[A little age-gap romance, nine years apart. Cloud football fans, entirely fictional setting! No transmigration, no System, not much match action; mainly everyday life, romance, and personal growth.]
One-line blurb:
Some people say Musiala is a football prodigy, but it's a shame he was born at the wrong time.
Blurb:
Musiala would always remember that sunny afternoon. In a crowded stadium, the man who would one day be known as King Robin Ses stood beyond the touchline and beckoned to him. "Kid, pass me the ball."
It was his first time as a ball boy.
He ran over with the ball, bubbling with excitement. He could barely think of anything else.
*
Hori didn't remember that afternoon.
He only remembered seeing a sweetly smiling ball boy. When he gestured for the ball, the kid actually brought it to him by hand, even though he could have just tossed it.
Unable to help himself, he ruffled the silly kid's tea-brown hair. Just as he'd expected, it was soft.
*
A sunny young gong who starts out puppy-like, then grows into a wolf and faces every challenge without fear, VS a reliable captain in the throes of middle age who has a serious soft spot for kids.
[Important note]: Before he turns eighteen, it's admiration. After he comes of age, it gradually turns into a secret crush. This isn't an especially fiery sports story; the romance takes center stage. But the new team isn't just a disposable tool for the gong to use to get on equal footing with the captain and date him. The gong loves football too, and will become a pillar of the new team.
[Please read the content warnings]
1. The author is an amateur, and their football knowledge isn't professional! The author is a multishipper who likes all sorts of pairings, so please steer clear if that's not for you. The story has both leads' perspectives, but the gong's perspective appears a little more often, so the split isn't fifty-fifty. That's why it's tagged gong-centric.
2. The story takes place in the modern era, but in an entirely fictional world. All names and place names are randomly chosen. The leads are loosely inspired by real people, but this is not real-person shipping. If that bothers you, don't read.
3. The romance takes up a large part of the story, with some awkward English-translation-style writing mixed with subpar faux-classical prose.
4. Updates are fairly slow. The story will more or less end once the two get together. Based on past experience, it should be around 200,000 characters.
I'll add more if I think of anything...
Theme: Life is full of opportunities. Don't lose your courage.
It's more delicious 😋 But it's a bit illogical that the captain has no partner in his 30s. He may be suspected of being gay. I like the characters of the two protagonists. The writing is good. Why don't you continue writing about Ni?