Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 001: The Idol of Every Girl in School
Bathed in the golden glow of the evening clouds, a schoolboy in uniform was juggling a soccer ball on the emerald green turf.
Thump—thump—thump—
The rhythmic, crisp sound of the ball striking his foot echoed in the air.
He alternated his feet with meticulous precision, sending the descending ball up again and again. The black-and-white ball danced beneath him like a lively sprite, spinning and leaping, each bounce reaching almost exactly the same height.
Such control and feel for the ball spoke volumes of his skill.
It was hard to imagine a thirteen-year-old student possessing such phenomenal fundamentals.
Yes, he was only thirteen.
His name was Xu He, an ordinary student at No. 17 Middle School in Jinguancheng.
At that moment, Xu He was utterly focused, completely absorbed, as if engaged in a most sacred act.
"Nine hundred seventy-seven, nine hundred seventy-eight, nine hundred seventy-nine…"
He counted under his breath while juggling, advancing toward his set goal of one thousand touches.
The relentless effort had drained him completely; his body was at its limit, his head spinning and his vision blurring.
He could collapse at any moment.
Was he about to give up?
No!
Never—give—up!
He gritted his teeth and persevered, stubbornly raising his legs, relying on sheer will to precisely control the ball, mechanically kicking at it even when it veered off course.
Thump!
Xu He struck the ball, sending it up to the same height as before—one thousand!
Yeah!
I did it!
Xu He was thrilled, though he lacked the strength to cheer or celebrate.
With a thud, he collapsed flat on his back onto the turf, completely spent.
He felt no pain.
His eyes gazed up at the golden, breathtaking clouds, his face radiant with a happy smile, his heart swelling with a sense of accomplishment.
Everything was perfect.
Suddenly, a beautiful, delicate face appeared above him, haloed in backlight, entering Xu He’s field of vision. His heart skipped a beat—she looked like an angel descended from the heavens, leaving him momentarily dazed.
“Hey, have you stared long enough?” A voice as melodious as an oriole’s song snapped Xu He back to reality.
He focused his eyes and saw, standing before him, a girl with a long ponytail.
She wore the ordinary No. 17 Middle School uniform, but it couldn’t hide her tall, slender figure, nor could it mask her unique air of confidence and vitality—a truly rare kind of girl.
At that moment, she had her hands behind her back, bending forward to peer down at Xu He.
“Hi, I’m Li Liying, from Class 10, Grade 7!”
“I’m Xu He, Class 11, Grade 7. Did you need something?” Xu He replied, a little bewildered.
“Aren’t you going to get up? Are we going to have a conversation like this?” Li Liying blinked at Xu He as she spoke.
Ah!
Only then did Xu He realize he was still lying on the grass.
His cheeks flushed a deep red, and he gave a sheepish grin before sitting up at once.
Mortified, Xu He felt terribly embarrassed. Thankfully, Li Liying, understanding as she was, quickly eased the tension. She said, “I saw you juggling just now. You’re really good! My friends are about to play a match over there, but they’re short one person. I came to see if you’d like to join them?”
Xu He asked, puzzled, “Your friends?”
Li Liying nodded slightly and pointed to a field in the distance. “Yes, over there!”
Xu He looked where she indicated and saw a group of peers gathered on the pitch.
Li Liying continued, “See? The most handsome one is my friend, Lin Xuefeng. He’s the dream guy in every girl’s eyes at school!”
With a single glance, Xu He immediately spotted the most striking boy in the crowd.
The dream guy of every girl at school?
How conceited could you get?
Why haven’t I heard of him before?
But, to be fair, the boy really was handsome.
Tall and slender, with fair skin and a mop of tousled hair, he exuded the aura of a K-pop star. Not far from him, a group of girls were gathered, chattering and cheering him on, lending credence to his reputation as the school’s heartthrob.
“Not bad, huh? He’s really good-looking, isn’t he?” Li Liying suddenly said.
Xu He snorted, “What’s the use of good looks? Can he play better than me?”
Though he’d never seen Lin Xuefeng play, Xu He was confident in his own skills.
Li Liying’s lips curled in a smile at Xu He’s childish defiance, her smile blossoming like a flower, making Xu He’s heart flutter.
What am I thinking?
She’s laughing at me!
Li Liying glanced at Xu He, then at Lin Xuefeng. “He’s much better than you are.”
