Caution: Everything in this story might sound very strange if you don't know anything about the game. Especially the whole soccer thing.

Translator: Narane

I pinched my cheeks.

Pinching my cheeks proved I wasn’t in a dream, so I pinched my nose, my lips, and tore my hair out, and I still wasn’t in a dream to awake from, so I thought better and stopped the pinching.

I was in a tiny spaceship. I was in a tiny room that was only enough to fit the size of my body. The ship seemed to be egg-shaped, so I imagined that an outside observer would think that I was in a massive egg. I was in a white egg.

The door in front of me was opened outward, so I had a good view of the outside world. Looking at that, I was pinching my cheeks.

I had landed on a great field of purple crystals. The area looked like a desolate plain devoid of flora at a glance, and instead of grass, there were purple crystals. They looked like gems, or maybe simple minerals; at the very least, I’ve never seen them before. I wondered if I had fallen into a crystal cave, but that was an impossibility as the clear, blue sky was right above the field.

“What happened back there...?”

I could recall as far as the ship shaking violently after talking to Nabi. Then a big thud happened... and then everything went dark as I lost my consciousness.

No. Actually... My vision blacking out, and going unconscious were two separate events. I carefully recalled about the events that had occurred on the flight. My vision was blocked because an object fell from above and onto my face, like someone had put a blindfold over my eyes.

It might be entirely different, but traditional airplanes had a similar feature. When airplanes have emergencies, oxygen masks fall from compartments in the ceiling. I remembered practicing donning those masks several times over my numerous flights.

If that was the case...

“Did something happen to the spaceship?”

What happened to Nabi? What about Mom and Dad? I couldn’t tell.

There were many confusing buttons and controls within this egg-shaped, miniature spaceship, but none of them produced any reactions when I mashed on each button. I looked for a manual, but searching around the body-sized spaceship produced nothing worthwhile. Even if it did, I probably couldn’t read any of it.

I was previously in a spaceship that belonged to the United Kingdom of Kartina, so I was possibly in one of the escape shuttles within it. With that thought, I stepped out of the ship, making crunching sounds as I landed my foot on solid ground.

“I sure wish this was Earth...”

I looked around the crystal-filled lands. Everywhere I looked, there were nothing but purple crystals, with no fauna, people, or buildings. There weren’t even any other ships flying in the skies above.

A crystal-filled desert. I had traveled to many different countries as a child, but I had never seen such a sight. I’d seen a crystal cave before, but a crystal desert?

Was it an alien planet after all? As I rationally thought about the events thus far, that was the natural conclusion.

I had no idea what my next move should be. If I had anyone else with me, I could have had the reassurance. I really didn’t know what was the proper action while stranded alone on an unfamiliar, alien planet. Should I return to the egg and sit still? Or should I draw an SOS signal on the ground and then hope for the best? Wait... How were aliens going to tell what SOS means? Things seemed worse with each moment.

I looked around. Alien monsters... were nowhere in sight, thankfully. Around me were only purple crystals. They were the only things that I could really see in the distance. I squatted on the ground, and inspected one of the purple crystals beneath me.

Purple crystal. The shapes didn’t seem to have a pattern. It wasn’t fully transparent, and it had clearly defined angles and surfaces like gem crystals. If I were to be rescued and made it back home, wouldn’t it be great to have one of these with me? A purple crystal from an alien planet. Not too shabby for a souvenir.

It was such a frivolous thought for a stranded man, but the crystal had caught my eyes the more I looked at it. After making up my mind to take back one with me, I touched the crystal.

“...Huh?”

I couldn’t move my hands. Both of my hands refused to move, with the crystal in their grips. Huh? What’s it doing? Why can’t I move? I tried to step away in panic, but my legs refused to move next. I thought I had been paralyzed. I realized something had gone terribly wrong and I tried to scream for help, but my mouth did not move, either.

My lips were without feeling. My tongue was solid. No voice was being made. My neck wouldn’t turn to my wishes. My eyelids were frozen. I couldn’t blink.

My entire body, as if it had become a crystal, refused to move a single inch. Feeling was leaving my skin. I was still staring at the crystal. My body was paralyzed as I looked at the crystal, so I couldn’t look away.

I continued to attempt at a call for help, but my paralyzed mouth did not allow any words to come out. No screams were heard. I was filled with regret a little too late. I was done for in the moment that I decided to touch the crystal. I knew that nobody would hear me even if I called for help, but I really wanted to say anything at all.

Ah, so this is how it ends.

