My system allows me to copy talents

Chapter 440 The final hurdle

They had been misled. And, now they could do nothing about it.

The same audience who until a moment ago were worried about having placed their bet hastily were now rejoicing. Meanwhile, the people who had placed their bet confidently after thoughtful consideration were frowning.

Even Suzuki, the host of the show was thoroughly mesmerized by his accuracy. Just how could one not miss any?

He nailed the first challenge.

Next, he had to dribble through a series of cones in record time. Once again, he mesmerized the audience as he effortlessly completed the challenge with flying numbers.

For the final hurdle, he was required to bend the ball around a wall of cardboard defenders into the top corner of a small goal.

The challenges had been nothing but easy until now. And it also didn’t seem much of a challenge to him.

‘It’s just a freekick drill’ Hiro thought as he analyzed the content of the challenge.

Then he took his stance for the final challenge. He inhaled deeply as he started to visualize his shot. The distance from the goal was almost 15 yards.

So, he figured out that he should prioritize technique over power.

But as he turned to look at the post, he found the post quite small. There was barely any space for the ball to slide inside.

For this challenge, not only was he required to avoid the cardboard defenders, but he also had to pay attention to his precision. A single error could lead the ball astray.

Now that he had taken a closer look at it, he found it quite difficult.

‘It’s barely enough to fit the ball’ he thought as he looked at the small circle on the post. 𝒻𝘦𝘸𝑜𝓿𝘦.𝑐𝑜

Nonetheless, it failed to scare him. Instead, he felt even more excited. After all, challenges should push one to their limit. Then only would it feel exciting.

Huff!!

The challenge seemed a bit bothersome, but still, he had no plans of relying on the system.

His concentration peaked as he visualized his shot. The audience held their breath as they stared fixedly at him with a mix of curiosity and nervousness.

Would he be able to score?

They were curious to find out. Meanwhile, those who had guessed accurately until now appeared to be rather desperate. They desperately wanted him to score so that they could claim their promised reward.

As his concentration peaked, the world around him went silent.

Then he executed his shot perfectly without any mistake. He struck the ball right where he had been planning to strike.

The ball sailed, curving over the cardboard defender. After attaining maximum height, it dropped rapidly. It almost appeared as if he had simply lobbed the ball.

But there was more to it.

Instead of a side spin, he had put a top spin on the ball, causing it to fall rapidly after attaining its maximum height.

It was a dipping shot.

To be able to control the spin of the ball as per his wishes, he’d have to have excellent ball control and technique. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible.

Fortunately enough, he excelled in both. Not only did he possess one of the finest ball control in the league, but his techniques were also top-notch.

Effortlessly, the ball slid inside, leaving the spectators mesmerized.

The studio erupted in applause, and even the usually composed Suzuki looked genuinely impressed.

“Unbelievable! This man is a magician with the ball!” Suzuki exclaimed, shaking Hiro’s hand.

Backstage, the crew buzzed with excitement. They just couldn’t stop singing Hiro’s praises after witnessing his brilliance.

The energy was contagious, and it was clear that Hiro had made a lasting impression.

Hiro heaved a sigh of relief.

‘Did I tap into the zone?’ he tried to recall.

For a moment when he was preparing to take the shot, it felt as if he had entered the zone. But as he recalled, he realized that it wasn’t anything like before. So, he discarded it.

As much as it was captivating the heart of the audience present on the stage, it was having an even greater impact on its viewers.

In living rooms and cafes, fans were watching him with rapt attention. The excitement on their faces was almost akin to the moment when he had scored for the country.

In one cozy apartment, Tatsuki and Naoto, two of Hiro’s teammates, sat on a couch, their eyes glued to the TV.

“Did you see that shot?” Tatsuki said, his voice filled with admiration. “He’s on fire!”

Naoto nodded, a proud smile on his face. “He’s something else.”

“He’s turning into a celebrity,” Tatsuki said as he leaned against the sofa.

“Am I smelling something?” Naoto sniffed. “It smells like jealousy,” he added as he teased Tatsuki.

Tatsuki became flustered as he stammered, “What do…, you mean? Why…, why would I get jealous?”

“Because you’re no longer the only star of the team. Because he had already surpassed your goal tally. Because he’s more popular than you…,”

Tatsuki couldn’t take it anymore. Yet, he couldn’t deny either. Every single one of the things Naoto mentioned was true after all.

At the moment, Hiro was the top scorer of the team with 13 goals under his name. Meanwhile, Tatsuki despite the early lead was tailing him.

So, he covered his ears.

Naoto wouldn’t stop, and he couldn’t bear to hear. So, it was the only option he had.

In another part of the town, a group of youngsters had gathered in a small cafe.

“You really played with him?” one of them asked.

Akashi puffed his chest as he replied proudly, “If you don’t believe me then you can ask Sumire here”

It had been quite a long time since he last visited his home. So, he hadn’t had any opportunity to meet his friends from home.

Sumire nodded her head as she supported Akashi’s statement.

The entire cafe went wild.

“I can get you his autograph during his visit,” Akashi said proudly as he tried to flaunt his connection with Hiro.

‘You’ve really made it, Hiro’

Sumire couldn’t help but blush while looking at the figure of Hiro on the screen.

‘If I dedicate myself, do you think I can make it too?’