The players returned to the field, their jerseys drenched in sweat, but their spirits still burning. Arya, now back in his pink mask, adjusted it slightly as he took his position.
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"This match is intense..."
"Yeah, I thought it'd be one-sided, but this is something else!"
"That Pink Guy… he's insane."
Meanwhile, both teams rearranged their formations for the second half. Grand Fortuna High had the kickoff, and their players positioned themselves accordingly.
Gilang, standing over the ball, smirked as he turned to Reza.
"Where did you find that Pink Guy?" he asked, nodding toward Arya. "He's not from around here, is he?"
Reza grinned, casually rolling his shoulders. "Come on, Gilang. What are you so afraid of? Just focus on the game."
Gilang narrowed his eyes. He hated vague answers like that.
"Tch. Getting cocky now, huh?" He crossed his arms. "Fine. Let's see how long you guys can last."
Gilang placed his foot on the ball, waiting for the referee's whistle.
PRIIIIT!
The second half was underway.
Gilang quickly tapped the ball to Reno, then moved back into position.
Grand Fortuna immediately took control of possession.
The pressure was on.
Grand Fortuna High launched a series of aggressive attacks, trying to break through Arya's team's defense. They played fast, one-touch passes, keeping the ball moving and forcing the defenders to stay on their toes.
Despite their relentless offense, Arya's team remained solid.
Reza was the only one pressing aggressively, while the others maintained a defensive shape, forcing Grand Fortuna to work hard for every inch of space.
Kevin attempted to break down the left side again, but every time he received the ball—
Arya was there.
Gilang frowned. "Damn it, Kevin. Move faster!"
Then, in a quick transition, Gilang spotted an opening.
A sharp pass to Kevin.
But—
Too fast.
Kevin tried to control it, but the ball bounced awkwardly off his foot and rolled out of bounds.
"Ugh!" Kevin clenched his fists. Arya's constant shadowing was throwing him off his rhythm.
Arya's team was awarded a kick-in.
Farhan picked up the ball and quickly kick it to Arya.
Kevin, still frustrated, immediately rushed toward Arya, trying to win it back.
Arya, sensing the pressure, reacted instantly—
A quick one-touch pass to the center, aiming for Bayu.
But—
Intercepted!
Reno had anticipated it, cutting off the pass and quickly feeding the ball to Dimas on the right wing.
Bayu hesitated—just for a second.
But that was enough.
Dimas was already sprinting down the flank.
Reza, realizing the danger, rushed back. He couldn't intercept the pass, but he could still close down Dimas before he could shoot.
Dimas, seeing Reza approaching, smirked.
He faked a shot—Reza flinched.
Then, on the second motion—
BOOM!
A thunderous strike!
But—
JUST OVER THE BAR!
"WAAAAAH!" The crowd roared in excitement.
Dimas clicked his tongue in frustration as he jogged back. Gilang clapped his hands, giving him encouragement.
Meanwhile, the goalkeeper retrieved the ball.
Arya let out a small sigh as he glanced at his teammates. He knew that last pass had been slightly off—just enough to cost them possession.
"Sorry, guys," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
Bayu, who had also failed to react in time, patted Arya on the shoulder. "Relax. It's not just on you. Let's focus and keep going."
Fajar, their goalkeeper, retrieved the ball and played a short pass to Arya.
With quick feet, Arya exchanged a one-two with Bayu and Farhan, steadily advancing the ball forward.
Meanwhile, Reza was constantly shifting positions, scanning for an open space while trying to shake off Gilang's relentless marking.
Farhan and Arya occasionally switched positions as well, subtly rotating to disrupt Grand Fortuna's defensive shape.
Despite this, Grand Fortuna remained patient, waiting for an error. Reno, in particular, was pressing aggressively, applying pressure at every opportunity.
Arya found himself one-on-one with Reno at the center of the field.
He slowed his dribble, moving the ball ever so slightly toward Reno's side while keeping his eyes locked on his opponent.
Reno stood firm, trying to intimidate him.
But Arya wasn't backing down.
With a quick motion, Arya executed a double step-over—his left foot circled around the ball without touching it, a mere feint to throw Reno off.
Then, with his standing foot, he flicked the ball forward.
As it rolled, he swiftly moved his left foot over the ball again, ending the motion with his body positioned to the side, ready to explode past Reno.
It worked.
Reno hesitated for just a second, creating a gap in the center.
The Grand Fortuna players tensed up, anticipating Arya's next move.
But instead of forcing his way through, Arya glanced toward Reza—who was tightly marked—before shifting his focus to the left.
He sent a quick pass to Farhan.
Farhan controlled the ball well and started advancing down the wing, but Dimas was right behind him.
Dimas lunged in for a tackle—
But Farhan faked a move at the last second, smoothly dodging past Dimas and continuing his run.
Now, only two defenders stood between them and the goal.
Gilang was still shadowing Reza, while Kevin was covering the central area.
The Grand Fortuna goalkeeper was already preparing himself.
Farhan hesitated.
He wasn't sure where to go next.
Then—
Reza signaled for the ball, extending his hand toward his foot.
Without hesitation, Farhan sent a sharp pass his way.
Reza barely had time to react before Gilang collided into him, shoulder to shoulder.
The two battled for balance, but instead of fighting it, Reza took a different approach—
With a quick one-touch pass, he flicked the ball toward Arya, who had slipped into an open space.
However, Kevin and Reno were already closing in on Arya.
Arya didn't have time to control the ball.
So he didn't.
Without thinking twice, he planted his left foot and struck it first-time—
A curling shot.
The ball curved beautifully toward the top corner.
The goalkeeper was completely frozen—
But—
CLANG!
The ball struck the crossbar and ricocheted out.
A groan erupted from the crowd.
Arya clenched his jaw and covered his face with his hands in frustration.
Reno and Kevin, who were right beside him, looked at him in surprise.
That shot—
It was perfect.
Just a little unlucky.
Reza quickly patted Arya on the back. "Hey, don't worry about it. We'll try again."
From the stands, a wave of cheers and shouts echoed.
The intensity of the match was rising.
As the players reset their positions, Grand Fortuna took control of the ball again.
Gilang, walking past Reno and Kevin, smirked.
"You two were too slow," he muttered, shaking his head.
Among the excited crowd, two spectators stood out. They weren't cheering or clapping like the others. Instead, they watched with narrowed eyes, their expressions filled with intrigue.
"That Pink Guy…" one of them muttered, still replaying the scene in his head. "Where did Reza find someone like him?"
"That double step-over was insane. Not something you see every day."
His companion folded his arms, deep in thought. "There's no way he's from around here. If he was, we'd already know his name."
The first spectator didn't respond immediately. His gaze remained locked on Arya, who was jogging back into position, the pink mask concealing his face.
Then, a spark of recognition flashed in his eyes.
"…But something about the way he moves… feels familiar."
The game was far from over. But now, it wasn't just the players on the field who were drawn into the match.
Somewhere in the stands—someone had started to remember.