The thought filled my mind. I was going to die a lonely death in an alien world, without friends, without family.

Images of Nabi, Mom, and Dad flashed by. I saw my childhood soccer friends, too. I could never hold a conversation with them and they looked very different than I, but I really had a lot of fun playing soccer with them. That was the most fun I had in those days. Getting to meet the different people of the world through a children’s soccer team was great. I recalled the jersey exchanges in the aftermath.

Am I never going to play soccer again...? That was my final question. My body was tingling. I couldn’t move. I was going to die a slow death as I stood still as a stone statue. It was all too sad.

“What are you doing there?”

I clearly heard that voice. I thought I was hearing things for a moment. It was very apparently the voice of a woman asking ‘what are you doing there?’ I was very relieved. I could actually understand her. I tried to reply, but no words were coming out-- of course, I was still paralyzed. I had to say something back...

“Can’t you hear me? I asked what you’re doing there.”

I wanted to answer, but I could neither speak nor turn my head. I detected a hint of annoyance in the woman’s voice. No, wait, stop being annoyed and help me out! I’m completely paralyzed and I can’t do a thing!

“Wait... You’re a guy?”

Footsteps approached. I heard her walking in my way. I really wanted to see her for myself, and that didn’t work. Not even my eyes could roll over to look, which were fixated on the purple crystal instead.

“But that face has to be a girl’s...?”

She saw my face. Then please, help me! Don’t just look! The mysterious stranger began poking my face with her fingers. Then, she suddenly slapped my face.

“Seeing how you’re paralyzed, you have to be a man, but... Maybe you just look like a girl?”

Footsteps crunched by again. She was walking away somewhere. Wait, stop! Come back and save me!

“That’s an escape pod from a Kartina ship... What business does Kartina have on Planet Kiri? Oh, wait, you can’t speak, can you?”

I thought I’d nod if I can’t speak, but that was also futile. Presumably, she was looking around the spaceship. The mystery lady’s footsteps approached again, returning to my direction.

“Only an idiot of a man would touch this crystal, though.”

I had no idea what she was talking about. Are men not allowed to touch this crystal? How was I supposed to know?

“Your body’s probably poisoned and paralyzed at this point... So you won’t be able to speak, or look at me. You don’t know who I am, because you can’t see who I am.”

Yep. I’m poisoned. Please save me.

“So, what should I do? Should I save you? Maybe not?”

I was getting angrier with each word. Why even ask, if you know that I’m unable to reply?

“If I rescue you here, then you’ll be indebted to me as your saviour. ...The price should be pretty steep, huh? Do you have the money for repayment? Or maybe alternate things of value?”

She continued to ask questions to a voiceless man. Whoever she was, she was evil. She was truly the worst.

“If you have nothing, then you’re going to have to pay with your own body, so you should brace for that. I’ve run a lot of businesses in my life, but charity isn’t one of them, you see? If you have own nothing, then I’ll own you.”

Okay, alright! Just take it all! My body, my parents’ money, whatever it is! Just save me!

“Then, when you’re able to talk again, let’s talk about your methods of repayment.”

Soon, darkness came over my sight again. I didn’t lose my consciousness, but I was put into some sort of a coffin. As I was put into the coffin, the lid was shut, and pitch black covered my eyes.

What could possibly happen to me now?

Light returned to my vision. The lid had come off.

“Hm? You’re awake? Let’s see, let’s see. Body functions are normal. Respiration is fine. Oho, good! You’re perfectly healthy!”

I saw a face with blue goggles. She had green hair, but the goggles covered the most of her face so her eyes remained unseen. Beneath that was her disheveled work clothing, and sprouting from her sides were...

“Whaaah! It’s a monster with nine arms!!!”

Numerous metal arms were holding tools like hammers and spanners. The goggles threw me off for a moment, but that was definitely a nine-armed alien!

“What! No! These are mech arms for my work!”

One of the arms took the goggles off of her face, and her green, sparkling eyes were revealed from underneath. W-wait, she looks like she could be my sister’s age, but the robot arms behind on her backs are...

“Whaaaaaaaah! It’s a girl-like monster with nine arms!!”

“Hey... You’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?”

The girl grumbled and shook her mechanical arms around. What did she think she was-- an Indonesian goddess...? I shrunk away in fear, and the girl sighed. She collapsed her human arms onto her chest and, like taking off a school backpack, she removed the mechanical arms aside.

“Oh, so they’re robot arms.”

