My system allows me to copy talents

Excitement flashed past his eyes as he confirmed his identity. At the same time, his lips curled into a smile. He couldn't believe that he had run into a celebrity so early in the morning.

"My son is a huge fan of yours," he said, his tone laced with excitement. "Can you give me your autograph?" he added as he hurriedly searched his pockets.

Hiro nodded, smiling.

It was just a simple request. Plus he got to dodge the matter with ease. It was all the better for him. So, he was happy to comply.

The man then hurried to his car. Skimming through his belongings, he took out a pen and a notebook. After such rigorous searching, his car was in a mess, but he didn't appear to care. All that mattered to him at the moment was the autograph of Hiro.

Seeing the excitement on his face, Hiro couldn't help but ponder about the benefits of fame. Just a moment ago, he appeared as if he was going to eat him alive. Now, he was in front of him with a pleasant smile on his face, requesting his autograph.

Such drastic changes, all due to fame.

After that, he took some pictures with him. The man even offered to drop him home, but he politely declined his proposal. After all, he was out on a run.

So, why would he want somebody to drop him home?

Along the way, he couldn't help but think about the change in the behavior of the person who he had met accidentally. All along, it was his fault. Yet, he easily found a leeway due to his influence.

If fame could get you such benefits, wouldn't there be people in the world who'd exploit their privileges?

This one random encounter made him think deeply.

"Well, it's not like I forced him to smile. It was he who refused my apology, " saying so, he tried to justify his actions so that he wouldn't feel guilty about having taken advantage of his privilege.

Though he had managed to get away with ease, he couldn't help but shake this feeling of guilt that was gnawing at him. It was on his mind constantly, bothering him.

And, no matter what, he couldn't stop thinking about it.

As he got home, he noticed both Naoto and Tatsuki had already begun their preparation. After all, it wasn't just him who had been called.

Naoto and Tatsuki had been delivering consistently for the team. So, it was no wonder they have been called.

But apart from them, no one else had been called from their team. It was just the three of them who had been called.

Even veteran players like Asahi hadn't made it to the team. But considering his age, it wasn't that concerning. However, the same couldn't be said for other players.

For example, Ayato had been nothing but amazing. Yet despite his brilliance, he hadn't been called by the national team. It was such a shame. But it couldn't be helped.

Most of the spots in the team had been taken by players performing abroad. So, local league players had barely any chances of making it to the team.

It was great enough for the three of them to get selected.

Part of the reason why Asahi and other older players hadn't been selected was because of the new policy that Japan was experimenting with.

They wanted to develop the next batch of players to perform for the team. It was a long-term project aimed at improving the standard of the Japanese football.

But that didn't mean that they hadn't called up any older players at all. After all, experimenting with only young players had proven to be fatal most of the time. It's evident in the history.

As much as a team requires new blood, it also requires the wisdom, experience, composure, and leadership of the older players to create a successful team.

Only with the mix of new and old blood can a team succeed in the long run.

But for the position that relied on speed, they couldn't afford to draft older players. That's why older players mainly filled in the defensive positions.

Asahi could play in defensive midfield well. But, despite his finesse and experience, how could he compare with the likes of Wataru Endo from Liverpool and Hidemasa Morita from Sporting CP?

They both have proven their capabilities in their league.

"You're back," Naoto addressed him as he saw him standing at the front door. "Go get ready, we have to leave in an hour," he added as he urged him to hurry.

An hour was more than enough for him to prepare. But it wasn't enough for Tatsuki. He was the type of person who'd take quite a long time to decide. Often he'd waste time picking his clothes and getting ready.

In order to make it in time, Naoto often helped him so that he wouldn't delay.

Packing for the camp, the house was in a mess. But Hiro had already gotten used to it.

He then headed to shower to get cleaned. After all, he had been sweating profusely. So, if he were to head out without showering, he'd obviously smell.

Also morning showers after training helped him to calm down. It was like a daily routine to him. As for school, he had already gotten permission to miss the classes.

Ayumi took care of things as such. So, he didn't need to bother himself with it.

After about 45 minutes, as he got dressed and packed his luggage, he stood in front of the main door, awaiting Naoto and Tatsuki.

Even with Naoto's help, Tatsuki still took quite a lot of time to get dressed and pack his things up. He believed that decisions taken in haste would only bring him to ruin. So, he took his sweet time to prepare.

If only he knew that the world wouldn't slow just because of him, maybe he'd start hurrying up a little. But no matter how many times, he'd been told, he just never listened.

"Just pick the black one already. It's not like we're going out on a vacation."

Naoto's frustrated voice could be heard even from the outside.