MTL NOVEL Chapter 38: 38.
"Why are you all standing around instead of training?!" Coach Carter's stern voice cut through the chatter.
Team captain Bread quickly responded, "Nothing, Coach! We were just… helping Rust with his training!"
Watergate and the others all nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah! We were guiding Rust!"
Carter narrowed his eyes. "Guiding? Bullshit! Do you really think I'd believe that? The moment I stepped away, you all started slacking off!"
"You guys are senior players! You're supposed to set an example! You've really let me down!"
"Look at Gu Ran! He didn't slack off like the rest of you, did he?"
All the players bowed their heads, not daring to talk back.
Coincidentally, Gu Ran was standing near a pile of footballs—ones that Drummer had wiped down earlier. But since Drummer had joined the others, it looked like Gu Ran had been the one doing the work.
Gu Ran quickly tried to explain, "Coach, I actually didn't—"
"Listen!" Carter interrupted sharply. "Listen to how humble he is! He did all that work and still says he did nothing! And look at the rest of you! Don't you feel ashamed? Don't you feel embarrassed?"
"From now on, all of you—except Gu Ran—will stay back after training for an extra half-hour of drills!"
"WHAT?!"
The team groaned in despair.
Carter's face darkened. "What was that? Complain again, and I'll make it an hour!"
The players immediately shut up.
Their resentment levels skyrocketed.
Gu Ran felt a bit guilty.
Damn, if I could still collect training bubbles, this would be amazing…
But no, he had to be selective now. He couldn't just blindly absorb whatever training sessions popped up.
Alright. Starting tomorrow, I'll be more strategic with my pickups.
Seeing that the players had calmed down, Carter nodded in approval.
"Now, gather around! I'm about to announce the 22-man roster for the National High School Championship!"
All the players rushed to form a line.
Southampton Private High had over 30 players, but only 22 could be registered for the National Tournament.
This was the official roster—players not on the list wouldn't even be eligible to sit on the bench.
Even within the 22-player list, only 18 would be match-ready, meaning 4 would remain as reserves, unable to travel unless replacements were needed.
And among those 18, only 11 would start.
This system mirrored professional club football, where teams registered players for league matches, Champions League, and domestic cups, trimming them down before each match.
For example, in professional matches, coaches had to submit the starting 11 an hour before kick-off—except for the World Cup, which allowed a 30-minute deadline before the game.
This timing itself was often a tactical decision, especially in critical matches.
But for now, Southampton High was simply announcing its 22-man roster.
The Roster Announcement
Carter began reading names.
Gu Ran stood at the back of the line, calm and composed, listening.
As expected, all the main players Drummer had introduced were listed.
Several other names were announced—ones Gu Ran had never heard before—but they all beamed with excitement as their names were called.
The other players clapped and congratulated them.
Finally, Carter paused and looked toward Gu Ran through the crowd.
"…The last player on the list—Gu Ran."
Silence.
No applause.
But no one was surprised.
After all, Carter had held off submitting the final registration just to wait for Gu Ran's medical results.
Gu Ran's face remained expressionless, but inside, he felt relieved.
He didn't care about the applause—being on the roster meant he had a chance to make the substitutes' bench.
And once he made it to the bench?
That meant he could get playing time.
Everything was going according to plan.
But then—
Carter announced: "Gu Ran's jersey number will be… 3."
WHOA!
The players erupted into shocked whispers!
Number 3?!
That was the starting left-back's number!
It was also the number that belonged to "traitorous" Aulin, the player who abandoned the team.
More importantly—
Number 3 was legendary at Southampton High.
Why?
Because "Saint" Gareth Bale—one of Southampton's greatest youth academy graduates—had worn it.
Even after Bale moved to Tottenham and Real Madrid, his legacy remained tied to that iconic number.
And now, Carter was giving it to the new Chinese kid?!
Even Gu Ran himself was stunned.
This didn't necessarily mean he'd start, but it meant Carter was seriously considering him as a core player for the future.
The Number 3 jersey…
Gu Ran felt a rush of excitement.
Carter's voice rang out.
"Gu, the Number 3 jersey has always been a symbol of honor in our team. But its last owner disgraced it—he abandoned us. He dishonored this number."
"Our entire team suffered humiliation because of him."
"But today, I am entrusting this number to you."
Carter's eyes locked onto Gu Ran's.
"One day, you must redeem this number—restore its glory—and make it the pride of Southampton High once more!"
Then, in a hoarse but commanding voice, he demanded:
"Tell me, Gu—CAN YOU DO IT?!"
For a split second, Gu Ran felt his blood boiling.
Without hesitation, he met Carter's gaze and shouted back with conviction—
"Coach! I CAN DO IT!"
Carter nodded in satisfaction.
"Good! That's the answer I wanted!"
Gu Ran: …
Holy shit, I just went full shonen protagonist.
He had planned to hold off on the dramatic energy, but with everyone staring at him like that, he had no choice but to go with the flow.
Damn it, these dumbass teammates… They're rubbing off on me!
Carter continued, "Alright! Aside from Gu Ran, the rest of you will stay back for extra training. Tomorrow, we'll have a scrimmage match—and based on your performance, I'll decide the 18-man squad."
"Your official jerseys will be distributed tomorrow as well."
After giving a few more instructions, Carter walked off, taking his tactics board with him.
And just as Gu Ran was about to relax—
"GU RAN…!!!"
Rust took a deep breath, his face dark as a thunderstorm, and stormed toward him!
(End of Chapter)
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