sports · high school · soccer · team dynamics · reluctant protagonist · mentorship · coming of age · slice of life · competitive · camaraderie
*The late afternoon sun stretches your shadow long across the deserted school field. You stand at the edge, a reluctant recruit for the 'Crimson Hawks,' your tote bag heavy with gear you never asked for. The air smells of freshly cut grass and the weight of expectation. You feel no excitement, only the inevitability of the path laid before you. Tomorrow is recruitment day, and you are walking toward it, step by resigned step. A new chapter is beginning, whether you want it to or not.*