Júlia posts those pictures? Gonna leave a little heart emoji?"

I nearly choked on my water bottle.

"Cut it out, man"

"No use denying it, I saw your smile. You only look at the crowd when you find her"

Rodrigo butted in, laughing:

"Ohhh! Do we have a romance going on in the team?"

"There's nothing like that", I said quickly, trying to shut it down, but it was too late. The whole locker room burst out laughing, even Felipe, who almost dropped his water bottle from laughing so hard.

Kazana raised his eyes for a moment, looked at Ian, then at me, and simply said:

"Stay focused. We still have two more games"

The silence fell quickly. It was like every word from him carried weight. Even in the middle of all the joking, the captain's voice brought everyone back to reality.

"Relax, Kazana, it's just a joke", Ian said, still holding back laughter.

But even so, I knew he was right. We had to stay focused. Uchi and Zenkai were still ahead.

As I pulled off my cleats, my hands trembled slightly. It wasn't just from physical strain. It was from a storm of feelings. The goal I had scored—dribbling past the whole Zeltin team—still played in my head like a movie. It felt like a dream, but it was real.

I felt a strange pride inside me, something pushing me forward. I remembered what I'd thought on the field: I can be the best at this. I really can.

But along with that pride came a weight. Responsibility. Now everyone expected me to be that guy. And I couldn't let them down.

I closed my eyes for a moment, still hearing the crowd echoing inside me. My name, the cheers, the clapping. It was addictive.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my heart. The tournament was only just beginning.

***

When I finished getting changed, Rodrigo was still bouncing around as if he had endless energy.

"Man, I'm gonna dream about this game. Seriously. What a game! What a crowd! What a vibe!"

"If you're gonna dream, dream about running less. Got tired just watching", Dante replied without opening his eyes, still sprawled on the bench.

Everyone laughed again.

Murilo came out wrapped in a towel, still dripping from the shower, and raised his arms like he'd just won a boxing championship belt.

"Save of the match, gentlemen. Never forget it"

"Yeah, yeah… you did well. But my goal was worth more", Kazana said, his tone as serious as always.

"Anyone can score, only I can save"

Rodrigo was about to answer, but Ian cut in, raising his hands.

"Okay, okay, gentlemen… don't fight. The hero of the game, everyone knows, was Kelvin. The guy dribbled past the entire team and still scored. Applause!"

Everyone clapped, some whistled, others shouted my name like the crowd had. I tried to laugh, but my face burned with embarrassment.

"You guys are ridiculous" I said, hiding my face with the towel.

But inside, I was happy. Very happy.

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