Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

The first two kilometers were light, allowing him to warm up and get into a rhythm. On the third, he spotted a familiar figure walking slowly in the opposite direction.

Denis, the injured defensive midfielder, looked tired before the day had even begun.

With his shoulders slumped and a cup of coffee in his hand, he barely seemed to notice Lucas.

"Morning, Denis!" Lucas said, slowing down.

Denis looked up, letting out a yawn. "Ah, Lucas. Good morning... or would it be a good afternoon? I don't even know anymore."

"You sleep too late and then you're like this! Any plans for today?"

"More sleep." Denis replied, laughing softly. "Good luck with all that energy."

Lucas nodded, laughing, before picking up the pace again.

Further along, at the fifth kilometer, a young woman with long black hair and an impeccable uniform caught his eye. It was Kate, a member of the disciplinary committee, known for being strict and disciplined with everyone. She seemed to make notes on a tablet as she walked quickly, possibly organizing something for the Institute's upcoming events.

"Lucas Tanaka." she called out as she saw him pass.

He slowed down again and turned around. "Good morning, Kate. Any news?"

"Nothing involving you just yet. But it's good to see an example like you, always focused on training."

Lucas thanked her with a nod and resumed his pace. But Kate thought:

'He's got a date with Lucy today and she seems pretty excited early on... I wonder if she'll finally get up the courage to confess?'

Willian, the quiet reserve center-forward, was near the athletics training area, running in short bursts.

"Looks like you don't take time off either, huh?" Lucas shouted at him as he passed.

Willian looked back and didn't laugh or smile, but said: "I can't stand still. I want to steal your starting position." He was clearly joking. After all, Lucas was a midfielder.

"Good luck with that!" Lucas replied before continuing to run.

Finally, on reaching the eighth kilometer, Lucas spotted Arthur near a tree. He was talking to a girl, who looked a little flushed at how close he was.

Lucas passed them, trying not to laugh. "Putting your training aside, Arthur?"

Arthur didn't even bother. "It's part of the training, partner. Working on communication."

Lucas rolled his eyes with a smile and sped off, completing the route a few minutes later.

Back at the apartment, Lucas received a notification from the system:

[Congratulations! Daily Mission Completed.]

[Rewards:

+1 Star Point Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

+1 Loot Box].

He flopped down on the sofa, satisfied. "A morning well spent... Now just wait for the afternoon."

-:-

Later that same day...

The clock was exactly two o'clock when Lucas arrived at the central station, his gaze moving between the various points of the place, waiting for Lucy. The autumn chill was already beginning to settle in the city, and he straightened his jacket.

It was then that he saw her, walking with a shy smile, as always, but with a lightness in her step that seemed to reflect the anticipation of the meeting. She was wearing a denim jacket, skirt and also long black socks to cover her legs, with her blonde hair tied up in a neat bun with two wavy strands falling down the sides.

"Hi, Lucas," she greeted. She looked nervous, but tried to disguise it by putting a smile on her face.

"Hi, Lucy! I've been expecting you." He replied, trying to be as natural as possible, although he couldn't help noticing how different she looked from normal.

"Sorry I'm late. It's just... I ended up getting held up a bit."

"No problem. Let's enjoy the rest of the afternoon. The galleries around here, right?"

"Yes! I know the location well. You'll love it," Lucy replied, relieved that they were finally on the move.

But what Lucas didn't realize was the whirlwind of thoughts inside her. With every step, she felt her anxiety growing - after all, what did she really want that afternoon? Lucas' company, or a chance to finally understand what was going on between them? She wasn't sure, but she felt that the opportunity was right there in front of her.

As they walked to the venue, the words they exchanged were relaxed, about simple things like the weather.

But something charged the brief silence that followed between them, and they both felt it differently.

In Lucy's case, it was a growing insecurity, a struggle against her own heart. She didn't know how to act, or if she should act at all, given his closeness to Kader and the conflicting feelings it provoked in her.

And Lucas, well, although he was an adult mentally, in his past life he'd had few chances to practice his dialog with women he was interested in. And this was certainly looking like a date to him, so it was enough to make him nervous.

Anyway, after walking around a few, Lucas and Lucy entered a building that had an elevator and, as they exited the elevator, they walked through the gallery doors and were greeted by a calm and silent atmosphere.

The sound of footsteps on the wooden floor was soft, and the delicate lighting of the lamps cast a soft light on the works of art on display.

The gallery was divided into several sections, each dedicated to different aspects of Japanese art. One of the first things Lucas noticed was a series of paintings depicting scenes from the Edo period. The style of the works ranged from more traditional representations, such as landscapes of snow-capped mountains, to portraits of mythological figures, with vibrant colors and minute details.