2편삽화_미리알.jpg

The thing on her back was a mechanical contraption that controlled the nine arms. After taking the device off, the girl looked like any other girls at my little sister’s age. Looking around, the area looked like it was the interior of a futuristic spaceship. I was in a state-of-the-art laboratory, and there were more coffin-like containers around me.

My outfit was... the same. It was as I had in my space flight.

“Will you believe that I’m not a monster now? Seeeriously~ Those are support arms for helping me do my work.”

“U-uh, fine, I’ll believe you. But, who are you? And... where am I?”

“Me? I’m Mirial. Mirial Shuutena. Just call me Mirial~ I’m the engineer of this ship!”

“Oh... I’m Yu Danbi.”

I could have guessed that she was an engineer.

“You’re in Minerva Kingdom on Planet Kiri.”

“Planet Kiri? Minerva Kingdom? Where is that?”

“Whoa! You don’t know Minerva Kingdom?!”

The little girl clasped her hands around her mouth as if she were truly surprised. She was like a city girl making fun of a countryside bumpkin for not knowing trivial things...

“Do you seriously not know about the galaxy’s most powerful nation, Minerva Kingdom? Is there even anyone left who doesn’t know about the military powerhouse that ended the star wars? Are you suffering from memory loss?!”

“I don’t have memory loss!”

“Then how under the rock do you have to be to... H-hey, do you know how many this is? You see, this is called a ‘number’...”

The girl made a V-sign with her hand.

“That’s two! I know that much!! I’m from Earth!”

“Earth? Was there a tribe like that on Kartina?”

I realized where the mistake originated.

“I’m not from the United Kingdom of Kartina, but from a planet called Earth. I’m a guy from Earth. Earth. Earth, the planet in the Sol system!”

“What’s an Earth? Is there really a planet called that?”

Earth must have been completely insignificant to the people around here.

“Hmm. You came out of a Kartina escape pod, but you’re not from Kartina?”

“That’s how it is. I was on a spaceship to travel to Planet Umbra to enter Kartina. But there was an accident during the trip, and... I don’t know the specifics, but I found myself on this planet after waking up.

I pieced my memories together to make that summary.

“Earth...? Earth... Hm, I thought I heard that somewhere before. What else that... Wait, that’s right!”

Engineer Mirial clapped in light of her realization.

“I have absolutely no clue!”

Oh, my poor head...

“Hm. Anyway, I know enough to know that you’re from a tribe that’s primitive enough to not know Planet Kiri’s Micrinum ores. So, a primitive planet called Earth, right? ...Mmh, do you know what a ‘fire’ is? Do you eat raw meat, and stuff?”

“We cook meat just fine!”

“Ah, so your culture just began utilizing fire. It’s fine if people from such a backwards culture make that kind of a mistake! I understand!”

I really wanted to argue with her further, but I realized that I would only tire myself out. Instead, I moved onto a different question.

“So, Micrinum ore? What is that, exactly?”

“That’s the purple crystal that you touched. We call that Micrinum around here. It’s a special mineral that exists only on Kiri.”

As she spoke, she opened up a toolbox-like container from her side and took out a purple crystal.

“Ah... Aaaaaagh!”

I immediately recoiled at the sight of the crystal. I almost died because of that thing!

“Oh, yeah, you almost died from this. Micrinum ores are densely packed with energy, but it has a special poisonous property that only affects men.”

“H-how can you touch that crystal so calmly?!”

“Hm? I’m a girl.”

I fell into silence for a moment. What? So, that crystal is... perfectly fine when females touch it, but when males touch it, poison spreads and paralyzes them?

“That’s a lie! That’s impossible! How can that kind of crap exist?!”

“As expected from a primitive folk. He’s in denial of a crystal that’s common knowledge in this galaxy...”

“If such a thing existed, then all the males on this planet must have died off! That doesn’t make sense!”

“Yeah. They all died.”

I stiffened and gawked at the girl’s eyes. That, uh... That was a joke that only engineers could understand, right? There must have been a gag that I missed, like a pop culture reference, or a word play.

“Only women live on Planet Kiri. That’s why it’s very odd for a boy like you to enter this planet.”

“Uwaaaaaah! That’s impossible! A planet with only women?! That’s like some fairy tale world!”

“Hmm? A primitive civilization has Kiri mentioned in its folklore? That’s an... interesting data.”

“S-so, this planet has... only women?”

“Yep. Already, we have laws that prohibit males from entering the nation, so no males could legally be here.”

I must have fallen into a bizarro world.