Xu He shot a glare at the idol-like Lin Xuefeng and retorted, “Hmph, you can’t judge that until we’ve played!”
With that, Xu He turned and ran toward the field.
Lin Xuefeng, let’s see which of us is better!
On the field, Xu He was completely at ease, smiling at everyone. “I heard you’re one short. Mind if I join?”
“Of course, classmate!” Lin Xuefeng replied, his voice rich and magnetic—the kind that would make girls swoon. No wonder he was the school’s national heartthrob.
“Alright, whose team am I on?” Xu He asked, sizing up the other players as he spoke.
Though the group looked like a ragtag bunch—some in school uniforms, some in T-shirts, some in vests, and others in soccer kits—they all had lean builds and tanned skin, clearly regular athletes.
These guys must be pretty good, Xu He thought.
Two of them stood out in particular. One, the school heartthrob Lin Xuefeng, was decked out in a bright orange Dutch national team jersey—orange shirt, white shorts, white socks, and, most notably, a pair of authentic Nike boots and shin guards. He looked every bit the professional.
The other was quite the opposite—a hulking figure in a tight red sports vest straight out of the 80s, showing off a muscular upper body and powerful frame. He wore sky-blue jeans rolled just below the knee, displaying his solid calves. With a rugged, slightly stubbled face, he looked less like a student and more like a fitness coach.
Lin Xuefeng said, “Classmate, you’ll join their team—they’re one short!”
At his words, the group clearly split into two sides.
Xu He glanced around; the “uncle” in the red vest stood behind Lin Xuefeng, clearly on his side. That team wore mostly red or orange shades—not identical, but close enough to call them the Red Team.
On Xu He’s side, the clothes were a mismatched chaos with no reds, making the teams easy to distinguish by color.
“Come on, we’re short one—join us!” his new teammates called out.
Xu He looked at his teammates, then nodded to Lin Xuefeng. “Alright!”
The two sides agreed to start in five minutes.
Xu He quickly huddled with his team. “What position do you need? I’m a striker!”
A young man in a black T-shirt, thick glasses, and a face full of acne chimed in, “Great, you play striker. I’ll take right wing—I’ll pass to you!”
Xu He grinned. “Thanks, man!”
Truth be told, Xu He was excited and full of hope for this match.
Though it seemed informal, to young Xu He, this was as official as it got—the beginning of his football journey.
Standing at the center circle, he glanced at Li Liying on the sidelines, then fixed his determined gaze on Lin Xuefeng. In his heart, he declared, “Watch me—I'm definitely better than Lin Xuefeng!”
Sensing Xu He’s intense stare, Lin Xuefeng was momentarily taken aback.
He couldn’t fathom why Xu He looked at him like that.
But there was no time to ponder—the game had begun.
With no referee, there was no whistle; everyone just played by the honor system.
Xu He’s team kicked off.
No sooner had he passed the ball than his teammates surged past the halfway line like a tide.
Positions and tactics held for a few minutes before devolving into chaos. Whenever the ball neared the opponent’s penalty area, everyone—strikers, midfielders, it didn’t matter—swarmed forward, leaving only the two center-backs holding their ground.
Still, the attack looked impressively ferocious.
No one realized how exposed the defense had become.
Xu He, as alert as a king cobra, prowled near the Red Team’s penalty area, searching for a chance to strike.
Suddenly, he noticed the Red Team’s defenders had left a gap.
An opening!
A huge one!
Ecstatic, Xu He raised his hand and called for the ball: “Over here! I’m open!”
The bespectacled right winger saw Xu He’s position and sent a perfect cross his way.
The direction and power were spot on!
This was a golden opportunity!
Given the speed and force of the pass, Xu He knew he couldn’t shoot first-time.
The ball was coming in too fast—a direct shot might send it flying high and wide.
He had to cushion it deftly with his left foot, placing it just ahead of his right, so he could shoot immediately without adjusting.
It was the best and safest play.
Not easy, but Xu He trusted his technique.
As the ball sped toward him, Xu He timed his left-foot touch perfectly, cushioning it to his right.
Lin Xuefeng and Li Liying’s eyes lit up—what a sublime first touch!
As soon as the ball settled, Xu He swung his leg and struck: “Go in! Score for me!”
Thwack!