Chapter 2: Stats and Static
1063 Words
Chapter 2: Stats and Static
Kairo blinked at the shimmering thing floating before him — a glass-like panel made of light, hovering mid-air like it had every right to be there.
It looked suspiciously like something he’d seen before. A menu. No, a game screen. A shiny little interface ripped straight from some football sim he’d sunk too many hours into. Familiar fonts. Animated glow. Even a digital gift box winking at him like it knew a secret.
He reached out and tapped it.
Nothing happened. His finger slipped right through it.
Then came the voice. That same flat voice from the rainstorm.
[Does the host wish to open the Starter Gift Pack?]
Kairo hesitated.
“Uh… yeah?”
The moment he answered, the screen lit up like a casino jackpot. His pulse quickened. Then came the list.
[BEGINNER STARTER PACK]
+10 stat points to a single chosen attribute
+5 stat points to three chosen attributes
+1 star to weak foot
+1 star to skill moves
Kairo’s jaw dropped.
“This is literally just like f*****g FIFA,” he muttered, half amused, half terrified.
A car drew up with a screech at the curb before the pitch before he could poke any farther.
“Kairo!”
He froze. That voice.
He turned. Sofia, his mother, was sitting in the driver seat, with an umbrella in one hand and a worried look on her face.
Kairo took his bag, and picking up the ball under his arm, jogged toward her.
The car interior had a smell of fabric softener and the hint of coffee. He threw his bag in the back seat and collapsed on the front.
How was the training, Kairo? In Japanese, Sofia inquired in a soft voice.
Good, Mum, he lied, not even hesitating.
Nothing about being fired. Not a word of lightning-kissed or system-bound. She did not require that at the moment.
When she was twenty-four, Sofia had come to Spain in search of something better. At twenty-seven she met the father of Kairo, married him, and a year later gave birth to Kairo. Then Amira, then the end, her husband passed on when Kairo was only five.
All he left was a pension, some promises, and insurance money to keep the family together at least. Sofia was the one who kept them alive.
Kairo smiled at her and the car drove down the narrow street to home.
He must have fallen asleep, as the next thing he knew they were slipping into the driveway.
He jerked out of bed, grabbed the groceries, and ran into the house behind his mother like a man who might be running to beat the truth.
He threw the bags on the kitchen table and ran up the stairs as though he was being chased.
Amira was a ghost in a pink hoodie at the top of the stairs.
Miss Lauren wants to see you tomorrow, she said flatly.
Kairo blinked, nodded, and went into his room before she could say anything more.
Amira raised an eyebrow.
“Mum, is he okay?” she called over the banister.
Sofia, in the kitchen, didn’t answer at first.
“He seemed… off. But not the usual sad-off. This was more like hyperactive-off.”
Sofia just looked at the stairs. Thoughtful. Worried. But said nothing.
Upstairs, Kairo shut his bedroom door and locked it.
He hit the bathroom first, rinsing the dirt and rain from his body. The water was warm. For once, the silence felt like something sacred.
Afterward, towel around his waist, he flopped onto the bed and crossed his legs.
“System.”
[Yes, host.]
“Show me my stats.”
The screen returned, flickering gently in the dim light like a digital ghost. A new panel opened. FIFA vibes, top to bottom.
[PLAYER INFO]
NAME: Kairo Elian Hernandez
AGE: 14 (Six months to 15)
PROFESSION: Footballer
STATUS: Youth Player
SYSTEM EVALUATION: No Value
PLAYER RATING: 53/100
POTENTIAL: 77
[STATS]
Acceleration: 65
Sprint Speed: 69
Agility: 58
Balance: 56
Jumping: 49
Reaction: 49
Stamina: 65
Strength: 57
Positioning: 50
Vision: 57
Ball Control: 55
Crossing: 55
Dribbling: 55
Finishing: 50
Short Pass: 55
Long Pass: 45
Weak Foot Strength: 2 Stars
Skill Moves: 3 Stars
Skills Possessed: Stepovers (40% Mastery)
Kairo stared at it like it was a postmortem report.
“Jesus f*****g Christ.”
He buried his face in his hands.
“Speed and stamina are decent, sure, but everything else is... piss.”
He eyed his strength stat and winced. Maybe left back wasn’t his position after all. Then again, fullbacks didn’t always defend — some were playmakers.
But he wasn’t even that. He was just... there.
He groaned.
“Fine. Let’s do this.”
He selected Dribbling for the +10 boost. Stat jumped from 55 to 65.
Next: Vision, Ball Control, and Crossing each got +5.
Vision: 62
Ball Control: 60
Crossing: 60
He grinned. It was already looking better.
He tapped on Weak Foot and Skill Moves, boosting them both by one star.
New stats updated again.
[PLAYER INFO]
NAME: Kairo Elian Hernandez
AGE: 14 (Two months to 15)
HEIGHT: 175 cm
PROFESSION: Footballer
STATUS: Youth Player
SYSTEM EVALUATION: A somewhat decent youth player
PLAYER POSITION: Left Back
POTENTIAL: 80
[STATS]
Acceleration: 65
Sprint Speed: 69
Agility: 58
Balance: 56
Jumping: 49
Reaction: 49
Stamina: 65
Strength: 60
Positioning: 50
Vision: 62
Ball Control: 60
Crossing: 60
Dribbling: 65
Finishing: 50
Short Pass: 55
Long Pass: 45
Weak Foot Strength: 3 Stars
Skill Moves: 4 Stars
Skills Possessed: Stepovers (40% Mastery)
His overall rating climbed to 57.
He stared, breath caught somewhere in his chest. This wasn’t just stats. It was proof. The gap could shrink. The dream didn’t have to die.
And then the word appeared — Potential — with a little info icon pulsing next to it.
“System,” he whispered. “What’s that mean?”
[POTENTIAL BREAKDOWN]
70–74 = Mediocre
75–80 = Decent
81–85 = Good
86–89 = Great
90–92 = World Class
93–96 = Legendary
97–99 = Alien
Kairo grinned, teeth sharp.
“So right now I’m... decent,” he muttered.
Then louder: “Nah, f**k that. I’m going to be an Alien.”
“Kairo! Dinner!”
His mother’s voice echoed up the stairs.
He stood.
“Coming, Mum.”
- Writer