One painting particularly caught the eye for its size: a dragon amidst golden clouds, its eyes fixed on an imaginary observer, its skin covered in scales that almost glowed and jumped out of the picture.

Lucy, watching next to him, was amazed by the details of this painting, but she also noticed the sparkle in Lucas's eyes as he approached another painting, this time a work of ukiyo-e, a style she knew to be famous in Japan.

"What's that?" She asked, pointing to the work he had already nailed his eyes to.

"That's a work by Katsushika Hokusai," Lucas commented, looking at the image of a giant wave with a small boat struggling against the force of the sea. "Hokusai was a master. He not only influenced Japanese art but also many Western artists, such as Van Gogh and Monet."

Lucy was slightly surprised. She knew he would know about his own culture, but she hadn't imagined that he would know so much about art and history.

"Wow, you really know that! I expected you to know a few things about Japan, of course, but... not that much. You sound like an expert!"

Lucas laughed awkwardly, blushing slightly. He wasn't used to receiving this kind of compliment, especially from someone as attentive as Lucy. He'd always had a certain fascination with Japanese history and art since he was a child, but he'd never considered himself an "expert." It was more of a personal passion, something he paid more attention to than most, even in his own country.

"Oh, it's not that big a deal. I'm just an observer. But... it's interesting, isn't it? How art can tell so many stories."

Lucy smiled, noticing Lucas' shyness, something she rarely saw when he was playing soccer or interacting with other people. It made her find him even more attractive, and something inside her warmed up.

She thought about changing the subject, so as not to make him uncomfortable, and her eyes turned to a piece of artwork in front of her. It was a painting of a woman in a vibrant red kimono, dancing under a shower of cherry blossom petals. The scene was serene, with the figure almost floating in the air in perfect harmony with the surrounding nature. It was an image that evoked a sense of calm and delicacy.

"Look at this one... I think it's the most beautiful so far."

Lucas looked at the work and smiled, because it was one artwork in the hallway of his house. "Yes, it's impressive. It looks like it's from one of the more modern schools of painting, perhaps by a contemporary artist like Takashi Murakami. He has a more pop style, but the beauty of this work... is also unique."

Lucy was silent for a moment, admiring the painting while trying not to get nervous about how well things were going so far.

Being next to Lucas without the game in the background was a new sensation for her, because although they were classmates, in the few classes Lucas attended, they barely interacted. However, here they were just two people in an art gallery, looking at things that had nothing to do with soccer, studies or other people.

But as she looked around, she realized she wasn't alone in her insecurities. Almost everyone around her was accompanied. Couples were walking hand in hand, whispering words in each other's ears, admiring the paintings together.

She couldn't help noticing that they didn't look like a couple at first glance, but they couldn't just be friends because they were so close.

That's when a casual-looking man in a black T-shirt approached Lucas with a smile of recognition. Lucy was about to say something, but stopped when she heard the man talking to Lucas.

"Hey, you're Lucas Tanaka, right? The Brighton u20 player!" said the man, enthusiastically. "Dude, I watched the game yesterday. Congratulations, you played really well!"

Lucas, surprised, smiled at the man and shook his hand. "Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the game."

The man seemed unable to hide his excitement. "I'm a fan of the team, man! And my wife loves you too. Can we take a picture?"

Lucy watched silently as the man took out his cell phone and positioned himself for the photo. She felt a certain discomfort, not because Lucas had fans - after all, that was normal for him - but because he seemed a little more distant from her now.

The man's smile, his excitement at seeing Lucas, everything seemed to reinforce the distance between his reality and hers. But she said nothing, just watched as Lucas posed for the photo with a closed smile.

When the man finally walked away, thanking her for the photo and praising Lucas' game once again, Lucy remained silent.

Lucas, realizing that he had forgotten about Lucy for a moment, turned to her with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. You weren't supposed to be uncomfortable. I didn't think I'd meet a fan in the middle of an art gallery."

Lucy raised an eyebrow and laughed a little. "Are you kidding? In England? You'll find soccer fans even if you're from the casino."

"Look, let me make it up to you. Let's get out of here and have a hot chocolate."

Lucy looked at him for a moment, surprised by the kindness of the invitation. "Hot chocolate? That's unnecessary, Lucas."

But he insisted, with an almost mischievous smile. "There's no better excuse for this cold weather. And I really think you deserve it. Come on, it could be fun."

She didn't know what to say, but finally gave in. "Okay, you win. But only because you insisted."