Learning from the data given by the girl so far... This place was a militarily powerful nation, so it must have been what United States appears to Earth. If it were a really big nation, then... Might they have a way for me to return to Earth, or find out the whereabouts of my little sister and my parents?

I told Mirial my thoughts. I believed that somebody could help me out of pure kindness, since in my baseless opinion, the people here seemed genuinely nice...

“Yep! It’s totally impossible.”

... And I immediately reconsidered my previous opinion. I got denied in the moment that I asked.

“I was a little confused at first, but I confirmed it for myself after I scanned your body. You look like a girl, but... You’re unmistakably a man! A healthy, young boy, I’ll agree on that!”

And then she suddenly blushed.

“So, uh, why are you blushing?”

“Th-that’s because... of absolutely nothing!”

“You said you scanned my body, so did you...”

“Kyaaaah~!”

She covered her face in embarrassment.

Did I... seriously show off my bare body to a girl... for the first time?

“B-but you looked like a girl no matter where I looked, so I needed to make sure!”

“Okay, putting that aside, why is it impossible?”

“Yeah, it’s impossible because of the ‘no entry to males’ law, which is still in effect to this day.”

She dramatically raised a finger like she was teaching a little kid.

“What of it?”

“You’re a boy. A healthy boy. A boy however you look.”

“What’s the problem?”

“But you’re on this planet.”

“Yep.”

Mirial lowered her finger and stared in silence. I looked back at her. What was happening? Was she attempting a telepathic communication?

“Do you really not understand the issue yet?”

“No, so what’s the problem that I’m a guy?”

“You’re on a planet that doesn’t allow any males to enter, and you’re on this planet. You’re an illegal alien.”

“Right, go on.”

“You’re a criminal.”

I froze. I was trying to remember the meaning of the word “criminal”, and looking back at Mirial,

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?!?!?!”

Why?!?! What have I done?! When have I wronged this world?!

“Phew... It’s not easy, making a primitive tribesman understand such a civilized concept. You don’t have anything like laws on your planet, no? The tribal chief manages its people, and...”

“That’s not it! I perfectly understand the situation! Why do I have to be labeled a criminal?! I’m innocent! It’s unfair! I’m just stranded after a spaceship accident!”

“But there’s nothing to worry about! We’re not exactly low on money! I’m not about to take you straight to the police or anything! Oh... But if the boss changes her mind, I don’t know if...”

The slurred speech at the end was a bad omen.

Wait... One thing was especially troubling. If this really was a foreign planet, how was I communicating with this person with no problems?

“So, how come we can hold a proper conversation? Isn’t it normal to suffer from a language barrier if I’m on a foreign planet?”

“Ahh, that? It might be difficult to understand from the perspective of an uncivilized tribesman, but it’s been centuries that we had a galaxy-wide, automatic translator! People on Planet Kiri have them installed in their body, so we can have free communication with strangers from any other planet! Hmm. Was it too tough to understand, after all? Do you know what it means to ‘translate’?”

“I know, so please, stop thinking that I’m a primitive ape.”

There existed such a convenient system. If there was a device like that back on Earth, I never would have needed to waste time learning foreign languages...

“I got the rough idea of what’s going on now. But... I don’t see the person who rescued me. She had a different voice...”

“Ah. It was my boss who rescued you!”

“Your boss?”

“Mmh. The boss left it to me to find out who you are, where you’re from, and investigate your background! I’m just an engineer, but I’ve been getting all sorts of miscellaneous tasks... N-no, I’m not complaining. The boss is busy with other work, but you’ll get to meet her soon.”

“When you say ‘the boss’... This is a company building?”

“Yep. This place is called Khan Electronics. We make things related to soccer around here.”

The mention of soccer piqued my interest. This world seemed mostly alien to me thus far, but a friendly, familiar word had been spoken.

“Then... you make things like soccer balls and uniforms around here?”

“Oho! Even primitive tribes play soccer! I suppose I won’t have to explain what soccer is.”

I really wished that she would stop calling me primitive.

“But... making soccer balls doesn’t sound like it’s going to involve a spaceship.”

“Fufufu! That’s the difference between primitive soccer and modern-age soccer! Soccer is the most famous sport in this galaxy! Naturally, it’s the prime testing ground for any modern technology!”

As Miss Mirial explained, the rules of the game were the same as I had always known, but all kinds of space technology were included. It begins with the material of the soccer ball, which it is durable enough to withstand the might of any alien out there, and follows with special outfits that enhance the bodily strengths of its wearers for playing soccer.

She said that this company was especially concerned with making special suits that enhance the abilities of its wearers by two hundred percent, while strengthening their body.

“The most important components of these suits are Micrinum ores, so I was out prospecting for ores, until our ship had found you.”

“Making suits out of such dangerous materials? That means guys can’t wear it, right?”

“Fufufu! It doesn’t have to be that way! If we use our new tech--... O-oops, that’s a trade secret! A trade secret! Pretend I didn’t say anything!”

She put a hand over her mouth.

“A-ahem. Anyway, it’s as you say. Micrinum suits, shortened to Micsuits, can only be worn by the women of Planet Kiri! It’s a brilliant technology that allowed the military nation of Planet Kiri to rise to the top!”

“That almost sounds like a cheat... That’s just not fair play.”

“Hmph. I don’t know about your primitive soccer, but the Galaxy League is on a different level than whatever you’re thinking about! Angels play soccer, dragons play soccer, and demons play soccer! All kinds of nonsensical, common-sense-defying beings play soccer! If you’re going to play on the same level as those things, you need the Micsuits! Now that’s fairness; I’ll agree on that!”

“A-angels? What?”

I was reminded that there were more things unknown than known in this world. I wanted to press further about the angels and the demons, but a sudden rhythmic beeping from the spaceship interrupted me.

“Wah! It’s my boss calling me!”

Without a single explanation, I was dragged outside by Mirial by my arms. Going through the door that connected to the laboratory space, I found myself in a room that looked like someone’s office.

The room was a lot less impressive than the previous. It looked as if the place was cleaned out before moving away to a new home. The walls were plain purple, and the desk and the floor were just as purple. What was this place? The purple room had a purple desk, and behind it was a purple chair that faced away. I couldn’t see the person on the chair because of its orientation.

“W-whoaah!”

And suddenly, the floor had turned into a display of the outer space, catching me off guard. I saw Earth in the distance. It then looked as if the room was flying in space.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about. This is a hologram. Ah... Primitive tribes wouldn’t know about holograms--”

“I know what it is.”

I came back to my senses after hearing Miss Mirial. I had a small hope that they returned me to Earth, but the hope was promptly lost.

The room turned into space, and beneath me was Earth. Only the desk and the chair remained purple. The chair still faced away, and whoever sat in it stayed still.

She began speaking. I couldn’t see her, but I recognized the voice right away. It was the voice from back when my entire body was paralyzed. She spun around in her chair and began,

“Now. Shall we talk about the payment for saving your life?”

The chair spun, and revealed the owner of the voice. My first impression was... that she was a pirate captain. She didn’t have a skull-marked tricorne, but she wore a red jacket with a black cape, and her definitive pirate quality was the black eyepatch over her left eye.

...Was I captured by pirates?

“Hello, Yu Danbi. I’m Lei Khan, but people usually call me Khan.”

She had pale white skin and her silvery hair extended down her shoulders. If her clothes weren’t pirate-like, she would have probably looked like a mystical, noble elf, but the added pirate captain look made her look rather ghostly and terrifying.

Mirial had left the room soon after bringing me in, so there were only Khan and I remaining. Pressure mounted extra quickly.

“I got the gist of your identity with Mirial’s information. Hm. My search into the space flights records for your spaceship shows that... a Kartina spaceship that was heading for Umbra had gone missing. I see that you haven’t been lying.”

“Th-that’s right. I’m not lying about anything.”

Khan looked visibly surprised at my reply. Did I say anything that might surprise her? Or... It was my girly voice again?

“Hey... Has anyone ever told you that you sound a lot like someone else?”

“You don’t have to tell me that I sound like a girl. Tsk.”

“I meant... No, forget it.”

I didn’t have any idea what she was trying to say. Khan looked like she didn’t care about my situation at all, but she looked more interested after hearing me out. Was she getting interested in my problem?

“I know what situation I’m put into. I heard that this planet doesn’t allow men to enter. I want to leave here, too. Miss Khan, is there a way for me to find and return to my parents?”

“Before we get to that, we have a different issue. You haven’t paid me for saving your life yet.”

Ugh. That was the issue, after all. I had nothing that I could do for her. But...

“Can’t you see? I have absolutely nothing with me. You want a reward? Then you’ll need to find my parents. I own nothing myself, but my parents should be able to pitch in a reward.”

I answered with the best possible solution that came to my mind. That’s great! It was what I needed. I just needed to take the attention away from the reward, and to finding my parents!

“Are you sure that your parents have the ability to pay?”

“My parents earn a lot of money!”

“You don’t understand, kid. That’s only in the perspective of a citizen of Earth.”

“Uh... Sorry?”

“I’m one of the richest people in this galaxy. When I talk about payment, I’m thinking of a large spaceship in the very least. Hm... Like the big spaceship that you were riding on, yes? But, according to my investigation just now, it says that the people of Earth don’t even have the technology to build a proper spaceship.”

“Th-that’s... We can’t build them now, but we’ll manage it in ten years!”

Even though they were my own words, they sounded like silly, desperate excuses to me. An entire spaceship?! How can I guarantee that can be made in ten years?

“Therefore, neither you nor your parents have the ability to pay.”

“Nngh... Then, what do you want?! What are you going to do?!”

“I could be a law-abiding citizen and hand you over to the Minervan government for the crime of trespassing, and receive a small bounty as a result.”

“Then what will happen to me?”

“You’ll be exiled from this planet. You’ll become lost in space, floating in space until you expire...”

“Aaaaaargh! It’s not my fault that this happened to me! That’s not fair!”

“Or, you can pursue the second option. Since you can’t pay, you forfeit your body. You become my slave. But, what can you do for me?”

Avoiding the fate of being stranded in space had left me with the life of a slave.

“I... I can play soccer.”

“Soccer?”

“Yes! I was in a youth’s international soccer team when I was young. I competed against many other nations... A-and I heard you make soccer accessories here! I might be able to help!”

I quickly pitched myself in desperation. I’m fine with anything else, just don’t shoot me out into space!!

“Hmm... Soccer...”

I must have convinced Khan. She looked to be deep in thought for a moment, and she spun in her chair back around.

She brought up a bunch of holograms in front of her and fiddled with its controls. Several screens flew by. What was she looking at?

“Wait... Maybe... My plan could be solved a lot easier this way....?”

Khan mumbled to herself as more holograms floated above her. They were all images that I did not recognize. There was a palace surrounded with purple crystals, and beside it was a blonde lady in a white dress, wielding a shining sword with a black hilt. It was my first time seeing anything like that

Holograms above displayed many complex-looking numbers and letters, and then, they all disappeared. The sight of the space and Earth disappeared, too, and the room returned to its original purple.

...A purple room? Could it also be made of Micrinum ores? The colours were similar, so maybe that’s how it was.

“Yu Danbi. How well can you play soccer?”

I had found my way out. I had to press onward to take the opportunity, even if I had to lie in the process.

“I’m the best player on Earth! Number one on Earth! So I should be pretty good, even space-wide!”

If any of the soccer players on Earth heard that, they would stop kicking the ball to kick me to pulp instead. But they’ll understand too, if they also knew of my situation.

“You’re the best player on Earth?”

“Yes! You could say that I’m the future of Earth Soccer! You can’t talk about Earth Soccer without leaving me, Yu Danbi out! I’m the very icon and the hope of all things soccer! Historians say that Earth Soccer divides into pre-Danbi and post-Danbi days!”

I gave up thinking. There was no going back. I had to see where this would take me!

“Hm. Okay. The people on Earth may have an inferior civilization, but I have data that shows that their soccer abilities cannot be ignored. And if you’re truly the best player on Earth... As long as you’re not lying, there should be some use for you as a player. If you aren’t lying, that is.”

The way she talked about me lying-- I felt my heart sink. Did she see through my ruse...?

“Alright. If you can prove yourself with soccer, I will guarantee your freedom and help you find your parents. Of course, you can always reject this proposal and choose to become stranded in space instead.”

“I’ll do it! I’ll play soccer! I’ll win against any team that’s thrown at me!”

“Good. Then prove your skill on the field. But if I find that you were exaggerating your abilities...”

Khan smiled, tracing her neck with the side of her hand, as if to cut her throat. Whoa, that’s a common gesture in space, too!

“I’ll grind you into space dust.”

“You can rely on me! I’ll show you that I’m the best player in the galaxy!”

And that’s what happened.

This is how Yu Danbi came to say the biggest lie of his lifetime.

This is how Yu Danbi ended up playing soccer out in the galaxy.

One week later,

“Everything is a lie...”

Mirial blankly eyed at the players that approached the spaceship one by one. A week before, Miss Mirial was blissfully shouting ‘Yay! The soccer team plan is over! I can go back to being a good old engineer girl! Wahaha~!’ And at the end of a week, a mass of soccer players crowded in front of the spaceship.

Khan might have been evil, but her influence was terrifyingly far-reaching...